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The Road to Brooklyn
Jay-Z’s dream has finally come true. For the first time in six years, the formerly New Jersey Nets are a playoff caliber team representing Brooklyn, New York. The Nets made many changes during this off-season. Not only did they change their home state/city, uniform, and logo, but they also made some colossal modifications to the roster.
Re-signing Deron Williams was critical. Without him, this team would be nothing. He is the glue that holds the whole team together. Williams led the team last year with 21 points and 9 assists per game. He also set a franchise record scoring 57 points in one game!
D-Will was extremely close to joining the Dallas Mavericks and teaming up with NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki. However, D-Will had a change of heart when Brooklyn’s aggressive management re-signed Gerald Wallace and acquired Joe Johnson.
Johnson is incredibly versatile on the offensive end of the court. Last year in Atlanta, he averaged 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He also is an incredible shooter averaging two three-pointers a game and shot 39% from beyond the arc!
The Nets may perhaps have the best backcourt in the league. Johnson and Williams are elite players at their respective positions and the young and talented Marshon Brooks is a great asset to have coming off the bench. Brooklyn was also able to sign back-up point guard CJ Watson from the Chicago Bulls.
While the Nets have secured a remarkable backcourt, they were also able to re-sign seven-foot-tall Brook Lopez and power forward Kris Humphries, a rebounding machine. This rounds out the top five when you include Gerald Wallace at the 3. Let’s take a look at the projected starters.
PG Deron Williams SG Joe Johnson SF Gerald Wallace PF Kris Humphries C Brook Lopez
Lopez is primarily a scorer and is a great offensive presence for the Nets down low. He may not be the best defender or rebounder but Wallace helps make up for it as one of the best all around defenders in the league. And Kris Humphries is an absolute beast on the boards averaging 11 rebounds per game last season.
With Brooks, Watson, and newly acquired Reggie Evans coming off the bench, the Nets will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. With the two All-Stars in the backcourt, the Nets are capable of making a serious playoff run. They are one solid big man away from being championship contenders.
The Knicks might have a little competition this year. For the first time in NBA history, these two teams will be competing for the best team in the state. And the Nets home opener is against none other than the New York Knicks. Let the rivalry begin!
Posted in Basketball, Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Nets, CJ Watson, D-Will, Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki, Free Agency, Gerald Wallace, Jay-Z, Joe Johnson, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Reggie Evans, Trades
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The Road to Brooklyn
Jay-Z’s dream has finally come true. For the first time in six years, the formerly New Jersey Nets are a playoff caliber team representing Brooklyn, New York. The Nets made many changes during this off-season. Not only did they change their home state/city, uniform, and logo, but they also made some colossal modifications to the roster.
Re-signing Deron Williams was critical. Without him, this team would be nothing. He is the glue that holds the whole team together. Williams led the team last year with 21 points and 9 assists per game. He also set a franchise record scoring 57 points in one game!
D-Will was extremely close to joining the Dallas Mavericks and teaming up with NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki. However, D-Will had a change of heart when Brooklyn’s aggressive management re-signed Gerald Wallace and acquired Joe Johnson.
Johnson is incredibly versatile on the offensive end of the court. Last year in Atlanta, he averaged 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He also is an incredible shooter averaging two three-pointers a game and shot 39% from beyond the arc!
The Nets may perhaps have the best backcourt in the league. Johnson and Williams are elite players at their respective positions and the young and talented Marshon Brooks is a great asset to have coming off the bench. Brooklyn was also able to sign back-up point guard CJ Watson from the Chicago Bulls.
While the Nets have secured a remarkable backcourt, they were also able to re-sign seven-foot-tall Brook Lopez and power forward Kris Humphries, a rebounding machine. This rounds out the top five when you include Gerald Wallace at the 3. Let’s take a look at the projected starters.
PG Deron Williams SG Joe Johnson SF Gerald Wallace PF Kris Humphries C Brook Lopez
Lopez is primarily a scorer and is a great offensive presence for the Nets down low. He may not be the best defender or rebounder but Wallace helps make up for it as one of the best all around defenders in the league. And Kris Humphries is an absolute beast on the boards averaging 11 rebounds per game last season.
