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 (!).

Wednesday Dimes

Bullets for Wednesday, Oct. 30th, 2008

• Kevin Love’s NBA debut: 18 min., 12 points (5/8), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. Efficiency? check.
• Dalembert lead the league in boards tonight with 17. Chris Bosh scored 27 points behind 4 assists and 11 rebounds, while helping his Raptors win 95-84. Philly’s leading scorer tonight? Lou Williams with 16. So much for Brand’s debut.
• Udonis Haslem, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and rookie, Mario Chalmers all had respectful performances for Miami tonight. Second round pick, Michael Beasley struggled, shooting 4/14 for 9 points. 
• The Knicks swung their uppercut tonight against Miami though, the reckless jacker, Jamal Crawford was on tonight and we all know when he’s on, he’s on. Jamal had 29 points, shooting 9/19. Players such as David Lee, Wilson Chandler, NateRob and Zach Randolph put forth an amazing effort to make D’Antoni a winner in his New York debut.
• Danny Granger is blossoming. 33 points, 5 rebounds. The team isn’t quite there yet, Indy lost 94-100 to Detroit.
• As expected, Phoenix and San Antonio shared a close game tonight. Duncan looked flawless. Parker started off slow, scoring his first points in the second quarter, but both players had 32 points tonight. 
• Shaquille O’Neal went 5-8 from the free-throw line tonight, that hack-a-shaq strategy will never fade. 15 points, 13 boards and 2 blocks for the Big Cactus though. Nashy also proved he hasn’t slipped a step, 13 points and assists.
• Hornets slipped past the Warriors tonight. Without Monta Ellis, both Maggette and Jackson shared most of the scoring, while Biedrins put up 12 points and 14 rebounds.
• CP3’s line- 21 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals. Oh, and a block. 
• Main concern for Mayo? Shot selection. O.J. shot 5/20 tonight, ouch. Marc Gasol put work tonight though, 12 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.
• Lakers out-rebounded the Clippers 51 to 32. Baron Davis was electric in the first quarter in front of his Grandmama, but the Lakers easily slowed all the Clipper hype down immediately after the first quarter, 117-79.

Division Previews: Central

Central Division

The Overview

A division that lacks supreme competition when compared to others. The Central division has been recently represented by Detroit and Cleveland. With both Milwaukee and Indiana undergoing the rebuilding stage, Chicago still remains searching for a playoff spot after a one-year absence. This year shouldn’t prove to be no different for this division. Some stories to take into account are Detroit’s small signs of deterioration, Chicago’s new leader and Milwaukee’s strong rebuilding efforts.

The Ranks

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Detroit Pistons
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Indiana Pacers

 

The Previews

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37)

LeBron’s five years with Cleveland have been productively heroic. Since his arrival back in 2003, the atmosphere in Cleveland has been relatively positive. In an astonishing career doomed by lavish reliance. LeBron has undoubtly fulfilled all needs besides an actual Championship year for Cleveland a task that carries a strong degree of difficulty. This season bring forth different strokes for James and company. This off season, Cleveland’s roster changes shouldn’t change the team’s chemistry but should bring a stronger winning feel. Their losses weren’t tremendous (Damon Jones, Devin Brown) but they’ll have somewhat of an effect (Delonte West, Joe Smith). Wally Szczerbiak continues to become a small cancer for the rotation and his departure seems near. The main stories stemming from Cleveland include Maurice Williams arrival and his mesh with James on offense. Williams, who averaged 17.2 points and 6.2 assists for the Bucks last season, isn’t the final piece to the Cavaliers’ Championship hopes, but his presence will have a stabbing effect. This will be another phenomenal year for LeBron James, his experience will continue surface across the league.

