This is pure magic. Two of my favourite teams battling it out in a fast paced, weak play-calling offense, trigger happy, west-coast game.
I literally could not ask for more.
Personally, I think people really forget what professional sports are meant for. Entertainment. If it's not entertaining, who gives a fuck. Now there may be many different types of entertainment for many different types of people. But for me, there's nothing like some run-and-gun basketball.
Anyways, back to the game.
Brandon Roy - is an absolute beast. Currently making Stephen "new contract extension" Jackson look like a boy on defense. He is backing him down, beating him off the dribble, and popping jumpshots in his face. Alot can be said about this because generally Jackson is a solid defender. Goes to show the young fella is really progressing in the league.
Rudy Fernandez - Wow. Spanish players are really lighting up the basketball world. Gasol(s), Calderon, Fernandez, Rubio....Not a whole lot make it, but the ones that do are definitely going to make an impact.
Rudy has a phenomenal shot. He jacked up 3 three-pointers from like 6 feet outside of the three-point line. Net. Nothing but. Fuck I want his t-shirt jersey, asap.
Ronny Turiaf was dancing during the T.V timeout, to a Michael Jackson song.
If I'm Nate McMillan, I need to get Greg Oden way more touches. Even if he's not going to shoot it, the guy looks like he's never seen a basketball before. Run the ball through him, just to get him used to the sight of a basketball. The Big Hurt had 3 turnovers in the first half, but finished with 22 points off the bench. However, all of his field goals were dunks, from under the net. He's playing like a less-athletic version of Dwight Howard.
Lamarcus Aldridge does not know what to do against a smaller player. He's been held to 2 points, and now has 2 personal Fouls
Corey Magette has taken 4 charges so far. See, every now and then people on GS play defense.
IT'S OFFICIAL, GOLDEN STATE IS BACK RUNNING.
Who the fuck is Anthony Morrow?! The young fella is a beast. I hope he's not a fluke, and that he sticks with golden state. He looks like a guy who would play for golden state. Finished with an O.G 25 points
Happy with the result of the game, but you could tell both of the teams are a bit inexperienced at finishing a game. Reallllllly sloppy. Yet I'd rather see that, then a shitty Paul Pierce fadeaway jumper, followed by Kevin Garnett yelling something about the hood.
Golden State wins, and I'm happy.
Peace
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Did you see that?
Tonight was a decent night in the NBA.
Lebron put up 41 and mashed on the Bucks. Yeah yeah yeah, ok I don't even care. I'd be more enticed about Cleveland if they had other options for scoring. Imagine if he gets injured.....
I'm glad the trade is working out for Denver. I can't imagine how that might feel to be traded like that, from all your homies in Detroit. However, Chauncey is keeping it gutter in Denver and is showing his poise. Keep it up big dawg.
I watched on/off the second half of the Lakers and Dallas. I'm not feeling Dallas. They don't really have much chemistry as a team, and you can tell they don't go to the club together. You know what I'm saying. Some teams would go to the club, some teams wouldn't. You won't be seeing J-Kidd and Dirk making it rain anytime soon. Lakers won, and now are 6-0. My mom could've seen that coming.
plus side
JERRY STACKHOUSE. The old fella shows that you can still ball at 34. He was making hustle plays, jacking up (and making) 3's, and really held his own out there. Shut Kobe down on the offensive end, but Kobe was probably thinking of where to go out after the game.
AHMAD RASHAD/CHRIS WEBBER/GARY PAYTON. These guys are fucking hilarious. NO professionalism whatsoever. They talk as if there is no camera, and I love it. When going over the highlights you hear the "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" or "OHH NO YOU DIDN'T, NOT TODAY, MY HOUSE". etc. Payton and Webber should not be on TV. However, as long as they are I'll keep watching.
RANDY FOYE. Dunked the shit out of Kelenna Azubuike. Posterized. Ouch.
MARCO BELINELLI. For jacking up 3's Golden State style. Keep it alive young man. Monta will be back soon.
