2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 4)

Continued from Part 3, which was written on December 22.

9) Houston Rockets

David Stern stalled their rebuilding process by vetoing the Chris Paul trade. Now the Rockets will settle for a season with a similar winning percentage as last year, and probably narrowly missing the postseason. Houston has a pair of all-star caliber talents in Luis Scola and Kevin Martin, but will need continued development from Kyle Lowry and improved team defense if it is serious about playing past the regular season.


10) New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets got plenty of compensation for having to cut ties with Chris Paul. With Eric Gordon and additional first round picks, this team has an extremely bright future. Success might even come in the short term; Chris Kaman's arrival means a solid, rebounding frontcourt with Emeka Okafor. Trevor Ariza is an excellent defender, and I can see Gordon can putting up in the area of 25 a night. They'll probably take their point guard of the future in this year's draft, and be on their way.


11) Minnesota Timberwolves

This team is built for success in two or three years. If they can come together as a team, they can possibly push for the eighth spot in this competitive West, but I don't see that happening. They are set for the next decade with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley, Beasley being a guy who could morph into a superstar. Ricky Rubio, in my mind, is overhyped: he will likely not be the all-star many predict him to be, but more like a Jose Calderon. The center position is what needs fixing: while Darko Milicic is improving gradually, he is still not an NBA starter.


12) Golden State Warriors

This is an interesting group. For their diehard fans, probably a very frustrating one. They have the talent on one end of the floor to win a championship, but don't even show up on the other one. Simply playing defense is all this team needs. Easier said than done, but the effort is just not there. An upgrade at center would do wonders as well. Stephen Curry may develop into Derrick Rose in a season or two, but it won't matter if the Warriors don't play on both sides of the floor.


 13) Utah Jazz

It seems so odd to be putting the Utah Jazz, a model of consistency for all these years, down so low in the rankings. Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Devin Harris give this team a solid core, but the team's overall talent isn't quite there. A few minor personnel tweaks could return this team to the postseason after missing out a year ago. Derrick Favors' development would be huge, as it would allow the team to trade Millsap, a guy with high value Utah could get a lot for.


14) Phoenix Suns

Phoenix would probably be better off trading Steve Nash to a contender that needs a point guard (Heat or Lakers, maybe) than keeping him. Salary cap implications and what not could prevent this from happening. But the Suns know they need to build for the future, and Nash won't be in the league for it, so they might as well try to get something for him while he's still valuable. They wouldn't mind Shannon Brown developing into a twenty point scorer; outside of Nash, he's the only guy capable of creating his own shot.


15) Sacramento Kings

Let the NBA edition of the Jimmer show begin. I'm not on his bandwagon however: in the NBA he won't have the same permission to fire away, and he can't play defense to save his life. He might become decent, but his best days will be his college ones. DeMarcus Cousins, if he can keep his personality in check, can be something special. Tyreke Evans and J.J. Hickson bring potential as well. As for this season? Expect it to be a long one.

2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 3)

Continued from Part 2, which was posted December 20.

This year's Western Conference will play out almost nothing like last season's. The fairly large gap in talent between the elite teams and the good ones a season ago will be thrown out the window this coming year. Roughly twelve teams have their hopes set on the postseason. Don't be surprised if the one and six seeds finish five games apart, and enjoy viewing some of the most competitive competition the NBA has fielded in quite some time.


1) Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City may have a Big Three of its own this season, and unlike the Celtics and Heat who bought theirs through free agency, OKC's would be entirely home grown. Wondering who the third guy is after Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant? James Harden, a 22-year-old who has only started five games in his NBA career. Harden has still gotten plenty of playing time behind defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha, and is considered by many to be a candidate for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award. That being said, he may end up playing too well for head coach Scott Brooks to resist starting. As for the Thunder's championship aspirations? They say only the veteran teams come out on top (and if you take a look at the last decade of NBA championship teams, this is essentially true), but with the Thunder's talent? This group certainly has a chance.


2) Portland Trail Blazers

This seems way too high. The Portland Trail Blazers are the second best team in the West? They lack a true superstar, but have all the components you would look for in a winning basketball team. Raymond Felton has turned himself into one of the better floor generals in the league, Gerald Wallace's defense and all-around play help anchor the team.... every player on this ballclub brings together what appears to be one of the league's most all-around teams heading into this season. Having seven (eight if you consider Oden's talent) NBA-calibur starters is a problem every team would yearn to have, and Portland possesses it. And they may not have to search far and wide for a superstar anyway, as LaMarcus Alridge is right on the cusp of an MVP-type season. This team has been entirely overlooked going in, but it's not so far-fetched to say they could be the last team standing.


