College Basketball

Teams at the Bottom: Looking at the 09 Draft

So lets take a look at teams that are at the bottom of the standings right now, and what they can look forward to seeing in the 2009 NBA draft.

Thunder: Needs: C, SG
- The Thunder could really, really use a Shooting Guard, but more importantly need to find a Center.  With good support scorers in Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green, backing up Durant, the big move needs to be getting some explosiveness in the paint.  Now I think this team is in a tough spot, because I think they would really like to have Durant and Green out there at the same time, but both are Small Forwards, and they are forced to play undersized when they have them both out there.  So an unusual solution might be simply to shift Green to SG.  He’s athletic enough, and his shooting is improving, so that might be a place to try him out, especially if they land the Number one pick, because that should without question turn into Blake Griffin, because a proven scorer who can score from all over the court would be perfect to have in the paint on this team, and they could shift him to center and played a little undersized, with DJ White starting at PF to give them rebounding, and another gritty player (I like White over Collison, because of the presence he has in the paint on both the defensive, and offensive boards (I was bigger on him in College than his teammate Eric Gordon)).

This is by no means a perfect solution, but with the needs that this team has, a player capable of playing Center is the biggest need.

Targets: Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden

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Wizards: Needs: SG, PG
- The Wizard’s needs can’t really be evaluated too well, until Gilbert Arenas comes back, but SG still would look to be the spot to improve.  This team could use a scorer out there, but they also need someone who can be effective without too many touches on the ball (like Morris Peterson has to do in New Orleans), which could be really hard to find.  I think the Wizards will take a look at James Harden, he can score and he has upgraded his rebounding abilities in his sophmore year.  Another guy that I think could work well for this team is Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson, both are guys who can score, but they can do it without alot of touches, since they bothe play on teams where they are not the featured scorer.  Another guy I like alot is Stephon Curry.  I was big on this guy last year, and with his performance in the NCAA tournament I felt he could go high, and staying for one more year to show he can be a PG, has helped skyrocket his draft stock.  I think if you could slot him in next to Arenas you could have a dynamic backcourt for years to come.

Targets: Stephon Curry, James Harden, Wayne Ellington

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Clippers: Needs: SG, SF, PF

- The Clippers are a mess right now, but they have made some moves, and they will need to stay healthy for us to see what they are capable of.  I think the position that is clearly the most important for them to fix is PF.  Zach Randolph can play in a fast paced offense, and did it very well with the Knicks, when he is playing center.  So the Clippers need to find a PF who can nab some rebounds, but doesn’t need to work under the basket to be effective.  Blake Griffin would be a godsend for this team, because he can bang in the paint if need be, but he even has three point range, and is a great shooter as well (a micheal beasley type, but with more under the basket presence).

But I think a better move for the Clippers would be looking for a SF who can really fly.  If this team wants to be a mix of Mike D’Antoni’s system and what Golden State did, then the SF position is the most important.  Now I like Al Thorton alot, but I think he should be shifted over to PF, because it would be a good combination with Zach Randolph.  SF isn’t at its best in the draft (at least not with the freshman) but the clippers could take a look at Chase Budinger, he’s 6 - 7 and a great shooter, which would fit perfectly in a system that features Baron Davis.

Now I really like what Eric Gordon has shown, and he fits really well next to Baron Davis, but if the clippers wanted to get someone who could play both the 1 and 2 (incase Baron gets injured again) Stephon Curry would be a great shoice.  He is alot like Monta Ellis, a great scorer who can still handle the Rock like a point guard.  Now like I said, I think the first two options are something the Clippers would be more interested in, but I think they would consider going here if they needed to.  They could also look at taking a big SG, and having him play SF, like

Targets: Blake Griffin, Chase Budinger, Stephon Curry

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Minnesota: Needs: SG
- Minnesota has alot of needs, and I think they will go with their porblems at the wing first.  Minnesota likes Corey Brewer alot, but he hasn’t developed the offensive game that they need him to have yet, and his growth will be stunted now that he is out for the season.  Rashad McCants, who I personally like alot at the wing, is a restricted free agent, and I don’t think they will keep him.  Now Minnesota also has some problems at the PF/C position (whichever position in your mind you don’t have Al Jefferson playing in), but I think they are going to keep going with Kevin love, and see if given time he can give them the help they need next to Jefferson.

