Tuesday Predictions…
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There's 9 games on the books today in the NBA and I'm in the mood for some predictions. So here's my take on the games for November 3rd. Now you might raise your eyebrows at a couple of my suggestions, but I'll explain my reasons as we go.
Washington @ Cleveland: There's a big rivalry between these two teams and this game will be no exception. The Wiz are on their way upwards while the Cavs are finding their feet. Prediction: Cavs by 4. Result: Cavs by 12.
Denver @ Indiana: These two teams played each other in China during the pre-season. I think if Indiana get to within 10 points, they can consider it a win. Prediction: Nuggets by 14. Result: Nuggets by 18.
Boston @ Philadelphia: The Celtics aren't going to lose this... there is no way. Philly have some nice emerging talent but the Celtics are WAY too deep and will win easily. Prediction: Celtics by 18. (Side bet: Rondo to have a triple double by 3/4 time to celebrate his contract heist!) Result: Celtics by 31.
This is Rajon showing you how many millions he's going to be earning per year from now on. Also, how many points, rebounds and assists he's likely to get tonight.
Orlando @ Detroit: The Pistons have had an indifferent start and the Orlando Magic are trying to look as deep as Boston. They're not doing a bad job thanks to Ryan Anderson and JJ Redick. I think Ben Gordon will be the only thing that keeps this close for three quarters. Prediction: Orlando by 14. Result: Pistons by 5.
Phoenix @ Miami: A hard one to pick in my opinion. Both teams have a perfect 3-0 record and I really wouldn't have said either of them would be 4-0 to start the season. One of these teams has to be however and I'll have to go for the Heat but only because they are at home. Prediction: Miami by 3. Result: Suns by 8.
Milwaukee @ Chicago: United Center. Where Derrick Rose will happen. Prediction: Bulls by 10. Result: Bulls by 2.
The Bulls need a BIG night from Derrick Rose tonight...
LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City: The Thunder do look exciting and there's a few reasons to predict an OKC victory here but I'm sticking with the Lakers in a close one. Russell Westbrook has the opportunity to score 25 on Fisher and Farmar. I'm most interested to see if Artest guards Durant, and if so... the results. Prediction: Lakers by 8. Result: Lakers by 3.
Utah @ Dallas: I couldn't care less about this game but in the spirit of equality and objective journalism, I will predict a 15 point win to the Mavericks. Mainly because of Okur's gimpy foot. Result: Mavericks by 11.
Atlanta @ Portland: In my opinion the most exciting game of the night. I definitely predict a shoot out. If Oden and Aldridge can have a large impact, I see the Blazers doing it fairly comfortably. However, that is not a certainty. This one is ultimately a flip of the coin for me and I think it'll go overtime. Prediction: Portland by 4 in OT. Result: Atlanta by 6.
Here's to another entertaining day in the NBA!
Hawks, Heat and Thunder…
Here's a quick look at some of the games played last night...
29 Problems But The Knicks Aint One...
The Heat took a nice first step in their 09/10 campaign by dominating the New York Knicks 115-93 last night in Miami. The game was the second attraction on the menu however as the Heat's former All-Star Point Guard Tim Hardaway had his number 10 jersey retired. A nice service that was obviously done now, rather than when Hardaway was in the news for less attractive reasons. A well deserved honor for a great servant of the club... even if it was only for 5 and a half seasons.
Tim Hardaway accepts the honor of having his number retired last night.
Miami got out to an early lead and never surrendered it, outscoring the Knicks 63-39 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters combined. The Heat were led as always by Dwyane Wade with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Jermaine O'Neal and Michael Beasley combined for an impressive two-headed box score of 43 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists and a combined 19-26 from the field. If the Heat can get that on a consistent basis from their front court, it could be a great year for Miami.
Indiana Can't Keep Pace With High Flying Atlanta
Danny Granger played amazingly, Troy Murphy nearly got a triple-double, Earl Watson scored 20 points and the Pacers shot 53% from the field! So why didn't the Indiana Pacers record a road victory to open their 09/10 account? Defense and turnovers, that's why. Atlanta took care of business at the Philips Arena last night by a score of 120-109. The game saw 17 steals made with 16 being made by the Hawks. Ouch.
Danny Granger was great... Atlanta were better.
The Atlanta big three of Joe Johnson, (25p, 6a, 4stl) Al Horford (24p, 16rb, 4a, 2blk) and Josh Smith (18p, 8a, 5stl, 2blk) all had big games. It's safe to say there will be some happy Fantasy Managers out there from this game. Next up for the Pacers is a visit from the Miami Heat, while the Atlanta Hawks host the revitalized Washington Wizards on Friday night.
One Down, Only 81 To Go...
