|
Overall
Win/Loss Record : 42-24 second place
Central Division
|
Last Season’s Rank
6
|
Projected 2012/2013
Finish
2
|
Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
|
Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
|
|
Projected Starters Based on Last Season’s Performance, Veteran Seniority and Projected Impact
|
Key Reserves Based on Last Season’s Performances, Veteran Seniority and Potential Impact.
|
|
2012/2013
Projection: 59-23 first place in the
Central Division—the Miami Heat needs to be afraid, be very afraid.
Analysis:
Last season the
Indiana Pacers were just two games away from ripping the hearts out of South
Beach hoops fans, sending Lebron and company back home sulking, and coach Erik Spoelstra from looking for a new job.
Grabbing that two games to one lead certainly had the media buzzing as
they questioned whether or not Lebron James had the goods to lead Miami to
its second NBA title. Unfortunately
for Pacers fans, Lebron and company proved their doubters wrong as they won
the next three games clinching the series in splendid fashion. Pacer fans were then left with asking
themselves “what if?” had they managed to pull of the impossible and defeated
the mighty Miami Heat. Now with a
completely revamped roster thanks to a rather busy offseason, the Pacers have
given their fans even more optimism; add the fact that next season, their
team are in the ideal situation as they have the perfect scenario not only
take the Eastern Conference crown but also an even better chance to usurp the
Heat to represent the East in the NBA Finals.
To start off, this
upcoming season has given the Indiana the ideal opportunity to completely
dominate their own Central Division as they will have little if any
competition whatsoever. Their biggest
divisional rival, the Chicago Bulls, will come into the season with a weaker
roster than before and will be playing most of the season without their star
Derrick Rose. The Bulls with their
diminished roster will probably finish at best a distant second to Indiana
while the rest of the teams in the Central Division will not be even worth
mentioning. Both the Detroit Pistons
and Cleveland Cavaliers are projected to be perennial bottom feeders of the
Eastern Conference while the Milwaukee Bucks continue to walk that thin line
teetering between being average and mediocre.
Add the welcomed new additions to the roster, the Pacers also will
start the season with one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the
league.
Very few teams, if
any, can boast a roster that is ten players deep who have the ability to
start on any NBA team; however, the Pacers managed to do so by upgrading
their already strong lineup with even more size and talent. They started by trading away the
disappointing starting point guard Darren Collison along with swingman
Dahntay Jones to the Dallas Mavericks for up and coming young big man Ian
Mahinimi. Mahinimi came off a career
season with the Mavs averaging close to six points and five rebounds per game
along with shooting .548 from the field—producing that all in less than 20
minutes per game. He will be backing
up the Pacers’ All Star, Roy Hibbert, whom Indiana resigned to a long term
extension this past summer. Add them
with the power forward tandem of David West and Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana has
assembled one of the strongest toughest and most physical front courts in the
league.
In addition to their
rather imposing front court, the Pacers also made a couple of low key moves
that will make them an even stronger force to be reckoned with in the
NBA. They picked up DJ Augustin, who
was cast aside by the Charlotte Bobcats as they declined on tending him a
qualifying offer making him an unrestricted free agent. Although he played on the team with the
worst record in NBA history, Augustin posted solid numbers last season
averaging 11 points and six assists.
He will certainly be an improvement from Darren Collison who had one
of the lowest averages for assists per game for a starting point guard in the
league. The Pacers also adding the
high flying Gerald Green who made an amazing comeback after his disappointing
first stint in the NBA coming to the league straight out of high school. Originally arriving as late season pickup
from the then New Jersey Nets, Green exploded off the bench averaging close
to 13 points, four rebounds and a steal per game while shooting .481 from the
field in a little over 25 minutes of playing time.
