Hornets Preview (that will eventually dissolve into a love letter to Chris Paul)

A guest post by Drew Ludeke

As a basketball lover whose favorite team is more discombobulated than Emmit Smith trying to form a sentence, you learn to look elsewhere for a team to be entertained by and also root for. Last year, that team was the New Orleans Hornets. It wasn’t just the alley-oops, the game-breaking three’s, their formidable defense, rebounding and shot-blocking or even Chris Paul’s breakout season; it was the permanent groove that the whole team existed in where they knew what needed to be done to win the game. It took a ton of flops and a Robert Horry elbow to David West’s back to knock them out of the playoffs and you better believe they would’ve given the Lakers a tougher run to the Finals but alas, it is a new season so here’s what they’re working with now…

The X Factor
Some analysts have said that the Hornets should’ve spread their money around a bit more, plugging up the frontcourt bench or on a reliable backup for Paul, rather than betting it all on thirty-one year old journeyman James Posey and only hindsight will determine his long-term effectiveness. For now, he will automatically provide the team numerous positives in terms of lockdown defense, boosting team morale, hustle, versatility from the 1-3 and most importantly, hitting the wide open three on the break. The possible long-term negatives will revolve around his age, possibly overpaying for him and the effect that contract will have on the rest of the team should West, Chandler or Paul be out for an extended period of time and the bench can’t pick up the slack. All that matters now is that the words of inspiration he whispers in every player’s ear before tip-off will make them a better team.

(Possible) Weakness:
Frontcourt Depth- David West and Tyson Chandler aren’t exactly known for their longevity so their health could become an issue as the season wears on. Cross your fingers and consult your local witch doctor.

Curse of Beijing
If I ever own an NBA franchise, every major contract would forbid players from participating in any extracurricular competition. Stern would have me tarred and feathered for it and people would say I’m un-American but it’s simply a better business decision in case your superstar point guard suffers a horrific injury because he played in international competition that summer. I’m not saying it’ll happen but if it does, remember where you heard it. If Monta Ellis can’t ride a motorcycle, Chris Paul and Co. shouldn’t play FIBA ball.

The Bench
Hilton Armstrong sounds like he should be a preppy at a yacht club but should continue to be a valuable backup to David West especially if he keeps developing. The same goes for Julian Wright who may have to fight for minutes behind Peja and Posey but he can play the two, three and Byron Scott’s apparently convinced he could even play the point in a pinch so I think he’ll have a major impact this season. Not to insult Mike James but the New Orleans faithful will actually miss Jannero Pargo a little bit this season when he’s not around to keep the ball moving for the few moments Paul catches his breath. Morris Peterson’s more than reliable but he’s more of a shooter than the true point they need. That being said James should be reliable. I’d like to hope that Devin Brown contributes something valuable off the bench but I’m not holding my breath. Melvin Ely has a name fit for a 70s soul singer, looks like one of Slim Charles’ muscle and he plays like it. Those were compliments by the way. And what about Bonzi Wells? He hasn’t been arrested, sidelined by a venereal disease or a lack of sobriety playing in a city that’s home to vice and high crime rates… yet. I’m hoping that it stays that way.

Peja!
The dirtiest beard in the NBA with one of the most reliable three-point shots. Sure, he’s slowed down a bit with injuries and age but I’ll always remember him for those daggers he was hitting for those Kings teams that got robbed earlier in the decade. Thinking about that made me feel old.

