NBA Draft? Its Never Too Early To Speculate

As football season reaches its apex, hoops junkies, like me, get their fix as the college basketball season gets under way.   

Although the season just tipped off, it is never too early to start looking forward to the 2008 NBA Draft.  So, without any further ado, I present to you, in reverse order, my top five collegiate prospects for said draft. 

Roy Hibbert, Georgetown 

7’2”-280-C-Sr. 

Hibbert declared for the 2007 NBA Draft but never hired an agent, leaving the door open for him to withdraw his name and return to Georgetown for his senior season.  While he likely would have been a lottery selection in last year’s draft, Hibbert was wise to return to school and try to carry his late season success into his senior season.   

While Hibbert is not a particularly explosive athlete, he seems to have a high basketball IQ and is a willing and capable passer out of the post.  Due to his length and basketball savvy, Hibbert is a solid shot blocker in spite of his average athleticism.  He also has great hands which allow him to catch just about everything thrown his way and is terrific free throw shooter for a big man.   

Having played four years in the college ranks, Hibbert will enter the NBA ready to contribute from day one, whereas many other draft applicants will take time to develop their game and adjust to the speed and athleticism of the Association. 

The big fella has improved by leaps and bounds since his freshman year and if he improves as much in the next year as he did in the last, Hibbert could be the top pick in the 2008 draft.  

Chase Budinger, Arizona 

6’7”-190-SG-So. 

Budinger is a freakish athlete with unlimited range on his jump shot. A former volleyball player, Budinger possesses a combination of unbelievable leaping ability and impeccable timing. 

At his best in the open court, Budinger must improve his handle in order to become a consistent threat in the half court set.  Chase has terrific body control which allows his to rise up over defenders and get his shot off as well as finish on the break as well as anyone in the country.   

Still developing in terms of his half court game and mid-range jumper, Chase is also not as aggressive on the defensive end as he will need to be in order to play crunch-time minutes in the NBA. 

Budinger’s shooting ability and superb athleticism make him worthy of a top five selection despite a few holes in his game. 

O.J. Mayo, Southern California 

6’5”-195-PG-Fr. 

Mayo is an elite athlete who possesses an amazing first step which allows him to torture defenses by getting into the lane and displaying his above average ability to finish and remarkable passing skills.   

Mayo is a fierce competitor who loves to take it right at the defense.  He will need to earn his stripes on the defensive end, but should have no problem stepping his game up to the collegiate level.  His NBA ready body and ball-handling skills, as well as good size for a point make him a sure fire top five pick.   

After garnering some negative publicity, Mayo has done everything right in the short time he has been in Los Angeles.  If he can continue to show discipline and work to polish his less than spectacular midrange game, Mayo will be a top three pick. 
 

Michael Beasley, Kansas State 

6’9”-235-PF-Fr. 

Beasley might be the best athlete in the nation to go along with seemingly limitless range.  I saw Beasley play live in the FIBA U18 Tournament of the Americas in 2006 and he demonstrated the ability to take control of the paint as well as being a force from the perimeter.  Beasley led the team, which included 2007 lottery selection, Spencer Hawes, in both scoring and rebounding.   

Beasley has a great deal of versatility and can impact the game in a variety of ways.  He averaged 28 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 4.5 blocks and 2 steals in his senior season of high school, but will have to maintain a higher intensity level in order to be productive in the NBA on a consistent basis and his post defense is a question mark.  His game reminds me of Antawn Jamison.     
 

Derrick Rose, Memphis 

6’4”-195-PG-Fr. 

Rose nearly averaged a triple double as a prep in Chicago and arrives at Memphis with tremendous expectations.  Rose runs the point as well as anyone in recent memory and has an upside without limitation.   

Rose’s worst quality seems to be his jumper, although he shot 59% from the floor and 45% from the three point line as a high school senior.  Rose is not a great pure shooter but, unlike many of his peers, he doesn’t take many bad shots and is therefore an efficient shooter. 

Rose possesses cat-like quickness and has the ability to get to the paint with a great deal of ease and either finish or find the open man with his outstanding vision and passing ability.   

A terrific defender and outstanding floor general, Rose is reminiscent of a young Jason Kidd.  Barring injury or a lapse in concentration, this young man has Hall of Fame potential. 

Players on the hot seat to produce

Jamaal Tinsley – Indiana Pacers

As mentioned in the divisional previews, this is a big year for Jamaal Tinsley. Jim O’Brien comes into Indiana with an up tempo system that suits Tinsley more than anybody. After numerous trade attempts did not work Indiana is forced to try to make it work with the point guard that has twenty eight million owed to him before his contract expires in 2011. Through 2004-2006 Tinsley played just 82 games, and if Indiana, who has no depth at the point guard position, is going to be successful they need him to play at least the 72 that he played last year. If Tinsley doesn’t thrive in this offense and have a big year – Indiana has no chance to win anything but the lottery.

Marvin Williams – Atlanta Hawks

Every time I watch Marvin Williams play it makes me thankful that he decided to go to UNC for one year because had he not he would have been a mid-late first round pick and probably in the D league right now. What the one year at UNC did was overly boost his stock and at least get him more guaranteed money. Marvin has been a huge disappointment especially considering the Hawks thought more highly of him than they did Chris Paul and Deron Williams. With some legitimate low post players in Horford and Sheldon – so Marvin will have an opportunity to excel on the perimeter as he dangerously approaches bust territory.

Shaquille O’Neal – Miami Heat

In the mind of Shaquille, I’m sure he sees no pressure on himself to perform. He’s one of the best centers to ever play the game and dominated basketball earlier this century in a way that we haven’t seen since Wilt Chamberlin and his spot in NBA history is preserved. While he’s right, this season if the Heat get the same Shaq they got last year they will be in danger of not making the playoffs. The Eastern Conference is not as weak as it was three years ago when he first arrived and just Dwyane and his ridiculous free throw attempts a game won’t lead them to the playoffs for sure.

Rafer Alson – Houston Rockets

Much to my surprise, Adelman has been adamant about Alston being his point guard and praising how well he has played. I’ve yet to see qualities in Rafer that would lead me to believing he could be the starting point guard on a team that not only has championship aspirations, but more importantly championship talent. With the explosive Mike James looking to rebound off a poor year and talented young guards Aaron Brooks and Luther Head behind him – if Alston doesn’t perform he’ll quickly find himself sitting next to Steve Francis.

Peja Stojakovic – New Orleans Hornets

For the highest paid player on this Hornets roster it’s time to step up and prove he’s still got something left in the tank. Injuries have slowed him down as of late, but with shooters like Peja the stroke is the last thing to go and at the least he should be able to provide some outside shooting for the Hornets. I’m unsure how effective he can be in the open court alongside Chris Paul at this point of his career, which is why I was pulling for them to draft Nick Young. The minutes of Peja will have to be monitored if they want him to have anything left come late in the season – and more importantly later in his career; like in 2011 – when they’ll be paying him 15 million dollars.

Nene Hilario – Denver Nuggets

I know he goes by Nene, but I remember Charles Barkley saying you have to do something in the league before you change your name. Since he’s done nothing, I’ve decided to change it back. I thought that since Nene played in the FIBA Americas tournament he’d be in decent shape come training camp, but it appears not. He’s obviously overweight and with the return of Kenyon Martin Karl isn’t going to play unless his conditioning gets at a level that warrants playing time. Considering he’s earning 10 million a year regardless of what kind of shape he’s in, and knowing Hilario’s work ethic – he’s gonna be seeing a lot of time on the Denver bench this year even though they could really use him down low.  

NBA Awards Predictions

MVP: Kevin Garnett – Boston CelticsIn what may become known as the summer of trade demands Garnett was the prototype for how to handle your self. For years Garnett was supportive and loyal to an organization that failed to put a good enough team around him and continued to make illogical moves. Never did he take it upon himself to force his way out publically or degrade members of the organization. What did it result in for him? A trade to a team with two other all-stars and his best opportunity of his career to win an NBA championship.

