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Posts Tagged ‘NBA’
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
By Ron Jumper
With just under a week until the NBA kicks off, I wanted to give the betting public a preview of each team by offering my Power Rankings. The NBA once again had a busy off-season, with moves all over the place that I must address. How will Ron Artest fit in with the Los Angeles Lakers? Does Rasheed Wallace put the Celtics right back into title contention? What should we expect from Shaq and LeBron? Does Vince Carter make the Magic better or worse? I went through all those questions and still haven’t even mentioned the Spurs, who always seem to fly under the radar. Where do the Spurs fall in my power rankings? You’ll have to read and see…
With these rankings, it is important to understand the meaning behind them. In the West, the Lakers are the top team but, after that, there is a seven-team cluster that could make their case for being an elite team in the Western Conference. I have 8 of the top 13 teams from the West. Over to the East, they have three elite teams: Celtics, Magic, and Cavs. After that, the Atlanta Hawks are not quite “elite” but they are clearly better than the rest of the Eastern Conference. Then it gets difficult, teams 5 through 10 are very close and could all make or miss the playoffs. The reason I want to clarify this is because a team could be lower in the rankings then some would like, but it doesn’t mean I’m down on them. For instance, I have the Raptors ranked 19th because they are the 10th team in the East but, because teams 5 to 10 in the East are so close, I don’t look at them as that far behind the Bulls (ranked 12th overall). So chill out Raptor fans, crazy Canadians…
NBA Power Rankings:
1. Boston Celtics
Last season didn’t go as planned, with Kevin Garnett being injured and an early playoff exit thanks to the Orlando Magic. (By the way, I loved every second of the Magic upsetting the Celtics in the playoffs last season because I got so much heat for taking the Magic to upset the Celtics from fellow colleagues. I still have a warm place in my heart for Orlando. I won’t forget you…) Back to this season’s Celtics, I don’t think the addition of Rasheed Wallace has received enough attention but that is the best move they could have possibly made. How else could they get better without giving up one of the “Big Three” or going over the salary cap? Look at that starting five: PG Rajon Rondo, SG Ray Allen, SF Paul Pierce, PF Kevin Garnett, C Rasheed Wallace. That is nasty, simply no other way to put it.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
The question is simple and, after 20 games or so, we should be close to knowing the answer. How will Artest fit in with Lakers? For me, I played in the triangle offense in college, I know both how complex it is to learn and how only certain players can thrive in that kind of offense. Artest is not a great outside shooter nor is he a great passer. Those are the two main ingredients if you are going to excel in the triangle. That is why I give the edge to Boston as the best team in the league. The Lakers are still the best team in the West but that may not translate to another championship ring.
3. San Antonio Spurs
Shhhh!! Don’t tell anyone! The Spurs are still really good and they got a lot better this off-season. They brought in Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess, plus drafted DeJuan Blair. They will be very good if Manu and Timmy stay healthy.
4. Orlando Magic
Obviously, I don’t have the Magic projected to make the NBA Finals again. However, I still like this team. The thing is that they will not be the same team from last season. They used to be a matchup nightmare by spreading the floor with four shooters and Howard. Now, this team has arguably the deepest squad 1-12 of any team in the league but it is a more traditional lineup. Vince Carter is a bigger “star” but they will have to endure the 15-20 games a year he takes off and shoots jumpshots. Fortunately, for the first time in VC’s career, he has other guys that can pick up the slack in Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson. Expect the Magic to be different, but still very good. Brandon Bass was a steal.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are the latest team to try out the Shaq experiment, sometimes it works (Miami) and sometimes it doesn’t (Phoenix). With LeBron James and the rest of the Cavs, they won’t be below 60 wins regardless. The question is can Shaq get them over the hump in the playoffs? I say no…
6. Portland Trail Blazers
I love teams that don’t change up the roster much, especially young teams. This bunch has had time to develop continuity and, in my mind, is capable of hanging with the big boys night in and night out. Andre Miller is a warrior and will help this basketball team. I have said for years that Andre Miller was the most underrated player in the NBA. The 76ers teams that he led to the playoffs were terrible before he got there and they had guys like Allen Iverson and Chris Webber on the roster. To simplify, those 76er teams lost 2 future Hall of Famers and added Miller, yet somehow got better. You do the math.
7. Utah Jazz
The simple truth to the Jazz is two-fold, staying healthy and staying under the salary cap. They have decisions to make whether or not to keep guys like Ronnie Brewer and, if they decide to clear salary cap, this ranking will drop. If not, and they can stay relatively healthy, this is a very good basketball team.
8. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets had a perfect season last year, can they really keep that pace up again this season? I like them to be good but I am curious if Nene can stay healthy and J.R. Smith can stay in the good graces of the coaching staff. Either way, they will hover around 50 wins or so.
9. Atlanta Hawks
I love this roster from top to bottom. From drafting Jeff Teague to picking up unheralded banger Jason Collins. I don’t like Jamal Crawford and, over time, expect him to work his way out of the rotation and be moved somewhere else. Regardless, they are deeper and better than last season, as well as having more playoff experience.
10. Phoenix Suns
This is a new look Suns that hopes to get back to the good old days of running and gunning. They still have Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, and Grant Hill. I love the additions of Channing Frye and Earl Clark.
11. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs got better, I do believe so. None the less, they still have the same problems. They don’t have an inside presence and Kidd will struggle to defend elite point guards. I also am curious how Josh Howard and Shawn Marion will coexist, as they seem to play a similar role. Then, to go even further, I wonder what lineup the Mavs will go to, as I’m not sure how you can have Howard, Marion, and Nowitzki on the floor at the same time without playing Dirk at the five and going small.
12. Chicago Bulls
Simply put, this team made some great moves last season and now they have had the opportunity to go through training camp together and develop chemistry. I’m expecting good things from this Bulls squad.
13. New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets are a very good team, despite being ranked this low. I like the addition of Emeka Okafor, who should have a career year. However, it is hard to see them making noise in the postseason without adding more fire power.
14. Washington Wizards
This is the wildcard of my power rankings, as they have so much talent from top to bottom. Arenas could finally be healthy again, they got Randy Foye and Mike Miller at a bargain rate. Watch out for this club.
15. Philadelphia 76ers
I think they will miss Andre Miller, so it will be interesting to see how Lou Williams develops this season. I also want to see how they use Elton Brand. They have Dalembert at the 5, Brand at the 4, then don’t forget Thaddeus Young and the other AI. The problem I have is can they be successful with all those guys on the floor at the same time? Can they run with that lineup? Is that enough outside shooting to keep the floor balanced?
16. Detroit Pistons
No team overhauled their roster more than the Pistons. One thing that I believe will help is that team captain Richard Hamilton and new guys Ben Gordon and Charlie V all played at UConn. They like each other, they want to play together. Trust me, that matters.
17. Golden State Warriors
This is the same Warriors team, plenty of scoring and no defense. Also, not quite sure how Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis will co-exist.
18. Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade will keep them competitive but they lack the talent to consistently win games.
19. Toronto Raptors
The addition of Hedu Turkoglu is nice, as he fits the international flavor. However, can this team defend?
20. Houston Rockets
This team took a serious hit, whether or not they are competitive may depend on Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariza.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder
This is my favorite team in the league, though they are one more year away from being a playoff team. James Harden was just another good draft pick by GM Sam Presti.
22. Indiana Pacers
Danny Granger has emerged as a stud, though I always knew he would be out of New Mexico. Reports suggest Roy Hibbert is vastly improved and I expect Tyler Hansbrough to become a fan favorite.
23. Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin appears poised to be the next Karl Malone. If Baron Davis is healthy/happy and the young guns (Eric Gordon and Al Thornton) keep developing, this team should be fun to watch.
24. Charlotte Bobcats
Not expecting good things in Charlotte this season. They still haven’t settled point guard situation, as I doubt this team can ever thrive with both Felton and Augustin on the roster.
25. New Jersey Nets
I have to say I like this young roster more than any other bottom dweller. Devin Harris is a stud and Brook Lopez could be on his way to being a top center in the league. Not to mention, guys like Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams could be nice players as well some day.
26. Memphis Grizzlies
On paper, this team is actually very talented but I don’t think they can get this jumbled up bunch of scorers to play together or play defense.
27. New York Knicks
Still not a quality team, they pushed their chips all in for this off-season’s free agent sweepstakes.
28. Sacramento Kings
Not a fan of where the Kings are going, they could have gotten more out of the draft and I don’t know if Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin will play well together.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves
This is a team that could have gotten better, stop to think about it. They were playing a little better prior to Al Jefferson going down, then they trade last year’s starting backcourt (Randy Foye and Mike Miller) for Ricky Rubio. Then they draft Johnny Flynn and go out and sign Ramon Sessions. What if they had kept Foye and Miller, then drafted a big man like Jordan Hill or a nice swingman like DeMar DeRozan? Wouldn’t that have been better? They still could have signed Ramon Sessions or maybe then not have traded Ty Lawson, whom they drafted with the 18th pick in the draft. This was the deepest class of point guards arguably in the history of the NBA draft and you draft two in the top 6 when you still have picks 18 and 28 in the first round? I’ll never understand what is going on in Minnesota. I like Kurt Rambis and wish him the best, but it is going to be a long, dark road to relevance in the Western Conference.