The Revolution, The Truth, The Standard
I’ve been wasting my breath talking to anyone willing to listen for the past 9 months or so that Chris Paul is the most exciting player to watch in the NBA right now. My grandmother, hobos, jerks who stopped caring about basketball once Jordan retired, toddlers, the deaf, you name it, they know about him. Aside from gushing adoration for Paul, I particularly told the jerks who thought the NBA sucked now while they were busy digesting their fantasy football waiver wires that the league was on the verge of another renaissance. At the head of that emerging golden age was the true point guard, leading the break, making the dish or slicing through the lane like a brain surgeon with a scalpel. It’s a step back from the superstar-driven play of the 90s and a huge step forward towards exhilarating team basketball. Jason Kidd’s Nets, Steve Nash & Mike D’Antoni’s Suns deserve all the credit for getting the ball rolling on this but now the new generation is taking the reins over. The leader of that new generation is none other than Chris Paul.
Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing in at 175 lbs., you’d be hard pressed to believe that this man can play with the likes of Kobe, Lebron or Garnett but what he lacks in size he makes up for in will and his refusal to lose. After watching as many games as possible and spending the offseason watching the plethora of youtube clips of him repeatedly in between the Olympic games, I find myself struggling to describe what makes him so damned good. I guess the only thing to say is that a great basketball player is not only great himself but makes those around him better and while he has his own individual talents, Paul’s innate ability to improve his teammates is why most agree he was last year’s MVP. He even makes me want to play better. Watching Chris Paul makes me appreciate basketball so much that I’ve spent the summer working on my lefty dribbling and my mid-range jumper and my career will probably never go further than a random pick-up game.
So while I’ve got newfound reason to start liking my Knicks again and I’ve got a new favorite team to watch this season (Blazers), I’m going to stick with the Hornets or whatever team Chris Paul plays with. Why? Because I’ll never know what he’s going to do next but I’ll always know what to expect: amazing basketball. Many an analyst have said that while Paul is set to have another great season, don’t expect any more fireworks from the Hornets. They spent too much on Posey, West is injury prone, Paul doesn’t have a reliable back-up, and their bench is a weak question mark. Most of all, everyone thinks that everyone knows they’re coming this time around and won’t be surprised. I agree with everything except for the last statement. With Paul leading the show, opponents will never know what’s coming and despite the price with the addition of Posey, they’re primed to have a big year. My prediction: Hornets 1st in the Southwest, 2nd in the Conference and my pick to face the Rockets or Lakers in the Conference Finals.

If the past three paragraphs were pure gibberish to you, just watch these….

The Smiling Assassin

Problem Child

The Standard?!?
It’s what we’re proposing, nay, demanding be Chris Paul’s official nickname. He’s called CP3 right now but what kind of nickname is that other than his initials and number? It’s bland for such an exciting player and it sounds like C-3PO, who was the lamest robot in science fiction. So taking matters into our own hands, we’ve come up with the Standard. I believe the editor put it best recently, Chris Paul is The Revolution, The Truth, The Standard by which all PGs will be measured for the next decade, therefore, The Standard. If you don’t like it, we’re willing to hear suggestions but have you ever tried coming up with a decent nickname for someone other than a retarded drinking buddy? At the very least, you can agree CP3 should go so try to spread the word about The Standard, use it in a conversation, post it on a blog. Chris Paul deserves it after giving you so much.

Marion for Kidd

The Trade

Why It Makes Sense for Dallas
Dallas isn't winning the West this year with Kidd and if they have no chance to win the title you can bet he's going to be looking to more elsewhere. Let Marion play the 3, move Howard to shooting guard and go big. Or, Marion and Dirk crash the boards with Jason Terry, Antoine Wright and Josh Howard in the backcourt they can run. Either way they still aren't winning the West but Marion at least has a few more years in him. If it doesn't work out you trade him later as an expiring contract. Plus Marion and Dirk can bond over the Steve Nash what-could-have-been fantasies I'm sure they both get from time to time.

Why It Makes Sense for Miami
Miami loses someone who was unhappy as it was and they pick up a much needed point guard. Kidd can hold the starting role down while the coaching staff prays that some of Kidd's innate court sense will rub off on either Chris Quinn, Shaun Livingston, Marcus Banks, Jason Richards or Mario Chalmers. Meanwhile, Kidd, DWade, Udonis Haslem, Michael Beasely and Mark Blount should make the playoffs in the East and at least have a better chance than any team that starts any of the aforementioned PGs. Kidd might momentarily consider that he won't win a championship in Miami but I'm sure Cuban would be happy to point out to him that unless he goes to the Celtics/Lakers (don't want him) or the Cavs/Rockets (can't afford him) he wouldn't even start on any team with a viable chance to win the title (New Orleans, Detroit, Utah, San Antonio). With this in mind, he should at least be near South Beach while he's still recognizable to the hot clubbing chicks.