With Brooks, Watson, and newly acquired Reggie Evans coming off the bench, the Nets will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. With the two All-Stars in the backcourt, the Nets are capable of making a serious playoff run. They are one solid big man away from being championship contenders.
The Knicks might have a little competition this year. For the first time in NBA history, these two teams will be competing for the best team in the state. And the Nets home opener is against none other than the New York Knicks. Let the rivalry begin!
Posted in Basketball, Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Nets, CJ Watson, D-Will, Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki, Free Agency, Gerald Wallace, Jay-Z, Joe Johnson, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Reggie Evans, Trades
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The Knicks Need More
The Knicks have made many moves this off-season to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are higher than they have ever been as the Knicks seek their first title in over thirty years. The way I see it, the Knicks still have more moves to make if they want to compete with the Miami Heat. Lets compare the projected starting lineups.
New York Knicks Miami Heat
Raymond Felton Mario Chalmers
JR Smith Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony LeBron James
Amare Stoudemire Shane Battier
Tyson Chandler Chris Bosh
A lot of this season will depend on how well Amare Stoudemire can play. We all know that Melo will be the same guy he was for the United States Olympic team and that Tyson Chandler will continue to be a powerhouse defender. But there are many questions surrounding Amare who had an injury plagued season in 2011 and has not been able to prove that he can play with Carmelo Anthony. This is the make or break season for Stoudemire. He averaged eight less points last season than in the 2010-11 season. STAT needs to turn that STAT around and start hitting his jump shot if the Knicks have any chance of making a playoff run.
And what about the point guard position? For a while, New Yorkers believed that Steve Nash would be the starting point guard. Then it was Jeremy Lin. Fans thought there was no way that management would let the big hit Linsanity leave New York City. They were wrong. Raymond Felton is the starting point guard with Jason Kidd backing him up.
Felton is 28 years old and has the potential to be a great distributor on the court. When he played with the Knicks in 2010, he had career highs with 17 points and 9 assists per game. Since then, his numbers have decreased but unfortunately his weight has increased. He was definitely looking a little chubby last season in Portland.
But if Felton can get back into shape and start nailing his jump shot, the release of Jeremy Lin will not seem as crazy as most people thought. Lin struggles with turnovers way more than Felton and Raymond’s pick and roll style meshes quite well with Stoudemire according to the 2010-11 season. Felton could actually be a good fit for this team.
The problem for the Knicks is depth and three-point shooting. It’s not so much that the Knicks lack depth, but the Heat are just an incredibly deep team. The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association is the BACK-UP shooting guard for the Heat. Ray Allen was part of the big 3 for the Celtics and yet now he is coming off the bench for Miami! Udonis Haslem is the second string power forward even though he would start for most teams in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and defender making him a great asset to have off the bench. Proven sophomore point guard Norris Cole will chip in some minutes for the much-improved Chalmers. And the Heat were able to bring in another veteran three-point shooter in Rashard Lewis.
With so many lights out shooters on this team (including Mike Miller if he is healthy), they will be almost impossible to defend. Every time Wade or LeBron drives to the lane, one of these guys will be wide open for the three. The Knicks do not have enough firepower to keep up with the Miami Heat if they do not make a few tweaks.
New York does have a great back-up center in Marcus Camby but until Iman Shumpert comes back, the starting five will have to lead this team throughout the regular season. Jason Kidd will most likely split minutes with Felton and the Knicks best shooter Steve Novak will come off the bench. Other than that, this team has a bunch of guys that have no value. The Heat are much deeper and they have better shooters. Not to mention, LeBron James is the best player in the league.
I believe that the Knicks need to make more moves right now. Carmelo and Tyson are in the prime of their career and it is time to surround them with as much talent as possible. I know that is what the organization is trying to do, but I think there are more free agency signings and trades that could be made.
The Knicks definitely need a solid power forward coming off the bench. Right now they are pursuing Kenyon Martin. If they get him, it is a huge bonus. But if K-Mart decides to sign elsewhere, who will back up the aging Stoudemire? If they could, I would say that New York should trade the former All-Star but I don’t think any team would be willing to take on his lucrative contract. So what should the Knicks do?
