Hawks Soar over Miami

Jamal Crawford found his perfect fit and loves playing in Atlanta. Joe Johnson rips 30 points, he’s averaging 30.3 points in his last three games. The Hawks hold the best record in the league at 10-2 after this win. Miami takes their second loss in a row and slip to 7-5. Dwyane Wade was held to a measly 15 points tonight, he’s currently averaging 28.9 points a game.  Both Horford and Josh Smith for Atlanta had double -doubles. The win marks the sixth straight for the Hawks.

In other ball news, the New Jersey Nets suffer their 12th loss tonight, they have yet to win a game all season. Their star guard, Devin Harris is still out with a groin injury. The Milwaukee Bucks moved on to 6-3 after defeating the Nets, 85-99. Jennings tallied 19 points and 8 assists, while Chris Douglas-Roberts erupted for 31 points and 10 boards for New Jersey.

Dated: Nov, 18, 2009

No Surprises

The first strokes of the ‘09 NBA season have taken place and the true colors of each team is beginning to unveil. The disappointments and surprises have been soaked by the sports press. The injuries have surfaced throughout the league to leave holes in numerous rosters. The stars have shined harder than ever and the praised rookies are living up to the standards. This young season can easily be cut down into sections to help defy what this season has brought forth. Here’s the first set of what was expected this season.

The Lakers (7-0) and Celtics (8-1) both hold the finest records in the league.

It’s no surprise to see last season’s NBA finalists back to where they left off. The Lakers have all collectively played their part to help put together an undefeated record to this day. Players like Ariza and Farmar are the pride of the Lakers bench. Bryant is quietly averaging around 25 points and 5 boards a game and no one is complaining because the team is clearly unstoppable. The Lakers have taken down Houston, Dallas and most importantly, New Orleans tonight. Boston hasn’t seen the roughest schedule yet, and their 16 point loss to Indiana wasn’t pretty. Paul Pierce, who’s been playing with a sprained hand the past week, sunk the game winner against a 6-0 Atlanta team tonight to silence any doubters. 

New Jersey, OKC and Washington share a combined record of 4-17.

What can be said here, these team’s lack another trade or two before they see any differences for the year. The Wizards avoided an 0-6 record behind Butler’s 27 points tonight, but their need of Arenas is tremendous. It’s good to see the NJ Nets give out free tickets to their unemployed set of fans, maybe it will encourage a couple of individuals to give the NBA a shot after watching their team get smacked around the league nightly. The only ring of lighting coming from Oklahoma City is the numbers both Jeff Green and Kevin Durant.

 

LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are league leaders.

After somewhat of a slow start, James has emerged as the league’s leading scorer, averaging 29.8 points a night. He’s also bringing down 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game for the Cavs. Chris Paul’s unlimited trail of double-doubles will never see an end. Chris can score the ball and dishing out an assist is seems effortless when watching him orchestrate. Paul is averaging a career-high, 21.3 points, 11.7 assists, 3.3 steals and 5.2 rebounds per game. Dwight recorded a triple double tonight for the Magic, 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks, yeah, ten. Howard is averaging 23 points a night, along with 14.4 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. 

Anticipated rookies living up to hype.

Number one pick, Derrick Rose leads his team in assists with 5.3, while putting up 18.8 points a night. Rose exploded for 26 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in his last game against Atlanta. Beasley’s the team’s second leading scorer with 16.7 ppg., respectively behind DWade. Michael appears to be comfortable as Wade’s sidekick and reliability for when it comes to scoring the ball. He’s also averaging 6.3 boards per game. My personal favorite rookie, Rudy Fernandez is a 23-year-old menace for the Blazers on both sides of the ball. The Spaniard is logging healthy playing time coming off the bench and has held the best composure out of all the rookies. Tonight, Rudy scored 25 points along with 2 steals, 2 assists, 3 boards and a block. All under 29 minutes. O.J. Mayo can’t stop scoring the ball, he’s now averaging 21 points per game. His teammate and rookie, Marc Gasol is also another machine for Memphis, averaging 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. 

