Latest NBA Preview EVER, Miami through the Phoenix...
Goodness, I actually was in a really good rhythm writing, but of course, like Dr. Lieb always says, "You should save as much as possible." Yeah, I definitely didn't do that.
But, let me see if I can transpose my previous thoughts to print...
Miami Heat
Burning Question: How hungry will the Heat be to repeat?
Justin's Take: I know at least one person who will relentlessly pursue another Larry O'Brien. Dwyane "Most Fact-Checked First Name in the League" Wade is eager to prove that he is the best player in the famed 2003 NBA Draft class, and although he's up one ring to none on both Lebron and Carmelo, another couple of titles will go a long way in solidifying that status. However, it's the rest of the team that might hold him back. Will Antoine Walker revert back to "Employee #8" and start jacking 20 shots a game? Will Jason Williams "forget" to take his ritulin and start pulling up for 30 footers with 20 seconds left on the shot-clock like he did in Sacramento? And, while there's no questioning his hunger per se, will Shaquille O'Neal finally start showing significant aging? Personally, I think Miami is talented and experienced enough to sleep-walk back to the finals, and honestly that seems realistic. Winning it, though, will rest squarely on the shoulders of D-Wade.
Projected Record: 54-28
Milwaukee Bucks
Burning Question: Do the Bucks have enough to get back to the playoffs?
Justin's Take: Before I get into that, did anybody else know that Andrew Bogut had handle? I watched the U.S. beat Austrailia through no fault of Bogut, who basically played one, two, three, four, and five for the Aussies. His versatility impressed me. But, back to the Bucks. You know what you're going to get out of Michael Redd: sizzling perimeter scoring and inconsistent defense. The X-factors on this team, however, will go a long way in telling the tale of the Bucks' season. Maurice Williams was great coming off the bench spelling T.J. Ford last year, but Ford is gone and the keys to the team were thrown to Williams. He's going to shoot the Bucks into and out of a fair share of games this season as a gunning point guard. I'm a Charlie Villanueva fan, but can he play consistently enough to get the Bucks back to the playoffs? I think they'll be back in the hunt for the 7th or 8th spot, and I'll give them the edge over teams like Boston and up-and-coming Orlando.
Projected Record: 41-41
Minnesota Timberwolves
Burning Question: Will Kevin Garnett be in a T'Wolf uniform at the end of the season?
Justin's Take: That honestly depends on how good of a start Minnesota gets off to. For the past couple of years the T'Wolves have been stuck in neutral, failing to progress from their appearance in the 2004 Western Conference Finals. This off-season, however, the team added some offensive firepower in Mike James and heralded rookie Randy Foye. Plus, they have talented (albeit volatile) Ricky Davis, so on the perimeter they are set. However, this team still has issues in the paint, and although they will block a ton of shots, they will eventually get out-muscled most nights. While teams can win this way (look at Dallas), it remains to be seen if this style of play will lead to significant progress. But, I guess the bigger question is what teams have enough talent, or at least cap room to accomodate Garnett's A-Rod-esque salary? The only two teams I can think of are New York and Philadelphia, and how much better is the situation in either one of those towns? Right now I'll bet he'll be there, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the trigger pulled.
Projected Record: 38-44
New Jersey Nets
Burning Question: Do the Nets have enough of a bench to be considered an elite team?
Justin's Take: The Nets might boast one of the best trios in the entire league. Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter will run and gun you to death. Nenad Krstic is a future star in this league. However, beyond that there are a ton of question marks. Eddie House (whom my girlfriend has a crush on) will give them insant offense on the perimeter, and Marcus Williams
gets a chance to play understudy to one of the greatest point guards of all-time, but other than that the Nets bench is filled with players who would probably struggle for a walk-on spot for the Towson Tigers. As good as the starters are, I really don't think the Nets can be elite without bench help. Look at the teams ahead of them: Miami, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland all have solid depth, and while the Nets will be good enough to win the weakest division in the league, playoff time might not be too kind to the them. They'll flirt with 50 wins, but I think they're a one and done team in the playoffs.
