Nowadays I play the 2K series for my basketball fix, although without the extreme tenacity that I once devoted to gaming.  Even though the real life NBA is embroiled in a bitter labor dispute, that can’t stop me from enjoying going 80-2 while averaging a triple-double in “My Player” mode.

The main gimmick of this year’s game, in lieu of any relevant basketball happenings in the real world, is the “NBA’s Greatest” mode, where one can play as any of a large group of historical teams and players.  As such, the commercial released a couple weeks ago focuses on the argument of who is the greatest team ever assembled.

Check out the extended version of the commercial and read my thoughts below.

Fittingly, the commercial begins with Michael Jordan pronouncing his very own 1996 Chicago Bulls the greatest.  They could have stopped right there and been correct, but that wouldn’t make for a very compelling advertisement.  And it also wouldn’t provide me with fodder to demolish the other 58 seconds of the spot.

Next some guy tries to throw the 1995 Knicks into the discussion.  Later he tries to convince us by naming Ewing, Starks, Mason, Oakley and Doc Rivers.  Just stop, Knicks guy.  You’re making an ass of yourself.

The 1989 Pistons weren't the greatest ever, but they might have been the toughest ever.

Next up are the Bad Boys Pistons of 1989, who at least won the title.  Considering they did it against a depleted Lakers team (Kareem was 42 and Magic and Byron Scott missed time with injuries) that could hardly be classified as “Showtime” and went “only” 63-19 in the regular season, they can’t be the greatest ever.

The guy who claims the 1986 Celtics has a valid argument.  The Celtics were 40-1 at home that year and ran through the playoffs with ease en route to their third championship of the ‘80s.  He is wrong about the Celtics beating the Lakers, though.  They did in ’84, but lost to the Lakers in ’85 and ’87.  They beat Houston in ’86.

Celtics guy is pretty much insufferable through the whole commercial, yelling about how no one can beat Bird, McHale and Parrish (even though every year but 3, someone did) and how they would have been a dynasty if Bird hadn’t ruined his back paving his mother’s driveway.  I’m pretty sure something makes me hate Boston a little more every time I turn on the TV.

Side note: I know I recognize Celtics guy from somewhere, but I can’t place it.  If anyone knows please leave a comment below with his name or what else he’s been in.

The nerdy guy from Dodgeball and Grandma’s Boy tells us about the Lakers, blah blah blah.  Lakers nerd can barely get the words out, though, before Celtics guy (incorrectly) shouts about the Celtics beating the Lakers.

The Trailblazers fan is Portland personified; he’s got the whole hipster thing going on, with the slacker beard, old school Blazers tee, glasses and backwards Blazers hat.  He’s also pretty entertaining, especially when giving us “double Mutombo” fingers.  Of course his argument makes more sense if you’re asking who the greatest team ever for one quarter was, not the greatest team ever.

Here is where shit gets crazy.

We get the highly publicized Drake to say the present-day Miami Heatles are the greatest ever, which would be like if Drake considered himself the greatest rapper ever.  What?  He DID say that in a song?

Sorry, Drake.  You’re a decent rapper, even if you do seem kind of emo for an MC.

But let’s be honest with ourselves.  The Heat haven’t accomplished anything yet, and Drake would have a hard time cracking the top-5 of Wu-Tang (I say Meth, Raekwon, Ghost, GZA would be in front of him, in that order).  If he thinks that a team dunking its way to the Finals and then choking is the greatest ever, well, he must be nuts.  Or a 2004 Lakers fan.

Luckily, Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants weighs in, dressed in a full Larry Bird costume and sitting on the pelt of a cheetah.  He even has a blond wig to go with his comically absurd beard.  I keep thinking Wilson’s “I’m super-crazy and eccentric, and at every opportunity I will demonstrate that” schtick is going to wear thin on me, but nope.  I’m still 100% on board with him and his beard.

Wilson delivers the funny line about Bird laying it up “like a real man,” and while it’s funny, it’s only partially accurate.  Check out this awesome compilation video, with one of the best soundtrack choices possible:

Drake looks like even more of a doofus when he declares “South Beach is king” and the commercial cuts to Mark Cuban, still nuzzling the Larry O’Brien trophy like Eddy Curry nuzzling a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  Cuban dismisses Drake with nothing but the shaking of his head.

Next we see some game action and hear an Eminem song.  The game looks awesome, and the song pumps me up a little bit, so mission accomplished there, 2K folks.

As I said, the greatest team ever debate was answered in the first 5 seconds.  Michael Jordan comes back at the end to end the argument by showing his 1996 ring, with “72 Wins – Greatest Team Ever” carved into it.  Discussion over. The commercial, while entertaining at times (and maddening at others), is largely ineffective.

Final Grade: C-

*********

Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett 

Read more commercial reviews at Commercial Grade

*********

Image credits: soundproofmagazine.com, foxsports.com

But along with the Heat’s mega-offseason came another side story. The story of Carmelo Anthony and just where he’d end up.

The attention seems to be mainly focused on the Big Apple. You have Prokhorov fighting to the earth’s ends in order to secure Melo for the future Brooklyn Nets, and then you have Amar’e attempting to recruit Anthony to play alongside him in New York. Heck, I’ve even heard Charlotte and Houston mentioned in this crazy mix. It seems as if we are in the midst of a great game of tug-o-war.

But it is yet to be finalized where the Syracuse alum will end up. Will he land alongside Amar’e, and try and build another mega-team? Or will he take his talents to New Jersey and try to continue Prokhorov’s global agenda? I wish I knew the answer.

According to ESPN and other sources,  the New Jersey Nets seem to be the more likely destination for Carmelo. New Jersey’s management has been pushing hard and pressuring the Nuggets organization to make a move since day one, and since then the Nets have actually outlined the framework for a three-team deal.

The deal would send Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Quinton Ross, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Graham, Ben Uzoh, cash, and two first-round picks to the  Nuggets, while the Nets would acquire Carmelo, Chauncey Billups, Anthony  Carter, and swingman Richard Hamilton from the Pistons. The Pistons would obtain the expiring contract of Troy Murphy, and center Johan Petro in the deal.

In my mind, this isn’t a bad trade in any way, shape, or form.

But since that deal came onto the table, Denver’s organization has begun to give the deal some trouble as  Nuggets GM Ujiri has wanted to get rid of the expiring contract of Al Harrington and send him to Jersey. The Nets have backed off of the deal a little bit, and talks have since then slowed down.

Might I remind, this was a day after the talks seem to be nearly finalized.

As for New York, it has been said that they want to be thrown in on a package which would include a first-round pick and a combination of Wilson Chandler, Dannilo Galinari, and Anthony Randolph. The offer isn’t a bad one, but Denver can certainly obtain more from New Jersey in any deal.

