Power Rankings: 25-21

25: Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are looking pretty good, but they are not a playoff team. Kyrie Irving is an amazing point guard with amazing talent, but he can't carry this team on his back. They need more pieces to this team. C.J. Miles, Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters. These are all key pieces to this team, but the team needs more to become a competitor. I am excited to watch the Cavaliers this season, but they won't be making the playoffs.

24: Toronto Raptors. Toronto picked up some key players in the offseason: Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields,  Terrence Ross, and former draft pick Jonas Valanciunas. They have definitely improved from last year, but they still aren't ready for the playoffs. They could be a playoff team right now, because they had the number one pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. But they picked Italian center Andrea Bargnani, who hasn't lived up to expectations. This guy is a center that can shoot threes. He should be starting on the all star team. For Toronto to make the playoffs, Bargnani definitely needs to improve. Another player on this team that needs to step up is DeMar DeRozan. This guy should be the next Vince Carter. He has been in the dunk contest twice. If veterans DeRozan and Bargnani can step up, this team will be playoff ready.

23: New Orleans Hornets: The hype this year for the Hornets all comes from the number one pick, center Anthony Davis. I think Davis can be really good and lead this team to an eventual return to the playoffs. But the player that needs to be the leader for this team is Eric Gordon. Gordon was injured most of last year, and that is what the problem is. But if Eric Gordon is healthy and playing well, and Anthony Davis is living up to expectations, this team still isn't making the playoffs. Why? They need a small forward. Who does New Orleans have at the three position right now? Al-Farouq-Aminu? Hakim Warrick? Darius Miller? To be a playoff team, you need solid players at all positions. These guys are not solid players. So when Anthony Davis is living up to expectations, Eric Gordon is healthy and at his best, and the team has a solid player at the small forward position, then this team can talk about playoffs.

22: Phoenix Suns. The Suns did not have a great offseason. The main thing that hurts them is losing Steve Nash. Nash was an amazing player for this team. He always carried Phoenix on his back. He is so good because he knows the fundamentals and is arguably the best floor general in the game. He always can get the ball to the right places, no matter what his age is. The reason the Suns narrowly missed the playoffs last season is that Nash had no great scorer to get the ball to. The Suns were so successful in the 2010 playoffs because Nash had someone to get the ball to. Nash to Stoudemire was the thing. But when Amare Stoudemire left, the Suns stopped making the playoffs because they had no great scorer. Fortunately, the team signed Goran Dragic, who had a great last season. Hopefully he can be this team's next Steve Nash.

                   21: Houston Rockets. Houston had one of the worst offseasons in the league. They got rid of everyone to attempt to get Dwight Howard, but that failed. Now they are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. They have three first round picks, Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, and Terrence Jones, along with rookies Scott Machado and Donatas Motiejunas. They have second year players JaJuan Johnson, Marcus Morris, Greg Smith, and Chandler Parsons. Their third year players are Gary Forbes, Patrick Patterson, Jeremy Lin, and Omer Asik. That's 13 players! That's like the whole team! Kevin Martin, Carlos Delfino, and Shaun Livingston are the main veterans on this team, but they need more. You can't have a team this young with only a couple of veterans making the playoffs. They need more veterans.

Power Rankings: 30-26

For the upcoming season, I am going to rank every NBA team 30-21 to see all of the worst teams and which of them are expected to do better than others this season. After this season, we will see which teams finished as expected. Here are teams 30-25.

30: Orlando Magic. The Magic gave away Dwight Howard and got basically nothing. Arron Afflalo? Al Harrington? Nikola Vucevic? And all of those draft picks they got aren't going to help them this season. They now just have no star on this team (but they still have some stars on the logo. because Dwight Howard is a jerk. All he wants is to win. He has no loyalty to his team. I'm not saying he is the only selfish NBA player, I'm just saying that that the Orlando Magic could have gotten a lot more for Dwight Howard.

29: Charlotte Bobcats. Last year, the Bobcats had the worst NBA season of all time. To top that, they lost the first pick in the draft, so they missed out on Anthony Davis. They settled for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist instead. In my opinion, Kidd-Gilchrist is overrated. He really isn't that good. Anthony Davis would have given them a bright future, but not so much of a future with Gilchrist. The Bobcats also lost D. J. Augustin, arguably their best player last year, only to replace him with Ramon Sessions. Corey Maggette did well for them also last year, but he is also gone now. The only hope for Charlotte now is for the young guys Kemba Walker, Bismack Biyombo, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to step up and lead.

28: Sacramento Kings. The Kings, I'm sorry to tell you, stink. But they shouldn't stink. The Kings have some talent on their team-Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, and Marcus Thornton, just to name a couple. The problem is they don't pass the ball. Everyone on the team is looking to score. That is the reason that the Kings stink. They shoot too much. If the Kings start passing the ball, then they will start winning games. And, if you win games, you become a better team. The Kings could move cities anytime, but until then, pass.
                                                  27: Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have some pretty talented young guys. Brandon Knight, Greg Monroe, and now Andre Drummond. They are looking pretty good for this season, but we can't be sure How well their young (and old) players will play. They have opportunity for a great season, but also opportunity for a disappointing season. Tayshaun Prince is one player on this team that needs to step up, as well as veterans Corey Maggette, Jason Maxiell, and Charlie Villanueva. The young guys are the key to this team's success, but the veterans also need to be key contributors. If I could choose a face for the franchise, it would be Greg Monroe. This is his chance; his season to step up and lead. If the Pistons want success, mix the veteran play with the young guys' athleticism.

