Giant Shaq towers over his tiny girl friend Nikki ‘Hoopz’ Alexander.

Giant Shaq and his tiny girl friend Nikki ‘Hoopz’ Alexander

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – New York Knicks

2008 Record: 23-59
Division Finish: 4th – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Mike D’Atoni
Season: Going into first season with New York
Record At New York: First Season
Career Record: 267-172

Offseason Acquisitions:
Chris Duhon, G, 5.8 ppg., 4.0 apg. – Signed from Chicago Bulls
Anthony Roberson, G, – Signed from Turkey

Offseason Losses:
Renaldo Balkman, F, 3.4 ppg., 3.3 rpg. – Traded to Denver Nuggets
Fred Jones, G, 7.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg. – Released

Offseason Transactions:
Exercised the contract options on guard Mardy Collins and forward Wilson Chandler

Rookies:
Danilo Gallinari, F, 6-10, 17.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg, Italy

The Skinny:
The New York Knicks are like the British royal family, several years ago there were of great significance, but they have fallen on hard times of late. Changes have occurred throughout the family and hopefully they will have a significant impact, but the effective of those changes may not be seen for a few years.

It seems like half a century ago that the Knicks were in the playoff mix. The year was 2000, Jeff Van Gundy had the Knickerbockers in the Eastern Conference Finals after an appearance in the NBA Finals. Two years later – after getting upset in the first round by the Toronto Raptors – Van Gundy resigned just 19 games into the 2001-02 season and the Knicks have not been the same since. The downturn of the Knicks also coincided with the end of Patrick Ewing’s tenure with the team.

When Van Gundy resigned, assistant Don Chaney was given the reigns. The team never made it to .500 – and has not since the 2000-01 campaign – but did make it to the playoffs in 2003-04. That was not enough to save Chaney’s job. Veteran coaches Lenny Wilkins and Larry Brown could not right the ship and so team president Isaiah Thomas took over dual responsibility.

The Thomas Era really marked the start of the team’s downward spiral. Just because you were a great player does not mean that you are going to be a great coach or great in the front office. Clearly it seems that Joe Dumars was the real leader of the Pistons and Thomas was merely the face of the organization. During Thomas’ time as president the Knicks amassed a 151-259 record, including a 56-108 mark while Thomas was on the bench. With a roster full of misfits there were a number of off-court issues including one of Thomas’ own. So this off-season Thomas was fired from both of his jobs.

A few signs of hope came New York’s way during the off-season. The first was that Donnie Walsh was hired as president of basketball operation. As CEO and president of the Indiana Pacers, Walsh has a history of making smart moves that were not always popular but seemed to work. He was behind drafting Reggie Miller over Indiana product Steve Alford. Alford only played four years in the NBA, Miller is going to be a Hall of Famer. Not a bad choice.

The first move Walsh made was hiring Mike D’Atoni as head coach. That one really fell into his lap because D’Atoni was fired by the Phoenix Suns. D’Atoni was doing a solid job there and only had one slip up season, but he was not in favor with the ownership. Whether he passed on the Chicago Bulls’ job or was not offered is neither here nor there, but it is the Knicks’ gain.

D’Atoni might be the perfect man for the job. He took Phoenix from sixth to first in his first season and during his tenure took the Suns to the conference finals twice and the semifinals another year. He plays a fast-paced brand of basketball that fans and players love. He will energize both factions and get the Knicks relevant again.

An offensive boost is exactly what New York needs. They were 21st in the NBA last year at 96.9 points per game. Conversely the Suns were third in the league in scoring. D’Atoni teams do not play much defense so it does not matter that the Knicks were 23rd in that category.

The Knicks have a group of experienced players who have been in the league about seven-eight years. With the Thomas cloud lifted this may re-energize those players and breathe new life into their careers. Guard Jamal Crawford had his best year last season, scoring a career-high 20.6 ppg. Power forward Zach Randolph’s production dropped six points from last year in Portland, but he was still good enough to be the Knicks number two scorer.

Two years ago Eddy Curry had his best season as a pro, scoring 19.5 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. He started and played in all but one game of the 82-game schedule. Curry only played in 52 contests last season and his numbers dropped to 13.2 ppg. and 4.7 ppg. He’s never been a dominant NBA player, but if he can get back to his 2006-07 numbers he’ll make the Knicks a better team.

The rest of the Knicks’ front court is not that great either. David Lee, who averaged 10.8 ppg. and 8.9 rpg. – moved into the power forward starting role after the All-Star break. He is a solid rebounder, but I am not a big fan of former Florida Gators in the NBA. Five years ago Quentin Richardson had a good year with the Los Angeles Clippers, but two teams later he is back to being mediocre.

Continuing the mediocrity, New York’s biggest off-season signing was point guard Chris Duhon from the Chicago Bulls. Primarily a back-up since his rookie year four seasons ago, he only averaged 5.8 ppg. and 4.0 assists per game.

Prediction:
The New York Knickerbockers are a very mediocre team. They have a lot of guys that would be great role players on a very good team, but as a collection they will not amount to anything more than a hill of beans. If all of them were a tad bit better they would be a poor man’s Detroit Pistons, but they are not at that level.

What the team is missing is a super star, someone whom can be the face of the organization. The thinking must have been the Thomas was going to be that face, but that does not work in professional sports. In college athletics where the coaches are the ones that stay and the athletes move through every four years the coach can be the face of the organization, but not when the athletes get paid.

Crawford is a pretty good player, but he is more of a number two scorer. He would be great if he had someone – particularly someone in the post – that he could compliment. It will be interesting to see if Crawford can maintain that 20 point per game scoring output or whether he will fall back to the 17 point range.

It is inevitable that Duhon will be more productive as a starter versus a reserve. He may not be a great point guard, but one thing he will not do is cause problems, which is what the Knicks got from Stephon Marbury the last few years. He has been more of a headache on and off the court than helping the organization and needs to go.

If the Knicks are going to get better this year they need Randolph and Curry to get back to the levels they were at two years ago. Even if they do get back to those levels, they will not make the Knicks a playoff team. Of the two, Randolph is the one the Knicks should keep as a starter.

To the Knicks’ credit they tried to address their weak front court during the draft, but as anyone who has read my work knows I am not a big fan of foreign big men. The scouting report on Italy’s Danilo Gallinari is that he has a lot of the intangible traits of an NBA player, but he athletic ability has been called into question. As a small forward he may struggle to guard more athletic players or get by them on defense.

To no one’s surprise the Knicks will not make the playoffs for the fifth season in a row. A great free agent or two could make them a playoff team in a weak Eastern Conference. A trade during the season or getting a free agent next year – plus better drafting – could make them a better team quickly, but as is they are not going anywhere but back to the lottery.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Charlotte Bobcats

2008 Record: 32-50
Division Finish: 4th – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Larry Brown
Season: Going into first season with Charlotte
Record At Charlotte: First Season
Career Record: 1010-800

Offseason Acquisitions:
Andre Brown, F-C, 3.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg. – Signed from Memphis
Shannon Brown, G, 7.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg – Signded from Chicago

Offseason Losses:
Jeremaine O’Neal, F-C, 13.6 ppg., 6.7 rpg – Traded to Toronto Raptors
Earl Boykins, G, 5.1 ppg., 2.7 apg. – Signed with Italian League
Derek Anderson, G, 5.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg. – Free agent
Othello Harringon, F-C, 2.1 ppg., 1.9 rpg. – Free agent

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed center Emeka Okafor.
Exercised the contract option on forward Adam Morrison through 2009-10.
Re-signed center Ryan Hollins
Exercised the contract option on forward  Jared Dudley through 2009-10.
Exercised the contract option on forward Jermareo Davidson through 2008-09.

Rookies:
DJ Augustin, G, 5-11, 19.2 ppg., 5.8 apg., Texas
Alexis Ajinca, C, 7-1, France

The Skinny:
Like any new franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats have experienced growing pains during their infancy. With a stable of lottery picks the team has accumulated during the last five drafts the team is showing promise, but they are still a ways away from being a playoff contender, even in the weak Eastern Conference.

As to be expected, the first two years in Charlotte were sub-par, but the last two seasons there have been signs of improvement. Two years ago the team posted a 33-49 record and in 2007-08 they were only a game short of that.

Some credit has to be given to the Bobcats for how they’ve gone about putting their team together. While they have been trying to bring along their rookies and young players, Charlotte’s front office has brought in some solid free agents to help bring the team along.

Their biggest acquisition that the team made came last season when they brought in shooting guard Jason Richardson from Golden State. Last season he was the team’s leading scorer at 21.8 points per game. It was nearly six points better than his previous season and the second-highest scoring average of his career. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds per game.

During the expansion draft they grabbed Gerald Wallace from the Sacramento Kings.
Wallace was spinning his wheels during his first three seasons in Sacramento, but as soon as he came to Charlotte his career started to flourish. He has averaged at least 15 ppg. during his last three seasons, including a career-high 19.4 ppg. He also averaged 6.0 rpg. and 3.5 assists per game.

The third three agent the team brought in was center Nazr Mohammed. Mohammed is a 10-year journeyman who most recently spent time in Detroit. Charlotte is the sixth team that Mohammed has played for and it seems to fit him. He scored 9.3 ppg. last season, which was his highest average since 2004-05 and his third-best. His 6.9 rpg. is nearly triple his board production from his last season in Motown.

To compliment the three free agent starters, the Bobcats have a pair of their own in the starting five.  Forward Emeka Okafor was the team’s first draft choice four years ago. The NBA Rookie of the Year he has been pretty solid during his first three and a half seasons. An ankle injury his second season only allowed him to play about 30 percent of the seasons.

Since then he has rebounded nicely. Last season he averaged a double-double for the fourth season in a row with 13.8 ppg. – ranking him second on the team – and 10.7 rpg. The 2007-08 campaign was also the first time he played and started in all 82 games. If he can stay healthy he can be one of the top players in the league, but toiling in Charlotte could keep him from being a super star.

The year after the Bobcats drafted Okafor, their second draft pick was point guard Ray Felton from near by North Carolina. Felton was a good pick on two accounts. One, being a Tar Heal he helps bring in an already established fan base. Two, he gives them a young point guard that they can bring along to run the team.  Last season he averaged 14.4 ppg. and a career-high 7.4 apg.

During the last two drafts the team has been bringing in people to play behind the free agents they have so that soon they can get rid of the free agents and have their own people in place. Two years ago they brought in shooting guard Adam Morrison and during the second draft they also grabbed power forward Sean May.

Two years ago May and Morrison were a pair of solid reserves. May scored 11.9 ppg. and grabbed 6.7 rpg. while Morrison was averaging 11.8 ppg. Unfortunately, both players missed all of last season with knee injuries. May had micro fracture surgery on his right knee and Morrison had a torn ACL. With an already thin roster, having May and Morrison available would have bolstered their chances of making the playoffs.

Prediction:
While there is a decent nucleus in place in Charlotte, it is only decent and even for the Eastern Conference that is saying a lot. The team is still a few years away from being a solid playoff contender and they need to make some upgrades.

Charlotte also made another serious move when they brought in Larry Brown to be their head coach. Browns is at his ninth NBA job with the Bobcats and he has been successful everywhere he has been. One interesting thing is that Brown has done better when he has had more veteran players. At his age I am not sure why he took the job. This does not seem like his place. One would think that he would want to step into a team like the Bulls or Pheonix, not a young Charlotte team.

The biggest hole the team seems to have is in the center position. While Mohammed has been playing much better in Charlotte, he is not what the team needs to make a jump to the next level. He can hold the fort down, but only for so long.

In addition, they have not done much to bolster that spot. The center position is the one spot that they have not tried to bolster through the draft or free agency. They brought in 7-foot Ryan Hollins from UCLA and he has been less than stellar. They also drafted rookie Alexis Ajinca from France, but I am not a big fan of foreign centers. The game is so much different. Foreign guards in the NBA have proven to be able to play, but the jury is still out on the big men. Until they get a legitimate center are only going to go so far.

What Charlotte does have is some trade bait. This year they drafted point guard D.J. Augustin, who averaged 19.2 ppg. and 5.8 apg. at Texas. Typically you do not waste a first round draft pick on a player that you want as a back-up, especially when you have a need at another position. That is more of a second round pick up. Either Felton or Augustin could be used to bring in a big man in a trade or to move up in next year’s draft.

It will be interesting to see how Morrison and May come back this year. Knee injuries, particularly in the NBA, can be tough to come back from. With all the jumping and directional changes, it can be rough on a knee.

