One Month Left! Eastern Conference Standings

Records and standings are through March 17

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (54-13): Besides Ben Wallace, everyone is healthy, LeBron is still playing at such a high level you might wonder what can stop this team. As cliché as it might be, the Cavs can only stop themselves, especially in the fourth quarter when LeBron is sometimes is forcing shots while three-point gunners Delonte West and Mo Williams are wide open.

2. Boston Celtics (50-18): Still in second place, but they have to watch out for the Magic. Leon Powe has played really well in KG’s absence, who could return as early as Friday, when the Celtics play the Spurs. That might be a good idea, since Powe is now out for two weeks with a sprained right knee.

3. Orlando Magic (49-18): “I want a championship for Patrick Ewing” – Dwight Howard, in a Q & A with Cleveland.com. You gotta love this guy.

4. Atlanta Hawks (40-28): I expected a little bit more from Al Horford this season, because it often seems like that when he is playing well, the Hawks are playing well. He had four double-doubles in the last six straight wins for the Hawks, and all they need from him is a little consistency.

5. Miami Heat (36-30): The Jermaine O’Neal experiment seems to be working out quite nicely, but stay healthy big man. Let’s hope that Dwyane Wade has enough energy left come playoff time.

6. Philadelphia 76’ers (34-31): Andre Iguodala made a huge game-winning three at the buzzer against the Lakers last night, which gave the Sixers a four-game winning streak. They need to keep on rising in the standings to avoid the Cavs, Celtics and Magic in the first round.

7. Detroit Pistons (33-33): With injuries to Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace and more recently Richard Hamilton, the Pistons now face their toughest task of the season: maintaining that seventh spot and not fall into the frenzy that we call the eighth spot, competing with three or four teams to get into the playoffs.

8. Chicago Bulls (31-37): John Paxson made a great trade, because John Salmons (38 points in a win against the Celtics last night) and Brad Miller (21 and 14) are proving to be very valuable assets for the Bulls. If I had to pick who will be in the playoffs next month, and my options are the Bulls, Bucks, Bobcats, Knicks or Nets, I’d say Chicago.

9. Milwaukee Bucks (31-38): I’m impressed with how this team has performed in the last couple of weeks, especially Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva. Losing two starters in Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut could’ve easily broken them down to the bottom the Eastern Conference, yet they’re still there, not giving up on their season.

10. Charlotte Bobcats (29-38): I am not a Larry Brown fan, but I didn’t expect to see the Bobcats making a late run for the playoffs. When Gerald Wallace doesn’t have a concussion, he’s such a joy to watch. Raymond Felton has been playing very well since the All-Star break, and Raja Bell and Boris Diaw are proving much-needed veteran leadership to this team. Not bad, not bad at all.

11. New York Knicks (28-38): If David Lee and Nate Robinson aren’t back next season, how can Donnie Walsh justify that to the Knicks’ fanbase? Everybody is talking about 2010, but the Knicks have a pretty decent team right now, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they could reach the playoffs next year with the same roster. Next month? I doubt it.

12. New Jersey Nets (28-39): Losses against the Warriors and Clippers certainly didn’t improve New Jersey’s playoff chances. Losing Devin Harris to injury doesn’t help at all. And if disaster week wasn’t over yet, Sean Williams might be suspended.

13. Indiana Pacers (24-44): You’ve got to give them at least this: they’re scrappy. Every time when someone goes down, another player steps up. Whether it was Stephen Graham earlier this season, or Marquis Daniels more recently, the Pacers aren’t tanking it and fight for every game.

14. Toronto Raptors (24-44): Without a doubt the most disappointing team of the ’08-’09 season. Wow.

15. Washington Wizards (16-52): Even the President cheers for the visiting team.

If Knowledge is the Key….

….Then just show me the lock.

I went to see Q-Tip performing live with his band for the first time in sixteen years in my country, and had a great night. His set list contained every song of his brilliant album The Renaissance, but also classics from the Tribe we all used to love (and still do, who am I kidding?). “Scenario”, “Find a Way” and “Check the Rhyme” were all included, just to name a few. But don’t forget about “Award Tour”, which made it clear to me who should win the individual awards this NBA season. Yeah, we’ve still got about five weeks to go, and not every pick was as easy as others. But like Tip, I’m on point.

Most Valuable Player: Dwyane Wade. He’s eighteenth in blocks per game. The next guard on that list? Rasual Butler at number 54. He’s second in steals, and also leads the League in scoring. Oh, and he adds 7,6 assists per game too. Some say the Heat’s record isn’t good enough for him to win it, but if you look where they were last year and where they are now, that’s one hell of an improvement. Sure, he has a better supporting cast than last season, but a healthy Wade is leading them back to the playoffs, no matter on what end of the court he is. I have to give props to him and fellow superstar LeBron James for finally playing some D. For all the Kobe haters: at least he did that his whole career. But yeah, Wade is my pick this year.

Sixth Man of the Year: If the Mavs go to the playoffs and the Knicks don’t, it’s Jason Terry. If the Knicks go the playoffs and the Mavericks don’t, Nate Robinson has been making a case for himself with his play since the All-Star break (I know they’re not in the same conference, I’m not an idiot. Well, I am actually, but let’s try to stay on topic, which means handing out awards).

Most Improved Player: I have to go with Devin Harris. Fine, call me biased, I don’t care. I can understand that people don’t think he should win it for the simple fact that he is a product of the system (I use that term a lot nowadays) coach Lawrence Frank is running. Harris is a free man like Morgan, within an offense that maximizes his abilities to penetrate and create off the dribble. So it’s not surprising he’s a better player now than he was when he played in Dallas. But as a Maverick he was basically nothing more than a role player; as a Net he’s the face of the franchise.

Rookie of the Year: Speaking of the Nets…. nah, I know Brook Lopez won’t get it, because Derrick Rose is singlehandedly making the Bulls interesting again. I’m not a fan of his coach, Vinny Del Negro, but I like where the Bulls are heading, and with Rose Chicago has its first true star in years.

Executive of the Year: Maybe not the most interesting award for some fans, but it had to be named, since one man is very deserving. And that man is the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs: R.C. Buford. Drafting George Hill with the 26th pick should be considered as one of the steals of the Draft, and signing Roger Mason jr., and more recently Drew Gooden is clearly a case of the rich getting richer. A perfect example that small market teams in the NBA can survive when upper management is interested in winning while keeping the organization healthy and balanced at the same time. The Spurs don’t play panic ball on the court, but neither play panic ball off the court. They stick to what they know and it has served them well in the past ten years.

Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich, but if Phil Jackson wins it, I’m fine with that too. Pop played without Manu Ginobili in the beginning of the season, and lost Tony Parker too. But newly acquired Roger Mason jr. showed why the Wizards could have used him this season now more than ever, and has been the starting shooting guard for the larger part of the season. Popovich handed the point guard duties to rookie George Hill while Parker was out, and made Matt Bonner the starting center of this contending team, getting away with it too. 37-year old Bruce Bowen (still a willing and capable defender) is coming off the bench his season, while former NBA iron man Michael Finley is the starting small forward at 36 years old. So many people wrote the Spurs off, yet they’re the second-best team in the West, so that really says something.

Defensive Player of the Year: You make the call. It’s the only award I’m indecisive about.

No Breaks Allowed, Part 7

The “No Breaks Allowed” posts are my way to write about all the stuff that happens around the League which finds a place in my peanut-sized gray mass (also known as my brain), and sometimes has to come out. And why are these posts numbered? I don’t know, but might as well keep it going.

All-Star thoughts

-I will never, ever forget about Shaq’s entrance with him and those jibba jabba dudes.

-What I am trying to forget though is the rest of the All-Star Weekend. Almost every event was somewhat disappointing. I checked the highlights of the D-League All-Star events the other day, and at least those guys have the balls (?) to actually try something creative while playing H-O-R-S-E, instead of changing it into a three-point shootout. Oh, and the D-League has James White. Can’t the Warriors sign this guy next season? I’m actually pondering if the “D” in D-League stands for “Don” instead of Development. We need him in the Dunk Contest in Dallas next year. Now if only some rich guy can arrange this. Mental note: e-mail Mark Cuban.

-The Finals MVP award will now be named after Bill Russell. Best idea the NBA had since…. Hm…. Well, the last good idea the League had was switching back to the good ol’ Spalding basketballs instead of using those toy store balls. If there were any other good ideas I left out in recent years, let me know in the comment section.

-The game itself on Sunday Night wasn’t all that bad. But like KG said to Craig Sager in an interview, it was weird to see the West play a zone defense a couple of times. At least let guys get into the paint for the first three quarters. I also saw the East grab Shaq by the arm twice in the third quarter when he had a wide open lane to go in for the dunk. That was a lame move by the defense.

-Speaking of Shaq: if he is still playing in 2012, averaging 3,6 point and 2,1 boards in about 10 minutes per game, I will still try to do my best to get him in the All-Star Game, maybe as a write-in vote or something. TNT should sign this guy already, even though he’s still playing, just to have his rights before he actually retires. You know, ABA style like they did back in the days with someone like Moses Malone. Get him before someone else can.

