NBA Basketball Previews: 10 Things to Look for This Season
2. Bracket Madness. The loophole of playoff bracketing last year seemed to be the center of attention when people realized it allowed Denver, who was tied in 8th record-wise, to sneak in the playoffs at number three. The craziest thing to me is that if Utah was able to make one final push at the end of the season and overtake Denver in the standings, they would have jumped from “out of playoff contention,” to, 3rd overall. With the switch-a-roo, Denver would have found themselves 9th overall and out of the playoffs. On August 3rd, 2006, the NBA Commission slightly revised it’s playoff bracketing rules. The top three division leaders are still guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but they and the non-division leading team with the best record are arranged in the top four spots according to record. The next four teams with the best records still fill slots five to eight. Basically, if these rules were implemented these past playoffs, the only change would have been Dallas and Denver changing slots. The new rules discourage teams from intentionally losing to try and fall to the sixth seed to play the weaker division leader, like some say the Clippers did last year against the Grizzlies. However, the commission is still set on allowing at least one team of each division in the playoffs, which I think is the rule that causes so much confusion and controversy. The best way to make a playoff bracket is line up the top eight teams by record, easy as that. We’ll see how the new playoff rules affect the playoffs this year, and maybe might call for even more changes from the commission.
3. Rock-it Man. The Rockets, who had a miserable season last year (34-48) and finished 12th in the Western Conference, credited their struggles to a string of injuries to their most valuable players, namely Tracy McGrady and big man, Yao Ming. Starting point guard, Bob Sura, and sharp shooter John Barry were also placed on the injury report. Stromile Swift, who everyone thought would bring some much needed athleticism to the team, struggled in Houston, and didn’t contribute anywhere close to what people expected of him. However, McGrady and Yao were able to play 31 games together, winning 21 of them. This bodes well for the Rockets, but when they’re in a conference where at least ten teams are up for playoff contention, and injuries can make or break a team’s chances for a postseason run, staying healthy is a high priority. Yao played his best year by far last year, being the only center to average 20 pts and 10 rebounds. This year, he can draw even more defense to create open shots for Barry, Battier, McGrady, and Jacobsen. So far, it seems the summer has been relaxing for both McGrady and Yao, and it will be very interesting for Rocket and Yao fans to see how well they can play together.
4. And Then There Was One. Last year was the self-destruction of the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Cassell gone to the Clippers, and Sprewell being unable to take a salary cut, it seemed Kevin Garnett was left to fend for himself. And, can a tripod effectively work with only one leg left? Kevin Garnett proved to us that it could not. When things weren’t going well, Minnesota desperately tried to bring in players who could consistently help Garnett, and traded Wally Szczerbiak to the Celtics for Ricky Davis. Trade rumors began surrounding Garnett, but he stuck out the season, taking small hits to his points, assists, rebounds, and steals averages compared to the season before. Now, with the arrival of Mike James(who I still think Houston should not have traded for Alston), and Randy Foye, hopefully we’ll see the dominant, energetic Garnett that practically ruled the NBA Fantasy leagues a couple years back. I’m excited to watch how Mike James and Kevin Garnett mix, and pray to God that Minnesota doesn’t decide to start Marko Jaric instead. However, if James and Garnett aren’t a good mix, and the Timberwolves start to see another repeat of last year, I’d expect Garnett to demand a trade.
5. Lakerwoodland. Even though the Shaq and Kobe rivalry is over(despite the attempts of Christmas specials forcing them to play against each other), there will always be news and drama in Lakerland. First, it started with the acquisition of Vladimir Radmanivic, which seems problematic for the Laker rebuilding plan. Laker management first wanted to try to acquire a big name player(preferably an inside big man) to play with Kobe, and jumpstart another Laker dynasty. With Radmanivic, the Lakers no longer have enough money to lure someone as big as they were looking for. Now it seems they’ll have to rebuild slowly, piece-by-piece. Then we hear that Kobe decides to change his jersey number from 8 to 24. Many speculate he just wanted his jersey to be numero uno on the selling market, after it being fourth last year. The biggest thing to look for on the Lakers is how they can scrap up another season under Kobe. Sure, he scored 81 points last year, but they still barely made the playoffs. I’m hoping(for Kobe and Jackson’s sake) that Kwame finally steps up to fill his role. He started to pick up late January last season, and we’ll see if that momentum will carry on to the new season, or if it was just a fluke. Also, I’m betting Kobe breaks another record this year. Even though I’m not a fan, I have to recognize that he currently is the hardest worker in the NBA.
