Teams I look forward to watching the most in 2011-12

With the lockout behind us, there are clearly some lingering issues that players, owners, and the commissioner still need to hash out.  But we shall put that all that aside as a fantastic NBA season with a plethora of great storylines is about to kick off this glorious Christmas Day.  There’s a whole lot to look forward to, and so I just wanted to take a mere glimpse of what we’ll be seeing for the next 6 months.  I’ll make my predictions as the season goes on, but for now I only want to share a few reasons why basketball fans should pay special attention to this particular season.  With the holidays coming right around the corner, I have listed the teams I look forward to watching the most in order of increasing intrigue, in countdown form.  Now, by no means is the following list a set of predictions as to who I think will win the championship; these teams are all ranked by my personal intrigue only.

5.  Dallas Mavericks

Yes, they are losing some key free agents (Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea, Caron Butler), but take a look at all the newcomers filling in for them:  Lamar Odom, Vince Carter, Delonte West, Sean Williams, and Brandan Wright.  None of these guys would be considered All-Stars (yes – even you, Vince), but they should all equip Dallas with one of the better second units of the league.   While Chandler, Barea, and Butler were all integral members of the team, I do believe Mark Cuban and company have done a good job with filling those voids.  Also, remember that Butler sat out the final 53 games of the season due to injury and did not play at all during the Mavs’ championship run.  How they fill Chandler and Barea’s vacancies will be challenging, but doable.  Dallas still has plenty of size with their influx of forwards (Odom, Williams, Wright), and young speedy point guard Roddy Beaubois (who was also injured last year) is more than capable of filling Barea’s shoes.  I know everyone is dismissing Dallas as a title contender, but I still think they’re going to be a very, very tough team to beat four times in a seven-game series.

Don't think for a second that Dallas won't be contending for a title come June

 Shawn Marion and Jason Terry think that the Mavs haven’t gotten the respect they deserve after securing the franchise’s first championship – especially after upsetting the heavy-favorite Miami Heat in last year’s Finals.  I think they’re right, and that they will prove critics wrong.  Again.

4.  Chicago Bulls

The first thing to mention when talking about the Bulls this year is none other than Derrick Rose.  The reigning MVP is primed to avenge last year’s playoff shortcomings.  Now, after signing his super hefty five-year $90M extension with the Bulls, Rose is bound to put together another stellar season.  Right now, I consider him a top-10 player.  By season’s end, he may very well jump to my top 5. 

Expect Rip's synergy with D-Rose to be just as good -
if not better - as it was with Chauncey Billups in Detroit

One of the most underrated transactions of the offseason is the signing of Rip Hamilton.  He is definitely getting up there in age, but I think this change of jerseys (especially with a contender) will rejuvenate his career.  Whenever you get someone to replace Keith Bogans in your starting lineup, you know things are good.  Anyway, like his former teammate Chauncey Billups will do for his new team, Rip will provide some instant offense and veteran leadership to the still-young Bulls squad.  As a scoring two-guard with decent play making skills, he will take a lot of pressure off D-Rose on offense.  I also listened to Chris Webber talk about his days in Detroit (when he played with both Billups and Hamilton), and how impressed he was with Rip’s willingness to help out his then-backcourt teammate Billups.  C-Webb cited specific examples of how well they worked together; when Rip noticed Chauncey was tired, Rip always offered to check Chauncey’s man on the following possession.  I fully expect him to provide D-Rose with the same level of support.  Furthermore, with the addition of Rip, you get someone with the ability to consistently make clutch free throws – something they clearly could have used in last year’s collapse to Miami in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Hopefully Noah (left) and Boozer (right)
spend more time on the court than the sidelines

Even without Hamilton, AND with both Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah ailing through most of last season, this team STILL won 61 games.  That’s incredible, and that’s exactly why Tom Thibodeau was Coach of the Year and Rose was awarded the MVP trophy.  If they don’t win 60+ games again this year, then that would be a disappointment.  And I anticipate another epic show down with Miami in late May.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

