11/6/07 Bulls vs. Clippers

Last night the Bulls tried to get their first victory of the season when they hosted the undefeated Los Angeles Clippers. My thoughts before, during, and after the game:

-Early on, it looked like it would be the night for the Bulls to get their first win. On the first possesion, Luol Deng passed it into to Tyrus Thomas for a dunk. On the other end, Deng blocked a short jumper by Corey Maggette and then hit a midrange shot to give the Bulls a quick lead. Deng, Gordon, and Hinrich all looked good from the start and it appeared the Bulls would get the win. Unfortunately, Cuttino Mobley did not miss a shot in the first half (10-10) and the Bulls were down five points at halftime.

-I think the Bulls need to change up their starting lineup, if for nothing else, just to give a different look. I would pull Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas from the starting lineup and go with Thabo Sefolosha and Joe Smith. In the last two games, Smith has played 51 minutes, scored 31 points, and grabbed 17 rebounds. He has arguably been the best player on the team thus far. In Sefolosha, the Bulls would have more size in the backcourt, so that Hinrich does not have to defend the other team's best guard. It would allow Hinrich to avoid early foul trouble and get his offensive game back on track. Moving Thomas to the bench would allow them to bring more athleticism into the game later on and simply give another look. Gordon actually had a higher scoring average last season when coming off the bench, so clearly it is a role he is accustomed to. This is probably not a long-term solution, but with Detroit and Toronto coming up later this week and then a six game road trip, the Bulls need to turn around their November fortunes quickly.

-By my estimation, a majority of the Bulls problems have been on the offensive end, but as I have said, some of that is fueled by the defense. Hinrich has picked up the third most fouls in the league with 19, first among guards. This foul trouble has clearly affected him on the offensive end.

-In their four games, the Bulls have played a variety of different guards, but in nearly each case, they have had a better than average game. Part of this scoring efficiency for the opponents guards has been a great number of free throw attempts. If the Bulls want to start winning games, they need to limit the production of the opposing teams' guards. Below I posted a table I put together showing that only Mo Williams of the Bucks has not exceeded his 2006-07 averages when playing the Bulls this year:


(The italics show that the opponent's averages were tied in their game against the Bulls.)

-One of the bright spots last night was a great game by Luol Deng. Deng played almost 45 minutes and scored 22 points on 17 shots from the field. He went four for four from the free throw line, had eight rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocked shots. When Deng plays like this, it is understandable why Kobe Bryant has an interest in playing on the team with him.

-I'm not sure why the Bulls commentators didn't make a bigger deal out of this, but in the final four minutes of the game, the Bulls did not make a single field goal. Their only points in the last four minutes came on two free throws from Ben Gordon.

Other NBA thoughts from last night:

-It appears that Anderson Varejao is not willing to accept a one year deal for $5,000,000 from Cleveland. Reports have said that even if Varejao signed a contract today, he would not be ready to play as he has not maintained proper conditioning. The team has been getting good rebounding from Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, and LeBron James, but Varejao brings much needed post defense. Even if Varejao is not ready until midseason, they will need him for the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, Boris Diaw, and Al Harrington have all had big games so far this year against Cleveland. With Varejao apart of the squad, Cleveland would have another big body to provide defensive resistance.

-The Nets look like they will contend for the Eastern Conference title this year. Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, and Jason Kidd continue to make a great trio, and Antoine Wright looks like he has really developed into an effective scorer off the bench. In a playoff series though, I still doubt they have enough inside, but for the regular season, I like their chances of finishing in the top four.

-The Heat are most likely going to force Dwyane Wade back early. After three games, they have not come away with a win, losing to Detroit, Indiana, and Charlote. Without Ricky Davis' 16 points per game, it really would be ugly thus far for the Heat. With the Spurs and Suns up next for the Heat, an 0-5 start is certainly likely. Shaquille O'Neal has picked up a great deal of fouls, Smush Parker looks like a mistake already, Anfernee Hardaway has not provided the scoring punch they hoped for, and Jason Williams has struggled mightily from the field.

Thoughts from Games on 11/2/07

Tonight I watched both the Celtics-Wizards and Bulls-76ers games. I was especially interested to see how the Celtics would play in their first game with Garnett and Allen. The Bulls played disappointingly in their first game against the Nets, so I was interested to see how they would play in their home debut against the 76ers.

My Observations:
-Tonight was certainly the best game of Tyrus Thomas' career. Although he still had a few defensive lapses and made some bad turnovers, he brought energy and athleticism to the team all night. He was active on the boards and had several mouth-opening blocked shots. It really looks like he has improved his jump shot, which will be pivotal in his development. If he can consistently knock down that mid-range shot, Thomas' potential is endless.

