San Antonio Spurs
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 50-32
Division Finish: 2nd
Playoffs: Lost in Second Round
Key Additions: None
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Tony Parker
Multiple injuries bothered Parker last season and forced him to miss 26 games. When he was able to play, he looked rusty and could not stay in games for long periods at a time (averaged only 30.9 minutes per game). While Tim Duncan is widely considered the franchise's best player, Parker will be their most critical should they hope to make a playoff run in a deep Western Conference. Behind Duncan, Parker is the team's most prominent leader and someone who can create his own shot. Don't forget, just two years ago Parker averaged 22 points and 6.9 assists per game while shooting over 50% from the field. Throughout his career, Parker has been such a unique point guard because of his ability to score in the paint; his career shooting percentage is 49%, which is very high for a point guard. If Parker can regain his All-Star form, the Spurs will be in contention once again.
Rookie Spotlight: Tiago Splitter
Besides having maybe the coolest name in the league, the 6'11" power forward/center from Brazil is very talented and has potential to be a great player in a few seasons. Because the Spurs are rather shallow in the front court, you should expect to see Splitter get some decent minutes all season behind starting center Antonio McDyess. Not only will Splitter develop nicely by having the opportunity to play, but being under the tutelage of future Hall of Famer Duncan and another veteran McDyess is invaluable.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 1st
I predict that the Spurs will leapfrog the Mavericks in the Southwest Division because their starting lineup is fully healthy and motivated to get back on top. While I don't think they have enough to compete with the Lakers and Thunders of the world, they have enough to make the playoffs and get out of the first round. The Spurs' "Big 3" is still great and they have a solid scorer in Richard Jefferson and some great players off the bench (George Hill, DeJuan Blair). Finally, coach Gregg Popovich is still one of the best in the game and will find a way to make the talent work. That being said, the starting lineup is pretty old (average age: 32) and the window of opportunity for these guys is barely cracked open, if not closed.
Dallas Mavericks
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 55-27
Division Finish: 1st
Playoffs: Lost in First Round
Key Additions: Tyson Chandler
Assuming Chandler can stay healthy, he could give nice support off the bench to the Mavs. But even if he's 100%, his best days are behind him. Not a huge addition to the team.
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Dirk Nowitzki
The Mavs are basically the same team that they were last season, which wasn't enough to make it out of the first round. I was tempted to say that any one of Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, or Shawn Marion was the most important player, but that would be too much of a stretch. While Kidd is still a great fantasy basketball option because of his stat-stuffing potential, the Mavs don't revolve around the veteran point guard like the Suns revolve around Steve Nash or the Jazz revolve around Deron Williams. Butler is good on the wing, but injuries have caught up to him and the argument can be made that the Mavs are better with Jason Terry on the court instead. And as for Marion, the once-dynamic jack-of-all-trades is now past his prime. Nowitzki, on the other hand, is clearly the face of this franchise and still going strong. He can put this team on his back like he has so many times before and lift them to the playoffs. But I think that's the ceiling for this team unless they can find a dependable second option, and preferably someone with youth.
Rookie Spotlight: None
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 2nd
Like I said above, the Mavs will probably have the same result that they did last season: a first-round playoff exit. The only hope for them is that this squad somehow gels together better than they did last season simply because they have had more time to play together and adjust to different idiosyncrasies. If these guys were in their prime, this could be a championship team…but they aren't in their prime.
Memphis Grizzlies
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 40-42
Division Finish: 4th
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify
Key Additions: None
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Zach Randolph
Randolph has always had tons of talent. However, his mind is not always focused. During some seasons he found himself in legal trouble and others he found himself unmotivated and undisciplined. But last season he managed to put everything together and deliver unbelievable performances almost every night. Randolph averaged 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, numbers which deserve league-wide attention but don't receive it just because he plays in Memphis. The Grizzlies have plenty of young talent and all the right pieces to become a great team, but none are as important as Randolph because of his ability to dominate a game offensively down-low. Nobody else on their roster can do that. If he puts together another monster season--and I think that he will because he is in a contract year--then the Grizzlies will be an above-average and dangerous team.