That said I think that what Minnesota would love, is to get a really athletic, but defensive minded SG.  Someone who can contribute on the boards, and still score in bucketsfull.  James Harden will probably be that guy, because he’s a decent size (6-4) and he can score left and right.  Honestly though, I’m not sure where Minnesota will go, none of its core players are working other than Al Jefferson, and foye seems to be coming along now, but everyone else is underachieving.  I think if Blake Griffin is around when they pick, they will take him, they have now been nurned too many times by not just taking the best player available (Foye over Roy, Brewer over Stuckey,Rudy, and Thorton).

Targets: Blake Griffin, James Harden, Stephon Curry

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Sacremento: Needs: SF, PF, PG
- Ugh, Sacremento you have a whole lot of messes.  Well lets look at what you do have.  Kevin Martin is an elite scorer, and he is locked up, so the SG position is stable.  Brad Miller is aging at C, but Spencer Hawes has proven that he can be the starter when its time to move on, so you are good there too.  So everyother position is now up for grabs.  Sacremento would probably love to take a PF more than anything else, and Blake Griffin would be that guy, he can score, rebound, bang around in the paint, and even has an outside game.  If they get the first pick, Sacremento will take him.

but if not, I think Sacremento would take a look at PG.  Beno Udrich was good last season, but he has fallen off the wagon now, some of that might be Kevin Martin’s injury, but if when he returns he is still struggling, they might take a look at Ricky Rubio and try to trade Udrich.  SF is a position that could use a pick that is a gamble on upside, because they already have some talented guys there (John Salmons and Fransisco Garcia) so taking a go with huge upside, wouldn’t be so bad, if the elite guys they covet are gone come their pick.

Targets: Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, Austin Daye

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Memphis: Needs: PF, PG
- Memphis is in an interesting position, they really need a PF, because they’ve got alot of quality players at their other positions.  Marc Gasol, OJ Mayo, and Rudy Gay, I think have solitified themselves as the foundations for this team, especially Mayo and Rudy.  So PF is the obvious spot, if Griffin is there, its a no brainer, but if not I think they could trade some players.  a package of Mike Conley and a Top 5 First round pick, could nab Travis Outlaw and sergio Rodriquez, or Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers.  So I think for this team if Griffin is gone, they need to trade for a veteran at the 4.

If they wanted to take someone anyway, then I would try to take Stephon Curry, this team could use a scoring threat at the point, but also someone who isn’t afraid to giveup the ball (remember that last second assist in the tournament).  Getting Curry would enable the team to trade either Conley or Lowry for a veteran PF as well.

Targets: Blake Griffin, Stephon Curry

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Golden State: Needs: SF
- Golden State needs to trade this pick.  They have alot of very talented players on their bench that they need to develop.  I personally think that if they get a high pick, and don’t out of the blue gets Blake Griffin, then they will trade the pick, and try to package it with Corey Maggette.

Tragets: Blake Griffin or Trade

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Charlotte: Needs: C, SG
- Charlotte has improved their chances at success with the aquisition of Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, but those are still positions that need improvement.  Raymond Felton is a restricted free agent, and will probably head elsewhere when the season ends, and with the trade of Jason Richardson their really isn’t a starter calibur SG, who can score lights out.  Although, I think that Charlotte would perfer to trade this pick for a SG, there aren’t any that will fit their needs (SG who can knock down three pointers, and can nab some rebounds, all on very few shots) that aren’t already on their roster in Raja Bell.  So I think Center will be their place to target for improvement.  Boris Diaw is a temporary fix, but this team needs a real center, so Okafor can play the 4.  Hasheem Thabeet could be that guy for them, he’s tall at 7-3, and is more of a classic center, in which Okafor has thrived before (the season when they traded for Nazr Mohammad)  So I’m pretty sure they are going to target the 5, but they are another team where they would take Griffin, if he fell into their laps.