With Ray Allen and Paul Pierce alongside of him I don’t expect Garnett to average much more than 18 points per game, where he will earn this award is in all the other statistical categories. For this first time in his career Garnett won’t be expected to shoulder the scoring load and I fully expect 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, and 5 assists. Boston will be the team to beat in the Eastern conference come playoff time.

Also in the hunt: Lebron James, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan.

Defensive Player of the Year: Tyson Chandler – New Orleans Hornets

The growth in Tyson’s game has elevated him into one of the more intimidating defensive forces in the NBA. In New Orleans he’s in a system that is tailor made to fit his strength and he’s got a great grasp of what is expected of him. They ask him to do very little on offense other than finish strong around the rim and get offensive boards, allowing him to concentrate on protecting the paint on the other end. Didn’t play much with team USA this summer, but I think just being a part of it will do wonders for his confidence and overall game. It took him some time – but he’s now the player we expected him to be coming out of Dominguez High School.

Also in the hunt: Bruce Bowen, Ben Wallace, Marcus Camby, Gerald Wallace.

6^th Man of the Year: Leandro Barbosa – Phoenix Suns

Typically I don’t like to pick repeat winners in awards but there’s no reason to think that Barbosa won’t have a similar, if not better, year than last year. Barbosa’s role is to come off the bench and score in an offense where they typically like to get a shot up before the shot clock gets under fifteen. Fatigue may be an issue as he had a pretty busy, albeit disappointing summer with the Brazil national team.

Also in the hunt: Jason Terry, James Posey, Andris Nocioni, Jose Calderon.

Most Improved Player: Amir Johnson – Detroit Pistons

After doing very little in the NBA the Pistons, Joe Dumars particularly, felt confident enough in the development of Amir Johnson up to this point to sign him to mid-level type money. Many in the Pistons organization see Ben Wallace qualities in the third year big man. Amir put up really big numbers in the D league last year and if he can get over his injury problems will have a chance to cement a spot in the rotation over clumsy Nazr Mohammed and undersized Jason Maxiell.

Also in the hunt: Ike Diogu, Andrew Bynum, Lamarcus Aldridge, Kyle Lowlry.

Rookie of the year: Al Thornton – Los Angeles Clippers

While Durant is the sexy pick for rookie of the year, I’m not sold that he’ll be able to make it through this season as weak as his frame is. In Los Angeles Al Thornton is going to be the second option behind Maggette and will see plenty of time on the floor at both forward positions until Elton comes back and he moves primarily to the three. He doesn’t have the pressure, or expectations that Durant does in his first year, which is largely in part why I expect Thornton to win the award.

Also in the hunt: Kevin Durant, Corey Brewer, Al Horford.

Coach of the Year: Rick Adelman – Houston Rockets

As you can tell from my divisional previews I’m extremely high on the Houston Rockets and the roster they have. It’s going to take some time, but I really expect for Houston to have the top second half record as they begin to get an understanding of Adelman’s proven offense. With guys like Battier, Wells, Hayes, Mutombo, and Ming they’ll also be stronger defensively than Adelman teams characteristically are.

Also in the hunt: Mike D’Antoni, any coach who turns a bad team around (Memphis, Indiana, Atlanta)

1^st team all NBA
Steve Nash
Lebron James
Dirk Nowitzki
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan

2^nd team all NBA
Jason Kidd
Kobe Bryant
Carmelo Anthony
Carlos Boozer
Yao Ming

3^rd team all NBA
Chris Paul
Gilbert Arenas
Paul Pierce
Amare Stoudemire
Dwight Howard

1^st team all defense
Bruce Bowen
Gerald Wallace
Shawn Marion
Tim Duncan
Tyson Chanlder

2^nd team all defense
Rajon Rondo
Ron Artest
Shawn Marion
Marcus Camby
Ben Wallace

1^st team all rookie

Acie Law IV
Kevin Durant
Corey Brewer
Al Thornton
Al Horford

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics

Man, how things have changed in just one summer. Danny Ainge went from one of the worst GMs in the league, amongst the likes of Isaiah Thomas, to a genius. After a flurry of moves the Celtics rebounded from their worst season in the team’s illustrious history to now being one of the favorites to win the Eastern conference. This team is nothing like the Laker team in 2004 that added Gary Payton and Karl Malone, who were at the tail end of their careers trying to win a championship. Allen, Pierce, and Garnett form a fearsome trio that have been apart of losing teams for the past few seasons and are extremely motivated to make it work. Neither of the three have an NBA championship, nor have they ever even been to the finals. Just by pure desire alone they will be able to play well together.

It goes beyond just the three of them though, as alone they will not be able to win a championship. I questioned what Danny Ainge was doing when he signed Jackie Manuel and Eddie House, but the addition of James Posey really sealed the deal for me. Boston has a formidable enough bench to go along with their three studs. If Tony Allen is healthy he and Posey will serve as the offensive punch off the bench – as will Eddie House, if he can find his shot that has disappeared since the regular season two years ago. Undersized big men Leon Powe and Glenn Davis will have to bring the toughness at the four spot if they do ever slide Garnett over to the five.

With the recent release of Juwan Howard, I expect him to beg Boston to bring him on for the minimum and receive it. He brings some much needed veteran presence down low. Kendrick Perkins will still be the starter, and considering how much he’ll be left open and his hands, he should have a should be good for 10-12 points a night. All that Doc Rivers needs from him and Rajon is defense, the other three will take care of the offense – and I think they’re very capable of doing so.

I just can’t see chemistry being an issue on this team. The three leaders of this team are just too hungry and motivated. The bench and the coaching aren’t ideal, but they are good enough to overcome that. Not only do I think this is the best team in the Atlantic, I think they make it to the finals this year if they can get the guys outside of the big three to find, and adapt to their roles.

Toronto Raptors

One of the better surprises in the NBA last season was the Toronto Raptors and their intriguing group of international talent. They made it to the playoffs for the first time since trading Vince Carter and Chris Bosh established himself as one of the league’s premier forwards after being a bit overlooked during the early, but effective part of his career. While Bosh nursed injuries during the summer Calderon, Garbajosa, Nesterovic, and Delfino played for their respective countries’ teams. Their big free agent signing was sharp shooting Jason Kapono, who may not be a starter for this team.

While their PG rotation is among one of the best in the league, they’re not particularly strong at the SG spot with Anthony Parker as their starter. Parker is a solid defender, but he’s not a full time starter in this league and apparently Dixon hasn’t impressed coach Coach Mitchell. The injuries to Chris Bosh will be something to keep an eye on, because he’s the MVP of that team and if he goes down this Toronto team is back in the lottery.

Aside from the health of Bosh the biggest key to success for this Raptors team will be the development of first overall pick Andrea Bargnani. He seemed to really turn the corner as the season progressed last year and if he can pick up where he left off and continue on his rapid development the Raptors will be able to contend with Boston to win this division and be tough to handle come the playoffs.

Their starting center is still Rasho Nesterovic, but this is a sure fire playoff team in Toronto as long as Bosh stays healthy. Anthony Parker develop into a solid starting shooting guard, but eventually Toronto will need to go another direction at center.

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets struggled for the majority of last season but were able to put a late run together and not only make the playoffs but advance to the second round. This is a team that has one of the best trios in the league still, but outside of it they still do not have very much. They’ve been hampered by poor draft picks and free agent signings in years past, but this summer they actually were successful in both areas.

Getting Jamaal Magloire is a huge pick up for this team. Jamaal may not be an all-star as he was three season ago, but he is a solid big man and a physical presence that is much needed aside the soft Nenad Krstic. If Jamaal is in shape, expect him to have a solid year as the starting center for the Nets.

The Nets will also expect big things out of the troubled Sean Williams who they drafted this year. They hope for Williams to develop into a Kenyon Martin type player, but offensively Sean isn’t near the player Kenyon is at this point in his career. I think more realistically he can bring them what Mikki did last year with better defense.

This roster really doesn’t go deeper than seven or eight depending on how big
of a believer you are in Boston Nachbar. They’ve got too much talent in their starting five to miss the playoffs, and they could potentially upset a higher seed again.

