Anyone can be a hero. Raise a boy to become a man and he will always see you as not just his father, but his hero. Do your duty when called upon- rush into a burning building to save a life- and that person will feel forever indebted to you. Anytime you make a lasting impression on a child’s life, they forever look up to you. How is it, then, that so often our heroes are sports figures? Save for a select few who have the unique opportunity to be directly impacted by an athlete, most superstars become heroes simply by doing what they love. Entire cities worship at their feet because of their ability to play a game. 

Sports heroes come in two forms: those we revere and those we love. What causes this difference? The presence of flaws. It is much easier to love an athlete when we think of them as no different than ourselves. Sure, they are far superior physical specimens than we could ever dream of being; but take them out of their sphere of dominance- take them off of the basketball court- and they are just like everyone else. 

Larry Bird was one of the most loved athletes ever, but not just because of what he accomplished on the hardwood. What set Larry Legend apart was his vulnerability. When the season ended, he didn’t go to his mansion in the Hollywood Hills and party like a playboy. No, instead Larry simply went home. He went home to his farm in Indiana and returned to being the Hick from French Lick. He got on his tractor and mowed his lawn, like he was just a normal guy. People loved Larry’s game because of his sweet stroke and uncanny court vision. People loved Larry because they saw themselves in him. 

Magic Johnson didn’t go back to his home in Michigan. He went to those parties at the Playboy Mansion that Bird missed out on. Magic was the typical Hollywood star. Even with that great smile and love for the game, not everyone liked him- just ask any Boston fan in the ’80’s. And then he contracted the HIV virus. All of a sudden, Magic was human. He was normal, just as vulnerable as you and me. He was Magic, but he was also still Earvin. Now it is almost impossible to find a person who doesn’t like Earvin Magic Johnson. Before his mortality became evident he was revered, worshiped even. Once people realized he was mortal, he became loved by all. 

Sure, you say, everyone loved Bird and Magic- that’s because they never gave people a reason not to. Maybe they weren’t loved for their flaws, but just because of their greatness. Then take a look at the career path of LeBron James. LeBron was the first athlete to enter a professional sport already carrying the burden of being expected to become the greatest of all-time. Somehow, he rose to the challenge and became everything we expected and more. He was lovable, yet even he still had his doubters- people who simply didn’t want to see him reach Jordan’s level of immortality. Then he made ‘The Decision’, and he became the biggest villain in sports. He didn’t cheat on his wife, didn’t spit on a child in the stands, didn’t gamble on a game, didn’t get caught taking steroids, didn’t start a brawl. For all we know LeBron James has never even run a red light. Yet we hated him because he chose to do what anyone would have: leave his current job- when his contract ended, no less- for one with better co-workers, a higher upside, and a better climate (and you better believe anyone living in Cleveland would bolt for Miami faster than they could say “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” if they had that opportunity). 

LeBron went from savior to Satan, and he hated it. You could see it in his face and the way he played, there was a rage building inside him that was never there before. He struggled, and the world relished in it. His old team was terrible, so his hometown began adopting whoever was playing against as their new team. They went so far as to burn his jersey in the streets. It hurt him, and it showed. Yet he still fought through it all and led his new team to the NBA Finals in their first season together, and then the best thing that ever happened to him occurred: they lost. In the days and weeks after the Dallas Mavericks snatched the championship from his grasp one can only imagine what was going on in LeBron’s mind. Finally he emerged from his darkest days and he decided he had to change. Starting with those lockout mixtapes, you could see the difference- LeBron was having fun again. With a new mentality, LeBron led his team back to the Finals. This time, we wouldn’t be denied- he put in a performance for the ages, securing that elusive first title. Then he led his country into London and brought back a gold medal. Since then he hasn’t looked back, playing the best basketball of his life… and maybe the best we’ve ever seen. 

Can you guess what has happened since his rededication? Those haters, at once seemingly as numerous as fish off the Florida coast, began to disappear. Now even the fans in Cleveland, the very same ones who burned his jersey and cursed his name, are talking about the potential of the return of the King. After seeing him at his most vulnerable, just as miserable as any of us would be in his position, it became almost impossible not to feel for him. 

After all that has happened, no matter how many banners he raises, he will never be worshiped in Miami like he would have been in Cleveland. But he will be loved, and maybe that’s all he ever wanted. 

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

When you see it, you just know. Greatness is sometimes that simple, because it comes in so many different forms. Wilt’s greatness looked a lot different than Magic’s greatness, just as Bird’s looked so different from Michael’s. We as a society have a tendency to compare the latest form of greatness with those from the past. In the midst of LeBron’s latest historic stretch of play, we need not try to compare it to Jordan’s best stretch, or Kobe’s, or Magic’s. Instead, take a breath, sit back, and enjoy a form of greatness we have never before seen.

Late in their game Tuesday night against the Blazers, James sized up his man at the top of the key, jabbed left, drove right, rose up amongst three defenders and… passed. At first glance, there was nothing great about this play. Jordan would’ve switched hands mid-air and kissed the ball off the glass. Kobe would’ve drawn a foul and thrown up a shot no one else would dare attempt, and it would go in half the time. But this is what makes James’ greatness so unique. Instead of shooting, James floated in the air a second longer than anyone else and flung the ball over his head to the corner just before his feet returned to the ground. Standing in the corner all alone, Ray Allen caught the pass, rose up, and drained it from behind the arc for the 2,793rd time in his career. We’ve seen this sequence so many times that it no longer seems special. But that overlooks the placement of LeBron’s pass. James placed the ball in between the ‘E’ and ‘A’ on Allen’s jersey, allowing him to catch and shoot in one motion just before the defender, who was drawn off of Allen by James’ drive, was able to contest. 

We often hear how great players make their teammates better. Often, this is by demanding more of them, making them raise their play to reach the star’s level. LeBron makes his teammates better by making the game easier for them. In Boston, Allen won a championship by running around screens, catching passes in awkward positions, and hitting contested threes. Now? He stands in a corner and shoots wide-open threes like it’s pregame shoot around. This is not to diminish the greatness of Allen’s teammates in Boston like KG, Paul Pierce, or Rondo. Rather, this sequence illustrates the uniqueness of what makes James great. 

Minutes after Allen’s corner three, James made another greatness-defining play. As the game approached its climax, the Heat were clinging to a two possession lead when a Blazer player broke down the defense and seemed poised to finish an easy lay-in. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere (and from out of the picture for those watching on TV), LeBron soared over and thwarted the shot attempt, sparking a fast break that would seal the Heat victory. It is widely known by now that LeBron is one of the best defenders this league has ever seen, possessing otherworldly size and speed that allows him to guard virtually anyone on the court. What seems to fly under the radar is James’ clutch play on this end of the floor. Too often he is criticized for his lack of a clutch gene on the offensive end without anyone addressing his ability to shut down the opposing team’s best player in these crucial situations. Anyone remember the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals? That was when he locked down MVP Derrick Rose in the fourth quarter for four straight games as the Heat cruised to a 4-1 series victory. Of course this was quickly forgotten by his lack of game-winners on the offensive side of the ball against the Mavs in the Finals. But who is to say that scoring points is more important than stopping the opponent from doing so? We give it more value because our heroes’ (Magic, Bird, MJ, Shaq, Kobe, Dirk, etc.) have been defined by their accolades on the offensive end. James accomplishments are no less great; he is simply redefining our idea of greatness. 

But the spectrum of LeBron’s greatness does not stop with his passing skills and defensive ability, lest we forget that he is now in the midst of a six game stretch of scoring 30+ points on 60% shooting, after finishing 11-for-15 with 30 points Tuesday night in Miami.  James is redefining greatness, but that hasn’t stopped him from being incredible in all the traditional ways as well. So for now, let’s not keep comparing LeBron to the greats of the past and analyzing where he will stand among them when his career comes to an end. Instead, sit back, relax, and enjoy all the nuances of LeBron’s unique form of greatness. 

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

Kobe Bean Bryant is, without a doubt, one of the top-10 players in the history of the National Basketball Association. Even his most vehement haters must concede this point. There is a very real possibility that he will end his career in the top-5 of this list. Hell, if things fall into place for him and his Laker teammates the next couple of years (a possibility that seems less and less likely by the day, unfortunately) he could have a legitimate claim to MJ’s throne as the greatest player of all-time. Now this may seem sacrilegious (it sure does seem wrong to type that), but the stats don’t lie. Kobe and Michael already have the same number of All-Star appearances (13), and Kobe will surely pass MJ Thursday when this year’s All-Star starters are announced. Kobe has more All-Star game MVP’s than Jordan (4 for Kobe, 3 for MJ). Now many will dismiss that stat, claiming All-Star games are simply exhibitions for the fans that don’t matter, and this may be true to the majority of players and fans. However, that overlooks the competitive nature of both Jordan and Kobe that makes them who they are. Sure, guys like LeBron, Dwight Howard, and Blake Griffin might treat these games like a show more than an actual competition, but that doesn’t mean that Kobe does. If you think Jordan, Kobe, and other players wired like them (Magic Johnson) don’t go into each of those games with the intention of being the best player on the court and taking home the MVP, then you simply do not understand just how much winning matters to them. The All-Star game is a dick-swinging contest to these guys (the best players in the world at the same place showing off just how good they are), and you better believe Kobe and Jordan both want everyone to know that theirs is the biggest. As far as All-NBA selections, a slightly more reliable measurement of a player’s performance, Kobe already has as many first-team selections (10) as MJ, and one more second-team selection than Jordan. And Kobe is still going!

Statistically, Kobe is closing in on Jordan’s career numbers as well. He is within two-thousand points of Jordan’s career total now (that works out to 25 points per game, for 80 games. That means he can take the rest of this year off, come back next year and put up 25 a night- something he’s done every year since ’03-’04- then retire and still pass MJ. So I’d say there’s a pretty good chance of that happening). In terms of playoff numbers, he needs just one or two decent playoff series to pass Jordan in career playoff points and rebounds and, get this, he already has more playoff assists than MJ! (Not too shabby for a guy widely regarded as a ball-hog) Lastly, as everyone knows by now, Kobe needs just one more NBA championship to tie Jordan, and that’s where the rest of his legacy remains to be written in the next few years.

(To be fair to his Airness, Jordan’s career averages in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, and total Finals and regular season MVP awards are significantly greater than Bryant’s. Will Kobe surpass MJ for the G.O.A.T. title? Highly doubtful, but he has a chance to join the conversation at least.)

