How to fix the Lakers

Even though the LA Lakers just beat the Clippers a couple of nights ago, they are far from being a real contender. There is one simple solution to this, no really it’s easy. Trade Pau Gasol. There are plenty of teams that would trade for Gasol. One team would be Houston. I know you don’t usually trade within your conference if you can help it. But we know for a fact Houston covets Pau because of the nixed Chris Paul trade. Houston offered Scola and Martin. If you’re the Lakers you don’t need Martin, because of Kobe. But you could load up on role players and maybe a pick. Or what about Scola and Lowry with Jordan Hill or Patrick Patterson added in there?

If I’m Houston I do it because you finally have that elite player they have been wanting. If I’m the Lakers I do it because You get two good starters and a good backup big. This is one step to getting the Lakers back to title contenders.

Holy Extensions Batman!

News this week was all about the contract extensions. Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose and Kevin Love all got big extensions. The one that I find funny is Hornets SG Eric Gordon declined a contract extension. David Stern how do you look now? This goes all back to your nixed CP3 trade. NOLA would still have been better off with the original deal, yet now they look lose their top guy… again. Yes he will be a restricted free agent but what if someone throws max money at Gordon, crazy to think, I know. Regardless if that happened NOLA couldn’t match because the NBA still owns the team and why would the other 29 owners want to pay a max guy for another team.

This Week’s Top 10

10. LA Lakers 11-8
Yes they currently have the 12th best record but they beat the Clippers and like a said before if  Kobe, Bynum and Gasol all play well you’re going to lose.Not to mention World Peace (Artest) played really well in that Clippers game

9. San Antonio Spurs 12-7
Even without Manu they still win. That’s all that needs to be said.

8. Orlando Magic 12-6
Even in a week when they score 56 in an entire game they still rank this high. I don’t know how good they really are though.

7. Atlanta Hawks 13-6
Without Al Horford they are keeping it going. Main reason is the excellent play of Josh Smith.

6. Philadelphia 76ers 12-6
I love their depth. After Miami and Chicago there are a few teams in the “almost there” category and Philly is one of them.

5. Indiana Pacers 12-5
They scored a huge win in Chicago this week. I love this team. They are scrappy and fun to watch.

4. Denver Nuggets 13-5
I’m eating crow from my preview with this team. They have made me a believer. They are extremely deep and they out run everyone.

3. Miami Heat 13-5
They drop to #3. Why? Injuries. They aren’t the same without Wade

2. Oklahoma City Thunder 15-3
Yes, I know you have the best record. I’m sorry but I think Chicago and Miami (when healthy) are better. There is going to be a time when you need an inside presence and OKC doesn’t have one,

1. Chicago Bulls 16-4
Right now the best team in the league and they are the league’s deepest team.

And before I go I want to review NBA 2k12. As a huge NBA fan and video game fan I have been spending a lot of time with 2k12. First off this game is amazing. I feel it’s an upgrade over 2k11. The way each player you control feels differently is something that I have never seen in a video game. Each player plays like their real life counter part, except LBJ performs in the fourth quarter. I know completely unrealistic. But there is a ton of time to be spent in this game.

Association mode is the game’s franchise mode and It is one of the deepest in sports gaming. Especially since there is a great community dedicated to making realistic draft classes for future franchise years. This year they added contract extensions to re-up your key players for future seasons. This mode is extremely time consuming and puts you GM skills to test. With all real contracts and real trade rules you basically get to control a team the way you want to.

My player mode is my favorite so far this year. They completely overhauled the mode. You start out by creating a player and playing a College All Star game. Depending on your performance you will then get interviewed by 3 NBA teams determining your draft position. You then go to the draft and get drafted.  Now this year they actually added a contract system in the mode so you earn money and can put that towards skill points or helping team chemistry. When you play you can only control your player which makes the mode unique. For sports nerds like me this is the perfect RPG because each game is a mini quest towards the main quest of being the greatest player ever.  The thing I am most impressed with this year is how your AI teammates actually play basketball. Last year you would get the ball and they would stand around. This year they actually cut to the hoop and move around without the ball.

They also expanded on the Jordan Challenge last year making the Legend’s Challenge. Where they added 14 other legends. You play a matchup and unlock a couple of teams. It’s a nice extra little feature.

Overall I think the gameplay is better this year out of the box. I recommend adjusting the sliders a little. I like to play a sim style game so 45%-50% FG for teams in a game is key for me. But once you find your set the game will play amazing. Out of 10 I give NBA 2k12 a 9.7.

The Wizards need to fire Flip Saunders.  He has lost this team. I think that’s one reason John Wall has struggled this year. Most of his teammates don’t care. You can tell they don’t care to be there. Let’s not forget this team isn’t pieced together too well. They have some nice pieces in Wall, Singleton, Vessley and McGee. Other than that they need help bad. Especially in the scoring department. Saunders is better suited for a team that has good veteran leadership.  If I’m Washington I tell Jerry Sloan. “Look Jerry I know you want to win a title and we are striving for that but we need you as our coach. How much will it take?” Then pay him what he asks. Do that and just tell Rashard Lewis to stay home. We’ll pay you, just stay home Rashard.  This link is why, it also has Blatche saying the players don’t listen to Saunders.

Top 10 Teams-

Unlike Most lists I’m going to countdown to the #1 spot.

10. Los Angeles Lakers- 8-4

Back to back 40 point games from Kobe will make any team look good but Andrew Bynum is playing like a boss right now. Gasol has played inconsistent this year so far but on the season averages he is not having a bad year. LA is in a predicament, If Kobe, Bynum and Gasol all play good they can beat anyone in the league. Problem is usually one of them is having an off night (I’m looking at you Pau). Outside of Matt Barnes their other players are irrelevant. I would suggest trading Pau to a team that would give up a couple of young pieces to keep their rookie spanish point guard happy. Hey Minnesota how are you? If you’re Minnesota would you turn down Pau for Wes Johnson, Derrick Williams and a pick? I mean you would then have Rubio, Love, Pau and Beasley. That’s a playoff four right there, this year.

9. Atlanta Hawks- 8-4

5 guys averaging double digit points is always nice. Even though Joe Johnson has looked even worse this year, Josh Smith is looking better. Jeff Teague is a legit starting point guard in the league. How long do they keep this up though? Can they really win a playoff series with this team? I really guess that all depends on the team they play. But as of now the Hawks have looked good.

8. Indiana Pacers- 7-3

The have six players averaging double digits in scoring. All 5 starters and then Tyler”The Ultimate Big Off the Bench” Hansbrough. Let’s not forget George Hill is scoring 9.4 ppg. So basically they have guaranteed 70 points every night. I know not a ton, but if you can guarantee 70 points the other 30 should come pretty easy. I see Indy making it to round 2 in the playoffs. This is a scappy, fiesty team that won’t be easily beat. They can match up with most anyone in the league.