Knicks & Nets Season Previews

Just a few notes to add to Brad's extremely sympathetic take on nepotism and point guards with weak handles. (Actually, "nepotism" is unfair because Dan Grunfeld got so few touches that I could have sworn the other guys were freezing him out.) The IZOD Center wasn't sold out but the crowd must have been good because we broke the noise meter on the JumboTron at least three times. (Random capitalization: savvy marketing move or utterly pointless?) I hate thunder sticks at all times but are they really necessary during the preseason? Ok, enough complaining and on to the teams.

New York Knicks
Wilson Chandler looked solid for the Knicks which should make New York happy but should also make them cringe a little knowing Isiah wouldn't given him the light of day even in a throw-away season. If Marbury remains semi-sane, it's going to get awkward in the backcourt because he's clearly better than Chris Duhon and might still be the best most talented guy on the team. Eddy Curry has also fallen from unquestioned starter to reserve and it remains to be seen if he can survive the East Coast version of Seven Seconds or Less. Chandler, Marbury, Nate Robinson and Curry all have a chance to break into the starting lineup and that can't be good for chemistry. Who is their leader? Jamal Crawford hasn't been on a team that's been even near .500 and Quentin Richardson isn't going to improve dramatically. This team is a mess. I wouldn't blame D'Antoni if he benched anyone that so much as looked at him wrong, prayed for a high lottery pick, and considered the entire season a practice run for next season's SSOL assault on the Eastern Conference.

New Jersey Nets
I apologize for any time I've ever compared Brooke Lopez to Jason Collins because Lopez actually has offensive skills. Bobby Simmons also looked in former 6th Man of the Year form and Chris Douglas-Roberts looks like an overachieving second round pick. Over at ESPN, only Jon Barry of their panel of experts has them making the playoffs (no one else placed them higher higher than 13th) but I give the Nets at least a good shot. Devin Harris, Vince Carter and Bobby Simmons are a solid 1-2-3 and Najera/Lopez/Yi could work out in the front court people. Throw in Stromile Swift, Josh Boone and Sean Williams and at least you know they have depth, if not quality, in the front court. If Yi and Lopez blossom and Vince doesn't renege on his promise to be patient with the rebuilding process then this team could sneak into the playoffs.

Crossover of the Day - Daryll Hill of St. Johns drops someone and then hands out the sweet assist

Knicks at Nets (10/20/08) - Game Notes by Brad

Guest post by Brad with notes from last night's Knicks-Nets preseason "thriller".

For me, one of the things I like best about following the NBA is tracking the career development of individuals who are all trying to achieve the same thing: security playing the game they love, optimizing their worth on the market, and pushing themselves to the limit of their capabilities as a player. So I pay close attention to the fringe NBA players, as their security always seems in question and they have the most to prove as ball players.

It was wonderful to see Dan Grunfeld make his NBA debut. The son of former Knick great and GM Ernie Grunfeld, Dan was a talented player at Stanford who suffered a knee injury that largely sent him from likely draft pick to undrafted free agent his final season there. Dan went and played overseas upon graduation, and was able to get an opportunity with the Knicks this fall. I've seen him play since his high school days, and I am sure the minutes he received in a New York Knicks uniform will always be treasured the rest of his life.

The other player I watched closely was Julius Hodge. Julius suffered a lot of adversity during his brief tenure in the NBA, and skill-wise, his lack of perimeter shooting prevented him from sticking long despite coming into the league as a first-rounder. He's fighting to get back into the league now, and his blog on Hoopshype wonderfully chronicles that journey. Julius had eight points and three assists last night, and looked strong going to the basket. He has great length and is like a greyhound slipping between defenders. Hopefully, he can find a way to regularly contribute at the NBA level.

2008-09 Awards Preview - DPOY

The Defensive Player of the Year Award and the All-Defensive Teams should not be voted on by writers. It should be selected by a small group of people who consume more NBA games in a week than is safe for one's health. Members of this group should include statisticians, former coaches and great defensive players from yesteryear. Heck I'm more comfortable just letting Bill Russell pick it than letting some journalist who doesn't know what it takes to play good defense have a vote. Anyway... on to the predictions.