New York has since then talked about a three-way trade with Memphis which would send OJ Mayo to the Nuggets. Both Mayo and the Nuggets organization, however, have no interest in such a trade.

So as you can see, we are at a stand still.

It is clear that Carmelo wants out of Denver, and sources claim Carmelo has said his ultimate dream would be to play in New York, but the issue is that Denver wants a better offer, and the Knicks might not be able to offer Denver what they want.

So does New Jersey land Carmelo? Well according to Anthony himself, he hasn’t thought of any extension with the Nets, and it seems more and more likely that he is flat out saying, “Send me to New York!”

Sources claim Amar’e has been in contact with Carmelo, and both seem to be interested in joining up.

Is there a way New York can bring in a third team to sweeten the deal, or will the game of tug-o-war continue?

Hopefully things will end soon, but luckily for you I’ll keep you updated! Be sure to follow me on Twitter as well!

Recently updates news:

According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Knicks are planning to trade Anthony Randolph within the next two weeks, for a first-round pick. The pick would indeed be in any Carmelo trade with the New York.

The Detroit Pistons, whom would acquire Troy Murphy in the proposed three-way deal with Denver and New Jersey, is said to already have been entertaining offers for Murphy, even thought he is still a member of the Nets.

Donnie Walsh is said to have met with Leon Rose (the agent of Carmelo Anthony) on Friday night.

The Pistons bench Richard Hamilton, as trade rumors continue to swirl.

Carmelo, Pokhorov, and Nets part owner Jay-Z, are expected to meet next week in an attempt to secure Carmelo for the long-term, via contract extension (if a trade were done).

The Miami Heat. Holy shit. Road game in hostile environment? Yup. Opposing team strong in the front-court and point guard positions, Miami’s two biggest weaknesses? Yup. A focused, unrelenting, fast-paced, ice-cold statement win? Yes, yes, yes and yes.

For the first time this season, the Heat played The Game We Were All Waiting For, when everything looked beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Have we finally seen the Dark Passenger?

What can ya do?

– The Minnesota Timberwolves continued their recent run of challenging good teams for long portions of games before relenting sometime in the fourth quarter, this time falling to the Thunder, 111-103. Basically, the T-Wolves are an entertaining mid-level video game boss, with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley as the venomous tentacles/shoulder-attached gun turrets.

– Derrick Rose was ruthless in the final minute of play in Cleveland, and the Bulls scraped out an 88-83 win, extending the Cavalier losing streak to six in the process. I wonder what Rose’s favorite Skittle flavor is. I hope, like me, it’s purple. But I’m guessing it’s red for loyalty’s sake.

– Carmelo Anthony did not want to take the chance of George Karl’s 1,000th career win coming in Boston, because ‘Melo knows how much George Karl hates Dunkin’ Donuts. So he sat this one out, and the Celts won, 105-89. Also, Anthony’s knee hurts.

– Boy, was that Raptors/Knicks game fun. Andrea Bargnani blew up for 41 points on 24 shots, and probably deserved a fate kinder than Raymond Felton’s winning three that touched every edge of the rim; but you know, the Knicks have won six in a row with their own awesome kinetic style, and that, they tell me, is good for basketball, so I’m cool with it. Sorry, Andrea.

– Now THAT’S a tip-in. Andrew Bogut applied the perfect amount of touch to a perfectly thrown in-bound pass from Luc Richard Mbah a Moute as time expired and the Bucks got a muuuuuch needed home win over the Indiana Pacers.

– Even a game as crappy as the Hornets’ 93-74 win over Detroit cannot lessen the sadness of this news. J.E. Skeets summed it up pretty well on Twitter last night.

– The Spurs kind of kept the Golden State Warriors at an arm’s length for the entire game in their 111-94 win. Apparently they couldn’t, however, put an arm or even a hand up on Warriors bench player Reggie Williams, who shot 8-for-10 from three on the way to a 31-point night.

– John Wall sat this one out and, since he’s the young leader of the Wizards, the rest of the team took the night off in Sacramento as well, losing 116-91. It’s easy to be a follower, after all.

– The Suns went through all the trouble of erasing a 14-point fourth quarter deficit, only to have Rudy Gay (22 points on 12 shots) make a game-tying three to send the game into overtime, where the Grizzlies would go on to win, 104-98. Also, Zach Randolph hates the sun, er Suns — Z-Bo pulled the shades down, shooting 15-of-19 from the floor on the way to dropping 34 points and grabbing 17 boards.

– The Lakers/Clippers battle of Los Angeles was a very enjoyable nightcap. Or as enjoyable a nightcap can be without whiskey, one supposes. The Clips freaking had this one. Blake Griffin was pounding away on Lamar Odom in the post, Eric Gordon was taking and making big shots, the youth was revolting.

Heck, even when they naturally left the door open at the end, they denied Kobe the ball. They made Derek Fisher something other than a spot-up shooter. And still, he flipped up a driving layup at the buzzer and boom. It was over. The Clippers are definitely a fun watch, so long as you’re not a Clippers fan. That was rough.

**Williams photo courtesy of the AP.
**Bucks photo courtesy of the AP.

Twitter: twitter.com/griffingotta

Email: griffingotta@gmail.com

– Some of the Atlanta Hawks put up some ridiculous numbers in their 116-101 win over the New Jersey Nets: Sixth man du awesome Jamal Crawford poured in 26 points on 17 shots and Al Horford dropped 24 points, 10 boards and six assists.

However, it was Josh Smith who won the gold star, getting 34 points and seven assists while shooting 14-of-16 from the field. Remember, he’s shooting jumpers again too, making it, for one night, all the more impressive. But his outside shooting ventures remain, like a Skyhawk in flight, ultimately fleeting.

– It is next to impossible for the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks to play an uninteresting game. And with rim guardian Tyson Chandler sitting out with a stomach virus (which seems to be currently sweeping the NBA; wash your hands, ballers!), the time was right for another shootout. The Mavs’ cohesion eventually put the back-and-forth affair to rest, as they won their tenth (!) straight, 105-100.

– The Charlotte Bobcats picked up a nice home win over the Nuggets, 100-98. The two-point victory was made half-possible via Kwame Brown’s one point in sixteen minutes of action. You’re welcome, M.J.

– They posted this on Sportscenter last night, but it bears repeating: the Cleveland Cavaliers are getting freaking worked lately. Last five games: L vs. BOS, 106-87; L vs. MIA, 118-90; L at MIN, 129-95; L at DET, 102-92; and last night they lost by a gentleman’s twenty in Philadelphia, 117-97.

