Go West Young Man
Two divisions to go and since the Atlantic is being saved for last we travel to it's geographic counterpart, the Pacific or as I like to call California and a friend, as four of the divisions five teams hail from the Golden state and two of them actually play in the same city. This division could toss out as many as four playoff teams and one that could be sniffing at a postseason berth, so let us not waste anymore time and travel west.
PACIFIC DIVISION
Golden State Warriors: He's baaaaaaaaack. Yup, Don Nelson is back at the helm of the Warriors twelve years after he left the team. Nellie coached the team from 1988 through 1994 (he didn't finish the season). He made the playoffs four times, advancing to the second round twice, but never further. He won 50 game with the Warriors twice and everything looked to be good when Chris Webber helped lead them to a 50-32 record as a rookie in 1993-94. Then he Nellie had a falling out, Webber was gone and Nellie was out partway through the next season. After stops in New York (yeah, I barely remember it either) and most recently 1997-2004 in Dallas, Nellie is back at it again. His teams always score, as evidenced most recently with Run TMC and Dallas who had a hard time defending folding chairs but could light you up like a Christmas tree. Well, it's a good thing he's into the offense because the Warriors can't defend much of anybody. Golden State gave up just under 100ppg last year. The only people that might warrant some mentioning defensively are Mickael Pietrus who can harass people on the perimeter and Adonal Foyle who can block a shot or two and has defied logic by somehow making it to his 10th year in the league. How does a guy who only has one skill (shot blocking) and he's not even that great at it stay in the league this long? I'm confused too, damn you Adonal Foyle. Nellie is famous for playing small ball and well that's where this team appears to be headed. Mike Dunleavy is projected to start at power forward....one word comes to mind there, yikes. Dunleavy is 6'9" which is power forward height...unfortunately he plays like he's 6'4". He's a shooting guard that has the bad fortune of being five inches taller than he should so he's played out of position. That being said, he can handle the ball fairly well and Nellie likes the whole "point forward" thing so maybe Dunleavy will have a break out year. I'm not saying it will happen, I'm just saying it could....then again a lot of things could happen, like me getting a job....the point here is not to get too far ahead of yourself. OK, moving on. Troy Murphy will be starting at center for this team, which isn't a total yikes, nor is it a cry for joy. Murphy's good for 14-16ppg and 10-12 rebounds which isn't bad. Thing is he's not really a center, he just plays one on TV (did I use this joke somewhere else in my preview? Methinks I did and methinks I'm too lazy to check so whatever). He live on the perimeter and not just mid range either. How many other centers do you know of that attempted over 140 3-point shots in a season (181 last year...148 the year before that). If you answered no one, well I'm pretty sure you're right. But again, in Nellie-ball, the centers usually have range and try to strech the defense. Murphy in a lot of ways is what a healthy kneed Raef LaFrentz could have been, except LaFrentz was better around the rim than Murphy in terms of finishing. Their stronges area is their starting backcourt of Jason Richardson and Baron Davis. Richardson is incredibly athletic, can finish on the break and has developed a good jump shot and he shoots a very respectable percentage (38.4%) from 3-point range. He can pretty much do everything offensively. He isn't great at creating a jumper off the dribble, but if he keeps improving like he does he'll have that soon enough. The key to the whole thing though is Davis. If he's in shape, healthy and doens't have an attitude about things then the Warriors could make a push for the playoffs. If he's not all of those things, well then enjoy watching Jason Richardson cuz there won't be much else to enjoy. Davis likes to run though and so does Nellie and Nellie also seems to find a way to turn his point guards (Steve Nash, Tim Hardaway) into All-Stars and since Davis is already of all-start caliber is should make things run well. Then again they could but heads and fight like crazy, but I'm going with history on this one and say things will work out, for a little while at least. The closest thing Golden State has to a post player is Ike Diogu, an undersized power forward, who in all honesty may get lost in the system the Warriors are putting in. Then again, the Warriors will need someone other than Murphy to rebound and Diogu can do that, so there's a chance for him. They could also have another good post player in Chris Taft who has a ton of ability. Unfortunately, his head is so far up his ass it's almost out his neck again, so don't count on much from him...unless his head is out of his rectum, then he could be a pleasent surprise. Another guy to watch off the bench is Dajuan Wagner. He was taken 6th by the Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA draft and injuries never really let him reach his potential and a serious medical problem had him out of the league all together last year. But he's had a good pre-season and he can certainly score so there will be a spot for him with the Warriors. So the deal here is if there's a healthy Davis and he's buying into what Nellie is selling then the Warriors could make a playoff push. I don't think they'll make it, but they could make things interesting at least. They still need a couple of pieces (better bench dpeth and a lil more defense and rebounding presence) and then they could make the playoffs. Don't count them out, but don't bank on counting them in.
