Kevin Durant passed Dale Ellis to set a franchise record for scoring in a season with 40 points on 13-of-22 shooting (2-of-4 from downtown, 12-of-12 from the foul line) to go with nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 116-108 win over the Wolves on Sunday.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Okalahoma City: Russell Westbrook had a career-high 16 assists on Sunday, and scored 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting to go with two rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes against the Wolves. He has been a bit all over the board recently, but keeping that in perspective his struggles have simply brought him back to the pack, and at the same time he has shown signs that he’s ready to be an elite PG once again.

Minnesota: Ryan Gomes hit four 3-point buckets on his way to 22 points on Sunday, finishing with a 7-of-13 mark from the field to go with three rebounds and no assists.

New Jersey: Devin Harris scored 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting (including a three) with three rebounds, three assists, and a steal in the New Jersey Nets’ loss to the Wizards on Sunday. He has been banged up and is a shutdown risk, as usual.. Brook Lopez also chipped in with 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting (10-of-11 from the foul line) with five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

Toronto: Chris Bosh’s 42 points weren’t enough in the Toronto Raptors’ 113-112 loss to the Warriors on Sunday, as he hit 11-of-19 shots from the field (20-of-23 from the foul line) with 12 rebounds, no assists, five steals, and a block. The loss means that the Raptors are still fighting for their playoff lives

Oakland: Coach Don Nelson tied Lenny Wilkins for most career wins as a coach on Sunday, as Corey Maggette led the charge with 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting (including a three) with four rebounds, four assists, and a steal in 37 minutes.

Oakland: Stephen Curry neared a triple-double with 29 points on 10-of-23 shooting (including five threes) with eight rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks against the Raptors on Sunday.

Stephen Curry will not play on Wednesday due to a sprained left ankle. He was fine at shootaround today, but it acted up on him when he returned to the arena. C.J. Watson is probably in for big minutes and production tonight with this news. Curry will likey finish second in rookie of the year voting to Evans.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Toronto: Jose Calderon returned to the starting lineup for the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday and hit 3-of-8 shots and a 3-pointer for nine points, three boards, six assists and two steals. He had been playing better than this off the bench, but the fact the Raptors won should mean more starts for Calderon.

Toronto: DeMar DeRozan hit 7-of-12 shots for 19 points in 35 minutes of Wednesday’s win. DeRozan is averaging 15 points over his last five games, but doesn’t do much else

Chicago: Jannero Pargo started again for the Bulls in place of injured Derrick Rose (wrist), but played just 17 minutes. He had nine points, four assists and five steals, and we’re not sure why he didn’t play more tonight.

San Antonio: Richard Jefferson stayed hot with 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting Wednesday night. Jefferson has started the last four games and been hot. He’s shooting 63. 8 percent from the field in those games and is averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. With Tony Parker out, the San Antonio Spurs are deferring to Jefferson more as a playmaker.

Orlando: Dwight Howard had just nine points, seven rebounds and one block in Wednesday’s blowout of the Spurs. Howard also went 3-for-8 from the free throw line.

New York: Bill Walker started in place of Wilson Chandler (ankle) and had eight points in 23 minutes on Wednesday night. Chandler is in danger of being shut down for the season, so Walker is going to see consistent minutes the rest of the season. We’d expect most nights to be better than this, but he’s not much of a passer or rebounder.

New York: David Lee had 29 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and block in 44 minutes of work on Wednesday night. Lee is showing no signs whatsoever of letting up. The 44 minutes are the most he’s played since Jan. 16 and it’s even more encouraging that coach Mike D’Antoni left him out there despite the blowout.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford hit 14-of-24 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 33 points in Wednesday’s loss. He’s had a nice season and is playing especially well with Joe Johnson out with an Achilles’ injury.

Darren Collison blistered the Pacers for 18 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, a block and a 3-pointer while hitting 7-of-13 shots in Friday’s easy win. Not much to say here, other than the Hornets have two stellar point guards on their hands. Trading Chris Paul would bring back a fleet of studs, but we doubt the New Orleans Hornets are ready to put that kind of deal together.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Mario Chalmers returned from a thumb injury for 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and four 3-pointers in Friday’s win. He came off the bench and this explosion was a surprise. Carlos Arroyo also played well, while Daequan Cook, who started for Dwyane Wade, hit just 1-of-7 shots for three points.

