Denver Nuggets: There's no denying that the Nuggets will continue to have one of the most dynamic and entertaining offenses in the league and George Karl's teams have always been notorious for their depth and reliance, almost to a fault, on a 12 man rotation. The Nugget's ability to turn the corner will be determined by Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried's continued growth and development, for which both appear to be poised. The heady vet, Andre Miller, and a vet with a rather swollen head, Andre Iguodala in the Rockies. Part of the Nuggets success last season, pushing the Lakers to the the limit in the playoffs, was Danilo Gallinari's ability to step up and make big shots. He was about as close to a superstar as Denver had. Iguodala's addition creates an interesting wrinkle in the Nuggets' potential. Iggy's rise to semi-stardom after years of only talking the talk and not walking the walk had everything to do with Doug Collins' coaching and his time on the national team. Iggy's true niche on the court is that of a playmaker, when he had a proverbial leash on him and was not so dead set on being a shotmaker, both Iggy and the Sixers never looked better. If Iggy can maintain that playmaking mindset, the sky is the limit for both he and the Nuggets, but if he reverts back to old habits in this freer offense, the Nuggets organization my live to regret his acquisition. It should be noted that no matter what, Iggy has the potential to flourish in that fast-paced offense, and with Gallo and Iggy locking down the perimeter, if Javale McGee can play with his head on his shoulders consistently, as he did last post season, the Nuggets may fulfill Mile High expectations.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves finally appeared to have a team tailored for Rick Adleman's system and interest in Wolves basketball was at its highest since Kevin Garnett and, dare I reference him, Spree, suited up in the Twin Cities, then the injury bug bit and bit hard. Rubio's recovery will be something to monitor going forward, but there's no question that the real blow here concerns the implications Kevin Love's broken hand The team will once again face an uphill battle until those two are on the court again, but there's a chance that some saving grace can be found in the rest of the roster. Obvious questions linger about how one-time superstar Brandon Roy's knees will hold up to the grind of the NBA season. The Wolves, likely didn't expect to have to lean on him as much as they might have to at the season's begining, but that surgery worked wonders for Kobe, and it should put some tread back on Roy's tires. If he can stay healthy, Kirilenko could flourish outside of Utah coming off a season overseas. Rick Adleman's offense isn't exactly free, but the change of scenery and a lack of other options could revitalize AK 47's once promising career. Love's absence will create ample opportunity for Derrick Williams to prove his mettle, and a banged up Luke Ridnour may well be a blessing in disguise for the the Wolves, as minutes will open up for the dynamic JJ Barea. As encouraging as all of this sounds, there's no replacing a Kevin Love, or even Ricky Rubio and the fact that your two best players otherwise are walking injury risks is beyond disheartening. As a Wolves fan, you have to hope you can tread water in their absence, but regardless, this team only goes as far as a healthy Love and Rubio lead them.
Portland Trail Blazers: To say that last year's season in Rip City was a disappointment is an understatement and this year will likely wind up being more of the same. However, up-and-coming rookie guard, Damian Lillard could go a long way in rewriting that script. Lillard's preseason indicated that he's prepared for the NBA game, and the prospect of him playing alongside the talented LaMarcus Aldridge is enough to have Portland fans salivating for basketball. The Blazers haven't been this excited about a rookie since the ill-fated Greg Oden. The Blazer rotation is rounded out by two versatile swingmen in, Nicolas Batum and Wes Matthews who still have a lot of upside to their game, but even if all three of these players play to their potential Portland's squad is still very young and, until proven otherwise, not very deep. The team will likely struggle and the time of them being perceived as the sleeper team in the West is behind them, but at least it will be good to know that Aldridge will not be out there playing alone, as it looked at times last season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: On paper, the Thunder's chances of repeating a trip to the Finals took a hit when they traded James Harden to Houston, but Jeremy Lamb as a long term investment may prove wise, the Thunder have a knack for making those calls, as Westbrook and Harden both had players projected to go before them when they were drafted by OKC. Also, let's not forget just how skilled a shoot Kevin Martin was outside of the context of last season's apparent rough patch. However, Martin likely won't get the volume of looks he did when he was in Houston as he plays third fiddle to Durant and Westbrook. If Martin gets licence to run the second unit as Harden did, Martin may pleasantly surprise. There's no question Martin doesn't fill the intangibles of defense, passing, and beard-growing that Harden did, but this is far from a one-sided trade. Health concerns circling Perry Jones resulted in him falling to OKC, if he can be healthy, he may prove the steal of the draft. Eric Maynor's return should help that second unit keep the pedal to the medal and leave opposing teams in the dust. The Thunder have one of the deepest front courts in the league with Perk, Ibaka, the under-sung Collison, and even Thabeet, who will likely play well with no offensive expectations on his shoulders. Oh yeah, then there's Durant and Westbrook who, already at the top of their profession, seem to improve every year. Bear in mind, a lot of the Thunder errors in the Finals were mental. Another year of maturity could do wonders for this squad as they undoubtedly march towards title contention.