30. Milwaukee Bucks
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to present this year’s “We don’t even care, we just want to save money and collect ping pong balls” team! Truthfully, I wouldn’t even be surprised if they moved Michael Redd or Andrew Bogut by February.
Tags: NBA, Power Rankings, Ron
Posted in Free Picks, NBA | Comments Off
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
By Ron Jumper
The NBA draft came and went, with the usual mix of trades, reaches, and general head scratching. However, I have to focus on the Minnesota Timberwolves. They had a golden opportunity to stockpile some serious young talent to build around Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. Instead, they take two point guards in Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn with the 5th and 6th picks. I’ll also take an early look at the 2010 NBA Draft. So much NBA to discuss, I better get started.
So back to the Timberwolves, it isn’t just what they added in the draft but what they gave up to get those draft picks. Consider they gave up Randy Foye and Mike Miller to draft Ricky Rubio and take on some bad contracts. When you draft Johnny Flynn with the very next pick, is Rubio really worth it? I think not. Then they trade away the 18th pick when B.J. Mullens was sitting right there. Imagine this scenario instead, they take Johnny Flynn at 5, draft DeMar DeRozan at 6, B.J. Mullens at 18, and Sam Young at 28. If that had happened, then you have your backcourt of the future in Flynn and DeRozan and your frontline is set with Jefferson, Love, Mullens, and Young. Throw Corey Brewer, Ryan Gomes, and Craig Smith into the mix, and that isn’t too bad of a young nucleus to build around.
However, something more critical to look at, is why they traded Randy Foye and Mike Miller in the first place. It seemed so out of the blue. Foye was blossoming into a solid young playmaker. Also, prior to Al Jefferson’s season ending injury, the Timberwolves had been playing over .500 basketball for the last month. They were starting to play decent basketball, actually going 9-2 over one 11 game stretch. Then Jefferson went down and they were miserable the rest of the season as expected. However, the Timberwolves front office should have noticed the improvement and not virtually blown up the roster to start again.
So basically, they did everything wrong. They were making progress and now they have blown up the team to start over. Then, they gave up way too much to get the 5th pick in the draft. After all that, they got very little out of a draft they basically mortgaged their future on. The strange part of all this is that we can’t blame Kevin McHale for any of it. He had nothing to do with it. Here is my theory, upon being hired into the front office, they beat you in the head with a baseball bat until you can no longer either spell your name or recite the alphabet. Once that occurs, the initiation is complete and you become a part of the front office. No, but seriously, what are they doing? I have no idea…
A team unlike the Timberwolves is the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they have a clear, concise plan to building a winning team. Over the last 3 drafts, they have now accumulated the foundation they need at every position. At point guard, there is Russell Westbrook. They just drafted James Harden at shooting guard. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are the forwards. B.J. Mullens is the center of the future. With time, those five pieces will become the starting five that takes the Thunder to the playoffs. I have to give credit to general manager Sam Presti for building this team the right way.
*****
So it is never too early to take a glance at the 2010 NBA Draft. Here is my early Top 10:
1. PF Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Monroe is a very skilled big man, as he has great instincts and passing ability.
2. PF Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech
The best player in the class of 2009 hopes to make an impact.
3. SF Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
Freakish length and athleticism, needs to work on his jumpshot.
4. SG James Anderson, Oklahoma State
My sleeper to break out onto the national scene in 09/10.
5. PF Ed Davis, North Carolina
Wisely, Davis didn’t make the same mistake that Marvin Williams did last time around.
6. C Solomon Alabi, Florida State
Upside, upside, upside.
7. PG John Wall, Kentucky
Elite point guard prospect in the mold of Derek Rose.
8. SG Willie Warren, Oklahoma
Big time scorer that will get plenty of shots now without Griffin around.
9. SF Devin Ebanks, West Virginia
Should emerge as an elite player in the Big East.
10. PF Craig Brackins, Iowa State
Great size with impressive skills to match.
Tags: 2010, Greg Monroe, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NBA Draft, Ron
Posted in Miscellaneous, NBA Mock Draft | Comments Off
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
By Ron Jumper
So the NBA Draft is finally here and, to be honest, I feel like I know less now than when we started. Who in the world will the Grizzlies take and do they care if that person doesn’t want to play there? Where will Ricky Rubio end up? How will the jumble of guards shake out? So many questions, yet seemingly no answers. This should be a crazy lottery Thursday night.
