It wasn't very long ago that the Portland Trailblazers were labeled the sleeping giant of the Western Conference. One of the deepest and most dynamic teams in the league in spite of yet another draft bust in the imposing, yet injury riddled form of Greg Oden, lead by the formidable duo of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge with role players aplenty, including the up-and-coming Nicolas Batum, swingmen Gerald Wallace and Wes Matthews, the fiery yet vexed Rudy Fernandez, apt if underwhelming Steve Blake and the wise vet Andre Miller there to oversee the operation.
Oh, how the almost mighty have fallen. In a stroke of fate that could only happen to Portland, Brandon Roy's knees crumbled beneath him, causing him to hang up his high tops all too soon only to shine them up again to essentially be fitted for a new Wolves jersey and matching knee brace. A Felton/Miller trade flopped, Blake was traded to Los Angeles and technically hasn't left since, Rudy got his wish and is now out of not only Portland, but the NBA entirely, and Wallace now crashes in Brooklyn. A Rose Garden once in full bloom faced dark times. As expected, some weeding took place.
Once prominent head coach, Nate McMillan, was deposed midway through the 2011-12 season and for a while Blazers rode a General Manager carousel, having three in two seasons. At last that carousel appears to have come to a halt as the Blazers appear to be settling into a new era of basketball with a very unlikely, and very small, cast of characters.
The Blazers gambled on unproven (while successful as an assistant in Dallas) head coach Terry Stotts and an equally uncelebrated point guard out of the largely unknown by D-1 standards, Weber State. As of this writing, these gambles appear to be paying dividends. The Blazers have to be cautiously optimistic that they've finally gotten the draft monkey off their back (bear in mind they technically drafted not Aldridge, but Tyrus Thomas) with Lillard's production, and while this will likely do little to ease the pain of knowing both the names of Jordan and Durant will never loom in the rafters of the Rose Garden, the Blazers seem to have laid the groundwork for raising a banner of their own.
Logging career highs in minutes certainly helps, but the Blazer starting five are flourishing with Matthews and Batum reaching their potential and Hickson showing why, at one time, he was expected to be the eventual right-hand man to LeBron in Cleveland. This team of five has, in recent weeks, picked up nice wins against the Knicks, Grizz, and Heat, with narrow loses to the Spurs, Thunder, Warriors, and Nuggets in overtime. They've had a few bad loses thrown in there, too, but given that their roster 6-10 looks more like a D-league squad, I think it's safe to call those losses "encouraging". You know, what they used to call Laker games.
They don't give Coach of the Year honors to those at the helm of teams one game out of the playoffs. Nor should they, but the fact that Terry Stotts has what is, for all intents and purposes the thinnest team in the league competing on a nightly basis with some of the deepest and best teams in the league is, at the very least, respectable and arguably awe-inspiring. Now, in all likelihood, the wheels will indeed fall off this team and their lack of legs will outweigh their abundance of heart as Dallas and Houston continue to figure themselves out and Minnesota gets healthy, but as we approach the All-Star Break, we're past the point of attributing records to short-term chemistry issues and strength of schedule. The Portland Trailblazers are a team that appears to have put their demons behind them and our truly ready to build around Lillard, Hickson, Aldridge, Matthews, Batum... and a future draft pick to be named later.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Lying in 'Wade'
At the risk of stating what you already know, LeBron James has won a championship. Seemingly overnight, he has wrapped his third MVP season up with a bow and exercised most all of his "clutch gene" demons and gone from sports culture pariah to grounded family man who still has enough of a hairline to make going to the barbershop more than a social formality, at least according to Samsung commercials. Unfortunately, the Heat's title run has done little to improve their public image as the most easily disliked team in the league and with the championship-sized monkey off of LeBron's back and jokes about Chris Bosh's appearance only stretching so for nowadays, popular opinion has set it's sights on 2006 Finals MVP, Dwayne Wade, implying that at last, "Flash" has lost a step. However, further investigation shows that maybe such claims are just kind of a low blow.
Shockingly, banging the drum at the head of this movement, is Wade's former T-Mobile spokespartner, the recently slimmed down mound of rebound, Charles Barkley, who insists that Wade must cultivate a post game a la Kobe Bryant in order age gracefully in the NBA. While it may be true that Wade no longer has the raw athleticism and explosion to dominate games as he one did, it's hard to determine how much of that can be attributed to his still ailing left knee and the wear and tear of the NBA grind and how much is the result of his secession of the Miami to Heat to LeBron. Last season, Wade made it clear that he was officially the Robin to LeBron's Batman and as a result, the notion that the big three of South Beach were competing for control of the franchise disappeared and Wade, in his reduced role, raised the Larry O'Brien trophy for the second time in his storied career.
Alas, likely the only unselfish occurrence in Miami all of last season, (except the Marlins handing over their whole squad to Toronto, but that's neither here nor there) which earned Wade such laud and respect has been the very same mindset that has called his skills into question this season. The Heat look more mortal than they have since their initial fumbles when Wade, Bosh, and James first aligned, with an inexplicable loss to the lowly Wizards (then without Nene) and perhaps the more telling and recent loss to the Rose-less Bulls. With all of that said, by the numbers, Wade is shooting a career best 51 percent from the field in just over 33 minutes per game. In addition, Wade is shooting a career best 32 percent from three. The most telling number of all, however, is one. The Heat are first in the East as we near the halfway point of the season.
Despite their expected lofty position at the top of the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat definitely have issues to address before repeating as champs, not the least of which being improved and hungry teams in New York, Atlanta, Memphis, LA (Clippers), and familiar foes in OKC. The league has appeared to again place value in bruising a versatile front lines, an area where the Heat are incredibly deficient. Their own versatility of placing LeBron in the post in the half court and pushing the ball through teams otherwise seems more negated than ever as other, equally athletic teams threaten to get over the hump. Without production from the 4 and 5, or at the very least the ability to stop other teams' 4s and 5s. The Heat's chances to repeat are very much in doubt.
As for Wade, he'll likely ride his newly regimented minutes like the passenger seat of the Batmobile with LeBron at the wheel and assuming his health holds up, will have plenty of pop come April and, perhaps, June. If the Heat are ill fit to take on an NBA that's improved around them, odds are it won't be Wade's fault. Until that time, Dwayne Wade will be waiting in shadows waiting for his number to be called. I'm no Heat fan by any stretch, but I'd hate to be the guy to bet against him.
