Season Preview: Basement Dwellers (Part 1)

Greetings from overseas! I’m pretty bummed that I’ll miss the 5-game extravaganza that kicks off the season on Christmas day, but just knowing that opening day is less than 10 days away has got me really excited for the season. Being on a 14-hour flight to the motherland gave me plenty of time to think and write about the prospects of each team in the upcoming NBA season. Thus begins part 1 of the season previews. Today will focus on the non-playoff teams in the East. I apologize in advanced for possible roster inaccuracies. I’ve tried to update anything I’ve written with the transactions that I have read about. Being overseas means internet access only when I visit a Starbucks in the morning so I may not be completely up-to-date with all the transactions the past week, but I have tried my hardest to get all the crucial updates  and provide as accurate insight as possible. Josh will hopefully correct my mistakes and add some of his own tid-bits and thoughts on the season as well. Anyways, here we go:

15. Toronto Raptors 
Starting 5: Jose Calderon (PG), Jerry Bayless (SG), DeMar DeRozan (SF), Ed Davis (PF), Andrea Bargnani (C);  

Breakout Player: DeMar Derozan – Played great towards the end of the season, should become the Raptors 2^nd best option on the offensive end, athleticism is through the roof; Josh believes that... "He was robbed of a dunk contest last season by hype and props. However, his game has improved immensely to be more than just another Trevor Ariza and more of a J.R. Smith or maybe even the second coming of a certain Air Canada."

Player to Watch: Ed Davis – competition for the position is lacking and Davis has the opportunity to be a double-double guy. Ed Davis brings depth to the 4 spot and should play a key role in the Raptors' overall season this year.  Look for Davis to rise to prominence in Canada as a solid piece to this puzzle.

Overview: Not really much to talk about here. The team is filled with a bunch of quality role players who are overpaid (Amir Johnson, Linis Kleiza, Jose Calderon, etc.) with no superstar (Bargnani is an excellent 3^rd best player on a contender, but certainly no star). Bryan Coangello is one of the worst GM’s in the NBA.¹ There is no hope for the present or future in Toronto right now, and until they decide how they want to build a team, they’ll be stuck in mediocrity for a while. 

Season Prediction: (15-51) = highest chance to obtain the power of the UNIBROW

14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Starting 5: Kyrie Irving (PG), Anthony Parker (SG), Omri Casspi (SF), Antawn Jamison (PF), Anderson Varejao (C);  

Breakout Player: Unknown – For a team that has no experience and no expectations, anyone that gets playing time can be a breakout player for the Cavs. It may be Luke Harangody or even Semih Erden just because someone has to play and will put up decent numbers. 

Player to Watch: Tristan Thomas – I was always high on Tristan Thomas’s potential, but did not expect him to be a top ten pick in this year’s draft. I thought with an extra year of college he could mature and polish his game, and work himself into a top five pick in next year’s draft, but I didn’t think he was ready for the NBA now. Well the problem… He was drafted fourth in this year’s draft and he will be thrown into the fire immediately. J.J. Hickson is gone, Antawn Jamison may be next to go, and Thomas will have to be a strong post presence whether he is ready or not. It will be interesting to see how he develops through a hurried learning curve.

Overview: Although the Cavaliers had the first and fourth pick in this year’s draft, the future is not entirely bright for the franchise and this season will be another tough one to bear for the loyal fans of Cleveland. They are very inexperienced and as mentioned, their best player from last season is now in Sacramento. Kyrie Irving has been given the treacherous role of franchise savior and his expectations are definitely going to be impossible to fulfill. He should be a good player, I really hope he will be a good player, but he cannot be a 25-7-7 player like their previous superstar, and fans should not expect that in his rookie season. The Cavaliers are building towards the right direction despite having one of the dumbest and irrational owners in the league. It will be long season of learning by losing for this team.  

Season Prediction: (18-48) = top 3 draft pick next year² and a team ready for a playoff run the following season dependent on Tristan Thomas’s development.

