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Well, we're almost at the All-Star Break, and most teams are at around the 40-game mark, so I figured it'd be a fantastic time to have a littlediscussion of each of the teams this year. I'm going to try and be as unbiased as possible, and won't try to be a homer too much. There's been alot of interesting story-lines so far this year, the Heat/Bulls tanking, the re-emergence of the Blazers/Hornets, the dominance of the Lakers, whether or notLeBron can make it back to the Finals, the Celtics and they're weird losses, and the DEEP Western Conference where both the Rockets and Jazz aren'tcurrently in the Playoffs. I'm going to take a team-by-team, division-by-division look at each team, and I'd love to hear with what you'd have tosay about your team evaluation, and what you'd like to see from them!
Starting in the East, and the Atlantic Conference-
[color= rgb(51, 102, 51)]Boston Celtics[/color]: I guess they are where we all thought they would be. Let me start by sayingthat Eddie House needs to stop taking game-defining shots.
The big three have all played very well, but in my eyes, and I know a lot of you will disagreewith this, but their most valuable player right now is PAUL PIERCE. It's not a huge difference between all of the three, but if this team were just RayAllen and KG, I don't think that they'd be as good as any other of the two combination of Celtics big three. He leads the team in points, and isshooting better than Ray Allen. Although he turns the ball over more, I think he's still the best player on the Celtics. Don't get me wrong, KG hasbeen absolutely phenomenal, as has been Ray Allen, but it's just my opinion. I'm surprised of how well Big Baby has played, and even more so byKendrick Perkins. I guess when you have three huge threats on the floor, it makes things a little easier. I wish Eddie House really wouldn't shoot the ballso much in the fourth quarter. I understand that he's the best three-point shooter on their team by %'s, but I'd much rather have someone elsetaking a shot, but only if you have to, GO INSIDE! Rajon Rondo has also been a pleasant surprise, there were major questions about him, and although I thoughthe'd do well, I didn't think he'd be this successful. The Celtics are playing very well, despite losing to the Bobcats, and Wizards twice, theyhave executed the way they should. The loss to the Raptors yesterday on 1/23 was a tough loss, but the game was in the hands of Eddie House, so I'll letthat one slide. I'm pretty sure this team will continue on having the success they've had, they execute well down the stretch much like the Spurs, andI expect them to finish first in the L getting home-court and winning 64-65 games. The end of January will be interesting though, they play the Mavericks, thenin the middle of February, they play both the Spurs and the Suns, their first real test outside of the Magic/Pistons/Raptors. Also, my dude Leon Powe is a Calalumni.
Also, I don't really see Payton coming to the Celts, and if ANYONE, Damon Stoudamire, but he's a better fit in Phoenix.
[color= rgb(102, 102, 102)]New Jersey Nets[/color]: I hope this team doesn't make any silly moves, and if they do, tradeVince Carter before you trade Richard Jefferson. They are basically the same player, they shoot about the same %'s, and they play similar games, but VC canattract better offers IMO. I'd rather them not trade either, but if either of them had to be traded, let it be Vince. Jamaal needs to be traded, but Idon't know who would want him unless someone's looking for a little cap relief, but I really don't see anyone taking him. I don't see any majortrades for the Nets at all though. I really like that kid Marcus Williams game. I don't think many people do, but I see a LOT of potential in him, and thenthere's Josh Boone and Sean Williams who has shown up as being valuable bigs in the L, and who could develop into really good players. The Nets alwaysmanage to make it into the Playoffs, and I think they will again, probably with a 6-7 seed. Depending on who they play, they COULD knock off theMagic/Cleveland or another high seed, is it likely? probably not, but Kidd and the Nets have a lot of Playoff experience, although a lot of their players aregone from their old Finals runs, I think Kidd could lead them to maybe the Eastern Finals, but to beat the Pistons/Celtics? I don't think it could happen.Then again, no one expected the Heat to go on their playoff run and win the Finals, but that's why we play the game! I see the Nets finishing just about.500 for the season, 40-44 wins, lets hope it will be enough for a playoff seed.
The thing is with the Nets is that they've had some bad losses,Clippers, Sacramento(twice[who is on the rise actually]), Knicks (three times), Charlotte, and an early-season loss to the Heat. Despite this, they've beatthe Lakers, Blazers, Cleveland, GSW, and Orlando all pretty convincingly. They have some work to do, and it'll be a hard push into the Playoffs, but ifthey keep this team together, they can make it into the Playoffs and battle hard teams.
New York Knicks: "I like Zach, I like Fred, I like ****,"
"PAUSE!"
Well well well, Knicks Knicks Knicks, what do we do with thee?
I really had hope for the Knicks this season. They should have gotten rid of Eddy Curry earlyin the season, but instead they stick with Z-Bo and Curry on the same team?
. There's no way to get rid of Malik Rose's contract, and I think JaredJeffries', Jerome James', and Q-Rich's contracts are all outrageous. All those players are there until the end of next season. Stephon is nowin-balance with his injury, and the loss of his father. I don't blame the man at all, losing a father figure in your life must be crushing. But moving onfrom Stephon, the only expiring contracts worth mentioning are Fred Jones and Dan Dickau, and Dan isn't even on the Knicks anymore. I wish there werepositive things to say about the Knicks, but there are far too many flaws with this team to say anything decent. They aren't a playoff team, they won'tbe next year, and who know how long before they are again. I miss the Knicks as a franchise. I have faith in Isiah, partly because I loved the dude as aplayer, and I only wish him the best, but things aren't going well. As long as Eddy Curry is on the team, and the Knicks keep signing players to outrageousdeals, then this team won't go anywhere unfortunately
. I hope the best for these dudes, they've beat some decent teams, Detroit, New Jersey threetimes, Cleveland, Denver, and Utah, but far, FAR too many losses this season. It's just a waiting game for this team.
[color= rgb(204, 0, 51)]Philadelphia 76ers[/color]: These young cats have a lot of talent, but they don't have thechemistry together to get anything done. You have players like Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Sam Dalembert, Reggie Evans, Willie Green, Rodney Carney, LouisWilliams (MY DUDE!
), and Thaddeus Young. The 76ers could have gotten so much more for Iverson, but the 76ers aren't a horrible team (Heat,Supersonics, T-wolves status), but they aren't a good team either. They have potential, but it's just not there this year. (I'm very pissed rightnow, I only had this much of my evaluation saved, and on accident I clicked on a link, went back and went to a clean slate, when I had the entire EasternConference finished.
) Hot damn I have a lot to re-type, and the funny thing is, I've done this many times before, i did it when I wasmaking another evaluation about a month ago but I quit because I was mad.
Anyways, to try and get back on track, they have good role players and they havesome work to do towards the future, but they need some work to do, and if Andre Miller and Sam Dalembert could get some chemistry together like Paul+Chandlerhave and Amare+Nash have, they could be a good team, and with the right moves, they can be a good team in the following year, although I don't see themwinning more than about 28 wins this year.
[color= rgb(102, 0, 153)]Toronto Raptors[/color]: Hot damn, got a way to go from where I was.
. Anyways, the Raptorsstarted REALLY slow, starting 3-12, and I couldn't believe it, Bosh wasn't playing very well, but since then they've really turned it around andshown that they are a contending team again this year. Although Bosh was having a borderline MVP year last year, the start this year was horrendous afterhaving such a great year last year. Now, they have picked it up, Calderon has shown to be a great PG, and a potential top five PG in the future. I waspreaching this dude for a long time, and I know a lot of dudes like him on NT, but I was just hoping and praying they'd trade away TJ Ford before hisinjury, but then it happened and now they're looking for someone else to back them up, and looks like Jose is in by default. This team doesn't have toomany bad contracts, the only two worth mentioning are Rasho (who doesn't do anything but make money), and Jason Kapono (who doesn't get PT! So hiscontract isn't worth the money he's getting paid.
) This team has shown promise against good teams in the L, beating the Celts, Blazers, Spurs,HOrnets, Rocekts, Mavericks, Cavs, and a huge 40 point victory over the Nets. This team goes as far as Calderon and Bosh take them, I think this team can go asfar as the Eastern Conference Finals, do I think they could get to the Finals? No, not really, but is it a possibility? Hell yeah knowing what teams like thePistons and Heat have done in the past few years. Anthony Parker has shown that he can be a good role player and put up 15-20 if need be, and the rest of thesupporting players like Jamario Moon who has been a great diamond in the rough with amazing athleticism and hustle, this team can do however far their starscan take them. I say around 48 wins this season, and the skies the limit with them.
And onto the Central Division and the..
