Karl Keepin' It Real

Every now and then, you just need somebody to keep it real in order to bring some clarity to a situation. Luckily for me, Karl Malone was more than happy to do just that when discussing the Gilbert Arenas fiasco.

Read this.

I mean, really, can you think of a more manly human being to be talking about this? Yeah, me neither. There is so much truth and real talk in that column that I'm almost ashamed to share the same Interwebs as Mr. Malone. If there were an alternate Internet that I could use, I'd certainly do so just to show the proper respect.

I don't know who the genius at SI.com was who decided to ask the Mailman for his opinion on the matter, but that guy should definitely be given a promotion and a raise...and creative control of the website. If we could get more articles like this online as opposed to gossip posing as "news", we'd be in a lot better shape.

And our kids wouldn't be acting like such idiots.

~~ Lank

Bored Lank = Interesting Factoid

A buddy of mine at work, Gotham, sent me an interesting question via email today. He asked me who had more players in the NBA, the ACC or the Big East? Gotham is a native New Yorker (hence his alias) and supports the Big East, so I'm sure he was trying to win a bet or something. I confessed that I didn't have the answer on hand, but told him I'd do some research. A few hours later, I had some down time, so I decided to look over every NBA roster and do the math myself. Here are the results for those two conferences as well as the other "BCS conferences" (rosters as of December 30, 2009):

Big East - 52

ACC - 49

Pac-10 - 47

SEC - 37

Big 12 - 34

Big Ten - 31

Nothing overly surprising there. The Big East was boosted by the fact that I included all of the alumni of teams that are currently in the conference, so guys like Kenyon Martin and Quentin Richardson, who never played in the Big East, were counted towards their total. May this post prove to you that if you need any questions born out of curiosity answered, email me at work and I'll be happy to do my best. Is that what they're paying me for? Not really, but we'll consider my employer a co-investor in Skip To My Lank so that I can sleep better at night. How's that?

~~ Lank

NBA Musings: December 18th

**(note: I've been meaning to post this for a few days now, but kept forgetting. So keep in mind that all of the information on this post is current as of December 18th.)**

With Christmas on the horizon, that means we’re about one-third of the way through the NBA season. It’s happened quickly, hasn’t it? This means that we’re beginning to know what we’re getting out of every team this year. Sure, there have been some injuries and trades that will affect how a team plays from here on out, but for the most part, we can tell who’s going to be productive this season and who isn’t. With that in mind, I’d like to make a few observations about the season up to this point:

-- The Boston Celtics are on an 11-game winning streak, and have won 12 out of their last 13. How ridiculous is that? Well, not so ridiculous when you consider that only two wins in that stretch have come against a team with a winning record (San Antonio and Miami). That’s not to diminish their accomplishment, because Lord knows that winning all of the games you’re “supposed to win” is part of being an elite team, but I need to see more from Boston before I consider them a threat to take down Orlando in the East. Their only loss in that same stretch of games? Orlando. Just sayin’.

-- OKC’s record since I gave them a shoutout in the last edition of Musings? 1-3. My bad, guys. They are currently 12-12 overall. Certainly not bad, but not good enough to make the playoffs out west, either.

-- Nobody gives Dirk Nowitzki more hate than me, but the guy has been terrific this year. Scoring a 27 ppg clip, Dirk has carried the Mavericks in more game than one, and his clutch scoring this year has been off the charts. Sitting at 19-7 now, Dallas would certainly be, at best, 15-11 with Dirk’s end-of-game heroics. Sometimes it’s buzzer-beating scoring (see: Milwaukee and Charlotte games), other times it’s scoring a lot in the second half to ensure victory for his team (see: San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia games). With so many different parts this season, and different rotations being tried by coach Rick Carlisle, Nowitzki has been the steadying force for the second-best team in the West.

-- Yes, New Jersey is historically bad, but don’t let that keep you from watching their second-year center, Brook Lopez. The former Stanford Cardinal was great last year, averaging 13 and 8 in his rookie season, but he’s taken it to another level this year for the Nets. The big fella is averaging 20 and 10, giving New Jersey someone to build around as their franchise undergoes an extensive rebuilding project (both figuratively and literally, with the new arena being built in Brooklyn). Between him and Devin Harris, New Jersey is a lot closer to contention than it appears on the surface. I don’t suggest they trade their Top 5 draft pick in April to get another scorer, but they are a move or two away from being back among the second-tier of the Eastern Conference.

-- What is wrong with the Washington Wizards? After getting everyone healthy in the offseason, I expected them to easily make the playoffs in the East. Despite having Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler healthy for the bulk of the season, they have looked out of sync all year and their record (7-16) proves it. They set an NBA record against Sacramento Wednesday night by losing their 6th straight game by less than 5 points. The optimist would say that splitting those games would have their record at 10-13, which would have them in the thick of the East’s playoff race. The cynic would say that even at 10-13, the Wizards would be disappointing. Flip Saunders is a highly-regarded coach in NBA circles, so look for things to improve; but they improvement needs to happen soon or else it’ll be another spring spent at home for Washington.

-- It was great to see Arco Arena in Sacramento sold out for Wednesday night’s game against the Wizards. Back in their heyday, the Kings were one of the most entertaining teams in the league and featured one of the greatest home court advantages. The fans were passionate, knowledgeable, and raucous: the perfect trifecta for an NBA arena. As the Kings have fallen from grace, so too has their groundswell of support from the locals. With an exciting young team and a better-than-we-all-though record (11-13; 10-3 at home), the Kings have re-energized the city and it showed on Wednesday night. The crowd was electric, and the players seemed to feed off that energy, especially late in the game when the outcome was still in doubt. Keep coming out to Arco, Kings fans; the NBA needs people like you.

-- Ten teams in the Western Conference are averaging at least 101 points. Only four teams in the Eastern Conference can say the same. For some reason, I felt like you needed to know this. (FYI: Phoenix leads the league at 108.5 points per game; New Jersey is last at 89.3.)

-- The Boston Celtics have more road victories this season (12) than the Nets, Bobcats, Kings, Timberwolves, Sixers, Bulls, and Hornets combined (11).

~~ Lank

NBA Musings: December 9th

Man, has it really been that long since I last mused about the NBA? That's a shame. Regardless, here we go...

-- I feel terrible for Greg Oden right now. After fracturing his left patella (kneecap for laypeople), Portland's former #1 overall draft pick is out for the season...again. He missed all of his first year due to microfracture surgery, missed a number of games last year with a foot problem, and now this. He's a good kid and was improving quite a bit in his 2nd year of playing. It's just a shame that his progress has now been postponed until next year. If ever. (shaking my head)

-- You can't mention Oden without mentioning the electrifying young man who was drafted immediately after him...Kevin Durant. Durant has taken his game to another level this year, consistently dropping 30 points without breaking a sweat. Averaging 28.1 ppg as of this post, the Oklahoma City forward his leading his team to newfound heights. The Zombies have an 11-9 record after 20 games (obviously), which is a 9-game improvement over last year's record at this point (2-18). Coach Scott Brooks has to be commended for commanding one of the youngest team's in the league and pushing all of the right buttons. OKC regularly gets contributions from a number of guys, and is definitely a team to watch as we go deeper into the season.

-- Vinny Del Negro, you might want to polish up that resume' a little bit. I know, I know, he took his Chicago team to the playoffs last year and pushed the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination. But this year has been entirely different. The Bulls haven't been able to replace the scoring of the departed Ben Gordon despite the return of Luol Deng, and after losing to Atlanta tonight in embarrassing fashion, they've lost 9 of 10. There is still hope for them since they play in the East, but those playoff hopes are fading fast, and in order to change the momentum of the team, the front office may have a tough decision on its hands.

-- How about those Bobcats? After I hated on them for setting basketball back 50 years with their offense, they traded for Stephen Jackson, found a reliable rotation, and have rattled off several wins as of late. Yes, they allowed New Jersey to get their first win of the season against them, but with a 9-11 record, Charlotte is sitting at 7th in the East. The schedule toughens up in the coming weeks, but if the Bobcats can show the poise and defensive effort that they've shown in wins over Denver, Cleveland, and Toronto this season, I wouldn't put anything past them. Are they going to win 45 games? Of course not, but getting to 40 would be a huge step and would probably put them in the playoffs. Who would've seen that coming a couple weeks ago? (Skip put your hand down.)

-- Ever since benching the selfish Nate Robinson, the Knicks have been a mini-run. Sure, it's only 4 wins in 5 games, but considering where they were a few weeks ago, that's considerable progress. Coach Mike D'Antoni is getting productive minutes from Larry Hughes' corpse, David Lee is earning himself a big contract, and Chris Duhon has been steady enough at point guard to keep the Knicks efficient offensively. They're not going to make the playoffs, but I do respect the fact that they're playing hard despite a tumultuous start to the season and wanted to give them some love.