Shockingly, banging the drum at the head of this movement, is Wade's former T-Mobile spokespartner, the recently slimmed down mound of rebound, Charles Barkley, who insists that Wade must cultivate a post game a la Kobe Bryant in order age gracefully in the NBA. While it may be true that Wade no longer has the raw athleticism and explosion to dominate games as he one did, it's hard to determine how much of that can be attributed to his still ailing left knee and the wear and tear of the NBA grind and how much is the result of his secession of the Miami to Heat to LeBron. Last season, Wade made it clear that he was officially the Robin to LeBron's Batman and as a result, the notion that the big three of South Beach were competing for control of the franchise disappeared and Wade, in his reduced role, raised the Larry O'Brien trophy for the second time in his storied career.
Alas, likely the only unselfish occurrence in Miami all of last season, (except the Marlins handing over their whole squad to Toronto, but that's neither here nor there) which earned Wade such laud and respect has been the very same mindset that has called his skills into question this season. The Heat look more mortal than they have since their initial fumbles when Wade, Bosh, and James first aligned, with an inexplicable loss to the lowly Wizards (then without Nene) and perhaps the more telling and recent loss to the Rose-less Bulls. With all of that said, by the numbers, Wade is shooting a career best 51 percent from the field in just over 33 minutes per game. In addition, Wade is shooting a career best 32 percent from three. The most telling number of all, however, is one. The Heat are first in the East as we near the halfway point of the season.
Despite their expected lofty position at the top of the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat definitely have issues to address before repeating as champs, not the least of which being improved and hungry teams in New York, Atlanta, Memphis, LA (Clippers), and familiar foes in OKC. The league has appeared to again place value in bruising a versatile front lines, an area where the Heat are incredibly deficient. Their own versatility of placing LeBron in the post in the half court and pushing the ball through teams otherwise seems more negated than ever as other, equally athletic teams threaten to get over the hump. Without production from the 4 and 5, or at the very least the ability to stop other teams' 4s and 5s. The Heat's chances to repeat are very much in doubt.
As for Wade, he'll likely ride his newly regimented minutes like the passenger seat of the Batmobile with LeBron at the wheel and assuming his health holds up, will have plenty of pop come April and, perhaps, June. If the Heat are ill fit to take on an NBA that's improved around them, odds are it won't be Wade's fault. Until that time, Dwayne Wade will be waiting in shadows waiting for his number to be called. I'm no Heat fan by any stretch, but I'd hate to be the guy to bet against him.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
In L.A., They Don't Walk, They Drive
Five games into the 2012-13 season, the landscape of basketball in Los Angeles changed dramatically as Mike Brown was relieved of his coaching duties by the Laker organization. That appears to be a very polite way of saying Mike Brown got canned. The Laker PR department seems dead set on saying that this drastic, yet likely overdue, coaching change had more to do with scrapping the ill-fated Princeton Offense incarnation rather than a change in overall team philosophy. However, the move and Kobe's stares-of-death speak for themselves. Mike Brown had clearly lost the locker room and a team built to win immediately was floundering. Rather than wait out a losing hand, Jim Buss, Mitch Kupchak, and the rest of the Laker brass have decided to move onward and hopefully upward with one of the most polarizing figures in professional basketball today, offensive specialist and former Knicks and Suns coach, Mike D'Antoni.
The lack of Phil Jackson's all-too-familiar Zen on the sideline at Staples is certainly worth mentioning and questioning to an extent. Offering the keys to a classic car to an upstart valet known for driving fast and forgetting where and what the brakes are after passing up a game-tested chauffeur who has successfully navigated the road to victory eleven times is going to raise some eyebrows. The fact is, we'll never really know the semantics and vibe of the meeting with Phil Jackson; whether Jim Buss' ego got the better of him in wanting to prove the Lakers could win without Jackson, whether the Lakers assumed Jackson's eventual asking price and anticipated exceptions regarding his involvement in travel, practice time, and basketball operations would be too great of a price to pay for a championship still in doubt. Perhaps, the Lakers truly felt Jackson's Triangle really would mirror the failed Princeton method a bit too much and limit the production of the aged, but still kicking, Steve Nash. This last scenario is unlikely, but bear in mind, none of those Phil Jackson championship squads are known for their dynamic point guards. Regardless, Laker fans got the change they wanted so badly and writing about the coach that could have been seems as foolish writing about why the dish ran away with the spoon and left the fork behind with the salad bowl. With that said, very legitimate questions remain regarding D'Antoni's ability to lead the Lakers to more than flashy regular season wins.
Mike D'Antoni's success seems to go hand in hand with a high rate of play and a versetile point guard who can break down defenses early in the shot clock. Whether or not Steve Nash can sustain that kind of play for extended minutes over the course of the season is a major concern. However, let's not underestimate Mike D'Antoni's ability to adapt to his personnel. You don't get to be a part of the coaching staff of Olympic basketball teams by being a one-trick-pony. D'Antoni will likely do away with the seven second shot clock that made him infamous entirely and trust his nearly patented ball movement and spacing to do its work at its own pace. While Nash's age is a concern and Steve Blake isn't an ideal back-up for a point guard centric system, no longer will Steve Nash have to drag an otherwise mediocre team up the floor every possession and a freer offense should allow Kobe, Pau, and Dwight Howard to have their chance to shoulder the load respectively in spurts. Nash's minutes will likely decrease, but provided he can get and stay healthy, his contribution should be invaluable.
The lack of defense preached by Mike D'Antoni also brings skepticism in the L.A. coaching change. The Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks never had it in philosophy or personnel (not including the lockout season when the Knicks had Tyson Chandler). This severity of this flaw was made all the more apparent when the Boston Celtics blanked the Knicks in the playoffs of 2011. However, as much as Mike D'Antoni is responsible for sleeping in the bed he and James Dolan made, part of the reason for his semi-bitter exit from New York had to do with the players he was coaching not being motivated enough to commit to defense and do what it takes to win. Perhaps that is harsh criticism, but Melo and Amare's track records speak for themselves in that regard. This Laker squad recognizes that time is of the essence and has Kobe Bryant, a man who went to train with "The Dream" after winning a championship and whose motivation and effort speaks for itself. The Lakers have two-time defensive player of the year, Dwight Howard in the middle and, while not the player he used to be in both name and trade, World Peace's defensive talents should not be underestimated when he's focused. Quick shots and long shots can lead to run outs for Laker opponents, but it also leaves room for offensive rebounding, which Howard and Gasol should do quite well to say the least. This team won't suddenly be tops in the league in defense (a stat ironically held by the Knicks), but D'Antoni arguably has at last found that happy medium between having a potent offensive team and sacrificing defense altogether.
