Indiana Pacers Much Improved

In an off season full of moves for the Indian Pacers, they have improved their roster tremendously. A potential starting line up of Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Thaddeus Young, and Al Jefferson sounds like a top team in the NBA. The problem lies on the defensive end for this team. Al Jefferson, Monta Ellis and Jeff Teague will hurt the Pacers on defense. But the team finally has the scoring that it did not have for over four years now.

So just how good will the Pacers be? On papers this team does have the potential to be the number two seed in the East. As for how bad they could perform, they are too talented to be any worse than a six seed. The truth is the Cavaliers will have the number one seed locked down if they are healthy all season. After them it is a toss up. Most likely the Raptors will reclaim the number two seed. Then the Pacers could sneak in at three. And the Celtics at four. After the top four it is anyone's guess who will the 5-8 seeds will be. The truth is with the East getting better and better each season the final seeding is hard to predict.

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What fans can be sure of is that this Pacers team is going the most offensively talented team since Paul George was drafted in 2010. With new head coach Nate McMillan at the helm the Pacers will have a fresh start. This team is going to be much different than it was been over the last five years. In the past the Pacers have been know for slowing down the tempo and focusing on defense. From 2012 to 2015 the Pacers never allowed more than 97 points per game in a season. There defense allowed them to compete with great teams like the Miami Heat. Where the team lacked in the past was offense. From 2012 to 2015 the team never averaged higher than 97.7 points per game. Last season the Pacers allowed 100.5 points per game. They ranked eighth in the league. But on offense they scored the most points per game since George's rookie year with 102.2 points per game. This years Pacer team will be heading in a much different direction than they did in the past. The have a lot of players that are capable of creating their own shot now. The down fall is that these players are not the best defenders. In the end the Pacers are giving up some defense to receive more offense.

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This will be a good change for George, who in the past was the only consistent source of offense. Now George will have more breathing room on offense and could result in him being an MVP candidate. George was an early favorite last year, behind Steph Curry, to win MVP. With a completely rebuilt team allowing him get better looks on offense he will no doubt be in the discussion. And with George's size, strength, and athleticism he can guard the opposing teams best player from the 1-3 position. Finally he could even focus on the defensive end of the floor and put in more effort on that end and have reliable scoring options to take over on the offensive end.

I am predicting that the Pacers will finish with a 50-32 record. Having a new coach and new players will be a fresh start for everyone on the roster. If everyone is learning a new system together it will help grow the players bond with the coaches and the other players. The Pacers are back on the rise.

What Could have been teams Part 2

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After doing the top five what-could-have-been teams I found people telling me more teams that could have been added to the list. In this article I will add five more teams to the list I already made. These teams could be arguably in different orders, but this list is meant to show the potential that many teams had.

Before I jump into the new list let's recap the last list. The last top five list included the early 2000's Lakers, 1996 Orlando Magic, 2010 Portland Trailblazers, 2000 Toronto Raptors, and 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder. To read the reasoning behind these choices take a look at Top 5 What Could Have Been Teams.

Now for the continuation of this list. As mentioned earlier all the teams mentioned in the last article and this one could be in any order. For this article I will pull another five teams from the NBA's past that had potential to be great. The teams included had the chance to achieve so much more. For whatever the case may be they fell short of expectations. Without further ado, here are the next five teams.

2003 Dallas Mavericks

AP Photo/Donna McWilliam

This was the most obvious choice left off of the last list. The 2003 Dallas Mavericks had a loaded roster and finished tied for the best record of 60-22. The most notable players from the team were Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, and Nick Van Exel. Although the team was stacked and had a very good record they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, who were also 60-22, in the Western Conference Finals. The following season the Mavericks lost Van Exel, but managed to add Antawn Jamison and Antoine Walker. The team finished with a 52-30 record. It earned the Mavericks a 5th seed in the Western Conference. Ultimately they would lose in the first round of the playoffs to the Sacramento Kings 4 games to 1. 

