NBA Preview: Atlantic Division

I’ve never been more relieved to write a series of blogs in my entire life. After a contentious lockout nearly wiped out the NBA this year, we’re left with a 66 game schedule that will test the legs and resolve of the players, especially the veteran teams (ahem, Boston, LA Lakers and San Antonio). I’ll get to who I predict to win the title in another blog. In the meantime, I’ll break down every team by division, starting with the Atlantic.

Toronto Raptors

2010-11 Record: 22-60

Key Departures: Reggie Evans, Coach Jay Triano

Key Arrivals: Rasaul Butler, Coach Duane Casey

In year 2 of the post-Bosh rebuilding project, the Raptors find themselves with a young roster that struggled to find its way in a top-heavy East last season. Bryan Colangelo’s dream of building a Suns-east roster produced a ton of shots (10th in Pace), but it also resulted in a ton of misses (21st in Off Efficiency) and abysmal defense (last in Def Efficiency). They did have bright spots though, mainly in Demar Derozan and Andrea Bargnani. Derozan quietly had an excellent season, averaging almost 18 per game on 47% shooting and giving fans glimpses of the franchise player that will leave he is capable of being. Derozan’s athletic prowess is well documented, but the real key to his development lies in improving his jumper from long range and becoming a more willing passer when he gets cut off on his drives. Bargnani also improved his scoring stats for the 5th straight season, but his rebounding and defense is alarmingly bad. I know he is a perimeter player at heart, but averaging 5 rebs and less than a single block per game is inexcusable for a starting center, and he will have to provide some form of basket protection for Toronto to improve defensively, especially since Reggie Evans has gone elsewhere. There are plenty of areas where Toronto can stand to improve, but they basically progress as Derozan and Bargnani progress.

Prediction: 17-49. Derozan breaks out this year and becomes known for more than his dunks, but the Raptors don’t have enough talent to make the playoffs this season. The growing pains continue.

Philadelphia 76ers

2010-11 Record: 41-41

Key Departures: none

Key Arrivals: none

The 76ers come in as one of the most improved teams in the league, finishing strong towards the end of the season and showing a lot of fight in the first round against Miami despite losing in 5 games. Doug Collins’ defensive mentality played a major part in their success (7th in Def Efficiency), and so did the progression of their young core, namely Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, and Evan Turner later in the season. Williams made a legitimate push for 6th man of the year last season, averaging 14 PPG off the bench and providing the spark plug whenever the starters struggled offensively, which happened fairly often. Holiday quietly made a push towards the top tier of point guards, averaging 14 PPG/ 6.5 APG/ 4 RPG, 1.5 steals and showing no gaping holes in his game. At age 20. When the top point guard conversation comes up, you mainly hear the usual suspects like CP3, Deron, Westbrook, Rondo, Rose and Nash, but I suspect that Holiday will make his way into that conversation sooner than later. After looking lost at times early last season, Evan Turner started looking like the player Philly hoped to see when they used the 2nd pick on him. There’s no reason to believe that he won’t build on that momentum this season. Even Elton Brand started all but one game last season and led the team in scoring, making him slightly less egregiously overpaid. The 76ers’ biggest problem, besides their lack of quality big men (the Hawes/Speights/Battie combo strikes fear in exactly no one), lies in not having a true alpha scorer, especially in close games. Five players averaged between 10 and 15 PPG last season and Andre Iguodala, as talented as he is, is terribly miscast as the primary scoring option on a playoff team. Philly will continue to improve this year, especially defensively, but they will have a solid ceiling unless someone (Lou Williams, perhaps?) steps up to score the tough baskets in crunch time.

Prediction: 37-29. The Sixers’ young legs and commitment to defense will greatly benefit them in a compressed season, but I don’t think they have the firepower to go far in the playoffs this year.

New Jersey Nets

2010-11 Record: 24-58

Key Departures: none

Key Arrivals: Marshon Brooks

The Nets are moving to Brooklyn, but will Williams be there to join them?

New Jersey is in year 3 of their rebuilding project, but they look to be on the fast track to relevance by trading for Deron Williams and being in serious talks for Dwight Howard. In the meantime, they have a roster that doesn’t have much to offer outside of Williams, Brook Lopez (who quietly averaged 20 PPG, 6 RPG and 1.5 blocks after getting over his bout with mono), and Anthony Morrow (arguably the best young shooter in the league). Although all the potential Chris Paul and Dwight Howard trades dominated the media this month, Williams also made a splash by declining an extension offer from New Jersey, meaning he will likely be a free agent next summer. The Nets’ fate will depend on how well they can focus with the issues that will inevitably come from the uncertainty of Williams’ status and how much he can improve an offense that was 28th in Off Efficiency last season. Keep your eye on Marshon Brooks, a rookie gunner from Providence who will push Morrow for major minutes at the SG slot.

