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How Good Becomes Bad

DOL17 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:38:00 GMT

Ladies and Gentleman, it's here. The greatest sport on our planet bar none (!) is back on our tv screens, in our gyms and across our websites. College Basketball, what else? It's that exciting I can actually feel Yannis bursting with excitement all the way down in Corpus Christi. I would be too if I was him, last time I talked to him he said he was based in Texas -- who are fixing to be pretty scary this year. But anyways, as strong as the field will be this year, disaster is only ever a second away. Remember Kalin Lucas last year? Pittsburgh and DeJuan Blair do. For this blog I have chosen my top five pre-season teams, and will proceed to tell you, my ever loyal reader, how it can/could/will go all wrong for their respective ball clubs. So..

My number one team -- as much as it pains me to say -- are the Kansas Jayhawks. Cole Aldrich, Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry are potentially unstoppable. Elijah Johnson is gonna be a real blue chip prospect for them, and Tyshawn Taylor should build upon his freshman season. Thing is, I don't like their depth at the four and five. Cole Aldrich may be the best big man in the Big 12, maybe the whole country, but if he goes down...uh oh. The Morris brothers are pretty good alongside Aldrich, but would you fancy either of them taking on Ed Davis, Luke Harangody or Derrick Favors without Aldrich as backup? Thought so. A paper thin frontcourt should get them through the Big 12 unscathed, but when it comes down to it, the Jayhawks Nation will be praying their bigman stays healthy.

After Kansas, I really can't seperate the following four teams -- Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State and UNC. They are all loaded with experience, quality and each posess that key element -- a genuine difference maker. Texas has Avery Bradley. Kentucky has John Wall. Michigan State has Kalin Lucas. UNC has Ed Davis. They may just be four of your five All Americans. All have other worldy head coaches running the show. But, like everything, there are weaknesses.

Texas look legit as can be this year. Avery Bradley is going to be a star. Jordan Hamilton is able to do anything he wants to and may be the best pro prospect in the Big 12. Damion Jones may finally get the success he craves of in his senior year. But where is the depth? I worry for the second unit of the Longhorns, so much so I would even consider leaving newly transferred Jai Lucas out of the starting five in some games. Sunds daft I know, but you need a steady hand to keep the show moving when the stars take a breather, he may be that guy.

Kentucky...has there ever been a more spotlighted college team before a ball has been bounced? John Calipari has a dream team to deal with. The backcourt of Wall, Bledsoe and Miller is a matchup nightmare. Big bodies aplenty for the Wildcats also in the shape of Cousins, Orton and the welcomed-back-with-open-arms Patrick Patterson. What a boost getting him back from the lure of the NBA was, pity same couldn't be same for Joide Meeks. The one key question I have for Coach Cal and his team is can they install the dribble-drive offense while committing to the defensive side of things? They may just say "To hell with D, let's outsocre 'em all!". Cool, Conference USA is the time and place for that. March isn't.

Michigan State boils down to two words and two words only..Kalin Lucas. They will go as far as he takes them. Kalin Lucas is to this team what LeBron was to Cleveland in 06/07. You know who the star is, you know he'll have the ball in his hands when it counts, can you stop him? Many teams this year will find out that with Lucas, you simply can't.

Finally, UNC. Your returning National Champions. Remember 2006? The year after the National Championship victory, remember what happened? Roy Williams does. Is that going to happen this year? No, not at all. But -- but -- if i had to rank my group of four "I'm not sure abouts", I'd have them last, unquestionably. Reason being I'm jst not that sure they have the backcourt to keep up with the elite. Marcus Ginyard will lead this team until he can't give anymore, but he's a grafter. Larry Drew is a good player, but will that be enough? Dexter Strickland is a freshman whom the Chapel Hill faithful have high hopes for. When Ty Lawson was running the show, you instantly knew that at any second he would produce that killer pass, nail a three or fly right by you. This group doesn't send out the same message. They're good, but are they a top 10 backcourt? The forwards and Centre spots are another story. This is where UNC will kill you. Ed Davis is going to erupt. Don't sleep on Deon Thompson. The Wear twins are great prospects. Tyler Zeller is going to be very eager to show the world what he's all about after an injury halted his season last year. John Henson will be this year's version of Ed Davis last year. See? I told you they were good.

People, sit back...it's time.

For Cleveland, The Time Is Now

DOL17 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:23:00 GMT

It's a long time since Richfield. Even longer since Austin Carr wore his afro as a rookie from Notre Dame. In a league built upon franchises and success, the Cavs don't match up to the "bigger boys". Since the team's inception in 1970, their overall winning percentage is a mere 46%. The club has two central division titles to its name, and just the lone Eastern Conference crown. It hasn't got many jerseys hanging in the rafters to signify past greats, six to be precise. We own the NBA record for longest losing streak. The organisation was in such disarray in the eighties that we are the ones responsible for the NBA rule that doesn't permit a team to trade draft picks in successive seasons. Props to Ted Stepien on that one. Stepien also being the guy who wanted to move us to Toronto, fortunately the Gund brothers intervened and the Toronto Towers never materialised past a pipe dream. On the court during that era we experienced mixed results. From 1975 to 1979, the Cavs were regulars in the playoffs; and if not for the original number 23 in the eighties, who knows how far the Cavs may have gotten. Such was our luck during that period of success we had the (dis) pleasure of coming across the Bulls twice in the postseason. You remember "The Shot", don't you? The second time round against the Bulls was after a superb regular season, but hopes were dashed 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals(Sound Familiar??). Not being harsh on the Cavs, but from then right up until 2003 was pretty much a blur. Honestly, was it Ricky Davis giving himself a rebound off his own backboard to get a triple-double? Maybe the retirements of Daugherty and Price did it. Let's be serious, the biggest highlight was probably the acquisition of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, one who will surely join the super six up in the rafters upon his retirement.

To say that the Cavaliers only really became relevant in 2003 is somewhat unfair to the heroes of yester year, but in some people's eyes it's the truth. One thing I can say without fear of disagreement from anyone, 2003 was the defining year of the Cleveland Cavaliers...to date. We were gift wrapped the Akron phenom that is LeBron James. All he has done since is proceed to break the franchise record for (deep breath) field goals made, free throws made and attempted, steals and points. He has also racked up several "youngest player to..." milestones, all while playing with a supporting cast consisting of Drew Gooden to Damon Jones, Larry (or Laura if you like) Hughes to Ira Newble. He has surpassed all expectations and delivered everything imaginable, except one thing. That thing was meant to have been attained last season. That thing is the reason why a 66-16, number one seed season is now just remembered as the season that was. That thing ladies and gentlemen, is an NBA Championship. Some people say Cleveland is cursed when it comes to Championships, maybe so. I don't believe in curses, jinxes, superstitions, none of that. I do however believe in destiny. We were destined to stay in Cleveland against Ted's wishes all those years ago, same way we were destined to get the bounce of the balls and land the hometown kid. Is destiny poised to deliver us our first Championship in the same year LeBron is supposedly going to leave through free agency? The signs are encouraging.

Last season we came up against a team who mismatched the bajeesus out of us, the Orlando Magic. We didn't have enough mobile, big perimeter guys to match upto Turkoglu, Lewis and Pietrus. Howard exploited Ilgauskas' one major flaw inside - lack of physical presence. The ensuing off-season, those giant holes have well and truly been plugged. You need big, active perimeter guys to go chase Lewis and Pietrus? How do Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker size up? Forget Hedo, he actually did end up in Toronto. His replacement is the mercurial Vince Carter. For funnies, go check his stats while playing against the Cavs, notably while playing against DeLonte West. It doesn't make good reading, does it? And I know you're saying to yourself, "Wait, DeLonte West, he's crazy now, right?" Wrong. Well, right but wrong. He'll be back. Dwight Howard now has Hall of Fame certainty Shaquille O'Neal to contend with. Sure, Shaq flopped around a little last year while playing Dwight, but this is different. Last year was Phoenix and cost cutting, this year it's Cleveland and banner raising. Leon Powe may well be the free agent pick up of the off-season. Last year the Cavs showed versatility in patches, expect it bunches this season. If you want to go big, you play a starting five of Bron and Parker in the backcourt, Moon, Varejao and Shaq. That legitimately could happen. You want to get out and run? Try out last Mo Williams, DeLonte, Moon, Bron and JJ Hickson. We can throw so many different looks at any opponent it beggars belief. This team is genuinely ten men deep, with some left over. It remains to be seen whether the loss of John Kuester will hurt the team as much as some believe, and whether or not Coach Brown can handle the big occasion. Those questions can only be answered with time.

The Cavs will have to go some way to repeat last season's 66 win total, but thankfully the schedule has been kind on us to begin with. Of the opening twenty games, it is very (very) attainable to start off 19-1. Don't believe me, go check the fixtures. The Cavs must continue to beat the poor teams (we crucified every team under .500 last season) while maintaining the Q's reputation as the NBA's Fort Knox. The record books may say 39-2, but for me we went 39-1 at home, that last game against Phily just doesn't count or matter in any way (just don't tell Boobie that, he went nuts that night). We must continue to be the elite defensive team in the league. We need our three point shot to continue to drop, but we mustn't rely on it. Floor spacing, defensive assignments, team chemistry, concentration, effort, trust, respect, dedication and commitment defined the Cavaliers last year. We need them to be our foundation once again this year.

2010 may very well be remembered as the year LeBron left Cleveland in search for big lights and bigger paydays. It could go down as the year the big gamble failed and ran out of Diesel. It could, however, mark the beginning of something magical. Forget the Miracle of Richfield. Forget Carr, Price, Daugherty and Thurmond, our time is now, for there may never be a bigger year than 2010 for the Cavaliers.

Nervous? Good...

Assisting in Style

Antony_Sanchez3 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:12:00 GMT

I still remember the first time I saw Brandon Jennings. He was being interviewed before the McDonald's All-American contest. His charisma and energy was oozing through the television screen. To top it all off (literally), was his high top fade that keep giving me flashbacks of "House Party". What I appreciated most about the kid was that he was a team player. Jennings wasn't going after the MVP award, nor the most points ever scored, or even the most defensive gambles either (steals). So then what did he want?

"I wanted to set the assist record," Jennings said.

Although he didn't get the record of 14 ("only" managed 9) he played very admirably scoring 12 points and setting up a beautiful off-the-backboard pass to Jrue Holiday.

As Coach Moreau would say, "Jennings wasn't just pass-first; he was pass-first, -second and -third."

Yet don't mistake the 12 points as evidence that Jennings only tries to pass because he can't score. Counter evidence to that can be cited from his record 63 points while attending Oak Hill Academy. It is just that Jennings WANTS to pass that ball, he wants to assist, and he wants to help out whenever he can.

Born in Los Angeles and going to school in Compton, Jennings had it tough to say the least. That's why whenever he has a chance to help others, he capitalizes on the opportunity because he appreciates good deeds and does them whenever he can. Take last year when he was in Europe and L'Aquila had an earthquake. He donated $50,000 out of the goodness of his heart because coming from LA he knew earthquakes were devastating.

Now the 10th pick of the 2009 draft is taking that mentality of helping and assisting to the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I'm going to give you the ball, that's what I do, I like to pass. So as long as they are running and getting out I am going to feed them. Just play basketball."

Yet Jennings knows he isn't going to be Chris Paul overnight, he isn't perfect and understands that.

"[The Bucks] know I am going to make mistakes. They just want to see how I run a team and just play with confidence."

Confidence is never lacking with Jennings, and although that may be a bad thing to some, I would feel much more comfortable knowing my point guard has a bit more poise than have a scared lead guard. Especially when the opposing guard is known to be good, as the case was during the draft when Jennings said a few comments about Ricky Rubio.

"Yeah, I think I'm a better player than he is," Jennings told reporters. "The only thing I've seen him do sometimes is when he has a home run pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype.
I can't even front."

That's what you can always expect from Brandon Jennings. The truth from a true baller, he knows he is good so his goal is to make others around him better. And that's what his team expects from him to.

"I think he's going to come in and impact us," Bucks assistant coach Kelvin Sampson said.

That's Brandon Jennings for the folks who didn't know him. Yes sometimes he may bring the ugly as seen in his conversation with Rapper Joe Budden, but he isn't going to sugarcoat anything for anyone.

"I'm just going to be real with you guys."

Whether it's being real generous to tragedy stricken cities, whether its being real honest about his competition, or whether it's being real real back in the day with his eraser head doo, don't expect anything else from the 20 year old Brandon Jennings.