I can see Charlotte making some slight improvements, maybe getting close to .500, but that is about as high as they are going to go. If they were a better team in positions 1-to-4 then they could get away with Mohammed as a starter, but they are not that good yet. Maybe in a few years, but not this year. They will miss the playoffs, but get better.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Chicago Bulls
2008 Record: 33-49
Division Finish: 4th – Central
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs

Head Coach: Vinny Del Negro
Season: Going into first season
Record At Chicago: First season
Career Record: First season

Offseason Acquisitions:
Signed Roger Powell, F – Signed from Italy

Offseason Losses:
Chris Duhon, G, 5.8 ppg., 4.0 apg. – Signed with New York Knicks
Shannon Brown, G, 5.4 ppg., 0.8 apg – Signed with Charlotte Bobcats

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed guard Ben Gordon
Re-signed forward Loul Deng
Tendered offer to forward Demetris Nicholas

Rookies:
Derrick Rose, G, 14.5 ppg., 4.7 apg, Memphis

The Skinny:
After a dark period in the franchise’s history following the end of the Michael Jordan era, it appeared that the Chicago Bulls had found their way back to prominence. The Bulls had made three-straight appearances in the playoffs and were building themselves into a pretty good team. Then the bottom fell out last season.

General manager John Paxton had put together a pretty good core of players. He had a lot of young guys from good college programs that knew how to win. They added Ben Wallace to the fray to give them someone to sure up the middle. Two years ago the Bulls swept the Miami Heat in the first round and gave the Pistons a run for their money.

It is hard o say what the Bulls’ problem was last year. There were swirling rumors during the summer of 2007 that may have contributed to the bad start. Young star Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were offered contracts, but both turned them down and did not go into detail as to why. However, they re-signed during this offseason. Conventional wisdom says they would sign after a successful one, not a bad one. On the other hand, maybe they can ask for more money knowing that the Bulls need them. Hard to tell.

There was also hints at the team was trying to bring in a big time free agent. Among the names swirling were Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and even Kobe Bryant. Garnett and Gasol did eventual get traded, but neither ended up in Chicago.
Whether it was all the uncertainty or just the fact that they were now one of the top teams in the league and people were gunning for them, Chicago got the 2007-08 season off to a bad start. They lost 10 of their first 12 and head coach Scott Skiles – who was so instrumental in their previous success – was given the boot.

Things never turned up for the Bulls during the 2007-08 season. Needing a change, they shipped three players, including Ben Wallace, off to Cleveland and Seattle. In exchange they got some good players in Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes. Gooden was the number three scorer on the team (14.0 points per game) and Hughes was fifth (12.0 ppg.)

Something that I think hurt the team was consistency. Between dumping the head coach and the big trade in February, there was a lot things that disrupted the team. If you are going to have a successful team they need to gel on the court and there was just too much turnover for that to happen.

A dozen players made the starting line up in almost 20 percent of the Bulls’ games last year. I’m no mathematician, but I can’t even begin to tell you how many different starting line-ups that could be. Only Kirk Hinrich (72 games) and Deng (59) played in over 50 percent of the contests. That is really no way to get a team to play together.

Not helping the Bulls consistency this year is that they have a new coach and when I say new I really mean new. Up until this season, Vinny Del Negro had coached as many NBA games as you or I. Chicago brought in some experienced people to assist Del Negro, but I am just not in favor of the hire.

I just do not get why they hired Del Negro. A guy like Mike D’Antoni, who had a lot of success in Phoenix, would have been a great choice. With the young talent Chicago has his run and gun system could have worked. Avery Johnson would have been another good choice.

I know professional coaches get recycled all the time, but if you did not want to go with a guy who had already been a head coach, get an up-and-coming assistant. The last time Del Negro was on the bench he was in uniform for the Suns. At least Skiles spent some time as an assistant before getting the Bulls’ job.

One of the benefits of being as bad as they were was that the Bulls got into the lottery and actually won the thing. With the number one selection they chose guard Derrick Rose from Memphis. He was a really good point guard that led the Tigers to the national championships game. Rose needs to give the Bulls’ offense a kick in the butt as they were only 18th in the league last year at 97.2 ppg., but again I attribute that to inconsistency.

Prediction:
Since very few teams play defense in the NBA, the Bulls really need to focus on their offense. They saw a significant drop across the board from their star players and that is something they need to address during the season. If the offense is clicking that could help them prevent a poor start like the one they had last year. With very little player movement this year they should have a chance to gel a little quicker and get the offense humming.

One thing that will be interesting this year is that someone is going to see their playing time get cut. With so many guys playing last year they will all want a piece of that starting role. The question is how does Del Negro balance that or is someone going to get shopped around.

In the backcourt you have four very good players in Rose, Hinrich, Hughes and Gordon. Then in the front court you have got Deng, Gooden and Tyrus Thomas plus Joakim Noah. That is eight layers and they all cannot obviously be on the court at the same time.

I think that Noah is the first odd-man out. I can see them going with Deng, Gooden and Thomas in the front court. I never been a fan of Noah, I think he is soft and a whiner, but beyond that he really has not produced in the pros. He was a good college player, who was surrounded by more good players.

The front court is going to be more of a mystery. Rose and Hinrick are going to be in a battle for the starting point guard spot. I can see Hinrick being the starter at the beginning of the year with Rose eventually taking over the duties. Right now Gordon has a big toe injury and is not at 100 percent. That will give Hughes more playing time for now, but when Gordon is healthy he should be the starter.

If for someone reason everyone is happy being in Chicago then the Bulls are going to have one of the deepest, however youngest, teams in the league. Hughes is the only player with double-digit experience and after that the oldest player is Gooden and he is only going into his six season.

However, this is era of free agency and most players are not willing to just sit around and be a reserve. To go along with that, there are plenty of teams that are low on talent that could use one of the Bulls’ reserves. If Rose is the future I see Hinrick asking to be traded even though he just signed a multi-year deal two years ago. Gordon could be gone as well. He only signed a one-year deal and he could probably command a lot on the open market.

The Bulls are a tough team to get a read on. They have a lot of young, stockpiled talent, but things are uncertain with a new head coach who has zero experience. I have concerns about their front court and that could be their undoing. I think they have the talent to make the playoffs, but I just don’t think it will happen this year with Del Negro on the bench. If this was a much more experienced team that could overcome coaching mistakes then I would be higher on them. On the other hand, I could see them knocking someone like Toronto out of the mix.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Indiana Pacers

2008 Record: 36-46
Division Finish: 3rd – Central
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Jim O’Brien
Season: Going into second season
Record At Indiana: 36-46
Career Record: 218-204

Offseason Acquisitions:
TJ Ford, G, 12.2 ppg, 6.1 apg. – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Radoslav Nesterovic, C, 7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg., – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Austin Croshere, F, 3.9 ppg., 2.4 rpg. – Signed from Golden State Warriors
Maceo Baston, F, 2.7 ppg., 1.7 rpg. – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Josh Davis, F, 2.5 ppg., 1.7 rpg. – Signed as free agent
Jarrett Jack, G, 9.9 ppg., 3.8 apg. – Traded from Portland Trail Blazers
Josh McRoberts, F, 1.5 ppg., 1.3 rpg. -  Traded from Portland Trail Blazers

Offseason Losses:
Jeremaine O’Neal, F-C, 13.6 ppg., 6.7 rpg – Traded to Toronto Raptors
Ronald “Flip” Murray, G, 11.0 ppg., 3.5 apg – Signed with Atlanta Hawks
Kareem Rush, G, 8.3 ppg, 2.4 ppg – Signed with Philadelphia 76ers
Shawne Williams, F, 6.7 ppg., 2.7 rpg. – Traded to Dallas Mavericks
David Harrison, C, 4.2 ppg., 2.1 rpg. – Signed with Minnesota Timberwolves
Andre Owens, G, 4.0 ppg., 1.5 rpg. – Sign with Serbian League
Ike Diogu, F, 5.6 ppg., 2.8 rpg. – Traded to Portland Trail Blazers

Offseason Transactions:
Signed Jeff Foster, C, to a contract extension.
Exercised the option on Stephen Graham,G, through 2008-09 season.

Rookies:
Roy Hibbert, C, 7-2, 13.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg., Georgetown
Brandon Rush, G, 6-7, 13.3 ppg, 5.1, rpg., Kansas

The Skinny:
Before the Detroit Pistons were the team to beat in the Eastern Conference it was the Indiana Pacers that everyone had to get through to make it to either the conference or NBA Finals. However, the last few years have not been kind to the Pacers, but they look like may have turned the corner and will be a playoff team in 2007-08.

Six years ago the Pacers won the Central Division with a 61-21 record, which is the franchise record for victories. With Reggie Miller only getting better with age like a fine wine and Jermaine O’Neal playing great basketball, the team was on the doorstep of the NBA Finals. They lost to eventual World Champion Detroit in the Eastern Finals.

There are certain moments in sports where you know where you were when something happened. I was in my living room casually watching the Pacers and Pistons in the fall of 2004 when the infamous brawl between the two teams broke out. That might have changed the relationship between the fans and players in all of professional sports It also started a downward spiral for the Pacers.

Indiana managed to get into the second round of the playoffs in 2004-05, but the next year they were bounced in the first round. Three years after playing for the Eastern Conference title, the Pacers were a dismal 35-47. Last season was not much better for the team as they posted a 36-46 record.

But things are not as bad as they may seem in Indiana. As bad as the East is, they still had an outside shot at the playoffs last season and made a great effort to get in. The Pacers won nearly a third of their games during the last month of the season, going 11-5 down the stretch and 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Unlike some teams – New Jersey I am looking in your direction – that purge their teams with a fire sale, Indiana has gradually made changes over the last two years. Last season they brought in Jim O’Brien as head coach, who had Boston in the conference finals in 2001-02 and his teams have made the playoffs in three of the five full seasons he has coached.

Two years ago they started trimming the fat and brought in Troy Muphy and Mike Dunleavy, Jr from Golden State. During this last offseason they traded the face of the franchise, O’Neal, to the Toronto Raptors. While those two trades completely changed the face of the organization, I think they were greatly needed. Between the fight with the Pistons and the retirement of Miller the team needed a new identity. I think they have made the right moves for a fresh start.

I will admit that I have never been a Dunleavy fan, dating back to his days at Duke, but I am also one to admit when I am wrong and this case I am wrong. I would have never guessed that he was averaging double figures the last six years and last season he posted a career-best 19.1 ppg,, an improvement of five points per game. That improvement got him in the running for the NBA Most Improved Player award.

A player who probably does not get enough credit is forward Danny Granger. He quietly led the team with 19.6 ppg. last season. Granger has made huge strides in his three years in the league. He upped his scoring averaged by six points from 2006-07 and by 12 since his rookie season.

While Indiana gave up O’Neal – who has been hampered by injuries of late – they did pick up a big piece of the puzzle in point guard T.J. Ford. The Pacers desperately needed an experienced point guard and Ford’s 6.1 assists per game and 12.2 ppg. will fill that role nicely.

The departure of O’Neal obviously leaves a whole in the front court. As part of the O’Neal trade the Pacers got center Radoslav Nesterovic. He was a spot starter for the Raptors, but was a key part to the San Antonio Spurs’ success, including their 2005 NBA Championships team. I could see him being the starter for the first portion of the season until rookie Roy Hibbert comes along. I am a big Hibbert fan and I like that Indiana has him instead of Australian Nathan Jawai that they originally drafted.

Troy Murphy is a solid power forward, but probably the weakest link in the Indiana starting five. Do not get me wrong, his 12.2 ppg. and 7.2 rpg. is solid, but I think that is the one area that still needs to be addressed. He averaged a double-double for two seasons with Golden State, but his production has slipped of late.

Prediction:
If Indiana stays healthy I think they are a playoff team. They made a good run at the endof the season and have made some good moves to make their team even better. Their biggest problem is their depth.

One through five they have a playoffs caliber team, but their reserves are shaky. Nesterovic and Hibbert are two solid players at the center and Ford has a very good back-up at the point guard position in Jarred Jack. He was a good back-up for the Trail Blazers and Indiana should not miss a beat with him in to spell Ford.

Another spot where they have a good back up is at the shooting guard position. I like players who know how to win and Brandon Rush led the Kansas Jayhawks to the national championship. He will make a good reserve behind Dunleavy and one day could be a great starter in the league. I like that Indiana swapped the draft rights of Jarryd Bayless for Rush.

