The Kings Should Sell High on Rondo Now

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Rajon Rondo has had a break out season this year. After not playing up to par since his torn ACL in 2012 he found himself looking for anybody to give him a second look after controversy in Dallas. The Kings took a chance on Rondo and signed him to a one year deal worth $9.5 million. For the production Rondo is putting out the Kings picked up Rondo for a steal. He is averaging 11.9 points per game, a league leading 11.2 assists per game, and 6.5 rebounds per game. The only thing that Rondo has not been able to do for this team is put up some wins.

The Kings are 12-20. Despite only being 2 games back of the 8th place Utah Jazz the Kings have underperformed this season. With a line up consisting of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and vintage Rondo, and being lead by George Karl, the Kings should be at least at a .500 win percentage. The team struggles though and DeMarcus Cousins still throws fits when it is completely unnecessary. Just a few nights ago he threw a fit when the ref called him for his 5th foul of the game. Rather than just walking away and giving Karl time to move him to the bench he got himself ejected. At the time he was ejected the Kings were up by 2 in the third quarter. The outcome of the game may have been different had Cousins been able to re-enter the game in the fourth. But the Kings would fall to the Warriors 122-103.

With all this said maybe it is time for the Kings to cash in on Rondo rather than hope for a playoff run. First things first, Rondo is a free agent at the end of the season. He may decide to go else where after this season and he will be looking for a big pay check. If the Kings continue to struggle like they are, I'm sure Rondo will look to play somewhere other than Sacramento next season.

Also Rondo turns 30 in a couple of months. I doubt his production will continue at it's current level throughout an entire max contract. So the Kings should attempt to acquire young players or even draft picks in exchange for Rondo.

The Kings really need to take a hard look at what their future holds and whether they will continue down the path they're on and hope that the wins come with better chemistry. Or if Cousins, Rondo and Gay aren't the future and trade them now for something valuable in return. I'm sure that the Kings can get a good return on those guys, including first round picks. Either way the time is now to decide whether or not they should part ways with these players and they should start with Rondo while he has high production.

Cavaliers Look to Take Another Step Forward

Today Kyrie Irving is going to make his season debut against the Philadelphia 76ers. Irving has yet to play this this season due to a knee injury he suffered in game one of the NBA finals in June. Irving fractured his knee cap and had surgery the following day. He would watch his team compete against the Warriors from his hospital room. The Cavaliers were also without Kevin Love during the finals last year after he suffered a dislocated left shoulder in the first round of the playoffs last year. With both Irving and Love back to full health the Cavaliers should be able to do bigger things this year. The Cavs will be without Mo Williams (sprained wrist) and Iman Shumpert (groin) for today's game.

It will be exciting to see Irving healthy. It was said his recovery time would be three to four months, but the Cavs were being very cautious with bringing him back. Hopefully it pays off and Irving can stay healthy. Adding him to this team should only improve there chances at competing come playoff playoff time. And it's good news for Cavaliers that he is returning sooner rather than later.

Brooklyn's Blurry Future

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The Nets lost again last night to the Miami Heat 104-98. The Nets now sit in the 14th seed at 7-18. A record that is only better than two teams in the whole league. Those two teams behind the Nets are the Lakers and the Sixers. Both of those teams are in the rebuilding state and are looking for a high draft pick next summer. As for the Nets, well the season is slipping away. Last week they were only five games out of 8th place. They could probably make up that ground if they could string together some wins. But after finishing there six game home stand 2-4 there is a lot of concern. For one the Nets are seven games behind the 8th place Detroit Pistons. They are slowly letting a possible playoff run get away. For bad teams making the playoffs isn't everything. In fact when a team is on a downward spiral the team will trade away some of there good players for draft picks and look to improve through the draft. By using their own picks and the ones they obtain they can start to build a team geared to win in the future.

This is where the Nets problem lies. Not only did they trade there 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 first round draft picks, but they had no protection on there 2014, 2016, and 2018 first round picks. Combine that with the Joe Johnson trade that ended up allowing the Hawks to swap first round picks with the Nets last year, the Nets haven't been able to do much rebuilding. The Nets have been making all the wrong moves since 2012. Remember the trade in 2012 for Gerald Wallace? We traded a top three protected pick and it landed at number six. The guy the Blazers drafted happened to be all-star Damian Lillard.  Dwelling on the past won't do much for the Nets now, so let's look at what there future holds.

As stated before there is not much hope of the Nets making the playoffs this year. They have fallen behind in what is now a tougher eastern conference. The Nets cannot tank though. Unlike the Sixers they own there picks so they want to do as bad as they can. And for the Lakers, they also want to tank because they keep their pick because they put a top three protection on it. This means when the draft lottery comes around and the Lakers end up with the number one, two or three pick they keep it. If they land outside the top three the pick will go to the 76ers, who wisely traded Phoenix for. For the Nets they put NO protection on their picks. NONE! That means if the Nets win the draft lottery and have the number one pick, it will go to the Celtics. This is horrible and it gets worse.

The Celtics play in the same division as the Nets. So whoever the Celtics draft with the Nets picks in 2016, 2017, and 2018, will have to play these guys play four times a year. The Celtics made the playoffs last year and will most likely make the playoffs again. Giving a contending team like this high draft picks will only help them improve and create longevity. By the time the Nets own their first round draft pick again, (which is 2019) the Celtics may be the second or third best team in the conference or maybe in the league.

