2010 - 2011 NBA Preview

So we are about a week into the 2010–2011 NBA season, but it’s never too late for a season preview. Who will be good, who will be bad, and what else can we expect? Award winners, playoff contenders and finally, who wins it all?

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Celtics – 2009–2010 record (50–32)

Of course the Celtics are No. 1 in their division, they got back to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. Unfortunately for them, they lost in Game 7 to the Lakers. They said it would have been a different outcome, had starting center Kendrick Perkins hadn’t blown out his knee. That may have been the case but that was last year, and this is now.

During the offseason, the Celtics needed to re-sign their all important shooting guard, Ray Allen, and make sure their head coach didn’t retire. After they go his deal out of the way, they added to the bench. They got scoring in SG Von Wafer and point guard Delonte West; much needed youth in PG Avery Bradley (injured but should return soon); and more importantly, they added size with the two O’Neals, C Shaquille and power forward/ C Jermaine.

This year, they come in with a chip on their shoulder and ready to contend for a title. Their team is one of the two most complete in the league, the Lakers being the other, but must wait until Bradley and Perkins are back from their injuries. This team could get close to 60 wins and challenge for a Finals berth, if, and this is a big if, if they can stay healthy.

2. New Jersey Nets – 2009–2010 record (12–70)

A bit of a surprise at No. 2 you say? Well that record last year was just terrible I know, but they were injured a lot last year, young and not the best coached. But they have some serious talent. They return C Brook Lopez, PG Devin Harris (hopefully pain free), SG Terrence Williams and they added stud PF prospect, Derrick Favors. This team is extremely young, but will be better disciplined now by hard–nose coach Avery Johnson. Also, with their billionaire Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, they could spend a lot of money in the upcoming offseasons.

There was a lot of hope this offseason for the Nets. They were in a position to get PG John Wall in the draft, but the NBA lottery screwed them out of it, ending up with Favors; they had a TON of cap room, hoping to get a big time free agent like Dwayne Wade, LeBron James or even Chris Bosh, all three went… well we will discuss that later, but the Nets only ended up with Travis Outlaw as their free agent prize (yawn).

Though they are young, Avery Johnson is a very good coach and could get them playing up to their abilities. Also there is more good news, there has been talk of a possible trade of a big time player to the Nets. You guessed it, Carmelo Anthony. If they can pull of a trade for Anthony, they could be a great team. 40–45 games isn’t out of the question, especially if they add ‘Melo.

3. New York Knicks – 2009–2010 record (29–53)

Many people have them as a playoff contender, I draw the line at the eight seed. They got a huge piece in PF Amare Stoudemire, but he left the perfect spot for him in Phoenix. Yes it’s the Big Apple, but when you are starting two rookies, SG Landry Fields and C Timofey Mozgov, you are not even close to contending.

There is a lot of promise around them, but it all is IF they can draw future free agents, trade for superstars or an extremely sought after European, Ricky Rubio. That sounds like a weak plan. I was proven right when they missed out on Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. In fact, they coveted James and had been planning on signing him for the past two or three years. Well this offseason netted them a PF who is good, but not great and cant grab a rebound. Don’t expect more than 40 wins by the Knicks.

4. Philadelphia 76ers – 2009–2010 record (27–55)

They drafted the highly touted the do it all player from Ohio State, Evan Turner. That was the extent of their player personnel acquisitions. Turner is the most “NBA ready” player from this year’s draft, but he didn’t come to camp in shape. Thus pissing off the coaching staff. They did add C Spencer Hawes through a trade, but he has been a bust so far in his young career, not to mention injury–prone.

Then a well thought of acquisition, making Doug Collins their coach. That was from a lot of insider, but why was Doug Collins a highly sought after coach? Collins, in his eight previous seasons as head coach for Chicago, Detroit and Washington, amassed a mark of 332-287 (.536) with a playoff record of 15-23 (.395). The regular season record is okay, but his playoff record is pathetic. And my least favorite thing about Collins? He couldn’t win with Michael Jordan. Let me repeat that for you, he couldn’t win with the greatest player ever. Ever since he was fired and replaced by Phil Jackson by the Bulls, he has been riding on Jackson’s coattails. He says he built the Bulls. Umm… no. Not even close.

