Category: Fantasy Basketball (Page 222 of 274)

      2008 NBA Preview: #27 New Jersey Nets

      October 15, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: The team traded Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons, and both players figure to play a prominent role this season. The Nets are rebuilding with an eye on the summer of 2010 when LeBron James (and a few other stars) might be hitting the free agent market. Last summer, the team elected to re-sign Vince Carter, a decision they’re certainly regretting now.
      Keep Your Eye On: Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, Brook Lopez
      The team is trying to put together a young and inexpensive core that will attract a big-name free agent in the summer of 2010. Harris is no Chris Paul or Deron Williams, but he’s a great young point guard with a lot of potential. Potential is all that Jianlian has right now, though he played pretty well in spurts for the Bucks last season before injuries started to take their toll. Brook Lopez slipped to the Nets in the draft and they’re happy to have him. He’s a big body who can score in the post. If everything pans out for this trio, the Nets will have their point guard, power forward and center locked up. Now all they need is a couple of wing players and Vince Carter is signed through 2011…hmmm…
      The Big Question: Does the team really have a viable chance to land LeBron?
      One thing about making a long-term plan like the Nets have is that there really aren’t any pressing issues since the team isn’t really built to win right now. They want to see their youngsters develop, they want to acquire draft picks and they want to avoid spending any serious money. In an ideal situation, LeBron would join a Nets team that has a dynamic All-Star caliber point guard (Harris), a veteran off guard (Carter) an up-and-coming versatile power forward (Jianlian) and a double-double guy in the middle (Lopez). Two things need to happen: 1) the youngsters must develop and 2) LeBron must agree to play in Brooklyn. If you build it, he will come…
      Outlook: Nets fans shouldn’t expect a playoff berth this season. Carter is still there to put butts in the seats, though he’s not as dynamic as he used to be. The Nets are just too young to compete with the best in the East, but the opportunity for growth is certainly there.

      Check out our NBA Preview page for a look at every team. We’ll be posting three previews per business day, which will take us up to the start of the season on Tuesday, October 28th.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Greek team prepared to make big offer to Kobe?

      October 14, 2008 /

      SportsByBrooks has a post about the Greek franchise Olympiacos (who recently poached Josh Childress from the Hawks) and how they want to sign Kobe to a big deal.

      Guess what? It appears that Olympiacos is, in fact, serious, as reports are surfacing that the club is preparing an offer for Kobe Bryant. We’re talking 60 million Euro (about $83 million right now) over 3 years. THE HOOP has more details on the perks of the contract, and they are pretty damned nice:

      In that contract there will be an incredible list of benefits, a villa in the Mediterranean Sea, pay all the taxes at the expense of the club, to pay the bills for the staff and for a private boat for Kobe Bryant. The article also says that they are planning to form Olympiakos into an NBA style club with a court that fits 15-20 thousand seats and a private jet for the team.

      This is an interesting story, no doubt, but I don’t think Kobe is going anywhere. He wants to win a ring without Shaq and he’ll keep trying until he retires.

      Besides, if the US Dollar EVER gains back its strength against the Euro, there is no way that these European clubs will be able to offer up enough scratch to get a star to make the jump.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2008 NBA Preview: #28 New York Knicks

      October 14, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: New head coach Mike D’Antoni needed a point guard to run his up-tempo attack, so the Knicks signed Chris Duhon to fill the role. They probably would have liked to do better, but when you’re $40 million over the cap and have a roster full of players that nobody wants, you’re options are limited. However, Duhon is a pass-first floor general who could surprise.
      Keep Your Eye On: Mike D’Antoni’s blood pressure
      With Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry still on the roster (and penciled into the starting lineup) it’s not clear how D’Antoni will be able to effectively run his frenetic style of offense. Both players are slow-footed and neither guy is known to be a willing passer, two huge no-no’s in D’Antoni’s system. One player who should thrive is forward David Lee, who might be able to work his way into the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
      The Big Question: Is this a lost cause?
      Even with Stephon Marbury’s monster contract ($22 million) coming off the books next summer, the team is still in salary cap hell until the summer of 2010 unless they can rid themselves of Randolph ($14.7 million) or Curry ($9.7 million) before then. D’Antoni will bring energy to New York, but how patient will Knick fans be? It’s going to take a while to remake this roster, so will D’Antoni live to see it happen?
      Outlook: The Knicks do have some talent on this roster. The aforementioned Lee and Duhon are unselfish players that are a good fit for what D’Antoni is trying to do. Jamal Crawford is a terrific scorer, and if he buys into the system (by passing up questionable shots to create opportunities for his teammates), he could have a nice season. Nate Robinson and Quentin Richardson have the potential to thrive as well. The wildcard is rookie SF Danilo Gallinari. As the first pick of the D’Antoni era, it’s crucial that he’s not a bust. The Knicks best lineup might consist of Duhon and Crawford in the backcourt, Richardson and Gallnari in the frontcourt, and Lee at center. They’d be undersized, but if everyone bought in, that might be a fun lineup to watch.

