5. Chicago Bulls
Intrigue:JL - The Return of the Return... of the Return - Derrick Rose is finally back! Which means the Bulls are finally back in contention! That's really the draw for me. If you watched D-Rose play during the summer, you know that he didn't look like the same D-Rose that won an MVP trophy and led the Bulls to the Conference Finals. But the thing is that he doesn't need to be that player anymore. Anson has more on that below. Rose is playing a lot more conservatively. He still seems as explosive, only he's a lot more careful and plays the game at an extremely different pace. I think he's finally learned how to change speeds and use that effectively, which should be good for him long-term. It's never good to see anyone hurt especially one of the top players in the league so it's good to have you back (again), D-Rose!
AT - Anybody's Year - This may be the deepest team they've had since 2011 and 2012 (year D-Rose tore ACL) and in a season where the Eastern Conference is up for the taking, the Bulls have a strong chance to claim a spot in the Finals. Everything is already pretty much in place for these guys. Thibs is still the coach, they return the same core, improved the bench, oh and Derrick Rose is back again so they actually have offense! Hopefully he can stay healthy for the duration of the season. Yes he's had some minor injuries here and there and is sitting out some games already, but if he can avoid any significant injury, remain healthy all year, and return to form, the Bulls go from a perennial 2nd round team without him, to a possible NBA champion with him. As long as Thibs doesn't overwork these guys they should be healthy and ready to fight for their potential Finals moment in June.
Player to Watch:
JL - Nikola Mirotic - Before last year, I'd never really heard of the kid. He's supposed to be a very good player who's finally come over to the States to play in the NBA. He was drafted in 23rd in the 2011 draft. 2011 being the last time that the Bulls were legitimate contenders. Good omen for the Bulls? Maybe. All I know about Mirotic is that the guy can flat out shoot the ball. Last season in Europe, he shot the trey ball at a 0.461 clip, which is well above the NBA average. In fact, that's pretty ridiculous. Especially in Europe because I'm pretty sure they play better team defense over there for the most part. If you don't know, basketball in Europe is a lot more team-oriented and individual stats don't really hold as much weight as they do in the NBA. Hopefully, this guy is as good as everyone's saying he is. Everyone knows that the more is merrier; so, by association, the more elite players there are in the NBA - the better!
AT - Pau Gasol - Selfishly I wished he had signed with the Thunder because that would have made them the title-favorites and he is a player they have long-needed (especially now with the injuries) to give them a skilled post scorer. For the greater-good of basketball entertainment, I wished he had signed with the Spurs. In Pop's offense with the spacing and passing, he would've almost ensured a repeat for that team...Well he's not on any of the teams I just mentioned (possibly because their markets were too small) or the Knicks! (another team I didn't mind him being on) and instead, he chose to sell his body to the excessive minutes factory run by Tom Thibodeau. I'm not a big fan of the signing because I never understood the necessity of the Bulls to do it when they had a starting power forward in Gibson ready to leave his bench role and actually start, and they had already brought over Nikola Mirotic and drafted/traded for Dougy McBuckets for added depth at the forward position. I guess they needed to do something to makeup for losing out on Melo.
There's never anything wrong with too much depth however, and Gasol will help this team a lot. I think Gasol is still a great player and due to the last two terrible seasons in LA (he was not terrible, the team was), he is now an underrated player with something to prove. I'm most interested in how he plays with Joakim Noah. They're both very good passers and I want to see how their games will compliment each other. He's always played at a higher level when he was winning and felt wanted. So far he's gotten off to a pretty good start with his new team and maybe I was wrong in doubting the Bulls signing him. Maybe he will be the missing piece to the team winning a title.
Personal Take:
JL - You know where the Bulls were 20 years ago? Exactly 20 years ago? They were in the Michael Jordan baseball-era. That's not where you want to be in life. If you've seen the ESPN: 30 for 30 on Jordan and baseball, then I applaud you. I watched it, and they made it seem like he wasn't that bad at baseball. But... really, Michael Jordan and baseball just sounds funny. How about Michael Jordan and basketball? The two are just so synonymous that it's ludicrous to think the guy tried playing another sport. Whenever you're the greatest of all time at anything, you should just stick with that. I understand that his heart was broken, but don't quit your day job. Anyways, the 30 for 30 wasn't too unbearable. I think it's crazy to see how many (potential?) superstar level talents have come out of Chicago since Jordan was playing: Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis, and most recently Jabari Parker.