I can’t see the Sixers getting much better this year. They didn’t make any drastic changes and added a mediocre coach at best. 30 wins will be lucky, especially if they trade SG Ander Iguodala like it has been rumored.

5. Toronto Raptors – 2009–2010 record (40–42)

They will slide this year, no doubt about that. They lost Chris Bosh in free agency, traded away their prized offseason acquisition from last year, Hedo Turkoglu, and are still in Canada. Sorry Canada, but that stadium looks pathetic empty.

They have a couple guys with potential to step it up, DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis (injured), and former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani. But DeRozan and Davis are extremely young, and Bargnani isn’t a tough player. With that said, don’t expect much from Toronto.

25-30 games might be a reach for the Raptors.

Central Divison

1. Chicago Bulls – 2009–2010 record (41–41)

It is time for Pg Derrick Rose to become a monster. He probably is the fastest guy in the league, tough, plays good defense, a good leader and can take it to the rim at will. He has to improve all of those now. He needs to become meaner, more cut throat and most importantly, develop a deep shot. He worked on his range in the offseason, but will he put practice to use?

They were one of the teams hoping to land Bosh, Wade or James but struck out on all three. So they threw $60 million at PF Carlos Boozer, saying he was the low post threat they have been looking for. Well, that was a waste. He will be out for the next few weeks as his hand heals from a sketchy injury. Boozer is listed at 6’ 9” but in reality, he is probably 6’7.” Not much of a difference you say? Well did you see the playoff series between the Jazz and the Lakers? Boozer was manhandled by the pair of seven footers of the Lakers. In the east it might not be as much of a difference, expect against the Magic, Celtics and Nets.

Better news for the Bulls? They signed C Joakim Noah to an extension and there is serious talk that they could also attempt to get Carmelo Anthony. If they get Anthony without dealing Noah, a team consisting of Rose, ‘Melo, Boozer and Noah could win 60 games and contend for the title.

2. Milwaukee Bucks – 2009–2010 record (46–36)

This standing here is all determined by the health of C Andrew Bogut and development of PG Brandon Jennings. Bogut, if you don’t remember, had that nasty fall off the rim and broke his arm and did other damage. While Jennings had an excellent rookie year, he is hoping there is no “sophomore slump” in his future.

They have a good mix of young talent, veterans and nice depth, but their man weak link in my opinion is their PF. You can’t have Drew Gooden starting and expect to make a deep title run. They’d be better off starting Luc Richard Mbah a Moute or rookie Larry Sanders. Then again their bench looks like it has nice scoring capabilities, so maybe they can find away around Gooden.

If all goes well, Bogut staying healthy, Jennings avoiding a slump and their bench playing well, they could up their win total from last year and reach 50 wins.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers – 2009–2010 record (61–21)

You can’t expect them to win as many games as they did last year. They lost one of the top players in the league, LeBron James. That was a tough loss, and now LeBron is the most hated man in Cleveland. Yes even more than Art Modell, former owner of the Browns who moved the team to Baltimore. I definitely don’t agree with the way that LeBron left, but it’s his life and I will leave it at that.

But there was a major miss conception about his supporting cast. Everyone thought that the rest of the team was chopped liver. They have a reigning first team defense player in C Anderson Varejao, former all-stars in Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison and some ridiculous young talent in PF JJ Hickson and newly acquired SG Christian Eyenga.

This team won’t be great, but it shouldn’t crumple either. The seven or eight seed in the playoffs isn’t a stretch. In the past few years it has only taken between 36–41 games to reach the eastern conference playoffs, this year’s Cavs team should be able to do that.