Saturday Dimes

Bullets for Saturday, Nov. 1st, 2008

• Behind Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, Atlanta’s rally over Philadelphia was just disrespectful. Johnson supplied the scoring, but Smith touched all bases with his numbers. Smith had 14 points, 11 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks tonight. This team continues to show to the league that last year wasn’t a fluke, as they slide to 2-0.
• Dalembert and Brand are absorbing the glass for Philadelphia, tonight they combined for 27 total rebounds. But Philly’s recent loss is already bringing concern, especially on the defensive side. 
• Basketball is back in Indiana. A toothless Danny Granger lost his front two teeth tonight but not the game. The Pacers collectively showed up tonight against the Champion Celtics. The final score wasn’t even close at 79-95. 
• In points, Hedo had 21, Lewis hung 26, Howard slammed 29, Pietrus stuck 20 to the face of Sacramento. The Kings dropped to 0-3 in a 103-121 final. Dwight also nabbed 14 boards and 5 blocks.
• Gerald Wallace stat line: 34 points, 3 assists, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.
• As expected, the Hornets are coasting through their first week in the regular season. Chris Paul hung 24 points and dished 15 assists to drive the Hornets past the Cavaliers.
• LeBron dished out 13 dimes of his own against the Hornets.
• Jason Kidd hauled 9 boards tonight while also having 7 assists and 4 steals. Dirk scored 21 and the Mavs picked up their first win of the season, leaving them at 1-1.
• Derrick Rose appears to of gotten the gist of the NBA speed. Rose scored 26 points and had 6 rebounds to help Chicago get past Memphis tonight. Gooden cleaned the glass with 20 rebounds.
• Calderon scored a career-high 25 points for the Raptors tonight. He’ll be sure to set plenty of new career highs this season in Toronto. Bosh scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds. 
• Carmelo struggled in his season debut, shooting 5/15 for 13 points. He also debuted his ban of the braids. Kobe’s 33 points helped the Lakers get past the Nuggets though.
• A.I.’s numbers are dropping. 13 points and 7 dimes tonight.
• Without Baron Davis and Marcus Camby, the Clippers dropped to 0-3 after losing to Utah. 
• Amare Stoudemire exploded for 23 points and 13 boards and the Blazers weren’t able to hold off the Suns. 
• 3-0 teams: Toronto, LA Lakers, New Orleans and Houston
• Winless teams: Washington, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers, Sacramento and San Antonio (!).

Division Previews: Southeast

Southeast Division

The Overview

A division that was ruled with frustration last season. For Washington, the annoyance of various injuries preventing the team from building the court chemistry. For Miami, the unbelievable inability to win games, with or without Wade. For Charlotte, the failure too show any signs of a breakout season since their debut back in ‘04. The division also had its shares of respected dominance at times, with Orlando putting up a 52-30 record and become the third seed in the playoffs. The Gilbert-less Wizards held their own against LeBron’s Cavaliers, before getting eliminated. And after landing the final eighth seed in the playoffs, the Hawks put a vicious scare to the number one-seeded Celtics, in a series that lasted seven games. Excluding Miami, the division didn’t undergo any monumental changes in each of the teams as the others did, leading to roughly similar results this season.

The Ranks

1. Orlando Magic
2. Washington Wizards
3. Charlotte Bobcats
4. Miami Heat
5. Atlanta Hawks

 

The Previews

1. Orlando Magic (52-30)

The Magic shocked the division with their excellent adjustment to Rashard Lewis’ game. The move gave them 12 more wins compared to their previous season. For Orlando, their offense just seemed limitless with the wing attack coming from Hedo Turkoglu, Lewis, and Bogans. Turkoglu shined amazingly for Orlando, winning the Most Improved Player Award behind 19.5 points, 5.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game last season. Turkoglu didn’t miss a single game last season, his clutch game-winners and leadership brought together this talented crew. Dwight Howard became a stronger headache for any opposing head coach to get around. Howard led the league in rebounding with 14.2 boards a night. He statistically improved his game in every department, from points to steals. Dooling and Evans have left the team but Orlando quickly responded by upgrading the roster with defensive maestro, Mickael Peitrus and the experienced Anthony Johnson. The Magic are a much better team in every aspect this season then they ever were in 12 years.