Los Angeles Clippers: Since the Clippers have moved to Los Angeles in starting in the 1984-85 season, they have had two winning seasons. That's bad. The good part however is that last season was their 2nd and this year should be their third. Even better, they made the playoffs and went to the second round, taking the Phoenix Suns to seven games. So the Clippers are a joke no more and Elgin Baylor looks competant and no longer like a body dummy in one of Bill Cosby's sweaters from the Cosby Show. Sam Cassell was brought in last year and the Clippers started winning. No matter if you like the guy, you have to respect that whereve he goes, he seems to win. He'd definetly one of those guys you hate if he's on the other team and love if he's on yours. His attitude helped get rid of a lot of the ghosts of Clippers past and how can you not love a guy whole celebrates hitting big shots by walking down the court, mimicking that he's holding his huge balls? He's got the goods and he delivers, simple as that. And if for some reason he goes down, they've got themselves one hell of a back-up in Shaun Livingston. He's remarkably quick, can get to the rim, has a great handle on the ball and is an oustanding passer. Still needs to fill his body out some and develop his jumpshot, but this guy is going to be a perennial All-Star some day. There is also no defficency of offense from the wing positions. Cuttino Mobley will take his place at shooting guard. Not a great defender, but he's a decent defender and he makes an effort. He can also shoot the lights out when he gets hot and he has good range, always a plus. Cory Maggette will take the small forward spot and he too can fill it up. Good mid-range game, can hit the three ball when needed, plus he can take it to the rim and finish due to the fact that he can jump like he's standing on the moon instead of earth. Manning the middle is Chris Kaman who may be one of the goofier looking players in the league, but may also be one of the most under appreciated/noticed. Last season he average nearly a dozen points and ten rebounds a game. He doesn't posses anything incredible, he's just incredibly solid, gives a great effort night in and night out. He can play with his back to the basket a little bit, finish with either hand, plus he's a big guy who hits his free throws, what's not to love? In the power forward spot is one of my favorite players and if you ever watch the NBA he may become one of yours, Elton Brand. If the Clippers can challenge the Suns in the division he will and should get some serious MVP consideration. He has a good face up jumper and he's so quick around the basket it makes up for the height he gives up to taller power forwards. He blocks shots, rebounds and he plays the game without acting like a jack-ass. Basically he's everything you want in a power forward or NBA player for that matter. The bench will also provide some pop. Again, with Cassell healthy, Livingston will be coming off the bench, but the big key will be Tim Thomas. He had a huge playoffs last year with Phoenix and he translated that into a 4 year deal with the Clippers. He should provide them with a good offensive spark off the bench and in the event of an injury he could step into the starting line-up and fit pretty comfortably. Quentin Ross and James Singleton should also get minutes off the bench and should provide some defense when needed. The Clippers will be good that's for sure. They will have a hard time catching the Suns, but 2nd in the division should suit them and maybe if they're lucky they could land a top five seed for the playoffs. I'm also interested to see how many celebrities defect to the Clippers if they have another good season and if the Lakers suffer. Again, another way you can be entertained by the NBA and not actually be watching. Good things for the Clippers me hopes, they'll be fun.