(There can only be one G.O.A.T. Does Kobe have what it takes to challenge Jordan for the throne?
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Now that I’ve thrown a ton of stats at you, it is important to remember that stats don’t always tell the entire story. Wilt Chamberlain was statistically far superior to Bill Russell, yet every time they met in the playoffs Russell seemed to have Chamberlain’s number. That’s why Russell has eleven championships to Wilt’s two. As far as Kobe’s image is concerned, he has both positive and negative feats going for him. First, he is unquestionably the most competitive player since Jordan. No player dedicates his entire life to the game of basketball as much as Kobe Bryant. He is, almost literally, psychotic in his approach to the game. I am fairly certain he would dunk on his own mother if it meant he could win another championship (this is where Kobe and MJ differ, as I believe that is as far as Kobe would go, while I think Jordan might have at least considered slitting someone’s throat in order to win- and if that someone was Isiah Thomas I think he would’ve done it in a heartbeat). Maybe as a result of this competitiveness, and maybe completely unrelated, is the fact that Kobe has hit more clutch shots than I can count. Again, he is definitely the most clutch player since MJ. It doesn’t matter what the situation is, Kobe wants the ball in his hands, and he’s going to shoot it. Here’s the thing about Kobe’s clutch factor: it doesn’t matter that he’ll miss it as much as he makes it. When the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Finals two years ago, they faced Kobe and the Lakers in the second round. The series turned into a sweep, but early on it was a tightly contested match-up. I vividly remember Game 1 coming down to the final seconds, with the Mavs up by 2 and possession belonging to the Lakers. The Lakers ran an inbounds play setting up Kobe for a fade-away, contested 3-pointer. It was defended well and the shot ended up missing- as it probably would have nine times out of ten due to the degree of difficulty. As a Mavs fan, I had never been so relieved in my life.  This is what makes Kobe so incredible- no matter how many times he misses, when he’s playing your team you are always sure it’s going to go in. I remember talking myself into the game being a moral victory for the Mavs- a close loss on the road, it’s only Game 1, etc.- before they even inbounded the ball! Other players might have better percentages or even be more ‘clutch’ than Kobe based on someone’s definition of the word. But there is one fact that I think we can all agree on: no one else is as FEARED in the final seconds with the game on the line as Kobe Bryant. He is the first and only player that I can think of since Jordan to have this effect. Durant is on his way, and may well get there one day, but as of right now Kobe is in a class of his own. 

So what’s the knock on Kobe that the stats don’t show? Many people would say his defense, and if I had to answer in one word that is what I would say, too. But this answer is far too simple, I believe, because the fact is Kobe is not a bad defender, necessarily. He made multiple All-Defensive Teams earlier in his career (even though some of those may not have been warranted, you can’t get on those teams as a truly bad defender). No, it has never been his ability on that end that has held him back. Instead, it is Kobe’s approach that limits him. Kobe decided, pretty early on, that he was going to do what he does (score points) at an elite level and that it was up to his teammates to do the rest of the things that good teams need to win games and championships (i.e. rebound, pass, play defense, etc.). This is not to say that Kobe doesn’t do any of these things (he is actually a fairly good rebounder for his position, a better-than-advertised passer, and an above-average defender [for most of his career]), but he has seemed resistant to sacrifice his scoring in order to put extra effort into any of these other areas. This is what makes guys like Jordan and LeBron so special: they have the ability to be the best player on BOTH ends of the floor, every night. When they need to score 30 to get the victory they can. If they need to lock down the opponent’s best player the next night, they can do that too! Kobe has never been this player; every night his goal is to score as many points as it takes for his team to win. This has been his tendency for his entire career. This season is the perfect example of this tendency: Kobe decided he was going to go out and drop 30 a night, and if they lost, well, you couldn’t say he wasn’t doing his part. Classic Kobe. 

Then, less than a week ago, something miraculous happened: Kobe decided to take it upon himself to guard the other teams best player, regardless of position.  He limited Kyrie Irving to 15 points and 7 assists in his first game as a defensive specialist. Then, he held Brandon Jennings to 12 points, on 4 of 14 shooting, with just one assist. Meanwhile, Kobe still managed to score 23 on 9 of 14 shooting against the Cavs and 31 on 12 of 19 versus the Bucks. Oh, and the Lakers won both of those games by double figures (not a small feat as they were on a 6-game losing streak heading into the Cavs game). This marked, as far as I can tell, the first time Kobe has sacrificed shots in favor of playing defense. And guess what?! He still put up 54 points in two games! And he made over two-thirds of his shots! By sacrificing his offensive game, he made his team better defensively (much needed) AND allowed his teammates to become more involved on offense. All of a sudden, we are seeing the Steve Nash we saw in Phoenix and the Dwight Howard from Orlando. This takes the pressure off Kobe on the offensive end and has allowed him to get more open looks and score at a frighteningly efficient rate. 

This change in mentality has opened the door for Kobe to climb the ranks on the All-time list. Playing the way he always had would have allowed him to be a top-5 player ever. He could’ve won a scoring title at 34 years old (insane) and maybe lead this Laker team to a first round upset, if they made the playoffs. But that was about their peak if they stayed the course. By making this little sacrifice, he has made the Lakers a dangerous team again. Am I overreacting to a two game stretch against bad teams? Possibly. But I know one thing: they weren’t winning a title the way things were going. Now, I’m scared of them again, and that starts with Kobe Bryant. 

At his age, with as many miles as his body has on it already, can he keep this up night after night? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But if he can, the Lakers can contend. That’s the only way they can win a title this year, with this roster. Kobe knows this. He also knows that if he wants to challenge Michael, he needs at least one more ‘ship. And as competitive as he is, you can bet he’ll do whatever it takes to get it. If I know one thing about number 24 it is this: never count out Kobe Bean Bryant.

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

What happened to the Lakers’ front office? Weren’t they known as the league’s most brilliant group of manipulators (how else do you talk teams into Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and a nice pile of crap)? Weren’t they the ones that refused to panic (even when Kobe demanded a trade they didn’t give in, then when Kobe demanded they trade for Jermaine O’Neil they still refused to rush into anything and ended up stealing Pau- imagine having O’Neil over Gasol now)? So what in the name of Mitch Kupchak just happened?!

Let’s start with the firing of coach Mike Brown… just five games into the season! No reasoning (short of Brown kicking the owner in the balls and spitting on him while he rolls around on the ground) is good enough to warrant a firing as fast as Kobe can jack up a fall-away jumper. Speaking of Kobe, what no one seems to realize is that this is all his fault!! Maybe I exaggerated things a bit there, but the Princeton offense was his idea! That’s right, the terrible offensive system, which was the main reasoning for Brown’s firing, was suggested to him by the one and only Kobe Bean Bryant; and let’s be honest, was he really going to say ‘no’ to Kobe? Still, the offense wasn’t even that bad! It didn’t look as aesthetically pleasing as the 6th-best offense in the league (it’s statistical ranking), but it certainly wasn’t bad. It was definitely an upgrade from last year’s offense of stand-around-and-wait-for-Kobe-to-do-something. In fact, Kobe had been playing as efficiently as ever in the Princeton system (Laker-haters were getting scared they wouldn’t be able to make Kobe jokes anymore). Add in Gasol being the perfect big man for the system and Howard being the perfect guy to catch lobs and the system actually looked like it could work. The biggest issue was what Nash would be doing, as he seemed to be wasting his talent standing around in the first two games. But don’t forget, Nash only played in one and a half games!! You’re telling me one of the all-time best point guards wouldn’t be able to figure out the offense and start running a few more pick-and-rolls by season’s end? Was this system perfect? No. But a firing this soon in the season is unheard of, and completely contrary to the Lakers’ tendency not to panic. However, Brown probably wasn’t the right hire a year ago anyway (he just didn’t fit with this team), so I can excuse them for this.

(Will Mike D'Antoni be able to lead these four superstars to a title? Only time will tell...http://cdn2.elitedaily.com/elite/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/elite-daily-mike-dantoni-lakers1.jpg)

The next puzzling move in this bizarre sequence was the hiring of Mike D’Antoni as the next Lakers head coach. Many (most?) Laker fans were extremely upset he was hired instead of that tall guy that used to coach in L.A.- what’s his name again? Oh well, I’ll figure it out by the time we get to him (By the way, was anyone else half-expecting Laker fans to riot in the streets? If they do it for winning why don’t they do it when things go bad, too?). However, as those fans who really follow the game of basketball know, D’Antoni may have been the perfect fit for this team. He has a link to most of their key players- he coached Dwight in the ’08 Olympics, was Kobe’s idol in the Italian League while Kobe was a kid in Italy, and everyone already knows how Nash flourished playing under him in Phoenix. D’Antoni’s offense will utilize the skills of all these players, plus those of Gasol- the perfect Euro big D’Antoni never had in Phoenix. Compare these Lakers to the best Suns teams, the ones that reached the Conference Finals and should have gone further: Nash is on both teams, so that’s a wash. In the backcourt with him you replace Joe Johnson with Kobe Bryant- like trading in a Honda Civic for a Ferrari. Shawn Marion gets switched out for Metta World Peace- a pretty fair trade seeing as both are strong, powerful small forwards who are elite defenders. Then change out Boris Diaw and slide Pau Gasol into the power forward spot- yea, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s an improvement. Finally, if you thought Amare was good playing with Nash in D’Antoni’s system, just wait until you see what Dwight Howard can do- it may actually be unfair. Seriously, Stern needs to make a rule against this (and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, either). Even though he may not have been the most popular choice, the X’s and O’s work out with D’Antoni at the helm and they should still be able to compete for a championship, so I can excuse them for this, too.

