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| UP FOR GRABS Howard (left) and Paul (right) might end up being on the same team this year |
The training camp has just started. Free agency is now open. The NBA is officially back. Although shortened, with only 66 games under schedule, but the excitement and anticipation of playing basketball is so palpable that most players felt unusual, tight and even weird after staying away from it due to the work stoppage.
The lockout came to an end earlier this month with the formation of a new collective bargaining agreement, the distribution of its basketball related income (BRI) and the reformation of its union, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) which was dissolved following a disagreement with the NBA in mid-November.
Now, a settlement has been reached. And on Christmas Day, the NBA season will formally start with some exciting games already in the calendar. Topping the bill though are the defending champion Dallas Mavericks as they host the Miami Heat, a rematch of last year’s finals, plus their highly-anticipated ring celebration; the revamp New York Knicks will host the Boston Celtics at the Madison Square Garden, while league MVP Derrick Rose will put on a show in La La Land as they visit the formidable Lakers. These are just some of the games that will be featured in the opening day of NBA 2011-2012.
But let us go back to last year’s regular season mix (win-loss) and examine the state of every team going into a 66-game regular season this year. And with so many questions at stake, determining the eventual champion at the end would be quite a tough act to follow.
Will the Mavericks repeat as NBA champions? Will Kevin Durant get pass the Conference Finals and win it all? Is this the season for the Miami Heat? Are the Celtics washed-up? Do the Lakers have enough in the tank to go back on top that mountain? By looking into the state of each team before the playoffs last year, we might be able to deduce as to what direction each team will probably take in order to compete at the highest level in a shortened season.
Starting with a team with the worst record in the league, much of what had transpired last year will probably dictate each team going forward.
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| Second Chance Another year, another shot at the title |
Minnesota Timberwolves (17-65) – Since the departure of Kevin Garnett in 2007, the lottery has since been a regular destination for the struggling Wolves in the offseason. But still the future is not at all dim for this young, talented group, with Kevin Love developing into a complete player with his steady double-double (points and rebounds), plus a much more improved Michael Beasley and, of course, with the arrival of Spanish superstar Ricky Rubio, the Wolves are poised to raise not only their last season’s standing, finishing the worst in the league, but the level of basketball Minnesota once had. Changes in the coaching staff might probably do some wonders in the Wolves this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers (19-63) – The Cavaliers went from being the toast of the basketball world into an ignominious, burnt out lot; second only to the recently concluded NBA lockout. So depressing was the state of Ohio that their favorite son (whom they sometimes called The King) left them with “The Decision” of taking his talents to South Beach, to conspire with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, and form the next Big Three in the league. With Mo Williams expressing disappointment over the decision; and Daniel Gibson’s near altercation with The King, the Cavaliers eventually collapsed even after a month since the season started.
Toronto Raptors (22-60) – Bosh had nothing to do with it. The Raptors were pretty much prehistoric even before his departure; it was only a matter of time before the disintegration takes place. Euro-style ball eventually did not make any impression in the league except wonder at how these giants could actually shoot beyond the arch, but other than that there was nothing. To position Bargnani amid the towering big men of the Lakers and Calderon going up against LeBron James is simply too much for the Raptors to handle. Maybe pampering DeMar Derozan would be quite a gamble for the Raptors this year.
Washington Wizards (23-59) – This could be a break out year for John Wall. Now that he has tasted a full 82-game season, we could almost assume that a 66-game fanfare might just be that easy for this explosive sophomore. But as to how his teammates would return the favor remains to be seen. If Rashard Lewis could bring back that confidence he once had in Orlando and Josh Howard maintains and injury-free season, the Wizards can definitely make some noise as the season moves on, especially after that McGee throw down.
New Jersey Nets (24-58) – Now that Jay-Z is in the mix, the Nets could expect some groove in the coming days, particularly in its pursuit of Dwight Howard come 2012. Deron Williams is still in Turkey, but the Nets are already rearing for his return. The team though could still rely on their promising center, Brook Lopez, whose play reminds us of that aging superstar in San Antonio. We’ll see if Avery Johnson can make the most out of Williams the second time around. Jay-Z is paying D-Will, not D-Wade.
Sacramento Kings (24-58) – We have already seen the exploits of Tyreke Evans, the former NBA Rookie of the Year, and if Sacramento can put the necessary pieces around him, the Kings could make a run even all the way to the playoffs. It’s been a while since we last saw the team in the post-season, but having acquired former coach of the year, Paul Westphal, now in his 2nd year as head coach, Sacramento might suddenly be firing on all cylinders, Westphal-like, as one of the rising teams not only in the Pacific Division but in the league as well.