Before I get to the mock draft, I wanted to recap the trades that have happened in the last couple of days. Starting with San Antonio, at first you see the headline that they added Richard Jefferson and you think, “wow they just took a step forward and added an all-star small forward” but then you let it digest for a minute. They gave up Bruce Bowen, granted he is old, but he was their best perimeter defender. They gave up 2 solid inside players in Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto, making them even thinner inside after Duncan and Drew Gooden. I would say if the Spurs can also go out and sign one more big man, preferably a shot blocker, then this becomes a great trade. As their roster stands now, it looks pretty on paper but I wonder about the flaws of that lineup once they face the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals and then either the Cavs, Magic, or Celtics in the NBA Finals. Who guards Kobe? Who is going to be the defensive stopper inside? Gooden isn’t that guy and asking Duncan to carry you on both ends throughout the playoffs is asking a lot. If they go get a true center, then Duncan can go back to the power forward and Drew Gooden can provide a spark off the bench.
On the flip side, I understand dumping salary but didn’t the Bucks know this day was coming when they traded for Jefferson in the first place? Why did they give up some young, affordable pieces originally to get Jefferson if they knew they weren’t going to be able to afford Jefferson, Villanueva, and possibly Ramon Sessions in 2009-10, especially considering they dumped Mo Williams to the Cavs for virtually nothing in return? It wasn’t like they were contenders hoping to win now and deal with the consequences later. Those moves all seem inconsistent with any kind of long term plan. Now, you dump salary by trading Jefferson so you can resign Villanueva and Sessions? For starters, Jefferson is better than both players combined. Secondly, couldn’t the front office have gotten out a piece of paper and mapped out the players under contract through what year and know this was going to happen when they made these moves last year? I just can’t believe the Bucks front office didn’t have better foresight to understand their own team’s cap situation and financial standing. Just think, if they had just been able to manage their pieces correctly they would have Mo Williams, Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva, and Andrew Bogut plus the tenth pick in this draft and some combination of Ramon Sessions, Joe Alexander, and Luc Richard Mbah Moute off the bench. Way to drop the ball Milwaukee…
The other big trade in the NBA is much more debatable, as the Wolves gave up Randy Foye and Mike Miller for salary dumps and the fifth pick in the draft from the Washington Wizards. The Timberwolves now have picks 5, 6, 18, and 28 in the first round. On the one hand, you could say the new front office is overhauling the roster and bringing in “his guys” but, on the other hand, they are stockpiling picks in a terrible draft class. This is cut and dry for the Wizards, they aren’t a team rebuilding. They have Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antwan Jamison as their stars, with young guys like Nick Young, Javale McGee, and Andrae Blatch. Adding Randy Foye and Mike Miller, both proven players, makes them better immediately. The Wizards were able to both dump salary and add veterans. Minnesota is rolling the dice here, they basically gave away their backcourt and have little on the current roster past Al Jefferson and maybe Kevin Love to build around.
Now for the biggest trade of them all…
The Cavs have traded for Shaq. Why Cleveland? Why? The guy is 37 years old and has a ridiculous salary. This doesn’t help you keep LeBron in Cleveland, even if you think it does. After next season, you really think a 38 year old Shaq is going to keep LeBron James from going to New York? That is crazy talk, I am pretty confident the people around LeBron are not going to rearrange the next 10 years of his career so he can play with Shaq for 2 years. The other part to remember is that the Suns didn’t even make the playoffs with not only Shaq, but Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, and Amare Stoudemire on the roster. Now, suddenly, adding Shaq is that much of an upgrade over Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, and Joe Smith? Do you really think Shaq will have a chance in a 7-game series against Dwight Howard or Kevin Garnett? If you do, you must be outside your mind. O’Neal’s numbers from last season were good, as he averaged 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks but look at Ilgauskas’ numbers: 12.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.29 blocks. Is that really going to make that much difference? The Suns are wanting to unload players, so I just wonder why they didn’t come up with a more enticing offer and go after Amare Stoudemire. At only 26, a dynamic duo of Amare and LeBron could wreak havoc on the league for the next decade. If that had occurred instead, I would be raving about this trade. As it is, it gives the Cavs a little better shot to win it all in 2010 but have they really caught up with Boston or Orlando? I’m not so sure.
