Team by Team Review....

[Phenomanul]

I also participate on another "forum" via email (with MIT alumi) where we discuss basketball news and stuff. One of my friends is actually taking the time to rate the teams one by one. He makes many significant and interesting points... So I thought I would post them here for you all.
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And here it is...to begin with of course. Last year I went from Best to worst and got tired at the end so the bottom feeders suffered a little. This year I'll start with the bottom feeders. As usual, if you want me to hit any other team (San An perhaps?) (<--- Terraun knows me all too well.... )let me know and I can do it early. trust that this year, with all the free time on my hands, I'll give every team its due.

The west bottom-feeder was the LA Clippers. I was surprised they finished last in the west, but then again, the West was a b**** last year (every team in the Midwest or central or whatever it's called since it doesn't exist anymore, was .500 and up). Brand did the samrt thing and declined the USA invite because every year he played, he was hurt the following season. The lone bright spots were the developments of CMag and Q (and subsequent regression of Q) and they seemed to bounce back at the end of the season. Enter 2005 with Kaveman a year better (being a rookie center sucks), Brand supposedly healthier, Corey supposedly getting his touch solid, no Q gummin up the works (enter Kittles...a solid fit bc he doesn't have to have the ball) and...a rookie PG??? OH NO!!! In truth I like the kid. He can pass very well and he's got good length and speed, which should make him a solid defender...if he learns how to play D. His O is shaky at best so at least for this year, he should be a facilitator, not a scorer. They cleaned up the bench a little (no Dooling, Ely, etc) so the rotation should be more concrete, which leads to less cryin in the locker room. All in all, if I had to pick an LA team to watch, I'd pick the Clipps, though I think playoffs may be a little much this year since the top of the heap isn't ready to tumble just yet (give'em one mo yeah!).

The east dumpster belonged solidly to the Magic with Chicago begging to be there, then chokin at the last second (how do you screw up tanking the season is beyond me). T-Mac cried his way to Houston and Stern's got a Joker-type grin about it, while Franchise and the Cat are in Sunny Fla! Who got the better of that deal (you have to see houston to really understand). In any case, Stevie can't let go and still lives in houston...mistake no 1. If a coach dumps on you the whole season, then deals you...you might wanna catch a hint! With this team, He should be the no 1 guy, even if GHill comes back (and no, I am not figuring him in the equation b/c it's too painful for me...I cry even today at the only guy I'd pay money gladly to see play...ok...maybe KG too...). Believe it or not, Mobley and Francis are one of the best 1-2 combos in the L at both ends of the floor. They moved Gooden, who's beginning his "journeyman 4 who can put up numbers but never fit in anywhere" career, to hand the 4 slot to their rookie no 1 pick. I've seen him play. Not impressed. Okafor's definitely the better player, but with the questionable back that sidelined guys like Daugherty (yes, Cleveland was winning well with him, Larry nance, and Mark price) for their careers...they went with the safe bet. At worst, he'll have a career unless Orlando runs him into the ground. Juwan is still being shopped, but until the Lakers mae a stupid play for him (and dont think they won't...they went after him 2 years ago), he's staying put. Then there's the 3 slot...and here comes...Hedo Turkoglu????? I was NEVER high on this guy...and I'm still convinced that if you lose your spot to a journeyman 3 with issues EVERYWHERE he goes (read: Jim Jackson), something's wrong here...which is why you give Hedo the mid-level! Weren't these the same guys that drafted Webber...then traded for Penny and created the team that the 96-98 Bulls pattern their team after? In any case, the East is wide open, with the exception of Detroit and Indy (maybe Miami...but I'm sensing an overrated from them...) and I think Franchise and Cat can get them to the playoffs, esp with NO moving west, automatically opening a spot...and some other teams looking dicey at best (read: Knicks, Bucks).

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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Next on the list...

Da Bulls...well...what can I say? It's a contract year for the Baby Bull frontcourt, so if nothing else, expect them to at least show up for the cash. Curry and Chander have had a few years to show what they are made of. Word on the street is Curry's gotten into some shape. Forgive me if I ain't excited, simply because...it's a contract year! Crawford and JYD were shipped for Mutombo and randomness, then Mutombo was shipped for Piatowski and more randomness. Who is actually on the roster? Well...the theoretical no 3 pick in Deng and the actual n 3 pick in Gordon. At first, I wasn't sure about the Gordon/Hindrich combo..but now I rethought things (funny how re-evaluation works) and now I think they can compliment each other. Gordon's the better scorer and Hindrich's the better passer, but both are fast and crafy (like their coach...uhhh...) and Deng in small doses is serviceable (I watched him at Duke and frankly, he is good but a little overrated). My thinking is this is another non-playoff year for them but if a big contract turns Curry into the Shaq of the East (oh wait...Shaq's in the East now) and Chandler doesn't mind playing second fiddle...I think they finally have a first 5 that can actually do damage for years to come.

Da Suns...well...what can I say? They signed Brandy's husband and ole' dirty moptop to about 118 mil over 6 years, on top of the fact that they have to pay Amare at some point and they have Matrx on a max deal...which leaves Joe johnson out in the cold unless he doesn't mind getting underpaid to stay in the Valley of the Sun. Signing the two guys they did doesn't make them better on D...and by the way...is it just me or did they trade Finley, Nash, and two other players for Nash? And then at 30 signed him to 66 over 6...and he has a tendency to tucker out at the ends of seasons when it matters most? Please let me be a GM!! Please!! All I need is 3 years with the Bobcats and I can screw a franchise too!!! Obviously in the loaded west they are reying on Steven Hunter to play 5 and he couldn't sniff tick in Lando..as well as a buncha other guys. I suspect JJ will be a 6th man to make way for Mr. norwood (Brandy's last name for the hip-hop impaired...PHIL). And in the end...the Matrix is a same player now as he was in his rooke season...and he is looking more like Ceballos every year! Nope, don't like this team or its prospects! The difference b/w this year and last year? They got more money on the books...and they may win 30 games...maybe...

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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In an effort to get my predictions done faster to beat all the prognosticators (and no...I can't determine final non-playoff seedings...I gotta get paid for that) here comes the next set.