New York Knicks

After firing Larry Brown, who was supposed to get the Knicks back into the playoffs, last year was all about Isaiah Thomas proving himself, and it’s hard to see how another lottery season did so – but Thomas is back again this year. It’s hard to understate just how terrible the Knicks were before Thomas was hired. Many thought they were in the “can’t go anywhere but up” category – but Isaiah proved that they couldn’t as not only does he have the most expensive collection of mediocre talent, but they’re strapped by the salary cap to the point to where they won’t have any cap space for at least eight years.

While all the turmoil is on going with their team that hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2004 Isaiah Thomas and James Dolan managed to make things worse for one of the most storied franchises in the NBA by getting involved in a sexual harassment case. This wasn’t just a false accusation either, as happens many times with famous figures, Madison Square Garden was found guilty and the names of Isaiah Thomas and James Dolan were tainted by it.
When Isaiah can’t make the team any worse, he decides to get the organization involved in a multi million dollar lawsuit – nice going Zeke.

In terms of the roster that the Knicks have, they do have a nice collection of talented players. Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry potentially could be a dominant force if they learn to play together and Eddy picks up his rebounding numbers. David Lee was one of the bright spots on last year’s team and the three of them together in the front court could really be tough for the smaller eastern conference teams to deal with.

The guard play is where the real problems are. Stephon Marbury, despite as phenomenal as he can be at times, is not the guy you want leading your ball club. He’s self oriented and along with Jamaal Crawford forms an awfully small back court that has difficulty matching up defensively. Fred Jones and Nate Robinson will provide excitement and scoring off the bench, but that’s about the extent of their abilities.

Struggling forwards Jared Jeffries and Quentin Richardson will need to step up
and establish a role if this Knicks team is going to have any kind of depth.
Missing the playoffs would be the best thing to happen to this Knicks squad. The sooner Isaiah Thomas is out the better, despite his decent draft selecting he has driven this franchise into the ground to the point where it will take several years for them to recover. I’m not even willing to manage this team on NBA Live.

Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia finally parted ways with one of the best players in franchise history last year and fully embraced rebuilding mode. They start off this process a bit ahead of the curve as they have some really nice pieces to build around, namely Andre Iguadala. Andre is a jump shot away from being an all-star. Already he is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders and in the open court few can finish like he does.

Running the show for the sixers is one of the most underrated lead guards in the league Andre Miller. His ability to defend both guard positions is very valuable to this 76er team. He’s a guy that will get you 8-10 assists even with no weapons – he’s surrounded by as few weapons now as he was in Cleveland when he led the league in assists.

Guarding the paint is the lengthy and pesky Samuel Dalembert. He comes into camp after having a busy summer, but not successful summer with team Canada. Dalembert is a guy who will give you around 9 boards a game along with two blocks and a couple steals, but will also fumble 40% of the passes that come his way. They’re on pace with he Chicago Bulls in terms of low post scoring, as alongside the clumsy Samuel Dalembert they have Reggie Evans. Evans is beastly on the boards, but has Ben Wallace like offense and shoots the ball poorly from the stripe.

If Philadelphia is to surprise the basketball world by not being one of the bottom five teams in the league they’ll have to get something out of their young players. Thaddeus Young, Louis Williams, Jason Smith, Rodney Carney, and Shavlik Randolph will have to produce if this Philadelphia team is to be any good. I’ve mentioned several teams with talented young cores such as Minnesota and Portland – Philadelphia is not one of them. Luckily for Billy King, a top five pick is headed their way.

Atlantic division standings predictions:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Toronto Raptors
3. New Jersey Nets
4. New York Knicks
5. Philadelphia 76ers

Southeast Division

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards had a very successful season last year that led to their third playoff appearance in a row. Unfortunately, plagued by injuries to Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler the Wizards were unable to advance in the playoffs, but what team would with injuries to two of their top three players. The Wizards had a quiet summer, resigning Deshawn Stevenson and Andray Blatche along with drafting dynamic USC guard Nick Young. They lost back up big man Etan Thomas to heart surgery, which may be beneficial to Brendan Haywood as he now knows that the spot belongs to him and he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder.

Washington’s trio of Jameson, Arenas, and Butler is one of the best in the league but it’s the guys around them that will have to produce if they want to get deep into the playoffs. Brendan Haywood will have to run with the center spot now that it is his with Thomas out for the year. Haywood offense is a bit too mechanical to depend on him for anything other than finishes around the basket, but defensively if he can control the boards and block shots then he’ll be doing what they need from him.

Andray Blatche is one of the more intriguing talents in the league that nobody knows about. At 6’11 Blatche brings Durant like versatility to the Wizards. If they can get him incorporated into the offense he could be one of the leading candidates for most improved player this year. He’s got big time talent, but at nearly 7 foot he doesn’t rebound or have an impact on the defensive side of the floor that the Wizards would like him to.

Washington’s lack of depth is problematic. If this team runs into injuries again things could get ugly, but I have them as the best team in the division due to how explosive their top three are and the other offensive weapons they have. Teams like Washington win a lot of regular season games, but expect their lack of depth or post presence to be too much for them to overcome in a seven game series.

Miami Heat

Very disappointing year for the defending champions last year as they fell to the Bulls in a first round sweep. When Dwayne Wade was wheeled off in a court due to a dislocated shoulder their repeating chances followed him. The biggest problem for the Miami Heat last year was they didn’t have anybody to step up and shoulder the scoring load when Dwyane went out, and they were simply too old. Come playoff time this team simply didn’t have a chance. This off season they made a few questionable moves followed by an intriguing trade. Don’t expect much out of first round pick Daquan Cook as he had trouble making the transition from high school to division I, and will have similar difficulties this year. Signing Smush Parker may look good on paper – but the guy has a piss poor attitude and is horrid defensively. Smush Parker has all the qualities required to be in the Pat Riley dog house. For a team needing a jolt of youth, signing Anfernee Hardaway was hard to understand.

But the one deal that I really like is getting Ricky Davis. Ricky is an aggressive, extremely athletic scorer that will be able to ease some of the scoring burden off of Dwayne. The point guard position is an area for concern unless Smush Parker had an attitude transplant during the off season because as of now they’re looking at Jason Williams to play major minutes including crunch time minutes, which doesn’t bode well for someone who has poor decision making skills. They could move Hardaway over late in the game, but how much he can help is really a huge question mark right now.

Dwayne Wade’s rehab from his shoulder injury has taken longer than expected and he will miss at least the first couple weeks of the season. When Wade gets backs though he should not have much trouble getting back to form as he’s always been more of an attacker rather than a jump shooter. If his shoulder is completely healed the only issue will be him getting over the initial fear that comes after just healing from a major injury. As fearless as he’s been though in attacking the rim throughout his career, I don’t think he’s going to deal with this problem for long.

If Miami is going to get back to the finals though, it all depends on Shaquille O’Neal. Now at 35 years of age the once most dominant player ever is a fragment of his old self. The Heat cannot afford for him to take thirty games off this season and not be in shape until March. He’s going to have to step up his level of dedication and conditioning or else the Heat will find themselves back home after the first round.

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic finally made it back to the playoffs led by the league’s premier young big man Dwight Howard. Howard is quickly developing into a dominant force and with team USA this summer his offensive game appears to have expanded outside of just monstrous dunks. They lost their veteran leader in Grant Hill and while statistical impact is very replaceable, what he did for that team in the locker room and on the sidelines remains a void for this Magic team. They brought in all-star forward Rashard Lewis at an outrageous salary that at least in the immediate future will be helpful as he’ll be a consistent scorer along their young stud on the block.

Losing Darko Milicic really hurts them this year now that Tony Battie is out for the season. Milicic wasn’t able to beat out Battie for the starting role last year, and likely wouldn’t have done so this year – but he sure would be nice to have now. Not only will Dwight Howard have to do even more down low, but he’s going to playing with guys like Adonal Foyle, James Augustine, and Marcin Gortat down low. Howard’s going to have his hands full this year.