Rookie Spotlight: Greivis Vasquez
With apologies to first-round pick Xaiver Henry, Vasquez earns the Rookie Spotlight honors. During his college career at Maryland, Vasquez showed tremendous leadership abilities. He is a point guard with great size and a nice feel to his game. Vasquez also earned this distinction because I think he will play more than Henry will this season simply by being higher on the depth chart at his respective position; Vasquez currently sits third behind Mike Conley and Acie Law, and while Conley has the starting job locked up (and rightfully so), Law has not done much in his three-year NBA career and Vasquez could easily supplant him.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 3rd
I really like the Grizzlies squad. They have a young, exciting bunch that could give lots of teams trouble, but I think they are a couple of years away from actually contending for a championship. Conley is a nice point guard who has shown flashes of the solid play that everyone expects from him, but he has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. With Acie Law, the aforementioned Greivis Vasquez, and even Xavier Henry breathing down Conley's neck, perhaps it will motivate the starter to play with a chip on his shoulder for the entire year. On the wings, the Grizzlies are as potent as anyone in the league with O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. Both of these guys are athletic, skilled, and create their own shot. And both of them are go-to guys who want the ball down the stretch. Gay has proven to be the number-one scoring option, and I think Mayo is okay with that mainly because he knows he can't be the leader night in and night out. I already touched on the importance of Z-Bo, but he will need help in the paint from youngsters Marc Gasol and Hasheem Thabeet. Gasol made great strides last season nearly averaging a double-double (14.6 ppg and 9.3 rpg) before bowing out with a neck injury. Meanwhile, former #2 overall pick Thabeet was a huge disappointment in his rookie season, at one point being demoted to the NBA Development League. If Thabeet can improve some more then the Grizz would have a nice 1-2 punch at center. Look for the Grizzlies to play very well this season, improve on last season, and possibly upset a top team in the playoffs.
Houston Rockets
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 42-40
Division Finish: 3rd
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify
Key Additions: Brad Miller
Although Miller is past his prime, he still can make decent contributions if in the right system. He is not going to dominate in the low post, but he can run a pick-and-pop and can play high-low with another big man. The Rockets picked up Miller as an insurance policy for the injury-prone Yao Ming. Regardless of whether Yao stays healthy or not, Miller will get plenty of minutes.
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Yao Ming
The fall of Yao is actually a bit sad for any basketball fan. When healthy, Yao is the most skilled center in the game and can dominate anyone, Dwight Howard included. But nowadays Yao is rarely healthy. On paper, the Rockets have a good looking roster. They have exciting, streaky guards (Aaron Brooks, Kevin Martin), tough, defensive-minded players (Shane Battier, Chuck Hayes), and versatile forwards who can hit shots from the outside (Luis Scola, Chase Budinger). But if you take Yao away from that group of guys, it suddenly looks like a team guaranteed to find the cellar.
Rookie Spotlight: Patrick Patterson
The first-round pick out of Kentucky gives the Rockets a young low-post player to develop. Patterson is different from the other big guys on this squad because he has such a strong offensive game. The forwards in front of Patterson on the depth chart--Scola, Hayes, and Jared Jeffries--are not guys who demand the ball. Patterson wants the ball and you can count on him to deliver. I don't think Patterson will get very many minutes this season, but in a few years expect him to be a starter in Houston or somewhere else.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 4th
While the Rockets won't make the playoffs or even finish with an above-.500 record, they will still be an exciting team that could pull off some big wins during the regular season. They have tough, gritty players who simply do not give up. With or without Yao, expect Brooks, Martin, Scola, and Battier to deliver 100% every night; those four guys all have the character and attitude that any contender would want on their roster.