During the 2004 off season Steve Nash demanded a bigger contract than he was offered and the Mavericks felt Nash was not worth his asking price. The Suns decided to come in and pay Nash. The next two season Nash would win back to back MVP awards. By the Mavericks not keeping Nash they created another obstacle for themselves. Nash lead the Suns to the top record in the NBA and would beat the Mavericks in the second round of the 2005 NBA playoffs. 

No one knows if he would have had the same success with the Mavericks as he did with the Suns. But the speculation will always be there. Nash fit very well in Mike D'Antoni's system which is what helped him win two MVP's. The flip side is if Nash had stayed with Nowitzki he may have a championship ring. There is also the possibility that both of them would have won multiple championships.

1999 Minnesota Timberwolves

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This Timberwolves team was so young and had plenty of potential for the future. Having Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury on the same team sounds amazing on paper. Unfortunately it did not last very long. In the 1999 season Garnett was 22 years old and Marbury was 21. Both showed their potential and were a few years away from being deadly. Many even predicted them to be the team to beat down the road. It was easy to see as Garnett had 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. And Marbury had 17.7 points, 9.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. 

In the 1999 off season Marbury's agent demanded Marbury be traded. It is all speculation as to why Marbury wanted to be traded. According to Marbury he wanted to be closer to family and friends. Either way Marbury ended something that could have been really special in Minnesota. While Garnett continued to lead the Timberwolves to relevance, Marbury struggled with each team he went to. After leaving Minnesota Marbury would only make the playoffs three more times in his career winning only one playoff series. 

Marbury really hurt himself because he was never in the same position he was in at the beginning of his career. Had he stayed put there is a possibility the Timberwolves could have won a championship. Having a player like Marbury and Garnett on the same team in their prime would have been deadly. Now it is just something to fantasize about. 

1993 New Jersey Nets

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In the early 90's the Nets started to form a respectable team. The Nets drafted Derrick Coleman in 1990, traded for Drazen Petrovic in January of 1991, and drafted Kenny Anderson in the summer of 1991.

It was clear that the 1993 season was a sign of good things to come. Chuck Daly was the coach. The Nets star player, Petrovic, averaged 22.3 points and shot 45% from three. Not to mention many players considered Petrovic a very good defender. Kenny Anderson averaged 16.9 points, 8.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. And the Nets big man Derrick Coleman averaged 20.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Although the Nets finished 43-39 they were poised for future success. 

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Tragically in the summer of 1993 Drazen Petrovic died in an automobile accident. This put a real damper on an improving team. And even though the Nets improved their record to 45-37 in 1993-94 it was clear the team would not reach the elite status that was possible with Petrovic. Anderson and Coleman continued to improve and played well in the 1993-94 season. But the seasons following 1994 were injury riddled for both players. In the end both players would be traded and by 1996-97 the Nets no longer had anyone from the trio.

Had Petrovic been able to continue his career, and had Anderson and Coleman remained healthy; there is a good chance the Nets would have made it past the first round of the playoffs. It seems to be a trend of misfortune for Nets fans. Luckily Jason Kidd saved fans in the 2000's.

2004 Detroit Pistons

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I know what you may be thinking. How could a team that won the NBA finals and advanced to the finals the following season make this list? Well it all has to do with the 2003 NBA draft. The Pistons had the number two pick in the 2003 draft. They had the choice to take Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and many more. But at number two they selected Darko Milicic. By selecting Milicic the Pistons altered their future drastically.

Had the Pistons selected Anthony, Wade, or Bosh they would have had a young player to take over the reigns as all the starters began to decline. It would have made the transition from the early 2000's to the late 2000's much better. They would have stayed much more competitive. The Pistons would have even been able to trade one of their starting guys for more role players and make room for Anthony, Wade, or Bosh. In the end the Pistons stayed with the team they had and Milicic never turned into the star they had hoped for. The Pistons would win the 2004 NBA finals and lose the 2005 NBA finals. The team still saw success, but the question of "what if?" will carry on forever.