Mike D'Antoni's New York stock was at it's lowest was when Anthony, a isolation and shoot first player was thrust into the point-forward position and basically put himself on an island on a nightly basis. The only glimmer of hope for D'Antoni and the Knicks was a month long fad when they placed their hopes and dreams in the hands of a dynamic, and indeed, average point guard, Jeremy Lin, who, to his credit, performed and got a heck of a pay day out of the deal. D'Antoni needs distributors on the floor to be successful. Something the Knicks didn't have; something the Lakers do, at more positions than the point.
Questions seem to circle around whether or not Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol will have their numbers negatively impacted by not being able to post up in a lane that until proven otherwise, D'Antoni uses as a freeway for slashers and rollers. As refined as Pau's outside stroke is, you don't want to negate his size and turn him into a glorified jump shooter and Dwight Howard should never have the ball for any meaningful amount of time outside the paint. Bear in mind, though that these two will continue to do the dirty work down low, just on flashes and pick and rolls. We're not looking at a drive and kick offense a la Phoenix anymore, we're looking at a pick an roll based offense where two of the best bigs in the game will be heading to the rim. If teams overplay it, Pau hits the 15-footer all day. If not, I'd hate to see the guy get in the way of Howard after getting a pocket pass from Nash and a head of steam. If anything, this should finally give us a look at the Laker team the fans expected all along. Pau Gasol's ability as a passer should also add multiple new wrinkles to this offense's flexibility. By the way, Kobe Bryant will be on the court, too, and have the space to do what he still does so well after 17 seasons. The nature in which the Laker bigs get their touches will change, but not their numbers. The lack of shooters and depth on this team is perhaps the only legitamate concern for this squad, but picking up a shooter is a trade deadline move away (unless Meeks wants the job) and depth was a concern with or without D'Antoni.
Mike D'Antoni faces an uphill battle in Los Angeles and will have to buck a lot of old habits in order to silence critics and lead this Laker team to a title. D'Antoni will have to prove there's a little more to his coaching method than shoot first look at film later, but he and the Laker organization certainly have the tools to prove both he and this team were not brought together in vain. One thing is for sure, Laker players and fans alike seem excited about what this season will hold which, coming off of the Mike Brown era, has to be considered half the battle.
The lack of Phil Jackson's all-too-familiar Zen on the sideline at Staples is certainly worth mentioning and questioning to an extent. Offering the keys to a classic car to an upstart valet known for driving fast and forgetting where and what the brakes are after passing up a game-tested chauffeur who has successfully navigated the road to victory eleven times is going to raise some eyebrows. The fact is, we'll never really know the semantics and vibe of the meeting with Phil Jackson; whether Jim Buss' ego got the better of him in wanting to prove the Lakers could win without Jackson, whether the Lakers assumed Jackson's eventual asking price and anticipated exceptions regarding his involvement in travel, practice time, and basketball operations would be too great of a price to pay for a championship still in doubt. Perhaps, the Lakers truly felt Jackson's Triangle really would mirror the failed Princeton method a bit too much and limit the production of the aged, but still kicking, Steve Nash. This last scenario is unlikely, but bear in mind, none of those Phil Jackson championship squads are known for their dynamic point guards. Regardless, Laker fans got the change they wanted so badly and writing about the coach that could have been seems as foolish writing about why the dish ran away with the spoon and left the fork behind with the salad bowl. With that said, very legitimate questions remain regarding D'Antoni's ability to lead the Lakers to more than flashy regular season wins.
Mike D'Antoni's success seems to go hand in hand with a high rate of play and a versetile point guard who can break down defenses early in the shot clock. Whether or not Steve Nash can sustain that kind of play for extended minutes over the course of the season is a major concern. However, let's not underestimate Mike D'Antoni's ability to adapt to his personnel. You don't get to be a part of the coaching staff of Olympic basketball teams by being a one-trick-pony. D'Antoni will likely do away with the seven second shot clock that made him infamous entirely and trust his nearly patented ball movement and spacing to do its work at its own pace. While Nash's age is a concern and Steve Blake isn't an ideal back-up for a point guard centric system, no longer will Steve Nash have to drag an otherwise mediocre team up the floor every possession and a freer offense should allow Kobe, Pau, and Dwight Howard to have their chance to shoulder the load respectively in spurts. Nash's minutes will likely decrease, but provided he can get and stay healthy, his contribution should be invaluable.
The lack of defense preached by Mike D'Antoni also brings skepticism in the L.A. coaching change. The Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks never had it in philosophy or personnel (not including the lockout season when the Knicks had Tyson Chandler). This severity of this flaw was made all the more apparent when the Boston Celtics blanked the Knicks in the playoffs of 2011. However, as much as Mike D'Antoni is responsible for sleeping in the bed he and James Dolan made, part of the reason for his semi-bitter exit from New York had to do with the players he was coaching not being motivated enough to commit to defense and do what it takes to win. Perhaps that is harsh criticism, but Melo and Amare's track records speak for themselves in that regard. This Laker squad recognizes that time is of the essence and has Kobe Bryant, a man who went to train with "The Dream" after winning a championship and whose motivation and effort speaks for itself. The Lakers have two-time defensive player of the year, Dwight Howard in the middle and, while not the player he used to be in both name and trade, World Peace's defensive talents should not be underestimated when he's focused. Quick shots and long shots can lead to run outs for Laker opponents, but it also leaves room for offensive rebounding, which Howard and Gasol should do quite well to say the least. This team won't suddenly be tops in the league in defense (a stat ironically held by the Knicks), but D'Antoni arguably has at last found that happy medium between having a potent offensive team and sacrificing defense altogether.
Mike D'Antoni's New York stock was at it's lowest was when Anthony, a isolation and shoot first player was thrust into the point-forward position and basically put himself on an island on a nightly basis. The only glimmer of hope for D'Antoni and the Knicks was a month long fad when they placed their hopes and dreams in the hands of a dynamic, and indeed, average point guard, Jeremy Lin, who, to his credit, performed and got a heck of a pay day out of the deal. D'Antoni needs distributors on the floor to be successful. Something the Knicks didn't have; something the Lakers do, at more positions than the point.
Questions seem to circle around whether or not Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol will have their numbers negatively impacted by not being able to post up in a lane that until proven otherwise, D'Antoni uses as a freeway for slashers and rollers. As refined as Pau's outside stroke is, you don't want to negate his size and turn him into a glorified jump shooter and Dwight Howard should never have the ball for any meaningful amount of time outside the paint. Bear in mind, though that these two will continue to do the dirty work down low, just on flashes and pick and rolls. We're not looking at a drive and kick offense a la Phoenix anymore, we're looking at a pick an roll based offense where two of the best bigs in the game will be heading to the rim. If teams overplay it, Pau hits the 15-footer all day. If not, I'd hate to see the guy get in the way of Howard after getting a pocket pass from Nash and a head of steam. If anything, this should finally give us a look at the Laker team the fans expected all along. Pau Gasol's ability as a passer should also add multiple new wrinkles to this offense's flexibility. By the way, Kobe Bryant will be on the court, too, and have the space to do what he still does so well after 17 seasons. The nature in which the Laker bigs get their touches will change, but not their numbers. The lack of shooters and depth on this team is perhaps the only legitamate concern for this squad, but picking up a shooter is a trade deadline move away (unless Meeks wants the job) and depth was a concern with or without D'Antoni.
