Just My Two Cents

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.

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...

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...

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 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...

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?

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...

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...

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...

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...

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!!)

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...

While Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Courtney Lee grew up before our eyes in what was a postseason for the ages, what about the guys who weren't as lucky to advance to the playoffs? There are teams firmly wedged over the luxury tax, but doing so with the intention of winning now. Teams like Phoenix, Washington and the Clippers have astronomical wage bills, but where's the success that's meant to follow? While the guys here at HOOPSWORLD completed their All Postseason teams, here are my 2009 All NBA Best Of The Rest teams, starting off with the first team.

First Team

PG -- Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets. Who knew? In a swap deal for All Timer Jason Kidd, who'd a thunk that the Nets would have gotten the better deal? Devin had a terrific year this season, catapulting himself to the All Star game, and firmly into the discussion of elite point guards. Maybe he's not quite at the CP3-Deron Williams level, but after them he's as good as it gets. He pushed the Nets to within a few games of making the playoffs behind career highs in minutes, points and assists. He is quickly taking the torch from Vince Carter as the face of the team, and is only just 26. If he ever develops a reliable three point stroke, watch out.

SG -- Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings. An absolute stud, simple as. Don't think there's an analyst anywhere who would disagree with me in saying he is the piece that could put any perennial contender over the top. He has so much talent it deserves more than a 17 win season. Martin did miss his fair share of games through injury, but when he was on the court he was spectacular. Check out his stats for December - 25.9 points, 90% FT shooting, 42% from the floor and 45% from three point range. The King's record over that stretch - 2-14. We may never know how many times he cried that month. (As an interesting aside, he makes $8,760,335 a year, very reasonable. If Ray Allen truly is expendable, maybe Kev's your guy?)

SF -- Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder. Don't really know if I can put into words how good this guy truly is and is going to be down the road. A top ten talent in our league without question, and his team isn't far behind either. How he wasn't made an All Star this season baffles me, as he was clearly deserving of a spot. It may take his team a few more years (three max) to contend out West, but with this guy and his potential stat line of 32-6-6 leading your team, you'll be alright. He's the captain of my team, and also the winner of the "Imagine he played here award" for all Portland fans.

PF -- Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards. Maybe if Gilbert stayed healthy they make the playoffs, but has "maybe" and "if" ever gone good together in a sentence (Apart from when some guy said "Maybe it would be nice if I put pineapple on my pizza?")? Experts say that if the Wiz had won the Blake Griffin sweepstakes, Jamison may have gone. That would have been an injustice, as Jamison was superb all year long. Month by month, you knew what you had with this guy. He laid it all out every time he put on the uniform, and his average of 22.2 points and 8.9 boards are pretty impressive for a team that tanked the entire season in.

C -- Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors. Some say he's a power forward (maybe he is), but don't we have that argument with Tim Duncan? Wasn't Duncan listed as a centre on the All Star ballot a few years back? If the NBA can label Duncan a centre, so can I with Bosh. I like Bosh's production, but hate all the gossip regarding his future. When he puts it all together, he's almost unplayable. Just look at him the last two months of the campaign. He settled in with Bargnani, and he tore it up. Be it either posting you up, putting the ball on the floor or showing off his sweet J, Bosh can be a nightmare. He is definitely the best possible option for a sidekick on a Championship team, as I don't think he'll ever be the alpha male on one. Maybe that's why Shaq said those things?

Second Team

PG -- Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns. The only non-playoff team with a plus in the points differential category, and it's down to this guy. The evergreen floor leader that is Steve Nash had yet another dazzling campaign, putting up averages of 15.7 points and 9.7 dimes -- and he's 35!

SG -- Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers. Sure. Why not? I know he's a rookie, but he impressed the bajeesus out of me. His strength, ability to get to the basket and his shooting stroke are, along with the imminent arrival of Blake Griffin, what gives Clippers fans hope.

SF -- Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers. All shall be revealed here.

PF -- David Lee, New York Knicks. What's not to love? A human magnet for rebounds coupled with an uncanny ability to score the basketball, perfect. His January averages read -- 18.8 points, 13 rebounds, 57% shooting. PLAYING WITH THE KNICKS!!! He made himself a whole lot of money this year.

C -- Shaq, Phoenix Suns. The reinvention of Shaq as a dominant centre and all-time pain in the butt was a nice little sub-plot to the season, wouldn't you agree? He was named All Star MVP (kinda-ish), had the best consecutive games of the his last three years against LA and Toronto in February/March (33-43 shooting, 78 points), and pretty much poked fun at just about anybody. But come on, ya gotta love him right?

It's so close I can smell the, erm, well I can't smell anything but the NBA Draft is close, real close. Like, 8 days away. A fresh influx of talent into our league, bringing with them fresh allegations that may appear by training camp. Anybody care to make a wager on how long it will be until we hear that Tyreke Evans or James Harden is said to have taken a backhander? (I'm not by any means saying those guys did, or ever would. They were just the first two names that popped into my head) It's a pretty shady sport this College Basketball nowadays, with "runners" and "associates" pocketing more money in one year than you or I may ever be able to imagine. But if anyone asks, they didn't make a dime ok? Let's keep the game going a little while longer. Then we have the "student" athletes, lingering on the campus for one year, doing the absolute bare minimum in the classroom, just waiting for his chance to leave and make it pro. What good is that to anybody? Look, I'm not Nostradamus or anything, but I can see the we need a change. Let's turn the one-and-done into the four-and-out rule. We've had it for four years, let's now kick it out.