Prediction: 25-41. A healthy Deron Williams will be brilliant  and Morrow will continue to shoot the lights out, but swirling rumors and a glaring lack of talent/depth will be their downfall.

New York Knicks

2010-11 Record: 42-40

Key Departures: Chauncey Billups

Key Arrivals: Tyson Chandler, Mike Bibby, Iman Shumpert

New York finally have their Big 3, just not the one their fans clamored for in the offseason. Nonetheless, the signing of Tyson Chandler will pay major dividends  towards improving their 28th ranked defense and presents an ideal compliment for Amare Stoudemire offensively and defensively. Although the Knicks were great in transition offense last year, there are still questions on whether they can be effective when the pace slows. Amare and Carmelo are both ball stoppers and they  generally work from the same spots on the floor, so until they both learn how to move without the ball, the Knicks’ offense will continue to be stagnant and predictable in the half court. New York will look for Bibby to hit the open looks that will come from teams helping on Melo and Amare. Landry Fields building on his strong rookie campaign will also be important if the Knicks want to be considered title contenders this season. Look for rookie Iman Shumpert to get major minutes and provide badly needed defense and athleticism on the wing.

Prediction: 40-26. New York will improve their defense with the additions of Chandler and Shumpert. Melo and Amare will also learn how to coexist with the half court. Even then, will it be enough to overthrow Miami or Chicago? Not yet.

Boston Celtics

2010-11 Record: 56-26

Key Departures: Glen Davis, Shaquille O’neal

Key Arrivals: Brandon Bass

The Celtics couldn’t have had a worse offseason. They vocally dangled Rajon Rondo in a CP3 trade, knowing that he’s volatile emotionally. Pierce and Garnett are already complaining to the media about the rushed training camp. The compressed schedule will do no favors to their already weary knees. They didn’t enter the season with their usual edge after losing convincingly to Miami in the 2nd round last season. Jeff Green, Boston’s most important player outside of their stars, has missed the first 6 practices due to an unknown red flag in his physical. Despite all of this, Boston will look to make one last title run before Father Time claims Garnett and Danny Ainge decides to blow up the team and start from scratch. Their defense will continue to be elite (top 3 Def Efficiency for the past three years), Rondo will have another stellar season, and Pierce and Ray Allen will be solid again. The wild card is Kevin Garnett. If Garnett has one more elite season left in him, Boston is a serious contender for the title this year. That’s a giant IF, but it’d be foolish to dismiss a proud, veteran team with championship experience and a great coach in Doc Rivers. Look for the Celtics to lean on Jeff Green and Brandon Bass to provide extra rest for KG and Pierce, especially on the end of back-to-backs.

Prediction: 44-22. Boston will sacrifice a few regular season games to keep their fresh legs for the playoffs. Garnett has a final great season and they make the Conference Finals.

110968778_crop_650x440

The Raptors will go as far as Demar Derozan develops this season.

Recap of Heat-Magic

Orlando didn't do well on their first bis test of the year.

A few thoughts and notes on Miami’s beatdown last night…

Dwight Howard chose the wrong game to showcase his new and improved post arsenal…nobody on the Heat roster can guard him alone; this was supposed to be the game where he imposed his will and dunked on everything moving. Instead, he bailed out the defense again and again by not attacking the rim. The fact that he didn’t have a single dunk this game (unbelievable) set the tone for the rest of the Magic to settle for jumpers as well. I’m thrilled that Dwight finally has a competent post game, but now his challenge is to find the balance between doing that and what he does best…dominating physically.

Miami finally put the pieces together for one game…their game plan of keeping Howard away from the rim and forcing contested jumpers worked to perfection. Despite an off shooting night, Lebron facilitated well on offense and repeatedly found open teammates. He also anchored a suffocating team defense that allowed one layup and no dunks for the entire freaking game. Very impressive. Wade attacked the rim and eventually got Howard into foul trouble. Bosh was a nonfactor on offense, but he was a beast on the glass and forced Rashard Lewis into an awful night. Overall, they played like the team that Jeff Van Gundy picked to win 74 games.

