I'm baaaackk... Ok, ok, on with the show.
Toronto Raptors
Starting 5:
PG- Jose Calderon
SG- Anthony Parker
SF- Jason Kapono
PF- Chris Bosh
C- Jermaine O'Neal
Off the bench
Guards: Will Solomon, Joey Graham, Hassan Adams, Roko Ukic
Forwards: Kris Humphries, Jamario Moon
Centers: Andrea Bargnani, Nathan Jawai
I like the TJ Ford for Jermaine O'Neal trade, I really do. Honestly, I don't think Rasho Nesterovic really added that much anyway, he was a reasonable replacement when we found out that Andrea Bargnani couldn't really play the center position, but aside from that, yeah, not much. I'm really looking forward to the Chris Bosh/Jermaine O'Neal frontcourt combination. Of course, we always have to call into question O'Neal's health, I know, I know, I wasn't going to play the injury card, but given his past couple of seasons, I think it's a legitimate concern. However, there's also the speculation that he was on a middling Pacers squad and therefore not very much inclined to come back. Why d0 I like this frontcourt so much? Well, as much as Jermaine O'Neal is a nightly 20-10 threat, what I like more about that line is a 10 more than the 20. Chris Bosh can score in bunches, and Jermaine O'Neal will garner you blocks and rebounds, the things he does best, not scoring. It allows for specialization and therefore the ability to focus more. Jermaine gets to play a little closer to the basket and Bosh can roam a little more, showing more of his nice mid-range touch. Then, with a plethora of long-range shooters, and a passer with the court vision of Jose Calderon, their offense is set.
Not getting into the depth issue, another point of contention is who starts at the 3 spot. Last season, the Raptors favored rookie and former Globetrotter Jamario Moon. However, with the arrival of O'Neal, Moon at the 3 runs into muc the same problem as Lamar Odom at the 3 on the Lakers, which is to say, his skill sets aren't really needed. Granted if you look at the lineup, they don't really have much of a slasher, but with Chris Bosh's post abilities, I really don't think they need one, and Anthony Parker I suppose is serviceable enough. Jason Kapono is kind of like the epitome of 3pt specialist, in that, that's really all he can do, shoot, from beyond the arc. He's kind of like an oversized Steve Kerr. He is the reigning 3pt shootout contest champion for a reason. Another option is to add length to the frontcourt by starting Bargnani at the 3, but then the issue of defense comes into question, and whether or not he could keep up with the Paul Pierces and the LeBron Jameses and the Caron Butlers and so on and so forth. Some have argued that Kapono has the same problem while others have argued that he's not as big of a liability as we would imagine (this sound familiar? Moon = Ariza, Kapono = Radmanovic).
Aside from that, bench is somewhat of an unknown, two of the major reserves Nathan Jawai and Roko Ukic being rookies from overseas. Jawai is a 6-10 center from the Australian NBL, and was a fairly proficient low-post threat and rebounder, averaging 17.7 pts, 9.6 rbds, and 1 blk per game on 57.5% FG percentage. Not a lot is really known about him and no one's really sure how he'll transition into the NBA, however, looking at some of his highlights, he looks to be like a scrappy, hustler, someone who works for every play. I think he can grow to be a very solid player, epsecially with O'Neal and Bosh to help him with his game. Draft Express lists him as best case being like Erick Dampier (not a great best case scenario) and worst case being like David Harrison (oh boy). We'll have to trust Toronto and their usually proficient foriegn scouting. While Andrea Bargnani looks like he could be a bust, he's shown signs of having major potential too, they do say it took Dirk a couple of years to adjust, and Yao took a while too if I recall correctly. Roko Ukic is a Croatian point guard, again not very well known, plays for the FIBA club Lottomatica Roma. At 6-5 he's a taller point guard, which isn't a bad thing. Watching his highlights against the Raptors when Lottomatica Roma faced them in an exhibition game summer of '07 I actually really liked what I saw. He's explosive, and fairly quick, able to easily cut into the lane and find his shooters around the perimeter, he also has a pretty good shot (apparently led the league in 3pt % before). His passing is pretty good, but some analysts say that he puts the ball on the floor too much and takes too much time bringing the ball up, apparently his off the ball game isn't great either. However, I think that playing behind a guy who sees and runs the floor as well as Jose Calderon, he'll be able to grow into it, he (Ukic) is only 24, so he's got a couple of years to grow into it, he could be another free agency steal (much like Calderon himself).
In a middling Eastern Conference that is beginning to show signs of life, I believe that this team has improved enough to make it to the second round. More and more like the Western Conference though, it'll depend on who they draw, they might be in a spot to draw a team like Cleveland, in which case, they might not be able to find an answer to LeBron, or Washington, where they can hope that one of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, or Antawn Jamison once again doesn't make it to the playoffs healthy. I say 50-53 wins, easily playoffs, again, depends on who they play, but I can see them making second round.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Season Preview: Utah Jazz
A continuation of this madness or genius or spare time, however you want to look at it.
