A Little Flashback now that the Finals are here . . . .

[Shame94]

Now that we know the two teams in the NBA Finals . . . . Here were my picks from from Oct. Here are who I thought were the best teams teams in the NBA and where they would finish in the standings . . . . I'm curous to see other guys picks

East Preview

1. MIAMI HEAT
Who would’ a thunk it? South Beach is now known for something other then the fabulous nightlife and scantily clad dressed women . . . . . it’s the home of the NBA Champs. In 2006, the Miami Heat had an incredible postseason run. They came together as a team in the playoffs and in the Finals were led by the brilliance of Dwayne Wade, Shaq’s experience, the intensity of Alonzo Mourning, and Pat Riley’s old skoo leadership. Dwayne Wade averaged over 34 a game in the Finals and showed the world why he is one the league’s top 5 players. As great as that championship run was though, the problem for the Heat, like that of the Spurs, is that some key guys are getting old. Shaq and Zo’ are both in their mid-30’s, Walker is around 30 himself, and Gary Payton is 3 days older then dirt. With Dwayne Wade at the helm, Riles at the sideline, and a superb (although aging) supporting cast, the Miami Heat could very well return to the NBA Finals this season.

2. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
In the 2005-06’ season, King James reigned supreme. With averages of 34 points, 7 rebounds, and over 6 assists a game, the man had a season that was comparable with only two men in NBA history . . . . . Jordan, and the Big O, Oscar Robertson. As good as James was, he will need a healthy Larry Hughes and a better supporting cast, to advance in the playoffs. With Larry Hughes out a number of games last year with a broken finger, the Cavs managed to stay afloat thanks to James’ overall play and the emergence of Ronald Murray (who has since jumped ship to Detroit). The Cavs may have the best set of big men in the East. With Big Z, Drew Gooden, Donyell Marshall and fan favorite Anderson Varajeo, the Cavs look set up front. The problem is in the backcourt. The off injured Hughes has had finger problems back to his days in D.C. and his health is a top notch priority for the Cavs. As for Eric Snow, he has been on his last legs for 3 years now. He is no longer a starting PG in this league. Finally, Damon Jones should have had a Missing Persons Report filed for him after his disappearing act in the tail end of that Detroit series. While relatively unchanged from last season, the Cavs will be a very good team again this year, although I’m not sure they have enough to contend for a championship just yet.

3. NEW JERSEY NETS
The Big 3: Kidd, Carter, Jefferson. Perhaps the best big 3 in all the NBA. The problem with the Nets has been their inability to find a suitable PF since K-Mart left. With an ever improving Nenad Kristic, the Nets are pretty much set at 4 out of 5 positions. The main question with the Nets is how their bench will perform. Out of all the playoff teams last year, the Nets bench might have been the worst of all of them. This season, vagabonds Scott Padgett, Lamond Murray, and John Thomas are out, and heralded rookie Marcus Williams, big man Josh Boone, Hassan Adams, and prospect Mile Ilic are in. Plus the addition of Eddie House certainly helps with the outside shooting. The Nets finally have a backup for J-Kidd in Marcus Williams and an athletic big in Josh Boone. Marcus could contribute immediately while Boone will probably be out till December as he recovers from shoulder surgery. The Nets will once again rely heavily on the big three, especially Carter who had a good season last year, but has yet to get passed the second round in the playoffs in his career. The Nets could win the East this year with their blend of youth and veterans, for they better do it soon as J-Kidd is already 33 and is fast exiting his prime.

4. DETROIT PISTONS
So it was the money. In the summer of 2006 Big Ben Wallace would end up taking a 4 year $60 million deal from the Chicago Bulls. The Pistons were rumored to be offering around $48 million, but Big Ben wasn’t having that. So there he went and in came Nazr Muhammad. While not nearly the accomplished defensive player that Ben is, Nazr, is a better offensive player if just by his post game . . . . . and a better free throw shooter. The Pistons meanwhile still have one of the best starting 4’s in the game with Billups, Hamilton, Prince, and Sheed. The problem is Flip Saunders definitely played these guys too many minutes last season and it showed against Cleveland and later in their demise in Miami. Also what’s worse is the fact that Sheed is already in his mid 30’s and Billups could set sail on the Pistons after this season via free agency. With these predicaments the Pistons may only have this season to rally the troops for one more run at the title because after this season, things could look very different for this franchise come 07-08’.