A Look at the New Nets

Antony_Sanchez3 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:45:00 GMT

When NBA experts throw out the word "potential", you hear about the usual names. Roy's Trailblazers, Durant's Thunder, and Rose's Bulls. Heck people think of ~~Kevin Martin's~~ Kings (wait scratch that) and even the Grizzles even though they just added Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson. The team that always seems to get lost in the shuffle is the New Jersey Nets. But what's not to love about them??

First off, when discussing the Nets, understand that they are a team of the future. Hence the reason why most analysts have them finishing last in their division this year. All their actions are for the future and it is a plus if there future plans help them in the present. And it's great that they are a team of tomorrow because all their pieces are starting to come together.

One reason the Nets outlook seems so positive is because of their plentiful cap space. They have done a terrific job of trading large contracts for expiring ones as well as young talent. (VC for Lee) And as we all know it would be very difficult to have a positive future if your money is always tied up to an under achieving squad (see: New York Knicks). Just look at next season, they only have three players on the books (that aren't under rookie contracts) and those players are: Star player Devin Harris, the nitty -gritty and mentoring Najera, and finally the calm and reliable Dooling. Not a bad group to show the young guns the ropes huh? And the best part is the team will only have 30 million committed to the summer of LeBron. By that time, Russian billionaire (that's a one with NINE zeros after it) Mikhail Prokhorov will be the New Jersey Nets majority owner. Devin Harris explained it best when he said, "(Prokhorov) has deep pockets." The Nets can use the cash to lure a superstar next summer whether it is LeBron or a superstar power forward like Amare or Boozer.

If New Jersey doesn't want to get a power forward in free agency, then that's not a problem because of the draft. The Nets will most likely finish the season with a mediocre record, and in draft language that translates into a high draft pick. Next years draft features as many as fifteen potential first round power forwards, including North Carolina's Ed Davis, international phenom Donatas Motiejunas, and Georgetown's Greg Monroe. They can also add more depth and talent in next years draft because they have two first round draft picks (thank you Jason Kidd).

The possible draft picks and free agents that the Nets can get are always fun to dream about, but they also have a solid core of six right now.

Devin Harris has matured as the leader of the squad after Vince was traded and has proven that he is ready for the roll after averaging career highs in points (21.3), assists (6.9) and steals (1.6) last year.

Brook Lopez finished 3rd place in rookie voting last year and is already considered as one of the best centers in the league. Lopez grabbed 10.6% of the offensive rebounds he was on the floor for last year, and that's good enough for ninth in the league. Those offensive rebounds lead to more offensive possessions which are great for Lopez. Why? Because head coach Frank Lawrence has stated that that he will get more touches, "Brook is going to be a very good 'hub' for us."

Courtney Lee is a rising star for the Nets after being traded for VC. He is a terrific three point shooter (40.4% last year) and an even better defensive player. He played the Magic's stopper last year guarding the leagues best players as a rookie. What was his final trick that rookie season? Taking on the Black Mamba in the NBA finals. And Lee is not bitter after going from such a talented team to the Nets. He doesn't even want to magically fill the void left by VC, he just wants to do what he can for the team, asserting, "I'm looking forward to getting up to New Jersey and trying to help that team as much as possible."

And has everyone forgotten about the second round steal from Memphis last year? Chris Douglas Roberts has a year of pro ball under his belt now and is capable of becoming that deadly second unit scorer ala JR Smith or Flip Murray.

Even the Nets 2009 draft pick Terrence Williams is already considered a cornerstone for the team. He has the ball-handling ability to play some point-forward when Harris is on the bench. Williams is not only a touted defensive player, but a proud defensive player, exclaiming, "I get a joy out of stopping somebody."

Lastly comes the huge question mark of Yi Jianlian. He has been a disappointment through this point of his career, but has shown brief flashes of light giving glimpses of what may be. He has bulked up considerably (and I mean considerably) this summer in order to bang down low with the big boys of the East. And let's not forget he is only 22 years old and has plenty of time to grow.

One of the few remaining questions left for the Nets is what to do with so much duplication at the small forward position. Is there a trade coming up this season, because Terrance Williams is going to need his playing me, but it is a little difficult with Hassell, Najera, and Hayes right there. Even star Devin Harris poses some difficulty. He only appeared in 69 games last year, but luckily there's Rafer Alston that can easily step in and run the team till Harris returns.

The next problem returns again to the power forward positions, a spot that the Nets are amazingly weak at. Unless Yi produces in a big way this upcoming season then they better start shopping for a new four. As stated earlier, Boozer would look very good in a Nets jersey, and Amare would tear it up in Jersey with the line-up around him. Again there's always the option of the draft, and the free agent class of 2010 will only come once so they better capitalize at the opportunity of having at most 30 million dollars of cap space next year. All in all, the New Jersey Nets have a very promising future, they have valuable pieces in place now as well as many avenues to improve themselves with, thus providing strong evidence to support the claim that whenever you hear the word potential, the Nets better be near the top of the list of the names you think of.

A 2009/10 NBA Twitter Preview

DOL17 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:47:00 GMT

How sad is that? A preview of Twitter. Not who'll be MVP, not who'll make the playoffs, Twitter. But it's still related to the NBA, so I'm not breaking any of HOOPSWORLD's blogging rules...I hope. Twitter is so big and huge now in the world we live, I'm even thinking of joining it. Me. Inside info on me here for you; I still play Playstation 2, have never played Playstation 3 nor plan to do so, I refuse to buy a new iPod even though mine is so old I think it's a walkman, I don't do HD TV because my girlfriend thinks it's "a watse of money and the same thing as normal TV", and last but not least, I still wear my favourite NBA jersey -- Garnett's Minnesota jersey. Those are actual facts of my life, sucks huh? Point being is that I really don't move with the times. If I come across something I like, I stick with it. Maybe that's why I'm still playing Sonic, it stuck with me. OK, I'll get to the point now of this blog. Nearly every NBA player has a Twitter account, Kevin Love even made a "Twitter Starting Five" during a summer league game. With the new season upon us (well, exhibition games at least) I think it's time for me to gaze into my crystal ball and forecast some Twitter comments we may see hit the headlines this upcoming season.

R_Artest: "Sure, I only got four shots last night, but I'm happy."

K_Garnett: "Just chestbumped 'Sheed again, I love his man boobs, WOOO!"

Shaq: "Y'all see DeLonte West on those milk cartons lately? Damn."

S_Marbury: "Make sure you tune in for my live show this week, a day in the life of Starbury Vol. 12."

D_Howard: "I miss Hedo."

A_Stoudemire: " Just back from Specsavers..."

K_Love: "Join my "Help Adopt A Spaniard" campaign. For just $3 a month you could help Ricky live in America. Please, we need your help."

R_Artest: "I didn't mean to hit him."

C_Villanueva: "Coach loves when I Twitter during games. He even gave me a nice big seat behind the bench to do it in!!"

Coach_Cal: "Those allegations aren't true, pure lies."

Y_Ming: "Who'd of thought that Tracy could get hurt eating Subway?"

B_Griffin: "Why couldn't Sacramento have won the damn lottery."

T_Mac: "Damn sandwiches."

L_James: "I love Cleveland. I love New York, Brooklyn's my favourite suburb. London was pretty cool also."

R_Artest: "That fan had it coming. Him and his wife."

M_D'Antoni: "Didn't see LeBron signing with the London Towers...really didn't."

Let the Twittering begin...

It Could Go Either Way

DOL17 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:08:00 GMT

There are a lot of certainties in the NBA. We all know that LeBron is gonna flirt with a triple double almost every game. We know that Kobe will stop at nothing (n-o-t-h-i-n-g) to win. We know Chris Paul has that uncanny knack of making the eye dropping pass. Hell, some of us out there are darn near certain we know that the words "Artest", "Unhappy" and "Shots allocated" will pop up in a headline sometime this year. It's the NBA, for all the undenying variables it presents, certain things don't change. So, for some reason unknown to me (seriously -- I don't know where this idea popped into my head) I began thinking about the Bulls. Yeah, I now that's Joel's job around here, but I couldn't resist. I have come to the conclusion that the only certainty surrounding the Bulls is that we are not one bit certain how this season will go. Make sense? It doesn't I know. But is there any other team out there that has the potential to be either A) Very, very good, B) Make the playoffs but won't be that much of a threat, C) 1st Round Playoff washout or D) A complete disaster? I'm not quite sure there is. Take the East. We know the Cavs, Celtics and Magic will be members of Category A. Toronto, Washington, Miami and Atlanta are all in Category B, but also maybe C. Charlotte, Detroit, Indiana and Philadelphia are all firmly lodged in Group C, with everyone else in Category D -- sorry New York, Milwaukee and New Jersey. In the West, LA, San Antonio and Denver are the trio in Category A. You have Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, Portland and Utah in Categories B and some C. Houston, Oklahoma and Golden State lie in Caegory C, with the Clippers, Memphis, Minnesota and Sacramento in D. Any objections? I'm sure you do, there's a little box below for such grievances.

Now, the Bulls. For them to be a member of Category A the following has to happen. Derrick Rose makes a LeBron-esque leap from rookie to sophmore and is completely unstoppable after developing a reliable jumper. Luol Deng returns and reminds us why the Bulls paid him so much money. John Salmons shows us all why they were right to let their leading scorer walk away with a full season of what he did after joining them midway through last season. Oh yeah, anybody else find it weird that having lost their leading scorer they may actually better off without him? Anyways...Ty Thomas and Joakim "I just love to dance" Noah show us all that they are the most promising big man combo in the world, while rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson show glimpses of their promise. Kirk Hinrich, Jannero Pargo and Lindsey Hunter perform well enough that Rose and Salmons never have to get tired, thus leaving them fresh for the fourth quarter to dominate. Brad Miller, well, he's Brad Miller!!

A Category B season would go like this. Deng takes a long time to find his groove after injury. Derrick Rose still hasn't got a jumper. Slamons morphs into Ben Gordon V2.0. Ty Thomas reminds us all why the Bulls "wanted" to trade him all summer long. The rookies are no good. Kirk Hinrich wants to be traded because Derrick Rose is such a freak athlete he plays full pace for 48 a night. Brad Miller becomes Brad Miller.

Category C, well that's basically the season they had last year without the whole "best playoff series ever" performance they put in. I hope they don't get the Celtics again in the first round, otherwise I'll have to think of a new category.

Now, here's the part where all Bulls fan cringe, because it just might happen folks. Category D -- Disaster. (Please note, I hope none of the following happens). Luol Deng plays ten games of sheer brilliance, but goes down hurt again and misses the remainder of the season. I can't say anything bad about Derrick Rose, I haven't got it in me. John Salmons turns into Ben Gordon except can't make any of the 20 shots he takes a game. Thomas and Noah prove they are the the most ineffective big man duo offensively in the league by settling for jump shots every time down. Hinrich's unhappiness causes major unrest, prompting Hunter and Miller to think "Hey, I'm too old for this, I'm retiring" thuse leaving the Bulls short two key rotation guys. The rookies really are that bad. Vinnie Del Negro lasts the whole season as head coach.

So, where do we put them?

What the Bucks Going On?

Dan Duangdao — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:50:00 GMT

Despite season-ending injuries to Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut and controversies surrounding Charlie Villanueva's use of Twitter during intermission, the Bucks remained relevant in the Eastern Conference. Led by head coach Scott Skiles, the squad showed flashes of their defensive prowess while developing their young core in Ramon Sessions, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Joe Alexander. Unlike past seasons, they persevered through these misfortunes and finally developed an identity that renewed the optimism and excitement in the city of Milwaukee. For nearly seventy games, the Bucks were in the hunt for the last spot in the East until reality had finally set in.

Heading into the offseason, there were feelings that management would continue to build off of last season's accomplishments. This assumption was fueled by the idea that the return of Redd and Bogut and the continuous development of their young nucleus would propel them to their first playoff appearance in years...

However, this huge step forward was not satisfactory enough and management has obviously decided to overhaul the roster. This offseason has been highlighted with trading away their second-leading scorer, Richard Jefferson and refusing to re-sign their former second round gem, Ramon Sessions. In return, the Bucks have acquired Kurt Thomas, Hakim Warrick, Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova and Roko Ukic while drafting rookies Brandon Jennings and Jodie Meeks.

Having said this, what do these moves signal for the Milwaukee Bucks?