Utah Jazz
Starting 5:
PG- Deron Williams
SG- Ronnie Brewer
SF- Andrei Kirilenko
PF - Carlos Boozer
C- Mehmet Okur
Off the Bench
Guards: Brevin Knight, Matt Harpring, Morris Almond, CJ Miles, Ronnie Price
Forwards: Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver
Centers: Kosta Koufos, Jarron Collins
I'm a big fan of Jerry Sloan and how he's run his offense, ever since the Stockton and Malone era. Time and time again though, he's always been thwarted by Phil Jackson. I think this lineup looks solid, it's a physical, athletic team that has size and the ability to keep up with the smaller teams. Hence, these guys kill the Warriors every time. Boozer and Kirilenko are both fast enough to keep up with the smaller guys, and there's nothing a smaller lineup can do to stop them in the paint. Okur is one of those bigs who shoots threes but also has a somewhat underappreciated inside game due to the presence of Carlos Boozer. Easily get you 20-10 on any given night. Deron is a big point guard with great ball handling abilities, the first I think to be compared to "Jason Kidd with a jump shot". No one is really sure how they are going to solve the SG platoon, but I like their options. Brewer is an athletic, high energy guard that has a penchant for coming up with steals. Korver is a solid 3 pt threat. I actually would like to see Morris Almond get a little more love. I mean, granted he played in the D-League, but we're talking about a guy whose best lines include a 51 pt, 3 rbd, 3 asst, 3 stl outing on 51% shooting, a 53 pt, 6 rbd, 2 asst, 2 stl outing on 55% shooting, and a 43 pt, 4 rbd, 1 asst, 1 stl game on 60% shooting. Did I mention that he shot 42%, 42%, and 50% for each of those games from beyond the arc as well? His averages were 25.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.6 apg on 44.6% FG and 35.4% from beyond the arc, not stellar, but hey, they're not bad. Granted he had a lot of turnovers (4, 5, and 4 respectively) this guy can score, and to be honest, the ball won't be in his hands that often, so I like him both as a starter or a spark plug off the bench.
The bench is pretty deep, Millsap is a solid hustle guy, and Korver off the bench as some instant 3 pt offense looks pretty solid too. Rookie Kosta Koufos is supposed to actually be something of a Mehmet Okur 2.0, a big man with range and some nice moves in the low-post. I see him getting better as he eases his way into the league. A lot of their problems has been being able to achieve on the road, furthermore being a very physical team, they get called on a lot of fouls, which ends up being very easy points for the other team. Hopefully they can clean that up a little. Finally, one point is always how happy Kirilenko really is being the 4th option behind Williams, Boozer, and Okur in terms of an offensive threat. If he can live with that, and bring everything into his defensive game, pulling 5 asst, 5 stl, 5 blck lines regularly then the Jazz are in good shape. They're a young team that is already elite.
I can see them easily going to the Finals. A good 56-58 win season. Depending on how the matchups fall, Jerry Sloan could finally get his ring.
Utah Jazz
Starting 5:
PG- Deron Williams
SG- Ronnie Brewer
SF- Andrei Kirilenko
PF - Carlos Boozer
C- Mehmet Okur
Off the Bench
Guards: Brevin Knight, Matt Harpring, Morris Almond, CJ Miles, Ronnie Price
Forwards: Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver
Centers: Kosta Koufos, Jarron Collins
I'm a big fan of Jerry Sloan and how he's run his offense, ever since the Stockton and Malone era. Time and time again though, he's always been thwarted by Phil Jackson. I think this lineup looks solid, it's a physical, athletic team that has size and the ability to keep up with the smaller teams. Hence, these guys kill the Warriors every time. Boozer and Kirilenko are both fast enough to keep up with the smaller guys, and there's nothing a smaller lineup can do to stop them in the paint. Okur is one of those bigs who shoots threes but also has a somewhat underappreciated inside game due to the presence of Carlos Boozer. Easily get you 20-10 on any given night. Deron is a big point guard with great ball handling abilities, the first I think to be compared to "Jason Kidd with a jump shot". No one is really sure how they are going to solve the SG platoon, but I like their options. Brewer is an athletic, high energy guard that has a penchant for coming up with steals. Korver is a solid 3 pt threat. I actually would like to see Morris Almond get a little more love. I mean, granted he played in the D-League, but we're talking about a guy whose best lines include a 51 pt, 3 rbd, 3 asst, 3 stl outing on 51% shooting, a 53 pt, 6 rbd, 2 asst, 2 stl outing on 55% shooting, and a 43 pt, 4 rbd, 1 asst, 1 stl game on 60% shooting. Did I mention that he shot 42%, 42%, and 50% for each of those games from beyond the arc as well? His averages were 25.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.6 apg on 44.6% FG and 35.4% from beyond the arc, not stellar, but hey, they're not bad. Granted he had a lot of turnovers (4, 5, and 4 respectively) this guy can score, and to be honest, the ball won't be in his hands that often, so I like him both as a starter or a spark plug off the bench.