The Sixers played well; former Bucks trade piece Jodie Meeks knocked down four threes en route to 16 points, and he was one of seven Sixers to score in double figures.

– In a much less anticipated return compared to anything else going on recently, Tracy McGrady came back to Houston, where neither he nor Yao Ming, pillars of the organization at one time, suited up for the Rockets, and that is really quite sad. Sigh.

Houston held off McGrady (11 points, 3 boards, 3 assists) and the Pistons, 97-83, behind a Luis Scola performance that looked like one of his lines from the FIBAs — 35 points on 25 shots and 12 rebounds.

– The Blazers and Suns also never seem to disappoint when they get together. This time it was Portland at home pulling it out in the fourth quarter, 106-99.

Phoenix’s offense pretty much stopped after Channing Frye fouled out, leaving Steve Nash to dribble around — while the rest of the Suns stood around the three-point line — waiting for the pick-and-roll that would never come. It’s a timeless love story, really.

– For like two-and-a-half quarters, the Lakers were rollin’ along, passing and finishing with ease, and nearly scoring 70 points before halftime (some of this could probably be attributed to the Wizards being not very good) before letting Washington make it closer than it should’ve been in the fourth.

This was fine with me, as it was the only late game on, and Los Angeles got themselves together in time to hold on for the 115-108 win. Nick Young dropped 30 points and six three-pointers, but Phil Jackson already knew that was coming.

**Skyhawk photo courtesy of Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.
**McGrady/Yao photo courtesy of Kevin Fujii/Houston Chronicle.

Twitter: twitter.com/griffingotta

Email: griffingotta@gmail.com

They began with an 85-80 home victory over the visiting Orlando Magic minus both Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, who’d come down with an unexpected lower back strain. Prince’s injury ended his streak of 496 consecutive games played and league-leading mark of 439 consecutive starts.

The loss was the Magic’s first of the season and their 20th to the Pistons in 24 games going back to the 2006-2007 season.

The depleted Pistons controlled the pace of the game from start to finish and held Dwight Howard, who fouled out, to 8 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes. There were a number of heroes from Ben Wallace, who defended Howard, to Will Bynum, who led the reserves with 20 points and drove to the basket repeatedly (despite being poked in the eye by Marcin Gortat) and helped get Howard to foul out in the fourth quarter.

Vince Carter played for Orlando, but was hobbled by a hurt ankle. Rashard Lewis was out, serving a suspension for testing positive for elevated testosterone during the offseason.

The Pistons’ road defeats in Toronto (110-99) and then against Orlando (110-103) followed a somewhat similar pattern. The Pistons had a defensive lapse in one quarter, rallied, and fell short at the end. The Raptors outscored the Pistons 44-28 in the second quarter and the Magic opened the game with a scorching 40-23 first quarter. Toronto was at full strength, while Orlando played without Lewis and Carter. And unlike in the Toronto game, the Pistons shot poorly from the free throw line, making only 23 of 37 free throw attempts.

Rather than quit, the Pistons displayed excellent tenacity by clawing back into both games before finally falling. Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, and Will Bynum all played roles in keeping the Pistons competitive.

Rookies Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye have steadily improved over the course of the week in Tayshaun Prince’s absence. Both provided significant contributions in defense, rebounding, and offense to help spur Pistons’ rallies. Jerebko has done well starting in Prince’s place and Daye has come off the bench to help bolster the play of the reserves.

While he did not play in the home win against Orlando, Jason Maxiell came off the bench in the road losses to provide energy, defense, and rebounding.

Kwame Brown’s minutes fluctuated this week as he struggled in the low post and the free throw line.

After having some solid preseason games, Chris Wilcox has yet to make an impact in the regular season.

The Piston who has improved the most over the course of the week is Charlie Villanueva. In addition to solid defensive play, he has been giving the Pistons’ frontcourt a much needed scoring and rebounding boost:

• 12 points and 8 rebounds against the Magic in Detroit.
• 16 points and 7 rebounds against the Raptors in Toronto.
• 28 points and 5 rebounds against the Magic in Orlando, including 22 points in the fourth quarter when he carried the Pistons.

Those who would dismiss the Pistons for their 1-2 record during the week are overlooking the signs of this young team building chemistry, becoming comfortable with Coach Kuester’s system, and learning how to win without leaning on injured veterans Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Hamilton is day-to-day, but word on his recovery is hopeful.  Prince has been recently diagnosed with a ruptured disc in his lower back, though, so he will be out of the lineup indefinitely.

Under Coach Kuester, the young Pistons are in step with their learning curve at this point of the season.

When he is not contributing content here at Midwest Sports Fans, Boris is the administrator of Club Pistons, one of the best Detroit Pistons fan forums on the web.

The new look Pistons opened the season with a 96-74 victory at Memphis, then lost at home to Oklahoma City 91-83 and at Milwaukee 96-85.

The road victory was a complete team effort in which the Pistons moved the ball on offense and defended the Grizzlies in transition and the low blocks. Richard Hamilton led all scorers with 25 points and Ben Gordon came off the bench to score 22, but the victory was marred somewhat when Hamilton stepped on O.J. Mayo’s foot and twisted his ankle in the closing minutes.

Hamilton was sidelined for at least the next two games, both of which followed a similar pattern. In the first half, the Pistons controlled the game, defending and moving the ball on offense. In the third quarter, the opposing team came out with greater defensive intensity on their part, and the young Piston team lost their composure, getting away from their team defense and playing 1-on-5 offensive basketball with the guards Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, and Will Bynum trying to carry the load by themselves. This made it easier for opposing teams to defend the Pistons.

In the fourth quarter, the Pistons rallied, but couldn’t make up the third quarter deficit.

Hamilton’s presence in games 2 & 3 was missed not only for his scoring, but also for his ability to involve the frontcourt players and pass to them when they’re in position to score. In Hamilton’s absence, the Pistons other guards have neglected to involve the Pistons’ big men on the offense, resulting in low team assist totals during the last two games. The other guards must develop the passing mentality for themselves, especially if Hamilton’s absence extends into the second week.

Ben Wallace has played solidly in the first week, being the frontcourt’s defensive and rebounding mainstay. It’s Coach Kuester’s intent to monitor his minutes, but taking Wallace out has been difficult.

Kwame Brown has been solid when on the court, but his minutes were limited and he wasn’t involved in the offense by the Pistons’ active guards. His playing time could stand an increase so the team can see how much of his preseason play will carry over to the regular season.

Charlie Villanueva has played well in spurts, but not for an entire game yet. The Pistons’ offense went to another gear when he scored as he did in the first quarter of the Oklahoma City game and the fourth quarter of the Milwaukee game.

