Magic 49-33 – Can’t imagine Dwight Howard getting much better at this point, already the league’s best rebounder and most unstoppable force inside, unless he can add a consistent mid-range jumper to his game. Outside of him however, the roster is still sorely lacking a great outside shooter, unless Courtney Lee can contribute 30 solid minutes/game this season.

You can’t see a 22 year getting any better? Players peak around 27-28, not 22. Scary, I know. As for the Magic lacking a great outside-shooter, do you even watch basketball? They shot and made the most in the game last year and have 5 guys that I know can drill them; Lewis, Turk, Nelson, Cook and Redick. Pietrus shoots the 3 ball as does C. Lee. Saying that the Magic lack outside shooting might just be the dumbest possible criticism one could come up with.

(Assuming Igoudala and Louis Williams are resigned.)

Overacheived? They were 40 win team because they had the 11th best defense in the NBA last season (that’s what appears on the stats page, am I crazy? were’d you see 8th Mike?). They just added one of the best defensive PFs in the NBA and possibly the biggest steal outside the lottery. Their offense was only 20th last season, but Brand and Speights (Dalembert was their best inside scorer last season, now he’s #3) plus the continued development of AI II, Young, and Williams should help out in that area as well. I could legitametely see them as a top 5 defense and the #12-15 or so offense (although Willie Green still being their best natural SG has got to hurt them offensively).

Terrible bench? Young had a very strong rookie year and Speights looks like a very good prospect. Louis Williams is a pretty decent third guard already, and will only be 22 next season. Reggie Evans is what he is, but what he is isn’t terrible. Adding some crafty vets rather than Kareem Rush and Royal Ivey (great guy and provides the intangilbles, but a vet who’s been there probably would have been nice) to fill out their roster might have been wise.

Your comments are very similar to what was said about the Celts last season. Now, the Sixers don’t have KG and Paul Pierce, but just as people overlooked Rondo, Perkins, Posey, House… and the Celtics incredibly good team D, you seem to be overlooking Dalembert, Young, Speights, Williams, Reggie Evans… and a pretty good D that just got a huge shot in the arm in Elton Brand. The Sixers probably aren’t a real championship contender, but a 47-50 win team? Very possible.
Not only should they be good this season, they’ll only get better as Igoudala, Young, Speights, and Williams develop (assuming they don’t screw it up).

Here’s a possible rotation:

Starters:
4. C Samuel Dalembert
1. PF Elton Brand
2. SF Andre Igoudala
8. SG Willie Green
3. PG Andre Miller

Bench:

5. Thaddeus Young, 6. Louis Williams, 7. Marreese Speights, 9. Reggie Evans, 10. Rodney Carney……… Kareem Rush, Jason Smith, Royal Ivey, …

The only hole is Willie Green, who makes Jamal Crawford look like Reggie Miller. You have to hope Cheeks has enough sense to play a lot of Young and Williams (maybe even Kareem Rush or Royal Ivey) even if Green is starting.

Our old friend, considerate to the bitter end.

I’m not much for predictions, but I’ll take a stab rather than just commenting on the previous predictions:

1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Orlando
4. Philly
5. Toronto
6. Washington
7. Cleveland
8. Bulls
9. Heat
10. Atlanta
11. Indy
12. NY
13. Milwaukee
14. NJ
15. Charlotte

“I think D’Antoni and Walsh basically thought there was no room for Balkman with Q, Chandler, Gallinari all vying for minutes at the 3, and Lee/Randolph hogging all the minutes at the 4. D’Antoni likes players that are versatile and who can shoot which are the 2 characteristics that Balkman definitely does not have.”

So you give him away for 3 2nd round picks (2 of which will apparently be cut) rather than keep him on the bench and see if he develops?

” D’Antoni likes players that are versatile and who can shoot.”

Based on… ummm…. Steve Nash was his PG? Mike D. had below-average shooters at 2 or 3 positions, every year except the first one, in Phoenix. And his offense there was exactly the opposite of an offense that requires good outside shooters.

My best analysis is that Balkman seems to have a knack for unsettling management. And for getting hurt.

Oh wow I can’t believe I forgot about Jermaine O’Neal to the Raps. At this time my top 5 Eastern teams would be: Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Philly, and Toronto, but not necessarily in that order. …. Jermaine O’Neal is a big improvement over Bargnani/Nesterovic. Hibbert should help pick up the slack for Rasho as well. The Raps will be better defensively no doubt.
Boy there are going to be some low scoring Atlantic games this year…

You know, I went back and forth on what the O’neal trade would do for the Raptors. I took the glass half empty approach by placing them out of the playoffs. First, O’neal’s health is a big ? Second, I wonder how O’Neal will get along with Sam Mitchell. Sam could take a certain tone with the younger guys but when a player has been around a while, that hard line my way stuff tends to rub them the wrong way. We will see. Third, the raps still have a hole at the 2. Fourth, they are not very deep. Finally, I have to see if JO and Bosh can be complimentary pieces. It should work if JO just plays D, rebounds, and blocks shots. But you never know until its on the floor.

“a player with no improvement in 2 years and without any semblance of any offensive game
other than hustle”

This is missing the forest for the trees. Both points are true but even with these flaws he was our best small forward and potentially one of the best defensive players in the league, as we will see this year.

I’d like to say, “You have got to be fucking kidding me!”
But here’s the story:

“The Denver Nuggets have traded Taurean Green, Dahntay Jones and a 2010 second-round draft pick to the Knicks for Renaldo Balkman and cash considerations, an NBA front-office source tells ESPN.com’s John Hollinger.
Green and Jones, who signed with the Nuggets last week, are likely to be cut because they have non-guaranteed deals, the source told Hollinger. Their acquisitions would increase the Knicks’ roster to 17 players.”

I suppose there might be some valid reason, some off-the-court problem that undercuts Balkman’s potential, but I’m grasping at straws. This move is probably just as idiotic as it looks. It’s extremely discouraging. Even if Chandler and Gallinari turn out to be excellent players, we’ve just given away a good player with upside, for absolutely nothing. Even the money savings are negligible. I’m about to throw up.
Balkman is perfect for George Karl’s wide-open system and trapping defense. Assuming he’s healthy, I predict he gets a lot of minutes and makes a dramatic impact for the Nugs.

He makes sense for the Nuggets but what it really tells me is that a player with no improvement in 2 years and without any semblance of any offensive game other than hustle just has no place in a D’Antoni system. If you look back at all the Phoenix years, has he played any player that has Balkman’s skill set (other than filler at center etc. like Brian Skinner). I think D’Antoni and Walsh basically thought there was no room for Balkman with Q, Chandler, Gallinari all vying for minutes at the 3, and Lee/Randolph hogging all the minutes at the 4. D’Antoni likes players that are versatile and who can shoot which are the 2 characteristics that Balkman definitely does not have.

It’s too bad because I really liked watching Balkman hustle even if he average 6 fouls per 40 = never going to get more than 20 minutes/game until he learns not to do that.

And man, how brutal does not taking Rondo at #20 look now?