With the four new
additions to the Pacers lineup, the Miami Heat should be more than a little
concerned. Here comes the same team
that almost eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last season
with a much improved lineup who can cause even more problems defensively to
Lebron James and company. Armed with
the defense first mantra and blue collar attitude instilled by coach Frank Vogel, Indiana has the chance to unseat the Miami Heat from its rather huge
pedestal to attain the crown that has always alluded them—an NBA Championship
trophy. In fact, one can go as far to
say that with the current state of the league, Indiana is probably the only
team in the league that is a match for the Miami Heat—not the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, nor the San Antonio Spurs. All the other teams do not hold a candle
next to the Heat, save for the Pacers as they are by default, the only
obstacle that stands in the Heat’s way for a second consecutive NBA title.
|
||
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
SDH's 2012/2013 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 2. Indiana Pacers
Monday, September 24, 2012
SDH's 2012/2013 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 3. Oklahoma City Thunder
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record : 47-19 first place
Northwest Division
|
Last Season’s Rank
2
|
Projected 2012/2013
Finish
3
|
Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
|
Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
|
|
Projected Starters Based on Last Season’s Performance, Veteran Seniority and Projected Impact
|
Key Reserves Based on Last Season’s Performances, Veteran Seniority and Potential Impact.
|
|
2012/2013
Projection: 55-27 tied first place in
the Northwest Division—will be hard pressed to repeat storied playoff run
from last season.
Analysis:
For numerous
basketball purists it must have been agonizing to watch the Oklahoma City
Thunder play last season. Here was a
team who ranked dead last in assists per game, committed the most turnovers,
and had the lowest assist to turnover ratio in the league. Yet they were still able to finish with the
second best record in the Western Conference and managed to beat not one, or
two, but three former NBA Champions who in the last 15 years had won ten NBA
titles between to reach the NBA Finals.
What made it even more infuriating to purists of the game was that the
Thunder’s playoff success was not due to the team playing well, but rather
the opposite. Both the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers played terribly allowing a team with a
rather simplistic and predictable offense to simply steamroll them while the San Antonio Spurs, who started the Western Conference Final series with a two
games to one lead simply folded under the pressure.
Only the Miami Heat
had the insight and the common sense to figure out the way to shut down the
Thunder and it did so by rather simple roster adjustment. Instead of having their star Lebron James
use up much of his energy defending Thunder star Kevin Durant in the series,
heat coach Erick Spoelstra had a better idea.
He shifted Lebron to the power forward position placing the Heat’s
defensive specialist Shane Battier to humbug Durant on the defensive end.
Spoelstra, as many have already surmised knew that the Thunder’s offense
primary consisted of the ball being dominated by both Durant and Russell
Westbrook while their three other teammates simply stood and watched. Knowing full well that Serge Ibaka would
not less see the ball let alone get any touches, he knew that Lebron would be
free to aide with doubling down on Durant along with not spending energy
guarding on the defensive end.
The same thing
happened with the Heat’s other star, Chris Bosh, who was shifted to the
center position knowing full well that he would not have to spend any effort
on the defensive end guarding Kendrick Perkins. Bosh would simply switch and double down on
Kevin Durant while just staying in the paint to prevent Russell Westbrook
from converting in the paint every time he barreled into the lane. Instead of playing five on five basketball,
the Thunder forced itself due its rather pedestrian offensive scheme to play
five on two against Miami. That would
spell doom for Oklahoma City as they would lose their next four games after
stealing the first game of the series on the Heat’s home court. Their performance in game five said it all
as fatigue set in for both Durant and Westbrook as Miami simply rolled over
them winning the game and the series by 15 points thus becoming NBA
champions.
Basketball purists
would finally breathe a sigh of relief as they watched the team that had spit
on their cherish beliefs of how the game should be played finally bested by
sound basketball fundamentals. The
Miami Heat not only won the NBA title, but also exposed the glaring weakness
of the Oklahoma City Thunder leaving them vulnerable to other teams looking
to take a crack at them. One of those
teams is the Minnesota Timberwolves who underwent one of the biggest roster
makeovers during the offseason by adding one of the best overall defenders in
league in Andrei Kirilenko, along with former all star swing man Brandon Roy
among other. Now the Thunder will be
faced with a team that can possibly take away their current stranglehold on
the Northwest Division while at the same time prove to be a troublesome
opponent come playoff time. Add the
spectacular offseason of the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring not just one but
two potential Hall of Famers, the Thunder will certainly be hard-pressed to
repeat that spectacular playoff run from last season.
