NBA Returns for full season

2012-2013 Preview

After last season’s holdout, the National Basketball Association returns with a full schedule for the new season. The Miami Heat will be looking to defend their crown and should be the favourites for the title again. There has been some shuffling of players with teams looking to make title runs, rid themselves of bad chemistry or to build for the future. 

Los Angeles has added point guard Steve Nash to go with Dwight Howard who has finally been shipped to LA, Brooklyn hopes the roster shuffling will help them progress, Philadelphia is still a tough win for anyone, Chicago will try to hang on and hop for a speedy recovery from Derrick Rose, San Antonio will be looking to make one more run before their core group is broken up, Indiana will be dangerous and even Oklahoma City has made a late move before the start of the season.

Ok, let’s take a brief look at the league and make a few predictions.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division:

Boston Celtics
After the departure of Ray Allen to South Beach, the Celtics picked up Jason Terry and Courtney Lee along with re-signing the healthy Jeff Green to go with draft picks Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo. Melo may be somewhat of a project but with an injury to Kevin Garnett or Brandon Bass may get minutes sooner than planned, ditto for Sullinger.

Overall the Celtics will contend again but will need to keep their core group of veterans healthy.

Record: 48-34

Brooklyn Nets
Team JayZ welcomes Joe Johnson to the fold. Not the big Dwight Howard addition but tis club is a solid one. Despite off court hubbub, Kris Humphries is a steady NBA player and fits in well with Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace up front. Barring injury this group with help from Andray Blatche, Josh Childress, three point shooting newcomer Mirza Teletovis, and banger Reggie Evans should be able to play with most NBA frontlines.

In the back court, Deron Williams will once again run the show and hope to get Johnson involved in the offense often. Marshon Brooks showed flashes last season and it is hoped he can adjust to coming off the pine this season.

The Nets will be improved and should make a serious run for a playoff spot.

Record: 45-37

New York Knicks
Once again, the Knicks limp into the start of the season with Amare Stoudamire out for up to six weeks. 

After not keeping Jeremy Lin, the Knicks will use the tandem of Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd to run the show from the point guard slot. They will team with J.R. Smith in the backcourt. Carmelo Anthony may have to spend time as the team’s power forward in lieu of Stoudamire with back up from “geezers” Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas.

The Knicks may be on the outer at seasons end but may just sneak into the post season, do not expect much more than a .500 record.

Record: 43-39

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia has a solid young squad and may just win the division if Boston slips. 

The addition on Andrew Bynum will give the team a new look inside and all deep threat Spencer Hawes to slide over to the power forward slot. Thad Young, Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday should all continue to improve thus leading the team to a better finish.

Record: 49-33

Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are still building but will be in the draft Lottery again this year.

Record: 31-51

Division Winner: Philadelphia 76ers

Central Division:

Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are hoping to keep the rest of their team healthy while awaiting the return of Derrick Rose. Luol Deng will have to become the team leader in his absence. Veteran Kirk Hinrich will serve as point guard and Nate Robinson will look to bring a spark from the bench.

Up front, the team will look to Carlos Boozer for more production this season.

Record: 46-36

Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are real young but have some quality amongst the youth. The team still needs to get more depth and will struggle at times this season.

Record: 33-49

Detroit Pistons
Will be better than last season but may be inconsistent. The Pistons have two solid young centres in rookie Andre Drummond and last season’s first rounder Greg Monroe and the steady Rodney Stuckey in the backcourt. Other pieces are needed and some big contracts need to be offloaded. The team may sneak into a playoff spot or just be mediocre.

Record: 39-43

Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are the most balanced team in the Eastern Conference and with Chicago hurting and Boston aging; Indiana could be a serious threat to battle Miami in the conference.

Paul George will get more court time and is a matchup nightmare. Danny Granger has adjusted to being a more all-around small forward and Roy Hibbert has improved but needs to become more animated and tougher in the post at both ends of the court.

David West will be depended on for toughness inside and rebounding.

While they will not surprise many this season, Indiana will be a tough game on all schedules.

Record: 50-32

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks will be exciting at times and erratic at other times. Monta Ellis will score but the front court is aging and ailing. The development of John Henson could change the outlook of the Milwaukee crew over the course of the season.

Record: 33-49

Division Winner: Indiana Pacers

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks will be strong again with Al Horford and Josh Smith in the middle. Kyle Korver looks to be the bet to get more minutes and start on the wing where his three ball skills will come in handy. 

Devin Harris comes in to run the show and will team with Louis Williams who returns home to Atlanta and Anthony Morrow in the backcourt.