Jameer Nelson will have lofty expectations this year after just agreeing to a contract extension. He’ll need to be the cooling influence over this young team late in the game as he was during his time at St. Joseph’s. JJ Reddick will have an opportunity to earn some time and possibly start for the Magic in his second year after having a quiet rookie season. Reddick had a solid summer where he did more than just show off his dazzling shooting touch.

Orlando’s got some very nice pieces and a soon to be 20 and 10 guy starting at center for him. The problem for them is that they don’t have anybody at the four alongside of him unless they plan on playing small ball. They don’t have very many tradeable assets either, so this may be an issue that they have to wait until the draft or off season to address.

Charlotte Bobcats

As has been the case with this franchise during it’s short history, last season was more about develop rather than trying to win. Okafor had a solid season where he was one of the top double double guys in the league.They were able to keep free agent Primo Brezec and Gerald Wallace while possibly making their first move that showed they’re trying to win games by trading project Brandon Wright for established shooting guard Jason Richardson. They also got established collegiate players Jared Dudley and Jermario Davidson on draft night.

The days of splitting time with Brevin Knight are gone for Raymond Felton and it’s time for him to step up and become the player many expected him to be out of North Carolina. He was ranked right up there with Deron Williams and Chris Paul coming out of college. Both of those two have established themselves as top five point guards while Felton has done very little. This will be his year to prove that he belongs in that discussion.

The loss of Adam Morrison is a big blow to the Bobcats as he was suppose dot be one of their go to guys offensively this year. However, as far as long term is concerned Morrison was never a big time athlete or attacker and shouldn’t see a major drop off in his game. Sean May will also be out for the year due to microfracture surgery and the Bobcats may have all but given up on Sean now that he’s been in the league three years and been unable to remain healthy or produce. Hopefully Sean’s son can uphold the family tradition of having a dominant final four followed by a non existent pro career.

This year the Bobcats will likely have their best season in the team’s history in terms of wins. However, they’re a long ways off from even being able to think about the playoffs. They’re set at the 2,3, and 4 – but the other positions and bench are far from sure things and this will be another lottery season for the Bobcats. But things are looking up.

Atlanta Hawks

As usual, the Hawks were among the league’s worst teams last year and was it not for a luck ping pong bounce they could have been without their lottery pick that was just top 3 protected from Phoenix. But they did manage to get into the top three and after years of butchering draft picks they finally made the right decisions with both of their first round picks. In desperate need of a low post presence that they thought they were getting with Shelden Williams, they went with the beastly Al Horford to be their go to option and likely starting center. And after passing up on Chris Paul and Randy Foye the Hawks finally got a lead guard in Acie Law IV.

While the Hawks finally made some nice draft picks, they’re still haunted by their mishaps of the past. If Marvin Williams doesn’t become something this year it’s time to start placing him in the biggest busts category. They had a chance to snatch up either of two of the league’s top point guards in Deron Williams and Chris Paul but decided they’d rather have ANOTHER forward. Marvin’s potential was hard to deny at the time, but he’s done little to validate Hawks’ management’s choice so far.

Mr. Mechanical Sheldon Williams will also have his opportunity this year. He’s too robotic on the block to do much in terms of scoring, but if he can block some shots and control the boards alongside Horford he may be able to stick with this team by playing that role. Zaza Pachulia will look to be more consistent this year, and more effective on the defensive side of the court.

Joe Johnson remains one of the league’s best players on a terrible team. One of the few players to ever garner a big deal from the Hawks, Joe Johnson has proved that he was worth every penny. Joe Johnson will have another huge, all-star caliber year that will result in a 30 win at max season for the Hawks en route to watching their pick go to Atlanta. Wave goodbye to Michael Beasley, Hawks’ fans.

Southeast division predictions:
1. Washington Wizards
2. Miami Heat
3. Orlando Magic
4. Charlotte Bobcats
5. Atlanta Hawks

Central Division

Detroit Pistons

The pistons had their custom solid regular season that we’ve grown to expect from them since the addition of Rasheed Wallace. Many people expected them to get to their third finals in four years setting a rematch against the San Antonio Spurs, but they were ripped apart by Lebron James in the conference finals and were sent home early. If you listen to Rasheed, he’ll blame it on the referees – but that’s all in Rasheed’s head. The Pistons were unable to contain Lebron James, and in the deciding game they let second round pick Daniel Gibson torch them. They have nobody to blame but themselves, and I think everyone has a good grasp on this aside from Rasheed.

The biggest issue of concern for this team is the lack of depth. At the center spot they sorely miss Ben Wallace as they brought in Nazr Mohammed to replace him – but he was benched just before the playoffs. The hope is that second round pick Amir Johnson steps up in his third year and takes control of that spot. Amir dominated the development league last year and earned himself a solid contract despite doing very little in the NBA so far. They still have workhorses behind Rasheed in McDyess and Maxiell. If Johnson doesn’t step up, these two undersized players could see time at the center along with Rasheed.

While Carlos Delfino was not particularly successful in his time with the Pistons, he was depended on to spell guys like Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton. This duty will now fall on the struggling Jarvis Hayes and rookie Aaron Affalo. If Hayes can find his game that made him a top 20 pick out of college that will be an added boost to this Detroit squad that really needs their bench to produce.

They’ve still got the talent to win this division, but Flip Saunders control on the locker room is definitely in question. If they come out to a slow start, things could begin to get ugly for Flip Saunders because the championship window for this team is beginning to close.

Chicago Bulls

Chicago continued to improve last year as their talented young core accomplished the team’s first playoff series victory since Michael Jordan retired for the second time. Scott Skiles has done a tremendous job with this team and despite a shaky start with star center Ben Wallace, come late in the season they appeared to be on the same page.

With very little size in the back court and absolutely no low post scoring outside of Aaron Gray (Yeah, it’s that bad) it is very possible that this team has hit their plateau. That’s why you heard their name in potential Garnett deals, and continue to hear them regarding Kobe Bryant. This team as currently assembled is not a championship squad. Their small guards and no low post scoring will be exposed when they go against the likes of Detroit and Boston.

If the goal in Chicago is to win a championship and not be a perennial playoff team – a deal must be made. They don’t need to blow the team up in order to complete a Kobe Bryant trade, but if they could make a run after Jermaine O’Neal or another low post scorer to put alongside Ben Wallace they would see immediate results. They don’t have to answer both of their major weaknesses right now, but certainly one of the needs to be met. Gordon’s ability to score the ball make him a valuable part of what this team does, and if defensively he’s getting exposed they can put in second year man Thabo Sefalosha – who did an admire job on Dwayne Wade last year in the first round.

They have the potential to win this division and another playoff series – but this is not a team that can contend for a title unless some move is made.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland had their best year in franchise history last year as they reached the finals for what many hope to be just the first time of many in the Lebron James era. They were swept by the overpowering Spurs, but just getting there was an accomplishment in itself for the Cavaliers that had gone through some really down years before drafting Lebron. Last year was really a best case scenario for the Cavaliers, I don’t’ think there was any scenario where they could have won the championship. Dallas, Phoenix, and Utah all would have beaten them in a seven game series.

The off season did not bring very good news for the Cavaliers. Up until today they were in a stalemate with Sasha Pavlovic, but they were able to sign him to a three year deal just today. Sasha will come in with no training camp or workout with the team, just be thrown into a fire. Anderson Varaejo remains unsigned. While both of these players are not high level players by any means – they were intricate parts of the Cavaliers success.

Cleveland may have come to terms with the fact that they can’t resign Anderson and brought in the athletic, but raw Cedric Simmons. Simmons is an intriguing prospect, but it’s far-fetched to think that he’ll contribute at the rate Anderson did last year. They’ll look for Devin Brown to have a flashback to his San Antonio days when he was a lethal scorer alongside Tim Duncan and company.

Along with him a lot of their hope is put in second year guards Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown. Gibson cannot handle the ball at the level that an NBA point guard can, and because of that he’ll be limited to playing the off guard role. Against bigger guards, Gibson will be exposed on the defensive end of the court relentlessly. Athletically Brown is a high caliber player, but whether or not he can come in and play the point in spurts will determine whether or not he is on the floor.