-Enough about Shaq, let’s give Kobe some attention. Funny that he said before the game that he wouldn’t play too many minutes, giving the young guys a chance. Noble statement, but in the end Kobe had 27 points, 4 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals in 27 minutes. You could see it in the opening minutes that he was completely focused, there was no doubt in his mind he would win the game, and the MVP award. You could just see it. And four quarters later, it happened. Maybe this doesn’t even surprise me anymore.

-If Kevin Durant made one point (or 46) during the All-Star Weekend it was that we can’t deny him anymore. Next year he must play on Sunday.

-One final note: the Dutch commentary during the All-Star Weekend was horrible as usual. Ronald van Dam, who was in the booth most of the weekend, saw Shaq sitting with a lady next to him. Van Dam: “Shaq with…. Is that Halle Berry? I didn’t know they were a couple?” Uhm, yeah, Ronald: did it ever occur to you that it might just be Shaq’s wife? Van Dam also wants to change the rules: if the East wins, they will have home court advantage in the Finals, if the West wins, then they will have it. His –air colleagues didn’t agree, but Van Dam didn’t give in. It almost makes those 82 games we like to call “regular season” a waste. Sigh. Another idea: he would like it if the fans could just vote who they want to see in the Dunk Contest every year. If the fans want to see Kobe in it, Kobe should just do it. They want LeBron? James has nothing to say about it, he should lace them up and dunk. According to Ronald: if you’re in the NBA, that’s part of the job. So then what? Vince Carter at age 32 still has to show up every year because fans have fond memories of 2000? Yao and Yi would be in it because, you know, China is big? Sigh. Way to ruin 58 years of All-Star history, you idiot. To all the people in U.S. complaining about Reggie Miller: you ain’t heard nothing yet.

Trade thoughts

-Vince Carter is still a Net. As a fan of the team, I’m really happy about that. I still have faith in Rod and Kiki. Post the obligatory “Vince will be gone this summer” below; I don’t care, because I’m happy with my team.

-Alvin Gentry is now the head coach of the Suns, and Phoenix had three straight victories scoring at least 140 points in each game. But happiness can’t last forever, because Amar’e Stoudemire will be out for the next two months. Should’ve kept those goggles, man. Let’s keep an eye on this team, because they’re down to three bigs now: Shaq, and Louis “Rock the Pony” Admunson. And Robin “The Other Brother” Lopez if he can get some minutes.

-About the Bulls-Kings trade: Does this means John Salmons will come off the bench? You know Salmons won’t be happy about that, and isn’t one to shy away about those things. It seems that it is always an upstream battle for Salmons. If I were Del Negro I would two things: 1) Get a haircut. 2) Start Salmons instead of Ben Gordon. Salmons is bigger, and definitely an upgrade defensively compared to Gordon. I know Brad Miller shed a tear or two talking about leaving Sacramento, which just shows that for some people, the NBA is not all about business. I hope he does well in Chicago, and regains some of his old form. When Miller was with the Bulls earlier in his career, I only remember him for one thing: he got lucky because the haymaker Shaq (as a Laker) once threw at him barely missed the back of his head. Nocioni could be a fan favorite in Sacramento, and a healthy Drew Gooden can certainly provide some scoring and rebounds, but this trade doesn’t make the Kings better. They needed to do something though, and there’s no other team in the NBA is more in need of a high draft pick than the Kings.

-About the Magic-Rockets trade: And the rich get richer. The Magic lost their starting point guard for the season, and what is their reaction? They trade for another starting point guard. You could argue that Rafer Alston isn’t exactly All-Star material; he’s certainly no slouch either. Smart move by Otis Smith, keeping his team competitive and didn’t have to give up too much for it. And although I had some doubts why Houston traded Alston, Aaron Brooks showed me Friday night against the Mavericks that he is running the show now (19 points, 6 boards, 8 assists and 2 steals).

-Larry Hughes wants minutes, but he’s now a member of the Knicks who have plenty of guards as it is. Wilson Chandler is actually starting at shooting guard, and you also have Q-Rich and Nate playing behind (or with) Chandler and Duhon. So where does that leave Hughes? I really don’t get it.

-Oh, and I like the Chris Wilcox trade. In his previous three seasons as a Sonic he averaged about 13,5 ppg and 7,5 rpg, and he could be effective in Mike D’Antoni’s system.

One final note:

-R.I.P. mr. Larry Miller. 64 is way too young….

Half Nelson

I pride myself in being an NBA fan, not just a Nets fan. That’s why basketball message boards are sometimes even scarier than Madonna’s upper arms. It’s full of people typing so-called statements in capital letters, such as: “trade VC for Wally!” or “omgz the Raptors will win it all this year!1!1!!” Whatever they need to convince themselves, I suppose. I digress (as usual). My point is that I enjoy watching the up-tempo style of the Knicks as much as I like watching the complete basketball game played by the Spurs. Sometimes there’s an exciting game on and suddenly you remember why you’re a fan in the first place. For all those dreadful games where both teams shoot a combined 40% from the field, for all those 48-minute games that last 2,5 hours because the refs blow their whistle on every damn play, there’s a moment in the season which makes you stand up and cheer out loud in front of your television at 4 in the morning (remember, I’m Dutch, games which are aired at 10 pm ET in the U.S. – add six hours and you know at what time I’m watching it).

May 2007 made me feel what I just described. And I think over 90% of all basketball fans felt the same. The remaining 10% either lived in Texas or Germany. The Warriors were an overachieving crew from a state that’s untouchable like Elliot Ness, and it hit the Dallas Mavericks like slug to your chest. Rumors are that Avery Johnson still has trouble sleeping for more than fours hours a night, and while Dirk is still Dirk, the best shooting big man in the League, he will always be linked with the ultimate collapse during that playoff series, with Captain Jack giving him fits. The head coach of Golden State was the likeable and immensely successful coach Don Nelson. A man living by his own rules, whether they’re right or wrong, and never one to shy away from an interesting quote to amuse whoever is willing to hear it. But his status as the Oakland’s cuddly (intoxicated) teddy bear has worn off this season. To me, it almost looks like he doesn’t have the passion or the energy to do what he has to do seven months a year. The media always bashes on players when it looks like they aren’t caring anymore. You’ve got to play with a lot of heart and effort to win in the NBA, but the same rule applies for coaches. You can’t motivate your team when you have problems motivating yourself. You can’t do that job half-assed. Players expect their coaches to lead, to get a T when necessary to instigate some sort of fire, to come up with solutions in troubled times. That doesn’t mean I want to see coaches to stand along the sideline for the whole game, wild gesturing when someone messed up, screaming at everything that moves (I’m looking at you Vinny Del Negro), but at least don’t start off the season by saying that you don’t expect to make the playoffs. True, Monta Ellis was out, and Baron Davis has moved onto the Clippers, but it’s not like the Warriors had such a bad team and would be unable to steal some games during the season. Their roster has a lot of flaws, but also some tools to work with. How you handle those tools as a coach, that’s the main challenge, that’s why you make five million to figure it out.

Early in the season Don Nelson said he identified “one of my weaknesses”, meaning implementing some sort of defensive scheme into the Warriors plans, and let his assistant coaches Keith Smart and Sidney Moncrief handle that assignment during the course of the season. All great coaches in this League have (or had) great assistants who help them out when it comes to defense (Tom Thibodeau with Doc Rivers) or offense (Tex Winter advised Phil Jackson for years), that’s the way it works. “I’m not as tough anymore” was cited as reason of Nelson’s defensive liabilities as a coach, because he was “getting soft” as he got older. If that is his actual reason, could it actually be that that Nelson has lost some of his desire to lead this young Warriors bunch through a long 82-game schedule? Is it me or do we see Nellie walking less and less along the sidelines, hands on his hips, beer belly angrily aimed at a referee who just happened to make a call that the Don didn’t like? Why is it that Al Harrington was unhappy and not playing well with the run-and-gun style Warriors, but after being traded he has scored thirty or more points for the run-and-gun style New York Knicks multiple times? Why is it that Mike Dunleavy jr. turned out to be a very effective small forward after he was traded to the Pacers? We can blame it on a team’s system, but what that really the case? Why is it that early in the season when Brendan Wright was starting, and it was obvious to the world that they needed this guy’s length and athleticism next to Andris Biedrins, was reduced to a limited role for no apparent reason? Why is Anthony Randolph unhappy? The rookie from Louisiana State was supposed to be one of the most talented players in the Draft, but apparently he’s on a short leash, because rumors are that Nelson wanted Jason Thompson, but Chris Mullin still picked Randolph. We still can’t decide whether that’s right or wrong, because the guy hardly plays. Does the kid really have attitude or adjustment problems? Or is Nellie being childish in managing this situation? It’s not the first time that for a first-year player it’s Nelson’s way or the highway (remember Chris Webber?).

I’m still indifferent whether Don Nelson has lacked the skills to develop young players, or whether he’s better at it than I give him credit for? After all, there a lot of D-League guys who flourish in his system, and let’s not forget about rebounding machine Andris Biedrins. But realistically speaking: Biedrins is also a product of the system. That’s not a knock against his talent, but more often than not he plays with four shooting guards who are trigger-happy from every range imaginable. And since he’s the only dude in a Warriors jersey on the court over 6’7 most of the time, of course he’s going to get some boards.