Jason Maxiell has contributed with some rebounding and defensive play, but hasn’t made a major impact during the last week. Chris Wilcox, who is capable of putting up solid scoring and rebounding numbers, hasn’t played during the first week. I would speculate that Coach Kuester is perhaps giving Jason Maxiell a chance to prove himself. Perhaps in week two, Coach Kuester will give Wilcox a chance to prove himself.

IMHO, Pistons rookies Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko should also be given the opportunity to contribute after solid showings in the Summer League and preseason.

Oklahoma City is a young team on the rise in the West, anchored by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and a solid frontcourt. Milwaukee is a defensive-minded team that’s a work in progress with a promising point guard in Brandon Jennings who echoes Nate Archibald. The Pistons’ games with both teams were winnable, but were lost because the Pistons didn’t play team ball at both ends of the court for a full 48 minutes.

The young Pistons’ current problems are correctable with the proper mental focus on “playing the right way.” If they don’t refocus in time, they’ll be in for some long nights next week when they play the Orlando Magic twice this coming week at home and on the road with a road game in Toronto thrown in.

Richard Hamilton’s return would be good, too, though it all depends on his ankle at this point.

When he is not contributing content here at Midwest Sports Fans, Boris is the administrator of Club Pistons, one of the best Detroit Pistons fan forums on the web.

Yes, the Lakers were 2009 NBA Champions as they finished off the Orlando Magic in 5 games. What an incredible season.

A season that included LeBron finally being able to crown himself the best in the 08-09 season with a much deserved MVP award. A season where Dwight Howard showed us REALLY how to play defense, as he stole the 08-09 season’s Defensive Player of the Year. A season where Dwyane Wade put on a show nearly every night in Miami.

Yes, the season was great even for Knicks, Jazz, Hornets and all NBA fans alike…because regardless of how your teams performed, the individual performances were spectacular.

But that season is over.

Then came the 09 NBA Draft, which included numerous potential future stars such as Blake Briffin (1st overall pick), Ricky Rubio (In spain… dammit)  and Taj Gibson (to Chicago).

Then onto the FA signing period, which turned out to be a bonanza (but will be nothing compared to the ’10 off-season). Ron Artest moved to LA hopeing he can help the Lakers go back to back. Rasheed Wallace went to Boston, adding a great, versatile big man to the rotation. Then came one of the most lopsided trades, like Shaquille O’neal to the Cavs for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic.

Then came training camp, then the pre-season, where all the young rooks were able to show off their much worked on game.

Yes, that is all over now. The rosters are set, and the players are quenching for a new season just as us fans are. No doubt this will be an incredible year, but will it be one of the greatest of all-time? Well, let me introduce you to my opening article on the NBA’s opening week.

Opening Week

You’re not going to get too many great games like this, as the Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Boston Celtics. This was the same opening game last year, but this one will be much more “fluffed”. Meaning this game will have much more to offer. Such as:

• Will the Cavs be able to show us they are still the best home team in the NBA?
• How will the three headed monster of LeBron, Mo and Shaq work together?
• Will the newly acquired Anthony Parker show us he can still be good enough to help Cleveland in the post-season?
• How will the duo of Rasheed and KG work out?
• Are Paul, and Ray still going to be as dynamic as we’ve seen in past years?
• Have Rondo and Perkins brought more to the table?

No doubt, this game will be a much watched game. I mean, cmon. It’s LeBron vs Boston. Period.

Boston-Cleveland game time: 7:35 PM ET/ TNT on Tuesday, 10/27

Then there’s game two of opening night, as the two Staples Center teams battle it out.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers.

This is a very intriguing game to me as well. Not only do we get to see Ron Ron, but we get to see the number 1 overall pick play as well. [Editor's note: Oops...not so much on the #1 pick. Late breaking news last night has Blake Griffin out for six weeks with a broken kneecap.]

Here’s a few things to look out for:

• How will Artest handle the pressure under the big lights of LA?
• How will he show he is good enough to play with the defending champions?
• Will Kobe show any signs of rusting?
• How are Bynum’s knees?
• What will Blake Griffin bring to the table for the Clips’? [Editor's note: not much tonight.]
• How will Baron Davis react to the franchise this year?

Another great game. I mean, it may not be as competitive as the first, but Blake Griffin has [Editor's note: well, at least he would have had] the opportunity to play his first ever NBA game against one of the Top-10 Greatest of All Time (And yes, Kobe is Top 1o All-Time).

Clippers-Lakers game time: 10:00 PM ET/ TNT on Tuesday, 10/27

A great set of games to watch for any basketball fan.

Kobe and LeBron. Nuff said.

Then the less “bigger games,” as some may call them. But heck, I’m really psyched to see Washington take on Dallas in Dallas.

I’ve heard a lot about Dirk this off-season. Supposedly he’s developed a near impossible shot to defend. Some sort of a sky hook or whatever. Should be a dandy to watch. Here’s a few things to look for:

• How will Sean Marion play alongside Kidd, and Dirk?
• Can Erik Dampier give us more now, due to the fact that Brandon Bass is gone to Orlando?
• Will Kidd showing any signs of aging?
• How will Gilbert Arenas fare in a long awaited season-opener?
• How will Foye and Miller compliment the trio Washington already has?

Good game. These teams are pretty close when it comes to skill sets, even though I give the advantage to Dallas.

Dallas-Washington game time: 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, 10/27

Here’s another good game for you NBA heads. The Utah Jazz pay a visit to the Denver Nuggets. Should be a good Western Conference match up to watch. Look for:

• Will Melo bring more to the table this year? (like he hasn’t brought enough)
• Does Chauncey still have the legs to run an offense?
• How will Denver show us some improvements from last season?
• Will Carlos Boozer be a distraction for Utah?
• What’s Deron Williams improved on?

I like this game, as it is a battle of the PG’s. The young gun vs the old chap.

Utah-Denver game time: 10:30 PM ET/ESPN on Wednesday, 10/28

Here’s a game that features a title contender. The San Antonio Spurs take their new look team to Chicago against the Bulls. I personally love the Chicago Bulls. They are energetic, youthful, and have a strong young leader in Derrick Rose. But on the other hand, Richard Jefferson will be able to showcase to SA fans how he can help in a possible Finals run. Here’s what to look for:

• How will Jefferson look with Timmy, Manu and TP on the court?
• Will McDeyess be able to overcome his age?
• Is Tim Duncan still as dominant?
• How has Derrick Rose improved?
• What can Taj Gibson bring to Chicago?
• How will Chicago fair without Ben Gordon?

