The Pistons start yet another season looking to overcome the losing tradition that seems to be etched in stone. Coming off a hugely disappointing season where problems were rampant on and off the court, the Pistons sought to overhaul their core and start fresh. The 2 blockbuster deals pulled off by Det was the acquisition of star Kobe Bryant, Caron Butler, and a 2007 #1 pick, for Kendrick Perkins, LeBron James, and a #2 and #8 draft pick from 2005. On paper, the deal looked bad, but considering the fact that Kendrick Perkins fouls himself out of half the games he plays in, and the fact that LeBron doesn't have a killer-instinct, the deal appears to be a success for the 4-2 Pistons. The newly acquired Butler was traded for the 2nd time as a Piston (Pistons drafted him #1 then promptly traded him). This time, to divisional rival Indy. The Pacers shipped SG Steve Fowler, PG Keyon Dooling, SF Robert Mikhal, and their 2006 #1 for Butler and PF Juan Cassell. Here's the positional breakdown. C- Jason Jennings is expected to step up this year, after a solid rookie season one year ago. The Pistons didn't mind shipping away underachieving Kendrick Perkins to see what they have in Jennings. The Pistons only ask of Jennings to average in the neighborhood of 10 and 10 a night, as well as not taking shots away from the primary scorers. Backup Ken Johnson can only play defense, but he does it well. PF- Antonio McDyess is the slated starter at PF. The Pistons will be happy with 15 and 10 a night. Rodney White returns to the Motor City via Toronto, and is expected to provide quality backup minutes. Anderson Varejao was the Pistons 1st round pick and will sit on the bench and watch McDyess teach him how PF is to be played. SF- Kobe Bryant slides over to SF, as the Pistons have a big hole at the position. Bryant is among the league's elite players and is expected to carry the team on offense and defense. His playoff experience is a much needed asset for the young Pistons. Jumaine Jones will be asked to give quality minutes as a backup. Robert Mikhal in all likelihood will be ensuring that Kobe has a warm seat on the bench, when Kobe is out of the game. He is Jack Haley, to Kobe's Dennis Rodman. SG- Newly acquired Steve Fowler is looked upon to score anywhere from 15-20 pts a night, as well as providing tough perimeter defense. Backup Dwayne Wade is looking to repeat his succesful rookie year of last season. PG- Keyon Dooling was another acquisition in the Caron Butler trade. He immediately becomes Det's best PG in the history of FBB. Dooling is a good scorer, as well as being a very good defender. Omar Cook is a steady backup and will be asked to give Dooling a rest when needed. Luke Ridnour will most likely no play 1 single minute this year. However, the Pistons appreciate him enough to allow him to travel on road trips. Outlook- The Pistons traded away 3 different young up and coming players in order to improve their perimeter defense. It is thought within the organization that the main cause of underachieving over the years is due to a lack of defense. The Pistons stepped up to the plate in improving this area by adding Dooling, Fowler, and Bryant. The biggest question mark for Det is how well their interior defense will hold up. How far Det falls or rises is dependent on the play of Jason Jennings and Antonio McDyess. Prediction- 45-37
Philadelphia 76ers The 76ers once again are a very changed team from last season's 1st round exit in the playoffs, and hope that this young, exciting team can get past the 2nd round for the first time in league history. C: The 76ers get back one of the best young Centers in the game, Kendrick Perkins. He is a huge upgrade over starter Chris Marcus last year. The backup C will be rookie steal Harrison Ontko, who was the #15 pick in the draft. PF Stromile Swift will be backing both of these fine young gentlemen up, giving the 76ers a great C rotation Grade: A+ PF: The PF position is the only one that remains unchanged from last season. Starter Michael Bradley will be looked upon for Scoring and Rebounding, he is expected to average around 16 and 8 as the 3rd option for the 6ers. Backing him up will be Stomile Swift and Aaron McGhee. Grade: A SF: Small Forward will be played by converted Shooting Guard LeBron James, the young phenom who was acquire in the Kobe Bryant, Caron Butler deal. The 76ers don't have too many true SFs, so backing James up will be PF Aaron McGhee and SG Ebi Ere. Grade: A- SG: Shooting Guards, Shooting Guards. Starting at the weakest position of the 76ers, will be rookie Rickey Paulding, who was nabbed at the #8 pick in the draft. Backing him up will be super soph Ebi Ere, who was the 2nd team All-Rookie SG last year, and big things are expected out of both of these youngsters in the future, splitting the time at SG. Rookie PG Mark Stoudamire might get a few minutes at SG as well. Grade: B+ PG: Now we get to the Point Guards. Starting at PG this year will be Tony Price, who had a decent year last year, averaging 13 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds per game. Backing him up will be rookie Mark Stoudamire, who's not expected to contribute much this year, but has great potential. Ebi Ere will get a few minutes at PG as well. Grade: A- Projection: 50-32 in the rock-solid Eastern Conference.