ATLANTA HAWKS WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT THESE GUYS WOULD JUMP OUT TO A 6-0 START. These guys are starting to get close to my heart. And on that note...
AL HORFORD. 27 points?! 6 blocks?! 15 rebounds?! get out young fella. Keep this up. I'm actually happy you smacked T.J Ford in the back of the head. You opened up Jose Calderon's reign in Toronto. I never personally thanked you for that.
minus side
nobody is living and dying by the 3.
gilbert wants you to shoot as reckless as his hair was in Oakland
I wanna see more teams jacking up ridiculous amounts of 3 pointers. Winning some games, and losing some horribly. Please. Anyone. My nominees are Memphis, Golden State (they fell off) and from what I've just witnessed, Minnesota.
NEW YORK. Come on, you guys suck really hard. Can't even beat the Spurs? Didn't Miami beat the Spurs? Weak. I was thoroughly disappointed in the outcome of this game. D'antoni keep working your magic.
P.S shoutouts to Gary Payton for saying Eddie Curry was fat and had "too many cheeseburgers and hotdogs" in the offseason. I wanna see Eddie Curry's fat ass right now. He could probably chill with Marc Gasol at the buffet table....
That's all for now
peace.
Lebron put up 41 and mashed on the Bucks. Yeah yeah yeah, ok I don't even care. I'd be more enticed about Cleveland if they had other options for scoring. Imagine if he gets injured.....
I'm glad the trade is working out for Denver. I can't imagine how that might feel to be traded like that, from all your homies in Detroit. However, Chauncey is keeping it gutter in Denver and is showing his poise. Keep it up big dawg.
I watched on/off the second half of the Lakers and Dallas. I'm not feeling Dallas. They don't really have much chemistry as a team, and you can tell they don't go to the club together. You know what I'm saying. Some teams would go to the club, some teams wouldn't. You won't be seeing J-Kidd and Dirk making it rain anytime soon. Lakers won, and now are 6-0. My mom could've seen that coming.
Nightly
plus side
JERRY STACKHOUSE. The old fella shows that you can still ball at 34. He was making hustle plays, jacking up (and making) 3's, and really held his own out there. Shut Kobe down on the offensive end, but Kobe was probably thinking of where to go out after the game.
AHMAD RASHAD/CHRIS WEBBER/GARY PAYTON. These guys are fucking hilarious. NO professionalism whatsoever. They talk as if there is no camera, and I love it. When going over the highlights you hear the "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" or "OHH NO YOU DIDN'T, NOT TODAY, MY HOUSE". etc. Payton and Webber should not be on TV. However, as long as they are I'll keep watching.
RANDY FOYE. Dunked the shit out of Kelenna Azubuike. Posterized. Ouch.
MARCO BELINELLI. For jacking up 3's Golden State style. Keep it alive young man. Monta will be back soon.
ATLANTA HAWKS WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT THESE GUYS WOULD JUMP OUT TO A 6-0 START. These guys are starting to get close to my heart. And on that note...
AL HORFORD. 27 points?! 6 blocks?! 15 rebounds?! get out young fella. Keep this up. I'm actually happy you smacked T.J Ford in the back of the head. You opened up Jose Calderon's reign in Toronto. I never personally thanked you for that.
minus side
nobody is living and dying by the 3.
gilbert wants you to shoot as reckless as his hair was in OaklandI wanna see more teams jacking up ridiculous amounts of 3 pointers. Winning some games, and losing some horribly. Please. Anyone. My nominees are Memphis, Golden State (they fell off) and from what I've just witnessed, Minnesota.
NEW YORK. Come on, you guys suck really hard. Can't even beat the Spurs? Didn't Miami beat the Spurs? Weak. I was thoroughly disappointed in the outcome of this game. D'antoni keep working your magic.
P.S shoutouts to Gary Payton for saying Eddie Curry was fat and had "too many cheeseburgers and hotdogs" in the offseason. I wanna see Eddie Curry's fat ass right now. He could probably chill with Marc Gasol at the buffet table....
