NBA Season Preview

It's time for the NBA to start and that means we will get all the fast break dunks and full court alley-oop passes back! Every season includes some new story lines. Some of these story lines are predictable and some come out of no where. So now based on last season here is some questions and answers about the 2014-15 season.


Team categories:

First, what are the top 8 teams in each division?


East:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Toronto Raptors
4. Washington Wizards
5. Charlotte Hornets
6. Miami Heat
7. Brooklyn Nets
8. Atlanta Hawks

West:
1. San Antonio
2. LA Clippers
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Portland Trailblazers
7. Houston Rockets
8. Phoenix Suns


The paper champs award! What team is most likely to be better on paper like last years Minnesota Timberwolves?

The Houston Rockets.
I really think that the Rockets will implode a little bit this year. Pretty much a gut feeling here because Dwight Howard and James Harden is so good but the loss of Chandler Parsons is pretty key. I don't know is Parsons is as big of an addition for the Mavs as he is of a loss for the Rockets. PAtrick Beverly wasn't really a point guard that made a ton of plays so Parsons was great because he took some of the playmaking responsibilities from Harden. They also lost Jeremy Lin so a lot of the scoring and playmaking responsibility will fall on Harden and it will be a little too much for them to stay in the elite class of the West.

What team is most likely to have the most all-stars?

Cleveland Cavaliers. 
They will probably get 3 for Irving, LeBron and Love. I could also see the Thunder getting Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka with the PF spot being a little more open with Love on the East now.


What team will be on the Sportscenter top-10 the most?

Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers. 
It will be a tie between those two teams with the Thunder not far behind. Anytime you have the potential of Kyrie breaking some guys ankles, LeBron finishing a crazy dunk and Kevin Love throwing a bomb full court pass in the same game then you have to believe that team will be a staple on top-10. LA will be Lob City as long as they have Blake Griffin. But you also can't sleep on the ferocious dunks Westbrook is sure to have! like this one!



What team will be on the Sportscenter not top-10 the most?

Denver Nuggets.
I actually think that the Nuggets will be sneaky good this year but they are only winning this category because of the myth! The legend! Javale McGee!
Spencer-



What team will blow the most amount of games?

Houston Rockets.
This was a hard category because last year was automatically the Timberwolves. That team lost so many close games it was crazy. Now I think that the Rockets will lose a few games they should win because of the combination of Harden's poor defense and Dwight Howard's poor ability to shoot free throws


What team will win the most close games?

Portland Trailblazers.
Damian Lillard is as clutch as it gets and I really don't expect that to change at all.




What team will be this years Portland Trailblazers? Team to take the next step.

The Charlotte Hornets.
I really wanted to pick the New Orleans Pelicans but they play in the west so it would be a mini-miracle for them just to make it to the playoffs. I really think that the Hornets will take a pretty big leap in the east. They may even be a top 4 seed. I realistically think they will be the 5 seed in the east and will look like a legitimate contender at times. There defense was a force last year even with Al Jeffesrson's poor defense. You then couple that with Lance Stephenson joining the team, which should help the offense take off.



What team will be good in a couple of years?

Orlando Magic.
They have crazy young talent that will make them pretty good in 2 or 3 years. I really like Elfrid Payton with Victor Olidipo in the back court. They also locked up Nikola Vucevic, a guy with multiple 20 point 20 rebound games longterm. Tobias Harris is underrated. Also Andrew Nicholson, Channing Frye, and Aaron Gordon will make the power foward position crazy versatile.

The St. Bonaventure product Andrew Nicholson said he is going back to the post this year!



Whos is going to win the West?

Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder will start the year in a tough spot. Not only did they lose Kevin Durant but the injuries have pilled up. They will currently only have 4 bench players on opening day. But when this team becomes full strength in December they will get on a roll. Anthony Morrow will prove huge in the long run with his added shooting ability. Morrows shooting will help make the Thunder unstoppable. Thunder coach Scott Brooks put in a new system that will focus on ball movement a little more. I also expect Reggie Jackson to have a great year and average 14 points. Also Serge Ibaka will finally be the 20-10 guy that he is capable of. One of the more important things is that Stevan Adams has been named the starting center and I think he has a chance to average somewhere close to 12 and 10. His pick and rolls with Westbrook in the preseason looked amazing. I also don't think San Antonio will have the motivation it had last year to return to the finals.

Who is going to win the East?

The Chicago Bulls.
I am not so easily putting my eggs in the Derek Rose basket. I honestly think the Cleveland Cavaliers will have more talent than the Bulls but that will only matter in the regular season. In the playoffs I don't know if the Cavs will have the defensive ability to perform in the playoffs. I hate trusting Derek Rose but I have a very gut feeling about this. But man trust Derek Rose and betting against how well that Cavs team fits together offensively.

Yeah I'll be regretting this pick in about 3 weeks if Rose gets hurt again.


Who is going to win it all?

Oklahoma City Thunder. 
 It is their year. I feel it.

Player categories:

Who is most likely to get dunked on by Blake Griffin multiple times?

Everybody.
Nobody is safe when it comes to Blake Griffin. But honestly he will probably dunk over Timefey Mozgov 6 times this season. I'm low balling it.


Never forget.


The KD award! Who is the player most likely to steal or press Lebron for the MVP award?

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors.
He probably should have been higher in the MVP discussion last season but I really think the Warriors will be great this season and Steph Curry is going to be lights out and I don't just mean shooting the ball. I expect Curry to be among the league leaders in scoring as well as in assist. I loved Marc Jackson but I think Steve Kerr will be a better coach at using Curry effectively and make the pieces around him fit a little bit better.


The CP3 award! What player is the most likely to end up in a commercial?

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
The Brow is blowing up! Rightfully so. I think that he will get way more recognition after staring in the FIBA world championship. The Brow is unique and will be in some commercial for nike this year.

Over or under? Kobe averages 20 shots a game?

Over.
Definitely over. Especially with Swaggy P out. By the way, is it just me or did we all just accept the name "Swaggy P" for Nick Young. I mean what an accomplishment.

Who is the most likely to have a 20 minute video about their bad defense? The James Harden award.

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving will obviously be great on offense but man will his defense be exposed because he is going to have to guard guys like Derek Rose, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker, Chris Paul and all the great point guards in the spotlight now. The spotlight part is key. Kyrie has always had defensive woes but nobody thought about it because the Cavs weren't good. But expect a lot of this from Kyrie.




P.S.
That is the Derek Rose we want to see!

Who will have a break out year?

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks.
Nobody really knows who this kid is but man I love everything about his game. He is a guy that has the potential to be very similar to Kevin Durant. Now I don't think he will be that good but he will be good. Yeah most people will focus on Jabari Parker in Milwakee, and rightfully so, but the "Greek Freak" will be the other reason that the Bucks will push for a playoff spot. Giannis really picked up his play later in the year last season and in the summer league he averaged 17 points and 5 rebounds while playing some point guard as well. This dude is 6-10 and capable of playing point guard!

The Mario Chalmers award! The guy most likely to get yelled at by LeBron the most.

Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers.
Dion Waiters is going to be Dion Waiters, which means he will probably be yelled at by LeBron and multiple Cavs fans.

Who is the most likely to end up on TMZ?

Nick Young, aka Swaggy P, LA Lakers.
Two words. Iggy Azalea.




"It's a shame what happened to D'Antoni."


Can't wait for the season to start!

11 Things That Need To Happen This NBA Offseason

Yes the NBA Playoffs are upon us and if the Miami Heat (up 3-2) can make it past the Pacers, we will see them meet the San Antonio Spurs, for what could be a very eventful NBA finals. Maybe the Spurs can participate in a final that wont garnish historically bad ratings.

D Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season.