This team has gone through arguably the most tumultuous off-season in the NBA.  With Phil Jackson retiring, the Chris Paul trade falling through (resulting in a fall-out with Lamar Odom), and Dwight Howard trade talks going nowhere, GM Mitch Kupchak and his club know they are going to take a few steps back this year.  We know Kobe is pissed, and that he just injured his wrist in the pre-season.  New head coach Mike Brown is being asked to fill the un-fillable shoes of the Zen Master.  The hiring of Brown itself was a bit of a weird story also; remember the whole debacle with Kobe, where Kobe felt he should have been consulted with their head coach hiring?  How about Metta World Peace (don’t even get me started on how I feel about that name change) and his new role coming off the bench?  We know Lamar Odom was irreconcilably upset by the near trade for CP3, but how about Pau Gasol?  Is he truly over almost being traded?  With all the potential drama, this year's Lakers might have enough drama to rival that of their soap opera season, otherwise known as their 2003-04 season. 

Gasol's presence has catapulted the Lakers to title-contender
status since the day he wore purple and gold

This is a team with many distractions, no doubt.  BUT, let’s not blow the Lakers’ troubles out of proportion.  Since they still have Gasol and an occasionally-healthy Andrew Bynum anchoring the middle, they’re still going to be a top-4 team in the Western Conference.  With Dallas losing Tyson Chandler, the West is still up for grabs.  Add some depth to the Lakers' bench, and they’re still a title contender. Also, in my opinion, the fallout of the CP3 trade was a blessing in disguise.  Losing Gasol would have been devastating to this team - just look at their record in games without him over the last three seasons.  I don't know the exact number in terms of record, but the Lakers have won about 80% of games with Gasol in the lineup since he was traded to the team in  February 2008.  He was heavily criticized for his struggles in last year's playoffs (just like he was vs. the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals), but people should not be so quick to dismiss his enormous impact on the team.  If it weren't for him, Kobe would never have won a Finals MVP (BTW, I still don't think he deserved MVP honors in 2010 after their Finals re-match against Boston, seeing how he went 6-24 from the field in Game 7 - but I digress).  

2.  Miami Heat

From now on, Shane Battier (left) will only have
to guard LeBron (right) in practice

Like them or not, this is still going to be one of the most touted teams to watch.  Thankfully, they won't be under nearly as much scrutiny - strictly in terms of media attention - as they were last year.  Their expectations will be higher, but I don't think TV producers will be as gung-ho about covering all the gory behind-the-scenes details about their season UNLESS they struggle coming out of the gates.

Still, let's not take the two-headed monster combo of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James for granted.  Even with a team ranked higher on my particular list that may be potentially more exciting than them, you will still be seeing plenty of highlights every night between these two highlight-generating juggernauts.  Also, this team still won't have a shortage of 2011-12 headlines:  Can LeBron rebound from his complete meltdown in last year's NBA Finals, and his huge hit to his public image?  Can D-Wade stay healthy all year, particularly in the playoffs when his team needs him the most?  Can Chris Bosh get more comfortable in his third-wheel role?  Also, will the acquisition of Shane Battier be enough for this team to get over the championship hurdle?

Until very late into this extended offseason, Miami was once again expected to be the center of attention this season.  But I think we finally found a team that will generate much more interest:

1.  LA Clippers

Saw this coming, didn't you?  In one fell swoop, the Clippers suddenly became one of the deepest and most exciting teams in the league.  There's so much to look forward to:  Chris Paul calling the shots on offense, Blake Griffin's chest at rim level at all times during any given game, he and DeAndre Jordan (whom, by the way, are THE most athletic 4-5 combo in the league) being on the receiving end of 10 alley-oops per game; what is there NOT to like?  

The team is also loaded with quality veterans; even before acquiring CP3 AND Chauncey Billups - both of which are proven elite floor generals; over time, the team acquired several quality players with great experience. What does that give you?  An starting lineup of CP3, Billups, Caron Butler, Griffin, and Jordan with Mo Williams, Ryan Gomes, Randy Foye, and Reggie Evans coming off the bench.  Ladies and gents, there are not many teams with that kind of combination of firepower and veteran experience in their rotation.