3)  Los Angeles Clippers

When purchasing single-game Sixers tickets the other night, I chose the Clippers game, something I never would have considered last year even. David Stern's gift to this franchise (Chris Paul) isn't the only reason the longtime Staples Center's secondary attraction is turning heads. Completely disregarding Paul and Blake Griffin, this group is loaded with talent (Caron Butler, DeAndre Jordan, Mo Williams...). The key to this team's success is whether Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups can learn to play with each other; Paul is the true point guard, while Billups has played the position for the bulk of his career. Mr. Big Shot will probably gladly play the two if it means contending for a title.

As of right now, though, if the Clippers could create a banner for two preseason wins, they'd gladly hang it in the rafters.


4) Dallas Mavericks

They're the defending champions but it seems as if not a single person outside of Dallas gives them any fighting chance to repeat. They probably won't, but they weren't supposed to win it all last year, were they? Their offseason essentially involved swapping Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler for Lamar Odom and an aging Vince Carter. How this turns out is obviously yet to be seen. What it does mean is that this team still hasn't gotten any younger, and that Brendan Haywood is now the starting center. Talent remains plentiful on this roster though, and Dallas comes out of the gates a dark horse yet again.


5) Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizz are here to show that knocking off the Spurs last year wasn't a fluke, and look to keep the show going. They will. The fifth seed might even be a understatement for a roster that is simply loaded. They have two twenty-a-night guys in Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph who give far more than just the scoring, and another guy, O.J. Mayo, who's talented enough to do the same. Marc Gasol is learning to hold down the defensive fort down low. The bench is filled with young guns that could make up a solid starting unit in a few years. There is a lot to like about the 2012 Memphis Grizzlies.


6) Los Angeles Lakers

Don't really hate to say this at all, but the end of the current Lakers dynasty is unfurling before our eyes. Aging bodies, the playoff drubbing at the hands of the Mavs, and the Zen Master's departure got the demise going. David Stern played a massive part as well as you know. The formerly well-rounded Lakers are now just a three-man show (Kobe, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum), and if one of those guys go down, this could get ugly, fast.


7) Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets were the definition of team basketball following the Carmelo Anthony swap that so far has ended up favoring Mile High. In this previous blog post I explain their transformation that resulted in fewer points allowed and soaring assist totals. They've lost a few pieces, but Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari's development should keep this team playing well above .500 basketball.


8) San Antonio Spurs

The eighth seed in this year's West doesn't constitute a lousy season. Considering the Spurs won this conference's regular season crown a year ago would not be comforting, however. Nonetheless they could finish here and still go 40-26. Fending off talented Houston and New Orleans squads should be quite a challenge. That's if San Anton finishes down here, that is. They could be anywhere from the second seed to the eleventh, exhibiting how deep this year's West is. They're simply far too old at this point, though, and Tim Duncan just isn't a force anymore.

In this year's West it seems as if there aren't enough wins to go around. Ten teams are talented enough to finish with 40 wins, but not many will be elite. One thing is for sure, though. The Lakers-Spurs reign is a thing of the past.

Part 4 will be written soon, and will be the last part of this NBA preview.

2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1, which was posted on December 18.

10) Washington Wizards

This team is still developing and loaded with potential, but the playoffs probably aren't realistic for this coming season. Except for the veteran Rashard Lewis, every starter on this team has room to grow. If Jordan Crawford is able to break out beside John Wall, the Wiz could have a top backcourt for years to come. Wall's development is key: he needs to play better on-ball defense, decrease his alarmingly high turnover rate, and move better without the ball. All of this comes with experience, and he has superstar potential. Washington also has a two big men capable of averaging a double-double in Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, as well as rookies looking to make an impact in Jan Vesely and Shelvin Mack. While the future does look bright for this organization, it should be a few years before this team makes any noise.


11) Toronto Raptors

DeMar DeRozan is the future of this team. He has the superstar potential, and Toronto should really try to keep him there for the long term. Andrea Bargnani is a potent scorer but also one of the worst rebounding centers in the league. Look for Ed Davis to take the starting power forward job from Amir Johnson in the near future; both of these guys are young, but Davis should be able to make more of an impact on both sides of the ball. Toronto hopes 23-year-old Jerryd Bayless is the heir apparent to Jose Calderon for the starting point guard job, something only time will tell.