Last year was a year to forget in the Land of the Valley of the Suns. But after some offseason changes the fans of Phoenix have reason to be excited about the upcoming season once again. C-Marc Jackson. Marc was recently acquired from Australia in a deal that sent Nick Van Exel to the Blazers. He adds a presence at center that the Suns have lacked since shipping Dikembe Mutumbo out for Antonio Mcdyess a few seasons ago. Known for being a gifted scorer, Jackson should fit right in on this team. Backup 1-Jerome James. Jerome, last years starting center for the Suns, has agreed to move into a scoring role on the bench to accomodate Marc Jackson. James has a nice touch as a big man and while he isn't spectacular, he is a valuable bench piece for the Suns. Backup 2-Stephen Hunter. Hunter, acquired in an offseason deal with the Chicago Bulls brings a defensive presence to the Suns bench brigade and his shot blocking ability should spring the Suns into fast break mode quite often. PF-Antawn Jamison. Jamison, acquired from the Bulls in the offseason for all star SF Shawn Marion is expected to provide the Suns with an inside presence and good rebounding, something they sorely lacked last year. Backup 1-Darvin Ham. Ham, a fixture in Phoenix for the last few seasons returns as the backup PF. He should add toughness and defensive intensity off the bench, although he is somewhat of an offensive liability. Backup 2-Luis Scola. Scola, who spent most of last year on Injured Reserve, is expected to man the second backup PF position while providing the offensive firepower that Darvin Ham lacks. SF-Nickoloz Tskitishvili. Nickoloz, acquired in an offseason deal with Minnesota for Lamar Odom, is one of those so called "Foreign Sensations Sweeping the Nation." His size and overall ability make him the Suns choice as their go to guy. Although his defense needs work, Tskitishvili is a bright young star in the league, and will be a force to be reckoned with for a long time. Backup 1-Rod Grizzard. Grizzard, who came to Phoenix in a midseason deal with the New Jersey Nets last season, is a young, athletic, and versatile small forward with a deft touch and good passing skills. The Suns plan on utilizing his versatility by making him a Backup pg along with his current SF duties. SG-Wally Szcerbiak. Known as "Wally World" by many, Szcerbiak is bringing his game to Phoenix after a brief stint in Australia. With his height, and deft outside touch Wally should fit right in as the 4th option on this team. However, his defense is suspect and it will take a good team effort to help mask his troubles. Backup 1-Hubert Davis. Davis, signed in the offseason as a free agent, will be asked to provide a sweet stroke and deadly 3 point accuracy off the bench for the Suns. Not known for his handling, Hubert is better in that respect than most people realize. If all goes well, Davis will be one of the first subs off the Phoenix bench every game. PG-Stephon Marbury. Stephon, who signed the Suns maximum offer sheet in the offseason is an explosive player who can beat opponents off the dribble or with his post up game. He consistently is among the league leaders in steals and assists as well. This season Marbury is expected to be the Suns second scoring option only behind Nickoloz Tskitishvili. Backup 1-Desmond Mason. See above. Backup 2-Rod Grizzard. See above. Overall, the Phoenix Suns look to be a much improved team this season. Although they could use a true backup point guard, the threesome of Tskitishvili, Marbury, Jamison should mean a return trip to the playoffs after a one year absence last year. Prediction-50-32
New ownership has come in to try to turn things around in Mexico City. The Jazz have one of the game's best young players in PF Nikolas Wootten. He is a lock to average over 20 points a game and close to 8 to 9 rebounds a game. Add newcomers Jay Williams and Joe Smith plus veteran C Raef LaFrentz and up and coming SG Andre Najera, the Jazz will be looking to have a winning season and try to get into the playoffs. Keep an eye on SF Chris Porter. After falling through the cracks, Porter was picked up very cheaply and should play a key role off the bench at the 3 spot and 4 spot.
