I’m back! What do the Warriors do?

I’m back at it covering the Golden State Warriors and what an exciting time for all Warrior fans. With the possibility of bringing in big time names like Dwight Howard or Andre Igoudala, the rumors and buzz is ramping up.

Here are my thoughts on what can happen for the Warriors:

Best Outcome:
The Warriors dump the contracts of RJ (11.046 mil), Bogut (14.2mil), Biedrins (9mil) and sign Dwight Howard outright.

In this scenario, GSW would obtain 1 or 2 pick in future drafts, as well as trade exceptions in exchange for the large expiring deals. Any way that the Warriors could gain assets and clear cap space to sign D12 is a huge win.

Salty Outcome:
The Lakers sign-and-trade Dwight Howard to the Warriors in exchange for Bogut, Klay/Barnes, and a 1st Round Pick.

This is the “salty” outcome because even though the Warriors would be acquiring Howard, they would have to give up either Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes, who are extremely young and talented, with lots of potential and low salaries. The Lakers will most likely not be able get this kind of package from Golden State because of the Warriors ability to clear the cap space to sign Dwight outright, but the trade above is just the scenario on the rumor mill now.

Plan B Outcome:
Warriors clear up the cap space to sign Andre Igoudala.

I am not a fan of this scenario because doing this means giving up Bogut to get AI and the Warriors would still have Harrison Barnes. I think this move would leave the Warriors with a huge hole at the center position and clutter at small forward. I don’t like the idea of trying to hurt a good thing, and that is the result of this outcome.

Please let me know about your opinions and scenarios! I’ll update soon.

Predicting the Western Conference Standings for 2012-13

Today I am predicting how I believe things will shakedown in the West. There are a lot of very good teams in the West and there are easily 10 to 11 teams that have a shot at the postseason. Here are my predictions starting at #15 seed and going up to the #1 seed.

#15- Houston Rockets

Someone needs to tell me what the heck the Rockets are doing. They currently have 19 players on their active roster a log jam at 3 positions, especially small forward. They gave 25 million dollars to both Jeremy Lin and Omar Asik, who are both unproven and may be busts. They also gave away Kyle Lowry, Samuel Dalembert, Marcus Camby, and let Luis Scola walk for nothing. Their front office seems to think they are rebuilding, but they confuse me by signing Carlos Delfino and not trading Kevin Martin, who is getting paid 12 million and taking away minutes from Jeremy Lamb. This team needs to find a clear direction and sort through the obscene amount of players on their roster before they can move forward. They will struggle this year for sure.

#14- New Orleans Hornets

New Orleans will be good in 2 or 3 years, but Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, and their young core players need to develop and grow together. I love what they did this offseason because they solidified most of the starting lineup through the draft and brought in solid complementary players like Darius Miller, Brook Lopez, and Ryan Anderson. They will have great cap space for the next 4 years and will be able to afford better players in the next few free agent periods. The core lineup of A.Rivers/E.Gordon/A.Aminu/R.Anderson/A.Davis with B.Lopez/D.Miller/X.Henry/J.Smith coming off the bench, this team will improve quickly and may be a consistent playoff team sooner than many think. But not this year.

#13- Portland Trailblazers

Head coach Terry Stotts said that he thinks Portland is a playoff team…. ha. I love Damian Lillard, but he is going to take a couple years to develop as a legit PG. Portland is starting 2 rookies and don’t have much maturity on their roster outside of Aldridge and Batum. This could be a great team in 2 or 3 seasons, but they are going to struggle this year while they give Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard time to develop in the NBA.

#12- Phoenix Suns

I think that the Phoenix Suns should have gone into a rebuilding faze after Steve Nash’s departure, but they want to try to stay competitive. They figured the way to do that would be by signing a career long backup point guard Goran Dragic, a ball hog Michael Beasley, and trade for a lottery bust Wes Johnson. They did however bring in Luis Scola for cheap after he was amnestied by Houston which was a great move. But they will be starting Dragic/Johnson/Beasley/Scola/Gortat and backing them up with K.Marshall/S.Brown/J.Dudley/M.Morris/C.Frye. None of those players play very solid defense and that will be a huge issue for this team. They may score 102 to 107 points per game, but they will likely give up 105 to 110. As a Warriors fan, I know that just trying to score as many points as you can isn’t a good formula for winning if you can’t stop your opponents from scoring all the points they can get too.

#11- Sacramento Kings

The Kings are going to surprise people this season and emerge as a legit playoff contender. They definitely will not sniff the playoffs this year, but may contend for the 8th spot for a good chunk of the year. I like their lineup apart from Tyreke Evans, who needs to be traded, but they have great big men and can outscore most teams in the league. Their big problem is similar to Phoenix because they will not play a lot of defense. They do have Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins to hold the paint down, which makes them better than the Suns, but they will still need to improve defensively and upgrade at the small forward position before they will be a playoff team.

