2008 NBA Preview – The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

Doug Collins breaks down the Western Conference

John Paulsen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:00:20 +0000

In a conference call for TNT publicizing the start of the NBA season, analyst Doug Collins broke down the Western Conference.

Los Angeles Lakers: “I think they are absolutely loaded. If Kobe (Bryant) stays healthy, coming off the brilliant season he had last year. They get Andrew Bynum back. I’m looking forward to seeing Bynum and (Pau) Gasol together. Imagine a team that is able to bring Lamar Odom off the bench, a bench that I think is the best in the NBA. They are my favorites to win the Pacific (Division).”

Phoenix Suns: “(The Suns) are going to be very interesting with a new style. How many games will Steve Nash miss, they are talking about him playing in 70 games. Instead of cutting his minutes, have him miss some games along the way. How many games will Shaq (O’Neal) miss? This is an older team with a new coach and a new style. They are going to very interesting to watch.”

Los Angeles Clippers: “One of the teams that I think could be a surprise is the Clippers. They have a lot of talent with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. If that group can stay healthy, (rookie) Eric Gordon is a young player that can score along with Al Thornton. The big thing (with the Clippers) is how are the pieces going to fit? Can they get it up-tempo and get out and play?”

Golden State Warriors: “The Warriors are going to suffer losing Baron Davis (to the Clippers) and with Monta Ellis’ injury.”

Sacramento Kings: “The Kings are still very young. I think they are still a team in transition who have re-loaded with some young, talented players.”

New Orleans Hornets: “(The Hornets have) Chris Paul and they added James Posey (from the Celtics) to go along with David West, Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler. They are very, very talented. I think they are going to learn from their experience last year in the seventh game (of the playoffs) when they lost at home to San Antonio (Spurs).”

Houston Rockets: “The Houston Rockets get (forward) Ron Artest (from the Kings) and anytime you bring him to your team, you never question his talent. Chemistry is the word that is always at the forefront (with Artest). If the team is healthy with Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier and Luis Scola, they can be one of the most talented teams in the NBA.”

San Antonio Spurs: “The Spurs still have their core of three stars (Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili) but they’ve lost Manu Ginobili to an injury. How long will he be out? I worry about their energy and production coming off the bench. (Head coach) Greg Popovich has always done a great job of managing his star players’ minutes and having them ready for the playoffs”

Dallas Mavericks: “The Mavericks will be interesting. (New head coach) Rick Carlisle is taking his tremendous coaching ability to Dallas. Jason Kidd will be there for the long haul. They are going to have a change in style and it looks like they will play up-tempo with Jason Kidd. With the core of Jason Terry and Josh Howard, that group of players is a very potent team. They are going to be wrestling with some playoff demons. The last three years, they looked like they were going to win the championship and (lost in the playoffs).”

Memphis Grizzlies: “The Grizzlies are rebuilding.”

Utah Jazz: “I like the Jazz. Their core is back led by (head coach) Jerry Sloan.”

Denver Nuggets: “(The Nuggets) lost their best defensive player in Marcus Camby (to the Clippers) and Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson can give the team 50 points (a night) but their frontline is going to have to come up big. Nene is going to have to stay healthy as well as Kenyon Martin.”

Portland Trail Blazers: “Can the Blazers take the next step? Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez are two tremendous talents who were added to the team. Can they find a way to make it into the playoffs?”

Minnesota Timberwolves: “(The Minnesota Timberwolves) are young and improving. They have a great nucleus with Al Jefferson, who’s a great, young forward (along with) Kevin Love and Mike Miller, so they are moving in the right direction.”

Oklahoma Thunder: “Oklahoma (Thunder) has a new home (moving from Seattle) and I think they are heading in the right direction but they are too young to make a dent in the very difficult West (Conference).”

“The Grizzlies are rebuilding.” Wow, only four words on the Grizzlies, Doug? You don’t want to mention the young nucleus of Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley?

Other than the Memphis bit, it’s hard to argue with anything that Collins says here. He did a nice job of zeroing in on the one or two issues that each team is facing.