What makes the D’Antoni hire so disappointing for Laker fans is the possibility of who they could have had. I still can’t remember his name, let me look this up… That’s right, it was Phil Jackson! Now, everyone needs to realize one thing- Phil’s system was not the perfect fit for this team. In the Triangle, Nash would end up becoming a spot up shooter and many of the same problems that arose in the Princeton offense would arise in the Triangle. But, the Triangle isn’t what makes Phil so great- he does so much more than just X’s and O’s. With so many egos on one team [and if you think a team with Howard (couldn’t choose what he wants for breakfast), Kobe (fiery competitor), Pau (softer than a baby’s bottom), Nash (used to the ball in his hands 24/7), and Metta (throwing elbows and thanking his therapist) won’t run into some chemistry problems then you’re as crazy as World Peace], Phil would have been the perfect fit. He is arguably the best coach ever anyway, but it is inarguable that he is the best coach at meshing personalities together on championship teams. Just look at his track record: in Chicago, he brought Jordan (an insane competitor- so much so that he made many teammates hate playing with him) and Pippen together with players like Dennis Rodman (everyone knows about how crazy this guy was) and Toni Kukoc (a player that Jordan and Pippen despised so much before he came from overseas that they tortured him in the ’92 Olympics) to win six championships. Then in L.A. he got Kobe and Shaq to get along long enough to win three championships in a row (and as soon as that was over we all found out how hard that must have been), and did so again with Kobe (the craziest competitor since Jordan), Gasol (a soft and sensitive personality), Bynum (who acts like a moody 5-year old), and Artest (a guy who once tried to fight an entire arena full of people) to win two more. There is a reason he is called the Zen Master. D’Antoni may have the better on-court system, but he can’t compare to all the little things Jackson could do to turn this team into champions (here’s how I know Jackson was the right guy for the job: Laker-haters were terrified of having Phil back on the Lakers sidelines. If a guy inspires fear in opponents, that’s usually a good sign for your team). Phil was the right guy for the job; that is almost inarguable. 
More important than the fact that they made the wrong decision was how they went about it. This was a man that has raised five championship banners for you- this is how you treat him? He already came out of retirement to save your asses once- and ended up winning two more championships. Now he was willing to do it again and you lead him on then screw him over? Good luck ever getting help from him again. The most interesting dynamic in play here, I believe, is who Phil Jackson is dating- that would be Jeanie Buss, daughter of former owner Jerry Buss and sister of current owner Jim Buss. How awkward is that Thanksgiving dinner going to be?

In the end, the intentions of the front office were excusable, how they went about executing their plan was not.

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

Now that we’ve gone through each franchise in our team-by-team analysis, it’s time to name this season’s award winners, make some bold predictions, and (most importantly) crown a champion. We’ll start with the regular season award winners, ranking them ballot-style and including a dark horse candidate…

MVP

1.     Kevin Durant, OKC- The MVP is really a two-player race, as Durant and LeBron are unquestionably the best players in the league- and no one else is really close to their level right now. LeBron may have a better all-around game, but Durant has a few advantages coming into this season. He is, without a doubt, the league’s premier scorer and very well may be one of the best pure scorers the game has ever seen. He has Ray Allen’s shooting stroke in George Gervin’s body, only taller. In fact, watch highlights of Ray Allen in the prime of his career and the similarities between him and Durant are eerie. While he’s already led the league in scoring the last three seasons (the first player to do so since Jordan), I expect him to take it to another level this year offensively (especially now that Harden is gone). Almost as importantly as his own improvement, I believe that the voters who decide the MVP will want a new winner (as they seem to get tired of voting for the same guy year-in and year-out, take Derrick Rose’s MVP for example—nothing against Rose, just LeBron was clearly the best player that year to any unbiased observer). With that being said, if Durant can play at even 80% the level of LeBron, he should take home this year’s MVP award.

2.     LeBron James, MIA- This is not a knock on LeBron, I still think he’ll be the class of the league. In fact, he may have an even better year than his last MVP season.  There is no doubt in my mind that he is the best player in the league. My only reasons for putting him a spot behind Durant are voter apathy and increase in Durant’s relative worth (or VALUE to his team) with Harden’s departure. Still, it should not surprise anyone if LeBron wins the award yet again.


(Will LeBron-Durant reach all-time great rivalry status- on par with that of Russell-Wilt, Magic-Bird, and Jordan-Barkley?)

http://www.athleticka.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/lebron_durant_finalshistory_gettyap_061212.jpg

3.     Rajon Rondo, BOS- I LOVE his game. He is exciting, aggressive, and makes all of his teammates better- and he plays his best games on the biggest stage! In other words, he does everything an MVP should. His introverted personality makes him a bit of a reach, because fans don’t connect to him in the same way they do to charismatic guys like LeBron and Durant. Can you picture Rondo doing a ‘Doodle Jump’ commercial? Me neither. Nevertheless, he has improved his jumper, making him almost impossible to guard, and with the way he controls the Celtic’s offense, he may be the most important player on a championship contender. Take him off that team and they would struggle to hit 80 points. He may not be the third best player in the league, but this is an award based on VALUE, and Rondo personifies it. 

Dark Horse- Tony Parker, SAS- Is he really a dark horse? Everyone knows who he is by now and he finally got thrown into MVP talks, albeit briefly, last season. However, as good as the Spurs are, they often seem to get overlooked and that applies to their individual players as well. For anyone that watches him on a semi-regular basis, you know he has drastically improved his game over the last few years and definitely deserves t be mentioned when the MVP is brought up. If he increases his scoring and assist numbers just a tad and the Spurs can notch a few signature, primetime wins over teams like the Lakers, Thunder, Heat, or Celtics, he will be in the discussion- and deservedly so.

Defensive Player of the Year

1.     Andre Iguodala, DEN- This may come as a surprise to some, since this award has become center-dominated the last few year. But with his defensive specialties being on full display for Team USA this summer in the Olympics, I think that Iggy will finally get the attention he deserves. He has been one of the elite perimeter defenders for years now (ask LeBron, Pierce, Durant, etc. who they hate being guarder by the most and he’ll be right at the top of that list), and the move to Denver and their up-tempo system may allow him to get a few more steals per game- allowing those that focus only on statistics to see just how good he is. 

(Did Iguodala finally get the recognition he deserves for his defensive skill set in the Olympics this summer?
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/wvZdker0Hseoru1khc93eA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnbaexperts/Dre81512.jpg)

2.     Dwight Howard, LAL- Well, you knew he’d be somewhere on this list; at this point in his career, it would seem absurd for him to be left off. As long as he is healthy, he’ll be blocking shots and grabbing boards at league-leading levels; and as long as he’s around the top in those categories, he’ll be around the top of the Defensive POY balloting, too.

3.     Serge Ibaka, OKC- He blocks shots as well (and violently) as just about anyone in the league. With OKC’s rise to the top of the Western Conference, it has drawn attention to his unique rim-protecting skill set. He isn’t the best one-on-one defender and sometimes gets caught out of position, but if he can get even marginally better at those aspects of his game he will get serious consideration as the league’s best defender.

Dark Horse- Anthony Davis, NOH- Yes, I know, he’s a rookie and it’s going to take some time for him to adjust to the NBA game. But, the NBA award system is as much of a popularity contest as anything else, and Davis already has the name recognition which is half the battle. If he can get into the top 5 in blocks and be close to the top in steals for big men, expect him to garner at least a few votes.

Rookie of the Year

1. Anthony Davis, NOH- It almost feels like we should just give him the award right now (and maybe the 2020 MVP while were at it) the way he has been hyped up. I’m not convinced he’s going to be an MVP-caliber player just yet, but the more I watch him play, the more I see why everyone is so high on him. He’s a bit raw still, but he’s already a game-changing defender and has shown glimpses of a nice offensive skill set. If he puts up even solid numbers, his popularity and brand-name (the ‘Brow!!) will be enough to win him the award.

(While it is certainly unique, would you keep the Unibrow if you were Davis?) http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/601/326/hi-res-150039313_display_image.jpg

2. Bradley Beal, WAS- Many forget how hyped Beal was coming out of high school, largely because he spent most of his only year in college playing out of position at small forward. He will welcome moving back to shooting guard in the NBA, a position where he flourished at in the NCAA tournament when Billy Donovan finally pulled his head out of his a** (I say this with all due respect to Donovan, he is a great college coach. I just don’t understand why you would hold back your own player like that). Besides his beautiful shooting stoke (a much-needed attribute for the Wizards), he is a surprisingly ferocious rebounder for his size- it’s not often you see a 6’3” guard grabbing almost 7 boards a game, as Beal did in college. He should post a quality stat-line, keeping him in the running for ROY.

3.Damian Lillard, POR- Lillard was a monster in college, but playing for a small school scared many teams away from him early in the draft. On a Blazers team that lacks much firepower behind Aldridge and Batum, Lillard should get plenty of chances to score and create. As long as he can sustain his level of play for an entire NBA season (remember, rookies are used to playing 30 games at most in a college season, and the 82-game NBA season can be an adjustment), he should score a ton.

Dark Horse- Andre Drummond, DET- Drummond was a disappointment in his only year at UConn, where unexpectedly went to college a year early and was very raw. He is still growing into his body, but he has the potential to be dominant- the preseason was evidence of that. Detroit already has an all-star caliber center in Greg Monroe, and they’re hoping he can teach Drummond a thing or two to speed up his development.

ALL-NBA TEAMS

First Team

G- Rajon Rondo, BOS- As noted in the MVP section, I expect Rondo to make ‘the leap’ this year.

G- Dwyane Wade, MIA- If he can stay healthy, he is the league’s premier 2-guard (with all due respect to Kobe).

F- LeBron James, MIA- The best player in the league, he’s become a lock for this spot.

F- Kevin Durant, OKC- The best scorer in the league, he’s very close to becoming a lock here too.

C- Dwight Howard, LAL- Did I have another option here?

http://i.usatoday.net/sports/gallery/2010/nba/s100213_all-star/s100214_001-lebron-east.jpg


Second Team

G- Chris Paul, LAC- So crafty with the ball, I think everyone agrees that he’s one of the top pure point guards by now.

G- Russell Westbrook, OKC- With Harden gone more responsibility falls on his shoulders, and that means no more erratic shooting nights. I think he’s up for the challenge.

F- Carmelo Anthony, NYK- He’s going to put up stats one way or the other, but I think playing with LeBron and co. in the Olympics taught him it takes more than just talent to win.

F- Blake Griffin, LAC- Everyone knows about his athleticism, but he’s quietly been developing a pretty good all-around game. You don’t put up 20 points a night just by jumping high, ask Jeremy Evans (last years Dunk contest winner).

C- Andrew Bynum, PHI- No Kobe= more shots for Andrew. And maybe even some 3’s!

Third Team

G- Kyrie Irving, CLE- Last year I said Derrick Williams should be drafted ahead of him… how’d that work out? Yea, I admit when I’m wrong.