That leaves the two forward positions as the susceptible ones. Behind the very talented Granger they only have Stephen Graham, who is below average. The Pacers have brought in a bunch of players to compete for the back-up spot to Murphy. The four players Indiana signed – Austin Crosher, Maceo Baston, Josh Davis and Josh McRoberts – did not averaged as many points combined as Murphy. Crosher is the choice for now. He played for Indiana during their heyday, but is starting to get old. Do not ask me why McRoberts left Duke early. He could have used an extra year there. Instead he has been mediocre, but most Duke pro players do not pan out.

With a strong starting five I think Indiana will get into the playoffs this year. I expect to see them a few games over .500 or right around there. That should put them in the sixth or seventh seed. I think their frontcourt is too weak to get them beyond the first round, but if they upgrade the power forward position they could make a run in 2009-10.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – New Jersey Nets

2008 Record: 34-48
Division Finish: 4th – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Lawrence Frank
Season: Going into sixth season
Record At New Jersey: 191-177
Career Record: Same

Offseason Acquisitions:
Yi Jianlian, F, 8.6 ppg., 5.2, rpg. – Traded from Milwaukee Bucks
Bobby Simmons, F, 7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg.- Traded from Milwaukee Bucks
Kenyon Dooling, G, 8.1 ppg, 1.8, apg. – Traded from the Orlando Magic
Jarvis Hayes, G, 6-8, 6.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg. – Signed from Detroit Pistons
Eduardo Najera, F, 5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg – Signed from Denver Nuggets
Julius Hodge, G, – Signed from Australia
Eddie Gill, G, – Signed as free agent.

Offseason Losses:
Richard Jefferson, F, 22.2 ppg.,4.2 rpg.  – Traded to Milwaukee Bucks
Marcus Williams, G, 5.9 ppg., 2.6 apg. – Traded to Golden State Warriors
DeSagna Diop, C, 2.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg. – Signed with the Dallas Mavericks
Bostjan Nachbar, F, 9.8 ppg., 3.5 rpg. – Signed with Russian league
Nenad Krstic, F-C, 6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg. – Signed with Russian league.

Offseason Transactions:
None

Rookies:
Brook Lopez, C, 7-0, 19.3 ppg., 8.2 rpg., Stanford
Ryan Anderson, F, 6-10, 21.1 ppg., 9.9 rpg., Cal
Chris Douglas-Roberts, F, 6-7, 18.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg., Memphis
Brian Hamilton, G, 10.8 ppg, 5.6, Signed from Developmental League

The Skinny:
If you fell asleep and missed the entire 2007-08 NBA season you would probably have no idea who the New Jersey Nets are this year. Frankly even the most die-hard Nets fan may have a problem recognizing their own team.

For years guard Jason Kidd and forward Richard Jefferson were the faces of the franchise. But for the first time in seven seasons both of those players have a new address. Kidd was traded to the Dallas Mavericks about halfway through the season and Jefferson was moved to the Milwaukee Bucks during the offseason.

During the last couple season when the NBA trade deadline came around Kidd was always one of the players you heard mentioned. With the tread on the tires wearing thin and his scoring production starting to slip – not to mention all the off the court problems he brings – Kidd was shipped to Dallas, the team that originally drafted him.

Jefferson being sent to the Bucks was more of a surprising move. One reason may be his health over the last few years. Jefferson has only played two full seasons in the last four years. Seeing how it seems to be an every-other-year thing for Jefferson, maybe the team thought it was time to move him.

I would have thought the Nets could have gotten more for him than they did. He averaged a career-high 22.6 points per game last season – a product of Kidd being gone and New Jersey not having another scorer besides Vince Carter – and what they got in return was two players who combined don’t have Jefferson’s numbers. They picked up forwards Yi Jianlian, 8.6 ppg., and Bobby Simmons, 7.6 ppg. Not the best trade in the world.

The biggest problem I find with New Jersey is who in the world is going to score for them? Yes Carter will get his points, but his production actually slipped last year by four points per game. That was with Jefferson for the whole season and Kidd for the first part. What is he going to do now that he is the lone star on the team? He will need to score at least 30 a night, but that is not in him and he teams will really concentrate their defense on stopping him.

After Carter, the next best returning scorers on the team is point guard Devin Harris, who averaged 15.4 ppg. and 6.5 assists per game. If you think there is a significant drop off between Carter and Harris you should see the fall after Harris. New Jersey only has four of its top nine scorers back from last year’s team that ranked 25th in the league at 95.8 points per night. Yikes!

There are three players battling for the starting center position. Second-year man Josh Boone scored 8.2 ppg. and grabbed 7.3 rpg. as a reserve. The Nets picked up Yi Jianlian from Milwaukee and he comes in averaging 8.6 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. With mediocre talent in the middle, the starting job could easily go to the team’s first round draft pick, Brook Lopez from Stanford. He scored 19.3 ppg. and grabbed 8.2 rpg. for the Cardinal last season.

Another young player the team will be called upon to have more of a roll in the offense is power forward Sean Williams. In his rookie season he started 29 games, scoring 5.6 ppg. and grabbing 4.4 rpg. Just like center spot, this could be wide open because of the team’s youth. Rookie Ryan Anderson from Cal averaged 21.1 ppg. and 9.9 rpg. If Williams does not show vast improvement I could see the Nets going with Anderson or don’t be surprised if they play Lopez at the four and Jianlian/Boone at center.

Your guess is as good as mine as to who will be the Nets starting small forward when the season opens. By default the starting job goes to Bobby Simmons, but he was less than spectacular at 7.6 ppg. and 3.2 rpg. for the Bucks last season. Rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts may have a shot. He put up 18.1 ppg. and 4.1 rpg. in getting Memphis to the national championship game. Simmons has not panned out that well so why not give Douglas-Roberts a shot.

Prediction:
It is going to be another season without a playoff appearance for the Nets. I think that since they are so young that they will struggle to score points consistently. They were mediocre on offense with Jefferson and I do not see anyone filling his scoring role.

If nothing else the team may show signs of improvement down the road. With the exception of Carter and Harris, I think the other three positions on the floor are up for grabs. What you hope for in that case is for the competition to make everyone better. No one is going to be able to rest on their laurels so they are going to have to produce every night.

The entire frontcourt is going to be a battle. If Boone cannot get it done, then Lopez or Jianlian being ready to step in and take his place. The same goes for Williams in the power forward and Simmons at the small forward.

There are just too many holes on this team for them to really be a playoff team and that is saying a lot in the weak East. I think their backcourt is manageable – for now, Carter is not getting any younger – but something has to be done about the frontcourt. They really did not get much of anything for their two big trades. Who knows what general manager Rod Thorn was doing. I know you’re not going to get much for Kidd, but there should have been a market for Jefferson.

What the Nets’ biggest problem is that they lack any real talent. After Carter I am not sure that anyone of these players would be starting on 95 percent of the NBA rosters. This could be a decent team for a few years down the line, but for the immediate future they should be scouring the college and international ranks for a top big man because they are going to have a lottery pick in 2009.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Atlanta Hawks

2008 Record: 37-45
Division Finish: 3rd – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-3, to Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Mike Woodson
Season: Going into fifth season
Record At Atlanta: 106-222
Career Record: Same

Offseason Acquisitions:
Ronald “Flip” Murray, G, 11.0 ppg., 3.5 apg – Signed from Indiana Pacers
Maurice Williams, G-F, 9.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed from Orlando Magic
Randolph Morris, F-C, 3.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg., – Signed from New York Knicks
Thomas Gardner, G, – Free Agent

Offseason Losses:
Josh Childress, G-F, 11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg – Signed in Greece
Salim Stoudamire, G, 5.7 ppg., 0.8 apg – Signe with San Antonio
Signed Jeremy Richardson, F, 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg, – Signed with Orlando Magic

Offseason Transactions:
Matched Memphis Grizzlies contract offer for Josh Smith
Picked up the option on Al Horford through 2009-10
Picked up the option on Acie Law through 2009-10.

Rookies:
Othello Hunter, F, 6-8, 9.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg., Ohio State

The Skinny:
If the Atlanta Hawks were in the Western Conference we would be talking about how they had a great chance to improve their team in the lottery. But since they play in the Eastern Conference were talking about how fortunate they are to be a playoff team. Of course since they did not have any draft picks anyway I guess it was best to make the playoffs. It gives them something to build on and sell tickets.

The Hawks have one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Point guard Mike Bibby, a nine-year veteran, threw off the curve when he joined the team last year. Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton have six years of service then after that no one has more than four.

That is the good news because they have got a lot of youth and if they can keep this team together they have a shot of being good for a while. That young, cocky attitude was what they need to push the Boston Celtics to a seventh game in the first round of the playoffs.

The flip side of being young is that their inexperience often shows at the wrong time, like game seven against Boston when they lost by 34 points. I think in order to force a game seven they had to expend most of their energy in a tight 103-100 game six victory.

Rick Sund was named the Hawks’ general manager in May, but he didn’t have much to work with. When Atlanta acquired Joe Johnson from Phoenix in 2005 they had to give the Suns their 2008 first round pick. Then when the Hawks brought Bibby on board last season it cost them their second round pick.

Atlanta did get two quality free agents during the offseason. They signed Ronald “Flip” Murray from Indiana. He can play either the point or shooting guard spots. In addition, they picked up swingman Maurice Williams from the Orlando Magic. They signed undrafted rookie Othello Hunter from Ohio State. He was a spot starter during the Buckeyes’ run to the National Championship game and averaged 9.9 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game as a start on the OSU’s NIT Championship squad.

The reason for the such a quiet offseason is that Atlanta has almost all of its pieces back from last year’s team. Conventional wisdom says that should make them a better team, but we will see. It is the East after all.

Johnson is back for his fourth season with the Hawks. Since being traded to Atlanta from Phoenix he has averaged at least 20 ppg., including last season when he tossed in 21.7 ppg. Johnson is one of the better all-around players in the league as he averaged 4.2 rpg. and assists per game last season.

Five of the Hawks’ top six scorers are back for the 2008-09 season. Atlanta matched an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies to keep Josh Smith and his 17.2 ppg. and 8.2 rpg. around for a few more years. They had to do that. He is the face of the franchise and if they lost him they might have spun back into oblivion. Forward Marvin Williams continued his improvement as he poured in a career-high 14.8 ppg. and grabbed 5.7 rpg.

The lone top scorer not back is Josh Childress. He accepted a $20 million, three year deal to play in a team in Greece. I guess he is just chasing the money since he had a pretty decent season last year. The Haws will miss his 11.8 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. Atlanta still holds the rights to Childress for two more years if he decided to come back to the NBA. If they do not rescind their qualifying offer to him he will count for about $4.5 million against the cap.

The weakest portion of the Hawks last season was the point guard spot so that is why they went out and got Bibby. Speedy Claxton was hurt most of last season and Acie Law was just a rookie and was not ready to start in the NBA. That left most of the duties up to Johnson, which probably affected his scoring production. Just over halfway through the season the team brought in Bibby and he averaged 14.1 ppg. and 6.5 apg., but the team went just 15-18 with him running the show. Bringing in a point guard at midseason is like bringing in a quarterback. Yeah it might be an upgrade, but only over time. It takes a while to get all the timing down. I would imagine the team was Law to learn behind Bibby for a few years.

Prediction:
I am not exactly sold on Atlanta as a consistent playoff team. Last season was their first trip to the playoffs in eight years. And it is not like the Hawks have been just knocking on the doorstep of the playoffs every year only to just miss it by this much. They have been brutal.

The 37-45 record was their best record since 1998-99 when the last made the playoffs. If this team plays in the Western Conference it is excited about a lottery pick, not selling playoff tickets.

I could be wrong about the Hawks this year, but I do not think they are going to make the playoffs. As bad as the East is, it is very possible that I am wrong. Atlanta, Indiana and New Jersey are all very mediocre teams that will be fighting for that eighth spot. Who knows what the Miami Heat will do this year, but I think they will be better as well. Maybe someone like Toronto or Orlando slips up and two of the three aforementioned teams gets into the playoffs.

I have never really been a big Mike Bibby fan. I am just not. I think he has got some occasional good moves that give him some flash, but I do not think there is much substances there. Think back to all the talent he had around him in Sacramento during that four-year run from 2000-04 and they never got it done. I always thought he got out-played in crunch time.