7.  Denver Nuggets- 7-4

I know in my preview I didn’t think they would be very good. But they are just running teams out of the gym, literally. They have the highest scoring rate and pace rate in the league. Not shockingly Andre Miller already can’t handle being a backup. He will blow this team up, if they don’t watch out. Miller is a cancer to any good team. He is a good backup point. But the last three years he should have been a backup. If Wilson Chandler returns to this team though, watch out they will be dangerous regardless of Andre “Sourpuss” Miller.

6.  Orlando Magic- 8-3

This is really based on their record and they beat Portland at home this week. I think the D12 trade talk will start breaking this team down. Maybe not to the eight seed like I predicted but they are a one and done playoff team.

5. Portland Blazers- 7-3

I know they beat my #4 team but that was the first game of the year. Portland has played good all year except in Phoenix after the Lakers win. McMillan has finally switched to the uptempo style that he should have switched to four years ago, as yours truly had been saying. This roster is versatile in the eight deep. Their biggest issue will be later in the season when their elder big men start accruing miles on their old bones.

4. Philadelphia 76ers- 7-3

They already have four wins of 20+ points or more. Philly is taking off from where they left off  last year. They have a great 8 man rotation. They play tough defense. Their issue is who is the guy that will take over when the games get tough?

3. Oklahoma City Thunder- 10-2

KD and co are rolling. I don’t see anyone in the west beating them in a seven game series. I think they should just start Harden. With Ibaka, Perkins and Sefolosha on the floor at the same time they really only have two good offensive players on the court (Durant and Westbrook), which makes them way easier to defend. The positive to that though is Sefolosha is only playing 19 minutes a game.

2. Chicago Bulls- 10-2

Da Bulls are rolling again this year. This is the only team in the league who are capable of beating Miami in a seven game series. They are the league’s deepest team.

1. Miami Heat- 8-3

They are the best team in the league this year. I don’t care if they have had some fourth quarter issues this week. The year is young. Their bench is better this year. The are better defensively too. I just don’t see anyone beating them this year.

Here is why I think Love has made the move into the best power forward in the league. His rebounding is best in the league ( I know I repeat myself), his passing skills are only matched by a couple of bigs in the league, his range is legit (he can score down low or outside), getting better defensively and his has got in better shape every year in the league. Minnesota needs to do everything it can to extend Love. With the young pieces this team has they can be a contender in a year or two and that all revolves around Love and his abilities.

The Pacific- LA rules this division. I can’t decide if the Clippers are worth the hype. They don’t have a legit SG on the roster now and they don’t have a legit backup big. The Lakers literally have three good players and then a bunch of players nobody really wants. The other three teams will be lucky to make the eight seed.

1. Los Angeles Clippers

C- DeAndre Jordan
PF- Blake Griffin
SF- Caron Butler
SG- Chauncey Billups
PG- Chris Paul

Bench/Rotation
6th- Mo Williams
7th- Eric Bledsoe
8th- Ryan Gomes
9th- Randy Foye
10th- Brian Cook
11th- Trey Thompkins
12th- Travis Leslie

Lob City will win games. Why? Because look at NOLA’s roster last year and they took the sixth seed. They have a very good starting five. Those five are also their crunch time five and you will win games with those guys. A lot of them actually. I like Mo Williams off the bench, Ryan Gomes and Eric Bledsoe aren’t shabby at all. They maybe the division winners, but I am not a believer in the thought of them being a contender. Because they have two huge whoa’s. No big time shooter, If you say Billups I will slap you and two they don’t have a legit backup for Blake or Jordan.  I think they grab the three or four seed.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

C- Andrew Bynum
PF- Pau Gasol
SF- Matt Barnes
SG- Kobe Bryant
PG- Derek Fisher

Bench/Rotation
6th- Metta World Peace
7th- Josh McRoberts
8th- Troy Murphy
9th- Steve Blake
10th- Jason Kapono
11th- Devin Ebanks
12th- Luke Walton

The Lakers have three good players on the roster and those three are all in the top two at their position. Bynum when healthy is easily the second best center in the league. Pau Gasol is the most talented power forward and Kobe is the best shooting guard, heck he’s the best player in the league. That is enough to make it to the playoffs and IF Bynum stays healthy (see it’s a big if) they could be dangerous. One of the three get injured. Good night season. They get nothing out of the point guard or small forward positions. And the bench is shallow. Plus I’m not a fan of new coach Mike Brown. Still when the top 3 is healthy the win games.

3. Phoenix Suns

C- Marcin Gortat
PF- Channing Frye
SF- Grant Hill
SG- Josh Childress
PG- Steve Nash

Bench/Rotation
6th- Jared Dudley
7th- Shannon Brown
8th- Robin Lopez
9th- Hakim Warrick
10th- Sebastian Telfair
11th- Mickael Pietrus
12th- Markieff Morris

Nash is one of the only PG’s in the league who could make this team fight for an eight spot. I highly doubt that happens. They have one legit big in Gortat. I like Dudley off the bench. When Telfair is your backup PG you’re in trouble. And I have always loved Bassy for some uncanny reason and I wouldn’t want him as my backup. They don’t have a SG on the roster just like 13 SF. I don’t think it’s a pretty season in Phoenix.

4. Sacramento Kings

C- DeMarcus Cousins
PF- JJ Hickson
SF- John Salmons
SG- Tyreke Evans
PG- Jimmer Fredette

Bench/Rotation
6th- Marcus Thornton
7th- Jason Thompson
8th- Francisco Garcia
9th- Travis Outlaw
10th- Donte Greene
11th- Isaiah Thomas
12th- Hassan Whitesite

I don’t know about this team. They are young and absolutely nuts, other than Jimmer he is sane. But Tyreke, Salmons and Cousins are all certifiably insane. They don’t have a legit PG on the team or any good back up bigs. Thompson is ok but after Hickson and Cousins they don’t have any reliable guys. Another lottery trip for the Kings.

5. Golden State Warriors

C- Andris Biedrins
PF- David Lee
SF- Dorell Wright
SG- Monta Ellis
PG- Stephen Curry

Bench/Rotation
6th- Brandon Rush
7th- Ekpe Udoh
8th- Kwame Brown
9th- Klay Thompson
10th- Charles Jenkins
11th- Ishmael Smith
12th- Jeremy Tyler

I love Ellis and Curry on offense. I hate everyone on this team on defense. Kwame Brown is going to get significant time on the floor. That’s never a good idea. Then they trade Louis Amundson for Brandon Rush. Who is a nice player but I would rather have Amundson. Look for Golden State to have a very nice draft pick this year.

The Atlantic has three playoff teams in it. I think New York will actually win the division. Jeff Green’s heart condition hurts the Celtics big time. They are old an needed young guys to come off the bench
Philly is a team not to be messed with. Even though they lost in 5 games last year that Miami series was a lot closer than that. Let’s get to the break down

1. New York Knicks

C- Tyson Chandler
PF- Amare Stoudemire
SF- Carmelo Anthony
SG- Landry Fields
PG- Baron Davis

Bench/Roation
6th- Mike Bibby
7th- Toney Douglas
8th- Bill Walker
9th- Jared Jeffries
10th- Renaldo Balkamn
11th-  Iman Shumpert
12th- Jerome Jordan

The starters are of course once Baron comes back from injury. I love Fields at the SG. He doesn’t need the ball and is a decent perimeter defender and he can hit threes. I love Melo, STAT and Chandler on the frontline, easily the best front court in the league. Depth of course is an issue but I like this team. I don’t know why. I just think they will win the division and take a top 3 seed in the east.