Finals Odds: 86%

Player Spotlight: Delonte West

Delonte West’s 3-point shot with 5.4 seconds left that gave Cleveland a 3-1 lead over Washington in the first round may have been West’s biggest shot of his career, but there are more to come. West’s game all through college and the pros has been revolved around the killer instinct swirling around his left-handed jump shot. In college, West’s junior year was highlighted by his 23 points and 9.7 assists per game. Upon entering the NBA, West gained wholesome playing time in his second year, starting all 71 games he participated in for the Celtics. As a starting, he averaged 11.8 points and 4.6 assists per game while only having one year under his belt. His role was slowed down when he was traded to the Sonics due to Seattle’s depth in guards, but once he was traded to Cleveland, he once again showcased his game. With Mo Williams now a Cavalier, West will expect to continue his strong play after a great season that awarded him a multi-year contract with the Cavs in September.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Cavaliers were one win away from getting back into the Conference Finals last season. James put the scare on the Celtics after a last steal and dunk to make it a close one before getting eliminated. This season the roster hasn’t changed much really, since it didn’t really have to. Cleveland has the best player in the East and the last thing they want to do is ruin any chemistry that’s obviously building between the team. Instead, they added Mo Williams the quick and talented point guard from Milwaukee. Williams carries crazy ball handling skills along with a polished and deadly jumper. LeBron James will continue to feast on opposing defenses with a great reliable source to kick the ball back to in Williams. The Cavaliers also have one of the best defenses in the East. It’s obvious Ben Wallace has gone back a few steps but he hasn’t lost it all and should be set to lead their tall front court in stopping the ball and clearing the glass. Behind James, anything is possible for Cleveland. His ability to score at will is a factor that will put this club back into the Finals.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

The Cavaliers would have to run into Eastern heavyweights such as Boston, Detroit, and Orlando. Teams such as those can edge out James and the Cavs just like Boston and Detroit have done in the past. Pressuring Williams and putting a ridiculously strong effort to eclipse James on defense are the solutions to keeping this team away from going the distance.

 

2. Detroit Pistons (59-23)

“Detroit Basketball” remains the same. No grizzling roster changes, no isolated game plans, 8 consecutive winning seasons that have identified them as respectable playoff contenders and gave them six consecutive Conference Finals appearances. It seemed as though the system was about to going serious construction when trade rumors swirled throughout the media that had big-time success pieces such as Chauncey Billups or Rasheed Wallace going elsewhere. Thankfully, no trades were made and the Pistons remain basically the same. The loss of Lindsey Hunter will hurt some hardcore Detroit fans, but Rodney Stuckey’s impressive year last season provides the quick heal. Detroit’s coaching line has been impressive throughout their 8-year run (Carlisle, Larry Brown, Saunders), their 3 year deal with new head coach, Michael Curry will make it an interesting season for the Piston’s game plan. Their 2-year deal worth 8 million with the entertaining Kwame Brown is also another process to take into account for the team’s development.

Finals Odds: 84%

Player Spotlight: Rodney Stuckey

Stuckey’s college career can be explained by his nine 30-point games and three 10-assist games while playing for Eastern Washington University. In Detroit, the 6′5” guard emerged as a fearless player with a scorer’s mentality. Stuckey’s rookie season for Detroit was a solid one at best, but his playoff performances gave him prominent exposure. Stuckey’s pro career began with amazing stats during the post season, 32.1 ppg. and 9.1 apg. Then he broke his hand. The fracture caused him to miss a huge portion of the regular season, but his comeback provided compensation. While in the playoffs, under 23 minutes, Stuckey averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 assists per game last season. He became a reliability along with Maxiell off the bench. With the Pistons nucleus still intact, Stuckey should expect to get more playing time around a crafty set of veterans that should guide him to become a main attraction in Detroit.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Next to the Spurs, the Pistons are one of the playoff teams to stay away from. Their expanding growth and experience in the post season has put them above the rest when it comes to the games that actually matter. Even though they showed some slip up last season to Philadelphia, the Pistons are best at exploiting team’s weaknesses. They were on the verge of completely destroying the team’s nucleus but didn’t in the end. Detroit comes back into this season with Maxiell in the starting line-up, his play will damage opposing defenses nightly. When it comes to serious, realistic talk, the Pistons always have their name in the bag and it should remain that way with their youth players adapting to the winning scheme.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Poor, lackadaisical shooting could be one of the key things preventing this team from moving deeper into the post season. The Pistons can’t run out of gas in the post season, nor show any signs of age. The team still lacks a true center and can’t afford Rasheed to play emotionless in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see what they do to Kwame Brown, as long as they keep the ball away from him when it matters late in the season.