Projected Record: 47-35
New York Knicks
Burning Question: Who would do a better job of running the Knicks: Isiah Thomas or Anna Nicole Smith?
Justin's Take: I have no idea where I came up with Anna Nicole, but the rhetorical answer to this question is that you'd barely be able to notice the difference. The thing is that the Knicks actually have talent. The problem is that it's not cohesive talent. Stephon Marbury is one of the most talented point guards in the league and he has been for years, but he just is allergic to winning. I guarantee you that if you traded Marbury for Steve Nash, the Knicks get 15 more wins. But, Marbury isn't solely to blame. Outside of David Lee and Jared Jeffries, every other rotation players feels that they should get 20 shots a game. This is a great video game team, but unfortunately the make-up of this team in real life will ultimately keep them from winning. They have no shot at getting better through the draft either; their top five pick is going to the Bulls this season (I still can't believe Isiah traded TWO first round draft picks for Eddy Curry, a center that might never average more than 7 boards a game) The only positive is that they have a good amount of trade bait on the roster. Kevin Garnett, anyone?
Projected Record: 25-57
New Orleans Hornets
Burning Question: Did the Hornets do enough in the off-season to breakthrough?
Justin's Take: Again, this is why I don't want to really talk about anything that has happened thus far in the season. If that were the case then the Hornets would be the best team in the West. I do, however, think that the talent is there. Think about this: aside from an inspired season from David West, Chris Paul took a CBA team and almost got them into the playoffs. Paul is only going to get better, and now he has Peja Stojakovic to dish the rock to, Tyson Chandler to protect the interior, and Bobby Jackson to provide a spark off the bench. Even before their big start, I thought the Hornets were a playoff team, but don't be fooled: this is still a six or seven seed come playoff time.
Projected Record: 44-36
Orlando Magic
Burning Question:Is this the season we find out why Darko Milicic was the second pick in that 2003 draft?
Justin's Take: In a word, no. However, a year from now I think we're going to see a different Darko. The Magic have to be esctatic that they have such a good nucleus with Milicic, Jameer Nelson and, of course, the man-child himself Dwight Howard to build around. However, Milicic is probably a year away from being a real force on this squad. The Magic are actually in great shape, and although they may finish a game or so out of the playoffs this year, they will be a major player in the free-agent market (Vince Carter?). Expect the Magic to be competitive this year, and then next year they will be among the East's elite.
Projected Record: 40-42
Philadelphia 76ers
Burning Question: Refer to the T'Wolves, replace Garnett with Allen Iverson.
Justin's Take: Iverson wants to die a Sixer. No matter how fickle some Philly fans are, each of them will admit that, for better or worse, Iverson embodies everything that the Sixers stand for. That being said, if Philadelphia wants to move forward, I think the best thing at this point would be to get young talent or salary cap help in return for one of the best little men to ever play the game. Sixers' GM Billy King will look long and hard at deals that will accomplish either one of these, that is unless Philly can continue this hot start and Kyle Korver keeps shooting 90% from three-point range. Don't be fooled, Sixer fans: this team will eventually fade and they'll have nothing to do in May.
Projected Record: 34-48
Phoenix Suns
Burning Question: Will Amare Stoudemire help or hinder the Suns' attempt at an elusive Finals' appearance?
Justin's Take: I feel that the Suns' were a better team last year than they were the year before when Amare blew up. The person most likely to be affected by Stoudemire's return would be Boris Diaw, who would probably be a marginal player anywhere else but in Phoenix. That being said, his passing skills really helped the Suns go, and do not try to sell me on the Suns playing this man at four and Amare at five. I think this is the season that Phoenix takes a slight step back. I mean, they will undoubtedly be one of the three or four best teams in the West. But, they'll probably see a second round exit this year.