 Lebron’s name will be in the MVP race this year, and his numbers will be mind boggeling as usual – but this is not a team that is capable of making it to the NBA finals again unless some changes are made.

Indiana Pacers

After having some successful years under Rick Carlisle, the 2007 season ended his tenure as Pacers head coach as they had a 35 win season and decided to move in another direction and bring in Jim O’Brien to replace him. With O’Brien comes an up tempo system that he hopes to install. With this system a lot of pressure will be put on struggling guard Jamaal Tinsley.

Tinsley’s career has hit a bit of decline the past few years after being thought of as one the league’s more talented young guards. While this system does favor him and several of the other Pacers – I do not think it fits the games of Jermaine O’Neal, Troy Murphy, and Mike Dunleavy. These three players, who are also the top paid on this Pacer squad, are better served in the half court. This could work to their advantage though as you cannot run on every play, and when they can’t they have viable half court options in those three.

Couple players along with Jamaal Tinsley are on the hot seat to produce. Ike Diogu enters his third year in the league after being drafted 8th overall by the Golden State Warriors. Ike’s dominant low post game in college has not transferred over very well in the pros yet – although he has been on two teams whose goal was to push the ball.

Danny Granger, who was deemed the only player untouchable by Larry Bird, enters his third season with very lofty expectations. Granger is an intriguing player at 6’9 who averaged 13 points and 4 boards a game last year. As athletic as he is and good as he is defensively they’d like to see the steals per game be above .8 but they will moreso be looking for him to step up and take the iniative as the number one offensive option on the perimeter.

This Pacers team does not lack playoff talent by any means, but they may not have the coaching staff or system in place to do so. Jermaine’s name has been brought up in trade rumors just as recently as last night, and it may be time for the Pacers to trade their talented forward as their championship window is not only closed – it’s locked and shut with strapping contracts like Dunleavy and Murphy’s.

Milwaukee Bucks

Last year was a definite struggle for the Milwaukee Bucks as they started it off by losing their big free agent signee Bobby Simmons for the year, and major injuries continued to keep them from getting anything going the rest of the year. Come the end of the year, they shut it down for both Andrew Bogut and Charlie Villanueva and while tanking accusations occured they did not end up with one of the top three picks. They did end up getting a very talented player at number six in Yi Jianlian after jumping through hoops to get him to sign.

The Bucks are not lacking talent by any means. They have one of the best pure shooters in the league in Michael Redd, a solid guard rotation with Williams and Bell, and two versatile post players in Villanueva and Bogut. Desmond Mason is an explosive player on offense and holds his own defensively. Bobby Simmons is the real wild card on this team. If he can play anything like he did during his contract year with the Clippers than this Bucks team is underrated by me, but this is an awfully tough division and I’m really worried about the amount of question marks regarding this team.

Health is the biggest concern, and while this team has some very good players – they are not a very deep team. I’m not so sure they can rebound from a Michael Redd injury or one to one of their starting big guys. It’s too early to depend on Yi – especially looking at how he handled the strength of lower teir NBA players. They may get off to a hot start – but I don’t think they can keep it up throughout the entire season. They’re a good team, and possibly ranked a spot  too low in this division – but not a playoff team.

Central division standings predictions:

1. Detroit Pistons
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Milwaukee Bucks

Northwest Division Preview

Utah Jazz

In 2007 the Jazz had their most successful season since the departure of Stockton and Malone. Despite the decline of former lone all-star Andrei Kirilenko, the Jazz continued to role as the trio of Williams-Boozer-Okur led them to the Western Conference finals. Williams spent the summer with team USA learning from Jason Kidd and Chauncy Billups, while Boozer had to tend to the health of his child. Kirilenko seemingly had found his game with his country’s team as they won Eurobasket 2007.

However, the high from winning MVP of the Eurobasket tournament did not carry over for Kirilenko as he unhappily reported to Utah training camp after his trade requests were not fulfilled. On the court for the Jazz, Kirilenko appears to be far from the player that was an all-star in this same system just a few years ago. Even without Kirilenko playing at a high level this is still a very strong Utah Jazz team that is capable of going deep into the playoffs.

At the shooting guard spot there is a lot of pressure on Ronnie Brewer to step up and be the starter. Defensively Ronnie Brewer is ready to play – which will keep him on the floor under Sloan. Despite how awkward his shot looks, he actually hits it at a fairly successful rate. Morris Almond and CJ Miles will push him for time, but CJ’s game is still not NBA ready and Morris athletically is going to have some really big problems his rookie year. If Brewer doesn’t produce, Utah will have some trouble at the shooting guard spot.

Due to the amount of question marks about the Denver Nuggets, the Jazz should win this division. They are the deepest team in the league, but they’ve got a solid group that really executes what Coach Sloan preaches. If Kirilenko finds his game this Utah team could vault itself into championship contention.

Denver Nuggets

To judge how the Nuggets did last season you cannot look at their overall record as it’s not indicative of the team that went 10-1 when it got Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, probably the leagues most lethal offensive duo, working well together. However, the Nuggets were one of the worst teams defensively, despite having one of the leagues best off ball defenders in Marcus Camby. Injuries and suspensions also really hampered the Nuggets last season, but all of those are in the past.

The Nuggets will welcome back explosive, although maybe not as much before the surgeries, Kenyon Martin. Martin brings energy, around the basket offensive, and another shot blocker alongside Camby. However, where he is at this point of his career with all the knee issues he’s had is a really big question mark. If the Nuggets are depending on Martin heavily, it’s a big mistake because at any point his knees could take him out. Nene Hilario played for Brazil this summer and he’s been a bit of a disappointment after garnering a ten million per six year deal. How in shape he is was in question, but considering that he did play in the FIBA Americas tournament he should be better prepared for this NBA season than he was last.

The offensive side of the ball is not really a big issue for the Nuggets. They are a bit weak at the point guard position, but they can always slide over Iverson and put JR Smith at the two. However, where the Nuggets really need to worry about is the defensive side of the ball. They’ve got several guys who are better off ball defenders than they are on, which is why they were one of the worst defensive teams in the league last year. The point of emphasis during training camp was defense – and considering now that they have a training camp together, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team win the division if they really get rolling. There is just too many question marks about this team though to predict so.

Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers won the 2007 draft lottery despite having just a 5% chance to do so after a lackluster season that was hampered by injuries. They made several drastic changes in the off season including trading the work horse from last year’s team Zach Randolph. While Zach was their leading scorer and rebounder, his contract was disastrous and in order to keep the young studs that they have trading Randolph was absolutely necessary. It also opens up time for Lamarcus Aldridge, who looks ready to explode. Greg Oden’s knee surgery really hampers this team for this coming season, but considering his age he should be able to recover fully. It will also have a similar type effect on his overall game that it did for Amare. When Amare came back from his injury, his touch on his jumper was improved ten fold – hopefully the same can happen for Oden.

This up coming season is really all about development of the Blazers young players. Brandon Roy had a smooth transition from college and it led to him earning rookie of the year honors. This season is more about those guys that they invested a lot in that haven’t really found their spot in the NBA. Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw are both going to get their chances this year to step up and earn the starting small forward spot. Martell’s shooting stroke is picture perfect, but his all-game is not at the level that Outlaw’s is. Outlaw offensively has made some strides after coming out of high school as a very raw prospect on that end of the floor. If one of those two can develop into the man at the small forward – Portland will be a lot closer to being a playoff team next year when Oden comes back.

What is beneficial for the Blazers this year is that while they are working towards developing their younger guys, they’ll also be getting a fairly high draft pick this year in an extremely talented draft pool. Luck like this rarely strikes twice in a two year span, but they should be getting another solid prospect to add to this tremendous young core come draft night.

Seattle Supersonics

Seattle had another disappointing season as they battled injuries and really just a lack of talent. Outside of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis this team really had little scoring punch. They continue to be focused more on where the team is going to move to rather than improving the actual team. They blew it up this summer trading away both all-stars from the team and putting the franchise in the hands of one of the best freshman basketball players to come along in twenty years.