#10- Utah Jazz

I love the great depth that Utah has in the Center and Power Forward positions, but everything else worries me about this team. I think that Utah has great chance at a 7th or 8th playoff spot, but my knock on them is their talent and depth and the 1, 2, and 3 spots. I don’t have much confidence in Mo Williams at the 1, Randy Foye at the 2, or Marvin Williams at the 3. Utah is going to be a magnificent defensive team in the post as usual, but they will struggle to guards elite guards and star small forwards. They will be a .500 team or may be a couple games over that.

#9- Minnesota Timberwolves

I am really on the fence about leaving Minnesota out of the playoffs because they do look very good, but I think that Ricky Rubio being out is going to hurt this team just enough in the beginning of the season to keep them out of a 8th spot. Ricky Rubio was the key to their sucess last year and without him they are left with Luke Ridnour and JJ Barea, who are both just solid NBA backups. Their additions of Brandon Roy, Alexey Shved, Andrei Kirilenko, and Greg Stiesma were very smart, but are high-risk/ high-reward signings. Roy’s knees have to be heatlhy, Shved’s game needs to translate to the league, Kirilenko needs to prove that he is as good as he was in the Olympics, and Stiesma needs to show that last season wasn’t a fluke. Too many things need to go right for Minnesota to be a lock in my eyes, so I am giving them the spot of last team out.

#8- Dallas Mavericks

Dallas is an iffy team to me this season. They are going to rely heavily on a group of new players in the Mavericks franchise. Darren Collison, OJ Mayo, Shawn Marion, Dirk, and Chris Kaman is a solid starting unit, but this season hinges on the bench for the Mavs. There is no more Jason Terry to be the 6th man, so who will step up for them? I think the Mavs are about 9 men deep with Elton Brand, Dahanty Jones, Roddy Beaubois, and Delonte West being the main players off the bench and Jae Crowder, the rookie forward from Marquette, could be a big contributor as well. I think the Mavs will continue their consistent trend of making the playoffs.

#7- Golden State Warriors

Finally, my beloved Warriors. They obviously have big injury concerns, but so do the T’Wolves, Lakers, and Clippers. I think that this Warriors team can with stand some injuries because of their ridiculous depth. The Warriors have a top 5 bench with Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush, Richard Jefferson, Carl Landry, Draymond Green, Charles Jenkins, and Festus Ezeli coming in for the starters. The Warriors are a better defensive and rebounding team and they increased their toughness as well as added players that are hungry to win. This will a dangerous team all season and look for them to possibly come up with another jaw dropping upset in the playoffs like they had in 2007.

#6- Memphis Grizzles

The Grizzles are a title contender, you heard it here first. They are a dangerous playoff team and they will put any team they face in the playoffs to the test. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph form one of the best big man duos in the league and the Grizzles also have a great small forward in Rudy Gay. The only question for the Grizz come playoff time will be the inexperience of their bench, but I don’t see it being much of a problem for them. This will be a sleeper team for sure.

#5- Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers fans must be very happy to hear that Blake Griffin is ready to go for the season and will not be hampered by the knee he injured playing with team USA prior to the Olympics. Chris Paul’s finger is the only other large red flag for this team right now. They brought great bench depth this offseason by adding Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, Lamar Odom, and Ronny Turiaf. This is a great regular season team, but am just not sold on them performing in the playoffs. They most likely face Memphis, San Antonio, or Denver and I don’t like their chances in a 7 game series against any of those teams.

#4- Denver Nuggets

Andre Igoudala has come to town and now Denver should get ready to see their Nuggets contend for a spot in the Western Conference Finals. I love this roster because they are tough, play defense, score, and have the best depth in the league. Many can make an argument for San Antonio, but just like the talent up and down Denver’s roster a little bit better. I am interested to see how JaVale McGee will grow this season, but even if he falters, there is Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos to back him up. Kenneith Faried is going to continue his rise to becoming a household name this year by continuing to dominate and play at a high level.

#3- San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are old and crusty, but they still manage to contend every year. I have learned my lesson about betting against the Spurs, so I have them in the mix in the West again this season. I think the Spurs keep sticking around because of Greg Poppavich, who in my opinion is the 2nd best coaching NBA history behind Phil Jackson. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker will continue to lead this team to wins for a couple more years before the flame dies out in San Antonio.

#2- Los Angeles Lakers

LA is stacked, but we will see how all the pieces will fit together. Kobe needs to take a step back to allow Nash and Howard to play at their full potential. I think Kobe Bryant may be the biggest obstacle in the way of the Lakers pursuit for a title.