As I said above bringing in a point guard in midseason is like bringing in a quarterback at midseason, but should he not have made them slightly better? At least they could have gone more than 15-18 during his time. He is an improvement over what they had, but not what they need to be a consistent playoff team.

Another problem for the Hawks is at the center position. Second-year man Al Horford will be the starting center, but I am not sure if he is an NBA center or not. Maybe in college, but I do not think he can do it in the Association. I think he would be a great power forward, but you already have Smith and Williams. Maybe I am wrong. He put up some solid numbers his first year – 10.1 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. – but less than a block per game. Zaza Pachulia from Georgia, the country not the school, is his back up and he is mediocre. Once Horford came in last year Pachulia was demoted to the bench and only scored 5.2 ppg and grabbed 4.0 rpg.

I also think losing Josh Childress is going to be a bigger problem than they think. He was a really good sixth-man and they did not bring in any of his caliber during the offseason. Flip Murray is okay, but I do not think he is at Childress’ level.

Bottom line, I see the eighth spot in the East going to someone like Indiana or New Jersey, not the Hawks. If this team stays together and improves they could build into a consistent playoff team, but they are a year or two away from that.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Philadelphia 76ers

2008 Record: 40-42
Division Finish: 2nd – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-1, to Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks
Season: Going into fourth season
Record At Philadelphia: 113-133
Career Record: 275-272

Offseason Acquisitions:
Elton Brand, F, 17.6 ppg, 8.0 – Signed from Los Angeles Clippers
Jared Reiner, C, – Signed from Spain
Donyell Marshall, F, 3.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed off waivers
Theo Ratliff, F-C, 3.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed off waivers
Kareem Rush, G, 8.3 ppg, 2.4 ppg – Signed from Indiana
Royal Ivey, G, 5.6 ppg, 2.1 apg – - Signed from Milwaukee

Offseason Losses:
Calvin Booth, F-C, 0.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg – Traded to Minnesota Timberwolves
Rodney Carney, F, 5.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg – Traded to Minnesota Timberwolves
Andre Emmett – Waived
Maurice Rice – Waived
Corey Underwood – Waived
Justin Reed – Waived

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed Andre Igoudala
Re-signed Louis Williams
Exercised option on Thaddeus Young
Exercised option on Jason Smith

Rookies:
Marreese Speight, F-C, 6-10, 14.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, Florida
Antwayne Robinson, F, 6-8, – Signed from France

The Skinny:
Few teams may have made a bigger move during the offseason than the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether that gives them the edge they need to move up from a middle of the road team in a weak conference or a contender for the Eastern title remains to be seen.

During the middle of the summer it looked like the Los Angeles Clippers were going to be a major player in the Western Conference when Baron Davis was about to sign with the team to go along an already improving and young team. However, the Clippers had the rug pulled out from underneath them when the foundation of the team, power forward Elton Brand, signed with the 76ers.

Brand signed a five-year, $79.9-millon deal with Philadelphia and may be the missing ingredient the team needs to challenge Boston and Detroit. The 76ers had some solid talent, particularly in the backcourt, but needed a real superstar to be the go-to guy and bulk up their front court. They may have gotten that in Brand.

After a lackluster showing in the opening round of the 2005 playoffs, Philadelphia brought in Maurice Cheeks to be their head coach. Following some growing pains in his first two seasons, Cheeks appears to have the ship turned around as they won 40 games and made the Eastern Conference playoffs despite being under .500.

Up until this season the 76ers may not have had a person with the presence of Brand in the frontcourt since the likes of Charles Barkley. Brand is no Barkley, but he’s better than anything they have had since the Round Mound of Rebound.

Going into his 10th season, Brand is one of only four active players that have a career average of 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He had a monster year in 2005-06, averaging a career-best 24.7 points per game. His scoring production has dipped the last two seasons, but a big reason for that is he has had better players around him so he has not had to carry as much of the scoring load.

Brand does come to Philadelphia as a bit of damage goods. Before the start of last season he ruptured the Achilles’ tendon in his left foot and missed the majority of the season. He managed to play only eight games last season, averaging 17.6 ppg. and 8.0 rebounds per game.

If Brand is back to his old self he has got the potential to make the 76ers a great team. Philadelphia brings back its top six scorers from last season and that group averaged 79.5 ppg.

Heading up this list of returning players is swingman Andre Igoudala, who is one of the top all-around players in the country. His 2007-08 numbers were 19.9 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 4.8 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game. Point guard Andre Miller does a good job of running the offense as he dished out 6.9 apg., while scoring 17.0 ppg. Add in guards Willie Green who averaged 12.4 ppg. as well as Louis Williams coming off the bench at 11.5 ppg. and you’ve got a pretty solid back court.

The front court was a different story. Six-foot-eleven center Samuel Dalembert did a solid job last season, averaging a double-double with 10.5 ppg and 10.4 rpg. The problem was without another good player in the frontcourt teams were able to focus on Dalembert and limit his scoring. Now with Brand beside him he could really make a big improvement this year.

Prediction:
Philadelphia is one of the teams I am high on this year as a potential sleeper in the East. As we stated here time and time again, the Eastern Conference is pretty weak. The 76ers are living testament to that as they made the playoffs last year despite a losing record. Outside of Boston and Detroit no team is really a major threat and no made a major move like Philly did. Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto does not really count.

The 76ers frontcourt was there major weakness and they did a lot to improve it by bringing in Brand. Yes he comes in having suffered a major injury, but up until now he has been pretty healthy so I do not see why he will not be back to his old form. He will make Dalembert a much better player and he will need to be against some of the top big men in the conference.

The addition of Brand really only leaves small forward as the only hole in the team’s line-up, but there is some potential there. Thaddeus Young stepped into the starting role in his rookie season and averaged 8.2 ppg. and 4.2 rpg. A year wiser and having Brand on the court could allow him to really grow in his second season.

Green and Williams give 76ers a pretty solid pair of reserves in the backcourt. The addition of TJ Ford in Indiana via the O’Neal trade made Kareem Rush expendable and he will be able to spell Iguodala or Young.

The team is a little thin in terms of its frontcourt bench. They tired to sure that up by drafting 6-foot-10 forward-center Marreese Speight from Florida, who averaged 14.5 ppg and 8.1 ppg. If they can stay healthy in the front court they could be a very good team.

I like all the moves the 76ers have done in terms of getting Brand, signing Rush and drafting Speight. After reserves Donyell Marshall and Theo Ratliff, Brand is the oldest player on the team at 29-years old. If they can keep this team together they could be a contender for the next few years.

I think Philadelphia will surprise a lot of people this year. I like them to win about 50 games this year and move up to second in the Atlantic. If all the chips fall into place they could win the division. I like them to get to at least the second round of the playoffs and do not be surprised if you see them on the doorstep of the NBA Finals.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Toronto Raptors

2008 Record: 41-41
Division Finish: 2nd – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-1, to Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Sam Mitchell
Season: Going into fifth season
Record At Toronto: 148-180
Career Record: Same

Offseason Acquisitions:
Jeremaine O’Neal, F-C, 13.6 ppg., 6.7 rpg – Traded from Indiana
Hassan Adams, F, 2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg. – Signed as free agent
Jamal Sampson, F-C, – Signed from China China
Willie Solomon, G, – Signed from Turkey

Offseason Losses:
TJ Ford, G, 12.2 ppg, 6.1 apg. – Traded to Indiana
Maceo Baston, F, 2.7 ppg., 1.7 rpg. – Traded to Indiana
Radoslav Nesterovic, C, 7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg., – Traded to Indiana
Primoz Brezec, C, 3.7 ppg., 1.4 rpg. -  Signed with Italian League
Carlos Delfino, G-F, 9.0 ppg, 4.4, rpg. -  Signed With Russian League
Jorge Garbajosa, F,  3.1 ppg., 2.1 apg., – Waived

Offseason Transactions:
Exercised option on Jamario Moon
Signed Jose Calderon to an extension

Rookies:
Nathan Jawai, C, 6-11, 17.9 ppg, 9.4, rpg. – Signed from Australia
Roko Ukic, G, 6-5 – Signed from Italy

The Skinny:
Fortunately for the Toronto Raptors they play in a very weak Eastern Conference. With a starting five that is comprised of good, but not great players, the Raptors are able to be a solid team in the East. Unfortunately for them, there is much better talent in the conference and unless their current talents steps it up they will be in the same position as last year.

One would think that finishing second in the Atlantic Division is a decent accomplishment, but let me drop some knowledge on you about that. The Raptors were 23 games back of division winner Boston. With just a .500 record (41-41), they were four games better than Atlanta who got the last playoff spot.

Two teams in the East (Atlanta and Philadelphia) got into the playoffs with a losing record. The eighth playoff team in the Western Conference, Denver, was 18 games over .500. At .500 Toronto would have tied for 10th in the West, but they are sixth in the East. Ten of the 15 teams in the West would have made the playoffs in the East, while only three teams from the East would have qualified in the West.

So that’s the good news for the Raptors that they play in a very average conference. Unfortunately, they are an average team in that average conference. Their defense was one of the better ones in the league last year, giving up just 97.2 points per game to rank 10th overall. The offense was a bit anemic at times, rating 18th out of 30 teams at 100.1 ppg.

Toronto has been moving in the right direction that last few years. After five-straight seasons when they didn’t win more than 33 games, the Raptors won the Atlantic Division with a 47-32 record in 2006-07. Tying the franchise record for the most wins in a season earned general manager Bryan Colangelo NBA Executive of the Year honors.

One knock against the team is that it only has one playoff series victory to its credit in 15 seasons. Toronto beat New York, 3-2, in 2001 but has lost its other five series for an 11-20 playoff record. To Colaneglo’s credit he brought in someone who is an experienced winner in the playoffs and who can help in the front court this offseason when he swung a deal to bring in center Jeramaine O’Neal from the Indiana Pacers.

Here is the good part of that trade: O’Neal has averaged at least 19 ppg. and 8.5 rebounds per game in six of the last seven seasons. O’Neal has helped Indiana wins some playoff series and been one of the top players in the NBA.

Now for the downside of the trade. He was hurt most of last season and that one season out of the last seven that he did not score at least 19 and grab eight was 2007-08 when he only scored 13.2 ppg. and 6.7 rpg., which were his lowest numbers in seven years. O’Neal isn’t getting any younger either. He’s going into his 12th season and at that age the nagging injuries are always going to be prevalent.

Colangelo also mortgage the future to pay for the present as one of the main components of the O’Neal trade was rookie Roy Hibbert. To site Hubby Brown, Hibbert has tremendous upside at 7-foot-2. He scored a respectable 13.4 ppg. and 6.4 rpg. last year, but is young and with his frame he could be one of the next great young centers.

The addition of O’Neal gives the Raptors a strong presence in the post as he teams up with Chris Bosh. The 6-foot-10 forward led the team last year at 22.3 ppg. and 8.7 ppg. While neither is a true center in the defensive sense, at the offensive end of the floor they will create a lot of problems for opposing defenses.

If O’Neal is healthy he can give the team a consistent number two scorer. Last season Bosh averaged almost 10 points more per game than the next closest player, swingman Anthony Parker who averaged 12.5 ppg.

The point guard position is pretty much locked up by Spainard Jose Calderon. Going into his third season, he dished out a team-high 8.3 assists per game while also scoring 11.2 ppg.

Prediction:
As mentioned before, the Raptors are okay, but not that great. Good enough to make the playoffs in the East, but not go anywhere. Besides Bosh, I really can’t see anyone making a significant impact. O’Neal has the potential to be another great player, but who knows how he is going to rebound from the injury. If he is the O’Neal of a few years back then they have a chance to make a run in the playoffs.

There are two flaws in the Raptors line-up. While O’Neal and Bosh are both very solid, they are not true centers so they will have problems with teams like Orlando and Josh Howard. Italian Andrea Bargnani has shown flashes, averaging 10.2 ppg. last season, but he only managed 3.7 rebounds a night. At 7-foot you would expect more than 3.7 boards in a game. Now with Radoslav Nesterovic gone to Indiana as part of the O’Neal trade he may get more minutes.

The other kink in Toronto’s armor is its shooting guard. Like most of the Raptors, TJ Ford was decent, averaging 12.2 ppg., but not at the level you need to win a conference title or even compete for one. Willie Solomon joined the team after playing in Turkey and Roko Ukic came from Turkey.

I guess if worse came to worse they could go big with Bargnani, O’Neal, Bosh, Parker and Calderon. That is a pretty solid team in the frontcourt, but your back court is going to be awfully exposed.