12) Detroit Pistons

The Pistons invested $25 million in Rodney Stuckey, which is odd considering it may be Brandon Knight who becomes the point guard of the future for this team. They also brought back Tayshaun Prince, who will give them about thirteen points and four boards a game for the next few years. Much of the success of this team hinges on the development of Greg Monroe, who goes into the season as the starting center. Far from a sure thing, though, is the power forward position, which is currently held by Jason Maxiell. Behind him is a big waste of money in Charlie Villanueva. The team's 2011 2nd-round pick, Vernon Macklin out of Florida, may be the eventual replacement for Maxiell.


13) New Jersey Nets

The ultimate goal here is still to bring in Dwight Howard. Until then, even with Deron Williams on their side, the Nets will continue to be basement-dwellers. Brook Lopez scored well but only recorded what is an embarrassing six boards per game considering the guy is seven feet tall. I don't see any more 25-game losing streaks for this team, but success is still a long way off.


14) Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland actually started winning quite a few games by the end of the season, finishing at 5-5 in their last ten. The city would love to see Omri Casspi develop into a viable NBA starter in LeBron's former position, and Kyrie Irving to start off strong. It's almost a given Kyrie will commit way too many turnovers in his rookie campaign, but become a force to be reckoned with right out of the get-go.


15) Charlotte Bobcats

This roster is full of holes the management has created. DeSagana Diop, a vet who averaged 1.3 ppg last year, goes into the season starting in the middle. Next to him is Boris Diaw, a man with a monstrous contract who has underachieved tremendously. At least their backcourt isn't too shabby, where D.J. Augustin can score fifteen a night from the point guard slot. Gerald Henderson can score alongside him as well, and of course, Kemba Walker looms from the bench.

Western Conference will be written soon. 

2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 1)

Let there be basketball after all. The lockout has actually hyped up this season more than ever, and 66 games actually seems to be a pleasant alternative to the 82-game never-ending schedule. A shortened preseason (two games as opposed to eight) and training camp have allowed the season to launch Christmas day. 

The Chris Paul trade controversy overshadowed what otherwise would have been a smooth transition from the lockout to the regular season, and the league's credibility took a major hit. If you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, searching "Chris Paul trade" on Google should get you back up to date.

Now I'll do my best to predict this season's fate for Paul's Clippers and every other NBA team for this season. Don't agree (which you probably won't in many places)? Feel free to comment.

Eastern Conference:


1) Miami Heat

There's no doubt this team will win a bunch of games. That's not what they are looking to do, obviously. Finishing with the best record in the conference is likely, but a championship trophy is far from guaranteed. If LeBron doesn't develop a killer instinct in the postseason, rings will elude Miami again, something I see happening.


2) Chicago Bulls

They will challenge the Heat for the best record in the conference after winning the regular season last year. Joakim Noah is the x-factor for this team: with Carlos Boozer aging, Noah will need to establish himself as more of a post presence, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.


3) Boston Celtics

The core players of this team, save Rajon Rondo, are dinosaurs. Yes, the Big Three are old. But the lockout helped these guys as much as anyone. They are already experienced playing with each other, so the shortened training camp doesn't hurt them much.  A shorter season is also a friend to Allen, Pierce and Garnett's aging bodies. Jeff Green's absence (heart surgery) will hurt them, and could be what keeps this group from a final run at a championship.


4) Philadelphia 76ers

Many of you will stop reading here. They're my hometown and beloved team, I know. But hear me out. After starting 3-13 last year, this ballclub went 38-28 while still developing. The chemistry is only increasing, and all the young players are only getting better. Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, and Jrue Holiday all have breakout potential this year. Turner's jump shot looks eons better after training with Philadelphia shot doctor Herb Magee, and if he gets playing time ahead of Jodie Meeks could still be something special. The entire core of this team returns, so the lack of training camp doesn't hurt as much. I'll be writing a post on them soon.


5) Indiana Pacers

There's a lot of hype surrounding this club going into the season, to the extent of a high conference playoff seed. And why shouldn't there be? One of the top defensive teams in the league brings in David West, a guy who can score almost twenty a game. Couple that with the breakout potential of Darren Collison, Paul George, and Roy Hibbert, and this is suddenly a perennial playoff team. Danny Granger will continue to be the star, but it will be harder to tell when his supporting cast gets going.