New Orleans Hornets
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 37-45
Division Finish: 5th
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify
Key Additions: Trevor Ariza
The former Lakers swingman moves to New Orleans after one season in Houston. While Ariza had a stellar year with the Rockets (14.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.8 sag), I don't think he was fit for that team. Houston wanted him to be the number-one scoring option, and I think Ariza is better suited as a complementary player like he was in Los Angeles. Ariza goes to New Orleans to provide some support for Chris Paul and David West on the perimeter, and I think he will do great there. Paul's penetration and playmaking ability will allow Ariza to spot up for threes, which we all know he can hit. Furthermore, Ariza gives the Hornets a nice defensive player who can fill the passing lanes and make some nice momentum-changing plays (1.75 steals per game last season).
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Chris Paul
Say what you want about David West, Ariza, and Emeka Okafor, but CP3 has the keys to this car. Besides Nash in Phoenix and Williams in Utah, no point guard has as much influence over his offense as CP3. Paul only played about half of last season before being derailed by a knee injury, so a full season from Paul should help the Hornets at least be more competitive.
Rookie Spotlight: Quincy Pondexter
The forward from Washington is a solid scorer with good length and playmaking ability. I think the Hornets should eventually start Pondexter and move Ariza to the two-guard. This would give the Hornets some length and athleticism in its starting lineup. Meanwhile, Pondexter has the ability to create his own shot, which is something that the Hornets lack outside of CP3.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 5th
It's hard to believe that just three seasons ago the Hornets were one of the best teams in the West with a 56-26 record. The team looks far different now than it did then; CP3 is just as good if not better, but West has since regressed, Chandler has departed, and Peja Stojakovic's age has caught up to him. The Hornets are particularly poor on the wings where neither Ariza nor starting shooting guard Marco Belinelli can create a shot off the dribble. I predict that CP3 will be very overwhelmed this season by being burdened with too much of the scoring load, which will result in disappointing team performances throughout the season.
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 50-32
Division Finish: 2nd
Playoffs: Lost in Second Round
Key Additions: None
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Tony Parker
Multiple injuries bothered Parker last season and forced him to miss 26 games. When he was able to play, he looked rusty and could not stay in games for long periods at a time (averaged only 30.9 minutes per game). While Tim Duncan is widely considered the franchise's best player, Parker will be their most critical should they hope to make a playoff run in a deep Western Conference. Behind Duncan, Parker is the team's most prominent leader and someone who can create his own shot. Don't forget, just two years ago Parker averaged 22 points and 6.9 assists per game while shooting over 50% from the field. Throughout his career, Parker has been such a unique point guard because of his ability to score in the paint; his career shooting percentage is 49%, which is very high for a point guard. If Parker can regain his All-Star form, the Spurs will be in contention once again.
Rookie Spotlight: Tiago Splitter
Besides having maybe the coolest name in the league, the 6'11" power forward/center from Brazil is very talented and has potential to be a great player in a few seasons. Because the Spurs are rather shallow in the front court, you should expect to see Splitter get some decent minutes all season behind starting center Antonio McDyess. Not only will Splitter develop nicely by having the opportunity to play, but being under the tutelage of future Hall of Famer Duncan and another veteran McDyess is invaluable.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 1st
I predict that the Spurs will leapfrog the Mavericks in the Southwest Division because their starting lineup is fully healthy and motivated to get back on top. While I don't think they have enough to compete with the Lakers and Thunders of the world, they have enough to make the playoffs and get out of the first round. The Spurs' "Big 3" is still great and they have a solid scorer in Richard Jefferson and some great players off the bench (George Hill, DeJuan Blair). Finally, coach Gregg Popovich is still one of the best in the game and will find a way to make the talent work. That being said, the starting lineup is pretty old (average age: 32) and the window of opportunity for these guys is barely cracked open, if not closed.