Chicago Bulls: Michael, you need to strap up to come save this team. I blame one person for thisteams woes, Ben Wallace. He has done really nothing since he's been in Chicago, and all this teams success in the past is because of Gordon, Nocioni, Deng,and Hinrich. This team has started off slow, and I just don't think they can do it this year, they've lost a lot of games, Deng isn't healthy, andtheir chemistry is horrible since the firing of Skiles. Not to mention you have trouble in the lockerroom with Joakim Noah's loudmouth. I like the kidsball-playing on the court, but even just seeing him on the bench frustrates me. Ben Wallace's contract is absolutely horrendous, and as long as they havehim, things will most likely be bad. I don't really have much to say about this team, Hinrich isn't playing well this year, Nocioni is doing alright,Gordon is making all the points, there's not much really to say, they have no inside help, the best inside presence players they have sit on the bench mostof the game because they refuse to play Tyrus Thomas, it's quite frustrating really. They win maybe 30 wins this year, 32 at the most IMO. Now, they couldturn it around and light it up, but I just don't see it especially since Deng is out indefinitely.
[color= rgb(0, 0, 102)]Cleveland Cavaliers[/color]: LeBum James and the great supporting cast in the eyes of Skip,
. Theseguys are pretty good, but it's only as far as LeBron can take them, he needs to play as many games as possible. I'm fairly surprised that Big Z andDrew "I have a patch of pubic hair on the back of my neck/I want to be in the next 300 movie with my beard" Gooden have played pretty much the sameand a bit better than last year, which is pretty good. Daniel Gibson hasn't been doing as well as I had hoped, and Larry Hughes is the thing that'sholding this team back. He's getting paid way too much and not doing anything special for this team. As I read from another forum, Larry Hughes rhymes withScary News! If the Cavs had ANYONE worth 9 million on this team, this team would be a contender for years. I must say I am surprised with Andy Varejao thisyear, I love his game, he's a hustle player, goes after every board, leaves it all out on the court, and looks like Carlito, what else can you ask for?
. Question though, where's Donyell Marshall? He wasn't a great player last year, but he contributed to this team. Now, I'm going to be honesthere for a second, I don't think this team can get back to the Finals again this year, I know they beat the Pistons last year in a series, but the Pistonsare a lot deeper this year, and I don't think they could beat the Celtics. I don't see LeBron taking them to 50 wins again either this year, 48 at themost. It's possible, but I just don't see it.
[color= rgb(0, 0, 255)]Detroit Pistons[/color]: DETROIT BAKSETBALL!
, this team is a great shape, if you want to know howto handle your team with great signings and no bad contracts, ask Joe Dumars what to do. These guys have the second best home-record, and are tied for thesecond best record in the League. The Big Four SHOULD be together for a while, Chauncey and Tayshaun are locked up for the next 3 following years, and Idon't see Rip leaving, and if anyone, it'd be Rasheed, but I don't really see him leaving, I really think he likes it there with those cats. RipHamilton is having the best year so far between all of those four, and his shooting is LIGHTS out. When you have Tayshaun and Rip being able to drive to theinside, Sheed back down defenders, and Chauncey knock down the "big shots," at the end of games, I don't see how this team could lose too manygames. Now, if you look at their contracts, the 5th highest contract is Antonio McDyess, and it's his contract year @ 6 million, that's not badconsidering where they're at this year. Now they have two great guards who could be the future for this team in Rodney Stuckey and Aaron Afflalo, who havetwo great players to learn from. This team is in great shape for the next 5-7 years. They've beat the Spurs, Raptors (twice), Wizards, Hornets, GSW(twice), Houston, Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland, and had an AMAZING December, only losing twice. I haven't even mentioned Jarvis Hayes, Amir Johnson,Jason Maxiell, who are all young players on the uprise, and it wouldn't hurt if they added Chris Webber, they're so young and talented that itwouldn't be bad to add the veteran again. I see the Pistons winning 56-59 games this year, and getting back to the Finals. With their great drafting (otherthan Darko
), I think they'll always be in good shape.
[color= rgb(255, 255, 51)]Indiana Pacers[/color]: Let me start off by saying this, if the Pacers want to get back on the righttrack, they either need to trade JO, or he needs to sit out the entire season to get healthy. Yeah they have good players, but they have a lot of work to do. Ican't believe I'm going to say this,
but Mike Dunleavy has become quite the player for the Pacers. I still think the best player right now for thePacers is Danny Granger, he has much more upside than Dunleavy, and is much more versatile. IF JO were healthy, that'd obviously be different, but he'snot. To pick up on what I said before, if this team ever wants to make any kind of push with JO, he needs to be COMPLETELY healthy, not 80%, not 90%, the JO weknew 4-5 years ago when he was a break-out player and dominated his game. Because of the lack of defense from the rest of this team, he has to pick up theslack, and he can't do that on one knee throughout the season. In addition, Marquis Daniels and Jamaal Tinsley need to get their act together, they need topick up their games, because both are capable of being very good players, and if Tinsley were on the right track, he could be one of the top-tier PG's inthis league, he has the ability, he can score, he can pass, he has what it takes, just not the determination. Whether you want to agree or not, you cannot denythe fact that a healthy JO is better than an injured JO, and unless he sits out a majority of the season, he's not going to be fully healthy. They stillhave him locked up for two more years, they need to think about the future, and if they want to rush him back, trade him while he has value. I believe thePacers will win around 33-35 wins this year if JO stays with them, but get eliminated in the first round if they even make it. If he sits out rest of theseason, I say about 28 wins, but in much better shape for next year. Regardless, I must repeat this, trade him or sit out for an extended time, please.
,don't let his talent go unused. They had a nice start in the season, but they've fallen off, and they just need to focus on the future.
[color= rgb(51, 153, 51)]Milwaukee[/color]- First off, let me ask why in the WORLD Bobby Simmons is getting paid 9 million ayear? He's no where near worth that amount of money. It's bad contracts and little to no team chemistry that has the Bucks where they are. Without muchcap space available next off-season either, they need to either trade Redd for someone valuable + cap space, or get this team's chemistry working. AndrewBogut has done much better this season, he's blocking more shots, he's showing flashes of some good play, but it's not consistent enough yet.Luckily, both Mo Williams (who is my favorite non-Maverick player, I really love his game), and Andrew are locked up for a while, and hopefully these two candevelop a relationship on the court like Chris Paul + Tyson Chandler and Amare + Nash, where the PG spoon-feeds the big men on the inside. This team won'tget to the playoffs this year unless something amazing happens, and have very few wins this season to show for anything, only notable wins are Orlando,Toronto, LA, and Dallas, all of which were a while ago. I just think this team needs some maturing, a good draft, and for Yi Jianlian to develop some more, Ihave faith in the guy, I mean Yao said he can be better than him! If it's possible (and I doubt it), the Bucks should move Charlie V and Bobby Simmons, butI don't see Bobby being moved since his contract is outrageous, and the only thing he'd be good for is salary relief in two and a half years. The Bucksmay not be good for 2-3 more years, but as long as Mo Williams is there, I think they have a chance to be good in the future, I'd say maybe, 25 wins forthem on the season, and I really wish them the best of luck.
.
And onto the Atlantic Division and in my eyes the surprising...
[color= rgb(255, 204, 51)]Atlanta Hawks[/color]: Wow, these kids are playing really well, and they are REALLY young. Only Lue,Wright, and Anthony Johnson have been in the league longer than 6 years, and all of those players are out the door next season!
, along with them, Salimand Mario West are out, and Josh Smith and Josh Childress are probably going to get extensions with that extra money, along with a draft pick, and maybe afree-agent signing, this team is in good shape for the future. Of all their free agents that contracts are up, I don't see them re-signing too many ofthem, if any at all. JJ is having an all-star year, Josh Smith's versatility around the court is amazing (only player to average 2 steals and 3 blocks pergame, and it's not even CLOSE
), and they're playing playoff basketball right now.Al Horford has proven to be the only rookie not named KevinDurant who's really valuable to their team (and the only other players worth mentioning are maybe Mike Conley, Nick Young, and REALLY pushing it, JoakimNoah), and he's a beast on the boards and really is a good inside player, and I bet their loving they're loving their pick. I really wish they'dplay Acie Law more, their weakness is their center position, Zaza was good last year, but this year he's pretty much a dud. If they end up being a lotteryteam, they could get a good big man (Tyler? Roy Hibbert?) but I don't really see them MISSING the Playoffs this year.
. They're going to fight forit, but they've had tons of great wins against the Cavs, Denver, Indy, Utah, Orlando, Washington, Phoenix, Dallas and a few nail-biting losses against thePistons, Hornets, Blazers, Cavs, and Nuggets. I think next year this team is DEFINITELY a playoff team, after so many lottery years, and they're on theirway up. This team doesn't really have any ugly contracts either, their only double-digit Million dollar contract is Joe Johnson, deservedly so! Nexthighest paid is Speedy @ 6 million, and although it isn't a great contract, there rest of the contracts are small, yet Josh Smith will get a big extension.I say around 37-38 wins this season.
