TheNBAScoop

Is There Hope in Phoenix?

Even the most ardent Phoenix Suns fan will admit that they have a hard time seeing how the Suns can beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers are bigger, stronger, very talented and they are the Lakers. The Suns are coming off a very emotional sweep of their arch-nemesis Spurs, providing some measure of redemption for all those previous losses where they were robbed by bad luck, unfortunate circumstances and questionable refereeing. If the players are anything like their fans, they may feel that beating the Spurs was liking winning the Super Bowl, leaving little left in the motivation gas tank for the Lakers. So, is the series over before it starts? Should the Suns just mail it in and bask in the glow of their recent victory?

There is no doubt that the Lakers are bigger and stronger. They have two, count'em two seven footers in Gasol and Bynum. Granted, Gasol's game does not rely on his physical strength, but his seemingly seven foot arms provide a strong defensive presence and on offence, he can crease his own shots down low, hit the open mid-range shot, find the open guy and, most importantly, crash the boards. Bynum is a seven foot, athletic, wide-body, a deadly combination if he wasn't so inconsistent. After that you have Lamar Odom at 6, 10" who can do all things well, tough rebounder, good slasher and can hit the open three. His one weakness is a lack of consistency, probably because he plays on such a good team that he often finds himself feeling un-needed. Then you have Ron Artist, 6"7" and 260 lbs. Tough defender with potential to get hot from the outside once in a while, usually on those very rare occasions when the Laker stars are having an off night. At guard, Derek Fisher is relatively short at 6" 1", but he is a tank who plays a very physical game on defence and like Artist, is capable of heating up from 3 point land every once in a while. Shannon brown is only 6" 4" but he plays high and strong for a guy his size.

Looking at the Suns, their "big guy" is 6"10" Amaze Stoudemire. While he is very athletic, he is not much of a banger in the paint. Remember how the Jazz made Boozer look invisible inside the paint. Could they do the same to Amare? You get by one seven footer and there's another big guy waiting there for you. Jaron Collins is 6" 11" but he has no offensive game and his defensive presence is average at best. Channing Frye is 6" 11" but everyone knows that he likes to play outside. Robin Lopez is a seven footer and defence is supposed to be his forte, but he hasn't played in several weeks and has no playoff experience. Still, if he can come back, it might even the scale just a touch.

So is this series as hopeless as it seems? Probably, but the aging Celts just knocked off the athletic Cavs who had re-tooled their team for playoff success. And the Montréal Canadiens just knocked off the Caps and the Penguins (different sport, I know) so anything is possible. But how?

First of all, size does not always win. Sometimes the battle goes to speed, and the Suns have speed. Sort of like the old battles between the big bad Celtics (front court of Parrish, McHale and Bird) vs. the Lakers aka Greyhounds. The big guys didn't always win. I think it's fairly obvious that the Suns will try to keep the game tempo up while the Lakers will try to slow it down, work the ball inside and take it from there. In order for the Suns to come out on top, they have to make, or at least hope, the Lakers miss their shots and then score on transition. That might get the Lakers off their team game and back to Kobe-ball, which would serve the Suns well.

After watching the Lakers play in their first two series, one thing that the Suns really have to emphasize is the need to limit the number of offensive rebounds by the Lakers. Gasol is a killer at put-back opportunities. Just ask the Thunder. His put-back at the end of game X was probably the deciding moment in that series. There was nothing magic about that play. He simply followed the ball to the basket and used his length to grab the rebound and make the lay-up. The Suns have to keep a body on him. If he shoots, he only gets one shot. If someone else is shooting, you cannot leave him or lose contact with him. If I was coach Gentry, I would give that defensive task to Frye. He has a very similar build so it should just be a matter of concentration.

Guarding Kobe is always a challenge but between Grant Hill, Jason Richardson and Rick Dudley, they have three capable first-line defenders. When Kobe uses Gasol to screen, the Suns will have to rotate their defenders very quickly, but these Suns (unlike all the past versions) have shown that they can do that. Even Amare moves on defence!

On the other end of the floor, the fact that Frye can hit the 3 ball could cause some problems for the Lakers as it might draw Gasol out of the paint. Remember that Amare beat Duncan several times mano a mano in the last series and while Duncan's is certainly getting on in age, he is no slouch on defence. It's hard to see anyone on the Lakers defending Amare one-on-one with a lot of success. So Amare has to expect the double team and he has to be ready to move the ball and Frye has to hit his 3's for the Suns to have a chance. And Richardson has to outplay Artist/Odom, plain and simple. He has the athleticism and the talent to do it and he has been having a great playoffs so far, so that's not an impossible task by any means.

At guard play, the match-up between Fisher and Nash will be interesting. Fisher is a tough, physical defender who could potentially wear Nash down. On the other hand, Nash could leave Fisher looking for his jock strap, like he did to George Hill. In this respect, the refereeing will be critical. If they let Fisher rough-up Nash, that will be a big blow to the Suns. If Nash makes Fisher look old and slow, the Lakers will be forced to play their younger guards more, which could have a de-stabilizing affect on the team.

Both teams have benches that can spark their teams. Here we are looking at Dudley, Admundson and Dragic vs. Brown, Farmar and Odom. Having a player like Odom to bring off the beech gives the Lakers the perception of an advantage here, but the three Suns are each capable of making major contributions. Barbosa could be an "x" factor for the Suns but his play has been so inconsistent since he came back that the Suns will be in tough shape if they have to rely on him.

I know I probably haven't convinced anyone that the Suns really do stand a chance against the Lakers, but consider this. The Jazz could have won either of the first two games in LA and really should have won game 3 at home. And they were missing two key players (Okur and Kirilenko) for all or most of the series. Several of the Jazz reserves, like Mathews, Miles and Price, looked very good against the Lakers and those guys have no better pedigree than the Suns reserves. The only game that was lopsided was game 4, but the Jazz were coming off a heart-breaking, last-second loss in game 3. And, as I mentioned earlier, the series with the Thunder was very close. So don't just judge the Lakers off Game 4 of the Jazz series and don't forget that the Suns swept the Spurs, a team , like the Lakers, with talent, size and that knows how to win.

Suns-Celtics finals? Could happen. I'm just saying.

TheNBAScoop

NBA Playoff Predictions Round By Round

TheNBAScoop

In case you haven’t heard playoffs start today, so when better to make playoff predictions! I wasn’t even going to make them but I checked out ESPN’s and Hollinger had the Jazz beating the Lakers in round two, SO I HAD TO STEP IN. Here are TheNBAScoops predictions for what should be another amazing year of playoffs. Enjoy.

Round 1

Cavs vs. Bulls

Derrick Rose has been on a tear since guaranteeing a Bulls playoff birth, Noah is back from injury and playing extremely well and the Bulls as a team (excluding the front office and coaching staff) look like they’re finally figuring themselves out. Which means absolutely nothing. Why? Well I could get into details, but I will break down the Cavs more later, and if you’re any sort of knowledgeable NBA fan you realize what Lebron and co. are capable of. Don’t be fooled into thinking the Bulls have a shot here, they simply don’t.

Prediction: Cavs in 5

Magic vs. Bobcats

If Larry Brown can somehow manage to swindle an upset here he will cement himself as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Unfortunately that is not very likely to happen. The Magic were the best team in the second half of the season while noteworthy offseason acquisition Vince Carter found his groove. The Bobcats do have some big men to give Dwight Howard trouble but even if he struggles the Magic are still a better team and the deepest in the NBA. Gerald Wallace has had a career year but he isn’t capable of leading his Bobcats to an upset of this magnitude.

Prediction: Magic in 4

Hawks vs. Bucks

Even though the Bucks have managed to keep up their good play despite the loss of Andrew Bogut they are no match for the Hawks in a seven game series without him. I don’t even think they would be with him, but you never know, they were one of the hottest teams before the injury. However the Bucks are just another one of Scott Skiles overachieving teams, and credit to him for turning the Bucks fortunes around and landing a six seed, but reality will set in fast as they play a talented Hawks team with something to prove and home court advantage.

Prediction: Hawks in 5

Celtics vs. Heat

What? An interesting first round matchup in the East? That’s right, we have our first intriguing matchup in an otherwise bleak first round in the East. Unlike the other predictions I can honestly not say with certainty who will come out the victor between these two teams. Here’s what I will say... the Celtics have been disappointing this year. The big three has failed to rejuvenate, their offseason acquisition Rasheed Wallace has not worked out to say the least (check out Bill Simmons article on him, pretty funny and true), the chemistry of the entire team has dwindled, they have seldom proved to be able to compete with the league’s elite, and Doc Rivers just announced he is likely stepping down after this season. To be honest, I saw none of this coming before the season started. The Heat on the other hand, well nothing new here really, Dwayne Wade looks to carry another sorry cast of players to the second round. Michael Beasley has been on and off but overall still rather disappointing, and no one else has really stepped up for the Heat this season. However an over achieving team with a polished superstar is better than an aging underachieving team with questionable chemistry.

Prediction: Heat in 6

Lakers vs. Thunder

Let me just start off by saying I’m so thankful the Lakers didn’t get the Royless Blazers in the first round, now they have someone who can give them a run for their money. Surely I don’t think the Thunder will beat the Lakers....well I don’t. But I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened, and if the Thunder hadn’t slumped like the Lakers coming into the postseason I might actually predict it. Kevin Durant is a monster and Derrick Fisher simply won’t know how to handle Russell Westbrook, but the Lakers are too talented, deep and experienced to let this one get away from them. Phil Jackson has already sent a message to the officiating so look for your usual biased Laker-calls early on, but that’s a whole different article right there.

Prediction: Lakers in 6

Spurs Mavericks

Can you say bad blood? This to me is the most intriguing matchup of the entire first round and for a number of reasons. First off like I just said there is a ton of bad blood between these two franchises and this isn’t the first time they’ve met in the postseason, but mainly because these teams are so even and it really could go either way. The Spurs are the bigger question mark coming into this series, they haven’t been healthy all year, however they finished the season extremely strong. The Mavs on the other hand have been more consistent all year long though they didn’t enter the playoffs as hot as the Spurs. It’s a tough call but I’m going to go with the Mavs, here’s why. They have an MVP candidate in Dirk, they added a former all-star in Butler, they have a polished hall of fame point guard who can now shoot the ball in Jason Kidd, and they have home court. In other words the Mavs have a lot more answers then questions opposed to the Spurs, that’s why they advance.

Prediction: Mavs in 5

Suns vs. Blazers

Ya, the Suns got really F***** lucky here. The poor Blazers are once again injury riddled, this time it involves their franchise player Brandon Roy. I could analyze further here but I’m tired, I mean what else really needs to be said? Sure the Blazers might take a game or even two, but there’s simply no way Nash and Stoudamire fall to this team without Roy and Oden (oh wait, Oden doesn’t really make a difference, it’s not like I’d change my prediction if he was playing. Ok that might be a little harsh but I’ve seen that man naked with a doo rag on so I’m lacking a little respect for him. What? Don’t act like you haven’t too.)