The Nets strategy should be to win as many games as possible because they will only hurt themselves more by losing games. Not only will the Celtics get a higher draft pick, but big name free agents do not want to play on a losing team. The Nets have to show something promising this season and they need to trade Jarrett Jack and Joe Johnson for someone. Johnson has an expiring contract worth about $25 million the Nets do not want to do a salary dump rather find a team with some decent assets that could develop into something more. Jarrett Jack still has some value and it's worth exploring what his value is because he will not be the starting point guard for the Nets two years from now.

Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News

The Nets might be able to draw free agents in because they are in the Big Apple and they also have ample amount of cap space to offer a max contract and possibly sign another solid player. The Nets have a good foundation to build on, but you can't build something without supplies.

NBA MVP

Photo Credit: Gerald Herbert/AP

It is early in the season to start talking about the MVP race, but it is always a fun discussion. Without a doubt Stephen Curry has been the overwhelming favorite so far this season. It is worth noting that he has earned every little bit of spot light he has gotten so far this season. With the light so bright on him it has overshadowed other players who have been playing very well this season. So lets take a look at the players who have been been playing very well so far this season.

Kevin Durant has playing much better than many expected him to after missing almost all of last season. He is averaging 27.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game all while shooting 53% from the field and 44.3% from three. Those shooting percentages are the highest of his career and if Stephen Curry wasn't playing out of his mind Kevin Durant would easily be the front runner for MVP.

Just behind Durant would be Paul George.

Photo Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

George is also returning from injury. He played at the end of last season, but he had a minutes restriction and was just getting back on the court. This year he has had the whole off season to work himself back into basketball shape and that's exactly what he did. George is averaging 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game, just on par with Durant's numbers. George isn't shooting as good as Durant with a field goal percentage of 44% and three point percentage of 42.9%. What stands out about George's play is how well his team has performed so far this season. His team is 13-9 and while they have struggled a little bit as of late, they have still played better than many expected them to this season. And the reason for them playing so well is because of George's presences on the court. For that reason he is third behind Curry and Durant.

Photo Credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant

Another player who has played very well this season is Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has been scoring the ball more this season and very efficiently. Leonard has averaged 20.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2 steals per game. He has brought the same defensive mentality he does every season while putting points up on the board. He has also done this while shooting 50.3% from the field and 48.3% from three. I would move Leonard higher on this list, but the team play of the Spurs has been the main reason for their success so far this season. Not to say Leonard hasn't contributed, but their have been games where Lamarcus Aldridge has been the Spurs best player. Spurs fans should be excited because the future for this team is very bright and Leonard is only 24, so he still has time to continue to improve.

Photo Credit: usatoday.com

And what would an MVP list be without LeBron James. James has averaged 26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. James has not shot well from three this year sitting at 28%, but his usage percentage is at it's highest since 2009-2010. That means LeBron is really carrying the team right now. And LeBron doesn't mind. He has said multiple times this year that he wants to play all 82 games. That can't happen of course since he sat out one game so far, but he hasn't been resting as much as we saw in Miami and I'm sure basketball fans appreciate this.

Stephen Curry sitting 4th quarters and it's OK

Stephen Curry is having an unbelievable season thus far in the NBA season. His team stand at 20-0 which has set the NBA record for most wins to begin a season. He has also showed no signs of slowing down. He is averaging 32 points per game and is adding 6 assists and 2.4 steals per game to his stat line. Not to mention he is shooting 52% from the field, 45% from three and 94% from the free throw line. He is doing all of this while averaging 34.3 minutes per game. Out of the top 10 scores in the league only Blake Griffin is averaging less minutes at 34.1 minutes per game. But Giffin is scoring average is about 7 points lower than Curry's. Curry is offensive production is through the roof.

Luke Walton has had a strategy where if his team is up by a significant amount by the end of the third he will sit Curry the whole 4th quarter. The whole quarter! Just imagine the Cavaliers sitting LeBron James the going into the 4th quarter because they are up 15. The Cavaliers will most likely start to lose the lead to a good team and need LeBron to come back in and put the game out of reach for good. With the Warriors they don't really need to worry about that because they have so much team depth that if their bench goes in they will either hold the lead or even increase it. That's just how good this Warriors team is.

This teams determination is nothing anyone has ever seen before. They did win the championship last year, yet they are playing like they have something to prove. A championship team playing with a chip on their shoulder is unheard of and that is what makes the Warriors so deadly. They are a great team with plenty of motivation in a regular season that many teams view as pointless. While most good teams are resting guys in anticipation of a long playoff run come April the Warriors are looking to destroy every opponent they come across. This is great for the NBA because it gives value to what would normally be a boring regular season. Every night the Warriors have to bring their A-game because they know better than anyone that any team they go up against will want to be the ones to over come the odds. And that just brings out the best in everyone at the end of the day.

More Likely to Reach 20 First

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher/USA Today

The Warriors are now 19-0 after a win over the Utah Jazz last night. The Jazz made it the toughest outing the Warriors have had so far, but weren't able to top them. On the other end of the spectrum the Sixers are 0-18 matching the Nets 2010-2011 record for worst start to the NBA season. Both teams are off to historic starts whether it be in a good way or a bad way, but will the Warriors hit 20-0 or will the Sixers take tanking to a whole new level and reach 0-20.