Dallas Mavericks
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 55-27
Division Finish: 1st
Playoffs: Lost in First Round
Key Additions: Tyson Chandler
Assuming Chandler can stay healthy, he could give nice support off the bench to the Mavs. But even if he's 100%, his best days are behind him. Not a huge addition to the team.
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Dirk Nowitzki
The Mavs are basically the same team that they were last season, which wasn't enough to make it out of the first round. I was tempted to say that any one of Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, or Shawn Marion was the most important player, but that would be too much of a stretch. While Kidd is still a great fantasy basketball option because of his stat-stuffing potential, the Mavs don't revolve around the veteran point guard like the Suns revolve around Steve Nash or the Jazz revolve around Deron Williams. Butler is good on the wing, but injuries have caught up to him and the argument can be made that the Mavs are better with Jason Terry on the court instead. And as for Marion, the once-dynamic jack-of-all-trades is now past his prime. Nowitzki, on the other hand, is clearly the face of this franchise and still going strong. He can put this team on his back like he has so many times before and lift them to the playoffs. But I think that's the ceiling for this team unless they can find a dependable second option, and preferably someone with youth.
Rookie Spotlight: None
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 2nd
Like I said above, the Mavs will probably have the same result that they did last season: a first-round playoff exit. The only hope for them is that this squad somehow gels together better than they did last season simply because they have had more time to play together and adjust to different idiosyncrasies. If these guys were in their prime, this could be a championship team…but they aren't in their prime.
Memphis Grizzlies
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 40-42
Division Finish: 4th
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify
Key Additions: None
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Zach Randolph
Randolph has always had tons of talent. However, his mind is not always focused. During some seasons he found himself in legal trouble and others he found himself unmotivated and undisciplined. But last season he managed to put everything together and deliver unbelievable performances almost every night. Randolph averaged 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, numbers which deserve league-wide attention but don't receive it just because he plays in Memphis. The Grizzlies have plenty of young talent and all the right pieces to become a great team, but none are as important as Randolph because of his ability to dominate a game offensively down-low. Nobody else on their roster can do that. If he puts together another monster season--and I think that he will because he is in a contract year--then the Grizzlies will be an above-average and dangerous team.
Rookie Spotlight: Greivis Vasquez
With apologies to first-round pick Xaiver Henry, Vasquez earns the Rookie Spotlight honors. During his college career at Maryland, Vasquez showed tremendous leadership abilities. He is a point guard with great size and a nice feel to his game. Vasquez also earned this distinction because I think he will play more than Henry will this season simply by being higher on the depth chart at his respective position; Vasquez currently sits third behind Mike Conley and Acie Law, and while Conley has the starting job locked up (and rightfully so), Law has not done much in his three-year NBA career and Vasquez could easily supplant him.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 3rd
I really like the Grizzlies squad. They have a young, exciting bunch that could give lots of teams trouble, but I think they are a couple of years away from actually contending for a championship. Conley is a nice point guard who has shown flashes of the solid play that everyone expects from him, but he has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. With Acie Law, the aforementioned Greivis Vasquez, and even Xavier Henry breathing down Conley's neck, perhaps it will motivate the starter to play with a chip on his shoulder for the entire year. On the wings, the Grizzlies are as potent as anyone in the league with O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. Both of these guys are athletic, skilled, and create their own shot. And both of them are go-to guys who want the ball down the stretch. Gay has proven to be the number-one scoring option, and I think Mayo is okay with that mainly because he knows he can't be the leader night in and night out. I already touched on the importance of Z-Bo, but he will need help in the paint from youngsters Marc Gasol and Hasheem Thabeet. Gasol made great strides last season nearly averaging a double-double (14.6 ppg and 9.3 rpg) before bowing out with a neck injury. Meanwhile, former #2 overall pick Thabeet was a huge disappointment in his rookie season, at one point being demoted to the NBA Development League. If Thabeet can improve some more then the Grizz would have a nice 1-2 punch at center. Look for the Grizzlies to play very well this season, improve on last season, and possibly upset a top team in the playoffs.