Since the Atlantic Division, and the Eastern Conference as a whole, is pretty meek, I do not see why the Raptors will not get back into the playoffs. I think they will be right around .500 again and even in the East a few games under will get you in the playoffs. Canada’s team is playoff bound but they will be out in the first round. They are a superstar – like O’Neal four years ago – and a really good supporting player away from being a contender.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Washington Wizards

2008 Record: 43-39
Division Finish: 2nd – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-2, to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Eddie Jordan
Season: Going into sixth season
Record At Washington: 194-214
Career Record: 229-278

Offseason Acquisitions:
Signed Dee Brown, G, 14.7 ppg., 3.8 apg – Signed from Turkey
Signed Juan Dixon, G, 5.0 gpp, 1.4 rpg. – Signed from Detroit
Signed DerMarr Johnson, G-F, 3.4 ppg, 0.2, rpg – Signed from San Antonio
Signed Linton Johnson, F, 2.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg – Signed from Phoenix

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed guard Gilbert Arenas.
Re-signed forward Antawn Jamison.
Traded the draft rights to forward Bill Walker to the Boston Celtics for cash.

Offseason Losses:
Roger Mason, G, 9.1 ppg., 1.7, apg, Signed with San Antonio

Rookies:
JaVale McGee, C, 7-0, 14.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, Nevada

The Skinny:
With the two main pieces of their puzzle in place for what looks like the next four years, the Washington Wizards have the potential to make a serrious run in the Eastern Conference. If the Wizards can get some solid play from their front court, particularly the center position, they could find themselves in the NBA Finals.

Next year.

On a list of the top shooting guards in the Association, Gilbert Arenas’ name has to be in the top five, probably top three. Prior to the 2007-08 season, he averaged at 25 points per game and has a career average of over 22 ppg.

Last year was virtually a wash for Arenas as he only played in 13 regular season game because of a knee injury. Even when he tried to come back he was not 100 percent and he pulled himself off the court right before game four of the opening round of the playoffs.

I am impressed with him in that he didn’t demand to be put back into the starting line-up as soon as he was cleared to play. Contrary to what some stars might do, Arenas did not want to disrupt the chemistry of the starting five. A lot of other guys would have demanded to be put in the line-up.

Arenas was almost not back in a Wizards’ uniform this season. He had a five-year offer from the Golden State Warriors that was valued at over $100 million dollars. He ended up signing with the Wizards for $111 million over six years. I’m glad to see Washington ponyed up the extra two mill a year to keep their favorite player on board.

However, it’s not all wine and roses for the Wizards and Arenas. He underwent a third surgery on his knee last month and is expected to be out for at least the first month of the season. It’s hard to say if he reaches 100 percent this season. It may be another year before Arenas is at the level he was in 2006-07.

One of the conditions of Arenas re-signing with the Wizards was that they had to sign forward Antawn Jamison as well. Wanting to keep Arenas, as well as their top scorer from last season, the Wizards did bring Jamison back for his 10th NBA season. He signed a four-year, $50 million dollar deal.

But just like Arenas, Jamison is injured during the preseason. He suffered a right knee contusion during the team’s first preseason game and is expected to miss all of the preseason. Likely this is more of a precautionary move by the team to have Jamison healthy for the start of the regular season since they know they are going to be without Arenas. Jamison’s timing and game conditioning may suffer a little, bit but he should be at 100 percent – barring any other set backs – when Arenas returns.

The center position has been one of the top positions that have been a problem for the Wizards. Things didn’t get any better for the team when center Brendan Haywood announced he would go under the knife to repair his right wrist and that will keep him out from four to six months. This is a big blow to the Wizards as Haywood averaged 10.6 ppg and 7.2 rebounds per game last season.

Some good news did come Washington’s way as center Etan Thomas made his return to the team. Thomas missed all of last season after undergoing open heart surgery. During the 2006-07 campaign he averaged 6.1 ppg. and 5.8 rpg. in 19.2 minutes a night. Also trying to fill the void left by Haywood is rookie JaVale McGee. The 7-foot center from Nevada averaged 14.1 ppg. and 7.3 rpg. his sophomore year with the Wolfpack. He’s the son of former NBA player George Montgomery and WNBA player Pamela McGee. He is the first son of a WNBA player to every play in the NBA.

The other hole in the Wizards’ roster is at the point guard position. Now in his 11th season, Antonio Daniels isn’t a true point guard and isn’t getting any younger. The team did pick up Dee Brown during the offseason. Instead of trying to make the Utah Jazz roster last year – where he would have been the understudy to Darren Williams – Brown opted to play in Turkey last year. Brown as the athleticism to be a point guard, but I’m not sure he’s got the head for it in the NBA. It’s one thing to get it done in college 35 some times a year, but 90 percent of the time his athletic ability was able to make up for any knowledge shortcomings.

Prediction:
Similar to the Orlando Magic, the Washington Wizards are a year or two away from making a serious run in the playoffs. I can see them having a similar record and finishing second to the Magic in the pitiful Southeast Conference. After Orlando and Washington the division is pretty bad.

One player not mentioned above was DeShawn Stevenson. He did a pretty good job filling in for Arenas last year, scoring 11.2 ppg. and handing out 3.1 apg. They’re going to need to him to step that up a bit during the first part of the season when Arenas is out and he’ll get considerable playing time throughout the season until Arenas gets back to 100 percent.

Another guy that wasn’t mentioned and gets overlooked a lot with Arenas and Jamison on the roster is Caron Butler. I always thought Miami got a steal on Butler when he slid to them at No. 10 in the 2002 NBA draft. Last year he averaged a career-best 20.3 ppg. – mostly notably because of the absence of Arenas – to go along with 6.7 rpg and 4.9 apg.

Between a healthy Arenas, Jamison and Butler you’ve got a great nucleus to work with. Two years ago the trio was the highest scoring three in the NBA. As good as those three players are you can almost get away with not having a great point guard, just someone who can get the ball down the floor and not make mistakes, which is what you’re going to get in Daniels.

However, with a number of good big men in the league, Washington will only go as far as its center plays. With Haywood out for four-to-six months, and not being beyond average to start with, the Wizards are going to struggle. Thomas was a back up before his heart surgery and who knows how much better he’ll get and I’m not really sold on McGee.

I think Washington will make the playoffs without much problem since most the East is weak, but they’ll get bounced in the first round again. Their downside is they’ve got just too many people missing significant time to build into a real threat. If Arenas and Haywood come back 100 percent by the end of the year they have a shot, but I think there are at least four teams better than them. Maybe next year.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Orlando Magic

2008 Record: 52-30
Division Finish: 1st – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-1, to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals

Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy
Season: Going into second season
Record At Orlando: 52-30
Career Record: 163-103

Offseason Acquisitions:
Signed Mike Wilks, G, 2.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, Free Agent
Signed Jeremy Richardson, F, 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg, Atlanta Hawks
Signed Dwayne Jones, C, 1.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, Cleveland Cavaliers
Signed Anthony Johnson, G, 5.6 ppg, 3.8 apg, Sacramento Kings
Signed Mickael Pietrus G-F, 7.2, ppg, 3.7 rpg, Golden State Warriors

Offseason Transactions:
Excersiced option on guard JJ Redick through 2009-10
Resigned center Adonal Foyle

Offseason Losses:
James Augustine, F, 1.6 ppg., 1.2, rpg, Waived
Carlos Arroyo, G, 6.9 ppg., 3.5, apg, Free Agent
Kenyon Dooling, G, 8.1 ppg, 1.8, apg, Traded to the New Jersey Nets
Maurice Williams, G-F, 9.3 ppg, 3.1 ppg., Signed with Atlanta Hawks
Pat Garrity, F, 2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg., Retired
Bo Outlaw, F, 2.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg. , Wavied

Rookies:
Courtney Lee, G, 20.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg., Western Kentucky

The Skinny:
Outside of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, no player in the NBA may be more exciting than Orlando’s Dwight Howard. I haven’t watched the Slam Dunk competition in I don’t know how many years, but I was tuned into last year’s competition based solely on the performance of Howard. He did some amazing things with the ball and along with James could be the new face of the NBA.

Prior to Howard’s arrival in O-Town the team was struggling. They finished seventh in the Atlantic division and as a result were able to take Howard with the No. 1 pick. Within three years he had the team back in the playoffs despite a sub-.500 record which just goes to show that the East is a very weak conference.

Last season the Magic won the Southeast Division with a 52-30 record and won their first playoff series since the 1995-96 campaign as they beat Toronto, 4-1, in the first round. Their record was their best since that 95-96 campaign when they lost to the Bulls in the conference finals and was 31 wins better than the year before Howard was drafted. They were subsequently tossed from the playoffs by Detroit, 4-1.

Despite not being the prototypical NBA center that you normally think of at only 265 pounds on a 6-foot-11 frame, Howard is one of the best in the league. He averaged 20.7 points per game and 14.2 rebounds per game. He led the NBA with 69 double doubles and his 14.2 rpg. was a full rebound better than the next closest player (Marcus Camby).

As good as Howard is, he obviously can’t do it all by himself. He’s got a pair of really good supporting cast members in guard Hedo Turkoglu and forward Rashard Lewis. Turkoglu was second on the team at 19.5 ppg while grabbing 5.7 rpg. and handing out 5.0 assists per game. Lewis was just a shade back at 18.2 ppg., 4.2 rpg. and 5.4 apg. Also doing a solid job was point guard Jameer Nelson as he produced 10.9 ppg. and handed out 5.6 apg.

The problem with the Magic isn’t a lack of production at the offensive end of the court, it’s at the defensive end, particularly during the playoffs. Orlando ranked sixth in the NBA last year at 104.4 ppg. and were pretty decent at 99.0 ppg. on defense, which surprisingly ranked 11th.

However, as anyone will tell you defense is what wins you championships. If you don’t believe me, the top three defensive teams in the NBA – Detroit (90.1 ppg.), Boston (90.3 ppg.) and San Antonio (90.6 ppg.) – all made the conference finals. The Phoenix Suns have been mentioned a lot the last few years as a potential champion, but their model of all-out offense has yet to come to fruition. Twice the Suns got to the Western Finals, only to be beaten 4-1 by San Antonio and 4-2 by Dallas. Last year they dropped another 4-1 series to the Spurs.

When going up against a great defensive team like the Pistons in the playoffs, Orlando scored a mere 91.6 ppg. This shows the flaws in the idea of just trying to outscore opponents and not putting much stock in playing defense. Nine times out of 10 the better defensive team will win. Also, because Orlando had to work harder to score, they didn’t have the energy to play the necessary defense – not that they do anyways – but Detroit was only 0.5 ppg. under its regular season average of 90.7 ppg.

The playoffs is all about who can stick to their game plan and go about business as usual. Unless you’ve got a serious injury, the playoffs is not the time to have to change approach. Detroit was able to follow its game plan better than Orlando and the Pistons were the one who were able advance.

Between Howard and Lewis the Magic seem to have the defensive end pretty well covered. Where they are struggling on defense is the back court. Richard Hamilton scored more than 30 against Orlando in the final two playoff games and Chauncey Billups tossed in 28 in game two.

Prediction:
Orlando is a pretty solid team, but they need to get Howard more help. San Antonio and Detroit have five great players on the floor while the Lakers have a super star and a great player in Pau Gasol to help out Bryant. While Lewis, Turkoglu and Nelson are all pretty solid, they’re not great. The Magic must make a decision to either get one big gun, kind of like a Scotty Pippen, or build up the four other guys to be pretty good.

They lost Maurice Wiliams, who averaged 9.3 ppg., to Atlanta and replaced him with Mickael Pietrus from Golden State and his 7.2 ppg. Shooting guard JJ Reddick was one of the best college players of all time, but he has been a dud as a pro. Maybe he’ll get better or maybe he’s just going to be another in a long string of Duke players that are great in college but a flop in the league. If he could ever rise to anything close to the level that he had in Durham he could be that great No. 2 guy.

Rookie guard CourtneyLee has some potential to be a good player. He scored 20.4 ppg. at Western Kentucky, which is a pretty solid program that you’ve probably never heard much about. Lee is a good start, but he’s not going to be enough. Orlando should have another good record so they’re not going to have a draft spot where they can really get an impact player. To move up to the Detroit, Boston and Clevelands of the world they’ll have to make a trade or sign a big free agent.