Seattle...land of the _Mocha Latte and bugs that eat computers (like mine), you have the Sonics (and I believe they have officially dropped the Super despite hearing it said a few times). It begins with Ray Allen...who I HAD a soft spot for up to recently because he committed a cardinal sin to me. He bashed ex-teammates in the media (Glenn "Small Dog" Robinson and Tim "where my backup at" Thomas). I hate it when anyone does it and I can't be totally biased...well I can...but Ima be a bigger person. In any case, he's an All-Star dynamic 2 with 1-like abilities. Good. The rest of his team is overrated. You can even make the argument he's overrated but I wouldn't venture there. Lewis is an overpaid pansy. Radmonovic is what all the GMs love about Euro trash players...they are tall, soft, and shoot. And he's your 4. Daniels is their 1...and forgive if I weep. He literally has only 1 dunk in his arsenal, and I say that because he does it all the time and that's the ONLY highlight you see from him. The microwave...uhhh...I mean Mr. Shaw university is another classic "2-guad trapped in a 1's body" player with enough black holes on the team. They draft Swift, and essentially they get Collison as a rookie since he dislocated BOTH shoulders (I'm still havin trouble with that one). And there's the Oregon Duck. If this were 2007 and all the powerhouse teams were dismantled, I'd take this team in a heartbeat. but it's the 04-05 season so look for upsets and a near-miss of the playoffs.

DC!! DC!! Where you at!!! Well...we're one year into the Arenas experiment and he managed to make a playoff guarantee, get hurt, get arrested, and get uninterested. And you still got 5 years and 57 mil to give him. Is it a bad time to say I told you so? Steve Blake is the only true 1 they have...but money dictates you play Arenas so I advocate Blake going to a contender and winning some big games while laughing at them (BTW, in case you didn't notice...I've been pro-Blake since the year before Maryland won the National le). In any case, this is the same garbage team and I don't care if you add Antwan "another Ceballos" Jamison, you still have to rely on Hughes, Arenas, and Brown. Eddie Jordan may be a "genius" but I think only Hubie Brown can lay the necessary Smackdown to these guys. They are dangerous close to the "let's dump everyone and start over" point of this current era. But this is the east. And the only team that's out of it from the start is Charlotte because of the 3 year "expansion franchise" losing window you're guaranteed (and having Bernie Bickerstaff isn't a plus either). Maybe they smell 30 wins this year, but if Arenas makes another playoff guarantee...take the under to the bank baby!!!

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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In case you were also wondering...I'm churning these out quickly because I am also still in training-mode at my new job, so I am taking advantage of the lull. Today I will interject the NO/Charlotte thing and return to ATL and GS on the next one.

As I stated, the Bobcats have a 3-year "lose and it's ok" window to tank salary and try out young talent. They believe they have a cornerstone in Okafor...who they list as a 6'9" 245 center. Now I've actually shaken this guy's hand and I have to say, he's no center. He's a respectable PF but his legs are thin and he's a generous 6'9". Don't get me wrong, I have a boatload of respect for this guy...but if you play him at center, his career will go south faster than a 2-dollar . Gerald Wallace is apparently their gem and they are high on Kapono and Ely...for whatever reason. Like I said...they are allowed to lose. The interesting time will be next season when they chase a big-name free agent or try to draft Chris Paul to run the 1.

Wow...NO's is in such bad shape, Davis's AGENT is trying to force a trade. They slide over to the Bestern Conference after sleepwalking into the postseason last year, Mashburn's in such a big doghouse you can smell kibbles'n'bits on his breath, and you're having to rely on guys coming off season-ending injuries. The good news? Byron Scott is your coach. I think that's good news. Not sure. In any case, NO was a bad city to be in anyway and if a team should move to Vegas, it's either this one or ATL...and I vote ATL. On the floor, it begins and ends with Baron. Each year he goes down with a multi-game type injury and they suffer for it. Now he probably doesn't care anymore since he can't beat up on small guards (his nickname is Shaq of the PGs...well one of them anyway). Wesley's about washed-up and Mashburn is immovable (size and salary-wise) with vertigo and a bad knee (I empathize on both since I have vertigo and a bad knee too...but only empathize bc he's still makin bank). People still think they can win because they have "size". I hate that term. There's "Brian Grant and Chris Mihm" size and there's "Boozer and Okur" size. The point here is just because you're tall doesn't make you good and Magloire is ok...not good. They finish 11th or so in the conference to me because of the dark cloud and the voodoo magic holdin this team down.

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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He's back again...working hard so you don't have to! Quick dummy NFL thing...I'm not quite sold on Philly just yet. They look kinda bad on D and that T.O. magic will wear off soon. Had they not counted that TD and Culpepper lay the ball on the field, we'd be talking Minnesota at 2-0 right now. However, you gotta love that moonwalk in full pads!

ATL...is a sad franchise. The fans care so little about this team that you see a sea or red at home games. They dealt Jason Terry to the new-look Mavs for Walker to unload more long salaries (Walker's deal is up at the end of the season) and acquired aging guards Kenny Anderson and Jon Barry. They drafted the highly overrated Josh Childress and who knows what else is on this team (besides Guzi's cousin of course). The disturbing thing about this team is they have to plan forward. What are they trying to do? Are they preparing for the future? Are they getting contracted? Most teams tank and salary dump to revamp their team. These guys been dumpin and tankin for years. I would LOVE to GM this team because no matter what you do, it's better than whatever's been done already! As a side note, look at Walker's star. Not that long ago, he was instrumental in getting Boston to the East Semis. Now he's a salary dump. And yes, no matter what he says, I think Ainge was out to get this guy because he didn't like his game. Even though he was shipped to Dallas, you could see early that the Walker-as-PG/PF experiment was gonna fail. Now mind you I used to be a walker fan...in his rookie season...but still, it's strange how 15 months can change a career. ATL sucks by the way (the team, not the city). They may drift dangerously close to the bottom of the cellar. Guess we won't see any Walker shimmies!

Sunny and cold ass San Francisco...home to the GS Warriors! Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond...2/3 of Run TMC...are in charge of stuff so...well...they just started. Give'em time. In the present...they've made some baffling decisions. It looks like they are getting rid of crap, then they sign Foyle to a 30/5 contract (I know it's a 42/5 but the other 12 are incentives so 30 is all that's guaranteed). JRich is dangerously close to the "Vince Carter-I-can-dunk-and-play-but lack-passion" stage of his career and is Nick the Quick still quick after the bum knee? I think he's more like Nick the Slowing Down A Lot. They have to decide very soon whether Murphy and Richardson are cornerstone or castaways and that will affect their future. I say...what the ! They can't do worse than these guys...well...they can...but oh well! At present, Mike montgomery has his hands full...this ain't Stanford playa! Belee that! They are near the bottom of the West to me.

[Phenomanul]

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"And the Lord said...Go Sox" (Brian Griffin in The Family Guy).