AT - Trade to Consider:
(CHI) - Wilson Chandler, Shavlik Randolph, Miles Plumlee
(PHX) - Nikola Mirotic, Timofey Mozgov
(DEN) - Archie Goodwin, Tyler Hansbrough, TOR 1st Round '15
(6) - Gerald Green
Before I get into the logic of the trade, here is a little bit on my thoughts of Derrick Rose and his health that lead me into believing why this trade or anything equivalent to it is necessary now...After all the talk this past week about Derrick Rose and his caution of taking care of his body for life after basketball, it never made me question his heart or dedication currently to playing the game at the highest level. It did not make me question his commitment to the team either. What I did take away from those statements though is that Derrick Rose is a once-in-a-generation type athlete gifted to the game of basketball, but he could possibly be this generation's basketball equivalent of Barry Sanders.
Sanders was a small running back with the feakish athletic ability to cut and juke defenders out of their shoes without effort. He retired in the prime of his career only 1457 yards shy of breaking the record for rushing yards at that time, not due to injuries, but due to the lost desire to play on a losing team. Now Rose won't retire because the Bulls won't be bad anytime soon like the Lions were for Sanders, but I can see Rose retiring sometime within the next five years, despite being healthy and in the prime of his career, due to an eventual lost desire to continually train in the summer for the rigors of an NBA season just to stay healthy, and to adjust his game as he gets older.
Like Sanders, Rose's basketball ability has elements that are unreal that he makes seem effortless and natural (that ability to go baseline to baseline weaving through a defense at ridiculous speeds, and all those double-clutch maneuvers). No one knows how Sanders would have adjusted to the game as he lost his speed and agility with age, and the same has to be wondered upon with Rose. Rose's style of play was never meant for a player hoping to have a long career. His game has always been predicated on his explosive athleticism and ability to attack the rim. Rose still isn't a very great jump shooter (29% from 3 and 43% fgp overall) and he doesn't have the size or physical strength like LeBron to add the post-up game to his repertoire (when LBJ's athleticism declined a bit and his jumper still being a bit shoddy, he made that a huge and necessary adjustment to his game). He would have to adjust his game soon if he wants to play longer. He's already had the two major knee injuries. His body can't always take all the beating from attacking the rim, and eventually he won't be able to always blow by defenders easily en route to a dazzling lay-up. He'll need a jump shot, a mid-range game, and other niches (floaters? back-down-fadeaways?) to continually allow him to do what he does best without fully depending on his athleticism and to avoid injury...but once again, that makes me wonder, does he really want to make those changes?
If Rose is truly concerned about his health after he retires, and he is a guy that just came back from two years of rigorous rehab just to return to play the game, why would he want to spend more summers pushing his body to be in shape and to get better? When it goes against everything he just said about having a healthy life after basketball. I wouldn't be shocked by an early retirement. The signs are there. Off the court he lives a simple life and he's not like the many stars today that care for the attention of the camera. He's made his money, he's gotten his family out of the dangerous neighborhoods of Chicago, and he's been able to use his fame to make an impact on improving the harsh communities of the city he grew up in. On the court, he revitalized a franchise that had been lost since Jordan retired. At the age of 26 despite missing the last two seasons, he's already been a 3x all-star, one-time MVP, and has played in the playoffs every season he's been in the league. While he is that once-in-a-lifetime athlete I mentioned earlier before that leaves a lot for the NBA fan to desire, he's accomplished a lot already and maybe for Rose playing a couple more seasons and hopefully winning one championship is enough for him.
His legacy for all we know could still be far from being completed or fulfilled, but my takeaway from all the hooplah last week is that the clock could be ticking on his career. The Bulls window of opportunity is closing faster than expected and it means going all-in now before it's too late...
Alright now that I'm done with my essay, the logic for the trade if you still remembered it: The Bulls add Chandler, a wing that can light it up for the right team, and on this team he'll definitely be the sixth man coming off the bench asked to score a bunch. The Bulls need contributors now, and it doesn't seem like Mirotic is ready to be that or Thibs just doesn't want to or know how to use him. If we're also trading cause Rose's career-clock is ticking, then they do not have time to wait for him to be the franchise's next Kukoc. Plumlee gives the team another big to work-in with the trio of Gibson, Noah, and Gasol. He's added insurance for any possible injuries up front, and imagine the crazy energy inside if he plays alongside Gibson on the second unit. Randolph is just a throw-in for cap purposes...The Suns get the reward of Mirotic's upside and he will get playing time from coach Hornacek. I think he could be the steal of the trade and would be amazing on the Suns (could replace Marcus Morris in the lineup right now). Mozgov has identical numbers to Plumlee but comes at an extra $3.5 million. It's the extra price to pay but definitely worth it to acquire a prospect like Mirotic...The Nuggets are lost and need to start over with their roster, so they get to unload contracts and add a very young prospect in Goodwin, a probable late-first round pick, and an expiring Psycho-T...The Raptors add some outside shooting and depth to the wing, which they really need, in Gerald Green.