With all these short-term contracts on the roster, the Bucks are looking to accomplish their goals in the next two seasons. While the talent that they acquired clearly does not match last season's roster, they have improved their overall depth. In the frontcourt, the additions of Kurt Thomas and Hakim Warrick should provide improved insurance policies in case Andrew Bogut goes out with another injury. Also, Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova provide the Bucks with outside shooting that should improve their inside-outside game. More importantly, the trade of Richard Jefferson will open up more minutes for Alexander and Mbah a Moute to continue to develop. Lastly, the main concern will lie in the backcourt. As the Bucks have acquired three unproven guards, it will be interesting to see if these players will be able to provide reliable minutes behind Luke Ridnour and Michael Redd.

Having mentioned the depth of the Bucks, another important aspect to discuss is if management's decision to overhaul the roster was based on financial reasons. Seeing that management has traded for expiring contracts and has avoided signing free agents to long-term deals, the initial thought that comes up is likely the 2010 sweepstakes. However, the Bucks will still have eleven players under contract which amounts to approximately 50 million dollars. This means that there is little chance that the Bucks can sign an all-star caliber player unless he accepts the mid-level exception. Despite this current financial situation, there are still ways that the Bucks can somehow be players in 2010. Quite similar to Richard Jefferson's case, the Bucks can look to trade Redd for players with expiring contracts. Also, Michael Redd has the right to exercise his Early Termination Option where he would eventually become a free agent. If one of these two events occur, the Bucks will have approximately 18 millions dollars to spend in the 2010 offseason.

Looking forward, there are just too many uncertainties both short and long term. Instead of building off of last season's accomplishments, the Bucks have risked their chances of making the playoffs this upcoming season. Whenever there is a major roster overhaul, key issues such as chemistry will need to be addressed. If this team is unable to come together quickly, their window of opportunity has unnecessarily been closed. In response, management will likely gear themselves towards the future. In the 2011 offseason, the Bucks will potentially have enough cap room to sign an all-star caliber player. While they will have financial flexibility, when was the last time management was able to lure a big name player into the city of Milwaukee? Having said this, the Bucks should have continued to develop last season's squad while possibly making minor changes. If the return of Redd and Bogut did not propel them to making the playoffs, then these moves would have been understandable. Ultimately, the Bucks have potentially risked their team's success today while preparing themselves for an unforeseeable future.

The Pressure Mounts

DOL17 — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:02:00 GMT

What do you work as in your every day life? Are you a nine-to-five office guy? Maybe you work in retail, a gym or as a salesman? I don't know, you fill in the blanks, it's your job. Nonetheless, in your line of work, aren't you constantly under pressure to do well? I mean, if you don't sell some cars or have your weekly statistical analysis report on your bosses desk by 5pm Friday, won't you get some heat from the guy upstairs as to why you aren't doing your job well? It's life, and it happens in every single aspect of it. Don't ya just love it though? No? Not at all? Good, congratulations -- you're human. In the world of pro basketball, the pressures are just the same. So, whether they like it or not, here are seven teams and a band of stripe wearing officials who face some serious pressure this season.

1) Cleveland Cavaliers and The Dallas Mavericks. Last year it was constantly said that LeBron finally had a supporting cast strong enough to get it done. What are we labelling this year's batch so? Gone are dead weights Ben Wallace, Sasha "I only play good hard when I feel like it" Pavlovic, Wally's World and Tarence Kinsey. In come Shaq, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. Now the Cavs have depth. Now we can safely label this squad as the Cavalier team to get it done. Danny Ferry has spent oodles and canoodles of cash getting this team together, and it's a Championship or bust. Literally. If we don't get the Larry O'Brien, rumours will persist of LeBron leaving, which will not happen, thank you crummy economy! Either way, he will be getting increasingly frustrated which isn't good for our franchise. Remember the Lakers when we thought Kobe was going to Chicago? Times that by about a bajillion and you're getting there. As for Dallas, Dirk's window is closing faster than car dealerships in Detroit. He now has a team of players who three years ago would have been really really good. If Gortat had come aboard, all bets would have been off. I think that he was the anchor they needed, because Eric Dampier just isn't getting it done for you for 82 games. Sorry Damp. So maybe they go small, with Dirk as their starting five? Maybe, who knows, and does anybody outside of Mark Cuban's office care? Maybe some Dirk lovers in Germany, that's about it. But we all as NBA lovers and followers know that the regular season vastly approaching us brings great expectations for these two success starved franchises.

2) Everybody associated with the Clippers. Look, I've seen people leave comments on this site saying all HOOPSWORLD does is bash the Clippers. I got some news for you -- every site not having a web address of www.laclippers.com does the same fricking thing! Why? Maybe because it's easy. Maybe because Mike Dunleavy makes more people angrier than another Eddie Murphy movie. Or, or (!!!!) maybe it's because they won like 3 games last year and have a worse bill of health than an army platoon. Which one do you think it is? Now hear me out, I'm 100% convinced that if they get fully healthy, if Blake Griffin's career isn't ruined in year one, they are playoff bound. I'll go one further as to say who would want to face a fully fit Clipper team come June? Baron Davis loves postseason shocks. They have so many scorers it isn't true. They genuinely could be a darkhorse in the West, but we know it won't happen. It's the Clippers!!

3) NBA Officials. Come one, they have to get better right? I mean, even in the playoffs just gone, we had some horrendous officiating decisions. Remember the Bulls-Celtics series extravaganza? Wow, great basketball but some brutal officiating. Remember Rondo's Brock Lesnar assault on poor Brad Miller? I do. Poor Antoine Wright now knows that to get a call he may just have to fully NFL the bajeesus out of a player. I'm the biggest LeBron fan in the world, but he does get some, let's call them "favourable" decisions. Dwight Howard nearly took off Dalembert's head with an elbow -- note the word nearly, as in, he didn't even connect. Surely that's not worthy of a game's suspension? He did it against the Cavs in the direction of Mo Williams, why didn't he get one then Stern? The average age for an NBA player is what, 26? That sounds about right. Refs on the other hand, it's somewhere in the 50's? Come on. The NBA has a plethora of world class ballers at their best going at it right now, let's not have officials ruin that. Please?

4) Detroit Pistons. I think that any other year you trade for Allen Iverson, you don't get the slack that Joe Dumars did. You can't blame the guy for taking a hail mary chance at bringing AI on board, this is Allen freakin Iverson after all. He invented the one-on-five game, which can now be seen in Cleveland from time to time. Dumars got unlucky in the sense that 1) Chauncey and Denver went ballistic for the remainder of the season and 2) Michael Curry may not have been the best coach to deal with Iverson's Iversoness. In fairness, Iverson didn't help the situation, feigning back injuries and all that. AI is a nightmare, we know this. Hates practice, hates not taking shots, but he can play like nobody's business. I love the idea of him in Houston, they're going nowhere anyways, why not bring him in for one year? Detroit as a result, suffered a terrible season culminating in a crushing playoff exit. PANIC STATIONS. They shipped a lot of money to two guys this summer. Ben Gordon, fresh off a life altering playoff series has come on board, but don't they already have a top quality two guard in Rip Hamilton? I like the potential versatility at the forward spots with Tayshaun and Charlie V, but a rotation of Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace won't suffice against Shaq, Howard or KG. The Pistons face an uphill struggle this season if they are to get back to where they want to be.

5) Boston, The Lakers and The Magic. The former champs, current alpha dogs and last seasons runners up. Boston must do battle with age, fitness, Rajon Rondo not being all that liked or wanted apparently and some dude named Sheed not freaking out after a KG pumped-up-chest-bump. The Lakers have to contend with the loss of Trevor Ariza (you're kidding yourself if you think he isn't a major loss), replacing him with a clearly declining Ron Artest and having to meet Lamar's sweet tooth desires. Orlando hope Jameer's shoulder comes good, that Dwight learned a thing or two this off season about playing down low and that Vince Carter doesn't see this as his one last chance to shine on a contender, thus resulting in him hoisting up shot after shot and making Stan Van Gundy lose all sanity. All three teams could provide us with comedic moments of brilliance, be it Sheed and KG going at it UFC style (I know they're friends, but look who we're talking about), Artest taking to the stands to punch out an abusive Leonardo Di Caprio or Stan Van Gundy being Stan Van Gundy. Thing is, all three teams more than likely will win 60 games, one of these three will definitely be competing for a Championship, and all three are going to be scary good. If they can handle the pressure that is.

Til next time...

Will Anything Change?

DOL17 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:23:00 GMT

Colour me bored. I am. I miss the NBA; I miss it a lot right now. I miss seeing Kobe miss three shots in a row before knocking down one of his patented long range, hey-I'm-still-here-three-pointers. I love when he does that. I miss seeing Chris Paul make everyone around him look like they belong in the NBA. Even if they all don't like Byron Scott. I miss seeing the Birdman swat shots into the 32^nd row, and then flap his wings like a...em...bird I guess. I miss LeBron. I think we all do. While the season is in hibernation, teams are scrambling to acquire that right piece, the missing ingredient if you will (I'm sorry, I couldn't think of a better cliché). With the free agent "bonanza" that was the summer of 2009 quietening down, a general consensus has emerged. You have Cleveland-Boston-Orlando in the East. Out West it's San Antonio-LA-Denver. Everybody else seems to have been granted the honour of chasing spots four through eight. So, who amongst those fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eight seeds have a legitimate chance of pulling a Golden State (betcha Mark Cuban breaks something everytime that gets brought up) and causing an upset?

In the East, had Miami held onto Shawn Marion or landed Lamar Odom or Carlos Boozer, then they may have been a deadly mixture. I mean, a game ending line up of Chalmers-Wade-O'Neal and Beasley and Marion swapping forward spots may have been too much to handle. But scenario A (Marion) B (Odom) and C (Boozer - yet) haven't panned out. So that rules them out. Then you have Washington, who are heavily reliant on the most inconsistent variable in basketball - health. They literally put all their eggs in the one Gilbert Arenas shaped basket. If he doesn't come back to the Agent Zero of old, you can definitely cross them off. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are solid as a duo, but with a healthy and free scoring Arenas alongside them they are a legit threat...to advance to the first round and get bounced by Cleveland. So that's them out. Chicago depends on Rose. He can and will carry them to the playoffs, where their lack of a low post threat proves to be their kryptonite. The Hawks on paper are a very strong looking bunch, but when your most athletically gifted and potentially brilliant player (Josh Smith) doesn't really dig the coach, how successful will they be? Philadelphia, having lost Andre Miller, lack the floor general needed to be a serious contender. Jrue Holiday has the ability to do anything on a basketball court, but him reachng that level is a few years away still. If Elton Brand can stay fit and the new AI of Phily keeps developing, they may be a long shot. A long long long shot. Toronto intrigues me. Bargnani is starting to look really good. Bosh will still be Bosh. Calderon may be the most underrated point guard in the entire league, and we all saw what Hedo is capable of. DeRozan has the potential to be a playoff X Factor with his unpredictable style and scoring mentality. Their roster is still thread bare as regards quality reserves, so unless the five mentioned above plan on playing forty minutes plus a night come June, Toronto may run out of gas when it matters most. Detroit has a lot of perimeter-orientated players, but lack a board banger in the middle. Villanueva is not the solution, neither is Kwame Brown or Ben Wallace. They may score a lot of points, but will have a hard time stopping points being scored on them. I hope Tayshaun gets a trade to a contender. He deserves better.

In the Wild Wild West, Portland are clearly the biggest threat to crack the top three. They have it all. An experienced and capable vet running the point, an other worldly talent at the two spot, two of the most talented young bigmen in the league at the four and the five and two very capable guys splitting time at the small forward spot. Looks perfect on paper, just as it did against the Rockets two months ago. Perhaps they filled their biggest weakness with the signing of Andre Miller, maybe his savvy was the missing piece against the experienced Houston squad. Only time will tell. Hosuton will not be relevant. Dallas are interesting. If they go small with Dirk at the five, Howard and Marion on the wings and Jet alongside Kidd, that may just work. But are they pinning their hopes on a team that's loaded with players who peaked two seasons ago? Phoenix should now be back to the running and gunning of old. And who in their right mind would fancy manning up on D against Earl Clark and (a healthy) Amare with Steve Nash leading the fast break? Then again, Robin Lopez isn't a starting caliber bigman just yet. He may be the long-term answer, but the Suns are looking to be successful now. Utah just can't seem to get the right break at the right time needed to have a post-season success story. Deron Williams means they will always be dangerous, but are they strong enough in the other positions to truly be a serious contender? I think we can safely eliminate Sacramento, Memphis and Minnesota from the playoff bracket, but not the entertainment one. Golden State has the pieces, but the desire or mentality? Oklahoma and the Clippers respective season will go one of two ways. They will both perform above the expectations and creep into and eight or seventh seed, or crash and burn horribly. Because of Kevin Durant and Sam Presti, the latter scenario won't happen to the Thunder. Because of Mike Dunleavy, Donald Sterling and the Clipper curse, I fear for the other team in LA.