Projected Record: 52-30
But, let me see if I can transpose my previous thoughts to print...
Miami Heat
Burning Question: How hungry will the Heat be to repeat?
Justin's Take: I know at least one person who will relentlessly pursue another Larry O'Brien. Dwyane "Most Fact-Checked First Name in the League" Wade is eager to prove that he is the best player in the famed 2003 NBA Draft class, and although he's up one ring to none on both Lebron and Carmelo, another couple of titles will go a long way in solidifying that status. However, it's the rest of the team that might hold him back. Will Antoine Walker revert back to "Employee #8" and start jacking 20 shots a game? Will Jason Williams "forget" to take his ritulin and start pulling up for 30 footers with 20 seconds left on the shot-clock like he did in Sacramento? And, while there's no questioning his hunger per se, will Shaquille O'Neal finally start showing significant aging? Personally, I think Miami is talented and experienced enough to sleep-walk back to the finals, and honestly that seems realistic. Winning it, though, will rest squarely on the shoulders of D-Wade.
Projected Record: 54-28
Milwaukee Bucks
Burning Question: Do the Bucks have enough to get back to the playoffs?
Justin's Take: Before I get into that, did anybody else know that Andrew Bogut had handle? I watched the U.S. beat Austrailia through no fault of Bogut, who basically played one, two, three, four, and five for the Aussies. His versatility impressed me. But, back to the Bucks. You know what you're going to get out of Michael Redd: sizzling perimeter scoring and inconsistent defense. The X-factors on this team, however, will go a long way in telling the tale of the Bucks' season. Maurice Williams was great coming off the bench spelling T.J. Ford last year, but Ford is gone and the keys to the team were thrown to Williams. He's going to shoot the Bucks into and out of a fair share of games this season as a gunning point guard. I'm a Charlie Villanueva fan, but can he play consistently enough to get the Bucks back to the playoffs? I think they'll be back in the hunt for the 7th or 8th spot, and I'll give them the edge over teams like Boston and up-and-coming Orlando.
Projected Record: 41-41
Minnesota Timberwolves
Burning Question: Will Kevin Garnett be in a T'Wolf uniform at the end of the season?
Justin's Take: That honestly depends on how good of a start Minnesota gets off to. For the past couple of years the T'Wolves have been stuck in neutral, failing to progress from their appearance in the 2004 Western Conference Finals. This off-season, however, the team added some offensive firepower in Mike James and heralded rookie Randy Foye. Plus, they have talented (albeit volatile) Ricky Davis, so on the perimeter they are set. However, this team still has issues in the paint, and although they will block a ton of shots, they will eventually get out-muscled most nights. While teams can win this way (look at Dallas), it remains to be seen if this style of play will lead to significant progress. But, I guess the bigger question is what teams have enough talent, or at least cap room to accomodate Garnett's A-Rod-esque salary? The only two teams I can think of are New York and Philadelphia, and how much better is the situation in either one of those towns? Right now I'll bet he'll be there, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the trigger pulled.
Projected Record: 38-44
New Jersey Nets
Burning Question: Do the Nets have enough of a bench to be considered an elite team?
Justin's Take: The Nets might boast one of the best trios in the entire league. Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter will run and gun you to death. Nenad Krstic is a future star in this league. However, beyond that there are a ton of question marks. Eddie House (whom my girlfriend has a crush on) will give them insant offense on the perimeter, and Marcus Williams
gets a chance to play understudy to one of the greatest point guards of all-time, but other than that the Nets bench is filled with players who would probably struggle for a walk-on spot for the Towson Tigers. As good as the starters are, I really don't think the Nets can be elite without bench help. Look at the teams ahead of them: Miami, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland all have solid depth, and while the Nets will be good enough to win the weakest division in the league, playoff time might not be too kind to the them. They'll flirt with 50 wins, but I think they're a one and done team in the playoffs.