2013 Los Angeles Lakers

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In the 2012 off season the Lakers tried to assemble their own super team to compete with the Miami Heat. The Lakers retained Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. They also made a huge trade for Dwight Howard. And to top it all off the Lakers traded for Steve Nash. A team of Nash, Bryant, Metta World Peace, Gasol, and Howard was considered one of the best before the start of the season. The team ended the season with a 45-37 record. It was good enough for the seventh seed in the west.

The reason the 2013 Lakers made the list is because this team was injury plagued. Pau Gasol played 49 games. Nash played 50 games. Howard dealt with back issues all season long. And Kobe had his season end in April when he tore his achilles tendon. The truth is had this team stayed healthy and had time to play together they could have been a threat. There were also rumors that Howard did not get along with Kobe Bryant. Whatever the reason, Howard bolted for Huston after one season in Los Angeles. It was a good choice for Howard as he was surrounded by aging superstars.

This team came together at the wrong time. If all these moves were made one season earlier they would have been deadly. In the end father time won the battle with this team and no one got to see what the starting five could do together.

Michael Jordan and LeBron James

LeBron James and Michael Jordan will continue to be compared well after James retires. The question that will always be asked is who is better?

In an interview with Lee Jenkins earlier in the month LeBron James talks about the NBA finals and his experience. But at one point LeBron says, "My motivation, is this ghost I'm chasing. The ghost played in Chicago." That's right James is talking about the greatest to ever play the game, Michael Jordan. James goes on to say, "My career is totally different than Michael Jordan's. What I've gone through is totally different that what he went through. What he did was unbelievable, and I watched it unfold. I looked up to him so much. I think it's cool to put myself in position to be one of those great players, but if I can ever put myself in position to be the greatest player, that would be something extraordinary."

"If I can ever put myself in position to be the greatest player, that would be something extraordinary."- LeBron James

LeBron James is finally acknowledging the elite company he is in. The problem is LeBron only has so much time left in the NBA to achieve more. To get a better understanding of where LeBron is in comparison to Michael Jordan here is a table below showing their career achievements. Of course LeBron will be adding to these categories, but the purpose of this chart is see how far behind James is. I will include the age at which Jordan retired.

Michael Jordan and LeBron James' Achievements

Achievement	Michael Jordan	LeBron James
Age	40	31
Seasons	15	13
Championships	6	3
MVP's	5	4
Finals MVP	6	3
Finals Record	6-0	3-4
All Star	14	12
Points	32292	26833
Rookie of the Year	Yes	Yes

Looking at these categories LeBron James is not very far behind Micheal Jordan. Both have had very successful careers. The thing that really hangs over James head is his finals record. James has had more opportunities to win yet has less rings than Jordan. Even if LeBron were to tie Jordan in championships, it would take him more seasons than it took Jordan to win six championships. To be honest this is just a minor detail due to the fact that people do not really remember players losing. What they will remember is how much they accomplish and right now James still has the opportunity to tie or pass Jordan. It comes down to how serious he is about chasing Jordan's ghost.

Jordan's Finals vs James' Finals

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Just how good was Jordan? First here is Jordan's 1993 NBA finals averages. 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. This is is arguably Jordan's best statistical NBA finals. Now if that wasn't convincing enough here are his averages from the 1991 NBA finals. 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 11.4 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Jordan was a scoring machine and was just about unstoppable in every finals appearance he made. His performances earned him Finals MVP during both of these seasons and every other finals he played. Also Jordan never played a game 7 in the NBA finals. That shows just how dominant he and his team was in the 90's.

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There is no doubt that LeBron is the best player in the NBA today. To compare him to Jordan is not as far fetched as critics make it out to be. Critics are constantly questioning LeBron James and his ability to take over games. James had his best finals performances in his last two finals apperances. In the 2015 NBA finals James averaged 35.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. LeBron really had to carry the team in the 2015 NBA finals being that he was without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. In 2016 he had a fully healthy team yet the Cavaliers found themselves in 3-1 hole. James made sure he did everything possible to turn his teams fortune around. He did so and went on to win the NBA championship and Finals MVP. During last years NBA finals LeBron averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. Those are incredible numbers. Those numbers are very similar to Jordan's, if not better.

