Golden State Warriors
The Warriors broke their epic playoff drought last year and shocked the sports world by knocking off Dirk and the Mavs. They went from relatively unknown to ubiquitous, and their challenge this year will be to carry over some of that momentum to make another playoff push.
This offseason, they traded Jason Richardson for Brandan Wright and drafted Italian sharpshooter Marco Belinelli. I’m not sure the additions of Belinelli and Wright will be enough to offset the loss of Richardson this year, and the competition for the lower half of the playoff seeds in the West will be just as tough if not tougher than last season.
Don Nelson raved about Belinelli during the summer league, but he seems to have cooled off and it remains to be seen whether Belinelli can come in and be an effective starter in this league his first year. He has the advantage of having played at the highest level in Europe for several years, including numerous stints with the Italian national team. I think he’s going to get the job done.
Wright is something of an enigma. He has the raw talent to be a dominant force, and he should have absolutely destroyed the competition in the ACC last year. While he was tremendous, he disappeared at times and seemed to lack the fire necessary to take over a game. He deferred too often to alpha dog Tyler Hansbrough. His offensive game is unpolished, but he will contribute on the glass and on the defensive end. I’m not sold on the Warriors this year though. There’s too much hype and pressure and they’ve lost the element of surprise.
Get excited about: The first Warriors-Jazz matchup and the many times the Baron Davis over Andrei Kirilenko dunk will be replayed, Steven Jackson hitting big 3s and leading by example as a captain, listening to Marv and Reggie talk about “the length of Brandan Wright.”
Close your eyes so you don’t have to see: Belinelli and Wright hitting the rookie wall, Jason Richardson tearing it up in Charlotte, Jessica Alba sitting courtside at Kings games when they make the playoffs and the Warriors don’t.
Check out these Belinelli highlights from Italy vs. Slovenia. He can really shoot it. I’m amazed at how he really doesn’t set his feet when he makes these deep threes. He’s either fading back or falling forward.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are the trendy pick to win the championship, and a lot of people feel that they were just a suspension away from winning it last year. While I still think the Spurs are going to get the job done, the Suns have the personnel in place to prove me wrong. The only question mark now will be the Kurt Thomas for cap space trade.
If the Suns should face the Spurs in the playoffs, they will be without their best interior defender, and the burden will fall on Amare Stoudemire to competently guard the best power forward of all time. They rely on Amare so heavily on the offensive end that the idea of him picking up cheap fouls on Duncan is probably keeping new GM Steve Kerr up at nights.
Still, Kerr did what he had to do, saving owner Robert Sarver’s luxury tax money and making it possible to retain his core of Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire.
You can probably guess how I feel about the Grant Hill pickup. Hill was one of the best players in the league in the mid-90s (think Dwyane Wade now), and it will be great to see him back under the spotlight. He’s such a cerebral player, and he really doesn’t have too many miles on his body. If his surgically reconstructed ankles hold up, he will have a great year and remind people of why he was first team All-NBA a decade ago.
Get excited about: Nash threading the needle, Marion’s quirky yet effective release, Amare perfecting his jumper and becoming unstoppable.
Close your eyes so you don’t have to see: Raja Bell getting his clock cleaned by somebody this season (it’s bound to happen). If the Lakers don’t trade Kobe, maybe he’ll do it just to get suspended and stick it to Jerry Buss a bit more.
Here’s a funny SportsCenter commercial from 1995 with Grant Hill and Dan Patrick.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers were ready to rebound from last season’s disappointing finish when the news of Elton Brand’s knee injury hit and seemingly killed the team’s chances to make it back to the postseason. I think it’s too early to write this team off. They still have an abundance of young talent, and I think people are underestimating how much of an impact rookie Al Thornton will have at the small forward position.
After years of deferring to Brand, Corey Maggette should thrive as the top option in this offense (provided he can stay out of Mike Dunleavy’s doghouse). I think this is the year that Chris Kaman finally puts it all together. They are going to be leaning on him for offensive production in the post, and an offseason of work can only help in his development. He has shown flashes of brilliance in his career, and they need him to be consistent if they’re going to overcome the loss of Brand.
I watched Thornton stick daggers into Duke for the past few years, and as a Heat fan I am relieved that he was drafted into the Western Conference. He has a tremendous amount of talent and passion for the game that will separate him from many of the players from his draft class. He’s going to play his heart out every night and do everything he can to get the W. Clippers fans should be very excited about him.
Here’s Thornton hitting some nice shots in summer league play.
Los Angeles Lakers
Welcome to the Andrew Bynum era. If Kobe hits the road, and it looks like he will, Bynum is going to grow into the top offensive option. What makes me say this? I caught a couple of Lakers preseason games and was blown away by the progress he’s made in the offseason. I kid you not, folks: he’s looking like Dwight Howard out there.
The ESPN.com report says that the Lakers are looking for a package of Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, and Joakim Noah for Kobe . If this trade goes through, (and the article lists many obstacles to its completion), the Lakers will actually be a better team this year. Walton, Odom, Bynum, Fisher, Noah, Thomas, Deng, and Gordon. That would be an exceptional 8-man rotation.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, this deal probably won’t go through, and they will end up with a lesser package for Kobe . Barring a surprise trade for another star (Jermaine O’Neal?) to pacify Kobe , this will probably be a long season for Lakers fans.
Get excited about: Bynum’s upside, Derek Fisher’s leadership, the lovely Jeannie Buss.
Cover your eyes so you don’t have to see: The Buss/Buss/Jackson disputes, the ups and the downs of the point guard competition, the Kobe apocalypse.
Most people have probably seen this, but for those who haven’t its worth watching. It’s the epic Andrew Bynum/Shaq confrontation. I remember being stunned watching it at the time. I couldn’t believe Bynum had the balls to pull something like that with Shaq.
Sacramento Kings
Kevin Martin quietly became one of the NBA's best scorers last year. The Kings' struggles kept him under the radar, but this year they will improve (thanks largely to his continued development) and Martin will get the credit he is due. The Kings themselves have already rewarded him, giving him a big time contract and ensuring that he will be a King for the next several years.
With Brad Miller returning at full strength and Ron Artest settling down a bit, these Kings will be competitive. New coach Reggie Theus has risen some eyebrows around the league with his unconventional and antiquated discipline, but the players are responding to him and this team will have better chemistry than last season’s.
Unfortunately, the Kings were dealt a bad hand in the preseason and lost Mike Bibby for six to ten weeks with a thumb injury. With a healthy Bibby, I was looking for this team to start strong out of the gate and keep the momentum running into the playoffs. I think the core of Martin, Artest, and Miller will be good enough to keep them afloat, but they need Bibby to come back and stay healthy down the stretch for this season to be a success. Despite the setback, I like their chances.
Do you ever wonder who is the slowest man in the NBA? If you do, this clip is for you. It’s Brad Miller with a big head start getting outrun by Chris Kaman for a loose ball.
How do you guys think the Pacific will shake out?
2 comments:
well done. nice finds on those clips. shaq is a big pussy.
WOW. I hadn't seen that clip before with Bynum and Shaq. Bynum is going to be a BEAST.
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