That's all for now
peace.
Monday, November 10, 2008
2008...so far...
The NBA is shook
Totally fucked up right now. No team is really showing their consistent dominance except the Lakers and Boston (minus when Atlanta manhandled them). But you expected that, right?
You expected the Hawks to jump out to a 5-0 start, too, right?
And for the Pistons and Nuggets to do that Billups/Iverson swap? Only for the Nuggets to go 2-0 after, and for Detroit to lose their next two games.
For the SPURS to jump out to a much praised (by me) 2-4 start. Losing both Ginobli and Parker. Awwwwww daaaaamn. I'm feeling for you Spurs. I'm feeling for you.
Just kidding, enjoy your life at the bottom of the West! Say hi to the Warriors for me. Maybe if Pop kept that beard they'd be doing better.
What else, what else.
SHOUTS OUT TO:
MARC GASOL. Dude's a beast. Inconsistent but I watched him put up about 27 and 15 (don't quote me) and it made me very hopeful for the young fella in the NBA. Once he gets into shape he'll be fine. I think next year will be his breakout year.
ANDREA BARGNANI - FOR PUTTING THE BALL ON THE FLOOR. We all know you can shoot, but you're 305792389572398745x more effective when you drive every now and then. I heard when you drive alot, the defender has to give you more space to defend your driving, which then gives you more space to shoot your precious J. Big ups.
OJ MAYO. Keep doing your thing. The Grizzlies suck, you know that. Imagine how fun that'd be to be an NBA player, put up amazing numbers on a team with no expectations, whatsoever. Just go out on the court with your buddies, make a few million a year, have a few nice plays and go out to the club at night to crush women. He shoots very well, but shouldn't be complacent with the J. Much like after you come home from the club, you gotta take it to the hole.
KIRK HINRICH. Why the fuck are you mentioning Kirk Hinrich you ask? Because he got injured, which means MORE TIME FOR D-ROSE. There is only 1 point guard now in chicago (along with 28 shooting guards), so every night is going to be the Derrick Rose show. Seems like fate just wanted Derrick Rose to play first fiddle, regardless of how decent Hinrich might be, he's still awkward. No swag. You need swag to be a good pg. Even if it's white-boy swag (Nash, Calderon). Hinrich is just awkward as fuck.
anyways, that's all for now. Tonight the Raptors play Boston. Hopefully they mash on those 80's jersey wearing, geritol taking, just for men applyin bunch of has-beens. In light of San Antonio's rapid plunge to the bottom, I hereby declare the Celtics as the new Spurs.
Tell somebody.
Peace.
Totally fucked up right now. No team is really showing their consistent dominance except the Lakers and Boston (minus when Atlanta manhandled them). But you expected that, right?
You expected the Hawks to jump out to a 5-0 start, too, right?
And for the Pistons and Nuggets to do that Billups/Iverson swap? Only for the Nuggets to go 2-0 after, and for Detroit to lose their next two games.
For the SPURS to jump out to a much praised (by me) 2-4 start. Losing both Ginobli and Parker. Awwwwww daaaaamn. I'm feeling for you Spurs. I'm feeling for you.
Just kidding, enjoy your life at the bottom of the West! Say hi to the Warriors for me. Maybe if Pop kept that beard they'd be doing better.
What else, what else.
SHOUTS OUT TO:
MARC GASOL. Dude's a beast. Inconsistent but I watched him put up about 27 and 15 (don't quote me) and it made me very hopeful for the young fella in the NBA. Once he gets into shape he'll be fine. I think next year will be his breakout year.
ANDREA BARGNANI - FOR PUTTING THE BALL ON THE FLOOR. We all know you can shoot, but you're 305792389572398745x more effective when you drive every now and then. I heard when you drive alot, the defender has to give you more space to defend your driving, which then gives you more space to shoot your precious J. Big ups.