The Sacramento Kings season of slow, unrelenting torture is now one game old. With only 81 games to go until they can get better, they were made to look even worse tonight by the young and exciting Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder nailed 10 of their first 13 shots and didn't let the Kings back into the game, leading 39-22 at the first break.
Kevin Durant got his season off to a great start with a home win over Sac-Town.
Leading the way was Kevin Durant with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook got his 09/10 campaign off to a fast start with 14 points, 13 assists and 7 rebounds. For the Kings it was the usual story, Kevin Martin vs the World. Martin hit 14-14 from the line on his way to 27 points. Next up for the Thunder is a road match up with the Detroit Pistons who easily took care of the "shoot-first" Memphis Grizzlies last night. The Kings take a trip to Bourbon Street to take on the 0-1 Hornets.
Fantasia…
Who will make an improved sized splash in 2009/10?
Here's five players I feel will have break-out seasons..
1) Kevin Durant: With a growing body and a growing supporting cast, I see KD having a very big season. With averages of 25 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last year the sky is the limit here. My crystal ball sees a line of 27ppg, 7rpg and an improved 1.5bpg this year for Durant. Maybe even an All-Star debut in Dallas.
2) Derrick Rose: This kid is only getting better. He led the charge and fast forwarded his development in the Playoffs last year against the Celtics. Rose will also be stronger this year and far more prepared physically for the long NBA season. I see his production lifting and my crystal ball predicts a line of 18ppg, 7apg and a much improved 5 rpg as he learns to swipe those cheap defensive boards at or around the foul line area, Jason Kidd style.
3) Roy Hibbert: In his second year now, I see big things for this 22 year old "plus 7 footer" from Indiana. He only played 14 mins per game last season and with the Pacers' lineup yet to feature anyone else at 7'0", I see Hibbert getting an opportunity at the very least. Pre-season games in China only count for so much of course, but his averages have been great so if you're a Pacers fan, hopes will be high.
4) Mario Chalmers: This young, energetic point guard from Miami had an up and down Rookie campaign but will be a focal point for the Heat this year. His averages last year of 10ppg and 5apg should see a significant increase as the Heat push to become something more in the East. The need to please Dwyane Wade and his agent is of the highest priority. My crystal ball sees Mario averaging closer to 16ppg and lifting his assist average to 8.
5) Shawn Marion: The Matrix has had a couple of lean years to say the least. His stats have suffered a serious decline since his Phoenix and more importantly, Steve Nash days. With Jason Kidd and the Mavericks however, we should really see an increase in Marion's output. Something more along the lines of his career numbers of 18ppg, 10rpg, close to 2spg and just over 1bpg. If the Mavericks are going to mean anything this season, they'll need this sort of an output from The Matrix.
Bring on Fantasy Basketball!
Special order of win
Every year at least one team far outperforms their expected results in the win column.
Last year it was Denver who surprised us. In 2008 it was Atlanta. Before that the Warriors and in 2006 it was the Clippers of all people.
Who will it be this year?
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2010
As far as predictions go, I realize this is practically impossible to get 100% correct. A full scale prediction of every team's win-loss record for the upcoming season. And worse yet, it's only September! However, I thought this would be interesting to look back on in June 2010.
Eastern Conference W L
Western Conference W L
Cleveland 60 22
Boston 56 26
Orlando 54 28
Atlanta 50 32
Toronto 45 37
Chicago 43 39
Miami 42 40
Charlotte 39 43
Indiana 38 44
Washington 37 45
Detroit 34 48
Philadelphia 32 50
Milwaukee 28 54
New York 27 55
New Jersey 24 58
LA Lakers 62 20
San Antonio 56 26
Dallas 54 28
Denver 50 32
Portland 50 32
Utah 48 34
New Orleans 42 40
Oklahoma City 41 41
Houston 38 44
Phoenix 37 45
LA Clippers 36 46
Golden State 35 47
Memphis 31 51
Minnesota 28 54
Sacramento 15 67
In making these predictions, I've taken into account all roster changes up to and including the 13th of September 2009. As soon as a blockbuster deal goes down, I may have to edit these figures.
I'm excited to see what Blake Griffin can do for the Clippers, what Allen Iverson can bring to the Grizzlies and how Amare Stoudemire will handle being stuck on a 37-win team. But most importantly, it will be interesting to see who can secure home court advantage throughout the entire Playoffs. This one fact alone may determine the Champion this year.
As always, time will tell and bring on the upcoming season!!!
Threads of success…?
I've had a theory for a long time now regarding NBA teams and new uniforms. This theory has been ridiculed before but the stats don't lie. If an NBA team makes a significant change to their uniforms, they are historically likely to experience a distinct improvement for the current or next season and in a lot of cases a trip to at least the Conference Finals. I'm not saying this is psychological, it just happens.