The Warriors might regret signing Maggette to a 50 million dollar contract, they might regret not having their bearded point guard with more handles than your underground subway, but it’s not about making more deals. While too many coaches have been fired early into the season, for the Warriors’ sake the best thing that can happen to the team is that Don Nelson resigns this summer and leaves the organization. In a time where all we talk about is “change”, I wonder what Eddie Jordan can do with this team. But it’s not up to me, it’s Nellie’s world; he decides, he makes the rules.

I Voted

You know what annoys me? A lot of things. Rude people, that curling is an Olympic "sport", going out with friends but then there's always one friend who just left five minutes ago when it was his turn to buy drinks, Nickelback, VC-for-Wally trade rumors (because that just won't happen, folks!), the Eurovision Song Festival, Don Nelson, and I could go on and on. But what really annoys me is that a few weeks into the new NBA season, I can already vote for the All-Star Game which doesn't happen until three months later. So there's always one rule when it comes to voting for the All-Stars: I’m going to wait 'til January. Then I'll decide. I also vote for the guys who I think deserve it. I try to be objective, but I must admit that two of my picks are more subjective than objective.

East:

Guards:

Dwyane Wade: We all know him for what he does on the offensive side, but let's not forget he's the only guard in the top 25 amongst league leaders in blocks per game. I was watching him during the Olympics, where he looked like the healthy Wade who led the Heat to the Finals in '06. And this season is his best in the NBA so far, because he is more committed to defense.

Vince Carter: As I said earlier, I had two players who I just had to vote for, regardless if there are better players at their positions. One of them is VC. If I didn't vote for Carter, Joe Johnson would've had my vote, but since I am a Nets fan, and since Carter is truly leading this team to a record which is better than everybody imagined, while taking young players under his wing (Lopez), and giving Harris enough space to shine, there's no doubt in my mind that Vince should be in Phoenix next month.

Forwards:

LeBron James: With him it's the same thing as with Wade. He got way better defensively, and while he’s so young and there is still room left for improvement, but he’s dominating the League, scoring at will and filling the NBA.com Daily Top Ten with his tomahawk jams and come-from-behind blocks. Dude is made for the All-Star Game.

Danny Granger: What? I should've voted for Kevin Garnett? KG always puts up great numbers, but Granger…. Man…. That's just ridiculous what he's doing to opponents this season. He's such a prolific scorer and a good rebounder too. He is the prototype of a small forward (along with Caron Butler). The Pacers don’t have a winning record, and like Barkley always said: "you should reward players who are winning". That's true, but you just can't ignore what Granger is doing this season. At least I can’t.

Center:

Dwight Howard: Who else?

West:

Guards:

Chris Paul: The Hornets aren't the team I expected them to be this season, at least not yet, but you can't blame it on Chris Paul. Still putting up the numbers: first in assists per game, first in steals per game, second in assist-to-turnover ratio, third in double-doubles (behind Dwight Howard and David Lee, and the only guard in the top ten); all of this means that's he's once again the best point guard in the NBA, and a warranted starter for the West. We all know that, but T-Mac will start in place of him. That’s how it goes.

Kobe Bryant: Maybe not scoring in a dominate way as we've seen so many times in recent years, but there are few superstars in this League blessed with so many talented teammates. There's no one in the NBA who plays as good as Kobe at both ends of the floor. And the eerie thing is: I think Kobe enjoys physical pain. What does it take for this guy to not play? I’m going to do a first in the blogosphere: is Kobe the new Mailman?

Forwards:

Tim Duncan: In the beginning of the season I read some negative articles about the Spurs. The usual: too old, the glory years are behind them, etc. But good ol' Timmy wasn't having any of that, and led his Spurs to the second-best record in the West.

Dirk Nowitzki: His Mavericks are 24-17, tied for the eight spot in the West along with Utah. But if it wasn't for Dirk, the Mavs would be a below .500 team, and even that might be an understatement.

Center:

Shaquille O'Neal: Along with Vince Carter, this is my second player who just needed to vote for. I understand Yao Ming has better numbers, and without a doubt Yao is the starter for the Western All-Stars, but Shaq seems rejuvenated this season, a legend who has entertained us for so many seasons and now showing that when his body finally agrees with his mind again, he's one of the best centers of the NBA. One who turns 37 three weeks after the All-Star Game.

Write-in vote:

David Lee: I did this without giving it much thought, but I do know this: if the Knicks trade him, they are still morons. They should build around him, Duhon and Chandler (and maybe Harrington), and that’s it.

Dunk participant:

Joe Alexander: The sad thing is, Alexander hardly played this season, but when I saw his nose against the rim during a promo video on NBA.com, I was convinced. Russell Westbrook has showed us he has hops, but I still think Alexander could be better. Rudy Fernandez had some nice alley-oops, but does that make him a creative dunker? I think it will be embarrassing to watch, but I hope I'm wrong. The fans wanted him in, and they got their wish.

Role call:

To all the players that went through my mind but didn’t vote for: Devin Harris, Chauncey Billups, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Rashard Lewis, KG, Pierce, Ray Allen, Tony Parker, Yao, CB4, Marcus Camby, Deron Williams, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison , and last but certainly not least: Brandon Roy. I could name more for the sake of naming names, but all these guys actually went through my head at a certain point.

The First Day of 2009 – Reflections on the Western Conference

Happy New Year everybody. May all your hopes and dreams come true. Now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about something more significant, at least on this blog: basketball. With the season already into the new year, time goes by faster than a Chris Paul bullet pass on the break. So without further ado, take a look at the Western Conference and see who’s doing great, and who’s doing…. Not so great.

Records and standings are through December 31.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (25-5): The scary thing is that this team isn’t even playing at its best right now. Their defense could be better, Odom and Bynum aren’t performing up-to-par, and Derek Fisher doesn’t have a real back-up anymore with Jordan Farmar out, yet the Lakers still lead the West. Trevor Ariza is quietly emerging as one of the best sixth men in the NBA.

2. New Orleans Hornets (19-9): Just like the Lakers, the Hornets also could be slightly better than they are right now. Peja Stojakovic is shooting at only 40%, and both he and Tyson Chandler have missed some games due to injury. The Hornets have now the fifth best record in the League, while I was expecting them to be in the top three.

3. San Antonio Spurs (20-11): Like always, so-called journalists are so quick to write somebody off, so when in November the Spurs were struggling to stay around the .500 mark, people wrote that this was finally the year that the Spurs were getting too old. Remember, this was without Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. And now? They are third in the West, and by the way: getting Roger Mason might be one of the best off-season signings last summer.

4. Denver Nuggets (21-12): Speaking of writing teams off, I really thought the Nuggets had no chance of being a top team in the West, especially after the Camby “trade”. But since the arrival of Chauncey Billups the whole team went through a transformation into something I haven’t seen in years in Denver: they play defense. In a League where Steve Nash won the MVP two years in a row, Billups should at least be considered at the end of the season.

5. Houston Rockets (21-12): Why is it that I still don’t believe this team? Why is it that I still think that they, once again, won’t do a whole lot in the playoffs, although it’s still very far away? Maybe it’s because T-Mac will never be 100% healthy this season. Maybe it’s because Ron Artest is shooting only at 37%. Maybe it’s because their 7’6 center isn’t rebounding in double figures. Only time will tell if I’m right or wrong.

6. Portland Trail Blazers (20-12): It must be fun to be a fan of this team. Rudy Fernandez is a true player, Brandon Roy is someone we must see next month in Phoenix, and Greg Oden shouldn’t worry so much. There are rumors that they might trade Travis Outlaw to Memphis in exchange for Mike Conley. That would be fun for Oden, but guys like Outlaw are great to have on your bench, since he can do a little bit of everything. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t change a thing and see how far they can go with this roster.

7. Dallas Mavericks (19-12): A team without a starting shooting guard, that’s the first thing I notice when I look at the Mavs’ roster. Josh Howard is manning that position right now, but only by default. Jason Terry should already receive the Sixth Man of the Year award, but Dallas has to watch out. Utah, currently ninth in the West, will only get better, and it’s weird to think that either the Mavs, Jazz or Suns might miss the playoffs this year (unless the Blazers or Rockets totally collapse in the next couple of months),

8. Phoenix Suns (18-12): In two months, Shaq will turn 36. I am in disgust by the many websites, even the ones I hold in high regard, who are so overly negative of O’Neal, a living legend and still a top five center in today’s NBA. Shooting at 60%, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine boards along the way in less than 30 minutes per game in the winter of his career is something that hopefully will bring him back into the All-Star Game when February comes around.

9. Utah Jazz (19-14): How good could this team be if Carlos Boozer was healthy? Paul Millsap is playing great in his absence, and recently Deron Williams said that he was finally playing pain-free for the first time this season. Expect the Jazz to climb up in the standings.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (10-22): A huge leap from the ninth, to the tenth team in the West. When Memphis traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers last season, everybody thought it was a joke, a case of bad management, not knowing his “little” brother Marc Gasol would turn out to be such a fine player. He, Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo will find some ways to win some more games this season.