The bench is pretty deep, Millsap is a solid hustle guy, and Korver off the bench as some instant 3 pt offense looks pretty solid too. Rookie Kosta Koufos is supposed to actually be something of a Mehmet Okur 2.0, a big man with range and some nice moves in the low-post. I see him getting better as he eases his way into the league. A lot of their problems has been being able to achieve on the road, furthermore being a very physical team, they get called on a lot of fouls, which ends up being very easy points for the other team. Hopefully they can clean that up a little. Finally, one point is always how happy Kirilenko really is being the 4th option behind Williams, Boozer, and Okur in terms of an offensive threat. If he can live with that, and bring everything into his defensive game, pulling 5 asst, 5 stl, 5 blck lines regularly then the Jazz are in good shape. They're a young team that is already elite.
I can see them easily going to the Finals. A good 56-58 win season. Depending on how the matchups fall, Jerry Sloan could finally get his ring.
Season Preview: Philadelphia 76ers
It's back and it continues on, because I know you've all been eagerly anticipating it, or not. Well, regardless, here we go again!
Philadelphia 76ers
Starting 5:
PG- Andre Miller
SG- Willie Green
SF- Andre Iguodala
PF- Elton Brand
C- Samuel Dalembert
Off the bench
Guards: Louis Williams, Royal Ivey, Kareem Rush
Forwards: Thaddeus Young, Reggie Evans, Donyell Marshall
Centers: Theo Ratliff, Marreese Speights
They were the talk of the summer as they managed to pull Elton Brand away from what would have been a remarkable Clippers coup. Warriors fans were happy about that, shaking their "serves you right" fingers at the Clips for stealing away Baron Davis. The starting lineup looks to be the same, with an upgrade of Elton Brand over Reggie Evans as the starting PF. Brand was out for most of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, so we didn't get to see much of him, however, we do know he's a hard working, a perennial 20-10 guy, and is considered among the elite of the power forwards in the league. The addition of Brand solves two problems that the 76ers were facing, first, a legitimate go-to scoring option in the low-post, instant offense, sorry, but Dalembert is good, just not go-to good, secondly, he provides veteran leadership next to Andre Miller. With the continued development of Andre Iguodala, Louis Williams, and Thaddeus Young, this team has a good balance of youth and experience.
This is a team that, with its youth, energy, and athleticism managed to take the veteran Detroit Pistons to 6 games in the playoffs. No one really expected them to really even get into the playoffs, let alone take the Pistons to 6 games. Now, they've improved their team in the one position that was really lacking, the PF position. Don't get me wrong, everybody likes Reggie Evans, they really do, but the talent level just wasn't there. He's a good reserve to have coming off the bench, and now the 76ers have a legitimate starter, a very legitimate starter, to put in front of him. As this team has matured they'll hopefully maintain a lot of that energy that propelled them so far. However good this team looks, and however much it's improved over the off-season, the perimeter threat is still somewhat lacking. Certainly they still have Willie Green, and they just signed Donyell Marshall, however, they, I don't feel are really enough to constitute a serious perimeter threat, to be honest, I don't know that Donyell Marshall will see that much playing time let alone get a lot of touches. The players I think you'd likely see handling the ball the most are:
Andre Miller, because he runs the offense, and he can't really shoot outside of 12 feet
Elton Brand, because he's now the no. 1 scoring option (I would have him as that over Iggy), but he's a low post player, I wouldn't want him wandering outside of 12 feet of the basket
Andre Iguodala, the new face of the franchise, his strength is cutting to the basket, shooting isn't exactly his forte, doesn't mean he doesn't do it, but honestly, we'd rather he didn't
Samuel Dalembert, low-post, period
Louis Williams, spark plug off the bench, he's known again for his driving abilities, often likened to Monta Ellis, Monta Ellis, not a shooter
Thaddeus Young, another scorer off the bench, athletic slasher, not a shooter
I think you see where this is going. Outside of Marshall and Green they don't really have much that constitutes as outside threats so they can't really spread the floor. Maybe they're young enough and athletic enough to get away with it. We'll see how well they work together, but all in all, they'll be a pretty fun team to watch coming out of the East.
I see them climbing up the ranks pretty fast, easily jumping up from the 7th seed they once were, as most of the teams in the East I don't think have really changed much, let alone merited significant improvement. A 50 win club, maybe 2nd round this time?
Philadelphia 76ers
Starting 5:
PG- Andre Miller
SG- Willie Green
SF- Andre Iguodala
PF- Elton Brand
C- Samuel Dalembert
Off the bench
Guards: Louis Williams, Royal Ivey, Kareem Rush
Forwards: Thaddeus Young, Reggie Evans, Donyell Marshall
Centers: Theo Ratliff, Marreese Speights
They were the talk of the summer as they managed to pull Elton Brand away from what would have been a remarkable Clippers coup. Warriors fans were happy about that, shaking their "serves you right" fingers at the Clips for stealing away Baron Davis. The starting lineup looks to be the same, with an upgrade of Elton Brand over Reggie Evans as the starting PF. Brand was out for most of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, so we didn't get to see much of him, however, we do know he's a hard working, a perennial 20-10 guy, and is considered among the elite of the power forwards in the league. The addition of Brand solves two problems that the 76ers were facing, first, a legitimate go-to scoring option in the low-post, instant offense, sorry, but Dalembert is good, just not go-to good, secondly, he provides veteran leadership next to Andre Miller. With the continued development of Andre Iguodala, Louis Williams, and Thaddeus Young, this team has a good balance of youth and experience.