13. Charlotte Bobcats 

Starting 5: DJ Augustin (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Corey Maggette (SF), Boris Diaw (PF), Tyrus Thomas (C) 

Breakout Player:  Reggie Williams - I don't know what it is with Rod Higgins, but he just can't let go of the Warriors. First it was Jason Richardson, then Stephen Jackson, then Corey Maggette, and now Reggie Williams. He just loves our wing players, but signing Williams is a good move on his part. Williams has the chance to become the starting shooting guard on this team and through the years of watching him on the Warriors, when he is given an opportunity and his game is on, he can get buckets.      

Player to Watch: Bismack Biyombo - Will he be a Serge Ibaka or will he be an Adonal Foyle? Biyombo is probably one of the most intriguing rookies coming into the season because he is a complete hit or miss player. He probably won't get much playing time in his first season as his game still needs a lot of work, especially on offense, and the team has quite a few veteran big men that will probably get playing time over him. When he does play, it should be very interesting. The hype on his defense is incredible and it makes one wonder will he block every shot tossed in the paint and will he grab every missed shot.  


Overview: Good players, good prospects, but a bad mix makes for a bad season in Charlotte. Josh: I'm thinking that Kemba Walker is going to steal Augustine's spotlight as well as the starting spot from him. With Raymond Felton gone, the spot is up for grabs. For now, Augustine has it but look for that to change later in the season unless Kemba is a bust, which I highly doubt.

Season Prediction: (19-45) = Michael Jordan doing absolutely nothing to make this team better next season because he is a terrible, stingy owner. He'll try miserably at persuading Chris Paul to come to Charlotte in 2013.

12. New Jersey Nets
 Starting 5 – Deron Williams (PG), Anthony Morrow (SG), Shawne Williams (SF), tbd (PF), Brook Lopez (C)

Breakout Player: Anthony Morrow (fingers crossed) - The Nets need someone to be that 3^rd scorer and Morrow can be the guy to reap the benefits of all the attention that will be placed on D-Will and the double teams on Lopez or Howard in the post.

Player to Watch: Marshon Brooks – Probably one of the most prolific scorers in the draft, he can step up and possibly be the starting shooting guard on opening night. He is another perimeter threat that can spread the floor with Morrow. He's a very good rebounder as well.

Overview: The Nets are currently 11^th because they do not have Dwight Howard, yet. The Nets can boost themselves into the top 5 if they acquire him. However, their current roster is not much even with a full season of Deron Williams, and it will be a dismal final season for fans in New Jersey if nothing changes. Brook Lopez is an all-star center but he certainly does not have an impact on games like Superman.  

Season Prediction: (20 -46) = Prokhorov going absolutely nuts in the free agency of 2012 resigning D-Will, but not being able to sign Dwight Howard resulting in overpaying Eddy Curry for a $70 million contract as a consolation prize after he averages 2 ppg and 1 rpg in garbage time with the Heat . 

11. Detroit Pistons 
Starting 5: Brandon Knight (PG), Rodney Stuckey (SG), Tayshaun Prince (SF), Charlie Villanueva (PF), Greg Monroe (C)

Breakout Player: Greg Monroe –is one of the most-skilled big men in the league and should be able to display more of his skills in his second season. He should be a double-double guy on a nightly basis especially with a much larger role on the team  and make every Warrior fan wish we had drafted him over Ekpe Udoh.³

Player to Watch: Rodney Stuckey – All these years of disappointment, the supposed second-coming of Dwyane Wade, should finally come through this season and start living up to his potential. Why? Simple, less responsibility with Brandon Knight sharing ball-handling duties provides more opportunities for Stuckey to just be a primary scorer. Stuckey possesses the ability to make highlight-plays and should make himself one of the more fun players to watch this season.

Overview: The Pistons should be a better team than what their record has shown the past few years. For a bad team, the Pistons actually have a ton of depth. Besides their starting 5 they have Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye, Jason Maxiell, and Ben Wallace coming off the bench, all guys that could probably find a starting job on another team. The only problem is that all that talent does not necessarily make for a good fit on one team. I believe their starting 5 is good enough to compete on a nightly basis with other teams, but flipping some of those bench players (Ben Gordon, Austin Daye) and say… Charlie Villanueva for a power forward *cough Carlos Boozer *cough would make them a more complete team. There is no doubt Lawrence Frank will be a better coach than John Kuester, but until Joe Dumars makes some changes with the roster they will continue to struggle playing together.  