Philly's head for a youth movement at this point. They are trying to clean out the fossils and bring in young, unproven talent so they do not hit a major wall in 2 years (or they may have hit it according to your argument) which is why no DC, Eric Snow is up in the air, McKey will be gone soon, and Small Dog hasn't been mentioned much. The biggest controversy is over Alley I and the plausibility of trading him. Philly fans were demanding a trade after he sat out the remainder of the season having had knee surgery while Philly was making a push. Slow down people!!! These are the same fans that booed Santa Claus and Destiny's Child (common thread: they both give us something special...ok that was a stretch). AI is still one of the few money draws in the NBA, so trading him is monetarily dumb. The only moves I could see was for Franchise straight up and Vinsanity straight up, but I wouldn't make either. Can't say Alley I will retire a Sixer, but he's gonna be there awhile. Jim O'Brien will get the most outta this team this year and as long as the youths play well, they make the playoffs as a low seed.

Portland is an enigma to me. On the one hand, you gotta love Mo Cheeks. He was a workoholic, throwback 2 when he played and seems to be a caring, nice guy now. On the other you got all the criminals on the team. They decided to build around Zach Randolph. Hmmm...not only does he have criminal tendencies, but he has fat potential too! I'd be weary about that move. Stoudamire comes off the books after this season I believe and unless he plans to resign for a bench player's salary...plan to see him gone after this season. Derek Anderson hasn't been the same since leaving San An (and signing with No Limit Management all those years ago wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do either). Qyntel Woods and Ruben Patterson are close to criminal and Darius Miles may be criminal-by-association. Then there's Shareef Abdur-Rahim...who this year had his best winning percentage of his career...who has the lowest winning percentage of any multi-time All-Star in NBA history (check that one but I read it somewhere...another funny, useless stat) who's a max bench player. He has to leave, but as a max player, who would take him? NJ...because they need a PF, but that dea won't happen if Portland is smart. I think this team is one fight away from having half the roster arrested and when you're that unstable...bet against them. At least they got Telfair...the theoretical no 1 overall pick a year ago, and some more young talent like Travis Outlaw (who's that you ask...another HS jump). They miss the playoffs and either trade during the year or in the offseason.

I probably should look at a roster when I do this, but I am going by memory, so you get more of my opinion which is more fun anyway!!

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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Finally we are getting into something interesting...

Utah last year was the little team that could. If you knew more than 3 players on that team (Pavlovic, Lopez, Collins, and Giricek...I did that on purpose), then you have WAAAAY too much time on your hands. Still, Sloan did what I thought was one of the best coaching jobs in the last 10 years or so. Hubie got the trophy and he did earn it too, but if Sloan got it, you wouldn't hear a complaint from me. I must say that at the beginning of the season last year I had them last and Terrell said "they are dangerous because of Sloan" so I gotta give him a shoutout for that. This year they added 118 Million dollars worth of big men and dumped the kidney donor (he's in Sacto in case you're wondering as the replacement to Divac...boy Ima have fun rippin the Kings). Boozer and Okur should flourish under Sloan's tutelage, and AK47 makes them a formidable front court (random fact: The inventor of the AK47 is Russian and he's going into the vodka business...the AK47 was invented in 1943-44 sometime...so needless to say...he's an old fart). Backcourt wise, we saw the boriquo sensation rip the US a new @$$hole and Lopez is getting healthier. Giricek is serviceable, but kirk Snyder out of Nevada is a solid 2 and should fit in well in Sloan's system because he's a tough, do-it-all guard. I like this team to contend for a top-half playoff slot. My exact playoff seedings will come a little later once I do a final sort and _eval!

Toronto on the other hand...well...apparently they are rebuilding and Vince didn't like that memo! I agree if your cornerstone has player-input, you listen...but since when do players while thier playing make good personnel decisions? Particularly superstars? This falls back to the superstar vs the role player and why in general role players make better coaches/GMs. Superstars onl know how a superstar's supposed to play. Role players have to know both so they can properly compliment the stars. In other words...VINCE SHUT UP! First of all, he's a max player with a gimpy leg that he re-injures. And even when he's on the floor, he's a prima donna, never defending and coasting on O. Thirdly...his teammates don't like him. Even the ones he stuck up for. For shame. They also have 14 other guys on this team. Rose should be healthy now. Marshall is serviceable. Bosh is on the fence. he can either be a "superstar PF" or a washout and I can't tell which he is yet. Alvin Williams is serviceable and so is Mo Pete. Everyone else is either washed up (read Lamond Murray...bet you didn't remember him...or knew him at all for that matter) or young. Another team in turmoil so I don't like their chances...but it's the East!!! Gotta love a crapshoot but I'll say lottery for this team...and after this year it may be time for an overhaul.

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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Finally we are nearing the playoff teams (we are actually in the playoff teams in the West but because of the switch of NO, we already did an East playoff team).

The Cleveland Lebrons were primed for a stellar season...then ownership tried to screw Boozer out his payday and got burned. Ownership/management took it on the chin for being stupid...but not shady. The only reason they let him out his 700K deal was so they could sign him for 40 over 6, knowing if he was an unrestricted free agent after next season, even though they would have Bird Rights, they woulda had to sign him to a max deal...around 84 over 6 with Lebron on the horizon and Z already maxed out and they are already pushing the cap. They let him out, offer the mid-level, and Utah says "here's 68 over 6" and Cleveland has egg on their face (I'm being PC right now). How do they rebound? They trade for Drew Gooden. In all honesty, not a bad pickup. He's no Boozer, but since LBJ is the no 1 option and Z is the no 2, then Gooden can just be a garbage man and play well for them in his natural 4 slot. McInnis is in the final year, so expect Cleveland to draft PG next season. Luke Jackson was a gift from the heavens and should fit in well. I expect him to start slowly, but really turn it on by mid-season. Then there's Da bench! Wagner 3 years ago was the next Alley I. A few STDs and a stepfather-who's-a-drug-trafficker later, he's a serviceable offensive bench spark. I expect him to have a breakout season as it appears he stopped messin wit dirty white women and rehabbed properly. My apologies...other race women are dirty too! Then there's Diop...another fat potential player. I think the first 5 is as solid as any in the East. If their bench shows up and they have 8 legit ballers, Cleveland can be as high as a 4th seed in the East.