2008 NBA Team-by-Team Preview

John Paulsen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:34:35 +0000

Ron Artest is a Rocket, Jermaine O’Neal is a Raptor and Mo Williams is a Cavalier. Richard Jefferson is a Buck and Corey Maggette is a Warrior. Baron Davis signed up to play with Elton Brand in L.A., but Brand bolted for Philly to play with AI2 instead. And Andrew Bynum is back from injury, trying to figure out how to co-exist with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. There, you’re all caught up on most of the big summer news from the NBA.

Want more? We’ve got you covered. Our team-by-team preview breaks down each franchise’s offseason movement and outlook, along with a player (or situation) to keep your eye on. We also ask “The Big Question” that is haunting each team as it enters the season.

For the last two weeks, We’ve been previewing each team from #30 to #1, posting three team previews per business day, starting with the league’s bottom feeders – we’re looking at you, Thunder – and finishing up with the cream of the crop. So who will be #1? The Lakers? The Celtics? Or will there be a surprise at the top of our preseason power rankings?

Click here to see the entire preview.

Reggie Miller breaks down the Eastern Conference

John Paulsen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:18:13 +0000

TNT NBA analyst (and former Pacer) Reggie Miller broke down the Eastern Conference in a conference call that the network held to promote the launch of the season.

Boston Celtics: “James Posey (leaving the Celtics and) going to the (New Orleans) Hornets (as a free agent) is my only question mark with the Celtics. Who is going to be the guy coming off the bench to supply all that energy, that defense and take the big shots for the team?”

Philadelphia 76ers: (Head coach) Mo Cheeks got (free agent) Elton Brand and they re-signed Andre Iguodala. Now they have a player (Brand) in the closing moments who you can throw the ball down (to), command a double team, get fouled, make free throws and can make big plays.”

Toronto Raptors: “(The Raptors have) the twin towers in Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal. The only question mark is ‘how many games will Jermaine be healthy for?’”

New Jersey Nets: “(The Nets) have a brand new team. Gone are Jason Kidd (Mavericks) and Richard Jefferson (Bucks). Is Vince (Carter) finally going to be able to lead (the Nets) on his own?”

New York Knicks: “(New head coach) Mike D’Antoni isn’t afraid to run. There is drama with Stephon (Marbury), is he going to start or come off the bench? How are Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph going to fit into this system?”

Cleveland Cavaliers: “My MVP pick this year is LeBron James. I think he is ready to take the next step. Watching the Olympics this summer, you can see the maturation process of LeBron. Picking up Mo Williams (from the Bucks) was huge.”

Detroit Pistons: “The act that (new head coach) Michael Curry has to follow after (former Pistons head coaches) Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown and Flip Saunders is tough. Is it going to be too much pressure? If Rasheed Wallace shows up, then the Pistons could make a seventh trip back to the (Eastern) Conference Finals.”

Milwaukee Bucks: “(The Bucks) went out and got (new head coach) Scott Skiles and traded for Richard Jefferson (from the Nets) and Andrew Bogut signs a big deal. They are one of my sleeper teams in the East (Conference) to make the playoffs.”

Indiana Pacers: “The Pacers are one of my sleeper teams in the East (Conference) to make the playoffs. They’ve got a brand new team with nine new faces. I think it was a breakout year for Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger is an up-and-coming young player.”

Chicago Bulls: “(The big question) is if Derrick Rose is ready to lead (the team) as the number one pick (in the 2008 NBA draft). All eyes are going to be on first-year (head) coach Vinny Del Negro.”

Orlando Magic: “(The Magic) are my second best team in the East (Conference). ‘Superman’ (Dwight Howard) is ready to lead. They’ve got Tony Battie coming back and he is going to take a lot of pressure off of Dwight down low.”

Atlanta Hawks: “Was the (2008) playoff run a fluke taking the Celtics to seven games (in the first round)? Josh Childress went to Greece (as a free agent) and there are already grumblings that Mike Woodson and Josh Smith are at odds with one another.”

Charlotte Bobcats: “I heard (new Bobcats head coach) Larry Brown wants to trade everyone except Jared Dudley. So things are right on cue for Charlotte and Larry Brown.”