Finals Odds: 67%

Player Spotlight: Keith Bogans

Keith Bogans, the 27-year-old graduate from Kentucky University, first kicked off his professional career in Orlando. The steady 6′5” guard has been in the league for five years without brushing any erractic attention. His solid game doesn’t glow towards anything specific, unless you want to count his perimeter instinct for the jumper. After his rookie year in Orlando, Bogans was traded to Charlotte, then Houston, before landing back in Orlando in 2006. In his last two seasons with his familiar team, Keith has provided a substantial role as a respected bench player for the Magic. Last season, he pumped his stat line up a bit, with 8.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Though his career high averaged are held in Charlotte during the franchise’s first season, it’s much more appreciated here in Orlando, with the talented set of players he’s around. With the Magic not doing anything major to their shooting guard spot this off season, Bogans should receive more playing time around J.J. Redick and newcomers, Jeremy Richardson and Courtney Lee.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Orlando Magic are packed with respected leadership and clutch play behind players, Turkoglu, Lewis and Howard. Their strong, 52-30 record last season screamed to the league the amount of talent and athleticism this team holds. Even without a stellar shooting guard, Orlando can spread the floor with the best of them, while also being able to dominate in the paint. The Magic have a current unique force to the league that remains unmatched.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

Unless you count Hedo Turkoglu, the Magic lack post-season experience and big time play. They currently have the players to build on that, but last season’s 1-4 series exit to Detroit explained their weakness. The Magic continue to be slapped in the post season with either an early exit or no entrance at all. Though last season marked their second consecutive playoff year in a row, the Magic haven’t been in the playoffs before that since 2003 (the McGrady era). They will have extreme difficulty when matched up against teams such as the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

 

2. Washington Wizards (43-39)

In a season that was left for dead without Arenas, the Wizards pulled together to become one of the most solid teams of the season. Behind Antawn Jamison and Butler’s comeback from injury, the Wizards made strong punches for a deep finish. Stevenson took his dip into publicity by lashing out against LeBron James while jacking numerous three-pointers throughout the season. As expected, Gilbert Arenas came back in time for the playoffs but sat out for the rest of the season after four games, leaving Washington out-numbered in their first round exit against the Cavaliers. Washington didn’t really make any noticeable moves over the summer, besides picking up their drafted rookie, JaVale McGee, a 7-footer from Nevada. Washington didn’t really need any moves anyway, for their roster is well-set for a convincing championship push. Now, if only this team can do the same they did last season until early January, when Arenas returns.

Finals Odds: 40%

Player Spotlight: Andray Blatche

Blatche is a player that has had his own unique journey into the NBA. Declaring himself for the draft straight from high school in 2005, Blatche got the lucky opportunity to play for Washington, after being selected as the 49th pick. Andray then went on to miss the team training camp when he was shot in a carjacking. Luckily, he recovered successfully and had a chance to play for the Wizards as a rookie. His 6′11” stature as a forward has great upside potential. Since he was straight from high school, at one point, Washington had him spend some time in the NBDL. Blatche returned to the Wizards to play for most the season. Last season, Blatch hit career highs in his stats, averaging 7.5 ppg. compared to his 3.7 from the previous season. The injuries in Washington caused Blatche to receive more playing time. He also participated in all 82 games of the season for the Wizards. With such great size, Andray may see more minutes this upcoming season playing different positions.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Wizards highly praise themselves as one of the division’s top elite teams when healthy. Without a question, that statement has its substance. Their big three consisting of Butler, Jamison and Arenas is a dangerous bunch to deal with, on both sides of the ball. With confident companions in Stevenson and Nick Young, while also supplied by a solid set of front court players led by Brandan Haywood. The 31-year-old, Jamison just had one of his best seasons, averaging 21.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Butler showed promise after coming back from his hand and hip injuries. With Arenas’ comeback scheduled to be some time in early 2009, the Wizards will have time for the big three to get comfortable before attacking in the post season.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