With several talented stars forming the league's newest potential powerhouse,
the "other" LA team suddenly isn't such an afterthought anymore

Now don't get me wrong - this team has had its fair share of great young players; the Clippers, despite being one of the worst franchises in the history of sports, have always managed to put together a decent collection of talent.  But for the first time ever (with the exception of the 2005-06 season with Sam Cassell and Elton Brand), they may have finally have constructed a well-balanced team capable of overcoming the team's losing culture <knock on wood!>.  And that is what makes the Clippers the most intriguing team of all in 2011-12.

Keep in mind that I only mentioned five of the teams I personally look forward to watching the most.  There are many, many other teams and players with very intriguing storylines – and I haven't even mentioned Dwight Howard's situation with the Magic yet (an ongoing story that deserves a standalone post in the near future). This all the more reason to forgive and forget the debauchery that was the NBA Lockout, and to enjoy what this season will have in store for us. 

Fellow basketball fanatics, here’s to sitting on the couch during all of Christmas Day and reveling in the glory of the greatest gift we could have gotten this year.  Cheers!

NBA Officially in a State of Chaos

For the most part, the basketball community felt a huge sigh of relief when the lockout was lifted.  But did that spell the end of the turmoil among Commissioner David Stern, the players, and the owners?  We should have known better.  We should have predicted that, after months of several heated discussions, that rifts would be permanently created and grudges would be held.  After both sides made considerable compromises to end the lockout, promises were made to both the players and owners that efforts would be made to ensure their needs would be met.  So after all this, what’s the outcome?  For one, every team transaction, from here on out, will be further scrutinized by everyone in the league.  Now, the same day the lockout ended, we’ve already seen how ugly things have become with the chaotic Chris Paul trade fiasco.  In the end, the NBA has seriously tarnished its brand, and things seem to quickly be spiraling out of control. 

Let's hope the league wises up and allows CP3 and Kobe to become teammates

The unfathomable veto of the trade that would have brought Chris Paul to the Lakers is the latest episode in what’s been a devastating blow to the NBA’s image.  Owners were furious that yet another star player would be moving to a premier franchise.  And from my understanding, it wasn’t JUST the acquiring of Chris Paul alone that prompted the owners to react; rumors swirled that the Lakers still had a chance to acquire Dwight Howard from the Magic.  While it may not have been feasible immediately after the Lakers parted with both Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to get Paul, owners were still weary that Howard might eventually finagle his way to LA – especially if he’s not traded to another team. 

Scola (left) and Gasol (right) would provide offensive
firepower to their respective teams' front lines

What kills me is that this trade was said to be vetoed for "basketball-related" reasons.  Are you kidding me?  From a basketball perspective, it's fair to say that New Orleans may have fared the best of the three teams from doing this trade.  Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, and Emeka Okafor together would have formed a playoff team-quality front court for the Hornets.  That's before even mentioning the acquisition of Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic - who are both up-and-coming prolific scorers (if you don't know Dragic, check out this 23-point 4th quarter outburst he threw down on a very good San Antonio team in the 2010 Western Conference Semis).  From a marketing perspective, you obviously can't replace CP3 - even with these high quality players.  But it baffles me that the league doesn't realize that this is a much better option than letting Paul walk at season's end, and thereby giving New Orleans nothing in return. 

 This isn't a bad trade for the other two involved teams, either.  In the aftermath of losing Yao Ming, Houston would have landed the second-best big man in the league in Pau Gasol - and were already in the running to land Nene.  And of course, Kobe and CP3 would form the best back court in the NBA for the Lakers - albeit with a thin front line.  So how the hell is NOT doing this trade better for all three teams from a basketball perspective? 

Clearly, there are lingering issues resulting from egos of owners and players in the aftermath of the lockout.  So who's at fault for keeping this going?  