Washington Wizards: “(Injured) Brendan Haywood is out three to five months. Gilbert (Arenas) could be back as early as December or January. They are saying that Antawn Jamison could be ready at the start of the year but they’ve got too many starters out. I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs.”

Miami Heat: “The Erik Spoelstra era begins in Miami. Michael Beasley, who everyone thought should have been the number one pick (in the 2008 NBA Draft), will have all eyes on him. If they get a healthy Dwyane Wade, we saw what dividends that paid for the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing.”

I agree with most of what Miller says here. Here are my playoff picks for the East:

1. Boston
2. Philadelphia
3. Detroit
4. Orlando
5. Miami
6. Cleveland
7. Toronto
8. Milwaukee
————–
9. Chicago
10. Washington

2008 NBA Preview: #1 Los Angeles Lakers

John Paulsen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:00:49 +0000

Offseason Movement: The Lakers re-signed Sasha Vujacic and signed Chinese guard Sun Yue. They probably overspent on Vujacic (three years, $15 million) but had to compete with European teams for his services. Vujacic had a great year shooting the ball, but didn’t play particularly well in the Finals, especially on defense.
Keep Your Eye On: Lamar Odom
It’s not clear how Odom is going to fit in with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum on the Laker front line. It’s going to be tough for Kobe Bryant to find any room to drive when the three big men are on the court at the same time, so the most likely scenario has Odom or Bynum coming off the bench. It’s going to take some time Bynum and Gasol to get used to playing with each other, and if Odom is the one coming off the bench, he’ll have to adjust to a sixth man role. The good news is that if things aren’t working by the trade deadline, they can probably unload Odom for a good player that is a better fit.
The Big Question: Is Bynum’s return enough to get the Lakers over the hump?
Conventional wisdom states that if you take a team that lost in the Finals the previous season and add an up-and-coming seven-foot center to the rotation, then the team will inevitably be better. While that’s certainly a distinct possibility, there’s no guarantee that Bynum will jive with the rest of the rotation. Just because the Lakers are better on paper, it doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to once again run the gauntlet that is the Western Conference playoffs. A lot of things had to go right for the Lakers to make the Finals last year, and a lot of things have to go right for them to make a second straight trip.
Outlook: Despite some training camp kinks that need to be worked out, there is no team in the league with more talent top to bottom. They also have one of the best coaches in the league, so the Lakers are the odds-on favorite to with the title, and rightfully so. Still, there are a number of roadblocks they’ll have to overcome. First, Phil Jackson must find a way to use Gasol, Bynum and Odom to the best of their abilities without limiting what Kobe can do on the drive. Second, Kobe must stay healthy, which means the problem he has with his shooting hand can’t bother him too much and those knees have to stay relatively pain-free. And lastly, they must show better toughness if they meet the Celtics again in the Finals. Bynum brings a lot to the table, but he’s not going to make this team tough by himself. The Celtics were hungrier than the Lakers last season, but now the roles are reversed. If Jackson can get Odom, Bynum and Gasol to play together well, or if the Lakers can trade Odom for a better fit, they should make it to the Finals again. There is just too much talent here; they should be able to figure it out.

2008 NBA Preview: #2 Boston Celtics

John Paulsen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:30:03 +0000

Offseason Movement: The Celtics were unable to re-sign James Posey, who ended up signing with the Hornets. GM Danny Ainge did re-sign Tony Allen, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell, while also signing Darius Miles and Patrick O’Bryant. Out of the draft, the team ended up with shooting guard JR Giddens and small forward Bill Walker.
Keep Your Eye On: The bench
Even more than last season, Boston is going to need a regular lift from its bench. With Posey gone, someone will have to pick up his defensive-mindedness and shooting touch. The bench projects to be very young, but with youth comes energy, and the Celtics will need it this season.
The Big Question: Now that the Big Three won a title, will they be as focused?
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came to Boston with one thing in mind – a NBA championship. Paul Pierce set aside his ego for the same reason. Throughout that season, the Celtics were focused on a singular goal, but now that they have their rings, will they be able to bring that same intensity every night? Hunger can really bolster a team’s success, and Boston will somehow have to manufacture that hunger this season. That’s a tough thing to do.
Outlook: The C’s are still the class of the East, but will face a bigger test within the conference given the improvements that the Sixers and the Heat have made, along with the continued maturity of the Magic and the Cavs. James Posey was so crucial to the team’s playoff success that one wonders if the team will be overcome that loss and stay as focused as they were last season. They are the odds-on favorites to win the East, but it’s shaping up to be a very interesting season in Beantown.