Utah Jazz: This team looked pretty woeful by last season's end, but that had as much to do with San Antonio hitting its stride as it did the Jazz struggling. Mo Williams at point is an improvement over Devin Harris who appeared to lose all confidence in his game last season. The Jazz have one of the best starting front courts in the league in Jefferson and Milsap. Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors' continued development will shape this season's depth and perhaps, if Marvin Williams can finally meet his potential halfway, the Jazz could turn some heads. Odds are this team will again be in the awkward middleground of too good to break up, but not enough there to really compete. New found guard depth and Marvin Williams' promise at least keeps that glass half full in Salt Lake City.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Middle of the Road: Central Division Preview
The Central Division finds even its top teams in a state of transition.
Chicago Bulls: The championship hopes this team had last season were shattered in an instant when Derrick Rose drove to the basket during what some would consider garbage time of a first round victory over the Sixers and tore his ACL. While perhaps unjustly considered the underdogs in the East behind the eventual champion Miami Heat, this team was poised to make a title run of its own before Rose's untimely injury. This season, as with last season, the Bulls will only go so far as Derrick Rose can take them. Expect some ugly basketball until Rose returns, but the hard nosed attitude of head coach Tom Thibodeau should keep this team in the playoff hunt until that time. Should Rose return healthy, odds are the Bulls will be poised to make a similar run to last year, where they're overshadowed by the three kings of South Beach and itching to prove their worth come playoff time.
Last season, Luol Deng truly stepped up as a defensive force on the perimeter and second scoring option to D. Rose. Deng continuing to cement his role as the unsung Robin to Rose's Batman while Carlos Boozer does dirty work as an underrated third option could really help this team going forward. An out of shape Boozer two seasons ago combined with trying to force feed him the ball to be a part of the offense made for some rough seas in Chicago, but a more featured Luol Deng and a three point shot developed by Rose have helped the Chicago offense flow a bit more naturally and effectively.
The Bulls lost a lot of familiar faces which made up their defensively dominant bench mob. With Korver, Watson, Asik, and Brewer gone, this bench will have a whole new look to it, but the organization did a decent job filling in those holes and again, you've got to figure that the bench will take to Thibs' defensive approach quickly, as he seems to have a knack for making that attitude contagious. The increasingly integral sixth man, Taj Gibson, seems due for a breakout year to follow up his breakout year (if that makes any sense). This is a man, while not inked for the long term, who would start on many other teams and seems to be a big part of Chi-town's future. His continued growth should prove vital to the team's success as he is to the bench what Joakim Noah is to the starting lineup, an intense intangibles player who, love him or hate him, is arguably the heart and soul of that squad.
While C.J. Watson's play in Rose's stead and shadow was intensely underrated, replacing he and Mike James with Nate Robinson and the returning Kirk Hinrich is arguably an improvement. The firey Nate Robinson has a history of shooting you out of as many games as he shoots you into, but he perhaps has found the one team where that heart on your sleeve attitude is embraced and encouraged and if any coach can manage that while keeping him team oriented, it's Thibodeau. Robinson may have found the first place where he actually fits in. The loss of Brewer to the Knicks hurts, for sure, as he was one of the better bench perimeter defenders in the league, but Hinrich should fill that void to an extent and Marco Bellinelli's acquisition should not go unnoticed, as he was a nice playmaker for some pretty awful teams. His contribution in a diminished role could be just the X-factor Chicago needs, especially while Rose is out and if an aged and injury prone Rip Hamilton is underwhelming. Mohammed and the under-utilized Fesenko (formerly of Utah) will clog the middle with Noah on the bench. Vlad Radmanovic is a B-list version of Kyle Korver that could prove valuable in certain situations.