Denver made some pretty good moves over the off-season. Kenyon Martin is ok...in small doses. He'll miss Kidd, but Denver likes to run as well, so he'll at least have dunks. What he brings to the table is fierce rebounding and bad-mouthing teammates when he sucked at the same time (when you stink it up, best thing to do is say "that guy was worse than me...jump on him"). Nene is still raw but he's a workhorse and Camby's about as strong as Mr. Glass in Unbreakable (am I the only one who saw that movie). If they get a full season out of each, they have the best frontcourt rotation in the west (I know TD is the best big man and KG is the best all-around big man...but I said rotation, not player...and no, Sacto's is worse because of CWeb...when am I gonna get to dump on these guys). I think Miller is gonna find his groove and with Coop as an assistant, defensive this team should be better. The Voshon/Buckner 2 guard rotation is serviceable but they'll need a long-term solution there. Rodney White is done. And then there's Melo. Bill Simmons started this thing called the Vengeance factor on Page 2. If you have a chance, read it. It's funny as . In any case, when a player gets slapped around a lot, they do 1 of 2 things. They either bend over and take it then cry in the corner...or they kick ass like Bruce Lee in Fists of Fury. Melo's got -slapped after this Olympics. He doesn't D well and hopefully he realized that. His conditioning is suspect too. I think he'll realize he took a rep hit this summer and come back -bent on proving he's a legit baller...and I like a motivated Melo! Denver takes the reigns near the top of the West this year, either 3rd or 4th.

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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Welcome to Danny Ainge, year 2! For some reason, people began to believe that Aigne was doing right when Boston made the playoffs. During the season, he was on record as saying he didn't mind osing so they could get a higher pick. Uhhh. Yeah. Boston went on the make the playoffs out of spite. As if many other teams in the East, it begins and ends with Paul Pierce, who's gotta be plenty pissed right now. He's coming off a rough season where he had to shoulder A LOT of team responsibility, including running the O, getting others involved, scoring, and playing D. And instead of improving the team, they shipped away some solid players for 2 guy who will retire (and don't think Ainge didn't know that as he is dumping salary too). He looks around and sees Raef Lafrentz, Jiri Welsch, Ricky Davis, Marcus Banks, Brandon Hunter, Mark Blount, and rookies and second years. Uhhh...not good. However, I love their draft this year because I always thought silky smooth Delonte West was the best player on St Joes and Tony Allen is tough as a brillo pad on your legs. Al Jefferson has started off strong enough to invalidate Kendrick Perkins, last year's HS PF that Boston took. And he's still hoarding 2nd round picks. We'll see what Doc Rivers can do with this team since he had a similar situation in Lando where he had a buncha ragamuffins and got them to .500...which in the East last year would get you a 4th-6th seed. This year expect to see them as a 7th or 8th seed.

The Houston Rockets made headlines right at the beginning of the season when they acquired Sportscenter favorite T-Mac to play with Yao. JVG was ecstatic and Yao was like "Shi shi ni!!". Then reality sets in. T-Mac's game is flawed. He's an adequate passer and dribbler. He's a suspect shooter and quite lazy on D. I also didn't like 2 passive players trying to be the go-to guys. Yao's great, but he's not assertive enough yet as he's still feeling his way around (give him time) and HE'S NOT SHAQ!!! HE'S YAO!! People want him to be this indomitable force. he's much more like his Houston predecessor The Dream. He's a finnesse center and that's ok! You just gotta use him in a finnesse ways. T-Mac talks stuff but shrinks in the 4th and that's where the issue lies. They still need that clutch player. Maybe one of these guys can be it, but they are not there right now. Then they still gotta figure out how to deal with Fat Boy Mo, The Journeyman Jackson, and Tyronn "I'm still living off 2001" Lue...who don't really excite me even though Jim was solid last year. There are still holes to fill and things to prove, but at least for now the team is an up-and-comer and I suspect they'll compete for an upper seed in the West but ultimately fall to 5th or 6th.

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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Well alright! Another week, another set of preseason picks...just in time for training camp!

Da Knickabockahs have gone from irrelevant to virtually irrelevant. Isiah has made move after move after move. The question is what is he trying to do? I think the answer is trying to stockpile his team with undersized, athletic, one-on-one, unilaterally skilled players. Or maybe that's just me. From a payroll standpoint, they are screwed for years to come. Most of their players are either starting a contract or an extension, or have 2+ years on an existing contract. I would also say there are no more moves Isiah can make, but this is the NBA, and dumb trades happen alot. With that being said, I think the team that dresses for training camp is the team that plays for the season. Starbury SHOULD have a vengeance factor to his game, but I'm not sure he will. He also took it on the chin from the O-lympics. Houston is still gimpy and he already was athletically suspect. Tim is still confused about what he is on the floor as is Penny. Nazr Mohammed (who?) is an undersized center like Kurt, and like Kurt, has virtually no offense. Kurt is a workhorse, but I fail to see why he lead the NCAAs in scoring as a junior. Then there Crawford...who is in fact a poor man's Starbury...pairing up with Starbury...who's already chemistry debilitating. The only play I don't worry about is JYD because you know what you'll get from him and brings that every night. I expect this team to challenge for a playoff spot but I don't like'em as a team, especially with Lenny "let the pampered star get his" Wilkens as the coach.

Da Grizzle!!! I love'em. I really do! here's the issue. With Utah and Denver getting so much better this year, somebody has to fall. To me, it's either this team, the Lakers, the Mavs, or the Kings. And if Portland or Seattle gets it together, they could conceivably sneak in too. I say that because Memphis looks like the likely target to get pinched here. They really didn't get what they wanted this offseason, which was a center to take the load off Pau (and the fact that Pau plays D like I play guitar...very badly). They did get Brian Cardinal, who has one of the coolest micknames in the NBA...The Custodian (he looks like he's 40, but Memphis will quickly fall in love with this guy). Pau seems to get better every year, so I see no reason he shouldn't this year either. Miller and Posey with Bonzi off the pine is as good a combo out there, though I think Bonzi will get dealt at some point this season. Earl Watson is disgruntled, so expect him to get packaged this year too and you might see some Troy Bell and Antonio Burks (the Memphis PG that got picked up by...drumroll please...Memphis in the 2nd round), or...positive wishing, my man O'Kelley!!! Realistically, Jason Williams for the last 2 seasons has had a career renaissance, but there is the fear that he can't be a playoff PG. The verdict is still out on this one. This team does have problems up front, but I expect them to be scrappy this year like they were last year and Who's Your Daddy to be elected Mayor this November. However, I also expect that this team will either get a bottom seed, or fall out the playoff picture (I hate saying that because I LOVE this team).