After a disappointing season last year without reaching the playoffs, the Indiana Pacers have re-tooled and are ready to get right back into competition in the very deep Eastern Conference. Playing in arguably the toughest division in the league, the playoffs won't come easy. The Pacers are a team designed for the future with enough talent to win now. Here's the breakdown... CENTER: <b>Brad Miller</b> will be the starter once again, one of only two starters that started throughout the season last year. He is expected to be the steady and consistent Center he has been, grabbing rebounds, playing sound defense, and cleaning up the garbage on the offensive glass. Jahidi White will provide excellent backup services, as he prepares to be a big rebounder off the bench in his first full season as a Pacer. Youngster Horacio McClure will see very limited minutes. POWER FORWARD: <b>Kevin Garnett</b> once again will lead this team, and will be expected to put up a double-double nearly every night. He also provides a lot of little things, such as blocking shots and even racking up a few assists. Every now and then he can step out and hit the three also. This team will depend on him more than any other player. Juan Cassell, acquired in the Caron Butler trade, will split time with 23rd overall pick Nick Collison as the backup, and each will see significant minutes as KG can move over to the SF also. SMALL FORWARD: <b>Caron Butler</b> was one of the biggest acquisitions throughout the offseason, as the team felt they needed to shake things up a little bit. Unfortunately, Keyon Dooling and Steve Fowler were both lost in this deal, both once thought to be a big part of the future. Caron will provide an excellent all around game, and is the first true Small Forward this team has had in a while. With no true Small Forward to back him up, starters Jalen Rose and KG will both have to spend some time here when Caron needs a breather. SHOOTING GUARD: <b>Jalen Rose</b> looks to flourish playing a position that is a bit more natural to him than the 3-spot. Jalen was acquried last year from Milwaukee by giving up Wally Sczcerbiak and Jamall Tinsley, in hope to push the team into the playoffs. It didn't work out, but Jalen is coming back to help the team this year to get into the postseason. He is expected to put up around 15, 5, and 5 and be a veteran leader over some of these very young players. He is the only player on the team that is left from the original squad, although he was let go at first in order to acquire KG. The Pacers are glad to have him back. Former lottery pick Erick Ripken will provide relief in the backup role. POINT GUARD: <b>Raymond Felton</b>, the number 3 overall pick,will only be expected to spread the floor in his rookie season. After recieving the good fortune of hitting the draft lottery, the Pacers didn't want to waste this pick. Felton was clearly the best player available, so the Pacers decided to select him as the bright spot for the future. Unfortunately, Keyon Dooling had to be dealt away to make room for Ray. At the early age of 20, Felton has a lot of pressure on him to help this team into the playoffs. Some kind of production at the point is crucial to the teams success. Ramon Kersey will hopefully be the spark plug off the bench, providing some instant offense. Predicted Record: 48-34
New ownership has taken over the Bucks this year and they couldn't be happier with the team they got. We are solid at every position and have depth is most. Not many guys step into a situation as good as this, and I know it. Center - No problems here as the Diesel just keeps going strong. Backup Alvin Jones provides depth off the bench. Power Forward - Ben Wallace is the blue collar glue that holds this team together. His rebounding, defense and unselfish play are as good as ever. He is the only PF on the roster however, and that concern me. Small Forward - Glenn Robinson brings his strog inside/outside game back for another year and shows no signs off stopping. Jamal Nikolec and Jonathen Bender are two young guys with plenty off potential. Both tall and with plenty of range, one will probably have to be moved. Shoting Guard - Derek Anderson and Ron Mercer man the fort at the SG position, providing steady D and the occasional clutch shot. Look out for young gun Hukeydo Ghedo, as he will be lighting up scoreboards very soon. Pedro Radejevic is a youngster with good potential also. The club has high hopes both of these guys. Point Guard - Tj Ford is a player we hope will run this team for the next 10 years. He is one of the best young players in the game, period. Hollis Price provides good defense and a steady hand off the bench.