This is a team that, with its youth, energy, and athleticism managed to take the veteran Detroit Pistons to 6 games in the playoffs. No one really expected them to really even get into the playoffs, let alone take the Pistons to 6 games. Now, they've improved their team in the one position that was really lacking, the PF position. Don't get me wrong, everybody likes Reggie Evans, they really do, but the talent level just wasn't there. He's a good reserve to have coming off the bench, and now the 76ers have a legitimate starter, a very legitimate starter, to put in front of him. As this team has matured they'll hopefully maintain a lot of that energy that propelled them so far. However good this team looks, and however much it's improved over the off-season, the perimeter threat is still somewhat lacking. Certainly they still have Willie Green, and they just signed Donyell Marshall, however, they, I don't feel are really enough to constitute a serious perimeter threat, to be honest, I don't know that Donyell Marshall will see that much playing time let alone get a lot of touches. The players I think you'd likely see handling the ball the most are:
Andre Miller, because he runs the offense, and he can't really shoot outside of 12 feet
Elton Brand, because he's now the no. 1 scoring option (I would have him as that over Iggy), but he's a low post player, I wouldn't want him wandering outside of 12 feet of the basket
Andre Iguodala, the new face of the franchise, his strength is cutting to the basket, shooting isn't exactly his forte, doesn't mean he doesn't do it, but honestly, we'd rather he didn't
Samuel Dalembert, low-post, period
Louis Williams, spark plug off the bench, he's known again for his driving abilities, often likened to Monta Ellis, Monta Ellis, not a shooter
Thaddeus Young, another scorer off the bench, athletic slasher, not a shooter
I think you see where this is going. Outside of Marshall and Green they don't really have much that constitutes as outside threats so they can't really spread the floor. Maybe they're young enough and athletic enough to get away with it. We'll see how well they work together, but all in all, they'll be a pretty fun team to watch coming out of the East.
I see them climbing up the ranks pretty fast, easily jumping up from the 7th seed they once were, as most of the teams in the East I don't think have really changed much, let alone merited significant improvement. A 50 win club, maybe 2nd round this time?
Friday, September 19, 2008
Season Preview: San Antonio Spurs
A continuation for those of you that have nothing better to do than read my blog. Hey, if enough people like it, maybe Skeets will notice too. I seriously doubt I'll ever make one of the 10-man rotations anytime soon though.
Starting 5:
PG- Tony Parker
SG- Michael Finley
SF- Bruce Bowen
PF- Tim Duncan
C- Fabricio Oberto
Off the bench
Guards: Manu Ginobili, Roger Mason Jr, Salim Stoudamire, George Hill
Forwards: Ime Udoka, Ian Mahinmi
Centers: Kurt Thomas, Matt Bonner, Anthony Tolliver
We'll see if Popovich decides to keep his rookies (George Hill, Anthony Tolliver, Malik Hairston, and James Gist) at the end of the roster or send them off to Austin to play in the D-League. Tack onto that the three recent call ups that the Spurs made from the D-League (Devin Green, Desmon Farmer, and Darryl Watkins) the Spurs roster looks somewhat bloated at the moment. It's understandable as their biggest weakness was exploited last season in a grueling series against New Orleans and then Los Angeles (Lakers not Clippers); they're getting old. If we look at the proposed 15 man roster I threw up, 9 of them are over 30 (Bowen, Duncan, Ginobili, Finley, Horry, Udoka, Thomas, Oberto, Vaughn), and at least 7 of the 9 (so maybe everyone but Vaughn and potentially Horry) are a major part of the rotation, including 4 of the 5 starters (everyone except Tony Parker). They haven't lost any significant pieces (Brent Barry I don't think was that significant), but they haven't gotten significantly better either, while Roger Mason is an upgrade over Jacque Vaughn and Damon Stoudamire, resigning Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas leaves them in the same place if not a worse off position than before, as they're both at the point where they're not getting one year better, just one year older. Ime Udoka ultimately did not turn out to be the Bruce Bowen replacement that they desperately needed, and so they'll look to some youth to bolster their roster.
Of the D-Leaguers Desmon Farmer shows the most promise, having averaged 24.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. With Ginobili out for a bit, at least the beginning of the season, after reaggravating his ankle during the Olympics, they'll need some backup at the 2 guard spot, and no, Michael Finley is not going to play 48 minutes. I think Popovich is hoping that Farmer makes the transition from D-League as well as Warriors swingman Kelenna Azubuike did. Devin Green played well enough apparently in Summer League to warrant a second look at training camp, averaging 10.3 points per game over Summer League. Apparently, he's played a bit in Italy too. George Hill was rather disappointing in Las Vegas Summer League, averaging only 8 points and 3 assists per game with 3 turnovers, but surprisingly a good 7 rebounds per game as well. Granted, it's the summer league, and we don't want to read too much into it, but they say he plays well at both ends of the court, something that the Spurs value highly. Right now most of the young talent on the Spurs can be summed up with the two words "potential" and "upside", which means, very low impact right now. Hopefully the vets have enough gas to keep going, and hopefully Ginobili is able to fully recover after his ankle surgery.