[color= rgb(255, 102, 0)]Charlotte:[/color] I must admit I'm a fan of both Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace, but thisvery young franchise has a bright future, because they have shown to be capable of killing the big teams. Without their two recent lottery picks done for theseason, I can only hope that they aren't busts. Jason and Gerald are locked up for the future, and they'll have some wiggle room with some contractsover at the end of the season, if they could bring in a big-man who could compliment Okafor, a David West or LaMarcus Aldridge type player, and then re-signMatt Carroll, sign a vet PG, and this team is on the way to being on the right track. Will they be a playoff team this year? No, will they be a playoff teamnext year? It's a great possibility. This team has shown that they are capable of knocking off the big dogs, and Jason Richardson is doing VERY well inCharlotte and showing that he can do well outside of GSW. I still hate the trade, but you can't dread on the past.
. They beat Denver, Orlando,Boston, New Jersey, Utah, Indy, Cleveland, and Portland, and kept it close against the Boston Celtics again, and the Detroit Pistons. Once they can start tobeat teams in their conference and of their caliber, then this team will be good. I thought this might be the year, but with two season-ending injuries to twoof your developing players, it's hard to do that. HOPEFULLY Nazr Mohammed can help out this team being an inside presence, he did early on, but then hesuddenly disappeared. I can't see them winning more than 30-32 games this season, but you never know.
Miami Heat: This team can be described with a series of emoticons in this order.
. From bad, to worse, to WORST. Man, this team is a mess. Let me start by sayingthat I have no grudge with the Miami Heat anymore, why? because frankly, it's not the same team anymore, the Heat got rid of their role players, JasonKapono, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, James Posey, and Eddie Jones, and they just haven't been the same since. WHY in the WORLD would you get rid of yourchampionship-caliber players when you just recently won a championship, it's like trading away all of the big four in Detroit, you'd be like, wait,what'd they do? They have become the laughing stock of the NBA, and it's really quite sad. Even though they're lottery-bound and at this pointlooking like a 2-7 lottery pick, they need to get rid of Shaq. It's REALLY sad to see him like this, from being so dominant, but now he doesn't evenget double-teams anymore. I really wish he would have stayed with the Lakers because they're so much better off for the future, I don't know, I'drather have a really good team for a stretch of 7-8 years instead of a great team for one year, it puts you in such a better situation. But now they haveplayers like Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, SMUSH Parker, but that's all they really got. They need to get rid of Shaq, once again. They need to rebuild thisteam around Udonis Haslem and Wade, and Wade needs to take off a significant amount of time so he can go and get healthy. This team just isn't the sameanymore, and although they have a lot of contracts up after this season, they have too many holes to fill to get a great player. Having a 20 million dollarhole in your pocket really makes things hard, I mean seriously the amount of games that Shaq plays in a season is pathetic. I'd be damned if they wintonight to the Spurs, and that'd make the streak 15. They need to lose 9 straight in order to tie the record, and their next eight opponents are SAS, Indy,Boston, Orlando, New Jersey, Toronto, Detroit, Philly, and if they lose there, they're in trouble because they'd face the Lakers and then the Nuggets.The only wins worth mentioning are a win in Phoenix (
), New Jersey, Utah, and Houston. The only other teams they've beat are Charlotte, New York,Clippers, and Minny. At this rate, I say they're lucky to win 23 games, and I expect Shaq to play 42 games this season, yes, just 10 more games this seasonas he's currently at 32. Karma...
[color= rgb(0, 102, 255)]Orlando Magic[/color]: MY DUDE HEDO TURKOGLU!
Back in the day when he was on Sacramento, he wasmy favorite player on the Kings, and there was always something about his game I liked, and now he's finally showing what he's made of, I think he canmake an All-star game before he leaves the NBA. Although slumping a bit recently, they're still on a great run right now. Shard is worth the money in myopinion, and it's a good thing he's not in Seattle anymore. Dwight Howard gets paid the big money next year, and the Magic are lucky to have Hedo foranother year beyond this. Garrity, Dooling, and Carlos are all finished after this year, I don't think Pat will be back, Keyon possibly, but I definitelythink Carlos will get re-signed. I really hope they re-sign Mo Evans, but if they don't, someone in this L will, he's a good player. But as long as theMagic have those key three, and role players like Keith Bilbo Bogans and Jameer Nelson, this will be a good season for the Magic, and they'll be a goodfranchise for a while. Keith can't score in volume night in and night out in my opinion, but Dwight will continue to do well, and continue to expand hisgame, and Shard can score 20-30 if he needs to every night. They've either beat or kept it close with all the good teams this year, and have notable winsagainst the Detroit, Portland, Lakers, GSW, Washington, Toronto, New Orleans, Boston, Cleveland, and some other good teams. I just saw that Dwights announcedas the starting center for the East, he'll hold that title for about 10 years.
I say about 53 wins this season, and best of luck to them, I thinkthey can get into the ECF, and then contend for that Eastern Conference Championship.
[color= rgb(0, 102, 204)]Washington Wizards:[/color] Last but not least, the crack-headed jokesters of the NBA.
Gilbert-less for most of this season, they've held up very well, Caron shows that he's an All-Star-caliber player, and in my opinion, one of the topfive, if not top three SF's in the League. The only problem is that Tawn's contract is done this upcoming year, and Gilbert can and will opt out at theend of the season, I think he'll be back, and I hope Tawn will too, because those three are really good. The rest of this teams reserves are all locked upwith the exception of Blatche, Mason, and McGuire. They have great offense and it's been letting them win games night in and night out. I know a lot ofpeople are saying that the Wizards are better without Gilbert, but come on, lets be serious, he's one of the best scorers in the L, and if he's hot,watch out. If this team can get out, they can beat anyone in the East, and most teams in the West. This team should win around 48-50 wins, and they have a goodfuture as long as the Wizards keep Caron and Gilbert.
Ugh, back to where I left off,
, so onto the Western Conference and we start in the best conference in the League, the Southwest Division!
[color= rgb(0, 51, 153)]Dallas Mavericks[/color]: Let me start this off by saying I'm going to approach this as a fan ofBasketball, not as a homer.
I think the Mavericks are in a good position, right where they want to be. They're relatively healthy, only missing out onStackhouse and Bass, and they're both day-to-day. The Mavericks have lost a LOT of games they shouldn't have, to sub-par teams that they should beat,but things are bright for the Mavericks. Why? They beat their kryptonite in the Warriors twice, they've beat the Spurs, they've beat the Suns, Detroit,New Orleans, Houston twice, Orlando, Cleveland, Portland, Toronto, and next week get a shot at the Celts. Josh Howard has shown that he can dominate the firsthalf, get a pace going, then Dirk, JET, and Stack finish down the stretch. The Mavericks need to get rid of one of their swingmen, when you have Howard as agiven, then you have George, Jones, Hassell, all trying to battle for minutes, but there just isn't enough time in the game. Dampier is now healthy anddoing very well throughout the year, not a dominant, all-star type center, but he's good enough to be a great service to the Mavericks. They might need tosign a center in the off-season if they don't re-sign Diop, unless they have big future plans for Brandon Bass, but I don't see that happening. I seethe Mavericks winning about 54 games this season, and getting back to the Western Finals, and depending who gets there, will be a 6-7 game series, and ifit's the Spurs/Suns, it can go anyway.
[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Houston Rockets[/color]: It's hard to make out the Rockets, they aren't in the Playoffs rightnow if they started today, but they are definitely a playoff-caliber team. Despite this, they have two of the top players in their position in the League inYao and Tracy, they have what would ordinarily be good PG's/shooters in Rafer, Mike James, and Luther Head, they have Bonzi Wells, a very underrated playersince his days in Portland, they have one of the best defenders for his size in Shane Battier, decent bench, and yet they're still not in the Playoffs andhave CONTINUED to struggle throughout the season. Yeah, Tracy has been hurt off-and-on for the entire season, but with him and him playing well, they justdon't seem to have it. Trade rumors have been floating around Tracy, and although I don't think it's time to push the panic button, the Rockets canget good value out of Tracy. I was pretty harsh on the Rockets fans on NT, I didn't think they were good enough to be a contender, but I still want them tobe a good playoff team, and it's upsetting to see them not doing as good as they're capable of. The Rockets need another big man on this team, and Idon't think Scola will be able to play Center, and then Deek is retiring after this year, and if Yao goes down either this year or next, they'll be introuble. I don't know if they'll re-sign Bonzi, he might want more playing time or try to chase a ring, but wherever he goes, staying or not, he'sgoing to be a good asset. Tracy DOES have a huge contract, but I don't see him being moved, I really don't. Steve has proven to be absolutely nothingfor this team, Landry has shown some flashes of being good, as has Scola, Mike James is a HORRIBLE shooter for this coached team, and there's really notmuch help outside of Tracy, Yao, and Bonzi/Battier at times. Although, forgetting all this, they are on the uprise, they just beat the Spurs recently, have won8 of their last 10, and have victories this season against the Wizards, Magic, Spurs twice, Toronto, Detroit, Phoenix, Portland, and the Jazz. I can't seethem missing the Playoffs this year, and they're on a stride right now, and I see them getting around 47-48 games this season, sneaking into the Playoffs,it's going to be a tough race though.