Great game to watch, even though this is pretty much a lob sided game, I love to watch Rose, and can’t wait to see what RJ can do for San Antonio

Spurs-Bulls game time: 8:00 PM ET/ESPN on Thursday, 10/29

Here’s a game of mediocre teams, but great headlines, as the Oklahoma City Thunder take it to Motown to take on Detroit. Kevin Durant has to show us who he is, and what he will be. Then on the other hand, Charlie V. and Ben Gordon try to reverse Detroit’s recent problems. Take a look:

• Will Kevin Durant show us more?
• How will James Harden fit in with Oklahoma City?
• What about Russel Westbrook?
• Will the back court of  Hamilton, Stuckey and Ben Gordon work?
• What will Villanueva bring to Detroit?

Great game for those of you who just want to kick back, and watch two teams battle it out!

Pistons-Thunder game time: 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, 10/31

Welcome back Hedo, or well welcome to Toronto, Magic! Hedo Turkoglu faces off against his former team, the Magic. This should be an awesome game to watch. I, as well as many others are excited to watch the Bosh-Hedo combo. Not only that, have the Magic downgraded, or are they ready to take on the best in the league again? Let’s take a look:

• How will Hedo and Bosh work out?
• Will Dwight be even more of a monster?
• Will Bosh be as committed this year as the rest?
• How will Carter fair with the Magic’s offensive style?

I’m really looking forward to watching Hedo with Bosh. Also Vincanity playing alongside Nelson, Howard and Lewis.

Magic-Raptors game time: 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, 11/1

Without a doubt, this NBA season is already revving me up. Especially this first week (even though my Finals picks Cleveland and LA won’t play eachother). I’m ready for this season to begin. The only question remaining is:

• Are you?

**********

* – Shaq and LeBron image credit: Zuma Press via EveryJoe.com

The games below are obviously already over, but I’m still seeing traffic come in from search engines. If you’re looking for the updated lines and odds for games after 4/21, here you go:

BetUS Sportsbook
Join the leaders in online betting at BetUS.com sportsbook offering most attractive bonuses for sports bettors. Join BetUS.com today and start betting!

Game 2: Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Pistons vs Cavaliers odds: Cavaliers -11

The Detroit Pistons had no answer for LeBron James in Game 1 and it’s hard to fathom what kind of strategy they’ve concocted between games to slow him down. In Game 1, they practically tried every possible approach.

They used several different defenders on him, which failed miserably. Tayshaun Prince’s length didn’t help as James ran right past him while Richard Hamilton’s speed didn’t help as James outmuscled him. When James was double-teamed, he quickly found his teammates, which led to four of them hitting double-figures in scoring.

The Pistons see the white light and they aren’t resisting. The Cavs should protect their home court again tonight as the series heads back to Detroit.

Online betting pick: Cavaliers

Game 2: Houston Rockets @ Portland Trail Blazers

Rockets vs Trail Blazers odds: Trail Blazers -6

The Houston Rockets stole home court advantage in their Western Conference Quarter-Final by handing the Portland Trail Blazers their worst loss of the season. A number of the Blazers were making their playoff debuts in Game 1 so expect them to be far more poised in Game Two.

The Blazers starters were outscored 94-43 and head coach Nate McMillan ended up benching them for the fourth quarter.

For the Trail Blazers to come up victorious tonight, they’ll have to find a way to contain Yao Ming, who carved up both Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden for 24 points and nine rebounds. Yao didn’t even miss a shot from the floor (nine for nine), which further indicates just how dominant he was.

NBA betting fans know that it’s unlikely that the Rockets shoot 58.5 per cent from the field in back-to-back road games and it’s unlikely for the Blazers, who won 34 of 41 home games in the regular season, to lose back-to-back home games. Look for the Blazers to even things up in Game Two.

Online betting pick: Trail Blazers

Game 2: Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers

Jazz vs Lakers odds: Lakers -11.5

The Utah Jazz are starting to face the music and it doesn’t sound so good. They have lost 10 straight games at the Staples Center but the bigger concern right now is that they have lost eight of their last 10 games overall.

The Jazz might again be without starting center Mehmet Okur, who is a game-time decision for Tuesday’s contest.

Hoops betting fans know that the Lakers didn’t even play a full game on Sunday and still drilled the Jazz. The Lakers were up by 22 at halftime and took their foot off the pedal, which resulted in a 13-point win.

The Jazz just don’t have the rhythm they had last season, and that was when they lost to the Lakers in six games. Now that they’re coming apart at the seams, it appears this series might not even make it that far.

The Lakers should have a 2-0 series lead after tonight’s contest.

Online betting pick: Lakers

The post breaks down the opening odds and lines for the first round matchups of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Follow the link to view the complete NBA playoffs first round TV schedule.

Eastern Conference Playoffs Series Odds

No. 8 Detroit Pistons @ No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers

The Detroit Pistons have been sinking ever since their trade of Chauncey Billups and are a paltry 18-31 since January 7. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the NBA and are extremely dominant at home. The Cavs have the best player in the league and the best home-court advantage, which will make this a very quick series.

Pistons vs Cavaliers odds: Cavaliers -3800

(Editor’s note: For a detailed preview and ticket information, follow the link to the MSF Cavs-Pistons preview and tickets post.)

No. 7 Chicago Bulls @ No. 2 Boston Celtics

What should have a been a walk-in-the-park for the Celtics now becomes a bit of a tricky first round matchup now that Kevin Garnett has been ruled out of the series.

The Celtics still have Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and a wealth of experience. The Bulls are young and raw, including their first-time head coach Vinny Del Negro. Even without Garnett, look for the Celtics to make quick work of the Bulls.

Bulls vs Celtics odds: Celtics -600

No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers @ No. 3 Orlando Magic

The Magic do and will miss their All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson but the loss won’t be noticed in this matchup.

The Magic are one of the league’s best perimeter teams while the Sixers are the league’s worst. That figures to be the downfall for Philadelphia, who will have a tough time consistently generating enough offense to keep up.

Magic vs 76ers odds: Magic -1200

No. 5 Miami Heat @ No. 4 Atlanta Hawks

The four-five matchup in the East will be interesting because of the contrast of styles. The Heat are a one-man show with Dwyane Wade while the Hawks are built on balance and depth.

The Hawks have six players who average double-figure scoring and, with home-court advantage in tow, hoops betting fans should expect the Hawks should get past the Heat in a seven-game series.

Heat vs Hawks odds: Hawks -145

Western Conference Playoff Series Odds

No 8. Utah Jazz @ No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers disposed of the Utah Jazz in six games during the 2007-08 Western Conference Semi-Finals and it’s hard to envision the result being different this time around.

The Lakers won the series without the services of Andrew Bynum and, with him around, the Jazz will now have one more problem to deal with.

The Jazz won just seven of their final 21 games while the Lakers lost just seven of their last 30.