Adding to the
pressure is that the Thunder’s second best player, James Harden, will be a
restricted free agent once the season ends giving OKC’s GM Sam Presti and
team owner Clayton Bennett quite the dilemma.
There is no doubting Harden’s talent and worth—he is arguably the
second or third best shooting guard in the league and certainly worth a
maximum contract extension. Unfortunately, the problem lies with the current
collective bargaining agreement in place which penalizes a team almost double
in luxury tax penalties if a team goes over the salary cap. With the Thunder already paying close to
50$ million on four players, paying Harden his worth will certainly put them
over the luxury tax threshold and there will be numerous teams who are under
the salary cap and ready willing and able to inflate Harden’s value just
enough to scare the Thunder away from matching their offers. So this may be the last time fans in the
OKC will be able to see their team who reached the NBA Finals last season
play together and with Harden possibly parting ways with the Thunder once the
season ends, it may be the last time the Thunder will ever have to make the
Finals as well.
|
||
Friday, September 21, 2012
SDH's 2012/2013 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 4. Los Angeles Lakers
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record : 41-25 first place
Pacific Division
|
Last Season’s Rank
7
|
Projected 2012/2013
Finish
4
|
Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
|
Returning Individual Statistical Leaders
|
|
Projected Starters Based on Last Season’s Performance, Veteran Seniority and Projected Impact
|
Key Reserves Based on Last Season’s Performances, Veteran Seniority and Potential Impact.
|
|
2012/2013
Projection: 60-22 first place in the
Pacific Division—it’s championship or bust for this aging L.A team.
Analysis:
While Lakers fans
are already planning their victory parades come June, they will be
disappointed to know that their team is not the powerhouse that they will
expect one the season begins in November.
Despite pulling off two of the most impressive offseason moves in
probably its history, the Los Angeles Lakers are far from the superpower that
they have been portrayed to be. Sure
they may have acquired the league’s top center in Dwight Howard in one of the
most complicated trades ever conceived and signed a future hall of fame point
guard in Steve Nash; however, despite the overhaul, the Lakers still remain a
rather flawed team. To start off ,
they will be entering the season with one of the oldest rosters in the league
along with having close to 83$ million dollars invested in a starting five
who have an average age of 32.4 years.
Lakers fans are essentially pinning their championship hopes on a 38
year old point guard who probably should have retired in Steve Nash and a
possibly one and done player in Dwight Howard—not exactly a solid foundation
to build a championship contender.
While many have the
Lakers owning the regular season with their star studded lineup, the facts
will show that projection is farther than the truth. With the current state of the Western
Conference, the Lakers will be lucky enough to win their division, let alone
the Western Conference. Impressive as their offseason moves were, the Lakers
only made themselves at best to be at par with the other elite teams in the
West. They cannot even set themselves
apart from their fellow Staples Center tenant Los Angeles Clippers who have
also made major strides this offseason as well. As for the other top dogs in the
West—namely the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder—the Lakers
will have a lot to prove in showing that they can even measure up to the
likes of those teams, let alone surpass them.
Last season, the
Thunder simply manhandled this Lakers team as they literally zipped past them
in the backcourt not even allowing LA to catch its breath let alone catch
up. Now, the starting backcourt
consists of two aging veterans who are a step slower and possibly unable to
keep up with lightning quick guards such as the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook
and the Clippers’ Chris Paul to name a couple. Unless those flaws in defense are remedied,
LA will continue to struggle with the younger and quicker teams in the
league. Along with its suspect defense,
LA’s bench still remains a major question mark as even though it has greatly
improved from last season, it still remains rather old, slow and
inconsistent. The Lakers’ second unit
is currently anchored by a 36 year old Antawn Jamison who has seen much of
his quickness and athleticism fall at the waist-side.