But since most fans' teams are out of it many people have moved on to what should happen to their teams this offseason. So here is my unorthodox top 11 things that need to happen this offseason to make next season awesome.

11. Everyone needs to get healthy and stay healthy!

This season should be called the "what if?" season. Mainly because there were so many teams that had not just key players hurt but their best players out.

What if Derrick Rose came back? What if half the Bulls' team didn't drop like flies? Would the Bulls be competing in the conference finals right now? The Bulls' already had the defense like the Pacers, that could disrupt the heat except they would have an MVP candidate with Rose, something the Pacers don't have.

Speaking of the Pacers, how about this guy Paul George? He's becoming a bonafide star but the Pacers probably still don't have enough offense to overcome the heat. Paul George is doing everything he can but George Hill and Lance Stephenson combined for 5 points! But Imagine if they had their leading scorer from last year, Danny Granger. Would they be up 3-2 in the series?

Then you have a slew of other injuries that derailed the season for many teams; Russell Westbrook for the Thunder, David Lee for the Warriors, Danillo Gallinari for the Nuggets, Rajon Rondo for the Celtics, Andrew Bynum for the Sixers, Amar'e Stoudemire for the Knicks and all of the Lakers throughout the season.

Injuries happen but it doesn't usually happen to this many star players in one season. Danillo Galinari and Kobe Bryant might not come back until late next season but if everybody is healthy next year we are in for a great season.

10. Change Change and more Change

There are some players on some teams that will not thrive in this league until they go to a different team.

Cousins wants out of Sacramento.

Demarcus Cousins is one of those guys who need a change of scenery. Although he averaged 17.1 points and 9.9 rebounds he has not been happy in Sacramento like most Kings players. Although he is known for having character issues like Zach Randolph and Rasheed Wallace, he can move on to a better situation and thrive. He isn't a free agent but he should be traded.

Tyreke Evans also needs to move on from the Kings. He has the talent to be the go to guy on a losing team but if he really should be the third best player on a championship caliber team.

Either Monta Ellis or Brandon Jennings or even both need to leave the Bucks. New head coach Larry Drew probably wants to keep one of them and Jennings will probably stay because he is a restricted free agent. Either way Jennings isn't happy in Milwaukee and could help another team and so could Ellis.

Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap both need to leave the Utah Jazz as well. Millsap could be a great starter or bench player on a contender and Jefferson could be the final piece to put a team like Houston or even Dallas that can put them over the top.

9. The Wizards need to draft Otto Porter.

Yes the Wizard's didn't make the playoffs for the fifth year in a row but they have a lot to look forward for next year. 

John Wall and Nene entered the 2012-13 season injured but when they came back down the stretch the Wizards went 22-16. Bradley Beal also came on once wall returned and can help form a formidable backcourt. They also were one of the few young teams in the league that actually played defense.

Porter could push the Wizards in the playoffs.

The Wizards played out the rest of the season hard and for that the basketball Gods granted them with the third pick in the draft from a projected eighth pick. Which puts them in position to draft the perfect player for the one position that they need. 

Otto Porter can give them some more offense to complement Beal and Wall and can do all the multifaceted things that Trevor Ariza does now like defend and rebound. 

In reality Otto Porter needs the Wizards as much as they need him. He would have been a high draft pick regardless and it would have put pressure on him to be the go-to-guy on a team. He just doesn't project to be that guy. But if the Wizards draft Porter they will go to the playoffs next year.

8. The Philadelphia 76ers need to find out about Andrew Bynum's health.

The 76ers are in an awful situation. They gave up an olympic gold medalist in Andre Iguodala to get Andrew Bynum and then his season pooped the bed. Actually at risk of sounding gross it diarrhea'd the bed. Yes I know that was overboard but it is the only way to describe a season that was this terrible because Andrew Bynum re-injured his leg bowling.

Maybe the only time Bynum wore this jersey.