So, fellow NBA lovers, can we really expect a shock this season?

NCAA; Who's Set To Dazzle

DOL17 — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:00:00 GMT

A lot (all) of our blogs here recently have been focused solely on the NBA, summer league, draft, free agents and so on so forth. Cool, I'm all for that as I love the NBA and am very eagerly awaiting the new season. However, the greatest sport on our recession laiden planet is also in hibernation, NCAA Mens Basketball. No other sport provides the thrills, 7 OT's and excitement that Division One College Basketball does. Let's face it, they're just kids. With regards the NBA, there seems a certain level of untouchability with the stars, it couldn't be more opposite with college stars. You can almost relate to them, kinda sorta in a way, you know? They are just normal people like you and me (if you an me could jump that high) playing the game they love and also getting a valuable education along the way. For every Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose, there are ten guys who don't go pro. Ten guys who having got their degree, pursue the alternative path after a mens college basketball career. Heck, some people get so ticked off with seeing themselves in video games they sue in hope of royalties. Anything can and most definitely will happen during the magical months of the NCAA season; stars are born before our eyes, kids dreams fulfilled and coaches made even wealthier. It makes for great entertainment. So without further hesitation, here's my pre-season All American line up, with replacements named also.

G -- John Wall, Kentucky. The main reason Kentucky went from a top 10 to top 3 side in no time. They already had Eric Bledsoe as their guard for next season, and teams knew they would be a tough match up. However, they still seemed left out of the group of genuine contenders, which includes Kansas, Michigan State and Texas. Enter John Wall. The prized jewel of the team. Wall has everything you want in a lead guard. He can dish, score, run the fast break or set the half court offense up. If he can provide the adequate supply for inside monsters Patterson, Cousins and Orton, Kentucky will be a lock to be playing late into March. It's almost a given that Wall will play just the one season in college before going pro, and if he has the season many are pegging him to, a number one overall selection in next year's draft is certain.

G -- Willie Warren, Oklahoma. A classic case of "should he went" with this stud. He had a hot season last year; but was it down to playing with Blake Griffin? We're about to find out. Warren said the reason he wasn't interested in entering the draft was because he wanted to show everyone that he can be the star of a team who just lost the National Player of Everything. You have to admire that, the fact that he didn't ride Griffin's success into a top 15 pick just last month. Warren is an intriguing prospect, he's got an NBA body, NBA speed and IQ, but where does he play in the pro's? He plays off the ball a lot in college, think Tyreke Evans. In my opinion, he's much better with the ball in his hands, dictating the offense, again like Evans. With the ball in his hands, he is more than capable of deciding whether to do the scoring himself, or find an open teammate. Blue chip recruits "Tiny" Gallon and Tommy Mason-Griffin will provide the assistance in his bid to get the Sooners back to the dance.

G -- Sherron Collins, Kansas. Maybe the purest lead guard out there, Collins heads up a loaded Jayhawks squad for next season. Along with Cole Aldrich, the experienced floor general shoulders the burden of expected success, and he will deliver. He is cool, calm, collected and any other positive adjective starting with "c" you can think of. His thick frame and great foot speed make him a very tough guy to stop off the dribble, and his hump shot has come on leaps and bounds. Collins is just as likely to drop 30 points on you as he is 15 dimes -- that's the beauty of his game. He can do almost anything on the court, so expect a major year form him. Before you say it, yes I am aware that he apparently turned up 30 pounds overweight. Nothing a sweat suit and some celery sticks won't cure!

F -- Greg Monroe, Georgetown. I love his game. He is potentially a multiple All Star and 1st Team All NBA guy. He is a ball handling, assist dishing high flying bigman. Think a young Chris Webber. John Thompson must have counted his lucky stars that the talented bigman shunned an almost certain top 5 selection to come back for one more year. It was a wise choice by Monroe, as there are still some areas he needs to work on. For one, I'd like to see him dominate more games start to finish. He can have spells where he disappears for a little while, only to appear again with a flashy no look pass or monster dunk. That has to change. Also, for a guy his size, he doesn't rebound the ball all that well. He only averaged 6.5 last year, he's six-eleven. It also looks like his 250lb frame could handle more weight, easily, and will need to if he is to bang with the Dwight Howards of this world at some stage in his career. Monroe will look to establish himself as the premier bigman this upcoming season, the only person stopping him is Greg Monroe.

F -- Cole Aldrich, Kansas. Ever since his cameo in the 2008 Final Four against Tyler Hansbrough scouts have been in love with this soft touched centre. He anchors the Kansas defence masterfuly, and provides a telling contribution on offense. Last season he averaged 15 and 11. Those numbers can and should increase this year as he looks to be still developing into an elite bigman. His footwork when in position down low could do with some work, but he has the got sufficient foot speed for his size. Aldrich is an absolute monster on the glass, as evidenced by his ten rebounds against Dayton in the NCAA's, part of his superbly constructed triple-double. If he and Collins pick and roll their way to a Championship, he's top 5 next June. He's a lock to be in the lottery anyways, as teams can't ignore a bigman of his abilities and potential.

I suppose you could call this my 2nd Team, although it's pretty loaded and any of these guys could easily replace one of the above with a good season.

G -- Avery Bradley, Texas.
G -- Terrico White, Ole Miss.
G -- Kalin Lucas, Michigan State.
F -- Ed Davis, North Carolina.
F -- Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech.

Let the NCAA Season roll on!

Til next time...

You're not the only Contenders!

Nick Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:59:00 GMT

Welcome Everyone!

This summer has been filled with wild trades, and the solidification of a couple of teams vying as legit contenders. The Lakers, Spurs, Cleveland, and Orlando have raised the stakes considerably. However, remember when everyone was convinced that this years playoffs were bound to be Lakers vs. Cavaliers? Well here are a couple of teams that are going to challenge those perceptions this season.

Boston Celtics
Although the Celtics fought the hard fight (ask the Bulls) and provided the playoffs with some lasting memories, they could not close out the Magicin the playoffs. Injuries and inconsistencies plagued a team that still busted out 50+ wins during the regular season. The off-season started off very rocky with what looked like an almost certain departure of star guard Rajon Rondo, and there is yet to be any movement with regards to Glen ‘baby’ Davis, even in light of his playoff performance. So how can the Celtics honestly be considered a real threat? Easy, Rasheed Wallace. Sheed’ adds more grit and drive to this heart fueled team already amped up by the warrior spirit in KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. At issue is both age and injuries, but if they can maneuver through the season in relative health, this is a team that will go deep in the playoffs…book it.

Toronto Raptors
With an unhappy all-star power forward, a losing season, and a whole lot of question marks surrounding the Raptors, all seemed to be suggesting a ‘rebuilding’ stage was on the horizon. Enter Bryan Colangelo and the next thing you know you have a team that went from basement dweller to potential threat in the playoffs. Substitute Shawn Marion, Jason Kapono, Anthony Parker, and Joey Graham, for Hedo Turkoglu, Reggie Evans, Jarrett Jack, Rasho Nesterovic, and newcomer DeMar DeRozan and you have a completely revamped team that has addressed the needs for both defense and offence. Jay Triano was starting to put together wins at the end of the season, and with the addition of Marc Iavaroni as defensive coach things are starting to look up. Not only that, but it seems that Bryan Colangelo has shown Chris Bosh that he is serious about keeping him in a Raptors uniform, and CB4 is listening. If Turkoglu can perform like he did during the playoffs, and Andrea Bargnani can continue to shine, this team could be a big obstacle for the ‘apparent’ contenders.

Dallas Mavericks
I absolutely love what the Mavericks have done in the off-season, and I’m completely serious too! While I have concerns about the aging Mavericks, I also think they have the best depth in the league. I think a lot of armchair critics have overlooked a starting line-up of Kidd, Marion, and Dirk…not to mention Jason Terry, Josh Howard, and the much-improved José Juan Barea. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I believe the Mavs have picked up a great dark horse draft pick in Rodrigue Beaubois, especially after lighting up the summer league for 34pts. against Houston. They have the very experienced and able Rick Carlisle coaching, high flyers in Marion and Howard, the leadership of one time MVP Dirk Nowitzki, and one of the games best point guards of all time (Kidd). If that isn’t enough to convince you that they could take on any team in the league any day of the week, then you must be a Lakers fan. At the very least they’re going to be a fun team to follow.

Honorable Mention

Portland Trailblazers (did the Blazers dodge a bullet by not signing Turkoglu to a hefty contract? Time will tell)
Oklahoma Thunder (If only the league had most Sam Presti’s)

Who do you think has a shot at the crown? Let me know!

The Perfect Strategy

Antony_Sanchez3 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:43:00 GMT

Every successful team had one. All potential-filled teams are creating one. They're the reason franchises are temporarily promoted to champions. That reason is the angle of choice, the algorithm, the blueprint, and the battle plan. No champion in the history of the league would have donned that envied name had it not been for strategy.

We all here the clichés whether it's San Antonio's approach that the NBA season is not a sprint, rather it is a marathon, or Boston's now famous strategy and motto ubuntu.

But is there one game plan that is superior to all others?

If you are a big fan of the NBA then, without a doubt, the most common over-used phrase is: Defense wins Championships.

Just look at the two teams I listed above. Combined they have five championships in the past eleven years thanks to one simple strategy of (say it with me) defense.

Now its time to throw a wrench in the seemingly perfect strategy of (once more) defense.

This past post-season has showed us numerous occasions of where offense triumphed. The Spurs defense couldn't contain the Mavericks in round one, the gritty Denver team couldn't stop the scoring outbursts of the Lakers' Kobe Bryant in the WCF, and in fact Cleveland the leagues best team (record-wise) was no match for the Magic's offensive explosion in the Eastern Conference Finals capped off by Dwight Howard's 40 points. The NBA's two best teams were offensively powered groups of the Kobe-Pau duo and the inside-outside combination of Orlando.

Even looking back at one of the highest scoring squads, the Suns, we can see where an offensive outline can take you. A year of having the best record in the league (2004) and second best record in 2006. In 2005 they went all the way to the Western Conference Finals losing to San Antonio in five games. As Tommy Beer can tell you, Amare was just a monster in the series (Question 4), and had it not been for a broken nose that Joe Johnson received, the outcome of the series might have been different. Johnson was averaging 19.0 points per game before that series then had to miss game one (Spurs win) while also not being fully healthy and being forced to wear a face mask. The following year the Suns rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to the Lakers (*tear*) before being ousted by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. If anyone can remember, this Suns team was radically different from the prior year because Joe Johnson was traded and Stoudemire missed the season due to micro fracture surgery. The next year the Suns made it to the semi-finals before losing to the Spurs ocne again. This series was very controversial because of the suspensions to Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire. In 2008 it was San Antonio yet again; with Tim Duncan making a game tying three pointer (What do you mean you've never seen it!) Each year was freak bad luck that held the Suns back from possibly winning the big prize. If these strange occurrences hadn't happened would their offense have taken them to a championship?

In addition, theoretically speaking, shouldn't good offense always beat good defense? I mean look at all of Kobe's "hand in my face" swishes. And let's not forget that no matter how good a defender is, the player with the ball in his hands (offensive) will always know when he will make an attack and he will always explode for the shot before the defensive player will. Finally, an NBA game is won by the team with the most points no matter what.

I am not saying that offense is better then defense because clearly history proves me wrong, but what I am saying is that offense should never be taken lightly. Especially with the NBA's new rules that promote offensive strategies and the change to a scoring philosophy we have seen from teams this year (VC to Magic, RJ to Spurs, and Hedo to the Raptors) Notice the defensive power house we know as the Spurs traded for more offensive bang by trading their super-star stopper Bruce Bowen. Teams this year are more offensively stronger then in years past, and maybe groups like Boston and Cleveland might not be able to contain all the scoring frenzies they will see from the Wizards or Magic.

The idea of a perfect strategy is far from a given. Defense will have a run for its money, particularly this season with the influx of offensive emphasis. Will a team that likes to score ever triumph the age old cliché of "Defense wins Championships"?

Something Out of Nothing

Antony_Sanchez3 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:11:00 GMT

The Washington Wizards.

A team known more for their injuries off the court than their actual play on the hardwood floor, are coming off a disappointing 19-63 season worth repressing deep, deep in the fans subconscious. But there was light at the end of the tunnel that maybe, just maybe some lucky bounces would leave the Wizards with the number one pick (Hello Blake Griffin!) Yet evil magic appeared and poof, Washington ended up with pick number five. Rather then have some rookie that wouldn't be able to contribute for another few years, the Wizards went into "win now" mode and traded the pick for some depth in the form of Randy Foye (You know that guy traded for some young cat named Brandon Roy) and Mike Miller.