Where They Will Be Come June:
JL - The Bulls should be good this season. Really good. They have the deepest team that they've had in a really long time, and I'm expecting big things from them. I think the East is pretty open this year. Pretty balanced among all the teams, with the exception of the Bulls and the Cavs. I think those two teams are going to be facing off in the Conference Finals. I'm taking the Bulls. More chemistry makes for better basketball. The Spurs are a perfect example of that.
AT - They will finish the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but the ECF is the farthest they will go. I will let "Where They Will Be Come June" section for the team in the conference ranked ahead of them explain the rest for why their season will fall short of making the Finals. Overall with a full season of Derrick Rose (hopefully *crossing my fingers*), a successful signing of Gasol, and further development on the way for guys like Mirotic, McD, Snell, and Butler, the Bulls have an even brighter future and stronger title chances in the following seasons than they have ever had before..
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
Intrigue: AT - Surviving the Injury Plague - The intrigue was supposed to actually read something like: Their Time is Now or New Reign but as we all know the biggest story of their season has been everybody on the team from their two best players to even Mitch McGary and Grant Jerrett being already injured or getting hurt. Now it's all about being the best you can while sucking, to stay afloat. The cavalry is sloooooowly coming back but it's going to be awhile until they have full squad. Until then, it's going to be plenty of games where their offense runs plays to get Perkins post-ups, set up open 3s for Klay Collison and Stephen Morrow, and have Reggie playing 1-on-5. It'll be ugly, but it's what they have to live with, and until a majority of these guys in suits are actually in uniform, it will have to work for them to stay alive.
(Note: They are #4 because of preseason assumptions of an actual full and healthy squad. If they were all healthy opening night even just minus KD for a bit, you still wouldn't consider them a top 5 in the league??)
JL - SSDD - Remind me again who the Thunder added over the offseason to help them vault over the Spurs are the best team in the West? Anthony Morrow? Oh... well, okay then. The Thunder have arguably two of the top five players in the NBA in Durant and Westbrook. They really haven't added much talent around them to help though. What they did do was lose James Harden and lose Jeff Green. If the Thunder don't win the championship in the next two seasons, it's safe to say that KD is going to at least test the free agency waters. Despite not having added much, they still have KD and Russ. That's all you really need I guess. It's going to be interesting to see how much their other young players are going to improve and develop this season in the first two months of the season with Durant and Westbrook out. Hopefully they turn into something decent enough to help Durant's championship pursuit.
Player to Watch:
AT - Russell Westbrook - I was ready for the apocalypse of basketball but I guess the basketball gods thought it best to make us wait a bit. I guess we weren't ready. That doesn't mean I am still not enraged that Russ had to fracture his hand all because of that big oof named Perkins. Till at least December we miss out on 30 shots a game! We miss out on a bizillion 3-guns! We miss out on him ripping apart every single point guard in the league's asshole on his path of destruction towards the MVP! We miss out on point godzilla! We miss a month out on what may possibly be the greatest basketball experiment of hero ball ever...He will be back soon so we should still get two months of his wrath before Durant comes back and he's forced to play nice, but I'm not happy. I still want this lost time back...
Btw I just want everyone to know I drafted him over LeBron and Anthony Davis in my fantasy league. I am crazy. RUSSELL MOTHERFUCKING WESTBROOK <3 #RIDEORDIE
JL - Jeremy Lamb - The one weakness for the Thunder each year has been the shooting guard position. Last season, Scott Brooks finally learned that he needed to start either Reggie Jackson or Jeremy Lamb at the 2, and Jackson ended up playing really well and earned the starting spot. The Thunder even let Thabo Sefolosha leave. Right now, the shooting guard position is at it's weakest in a very long time, but I can't imagine other elite teams (Rockets - Harden, Warriors - Klay) using this weakness as an advantage against the Thunder. Jeremy Lamb was supposed to be a really good player coming out of Connecticut, but so far he hasn't met these expectations. Lamb's still young, and he has time to become a solid NBA player. The absence of Westbrook and Durant should give him the opportunity to shine and be that next guy.
Personal Take:
AT - A trade involving my baby Bucks, my grown-up Thunder! and others...Trade to Consider:
(OKC) - OJ Mayo, Khris Middleton, John Henson & Clips 1st '17, '18, or '19 pick via MIL
(MIL) - Reggie Jackson, Joe Johnson, & Thomas Robinson
(BKN) - Kendrick Perkins, Jared Dudley, & Dorell Wright
(POR) - Ersan Ilyasova
Logic: The better Reggie gets while Russ and KD are out, the harder it will be to re-sign him at a price fit for their owner's frugal spending. I'm opposed to trading Reggie just because he's improved so much and I can see him and Russ being a formidable starting backcourt despite their size. However, I'm doing this in the scenario of the way they handled another young stud they once had on the verge of his impending restricted free agency and I'm trading him just to prevent paying the tax because I'm Clay Bennett and my team plays in a small market so I don't profit wah wah wah (Oh really?).