 

3. Chicago Bulls (33-49)

The new era begins. First-time coach, Vinny Del Negro and the number one Draft pick, Derrick Rose arrive in Chicago to give the Bulls a winning face. The six-year extension with Loul Deng is bigger than anyone can imagine for this franchise. The Bulls possess one of the deepest rosters in the league. Tyrus Thomas’ breakout year is still on hold, and the Bulls’ low-post scoring remains as the only issue. Collectively, this group will provide it’s loyal followers a bright season and future. While the Eastern Conference remains to get stronger, Chicago’s playoff hopes turn into a squeeze. Their off season proved out to be strong after finally settling a deal with their most efficient shooter, Ben Gordon in the beginning of training camp.

Finals Odds: 59%

Player Spotlight: Tyrus Thomas

Tyrus Thomas’ pro-career began when he was drafted by the Blazers as the fourth overall pick to then be traded to the Bulls. The Bulls gave up their number 2 draft pick, LaMarcus Aldridge, in hopes that the 6′8” forward would errupt to a killer in the front court. They targeted his freakish jumping ability along with his great shot-blocking skills. In his first year with Chicago, Tyrus had his limited moments of explosiveness, but lacked productivity for the Bulls with 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Heading into his second season, many expected Thomas to break out or at least have a much better season but Tyrus just couldn’t live up to the expectations. Heading into future years, it’s relatively hard to count out Tyrus Thomas’ potential with the exclusive shades of blocks and dunks he sparingly has throughout the season.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

With Derrick Rose now on board, Chicago’s upcoming season will catch plenty of attention whether they do good or bad. Rose, who isn’t afraid the attention and can easily get dirty when in the big stage could benefit from this. Derrick’s last college game turned out to be the National Championship game. Despite the loss, Rose tallied 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 rebounds, his play doesn’t change when the stakes are high. After such a bad season, people tend to forget this team was two wins away from playing in the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago. The Bulls are a young and talented team that could get it together with new leaders in their coaching and point guard spots.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

It’s kinda hard to completely swap a team’s attack when they were ranked 26th in offense and only notably added Derrick Rose to the roster to change everything. Unless there’s an unmatchable chemistry within the team’s guards, the Bulls could be headed for a better season than last year, while still missing the playoffs.

 

4. Milwaukee Bucks (26-56)

Another team that faced immense changes. Unfortunately, all these changes will move them one or two spots higher than what they finished last season. The woe-shooting Desmond Mason is gone, along with Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian. New arrivals such as Richard Jefferson, Luke Ridnour and rookie, Joe Alexander are players worth watching for avid Milwaukee followers. The mix between the new and old players is also an stimulating factor. Michael Redd’s patience with below-average disappointing seasons is beginning to hit Jermaine O’Neal status.

