Nba '06-'07

So, what's on your mind for this season? Let's talk roundball. Every team has their own issues...

ATLANTIC DIVISION
New Jersey- While these guys were manhandled in the postseason after running away with a weak division, the young, cheap bench they put together in the offseason is bound to keep guys fresher for the playoffs. People are talking a lot about this Mile Ilic kid, and Marcus Williams may have been the best point guard in the draft. They may not be Eastern champions and they still don’t have the double-digit rebounder they need (though free agent Bonzi Wells would be GREAT coming off this bench), but they’re still near the top of the conference.

Toronto- The only thing keeping Toronto from entering the .500 realm is coach Sam Mitchell. He’s the wrong guy, and he’s been there for, what, four years? All he does is alienate young players, even if many that the Toronto front office have given him have been difficult malcontents. Once these guys begin 0-10, expect him to be replaced by a real coach, and from that point, they may put together a real season, even if number one pick Andrea Bargnani doesn’t pan out. With TJ Ford and Fred Jones in the backcourt, this is gonna be a fast squad, though if Bargnani turns out to be a player, they can go big with Mo Peterson (who was automatic after the All-Star break) at shooting guard and a frontcourt of Bargnani, Rasho Nesterovic and soon-to-be All-World Chris Bosh. This is the year Bosh enters the annual MVP race.

Philadelphia- Looks like another mediocre year in Philadelphia. It’s impossible for this team to build with the $20 million annual salaries of both Allen Iverson and Chris Webber, and none of the younger players ever get the ball from these two. Supposedly, they are moving Iverson back to shooting guard, but the only real point man on this roster is Kevin Ollie- not like a movie would make a difference anyway. It’s hard not to win quite a few games when two players often account for sixty points, fifteen rebounds and fifteen assists, but due to chemistry issues, this might become an ugly year.

Boston- Boston has really accumulated a cadre of young players, but this plan just has not panned out. It’s not as if Danny Ainge has been acquiring a sea of Quentin Richardsons and the like to start over these guys- they’ve been given every chance to break the lineup. And here we are, beginning another year where Paul Pierce is expecting someone to emerge as a reliable second scoring threat. Wally Szczerbiak is still a solid shot, but he’s not a difference maker. Occasionally, power forward Al Jefferson shows flashes, but he isn’t strong enough and always gets beat on defense. And now undersized Sebastian Telfair becomes the new “point guard of the future”. This team has been running on expectations for a long time now, but its hard to maintain them going into this season.

New York- A three guard rotation of Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis and Jamal Crawford is unstoppable, and Jalen Rose will have plenty of options from the point forward positions. And with the marksmanship of Quentin Richardson and all-out hustle of Eddy Curry, it’s hard to see these guys lose a game. Just kidding- these guys are awful, and I wouldn’t trust Isiah Thomas to coach a scowl out of Michelle Rodriguez. Maybe they’ll have a better record than last year, but they’ll be a generally worse, more depressing, and far less interesting team.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Chicago- The best defensive team in the league just added the Defensive Player of the Year in Ben Wallace. Their shortcoming remains their lack of a post scorer, though they may end up counting on Luol Deng for that- this guy is going to be their MVP. There’s a great mix and a nice nucleus that’s been together for a couple of years now, and after last year’s hiccup, I think they have a chance to be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, at least until the playoffs.

Cleveland- If only Tony Stark and Reed Richards ran the Cleveland front office. Then they could produce an all-LeBron James lineup that would surely go 82-0. Last year was encouraging, as Cleveland made it to Game Seven versus Detroit, and even though they added no significant pieces (they could use something more substantial at the point- Eric Snow is getting up there in age) they could easily compete again this year. The problem is injuries, or maybe lack thereof. Their bench is too skinny for the team to stay afloat if formerly fragile Zydrundas Ilgauskas goes down, though it’s noted that they played a lot better last year while shooting guard Larry Hughes was out. Hughes’ slashing style doesn’t complement James very well, and his erratic shooting and lunging defensive style cost them.

Detroit- Hard to believe a 64 win team could end up the next year in third place, but its certainly a possibility. This is the year Detroit’s lack of depth is going to hurt them. If Nazr Mohammed can’t get it done at center, and there’s not much evidence to say he can, they’ll move Rasheed Wallace there and drop Tayshaun Prince to the power forward spot. But then who fills the forward spot in the starting lineup? Detroit has high hopes for reserve Antonio McDyess now that Ben Wallace is gone, but you can’t count on him for more than thirty minutes of playing time. Worth noting- this is Chauncey Billups’ contract year.