Los Angeles Lakers: That's right, it's the other team in LA. OK, I say that only half jokingly. Seriously though with the new and improved Clippers, the Lakers are no longer by far and away the buzz team in LA. Don't get me wrong, they're still the buzz team, not just far and away like they used to be. The first thing everyone associates with the Lakers and with good reason is Kobe Bryant. He is the face of that franchise and one of the faces of the NBA. He'll be playing this season as number 24, a switch from his old number 8. Whether or not this move was made to try and confuse people into liking him better I do not know. Like or dislike the guy, he is one hell of a basketball player and it was most likely due in large part to him that they pushed the Phoenix Suns to seven games in the first round last year after they were down three games to one. It's also worth noting that Kobe completely mailed it during game seven and appeared to have as much interest in that game as a 12-year old with ADHD does in a calculus book. He really is an enigma. He takes a ton of shots and at times is selfish with the basketball, yet there is so little around him in terms of talent, the team essentially has to live with him chucking it up 30+ times a night in order for them to win. It's really just him and a bunch of role players, sounds like some other Phil Jackson coached teams that we know of. Of course if Lamar Odom gets a chance to assert himself on the floor a little bit more and does so, well then this team could have two guys that you would be forced to deal with. Odom is certainly a unique talent...6'10", has a great handle and can penetrate and pass. Problem is, he is most effective when he has the ball in his hands and Bryant constantly wants the ball in his hands and unless there is some new rule about there being two balls on the court this year, that could be a big issue. They survived last year, I'm curious about this year. Especially if Bryant misses some extended time with his injured knee and Odom asserts himself more on the court and how it will mesh when Bryant is back. Outside of those two the rest of the starting line-up would be better off being back-ups, but alas, with the Lakers they start. Chris Mihm would be a really good back-up center in this league, but he doesn't quite have the chops to be a starter. Mihm is actually injured right now and won't be starting the season so this will give Andrew Bynum a chance to show something. Bynum was taken by the Lakers last year with the 10th overall pick straight out of high school. While still a projec, he is intriguing and if he shows something while Mihm is hurt he could be in the starting line-up to stay. Kwame Brown, well if he's still in the league in five years color me impressed. Must have been tough though having your ego pumped up by being hanpicked by Michael Jordan number one overall then having the same man completely destroy your confidence. Smush Parker is their starting point guard and really, he's not a point guard because Odom and Bryant will be handling the ball so much. Vladamir Radmanovic was brought in to help boost the bench scoring and honestly, he's a pretty rugged player. He can certainly shoot from the perimeter and three point range, but he's also take it to the hoop a little bit. He'll be starting for them not too far into the season. Brian Cook will see some time at power forward, even though he's really a wing player in a big mans body. Luke Walton will also get some minutes as he fits well into the trianle offense with his passing skills. I'm curious to see how Jordan Farmarr, the rookie point guard from UCLA does. He plays hard there's no question there, but I've always felt he's a little overrated. His shot is suspect and he's not much of a defender, then again there's no better place to be than LA if your slightly overrated so maybe it will all work out. Playoffs for this team? It's possible if Bryant and Odom can coexist again and if Bynum develops into something down low that would certainly be a great push. I just don't see them anywhere in the top 6 in the west....then again I didn't see them getting to the playoffs at all last year, but somehow that all worked out. It's the Lakers though and you can always count on one thing with them, a soap opera at some point or another. Don't know what it will be or when it will happen, but you can pretty much bank on something happening at some point. It's a different world out there in LA LA land and the Lakers are more than happy to live in it.
Sacramento Kings: Oh Ronnie, where art thou five years ago? Seriously, when the Lakers and Kings were squaring off in the playoffs in seasons past the Kings could never quite get past the Lake show. What they needed was a hard nosed defender (sorry Doug Christie) who could harass the hell out of Lakers, Kobe in particular and show the Lakers that they had some balls and wouldn't back down. No offense to Mike Bibby, but he just wasn't scary enough to get that done. So while Artest is essentially 5 years to late to take them past the Lakers he could help get them to the postseason. Artest, acquired mid-season last year put a jolt into the Kings to help them reach the playoffs for the 8th straight season. Scarmento was 17-24 before Artest arrived and went 37-14 after he showed up. Not bad for a crazy guy. The scary thing for the Kings is that their season essentially hinges on Artest and whether or not he decides to be an up-right hard working NBA citizen or if he decides to be himself. I woldn't say it's reason be scared if your a Sacramento fan, just reason for caution. Mike Bibby will continue to be his solid, big shot hitting crunch time guy that he's always been. Did you know that Bibby has never made an All-Star team? Yeah, I find that odd too. Brad Miller holds down the center spot and he's so much fun to watch offensively and it's painful to watch him defensively. Miller has a great jump shot, can strech a defense and he's probably one of the best passing big men in the game today. That's the trade off you get for his defensive shortcomings, which are very bad. Kenny Thomas isn't much of defender either, in fact he's not much of a power forward but he usually puts fourth a decent effort and you always have to give it to an undersized guy who mans the 4 spot. Shareef Abdur-Rahim will give some scoring pop off the bench and not much else. Quincy Douby, a rookie from Rutgers will also be called upon supply some offense off the pine. The thing I wonder about is how some of the players will mesh with new head coach Eric Mussleman. Mussleman is a hard nosed defensive oriented get in your face type of coach. How that will go with guys like Bibby and Miller will be interesting. It should be noted though that he should have instant respect after getting arrested for DUI about a couple of weeks ago. So at least he can relate to his players because he too has been arrested (The NBA.....it's faaaaannntastic!). So if Artest doesn't go mental , the vets don't get pissed and if Mussleman can know when to say when, then the Kings will be intriguing. It's going to be a dogfight in the west (maybe they should sign Qyntel Woods) for the last couple of playoff spots and it's a fight I think they can come out of on top.