Targets: Hasheem Thabeet, Blake Griffin

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Indiana: Needs: C, PF

- Indiana along with Charlotte needs a Center.  The Pacers are a good team, they are at their best with Mike Dunleavy healthy, but they still need to upgrade at center.  I think they will look to trade this pick though, unless they land a #1 and try to sign Anderson Varejao (the only true starting center free agent (not including restricted) for next year(and i don’t think Okur will opt out from a good team, unless its to resign with them)).

Targets: Trade, Hasheem Thabeet, Blake Griffin

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Notes:  Watch out for the New York Knicks, who desperately need a SG, and will have a PG who only has one year left on his contract, they might try to trade into the first rounder for one of the Thunder’s picks, hoping to nab Curry if he falls (a fav of Lebron).

Golden State Warriors - Off-season & Financial Moves

Wow, where do you begin?  This was one busy team this off-season.  And it all started with Baron Davis.  He turned down his player option for next year in hopes of landing a longer term extension with the team.  But the Warriors were hesitant to go long term with Davis, fearing his age and history of injuries.  So when the Clippers came calling with the kind of offer BD was looking for, he bolted - thus forever changing the face of the Golden State Warriors. 

 

Heading into the off-season, the Warriors’ main concern was getting restricted free agents Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins inked long-term.  They were hoping Davis would take his player option and stick around for at least one more year, long enough for them to be sure Ellis was ready to be a full-time point guard.  But when he left, it created a very, very big hole in the rotation.  On the good side, it also created a sizeable opening in the team’s payroll that gave Chris Mullin not only the room he needed to give Ellis and Biedrins lucrative, long-term deals, but also enough room to make competitive offers on a couple free agents. 

 

Ellis re-signed for 6 years, $66 million, and Biedrins for 6 years, $63 million.  From the free agent market they got swingman Corey Maggette for 5-years, $50 million, and center Ronny Turiaf for 4 years and $17 million when the Lakers chose not to match the offer.  The Warriors also matched the Clippers’ 3-year, $9 million offer to retain Kelenna Azubuike, and they traded a conditional first rounder to New Jersey for point guard Marcus Williams, who they expected would back up Ellis at point.    

 

The Warriors also spent the off-season stocking up on more young athletes, starting with 1^st round pick Anthony Randolph from LSU.  At 6’10” and 205, Randolph impressed during the summer league with not only his superior athleticism, but also with ball-handling ability that had many envisioning him as a point-forward in the future. 

 

Also coming to camp this year are 2^nd round pick, rugged power forward Richard Hendrix from Alabama, and four free agent rookies who impressed the Warriors this summer – forwards Dion Dowell from Houston, Rob Kurz from Notre Dame, and guards Anthony Morrow from Georgia Tech, and DeMarcus Nelson from Duke.  These five will be battling for roster spots with each other, as well as rotation spots with other youngsters like Randolph, Brandon Wright, Marco Belinelli, Azubuike, and CJ Watson. 

 

All of these additions (Maggette, Turiaf, all the rooks and 2^nd or 3^rd year players) look very interesting.  But in reality, all of the Warriors’ many off-season moves have just left more questions than answers – namely:

 

1. Is Monta Ellis really ready to take over as a leader here?  Can he be the type of point guard that can not only get his, but also make sure others get theirs?  Ellis definitely showed last year that he is an all-star level player.  But that was mostly in a secondary role, only manning the point when Davis was resting.  Now he’s been handed the reigns to this circus.  Can he massage team chemistry like a veteran point guard and lead this young group to the playoffs?  Unfortunately, his tenure hasn’t started out so well.  He suffered a serious ankle injury that required surgery in a “non-basketball related” incident during the off-season.  Not only will Ellis miss up to the first two months of the season, but he also faces possible sanctions from the league because he originally lied about the cause of the injury.  In any case, starting the season without the guy to whom you just gave a $66 million contract to replace the heart and soul of your team does not bode well for a very successful start to the upcoming season.