Milwaukee- This is a good team. Unfortunately coach Terry Stotts is not the right guy for them. Their play last season was erratic, and they really had no stout defensive schemes to speak of, which, combined with some hellacious rebounding stats, left them out of many games. This year they’ve bulked up with Andrew Bogut flanked by Charlie Villanueva and a combo of Bobby Simmons and Ruben Patterson, which on paper suggests a strength. But Villanueva still doesn’t care enough about defense and fades on the boards, while Simmons has regressed as a scorer and Patterson, a defensive stalwart, is never a sure thing. Plus, Maurice Williams isn’t a proven starter, as he has yet to exhibit a clean bill of health for a full year.

Indiana- Rick Carlisle is too conservative a coach to ever bench Stephen Jackson in favor of new acquisition Marquis Daniels, but Jackson’s approach is typical to the quagmire this team has been the last two years. He’s an unmotivated defender and has poor shot selection. He’d be a perfect sixth man, but he’ll be paired in the starting lineup with another career loser, Al Harrington, who’s probably the least impactful 20 ppg scorer in history. Supposedly there will be at least some lineup tinkering this year, as Carlisle is moving Jermaine O’Neal to center to start Charmin-soft Harrington at the four and move Danny Granger into the starting lineup. Admirable, sure, but These three are going to need someone to get them the ball, and oft-injured Jamaal Tinsley has exhausted his goodwill. Supplanting him with Marquis Daniels seems like a good idea, but you’re taking a scorer out of the weak bench corps, and even then, Daniels would only be a stopgap point guard. Expect a deal or two to be made.

SOUTHEAST
Washington- They’ve been playing well together for awhile now, and with Miami likely taking it easy on Shaquille and Dwyane in preparation for the postseason, it’s not hard to see Washington surpassing fifty wins. Gilbert Arenas is pretty much a one man team, and while Antawn Jamison is good for 19 and 9, Caron Butler came alive in the second half, and with a bigger role in the offense (and, consequently, the defense), he could boost this team to the upper echelon. As every team, they have an issue with post scoring (to the point where they gave Darius Songaila $21 million- seriously?), but if they stay healthy, not many other teams can keep up in the open court.

Miami- Expect Pat Riley to be a bit looser, letting Shaq and Dwyane Wade have a few more days off than usual. In some ways, it would be like giving Antoine Walker the keys to the car. Considering I wouldn’t even literally give Antoine Walker the keys to my car, this move will probably lead to a questionable record and ignorant media speculation, but in the long run, Miami will be poised for another serious postseason. But there’s no shortage of hungry competitors, so it’s doubtful another championship is in the cards, and if Miami makes it to the Finals, they will not be a well-rested or energized team.

Orlando- There are a lot of if’s surrounding this ballclub, but after trading away Steve Francis, they had the best finish in franchise history. A lot of that comes from the surprise acquisition of Darko Milicic. Though gunshy, he slid comfortably into the rotation as a superior shot-blocker and passer, and together with behemoth Dwight Howard, they form a surprisingly intimidating inside combo. If Orlando wants to make the playoffs, though, they need more production from their two and three positions. A healthy return from Grant Hill would go a long way, but so would a LeBron James clone, so until then, Orlando has to rely on rookie JJ Redick, Keyon Dooling and Hedo Turkoglu.

Atlanta- They continue to draft for what can loosely be constructed as their “strengths”, so every Atlanta move is a peculiarity. This is Joe Johnson’s team, true, but the four best players reside at small forward (Josh Childress and Josh Smith- neither can shoot) and power forward (Marvin Williams and Shelden Williams- neither has bulked up enough). The Hawks will improve because of the signing of Speedy Claxton, entrenching him and Johnson as starters at their particular guard positions, but the team has yet to shore up their defense, outside shooting and fourth quarter execution- second in the league turnovers, the Hawks are a walking endgame disaster.

Charlotte- Baby steps. For the first time in franchise history, the Bobcats have an actual starting lineup. But this team is young and they need to learn how to play together. Emeka Okafor should provide a solid anchor and complement rookie Adam Morrison well- Morrison will probably be the top rookie scorer. And Raymond Felton finally usurped Brevin Knight of the starting point guard position late last year. Things are looking up, but they’re gonna need a system, and with Michael Jordan in place as an executive, you know they’re going to, ah, take their time.