Let's run through a list of teams that have changed their uniforms and seen prompt results.
 2009 - Orlando Magic (2009 NBA Finals) |
 2008 - Atlanta Hawks (2009 ECSF) |
 2006 - Cleveland Cavaliers (2007 NBA Finals) |
 2005 - Dallas Mavericks (2005 NBA Finals) |
 2003 - San Antonio Spurs (2003 NBA Champions) |
 2001 – New Jersey Nets (2001 NBA Finals) |
 2000 – Los Angeles Lakers (2000 NBA Champions) |
 2000 – Indiana Pacers (2000 NBA Finals) |
 1997 – Utah Jazz (1997 NBA Finals) |
 1996 – Chicago Bulls (1996 NBA Champions) |
 1996 – Seattle SuperSonics (1996 NBA Finals) |
 1993 – Chicago Bulls (1993 NBA Champions) |
 1993 – Phoenix Suns (1993 NBA Finals) |
 1992 – Portland Trailblazers (1992 NBA Finals) |
I'm sure there's more that I can't recall...
So far I've only heard whispers of Philadelphia, Utah and Golden State making uniform changes for this upcoming 09/10 season. I wonder if any other teams are looking to make changes?
Will the trend continue?
Note: All images sourced from: www.sportslogos.net
Welcome back!
Well it's about time...
Safe to say we've been away for a while and a lot has happened in the NBA. (More posts to follow, this is just a taste)
Firstly, Ron Artest is a Laker... Ariza is a Rocket... AI might be a Grizzly... 'Sheed is a Celtic... Shaq is a Cavalier... RJ is a Spur... VC is a Magician... Turk is a Raptor... Andre Miller is a Blazer... The Matrix is a Maverick... and finally Emeka Okafor is a Hornet. The competition this season will be electrifying with the likes of San Antonio, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and the Clippers all looking to make a run at the trophy.
Sorry Clippers fans, that was cruel. But if you think the franchise has turned around just because you drafted Mr Potato Head Griffin, then it's going to continue to be a sad state of affairs for you. I personally think you can look at some teams and just KNOW that nothing is going to be won for the next 10years... except maybe the lottery. I put the following teams in that category:
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Milwaukee Bucks
Charlotte Bobcats
Indiana Pacers
Washington Wizards
Sacramento Kings
Orlando Magic
Minnesota Timberwolves
Phoenix Suns
That's my list, and I'm sticking to it. Call me in 10 years and I guarantee there will not be an NBA Champion among these franchises.
Bring on the new season!!
Contraction
The NBA is once again turning into a league of haves and have-nots with some teams going way over the luxury tax line in an effort to contend, while others basically cease to exist.
Golden State, Phoenix, Sacremento, Milwaukee and to a lesser extent Indiana and New Orleans all have given up the ghost. They are gutting their rosters for expiring contracts in an effort to save money. Twenty percent of the league are now not just bottom feeders, but openly giving up wins in an effort to save money.
Not everyone is aching in this economy. Here is hoping a new round of Mark Cubans will come through and sweep these moribund franchises up and rejuvinate them in the way Cuban did for Dallas nearly ten years ago.
There have always been awful franchises, but franchises not trying used to be limited just to L.A.'s second team.
A beautiful reprive…
It seems that I cannot really say anymore on this until the 2-0 lead has eventuated.. So I will agree to disagree for now. However, when the 2-0 DOES become a reality, I will be in full flight. You're on notice.
I decided to find something else to keep me occupied while I waited for the Lakers to happen. So what did I do? I took a peek into my 75+ VCR tape stash to find something fun to write about. After inserting the first of the un-labelled tapes, I was disappointed to see that I'd recorded the movie "The Wash". Dr Dre is a genius and all, but my God that was an average film.
My eyes then spotted an old Video Store copy of "Big Momma's House" starring Martin Lawrence. The anti-dubbing slot had been covered with adhesive tape. What would I have been so desperate to tape that I would declare myself so open to a video store fine? Well, it was a Minnesota @ Cleveland game from what looked like about 2004. I saw KG hit a turn around jump shot over LeBron, smiled to myself and mentally noted the fun it will be to watch that at a later date.
Finally, I decided that three is a charm and inserted my final choice. I press PLAY and am wonderfully excited to find the 1998 ECF Game 7 between Indiana and Chicago. "I don't guarantee anything, not even to my wife... but we're going to win this game" says MJ...
Ah MJ.. good to have you back. Where's the keys to my Delorian? *sigh*
With the starting lineups being displayed, I quickly had super terrific double joy as I realised that this was the series where Scottie Pippen tore Mark Jackson a new church seat and that I could just yell "Momma there goes that MAN!" on every play. Some things, (not many) are better than Basketball. This is one of those things.
