Nba is Finally Here …..Everybody UP

The NBA is here and I couldn’t be more excited for this season.  After a rematch of the NBA Finals and the Spurs winning so convincingly,  Lebron James decided to leave Miami and go back home to Cleveland where he was joined by Kevin Love weeks later.  At this point, nothing really surprises me in regards to the NBA.  Teams make trades, free agents sign elsewhere and hopefully your team got better with the draft.  So before the games begin I would like to outline the top four teams of each conference.  I know that is a long way from now but it’s always fun to try to predict what can happen.

In the West the top four teams in my opinion are the Spurs, Clippers, Thunder, and Warriors.  The Spurs didn’t make any significant changes to their roster and I can understand why. They clearly was the best team in the league last year.  With future Hall of Famers like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in your lineup, and Coach Pop your chances of winning are legit.  And the five championship rings prove just that.  The Spurs literally dismantled the Miami Heat in that NBA finals last year and they did it playing a great brand of basketball. Aside from the two veterans, young guys like Kawhi Leonard had a breakout Finals and won MVP in the process.  The Spurs are in good shape with the core that has proved they belong in this conversation each year.  I’m sure Pop will manage minutes accordingly to make sure his guys are ready to make another title run.

The Clippers are bound to get over the hump at some point right?  Chris Paul arguably the best point guard in the game and Blake emerging as one of the best players in the league, this team is dangerous.  With sharp shooters like JJ Reddick and Crawford coming off the bench this team is an offensive powerhouse.  If Blake is able to establish himself in the post and be a consistent threat in the half court offense I think this team has the potential to make it to the West Finals.  With the Sterling controversy now over, I think the players are clear minded and focused on the task at hand as they have become the team of Los Angeles.

The Thunder is probably the most dangerous teams in the league.  They won’t have Durant to begin the season but he will return and when he does I think he will go on a tear. That leaves the majority of the scoring load for Westbrook and I think at this point in his career he can carry a team.  He will be able to play comfortably knowing that he doesn’t have to refer to Durant to share touches.  Whether that is good or not for the morale of the team, we have yet to see.  But when they are fully healthy this team is no joke. And with a returning MVP in Kevin Durant who knows how far he will elevate his game this season.

The Warriors feature the splash brothers of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. After playing this summer in the Fiba championships, they only got better.  There is no doubt in my mind this is the best back-court in basketball. You really can’t give them any room to get a shot off. Curry is evolving as one of the best PGs in the league and his ability to penetrate and dish is getting better every year.  New head coach Steve Kerr should be very excited to see how he can improve this team on the way to the postseason.

 

In the East the top four teams include the Cavs, Bulls, Raptors, and Wizards.  The Cavs seem to be the overall favorite right now and this is all based off paper.  Newly acquired players Lebron James and Kevin Love in a nutshell guarantee the playoffs bare minimum.  Lebron has already stated each year for him is “Championship or Bust” and this is coming from a guy who has been there on several occasions.  It will be interesting to see how this team gels as they learn to play with each other for the first time.  But them making the Eastern Conference Finals or NBA finals isn’t really farfetched at all.

The Bulls success will solely depend on the health of Derrick Rose a one time MVP.  He also played in Fiba this year and looked good so far and in the preseason games.  I really hope he is able to play a full season because he is so fun to watch. And not to mention the Bulls are a way better team with him on the court.  With Boozer gone and skilled big man Pau Gasol in his place, the Bulls finally have a low post threat with championship experience.  The Bulls are a defensive minded team and that remains the same.  An improving Jimmy Butler makes this team a lot more interesting and who knows what could happen at the end of the season.

The Raptors are favorites to win the Atlantic Division.  This young team has a great core of guys that seem to just be getting better and better each year.  They are led by all-star Demar Derozan and very hard-nose tough point guard in Kyle Lowry.  They bring an attitude to the game and it shows when they play. This team is fearless and they don’t back down from anybody. With both New York teams still needing to prove themselves I look for Toronto to have a great seeding in the playoffs.