 

1. What on Earth does Don Nelson do with all of these kids?  Nelson has never been much for using young players until they’ve figured out how to play at this level.  But because of how last season went, with Nelson using exclusively 7 and 8-man rotations but failing to make the playoffs, there has been a mandate from upper management to play young guys like Brandon Wright, Belinelli, and Azubuike more.  Now you throw Turiaf, Maggette, Marcus Williams, and 6 rookies into the mix.  The Warriors head to camp with nothing close to resembling a set rotation.  Most teams spend camp making small tweaks to their rotation, only incorporating one, two, maybe three new players.  The Warriors, because of the Ellis injury and all the new faces, will spend most of camp just figuring one out, which will inevitably result in some trial and error early in the season. 

 

1. What do you do with Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson now?  These two guys excelled here in large part due to their on-court relationship with Davis.  Now he is gone.  Harrington has two years and about $19 million left on his contract.  How is he going to react to losing minutes to guys like Turiaf, Brandon Wright, and Anthony Randolph?  Harrington will expect to be played as much as his contract dictates, and he’ll be expecting his appropriate share of touches.  I just don’t see him being a very happy camper this year.  It says here that Mr. Harrington is on the trading block.  And Jackson, now that Biedrins and Ellis have signed their long-term deals, finds himself as only the 5^th highest paid player on the team behind those two, Harrington, and Maggette.  And apparently, he’s none too pleased about it.  He has already stated publicly that it is “something that needs to be addressed.”  With Davis gone, Jackson is more or less the emotional leader of the team.  An emotional guy who is not happy about his contract can make for one uncomfortable locker room.

 

Davis was more than just points and assists for this team.  He was their leader, primary ball-handler, and 4^th quarter go-to guy.  Someone will have to step into the vast leadership void that was created when he left for LA or else the Warriors will just be a collection of athletes running amok with little direction.  Who is it going to be?  Ellis, who is a fantastic one-on-one player, but who hasn’t proven for sure that he can be a ball-distributor, or emotional leader.  And, who is already on the shelf for a non-basketball-related injury.  Or Jackson, who has become unhappy with his contract. 

 

Your left to wonder – why did Mullin invest so heavily in young players this off-season?  Was it because he knows without Davis, this will a “rebuilding” year; so he better stock up now?  How many of you believe Don Nelson will still be coaching this team in 2010?  Put your seatbelts on Warriors’ fans – this season is already promising to be one bumpy ride.    

New Orleans Hornets - Off-season & Financial Moves

The Hornets went into the off-season with the bitter taste of their game 7 loss at home to the Spurs still lingering on their taste buds.  With the series tied at 3 games apiece, and the home team winning all 6 games; the Hornets looked primed to move into the Western Conference finals against the Lakers.  They had already won their previous three home games by 19, 18, and 22 points.  So game 7 should have been in the bag, right?  The Spurs had shown no ability to keep up with the Hornets on their home floor up to that point.  So what happened?    

 

The Spurs attacked and capitalized on the Hornets’ main weakness – their perimeter players.  The Hornets’ perimeter threesome of Peja Stojackovic, Morris Peterson, and Bonzi Wells combined for 12 points on 5-19 shooting.  Meanwhile the Spurs’ threesome of Manu Ginobili, Ime Udoka, and Michael Finley put up 40 points on 11 for 28, including 8 of 18 from 3-point land.  In the most important game of the year, the Hornets’ shooters couldn’t make shots, and they failed defensively.  They choked under the pressure.    

 

This is why they shelled out a 4-year, $25 million contract to James Posey.  He’s well-known for stepping up in big games, and he’s always a top-notch perimeter defender.  His 4^th quarter, one-on-one defense on Kobe during the finals played a huge role in the Celtics’ championship.  Maybe with Posey hounding Ginobili, that game 7 would have gone a different way.  And his ability to knock down 3-pointers would have forced the Spurs to guard someone other than Chris Paul and David West. 