It's getting to the stage where kids are so against the college routine of SAT's, eligibility tests and buying new pencils that they head abroad to, for want of a better word, escape. Brandon Jennings and Jeremy Tyler are maybe just the beginning. You know the way parents lie at home, talking about how they hope their kid ends up in a good college? Well, those days may be a thing of the past soon. Instead of hoping for a good college, they're hoping the Clippers don't win the lottery. Sorry Griffin's, I am.

Growing up playing soccer, I remember distinctly one game when I turned out for the Under 16 team, even though I was just 13. Unheard of in our league, but all my manager said to me was this, "If you're good enough, you're old enough." Just look at the reigning and former MVP's of our league -- both prep-to-pro phenoms. Kevin Garnett, Al Jefferson, Dwight Howard and Kwame Brown just to name a few -- wait, Kwame Brown? He's not meant to be in there -- all made the jump and look at them. Those guys felt comfortable enough in their ability, heck, LeBron tried to go pro after his junior year in high school. Fact of the matter is, in some cases it genuinely is better for the kid to go straight in. If OJ Mayo had been allowed to, Tim Floyd may still have a job. If Derrick Rose were left go pro after he left Simeon, Memphis and John Calipari's wins over the past few season wouldn't be on the verge of being wiped from the history books. The problem may be just as rife with the incoming freshman to college for next season.

John Wall "tried" to go pro already, stating that his high school class had graduated thus making him eligible. Lance Stephenson (if he ever chooses a college), Derrick Favors, the diva that is Renardo Sidney, man-child DeMarcus Cousins and I'm sure a few more would have taken the leap. The game would still go on. You look at guys like Avery Bradley, Kenny Boynton and Jordan Hamilton who are heading into big national programs, and if they prosper like we expect them to they'll be out after one year also. But the game would still go on. Deron Williams and Chris Paul, the two premier point guards in our league shunned the lure of the NBA when in college. Blake Griffin would have been a top five pick last June had he entered after his freshman year, but resisted. The best prospect on the 2009 NCAA Championship winning North Carolina team will still be in college next year, that being Ed Davis. Al Farouq-Aminu stayed put, as did Willie Warren. Greg Monroe would have been the second best player in the draft had he not opted to stay, and everybody would have loved a bruiser-project in the mould of Samardo Samuels. But they stayed knowing that the NBA will always be there, NCAA Basketball will not. You only get one shot at a college career.

Look at the recently departed classes of Pittsburgh, Louisville and UCONN. Premier programs built through guys who stayed in the college game to develop accordingly and when (if) the time came, do himself justice on the bigger stage. Look at the Kansas Jayhawks, anchored by Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. Collins would have been a first rounder (maybe) after that title run, and Cole Aldrich was on everybody's lips after he out-Tyler Hansbroughed Tyler Hansbrough in the Final Four that year. His stock couldn't have been higher. Even this year, he's better than Hasheem Thabeet, no doubt about it. The rule should be simple, either don't go to college, or do and you're there for at least two years minimum. The two year rule is strictly down to loyalty.

If a Division One program would like to hand you a free shot at a better life, let's show some respect. "Thank you Sir, but I would like to take my chances as a professional." How much better is that response than going there, abusing the college for a few months then leaving before the ink had dried on your last essay assignment. Also, one-and-doners, especially the surprise ones, can kill a program. If you surprisingly jump ship after your coach expected you to be there the following year, you may leave a huge hole in the team. But hey, you think they care? Zach Randolph did it to Tom Izzo and more recently Billy Donovan got it when Mareese Speights left. It can affect the players too. How much better would Florida have been if Nick Calathes had a genuine bigman to work with? If Jrue Holiday had stayed in school (which he should have) then UCLA may have been a player next year, rather than the also-ran of last season. The only plus from having these guys attend your college is the national attention you may garner from having them, but how much more publicity does UCLA, Texas and North Carolina need? It's time for the rule to be abolished, before basketballing ethic gets there first.

Til next time...