#1- Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City is in the last year of being Western Conference top dogs. With contract issues beginning to arise for the organization, they have to make a decision about whether to start spending the big buck or not. Hopefully they can keep Harden on and continue their run for a title, but money may force them to find a new core of bench players to help Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka get a ring.

I will be predicting the Eastern Conference on Saturday!

Player Top 10, Day 5: Centers

Welcome to the final day of my player top 10’s. I will be looking at Centers today, and I hope you like the list!

#10- Kevin Garnett- BOS

Kevin Garnett surprised me last year because I wasn’t sold that he could play center. He is a fantastic defender and passer in traffic, but I was worrying that his skinner frame would be a problem. He ended p averaging 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block last season and helped the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals. He has a couple years left in the tank to get one more championship.

#9- Roy Hibbert- IND

Roy Hibbert had a great season in 2011-12. He averaged 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks and was a force in the playoffs. He helped the Indiana Pacers push LeBron and  the Heat to 6 games in the Eastern Conference Semis. Hopefully he can keep up his production next season.

#8- Andrew Bogut- GSW

Andrew Bogut is a great player, but unfortunately his had the injury bug last year. Warriors fans should be excited that they finally have an inside presence. When healthy, Bogut is possibly a top 5 center and he has averaged 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks for his career. His a legitimate defender who instantly makes the Warriors defense much better.

#7- Al Horford- ATL

Al Horford is another guy who was injured for much of last season. He came back for the playoffs, but Atlanta just couldn’t get the job done. Horford would be a better power forward, but Atlanta has been forced to use him as a 5. He will have a big bounce back season if he can stay healthy.

#6- Marc Gasol- MEM

Marc Gasol is the primary reason Memphis is a successful team. He is their anchor on defense and he is there primary low post scorer. I can’t wait to see where his game will be in 2 or 3 years because there is nowhere to go but up for the 2nd Gasol brother.

#5- Tim Duncan- SAS

The Big Fundamental was the big surprise of last season for me because he was a beast. He averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He was also the 2nd best defensive center behind Tyson Chandler. He continues to lead San Antonio to the playoffs. I doubt this future hall of famer gets another title, but it would crazy to see him get one.

#4- Tyson Chandler- NYK

Tyson Chandler is the best defender in the league. His toughness set a tone for his entire team and he improves the overall defense of a team drastically. He was also one of the few player to average a double-double last season and he will get better this season for New York.

#3- Al Jefferson- UTA

I may get some hate for putting Big Al here, but oh well. He is way underrated last season. He led the Jazz in points (19.2) and rebounds (9.6). He was a beast in the paint last year as well as an above average defender. Hopefully, he will get more national recognition this season because he is a great player to watch.

#2- Andrew Bynum- PHI

It will be interesting to see how much Philadelphia improves now that Andrew Bynum has come to town. He is a 19 and 12 guy who is great on both ends of the floor. He and Spencer Hawes will form a very good front-court duo.

#1- Dwight Howard- LAL

Wow, DH12 is a Laker… Crap. Everyone is in store for a world of hurt now that Dwight is on the same team as Kobe, Pau, and Nash. Anything less than a title is a failure for him and the Lakers. It will be interesting to see if Dwight can get healthy as well as how he will play with all the star power that the Lakers have.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed my player rankings! Comment, if you agree or not.

Player Top 10, Day 4: Power Forwards

Day 4! Here is my list for the Top 10 Power Forwards in the NBA:

#10- Dirk Nowitzki- DAL

Dirk struggled early last season, but he dominated the playoffs. He averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists for the season including the playoffs. The reason why I have Dirk at #10 is because his rebounding and assist numbers were down, and his scoring is the only thing that excites me about his game. The Mavs are a borderline playoff team this year and I don’t think Dirk can carry that team all season.

#9- Paul Milsap- UTA

Paul Millsap is a guy who is very underrated around the league. Nt many people know that he averaged 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block last season. He is also one of the top 4 or 5 defensive power forwards in the league. He is in line for a big pay day next July when he becomes a free agents.

#8- Chris Bosh- MIA

Chris Bosh had a very down year last season. He was a 18 and 8 player who was injured at the end of the regular season and for a big portion of the playoffs. He will jump up this list with a healthier and better statistical season in 2012-13. Heard he may be playing center for the Heat now, which worries me a bit because he is skinny. He could suffer on the defensive end.

#7- DeMarcus Cosuins- SAC

Many people think the DeMarcus Cousins is a center, but it always seems like he is defending 4’s, so I ranked him with the Power Forwards. He is a ridiculously talented guy who is going to be a star. He averaged 18pts-11rbs-2asts-2stls-1blk, one of the only players to average a double-double last season. The Kings need to figure their arena business because this guy wants to play in a place where he can be a star.