So for the optimistic D.C. fans I have some good news for you, the Washington Wizards are a team with Coach Conference-Finals Flip Saunders, All-Star Caron Butler, ever-reliable Antawn Jamison, offensive-duo Foye and Miller, Javale Mcgee (31 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks in his last Summer League game), healthy-duo Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, and ever improving Andray Blatche . Not a bad team, especially in the East (Where losing records make the Play-offs happens).

WAIT!

I think I'm forgetting someone. Some blogging spy. What's his name..?...OH that's right Gilbert Arenas! Now I know he isn't perfect with his gigantic contract, three surgeries in two years, and build a pool worth "more than your house" ways, but hear me out.

Arenas is one of the few players in this league of the worlds greatest athletes that can carry a team on his back. He was a second round draft pick out of the University of Arizona (Jordan Hill has a tough act to follow) that picked the number zero because he fought for his minutes. He went through adversity entering college and then had even more to prove when he entered the NBA Gilbert Arenas LIVES for big games. Has everyone already forgotten how he did this, this, some how did this, and lets not forget THIS! Gilbert hung 54 against the Suns in a double-overtime thriller, exploded for another 60 against LA (not the Clippers) in LA, and averaged 28.4 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals just a few, short years ago. And yes I know all the information stated above is from the past, but the point I am trying to make is that Gilbert has handled the pressure before, he has been the Superstar his team needed, and most importantly he has delivered. Since he picked up a basketball he has gone threw hard times and has always been victorious.

Clearly Agent Zero has his work cut out for him with high expectations for his team entering next season, the Wizards have more offensive fire-power than the blitzkrieg attack. And yes we all know the old cliché "defense wins championships", but this Washington team just might be that group that has too much scoring for Boston or Cleveland to defend. Maybe that's too much to expect from a Arenas led team just coming off a season like they had, but for someone who has had a career of the hard knocks and a low shot to succeed, I would say he has a good chance of making something out of nothing.

The Curious Case of Lamar Odom

Dan Duangdao — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:54:00 GMT

Everyone knew this was coming, but no one expected this.

The champagne hasn't even dried off yet and the Lakers are in the midst of losing another key player in Lamar Odom.

If a player wants to maximize their financial opportunities after a championship, can we really blame them? In the off-season, it's all about taking care of business.

However, when championship rings are more important and an agent disregards this desire, it's a clearly unfortunate situation. As we have all probably heard, the initial problem started with Trevor Ariza's agent attempting to make something out of nothing. The Lakers were thinking the mid-level exception, but his agent was commanding seven to nine million dollars. What was the end result? Ariza heading to the Houston Rockets for the mid-level exception deal.

Eureka! He obviously failed.

Ariza wanted to stay in Los Angeles. The mid-level exception deal was there. Another championship ring was in his sights. Everything he wanted was on the table, yet his agent played hardball in hopes of striking it rich. While Ariza will definitely have more individual opportunities in Houston, there's no place like home...

After everything that transpired with the departure of Ariza, it certainly looks like Lamar Odom's situation will follow the same route. With reports that he wants to remain in Los Angeles, his agent is pushing him to move back to the Miami HEAT since they are offering more years in the proposed contract. While the financial situation is quite confusing with the state taxes, it looks like he will receive the same amount of money. At this point, hopefully it will and should come down to what Lamar Odom wants in this stage of his career.

What can Odom learn from Ariza? Whatever his agent advises should be taken with a grain of salt. As the saying should go, the agent works for Lamar Odom. Lamar Odom doesn't work for the agent.

All things aside, it should be interesting as Odom will reportedly make his decision this week. Stay tuned!

Will They Get It?

DOL17 — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:14:00 GMT

Alright, I'm going to bite. I know it's only the summer league and let's face it; it's not high-octane competition. It hasn't the same competitiveness as say, the 74^th game of the season when you're vying for a postseason berth. We know this, we accept it and love it, same as we do with Amy Winehouse - we know her story, we just accept it as part of life and move on. But I can't help be somewhat left in sheer wonderment at the Golden State Warriors this summer league. People are non-stop harping on about the Thunder and BabyBlazers as the "it" teams for the future, no argument here. Both those squads have current All NBA talents, and one or two other guys who could get there. But how about those Warriors? You want to talk about a potentially lethal mixture of youth/promise/fans-wetting-themselves, these guys have it all. Really.

So far in the summer league, they have set the place alight with their play. It may be typical Warrior stuff, scoring in high volumes but giving up points also, but do you care? These guys are putting on a display for us all to behold and enjoy. Anthony Randolph, maybe the must insanely untapped talent in the league seems to have gotten it. Well, the scoring part anyways. If Blake Griffin weren't at the event, he would be first team starting power forward, no question. When Randolph exploded for 42 points, it made you pay attention. Cool, he can get the ball in the bucket. You have to love his ability in running the floor and even leading the fast break at times with his exceptional ball handling skills. You know what stuck in my head? He totalled 3 rebounds in that game. Three. How many times a season does anybody score 42 or more points in a game? If you're LeBron or Kobe, maybe somewhere in the twelve to fifteen times range. How many times does a power forward grab more than three rebounds? You're talking 82 times. That's where Randolph needs to commit himself, being a defensive presence. The guy is an athletically gifted freak of nature, and he grabs just three rebounds? If I were Don Nelson, I would demand Randolph averages 14 and 8 this year. That's his next step. He will be a 20-10 guy for you, if he figures it out and taps into that potential I don't know how good he may become.

Randolph not only succeeded in whetting the appetite of all Warrior fans at Vegas, he also succeeded in ticking off Anthony Morrow. Morrow saw Randolph hit the record of 42; you just know it had to have annoyed him, why else would he go out and drop 47? This the same Morrow who went undrafted. The same guy who last year had performances such as 33 points on 59% shooting against Phoenix, 29 points on 10-11 shooting against Dallas and let's not forget his coming out party of 37 against the Clippers on 75% shooting. If you're a franchise building toward the future, I'm excited if I have Morrow as my backup shooting guard. I really am, especially when he's backing up a guy who has a chance to be truly special. Fast forward to the end of Steph Curry's NBA career, let's give him 12 years in the league, how many points you think he ends up with? Anybody care to give an over/under prediction? He has "star" written all over him, and I think the Curry-Ellis backcourt may just work; it would be even better if they found a nice veteran point guard to ease the transition though. So there you have the three babies of the team, all budding stars with the NBA world at their (hands) feet.

And the rest? Let's start with good ol' Capn Jack. Truly and unquestionably the father figure of this AAU-resembling roster, and still the leading light. Age didn't matter last season as he averaged a very respectable 20-5-6 stat line. Your floor general is the moped-loving Monta Ellis, who at 23 is still learning how to improve his already enviable talent. Andris Biedrins might just be one of the most underrated players in the league. Marco Belinelli, Brandan Wright and Ronny Turiaf make them a legit nine-deep team, and I haven't even mentioned Corey Maggette. Recent acquisition Acie Law is a heck of a lot better than what we saw in ATL, imagine if he comes good? The ingredients are there, but is Don Nelson the right guy to be cooking up a winning recipe? Ideally, D'Antoni would quit New York, demand he be instated as head coach and watch Golden State throw up 140 a night for the next five seasons. Great stuff.

Til next time...

Finally There

DOL17 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:19:00 GMT

Who is the coolest dude in the NBA? Think about it for a while. Is it LeBron? Maybe Dwight Howard appeals to the goofball side in you? It's a tough question and a debate in itself - if you have that kind of spare time. You want to know who I think is the coolest? Chris Andersen, The Denver Nuggets. First off, he has the world's best nickname, "The Birdman" (how cool is that?) and second, here you have a white guy from Long Beach who A) Has more tattoos than the entire Indiana Pacers frontcourt and B) Led the league in blocks per 48 minutes. I could end this blog right now and win every argument on the topic hands down, but I'm not finished. The best (and coolest) part about Chris is the fact that at the age of 31, he has finally gotten there.

Chris Andersen played one year at Blinn College (yes, I know) before deciding to enter the NBA Draft in 1999. That Draft was particularly loaded in the first round of picks - Google it and you'll see - but have a peak at the second round. Apart from that Argentinean guy at number 57, who are the others guys? Needless to say, you have to imagine that getting ignored for the likes of Venson Hamilton was a major downer for our beloved Birdman. It actually hurt him that much, he went to - drum roll please - the Chinese League. I think he actually bodied up Yao in a league game when Yao was like 9, but anyways. After spells with powerhouse franchises New Mexico Slam and Fargo-Moorhead Beez, he cracked the NBA in 2001 with the Denver Nuggets. He played in 154 games for the Nuggets in three seasons, averaging just under four points a game, and was then moved to the New Orleans Hornets. In his first season with them, he notched career highs in pretty much every major statistical category, and was also a participant in the 2004 and 2005 Slam Dunk contests. The following season was when it went downhill.

Andersen failed a drug test in January 2006. The league stated that his suspension fell under the "drugs of abuse" section, and made him eligible for expulsion from the league under the CBA. Through arbitration, he appealed but it was to no avail - the Birdman was gone. It would be January of 2008 that he would be eligible again for NBA action. In March 2008, he was reinstated to the league, and went back to the team that still held his rights, the Hornets. He played in just five games before being released, at which point former employers the Denver Nuggets threw him a lifeline. Playing for the league minimum salary (pack of headbands and a few old Sam Bowie trading cards) the Birdman flourished. As the first big off the bench, he gave the Denver natives no other option but to fall in love with him. It could be his swatting a shot straight into Travis Heath's lap in the press row, flapping his wings in honour of his nickname or else this, either way, he had found a place he could call home. Chris Andersen will sign a five-year, $26 million dollar deal with the Nuggets, part of it based on future performances. I think there's a clause in there too that they take away $1 million for any more tattoos he gets, that may just be a rumour though.

Chris Andersen let drugs play a major part in his life - he did not let them destroy it. The way he has come back to who and what he is today, is a story always worth thinking of. From Blinn College to China, from hell and back, the NBA's coolest cat is finally there.

Til next time...

From my lips to your Twitter

Nick Smith — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:26:00 GMT

Welcome Everyone!

Between the draft, and the free agency circus that has been ensuing it’s a miracle that the Hoopsworld staff writer’s hands haven’t fallen off. What I’ve found really interesting in this years off-season is the technological nuances in how we’ve been communicating all the action.

Twitter, is perhaps the most significant breakthrough in the basketball com room. It is amazing to see how much Twitter has changed the face of rumor related basketball hysteria. Just look at all the hype surrounding the Turkoglu to Portland/Toronto trade. I can’t help but feel that the constant circus of speculation had been amplified by the gad zillion Twitter accounts re-hashing old news, new news, and no news.

Marshall McLuhan once wrote “The medium is the message” and that maybe true, however I doubt ole’ Marshall would have come to understand that “$ didn't drive Hedo's reversal on PDX. Only a 2 mill swing. It was being another five hours from Turkey, wife, Turk pop. in Tor, etc.” represents some major NBA drama come to light.

Forwards Charlie Villanueva and Chris Bosh are prolific ‘tweeters’, following their accounts provided a lot of interest, especially Charlie V on his recent trade to Detroit. Now the basketball faithful get to enjoy the trade, and, they get to enjoy the minute-by-minute status updates from the players. On the less entertaining side, you can also follow forward Andrew Bogut eating fish somewhere on the planet. The point is we’ve never been closer to the action. Fans and players alike are privy to first hand information, thoughts, feelings, etc, and that is creating a more intimate environment than ever before.

On the other hand how does this impact the privacy of the players? Will there now be an expectation to the fans and media that twittering is to be expected. How will the NBA involve itself (just see the Charlie Villanueva half time incident from last year)? Will new regulations, bans, or sanctions have to be enforced? Or could this be the next best marketing tool aimed at basketball junkie like myself (did I mention that Hoopsworld is also on Twitter…instant updates people!)?

From a GM’s lips, to the players Blackberry’s, to fanboi79’s blog page, the dawn of almost instant information is upon us; and it has changed the rumor mill permanently. Enter the era where one can go to the bathroom on a Saturday night while at the theatre (perhaps watching a movie that their husband or wife has dragged them to unwillingly) and find out that a major trade, injury, roster move, development has occurred.

Having finally I have caught up with Twitter, various instant messengers, and feeds, I now have a cyborg like relationship with the exclusively human game of basketball, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

You can twitter with me @hoopsworld6 on Twitter.

