Well, finally, after long hours of toil and research, my NBA Season Preview is finished. I sincerely apologize for not being able to finish all the teams in time for the season opener, it ended up being a much more time-consuming process than I thought it would be. Next year I'll know to start my preparations earlier. Anyway, I hope you appreciated the preview, I certainly had fun making it and debating on the merits of various teams. If there's something that could be improved on in the format or something that you think would improve it next time around, please let me know. I've already got some ideas for improvement, so hopefully next year's version will be much improved. Anyway, if you haven't been reading my previews and you would like to, you can check out my Eastern Conference Previews and my Western Conference Previews, you can link to each individual team's preview from there.
Now, with that said, some thoughts on the beginning of the season.
I knew Dwight Howard was going to be really good this year, but I didn't think he would be quite this good. Honestly, if you were going to give out the MVP award right now, it would go to Howard. He's been absolutely unstoppable on both ends of the floor. As J-Dizzle, Dusty and I were discussing in another post, Howard needs a good nickname, cause we can't just go around calling him D-####, it just doesn't work. My suggestion is Dwight "The Hammer" Howard. It has a nice ring to it, and it fits his game to a tee. Thoughts?
The Celtics are the best team in the East if the big three stay healthy. I've thought this from the beginning, and their start was extremely impressive. It wasn't just that they've been beating teams, it's that they've been KILLING teams, with a margin of victory in the mid-teens. That's simply obscene.
In retrospect, we probably should've seen this coming with the Bulls. They're a young team, and all the Kobe talk has obviously been detrimental to them. I still think they'll be alright. They're too talented a squad to miss the playoffs.
Stop trying to use Orlando's hot start to justify the Rashard Lewis signing. The issue was never about whether he was a good fit with the team. The issue was that they could have signed him for way less money, and they're going to be regretting this when he's 33 and they're paying him $24 mil.
Why can't Walter Herrmann get minutes for the Bobcats? This baffles me. Sam Vincent apparently prefers playing Primoz Brezec and Ryan Hollins 27 minutes a night instead of giving Walter some burn. After the way he tore it up last year, you've got to give the guy a chance out on the floor.
Indiana is going to be better than I thought. I didn't factor in the acquisition of Jim O'Brien as coach, which will help this team a ton. His style plays right into their strengths, namely 3-PT shooting. He's made a decent player out of Mike Dunleavy, and that's pretty good. They aren't a playoff team, but they can get hot from behind the line and beat people, so they'll most likely end up higher than I thought.
It's been years since the league has had a collection of sixth men as good as this. Manu, Terry, and Barbosa are all legit all-star talents.
Quick look at college basketball, next year's draft is going to be ridiculously deep. Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, J.J. Hickson, Kosta Koufos, O.J. Mayo, and DeAndre Jordan are all guys who have been impressive early and are legit top-shelf prospects, and that's just the freshmen.
Graet job with the previews. They looked like they were a lot of work.
The Hammer? Eh...Doesn't roll off the toungue. This guy is gonna kill the league at the center spot for the next 10 years. What a beast...
I still don't like Jameer Nelson, and therefore I don't see Orlando coming out of the East despite Howard.
I know the tagline with the Bulls is that they're a really good team, but are they that good of a team? Hinrich's problems started last year in the playoffs, and I had a feeling he'd be in for an off year. That's one of the reasons I didn't want him as a part of the Laker deal. I don't know what's wrong with Deng, and Gordon while he's a great offensive player isn't exactly a defensive force. The Bulls have a lot of good players, but I think they've been overachieving a bit for the past couple of years.
Bet that Ben Wallace deal doesn't look too good to the Bulls now...
This is a really good blog. I was going to write a blog about the best game so far this year which of course has to be the Magics 2 point win to shove Celtics from the ranks of the unbeaten but the wife suggested I do something worthwhile that evening or go ahead and do the outline for my obituary.
At any rate, I went with your Howard the Hammer over Howard the duck paraphrase but for the one time this decade I do sorta agree with Lakerfan. It doesn't roll off the tough that great.
I suppose DDanger Or D-stroyer would be too hollywood?
Last edited by Dusty_Outlaw on November 20th at 5:20 PM.
Please see my blog supporting your blog supporting our discussion of your suggestion on my previous blog.
In the immortal words of Arlo Gutherie. "If one person does it, they'll think you're nuts and they won't take you. If two people do it, they'll think you're #### and they won't take you. But if three people do what you have is a movement. And that's what it is people. The Give Dwight Howard a nickname and get a prize from Fox movement".
I want everyone to sing.
We're just waiting for it to come around on the guitar again ..............................here it comes..
Last edited by Dusty_Outlaw on November 20th at 5:20 PM.
"You can get anything you want at Alices Restaurent, you can get anything you want at Alices's restaurant. Walk right in, it's around the back, just a half a mile from the railroad track, you can get anything you want at Alices Restaurent (ceptin' Alice) at Alice's Restaurent."
That was horrible. If you want to stop wars, get Dwight a nickname and win major prizes you have to sing loud.
I'm not ready to give up on Nelson. He was a fantastic college player and had a really good season two years ago. I saw him mentioned multiple places as a MIP candidate after a very good summer, and so far this year he's passing, rebounding, and getting to the free throw line better than in any other year of his career. I don't think he'll be an all-star, but I think he could develop he'll be a solid point.
The really troubling thing with the Bulls this year is that they've been middle of the pack defensively. They've never been a great offensive team, and it's not all that odd that they would be near the bottom of the pack after 9 games. What is odd is their defense, since they've been a great defensive team for the last few years (1st, 6th, and 2nd over the last 3 years). I think they'll be alright eventually if all the Kobe stuff would die down a bit, but their young guys haven't shown the improvement that would've made them a contender.
The most encouraging sign for the Lakers is the way Andrew Bynum has been rebounding the ball so far this year. The Lakers are second in the league in rebound rate right now, something that I would not have expected, and it's making them a much better defensive team. Keep in mind that it's early and that a lot of weird stuff can happen when you're looking at a small sample size. Their game at Boston on Friday should be a good measuring stick for the young team, cause you know they're going to pack the house for a Lakers/Celtics game right after the holiday.
It's great that the Celtics are doing well again, but it's funny that no one is mentioning the Pistons or Suns. The Suns have been a force for years and have made some great changes that may finally push them over the top, but the Pistons have been a Championship Team with a powerhouse lineup for years.
Granted, they've always been under-rated and under-appreciated in the league, but the changes Joe D. has made to an already strong Piston lineup only serve to strengthen the bottom-line come playoff time.
Aside from the Spurs, the original Piston starters are the most dangerous group in the league, and with the figurative ultimatum Joe D. is giving the veterans by bringing in hungry young guys, it will only make the team as a whole more dangerous to the other teams at crunch time.
You can bet that the vets will want to keep their jobs and they will work hard to keep them. If they can't get the job done, these young guys will do everything they can to take their starting spots away. This is a team that in normal circumstances is in the tops of the league every year. Now they will have to compete amongst themselves, which will undoubtedly make them even better. Even with several starters out and injured, the Pistons are already out to a great start and leading their division. Will people be surprised if they take the whole thing again this year? Not me.
Last edited by Lieu10antDan on November 23rd at 6:56 PM.
ion is Dwight "The Hammer" Howard. It has a nice ring to it, and it fits his game to a tee. Thoughts?