4. Indiana Pacers – 2009–2010 record (32–50)

I was really down on this team until I looked at their roster. It really isn’t as bad as I had thought. They got their much needed PG in Darren Collison; have a good scorer and fringe star in Danny Granger; a good, young, moldable big man in Roy Hibbert; and good young talent off the bench in PF Tyler Hansbrough, SG Brandon Rush and SF George Paul. If they can get Hansbrough to take the starters spot over Josh McRoberts, and get Paul and Rush to develop, they could sneak into the playoffs.

Again their main problem is coaching. I have never been a fan of Jim O’Brien and he looks asinine for not playing Hansbrough. They could have a good team that might develop into something, but will the coach let it happen? Doubt that, look for a 30 win team.

5. Detroit Pistons – 2009–2010 record (27–55)

Rapper Nelly said on ESPN’s show First Take, that the Pistons could make the playoffs. I can see his points. I really can, but it’s not going to happen. And you want to know why? Pistons GM joe Dumars is an idiot. Plain and simple.

Let’s examine my reasoning. First off, Dumars spent a lot of his salary cap money on backups SG Ben Gordon and PF Charlie Villanueva to ridiculous deals. Gordon’s deal was a five year - $50 million contract. Villanueva’s deal was also five years but for $35 million. That is a combined $85 million for two bench players. That’s a massive waste of the new owner’s money, Mike Ilitch. Then he signed former star Tracy McGrady to a deal this offseason, not a big deal, but still makes absolutely no sense.

All three players were part of Nelly’s highlights for the Pistons. Three bench players. Stick to rapping Nelly. If the Pistons knew what was good for them, they would try to get rid of their big contracts and go with a lineup of PG Rodney Stuckey, SG Richard Hamilton, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Austin Daye and C Greg Monroe. Hamilton and Prince are aging, but their contracts are close to ending, so they could either deal them for more cap relief of inject your over paid backups.

It would be better if Daye could play SF but their other potential PF starter, Jonas Jerebko, is out till at least April with an Achilles injury. The old veterans could surprise me, but a matching record from last year or even 30 wins will be their limit.

Southeast Division

1. Miami Heat – 2009–2010 record (47–35)
If you didn’t hear, they had a monster offseason, signing SF LeBron James, PF Chris Bosh and re-signing Dwayne Wade. Then after LeBron’s one hour “Decision” on ESPN, the Heat threw a party for the threesome. It was the oddest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Then LeBron ran his big mouth and said they could win more than seven titles.

Before the Heat signed the new big three, they only had two players on their team, PG Mario Chalmers and PF Michael Beasley, and traded Beasley away after the big signings. That left a little amount of money to fill out the rest of their roster. The three other big names that signed with the Heat, for cheap since the Heat had little cap room, were Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. The rest of the team was filled with has beens and never were’s.

Now the Heat are facing big issues. No, I'm not going to say they will never mesh, because eventually they will build a big chemistry. But their problems are the PG and C positions. Carlos Arroyo and Chalmers are not the answer at PG, so they will need to find a new starter. And they have no size at center. Big Z is old and should not be considered a starter, Chris Bosh is a PF and tall but not tough, and current starter Joel Anthony is only 6’9.” LeBron is that tall. They have former all-star Jamal Magloire but he is only hunting for a ring and a new buffett line. Rookie Dexter Pittman is a good size and has weight, but he’s only a rookie. Pittman would be an upgrade over Anthony in my opinion, but he is a ways off from starting.

They will win a lot of game, possibly reaching 60, but with lacking size in the front court and a good backcourt mate with Wade, I don’t see them slipping past the Celtics in the Conference Finals.

2. Orlando Magic – 2009–2010 record (59–23)

The Magic are one of the most talented teams in the league, and feature possibly the best big man in the league in Dwight Howard. One problem, they might be the softest team I’ve ever seen, excluding Howard for the most part. They can run and gun with the best but when it comes to the half court offense and bodying up people, it looks like they want curl up into the fetal position.