Projected Record: 47-35
New York Knicks
Burning Question: Who would do a better job of running the Knicks: Isiah Thomas or Anna Nicole Smith?
Justin's Take: I have no idea where I came up with Anna Nicole, but the rhetorical answer to this question is that you'd barely be able to notice the difference. The thing is that the Knicks actually have talent. The problem is that it's not cohesive talent. Stephon Marbury is one of the most talented point guards in the league and he has been for years, but he just is allergic to winning. I guarantee you that if you traded Marbury for Steve Nash, the Knicks get 15 more wins. But, Marbury isn't solely to blame. Outside of David Lee and Jared Jeffries, every other rotation players feels that they should get 20 shots a game. This is a great video game team, but unfortunately the make-up of this team in real life will ultimately keep them from winning. They have no shot at getting better through the draft either; their top five pick is going to the Bulls this season (I still can't believe Isiah traded TWO first round draft picks for Eddy Curry, a center that might never average more than 7 boards a game) The only positive is that they have a good amount of trade bait on the roster. Kevin Garnett, anyone?
Projected Record: 25-57
New Orleans Hornets
Burning Question: Did the Hornets do enough in the off-season to breakthrough?
Justin's Take: Again, this is why I don't want to really talk about anything that has happened thus far in the season. If that were the case then the Hornets would be the best team in the West. I do, however, think that the talent is there. Think about this: aside from an inspired season from David West, Chris Paul took a CBA team and almost got them into the playoffs. Paul is only going to get better, and now he has Peja Stojakovic to dish the rock to, Tyson Chandler to protect the interior, and Bobby Jackson to provide a spark off the bench. Even before their big start, I thought the Hornets were a playoff team, but don't be fooled: this is still a six or seven seed come playoff time.
Projected Record: 44-36
Orlando Magic
Burning Question:Is this the season we find out why Darko Milicic was the second pick in that 2003 draft?
Justin's Take: In a word, no. However, a year from now I think we're going to see a different Darko. The Magic have to be esctatic that they have such a good nucleus with Milicic, Jameer Nelson and, of course, the man-child himself Dwight Howard to build around. However, Milicic is probably a year away from being a real force on this squad. The Magic are actually in great shape, and although they may finish a game or so out of the playoffs this year, they will be a major player in the free-agent market (Vince Carter?). Expect the Magic to be competitive this year, and then next year they will be among the East's elite.
Projected Record: 40-42
Philadelphia 76ers
Burning Question: Refer to the T'Wolves, replace Garnett with Allen Iverson.
Justin's Take: Iverson wants to die a Sixer. No matter how fickle some Philly fans are, each of them will admit that, for better or worse, Iverson embodies everything that the Sixers stand for. That being said, if Philadelphia wants to move forward, I think the best thing at this point would be to get young talent or salary cap help in return for one of the best little men to ever play the game. Sixers' GM Billy King will look long and hard at deals that will accomplish either one of these, that is unless Philly can continue this hot start and Kyle Korver keeps shooting 90% from three-point range. Don't be fooled, Sixer fans: this team will eventually fade and they'll have nothing to do in May.
Projected Record: 34-48
Phoenix Suns
Burning Question: Will Amare Stoudemire help or hinder the Suns' attempt at an elusive Finals' appearance?
Justin's Take: I feel that the Suns' were a better team last year than they were the year before when Amare blew up. The person most likely to be affected by Stoudemire's return would be Boris Diaw, who would probably be a marginal player anywhere else but in Phoenix. That being said, his passing skills really helped the Suns go, and do not try to sell me on the Suns playing this man at four and Amare at five. I think this is the season that Phoenix takes a slight step back. I mean, they will undoubtedly be one of the three or four best teams in the West. But, they'll probably see a second round exit this year.
Projected Record: 52-30
posted by Justin Cherot @ 3:01 PM
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