Mike D'Antoni faces an uphill battle in Los Angeles and will have to buck a lot of old habits in order to silence critics and lead this Laker team to a title. D'Antoni will have to prove there's a little more to his coaching method than shoot first look at film later, but he and the Laker organization certainly have the tools to prove both he and this team were not brought together in vain. One thing is for sure, Laker players and fans alike seem excited about what this season will hold which, coming off of the Mike Brown era, has to be considered half the battle.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Courts By Northwest
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Expectations, Like Most Anything, Are Bigger in Texas
Dallas Mavericks: Let's not mince words, the championship window for the Dallas Mavericks has closed as quickly as it opened and will be shut for the foreseeable future. Those title hopes were dashed as soon as the Mavs let Tyson Chandler, the very engine of our newfound defense, and J.J. Barea walk.The plan was, of course, to take advantage of Dwight Howard and Deron Williams' expiring contracts and discontent with their surroundings and swoop in armed with deep pockets and have those two join forces with Dirk to pry that window wide open again. That plan worked out about as well as Custer's last stand (doing my best with this Western theme). However, for a team that missed out on marquee free agents, lost their sixth man in Jason Terry, was filled with has-beens (Shawn Marion and Vince Carter) and never-was(es) (arguably Vince Carter), and momentarily stranded Dirk Nowitzki with the untapped potential of Roddy Beaubois, streaky Delonte West, and tough but unrefined abilities of big men Brendan Haywood and Ian Mahinmi, they've managed to turn an absolute failure of an offseason into an at the very least respectable one.
The court vision and experience of Jason Kidd will surely be missed, but Darren Collison is still a young point guard with a ton of upside who needs to improve his passing, but he can fill it up, break down defenses, and push the ball better than Kidd can at this stage in his career. Collison's addition should free up more shots for everyone on the court and a faster tempo could do wonders for this team, who looked outright stagnant at times during their first round thumping at the hands of the Thunder. Chris Kaman was an All-Star caliber center before the injury bug bit him again, and again, and again. Those injuries and poor teams have prevented Kaman from being the dark horse All Star center pick that he's capable of being. Whether or not those days are behind him, time will tell, but this guy does a lot of things well on the court and has a nice touch for a big man. In all likelihood I'm over hyping his potential at this point in his career, but I'd rather have him in the middle than the aforementioned Mahinmi and Haywood, even with the injury risk. Elton Brand doesn't exactly fit the bill of the youth movement that this team may need sooner rather than later, but I think you can't over value the fact that the Mavs will at last have a scoring power forward other than Dirk Nowitzki. Elton will be able to bang bodies when he has to and should prove to be a nice option in the half court set, buying Dirk some much needed time on the bench down the stretch of the season. Don't underestimate the value of the addition of Dahntay Jones as a perimeter defender. He should fill the void left by Deshawn Stevenson two years ago and take some of the defensive burden off of Shawn Marion. Those two on the floor together should help Dallas grind out some close games that they simply couldn't finish last year.
Dirk Nowitzki will be Dirk Nowitzki, barring a substantial injury, his production shouldn't fall off much, if at all. Yeah, Dirk's getting up there in years, but we're talking about a guy who, in his prime, was never very quick, and couldn't jump over a roll of nickels. His shooting stroke isn't going anywhere and he's no longer timid when it comes to taking and making the big shot, and absorbing contact along the way. Dirk's not superhuman, he won't be playing 45 minutes a night, but the only reason his productivity should fall off is because there's finally more than two scorers on the squad.
Perhaps the biggest wild card on the team is O.J. Mayo. Mayo was a gifted and prolific scorer at USC, but has failed to have those numbers translate consistently to the NBA. A big reason for that may be the fact that he was eclipsed by Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, ZBo, and even Mike Conley in Memphis. The Grizz never really had the necessity for Mayo to "be the man" so to speak. In filling the sneakers and high socks of Jason Terry, Mayo will have to step up. There's a chance Mayo could fill that void and then some. If Mayo has the breakout season he's capable of that championship window may not stay closed for long. The Mavs turned a garbage offseason into silver. Silver is not gold, but it's certainly valuable in it's own right. Don't sleep on this team just yet.
Houston Rockets: It's hard to feel sorry for a man making $25 million dollars based on a little over a month of work, but Jeremy Lin may just fit that bill. The Asian-American underdog that took a team on his diminutive shoulders and a nation by storm restored a floundering Knicks team to relevance now heads south to Houston with near impossible expectations to which he must live up. It seems the Rockets are suffering from temporary Linsanity and have given Lin money that the Knicks would have been foolish to match. Lin was always a little careless with the ball and was in a point guard embellishing pick and roll based system under Mike D'Antoni.Miami proved that Lin was very mortal and Lin injured himself before further evidence could be compiled to back that up. With that kind of contract, Lin is no longer the underdog no one has heard of and will now have a target on his back all season long. In addition, Lin's supporting cast consists of two promising rookies, Royce White and Jeremy Lamb, and a bunch of role players (Asik, Patterson, Parsons, Delfino). The only other star on that squad, Kevin Martin, is coming off a terrible season under Kevin McHale, so his productivity this season has to be a question mark. Odds are it's going to be a long season in Houston and it won't be Jeremy Lin's fault. At the very least, Houston should sell tickets, given the nation's fascination with Lin and the community's history of embracing Asian stars (Yao), but once they see the product on the floor, I doubt those crowds will last all four years of Lin's contract.
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs have proven more effectively than any other team in the league, their ability to adapt in order to win. Never was that more apparent than last season when the rate of play was picked up at the expense of their once legendary defense. The Spurs proved they were more than the big three, with contributing pieces in Gary Neal, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and the late season acquisitions of Boris Diaw and Captain Jack. As great as the Spurs did picking up the pace and conserving Duncan's minutes, the Spurs still looked old and slow by seasons end. To an extent, that speaks volumes about the quality of the West champion Thunder, but in order for this team to make yet another run towards a title, one of the members of that bench mob, must become the integral fourth to compliment the older big three a la Rajon Rondo in Boston. Now, clearly Rajon Rondo is a special player, but the point is, a member of San Antonio's still very deep team must prepare to take the reigns from Tony, Timmy and Manu. I think this is entirely possible, given how well this bench has shown they can play. Another year to grow into themselves and each other could be just what the Spurs need to take that next step. With the Thunder still present and the newly reformed Lakers poised for a title run, it's tough to favor the Spurs. However, rest assured, they'll be making a title push of their own and it won't be strictly based on tradition.