6) New York Knicks

We'll see if Tyson Chandler somehow teaches Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire how to play defense, but you can't count on it. We already know Mike D'Antoni won't. This team looks scary on the offensive side of the ball, but teams don't win championships giving up 105 points per game.


7) Orlando Magic

Trading for Hedo Turkouglu last year turned out not to be the move this team needed. That being said, they still managed to finish with the conference's 4th-best record, something they are capable of repeating. Obviously, the key for this team is whether or not they can retain Dwight Howard, something becoming more and more likely, at least for this season, as the days go by. Ryan Anderson is a name to look out for; if he gets playing time ahead of Glen Davis, he could become a serious scoring threat beside Howard. The Jason Richardson signing was questionable from a fan's perspective, but he still provides production. Placing this team 7th seems odd after their past few seasons of success, but they're not the team they once were.


8) Atlanta Hawks

Pretty much all this team did this past offseason is lose Jamal Crawford, a tremendous scoring option. Considering this crew finished 44-38 this past season, the Hawks should scale back their championship aspirations. That being said, if Jeff Teague is able to break out in his first year as starting point guard (if he takes the job from Kirk Hinrich, a guy who we've seen his plateau), then this team could go somewhere.

If you hadn't noticed, these projected playoff teams are the same eight teams that were there last season, just in a totally jumbled up order. As of right now, outside of the Milwaukee Bucks, the remaining conference teams simply don't look good enough to compete, and most of them are rebuilding.  This is the first year in awhile that the East could sport eight teams with winning records in the playoffs, and maybe even have a team miss the postseason playing ball above .500. Try to remember the last time that happened.

9) Milwaukee Bucks

They play tantalizing defense. Problem is, they are so bad on the other end of the ball that the stifling D can't make up for it. Bringing in Stephen Jackson could be the few extra points they need to reach the postseason, and he adds to the core of Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. Rookie Tobias Harris could make an immediate impact off the bench. If Bogut or Jennings can't make offensive strides, though, come playoff time the Bucks could be on the outside looking in.

Part 2, the rest of the Eastern Conference, will be posted in a few days.

Week 15 Sunday NFL Projections

Just scores this week. I've been working on the NBA Preview, which should be finished in a few days.

Last week: 11-3
Season: 135-47

Denver Broncos 24, New England Patriots 23
Baltimore Ravens 24, San Diego Chargers 20
Seattle Seahawks 17, Chicago Bears 13
Detroit Lions 27, Oakland Raiders 24
Pittsburgh Steelers 19, San Francisco 49ers 17

Houston Texans 31, Carolina Panthers 14
Philadelphia Eagles 27, New York Jets 26
New Orleans Saints 31, Minnesota Vikings 10
New York Giants 24, Washington Redskins 13
Arizona Cardinals 14, Cleveland Browns 13
Cincinnati Bengals 13, St. Louis Rams 3
Buffalo Bills 20, Miami Dolphins 13
Tennessee Titans 23, Indianapolis Colts 6
Green Bay Packers 38, Kansas City Chiefs 17

Week 14 NFL Projections

Last week: 12-3
Season: 124-44

Denver Broncos 17, Chicago Bears 13

Two tough defenses. Two quarterbacks with questions about their passing skills. In this game, the Tebow show will continue, though, because the Broncos will be able to contain backup Caleb Hanie enough for Tebow to perform his fourth quarter magic after another tough day passing the ball yet again.

Green Bay Packers 31, Oakland Raiders 17

If the Packers were to lose a regular season game this year, I would have chosen last week's matchup against the Giants. Facing the Raiders should just be a minor bump in the road for a team with aspirations of dethroning the '72 Dolphins.

Houston Texans 20, Cincinnati Bengals 14

The Texans' strong D held T.J. Yates' early lead against the Falcons last week; expect them to perform well for the rookie a second straight week against a Bengals offense that isn't any better. Again I point to the fact that Cincy still hasn't beaten a winning team, and T.J. Yates is formidable enough at QB that the Texans still play like one.

New Orleans Saints 28, Tennessee Titans 24
New England Patriots 27, Washington Redskins 20
Miami Dolphins 24, Philadelphia Eagles 23
Detroit Lions 24, Minnesota Vikings 20
New York Jets 20, Kansas City Chiefs 13
Jacksonville Jaguars 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10
Baltimore Ravens 28, Indianapolis Colts 10
New York Giants 24, Dallas Cowboys 20
San Francisco 49ers 21, Arizona Cardinals 17
Carolina Panthers 24, Atlanta Falcons 20
San Diego Chargers 31, Buffalo Bills 24

"Angel" in the Infield

Money was at the forefront of Albert Pujols' mind when he signed his mega-deal to play for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this morning. Who can blame him? He's provided St. Louis with over a decade full of memories and has two World Series titles to show for it. But still....