2. Boston Celtics

C- Jermaine Oneal
PF- Kevin Garnett
SF- Paul Pierce
SG- Ray Allen
PG- Rajon Rondo

Bench/Rotation
6th- Brandon Bass
7th- Marquis Daniels
8th- Keyon Dooling
9th- Chris Bo Wilcox
10th- Sasha Pavlovic
11th- JaJaun Johnson
12th- E’Twaun Moore

Boston maybe old. And 66 games in 122 days will take a toll on them. But they will make the playoffs and contend.  Bass is a good get. I really like the rookies Johnson and Moore. I won’t be shocked if they get some burn this year. If Daniels stays healthy he is a good option off the bench. Dooling is a good vet off the bench too. Boston finishes anywhere between 3rd and 6th in the East.

3. Philadephia 76ers

C- Spencer Hawes
PF- Elton Brand
SF- Andre Iguodala
SG- Evan Turner
PG- Jrue Holiday

Bench/Rotation
6th- Thaddeus Young
7th- Lou Williams
8th- Marreese Speights
9th- Jodie Meeks
10th- Craig Brackens
11th- Andres Nocioni
12th- Nikola Vucevic

I like Philly this year. I think they are poised to big things. They return their 8/9 man rotation and with a shortened camp and pre season that is vital. Like in the NFL continuity will help some of the teams  get off to good starts.  Same here. Philly is still young and Brand had a good year last year. If he can do that again, this year the 76ers are going to be good. They could top Boston this year in the standings.  Let’s not forget they have one if the best benches in the league, but I don’t if they make it passed the first round. The East is deep for playoff teams.
4. New Jersey Nets

C- Brook Lopez
PF- Kris Humphries
SF- Damion Jones
SG- Anthony Morrow
PG- Deron Williams

Bench/Rotation
6th- Jordan Farmar
7th- Shawne Williams
8th- Sheldon Williams
9th- Marshon brooks
10th- Johan Petro
11th- Stephen Graham
12th- Ime Udoka

Do I have to really explain why they aren’t very good? They don’t have a true scorer. Deron Williams will make them better than they are. I think Brooks starts by the end of the year.  They don’t have a bench, Brook Lopez has declined every year in the league. Thus making Kris Humphries actually look like a decent player.  Unless they can fool Orlando into taking Brook Lopez in a Howard deal, New Jersey is a lottery team.

5. Toronto Raptors

C- Andrea Bargnani
PF- Amir Johnson
SF- James Johnson
SG- DeMar DeRozen
PG- Jose Calderon

Bench/Rotation
6th- Jerryd Bayless
7th- Leandro Barbosa
8th- Ed Davis
9th- Aaron Gray
10th-Linus Kleiza
11th- Anthony Carter
12th- Gary Forbes

If I didn’t have to explain New Jersey, I definitely don’t need to explain here. They don’t have anything. Ed Davis is nice. That’s about it. DeRozen is terrible on offense, decent on defense. Bayless is too inconsistent to ever take over the starting job. I think Toronto ends up with the one of worst records in the league.

The Central- This is Chicago’s division to lose. They had the league’s best record last year and it wouldn’t shock me if they did the same this year too.  The team becoming sneakily good is Indiana. The Pacers have acquired some good fits for their team. Milwaukee is a borderline playoff team while Cleveland and Detroit are just yuck.

1. Chicago Bulls

C- Joakim Noah
PF- Carlos Boozer
SF- Loul Deng
SG- Rip Hamilton
PG- Derrick Rose

Bench/Rotation
6th- Taj Gibson
7th- Ronnie Brewer
8th- CJ Watson
9th- Omer Asik
9th- Kyle Korver
10th- Jimmy Butler
11th- John Lucas
12th- Brian Scalabrine

Getting Jimmy Butler with the last pick in the first round of this year’s draft was a great pick up. I would expect him to get some decent minutes even as a rookie. Boozer should have a much better year, he was injured basically all last year and in the playoffs. This team goes with Derrick Rose though and adding Rip Hamilton to this squad makes them either the best team in the league or second best behind Miami. First or second in the conference standings for the playoffs for Chicago.

2. Indiana Pacers

C- Roy Hibbert
PF- David West
SF- Danny Granger
SG- Paul George
PG- Darren Collison

Bench/Rotation
6th- Tyler Hansbrough
7th- George Hill
8th- Dahntay Jones
9th- Jeff Foster
10th- Louis Admundson
11th- AJ Price
12th- Jeff Pendergraph

Picking up David West in free agency was a great pickup. It allows them to bring Hansbrough off the bench. A role I think he is perfect for. Fun fact, Paul George grew like four inches this last year. He is now 6’10″ playing shooting guard. This Pacers team has so much size.  I think they are a fifth seed at best this year. But they could be the four seed. This is a good team and they should be fun to watch all year.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

C- Andrew Boguts
PF- Drew Gooden
SF- Carlos Delfino
SG- Stephen Jackson
PG- Brandon Jennings

Bench/Rotation
6th- Carlos Delfino
7th- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
8th- Beno Udrih
9th- Ersan Ilyasova
10th- Larry Sanders
11th- Tobias Harris
12th- Jon Brockman

Can Bogut stay healthy? If he does focus then switches to, Can Jennings be consistent? Will he ever be a decent shooter? But this team can be a playoff team. That relies all on how Stephen Jackson plays. If he is motivated he can be the leader this team sorely needs. Look for Milwaukee to fight for a playoff spot but don’t be shocked if they miss them either.

4. Detroit Pistons

C- Greg Monroe
PF- Jonas Jerebko
SF- Tayshaun Prince
SG- Ben Gordon
PG- Rodney Stuckey

Bench/Rotation
6th- Ben Wallace
7th- Brandon Knight
8th- Jason Maxiell
9th- Austin Daye
10th- Will Bynum
11th- Damien Wilkins
12th Charlie VIllanueva

I like some of Detroit’s pieces, but as a team I don’t like them at all. Stuckey isn’t a real PG, he is a combo guard. Monroe should take a step forward as a center. Jerebko is coming back from a big injury.  They won’t be terrible, but they won’t be good at all either.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

C- Anderson Varejao
PF- Antawn Jamison
SF- Omri Casspi
SG- Anthony Parker
PG- Kyrie Irving

Bench/Rotation
6th- Ramon Sessions
7th- Tristan Thompson
8th- Daniel Gibson
9th- Ryan Hollins
10th- Alonzo Gee
11th- Samardo Samuels
12th- Manny Harris

If you read my draft review you know I didn’t like the Irving and Thompson picks. Especially when they could have gone with Derrick Williams and Kemba Walker. I see Cleveland competing with Toronto for league’s worst record this year. Sorry Cleveland fans. You are great, but your owner brought this on himself via karma.