New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets have taken the fast track to rebuilding courtesy of the draft lottery. Anthony Davis has to be the favorite for Rookie of the Year, with so many skills on both ends of the the floor. He's big and has the instincts to have an impact immediately defensively and has a variety of skills offensively that should prevent him from becoming just another name on the list of Big Bodies Big Busts. His movement in transition is truly exemplary and while indeed the NBA is not college, I'd be shocked if he wasn't a quick study on the offensive end as well. Austin Rivers is likely a bit overrated going in to his rookie season, but he has a lot of upside and appears to have the intangible "clutch gene". Vasquez played well in spurts last season, Most Improved Player Ryan Anderson will spread the floor, the forgotten Lopez should clog the paint effectively. The biggest reason for optimism in the Big Easy is the apparent healthy return of Eric Gordon, who lead the team in scoring and assists before his early exit from competition. Had Gordon played at all last year, there's no way the Hornets would have wound up looking as bad as they did. No way did they make the playoffs, but no way were they in the basement either. The Hornets are a couple years away, at least, but the pieces are there and the young Monty Williams appears to have their collective ear. The Hornets will be ready to sting again soon.
Memphis Grizzlies: Everyone's favorite Western Conference sleeper will once again try to make a run after a brutal battle with Paul, Griffin, and the Clips. The Grizz hold likely one of the best 1-5 line ups in the league, especially for a small market squad. For what it's worth, Bayless should fill the void left by Mayo and Darrell Arthur's return to action as a hustle player is huge. However, with the exception of Speights, Memphis is still not as deep as you'd like to see and while it has been far from a flop, Gay and Randolph have yet to look completely compatible on the floor. Lionel Hollins will have yet another turn with this young group. Time will tell if they can get over the hump.
The court vision and experience of Jason Kidd will surely be missed, but Darren Collison is still a young point guard with a ton of upside who needs to improve his passing, but he can fill it up, break down defenses, and push the ball better than Kidd can at this stage in his career. Collison's addition should free up more shots for everyone on the court and a faster tempo could do wonders for this team, who looked outright stagnant at times during their first round thumping at the hands of the Thunder. Chris Kaman was an All-Star caliber center before the injury bug bit him again, and again, and again. Those injuries and poor teams have prevented Kaman from being the dark horse All Star center pick that he's capable of being. Whether or not those days are behind him, time will tell, but this guy does a lot of things well on the court and has a nice touch for a big man. In all likelihood I'm over hyping his potential at this point in his career, but I'd rather have him in the middle than the aforementioned Mahinmi and Haywood, even with the injury risk. Elton Brand doesn't exactly fit the bill of the youth movement that this team may need sooner rather than later, but I think you can't over value the fact that the Mavs will at last have a scoring power forward other than Dirk Nowitzki. Elton will be able to bang bodies when he has to and should prove to be a nice option in the half court set, buying Dirk some much needed time on the bench down the stretch of the season. Don't underestimate the value of the addition of Dahntay Jones as a perimeter defender. He should fill the void left by Deshawn Stevenson two years ago and take some of the defensive burden off of Shawn Marion. Those two on the floor together should help Dallas grind out some close games that they simply couldn't finish last year.
Dirk Nowitzki will be Dirk Nowitzki, barring a substantial injury, his production shouldn't fall off much, if at all. Yeah, Dirk's getting up there in years, but we're talking about a guy who, in his prime, was never very quick, and couldn't jump over a roll of nickels. His shooting stroke isn't going anywhere and he's no longer timid when it comes to taking and making the big shot, and absorbing contact along the way. Dirk's not superhuman, he won't be playing 45 minutes a night, but the only reason his productivity should fall off is because there's finally more than two scorers on the squad.
Perhaps the biggest wild card on the team is O.J. Mayo. Mayo was a gifted and prolific scorer at USC, but has failed to have those numbers translate consistently to the NBA. A big reason for that may be the fact that he was eclipsed by Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, ZBo, and even Mike Conley in Memphis. The Grizz never really had the necessity for Mayo to "be the man" so to speak. In filling the sneakers and high socks of Jason Terry, Mayo will have to step up. There's a chance Mayo could fill that void and then some. If Mayo has the breakout season he's capable of that championship window may not stay closed for long. The Mavs turned a garbage offseason into silver. Silver is not gold, but it's certainly valuable in it's own right. Don't sleep on this team just yet.
Houston Rockets: It's hard to feel sorry for a man making $25 million dollars based on a little over a month of work, but Jeremy Lin may just fit that bill. The Asian-American underdog that took a team on his diminutive shoulders and a nation by storm restored a floundering Knicks team to relevance now heads south to Houston with near impossible expectations to which he must live up. It seems the Rockets are suffering from temporary Linsanity and have given Lin money that the Knicks would have been foolish to match. Lin was always a little careless with the ball and was in a point guard embellishing pick and roll based system under Mike D'Antoni.Miami proved that Lin was very mortal and Lin injured himself before further evidence could be compiled to back that up. With that kind of contract, Lin is no longer the underdog no one has heard of and will now have a target on his back all season long. In addition, Lin's supporting cast consists of two promising rookies, Royce White and Jeremy Lamb, and a bunch of role players (Asik, Patterson, Parsons, Delfino). The only other star on that squad, Kevin Martin, is coming off a terrible season under Kevin McHale, so his productivity this season has to be a question mark. Odds are it's going to be a long season in Houston and it won't be Jeremy Lin's fault. At the very least, Houston should sell tickets, given the nation's fascination with Lin and the community's history of embracing Asian stars (Yao), but once they see the product on the floor, I doubt those crowds will last all four years of Lin's contract.
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs have proven more effectively than any other team in the league, their ability to adapt in order to win. Never was that more apparent than last season when the rate of play was picked up at the expense of their once legendary defense. The Spurs proved they were more than the big three, with contributing pieces in Gary Neal, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and the late season acquisitions of Boris Diaw and Captain Jack. As great as the Spurs did picking up the pace and conserving Duncan's minutes, the Spurs still looked old and slow by seasons end. To an extent, that speaks volumes about the quality of the West champion Thunder, but in order for this team to make yet another run towards a title, one of the members of that bench mob, must become the integral fourth to compliment the older big three a la Rajon Rondo in Boston. Now, clearly Rajon Rondo is a special player, but the point is, a member of San Antonio's still very deep team must prepare to take the reigns from Tony, Timmy and Manu. I think this is entirely possible, given how well this bench has shown they can play. Another year to grow into themselves and each other could be just what the Spurs need to take that next step. With the Thunder still present and the newly reformed Lakers poised for a title run, it's tough to favor the Spurs. However, rest assured, they'll be making a title push of their own and it won't be strictly based on tradition.