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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5 years ago, Mark Cuban was a revolutionary. He was a wheelin, dealin Texan who followed a dream and bought a franchise from selling his dot com for about a half-billion dollars. He used the money to renovate the gym and stockpile talent. He brought in a coach known for excitement and hich-octane O. If you were loyal to him, you got paid (Bradley clocks in at around 7 mil per). He was a fan-favorite and a NBA dream...so much so he is being marketed like any other player and has his own reality show. What's the point of all this? How quickly things change. Present day, all his wheelin and dealin has made a revolving door of players and the latest moves brought in Dampier, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackouse, and various draft picks, including he 7'5" guy Pavel "don't feel like typing his last name" and Devin Harris. They had to give up The Toines (or Twans depending on who you rank higher) and lose The Hoser to free agency. Never fear, Dirk Diggler's here! OK, now for the meat. Jason Terry is a talented...2 guard trapped in a PG body (you hear that alot in the NBA) playing in an O where's he's gonna hafta spread the ball. Dampier is a glorified rebounder who got paid of an 12 and 11 season...which was his best year by the way. They still gotta figure out what they're gonna do with Marquis Daniels, Josh Howard, and the new young guns. Let us not forget JStack, who's spiral into the world of obscurity is tragic, yet humorous simultaneously! I said last year that I thought with the draftin of Howard, Findog's days in Dallas are numberd. I still believe so, but they have to find a taker for his max deal...not an easy feat especially since he's been snubbed so many times for the All-Star team, Ima call him Susan Lucci (Miss Erica Kane...how you like that...a soap opera reference...that boy is versatile)! And there's Dirk...who if you look closely, his game hasn't changed in 2 seasons...meaning he's about peaked. This is a team I expect to tumble this year to the bottom of the playoff picture...if they make it at all.

The great state of Wisconsin...one of the few states I feel I am still better off here than being in! That says a lot, but they do have 3 things going for them. They have fairly loyal fans, lots of fattening food, and cheap ass real estate! Here's a side note about Parkersburg to see if you guys are actually paying attention. This is the first place I've seen competing Dollar Stores. There are 4 (yes 4) different Dollar Stores...that's a shame when you're ecenomy's so bad that the only places that can afford to compete for your business are dollar stores. I wonder in their planning meetings are they like "Family Dollar is selling towels 2 for 3 dollars...let's go 3 for 4 dollars and really stick it to them!" In any case, I love TJ Ford in case nobody knew. And notice when he went down with that back injury (which I knew about a long time ago but was oping he wouldn't get to the point of surgery) their team suffered. Sure Damon Jones played well, but they still suffered. Why? This is a team that HAS to score off breaks and penetration, high octane O. TJ was (and hopefully still is) a high octane PG. This team hasn't changed much in the last year and if they plan to repeat last year's success (if a .500 season is successful) then they'll need 100% TJ an he's not even close. No tell if he'll be at all this season. They signed 2 PGs during the offseason, basically anticipating a slow recovery. Mike Redd is solid, but I'm not about to say he's an elite player yet. Mase is explosive but is best on the break. Not a lot of depth up front, so they'd get killed in a half court setting. In short, I think this is one of the teams that comes up short of the playoffs. How unfortunate...because I love TJ Ford...

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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Finally the "elite"...

South Beach is jumpin! It's so faddish down there, it's even got it's own diet (and no, I don't know much about it...I just see the calendars...yes, calendars). Most "experts" believe the balance of power shifted from West to each when Diesel relocated from Sunny LA to Sunny Miami. I beg to differ. Shaq is leaner and the Vengeance factor is GREAT within this one. The le still goes through Detroit, but the East is only slightly better off and most of the talent is still out West. With that said, let's look objectively at the Heat, which has Doleac and Christian Laettner is their forward rotation. Yikes! That has got to be...the worst acquisition...in NBA History (question: Why couldn't Bill Walton do color commentary during th O-lympics...I can just see him saying Yikes repeatedly). In any case, They also have Dwyane Wade (yes, that's how his name is spelled), who is a bonafide classic baller. He's old school and I love it. Here's hoping he plays the 2 this year and Skip To My Lou (Rafer Alston) runs the 1. Eddie Jones is about 1/10 of a tank from E but he's played with Shaq before and he knows how to feed off the big guy. Plus he still can shoot well. However, past that, they have to rely on the other Butler (Rasual) and their draft pick Dorell "Next T-Mac" Wright, who seems as fragile as my ego after a tounge-lashing and beatdown. In short, they'll be the 3rd best team in the east, but I don't knwo about the playoffs past that. We'll see...but enjoy The Big South Beach Diet!

The Sacramento Kings...I've been blasting them already and now that they're here, I don't know where to begin. This is bad business if I ever saw it. 2 years ago the Maloofs get spend happy. They throw 126 over 7 at CWeb and 86 over 6 at Bibby. Last year they throw 68 over 7 at Miller. This offseason they decide "duhhh...maybe we should cut payroll..." just in time to gut the heart of the team in Vlade, sending Peja into a childlike "trade me" hissyfit, then table all negotiations with the soul of the team Bobby Jackson, who would be a starter and possibly an All-Star with 65% of the teams in the L. Great foresight guys and GM. You gotta love impulsive kids. Now let's talk about the 5 year window. In general, give or take a year, you have 5 years with your core group to win it all. If you don't you have to gut your roster, or most of it (read; leave at best, 1 key guy) and start over again or you'll end up in mediocrity or worse. This is every sport, but basketball in particular is sensitive to this. This odyssey began for them in 2000-2001 season when they beat Utah in the first round. It's the 2004-2005 season. This is year 5 folks. And all indications are...this ain't gonna be the breakthrough year. I said back in 2002 when they lost to the Lakers in 7 in a series they shoulda won that they said all the wrong things when they ed about reffin and conspiracies and they were the better team yada yada yada. I said that mentality will not allow them to get better as a team of both ends and return to prominence. Sure enough, they've carried that "life's unfair" cloud over their heads up to now. To draw a similarity, look the Pats of 2003 (the 04 Super Bowl). They won in 2002 and they didn't make the playoffs the following season. Instead of cryin and in, they went to work. Then they reeled off what is now 17 straight victories (and a Super Bowl buried in there). Basically these players are done. Cweb's overpaid and overrated. Bibby's adequate but overpaid. Peja's as soft as a baby's ass. The only trade bait is Brad Miller, and they NEED him now since they let Vlade walk down to the "hated rival" Lakers. Expect anothe god regular season, but not as good as before and (gasp) a first-round exit (I could say more about this team, but I wrote too much already).