      Check out our NBA Preview page for a look at every team. We’ll be posting three previews per business day, which will take us up to the start of the season on Tuesday, October 28th.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2008 NBA Preview: #29 Minnesota Timberwolves

      October 14, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: The team acquired Mike Miller as a part of a trade that sent the rights to O.J. Mayo to Memphis for the rights to Kevin Love. Miller is one of the league’s best shooters, but he’s a good all-around player at a fair price. He should be able to make teams pay if they elect to doubleteam Al Jefferson.
      Keep Your Eye On: Kevin Love, F
      GM Kevin McHale – that’s right, he’s still running things – fell in…um…love with Love’s game and elected to trade away the more dynamic Mayo for Love’s blend of power and fundamentals. Love showed much better athleticism after trimming down for the combine, so if he’s able to keep that going, he should be a fine power forward for years to come. He’s a terrific passer, a good rebounder and a solid shooter.
      The Big Question: Is McHale the right guy to steer this ship around?
      Usually, the guy who gets the team into a mess isn’t the one who’s given the job to clean it up. In this case, McHale has a close relationship with Glen Taylor, so it seems like he has a lifetime contract and is impervious to talk of his dismissal. To his credit, the Kevin Garnett-for-Al Jefferson gambit paid off (and not only for the Celtics), as he landed a young, All-Star caliber player in return for KG. Jefferson is one of the best post players in the game, and he gives the team someone to build around for years to come. If the Love draft pick pans out, the ‘Wolves might be onto something.
      Outlook: In the short term, things look bleak. Other than Miller, the rest of the projected starting five (Randy Foye, Rodney Carney, Love and Jefferson) have a combined eight years of NBA experience. There’s no doubt that they’re going to struggle, but the team showed some life last season, and they should continue to improve. On the salary cap front, there is $13.5 million coming off the books next summer, so the franchise will be a player in free agency in 2009.

      Check out our NBA Preview page for a look at every team. We’ll be posting three previews per business day, which will take us up to the start of the season on Tuesday, October 28th.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2008 NBA Preview: #30 Oklahoma City Thunder

      October 14, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: The team acquired forwards Desmond Mason and Joe Smith as part of the three-way trade that sent Luke Ridnour to the Bucks. Basically, it was a salary dump, as Mason and Smith are both in the final years of their contracts. They’ll back up Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox, respectively.
      Keep Your Eye On: Russell Westbrook, G
      Westbrook is a terrific athlete who saw his stock rise before the draft. He’s lightning quick and is a decent scorer, but he didn’t play much point in college, so the idea is for him to play behind Earl Watson for a while until he gets the hang of it.
      The Big Question: How long will this rebuilding job take?
      It will probably take a while. Kevin Durant is the franchise centerpiece, and while he won Rookie of the Year last season, he still has a ways to go before he’s ready to carry the team. The franchise has done a nice job of acquiring draft picks and cutting salary, and they project to have a ton of cap space next summer with just six players currently under contract for the 2009-10 season. It’s going to be interesting to see if the team will be able to land a dominant big man in the next two years. If so, that will certainly accelerate the turnaround.
      Outlook: For this season? Dire. For the future? Reasonably bright. Durant looks like a future franchise player, and while Jeff Green struggled in his rookie season, the team has all the ingredients for a turnaround in the next 2-3 years. They have a young core, a ton of draft picks, and oodles of cap space to work with. The upside is that they’ll be playing in front of the patient Oklahoma City fans who will be grateful to have a NBA team in town, even if the horribly-named Thunder don’t win very many games.

      Check out our NBA Preview page for a look at every team. We’ll be posting three previews per business day, which will take us up to the start of the season on Tuesday, October 28th.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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