#6- David Lee- GSW

David Lee is another underrated guy around the league. A lot of people hate on his defense, but the man is a player. He averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists last season and he is going to be a consistent beast for a long time. People will respect him more when the Warriors start winning.

#5- Pau Gasol- LAL

Pau Gasol has been slowly declining with age, but he is still a top 5 guy. The Lakers are better across the board, so he doesn’t have to do as much as he has. Dwight is going to open things up for Pau and he will have another solid year where he might be earning another NBA title.

#4- Josh Smith- ATL

Josh Smith is one of the top 5 or 6 defenders in the entire league. He is really long and uses that length to block shots. He averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, an 2 blocks last season. He is an extremely versatile player who is a beast on both ends of the floor.

#3- Amare Stoudemire- NYK

Amare needs to figure some things out in New York. The chemistry with him and Melo needs to get hammered out. But with Jason Kidd dishing him the ball, he should have a great bounce back season. He well get back to the 25 and 10 machine he has been for most of his career.

#2- Blake Griffin- LAC

Blake Griffin is easily the most exciting player in the NBA. Everyone loves watching his earth shaking dunks. But his knees are a problem, he was injured again this off-season and his health is a big question mark going into training camp. Hopefully, he can get back on the court soon, so that he can continue giving us sweet highlight dunks.

#1- Kevin Love- MIN

Kevin Love is a double-double machine, and just look at his numbers: 26 points and 13 rebounds. Damn, every team would love to have their power forward getting those numbers. The Timberwolves look poised for a playoff appearance, and K Love is going to lead them there.

Check out the last day of my player rankings tomorrow where I give my list of Top 10 Centers!

Player Top 10, Day 3: Small Forwards

Here we are on Day 3 of my Player Ranking Week! Enjoy my list of the top 10 NBA Small Forwards.

#10- Luol Deng-CHI

Luol Deng is a first and foremost, a great defender. He has guard the top small forwards in the league consistently and make it a hard night for the guys on this list who play against him. Deng is also solid from around the 3-point line and has a very nice mid-range game. He rebounds well for a small forward, grabbing around 7 boards a game last season and playoffs. There were some trade rumors surrounding him around the draft, but nothing happened and he should have big season.

#9- Ersan Ilyasova-MIL

I am well aware that Ilyasova played mostly power forward last season, but with Dalembert, Udoh, Henson, Gooden, Przybilla, and Sanders already clogging up the big man rotation in Milwaukee, Ersan will be playing small forward for the next few years. He is a tough defender and fantastic rebounder who had a big season averaging 13 points and 9 boards. With Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis dishing the ball to him, he is looking to have another big season.

#8- Gerald Wallace-BRK

Gerald Wallace is a defensive beast, he can block shots and he defends the opposing team’s best offensive player night in and night out. He is also an underrated passer who averaged 3 assists a game last season. I think the he was largely overpaid this off season by Brooklyn, but it is hard to find a guy that can average 13pts,7boards,3asts,and 1blk, as well as play killer defense.  Brooklyn’s starters are scary this year.

#7- Danilo Galinari-DEN

I think that this ranking may be too high for Galinari, but as a Golden State guy, I love guys who can shoot you out of the gym. Danilo can do that, but unfortunately he had rough last season. Danilo missed 35% of the games last season and never got into a rhythm. I think he will have a big year if he can stay on the court.

#6- Rudy Gay-MEM

One thing about these position rankings is this top 6 is clearly better than the other on the list, and it starts here with Ruy Gay. Gay averaged 19pts, 6boards, and 2 assists last season and he is always a threat to throw down a highlight reel dunk on you. He rebounded very well from an injury plagued season in 2010-11 with a year where he appeared in 65 of the 66 games. Look for more from Gay this year with the Grizzles back in the hunt.

#5- Paul Pierce-BOS

Father time may not be looking to kindly on Paul Pierce, but there no other player in the league has the heart and love for playing basketball like Paul Pierce. In my opinion, he is one of the top 5 clutch shooters of all-time because you know if the Celtic are down 1 or 2 with a few seconds to go, Paul Pierce wants the ball and always delivers. The Celtics have revamped their roster and look very good going into the season. Pierce and KG have 1 or 2 more year left in the tank to go after another title.

#4- Danny Granger-IND

I hate to love Danny Granger because he is one of the biggest assholes in the league. He is always in someone’s face or talking too much trash (Example: East Semis vs Miami). With that said, the man can play. He averaged 19pts, 5boards, 2asts, and played great defense. He also was leader for that young Pacer team that gave Miami a run for their money. Look for bigger things from Granger this season.

#3- Carmelo Anthony-NYK

Melo is definitely the root of some chemistry issues for the Knicks, but he one the best scorer in the NBA. He averaged 23 points per game last season, while grabbing 6 boards and 4 assists. The Knicks don’t need Linsanity when they have Melo and Amare ready to take games over. If Melo can improve his defense and work out his chemistry issues with his teammates, the Knicks will be a title contender this season.