Upon closer inspection
this team is no more of a championship contender than it ever was last
season—the Lakers just have bigger names in their roster, that’s all. It is sort of reminiscent of the roster in
2004 where the Lakers acquired two aging big names whose best years had
passed them by to play alongside the team’s stars at the time, Kobe Bryant
and Shaquille O’Neal. The team picked
up a 41 year old Karl Malone who was let go from his previous team the Utah Jazz along with signing a 37 year old Gary Payton to give the Lakers another
shot at a title. It was a disaster
from the start of the season as the aging Karl Malone, known for his
longevity, simply just fell apart and was shelved for most of the season due
to injury while Gary Payton proved that his reputation of being “the Glove”
was overrated to say the least. To
make a long story short, although the Lakers managed to reach the Finals that
year, they were then simply embarrassed by an underdog Detroit Pistons and
then completely disintegrated right after.
Coach Phil Jackson
resigned soon after, Shaq was later traded to the Miami Heat, Karl Malone
remained a shattered mess forcing him to retire, and Gary Payton simply faded
away into obscurity. All that was left
was Kobe Bryant and he was left to shoulder the blame and criticism as the
Lakers stumbled through the next three seasons missing the playoffs in 2005
and getting eliminated in the first round in the following two seasons. It seemed as if the Lakers would continue
the trend in 2008, until they received mana from heaven in the form of Pau
Gasol which later resulted in LA reaching the Finals three years in a row,
winning two of them. Now the Lakers
are in similar situation as they were in 2004 with an aging and deteriorating
roster on the verge of collapsing once the season ends. Even though the names
and faces have changed, it is more than likely that history will repeat
itself leaving Lakers fans deflated and on the verge of watching another
painful rebuilding period yet again.
|
||
Thursday, September 20, 2012
SDH's 2012/2013 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 5. New York Knicks
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record : 36-30 second place
Atlantic Division
|
13
|
Projected 2012/2013
Finish
5
|
Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
|
Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
|
|
Projected Starters Based on Last Season’s Performance, Veteran Seniority and Projected Impact
|
Key Reserves Based on Last Season’s Performances, Veteran Seniority and Potential Impact.
|
|
2012/2013
Projection: 50-32 tied first place in
the Atlantic Division, it’s put up or shut up time in the Big Apple.
Analysis:
Two years ago, the
New York Knicks were projected to be the team of the future after acquiring
two of the biggest names in the league—Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo
Anthony. Most anticipated that with
the tandem of Amare and Anthony, the Knicks would be the primary hurdle
against the Miami Heat to win the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately those days have yet to arrive
as the Knicks have so far stumbled out of the gates as Gotham City’s dynamic
duo have not been able to click. Last
season could have been a complete disaster as the Knicks looked completely
out of sync and it took a Taiwanese Harvard grad who no one had ever heard of
to come to the team’s rescue. Now that
prized diamond in the rough is now moved on to Houston while the Knicks
remain with its two headed monster who seem to be going in completely
opposite directions.
At
one time, people associated Carmelo Anthony with the likes of current NBA greats
such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant; however, now it is quite
apparent that Anthony does not even hold a candle to them. While James, Bryant and Durant have
elevated their teams to elite status leading them to the NBA Finals and championship
rings, Anthony’s teams has essentially floundered in mediocrity. While playing for the Denver Nuggets,
despite his scoring prowess, Anthony still could not lift his team beyond
marginal status and to add insult to injury, Denver actually improved since
he left. While Anthony’s former team
seemed to have not missed a step since his departure, the same cannot be said
about his current which has played disappointingly underwhelming thus far. So far the Knicks have been 50-43 since
Carmelo arrived at Madison Square Garden whereas the Denver Nuggets have gone
57-35 without him thus far—certainly not an outcome that of the MSG faithful
had originally anticipated.
At
the same time the Knicks other star, Amare Stoudemire, who signed with them
to a 100$ million deal over the next five years seems to be on the verge of
decline. Upon arriving in New York,
his production dropped significantly as injuries have started to take their
toll on the once unstoppable big man.