Prediction: Suns in 5

Jazz vs. Nuggets

You know what I’m just going to come clean and say it, I have no idea what is going to happen in this series, I’m sorry I don’t. I could fake it and pretend like I’m confident and have good reason for believing one team will emerge over the other.... screw it I’ll just do that! The Jazz looked rather weak to end the season, they played down to opponents and lost crucial games as well as dealt with injury woes. The problem here is you could replace the Jazz with Nuggets in that sentence and it would make just as much sense. So you really could make an argument for either team here, but I’m going to go with my gut and give the Nuggets the go ahead. They should be playing with a lot of emotion as their leader George Karl is battling cancer and Melo will be the most talented player in this series. They also have veteran leadership in a number of players (though we’ll just stick to Chauncey and Melo because I can’t really take K-Mart seriously when all I see is what looks to be my grandmothers lipstick on his neck) and a potential game breaker in J.R/Earl Smith. If Deron Williams and Boozer get going however I would not be surprised if the Jazz advanced.

Prediction: Nuggets in 6

Round 2

Cavs vs. Heat

I like Wade, I really do, and I honestly think if he’s on his game you could make an argument he is the hardest player in the league to stop. The problem here is he would have to be on his game all game every game for the Heat to have a chance because after him and LeBron the Cavs are an overwhelmingly better team. It will be an interesting series to watch though as there is the possibility Wade will give Varejao his second “Kodac moment” of the season (if you haven’t already seen this insane dunk I’m telling you it will be worth your while to youtube it, try “Varejao stripped of his manhood” or “Varejao gets face time with Wade’s reproductive organs.”

Prediction: Cavs in 5

Magic vs. Hawks

Unfortunately for the Hawks their visions of proving everybody wrong and coming out of the East end here. The Magic are exactly what the Hawks have trouble with, a disciplined team that is exceptionally deep at every position and has the best big man in the game. Zaza seems like a really nice guy but I can’t see this matchup going well for him as Dwight Howard will be looking to warm up his offensive repertoire for Shaq. The Hawks big three could present some trouble for the Magic and they will certainly not be a rollover by any means, but in the end it’s just hard to imagine an improved Magic team from last year would follow up last year’s finals appearance with a disappointing loss here.

Prediction: Magic in 7

Lakers vs. Nuggets

Let me just start off by saying the Nuggets should have beaten the Lakers in last year’s Western Conference Finals, but they weren’t disciplined enough. And for that same reason I can’t predict they will beat them this year although I think it’s very possible. Kobe and co. know how dangerous the Nuggets can be if they gather momentum so look for them to take care of business early on. Anyone knows the Nuggets are collectively bipolar, and if they get into a 0-2 hole, which is very possible, it’s hard to imagine them keeping their heads up and pulling themselves out of it especially without their coach and the likes of J.R Smith and Kenyon Martin aboard.

Prediciton: Lakers in 6

Mavs vs. Suns

A Great potential matchup here, in fact a rematch of the 07 Western Conference finals. The Suns are more like 10 seconds or less now but nonetheless still very affective and even arguably better (but certainly not more loveable!) This is a tough series to predict, there are so many factors and variables that come into play. Look for Stoudamire to be absolutely dominant if this series happens, not sure who they will use to guard him but if they use Dirk they should be careful he doesn’t get into foul trouble. Nash should play with a vengeance for a number of reasons and guys like Jason Richardson and Grant Hill are finally getting the big game opportunity they’ve desired. With that being said, I’m still not convinced the Suns have changed enough or even improved enough for that matter to beat what is basically the same team that beat them three years ago except with Jason Kidd at PG and Butler/Haywood added to the mix. And as dominant as Amare may be Dirk will likely come close to matching that, and the Mavs are a deeper team and won’t run out of gas as fast as the Suns plus they have home court.

Prediction: Mavs in 5

Eastern Conference Finals

Cavs vs. Magic

Does anyone else agree with me that it would have been reasonable for David Stern to come out at the beginning of the season and say “ok guys, we all know what’s going to happen in the Eastern Conference, so to save time and energy we are just going to play out the West this year and fast-forward the East to the Conference finals.” Either way here we are again. And I’m not saying that with a sombre attitude, I would be genuinely excited to see a rematch of these two powerhouses. My first instinct tells me to go with the Magic, they are a deeper team with better chemistry and arguably more all around talent. Their offense is extremely spread out unlike the Cavs and you never know who will get hot and carry the team whereas you’d be happy to see anybody but #23 do it on Cleveland. Plus, it took Michael Jordan two years before he broke through and conquered his kryptonite the Detroit Pistons. However, LeBron makes Jordan look like a school girl who forgot her lines in a play. Just kidding, I just wanted to see how many people I could anger for a second (though it is debatable who is a better player and I would appreciate any feedback or opinions on that matter.) Back to what I was saying, even with all that said about the Magic I think the Cavs will push through and get the job done this year. No, Jamison and Shaq are not the reasons, the reason is was and always will be Lebron James. The man is now starving for that title and the league is ready to give it to him (anyone know if Donaughy is out yet?) He does have a better supporting cast around him, so I guess ya to some degree those guys are part of the reason, but don’t be a fool, this series only has one dependant variable.

Prediction: Cavs in 7

Western Conference Finals

Lakers vs Mavs

I know what you’re probably thinking, real risky of me picking both 1 and 2 seeds to make it to both conference finals, but let me briefly defend myself. Simply put you’d be an idiot to predict any other outcome in the East, (not saying it’s impossible for say Atlanta to make it to the conference finals but a logical person wouldn’t predict it) and almost all seeds two through eight in the West have a legit shot of getting this far, so my Mavs prediction really had nothing to do with their seeding, though the home court does help of course. Nevertheless here we are in what would be a fantastic series to see, although at this point you really couldn’t have a matchup that wouldn’t be. The Lakers return for the third straight year while the Mavs make their first appearance in this round since their infamous trip to the finals in 07. These teams matchup well with each other, Derrick Fisher can play with Jason Kidd at this point in his career, Butler can do a decent job on Kobe while providing a viable option at the offensive end, Marion and Artest will shut each other down, and Dirk and Pau will be a matchup for the ages. The Lakers will continue to bring off the best sixth man in the game in Lamar Odom but the Mavs have a solid and much deeper bench after that. This has been a good all around year for the Mavs, their trades have worked out for the most part and everyone seems to know their role. The Mavs also look like they are enjoying themselves on a nightly basis unlike the Lakers. Why? Well, once again Kobe has his teammates walking on stilts as he continues to attempt to cement himself as one of the greatest. For that reason I could see things getting ugly quickly for the Lakers. They have already proven to be quite beatable in the regular season and if things get down early don’t expect Kobe to keep his cool and revive his teammates. And against this team he can’t do it alone, it has to be a team contribution if they want to get the job done. The Mavs on the other hand have to realize that it might be now or never, so expect them to bring their A game all series.

Prediction: Mavs in 6

Finals

Cavs vs. Mavs

It will be a good matchup whoever makes it to the finals this year because on either side you have to be playing great basketball to get this far. If the Cavs get here it means they got it together and defeated the resilient Orlando Magic in a seven game series and if the Mavs make it it means they’ve won three tough series and find themselves on an extreme high. High enough to be the Cavs? (Should I rephrase that?) I guess it’s possible, if I’m predicting them to beat the Lakers you could argue that I should predict them to beat the Cavs, but I won’t. And once again it’s due to my dependant variable LeBron James. If that man gets to the finals again there is no chance, NO CHANCE, he loses to anyone. Sub in the Lakers, Suns, Spurs, he will find a way to beat them, and with home court advantage there is no reason to think he couldn’t. The Mavs will give them some trouble as they are deeper at the guard position and have an influx of veteran leadership. Two guys, Dirk and Kidd, will also be hungrier than ever as they know a ring would drastically alter how they go down in history. And I wish them well in their quest for that, but it’s going to be very difficult to achieve. They will be facing two powerhouses in LeBron James and the refs. Think about it, the leagues icon and King returns back to the finals for the second time and makes a deep playoff run for the fifth consecutive year, do you really think they would like to see him lose from a marketing stand point. Wouldn’t seem like much of a “King” to me if that happened. So for the second time the Mavs will fall victim to questionable officiating in the finals, although I can’t imagine it being as bad as it was three years ago with Wade and certainly not anywhere near the repulsive Kings/Lakers level back in 2002. It wouldn’t be impossible for the Mavs to upset the Cavs here, they would have to take care of business at home and win at least one of the first two in Cleveland. In other words, they would most likely have to get the job done in six games, and frankly I don’t see that happening. So congrats LeBron, you have earned your first crown in my books. Which in the end means absolutely nothing.

Should be some great playoffs this year, hope you all enjoy. I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions on my predictions as I know we all have our own view of how things will go down.

TheNBAScoop

Fraser Wayne

Over the last several weeks trade talks regarding Tracy McGrady have seem to hit a brick wall. The most prevalent trade rumour we have heard has been one involving Andre Igoudala and the Philadelphia 76ers however the Rockets seem frightened by Igoudala’s long contract. According to Tracy he has been 100 percent and ready to go for quite some time now, yet people still remain highly sceptical and you know what? I don’t blame them. There is no doubt that the off injured guard has gobs of talent and when he puts his mind to it he’s one of the best in the NBA but reliability and consistency have always been issues for T-Mac. In some regards McGrady’s story is very similar to “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” only Tracy is not a boy anymore and he’s not crying wolf. Instead he has let his game be determined by talent rather than work ethic. Dating back to his Orlando day’s people questioned whether Tracy was giving it his all every night. To no avail he told the media he would take games off the year that the Magic started 1-19. It seems teams have remained hesitant in trading for the 7 time all-star because, like in the story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, teams have a hard time believing that this time, at age 30; McGrady is finally serious about basketball.

On a much lighter note as the trade deadline nears Tracy McGrady’s chances of playing this season only increase. Whether a team looking to salvage their season trades for him or a contender just wants to add another weapon to their arsenal, there is still hope for the 2-time scoring champ. Below is a brief list of the teams that have expressed interest in Tracy McGrady at some point this season:

Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers have been the frontrunner in trade discussion involving McGrady. It seems there is some interest from both sides however with the economy in its current state and the “Summer of LeBron” (free agency period) upcoming the Rockets shiver at the thought of Andre Igoudala’s remaining 4 years $56 million dollar contract.

Chicago Bulls: An intriguing deal was rumoured about a week ago that had T-Mac going to Chicago in exchange for Brad Miller, John Salmons and Jerome James (expiring contract). If Tracy is as healthy as he says this trade could be very beneficial for both teams. This gives Houston a passing center in Brad Miller and Chicago another scorer and playmaker to compliment Derrick Rose.

Washington Wizards: There has been little speculation about the Wizards showing interest in McGrady but it is speculation nonetheless. A change of scenery seems inevitable in Washington this year so this may very well be a possibility. The key trading piece for the Wiz would be Caron Butler.

New York Knicks: Earlier in the season the Knicks seems very interested in renting out McGrady’s services for half a season but talks have died down since then. Houston is looking for young talent, well any talent actually but New York pretty much can only offer expiring contracts and cap relief.