#2- Kevin Durant-OKC

Kevin Durant showed in Olympics that he and LeBron are just in a league of their own. Kevin Durant is the best scorer in the league and he is becoming of the best defense players as well. There are no holes in his game and his 28pts, 8board, 4ast, 1blk, and 1stl numbers from last season back it up. He is league’s 2nd best player behind the man sitting at the #1 spot on this list.

#1- LeBron James-MIA

Well well well, look who we have here… LeBron. LeBron James is the best player in the NBA, as well as the world. He is scary good in every aspect of the game. Here are his numbers for last season including the playoffs: 95 games played, 29 points- 9 rebounds- 6 assists- 2 steals, and 1 block per game. The man is a beast and he is hungry for more rings. There is no debate around the league that LeBron is the best SF and the best player. It will be interesting however to see if the Heat will transition him to the power forward position because there have been rumors they will be doing that this season. We will have to wait and see if he will win “not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6…” championships as he so famously proclaimed when joining Miami.

Thanks for reading! Come back tomorrow for Day 4,  Power Forwards!

Player Top 10, Day 2: Shooting Guards

It’s Day 2, and now it is time to look at Shooting Guards!

#10- Jason Terry-DAL

Jason Terry has been a great scorer off the bench for a long time, and now he is bringing his talents to the bench of the Boston Celtics. The book has been out on him for while, JET is a great scorer, solid defender, and clutch shooter. Terry is the first of the bench brigade on this top 10 list.

#9- Paul George-IND

Paul George had a breakout year last season and looks to be one of the up-and-coming stars in this league at the 2 spot. He is long and plays great defense as well as being a good shooter. He can create his own shot and get to the basket with ease.

#8- Eric Gordon-NOR

Eric Gordon is a great scorer and an elite shooter, but my knock on him comes at the defensive end. He needs to work on his on ball defense. If he can improve on the defensive end this season, he will shoot up this list quickly.

#7- Manu Ginobili-SAS

Manu is aging fast, but he is still a fantastic defender and a great scorer. He has one of the highest basketball IQs in the NBA and is most definitely deserving of this ranking. San Antonio will continue to succeed because of guys like Manu.

#6- James Harden-OKC

This is the last member of the bench brigade on this list. James Harden is the best scorer off  the bench and he is a pesky defensive player. His defense isn’t elite, but his offense covers the issue of defense. Harden gets to the basket with ease and can come up big in the clutch. I think Harden will become one of the best in the league when he finally gets a chance to start in a year or two.

#5- Andre Igoudala-DEN

I know that Igoudala has been a small forward for most of his career, but in Denver, he will be playing the shooting guard. Igoudala is the whole package. He can score, rebound, pass, and play defense. He is going to help Denver take the next step in becoming a top contender in the West.

#4- Joe Johnson-BRK

Joe Johnson is a great scorer, shooter, and defender. He is going to be part of one of the top 2 or 3 backcourts in the league now that he is with Deron Williams in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Nets have a great group of starters and Joe is going to help that team become a top contender in the East.

#3- Monta Ellis-MIL

I watched Monta for years in Golden State, where is was consistently ignored by the league. No one would recognize that he is one of the best in the business. He can score at will, dish the ball, and create turnovers. Over the past 5 years, he has consistently been at the top of the league in scoring and steals as well as had the highest assist average amongst 2 guards. Monta is in the prime of his career and will work well with Brandon Jennings in Milwaukee.

#2- Dwyane Wade-MIA

D Wade has taken a back up role to LeBron in Miami, but he is still putting up crazy numbers. There is no mystery about what D Wade brings to the table: Great Scoring, Solid Defense, Good Ball handling, and a killer instinct in the clutch. D Wade is a beast.

#1- Kobe Bryant-LAL

Kobe, 5 Rings, 2 Final MVPs, 1 MVP, 14 All-Star Selections, 9 NBA 1st Team All-Defense, 10 1st Team All-NBA, 2 Scoring titles, and a Slam Dunk in 1997. He is an all-time great, and I believe he still has 3 or 4 years left in the tank. I think he will get at least one more title that will tie him with MJ. It will be an intriguing year now that he has DH12 and Nash as teammates because I think Kobe will need to take a step back for it to work.

 

Stay tuned for Day 3: Small Forwards tomorrow!!!

 

Player Top 10, Day 1: Point Guard

Over the next 5 days, I will be ranking the top 10 players at every position.