Photo Credit: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

First lets look at the Sixers match up tonight. Tonight the Sixers are playing the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers currently hold the second worst record in the league sitting at 2-14. Tonight might finally be the break the Sixers have been looking for. The Sixers have been able to keep games close and have almost come out with a win on a few occasions now. That's not to say the Sixers will have it easy tonight. I'm sure Kobe will want to come out and put on a show for his hometown Philadelphia after announcing his retirement a couple of days ago. Also Hibbert may not be the most offensively skilled center in the NBA, but he can still play solid post defense. This might be a night where Okafor struggles a bit more to get looks. And tomorrow night the Sixers will go up against the New York Knicks, who have done better than many have expected so far. The Knicks are looking to improve their home record of 3-6 so far and they will be looking to take advantage of a weak team to do so. 

Photo Credit: Tony Gutierrez/AP

For the Warriors they have set the NBA record for most wins to start a season and are now one win away from being 20-0. On Wednesday, the same night the Sixers play the Knicks, the Warriors will be in Charlotte taking on the Hornets. The Hornets have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games and are 8-2 at home this season. Also Nicolas Batum has played very well recently. The question isn't whether the Warriors can slow down Batum, but rather if the Hornets can slow down Curry. There are no words to describe how Curry has been playing so far. With the way the Warriors have been blowing out teams lately, it shouldn't be a surprise if they roll into Charlotte tomorrow and win by 30.

It is more likely that the Warriors start 20-0 than the Sixers starting 0-20 due to the fact that the Warriors are one game closer to their mark and the Sixers have a much more favorable schedule. The Sixers should be able to get a win on the board tonight or tomorrow. For the Warriors, they are favored to win against Charlotte and that comes as no surprise. But in all honesty by Wednesday night the Warriors will probably be 20-0 and the Sixers will probably be 0-20.

Warriors among all time Greatest Teams

The Golden State Warriors set an NBA record by starting off the season 16-0. It's not surprising that they won 16 in a row, but it did come as a surprise how much they are beating there opponents by. They are beating opponents by an average margin of 11.3 points per game. Last night against the Laker they went up 27-9 early and never looked back. They would go on to beat the Lakers 111-77. The Warriors have become a deadly team and they are doing it in an different way. They can go small and still get stops on the defensive end. And on offense there has been no answer for Curry. And Curry is not the only one playing well. Harrison Barnes and Iguodala have come to play this season and Draymond Green is proving he was worth every penny on his new contract.

Many annalist felt that the Warriors would not be able to top what they did last year after losing David Lee. But it seems as if they have improved from last season. In fact by removing Lee they have been able to distribute minutes and cap space else where on the team. Going into this season many people were picking the Spurs and Cavaliers as the favorites to win the NBA title. But looking at how well this Warriors team has played it is hard to say that they aren't the favorite to win it all. ESPN BPI has the Warriors at a 67.1% chance of winning the NBA title. The two behind them are the Spurs at 10.6% and the Cavaliers at 10.2%.

Among all time greatest teams the Warriors are in the discussion, but they have to win another title this year to really solidify themselves. The Warriors can beat that mark of 72-10 if they stay healthy. Last year they ended the season with a record of 67-15 and it only make sense that they try to improve from that. Seeing how they have been playing so far this year it is not as far fetched as it may seem. To tie that record they would need to go 56 and 10 the rest of the season. For now all these talks should be put off. Just enjoy the basketball they are playing because one thing is for certain, no one has ever seen a team play the way this one has.

Alpha Dog for Thunder

Westbrook has been playing very well this season and he seems to play even better without Durant in the lineup. Last night against the Pelican's Westbrook almost earned his third triple-double of the season. He had 43 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists on the night. The Thunder would go on to beat the Pelican's 110-103. The Thunder haven't really struggled without Durant due to Westbrook's performances. This does, however; make many question whether or not Durant is the Alpha dog for this team. It is a difficult question to answer. Think about it this way. There is 5 seconds left in the game and the Thunder are down by two. Who gets the ball? Most would say Durant, but lets just say Westbrook has 50 points on the night while Durant only has 30 and he has been struggling. Does Durant still get the ball or does the hot hand of Westbrook get the last shot? It's hard to say.

From what basketball fans have seen so far this season is that Westbrook and Durant can co-exist and they are a very deadly duo. As for who the Alpha dog is? It is still Durant's team. The Thunder are very focused on retaining Durant next summer and that should be there priority, because without Durant in Oklahoma, there will be no Westbrook in Oklahoma. There are only three teams that can take down the Warriors when the post-season arrives and those teams are the Cavaliers, Spurs and Thunder. In order for any of those teams to beat the Warriors they will have to be healthy. And that is why Durant is so important to the Thunder and that's why he is the Alpha dog. Without Durant the Thunder will not win the title.

Brook Lopez is OK, but the Nets aren't

Saturday night the Nets took on the Milwaukee Bucks in there second meeting of the season. Lopez had 20 points through three quarters before injuring his right foot. It was a scary moment for all Nets fans. Lopez came out of the game and went right to the locker room. His x-rays were negative and he is going to be fine.