The Pretenders
Kobe Bryant - The Mamba is a tremendous defensive player but he should not be in the running for this award until he steps up and guards the best perimeter players on the opposing teams. He's too valuable on offense to the Lakers for this to be plausible so it's tough to say he will ever deserve this.

Marcus Camby - The Cambyman can flat out block shots but his numbers were inflated last year because he played on a Nuggets team that played at a very fast pace and his teammates didn't play very good perimeter or interior defense. Now, in LA, Camby will have to compete with Chris Kaman (3rd in the League with 2.8bpg last season) for blocks and something tells me the voters will be less-than-impressed if his numbers fall.

Josh Smith - The Hawks forward is the best non-post shot blocker the League has seen in a while. He's an athletic freak among athletic freaks and he's quick enough to stay with perimeter players. Unfortunately for both the Hawks and his chances at this award, Smith is lazy and undisciplined and he doesn't always play defense with the utmost intensity. Can you really give the award to someone who doesn't play every game like it's their last?

Shane Battier - The former Dukie really knows how to play perimeter defense and if a shot goes up, he is contesting it. So what's standing between him and the award? You can't win it if you aren't even the best perimeter defender on your own team...

The Contenders
Kevin Garnett - The Celtics were stacked last year but neither Pierce nor Allen were particularly known for the defense. KG anchored the best defense in the League and there was no question in my mind that he literally willed his teammates to play harder. Now that he isn't the offensive focal point of the team (like in Minnesota), the Big Ticket has plenty of energy to patrol the paint and start piling up these trophies.

Ron Artest - Ron Ron only played in 57 games last season which may explain why he received only one third place vote for DPOY (tied with the likes of Kyle Lowery and behind the one second place vote garnered by Rip Hamilton) and did not make either All-D team. Of course the other explanation would be that the voters only watch SportsCenter and never saw the Kings play last season. If they had, they would have known that Ron Artest is the best all around defender in the League, period. He's bigger, stronger and quicker than most other players but what sets him apart is his intensity. Artest might be a nice guy on his own time (though some would debate that) and he might be clinically insane (though some would debate that) but on the court he is beyond ferocious. I've never seen a guy simply rip the ball away from other people as much as he does. In Sacramento, he often had to contribute heavily on the offensive end and he often looked like he was frustrated with the entire situation. This year, on the Rockets, Artest will be able to concentrate fully on defense for a team that has a good chance to contend. No offense to Ruben Patterson but the Rockets might have the best chance to beat the Lakers with Artest locking up Kobe.

Slightly Inane Reasons Why The Knicks Will Win 35-45 Games This Year (Or at least why they’ll be damned entertaining at sucking this time around)

A guest post by Drew Ludeke

1.The Complete Absence of Isiah Thomas – This alone made every Knicks fan’s life so much less nerve-wracking and embarrassing. Instead of hanging our heads in collective shame or drunkenly reveling in what a joke he had turned our team into, you know the kind of joke where you have to laugh in lieu of crying. Isiah was the living epitome of Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. I’d go into this more and how Isiah ruined the Knicks but why bother, he’s gone now and I pray for good. Good riddance!

2. The Mere Presence of Mike D’Antoni & Donnie Walsh – Donnie Walsh deserves all the credit for both bringing D’Antoni to New York and (cross your fingers) ending Dolan’s reign of megalomaniacal meandering into management of the team. But seeing as we’re talking about actually winning games and Donnie’s still mostly handicapped by the payroll and team Isiah built, we’ll just stick to the ‘Stache for now (new nickname I’m trying out, let me know if it works). The Knicks suck on paper and probably will on a court for a couple of games but D’Antoni doesn’t care about any of that. What he brings to the table in pure unadulterated gumption alone will change the philosophy of a team that only seemed to win by accident or in spite of themselves last season. What I’ve already seen from this team in pre-season alone was enough to put me, my father and Knicks announcer John Andriase in shock. On a recent play against the Sixers, Zach Randolph (yup, that guy) grabbed a rebound, passed it, ran the floor, got a pass and then, wait for it, passed it to the open man! That was the play I thought I was imagining in my head till Andriase broke the silence by asking, stunned, if Randolph had just run the floor. They didn’t score on the play but that doesn’t matter.. That sort of play exemplifies the play and mentality that D’Antoni brings out of his team.