There might not be a worse division in the NBA than the Southeast so unless Howard gets hurt the Magic should have no problems winning the division again this year. Orlando should win a first round series again, but that’s as far as they are going to get. Unless Stan Van Gundy can get the Magic to play better defense in crunch time they’ll be watching the conference semifinals from home.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Boston Celtics

2008 Record: 66-16
Division Finish: 1st – Atlanta
2008 Playoffs: Won the NBA Championship, 4-2, over the Los Angeles Lakers

Head Coach: Doc Rivers
Season: Going into his fifth
Record at Boston: 168-160

Offseason Acquisitions:
Forward Darius Miles
Center Patrick O’Bryant

Offseason Losses:
Center Scott Pollard, option was not picked up.
Small forward James Posey signed a free agent deal with the New Orleans Hornets.

Rookies:
JR Giddens, G, 6-5, New Mexico
Semih Erden, C, 6-11, Turkey
Bill Walker, G-F, 6-6, Kansas State

The Skinny:
Everything is right again in the world of old school NBA fans. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers played for the NBA Championship with the Celtics coming out on top for their 17th title. But the odds of those two teams meeting in the finals in two of the next three years like in the 80’s is pretty slim.

The Celtics had a great formula in place for last year. They’ve got a great core group of superstars that plays really well together in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Those three stir the drink and then they’ve got a great group of supporting players who know their role. This is pretty much the formula that will help you win a title.

While the formula works great, the ingredients are getting ready to expire. Those three, along with journeyman Sam Cassell have all played at least 10 years in the NBA. Now that all three have a title under their belts and they’re growing long in the tooth how hungry are they going to be to make a run like last year? It wasn’t easy as they didn’t win a road game until the Finals.

Another problem with the Celtics roster is that they seem to be at both ends of the spectrum. Fourteen out of the 17 players on their current roster have either played seven years or more or have only been in the league for two years or less. Those players that fall into that middle aren’t very good either.

Because of some of the deals they’ve made and the draft positions they’ve had, the young talent they haven’t isn’t very good either or needs a lot of work to keep this train going. The Celtics better strike while the iron is hot this year because after this season they could be back to being in the middle to the bottom of the pack in the Eastern Conference.

One problem the Celtics are going to have to figure out is how to fill the void left by the departure of James Posey. During the offseason he signed a four-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets. Posey did a great job picking up the opposing team’s best offensive player and was a good three-point shooter himself. Posey was the one responsible for D-ing up LeBron James and Kobe Bryant during the playoffs. He also had the intangible of being a winner after being a part of the Miami Heat’s NBA title run.

So how does Boston plan on filling that hole? During the offseason they signed free agent forward Darius Miles. In addition they drafted JR Giddens from New Mexico in the first round and wing Bill Walker from Kansas State in the second. These seem like more of the Danny Ainge trade that got rid of Tony Delk and Antoine Walker for Jiri Welsch, Chris Mills and Raef LeFrentz and not the ones last year that brought in Allen and Garnett and earned him NBA Executive of the Year.

Miles is just trouble, plan and simple. It’s probably an attribute of a rough childhood in East St. Louis, but he’s been trouble everywhere he’s gone. He’s going to miss the first 10 games of the season because of a drug suspension. Great first impression. Then there’s his lack of defense and problems staying health. Throw in a pension for alienating his teammates and you’ve got a great pick up. Maybe the vets can real him in, but I doubt it.

Giddens isn’t exactly a choir boy either. He had problems at Kansas and had to transfer to New Mexico. If he gets influenced by Miles you might as well write him off as well. I don’t know much about Bill Walker, but Kansas State isn’t exactly a hotbed for talent. He was recruiting there by Bob Huggins, but how many of his players have really panned out to be good NBA players?

One player who may pick up Posey’s slack is guard Tony Allen. The Celtics resigned the fourth-year player out of Oklahoma State during the offseason. He might be able to fill that role, but he’s got to stay healthy. No one is really sure of his potential because he’s been injured so much. If he can stay of the IR for the entire season he could be a great role player.

Prediction:
Too many things just don’t seem right for the Celtics to repeat. After so many years of not having a championships ring, how hungry are the aging Garnett, Allen and Pierce going to be? Maybe they know this is there last chance and they’ll throw everything and the kitchen sink at winning again.

It’s always tougher to repeat than to win the first one and the Celtics just don’t have enough of the pieces to maintain a run like this. San Antonio built such a strong core group of players that all fit into their system so if one was missing the other could pick up the slack. If Pierce or Garnett go down for a long period of time the Celtics are in trouble. They need to have a full squad healthy for the entire year to keep the home court advantage in the playoffs. If they didn’t have home court advantage for every Eastern Conference playoff series and the Finals the title might be in LA or Detroit.

Posey is going to be a bigger loss than most people realize. Maybe not over the course of an 82-game schedule, but come playoff time when defense is so crucial – that was the basis of Boston’s championship run last year – it will show. I don’t think Miles will turn his act around and Giddons won’t amount to much. There are too many question marks around Tony Allen’s health to count on him for the whole year.

Boston will go 55-27 during the regular season and win the Atlantic Division because it’s pretty weak. They will, however, get bounced in the second round of the playoffs.

Probably not since the San Antonio Spurs had to wait two years for David Robinson has a rookie’s debut been a longer wait than that of Greg Oden. After a year away from the game, Oden made his first appearance in a Portland Trailblazers’ uniform and so far he’s off to a good start.

Of course there is a big difference between Robinson and Oden. As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Robinson had to fulfill his duty to the country and serve two years in the Navy before he could join San Antonio in 1989. Oden, on the other hand, injured himself after just his second summer league game and missed the entire 2006-07 season.

Now if the wait for Oden has the same dividends as the one for Robinson had, the Blazers surely won’t mind waiting an extra year for his services. But those are big expectations.

Two years ago Portland literally hit the lottery when it got the number one draft in 2007 NBA Draft. They made the wise decision, in my opinion, and drafted Oden over Texas forward Kevin Durant. It’s pretty rare that you get a big man with the potential of Oden so you have to take the chance when he’s available.

With the exception of maybe Detroit the last few years, I dare you to find me a championship team that doesn’t have a great presence in the middle. If the Lakers had someone like that they beat Boston last year. Same goes for Cleveland. LeBron and the Cavs will never win a title until he’s got someone in the paint. Mark my words.

Even without Oden in the line-up last year the Trailblazers were a pretty solid team. They managed to post a 41-41 record, which was nine games better than the year before and 20 games better than the 2005-06 season. Imagine if they had Oden, you’re looking at a team that would have been in the playoffs. It was their first season of .500 or better since 2003-04 when they also went 41-41.

So the big fella made his debut on Monday night against a very, very bad Sacramento Kings team. They’ve traded away pretty much everyone and are starting from scratch. They are still a year, maybe two away from sniffing the playoffs. Oden had a solid outing in his first NBA game, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds in just a tad under 20 minutes of play. He came back out last night to post 14 points and grab a game-high nine rebounds versus Golden State.

With Oden in the middle, Portland can be a very dangerous team, but that’s only if he stays health. The knock on Oden is that he’s always had problems staying in the line-up. Throughout most of his freshman season at Ohio State he was plagued by an injury to his right wrist. It hurt so much he had to shoot free throws left handed, which wouldn’t be an issue except that he’s a right-handed shooter.

So even before he got into the league, Oden had a rep for being a little fragile. Getting hurt two games into the summer league last year didn’t help either. He missed the entire 2007-08 season with a microfracture to his right knee. As much abuse as big men take in the NBA, I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come for Oden. He could have more of a Bill Walton career than a David Robinson one.

If you’re Portland you had to be excited about last year. Known of late as being a haven of moronic players, the franchise has not had a good reputation since the days of Clyde Drexler. With the likes of Darius Miles, Steve Francis and Sebastian Telfair gone from the team, it looked like Portland had put a strong roster of good, young talent together and Oden was going to be the missing piece. He still may be.

The team has made big strides in the last two seasons. Their team president Steve Patterson resigned during the spring of 2007 – probably way overdue – and that summer the organization brought in former Nike executive Larry Miller to replace him. Smart move to bring in someone who knows a thing or two about being successful. In addition, owner Paul Allen agreed to purchase the Rose Garden, Portland’s home floor, which assures that the team will be there for some time and not take off like Seattle did.

Also during the last three drafts the Trailblazers have done a much better job of selecting talent. The year before Oden was drafted, Portland made a pair of draft day deals to LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas and Brandon Roy from Washington. Roy was an All-Star last year and 2006-07 NBA Rookie of the Year. Last season Aldridge averaged 17.8 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game.

The same year as they drafted Oden, Portland also picked up Josh McRoberts from Duke and Taurean Green from Florida. McRoberts never saw the floor for the Trailblazers and Green was traded last year. The one thing that I like about these two players – though I’m not a big fan of Duke and Florida in general – as well as Oden, Aldridge and Roy is that they played on winning college teams at a high level. You want guys who are used to winning and expect it. They’ll work their asses off in order to win.

This year I think the team missed the mark in its drafting. Originally they went with Brandon Rush from the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks, but then they traded him to Indiana for Jerryd Bayless of Arizona. If this was Arizona 2-5 years ago, great pick, but the team struggled last year. They also got Frenchman Nicholas Batum.

Now I’m not a big fan of drafting foreign players. If you look at the Celtics, they are all American players. The game is just different in the NBA than it is overseas. Yes I know that San Antonio has been successful with a lot of foreign players, but they play a different brand of basketball than 90 percent of the league. And yes I know up until last year that the USA has been getting its ass handed to it by foreign teams, but that’s a whole group of players used to a particular style, not one or two guys trying to fit in with the rest of a team that plays a different way.

It does appear that they may have found a good-to-great foreign player in Rudy Fernandez. The Spaniard was drafted by Phoenix last year, but was traded to Portland for cash. Fernandez played last year in Spain, but decided to join Portland after he finished the Olympics.

Reports have Fernandez putting on a heck of a show during his debut, almost overshadowing Oden. Two reasons why I think Fernandez might work out is A) he plays for a winning team. Spain has been one of the best international teams of late and they took the silver at the Olympics. B) He’s a guard. I think it is much easier for guards to play well in the NBA than post players.

Portland could have the pieces of a good team in the works. I think they’ll make the playoffs this year, but the West is still too loaded for them to do more than a first round exit.

Probably not since the San Antonio Spurs had to wait two years for David Robinson has a rookie’s debut been a longer wait than that of Greg Oden. After a year away from the game, Oden made his first appearance in a Portland Trailblazers’ uniform and so far he’s off to a good start.

Of course there is a big difference between Robinson and Oden. As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Robinson had to fulfill his duty to the country and serve two years in the Navy before he could join San Antonio in 1989. Oden, on the other hand, injured himself after just his second summer league game and missed the entire 2006-07 season.

Now if the wait for Oden has the same dividends as the one for Robinson had, the Blazers surely won’t mind waiting an extra year for his services. But those are big expectations.

Two years ago Portland literally hit the lottery when it got the number one draft in 2007 NBA Draft. They made the wise decision, in my opinion, and drafted Oden over Texas forward Kevin Durant. It’s pretty rare that you get a big man with the potential of Oden so you have to take the chance when he’s available.

With the exception of maybe Detroit the last few years, I dare you to find me a championship team that doesn’t have a great presence in the middle. If the Lakers had someone like that they beat Boston last year. Same goes for Cleveland. LeBron and the Cavs will never win a title until he’s got someone in the paint. Mark my words.

Even without Oden in the line-up last year the Trailblazers were a pretty solid team. They managed to post a 41-41 record, which was nine games better than the year before and 20 games better than the 2005-06 season. Imagine if they had Oden, you’re looking at a team that would have been in the playoffs. It was their first season of .500 or better since 2003-04 when they also went 41-41.

So the big fella made his debut on Monday night against a very, very bad Sacramento Kings team. They’ve traded away pretty much everyone and are starting from scratch. They are still a year, maybe two away from sniffing the playoffs. Oden had a solid outing in his first NBA game, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds in just a tad under 20 minutes of play. He came back out last night to post 14 points and grab a game-high nine rebounds versus Golden State.

With Oden in the middle, Portland can be a very dangerous team, but that’s only if he stays health. The knock on Oden is that he’s always had problems staying in the line-up. Throughout most of his freshman season at Ohio State he was plagued by an injury to his right wrist. It hurt so much he had to shoot free throws left handed, which wouldn’t be an issue except that he’s a right-handed shooter.