-- I don't discuss MVP candidates this early, but Carmelo Anthony has been outstanding all season long. Through 22 games, he's only missed scoring 20 points once. That's ridiculous. Not to mention he's incredibly fun to watch. Keep it up, 'Melo.

-- You know the injury situation is bad for Portland when coach Nate McMillan, after inserting himself into a practice drill to replace an injured player, ruptured his Achilles tendon. That's not a joke, it really happened. In addition to the aforementioned Oden situation, the Trail Blazers are also missing Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, and Travis Outlaw. Geez.

-- Brandon Jennings has gotten all the headlines (and rightfully so), but don't be surprised if Sacramento's Tyreke Evans wins the Rookie of the Year award. His stats are very similar to Jennings', and his consistency is greater. Jennings has cooled off since his hot start, which was to be expected, but Evans is still dropping 22/5/5s on a regular basis. If he has those stats at the end of the season, he'll win this year's award. No, I didn't discuss the actual award, I just talked about the performance of a couple players; that's all.

-- Yes, I'm disappointed with the Spurs' start to the season, but I'm far from discouraged. There are a ton of new parts on the team, and I knew it'd take some time for them all to work together. The issue that's frustrated me is the continual blown leads. San Antonio has gotten into a habit of having good first halves or good quarters, but then not holding onto leads by the end of the game. After beating the Kings tonight, they are 10-9...which seems appropriate. Not really mediocre, but certainly not exemplary. I'm confident they'll pick it up by March, but I wish they'd surprise me with some terrific performances before then.

~~ Lank

Happy Birthday, Larry Legend

Basketball Jesus turns 53 today. I'm just as surprised as you to learn that his birthday isn't actually December 25th. Oh well. Happy Birthday, Larry.

Did you really think I was going to leave without posting an Indiana State video? I mean, get serious. Rip 'em up, tear 'em up, give 'em hell, Trees.

~~ Lank

NBA Musings: November 14th

That was quick. After posting some thoughts about the NBA season a few days ago, I'm already back with more. Such is the case with a league that seems to have newsworthy things unfold nearly every day. At this rate, I might post musings 30 times this season...not that I'm complaining or anything.

-- Why, oh why, did New Orleans fire Byron Scott? Yes, they were off to a slower-than-expected start at 3-6, but what exactly wasn't Scott doing? Peja Stojakovic has been garbage, David West was just ok, and some of the new pieces haven't meshed yet. Remember, they lost Rasual Butler and Tyson Chandler off last year's team, so expecting the new guys (Marcus Thornton, Emeka Okafor, Darren Collison, etc) to slide right in without any drop-off is a little unrealistic. Now that Chris Paul has injured his ankle and will be out for a few games, it'll be interesting to see what interim coach Jeff Bower can get out of his team. I'm not expecting much.

-- LeBron, get serious. According to James, he will change his jersey number from 23 to 6 in deference to Michael Jordan. He also thinks that the NBA should retire Jordan's jersey number to honor him as the greatest player ever. First of all, let me tell everyone that I agree that Michael Jordan is the best player in the history of the NBA. That being said, there's no reason to retire his number. No other sport has done such a thing. The closest anyone has come is Major League Baseball retiring Jackie Robinson's number 42...but Robinson accomplished quite a bit more in his career than Jordan. Not only that, but LeBron needs to do a little more research. Bill Russell, one of the Top 5 players ever, wore number 6. So why is it that he can't get any love? Jordan's number deserves to be sanctified, but the guy who was the best player on teams that won ELEVEN championships doesn't? If his logic is that 23 doesn't need to be worn again out of respect to Jordan, why isn't the same respect given to another NBA legend? Considering LeBron told the media the other day that he won't answer any more questions about his impending free agency, this smells like another way for him to get some headlines. Lame.

-- For those of you sleeping through the early part of the NBA season, don't sleep on the Sacramento Kings. Led by new coach Paul Westphal, the Kings have jumped out to surprising 5-4 record, including a current 4-game winning streak. No, Sacto won't make the playoffs, nor are they likely to finish over .500, but for franchise that hadn't been at .500 since December '06, this is a good story. Leading scorer Kevin Martin went down with a wrist injury (he was scoring over 30 ppg at the time, too), but rookie Tyreke Evans and second-year guy Jason Thompson have picked up the slack, leading the Kings to early prosperity. The schedule gets tougher with three road games in their next four outings, but as productive as their offense has been early, they can't immediately be discounted. Something that couldn't be said the past few years.

-- As I confessed in the NBA Preview, there was a good chance the Toronto Raptors were going to be my third-favorite team this season. Well, that happened. Yeah, we're only 9 games into the year, but the Raps have only failed to reach the century mark in one game...and they scored 99 in that one...and still won. Watching these guys play is like watching an underdog during the NCAA Tournament, and I mean that with the utmost admiration. They fire at will, run their offense with complete disregard for what you're doing defensively, and have a host of shooters and dribblers that make great plays on offense. At the other end of the court, they need some work, but we knew that coming in. When I look for teams to watch, I don't really consider defensive stalwarts; I'll take a 131-124 game over a 91-83 game any day. Toronto is only 5-4 and is in the midst of a West Coast swing right now, but I'm hoping they make the playoffs so that at least one of the East's first round series will be watchable.

-- I was completely in favor of Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle calling out his team after their loss to San Antonio Wednesday night. The Spurs were playing with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, yet still maintained a double-digit lead throughout the contest. While watching the game, it became clear to me that San Antone was getting every loose ball, every 50/50 rebound, and every hustle play. There was even a sequence when Antonio McDyess threw a loose ball back into play while falling out of bounds, George Hill collected it and was stopped by Jason Kidd, so he threw it to a wide-open Richard Jefferson for the slam. There wasn't a single Dallas defender back except for Kidd, so it was pretty obvious that they'd given up on the play. That was a microcosm of their effort that evening. When you're playing a rival, especially one without its two best players, you need to bring the A-game to make sure you get the win. Dallas didn't, and it cost them big time. Hopefully they get Carlisle's message and crank up the energy. Their showing on Wednesday was downright pathetic.

That's all I have for now. Last time I mused, I said it'd be a couple weeks before my next post, and that turned out to be about a week-and-a-half too long of an estimation. So I'll see you when I see you; how about that?

~~ Lank

That Fellow Carmelo

In case you haven’t noticed, Carmelo Anthony is on a mission this season. I’m not that guy who starts talking about MVP awards and all that nonsense in November, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that ‘Melo is playing at a higher level than we’ve seen from him since he entered the League in 2003. Scoring at a career-high clip while keeping his teammates involved, Anthony is continuing the type of play that we became accustomed to seeing in last year’s postseason. He contends that after losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, his main focus for the offseason was “getting that gold ball (Larry O’Brien trophy).” Even during most of his interviews during the season, whether pre-game, in-game, or post-game, Anthony references his title aspirations non-stop.

Such is the transformation of a volume scorer to a team leader.

Anthony (actually, I like the name “Carmelo” better than any of his other names, so from now on, he’ll be referred to only as “Carmelo.” Thanks for your understanding) has been able to put the biscuit in the basket ever since his rookie year, but it’s the increase in efficiency, and the ability to pass and rebound that has marked his improvement as a player. This season, Carmelo is averaging 11.7 free throw attempts per game, well over his career average of 7.8. This leads to extra points at the foul line (especially since he’s shooting a career-high 85% from the stripe), which contributes to his career-high in points per game, 30.2. His field goal percentage is actually the lowest it’s been since 2005, but his scoring numbers remain high because of his newfound ability to get to the free-throw line with ease. Instead of settling for jumpers, Carmelo is taking the ball to the hoop with renewed vigor, resulting in a regularity of 30-point games (and often higher).

The “keeping his teammates involved” thing is harder to quantify with stats. You simply have to watch him play and notice how he’ll kick the ball out to an open shooter as he drives to the hoop, or hits a cutter while he’s posted up. His assist numbers have hovered around 3 apg his whole career, and this year is no different. Watching him, however, reveals an effective passer who no longer looks to shoot first, second, and third. He looks to shoot first and second, but pass third. Hey, the guy isn’t paid to distribute the ball; he’s paid to score. But it is more comforting for Nuggets fans to know that he’s much more reluctant to go one-on-three now than he was back in his early days.