[color= rgb(51, 51, 255)]Memphis Grizzlies[/color]: Man, this team has SO much potential, I don't get why they're notgood!
You have an emerging Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol in his prime, one of the best deep shooters in the League with Mike Miller, a respectable defender in DarkoMilicic, two good young guards in Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley, two strong athletic big men off the bench in Hakim Warrick and Stro Swift (word to KLJ
), anda hot, HOT shooter in Juan Carlos Navarro, who shoots over 40% from three. This team just can't get the wins, they always fall apart late in games, theydon't really have any salary cap problems, the only player that's overpaid is Brian Cardinal, the only player they'll probably have to re-sign isStro Swift (if he wants to come back, he has a player option). I guess this team just doesn't have the superstar that most teams have to carry them to thePlayoffs. Two years ago this team was a playoff squad with a FAR inferior team when Pau was healthy, and they get a ton better in my opinion, yet theydon't win anymore. With only 12 wins so far, they look like they're on the way to getting a top 10 pick this year. They have two notable wins againstOrlando, Houston, and Washington and against San Antonio, but that's it, and far too many bad losses. From those four wins though, three of those teamswere missing key starters (Tony Parker, Rashard Lewis, Gilbert Arenas). If this team can get one more piece, maybe it will be in the upcoming draft, I haveconfidence that they can make this team a Playoff team once again, but now, this year, it's just not happening, the way they've been playing, 22 winswill be considered a good season.
[color= rgb(51, 153, 204)]New Orleans Hornets[/color]: Let me start off by saying I thought this team would be real good thisyear, where they are right now though? No. Everyone wrote off the Hornets this year, but the Hornets last year didn't have a healthy Chris Paul, but nowhe's back, and well, guess what? He's a force in the NBA, and he's a very-strong MVP candidate. Tyson Chandler, although maybe he's a productof Chris Paul and the system, is doing VERY well, and you can't put down his performance this year regardless of their record or Chris Paul. Someone whodefinitely isn't a product of the system is the beast from the East (Jersey!
) David West. A lot of people sleep on this dude, but those who knowhis game and how he plays think he's one of the best at his game, his midrange jumper is money, and he's good on the inside. Guess who else is back?Peja!
Now, earlier I mentioned that Hedo was one of my favorite former Kings, and Peja (and Bobby Jax, dude is a baller.
) is another one. He'sjust a shooter, yeah, I know, but he's a deadly shooter. Name some shooters who shoot better than him from three, let me tell you, there's not many whoshoot better, he's not James Jones/Kapono/Parker type, but he's top ten in 3 point shooting. People I think really underestimate this teams bench, why?Because this team's bench had to carry this team last year with all the injuries throughout the season, so they're now polished players, and with guyslike Mo Pete, Bobby Jax, Pargo, and Butler off the bench/as secondary scorers, this team is good. They have a lot of player that will either need to bere-signed, or get some decent draft picks, but all their main players, Paul, West, Chandler, Mo Pete, and Peja are all locked up for a few years, sothey're in good shape and they're only going to get better in the deep west. They have huge wins over Houston, Portland twice, GSW, Phoenix twice,Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, La Lakers, yet they haven't beat the Spurs, a likely foe they'd have to knock out in the Playoffs. They're in greatshape to have homecourt throughout most of the Playoffs, I say around 56 wins this season, but I don't see them finishing first in the West.
San Antonio Spurs: Who? The Spurs? aren't they pretty good? Yeah, damn right they'regood.
. Tony Parkers scoring is up, his FG% is a little down, but I'd still say he's having the best season of his career, with the lowest Assist :Turnover ratio ever for him, and being a force more than ever. Before you had to worry about Duncan, and just try to hold of Parker a little bit, but nowhe's just as much of a threat. Speaking of Duncan, he's not having his best year, but he's still one of the best players in the League, and demandsdouble teams, yet his game is ugly, he's the best at what he does, and he's making a strong, STRONG case for being the best power forward EVER in theHISTORY of the NBA. This being said in a time when PF's are the strongest position in the league. Also you have that "rat bastard," that everyonehates, actual a personal favorite of mine, Manu GINOBILI! I hate playing against him, but I really appreciate his game, he's SO dangerous all around thecourt. Not only do you have to worry about Parker and Duncan on the Spurs, but Manu too. This really is nothing new, but they're not getting any worse.Their role players are what make them so good though, and it's no secret. They have Barry, Finely, and Bowen, all who are deadly beyond the arc, and allwho shoot just around 40% from three, and not to mention Matt Bonner, who is really surprising this year. Bowen, Manu, Parker, Duncan, and Bonner are alllocked up the next two years, they may need to find a new center if Elson goes elsewhere, and Oberto's contract is also up after this year. Finley, Horry,and Barry's contracts are all up after the season, and I don't see neither Barry nor Finley going anywhere.This team WON'T get home-courtadvantage, but you'd be silly to think that they're favorites to get back to the WCF. Now, I'm not going to say that they're favorites to getto the finals, no one in the West is, because LAL, Portland, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, and anyone else you want to mention in the contenders for the westcan all win-or-lose depending on which way the ball bounces, I don't see any team in the WCF as being a favorite, to be honest. The Spurs should win around55-56 games this year barring injury, but still a favorite to make it to the Western Finals.
And moving on in the West and to the star-studded Northwest Division and the...
[color= rgb(0, 153, 255)]Denver Nuggets[/color]: I don't know if there's a better roster on paper then this team. Twoof the best scorers in the League, one in his prime and another on his way to GREAT SUCCESS! in the NBA. They're only problem is that they have a few toomany point guards. Chucky Atkins (injured) and Anthony Carter are the only PG's on this team, and no, AI is not a PG. The strength of this team is thatthey have great big men, not only Marcus Camby, but Nene (best wishes buddy!), Kenyon Martin, Eddy Najera, and an injured Steven Hunter. This team has a lot ofpotential for the future, and don't really have too many players they have to re-sign, just Diawara, Najera, and possibly JR Smith/Anthony Carter. Thisteam has done very well through the Season, they're not an elite team, but they're battling for the lead in the Northwest conference with theT-Blazers. Kleiza has shown that he can score in volume, Najera has expanded his offensive game, and the woes with Karl+JR Smith continue. I'm actuallysomewhat worried about the Nuggets and playing them in the Playoffs, I think they can knock off ANYONE in the West, any seed they face. That being said, itdoesn't really matter what seed they take, but I can see them winning around 49-50 games this season, and it sure is a possibility with this team. They canget to the WCF if they're players are healthy and playing well, I sure wouldn't want to face them.
They have beat Orlando, San Antonio, Utah,Dallas, Miami (see if yall actaully reading this,
), New Orleans, Houston, GSW, Washington, Portland, Cleveland, so they've shown that they can beatquality opponents as well as the easy teams. Best of wishes to Nene though, he really is a good player without injuries, and it's a shame that he's gothis health problems, but with what's happened recently, I just hope he gets healthy, and if he can't continue his NBA career, I just want him to be ahealthy, strong man, not an athlete if he can't make it, but I have faith in this dude, he's a warrior.
[color= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Minnesota Timberwolves:[/color] What is there to say about this team other than Ryan Gomes and AlJefferson being good and the rest of this team being so-so. Foye is still hurt, Greg Buckner is sitting on the bench collecting money, they're still givingmoney to Troy Hudson and Juwan Howard, Theo Ratliff is in the last year of his double-figure million dollar deal, so he'll be out the door soon. Greenisn't doing much, Madsen is, well Madsen, the coach isn't really playing Brewer too much, Telfair is doing a little better, but not much by what wasexpected of him, and Tonie Walker is shimmying his way into the record-books with his amazing play. Okay, no not really. Foye should be back within next fewweeks, McCants is playing well, hopefully they can make a good back-court. Jefferson is quite amazing, a rebounding machine, and a good all-around player, histeam may not be going anywhere for a while, but at least he's going to get paid.
They have a super grand total of four good wins this year, 2 againstPhoenix, one against New Orleans, and another against Golden State. Not much can be said for a team like this. They'll be a top 5 lottery team, this teamwon't be good for a few good years unless they sign some major talent, so we'll just see how this team does. 16-20 wins for this team is generous.
[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Portland Trailblazers:[/color] Wow, just wow. Brandon Roy, that's all you have to say really.He's MVP material, although there are players who are outplaying him this year, this guy is just so consistent, so good, so good down the stretch, that histeam and he will be successful this year. Then, guess what, Greg Oden is back next year. The unsung heroes on this team are the reason why this team'sdoing so well in my opinion, LaMarcus Aldridge has taken a backseat in their success, being the dirty work player on this team much like Udonis Haslem of theHeat. James Jones is #1 in three point shooting int he league right now, at what? 51%!!
