Thoughts from Last Night's NBA Games

Last night I watched the Bulls go on the road to play the Nets on my big TV with the Cavs-Mavericks and then Nuggets-Sonics on my small TV. Unlike the previous night with the Rockets-Lakers game, these games certainly had a first night feel to them.

My Observations:
-The Bulls certainly did not come out in the first half ready to play last night against the Nets. Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson were running all over the Bulls and they were showing very little resistance. The most disappointing thing about it was all the dunks and layups the Nets were getting.

-It seems like each time the Bulls play the Nets, not only do they lose, but they let one of their players outside of their big three score a handful of points. In the past it had been mediocre big men like Mikki Moore and last night it was Antoine Wright scoring 21 points.

-I think I was wrong about Josh Boone. I thought he would come in and bring a lot defensively and on the glass to the Nets. Instead, he looks lost and even airballed a free throw in last nights game.

-If the Bulls are going to have success with the team as currently orchestrated, they are going to need to get more from the power forward position. Tyrus Thomas and Joe Smith's combined line:
45 minutes, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 fouls, 10 points

-Thomas and Smith at the power forward position need to bring at least double the amount of points and more blocked shots and rebounds for the Bulls to really have this power forward-by-committee thing really work effectively.

-The Sonics are going to be a bad team this year. Damien Wilkins is a nice scorer and could be a sixth or seventh man on a championship team, but if he is your leading scorer, then you will be ending the season with a ton of lottery balls.

-It's interesting to see how quickly Luke Ridnour has fallen in Seattle's organization. Not long ago, he was a member of the U.S. National team. Last night, he got a "DNP-Coaches Decision". The team clearly played a lot better when Delonte West was in the game than when Earl Watson was directing the offense. West is a bigger guard who can do more things on the court than Watson. I would say that it won't be too much longer before West is playing the majority of the minutes at point guard for Seattle.

-Hubie Brown made a point about Chris Wilcox last night that he could be a 20-and-10 guy this year. Though this is probably a stretch, he did average 13.5 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game last season. With a lack of talent and competition in Seattle, Wilcox should put up career highs this season.

-With Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson playing at their best, nobody can stop the Nuggets. Yakhouba Diawara also complements the duo well because of his size and defensive abilities. With two of the top scorers in the league in the backcourt there is no need for any scoring punch from the guy next to them. Therefore, Diawara is a great fit and could be a key compenent to Denver's success.

-With the Bulls game on, I wasn't able to focus much on the Cavaliers-Mavericks game, but from what I did see, the Cavaliers may really struggle at the start of the season. They looked completely lost on offense and LeBron James did not score in the first half. They played a little better in the third quarter, but by that point the game was already decided. Perhaps they miss the energy of Anderson Varejo, who is still in a contract dispute with the team. Sasha Pavlovic also did not play last night because he just signed his new contract. However, I doubt either of these teams will be the solution to Cleveland's offensive woes.

-I like the idea of playing Jason Terry as their sixth man, but I don't know long-term how realistic it is. At some point in the season, I would expect Jerry Stackhouse (32) and Eddie Jones (36) to show their age and begin to deteriorate. At that point, Terry would have to move back into the starting lineup.

Scouting Report: Josh Howard

After last seasons disappointing loss in the first round of the playoffs to the Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks realize that dominating the regular season is not enough. The Mavericks core of Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, and Josh Howard will need to continue to improve and execute on both sides of the floor if they are going to make it back to the finals.

Player Name: Josh Howard
Current Team: Dallas Mavericks
Ideal Position: SF
Drafted: 29th
Height/Weight: 6'7"/210
Birthdate: 4/28/80
Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
High School: Glenn HS/Hargrave Academy (VA
College: Wake Forest University
Agent: Jeff Schwartz

Contract:
2003-04 $773,440
2004-05 $863,640
2005-06 $923,880
2006-07 $1,577,353
2007-08 $9,000,000
2008-09 $9,945,000
2009-10 $10,890,000
2010-11 $11,835,000 (Team Option)

Notes:
Graduated after four years with a degree in sociology; Team won the NIT his freshman year, in which he started 34 games; Named to the NCAA All-American first team and the ACC POY, during his senior season; Defensive POY in the ACC his senior season at Wake Forest; Senior season, led the Demon Deacons to its first ACC regular season title in 41 years; Prep school teammates with Xavier star David West; Nickname is J-Ho.

Strengths:
Intense player; Willing to get down-and-dirty; Has innate toughness; Quiet confidence; Top-knotch defensive player; Tends to play taller than his 6'7" frame, especially on the glass; Freakishly long arms - 7'2" wingspan; Pesky defender; High character guy; Very energetic on the court; Jack-of-all trades guy; Excels at setting up his teammates; Identifies mismatches well; Quickness; Gets open mid-range jumpers easily; Handles the ball well for his sie; Finishing around the basket.

Weaknesses:
Weaknesses are mainly on the offensive end of the court; Needs to continue working on creating his own jump shot; Long-range shooting needs improvement; Needs to continue to improve scoring ability outside of the paint; Free throw shooting could still improve.

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