Even more impressive is that Carmelo has managed to buoy his team early despite a tough schedule (7 of their first 9 were on the road), roster changes (no Linas Kleiza or Dahntay Jones), and suspensions (Earl “I’m no longer going by J.R.” Smith). That the Nuggets are 6-3 already is a testament to his leadership and production. Remember, even when locking down the two-seed in last year’s Western Conference, the Nuggets were 21-20 on the road; far from great. This year, Denver is 4-3 despite the aforementioned obstacles, which puts them on a similar pace to last year’s record. If they can be as dominant at home this year as they were in 2008-2009 (31-8), they should once again contend for a top spot in the conference. Carmelo has been the leading scorer in 8 of Denver’s 9 games this season, consistency that must be sustained for the Nuggets to reach their goals.

Skeptics will point to the fact that Chauncey Billups’ arrival is what has turned around the Nuggets, not Carmelo’s production. And that’s true…to a point (no pun intended). Billups certainly solidified the point guard position for Denver and gave them a team leader, something that was missing during the Carmelo/Iverson days. However, I would argue that Billups has challenged Carmelo to become a better all-around, more mature player, which we are now seeing from him. That Carmelo decided to answer this challenge and become an elite NBA player is the reason that Denver made The Leap from fun-to-watch-in-the-first-round-but-not-a-threat to wow-these-guys-could-win-the-West. If Carmelo hadn’t made the adjustments necessary to thrive once Billups showed up, Denver would still be fighting for the 6th and 7th spot in the West, as opposed to challenging the Lakers in the conference finals. Fact. Now that we’re getting the cagey, mature, beast-mode Anthony for a full year (especially when he finally seems obsessed with winning a championship), the Nuggets have to be considered dangerous to everyone else in the West…and not in a darkhorse-type way either.

If I’m right and Billups is responsible for the new-and-improved Carmelo Anthony that we’re seeing, let me take it upon myself to thank Mr. Big Shot (a completely undeserved nickname, by the way). Carmelo 2.0 is a treat to watch, and if Chauncey is the reason we’re seeing the Carmelo we’ve always wanted to see, then we owe him one. Kinda like Carmelo does, too.

~~ Lank

NBA Musings: November 10th

Now that we're (roughly) two weeks into the NBA season, I think now is a good time to take inventory of what we have. Sure, the bulk of the picture is far from finished, but we have some brush strokes here and there that give us some insight into the image. Since NBA games occur every day of the week, there's no perfect time to give you my thoughts on the season, but I will throw in some "musings" every now and then whenever it feels right. Tell your friends and family.

-- It's always funny to me when people jump to conclusions so quickly. For example, last Thursday, the Spurs played a TNT-televised game against Utah. At the half, with the Spurs losing, TNT analysts Chris Webber and Charles Barkley referred to San Antonio as a "team in transition," talked about them losing a step, and expressed surprise at seeing them "not a contender." Really? You're making these declarations four games into the season? The Spurs are breaking in seven new players, five of whom (DeJuan Blair, Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Keith Bogans, and Theo Ratliff) are getting considerable minutes. If you expected San Antone to come out of the gate with a 15-3 record, well, that's your fault.

-- The Shaq-LeBron experiment is off to a weird start in Cleveland. Boston outclassed them early, they went to sleep in a loss to Toronto, and they haven't really looked in synch at any point this season...which is the exact opposite of last season. However, these things take time, so I'm not giving up on the new roster yet...ok, in all honesty, I kind of am. Shaq looks enormous (and I don't mean that in no nice way), Jamario Moon is giving them a whole lot of nothing, and nobody else is emerging as a reliable option to LeBron James. Basically, this is last year's team without the camaraderie, and a lot more headaches. Fun.

-- I give Steve Nash a lot of hate for a lot of reasons, but he's been superb this year. Phoenix's roster is garbage, but that hasn't prevented them from starting the season with a 7-1 record, best in the West. Why? Nash. He leads the NBA in assists at nearly 13 apg, and is scoring at an 18.3 clip. He's been masterful in helping Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, and Amar'e Stoudemire get open shots, which has made them more productive than expected. Can he keep it up? With Father Time and a bad back holding him down, I'm skeptical; but I am intrigued to see how long he can keep the Suns running into wins -- both literally and figuratively.

-- Brandon Jennings has been a revelation of sorts for the Milwaukee Bucks. I was a little hard on Jennings after he was drafted for running his mouth, but his play has been tremendous. Leading all rookies in scoring while becoming a playmaker for the Bucks, Jennings has solidified a position that look shaky for Milwaukee a few weeks ago. They lost Ramon Sessions to Minnesota and had little confidence in Luke Ridnour, so Jennings' emergence has been huge for them. Credit coach Scott Skiles for entrusting this kid with his team and for mentoring him effectively early this season. Rookies always hit a wall, but if Jennings can continue to produce for Milwaukee, they will surprise many people who predicted a horrendous year for them.

-- Carmelo Anthony is out for blood this year. I'll have more on this in a piece I'm working on for later in the week, but let's just say that 'Melo looks determined to repeat last year's Western Conference Finals appearance at the very worst. His rebounding and passing have improved, and he looks absolutely unstoppable as a scorer. Yes, as much as he relies on his jumpshot he'll have some off nights, but he looks more comfortable and confident than ever on the offensive end. Uh oh.

-- The Charlotte Bobcats may look terrible on the court at times, but they sure know how to hook up their fans on Opening Night. I attended the Bobcats' home opener October 30th against the Knicks. Not only did I get 10 minutes of free basketball for my hard-earned cash, I got a long-sleeve white t-shirt with a screen-printed logo on the front, and a list of four tasks that Larry Brown demands from his players on the back (no, "four passes before a shot" wasn't one of them). Not a bad little bit of swag from the broke Charlotte franchise. Thanks, Bob.

-- The Lakers cannot be judged until Pau Gasol is healthy. Thank you for abiding by this rule. It saves me a lot of breath and reduces my chances for carpel tunnel syndrome.

-- Boston looks sharp right off the bat. Their defense has been impenetrable (save for their loss to Phoenix), and Kevin Garnett is bringing his normal intensity (read: chest-beating, yelling, and attempts to intimidate opponents). And his patented fadeaway since he no longer has any low-post moves. Sorry, Ticket, I just had to go there.

-- Vince Carter is injured; shocker.

Alright, that's all I have for now. Stay with Skip To My Lank all season long, because I like the NBA entirely too much, and I'll probably be writing these musings every couple weeks. Have a great evening; tip your wait staff.

~~ Lank

BatManu the Superhero

Before we get too far in this post, let me go ahead and present the jury with what I will be discussing.

Ok, now that that's taken care of, let's get down to business: Manu Ginobili is the man. Here I was Saturday night, watching the Spurs-Kings game with Willie P, when all of a sudden, a bat starts flying around the court. It was Halloween night, so that was weird enough, but the fact that it delayed the game for several minutes was even worse. Well, the bat was shooed away by a referee with a towel, and some arena workers with other objects, so game on, right?

Kind of.

After a few more minutes of play, the bat returned and the above video is what happened thereafter. Manu was tired of the bat messing up his flow, so he decided to use his superhuman hand-eye coordination to end the problem.

Just like that.

It was amazing to watch live; it really was. I started laughing for about 10 minutes straight at the absurdity/surreal nature of the situation, and Willie P couldn't believe what he was watching. Then he said this: "you know, that's the type of stuff that mere mortals just cannot do." And he's right; if you or I were to try that, we'd whiff several times and then shrug our shoulders and give up. Manu took ONE SWING at a bat in flight and knocked it out. That's amazing.

Sure, PETA will probably call for Manu's job soon and they'll ask for David Stern to speak out against animal violence, but it's worth it. That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen at a basketball game and the type of stuff I'll be telling Lank Jr.'s kids about one of these days.

~~ Lank

Welcome Back, Double Nickel

I can't promise that I won't post something similar to this (or maybe the exact same post, who knows) in the weeks to come. I can promise, however, that you'll enjoy it every single time.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I join you in welcoming Jason Williams (aka Double Nickel aka White Chocolate) back to the NBA. In case you've forgotten about J-Dub, allow me to provide you with some material to jog your memory:

After retiring before the season last year, Williams realized he wanted to come back and play again, but due to league rules, he was ineligible to play until the beginning of the 2009-2010 season. This somehow slipped my mind when I was doing my NBA Preview the other day, but I was quickly reminded of what I'd been missing. While scouring box scores and updates across the League Wednesday night, I stumbled across Orlando's destruction of Philadelphia and noticed that Williams was playing as if he'd never left. No rust, no cobwebs; nothing. Just some good ol' fashioned roundball being played by Double Nickel himself. Despite the fact that he's a Florida Gator, I've always enjoyed having him in the league and look forward to seeing him play again this year, even if he's put his White Chocolate playground persona in the closet for a more grownup, steady style of playing point guard.

Hey, it won him a title in 2006 with the Heat, so I can't hate; but I sure wouldn't mind seeing some behind-the-back passes and crossover dribbles again.