Miami: Michael Beasley hit 13-of-25 shots for a career-high 30 points to go along with eight rebounds, three steals and a block in a double-OT win over the Memphis Grizzlies. With Dwyane Wade out, Beasley is going to be the focal point of the offense.

Sacramento: The Kings’ new starting lineup Friday night is Tyreke Evans, Francisco Garcia, Omri Casspi, Carl Landry and Jason Thompson. Garcia is the biggest benefactor of the Kevin Martin trade, as we expected.

Toronto: Raptors beat writer Eric Smith expects Chris Bosh (ankle) to sit out Saturday in addition to Friday. It makes sense. After Saturday’s game against the depleted Wizards, the Toronto Raptors don’t play again until Wednesday against the Blazers.

Washington: Coach Flip Saunders said he thinks he’ll start Josh Howard against the Nuggets Friday night. Well that was quick. We assume that Howard will take over at the small forward spot, shift Mike Miller to shooting guard and send Nick Young to the bench.

Atlanta: Josh Smith had a nice all-around game in the Hawks’ 88-80 loss to the Suns on Friday, scoring 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting with five rebounds, one assist, three steals, and four blocks.

Vince Carter distorted space and time on Monday, scoring a season-high 48 points on a variety of vintage moves, connecting on 19-of-27 FGs, 6-of-10 three-pointers, and 4-of-4 FTs. VC has scored 20+ points in three consecutive games and is obviously over the shoulder injury that hampered him throughout January. He was posting up, hitting 3-pointers and slashing to the lane, and the buy-low window has officially been slammed shut. It was his highest-scoring game since 2006.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Lakers will play without both Kobe Bryant (sprained left ankle) and Andrew Bynum (bruised right hip) vs. the Spurs on Monday.Consider both of them questionable for L.A.’s final game before the All-Star break, Wednesday at Utah. Lamar Odom will start at PF on Monday, moving Pau Gasol to center.

Toronto: Andrea Bargnani’s ankle was a bit tender on Monday and his participation in practice was limited. The Toronto Raptors don’t play until Wednesday, their final game before the break, and it appears Bargnani just got some precautionary rest.

Charlotte: David West scored 27 points in the Hornets’ losing effort on Monday, making 10-of-19 FGs and 7-of-7 FTs in his second-highest scoring total of the past 18 games.

West is still a reliable option, though his points (17.9), FG attempts (14.8) and rebounds (7.6) have all taken big dips this season, along with his playing time (35:36). Most of that was a lackluster November, however, and an ankle injury which has since healed.

Atlanta: Atlanta Hawks G Joe Johnson is probable for Tuesday’s game despite having the flu. He had been listed as questionable, so this is great news if you gambled on him in a shortened Week 16.

Portland: Brandon Roy did not end up having another injection of PRP on Monday. He’s hopeful rest and treatment will be enough to fix his hamstring, but it’s still too early to tell when he’ll play again. He also won’t be getting much rest over All-Star Weekend, as he’ll be required to be in Dallas for the weekend per the NBA.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony, who was quoted by the Nuggets’ official Twitter page as saying he was “probable” for Tuesday’s game against the Mavs, was non-committal about his availability when speaking with beat writer Benjamin Hochman. “Hopefully I can get back out there [Tuesday],” Anthony said after Monday’s practice. “It felt good out there today. It’s getting better each day. Pretty much I was doing a lot that I could do before I got hurt.”

New Jersey: Devin Harris is “50-50″ to play on Tuesday against the Cavaliers due to his shoulder injury.

Andrea Bargnani went off for a season-high 34 points vs. the Pacers on Tuesday, making 14-of-21 FGs, including 4-of-6 from downtown. To say Roy Hibbert struggled to defend the quicker Bargnani would be a massive understatement, though at 7’0″ it’s not easy to slow him down when his jumpshot is clicking. He was averaging just 9.5 points over the past two games but rewarded those who kept the faith.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Vince Carter finally returned to form in Tuesday’s victory, finishing with 17 points, two 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block in 40 minutes. VC was aggressive driving to the hoop and finding his teammates, another great sign. His shoulder has been hampering his shot lately but hopefully this is the start of an upward trend.