Season prediction: (26-40) = Joe Dumars being fired and a new GM actually bringing Carlos Boozer to Detroit a year too late when his all-star skill is completely gone and he becomes the power forward equivalent of Jamal Crawford, only a scorer. 

10 Washington Wizards 
Starting 5:  John Wall (PG), Nick Young (SG), Rashard Lewis (SF), Andray Blatche (PF), JaVale McGee (C) 

Breakout Player & Player to Watch: John Wall – The hype on John Wall is extremely high this season, I have already anointed him my #1 player to blow up this season, and he will certainly live up to those expectations. 360 lay-ups, posterizations of Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry, and even game-winning jumpers?? Followed by a dance fest?? I may have wet myself.

Overview: The Wizards are a super-talented team with a lot of good young players. I am tempted to put them in the top 8 of the East, but I just can’t, even when John Wall will have an MVP-worthy season. I just think they’re one year away. Usually when I get this feeling for a team, expectations are exceeded, I will explain in a future post, but hopefully the Wizards prove me wrong because this should be a very fun team to watch. Besides Wall, they have Nick and Pierre, the triple-double whore, the self-proclaimed “I can be better than Jordan” LeBron-facializer Jordan Crawford, and the rookie who had the kiss that won my heart and the hearts of millions on draft night, Blake Griffin’s idol, Jan Vesley. Oh and I forgot about machine-stroking, Rashard Lewis who should have a bounce-back season, hitting plenty of threes. Do these players not excite you? I really like the Wizards on paper, but they still have to play the game, and until I see all this potential greatness actually working, they are not a playoff team.

Season Prediction: (32-34) = Me being wrong, and their actual record being (36-30), a playoff team that no one wants to face in the first round, and me wishing I had just had confidence to believe they were ready now.

9. Milwaukee Bucks
Starting 5: Brandon Jennings (PG), Stephen Jackson (SG), Ersan Ilyasova (SF), Drew Gooden (PF), Andrew Bogut (C)

Breakout Player: Brandon Jennings – After a really good rookie season of Gumby hair and 55-point explosions, Young Money’s sophomore season came short of that greatness. Sophomore slumps are expected, but this is year three, and I expect Jennings to play his best basketball yet in his short career. He has been busy this summer, working for Under Armour and being a frequent participant in pick-up games assembled by the players. He should be more than ready to shine this year.

Player to Watch: Andrew Bogut – Last season’s leading shot blocker, I have always had a great affinity for the Aussie. He is one of the most underrated centers in the league because he plays for the small-market Bucks and his game cannot be fully utilized because he plays for freaking Scott Skiles.⁴ Regardless of where Bogut plays, his great defense, passing, and post-game should be appreciated more.

Overview: The Bucks actually have a team that can be pretty good in the East, but the same could be said about them last season. They’ve replaced John Salmons⁵ with Captain Jack⁶ which could be considered an upgrade for one season, but one season only, before all hell breaks loose with him. He will destroy the chemistry in the locker room, turn his teammates into whiny divas, demand more money (he has already done this) or a trade, and possibly shoot a stripper at a club. The point is, in the future Jackson will be a cancer to the team, but for this season, he should actually be a bright spot, and the Bucks should have a decent season in large part due to his contributions. If Jennings and Bogut stay healthy all season, and they can get contributions from guys like Ersan Ilyasova, Luc Richard-Mbah Moute, and Larry Sanders, they will be there fighting for a final playoff season in the East. 

Season Prediction: (33-33) = Scott Skiles finally being fired and replaced by Don Nelson. Nelson will have a team that makes NBA history the following season by scoring 20 more points per game the following season. Ersan Ilyasova averaging 20 points per game under Nelson will make more people believe the BS that he could be a Turkish Dirk Nowitzki, and Stephen Jackson will choke Nelson in practice. I already cannot wait for next season! 