 

It’s a risky contract though.  Posey is 31 now and turns 32 in January.  This 4-year guaranteed contract will pay him until he’s 36.  Did the Hornets make the right move here?  I’d have to say yes.  Their time is now.  Winning a championship is close enough to their grasp that over-paying a guy like Posey is understandable, and acceptable.  Posey brings an element of depth, versatility, and toughness last year’s team lacked.  Vegas odds on New Orleans winning the championship next year before his signing were 12-1.  Afterwards those odds dropped to 6-1.  That’s how much difference a guy like Posey could make here.

 

So are there any other holes that needed filled here?  Yes – the Hornets not only lacked depth on the perimeter, they also lacked depth on their frontline – a hole which didn’t get filled this off-season unless you believe Sean Marks is the answer to their problem (laughable), or that Hilton Armstrong will take a big step forward this year (possible).

 

Also, Jannero Pargo, who played a big role in the playoffs last year, left for Russia leaving behind a big hole backing up Chris Paul.  The Hornets signed guard Devin Brown to compete with Mike James for those minutes.  James had a terrible season last year and fell out of the rotation.  Brown is more of a swingman than a point guard. 

 

Unless Mike James rejuvenates big time this year, or Devin Brown shows he can play point guard for about 10 minutes a game, or Hilton Armstrong does take those forward steps; it doesn’t look to me like the Hornets closed those holes.  They still have one open roster spot.  If they don’t use it on free agent Bonzi Wells (unlikely due to the Posey signing) they could use it on another big body, or a point guard.  They’re only slightly over the salary cap right now.  They could afford another small contract without having to pay taxes.   

 

In other news, the Hornets gave coach-of-the-year Byron Scott a two-year extension worth about $6 million per season, making him one of the top paid coaches in the league.  Also Chris Paul signed a 4-year, $68 million extension.  That contract doesn’t kick in until after this season, so in essence they have him locked up for 5 years.

 

Even though Paul is only 23, the window of opportunity for this team is actually smaller than you think.  10 of the 14 players on their current roster are 28 or older, seven are over 30.  This group basically has this year and next year to get something done.                 

Dallas Mavericks - Off-season and Financial Moves

51 wins and a playoff appearance would be considered a successful season for most franchises.  For Dallas, it was a total disaster.  The big (and very expensive) mid-season trade for Jason Kidd didn’t have the desired effect.  And the 4-1 first round playoff exit at the hands of the young New Orleans Hornets was embarrassing.  It was clear during that series the Mavericks needed to get younger and faster.  Chris Paul diced up their defense, David West had his way with whatever defender the Mavs put on him, and the slow-rotating Maverick defense couldn’t get out to the Hornets’ shooters in time when Paul would drive and dish. The Hornets beat them a little too easily, especially when you consider that this was the highest paid roster in the league. 

 

Another thing that was clear during the Hornets’ series was that Byron Scott out-coached Avery Johnson; just as Don Nelson did last year when the Warriors knocked them out in the first round, and just as Pat Riley did when the Heat took the title from their grip two years ago.  Although the Mavericks didn’t make any major roster moves this off-season, firing Johnson and hiring Rick Carlisle will definitely bring needed change. 

 

The biggest change being that Carlisle won’t “over-coach.”  Veterans like Kidd, Nowitzki, and Jason Terry don’t need a whole lot of coaching.  They know the game plan, they understand mismatches, and they will have positive suggestions about what to do during games.  They will be much more successful if given more freedom.  Carlisle will demand better effort on defense, but he won’t over-dictate play-calling.  Kidd will be allowed to run this show, and that’s probably the best thing whoever is coaching this team could do.     

 

As for the roster moves, they did try to get somewhat younger.  Gone from the roster are old-timers Juwon Howard, Malik Allen, Jamaal Magliore, and Tyronn Lue.  Added were the younger legs of Gerald Green, Keith McLeod, and James Singleton.  Returning to the Mavericks’ bench are Jose Juan Barea, Devean George, and Antoine Wright.  And, they lured Desagana Diop back with a 5-year, $31 million deal.