DeShawn Stevenson and Jeff Teague will provide a spark from the bench.

The Hawks should still go into the post season but may not go past the first round.

Record: 43-39

Charlotte Bobcats
Mike Dunlap will have his work cut out for him as the Bobcats go into another rebuilding phase. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist may be a bright spot and solid piece for the future. Bismack Biyombo will see increased minutes this season and Tyrus Thomas could still be a factor inside. Brendan Haywood will be a solid if not spectacular centre for the team.

The backcourt has a few possibilities but overall the team may improve as the season progresses. Expect them to be in the lottery again next spring.

Record: 21-61

Miami Heat
The defending champs may have actually solidified with the addition of veterans Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Dwayne Wade will hope to stay healthy through the season and not have to play as many minutes in order to stay fresh for the post season.

Overall, the Heat has enough bodies and brains to easily repeat as long as complacency does not set in.

Record: 61-21

Orlando Magic
There are a lot of new faces in Orlando to go with the new coach. 

The Magic will be lottery bound this season and the season will be a long one.

Record: 23-59

Washington Wizards
The Wizards also have a different look this season and may be a little tougher defensively but they are not a serious threat for the playoffs.

Record: 25-47

Division Winner: Miami Heat

Playoff Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, NY Knicks and Atlanta Hawks

Ok, that covers the Eastern Conference; back tomorrow with the Western Conference preview….enjoy the games kicking off overnight!!

NBA Preview

Basketball for Christmas

NBA Preview

After the player’s revolt and off season chaos, the NBA returns to on court action for the holiday season in a shortened 66 game season. Last season, I think I picked the Spurs to meet the Heat for the title but it did not quite work out that way.

So here we go with my preview for the 2011-2012 NBA season.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division:

This division is still the domain of the Boston Celtics although this season the New York Knicks have bulked up their interior defense with the addition of Tyson Chandler along with adding veterans Mike Bibby and Baron Davis to shore up the backcourt. The Knicks could challenge Boston if the Celtics run into injury problems or the consolidation of the schedule takes its toll.

The Philadelphia Seventy Sixers were a tough team to play against last season and pretty much remained intact for this season’s run. They drafted big men Lavoy Allen and Nikola Vucevic who may work their way into the rotation but are mainly hoping a year of maturity in Doug Collins’ system will help them advance in the post-season.

New Jersey did not make any of the expected big off-season moves and with Brooke Lopez injured had to pick up Mehmet Okur in hopes of filling the void in his absence. It will be interesting to see if Deron Williams decides to stay with the Nets or seek a change of scenery. Finally Toronto did not do much to its roster in the off season so may not improve their record much this season.

Central Division:

The Chicago Bulls are a head above the rest of the teams in this division and will be looking to get further than the conference finals this season. They will need inside duo Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah to co-exist in the paint better this season to take a bit of the load off Derrick Rose and Luol Deng. Veteran Richard Hamilton’s addition on the wing provides a solid scoring option. Kyle Korver and Taj Gibson will again bring energy, long range bombs and rebounds off the bench. The Bulls are a threat for the best record for the regular season again this year.

Indiana will not surprise people this season but will be a solid team and possible playoff team again. The continued improvement of Roy Hibbert and the addition of David West in tandem with Tyler Hansbrough give the Pacers some inside punch to go with Danny Granger, Paul George and Darren Collison.

Milwaukee went from being a team on the verge to mediocrity last season but have the pieces in place to improve. Brandon Jennings has another year’s worth of experience to call upon at the point and should pair well with veteran scorer Stephen Jackson. Drew Gooden will be solid if not spectacular at the power forward slot and Andrew Bogut is a double/double threat in the pivot when healthy. The team is on the verge of being a playoff team again and if healthy could sneak in to the post-season.

In Detroit the Piston are looking to improve but are not quite there yet. Similar story in Cleveland where top pick Kyrie Irving will contend for Rookie of the Year honours and Tristan Thompson provides another piece for the future. Not playoff ready for a while yet but may be entertaining again.

Southeast Division:

The Miami Heat should easily take this division again and are looking to finish the playoffs slightly better than last season. The addition of Shane Battier on the wing will help team chemistry and perimeter defense. A healthy Mike Miller this season should provide punch from beyond the arc. An interesting signing this season is Eddy Curry; will he be worth in excess of $11 million?? Will Chris Bash be more consistent? The Heat will be tested again for the Eastern Conference crown but if they use last season as a motivator, they could go all the way.