G- Kobe Bryant, LAL- He seems to defy age, but with this team he shouldn’t need to put up the same stats he’s been churning out year after year.

F- Josh Smith, ATL- He’s in a contract year… that’s all I got. No real reason, just a feeling he’s going to have a huge year.

F- Pau Gasol, LAL- He was already one of the best passing bigs ever, now he’s running the Princeton offense with Dwight Howard to lob it up to. He should see his assist totals rise to go along with already stellar points and rebounding averages.

C- Tyson Chandler, NYK- Arguably the best post defender around, and is there really another choice?

(Side note: The NBA decided this year to take the center position off of the All-Star balloting, allowing fans to choose three frontcourt players rather than two forwards and a center. Now, I don’t know if they have/will do something similar with the All-NBA teams- I haven’t heard so yet- but wouldn’t it make so much sense? With the way teams are building their rosters, good centers are becoming harder and harder to find. Are we really going to snub guys like Nowitzki, Love, and Aldridge for Chandler?)

BOLD PREDICTIONS

In this segment, I will make some of my predictions for the upcoming season- many of which may seem a little out-there. No, I’m not crazy, I just don’t see the fun in foreseeing Durant winning another scoring title (anyone who watches basketball could predict that- except maybe JaVale McGee). So without further ado, here goes my 5 bold predictions for the 2012-2013 NBA season!

1.     Rajon Rondo will average just short of a triple-double, missing out by only one rebound per game- While it may seem like Rondo is a walking triple-double at times, keep in mind that no one has averaged these astounding numbers for the duration of an entire season since the ‘Big O’ Oscar Robertson- all the way back in 1962! It’s been 50 years since that happened! Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Jason Kidd, LeBron James… NONE of them have been able to accomplish this feat (Magic came the closest, averaging 18.6 points, 9.6 boards, and 9.5 assists in the 1981-82 season). Yet, I believe Rondo will make a run at it this season. He has averaged a double-double pretty regularly the last few years, leading the league with 11.7 assists per game last season, so points and assists shouldn’t be a problem. Then comes the rebounding, and for most 6’4” point guards 10 rebounds per game seems absurd. However, Rondo has a few things going for him. First, he has incredibly long arms and HUGE hands (his hands have become something of an urban legend- I’ve heard them compared to Shaq’s!). Having extremities that long can make up a little bit for lack of height (and who says you need height to rebound? Look at what Charles Barkley was able to accomplish as a 6’6” power forward). Also, the Celtics bigs are among the league’s worst in rebounding rates- especially on the offensive side, where Garnett and Bass tend to hang around 12-15 feet- giving the rest of the team (namely Rondo) more opportunities at rebounds. Combine the previous two facts with the Celtics stifling defense (which creates missed shots at league-high rates with tons of opportunities for rebounds) and Rondo just may have a chance to break the 50-year drought.

2.     The Denver Nuggets will roll off 15+ straight wins in the middle of the season- The Spurs have made wining streaks like this seem like a common occurrence the last few years, but it is actually a pretty rare phenomenon. So why, then, do I think the Nuggets- a team I don’t even have as a top-3 seed- will pull it off? Well, there are a few factors brewing into the perfect storm for them. Coming off of the lockout-shortened season, players will have to adjust to playing more games over a longer period of time. What does this mean for a Nuggets winning streak? Players are going to get bored! Playing games night-in and night-out gets old month after month, we see it every year when player start taking nights off (either by actually not suiting up or simply not showing up to play). The Spurs have taken the first seed the last two years and had long winning streaks by avoiding these lulls. This year, the Nuggets have the perfect combination of depth (they have 12 legitimate NBA players), youth, and coaching (George Karl won’t let them get complacent) to get on a roll and ride it out for a few weeks while the rest of the league starts taking nights off.

3.     Jae Crowder will be one of the most important rookies this season, regardless of whether or not he gets recognition in the ROY balloting- For those of you who don’t know Crowder, he is the Mavericks do-it-all second-round pick who plays his a** off every night. He slipped in the draft due to his height (a 6’6” power forward), but anyone who saw him play at Marquette knows just how good he can be. He reminds me of the Nuggets second year player Kenneth “The Manimal” Faried, and not just because of their hair styles. Crowder isn’t quite the rebounder Faried is (then again, who is? Faried has a tenacity not seen since Rodman), but he is a much more polished player. Crowder is quicker, allowing him to guard the league’s bigger 3-men as well as many power forwards. This also helps him on offense, making him more dangerous off of the dribble than Faried- and he has a nice 3-point shot to go with it! Maybe I’m a homer because he’s a Maverick and played his college ball in Wisconsin, but he looks to me like he could turn into an X-factor for the Mavs.

(The Manimal Version 2.0? Seriously, were these two separated at birth?! 
http://www.sportsmemes.net/pics/1383.jpg)


4.     Aaron Brooks will be traded to a contender at the trade deadline- I’m still trying to figure out why and how he ended up in Sacramento. Wasn’t he a coveted prospect just a couple years ago? Did teams just forget he came back from China already? He isn’t the distributing-type point guard like Nash or Rondo, but he can definitely score and be a spark-plug off of the bench for a team that needs it. Can you think of any championship-contenders with aging point guards and a dire need for bench production? Too bad for those guys in purple and gold, I don’t think the Kings are as dumb as the Suns… *thinking about it*… damn it this is going to happen somehow, isn’t it?

5.     The Grizzlies will realize they can’t contend with the roster they currently have and unload Rudy Gay and his monster contract for shooting and cap space- With Gay and Randolph making tons of money, and Gasol and Conley needing to get paid soon too, the Grizz will decide to move on without Gay. Personally, I am not as high on Gay as many people. Yes, he is an athletic scoring wing player, but those are almost a dime-a-dozen nowadays. You have to choose an identity, big with shooters or small and fast with serviceable bigs. With two elite big men in Z-Bo and Marc Gasol, going big and surrounding them with shooters is the best way to go in Memphis. Gay is still a very good player and can fetch a lot in return on the trade market. If they can get a couple high-level shooters (J.J. Reddick?), cap space, and maybe some draft picks in return for Gay, the Grizzlies would set themselves up for the future as well as give them a better chance at beating teams like the Lakers, Thunder, and Spurs now (Important: remember when the Grizzlies knocked off the Spurs in the first round two years ago? RUDY GAY DIDN’T PLAY IN THAT SERIES! He was injured and missed most of the season. If that isn’t evidence that they can survive without him I don’t know what is).

6.     The upstart Bulls, without Derrick Rose and no one believing in them, will knock out the Heat in the first round of the playoffs!- Just kidding! No way this is happening…

And with that, it’s time for my playoff predictions, as we crown an NBA champion!

Eastern Conference Finals- Heat vs. Celtics- The first couple rounds in the East will be boring, as both teams will cruise through them, setting up the much-anticipated bloodbath that will be the Heat-Celtics series. With their new additions adding depth and Rondo playing at a career-best level, not to mention the outstanding coaching schemes Doc Rivers will employ, the Celtics will give the Heat all they can handle. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to stop LeBron and co. as the Heat make it three Finals appearances in as many years.

Western Conference Finals- Lakers vs. Thunder- The Lakers will face a young and hungry Nuggets team for the second year in a row, this time in the conference semifinals. With Ty Lawson running circles around Nash, Iguodala finally giving Denver someone to challenge Kobe, and the youth of the Nuggets running the Lakers up and down the floor every night, the Nuggets will have a shot, yet again, to send the Lakers home earlier than expected. Lucky for the Lakers, they will have worked the kinks out by then and they still have Kobe Bryant. Lakers survive in seven. Meanwhile, the Thunder will be locked in a battle of their own with the ageless Spurs. The Spurs had them on the ropes last year in the Western Conference Finals, and they’ll have a shot again this year. However, Durant will come up clutch in the final moments of two crucial games early on, allowing the Thunder to take the series in a relatively suspense-less six games- setting up the showdown everyone is expecting. The Lakers will take Game 1 at home, with Kobe coming up big late and adding to his legacy of clutch play. But, it will be all Durant from there, hitting game-winners in games 2 and 4 while also dominating in a blowout win in Game 3. The Lakers will send it back to OKC with a Game 5 victory, but it will be too-little too-late, as the Thunder will take Game 6 in dominant fashion and set up a rematch with the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

NBA Finals- Heat vs. Thunder- Isn’t this what everyone wants (sorry Lakers fans)? Bringing back a true rivalry to the NBA, with the two best players on the planet playing the same position and squaring off with the stakes as high as they get? Even being guarded by each other, both will be brilliant. Their competition will push each other to new heights (the only thing Jordan lacked in his career) and, ultimately, the team that wins will be the one that gives their superstar the most help. Wade has more experience than Westbrook, but Russell learned a lot in last year’s loss and will outplay Wade in the series. Bosh’s will chip in more on offense than Ibaka’s, while Ibaka’s defensive presence will be far more impactful than Bosh’s. This is where Harden could have swung the series for OKC, but relying on journeyman Kevin Martin and a pair of rookies won’t get it done against the likes of Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, and co. It will be a great series, ending with LeBron taking one step closer to immortality. Heat win their second title in a row, this time at home in six games.

(Expect LeBron and the Heat to be celebrating again come next June.)
http://sinbapointforward.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/lebron-wade-celebration.jpg

There you have it! Exactly how the 2012-2013 NBA season will play out, you don’t even have to watch the games! But just in case you do, try to forget everything I said by June- I don’t want to know how wrong I was when the Bucks are battling the Blazers for the title… (just kidding, no way David Stern would let that happen! It’s a shame we only get two more years of him, better enjoy it while it lasts!)