Now there are many reports that Bynum's knees are completely done. I don't know if they are or if they aren't but the 76ers need to figure out a way of knowing what Bynum has to offer. Because right now they are in a very damned if they do, Damned if they don't situation. Either they'll re-sign Bynum and lose out on a boatload of money or they'll risk him going to some other team and being dominant again.

I know I wouldn't want to be in the sixers' shoes. Hey at least Jrue Holiday is amazing.

Side note: Maybe they should trade Bynum to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat. Gortat isn't Bynum but is an upgrade over Spencer Hawes. Also Phoenix has a miracle training staff that can heal Bynum. Check the Suns track record of resurrecting players.

7. Josh Smith needs to go to a contender and stop shooting long jumpers.

Josh Smith's shooting percentage shot chart.
Courtesy of Vorped

Josh Smith has been a very good player in this league for a few years now and there has been 2 things that has held him back from taking the next step.

The first was Joe Johnson and Mike Woodson who decided to play a bunch of hero isolation ball. Smith would be a great complement to a superstar player but Johnson was not that. If he partners with James Harden and the Rockets if they don't land Dwight than he'll have a chance to go further than the 1st round of the playoffs.

Losing in the first round of the playoffs has to be monotonous right?

Maybe Iso Joe's game rubbed off on Josh Smith because he's gained a very irrational confidence in his jumpshot. Although he shot an atrocious 29.9 percent from the midrange he continued to take long 2's. He is obviously good around the basket but he needs to work on his shot selection.


6. Blake Griffin and Serge Ibaka need to develop their offense.

Blake Griffin's shot chart. via Vorped

Both these guys are similar in one way. They both are in the NBA mainly because of their tremendous athletic ability. But both are limited offensively in different ways.

Blake jumper make him look like Iron Man because it is so robotic. Ironically his jumper tends to clank off of the iron. Griffin is great around the basket but he needs to shoot better to take his team to the next level.

Serge Ibaka has absolutely no post game at all but he sure does have a pure stroke from the mid range. If he could develop a low post game, one that the Oklahoma City Thunder sorely need, the Thunder would have a big three again. A low post scorer is more potent than a third

perimeter scorer because it can open lanes for Durant and Westbrook. It could also make an already potent offense less stagnant.

Ibaka is already a great off ball defender and free throw shooter so the only hole in his game is a low post game.

This is why I think that Ibaka and Blake Griffin both need to spend not a week, not a month, but a whole summer with Hakeem Olajuwon. If Im the Thunder or the Clippers Im packing their bags myself and sending them to Houston for summer camp Olajuwon on the team's tab as soon as possible.

5. The Thunder need to amnesty Kendrick Perkins.

Although it has been reported that OKC Thunder general Manager Sam Presti has no intentions of amnestying Perkins, he should at least consider it.

Getting Perkins for Jeff Green a few years ago transformed the Thunder into legitamate contenders but

now he has regressed into a liability. Yes he can guard bigger centers in the league but that is about all he can do now.

Perkins' production has deteriorated recently.

He can't score and he can't rebound which was evident in the playoffs, he averaged 2 points and 3 rebounds. They can find a cheaper big body like a Brandon Wright who can actually add some scoring in the front court. Perkins couldn't even catch and finish layups against the Grizzlies. 

Maybe if Perkins only made 3 or 4 million a year than it would be acceptable but he is owed over 18 million over the next two years. Letting him go can open up a chance to gain some cap relief and a mid level exception. 

The Thunder can maybe draft an offensive oriented center like Kelly Olynyk to help bring in offense in the post for cheap so they won't have to amnesty Perkins but he has to play better.

4. The Knicks need to find a way to get younger and score more.

Carmelo needs help.

The Knicks had a successful season and a non-successful season. Before the season started nobody expected the Knicks to have the second best record in the east. But they played great for the most part of the season despite filling the roster with stragglers two days away from nursing homes.

The old roster caught up with them in the playoffs because Rasheed Wallace went down, Marcus Camby did nothing at all and Jason Kidd didn't score at all in the playoffs. He might still be missing open three's in his backyard.