 

There are currently 15 players on the roster, and that’s not counting draft pick Shan Foster, an athletic swingman from Vanderbilt, and camp invitees Reyshawn Terry and Charles Rhodes.  But unless one of these three makes a big impact in training camp, they’ll probably be playing in the D-league, and will only get called up to cover for injuries.

 

Financially they are still way over the salary cap with a current total of $85.7 million wrapped up in this year’s team.  Besides the $31 million deal to Diop, the free agents were all signed for relatively cheap.  Barea got a nice deal for about $5 million over three years.  George and Wright’s deals are for two years, while Eddie Jones, McLeod, Brandon Bass, Green, and Singleton have only this year paid for; and none of them will be making very much. 

 

Relief will come after this season.  Kidd is in the last year of his contract that pays him a whopping $21.4 million this year.  Subtract that number and the Mavs are back down to at least close to the salary cap.

 

Besides the new coach they really didn’t change much.  It’ll be the same basic rotation, but with a couple younger, more energetic guys coming in off the bench.  They overpaid to get Diop back.  But he’ll plug a Mack truck sized hole in the defense when Erick Dampier gets into his usual foul trouble.  With this being the last year of Jason Kidd’s contract, the Mavs are going to give he and Nowitzki this year to try and get something done.  Expect more drastic changes next off-season.       

Atlanta Hawks - Off-season and Financial Moves

All the Hawks needed to do this off-season, besides hire a new GM and maybe sign a couple cheap veterans to fill out the roster, was get restricted free agents Josh Smith and Josh Childress re-signed long-term.  And, since they were both restricted free agents, they only needed to:

• Give the qualifying offer to both players to retain the right to match other offers
• Make a low-ball offer on a long-term deal and hope they take it
• If they turn it down, sit back and wait for another team to make a bigger offer, and simply match it.

 

Simple, right?  That’s the way the NBA designed it.  That’s why it’s called “restricted” free agency.  The process favors the team, not the player.  The purpose is to limit players leaving without the team getting anything in return, as with un-restricted free agency.        

 

But as Josh Childress showed us, it’s just not going to be that simple anymore.  Un-enamored with the whole restricted free agent process, and disenchanted with the turtle-like negotiating tactics of the Hawks, Childress accepted a 3-year, $20 million contract from Olympiacos in Greece.  This not only left a gaping hole in the Hawks’ rotation since Childress played 3 positions off the bench, it also effectively threw a wrench into the NBA’s seemingly well designed restricted free agent process. 

 

Now teams will have to be a little more careful when negotiating with restricted free agents.  Basketball has truly become an international sport.  No longer will the river of players between the Eastern and Western hemispheres flow in only one direction.  It goes both ways now.  American players are beginning to see and take advantage of opportunities available overseas.  That “right to match any offer” only applies to other NBA teams.  The Hawks could do absolutely nothing but watch Childress leave and wonder what the hell just happened.          

 

New GM Rick Sund took a lot of heat for “allowing” this to happen.  But you really can’t blame him much.  He was just following the tried-and-true NBA protocol for dealing with restricted free agents; a procedure which obviously may now need to be re-thought.

 

Fortunately for the Hawks, the same didn’t happen with Josh Smith.  They got saved by the Memphis Grizzlies, who offered Smith a 5-year deal worth $58 million, which the Hawks, of course quickly matched allowing Sund to avoid egg on his face twice in the same off-season.

 

In an attempt to replace the ultra-versatile Childress, the Hawks signed two free agents, swingman Maurice Evans and combo guard Flip Murray.  They’re both good players, but undoubtedly the Hawks hurt themselves badly by not getting Childress re-signed.  He was such a critical ingredient to their game plan on both ends of the floor.  Evans is a strong defender and a good athlete who can shoot with range and Murray is a shoot-first-ask-questions-later combo guard who couldn’t guard a stop sign, but has proven a consistent ability to score in the NBA. 