-Maybe it's because Thomas played so well, but I still expected the Bulls to get more offense from Joe Smith. I figured he could easily average ten points each game. It's early, but I'm already doubting my initial expectations.

-Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng really struggled tonight. For a perimeter shooter like Hinrich, his field goal percentage has never been as high as it needs to be. One reason may be because he has to exert so much on the defensive end, but long-term this is a concern. Especially in the first half, both struggled to get into any type of flow.

-Andre Miller has always been a real solid point guard. He probably has never gotten the credit he should get, but he is real steady and brings a lot to the table.

-Reggie Evans brings a nice dimension to the 76ers. He works hard on both ends of the court and is unselfish. On a team like the 76ers who have little experienced talent in the frontcourt, Evans could put up career highs in rebounds and points this season.

-If the Celtics can get the type of production they got tonight outside of the Big 3, they are going to be real tough to beat. Rajon Rando, Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen, and Eddie House all gave them positive minutes. They don't need any of these guys to score a lot, just play hard and work on defense.

-What a night for Boston. It was truely a perfect start to the season as Garnett, Allen, and Pierce all played well and had the chemistry of a group that have played together for years. Garnett definitely started his MVP campaign on the right foot with this game line:
22 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

-Gilbert Arenas really struggled tonight to get into any kind of flow. He turned the ball over early and shot 5 for 20 from the field. The game ended with the Boston crowd chanting "Gilbert, Gilbert".

-The Celtics really dominated the Wizards in every aspect tonight. They lost by 20 points, shot 0 for 15 form the three-point line, only had 9 assists, and turned the ball over 19 times. Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood were the only Wizards to play effectively.

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.

Kobe-Bulls Update

Reports out of Chicago are saying that a three-team trade is on the table for Kobe Bryant to approve within the next 48 hours. The trade includes the Bulls and Lakers and now also the Sacramento Kings. With Kings point guard Mike Bibby out six to ten weeks with a left thumb ligament injury and a roster of players either past their prime or vastly inexperienced, the Kings most likely are looking to shake up their roster.

The reports only mention Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Kobe Bryant, and Ron Artest as the primary members. So, I spent some time looking at possible three-way trades and here is the best that I could come up with:

Chicago gets: Kobe Bryant ($19,490,625) and Jordan Farmar ($1,009,560)
Sacramento gets: Ben Gordon ($4,881,669), Joakim Noah ($2,135,400), Viktor Khryapa ($1,928,598)
Los Angeles gets: Kirk Hinrich ($11,250,000), Ron Artest ($7,400,000), Adrian Griffin ($1,593,000), Chicago future first round pick.

With this trade the Bulls would automatically become a contender to win the championship. They would maintain a core of Luol Deng, Ben Wallace, Andres Nocioni, and add in Kobe Bryant. Role players such as Thabo Sefolosha and Joe Smith would also play a critical role. Although the Bulls currently constructed are a nice team that may compete for the Eastern conference title, this team post-Kobe trade would compete for the title. And as I always stress, each year your goal is exactly that -to compete for the championship.

In Sacramento and Los Angeles, this trade allows both teams to rebuild their roster without falling too hard. Sacramento gets another scorer to play next to Kevin Martin, another young big man in Noah, and cap flexiblity next season when Khryapa's contract expires. The Lakers acquire two starters and some flexibility for the future. Hinrich and Artest would team with Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to create a nice core for the Lakers to build around.

Thoughts from Bulls-Wizards/October 16

Last night I went to the Bulls game against the Washington Wizards. Below are some thoughts I had after the game:

-I assumed that Thabo Sefolosha and Adrian Griffin would be out with injuries last night, but I was hoping we would get to see Ben Gordon for the first time this season. Gordon sat out once against with a left ankle injury.

-I was suprised Gordon was out again, considering Skiles said he would possibly play in last week's game against Dallas.

-I like how the Bulls made an effort right from the tip to post-up Luol Deng. With Roger Mason and Mike Hall on him, Deng clearly has an advantage. Considering his height and wingspan, Deng should continue to take advantage of that mismatch.

-I loved the big lineup that Skiles went with mid-way through the first quarter, which included: Kirk Hinrich at point guard, Luol Deng at shooting guard, Andres Nocioni at small forward, Tyrus Thomas at power forward, and Ben Wallace at center. That is a unique lineup that can play many different styles of basketball.