~~ Lank

Spelling Charlotte Without An O

Look, I’ll be the first to tell you that I wasn’t expecting much from the Charlotte Bobcats this year. I picked them to finish 11th in the East, mostly due to the fact that they don’t have many players that can put the ball in the basket. You can have all of the schemes and plays and sets that you want, but at the end of the day, you need a guy (or three) that can fill it up on the offensive end. Trading Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler was obviously a cost-cutting measure to make the team’s finances more appealing to a potential buyer (current owner Bob Johnson is selling the team), but it made them much less appealing from a basketball standpoint.

Exhibit A: Wednesday night’s opening game loss at Boston in which the Bobcats scored 59 points. No, not in a half. In the entire game.

Charlotte didn’t score 20 points in a single quarter and only scored 10 points in the 3rd. They shot 31% from the field, and only had two players make more than half of their field goal attempts. It was terrible. The Lankster had a busy night last night with the Spurs playing the Hornets on ESPN and the World Series on Fox, so I had to throw in some Bobcat time whenever one of those games was on a commercial (I have two TVs in my living room; it’s legit). In a way, the Bobcats did me a favor because once it became clear that they had no chance of winning and were well on their way to establishing a new franchise record for futility, I no longer had to change channels.

To put things in perspective, I did a little research for you. Last night, 8 different teams scored at least 59 points in a half (the Bobcats’ total for the game), 15 different teams scored at least 31 in a quarter (the Bobcats’ highest output in a half), and 14 different teams got at least 59 points from only their three highest scorers (which the Bobcats got from their entire roster). I know Boston is a good defensive team and it was their home opener, but my goodness; how does something like the ineptitude the Bobcats showed last night happen?

Friday night, I’m headed to the Queen City to see the Bobcats’ home opener against the New York Knickerbockers. The good news is that the Knicks are garbage and gave up 115 points to a not-that-good-on-offense Miami Heat team in their opener. The bad news is that the Bobcats scored 59 points in their opener at Boston. Once again, fifty-nine.

Did somebody say Charltte Bbcats?

~~ Lank

NBA Preview: League Predictions

Western Conference Finals: San Antonio over Los Angeles Lakers in 7

Eastern Conference Finals: Orlando over Boston in 7

NBA Finals: San Antonio over Orlando in 6

MVP: LeBron James, Cleveland

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Sixth Man: Manu Ginobili, San Antonio

Most Improved: Andrea Bargnani, Toronto

Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio

Most Annoying Storyline:

1a. Shaq and LeBron attempting to coexist

1b. Summer of 2010 free agency

Most Underrated Storyline:

Chris Paul being more valuable to his team than LeBron

Most Hateable Team: Boston Celtics

Most Likeable Team: Portland Trail Blazers (side note: I was going to go with Oklahoma City. They’ve got a young, talented team that plays hard and is fun to watch. However, I realized that there’s still a league-wide backlash against them since their owner hijacked a perfectly good Seattle franchise and moved them down south. That doesn’t exactly make them a likeable team, even if everyone likes their players. There are still lots of people who want them to go 0-82 to bring a little karma to Clay Bennett and company. Thus, I went with Portland because they really don’t have any offensive players (as in uh-fence-ive, not off-in-sive), and they have a good crowd. When it’s that hard to figure out the most likeable team in the league, I don’t know whether David Stern should be commended for combating apathy or criticized for not marketing his teams to the general public well enough to show their good sides.)

Most Likely To Enter Lank’s “Random Favorite Players”:

1. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento (he’ll be too good for this list next year, though)

2. Derrick Byars, Chicago

3. Ike Diogu, New Orleans

Most Likely To Be Sold Before The Season Is Over: Memphis Grizzlies

Most Likely To Accrue More Bandwagon Fans Than Anyone: Vince Carter, Orlando

Most Likely To Lose The Most Games When Scoring 100 Points: Golden State

Most Likely To Win The Most Games When Scoring Below 100 Points: San Antonio

Most Likely To Be Traded Because of His Expiring Contract: Jermaine O’Neal, Miami

Most Likely To Be Suspended First (Preseason Suspensions Notwithstanding): Stephen Jackson, Golden State

Most Likely Coach To Be Fired First: Byron Scott, New Orleans

~~ Lank

NBA Preview: Western Conference

Predicted Order of Finish:

1.) San Antonio

2.) Los Angeles Lakers

3.) Denver

4.) Utah

5.) Dallas

6.) Portland

7.) New Orleans

8.) Los Angeles Clippers

9.) Phoenix

10.) Oklahoma City

11.) Houston

12.) Golden State

13.) Minnesota

14.) Memphis

15.) Sacramento

Southwest Division:

San Antonio – To say that I’m giddy about the Spurs this season is quite the understatement. Realizing that our window is about to close, we went out and traded for Richard Jefferson while picking up Antonio McDyess, and drafting DeJuan Blair. Suddenly, our eight-man rotation is as follows: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess, Roger Mason, George Hill, and DeJuan Blair. That’s awesome. The first five of that group will be closing games, which is a better lineup than any other team can put on the floor. It’s interesting how instead of taking the fate that was given to them once Tim Duncan began showing his age, the Spurs decided to round up a group that would give them the best chance at one last Duncan-era title. There isn’t a whole lot of youth around, but Parker, Jefferson, Hill, Mason, and Blair are all under 30. Duncan and Ginobili have to prove that they can stay healthy this year, but if they do, look out. Tim Duncan has never had a supporting cast this good – and he’s won four championships regardless. Oh yes, I’m excited.

Dallas – An interesting team to be sure. The Mavericks beat the Spurs in the first round of last year’s playoffs and then were done in by Carmelo Anthony’s Denver Nuggets. Instead of keeping the same group together, they added Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden, and Tim Thomas. All three have the mental stability of an adult who was once a child star, but there still may be some ability left in them yet. Personally, I think Marion is finished. His athleticism set him apart for so many years, but now that it’s regressed to the mean, he’s no longer a productive player. He flamed out in Miami and Toronto last year, but came to Dallas in hopes of leaning on Jason Kidd to throw him a few lobs. Dirk Nowitzki has grown his hair back out, maybe to make people forget that he once dated Cristal Taylor, but I’m not forgetting that. Ever. He’s not getting any younger, but his game should age well due to his shooting stroke and perimeter-based style. The aforementioned Kidd played well last year, but he’s not the difference-maker he used to be, which makes it all the more important for Jason Terry and Josh Howard to provide a consistent scoring punch in Dallas. Howard is already facing injury problems, but they need him to score and score often to minimize the effect of Kidd’s lack of points. Defensively, this team is a mess. A crunch time lineup of Kidd, Terry, Howard, Marion, and Nowitzki would have trouble guarding the University of Kansas this year, yet that’s what they’re probably going to be rolling out in the fourth quarter. Good luck with that. The offense should be good, but the defense will keep the Mavericks from greatness…basically, the same story in Allas (no D) for the past decade.

New Orleans – Sometimes I look at their roster and cringe. Other times I think, “hmm, that’s not bad at all.” I can’t figure out which way to go on them. Just as I put them 7th in the West, I could have easily put them 4th. The whole conference is in a state of flux, and they seem to personify that the best of any team. Gone are Tyson Chandler, Antonio Daniels, and Rasual Butler. In are Emeka Okafor, Darren Collison, and Marcus Thornton. All-Stars David West and Chris Paul lead the charge, obviously, but the supporting cast will have to show up for the Hornets to succeed. Paul is a magician and could probably win 40 games with a college team (kidding, please don’t bring the college team argument to me, I’ll swat it like Dikembe in ’99) and continues to do more with less than just about anyone in the league. His problem is that he isn’t quite good enough to take his team to the promised land. Conference semifinals are fun and all, but you don’t get rings for that. I don’t see how this year will be any different, either. I like the West/Okafor combo down low, and I do think that Darren Collison will prevent Paul from having to play 40+ minutes per game, but there isn’t much scoring on this roster. Morris Peterson and Julian Wright are starters, which doesn’t bode well for the Hornets, but if Peja Stojakovic can give them a spark off the bench (that’s an expensive sixth man, by the way), then look for the Hornets to surprise. However, if Peja’s back continues to act up, 7th seems about right for New Orleans. At least the Saints are good.

