Out of the gate it’s the same horses

We realize the NBA season is only a week old but looking at the standings it reads exactly as the final standings did at season’s end. Although the league got stronger as a whole it appears the rich got richer as in the East the powerhouses simply reloaded and are immediately reaping the benefits. Boston made the additions of veteran Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels and have started the season in same fashion as they did in 08’, with a 6-0 start. Unfortunately they’re faced with the same questions they faced in 08’, “can they stay healthy?”, “how will they look on back-to-back games mid way through the season?”, and “how will the chemistry be when they face adversity?”. All good questions, and add the fact that the balance of power has dramatically tilted to the East it won’t be easy even if they do stay healthy to get back to the ECF.
On the other side of the fence are the LA Lakers who with the addition of Artest are the favorites in Vegas to hoist another banner but it won’t be easy as the Spurs and Nuggets are sure to challenge. Gasol is out with a bad hammy and it’s become painfully evident how much the Lakers need him to galvanize their triangle offense. They have started 4-1 but looked very shaky and VERY beatable in their first five games. We’re not sure what the NBA had in mind when they made the schedule but LA gets a double edge sword as 17 of their first 21 games are at home, thus making the NBA Christmas Day game against LeBron and Cleveland even larger as Kobe and the Lakers should roll into that game with a monster record of about 18-3, no attempt to boost ratings there. The blade does cut both ways for them however as 40 of their 82 games, almost half, are on back-to-back. In similar fashion, not quite sure what the NBA was thinking about when they made that as well. I think the hype of breaking the 72-win season are on the back burner right now as they need to first get healthy, get in sink, and get a hold of the Pacific division first, then we’ll talk about setting records. The biggest off season acquisition, both figuratively and literally, belonged to Cleveland with the addition of the Diesel, but that has not translated to wins, at least not at the beginning of the season. After shocking the hoop world by starting 0-2 they Cavs have won 3 straight and looking much better but seem out of rhythm and can’t seem to find the right combinations on the floor to take advantage of their weapons, and turn King James loose. With Shaq coming in people forget that Z was an all-star last year as he doesn’t look like the same player, and if these are all the minutes they’re going to get out of Shaq come playoff time, they may have overspent. Sleeping in the wings is a veteran Spurs team that with the addition of RJ and draft of Blair is a monster waiting to be reckoned with. Out of the blocks at 2-1 the Spurs, like the Celtics, will have to pace themselves if they want to be around with fresh legs come playoff time. The common denominator of all of the previous scenarios is that home court will make more this year than ever before. So don’t be surprised to see that last week of the season being viewed as the first week of 09’ playoffs, particularly after last year where Boston wouldn’t have survived that Chicago series had they not been in the friendly confines of the Gaaaden. The Nuggets are also looking like they want to get back to WCF as they feel they could easily have won that series 4-2 vs. LA last year rather than lose it, have re-signed the “Birdman” , and Ty Lawson has started better than anyone expected, as they’ve opened the year 5-0, with a margin of victory of 13pts per game. Unlike the Lakers, the Nuggets already look like they’re in mid-season form and intent on getting early separation in a slow Northwest division, and put the division race to bed early.Do you think the top 3 from the West LA/SA/Den will be back this year? Who will survive the East between Bos/Cle/Orl, or will a sleeper sneak in on either side? Let us know in the NBA game chat rooms, or in any of the quick links:
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Lakers get stronger but so does the League – NBA Preview

If there is an empire in the NBA over the past decade it’s the LA Lakers. Already with six appearances in nine years and four titles, the Lake Show is as close to dominant as you can get without wearing pinstripes. And much like their mirror image from MLB the Empire has gotten stronger, with the addition of Ron Artest, LA finally has some ‘stank’ to go with all of that fineness. However it’s not going to be easy for them as the rest of the league, particularly at the top, has gotten better as well. The Cavs have added the Diesel, Boston adds to its age (and championship experience) with Sheed, out West the Spurs get a much need spark in the paint in Richard Jefferson, and should be in jail for stealing Blair out of the draft, as he could be the Charles Barkley of the next decade. Don’t forget the defending Eastern Conference Champs that added Vincanity to a very well balanced lineup. So the trip back up the mountain will not be easy for LA, and some say they’re not going to repeat the feat of the “Combo Dynasty” of early Zeros, particularly because of the strength out of the East. It’s clear that we’ve seen a shift in the balance of power over the past five years as early on in the decade 4 of the top 5 teams played in the Pacific time zone, now it’s the reciprocal as the powerhouses are on the right coast which bodes the question: will the winner of the East have anything left to take on LA if they get there? Can Boston stay healthy enough to make it through 82 games? Will Shaq and LBJ run into the same problems as Shaq/Kobe? How much has Vince’s skills diminished, and can he take the Magic to the next level? Will Tracy ever complete a playoff season where the Rockets win a series? All good questions that will be answered over the next six months. Let us know your thoughts here and in the chat rooms as we have a chat room for every game on the schedule.