As for the Nets, well they are in trouble. The Nets are off to a 0-7 start to the season and are near the bottom, if not last, in every team stat. The Nets have a lot of problems that need to be solved. For one they need to pick it up on defense. It seems as if they want there opponent to score every time down the floor. They are ranked 27th in points per possession. Not only that, but the only reliable sources of offense are Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. Joe Johnson is only averaging 10 points per game right now, while Jarrett Jacks points per game are lower than Deron Williams. Which begs the question should we have stuck it out with Deron Williams?

Williams is playing 29 minutes per game and averaging 14 points per game (ppg), 5.2 assists per game (apg) and 0.8 steals per game (spg). Jack is averaging 12.7 ppg, 6.5 apg, and 0.3 spg. Honestly neither point guard stands out to me as great and neither of them will out opposing teams point guards. The thing is though if they were both playing for the Nets it could have added some scoring to a team that clearly has problems creating shots. Deron Williams had a great two man game with Lopez in the pick and roll and didn't turnover the ball much.

Billy King has been working the phones and testing the market. He has not said he definitely making moves now, but if the Nets keep going down this road he will. The fact that he even said he has talked to other teams this early in the season is a concern.

The Nets need to look into trading Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack. They also need to be wise when it comes to there younger players. I don't want King to make a panic trade and trade away young talent for lesser value just to rid of Joe Johnson's contract. As much as it may hurt to have a terrible season and then not have their own draft pick, it is better to only lose the pick then to lose potential talent as well.

NBA Injury Returns

This time we discuss multiple players returning from injury or returning to full form for this NBA season. If you are enjoying these subscribe to Mac from Ireland on Blogger and on YouTube. We may even look into doing podcast for these longer discussions.

Durant and Westbrook scored 91 points

Last night the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off against the Orlando Magic. The Magic were up by 19 points during one stretch of the game, but Durant and Westbrook were not having any of it. Coming down to the final moments in the game Durant hit a three that would tie up the game at 114 a piece with 13.5 seconds left. After the timeout Oladipo would answer right back with a step back three of his own, putting the Magic up 117 to 114 with 3.9 seconds remaining. The Thunder had no timeouts left so the Thunder would inbound the ball to Westbrook and he would push it up the court and knock in a half court buzzer beater to send the game into overtime. In overtime the Thunder would have a 126 to 123 lead with 5.5 seconds remaining. After a Magic timeout they would get the ball to Victor Oladipo in the corner. With not much room he create just enough space to hit a buzzer beater three of his own to send the game into double overtime. After trading baskets through the second overtime the Magic would end up with the ball down by three with only 3.3 seconds left in the quarter. The Magic would go to Oladipo again, but he would have his corner three blocked by Kevin Durant.

For the night Durant ended the game with 43 points and 12 rebounds. Russell Westbrook would finish with 48 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. For the Magic Oladipo would end the game with a triple double. His stat line would be 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Tobias Harris would add 30 points and Nikola Vucevic would tack on 26 points.

Nets team preview

Here is our look at the Brooklyn Nets and our expectations for them this season. Shout out to all Nets fans!

Knicks team preview

This is the second team we look at in our Atlantic division preview. How will the Knicks fair this season with the return of Carmelo? Shout out to all Knicks fans!

76ers team preview

First ever NBA preview segment from Mac from Ireland. In this video we just discuss what the 76ers and their outlook for this season. In the video I am you host, Macky Ireland and I am joined by my co-host Brandon Depalma-Farr. This is the first in many videos to come. We are just about halfway through the Atlantic division and all the videos will be posted once they are finished. Sorry for the poor mic quality in the first one. I didn't realize how bad the computer mic sounded, but I fixed in the rest. Shout out to all 76ers fans!

GM's Predict Cavs will Win 2016 NBA Campionship

Photo Credit: John Kuntz

So every year before the NBA season begins a poll is taken. Every GM is to give a prediction on what team will win the NBA championship. The result will be posted before the regular season tips off. Well just yesterday the results were in and GM's around the league have picked the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the 2016 NBA championship. Now this result was based on that the Cavaliers were the most picked team. Not every GM chose them, but they are the favorite. I can see why the Cavs are the favorite, but I also fell like there are a lot of teams better than the Cavaliers. If the Cavaliers stay healthy this season and have a core of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love healthy during the playoffs then they automatically become a favorite to win the whole thing. The Cavs have a lot of depth on the bench as well this season. They brought back Dellavedova, Shumpert, and Smith. Also Tristan Thompson will most likely be back with the team. The team also retained Timofey Mozgov and will have Anderson Varejao returning. Along with those guys the team added Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson to the bench. This is a loaded team from top to bottom. Without a doubt Cleveland will get out of the east and play in the NBA finals, but are they really better than the Western Conference's top teams?

Well first team to note here is last years champions, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have kept together the main pieces to this team besides David Lee (Who didn't play much anyway). Watching Curry during preseason it is hard not to consider him the best point guard in the NBA right not. He can handle the ball, pass the ball and he sure as hell can shoot the ball. Even his defense is good, not great, but good. This man makes it look like he is playing a pickup game at a local high school for charity. The thing is he is playing in real NBA games. For it to come to him with that much ease it will be hard for any team to stop him, let alone stop the Warriors as a whole.