Phoenix Suns: Who knew that watching an NBA game could actually be an enjoyable experience? Well the Suns have show that over the past couple of seasons and their idea that scoring is OK is starting to catch on around the league. The suns need to be healthy, point blank if they want to win a title. Steve Nash is obviously the keystone in all of this. He's the enigizer bunny of this team, he makes them go. If he goes down then they'll fall from the top of the west playoff picture to somewhere near the mid-to bottom range of it. It's almost impossible to describe what he does and how well he does it. Just watch him and you'll enjoy and understand. The rest of their line-up is filled with guys that can get up and down the floor, finish in the open court and move well without the ball in half court sets. Shawn Marion is just an athletic freak. He jumps like he's been shot out of a cannon and he absolutely runs bigger guys off the court in transition. Add on top of that he's a great individual and team defender and even though the form on jumpshot is anything less than textbook it goes in, so you can't fault him for that. Boris Diaw really emerged for the Suns last season as well after coming to Phoenix via trade with Atlanta. He is big, he slashes very well to the basket and he has some range....not deep range, but enough to hit the 15-18 foot jumper. Coming off the bench, Leandro Barbosa is just instant offense. You could look away from the game for five minutes and he could suddnely have a dozen points. He can shoot from deep (44.4% from 3-point range) and he is lightning quick on the dribble and has no problem finishing at the rim. Marcus Banks was brought in to also provide some back-up minutes at the point and while he is suited for this type of system with his great speed, it's a matter of whether or not he uses it correctly; that meaning he goes north-south with it, not east-west. For some reason he seems to try and go around people rather than right by them which he is more than capeable of doing. Jumaine Jones has also been brought in basically as some offensive insurance and another deep threat off the bench. Defense has been an issue with this team in the past and despite having two very good individual defenders in Marion and Raja Bell, it coud still be an issue. Bell is in a lot of ways is a poor man's version of Ron Artest sans the crzy gene. He's a great on the ball defender and a good offensive player. He puts it up a lot from outside but he hits at a good clip (44.2% from 3-point range last season). In all honesty, the Suns season hinges on two big men, Amare Stoudamire and Kurt Thomas. Stoudamire was 2nd team All-NBA two seasons ago and he was an absolute force to be reckoned with. He was a monster on the break and he was starting to develop a nice face-up jumper. He also was a decent defender who provided another shot-blocking presence to go along with Marion. The problem was, he has issues with his knees and is coming off micro-fracture surgery, which has derailed more than on NBA career. If he comes back though and is healthy it will be a plus for the Suns, but they'll have to learn to integrate him back into their offensive flow. But with Nash at the point that may be easier than some might think. Kurt Thomas saw injuries limit his time in his first season in the valley of the sun. While he's not a fit in the Suns offense in terms of transition he does give them a reliable and viable option in the half court as he posesses a very good jump shot. His health will give them better offensive consistency when not in transition and while not a great defender by any strech of the imagination he can bang down low a little bit if needed. The Suns could go very far this year, in fact I think they will. Do yourself a favor and sit down and watch them if you get the chance, you won't be disappointed.
And there you have, California plus one, otherwise known as the Pacific Division. This is going to be a fun division to watch and a tough one to play in. There are at least 3 teams out of this division that should make the playoffs....maybe even four. Keep an eye on Golden St. they could be better than people might think and the Clippers may be closer to the Suns than it may appear, lets just hope they're not flying on wings made of wax. Anyways, moving on to the division finish.
1. Phoenix - It's their division to lose really....this could be the year they finally break through and win the whole thing
2. Clippers - Playoffs two years in a row? Believe it boy and girls
3. Scaramento - I think Artest wants to show everyone he's not crazy and that he wants to be an All-Star....and after he accomplishes that this season he'll go back to being crazy
4. Lakers - I don't know why, I just got a feeling that something is going to hit the fan this season with them....badly....don't know what or when, but something will happen
5. Golden State - I wanted to put them higher....I really think they could be a sleeper team and make a run for the playoffs in all honesty, I just can't have them leap to third in this division yet.
And there it is in all it's glory, the NBA's Pacific Divsion. Should be fun to wach....too bad most of their games don't start until 10pm my time though. Oh well, that's the way the time zones run. One more divsion to go, possibly one of the most craptastic, that being the Atlantic. Don't think it will get up today as I have some things to do and the Celtics open up tonight and lets just say I don't plan on missing that, so the Atlantic will be up tomorrow, but until then.....