5. CHICAGO BULLS
The Chicago Bulls grabbed arguably the biggest name on a relatively weak free agent market. Big Ben comes to Chi-town an inherits a team with youthful exuberance with Kirk Heinrich and Ben Gordon on the wings, Luol Deng and Andre Nocioni at the forward spots, and first round draft picks Tyrus Thomas and defensive ace Thabo Sefolosha. Then there are veterans Adrian Griffin and P.J Brown. This is a team that was number 1 last year in opponent’s field goal percentage and adding Wallace can only help that number. However, this is still a very perimeter oriented team. Heinrich and Gordon will do the majority of the scoring, with Deng and Nocioni doing the cleanup job, but after that it gets a little dicey. P.J. Brown is 37 and can’t be counted on to score in the post, Thomas is a rookie and it will take him time to find his way, which leaves only one man. Ben Wallace has never been known for offense, but if the Bulls are going to be successful, they’re going to need something out of him. He can’t score, doesn’t shoot jumpers, and worst of all, can’t be counted on to make free throws during a game, let alone in the clutch. So for $60 million he sure is one hell of a liability on the offensive end, and with the League implementing new rules last season limiting the amount of contact on offensive players by defenders, the Bulls might be rethinking giving Ben that big contract a few months from now.

6. WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Within days of losing to Lebron James in the playoffs, Gilbert Arenas could be found shooting in a barren gym at odd hours of the morning, wondering what in the world happened. The Wizards lost to the Cavs in 6 games with three of the losses coming by a single point. What was evident in that series was the fact that Arenas (and his teammates for that matter) had no success at playing anything resembling defense. To get a sense of the Wizards’ team defense, check out this link and you’ll see everything you need to know: http://youtube.com/watch?v=KwFxHiuS6-M . The offense meanwhile was superb with Arenas, Jamison, and Caron Butler, all getting it done last season. The Wizards will need more from their big men Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood, if they are to go far, but even with that, their no better then the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.

7. INDIANA PACERS
What used to be the biggest joke in criminal misfits: the Portland Trailblazers, have since moved East in recent years and taken on one of the classiest organizations in the last decade: the Indiana Pacers. This all got started with Ron Artest’s infamous fight at the palace. Then Artest wanted to promote his rap album the next season and was soon benched and traded to Sac Town. Well Artest is gone, but where one problem child has been thrown out, another one is causing trouble: Mr. Stephen “Shoot-Em-Up” Jackson. Jackson was involved in the palace brawl, and was involved in a situation earlier this month in which he fired a gun outside a strip club reportedly. The man could actually go to jail for his actions that night. Whether he does or not, only time will tell. Meanwhile Rick Carlise has essentially been rearranging the chairs on the Titanic the last 3 years with this team. This is a franchise that is clearly sinking, but neither Carlise, nor Larry Bird or Donny Walsh has been able to do anything about it. They re-acquired Al Harrington, but right now he’s just a stopgap that can’t really do that much to save this team. Talent wise this is a playoff team, with Jermaine O’Neal, Jamal Tinsley, Stephen Jackson, and Al Harrington. However on and off the court, it’s been a long time that this franchise has been in this much trouble.

8. ORLANDO MAGIC
The Magic have an emerging point guard, a motivated former pick of the 2003 draft class, and the best big man in the East period. Jameer Nelson, Darko, and Dwight Howard are all primed for breakout seasons. Dwight even said the Magic could not only make the finals, but win it all. While Dwight may have been smoking something that morning, there is reason for optimism in the land of the oversized rodent that hasn’t been seen since the Penny and Shaq days. The Magic should be improved with the shooting of J.J. Reddick, although the man’s defense is so bad I question whether he could guard a lawn chair on the beach. Also the reemergence of Darko Milic cannot be understated. What many people have called a bust, Darko is essentially playing for his life this season. If he performs well he could be financially set for a long, long time. If not, he may be reduced to the role of NBA vagabond, a role played all to well by the likes of Jimmy Jackson and Rick Brunson. The magic should be a rising force in the East for years to come.