I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

It’s that time of year again! Yep, that’s right, as I write this column the NBA is getting ready to tip off in less than 24 hours! The season begins in South Beach as the reigning NBA Champion Miami Heat host their rivals, the Boston Celtics. It’ll be the first time we get to see Ray Allen in uniform with Miami’s ‘Big Three’, as he will be facing off against the rest of his old ‘Big Three’ and the new-look Celtics (these teams seems to be developing a genuine hatred for one another, but more on that later). But as I’m sure you know, Allen wasn’t the only big name player to move to a championship contender (Dwight Howard anyone?) and we’ll analyze all the player movement as we break down each team’s outlook and predict how they’ll fair in the 2012-13 season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Pacific Division

Lakers- Key Additions- Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Antawn Jamison, Jodie Meeks, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon

Notable Losses- Andrew Bynum, Matt Barnes, Ramon Sessions

Might as well start with the team that made the biggest splash in the offseason, and So Cal’s proudest franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up in L.A. you may expect me to be a Lakers fan, but I took the opposite approach and genuinely dread seeing them win. That being said, I have to give credit where credit is due; and Mitch Kupchak and the rest of the organization are due a ton. How is it that the Lakers ALWAYS land the best players available? From Wilt to Kareem, Shaq to Pau and Dwight (not to mention drafting the likes of West, Magic, Worthy, and Kobe), the Lakers have become the Yankees of the NBA: they don’t rebuild, they reload. My only question is why in the world do teams keep trading with them?! When was the last time you remember the Lakers trading for a superstar and not having it work out beautifully for them? And I still haven’t even mentioned that the Suns handed them (their biggest rivals, by the way) one of the best point guards of all time in Steve Nash. Imagine the Patriots trading Tom Brady to the Jets in the next two years. Yea, that’s how stupid the Suns should feel. All of a sudden the Lakers biggest weakness is now yet another strength. And their bench that has been their Achilles’ heel the last couple years? Oh yea, they added firepower in Jamison and Meeks to complement a full season from the surprising Jordan Hill. While they look like the class of the league on paper, a lot is still to be determined as they have yet to play a regular season game all together. The loss of Matt Barnes could be more important than people think, as you never know what you’re going to get from the Artest formerly known as Ron and Earl Clark will start the season on the bench with an injury. Barnes was more important to this team than many realized, but it’s still a stretch to think his loss will offset the upgrades at the point, center, and the bench. 


http://posterizes.com/wp-content/uploads/Los-Angeles-Lakers-2012-2013-Dynasty-Wallpaper-1280x800.jpg

Where does this Lakers starting 5 rank in the all-time best lineups? You decide! Leave your thought in the comments below!


Bottom Line- Anything less than a number 1 seed, now that OKC must also adjust to a new lineup, will be looked at as a disappointment. However, every Laker fans knows that the regular season is nothing more than practice for the playoffs. With aging stars, the ultimate goal is a ring and anything less won’t be tolerated in Lakerland.

Clippers- Key Additions- Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, Grant Hill, Ryan Hollins, Ronny Turiaf

Notable Losses- Mo Williams, Nick Young, Randy Foye, Reggie Evans

While the Lakers were making all the headlines this offseason, their cross-town rival Clippers made some head-scratching decisions. Maybe it was time to let the backcourt trio of Williams, Young, and Foye go with Chauncey Billups returning to the lineup and Eric Bledsoe earning more playing time, but adding Odom, Crawford, Barnes, and Hill makes little sense to me. Throw in Caron Butler as the starter and they now have a log-jam at the small forward position, where it will be tough to get them all the playing time they have come to expect in their careers. More importantly, I question whether they have anything left in the tank. Did they watch Odom play in Dallas last year? As a Mavericks fan I did. I don’t hate him for it like some, but I find it absurd that someone could watch those tapes and think “Oh yea, this is the guy that’s going to push us to the next level”. I really think he just doesn’t care about the game anymore, and hey, that’s ok. Let him go make his money and do reality T.V. shows with Khloe on a bad team, but I think it is foolish to count on him in a critical season for your franchise (in case anyone forgot, Chris Paul becomes a free agent after this season and if you think he’s going to stay on the Clippers with their history and without some security that they can contend for championships, you’re sadly mistaken). And if Paul walks, expect Blake Griffin to follow him right out the door. Still, no pressure Clippers.

Bottom Line- They have talent and potential, but putting it all together is a whole different story. The pieces don’t seem to fit together too nicely, and I simply don’t think Vinny Del Negro is the coach that is going to make things work. I’d love for them to prove me wrong and create a real rivalry between the L.A. teams, but my expectations aren’t too high for them this season. I see them landing the six-seed out west, maybe the fifth-seed if things fall their way, but either way they won’t be getting any further than the second round, at best.

Warriors- Key Additions- Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut*, Carl Landry, Jarret Jack

Notable Losses- Nate Robinson, Monte Ellis*

I know the Bogut-Ellis trade happened during the season last year, but since Bogut is yet to make his Golden State debut I’m counting him as a new acquisition. If he can remain healthy, Bogut may be the defensive presence in the middle coach Mark Jackson has been looking for. He can help make up for David Lee’s deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball as well as protect the rim when the guards get beat. Landry and Jack are nice bench players that will help make up one of the deeper benches in the league with Brandon Rush among others. Harrison Barnes fits in well with the offense, giving them a dynamic young backcourt featuring Barnes, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson. They may not be ready this year, but the future finally looks bright for the Warriors, if they can stay healthy. *knock on wood*

Bottom Line-The Warriors are not close to championship contenders yet, and they know it, but they may make a push for the playoffs. I think they are still a year away, but they will be fun to watch and should make large strides they can build upon in the years to come. I have them finishing in tenth, just a few games out of the playoffs.

Kings- Key Additions- Aaron Brooks, Thomas Robinson

Notable Losses- none

The Kings may be this year’s most interesting team. I call it the JaVale McGee Factor: I have no idea what is going to happen on any given play, and frankly I can’t wait to watch. They have player with tremendous talent (Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Thomas Robinson), but as a team they are terribly moody and dysfunctional. Many highlight-reel plays and many others that will make you scratch your head and laugh; that is what to expect from this team this season. They are one of the few teams that can compete with the best teams in the league on a good night, yet lose to even the worst teams when things start going wrong. My biggest question regarding the team is how did Aaron Brooks end up on it? He was a solid NBA point guard before he got lost in basketball purgatory in China last season, and likely could have been a contributor to a contender had he signed with one. Sadly, he will spend the season on this personality mess of a team. 

Bottom Line- While they may be a source of the occasional awe-inspiring play and good laugh, at the end of the day they will lose more games than they win, period. They need to develop a true identity before they can move forward. They’ll be in the lottery yet again next summer, finishing around 13th in the deep Western Conference. 

Suns- Key Additions- Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic, Kendall Marshall, Wes Johnson, Luis Scola, Jermaine O’Neil

Notable Losses- Steve Nash, Robin Lopez, Hakeem Warrick, Grant Hill

Letting Nash move on and contend for his elusive first title was the right thing to do, although I question allowing him to go to your nemesis. Still, losing Nash will set them back quite a ways. They added some interesting pieces in Beasley and Dragic, and Scola is a quality starter. Still, it’s not enough to make up for losing your franchise player and two-time MVP. It’s a rebuilding project out in the desert, and they will benefit from a high lottery pick they can receive with a bad record this year. 

Bottom Line- They won’t be contending for a playoff spot, but they know that. Patience can be a virtue and it will take quite a bit of it to get through the next couple seasons. Hopefully for them, it will pay off down the road. I’ve got them 14th out of the 15 teams in the West, which would set them up well for the 2013 NBA Draft. It’s never too early to start thinking about next year!

Southwest Division

Spurs- Key Additions- none

Notable Losses- none

The Spurs didn’t make any majors moves this offseason, but what else is new? They’re a year older and maybe this is the year their age will finally show, but like I mentioned in my week 8 football recap, I’m done counting them out. They’ll have another season like they always do, reeling off a long winning streak in the middle of the season and finishing in the top-3 in a loaded Western Conference. Don’t forget, they had a 2-0 lead over the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals last year before Durant and co. caught fire. They may be boring because of their consistency, but they’ll be a factor down the stretch. They may be the only team that can challenge the Thunder and Lakers out west.

Bottom Line- They’ll get a top-3 seed, I see them at number 2, but with so many veterans their goal remains a Finals appearance and a shot at a title. Duncan and Ginobili aren’t getting any younger and each passing year feels like now-or-never. Luckily for them, Tony Parker is peaking and playing at an All-NBA level. Mix in solid role players and a great coach and they’ll be right there in the running.

Grizzlies- Key Additions- Jared Bayless

Notable Losses- O.J. Mayo

Bayless is a nice back-up point guard to Conley, but the loss of Mayo may be bigger than initially thought. His uninspiring play in the playoff series against the Clippers overshadowed his value to the team. He was the best (and only?) 3-point shooter on the team. Their inside game is one of the best in the league with Gasol, Z-Bo, and the return of Darell Arthur from season-ending injury last year, and Conely, Tony Allen, and Rudy Gay are all very good at what they do. But, none of them are particular good from long-range and that can be costly when teams decide to pack the paint and make the Grizz beat them from the outside. They are good enough to get a top-5 seed and maybe win a playoff series or two if they get hot, but their lack of shooting limits them from being much more than that. 

An underlying story to keep an eye on with this team: don’t be shocked to see either Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph go via trade if the organization doesn’t think they can compete with the likes of the Lakers and Thunder with the roster they currently have. Both have large contracts and can bring back valuable pieces that may fit in the rotation better.

Bottom Line- This is a good team, potentially a real good team. But that may be their limit for now as they don’t have the multiple options on offense that are needed to make deep playoff runs. A first-round playoff battle with another solid-but-not-elite team may be in store, similar to last season. I predict a 5-seed, assuming they keep this team in tact throughout the season, which may be less likely than most would think.

Mavericks- Key Additions- Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand

Notable Losses- Lamar Odom, Ian Mahimi, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Brendan Haywood, Delonte West

The Mavs had high hopes of bringing Deron Williams home to pair with aging superstar Dirk Nowitzki. According to Williams himself, if not for the difference in dollar amount of their offers they may well have done so. They still managed to do well with their plan B, landing Mayo, Kaman, Collison, and Brand on short-term contracts, keeping their options open for the future. But with Dirk sidelined to start the season, they will likely have to fight just to make the playoffs. As a Mavs fan, I will miss Terry immensely; he gave everything he had every play and was one of the main reasons they beat the Heat two years ago in the Finals. Kidd, Haywood, and Odom are all a different story. Odom was never really a part of the team besides the jersey he wore (Jason Terry said that before a game last season, Odom told him “Y’all must really hate those guys” referring to the rival team they were about to play. Terry replied, “What do you mean ‘y’all’? You’re a part of this team too now!”- Yea, I’m going to miss Jet, Odom? Not so much). Kidd was a great veteran presence when they won it all, but last year teams realized he couldn’t make a layup anymore and just dared him to dribble inside the 3-point line. And Haywood, well his most memorable moment as a Maverick may have been getting on Kevin Durant’s poster in the 2011 playoffs. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, and this one says it all.