Stay tuned for Part 2 in a day or two. Thanks for reading.

Footnotes:

¹ How does he still have a job??????????

² Harrison Barnes or Jared Sullinger!

³ I watched a ton of Monroe’s games during his two years at Georgetown and I would tell anyone who would listen that we should draft him if we couldn’t trade for Cousins. Monroe was a beast in college! His skill was amazing yet Udoh’s one season of defensive dominance impressed the Warriors so much that they disregarded two seasons of great basketball by Monroe. Monroe is 3 years younger too!  

⁴ How does the man who holds the record for most assists in a game become the most defensive-minded, slow-paced coach in the league?

⁵ Plays chin pubes for a whole season, plays basketball for half a season.

⁶ Plays with a pistol in his shorts for a whole season, plays basketball for half a season.

 

Just Blaze

Is it really over..? If you know me, you would know that I love Brandon Roy. Brandon Roy has been and will always be one of my favorite players ever. I was a little heartbroken when I heard the news of his retirement. I've been watching him since he first entered the league. The first time I watched him play was in his second game of his NBA career - against the Warriors. He only had 19 points that game, but to me it seemed like he just kept scoring and scoring. My favorite game that I watched of him was when he hit that game winner in Houston in overtime. I remember watching it and going crazy because Yao Ming had just got an and-1 on the play before and there was only 0.8 seconds left. Following a Blazers' timeout, Roy launched a shot from about 35 feet and hit it - nothing but net. I remember being really happy when he made his first all-star game too. It breaks my heart that I won't be able to watch him anymore or play with him in that NBA 2K ish anymore either. Brandon Roy wasn't just amazing on the court, but an amazing person off the court as well.  If you follow Brandon, you'd know that he is a very humble person. Despite the adversity he faced in his short (but unforgettable) career, he always worked hard and it's just sad to see that his career is ending the way it is.  But... I guess that's just how life is sometimes. Thanks though. Thanks for the memories, Brandon Roy.

I know I'm a little late with this Brandon Roy retirement stuff, but I'm on that finals grind right now. Just an update though... but season previews should be coming out soon-ish? After finals? Anson's gonna be in the mother land till post-Christmas. Stay tuned though and thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it.

Sting of Regret

As you all should know by now, Chris Paul was supposed to be traded Thursday night to a certain L.A. team. To me, this trade makes no sense whatsoever (for the Hornets and the Rockets anyways). Why trade Chris Paul for Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goron Dragic, and a bag of candy? Why? Why when you can get so much more with Chris Paul. Don't take this the wrong way, the players that were supposed to go to New Orleans are above average players. However, if you're going to trade a superstar... why not get a superstar in return? If you're going to rebuild, why not trade for a superstar in the making? Why not trade for a Rajon Rondo or a Stephen Curry? Why not? Why trade for a collection of players that aren't going to turn your team into contenders? It perplexes me to no end.

If you're the Rockets, why do you trade a 20 point scoring machine and your most productive player for a player who choked in the playoffs and didn't show up when it counted? Sure, Gasol was playing pretty well in international play, but who doesn't?! Well now, you're thinking I'm crazy because why would everyone play amazingly well when it's the best in the world facing off. Right, but... have you ever heard of Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje? My point exactly. Boumtje-Boumtje was a star in international play, but in the NBA, homeboy was just another scrub sitting at the end of the bench. What's that you say? That's only one player? Fair enough. What about Carlos Arroyo? Is he a superstar in the NBA? Didn't think so. Stop hating on Gasol? Fine. At least he still gets women right? Right...! Honestly though, I have no idea what Darryl Morey is doing in Houston. You get rid of your most promising player and you rid yourself of your key players just to acquire a grizzly, frothy-bearded man who really can't carry such a load? Come on now. Really Mr. Morey?