11. Golden State Warriors (10-24): Don Nelson shouldn’t be in this League anymore. Embarrassing to see what he puts his team through this season.

12. Los Angeles Clippers (8-23): I hope that Baron Davis is right when he says this is a transition year, and I also hope that management acknowledges that. I still believe with this roster the Clippers are way better then what their record shows, despite the fact that they have no bench. Never expected Zach Randolph to fit in so well before he got injured.

13. Sacramento Kings (8-24): At least Reggie Miller 2.0 is finally back, but other than Kevin Martin and the rookies Thompson and Hawes, damn near everybody is on the trading block for Sacramento.

14. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-25): Kevin McHale shouldn’t be in this League anymore. Without Al Jefferson the Wolves wouldn’t have won a single game this season.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-29): There are some bright spots with this team that make me wonder why they are this bad. The roster isn’t that awful (Durant and Green are playing great), and if newly acquired center Nenad Krstic is somewhat healthy, they finally get some scoring from a big guy other than the erratic Chris Wilcox. Expect some trades within now and six weeks involving either Wilcox, Nick Collison, Joe Smith or Earl Watson.

The Final Day of 2008 – Reflections on the Eastern Conference

Ah yes. The last day of the year. A moment of reflection for some, a day for many to make plans for the year ahead of us. Lose weight, exercise more, stop smoking, stop making Heineken / Budweiser / Miller / whoever so rich, blablabla, all that crap to make our lives more miserable. I’ll go with “reflection” this time, no plans for 2009 so far. Well, not really anyway, but that’s something for another time. Over one-third of the season has been played, so let’s take a brief look where all the 30 teams stand so far.

Records and standings are through December 30.

1. Boston Celtics (28-5): Who doesn’t love the holidays? Apparently, the Celtics don’t. They lost three of their last four games since Christmas, losing to the Lakers, Warriors and a Roy-less Blazers team. Their next three games will be against New York, Washington and Charlotte, anything is possible.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (28-5): My thoughts? I think the Cavs are one Joe Smith away from taking the number one spot in the East.

3. Orlando Magic (24-7): Is Jameer Nelson overachieving, or finally showing what he’s worth? Flight Howard is so much of a beast, it’s a beauty to watch him play, and Rashard Lewis is quietly putting up the numbers once again. Fun team to watch, and watch out if Hedo finally breaks out of his season-long shooting slump.

4. Atlanta Hawks (21-10): The young Hawks have one thing one their mind: 50 wins. Since pushing the Celtics to seven games last spring, they believe they can beat anybody. And they might be right. Wait, they’ve got another thing on their mind: Joe Johnson is an all-star. Coaches, do your work.

5. Detroit Pistons (18-11): The Pistons have now won four in a row, which was needed to prove to their loyal fanbase that the AI can help this team, but for how long? Coach Curry even admits that playing with two, instead of three guards, works out better for them defensively. Their best line-up might be Stuckey, Hamilton, Prince, Johnson / Maxiell / McDyess, and Rasheed Wallace. I know, call me mr. Obvious, but AI coming off the bench? Can’t see it happening.

6. Miami Heat (17-13): Who is Miami’s most important player besides Dwyane Wade this season? If you’re answer isn’t Udonis Haslem, you’re wrong. Of course Wade is the biggest reason that they are now sixth in the East, but without Haslem, they wouldn’t even be in the top eight.

7. New Jersey (15-16): I know, I don’t believe it either. If the Nets played 82 games on the road, they would be amongst the East elite. I might be reaching here, but take a look at these numbers: they are 10-4 on the road, but only 5-12 at home. And if you haven’t already read this somewhere: this is a record.The Nets are the only team in the history of the NBA to be 5 games over .500 on the road, and 5 games under .500 at home. Certainly won’t help attendance, which was already dreadful.

8. Milwaukee Bucks (15-17): On paper, the Bucks have a very good roster, but their record doesn’t show for it (yet). But if this will be a playoff season, their record doesn’t matter anymore, and they could be a tough team to face in the first round.

9. Chicago Bulls (14-17): An implosion waiting to happen. Derrick Rose is playing at such a high level, it’s almost unavoidable for a rookie to go through some rough times too. The question is: who will carry this once proud franchise when that happens? Luol Deng? Maybe when he’s healthy. Ben Gordon? Dude’s still waiting for that big contract, and it might not be in Chicago. Tyrus Thomas is inconsistent, Noah is not doing enough, Larry Hughes is (surprise!) unhappy with his role coming off the bench, and not a single big man on this roster can post up and score if his name isn’t Drew Gooden, so they need to do something before the trading deadline. Rumors of bringing Brad Miller back might not be a bad idea.

10. Philadelphia 76’ers (12-18): Already one of the most disappointing teams of this season, just behind the Raptors and Clippers, and then the Sixers lost Elton Brand. Since they played really well without Brand last season, let’s see what they can do. Firing Maurice Cheeks really helped, didn’t it?

11. New York Knicks (12-18): Hey, they could be worse. They’re actually fun to watch, so that’s at least one thing Mike D’Antoni has accomplished. Nate Robison is still making a lot of boneheaded plays, no matter how many points he puts up, and he’s not alone. They can’t defend anyone, but The only player who really impressed me so far is Chris Duhon. He’s carrying that team so far, doing so without a back-up.

12. Toronto Raptors (12-19): There’s hardly any help from the bench, Jermaine O’Neal can play great in one game, completely disappear in the other, the same thing goes for Bargs, and it still feels like Chris Bosh is still all alone in Canada whenever I see the Raptors play. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are some roster moves being made come February.

13. Charlotte Bobcats (11-21): I really don’t know what to think of this team. Haven’t seen them play yet, but at least Boris Diaw is performing very well. Same goes for Gerald Wallace, when healthy. Will the both of them still be here in two months?

14. Indiana Pacers (10-21): No one expected the Pacers to win much this season, as they try to assemble a decent team around young star Danny Granger. By the way: will Jamaal Tinsley ever get traded? Place your bets now!

15. Washington Wizards (6-21): Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are once again carrying the load, with both of them putting up All-Star numbers. Will Arenas ever get back? And when will Eddie Jordan be back into the League? Dude got screwed.

(Tomorrow we'll take a look at the the Western Conference)

The Renaissance

A year ago Jason Kidd was one unhappy man, and when talking about his own team he “didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel”. When the Nets had a game against the Knicks in December ’08, Kidd didn’t play because he suffered from a migraine. This was remarkable, because in the seven years that I’ve been following him more closely than any other player in the League, he hasn’t missed a single game because of that. So when your team captain and franchise saviour is trying to send a message to the organization by sitting out a game, it was time for a change. Now in no way will I be hateful towards Jason Kidd, and I’m certainly not writing him off. I have too much respect for what he has done: finally the team was no longer the laughingstock in the NBA when he arrived; finally the Knicks had to pay attention to what was happening at the other side of the Hudson River. He brought my team to the Finals, not once, but twice, racking up triple-doubles so often that legendary nicknames like “Magic” and “The Big O” were mentioned whenever someone talked about Kidd. I hope he’s happy in his current situation, and I will keep rooting for him. But after his departure I was left without a favorite player. Now what?

There are several players that I enjoy watching more than others, so in that way I’m no different than the average fan. Seeing a Dwight Howard block, a Dwyane Wade traffic jam, a Chris Paul no-look dime or a LeBron James alley-oop gets me out of my seat too. But to me your favorite player, the one whose jersey you would rock with pride if you would go to a game, should be on your favorite team. Back when I was still rooting for the Bulls, obviously MJ was the man; he was the first pro ballplayer I heard of. But Scottie Pippen was my guy. He could do it all: a great defender, ball handler, could go up for a graceful scoop or a forceful dunk. Pippen made it look easy. I even had a black Pippen jersey (I actually liked those black jerseys they had for while – not with the red pinstripes though. I still wonder where it is. I think it got lost since I moved around a couple of times in the last 12 years).

When the Bulls’ president Jerry Reinsdorf and then GM Jerry Krause decided to dismantle the championship team back in ’98, and Pippen left to play for Houston, what could I do? Luckily I started following the Nets around that time, and they had the pale white rider: Keith Van Horn. Van Horn could really play, but for some reason it never really panned out for him in his career (then again, he’s still getting paid for doing nothing, which you could also call my dream job). I also was checking out what the Knicks were doing those years, with Latrell Sprewell being the man back then. However, when you were a Bulls fan at first, became a Nets fan after that, there’s no way you can switch to the Knicks (looking back I’m glad I let the Knicks go).