I stated all of the positives about Orlando’s night when I talked about Dwight Howard’s post game. Everyone else from Vince Carter through Brandon Bass shot and played horribly. Howard was good enough to keep them within striking distance at halftime, but the wheels quickly fell off after a mini barrage from Lebron and Wade (due in part to lazy defense from Vince Carter) and Howard picking up his fourth foul. I can talk about field goal % and all, but a better summation of the game can be made with three simple team stats…5 assists, 1 layup, 0 dunks. Not the best night for the team I picked to win the East.

I won’t overreact in either direction (Miami is unbeatable, Orlando sucks) about the result since this is only the first week of games, but I was very interested in seeing how Orlando would respond when they got punched in the mouth. The response wasn’t very encouraging at all. The Magic will have better shooting nights. Howard will have a few dunks and more than 2 or 3 rebounds. Vince Carter will have more than 4 points before hurting his back (again). But until they kick this ugly habit of folding whenever everything isn’t going perfectly for them, they won’t be a serious contender for the title, and I will subsequently look like a buffoon for picking them come playoff time.

Joke of the night: My friend Stew, a Celts fan who has been killing me for picking Orlando, asked me to name a Magic player who isn’t a fragile jumpshooter. I mentioned Dwight Howard. His response: Don’t say his name on my phone…the phone might self-destruct. I still haven’t responded.

Twitter me @shawnintheflesh
Befriend me on facebook…look up Shawn Gregoire.

As always, comments are welcome.

NBA Preview and Predictions Part 3

If you missed part 2, just click here http://wp.me/p16Iuu-i

Now it’s on to my team predictions. After the season is over, I promise to review all of my picks and take my ridiculing gracefully.

Toughest omissions: Washington (John Wall is going to be great, but he’s still learning on the job.),  New Orleans (Chris Paul is awesome, but have you seen their roster?), Sacramento (They’re still a couple of guys away, but Cousins is the real deal.), Everyone else in the West, well except Minnesota (seriously, you can pick 7 teams out of a hat after the Lakers and be closer than most experts…the West is stacked this year.)

Eastern Conference

8. Charlotte

The combination of Larry Brown, the underrated Captain Jack, and a possessed Tyrus Thomas should be enough for another playoff bid. Unfortunately, it would take a minor miracle for them to get past the first round.

7. Milwaukee

Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut, John Salmons…there’s a lot to like about this team. Corey Maggette playing for Scott Skiles this year…ehhh…their ceiling is frisky first round fodder.

6. New York

As much as I would love to point out the faults of Amare Stoudemire, he is perfect for the big apple. I’m sure Knick fans will settle for a playoff berth from an exciting team after the decade they’ve been through. The prospect of getting Melo before the trade deadline shouldn’t hurt either.

5. Atlanta

The only playoff team that didn’t improve in the least bit although they won’t get past the second round for the next decade. I guess they’re looking forward to trading Joe Johnson’s massive expiring contract in 2016. 50 wins is still a safe bet though.

4. Chicago

I was tempted to drop them lower because they have to go through that brutal circus road trip with a new roster and without Carlos Boozer, but they’ll be scary once they hit their stride. Still, who’s going to hit jumpshots besides Kyle Korver?

3. Boston

The old lion that won’t go away. Garnett should finally be healthy, Shaq is in shape, Pierce is still improbably effective, and Rondo is still amazing (if only he had a jumper…even a 17 footer). They will take a couple of games off to keep everyone healthy, but I think everyone knows better than to count them out once the games really matter.

2. Miami

Thank goodness I held off writing this until after the preseason. Obviously, the new Big 3 will terrorize the NBA for years to come, but injuries and the inevitable alpha dog battle between Lebron and Wade (am I the only one that sees this coming?) will prevent the Heat from reaching their peak until the All-Star break, not soon enough to collect more wins than…

1. Orlando

I’m not crazy. Dwight Howard is the one player who can change everything in the East, and he is armed with 2 things he didn’t have last year: a massive chip on his shoulder from the playoff exit last year and the incessant hype about Miami (he sounded genuinely upset all summer…he’s ready to destroy everyone in his path) and finally, a post game (after working out with Hakeem this summer, he put a clinic on Yao Ming, complete with bank shots and spin moves…he looks like a completely different player.). Add that to a roster that is already the deepest in the league with the least holes and not even Vince Carter can prevent the Magic from winning 60 games this year.

Western Conference

8. Portland

It’s hard to fathom that a team with so much promise 2 years ago would be in minor turmoil and scrapping for a playoff spot now. Hopefully the Thunder don’t suffer the same fate.