Toronto: Toronto lost in Indiana on Tuesday despite a game-high 35 points from Chris Bosh. He was 13-of-22 from the field and 9-of-12 from the FT line, with 15 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks. The Toronto Raptors simply couldn’t put together many defensive stops — the Pacers had seven players in double figures and collectively made 52.4% of their field goals and 94.3% of their free throws.

Toronto: Marco Belinelli started at SF for Hedo Turkoglu (eye) on Tuesday, scoring 21 points on 7-of-13 FGs, 3-of-4 threes and 4-of-5 FTs. He added five rebounds, two assists, one block and just one turnover in 33 minutes. Belinelli, naturally more of a SG, is an intriguing source of offense and steals when he’s getting enough minutes.

New Jersey: Yi Jianlian returned after taking a brief rest with a shoulder injury, but may have been better off staying on the bench with a 1-for-12 shooting mark that led to three points, five rebounds, no assists, and a block. He finished with 31 minutes under his belt, so it’s hard to say how much of an effect the shoulder had on him. Brook Lopez scored 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks on Tuesday. Also, Devin Harris (wrist) returned to action on Tuesday, and scored 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting (no threes, 10-of-11 from the foul line) with five rebounds, 14 assists, and a block.

Detroit: Charlie Villanueva, who was a game-time decision with a back injury on Tuesday, ended up playing just eight minutes and had no points, one rebound, no assists, and one steal.

Milwaukee: Brandon Jennings, the reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, was held to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in Tuesday’s ugly loss to the Orlando Magic. Jennings had four assists and zero turnovers, but his struggles typified the Bucks offense tonight .

J.R. Smith

The Nuggets decided to postpone a press release on what had previously been reported as an announcement of J.R. Smith being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, and while a suspension is still very possible, it is not a certainty at this point.

Smith’s behavior has grown tiresome, and something he did on the bench in Saturday’s game was the tipping point, enough for coach George Karl to say, “some guys (Nuggets) had strong opinions last night.” The Denver Nuggets are slowing their assessment of Smith’s situation, but any way you slice it he looks headed for the doghouse.

Toronto: Hedo Turkoglu drove the lane and drew a foul with 1.5 seconds left and calmly nailed two free throws to give the Toronto Raptors a 106-105 win over the Lakers on Sunday. Aside from the heroics, he didn’t look good Sunday, scoring just nine points on 1-of-6 shooting (6-of-6 from the foul line) with two rebounds, five assists, a block, and a 3-pointer.

Toronto: Andrea Bargnani (back) returned to action Sunday and scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting (including a three) with eight rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist. He played a full complement of minutes Sunday, and didn’t show any signs of his back hurting him.

Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant came one assist away from a triple-double on Sunday, scoring 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting (including a three) with career-high 16 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block.

Los Angeles: Lamar Odom was non-existent in the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Raptors on Sunday, playing just 16 minutes and scoring only four points to go with six rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony will not play Monday against the Bobcats due to an ankle sprain, and is targeting Wednesday’s game for his return. “The best bet is to wait until Wednesday’s game to get it better. It didn’t swell up, so that’s a good sign. I’ve had ankle injuries before, but this one is not as bad as the others,” said Anthony, who is wearing a protective boot to keep him from limping.

Houston: Houston Rockets center Chuck Hayes had just two points and zero rebounds in 10 minutes on Saturday, the result of tendinitis in his right knee. He started the game but was in pain and needed to ride a stationary bicycle when he wan’t playing. “As I get going, sometimes it loosens up, sometimes it tightens on me,” Hayes said. “We’re going to try to keep it loose as much as possible.” Any games or minutes he loses should directly increase the opportunities for Luis Scola and Carl Landry.

Flip Saunders met with the grand jury regarding the Gilbert Arenas gun situation and has also banned gambling from the team plane. Flip met with them on Thursday, while several Wizards’ players were scheduled to meet with them on Friday.