They could sign a guy like Ben Wallace who is an old veteran that can still play solid defense. However, I think having Wallace and Chandler on the floor at the same time would decrease New York’s offensives efficiency substantially. That is why the Knicks need Kenyon Martin or even a guy like Matt Barnes who can play defense and shoot. He is more of a small forward but Carmelo could always move to power forward. Another option is to sign free agent Josh Howard who averaged 20 points in 2007-08. Although his numbers are in a steady decline, he is 32 years old and still has something left in the tank.
The Knicks are without a doubt a top five team in the Eastern Conference. This year it is crucial for them to shoot for the #2 seed in order to avoid playing the Heat until the Eastern Conference Finals (assuming they make it that far). Iman Shumpert could not come back soon enough and I believe that the Knicks need to go after guys like Kenyon Martin or Matt Barnes if they want be considered a serious contender.
Right now I have the Knicks finishing as the 4th seed but if they make the right moves, who knows what could happen? The regular season is full of unknowns. Maybe some minority bench player who has been cut from multiple teams will come out of nowhere becoming the best player on the team and start an entire movement? Hey, it’s happened before…
Posted in Amare Stoudemire, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Championship, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Eastern Conference, Heat, Iman Shumpert, Jeremy Lin, JR Smith, Knicks, LeBron James, Marcus Camby, Mario Chalmers, Miami, NBA, New York, Norris Cole, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Raymond Felton, Shane Battier, STAT, Steve Novak, Tyson Chandler, Udonis Haslem
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The Knicks Need More
The Knicks have made many moves this off-season to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are higher than they have ever been as the Knicks seek their first title in over thirty years. The way I see it, the Knicks still have more moves to make if they want to compete with the Miami Heat. Lets compare the projected starting lineups.
New York Knicks Miami Heat
Raymond Felton Mario Chalmers
JR Smith Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony LeBron James
Amare Stoudemire Shane Battier
Tyson Chandler Chris Bosh
A lot of this season will depend on how well Amare Stoudemire can play. We all know that Melo will be the same guy he was for the United States Olympic team and that Tyson Chandler will continue to be a powerhouse defender. But there are many questions surrounding Amare who had an injury plagued season in 2011 and has not been able to prove that he can play with Carmelo Anthony. This is the make or break season for Stoudemire. He averaged eight less points last season than in the 2010-11 season. STAT needs to turn that STAT around and start hitting his jump shot if the Knicks have any chance of making a playoff run.
And what about the point guard position? For a while, New Yorkers believed that Steve Nash would be the starting point guard. Then it was Jeremy Lin. Fans thought there was no way that management would let the big hit Linsanity leave New York City. They were wrong. Raymond Felton is the starting point guard with Jason Kidd backing him up.
Felton is 28 years old and has the potential to be a great distributor on the court. When he played with the Knicks in 2010, he had career highs with 17 points and 9 assists per game. Since then, his numbers have decreased but unfortunately his weight has increased. He was definitely looking a little chubby last season in Portland.
But if Felton can get back into shape and start nailing his jump shot, the release of Jeremy Lin will not seem as crazy as most people thought. Lin struggles with turnovers way more than Felton and Raymond’s pick and roll style meshes quite well with Stoudemire according to the 2010-11 season. Felton could actually be a good fit for this team.
The problem for the Knicks is depth and three-point shooting. It’s not so much that the Knicks lack depth, but the Heat are just an incredibly deep team. The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association is the BACK-UP shooting guard for the Heat. Ray Allen was part of the big 3 for the Celtics and yet now he is coming off the bench for Miami! Udonis Haslem is the second string power forward even though he would start for most teams in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and defender making him a great asset to have off the bench. Proven sophomore point guard Norris Cole will chip in some minutes for the much-improved Chalmers. And the Heat were able to bring in another veteran three-point shooter in Rashard Lewis.
With so many lights out shooters on this team (including Mike Miller if he is healthy), they will be almost impossible to defend. Every time Wade or LeBron drives to the lane, one of these guys will be wide open for the three. The Knicks do not have enough firepower to keep up with the Miami Heat if they do not make a few tweaks.