7. Denver

It’s only a matter of time before the Melo situation degenerates one of the most talented teams in the league. This will be their last playoff berth before the fire sale begins.

6. Houston

It’s not a good sign when your best player has a cap on his minutes after being out for a season and a half. Hopefully GM Dayrl Morey has a surprise under his sleeve.

5. Utah

Al Jefferson is finally healthy and has a world-class point guard (Deron Williams) to make life easier for him. Utah will be a TOUGH out in the playoffs…again. SN: Can any point guard defend Deron? The short answer is no. I wish he would take advantage of this fact more often.

4. San Antonio

Ok, ok I’m being a slight homer…I know Duncan’s old, Manu’s injury prone, Parker wants a new contract and George Hill might have to be their 2nd best player, but they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt from me years ago. There’s no way they don’t make the playoffs while Duncan has 2 legs…so there.

3. Oklahoma City

I’ve talked about them enough. Playing in this league is much harder when everyone sees you coming. Still, I see them going to the Conference Finals this year.

2. Dallas

Poor Dirk…nobody has taken his team seriously as a contender since they lost to Golden State in 2007…all he does is put up 25-12, take every clutch shot, lead his team to 50 win seasons in the West every year…just to hear that he doesn’t have any heart. In 4 years, he went from possibly being the European Bird to the least appreciated star of his generation. Oh well, another world-class year from him leads Dallas to a high seed, but not necessarily a deep playoff run.

1. LA Lakers

Fans are so fickle…People wanted to hit the panic button after they lost to FC Barcelona and Minnesota in the preseason…let’s not get carried away. One day, Kobe is going to slow down, but fortunately, he doesn’t have to carry the offense for 48 minutes anymore…only the last five or so. They still have the best 8 man rotation in basketball, Gasol is the best 2nd banana in the NBA, Ron Artest finally has someone with his level of insanity to hang out with (Matt Barnes, wait, is that really a good thing?), and for now, Kobe is still…Kobe.

Playoffs

East Finals: Heat-Magic

West Finals: Lakers-Thunder

NBA Finals: Lakers-Magic

NBA Champ: Lakers in 6

Feel free to comment…Let the games begin!!!

NBA Preview and Predictions, Part 2

If you missed part 1 of my preview and predictions, click here http://wp.me/p16Iuu-a

So, here are my individual predictions for the upcoming season…yes, feel free to shove this blog in my face when the exact opposite  happens. I’m just a guy on the internet…what do I know?

Rookie of the Year: John Wall

 

All eyes will be on John Wall, but Arenas is still the key to Washington’s playoff hopes.

If the preseason is any indication of his potential impact, and that isn’t always the case, the NBA will have a huge problem on their hands. If you combine his speed (which is something to behold…really, his 5th gear is already unmatched), court vision, a fairly reliable jumper, and the fact that the Wiz will hand him the franchise immediately, I foresee Wall thrusting himself into the top point guard conversation within the next 3 years. This pick doesn’t come without reservations though. Rookie point guards have the hardest time adjusting to the NBA, he has to lead a team that isn’t known for selflessness (or defense…or winning), and he also has the task of dealing with one of the biggest wildcards that nobody’s talking about…Gilbert Arenas. (Personally, I think the whole gun scandal broke him down. His body language, comments, and that awful beard indicates someone who just wants to be left alone. Sad to watch. He seems resigned to let Wall take over the team and just be used as a spot-up shooter…doesn’t sound like the guy who scored 61 on Kobe to me.) Despite all of that, I think Wall averages 14-7-4 and leads a fun Wizards team to the brink of a playoff spot, which will be enough to win the award over Demarcus Cousins and Blake Griffin.

Breakout Player of the Year: Brook Lopez

 

Ladies and Gentlemen...he's a keeper.

The following is a list of every big man who demands a constant double-team in the post: Dwight Howard, Al Jefferson (when healthy), Demarcus Cousins (just trust me on this one…you’ll see), Amare Stoudemire, Brook Lopez…and that’s the list. Hidden from the national spotlight by a 12 win season last year, Lopez proved to be one of the few bright spots in an otherwise abysmal season. He’s the only untouchable asset on a franchise in transition, he possesses every quality someone would want from a center, and he’s only 22 years old. I foresee him averaging 22-12-2.5 blocks for a not-so-terrible Nets team this year, followed by a stream of  “Where did he come from?” articles when he’s backing up Dwight Howard in the All-Star game this year. As much as I love Steph Curry’s potential, quality bigs are rare gold in this league now, and frankly, Lopez is a no-brainer to me. SN: Miami passed on Brook Lopez in ’08 for Michael Beasley…if they hypothetically drafted Lopez and pulled the same free agent heist this summer, their crunch time 5 would be Wade, Lebron, Miller, Bosh and Lopez…sweet Jesus!!! (Shout out to @noamschiller for that terrifying thought).

