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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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Hitting The Halfway Point By Ron Jumper So the NBA has hit the midway point of the season and a lot of strange things have been going on. The Timberwolves have won 7 of 8 after having a 13-game losing streak a few weeks earlier. The Magic have become an elite team in the NBA. The 76ers, just as I predicted before the season, are better off without Elton Brand. Also, not to be ignored, we are approaching the trade deadline so rumors and speculation will be plentiful in the coming weeks. Minnesota Timberwolves: So Minnesota has been playing much better basketball as of late and it has been nothing short of amazing how they have turned things around for the time being. For starters, Randy Foye has been sensational during the current streak. Foye has gotten better each month this season as his numbers indicate: 12.1 ppg in November, 16.6 ppg in December, and 20.6 ppg so far in January. I have criticized Minnesota in the past because they wanted Foye instead of Brandon Roy, but that may not look so crazy if he can sustain this level of play. Now, before we get all excited, the only team they have beaten during this stretch with a winning record was Phoenix. The Suns are currently playing very bad basketball, so even that win isn’t really that impressive. However, no matter who they played, going 7-1 after being 6-25 is noteworthy. The upcoming schedule will give us a clear idea of just how far they have come: @Jazz, New Orleans, Chicago, @Milwaukee, Detroit, and LA Lakers. If they win some of those games, it will be time to take Minnesota seriously. Russell Westbrook: I have felt all along the Thunder made the right decision going with Russell Westbrook instead of Eric Gordon, DJ Augustin, or Jerryd Bayless. Not that I don’t like all those players because I do, but the Thunder have Kevin Durant to be the franchise player and leading scorer so they didn’t need a shoot-first guard. Westbrook defends, distributes, and dazzles the crowd with above the rim entertainment. The 6.2 assists he has averaged so far in January are the real indicator he is the right man to handle the reigns, with only 2.4 turnovers I might add as well. Defensively, he is active, averaging 1.5 steals. With a young nucleus of Westbrook, Durant, and Jeff Green, they have pieces that make sense in place in order to build into a winning franchise. Now they still have a long way to go, including hiring the right coach and spending the cap room wisely, but so far so good. Orlando Magic: Are the Magic really an elite team? I think so. They don’t have as much star power as other teams in a traditional sense, but I would put their Big 4 (Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson) up against anyone. They are so dangerous on offense because they have balance among those four scorers, as they all have led the team in scoring at least once this month. Obviously, it all starts inside with Howard but it is hard for teams to focus on him because the other four starters can knock down outside shots. Playing solid inside-outside basketball is tough to stop when you have the right weapons in place like Orlando has. The major concern I see is their bench, as they depend so much on the starters. They got almost nothing from the bench over their recent west coast road trip, as the starters scored 94 of the 109 points in the win over LA and 104 of the 106 points against Denver. Can that work in the playoffs? We’ll have to wait and see. For now, they have another test at home against Boston on January 22nd. The Magic are playing great, but they have to keep winning these kinds of games to get the respect they feel they deserve. Phoenix Suns: What do we make of the job Steve Kerr has done as general manager? If Kerr wasn’t such a great guy and memorable piece of those great Bulls teams, would he be getting more heat for the job he has done in Phoenix? On paper, the cast of Nash, Shaq, Amare, Hill, and J-Rich seems like as talented a roster as there is in the league. After that however, the depth inside and at backup point guard is rail thin. Goran Dragic is Nash’s backup at the point, that isn’t going to work with Nash getting reduced minutes and taking the occasional road game off. Rookie Robin Lopez and journeyman Louis Amundson are the reserve big men, that also doesn’t work with Shaq getting significant rest throughout the season. How did they get so thin? Let me explain. I’m a big believer in building through the draft and the Suns have done an awful job of drafting. In the latest draft (2008), the Suns took Robin Lopez instead of far more talented prospects like Marreesse Speights or JaVale McGee. In the 2007 draft, they took Alando Tucker in the first round and he has done nothing. Back in 2006, they traded away picks 21 (Rajon Rondo) and 27 (Sergio Rodriguez), which would drastically change their PG situation. They drafted Nate Robinson in 2005 but traded him away as well. No one drafts perfect, but they have Alando Tucker and Robin Lopez to show for the last four drafts in which two of those drafts they had multiple first round picks to play with. Wow… Philadelphia 76ers: I told you before the season but, in case you forgot, here was my discussion on free agent signings before the season: “I think Brand will have the LEAST impact. There I said it, the 76ers will not be that much better than last season. You are probably wondering why, but it is very simple. They didn't address their biggest weakness: outside shooting. With Brand likely to draw double teams, outside shooting is pivotal for them to score in the half court. Also, unless they play Brand at center often, they could take away their high-paced, pressure defense that made them so effective last season. They put Thaddeous Young at the 4 then played fast and got after it defensively. At first glance, it appears Brand makes them a much better team but, upon further review, I don't think this team will live up to expectations.” See, I did tell you… No but seriously, they have won 7 of 8 and Brand has played in none of those games. Thaddeous Young has been in the starting lineup and they have been playing to their strengths more. With a 7-game home stand starting January 30th, they could get right back into the thick of things in the East. Detroit Pistons: It has become funny to watch the Pistons and how out of sync they look at virtually all times. Allen Iverson, Rip Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey can’t coexist. They all are shoot-first guys, there is no flow to the offense. When they go small and add Prince and Wallace to those three, they have no semblance of a threat inside. If Rasheed Wallace would forget he can shoot threes and play like a big man, this lineup would maybe work. As it is, all five guys stand around the perimeter and watch either AI or Rodney Stuckey dribble. Michael Curry has some tough decisions to make, something I feared would be too much for a rookie head coach. They seem set on starting Stuckey, so is it Hamilton or Iverson who should come off the bench? I say Iverson, as he could be the focal point of the second group. The starters would have a sense of chemistry because there would start to be defined roles again. They still lack enough inside scoring, but they would be a nice squad in the East after the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic. Trade Talk: Here are some names that may come up between now and the trade deadline: Josh Howard Howard seems to have worn out his welcome in Big D. Jermaine O’Neal Raptors may be ready to give up on him already and, with his huge contract expiring in 2010, he becomes a nice bargaining chip. Leandro Barbosa Suns need depth inside or a backup point guard. Shawn Marion Another trade deadline, another Marion trade rumor. Raymond Felton For whatever reason, Larry Brown isn’t a fan. January 20, 2009 |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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