The three or four guys you can exclude are Dwight Howard Marcin Gortat, Brandon Bass and JJ Redick. But even they all have their faults. Dwight Howard is big, strong and powerful, but he seems like all he wants to do is play around. Gortat can become whiny at times. Bass bodies up on offense, but is weak on defense. And finally, Redick. Redick? Since when did he become “hard?” Well that happened when he took a big elbow to the face by LeBron James to the face. Redick was bleeding profusely, got fixed up, and returned to the game.

Another problem for the Magic, they have Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis on their team. Both are extremely overpaid, overrated and praised too much for nothing. Yes Carter was a superstar like five or six years ago, but age has caught up to him and is no longer worth starting. He hurts the team. Lewis is 6’11” but cant grab a rebound or defend a big man in the post.

The final strike, their coach is crazy. But not in that Les Miles crazy, good way. He still has a chip on his shoulder from when he was fired by Pat Riley fired him and rode the Heat to a championship. Is he entertaining? Yes. Do I trust him with a team? No way. But they still win 55+ games

3. Atlanta Hawks – 2009–2010 record (53–29)

Their priority this offseason? Sign SG Joe Johnson to an extension. It looked like Johnson was leaving for Chicago or New York but Atlanta threw the bank at Johnson. Literally. They signed Johnson to a six year $119 million deal.

In a time when NBA commissioner David Stern claims that the association is losing money left and right and possibly up and down, the Hawks signed a good but not great player to a ridiculous max deal. But you say Johnson is worth it. Ok he is 29 and will be 35 at the end of the deal. 35 isn’t old in general ages, but roughly $20 million a year to a player that by then will probably dealing with significant injuries and losing a step or two? You have got to be kidding me. It also doesn’t help that Johnson wilts under the pressure of the playoffs.

The Hawks, like most teams have good talent, especially C Al Horford, but they are another soft team. They will win a lot of games again, around 50, but another early exit from the playoffs could happen.

4. Charlotte Bobcats – 2009–2010 record (44–38)

I like their one through four spots, but when it comes to the five (C), they are in deep trouble. They traded their former top pick Alexis Ajinca away. So their starting C? Nazr Mohammed. Backups? DeSagana Diop and Kwame Brown. Yikes. Their other starting four are talented and can score and even have decent bench, but C is a huge problem.

The best personnel move the Bobcats made? Letting PG Raymond Felton leave via free agency and giving DJ Augustine the starting spot. With a lineup featuring Augustine, Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace and Tyrus Thomas and Gerald Henderson on the bench, scoring should be no problem.

But the biggest news for the Bobcats? Larry Brown is still their coach and Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Bobcats.

I don’t know if they win more than 45 but 40 is going to happen, and the playoffs are in sight.

5. Washington Wizards – 2009–2010 record (26–56)

They have disbanded the big three of PF Antawn Jamison, SF Caron Butler and PG Gilbert Arenas, only keeping Arenas. And I'm sure if they could get rid of Arenas, they would in a heartbeat. Former “Agent 0” has now switched numbers, still recovering from knee issues and doing more stupid things. I mean come on. He faked knee pain to get teammate Nick Young a start. Young looked good, but Arenas admitted he faked the injury then gloated about it, earning him another suspension and fine.

Best news for the franchise? They won the NBA draft lottery and picked PG John Wall. He has ridiculous talent and is amazingly fast, but can he cut his turnovers? For my entire take on Wall, look at my NBA mock draft.

They have some nice talent, again, but with Arenas’ enormous baggage and ridiculous contract bearing down on the team, will they be able to return to the playoffs? Or is 25 games the goal?

Western Conference

Northwest Division

1. Oklahoma City Thunder – 2009–2010 record (50–32)

From what I’ve been hearing, the Thunder could win 55+ games and possibly be the second seed in the western conference. That is definitely possible and could be probable. This team is just oozing talent and it’s all centered around the NBA’s reigning scoring champion, Kevin Durant.