6. New World Order. Living in L.A. I was able to see the full extent of the rise of, “Clipper Bandwagon Nation.” Jack Nicholson was replaced by Billy Crystal, Laker flags on cars were replaced by Clipper ones, and fans put Kobe jerseys away and bought Brand ones. But can you blame them? Both teams are in the same city, and no one likes rooting for a bad team (it’s true, admit it). The additions of Cassell, Radmanivic, and Mobley gave the young Clippers some much needed experience and in the long run, made players like Livingston and Kaman better players. Brand destroyed anyone who tried to guard him, and every time he got the ball, chants of “MVP, MVP” filled Staples Center. The Clippers playoff run was cut short by the Suns, but this upcoming season might be the first year in a long time that the Clippers are going to be regarded as a team to beat.
7. Turkey Dirky. It seems that every year, Dirk Nowitzki gets one step closer to that championship ring, but something always seems to stand in his way. Last year, that obstacle’s name was Dwayne Wade. He weaved in and out of Maverick jerseys, and sent the Mavs home, ring-less. Unfortunately, Mark Cuban’s terrible attitude towards referees trickled down to his team and gave them the mindset that they were cheated, rather than outplayed. This year, Dirk’s ambition of getting that elusive ring is even stronger, so be sure to look for even more dominance from the practically-impossible-to-guard German giant. Avery Johnson, last year’s Coach of the Year, now has Devean George to work with, who I think should work well in the Mav’s rotation and help out the Dirk-ster.
8. Heir to the Throne? I’ve said it so many times in the past, and this previous postseason, it seems that I’ve been right all along: Dwayne Wade is the next Michael Jordan. This kid came out of nowhere to annoy the heck out of the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs two years ago, when the Rookie of the Year award unfortunately went to Lebron James instead. Wade seemed to be in James’ and Melo’s shadow ever since, but now people are getting tired of waiting for their expected dominance. After seeing Wade’s performance in the 2006 NBA Finals, they realize the sensation they’ve been waiting for has already arrived. Not only does Wade statistically deliver almost every night, but he tends to make his teammates better, something MJ provided for the Bulls, and the biggest thing Kobe, James, and Melo seem to lack. This guy eats playoff pressure for breakfast, and can continuously pull through in the final seconds of any game. He seemed to fall asleep a couple times during the year, which was why the Heat suffered 30 losses. This isn’t a bad record on any account, but it could have been a lot better. Look for the Heat to take the number one slot for the playoffs, and they’re my first choice for title contention.
9. Rise in the East. Hornets and Bulls: Two teams who I think the league should watch out for. Both teams grabbed key free agents that should help them solidify a good chance of getting into the playoffs. For the Hornets, everyone knew Chris Paul would be good, but, Ã?¡aye carumba! Leading the league in steals and fifth in assists is a good way to energize an all but hopeless team. They were also able to bring in sniper, Peja Stojakovic and Chicago disappointment, Tyson Chandler. Peja will surely see his numbers jump in the points category, but acquiring Chandler was a very high risk. If he proves himself and contributes on the boards and defense, he’ll be very valuable to the team. For the Bulls, getting Big Ben did two things: filled the gap for an inside presence on defense, and practically dismantle the Detroit Pistons. Everyone knows Ben Wallace was the heart of Detroit, and with him gone, we should see Detroit’s record suffer. Chicago, who’s surprised us with the improvement of Heinrich and Nocioni, and the scoring ability of Deng and Gordon, will make the playoffs and have a good chance of making it past the first round.
10. MmmmâÂ?¦Fresh Meat. With a pretty strong draft this year, many people are trying to speculate who is the most NBA ready out of the rookies. The past NCAA tournament, all eyes were on Morrison and Redick. However, both Duke and Gonzaga were upset, and on draft day, the attention turned to the Raptor’s number one pick, Andrea Bargnani. I think the Raptors are hoping this guy can work himself into a Dirk Jr. His outside shooting and size is what makes him so valuable, but he is probably not ready to fill Dirk’s shoes just yet. Give him a couple years of American basketball experience, and we might see him as a force. To me, Redick seems like a smaller Reggie Miller, without the motor mouth. All he can do is shoot, which only makes him valuable to teams with offensive big men. In college, plays were designed around Redick, and some of his teammates only entered the game to set screens for him. Orlando probably won’t do this, so he’ll have to work hard for his points, especially since the league is still unsure if Dwight Howard has proved himself enough of an offensive threat to draw double teams. However, if Redick learns how to effectively pass and run the floor, he might be decent in a couple years. Morrison, to me, seems to be the most NBA ready out of the three, and is very ambitious. His hard work ethic may get him noticed for Rookie of the Year, but there’s also Foye and Sheldon Williams, both who I think can make a big difference for their respective teams.
Any thoughts regarding my top 10? Feel free to email me, or comment.