So...The Thunder get Mayo to strengthen their perimeter shooting and he can be really helpful as long as he never finds this list. Middleton is a young prospect that has proven he can score and play three positions. While Henson can try and become Ibaka-lite. They also get a future 1st rounder and maybe in 2-3 years the clippers are 8-seed bad and the Thunder have stolen themselves a mid-round pick. They get three guys that can contribute now and two not including the pick that may contribute in the future as well. It's not that bad of a return...My baby Bucks stay winning on my trades, they get Reggie to pair with Brandon Knight in the backcourt, they get T-Rob for a tryout, and sure JJ makes $23 million for the next two seasons, but he continually gets buckets and this team needs it. He's also a veteran which is something they don't have, and I'd love for the awkwardness of him being reunited with J-Kidd....Brooklyn is free of Johnson's terrible contract and that is all that matters. Perkins reunites with his pal KG, and maybe Wright and Dudley rediscover their basketball skills somehow someway...Portland gets another backup big so they won't always have to rely on THE KAMAN (at 0:11 Dynamite!).
JL - There's only two years left until Kevin Durant hits the market! Two years! Think about it! If Durant leaves, I'm almost certain that Westbrook will follow suit and leave as well. That's crazy to think about. The Thunder aren't going to win the finals this year, which means that the OKC management only has one year to win and convince Kevin Durant to stay. It's going to be tough, but not impossible. I think the Thunder need to sign Ray Allen. It would help a lot, but let's wait and see what happens! #KevinDurantForPresident
Where They Will Be Come June:
AT - I think the injuries will be too much for them to come back from and it's really unfortunate because they would have been my favorites to win a title this year with a healthy squad. They will still make the playoffs and no one will want to play them. However, I think for them to gel as a complete team it won't happen until possibly March (KD is not coming back until at least January maybe later), and they're going to expend way too much energy just trying to get into it. It will catch up to them eventually if not in the first round of the playoffs, definitely in the second. The one silver lining they can take away from this is the discovery of some potential gems (Perry Jones, Roberson?) that can contribute heading into next season. It won't necessarily be a lost season, but the clock is close to striking midnight for a championship before KD's impending free agency.
JL - I don't know if the Thunder are going to win the NBA championship. I doubt it, in fact. I think the Thunder are going to lose in the second round just because of the first two months of the season. In a tough Western Conference, home court advantage can mean a lot in the playoffs. The Thunder aren't going to win too many games until Durant and Westbrook return in December, and it might not even be guaranteed that they do make the playoffs. I think Durant and Westbrook are good enough to carry this team to a fifty win season and at least an appearance in the postseason. No one's going to want to face them in the first round and rightfully so. They're going to come out on top in their first match and lose in the second round.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
Intrigue:JL - The Return of the King! - Okay, well. Lebron's back and he brought along some of his friends from South Beach. Oh, and Kevin Love joined him as well. But you already knew that. Everything that's intriguing about this team has been mentioned on every sports network or social media website and regurgitated in a billion different ways. There's really not much left to say about what's intriguing about this team. If you don't understand why this team is intriguing, then I'm not entirely sure why you're following the NBA or this blog.
AT - Do It for Cleveland Dawg - LeBron's home! It's going to be a fun season. (I'm not going to write much about these guys. You can find interesting stuff about them everywhere.). Just know I think they are more talented than the Bulls but it will take time for them to play at a high level. They'll be right where they need to be when it matters.
Player to Watch:
JL - David Blatt - Okay, David Blatt isn't a player on the roster, but he is the most important piece to this puzzle. Cleveland definitely has the talent to contend for a championship, but do they have the leadership or coaching to make it there. Blatt is supposed to be some sort of offensive basketball wizard-genius who coached in Europe. I don't know how he coaches or what his style's like, but I think the Cavs have players who are smart enough to run his highly sophisticated offense. If his offensive schemes meet the high expectations that I've set for them, they should be in good shape. I still don't know if Blatt is a good leader or anything, but time will tell.
AT -
That was tweeted by your's truly on March 24, 2012 while Waiters was a sophomore playing at Syracuse. He looked every bit the part during his collegiate career and that was only as the sixth man on those teams. He was even drafted fourth overall. Well...since then he's been a huge disappoint. He's looked more like a bootleg JR Smith than anything resembling Dwyane Wade. He's been more successful at being a problem in the locker room (once again...men lie, women lie, buckets don't!) than being a solution on the court. Feel free to blast me all you want because that was a terrible assertion and I admit to being absolutely incorrect...BUT there still is hope! He's already been demoted to bench duties but as long as he's playing with LeBron there's a chance he could at least be the Dwyane Wade of sixth mans/men (What does that even mean??)? If there is ever a time for Waiters to become anything like D-Wade or anything resembling a decent NBA player, the time is now. He's got the best basketball player on the planet to teach him the ways of his former sidekick. He's the fifth or sixth maybe even seventh most important player on the team so he has no pressure. He should strictly be studying Wade tapes in the Miami Big-3 era and emulating everything he does.