, and this team has one of the best two PG's who arebasically unknown, Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack. I underestimated this team, I knew Roy and Aldridge were good, but man, not this good. The top three playersby salary are all non-factors, Roy's getting paid 2.8 million, Aldridge, 4.3 million, Jack 1.2 million, James Jones 2.9, Martell Webster 3.0 million, andJoel Pryzbilla the big dog at 5.7 million. They've beat Utah three times, GSW twice, Denver twice, New Orleans Twice, Toronto, Dallas, and Detroit, justabout the only team they haven't beat is San Antonio, Phoenix, and Houston. They lost a season opener to the Spurs, lost a close one against Houston, andgot blown out against the Spurs again, and kept it close against the Celtics. I guess it looks like this team can get past the first round, and maybe into theWCF. I think they win around 46 games this year, but wish them the best, especially I blew my "prediction."
[color= rgb(51, 153, 51)]Seattle Supersonics[/color]: What's there to say about this team, this should be short just likeMinnesota's, you know what we got here. Kurt Thomas is unhappy, and rightfully so. I don't see him back in Seattle next season. Damien Wilkins shows hecan score, and he can get out of there if he wants to next season, and I see it happened. Robert Swift will probably get re-signed, and unless Ridnour orWatson get traded, I don't see Delonte coming back, but he'll be valuable somewhere. Other than that, unless this team makes some changes, theyaren't going to be doing anything major this off-season. Nick Collison or Chris Wilcox may get traded since they have some depth there, but I thinkthey're smart enough to keep these guys together. Kevin Durant can score, but he's not shooting very well, but we'll see how he's doing nextyear. Wally is the star of this team, even though he's only scoring 13 points, he's doing the best out of anyone on this team except maybe ChrisWilcox. It's odd because they don't turn the ball over that much, they're second in the league in rebounding (not surprising), top ten in FT%, yetis the fourth worst shooting team in the League, FOURTH WORST! The only teams worst than these guys by shooting is the Nets, Clippers, and Bulls. They haveone, yes, ONE good win this season, that's against the Toronto Raptors, and all their other wins are against teams of their caliber. Less or around 20 winsfor this team, and a top five lottery team with the Wolves, Knicks, and Miami. Good luck to Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox, the only players I feel bad for onthis team.
They must be jealous of the Heat, they're going to battle them for the longest losing streak of the season. Only two road wins makes thingsREAL hard.
[color= rgb(0, 51, 153)]Utah Jazz[/color]: This team is 3rd in this Division right now, yet they have the second record athome, only Portland (who has same record) and Dallas are better at home. I don't understand why they struggle so much on the road, 17-3 @ home, and 7-15 onthe road. Deron Williams really is having a great year, a Tony Parker type year, 50% from the field, 40% from three, 19 ppg, 9 assists per game, absolutelystuddley! Yes, I just made up a word, he's straight up studdley. Boozer took off from where he was last year. Okur has REALLY dropped off this year, heused to be arguably the second best player on this team last year! Now, he's not even top four. Is this due to the emergence of Ronnie Brewer? Who knows.Speaking of Brewer, man this guy is a baller. This guy is so explosive, and is an amazing shooter. Speaking of amazing, AK47 has really picked it up, shootingvery well from around the floor, doing it all from rebounding to passing to getting a steal and a block, just a great player for this team, but what reallyturned this team around is Mr. Kyle Korver. I don't know what it is, he's not doing absolutely astonishing job, but once he got here this team justTURNED around. Not to mention Paul Millsap, absolutely explosive around the rim. They just need to re-sign him and CJ Miles, everyone else on this team islocked up. They've beat the Suns, Magic, Dallas, Portland, GSW, Cleveland, Raptors, Lakes, Detroit, New Orleans in a blowout, and are only going to getbetter throughout the year. They are amaingly at 5th in the League in scoring at 105 ppg, and second to Suns in assists per game, and tied with the suns forbest shooting in the league at 49%! Yet, they do commit the most fouls, and lots of turnovers, so it's understandable why they're not a playoff team. ITHINK they'll make the Playoffs, but man it's ahrd to tell with all these teams who are borderline in the Playoffs, and I'd say about 45 wins forthe season.
Down to the last Division in the League, the Pacific Division. And start things off with the..
[color= rgb(51, 51, 204)]Golden State Warriors[/color]:
I better tread carefully.
I'm going to admitsaying I was wrong about this team, I didn't think they'd do this good, I didn't think they'd be a Playoff team without Jason, but they'veproved me wrong. If it weren't for players like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, Kobe, I'd put Baron in MVP talk. Baron's just outside of the top 10in scoring, second to only Paul in steals, 7th the league in assists, and is just killing it out there. This team causes the most turnovers, although allowingthe most ppg, they are second highest scoring team in the league, attempt more three's than anyone in the league, and are just an offensive juggernaut.They got rid of DJ Mbenga, which I still say is the best move of the season and possibly ever by Chris Mullin, and the worst move was bringing him in. It'dbe nice to see some more PT for POB and Brandan Wright, and the Warriors still need a point guard? GP? The Glove?! Maybe, we'll see. I like CJ Watson, sowe'll just have to see where this goes. Amdris isn't as good this year IMO, he has the same stats as last year, but it just doesn't seem as he doesas much this year, but I'm not saying he's not good anymore, still one of the best young centers int he league. Monta has been PHENOMENAL. Shootinglights out all around the court, and the best driving scorer on the team. Stephen's shooting has been a little off, but he can knock down shots, speakingof knocking down shots, Al Harrington is clutch for this team in the fourth quarter. Matt Barnes and Azubuike are the spark-plugs for this team, yet Pietrus isstill off a bit,
. I dont' really like Croshere on this team, and I cringe each time I see him getting PT ahead of the young big men. Now, lets get tosome of the negatives, Monta, Croshere, Azubuike, Watson, Kosta, POB, Andris, Barnes, Pietrus, and Baron are not for sure on the roster next year, that's agood chunk of this team, only Wright, Marco, SJAX, Harrington are signed through next year, now, they have a lot of room yes, but they need to re-sign a lot ofplayers. Baron hasn't gotten the contract he's wanted,and they need to re-sign both Biedrins and Monta. Unless they get a dynamic young player, theycan't let either of these players go. They have some great wins this year, San Antonio twice, Cleveland, Lakers, Denver, Houston twice, Washington, andToronto. This team will have to fight for their playoff spot, they might not get it, they might be a lock down the stretch, it's too early to tell. Thisteam goes as far as Monta, Baron, and Harrington take them. Good luck to my team just around the corner.
[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Los Angeles Clippers[/color]: Oh Clippers, I had so much faith in you this year, then, one day I look upsome sports news, Elton Brand, out for the season. OUCH!
One of my favorite players in the West, and he's out most of the year. I was hoping they couldtake the Pacific Division this year, yet instead they are bottom feeders of the Pacific. They won't make the Playoffs, they will likely be a high lotterypick, yet, the future is VERY bright. Chris Kaman has had a breakthrough. I think it's pretty safe to say that Maggette is out the door after this season,but I really hope that Elton Brand comes back. Who knows what will happen with Sam Cassell, and they have a lot of people to re-sign, but as long as they lockup all their role-players, maybe sign a decent free agent, and have a good draft, these guys should be a Playoff team again next year, because withKaman+Brand, that's probably the best PF+C combination in the league, better than West+Chandler, better than anyone else I can think of. Shaun Livingstonis a big question mark, but I have faith in the young kid at making a strong comeback. Plus a finally emerging Al Thornton, this team has the pieces, it'sjust a matter of whether they can put it together. I actually think they should tank games this year, and for Brand to sit out the entire year, in hopes ofgetting a good SG from the semi-deep draft this year. Kaman's 17 14 and 3 blocks per game are really amazing, and he should keep it up once Brand getsback, the rebounding won't be as great, the points may go down a few, but I think he'll still be amazing next year with Brand back (if he does comeback). They have notable wins against the Suns, GSW, and Denver good for them.
Los Angeles Lakers: WOW, they're the biggest surprise to me in the NBA this season. Idon't care about the Trailblazers when you mention the LAKERS! Bynum has exploded, Kwame is still Kwame, SASHA "TOM CRUISE" " THEMACHINE" VUJACIC! They got rid of Brian Cook (although at the price of Mo Evans, a fan favorite), and in return got a dynamic, young, explosive,athletic player in Ariza. Kobe's doing his thing, Odom is doing alright, Derek Fisher has brought new life to LA, and the support cast is doing somethingthis year!