I Wish For...

DOL17 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:51:00 GMT

With every single team in the league racking up huge phone bills ringing every free agent they desire, let's take a break from that for just one (blog) minute. When the NBA season ends, every team almost immediately begins work for next season, trying to improve their clubs in every possible aspect. Us fans, well we sit in wonder of what may be next year. We all wish to be the team that has the huge playoff upset, the team who lands the stud from College, the team that makes that one trade which makes every other GM in the league punch themselves knowing he should have been the one doing it. Not all those things are attainable (unless you're a Golden State, Clipper or San Antonio fan) so here are my top five wishes as a fan for this summer that I want to see translate into the 2009/10 NBA Season.

1) I want to see Dwight Howard develop a post game. Obviously not a completely polished Hakeem-like array of moves, that can't happen over one summer. But at least some new moves, ones that don't consist of dunking the ball please, can surely be thought up of and mastered these spare months and in training camp. I remember reading last season in an article that Dwight Howard may just be the worst superstar in our league; and at first glance it seemed a little harsh. Then I got to thinking - how happy would you be if the face of your franchise spent more time mastering his dunks, then a reliable base line move? An up and under? Please? Orlando lost the Finals to LA for two huge reasons, Rashard Lewis disappearing in between games, and the fact that their superstar couldn't manipulate LA the way the Lakers main man did to Orlando. Dwight will never have such a loaded roster around him as he does now; it's up to him to seize this moment. Orlando are in pole position in the East, Dwight just has to realise that. As a Cavalier fan, writing that last sentence hurt more than when Friends ended.

2) Just for once, I'd like to see some proper recognition handed out to those deserving. Ray Allen, the best player on the Celtics roster last year (regular season), was always mentioned behind the likes of Rondo, Pierce and Garnett. There are guys everywhere (Prince, Jamison, Kevin Martin) that just don't get the appropriate gratitude. But the cherry on the cake lies here with me - Player A last season in the regular season averaged 19.4 points and 10.7 assists. Player B racked up a nightly 22.8 points and 11 assists. Not that much difference, right? Player B went to the All Star weekend with 2,134,798 votes and has been proclaimed the best point guard in our league for a while now. Player A received less votes than Jamal Crawford. Player A even has a better record against Player B for their respective careers, yet Chris Paul will always be the first guard off everyone's lips instead of Deron Williams. Deron Williams hasn't even made an All Star appearance. And please, don't even get me started on Kevin Durant not being in Phoenix last February.

3) I don't want injuries to leave lingering doubts. You could wish for that as much as you wanted to, but it may never happen. A player getting hurt is fast becoming an unpleasant aspect of the game today. Manu Ginobli made it near impossible for the Spurs to contend. If Amare stayed healthy, Phoenix may just have sneaked into that last playoff spot for a crack off Kobe and the Lakettes. Gilbert Arenas spent all of last season in a coma. The Houston Rockets might just have beaten the Lakers had Yao not felt the strain once again and gone down hurt. Kevin Garnett patrolling the paint and annoying the heck out of Rashard Lewis might just have made the difference in their series also. I don't want injuries casting doubts over my NBA Finals; I don't even want injuries casting doubts over Memphis v Sacramento in mid December. Of all things on this list, it's what I want the most but have the slimmest chance of achieving it.

4) Can we just make up our minds on what's a foul and what's not? If you whack some dude over the head (Hellllloooo Mister Rondo, here's Brad Miller - go nuts!) is it a Flagrant 1, or Flagrant 2? You remember Trevor Ariza taking out Rudy Fernandez Ray Lewis style last season? That was like, a Flagrant 13. The referees in the league are so inconsistent, that on one day during the payoffs the cost three coaches a combined $75,000 in fines. Now, to and NBA coach that may be a drop in the ocean, to you and me that is the ocean. When was the last time the league upgraded the officials? I mean, we see head coaches get replaced weekly, players shipped out when teams get the chance, why isn't it the same for refs? The Tim Donaghy circus may have put a moderate end to refs taking backhanders, but it hasn't helped the standard one bit.

And last, but not one bit in the least...

5) I wish for the highest standard of basketball to be maintained throughout the course of the season. You remember how LeBron and Kobe played "Anything you can do" in the Garden against the hapless Knicks? Carmelo racking up 33 points in a single quarter against the Wolves? Nash dropping 21 dimes, or Howard getting a triple-double with ten blocks? Remember Mario Chalmers breaking the HEAT all-time record for steals in a game, with nine? Brandon Roy dropping 52 on the Suns, or did you prefer Tony P's outburst of 55 points against the Wolves? Whatever tickled your fancy for greatness last season, we had plenty of it. I, as fan and you also as a fan, should demand nothing else from our stars next season. I want to see more fifty point games, more 21 dime nights an definitely some more of this. Now, if only you could stay on the court long enough big fella.

So there you have, have I left anything out you would have put in? Email me your thoughts at lynchaldo@hotmail.com if so.

Til next time...

Are You Ready?

DOL17 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:57:00 GMT

It's free agent time, mistletoe and wine...In NBA world (what a great world it is right?) Christmas officially began when the calendar struck July 1^st. Now it gets a whole lot more interesting/fun/depressing/mind boggling, you can pick which one suits your team best. With not many teams having cap space or wanting to acquire hefty salaries, it may not be the best buyers market you'll ever come across (for some however, it may just be the perfect time to swoop while they can before 2010). For instance, you know it's getting bad when you see a player the calibre of Richard Jefferson traded for a packet of gum, some shoe laces and a 2009 Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Calendar. People just don't have the financial flexibility shown through years 2005 to 2008. In those years we saw Rashard Lewis, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and dozens more make themselves a whole lot of money. Even your very ordinary NBA players made themselves very wealthy, a decision that now cripples those franchises. While there have yet been no major moves, here are five possible restricted/un-restricted agents for teams to ponder over as attainable targets.

Hedo Turkoglu. And here's why - Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson. When Jameer got hurt, they ran everything through him, to a certain degree of success. Now with Jameer back, he will resume the ball handling and playmaking duties. Vince Carter has effectively eaten up Orlando's coffers, thus making Hedo a very good bet to head elsewhere. While the Magic probably will offer him up some cash, it won't be anywhere near the amount he thinks he's worthy of. He won't be short of suitors either; Portland have long been said to be admirers, and he would fit in quite well as an experienced role model, and also another offensive weapon alongside Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. If they can get Hedo and also Andre Miller (who has been mentioned) then the Blazers are Top Four in the West.

Jason Kidd. This one really intrigues me, because I'm a believer that if Kidd gets an offer of around the full MLE from a team who will be contending next year (sorry Dallas, it ain't happenin for ye!) then I think he will jump and go. No way on earth he ever sees $21 million a year again. Mark Cuban has said he wants Kidd to remain a Maverick, but there are plenty of rumours circulating that the Cavs could have strong interest. Kidd would certainly be a different option for Cleveland, he would be able to pick up the bigger guards that Mo couldn't (how effectively is another story), and also leave Mo play the two-guard where he could just hoist up three's all day long without having to worry about setting up TheBron. Kidd and Shaq may just be the two pieces needed in Cavsland to nab a ring, but I'd rate this one at maybe 30%. Maybe. Reports are also surfacing of a possible meeting with the Knicks?

Rasheed Wallace. Cleveland, Orlando and San Antonio must all surely be thinking about making a play for the volatile former Tar Heel. After all, he's as talented as they come, has an impressive offensive game and can defend his spot quite well. He would be the perfect addition to Orlando, allowing Rashard to play the three. That would then make a scary starting five that would surely be the favourites in the East. San Antonio seems unlikely because of the fact that Sheed is somewhat of a nut job, and the Spurs don't like them now do they? I don't think Sheed will stay in Detroit, and his courtship will surely be a fascinating one to follow.

Carlos Boozer. The Booze had said all season long that he would opt out and test his free agent possibilities, but now reports are circulating that he may have changed his mind. If he opts to stay put in Utah, where does that leave Paul Millsap? But back to Boozer - him in Detroit would be a match made in heaven, for Detroit. They want and need a low post presence like sumo wrestlers need Atkins, and Detroit would have the necessary funds to make him a very decent offer. But somewhere in the back of his mind, don't you think he might just wait until 2010 and go join Wade in Miami? Guess we'll soon find out.

David Lee. I lobbied for this guy to get moved to my Cavs a while back, but now I don't see that happening. I think we will chase Charlie V, but I would much rather prefer David Lee, no doubt. He was as good as it got last year (62 double-doubles). He is like, Anderson Varejao with offense and less hair. Carlos Boozer may have a say in his potential suitors, because if the Booze stays, where does that leave Millsap? Does he opt-out and contest with David Lee for top dollars? Looks as if the Knicks may lose out on just the type of guy they need.

I could have easily mentioned Kobe, Lamar, Marion, Ben Gordon, Artest or Ariza, but didn't because I see all of them staying put with their respective teams. One guy I left out though is Marcin Gortat. How much money has he made backing up Superman so amicably in the playoffs?

Strap yourselves in folks; it's only just starting.

Til next time...

(If I left out anybody you feel deserving of a mention, please do so in the comments below. Alternatively, I can be reached at lynchaldo@hotmail.com -- I want to hear from you!!)

Talk About Value pt. 4

Antony_Sanchez3 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:04:00 GMT

So we are now here on the final part of my four part article here to revisit the past's drafts and find out the best player at their draft number. I've compiled a selection of players, and based off what they have done on the grandest basketball stage in the world, I will chose the best player drafted at each of their respective positions (1-60^th) dating back all the way to the draft of 1995. Not only will I choose these players, but I will provide you with my reasoning of the selection.

We have finally reached the end, the lottery picks, and the very best the draft has to offer. I carefully graded each of these picks much more tightly then the others and I have but one favor to ask of my audience.

Do NOT skip ahead to the end; make it a surprise by going through each pick individually and building the suspense.

Enjoy the most value for picks 15-1 (I'm really going to miss you guys, I had a fun ride)

15. Steve Nash 6-3 PG Santa Clara 1996 Suns- Nash is the first of a few picks from the glorious 1996 draft. He is a 2-time back-to-back MVP, a 6-time ALL-NBAer, and has led the league in assists three times over the course of his career.

14 Predrag Stojakovic 6-10 SF PAOK (Greece) 1996 Kings- Was part of the great King's team in the early part of the decade and averaged a career high 24.2 in 2003-04. Peja also won the three pint shooting twice during All-Star weekend.

13. Kobe Bryant 6-6 SG Lower Merion HS 1996 Hornets- Really, who else would I put here? Richard Jefferson? Corey Maggette? Nah, I'm good with Kobe every day of the week and twice on Wednesday. Although maybe I should consider the others, because I heard "Kobe sucks".

12. Thaddeus Young 6-7 SF GT 2007 Sixers- Usually this pick is filled with bad choices, so much so that I did an article about it some two years ago about how much bad luck number 12 brings. Maybe the curse has been broken with solid picks like Jason Thompson in '08 and Thad Young. This kid is great and jumped on the scene this year with his 15.3 ppg and 5 rpg. He even made a game-winner for Philly vs. the Magic in game 3 of the first round.

11. Andris Biedrins 6-11PF/C Latvia 2004 Warriors- This is the Over-Rated pick. Players are drafted off of hype and being a college star, but as we know that doesn't always translate to the pros. Players that made this the Over-Rated pick include: Jerryd Bayless (Still has time to show us he can at least back-up), J.J. Redick, Fran Vazquez, and Trajan Langdon. Andris, on the other hand, has improved each year and has a legit chance to become an All-Star next season now that Cav-a-Shaq is with LeBron.

10. Paul Pierce 6-7 SF Kansas 1998 Celtics- Over Jason Terry, Joe Johnson, and Caron Butler. Why? Because he has earned a ring, and nothing I say can do anything about it. Lately this pick has been less about guards and more about great young centers. (Brook Lopez and Andrew Bynum)

9. Dirk Nowitzki 7-0 PF K Wurzburg (Germany) 1998 Bucks- Arguably the greatest European player to ever step on the court, Dirk has done it all. Won MVP, 8-time All-Star, 9-time All-NBAer, 2006 NBA Three-Point Shootout Winner, and has made it to the NBA finals once. He without a doubt deserves to be the best number nine since 1995 over honorable mentions such as Tracy McGrady, Shawn Marion, and Andre Iguodala.