For Tracy McGrady fans out there you’re probably thinking “Oh man all these teams are average at best.” Yes they are but if McGrady wants to resurrect his career he will have to prove to people that he can still play and it will likely be on a bad team. Of course there is the possibility that a contending team takes a risk on him or Houston agrees to a buyout but let’s be real folks. Hopefully for Tracy McGrady he does not end up like the boy who cried wolf (he got eaten by the wolf for anyone still wondering) as he can still be a high impact player for many teams.

Zach Sinclair

TheNBAScoop

Click to read Amare Stoudemire: A Wanted Man

With the all-star weekend soon approaching I figured it was time to show you who REALLY deserves a spot in the infamous game. As you probably have observed over the years, fan voting usually skews the starting line-ups quite badly. This year is no exception, with the likes of Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett in the starting fold one has to wonder when the league will take away the fan voting all together. Until then, I’ve compiled a list of the “should be” players in the all-star game by looking at stats and team records. Hope you enjoy, give me your feedback especially if you feel I snubbed someone.

West starters:

Steve Nash: Don’t think Nash should be starting? Here’s a fun fact that might change your mind, through 47 games this season Nash is averaging nearly as many points and MORE assists then when he won back to back MVP’s a few years ago. He’s doing all this with a much less talented team then he had to work with back then, and in the mean time the Suns are right in the playoff mix in a competitive West.

Kobe Bryant: Another incredible year for the future hall of famer. Bryant is posting his usual impressive stat-line and has his Lakers on their toes as they look to repeat for the first time since their three-peat between 2000-2002. Not much else to say here, his play speaks for itself and anyone who knows basketball knows Bryant is an all-star.

Carmelo Anthony: Although he has cooled down from his MVP calibre play at the beginning of the season Carmelo Anthony is still putting up remarkable numbers including a career high 29ppg. To top that off, Anthony’s Nuggets are currently sitting at 2nd place in the West and that’s coping with all the injuries they have key players. If the Nuggets can solve those injury woes look for them to challenge the Lakers for the number one spot.

Carlos Boozer: Probably the toughest call at any position in either conference, but in the end it came down to Boozer or Duncan getting the starting nod. The deciding factor? Boozer’s Jazz are 4-0 against the Spurs this season, and considering his team has a better record and his stats are slightly better Boozer is probably deserving. Boozer is averaging an impressive 19.4ppg and 10.8rpg while shooting 54% from the floor. Even with these impressive stats it remains to be seen if the Jazz will hang on to the power forward or deal him before the Feb 19th deadline.

Tim Duncan: I kind of felt like an idiot after debating for twenty minutes who should start between Boozer and Duncan when I realized, hey, they can both start. Mr. Fundamental is also Mr. Consistent as he has shown no drop off statistically despite turning 34 this spring.

West Reserves (no particular order):

Dirk Nowitzki: Another solid year for Disco Dirk, he’s averaging 25.2ppg and 7.9rpg while shooting just under 40% from the land beyond. The Mavs are also right up there in the West as they sit just four and a half games back of the Lakers for first place.

Kevin Durant: The third year man continues to improve on his unruly stats from a year ago by posting career highs in points, assists and rebounds (29.3, 3.0, 7.3.) As impressive as that stat line is, not one of those categories is better than LeBron’s numbers in his third year. But even the fact that I’m comparing him to LeBron tells you just how good this kid is. His team is also just a surprising one game out of a playoff spot as Durant will look to carry OKC to their first playoff berth in franchise history.

Chris Paul: Chris Paul continues to make something out of nothing in the Big Easy. No other Hornet is even being considered for the all-star team yet Paul manages to post 20.1ppg and 11.1apg. Imagine if this guy had something to work with.

Deron Williams: This would surprisingly be Deron Williams’ first all-star game appearance. But contrary to what I said about Rondo earlier, it is more of an attribute to the depth and talent at the PG position in the West then to Williams not being all-star worthy. He consistently posts great numbers and always has the Jazz in the hunt. His numbers are actually down from a season ago, but they are still impressive and a spot here is long overdue for the fifth year Olympic champion.

Amare Stoudamire: Stoudamire is one of the most frustrating players to watch. Some nights he’ll show up and others you’ll spend the entire game wondering if he’s hurt or something. The guy has all the athleticism in the world and an incredible point guard to work with yet can never seem to take the next step in his game. He’s averaging his lowest PPG in three years, but his numbers across the board are still imposing. I guess a career average of 21ppg and 9rpg isn’t the worst thing in the world, but when you’re posting better numbers when you were 22 opposed to 28 one has to question your work ethic.

Brandon Roy: Brandon Roy is really taking over as the team’s leader this year. He has kept the Blazers among the best despite Greg Oden suffering his second season ending injury and a bunch of injuries to other players on the team. The Blazers have proven to be the most resilient team in the league and much of that should be attributed to the consistent play of their promising fourth year guard.

Zach Randolph: Yes ladies and gentlemen Zach Randolph is all-star worthy. Not because of the numbers he’s posting (21.0ppg and 11.6rpg) but because of his teams surprising success. What? All a sudden caused Randolph’s individual statistics to rub off on the team’s success, I don’t know and I’ll probably never know, but at this point I’m just going to let it be.

Eastern Conference "Should Be" All-Stars

Fraser Wayne

TheNBAScoop

With the all-star weekend soon approaching I figured it was time to show you who REALLY deserves a spot in the infamous game. As you probably have observed over the years, fan voting usually skews the starting line-ups quite badly. This year is no exception, with the likes of Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett in the starting fold one has to wonder when the league will take away the fan voting all together. Until then, I’ve compiled a list of the “should be” players in the all-star game by looking at stats and team records. Hope you enjoy, give me your feedback especially if you feel I snubbed someone.

East starters:

Rajon Rondo: Unfortunately for Rondo the fact that he’s the starting PG here is more of an attribute to the lack of talent at the point guard position in the Eastern conference than it is to his all-star worthiness. That being said, Rondo is putting up career highs in both points and assists (14.9 and 9.7) and is one of the main reasons the Celtics are still considered a contending team. Rondo is a good player at this point but if he wants to become a mainstay at the all-star game he needs to start taking control of games himself.

Dwayne Wade: After a slow start by Mr. Wade’s standards, the 2006 finals MVP has gotten back on track while leading a sub-par Heat team into the playoff picture. It’s more of a waiting game at this point for Wade, we all know what this guy’s capable of but until the Heat organization surrounds him with somewhat of a formidable line-up we won’t see Wade in the finals again anytime soon.

LeBron James: Roughly half way through the season LeBron is the clear favourite for MVP as his team has the best record, which includes two man-handlings of Kobe’s Lakers. Oh and did I mention he’s averaging 29.9ppg, 7.8apg and 7.2rpg? That alone will usually earn you a starting spot in the all-star game.

Chris Bosh: The Raptors woes early on had nothing to do with the play of Chris Bosh. He’s putting up career highs in both points and rebounds (23.9 and 11.1) and is the only reason why the Raptors are holding a playoff spot at all. A leader both vocally and by example, Bosh is the best player the Raptors franchise has ever had and they will be lucky if they retain his services this offseason.

Dwight Howard: Overall I’m rather disappointed with Dwight Howard this season. He’s showed absolutely zero improvement on the offensive end after last year’s lacklustre finals appearance and his team is underachieving. Nonetheless he is still averaging 17.4ppg and 13.3rpg, but both are the lowest totals he’s produced in three years.

East Reserves (No particular order):

David Lee: Yes his Knicks are 18-26 but it’s hard to imagine where they would be without him. David Lee has drawn a lot of attention as the league’s potential most improved player, and deservingly so. Lee has expanded his offensive repertoire, going from a below average shooter to a well above average shooter. His career high in scoring average (19.4ppg) is largely attributed to this newfound ability to connect from long range and as the season continues things should only get better for the upcoming FA.

Derrick Rose: A slow start had some worried and the coach on the hot seat. Nevertheless, Rose has managed to turn his game around while putting the team on his shoulders as he righted the ship. The second year point guard continues to impress as he’s averaging just under 20ppg while shooting an impressive 48% from inside the three. A natural born leader, Rose should have no problem guiding the Bulls into the playoffs this spring.

Antawn Jamison: Ok you’re probably wondering what happened to the whole team record thing, wasn’t that supposed to be a factor? Well, the Wizards measly 14 wins so far doesn’t bode well for Jamison but there is only so much you can expect one man to do. I’m sure you’re aware of all the Wizards drama this season so I won’t get into it, but take in mind Jamison has single handily kept this franchise from hitting absolute chaos. He’s not just a character guy and a vocal leader but at the age of 33 he’s averaging nearly a double-double while shooting a better percentage from the floor then he has in six years. Well deserved spot.

Joe Johnson: Joe Johnson has been a model of consistency for years and this year is no exception. With the Hawks only half a game out of second spot in the East, Johnson is definitely deserving of an all-star spot. His only career high is coming in rebounds but he continues to shoot the ball at a high percentage and lead his team to victories.

Josh Smith: The other Hawk I put on the list is Josh Smith, and I don’t think anyone would disagree. He is another candidate for the NBA’s most improved player award, although I’m not sure that would be the best way to describes Smith’s season as he isn’t putting up career highs in any category. Josh Smith ultimately earns an all-star spot due to his maturity (has shot next to no threes this season) and the Hawks great success.

Andrew Bogut: Andrew Bogut is well deserving of an all-star spot in my opinion, the fifth year man is averaging a career high 16ppg while playing in more games than he did all last year. His back problems seemed to have disappeared and if that continues to be the case then Milwaukee might have a franchise centre on their hands for years to come.

Paul Pierce: Paul Pierce is averaging his lowest point total since his rookie year, however he is still putting up impressive numbers and is one of if not the biggest factor in the ultimate success of the Celtics. In the five game stretch where Peirce was out with an injury the Celtics managed to drop three straight games, they only have thirteen losses on the year...

Western Conference "Should Be All-Star's

Fraser Wayne

TheNBAScoop

 It’s that time of year again in the NBA! Less than a month away from the annual trade deadline and basketball fans are on their heels with anticipation for the first significant trade to go down. It’s just a matter of time before a team cracks and gives in to an attractive deal that will, in theory, cause a domino effect of trades. Although this year we will likely see expiring contracts get tossed around like a rag doll it should make for a very interesting month.