3. Shooters! – Over the years, the Knicks have stockpiled players who love nothing more than to hoist up ridiculous jumpers with 20 seconds on the shot clock or after dribbling for 20 seconds without even considering a pass (read, Jamal Crawford). None of them were pure shooters, mind you, but it didn’t stop them from throwing up enough bricks to build a Salvation Army. They’re improving on the passing situation as already mentioned but all these players will thrive in a system that encourages more sensible shooting. That’s right Jamal, shoot more!... Unless of course there’s three open guys nearby. So now Jamal, Nate, Steph, Wilson, Quentin, Danilo, (he’s in America, I’m gonna start calling him Danny) and even you Allan Houston, feel free to fire away. I’d like to welcome Allan back, hope he gets to play and also hand him back his award for The Sweetest Jumper in the NBA.

4. David Lee, Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler – These are the three gems from the Isiah Era. That’s not to say either will amaze and astound but each of them is a dependable, hard-working role player that provides something this Knicks team needs. Most notably is Lee who, if pre-season indicates, will get the start over Curry. It shortens the Knicks’ starting frontcourt but that won’t make much of a difference when Lee is cleaning glass, spreading the floor for Randolph to post up and picking up a plethora of garbage putbacks. Not to mention Lee has spent the summer developing a decent long-range jumper to add to his skills. It’s ran hot and cold so far this pre-season but so long as he keeps working at it, it should pay off for his minutes and the team. Lee has been the Knicks’ off-the-bench spark these past seasons but with him getting the start, don’t expect Nate to let the torch burn out. Nate’s kind of like a poor man’s Eddie House. He hustles every play but he sucks on D, he commits idiotic turnover but then he blocks Yao Ming or hits the game-winning three. With a point-guard controversy more than simmering of late, expect him to be the backbone of the backcourt should Duhon falter, Stephon go crazy or both. Wilson Chandler is a guy who should’ve played 30 minutes a game around mid-season when the Knicks had already conceded to mediocrity. That way, he’d have a little bit more experience under his belt now that he’s looking at real time. He still showed some talent during the end of last season, can hit the long ball, drives well and averaged more blocks than the Curry vs. Randolph combined. Keep your eye on him. Anyway, speaking of point guard controversies….

5. Chris Duhon v. Stephon Marbury v. Everybody – Never before has a native son so worn out his welcome, never before has a flunky third-stringer from Duke been hailed as a savior by a fanbase that’s well aware of the smell of the bullshit. It will determine the course of their season and not look pretty on court but this brewing tiff will be the most entertaining subplot of the Knicks season. It could go in numerous directions depending on whether James Dolan wants to eat 20 mill to get rid of a cancer, or if Duhon becomes a spectacular/reliable/makeshift PG until Steph is tired of sitting on the bench and caves in for a trade or a cheaper buyout. One thing is, D’Antoni is a politician, not a panderer, so while he says he wants to work with Steph, he will not hesitate to bench him for the likes of Anthony Roberson if he feels the team is being led astray by Steph. It has the potential to be a non-factor if the Knicks start winning and the media forgets about it or it could blow sky high depending on what Steph does.

6. Herb & The Gang – Assistant coaches don’t get much love unless their defense helped Doc Rivers get a ring (you should’ve gotten that Gatorade bath Tom!) but they’re as vital to a team as any other cog. If you don’t believe me, pick up “7 Seconds or Less” for some great insight into NBA coaching. Sure, Nash and Mike are the main feature of the book but arguments between Phil Weber, Dan D’Antoni (Go Marshall!) and the rest of the Suns staff are what make the book even more compelling. That being said, I’m glad they’re with the team. As for Herb Williams, the man’s a Garden staple. He used to beat Charlie Ward in 3-point shooting contests and he’s survived the last five years from Chaney to Wilkens to Brown and even Isiah, still standing, hopefully with his dignity intact. I wasn’t chanting “We want Herb!” at Garden blowouts for no reason last year.