Detroit Pistons (30-52) – Tayshaun Prince just recently sign an extension with the team, and that alone might be enough to consider the Pistons as just around the corner, waiting probably for the next big trade, to compliment the ever dependable play of T. Prince. The team still has the players who are capable of playing big time basketball: Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Rodney Stuckey are some of the names in the lineup who could make a rerun of their own straight to the playoffs. But they badly needed a presence inside the paint, they seemed to be lacking in size lately.
Los Angeles Clippers (32-50) – It keeps getting better and better by the minute. Thanks in part to Blake Griffin’s unbelievable antics on air that the Clippers is slowly becoming an acceptable jargon in late night shows. And with the addition of Caron Butler, the Clippers are now a competing team in the West that it is almost impossible to ignore them even in their pre-season games. Griffin is a freak of nature, so brace your self for a year of Clipper highlights with Blake just above the rim. And to think we haven’t discussed DeAndre Jordan yet.
Charlotte Bobcats (34-48) – The only thing that’s stopping us from criticizing the Bobcats too much it’s because of Michael Jordan. After trading Gerald Wallace to the Blazers at the trading deadline last season, we immediately wonder what’s next for the Charlotte now that their perennial scorer is gone. Wallace even felt betrayed with the move. The team merely stepped back for no good reason, except that Jordan has saved some for himself. This team wasn’t able to recover from the disappointment of that Adam Morrison project.
Milwaukee Bucks (35-47) – What happened to the Dear? Fear the Dear. After giving the Atlanta Hawks all they could handle that previous year in their first round matchup, the Bucks simply went cold last season and wasn’t able to duplicate their inspiring playoff run in 2010. For the most part though, Andrew Bogut was injured, and Brandon Jennings was asked to take the scoring cudgels for the rest of the season. He scored some, but it was a struggle all through out. The rest of the crew, however, was incredibly non-existent, but their defense, under Scott Skiles, remains solid.
Golden State Warriors (36-46) – As usual, and in Nelly’s style, the Warriors are still playing small ball since the heyday of Run TMC. This time, however, the duo of Monty Ellis and Stephen Curry almost carried them to a 40-win season. Despite scoring an unusual upset some years ago at the expense of the top-seeded Mavericks, the Warriors basically remains inconsistent in the playoffs. Last year was a dud, but they have managed to score some big wins with their run-and-gun plays. Curiously though, they seemed to like the D-League players more than the drafted ones.
Indiana Pacers (37-45) – The Pacers managed to score a win in their first round series with the Bulls last season. It was a hard fought series, and at times inspiring from a Pacers standpoint. We saw the emergence of Tyler Hansbrough as a formidable force in the middle, slashing and scrapping around Chicago’s big men. Frank Vogel has done a decent job of keeping the Pacers afloat despite lacking the necessary experience, especially in the playoffs. Danny Granger remains an underrated scorer, he almost singlehandedly carried the Pacers against the league’s Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose and his surging Bulls.
Utah Jazz (39-43) – First it was Boozer, then Sloan, and just before the trading deadline comes to an end, Williams was traded to the Nets. It was a slow capitulation for the Jazz. Not to mention the injury that sidelined Mehmet Okur for quite some time did the Jazz realize they were almost depleted as a team last season. But they were a far cry from the one Sloan envisioned them to be, that tough, workman-like attitude the Jazz had been known for years. Al Jefferson and Devin Harris though are still solid pieces for a team accustomed to winning big games.
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ON A MISSION League MVP Derrick Rose says he wants to be more vocal this time
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Phoenix Suns (40-42) – It’d be curious to see whether the Suns would still need the services of former league MVP Steve Nash now that the team is, more or less, in some sort of crossroad. They were a little bit experimental earlier last year by inserting Hedo Turkoglu in the rotation, only to dispatch him back to Orlando. But despite its curious tampering in the lineup, the Suns did win games by relying exclusively on Alvin Gentry’s aptitude of finding the right plays and Nash’s ability of delivering it. We hope to see Grant Hill still in his Sun’s uniform this season, he fits perfectly well with the system.
Philadelphia 76ers (41-41) – It was a feel good story for the Sixers last season. Despite being rampaged by the Miami Heat in the playoffs, the City of Brotherly Love should be proud of their team. They have at least found a winning attitude in head coach Doug Collins, an improving Elton Brand and the growing confidence in Andre Igoudala. Nobody picked the Sixers as a possible playoff contender when the season started, but they arrived in the post-season with some chip on their shoulders, winning a single, convincing game against the Heat in their own turf.