This new Chicago bench has more offensive pop than its predecessor, pop the true litmus test of the lower end of the depth chart will be how well they play defense and maintain leads. With Thibodeau at the helm that glass is likely half full.
Again, this team's success will depend on bench play and how well Derrick Rose rebounds from his ACL tear, but one thing is certain. With these new acquisitions, no longer can this team be considered the Baby Bulls. This team faces an uphill battle, but is built to win now. With perhaps an asterisk next to this season considering Rose's health, anything less than at least a Finals appearance would have to be considered a disappointment.
Cleveland Cavaliers: The rebuilding in Cleveland continues as for the foreseeable future they'll still be the team picking up the pieces after LeBron's sudden exit. An impressive rookie year by Kyrie Irving certainly expedites that process, but with that said, not much to see here. Any semblance of the team that was built for LeBron (namely Jamison) is now gone, leaving room for true rebuilding. Former Utah Jazz swingman, CJ Miles should see a more prominent role and be a nice surprise (mostly in fantasy league) and Alonzo Gee and Omri Casspi have put up some nice numbers here and there, though those numbers are likely inflated due to just how bad this team really was/is. Tristan Thompson's ability to grow with Irving could be something worth monitoring down the line, but this season will be nothing more than taking stock of young talent and a trip to the lottery in Cleveland.
Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe alone makes this team worth watching. Easily Monroe is the future of that squad and likely the most underrated big in the league. Austin Daye, and Jason Maxiell's development appears to have stalled and Charlie V's signing appears to be the definition of a bust. Hopefully Detroit embraces this changing of the guard and stops trying to make Prince the center of that offense. The Pistons may be wise to scrap Villanueva's role and diminish Prince's and hand the keys to Mo-town over to Brandon Knight, Monroe, and Jerebko. Magette's signing may not prove so bad, should he stay healthy, but a youth movement may be more worthwhile to the franchise in the long run. This team is a while away from any sort of contention for even the playoffs, but with a new engine, they may get there sooner rather than later.
Indiana Pacers: The secret is out. The Pacers are no longer the underdog squad of the East laying in wait behind Miami and Chicago, the Pacers will now be competing at the same level as the East's elite, or at least have those expectations. Besides swapping Darren Collison for DJ Augustin, a move which will likely be a wash unless Augustin really rises to the occasion of being out of Charlotte, which is entirely possible, the Pacers haven't tinkered with much. With re-inked free agents Roy Hibbert and George Hill, the Pacers have decided to stand pat with a roster which breathed new life into an area once considered basketball's mecca. Some might say that this team may have hit their ceiling last year and are essentially the Grizzlies of the Eastern Conference as they're fun to watch and talk about, but not quite legitamate. However, last year's Pacers let their exuberance get the better of them and tried to run and gun with Miami. Would Indiana have had the veteran leadership (Danny Granger, while not a poor influence, is definitely not that leader) to pound the ball into Hibbert and West a few more times, it's a very real possibility that LeBron would still be ringless.
If the Pacers matured collectively as a result of that first real taste of playoff buzz and make the effort to be an inside out, gritty team, the sky is the limit for this bunch. Hibbert, George, Hill, and Augustin provide this team with a young core and West and Granger still in their relative primes. In addition this team is one of the more deceptively deep teams in the league.
Milwaukee Bucks: Perhaps it's time to throw in the towel on this team. For years I've tried to will this team into turning the corner, getting past being the best of the worst/worst of the best; always assuming that they're one move away from being last year's Pacers. Maybe it's just not meant to be. The fact is, the basketball that Drew Gooden is playing at this point in his career is one of the most underrated happenings in professional basketball. The fact is, Beno Udrih has a world of potential that he's yet to consistently tap. The fact is, since leaving Philly Sammy has had moments where he actually seems cognizant of what's going on on the basketball court. The fact is Mike Dunleavy impressive, but streaky, resurgence from a injury riddled career is admirable. But the real fact is, potential doesn't win basketball games and this team is as streaky and offensively challanged as they come at times.