After bouncing around a couple of years, not knowing who would be “the” player for me, Jason Kidd was traded to the Nets, and my fandom was safe for the next seven years. Until February 13, 2008 when Kidd was traded to Dallas, along with Antoine Wright and Malik Allen in exchange for Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop and Maurice Ager. Read: Kidd for Harris. When Devin Harris finally made his debut against the Milwaukee Bucks, there were plenty of reasons to still have some hope for this Nets team. Harris penetrated at will, showing off his speed, passing to his new teammates, and had a wonderful one-handed dunk over Andrew Bogut. The few people who actually showed up at the IZOD gave him a standing ovation, because already they were convinced that this trade was really for the better. But a point guard being traded in the middle of the season, adapting to 11 new guys isn’t something you can get used to in one game. And while Harris occasionally showed what he could do on the court, it wasn’t until this season that he was finally playing relaxed out there. And with “relaxed” I mean doing what he does best, going 100 mph, twisting and twirling like the Tasmanian Devil, which makes Harris New Jersey’s Devil. He’s daring opposing point guards to stop him while they are back pedalling hoping that if he blows by them, some big guy will swap Harris’ shot away. But those logs can only send him to the free throw line, where Harris is getting many of his 24 points per game every night. Devin is becoming “The Man” now in Jersey, or should we say “The Dude”? (I am so hip hop)

Whatever is going to happen in two years, wherever the Nets will play or which star might or might not (expect the latter) come over, the Nets got their own star. A franchise left for dead by many journalists in their season previews (even I had doubts, but I always had hope), Devin Harris has brought them back to life; a renaissance is going on in New Jersey, because Devin is Gettin’ Up.

No Breaks Allowed, Part 6

The “No Breaks Allowed” posts are my way to write about all the stuff that happens around the League which finds a place in my peanut-sized gray mass (also known as my brain), and sometimes has to come out. And why are these posts numbered? I don’t know, but might as well keep it going.

-So now the Warriors are playing with two shooting guards, two small forwards and a center? This is not Rucker Park, Nellie! But gotta admit; the Warriors still have an entertaining team. If I may add one more thing: Brendan Wright must play.

-Speaking of the Warriors, wouldn’t it be cool if Anthony Morrow plays with no. 2 instead of 22? Get it? Yeah, I know, I’m just not that funny.

-Hi Kiki and Rod, here’s a word of advice. Please don’t trade for Adam Morrison. Or Matt Carroll. We need a guy who can score about 15 or 20 points every night next to VC and Devin Harris. Wait, Charlotte is also trying to move Gerald Wallace? Let’s talk.

-Baron Davis is back. Marcus Camby is back, but enough with the naming names here, and enough with all the losing. I understand that being a good team doesn’t happen overnight, and that you should be patient. But there’s no reason for the Clippers should to suck as much as they do now. I wish Baron was still a Warrior. In fact, Stephen Jackson said something like this last week too. And maybe Baron Davis secretly longs for those days too, but hey, at least he’s home right?

-Since Russia is also dealing with a financial crisis, a lot of teams over there stopped paying their players. Boki Nachbar, Carlos Delfino and Nenad Krstic are in a horrible situation right now, because they don’t get a single Ruble for their actions. Somewhere, David Stern is smiling.

-To Gilbert Arenas: You say a lot of stuff, and usually it’s quite amusing. However, what you said Thursday was embarrassing: “….if this is one of those years where we don’t make the playoffs or we finish in last place … that’s what happened to San Antonio and that’s how they got Tim Duncan and look at them now … and that’s for the better.” That’s not very fair to your teammates, is it? Hang in there Caron and Antawn, I’m sure Agent Zero didn’t mean it like that. At least Gil said he’ll be “good to go” by January 1st. Not that the Wizards play that day, neither does any other team in the League, but it’s something to look forward to.

-Hi Kiki and Rod, it’s me again. I’m about to lose my job within two or three months because the company I work for is going down like the Atlanta Hawks in the standings. My schedule is free for the next six months; maybe I can work as a Lawrence Frank stunt-double?

-Since the League is constantly fining or suspending every player who shows any kind of emotion or rubs the NBA the wrong way, I’m surprised that Rajon Rondo hasn’t been fined yet for always wearing his headband with the NBA logo upside down. Blasphemy! Don’t get me wrong, I like it, it’s Rondo’s thing. Just like his move where he fakes a behind-the-back pass to confuse his defender, and then finishes with a nifty lay-up. It always looks so cool when he does it. However, it surprises me that a lot times Rondo misses the lay-up. Am I the only one who notices this? Weird.

-It’s still early in the season, so can we move the Thunder back to Seattle, call them the Sonics and pretend it never happened? Just like we did with the microfiber ball two years ago?

Me, Myself and Iverson

When Allen Iverson entered the League in 1996, I didn’t know too much about him. In The Netherlands it’s damn near impossible to see college ball (not that I mind), so I never saw him play at Georgetown. Since it was also not easy to find quality basketball magazines like SLAM, who gave AI ink before AI had any ink on his body, I could only judge AI by the stats he put up for those atrocious Sixers back then. The problem for me was that until 1999 I wasn’t able to watch live NBA games on television. So all those years before that, I only saw some game highlights on CNN, and sometimes NBA Action. I thought of him as a very talented yet egocentric basketball player, bad shot selection, and a ballhog with a very bad attitude. My opinion of Allen Iverson early in his career was based on stats and some highlight clips, nothing more. Looking back on it, the above could be summarized as “ignorance”.

Finally in 1999 I was watching live games, and two years later AI single-handedly carried the Sixers to the 2001 Finals. Watching all five games in those series, I finally understood the love Iverson received by so many of his peers, by SLAM, the people in Philly and many more. Before that I was like the others, the haters, who are oblivious to the talent displayed right before our eyes. Not knowing anything about him, his background, his passion, his fearless attitude on the court, I didn’t know shit. Those ’01 Finals opened my eyes and I went all Monkees because I was a believer from then on.

I always was excited when there were Sixers games on TV, no matter how mediocre the rest of his team was, they always had a chance to win because of that 6 foot lightweight warrior running all over the court. Always one of the leaders when it comes to scoring and minutes per game, AI sacrificed his body which made me wonder when I would see any decline in his game. It didn’t happen though, and after a rough period it was time for a change, and that change brought him to Denver in 2006. We all know what happened after that. Iverson still knew how to score, actually played better than I expected next to Carmelo Anthony, but this summer Denver tried to free up some cap space by trading away Camby for nothing, and not even attempting to re-sign Eduardo Najera. It’s contradictive, because if they wanted cap space, why did they trade Iverson to Detroit for hometown hero Chauncey Billups, who has a contract running ‘til 2011?

AI has played one game for Denver this season, and the rest of his season will be in Detroit. It’s a great situation for the Pistons, because they also signed Rip Hamilton for another three years, and have a lot of talent on the roster in the form of Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Rodney Stuckey and of course veteran Tayshaun Prince for the next couple of seasons. With the signing of Iverson, the Pistons have a plenty of cap space to pursue LeBron and/or Bosh in 2010 (LeBron and AI have the same agent in Leon Rose by the way). Will they really let Iverson walk after his contract expires in the summer of 2009? From a financial standpoint, I understand what Joe Dumars is doing, but it would be a bit weird for Iverson if he indeed manages to win it all with the Pistons, and within a month after celebrating the title, he’s without a team. But I’m getting ahead of myself, we have a full season to go, and by no means am I saying that the Pistons will win it now. But who doesn’t want to see them battling for that Finals spot against the Celtics in May? I know I do, I know you do, and AI does too. I never should’ve judged Iverson only by his shooting percentage when he came into the League, because it said nothing about the one essential thing of his hall-of-fame career: his heart.

Southwest Division Preview

1. New Orleans Hornets: The obvious choice for first place I suppose, although it wouldn’t surprise me if people are really high on the Rockets right now. And yes, Houston is a lot better with Ron Artest there, but the Hornets are one of the top three teams in the League. With their core still intact and new addition James Posey, the Hornets are legitimate contenders for the title. Last year we truly saw how good they really were, and with Chris Paul was getting MVP consideration, defenses will try to smother him. But would that bother CP3? When he is double-teamed, there’s always a great shooter somewhere on the court, like Peja, Posey, Mo Pete, and power forward David West has a pretty good range too. If that doesn’t work, Tyson Chandler might be hovering around the rim waiting for that lob, or the promising Julian Wright will be cutting through the lanes to finish an easy two. This team is really something, so who will beat them? Will this be the third Finals trip in Byron Scott’s young career?

2. Houston Rockets: Honestly I think I might’ve placed them too high, but the Spurs are getting older, and the Rockets have all the material to at least win more regular season games than San Antonio. When you have two stars in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, you throw Ron Artest into the mix, what do you get? I don’t know either. Will there be games that Artest is the only healthy player of all three? How tired is Yao already? Is there a part of T-Mac’s body that doesn’t hurt? But if you’re a Rockets fan you might not think too much about these things, and you just hope to go deep into the playoffs. Another bright spot is Luis Scola. He might not give you 30 points every night, grab 20 rebounds or block five shots, but he’s active, crafty and has a high basketball IQ. A perfect fit for this team, one where three players will probably carry the bulk of Houston’s offense, and Scola will be depended on to do the dirty work. But it’s too early to tell how far they will go with this “new” team, we’ll re-evaluate in month or so.

3. San Antonio Spurs: It’s the same old Spurs, although they made a smart move getting Roger Mason to come over. Mason really played well in stretches for the Washington Wizards last season, and now with Manu Ginobili probably out until December, Mason could see a lot of minutes early on. The others? We know them, and we know what they can do. Bruce Bowen is still a premier defensive player, and behind him is another Bowen in the making: Ime Udoka. So all things considered the Spurs are still good enough to compete for the title. The aforementioned Ginobili, with Tony Parker and superstar Tim Duncan will lead the NBA’s oldest team into the playoffs, but back to the Finals might be a bit too much.