Teams on the Bubble . . . .



9. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers have two players who 5 years ago might have had them in contention for a championship, but instead have them languishing in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference. Chris Webber averaged nearly 20 and 10 last season, but his defense has deteriorated so much that it’s like watching a painful rendition of the electric slide as he lumbers his way around the court. As for Iverson, he continues to put up points in a hurry, but is going nowhere fast. He’s just spinning the wheels on his shortening career with no championship in sight. He seems destined for the fate of the some of the all time greats like Barkley, Ewing, Stockton & Malone, and more recently Kevin Garnett, as guys who had all the talent in the world but never the help or skilled players around them to get over the hump. All A.I. and Webber are doing now is helping to retard the development of Andre Igudola, whose progress is stunted by the number of times Iverson and Webber must have the ball. It looks to be another long season in Philli.

10. New York Knicks
Wizards forward Antwan Jamison might have said it best last season to describe the Knicks, “They might be the best worst team ever.” The Knicks certainly had talent, but the chemistry of a nuclear bomb just waiting to explode. So many things went wrong last season that you’d be better off just asking what actually went right. Well, since they finished with a measly 23 wins (only Portland did worse) with a payroll of over $100 million (easily the highest in the NBA last season), the Knicks got the # 2 pick in the draft only to have it taken by Chicago in the Eddy Curry trade. Damn. Even when the Knicks were terrible, they couldn’t bring in help. They drafted Renaldo Balkman, a man so unknown to the fans and media that the Knicks might as well of put his face on the side of a milk carton and claimed him as a lost child. The backcourt is still overcrowded with Starbury and Stevie Wonders starting, with Jamal Crawford coming off the bench. Jared Jefferies is out for awhile and that means Q-Rich will probably start. Channing Frye and David Lee are keepers, but things get interesting at the center position. Eddy Curry was a huge disappointment in his first season, but should improve. As for Jerome James, if I were con man I would teach my children to look up to James as he somehow managed to coax the Knicks out of 30 million for one good playoff series while in Seattle. The Knicks are a mess and Isaiah will most likely be given the boot after this season.


West Preview

1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS
They may have been the most overlooked dominant team in 2005-06. Though they won 63 games, the Pistons got the press, Dallas went to the Finals, and Miami won the hardware. The Spurs for their part locked up the Southwest Division Title (a division which will only get more brutal with emergence of Chris Paul and the return of Tracy McGrady) and maintained the best record in the Western Conference. They came back from a 3-1 hole, only to watch Dirk Nowitzki make a game tying 3-point play and go on to beat them at home in overtime in Game 7. Granted TD played hurt much of last year and Manu Ginobli had injury problems himself and was erratic throughout the season. If those two remain healthy along with the ever improving Tony Parker, the Spurs could very well make it back to the Finals. One Caveat: The guys around them like Brent Barry, Nick (no longer the quick) Van Exel, and Mike Finely are getting old.

2. DALLAS MAVERICKS
There’s an old saying that goes, “if you don’t succeed at first, try, try, and try again.” Well that saying would serve the Dallas Mavericks well. After watching the Kings, Spurs, and Suns, all advance in the Western Conference playoffs at their expense the previous years, the Mavericks finally got their chance at a title in 05-06’. Dirk went to work against Tim Duncan and the Spurs putting the Mavs on his back for that thrilling Game 7 victory. Dirk further upped the ante against his old buddy Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns when he led Dallas to a six game victory. However, as the Mavs looked to be the odds on favorite to win the title, something happened . . . . . Dwayne Wade happened. Just minutes away from taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the Finals, Dirk folded, Dwayne Wade exploded, and within a week the city of Miami was celebrating. Dirk has Jason Terry and Josh Howard as his wingmen to help him get back to Finals, but the question is have the Mavericks been humbled by their Finals experience and if there’s any hangover about blowing a 2-0 lead how will they overcome it? These will be important questions as there will be a number of teams on their heals this year.