It did not help when Carmelo Anthony arrived as his production got
even worse as his shooting percentage took a dip along with his scoring
production. Through much of last
season, Stoudemire struggled with his shot as he had to create most of them
on his own unlike his time in Phoenix where he was the primary recipient of
all of Steve Nash’s lobs and alley-oop passes. He continued to struggle offensively that
season until he was blessed by the powers that be a point guard who was
equally effective and efficient as Nash was in Jeremy Lin—now with Lin gone
to lead the Houston Rockets, will Amare return to his struggling ways of last
season?
Although
the loss of Lin greatly hurt the Knicks plans for the future, their front
office managed to partially fill in his void with a few inexpensive stop gap
replacements. They brought back
Raymond Felton who had his best season while playing such a short time in New
York as he posted career highs in scoring (17.1ppg) and assists per game
(9.0). Hopefully Felton will return to
form after having such a dreadful season in Portland last year because if
not, the Knicks backcourt does not look too pretty. Backing up Felton will be a 40 year old
Jason Kidd who stunk up last season while with the Dallas Mavericks as he
posted career lows across the board.
Add an equally geriatric Pablo Prigioni who at 35, will be playing his
rookie season in the NBA, the Knicks point guard situation looks pretty grim
to say the least and although many have touted their roster as one of the
deepest in the league, it consists of washed up has-beens such as Marcus
Camby and overall perennial disappointment JR Smith.
Despite
this rather bleak portrayal, the Knicks still are ranked rather high
primarily due to the strength of its roster and based on the assumption that
all their players will perform at peak efficiency. Unfortunately, even at full strength, the
Knicks are nowhere near strong enough to separate themselves from the rest of
the pack, let alone provide any challenge for the Miami Heat come playoff
time. New York cannot even separate
themselves from their division, let alone the Eastern Conference as three
other teams in its division are all but equal with each other. So do not expect the Knicks to dominate in
the league standings as they will probably one squeak by for the Atlantic
Division crown and certainly do not anticipate New York to be anywhere near
championship worthy for this season or any season for that matter. The Knicks may be good, probably better
than they have ever been in a very long time, but they are simple not good
enough and probably will never be.
|
||
SDH's 2012/2013 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 6. Los Angeles Clippers
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record : 40-26 second place
Pacific Division
|
8
|
Projected 2012/2013 Finish
6
|
Last season’s
Team Statistics and League Rank
|
Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
|
|
Projected Starters Based on Last Season’s Performance, Veteran Seniority and Projected Impact
|
Key Reserves Based on Last Season’s Performances, Veteran Seniority and Potential Impact.
|
|
2012/2013 Projection: 55-27 second place in the Pacific Division
with an outside shot to knock their dreaded hometown rivals the Lakers off
their rather high pedestal.
Analysis:
Last season, despite posting
their best performance in franchise history posting one of the best records
in the league along with winning only their second playoff series in its
history, the Clippers were a bit of a disappointment. Everyone expected the Clippers to simply
dominate with the acquisition of possibly the best point guard in the league
Chris Paul paired alongside the reigning rookie of the year Blake
Griffin. Although they made an
impressive combination, the rest of the team looked rather underwhelming at
best. Both Paul and Griffin were the
only consistent scorers in the starting five as the other three remained
unreliable at best and at worst, completely invisible. Many expected a breakout season from
starting center DeAndre Jordon as the Clipper signed him on a five year 50$
million extension; however, despite all the hype and money , Jordan played
rather underwhelming as he was a non factor on the offensive end while being
a moderate, if not mediocre presence on the defensive end too. Much was also expected from Caron Butler,
an All Star caliber player who had just come off winning an NBA title with
the Dallas Mavericks; however, his contributions proved to be negligible as
his offense slipped to near career lows while his defense, supposedly his
strong suit, was average if not unspectacular.