By the end of the year he should be at least 50% of the player Dwyane Wade is. Imagine this Cavs team with their Big 3 and adding a pleasant surprise of poor man's D-Wade to the mix. That would be scary. Then again what do I know? In Waiter's brief career all he's done is disregard the concept of team basketball and treated every possession like he's playing in an And1 pickup game. See that tweet again. I know absolutely nothing. I'm an idiot...
Personal Take:
JL - There's been so many commercials about Lebron's return. There's been at least a dozen Nike commercials, and now there's a few Sprite ones. Do people like the Cavs or do people still hate Lebron? I'm not sure. I really don't have much to say about the Cavs. So uhh... let's move on, I guess.
AT - If I was still in college I would have made for you all my beautifully envisioned "Coming Home" x Nike commercial for LeBron. Unfortunately I no longer have access to UCSD's resources so I can't make or edit anything...I don't have much to say that hasn't already been said about this team so...here you go again. Mustache or toke? It really doesn't matter...Who cares about the children. Like I said before, we'll hear plenty about this team all season so i'll just stop myself now.
Where They Will Be Come June:
JL - See what I said for the Bulls and yeah. Exactly that except they're going to be on the losing end. The Cavs aren't going to win the whole thing their first year together, and they aren't going to make it to the finals either, but they will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Maybe next year, Lebron.
AT - This season will be very reminiscent to the 2010-2011 season at least for the way the Cavs progression as a team will be very similar to that first-year Miami Heat team especially through the playoffs. According to my predictions, the Cavs will go through a hellish slate to get to the Finals, but I also believe as they go through each round (1st round: Heat - revenge series, check. 2nd round: Wiz - battle for the "best backcourt"/overcome one up-and-coming future nemesis series, check. ECF: Bulls - the rivalry series, check.) that is where they find their way and build their strongest chemistry. By the time they play the Bulls, they will have figured out how best to play together. The offense will click on all cylinders, and the defense will be good enough (I can't see them ever playing on the Heat level cause they just don't have the personnel). Derrick Rose will learn once again, maybe it won't ever be his time.
The Cavs will fall short of winning it all though, as in keeping with the theme of 2010-2011, there's just a team that is better and more cohesive in the West than they are. It won't be due to LeBron choking this time. They're just not ready. Kyrie and Love need to feel the feeling of defeat at its worst before they become a champion. Next season though, watch out. LeBron and company won't need an adjustment period. They will be ready to win it for Cleveland.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
AT - Hate It or Love It - I know Josh called the Rockets the new villain-team in the league but this is actually the team. Let's be honest, nobody likes the Clippers unless they are Billy Crystal or a bandwagon alien that lives in LA. They had a racist owner and now they have a crazy, obnoxious owner. They feature the most-hated player in the game, one of the most-hated college players of all-time, a domestic-abuser, a hippie stoner, a starting center whose stache makes me think he's Charlie Murphy, and these guys are all led by a point guard who has become quite the jerk. Lob City although fun to watch on occasion, is a place filled with arrogance and a group of guys you wanna punch in the face. They are unlikeable.
That being said, they still are one hell of a basketball team. They have one of the best coaches in the league and the group of guys that play for him, although disliked by many, are really good. Blake Griffin may be the most-hated guy in the league, but he's also the best power forward in the NBA and he's only getting better. His game really does get overlooked because people focus too much on the posters he makes or the numerous amounts of whining he does to the refs. What gets lost is a guy that is a bull in the post now with some refined moves (when he wants to work there), a guy who has become a good mid-range jump shooter (which he is relying on too much now), and a guy that does get killed in the paint and deserves a lot of the foul calls he whines about. Could he do it less? Sure, but Blake is still an excellent basketball player and people should respect his game more. That Duke Devil, hippie, domestic-abuser, Charlie Murphy (JJ Redick, Spencer Hawes, Matt Barnes, DeAndre Jordan), and the reigning 6th man of the year (Jamal Crawford) are all guys that will contribute to the winning cause as well. Lastly Chris Paul is on the decline, but he is still one of the best point guards in the league and some may still argue he is the best point guard in the league. He's taken on the role of a player that you absolutely hate if he's not on your team but would love if he was. He's the leader of the squad and he will flop and bitch, and do whatever it takes for his team to win.