8. Andre Miller 6-2 PG Utah 1999 Cavaliers- As steady of a floor general as you can find, Andre has had the epitome of a solid career. He has averaged 15 and 7 his whole career and is no facing free agency as a 33 year old but has a very good chance of finding a great offer for his services. (I'm looking at you Portland)

7. Richard Hamilton 6-7 SG Connecticut 1999 Wizards- He is a competitor, every day every night. I once heard that on the off-season he tries to sprint a mile from start to finish just to get his conditioning up. He has put the work to get this spot

6. Brandon Roy 6-6 SG Washington 2006 Timberwolves- Don't care what anyone says, Roy is a future superstar and with the make-up of the Trailblazers he will surely get at least one ring. The fact that he was Rookie of the Year in 2006 also helps him get the edge over Shane Battier and Chris Kaman.

5. Kevin Garnett 6-11 PF Farragut Academy (Ill.) 1995 Timberwolves- Easy pick here, no offense to teammate Ray Allen and Orlando Magic's newest Player Vince Carter, KG's intensity is unmatched and his passion for the game is one of the hottest in the game. His MVP in 2004 and DPOY award put him over the top of all-everything player Dwayne Wade. They both share rings, and Dwayne Wade had one of the greatest regular seasons I have ever seen, but Garnett has more credentials on his side.

4. Chris Paul 6-0 PG Wake Forest 2005 Hornets- Chris Paul, even at such a young age, is cementing his name as one of histories greatest at running the point. Isiah Thomas-like speed and Magic-esque vision there is no way anyone else is more deserving of this spot. He was a VERY close second to the MVP voting during the 2007-08 season and has lead the league in assists and steals two consecutive years. Honorable mention: Chris Bosh

3. Chauncey Billups 6-3 PG Colorado 1997 Celtics- He is a former finals MVP and champion. His leadership skills are unmatched in today's age and time. Billups has the same muscle as Deron Williams, aided Melo's maturation process, and is the unquestioned leader unlike Pau Gasol. Number three is for Chauncey, the disposable superstar

2. Kevin Durant 6-9 SF Texas 2007 Seattle-This pick is extremely disappointing, producing NO superstars since 1995 but KD. Unless you consider Marcus Camby, Mike Bibby, Steve Francis, Stormile Swift, Jay Williams, Tyson Chandler, Emeka Okafor, and one of histories most disappointing players Darko Milicic superstars. Good luck Thabeet. Kevin Durant is a future superstar and the leader of a very scary and young Oklahoma Thunder group.

There we have it the best of the best at their positions since 1995. Thanks for coming by!

JUST KIDDING! Here is the (drum roll please) NUMBER ONE!

Former Firsts: Joe Smith, Kenyon Martin, Andrew Bogut, Greg Oden, Kwame Brown, Michael Olowokandi, Andrea Bargnani

Candidates: Tim Duncan, Elton Brand, Yao Ming, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose

Finalists: Tim Duncan, LeBron James

Losers: Elton Brand (Not enough star power), Yao Ming (Injured too often), Dwight Howard (Lack of post moves exposed in Finals), and Derrick Rose (Not proven enough)

1. Tim Duncan 6-10 PF Wake Forest 1999 Spurs- Its not that LeBron isn't too this or not good enough at that, its just that Duncan is the best at this spot no doubt. He is a 4-Championship, 3-finals MVPS, 2-time MVP, Rookie of the Year, 11-time All-star and 1-time All-Star game MVP. If there ever was a argument for the Jordan-Bird-Magic club, it's Duncan. No flaws in his game, fundamentals are top notch, he is the full package.

There we go the best the draft has to offer since 1995. This time, really thanks for stopping by.

Any disagreements? Any agreements? Well let me hear it! I won't know unless you comment so drop your opinion and let's discuss!

60	Alex Acker	45	Matt Bonner	30	David Lee	15	Steve Nash
59	DJ Strawberry	44	Trevor Ariza	29	Josh Howard	14	Predrag Stojakovic
58	Maceo Baston	43	Michael Redd	28	Tony Parker	13	Kobe Bryant
57	Emmanuel Ginobili	42	Bobby Simmons	27	Kendrick Perkins	12	Thaddeus Young
56	Luis Scola	41	Cuttino Mobley	26	Kevin Martin	11	Andris Biedrins
55	Mike Taylor	40	Gordan Giricek	25	Gerald Wallace	10	Paul Pierce
54	Shandon Anderson	39	Rafer Alston	24	Derek Fisher	9	Dirk Nowitzki
53	Rasual Butler	38	Mehmet Okur	23	Tayshaun Prince	8	Andre Miller
52	Fred Hoiberg	37	Eddie House	22	Courtney Lee	7	Richard Hamilton
51	Kyle Korver	36	Craig Smith	21	Michael Finley	6	Brandon Roy
50	Ryan Gomes	35	Carlos Boozer	20	Jameer Nelson	5	Kevin Garnett
49	James Jones	34	Mario Chalmers	19	Zach Randolph	4	Chris Paul
48	Marc Gasol	33	Brandon Bass	18	David West	3	Chauncey Billups
47	Paul Millsap	32	Rashard Lewis	17	Danny Granger	2	Kevin Durant
46	Matt Barnes	31	Gilbert Arenas	16	Ron Artest	1	Tim Duncan

Going For Broke

DOL17 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:37:00 GMT

As word began to filter through to me from numerous different websites, it appeared almost inevitable that the deal had been done. It just makes too much sense not go through if you think about it. On one hand, you have a team over the cap, which don't want to be there because their owner is in all sorts of financial woe. They were built to win now, but ended up in the lottery. A payroll well over the luxury tax and a lottery spot is not what you want to be getting accustomed to. So they decided to cash in their biggest financial burden, the legendary Shaquille O'Neal. In a deal that sends Shaq to Cleveland for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic it's all about the money, for Phoenix anyways. In exchange for their starting centre, they received two role players at best. The Suns now enter the new season with Robin Lopez as their most experienced center on their team, yikes. I still have a gut feeling in me that the Suns aren't finished just quite yet. Sarver is so intent on getting under the cap and getting set for the future, it wouldn't shock me to see one or two more moves this summer. And if you want my opinion in the long term, I don't see Amare or Nash in the desert after next season. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Phoenix Suns have now fully entered the "rebuilding process."

On the other hand, now you have the other team, the Cavs. My beloved Cavs admitting that they screwed up in January when, sitting on the league's best record, they opted not to take Shaq as it may have disrupted team chemistry. For the pieces we would have given up (Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic) I'm sure seeing Shaq walk through the door would have only had one affect - inspiring. LeBron would have seen Shaq, and known his chances of getting that Championship had gone up some ten percent. Ilgauskas may have even hugged Shaq a little; because the more rest he gets the better. I'm fully convinced if we had gotten Shaq, we may just have beaten Orlando. But hey, that's in the past, I'm over it (no, I'm not one bit actually). Let's talk about now and what this means for us. Looking in at the situation as a non-Cavalier fan you must be thinking, "Wow, talk about going for broke" or "They have to win now." It may also reek a little of the Allen Iverson to Detroit desperation move of last summer. All valid points, and ones that concern me for sure, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives here, big time. For starters, Shaq is coming off one of his best season in years, he looked healthy again, made the All Star team and seemed genuinely interested in proceedings. That was playing alongside Matt Barnes. Now put him in the Wine and Gold of Cleveland alongside TheBron and see how motivated he gets. Shaq was a major player in the career development of Kobe and Wade, make no bones about it. He also won a title with both of them, which places enormous pressure on LeBron now. If he fails to win a ring with Shaq, you better believe that the media will eat him alive.

But back to Shaq. He will know that this his chance to do something you just know he has dreamed of since 2004, meeting Kobe in the finals. I'm almost convinced now that the league are going to make sure that happens, could you imagine the amount of T-Shirts the league would sell? All they'd have to do is think up of a clever catchphrase to incorporate both of them and "cha ching". I'm thinking something like "Shaq V Kobe, who will taste whose ass now?" in relation to Shaq's cameo rap session or "Who will fill their hand with rings first?" as both men are sitting on four Championships. That last part might just be the kicker in this deal. Shaq wants to be known as the greatest player of his generation, thing is, the other two main contenders (Kobe and Duncan) both have the four rings. Shaq will know that by him reaching five, with three different teams as starting centre, he must surely go down as the most dominat player in the last ten years, right? It's a big risk for the Cavaliers, one that should have been taken six months previous, and it will go a long way to deciding the future of our organisation.

LeBron will undoubtedly be happy at the sheer desire shown by the club to get him the necessary talent for his first ring. After all, in this current economical climate (don't you just hate that phrase?) what team splashes $20 million on one player? Right now Mark Cuban is somewhere screaming "Me, me, me. I would!!" LeBron knows that he underachieved last season in the playoffs; the first time he has done so since he arrived via God in 2003. If we fail to do so next season also, we will all face an anxious summer of praying he re-ups with us, and ignores the advances of New York.

With Shaquille O'Neal there always comes baggage, there's always drama and nearly always controversy. Now it's different. For with the signing of Shaq, the Cavs have possibly just altered the future of their franchise. Their future of contending for a title; their future of being relevant. Their future with LeBron.

Til next time...

Surprise, Surprise

Antony_Sanchez3 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:18:00 GMT

The draft has finally come, and with more shocks than a hair dryer in a bathtub (I'm speaking to you ladies and Ricky Rubio). Check out the drafts more interesting picks.

1. Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin Oklahoma State- Nah, just pulling your leg, it would have been surprising if he was chosen anywhere else but numero uno.

4. Sacramento Kings Tyreke Evans Memphis- I'm surprised with the pick because with Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio, and Jonny Flynn were still on the board. Why would they draft a player with more of a scorer's mentality? No knock on Evans, I think he is going to be great in the NBA just not with a King's team that has Kevin Martin as well as uncertainty at the point guard position.

7. Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry Davidson- Poor Curry, oh man I was so excited when the Timberwolves passed on him because I KNEW he was going to drop to the Knicks because Golden State was going to select Jordan Hill. Then something funny happened, they DIDN'T! Why do the Warriors have a need for another scorer with Azubuike, Belineli, Ellis, Captain Jack, Maggette, Morrow, and Watson on the roster? Unless the Amar'e trade goes down, this was another "great" decision by the Golden State franchise.

21. New Orleans Hornets Darren Collison UCLA- I thought Marcus Thornton was going to go NO lower than New Orleans? Lucky for the Hornets, they ended up with him much later in the draft, but couldn't they have gotten Collison much later in the draft rather then risk not getting Thornton?

22. Portland Trailblazers Victor Claver Spain- Kevin you got us again, you had everyone fooled into thinking you were going to get Omri Casspi.

25. Oklahoma Thunder Rodrigue Beaubois France- Its pick like these that make the title of this article, this was a surprise, surprise indeed. I don't even know who this kid is.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers Christian Eyenga Congo- Wasn't this draft suppose to be weak of international influence? Again I say "Who is this kid"!!

36. and 38. Memphis Grizzles Sam Young and San Antonio Spurs DeJuan Blair PITT- Shocked beyond belief these two fell this far. However, each team got QUALITY players late in the draft. Spurs even got a "lottery" guy, nice.

43. Miami HEAT Marcus Thornton LSU- Again he slipped wayyyy too far, luckily he'll be playing next to Chris Paul.

These were some of the surprises I saw in the draft, what were yours?

Did someone go too high or too low? Sound off about surprises that the draft gave you.

Talk About Value pt.3

Antony_Sanchez3 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:57:00 GMT

So we are now here on part three of four to revisit the past's drafts and find out the best player at their draft number. I've compiled a selection of players, and based off what they have done on the grandest basketball stage in the world, I will chose the best player drafted at each of their respective positions (1-60th) dating back all the way to the draft of 1995. Not only will I choose these players, but I will provide you with my reasoning of the selection.

Now that we have entered the first round, the pick get harder with more talent to choose from.

Enjoy the most value for picks 30-16

30. David Lee 6-9 PF Florida 2005 Knicks- For all the crap Isiah gets, he had a 6^th eye when it came to the draft. (Yes David Lee was another one of his picks) What's not to love out of the 30^th pick? 16 points and 11 rebounds (3rd in the NBA) in just his third pro year, number one in double-doubles (65), and restricted free agency around the corner. Wait scratch that last one New York fans. Honorable Mention: Mark Madsen, want to know why...priceless.