Finals Odds: 31%

Player Spotlight: Ramon Sessions

The 56th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft from the Bucks turned out to be Sessions, a 6′3” point guard with great decision making and passing skills. Sessions’ negatives were listed as a poor shooter that lacks the league’s average athleticism. After spending some time in the NBDL, once averaging 29.6 points, 8 rebounds and 12.3 assists per game in three games for his team, Sessions was moved back up to the Bucks. In his debut, the weaknesses were exposed, when he scored just two points. Sessions continued going at it with the Bucks, play less than 10 minutes in his first five games. In his ninth career game, he sank a game-winning shot to beat the Wizards and get his name cycling through the league. Four days later, Ramon had his breakout game, scoring 8 points and 10 assists. From then on, Sessions averaged exactly 13.4 points and assists in his final seven games for Milwaukee. Most notably, on April 14th, when the rookie went on to break a franchise record, with 20 points and 24 assists. Sessions’ late stats marked him as assist machine for the Bucks’ exotic offense, with Williams gone, he should see more looks for his teammates and possibly new records.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Bucks made a healthy amount of shifts to their roster heading into the 2009 season, adding some more veterans to their young team. Richard Jefferson is a straight baller for the league and even though he may not like his new location, it’s not going to change. Assuming that Redd brings that winning attitude he received from the Olympics, Bogut, Jefferson and Villanueva would help push this team to make them a contender. This team does have size along with perimeter shooting, mixing both of these elements correctly could be deadly.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

Neither Ramon Sessions or Luke Ridnour can turn into destructive point guard machines overnight. This team needs a strong point guard with experience to bunch this squad together right. Even though they’re tall, this team could be one of the softest in the league. It’s been five years since this team had a winning record, it’s doubtful they’ll strap things together so quick after a 26-56 finish last season.

 

5. Indiana Pacers (36-46)

After their first year under Coach O’Brien the Pacers couldn’t avoid their need for more weapons on the floor. The season began with an impressive 3-0 start, before dipping into a 6 game losing streak, that became the story of the season. Relying on Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy isn’t always a pleasant compromise, therefore their losses continued to stack up throughout the year. Their off season was expected to be something to watch, and it was. Indiana nearly cleaned house, taking away the former face of the franchise in Jermaine O’Neal. But the current young Indiana crew consisting of newcomers, T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert and Nesterovic isn’t a horrendous bunch.  The Pacers defy reconstruction. With all these guards, Jamaal Tinsley’s days are numbered, which isn’t a terrible thing. The maturation and development of Granger appears to be going super, with Granger averaging 5.7 more points per game than last season. Time will be the only tough thing to swallow for this team’s success.

Finals Odds: 24%

Player Spotlight: Danny Granger

The young Granger entered the NBA during the downside of the Pacers franchise. His rookie year was a decent one, with humbling stats of 7.5 ppg. and 4.9 rpg. As the Pacers continued to deteriorate, Granger’s role grew more and more. He saw much more playing time in his second season, starting 57 games compared to his rookie season’s 17. Last season Granger’s role exploded, averaging 19.6 ppg., 2.1 apg., and 6.1 rpg. Danny became a default starter for Indiana, starting the 80 games he played. Still, the 6′9” forward is only 25 years of age with a bright future in front of him. In a roster stuffed with swingmen around his size, Granger’s unique skill will continue to help lead Indiana to a better future. 

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Four years ago, Indiana possessed the best record in the league at 61-21 (yes, that includes the Western Conference). Of course, times have changed and so have the people, drastically. With all these new players in the Indiana line-up, players such as T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush are paired alongside Daniels, Granger and Dunleavy. Who knows, Ford and Granger could develop some magic wins to develop a winning groove for this struggling team to slip them into the post season. Maybe the player Indiana receives for Tinsley could add on to that groove. 

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

The Pacers are simply not ready to face what their opponents will bring to the table this season. Nearly every time stacks up better than this club, making it nearly impossible for this team to create runs. The team lacks a true, bonafide, compelling leader and won’t see success until they find one.

Freshmen Headlines

Thursday night was a night filled with immense headlines and changes for the League. After soaking in all of the decisions by each team for several hours, I felt I couldn’t pick a better time to write this up ’til after the following blockbuster trade which took place a little pass 1 a.m.

T’Wolves receive Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins from the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner.

After all the lights were turned off at MSG, Wolves GM Kevin McHale rolled up his sleeves and made the moves necessary to bring more skill to the front court, along with a stronger perimeter shooter in Mike Miller. The Grizzlies finally bring home the desired O.J. Mayo to create a congested backcourt with guards, Kyle Lowry, Javaris Crittenton and Mike Conley. The deal turns out to work for both teams equally.

