David Stern voided the big 3-team deal in the NBA last night involving the Lakers-Hornets-Rockets. Apparently the deal (negotiated by New Orleans GM Dell Demps) was not in the best interest of the Hornets... who agreed to the deal. The out cry was delivered to Stern by several pissed-off, sour-grape owners, led by Cavs cry-baby Dan Gilbert.
Forget the nonsense about Stern stepping in and calling off the trade. As ridiculous as this is, and how truly insane it is, let's focus on the players and teams involved in the "trade."
LAKERS - Chris Paul (from Hornets)
ROCKETS - Pau Gasol (from Lakers)
HORNETS - Lamar Odom (from Lakers); Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, and a draft pick (from Rockets)
First off, the Lakers get their man in CP3. A top tier point guard to team with Kobe, and potentially Dwight Howard. They also shed cap space and avoid the luxury tax (for now). But the fact that people are saying the Lakers gave up nothing to get him is ludicrous. In my opinion the Lakers gave up their 2nd and 3rd best players (Odom is better than Bynum. Fact.) They gave up their height advantage and rolled with a new concept, a quality point guard for Kobe.
So the Lakers gave up an All-Star (Gasol), almost All-Star (Odom) to get back All-Star (Paul)... who did miss half the 2009-2010 season with a knee injury...
The Rockets traded away a lot, but their master plan was to acquire Pau Gasol and then throw their newly available money at former Nuggets center Nene. Ok, they want Gasol and Nene (I'm not a big Nene fan, especially for the money he is going to get), but if that's who Daryl Morey and the Rockets want, why can't they do it? Exactly.
Lastly, the Hornets. People are saying they gave away the best player in the deal and didn't even get the 2nd best player. On the surface, that is probably right. But to call what they got back "trash," "garbage," "Odom and crap," etc. is simply wrong. You are not going to get equal value in a trade for a megastar. Hasn't happened. (Examples below). The Hornets need to get something for a guy who is definitely going to bounce in 7 months.
They got (last year's numbers in parenthesis).
Lamar Odom (14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3 assists)
Luis Scola (18.3 points, 8.2 rebounds)
Kevin Martin (23.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists)
Goran Dragic (7.5 points and shot 52% from 3 after trade from PHX)
Again, the Hornets trade their All-Star point guard for 3 bonafide NBA starters, a back-up point guard with some upside, and a pick. What else were they going to do? That's a solid trade. They aren't winning the title, but they're gonna be competitive. Let's see how that trade stacks up to some of the other Superstar deals of NBA past.
1992: 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, & Tim Perry
(I don't need to tell you that Barkley then won the MVP with Phoenix and led them to the Finals)
2004: Lakers trade Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, a 1st & 2nd round pick
2007: T-Wolves trade Kevin Garnett to the Celtics for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, and two 1st round picks
2008: Grizzlies trade Pau Gasol (and 2nd round pick) to Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, ammo, Marc Gasol (who no one knew would be this good), and two 1st round picks.
There are more. Those are just the ones that come to mind. You aren't going to trade CP3 for Deron Williams or Derrick Rose. You also aren't going to re-sign him after this season. The league just hurt the Hornets going forward. Maybe the team should not exist. If no one buys the team in the next few months, I say contract them. One less team would help the NBA.
There is still a chance this deal gets done (or one similar), let's hope it does. The league looked bad during the lockout, but this is worse.
-Keefe
Showing posts with label Hornets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hornets. Show all posts
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Rajon Rondo vs. Chris Paul
The NBA is back. What better way to spark the conversation and get attention than a trade rumor involving two of the league's Top 5 point guards? It appears as though Danny Ainge and the Celtics are extremely interested in Hornets All-Star Chris Paul and are willing to trade away their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo to make the deal happen. Will it happen? Should it happen? Let's check the tale of the tape first. Rondo vs. CP3.