OJ MAYO. Keep doing your thing. The Grizzlies suck, you know that. Imagine how fun that'd be to be an NBA player, put up amazing numbers on a team with no expectations, whatsoever. Just go out on the court with your buddies, make a few million a year, have a few nice plays and go out to the club at night to crush women. He shoots very well, but shouldn't be complacent with the J. Much like after you come home from the club, you gotta take it to the hole.
KIRK HINRICH. Why the fuck are you mentioning Kirk Hinrich you ask? Because he got injured, which means MORE TIME FOR D-ROSE. There is only 1 point guard now in chicago (along with 28 shooting guards), so every night is going to be the Derrick Rose show. Seems like fate just wanted Derrick Rose to play first fiddle, regardless of how decent Hinrich might be, he's still awkward. No swag. You need swag to be a good pg. Even if it's white-boy swag (Nash, Calderon). Hinrich is just awkward as fuck.
anyways, that's all for now. Tonight the Raptors play Boston. Hopefully they mash on those 80's jersey wearing, geritol taking, just for men applyin bunch of has-beens. In light of San Antonio's rapid plunge to the bottom, I hereby declare the Celtics as the new Spurs.
Tell somebody.
Peace.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Teams I want to watch part 2!
Last week (during my english class) I managed to bang off 6 teams that I'm really excited to watch this year.
Let me follow that phenomenal list up with the latter half of the list, after this quick recap of the teams:
1. Toronto Raptors
2. Miami Heat
3. Golden State Warriors
4. New Orleans Hornets
5. Portland Trailblazers
6. Detroit Pistons
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!
Now....part 2.
7. Houston Rockets!
There are mixed emotions with this team. The first time I really got into basketball was in grade 9 watching the And 1 mixtapes and doing those moves to kids in the gym at lunchtime. One of the players on the And 1 team at the time was "Skip to my Lou" a.k.a Rafer Alston. There was always skepticism of Alston's success in the NBA, as no street-baller has ever made the transition.
I love underdogs, and no matter how many flaws he may have in his game, I'm absolutely ecstatic that he made it in the NBA. Big ups, Skip.
So, as the starting point guard of the Rockets, there's some love already.
Then there's T-MAC. Sleazy eyes, nonchalant demeanor, former Raptor. What's not to love?! He's arguably past his prime in his career, but he's still a leader. And he still scored 13 points in 0:31 seconds. Come on.
I don't really like Yao Ming, but I think he's good when he's also not injured. Dunk, no jump.
This summer, Houston made probably the best move in the offseason, bringing in RON ARTEST. That's right. He raps, he fights fans, he's a powerful scorer and one of the best defenders in the entire NBA. Injuries aside, Ron Ron could be the key factor that pushes Houston past the first round of the playoffs. I can't wait to watch these guys. One of my picks to make the Western Conference finals. Hornets/Rockets conference finals?! Fuck yeah.
Notable shout-outs to Louis Scola (crazy energy and talent) and Shane Battier for being a really skilled guy coming off the bench.
8. Phoenix Suns
Over the hill?
Maybe.
Run and gun?
Not so much anymore
Amare Stoudemire?
Yes, yes, yes.
I'm bummed that they canned Mike D'Antoni. However, he cared about defense in the same way homeless people care about hygiene.
So now there's Terry Porter, who is a fan of half-court offense. Running plays, not run and gun. However in the many interviews I've seen of Terry, he's very vocal that he's not cutting the running game completely out. Something like:
"we're going to set up our offense and run sets. We're also going to focus on defense, and getting rebounds. However, that doesn't mean once we get the rebound we're not going to quickly outlet it and get it up the floor fast."
Hearing that made me happy. Steve Nash is still Steve Nash. I don't care he's turning 35 in Feb. Shaq is still Shaq, even if he has to play every other game, or limited minutes. They have guys who can take on larger roles.
Amare can put up 30 a game, easy.
Steve can take more shots.
Barnes (former Warrior! what what) will put up 12 or so a game
Diaw, Barbosa, Bell can all do it when they want.