On the other side, has anyone done a better job of driving a championship contender into the ground then Steve Kerr? I mean wow… first it was bringing in Shaq then it was letting Mike D’Antoni go, not to mention the most pitiful use of draft picks in the history of the NBA. Now, after all the commotion, the Suns are abandoning ship to start anew with Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic? Yikes… Nash is old and on the tail end of his career, same with Grant Hill. Amare is probably bouncing to the highest bidder in free agency here soon. That leaves… uh… hmm… oh yeah… Jason Richardson! They’ll be fine, heck they also drafted Alando Tucker and Robin Lopez. Life is dandy!
2009 NBA Mock Draft:
1. Los Angeles Clippers
PF Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
This is obvious pick here. In a draft full of uncertainty, this is about the only thing in this draft I can say with confidence. The real question is will Griffin be closer to Karl Malone or Shawn Kemp?
2. Memphis Grizzlies
C Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
There is so much speculation at the end of the day what the Grizzlies are wanting to do with this pick. However, if you weed through the fluff, the clear cut choice here is Thabeet. Memphis not only needs a center, but they need shot blocking. Centers with the upside of Thabeet don’t come around often, so you had better think long and hard before you pass one up. On the other hand, this pick may get traded to Minnesota and they will likely take Rubio. Anything is possible, Shaq is in Cleveland!
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
SG James Harden, Arizona State
This is a tough pick to figure out, but I just don’t think it makes any sense to take Rubio here. I will be surprised if they do. They have Russell Westbrook already and they could really use a big man but I doubt they take Jordan Hill.
4. Sacramento Kings
PG Ricky Rubio, Spain
At the end of the day, I think the Kings liked Rubio all along and he fills a position of need at point guard. While I’m not blown away by his ability, he is an upgrade over Beno Udrih right now. Watching his development will be interesting to watch next season.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
SG/PG Tyreke Evans, Memphis
The Wolves need guards after unloading Randy Foye and Mike Miller. I think, assuming they have this pick at draft time, they will take Evans. He is a long athletic guard that finishes well at the rim and can defend when so inclined.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
PG Johnny Flynn, Syracuse
Flynn is a tough, athletic point guard that anyone would want to have on their roster. He can do a little bit of everything, whether it be score, pass, or defend.
7. Golden State Warriors
PF Jordan Hill, Arizona
The Warriors need depth inside, as far as true big men, as they have so many slashers and perimeter players already. Word is they are going to let Monta Ellis run the point, leading to a big man being the likely choice here.
8. New York Knicks
PG/SG Stephen Curry, Davidson
This is who the Knicks wanted from the start and they land him. Curry is a shooter and a big time scorer, something the Knicks covet. I’m not a big fan of Curry, but he should provide a scoring boost none the less.
9. Toronto Raptors
SG Demar DeRozan, USC
The Raptors need more athleticism and this is a good way to start. They have plenty of shooters and fundamentally sound players, so adding toughness and athleticism should be a top priority. If DeRozan is still on the board, expect him to go here.
10. Milwaukee Bucks
PG Brandon Jennings, Italy
Why is he falling so far down the board on a lot of mock drafts? What happened? He is a talented young point guard that needs a year or two of seasoning, what has changed? The Bucks go point guard here as an insurance policy if they lose Ramon Sessions.
11. New Jersey Nets
SG Terrence Williams, Louisville
12. Charlotte Bobcats
SG Gerald Henderson, Duke
13. Indiana Pacers
PF DeJuan Blair, Pitt
14. Phoenix Suns
PG Jrue Holiday, UCLA
15. Detroit Pistons
SF Earl Clark, Louisville
16. Chicago Bulls
PF James Johnson, Wake Forest
17. Philadelphia 76ers
PG Eric Maynor, VCU
18. Minnesota Timberwolves
C B.J. Mullens, Ohio State
19. Atlanta Hawks
PG Jeff Teague, Wake Forest
20. Utah Jazz
PF Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
21. New Orleans Hornets
SG Chase Budinger, Arizona
22. Portland Trail Blazers
SF Omri Casspi, Israel
23. Sacramento Kings
SF Austin Daye, Gonzaga
24. Dallas Mavericks
PG Toney Douglas, Florida State
25. Oklahoma City Thunder
PF Taj Gibson, USC
26. Chicago Bulls
SG Wayne Ellington, UNC
27. Memphis Grizzlies
PG Ty Lawson, UNC
28. Minnesota Timberwolves
SF Jonas Jerekbo, Sweden
29. New York Knicks *From LA Lakers
PG Darren Collison, UCLA
30. Cleveland Cavaliers
PF DeMarre Carroll, Missouri
Tags: Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, Mock Draft, NBA, NBA Draft, Ricky Rubio, Ron
Posted in Miscellaneous, NBA Mock Draft | Comments Off
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