 

In other news – guess whose back?  Speedy Claxton felt recovered from knee surgery enough to participate in two games for the Hawks at the Rocky Mountain Revue.  And he looked pretty good.  Acie Law does not have the backup point guard job locked up by any means.  It will be an interesting battle in camp.  Law made the All-Revue team with an impressive performance of his own though, and maintains the upper hand for now.            

Olympic Expectations

The games in Beijing are approaching, and I am expecting BIG things from Team USA basketball.  No more bronze medals, no more disappointing finishes, and no more close games.  We the United States of America have not won a major world basketball competition since the year 2000!!!! Are you kidding me? I find that pathetic and shameful.  We have the best athletes, best coaches, and should win every year.  Is the rest of the world getting better? Yes.  It still doesn’t matter, we should still be the best.  I remember watching America lose to Greece in the 2006 FIBA tournament, I sat there holding my head in my hands in shock.  How can the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony lose to the likes of Vasileios Spanoulis and Michail Kakiouzis.  It just makes me sick to my stomach seeing that 101-95 score, and a “1″ in the loss column for USA.

Big things are going to happen this year, and as much as I dislike Coach K at Duke, he is a damn good basketball coach.  He has all the tools this year, and anything less than a gold medal is a disappointment.  Heck, any game not won by ten points or more is disappointing to me.  OK, that may be a little extreme, but thats just the expectations I have for our country and our players.  

The 2008 12 man roster is…

Carmelo Anthony-F

Carlos Boozer-F

Chris Bosh-F

Kobe Bryant-G

Dwight Howard-F/C

LeBron James-F

Jason Kidd-G

Chris Paul-G

Tayshaun Prince-F

Michael Redd-G

Dwayne Wade-G

Deron Williams-G

This team is STACKED, absolutely no reason to lose. There is leadership, youth, experience, shooters, slashers, everything you can ask for in a team is right there.  There are no weaknesses, there are no holes, this is the year, and this team will lead our country to the gold.  USA basketball needs to get back to dominating the rest of the world.  Nothing is more important than the Olympics, God Bless America, and lead us to the gold Coach K. 

Meet Demar Derozan

This is 6′6” 210 pound Demar Derozan.  Physically and athletically, he is one of the best there is.  There are comparisons to Vince Carter, and you can see some of it in his game.  He’s heading to USC to play for the Trojans, and is most likely another one and done guy.  Derozan already has upper tier NBA talent and athleticism, his biggest knock is just the consistency and overall intensity.  He has a strong body and if you watched the highlight tape, he can obviously finish with ease.  Scouts have said is has improved greatly every year, which is good news for NBA teams and USC basketball.

I think his game is sick, that was one of the most entertaining highlights that I have watched.  Ranked number eight by ESPN, Derozan has a lot of hype around him.  The potential is obviously there, but it will be interesting to see the work he puts in at USC against one of the best basketball conferences such as the Pac-10.  With his talent he will easily be a top 10 pick in the NBA draft, and hopefully he can provide many entertainment for years to come. 

Bruins Reload With Top Recruiting Class

Every single year for the past three years, the UCLA Bruins have been so close to winning the National Championship.  With their recent success, coach Howland and the Bruins landed five top 50 recruits.  That is just amazing, five in the top 50, that could be their starting five right there.  The departure of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love looks real bad on paper, considering how much they did for the Bruins, yet in comes the nation’s number two player Jrue Holiday, number seven ranked point guard Jerime Anderson, and number five ranked shooting guard Malcom Lee.  Thats one crazy backcourt right there, scoring from the perimeter should not be a problem in the near furture for the Bruins.  Most importantly, all three guards are from Southern California, which means that Howland is not allowing the best to leave for USC or other Pac-10 schools.  

The frontcourt is anchored by J’Mison Morgan (number 4 center), who just recently decided to leave LSU for UCLA.  This is real good news for UCLA fans, considering that superstar Kevin Love decided to leave for the NBA draft after one season.  Morgan will not have much as an impact as Love, but he is a legit five star center who will hold his own in the college ranks.  Drew Gordon is the other forward from Northern California, who is long, athletic, and will provide good energy for Howland.  I really think that Howland can mold Gordon into a defensive beast.  For the upcoming season, UCLA will have a deep rotation of Mbah-Moute, Aboya, Keefe, Gordon, and Morgan. 