PACIFIC DIVISION
Golden State Warriors: He's baaaaaaaaack. Yup, Don Nelson is back at the helm of the Warriors twelve years after he left the team. Nellie coached the team from 1988 through 1994 (he didn't finish the season). He made the playoffs four times, advancing to the second round twice, but never further. He won 50 game with the Warriors twice and everything looked to be good when Chris Webber helped lead them to a 50-32 record as a rookie in 1993-94. Then he Nellie had a falling out, Webber was gone and Nellie was out partway through the next season. After stops in New York (yeah, I barely remember it either) and most recently 1997-2004 in Dallas, Nellie is back at it again. His teams always score, as evidenced most recently with Run TMC and Dallas who had a hard time defending folding chairs but could light you up like a Christmas tree. Well, it's a good thing he's into the offense because the Warriors can't defend much of anybody. Golden State gave up just under 100ppg last year. The only people that might warrant some mentioning defensively are Mickael Pietrus who can harass people on the perimeter and Adonal Foyle who can block a shot or two and has defied logic by somehow making it to his 10th year in the league. How does a guy who only has one skill (shot blocking) and he's not even that great at it stay in the league this long? I'm confused too, damn you Adonal Foyle. Nellie is famous for playing small ball and well that's where this team appears to be headed. Mike Dunleavy is projected to start at power forward....one word comes to mind there, yikes. Dunleavy is 6'9" which is power forward height...unfortunately he plays like he's 6'4". He's a shooting guard that has the bad fortune of being five inches taller than he should so he's played out of position. That being said, he can handle the ball fairly well and Nellie likes the whole "point forward" thing so maybe Dunleavy will have a break out year. I'm not saying it will happen, I'm just saying it could....then again a lot of things could happen, like me getting a job....the point here is not to get too far ahead of yourself. OK, moving on. Troy Murphy will be starting at center for this team, which isn't a total yikes, nor is it a cry for joy. Murphy's good for 14-16ppg and 10-12 rebounds which isn't bad. Thing is he's not really a center, he just plays one on TV (did I use this joke somewhere else in my preview? Methinks I did and methinks I'm too lazy to check so whatever). He live on the perimeter and not just mid range either. How many other centers do you know of that attempted over 140 3-point shots in a season (181 last year...148 the year before that). If you answered no one, well I'm pretty sure you're right. But again, in Nellie-ball, the centers usually have range and try to strech the defense. Murphy in a lot of ways is what a healthy kneed Raef LaFrentz could have been, except LaFrentz was better around the rim than Murphy in terms of finishing. Their stronges area is their starting backcourt of Jason Richardson and Baron Davis. Richardson is incredibly athletic, can finish on the break and has developed a good jump shot and he shoots a very respectable percentage (38.4%) from 3-point range. He can pretty much do everything offensively. He isn't great at creating a jumper off the dribble, but if he keeps improving like he does he'll have that soon enough. The key to the whole thing though is Davis. If he's in shape, healthy and doens't have an attitude about things then the Warriors could make a push for the playoffs. If he's not all of those things, well then enjoy watching Jason Richardson cuz there won't be much else to enjoy. Davis likes to run though and so does Nellie and Nellie also seems to find a way to turn his point guards (Steve Nash, Tim Hardaway) into All-Stars and since Davis is already of all-start caliber is should make things run well. Then again they could but heads and fight like crazy, but I'm going with history on this one and say things will work out, for a little while at least. The closest thing Golden State has to a post player is Ike Diogu, an undersized power forward, who in all honesty may get lost in the system the Warriors are putting in. Then again, the Warriors will need someone other than Murphy to rebound and Diogu can do that, so there's a chance for him. They could also have another good post player in Chris Taft who has a ton of ability. Unfortunately, his head is so far up his ass it's almost out his neck again, so don't count on much from him...unless his head is out of his rectum, then he could be a pleasent surprise. Another guy to watch off the bench is Dajuan Wagner. He was taken 6th by the Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA draft and injuries never really let him reach his potential and a serious medical problem had him out of the league all together last year. But he's had a good pre-season and he can certainly score so there will be a spot for him with the Warriors. So the deal here is if there's a healthy Davis and he's buying into what Nellie is selling then the Warriors could make a playoff push. I don't think they'll make it, but they could make things interesting at least. They still need a couple of pieces (better bench dpeth and a lil more defense and rebounding presence) and then they could make the playoffs. Don't count them out, but don't bank on counting them in.