Today I am starting with Point Guards:

#10: Stephen Curry- GSW

Last season was tough for Steph who had a banged up ankle for much of the year, but when healthy, he is a 18ppg-4rpg-6apg-2spg guy that is a pesky and scrappy defender. I think that if he stays healthy this season he will earn and improve on this ranking and lead the Warriors to the playoffs.

#9: Kyle Lowry-TOR

Kyle Lowry is a great young point guard that I think has been placed into a great situation in Toronto. He has DeMar DeRozan, Landry Fields, Terrance Ross, and Andrea Bargnani to dish the ball to as well as a great back up in Jose Calderon.

#8: Ty Lawson-DEN

I love Ty Lawson’s game and I think he is way under appreciated around the league. He is a good floor general, great scorer, and solid defender. He is also a guy who is in a great situation with Denver now that Andre Igoudala has been added to the roster. Lawson will show his abilities to the world come playoff time.

#7: Tony Parker-SAS

Tony Parker was a big part of the success that San Antonio had last season while Manu Ginobili was hurt. He stepped big time and showed that he can still be considered an elite point guard. He is getting older, and with a lot of up-and-coming point guards, I think that Tony Parker will be lower on this list after this season. I am not saying he will be worse, just that others will pass him up.

#6- Russell Westbrook-OKC

There is no denying Russell Westbrook’s skills after leading OKC to the NBA Finals last season. He is probably the fastest man in the league, and possibly the strongest and most powerful point guard right now. My only knock on him is that his assist numbers could be a bit better. I would love to see him get around 8.5-10 apg. If he can get there, he would be #1 or 2 on this list for sure.

#5- Steve Nash-LAL

Steve Nash is a beast. He is still averaging 10-11 assists this late in his career, which is ridiculous. The one thing that concerns me about Steve Nash this year is his new teammate Kobe. Kobe is a ball hog, everyone knows it, and it has been the one question mark for the Lakers now that they have assembled a super team. Can Kobe stand to have ball in his hands less and allow Nash to be the main ball handler for the Lakers? We will find out.

#4- Deron Williams-BRK

Deron Williams is a great point guard that I feel has gone under the radar since being traded to what is now Brooklyn Nets. He is one of the best passers and defenders at the point guard spot, as well as an elite scorer who has the ability to take a game over. I think he will only improve now that he is surrounded by Joe Johnson and a hopefully healthy Brook Lopez.

#3- Derrick Rose-CHI

Man are the Bulls really going to miss this guy for the 1st half of the season. Seeing him tear his ACL in the playoffs was a big bummer because to me, the Bulls would have really given the Heat a run for their money. DRose makes the Bulls tick right, and without him for a large portion of the season, the Bulls may not even make the playoffs. Not one player outside LeBron means more to the success of their team than Derrick Rose.

#2- Chris Paul-LAC

Chris Paul is definitely one of the best. He consistently averages better than 16 and 10, and is always their for his team in the clutch. He is the perfect guard for the “Lob City” offense, and is going to get paid big time next summer. Many people believe him to be the #1 PG, but I have him slightly in 2nd.

#1- Rajon Rondo-BOS

Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in the NBA, hands down. He is always grabbing a double-double, always a threat for a triple-double, an elite defender, and the best rebounding point guard in the league. The knock on him is his scoring ability, but I disagree. I think he showed us in last year’s playoffs that he is the best. He has come out publicly and said that he thinks that he is the best in the game, and I agree.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post where I will be ranking the NBA’s Best Shooing Guards!

My Power Rankings Post-Free Agency

Even though the free agency period is still ongoing, there are very few decent free agents available it is very clear where most of the NBA teams stand. So here is my take on the current Power Rankings starting from 30 and going to 1.

#30-Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats are coming off of the worst season in NBA history and although they had a productive off-season, it is hard to rank a team that went 7-59 last season anything but dead last.

#29-Orlando Magic

Sorry to the Magic fans out there, but your team is going into the dreaded “rebuilding mode.” The new GM Rob Hennigan has made it very clear that he plans to build like the Magic using the OKC method of building through the draft, and even though OKC is one of the NBA’s best teams now, it took them a long time to make that team a consistent winner. So it seems like the Magic plan on being in the cellar of the NBA for the next 3 to 4 years at least. Their lack of depth and quality at Point Guard, Power Forward, and Center all but guarantees this Magic team to be one of the NBA’s worst after losing Dwight Howard.

#28-Houston Rockets

Jeremy Lin and Omar Asik are risky signings for Houston considering what they paid those two unproven players. Asik has never been a starter and Jeremy Lin is the 1st player to be paid $25 million by a team after just 3 weeks of work. Outside those two guys, the rest of the roster is in complete disarray. No one in the league knows what the hell Houston is doing. They currently have 20 players on their roster, they are a mess.

#27-Detroit Pistons

Many people are optimistic about the Pistons this year, but I am not. I don’t think that their roster really gels together, and any team with Corey Maggette is completely screwed. I love Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight, but not much else on that roster.