Ben Howland has really revived UCLA basketball from the end of the Lavin years, he is now consistently getting twenty win seasons, Pac-10 Championships, and deep tourney appearances.  Not only is he producing great teams, but the players who leave for the NBA are getting drafted and having success.  This will only attract more recruits, and Howland will get his players NBA ready with his defensive minded coaching and physical style.  Making the final four again will be a bit of a reach, but if the freshman play up to their potential, it could be another big year for the Bruins of Westwood. 

 

Cancer Explains Lofton’s Tough Year

After watching the Tennessee Volunteers this year, I could just tell that star guard Chris Lofton just wasn’t the same.  His shot wasn’t falling like it had in years past, he wasn’t as consistent, his average points per game dropped by five points, and he just did not seem like the same sharp-shooting Chris Lofton.  In a recent interview with ESPN.com, Lofton admits that he had a cancerous tumor in one of his testicles in March of 2007.  To see the full length interview and story go here. 

The crazy thing about this story is that Lofton was randomly picked for a drug test after a loss to Ohio State in the 2006-2007 season.  He tested positive for cancer, and this random drug test by the NCAA may have saved his life.  From what I gather in the story, is that Lofton told very few people, and kept this situation very private.  He had surgery that summer, and was ready to play when the season started, which is a miracle within itself.  It takes some major determination to go through all of that and then come right back and play.  Not only did he play the entire season, he was once again the Vols leading scorer.

After the painful and grueling treatment, he lost weight and all of his strength.  Obviously he did not play as well, but the public did not know what was going on until this announcement came out, everyone just figured it was an average season; in terms of Chris Lofton standards.  Taking a look at the statistics between his 2006-2007 season and the 2007-2008 season, it is obvious that there is a major drop in the numbers.

2006-2007                      2007-2008

• PPG: 20.8                      PPG: 15.5
• 3PT%: 41.9                   3PT%: 38.4
•  FG%: 47.9                    FG%: 39.9

The media gave Lofton a hard time for his struggles throughout the season on the court, and not once did he complain or make excuses.  He is now cancer free, and is trying to make it in the NBA.  I have the greatest respect for Lofton after hearing this amazing story, and it is remarkable that he still played basketball at such a high level after all he went through.  I wish Lofton the best of luck in his career and life.                                         

 

 

Oh To Be A Memphis Fan!

How do you let that one slip away? John Calipari has tried to disregard or explain away Memphis’ woes at the free throw line all season. I suppose he will try to do the same thing again, but anyone with any sense of reality knows it can’t be done. It is true that when you are beating good teams by 10 or 20, you can get away with being the 339^th best free throw shooting team in division I basketball. The problem is when you are playing an excellent team and it comes down to hitting a few free throws to put away the game. 

In the final minute, the two studs for Memphis were 1-5 from the free throw line. All they had to do was make one more and Memphis would be the national champions. I suppose there is no need to beat up on Memphis; they will do plenty of that themselves. Besides, they helped to give us one of the best National Championship games in history. 

Some of the greatest college players and greatest teams of all time have participated in the Final Four and the Championship game. With that being said, I don’t think I have ever seen so many athletes on the floor. Between Kansas and Memphis, I don’t think there has been a clash of two teams that were more athletic. Rush, Chalmers, Rose, Douglas-Roberts, Dozier, Dorsey, and the list could go on and on.  

This was the most frantically played title game I have ever seen. Guys were flying all over the place, diving on balls, blocking shots, dunking lob passes, and getting out into the dribbling and passing lanes for steals. There was no let up for the entire game. I was starting to feel sorry for the refs having to keep up with all that action.

The game obviously didn’t disappoint (unless you are a Memphis fan) and helped to prove that the college game still has more intensity and emotion than the NBA. It was a great way to end the season.

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