SOUTHWEST
Dallas- While the Mavs made the Finals last year, they did it with some players only recently finding their place in the rotation. Josh Howard begins this year as the clear-cut starter at small forward, while Jason Terry becomes the new shooting guard, supplanted at the point by Devin Harris. Off the bench, they’re hoping for an injury-free campaign to their official sixth man, Jerry Stackhouse. And of course there’s Dirk Nowitski- don’t think teammates forgot the criticism he lobbied at them during the postseason (though, as always, Erick Dampier might have).

San Antonio- The era of Spurs dominance may be over, but only because other teams have improved so much. They still have some solid pieces, and if healthy, they have enough depth and talent to win fifty again. Still, they’ve downgraded their center position and Duncan is relying on Francisco Elson and Jackie Butler to draw away double teams by hitting the midrange shot. It may be time for San Antonio to acquire a young big body for grooming when Duncan starts to fade, but those are in short supply, and they might need to part with Manu Ginobili to make that happen. Being that Ginobili often tires out at the end of the year, it might be a decent idea to deal him, but for what?

New Orleans- Chris Paul is ready to lead this team into the postseason. Bringing in Peja Stojakovic gives this team a solid scorer to form an inside-outside combo with David West, and Tyson Chandler gives them a respectable rebounder and shot-blocker who can still grab as many rebounds as his age. There’s still a hole in the swing position- Desmond Mason hasn’t been the same since an elbow injury a year ago- but the Hornets have backcourt depth with super sub Bobby Jackson and a chance to bring along lottery picks Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons slowly. The offseason represented a major revamp, and Paul is only in his second year, so there may be some growing pains, but this is a threatening team in the Western Conference.

Memphis- Every year, people rule this team out, and every year they prove critics wrong with a respectable, unremarkable year. Hard to see that discontinuing here, even with the acquisition of rookie Rudy Gay. By dealing Shane Battier for Gay, they were making a concerted effort to move away from the slow, grind-it-out style established by coach Mike Fratello. However, that was the style that best suited All-Star Pau Gasol, who had a career year in ’05-’06. Can Fratello embrace a faster style? Does he have the personnel? This isn’t a contending year as much as it’s a transition season, but they’re gonna need more youth than Gasol and Gay- backcourt Eddie Jones and Damon Stoudamire aren’t getting any younger and Mike Miller has seen better days. Plus, how many times is Memphis going to trust Stromile Swift as a starting center?

Houston- This Yao-McGrady combination is not working. It’s one thing or the other- Yao can’t play with a ballhawk like McGrady, McGrady’s back condition is chronic, there’s no salary cap space to bring in reliable supporting players, Yao is best in a halfcourt set while McGrady is better off running… whatever the case, this is the third year in which the Rockets are going to be counting on solid play from Juwan Howard. Last year, just as Yao was beginning to step his game up with McGrady on the sidelines, he broke his foot again and now he’s returning to a team with McGrady in no rush to dial down his number of shot attempts. Trading for Shane Battier was a good move because it could defuse any tensions that erupt in the locker room on this sinking ship, but this is a team that needs to be blown up.

NORTHWEST
Utah- A healthy Utah team is extremely rare, but this squad is immensely talented. Deron Williams is developing into a solid point man, but Utah brought in a winner in Derek Fisher to back him up and light a fire under him. And a fire Utah needs- owner Larry Miller took several different occasions to verbally berate this team last year, particularly oft-injured Carlos Boozer. But at year’s end, Boozer was finally earning his money at center for a depleted team. Now he can finally join a healthy Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur in a peerless frontcourt, all players versatile enough to play any of the three positions. They’re going to throw rookie Ronnie Brewer into the fire at shooting guard, but they also still have Matt Harpring and Gordon Giricek. The entire team is brittle, but they’re one shaman doctor away from being a Western Conference superpower.

Denver- It’s still a mystery what caused George Karl to suspend Kenyon Martin for the length of the postseason. Plans to deal him went as well as the idea of dealing Nene a season ago, and again the Nuggets head into the new season with that frontcourt logjam. While that really isn’t much of a problem- none of these guys can stay healthy anyway- the attitude from Martin (angry), Nene (defiant about starting) and Marcus Camby (apathetic) is a problem, particularly when matched against the combustible Karl. Carmelo Anthony’s surliness isn’t anything worth ignoring, either. The Nuggets remain the league’s worst three point shooting team, and they seem intent on fixing that problem by sorting through the discount pile. While New Orleans may have been foolish to part with young JR Smith, the guy shoots below 40%. Hey, Bonzi Wells is still on the market.