For many players this part of the season is stressful and to be brutally honest probably annoying as hell. For Amar’e Stoudemire however it’s just another month in the life of STAT. He has hands down been the most actively discussed trade bait in the last several weeks but to him this is nothing new. He has been at odds with the Phoenix Suns on several occasions in the past and was on the trading block last February as well. Predicting what uniform Stoudemire will be wearing after Feb 19th is nearly impossible as it seems every team and their dog have been interested in the perennial All-star at some point this season. It may be in the Suns best interest to trade him this year as he has an option to opt out of his contract after this season and has expressed interest in playing for a larger market earlier this season. One thing we know for certain is whichever team decides to roll the dice on the 6’10 power forward they must be willing to pay big money. In Amare’s opinion, more than Lakers power forward Pau Gasol who makes $16.5 million this season. So... basically $20 million dollars a year. Below is a list of teams that have been rumoured (key word) to have interest in Amar’e Stoudemire:

New Jersey Nets - Strange: yes. Plausible: absolutely. If the Suns are to trade Amar’e before the deadline New Jersey has a plethora of young talent in exchange for a much needed star. Nets players that have been linked are Yi Jianlian, Chris Douglas- Roberts, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams. Source: ESPN

Cleveland Cavaliers- The Cavs front office apparently made a phone call to the Suns to discuss a potential trade regarding Stoudemire but nothing has come to fruition. Source: ESPN

Miami Heat - The Heat have been linked to Stoudemire since last season however Miami would have to include Michael Beasley which may turn them off from this trade. Source: ESPN

Minnesota Timberwolves- According to Chad Ford from ESPN the Wolves have a significant amount of interest in acquiring STAT. The intriguing aspect of this deal is that it may involve Ricky Rubio who would be a perfect fit in Phoenix’s offense and could learn tons from the aging Nash. Source: ESPN

Chicago Bulls- The Bulls have been seeking a dominant big man for some time now and Amar’e could be the ticket. A trade that involves Kirk Hinrich or Luol Deng with Tyrus Thomas (who is similar to Amar’e in athleticism) has been rumoured. Source: Sports Illustrated.

New York Knicks- New York has been speculated as a possible destination for Stoudemire because he enjoys playing for Mike D’Antoni and New York is one of the biggest markets in the NBA. No specific deals have been rumoured at this point. Source: ESPN.

Detroit Pistons- With the Pistons eager to make deals Stoudemire has been on their target list recently however it is not known who Detroit would give up. Source: Hoopshype.

San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs need to make a significant move if they want to contend for another championship. Rumours have surfaced that the Spurs will talk with the Suns about trading for Stoudemire. The question is can San Antonio provide enough pieces to entice the Suns.

With many teams inquiring about Amar’e Stoudemire Phoenix has many options. The key will be finding a team where Amar’e will be happy and the Suns will receive enough value back. If they cannot find a happy medium Stoudemire could very likely finish the season in Phoenix.

Zach Sinclair

TheNBAScoop

Click to read Tracy McGrady: An Unwanted Man

The Grim Future of the Toronto Raptors

It is no secret that the Toronto Raptors are one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA thus far. Sitting at a dismal 13-17 overall record, the Raptors would hardly qualify for a playoff spot in the porous Eastern Conference if the season ended today. When you try and break down the Raptors problems it becomes more of a pick your poison type of game as there seems to be so many glaring holes with this team. The biggest of their many problems is their defence as they rank last in nearly every defensive category, particularly points against, where they’re giving up a whopping 107ppg. Offensively they are managing to put up solid numbers, but when your defence is so bad that you’re practically getting assists on most of your opponent’s baskets you’re not going to win many games. However, it is not the Raptors problems this season I am concerned about, but rather the future of the franchise itself.

What will Chris Bosh do come seasons end? That seems to be all Raptors fans talk about these days, and rightfully so. Bosh has led the team in points and rebounds for a number of years now and continues to turn heads with his development and overall skill set. The problem is, even with all of the great things Bosh brings to the table each night the Raptors have never found a way to win consistently with him. That, plus other notable variables such as Toronto’s cold climate have most people predicting this will be Bosh’s last season in Toronto. If that indeed turns out to be the case the Raptors would be left with a nucleus of Bargnani, Turkoglu and Calderon, which would put Indiana’s title of most boring team in the NBA in great jeopardy. It seems as though the Raptors just got out of a rebuilding phase after Vince Carter stabbed the franchise in the back and ingrained himself as one of the most selfish players of all time. Now, with Bosh’s likely departure on the horizon, the Raptor’s find themselves in a state of disarray. What should the Raptors do? They could bank on Bosh staying loyal to the Raptors or they could try and swindle a sign and trade before the trade deadline so they don’t end up with nothing if he does decide to leave. Either way the Raptors are not in a terribly great position.

Let’s be optimistic, let’s say Bosh re-signs. Phew, Raptors are saved! Right? Well, no actually, the Raptors wouldn’t be all good and merry if Bosh re-signs. Not unless you consider the Raptors well off in their current state, because essentially they would be the exact same team next year if he did re-sign. Any money to sign other free agents would be swallowed up in the ridiculous contract Bosh would have to receive to make him think twice about staying north of the border. So maybe the Raptors are better off to let Chris Bosh go? If they did they could target less touted free agents like Rudy Gay, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer (the list is actually quite long and intriguing, you just don’t hear about any of these guys because of the hoopla surrounding LeBron and company). Maybe a mix of some of these free agents would make for a better team than solely locking up Chris Bosh long term. The only problem with this route is the Raptors aren’t exactly the most enticing franchise for free agents, especially if Bosh leaves. And, like if the re-signed Bosh, they would have to overpay any other free agent greatly as incentive to join the mess Colangelo has created. The Raptors front office has their work cut out for them in the near future, it should be interesting to see which route they take. One thing I would do for sure if I were them would be to go back and inspect Turkoglu’s contract to see if there is a refund policy in case the item purchased doesn’t work.

The biggest long term issue surrounding the Toronto Raptors if Chris Bosh were to leave wouldn’t be the initial hit the team would take from a win/loss point of view but rather the question of whether or not the Raptors can withhold great players for the majority of their careers. The Raptors have had plenty of great players walk out on them, Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and now possibly Bosh. How does a franchise build and convince players that Toronto is a great place to play if they can’t even sustain their own draft picks? It seems the Raptors go in circles, drafting great players (sometimes) and then seeing them depart for greener pastures. So, Bosh’s status as to whether he re-signs or not isn’t just important for the Raptors near future, it’s integral for sending a message to the rest of the league and all the up and coming young players that the Raptors are indeed a franchise capable of winning and supporting great players. If they fail to re-sign him the pattern of losing their franchise players will only get stronger, making it extremely difficult for the Raptors to ever assemble anything close to a contending team.

Fraser Wayne

TheNBAScoop

The Curious Case of Andre Miller

Recent reports indicating the Portland Trailblazers are looking to jettison disgruntled PG Andre Miller are hardly surprising as Miller's relationship with the team has been strained from opening day, which really makes you wonder about the competence of the people involved. When Miller signed his three year $21 million deal with Portland as a free agent this summer, his arrival was heralded by both GM Kevin Pritchard and coach Nate MacMillan. "He is one of the league's ironmen who brings a wealth of veteran leadership to our team and is a great fit for our young and improving roster," Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard said in a public statement at the time. "Our coach is very happy,'' he added. In a newspaper report on July 26 in the Oregonian, Miller was also reported as being coach MacMillan's top choice of available free agents. "I felt like I kind of knew him (Miller) already,'' McMillan said. "Because in a sense, we were similar as players, as far as not being great scorers or shooters, but we made our teams better because of our feel for the game and our I.Q.''

What were Pritchard and MacMillan thinking? Brandon Roy had already established himself as the floor general of the Trailblazers and he is in the early stages of what looks to be a long and promising career in the NBA. Andre Miller is a good player but anyone who has watched him play knows that he likes to control the ball when he is on the floor and he is more of a scorer than a playmaker. Over his career his points-per-game (PPG) game of 14.5 is about double his assist-per-game (APG) of 7.5. In the last two years, as the PG for the 76ers, that ratio was well above double so it's not like there was any evidence that he was settling into a playmaker's role. Compare that to someone like Jason Kidd, who the Trailblazers were also reportedly looking at acquiring, who's PPG/APG ratio in recent years is about even. And now look at Brandon Roy: his scoring to assist ratio over the past two years is about 4 to 1. So how were these guys ever going to co-exist on the floor. Statistically, It was an obvious mismatch from the start and that's how it has played out in real life with Miller starting the season on the bench, much to his chagrin.

Fortunately for both parties, there is a decent probability that they will be able to unwind this situation as Miler's contract is only guaranteed for two years and, unlike Elton Brand, Miller looks like he can still play the game at the level he has demonstrated in the past. An obvious place for Miller to go would have been back to Philadelphia, given the long term injury suffered by his replacement, Louis Williams, but now that the 76ers have re-signed Iverson it seems unlikely. On the other hand, his signing with Portland seemed unlikely too, so you never know.

Fraser Wayne

TheNBAScoop

Misfits of the NBA

In order for a team to be competitive in the NBA nowadays they need to meet certain criteria that correlate strongly with success. Included in the criteria are fundamental team aspects like chemistry, depth, talent, poise, and having a team leader. Every team needs to have at least one guy who represents the face of the franchise, a player who excels in certain aspects of the game well above others. Without this “franchise player” teams often struggle to put up numbers in the win column and find themselves in a state of transition known as rebuilding mode. However, what happens if the franchise player of the team isn’t the right guy for the job? What if this player is being pushed out by a different system or better younger players and can’t find the success level he used to? Here is a look at a few NBA players who at least at some point in time were considered to be franchise players but would be better off somewhere else.

Michael Redd: Redd is clearly a fantastic player and also a great teammate according to those who have played alongside him. He has the ability to take over games with his long range shooting and if he gets hot he becomes a nightmare for any opponent. That being said, why would Milwaukee want to part ways with a guy like that? For starters, Redd turned 30 last August and played a total of 33 games last season due to a ligament tear in his knee. He had surgery immediately following the injury and rehabbed all offseason, but just two games into this season he re-aggravated the injury and hasn’t played a game since. His numbers have also been steadily declining for a couple of years now making some people think we have seen the best of Michael Redd. With Scott Skiles behind the bench now the Bucks have taken a more defensive minded approach to their games, a category that does not fall under Redd’s specialties. The Bucks also selected Brandon Jennings with the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft and he seems to have taken over the role of primary scorer for the team. Whenever Redd does come back from his recent knee injury his presence will most likely be beneficial, but it could cause some unrest to an otherwise solid Bucks team. There are a lot of contenders out there who could use Redd’s uncanny shooting ability and great leadership skills, and at this stage of his career I don’t think he would have any objection to relocating. Even though he is a great teammate and a fan favourite, (10 seasons with Bucks) they would be better off trading him for draft picks and focusing on building around their young players. Getting rid of Redd would also free up a lot of cap space for next summer’s free agent bonanza.

Redd is having trouble staying healthy and finding success as of late, prompting some to the think the Bucks should move on

Elton Brand: The Elton Brand experiment has been nothing short of a disaster so far in Philadelphia and with the recent rumors speculating that he will soon be demoted from the starting line-up there’s no sign of things turning around. When the 76ers signed him two years ago to that lucrative 6yr 82 million dollar contract they had their doubters, and rightfully so. Brand was coming off reconstructive Achilles surgery and was expected to adapt to a new offense and a new environment (Note to self: If you ever become an NBA GM don’t hand out large amounts of money to players coming off reconstructive anything). Brand played a total of 29 games last season while posting 13.8ppg which is well below his career average. Things have not picked up this season either as his numbers are dipping even further (10.3ppg) as he continues to struggle with Eddie Jordan’s Princeton offense. With Brand turning 30 this March it is understandable to see why some believe Brand’s best days are behind him. The man did post great numbers for eight years before coming Philadelphia so it’s not impossible to think that he might eventually get his stuff together and start producing, but with the way things are going the chances of that seem rather slim. This puts the 76ers in a really tough spot as Brand eats up a huge chunk of salary making him non-expendable. Its clear things aren’t working out for either party here and I’m sure the 76ers would jump the gun on practically any trade offer that gets Brand off their back. Until then just keep hoping and praying the old Elton Brand comes to play 76ers fans because at this point there seems to be no other cure.