Kwame Brown is gone next year, they can re-sign Mihm for relatively cheap, Turiaf can get re-signed or let go, and Sasha's getting a maxdeal from the Lakers, already decided. Walton's been slumping a bit, but he's still a good player, and will prove to be good for the Lakers in thefuture. Yeah, Bynum and Ariza are out for a good chunk of the rest of the season, but to be honest, it'll probably be a good thing, they might slip down toa lower seed, but when those two come back for the Playoffs, expectations should be low, and then the Lakers can really show the Playoff teams of the West thatthey are worth something in this league. They score the third most points in the league (really surprising), shoot fourth best in the L, top ten in shootingfrom three, third best in rebounding (Bynum!
), fifth in the league in assists per game, fifth in the league in steals, and top ten in blocks. Great winsagainst Denver three times, New Orleans, Utah twice, Phoenix twice, Golden state, San Antonio, Detroit, and Houston. I see this team winning around 48 gamesthis season, only because they won't have Bynum for a while, but that's not a negative!
Phoenix Suns (
): THEY SUCK,END OF STORY! THEY WILL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE FINALS! No, I'm kidding.
, THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! Tied for first in the League, Nash'sscoring down a bit, but career high in assists, and Amare is quietly having the best season of his post-injury career. Shawn Marion is scoring a bit less thisyear, but that's part in due because of Grant Hill, yet outside of scoring, he's still having a great Shawn Marion year. Barbosa is still one of thetop three best players off the bench this year again, shooting and scoring down, but still a valuable asset for the Suns. Raja also have a down year comparedto the past. The reason why everyone's scoring is down is because they have all the same core players, yet they add Grant Hill's 15 ppg, and that hasto come from somewhere. He's having his best year in almost the past 9-10 seasons, doing a wonderful job for the Suns and could be what it takes for themto step up to the next level this season. Boris is questionable this season, Brian Skinner is good off the bench, Marcus Banks can knock down a few shots, butanyone outside of Amare, Nash, Matrix, Barbosa, Hill, and Bell are almost not even worth mentioning. Big question next year is whether Marion will stay withthe team, I personally think he'd be foolish to leave unless he can go to the Pistons, Celtics, or Cavs. I see Hill returning next year, maybe asking forsome more money, but not much. Brian Skinner will probably be let go for a better big man, but then again, who thought they'd end up with Skinner?
Lakers, Denver, San Antonio, Utah, Toronto twice, Washington, Cleveland, Orlando twice, and Houston have all been victims of this juggernaut. They lead theleague in PPG, lead the league in assists, 7th in fewest turnovers per game, second in the league in blocks, fourth fewest personal fouls in a game, fifth inthe league in FT%, third best in Three point %, and first in the league in FG%. They should be in the WCF again unless by some reason they have to go throughthe Mavericks then Spurs in the first two rounds. Best of luck to them, I see them getting the best record in the West with about 61 wins.
Sacramento Kings: Ah, I've been dreading doing this team, and thank God they're last.This team has an identity crisis. They're one of the bottom feeders of the West, there have been rumors of Bibby and Artest getting traded the entireseason, they've had the supporting cast fill in their roles and maintain a sub-par record, and now they're healthy again. If this team were healthy theentire season, then this team might have had a good chance to make the playoffs. Kevin Martin is one of the best scorers in the NBA right now, he is veryeffective getting to the rim, and he's a very good shooter from basically anywhere on the court. Artest is still one of the best defensive players in theleague, and his shooting is still there, and getting two steals a game. John Salmons has shown he can score and shoot very well around the floor. Beno Udrih isdoing very well and filled the void at the PG spot while Bibby was out, very surprising, as he's a very good shooter, and lead this team to not being a top5 lottery team. No real rookies to brag about. Kenny Thomas isn't doing much for this team even though having a huge contract. Beno will probably bere-signed, Justin Williams is a developing big man so I don't see them letting him go, I believe Kevin Martin already signed a deal, yet I'm not sure,Ron Artest is questoinable to come back, who knows with him. Mikki Moore better go find a good-passing PG, and fast because he's not going to be asvaluable in Sacramento. I don't really have too many great things to say about this team, and that's why I didn't really want to evaluate them toomuch, because I know some of the Sac-town fans on this board will probably flame me.
Despite a sub-par season, they have good wins against Orlando,Dallas, Detroit twice, Utah, Houston, and San Antonio. The thing with this team is I really don't see them winning more than 43 games. This team has a verybright future, but the injury bug killed this team's Playoff chances this year.
Now, whew, that's all done, time to handout my fake hardware! Mid-season awards
MVP: Chris Paul
MIP: Hedo Turkoglu
Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Camby
Comeback Player of the Year: Kenyon Martin
All-NBA First-team: PG- Paul, SG- Kobe, SF- LeBron, PF- Garnett, C- Howard
All-NBA Second-team: PG- Baron, SG- Roy, SF- Caron, PF- Duncan, C- Camby
All-NBA Third team: PG- Nash, SG- Rip Hamilton, SF- Melo, PF- Dirk, C- Kaman
All-Defensive Team: PG- Deron, SG- Kobe, SF- Caron, PF- Duncan, C- Camby
And to end this, I'll go and have some playoff predictions, and I'm not going to base this off the top 8 teams I listed above according to what I thinktheir record will be, just off where I think they will end and whether they'll be a playoff seed.
West-
1) Phoenix VS
Portland- Phoenix in 6
2) Dallas VS 7) Utah- Dallas in 6
3) New Orleans Hornets VS 6) LA Lakers- Lakers in 6
4) Denver Nuggets VS 5) San Antonio Spurs- Spurs in 7
1) Phoenix Suns VS 5) San Antonio Spurs- Phoenix in 7
2) Dallas Mavericks VS 6) LA Lakers- Mavericks in 6
1) Phoenix Suns VS 2) Dallas Mavericks- Suns in 7
East-
1) Boston Celtics VS
New Jersey Nets- Celtics in 6
2) Detroit Pistons VS 7) Atlanta Hawks- Pistons in 5
3) Orland Magic VS 6) Washington Wizards- Wizards in 7
4) Toronto Raptors VS 5) Cleveland Cavaliers- Raptors in 7
1) Boston Celtics VS 4) Toronto Raptors- Boston in 6
2) Detroit Pistons VS 6) Washington Wizards- Wizards in 7
1) Boston Celtics VS 6) Washington Wizards- Boston in 6
1) Boston Celtics VS 1) Phoenix Suns- Suns in 6
Thanks for reading guys, I'd love to hear what you guys have to say not only about what you think of what I have to say, but also what you feel about yourteam, and where other teams stand right now.
Starting in the East, and the Atlantic Conference-
[color= rgb(51, 102, 51)]Boston Celtics[/color]: I guess they are where we all thought they would be. Let me start by sayingthat Eddie House needs to stop taking game-defining shots.
[color= rgb(102, 102, 102)]New Jersey Nets[/color]: I hope this team doesn't make any silly moves, and if they do, tradeVince Carter before you trade Richard Jefferson. They are basically the same player, they shoot about the same %'s, and they play similar games, but VC canattract better offers IMO. I'd rather them not trade either, but if either of them had to be traded, let it be Vince. Jamaal needs to be traded, but Idon't know who would want him unless someone's looking for a little cap relief, but I really don't see anyone taking him. I don't see any majortrades for the Nets at all though. I really like that kid Marcus Williams game. I don't think many people do, but I see a LOT of potential in him, and thenthere's Josh Boone and Sean Williams who has shown up as being valuable bigs in the L, and who could develop into really good players. The Nets alwaysmanage to make it into the Playoffs, and I think they will again, probably with a 6-7 seed. Depending on who they play, they COULD knock off theMagic/Cleveland or another high seed, is it likely? probably not, but Kidd and the Nets have a lot of Playoff experience, although a lot of their players aregone from their old Finals runs, I think Kidd could lead them to maybe the Eastern Finals, but to beat the Pistons/Celtics? I don't think it could happen.Then again, no one expected the Heat to go on their playoff run and win the Finals, but that's why we play the game! I see the Nets finishing just about.500 for the season, 40-44 wins, lets hope it will be enough for a playoff seed.
New York Knicks: "I like Zach, I like Fred, I like ****,"
"PAUSE!"
Well well well, Knicks Knicks Knicks, what do we do with thee?
[color= rgb(204, 0, 51)]Philadelphia 76ers[/color]: These young cats have a lot of talent, but they don't have thechemistry together to get anything done. You have players like Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Sam Dalembert, Reggie Evans, Willie Green, Rodney Carney, LouisWilliams (MY DUDE!
[color= rgb(102, 0, 153)]Toronto Raptors[/color]: Hot damn, got a way to go from where I was.
And onto the Central Division and the..
