Has the blog returned? Oh, it just might have...only time will tell. Yes, I admit it's been quite a while since my words have graced this page. Just how long? Well...since I've last written, Philadelphia won a championship, a black man was elected President, and - oh yeah - the Knicks have a winning record. The world, it seems, has changed.
What can I say about Mike D'Antoni? Not since Def Leppard has anyone done more with less. The Knicks
are 6-4, Stephon Marbury has yet to play a minute, and Zach Randolph (aka Stay Puft) is averaging 20.8, 12.9 through the season's first ten games. This is amazing. It's beautiful. Honestly, I feel the same way about the Knicks' first ten games the way I felt about the Giants' playoff run: utter shock and unrestrainable smiles. This won't last, obviously, but it seems clear that the organization has awoken from the Isaiah Thomas nightmare. And frankly, that's enough for me. Anything else is an added bonus.
West Preview:
1. Lakers: They're the best team in the league on paper. But games aren't played on paper. Gasol is still soft. Odom's role is uncertain, and he shrunk in last year's finals. Bynum looks great, but he is unproven. Yes, he could be the next great center. Could be. But right now, he's an unproven 21-year old with a surgically rebuilt knee. And Kobe, while the best player on earth, needs to be the leader of last season and not the horrible teammate we saw in the Finals.
2. New Orleans: The one thing the Hornets were missing was experience. They got a ton of it in last year's playoffs and imported a wealth of it in James Posey. A veteran of the Boston and Miami championship teams, Posey adds leadership to an amazingly talented and mature Hornets lineup. Add him to the Chris Paul, David West, and Tyson Chandler trio and New Orleans has a very real chance to win it all.
3. Utah: With so many of their players becoming free agents after this season, the Jazz may be looking at it's last chance to win. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams are as dynamic a duo as the league has, but Utah is just not as good as New Orleans or LA, and could lose to Houston or a healthy San Antonio as well. Williams will need to stay healthy for Utah to have a chance and Boozer may be in Miami before we know it.
4. Houston: I love this team. Last year, without Yao, the nice guy Rockets went 22-0 and played amazing team ball. McGrady was the scorer, Battier was the defensive specialist, and Alston, Scola, 
and Landry turned a lot of heads. This year, Yao is back, which takes a ton of pressure off T-Mac, and the addition of Ron Artest turns Houston into a true title contender. Here's why: He's the one guy in the league who is truly unpredictable. He's a defensive-minded player who could snap at any minute, and will thus keep opponents on edge. Shane Battier is a great defensive player, but he doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of opponents. He's most likely to appear on Jeopardy. Artest is most likely to appear on America's Most Wanted. In playoff ball, I'd love to see how Pau Gasol reacts in his presence.
5. Phoenix: They look really good right now and they're playing with heart. Steve Nash and Shaq, the NBA's two resident good guys, have both already been disciplined by the league. If I'm Terry Porter, this makes me really happy - these guys are playing with attitude for the first time in a while. They know full well that the window is closing and they seem to be playing harder and tougher than they did last year. Amare Stoudamire is one of the top players in the league and if he returns to the level of the '06 playoffs, the Suns might just get to the top of the West. Diaw/Bell/Barbosa make a great second shift and are perfectly capable of stepping up when Grant Hill qualifies for Social Security later this season and if and when Shaq's body fails on him. Robin Lopez is one of my favorite new guys, specializing in defense and comic books, and Matt Barnes wins the November award for most headlines for a guy I've never heard of before.
6. San Antonio: No depth, but more experience than anyone in the league. Manu and Parker are hurt, but if they're back by playoff time, you really can never discount the Spurs. Duncan, Manu, and Parker are the three guys you'd want on the court in the Finals. The problem here - besides health - is the staggering lack of depth. Still, when Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan are on board, you have to expect great things.
7. Dallas Mavericks: In short, everyone on this roster has something to prove. Kidd has to prove he can still play, Dirk has to prove he can still win, Josh Howard has to prove his sobriety, and Mark Cuban has
to prove his innocence.
8. Denver Nuggets: I guess I'm on board. I really want the Blazers to grab this last spot, but I think the Billups trade has playoff implications for the Nuggets. It solidifies Anthony as the team's primary scorer and franchise player and gives them a point guard to match up against Paul and Williams (Billups also happens to be one of the league's great leaders and a former Finals MVP). With JR Smith, Nene, and K-Mart in the front court, the Nuggets look pretty damn good right now. I love Iverson, but he and Carmelo never belonged on a team together. I don't think this is a deep playoff team by any means, but they'll probably keep Portland outside the bubble.