Terraun

[Man In Black]

Here is one I did of the Lakers:

Centers:
Vlade
Mihm
Although coming off a back-injury, Vlade is still a capable passer & does manage to get a rebound now & then. His principle defensive stance is an oscar-worthy flop, & if you're asking him to defend the West's best bigman, he will provide you with cursory distraction.
Mihm was a talented bigman coming out of UTexas@Austin. Everyone is still waiting for that talent to translate into the NBA. he has shown some athletecism & some talent as a rebounder but his penchant for fouls hasn't allowed anyone enough to time for serious evaluation. He isn't Travis Knight yet, but he isn't in the same vein as Zydrunas Ilguaskas or even Raef LaFrentz. If you could get a mix of the 2, then the Lakers would have a young big to cultivate. If he doesn't...Travis Knight clone.

Power Forwards:
Brian Grant
Slava
Cook
Grant has played out of position for the last several years & is a warrior. His knees(tendinitis) could pose an issue in the bigger West but he battles on despite the pain. He plays decent position defense when he is on the low block but his close out speed & rotations are no longer what they used to be. As a King, he got 100 blocks his first 2 seasons but has steadily dropped in that category ever since his first knee problems surfaced.

Medvedenko is a good shooter with touch out to 20 feet. It has been argued that he is an effective rebounder. At times on the offensive side, he has shown a penchant for being able to chase down a rebound but hasn't been able to do the same on the defensive side of the court. he is still a bit mechanical on defense but overall, he is a gamer & willing to do what the team asks even if he is overmatched.

About Cook-I don't know what to say about him. The only time he has played a large amount of minutes was in Summer Pro League. In the first SPL game against the Spurs, Cook got the first foul, a slap on the wrist over 24 feet away from the rim. For a bigman, he plays very small. His former coach, Bill Self, calls Cook a very good player. I haven't seen it yet. He probably is a good fit for the tri but the tri will no longer be the primary set offensively. Perhaps a change of scenery may do him good. Truthfully, he is an unknown quan y. While it's easy to guess at his negatives based on what he has shown, it's hard to see his postives using the same criteria.

Small Forwards:
Odom
Caron Butler
George
Walton
Jumaine Jones
Odom is an enigma. He was a 5 position player in College. In the NBA, he is too light to play Center but he can play the 1,2,& 3 & in short stretches the 4. Needs to work on his jumpshot but his court vision, at times, is uncanny. A capable rebounder & good weak-side defender as evidenced by his block total.

Butler is a 2 year player whose 2 seasons have cancelled each other out. His 1st year, he was rightfully ALL-ROOKIE in year 1. In year 2 fighting injuries, he had an up & down season but in the playoffs, he upped his play, especially defensively on the boards & with his quick h & s in the steals category. His jumpshot as evidenced by his FG% is suspect.

George is a player on which the jury is still out. Is he worth the contract that he got? Unknown. Blessed with athletecism & cursed with indecision, Devean hasn't shown any fan why he shouldn't be a part of any trade package to bring in a need. The injuries don't help his cause.

Walton is a player with the right bloodlines & background. He played for a fine college coach in Lute Olson at the University of Arizona & when he did play last season, he did provide a spark off the bench. He is still very inconsistent & his passing vision, which is very good as evidenced by him leading the PAC-10 in assists as a 4, gets him into trouble when he tries to force it here in the NBA. He isn't big enough to defend the 4 nor quick enough to defend the 3 but he is a "basketball" player & will bring all he has to the court. Can't really leave him open because his shot is decent enough. If he drives, he is more likely to pass than shoot & always seems to pass to the open man.

Jumaine Jones is a player with Championship Finals experience. I think of him as an older Devean George with less athleticism.

Shooting Guards:
Bryant
Rush
Bryant is all-everything in LA. It's is team now & it remains to be seen if he can carry his Jordan impersonation to the next level. His jump shot is money, especially that thing he does when he is off-balance on 1 leg. He can literally drive to the hoop despite the opposition forces that line up to stop him & he is a strong rebounder & passer. He has been nicked the last 2 seasons( shoulder & knee issues) & his sanity may finally be at ease due to no longer having the possibility of jail time. There is still a civil case that may raise it's head but that remains to be see. Bryant is the alpha & the omega on this young Laker team. It's been revealed that he has been organizing workout sessions with his new team. That shows that he wants all the lead pressure. It hasn't been revealed if he was part of the troika that finally sent Phil & Shaq packing but we all now get to see if Kobe, without a dominant big, is more Jordan...or McGrady.

Rush-A fantastic shooter, Kareem made the most noise against Minnesota. His D still needs work & both season's he was pencilled in as just a shooter. It's time for him to step up & be more consistent. Maybe Rudy T. will be able to find him a role just like he did for Mario Elie. If Kareem shows that type of drive & desire, he will continue making noise at Staples.

Point Guards:
Atkins
Sasha
Since the team, right now, is limited to just those 2, let's go over their strengths.
Atkins has been a career journeyman player. It's not a knock on him in this case because he has been playing behind lottery picks & all-stars his entire career. He has shown the ability to knock down open jumpers & he doesn't turnover the ball that much. But it's important to note that the Lakers are his 3rd team in 3 years. Is that indicative of his skill or was he just a bad fit in those previous situations.

Vujacic is a young talent who has flair in his game. Some people have reached with a comparison to Ginobili but I agree at times, he does have that unorthodox style that gives him just enough space to try to zip in a pass that few players would dare to try. His jumpshot has a drift to it but when he is on, it's nothing but net. He actually didn't play for his National Team (Slovenia) so that he could get ready for the upcoming season. It shows that he wants to be ready to contibute. Defensively, he isn't yet strong enough to h & le bigger point guards & while he does have a quick first step, he isn't quick all the time so it remains to be seen if he can h & le the quicker guards like Iverson, Parker, & to a lesser extent, Bibby.


There are many question marks indeed. With Divac having disk issues & Mihm a work-in-progress, the term quality does not apply highly. Capable is a better word here. The team is lacking a defensive-minded PG but do have the luxury of sending either Bryant or Butler on them. That might pose other matchup issues but in this case, one assumes that the Lakers will go with the lesser of 2 evils.