Rajon Rondo
Age: 25
Current Contract: 4 years remaining at a total of $46 million
NBA Seasons: 5
Games: 384
Career Averages: 10.7 points, 7.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 48.6% FG
2010-11: 10.6 points, 11.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 47.5% FG
Playoffs: (78 games) 13.8 points, 8.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 43.7 % FG
Achievements: 2-time All-Star, NBA Champion, 1st Team All-Defense (2), 2nd Team All-Defense, All-Rookie 2nd Team
Chris Paul
Age: 26
Current Contract: 1 year left for $16.36 million (player option for '12-'13 for $17.78 million)
NBA Seasons: 6
Games: 425
Career Averages: 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 47.1% FG
2010-11: 15.9 points, 9.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 46.3% FG
Playoffs: (23 games) 21.9 points, 11.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2 steals, 49.3% FG
Achievements: 4-time All-Star, All-NBA 1st Team (1), All-NBA 2nd Team (1), All-NBA 3rd Team (1), All-Defense 1st Team (1), All-Defense 2nd Team (2), Rookie of the Year
CP3 also gets a huge nod in free throw shooting and 3-point shooting. He is 85% at the line, and 36% from deep for his career while Rondo is a sad 62% and 24%.
Both the statistics and the eye test prove that Chris Paul is a better player overall than Rajon Rondo. That is not breaking news. However a trade for the two All-Star point guards is not nearly that simple. Would Paul sign an extension to stay in Boston? Does he think that an aging Paul Pierce and what Avery Bradley, JaJuan Johnson, maybe Jeff Green look like a solid foundation? Is that better than any of his Hornets teams?
The Paul extension really is the beginning and end of the conversation. If the answer is "No." or even "We'll see." I'll have to pass on the deal. And why would he want to sign with the Celtics again? Exactly.
If, for some magical reason, he would rather play in Boston than in New York with his buddies Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, or even stay in New Orleans where he has played his entire career and is the face of the franchise, it's still not a slam dunk. As it stands now, Rondo, Pierce, and Bradley are the only players under contract for next season. So obviously there will be a dozen more guys signing. If Chris Paul opts out of his player option to become a free agent, he is walking away from close to $18 million in guaranteed money for next season. Therefore he is going to cost a pretty penny.
Paul could make more money over a longer period of time staying with the Hornets (this is also where sign and trades come in to play as well.) But let's just say he makes between $18-20 million dollars a year for the next 4 years in this "dream" scenario where he comes to Boston. You still need to surround him with talent, and clearly more than just a David West, Tyson Chandler, or Emeka Okafor. We've already seen how far that can go.
Regardless of what happens, the Celtics are going to go through a major makeover for the 2012-13 season and beyond. I don't know all the players who will be available and (almost as important) interested in coming to Boston, but I do know that Rondo will be anywhere from $5-10 million cheaper than CP3. You can get a pretty good player for that price.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. And the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if Ainge and the Celtics are leaking this story just to get some talk going concerning the Celtics. I mean you got the defending Stanley Cup Bruins, who are 11-0-1 this month, the Patriots looking to be the #1 seed in the AFC and the Red Sox just hired Bobby Valentine. How else can you still some headlines than with a "trade your only good young player" rumor.
Either way, I'm just glad we're talking about the NBA again.
-Keefe
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thoughts from the Game 1's
I watched as much as I could over the weekend, and this is what I came up with.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
#1 Bulls vs. #8 Pacers (104-99 Chicago, 1-0)
Shocking. Well as shocking as it can be without the #1 overall seed actually losing. Indiana was leading from start to almost the very end. Tyler Hansborough? Where did that come from? Looked like he was playing a Tuesday night game against Clemson for a few minutes.
I thought Danny Granger summed it up best by comparing Derrick Rose to a stalker ex-girlfriend, every time you turn around she’s there, at your door wherever. I think this game will wake up the Bulls and they will win in 4 or 5.
#2 Heat vs. #7 76ers (97-89, Miami 1-0)
Give credit to Chris Bosh, ok you don’t have too, but he played well and helped the Heat avoid a loss. For the Celtics sake let’s hope Philly can win a game, or two at home, so LeBron and company have to work rather than coast into the 2nd round. I have faith the 6ers can make them fight after watching on Saturday. Game 2 is tonight.
#3 Celtics vs. #6 Knicks (87-85, Boston 1-0)
Jermaine O'Neal! Watching that game was the first time all season when I actually had a JO in Indiana flashback. The way he narrows his body and gets all skinny when he shoots and it a pretty good shot blocker. Now I don't expect that to keep up the rest of the playoffs, but it was fun nonetheless.