Chicago Bulls: Michael, you need to strap up to come save this team. I blame one person for thisteams woes, Ben Wallace. He has done really nothing since he's been in Chicago, and all this teams success in the past is because of Gordon, Nocioni, Deng,and Hinrich. This team has started off slow, and I just don't think they can do it this year, they've lost a lot of games, Deng isn't healthy, andtheir chemistry is horrible since the firing of Skiles. Not to mention you have trouble in the lockerroom with Joakim Noah's loudmouth. I like the kidsball-playing on the court, but even just seeing him on the bench frustrates me. Ben Wallace's contract is absolutely horrendous, and as long as they havehim, things will most likely be bad. I don't really have much to say about this team, Hinrich isn't playing well this year, Nocioni is doing alright,Gordon is making all the points, there's not much really to say, they have no inside help, the best inside presence players they have sit on the bench mostof the game because they refuse to play Tyrus Thomas, it's quite frustrating really. They win maybe 30 wins this year, 32 at the most IMO. Now, they couldturn it around and light it up, but I just don't see it especially since Deng is out indefinitely.
[color= rgb(0, 0, 102)]Cleveland Cavaliers[/color]: LeBum James and the great supporting cast in the eyes of Skip,
[color= rgb(0, 0, 255)]Detroit Pistons[/color]: DETROIT BAKSETBALL!
[color= rgb(255, 255, 51)]Indiana Pacers[/color]: Let me start off by saying this, if the Pacers want to get back on the righttrack, they either need to trade JO, or he needs to sit out the entire season to get healthy. Yeah they have good players, but they have a lot of work to do. Ican't believe I'm going to say this,
[color= rgb(51, 153, 51)]Milwaukee[/color]- First off, let me ask why in the WORLD Bobby Simmons is getting paid 9 million ayear? He's no where near worth that amount of money. It's bad contracts and little to no team chemistry that has the Bucks where they are. Without muchcap space available next off-season either, they need to either trade Redd for someone valuable + cap space, or get this team's chemistry working. AndrewBogut has done much better this season, he's blocking more shots, he's showing flashes of some good play, but it's not consistent enough yet.Luckily, both Mo Williams (who is my favorite non-Maverick player, I really love his game), and Andrew are locked up for a while, and hopefully these two candevelop a relationship on the court like Chris Paul + Tyson Chandler and Amare + Nash, where the PG spoon-feeds the big men on the inside. This team won'tget to the playoffs this year unless something amazing happens, and have very few wins this season to show for anything, only notable wins are Orlando,Toronto, LA, and Dallas, all of which were a while ago. I just think this team needs some maturing, a good draft, and for Yi Jianlian to develop some more, Ihave faith in the guy, I mean Yao said he can be better than him! If it's possible (and I doubt it), the Bucks should move Charlie V and Bobby Simmons, butI don't see Bobby being moved since his contract is outrageous, and the only thing he'd be good for is salary relief in two and a half years. The Bucksmay not be good for 2-3 more years, but as long as Mo Williams is there, I think they have a chance to be good in the future, I'd say maybe, 25 wins forthem on the season, and I really wish them the best of luck.
And onto the Atlantic Division and in my eyes the surprising...
[color= rgb(255, 204, 51)]Atlanta Hawks[/color]: Wow, these kids are playing really well, and they are REALLY young. Only Lue,Wright, and Anthony Johnson have been in the league longer than 6 years, and all of those players are out the door next season!
[color= rgb(255, 102, 0)]Charlotte:[/color] I must admit I'm a fan of both Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace, but thisvery young franchise has a bright future, because they have shown to be capable of killing the big teams. Without their two recent lottery picks done for theseason, I can only hope that they aren't busts. Jason and Gerald are locked up for the future, and they'll have some wiggle room with some contractsover at the end of the season, if they could bring in a big-man who could compliment Okafor, a David West or LaMarcus Aldridge type player, and then re-signMatt Carroll, sign a vet PG, and this team is on the way to being on the right track. Will they be a playoff team this year? No, will they be a playoff teamnext year? It's a great possibility. This team has shown that they are capable of knocking off the big dogs, and Jason Richardson is doing VERY well inCharlotte and showing that he can do well outside of GSW. I still hate the trade, but you can't dread on the past.
Miami Heat: This team can be described with a series of emoticons in this order.
[color= rgb(0, 102, 255)]Orlando Magic[/color]: MY DUDE HEDO TURKOGLU!
[color= rgb(0, 102, 204)]Washington Wizards:[/color] Last but not least, the crack-headed jokesters of the NBA.
Ugh, back to where I left off,
[color= rgb(0, 51, 153)]Dallas Mavericks[/color]: Let me start this off by saying I'm going to approach this as a fan ofBasketball, not as a homer.
[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Houston Rockets[/color]: It's hard to make out the Rockets, they aren't in the Playoffs rightnow if they started today, but they are definitely a playoff-caliber team. Despite this, they have two of the top players in their position in the League inYao and Tracy, they have what would ordinarily be good PG's/shooters in Rafer, Mike James, and Luther Head, they have Bonzi Wells, a very underrated playersince his days in Portland, they have one of the best defenders for his size in Shane Battier, decent bench, and yet they're still not in the Playoffs andhave CONTINUED to struggle throughout the season. Yeah, Tracy has been hurt off-and-on for the entire season, but with him and him playing well, they justdon't seem to have it. Trade rumors have been floating around Tracy, and although I don't think it's time to push the panic button, the Rockets canget good value out of Tracy. I was pretty harsh on the Rockets fans on NT, I didn't think they were good enough to be a contender, but I still want them tobe a good playoff team, and it's upsetting to see them not doing as good as they're capable of. The Rockets need another big man on this team, and Idon't think Scola will be able to play Center, and then Deek is retiring after this year, and if Yao goes down either this year or next, they'll be introuble. I don't know if they'll re-sign Bonzi, he might want more playing time or try to chase a ring, but wherever he goes, staying or not, he'sgoing to be a good asset. Tracy DOES have a huge contract, but I don't see him being moved, I really don't. Steve has proven to be absolutely nothingfor this team, Landry has shown some flashes of being good, as has Scola, Mike James is a HORRIBLE shooter for this coached team, and there's really notmuch help outside of Tracy, Yao, and Bonzi/Battier at times. Although, forgetting all this, they are on the uprise, they just beat the Spurs recently, have won8 of their last 10, and have victories this season against the Wizards, Magic, Spurs twice, Toronto, Detroit, Phoenix, Portland, and the Jazz. I can't seethem missing the Playoffs this year, and they're on a stride right now, and I see them getting around 47-48 games this season, sneaking into the Playoffs,it's going to be a tough race though.
[color= rgb(51, 51, 255)]Memphis Grizzlies[/color]: Man, this team has SO much potential, I don't get why they're notgood!
[color= rgb(51, 153, 204)]New Orleans Hornets[/color]: Let me start off by saying I thought this team would be real good thisyear, where they are right now though? No. Everyone wrote off the Hornets this year, but the Hornets last year didn't have a healthy Chris Paul, but nowhe's back, and well, guess what? He's a force in the NBA, and he's a very-strong MVP candidate. Tyson Chandler, although maybe he's a productof Chris Paul and the system, is doing VERY well, and you can't put down his performance this year regardless of their record or Chris Paul. Someone whodefinitely isn't a product of the system is the beast from the East (Jersey!
San Antonio Spurs: Who? The Spurs? aren't they pretty good? Yeah, damn right they'regood.
And moving on in the West and to the star-studded Northwest Division and the...
[color= rgb(0, 153, 255)]Denver Nuggets[/color]: I don't know if there's a better roster on paper then this team. Twoof the best scorers in the League, one in his prime and another on his way to GREAT SUCCESS! in the NBA. They're only problem is that they have a few toomany point guards. Chucky Atkins (injured) and Anthony Carter are the only PG's on this team, and no, AI is not a PG. The strength of this team is thatthey have great big men, not only Marcus Camby, but Nene (best wishes buddy!), Kenyon Martin, Eddy Najera, and an injured Steven Hunter. This team has a lot ofpotential for the future, and don't really have too many players they have to re-sign, just Diawara, Najera, and possibly JR Smith/Anthony Carter. Thisteam has done very well through the Season, they're not an elite team, but they're battling for the lead in the Northwest conference with theT-Blazers. Kleiza has shown that he can score in volume, Najera has expanded his offensive game, and the woes with Karl+JR Smith continue. I'm actuallysomewhat worried about the Nuggets and playing them in the Playoffs, I think they can knock off ANYONE in the West, any seed they face. That being said, itdoesn't really matter what seed they take, but I can see them winning around 49-50 games this season, and it sure is a possibility with this team. They canget to the WCF if they're players are healthy and playing well, I sure wouldn't want to face them.
[color= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Minnesota Timberwolves:[/color] What is there to say about this team other than Ryan Gomes and AlJefferson being good and the rest of this team being so-so. Foye is still hurt, Greg Buckner is sitting on the bench collecting money, they're still givingmoney to Troy Hudson and Juwan Howard, Theo Ratliff is in the last year of his double-figure million dollar deal, so he'll be out the door soon. Greenisn't doing much, Madsen is, well Madsen, the coach isn't really playing Brewer too much, Telfair is doing a little better, but not much by what wasexpected of him, and Tonie Walker is shimmying his way into the record-books with his amazing play. Okay, no not really. Foye should be back within next fewweeks, McCants is playing well, hopefully they can make a good back-court. Jefferson is quite amazing, a rebounding machine, and a good all-around player, histeam may not be going anywhere for a while, but at least he's going to get paid.