I don't know how they can do it but they need to get rid of all the old people and maybe let J.R. Smith go and look to groom Shumpart. They should also give Chris Copeland an extended role and pray that Amar'e stays healthy.

I have been on and off the Amar'e and Carmelo band wagon. Deep down I think they can somehow work only if Amar'e stays healthy. But now it is probably a safer bet that Lindsay Lohan resurrects her career.

Andre Iguodala would be a perfect fit
for the Cavs... if they give up on the
LeBron sweepstakes.

3. The Cavs need to sign Andre Iguodala if they want to make the playoffs but shouldn't if they want LeBron.

This is a move that the Cavs could push to make and be a solid threat to making the playoffs next year. But it is also a move that I think they will not make because Dan Gilbert is holding out hope that they land LeBron James next summer.

If they sign Iggy to a long term deal that will kill the hopes of bringing LeBron back to Cleveland. But what if they pass up on Iggy and LeBron burns them again? Do they hope they get lucky again and get Andrew Wiggins in next years draft?

It is possible that they could make the playoffs with a different small forward if they draft Nerlens Noel and he actually makes it back be December. Also if Anderson Varejao stays healthy for an extended period of time for once.

Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters are only going to get better next year so they can still make the playoffs in the east but I would probably wait on LeBron. Sorry Iggy.


2. Chris Paul needs to stay with the Clippers but they need to get rid of DeAndre Jordan.

Chris Paul should sign back with the Clippers. Unless He can team up with Dwight Howard and Al Horford in Atlanta. But I don't think that will happen because Dwight doesn't want to play in Atlanta.

So Paul should go back to the Clippers and develop more on his duo with Blake Griffin. Yes there has been some trials and tribulations in their relationship but something tells me that Blake would rather have Paul than not have him.

Paul should return to the Clips.

Besides Paul needs to push Griffin. Blake has so much talent that isn't getting realized. Which is why I said he needs to improve his offense. That way they can make it past the second round of the playoffs.

The Clippers fired their coach Vinny Del Negro in an attempt to appease CP3 but it has back fired. Paul is now pissed that he is perceived as they reason Vinny was kicked to the curb. The reality was that Del Negro needed to go based on his fit with the team although he had a great year.

They need a coach that focuses on defense --like Byron Scott, who they are reportedly talking to-- to make this team better. They also need someone who knows how to coach in clutch situations and Del Negro failed doing that on to many occasions.

The other problem is DeAndre Jordan. Although he is great for dunks and highlights, his game is very limited. He can't shoot at all and his free throw shooting is among the worst in the league. He also doesn't really give them a great amount of defense and can't play down the stretch in games, therefore he needs to go somehow.

Either he needs be traded maybe to get somebody like Al Jefferson in a sign and trade or he needs to get substantially better but I doubt he can do it.


1. Dwight Howard needs to go to the Houston Rockets.

Howard does not fit with the Los Angelos Lakers. I know that the front office wants to resign him but only because they put so many eggs in his basket when they traded for him. They are in denial that Dwight can be the next Wilt or Kareem but he can't.

Howard and Asik can work side by side next year.

He just isn't built for the bright lights of LA and besides the Lakers are not in the best position to compete. Kobe could miss most of the season and the rest of the team is old and a defensive liability.

Many people think that he will go back to LA because they can offer a 5 year 118 million dollar deal but he would probably opt out of it in the fourth year. Also Houston has no state tax so that narrows the gap between the 88 million they can offer and the 118 million the Lakers can offer.

There is no shame in Dwight Howard going to a better basketball situation. James Harden is the best young shooting guard in the game right now and he has no issue sharing the ball. Chandler Parson's is capable of becoming a great third scorer and they have a ton of shooters to free up Dwight Howard down low.

They can also play Omer Asik and Howard together as an overpowering defensive duo. The Rockets would automatically become a candidate to contend in the western conference and add another intriguing story to the league.