So even before he got into the league, Oden had a rep for being a little fragile. Getting hurt two games into the summer league last year didn’t help either. He missed the entire 2007-08 season with a microfracture to his right knee. As much abuse as big men take in the NBA, I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come for Oden. He could have more of a Bill Walton career than a David Robinson one.

If you’re Portland you had to be excited about last year. Known of late as being a haven of moronic players, the franchise has not had a good reputation since the days of Clyde Drexler. With the likes of Darius Miles, Steve Francis and Sebastian Telfair gone from the team, it looked like Portland had put a strong roster of good, young talent together and Oden was going to be the missing piece. He still may be.

The team has made big strides in the last two seasons. Their team president Steve Patterson resigned during the spring of 2007 – probably way overdue – and that summer the organization brought in former Nike executive Larry Miller to replace him. Smart move to bring in someone who knows a thing or two about being successful. In addition, owner Paul Allen agreed to purchase the Rose Garden, Portland’s home floor, which assures that the team will be there for some time and not take off like Seattle did.

Also during the last three drafts the Trailblazers have done a much better job of selecting talent. The year before Oden was drafted, Portland made a pair of draft day deals to LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas and Brandon Roy from Washington. Roy was an All-Star last year and 2006-07 NBA Rookie of the Year. Last season Aldridge averaged 17.8 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game.

The same year as they drafted Oden, Portland also picked up Josh McRoberts from Duke and Taurean Green from Florida. McRoberts never saw the floor for the Trailblazers and Green was traded last year. The one thing that I like about these two players – though I’m not a big fan of Duke and Florida in general – as well as Oden, Aldridge and Roy is that they played on winning college teams at a high level. You want guys who are used to winning and expect it. They’ll work their asses off in order to win.

This year I think the team missed the mark in its drafting. Originally they went with Brandon Rush from the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks, but then they traded him to Indiana for Jerryd Bayless of Arizona. If this was Arizona 2-5 years ago, great pick, but the team struggled last year. They also got Frenchman Nicholas Batum.

Now I’m not a big fan of drafting foreign players. If you look at the Celtics, they are all American players. The game is just different in the NBA than it is overseas. Yes I know that San Antonio has been successful with a lot of foreign players, but they play a different brand of basketball than 90 percent of the league. And yes I know up until last year that the USA has been getting its ass handed to it by foreign teams, but that’s a whole group of players used to a particular style, not one or two guys trying to fit in with the rest of a team that plays a different way.

It does appear that they may have found a good-to-great foreign player in Rudy Fernandez. The Spaniard was drafted by Phoenix last year, but was traded to Portland for cash. Fernandez played last year in Spain, but decided to join Portland after he finished the Olympics.

Reports have Fernandez putting on a heck of a show during his debut, almost overshadowing Oden. Two reasons why I think Fernandez might work out is A) he plays for a winning team. Spain has been one of the best international teams of late and they took the silver at the Olympics. B) He’s a guard. I think it is much easier for guards to play well in the NBA than post players.

Portland could have the pieces of a good team in the works. I think they’ll make the playoffs this year, but the West is still too loaded for them to do more than a first round exit.

One of the longest-running NBA executives is out of a job and it’s a he said, he said story.

After 22 years of running the day-to-day operations of the Los Angeles Clippers, Elgin Baylor has been replaced by Mike Dunleavy as vice president of basketball operations for the Clippers. The problem is it doesn’t seem like Baylor wants to be out of a job.

The organization said that Baylor has resigned, but it doesn’t appear that way. When asked about his “resignation” from the Clippers, Baylor said that there is a difference between him and the organization and that on the advice of his lawyer he should say much more than that.

When was the last time that someone said they talked to their lawyer and every thing was just hunky dorrie? That’s what I thought.

Outside of being arrested, people talk to their lawyers because they’re either going to file a lawsuit or one has been filed against them. From just looking at the surface it appears that Baylor has been pushed out by the Clippers and he pissed about it.

If someone has put 22 years into an organization, and is 74 years old they are not resigning, they are retiring. Maybe he was resigning to take another job, maybe, but in either case, with as many years as Baylor put into the organization there would be much more remising if he was leaving on its own. It wouldn’t be treated the same way you treat something you’re trying to sweep up the rug and move along as quickly as possible.

It’s not to say that it wasn’t time for Baylor to be replaced of his duties. Given the Clippers’ history it’s amazing that he made it 22 years. If he wasn’t an NBA Hall of Famer and named one of the 50 Greatest NBA Players of all time I wonder if he would have made it that long as bad as the team has been.

During Baylor’s 22 years with the organization, the Clippers posted a 619-1153 record and have been the laughing stock of the Association – and most of professional sports – for some time. They have been joined as the laughing stocks of professional sports like the Cincinnati Bengals and the former Montreal Expos. Baseball has had a number of bad teams of late – primarily because the lack of a salary cap and decent revenue sharing prevents the competitive balance that the other sports have – but of late it’s been my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates.

Here’s my rant about the Pirates. Until they totally revamp the whole organization they are going to be perpetually below .500. Explain to me how the Tampa Bay Rays are making the American League Championship Series and Pittsburgh hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since 1992?

I hope the new ownership is trying to do that, but it doesn’t look good. They brought in a new general manager and team president, but so far their moves during the first year were less than impressive. I’ve heard from a lot of experts on TV that their trades have brought in a lot of talent, but I’ve heard that before and they’ve still gone nowhere. I hope they do, but they’ve got to spend some money to invest in players. If you look at all the players they let get away because they weren’t willing to pay them you could put together a pretty decent team. I don’t know if they’d win a World Series or even make the playoffs, but they’d have a much better chance.

Anyways…

If you take a look at all the first round draft picks the Clippers have had over the years you can see why they’ve been a bad team. Only three times during Baylor’s tenure have they not had a lottery pick – with nine picks inside the top five. That’s a boat load of great to good players that they’ve had a chance to draft and have messed it up more times than not.

The number of first-round draft picks that have panned out can be counted on one hand – Heresy Hawkins, Danny Manning, Antonio McDyess, Lamar Odom and Tyson Chandler – but most of them have succeeded on other teams. And for every Lamar Odom you’ve got three Yaroslav Korolev or Michael Olowokndi.

Chris Kaman – who originally looked like a bust when drafted in 2003 – seems to be coming around. That’s fine for a prospect to come around after five years, but only if you’re an established team and can afford that. If you’re a team like the Clippers you need instant help. Last year’s No. 1 pick Al Thornton of Florida State was a member of the 2008 NBA All-Rookie Team and looks like he could be a good building block for the future.

With Baylor on board, the Clippers managed to make the playoffs only four times in 22 years. He was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2006 after the team beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. It was the organization’s first playoff series victory since the 1975-76 season when the team was located in Buffalo.

So it’s not like getting rid of Baylor wasn’t the worst thing for the Clippers to do and was probably way too late. What I don’t understand is why they didn’t just fire him and say he was being let go because the team has sucked? This is just going to make the Clippers look worse.

I can’t say that I’m surprised that Baylor failed. The list of former players who were outstanding during their playing career and then sucked as a coach or executive are longer than anyone cares to look at. I think there is something innate in great athletes that they can not explain how to do things or truly evaluate talent. They really never had to break down the sport and learn the nuisances, they just did it without an explanation. That’s not who you want coaching your team or drafting your players.

You want the guy who had to work his ass of just to be average. They had to look at the sport and the skill from every angle possible to get the most out of themselves. They had to teach themselves the game and they can teach it to others because they’ve already used themselves as a guinea pig.
Now the team is in the hands of Dunleavy, who has been their coach for the last six years. Needless to say I’m opposed to the head coach holding any other position in an organization. To be a head coach of a professional team is a big enough task and to add another big task is just too much for one person to handle, but we’ll save that for another post.

As the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the Detroit Pistons were a member team of the old National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) before joining the NBA in 1949 and becoming the Detroit Pistons in 1957.

Today, the three-time champion Detroit Pistons play their home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Their head coach is the newly-hired Michael Curry, and their general manager is Joe Dumars, who played on the back-to-back title winning Pistons of 1989 and 1990.

Early Years in Detroit

When the Pistons first moved to Detroit in 1957, they immediately established themselves as a tough team to beat. They made the playoffs in each of their firsts six seasons in Detroit, though they didn’t get past the division finals.

The 1960s and 1970s were far from kind to the Pistons, who boasted some big names of the era but could not translate that into winning seasons. Between 1963 and 1973, the team only appeared in the playoffs once, despite having high-profile players like Bob Lanier, Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, and Jimmy Walker.

Despite a few playoff berths in the mid-1970s, the Detroit Pistons did not begin to establish themselves as an NBA contender until they drafted an Indiana point guard named Isiah Thomas in 1981.

Isiah and the Bad Boys

The Pistons continued to build after drafting Thomas. They acquired guard Vinnie Johnson and center Bill Laimbeer in 1982. This paid quick dividends for the team, as they returned to the playoffs in the 1983-84 season. They lost in the first round to the New York Knicks, but things were beginning to look up for Detroit.

The Pistons picked little-known shooting guard Joe Dumars in 1985, and they picked up forward Rick Mahorn in a trade that same year. Thomas, Dumars, Mahorn, Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman would form the core of the team that would earn the nickname “Bad Boys.”

The Detroit teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s had a rough, physical style of play that earned them the nickname. Rodman, Mahorn, and Laimbeer were well-known for their ability to get under the skin of opposing players. The team, under the leadership of head coach Chuck Daly, had a defense-first mentality that cast them as the polar opposite of flashier teams like the L.A. Lakers.

Championships

In the 1987-88 season, after amassing 54 regular season wins, the Pistons established themselves as the class of the Eastern Conference, beating the Washington Bullets, the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics on their way to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956 (when they were the Fort Wayne Pistons). They battled hard with the Western champion Lakers, but they eventually fell in seven games.

The following season, the Pistons won 63 games and returned to the NBA Finals bent on revenge against the Lakers. They got their revenge, sweeping the Lakers in four games.

The following year, the defending champion Pistons won 59 games and returned to the NBA Finals, this time against the Portland Trail Blazers. The opponent was different, but the result was the same. Detroit beat the Blazers in five games, making the “Bad Boys” back-to-back champions.

By the 1993-94 season, most of the core players had either retired or been traded, and the Bad Boy era came to an end.

Joe Dumars, the last holdover from the championship era, retired in 1999 and was named Detroit’s general manager in 2000. From the bottom up, he built a team that would eventually consist of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace, among others. With these players, and the guiding hand of head coach Larry Brown (hired in 2003), Dumars constructed a team that would give him a third championship ring, and the team defeated the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Lakers in the 2004 Finals. That Finals victory had at least an indirect impact on the fate of the Lakers, who, until then, were considered the first NBA dynasty of the new millennium.

2007-08 Season

With much of the championship core still in place (Ben Wallace left for the Chicago Bulls in 2006), the 2007-08 Pistons racked up 59 regular season wins and looked to be a favorite to win the East. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games and the Orlando Magic in five games before falling to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in six games.

At the end of the 2008 season, head coach Flip Saunders left the team and was replaced by assistant coach Michael Curry.

2008-09 Outlook

Rasheed Wallace, Billups, Prince and Hamilton return, though they are a year older. Young players like Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey will be expected to take on additional minutes and relieve some of the pressure off the older players. If they can do that, the Pistons will be a contender to win the East.

Greatest Players

Dave Bing, Chauncey Billups, Joe Dumars, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, Grant Hill, Dennis Rodman, Isiah Thomas

The Toronto Raptors are the NBA’s only Canada-based team. There were two, but the Vancouver Grizzlies were relocated to Memphis, Tenn., in 2001. The Raptors play their home games at the Air Canada Centre. Their head coach is former NBA player Sam Mitchell.

Early Years

The Toronto Raptors were established in 1993 and played their first NBA games in the 1995-96 season. They were named after the velociraptor, a character made popular by the movie Jurassic Park. The team’s first General Manager was former point guard Isiah Thomas. Their first head coach was Brendan Malone. The team’s first draft pick was point guard Damon Stoudamire out of Arizona.

The team’s first season was typical for an expansion club. The Raptors won 21 games in the 1995-96 season, the main bright spot being Stoudamire’s selection as Rookie of the Year.

The Raptors averaged just over 22 wins in their first four seasons, failing to make the playoffs until the 1999-2000 campaign.

Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady

The Raptors drafted Tracy McGrady straight out of high school in 1997. The 6-foot-8, smooth shooting swingman averaged only seven points per game his rookie year, but his potential was apparent to coaches and fans alike.