Houston – Oh boy, where to begin? The loss of Yao Ming for the season really hurts. The loss of Tracy McGrady for an extended period of time hurts less so, but still isn’t good. All that’s left now is a bunch of guys who hustle, rebound, defend, and have sneaky good games that make you think the Rockets could do something (like Aaron Brooks going for 30 on the Lakers in the playoffs). The Rockets took the eventual-champion Lakers to seven games despite losing Yao, but it’s hard to fill that void for 82 games…when people already know he won’t be there. Luis Scola and Carl Landry are an undersized but super-effective duo down low, and Chuck Hayes defends big men about as well as anyone in the league. However, none of the three is going to be a 20 point per game scorer, and that’s where Houston will get burned. Scola is their leading returning scorer, and he only averaged 12.7 points per game last year. Aaron Brooks, Shane Battier, and Trevor Ariza will all get more shots, but neither is a proven commodity offensively. Rookie Chase Budinger will help, as all he does is play offense, but even then you’re dreaming for something that isn’t there. All in all, the Rockets will make their fans proud and make teams earn wins against them, but until Yao returns (and hopefully, McGrady doesn’t), the Rockets franchise is stuck in neutral.

Memphis – My uncle lives in Memphis. He likes the NBA and attends several Grizzlies games per year. If he were to call me and ask me whether he should spend his time at FedExForum this year, I’d say yes. Not because the Grizzlies will be good (they won’t be), and not because they’ll play solid team basketball (they won’t), but because they’ll be fun to watch. Seriously, with Allen Iverson (eventually), Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Darrell Arthur, and Mike Conley on the floor (not at one time, that’d be against the rules), the Grizzlies are going to have some entertaining plays. It’s all relative, though; most of those entertaining plays will come amidst a barrage of bricks, bad passes, and one-on-four drives, but who cares? Memphis hasn’t been good since Hubie Brown left and they haven’t been fun to watch since Jason Williams left (man, I love the Double Nickel; he’s getting his own post soon). Poor Lank’s uncle hasn’t enjoyed a Grizzlies game in years. Let the man see a crossover from Iverson, a beautiful jumper from Gay, or a no-look pass from Mayo in peace. Who knows, maybe I’ll venture out to see them in person with him at some point (they host the Spurs on two Saturdays and the Pacers on a Friday…I’m just saying).

Northwest Division:

Denver – Carmelo Anthony is my boy. I’ve loved his game since he was at Syracuse and have vowed to name my first-born son Carmelo Anthony (pending wife approval, of course). Seeing him take over the playoffs last year was quite the thrill, and I want to see what he has in store for an encore. His game has slowly developed into a complete one, and his defense and rebounding are now on par with his scoring, just not on the same level. That being said, the Nuggets have some questions to answer if they’re going to finish 2nd in the conference again. Linas Kleiza and Dahntay Jones, two guys who gave them great minutes all of last season, are now gone, and there still isnt’ much depth down low. Kenyon Martin and Nene will have to play a lot of minutes again, and considering the injury history of those two, that’s a risky proposition. Chauncey Billups will remain a steady hand at point guard, and adding Tywon Lawson to help back up the position was a stroke of genius. Lawson was one of the fastest players in college basketball last year, so turning him loose at altitude will be a nuisance to Denver’s opponents. J.R. Smith is still mercurial, but he can fill it up with the best of them when he’s hot. If he finds some consistency in his game, forget what I said about losing Kleiza and Jones. Defensive holes will have to be filled if the Nuggets want to be taken seriously, but with such a talented roster, don’t expect too much of a drop-off in the Rockies this winter.

Utah – Jerry Sloan, do your thing. One of the best coaches in the NBA, Sloan will be challenged this season. Injuries are already taking a toll (C.J. Miles and Kyle Korver are the latest victims), and Carlos Boozer needs to be placated in his contract year, but Sloan will find a way to make it all work. Deron Williams is among the best players in the NBA, Boozer isn’t a headcase, so he should play hard regardless of the circumstances surrounding his contract situation, and Andrei Kirilenko remains one of the most versatile players in the league. Drafting Eric Maynor to back up Williams was a great move, furthering the depth that gives the Jazz an advantage over most other teams. Their 8th place finish last year was a bit misleading with all of the injuries they incurred, and nobody would argue with you if you told them that Utah had top five talent in the West. Putting it all together and keeping it all healthy are different issues entirely, but there are certainly pieces in place to make a run. If this team gets off to a good start, look out; but if the going gets tough early, look to see how they respond to the situation. That could be the difference between finishing 3rd or 7th in the West.

Portland – I’m not on this bandwagon at all. After getting romped in the playoffs last year, they missed out on Hedo Turkoglu (who would’ve been a great fit) and settled for Andre Miller (who isn’t…at all). They extended LaMarcus Aldridge for 5 years at $13 million per year (no really, they did), and all of the expectations seem to be getting to them. Outside of Brandon Roy, who exactly is the stud that I’m supposed to like on their team? Aldridge is fine, but he is what he is. Rudy Fernandez is fun to watch, but he reaches the law of diminishing returns after about 20 minutes. Greg Oden has worlds of potential, but so did Kwame Brown at one point (damn Greg, I’m sorry; that was uncalled for. Keep reppin’ Terre Haute, man). Honestly, the one guy I’d want on my team after Roy was taken and Fernandez told me he wouldn’t come (remember, this is hypothetical)? Jerryd Bayless. I like that guy, but he never gets to play. Go figure. I guess I say all of that to say this: Portland has a lot of talent, but not a lot of players that I trust. When your goal is to take the next step in your maturation process by winning a playoff series or two, that’s not a good sign.

Oklahoma City – If Toronto is my third-favorite team this season, OKC is probably my fourth-favorite. I’ve been a Kevin Durant follower since his breakout performance at the McDonald’s All-American Game (which doesn’t really count, but I started liking him then for some reason), and I have a feeling that he’s going to do something silly this year statistically. Don’t ask me what, but I’m prepared for 33 ppg or 31/9/5 or 90% FT; anything like that. He’s a rare breed when it comes to scoring and I want to see what’s next. That’s just part of OKC’s allure, though (yes, a big part, but still just a part). Russell Westbrook is entertaining with his brand of I’m-going-to-drive-it-and-I-dare-you-to-stop-me basketball, his ferocious defense, and his intangibles. Jeff Green seems to fit in wherever they need him, dictated by which lineup is on the floor. I’ve seen the guy score, rebound, defend, pass; everything. He’s good. Add in James Harden, whose “old man game” should fit in perfectly in Oklahoma City, and I’m intrigued by this squad. Another bonus point stems from the fact that they have two of my “random favorite players” in the league: Thabo Sefolosha and Shaun Livingston. Random favorite players are guys you like but really don’t know why; you just hope they play well every game and eventually break out. Coach Scott Brooks was great as the interim last season, and I look forward to see how he’ll mesh all of these young parts together in order to build a contender. They’re a couple years away still, but sometimes the journey is better than the destination.

Minnesota – Some advice: the next time you look at the Timberwolves’ depth chart, close your eyes. It’s not good. Kevin Love and Al Jefferson were supposed to provide an improved inside game, but Love broke his hand and Jefferson is returning from a torn ACL. The Ricky Rubio situation is FUBAR, so scratch him off. Corey Brewer might be good, but we don’t really know because he missed all of last year with an injury. They signed Ramon Sessions from Milwaukee in the offseason, and he’s got some ability. However, there just isn’t much to like in the Twin Cities. Rookies Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn will get ample opportunity to prove that they belong, but they’re still rookies and won’t do a whole lot to improve the team overall. Once Love returns, he and Jefferson will be a nice tandem down low, but nowhere near good enough to get this team to 30 wins. This year will be all about integrating Flynn, Ellington, and Sessions, getting coach Kurt Rambis some experience (before he heads back to L.A. to coach the Lakers), and finding out if Al Jefferson can make the All-Star team on a squad with 14 wins at the break.

Pacific Division:

Los Angeles Lakers – Most previews have these guys winning it all yet again. Or at least the Western Conference. I’m skeptical, but I see why they’re so highly-regarded. They won the ‘ship last year, and everybody’s back. However, now that Lamar Odom has his contract, will he continue to play hard? Kobe’s knees have to feel like they’re 40 years old. And adding Ron Artest just took your chemistry from “kinda fun when Kobe is happy” to “to put it nicely…combustible”. Artest is saying and doing all of the right things, but eventually his alpha male personality will emerge and things will flare up inside the locker room. The only question is whether or not those flare ups will linger. Behind Bryant, Artest, Odom, Bynum, and Gasol, the Lakers have a bunch of guys who aren’t very good, but will be counted upon anyway. Jordan Farmar must play better, Shannon Brown must be consistent, and Luke Walton must be steady. There are a lot of question marks on this team, but as long as they have Bryant and Gasol, I’m predicting at least a conference finals appearance.