29. Josh Howard 6-6 SG/SF Wake Forest 2003 Mavericks- Another player from that fabulous '03 draft, Howard has one-all-star appearance and is a gritty warrior that played through a injury the whole second half of the season. His maturity could stand to improve just a little bit, but Mark has to live with what he gets. (Unless of course he trades Howard)

28. Tony Parker 6-1 PG France 2001 Spurs- Tony is here ONLY because of how much respect I have for his game (no not basketball game, the game he used to get Eva Longoria!) All kidding aside, Tony Parker is one of the league brightest stars and even has a finals MVP to add with his three rings. On another note, this pick is officially named the SPURS PICK, because they have had number 28 five out of the past seven years.

27. Kendrick Perkins 6-10 PF/C Beaumont, TX HS 2003 Grizzles- A defensive nightmare with a face that always looks like his house has just been robbed (seriously when does he ever smile?) I can't hate on the cat because he has a ring and made Gasol look like play-doh in the 2008 finals.

26. Kevin Martin 6-7 SG W. Carolina 2004 Kings- This pick will be known as the Late Pick. Why? Because players drafted here always take some time before they become really good like John Salmons for example.

25. Gerald Wallace 6-7 SG/SF Alabama 2001 Kings- Crash is a team player that I would take over Al Harrington nine times a week. If only he could stay a little more healthy...

24. Derek Fisher 6-2 PG Arkansas-Little Rock 1996 Lakers- Its all about the rings and Fisher is tied for most among active players (4). He is another player that made the 2009 All NBA Squeeze Team. Honorable mentions: AK47 and Rudy Fernandez.

23. Tayshaun Prince 6-9 SF Kentucky 2002 Pistons- Why should I explain all that Prince has does when I can have my friend David's two cents say it all.

22. Courtney Lee 6-5 SG W.Kentucky 2008 Magic- Don't get me wrong I love Lee, but when a rookie is the best drafted here over every player dating back to 1995 then that should tell you how weak this spot is.

21. Michael Finley 6-7 SG Wisconsin 1995 Suns- Could score with the best of them during his prime years. Interesting fact: Finley has played with 4 former MVPs in his career (Charles Barkley in Phoenix, Steve Nash in Phoenix and Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, and Tim Duncan in San Antonio). This spot is known as Instant Offense because of the players drafted here: Finley, Ricky Davis, Nate Robinson, Mo-Pete, and Daequan Cook)

20. Jameer Nelson 6-0 PG St. Joe's 2004 Nuggets- Big Z almost beat out Nelson, but when he was healthy Jameer was an All-Star on the team with the leagues best record. Even injured his team made it to the Finals over Big Z's (thanks to a little help from Rafer Alston)

19. Zach Randolph 6-9 PF Michigan St. 2001 Trailblazers- Zack Randolph is a sure 20-10 every time he steps on the floor, but numbers only make you remembered, wins make a player never forgotten. Poor Randolph, he is the hollowest player in NBA history.

18. David West 6-9 PF Xavier 2003 Hornets- 2-time All-star and yet another player drafted in 2003.

17. Danny Granger 6-9 SF New Mexico 2005 Pacers- I wanted to put Jermaine O'Neal here, because at one point he was just a beast for the Pacers. But now they have a young gun in Granger that has a ceiling that could put him in a top scorers atmosphere (Bron, Melo, Kobe, and Durant)

16. Ron Artest 6-7 SF St. Johns 1999 Bulls- Hedo is a close second here, but Artest has a defensive Player of the Year award and his team pushed the Lakers to seven games while Hedo only got to five.

There we have it, the best of the best at their draft position for the picks 30-16. Come by tomorrow to see the FINAL fifteen!

Any disagreements? Any agreements? Well let me hear it! I won't know unless you comment so drop your opinion and let's discuss!

The Jump

Antony_Sanchez3 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:14:00 GMT

Another season has come to an end, another champ has been crowned. They say (I don't know who they are but does anyone really know?) a season is not a sprint, but a marathon. If that is the case then a basketball career is three ironman competitions and a jog through Death Valley combined. These professionals go through the grind of an 82 game season while constantly practicing and then to get the best possible paycheck, have to work just as hard during the off-season to stay in shape and improve. This is all without even including international, pre-season, and post-season play! These games add up, and to think some players endure this task for extra seasons. Wait what? Oh sorry, didn't mean to confuse you there. What I meant is that the current class of high school players are starting to feel the strain of taking the jump from high school. My stance on the whole situation is that the one year rule is ridiculous. It should be changed to at least two years or allow them to make the leap of prep to the pros. Well that still doesn't tell us your stance. Which is it? Darn, I was trying to give you a politician's answer. If I have to decide between the two, it would be the at least two years option. Why? Let me get to it!

Quite simply talking the jump takes some sturdy legs, and most high school players couldn't handle it. Just look at all the past players to take the prep to pro jump: Jermaine O'Neal (Is he ever healthy anymore?), Tracy McGrady (When has he ever been healthy?), Jonathan Bender (His knees couldn't hold up), Darius Miles (Never matured as a person, and college would have helped him do that.), Kwame Brown (A sad story of too much hype at too much of a young age), Ndudi Ebi (couldn't handle the man's game), Sebastian Telfair ( another case of too much hype without substance), and Gerald Green (Limitless potential if a team ever gave a rats behind about him.) Players like O'Neal and McGrady will soon retire due to the extensive mileage they have on their legs while players who went to college like Ray Allen and Derek Fisher are kicking strong and winning championships.

Also the players who have to shut their careers early are left in a tough situation, only possessing a high school diploma and having their dream realized only to have it taken from under their noses. Plus (And this is the opinion of a youth, a 16 year old who is thinking about education after high school.) the college experience is something every person should taste at one point or another, whether it's a giant university like ASU or the little community college right around the corner. No matter how many millions are waiting in the NBA you cannot put a price on education.

There are certain circumstances where college does nothing for players; it is just an extended day care. I completely understand. I mentioned players that have become unsuccessful talking the jump but failed to mention those who have been successful. LeBron without a doubt would have murdered the college scene in ways that would make Michael Beasley's head spin. They would have had to replace the word dominant with LeBron. What's the problem with that? Nothing. But now with the college game coming so easy he could have earned a degree in marketing which he so clearly seems to embrace. If not that, there are endless leagues that could take him like the NBDL or CBA. David Stern is always talking about expanding the game globally and wouldn't King James tearing it up in Europe before dismantling the association do that? And in case you didn't know Kobe made the jump as well. And he didn't start for his first THREE years. Wouldn't it be grand to see Kobe winning and learning under Coach K and the Dukies for those years? (Yes, Kobe would have been a Dukie).

We understand these players could have gone to college and learned, but sometimes learning isn't for everyone. Excuse me? That is a load of Bull..err..oni. The human brain can hold endless amount of information. If you don't believe me ask HOOPSWORLD writer Travis Heath who has a PhD in psychology and teaches at a local college in Denver. Also college has an endless amount of classes to take, not just: math, science, history, and English. I am positive any person could find a class or two that strikes their fancy. Even my friend, who is a musician, had this conversation with me. His stance being that college isn't for everyone, to which I simply replied, you could take a music class or two". He simply stood quiet with embarrassed agreement. (He's only 17 and still contemplating college) And again if the college's ruckus crowds, future opportunities, and time for maturation aren't for everyone, there are other avenues to explore as stated above.

The one and done rule is pointless, kids take half a semester and not even have to try in any of them. While prep to professional basketball has too many downsides and denying many potential positives. My position on the issue is giving them two years. The benefits are infinite, from a longer playing career, a back-up plan, and a new experience. If they don't want to do that then there are other options at hand like Europe or NBDL where they can get paid. Either way these prospects will get a chance to play plus another positive (cash or learning) if they do two years. Not only that, but NBA teams have the opportunity to spot the diamonds in the rough and not fall for the fools gold. Two years is more productive for these potential pros and will better them in the long run rather then making the jump.

Talk About Value pt. 2

Antony_Sanchez3 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:55:00 GMT

So we are now here on part two of four to revisit the past's drafts and find out the best player at their draft number. I've compiled a selection of players, and based off what they have done on the grandest basketball stage in the world, I will chose the best player drafted at each of their respective positions (1-60th) dating back all the way to the draft of 1995. Not only will I choose these players, but I will provide you with my reasoning of the selection.

Enjoy the most value for picks 45-31

45. Matt Bonner 6-10 PF Florida 2003 Bulls- Bonner has always been that solid 15 mpg guy, but now he has upped the ante with his career high 44% field goal percentage from three (8^th in the NBA). Also he had a season high 23 points against the Boston Celtics this year.

44. Trevor Ariza 6-8 SF UCLA 2004 Knicks- Isaiah without a doubt always had an eye for finding talent in the draft. No exception here, after being traded twice Ariza found his home with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a league leader in steals, shot a blistering 47% from three in the playoffs, and is now a one-time world champion. (Oh and Take this Dahnaty "Kobe Tripper" Jones!)

43. Michael Redd 6-6 SG Ohio 2000 Bucks- Easy pick here, Eric Snow has gone to the finals twice and failed while Captain Jack has had his up and downs in the league. Redd is a legit star that needs to stay healthy If his team is ever going to compete.

42. Bobby Simmons 6-7 SF DePaul 2001 Seattle- This pick will be known as the pick of flashes. Just look at the players drafted here that once showed great potential: Boobie Gibson, Randy Livingston, Flip Murray, and even Zaza had his bright spots a few years ago. Simmons seemed destined for a great future after he won the Most Improved Player award (16 ppg) with the clippers, but never lived up to the hype because of injuries and a fat contract.

41. Cuttino Mobley 6-4 SG Rhode Island 1997 Rockets- Mobley had a long and successful career until heart problems caused an early retirement. Averaged a career high 21.7 points in 2001-02 and was a part of the greatest Clipper team (yeah I went there) in history in 2005-06.

40. Gordan Giricek 6-6 SG Croatia 1999 Dallas- Want a good role player? Get the 40^th pick (Anthony Johnson, Earl Watson, Juan Carlos Navarro, and CDR to name a few.) Giricek always was a reliable scorer to have a pick at 40.

39. Rafer Alston 6-2 PG Fresno St 1998. Bucks- He narrowly beats out Donyell Marshall thanks to his great season, solid career, and how can you not select a guy with such a cook nickname? (FYI its Skip to my Lou). This was my hardest choice of this post because both had such a solid career. (Even if not spectacular)

38. Mehmet Okur 6-10 PF Turkey 2001 Pistons- His a 1 time all-star and NBA champion. He is also one of the few centers in the world that you WOULDN'T leave open at the three point line.

37. Before I make my selection here I have to say one thing: I love the players drafted here. I was praying every night before the draft for Mbah a Moute to fall to the Lakers; I was in tears for weeks when Ronny Turiaf was too much for the Lakers to pay for (nearly 8 million when you consider luxury Tax); and I did a whole article about Eddie House. And when push comes to shove the player I would pick here between the three will have to be...Eddie House. 1-time champion and much more proven then the other two.

36. Craig Smith 6-7 PF BC 2006 Timber-wolves- I know what you're thinking, "How could you choose Smith over Jerome James"!? I almost picked him, but give me a chance to explain please! Smith made the All-Rookie Second team and has a career high 36 points. Just barely edging Jerome James. J

35. Carlos Boozer PF 6-9 Duke 2002 Cavaliers- Regardless of his injury problems, Boozer is one of the few obvious selections in this list so much so that I am not going to name his accomplishments. (Plus I don't want to anger Cavs fans with how successful he has become)

34. Mario Chalmers 6-2 PG Kansas 2008 Timber-wolves- A winner with his Kansas championship and the way he led the HEAT to the playoff (Got some help from some cat named Wade I hear) This pick is a little weak that even Baby Shaq, who has never played a game in the NBA, almost won it.

33. Brandon Bass 6-7 PF LSU 2005 Hornets- Another relatively weak number, but Bass is the PERFECT back-up power forward for any team looking to contend for a championship. (Lakers, Portland) But at the end of the day he will just be a back-up.

32. Rashard Lewis 6-10 SF/PF Alief Elsik HS 1998 Seattle- Say he's over paid, but waiting in the green room till 32 and then helping his team get all the way to the finals while beating Boston and Cleveland should get some critics off his back. He is even the first high school pick on the list.

31. Gilbert Arenas 6-3 PG Arizona 2001 Golden State- If he waited a few more years when combo guards were more accepted he would NOT have dropped this far. I know a lot is being made about his injuries and that gigantic contract he ha, but does anyone else remember the numbers he posted in 2006-07? That's not even his career high, just look at the year before that. Phenomenal if you ask me.

There we have it, the best of the best at their draft position for the picks 31-46. Come by tomorrow to see the next fifteen!

Any disagreements? Any agreements? Well let me hear it! I won't know unless you comment so drop your opinion and let's discuss!