4. Dallas Mavericks: Too bad the Mavs are in one of the most competitive divisions of the whole League, because is there anyone out there who thinks that they will finish above the Hornets, Rockets or Spurs? Sure, they still have a lot of talented players, but so does the rest. Jason Kidd is still a great passer, but defensively he has lost a step. Dirk, although still good, wasn’t in MVP form last season, and Josh Howard also needs to get back to his all-star level of play. New coach Rick Carlisle is a good choice to run things, but don’t expect them to be higher than the 6th spot in April.

5. Memphis Grizzlies: There’s a new Gasol in town. Same shaggy hair, same scruffy beard, different playing style. Marc Gasol has a wider body that his brother and former Grizzly Pau. Marc is more of a banger, a true power forward, or, in today’s NBA, he might end up playing center if Darko Milicic doesn’t get the start. The Grizzlies might not win many games, but they will certainly be exciting to watch with Mike Conley as their point guard, who has O.J. Mayo on one side, and the versatile Rudy Gay on the other side. Trading Mayo for Love (and Mike Miller) was a great deal, and although Mayo will have his share of difficulties by playing so much as a rookie, he’s the real thing. And since Rudy Gay already is a star, they could be one Ricky Rubio away from achieving a winning record again in Memphis.

Pacific Division Preview

1. Los Angeles Lakers: Since Kobe hasn’t had a lot of rest during the summer, I’m wondering if Phil Jackson keeps something like that in account. The good thing is now that Andrew Bynum is back, the Lakers really have a complete team. I’m not too sure if Odom coming off the bench is a great idea, and I would like to see who will be the starting small forward on opening night. Will Phil start Radmanovic, or the athletic but injury-prone Trevor Ariza? Whoever it is, it might not matter too much, because Kobe, Pau, Mountain Drew and Fisher are back this season for one thing: winning the championship. Jackson’s tenth, doesn’t that sound nice?

2. Phoenix Suns: New coach, some new faces, same great passer. With Terry Porter on the sidelines you will see a new playing style in Phoenix. Oh yes, they might still run because Steve Nash is your point guard, but Porter also preaches defense, and Shaq is probably better suited in the half-court game anyway. Shaq however, is a pretty good passer himself, so it’s nice he can dish it to Goggles Stoudemire or back to Nash, who is still a dead-eye shooter. The Suns also had a very nice pick-up in Matt Barnes. When he actually was in the rotation at Golden State in his previous two seasons (and with Nellie you never know what to expect), Barnes showed that he could do a little bit of everything, whether it was getting some steals, shooting the 3 or slashing to the hole. It wouldn’t surprise me if he became the team’s full-time starter with Grant Hill coming off the bench. Another season, another roster full of good players, but Finals material? I wouldn’t mind seeing them getting there, because of Nash, Hill and Shaq, but it will be tough.

3. Los Angeles Clippers: I really like the Clippers’ depth. They’ll need it, because with new stars Baron Davis and Marcus Camby you never know how many games they might miss because of injuries. Then again, if they do manage to stay healthy, and with Kaman and Thornton as the other starters, I like their chances. They drafted shooting guard Eric Gordon, and also still have veteran combo guard Cuttino Mobley on the roster, and added Ricky ‘Buckets’ Davis, so there are plenty of shooters on the team. Health will determine if this Clipper team will get back to the playoffs, or back to an early vacation once again.

4. Golden State Warriors: When will Monta Ellis exactly come back? And when he does, at what state? And who will be the point guard during this period of at least 30 games? All we know is that Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette have the green light to shoot, and to shoot a lot. But who will score from the inside? Biedrins is a great defender, but not known for his extensive collection of post moves, and Al Harrington can score, but rather does it from outside of the painted area. So on some night when the ball just doesn’t want to go in, good teams can rely on their defense. The Warriors? They just have to rely on the fact that none of their players will ride mopeds for the rest of their contracts.

5. Sacramento Kings: At least they have Kevin Martin.

Northwest Division Previw

1. Utah Jazz: Deron Williams. The best point guard in the NBA not named Chris Paul. The Jazz will always be competitive with him and Carlos Boozer on the floor. I always liked Boozer’s game; a guy with a lot of offensive weapons, and he’s paired with Mehmet Okur, a center who’s more than capable of hitting shots from 20 feet and beyond. In the pre-season small forward Andrei Kirilenko came off the bench, so it’s interesting to see what Jerry Sloan will do when the regular season gets underway next week. Will he continue to start C.J. Miles and at small forward, with the athletic guard Ronnie Brewer rounding out Utah’s starting line-up? This team has some veterans, some young guys, but didn’t do a whole lot in the off-season. Sloan is a great coach, so there’s a pretty good chance the Jazz will win this division (the only true competition here is Portland), get back to the playoffs and get kicked out in the second round by either the Hornets or Lakers.

2. Portland Trail Blazers: As a fan of the game it’s no secret that this is a team to get excited about. Health remains a concern, with Martell Webster out for a while, and we have to see if Greg Oden’s knee can hold up during the grind of an 82-game season (with probably 10-15 extra games in the playoffs?). But the depth of the Blazers is exceptional: Roy, Aldridge, Blake, Outlaw, Aldridge, Batum, Przybilla, Bayless, Fernandez, Rodriguez, I mean, come on! This is ridiculous, this is an outrage, with so much talent on one team, Nate McMillan is one lucky coach. The Blazers are once again a proud franchise, will go back to the playoffs, and we all will enjoy the ride for hopefully many years to come.

3. Denver Nuggets: Every time I read something about the Nuggets, it’s George Karl saying that everybody is so positive, committed in playing defense, and are playing with a chip on their should because the media writes them off. I can imagine Melo and AI being frustrated since the trade of Marcus Camby, and being the players that they are, they will try hard to prove people wrong who are saying they can’t win. But who will man the middle? Nene had a lot of injuries throughout his career, and even battled cancer last season. I really hope he is now 100% healthy, and together with Kenyon Martin (speaking of injuries….) I hope they can provide what the Nuggets need now Camby is gone: boards and blocks. If the Nuggets make the playoffs this season, it will definitely surprise me.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves: This team could win one award this season if it actually existed: highest number of undersized shooting guards on one roster. They could’ve solved that problem if Kevin McHale didn’t trade their original draft pick O.J. Mayo to the Grizzlies. But he did, but now has power forward Kevin Love in return. So at least that’s two big guys under the basket for the Wolves, with him and Al Jefferson getting a lot of minutes at the power forward and center position. Ex-Grizzly Mike Miller came along in the Mayo trade, a great shooter but it’s not enough to keep up with the rest of the West. For the Timberwolves there’s only one rule: there’s always next year.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder: There’s enough talent on this team to win some games, especially when the team is lead by young star Kevin Durant. And let’s not forget Jeff Green, Nick Collisson and Chris Wilcox. Joe Smith is a proven veteran who will have a good influence on the younger players, but let’s be honest here: they won’t win right now, fans will lose interest quickly because they don’t have the patience to see what will happen in the next couple of seasons, and within five years this franchise will move to another city. Yes, I’m a pessimistic person.

Southeast Division Preview

1. Orlando Magic: What is there not to like about this team? When you have Flight Howard on your roster, excitement is guaranteed, and some wins too. The Magic finished at the top of their division last season, but with the emergence of the Hawks you have to wonder if they’re able to do it again. They didn’t have any big off-season acquisitions, although Michael Pietrus is nice player to have on the wing. 2007/2008 proved to be the best season for Hedo Turkoglu so far, and add Rashard Lewis to this line-up; it’s safe to say the scoring department is pretty much covered. With these three stars Orlando will have a shot to be the division champs, but I’m not too impressed with the supporting cast. Jameer Nelson is a decent point guard, but it was nice to have Keyon Dooling backing him up, being a very good on-ball defender. Now that’s he’s gone, Orlando signed veteran Anthony Johnson as a back-up, but what about the rest of the bench? Will J.J. Redick ever see the court? Is Howard the only good big man they have? The Southeast Division will be a lot more competitive than last year, no doubt about it.

2. Atlanta Hawks: In the pre-season Acie Law has showed flashes of brilliance, so with him and Mike Bibby manning the point is a luxury to have. Makes me wonder though, if Law keeps up this level of play, will that make Bibby expendable? It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s dealt during the season for a center to play next to young big man Al Horford, who probably will be the starting center on opening night. The Hawks managed to keep stat-stuffer Josh Smith, and Joe Johnson is still there to lead all of these young guys. The pushed the Celtics to seven games back in May, so the quality is there. The question is: how much can they get better with pretty much the same roster as last season?