The Southeast is the best division in the East.  They have three solid playoff teams, one up and coming team and a bottom feeder. Miami takes the division, Atlanta and Orlando make the playoffs and pending what happens with D12 the magic may miss the playoffs but they shouldn’t while the haul they should get for him.

1. Miami Heat

C- Joel Anthony
PF- Chris Bosh
SF- Lebron James
SG- Dwayne Wade
PG- Mario Chalmers

Bench/Rotation
6th- Shane Battier
7th- Udonis Haslem
8th- Mike Miller
9th- Eddy Curry
10th- Norris Cole
11th- James Jones
12th- Juwan Howard

If Bosh plays like he did in the playoffs Miami is surely to go to the finals again. Lebron is starting to develop a low post game. I’ve been saying it for it years that he would be unstoppable down low and they should run the offense through him doing that. Adding Shane Battier is huge. This gives Miami a great option off the bench, and it allows them to rest both Lebron and Wade more often.

2. Atlanta Hawks

C- Al Horford
PF- Josh Smith
SF- Marvin Williams
SG- Joe Johnson
PG- Jeff Teague

Bench/Rotation
6th- Tracy McGrady
7th- Kirk Hinrich
8th- Jerry Stackhouse
9th- Zaza Pachulia
10th- Magnum Rolle
11th- Keith Benson
12th- Vladimir Radmanovic

Losing Crawford sucks for Atlanta, but they couldn’t afford to keep him. I like the move to add McGrady. Yes he is a shell of himself, but he has accepted he is perfect to come off the bench. Teague took a big step forward in the playoffs last year. Hinrich’s injury hurts them but when he comes back he will add good depth.

3. Orlando Magic

C- Dwight Howard
PF- Glen Davis
SF- Hedo Turkoglu
SG- Jason Richardson
PG- Jameer Nelson

Bench/Rotation
6th- Chris Duhon
7th- Ryan Anderson
8th- JJ Redick
9th- Quentin Richardson
10th- Von Wafer
11th- Daniel Orton
12th- DeAndre Liggins

I don’t know where this team finishes in the playoff race, they will make it but where will Howard be? Does he get traded or do they make a move and try to bring someone in? Regardless there will be movement with this team. Either way they make the playoffs.

4. Washington Wizards

C- JaVale McGee
PF- Andray Blatche
SF- Rashard Lewis
SG- Nick Young
PG- John Wall

Bench/Rotation
6th- Ronny Turiaf
7th- Jordan Crawford
8th- Chris Singleton
9th- Jan Vessly
10th- Maurice Evans
11th- Shelvin Mack
12th- Trevor Booker

This team is young and they have some good pieces. John Wall is going to have a great year. But even with Wall having a great year the team will have a bad one.  I love the pick of Singleton and Vessly.  Nick Young just scores. I also think they need to trade Blatche. Once they add another piece this team will be on.

5. Charlotte Bobcats

C- Boris Diaw
PF- Tyrus Thomas
SF- Corey Maggette
SG- Gerald Henderson
PG- Kemba Walker

Bench/Rotation
6th- DJ Augustin
7th- DeSagana Diop
8th- Bismack Biyombo
9th- Derrick Brown
10th- DJ White
11th- Matt Carroll
12th- Byron Mullens

Outisde of Kemba Walker there are no good players on this team. Charlotte will be with Toronto and Cleveland fighting out the worst record race. Charlotte is the odds on favorite. They are just blah. I don’t like this roster at all. The worst part is they don’t have any trade assets.

So there is the division break downs. My playoff picks are the following.

Western
1. OKC
2. Dallas
3. Memphis
4. Clippers
5. Spurs
6. Lakers
7. Blazers
8. Nuggets

Moving on.
OKC, Dallas, Clippers, Grizzlies

Then
OKC and Memphis

Eastern
1. Miami
2. Chicago
3. Knicks
4. Boston
5. Indiana
6. Atlanta
7. Philly
8. Orlando

Moviing on.
Miami, Chicago, New York, Indy

Then
Miami and Chicago

In the Finals…
Miami over OKC in 7.

The Southwest is a tough division to win. Not only are the Texas teams good but now Memphis is a threat. New Orleans should be a tough team even without CP3. I think Dallas wins the division again. Being gifted Odom from the Lakers is still puzzling but a great move for them, even if they didn’t bring back Chandler. I actually think Houston finishes last. David Stern vetoing the trade hurt them the most. San Antonio is old, so very very old but they will make the playoffs. The 66 games in 122 days hurts them more than just about everybody in league except maybe Boston.

1. Dallas Mavericks

Starters
C- Brendan Haywood
PF- Dirk Nowitzki
SF- Lamar Odom
SG- Vince Carter
PG- Jason Kidd

Bench/ Rotation
6th- Jason Terry
7th- Shawn Marion
8th- Delonte West
9th Rodrigue Beaubois
10th- Dominique Jones
11th- Brandan Wright
12th- Brian Cardinal

Dallas is a very intriguing team. They are way better on offense this year. Without Chandler they will not be as good on defense, no brainer I know. I think Vince Carter will care because he is on a contending team for the first time in a long time. Odom, Dirk and Haywood are a dynamic front court. Both Dirk and Odom can stretch it out to the three point line, then Odom and Haywood can score down low too. Kidd will always be able to run an offense, but where I think this team struggles is stopping other team’s PG’s. Regardless this team is a top 3 seed in the West and a title contender.

2. Memphis Grizzlies

Starters
C- Marc Gasol
PF- Zach Randolph
SF- Rudy Gay
SG- Tony Allen
PG- Mike Conley

Bench/Rotation
6th- OJ Mayo
7th- Darrell Arthur
8th- Sam Young
9th- Greivis Vasquez
10th- Xavier Henry
11th- Hamed Haddadi
12th- Josh Selby

Memphis came out of no where in the playoffs to beat the number one seed. I won’t say better team because Memphis was too much for San Antonio. There are still tons of rumors that the Grizzlies want to trade OJ Mayo. This could throw this whole team off. Mayo provides great off the bench scoring. Yes I know some players want to start but guess what if you’re getting paid sometimes you need to accept your role on the team. If he does this team will role this year, watch this team flourish. There is no better center/power forward combo in the league.  With a healthy Rudy Gay, Memphis could be a top 3 seed.

3. San Antonio Spurs

Starters
C- Tim Duncan
PF- DeJuan Blair
SF- Richard Jefferson
SG- Manu Ginobli
PG- Tony Parker

Bench/Rotation
6th- Tiago Splitter
7th- Antonio McDyess
8th- TJ Ford
9th- Gary Neal
10th- Kawhi Leonard
11th- Matt Bonner
12- Daniel Green

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Leonard start by the end of the year. Over the years Popovich has trusted rookies more and more. Mainly because his two best players are old and need more and more rest. Most thought Jefferson would be amnestied, yet here he is. I think Popovich trusts him and wasn’t ready to go with Leonard so soon. By the way that was a steal of a trade. Leonard may end up being one of the best players out of this draft. He is extremely versatile and to only give up a back up guard, truly a good get for the Spurs. With so many back to backs look for SA to take a step back. I think they finish anywhere from 4th-7th.