One other giant fact is that Ersan Ilyasova is playing absolute Ilya-silly basketball can do a lot of everything on the basketball court. This man is a big market away from being a household name that your grandfather constantly mispronounces. Monta Ellis worked will with Steph Curry in a two guard system at Golden State, but much of that had to do with Curry's pass first mentality. Ellis is far from selfish, but Brandon Jennings is a player who needs the ball in his hands to have an impact (positive or negative). As a result Ellis seemed to have disappeared down the stretch of last season. Maybe Scott Skiles deserves the benefit of the doubt, as this will be his first full season with the potentially dynamic duo, but Skiles isn't exactly known for offensive creativity and things looked so bad last season, it's hard to envision and improvement. This team will have it's moments where they look like a rag tag group of untouchalbes, but they likely won't be able to string together those winning ways and will disappoint again. It's deer season, alright, and this team is going down.
Chicago Bulls: The championship hopes this team had last season were shattered in an instant when Derrick Rose drove to the basket during what some would consider garbage time of a first round victory over the Sixers and tore his ACL. While perhaps unjustly considered the underdogs in the East behind the eventual champion Miami Heat, this team was poised to make a title run of its own before Rose's untimely injury. This season, as with last season, the Bulls will only go so far as Derrick Rose can take them. Expect some ugly basketball until Rose returns, but the hard nosed attitude of head coach Tom Thibodeau should keep this team in the playoff hunt until that time. Should Rose return healthy, odds are the Bulls will be poised to make a similar run to last year, where they're overshadowed by the three kings of South Beach and itching to prove their worth come playoff time.
Last season, Luol Deng truly stepped up as a defensive force on the perimeter and second scoring option to D. Rose. Deng continuing to cement his role as the unsung Robin to Rose's Batman while Carlos Boozer does dirty work as an underrated third option could really help this team going forward. An out of shape Boozer two seasons ago combined with trying to force feed him the ball to be a part of the offense made for some rough seas in Chicago, but a more featured Luol Deng and a three point shot developed by Rose have helped the Chicago offense flow a bit more naturally and effectively.
The Bulls lost a lot of familiar faces which made up their defensively dominant bench mob. With Korver, Watson, Asik, and Brewer gone, this bench will have a whole new look to it, but the organization did a decent job filling in those holes and again, you've got to figure that the bench will take to Thibs' defensive approach quickly, as he seems to have a knack for making that attitude contagious. The increasingly integral sixth man, Taj Gibson, seems due for a breakout year to follow up his breakout year (if that makes any sense). This is a man, while not inked for the long term, who would start on many other teams and seems to be a big part of Chi-town's future. His continued growth should prove vital to the team's success as he is to the bench what Joakim Noah is to the starting lineup, an intense intangibles player who, love him or hate him, is arguably the heart and soul of that squad.
While C.J. Watson's play in Rose's stead and shadow was intensely underrated, replacing he and Mike James with Nate Robinson and the returning Kirk Hinrich is arguably an improvement. The firey Nate Robinson has a history of shooting you out of as many games as he shoots you into, but he perhaps has found the one team where that heart on your sleeve attitude is embraced and encouraged and if any coach can manage that while keeping him team oriented, it's Thibodeau. Robinson may have found the first place where he actually fits in. The loss of Brewer to the Knicks hurts, for sure, as he was one of the better bench perimeter defenders in the league, but Hinrich should fill that void to an extent and Marco Bellinelli's acquisition should not go unnoticed, as he was a nice playmaker for some pretty awful teams. His contribution in a diminished role could be just the X-factor Chicago needs, especially while Rose is out and if an aged and injury prone Rip Hamilton is underwhelming. Mohammed and the under-utilized Fesenko (formerly of Utah) will clog the middle with Noah on the bench. Vlad Radmanovic is a B-list version of Kyle Korver that could prove valuable in certain situations.
This new Chicago bench has more offensive pop than its predecessor, pop the true litmus test of the lower end of the depth chart will be how well they play defense and maintain leads. With Thibodeau at the helm that glass is likely half full.
Again, this team's success will depend on bench play and how well Derrick Rose rebounds from his ACL tear, but one thing is certain. With these new acquisitions, no longer can this team be considered the Baby Bulls. This team faces an uphill battle, but is built to win now. With perhaps an asterisk next to this season considering Rose's health, anything less than at least a Finals appearance would have to be considered a disappointment.
