Monroe: NBA '09: What To Expect

[duncan228]

NBA '09: What to expect
Mike Monroe

What does the NBA's future hold as the 2008-09 season transitions from the 2008 portion?

As always, we are here to help. Trying to predict what will happen before a single game has been played is an exercise in futility. Now that some trends have been established, we have a legitimate shot at getting it right.

Here is what we believe you will see between New Year's Day and Draft Day, scheduled for June 25.

Trade deadline dealing

It seems utterly impossible that this February will produce anything like the three monster trades that dramatically changed the power grid in the Western Conference last February. Remember: The Lakers got Pau Gasol for next-to-nothing; the Mavericks shipped a future All-Star point guard, Devin Harris, to New Jersey for a future Hall of Fame point guard, Jason Kidd; and the Suns jettisoned disgruntled Shawn Marion for none other than Shaquille O’Neal.

But there are rumors aplenty out there, and it will be a major surprise if some of the gossip doesn’t contain enough grains of truth to portend more movement. We expect to see Chris Kaman, Brad Miller, Tyronn Lue, Charlie Villanueva, Eddy Curry, Linas Kleiza, Sean Williams, Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox, Jerry Stackhouse, Joey Graham and Malik Rose in different uniforms than the ones they now wear.

We’ll have a better idea what their new uniforms will be after the All-Star break.

No more axes falling

Twenty percent of the head coaches who began the season already have been fired, so this is a bit of a no-brainer. You have to think the six interim coaches who took over for the coaches who were deep-sixed will ride it out to the end of the season. Of the other 24, eight are in their first seasons, which typically carries with it a modi of security.

Of the veteran coaches whose teams have struggled, the most precarious is Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy. But Clips owner Donald T. Sterling put him in charge of basketball operations. If there is a coaching change there, it will be Dunleavy “stepping down” to focus on the front office and turning the team over to his longtime assistant, Kim Hughes.

The return of Mutombo

Celtics coach Doc Rivers makes no secret of the fact he wouldn’t mind having him, but it looks like Dikembe Mutombo, who entered the league in 1991 and had been a finger-wagging fixture for 17 seasons, is going to re-sign soon with the Rockets, his team for the past four seasons. Houston’s deal that dumped Steve Francis on the Grizzlies last week paved the way for a January signing of the league’s No. 1 philanthropist.

Euroleague exodus

The global recession has affected teams everywhere, including Europe, where NBA players often discover that a guaranteed contract sometimes guarantees only frustration on payday. Center Nenad Krstic, who played for Triumph Moscow, is about to become a member of the Thunder, and Jennaro Pargo wants out of his deal with Dynamo Moscow. Meanwhile, management of Virtus Bologna, in Italy, is cutting diminutive former NBA point guard Earl Boykins because he asked for a few days off to spend the holidays with his family in the U.S. and, when he wasn’t granted a personal leave, he flew back anyway.

An MVP declaration

Predicting that LeBron James will be this season’s Most Valuable Player isn’t risky enough. If the vote were held this weekend, he would be a landslide victor. But how about this: When he is handed the MVP Trophy on an off day during the Cavaliers’ Eastern Conference finals series against the Celtics, James will announce that he loves playing for the Cavaliers and has no intention of leaving them when he becomes a free agent.

[YODA]

I wonder who much the spurs will be active in the trade market. Granted, we dont have much to give up, but another solid Big would be nice.

[024]

mutombo heading back to rockets? that sucks.

[mrspurs]

I never expected the Big D to go anywhere but Rocketville. At his age, imo it would be best to play where your comfortable with the team.

[Killakobe81]

WMy predictions ...
1 Spurs win Southwest division and are only a few games behind the Lakers for #2 spot in West ...
2 Jazz get health pull out NW division in close race with Nugz ...Blazers finish a close 3rd
Seeds will be thus ...
1 Lakers
2 Spurs
3 Nugzz
4 Jazz
5 Rockets
6 Hornets
7 Suns
8 Mavs

This would lead to spectacular matchups ...Suns vs. Spurs Mavs vs. Lakers JAzz Rockets Hornets vs. Nugz

In East I say ...
1 Celts
2 Cavs
3 Magic
4 Pistons
5 Hawks
6 Heat
7 Nets
8 Bulls (in close race with Raptors and 76ers)

Great matchups will be in 2nd rouns Cavs/Magic and Celts/Pistons or Hawks

[Killakobe81]

Lebron for MVP
Celts get upset in playoffs ...
Lakers or Spurs win le ...
Drose ROY
ALL NBA 1st
Wade
Kobe
Lebron
Duncan
Howard