Just for good measure...9. Portland Trailblazers: If the Blazers make the playoffs, it will be because of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Fernandez...not Greg Oden. Oden can be a good role player for them this year, but if they lean too heavily on him they will fall over. Brandon Roy HAS to be the center of this team.
Predictions for the Eastern Conference:
1. Boston Celtics: This team is f'ing hungry. They have the talent and they damn sure have the drive. Pierce can't stop talking about defending the title. Garnett can't stop bullying people (Calderon and Bogut). Seriously, Garnett punched Bogut in the face. How is this not a bigger story?
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron. Mo Williams is no Scottie Pippen, folks, regardless of what ESPN may think. But he is the best role player LBJ has had and that should count for something. Big Z and Delonte should come up big throughout the year, and the inevitable Wally-for-a-4 trade will help tremendously.
3. Detroit Pistons: Allen Iverson is my favorite player in the league and has been for a long time - and he was born to play in Detroit. This trade was a salary dump, plain and simple, but let's not ignore
what AI brings to the table. He's a tough, relentless player who brings it all every time he steps onto the court. He immediately drives up the scoring totals and the energy. But that doesn't overtake Boston.
4. Orlando Magic: People need to get on Dwight Howard more for taking certain games off. But at the end of the day, he, Turkoglu, and Lewis make one hell of a front line.
5. Toronto Raptors: While the attention is focused on Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon will quietly explode this season and cement his spot as the third best point guard in the NBA and the best in the East. If Jermaine O'Neal is healthy enough to contribute, the Raptors will turn some heads.
6. Philadelphia: Elton Brand is not the savior. At his best he's an all star, though not an elite player. And he's rarely at his best. Igoudala is the leader of this team, but he's not capable of leading the Sixers past any of the East's top three teams. Brand, Igoudala, and Miller are enough to make the Sixers competitive, but Philly fans should be glad they won the World Series..it'll be a while before they can measure up in the NBA.
7. Atlanta: Despite Josh Childress's EuroTrip, the Hawks are still stacked with young talent. Al Horford should have been the rookie of the year last year and will prove his merit as a top center this season. Josh Smith is a beast. Marvin Williams will see increased time this season and will have to prove himself (honestly, it's now or never for Mo). Mike Bibby is a proven leader and a great anchor for this young team. And Joe Johnson is the league MVP through the season's first ten games. The Hawks are not a deep team, by any means. But they have amazing talent, heart, and guts. They will play every game with a huge chip on their shoulders and are definitely not a team I would want to face in the first round of the playoffs.
8. Miami: Mark my words: Dwyane Wade will be the MVP. Shawn Marion will either contribute or be traded for guys who will contribute. Mike Beasley will become a 20-10 guy by season's end. Mario Chalmers has been shockingly good so far. But really, it all centers on Wade. He's one of the few guys in the league who is good enough to almost single-handedly take his team to the playoffs. There will never be another Michael Jordan. Never. But Wade is probably the closest thing we've seen.
MVP: Dwyane Wade
ROY: Derrick Rose
Most Improved: Marvin Williams
Sixth Man: Odom, if he is sixth man. Stuckey, otherwise.
Coach of the Year: Mike D'Antoni
Playoffs:
East: First Round: Celtics over Heat (in 4), Cavs over Hawks (in 7), Detroit over Philly (in 5), Toronto over Orlando (in 7)
Second Round: Celtics over Toronto (in 6), Cavs over Detroit (in 7)
Conference Finals: Celtics over Cavs (in 6)
West: First Round: Lakers over Nuggets (in 5), Hornets over Mavs (in 5), Jazz over Spurs (in 6), Rockets over Suns (in 7)
Second Round: Lakers over Rockets (in 7), Hornets over Jazz (in 6)
Conference Finals: Lakers over Hornets (in 7)
NBA Finals: Celtics over Lakers (in 6)
The injuries to Parker and Ginobili are actually a blessing in disguise for the Spurs. They're coming at the begining of the season and are giving our reserves an opportunity to step up and show what they're made of.
Once Parker and Ginobili return (which will hopefully take place by mid-December), the domination will begin. The team might take a while to completely gel, but we'll be hitting our peak right when the playoffs begin. And experience counts in the playoffs.
Spurs = surprise team of the season
Posted by: Aaron | November 19, 2008 at 02:57 PM
I actually kind of agree with you there. Still, I'd rather experience didn't come at the expense of two of my best players. Either way, if everything comes together it'll be just in time for the Spurs to lose to either LA or New Orleans. And for Pop to shave his beard.
Posted by: Dave | November 19, 2008 at 03:19 PM