New York Knicks (42-40) – After years of flip-flopping, basketball is now alive and well in the bright lights of Broadway, and the star of the night is the recently acquired Tyson Chandler. The Knicks became relevant again when Anthony was traded to New York from Denver in a blockbuster trade last year, along with fellow veteran playmaker Chauncey Billups. Although they were swept by the Celtics in the post-season, New York is still reeling from the effects of Anthony wearing the blue shirt. And now that Tyson Chandler is set to land in the Big Apple after helping the Mavericks win its first title, the Knicks are now entertaining the idea that they too can take a shot at that championship, which had been a no-show in Madison Square Garden for a very long time.
Houston Rockets (43-39) – Unfortunately for the Houston Rockets though, they lost to the Memphis Grizzles in a best-of-five series in the standings. If they were in the East, they could have been in the playoffs, probably shooting against a top-seeded team. But the West is a different animal. You could win as many as 43 games and still you’re not in the playoffs. That’s how crazy it is! Kevin McHale is calling the shots now. Yao Ming is retired. Kyle Lowry and Chase Budinger are the ones who seemed destined to carry the Rockets into that space we call championship. If McHale though handles the Rockets as a coach the way he handled the Wolves (as Vice-President of Basketball Operations) not too long ago, then Houston, we have a problem.
Atlanta Hawks (44-38) – The Hawks seemed intimidated come playoff time, pretty much like Tracy McGrady before his devastating injury. Incidentally though, McGrady has recently signed with the team. They couldn’t get pass the semifinal round like a bondage of some sort. Joe Johnson’s contribution on the offensive end dropped last season, and Josh Smith was so inconsistent the team suffered eventually in the long run. Jamaal Crawford proved to be a valuable contribution off the bench, but even that is in danger of disintegrating this off season as suitors continue to lure Crawford away from the Hawks. Let’s just pray that Kirk Hinrich finds himself injury-free this season, his defense, nonetheless, kept the Hawks from playing mediocre basketball at the other end of the floor.
Memphis Grizzlies (46-36) – Surprise, surprise! Who would have thought the Grizzlies would go this far? Memphis entered the playoffs last season with an uncanny grit that caught the attention of the league in stunning fashion. Zach Randolph was a beast inside the paint, storming past the Western Conference league-leading San Antonio Spurs into an early retirement, gave the Thunder a scare in a 7-game seesaw battle in their semifinal round, enabling Memphis to capitalize their unbelievable experience last season as a springboard for another run come December 26. And both Tony Allen and Shane Battier’s defense gave Memphis the necessary lift to score their first ever series win last season.
New Orleans Hornets (46-36) – It is probably safe to say that Chris Paul’s stint in New Orleans is now coming to an end. And by the looks of it, he would be traded even before the regular season could start. His situation is much more significant than that of Dwight Howard; Paul, as far as the point is concerned, seemed to be the ultimate package. He can score, pass, steal; dominate the game through triple doubles, like he did against the Lakers last season in their first round series. It seemed logical that NBA Commissioner David Stern immediately stepped on the brakes of trading Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers; otherwise it would have been a disaster, not so much to the Hornets, but to the rest of the teams as well.
Portland Trailblazers (48-34) – Always the dark horse; never the legitimate squad. A couple of misfortunes plagued the Blazers in the past 4 years, Oden was almost non-existent since entering the league as an overall top pick in 2007, and Brandon Roy sidelined every now and then with knee issues, now retired. Imagine if these two big time players could play ball without the debilitating effects of their injuries, Portland might possibly in the mix as one of the top teams in the West. Despite its unending injuries in the squad, Coach Nate McMillan was able to produce some solid basketball in the Rose Garden, day in and day out.
Denver Nuggets (50-32) – How ironic! Just days following the departure of Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks, the Nuggets were playing an inspired basketball with a bunch of role players shooting and defending the ball like there’s no tomorrow. Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton, players who have come to the Mile High City in exchange for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, had found a home in Denver,and came out probably as the hottest team going into the playoffs. But with Nene exploring the free agency, and three of their players still under contract in China, the Nuggets may have to use some of their benchwarmers, for now, in order to duplicate that performance earlier in the year.