Different Era's

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Really comparing both players is very hard. Stats do not tell the whole story. LeBron James is a much different player than Michael Jordan. He even stated this in his quote. LeBron James also plays in a different era of basketball that is less physical. No one knows for sure whether or not James would succeed playing in a different era. And the same goes for Michael Jordan. All these hall of fame players continue to say that players today wouldn't succeed during their era. Would Stephen Curry be as effective playing during the 90's or 80's? Maybe or maybe not. Now put Gary Payton in today's NBA and tell him to stop Stephen Curry. Would he be able to stop him? Maybe or maybe not. The reality of the situation is no one will ever know. What everyone should do is just enjoy what is happening in the NBA right now. Golden State and Cleveland is slowly becoming rivalry. Both teams are on a collision course for another NBA finals show down. And if this season holds as much excitement as last season, basketball fans are in for a treat.

The Verdict

No one knows for sure if LeBron James will ever be as good as Michael Jordan. James has a body of work that if he retired tomorrow he could be considered a top 10 player of all time. By the time LeBron James is done in the NBA he will most likely be considered a top three player all time. For now James has made it clear that his mission is to be the best player he can be. By doing this James will be put in the same category as Jordan one day.

Westbrook Agrees to Contract Extension

Picture Westbrook posted on Twitter after agreeing to extension

Russell Westbrook decided to sign an extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder worth $85 million over three years. This changes everything for the Thunder. Essentially Westbrook just saved the Thunder from going into the lottery for years to come. The Thunder can now target big name free agents next summer and ultimately know their top player is locked in. Recruiting free agents will be easier if the recruits know Westbrook is not going anywhere. But as excited as Thunder fans may be of this news, why would Westbrook stay after they just lost Kevin Durant and traded Serge Ibaka this summer?

Mark D. Smith USA Today

For starters Westbrook will be making much more than he was set to make this coming season. Westbrook's salary going into next season was set at $17.8 million dollars, but after reconstructing next season in his extension he will make $26.5 million. Along with an instant salary increase this season he is also set to make $27.8 million in 2017-18. In his third year he will have a player option worth $30.6 million. Westbrook now has a salary that resembles his worth.

The second reason Westbrook would sign an extension through 2019 with a player option is because by 2018 he will a 10 year veteran. As a 10 year veteran players are allowed to take up 35% of the salary cap as opposed to 30% of the cap. Over the span of a five year max contract that can equal more than $40 million extra dollars to be made. With the cap increasing as well Westbrook will be in for a huge pay day once the summer of 2018 rolls around.

This extension also makes Westbrook look like a hero. Westbrook would never have been hated as much for leaving as Durant, but Oklahoma City fans would not have been happy with him. Now that he is staying he gives fans hope and paints a positive picture of himself. What better way to get fans to root for you than saying you hope you beat the guy who left you and say you are not going anywhere? Westbrook is setting out to make a statement and he means every word of it. The real question becomes will management help him? The Thunder still have a huge hole to fill with Durant gone. Westbrook signing this extension allows them to focus on putting talent around him. That's great, but Sam Presti cannot just be on idle for a year because he has Westbrook locked in. In order to keep Westbrook he has form a plan now to make the team better. If Presti fails to provide Westbrook with another high level running mate he will leave. And when he leaves he will get no flack. Everyone will be saying Sam Presti was given one last opportunity and failed to deliver. So all the pressure is on the Thunder to keep Westbrook happy these next two seasons.

Nate Billings. The Oklahoman

This extension puts Westbrook in a win-win situation. When players hit that decade mark with one team they are usually praised for their time with the team. If Westbrook goes through all the ups and downs in OKC he will be remembered for sticking it out for as long as he could, but if the situation never improves he has the right to leave. And fans, as heart broken as they may be, will cheer him when he returns because they will know he gave it his all. A great example would be when Kevin Garnett landed in Boston after playing 11 seasons with the Timberwolves. Minnesota fans still showed him love when he returned. Hopefully in Westbrook's situation the Thunder can quickly build another win now team. As the roster stands today the Thunder could be a 4-6 seed in the west. They also have a good chance at advancing to the second round of the playoffs. It is a good starting point, but they need to add another piece that will help them challenge the Spurs and Warriors. And that's where Presti will have to work his magic.