#26-Portland Trailblazers

I read the other day the new Blazers coach Terry Stotts thinks that they can compete for a playoff spot… Come on man, be real. I think that they have great young talent in Lillard and Leonard, but I think there is no shot that Nic Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge can carry that team anywhere close to a playoff spot. They are 2 or 3 years away from being competitive in a really stacked Western Conference.

#25-Cleveland Cavaliers

I think that Kyrie Irving is going to be a star point guard for a long time, but he has really young and weak roster backing him up. I think that the Cavs are in the same spot as the Blazers, and are a few years away from being a playoff team.

#24-New Orleans Hornets

Many Power Rankings out right now have the Hornets ranked far above where they should be. Anthony Davis is not the savior for this franchise. However, he is a great players to build around and Eric Gordon is a great sidekick to have by his side, but this roster is not talented enough to do much more than produce a developmental team this season.

#23-Sacramento Kings

I think that this Sacramento team has some really great young players such as DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson, Thomas Robinson, Marcus Thornton, and Issiah Thomas, but this team is going nowhere if they don’t get rid of Tyreke Evans. They now have him playing small forward, and at 6’6″ 215lbs, he is too undersized to play that spot and will get abused nightly by the stellar 3’s in the NBA. They need to trade him for a 1st rounder or small forward who can help them now.

#22-Washington Wizards

Don’t let the nice looking starting lineup of Wall/Beal/Ariza/Nene/Okeafor fool you because this team is all those 5 guys. There is no depth at any position on that roster, and I think that they won’t make the playoffs with just a starting lineup.

#21-Pheonix Suns

This team definitely signed some decent players, but I am not sold on Michael Beasley all of sudden becoming a good starting 3 in this league or Goran Dragic being able to fill the shoes of Steve Nash, who gave that team an elite floor general for years and years. I think that had they cashed in on Eric Gordon, they would be competing for a playoff spot, but they got unlucky and are stuck with a team that just won’t be able to keep up with the rest of the West.

#20-Toronto Raptors

I truly hope that the Raptors make me regret this ranking because I actually love their roster, as well as their ability to compete in a weaker Eastern conference. Signing Landry Fields and bringing in Kyle Lowry makes their back court completely stacked. The only thing about this roster that makes me uneasy is the uncertainty of how Jonas Valanciunas will play as well as the other Toronto big men. I think that their are a bit weak at the 4 and 5, and that could hurt them over the course of the season.

#19-Chicago Bulls
Without Derrick Rose for a good chunk of the season, this roster is going to struggle and I think that they won’t be able to recover in the standings for the time that DRose misses. The group that Chicago is going to put on the floor is weaker than last year’s team and they will most likely miss the playoffs or barely get in with an 8 seed.

#18-Minnesota Timberwolves

I think that the Timberwolves  and the Warriors are just about equal talent wise on paper, they both have similar injury concerns and I believe that healthy this T’Wolves team is a threat to make the playoff hopes of the Warriors difficult to achieve. KLove is my boy.

#17-Golden State Warriors

I am only placing the Warriors here because they haven’t proved anything yet. I think that on paper this is a 6-8 seeded playoff team, but actually need to get out on the court and perform before I can rank them as such. I love every move that they have made this off-season, by bringing in Carl Landry, Jarrett Jack, and the 3 draft picks as well as re-signing Brandon Rush. This is a deep team, that is poised for a playoff spot IF they can stay healthy.

#16-Utah Jazz

I also love the roster of the Utah Jazz and it is my belief that they could be one of the teams making life difficult for the Warriors all season. They have size, toughness, and rebounding which are all qualities that most recent Warriors teams have lacked. Plus they always are a tough win for us.

#15-Milwaukee Bucks

Monta. Ekpe. Brandon Jennings. Plus Rebounding and defense. Enough said…

#14-Brooklyn Nets

I don’t like ranking the Nets here, but they had a great free agency period and that starting 5 is one the top 3 or 4 in the NBA. They have absolutely no depth, which is why they will probably be a low end playoff team with 1st round upset written all over them.

#13-Dallas Mavericks

I am not that excited about this Mavs team, but they still have Dirk and a ridiculously consistent record of consecutive playoff appearances, so I will not be a hater. Darren Collison and OJ Mayo will be interesting to watch on this team. Maybe the Mavs have found gold in those two guys.

#12-Atlanta Hawks

This another consistent playoff team that I will not bet against, so that is why I have them ranked here. Can’t count out All-Stars Al Horford and Josh Smith. Lou Williams also has a chance to prove himself as a legitimate starter in the NBA. Will be a great defensive squad, and great defensive teams win games.