Los Angeles Clippers: Since the Clippers have moved to Los Angeles in starting in the 1984-85 season, they have had two winning seasons. That's bad. The good part however is that last season was their 2nd and this year should be their third. Even better, they made the playoffs and went to the second round, taking the Phoenix Suns to seven games. So the Clippers are a joke no more and Elgin Baylor looks competant and no longer like a body dummy in one of Bill Cosby's sweaters from the Cosby Show. Sam Cassell was brought in last year and the Clippers started winning. No matter if you like the guy, you have to respect that whereve he goes, he seems to win. He'd definetly one of those guys you hate if he's on the other team and love if he's on yours. His attitude helped get rid of a lot of the ghosts of Clippers past and how can you not love a guy whole celebrates hitting big shots by walking down the court, mimicking that he's holding his huge balls? He's got the goods and he delivers, simple as that. And if for some reason he goes down, they've got themselves one hell of a back-up in Shaun Livingston. He's remarkably quick, can get to the rim, has a great handle on the ball and is an oustanding passer. Still needs to fill his body out some and develop his jumpshot, but this guy is going to be a perennial All-Star some day. There is also no defficency of offense from the wing positions. Cuttino Mobley will take his place at shooting guard. Not a great defender, but he's a decent defender and he makes an effort. He can also shoot the lights out when he gets hot and he has good range, always a plus. Cory Maggette will take the small forward spot and he too can fill it up. Good mid-range game, can hit the three ball when needed, plus he can take it to the rim and finish due to the fact that he can jump like he's standing on the moon instead of earth. Manning the middle is Chris Kaman who may be one of the goofier looking players in the league, but may also be one of the most under appreciated/noticed. Last season he average nearly a dozen points and ten rebounds a game. He doesn't posses anything incredible, he's just incredibly solid, gives a great effort night in and night out. He can play with his back to the basket a little bit, finish with either hand, plus he's a big guy who hits his free throws, what's not to love? In the power forward spot is one of my favorite players and if you ever watch the NBA he may become one of yours, Elton Brand. If the Clippers can challenge the Suns in the division he will and should get some serious MVP consideration. He has a good face up jumper and he's so quick around the basket it makes up for the height he gives up to taller power forwards. He blocks shots, rebounds and he plays the game without acting like a jack-ass. Basically he's everything you want in a power forward or NBA player for that matter. The bench will also provide some pop. Again, with Cassell healthy, Livingston will be coming off the bench, but the big key will be Tim Thomas. He had a huge playoffs last year with Phoenix and he translated that into a 4 year deal with the Clippers. He should provide them with a good offensive spark off the bench and in the event of an injury he could step into the starting line-up and fit pretty comfortably. Quentin Ross and James Singleton should also get minutes off the bench and should provide some defense when needed. The Clippers will be good that's for sure. They will have a hard time catching the Suns, but 2nd in the division should suit them and maybe if they're lucky they could land a top five seed for the playoffs. I'm also interested to see how many celebrities defect to the Clippers if they have another good season and if the Lakers suffer. Again, another way you can be entertained by the NBA and not actually be watching. Good things for the Clippers me hopes, they'll be fun.