Lakers Hold all the Cards

Now that the dust has settled with Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City there is a lot of speculation as to where Russell Westbrook will be next season. Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. This means Westbrook can field offers from every team that has cap space to sign him. Westbrook also has the option of signing a long term extension that would give him more money. The question is if Westbrook does not sign an extension where will he end up? 

From rumors going around right now it is believed Westbrook would like to be a Los Angles Laker. He is an L.A. guy, even playing for UCLA in college. If the Thunder feel that Westbrook is leaving, Oklahoma City will try to trade him to get anything in return. Knowing that the Lakers are a real option for Westbrook, OKC might try to cut a deal with Los Angles that would land them good young talent.

Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram

The Lakers are salivating at the chance to get Westbrook and would like to get him in L.A. as soon as possible. But the Lakers have to realize that they have the upper hand in any deal. The Lakers have built a very good young core that in a few years could become competitive. Giving up any of those pieces will be hard, but it will make them competitive instantly by adding Westbrook. The problem is giving up too much for Westbrook. The Lakers need to make Brandon Ingram off limits. In no way should the Lakers trade him, because in a few years they will be kicking themselves for trading him. Also in a package for Westbrook they should only include two young players maximum. Giving up three young players for one guy is asking a lot. I only say this because three of the five starters are still on rookie contracts. That means they don't need to match money using all of their contracts. If anything the Lakers should look to trade another one of these young players for someone they can put along side Westbrook. So using up all their trade bait would leave them with one superstar and no leverage to add another guy.

And if the Lakers do not get an offer they like they should say no. Los Angles needs to remember that if they cannot add Westbrook this year they could always sign him next off season. Los Angles has made so much progress in their rebuild and they are about two to three years from being competitive with what they have. They have already suffered for three years so they have to be careful with the decisions they make. 

From the Thunder side of things Sam Presti should be pushing for Westbrook to sign an extension. If he does not sign it then Presti should trade Westbrook as soon as possible. This is where Presti can take advantage of the Lakers. Their starting five have not played a single game together yet and the Lakers will be without Kobe Bryant this year. This means they will all get their touches and have the opportunity to prove themselves. If it turns out that the core the Lakers have play well up to the trade deadline, they might be hesitant to trade for Westbrook knowing that their current pieces have shown their potential. And this will decrease the package they would put together for Westbrook. Presti needs to play off of the Lakers uncertainty about the group they have and take advantage of it by trading before the season starts. It will get Presti more in return and the Lakers will have Westbrook for a full season. It should be interesting to see how everything unfolds.

Pursuing Lance Stephenson

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NBA free agency has progressed very far to this point, but there is still one name on the market that many teams are on the fence about. That guy is Lance Stephenson. Memphis decided not to pick up Stephenson's team option for next year making him an unrestricted free agent. Stephenson has not had much success since leaving Indiana in 2014. Stephenson had a miserable year with Charlotte before getting traded to the Clippers during the 2015 off-season. Stephenson did not see much playing time in L.A. averaging about 15 minutes per game in the 43 games he suited up for. Here is what makes Stephenson an attractive free agent right now. Stephenson was traded to Memphis at the trade deadline and not long after being traded all of Memphis' key players went down with injuries. This allowed Stephenson to get more playing time and be the primary ball handler. Stephenson played very well during his short stint with Memphis averaging 14.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. He managed to achieve these numbers while playing only 26 minutes per game. To put in a better perspective Lance averaged 19.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 6 rebounds per 36 minutes. Those are respectable numbers in the NBA.