Los Angeles Clippers – Well, the Clipper Curse has struck again. Number 1 overall pick Blake Griffin is out for (at least) six weeks to begin the season with a broken kneecap. Honestly, I thought the Clippers could contend this year. Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, Rasual Butler, Al Thornton, and Griffin would have been a very good rotation. Now, Griffin is removed and DeAndre Jordan will have to play more meaningful minutes. Everyone tells me that Baron Davis is back to health, but I have to see it to believe it first. Coach Mike Dunleavy nearly lost the team last year, but with each new season comes a fresh slate, and if he can just manage to coincide with Davis, Camby, and Thornton, the Clippers will be in good shape for a playoff spot. The problem is that asking them all to coincide with one another is quite the task. This is either a 45-win team or a 30-win team. Not many other teams have such a wide discrepancy in their potential. But then again, not many other teams are the Clippers.

Phoenix – If someone can explain to me what’s going on in the desert, I’d love to know. Caught between the glory years of the Mike D’Antoni era and the nightmare that was the Shaqtus experiment, Phoenix is attempting to stay competitive without completely rebuilding. Amar’e Stoudemire is the key here; if he stays healthy, they should be able to run and gun their way to a playoff spot. Since I have them at 9th in the West, you can probably guess my feelings on him staying healthy. Steve Nash is only getting older (he can’t defend anybody anymore, by the way), Grant Hill miraculously played 82 games last year (easily the surprise of the season) but is also on the downside, and they have two guys who are the “bad one” amongst of two pairs of NBA brothers (Robin Lopez and Taylor Griffin). Leandro Barbosa is still inconsistent and Jason Richardson is what he is at this point (a three-point bomber who sometimes drives), but at least they’re talented. A small-ball five of Nash, Barbosa, Richardson, Hill, and Stoudemire would be fun, but has a shelf-life of about 15 minutes per game. Bringing in Lopez and Channing Frye will slow them down…both literally and figuratively. The Suns will play some intriguing basketball this season, but they won’t win enough games to be playing through April…meaning another offseason where they have to face the prospect of rebuilding by choice now rather than by necessity later.

Golden State – Team Turmoil resides in Oakland. No, silly, not the Raiders. Actually, I now feel sad for Oaklanders. On one hand, you have Al Davis killing your football team, and the other hand you have the chaotic front office that’s killing the Warriors. Both beloved franchises are now on the verge of alienating their fans due to the mind-boggling missteps that have occurred in NorCal in the past few years. Remember when Don Nelson had the Warriors flying high over the Mavericks in the playoffs? Those days are long gone. In their place are bouts of infighting between Stephen Jackson and management, Monta Ellis and Nelson, Anthony Randolph and playing time, and Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis’ position. Really, it doesn’t get much crazier than Golden State right now. Honestly, a rotation of Curry, Ellis, Jackson, Corey Maggette, Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, and Anthony Morrow isn’t terrible. But when you factor in the complete lack of chemistry and all of the problems surrounding the franchise, nobody plays inspired basketball and that rotation quickly devolves into a shell of what it should be. Cheer up Oakland fans, Big Brother tells me that the A’s are ready to rock next year. Until then, stay classy.

Sacramento – If anyone actually reads this portion of my preview, I’ll be stunned. I might even provide a prize to the first person that gives me a snippet of something I wrote here. Anyway, the Kings are going to be bad. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s focus on some good things; namely, Tyreke Evans. The Memphis product has quickly adapted his skill set (which was already NBA-ready) to the league and looks impossible to stop from getting into the lane. If Blake Griffin’s injuries keep him from producing this year, Evans will be the easy winner of the Rookie of the Year award. Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes are Kings draft picks who have shown some promise and will continue to get better this year. Both are still young and should grow with Evans to provide a nice trio on which to build the franchise in the future. Kevin Martin remains one of the most efficient scorers in the league and is liable to throw up 40 points in a few games per season. On a good night, the Kings will be fun to watch and will show glimpses of what could happen in the future if everyone develops as expected and does so consistently. Unfortunately, those nights will be countered by nights of complete impotence and 30-point blowouts. The roster needs an upgrade and the arena situation needs to be rectified to keep the team in Sacramento, but there is some hope in Sacto…you just have to look closely to find it.

Best Coach: Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers

Worst Coach: Lionel Hollins, Memphis

Best Rookie: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Worst Rookie: Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis

Best Uniforms: Denver navy blues

Worst Uniforms: Oklahoma City whites

Most Overrated Player: Ron Artest, Los Angeles

Most Underrated Player: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City

Best Crowd: Portland

Worst Crowd: Memphis

Surprise Team: Utah

Disappointing Team: Portland

~~ Lank

NBA Preview: Eastern Conference

Predicted Order of Finish:

1.) Boston

2.) Cleveland

3.) Orlando

4.) Washington

5.) Chicago

6.) Atlanta

7.) Philadelphia

8.) Indiana

9.) Toronto

10.) Miami

11.) Charlotte

12.) Detroit

13.) New York

14.) Milwaukee

15.) New Jersey

Atlantic Division:

Boston – We know what to expect from the Celtics at this point…as long as Kevin Garnett is healthy. If The Big Ticket can stave off the recurring knee problems that plagued him last season, Boston has as good a chance as anyone of contending for the Eastern Conference championship. Though Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are no longer at their respective peaks offensively, they provide enough of a scoring punch to be dangerous at any time. Rajon Rondo took his game to another level in last year’s postseason and will look to keep that momentum going. From all accounts in the preseason, he looks ready to continue his improvement. Guard depth, however, will be an issue. The offseason acquisition of Marquis Daniels will help out the Celtics on the wing, but ballhandling and creating when Rondo heads to the bench is still a problem. Eddie House is a shooter, not a point guard, and Daniels is not the distributor that Boston needs off the bench. Another concern is the age of the interior players. Newly-signed Rasheed Wallace is no longer a young’n, and Garnett’s knees are wearing out faster than Balloon Boy jokes (his name really was Falcon, though, that’s not a joke; it’s just funny). Glen Davis proved last postseason that he can be a regular contributor for a good team, but let’s be honest, if Wallace and Garnett don’t play well, the Celtics have no chance of attaining their ultimate goal: another Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Philadelphia – First things first, huge props to the Sixers for going back to their old school logo and color scheme. The Iverson-era jerseys were kinda cool, but not as legit as their throwbacks-turned-current uniforms. Nice touch, Philly. On paper, I kinda like this team. Lou Williams seems ready to take the place of Andre Miller, Elton Brand should be back to full health after rehabbing his shoulder injury, and Andre Iguodala does a lot of good things for this team. Bringing in coach Eddie Jordan, formerly of Washington and one of my favorite coaches in the league, is also a huge plus. However, when I think back to how this team played last year, I am hesitant to put two feet on the bandwagon. Even with a steady point guard such as Miller running the team, they looked disoriented at times, and were about as inconsistent as a playoff team could be. Even their semi-riveting playoff series against Orlando showed the good and bad of the Sixers at once. Jordan’s offensive philosophy should make this a fun team to watch, but I’m not sure who is going to defend. Thaddeus Young is a tremendous athlete, but he seems to use his talents mostly on the offensive end of the floor. Elton Brand is a good rebounder and interior defender, but pairing him with the disappointing Sam Dalembert limits his opportunities to lock down opposing big men. I see no way that this team doesn’t make the playoffs (I think that was only a double negative, but it may have been a triple), but I can’t see them cracking the top four in the East unless everything falls into place (and they run a lineup of Williams, Iguodala, Young, Marreese Speights, and Brand just to see what happens).

Toronto – The Raps are probably going to be my third-favorite team in the league this year (which is really like my favorite in a way since San Antonio and Indiana have occupied the top two spots, in that order, for the past two decades). GM Bryan Colangelo stopped doing what others thought he should do (cough…Jermaine O’Neal…cough…Shawn Marion…cough), and decided to put together a team that he likes. The result? A bunch of shooters and ballhandlers surrounding Chris Bosh. No, seriously, that’s the team. Andrea Bargnani is the starting center and even he likes to fill it up from the outside. The Hedo Turkoglu signing gives them another perimeter threat, and the trade for Marco Belinelli gives them a bench guy who…will come in to dribble and shoot. This is going to be fun to watch. Will it be productive? I have no idea. Bosh will rebound, but who else will? Rasho Nesterovic, Amir Johnson, and Reggie Evans are there to do just that, but it remains to be seen how the rotation will play out. Point guard Jose Calderon remains one of the more efficient players in the league (as well as its best free throw shooter) and two guard DeMar DeRozan should have an immediate impact. There are a lot of questions surrounding the Raptors at this point, but one question has already been answered with a resounding ‘yes’: If Toronto is playing in my city, should I go watch them?