While claiming to be one of the division’s top elite teams when healthy, the Wizards have a problem being healthy. Arenas played a career-low, 13 total games last season. Butler’s explosive play led him to miss a total of 43 games in his last two seasons. Their reliable player remains in Antawn Jamison who was present for 79 games last season, while putting up great stats. It’s terrific that players like Juan Dixon and DerMarr Johnson are added into the roster for the season, but they won’t be enough. The Wizards need Arenas to make a strong comeback from injury without suffering another knee injury. Besides Butler, Washington also lacks defense, something that’s critical in this league for a team to even glance at gold.

 

3. Charlotte Bobcats (32-50)

They underwent another struggling season, this time behind their  head coach, Sam Vincent.  This season they come into the season with what is hopefully a vintage Larry Brown. Jason Richardson, individually, had an impressive year for Charlotte, averaging 21.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The explosive, yet injury prone, Gerald Wallace managed to show up for 62 games last season, his presence has been impacting for Charlotte every game. This upcoming season, the Bobcats haven’t made any moves to stir up the division. With Earl Boykins’ short stint in Charlotte over, the Bobcats went and drafted Texas guard, D.J. Augistin to help back up Raymond Felton. Emeka Okafor is still in Charlotte progressing a reliable center, averaging 13.8 points and 10.7 rebounds last season. The this team is silently talented, but still lack their ability to get together for strong strings of wins for a playoff spot.

Finals Odds: 32%

Player Spotlight: Raymond Felton

The former Tar Heel has been a stud for Charlotte ever since he was drafted. Felton crawled into the starting line-up during his rookie season and has been the team’s default point guard since. His on-court leadership along with unmatchable quickness has put him in the drivers seat for Charlotte’s maturation. Ever since being drafted, Felton has become the perfect recipe for Charlotte’s explosive and high-octane offense. His praise is hurt by the team’s difficulty in stacking up wins. Still, once Charlotte becomes a competitive playoff team, (which could be sooner than you think) Felton will become a fan-favorite guard that possesses a game many envy.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Ever since their debut back in 2004, the Bobcats have been progressing each year to before a true force in their division. This season could give Charlotte fans something to enjoy. The Bobcats are becoming more and more of a complete team as years go by. This year could prove out to be a successful one for the franchise. The Bobcats carry extreme talent in Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, Jason Richardson and Raymond Felton. It’s almost a crime to see this team drop to last in their division with this squad. The Bobcats just need a playoff spot before they grind out upsets.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

Though there’s talent all around, the Bobcats are still short one player and one or two role players before winning anything major. Charlotte desperately needs a stronger scoring threat inside, Okafor’s 13.8 ppg. just isn’t enough. This team needs to build chemistry and develop a respectable character in the league to atleast scare any of the elites in their division. 