Robin Lopez will see alot of minutes being the backup guard, and after the burns wear off, he'll be happy he was thrown into the fire.
Let me reiterate that Amare is going to have a career year.
Can't wait for these guys, I hope they still run a bit.
MY LIST OF TEAMS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE EXCITING BUT I'M NOT TOO SURE YET.
1. L.A. Clippers
Love Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and Ricky Davis. Don't really like anyone else.
2. L.A Lakers
We all know they can do it, but I've never been a Laker fan (except for when my hatred for the Celtics won over my dislike for the Lakers in the '08 finals)
Bynum will be a beast.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
Redd, Jefferson, Bogut, Villanueva.....That's a hot line-up. However I'm not sure if there's exciting chemistry. Good Luck Scott Skiles.
4. Denver Nuggets
A.I is getting old, but I still have mad love for him.
J.R will have a beastly season, he's hugely underrated.
'Melo will be a confident leader coming off of the Gold medal.
Kenyon Martin has reportedly been injury free and been really energetic.
They have everything to be a great team, just no D.
These guys are on the waiver wire.
Anyways, that is all for now. NBA season starts tomorrow, and I'm obviously stoked. I'm cutting into my studying to watch Portland play the Lakers. You know who I'm rooting for.
Peace.
Let me follow that phenomenal list up with the latter half of the list, after this quick recap of the teams:
1. Toronto Raptors
2. Miami Heat
3. Golden State Warriors
4. New Orleans Hornets
5. Portland Trailblazers
6. Detroit Pistons
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!
Now....part 2.
7. Houston Rockets!
There are mixed emotions with this team. The first time I really got into basketball was in grade 9 watching the And 1 mixtapes and doing those moves to kids in the gym at lunchtime. One of the players on the And 1 team at the time was "Skip to my Lou" a.k.a Rafer Alston. There was always skepticism of Alston's success in the NBA, as no street-baller has ever made the transition.
I love underdogs, and no matter how many flaws he may have in his game, I'm absolutely ecstatic that he made it in the NBA. Big ups, Skip.
So, as the starting point guard of the Rockets, there's some love already.
Then there's T-MAC. Sleazy eyes, nonchalant demeanor, former Raptor. What's not to love?! He's arguably past his prime in his career, but he's still a leader. And he still scored 13 points in 0:31 seconds. Come on.
I don't really like Yao Ming, but I think he's good when he's also not injured. Dunk, no jump.
This summer, Houston made probably the best move in the offseason, bringing in RON ARTEST. That's right. He raps, he fights fans, he's a powerful scorer and one of the best defenders in the entire NBA. Injuries aside, Ron Ron could be the key factor that pushes Houston past the first round of the playoffs. I can't wait to watch these guys. One of my picks to make the Western Conference finals. Hornets/Rockets conference finals?! Fuck yeah.
Notable shout-outs to Louis Scola (crazy energy and talent) and Shane Battier for being a really skilled guy coming off the bench.
8. Phoenix Suns
Over the hill?
Maybe.
Run and gun?
Not so much anymore
Amare Stoudemire?
Yes, yes, yes.
I'm bummed that they canned Mike D'Antoni. However, he cared about defense in the same way homeless people care about hygiene.
So now there's Terry Porter, who is a fan of half-court offense. Running plays, not run and gun. However in the many interviews I've seen of Terry, he's very vocal that he's not cutting the running game completely out. Something like:
"we're going to set up our offense and run sets. We're also going to focus on defense, and getting rebounds. However, that doesn't mean once we get the rebound we're not going to quickly outlet it and get it up the floor fast."
Hearing that made me happy. Steve Nash is still Steve Nash. I don't care he's turning 35 in Feb. Shaq is still Shaq, even if he has to play every other game, or limited minutes. They have guys who can take on larger roles.
Amare can put up 30 a game, easy.
Steve can take more shots.
Barnes (former Warrior! what what) will put up 12 or so a game
Diaw, Barbosa, Bell can all do it when they want.