Los Angeles Lakers: That's right, it's the other team in LA. OK, I say that only half jokingly. Seriously though with the new and improved Clippers, the Lakers are no longer by far and away the buzz team in LA. Don't get me wrong, they're still the buzz team, not just far and away like they used to be. The first thing everyone associates with the Lakers and with good reason is Kobe Bryant. He is the face of that franchise and one of the faces of the NBA. He'll be playing this season as number 24, a switch from his old number 8. Whether or not this move was made to try and confuse people into liking him better I do not know. Like or dislike the guy, he is one hell of a basketball player and it was most likely due in large part to him that they pushed the Phoenix Suns to seven games in the first round last year after they were down three games to one. It's also worth noting that Kobe completely mailed it during game seven and appeared to have as much interest in that game as a 12-year old with ADHD does in a calculus book. He really is an enigma. He takes a ton of shots and at times is selfish with the basketball, yet there is so little around him in terms of talent, the team essentially has to live with him chucking it up 30+ times a night in order for them to win. It's really just him and a bunch of role players, sounds like some other Phil Jackson coached teams that we know of. Of course if Lamar Odom gets a chance to assert himself on the floor a little bit more and does so, well then this team could have two guys that you would be forced to deal with. Odom is certainly a unique talent...6'10", has a great handle and can penetrate and pass. Problem is, he is most effective when he has the ball in his hands and Bryant constantly wants the ball in his hands and unless there is some new rule about there being two balls on the court this year, that could be a big issue. They survived last year, I'm curious about this year. Especially if Bryant misses some extended time with his injured knee and Odom asserts himself more on the court and how it will mesh when Bryant is back. Outside of those two the rest of the starting line-up would be better off being back-ups, but alas, with the Lakers they start. Chris Mihm would be a really good back-up center in this league, but he doesn't quite have the chops to be a starter. Mihm is actually injured right now and won't be starting the season so this will give Andrew Bynum a chance to show something. Bynum was taken by the Lakers last year with the 10th overall pick straight out of high school. While still a projec, he is intriguing and if he shows something while Mihm is hurt he could be in the starting line-up to stay. Kwame Brown, well if he's still in the league in five years color me impressed. Must have been tough though having your ego pumped up by being hanpicked by Michael Jordan number one overall then having the same man completely destroy your confidence. Smush Parker is their starting point guard and really, he's not a point guard because Odom and Bryant will be handling the ball so much. Vladamir Radmanovic was brought in to help boost the bench scoring and honestly, he's a pretty rugged player. He can certainly shoot from the perimeter and three point range, but he's also take it to the hoop a little bit. He'll be starting for them not too far into the season. Brian Cook will see some time at power forward, even though he's really a wing player in a big mans body. Luke Walton will also get some minutes as he fits well into the trianle offense with his passing skills. I'm curious to see how Jordan Farmarr, the rookie point guard from UCLA does. He plays hard there's no question there, but I've always felt he's a little overrated. His shot is suspect and he's not much of a defender, then again there's no better place to be than LA if your slightly overrated so maybe it will all work out. Playoffs for this team? It's possible if Bryant and Odom can coexist again and if Bynum develops into something down low that would certainly be a great push. I just don't see them anywhere in the top 6 in the west....then again I didn't see them getting to the playoffs at all last year, but somehow that all worked out. It's the Lakers though and you can always count on one thing with them, a soap opera at some point or another. Don't know what it will be or when it will happen, but you can pretty much bank on something happening at some point. It's a different world out there in LA LA land and the Lakers are more than happy to live in it.
Sacramento Kings: Oh Ronnie, where art thou five years ago? Seriously, when the Lakers and Kings were squaring off in the playoffs in seasons past the Kings could never quite get past the Lake show. What they needed was a hard nosed defender (sorry Doug Christie) who could harass the hell out of Lakers, Kobe in particular and show the Lakers that they had some balls and wouldn't back down. No offense to Mike Bibby, but he just wasn't scary enough to get that done. So while Artest is essentially 5 years to late to take them past the Lakers he could help get them to the postseason. Artest, acquired mid-season last year put a jolt into the Kings to help them reach the playoffs for the 8th straight season. Scarmento was 17-24 before Artest arrived and went 37-14 after he showed up. Not bad for a crazy guy. The scary thing for the Kings is that their season essentially hinges on Artest and whether or not he decides to be an up-right hard working NBA citizen or if he decides to be himself. I woldn't say it's reason be scared if your a Sacramento fan, just reason for caution. Mike Bibby will continue to be his solid, big shot hitting crunch time guy that he's always been. Did you know that Bibby has never made an All-Star team? Yeah, I find that odd too. Brad Miller holds down the center spot and he's so much fun to watch offensively and it's painful to watch him defensively. Miller has a great jump shot, can strech a defense and he's probably one of the best passing big men in the game today. That's the trade off you get for his defensive shortcomings, which are very bad. Kenny Thomas isn't much of defender either, in fact he's not much of a power forward but he usually puts fourth a decent effort and you always have to give it to an undersized guy who mans the 4 spot. Shareef Abdur-Rahim will give some scoring pop off the bench and not much else. Quincy Douby, a rookie from Rutgers will also be called upon supply some offense off the pine. The thing I wonder about is how some of the players will mesh with new head coach Eric Mussleman. Mussleman is a hard nosed defensive oriented get in your face type of coach. How that will go with guys like Bibby and Miller will be interesting. It should be noted though that he should have instant respect after getting arrested for DUI about a couple of weeks ago. So at least he can relate to his players because he too has been arrested (The NBA.....it's faaaaannntastic!). So if Artest doesn't go mental , the vets don't get pissed and if Mussleman can know when to say when, then the Kings will be intriguing. It's going to be a dogfight in the west (maybe they should sign Qyntel Woods) for the last couple of playoff spots and it's a fight I think they can come out of on top.