Speaking of one man performances, James Harden is also a great one on one player. He might not have the ball handling that Curry has, but he has his on craft for getting shots. And Harden's team has improved drastically since the Western Conference finals last year. They were able to get Patrick Beverly back to full health and they also stole Ty Lawson away from Nuggets. I mean Ty Lawson! Such an underrated point guard in this league. If he can get his off the court issues resolved he will become the missing piece to a big 3 in Huston.

Then we can't forget about Harden's former team the Oklahoma City Thunder. Every Thunder player will be healthy at the start of the 2015-16 season. That means a starting line up of Russell Westbrook, Anthony Marrow, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, and Enes Kanter. It really doesn't get any better than that. So why wouldn't the Thunder be the favorite in the West? Well the next team is why.

This team seems to be in the hunt for a championship every year. And that team is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have a reloaded roster after the off season. They added big name free agent, LaMarcus Aldridge as well as adding David West to a deal that makes people wonder if he would just play for free. Those two additions, plus Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green and many more, make for the deepest roster in the NBA. The Spurs have the best of both world's on there team. They have younger talent and they have experienced veterans. I think they have the right mix of both too. Too many young guys could lead to losing games they should have won. Meanwhile too many older guys could lead to the team not having enough left in the tank to finish a game or even a playoff series (2013-14 nets).

There are other teams I haven't even mentioned such as the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Sacramento Kings. Each of these teams will probably make the NBA playoffs and maybe have a shot at reaching the NBA finals. But I feel like they would have the ability to beat the Cavaliers in a seven game series.

There are plenty of options as to who could win the NBA championship this year. I feel like it may be a cake walk to the finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but there are a lot of good teams in the Western Conference that will give the Cavs a run for their money.

Things to Look for This Season

The NBA season is just a little over a week away and it's time to evaluate what to look forward to this season. First and foremost this is Kobe Bryant's 20th NBA season. He will set the record for the most seasons a player has ever played with a single franchise. The return of Kobe Bryant is a big deal because he is easily one of the best, if not the best player of the last decade in the NBA. Bryant's future is unknown right now and it could possibly be his last season. That will make the Lakers must watch television.

To travel to the other end of the age spectrum there are a lot of young teams that will be exciting to watch this season. The first three teams that come to my mind are the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Players from left to right:
Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon,
Elfrid Payton, Tobias Harris

For the Magic they have a young core of players that seem ready to take their game to the next level. Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic could be potential all- stars this season. Also point guard Elfrid Payton and Tobias Harris are looking to make strides to improve there games and become the role players this team needs. Aaron Gordon is expected to see more playing time this season after having success towards the end of last season and during Summer League. And I can't forget about the 5th overall pick in this years draft, Mario Hezonja. Hezonja has been playing very well for the Magic during preseason and could become a very reliable 6th man for this team considering the way he can score the ball. It will be great to have the offensive spark off the bench. This team has 9 players 24 years old or younger that will most likely make the final roster. This is a very young team.

Player from left to right:
Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo,
Greg Moroe, Khris Middleton, Michael Carter Williams

Another young team to watch for this season will be the Milwaukee Bucks. Much like the magic they have a roster full of young talent. They have 7 guys that are 25 years old or younger that will probably make the final roster. The magic starting 5 will be Michael Carter Williams, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Greg Monroe. I think that this team will make the playoffs again this year and they really learn how to play off one another. The only weird this about this line up is three guys all play relatively the same position. I don't this this will be a problem though because they all have different play styles. And if Michael Carter Williams keeps playing the way he does and takes a few tips and tricks from Jason Kidd he will be able to run the offense and make sure everybody gets the ball where they need it and when they need it.

The final young team to look forward to this season are the Minnesota Timberwolves. They have two number 1 overall picks from back to back years playing on the same team. First the Timberwolves are hoping Ricky Rubio can flurish with all this talent he is now surrounded with. Rubio is pass first player and this will be the perfect team for him to play with. He will have a bunch of 20 year old kids to run the floor with this season making transition play much easier. He will also not be relied on to do heavy duty scoring. Rubio only played 22 games last, but he averaged 8.8 apg during that time. I expect Rubio to hover around 9 to 10 apg when he returns this season. To join Rubio in the back court this season will be Zach LaVine. LaVine got the nod to start this season over Kevin Martin. I like this move because it shows that the Timberwolves are looking to develope there young players. They want LaVine to share the court with Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio and Andrew Wiggins. Rookie of the year winner last year, Andrew Wiggins, will probably average about 20 ppg this season. He didn't start the season off well, but he finished strong and he surprised people by shooting the ball much better than many expected him to do during his rookie year. Joing Andrew Wiggins in the front court will be Karl-Anthony Towns and Kevin Garnett.

Photo Credit: NBAE

Garnett is really only in Minnesota at this point to be the mentor to these young guys. It's the perfect situation for Garnett because he loves Minnesota and he was willing to go back in order to help develop this team. Many think Garnett should have retired this season and worked in the front office for the Timberwolves, but I think it's more important that he stays on the court to be a player coach and provide a locker room presence. He will eventually move to the front office for this team but he still has a lot to teach these young guys. Speaking of teaching, I think Karl-Anthony Towns will benefit most from Garnett being on the court and on the bench. This will allow Garnett to point out Towns mistakes as they happen and help him learn much quicker. Also it is different for someone to fix your mistake as it happens because you will know in the moment what went wrong. Re watching it on tape and then explaining what to do may not be as effective. I think Garnett will also share tips and secrets with Towns on how he can improve. I think having Garnett mentor Towns will be a huge plus for the Wolves.

