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