Atlanta returns essentially the same cast from last season with the addition of veterans Jerry Stackhouse and Tracy McGrady. The Hawks fell by the wayside in the post season and need to develop a tougher attitude to advance this season. The may end up better than Orlando and get the home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

In Orlando, the Magic’s fortunes hinge on Dwight Howard and whether or not he is happy in Orlando or wanting to be traded. This team could drop out of playoff contention completely as the Howard saga continues.

The Washington Wizards could be this year’s surprise playoff team as their roster matures. Jevale McGee, Andray Blatche, John Wall and Nick Young combine with veteran Rashard Lewis in a solid starting unit and have a second squad that is improving.

Charlotte is re-tooling and may not make much of a splash this season.

Conference Playoff Teams:

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards

Conference Champs:

Chicago Bulls

Western Conference

Northwest Division:

Oklahoma City has pretty much stood pat in this division and may be the top team in the conference this season. The major task will be getting quality looks for Kevin Durant and for Russell Westbrook to work out a distribution to shot ratio in the point guard position. Inside they will be tough on the boards and defensively with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka protecting the lane. This team could very easily represent the conference in the NBA Finals.

Portland will be solid again even with the forced retirement of Brandon Roy. The evolution of LaMarcus Aldridge and the hell for leather play of Gerald Wallace will spear the Blazer attack. The team has adequate depth to get them through the condensed season and hope to keep big men Marcus Camby and Greg Oden healthy for the season. Portland should make it to the post season but will not advance too far.

The Denver Nuggets have added veteran point guard Andre Miller to the mix with their young and talented line up. Improvement from Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari this season should see the Nuggets back in post season play. Overall they could be a tough ask on most nights for any team.

Utah will be tough in the post with Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson down low but they will need consistency from Devin Harris to complement them. Improvement from Gordon Hayward and the adjustment to NBA play by Alec Burks will boost the season prospects in Utah as will the development of big man Enes Kanter. The Jazz may sneak into the playoffs as a 7-8 seed.

Minnesota will go as far as they can on the backs of Kevin Love and Michael Beasley. The arrival of distributor Ricky Rubio should see this team improve but how much remains to be seen.

Pacific Division:

The Los Angeles Lakers are still the top team in this division on paper but after being swept out of last season’s playoffs, have not made many roster moves. The wrist injury to Kobe Bryant may have some effect on the team early in the season as will the attitude of young center Andrew Bynum. The depth chart at small forward shows a cast of thousands with newly named Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes heading the quartet. Do not be surprised by a roster move early in the season for Dwight Howard as they look for an anchor in the post. The Lakers will of course make the playoffs but how far they go depends on the roster changes they make.

The LA Clippers have made themselves relevant in the Pacific division with the acquisitions of Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler to go with young athletic big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers should be ready for a run at the division title and usurping some of the LA “glamour” from the Lakers.

Mark Jackson finally gets a chance on the sidelines at Golden State and inherits a squad capable of scoring with anyone. He will be looking to Andris Biedrins, Ekpe Udoh and David Lee to play a bit of “D” on the inside and grab some boards.

The addition of Jimmer Fredette at point guard will allow the Sacramento Kings to move Tyreke Evans to the shooting guard slot and give the Kings another scoring option. The maturity of DeMarcus Cousins will go a long way in solidifying Sacramento’s post play on offense and defense. The Kings will be improved and could surprise.

Phoenix  with the exception of Steve Nash and Grant Hill is largely unproven and will be hard pressed to make the playoffs.

Southwest Division:

Defending champions the Dallas Mavericks have changed a few parts but should be solid in the post season. They have lost Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler but welcome Vince Carter and Lamar Odom to their veteran roster to go with Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood. The team seems to be weaker on paper this year but don’t count them out.

San Antonio ran out of steam in the playoffs last season and will look to rest their older players as much as possible during the regular season in hopes of staying injury free and going further into the post season. Tim Duncan will be as steady as ever though his numbers dipped slightly last season. More support will be needed from Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

Memphis will have Rudy Gay healthy to start the season and hopefully for the playoffs this season as they look to improve on last season’s success. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph will give the Grizzlies a strong post tandem again as the team looks to improve on last season.

In Houston, the Rockets are a team in the midst of a changeover with the retirement of Yao Ming and several new additions to their roster. They will be interesting to watch and may just slip into a playoff spot.

New Orleans has a few new faces but not a lot of depth on their roster as they start the post Chris Paul era in the Crescent City. They are in pure rebuild/restructure mode this season so do not expect any miracles.

Conference Playoff Teams:

Oklahoma City, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trailblazers and Golden State Warriors

Conference Champs:

Oklahoma City Thunder

2012 NBA Champions:

Chicago Bulls