Let’s clarify that, Kevin Durant, 6’9” and probably taller, averaged 30.1 points a game. At just 21. The now 22 year old is just going to get better. There is nothing he can’t do on the offensive end. But can he be a cutthroat leader and play better defense? Let’s just saying he’s been working on that while he led the USA to the FIBA world championship this summer.

There was only one drawback of the Thunder this past year, they lacked a legit big man. Now they have two good starters at the C position and two more good projects. This team is loaded and might be just a year away from winning it all.

2. Portland Trail Blazers – 2009–2010 record (50–32)

The original Thunder. And what I mean by that is, they are loaded. Only issue, they can’t seem to get over the hump. They seem to be three deep at every position. Full of starters or potential starters, yet they can’t get over that imaginary hump.

But SG Brandon Roy seems determined. He is one of the best players and leaders in the game. But other than him, possibly the most volatile issue for the Blazers is C Greg Oden. He is ridiculously injury prone, but when he is in, he looks like a double–double machine and a legit shot blocker. Hopefully the former top overall pick can remain healthy and play up to his enormous potential.

They have the talent and skill to be a top three seed in the West but do they have the backbone? 50 games is a good number but what about 55 or more? That’s on Brandon Roy.

3. Utah Jazz – 2009–2010 record (53–29)

They lost Boozer and replaced him with C Al Jefferson. I’ll take that tradeoff even though Jefferson isn’t a center. But it is best for the team while C Mehmet Okur returns from injury. It allows the Jazz to play Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Andrei Kirilenko all at the same time.

Kirilenko is soon to become a free agent, so in a year we will see how NCAA magician SF Gordon Hayward will pan out. I thought he should have stayed in college another year or two, but he is already averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a game off the bench. It is early in the season, but he seems to be holding his own for now.

But let’s get to the real reason why the Jazz matter, PG Deron Williams. If he isn’t the best PG in the game, he is close. He is a great mix of speed, power, size, passing and shooting ability. At 6’3” he is a good size PG, but still has the ability to blow by opponents on his way to the lane or to get an open jumper. He is a free agent in 2012. That’s coming up faster than you think. If the Jazz want to be relevant, they need to extend him soon, or risk losing him to a team like the Lakers, Knicks or even Heat.

Can head coach Jerry Slaon get another 50+ wins from this team? Well he is a the longest tenured coach, so I will go with yes.

4. Denver Nuggets – 2009–2010 record (53–29)

They could be higher on the list but I think the Nuggets will trade Carmelo Anthony by the trade deadline. They need to get something in return for ‘Melo. If they wait, they could risk losing him for relatively nothing like the Cavs with LeBron and the Raptors with Bosh. By now, the Nuggets should know that ‘Melo isn’t signing their extension, so just get as much for him as possible.

Right now they are dealing with injuries to Kenyon Martin and Chris “Birdman” Anderson. But they seem to be benefitting from an improved Arron Afflalo so far. If Anthony end up getting traded, expect the Nuggets to depend on Afflalo more. But what will PG Chauncey Billups think of it all? Doubtful that he will re-sign if ‘Melo is gone. Good luck Denver, 30 games if they have the fire sale they should but 45 if they keep their pieces.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves – 2009–2010 record (15–67)

Is there any doubt that GM David Kahn is the worst in the league? Even worse than Dumars? Nope, he is by far the worst. He gave $20 million to C Darko Milicic. That’s right. $20 million to an absolute bust. Kahn is insane. You can’t win more than 20 games with ridiculous moves like this. With their young talent though, they should be able to overcome and win 25 or 30+.