Brand has yet to show 76ers fans why he is worth the 82 million dollar contract he signed 2 yrs ago

Tracy McGrady: T-Mac is an easy candidate to write about in this context simply because he qualifies as a misfit franchise player for so many reasons. I could put together a two hour seminar on the injuries this guy has been through as of late but we are probably all aware so I’ll spare you the details, just keep them in mind. So, other than the fact that McGrady has the ability to defy injuries like an egg shell the biggest reason he no longer fits with the Rockets stems from the teams great success without him. After he went out last year, the Rockets proved how “valuable” he really is to the franchise, putting together great winning streaks and ultimately ending up taking the Lakers to 7 games. Why are the Rockets better off without McGrady? Under Rick Adelman the Rockets offensive philosophy revolves around team play. This team play is achieved through ball movement and communication and ultimately ends up extracting production from every player who see’s court time. When McGrady plays, this ball movement is brought to a halt and everyone’s production falters. Now that McGrady practically needs medical assistance when driving to the basket, he tends to put up a lot of “tough” jump-shots that result in a low % and break the team flow. The Rockets also went out and acquired swingman Trevor Ariza who is showing great promise. With Ariza taking over the 2 spot, Aaron Brooks holding down the point and Mr. Reliable Shane Battier starting at small forward where does that leave McGrady? Coming off the bench? Something tells me he wouldn’t like that. As much as I’ve hated on McGrady he does have a lot of talent and I would be willing to bet he has a little bit left in the tank. But whatever production he does have left it would be better suited for another franchise.

Honourable Mentions:

Carlos Boozer

Tyrus Thomas

Rudy Gay

Fraser Wayne

TheNBAScoop

I Want What He's Having

Notwithstanding last nights drubbing at the hands of the Lakers, the Phoenix Suns are the feel-good story of the young season in the NBA. I have already speculated on the possibility that their amazing turnaround might be attributable to their off-season jettison of Shaq, but there is clearly another factor at play here. If you watch the nightly or weekly NBA highlights, you will see a plethora of highlight reel plays involving Steve Nash. I think I have already seen more no-look/behind the back/through the legs highlight passes from Nash this year than I saw all of last year. Last year's Suns, including Nash, looked tired and lost. This year's Suns are fast and creative and that all emanates from their rejuvenated point guard.

Let's hope that last night's game against the Lakers was an aberration. After all, it was the second game in two nights on the road, which is tough anytime but especially if the second game is in Staples Centre. If you only look at the stat line you'll think that Nash had an off-night with just 5 assists but when you see that his two main scorers, Stoudemire and Richardson, were a combined 4-24, its clear assists were hard to come by last night. There were a lot of good feeds tonight that just weren't finished and you can't blame Nash for that.

Heading into last night's matchup, Nash was leading the league in assists by a fairly wide margin, was tied for the league lead in double-doubles, 7th in the league for scoring among point guards, 3rd in the league for shooting % among point guards and fourth in the league in FT %. I'll spare you the comparative stats, but he is significantly ahead of where he was last year in all categories. Watch him if you get a chance and you'll see what I mean. He looks like.... well he looks like Steve Nash again.

I don't know what he's taking to turn back the hands of time; all I know is that I want whatever he's having!

Fraser Wayne

TheNBAScoop

Are the Bucks for Real?

If someone told me that two weeks into the 2009-10 NBA season the Milwaukee Bucks would be 4-2 I probably would have laughed. Not because I think the Bucks are a bad team or have bad players but because they had no real identity entering the season. Their closest thing to a franchise player, Michael Redd, and their number one draft pick from 2005, Andrew Bogut, have been fighting injuries for several years leaving the Bucks with the question of “who are they?” It may be pre-mature of me but I think Milwaukee may have discovered themselves. They are a team that plays tenacious defence and are led by rookie phenom Brandon Jennings.

Two years ago the Bucks ranked dead last in the NBA in defence; last year they jumped to 15th, and 6 games in this year they are ranked 1st in the NBA. These jumps in rankings can be attributed to Head Coach Scott Skiles who is known for instilling good defensive principles in his teams. Milwaukee’s recent win over the Denver Nuggets was by far the most impressive as they held the Nuggets high octane offense to 39% shooting from the field and 28% from the three point line. If the Bucks continue to play this type of defence they will most certainly have the ability to beat weaker teams and compete with playoff teams.

When you watch great players an underlying quality they possess is the ability to put a team on their back when the game is in balance and single handily pull out a victory. I get a real sense of this with Brandon Jennings as he hit clutch shot after clutch shot vs. a very formidable Nuggets team. Many people (including myself) thought Milwaukee was set at the point guard position with Ramon Sessions but clearly Bucks GM John Hammond had another plan, electing to pick Jennings 10th overall in the draft. He looks like a genius so far as Jennings has exceeded his hype. Only time can tell how good Brandon Jennings will become, but for a 20 year old kid who decided to skip college and go overseas he is playing with a high level of maturity and has assumed the much needed role of floor general for the Bucks.

If the Bucks want to find continued success this season several things have to happen. They must bring the same intensity and energy on defence every night and Jennings must continue to develop his pick and roll game with Andrew Bogut. Jennings playmaking ability with Bogut’s basketball smarts has the potential to create a very solid 1-2 punch on offense. The return of Michael Redd will be a big factor for Milwaukee because he is a great team guy and a lights out shooter from downtown. Understandably sceptics are going to be extremely uncertain of the Bucks and their recent success, and you know what…that’s more than fair. There are still many questions that will be answered as the season progresses: Will Jennings hit the rookie wall? How will Michael Redd return from injury? Are there more injuries yet to come? How will a young team like this handle losing streaks? With all positives there are bound to be negatives; however Bucks fans have a lot to cheer about this year because there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Zach Sinclair

TheNBAScoop

     Going into this season, it seemed pretty obvious the sun was setting in Phoenix as far as their basketball team was concerned. Coming off a disappointing season where they failed to make the playoffs, the team made virtually no moves in the off-season to improve themselves while others around them, including their arch-rival Spurs, were busy adding missing pieces to their respective teams. The only new player the Suns added was Channing Frye, a player whose dwindling stats over the last four years probably made him a "pass" for most other teams. In the meantime, Steve Nash, another year older is clearly on the downside of an illustrious career and Grant Hill isn't getting any younger either. Their top draft choice in 2008, Robin Lopez, has yet to show that he has much of a future in the NBA.

     So what's up with Phoenix at 5-1 to start this season after beating the Celtics in Boston last night and scoring over 100 points against the tightest defence in the league? You could point to the coaching change made in the middle of last season when Terry Porter was replaced by his assistant Alvin Gentry, however the Suns record after that move was nothing to write home about. You might think it is the return of uber-talented Amare Stoudemire to the line-up, but again the Suns record last year during the 50 odd games that he played before his eye injury was not overwhelming. So what's the difference?

     Perhaps it's a classic case of addition by subtraction. After all, the biggest move the Suns made this off-season was trading Shaquille O'Neal to the Cavaliers for essentially nothing in what was considered to be primarily a salary dump. Could it be that the Diesel had been weighing the franchise down? His stats last year weren't bad, 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games, and, in fact, he was selected for the All-Star team. But maybe there is more to the game than just stats.

     One way to test this theory is to check his impact on his new team, the highly touted Cavaliers. When the trade was made many commentators felt that a Lebron-Shaq combo was reminiscent of other great tandems from the past such as Magic-Kareem, MJ-Pippen and even Shaq-Kobe. But lo and behold, the Cavs are off to a rather sluggish start this season at just 4-3 after tonight's victory against the hapless Knicks. It's too early to draw any firm conclusions here, but the early evidence is that Big Daddy Shaq might be more of an anchor on a team at this stage of his career than a sail.

TheNBAScoop

     The Raptors came into tonight’s matchup looking to put together back to back wins for the first time this season. That goal came easy as they handled the struggling Hornets in a 107-90 victory at New Orleans arena. Bosh led all scorers with 27 points while Calderon and Turkoglu had 16 a piece. Bargnani started off slow but managed to hit 3 2nd half three’s to finish with 14 points and 9 rebounds on the night. Antoine Wright, Jarrett Jack and Amir Johnson all logged over 20 minutes and played well with the Raptors pulling their starters early. The Raptors as a team knocked down 14 three pointers and shot a combined 50% from the floor.

     The Hornets struggles continue as they drop to a disappointing 2-4 on the season. Chris Paul was the only Hornet to have any impact on the stat sheet and the overall game. He had 21 points and 18 assists but it wasn’t nearly enough on this night. The lack of depth and talent surrounding the all-star point guard continues to pose big problems for the Hornets. Only ten baskets were produced by the other eleven Hornet players without the help of Paul. David West had a disappointing night only notching 14 points and failing to establish his presence. The lone bright spot for the Hornets besides Paul was rookie point guard Bobby Brown, who put up 16 points in 27 minutes.

     Things were kept pretty close in the first half as the Hornets went into the break with a 51-49 halftime lead. Both teams played sluggish basketball in the first, failing to develop any offensive rhythm while turning the ball over. Head coach Jay Triano must’ve had some pretty powerful words for his Raptors at half time as they came out on fire, knocking down 7-10 three’s in the 3rd quarter and outscoring the Hornets 34-14 in the frame. The Hornets never got back on track while the Raptors kept their foot on the gas, prompting Byron Scott to take Chris Paul out of the game with about five minutes left. Paul has already voiced his displeasure with the franchise as of late so one can only imagine what will come of tonight’s result. Big changes could be on the way for the Hornets, both in personnel and in the front office. The Raptors showed that they are a team with depth, managing to squeeze out 30 combined points from their bench players while four of their starters cracked the double digit mark. They also displayed great team chemistry as the shots were evenly distributed across the board. It was an important win for the Raptors as they face tough matchups in their next two contests travelling to Dallas and San Antonio. The Hornets on the other hand will need to figure things out quick as their schedule takes them to Los Angeles and Phoenix next week. Until then it looks like the city of New Orleans will be focusing on their Saints as they remain one of the only unbeaten teams in the NFL.

Fraser Wayne,

TheNBAScoop

Poor Chris Paul

Chris Paul has started the 2009-2010 NBA season as the best point guard in the league, bar none. He is averaging an astounding 30 PPG in his first 5 games and his field goal percentage is sky high at 64.3%. He is playing like the true MVP candidate that he is and putting his team in a position to compete every night. Unfortunately CP3 has not received the support he deserves from his teammates and it has shown in the win column. Despite New Orleans starting the season 2-3 their wins were extremely close and one of them was against the feeble Sacramento Kings. Blaming the poor play on a single Hornet would be unfair and wrong. The team as a whole is playing lackluster and is drastically underachieving.