They're getting old and they're starting to slip, but that doesn't keep them from being a perennial contender. Tim Duncan can still eke out his 20 pt, 10 rbd, 5 asst, 4 blck games and Parker can still burn 90% of the point guards in the league. Solid 53-55 win season, easily into playoffs, and I'd say ousted anywhere between second round and Western Conference Finals.
UPDATE: So the Spurs signed Salim Stoudamire, which is a good add, he's a solid shooter kind of stagnating on the bench of a 3-happy Atlanta Hawks what with Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson in the lineup. He's supposed to be the Brent Barry/Robert Horry replacement and is a solid addition in the event that Roger Mason's shooting doesn't pan out as well as they'd like.
UPDATE: The internet likes me! They really do! Seriously, I really appreciate the guys that are reading this and all the feedback. So I took a look at the forum and I noticed someone asking why I didn't mention Ian Mahinmi, and to be honest, I hadn't really paid a lot of attention, so I didn't think he was that big. However, in doing a little more research I think he'd be a solid addition to the club, he apparently has made significant strides offensively and did fairly well in his previous season with the D-League (17.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.7 bpg). Still I stand by the whole "upside" and "potential" statement. Spurs can only hope to make steals off of the free agency and hope that their young prospects pan out, they really have no tradeable assets.
Starting 5:
PG- Tony Parker
SG- Michael Finley
SF- Bruce Bowen
PF- Tim Duncan
C- Fabricio Oberto
Off the bench
Guards: Manu Ginobili, Roger Mason Jr, Salim Stoudamire, George Hill
Forwards: Ime Udoka, Ian Mahinmi
Centers: Kurt Thomas, Matt Bonner, Anthony Tolliver
We'll see if Popovich decides to keep his rookies (George Hill, Anthony Tolliver, Malik Hairston, and James Gist) at the end of the roster or send them off to Austin to play in the D-League. Tack onto that the three recent call ups that the Spurs made from the D-League (Devin Green, Desmon Farmer, and Darryl Watkins) the Spurs roster looks somewhat bloated at the moment. It's understandable as their biggest weakness was exploited last season in a grueling series against New Orleans and then Los Angeles (Lakers not Clippers); they're getting old. If we look at the proposed 15 man roster I threw up, 9 of them are over 30 (Bowen, Duncan, Ginobili, Finley, Horry, Udoka, Thomas, Oberto, Vaughn), and at least 7 of the 9 (so maybe everyone but Vaughn and potentially Horry) are a major part of the rotation, including 4 of the 5 starters (everyone except Tony Parker). They haven't lost any significant pieces (Brent Barry I don't think was that significant), but they haven't gotten significantly better either, while Roger Mason is an upgrade over Jacque Vaughn and Damon Stoudamire, resigning Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas leaves them in the same place if not a worse off position than before, as they're both at the point where they're not getting one year better, just one year older. Ime Udoka ultimately did not turn out to be the Bruce Bowen replacement that they desperately needed, and so they'll look to some youth to bolster their roster.
Of the D-Leaguers Desmon Farmer shows the most promise, having averaged 24.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. With Ginobili out for a bit, at least the beginning of the season, after reaggravating his ankle during the Olympics, they'll need some backup at the 2 guard spot, and no, Michael Finley is not going to play 48 minutes. I think Popovich is hoping that Farmer makes the transition from D-League as well as Warriors swingman Kelenna Azubuike did. Devin Green played well enough apparently in Summer League to warrant a second look at training camp, averaging 10.3 points per game over Summer League. Apparently, he's played a bit in Italy too. George Hill was rather disappointing in Las Vegas Summer League, averaging only 8 points and 3 assists per game with 3 turnovers, but surprisingly a good 7 rebounds per game as well. Granted, it's the summer league, and we don't want to read too much into it, but they say he plays well at both ends of the court, something that the Spurs value highly. Right now most of the young talent on the Spurs can be summed up with the two words "potential" and "upside", which means, very low impact right now. Hopefully the vets have enough gas to keep going, and hopefully Ginobili is able to fully recover after his ankle surgery.
They're getting old and they're starting to slip, but that doesn't keep them from being a perennial contender. Tim Duncan can still eke out his 20 pt, 10 rbd, 5 asst, 4 blck games and Parker can still burn 90% of the point guards in the league. Solid 53-55 win season, easily into playoffs, and I'd say ousted anywhere between second round and Western Conference Finals.
UPDATE: So the Spurs signed Salim Stoudamire, which is a good add, he's a solid shooter kind of stagnating on the bench of a 3-happy Atlanta Hawks what with Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson in the lineup. He's supposed to be the Brent Barry/Robert Horry replacement and is a solid addition in the event that Roger Mason's shooting doesn't pan out as well as they'd like.