Seattle- The same squad that finished last year near the dregs of the Western Conference has brought the band back together. Seattle was completely asleep at the wheel during this offseason, which can’t please franchise star Ray Allen. The only addition to the team was lottery pick Mouhamed Saer Sene, a seven footer who came off the bench for a second division Belgium (Belgiumish?) team. Seattle is hoping for internal improvement from young point guard Luke Ridnour and centers Robert Swift and Johan Petro, but it was the same story last year and they only won 35 games. The key will be Chris Wilcox, who woke from slumber after being acquired late last year and was a consistent double-double guy for Seattle.

Minnesota- Bringing in Mike James at the point won’t snap this team out of its funk, as he’s a guy who plays only for himself and doesn’t get teammates involved. But maybe this will get the depressed Kevin Garnett to stand up to slovenly teammates like him and showboating Ricky Davis, questionably poor decision maker Troy Hudson or inconsistent Eddie Griffin (who explained a car crash by blaming it on the porn playing on his car’s TV set). Coach Dwayne Casey didn’t seem to have any idea what he was doing, beginning the year with an emphasis on defense and ending it by pushing the ball with Marcus Banks and Rashard McCants on the wings. Banks, of course, wasn’t re-signed, while McCants was injured in the offseason and won’t be back until 2007.

Portland- Not one of the strongest teams in Portland’s storied history, but it’s a lot more promising than recent years. The main struggle seems to be between Nate McMillan and Darius Miles- Portland will do everything in their power to ditch him, which is why they’ve stockpiled their frontcourt with a number of bodies. Unfortunately, the longer promising players like rookies LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy play with Miles and surly Zach Randolph, the more likely they are to pick up bad habits. McMillan needs to be given the opportunity to mold a team of players that want to be there, and a lot of that will start in the clubhouse with the older members of the team, particularly Juan Dixon and Jamaal Magloire.

PACIFIC
Phoenix- The Suns have a lot of options if Amare Stoudemire returns from injury successfully, which should be a warning to the rest of the league. Phoenix hasn’t proven they can defensively place the clamps down on anyone, though shooting guard Raja Bell certainly made a name for himself taking on Kobe Bryant in the postseason and went a long way towards giving this formerly plucky crew a winning attitude. If this Phoenix squad is going to win the championship as presented assembled, this is their best opportunity.

Los Angeles Clippers- This offseason’s signing of Tim Thomas to a $24 million contract was an overpriced contingency plan and not last resort, which separates this Clippers team from promising squads of year’s past. It’s uncertain how much Sam Cassell will give them now that he’s got his big contract, but Shaun Livingston is ready to assume a bigger role and as presently constituted, this team might not miss a beat with him quarterbacking them. The biggest decision will likely revolve around Corey Maggette being a reliable scorer for them or a cancer- he doesn’t run plays well, and passing to him is like throwing the ball into a black hole. The Clippers played well while he was out with yet another injury last year, and he barely contributed to anything in the playoffs.

Sacramento- Every year the Kings have taken a step down to the point where they really don’t have much an identity anymore. Formerly a run-and-gun team, they’re going to have to become a halfcourt squad under Eric Musselman. This still isn’t much of a scoring team, even if Ron Artest is poised to have a breakout year- as long as he’s on the court, he’s easily one of the league’s best. They need to decide who’s a better fit at power forward- Shareef Abdur-Rahim was the starter, but when he got hurt, Kenny Thomas outperformed him as the team emerged from an early-season slump.

Los Angeles Lakers- Smush Parker? Vladimir Radmanovic? Sasha Vujacic? These are the names Phil Jackson is relying on this year. Everyone has been waiting on a twenty and ten year from Lamar Odom but it looks like he and the rest of this team has reached its ceiling. Like last year, this just isn’t a very good team, and even if Kobe Bryant averages a hundred points a game, it’s not going to strengthen this team’s lackluster rebounding, defense, three point shooting or basic talent level.

Golden State- Last year the team had everything in place to make a serious run and they flopped. They’re going about it again with the same cast, which has to be disconcerting. Baron Davis and Jason Richardson have yet to accomplish anything other than flashy stats, and Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy Jr. have yet to fully elevate their games to an All-Star level. The Warriors used their draft pick on a seven foot project in Patrick O’Bryant, meaning they only lost pieces during the offseason. Expect this team to be quickly blown up if they don’t have a fast start.

No one was interested in Christian Laettener, so it looks like he's going to buy his way onto a roster... http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2612057

Shameless?