Photo Credit: Stacy Bengs

The only down side to the Timberwolves this season is that there is a log jam at the center position. The still have Nikola Pekovic, Gorgui Dieng, and Adreian Payne on the roster. All of these guys are talented and they are all going to want playing time. It is very hard to see Flip Saunders being able to have a 5 man rotation at center. There are going to be nights where Garnett doesn't play, but then the question becomes who gets to start in his spot. I think the Wolves need to make a move to get rid of Nikola Pekovic, but that may not come until the trade deadline.

These are just a few of this things I will be looking forward to this season. I will look to talk about more in the next article.

The Nets will be better than expected

Going into this season the Nets starting five consists of Jarrett Jack, Markel Brown, Joe Johnson, Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez. For this team I like the front court. It is a solid front court that I think will be able to compete with just about any team. As for the back court that is where the Nets might struggle. Jarrett Jack is a reliable back up point guard, but I don't think he is the best starting point guard, especially when that position is the deepest in the NBA. On any given night Jack will most likely be out played at his position. Also Jack tends to turn over the ball a lot. That isn't something you want to see from a veteran point guard. And for the shooting guard spot it is really up in the air. If Markel Brown worked on his game this summer to incorporate a jump shot he could become a "three and d" guy for the Nets. Bojan Bogdanovic could also be incorporated into the starting line up providing an offensive spark, but he doesn't have the same defensive ability as Markel Brown. The Nets best bet may be to move Johnson back to the shooting guard position and inserting Rondae Hollis-Jefferson into the starting line up.

Photo Credit: Nathaniel Butler

This will provide the Nets with an athletic wing that can guard arguably the toughest position in the NBA. Many people said the Hollis-Jefferson has the ability to become just like Tony Allen. If he could guard the opposing teams be players on a nightly basis and hold them to 20 points or less then the Nets would be able to compete in games against the best teams. Hollis-Jefferson's flaw is that he can't shoot. He has the ability to finish at the basket, but he might be the guy that teams will sag of off to double in the post on Lopez or Young. This may hinder the Nets offensive game plan, but Lionel Hollins has had success with a team built very similar to this Nets team and that is the Memphis Grizzlies. Young and Lopez may not be the same defenders as Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, but they definitely have the same offensive ability. If Young can shoot the three ball about the same or better than he did for the Nets last season then Hollis-Jefferson could do more of the slashing and Young could spot up. Either way I think Hollins will go with the lineup of Jack, Johnson, Hollis-Jefferson, Young and Lopez around mid December if not earlier.

Photo Credit: Alex Goodlett

I can't say the Nets will definitely make the playoffs this year, but they will definitely compete for the last two seeds. I can't see this team doing much worse than last season. Nothing has really changed and the were able to get rid of Deron Williams. Plus a full season with Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez together can lead to good things. I think if Billy King can pull off just one trade to get the Nets a young and talented starting point guard this season they will be able to squeeze into the playoffs. There are plenty of teams that have multiple points guards on their roster and they might not be able to share the floor. The Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons are two teams that come to mind. There are many other teams in the NBA that have a back up point guard who can be a serviceable starting point guard for the Nets. It's not to say that Jarrett Jack isn't a good player, but he is better off coming off the bench than starting. There's a reason why Deron Williams was starting games over him at the end of last season.

For the most part I like what the Nets have done with the team so far. They were able to get a bunch of young guys on the team and they kept most of last years team intact. I don't think they should look to make any other moves this season unless it is for a point guard or a superstar player. Otherwise they should just keep this team together and let them develop. Next summer will be the time for the Nets to add more talent to the roster. But for now considering everyone has played with each other for quite sometime I think the Nets chemistry could lead them to some extra wins this season.

Top 5 What Could Have Been Teams

Today and yesterday I was looking back at some old NBA game highlights and I started to realize how many teams had a bright future. Of course sometimes players leave there respected teams before the team is fully developed or sometimes players become injured. In this article I will pick the top 5 what-could-have-been NBA teams. Each team that is considered would have most likely had a shot at winning a championship had they not lost a key piece to the core of the team.

#5 Early 2000's Lakers

At number 5 I have the early 2000 Lakers. This team had arguably the two best player from the last decade. Kobe and Shaq had success winning 3 tittle all in back to back to back years. Not many teams have ever been able to win 3 or more titles in a row. Jordan and the Bulls did it twice, the 1959-1966 Boston Celtics and the 1952-1954 Minneapolis Lakers. That's it. What Shaq and Kobe had was special and nothing could ruin what they were able to do. After they won 3 titles in a row they would miss the NBA finals after losing to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals. Then in 2003-04 the Lakers added Gary Payton and Karl Malone to the team in an effort to win another title. The Lakers would reach the NBA finals, but lose 4 games to 1 to the Detroit Pistons. For years Bryant and Shaq had problems with each other. In fact on multiple occasions Shaq requested a trade. They were able to work out there differences every time until the 2004 off-season rolled around. Phil Jackson didn't want to coach the Lakers if Bryant came back and Kobe was in serious talks with the Clippers. Not long after the Lakers made a trade sending Shaq to the Heat and resigning Bryant to a 7 year deal worth $136 million. There's a lot that went on behind the scenes with the Kobe-Shaq feud, but in the end it cost Shaq and Kobe. If they could have settled their differences and worked hard during the off-season they could have won 5 to 7 championships. I have this team at number 5 because they did succesed, but the crazy thing is that there was still plenty of potential and room to grow. To think this team may have not peeked is hard to fathom.