UPDATE: The internet likes me! They really do! Seriously, I really appreciate the guys that are reading this and all the feedback. So I took a look at the forum and I noticed someone asking why I didn't mention Ian Mahinmi, and to be honest, I hadn't really paid a lot of attention, so I didn't think he was that big. However, in doing a little more research I think he'd be a solid addition to the club, he apparently has made significant strides offensively and did fairly well in his previous season with the D-League (17.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.7 bpg). Still I stand by the whole "upside" and "potential" statement. Spurs can only hope to make steals off of the free agency and hope that their young prospects pan out, they really have no tradeable assets.
Season Preview: Orlando Magic
And we continue with either something deeply insightful or ludicrous, however you want to look at it. I'm no sports analyst, but hey, maybe I'm on to something. I don't know. On to Orlando.
Starting 5:
PG- Jameer Nelson
SG- Mickael Pietrus
SF- Hedo Turkoglu
PF- Rashard Lewis
C- Dwight Howard
Off the bench
Guards: Anthony Johnson, Keith Bogans, JJ Reddick
Forwards: Courtney Lee, Brian Cook, Tony Battie
Centers: Adonal Foyle, Marcin Gortat
As it can be said with any other team, depth is something of an issue here. They have a solid starting 5, though Jameer Nelson still needs to figure out his game. Regardless, the starting 5 has, I believe upgraded, granted you're asking an ex-Don Nelson Warrior to be your defensive stopper, I'm not the only one who sees the irony in that, but I still believe that Pietrus (Air France if you would) is a major improvement over Bogans. He's athletic, and like any Warrior that actually got playing time under Don Nelson, he can shoot the three. Lewis at the 4 is always a major matchup problems because of his proficiency with the 3 pointer, I know I say this a lot, but I don't think a lot of people understand how good Lewis is, this man was breaking 3 point records on the Sonics, as Ray Allen's teammate. I actually envision him getting the ball more, and Turkoglu becoming more of a third option, though his breakout season last year was a very pleasant surprise. Dwight Howard can only look to get better, he's developing a sort of jump hook, but it's still pretty ugly, hopefully assitant coach Patrick Ewing can really polish his game and help him get something more than spin and dunk.
I don't know how well the Pietrus thing would work out, I personally would have been a fan of getting another legitmate big man to play next to Howard, no one special, someone on the block that can get the leftovers after Howard, kind of like Kendrick Perkins to Kevin Garnett or Fabricio Oberto to Tim Duncan. If they could get like an Antonio McDyess or Udonis Haslem type of player, a hard working 4 who doesn't need shots, I would like the lineup a lot more. If I were to start the team then, I'd slide Hedo to the 2 and Lewis back to the 3, which would create monstrous matchup problems. Chris Wilcox or Nick Collison are two other possibilities that just popped up into my mind. I like Pietrus, but Air France hasn't really lived up to his name, and honestly, he's a lot potential too, I see him thriving as a 2/3 guard-forward reserve, but as a starter, I'm not so sure. I understand that Dwight Howard is a rebounding monster (14.2 rpg last season) but still. I'm not saying Lewis can't rebound, I just would like him to play to his strengths more. The issue with getting a legit 4 would simply be, can Hedo keep up with faster 2s like Kobe Bryant? Regardless, I think the team is still young, and improving, and they'll just get better, hopefully.
I say 54-58 wins, clinching 2nd or 3rd in the Eastern Conference, just like last year. Easily 2nd round, and potentially Eastern Conference Finals.
Starting 5:
PG- Jameer Nelson
SG- Mickael Pietrus
SF- Hedo Turkoglu
PF- Rashard Lewis
C- Dwight Howard
Off the bench
Guards: Anthony Johnson, Keith Bogans, JJ Reddick
Forwards: Courtney Lee, Brian Cook, Tony Battie
Centers: Adonal Foyle, Marcin Gortat
As it can be said with any other team, depth is something of an issue here. They have a solid starting 5, though Jameer Nelson still needs to figure out his game. Regardless, the starting 5 has, I believe upgraded, granted you're asking an ex-Don Nelson Warrior to be your defensive stopper, I'm not the only one who sees the irony in that, but I still believe that Pietrus (Air France if you would) is a major improvement over Bogans. He's athletic, and like any Warrior that actually got playing time under Don Nelson, he can shoot the three. Lewis at the 4 is always a major matchup problems because of his proficiency with the 3 pointer, I know I say this a lot, but I don't think a lot of people understand how good Lewis is, this man was breaking 3 point records on the Sonics, as Ray Allen's teammate. I actually envision him getting the ball more, and Turkoglu becoming more of a third option, though his breakout season last year was a very pleasant surprise. Dwight Howard can only look to get better, he's developing a sort of jump hook, but it's still pretty ugly, hopefully assitant coach Patrick Ewing can really polish his game and help him get something more than spin and dunk.