I mean, there is obvious talent on the team that are high draft picks. They have PF Kevin Love (No. 5 overall, 2008); SF’s Michael Beasley (No. 2 overall, 2008 via Miami) and Martell Webster (No. 6 overall, 2005); SG’s Wayne Ellington (No. 28 overall, 2009), Corey Brewer (No. 7 overall, 2007) and Wesley Johnson (No. 4 overall, 2010); PG Johnny Flynn (No. 6 overall, 2009) and in Europe they have Ricky Rubio (No. 5 overall, 2009). The oldest is Webster at only 23, the rest at least 2 years younger. That is a lot of high draft picks, some actually drafted and some via trade, so we should be seeing some improvement soon.

But the worst thing about this short season so far? Kevin Love is only playing 25.3 minutes a game. Arguably your best player, is barely averaging half a game? What sick joke is Kahn and head coach Kurt Rambis playing on Love? He should be around 40 minutes a game. It’s not due to lack of production, in the short time Love plays, he averages 14 and 13 a game. Incredible. As ESPN’s Bill Simmons says, “KAHNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!”

Pacific Division

1. Los Angeles Lakers – 2009–2010 record (57–25)

Who else would be tops in this division? They are 2 time defending world champs. And they just got better. Look out. We can expect a close to 60 wins this year, and possibly the most wins in the league to go along with a likely title defense.

They added possibly the best backup PG in the league in Steve Blake (though they overpaid for him), scrappy defender and three point extraordinaire SF Matt Barnes. They also added more size and length in the draft with Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks.

But let’s get this straight, this is SG Kobe Bryant’s team. PF/C Pau Gasol is one of the best big men in the league and if he was meaner, might just be the best. They have more talent with SF Ron Artest, SF/PF/C Lamar Odom and the clutch Derek Fisher. But with all this talent, the team only goes as far as Kobe takes them.

On a side note, talented big man Andrew Bynum is out until approximately Christmas time. He should have been back from knee surgery, but he was extremely immature. Instead of having the surgery on his time and rehabbing, he went to see the World Cup. He had the surgery extremely late, and now won’t be in the lineup until Christmas or New Years. Another frustrating chapter in the career of Bynum.

2. Phoenix Suns – 2009–2010 record (54–28)

They lost Amare Stoudemire but replaced him with Hedo Turkoglu. Obviously they aren’t the same type of player but Turkoglu might actually fit their system better. Crazy? Well Amare couldn’t shoot farther than two feet from the rim. Turkoglu is dangerous from deep. Turkoglu can handle the ball and is clutch. Amare couldn’t dribble more than once on his way to dunk, much less handle the ball. One thing in common though? Neither can grab a rebound to save their life. Turkoglu grabs 3.3 rebounds a game. Amare is averaging 7.7 a game, but was held to 0 in a playoff loss to the Lakers. Someone with Amare’s abilities should be grabbing 10+ rebounds a game. Watch Amare’s rebound numbers to slide.

The entire team seems to be the same player just different heights. All can run up and down the court shooting threes and making fast break layups. Only three players I consider unique to their team, PG Steve Nash, C Robin Lopez and PG Goran Dragic. The aging Nash has helped develop Dragic, who looks like the successor to the former league MVP. Lopez seems like a more energetic but less offensively skilled version of his brother.

They have skill all through their roster, but can they keep up the run and gun game? Can Nash keep father time at bay? Will Turkoglu fit in? They still should win 45+ games but a five seed might be their best seating for the playoffs.

3. Los Angeles Clippers – 2009–2010 record (29–53)

The long awaited debut of PF Blake Griffin after he injured his knee. I have been a basher of Griffin in the past because I had never seen him make anything more than a dunk. They were impressive, but that doesn’t make you a star. The kid has ridiculous jump abilities. In replays it looks like he could rest his head on the rim. His post game defense is improved, along with his offense in the post along with a much improved jumper. He still isn’t a three point threat, but he doesn’t have to be. It would be nice for him to knock down his free throws though. He is my favorite for rookie of the year.

Along with Griffin, the Clippers have a lot of skill, at least the starters are. The starting lineup of PG Baron Davis, SG Eric Gordon, SF Ryan Gomes, PF Griffin and C Chris Kaman is a good one. Not a title contender, but a fringe playoff team if they can put it together.