4. New Orleans Hornets

Starters
C- Chris Kaman
PF- Emeka Okafor
SF- Trevor Ariza
SG- Eric Gordon
PG- Jarrett Jack

Bench/Rotation
6th- Al-Farouq Aminu
7th- Carl Landry
8th- Willie Green
9th- Jason Smith
10th- Marco Belinelli
11th- Quincy Pondexter
12th-DJ Mbenga

Well the league set up the Hornets nice. I think they would have got better talent now with the Lakers/Rockets trade, they did get younger like Stern wanted. But doesn’t it feel like a sham? I really want Eric Gordon not to sign an extension now and screw over the Hornets. Not the city but the future owners/league if they ever get new owners. I’m still bitter on how Stern can do that and effect 5 plus teams in the process, negatively or positively. Now to the team. Shockingly Jarrett Jack has become a decent point guard. Yeah I know, I’m shocked too.  The Hornets have a good seven man rotation. I think they fight for the eighth seed.

5. Houston Rockets

Starters
C- Patrick Patterson
PF- Luis Scola
SF- Chase Budinger
SG- Kevin Martin
PG- Kyle Lowry

Bench/Rotation
6th- Courtney Lee
7th- Jordan Hill
8th- Jonny Flynn
9th- Terrance Williams
10th- Goran Dragic
11th- Marcus Morris
12th- Hasheem Thabeet

This is the team that got screwed over the biggest in the veto’d trade, as I said earlier. I like Lowry at PG and love Scola at PF. Patterson is a nice player but he is out of position at center. Martin can score and Budinger is an effective SF. I just don’t think this team is good enough for the playoffs. Though they will be around .500 and could make the playoffs. I just don’t see it happening. How are Scola and Martin affected by the trade and then staying? Will they stay motivated? That is to be seen.

The Northwest looks like it is Oklahoma City’s to take. With two teams in full rebuilding mode (Minnesota and Utah, yes Jazz fans) and the other two are mediocre playoff team (Denver and Portland). OKC should win the division and be the one or two seed in the West. My order of finish is how I will list the teams.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Starters
C- Kendrick Perkins
PF- Serge Ibaka
SF- Kevin Durant
SG- James Harden
PG- Russell Westbrook

Bench/Rotation Players

6th- Thabo Sefolosha
7th- Nick Collision
8th- Nazr Mohammed
9th- Eric Maynor
10th- Daequan Cook
11th- Reggie Jackson
12th- Cole Aldrich

When you first glance at OKC, you notice that I put James Harden as a starter. I imagine he would start this year but don’t be shocked if he comes off the bench to provide scoring for the Thunder. What I really like about this team is that they can play basically anyway, besides big time down low.  They can run with you or slow it down and work a shot for KD, Harden or Westbrook. Their best low post scorer is Nick Collison. That isn’t their game though and they know it. Perkins and Ibaka are there for defense and rebounding. If they get garbage points, it’s gravy. I don’t know if they are the best team in the West. But I don’t think Dallas is repeating so I will default OKC as my Western Conference champs to start the season.

2. Portland Trail Blazers

Starters
C- Marcus Camby
PF- LaMarcus Aldridge
SF- Gerald Wallace
SG- Jamal Crawford
PG- Raymond Felton

Bench/ Rotation Players
6th- Wesley Matthews
7th- Nicolas Batum
8th- Kurt Thomas
9th- Nolan Smith
10th- Elliot Williams
11th- Earl Barron
12th- Luke Babbit

Portland is a very interesting team. I like five of their players (Felton, Crawford, Wallace, Aldridge and Matthews) and I think they could win a playoff series with those guys. problem is you need a bench and bigs. They have one legit big guy on the roster under 37. Read that sentence again. That is a problem. They will get rebounds out of Wallace but they don’t have anyone to really play tough defense down low. I think they take the seven seed. I also think that they could grab the fifth spot, if all goes well. With a short training camp and some key pieces to the team, who knows how they will gel. This team can play with anybody though.

3. Denver Nuggets

Starters
C- Nene
PF- Kenneth Faried
SF- Danilo Gallinari
SG- Rudy Fernandez
PG- Ty Lawson

Bench/Rotation Players
6th- Andre Miller
7th- Chris Andersen
8th- Al Harrington
9th- Corey Brewer
10th- Timofy Mozgov
11th- Jordan Hamilton
12th- Kosta Koufos

With Wilson Chandler stuck in China, JR Smith too (I doubt they would have re-signed him or Kenyon Martin as well) the Nuggets lack depth. The fact Rudy Fernandez or Corey Brewer might start for them is alarming. I don’t like Andre Miller at all. He is a cancerous teammate. For all we know he ruined Brandon Roy’s knees (Well known fact they didn’t get along and Miller was why). Al Harrington is crazy and aging. But they will be tough defensively. Nene, Faried and Anderson are all tough defenders.  I love Ty Lawson, he finally gets a chance to be the full time starter. I just don’t see them being a playoff team. I don’t think they have the depth to be one. If they do get in it will be the eight seed.

4. Utah Jazz

Starters
C- Al Jefferson
PF- Paul Millsap
SF- CJ Miles
SG- Raja Bell
PG- Devin Harris

Bench/ Rotation Players
6th- Derrick Favors
7th- Earl Watson
8th- Gordon Hayward
9th- Enes Kanter
10th- Alec Burks
11th- Jamaal Tinsley
12th- Mehmet Okur

Alec Burks has to start if this team has any choice. I also think by the end of the year Al Jefferson will be traded so they can start Kanter.  They get nothing out of the small forward position or shooting guard if Raja Bell starts. Now a rotation of Jefferson, Millsap, Favors and Kanter should be one of the better for bigs in the league. But they don’t get any help from their backcourt. We still don’t know who Devin Harris is. Is he first year in New Jersey or last year in Jersey? I think Utah misses the playoffs again. Firing Sloan was the biggest mistake they made, especially since they trade away Williams.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

Starters
C- Darko Milicic
PF- Kevin Love
SF- Michael Beasley
SG- Wes Johnson
PG- Ricky Rubio

Bench/Rotation Players
6th- Luke Ridnour
7th- Derrick Williams
8th- JJ Barea
9th- Anthony Randolph
10th- Wayne Ellington
11th- Anthony Tolliver
12th- Martell Webster

I’ll be honest, I guessed their bench after Ridnour. We don’t know how much time Williams will get or at what position. Will Anthony Randolph actually get to play? Will Barea be as effective as he was in the playoffs for Dallas (I highly doubt that)?  This team is still very young. They should improve from last year but not enough to get into the playoffs.  I do think they will be a fun team to watch though. This is a team that would benefit from playing up tempo. Love is a great outlet passer to get breaks going and Rubio is a good point guard in transition with Beasley and Johnson on the wings the Timberwolves could be really exciting.