Lastly the Wizards are a team to be reckoned with.  With John Wall getting better each year, he really is the difference on this team.  He is finally understanding how to control the tempo of the game as he was second in averaging assists in the NBA.  He will be without shooting guard Bradley Beal to begin the season who is also an emerging talent but I think the Wizards will be just fine.  Recently acquired Paul Pierce brings veteran leadership to the team and a guy who can be depended on in late game situations.  The loss of Ariza is big for them as he was a tough on ball defender, but the Wizards will have the chance to showcase their talent after a great season last year.

 

You can follow me on Twitter – @this_is_Dane

email : Holtdane@gmail.com

What Melo should really do…

Now that the NBA season has concluded, the biggest free agent to test the market this year will be Knicks Carmelo Anthony and all eyes are on him.  As much as he has a bad reputation of stopping the ball and playing zero defense teams are still interested.  Why? Because the game is about buckets and this guy can fill it up on any given night.  I hate that analysts or just fans for that matter want to throw negative energy his way, nobody and I mean nobody has Tony Allen as their favorite player.  So just kill me with this defense shit that you claim, its overrated in a league where if you touch a guy its a foul. And god forbid a hard foul, those which were good basketball plays some years ago are now technicals and flagrants on a regular basis.  So far the two teams leading these free agent discussions are Chicago and Houston.  And as of late he has mentioned that he would like to play with long life friend Lebron James who just lost in the Nba Finals.  So first things first, Melo is going to opt out of his contract.  Opting in is ridiculously stupid and for people to even suggest it is fucking stupid.  Granted it would give the team more wiggle room as far as cap space goes but lets not forget it is a business.  The Clippers sold for billions of dollars, if that man wants to get paid shit let him get paid.  I will never hate on somebody who wants to make money and neither should you.  And while we are speaking numbers if he leaves New York he would be leaving 79 million on the table and that is a lot of cash. Man I’ll lose my nutshell if I ever touched one million . But thats neither here or there. As a Knick and Carmelo fan I would love to see him stay here in New York and work under the Zenmaster.   Phil took this position with the hope that Carmelo would be here, and he has stated this numerous times. Now will have to show some type of promise to keep the superstar, absolutely.  It has started with the hiring of Nba Champion Derek Fisher and making it public that he will be trading Raymond Felton. Both decisions in which I am happy about even though I think Mark Jackson could have been a great fit as well.

But if he decides to leave I think his best fit will be in Chicago.  This team competes hard every year and have been doing without former MVP Derrick Rose. Now for arguments sake, lets just say Rose is healthy that lineup would be stupid.  And if Tom could get Melo to embrace the defensive mindset that is established in Chicago I can see how it could workout. If I am Carmelo I am staying away from Houston for several reasons.  First off because they don’t have an established point guard, do we really want to see the Lin and Melo combo again?  Granted they do have D12 and James Harden but they are also playing in the West which by far is the more superior conference.  And with Harden already establishing himself as the guy in Houston, how do you think he will react when Melo lands there and the 4th quarter end of games play are now drawn out for him.  Plus as great as D12 can be his mindset and mentality is still not where it needs to be. Now if he happens to pair with LBJ in Miami or in New York that duo will be deadly.  As much as I don’t want to see it happen I am completely aware of the force those two could be on the court together.  But all this is just talk and hearsay for now. Teams will make moves and then get better in the draft as well.  Whatever his decision maybe I just want the guy to win and get a chance at least to hold up one of them things at the end of the season.

@This_is_Dane

Rose Hurt Again

After an MRI yesterday it was discovered that Rose suffered a right torn meniscus and will be out indefinitely.  This is sad news after the one time MVP missed a season from a torn ACL injury.  Timetables haven’t been determined just yet but this is consecutive knee injuries that will sideline the superstar.  I’m almost positive that he will be eager to get back on the court once he is cleared again.  This really makes it hard for Chicago once again because they were just getting accustomed to having him back in the lineup and setting the tone. Rose had shown flashes of his quickness at times but you could tell the rust hadn’t entirely worn off.  I wish he has a speedy recovery. We all start to wonder whether how the future of Rose will play out if this continues.