Pujols' shiny new $254 million dollar deal pays him approximately $0.79 a second, $47 a minute, and $2851 an hour for the next decade. Only Alex Rodriguez' current $275 million dollar payday with the Yanks rolled in more cash than this agreement.

You have to questions Pujols' motives on signing this deal. Apparently the Cardinals offered him $210 million for the ten years, which was probably more than they could afford. In the end, though, the slugger chose to put money ahead of a stronger St. Louis fan base and his legacy.

Saying he wanted to remain a Cardinal for life as recently as this past season, Pujols exhibited having a short memory, not to mention being unable to resist an additional hefty wad of cash. To open up negotiations prior to last season with the Cardinals, he and agent Dan Lozano put A-Rod's deal as a baseline, saying he'd test free agency if the Cards didn't match that number. The bottom line in this whole thing is this: all Albert Pujols cared about was money.

He cared about money so much that he was willing to play for the Marlins, Cubs, Angels, or anyone else that could beat the Cardinals $210 million. What he didn't seem to care about is the city of St. Louis, one of the finest sports cities in the country with some of the greatest fans out there. He would have been willing to play in front of seven Marlins fans a night over a packed Busch Stadium chanting his name every at-bat. The fans in St. Louis thought he had at least a bit of compassion for them, but his eyes were only focused on the green.

And honestly, though, when you are making somewhere around that asinine amount of money, is there even a noticeable difference between $210 and $275? In my mind both would just seem unlimited.

Pujols didn't seem to do his homework regarding the money either. This article from CBS shows that Pujols would actually have a larger net worth in St. Louis, because of LA's living costs, etc. It also goes on to mention how in LA, Albert will be second-rate to not only the Lakers, but the Dodgers as well. Who else does St. Louis have to cheer for, the 2-55 Rams?

Through it all, though, the Cardinals probably ended up better off in the long run anyway. There's no way the Angels will get the bang for their buck they intended eight years from now on a 41-year-old Pujols. Watching Big Al's pursuit of Hank Aaron's home run record (I'm not counting Bonds' of course) will be a special, but if he does in fact go on to pass Bonds, the event will seem like it should have taken place under the Arch.

There is the other side to this: that Pujols owed nothing to St. Lou because of what he had already given them and that whole deal. It's just rather difficult to side with the greedy athlete over the diehard, respectable fans of St. Louis.

Week 13 NFL Projections

Last week: 11-2
Season: 112-41

Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 14

The last time these two clashed, I picked Pittsburgh because the lack of Cincy's quality wins. Well, that was just three weeks ago. Since then, the Bengals fell to yet another playoff team in the Ravens, and then barely squeaked by the bottom-dwelling Browns. Cincinnati has not beaten a single team currently with a winning record this season, and that says it all.

Atlanta Falcons 20, Houston Texans 17

Maybe T.J. Yates will surprise us. He has a healthier Andre Johnson to help him out, and one of the best o-lines/running back corps in the league on his side. But I will still take the safer pick here, as Michael Turner has been ruled healthy enough to play for Atlanta.

New Orleans Saints 34, Detroit Lions 27

This game has the makings of a shootout. Even with Ndamukong Suh to clog up the middle, the Lions' rush defense hasn't been very good, but with his absence, a guy potentially getting after Drew Brees all day is being taken away. New Orleans might rush Mark Ingram and crew a bit more than usual today, en route to a W in an eventful ballgame.

Green Bay Packers 31, New York Giants 20
Buffalo Bills 24, Tennessee Titans 23
Chicago Bears 24, Kansas City Chiefs 6
Miami Dolphins 24, Oakland Raiders 21
Denver Broncos 17, Minnesota Vikings 14
New England Patriots 45, Indianapolis Colts 20
Carolina Panthers 21, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
New York Jets 20, Washington Redskins 16
Baltimore Ravens 27, Cleveland Browns 17
Dallas Cowboys 28, Arizona Cardinals 23
San Francisco 49ers 28, St. Louis Rams 24
San Diego Chargers 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 13

Thursday's Eagles at Seahawks game had already been played when this was written.