The New Jersey Nets have also banned gambling on the plane and our guess is the NBA will come out and officially do the same for all teams at some point. A day after Arenas’ indefinite suspension, anything pertaining to Arenas has been removed from the Verizon Center in Washington. It appears that Arenas will never play for the Wizards again, and he will have to re-build his image with another team.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Orlando Magic G Vince Carter left Friday’s game after spraining his left shoulder while fighting through a screen against the Wizards. He was in tremendous pain on the floor and went directly to the locker room, although he did not require a wheel chair for his shoulder injury. J.J. Redick and Mickael Pietrus should absorb most of his minutes while Carter is recovering.

Philadelphia: Allen Iverson hit 7-of-13 shots for a season-high 22 points to go along with two rebounds, four assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in Friday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, but the good news ends there. Iverson was hit in the left knee tonight, aggravating a previous injury, and is not traveling with the team to Detroit for Saturday’s game.

Washington: Randy Foye started at point guard for the Wizards on Friday, finishing with 20 points, four rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two 3-pointers in a win over the Magic. He hit just 5-of-17 shots and left the game to get stitches in his mouth, but looks like the starting point guard for the Wizards for the foreseeable future.

Washington: Mike Miller returned from a 21-game absence with a calf injury Friday and started, scoring six points in 39 minutes. He also had six rebounds, six assists and a 3-pointer, which is a pretty encouraging line for his first game since November.

Oklahoma City: Kevin Durant missed Friday’s practice because of his right ankle, which he evidently sprained Monday against the Bulls.

Detroit: Rodney Stuckey (knee) will be in the Pistons’ lineup when they face the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday. Stuckey left Wednesday’s game after landing awkwardly on his knee, but he practiced Friday and coach John Kuester said he liked what he saw from his durable guard.

Tracy McGrady is unlikely to rejoin the Houston Rockets this season, according to Yahoo! Sports. McGrady and his agent will meet with Rockets’ management over the next two days and the likely resolution is T-Mac heading to Chicago to work at the famed Attack Athletics facility.

The Rockets are willing to take on long-term salary to unload McGrady. Kings G Kevin Martin’s name has surfaced in the past, mainly as interest coming out of Chicago, but there are multiple obstacles to any such blockbuster deal. It appears that a buyout is the best resolution to deal with McGrady, in any event we should know the details within the next day or two.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Houston: Rockets guard Trevor Ariza suffered a deep tissue bruise on his left shin in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. X-rays were negative, but he was limping. “I got kicked,” Ariza said. “It’s still throbbing. Hopefully, by tomorrow it will be all right.” The Rockets’ next game is on Tuesday (they play three times this week) and we should have more information after Monday’s practice.

Los Angeles: Ron Artest has been ruled out for Monday’s game against the Sun due to a concussion.
His condition is improving, and he could play later in the week, but get him on your bench for Monday.

Chicago: Beat writer Mike McGraw writes that “the Bulls are NOT anxious to fire [Vinny] Del Negro. They’d rather he finish the season…and help him clean out his office.” McGraw feels that “if the Bulls stay competitive for a playoff spot, Del Negro should be fine.” He has covered the Bulls since 1995 and would have as good a feel for this situation as anyone, so his opinions are not easy to dismiss.

Toronto: There is still no timetable for Jose Calderon’s return from a hip injury. The Toronto Raptors PG has been working out off the court but did not join his teammates for practice on Saturday. The Raptors have gone 8-4 in his absence, with fill-in starter Jarrett Jack playing well, so the team doesn’t have any incentive to rush him back.

Indiana: Danny Granger did some light shooting on Saturday as he continues to rehabilitate his torn right plantar fascia, and he thinks he will be back in “another two to three weeks.” Granger wants to get onto the court as fast as he can, but with the Pacers suddenly playing for ping pong balls, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him forced to return slower than he would like.

Blazers G Rudy Fernandez will miss 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing a microdiscectomy Tuesday to relieve leg pain caused by a nerve root in lower back. “He can get going right away on conditioning… He can swim, it’s more the impact of running and jumping [that might take longer],” Dr. Rich Edelson of Sports Medicine Oregon said Tuesday. Martell Webster, Andre Miller and Jarryd Bayless should pick up extra minutes in Fernandez’s absence, although Miller isn’t willing to play small forward.

Denver: Kenyon Martin will not play Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats because of a dislocated pinkie finger.