In the backcourt with Paul is Morris Peterson. Although he had some decent years in Toronto and was deemed an emotional leader by some his career has seemed to fizzle out in New Orleans. Yet he remains the starting shooting guard, averaging 6.8 points per game on 35% shooting, the lowest of his career. At the small forward position is Peja Stojakovic, once an illustrious scorer and deadly shooter Peja has been riddled with nagging injuries and inconsistent play. During the summer the Hornets traded Tyson Chandler (Chris Paul’s best friend and frequent alley oop recipient) for Emeka Okafor. This move was made to provide more low post offense while maintaining a strong defensive presence. Okafor is averaging a solid stat line this year however Paul does not have that high flying center to throw alley oops too which kept defenses honest. David West’s 17.6 points per game is respectable but his 6.4 rebounds per game is unacceptable from a former all-star. He has looked flustered at times on the court, especially when Paul has looked for him to take over the game. Contributions off the bench have been sparse as Bobby Brown has been their only real spark. James Posey seems to have lost a step and Julian Wright well….. let’s just say he’s still developing. Paul’s supporting cast needs to step up their game or we may see significant changes in the Big Easy.

The good news for the Hornets is they are only 5 games into the season. There is no need to push the panic button quite yet but an increased effort from other starters and the bench must occur. Frustration has been building with Chris Paul lately because he continuously has to be the primary scorer and can’t focus on being a facilitator where he is more comfortable. This has lead to a lower assist per game average. Prior to the pre-season several rumors were swirling about Coach Byron Scott being on the hot seat. Well if Byron Scott doesn’t start pumping out wins he won’t have to worry about his name in rumors any longer but he may have to worry about a finding a new job. Who knows how long it will be before a major change is made in New Orleans but there is a direct correlation between Paul’s attitude and the fans and right now CP3 is unimpressed.

Zach Sinclair

Now that a week in the NBA has unfolded it’s time to take a look at some players who have performed beyond expectations:

Carmelo Anthony: Carmelo Anthony has come into this season on a tear, averaging career highs in both points (37.7ppg) and assists (4.3) while shooting a combined 41 free throws through three games. The Nuggets remain undefeated so far thanks to incredible performances by number 15. He got praise from his teammate Chauncy Billups this week as he said that Carmelo was the best scorer he has ever played with. Carmelo continues to expand his game, particularly his offensive repertoire, and if he keeps finding success at this level along with his Nuggets there is a good chance he will find his name on the Maurice Podoloff MVP trophy at the end of the year.

Kevin Martin: After a disappointing 2008/09 campaign in which he only played 51 games due to injuries K-mart has come out firing, averaging 31 ppg including a career high 48 points against the Grizzlies Monday night. The 25 year old continues to show Sacramento fans why he was their 1st round pick in 2004 as he has an uncanny ability to score the ball. He probably won’t be able to sustain this level of production as teams will start to focus more on him and challenge other Kings player to step up.

Aaron Brooks: Aaron Brooks showed great poise and playmaking ability in last year’s playoffs and he continues to wow his opponents this season averaging 21 points and 8.5 assists through the Rockets first four games. The 6’0 point guard out of Oregon has really come into his own and now is the undisputed starting pg in Houston. His blazing speed and unbelievable ball handling skills make him an extremely tough guard for anyone. He is also shooting an impressive 50% from the field while averaging close to 37 mpg. Look for Aaron Brooks to continue to be the focal point of Houston’s offence, at least until McGrady comes back from injury.

Louis Williams: There was a lot of speculation coming into the season as to whether or not Louis Williams was ready to become the starting point guard in Philadelphia, and so far he has proved his doubters wrong. Through three games he is averaging 20.3 points and 5 assists while leading the 76ers to a 2-1 start. Perhaps his most impressive stat is his grand total of 2 turnovers through three games which is the lowest in the league among starting point guards.

Marc Gasol: Marc Gasol has stepped it up another level from his surprisingly productive rookie campaign, averaging 19 ppg and 12.3 rpg through the Grizzlies first four games. He continues to follow in his brother footsteps, showing versatility on both ends of the court while earning praise from his coaches and teammates. He better be careful though, if he continues to develop to the point where he is an all star GM Chris Wallace will probably trade him away to another franchise for a Happy Meal and rights to a 2030 2nd draft pick as he did with his older brother Pau.

Channing Frye: Channing Frye was once the 8th overall pick in the NBA draft but coming into this season he was no more than an afterthought in most teams minds. In the midst of Phoenix’s hot start however he has managed to put up a career high 19.7 ppg while showing he has the outside touch as he has knocked down 65% of his 3’s this year. Playing alongside Steve Nash and in the Suns run and gun system has worked wonders for Frye as he continues to find his comfort zone. He is probably the leading candidate for most improved player thus far.

Chris Kaman: After being held to 31 games last year due to foot injuries Chris Kaman has shown that he is fully recovered by averaging 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds a game this season. Although the Clippers are a miserable 1-4 Kaman has contributed solidly in every game showing that the Clippers woes stem in different areas. Kaman continues to bang under the basket and he is starting to show the great finesse the Clippers imagined he would develop when they drafted him with the 6th overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Andray Blatche: This young centre from New York continues to show signs of promise as he is averaging 21 ppg and 6.3 rpg off the bench this year for the Wizards. The high school product is also shooting a team high 72% from the field. He seems to get more comfortable every game and could prove to be a steal for the Wizards who got him in the late 2nd round of the 2005 draft. It’s only a matter of time now until he takes over full time at the starting centre position currently held by Brandon Heywood.

Fraser Wayne

Nuggets Open in Style

        George Karl said in the offseason that he thinks Carmelo Anthony will have an MVP worthy season in 2009/10, and Carmelo certainly backed that statement on route to a 114-105 win over the Jazz in the Nuggets first game of the season. Carmelo didn’t miss a beat as he poured in a game high 30 points on 11-22 shooting while adding 8 boards and 5 assists. The 6th year man had plenty of offensive help from his teammates as five Nuggets broke the double digit mark, including rookie point guard Ty Lawson who impressed many with his quickness and playmaking ability adding 17 points and 6 assists off the bench. Chauncy Billups got off to a quiet start but came alive in the second knocking down four 3rd quarter 3 pointers to end up with 25 points overall.

         Deron Williams was the lone bright spot for the Jazz as he put together a nice double-double of 28 points and 13 assists. Boozer had an off night to say the least as he shot a team worst 3-14 from the field and only managed 12 points. Every Jazz starter cracked double digits, but their bench didn’t provide much relief as they were without regulars Matt Harpring and Kyle Korver due to injury.

         The game went back and forth for most part. The Nuggets came out hot but Jerry Sloan managed to keep his troupes under control as they held a 1 point lead going into the half. For the most part Deron Williams did a great job controlling the tempo of the game and used his uncanny smarts and skill-set to keep the Jazz within striking distance until late. Not surprisingly, the Jazz showed great team play at times managing to derive most of their offensive success by using designed plays that involved a lot of screens. The Nuggets on the other hand ran a more one on one based offence, relying on the sheer individual talent they have to create opportunities on the fly. The Jazz seemed to be in control midway through the 3rd until Ty Lawson sparked a 9-0 run that got the crowd on its feet and the Nuggets never looked back. The most notable performance of the night goes to Carmelo Anthony, who showed his critics that his game has evolved on both ends of the court. He can get into the paint and finish with ease, and if the defender gives him any breathing room there is a good chance he will knock down any shot. It was an overall very impressive night for Melo as he continues to expand his game. With the depth and fluidity the Nuggets now have it is clear that more than just Deron Williams will have to show up if the Jazz want to come away with a W in places like the Pepsi centre, mainly Carlos Boozer. A slow start for the veteran after an offseason that was full of trade rumours and uncertainty regarding his future with the franchise. Both teams did show weaknesses on the defensive end as both eclipsed the 100 point mark.

- Jazz centre Mehmet Okur went down with a knee injury early in the game after he stepped in front of a driving Nene but returned moments later and was able to play through

- The Jazz continue to have trouble finding success on the road as they were one of the league’s worst teams in that category a year ago

- Bronco’s receiver Brandon Marshall was in attendance and said he was at the game to watch his favourite player Kenyon Martin light it up

Fraser Wayne

Anyone Know Dumars' Plan?

All Pistons fans can do now is reminisce about the great Detroit dynasty that won a championship in 2004 and made it to the eastern conference finals six consecutive years. Since the glory days until last year the Pistons struggled to make the playoffs and were easily knocked out in the first round. Gone from the once cohesive core are Rasheed Wallace (signed a 2 yr deal with Boston) and their leader Chauncy Billups, who is now thriving in Denver. Ben Wallace, best known for his toughness on the defensive end is back on a one year deal that will allow him to finish his career where he enjoyed most of his success. That leaves Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton as the only two starters from the championship team that remain on the roster and in the future plans of the Pistons. With that being said, the Pistons are no longer in discussion for potential NBA champions. Some would say they are in rebuilding mode, but with their moves in the offseason it seems as though Joe Dumars is still trying to hang on to what once was. Nobody REALLY knows what is going, and there is good indication that Dumars doesn't either:

2003 draft, Madison Square Garden. Lebron goes number one, Pistons are on the clock. Available are promising young players Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and Darko Milicic. Oh, and a 6'8 freshman forward by the name of Carmelo Anthony out of Syracuse who won the most outstanding player of the year award and led his school to their first ever NCAA championship. Of course you go with...Milicic? Dumars should have to reimburse every fan who invested in one of Darko's jerseys. But seriously, imagine if the Pistons had played it safe and grabbed the guy with all the above credentials, mind boggling.

Mehmet Okur and Ben Wallace were allowed to walk. Failing to realize what he had in Okur, Dumars refused to pull out the chequebook and let the Turkey native, who played an important role in the Pistons championship run coming off the bench, to sign with the Utah Jazz. Then he allowed the heart and soul of the franchise, Ben Wallace, to sign a large contract with the division rival Chicago Bulls. I can't say this move was an entirely bad one as Wallace did not produce for any other franchise after his days in Detroit AND he can't hit a free throw, (how is that possible? Your paid MILLLIONS of dollars to play basketball and you can't shoot a free throw, insane). Nevertheless, losing Wallace hurt the Pistons because it took away an important part of their starting five and left them a lot more suspect on the defensive end.

Two games into the regular season last year the Pistons swung a trade that sent former finals MVP Chauncy Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Denver nuggets for the often disgruntled shooting guard Allen Iverson, who at 34 possessed plenty of upside and ultimately is the ideal player you want to build your franchise around...It really is shocking he didn't end up fitting into the Pistons style of team play...It's not like Chauncy is doing any better in Denver...I like using sarcasm to get my point across. Some would argue that good old Joe never thought the A.I. experiment would work and was just trying to acquire an expiring contract that would free up cap space to potentially sign a big name free agent in 2010. That brings me to my next point.