#4 1996 Orlando Magic

At number 4 I have the 96 Orlando Magic. Another Shaq team that had it's fair share of locker room problems. The problems going on in Orlando weren't as bad as the ones between Shaq and Kobe, but it might have affected the Magic's future. In the summer of 1996 Shaq became a free agent and there was speculation as to what would happen next. That year the Magic won 60 games and made it to the Eastern Conference finals where they would lose to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. During the off-season it was reported that Shaq didn't agree with the coaches decisions. Also Penny Hardaway claimed himself to be the best on player on the team and that Shaq shouldn't be paid more than him. That summer Shaq joined the Los Angles Lakers on a 7 year deal worth $121 million. The Magic wouldn't be the same without Shaq. They would win a good amount of games and make the playoffs, but they weren't seen as a threat in the East anymore. Penny Hardaway also suffered multiple injuries over the next few seasons, playing less and less games. As his health depleted, so did his contributions to the team. He had a dip in his averages every year since the departure of Shaq. This isn't Shaq's fault in anyway. It is just bad luck. If Penny Hardaway could have stayed healthy and Shaq stayed with the team they could have taken over for the Bulls as the dominate force in the east.

#3 2010 Portland Trail Blazers

At number 3 are the 2010 Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers during this season were a team on the rise and ready to dominate the NBA. Brandon Roy had won the rookie of the year in 2007 and was selected to multiple All Star games. Greg Oden was supposed to return to the team with full health. And they still had a young LaMarcus Aldridge. They also had small forward Nicolas Batum who was emerging as a contributing small forward and they signed Wesley Matthews to a five year deal. Two other notable names on this team were Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace. This team was on the rise and was still very young. Unfortunately injuries plagued this team, but despite the injuries they still made the playoffs. They did it without Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. In the end this team could have been great and there is still a possibility that they could have ended up with Damian Lillard and all of these guys healthy, but in the end injuries took over forcing Greg Oden and Brandon Roy into early retirement.

#2 2000 Toronto Raptors

At number 2 I have the 2000 Toronto Raptors. This one is the one that bothers me the most. This team had Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady on the same team! And even though McGrady played 6th man for most of the year he started to really prove he belonged in the starting line up next to Carter. By March in 2000 the duo of McGrady and Vince Carter seemed like they would be unstoppable. They were also cousins giving them a special bond no teammates have had before. It doesn't get any better than an athletic 6'6" and 6'8" scorer on both wings. Both of  them had the ability to dunk on anyone in there way and the ability to hit open and contested jumpers. They could both defend well too. This was a dream scenario and it seemed as if Toronto struck gold. Unfortunately in the summer of 2000 McGrady opted to leave Toronto to have his own spot light in Orlando, near his hometown. McGrady felt that Carter should have his own spot light in Toronto and he didn't want to be second fiddle to Carter. McGrady saw Orlando as an opportunity to create his own identity rather than Vince Carters cousin. Neither McGrady nor Carter would win a Championship in the NBA. Vince Carter made it to the fianls with the 2010 Magic while McGrady made it as a reserve bench player on the 2013 spurs. For the most part I think had McGrady stayed in Toronto he would have had no problems sharing the spot light. In fact I bet Carter would have minded McGrady wanting to have the ball more. The Raptors probably would have won a title within the next three years had they built a good supporting cast to compliment these two players.

#1 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder

 

At number 1 I will go with probably the most popular choice. The 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder. By now if you follow the NBA you know what happened in 2012. James Harden was set to become a free agent the following season and he was set to have a big pay day coming. Before the season even began the Thunder did the unthinkable and traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets for virtually nothing in return. I can't even thing of a player from that trade still with the Thunder. It blows my mind how little they traded him for. On top of that they did it right after a season in which they reached the NBA Finals. I know Harden had a forgettable performance in the finals, but this team was so young they had plenty of years to capture the title. What also irks me about this move is that Harden had been on the bench for the Thunder when the whole time he should have been starting. Or at least he should have played with the first unit more. Think about how hard it would be to stop Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka all on the same team right now, of course considering they're all healthy. It would be impossible. Also it wouldn't matter if one player sat out a game because each and every one of them would have the ability to carry the offense on there own. The Thunder pulled the trigger to fast on this trade and I'm sure they regret it every day. I mean James Harden almost won MVP last season and put up 27.4 ppg, 7 apg and 5.7 rpg. Now if he played along side Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook his averages would be lower, but I'm sure that would have never bothered him. Those three had a special bond. They all came into the NBA very young only being 2 years apart age wise. They probably felt like the NBA was more like college. They knew they were there to help the team win an NBA championship and that meant they would all have to sacrifice something. To learn that at only 24 and 23 years old is mind blowing. All three of these guys are going to peek within the next 2 to 3 years and the fact the Harden won't be doing with the Thunder is annoying. I'm sure at some point one of them would have left, but I don't think that would have happened until 2016 or 2017. In the end Harden has blossomed into an NBA superstar and has had his own success, while the Thunder seem to be the favorites to win it all this year.