The Celtics were lucky in the fact that Carmelo Anthony played well for 1 quarter, and they still nearly lost the game. Melo is going to be better, however if Billups misses a game or two or just isn't effective, it may not matter.
#4 Magic vs. #5 Hawks (103-93, Atlanta 1-0)
The Hawks don’t seem to like playing with each other and they certainly don’t enjoy coaching in general, but they stole home court from Orlando. Dwight Howard 46 points 19 rebounds… in a loss. Let the big man get his and take everyone else out. It worked once, will it work again? I’m going to stick with my pick of the Magic winning this series, the Hawks self hate will overcome.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
#1 Spurs vs. #8 Grizzlies (101-98, Memphis 1-0)
How about this one? Tony Allen starting for a contender? Ok contender is a bit aggressive, but they do present some tough match ups even without Rudy Gay. Memphis get its first playoff win in franchise history (0-12 coming in), and they follow that up by giving Zach Randolph a 4-year contract extension. And you know what? I like it. Sure he seems like the obvious, pay for play guy, 1-year, incentive deals, but go for it Memphis!
It’s the same team Chris Wallace led front office that dealt Pau Gasol for nothing (although Marc Gasol has turned out pretty nice) and drafted Hasheem Thabeet #2 overall, only to pair him with another 1st rounder to get Shane Battier… back.
Manu’s elbow could be the key to this series, however I still think San Antonio advances, but they sure seem ripe for the picking.
#2 Lakers vs. #7 Hornets (109-100, New Orleans 1-0)
I thought New Orleans was the worst Western Conference Playoff team, and the only one not capable of winning a series. Winning a game I figured would be a stretch, let alone at the Staples Center. Hats off to Chris Paul. Maybe he hasn’t been as explosive as we’ve seen earlier in his career, but can we ease up on Derrick Rose is waaaaaay better than CP3, and so is Deron Williams, maybe even Russell Westbrook. Chris Paul is still here folks.
#3 Mavericks vs. #6 Trail Blazers (89-81, Dallas 1-0)
This could be a classic case of everyone picks the “underdog,” making them not the underdog any longer, and they end up losing to the original favorite. Teams 5-8 in the West were hoping to get Dallas. Well Portland did, what can they do with them? As Bill Simmons pointed out in his recent podcast, the Mavs have the best player in this series (Dirk) but Portland might have the next 4 (Aldridge, Wallace, Miller, Camby?) It’s debatable.
Wes Mathews is a good player who had a poor Game 1. Brandon Roy is a total wild card. His injuries knocked him down from a potential Top 10 player, to the team’s 7th man.
As poor as Dirk’s supporting cast is, I believe in this series, he can win 3 games while his supporting cast can take 1. Hey J. Kidd had 24 points in Game 1. Jason Terry is capable of 30 one night, and I’m probably the only person in the country that thinks Shawn Marion could slap up a 20-12 in one of these games.
#4 Thunder vs. #5 Nuggets (107-103, OKC 1-0)
This is the series (outside of Boston-New York obviously) that I am the most interested in watching, and will find ways to be in front of the TV for every minute.
Funny how the 4 playoff teams that really changed at the deadline are involved in 2 series. The Nuggets made a franchise altering deal with the Knicks, and the Celtics shocked their own fans… and players, by trading with the Thunder. A couple months later and you get Celtics-Knicks and Thunder-Nuggets.
I like watching Perkins play. I never, ever, thought I would say that. I yelled at every moving offensive screen, every time he put it on the floor near the basket and did his infuriating “gather move.” But now that he’s gone, I’m like, “Wow look at that screen! Did you see that board? There’s the scowl!” The question remains with OKC, how far can Durant-Westbrook carry them as their only offensive options?
As for Denver, it’s amazing how they don’t have a single star player but can still go a legit 11 deep with each guy bringing their own flavor. George Karl has them meshing well, but you got to wonder if it’s just a fun regular season team that surprised, only to bow out in the playoffs.
If the first weekend is any indication of how the rest of the 2011 post season is going to be, we are in store for one of the all time greatest. I’ll be back throughout the playoffs with scattered thoughts.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
#1 Bulls vs. #8 Pacers (104-99 Chicago, 1-0)
Shocking. Well as shocking as it can be without the #1 overall seed actually losing. Indiana was leading from start to almost the very end. Tyler Hansborough? Where did that come from? Looked like he was playing a Tuesday night game against Clemson for a few minutes.