The Grizzlies back court will face tension in the minutes that are to be spread from the guards. The loss of Juan Carlos Navarro, with his decision to leave the team and play overseas and Mike Miller’s departure due to the trade help out the cause. The production from the back court is not the factor to worry about for Memphis now,

the back court does become the question though. With the loss of Pau Gasol in their infamous trade, Memphis is left with Darko Milicic (7ppg., 6rpg.), Hakim Warrick (11ppg., 4rpg.), Kwame Brown. The execution to get Mayo define GM, Chris Wallace’s obsession to have Mayo on the roster. It is now up to Wallace to put forth one or two moves to add help to the front court.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand are a developing team with a healthy line-up. O.J. Mayo would’ve done nothing but give this teams a solid 10 to 15 more wins then last season. But the acquirement of Kevin Love helps stretch the length of this young team. Alongside, Al Jefferson (21ppg., 11rpg., 1.5bpg.) and Ryan Gomes (12.6ppg., 5.8rpg.), and Craig Smith (9.4ppg., 4.6rpg.), Kevin Love is surrounded by plenty of young big-men that have been in his position not too long ago, to help relate. Love fell into a comfortable spot to express his game for this team that’s exploding with potential. The guard position wasn’t hurt either Thursday night, even after losing Mayo. With Foye and Telfair coming back, along with the selection of Mario Chalmers, McHale is upgrading smoothly after the loss of KG.

With the #1 Draft pick, the Chicago Bulls select guard, Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis.

Not a soul was a surprised with this pick. The only reason this pick drew questions was due to Chicago’s mass amount of effective guards. The list includes, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Larry Hughes, Chris Duhon, Thabo Sefolosha, JamesOn Curry, and Shannon Brown. There is no mystery as to why the Bulls chose Rose, the best guard in the draft. But, passing on Michael Beasley, the best player in the draft causes talk. Derrick Rose’s playmaking ability will be Chicago’s reasoning throughout the season as many will compare the two. Rose has a tremendous amount of pressure in his rookie season, anything less than stellar will be held against him and the organization’s decision-making. Derrick Rose’s talents are unexplainable for his position, his career will be put to the test right off the bat in his hometown. Many will think the Bulls are senseless in drafting another guard, but they see elements in Rose that most don’t understand. It is still extremely early in the off-season to assume this will be the final roster for Chicago. With their amusing stack of guards, expect their chase after a big time player down low. Rose’s presence will help turn this franchise around in a matter of 1-3 years, if you’re a Bulls fan, prepare for a set of grateful years ahead.

Miami overcomes all the rumors and selects Michael Beasley with their second pick.

Everyone was fed with abundant talks of Riley desperately trying to nab an explosive guard from the draft or a big time player like Elton Brand. It is still questionable whether Pat Riley and the Heat will stick through with this decision of Beasley and not push for a trade. It is still obvious the Heat want to make another significant push for a guard this off-season. Miami fans can only hope it doesn’t involve Beasley. Drafting Michael Beasley masked Miami as one of the smartest teams in the Draft by not letting Beasley drop on Minnesota or Seattle’s lap.

It’s been said many times on this page and it’ll be repeated, Michael Beasley is the best player in this Draft. Michael Beasley brings forth size, strength, jumping ability, quickness and scoring. His left-handed stroke is the essence of his shooting ability. He can pretty much get by defenders at will with his strong triple-step jab moves. Accompany that with an unbelievably soft touch around the basket with both hands and you have yourself a prime time scorer. It is only a matter of time before his name is mentioned in the same category as Carmelo, McGrady and Pierce.

New York Knicks draft Danilo Gallinari with their 6th overall pick in the Draft.