New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets have taken the fast track to rebuilding courtesy of the draft lottery. Anthony Davis has to be the favorite for Rookie of the Year, with so many skills on both ends of the the floor. He's big and has the instincts to have an impact immediately defensively and has a variety of skills offensively that should prevent him from becoming just another name on the list of Big Bodies Big Busts. His movement in transition is truly exemplary and while indeed the NBA is not college, I'd be shocked if he wasn't a quick study on the offensive end as well. Austin Rivers is likely a bit overrated going in to his rookie season, but he has a lot of upside and appears to have the intangible "clutch gene". Vasquez played well in spurts last season, Most Improved Player Ryan Anderson will spread the floor, the forgotten Lopez should clog the paint effectively. The biggest reason for optimism in the Big Easy is the apparent healthy return of Eric Gordon, who lead the team in scoring and assists before his early exit from competition. Had Gordon played at all last year, there's no way the Hornets would have wound up looking as bad as they did. No way did they make the playoffs, but no way were they in the basement either. The Hornets are a couple years away, at least, but the pieces are there and the young Monty Williams appears to have their collective ear. The Hornets will be ready to sting again soon.
Memphis Grizzlies: Everyone's favorite Western Conference sleeper will once again try to make a run after a brutal battle with Paul, Griffin, and the Clips. The Grizz hold likely one of the best 1-5 line ups in the league, especially for a small market squad. For what it's worth, Bayless should fill the void left by Mayo and Darrell Arthur's return to action as a hustle player is huge. However, with the exception of Speights, Memphis is still not as deep as you'd like to see and while it has been far from a flop, Gay and Randolph have yet to look completely compatible on the floor. Lionel Hollins will have yet another turn with this young group. Time will tell if they can get over the hump.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Pacific Specifics
A title much easier to read than say beckons me to share my thoughts on the season outlook for NBA teams in the Pacific Division.
Los Angeles Lakers: To get the obvious out of the way: The Lakers have improved a great deal this offseason and will certainly be legitimate contenders for the Larry O'Brien trophy, as they continue to prove that the draft is for squares. The one thing I will say that may raise some eyebrows is that I don't think Dwight Howard's acquisition has all that much to do with it. Dwight's an absolute talent on both ends of the floor by virtue of his size and athleticism alone. Couple those attributes with decent hook shot and work-in-progress Duncan-esque bank shot he's trying to cultivate and you have a man who's going to improve any team for which he suits up, to put it mildly. I only mean to point out that Lakers have traded, much to the euphoria of Sixer fans, the only center in the NBA whose name can justifiably be said in the same sentence as Dwight Howard in Andrew Bynum.(Unless that sentence is: Unlike Sammy Dalembert, Dwight Howard prefers to dwell in the paint.) Simply put, having a big man in the middle was never a problem in Los Angeles and I feel the Lakers' imminent success has a lot more to do with other new Lakers joining Dwight and the perennial Kobe in purple and gold.
For the record, I do think Howard is a better fit for the Lakers than Bynum was, which is saying something. Dwight runs the floor a bit better and will likely mesh more with the Princeton offense. Dwight's touches, should he be content with them, should come from boards and he should see plenty touches on pick and roll plays from a man who seems to define it for a generation; Steve Nash. Bynum likely is the better scorer at the position, but a team as suddenly deep as the Lake-show should fare just fine with Dwight down low. It's fair to at least wonder if Dwight will be reticently resistant to being the third or fourth option offensively (Kobe, Pau, Nash himself?), but winning can be the best panacea for those kinds of issues, and the Lakers will be doing a lot of that.
Steve Nash's pedigree speaks for itself, quite frankly. A genuine floor general with still some gas in the tank at the helm of a veritable all star team. After years of clawing an otherwise pretty pedestrian team into contention with some help from Amare Stoudemire, he will have more weapons than he'll know what to do with in L.A. Visions of his pick and roll with Dwight, pick and pop with Pau, and just plain playing with Kobe is hard not to salivate over. The talent around Nash alone will lighten his load and with his court vision and scoring ability in his own right, he, in turn, takes pressure off his teammates (Pau should flourish with someone getting him his shots in his spots. In addition, the Lakers still have whom I consider one of the better back up points in the league in Steve Blake.
Antawn Jamison received a measure of vindication after putting in his time as a lone vet on a rough Cavs squad. Dan Gilbert likely had high hopes of Jamison finally being the Robin that (Batman) LeBron James never had. Obviously that never came to pass. Jamison showed class in playing hard night after night and will now have the best chance of his career to capture a ring. Jordan Hill and Jodie Meeks have proven that while inconsistent, they can contribute to a team with the right guidance and much success will depend on World Peace's mindset and conditioning, but Kobe has some pieces around him that should help lighten his load and unlike the past couple of seasons, the Lakers have a true bench and point guard. Should Kobe trust his teammates enough to take some of that burden off him (and he clearly has a habit of rising to the occasion and making writers who question him look pretty foolish), he should be able to lead his new teammates down Hollywood's Redemption Road towards a championship.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers have once again proven that they're no longer content with being perceived as the little brothers of the Staples Center and have had a solid off season in their own right.With the acquisitions of Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford, LOB City should prove to have more dimensions to it than highlight dunks. Blake Griffin must prove a similar point if he wishes to show that he's up to the task of being the future of this team. His hard work is evident, as he showed flashes of a fifteen foot jumper and some post moves, but as of this writing he's still very much the raw, hard working, super athlete who jumped over a car and turned "Mozgov" into a verb, rather than a basketball player. Griffin has yet to even approach his ceiling and potential as a player, so don't read into this as too harsh of a critique, but there's no denying that his game has yet to reach the level of his vertical leap.
Blake Griffin did his part in turning Clipper culture from miserable to hopeful and Chris Paul turned hopeful into prideful. Chris Paul has led by example and injected toughness and winning expectations into a once lost franchise. Never was this never-say-die attitude more evident than during the Clips' unprecedented Game 1 comeback against the Grizzlies this past postseason. The new chip-on-our-shoulder attitude seems to run deep as they appear to have a roster filled with blue collar bad boys (using that term loosely) Matt Barnes, DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler, and potentially Kenyon Martin to help continue the mental makeover. Grant Hill and Billups' veteran leadership should work wonders with the youth in the lockeroom, and time will tell just much those two can contribute on the floor.