I don't know how well the Pietrus thing would work out, I personally would have been a fan of getting another legitmate big man to play next to Howard, no one special, someone on the block that can get the leftovers after Howard, kind of like Kendrick Perkins to Kevin Garnett or Fabricio Oberto to Tim Duncan. If they could get like an Antonio McDyess or Udonis Haslem type of player, a hard working 4 who doesn't need shots, I would like the lineup a lot more. If I were to start the team then, I'd slide Hedo to the 2 and Lewis back to the 3, which would create monstrous matchup problems. Chris Wilcox or Nick Collison are two other possibilities that just popped up into my mind. I like Pietrus, but Air France hasn't really lived up to his name, and honestly, he's a lot potential too, I see him thriving as a 2/3 guard-forward reserve, but as a starter, I'm not so sure. I understand that Dwight Howard is a rebounding monster (14.2 rpg last season) but still. I'm not saying Lewis can't rebound, I just would like him to play to his strengths more. The issue with getting a legit 4 would simply be, can Hedo keep up with faster 2s like Kobe Bryant? Regardless, I think the team is still young, and improving, and they'll just get better, hopefully.
I say 54-58 wins, clinching 2nd or 3rd in the Eastern Conference, just like last year. Easily 2nd round, and potentially Eastern Conference Finals.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Season Preview: New Orleans Hornets
Some of you might be thinking I have too much time on my hands, and you know what? I probably do. So we continue with my slapdash amateur analysis.
New Orleans Hornets
Starting 5:
PG- Chris Paul
SG- Morris Peterson
SF- Peja Stojakovic
PF- David West
C- Tyson Chandler
Off the bench
Guards: Mike James, Devin Brown
Forwards: James Posey, Rasual Butler, Julian Wright, Ryan Bowen
Centers: Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely, Sean Marks
The feel-good story team of last season is still around, the same starting 5 (which is always a good sign), and all with an extra year of experience. The core of the team, the Big 3 (Paul, Chandler, and West) are still young and in their prime (23, 26, and 28 respectively). Morris Peterson will never be an All-Star but they just need him to be a defensive stop, Peja will never get back to his All-Star form but they just need him to hit his 3s, and he can still do that. All in all the talent level of the squad is off the charts. The addition of James Posey, a solid defender who can hit clutch 3s, and with two rings of his own on his resume, is key for their reserve squad.
There are mixed feelings about the loss of Pargo to Europe, but I don't know that they need such a shot happy backup to Chris Paul. If Mike James is healthy, I think he can do the job well enough. Depth is kind of an issue here, but I think Posey and Bonzi are solid backup roles. While I'm still not sold on Armstrong or Ely, I suppose it's a serviceable backcourt if anything.
All in all, look for a similar performance as last season, 57-60 wins, and being in the West, I suppose I can't say where they'll be, but another team that could be expected to go all the way.
New Orleans Hornets
Starting 5:
PG- Chris Paul
SG- Morris Peterson
SF- Peja Stojakovic
PF- David West
C- Tyson Chandler
Off the bench
Guards: Mike James, Devin Brown
Forwards: James Posey, Rasual Butler, Julian Wright, Ryan Bowen
Centers: Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely, Sean Marks
The feel-good story team of last season is still around, the same starting 5 (which is always a good sign), and all with an extra year of experience. The core of the team, the Big 3 (Paul, Chandler, and West) are still young and in their prime (23, 26, and 28 respectively). Morris Peterson will never be an All-Star but they just need him to be a defensive stop, Peja will never get back to his All-Star form but they just need him to hit his 3s, and he can still do that. All in all the talent level of the squad is off the charts. The addition of James Posey, a solid defender who can hit clutch 3s, and with two rings of his own on his resume, is key for their reserve squad.
There are mixed feelings about the loss of Pargo to Europe, but I don't know that they need such a shot happy backup to Chris Paul. If Mike James is healthy, I think he can do the job well enough. Depth is kind of an issue here, but I think Posey and Bonzi are solid backup roles. While I'm still not sold on Armstrong or Ely, I suppose it's a serviceable backcourt if anything.
All in all, look for a similar performance as last season, 57-60 wins, and being in the West, I suppose I can't say where they'll be, but another team that could be expected to go all the way.
Season Preview: Detroit Pistons
Continuing onwards, with this regularly updated preview of my own making. Listen to me if you want, don't read if you don't want, all in all, I probably have more fun writing these than you do reading them. Skeets probably has more legitimate information passing through if you're really scrapped for quality reading.