Cleveland Cavaliers: The rebuilding in Cleveland continues as for the foreseeable future they'll still be the team picking up the pieces after LeBron's sudden exit. An impressive rookie year by Kyrie Irving certainly expedites that process, but with that said, not much to see here. Any semblance of the team that was built for LeBron (namely Jamison) is now gone, leaving room for true rebuilding. Former Utah Jazz swingman, CJ Miles should see a more prominent role and be a nice surprise (mostly in fantasy league) and Alonzo Gee and Omri Casspi have put up some nice numbers here and there, though those numbers are likely inflated due to just how bad this team really was/is. Tristan Thompson's ability to grow with Irving could be something worth monitoring down the line, but this season will be nothing more than taking stock of young talent and a trip to the lottery in Cleveland.
Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe alone makes this team worth watching. Easily Monroe is the future of that squad and likely the most underrated big in the league. Austin Daye, and Jason Maxiell's development appears to have stalled and Charlie V's signing appears to be the definition of a bust. Hopefully Detroit embraces this changing of the guard and stops trying to make Prince the center of that offense. The Pistons may be wise to scrap Villanueva's role and diminish Prince's and hand the keys to Mo-town over to Brandon Knight, Monroe, and Jerebko. Magette's signing may not prove so bad, should he stay healthy, but a youth movement may be more worthwhile to the franchise in the long run. This team is a while away from any sort of contention for even the playoffs, but with a new engine, they may get there sooner rather than later.
Indiana Pacers: The secret is out. The Pacers are no longer the underdog squad of the East laying in wait behind Miami and Chicago, the Pacers will now be competing at the same level as the East's elite, or at least have those expectations. Besides swapping Darren Collison for DJ Augustin, a move which will likely be a wash unless Augustin really rises to the occasion of being out of Charlotte, which is entirely possible, the Pacers haven't tinkered with much. With re-inked free agents Roy Hibbert and George Hill, the Pacers have decided to stand pat with a roster which breathed new life into an area once considered basketball's mecca. Some might say that this team may have hit their ceiling last year and are essentially the Grizzlies of the Eastern Conference as they're fun to watch and talk about, but not quite legitamate. However, last year's Pacers let their exuberance get the better of them and tried to run and gun with Miami. Would Indiana have had the veteran leadership (Danny Granger, while not a poor influence, is definitely not that leader) to pound the ball into Hibbert and West a few more times, it's a very real possibility that LeBron would still be ringless.
If the Pacers matured collectively as a result of that first real taste of playoff buzz and make the effort to be an inside out, gritty team, the sky is the limit for this bunch. Hibbert, George, Hill, and Augustin provide this team with a young core and West and Granger still in their relative primes. In addition this team is one of the more deceptively deep teams in the league.
Milwaukee Bucks: Perhaps it's time to throw in the towel on this team. For years I've tried to will this team into turning the corner, getting past being the best of the worst/worst of the best; always assuming that they're one move away from being last year's Pacers. Maybe it's just not meant to be. The fact is, the basketball that Drew Gooden is playing at this point in his career is one of the most underrated happenings in professional basketball. The fact is, Beno Udrih has a world of potential that he's yet to consistently tap. The fact is, since leaving Philly Sammy has had moments where he actually seems cognizant of what's going on on the basketball court. The fact is Mike Dunleavy impressive, but streaky, resurgence from a injury riddled career is admirable. But the real fact is, potential doesn't win basketball games and this team is as streaky and offensively challanged as they come at times.
One other giant fact is that Ersan Ilyasova is playing absolute Ilya-silly basketball can do a lot of everything on the basketball court. This man is a big market away from being a household name that your grandfather constantly mispronounces. Monta Ellis worked will with Steph Curry in a two guard system at Golden State, but much of that had to do with Curry's pass first mentality. Ellis is far from selfish, but Brandon Jennings is a player who needs the ball in his hands to have an impact (positive or negative). As a result Ellis seemed to have disappeared down the stretch of last season. Maybe Scott Skiles deserves the benefit of the doubt, as this will be his first full season with the potentially dynamic duo, but Skiles isn't exactly known for offensive creativity and things looked so bad last season, it's hard to envision and improvement. This team will have it's moments where they look like a rag tag group of untouchalbes, but they likely won't be able to string together those winning ways and will disappoint again. It's deer season, alright, and this team is going down.
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