This decision has D’Antoni written all over it from top to bottom. The 6′9”, 212 pound Italian will be sporting a Knicks jersey to being his career in the US, with a great deal of pressure behind him. Gallinari is only 19 years of age but is said to contain all the maturity. Though his body is steps away from being on the NBA level, Gallanari is a consistent shooter with plenty of range. Danilo can become a scoring threat for the Knicks a few years from now with his numerous intangibles. Scouts also say the Italian is a crafty shooter with a knack for scoring the basketball, while also being able to sell a foul call like Ginobili. Danilo Gallinari may not be the perfect for the Knicks just yet, but as the years go through he’ll become a fan favorite once his weapons expand along with his age.

Sacramento makes the bold move in selecting Jason Thompson with their 12th pick.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, hence the words on the last entry,

“…and please don’t sleep on Jason Thompson. Just don’t.”

I wasn’t at all surprised with Sacramento’s decision to grab what they feel is the right player for the team. Jason Thompson, a 6′11”, 21-year old power forward from Rider University was the best kept secret in the draft. The late bloomer has great fluidity in his footwork and a nice set of low post moves. He’s also a quality defender, something necessary for Sacramento to help Artest.

After drafting Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless, Indiana trades away Bayless and Diogu for Portland’s Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.

This column has extreme love for Jerryd Bayless. So when the news struck that Bayless was traded to Portland, this immediately turned into a headline. It would’ve certainly been nice to see Bayless turn into a quick NBA start and plump his stats in the traditional basketball place of Indiana, but teaming up with Brandon Roy isn’t bad for an NBA career. Bayless has one of the best pull up jumpers in the game, along with amazing body control, it will be a treat for Portland fans to see this team blossum with Oden coming back next season. The following trade for Indiana made it evident that their primary guard, Jamaal Tinsley is going to be shipped out of Indiana.

New Jersey Nets draft Brook Lopez, eying LeBron, Wade or Bosh in their Brooklyn future?

After trading away a fundamentally skilled Richard Jefferson, the New Jersey Nets received Bobby Simmons, Yi Jianlian and the Bucks draft pick which turned out to be an obvious steal with the acquisition of Brook Lopez. The key theory of this trade for the Nets isn’t focused towards Yi Jianlian’s potential, but the amount of salary cap relief he’ll bring to the Nets in 2010, which is when DWade, ‘Bron and Bosh might be available. The main attraction for the Nets organization would be bringing LeBron to Brooklyn. Such a move would explode the Nets fan base for several years.

Philadelphia drafts Marreese Speights from the University of Florida.

Philadelphia’s choice of Speights was no surprise. I’m incredibly proud of Philadelphia’s decision this year with this one. It looks like Stefanski is a GM with a head on his shoulders, who’s trying to work this team out to be completely successful in every area. The 6′10”, 250 pound forward has a wingspan that could potentially allow him to be a situational center for the Sixers. Speights has a good offensive attack, can work beautifully off pick-and-rolls and brings the adrenaline of Joakim Noah or Reggie Evans, whom the Sixers already posses. Adding another player like this only upgrades the bangers down low for Philly to get dirty.

Off The Wall

The 2008 NBA Draft is only two days away and the mock drafts are mostly in dead set print. Though the top 3 picks are nowhere close to being 100% accurately reassuring, most expert analysts are sticking close to what they already have, which reads, Derrick Rose to Chicago, Michael Beasley to Miami and O.J. Mayo to Minnesota. But let’s spice things up a bit and fall deep into the black hole of NBA rumors that evolve daily.

Feeling the Heat?

The first batch of news that struck my eye effectively was from Miami. It appears as though Shawn Marion will end up being a Miami Heat for the 08-09 season which remains as a huge athletic plus for the Heat. After a pathetic season, resulting in a 15-67 record and a 2nd overall draft pick for Thursday, it appears as though Pat Riley is willing to give away his 2nd draft pick to teams such as the Grizzlies, Clippers, Sonics and the Timberwolves. Apparently the Heat are trying to land a young guard or some sort of a big man with a presence. Something you can’t blame the Heat for, with players like Mark Blount, Chris Quinn and vets like Jason Williams, ‘Zo Mourning who don’t have an assuring time line on how long they’ll be sporting the red and black.