(Although he was a member of their championship team, the enduring memory of Brandon Haywood's tenure as a Mav was this Kevin Durant poster. http://www.bigisthenewsmall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/kd-dunk.jpg)

Bottom Line- The Mavs are too well coached by Rick Carlisle and Dirk is too good, when healthy, for this team to miss the playoffs. That being said, if Dirk’s knee problems keep him out longer than expected that could present a problem. With or without him, their ceiling is still a low playoff seed and a shot at a first round upset, but that’s about it. I have them sitting at the 7th seed in the West, just like last year, and losing in the first round again, as much as it pains me to write that.

Hornets- Key Additions- Ryan Anderson, Robin Lopez, Hakeem Warrick, Austin Rivers, Anthony Davis

Notable Losses- Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor, Gustavo Ayon, Jarrett Jack, Chris Kaman, Marco Belinelli, Carl Landry

They got the top pick last year, but that was following much turnover after the loss of CP3. The key acquisition in that trade, Eric Gordon, missed most of the year. With him coming back, rookies Rivers and Davis, and the addition of last year’s Most Improved Player Ryan Anderson, the Hornets will be significantly better. They can stretch the floor as both their bigs have good range, Anderson all the way out to the 3-point line. As much as I dislike Anthony Davis (and I’m not even really sure why), he has the look of an instant-impact player who can change the culture of a team with his defensive presence. Eric Gordon, when healthy, has also showed signs of being an elite shooting guard in the league. They are young and still a ways away from making a real impact on the playoff race, but they will be greatly improved and fun to watch.

Bottom Line- They aren’t a good team yet, but they are vastly improved. They will make it out of the cellar and into the middle of the lottery and may even have a game or two in which they knock off one of the elite teams, showing bright signs for the future. For now, though, they will finish 12th out west, not good but an improvement and a step forward. 

Rockets- Key Additions- Jeremy Lin, Terrance Jones, Royce White, Omar Asik, Carlos Delfino, James Harden

Notable Losses- Chase Budinger, Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Louis Scola, Kevin Martin

The Rockets lost a lot this offseason, trying to make moves that would eventually land them a star like Dwight Howard that they have been striving for since the infamous failed 3-team trade that would’ve landed them Pau Gasol. Instead, they took some chances by giving out big money to relatively unproven players in Jeremy Lin and Omar Asik and trading a lot to land the talented James Harden.  Now individually I actually really like all of their pieces. The question remains, however, can these players preform at superb levels for an entire season when they are now the focus of the other team’s gameplan. I have a feeling they will struggle at points making the transition, and even the magic powers of James Harden’s beard can’t turn this team into a playoff team. On a positive note for Rocket fans, it will be very interesting to see how Lin and Harden fair now that they are the faces of a franchise, instead of interesting, albeit talented, sideshows.

Bottom Line- This team just doesn’t have enough experience to do much damage. They will go through lots of growing pains like most teams with as much youth as they have. I have them finishing last in the west this season. Too bad they gave up their draft picks to get Harden, because they might end up being very high picks. Hopefully they were smart enough to get those top-5 protected, at least.

Northwest Division

Thunder- Key Additions- Perry Jones III, Hasheem Thabeet, Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb

Notable Losses- James Harden, Daquaen Cook, Cole Aldrich

Well, the day many Thunder and small-market fans feared finally came. All of those people who root for the Davids to slay the Goliaths had their hearts torn out when they sent James Harden and his beard to Houston for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, as well as some draft picks (which may end up being more important down the road if the Rockets aren’t good). For this season though, Martin and Lamb will be hard-pressed to replace the chemistry Harden had with the rest of the young Thunder core. Can Martin accept a role as a 6th man extraordinaire on a true contender, a role he’s never played before? We will find out. But, the rookies Lamb and Jones may be the bigger underlying story here, as both have immense potential but slipped in the draft due to a lack of production in their second collegiate seasons. Now that they will be in an environment with guys like Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka to push them and in roles where they don’t have to carry their team, they both could have large impacts as rookies (Remember how good Lamb looked as a freshman playing Robin to Kemba Walker’s Batman? Now think of what he is capable of with Durant and Westbrook in the leading roles). But, if I were a Thunder fan I’d be worried about how good they can be without the mystical powers of Harden’s beard. Maybe it’s time for Durant to add some peach fuzz to that baby face (just a thought). 

Bottom Line- After coming so close to a championship at such a young age, nothing will satisfy this team now besides raising a banner. Durant seems to just get better and better, and he really has no equal in the league besides LeBron. Too bad they are friends and work out together in the offseason; a little bad blood could turn Heat-Thunder into one of the best rivalries of this era. As it is, Durant should dominate as he will be the best player on the court night in and night out, and he knows it. Add the development and maturation of Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka and this team has the looks of a perennial contender. Coming back from down 0-2 to the Spurs in the Conference Finals was a galvanizing experience and taught them a lot about what it takes to be the best. The new-look Lakers will present a tough challenge to their Western Conference throne, and you can expect those games to be very intense. Harden may be gone, but don’t think the rest of the Thunder forgot about that elbow from MWP. It will take time for some of the new pieces to fall into places, which may lower their playoff seeding a tad (I have them as the number 3 seed behind San Antonio and Los Angeles), but they will gladly trade that for another chance at a title.

Nuggets- Key Additions- Andre Iguodala

Notable Losses- Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington

Having to let Afflalo and Harrington go was a small price to pay for getting Iguodala. As he showed in the Olympics this summer, he is an elite defender, one of the best in the league. Putting him in George Karl’s up-tempo offense will likely boost his offensive game as well seeing as he excels in the open court. Alongside the speedy Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, and the Manimal, Kenneth Faried, they have some real talent on the roster mixed with guys willing to do the dirty work. Their rotation at center is one of the deepest in the league as well, between Timofey Mozgov, Kosta Koufos, and JaVale McGee.

I have to take this chance to talk about the most entertaining player in the league, JaVale McGee. He is one of the most athletic players in recent memory, making multiple plays a game that make your jaw drop. Still, he has possibly the lowest basketball IQ of any player in the history of the NBA (or even high-school basketball, for that matter). Please, do me a favor and YouTube search ‘JaVale McGee worst plays’ when you have a chance. If you don’t get a chuckle out of it you probably don’t think Kevin Hart is funny either. 

(Is there a more entertaining player in the league than JaVale McGee? I doubt it.
http://t.qkme.me/3p8kga.jpg)


Bottom Line- This team is young, exciting, well-coached and unselfish, everything a fan could want. To top it all off, they’re really good! It will be tough to knock off the elite teams like the Lakers and Thunder, but every team would and should be scared to have to play the Nuggets in a seven-game series. They’ll earn a top-4 seed and home court advantage for at least one round (where they are REALLY good, by the way). From there they should be able to make it out of the first round for the first time in a while, but would face a daunting task from there, taking on the top seed.

Jazz- Key Additions- Mo Williams, Marvin Williams, Randy Foye

Notable Losses- Devin Harris

The Jazz made some interesting moves this offseason, sending point guard Devin Harris to Atlanta for the embattled Marvin Williams. Williams and Foye are nice additions, however, and their shooting can help balance their offense with their powerful inside game. Jefferson and Millsap are established quality big men, and Favors and Kanter are exciting young prospect with lots of talent. With so many good bigs, I would expect one of the veterans to be on the trading block if the right deal presents itself (say, for instance, Rudy Gay). Add another wing player and they could be dangerous in the playoffs. As it stands, they will be in the playoff hunt but aren’t a threat to the Thunder, Lakers, or Spurs. 

(One side note: Is it just me or are the Jazz one of the most boring teams to watch on T.V.? With so many teams going small and speeding up the game they’ve decided to slow it down and just be bigger than everyone else. Interesting strategy, we’ll see how that works out for them).

Bottom Line- They are a solid team who probably won’t lose many games to bad teams but probably won’t win many games against the elite teams. This is a great formula to land them in the 8th seed for the second year in a row (and they have to be thankful for injuries to key players on other contending teams for that).

Timberwolves- Key Additions- Chase Budinger, Andrei Kirilenko, Alexey Shved, Brandon Roy, Greg Stiesma, Louis Amundson

Notable Losses- Michael Beasley, Martell Webster

Speaking of key injuries, the Timberwolves were looking like a team on the rise then got hit with injuries to both Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love. When they are on the floor, this team has the feel of a playoff team. Without them for an extended period to start the season, it will be tough for them to stay in the playoff race. That is even more evident with the questions surrounding the return of Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko to the NBA. If they both play like they did earlier in their careers, this team can be scary. The only benefit to K-Love’s injury is that now former number 2 overall pick Derrick Williams will get more playing time and a chance to prove himself; he showed flashes of brilliance at times last year.

The thing no one seems to be talking about: The ‘Wolves have somehow seemed to assemble an almost exclusively white roster of players. Besides Roy and Williams, almost every other player that projects to get playing time is white, although many are of different nationalities: Russian, Spanish, etc. Is there some kind of conspiracy going on up in Minnesota? Remember, they also tried trading Derrick Williams for Pau Gasol! Just something to think about…

(Has there been a whiter team since the 1960's? 
http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/358*217/M21554875.JPG)

Bottom Line- They have made great strides to go from bottom dwellers to potential playoff contenders, and they’ve done so mostly by following the Thunder-model and building though the draft. Too bad Love and Rubio will be sidelined for so long, because the Western Conference is too tough to be able to endure missing your two best players. I think they’ll make a push when they both return, but will ultimately fall just short of the playoffs, finishing in ninth place.

Blazers- Key Additions- Jared Jefferies, Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard

Notable Losses- Raymond Felton, Kurt Thomas, Jamal Crawford

Blazer fans are probably thrilled to see Crawford and Felton leave, after both were disappointing in Portland. Felton may have become the first professional athletes to admit to being out of shape for a full season, and brag about it because he was in shape the other seven seasons he’s been in the league! Can someone please tell Raymond that he’s getting paid millions of dollars to play a game, the least he could do is cut back on the McDoubles during the season? 