Lakers vs Jazz odds: Lakers -2000

No. 7 New Orleans Hornets @ No. 2 Denver Nuggets

On paper, the New Orleans Hornets seem to match up very well against the Denver Nuggets. The problem is that the two squads are at different ends of the momentum spectrum, which should be the difference. The Hornets have lost four of their last five, six of their last eight and are 8-10 in their last 18 games. Meanwhile, the Nuggets won 14 of their last 17 games and are playing their best basketball heading into the playoffs.

Both teams like to get out and run, which benefits the Nuggets, who haven’t passed the first round in recent seasons because they have faced defensive-minded half-court teams. Hoops betting fans should look for the Nuggets to advance after a long series.

Hornets vs Nuggets odds: Nuggets -210

No. 6 Dallas Mavericks @ No. 3 San Antonio Spurs

Neither the Dallas Mavericks or San Antonio Spurs are the Championship threats they were just a few years back as both teams have aged quickly.

Tim Duncan is past his prime and he’ll be without one of his sidekicks, Manu Ginobili, for the series. For the Mavericks, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse and Dirk Nowitzki are all past their primes too, which hardly makes them a threat.

The Spurs should get by on the strength of their home-court advantage.

Mavericks vs Spurs odds: Spurs -155

No. 5 Houston Rockets @ No. 4 Portland Trail Blazers

The Houston Rockets haven’t been out of the first round of the playoffs in the Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady era but they’ll finally have a good opportunity.

The Rockets lost their home court advantage at the last minute but they are facing a team without much playoff experience. Without McGrady, the Rockets have been cohesive and successful, and hoops betting fans won’t be surprised if they get over the hump.

Rockets vs Trail Blazers odds: Trail Blazers -125

If you are thinking of attending any of the Cavs-Pistons games in either Cleveland or Detroit (and why wouldn’t you — the NBA Playoffs are FANtastic!) here are some links to help guide you to the best ticket deals available anywhere:

Cavs-Pistons Playoff Tickets

• StubHub: Cavs-Pistons First Round Playoff Tickets
• StubHub: Pistons-Cavs First Round Playoff Tickets

And if, for some reason, you just don’t like StubHub, here are links to RazorGator for Cavs-Pistons first round playoff tickets:

• RazorGator: Cavs-Pistons First Round Playoff Tickets
• RazorGator: Pistons-Cavs First Round Playoff Tickets

Here is the tale of the tape for the Cavs-Pistons first round playoff series. As you can see, and would expect, the advantages are all Cavs:

• Season record: Cavs 66-16 | Pistons 39-43
• Conference record: Cavs 40-12 | Pistons 26-26
• Home record: Cavs 39-2 | Pistons 21-20
• Road record: Cavs 27-14 | Pistons 18-23
• Last 10 regular season games: Cavs 7-3 | Pistons 4-6
• Head-to-Head: Cavs 3-1

And few links to the team website and the typically long and drawn out first round schedule:

Cavs official website: Cleveland Cavaliers

Pistons official website: Detroit Pistons

Complete NBA Playoffs First Round Schedule: 2009 NBA Playoffs TV Schedule

At least one Cavs fans is not happy at all about Mike Brown’s decision to rest his starters in the final regular season game: Way to make history, dipshit — (Cleveland Frowns)

Cavs-Pistons TV Schedule

• Game 1: Pistons @ Cavaliers – Saturday, 4/18 at 3:00 ET on ABC
• Game 2: Pistons @ Cavaliers – Tuesday, 4/21 at 8:00 ET on TNT
• Game 3: Cavaliers @ Pistons – Friday, 4/24 at 7:00 ET on ESPN
• Game 4: Cavaliers @ Pistons – Sunday, 4/26 at 3:30 ET on ABC
• Game 5*: Pistons @ Cavaliers – Wednesday, 4/29 at TBD on TBD
• Game 6*: Cavaliers @ Pistons – Friday, 5/1 at TBD on TBD
• Game 7*: Pistons @ Cavaliers – Sunday, 5/3 at TBD on TBD

* – if necessary

Enjoy the series. Something tells me it will be a short one, unless Allen Iverson comes ready to play and the Pistons can dig deep for that “heart of a champion” type effort they used to be known for.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The 2009 NBA Playoff picture is now cleared up.  View the NBA Playoff TV Schedule and Matchups.  The Playoffs start this weekend. Follow the link for great deals on Cleveland Cavaliers Playoff Tickets from StubHub

We have not done a whole lot of regular season NBA coverage here at MSF, but that is about to change now that the NBA Playoffs are almost here and Cavs playoff tickets are about to become the hottest commodity in the Midwest.

I certainly do not consider myself a die-hard NBA fan by any means, but I love the playoffs. And while I am not officially a Cavs fan (I grew up a Bulls fan, but that love faded when MJ retired), they are the team I watch and root for over any others. Obviously, this year’s NBA playoffs are shaping up to be pretty exciting for fans of the Cavs and LeBron.

———-

A few quick dates and links of note, and then we’ll break down the playoff matchups if the season ended today.

• April 15: Last day of NBA regular season
• April 16: Playoff rosters set
• Start Date: NBA Playoffs begin on April 18
• Up-to-date playoff picture at NBA.com
• NBA season calendar
• StubHub: NBA Playoff Tickets
• StubHub: Cleveland Cavaliers Playoff Tickets
• StubHub: Chicago Bulls Playoff Tickets
• StubHub: NBA Playoff Tickets

Once the final playoff seedings and the schedule is announced, we will post an in-depth NBA playoff preview. For now, here are the matchups if the NBA Playoffs started today. Season series in parentheses:

Eastern Conference Projected Playoff Matchups:

– #1 Cleveland Cavaliers v #8 Detroit Pistons (Cavs 3-1)

– #2 Boston Celtics v #7 Chicago Bulls (Celtics 2-1)

– #3 Orlando Magic v #6 Philadelphia 76ers (Magic 3-0)

– #4 Atlanta Hawks v #5 Miami Heat (Hawks 2-1)

Charlotte is currently 2.5 games behind Detroit for the final playoff spot, while the Pacers are 4.0 games back. Neither is eliminated yet, but their odds are obviously very low.

Cleveland, currently 4.0 games up on Boston, is looking solid for the #1 seed and home court advantage in the East, and also is 1/2 game up on the Lakers for home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Only one game currently separates the Celtics and Magic for the 2nd spot, and the Bulls and Pistons are separated by only 1/2 game for the 7th spot; so both of those slots are still very much up for grabs with most teams having four or five games remaining as of today.