Toronto: Jose Calderon (hip) will not play Tuesday against the Timberwolves. Calderon went through shootaround and sounded like he might play, but a hip flexor injury flared up after practice and the Toronto Raptors decided to have him sit. Coach Jay Triano said Jarrett Jack will start in Calderon’s place.

Oakland: Warriors F Anthony Randolph flew to Arkansas to deal with a family emergency instead of New York for Wednesday’s game against the Nets. The team said that it hopes Randolph will be back with the team in the “next couple of days,” leaving his availability for Wednesday in doubt.

Indiana: Danny Granger will miss four-to-six weeks with torn plantar fascia in his right foot.

New Jersey: In addition to drawing the ire of the New Jersey Nets‘ braintrust with his recent posts on Twitter, Terrence Williams appears to be at odds with some of his teammates. Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that at Tuesday’s shootaround, Williams “seemed more isolated than ever before.” And teammate Rafer Alston added, “Every day he comes in, he just looks like he’s in a funk and he looks like he’s just not there. I asked him yesterday on the bus how he’s doing, and he just had nothing to say. He had this blank look on his face, like he’s just confused.”

Chicago: K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune Tyrus Thomas’ broken forearm is not yet ready to absorb contact. This Friday will mark five weeks that Thomas has been sidelined, and though no return date has been set, it looks like fantasy owners will need to be patient for at least another week or two. Taj Gibson will continue to get the majority of minutes at PF in Thomas’ absence.

Dallas: Mavs GM Donnie Nelson says that Tim Thomas’ alleged involvement in a brawl at Denny’s early Wednesday morning is being “overblown.”
“What I can tell you is that Tim was not involved,” he said. “He’s 30 years old with a wife and kids. When the situation started to escalate, he left the property immediately. Certainly we’re working with authorities and our security folks to get to the bottom of it. But this is something that’s way, way, way overblown.” It is possible that media reports have overstated Thomas’ involvement in the incident, and we’ll continue to track this story as more developments surface.

Houston Rockets SG/SF Tracy McGrady and Head Coach Rick Adelman on Friday both denied a Yahoo! Sports report that the two had engaged in a heated argument behind closed doors on Wednesday.

McGrady said he put on his game uniform Wednesday, despite having no targeted date to return from a knee injury, because “I was excited. I put it on, like a little kid. It felt refreshing to put it on because it was in sight.” Adelman said he simply reminded McGrady that he wouldn’t play, at the earliest, until after his Nov. 23 MRI, and that “We haven’t had any arguments. He wants to know what we’re going to do.” Check back after Nov. 23 for updates. It has long been rumored that the Rockets would like to trade McGrady, but there have been not takers.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Toronto: Toronto Raptors C Andrea Bargnani hit 9-of-14 shots and two 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks on Friday. Bargnani, who is starting to live up to his talent, is averaging nearly 18 points, six boards, two threes and more than a block per game thus far in 2009.

Miami: Heat G Mario Chalmers hit 9-of-15 shots and five 3-pointers to score a career-high 30 points in Friday’s loss to the Raptors. Chalmers also added three assists and three steals on the nigh.

Philadelphia 76ers: Lou Williams hit 12-of-16 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 31 points to go along with two rebounds, five assists and six steals. Even with the steller performance, Williams and his team lost to Memphis at home.

Indiana: Pacers F/C Troy Murphy returned from a six-game absence with a back injury and had 12 points, 10 boards, on three pointer and two steals in 24 minutes. Barring a setback, Murphy should see steady minutes in Indiana.

Minnesota: An X-Ray revealed that Kevin Love’s broken hand is progressing, but he’s still about two weeks from practicing and three weeks from playing in a game. Love did some outside shooting Friday, and though he says he feels almost no pain in his hand, he is unable to do anything physical. If he returns Dec. 11 against the Los Angeles Lakers, that would put him right in the 6-to-8 week recovery time originally reported when he broke his hand Oct. 16

Washington: Wizards C Brendan Haywood had 14 points and 16 rebounds in Friday’s loss to the Thunder.
Haywood has play great thus far this season, averaging 11 points, 11 boards and 2.5 blocks.

Boston: Celtics F/C Rasheed Wallace hit just 4-of-16 shots and was 0-for-8 from downtown for nine points, 13 boards, three steals and a block in Friday’s loss to Orlando.

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 – 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 – 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.

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