Crawford should fill the scoring void left by Nick Young's absence exceptionally and you'd have to believe that Lamar Odom can only improve upon a failed season in Dallas as he once again calls Los Angeles home. You can't overstate the importance of the role Mo Williams played as the unsung backup last season. His absence puts more pressure on Billups to be healthy, Bledsoe to develop, and Crawford to run an offense when CP3 is catching a rare blow. Other than that I see the Clips team that appears to be growing into itself right on schedule and will look to advance at least one round deeper into the playoffs this time around.
Golden State Warriors: With the movement of Monta Ellis and Dorell Wright, the final remnants of Nellie ball appear to be behind us. The true Mark Jackson era has officially begun in Oakland, and as expected there's a lot of impetus on molding youth from scratch. The status of this team is a relative question mark because, quite frankly, so many of these players are largely unknown. Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, and Charles Jenkins have performed nicely in complimentary roles, but more will surely be asked of them this season on this team than there ever has been before. Klay Thompson will look to build off a solid season while Carl Landry will seek to prove that his issues with Monty Williams were an isolated incident and he's ready to commit to playing hard on both ends of the court. The Warriors have high hopes for Harrison Barnes and his ability to do a little bit of everything on the floor and there's a tremendous cast of vets to guide him along the way.
David Lee is a double double machine and Richard Jefferson is another jack of all trades type that any team would love to have. The major concerns surrounding this team has to do with the fact that they seem to have invested a lot of their potential in some very injury prone guys. When healthy, Andrew Bogut is as good as any center in the league. I realize the implications of that statement and stick by it. Andris Biedrins is a nice reserve big man and looked like a future all star when the Warriors were thumping the top seeded Mavs in 2007 (the last time he was healthy), but he hasn't been the same since. In addition, the man worthy of being the face of this franchise, Steph Curry, is always one ankle tweak away from sitting out half the season. Couple these rather ominous "what ifs" with the fact that we're not entirely sure how Mark Jackson will use all of these pieces even if he has them all at his disposal and we're left with yet another rebuilding season for the Warriors, with flashes of brilliance and high hopes for next year. Here's hoping that they stay healthy enough for the outlook to be that bright.
Sacramento Kings: On paper, these guys don't look half bad. A lot of young up and comers with nothing but upside ready to ruffle some feathers amongst the West's elite. The only problem is, this game isn't played on paper, and on the basketball court this team has a lot of issues. The ebb and flow of DeMarcus Cousins' maturity aside, this team is full of players who need the ball to be successful and no one who wants to share it. This team had all but tuned out Paul Westphal, so there's something to be said for Keith Smart having his first full season as head coach, but there's a real log jam of score first guards on that team which the addition of Aaron Brooks doesn't help and Thomas Robinson walks into a program where the inside touches will likely be made by Cousins and Jason Thompson. The bottom line is that a lineup of Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Aaron Brooks, and Marcus Thornton looks great on a fantasy team, but likely won't translate to real wins in the competitive West.
Phoenix Suns: If you'll excuse the obvious word play, as one sun sets another one rises. Steve Nash leaves the Valley of the Sun, but Alvin Gentry and management have done a tremendous job of ensuring that this team won't quietly fade off into the... well you get the idea. Former reserve Goran Dragic returns to Phoenix after cutting his teeth in Houston and after excelling in Houston, should be able to acclimate well to being the point man in Phoenix. The Suns have shown they have no real intentions of slowing the pace of play by signing swing man forward, Michael Beasley, who should rebound from an off year in Minnesota within a less stringent offense. For a time, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat seemed to be the lone bright spots in Phoenix (excluding Nash, of course) they should continue to perform. I'm sure the Suns would prefer to have Eric Gordon rather than Shannon Brown in their back court, but the potential for Telfair, Wes Johnson, and Shannon Brown to improve is present and worth mentioning. The signings of Scola and O'Neal are eyebrow raising, and you have to wonder if they can keep up with the rate of play. I think you have to wonder if Jermaine O'Neal has anything to give period, quite frankly. Scola struggled last season under McHale and failed to contribute consistently in any facet of the game. You have to wonder how he'll fare under Gentry. Maybe the organization sees him a safety valve in half court sets, a la Elton Brand in his first years in Philly, but we all know how that looked for a while there. The post Steve Nash era will have it's rough spots, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Los Angeles Lakers: To get the obvious out of the way: The Lakers have improved a great deal this offseason and will certainly be legitimate contenders for the Larry O'Brien trophy, as they continue to prove that the draft is for squares. The one thing I will say that may raise some eyebrows is that I don't think Dwight Howard's acquisition has all that much to do with it. Dwight's an absolute talent on both ends of the floor by virtue of his size and athleticism alone. Couple those attributes with decent hook shot and work-in-progress Duncan-esque bank shot he's trying to cultivate and you have a man who's going to improve any team for which he suits up, to put it mildly. I only mean to point out that Lakers have traded, much to the euphoria of Sixer fans, the only center in the NBA whose name can justifiably be said in the same sentence as Dwight Howard in Andrew Bynum.(Unless that sentence is: Unlike Sammy Dalembert, Dwight Howard prefers to dwell in the paint.) Simply put, having a big man in the middle was never a problem in Los Angeles and I feel the Lakers' imminent success has a lot more to do with other new Lakers joining Dwight and the perennial Kobe in purple and gold.
For the record, I do think Howard is a better fit for the Lakers than Bynum was, which is saying something. Dwight runs the floor a bit better and will likely mesh more with the Princeton offense. Dwight's touches, should he be content with them, should come from boards and he should see plenty touches on pick and roll plays from a man who seems to define it for a generation; Steve Nash. Bynum likely is the better scorer at the position, but a team as suddenly deep as the Lake-show should fare just fine with Dwight down low. It's fair to at least wonder if Dwight will be reticently resistant to being the third or fourth option offensively (Kobe, Pau, Nash himself?), but winning can be the best panacea for those kinds of issues, and the Lakers will be doing a lot of that.
Steve Nash's pedigree speaks for itself, quite frankly. A genuine floor general with still some gas in the tank at the helm of a veritable all star team. After years of clawing an otherwise pretty pedestrian team into contention with some help from Amare Stoudemire, he will have more weapons than he'll know what to do with in L.A. Visions of his pick and roll with Dwight, pick and pop with Pau, and just plain playing with Kobe is hard not to salivate over. The talent around Nash alone will lighten his load and with his court vision and scoring ability in his own right, he, in turn, takes pressure off his teammates (Pau should flourish with someone getting him his shots in his spots. In addition, the Lakers still have whom I consider one of the better back up points in the league in Steve Blake.