Orlando Magic (52-30) – History might repeat itself. Remember when Shaq was traded to the Lakers, after leading Orlando to the NBA Finals against the Olajuwon-led Rockets but was eventually swept by Houston anyway, the Magic was then left reeling in the dark, and went on to regret the trade as O’Neal eventually scored a three peat in LA alongside Kobe Bryant. Now, Howard is curiously in the same mold. But the decision, however, according to the Magic, would come from them, of whether trading Howard or not, and not solely on Howard himself. The Magic, this time, had learned their lesson. It would interesting to see what will happen to the Magic going forward with Howard opting to explore other options other than Disneyland.
Oklahoma City Thunder (55-27) – With their one-two punch in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder seemed destined to become a powerhouse in the league for a very long time. And now that they have found a compliment in James Harden and recently acquired Kendrick Perkins, there is no stopping the Thunder of overtaking the Lakers as a dominant team out West. It would not be a surprise if this team reaches the Conference Finals again, now that Dallas has released some of its key players and the Lakers are in a rebuilding mode, few could possibly argue that two-time scoring champion Kevin Durant deserves to be called as the next big thing.
Boston Celtics (56-26) – The Big Four, when healthy, is still the team to beat. But this is probably the last shot for the Celtics of winning it all. Garnett’s contract will expire after the season, and so is Allen’s. For now though, the Celtics should concentrate more on their prized point guard, Rajon Rondo, even though talks of trading him is still generating some interest. And now that Big Baby is officially traded to the Magic for Brandon Bass, the Celts could now handle their mid-season acquisition in Jeff Green with a lot of expectation. The good thing about the Celtics though, despite questions of age and the lack of size in the middle, is that Doc Rivers will be there for the next five years.
Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) – It was so shocking to see the Lakers being swept in the semifinals. It seemed out of kilter. The defending champs were knocked off by the eventual champion Mavericks emphatically in the second round of their grueling series, that the Lakers, at the end of the game, did not look as invincible as it was when they won back-to-back titles. And with an aging point guard in Derek Fisher, the Lakers are in hot pursuit of the best available guard in the league, who happens to be running the show in the Big Easy. Lucky for the Lakers though, they still have their Kobe, doing his usual damage on other teams, and Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), for goodwill and better basketball.
Dallas Mavericks (57-25) – No, Dallas will not repeat as champions this year, but they will receive their sparkling rings in front of their recent exploit, the Miami Heat, at the start of the season. Chandler is now a Knick, Butler’s with the Clips, and J. J. Barrea is still undecided. But the Mavs will try to enjoy the moment. So no matter how many disappearances could possibly occur between now and the distribution of their rings, the Mavs will only celebrate. Changes inside the team will take care of itself, what with Vince Carter reportedly going to the Mavs to somehow punctuate their run again, this time with a proven scorer?
Miami Heat (58-24) – There has been some predictions last year that they will win 70 games or more. That talk, unfortunately, will resurface again this year, now that the Heat is poised to do some destruction again after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Mavs in the Finals. Shane Battier will provide some defense to a team whose offensive capabilities is almost unlimited. The new Big Three will dominate again not only in the regular season, but more so in the playoffs, unless James suffers some passive mood again, and relegate their bid for the title to his lesser known teammates. If James runs the point though, Miami will smooth-sail itself into the Finals.
San Antonio Spurs (61-21) – It could have one of their best seasons to date, until they were beaten and badly bruised by the Memphis Grizzlies in the post-season. When an 8th seeded team defeats a 1st seeded squad, chances are it will create an imbalance as far as the dynamic of the playoff is concerned. The Spurs suffered just that some months ago. All of a sudden, questions of health and age surfaced even before the series had ended. It was like a boxing match, the Grizzlies knew that their style was simply too much for the aging Spurs. Duncan was hurt most of the way, as was Ginobili, but the Spurs knew they could still make another run for the title and, of course, with Popovich on their side, it's almost a given matter.
Chicago Bulls (62-20) – They have the Coach of the Year, the league MVP, the best record in the league and some hardworking role players who have had some playoff experience in the past, but the Bulls are hungry for more. The only thing lacking in their quest for the ultimate prize last season was an additional scoring punch to compliment the stunning plays orchestrated by no less than Derrick Rose himself. Boozer was supposed to be the answer to that additional help, but he was nowhere near the rim, flaccid and inconsistent most of the time. Yet the Bulls will be in the playoffs this season, and if they can augment Rose’s amazing plays, they will keep on raging as the beast in the East.
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| Second Act Once is not enough for the defending champion Mavericks |
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