I thought Danny Granger summed it up best by comparing Derrick Rose to a stalker ex-girlfriend, every time you turn around she’s there, at your door wherever. I think this game will wake up the Bulls and they will win in 4 or 5.
#2 Heat vs. #7 76ers (97-89, Miami 1-0)
Give credit to Chris Bosh, ok you don’t have too, but he played well and helped the Heat avoid a loss. For the Celtics sake let’s hope Philly can win a game, or two at home, so LeBron and company have to work rather than coast into the 2nd round. I have faith the 6ers can make them fight after watching on Saturday. Game 2 is tonight.
#3 Celtics vs. #6 Knicks (87-85, Boston 1-0)
Jermaine O'Neal! Watching that game was the first time all season when I actually had a JO in Indiana flashback. The way he narrows his body and gets all skinny when he shoots and it a pretty good shot blocker. Now I don't expect that to keep up the rest of the playoffs, but it was fun nonetheless.
The Celtics were lucky in the fact that Carmelo Anthony played well for 1 quarter, and they still nearly lost the game. Melo is going to be better, however if Billups misses a game or two or just isn't effective, it may not matter.
#4 Magic vs. #5 Hawks (103-93, Atlanta 1-0)
The Hawks don’t seem to like playing with each other and they certainly don’t enjoy coaching in general, but they stole home court from Orlando. Dwight Howard 46 points 19 rebounds… in a loss. Let the big man get his and take everyone else out. It worked once, will it work again? I’m going to stick with my pick of the Magic winning this series, the Hawks self hate will overcome.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
#1 Spurs vs. #8 Grizzlies (101-98, Memphis 1-0)
How about this one? Tony Allen starting for a contender? Ok contender is a bit aggressive, but they do present some tough match ups even without Rudy Gay. Memphis get its first playoff win in franchise history (0-12 coming in), and they follow that up by giving Zach Randolph a 4-year contract extension. And you know what? I like it. Sure he seems like the obvious, pay for play guy, 1-year, incentive deals, but go for it Memphis!
It’s the same team Chris Wallace led front office that dealt Pau Gasol for nothing (although Marc Gasol has turned out pretty nice) and drafted Hasheem Thabeet #2 overall, only to pair him with another 1st rounder to get Shane Battier… back.
Manu’s elbow could be the key to this series, however I still think San Antonio advances, but they sure seem ripe for the picking.
#2 Lakers vs. #7 Hornets (109-100, New Orleans 1-0)
I thought New Orleans was the worst Western Conference Playoff team, and the only one not capable of winning a series. Winning a game I figured would be a stretch, let alone at the Staples Center. Hats off to Chris Paul. Maybe he hasn’t been as explosive as we’ve seen earlier in his career, but can we ease up on Derrick Rose is waaaaaay better than CP3, and so is Deron Williams, maybe even Russell Westbrook. Chris Paul is still here folks.
#3 Mavericks vs. #6 Trail Blazers (89-81, Dallas 1-0)
This could be a classic case of everyone picks the “underdog,” making them not the underdog any longer, and they end up losing to the original favorite. Teams 5-8 in the West were hoping to get Dallas. Well Portland did, what can they do with them? As Bill Simmons pointed out in his recent podcast, the Mavs have the best player in this series (Dirk) but Portland might have the next 4 (Aldridge, Wallace, Miller, Camby?) It’s debatable.
Wes Mathews is a good player who had a poor Game 1. Brandon Roy is a total wild card. His injuries knocked him down from a potential Top 10 player, to the team’s 7th man.
As poor as Dirk’s supporting cast is, I believe in this series, he can win 3 games while his supporting cast can take 1. Hey J. Kidd had 24 points in Game 1. Jason Terry is capable of 30 one night, and I’m probably the only person in the country that thinks Shawn Marion could slap up a 20-12 in one of these games.
#4 Thunder vs. #5 Nuggets (107-103, OKC 1-0)
This is the series (outside of Boston-New York obviously) that I am the most interested in watching, and will find ways to be in front of the TV for every minute.