Western Conference Projected Playoff Matchups:

– #1 Los Angeles Lakers v #8 Dallas Mavericks (Lakers 3-0)

– #2 Denver Nuggets v #7 Utah Jazz (tied 2-2)

– #3 San Antonio Spurs v #6 New Orleans Hornets (NO 2-1)

– #4 Houston Rockets v #5 Portland Trail Blazers (Rockets 2-1)

The Lakers, with their 10 game lead over the Nuggets, have the Western Conference #1 seed wrapped up. Only 5.5 games total separate #2 from #7 right now. With 2.5 games separating current #2 Denver from current #5 Portland, there is still a lot of jockeying that could take place in the upper half of the Western Conference seeding. With Dallas up 4.0 games on Phoenix, their spot looks pretty solid.

In the end, as we all know, the cream almost always rises to the top in the NBA Playoffs. If anyone but the Lakers emerges from the West, it will be a huge upset. Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando are obviously the heavy favorites in the East, with most people thinking the Cavs are a Finals guarantee because they have the best player in the East (and maybe the entire NBA), while Boston is fighting age and injury and Orlando still lacks deep playoff experience.

We got our Lakers-Celtics Finals last season, which satisfied the appetite of NBA traditionalists. This year, I’m hoping for Cavs-Lakers so we can see the two best players in the world go mano-a-mano for what undoubtedly would be a hotly contested, competitive, and highly entertaining six or seven game series.

We’ll see how the next week shakes out and be back next week with our official NBA Playoffs preview post, and then breakdowns of the individuals series. Until then, what is your Finals prediction? Do you think anyone other than the Cavs and Lakers have a prayer?

The comment section awaits…

If the Detroit Pistons win on Thursday night, it might be a March Madness betting like upset. The Pistons are a big home underdog and, as the Western Conference’s best team comes to visit, the Pistons have too many problems coming to a head at one time to really put faith in them.

For starters, the Pistons haven’t been very good at home this year to begin, sporting just an 18-18 mark. Secondly, and more importantly, the Pistons should be fairly shorthanded for Thursday night’s contest.

Allen Iverson is out indefinitely, Rasheed Wallace is expected to miss Thursday’s contest, as is Richard Hamilton, who is dealing with a groin injury.

Sportsbook odds have the Lakers as an 8.5-point favorite and they are too strong to stumble against the Pistons’ backups.

Miami Heat (38-33) @ Chicago Bulls (34-38)

The first game of the NBA TNT double-header will be going head-to-head with March Madness betting as the Connecticut Huskies and Purdue Boilermakers will be playing at the same time.

The Chicago Bulls have had all sorts of problems with Miami this season, going 0-for-3 in the first three meetings this season.

The problem for the Bulls has been containing Dwyane Wade, who has gone crazy on them in each outing. Wade, who is the NBA’s leading scorer at 29.8 points per game, has averaged 33.3 point per game, 7.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in the first three matchups.

The Bulls are beaten up heading into this contest but they are expected to have Derrick Rose, who is dealing with a wrist injury, while Tyrus Thomas will be a game-time decision. The Bulls are already missing Luol Deng from their lineup, who is out indefinitely.

Look for the Bulls to somewhat salvage the season series with the Heat and get a win tonight.

Phoenix Suns (40-31) @ Portland Trail Blazers (44-27)

While a few March Madness betting sharps will be solely focusing on college basketball tonight, a number of hoops betting fans will be flipping back and forth as the late game on the TNT twin bill has plenty of playoff implications.

The Phoenix Suns have caught fire of late and have won six straight games to get themselves back into the playoff conversation.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that five of those six wins came at home and now they have to find a way to win on the road at the Rose Garden.

The Portland Trail Blazers don’t lose at home very often, but they are coming off a tough home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. That was the Blazers’ first game home after a six-game East Coast trip and they were dead tired by the fourth quarter.

Now that they’ve had two days off between games, they should be more than capable of handling a feeble Suns team.

The Suns are without Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa for tonight’s game while the Blazers’ Brandon Roy is probable tonight while Travis Outlaw is questionable.

As you know, in October of this year Isiah Thomas was taken to a New York hospital after being founded unconcious in his home. The incident was ruled as a “accidental overdose of a prescription sleeping pill”. This was just another scar on the post NBA career for Thomas. The real surprise in this particular incident is that he insinuated that his 17 year old daughter was actually the patient. Why he would try to throw his 17 year old daughter under the bus when it could easily be proven otherwise? Furthermore…what the hell happened to Isiah Thomas?

Isiah Thomas has some staggering statistics as a player. He attended Indiana University for two years under Bob Knight. He was on the 1981 National Championship team and was named the Most Outstanding Player for the NCAA tournament that year. He then left and was drafted with second pick of the 1981 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. He was a force right away as he made the NBA all rookie team. He continued to dominate at the point throughout his career and even lead the Bash Brothers teams to two championships in the 1988-’89 and 1989-’90 seasons. Here is a rundown of some of his statistics from Basketball-Reference.com:

- NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1981)
- NBA All Rookie Team (1982)

- 12x NBA All Star (every year from 1982-1993)
- 3x All-NBA First Team (1984-1986)
- 2x NBA SEcond Team (1983,1987)
- 2x NBA Champion (1989,1990)
- NBA Finals MVP (1990)
- U.S. Olympian (1980…never played because of the boycoot, but, was named to the team)
- J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1987)

He also scored 18,822 points had 9,061 (9.3 pg) Assists and 1,861 Steals in his career. He is the Pistons career leader in the following categories: games played, points, steals and assists. He is fourth all-time NBA in assists.

These are staggering statistics that led to him being chosen as one of the top 50 players of all time for the 50th anniversary team. He was also named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

He retired as a player in 1994. This was when his career did a 180 and took a turn for the worse.

First, he bought in to the expansion Toronto Raptors franchise becoming a part owner and VP. He was run out of town over disagreements with management. He then tried a forray into broadcasting.

The real trouble started when he bought the CBA in 1998. The league later went into bankruptcy and no longer exists. Isiah Thomas has been given a lot of the blame for the leagues demise. The big reason for this is that he turned down a profitable offer from the NBA to turn the CBA into a development league for the NBA. Thomas declined. The NBA later created the NBDL as a farm system for the NBA which basically made the CBA obsolete.

Thomas was then hired on to replace Larry Bird as the head coach for the the Indiana Pacers. This was Isiah’s first try at head coaching and he was given a stacked team. The Pacers had just won the Eastern Conference title and were poised for more success. But, Isiah never got them out of the first round of the playoffs. They had the talent, but Isiah just wasn’t experienced enough for head coaching. It’s hard to believe that he couldn’t get a team with young talent in Ron Artest and Brad Miller and a veteran leader in sharp shooter Reggie Miller out of the first round of the playoffs. This led to him being replaced in Indiana as head coach.