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard

 

I'm expecting big things from Howard this year.

My easiest prediction, by far. Everyone else is fighting for a distant second in this category.  How many years does this guy have to lead the league in rebounds, blocks, altered shots and dunks before people acknowledge his greatness? He’s so dominant that fans and writers take it for granted at this point.  How confident am I in Howard and the Magic this year? You’ll see in part 3 of this blog.

MVP: Kevin Durant

I’ve done enough gushing about Durant in part 1, but I’ll add one more thought about him before closing out this article. At age 21, he averaged 30.1/7.6/2.7…most players don’t reach their prime until age 26…if he keeps improving at a conservative rate, we can easily be looking at someone who averages 34.6/9.3/3.1, with 40% 3PT/50%FG/90% FT and doubles as a great defender (because of a 7’5 (!) wingspan) throughout his prime. In the modern era, (and thus discarding Wilt’s and Elgin Baylor’s unfathomable seasons), the only players even approaching those numbers for an entire season are Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kareem and, yes, Lebron. Not even Kobe managed to sustain that level of brilliance for an entire season. Will he have the supporting cast necessary to win multiple rings like the aforementioned greats (minus Lebron, of course)? Remains to be seen, but either way, a lot of “youngest ever” accolades are going to have his name written next to them.

Part 3 of this article (team predictions) forthcoming…comments and feedback always welcome.

Follow me on twitter @shawintheflesh and befriend me on facebook www.facebook.com/!#/shawn.gregoire1

NBA Preview and Predictions Part 1

It’s a great time to be a fan of the NBA. After another breathtaking postseason that ended with the Lakers winning their 2nd straight ring, and people finding every way possible to say “6 for 24″, we had the most entertaining offseason in recent memory.  After we found our new crush in John Wall in the draft, all eyes were on the highly prized free agent class, but most of all, Lebron and his “Decision”. We all know how that played out, but after all of the jersey burning and scathing insults (my condolences to Cleveland…the whole city got dumped for the world to see…ouch), everyone collectively realized, “Hey, two of the best three players in the league are on the same team. I might want to see what happens here.”, and the hype/bandwagoning hasn’t stopped since. (Especially in 2K11…seriously, friendships are going to end over who gets to choose the Heat this year.)

Just a hunch, but I think Miami will be a factor for a while.

If all of that wasn’t enough, we got an invitation to Kevin Durant’s coming out party in the FIBA championships. He led a young and (relatively) undermanned  USA squad to gold (convincingly), looked unstoppable in the process (complete with deadly shooting, clutch plays and a mean streak), and made people ask questions that weren’t supposed to be discussed for another few years, such as “Are we sure Lebron is really better than this guy?” (Yes…for now), and “Is the next dynasty really in Oklahoma City?” (Still a couple guys away…I wanna see him win a playoff series first). He even accepted his new extension with nothing but a humble and heartfelt tweet. Decent summer for him.

And I thought the Lebron-Durant discussion was still a few years away

The aftermath of this summer produced everything necessary for the most anticapated season in a very, very long time. We have the heavyweights/villains (Lakers, Celtics, Heat), dark horses (Thunder, Bulls, Magic), comic relief (T-Wolves, Pistons, Raptors, Sixers), a deep crop of young studs (Rose, Wall, Jennings, Cousins, Evans, Curry etc.), the point guard arguement that won’t die (Paul vs. Deron is like Bloods-Crips right now), what’s going to happen with Melo ( he’s the best pure scorer in the league…where he goes is a pretty big deal), a sleeping giant (an upset Dwight Howard is not good for the rest of the league…I smell a 25-14-3 block season), and last but not least, Kobe Bean Bryant (you know, the finals MVP with a better and deeper team than last year…yeah, that guy…he’s not going anywhere either). He has to slow down eventually, right? He must be friends with Barry Bonds’ trainer or something. Either way, the title still goes through him, and I can’t see him going down quietly. Wow, why can’t the season just start already…