26: Washington Wizards. The Wizards are overrated. They did pick up some solid players in the off-season, but they haven't proved anything at all yet. Some things need to happen before they become a playoff team. The first thing is John Wall. He needs to play at an all star level and be a leader and a floor general for this team. They also need chemistry to mix the young players with the veterans. Nene, Trevor Ariza, and Martell Webster are just some of the veterans on this team that can and need to lead as well. Bradley Beal, the rookie and number three pick overall, also needs to work on his game. The most important thing for him is just to knock down the three when he is open and when it is needed. So basically, John Wall needs to mix with the veterans and be a leader.


        

Preseason Starts!

Finally the NBA Preseason is starting! I can't wait!

Here is the best play from preseason so far!

Predicting the Starting 5 For Each NBA Team

I am going to predict the starters for each team this season.

This is my prediction for the Oklahoma City Thunder starting five.

Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague, Lou Williams, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith, Al Horford
Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Courtney Lee, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett
Brooklyn Nets: Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez
Charlotte Bobcats: Ramon Sessions, Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bismack Biyombo, Brendan Haywood
Chicago Bulls: Kirk Hinrich, Richard Hamilton, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah
Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, C.J. Miles, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao
Dallas Mavericks: Rodrigue Beaubois, Delonte West, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Kaman
Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Dalino Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, JaVale McGee
Detroit Pistons: Brandon Knight, Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince, Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, David Lee, Andrew Bogut
Houston Rockets: Jeremy Lin, Kevin Martin, Carlos Delfino, Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik
Indiana Pacers: George Hill, Paul George, Danny Granger, David West, Roy Hibbert
LA Clippers: Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Lamar Odom, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan
LA Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard
Memphis Grizzlies: Jerryd Bayless, Tony Allen, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol
Miami Heat: Mario Chalmers, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh
Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, Luc Mbah-a-Moute, Ersan Ilyasova, Samuel Dalembert
Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko, Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic
New Orleans Hornets: Austin Rivers, Eric Gordon, Hakim Warrick, Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis
New York Knicks: Raymond Felton, J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler
Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins
Orlando Magic: Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, Hedo Turkoglu, Al Harrington, Glen Davis
Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Dorrell Wright, Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum
Phoenix Suns: Goran Drajic, Jared Dudley, Michael Beasley, Luis Scola, Marcin Gortat
Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Meyers Leonard
Sacramento Kings: Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, Thomas Robinson, DeMarcus Cousins
San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Boris Diaw
Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Landry Fields, Andrea Bargnani, Jonas Valanciunas
Utah Jazz: Mo Williams, Randy Foye, Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson
Washington Wizards: John Wall, Bradley Beal, Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor, Nene

The Dwightmare is Finally Over

Dwight Howard finally got traded. But is it fair for the small market teams?

Dwight Howard finally got traded. After there were trade talks for what seems like an eternity, one finally went through. If you somehow didn't hear the news, here is the trade:
Lakers get: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, and Earl Clark.
Nuggets get: Andre Iguodala.
76ers get: Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson.
Magic get: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts, Christain Eyenga, a protected first round draft pick from each of the other three teams, and two other draft picks.
Wow. What a mouthful. It took four teams, 12 players, five draft picks, and trade talking for a ton of time, but it finally is over. But what about the Lakers now? Is it fair that they have four all-stars and amazing depth of players on their team? Is it fair that only 4 or 5 big market teams have a real shot at the title, and that everyone else will be left in the dust? Is this league just a bunch of guys playing basketball, or is it more than that? Oh well. I guess I can write all I want about it, but it won't change a thing. I guess i'll just enjoy watching my favorite sport.

NBA Free Agency: The Leftovers

Now that free agency is almost over in the NBA, lets see who is left. Here are some players who are left and their old teams (in alphabetical order):
Lou Amundson- Indiana Pacers F
Chris Anderson- Denver Nuggets F/C
Gilbert Arenas- Memphis Grizzlies G
Leandro Barbosa- Indiana Pacers G
Matt Barnes- Los Angeles Lakers F

Free Agents like Leandro Barbosa (left) will probably
get a contract while Goran Dragic (middle) has already
gotten one and Lou Amundson (right) might not.