In 2003, he moved on to destroy the New York Knicks franchise, where he was named President of Basketball operations. He also became head coach in 2006. By the time he became head coach in New York he had helped them amass the highest payroll in the entire NBA…..and the 2nd worse record. On top of that, there were allegations of sexual harrasment and racism by a Madison Square Garden employee.

To me, not many have fallen harder than Isiah Thomas after his career as a player ended. I think bad decision after bad decision may have finally taken its toll. He has won chamionships as a player, dazzled fans with his insane ball-handling abilities and could get to the hoop like no other point guard of his time. But, he fell from an NBA All Star (and personally one of my favorite players) to the the brink of death.

He ripped apart franchises and even destroyed an entire league. All of this finally culminated this Fall with him throwing his 17 year old daughter under the bus for his “accidental overdose”. This is a tragic epilogue to an exciting and dominating NBA career, and it should be a warning sign to current NBA players to not bite off more than you can chew when your playing career is over.

[tags]isiah thomas, nba[/tags]

Just so everyone knows. The NBA season starts this week…and not in February as is commonly assumed.

The off-season free agent period was pretty boring except for a few moves. But that’s okay considering the next two are going to be bloodbaths.

Some playoff teams in the East (Cleveland and Philadelphia) got a little bit better in the off-season free agent period. Some (Detroit and Boston) got older.  The West looks to be just a tough and grueling as last year.

Some of the bigger questions this year:

1. Can Boston repeat? (sure…they could)…or are they too old (probably)?
2. Is Kobe still the best player in the NBA? (nope).
3. Will the coaching changes in Dallas and Phoenix take them to the next level? (No)
4. Will Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley win the Rookie of the Year award? (No)

Here is my top 8 in each conference and my pick for postseason conference champions and the NBA champion:

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics: Are they hungry enough to repeat? The new Big 3 have their rings. Do they have the desire for another one this year? I think their defense and depth will win them the regular season, but, their age will show in the post season and slow them down.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron finally has his second scoring in option in Mo Williams. This will first time he has another player on his team that averages at least 17 points per game. One factor here is whether or not Williams will be the locker room disruption that he was reported to be in Milwaukee. LeBron is going to the best player in the NBA this year and get his MVP award now that he will be a little bit more freed up on offense. They also have a great defense and remember that they took the champion Boston Celtics to game 7 last year (I know, I know….so did the Hawks)

3. Philadelphia 76ers: I like this kind of team. They have a great PG in Andre Miller (who somehow had his breakout year at age 32), young talent on the wings and a dominant post presence with the additions of Elton Brand. They also gained some playoff experience last season.

4. Detriot Pistons: Dumars was reportedly shopping the whole team in the off seeason. They’re battle tested and tough. But, they’re getting old. Rodney Stuckey is a great player and is a glimpse of the future for this aging team.

5. Orlando: They play in the weakest division in the NBA and are favorites by many to win it. They have a talented front 3 in Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu. I’m not sold on their guard play at all.

6. Toronto Raptors: Jermaine O’neal is reportedly much happier and healthier in Canada. If he is the combination of him and Chris Bosh in the frontcourt should be quite dangerous.

7. Washington Bullets: Much depends on the health of Gilbert Arenas this season. They are a talented but indisciplined team. They can make the playoffs if they stay healthy and shut up.

8. Chicago Bulls: They underacheived last year. They have 1 talented but unproven PG in rookie Derrick Rose and 7 or 8 other decent guards. and a weak front court. Let’s see if Vinny Del Negro can get his new team into the playoffs….I think if he does, it will be at the eight seed.

Sleeper team: The Indiana Pacers: Larry Bird made a lot of solid moves in the post season. I look for them to be a contender for the East title in 2 or 3 years…not quite this year. Although, they should do a much better job of staying out of trouble this year. They could get it together this year and slip into the playoffs since they are in the Eastern Conference.

Western Conference:

1. Los Angeles Lakers: Andrew Bynum is healthy and it looks like Lamar Odom is going to be playing off the bench this year. But, Kobe played his 1,000th game which is traditionally when swing men start losing their game a little bit. He looked pretty weak against that Celtics defense in the finals last year. Opting for feeble jump shots instead of driving to the whole like the Kobe of old. I still think they have the talent and the coach to win the West in the regular season.

2. New Orleans Hornets: CP3 all the way. and they added James Posey who was the emotional glue that held the Celtics last post season. I can’t wait to see him hug Hornets players and whisper sweet nothings into their ears before games like he did to Celtics players last year. Chris Paul should be a top 3 contender for MVP this season and maybe even win it.

3. Houston Rockets: This basically relies on if Yao “Canirisheck” Ming can stay healthy. I really like the addition of Ron Artest as well.

4. San Antonio: As long as they have Tim Duncan…I’ll never count them of the hunt. I think he is on of the best pure Power Forwards ever…if not the best. But, he is aging. If Ginobli can get healthy they should make another push come playoff time.

5. Utah Jazz: Another team with great PG play out of Williams, a great swing man and a good post player in Carlos Boozer (I hate that he is good because of what he did to the Cavs)….worst nicknamed franchise in sports.

6. Portalnd: Is there a more fun GM on draft day than Kevin Pritchard? This is a young talented team and gaining second year rookie Greg Oden is going to help them a lot. He is my pick for ROY. They just need a little more help at PG and they will really strong. I wouln’t be surprised if they find a way to work a deal to get Conley from Memphis to reunite him with Oden. It would be great for Portland and great for the league.

7. Phoenix: Good offense, okay defense…Shaq is 140 years old, but, they have talent. Unfortunately they are in the Western Conference. We’ll see what the new coach can do with this team.

8. Dallas: Will see what the Rick Carlisle can do in Dallas. I think he’ll slow it down a little and make them tougher on D. One time I sold his wife a harmonica…true story.

Eastern Conference Champions: Cleveland Cavaliers. This is going the LeBron’s best year yet. He’s got playoff and even finals experience and finally a little help on offense. They will beat the aging Celtics in the playoffs and return to the Finals.

Western Conference Champions: New Orleans Hornets. This team is talented, they have great chemistry and the best PG in the game.

NBA Champions: New Orleans Hornets. Like I said I’m a sucker for great PG play. The west is tough and if they can get through that…they can win anything. They added a great defender and team player in James Posey in the off season and I think he will an NBA Championship with his third team.

MVP: LeBron James…but part of me wants to pick Chris Paul…can I pick two people and be wrong twice?

Rookie of the Year: Greg Oden.

[tags]nba, nba preview, cleveland cavaliers, indiana pacers[/tags]