New York does have a great back-up center in Marcus Camby but until Iman Shumpert comes back, the starting five will have to lead this team throughout the regular season. Jason Kidd will most likely split minutes with Felton and the Knicks best shooter Steve Novak will come off the bench. Other than that, this team has a bunch of guys that have no value. The Heat are much deeper and they have better shooters. Not to mention, LeBron James is the best player in the league.
I believe that the Knicks need to make more moves right now. Carmelo and Tyson are in the prime of their career and it is time to surround them with as much talent as possible. I know that is what the organization is trying to do, but I think there are more free agency signings and trades that could be made.
The Knicks definitely need a solid power forward coming off the bench. Right now they are pursuing Kenyon Martin. If they get him, it is a huge bonus. But if K-Mart decides to sign elsewhere, who will back up the aging Stoudemire? If they could, I would say that New York should trade the former All-Star but I don’t think any team would be willing to take on his lucrative contract. So what should the Knicks do?
They could sign a guy like Ben Wallace who is an old veteran that can still play solid defense. However, I think having Wallace and Chandler on the floor at the same time would decrease New York’s offensives efficiency substantially. That is why the Knicks need Kenyon Martin or even a guy like Matt Barnes who can play defense and shoot. He is more of a small forward but Carmelo could always move to power forward. Another option is to sign free agent Josh Howard who averaged 20 points in 2007-08. Although his numbers are in a steady decline, he is 32 years old and still has something left in the tank.
The Knicks are without a doubt a top five team in the Eastern Conference. This year it is crucial for them to shoot for the #2 seed in order to avoid playing the Heat until the Eastern Conference Finals (assuming they make it that far). Iman Shumpert could not come back soon enough and I believe that the Knicks need to go after guys like Kenyon Martin or Matt Barnes if they want be considered a serious contender.
Right now I have the Knicks finishing as the 4th seed but if they make the right moves, who knows what could happen? The regular season is full of unknowns. Maybe some minority bench player who has been cut from multiple teams will come out of nowhere becoming the best player on the team and start an entire movement? Hey, it’s happened before…
Posted in Amare Stoudemire, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Championship, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Eastern Conference, Heat, Iman Shumpert, Jeremy Lin, JR Smith, Knicks, LeBron James, Marcus Camby, Mario Chalmers, Miami, NBA, New York, Norris Cole, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Raymond Felton, Shane Battier, STAT, Steve Novak, Tyson Chandler, Udonis Haslem
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Hey Dwight, Meet Nash and Kobe
The Los Angeles Lakers have instantly become favorites to win the championship. They are officially the best team in the NBA, better than the Miami Heat. Yes, I said it.
On Thursday night, four teams agreed to a deal that will send Dwight Howard to the Lakers. As of now, this is what the deal looks like:
Lakers: Dwight Howard
Philly: Jason Richardson and Andrew Bynum
Denver: Andre Iguodala
Orlando Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, and one protected future first-round pick from each of the other three teams.
Other names may emerge by the time the deal is finalized, but the Lakers have pulled off the unthinkable. First, it was Steve Nash. And now, they have the best center in the league. The Lakers might be the first team in NBA history to have four All-Stars in their starting line-up! Are you kidding me? Here is the projected starting line-up.
PG: Steve Nash, SG: Kobe Bryant, SF: Metta World-Peace, PF: Pau Gasol, C: Dwight Howard
This is absolutely ridiculous. This is unreal. This is crazy! The Lakers have three future-HALL OF FAMERS in their starting lineup! I know I picked the Thunder as the #1 seed in the West but the Lakers are my new top seed in the Western Conference.
Not to mention, the Lakers still have depth with Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake, and Jordan Hill. After watching Kobe yesterday against Australia, I think it is safe to say that he is still an elite player in the NBA. With the addition of Nash and Howard, the Lakers will be a dominant force.
This is the perfect mix for a championship. The Canadian has the ability to get Dwight and Kobe their touches while managing to keep Gasol happy. Pau will definitely have to agree to take on a smaller role but I think that will lead to a higher efficiency rate.
LA now has two elite veterans in the backcourt and the 26 year old down low in the paint. The Lakers have improved in every single category over this off-season. Dwight Howard will help lead the Lakers to another championship.
Posted in Al Harrington, All-Star Center, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bynum, Denver Nuggets, Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Kobe Bryant, LA, Lakers, NBA, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Philly
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