New Jersey – If I were on a polygraph right now, I’d have to admit that I have no interest in summing up the Nets’ chances this year. I’d rather type something along the lines of “22-60” and keep right on moving. However, diligence compels me to tell you a few things. First, the N(y)ets are going to be bad. Second, they were recently bought by a Russian guy who is, apparently, 6’9” (hence the New Jersey Nyets joke you’ll hear all season long). Third, there is some potential here. The red tape surrounding this franchise is quite ridiculous; between the pending sale to Mikhail Prokhorov, the attempted move to Brooklyn, and them trying to get out of the Meadowlands to go play in Newark, the Nets have some serious issues to address. However, should the fans be able to focus on the on-court happenings, they’ll see that Devin Harris is good, Brook Lopez is on his way to becoming a franchise center, and Courtney Lee is a valuable piece that could be helpful now but most certainly will be down the road. I didn’t like them drafting Terrence Williams because I thought they had more pressing needs in the front court, but if he pans out, you can never have enough good players. Yi Jianlian still isn’t good, Sean Williams will probably be off the team by February, and Josh Boone is their backup center. Still, patience is key in New Jersey…although by the time this team gets good, it will most likely be in Brooklyn already. Whoops.

New York – I love Mike D’Antoni. He seems to be a great guy in every interview he gives, and the depiction of him in Jack McCallum’s wonderful book, Seven Seconds or Less made me like him even more. However, he doesn’t have much to work with in Manhattan. Chris Duhon is still his starting point guard, Nate Robinson is back to give him more headaches, Jared Jeffries still hasn’t been traded (though Donnie Walsh is feverishly trying to remedy that), and Al Harrington is liable to hoist more shots than Ray Allen this year. Still, D’Antoni’s frenetic pace lends itself to winning games that his teams otherwise shouldn’t and losing games that they should otherwise win. It’s a give-take system, and he’ll need tremendous efforts out of Danilo Gallinari, David Lee, and Wilson Chandler for this team to reach its potential. If Larry Hughes and Jordan Hill give them anything this year, it’ll be an added bonus, but I just don’t see any way the Knicks make the playoffs. They’re hoping to land a big fish in the summer of 2010, but with their depleted roster, lack of draft picks, and limited trade options, things don’t seem as promising as they did 18 months ago in Gotham. The best-case scenario for this team is somehow getting to 39 or 40 wins and hoping the rest of the East is bad enough to let them in the playoff race. It’s hard to say that’ll happen, but with New Jersey, Detroit, Indiana, Charlotte, and Milwaukee as your competition, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Southeast Division:

Orlando – I like the new-look Magic a lot. Ok, so it’s hard to classify them as “new-look” when really they just got rid of Hedo Turkoglu for Vince Carter, but this a different team than you saw in the Finals. In addition to Carter, they added Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes; two guys who will give them tons of energy and production off the bench, and Ryan Anderson, a sweet-shooting big who can still stretch defenses when Rashard Lewis is on the bench. Speaking of Lewis, he’ll miss the first ten games due to a PED-related suspension, but the Magic should be fine. Now, let’s clear up one thing real quick: Vince Carter is better at basketball than Hedo Turkoglu. He always has been, too. Hedo is my boy; he was clutch for Orlando and made play after play after play when they needed him to, but he’s not as good as Vince Carter. Yes, Vinsanity will turn 33 midseason, but he’s got enough gas in the tank for this season, especially with the added bonus of coming back to play for the hometown team (Carter is from Daytona). Oh, and did I mention that All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson is back from his shoulder injury? And that Dwight Howard should be better than ever? Think about it, I just went a few sentences before I even mentioned the best center in basketball; that’s how interesting Orlando is to me this year. A fourth quarter quintet of Nelson, Carter, Pietrus, Lewis, and Howard? I think they’re going to be great, and I think they’re going to the Finals again. There, it’s in writing.

Washington – I’m high on these guys. The Wizards have been through injury hell the past couple of years, and it peaked (or valley-ed) last year with a terrible 19-63 finish. Ouch. Now, Gilbert Arenas is back, Brendan Haywood is back, and…Antawn Jamison is hurt already. Jamison’s strained shoulder means that Arenas, Jamison, and Caron Butler still have not played in a game together since April 1, 2007. Read that sentence again. With the additions of Mike Miller and Randy Foye from Minnesota, the Wizards have a deeper bench and more talent than ever. With an ideal rotation of Arenas, Miller, Foye, Jamison, Haywood, Butler, Nick Young, Andray Blatche, and JaVale McGee, Washington should be able to contend for the fourth spot in the East. Whether or not they get there obviously depends on health, but everyone around the Capital City seems to have a cautious optimism going on, and I like that. McGee was a young bronco last year who was wild yet amazing at times. If his game has become more refined over the summer, he will be a valuable addition down low. Fabricio Oberto was acquired to do the dirty work on the inside, which is something they haven’t had in the past. Honestly, though, Arenas needs to be the old Agent Zero if the Wizards are to reach their goals. Butler and Jamison will be their normal dependable selves, but Gilbert Arenas must produce at an All-Star clip again for the Wizards to be dangerous. I think he will, and I think they will be.

Atlanta – Pretty much the same Hawks of the past two years, look for Atlanta to once again be in the 4-5-6 range in the East and go out early in the playoffs. The addition of Jamal Crawford to the backcourt provides scoring depth, but there is still the matter of a backup point guard. Mike Bibby is still a steady NBA point guard, but if you think Jeff Teague is going to come in and help out the position immediately, I’d advise you to go back and watch the final 15 games of Wake Forest’s season last year. I respect Teague because he’s from Naptown, but he’s not yet ready to produce in the NBA. Along the frontline, Atlanta has the usual suspects – Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford. All are significant contributors in their own right, but if you think that frontline is winning you anything significant, you’re dreaming. This team often gets beat in the paint because they’re too busy looking for blocks instead of actually defending the players in front of them. When Joe Smith is supposedly the big piece that’s going to help out your interior defense, that’s all you need to know about the Hawks. Another solid year, another early playoff exit. Done and done.

Miami – How did Dwyane Wade not win MVP last year? I think LeBron James was certainly deserving of the award, but the more I look at Miami’s roster, the more I wonder how they finished in the top 5 in the East last year. Wow. Anyway, Wade’s health is the key to the season in Miami…as always. Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Jermaine O’Neal, Udonis Haslem. That’s the other 4/5 of the Heat’s starting five. Seriously, how did this team make the playoffs again? Anyway, adding Carlos Arroyo should provide help in the backcourt, but that’s about it. Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire are being relied upon to rebound and defend? My goodness. I really wanted to put the Heat lower than 10th in the East, but Wade’s brilliance wouldn’t allow me to do so. He averaged 30.2/7.5/5.0 last season, and the fact that it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility this year shows you just how good he is. The problem is if he gets hurt or “only” gets, say, 26.2/5.8/3.7, Miami has zero chance of making the playoffs. Michael Beasley is the wild card here, a guy who could give Wade the running mate to improve the team; but with all of his off-the-court issues and a lack of confidence going into the season, I’m hesitant to consider him a reliable second banana. The Heat will take a step back this year, but with a free agent lured to South Beach this summer, things could be a lot better next year…as long as Wade doesn’t leave for Chicago first.

Charlotte – So long, ‘Mek; thanks for the memories. Emeka Okafor, one of the few original Bobcats remaining, was traded this offseason for Tyson Chandler. First of all, Charlotte should never trade with the Hornets. Ever. The wound is still too fresh. Second, if you’re going to trade with George Shinn’s team, at least make sure you fleece him, not give up arguably your best player for a limited offensive player with a history of injuries who might give you 60 games this year. Oh well, these are the types of things Bobcats fans (yes, they exist) have come to expect under the direction of Michael Jordan (quick question: how many current Bobcats could MJ name if you asked him right now and he didn’t have an iPhone or media guide available? I say seven. Is this high or low for a team president? I say low, but I could be wrong). Despite the fact that I’ll be in CrownTown October 30th to cheer on the Bobcats in their home opener, I’m not very high on this team (as you possibly could have inferred already). Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin provide a solid point guard rotation, and Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw will fill the stat sheets in Charlotte, but there’s not much else there. Raja Bell, once thought of as a “Kobe stopper” hasn’t done a whole lot since being traded from Phoenix, Vlad Radmanovic is going to shoot threes and not much else (side note: I saw Vlad Rad in a Charlotte mall this fall wearing his old Seattle SuperSonics warmup pants. He was carrying a ton of bags, so he’s clearly the baller we all think he is, but why was he wearing warmup pants for a team he played for three teams ago, that doesn’t even exist anymore, in the town in which he currently plays? I can’t figure this one out; someone smarter than me needs to intervene pronto), and there’s not much interior depth. DeSagana Diop and Nazr Mohammed are your backup centers, folks. Hopefully, Gerald Henderson will be an exciting addition and the Bobcats can claw their way to 40 or so wins. But that’s about all you can expect in the Queen City this year.