While happy to see him gone, fans should be even more excited about the addition of the rookie Damian Lillard. Playing for a small school in Weber State made many NBA execs nervous about how he’d translate to the NBA; but, if the summer league meant anything then he might turn out to be really, really good. He was virtually unstoppable this summer, averaging almost 27 points per game in Vegas. Yes, I know, it’s the summer league; but watch him and you get the feeling he’s the real deal. Unfortunately, after him, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicholas Batum, and Wes Matthews, the Blazers are painfully thin; and in the NBA, if you don’t have depth it’s hard to compete on a nightly basis. 

Bottom Line- This is a year of development for the Blazers. They have a good foundation, they just need time to acquire the pieces to fill in around their core. For now, they’ll be solid but not good enough to make the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference (have I mentioned enough that the West is LOADED, especially compared to the East).


EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

Celtics- Key additions- Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Jared Sullinger, Leandro Barbosa

Notable Losses- Ray Allen, Keyon Dooling, Mikal Pietrus

Many though last year would be the final time we’d see the aging Celtics in tact. That may have been right in the sense that their original ‘Big Three’ has split up, but this team has made upgrades across the board and looks even better than last year’s team. While Ray Allen is no doubt a Hall-of-Famer, everything that has come out since his departure makes it seem like he was more of a burden on the team last season than a benefit. Letting him go to give Avery Bradley more playing time may have been a solid move on its own; adding Terry, Lee, and Barbosa to replace him is without question a huge upgrade. Combine that with adding a true post player in Sullinger through the draft and bringing back Jeff Green on the wing (after he needed heart surgery before the season even began last year) and the Celtics are well rounded and have upgraded at all positions. Oh yea, and I still haven’t even gotten to Rajon Rondo yet! I can’t help but be in awe watching him play. He is a true primetime player, as he gets even better on the biggest stages. Remember him single-handedly keeping the Celtics in that playoff game against the Heat? If he has developed any kind of consistency in his shot (and in the playoffs it seemed like he was getting better), he may be becoming the most dynamic player outside of LeBron. For some strange reason, he was left off of the Olympic team this summer, and you can be sure he’ll use that as motivation to dominate on a nightly basis this year, instead of taking nights off.

Bottom Line- They got better, and they were already one of the best teams in the East (which isn’t saying too much, to be fair). With Rose’s injury, the Celtics are really the only team with any prayer of unseating the Heat from their throne atop the Eastern Conference. They will cruise through the regular season like they have the last few seasons, but they should still end up with the #2 seed due to the weakness of the rest of the East. From there, they seem destined for a showdown with their bitter rival, the Heat, with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line. With the animosity building between the Celtics and their departed comrade Ray Allen on top of the bad blood between Rondo, Garnett, and Pierce and Bron, Wade, and Bosh and we could be in for an epic battle. (Another factor adding to the hatred between these two teams: Jason Terry called out LeBron in the ’11 Finals before going off in the final three games with LeBron guarding him. You can bet the Heat are still at least a little upset with Terry for taking their first title from them). 

Knicks- Key Additions- Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Raymond Felton, Ronnie Brewer

Notable Losses- Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Jared Jefferies

The Knicks were a mess last season, and, looking at their moves on paper, they didn’t seem to sort much out. Adding three players (Camby, Kidd, & Wallace) who were considered old three years ago may not have been the best idea they’ve had (but it probably wasn’t the worst, knowing their history of head-scratching moves). While I don’t see how those players make them better, and Felton certainly isn’t a game-changer either, there is still something attractive about this team to me. With Stoudemire sidelined to start the season, they will have time to develop an identity around Carmelo on offense and Tyson Chandler on defense. Brewer is a very good defender who can help on that side, and J.R. Smith is a pure scorer while Novak is one of the premier 3-point shooter in the league. If they get on a role early and Amare can accept a smaller role (maybe even coming off the bench?) when he returns, this team has some potential. 

Bottom Line- With the rest of the middle-tier teams in the East undergoing large-scale changes, the Knicks have a chance to move up in the standings if they can sort out and accept their individual roles. I have them at the 5th seed for now, and it will be interesting to see them get a shot in the playoffs at someone without the letters H-E-A-T on their jerseys. 

Sixers- Key Additions- Andrew Bynum, Dorrell Wright, Jason Richardson, Nick Young, Kwame Brown

Notable Losses- Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Elton Brand, Jodie Meeks

Landing Bynum was a huge-risk, huge-reward move. If he plays up to his potential, he is the best offensive big man in the game today and can impact the game on defense as well (double-digit blocks in Game 1 of the Nuggets series last year). Losing Iggy, however, may be more detrimental than most think. He is not an elite offensive player, but defensively they have no one near his capabilities, and most teams don’t. Lou Williams was also an important piece that they let go for nothing. Everyone talked about Harden’s bench production, but Williams was right there with him. They’ve added shooting around Bynum in J. Rich, Wright, and Nick Young, which could make for a nice inside-outside game. That also allows Jrue Holliday and Evan Turner to be more creative and effective off the dribble if teams can’t help as much. They have a ton of potential and it will be interesting to see how they come together. I’d be a little nervous counting on a guy with hair like this to lead my team though!

(Would you trust a guy that looks like this to lead your team?http://blacksportsonline.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Andrew-Bynum-Hair.jpg)



Bottom Line- This team comes down to Andrew Bynum and how much he has matured. Unfortunately for them, he could miss the beginning of the season with a nagging injury (not a good sign with his health history). Once he’s back, it will take some time to get everyone to gel together. Because of this, I have them finishing 6th in the East; but they will be dangerous in the playoffs is everything pans out right. Don’t be surprising if they pull off yet another first round upset this year!

Nets- Key Additions- Joe Johnson, Reggie Evans, Andray Blatche, Mirza Teletovic, C.J. Watson, Josh Childress

Notable Losses- Anthony Morrow

The Nets made a splash this offseason, both on the court and off; adding star 2-guard Joe Johnson while making the long awaited move to Brooklyn. Watson is a good backup point guard and Evans is a hustle player who does the dirty work. Meanwhile Blatche has lots of talent (although he struggled in Washington) and maybe the change of scenery will bring out the best in him. Who knows what Teletovic will bring, as Americans have seen very little of him, but the Nets seem very high on his potential. Combine these addition with stars Johnson and Deron Williams and they have a lot to like on paper. Still, I’m not falling in love with this team. For all the moves they made, they really only added Johnson (the most over-paid player in the league) and some secondary bench players to a team that won just a third of their games last season. They’ll be better, but they’re not a threat to the Heat or Celtics just yet.

Bottom Line- The Nets made the moves they had to in order to draw attention to them with their move to Brooklyn. It’s all fine and dandy now, but once they have to actually play basketball I will be excited to see how much they have really improved from last season. I’m not sold, as I have them snagging the 7th seed in the East, just behind the Knicks and Sixers. 

Raptors- Key Additions- Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields, John Lucas III, Terrance Ross

Notable Losses- none

The Raptors struck out trying to land Canadian-born Steve Nash this offseason, but they still did pretty well for themselves. Lowry will team up with Jose Calderon to make one of the better point guard tandems in the league. Fields and Lucas will end up giving them a lot of depth, as well. The sneaky addition for them is having last year’s first round pick Jonas Valanciunas finally come over seas to join the team. With him in the middle and Andrea Bargnani stretching the floor, they have a sneaky good team developing up north. They’ll need another year to pull it all together I think, but if a team like the Knicks, Nets, or Sixers implode, expect the Raptors to step in and fill the playoff void they left.

Bottom Line- They are still young, which is not good if you want to be a contender. Luckily their front office understands that you have to build step by step and not every team can land a ‘Big Three’ in one offseason like the Heat (especially not in Toronto- who the hell would willingly move there?). Still, they’ll hang around the 8th seed for a while, finally just missing out and finishing a few games back in tenth place in the East.

Southeast Division

Heat- Key Additions- Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis

Notable Losses- none

The Heat are coming off a championship season in which they saw their star LeBron James finally do everything all his critics have ever wanted him to do. He took over and, without Chris Bosh for a long stretch and with Wade hobbled, decided that nothing was going to stand between him and a title. Oh, and then he went and led the Olympic team to a gold medal and has basically been the king of the basketball world since (if he wasn’t already). He is the most difficult player to guard, because he is so absurdly big, strong, and fast. Put a small forward on him and he’ll post them up (finally!). Put a bigger player on him and he’ll take them outside and go right by him or shoot uncontested jumpers as the defender sags off. Yes, the additions of Allen and Lewis only make this team more dangerous (YOU leave the league’s all-time leading 3-point shooter to double LeBron, I dare you). But ultimately, this is LeBron’s team and now it is his league too. If he plays the way he did in the 2012 playoffs and the Olympics, no one is stopping him.

(LeBron and the Heat got their first ring together last year, can they get their second in a row this year? http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/2349717/d691101229110005306.0_standard_352.0.jpg)

Bottom Line- Once the ‘Big Three’ joined forces, the expectation every year became a championship. They came close the first year and won it the second (ironically never having the top seed in the East). I think they get the top seed this year, with Rose out. In the East their only real threat will be the Celtics, and they won’t see them until the Conference Finals; but when they do, get ready for a war.

Hawks- Key Additions- Devin Harris, Lou Williams, Kyle Korver

Notable Losses- Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Kirk Hinrich

The Hawks traded arguably their best player for essentially nothing besides cap space, which would make you think they got a lot worse. Well, I think you would be wrong. They replaced Johnson, a ball-stopping, heavy-usage player, with Lou Williams, Devin Harris, and Kyle Korver. That trio can easily make up his production and actually give them more flexibility and, with Korver, more outside shooting. Stealing him from Chicago for cash was one of the best moves of the offseason- he can carry an offense when he gets hot. Add to that Josh Smith, who is in a contract year and will be playing inspired ball, and the return of Al Horford (an elite big man who many forgot about when he got hurt) and they have one of the best frontcourts to go with their new-look backcourt.  They don’t have the media attention or hype surrounding the likes of the New York teams, but they will be more consistent and, quite possibly, flat out better.

Bottom Line- They cleared Joe Johnson’s catastrophic contract off the books so that they could have flexibility for the future and were still able to put out a pretty damn good product on the court. I like this team- they’re exciting, athletic, and hard-workers. I think they’ll play better than the teams with bigger names stars but more question marks; well enough to earn the fourth seed and get home-court advantage for the first round. They may win that first series, but all it means is they get the honor of being a footnote on the Heat’s quest for back-to-back titles.