By opposing the trade of CP3 to LA, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is
showing that he's obviously not over the loss of LeBron James

To owners, the new CBA should have further prevented teams from stacking up the league’s best players; ever since LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh joined forces in Miami last offseason, owners became determined to not allow something like that to happen again.  Thus, when the very first news they hear (on the SAME DAY the lockout ends, to boot) is the rumors of CP3 and Dwight Howard both going to the Lakers, their natural reaction is to push back.  They were promised competitive balance, and felt they were lied to.  I think all basketball minds agree that New Orleans, in the proposed trade, got a pretty damn good deal out of it.  But if we’ve learned anything this offseason, it’s that most owners don’t see things from a basketball perspective – only money. 

At the same time, you can’t blame players for wanting to play for bigger market teams.  To CP3, his desire to achieve long-term security (by signing an extension with the Lakers) has been denied.  If he blows out his knee this season, he’s screwed.  There’s no denying he has a right to be livid at the league.  Smaller market teams want more than 1% chance of landing star players to improve their venue, but other than a few exceptions – Reggie Miller with the Pacers, Tim Duncan with the Spurs, and Kevin Durant with the Thunder – star players prefer bigger markets.  That’s never going to change, and owners need to come to terms with that. 

Things will only get uglier from here on out.  We’re being told that this happened ONLY because the NBA currently owns the Hornets, causing a perfect storm for this debauchery to happen.  But hence forth, every blockbuster trade - especially between big and small-market teams – is going to be heavily scrutinized.  Even the New Jersey Nets, who are widely anticipated to be considered a bigger market when they move to Brooklyn next season, got in trouble for tampering in their ongoing attempts to trade for Dwight Howard.  Howard, who is open to the idea of playing with All-Star guard Deron Williams, now has more political obstacles to overcome.

It's not just the NBA-owned Hornets whose trade discussions are under scrutiny;
the growing chaos has hindered trade talks involving Dwight Howard (left) and Brook Lopez (right)

What a mess.

So who is to blame for the NBA’s image spiraling out of control?

The easy scapegoat, of course, is David Stern.  He’s the one who allowed the lockout get to the point where it did.  He’s the one who’s been really wishy-washy on why he vetoed the trade.  He’s the one hiding from all the heavy criticism.  But remember that ultimately, Stern answers to the owners; the only reason he’s employed is because of the owners.  He claims all of his decisions are not affiliated with any pressure he gets from owners, but IMO, that’s not plausible. 

David Stern has long ago worn out his welcome

All things considered, he really needs to retire.  He’s gotta go.  The NBA badly needs new leadership.  Regardless of whether he’s truly at fault, we know Stern’s reputation is now irreparable, and that he shouldn’t linger around any longer trying to salvage it.  Besides, he wouldn’t be the only sports figure failing to go out on a high note; just two months ago, we saw Penn State legend Joe Paterno’s last season marred by the Jerry Sandusky scandal.  But unlike Paterno, Stern’s leadership has been far from flawless up to this point.  In fact, you can question the very beginning of his reign upon the first NBA draft lottery in 1985:  many conspiracies are out there giving solid evidence that Stern “aided” the New York Knicks to win the draft lottery – and of course allowing them to land #1 pick Patrick Ewing.  Of course, the infamous Tim Donaghy scandal comes to mind as well, which put the entire integrity of the game into question.  Fair or not, Stern’s legacy will always be associated with these conspiracies. 

It's tough to imagine either Greg Oden or Brandon Roy
ever setting foot on an NBA court again

The growing rift between the owners and players is not the only sad story to surface before this already-shortened season even started.  Portland Trailblazers star Brandon Roy, who could no longer avoid the inevitable, called it quits on account of his gimpy knees.  We saw flashes of the great player he could have been in Game 4 of last year’s First Round matchup vs. the eventual NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, and it appears that's the last of him.  Things are also looking pretty glum for his teammate Greg Oden, who is continuing to struggle making his way back on the court after a heavily injury-ridden start to his career.  So on the Blazers front, the already-sad story is only getting sadder. 

Somehow, even after the labor situation resolved itself, the NBA is looking worse and worse.  All we can hope for now is for the chaos to subside, and that things start looking up once the actual basketball gets underway.  Until then, the bleeding won’t stop and the growing divide between players, owners, and the commissioner will not be set aside.