Well, there goes another season. 82 regular season games, a playoff series or two if you're lucky, but when your opponent reaches four before you, you're on your way home. It's that cruel, but at the same time that fulfilling. The NBA Playoffs have the rare ability to make any given player experience ecstasy, heartaches, unrivalled joy, unfathomable despair all in one...quarter. It's been dubbed the "promised land", and those of us (You like how I compared you and I to NBA players?) who have gotten there say it's even better than advertised. That's why everytime I see Bill Russell's name anywhere, I can't help but say to myself "Damn, dude has so many rings he has a spare!", how sick is that? HOW SICK IS THAT! It was only fair that they rename the Finals MVP after him, after all, and I'm not sure if I mentioned this but he has ELEVEN rings -- but not one Finals MVP. That's like inventing the Playstation, but having no thumbs. But I digress, back to my playoff recap, which should start with (the first round, duh) one game in particular; Boston v Chicago, Round One. A KG-less Celtics side faced a Bulls side led by the jaw-dropping rookie Derrick Rose. In that seven game series, there were seven OT's, numerous huge plays, and the resurrection of Ben Gordon, who will now be paid appropriately. Who will ever forget Joakim Noah stealing the ball from Paul Pierce, running the court and in the words of Austin Carr, "throwing the hammer down." That was by far the most entertaining first round series, and when you throw in Vinny Del Negro running out of timeouts, it's got an Oscar nomination. Remember when the 76ers looked half decent against the Magic? Didn't they lead that series?

While there was arguably only the one shock in Round One (Houston over the much-fancied, much-bromanced Portland team), the Conference Semi's stemmed fresh hope for some upsets, but nope -- people read the script. Orlando did however win a Game 7 in Boston, which is harder and rarer than sitting through an Owen Wilson film and not thinking how much he looks like Elizabeth Banks (to save you the time wasted in Googling her, she's the one from Zach and Miri). We almost had the cinderella story in the Houston-LA series, but Houston couldn't play in the Game Seven decider because they only had three healthy players left from their entire roster. Must be something in the water down there. Denver had people everywhere thinking they were the ones who would beat LA, especially when they got a newer, grown up version of Carmelo Anthony killin' Dallas with plays like the Antoine Wright no-call clutch three. Maybe I lied at the start of this paragraph when I said there were no upsets or shocks, or did anybody deep down expect Boston to beat Orlando without KG? If so, then I apologise. Highlight of the Second Round to rival Joakim Noah's from the First, is Aaron Brooks. Just him, dude's cool. Really stepped up big when Yao went out, and led his ball club in scoring the last four games of that series, he's the kind of guy Houston needs to invest heavily in -- not McGrady. And it's funny, if Jameer didn't mess up his shoulder, he more than likely would have rode the pine that series, with a few DNP's thrown in. Gotta love it...

So the stage was set, the neutral's favourite, against the media's and David Stern's. Superstar Melo versus SuperDuperStar Kobe and his band of All Stars. I'll be straight with you, I expected Denver to pull this one out. They were on a roll, LA were struggling, you know the story, you were there too. But you see, Trevor Ariza (more on him in a minute) makes two huge steals (think Jordan on Malone) and LA gets ahead early in the series, the feel-good run is over. We don't get to see the Birdman anymore this postseason, I think that upset me the most (in a very close second place was Joe Dumars in "I'm gonna pull my hair out if Chauncey hits one more three."). Ok, guess I have to talk about it now, in the East, Orlando (cringing) beat my Cavaliers. But I give the Magic no credit whatsoever for that series, Coach Brown killed us. Him, plus the fact LeBron had to carry the combined bodyweight of Wally, Pavlovic, Mo WIlliams and Ben Wallace on his back. Crazy part is, he did it, averaged an absurd 38-8-8, but people still talked about him storming off more than that. I'm not approving what he did, he took an easy way out sure, but put yourself in his place, and also, shouldn't that story be second to his on-court performances? Anyways, there went a 66 win season out the door faster than Usain Bolt down the track. Even after all this time, it still pains me deeply how we abandoned the team concept for the stand-there-and-watch concept of seasons past.

On our 2009 NBA Finals we had the Superman-led Magic against the Mamba/Crazy Looking Kobe-led Lakers. Game One was a blowout, not even close. Game Two had the now infamous missed layup by Courtney Lee, which was easier to miss than make, back off the kid! Name me one other rookie who played Kobe that aggressively, not backing down an ounce and not being afraid to go at Kobe offensively everytime? Thank you. Game Three saw Dwight Howard awaken, remember where he was and play like who he is. Game Four was when it all got away from the Magic, the missed free throws, the brutal third quarter performance, the whole "let's leave Derek Fisher wide open, he's never made big shots" theory that bit them back, and the kidnapping of Rashard Lewis (how else do you explain his absence?). Quite a game (for Laker fans), and probably the moment when Orlando fans realised that it wasn't to be their year. Even if they were to win Game Five at home, nobody wins in LA two games on the bounce, unless you're playing the Clippers, but when will they be in the Finals huh? Anyways, if you read this, you knew how I felt LA could win. I thought he would have to step up, partly because I didn't expect this kind of play from Trevor Ariza. In last night's clincher, he was the Game MVP. Everywhere on the defensive end, and a foot race nightmare match up for Hedo at the other. He hit timely three's and was a huge factor in that 16 point run that turned this game. And to think, Orlando merely demanded Brian Cook and Maurice Evans for him last year. Dwight Howard didn't contribute enough and Hedo and Rashard were terrible. Jameer Nelson being involved in the Magic rotation hurt them more than we will ever know...Hey, is that JJ Redick playing?

Til next season..Wait, that's not it..

Til next time...