Robin Lopez will see alot of minutes being the backup guard, and after the burns wear off, he'll be happy he was thrown into the fire.
Let me reiterate that Amare is going to have a career year.
Can't wait for these guys, I hope they still run a bit.
MY LIST OF TEAMS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE EXCITING BUT I'M NOT TOO SURE YET.
1. L.A. Clippers
Love Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and Ricky Davis. Don't really like anyone else.
2. L.A Lakers
We all know they can do it, but I've never been a Laker fan (except for when my hatred for the Celtics won over my dislike for the Lakers in the '08 finals)
Bynum will be a beast.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
Redd, Jefferson, Bogut, Villanueva.....That's a hot line-up. However I'm not sure if there's exciting chemistry. Good Luck Scott Skiles.
4. Denver Nuggets
A.I is getting old, but I still have mad love for him.
J.R will have a beastly season, he's hugely underrated.
'Melo will be a confident leader coming off of the Gold medal.
Kenyon Martin has reportedly been injury free and been really energetic.
They have everything to be a great team, just no D.
These guys are on the waiver wire.
Anyways, that is all for now. NBA season starts tomorrow, and I'm obviously stoked. I'm cutting into my studying to watch Portland play the Lakers. You know who I'm rooting for.
Peace.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
2008 NBA PREVIEW - exciting teams to watch
Over the summer many moves were made in terms of trades, free-agent signings and rookie signings. Some teams that have been perched on the top of the West and East now are sliding into mediocrity, while others are on the come-up.
Here are some of the teams I'm looking forward to watching this year.
1. Toronto Raptors
NO...not just because I'm Canadian. I'm looking forward to watching how the Raptors will mesh with Jermaine O'neal. Traditionally, the Raps have never really been that great with big men, and whenever they came across a true center (see 2008 playoffs vs. Orlando) they got crushed. Jermaine should fill that gap.
However 2 things come to mind
If things work out, the Raptors for the first time in awhile can play big. With Bargnani at the 3, Bosh playing the 4 and O'neal playing the 5 the Raptors have a front court with 3 players over 6"10. Three legitimate big guys.
Not to take away from J.O but Jose Calderon will put up more impressive numbers. Many NBA analysts thought Jose was dogged from the 2008 All-Star team. Being part of the 50-40-90 club (field goal %, 3 point %, free throw %) is nothing easy to do. Look for him to have a real breakout year.
I can't wait to see this team come mid-November once they've had some time to play together as a team.
2. Miami Heat
Yeah, we all know how awful the Heat were last year. Pretty much any team in the NBA could come into their house and beat them with their second line. With Dwayne Wade out, no true point guard and bench depth of a high school team the Miami heat had one hell of a rough year.
This year, I think they'll be definitely fighting for playoff contention.
What has changed? Dwayne Wade is back. Remember Dwayne wade in the 2006 playoffs? The guy was an unstoppable beast. I don't know if you were watching the Olympics but he's back, and it looks like he has something to prove. Except serious numbers from him, averaging 20/7 (points, assists).
Now add that to Shawn Marion and Michael Beasley and you've got a crazy fast talented trio of scoring.
If they secure a true point guard, and a center they'll be good.
3. Golden State Warriors.
I fell in love with Golden State during the 2007 Playoffs when they gave Dallas the BIZNESS in their own house.
Their style of 1-on-1-if-it-doesn't-work-then-pass-it-and-repeat style of play is very fun to watch. They run fast, dunk plenty and keep the fans on their toes. Truly entertaining basketball.
Baron Davis is gone. Monta Ellis is injured/suspended. They don't have a point guard. Andris Biedrins has one of the ugliest free-throws in the league. Even with all of this added up, I could not care less.
Corey Maggette - albeit isn't Baron or Monta - can STILL score and can still get to the line (which is good to rest the team). As the primary scorer, he'll be fun to watch. Put him on the court with Stephen "shoot off my gun outside the club" Jackson and you'll see these guys light it up. Expect to see Jackson in the MVP race.