This past offseason, the supposedly rebuilding Detroit Pistons threw wads of cash at Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva in the form of $55 and $35 million respectively. The Gordon signing is my particular favourite because it addresses none of the needs the Pistons had, instead Joe Dumars officially has sole bragging rights over having the leagues most expensive reserve, Yay! Locking up Villanueva makes more sense, he posted career highs in points and rebounding last year (16.7ppg, 6.7rpg) and will be 25 years old entering this season. There are plenty of positive things to say about Gordon and Villanueva, both are good players in their own rights and would make solid pieces on any franchise. However, they are not and will never be franchise players, but with the $90 million dollars the Pistons have committed to the two of them it looks like that is what Dumars is expecting them to be. I can't imagine a team with a core of Prince, Hamilton, Gordon, Stuckey and Villanueva ever making a championship run. I could see this team meshing and putting together a nice regular season, but that's it. In my opinion all Joe Dumars did this offseason by signing those two free agents was delay the inevitable, rebuilding mode. Every franchise goes through it at some point, but for now Detroit fans will be stuck in a few more years of mediocrity before that process begins.

What direction the Pistons are headed I would like to know, and what Joe Dumars expects from his team this year is something to ponder. If he looks at this roster and thinks he has assembled a championship team in the making then clearly we have someone who needs to be removed from his position. Dumars has done some great things in his time as the GM of the Pistons. His vivid mistakes are often overlooked and forgiven because of his early success. Only time will tell how long that trend will last.

Fraser Wayne

The NBA’s Cold War

1991 marked the end of the The Cold War, a war characterized by two of the world’s most powerful countries in constant economic, political and military competition to the point that no other country was a significant threat to become the world powerhouse. This season in the NBA we are going to see something quite similar. The offseason was one that saw the elite teams get even better, while the teams on the fence did not make enough significant moves to be considered legitimate contenders. That being said, there are seven teams that come to mind when I think of this year’s potential champions, here’s a summary of the moves they made this offseason:

San Antonio Spurs: How long has it been since the Spurs have not been in discussion for serious contenders to win the championship? The 09/10 season will be no different as the Spurs bring back their main core of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and will be coached by Gregg Popovich again as he heads into the 13th campaign of his hall of fame career. However, the group has been doubted and criticized recently for showing signs of aging and health issues (Manu Ginobili missed 38 games last year). The front office knew they were going to have to shake things up if they wanted to remain among the top teams, and this offseason they did just that. Their biggest move was sending Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto and Bruce Bowen (who retired right after) to Milwaukee for small forward Richard Jefferson. Jefferson gives them another solid offensive threat who can shoot the 3 (.397 from beyond the arc last year) and create his own shot off the dribble. He also plays solid defence, provides depth and consistency at a position in need, and should have no problem fitting into the Spurs system. Their next move was using their mid-level exception on Antonio McDyess, signing him to a 3 yr 18 million dollar contract to help bolster their frontcourt. With his good outside jump shot and veteran style play he should form a nice duo with Tim Duncan down low. That being said, their starting five now looks pretty formidable as it features four unselfish current all-stars, not many teams can say that. They will bring George Hill and Roger Mason Jr. off the bench giving them depth at the guard position and making them one of the best perimeter shooting teams in the league. With these pieces in place, barring a major injury to one of the big 3, it looks like San Antonio is poised to make another championship run.

Orlando Magic: The Magic broke out last year finishing 3rd in the Eastern conference and eventually going on to knock off the Cavaliers in 6 games during the conference finals. The only starter missing from last year’s team is Hedo Turkoglu who bolted to Toronto via free agency signing a 5 year $55 million dollar deal. Though his presence and versatility will be missed the Magic did more than compensate for the clutch veterans departure. Orlando went buck wild this offseason, signing multiple free agents and ultimately dipping into luxury tax for the first time in franchise history. The Magic shipped Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and promising rookie Courtney Lee to the Nets for talented guard Vince Carter. Although Carter does come at some cost and with plenty of risk he possesses amazing offensive capabilities and if he buys into the system will cause nightmares for opposing defences. Next on the agenda for the Magic was finding a true power forward to play alongside Howard, allowing Rashard Lewis to move back to his natural position at the small forward. They did just that, inking Brandon Bass to a 4 year $18 million dollar deal. Bass, a workaholic and finesse player around the basket, should work wonders while Howard constantly drawing double teams. Matt Barnes was soon to follow; as he signed a 2 year deal and will likely come off the bench with Pietrus (both those guys would make good starters on most NBA teams). Then the Magic did the unthinkable, matching Dallas’s lucrative offer for their backup center Marcin Gortat. With Gortat staying in Orlando, the Magic now have arguably the best backup center in the league and the best starting center. This is one scary roster on paper, and assuming that Coach Van Gundy can get everybody to gel and Jameer Nelson can return to his pre injury all star form (16.7 ppg last year) there is no reason to be surprised if we see the Magic right back in the finals for a second consecutive year.

Los Angeles Lakers: After capturing the title last year over the Orlando Magic, the Lakers will look to repeat, and there is no reason, at least on paper, why they couldn’t. The Lakers return in 2009 with every key starter except Trevor Ariza, who departed to Houston on a multi-year contract. However, the Lakers went ahead and made the most publicized and controversial move in free agency, signing the high profiled Ron Artest away from the Rockets to a 5 yr 33 million dollar deal. Ron Artest, a player known for his tenacious defence and questionable antics, will come in and start at small forward alongside Kobe Bryant. Not only does he bring defence and toughness to the team, but he also provides ANOTHER scoring weapon as he averaged 17.1 ppg with Rockets last year and shot a shade under .400 from 3. As great as all this sounds, one has to consider Artest’s shaky past (we all know what happened in 2004), but particularly in regards to his bitter relationship with Kobe. It is not unknown that Kobe and Artest haven’t gotten along in the past, jawing whenever they meet and talking trash off the court (Artest called Brandon Roy his toughest matchup during the playoffs, clearly slighting Kobe), so it will be interesting to see how the new duo fairs together. If Artest can focus on defence, accept the fact that Kobe will be taking a large majority of the shots and is the undisputed leader on this team, things could turn out legendary. With Phil Jackson heading the ship, don’t be surprised if they are. Other than that the Lakers did not make any other significant acquisitions, but they did manage to re-sign their 6th man Lamar Odom to a 3 year deal. This was critical for the Lakers, as Odom came off the bench playing the X factor role during last year’s championship run while providing another big body and substituting in for the often inept Andrew Bynum. With a starting line-up that now features the likes of Gasol, Kobe and Artest, I think we can expect the Lakers to have another magical season to say the least.

Cleveland Cavaliers: There is a lot of hype and pressure surrounding LeBron’s Cavaliers this year, as they were eliminated earlier than expected by the resilient Orlando Magic last year. Realizing that losing in the conference finals is no longer acceptable to the Cleveland fans, and more importantly to LeBron James, the front office went out and made a big splash in the offseason (literally), by trading for Shaquille O’Neal. The trade sent centre Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and a second round pick to the Suns in exchange for the big man. After being eliminated in 6 last year by Orlando the Cavs knew they needed to acquire a big man to counteract Dwight Howard if they ever expected to see the finals again. I think they found their answer... weighing 325 pounds, Shaq will be able to give Howard BIG trouble under the basket. He also brings a much needed veteran and championship mentality to the Cleveland squad, and after averaging 17.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg in just 30 mpg with the Suns last year it’s hard to argue against the notion that he still has lots left in the tank. Shaq will often be the beneficiary of double teams to LeBron, and if Mike Brown can find a way to utilize the big man at both ends of the court expect there to be confetti littered all over Quicken Loans Arena come June. The Cavs also made a few other notable transactions, inking Anthony Parker away from the Raps and signing disgruntled power forward and former Celtic Leon Powe to a 2 year deal. These two players will provide much needed depth to a team that certainly lacked it last year. The Cavs also signed Jamario Moon with its mid-level exception; he will be used mainly as a role player. Overall, the Shaq signing could be a big hit or a big miss, and will be a key determining factor on LeBron James’ decision come summer.

Dallas Mavericks: This is a make or break year for Mark Cuban’s Mavericks, as he has devoted a lot of time and money into this group and rightfully will accept nothing but greatness this season. The Mavericks already had an intriguing line-up last year with the likes of Jason Kidd, Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki headlining the team, but clearly it was not enough. Mark Cuban knew he needed to add another piece to potentially complete the puzzle, and he may have gotten that when he acquired Shawn Marion from the Raptors. Marion, a player known for his all around and stat-sheet filling type play, should have no problems fitting into Rick Carlisle’s system in Dallas. If Marion can put his ego aside for a season he will provide the Mavs with a lockdown defensive player, a lift on the boards, and another scoring option (he averaged 14.3 ppg in the final 27 games with the Raps last season while posting a .488 fg%). Another key acquisition for the Mavs this offseason was signing free agent Drew Gooden, a member of the rival Spurs last season, to a 1 year deal worth 4.5 million. The seven year vet should be entering his prime at 28 and will compensate nicely for recently departed power forward Brandon Bass. Gooden posted solid numbers last year while playing for 3 different teams, so there is no reason to believe that the new environment should affect his play in any way. With that being said, Dallas boasts a very dangerous core with tremendous depth as they will be bringing the likes of Jason Terry, Drew Gooden and Jose Juan Barea off the bench. A lot of people underestimate this team and do not consider them serious contenders, but as Nowitzki heads into his 12th campaign look for the Mavs to gel early on and make a serious run for the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Boston Celtics: The Celtics, a team that many believe has passed its prime, have a lot to prove in 2009/10. Kevin Garnett will look to get back on track as he missed 25 games and all of the playoffs last year with knee issues. Assuming his knee and his overall game are close to where they were a year ago, the Celtics will be ready to make another championship run. The Celtics did not miss a beat this offseason, signing former Detroit Piston all star Rasheed Wallace to a 2 year deal the day free agency opened. Wallace brings with him a tough attitude and winning swagger. If Boston turns out to be the right place for Wallace he could rejuvenate his game back to the level it was a few years ago when the Pistons were mainstays in the conference finals. He will need to keep his emotions in check, but technical fouls or not he and Garnett will form one of the scariest frontcourt duos in the NBA. The Celtics also managed to sign 28 year old shooting guard Marquis Daniels to a contract that pays him slightly under 2 million dollars a year. Clearly Daniels took a pay cut to play for a contender as he is coming off his best season, averaging 13.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg with the Pacers last year. Look for him to come off the bench with newly re-signed Glen Davis this year to provide relief and an offensive boost to the big 3 if need be. At the end of the day if Paul Pierce and Ray Allen continue their all-star play, Rajon Rondo furthers his development, Garnett’s knee doesn’t give in and everyone else can find their role on the team the Celtics can give anyone a run for their money. It will take a lot of pieces to fall in place but if they do watch out for the green this season.