Central Division:

Cleveland – Let me go on record as saying the Shaq experiment isn’t going to work. They got Shaq to win the NBA Finals, right? And they’re not going to win the NBA Finals this year, so that makes it a failure, right? Does anyone think this team, in its current form, can beat Boston or Orlando in a seven-game series? Delonte West was caught strapped in Baltimore, so who knows when he’s coming back (though it should be soon), Anderson Varejao just got a big contract and played hard for Brazil in the FIBA Americas tournament this summer (and he’s gonna bring energy in April? Riiiight), and Shaq looks like he weights 350 lbs. at this point. I mean, have you seen him this preseason? My goodness. The ace card, as always, is LeBron James. The guy has a chance to be one of the top 10 players ever, and he’s only 24. Every season he does something we haven’t seen before, and there’s no reason to expect anything different this year. Let me ask you this, though: if the Cavaliers weren’t able to win the East last year despite LeBron being superhuman, how are they going to win this year? If your answer is “they added Shaq” then that tells me all I need to know. This isn’t 2002, people, just ask Phoenix. Anyway, Cleveland has two tasks this year: win a championship, and convince LeBron that the pieces are in place to win a whole bunch more so that he doesn’t leave in 2010. I think Cleveland will end up with a good regular season record, but I can’t see them getting past the conference semis. Mo Williams’ inability to make those around him better was evident in the Orlando series last year and there isn’t a single non-LeBron distributor on the team. Adding Anthony Parker was a good move because it gives the Cavs the outside shooter they’ve needed for some time now, but I don’t think it puts them over the top. Boston and Orlando remain better, and Cleveland is a clear third going into the season. We’ll talk in July and see what happened from now to then.

Chicago – I like this group. Their coach, Vinny Del Negro, is still a bit of an unknown, but their talent level is pretty good and all of the guys play hard. That usually bodes well for success. The big thing holding back the Bulls is that they don’t have an elite player who can win them a few games when they’re off or out of rhythm. Derrick Rose is well on his way to becoming such a player, but he’s not there yet. Losing Ben Gordon hurts their perimeter scoring, but if John Salmons can play like he did over the last month of the season last year, that void will shrink. I love the Kirk Hinrich/Jannero Pargo backup guard combination as you get solid play out of both no matter the situation. The frontcourt is a hodge podge of talent. Brad Miller is a good passer and shooter, Joakim Noah is a ferocious defender and rebounder, and Tyrus Thomas does the freaky athletic things that make you wonder how good he’d be if he were consistent. Rookie James Johnson showed flashes in the preseason of good ability, so expect him to contribute some as an energy guy type backup. The Bulls gave the Celtics all they wanted last year in the playoffs, but will need to continue progressing if they want to win a playoff series this year. I expect that they will.

Indiana – Ah, the Pacers. Once an automatic insertion into the playoff discussion, they now scrap and claw to get their way into the 8th spot, something they haven’t been able to do since 2006. Oddly, I’m expecting Indiana to make the playoffs this season. I like the way Danny Granger has taken his game to another level and has become a star in the league. No, he won’t continue his streak of averaging 6 more ppg than the season before (7 to 13 to 19 to 25 last year), at least I don’t think so, but he single-handedly wins the Pacers a few games they shouldn’t. Troy Murphy became the first player in NBA history to finish in the Top 5 in rebounding and three-point shooting, and he returns this year with more emphasis on his low post game. Brandon Rush was very productive at the end of his rookie season last year when Mike Dunleavy was hampered by a knee injury. Dunleavy returning would be a huge boost to the Pacers, but no one seems to know when that will be (I say January). Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough were drafted to give the Pacers something inside, so their development will be key. Dahntay Jones was lured away from Denver at a steep price in order to shore up the defense, which let too many teams shoot way-too-high percentages. The Pacers are going to score, believe me. But if they can improve on defense, even marginally, they’ll find themselves in the playoffs. Despite all of the injuries and bad luck last year, they almost made it. Those things can’t happen to them two years in a row, can they? Don’t answer that.

Detroit – Their starting five is Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Charlie Villanueva, and Kwame Brown. Their key backups are Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, and Chris Wilcox. Maybe I’m missing something, but this team is going to be bad. Who’s rebounding on this team? Who is keeping the other team’s big men from going wild? Do they really think they can just roll out the ball and score more than everyone else? Why am I asking so many rhetorical questions? Their coach is a former Cleveland assistant I’ve never heard of. I read everything I can about the NBA and I’ve never heard of him; that can’t be good for the Pistons, right? Gordon and Villanueva, two offseason acquisitions, will provide a scoring boost for sure, but I just don’t see this team being able to stop anyone defensively (especially if those two are on the court together). After what’s happened with the Lions and Tigers this year, I’m advising all of my Detroit brethren to stay away from Auburn Hills for fear of further emotional damage. Just watch “Gran Torino” again and thank me later.

Milwaukee – I’m one of the few people not predicting doomsday in Milwaukee. Ok, so I predicted them 14th in the East, but I think it’ll be an encouraging 14th. Is that possible? Umm, I think so; just let me explain. Brandon Jennings is the Bucks’ starting point guard. That’s not going to work very well this year. However, he’ll flash plenty of potential and make some plays that we’re not used to seeing from Milwaukee. Maybe a no-look to Michael Redd for a three. Maybe a lob to Andrew Bogut for an awkward dunk. Maybe a crossover-turned-layup on a fast break. The kid has talent, but it’s not very refined. Coach Scott Skiles will earn his paycheck trying to corral Jennings without limiting him. I like that everyone on this team plays hard; that will result in a few extra wins this season. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was a surprise at forward last year, and Kurt Thomas brings a steadying presence down low. There isn’t a lot of talent in place (has anyone actually seen Joe Alexander lately? If so, please let me know), but the Bucks will surprise by contending for the first couple of months, barring injury. However, as the season wears on, the daily grind will kick in, and simply outhustling teams won’t be enough anymore. But that’s still encouraging despite finishing in 14th, isn’t it? Hello?

Best Coach: Mike D’Antoni, New York

Worst Coach: Whomever The Pistons Hired This Year, Detroit

Best Rookie: DeMar DeRozan, Toronto

Worst Rookie: Austin Daye, Detroit

Best Uniforms: Orlando blues

Worst Uniforms: Milwaukee reds

Most Overrated Player: Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland

Most Underrated Player: Danny Granger, Indiana

Best Crowd: Boston

Worst Crowd: Charlotte

Surprise Team: Indiana

Disappointing Team: Miami

~~ Lank

LeBron Runs Cleveland Town

Stories like this are what make following sports so enjoyable.

For those of you who haven't heard, late Sunday night (or early Monday morning, whichever), Browns WR Braylon Edwards clocked one of LeBron James' homies outside of a Cleveland night club. Wait, did I say "Browns WR Braylon Edwards"? Because I meant Jets WR Braylon Edwards. Yep, that's right, Cleveland traded the embattled receiver to New York today. Obviously, the two events are mutually exclusive (I think), and LeBron doesn't have that much pull in Cleveland.

Unless he does.

I'm not saying that James had anything to do with the trade, but I wouldn't be surprised if after the altercation the following conversation took place between Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry and Browns coach Eric Mangini:

Ferry: "Yo, Eric, I'm not sure if you heard, but Braylon rocked one of LeBron's friends at a club last night. LeBron is pretty pissed."
Mangini: "What? Seriously? Where was I? Oh, that's right, polishing up my resume'. What do you want me to do about it?"
Ferry: "I'm not gonna tell you how to do your job, but you might want to get rid of him. He's been detrimental to your team lately, and the production hasn't been there. I mean, the guy led the league in drops last year and was partying with Donte' Stallworth before Donte' killed that guy."
Mangini: "Yeah, I know what you're saying. But who would want someone like what you just described?"
Ferry: "I'm glad you asked. The Jets have been pining for a receiver for some time now from what I hear. Chansi Stuckey is ok, but they need somebody better to pair with Cotchery. Maybe they'd take a chance on Braylon; the guy is still talented and may just need a fresh start."
Mangini: "Wait, New York? What? Are you just trying to trade him there so that LeBron gets mad at New York for taking him and might be more likely to remain in Cleveland this summer?"
Ferry: "Whoa, whoa. Come on, Eric, that's a lot of assuming on your part. (lying) I'm confident that LeBron will re-sign with us, regardless."
Mangini: "Alright. Well, let me talk to our people and see what they want to do. Thanks for the heads-up, Danny."
Ferry: "Hey man, any time I can help another one of our teams, I'm happy to do so. (quietly) Now if I can just find a way to get CC Sabathia to take a swing at one of LeBron's friends, I'll be set."
Mangini: "What'd you say?"
Ferry: "Huh? What? Oil? Nah man, I didn't say anything. Later, dude."

I think that's how things went down in Cleveland today. Or something like that.

~~ Lank