Their bench is weak with only a couple nice pieces and they are all rookies too. PG Eric Bledsoe should be a good backup from Davis, but hopefully Davis is mature enough to teach Bledsoe the right way. SG Willie Warren could have been high draft pick had he not been injured in his final year at Oklahoma. School would have helped a lot for Warren. And high draft pick, Al-Farouq Aminu should be able to help soon. Add in C DeAndre Jordan, and you have a talented bench. But all except Jordan are rookies so prepare for a long season with this young but talented bench.

4. Golden State Warriors – 2009–2010 record (26–56)

The Warriors and the Kings are a push here in the last two spots. Both teams have a couple extremely talented players, but the team as a whole disappoints all the time.

For the Warriors, they traded for PF David Lee, bringing in a nice post player that can be a 20–10 player. They had to give up a lot for him, but the players they traded for Lee had disappointed in their time on the team. The Warriors also have the very skilled Pg Stephen Curry and SG Monte Ellis.

The triplet of Lee, Curry and Ellis is a very good one, but the rest of the team is mediocre at best. It hurts even more that this year’s top draft pick , Ekpe Udoh, got injured before the season and will be out for an extended period of time.

They could win 20, 30 or even 40 games, but matching their 26–56 of last year seems like a reasonable expectation.

5. Sacramento Kings – 2009–2010 record (25–57)

They have a nice frontcourt, especially No. 4 overall pick in the draft, DeMarcus Cousins. They do have a few high potential guys in the frontcourt in Jason Thompson, Hassan Whiteside and have veteran Carl Landry starting at PF.

A frontcourt of Cousins and Landry seems like a very good one, but Landry could depart via free agency soon, so can a player like Thompson or Whiteside put it together? Thompson has been a starter in the past, but has disappointed, making Whiteside very intriguing. Whiteside is extremely raw and big, measuring at 7’ and 235 pounds. He needs to add some weight, but as he grows up and fills out (he’s still only 21) he could make a formidable pair with Cousins.

Don’t forget that the reigning rookie of the year, SG Tyreke Evans, is on the Kings. He finally made the switch to SG after he didn’t fit the mold of PG. Evans and Cousins are extremely talented and could be the duo that bring the Kings back to relativity.

Southwest Division

1. San Antonio Spurs – 2009–2010 record (50–32)

Last year just didn’t seem like the typical spurs year. C Tim Duncan looked tired and drained. PG Tony Parker was out a long time, and SF Richard Jefferson was a complete joke.

This year, they will be revitalized. PG George Hill had a great year filling in for Parker and being his backup. The Spurs finally get C Tiago Splitter from Brazil, he might be the most important addition for the Spurs. Splitter will be able to give Duncan much needed rest and will be able to come in and produce, not just be a fill in. And they drafted James Anderson with the 20th pick in the draft. He will be able to give Manu and Richardson time off. Anderson was a top 5 talent but never played up to his abilities, leading to his slide in the draft.

Strangely, the Spurs signed Parker to an extension. It was thought by many that Parker would be traded or let go via free agency, and the starting PG spot would be handed to Hill. The more the merrier though. If Parker, Manu and Duncan can all stay healthy, expect a long playoff run. 55 games should be no problem this year.

2. Dallas Mavericks – 2009–2010 record (55–27)

They could easily flip–flop with San Antonio, but it’s the Spurs and I can never count them out. On the other hand, I can count out the Mavs.

Of course owner Mark Cuban has this team full of talent, but this offseason was one full of much improvement. Cuban spent most of the offseason trying to buy the MLB’s Texas Rangers. There wasn’t not a whole lot of room for improvement, but they haven’t been to the Finals since 2006 and then they didn’t win.