Wizards- Key Additions- Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Martell Webster, Bradley Beal

Notable Losses- Andray Blatche

Amnestying Blatche was a good move, but puzzling when you consider they took on about the same amount of cap with the trade for Okafor and Ariza. Even more distressing, Ariza has been outplayed by Martell Webster so far in Washington. I really liked the Beal pick- he gives them shooting that they desperately needed- but with John Wall sidelined to start the season they will definitely struggle. Even when he comes back, Wall needs to prove he can be a franchise player, and that means improving aspects of his game in which he has struggled- such as his atrocious 3-point shooting (he averaged nine percent from behind the arc at one point last season… NINE!).

Bottom Line- This team is going to struggle throughout the season even with him (I have them finishing 13th in the East), but with Wall out they lack a dynamic playmaker. There will be plenty of growing pains to go around, but they have some young pieces that will get much needed experience for the future. With the rest of Washington sports turning their fortunes around (Bryce Harper and Strasburg for the Nationals, RGIII for the Redskins), it’s time for the Wiz to follow suit.

Bobcats- Key Additions- Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Brandon Haywood

Notable Losses- Corey Maggette, D.J. Augustin

The Bobcats were pathetic last year. So bad that some even wondered if the Kentucky Wildcats would have been able to beat them (there is no way that would ever happen, by the way. These players are professionals for a reason, they aren’t losing to a bunch of college kids- no matter how good the college kids are). But this is a new team and they have some good pieces finally. MKG is a hard-working kid who could turn into a star. He was largely overshadowed by the play of Anthony Davis at Kentucky, but many people forget he was the top-ranked overall prospect as a junior in high school, before being surpassed when Davis shot up seven inches magically (to put that in perspective, he was seen as the best player in the entire country his junior year in high school- when his teammates included a guy named Kyrie Irving. Yea, the same Kyrie Irving that was the number 1 pick in the NBA just last year). They’ll be better, but not by much. They need a couple more high-lottery picks to get back to competing with the best the league has to offer.

Bottom Line- They won’t win often, but hopefully a little more than last year. I see them finishing next-to last in the East and “earning” a top-5 pick easily. While it will be tough this year, it may help them out in the long run (as long as MJ doesn’t screw up that pick, too).

(Side note: how can someone who was as incredible of a player as Jordan be so terribly bad at judging talent? I don’t understand, was he the one who picked Christian Laettner over Shaq for the Dream Team?)

Magic- Key Additions- Gustavo Ayon, Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Mo Harkless, Nikola Vucevic 

Notable Losses- Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon

Anytime you lose a player the caliber of Dwight Howard you aren’t going to contend right away. Unfortunately for the Magic, I don’t think they’ll be contending for a while. While they got back a few nice players in Afflalo and Harrington, neither is good enough to carry a team and be ‘the man’. With this roster they will struggle mightily this year, but they expected that when they made the trade. The strategy to get really bad before you get good is defendable. What is inexcusable is their inability to include the walking monstrous contract that is Hedo Turkoglu in the deal. On top of that, they decided to extend Jameer Nelson’s contract this offseason as well, further tangling up their future payroll. If you’re going to rebuild, do it! Don’t go into it with a half-assed plan and get stuck with long-term contracts for role-playing veterans.

Bottom Line- The Magic are going to be really bad, and I mean REALLY bad. I hope for his sake J.J. Redick gets traded to a contender, where his shooting could be useful, instead of being stuck on this mess of a team. Unfortunately for the Magic though, they probably won’t find any takers for Turkoglu or Nelson. They will, however, be the worst team in the NBA, in my opinion. Hopefully they can catch a break and win the lottery, but that will have to be left up to chance (or David Stern. The lottery is rigged!!! Just kidding). (Maybe).

Central Division

Pacers- Key Additions- Ian Mahimi, D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green

Notable Losses- Darren Collison, Louis Amundson

The Pacers didn’t change much this offseason, as their additions essentially cancelled out their subtractions. Mahimi versus Amundson and Augustin versus Collison are basically washes. Still, as constructed, the Pacers are a good team. They had a series lead on the Heat last season before LeBron and Wade began their roll to the title. Another year of experience could be huge for young players like Paul George and Roy Hibbert, who are starting to come into their own. With so many dysfunctional teams in the Eastern Conference, they should still stay atop the mess. Too bad they took Miles Plumlee in the draft over guys like Perry Jones III, who could have really helped their offense. 

Bottom Line- The Pacers are a good team with good chemistry and a mean streak (as demonstrated by Granger and West going after LeBron in the playoffs). These attributes make them a virtual lock, I believe, for the third seed in the mediocre Eastern Conference. It would take some breaks, however, to do damage after the first round of the playoffs against either the Celtics or Heat.

Bulls- Key Additions- Kirk Hinrich, Marco Belinelli, Vladimir Radmonovic, Marcus Teague

Notable Losses- Kyle Korver, Omar Asik, C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer, John Lucas III

With Rose out for an extended period of time, the Bulls were obviously not going to be as good as the past two years. What people seem to be overlooking is the massive personnel changes they made around Rose. They let almost all of their bench players go, which was the strength of their team. Korver was their best perimeter scorer besides Rose, and Belinelli is nowhere near as good of a shooter as Korver is. Neither is Hinrich. And when Rose was sidelined last year, Watson and Lucas picked up the slack (remember when they knocked off the vaunted Heat without Rose?). Now that role falls on Hinrich and the rookie Teague for an even longer stretch, and I don’t see them sustaining the level of play of the last few years. Even their highly touted defense will take a hit without Brewer on the wing and Asik manning the middle when Noah is out (Asik might be the most underrated big man in the league). All these are more than enough reasons for them to regress before Rose returns, but that’s the biggest issue I have with this team- I don’t see Rose coming back this year, at all! Look, he blew out his knee. For a guy who relies on his athleticism as much as Rose does, he’s going to need that knee at full strength and can’t risk coming back too early and suffering a career-threatening injury. If they aren’t competing for a top-four seed, and they wont be, there is no reason for him to come back and take that risk.

(Will the Bulls be able to survive without Rose for an extended period of time?http://thegatsbyeffect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/derrick-rose-injury-042812.jpeg)



Bottom Line- This team got worse, with or without Derrick Rose being healthy. Without him, they are no longer contenders. That being said, Tom Thibodeau is one of the best coaches in the league and they still have very good frontcourt in Boozer, Noah, and Taj Gibson. In Tib’s system they will get the most out of every player, and I think that will be enough to sneak into the playoffs as the 8th seed. 

Bucks- Key Additions- Samuel Dalembert

Notable Losses- none

The Bucks have quietly assembled a pretty good team up in the woods of Wisconsin. They have a ton of quality big men; the biggest problem there is figuring out how to divide up the minutes between the young guns and the veterans. The main issue I have with this team (the one that keeps me from making them a playoff team) has to do with the trade they made toward the end of last season. I understand it was time to move on from Bogut, but bringing in Monte Ellis makes no sense to me. Wasn’t the problem with him in Golden State that him and Curry both needed the ball in their hands too much? How does that change with Ellis sharing the backcourt with Brandon Jennings? If anything, the need for the ball is worse between these two, as Curry was much better off the ball as a spot up shooter and running off screens than Jennings. They are both very good scorers and can single-handedly win a game here and there, but I question how they will do over the course of the season.

Bottom Line- They are on the brink of playoff contention up in Milwaukee. I think they’ll need another season, however, to sort out the Jennings-Ellis backcourt before they make that jump. By the end of the year, they’ll know if they can move forward with both or if it is time to let one go. I have them finishing in ninth place, just shy of the playoffs. 

Cavs- Key Additions- Tyler Zeller, Dion Waiters, C.J. Miles

Notable Losses- Antawn Jamison

The Cavs flirted with landing Andrew Bynum this offseason in a three-way trade, which would have paired him with Kyrie Irving and formed a dynamic 1-2 punch. With Cleveland’s luck, of course that didn’t end up working out. Irving is still a bright young star and can make the leap to ‘elite’ with improvements in his second year. But the rest of the team is lacking, and I hate what they did in the draft. Hate! I can’t stress that enough. Zeller is a solid player and I get trading up to get him, that’s fine. But Waiters at number 4 overall? Really? This is a guy who came off the bench in college and you want him to be a starter and second best offensive playmaker on your team? Remember the last college 6th man to get drafted that high? That would be Marvin Williams. Yikes! (Ask the Hawks if they’d rather have Williams or, say, one of the next two picks that year: Deron Williams and Chris Paul.) Missing on Waiters like the Hawks did Williams could be detrimental to the long-term success of this team, because it seems like they also missed with the number 4 overall pick last year in Tristan Thompson. 

Bottom Line- While they got a young star in Irving, they still need to surround him with a strong supporting cast. Irving is really good, and may even become great, but he’s not LeBron James- you can’t surround him with any four players you find on the street and still be perennial contenders. With this supporting cast, Irving can only take them so far. I have them finishing 11th in the East, needing to land a couple more impact players next offseason to make the leap back into contention.

Pistons- Key Additions- Corey Maggette, Andre Drummond

Notable Losses- Ben Gordon

The Pistons have a mesh of decorated veterans (Tayshaun Prince) and promising young players (Brandon Knight, Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond). Monroe has already begun to look like an All-Star quality center, which is a great sign. If Drummond continues to play to his potential like he has in the preseason, they could develop into a devastating duo. Add in Knight as a good young point guard and the Pistons are on the right path. As for this year, however, they have too many veterans like Maggette (ball-hogs) and not enough like Prince (‘glue guys’) to balance out the youth of this team and make a playoff push. 

Bottom Line- This will be a developmental year for their young players. Taking Drummond in the draft was a risk (one that is looking like it may pay off), but it was also an admission that they were playing for the long-term rather than the short-term (a good idea). They’ll still be moderately successful, however, finishing 12th out of the 15 Eastern Conference teams.

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That covers my thoughts on all 30 NBA teams for the upcoming season. Hopefully I didn’t offend anyone (except Raymond Felton- if he decides to take a year off, he deserves all the insults that come with it… fatty!). Feel free to leave a comment and start a debate if you disagree with any of my analysis (and I’m sure you do). Check back soon to see my playoff predictions, award winners, and sure-to-be-wrong expectations for the 2012-2013 NBA season!

I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support!