A Few Things to Get Excited About
October 30, 2007
- The Rooks
This year has a very exciting rookie class that will be sure to entertain. Who won’t try and watch Kevin Durant? Can this guy play at the NBA level? He couldn’t take Texas too far in the NCAA tournament, but now the Sonics are building around him. I’m expecting him to be an 18 and 7 guy this year. Beyond Durant, there’s the Mike Conley Jrs, Yi Jianlian and who knows, maybe even a little Greg Oden at the end of the season.
- Kobe to Explode
I’ve said it a few times, but I don’t expect Kobe to go anywhere until the trade deadline. But when that deadline arrives, it will be more of a blockbuster than KG himself (if that’s even possible). As we know, Kobe is a man of the spotlight, and once the season starts, there’s only one way to stay in the light…produce! I know the likes of Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson would agrue that this isn’t true, but to a real NBA fan, it’s all about who puts on the best show ON THE COURT, and Kobe will be the man, again.
- The Denver Nuggets
I’ve probably been overdoing this a bit, but I’m a firm believer that the Nuggets have serious potential this year. The West is still strong, even without KG, but the Nuggets field a team that has the proper weapons. Since Allan Iverson headed to Denver, he’s gone under the radar. After the half season of learning to play together (AI and Melo), I feel these two will FINALLY figure it all out and form a chemistry that will be second to none. Wasn’t it just a couple years ago that everyone thought AI was the best player in the league? He’s not that old yet, and he’s still one of the quickest players with the ball. How can you deny these two?
- The BIG 3 in Boston
Kevin Garnet, Paul Pierce and Scott Pollard…..I mean Ray Allan. Three of the leagues best players somehow ended up on one of last year’s worst teams. There’s no doubt that the Celtics will be this year’s most improved team. It’s just a matter of how far they go? I think its obvious that it all comes down to injuries. If they can all stay healthy, the sky’s the limit. With an injury to one of them, there’s not much to watch in Boston. I say Conference Finals at max.
- The New York Knicks/Mafia
This would have been even more interesting of a point if Ron Artest was picked up by the Knicks. Either way, they still acquired Zach Randolph. Along with Eddy Curry, the two form a pair of the scariest looking guys you could ever pass on the street or on the court. On the court, if these guys can get it together, they have potential to be one of the best turnarounds in the league. With the East still wide open, how can you deny these guys a playoff spot. I’d take them right now (before the season starts) to finish the season ahead of Orlando.
- The Season Starts Sooo Soon!!!!
I couldn’t be more excited, and I know you can’t either. Unfortunately for me, I started writing Clutch 3 in the offseason. At times, material was limited and creativity started minimalizing ( although the Hottest Hoops Wife series was a smashing hit, and I will be doing my research for Episode 4, so watch out!) but I kept writing with the excitement in my mind, knowing that once the season starts, I won’t be able to stop writing. This season promises to be one of the best in the past couple years, and I’ll be watching the opening tip off Wednesday night. Will you?
Underrated TRIO in Denver
September 5, 2007
In basketball these days, there’s a lot the talk of the Big Three in Boston, and even the 3-pack in New Jersey. I just found myself wondering, “How the hell aren’t we talking about the TRIO in Denver?” Last time I checked, the Nuggets acquired Mr. Allen Iverson. They also have shot-swatting Marcus Camby. And how can we forget trico-USA MVP Carmelo Anothony. That’s Anthony-Iverson-Camby! If you ask me, I’d take these guys over the boys in New Jersey any day. But would you take them over the boys in Boston? Probably not. Since Iverson moved to Denver, he’s lost part of his harder image as he’s had to share the spotlight with Anthony. Many people haven’t seen Anthony as a leader just quite yet because of his lack of experience. I think many people will be seeing these guys make some noise in the west this year, as Anthony proved he is plenty reliable to be the leader on a team, as we just saw in World play. Personally, I think it’ll be a great match up between Boston and Denver when they play this season, and I’ll be on my couch waiting for tip off.
Sheridan a Poor Evaluator of Team USA
September 2, 2007
Yesterday at ESPN, Chris Sheridan wrote about team USA’s success and went on to evaluate each player’s contribution in a grade format. Of course it’s easy to give Carmelo, Kobe and LeBron an A, A+ and A respectively. Those guys are on any school’s honour roll (although I would argue Kobe should just as likely have an A+ too). The grades that surprised me and I disagree with are specifically Tyson Chandler, Tayshaun Prince, and Michael Redd. Starting with Chandler, Sheridan gave him a B. This is unfair because the role he was set out to play, he played unbelievably! He wasn’t chosen to be the starting centre and put up those numbers. He was chosen to be a solid defensive specialist and be a rebounding machine. He accomplished all of this, and blocked 14 shots in total! In we’re evaluation his contribution based on what he was supposed to do, I give him an A! Next, Tayshaun Prince. Sheridan gave this guy a B. I was so happy when the team added this guy in the first place. The team chose him because every team needs role players like himself. They didn’t need him to come in and score points at all, but rather do everything else (ie: rebound, play defense,etc). Although his shooting percentage was down, he was one of the team’s leading rebouders! I remember catching that he had something around 12 rebounds one game! This guy should get more credit for job he did well that he was supposed to do. I’d give him an A-. Finally, we have Michael Redd. Sheridan gave him a B+. Unlike Chandler and Prince, Redd was brought in for instant scoring. The last time I checked, he average 15.4 point on a team where the scoring was so spread. This is impressive! Although that average would be mediocre in the NBA, this is significant for a bench guy in international play. His job was to score, and he was reliable in this position. He deserves and A!
Of course, anyone and everyone could argue a half grade here and there, but I was taken back by Sheridan’s harsh grading. I know he’s a teacher in school I would NOT want.