betED.com - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!
November 1st, 2006 - NBA Preview - By process of elimination?
As every sports season starts, the punditry tradition is to review, in as much detail as possible each team?s relative strengths and weaknesses and using that as a formula, try to discern which team has the best shot at the season-ending title.
This week almost anywhere you look, you will see page after page dedicated to this process for the NBA. My favorite sports site sent me thirty (30!) e-mails over the past thirty days covering all thirty NBA teams. Each e-mail was like five pages long or something. If I was running that website, and at one point, I was, I would have told those writers, ?stop using up the reader?s frikin? time!? It?s not as if everyone has all day to digest such brilliant penetrating analysis like what the impact Sasha Vujacic will have on the Lakers chances this season. I read a whole page on it ? time I?ll never get back.
Most sports fans, those who either work for a living, or don?t hate their job so much they?re looking for anything else to do but work, want the answer spelled out for them fast, and in easy to understand terms.
Hey, there can only be one winner. All the writer has to do is try to figure out who can?t win, and therefore, in just over one page, by process of elimination?
East Conference
Atlantic Division
The Boston Celtics essentially dumped everybody except for Paul Pierce. Danny Ainge is still running the show and since he couldn?t do it before, why think he can now? Any team with Vince Carter on it will never win the NBA Championship, so the Nets were doomed before the first tip off. The Knicks, because Isiah Thomas, not satisfied with simply being the worst GM in the league, now is the head coach as well are even worse off than the Nets - and that?s saying something. The Philadelphia 76ers just missed out on the playoffs last season and they didn?t do anything to improve in the off-season. The Toronto Raptors have nine new players on its roster, and many of them don?t speak English yet.
Central Division
Ben Wallace is now a Bull so their team defense will be awesome, but they won?t be able to score much. LeBron James is the best player in basketball, and is asked to be so every single night. Even Jordan had to give up the spotlight to Pippen now and then but there is no Pippen in Cleveland, therefore the Cavs have little chance of going all the way. Nazr Mohammed can?t defend like Ben Wallace but he can score more, so the Pistons are just about where they were last season ? which was perdy durned good. The Indiana Pacers were supposed to have happy smiley faces this year after dumping all their bad guys. Didn?t work out too well as Stephen Jackson is facing a felony charge in Indiana and possible jail time in Michigan after getting into a strip-club fight a few weeks back that could be a probation violation. The same Bucks who were blown out in the first round of the post-season will do so again, if they even get there.
Southeast Division
The Atlanta Hawks might not suck as bad as they have in, oh, the past decade, and Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolasha should be fun to watch - but not for long. The Bobcats are apparently using the long serving Clippers plan of not spending dime one to get better. Oh, they did go and get Michael Jordan, but he?s not exactly in his playing prime. Picking Miami to repeat would be ballsy to say the least, considering few can understand how they did it the last time. Grant Hill is slated as a starter for the Orlando Magic. Moving on? The Wizards can count on Gilbert Arenas being a season better ? but that?s about it.
West Conference
Southwest Division
The Mavericks were so close to both NBA title and an MVP for Dirk Nowitzki. This year they improved themselves in their own end by adding both Greg Bucker and Anthony Johnson. Houston has Tracy McGrady, the Vince Carter of the west. The Grizzlies do have Rudy Gay, but Damon Stoudamire should quickly ruin him as a player. The Hornets should actually make the playoffs this year after winning 18 times two years ago and 38 last season. But that will be the highlight. Tim Duncan is finally healthy and Tony Parker is pretty awesome, but the big but is there is no big butt at center.
Northwest Division
Denver should win the division, but they are counting on Marcus Camby remaining healthy ? so they won?t. Randy Foye and Kevin Garnett together on the same team! Should be fun ? next year. The Portland Trail Blazers won 21 games last season. So, enough about them. The SuperSonics did nothing off-season-wise so they will do nothing in-season-wise either. Utah was a .500 team and is again.
Pacific Division
Don Nelson is back so the Warriors could potentially reach the playoffs. Still trying to get my head around this, but the Clippers and Elton Brand, Sam Cassell, Corey Maggette and now Tim Thomas look scary good. Kobe Bryant carried the Lakers to a 45-win season last year, but considering the surgery and the recovery, won?t be able to do it again. Steve Nash's back is what this team is all about. Game one of this season he was already getting sideline treatment. The Kings signed Ron Artest ? so that?s it for them then.
So ? what?s the outlook for the west? Clearly the class teams of the league still reside in the west, so whoever it is that gets through the war that is their playoffs - and it should be Dallas after being taken to the wire in the two of their three conference series - will face a relatively well rested Detroit team.
And that means Detroit fans get to rally around another team other than the Tigers as the Pistons will win the 2006/2007 NBA Championship.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Get your NBA Wagers in here!