Kevin Durant was a tremendous pick for the team. His versatility and uncanny ability to put the ball in the basket really made it a no-brainer at pick number two for the Sonics. However, KD is still extremely weak and to make him the face of the franchise in his first year was a big mistake. If he’s ready to carry an NBA franchise at just twenty years old, than he is a lot better than everyone said he was – and we’re not talking about an under hyped guy.

They’re an extremely young team that has no leadership. This will make it very hard for them to win more than thirty, maybe even twenty games. If Kevin Durant goes down they’re looking at their point guards as their two best scorers. They made big investments in three big men: Robert Swift, Saer Sene, and Johan Petro. All three of these guys have done very little in their pro career and so far in preseason none of them look ready to step in and be the starter. Petro couldn’t even beat out Frederick Weiss this summer on the France national team.

Durant will have a huge year – rookie of the year worthy if he plays enough games, but this Sonics team is going to be among the leagues worse and Durant can look forward to OJ Mayo or Derrick Rose coming in to end the controversy at the point come next year.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The mismanagement of this franchise once again landed them in the top ten of the lottery this past season, but it also rid them of the best player in franchise history: Kevin Garnett. McHale had a chance to keep this team at least in the playoffs because when you have a player like Kevin Garnett there isn’t a whole lot you have to do. But McHale continued to butcher draft picks, make illogical trades, and it has now lead to a complete and total rebuilding of this franchise.

Just last week the Timberwolves were looking at their leaders being Juwan Howard and Antoine Walker – which has twenty five wins written all over it. During the weekend though reports came out that Howard will be bought out and now they look to only Antoine Walker as their only veteran leader. Expect flashbacks from his Celtic days where he used to throw up an insane amount of three pointers and played very little defense.

As far as young talent goes – this team has one of the most intriguing young cores in the league. McCants, Foye, and Jefferson appear to be the only three that are ready to contribute this year. Jefferson is really being depended on to put up some really big numbers. This is by far going to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. They have no sure thing. There isn’t a player on this Timberwolves roster that you know you can depend on night in and night out. If all those question marks turn into big contributors, then they have the potential to win 35-40 games, but this is a very bad team put together by Kevin McHale. It has potential – but as far as this year is concerned, things look pretty ugly.

Northwest division standings predictions

1. Utah Jazz

2. Denver Nuggets

3. Portland Trailblazers

4. Seattle Supersonics

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

NFL Mid-Term Awards

Hello, patient readers of the OD!  It has been quite some time, but with the dawn of the football season, a move to a new place in a new town and an occupational change in the truest sense of the phrase, I have been in hiding.  Hopefully I will emerge from my hibernation with some degree of insight into what has taken place in the NFL as we approach the halfway point of the 2007 season.  So, without any further ado, I present you with my mid-term awards through week eight of the NFL season.

Most Valuable Player

Tom Brady QB New England Patriots

This is probably the most obvious of all the awards because of the brilliance coming from the quarterback position in New England.  Brady, through eight games, has already put up numbers which are the equivalent to a career year for about 99 percent of quarterbacks to ever play the game.  Brady has already thrown 30 touchdown passes (that is NOT a typo) this season against just two interceptions while completing over 74 percent of his passes.  Ridiculous numbers when you consider that Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Bob Griese and Terry Bradshaw reached the 30 touchdown plateau in a season only once (Montana threw 31 for  in 1987) .   Combined. 

Honorable Mention:  Bob Sanders S Indianapolis Colts, Brett Favre QB Green Bay Packers, Tony Romo QB Dallas Cowboys, Randy Moss WR New England Patriots

Offensive Player of the Year

Randy Moss WR New England Patriots

Sure it seems as if I am prejudiced towards the Patriots, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Prior to the start of the season there was plenty of chatter about the character issues and baggage that Moss brings to a football team and very little was said about his abilities on the field of play.  Moss stepped into the Patriots locker room and fit in immediately, elevating the Patriots offense from a one man show (Brady) to an offensive juggernaut which has yet to score fewer than 34 points in a game. Moss already broke the Patriots franchise record for touchdown receptions in a season and is on pace to tie Jerry Rice for the NFL’s single season record of 22.  Add in his 779 receiving yards and 47 receptions, not to mention how much he opens things up for every other player on the Patriots offense, and you have every quality necessary to garner Offensive POY recognition.

Honorable Mention:  Tony Romo QB Dallas Cowboys, Derek Anderson QB Cleveland Browns, Joseph Addai RB Indianapolis Colts, Kris Brown K Texans (How sad for the Texans that Brown is their most viable offensive weapon)

Defensive Player of the Year

Bob Sanders S Indianapolis Colts

While his individual numbers aren’t by any means eye-popping (33 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception), Sanders impact on the Colts defense is immeasurable.  Sanders played in only four regular season games for the Super Bowl champion Colts last season, when the Colts were historically inept versus the run.  A year ago the Colts defense gave up over 22 points per game and 173 rushing yards per game, almost 30 yards per game more than the second worst rush defense, the St. Louis Rams.  This year?  The Colts are giving up a more respectable 107.4 rushing yards per game and fewer than 15 points per game.  Not coincidentally, Sanders has played every game for the Colts this year. 

Honorable Mention:  Jared Allen DE Kansas City Chiefs, Barrett Ruud LB Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Sean Taylor S Washington Redskins, Nick Barnett LB Green Bay Packers

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Adrian Peterson RB Minnesota Vikings

This is almost as obvious a selection as Brady for the MVP.  Peterson is leading the NFL in rushing yards despite the best efforts of head coach Brad Childress to limit his budding superstar’s carries. Great idea. Keep the ball out of your only legitimate playmakers hands. In addition to his 740 rushing yards, Peterson is third in the NFL in rushing touchdowns and has the highest yards per carry among players with at least 50 attempts. Now if they could just figure out a way to limit their quarterback’s touches…

Honorable Mention:  Marshawn Lynch RB Buffalo Bills, Dwayne Bowe WR Kansas City Chiefs, James Jones WR Green Bay Packers, Trent Edwards QB Buffalo Bills

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Patrick Willis LB San Francisco 49er’s

Another run away winner, Willis ranks second in the league in tackles (73) and has nearly 20 more tackles than the nearest rookie.  Willis certainly has a lot to learn about the professional game and is not particularly efficient in pass coverage, but his nose for the ball and ability to bring the wood while still making plays from sideline to sideline is reminiscent of a young Ray Lewis.  Willis should anchor the defense in the Bay Area for the next decade.

Honorable Mention:  Aaron Ross DB New York Giants, Darrelle Revis DB New York Jets, Amobi Okoye DT Houston Texans, Reggie Nelson S Jacksonville Jaguars

Coach of the Year

Tony Dungy

Say what you will about the about the talent that Tony Dungy has to work with, he has transformed one of the NFL’s worst defenses (which won the Super Bowl, by the way) into a unit which ranks second in the league in points allowed (14.6 ppg).  Dungy’s offense meanwhile is third in the NFL in both yards and points per game.  Oh, by the way, the Colts head into a week nine match-up with their undefeated arch rival New England Patriots at 7-0 and primed to defend their home turf.

Honorable Mention:  Mike McCarthy Green Bay Packers, Romeo Crennel Cleveland Browns, Wade Phillips Dallas Cowboys, Rod Marinelli Detroit Lions

Biggest Surprise

The Emergence of Derek Anderson

The Cleveland Browns came into the season with Charlie Frye, who went 4-9 as the starter for the Browns a year ago, on top of the depth chart.  After a 34-7 loss to open the season against the division rival Pittsburg Steelers, in which Frye completed four of ten passes with one interception and five sacks, Frye was shipped to the Seattle Seahawks and Anderson was elevated to starter.  Anderson didn’t disappoint in his first start, throwing for 328 yards and five touchdowns in a 51-45 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.  Anderson hasn’t looked back.  The Browns are now 4-3 and look like a possible playoff team behind Anderson and a nice mix of youth and experience on an offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in scoring at 27.7 points per game, nearly twice their 2006 average of 14.9ppg.  Not too bad for the kid out of Oregon State who came into the season as an after thought.