Los Angeles Clippers: ... Just kidding

With six of the NBA’s teams staging its own version of the Cold War, the championship should fall into the laps of one of the franchises above (excluding the Clips). Teams on the fence like Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Washington (big dark horse), New Orleans, Denver, Portland and Utah did not make enough big moves in free agency to make my list. These teams are all good and have the potential to pose problems for any opponent, but barring some big trade mid-way through the season these teams should not be mentioned in championship talks this year. The six franchises above are locked in an arms race and it should be interesting to see who assembled the right talent to win the big one. If I had to make my prediction right now I would pick Cleveland, they have the greatest player on the planet and they come back this year with tremendous depth and better balance then last season, but a strong argument can be made for any of these teams. It should be a great season.

Fraser Wayne

Every NBA season consists of games that are loaded in superficial value. These games are usually two elite players facing off or two powerhouses fighting to gain the rank of best team in the NBA. Often these games live up to their expectations, yet sometimes as NBA fans we feel disappointed when a game with tremendous hype results in a blowout or star players struggling to score. Then there are the games that players mark on their calendars the day the schedule is released with an ulterior motive in mind. I'm talking about the games when players or teams go above and beyond their expectations to prove a point. Games of this nature are usually driven by overwhelming emotion, ranging from feelings of revenge, betrayal, or pure happiness. Although these games lack the publicity and attention of typical marquee matchups they often yield exciting games with eye-opening box scores. Here is a top 10 list of personal matchups which should be very enjoyable to watch next season.

1. LeBron & Shaq vs. Kobe and Co., Cavaliers at Lakers, Christmas Day

This matchup is momentous even by NBA standards. The number of matchups and facts about this game are immense. LeBron vs. Kobe fighting for the title of best player in the NBA. Shaq vs. Kobe, both have four rings, and both have won one without each other, this will be a grudge match of epic proportions. Not only do the personal matchups play a role, but we are assuming to a point that these two teams are going to be near if not in the top spot of their respective conferences and looking to have the top record in the league. Set a date with the couch on Christmas Day as this one is going to be one of the best matchups we see in the regular season.

2. Shaq & LeBron vs. Dwight and Orlando, Cavaliers at Magic, November 11th

LeBron and Dwight both have a bitter taste in their mouth after the last meeting. LeBron's playoff hopes were shattered and Dwight was snubbed out of a handshake by the King himself. A rivalry between these two teams begins to evolve after we saw an offseason of Orlando and Cleveland countering each other's moves with no precaution. The Superman debate intensifies. Shaq or Dwight? Dwight claims he just wanted to be like Shaq growing up but O'Neal's attitude towards Howard is cold as ice. There is only one way to settle this, duke it out for 48 minutes of hardnosed physical basketball. Expect a rough game with lots of fouls.

3. Celtics Big 3 vs. LeBron, Boston at Cleveland, October 27th

I don?t think there is a better matchup to kickoff the NBA season than this. Expect the Celtics to be back and ready to prove a point. Garnett is coming off an injury and the Celtics will finally be the healthy powerhouse that was missing in last playoffs. Likewise LeBron has a new big man in Shaq, and is out to prove that last year's playoff exit was merely a bump in the road and this is indeed his year. Shaq will be on the war path early; he will be playing hard and bringing a key physical presence that may have been lacking for the Cavs in previous matchups. Paul Pierce will be his usual self and Ray Allen is going to be as dangerous as ever when he gets open looks. Garnett is going to be hyped and ready to get back on the court, add Rasheed Wallace's persona to the mix and we will see a considerable amount of jawing between these teams. The race for best team in the east begins on Day 1 next season. How fun.

4. Kenyon Martin vs. Mark Cuban, Mavericks vs. Nuggets, March 29th

It is clear these teams aren't fond of each other. A controversial call in the playoffs and a few choice words between Mark Cuban and Kenyon Martin has heated this rivalry. Last year's playoff matchup was extremely rough and physical which made for an entertaining series. Dallas added some much needed talent to their squad but Denver has remained stagnant this offseason. The Mavericks are waiting for the day they get to seek revenge on the Nuggets after being knocked out of the playoffs and left with a bad taste in their mouth. Despite Mark Cuban's apology for calling K-Mart a "thug" to his mother I'm not sure the Martin's bought it. There is definitely some bad blood between these teams and it should make for a great game.

5. Blake Griffin vs. the City of Los Angeles, Clippers vs. Lakers, October 27th

No rookie faces more pressure this season than 1st overall pick Blake Griffin. What a way to welcome this kid to the league. Griffin will make his NBA debut in the Staples Center, only the floors will be purple and gold and the game will be preceded by the Lakers banner raising. To say that playing the world champion Lakers in your first game is overwhelming would be an understatement. Not only is Griffin playing for the respect of the players, but also the respect of LA. The Clippers have been bad the last couple years, and if Griffin doesn't turn out to be the great player they are hoping for, LA will turn on him. Sharing Los Angeles with the Lakers will put even more pressure on Griffin and his attempt to change the Clippers. In the end this game comes down to a top rookie with something to prove, and a Lakers team who have climbed the mountain and sit atop the basketball world. It will be interesting to see how Griffin is welcomed and how his play reflects all the hype. Kobe and his Lakers will be up to their usual tricks and ready to show Griffin who LA belongs to.

Portland Trailblazers, Destined for Greatness?

The Portland Trailblazers have signed Brandon Roy to a 5 year contract extension and solidified another piece in their ever growing arsenal of young players with the ability to become great. Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Outlaw, Bayless and Fernandez are all under 25 and have received individual accolades that mirror those of many future NBA stars. If this core of players is retained and added to, I think the question for the Blazers becomes not "Will we win?", but "When?"

The 2006 NBA Draft marks the beginnings of the Trailblazers we see today, with the second overall pick the Chicago Bulls selected a lanky 6'11 power forward by the name of LaMarcus Aldridge, out of Texas. Four selections later the Timberwolves were on the clock and didn't hesitate to choose the man many draft boards projected going closer to 10-12, Brandon Roy, an underrated 6'6 shooting guard from the University of Washington. But the Timberwolves had different motives in choosing Roy, they would immediatly package him in a deal that would send Roy to the Blazers for the draft rights to Randy Foye. Aldridge was given word that his draft rights had been traded by the Bulls to the Trailblazers for the rights to Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa the same time that Roy was being given the news that he too would be landing in Portland at  . Roy and Aldridge were not previously introduced before draft night but on their way out of the players area they met and got to talking. At this time a bond was formed that would lay the foundation for the future of the Trailblazers. Entering the training camp in 2006-07 the Blazers were young, and still waiting for the growth of 2003 first round pick Travis Outlaw, a high school pick the same age as Aldridge and Roy, Outlaw already had three years of underachieving NBA experience but when camp started in Portland, there was a buzz going around about this young core. Right from the get go things were clicking and the coaching staff were impressed with the on court chemistry found in their three youngsters.

That on court chemistry carried over to the 2006-2007 season , where the Blazers ended below expectations at 32-50, but a whole 11 games higher than their previous campaign. With the brunt of the scoring and leadership roles falling on three players under the age of 22, 32-50 was a good season for the Blazers, one that foreshadowed potential for the future. Brandon Roy brought home Rookie of the Year, Travis Outlaw doubled his production in the areas of scoring and rebounding, and LaMarcus Aldridge put up respectable numbers and garnered All NBA Rookie First Team honours. This season was part of the teams learning curve and would prepare these rookies for yet another season based on improving team chemistry and driving closer to the playoffs.

Before the 2007-2008 NBA Season began the Blazers were faced with an intriguing decision. After winning the draft lottery despite only having half of a percent odds the Blazers were awarded the coveted first overall pick. They could choose the lanky pure scorer out of Texas, Kevin Durant, or the hard nosed big man from Ohio State with the projected ability to dominate games with his strength and defense in Greg Oden. The Blazers selected Greg Oden thinking they solidified their center position for the next several years. What had already been a wild off-season became crazier when that same pick, Greg Oden, elected to have risky micro fracture surgery on his ailing right knee, sidelining him for his whole rookie season. The season came upon the Blazers and again Roy, Aldridge and Outlaw were given the task to improve their record yet again, Durinf this season we witnessed their individual progression to stardom.

The Blazers battled through 2007-2008, Brandon Roy had a break out season averaging 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds while earning the honour of representing the Blazers in the 2008 NBA All Star Game. Outlaw and Aldridge continued to improve their overall stats. Aldridge found himself third overall in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award. The young Blazers continued to mature in front of the thousands of fans that packed into the Rose Garden each and every night. The Blazers again drastically improved and found themselves two spots out of the playoffs in a very strong western conference, their record was 41-41.

With another year of experience Portland began to prepare for a season in which they would see a huge jump. This began to show the Portland faithful why there is reason to believe. In the 2008 NBA Draft the Blazers scored the 11th pick, which they used to draft dynamic point guard Jerryd Bayless, out of Arizona. Bayless was not given the same hype as previous picks yet expectations were still strong, The Blazers found a solid point guard that they would use off the bench in his rookie year, as he acclimatized to the NBA game. With a strong improvement over the last two seasons and the progression of their recent picks, the Blazers were ready to take the NBA by storm in 2008-2009.

The 2008-2009 season saw Brandon Roy earn another All Star bid, and he again improved his stats from previous years. LaMarcus Aldridge began to gain attention for his play and Travis Outlaw settled into his role as a complimentary wing man to Aldridge and Roy. Greg Oden came into the league, finally, and began to establish himself, though he didn't earn the praises that he sought coming into the league one year removed. Relatively unknown rookie Rudy Fernandez exceeded expectations and earned a spot in the 2009 NBA Slam Dunk Competition. Fernandez, a Spanish national had experience overseas and was brought in with the notion he was an NBA ready player. Fernandez was more than ready, averaging 10 points and 3 rebounds per game, a definite bonus coming from the 24th pick. Everyone seemed to click and the Blazers became a force to reckon with. Ending the season at 54-28, the Blazers had finally given their fans a much needed reward, a playoff berth. Earning the number 5 seed in the playoffs, the Blazers were matched up against Yao Ming and his Rockets. The veteran laden, playoff proven Rockets were too much for the Blazers. In 6 games the Blazers had succumbed to the Rockets led by Yao Ming and Ron Artest. The Blazers were very resilient and fought hard against Houston. Even though they lost they gained vital playoff experience.

The future is very bright in Portland, Roy will continue to progress as a  bonafide superstar. Aldridge will look to join Roy during the festivities of All Star Weekend. The addition of Andre Miller will provide a solid, proven NBA point guard who will help Bayless learn the fast NBA game. If this team clicks the way they have in the past they will be a formidable force in the West for years to come. The progression of Greg Oden will be a hinging factor on the success of Portland. If Oden can become the great defensive player many analysts believe he will top off the Blazers as legitimate title contenders. The Blazers acquired two good players in this years draft in Patrick Mills and Jeff Pendergraph, these draftees have the ability to become good role players to add to the Blazers core. The Portland Trailblazers have already proven they can win with their roster, but if they continiue to improve at this current rate expect a banner raised in the Rose Garden by 2015. Blazer fans out there should embrace the fact that Portland will be contend for a title for many years to come.

TheNBAScoop