3. PHOENIX SUNS
Just days after he signed a contact extension and a few weeks before the season, Amare Stoudemire had knee surgery and all of the sudden the world of the Phoenix Suns seemed to go up in smoke. The man who in the 2005 playoffs averaged over 30 a game against TD and the Spurs was on the shelf till February (only to play 3 games and be done for the year). So who was going to carry the team till Amare came back? The same guy who did it the year before. . . . . Steve Nash. In a season where most people thought Phoenix would struggle to win 50 games, they won 54 and again advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Steve Nash would go on to win his second MVP in consecutive seasons and would survive the draining first round series against the Lakers. In 06-07’ the Suns’ success will be tied like a rope to a tree to Amare’s recovery. If he can revert to the 2005 form, then the Suns could very well be bringing home the hardware in 2007, if not, then it will again take career years from the likes of Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and Shawn Marion to get them over the hump.

4. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
My oh my have things changed in the city of angels. When the Clippers were mentioned just a few years ago, it was usually because of the cheap owner, bad record, or just their inept ability to put together any semblance of a winning organization. Throughout the 1990’s, the Clippers might have been the worst franchise in all of sports, let alone the NBA. However, with the arrival of Mike Dunleavy as coach, the forever young Sam Cassel, the trade for superstar forward Elton Brand (what the hell were the Bulls thinking when they made this trade in 2001? The NBA should have sent in someone to investigate whether or not Jerry Krause was on drugs that evening) and the 2004 drafting of the multi-talented Shaun Livingston, the Clips have done well for themselves. They won their first playoff series and had Phoenix on the ropes before going down in 7. Now can they do it again or will we have to wait another 9 years for the Clippers to win a playoff game? If Livingston continues to develop and Elton Brand continues to put up MVP numbers, then the Clips could be a sleeper to make it to the West Conf. finals . . . . . the NBA finals however may still be a few years away, but then again this is a franchise that has been waiting a long time just to get to this point.

5. SACRAMENTO KINGS
All hail the Kings! Well not quite. Sacramento was in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1998. With that glooming stat ahead, the Kings acquired Ron Artest and turned their season around. Ron-Ron brought defense, offense, energy, and most importantly good behavior along with him. The Kings played the Spurs tough, but didn’t have the horses to really contend. This year, with a full season under his belt, the Kings and Ron Artest could make some noise. Mike Bibby and Brad Miller along with guard Kevin Martin (is this guy really 23? He doesn’t look a day over 12) will have to step up their games for the Kings to go deep in the playoffs. With a new coach, who knows what the emphasis will be, but whatever it is the Kings and their fans are hoping it returns them to their glory days of 2002, when they were just minutes (and a few missed free throws) away from going to the Finals and possibly a championship.

6. HOUSTON ROCKETS
Houston, we got issues. After taking a 2-0 lead in the 05’ playoffs, the Rockets were heading home hoping to complete the sweep of the Mavericks. Not only did they lose both home games, but lost Game 7 in Dallas by 40. Talk about limping to the finish line. Coming into last season the Rockets had high hopes. It wasn’t long before those hopes and expectations came tumbling down like a plummeting rocket. T-Mac’s back might have well been made out of play-dough as no one was quite sure how to keep it all in one piece. Yao dazzled and then broke his foot late in the season, but by then the Rockets were already playing out the string. This year T-Mac swears he’s healthy; Yao on the other hand is trying to overcome an injury to his infected big toe. How far the Rockets go this year definitely will depend on their health of their superstars. Neither one can do it alone, and without either of them, the Rockets would struggle to just compete with the guys from the AND 1 Mixtape Tour. If those two can remain healthy for the length of the season, then the Rockets got the best 1-2 punch this side of Miami. We’ll see how things pan out, but if T-Mac doesn’t get out the first round this season, the Rockets and T-Mac will have some things to think about heading into the summer of 2007.