Prior to the season I honestly believed no team in the league could beat them in a seven game series except for one. That opinion has changed to two teams I think that are capable of beating them, but it hasn't changed my opinion of them being right in the thick of things in June. They've gotten off to a bit of a slow start at 5-3, but I believe they'll pick it up soon and moving further ahead, if a couple things fall in place correctly for them, they may be the team hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy
JL - Stigma and Enigma - Chris Paul has been called a lot of things, but one of those things has never been NBA champion. Hell, the guy's never even made it past the second round yet. A lot of people say that CP3 isn't a winner and just doesn't do enough to elevate his game when the lights are the brightest. I actually don't think it's his fault though. The Clippers have a very good team this season, and they had a pretty good team last season, actually. For the past six months or so, they've been overshadowed by one man - Donald Sterling. Steve Ballmer, the Clippers' new owner, seems a bit strange to me, and I don't know if he's going to be the best owner but it's definitely a step up from Sterling. If the Clippers even just make it to the Conference Finals, Paul's going to lose the tag of not being a winner and the season will have been a successful first under Ballmer for the Clips.
Player to Watch:
AT - DeAndre Jordan - DeAndre is a freak with athleticism (and a fu machu) that is unmatched and unreal for anyone his size. Besides the jaw-dropping dunks and superior shot blocking though, nothing else in his game impresses. His production has gone up the past few seasons, but his skill set still hasn't improved. He is still at many times, a liability, especially in crunch time because he hasn't gotten better at free throw shooting (which takes him out of the game = no shot blocking, weakened interior D for the team), and he still has no reliable post moves. It would be crazy to even think the Clippers would consider trading him, but his contract is expiring, and I think if the right offer comes along to add a significant wing player, he could be expendable. The Clippers can have a group of other bigs collectively match the production Jordan puts up. They are close to having a team that can win it all and they may be a move away. When the chase for a title becomes way more important than keeping Lob City intact, Jordan unfortunately could be the odd man out unless he has improved other facets of his game. This is a very important year in determining his future status with this team.
JL - Jamal Crawford - Jamal Crawford is here for the wrong reason. He's not the player to watch because the team's impending success depends solely on his performance or that he's going to break out this season. I think he's going to be traded at some point in the season. I don't know where and I don't know for who, but I just have a feeling the Clippers are going to move him somewhere else for some sort of upgrade over Barnes at the three.
Personal Take:
AT - (Sadly my last trade of the Season Previews, enjoy!) Trade to Consider:
(Clippers) - Josh Smith, Joel Anthony, Shane Larkin
(Pistons) - Andrea Bargnani, JR Smith, Sam Dalembert, Jordan Farmar, CJ Wilcox
(Knicks) - DeAndre Jordan, Brandon Jennings, Matt Barnes
Logic: Josh Smith will be a smaller, more skillful version of Jordan for the team. He's also a much better wing than Matt Barnes. He allows for lineup flexibility (play the 4 with Blake at the 5 or play the 3 with Hawes and Blake at 4 and 5) which forces Doc to be more creative with the lineup and play guys that might be deserving of more playing time (i.e. Udoh? could be their starting center or Reggie Bullock could be their starting small forward). Smith's versatility, as long as he doesn't consider long-range shooting as one of the facets of it, will make this team better, and I think playing with a point guard like Paul will make him a more efficient player. Joel Anthony will act as a physical enforcer to fight Blake's fights at times and I think Shane Larkin, who has played pretty well so far this year, could learn a lot from playing under the tutelage of CP3 (See: Eric Bledsoe)....The Pistons free themselves from the monstrosity of signings from their previous regime. SVG gets Bagnani, the type of player he loves (or maybe not? had to do it one more time for Josh cause he loves that video). The point is Bargs is a tall forward that can shoot, which is the type of player that has succeeded under SVG (Rashard Lewis & Hedo). He also adds a few solid back-ups in Dalembert and Farmar. Wilcox is a rookie that can shoot and JR can be a sixth man or starter with freedom to score-at-will. I think another important thing to note is DJ Augustin getting a chance to be the starter and being the new Jameer Nelson...As for the Knicks, this is my second trade proposal sending Brandon Jennings to NY. I'm just fascinated by him being on their team. He just seems so right feeding off the garden crowd as a point-ignitor off the bench. Matt Barnes provides veteran toughness for a team that gets a rep for being pretty soft, and Barnes's toughness at least makes up for his lost ability (11-34, 32% this season from 3s, 38% from the field) to play the game at a decent level. Lastly we all get a sample of the player DeAndre is without the best compliments. What happens when there isn't another superior post player playing beside him? What happens when he don't have one of the best point guards in the league getting him easy buckets? Will he actually thrive as the dominant postman? This scenario really allows everybody to gauge his true value as his impending free agency hits this summer, and it would make the Knicks more fun to watch. The ESPN Trade Machine likens this trade to increase the Knicks' wins by 12 games so there you have it! I just made the Knicks a 50-win team.