The most important moves Cuban did do for the Mavs were re-signing players. PF Dirk Nowitzki opted out of his contract to sign an extension, but was a little more “team friendly” than his last. They also re-uped with C Brendan Haywood, traded for C Tyson Chandler. A key concern for the Mavs though, is the health of PG’s Jason Kidd and Rodrigue Beaubois. Kidd is 37 and has a lot of miles on those legs, while Beaubois broke his foot and will be out for an undetermined time.

60 games is their max amount of wins, while they should at least win 52 games. The Mavs will be a mid range seed in the playoffs.

3. Memphis Grizzlies – 2009–2010 record (40–42)

Again this team could flip–flop with the team below them but it like their players just a little bit more.

First off, what were the Grizzlies doing signing SF Rudy Gay to a 5 year deal worth $80 million? Does he have skills? Yes. Is he young and athletic? Yes and yes. Can he lead the team to a championship? No. he fills the stat sheet but he doesn’t lead a team. He is kind of like Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala. “Uber-talented,” but just isn’t mentally tough enough to take a team or game over when he needs too.

But I digress. Their most important player is the brother of Pau Gasol, Marc. They were actually traded for each other a couple years ago when Marc was still in Europe. But there is difference between the two brothers; Pau is a little more finesse, while Marc is stronger and more powerful. And his backup is the former No. 2 overall pick, Hasheem Thabeet. Not a bad pairing of centers if Thabeet can develop.

They also have SG OJ Mayo and PG Conley. Both talented, but a lot like Gay. Both can fill up the stat sheet, while not possessing that “leader gene.” Conley is still raw, so he needs to develop faster or he could be out.

On the bench look out for veteran PF Zach Randolph and rookies SF Xavier Henry and PG Greivis Vasquez. Randolph has been a headache, but seems to finally be getting it in Memphis. Vasquez was a scorer, playmaker and leader at the University of Maryland. Henry was a top high school recruit who is still extremely raw, but has the NBA body, NBA range, and most importantly, immense talent.

They could finish anywhere from winning 40 games to nearly 50. I’ll go around 44.

4. New Orleans Hornets – 2009–2010 record (37–45)

There was an extreme scare in the offseason when franchise player, PG Chris Paul, demanded a trade from the team. Now, they didn’t actually have to trade him, but he could have become a cancer and ruined the team and season. It was extremely puzzling after his season where he suffered a serious knee injury.

The front office calmed any worries that Paul had about the team in a long meeting. They promised to acquire player to make the team relevant again. Shortly after the meeting, the Hornets acquired SF Trevor Ariza and SG Marco Belinelli.

This seemed to please Paul, but to acquire Ariza, they had to trade super sub for Paul Darren Collison. It hurt because while Paul was out with his knee injury, Collison played extremely well, and the team didn’t seem to miss a beat. But recently, the Hornets acquired a ridiculously talented but malcontent player from the Blazers, PG Jerryd Bayless. Bayless should step right into Collsion’s shoes, thus pleasing Paul even more.

Their front court is worrisome with Emeka Okafor as their center. He can grab rebounds and block some shots, but he hasn’t developed into the scoring threat teams thought he would when he was drafted No. 2 overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. Not to mention he has a max contract that he isn’t worth.

They are a lot like the Okafor’s former team, the Bobcats, if you think about it. They have good/great players in their one through four spots, but the center position is worrisome. If Paul is healthy and the team chemistry is right, they might be able to sneak into the playoffs. Then again, they could only win 35 or 37 games again.

5. Houston Rockets – 2009–2010 record (42–40)

C Yao Ming was out all year after a much publicized foot injury that required a tricky surgery. He is ready to play but will be limited to only 24 minutes a game. That’s right, half a game. To a guy earning over $17 million a year. He is a huge investment but is it a strict 24 minutes? It’s hard to believe. I do understand thought. With the pressure on his foot from his height and weight, 7’6” and 310 pounds, it could be a long process till he is ready for 30 or more minutes a game.

They have the talent to win 45 games this year and steal a spot from a team above, but Yao is their critical piece. Can he hold up to the long grind of the 82 game season?