Add that with a rather
non-descript bench that consisted of washed up veterans and mediocre role
players, much of the last season comprised of the Blake Griffin and Chris
Paul show with them doing much of the worked while the rest of the team just
watching. It was eerily similar to
Paul’s experience in New Orleans where both he and former teammate David West
had to carry their team throughout their seasons together. They brought the Hornets to the playoffs, but
those post season appearances never materialized to much as they were quickly
ousted in the first round each time.
With Paul becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the
season, it was imperative to Clippers to assure him that would not have to
endure the same experience as he had while playing for New Orleans. And they did so rather well by
orchestrating one of the most active off seasons in the league acquiring
solid veteran talent to convince Paul that they are a team primed for his ultimate
prize, an NBA championship ring.
They started by acquiring a
familiar face in Lamar Odom, whom the Clippers originally drafted in 1999,
but later moved on to win two NBA championship rings with the Clippers’ arch
nemesis Los Angeles Lakers. Odom
struggled last season as he posted career lows after being traded to Dallas
Mavericks last season—so much so that both Mavericks and Odom agreed that it
was probably for the best that they went their separate ways during mid
season. Many who saw him play last
year wondered if Odom still had anything left after that disastrous season
and whether or not he can still be an impact player for the Clippers;
however, much of his poor play had to do with factors outside of his control. During the lockout last summer, Odom lost
his brother prior to the new season starting and the environment in Dallas
was far from what he was used to. In
L.A, he was one of the focal points of Phil Jackson’s triangle offence as he
would bring up the ball, facilitate for his teammates and push the tempo if
need be; however, in Dallas his role was rather limited as he was buried
under a roster of old veterans who were more concerned with getting their own
shots rather than running a more structured offense such as the Triangle.
The Clippers will be a welcomed
change for Odom as he will return to the city where he started his career and
will be playing behind high caliber players in the form of Chris Paul and
Blake Griffin. Along with Odom, the
Clippers added a supported cast of veterans who have a combined 373 games of
playoff experience, 10 appearances in the NBA Finals, and have 9 NBA
Championship rings between them. The
Clippers resigned veteran Chauncey Billups who suffered a season ending ACL
tear, but has now fully recovered and is now looking to prove his doubters
wrong once again. L.A also added
additional firepower in the form of Jamal Crawford and Willie Green known for
their proficiency from beyond the arc and their abilities to put up points in
a hurry. Add six time NBA All Star
Grant Hill along with Ronnie Turiaf who is fresh off of winning a NBA title with the Miami Heat, the Clippers have altogether formidable lineup with
enough winning experience to rival any NBA team.
Expect the Clippers to be on
everyone’s hit list as along with gunning for the top teams in the West, L.A
will also be wearing bright red bull’s eyes on their backs too. With the team that he has now, Chris Paul
can be assured that this Clipper team will do anything to assure him that it
is a viable championship contender.
This especially will speak droves to him once he becomes an
unrestricted free agent at season’s end and will have numerous teams under
the salary cap who will vie for his services.
In their offseason moves, Los Angeles have not only made themselves a
force to be reckoned with this season but for seasons to come as a new
culture of winning and excellence has been infused in a franchise that was
once considered a laughing stock. It
is a new day in the City of Angels as there will not be just one but two
shining stars setting this metropolis alight.
|
||
SDH's 2012/2013 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 7. Minnesota Timberwolves
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record : 26-40 fifth place
Northwest Division
|
Last Season’s Rank
20
|
Projected 2012/2013 Finish
7
|
Last season’s
Team Statistics and League Rank
|
Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
|
|
Projected Starters Based on Last Season’s Performance, Veteran Seniority and Projected Impact
|
Key Reserves Based on Last Season’s Performances, Veteran Seniority and Potential Impact.
|
|
2012/2013 Projection: 55-27, tied first place in the Northwest
Division; The wolf pack has finally woken up from hibernation.