Phoenix Suns: Who knew that watching an NBA game could actually be an enjoyable experience? Well the Suns have show that over the past couple of seasons and their idea that scoring is OK is starting to catch on around the league. The suns need to be healthy, point blank if they want to win a title. Steve Nash is obviously the keystone in all of this. He's the enigizer bunny of this team, he makes them go. If he goes down then they'll fall from the top of the west playoff picture to somewhere near the mid-to bottom range of it. It's almost impossible to describe what he does and how well he does it. Just watch him and you'll enjoy and understand. The rest of their line-up is filled with guys that can get up and down the floor, finish in the open court and move well without the ball in half court sets. Shawn Marion is just an athletic freak. He jumps like he's been shot out of a cannon and he absolutely runs bigger guys off the court in transition. Add on top of that he's a great individual and team defender and even though the form on jumpshot is anything less than textbook it goes in, so you can't fault him for that. Boris Diaw really emerged for the Suns last season as well after coming to Phoenix via trade with Atlanta. He is big, he slashes very well to the basket and he has some range....not deep range, but enough to hit the 15-18 foot jumper. Coming off the bench, Leandro Barbosa is just instant offense. You could look away from the game for five minutes and he could suddnely have a dozen points. He can shoot from deep (44.4% from 3-point range) and he is lightning quick on the dribble and has no problem finishing at the rim. Marcus Banks was brought in to also provide some back-up minutes at the point and while he is suited for this type of system with his great speed, it's a matter of whether or not he uses it correctly; that meaning he goes north-south with it, not east-west. For some reason he seems to try and go around people rather than right by them which he is more than capeable of doing. Jumaine Jones has also been brought in basically as some offensive insurance and another deep threat off the bench. Defense has been an issue with this team in the past and despite having two very good individual defenders in Marion and Raja Bell, it coud still be an issue. Bell is in a lot of ways is a poor man's version of Ron Artest sans the crzy gene. He's a great on the ball defender and a good offensive player. He puts it up a lot from outside but he hits at a good clip (44.2% from 3-point range last season). In all honesty, the Suns season hinges on two big men, Amare Stoudamire and Kurt Thomas. Stoudamire was 2nd team All-NBA two seasons ago and he was an absolute force to be reckoned with. He was a monster on the break and he was starting to develop a nice face-up jumper. He also was a decent defender who provided another shot-blocking presence to go along with Marion. The problem was, he has issues with his knees and is coming off micro-fracture surgery, which has derailed more than on NBA career. If he comes back though and is healthy it will be a plus for the Suns, but they'll have to learn to integrate him back into their offensive flow. But with Nash at the point that may be easier than some might think. Kurt Thomas saw injuries limit his time in his first season in the valley of the sun. While he's not a fit in the Suns offense in terms of transition he does give them a reliable and viable option in the half court as he posesses a very good jump shot. His health will give them better offensive consistency when not in transition and while not a great defender by any strech of the imagination he can bang down low a little bit if needed. The Suns could go very far this year, in fact I think they will. Do yourself a favor and sit down and watch them if you get the chance, you won't be disappointed.
And there you have, California plus one, otherwise known as the Pacific Division. This is going to be a fun division to watch and a tough one to play in. There are at least 3 teams out of this division that should make the playoffs....maybe even four. Keep an eye on Golden St. they could be better than people might think and the Clippers may be closer to the Suns than it may appear, lets just hope they're not flying on wings made of wax. Anyways, moving on to the division finish.
1. Phoenix - It's their division to lose really....this could be the year they finally break through and win the whole thing
2. Clippers - Playoffs two years in a row? Believe it boy and girls
3. Scaramento - I think Artest wants to show everyone he's not crazy and that he wants to be an All-Star....and after he accomplishes that this season he'll go back to being crazy
4. Lakers - I don't know why, I just got a feeling that something is going to hit the fan this season with them....badly....don't know what or when, but something will happen
5. Golden State - I wanted to put them higher....I really think they could be a sleeper team and make a run for the playoffs in all honesty, I just can't have them leap to third in this division yet.
And there it is in all it's glory, the NBA's Pacific Divsion. Should be fun to wach....too bad most of their games don't start until 10pm my time though. Oh well, that's the way the time zones run. One more divsion to go, possibly one of the most craptastic, that being the Atlantic. Don't think it will get up today as I have some things to do and the Celtics open up tonight and lets just say I don't plan on missing that, so the Atlantic will be up tomorrow, but until then.....
posted by MC at 5:12 PM
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