Funny how the 4 playoff teams that really changed at the deadline are involved in 2 series. The Nuggets made a franchise altering deal with the Knicks, and the Celtics shocked their own fans… and players, by trading with the Thunder. A couple months later and you get Celtics-Knicks and Thunder-Nuggets.
I like watching Perkins play. I never, ever, thought I would say that. I yelled at every moving offensive screen, every time he put it on the floor near the basket and did his infuriating “gather move.” But now that he’s gone, I’m like, “Wow look at that screen! Did you see that board? There’s the scowl!” The question remains with OKC, how far can Durant-Westbrook carry them as their only offensive options?
As for Denver, it’s amazing how they don’t have a single star player but can still go a legit 11 deep with each guy bringing their own flavor. George Karl has them meshing well, but you got to wonder if it’s just a fun regular season team that surprised, only to bow out in the playoffs.
If the first weekend is any indication of how the rest of the 2011 post season is going to be, we are in store for one of the all time greatest. I’ll be back throughout the playoffs with scattered thoughts.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
NBA ’08-’09 Preview
Tonight the NBA season kicks off with a trio of games including the Boston Celtics raising their 17th banner before their showdown with LeBron and the Cavs. Also tonight marks the NBA debut of one Greg Oden as the Blazers face the Lakers. I’m looking forward to another great basketball season, many teams have improved themselves thanks to free agency, trades, and the draft. I will get on record now with my picks for playoff teams and individual awards. (playoff teams in bold)
Eastern Conference
Atlantic:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. New York Knicks
5. New Jersey Nets
The Celtics will miss James Posey, but not enough to effect them winning the division again. The 6ers made the most noise bringing in Elton Brand, but I like Calderon running the point for a Raps team that, if healthy, have the best 4-5 duo in the East with Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal. Mike D’Antoni will actually keep the Knicks out the basement. The Nets will struggle and eventually trade Vince.
Central:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Chicago Bulls
Pistons got the same crew back, and the Cavs added Mo Williams which should make it a good battle at the top. Pacers are sneaky good with the likes of Danny Granger and a surprisingly good Mike Dunleavy, I think they beat out the Hawks and Wiz for the 8 seed. I liked the Bucks pick up of Richard Jefferson at first, but even he and Michael Redd will need more help, losing the aforementioned Mo Williams is going to hurt. The Bulls have plenty of guards, and they’ll also have plenty of losses.
Southeast:
1. Orlando Magic
2. Miami Heat
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Washington Wizards
5. Charlotte Bobcats
Can the Heat turn it around? I think they can. Wade looked great in the Olympics and will be one of the best players in the NBA all season. It may be tough but they need to keep Marion happy, by letting him shoot, and throwing him oops. Dwight Howard will continue to improve, scary right? Wizards have the 2nd best “Big 3” in the East, but how many games will they play together? They’re certainly an X-factor.
Western Conference:
Northwest:
1. Utah Jazz
2. Portland Trail Blazers
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
Deron Williams will miss the start of the season, but once again the debate of who is the best PG in the league will come down to him and CP3 at the end of the year. I know I’m not alone in liking the Blazers, how can you not? Great young team that could be stalled by injuries once again. Nuggets will score plenty of points, but the loss of Camby makes them even worse defensively, they’ll battle for the 8th seen to no avail.
Pacific:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Sacramento Kings
Lakers look like the clear cut favorite bringing everyone back from the Western Conference championship team plus Andrew Bynum. After that it could get interesting. A full season with Shaq and Grant Hill in Phoenix with a new coach. Nash and Amare are good enough to get any team to the playoffs. Corey Maggette is now on the Warriors with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby playing for the Clips. The injury of Monta Ellis significantly impacts their chances of a post season appearance.
Southwest:
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Houston Rockets
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Memphis Grizzlies
The Celtics lost James Posey and the Hornets found him. He could very well be the missing piece. Ron Artest comes to Houston to shake things up a bit. If Yao and T-Mac stay healthy (goodluck) they could be a major player. The Spurs are the Spurs, and the Mavs have Dirk and a new head coach. Put everything together and you got the toughest division in basketball, and the only one with 4 playoff teams.