What puzzles me is the near possible chance of Riley’s Miami Heat passing on Michael Beasley, the best player in the 2008 Draft. Yeah, it will take a few, 20 games or so before Beasley gets his feet wet in the NBA, but Michael Beasley has unrealistic intangibles and is a unique player many GM’s would drool over. The mix of athleticism mashed together between Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and Michael Beasley could become unmatchable. Players will be able to spread the floor and score the ball more efficiently and quickly than average NBA teams. Yeah, the ironing out of a true point guard to run this squad is a task that would come into affect but it’s a case that’s easier to solve than trying to find another legit big-man in the NBA.

With the league runned by quick, explosive guards and swingmen, it would only be good vibrations for Miami to settle down with the pick they earned after canning the rest of the season with Dwyane getting “fit for the Olympics.” Sure, there’s a brief understanding as to why Riley craved Rose in the Draft but trading away the 2nd pick (aka Beasley) isn’t the best answer. Again, sources include Miami is making the 2nd pick availible to teams with high picks to bring home a young solid guard, along with a 3rd, 4th or 5th pick, to then grab a big guy. All of this, which has its own understanding to it, but doesn’t fall under gaping nor relevant success.

Jermaine O’Neal & Chris Bosh for ‘09?

Chris Bosh already headlines the Toronto Raptors after gripping on the to the leadership role that VC left vacant a few years ago. But the strong rumors screaming J.O. could positively end up in Toronto alongside C4 are eye-gazing. Two, lost-post bangers with all the tools needed down low. And for all those saying, J.O. lost it, you lost your mind. After pulling through eight years in Indiana, 29-year-old, Jermaine O’Neal hasn’t missed a beat in his game and a season in Toronto can help prove this fact.

If this trade were to go through as implied, T.J. Ford and Nesterovic would both be shipped to the Pacers, leaving Toronto with Calderon, who’s proven-out to be a much better overall point guard than T.J. Ford will ever be. Calderon, a 26-year-old guard from Spain has a much better sense of the game, carries vision and perimeter shooting over Ford. While humbly obeying the sequence of time before getting the rotation and expressing his skill, Calderon simply out-balled T.J. Ford out of Toronto. This resulted in Ford’s refusal to play back-up for the Raps, leaving his future elsewhere in the League.

Game Changers

Out of the 60 ball players to be chosen Thursday night, there will only be a set few who will make a definite difference for teams in their rookie year. It’s evident that the first three picks, consisting of Rose, Beasley and Mayo will have their own respectable impact for their struggling teams, but let’s turn face towards other names that will keep the league buzzing.

Whether he’s top 5 or top 10, Jerryd Bayless has the proper tools to make a difference for whatever team he plays for. Top quality for this dude is boldly his scoring presence. Bayless also brings forth an NBA body figure (no homo) to keep himself above water when being matched up with other defensive stoppers.

Secondly, Brook Lopez is one of the few big-men in this draft that has a good-set of moves down low while carrying his 7 foot size. Lopez carries a great understanding of the game and what he has to do to get the ball in the basket for a forty minutes. There are many teams in the league in need of a big man like Lopez, and most likely it’ll have Lopez in good position to have a notable affect on whichever team he plays for.

Another player that have scouts raving is the swingman from West Virginia, Joe Alexander. The 6′8” forward plays the game with high intensity while being able to shoot the ball well. Alexander has the ability to do many things on the floor and his height is only an added feature to what this guy can already bring to the court.

Danilo Gallinari from Italy is said to be a lengthy 6′9” forward version of a Many Ginobili. That’s probably saying too much obviously, but his workouts have yet to prove comparisons wrong. It’s been said that Gallinari has been getting his over in Italy and now it’s time to mix it up with what the NBA has to offer. Other names I don’t want to leave include, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers and please don’t sleep on Jason Thompson. Just don’t.