One of my favourite bench players, Ronny Turiaf is also now a Warrior. His energetic style will let his numbers blossom in Oakland.
They may not win titles, but they're exciting to watch. 'Nuff said.
4. New Orleans Hornets.
I fell in love with the Hornets after watching them for 30 seconds. Who couldn't?! Pair up arguably the best point guard in the league, a strong front court, and a team of 3 point snipers and you have a solid basketball team.
Chris Paul is a beast.
Tyson Chandler is a beast.
David West eats your favourite team's practice squad for breakfast.
James Posey....
YEAH! James Posey. This guy has rings with both Boston (2008) and Miami (2004). Coincidence? We'll see. This guy can shoot the lights out, so look for him to make it rain with some dime passes from CP3.
5. Portland Trailblazers
Remember their 17 win streak last year? If you don't, you missed a young team with a talented nucleus play with a winning confidence in one of the toughest conferences to date.
This year with the arrival of Greg Oden (finally) and Rudy Fernandez, this team will play some serious ball. Dead serious.
Brandon Roy is a filthy combo guard. Last year he showed us strong AND consistent performances leaving everyone who voted him ROY happy. Put him on the floor with Fernandez, Outlaw, Aldrige and Oden and you have THE MOST talented young team in the NBA. Hands down.
Will they win a ring? Unlikely. Will they play electrifying basketball? No doubt. Do they have 2 players that are in ROY contention?! Yes.
6. Detroit Pistons
This team is on a slight decline. For most teams that'd be a bad thing that could potentially dampen their chances on making the playoffs. On the other hand, most teams don't have a core like Detroit.
Very few teams have cores that rival the Pistons.
Chauncey is money. They don't call him "Mr. Big Shot" for nothing. Both Tayshaun and Rip are killers on the wing that can slash and play off the ball phenomenally. Then you have 'Sheed. Everyone loves Sheed. The guy doesn't seem to give a fuck. He plays mercurially on a regular basis, and has ridiculous number of technical fouls totaled up over his career.
Even with a bad attitude, though, Sheed is a HUGE threat. He's 7"0 and can pop the trey. He can post up, he can drive, and can play either the 4 or 5.
Let's not forget their bench that can play interchangably with their starters. It's great to let your stars rest, but most teams usually do that while sacrificing their offense and defense. The amazing thing about the Pistons is that they could leave on Tayshaun, or Chauncey, take off Sheed and Rip, throw in Stuckey and Maxiel and you wouldn't even be able to notice. Detroit's bench can play with some of the starting lineups in the NBA.
It'd be hilarious to watch these guys knock Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.
That is the first round of my "Exciting teams to watch this year". Look soon for the follow-up.
Peace.
Here are some of the teams I'm looking forward to watching this year.
1. Toronto Raptors
NO...not just because I'm Canadian. I'm looking forward to watching how the Raptors will mesh with Jermaine O'neal. Traditionally, the Raps have never really been that great with big men, and whenever they came across a true center (see 2008 playoffs vs. Orlando) they got crushed. Jermaine should fill that gap.
However 2 things come to mind
- will he stay healthy?
- is his head in the right place?
If things work out, the Raptors for the first time in awhile can play big. With Bargnani at the 3, Bosh playing the 4 and O'neal playing the 5 the Raptors have a front court with 3 players over 6"10. Three legitimate big guys.
Not to take away from J.O but Jose Calderon will put up more impressive numbers. Many NBA analysts thought Jose was dogged from the 2008 All-Star team. Being part of the 50-40-90 club (field goal %, 3 point %, free throw %) is nothing easy to do. Look for him to have a real breakout year.
I can't wait to see this team come mid-November once they've had some time to play together as a team.
2. Miami Heat
Yeah, we all know how awful the Heat were last year. Pretty much any team in the NBA could come into their house and beat them with their second line. With Dwayne Wade out, no true point guard and bench depth of a high school team the Miami heat had one hell of a rough year.