Honorable Mention:  Green Bay Packers; Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings; Detroit Lions; Trent Cole, DE, Philadelphia Eagles 

Biggest Disappointment

St. Louis Rams

While certainly not a Super Bowl favorite, the Rams cam into the 2007 season with hopes of stealing the NFC West crown from the Seahawks.  With QB Marc Bulger fresh off a huge contract extension and a Pro Bowl, RB Steven Jackson coming off a breakout year and the signing of WR Drew Bennett and TE Randy McMichael in the off-season, expectations were high in the Gateway City.  The Rams stumbled out of the gate and, due to an absurd amount of injuries along the offensive line which have been far more than any team could be expected to overcome, the Rams offense never got untracked.  At 0-8, with injuries decimating the offense and a porous defense, the Rams have little to hang their hat on outside of a high draft pick come April.

Honorable Mention:  New York Jets; Cincinnati Bengals;  Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona Cardinals; Chicago Bears

Southwest Division Preview

 San Antonio

After a highly controversial and competitive series against the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the playoffs last year the Spurs went 8-2 to finish the playoffs and get their fourth championship since 1999. This is hands down the best managed franchise in the NBA and a dynasty that still has a chance to win a few more. The one thing this team hasn’t done is repeat as champions, so that will be the challenge for them this season.

For the first time in a few seasons the Spurs made some questionable moves. Luis Scola, who they could not come to a deal with, was traded for Vassilis Spanoulis and a second round pick. It’s hard to be critical of them for trading Scola, but to let Spanoulis walk for nothing really was surprising. Spanoulis had a tough run in Houston, but I really think in San Antonio and the system they run he could have been very successful as he has similar skills as all-star point guard Tony Parker. They also cut James White, who many thought could be a contributor, in what appeared to be in favor of Marcus Williams, but then he too got cut.

Darius Washington didn’t have the most impressive preseason, but he’s a guy who I think could develop if the Spurs hold onto him. He was a big time player at Memphis but left way too early. He’s a small, quick, score first point guard that is definitely worth keeping. The signing of Ime Udoka cannot be questioned – that was a great pick up and I expect him to be a major part of the rotation as he is a perfect fit for this team.

The most important thing for the Spurs is the development of their bench players. Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan will need ample rest time if they are going to be fresh come the playoffs. So guys like Ime Udoka, Matt Bonner, and the rest of the Spurs bench will need to step up so those guys aren’t depended on for 35 minutes a night. Still think this is the best team in the division, and this could be the year they finally repeat.

Dallas Mavericks

Probably the most humiliating defeat in the history of the Mavericks during the Mark Cuban era happened in the first round last year. The regular season was great for them, for a period of time some wondered if they were going to win 70 games, and Dirk won the MVP. But in the playoffs they ran into a familiar face in Don Nelson, whose team came in red hot. Six games later the Mavericks become the only number 1 seed to lose to an 8^th seed since the switch to a seven game series.

Followed by the Mavericks disappointing loss was a fairly quiet off season. The big additions through free agency were Eddie Jones and Brandon Bass and traded Greg Buckner for Trenton Hassell, which is about the most non-exciting trade I’ve ever seen. Dallas lack of toughness has been their issue the past few years. They start a small backcourt with Jason Terry and Devin Harris, Dirk’s toughness has never been his strength, and before you ask – no Josh Howard pushing Brad Miller from behind does not make them more intimidating. Bringing in two defensive minded guys like Jones and Bass is an improvement though.

They’re still extremely underwhelming at the center position with Diop, Dampier, and Mbenga. Because of their style of play they’ll be among one of the league’s best record wise during the regular season – but barring any moves during the season, expect another Mavericks fold come the playoffs.

Houston Rockets

Over the past two years one of the most disappointing teams in the league has been the Houston Rockets. Having one of the most intriguing one-two punches in the league in Yao Ming and Tracey McGrady has yet to amount to more than a first round exit. Houston had an extremely effective off season though.

They added Rick Adelman to install his proven offense. They picked up three shoot first, pass later point guards in Mike James, Aaron Brooks, and Steve Francis – who now appears to be out of the rotation. Along with Brooks they traded for Carl Landry from Purdue University who has looked solid in the preseason. The biggest pick up was made when they received Luis Scola in a trade from their division rival San Antonio Spurs. Scola’s addition gives the Spurs another legitimate post option on offense along with Yao Ming.

The addition of Adelman could mean the re-emergence of Bonzi Wells, who was very successful in Sacramento with Adelman just two years ago. In the playoffs against the Spurs Bonzi Wells ripped the state of Texas nearly single handedly as he played the best basketball of his career. Adelman should get Bonzi back in his comfort zone, punishing smaller guards on the block and wearing them down throughout the game.

I have the Rockets finishing third in the division simply because there are a lot of new faces and I do not believe they’ll have the chemistry and knowledge of each other’s game to be as successful during the regular season as they could be come the playoffs. This team is the dark  horse to win the NBA championship, they are loaded and could be really scary come playoff time.

Memphis Grizzlies

Entering the first year of the post Jerry West era and Mark Iavaroni first stint as a head coach Memphis looks to rebound off a season where they were without their star Pau Gasol for the majority of the season and starting point guard Damon Stoudemire tore up his knee and missed an equally large amount of time. To top it off, they missed out on Kevin Durant and Greg Oden despite having one of the best odds to be in the top two of the lottery.

The off season brought better things for the Grizzlies though. With the fourth overall pick they drafted stud point guard Mike Conley Jr. As the season progresses expect Conley Jr. to earn more time. Immediately though, it seems as his arrival has pushed Kyle Lowlry to work hard on his game and he too looks ready to contribute this year. Rudy Gay now has one NBA season under his belt and they will be expecting big things from his this season in Memphis.

Memphis was one of the few teams in the league with cap room this summer and they spent it on one of the league’s biggest disappointments, Darko Milcic. After doing next to nothing in Detroit, Darko showed some flashes of his potential in Orlando but was not brought back by the Magic. The Grizzlies will expect him to play some center alongside Pau Gasol. Both guys are interchangeable, but neither are very tough when it comes to man defense – which could be problems against the western conference’s premiere forwards.

After Gasol’s trade demands finally got the Grizzlies act together they brought in Pau’s countrymen Juan Carlos Navarro to help appease Pau and provide some scoring punch off of the bench.

This is an extremely young Memphis team that probably will not make the playoffs unless these guys begin contributing a lot sooner than projected. However, if Darko can find his game – because I feel it’s just a matter of time before Gay and Conley Jr. take the league by storm – this could become a very good Memphis team in two years.

New Orleans Hornets

Injuries really hurt the Hornets last season. Late in the season the made a playoff push but it was just too late in the deep western conference for them to make it in. It was a fairly quiet off season for them. Surprisingly, rather than taking who seemed like a perfect running mate alongside Chris Paul in Nick Young they went with Julian Wright, a defensive stud who realty struggles offensively. On a team that already has one guy like that in Tyson Chandler, I really thought it was the wrong way for the Hornets to go.

This year they’ll look for max contract player Peja Stojackovic to not just play this year (though that would be an improvement from last year), but actually contribute to the Hornets. However, the countdown until his contract expiring has already begun as Peja has proven to be nothing other than money misspent at this point in his tenure with the Hornets. Trading Cedric Simmons for David Wesley was an extremely questionable cost cutting move by the Hornets. A year ago this guy was worth a lottery pick, now he’s just worth David Wesley? Wow, talk about a fall.

Expectations will be high for Hilton Armstrong, who now will serve as one of the main players off the bench to spot David West and Tyson Chandler, during his second season. Free agent signee Morris Peterson will look to probably be the starting shooting guard. Peterson is not a starting shooting guard on the playoff team, and for this reason along with the lack of depth and health for this Hornets I have them finishing last in this division – although it is the toughest division in the league.

Southwest division standings prediction

1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Houston Rockets
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. New Orleans Hornets.