 

4. Miami Heat (15-67)

The Miami Heat couldn’t do anything right to win games in 2008. Losing Wade for 31 games really did it to the team, Miami couldn’t even win game with Dwyane suited up either. The Wade-less team made losing a habit, with L’s across the calendar. In December, they notched just 3 total wins for the month, not to mention their 15-game losing streak that carried on into January. The team was a mess without their leader, the scoring was so divided that Wade ended up having the most points for the team, despite playing 51 games. Losing Udonis Haslem for more than half the season, didn’t help either. With a season-worst record of 15-67, Miami turned in their 2nd overall draft pick for Michael Beasley. The moves Miami made this summer can’t do anything but make fans exciting for what’s ahead. Of course, Beasley will make his mark, but the main stories down in Miami include Dwyane Wade’s resurgence from injury and the team’s commitment to win. Dywane Wade’s olympic performance was nothing less than epic, Wade looked relentless when scoring the ball. With the addition of Jamaal Magloire, Miami fixed their post for the most part. Alongside Wade and Marion, rookies Chalmers and Beasley will make significant changes to the team’s overall attack, making this one of the most interesting teams coming into the season.

Finals Odds: 35%

Player Spotlight: Deaquan Cook

Last season rookie, Deaquan Cook came into the league after being formally drafted by Philadelphia before getting traded for Jason Smith. With the absence of Dwyane Wade into his first season with Miami, Cook was given healthy playing time at 24.3 minutes per game. With his great size at 6′5”, Cook explored different parts of his game in the league, shooting threes and taking the ball inside. His play resulted in 19 starts in the 58 games he participated in. Cook ended up averaging 8.9 points alongside 3 rebounds per game. He also had his career high (23 points) against the Clippers back in March. With Dwyane Wade, Beasley and Marion headlining the 2009 season, Cook will look to squeeze himself into the line up with his proficient play.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Rewind back two seasons ago, Miami were 2006 NBA Champions. Sure, this championship race isn’t solely based on experience and recent events, but Dwyane Wade’s performance blinded us as they went on to uppercut Dallas in the Finals. Though the team did also have Shaquille O’Neal, Shaq’s dominat presence can be backed up statisically, with the players they have now. Another point being, Dwyane Wade’s play this summer proved he’s much better than he was ever before. Wade’s explosive play can lead any team in the league and push them for a run. Hopefully no body forgot about his rookie year, where the 22-year-old Wade dragged his team alongside Eddie Jones and Odom to a close semifinals series. The Heat are an aspiring young group, surrounded by hope and dedication.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

While the Heat are expanding and upgrading their roster, they still lack the most important positions in the game, a point guard and a center. Dwyane and Marion can’t single-handledly bring gold for Miami either. The Heat still lack a blockbuster trade that would put them in a serious conversation relating to the NBA Finals. The absence of Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning is deadly felt for Miami, they’re need of a physical presence will continue to hurt them also.

 

5. Atlanta Hawks (37-45)

The Hawks were running with a 22-29 record heading into the break, their acquisition of Michael Bibby in a trade developed more character behind a team that’s been in the shadow. Under a whole different offensive scheme, Michael Bibby and the Hawks meshed together to produce a 15-17 record after the trade. The move slipped them into the last seed in the playoffs, resulting in some unparalleled noise against the current NBA Champions, Boston. Bibby who was undergoing thumb, heel and quad injuries, tallied 16.1 points and 6.6 assists per game with Atlanta. Childress left the team to play overseas, but there are plenty of players ready to fill his spot, though his unique play will be missed by some. They’ve added some size with Randolph Morris, and some isolated scoring with Maurice Evans and Ronald Murray. Working out a contract to keep Josh Smith away from places like Philadelphia was tremendous. Atlanta’s roster is exploding with firepower while lacking veterans. Still, their ‘08 campaign only brought them closer to becoming a seriously competitive team this season.

Finals Odds: 32%

Player Spotlight: Marvin Williams

Williams progressed beautifully last season with the Hawks. The lengthy, 6′9” forward, started all 80 games he participated in for Atlanta, showing promise and consistency. Williams also stretched his crafty, all-around game, having better stats in every department besides assists. His 5.7 rebounds per game tremendously helped the Hawks in the front court, alongside young teammates, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Heading into his fourth season with the Hawks, Marvin should continue to expand his game along with his stats. His position on the starting roster continues to be guaranteed and with Bibby on the starting line-up for a full season, Williams should receive the same amount of looks, if not more than what he had with Anthony Johnson has the point guard. 