Houston Rockets
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 42-40
Division Finish: 3rd
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify
Key Additions: Brad Miller
Although Miller is past his prime, he still can make decent contributions if in the right system. He is not going to dominate in the low post, but he can run a pick-and-pop and can play high-low with another big man. The Rockets picked up Miller as an insurance policy for the injury-prone Yao Ming. Regardless of whether Yao stays healthy or not, Miller will get plenty of minutes.
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Yao Ming
The fall of Yao is actually a bit sad for any basketball fan. When healthy, Yao is the most skilled center in the game and can dominate anyone, Dwight Howard included. But nowadays Yao is rarely healthy. On paper, the Rockets have a good looking roster. They have exciting, streaky guards (Aaron Brooks, Kevin Martin), tough, defensive-minded players (Shane Battier, Chuck Hayes), and versatile forwards who can hit shots from the outside (Luis Scola, Chase Budinger). But if you take Yao away from that group of guys, it suddenly looks like a team guaranteed to find the cellar.
Rookie Spotlight: Patrick Patterson
The first-round pick out of Kentucky gives the Rockets a young low-post player to develop. Patterson is different from the other big guys on this squad because he has such a strong offensive game. The forwards in front of Patterson on the depth chart--Scola, Hayes, and Jared Jeffries--are not guys who demand the ball. Patterson wants the ball and you can count on him to deliver. I don't think Patterson will get very many minutes this season, but in a few years expect him to be a starter in Houston or somewhere else.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 4th
While the Rockets won't make the playoffs or even finish with an above-.500 record, they will still be an exciting team that could pull off some big wins during the regular season. They have tough, gritty players who simply do not give up. With or without Yao, expect Brooks, Martin, Scola, and Battier to deliver 100% every night; those four guys all have the character and attitude that any contender would want on their roster.
New Orleans Hornets
2009-2010 Recap:
Record: 37-45
Division Finish: 5th
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify
Key Additions: Trevor Ariza
The former Lakers swingman moves to New Orleans after one season in Houston. While Ariza had a stellar year with the Rockets (14.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.8 sag), I don't think he was fit for that team. Houston wanted him to be the number-one scoring option, and I think Ariza is better suited as a complementary player like he was in Los Angeles. Ariza goes to New Orleans to provide some support for Chris Paul and David West on the perimeter, and I think he will do great there. Paul's penetration and playmaking ability will allow Ariza to spot up for threes, which we all know he can hit. Furthermore, Ariza gives the Hornets a nice defensive player who can fill the passing lanes and make some nice momentum-changing plays (1.75 steals per game last season).
Key Losses: None
Most Important Player: Chris Paul
Say what you want about David West, Ariza, and Emeka Okafor, but CP3 has the keys to this car. Besides Nash in Phoenix and Williams in Utah, no point guard has as much influence over his offense as CP3. Paul only played about half of last season before being derailed by a knee injury, so a full season from Paul should help the Hornets at least be more competitive.
Rookie Spotlight: Quincy Pondexter
The forward from Washington is a solid scorer with good length and playmaking ability. I think the Hornets should eventually start Pondexter and move Ariza to the two-guard. This would give the Hornets some length and athleticism in its starting lineup. Meanwhile, Pondexter has the ability to create his own shot, which is something that the Hornets lack outside of CP3.
2010-2011 Division Outlook: 5th
It's hard to believe that just three seasons ago the Hornets were one of the best teams in the West with a 56-26 record. The team looks far different now than it did then; CP3 is just as good if not better, but West has since regressed, Chandler has departed, and Peja Stojakovic's age has caught up to him. The Hornets are particularly poor on the wings where neither Ariza nor starting shooting guard Marco Belinelli can create a shot off the dribble. I predict that CP3 will be very overwhelmed this season by being burdened with too much of the scoring load, which will result in disappointing team performances throughout the season.
No comments:
Post a Comment