#11-Philadelphia 76ers

This is a really exciting team now that they acquired Andrew Bynum. This is another starting 5 that is amongst the best in the entire league, and what I love about this team is their ability to play elite defense and their ridiculous depth. They could be a Eastern Conference Finals dark-horse.

#10-Memphis Grizzles

This is a great team, but the bench worries me a little bit. Darrel Arthur coming off of major knee surgery is a big red flag for them. I was really surprised that they traded away Dante Cunningham, but we will see how their bench looks. Definitely not one the best benches out there, and may force them to fight with teams like Minnesota, Dallas, Utah, and Golden State for a low end playoff seed.

#9-New York Knicks

This is a very deep team, but I think that I am not sold at how these guys will all fit together. Carmelo and Amare gelling will be the biggest issue, but developing a rotation of guys to come off of the bench will also be a big thing for the Knicks to deal with. They could compete for a championship if those things get hammered out over the course of the regular season.

#8-Denver Nuggets

This is a scary team, could be a 3-6 seed in my opinion, but Igoudala, Lawson, McGee, Faried, and Galinari is a great starting 5. Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, and Andre Miller coming off the bench is what makes this team very good and very annoying for the Lakers, Spurs, and Thunder come playoff time.

#7-Los Angeles Clippers

Blake Griffin’s knees are a big concern for this team as well as the fact that DeAndre Jordan is showing that they paid him way too much money. But they have a much better bench this season and are a big threat in the West. CP3 and Blake rocking “Lob City” in the playoffs is going to be a fun watch.

#6-Indiana Pacers

A ton of people have been hating on Danny Granger this off-season and it has to stop. I love his heart, his swagger, and his game. This is a team that took a small step back in the free agency period so far, but re-signing Leandro Barbosa should be a top priority and will get them back on the straight and narrow.

#5-Boston Celtics

The Celtics won free agency in my mind because they turned a whole bunch of nothing into what looks to be another title threat by bringing in JET, CLee, and Jeff Green. KG, Rondo, and Paul Pierce and the big 3 now and they want another ring, so watch out NBA.

#4-San Antonio Spurs

It’s so easy to explain the Spurs ranking, THEY ARE COACHED BY GREG POPAVICH AND ARE STARRED BY THE BIG FUNDAMENTAL. Enough said.

#3-Los Angeles Lakers

Nash, Kobe, MWP, Pau, DH12… ummmm I just shit my pants. This is just an unreal starting 5. Might be the best ever assembled, but their bench is thin. And I am a big believer in the bench playing a large role on a successful team, so I look at Jodie Meeks, Antwan Jamison, and Jordan Hill and think that there has to be more there to make this team a lock to win a title.

#2-OKC Thunder

Repeating Western Conference Champs that are lead by KD, Westbrook, Ibaka, and James Harden. This team is the top of the West in my mind until someone dethrones them. The Lakers are going to be hunting them all year and it makes me hope for a Lakers-Thunder western finals this year.

#1-Miami Heat

Three Words are all that is needed here: Champs, DWade, LeBron…..

 

 

 

Do the Warriors Have a Top 5 Bench?

The Warriors have accumulated a wealth of bench talent this off-season. They have added Jarrett Jack, Carl Landry, Festus Ezeli, and Draymond Green. They also brought back last year breakout player in Brandon Rush.

The current bench set up (rotation) is:

PG: Jack/Jenkins

SG: Rush/Jack/Bazemore

SF: Jefferson/Rush/Green/Bazemore

PF: Landry/Green/Tyler

C: Biedrins/Ezeli

I believe that this bench unit, that is full of veteran talent as well as an infusion of youth, is poised to be one of the best in the Western Conference as well as the entire NBA. Jack, Rush, Jefferson, and Landry could all be starters on a lot of NBA teams, and I fell that they complement the talents of the players in the starting unit. I think that the bench will be just as important in the Warriors success this season as the starters.

Thoughts on Recents Signings

After a nice vacation, I come back to a few nice roster moves made by the Warriors. Bring Landry and Rush aboard where great signings at a great price. It seems to me the Warriors front office understands how to build a roster that has pieces the really complement one another. They are blending the youth with veterans in both the starting lineup and bench and have brought on players like Jack, Rush, Green, and Landry who bring toughness, energy, and defense. This new Warriors squad in my opinion has one of the top 5 benches in the NBA and the talented group of starters that are going to compete for not just for the 8th playoff spot, but for a higher seed in the 5-7 range.

The new roster is:

PG- Curry/Jack/Jenkins

SG- Thompson/Rush/Bazemore

SF- Jefferson/Barnes/Green

PF- Lee/Landry/Tyler

C- Bogut/Biedrins/Ezeli

I think that Barnes may not start right away, but I could easily be wrong about that. Also, I think that Biedrins will take the backup Center duties to start the year.