Detroit Pistons
Starting 5:
PG- Chauncey Billups
SG- Richard Hamilton
SF- Tayshaun Prince
PF- Antonio McDyess
C- Rasheed Wallace
Off the bench
Guards: Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Lindsey Hunter, Juan Dixon
Forwards: Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Walter Sharpe
Centers: Kwame Brown, Trent Plaisted
I don't know, maybe they'll give Fabio (Walter Hermann) some playing time. For those fantasy buffs out there, some people were hoping that Hermann would get more playing time after his performance in April in the 2006-2007 season. Granted it was garbage time for a floundering Bobcats season, granted that they played some pretty defensively weak teams (Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, Raptors, Wizards, and an injury riddled, pre-Marion Heat), however, during the course of the month he averaged, 19.88 points, 5.55 rebounds, 0.88 assists, 1.11 steals, 0.22 blocks, and 2.77 treys per game, that's not a bad line. All of this on a 57% FG average, 52% 3pt FG average, and 85% FT average over the nine games of the month. I mean this guy played for the Argentinian national team, we know he can make shots. That being said, he saw nothing but the bench for the entire next season, especially with the development of Jason Maxiell, and the continued improvement of Amir Johnson, who I look for to get playing time. As much as I want to see Hermann get another 30 point, 9 rebound on 80% FG and 75% 3pt shooting, perhaps there's a reason he doesn't see much time on the court.
However, regardless of whether or not Fabio gets to wave his long, flowing hair around on the hardwood instead of on the bench, this club is fairly solid. They don't have a plethora of incredible talent, no one that puts up major All-Star type lines every night, but they have players that contribute in their own little way, and they have chemistry. Billups, Hamilton, and Prince have been together since the 2002-2003 season, Rasheed Wallace later joining for the 2003-2004 championship team, and then Antonio McDyess joining the squad later in 2004-2005. So, for the last four seasons the starting five have been playing together, four of them for four and a half seasons, three of them for six. That's a long time to be playing together. While they are getting older, they've still been the team to beat, having gone to the Eastern Conference Finals for the past 6 years. Joe Dumars has also been something of genius, developing young talent like Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey while maintaining the core which has led to the team's success.
All in all I expect the same solid ball that I've seen out of this club for the past 4 years, and despite the coaching change, I don't really expect a Michael Curry to change too much of how the team functions (except maybe get rid of the absurd no double team defense Flip Saunders had). While they're getting older, like the Boston Big 3, they're not at a point where any of the players are going to feel the effects of that age, maybe McDyess and Wallace (both 33), but I think Prince's development as an offensive threat can offset that. All in all this club is a perennial contender, they're just quiet about it.
I see another high 50s to 60 win season. Unless another fluke like Cleveland in 2007 happens again, I see them in the Eastern Conference Finals at the least. I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in the Finals either though.
Detroit Pistons
Starting 5:
PG- Chauncey Billups
SG- Richard Hamilton
SF- Tayshaun Prince
PF- Antonio McDyess
C- Rasheed Wallace
Off the bench
Guards: Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Lindsey Hunter, Juan Dixon
Forwards: Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Walter Sharpe
Centers: Kwame Brown, Trent Plaisted
I don't know, maybe they'll give Fabio (Walter Hermann) some playing time. For those fantasy buffs out there, some people were hoping that Hermann would get more playing time after his performance in April in the 2006-2007 season. Granted it was garbage time for a floundering Bobcats season, granted that they played some pretty defensively weak teams (Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, Raptors, Wizards, and an injury riddled, pre-Marion Heat), however, during the course of the month he averaged, 19.88 points, 5.55 rebounds, 0.88 assists, 1.11 steals, 0.22 blocks, and 2.77 treys per game, that's not a bad line. All of this on a 57% FG average, 52% 3pt FG average, and 85% FT average over the nine games of the month. I mean this guy played for the Argentinian national team, we know he can make shots. That being said, he saw nothing but the bench for the entire next season, especially with the development of Jason Maxiell, and the continued improvement of Amir Johnson, who I look for to get playing time. As much as I want to see Hermann get another 30 point, 9 rebound on 80% FG and 75% 3pt shooting, perhaps there's a reason he doesn't see much time on the court.
However, regardless of whether or not Fabio gets to wave his long, flowing hair around on the hardwood instead of on the bench, this club is fairly solid. They don't have a plethora of incredible talent, no one that puts up major All-Star type lines every night, but they have players that contribute in their own little way, and they have chemistry. Billups, Hamilton, and Prince have been together since the 2002-2003 season, Rasheed Wallace later joining for the 2003-2004 championship team, and then Antonio McDyess joining the squad later in 2004-2005. So, for the last four seasons the starting five have been playing together, four of them for four and a half seasons, three of them for six. That's a long time to be playing together. While they are getting older, they've still been the team to beat, having gone to the Eastern Conference Finals for the past 6 years. Joe Dumars has also been something of genius, developing young talent like Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey while maintaining the core which has led to the team's success.
All in all I expect the same solid ball that I've seen out of this club for the past 4 years, and despite the coaching change, I don't really expect a Michael Curry to change too much of how the team functions (except maybe get rid of the absurd no double team defense Flip Saunders had). While they're getting older, like the Boston Big 3, they're not at a point where any of the players are going to feel the effects of that age, maybe McDyess and Wallace (both 33), but I think Prince's development as an offensive threat can offset that. All in all this club is a perennial contender, they're just quiet about it.
I see another high 50s to 60 win season. Unless another fluke like Cleveland in 2007 happens again, I see them in the Eastern Conference Finals at the least. I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in the Finals either though.
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