I was also quickly reminded of how many ridiculous fouls Luc Longley had called on him towards the end of his Bulls career. The NBA was lucky Luc didn't have a Ron Artest-like devil on his left shoulder or Auburn Hills in 2004 would've looked like Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone's "pleasure town". The big Aussie just stood there with his arms straight up and was somehow at fault! It happened against Shawn Kemp in the '96 Finals too. Kemp had about 12-15 free throws in that series that were completely unwarranted. Oh, the memories...
Quarter time: Pacers lead 27-19. I now open a beer, (knowing the Bulls win) and decide to take a new look at this game... I want to see in this Bulls team, where I want the improvement in the 2009 Lakers to come from. So now, the new mission begins...
Firstly, I'm not comparing Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant. Let's just get that out the way from the start. I never have and never will. Different players, different time, blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda... But, one thing is certain, the architecture of the teams is the same. So there will be similarities and I should be able to solve the Lakers Playoff woes in the next two hours. By the way, that beer was my first and only.
Kukoc wanders around the court like the robot guy from the Chappelle Show. I cannot put into words how lost he looks in all aspects of the game so far other than when he shoots the ball. Even Scottie high fives "at" him when they.. Err.. rejoice. Toni even has the audacity to complain for fouls on nearly every shot attempt inside the arc. You just don't command any respect from the referees when you argue on EVERY call. Here's my first point;
Pau and Odom especially need to "man up" and play tougher. No more whining on every inside play. No more yelling on EVERY shot attempt from inside the paint. This must stop immediately unless they dunk on someone with the foul.
Steve Kerr hits a big three and then plays hard on defense to secure a steal for the Bulls. It's physical defense and doesn't allow any easy post entry passes. In the space of 3 minutes, Kerr has not only secured two contested defensive boards, but he has hit one open three and importantly been open for two others. After approximately six minutes of game time under his belt, Kerr has now got eight points on 2 for 2 from the arc. Second point;
This is where the Vujacic's, the Brown's and most importantly the Fisher's can flourish. We always say defense creates offense but this is just poetry in motion. Momentum is arguably the most important weapon in a team's arsenal, and especially for the Lakers at Staples Center. If the currently anemic Laker guards commit themselves to tough physical defense and hustle, everyone who's ever followed this sport will know what comes next. Open looks, big shots and crowd frenzies/silences depending on the location of the game.
Interesting point: Travis Best is just killing the Bulls off the dribble. Phil hasn't made a change and Kerr is now hoping for help defense like freshman nerd in a school cafeteria.
Half time: Bulls lead 48-45. Why the turnaround? Hustle. I've just seen offensive put-backs, offensive tips, kicked ball violations and no complaining to the refs. Jordan waits until the half-time buzzer sounds to give referee Hugh Evans a spray but he makes his heated point and moves on. Good leadership.
The third quarter is just a great advertisment for hustle, strong rebounding and just great screening and shooting. Kukoc has nailed 14 points in the third and has complained for a foul on all but two made shots. Reggie Miller and Rik Smits have more chemistry on baseline screens than Arnold Jackson and Mr Drummond. Just a great quarter of Basketball. Jordan has picked up 4 defensive boards in this quarter including two contested against Dale Davis. Wow.
Miller and Smits had great chemistry. A car would've come in handy to run down Michael Jordan though.
Three quarter time: Bulls lead 69-65
The real players stand up in the 4th. It's as simple as that. The Pacers start out strong and Michael is cooking an 0 for 8 field goal stew. The drought is ended with a driving dunk on Rik Smits. I guess the world does beat the tune of just one drum. Mike's drum. Mike has shot 9 of 24 from the field and 8 for 11 from the line for his 26 points. These are the same Kobe numbers that people ridicule Bryant for. Funny how that happens, although it's the intangibles that sets Mike apart here. The rebounding, the intensity, the drive and dish, the unwavering demonstration of excellence. Kerr takes a charge on Travis Best. Is Phil Jackson a motivational genius here? Or just lucky?
The game is won in the final two minutes, and whose fingerprints are all over the win? Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, and some guys named rebounding, defensive pressure and aggresive drives to the basket. The Bulls finish with 22 offensive rebounds to Indiana's 7. It all comes down to hustle, determination and the belief that beating your opponent isn't necessarily about scoring more than your opposition.. it's about stopping your opponent from scoring more than you.
Memo to the Lakers, watch this game. It is exactly what you have to do to win the 2009 NBA Championship. And not for one game... but for 8 of them.
There's the challenge... I love the Playoffs.