2008 NBA Preview: #3 New Orleans Hornets

John Paulsen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:00:04 +0000

Offseason Movement: The Hornets #1 job this offseason was to lock up Chris Paul, and they managed to sign the superstar point guard to a deal that runs through 2013. GM Jeff Bower poached James Posey from the Celtics in a move that will bolster the team’s bench. He also signed Devin Brown to give the team some depth at guard.
Keep Your Eye On: The Hornets’ wings
In Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler, New Orleans has three of the top players in the league at their respective positions. (Chandler isn’t an offensive force, but he’s a terrific shot blocker and rebounder and his contract is a bargain at the center position.) The key to the Hornets success might be the play at off guard and small forward, which are currently manned by Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic, respectively. Both players are 31 and have shown signs of decline. Neither player is a defensive force, so if their shots aren’t falling, there’s really no reason for them to be on the floor. Julian Wright is an up-and-coming small forward who played very well in limited minutes last season and James Posey was signed for his championship experience, tough defense and clutch shooting. Devin Brown will also play a factor.
The Big Question: Can the Paul/West combo lead these Hornets to the Finals?
Both Paul (23) and West (28) are in their primes so the championship window is wide open. They nearly upended the Spurs in last year’s playoffs and have added a valuable piece (Posey) to their championship puzzle. The Hornets need good shooting from their wings to give Paul and West the space to operate. Whomever is on the floor in crunch time needs to be able to knock down shots because inevitably the Hornets’ season will depend on it.
Outlook: With Paul locked up for five years and West locked up for the next three, the Hornets are clearly in their championship sweet spot. But it seems like the team is one player away from being a serious title contender. Stojakovic was supposed to be that guy, but his defensive limitations and suspect shooting in the clutch may make the Hornets regret signing that huge contract two summers ago (if they aren’t already regretting it). Don’t be surprised if Posey gets a lot of crunch time minutes. If he can perform like he did with the Celtics last season, the Hornets have a good shot of getting out of the West.

2008 NBA Preview: #4 San Antonio Spurs

John Paulsen — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:50:30 +0000

Offseason Movement: The Spurs were pretty quiet this offseason, apparently content with their roster. They re-signed Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas, and drafted George Hill, a combo guard that could really score in college.
Keep Your Eye On: Manu Ginobili’s ankle
Manu Ginobili will be out of action until mid-December after undergoing left ankle surgery. The Spurs won the title in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and I would pick them this year if not for the uncertainty surrounding Ginobili’s health. If he comes back at 100%, the Spurs have a great shot at a fourth title in seven years. Ginobili’s ankle is especially worrisome considering his style of play. He’s most effective when he’s able to drive to the hole, and a shaky ankle may limit his ability to get to the rim.
The Big Question: Do the Spurs have another title run in them?
Ginobili (31 years old), Tim Duncan (32), Michael Finley (35), Bruce Bowen (37) and Kurt Thomas (36) are all pretty long in the tooth and they’ll all be playing a major role in the Spurs’ rotation this season. Obviously, Ginobili and Duncan are the keys – if they are healthy and can play at a high level, the Spurs are going to be a very tough out, especially considering that the 26 year-old Tony Parker is just hitting his prime.
Outlook: Same ol’ same ol’. The Spurs recipe for success is pretty simple. They’ve signed their stars to reasonable contracts and with regard to the supporting cast, chemistry outweighs ability or upside. Duncan is signed for four more seasons, which would make him 36 in the final year of his contract. Realistically, the team has a 2-3 year window in which to win another title. Duncan is still playing at a high level, but there’s no guarantee that at 34 or 35, he’ll still be able to post franchise-cornerstone numbers. There is no doubt that the clock is ticking. This season probably represents the Spurs’ best chance for another title.