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The question is what team does Lance Stephenson fit on. Stephenson is good at creating for himself and others when he is on the floor so he would be a good primary ball handler for a team lacking someone that can create. Also Stephenson has not played very well coming in as a deep bench guy. He plays at his best being the sixth man or as a starter. That means teams with plenty of depth might take a look at him, but probably won't extend an offer. And finally Lance has a reputation of being a locker room problem. Now in his last two stops we didn't here much of this, but he had two very well respected coaches and many veterans around him.

With all this said Stephenson may fit in on multiple teams. His best fit would probably be Orlando or Brooklyn. Orlando just traded their primary offensive ball handler so adding Stephenson to the team would slightly make up for losing Oladipo. Plus him and coach Vogel have a good relationship that they developed when Stephenson was under him in Indiana. The only problem here is it could stunt the growth of Elfrid Payton. Payton is in position to become the leader of this team. Each play would start with him and he would be the floor general. This is great opportunity for Payton who is in his third year in the league. Bringing in Stephenson could ruin this opportunity.

Getty Images/ Vaughn Ridley

For Brooklyn, they are in bad shape right now. Brooklyn seems all over the place. They have quite a few young players now, yet they signed four veterans. I would hope they are just there for locker room presence because the Nets should be developing all their young talent. With that said, the Nets don't have a primary ball handler that can create and make things happen. The closest thing they have would be Jeremy Lin or Randy Foye. Caris Levert and Sean Kilpatrick might become players that can create their own shot, but they are still young and really have to prove it next season. So bringing in Lance Stephenson to this team could be a plus. He would get plenty of playing time and would become the number 2 option on the team behind Brook Lopez. The problem again with bringing Lance to Brooklyn is he would stunt the growth of all the young players by taking up playing time and he could also become a locker room problem. For a first year coach having a guy that is know for disrupting a locker room, it might not be the ideal situation.

That leads me to my final two teams. The Warriors and the Cavaliers. These teams will fit the same categories since they offer the same situation for Stephenson. Stephenson would go to a team that is looking to compete for a championship and would most likely replace any bench depth that these teams lost this off-season. It would be a great opportunity for Lance to grow and learn from the best. The down fall to playing on these teams is Stephenson will not play much at all. He will be there to play on nights where guys need rest or if an injury plague hits. If he can accept a back seat roll one of these two teams would be the best option for him.

Dwyane Wade to Cleveland?

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In the wake of Kevin Durant making his decision to join the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers may have to find a way to upgrade their roster more. With that said Dwyane Wade is still on the free agent market after talks with Miami have stalled. Multiple teams are looking to sign Wade and the Bucks and Nuggets are offering Wade a max contract. The chances of Wade leaving Miami for Denver or Milwaukee are very slim.

Today rumors are have it that Dwyane Wade is in talks with the Cavaliers. By no means is it a guarantee that Wade will join the Cavs, but the fact he is even talking to them it's a start. The Cavaliers have one way of getting Wade in Cleveland and it would be very easy. Wade can join the team on a mini-mid level exception. That means Wade would make $3.5 million per year. That is $16.5 million less than what Miami is offering and a low offer for someone of his talent. The more realistic option would be to make some trades and free up cap room for Wade. Iman Shumpert and Kevin Love would probably be one of the pieces to trade. The problem then is that Cleveland would lose bench depth. The Warriors were able to sign Durant by only giving up Barnes and Bogut. Ezeli will also most likely be on his way out. The thing is that Durant is a huge upgrade that these pieces are worth losing for him.

With that said it is hard to imagine Wade in Cleveland, but the Cavs could probably free up about $9 million in cap space as well as offer Wade the best shot at winning an NBA title. LeBron could really use Wade right now in the wake of the Kevin Durant decision and Wade may feel the need to help. At the end of the day it is most likely that Wade stays in Miami, but do not be surprised if he is willing to take much less to compete. He is going to turn 35 next season so maybe he will realize he can still get a few more titles if he is willing to take less. Or he can opt stay in Miami and collect big pay checks at the risk of being bounced in the first and second round for the rest of his career. These are all the things Dwyane Wade is thinking about right now and will ultimately help him in his final decision.