Mark Cuban was heard on a local radio show talking about his newest acquisition in Erick Dampier. He was heard on the Southern California show, "The Hood with Crockett & Carlos", asking Laker fans,"Who do you have at center?" That was his way of getting back at fans who used to ask him that over & over. It's a legitimate question. People say that Team D will be the cure-all & that a running team will create so many opportunities at points. Alas, it works both ways here. For a team to run all the time, they have to committ to doing so. Running teams in the NBA haven't shown a high-level of success. It's teams that can play tough D at the perimeter & half-court & transition sets that get just enough scoring from key spots that gets the W. While Bryant is a sure-fire ALL-NBA 1st teamer, the rest of the team still has question mark written all over it. They are off to a good start by choosing a coach that is tied for most championships by an active coach in Tomjanavich(Pop is the other) & have a very succesfull owner in the venerable Jerry Buss. Does that mean success? Depends on how you define success. If the playoffs are your goal, then I see that as very attainable. If adding a 4th le in 6 years is your goal, then perhaps you better make your bets in Vegas. Longshots pay very well but rarely, are they won. Although I did win 14-1 when the Spurs last won the le.

[Phenomanul]

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I must apologize. I made a boatload of personnel errors over the course of my analyses. I didn't realize so many little trades were made. Fortunately not too many affect how I see a team do. Thanks to TBennett and Guzi for showing me how wrong I really am! I would go through and correct myself, but that would take forever, so I'll just stick to my predictions and increase the likelihood of being wrong!

Hector has done such a good job of giving us everything Spur that I shouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole. To make this clear: they are 1 of the 2 teams I think can squash the West right now (the other being Minnesota, but that's more complicated). They have done what most franchises only dream about. They are able to retool their team and somehow, in a rebuilding year last year, still be a legit threat to win the whole thing...even having folks tear ankle ligaments trying to jump on the bandwagon. This offseason they made 2 important moves. They re-signed Ginobili (and are working on TP as we speak) and signed Brent Barry, the most underrated offseason acquisition this year. Brent has the stroke, the ability to play both guard slots with acuteness, and will at least try to play D. And Ginobili is, well, Ginobili! They re-signed Horry and picked up a few guys. I have to mention one. James Thomas from UTexas was signed yesterday. This guy is a workhorse, especially on the glass. I used to have to guard him and he's a hand full. If they give him a chance in San An, I think he can make an impact in 10-15 minutes of tick. This team's ultimate success lies within Parker. We all know TD will be TD. But how Parker and Ginobili play (be it as a starter or reserve) will tell how far they go, but for now, it looks like the West will have to be won through San An. Second Disclaimer: I am a firm believer in until a champ is knocked out, they are the team to beat...but I have to make an exception this year because of the Laker overhaul...not because of any other team's success. I'll talk about that more later

New Jersey is a sad situation. It's a shining example of how to blow millions and make rash decisions to bring down a potentially good team. First, you sign a PG with a checkered past and histoy of injury to a HUGE amount of money. Then you sell the franchise to a group that plans to move it. Then you let go of an All-Star for 3 1st round picks. Then you sign an overrated swing man to LOTS of money and cut or trade everyone else that helped you win two Eastern Conference les. Sound crazy? Formula for success? That's what happened. Now you have a makeshift team not suiting up it's lone All-Star in a city where nobody cares. Fortunately, San An was smart enough to turn Kidd away (make no mistake...San An grilled Kidd about his medical history, prompting him to go back to NJ). Things aren't looking good off the NJ Turnpike at exit 16W. I'm trying to find a positive here. Hold on. I'm thinking. Uhhh...they got 3 draft picks! Woohoo! Expect this team to be very bad...bad enough to possibly drop out of the playoff, and Lawrence Frank to lose all his hair!

[Man In Black]

Skip To My Lou (Rafer Alston) runs the 1.

Rafer is now property of the Toronto Raptors. Him & Wade playing on the same team can only happen now in pickup games.

[Phenomanul]

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Indy's working on getting over the hump. It started with trading volatile forward Al harrington (I hear he's a prima donna...sorry...that's very sexist...he's a crybaby) for volatile G/F Stephen jackson (who got himself ousted when he blasted Tim Duncan in the media during a playoff game en route to the 2003 Spur le and because his agent Dan "The Devil" Fegan was stupid enough to hold out on San An's original 10 mil offer). That's a wash. Jackson's a better fit because he's a better shooter and they have a bruiser-slasher in Artest. Artest-for-Peja circled around a lot and on the surface seems like a good trade. Here's the issue. Artest is the backbone of this team. Peja's backbone tends to crumble under pressure. You can't trade Artest if you're Indy. And Bird knows this. Unless you can get someone who does what he does for you w/o the occasional blow-up. In all fairness, Artest was well-behaved last year. It was like Sheed. They behaved, for the most part. Jermaine is still too soft to carry this team and unless he toughens up (not bulk wise...mentally) Artest will have to carry them. Expect that this'll be Reggie's swan song. He'll probably have another solid year, though not spectacular. They'll begin to lean on Freddie Jones more...who for an slam-dunk champion is kinda under the radar (sadly...hes not the most famous Duck). This is one of the 2 teams to beat in the East for no other reason that they didn't get worse in the offseason. The real team to beat of course...is the reigning NBA champion.

The T-Pups can't be called pups anymore...because they are old as ! Talk about Old School! Their warm-up CD is P-Funk and Disco! They wear orthopaedic basketball shoes! They still try to shop at Woolworths! They...well, you get the idea. The point is their core is getting old. You could see signs of it this season. Cassell's back crumbled like Russia's economy and Spree was more worn down than one of Dubya's tutors in English ("Damnit George it's NU-CLE-AR...not NU-CUL-AR...that's it, I'm going home!"). Fortunately, they are so over-the-cap, they didn't care about matching any offers on tables out there. So they re-signed Hassell, hoiberg, and Hudson (they are HHH and they're that damn good). Now they have a healthy Wally and you gotta say that the Minny backcourt's as solid as they come in the NBA because they're 2-deep at every slot. KG'll be KG. No point to talk about that. Here comes the scary part. Who's their 5? I hear Olowokandi's so far in the doghouse he doesn't talk anymore, he just sniffs your ass and crotch as you give him a Snausage. Gary Trent is...serviceable...in small doses. Who would have thought that Rasho Nesterovic (a Stephen A favorite) would be a KEY LOSS???? I love basketball! Expect Minny to be right there all the way through the West into the playoff either as the no 1 seed or no 2 (I'm still on the fence as to who is better, San An or Minny...fortunately I don't have to do a head-to-head preview until early April).

Terraun

[Man In Black]

The T-Pups can't be called pups anymore...because they are old as !

That one made me spit up my BEER.

[Phenomanul]

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I decided to finish this thing up with the Finals combatants (if you noticed, I went up the line of the Standing up to now and the Charlotte, NO section).