3. Washington Wizards: I don’t know what to say or think about the Washington Wizards anymore. I’m giving them the benefit of doubt by placing them in the third spot. The “Big Three”, Arenas, Butler and Jamison are good enough to compete with any “Big Three” in the League. Sadly enough, they can’t stay healthy at the same time. And this year it’s no different, with Gilbert out ‘til December. Last season, center Etan Thomas was out all year due to heart surgery, he’s back though, and that’s a good thing, because starting center Brendan Haywood will probably miss six months with a wrist injury. Let’s hope that by the end of 2008, we at least have a chance to see how good Gil, Jamison and Butler can be together. If they can remain healthy from then on, they will end up higher in this division.

4. Miami Heat: Did I rank them too low? Depends. If I was Eric Spoelstra (who is the first coach in the NBA that actually looks younger than me, which is frustrating) I would go with a small line-up. I’m not sure who their starting point guard will be, it might be Chris Quinn, but I really like what I’ve seen from Marcus Banks so far this pre-season. The other guard is of course Wade, then you have forwards Marion and Beasley, and at center Udonis Haslem. They will probably get annihilated by teams like the Spurs and Lakers, but the Heat doesn’t have a lot of options anyway. They drafted gifted point guard Mario Chalmers, who will see a lot of action in his first year (unless Shaun Livingston returns to pre-injury form), but when I look at the rest of the team, I’m wondering: who will provide that scoring punch off the bench?

5. Charlotte Bobcats: I really dislike the hiring of coach Larry Brown. If you look at his résumé, it’s safe to say that he will leave the Bobcats as soon as they have a winning record, or if some players frustrate him, he’ll leave anyway. Right? Right. Luckily, the relatively young roster of the Bobcats has some bright spots which should win them some games. For instance, a guy like Gerald Wallace fills more holes than Ron Jeremy. He can play multiple positions, scores, rebounds, blocks shots and gets some steals too. He has one problem: his health. Another shot blocker and rebounder is Emeka Okafor, but he still isn’t the franchise player everybody envisioned him to be. Raymond Felton is a good point guard with a questionable shot selection, so the lone star on this team is Jason Richardson, who probably still is wondering if he’ll ever get a taste of the playoffs again. During the summer Charlotte hasn’t made a lot of improvements, so one can only wonder: is another year experience combined with the knowledge of Larry Brown enough to get back at .500?

Central Division Preview

1. Detroit Pistons: A lot of people probably expect Cleveland to finish first in the Central Division. But with a new coach in Michael Curry, and the ever improving young bench, the Pistons will have an edge over the Cavaliers, although it will be an interesting battle all year long. Curry, a former defensive specialist himself, will hold his players accountable, which former coach Flip Saunders allegedly did not. Curry said Amir Johnson will get the starting nod along with the usual suspects; Billups, Rip, Prince and Sheed at center. That means veteran forward Antonio McDyess will come off the bench, providing leadership to the über-athletic Jason Maxiell, Kwame Brown and the very talented guard Rodney Stuckey. The core of the team might be getting older, but with such a deep rotation they should be competitive throughout the season, and end up first in this division. I would like to see a rematch against the Celtics in the Conference Finals in 2009; who wouldn’t?

2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Mo Williams mo’ problems. For opponents, that is. I know a lot of people think Mo Williams isn’t the solution to the Cavs’ problems, but he sure is part of that solution. Finally a guy who is a legitimate scorer, a pretty good point guard who can run with LeBron. But the thing with the Cavs is that every season their roster is always missing something. Adding Williams was a great move, and I liked how well Delonte West performed in last season’s playoffs. But what about the rest? Wally Szczerbiak should not be a starter. Nice to have him shooting 3’s as a sub, but since he doesn’t defend, he should come off the bench. Pavlovic is inconsistent, Daniel Gibson is a great shooter, but not really a point guard, and too small for playing the shooting guard position. Ben Wallace is getting older, and provides zero offense. Big Z, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a more than decent center, but you can’t ask 40 minutes out of this guy anymore. So that leaves us with? Anderson Varejao? That’s not enough. Yes, a superstar like LeBron James will take you to the playoffs, or maybe even to the Finals, but a championship is out of reach.

3. Milwaukee Bucks: With this roster they deserve to be in third place (in this blog I mean), and if the Bucks somehow manage to miss the playoffs, we should all point a finger at new coach Scott Skiles. The Bucks are a great mix between veteran and young players. Acquiring Richard Jefferson from the New Jersey Nets will take the pressure off Michael Redd to be the main scorer every night. Andrew Bogut is quietly emerging in one of the best centers in the East, and can only get better. Wit Maurice Williams now gone, Ramon Sessions will probably start at the point guard position, and it will be interesting to see if he’s able to carry the team through a whole season. Charlie Bell is also a guard who can play, but he might be the forgotten man in the rotation, which is a shame. Rumors are Francisco Elson (one of two Dutchmen on this team!) will start, with Charlie Villanueva coming off the bench. Milwaukee also has promising rookie in Joe Alexander, so again: they have to make the playoffs, or else this season is a waste.

4. Chicago Bulls: I don’t know what to make of this team. Promising? Ready to implode? Playoff material? The latter should be the case, but last season was such a disappointment, I really wonder what new coach Vinny Del Negro will do to get them back on track. In Derrick Rose the Bulls have a great young point guard who will be asked to do a lot for this team. Where does this leave Kirk Hinrich? I’ve read that he might switch to the 2-spot, but will that work? And what about Larry Hughes? Since they also have Thabo Sefolosha on the roster, will Hughes get traded when February comes around? Then again, who would be willing to take on his contract anyway? Speaking of guards and trades, where will Ben Gordon be in February? A lot of questions surround this great franchise, but with Rose, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Andres Nocioni and even Joakim Noah, they should still be able to win more games than they will lose. But playoffs are not a certainty in Chicago anymore.

5. Indiana Pacers: As of right now, Jamaal Tinsley is still a Pacer. But when he’s gone, a new era has started in Indiana. Artest, Jackson, O’Neal, all gone. You might want to call it rebuilding, but the foundation is already there. One of the better and maybe underrated small forwards of the NBA is Danny Granger, obviously the one player Larry Bird wants to build around in the near future. Getting T.J. Ford on board was a smart decision. Let’s just hope we never have to see Ford getting carried off the court again. My heart stops a split-second when I saw him lying motionless on the court in the past, absolutely horrible. But when he gets it going, it’s hard to stop him, he’s that quick. Mike Dunleavy jr. really blossomed since being brought over from Golden State to the Pacers, but other that, this will be a long season for Pacer fans. And with “season” I mean the regular season, because with all those improved teams in the East, it will be difficult for them to crack the top eight.

Atlantic Division Preview

I am currently in Portugal, and the last days of my otherwise perfect vacation are rainy. Clouds that are keeping the sun from shining during the late days of September are actually getting me excited for the month that is coming up. And we all know what October will bring us: besides the trees that will lose their leaves and the fact that I will lose that tiny little bit of tan that I’ve been building up this week, the start of a new NBA season is finally in sight. That means I can write about something that inevitability will be totally wrong, that will leave people wondering if I have really lost all my remaining sanity after I typed what should be nothing more than one man’s thought about the NBA; we’re talking about the previews for the 2008/2009 season. Last year I thought the Nets could finish above the Celtics, had high hopes for the Bulls and the Nuggets (who didn’t?), and really expected nothing of the Lakers, so I hope I can make a little bit more sense this year. And let’s start off with the Atlantic Division.


1. Boston Celtics: Repeat? Quite possible. Even though they lost James Posey to New Orleans, I think it won’t hurt the Celtics too much. Not that I’m underestimating Posey’s value to the Celtics, but I believe the team has plenty of pieces to make it work to at least make the Finals again. Leon Powe will see a significant increase in his minutes on the court now that Posey is gone, giving them an extra boost off the bench. Garnett, Allen and Pierce now finally have that first championship, and being the players that they are, I can’t imagining them being satisfied with just one. What I really want to know is: how healthy is Bill Walker? If he can come back at 100%, the best team of the NBA might have one of the best guards of this year’s Draft.

2. Philadelphia 76’ers: How much more can Andre Iguodala improve? It would be nice if he became a better shooter, because with Elton Brand now manning the paint, it will create more open shots for him and Andre Miller. Defensively this team is pretty much set too; the guards can gamble every now and then on their man, because behind them is Samuel Dalembert waiting to block anything that might slip through. Couple this with young forward Thaddeus Young, and that’s a great starting five that can play with any other team in the League. Head coach Maurice Cheeks can also choose to go small, giving Louis Williams extended time on the floor. Starting this season, the Sixers have some really nice years ahead of them.

3. Toronto Raptors: I like the signing of Jermaine O’Neal and it will be fun to watch him and Chris Bosh playing off each other. José Calderon is now finally the starting point guard for the Raptors, and will probably share the backcourt with Anthony Parker, and Jamario Moon will be playing the small forward position. But if it’s time to make some substitutions, who will you send in? I’m not too fond of the bench, besides Hassan Adams (yes, Hassan Adams). If Bosh or, more realistically, O’Neal gets injured, which big would be the one replacing them? Andrea Bargnani is more of a small forward, and as a former number one pick, I doubt if he will ever be a star. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he can play, but he’s not a guy who you can build your whole team around. Not yet, anyway. Luckily they still have Bosh, who played quite well on Team U.S.A., and once again has to have a great season to lead the Raptors to the playoffs. But more than that can’t be expected from this team.