This year, I think they'll be definitely fighting for playoff contention.
What has changed? Dwayne Wade is back. Remember Dwayne wade in the 2006 playoffs? The guy was an unstoppable beast. I don't know if you were watching the Olympics but he's back, and it looks like he has something to prove. Except serious numbers from him, averaging 20/7 (points, assists).
Now add that to Shawn Marion and Michael Beasley and you've got a crazy fast talented trio of scoring.
If they secure a true point guard, and a center they'll be good.
3. Golden State Warriors.
I fell in love with Golden State during the 2007 Playoffs when they gave Dallas the BIZNESS in their own house.
Their style of 1-on-1-if-it-doesn't-work-then-pass-it-and-repeat style of play is very fun to watch. They run fast, dunk plenty and keep the fans on their toes. Truly entertaining basketball.
Baron Davis is gone. Monta Ellis is injured/suspended. They don't have a point guard. Andris Biedrins has one of the ugliest free-throws in the league. Even with all of this added up, I could not care less.
Corey Maggette - albeit isn't Baron or Monta - can STILL score and can still get to the line (which is good to rest the team). As the primary scorer, he'll be fun to watch. Put him on the court with Stephen "shoot off my gun outside the club" Jackson and you'll see these guys light it up. Expect to see Jackson in the MVP race.
One of my favourite bench players, Ronny Turiaf is also now a Warrior. His energetic style will let his numbers blossom in Oakland.
They may not win titles, but they're exciting to watch. 'Nuff said.
4. New Orleans Hornets.
I fell in love with the Hornets after watching them for 30 seconds. Who couldn't?! Pair up arguably the best point guard in the league, a strong front court, and a team of 3 point snipers and you have a solid basketball team.
Chris Paul is a beast.
Tyson Chandler is a beast.
David West eats your favourite team's practice squad for breakfast.
James Posey....
YEAH! James Posey. This guy has rings with both Boston (2008) and Miami (2004). Coincidence? We'll see. This guy can shoot the lights out, so look for him to make it rain with some dime passes from CP3.
5. Portland Trailblazers
Remember their 17 win streak last year? If you don't, you missed a young team with a talented nucleus play with a winning confidence in one of the toughest conferences to date.
This year with the arrival of Greg Oden (finally) and Rudy Fernandez, this team will play some serious ball. Dead serious.
Brandon Roy is a filthy combo guard. Last year he showed us strong AND consistent performances leaving everyone who voted him ROY happy. Put him on the floor with Fernandez, Outlaw, Aldrige and Oden and you have THE MOST talented young team in the NBA. Hands down.
Will they win a ring? Unlikely. Will they play electrifying basketball? No doubt. Do they have 2 players that are in ROY contention?! Yes.
6. Detroit Pistons
This team is on a slight decline. For most teams that'd be a bad thing that could potentially dampen their chances on making the playoffs. On the other hand, most teams don't have a core like Detroit.
Very few teams have cores that rival the Pistons.
Chauncey is money. They don't call him "Mr. Big Shot" for nothing. Both Tayshaun and Rip are killers on the wing that can slash and play off the ball phenomenally. Then you have 'Sheed. Everyone loves Sheed. The guy doesn't seem to give a fuck. He plays mercurially on a regular basis, and has ridiculous number of technical fouls totaled up over his career.
Even with a bad attitude, though, Sheed is a HUGE threat. He's 7"0 and can pop the trey. He can post up, he can drive, and can play either the 4 or 5.
Let's not forget their bench that can play interchangably with their starters. It's great to let your stars rest, but most teams usually do that while sacrificing their offense and defense. The amazing thing about the Pistons is that they could leave on Tayshaun, or Chauncey, take off Sheed and Rip, throw in Stuckey and Maxiel and you wouldn't even be able to notice. Detroit's bench can play with some of the starting lineups in the NBA.
It'd be hilarious to watch these guys knock Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.
That is the first round of my "Exciting teams to watch this year". Look soon for the follow-up.
Peace.
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