Andray Blatche- Washington Wizards F
Josh Childress- Phoenix Suns F
Carlos Delfino- Milwaukee Bucks F
Jordan Farmar- Atlanta Hawks G
Derek Fisher- Oklahoma City Thunder G
Jonny Flynn- Portland Trail Blazers G
Alonzo Gee- Cleveland Cavaliers F
Ryan Gomes- Los Angeles Clippers F
Donte Greene- Sacramento Kings F
Josh Howard- Utah Jazz F
Lester Hudson- Memphis Grizzlies F
Ivan Johnson- Atlanta Hawks F
Kenyon Martin- Los Angeles Clippers F
Tracy McGrady- Atlanta Hawks F
Anthony Parker- Cleveland Cavaliers G
Mickael Pietrus- Boston Celtics F
Michael Redd- Phoenix Suns G
Anthony Tolliver- Minnesota Timberwolves F
Martell Webster- Minnesota Timberwolves G
Of course, not even half of these guys are likely to get a deal, so they only will if they're lucky. There are many other free agents who could get a deal also, but these guys are more likely.

KD vs LeBron-Who is a Better Scorer?

LeBron James and Kevin Durant. They can both score,
and everyone knows it.

Kevin Durant vs LeBron James. Who could wish for a better match up? Two freakishly talented forwards meet in the NBA Finals to clash. I sure loved watching them play against each other. But who is a more capable scorer?  It would probably be pretty easy to compare them, since they play the same position, they are both about the same height, and they are both amazingly athletic. They are possibly (and probably) the two best players in the NBA (you have to face the facts, Lakers fans, Kobe isn't young anymore). So lets figure out who is a better scorer.
Let's compare the average they score each game, for their careers (counting the playoffs). That's 27.2 points for KD and 28.9 for LeBron. However, Durant has been the scoring champion for three years in a row, and LeBron has only accomplished that once. And in the past three years, LeBron averaged 27.8 points a game and Durant averaged 28.6. LeBron, who has Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and now Ray Allen on the Heat, might not have as many opportunities to score as Kevin Durant, who pretty much only has Russell Westbrook to worry about.
Edge: Durant

LeBron James CAN Get It Done-When He Wants To

If the Heat want to win the Finals, they cannot mess around.

We have witnessed LeBron explode for 45 points in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and we now know he can get the job done when he has a real desire to do so. The question is, does LeBron really want to win an NBA Championship? Does he really have a strong desire to go the distance? If he really does, he will. He might have just procrastinated his explosion to move to the Finals. But you can not procrastinate anything in a series against the Thunder. they will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let them. If LeBron James wants to win a championship though, he will definitely need some help from his teammates. Wade and Bosh stepped it up with LeBron in game 7, but they cannot be messing around during the Finals. Those are the three best keys for the Heat in the Finals: 1. They need to want it. 2. They can not procrastinate. 3. They cannot mess around. I wish the best luck for LeBron and the Heat in the Finals this year, but they still need a lot more to learn and have a long way to go before a championship happens.

Eastern Conference Finals-Year of Surprises

LeBron high-fives Haslem as the Heat beat the Celtics in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals.

Nobody expected the Boston Celtics to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. They could have easily gotten out in the first round to the Hawks. Nobody expected the Sixers to beat the Bulls in the first round just because of the Derrick Rose injury. This made it much easier to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the Boston Celtics. Nobody expected the Celtics to come back from being down 0-2 vs the Heat and take a 3-2 lead in the series. Nobody expected the Celtics to take the Heat to Game 7, and nobody expected LeBron to go off in Game 6. Nobody expected Linsanity. Nobody expected the NBA Lockout to end late and there to be a shortened season. Nobody expected a 7-footer to win the 3 point contest, or Jeremy Evans to win the dunk contest. Nobody expected the Indiana Pacers to get a 3rd seed in the Playoffs.Nobody expected the New Orleans Hornets to get the number one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Nobody expected the defending champs to get swept in the first round, or the Thunder to win four straight games against the Spurs after the Spurs' 20 game win streak. Nobody expected all of this to happen in one season, but this was the year of surprises. 

Nobody knows what will happen in the Finals. Can LeBron and the Heat step it up? Or will the young Thunder take it all? This is the year of surprises, so we can't expect anything.

The Western Conference Finals

Durant and the Thunder took care of the Spurs. But can they beat the Heat?

The Western Conference Finals are now over and were defindefinitely full of surprises. Let's take a look at them, see what happened, and enjoy the Finals.
The Western Conference Finals were  definitely a surprise. The Spurs had won 20 straight games, had a 2-0 lead, and looked unstoppable when suddenly, out of nowhere, Oklahoma City somehow won four straight to advance to the NBA Finals. I like the Spurs, don't get me wrong. They have so much experience in the Playoffs and so much young talent as well, with players like Kawhi Leonard, DeJuan Blair, and Danny Green. The only thing I have against them is that they swept my team, the Utah Jazz, in the first round. But KD, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and the rest of the Thunder somehow miraculously stepped it up to advance. And believe me, their journey was not easy. They swept the defending champs in the first round, took care of the team that had gone to the finals three straight years before that in the second round, and pulled off a miracle in the Conference Finals. They beat the three best teams in the Western Conference and they are my favorite to win the Finals.

Intro

The NBA is my favorite thing to check, watch, and write about. This will be a blog where I write my opinions and analyze the NBA. Here is a video made by me.