6. Jared Jeffries – He can’t shoot, he can’t dribble, he guards all five positions, none of them well. Yet for some reason I see him working well in this system and I think I should have my head checked. D’Antoni needs someone to play any kind of defense, run the court and merely pass the ball to everyone else waiting for a shot, right? I could be wrong, he could spend the entire season on the bench working on his sitcom pilot with Jerome James. It’s called The Double J’s. It’s about two retired, talent-less basketball players who get into all sorts of wacky adventures. Jerome drinks a lot and Jared’s simply inept. Cut me a check, NBC!

7. Joy Returns to the Garden – For all you out-of-towners, yeah, we know we suck. We haven’t won a championship in 30 years. Our better teams in the nineties were a bunch of thugs who slowed the game down to the point of death and we’re now barely pulling ourselves out of the heap of garbage our brain-dead owner almost seemed to enjoy being in. But don’t you dare shit on the Garden. It’s one of the greatest arenas in the world for a reason and just a taste of it during our few sporadic bright days made you realize what an energizing place it could be. We’ve still got a long way to go but as the long the seats stay cheap, the real fans show up and the annoying European tourists stop taking pictures during the game, anything’s possible when the Garden comes alive…. Now the tough part is convincing a team to trade for Eddy Curry.

The 2008-09 Toronto Raptors

I really like this Raptors squad and it would be cool to see them win the East but this isn't happening. At the same time, if no one gets hurt and Bargnani plays like an authentic #1 draft pick, the team could pull off an upset come playoff time. Let's give them all awards. Thanks to Matt for the pop culture references.

Award to the Internet Fan-base That Most Exemplifies their Team Mascot
Go ahead. Try posting something negative about the Raptors on a message board or in the comments section of a blog. You are arguing with one guy and then you get attacked by the two you never saw coming. They range from intelligent to semi-literate but you got to respect their passion for their team.

Award for the Best European Former #1 Draft Pick To Now Be Coming Off the Bench
At least he's better than Darko. This is a big year for Bargnani. Bosh and O'Neil reduce the pressure on him to rebound. I didn't catch a ton of Raptors games last year but 4 rebounds a game at 7 feet on a team that only out-rebounded Miami's D-League squad screams "weight room". Enter Jermaine O'Neil and Bargnani can operate on the perimeter at more without the raptors relying on Moon's springs to hit the glass. Another mediocre season and Il Mago replaces Stevie Francis as the guy least deserving of his nickname. I've only seen Il Mago once but thanks to internet videos I can always relive the Franchise days.

Award for the Best Point Guard With Almost the Same Name as a Miami Vice Villain
Jose Calderon is perfect for this team. He's the ideal 10pt/10ast/1.5to point guard with high percentages and the patience to know when to slow it down and post someone up. Sleeper pick to sneak on the East All-Star squad.

Award for the Best Forward With a Twin in the NBA
Joey Graham is clearly better than Stephen but I went with "forward" instead of "front court" so as to avoid the inevitable Collins/Graham debate. Keep an eye on the Lopez brothers though.

Award for the Best Player Who Has A Sister Who Is Better Than Him
In a Parker sibling one-on-one game do you think Candace could beat Anthony? Do you think Anthony ever wants to cut someone off who is gushing about his sister's dunk and say "I dunked 23 times last year... against men." In all seriousness, Parker isn't going to take over games but him plus Jason Kapono equals a serviceable shooting guard.

Award for the Best 2-Time 3-Point Champ That Looks Like the Guy From Silk Stalkings
Jason Kapono can shoot the ball well enough to keep people from doubling Bosh/O'Neil recklessly inside. That's really all he can do and that's all they need him to do.

Award for the Player Who Looks Most Like Bubbles
Jamario Moon. Except he's not a heroin junkie and he has insane hops.

Award for the Best Name
Roko Ukic. Need I say more? I can't even find a youtube video on this dude. The euro-nerds need to step it up.

2008-09 Awards Preview: MVP

Hopefully the writers don't get all sentimental this year and give the MVP to someone who they feel got screwed. But what do you expect when you let people vote for a League-wide award who don't even watch teams besides their own play? Ok, so before I lapse into another "I'll never respect the NBA award process as long as Chuck 'No, seriously, I really thought Andrea Bargnani was better than Brandon Roy and I'm not just saying that because I announce for the Raptors and only watched Roy play twice last year... but seriously, you can get a good feel for a guy by looking at box scores and watching Sportscenter' Swirsky is voting" rant, let me present to you my 2008-09 MVP contenders and pretenders.