Now, for the Lakers. This trade still doesn't really make sense either. Sure, you get Chris Paul and Kobe in the same back court. Great. Does this mean championships? It can, but only if the other pieces of the puzzle come too. If the Lakers also somehow managed to trade for the second coming of Shaq, this makes more sense (cents) than Bill Gates and Steve Jobs combined! BUT! Orlando is NOT giving up Dwight for Andrew Bynum. It's NOT going to happen! Dream all you want, but it's not going to happen! Orlando wants Dwight. Orlando believes they can make Dwight stay. Since L.A. won't be getting Dwight, what do they have left? No Lamar and no real offensive threat. All you have is Chris Paul and Kobe. Can two guys really bring you a championship without role players? Ask D-Wade and Baby Bronbron. They know all about it. Who's going to be your third biggest scorer? Bynum? Sure, but is he better than Chris Bosh? Not that I know of. Is Metta World Peace going to save you? Umm... no. Just stop. So what else do you have? A dried up fish, Chris Brown, and Luke? Cause that's really going to win you a championship. Right...

I know this is completely irrelevant to everything you just read, but does one James Harden beard plus one Greg Oden beard equal one Baron Davis beard? Hahah. Hit the comments and as always, thanks for reading.

5 Things: Preseason Headlines (Part 2)

Before I start, for all my Warrior fans who are all excited about trading for CP3, I just want to give a quick opinion on all that talk. It will be a HUGE mistake if we do it. Paul will leave for a bigger market after the season if we don't get an extension, I guarantee that, and his knees may still give out one season if he miraculously re-signs then you're left with what? Tyson Chandler also has maybe one or two more good seasons left in him before he is done, and you want to pay him at least $10 million per year for probably four seasons?? Why give up Steph, Klay, and Udoh, and possible draft picks (sorry, they don't really matter unless we suck) for all that? It's just not reasonable, especially in a season where the Western Conference is as weak as it will be in years and we actually have a current roster good enough to possibly be as high as a fifth seed (You're thinking 5th?? Look at the West, trust me). I have a ton of confidence that Steph can and will be that franchise point guard for us, and Mark Jackson will be able to get him to that next level. The only thing we really need is a center (not from this year's free agency) and of course for the last three years I have been saying, Monta has to go...but I'm done ranting about us possibly tossing our future away for one mediocre playoff season with Chris Paul. Here's part 2 folks, enjoy...
 
3. The End of an Era / The New Era: If the lockout had taken away an entire season, it would have also taken away the opportunity for NBA fans to watch and appreciate the final run to a title of some of the older, dominant teams in the last decade. Those teams, I'm talking about are the Spurs and Celtics. For the Mavericks, they've accomplished the goal of a title and partying with Lil Wayne before their window closed, and there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency for them to repeat this year as they've exceeded the expectations of the potential in their roster. We may possibly be watching Jason Kidd's final season, Jason Terry's last productive season before his career winds down like Bobby Jackson's, and possibly Dirk slowing down as well this season. It's ok for the Mavs, they're a veteran roster that will continue to change and compete because Mark Cuban is their owner. As for the Spurs and Celtics, this season will be it for their title aspirations. These two teams have combined for four championships (Celtics only 1) in the last decade and how they try to win their last title before their window closes will be interesting to see because the way they were eliminated from the playoffs last season made it seem like their time had already run out. Both teams have stuck to the core of their roster so far, and if it remains the same for the rest of the year, appreciate the games the Spurs and Celtics are televised in because we may be watching the end of a decade of brilliant robotic basketball from Tim Duncan and crew, and the end of an era of the first assembled super team.

Although I mention the end of an era of two great franchises in the league, last season's playoffs offered previews of a new era of basketball led by teams with young and exciting stars. These teams included the Chicago Bulls. Oklahoma City Thunder, and Memphis Grizzlies (ok Zach Randolph isn't young, but how can you not like Z-Bo and his squad??) These three teams are the future of the league that will compete against the new super teams that will develop in the near future (Knicks, Lakers, Nets, along with the Heat). If the Bulls can add some scoring help (Jason Richardson!!) for the MVP, they will certainly be ready to compete with the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference crown and an NBA title this year. The Oklahoma City Thunder are another team on its way to being a yearly contender for an NBA title. With Durant and Westbrook locked down for the next few years, they will continue to be a top team in the league as long as their two superstars learn to play together and build chemistry. Lastly the Grizzles remind me of a team that can build themselves the way the Spurs did for the last decade. Gasol and Randolph can be a poor man's combo of Robinson and Duncan and they are a Monta Ellis (Please GSW do it!!) or OJ Mayo reaching full-potential away from being scary good. Two other teams to lookout for this year: Indiana Pacers (David West + Paul George actually playing like the next T-Mac = contender, only if these two things happen) & Los Angeles Clippers (BLAKE GRIFFIN & Eric Gordon too). The future of the league is looking very bright and heading into this season, there may be a couple teams making their final run at a championship, but there will be many making their first run en route to many at an NBA championship and it should be fun to watch.   