-I really like how Skiles is utilizing the preseason effectively: different lineups, Deng in the post, Thomas Gardner playing with the starters, seeing what Aaron Gray can do in the post, playing JamesOn Curry at both guard positions, and giving significant time to Viktor Khryapa.

-Antawn Jamison got tangled up in the corner opposite of the Wizards bench towards the end of the first quarter. Shortly after, Andray Blatche came up lame after finishing at the basket.

-Washington's rookie guard, Nick Young, really played well last night. He seems like he can play three positions if asked and plays aggresively. Of all the Wizards, he impressed me the most.

-I watched Gilbert Arenas throughout the evening frequently. I like the way he carries himself and leads his team. He did not play his best and only played limited minutes. I would really love to watch him live again during a big regular season game.

-Both Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson did not play last night for the Wizards.

-By my account, Oleksiy Pecherov may one day be a signifcant player in the NBA. However, last night I could tell that he is still very raw. He struggled from the perimter and turned the ball over a great deal. He works hard out there but still seems like he is not ready to significantly contribute to an NBA team today.

-At this point, I think I have seen enough to determine who my fifteen man roster that I would go into the regular season would be: Hinrich, Duhon, JamesOn Curry at point guard; Gordon, Gardner, Sefolosha at shooting guard; Deng, Nocioni, Griffin, and Khryapa at small forward; Smith, Thomas, and Noah at power forward; Wallace and Gray at center. I would assume that Khryapa and either Curry or Gardner, probably Curry, would be inactive on game nights.

-Both Jared Homan and Andre Barrett have not played poorly during the preseason, but they lack the talent the players ahead of them have.

-I really like the Joe Smith acquisition John Paxson made in the offseason. He is an experienced veteran, who really wants to win now. I do not think he is "over-the-hill" at this point, and can still be effective. If he can play twenty minutes a night and average ten points and six rebounds, then the Bulls will be in great shape.

Training Camp Begins, Time for Eastern Conference Rankings

With NBA training camps having begun this week, I thought it would be a good time to provide my power rankings for the Eastern Conference:

Contenders
1) Detroit Pistons - The key pieces from a 53-win team, plus the addition of some promising rookies lead me to put Detroit on top of the East.
2) Chicago Bulls - Seven of the Bulls top eight from last season return, plus two new big men - Joakim Noah and Joe Smith.
3) Boston Celtics - The Hall of Fame trio will certainly contend for the conference championship. Injuries and the development of their young players will be the determining factor here.
4) Cleveland Cavaliers - With Ilgauskas and Marshall a year older, the development of Cedric Simmons, Shannon Brown, and Daniel Gibson will be vital.

Pretenders
5) New Jersey Nets - I don't buy Jamaal Magliore being the missing piece to the Nets' puzzle. I would expect the Nets to play more consistently throughout the season, but never truely contend for the title.
6) Miami Heat - Too many injuries to key players and a lack of talented youth has the Heat as a fringe playoff team.

Sleepers
7) Washington Wizards - The Wizards certainly have a talented roster this season, but likely are a talented center short of moving up the power ranking.
8) Orlando Magic - Adding Rashard Lewis is worth at minimum five wins to their regular season total. The Magic are still short on talent around Dwight Howard and Lewis to make a serious run in the East.
9) Toronto Raptors - With a majority of the Eastern Conference teams improving this offseason, the Raptors only made minor tweaks to their roster. The development of Andrea Bargnani and T.J. Ford will determine the success of this team.

Losers
10) New York Knicks - Zach Randolph was a strong addition to the Knicks roster, but they will have all types of trouble playing defense this year.
11) Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks have a young roster with loads of potential. Finding a reliable point guard to lead them will be vital in their success.
12) Charlotte Bobcats - I like Charlotte's starting five now, but they lack depth at every position. If they can keep their core together for years to come, they will be a contender soon.
13) Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks had an active offseason, but still have plenty of question marks. What will Yi Jianlian bring them? Can Charlie Villanueva stay healthy? Do they need more of a true point guard?
14) Indiana Pacers - The Pacers may see themselves trading Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley by midseason and starting over around Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy Jr.
15) Philadelphia 76ers - The 76ers have some nice pieces in Andre Iguodala, Jason Smith, Rodney Carney and Thaddeus Young, but they lack a consistent veteran post scorer.

Sizing Up the Eastern Conference Today

With rumors floating around that the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves are nearing a trade that would send Kevin Garnett to Boston for Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfar, and multiple future draft picks, I thought it was a perfect time to see who's rising, who's falling, and who's at status quo at this point.