You're welcome Miami Heat 2006 Outlook-- For the first time in seasons, this team has hope for both this season and beyond. Paul Pierce and Ruben Patterson lead the team from the forward spots, as both bring excellent scoring, rebounding, and superb defense to the table. This team has a lot of talent and depth, and should improve as the season goes on. The playoffs will be difficult in the tough Eastern Conference, but it is not an entirely impossible task. Center-- Zydrunas Ilgauskas, one of my two main signings in the offseason, will be relied on to be a defensive presence in the middle. As long as he can grab 8-10 rebounds a game, block 2-3 shots, and score in double figures in a high percentage, he's doing his job. Power Forward-- Ruben Patterson, a converted SF from Portland, certainly has the tools offensively to be a gem at power forward. With a great inside game and tenacity, his first game in the season resulted in 33 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Detroit. However, even with an A+ in defense, it remains to be seen how well he holds up in the post. If he struggles, there is a chance he may slide over to SF and Pierce to SG while Andre Hutson mans the 4 slot. Small Forward-- Paul Pierce, the main acquisition of the offseason, is the star the Heat need to build around. He has had a slow start to the season, but will likely come around, and when he does he will be the go-to man. Pierce plays both inside and out, along with great defense and clutch shooting. Quite simply, he's the man on this team. Shooting guard-- Corey Maggette, the primary pickup in the trade for Andre Miller, looks to bring consistent, high percentage scoring along with the athleticism to run the floor. Bobby Jackson, an undersized 2 with terrific vision, ball handling, and clutch shooting, will also help at this spot. Point guard-- Kirk Hinrich, the seventh rookie chosen overall, has been everything I have hoped for and more. In his first two weeks of action, Kirk averaged 15.6 points, 8.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds on 50% shooting and under 2 turnovers. This is all without even being a top 3 option. Showing confidence in the team, I shipped off a future first round pick for backup Logan Day, a promising youngster that could likely start on a lot of teams. Prediction: 38-44
Seeing how my roster is turned upside down, it's time I re-do my statements. As of press time, the Pistons are 12-11. C- Newly acquired Lorenzen Wright is expected to produce close to double double. Backing him up will be defensive whiz Ken Johnson, and newcomer Marc Jackson. PF- Marcus Fizer, is another new Piston. He will be asked for 15 and 10, and the Pistons will be happy. BAcking him up is newcome Steven Hunter who is asked to block shots and rebound. Third stringer rookie Anderson Varejao will be asked to pass out cups of Gatorade to Kobe Bryant when Kobe is out of the game. SF- Newcomer (see a theme occuring?) Tayshaun Prince will be asked to score 10-13 ppg and provide solid D, with good outside shooting. He gives the Pistons a much needed true SF with good size. Swingman Kareem Rush will be asked to play a solid 10+ mins as his backup. Jumaine Jones will only play in blowouts. SG- Kobe Bryant is the starting SG. Nothing really needs to be said except the Pistons need him to dominate. Read above for Rush and Jones, the backups at SG as well as SF. PG- Stephon Marbury comes to the Motor City after a blockbuster trade that was just pulled off. Pistons want 20-25 ppg as well as 8-10 dimes a game. He will be asked to form a 1-2 punch with Kobe. The Pistons desperately needed another big-time star alongside Kobe. Now they have it. Backing him up is the young Luke Ridnour. Det hopes that Ridnour will provide good ballhandling for about 10 mins a game. Outlook- The Pistons weren't satisfied with being 12-11, and felt the missing link was a #2 scorer, despite averaging 109 ppg. The idea is to have a guy who can allow Kobe to have an off-night, with the Pistons still winning. The x-factors for the Pistons are Marcus Fizer and Tayshaun Prince. If they are just average, the Pistons will be in a tough fight for the #8 seed in the East. If they are good, the Pistons could be fighting for a top 4 seed in the East. One of them must step up as the #3 scorer. Prediction- After staring off 12-11, the Pistons expect to win close to 50 games this year, after adding Marbury.
New Jersey Nets The Nets once again choose to shake things up by trading former leage MVP Steve Francis to the Miami Heat, After 3 solid seasons in New Jersey, Management felt it needed to take a step in the youthful direction. Francis was shipped along with Jorge Wingate to the Miami Heat for Young Sensations Nene Hilario and Kirk Hinrich also included in the deal were former Nets Moochie Norris and Rod Grizzard Center - Nene Hilario gets the start here, He expects to be the main cog on the frontline. The up and coming Jarron Collins will back him up. Samuel Dalembert holds the 13th roster spot. Power Forward - Brian Grant will remain the starter here, Hilario should take a lot of pressure that was put on him when Francis was here. Unknown Rookie Rick Rickert will be added into the equation. Small Forward - Matt Harpring and Noah Ruiz will be sharing time manning the 3 spot, Harpring is the vet with experience so he gets the start. Ruiz is pushing for a bigger role. Rod Grizzard is again stuck in New Jersey, The GM has no plans with him yet. Shooting Guard - Veteran Ex-Net Kerry Kittles was signed this offseason and is starting at the 2 guard now, he has yet to miss a free throw. Young Russell Lister is making a push for more playing time. Bill Schayes holds the last roster spot. Point Guard - Rookie Kirk Hinrich starts here right away, Veterans Tony Delk and Moochie Norris are the very capable back-ups. Prediction - 34-48.
Los Angeles Lakers Center-The center position is my best position this year with Roberto Geiger bringing in 12 and 6. Backups are sucky. Power Forward-Austin Croshere gets 18 and 8 and is decent. Backups suck. Small Forward- Couldnt get any suckier than it is now. ERob is a god damn bum. Someone take him. Shooting Guard-WTF. Mo Pete bringing in 9 and 4. Even as a top option you can't get me 15 points. You suck, Mo Pete. Point Guard-This has to be the best PG I've had since Nash. Gilbert Arenas. Unfortunatley the Lakers suck so bad Arenas won't resign and I could give a ****. Bottom Line: This team sucks. Anything/Everything is up for trade. I hope there is a future for this team.