Trading Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al Farouq Aminu and The Minnesota unprotected 1st round pick was too much for the Clippers to give up. With the signing of Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler, they were one of the deepest teams already. Now they have four point guards the team (Paul, Billups, Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe) and one shooting guard who is suited to be a backup (Randy Foye). Without Paul here is their lineup

Billups
Gordon
Butler
Griffin
Jordan

WIliams
Foye
Aminu
Kaman
Bledsoe

Their 10 guys deep! After this year Kaman, Foye and Billups are off the books. leaving 7 guys not to mention the best SG under 30 (Gordon) still on your team when you could lurer Paul and still have a deep 8 man rotation. Not to mention Minnesota’s unprotected pick in a draft that should be good. So that’s nine guys now that can all play and build a title contending foundation on. There is a reason why patience is a virtue and good things are worth waiting for. Why? Because the Clips would have been title contenders in the west with OKC for years if they waited. Right now I see them coming up short for a couple of them. They will still make the playoffs and probably win a series or two. You trade for Chris Paul to win titles though. Their depth took a major hit and now they have a hole to fill before being true contenders. Though watching Blake and Jordan catch alley oops all season will be fun, it won’t pay off for a couple of years.

This isn’t me baffled on why they did the trade. I understand why they did. Because getting a star like Paul is a big move for a franchise that is known for failing all the time. I just think waiting would have been better overall for the team in the future. I also am a believer in the notion, that no one should have traded for Paul to stick it to David Stern for jerking around what teams can trade for who. Thus making the Hornets lose CP3 with getting nothing in return. I’m still bitter on the rejected trade when it was a good trade for all teams involved and the league stepping in and getting greedy. Stern has made the league look worse since this trade than when they were locked out. Now it seems like the league is determining what players are going where or anytime there is bad officiating (which that’s an entire topic on its own) that the league is predetermined. That is a scary thought to put in any fans head. And regardless what the league thinks, the fan is still the most important aspect to the league.

I wanted to touch on Brandon Roy’s early retirement. I know it happened a few days ago, but it’s tragic for such a good player’s career to be cut short because his body fails on him. Brandon Roy your tough gritty play will be missed.

Now lets move to the Clippers trade. NOLA would send CP3 and LA would send Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and a 2012 first round pick. Yet the league, I repeat the league not the Hornets. The league didn’t want to do the deal because Eric Bledsoe wasn’t included. Are you kidding me? Are you trying to screw every team? Really? Again a trade that offers three starters and a pick and that isn’t good enough for the league. So the Clippers stopped talking and claimed Chauncey “I’ve only hit one big shot in my career, but I inexplicably got the nickname Mr. Big Shot” Billups off of waivers. Which means they cannot trade him until July 1, 2012. Because Billups was amnestied by the Knicks.

For Chris Paul’s sake I hope he gets traded. But for the league’s sake, I hope he doesn’t then he leaves for the bigger market like he wants to and the league can’t sell the team because it got nothing in return for a player who wanted to leave. Regardless what the league says, this was the other small owners not wanting to see a star player leave. Guess what, it’s going to happen. It’s always happened. Kareem didn’t stay in Milwaukee.  Shaq didn’t stay in Orlando. Stars leave for bigger markets. It’s always happened and it will continue to. Not all stars will leave but there will be some that do. And guess what to keep your team continuing to be successful without that player. You have to trade them before they leave via free agency. That’s your choice or you turn out like Toronto after Bosh left. And teams that bad are never good for the league.

#1- Kyrie Irving, Duke- Cleveland Cavs- I don’t like the pick. A couple of reasons. The first is, he only played 12 games at his one season at Duke and in those 12 games he may have hurt Duke more than helping them (I’m talking after the injury comeback). He is a decent point guard and does have upside. The other reason is that I personally feel drafting Derrick Williams and Kemba Walker would have been a better combo to build a team around. More on that in the 4th pick.

#2- Derrick Williams, Arizona- Minnesota Timberwolves- I like Williams’ game. I think he is a SF in the league. Problem is Minnesota has an abundance of SFs. It’s ok though. This pick is taking the best player on the board. If they can trade Beasley, which they can. They don’t need dollar for dollar value in that trade. Why? Because they have their core in Love, Johnson, Williams and Rubio. Williams and Johnson can play the SF. In this case they would start Johnson at the SG and Williams at the SF. So trade Beasley for a guy you can take a flyer on.

#3 Enes Kanter, Kentucky via Turkey- Utah Jazz- Interesting pick. I saw Kanter play in the Nike Hoops Summit that’s held in Portland, OR every year (it’s where I live). He was very impressive in the game and he has upside. But I don’t know how great he will be. How will he rebound and can he play defense? He can score though.

#4 Tristan Thompson, Texas- Cleveland Cavs- So the Cavs needed to draft a big to compliment Irving. So they reached for Thompson. This is why I would have picked Williams first and Kemba here at four. Why? Better overall talent with the two picks. Irving can play but I don’t think Thompson will turn out to be a good starter. He can rebound and play decent defense. Offensively he is still raw.

#5 Jonas Valancinunas, Lithuania- Toronto Raptors- Unlike most European bigs Valanciunas is a legit bruiser.  He plays to contact and stays gritty. Think of Bargnani… now think of the opposite of him. That’s this kid. Like all euros there is always a can he handle the league.

#6 Jan Vesely, Czech Republic- Washington Wizards- Vesely is the european that I am intrigued by the most. He plays like an american. He can run the floor and he gets up. Again how good of defense does the kid play?

#7 Bismack Biyombo, Congo- Charlotte Bobcats (traded from Sacramento)- First off I don’t know why Sacramento made the trade here to bring John Salmons back… yikes. But more on that when we get to Jimmer. Biyombo is Serge Ibaka 2.0. The kid is good defensively but has nothing on offense. Charlotte is a team that needs offense but I do like the pick, especially if he develops.

#8 Brandon Knight, Kentucky- Detroit Pistons- I like this pick. Brandon Knight is a score first PG. Detroit needs offense and a playmaker. That’s what Knight brings. I would compare him to Brandon Jennings not as fast, but a better shooter.

#9 Kemba Walker, UConn- Charlotte Bobcats- Kemba is by far my favorite player in this draft as a fan. The kid is a leader and last march was proof. 5 games in 5 nights in the big east tourney, no problem to win the conference tournament. Then he leads UConn to the national title after beating San Diego St, Arizona, Kentucky and Butler in the last four rounds. They were underdogs in all four games. Unfortunately for Kemba there isn’t much around him in Charlotte. I also don’t know how well he will do in the NBA. He will get to the hoop, can shoot but he takes beatings in games. Will his body hold up?

#10 Jimmer Fredette, BYU- Sacramento Kings (traded from Milwaukee)- I’m sorry Kings fans I’m about to rail on your team, sorry. Why make that trade and pick Jimmer? WHY? Stupid, Stupid move. Here’s why. Jimmer won’t be successful in the NBA. He’s to slow and he won’t be able to create his shot against guys who are all bigger and faster than him. He isn’t a PG. He is a shooter.  So they make the trade to get rid of Beno Udrih a guy who is a good backup (and a better starter than Jimmer) and bring in a terrible John Salmons contract, who by the way doesn’t really fit into this team. Sacramento took a step back. They could have had Brandon Knight or Kemba who both will be better than Jimmer in the NBA with the seventh pick. Instead they make this dumb trade and start trending backwards.