All those LA fans REJOICE! Kobe's still a Laker!!! Happy days remain!! But wait? Where's Shaq? Where's Phil? ...where's Karl???? Well...dunno. Enter Rudy T. This is how you know that Kobe doesn't have a clue. When asked who he would want as the coach (and yes...LA brass is bending over and letting him do what he wants)...he said Coach K. I like Coach K, don't get me wrong. But they brought Rudy T first. Kobe said no at first. Huh? This is a player's coach who builds O's around superstars. Kobe wants the O built around him...and he initially vetoes? Kobe only came around AFTER Coach K (and Ima try to spell it...Krzyzewski...I think I missed a letter or 2) turned down a MASSIVE offer. Kobe just doesn't get it to me. To be a baller, you don't have to be knowledgeable about the game. You just gotta be talented. Kobe's talented. he's also about as loyal as Madonna in her heyday...and that's not talking about his recent run-in with the law. Enter Odom, Caron, and Grant. Enter Divac, Chris Mihm, Jumaine Jones, and Chucky Atkins. Enter other stuff. Exit lotsa stuff. This isn't the same Laker team. Period. So I can't say the West goes through LA...despite my belief that you have to beat the man to be the man. In all fairness, Odom did wonders for his rep over the course of a year. He played heard for the US and played well during last year's playoff run in Miami. And he's clean! Now he's back in the same city where he doped up. Talk about pressure. They have a logjam as bad as I-10 during afternoon rush hour at the 2-3 slot and looks like either Kobe or Odom will be the 1 unless you want the Chuckster runnin your O. I don't like this team's chances of getting to the playoffs, but I like them as a .500 ball club.

The Champ is here, the Champ is here!!! I'm feelin ya playa! The Pistons... , let's just say it, are the favorite to repeat. I like the Spurs and T-wolves out west, but just like them, Detroit made all the right offseason moves. They got Sheed until 2009. Rip and Chauncey are locked up for years. Big Ben will be there too. Tayshaun will be there once his rookie deal is totally finished. And they got a cheap McDyess. And I saw Delfino play...and he'll fit in great fo this team. They really don't have a in the armor from what I see...and with Chauncey stepping up all season for them in the clutch, they had that one piece I thought they needed to put them over the top. There's really not much to say here except it must be great to be a fan of the Motown Darlings (right Guzi?)!!!

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

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Odds and ends...

Week 3 is over and now Vick is the savior and McNabb is the front runner for MVP. Beautiful. While Kansas City has been goose-egged...by Houston...in Kansas City. Unfortunate. Personally, I don't think anything significant has happened just yet as I liken the 1st quarter of the season to the first 2 rounds of a prize fight. Teams are still feelin themselves and each other out. Can't get excited about undefeated teams who can't score (read: Jacksonville, Atlanta) or can't stop anyone (read: Indy). But, it's fun to speculate! I love watching people do a super jump on the Jacksonville bandwagon calling it "the new Carolina". Two problems. One is Carolina's O was slightly better, even early on, and two is Jacko's in the AFC...meaning they'd have to go through New England and/or Indy (who they play this sunday) to even get to the Super Bowl.

Apparently under police pressure, Kobe sings like old school Whitney Houston. Kobe basically said he shoulda paid off old girl like Shaw does with his women. Well, Kobe's about to pay her off so that's irrelevant. I say this once again...something's wrong with Kobe Bryant. He doesn't get it. Whether it's true or not, people get killed for talking about other people's personal affairs. The worst part is there was no reason to. It wasn't like this was a sting and they offering Kobe a plea-down to drop salt on others. He volunteered this info. How can such a carefully-crafted image shatter like this. I mean when Shaq and Kobe had beef, most took Kobe's side! I guess the lesson here is it doesn't matter how you hide it, your true nature comes out. Then again, knowing Kobe's history, this actually doesn't surprise me. But this is yet another wrinkle that could destroy a team. "Kobe...did you know you were doing 74 in a 45?" "I did officer, but I was going to catch up with Caron and Lamar because they were about to score some marijuana. They smoke all the time! I should smoke too, but I'm too cool for that."

I read an article talking about Hill's comeback. I really hope he can. I would love to see, at least once more, Hill in his prime. I'd drive to Cleveland and pay money to watch him play. I never lost the soft spot, in case you can tell. If he does play, he actually is the second-biggest impact change in the East. He, Francis, and Mobley are about as good a 1-2-3 as you can find. Then again...I should calm down and wait until he plays 40 games in a row. Let's hope Tamia drops a big album too so it can be a great year for the Hill fam!

Terraun

[Phenomanul]

I think that's all of them.... I might have missed some...

[timvp]

Nice, hegamboa. Tell Terraun to come post at SpursTalk.com.

[Phenomanul]

Nice, hegamboa. Tell Terraun to come post at SpursTalk.com.

Does that earn me another Spur????

:wink :wink

BTW I've asked Terraun to post here on some occasion... but he refuses to post in a ONE-TEAM-ONLY site..... his loss really..

[Phenomanul]

I did miss one.....

here it is...
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Odds and Ends II

The story that just won't die. I'm not sure why Kobe has somebody else's name in his mouth or if any of this is true (not on tape, but in police report), but he shouldn't have said anything about Shaq. Unless, he knew all this would come out and wanted to bring Shaq down with him. Which I have said before, "wouldn't surprise me".

Anyhow, camp starts in a week. Bball has already started for me with NBA Live 05 and I'll just watch on Christmas when Shaq gives Kobe the forearm shiver (even though he knew about this before the start of last season). I believe Hill will come back and play well, but his first 30 point game will be overshadowed with the news that Vanessa Bryant hired KF to set up Kobe, and that Shaq was in on it in hopes that Jerry Buss would like him better.

Then some team will win the world championship which will be overshadowed by the release of pictures featuring Kobe, Shaq, and KF at the beach in Brazil buying drugs from NeNe. Followed by the girl dropping the civil suit and Kobe and Shaq holding a joint press conference to announce that this was all a joke and they got tired of the pressure of winning.

And then...

[Solid D]

Very interesting and thorough analysis. Thanks for posting this hegamboa.

Detroit has got to be the favorite to win it all again. If McDyess lasts the whole season, look out!

[Phenomanul]

I mean when Shaq and Kobe had beef, most took Kobe's side! I guess the lesson here is it doesn't matter how you hide it, your true nature comes out. Then again, knowing Kobe's history, this actually doesn't surprise me. But this is yet another wrinkle that could destroy a team. "Kobe...did you know you were doing 74 in a 45?" "I did officer, but I was going to catch up with Caron and Lamar because they were about to score some marijuana. They smoke all the time! I should smoke too, but I'm too cool for that."

This one had me cracking up......