[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Portland Trailblazers:[/color] Wow, just wow. Brandon Roy, that's all you have to say really.He's MVP material, although there are players who are outplaying him this year, this guy is just so consistent, so good, so good down the stretch, that histeam and he will be successful this year. Then, guess what, Greg Oden is back next year. The unsung heroes on this team are the reason why this team'sdoing so well in my opinion, LaMarcus Aldridge has taken a backseat in their success, being the dirty work player on this team much like Udonis Haslem of theHeat. James Jones is #1 in three point shooting int he league right now, at what? 51%!!
[color= rgb(51, 153, 51)]Seattle Supersonics[/color]: What's there to say about this team, this should be short just likeMinnesota's, you know what we got here. Kurt Thomas is unhappy, and rightfully so. I don't see him back in Seattle next season. Damien Wilkins shows hecan score, and he can get out of there if he wants to next season, and I see it happened. Robert Swift will probably get re-signed, and unless Ridnour orWatson get traded, I don't see Delonte coming back, but he'll be valuable somewhere. Other than that, unless this team makes some changes, theyaren't going to be doing anything major this off-season. Nick Collison or Chris Wilcox may get traded since they have some depth there, but I thinkthey're smart enough to keep these guys together. Kevin Durant can score, but he's not shooting very well, but we'll see how he's doing nextyear. Wally is the star of this team, even though he's only scoring 13 points, he's doing the best out of anyone on this team except maybe ChrisWilcox. It's odd because they don't turn the ball over that much, they're second in the league in rebounding (not surprising), top ten in FT%, yetis the fourth worst shooting team in the League, FOURTH WORST! The only teams worst than these guys by shooting is the Nets, Clippers, and Bulls. They haveone, yes, ONE good win this season, that's against the Toronto Raptors, and all their other wins are against teams of their caliber. Less or around 20 winsfor this team, and a top five lottery team with the Wolves, Knicks, and Miami. Good luck to Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox, the only players I feel bad for onthis team.
[color= rgb(0, 51, 153)]Utah Jazz[/color]: This team is 3rd in this Division right now, yet they have the second record athome, only Portland (who has same record) and Dallas are better at home. I don't understand why they struggle so much on the road, 17-3 @ home, and 7-15 onthe road. Deron Williams really is having a great year, a Tony Parker type year, 50% from the field, 40% from three, 19 ppg, 9 assists per game, absolutelystuddley! Yes, I just made up a word, he's straight up studdley. Boozer took off from where he was last year. Okur has REALLY dropped off this year, heused to be arguably the second best player on this team last year! Now, he's not even top four. Is this due to the emergence of Ronnie Brewer? Who knows.Speaking of Brewer, man this guy is a baller. This guy is so explosive, and is an amazing shooter. Speaking of amazing, AK47 has really picked it up, shootingvery well from around the floor, doing it all from rebounding to passing to getting a steal and a block, just a great player for this team, but what reallyturned this team around is Mr. Kyle Korver. I don't know what it is, he's not doing absolutely astonishing job, but once he got here this team justTURNED around. Not to mention Paul Millsap, absolutely explosive around the rim. They just need to re-sign him and CJ Miles, everyone else on this team islocked up. They've beat the Suns, Magic, Dallas, Portland, GSW, Cleveland, Raptors, Lakes, Detroit, New Orleans in a blowout, and are only going to getbetter throughout the year. They are amaingly at 5th in the League in scoring at 105 ppg, and second to Suns in assists per game, and tied with the suns forbest shooting in the league at 49%! Yet, they do commit the most fouls, and lots of turnovers, so it's understandable why they're not a playoff team. ITHINK they'll make the Playoffs, but man it's ahrd to tell with all these teams who are borderline in the Playoffs, and I'd say about 45 wins forthe season.
Down to the last Division in the League, the Pacific Division. And start things off with the..
[color= rgb(51, 51, 204)]Golden State Warriors[/color]:
[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Los Angeles Clippers[/color]: Oh Clippers, I had so much faith in you this year, then, one day I look upsome sports news, Elton Brand, out for the season. OUCH!
Los Angeles Lakers: WOW, they're the biggest surprise to me in the NBA this season. Idon't care about the Trailblazers when you mention the LAKERS! Bynum has exploded, Kwame is still Kwame, SASHA "TOM CRUISE" " THEMACHINE" VUJACIC! They got rid of Brian Cook (although at the price of Mo Evans, a fan favorite), and in return got a dynamic, young, explosive,athletic player in Ariza. Kobe's doing his thing, Odom is doing alright, Derek Fisher has brought new life to LA, and the support cast is doing somethingthis year!
Phoenix Suns (
Lakers, Denver, San Antonio, Utah, Toronto twice, Washington, Cleveland, Orlando twice, and Houston have all been victims of this juggernaut. They lead theleague in PPG, lead the league in assists, 7th in fewest turnovers per game, second in the league in blocks, fourth fewest personal fouls in a game, fifth inthe league in FT%, third best in Three point %, and first in the league in FG%. They should be in the WCF again unless by some reason they have to go throughthe Mavericks then Spurs in the first two rounds. Best of luck to them, I see them getting the best record in the West with about 61 wins.Sacramento Kings: Ah, I've been dreading doing this team, and thank God they're last.This team has an identity crisis. They're one of the bottom feeders of the West, there have been rumors of Bibby and Artest getting traded the entireseason, they've had the supporting cast fill in their roles and maintain a sub-par record, and now they're healthy again. If this team were healthy theentire season, then this team might have had a good chance to make the playoffs. Kevin Martin is one of the best scorers in the NBA right now, he is veryeffective getting to the rim, and he's a very good shooter from basically anywhere on the court. Artest is still one of the best defensive players in theleague, and his shooting is still there, and getting two steals a game. John Salmons has shown he can score and shoot very well around the floor. Beno Udrih isdoing very well and filled the void at the PG spot while Bibby was out, very surprising, as he's a very good shooter, and lead this team to not being a top5 lottery team. No real rookies to brag about. Kenny Thomas isn't doing much for this team even though having a huge contract. Beno will probably bere-signed, Justin Williams is a developing big man so I don't see them letting him go, I believe Kevin Martin already signed a deal, yet I'm not sure,Ron Artest is questoinable to come back, who knows with him. Mikki Moore better go find a good-passing PG, and fast because he's not going to be asvaluable in Sacramento. I don't really have too many great things to say about this team, and that's why I didn't really want to evaluate them toomuch, because I know some of the Sac-town fans on this board will probably flame me.
Now, whew, that's all done, time to handout my fake hardware! Mid-season awards
MVP: Chris Paul
MIP: Hedo Turkoglu
Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Camby
Comeback Player of the Year: Kenyon Martin
All-NBA First-team: PG- Paul, SG- Kobe, SF- LeBron, PF- Garnett, C- Howard
All-NBA Second-team: PG- Baron, SG- Roy, SF- Caron, PF- Duncan, C- Camby
All-NBA Third team: PG- Nash, SG- Rip Hamilton, SF- Melo, PF- Dirk, C- Kaman
All-Defensive Team: PG- Deron, SG- Kobe, SF- Caron, PF- Duncan, C- Camby
And to end this, I'll go and have some playoff predictions, and I'm not going to base this off the top 8 teams I listed above according to what I thinktheir record will be, just off where I think they will end and whether they'll be a playoff seed.
West-
1) Phoenix VS
2) Dallas VS 7) Utah- Dallas in 6
3) New Orleans Hornets VS 6) LA Lakers- Lakers in 6
4) Denver Nuggets VS 5) San Antonio Spurs- Spurs in 7
1) Phoenix Suns VS 5) San Antonio Spurs- Phoenix in 7
2) Dallas Mavericks VS 6) LA Lakers- Mavericks in 6
1) Phoenix Suns VS 2) Dallas Mavericks- Suns in 7
East-
1) Boston Celtics VS
2) Detroit Pistons VS 7) Atlanta Hawks- Pistons in 5
3) Orland Magic VS 6) Washington Wizards- Wizards in 7
4) Toronto Raptors VS 5) Cleveland Cavaliers- Raptors in 7
1) Boston Celtics VS 4) Toronto Raptors- Boston in 6
2) Detroit Pistons VS 6) Washington Wizards- Wizards in 7
1) Boston Celtics VS 6) Washington Wizards- Boston in 6
1) Boston Celtics VS 1) Phoenix Suns- Suns in 6
Thanks for reading guys, I'd love to hear what you guys have to say not only about what you think of what I have to say, but also what you feel about yourteam, and where other teams stand right now.