November 1st, 2006 - NBA Preview - By process of elimination?
As every sports season starts, the punditry tradition is to review, in as much detail as possible each team?s relative strengths and weaknesses and using that as a formula, try to discern which team has the best shot at the season-ending title.
This week almost anywhere you look, you will see page after page dedicated to this process for the NBA. My favorite sports site sent me thirty (30!) e-mails over the past thirty days covering all thirty NBA teams. Each e-mail was like five pages long or something. If I was running that website, and at one point, I was, I would have told those writers, ?stop using up the reader?s frikin? time!? It?s not as if everyone has all day to digest such brilliant penetrating analysis like what the impact Sasha Vujacic will have on the Lakers chances this season. I read a whole page on it ? time I?ll never get back.
Most sports fans, those who either work for a living, or don?t hate their job so much they?re looking for anything else to do but work, want the answer spelled out for them fast, and in easy to understand terms.
Hey, there can only be one winner. All the writer has to do is try to figure out who can?t win, and therefore, in just over one page, by process of elimination?
East Conference
Atlantic Division
The Boston Celtics essentially dumped everybody except for Paul Pierce. Danny Ainge is still running the show and since he couldn?t do it before, why think he can now? Any team with Vince Carter on it will never win the NBA Championship, so the Nets were doomed before the first tip off. The Knicks, because Isiah Thomas, not satisfied with simply being the worst GM in the league, now is the head coach as well are even worse off than the Nets - and that?s saying something. The Philadelphia 76ers just missed out on the playoffs last season and they didn?t do anything to improve in the off-season. The Toronto Raptors have nine new players on its roster, and many of them don?t speak English yet.
Central Division
Ben Wallace is now a Bull so their team defense will be awesome, but they won?t be able to score much. LeBron James is the best player in basketball, and is asked to be so every single night. Even Jordan had to give up the spotlight to Pippen now and then but there is no Pippen in Cleveland, therefore the Cavs have little chance of going all the way. Nazr Mohammed can?t defend like Ben Wallace but he can score more, so the Pistons are just about where they were last season ? which was perdy durned good. The Indiana Pacers were supposed to have happy smiley faces this year after dumping all their bad guys. Didn?t work out too well as Stephen Jackson is facing a felony charge in Indiana and possible jail time in Michigan after getting into a strip-club fight a few weeks back that could be a probation violation. The same Bucks who were blown out in the first round of the post-season will do so again, if they even get there.
Southeast Division
The Atlanta Hawks might not suck as bad as they have in, oh, the past decade, and Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolasha should be fun to watch - but not for long. The Bobcats are apparently using the long serving Clippers plan of not spending dime one to get better. Oh, they did go and get Michael Jordan, but he?s not exactly in his playing prime. Picking Miami to repeat would be ballsy to say the least, considering few can understand how they did it the last time. Grant Hill is slated as a starter for the Orlando Magic. Moving on? The Wizards can count on Gilbert Arenas being a season better ? but that?s about it.
West Conference
Southwest Division
The Mavericks were so close to both NBA title and an MVP for Dirk Nowitzki. This year they improved themselves in their own end by adding both Greg Bucker and Anthony Johnson. Houston has Tracy McGrady, the Vince Carter of the west. The Grizzlies do have Rudy Gay, but Damon Stoudamire should quickly ruin him as a player. The Hornets should actually make the playoffs this year after winning 18 times two years ago and 38 last season. But that will be the highlight. Tim Duncan is finally healthy and Tony Parker is pretty awesome, but the big but is there is no big butt at center.
Northwest Division
Denver should win the division, but they are counting on Marcus Camby remaining healthy ? so they won?t. Randy Foye and Kevin Garnett together on the same team! Should be fun ? next year. The Portland Trail Blazers won 21 games last season. So, enough about them. The SuperSonics did nothing off-season-wise so they will do nothing in-season-wise either. Utah was a .500 team and is again.
Pacific Division
Don Nelson is back so the Warriors could potentially reach the playoffs. Still trying to get my head around this, but the Clippers and Elton Brand, Sam Cassell, Corey Maggette and now Tim Thomas look scary good. Kobe Bryant carried the Lakers to a 45-win season last year, but considering the surgery and the recovery, won?t be able to do it again. Steve Nash's back is what this team is all about. Game one of this season he was already getting sideline treatment. The Kings signed Ron Artest ? so that?s it for them then.
So ? what?s the outlook for the west? Clearly the class teams of the league still reside in the west, so whoever it is that gets through the war that is their playoffs - and it should be Dallas after being taken to the wire in the two of their three conference series - will face a relatively well rested Detroit team.
And that means Detroit fans get to rally around another team other than the Tigers as the Pistons will win the 2006/2007 NBA Championship.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Get your NBA Wagers in here!