The Raptors traded their 1998 top pick, forward Antawn Jamison, to the Golden State Warriors for Vince Carter, a high-flying swingman out of North Carolina who happened to be McGrady’s third cousin.

Carter was named Rookie of the Year for the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.

Playoff appearances

Under the leadership of Carter and McGrady, the Raptors made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in the 1999-2000 season. They were promptly swept in three games by the New York Knicks.

During the 2000 offseason, the Raptors traded McGrady to the Orlando Magic for a first round draft pick.

In the 2000-01 season, the team posted a franchise-best 47-35 regular season record and made the playoffs a second straight season. They faced the Knicks in the first round again, but this time the story ended differently. The Raptors beat the Knicks, 3-2, in a highly competitive series.

The team had a tight second round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, losing four games to three.

The following year, the Raptors made the playoffs yet again, facing the Detroit Pistons in the first round. They lost that series in three games, and did not make the playoffs again until the 2006-07 season (in which they lost in the first round to a New Jersey Nets team led by the departed Vince Carter).

2007-08 Season

The Raptors posted a .500 season in 2007-08, led by 2003 draftee Chris Bosh. They made the playoffs and faced the Orlando Magic. The Magic beat the Raptors, four games to one.

2008-09 Outlook

The Raptors have made some offseason moves with the hopes of bolstering the team’s frontline play. They acquired center-forward Jermaine O’Neal from the Indiana Pacers and they drafted center Roy Hibbert from Georgetown. Coach Mitchell and the Raptors hope the extra big bodies will help keep Bosh from absorbing a lot of punishment down low. A successful season for the Raptors would be 45 to 50 wins.

Greatest Players

Vince Carter, Doug Christie, Antonio Davis, Tracy McGrady

The New Jersey Nets began their existence in the American Basketball Association (ABA) as the New Jersey Americans. They only spent one season (1967-68) under that name before becoming the New York Nets. The Nets moved to New Jersey in 1977, after they joined the NBA as part of the merger.

The Nets now play their home games at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but they are slated to move to Brooklyn, New York, in 2011.

The Nets’ head coach is Lawrence Frank. Rap mogul Jay-Z is a member of the ownership group.

Early Years

As the New Jersey Americans, the team failed to make the playoffs. However, they began making the ABA playoffs by their second season as the New York Nets. Led by Rick Barry, they made it to the ABA Finals in 1972, but lost.

In 1973, the Nets acquired forward Julius Erving from the Virginia Squires. Erving, nicknamed “Dr. J,” was a high-flying, above-the-rim basketball artist who helped the Nets win games and gave the team — and the league — a certain cache. The NBA had more teams, and more money, but the ABA had “The Doctor.”

Erving led the Nets to two ABA titles in three years, including the last title in the history of the defunct league.

NBA Finals Appearances

While the Nets made three ABA Finals appearances, winning the title twice, they are still looking for their first NBA title. The closest they have come are the two Finals appearances they made in 2002 and 2003.

In 2001, the Nets traded point guard Stephon Marbury to the Phoenix Suns for Jason Kidd. Kidd, a perennial league leader in assists and one of the league’s best defensive point guards, immediately changed the team chemistry. The Nets finished 52-30 and beat Indiana, Charlotte (Hornets, not Bobcats) and Boston en route to the Finals, where they faced the L.A. Lakers. They were no match for Shaq, Kobe and company, however, and were swept in four games.

The Kidd-led Nets proved the 2001-02 season was no fluke, winning 49 games the following season and getting to the Finals again, this time facing the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs beat the Nets, four games to two.

Since 2003, the Nets have yet to get past the Eastern Conference semifinals.

2007-08 Season

The most significant thing to happen to the Nets in 2007-08 was the trading of Jason Kidd to the team that drafted him, the Dallas Mavericks. In return, the Nets got speedy point guard Devin Harris, gaining youth and quickness but giving away rebounding, passing, and savvy veteran leadership. The team went 34-48, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 (the season before the Kidd acquisition).

2008-09 Outlook

The Nets will begin 2008-09 with a wholly different look from the start of last season. Harris replaces the departed Kidd. Richard Jefferson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian. The Nets picked Stanford big man Brook Lopez with the 10th pick in the 2008 draft, and drafted Memphis shooting guard Chris Douglas-Roberts in the second round. Lawrence Frank will have to get these players on the same page in a hurry if the Nets wish to leave the state of New Jersey on a winning note.

Greatest Players

Nate Archibald, Rick Barry, Derrick Coleman, Julius Erving, Jason Kidd, Buck Williams

The New York Knicks, one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, has fallen upon hard times of late. Poor personnel moves, unfulfilled draft picks and in-house controversy have turned this once-proud franchise into a perpetual cellar-dweller. The Knicks have not made the playoffs in four seasons and haven’t posted a .500 record in seven years.

The Knicks play their home games at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Their head coach is former Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni.

Early Years

The New York Knicks are one of the NBA’s original franchises, established in 1946. They quickly established themselves as one of the NBA’s best teams, making the NBA Finals (albeit losing) three straight seasons.

The late 1950s and early 1960s were not as kind to the Knicks. From 1957 to 1966, the team only made the playoffs once. They finished dead last in the Eastern Division from 1960 to 1966.

The Knicks began to rebuild through the draft, beginning with Willis Reed in 1964 and Bill Bradley in 1965.

Championships

The Knicks slowly but surely put together a top-flight squad, led by Reed, Bradley and Walt “Clyde” Frazier. In the 1969-70 season, the Knicks posted 60 wins and blew through the playoffs, beating the Baltimore Bullets and the Milwaukee Bucks before defeating the Lakers for the championship.

In 1972, the Knicks made it to the Finals again. Newly-added Earl “The Pearl” Monroe led the team past the Bullets and the Boston Celtics to face the Lakers again. This time the story had a different ending, with the Lakers beating the Knicks four games to one.

The following year, after a 57-25 regular season, the Knicks made the Finals yet again. This time, they exacted revenge against the Lakers, beating them in five games.

The following season was another successful one for the Knickerbockers, but they fell to the Celtics in the conference Finals. Willis Reed retired after that season.

Years later, the Knicks would return to the Finals twice, but would lose both times. Bolstered by 1985 draftee Patrick Ewing and shooting guard John Starks, the Knicks posted 57 wins in 1993-94 and advanced to the Finals, where they lost a hotly-contested series to the Houston Rockets, four games to three.

In the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, the Knicks made the Finals again, only to be beaten by the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

2007-08 Season

Under head coach (and general manager) Isiah Thomas, the Knicks posted only 23 wins, tying a franchise low. Thomas had become exceedingly unpopular in New York because of dubious personnel moves, multiple losing seasons and a sexual harassment suit filed by a former Knicks employee. In April 2008, the Knicks signed Donnie Walsh to take over Thomas’ GM duties. Walsh immediately fired Thomas as head coach, hiring former Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni.

2008-09 Outlook

The Knicks selected Italian forward Danilo Gallinari with the 6th pick in the NBA Draft. They also signed former Bulls guard Chris Duhon. Despite swirling rumors of a contract buyout, the Knicks have held on to point guard Stephon Marbury to this point. D’Antoni will have a hard time putting these pieces together, but in the East, the Knicks have a chance to make the playoffs.

Greatest Players

Walt Bellamy, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Bernard King, Jerry Lucas, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed

Much like the Sacramento Kings, the Atlanta Hawks have traveled around the country, starting in the Midwest in 1946 and moving until finally finding a home in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1968. They play their home games in Philips Arena in Atlanta. Their head coach is Mike Woodson.

Tri-Cities Blackhawks

The Hawks were originally known as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. They were part of the old National Basketball League and became one of the original members of the National Basketball Association.

After two years in the NBA (they made the playoffs one year and missed the next) the Blackhawks moved to Milwaukee and became the Hawks.

Milwaukee Hawks

The Milwaukee franchise struggled in its four seasons in Wisconsin. From 1951 to 1955, they averaged around 23 wins and failed to make the playoffs.

In 1955 the team moved to St. Louis, Missouri.

St. Louis Hawks

The move to St. Louis seemed to agree with the Hawks. They made the playoffs their first year there, and made it all the way to the division finals, where they fell to the Fort Wayne Pistons.

Two years later, the St. Louis Hawks won the first and only championship in the history of the franchise. Led by coach Alex Hannum, the team beat the Boston Celtics in six games.

The team continued to enjoy success in St. Louis, missing the playoffs only once between 1955 and 1968. Wanting a new arena but rebuffed by the city, the Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968.

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs their first five seasons in Georgia, then suffered a four-year drought. Returning to the playoffs in 1978, the Hawks enjoyed moderate success. But their fortunes changed in 1982.

The Human Highlight Film

In 1982 the Hawks acquired high-flying forward Dominique Wilkins from the Utah Jazz, who drafted Wilkins earlier that year. Wilkins, known as the “Human Highlight Film” for his acrobatic, flashy dunks, led the Hawks to four 50-win seasons, but they never made it to the conference finals during his tenure with the Hawks.

Midway through the 1993-94 season, the Hawks traded Dominique Wilkins to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning, who left shortly thereafter via free agency.

The team had a couple of 50-win seasons after Dominique, but they suffered a long, slow slide to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, from which they have only begun to recover.

2007-08 Season

In the Western Conference, the Hawks never would have made the playoffs with a 37-45 record. But in the East, that was good enough for a Number Eight seeding in the postseason. Led by Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and point guard Mike Bibby (acquired midseason in a trade with the Sacramento Kings), the Hawks took the eventual-champion Boston Celtics to seven games before losing in the first round.

2008-09 Outlook

Under the leadership of coach Woodson, and with a young nucleus consisting of Horford and Johnson, things could be looking up for the Atlanta Hawks. Bolstered by how well they played the Celtics, their confidence could translate into their first .500-plus season since 1997.

Greatest Players

Bob Petit, Connie Hawkins, Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Lenny Wilkens, Dominique Wilkins

The Charlotte Bobcats are the NBA’s newest team, founded in 2004. The team was established after the city’s previous NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, departed the city for New Orleans, La., and the Western Conference.

The Bobcats play their home games at Time Warner Cable Arena. Their head coach is Larry Brown, and their general manager is Rod Higgins. Michael Jordan is part of the ownership group.

Birth of a team

When the Bobcats were established in place of the departed Hornets, several ownership groups bid for the team. The franchise was awarded to a group led by Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). Michael Jordan, former All-American guard at the University of North Carolina, became a majority owner and head of basketball operations in 2006.

Early Years

Since the Bobcats have only played four seasons, one could argue that they are still in their early years. Their first season was 2004-05. After drafting Connecticut forward-center Emeka Okafor, the Bobcats went 18-64. Okafor was one of the few bright spots, averaging 15 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game and earning the Rookie of the Year Award.

In the offseason, the Bobcats drafted guard Raymond Felton and forward Sean May, who were both North Carolina Tar Heel standouts. The team improved to 26-56, and Felton made the All-Rookie Second Team.

The Bobcats picked Gonzaga scoring machine Adam Morrison with the third pick in the 2006 draft. Morrison averaged nearly 12 points a game and made the All-Rookie Second Team as the Bobcats went 33-49.

In 2007, head coach Bernie Bickerstaff was fired and Sam Vincent was tapped to take his place. The team drafted another Tar Heel, Brandan Wright, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for Jason Richardson.

2007-08 Season

Disaster struck the Bobcats during preseason when Morrison tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, ending his 2007-08 season. Head coach Vincent began his first season without one of his top scorers, which may have led to his early and abrupt downfall. Expansion teams are generally expected to make a climb from the division basement in the third or fourth year of their existence, and when this doesn’t happen, everyone, from the fan base to the front office, begins to lose patience.

The Bobcats struggled yet again in 2007-08, winning only 32 games and placing 11th in the East. Vincent was fired in April, and legendary coach Larry Brown (himself a former UNC Tar Heel) was hired. He is the third head coach in the four-year history of the franchise.

2008-09 Outlook

Larry Brown is famous for immediately improving his teams (with the ignominious exception of the New York Knicks, a team not even a consummate teacher like Brown could improve). Brown has a solid young nucleus to work with. Morrison is expected to make a full recovery from last season’s knee injury. Felton is a steadily improving point guard. Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson add scoring punch. Texas standout D.J. Augustin was picked 9th in the 2008 draft. These ingredients, in the hands of Brown the master chef, could make for an interesting 2008-09 campaign. A forty-win season would be considered a success — and would comprise a franchise record.