JL - Anson said that the Clippers are the new villains, and I can't say that I disagree. I don't like the Clippers, and I don't know anyone who does. That might just because I live in the Bay Area where everyone's a Warriors fan and hates the Clippers anyways, but they do flop a lot and no one likes soft big men (*cough*Blake*). So I guess I don't disagree, but even if you hate them, they're still really entertaining. Who doesn't love watching Blake Griffin dunk on the Timofey Mozgov's of the world, right? I don't like the Clippers, and my dad hates the Clippers even more than I do, but I feel like more people hate the Rockets just because the Clippers have cool commercials at least such as the CP3 State Farm commercials or all the countless Blake ones. Here, take a look for yourself:
Where They Will Be Come June:
AT - That one team that snuck in with the other I think that could beat the Clips, that would be the Warriors. The Warriors with a ________(insert adjective and name of player missing from last year's series. Don't wanna jinx it*) will get revenge for last season by beating the Clippers in the semifinals in a bloodbath of a series. The Clippers head into the offseason with the difficult decision of staying the course with the current core or making a major move because what they have hasn't been working.
JL - I think the Clippers are one of three teams who could potentially play the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals this season. The other two are the Dubs and the Thunder. I think it's going to be any one of those teams, but I don't see any of those teams making it past that. More on that below.
1. San Antonio Spurs
JL - Last Hoorah - Watching the San Antonio Spurs play basketball was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. No joke. The way they moved the ball, played as a team, and always found a better shot was just amazing. They also set the record for the largest average margin of victory in any finals ever. However, one thing that Tim Duncan has never done is repeat. This is the last year of both Ginobili and Duncan's contract. If anything, this might be the last year we ever see these Spurs. The same Spurs that we've taken for granted each and every year. The same Tim Duncan that no one really ever cared to take the time out of their day to watch. What better way to end an era than to go out on top. If the Spurs showed me anything last season, it's that they're in the best position they've ever been in to repeat. Are the Spurs too old to make it to the Finals three straight seasons? I don't know, but I do know that this might be the last season with Pop, Timmy, Manu, and Tony all together. Let's cherish it while we can.
AT - Going for the Repeat - It's something that in the Pop-Duncan era they have actually never done. It's also one of the most difficult feats to accomplish in any sport because of what many assume is the lack of hunger like it was before, finding a new purpose to win, and the case of more (players wanting more shots, more money, etc.). I don't doubt the Spurs will be motivated and they've never had player issues. Sure we can buy into the whole "last season was the year where they were out for revenge and redemption for letting a championship slip away" so by them winning last year, they just won't want it as much, but are we sure placing the ultimate cherry on top to cap off their historic era wouldn't be just as sweet? I've said this many time before and i'll say it again, the Spurs since 2007 have been playing with house money. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain as they keep winning and adding to their legacy. I honestly think they just enjoy kicking every team's ass while they do it on cruise control throughout the regular season and start to really flex during the playoffs just to prove they can. Being underrated and overlooked has always been enough to motivate them. If what I think truly will happen with these guys once the season is over, there's no question they may be at the best we've ever seen come playoff time, and those repeat aspirations will start seeming very real.
Player to Watch:
JL - Manu and Timmy - The Spurs brought back everyone during the offseason, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be the same team. It all depends on how much Manu and Timmy are relatively the same players. If they're about the same level as they were last season, the Spurs should be in good shape to repeat.
AT - Tim Duncan - He can still double-double with the best of them, and he'll still toss someone's shit, just not emphatically. Bank shots? He got that. Fundamentals? He's named that. His career is nearing its finish...Do yourself a favor and please enjoy the greatest power forward to ever play the game this season before it's too late.
Personal Take:
JL - I think last season's Spurs team might be the best offensive team in the history of basketball. No, I'm not crazy. I just think that if they played in the 50's or 60's they would've definitely blown every team out by 40 every game. If they played in the 70's, it would've been pretty much the same thing. The '70 and '74 championship-winning Knicks were what some basketball experts and purists compared last year's Spurs team to, but last year's Spurs team was so much better. I don't know if you know, but the game's evolved a lot in the past 40 years. I don't think anyone could've stopped Tony Parker or Tim Duncan in a pick and roll. The 80's brings up some interesting cases in the Lakers and Celtics, but the 3-point game today is nothing like it was back then. Larry Bird was an elite 3-point shooter back in his time, but he holds a 37% career three point percentage. Danny Green and Matt Bonner both shot 42% from beyond the ark last season. In the 90's, Jordan dominated in the triangle, but you can't tell me that they worked more efficiently in their set than the Spurs did last season. In the two years that the Rockets won, they went to the post. A lot. 3's > 2's, which the Spurs shot a lot of. In the 2000's, basketball players were a lot more selfish and offenses were extremely iso-heavy (2001 Sixers) for the most part with the exception of a few run-and-gun teams (Steve Nash Suns). So now, that I've made my point, do you agree with me?