NBA So FAR

With the NBA season in full effect, I am one happy camper.  As I have written before this will be one of the most anticipated seasons in recent years.  With an intense NBA finals last year everybody will be anxious to see who will be holding the trophy at the end of the season.  I will share my thoughts on some teams that have got a lot of attention from each conference. Mind you it is early so things will likely change as the season progresses.

Eastern Conference – The five teams that have been talked about the most are the Heat, Pacers, Bulls, Knicks, Nets

Heat – Defending champs and in glimpses have looked like the champs. They have the habit of playing to their competition and because of it lost to a rebuilding 76ers team.  The Heat have the on button and when they hit the switch they turn up the defensive pressure and are at their best. You can tell it is early and they really don’t take these games seriously.  LBJ looks as if he is only getting better and that thought alone is scary.

Bulls- The Bulls with Rose haven’t gotten it all together yet.  The team is adjusting to having Rose back in the lineup and will take time to develop chemistry on the offensive end.  They are still a very physical team and will be a handful come playoffs.  Rose has flashed some quick and explosive moves but hasn’t been his MVP self yet.

Pacers – Undefeated – I think that says it all

Nets – The Nets have suffered losses from Orlando and Washington.  With time the team will get better.  I think people gave this team to much credit and too much high expectations after the rebuilding that took place this off summer.  What you have to realize is that they won’t gel instantly, it takes time.  But with the right players and veterans this team will get better.

Knicks – The Knicks have also had a slow start.  To add insult they just lost Tyson Chandler for about 4-6 weeks.  The team will get back JR Smith and they desperately need his offense.  Bargs will play the 5 until Tyson returns.  The Knicks will have work to do, and without their center it will be about effort on the defensive end.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Rockets – The Rockets landed the free agent of the year D12 and he looks healthy.  The Rockets still have not found a way to utilize the big man yet from what I’ve seen so far. But they will make noise because they are young and big

Clippers – Doc Rivers has installed an offense that fits the Clippers perfectly. The biggest mission this year is to have DJ be an defensive force in the middle. And if that happens they can make a trip to the Western Conference Finals.

Thunder – With Westbrook back the Thunder pick up from where they left off.  The key to the team this year will be the role players and if they can provide quality minutes.  Adams, Jackson and Lamb have looked good so far this season.

Wolves – The wolves have a sneaky good team this year.  LOVE is a guaranteed double-double every night and have added a great scorer in Kevin Martin to the mix.

There are a lot of interesting teams this year.  It will literally take me pages to evaluate each one.  But these were the teams I have been able to see so far.  I will continue to write and share my thoughts as the season shapes.

It all Starts Tomorrow

Tomorrow it begins, a very much anticipated NBA season.  The marquee game will be between Chicago and Miami.  The Clippers will play the Lakers after as the second half of the double header on TNT.  However with no Kobe it just doesn’t have the same magnitude as the so called Battle of LA.  The Clippers are a better team and with Doc at the helm they can be dangerous.  But back to the topic, Rose a one-time MVP will begin his comeback season facing the defending champions.  And I for the record think the Bulls will upset the Heat in Miami after they receive their rings.  Below are the top ten plays of the preseason so far.

Rose for 30

YES YES YES the NBA season is almost here, and I can’t wait.  This year will be even better then last year. I know that’s hard to imagine but trust me its true.  One of the biggest stories that will be covered is the return of MVP Derrick Rose in Chicago.  I know it is just preseason but from what I have seen, he looks good.  And by good I mean he hasn’t lost a step.  In fact it almost looks like he gained one, and put on more muscle in the off-season.  According to him he is even jumping higher as well. ( That I don’t believe )  Chicago made some noise in the playoffs last year and you can believe they will make even more now with him in the lineup.  I was a big critic last year when he decided not to play and so far it looks like it was the right decision. Here are the highlights of his 30 point performance in a preseason win over the Pacers.