Off-season moves make LA not such a clear cut favorite to repeat

The off-season deal making hit a fever pitch as the free-agent signing period gun went off on July 2nd and every contender has made big moves to position themselves to knock LA off their championship perch. Here’s who we think has made the biggest off-season improvements so far.

San Antonio – Amazing off season moves for a team that was supposed to be strapped. All key additions including a proven commodity in Richard Jefferson, veteran Antonio McDyess, mid-career pick-ups Malik Hairston and Marcus Haslip, lastly, a excellent pick in the draft of Dejuan Blair who could end up as another Paul Millsap. Mark my words, if the aging core of the Spurs can stay healthy, this team will take the Lakeshow right down to the wire in the West.

Boston – back to their ol’ tricks with the signing of ‘Sheed, a crafty vet who despite his public rep as a ‘cancer’ on a ball club is known throughout the NBA as a great teammate and has immense playoff experience, a ring, and most of all a victory over LA in the finals. However, the flip side to this coin is that the C’s will probably be losing Powe and Davis so they are pushing ‘all in’ for this next year.

Cavs – what can you say? Now they have a “combo” of their own, to rival that of Shaq/Kobe and DWade/Shaq. Now the other two ended up with jewelry at the end of the rainbow, will this one? It gives the Cavs a great starting line-up but it doesn’t address their weakness, which is their bench. This was poignantly obvious in the ECF as the team with the best record in the East was easily dismissed, and in a league that peredicates around matchups and runs, if you don’t make adjustments your results will not vary.

Lakers – The best did get better as the knock on LA has always been their soft underbelly which the Bostonians were able to expose in 08’ but where Howard didn’t have enough help in 09’. The Lakers have addressed that issue with one swift move with the addition of Ron Artest. His reputation speaks for itself as do his problems. Ariza is an up and comer there’s no doubt about that but he will never be a career 16 & 6 guy like Artest (Ariza is 4 & 6) but had the edge in athleticism. It’s a trade for the ‘now’ which put LA in the position to repeat in the eyes of many, but the key to this deal, AND team now is the signing of Lamar Odom, besides being “the impossible cover” he’s also a childhood friend of Artest and probably instrumental in keeping the potentially explosive Laker locker room benign. Who do you think made the biggest off-season movers? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

World Champions struggle to keep the core together

Update: Deals in stone, Artest to LA, Ariza to Houston

Only two days into the free-agent singing period our question was answered if the defending champs were going to be able to keep the club together for one more title run. The quick answer is no, but the retort might be “are the Lakers even better now?” LA traded youth and the future for the present as 24 yr old Trevor Ariza, LA native, UCLA product, and local favorite is swapped with the ever unpredictable Ron Artest 29. The Lakers' decision to go with Artest instead of younger Ariza shows they're putting everything into these next three years and not worrying too much about the future. Ariza would have wanted a five-year contract; Artest was willing to come for three. The end of Artest's contract coincides with the reported opt-out clause for Bryant. We don't know whether Kobe will choose to leave in 2012, but we do know this: He'll be 33 that summer and either way the clouds will be clearing in the West and the Purple Reign will be ending.


As soon as the parade was over, well actually during the parade, the questions were swarming if the Lakers were going to be able to keep their championship team in tact. Mainly free agents Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Shannon Brown. The feeling in LA is that they have the components to make another trip back (and win) a second consecutive NBA title. After Kobe stated that he would not opt out of his extension it appeared that the off season in La-La Land would be as beautiful as the weather. Unfortunately there are some flaws in the planning of the “Purple Reign” sequel. Firstly, the Lakers need to get their house in order as they appear to be unclear on the Odom (10 million) deal and even further away from Ariza (5.6 vs. 8million) that his agent was looking for, and the Shannon Brown talks have yet to get off the ground. Even if LA can miraculously come to terms with all three that doesn’t ensure their ticket for a return engagement as the rest of the league has made additions in the draft the Lakers felt they had enough in the cubborad to stand pat, a major mistake. The move that may come back to haunt them is passing on the Pittsburgh twins (Blair and Young) who could have immediately helped their one blaring deficiency, getting out “physicaled” on the boards. They got plenty of firepower on offense what they need is an enforcer (aka Rick Fox, Coach Rambis). Although not complacent, perhaps too confident that their current hand will be good enough to withstand another flop, and even though they may be playing with house money as the last team to repeat, if the chips don’t fall into place USC can feel comfortable re-painting the Coliseum Cardinal and Gold again. Are the Lakers the team to beat again in 2010? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team pages.