2. Like Mike: When the Los Angeles Lakers were swept emphatically out of the Playoffs in the conference semi-finals last year no one could really understand what had happened. The 2010 champs looked terrible and the team looked to be heading in a free-fall. Shannon Brown may have slept with Pau Gasol's girlfriend which caused him to play like a pussy in the playoffs. The chemistry of the team was in shambles as Andrew Bynum told reporters the players did not trust each other. Derek Fisher looked really old, and most importantly, Kobe's fatigue finally caught up to him. Kobe looked tired and hurt all year. We never got the vintage Kobe performance we were accustomed to seeing during the season or playoffs and it seemed as if his best days were behind him. Phil Jackson seemed to have lost control of his team and with his retirement, Mike Brown now takes over these issues. 

These issues in Tinseltown make for a very intriguing season for the Lakers however. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers bounce back and how Kobe plays with a healthy body and an offseason of extended rest which he has not had in years. It's hard to believe that he won't come into this season hungrier than ever for that sixth ring to match Jordan, looking to prove he can win without Phil, and showing he is still the best player on the planet. Kobe will be the main focus and he will show up this year, but there are still many questions lingering for the rest of the team: Is Mike Brown the right choice as the head coach? Can Steve Blake actually assume the role of Steve Kerr? Will the 2010 Pau Gasol return? Will Dwight Howard arrive by the deadline? Can the reincarnation of Dennis Rodman finally show up in the form of Metta World Peace?  All that remains to be seen, but it should be a Hollywood season as expected. 

1. The Real World - South Beach (Season 2): The video was just a summary of the regular season for the Miami Heat last year and we all know what happened in the Playoffs and how their season ended. Hate them or love them, the Miami Heat are great for the NBA. They are a reality television show with a ton of star power, and play the role of a villain excellently. They are fun to watch and they were the reason the league hit a peak in popularity that had been missing since the days Michael Jordan played. In season two of the campaign to win "not 5...not...6...not 7" championships, the Heat's storyline will be how they can overcome their collapse against the Mavs and return to the Finals and win their first title. Their season will once again be filled with a ton of drama and excitement, and even the little things like bumping the coach (purposely or accidentally) will once again be placed under a microscope and analyzed in all ways. The Heat this season should be a much better team with an upgraded roster (trade for Kaman with Mike Miller!! Do it.) and there should not be a period where the guys need to adjust to playing with each other this year. They have too much talent and LeBron can only fail for so long before he finally comes through right? There are no excuses this season for not winning a championship, but the possibility that the Heat may fail makes them that intriguing and must-see TV.   

Top team breakdowns/season predictions and Warriors' season preview post will hopefully come from Josh sometime soon. I would love to post about it, but I'm leaving the country on the day free agency officially begins and won't be back until after the season has started, so I will not have time to write about who went where and how it impacts a team. Maybe I will be able to post something within the next few weeks, we'll see. Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for reading.