#11 Klay Thompson, Washington St- Golden State Warriors- Klay can shoot. His dad is former NBA player Mychal Thompson. Like I said Klay can shoot, but don’t expect him to play defense.

#12 Alec Burks, Colorado- Utah Jazz-Utah had a good draft. Kanter has talent and Burks is a scorer they need. After trading Deron Williams they got really young, but they have talent. Burks also is a decent defender.

#13/#14- Markieff and Marcus Morris, Kansas- Phoenix and Houston- Can anyone tell them apart? Both ok rebounders and defensively. offensively… meh. And lets not forget twins never succeed in the NBA. I’m only basing this on the Collins and Lopez twins.

#15 Kawhi Leonard, San Diego St- San Antonio (traded from Indiana)- Why did Indiana make this trade? they could have moved Leonard to the 2 and been fine. But no they trade him to San Antonio to let them get younger and better. Leonard is a decent shooter and a good defender. Great pick up by SA.

#16 NikolaVucevic, USC- Philadephia 76ers- He came on last year. He can shoot from anywhere. He is an ok rebounder.  Even though he is beefy, he is a typical euro big

#17 Iman Shumpert,  Georgia Tech-  He can play D. But remember when Derrick Favors was on GT and everyone thought they would make a big tourney run? Well one of the reasons they didn’t was their PG play… who was their PG? Shumpert. He isn’t that good of one. Interesting pick.

#18 Chris Singleton, Florida State- Washington Wizards- Other than Kemba, Singleton is my favorite player in the draft. I cannot believe he fell this far. Singleton can play four positions if needed. Lets not forget to mention he is a stud with his perimeter defense. He’ll ideally play the 3 and guard the other teams best perimeter player. Washington had a great draft because of this pick.

#19 Tobias Harris, Tennessee- Milwaukee Bucks (traded from Charlotte)- I like Harris. He is young though but he is a do it all type of player. Can score, gets boards and plays good D.

#20- Donatas Motiejunas, Lithuania- Houston Rockets (traded from Minnesota) Everything I have read and seen on this kid is that he can score. And that he is pretty big. One concerning thing is that he isn’t much of a rebounder. As a seven footer you should at least board up.

#21 Nolan Smith, Duke- Portland Blazers- Dumbest pick in the draft. Smith didn’t project into the first round. His ceiling at best is an average backup. With Kenneth Faried still on the board, why wouldn’t  Portland take him? They desperately need a big guy who plays tough defense and can rebound. Which Faried does.

#22 Kenneth Faried, Morehead State- Denver Nuggets- One pick later the Nuggets smartly take Faried. You just know what the kid will be. Will he be a great player? No. but he is a player most teams need. Incuding portland.

#23 Nikola Mirtotic, Spain- Chicago Bulls- He is a stash pick.

#24 Reggie Jackson, Boston College- Oklahoma City Thunder- Interesting pick of a PG by OKC. They have Westbrook and Maynor. I thought Marshon Brooks would have went there to provide scoring off the bench.

#25 Marshon Brooks, Providence- New Jersey Nets (traded from Boston)-  The best scorer not named Kemba in this class. He has an NBA game. He can get to the rim or hit the pull up jumper. I want to see if he can play defense. He is athletic enough. He has also drawn comparisons to Kobe, I wouldn’t go that far but the fact some people think so shows the kid has talent.

#26 Jordan Hamilton, Texas- Denver Nuggets (traded from Dallas) I like Hamilton. He can fill it up. If Denver gets Chandler back from china, i don’t know if Hamilton will so a ton of PT. But he has good skills.

#27 JaJuan Johnson, Purdue- Boston Celtics (traded from New Jersey)-  An athletic PF that needs to get tougher. Maybe KG barking at him in practice will help. But Johnson had good numbers in college and was very productive.

#28 Norris Cole, Cleveland St- Miami Heat (traded from Chicago)- A quick true PG. Actually a good pick for the Heat. He maybe better than Chalmers, but thats not saying much. But he is a good prospect.

#29 Cory Joeseph, Texas- San Antonio- The young scoring PG is a good pick by the Spurs who have a need at backup PG when they traded George Hill for Kawhi Leonard. Being so young SA will get him to buy into the system and it could payoff in the long run,

#30 Jimmy Butler, Marquette- Chicago Bulls-  I like this pick because Butler is the Shane Battier of this draft. More of a role player though.

Notable Round 2 picks

#34 Shelvin Mack, Butler- Washington Wizards- Mack went where Nolan Smith should have. He projects to be a good backup PG

#49 Josh Shelby, Kansas- Memphis Grizzles- A guy that should have stayed. Though his game fits the NBA more than college. If he puts it together he could be the steal of the draft

#53 DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky- Orlando Magic- Liggins should be able to stay in the league for his shooting ability alone

#60 Isaiah Thomas, Washington- Sacramento Kings- Not very often is the last pick of a draft a notable player, But Thomas is a decent PG prospect.  He is undersized at 5’9″ but he is quick and a good passer.

Elite Players- There are 13 elite players.
Point Guards- 2
Shooting Guards- 2
Small Forwards- 3
Power Forwards- 5
Centers- 1

Star Players- There 18 Star players.
Point Guards- 3
Shooting Guards- 3
Small Forwards- 4
Power Forwards- 5
Centers- 3

Good Starters- 33 players are in the Good Starters tier.
Point Guards- 10
Shooting Guards- 6
Small Forwards- 6
Power Forwards- 6
Centers- 5

Serviceable starters- 43 players are serviceable starters.
Point Guards- 6
Shooting Guards- 10
Small Forwards- 9
Power Forwards- 6
Centers- 12

Role Players- There are also 42 role players who are starting.
Point Guards- 8
Shooting Guards- 8
Small Forwards- 8
Power Forwards- 9
Centers-9

Of course I realize not every team can have a Good or better starter. There aren’t enough players to go around. But there are enough players to get a good mix of good players to go with the serviceable starts and the role players. And If you add up the numbers they don’t all add up to 30 in each position. That’s because some teams have voids at positions and there was no way telling who would start.