Playoffs:
Eastern Finals: Celtics over Raptors
Western Finals: Hornets over Jazz
Finals: Celtics over Hornets
Awards:
MVP: Chris Paul, Hornets
Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Heat
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett, Celtics
6th Man of the Year: Lamar Odom, Lakers
Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan, Trail Blazers
All-NBA 1st Team:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Dwight Howard, Magic
All-NBA 2nd Team:
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dwayne Wade, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Tim Duncan, Spurs
All-Rookie Team:
Michael Beasely, Heat
Greg Oden, Trail Blazers
Derrick Rose, Bulls
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Eric Gordon, Clippers
Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers*
*Some how left him off, the next day had to add him. Watching the Olympics I said he could potentially win the ROY over Beasley and teammate Oden. Also we've seen at least 6 guys be named to the All-Rookie team before, so I'm keeping 6.
-Keefe
Eastern Conference
Atlantic:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. New York Knicks
5. New Jersey Nets
The Celtics will miss James Posey, but not enough to effect them winning the division again. The 6ers made the most noise bringing in Elton Brand, but I like Calderon running the point for a Raps team that, if healthy, have the best 4-5 duo in the East with Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal. Mike D’Antoni will actually keep the Knicks out the basement. The Nets will struggle and eventually trade Vince.
Central:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Chicago Bulls
Pistons got the same crew back, and the Cavs added Mo Williams which should make it a good battle at the top. Pacers are sneaky good with the likes of Danny Granger and a surprisingly good Mike Dunleavy, I think they beat out the Hawks and Wiz for the 8 seed. I liked the Bucks pick up of Richard Jefferson at first, but even he and Michael Redd will need more help, losing the aforementioned Mo Williams is going to hurt. The Bulls have plenty of guards, and they’ll also have plenty of losses.
Southeast:
1. Orlando Magic
2. Miami Heat
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Washington Wizards
5. Charlotte Bobcats
Can the Heat turn it around? I think they can. Wade looked great in the Olympics and will be one of the best players in the NBA all season. It may be tough but they need to keep Marion happy, by letting him shoot, and throwing him oops. Dwight Howard will continue to improve, scary right? Wizards have the 2nd best “Big 3” in the East, but how many games will they play together? They’re certainly an X-factor.
Western Conference:
Northwest:
1. Utah Jazz
2. Portland Trail Blazers
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
Deron Williams will miss the start of the season, but once again the debate of who is the best PG in the league will come down to him and CP3 at the end of the year. I know I’m not alone in liking the Blazers, how can you not? Great young team that could be stalled by injuries once again. Nuggets will score plenty of points, but the loss of Camby makes them even worse defensively, they’ll battle for the 8th seen to no avail.
Pacific:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Sacramento Kings
Lakers look like the clear cut favorite bringing everyone back from the Western Conference championship team plus Andrew Bynum. After that it could get interesting. A full season with Shaq and Grant Hill in Phoenix with a new coach. Nash and Amare are good enough to get any team to the playoffs. Corey Maggette is now on the Warriors with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby playing for the Clips. The injury of Monta Ellis significantly impacts their chances of a post season appearance.
Southwest:
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Houston Rockets
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Memphis Grizzlies
The Celtics lost James Posey and the Hornets found him. He could very well be the missing piece. Ron Artest comes to Houston to shake things up a bit. If Yao and T-Mac stay healthy (goodluck) they could be a major player. The Spurs are the Spurs, and the Mavs have Dirk and a new head coach. Put everything together and you got the toughest division in basketball, and the only one with 4 playoff teams.
Playoffs:
Eastern Finals: Celtics over Raptors
Western Finals: Hornets over Jazz
Finals: Celtics over Hornets
Awards:
MVP: Chris Paul, Hornets
Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Heat
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett, Celtics
6th Man of the Year: Lamar Odom, Lakers
Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan, Trail Blazers
All-NBA 1st Team:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Dwight Howard, Magic
All-NBA 2nd Team:
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dwayne Wade, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Tim Duncan, Spurs
All-Rookie Team:
Michael Beasely, Heat
Greg Oden, Trail Blazers
Derrick Rose, Bulls
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Eric Gordon, Clippers
Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers*
*Some how left him off, the next day had to add him. Watching the Olympics I said he could potentially win the ROY over Beasley and teammate Oden. Also we've seen at least 6 guys be named to the All-Rookie team before, so I'm keeping 6.
-Keefe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)