The Pretenders
LeBron James – LeBron is the only player in the League who could conceivably average a triple double. That said, no one has won the MVP award with less than 54 team wins in the past ten years (when I stopped counting) and the Cavs don’t look strong enough to do that. If they do win 55+ though, Bron should win the award. (As an aside, I doubt he will do it but if he does average that triple-dub he really should win the MVP.)

Yao Ming/Tracy McGrady – The West is still stacked but if the Rockets make a run, one of these guys should get consideration. Unfortunately, they will always split votes which makes it tough for them to win it.

The Contenders
Kobe Bryant – The Lakers look primed for a championship run and Kobe is their undisputed leader. Kobe’s chances to repeat as MVP might rest with Andrew Bynum. If Bynum figures out how to get his points in the triangle while contributing the rebounding and interior defense that Phil Jackson is looking for then the Lake Show has a chance to win 60+ games and Kobe will get his second Maurice Podoloff trophy.

Chris Paul – Allow me to get my biases out of the way – Chris Paul is the most exciting player to watch in the League and he’s part of a three-way discussion (with Bron and the Mamba) for the best player in the NBA. He should have won the MVP last season and he should probably win it this season if his team performs (and I see no reason why they shouldn’t). Chris Paul is the revolution, the truth, and the standard by which all PGs will be measured over the next decade.

2008-09 Previews

The NBA has finally returned and not a moment too soon. Unfortunately, even I have trouble getting into preseason basketball so we're going to do a little season preview instead.

Worst Team in the League
The front runner at this point has to be the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their ineptitude and their new logo will certainly fool a few casual fans into thinking they are an expansion team. If Jeff Green plays much better than he did last season and Russell Westbrook beats out Earl Watson (a quality backup but not a starter) then they have a chance to crack the top 29.

Fantasy Sleepers
I don't actually play fantasy basketball but these are guys who I think are underrated.

• Ryan Gomes (MIN) - Gomes has improved in each of his three seasons and now has a legitimate three point shot. Not sure if he's projected as a starter this year but he will be by the end of it.


• Leon Powe (BOS) - I almost wish Powe hadn't blown up in Game 2 last year so you might believe that I'm not basing this on just one game. The problem is his team is stacked. Boston should give Powe big minutes early and then trade him for a backup point guard.


• Shaun Livingston (MIA) - NBA.com has Chris Quinn listed as the Heat's projected starter this year and if that's the case then Livingston might actually be a decent fantasy pickup. A healthy Livingston, DWade, Beasely and Marion could be a scary combination. Miami is one Joel Anthony breakout season away from the playoffs.


• Elton Brand (PHI) - If Brand is healthy he will put up big numbers. Andre Miller doesn't even want to score 17 ppg again next year and Iguodala is better off as a secondary option in an offense. Which segues nicely into...


• Kareem Rush (PHI) - I'm actually lukewarm on Rush as a player overall but he's the best pure shooter on a revamped 76er roster with a good pass first PG and a credible low post threat. Would not be surprising to see him post career bests.


• Chris Paul (NOH) - That's right, people still don't get how good he is.

And now for the overrated guys...

• Chris Duhon (NYK) - Duhon is a solid third string point guard. With the exception of two games last season he looked consistently terrible. He seems like a good guy and a hard worker. It's a shame Starbury is too insane to start at PG.


• Mo Williams (CLE) - I hate doing this because I like Williams but I don't see him as the answer to LeBron's problems in dealing with Boston, Detroit or even Philly.


• Mike Bibby (ATL) - Is Mike Bibby washed up? Maybe. If the guy looked like he didn't care up in chilled out Sac Town then he's going to lose all motivation in Hotlanta with its plethora of strip clubs. The Hawks got their "answer" at the point a few years too late.


• The Orlando Magic Backcourt - Jameer Nelson? Bogans and Reddick fighting for starting minutes at the 2? The only way Dwight Howard could be scarier is if he had an All-Star point guard handing him dimes.

more previews to come...