Pacific Division Preview

 Phoenix Suns

The 2006-2007 season for the Phoenix Suns was a repeat of what has become all too familiar for their fans. Played incredibly during the regular season and Steve Nash had another MVP caliber season, but again they fell short in the playoffs. However, serving as kind of a scapegoat, the suspension of Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire had a HUGE impact on that series and it’s not crazy to think had they not gone on the court during the altercation they may be world champions.

But 2006-2007 is over and it’s time for the Suns to look forward. Again this summer they made a series of cost cutting moves by trading Kurt Thomas to Seattle for nothing and picked up Alando Tucker and DJ Strawberry in the draft along with some training camp signings. They did however encounter something unusual this summer, when star small forward Shawn Marion made his displeasure in Phoenix known and demanded to be traded. As typical for every superstar who demanded out this summer outside of Kevin Garnett, who really didn’t even demand out, Marion went nowhere.

Unlike in the cases of Bryant and Kirilenko, don’t expect Marion’s demands to affect anything outside of the fact that he will opt out when he gets the chance. He’s in a system tailor made for his strengths and is the highest paid player on the team, despite the fact that he’s the third best player on the team. He’s still going to go out there and put up big numbers every night.

What Phoenix does have to worry about is the lack of depth that has bothered them for the past few seasons. Boris Diaw reverted back to his disappointing days in Atlanta this past season in Phoenix after receiving a pretty nice contract. If Phoenix is going to win the championship, they’ll need him to find his role off the bench and form chemistry with Amare Stoudemire. Marcus Banks, who had an impressive summer league after a very poor season, will also be given the chance to prove he deserves time. Banks has the physical tools to be a lock down defender, but it’s his offense that keeps him off the court.

This team is a virtual to lock to win the Pacific division, as the other four teams are just not at the level that Phoenix is.

Los Angeles Lakers

Last season the Lakers had high hopes after returning their entire team that took Phoenix to 7 games, but due to injuries the team really faltered in the second half of last season. As the off season hit for the Lakers, the slow decline they were on to end the season continued as Kobe adamantly demanded a trade, calling out his teammates and the front office in the process. What was once inconceivable now seems like a given as Kobe Bryant rumors are not only rampant but they are constant. He’s missed a solid portion of training camp and his performance this preseason was possibly the worst of his career.

The latest reports have the Lakers asking for Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and Joakim Noah – too much for John Paxson’s liking. The Lakers will not make the mistake of getting undervalue for a superstar again, so expect Kobe to remain a Laker until Chicago at least parts with Luol Deng.

While they have become somewhat of an afterthought with all this, there are fourteen other Lakers. The hope of the franchise Andrew Bynum worked intensely this summer to show that the front office’s faith in his is not misplaced. He’s looked good so far in the preseason, but defensively he’s yet to get a grasp of what is needed from him on every night. Also, the rebounding is a major issue for concern. Despite the numbers, Andrew has done a poor job of rebounding out of his area, and keeping his man off the boards.

Lamar Odom will miss at least the first week and a half of the regular season. He’ll be moving back to his natural position, small forward, this season. Lamar’s become all too predictable during his time as a Laker. His numbers on paper are impressive, but on the court Odom’s passiveness continues to plague the Lakers who desperately need a second scorer. The addition of Derek Fisher to replace Smush Parker will do wonders for the locker room and perimeter shooting, but Fisher is marginally better, if at all, defensively.

This is a very talented Laker team, but there is really too many question marks to rank them as high as their talent would warrant. Lamar Odom hasn’t shown second scorer capability in three years, Bynum still has a ways to go, and Kobe is obviously miserable. This could be Phil’s toughest challenge of his entire career – because the way things are looking, LA could be without their superstar at any moment and he’ll have a new group of players that are clueless when it comes to the triangle offense.

Golden State Warriors

After accomplishing one of the biggest upsets in the history of the NBA by defeating Dallas convincingly in six games Golden State goes into the next season after making many changes during the off season. Standout shooting guard Jason Richardson is now a Charlotte Bobcat after being traded on draft night for Brandon Wright. Along with Brandon Wright, Marco Belinelli was brought in through the draft. Both players are loaded with talent, but whether or not they can be contributors consistently during an 82 game season is unknown.

Another big unknown is the health of Baron Davis. Make no mistake about it, had Baron Davis not put on his MVP cape late in the season and during the playoffs last year Golden State is in the lottery. However, he is playing for a contract extension this year – but losing his reliable running mate could hinder the up tempo style that Golden State and Baron Davis thrive in.

Along with the aforementioned Marco Belinelli at the shooting guard is Kelenna Azuibuke. After leaving Kentucky too early and spending a lot of time in the NBDL Kelenna appears to be ready to be a part of the Golden State rotation. With his size and athleticism, if he can get it together he’d help fill the void that Richardson left along with Belinelli and the explosive Monta Ellis, who also sees a lot of time at the point.

Golden state will look to offensively challenged post players Patrick O’Bryant, Andris Biedrins, and Brandon Wright to focus on the defensive side of the court and just finish when they get the ball dumped down to them off of penetration.

Run and gun teams like Golden State are made for the regular season. If they can get things sorted out at the shooting guard position and keep Baron Davis healthy, they’ll likely beat out the Lakers for 2^nd in the division.

Sacramento Kings

The Eric Musselman era can only be looked at as a failure. The Kings not only lacked chemistry between their top three players in Brad Miller, Mike Bibby, and Ron Artest but were one of the worst rebounding teams in the league last year. They simply do not have the size needed to compete in the western conference.

Reggie Theus will look to turn things around. He’s already enforced a highly controversial and not very characteristic curfew along with completely new on court concepts. However, if the Kings think signing Mikki Moore is the answer to their problems in the post, they’re severely mistaken. Moore is an energy guy who will get hustle boards and crowd-igniting dunks, but without Jason Kidd spoon feeding him those dunks will be a lot less common. Spencer Hawes brings better low post game than Miller does, but brings the same lack of athleticism and ability to rebound – he’s also battling constant knee issues this summer, and they could linger.

Adding on to the Kings woes, Mike Bibby’s injured thumb ligament not only required surgery but will keep him out for 10-12 weeks. Guards Quincy Douby and Mustafa Shakur will attempt to fill the void while Bibby is gone, but all signs point to another struggle for the Kings as they’ll be among the NBA’s worse. Possible Bibby deals that have been rumored the past year could finally come to fruition.

Los Angeles Clippers

Injuries have really hurt this team before their season even started. This was supposed to be Shaun Livingston’s year to establish himself as the point guard the Clippers thought they were drafting with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 draft. Along with Shaun, Brand will also miss a large portion of the season with a ruptured Achilles.

Alarmingly, the Clippers point guard rotation is the aging Sam Cassell, Brevin Knight, Dan Dickau. This will be an area of concern for them as Cassell’s nearing retirement and Knight’s work ethic is in question. With Brand being for at least two more months, the Clippers will look for Chris Kaman to play at a level equal to that of the large contract he has. Corey Maggette, who is in a contract year, should have a huge year as offensively he is the team’s number one option. As hard as he attacks the rim and as much as he’ll have the ball, expect Maggette to be among the league leaders in free throw attempts.

A real bright spot for the Clippers this off season has been the play of Al Thorton. After underachieving at Florida State but climbing up the draft boards during the camp and workout period Thortnon has looked like a potential rookie of the year. He’s simply too quick and athletic for most power forwards to guard, and his perimeter skills make him even more lethal. He’ll spend time at both small and power forward this season.

With Brand out of a boot and cleared to begin cardiovascular work the Clippers are counting down the days until he can come back. However, Achilles injuries are really devastating and if Brand is able to come back and be the all-star player that he was before the injury this season – I’ll be shocked. Despite what some reports may say, and I’m not a doctor – but I just cannot imagine Livingston being able to play at all this summer. That injury was catastrophic; I’m not so sure he’s ever capable of being able to play a grueling NBA season again. Injuries make this team the worst in the Pacific.

Pacific Division standing predictions:

1. Phoenix Suns

2. Los Angeles Lakers

3. Golden State Warrios

4. Sacramento Kings

5. Los Angeles Lakers