4. New Jersey Nets: I actually placed the Nets over the Knicks because of one reason: even though the Nets are obviously in a rebuilding situation, they are doing in a way which will keep them (hopefully) competitive. Not because it’s “my” team which could make me biased, but I actually believe with Devin Harris and the rookies Chris Douglas-Roberts, Ryan Anderson and Brook Lopez, the Nets have a good young nucleus to win some games these next few seasons. I left Yi out on purpose, because I can’t get over the Richard Jefferson trade. I understand Yi has a lot of upside, but he is a player who has yet to prove himself. The plan is to bring him along slowly, and not pressure him too much early on. Josh Boone is someone who averaged a double-double since he became a starter early in the season, so we now have an idea what to expect out of him. What I really hope is that Sean Williams finally “gets it”, and starts using his head more during games. He put up nice numbers when he was a starter for a short while, but on too many occasions he seems to be confused during the plays that they ran. Vince Carter? Well, I’m not the one to bash him. He can be frustrating to watch, but also still can make you go drooling like a toddler scoring when he wants, and showing that he’s a great passer. He needs to be a leader this season, and as a fan it will be interesting to see if he accepts that role. My plea to Lawrence Frank is once again to play the young guys. Lopez will definitely see a lot of minutes, but I really hope that CDR will get off the bench too. I hope he’ll the starting small forward sooner than later, but that might be a tad unrealistic. The Nets probably won’t make the playoffs this season, but there’s enough to get excited about.

5. New York Knicks: Of course Mike D’Antoni will improve their record from last season, and he might get more out of some players than his predecessor, Isiah Thomas. Jamal Crawford might have a great year now with D’Antoni as his coach, and David Lee is always fun to watch because of his work-ethic when it comes to rebounding. In fact, almost the whole team from last season is back for another year (plus Chris Duhon), and that’s the reason I placed them last in the Atlantic Division. Rookie Danilo Gallinari has back problems, so he can’t be counted on as a savior, and recently signed Allan Houston? He probably can still shoot 3’s, so let’s hope the best for him. It’s the “wait-and-see” approach if Eddy Curry, the still-Knick Zach Randolph and the rest can run-and gun in D’Antoni’s offense.

The Evolution of the Power Forward

No, I’m not going all the way back in NBA history. However, I will go back in my own NBA history, my memory of the game I’ve been following since the early nineties, and I realize that no position has changed more than the 4-spot.

Some might argue that in the last decade the point guard position went in a different direction, but in reality, that’s not the case. The “classic” point guard was always the guy who had a pass-first mentality, setting up plays and sharing the rock with his teammates. In the mid-nineties you had guys like Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson coming up; small players who were more scorers than the traditional guards. Like nowadays you have Gilbert Arenas at the 1-spot in Washington, but he’s more of a playmaker with the ability to score 40 at any given time. The point guard position has always been divided. In the Knicks’ glory days you had the amazing Walt Frazier who could drop 30 on your ass, but also give 10 assists along the process. Or what about Kevin Johnson, a diminutive but fierce guard who played for the Phoenix Suns who liked to dunk on whatever big log was manning the paint? Nowadays, I think Steve Nash is responsible for letting GM’s realize that you need a floorleader who can rack up dimes and making everyone around him better. I know I might be stating the obvious, but guys like Chris Paul, Andre Miller and Deron Williams are all like that, and it’s a joy to watch them play.

I’m really drifting off here, because I should be talking about the big men in this game, the tall forces who emphasize “power” in power forward. Elbows flying, floor-diving, reaching out there for the rebound, getting some points in the paint, being as wide as you are tall, pushing, shoving, boxing out, tough defense and what not. When I think of them, stuff like this pops into my head like a virus pop-up window when you’re browsing for “Paris Hilton + pics” (not that I know about this from any personal experiences). But today’s power forward seems to be a more versatile, finesse kind of player. Tall guys who can take their defenders off the dribble, some even shoot 3’s if needed, they’re more like taller small forwards. The power forward of the early to mid-nineties would be a center in the modern-day NBA.

The 4-spot in my mind is still occupied by players like Charles Barkley, Horace Grant, Charles Oakley, Buck Williams, Larry Johnson (well, his first 2 two seasons with the Hornets), Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Kevin McHale, Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Rick Mahorn, Jayson Williams, Otis Thorpe, Anthony Mason, P.J. Brown and even Dennis Rodman (build like a small forward, but could outrebound every damn power forward out there). The ultra-athletic Shawn Kemp might not fit in the mold of the other guys I named here, but if you play with as much force as Kemp, he belongs in this list too, no doubt.

In 1995 Kevin Garnett was drafted. Rail-thin, wiry yet strong enough to hammer it over plenty of other dudes his size. In the years that followed, KG showed that he could do just about everything. He was basically a 6’11 small forward, and when you check the power forwards we have on our current NBA rosters, there are plenty more of those ‘big-small forwards’: Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, Pau Gasol, Tyrus Thomas, Al Harrington, Lamar Odom, Boris Diaw, and even Rashard Lewis played some power forward for the Orlando Magic (which is insane).

Why am I writing this? To sum it all up: out of frustration. I’m not saying there aren’t any good big men left in the NBA, because there are plenty: Flight Howard, Elton Brand, Tim Duncan, Tyson Chandler, Mountain Drew Bynum, Mehmet Okur, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Marcus Camby, David West, just to name a few. I even want to mention Udonis Haslem here, because he belongs in the classic power forward category, but the NBA is eliminating my definition of the big man. Sometimes a tall player can’t stay into the game because refs are so quick to blow the whistle; it’s almost painful to watch. When you’re a 7-footer, standing still with your hand up in the air and Dwyane Wade comes at you, you know you’re screwed. You could be like a statue and still you would get a foul. It’s always the same damn thing. Sure, I like high-scoring games too, but one of the most annoying things to me in the new millennium of the NBA is that you can’t play tough defense anymore. Maybe basketball in the nineties wasn’t always the most attractive ball you would see, but at least there was equality for every position.

No Breaks Allowed, Part Five

To start with a Barkley: “First of all”, I am definitely aware of everything that is happening around the League. But it’s summertime, and although I read a lot of stuff regarding to the NBA, I just haven’t written about it. Until today, because I felt the need to discuss some stuff that has been brewing in this bobblehead of mine (seriously, I you would look at my head, it’s huge. Even Yao and Shaq’s domes are smaller than mine, but I digress).

-Guys like Boki, Arroyo, Childress, Krstic, just to name a few, have all left the U.S. to get mo’ money, and you can’t blame them. Am I worried about the state of the NBA? No. There are only like seven of eight teams overseas who can spend cash like this, and like player agent Keith Glass already said: “who’s going to buy a ticket to see Josh Childress anyway?” He’s not a big fish, so until that happens, people should stop worrying about it. Oh, and about Keith Glass: every basketball fan should read his book “Taking Shots” sometimes, it’s hilarious. More on this in another blog. However, the problem is with the restricted free agents. They are basically prisoners of their own contract, so that’s something the NBA has to look into.

-How about those Clippers? To be honest, I’m impressed. A couple of weeks ago when Brand left, I had little hope for L.A.’s “other team”. It’s always the same thing; I thought they really weren’t interested in winning at all. They had Davis, but Brand went to the Sixers, so they would have to start all over again. I mean, how are you going to replace the nightly 20 and 10? Well, they got their 20 points because of the presence of his royal beardness, but those 10 rebounds, that defense, how are you going to replace that? Mmmm…. Tough call. It’s not like a former defensive player of the year is walking through that door, right? It’s not like one of the leading shotblockers and a top rebounder could be acquired for let’s say…. Nothing? And that’s exactly what happened, the Clippers got Marcus Camby. A trade which we should call a “scamby”, because it’s even worse than the Gasol trade last February. They also improved their depth by signing Ricky Davis, Jason Hart, and Brian Skinner, so the Clippers have a 10-man rotation set. It might be too early too tell, but I believe they can compete with any team in the League. Nothing less than a playoff spot is acceptable. Even with all the talent that the Western Conference possesses, especially with Portland on the rise, the Clippers still should get in there like swimwear (boom tho!).

-I will miss all the Olympic action ‘til Monday August 18 because I’m going to France for a couple of days, and when I return I will head off to a fest here in The Netherlands. Hopefully I’ll catch the U.S.A. battling Germany that Monday, and if they get past the first round, maybe I can see some more. But if the games are around 9 am ET in the U.S., that means it’s 3 pm here. And since watching basketball at work probably won’t help my career (if you could call it a career) I might be lucky if I even see one game at all, which sucks. Then again, France and especially the festival I’m going to every year will be awesome. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Kidd, Kobe, LeBron and the rest while I’m watching The Roots, N*E*R*D or Jamie Lidell.

-To close this blog for today with a Nets note: Dear Kiki and Rod: you know I love the Nets, and the team at its current state might be able to play some defense. But if you don’t sign another player who can help Carter and Harris in the scoring department, can you at least promise me that Frank will give Chris Douglas-Roberts some playing time this season? I don’t know much about the guy, but for some reason I have a feeling he will be something special in this League, when given the chance. Thank you.