Analysis:
After five long years of
toiling in the bottom of the league, the Minnesota Timberwolves have finally
turned things around making themselves not only a playoff contender, but also
a darkhorse favorite to reach the NBA Finals. It all started with the Wolves having one
of the most active off-seasons in its history trading away first round picks
for quality veteran talent along with signing one of the best free agency
classes of the year. They signed two
players from their division rivals, Andrei Kirilenko formerly of the Utah Jazz and former Portland Trailblazer Brandon Roy giving the Wolves two savvy
veterans to go along Minnesota’s young duo of Kevin Love and Ricky
Rubio. They also bolstered their
rather weak second unit trading for swingman Chase Buddinger and athletic
long forward Dante Cunningham to add some neededed depth to go along with number two pick in last year’s NBA draft Derrick Williams and
former Dallas Maverick Jose Juan Barea.
Altogether the Wolves have one of the most deepest and talented
rosters in the league and will certainly open some eyes and turn some heads
in this upcoming season.
This new roster will certainly
be welcomed by Wolves coach Rick Adelman who struggled to find a suitable
combination on the floor that can put the ball in the basket while at the
same time give a strong effort on the defensive end. Last season, the Wolves suffered two-fold
having not only one of the worst shooting teams in the league, but one of the
worse defensive teams as well. Save
for starting center Nicola Pekovic, no other player on the team shot .500
from the field while at the same time Pekovic was only of three Timberwolves
to shoot better than .450 from the field.
With the new roster, the Wolves have the firepower that the team most
desperately needed taking much of the pressure off their star, Kevin Love,
not only in scoring, but also on the rebounding side as well. With this new lineup, Minnesota will
certainly be hitting much more shots reducing the need for Love to clean up
after all the errant shots of his teammates last season.
Of course the biggest moves of
the Wolves’ offseason were the acquisitions of veterans Andrei Kirilenko and
Brandon Roy—two veterans who look to redeem themselves in the eyes of
fans. Kirilenko especially has a major
chip on his shoulder after being chastised for much of his NBA career for not
playing at an All Star level that Jazz fans expected from him. Much of the criticism was rather unfair
considering the fact that Kirilenko was left in the cold thanks to the Jazz
acquiring Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mehemet Okur. Instead of being the first option on the
offensive end as Kirilenko was in the early part of his career, he was slowly
downgraded to being the fourth or even fifth offensive option on the team. In
addition, with the style of play at the time under former coach Jerry Sloan
that focused on just two players, the point guard and power forwards,
Kirilenko was essentially frozen out of Utah’s offensive schemes.
Yet despite his troubles,
Kirilenko remained one of the best defensive swingmen in the league leading
the Jazz in both steals and blocked shot per game during his ten year stint
with the Jazz. He also proved that he
was still on top of his game winning MVP of the Euro League while at the same
time leading his Russian team to a rather impressive Olympic Finish in
London. Adding Kirilenko will give the
Wolves a defensive presence that they have lacked for some time and although
he will not be counted on to score plenty of points, but will still be a
strong contributor in putting the ball in the basket. The real question coming into this season,
however, is whether or not Brandon Roy, who was forced to retire at the
tender age of 27 due to nagging injuries, will return to his All Star form
once the season begins. Luck for him,
no one expects him to be the star of the Wolves as he was in Portland and if
Brandon Roy manages to put up solid number of 13-15 points per game along
with 3-4 assists and rebounds per game, then it would have been all but worth
it.
The real player who will be
under the microscope will be Kevin Love as he will have to prove that he is
the superstar that the media has portrayed him to be. There is no doubting his ability and
talent; however, one must wonder whether he deserves to be mentioned along
with the likes of NBA greats such as Lebron James, Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant to name few. All that he has
shown thus far is that is a rather good player on a rather bad team—despite
averaging close to 23 points and 14 rebounds per game in the last two
seasons, his team has only won 43 games in that time span. Love will have to shown not only fans, but
his detractors as well that he is the franchise player that the fans, coaches
and front office of Minnesota along with the media portray him to be. Nonetheless, with the team that he has now,
the Minnesota Timberwolves will certainly be a force to be reckoned with and
Wolves fans, after five long and hard years will finally have something to
cheer about.
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