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Hawks surprised the NBA when they squeezed a seven-game series against the Boston Celtics in the first round. The Hawks slid into the playoffs as the eighth seed and looked like a 4th seed when facing the top-seeded Boston. Their underdog praise grew immensely as they weren’t phased by the big three. Their re-signing of Josh Smith will prove out to help them for many years to come. 30-year-old Bibby hasn’t lost any part of his game and his leadership will be soaked by Atlanta as the long season begins. The real rookie of the year, Al Horford had an impressive first year and will develop to become a true menace around the boards. If things go as they expect, the Hawks should find themselves in a more comfortable seed and will have the opportunity to go great lengths in the post season. 

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

The Hawks haven’t won a Championship since 1958, back then when they had Bob Petit and Cliff Hagan. Fifty years later they’re roster is once again composed of young and very talented players. Atlanta horribly lacks veterans. Besides Bibby, Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton, this group is one of the youngest on the floor. The Hawks have a good set of offensive weapons but also need to put more emphasis on their defense. Horford is a ridiculously tough and physical player, but he solely can’t bring Atlanta the presence they need down low.

Philly’s time?

Out of all the teams shopping in the free agency this off season, the Philadelphia 76ers are one of the top teams to make the push to bring home a big name. Other teams include Memphis and possibly the Clippers, depending on what Brand and Maggette do. With that said, let me cruise through the news Philadelphia has been spreading this summer.

It’s already been said, Sixers GM, Ed Stefanski won’t be afraid to pursue a big-time free agent this summer. The Sixers lack depth in a shooting guard and most importantly, a power forward. The players Philly could have their scope on include, Josh Smith, Brand or Maggette. Now that Jamison is off the market, the Sixers will focus harder on bringing home a big-time forward to the team before it’s too late.

Sixers did not make qualifying offers to Shavlik Randolph, Kevin Ollie, Louis Amundson and Herbert Hill leaving them as unrestricted free agents. The Sixers did, however make qualifying offers to Louis Williams and Andre Iguodala. The Sixers could really have around $20 million in cap space if they were to waive both Iguodala and Williams, but most likely they will end up keeping both studs, leaving them at around 11-12 mil in cap space for free agency this off season.

One player that’s apparently becoming the Sixers prime target is Josh Smith. Smith, who’s coming off a strong season of 17.2 points, 8.2 boards, 1.5 steals, 2.8 blocks, leaves teams drooling. It is really unlikely that Atlanta will be able to come into terms with both Josh Smith and Josh Childress to prevent other teams from giving each of them an offer sheet, so Philadelphia is well alive in this hunt for Josh Smith.

Stefanski’s only clue to who the Sixers are really going after are simply quoted as “Somebody good.” His statement doesn’t help much, considering there are also rumors of Philadelphia possibly aiming at bringing Andris Biedrins.

Other statements related towards the Sixers pursuit during the free agency by Stefanski include, “We’re trying to build like Detroit, meaning we’re not looking to have that one superstar, but we want to have a lot of good players on the floor together.”

Another important factor that remains in Philadelphia’s roster is the absence the team’s overall shooting ability. Stefanski responded, “Detroit is doing it with a different style than us, because our style is to be athletic and push the ball. I know (coach) Mo Cheeks wants me to get him a shooter because he asked me the other day if I could get him one or two. I want to, but we’re really looking for people who are athletic and long and defensive-minded. That’s our first priority.”

This doesn’t mean Philadelphia has completely cancelled out their possibilities of having another Korver-esque shooter. Recently, reports indicate that Philadelphia has invited sharpshooter, Pat Carroll to join the Sixers summer league team in Las Vegas.

With all this news, there’s nothing Philadelphia fans can do but stay tuned to what Philadelphia will be doing this off season. One thing for sure, Philadelphia’s roster will be significantly different compared to last year’s.