5 Things: Preseason Headlines (Part 1)

The NBA is back, the NBA is back! Christmas day is definitely going to be a wonderful day. In all honesty I don't think I have missed the league as much as I probably should. There have been plenty of other sports that have kept me occupied. Through the lockout, Sundays have become a sacred day of watching football and doing nothing at all but regretting dropping Andy Dalton from my fantasy team after the week 1... I'd say my love for the NFL hasn't been this strong since the beginning years of high school. College football still needs a playoff system, but it has still been a solid year (Bayou Bengals!), and college basketball is filled with a bunch of Anthony Davis's unibrow and extra talent this year thanks to the lockout. With that being said, it doesn't mean I didn't miss the league. I miss Monta throwing up 25 shots a game en route to another Warriors loss. I miss Kevin Love gobbling up them double-doubles. I miss the Blake Show. I miss Doc Rivers's in-game huddles. I miss Delonte West. I miss and will continue to miss J.R. Smith until March. I miss hating Kobe Bryant, but having him make me respect his game and understand he has been the greatest basketball player in my lifetime since Michael Jordan. I miss Rondoooooooo and Kevin Durant. I miss watching LeBrick James choking when it matters the most. I just missing watching basketball played at the highest level.

What do I anticipate? I'll expand on that in future posts, but I do expect an entertaining season. Momentum left from the ending of last season will be lessened because of the lockout and players will probably be rusty with quality of play not being great until February-March. Some good players like Wilson Chandler may not be on an NBA roster until March, but this year will still be great, like every year. Here are a couple of things to look forward to when the season tips off:   

5) Collective Bargaining & Rambling About My Ideal League: I don't really care to talk about the collective bargaining agreement, and all I know is that the players pretty much still got screwed in terms of revenue sharing, the owners also did not get everything they wanted either, both sides lost, but the fans won. Small market teams will still be unable to keep up with big market teams, star players have a greater incentive to stay with the team that drafted them, but they can still go wherever they please, which they will do and it is wonderful. I despise the creation of superteams, but they're great for the league and fun to watch, and I could care less about the small market teams. Their owners are stingy (yes, Michael Jordan that includes you, Robert Sarver, etc.) and even if they have money to spend on elite players, they don't do it anyways. Currently, only two small market teams matter to the league, the Spurs (Once Duncan retires, will they still matter though?) and the Thunder. My plan: eliminate the small market teams like the Raptors, Bobcats, Bucks, and it pains me to say it...the Kings, and two other useless franchises in the future too. Have a 24 team league, have a draft of those players with a lottery system similar to the NBA draft, worst team has best odds of acquiring Brandon Jennings or Tyreke Evans?? Which equates to less crappy owners, no DJ Mnebga's on rosters, more mid-level teams acquiring good players, more fans for their market, and an ability to compete against the bigger market teams like the Knicks, Heat, Lakers, etc. It's wishful thinking and definitely not happening, but wouldn't that be great?

4) Trade Winds: I'm pretty sure for any NBA fan, you already know that the summer of 2012 is going to have a pretty good free agency class. That is if these potential free agents are not traded by this year's deadline. Everyone already knows the three big names: Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, and Chris Paul, and trade rumors have already been swirling about two of them. Deron Williams opting out does not mean anything, it's only a more lucrative move for him and I expect him to re-sign with the Nets once the season is over. If you're expecting Dwight Howard to get traded early this season or anytime during the season, don't get your hopes up. Even though Dwight does not want to be a Magic, the Magic still want Dwight. There is no way they will trade him at least until after the all-star break (this year's game is in Orlando). There are plenty of potential suitors for Dwight: Clippers, Knicks, Nets, and Lakers, but I do not see the Magic dealing Dwight until they have no choice but to sign and trade him to a team in the summer. The Magic's plan is to make some more roster adjustments (amnesty Gilbert Arenas or Hedo Turkoglu? Sign Jared Dudley, Arron Afflalo?) and make a run at a title to show Dwight that they're a franchise trying to put the pieces around him to succeed. I don't believe they will convince him to stay, but in any circumstance, the Magic will lose because it is only a matter of time before Dwight leaves Orlando.

The one guy who will likely be traded this season however, is Chris Paul. The Hornets are not competing for a title this year, David West should pack his bags for Indiana if he knows what's best, and Paul has made his intentions clear, he wants to play for the Knicks. Dell Demps understands the situation and he has been working hard to find a good deal. If I'm the Hornets, I do what I told the Nuggets to do last year with Carmelo (which they did not do), and trade Paul to wherever they please. Excuse my French, but fuck where Chris Paul wants to go. If a team wants to risk acquiring him without a guaranteed extension and they still offer a package of young talent and draft picks, do it. The Hornets do not owe Chris Paul anything anymore and their main concern should be to do anything possible to build a young roster appealing enough to keep the team in New Orleans when they are sold.