Stephen A. Smith boiled over

Photo Credit: Movie TV Tech Geeks News

So the big news today pertaining to the NBA is how Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith are not happy with one another. It all started when Stephen A. reported that Durant is considering the Los Angles Lakers in 2016 free agency. Smith got this information through one of his sources and when he got this information he reported it. Since Smith is on First Take on ESPN he needs topics that can spark a debate. This was one that would be easy and probably fun.

Not long after Smith reported this Durant came out and said, "I don't talk to Stephen A. Smith at all. Nobody in my family, my friends, they don't talk to him. So he's lying... he's making up stories." Durant might be right in saying that Stephen A. doesn't talk to him or his friends or family, but Smith received this information from a source. He never said he spoke to Durant.

So yesterday Stephen A. Smith responded to Durant's remarks and Smith boiled over on live TV. On First Take they asked Smith to respond to Durant and this is where he went on a rant. From what I heard Smith complimented Durant saying he is a good person, but that Durant should not be calling him out for multiple reasons. His bottom line was that Durant doesn't want to make an enemy out of him.

I think that both guys are a little in the wrong. Durant should have just responded by saying that those are just rumors and that he is focused on the upcoming season. Durant made it personal by saying Smith doesn't talk to him, his family or his friends. Smith on the other hand should have just made his point clear again by saying that nothing was confirmed. All Smith said was Durant would consider the Lakers for 2016 free agency. He didn't say he will be a Laker. In the end they both need to just put problem to rest and move on.

NBA Preseason is Here

Last night the NBA's preseason tipped off with two games. The Hornets went up against the Magic at the Amway Center in Orlando. The second of the two games would be between the Pacers and the Pelicans in Indianapolis.

In the match up between the Hornets and the Magic both teams role players would get more minutes and they definitely made the most of it. Jeremy Lin had 17 point and 7 assists while Jeremy Lamb tacked on another 16 points. Nicolas Batum also made his debut with the Hornets putting up 14 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. For the Orlando Magic, Mario Hezonja had nine points in his debut while back up center Andrew Nicholson filled it up with 23 points. In the end the Hornets would come away with the win of a score of 106-100.

In the second match up between the Pacers and Pelicans the headline would be Paul George. George would be at full health looking to return to his former self. He did just that last night. He scored 18 points and recorded 5 rebounds. The newest member of the Pacers, Monta Ellis, had a forgettable night. He scored just 2 points in 21 minutes. Hopefully this isn't a sign of this to come because the Pacers need Ellis this season to compete. For the Pelicans, Davis had 18 points and 8 rebounds in only 15 minutes of play. As for Eric Gordon he put up 16 points. I think this season Eric Gordon is my sleeper all star. Gordon was averaging 22 points per game before catching the injury bug. If he can stay healthy unlike the past three seasons he should be able to fill up the box score.

The NBA season is just around the corner and this could be one of the most exciting seasons in a long time. All the incoming talent combined with the players in there prime and current hall of famers. There is a lot to look forward to.

Derrick Rose Can't Catch a Break

During the past week NBA teams have started training camp in preparation for the upcoming NBA season. Most teams are looking forward to their star players returning to full health. Some examples are Paul George, Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love, and many more players have recovered from injury and are set to make a return.

The Chicago Bulls entered training camp hoping that Derrick Rose would be able to get back to his former All Star self after playing 50 games last season. Last season was a time for Derrick Rose to shake off the cob webs and get back into the flow of the NBA game. He played decent considering he played only a handful of game over the course of 3 years. This was supposed to be the year where he would regain elite level of play.

I don't expect Rose to be at MVP level again, but he can still be the go to guy for the Bulls if he stays healthy. Health is the key factor in any players career. Some very talented basketball players have been forced to retire or have never been the same after suffering from multiple injuries. Sam Bowie is the perfect example of everything going wrong. Bowie was without a doubt the best player coming out of high school and probably the best in college. He was drafted #2 overall in the 1984 draft. He was taken before guys like, Otis Thorpe, John Stockton, Charles Barkley and most notably Michael Jordan. Bowie suffered multiple leg injuries derailing his career. More recent examples of bad luck would be Andrew Bynum, Greg Oden and Brandon Roy. Oden and Bynum we're future bigs of the NBA. And Roy was an unbelievable perimeter scorer. Roy was arguably a top 10 player in the NBA during the mid 2000's.

What does this mean for Derrick Rose? Well Rose suffered a orbital fracture to his face during training camp this week and the recovery time is expected to be 8-12 weeks. This isn't too bad because he will be back soon. In fact he might be able to play with the injury. Why this made so many news headlines is because of the player it happened to. Chicago fans hold there breath every time they hear about soreness in Rose's knees or him having an injury like this. I think this injury won't affect his path this season. I think he will be able to make the All Star team this year and really be able to help the Bulls. But it all comes down to health. If Rose stays healthy and takes advantage of today's medicine and technology, he will last longer and play better than Bowie, Roy and Oden.