Antawn Jamison received a measure of vindication after putting in his time as a lone vet on a rough Cavs squad. Dan Gilbert likely had high hopes of Jamison finally being the Robin that (Batman) LeBron James never had. Obviously that never came to pass. Jamison showed class in playing hard night after night and will now have the best chance of his career to capture a ring. Jordan Hill and Jodie Meeks have proven that while inconsistent, they can contribute to a team with the right guidance and much success will depend on World Peace's mindset and conditioning, but Kobe has some pieces around him that should help lighten his load and unlike the past couple of seasons, the Lakers have a true bench and point guard. Should Kobe trust his teammates enough to take some of that burden off him (and he clearly has a habit of rising to the occasion and making writers who question him look pretty foolish), he should be able to lead his new teammates down Hollywood's Redemption Road towards a championship.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers have once again proven that they're no longer content with being perceived as the little brothers of the Staples Center and have had a solid off season in their own right.With the acquisitions of Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford, LOB City should prove to have more dimensions to it than highlight dunks. Blake Griffin must prove a similar point if he wishes to show that he's up to the task of being the future of this team. His hard work is evident, as he showed flashes of a fifteen foot jumper and some post moves, but as of this writing he's still very much the raw, hard working, super athlete who jumped over a car and turned "Mozgov" into a verb, rather than a basketball player. Griffin has yet to even approach his ceiling and potential as a player, so don't read into this as too harsh of a critique, but there's no denying that his game has yet to reach the level of his vertical leap.
Blake Griffin did his part in turning Clipper culture from miserable to hopeful and Chris Paul turned hopeful into prideful. Chris Paul has led by example and injected toughness and winning expectations into a once lost franchise. Never was this never-say-die attitude more evident than during the Clips' unprecedented Game 1 comeback against the Grizzlies this past postseason. The new chip-on-our-shoulder attitude seems to run deep as they appear to have a roster filled with blue collar bad boys (using that term loosely) Matt Barnes, DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler, and potentially Kenyon Martin to help continue the mental makeover. Grant Hill and Billups' veteran leadership should work wonders with the youth in the lockeroom, and time will tell just much those two can contribute on the floor.
Crawford should fill the scoring void left by Nick Young's absence exceptionally and you'd have to believe that Lamar Odom can only improve upon a failed season in Dallas as he once again calls Los Angeles home. You can't overstate the importance of the role Mo Williams played as the unsung backup last season. His absence puts more pressure on Billups to be healthy, Bledsoe to develop, and Crawford to run an offense when CP3 is catching a rare blow. Other than that I see the Clips team that appears to be growing into itself right on schedule and will look to advance at least one round deeper into the playoffs this time around.
Golden State Warriors: With the movement of Monta Ellis and Dorell Wright, the final remnants of Nellie ball appear to be behind us. The true Mark Jackson era has officially begun in Oakland, and as expected there's a lot of impetus on molding youth from scratch. The status of this team is a relative question mark because, quite frankly, so many of these players are largely unknown. Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, and Charles Jenkins have performed nicely in complimentary roles, but more will surely be asked of them this season on this team than there ever has been before. Klay Thompson will look to build off a solid season while Carl Landry will seek to prove that his issues with Monty Williams were an isolated incident and he's ready to commit to playing hard on both ends of the court. The Warriors have high hopes for Harrison Barnes and his ability to do a little bit of everything on the floor and there's a tremendous cast of vets to guide him along the way.
David Lee is a double double machine and Richard Jefferson is another jack of all trades type that any team would love to have. The major concerns surrounding this team has to do with the fact that they seem to have invested a lot of their potential in some very injury prone guys. When healthy, Andrew Bogut is as good as any center in the league. I realize the implications of that statement and stick by it. Andris Biedrins is a nice reserve big man and looked like a future all star when the Warriors were thumping the top seeded Mavs in 2007 (the last time he was healthy), but he hasn't been the same since. In addition, the man worthy of being the face of this franchise, Steph Curry, is always one ankle tweak away from sitting out half the season. Couple these rather ominous "what ifs" with the fact that we're not entirely sure how Mark Jackson will use all of these pieces even if he has them all at his disposal and we're left with yet another rebuilding season for the Warriors, with flashes of brilliance and high hopes for next year. Here's hoping that they stay healthy enough for the outlook to be that bright.
Sacramento Kings: On paper, these guys don't look half bad. A lot of young up and comers with nothing but upside ready to ruffle some feathers amongst the West's elite. The only problem is, this game isn't played on paper, and on the basketball court this team has a lot of issues. The ebb and flow of DeMarcus Cousins' maturity aside, this team is full of players who need the ball to be successful and no one who wants to share it. This team had all but tuned out Paul Westphal, so there's something to be said for Keith Smart having his first full season as head coach, but there's a real log jam of score first guards on that team which the addition of Aaron Brooks doesn't help and Thomas Robinson walks into a program where the inside touches will likely be made by Cousins and Jason Thompson. The bottom line is that a lineup of Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Aaron Brooks, and Marcus Thornton looks great on a fantasy team, but likely won't translate to real wins in the competitive West.
Phoenix Suns: If you'll excuse the obvious word play, as one sun sets another one rises. Steve Nash leaves the Valley of the Sun, but Alvin Gentry and management have done a tremendous job of ensuring that this team won't quietly fade off into the... well you get the idea. Former reserve Goran Dragic returns to Phoenix after cutting his teeth in Houston and after excelling in Houston, should be able to acclimate well to being the point man in Phoenix. The Suns have shown they have no real intentions of slowing the pace of play by signing swing man forward, Michael Beasley, who should rebound from an off year in Minnesota within a less stringent offense. For a time, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat seemed to be the lone bright spots in Phoenix (excluding Nash, of course) they should continue to perform. I'm sure the Suns would prefer to have Eric Gordon rather than Shannon Brown in their back court, but the potential for Telfair, Wes Johnson, and Shannon Brown to improve is present and worth mentioning. The signings of Scola and O'Neal are eyebrow raising, and you have to wonder if they can keep up with the rate of play. I think you have to wonder if Jermaine O'Neal has anything to give period, quite frankly. Scola struggled last season under McHale and failed to contribute consistently in any facet of the game. You have to wonder how he'll fare under Gentry. Maybe the organization sees him a safety valve in half court sets, a la Elton Brand in his first years in Philly, but we all know how that looked for a while there. The post Steve Nash era will have it's rough spots, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on.
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