AT - The Spurs are great. I'm disgusted with myself most of the time for hating this team in my younger days (Well except for the teams with Dirty Bob. I stand by my hate for those teams. BOOOOOOOOOO.). They're fun to watch and they play beautiful basketball. Speaking of a beautiful player on the Spurs, Marco Belinelli, I love that guy. I've killed Josh numerous times in 2K with him and he was one of my favorite ex-Warriors. I'm also very glad he's a part of my favorite moment in early Thunder history (Disclaimer: This is the 327984798327 time I've put this in a post but it never gets old)
I witnessed that with lower level seat vision that night and it was the birth of a fan rooting for a 23-win team over his own home team. I'm glad to say Belinelli didn't die and actually survived the wrath that is Russell Westbrook, and he has even made a decent career for himself in San Antonio. Congrats on the ring last year. Good job buddy.
Where They Will Be Come June:
JL - Surprise, surprise! I think the Spurs are going to lose in the first round to the Bobcats! Take note of it! Just joshing. The Spurs are going to win the championship and ride off into the sunset. Tim Duncan and Manu are going to retire together and Kawhi's going to enjoy a fat new contract to help usher in a new era of basketball in San Antonio.
AT - Celebrating something they have never done in the Tim Duncan-Gregg Popovich era, repeating as champions. The last piece to their historic run, the Spurs cement their legacy as the greatest underrated dynasty of all-time beating the Cavs in 5 and reminding LeBron and everybody once again what the true beauty of basketball looks like. That it takes a complete team, not just three stars to win a championship. They close off their era for good as Tim Duncan, Manu, and Pop retire and ride off into the sunset. A new era of Spurs basketball will begin the following year coached by Ettore Messina. The team moving forward won't look too different as their core will be TP, Kawhi, Danny Green, Diaw, and Splitter (throw in some late first round pick that underachieved in college that becomes a stud eventully...I say Chris Walker), oh and they'll have some cap too, and their style definitely won't change. The only thing that changes is the two franchise cornerstones not being there anymore, and that is significant. It will be San Antonio-basketball my living memory has no recollection of, and it is something that my brain has never comprehended. Appreciate Pop and Timmy and even Manu while they're still around. There time is coming to an end and we should savor every moment left of it.
Awards and Championship Predictions (Once again predictions made prior to the season beginning.)
AT
MVP - LeBron James ; 2nd - Russell Westbrook ; 3rd - Anthony Davis/Stephen Curry
DPOY - Anthony Davis ; 2nd - Serge Ibaka ; 3rd - LeBron James
ROY - Jabari Parker ; 2nd - Marcus Smart ; 3rd - Nerlens Noel
6th Man - Isaiah Thomas ; 2nd - Andre Iguodala ; 3rd - Ryan Anderson
MIP - Andre Drummond ; 2nd - Giannis Antetokounmpo ; 3rd - Victor Oladipo
Coach - Steve Kerr ; 2nd - Tom Thibodeau ; 3rd - Dave Joerger ; *Pop always considered
Champion - Spurs over Cavs (4 - 1)
JL
MVP - Stephen Curry ; 2nd - LeBron James ; 3rd - Anthony Davis
DPOY - Anthony Davis ; 2nd - Kawhi Leonard ; 3rd - Joakim Noah
ROY - Jabari Parker ; 2nd - Nerlens Noel ; 3rd - Andrew Wiggins
6th Man - Isaiah Thomas ; 2nd - Manu Ginobili ; 3rd - Andre Iguodala
Most Improved - Anthony Davis ; 2nd - Harrison Barnes ; 3rd - Giannis Antetokounmpo
Coach - Erik Spoelstra ; 2nd - Jason Kidd ; 3rd - Steve Kerr
Champion - Spurs over Bulls (4 - 2)
Alright guys, that completes the 2014-15 season preview! For those that have read all six parts thanks a bunch, and thanks just a little less to those that read a couple or only one (just kidding we appreciate it all). Hopefully we will be back soon with some tidbits and ideas here and there about the happenings of the season. If you like what you're reading, feel free to follow us on Twitter (click these hyperlinks: Josh / Anson and follow away!) if you already don't, for our constant daily life musings and the frequent commentary on basketball and all sports. Once again, thanks for reading. We'll be back soon.