7. DENVER NUGGETS
The “great Northwest” division was anything but last season. Though it wasn’t as pitiful as the Atlantic, it doesn’t look too good when the team that wins that division doesn’t even have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets enter the 06-07’ campaign as a team trying to come together; maybe they should do some bonding and hand holding in the mountains after last season’s problems. Carmelo was spectacular but was learning to be a leader and living in the shadow of King James and D-Wade (he still is). This season it’s time for him to put this team on his back and be responsible and the team voice despite his youth. As for the other characters, is Andre Miller the best PG to lead this team? Will Marcus Camby stay healthy? Can they make it out the first round? The Nuggets are fast becoming the Timberwovles of a few years ago by making the playoffs and losing in the first round every year (they’ve been knocked out in round 1 the last 3 years). Another interesting side note is the whole Kenyon Martin- George Karl relationship. Can these two really coexist? The Nuggets desperately wanted to rid themselves of Martin and his hideous contract (I believe 5 years and 70 mil left), but couldn’t trade K-Mart for a sack of basketballs and some free DVDs at this point. Also this team still does not have an accomplished shooting guard. J.R. Smith is a prospect at best and what he’ll do is anyone’s guess. The Nuggets meanwhile must stay healthy and somewhat happy (that means you Kenyon) and develop the type of chemistry to go deep into the playoffs. As of now, they’re just another mediocre team in the West.

8. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
In 2005, Phil the “Zenmaster” Jackson and Kobe Bryant mended fences and made an impressive trip into the playoffs and challenged Phoenix in a hard fought series. The Lakers captured the 7th seed in the playoffs despite having a roster of just Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and spare change. Jackson turned Kwame into a player and Smush Parker into a serviceable NBA PG. 05-06’ was a season in which Kobe had the memorable 81 point game in which he made the Toronto Raptors look like a freshman high school team. Despite last season’s success things might be different this year. For one, Kobe is coming off knee surgery and might take some time to come back, Lamar Odom will be playing with a heavy heart after the loss of his son over the summer, and there are still questions about Chris Mihm’s ankle, and how far the high school project Andrew Bynum has progressed. The Lakers will have just enough to squeak in late.

Teams on the Bubble . . . .
New Orleans - They got the reigning rookie of the year in CP3, a low post scorer in David West, and a potential $60 million dollar liability in whatever’s left of Peja Stojavic’s career
Golden State – The last time this team sniffed the playoffs, Michael Jordan was retired . . . . . . for the first time that is.

Teams with no shot . . . . .
Portland Trailblazers – What was once one of he best teams in all the NBA is still trying to shed its jail blazer image. They got a keeper in Brandon Roy, but they’re years away at best

[Its_asdf]

portland is tgwf rgreatest i duin know what youz smomkin like brandon royt is so cool he majmes me jealoujs when he puts int on the foloor.

[Lamrock]

wtf, its_asdf; are your last 50 or so posts a joke?

Interesting predictions; somewhat similar to mine. I think I had:

West

Phoenix, SAS, Dallas, Clippers, Jazz, Rockets, Hornets, Lakers | Memphis, Seattle

East

Miami, Detroit, NJ, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, Orlando, Indiana | Toronto, Philly

[scrub]

The Big 3: Kidd, Carter, Jefferson. Perhaps the best big 3 in all the NBA.

Just noticed that. I beg to differ. Duncan, Parker, Ginobili - no questions asked.

[el badman]

Shame94 wrote:
The Big 3: Kidd, Carter, Jefferson. Perhaps the best big 3 in all the NBA.


Just noticed that. I beg to differ. Duncan, Parker, Ginobili - no questions asked.

Well, with no injury the 3 Nets are indeed phenomenal, but yeah, the 3 Spurs are the most balanced and efficient big 3 in the league I think.
I've been especially disappointed with VC in these playoffs, he really appeared uninspired and desperate, forcing shots like crazy and whining all the time about not getting calls...

[Sauru]

talking about big 3's the sun have a pretty good big 3 also, which i would take over the nets big 3 any day. infact i dont know if i could pick between the spurs and suns over which 3 is better, right now i gotta say spurs as they got the rings to prove it.

[Riot]

I think Foye/Davis/Garnett eats any big three up and spits it out.

[grusom]

I think Foye/Davis/Garnett eats any big three up and spits it out.

...or puts it in their mouth and chokes on it.

Nets went to the second round with only three good players, how come the Woves couldn't ven advance to the playoffs if their "big three" is so great?