Part 2 forthcoming… @shawnintheflesh via twitter and www.facebook.com/shawn.gregoire1

As usual, comments are welcome…I take all comers

Humble Beginnings

Hello online world, my name is Shawn Gregoire, and I’m pleased to introduce everyone to Three the Hard Way, my NBA blog that is prone to delve into music, culture and my personal life without advance warning. My favorite team is the Spurs, but that won’t factor into any rankings or opinions in this blog. Feedback and comments, regardless of whether they’re positive, negative, articulate, profane, numbers-heavy or unsubstantiated, are always welcome. (I try to learn something from everyone.)Before I get into my NBA basics and biases, I have some shameless self-promotion (a la Lebron) to get out of the way, so here it goes.

You can contact me on twitter @shawnintheflesh and/or Facebook www.facebook.com/#!/shawn.gregoire1 This will NOT be the last of my shameless plugging…you’ve been warned.

NBA Basics

These are a few of my general beliefs about the NBA and its history that I won’t accept arguments about. Swaying me will take some some combinination of overwhelming evidence, hyponosis and threats of bodily harm. Anything else will be dismissed as buffonish.

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever. (Please don’t refer me to a guy who won 11 rings with Wilt as his only competition, a certain Lakers point guard with an embarassment of Hall of Fame/All-Star talent at his disposal, or a Boston forward who had the same situation as the previously mentioned Laker. Thanks in advance.)

Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward ever. (There isn’t another acceptable answer to this question. The closest ones would be Kevin Garnett, who couldn’t consistently carry a franchise on his back, and Kevin McHale, who had the luxury of Larry Bird and coming off the bench.)

The ’86 Celtics were the greatest collection of talent ever assembled for an NBA season. (Bird, Dennis Johnson, McHale, Parish, Walton, Danny Ainge. Perfect blend of talent, chemistry and experience. Bill Simmons didn’t coerce me into writing this…ok, maybe a little.)

The Redeem Team couldn’t hold a candle to the original Dream Team  (Even if, and this is a big if, the guards and wings cancel each other out, who is going to guard Barkley, Ewing, Malone and Robinson after Dwight Howard gets into foul trouble…Bosh? Boozer? Not very realistic. I haven’t even started to talk about rebounds. And God forbid they added Hakeem…lets just move on.)

Wilt Chamberlain would struggle to have 18-12-3 in the current NBA. (Come on, if you unleashed Dwight Howard in a league full of Mark Madsens, he would’ve done the same thing.)

NBA Biases

These are more subjective opinions of mine that can be argued against without being dismissed as moronic. These are based on numbers, seeing games in person, the clutch factor and a player’s supporting cast. I can bend on biases, but it’ll take a pretty convincing amount of evidence. Since I can write about these forever, I’ll narrow it down to the 3 that get me cursed at the most often.

Lebron is the best player in the NBA…for the first 43 minutes. (For the last 5, I would still take Kobe, Wade, Melo, Dirk and even Nash over South Beach James. He showed me a lot by joining Wade instead of being the undisputed leader of his own team. Durant isn’t quite there, not yet anyway.)

Tim Duncan was the best player of the decade. (Obviously Kobe seems like the easy answer here, but Duncan was the backbone of his franchise for his 4 titles. Although his supporting cast ranged from fringe all-stars to terrible (Matt Bonner anyone???), his numbers stayed terribly consistent, he got better during the playoffs and always made everyone around him better. He has worked with the worst roster, by far, of any team that was ever considered a dynasty. Kobe’s merits are well documented already, but just remember that pre-Gasol, Chicago could’ve acquired Kobe. Luol Deng was considered too steep a price to pay for him. Deng is a nice player and all, but can you see Chicago keeping him over the chance to have Duncan? I hope not.) SN: I love Kobe, irrationally so. That last paragragh hurt my heart.

Amare Stoudemire is wildly overrated, and the Knicks will find this out the hard way. (I can talk about his disregard for defense and his 2 rebounds per quarter, but I’d rather talk about players that have gotten worse since leaving Steve Nash: Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson (too bad the Hawks don’t know that), Boris Diaw, Tim Thomas (before and after Nash actually), James Jones (remember when he had trade value? ( Me neither) Quite a few players whose numbers and reputation got a slight bit inflated during the SSOL era. You can argue that Amare is more talented than all of them, but he’s following a pretty steady precedent. He’s not who everyone thinks he is.)

NBA Preseason awards are coming really soon…If my predictions are wrong, you get a full refund for the blog.