Team-By-Team Breakdown

Atlanta Hawks

3 Stars- Johnson, J. Smith, A. Horford
1 Serviceable Starter- J. Teague
1 Role Player- Marvin Williams

Boston Celtics

2 Stars- P.Pierce, Rondo
2 Good Starters- Garnett, R. Allen
1 Role Player- J. O’Neal

Charlotte Bobcats

1 Serviceable Starter- Maggette
4 Role Players- T. Thomas, Augustin, Biyombo, G. Henderson

Chicago Bulls

1 Elite- Rose
2 Stars- Noah, Boozer
1 Good Starter- Deng
1 Role Player- The SG position

Cleveland Cavs

3 Serviceable Starters- B. Davis, Jamison, Varajeo
2 Role Players- Parker, Graham

Dallas Mavs

1 Elite Player- Nowitzki
3 Good Starters- Marion, Terry, Kidd
1 Serviceable Starter- Chandler (FA he may not be on this years team)

Denver Nuggets

3 Good Starters- Lawson, W. Chandler, Nene (FA May not be with this years team)
2 Role Players- Afflalo, Gallinari

Detroit Pistons

2 Serviceable Starter- Monroe, Prince
3 Role Players- The PF, The SG, Stuckey

Golden State Warriors

4 Good Starters- S. Curry, M. Ellis, D. Wright, D. Lee
1 Role Player- Biedrins

Houston Rockets

1 Star- L. Scola
3 Serviceable Starter- T. Williams, K. Martin, K. Lowry
1 Role Player- C. Hayes

Indiana Pacers

1 Star- D. Granger
1 Good Starter- D. Collison
2 Serviceable Starter- T. Hansbrough, R. Hibbert
1 Role Player- The SG

LA Clippers

1 Elite- B. Griffin
1 Star- E. Gordon
3 Serviceable Starters- C. Kaman, Aminu, M. Williams

LA Lakers

1 Elite- Kobe
1 Star- P. Gasol
1 Good Starter- Bynum
1 Serviceable Starter- Artest aka Metta World Peace
1 Role Player- The PG’s

Memphis Grizzlies

2 Stars- Randolph, Gay
2 Good Starters- M. Gasol, Conely
1 Serviceable Starter- Mayo

Miami Heat

2 Elite- Lebron, Wade
1 Good Starter- Bosh
2 Role Players- C and PG

Milwaukee Bucks

2 Good Starters- Jennings, Bogut
2 Serviceable Starter- S. Jackson, Delfino
1 Role Player- PF’s

Minnesota Timberwolves

1 Elite- K. Love
2 Serviceable Starter- M. Beasley, W. Jonson
2 Role Player- Milicic, Ridnour

New Jersey Nets

1 Star- D. Williams
1 Serviceable Starter- B. Lopez
3 Role Players- SG, T. Outlaw, Humphries

New Orleans Hornets

1 Elite- C. Paul
1 Good Starter- David West
2 Serviceable Starters- Okafor, Ariza
1 Role Player- W. Green

New York Knicks

2 Elite- A. Stoudemure, C. Anthony
2 Serviceable Starter- C. Billups, L. Fields
1 Role Player- Turiaf

Oklahoma City Thunder

1 Elite- K. Durant
1 Star- Westbrook
2 Good Starters- Harden, Ibaka
1 Serviceable Starter- K. Perkins

Orlando Magic

1 Elite- D. Howard
2 Serviceable Starters- Turkoglu, J. Richardson
2 Role Players- B. Bass, PG’s

Philadelphia 76ers

3 Good Starters- J. Holiday, A. Iguodala, T. Young
2 Serviceable Starter- E. Brand, M. Speights

Phoenix Suns

1 Good Starter- S. Nash
2 Serviceable Starter- Martin Gortat, V. Carter
2 Role Players- PFs, SF ( G. Hill a free agent, would be a good starter if he re-signs)

Portland TrailBlazers

2 Stars- G. Wallace,  L. Aldridge
1 Good Starter- R. Felton
1 Serviceable Starter- B. Roy (if they keep him)
1 Role Player- M. Camby

Sacramento Kings

1 Good Starter- Tyreke Evans
1 Serviceable Starter- D. Cousins
3 Role Players- PG, PF’s, SF (unless Tyreke starts at the 3 and Thornton at the 2)

San Antonio Spurs

1 Star- M. Ginobli
2 Good Starters- T. Duncan, T. Parker
1 Serviceable Starter- D. Blair
1- Role Player- R. Jefferson

Toronto Raptors

1 Serviceable Starter- D. DeRozen
4 Role Players- A. Bargnani, A. Johnson, L. Kleiza, J. Cauleron

Utah Jazz

1 Star- A. Jefferson
1 Good Starter- P. Millsap
1 Serviceable Starter- D. Harris
2 Role Player- R. Bell, SF

Washington Wizards

1 Good Starter- J. Wall
3 Serviceable Starters- J. McGee, A. Blatche, N. Young
1 Role Player- Rashard Lewis

Really what the breakdown shows us is the obvious, there are many ways to build a roster and there is no perfect way besides having more talent. There are some things that basically go for every team. You really need a star to build around, problem is that there is only 31 star or elite guys in the league and the good teams have more than one. So how do you fix this problem? There are two ways. One is easier than the other. The harder way is to develop the talent you have, especially the young talent (obviously). The hard part is not every player can or will develop into that start level. It just doesn’t happen. Every player is different and reacts to certain situations differently. So this takes us to the second way of solving the problem. Craft your system around the players you have. This is a much simpler way of getting more out of your talent. Every team has it’s strengths and weaknesses. You must play to your strengths to balance out your weaknesses. Again sounds obvious but why don’t more teams do it?

Take the Blazers for example, when their core was young McMillan decided to slow it down to cut down on turnovers. The trade off is fewer possessions during the game (which Portland has had the fewest in the last 3 or 4 years), thus less points per game you are scoring. They now have one of the most athletic teams in the league and they play tough defense. Yet they still play slow? Why? With a good defensive team that is young and athletic they should give themselves more opportunities to score. Which has been their down falls in the playoffs the last couple of years. Coaches do have their own systems, but you need to evolve that system to the team you currently have. Not every team can run the same system. Could San Antonio runs Phoenix’s system? No and vice versa. Basketball is the most fluid sport. Players have to play offense and defense on the fly and there are only five players on the court for each team. Making each role bigger for the players. This what makes basketball the best sport. Every player has a role, even if it being the 12th guy on the bench and he is primarily used for practice. Why has Brian Scalabrine stayed in the league so long? He’s a good teammate who is used mainly for practice. You need that on a team. As I will state many times, players like Shane Battier are needed to win titles. Like James Posey on that Celtics team a couple of years ago.

Another thing we know you can’t have too many similar players. Golden State I’m looking at you. This is where GM’s need to be more disciplined. For example, now after a couple years we know Monta Ellis and Steph Curry are not a good backcourt duo together, the GM needs to make the hard decision to trade one of them. This case it’s simple, you trade Monta (he’s older and has a bigger contract). Now they will not get dollar for dollar value, but make a trade where you patch up a weakness. Again in their case they need a defense minded center to pair with David Lee. There are enough out there that would work. I would think Washington could trade Javale McGee for Monta Ellis. Washington gets a good shooter for Wall to kick out to (though Ellis needs to be a better three point shooter) and for Golden State McGee is perfect to run along Lee. McGee doesn’t need to score and he is a good defender and like Lee he is a good rebounder.

Like the actual game, every NBA roster is fluid and not every team can be good at once. But we shouldn’t see a situation like the Clippers, ever. Common sense should take over here, if things aren’t working make moves.  But a lot of GM’s aren’t smart, their college educated but they are dumb. I will get off my soapbox and let you go on your day.

My next blog I am going to recap the draft. Its been a while since the draft and it’s time to get my evaluation out. Plus with free agency starting december 9th it will be hard to get any good predictions going for team previews.

As always I recommend leaving a comment, whether you agree or disagree!