I'm fed up with these superstars all being best friends and wanting to play with each other instead of competing against each other, and it's sad to see Chris Paul become one of them. It's understandable that CP3 wants to play with a better supporting cast and he deserves it, but I've played this scenario enough in 2K to know, CP3, Melo, and Amare together still won't win them a championship until they learn how to play team defense and not until Mike D'Antoni coaches a team other than the Knickerbockers. We saw it last year, three superstars on one team is very fun to watch, but it does not make chemistry and everyone else on the team better. Paul choosing the Knicks is not a bad decision and I do not knock him for wanting to play in the mecca of basketball with two of the top 10 players in the league, but I believe there is one team who has been inquiring about Paul's services that would suit him best for the situation now, the Boston Celtics.

The one aspect making Paul difficult to trade will be the same with Melo last year. He won't sign an extension unless it's the Knicks or Lakers. The Knicks have nothing to offer this season, and would actually be much better suited to wait and sign Paul for a discounted contract in the summer and the Lakers would seem like the most logical trading partner for the Hornets to acquire  Andrew Bynum, but would the Lakers be willing to give up a franchise center (which comes about every 5 years) in return for a franchise point guard (which comes about every 2 years)? If I'm LA, I will only trade Bynum for Howard and acquire a serviceable point guard in that deal as well...Jameer Nelson. Which makes the Boston Celtics the most fitting team to acquire CP3. I know Paul said he will not sign an extension with Boston, and the C's are hesitant to trade for him unless he does sign an extension, but why not make the move? There is also no way if the C's acquire him he would quit playing and be lackadaisical for a year. KG, Allen, and Pierce would not let that happen. I love Rajon Rondo and he is the second-most important player to the Celtics behind Kevin Garnett, but If the Celtics have the opportunity to have Paul lead the team for just one season they have to take that chance.This team has one last run in them this season, and after that it's time to blow up the team and rebuild anyways. There's nothing to lose and three scenarios can happen if this trade is made:
  
Best-Case Scenario - Paul wins a championship with the Celtics, loves the tradition and culture of the team and decides to stay. Rebuilding is not as necessary with Paul Pierce and Jeff Green back, possibly one more year of KG, and Paul being the new franchise player.

OK Scenario - Paul wins a championship with the Celtics, but decides to leave. In the end they still won a title which is the ultimate goal. Rebuilding begins and Celtics feature Jeff Green and Paul Pierce as their best players the following season.

Worst-Case Scenario - Paul leads the team to a loss in the playoffs or finals, and decides to leave. Rebuilding begins and Celtics feature Jeff Green and Paul Pierce as their best players the following season.

Of course the C's would love to avoid the worst-case scenario with Paul, but with Rondo running the team that worst-case scenario will most likely happen and rebuilding with Rondo, Pierce, and Green is still not ideal. If the Celtics are going to lose in the playoffs, they might as well start everything over, keeping only Paul Pierce if he wants to stay and having Rondo on the team would make things more difficult. Chris Paul will make the Celtics a true championship contender, and it certainly means throwing all your chips in for ONE CHAMPIONSHIP. Rondo will be good for New Orleans. He'll still attract fans, he'll get to be the star player of a franchise and get the recognition that comes with it (which he does not get in Boston), and the Hornets can probably acquire some good young prospects in the trade as well (most likely a 3-team deal). I think that everyone involved can benefit from this trade. The Celtics have a legitimate title shot which is all they should be looking for. Rajon Rondo loses the most, but can become a star in New Orleans. The Hornets will have Rondo to lead their young team in the future. Lastly, Chris Paul can possibly win a title with the C's or leave and join the Knicks or whichever team he pleases after. 

I would love to talk more about trades like Rudy Gay for Monta Ellis?? But I'll save it for another time. I know 5 things in 2 parts is pretty ridiculous, but I know attention span is lacking and the trade portion of this post was pretty long. Check back tomorrow for Part 2!