Who's Rising?

Boston:
If Boston is able to land Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the same offseason, then the Celtics are definitely a team rising in the East. A starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins would certainly be able to compete with anyone else's starting five in the East. Garnett would bring the 20 points and 10 rebounds the Celtics would need every night and Pierce and Allen should both be able to put up 25 points each night. The development of Rajon Rondo at point guard will be vital towards the Celtics success. If Boston hopes to advance in the playoffs, Rondo needs to take care of the ball and improve his one-on-one defense. It would be beneficial for Danny Ainge and the Celtics to bring in a veteran point guard who can spell Rondo towards the end of games. Earl Boykins may be the best option here. Boykins is a speed demon who can get anywhere he wants off the dribble and takes care of the ball very well. If the Celtics do not land Garnett, strictly from a prespective of "have they gotten better for next season", the Celtics still meet this criteria.

Chicago:
With the additions of Joakim Noah and Joe Smith, the Bulls have added more big bodies to the roster. The further development of Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and Thabo Sefolosha will give them a great chance of reaching the Eastern Conference finals this year. Chris Duhon will either be traded or see his playing time diminish greatly this year, which will be a benefit to the squad.

New Jersey:
The Nets struggled for most of the season and ended with a .500 record. Although Jason Kidd is a year older, there is no reason to think that they should not have a better season. The Nets have added Jamaal Magloire from Portland and drafted Sean Williams. Williams will add length and athleticiscm and becomes the teams best shot blocker. New Jersey will also look for further development from Josh Boone, Marcus Williams, and Bostjan Nachbar. This could be Kidd's last season playing at a high-level, and the Nets should plan to take advantage of this.

Orlando:
The Magic added the top free agent available in Rashard Lewis. Teaming Lewis with Dwight Howard will automatically make the Magic a competitor in the East. Orlando is still looking to add some veteran size upfront and some more depth throughout. The Magic will feel the losses of Darko Milicic and Grant Hill, but they likely will have the talent to make up for that. The Magic will also look for a great deal of development from last year's first round draft pick, J.J. Redick. Redick should bring a much-needed perimeter game to compliment their scoring inside. The addition of Stan Van Gundy should also be beneficial to the team. Van Gundy has won over 30 playoff games during his four year career as an NBA head coach.

New York:
Isiah Thomas and the Knicks added Zach Randolph to the mix this season to a roster which already includes Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Davis Lee, and Quentin Richardson among others. Although it is still to be seen how Curry and Randolph co-exist on the floor at the same time, the mix of talent will certainly be improved. With Renaldo Balkman, David Lee, and Randolph Morris sure to develop further, the Knicks should make the playoffs this year.

Charlotte:
With the addition of Jason Richardson, the Bobcats have a top scorer at the wing for the first time in their existance. Richardson and Gerald Wallace will look to be one of the top scoring duos at the wing positions, which should lead to a franchise-high in regular season wins. The development of players like Adam Morrison, Jared Dudley, Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafor, and Sean May will also be vital to their success. Newly-hired head coach, Sam Vincent, needs to stress defense with the young players, as the Bobcats finished in the bottom three in the East in opponents points last year.

Atlanta
Last season, the Atlanta Hawks finished last in the NBA in points scored per game. Since the Hawks chose not to make any drastic moves this season, they will look towards the development and healthy seasons from their core of Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Joe Johnson, Shelden Williams, and Josh Childress. Newly drafted youngsters, Al Horford and Acie Law, will also be counted on to produce immediately. The Hawks still lack an effective low post scorer and top-level point guard, but with a plethora of improving young talent, the Hawks should be a competitor to reach the playoffs this season.

Who's Falling?

Indiana:
Jermaine O'Neal continues to be on the trading block in Indiana. The Pacers problem at this point is a lack of significant talent and without trading O'Neal it will be hard for them to solve this. The Pacers have a group of long, young players in Marquis Daniels, Ike Diogu, Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger, and Shawne Williams. However, this is only a start in their rebuilding process. Indiana lacks a true point guard and size upfront. The Pacers will take a step back this season if they start the season with their current roster. If they are able to move O'Neal for a collection of players, they will most likely be better off for the future, but will still struggle this season.

Philadelphia:
The 2007-08 season is crucial towards the rebuilding of the 76ers. Andre Iguodala will continue to develop into one of the top scorers in the East and youngsters Rodney Carney, Louis Williams, and Shavlik Randolph should see increased playing time. Adding Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith to the mix through the draft will also help in their transition mode after moving Allen Iverson during last season. In terms of wins, the 76ers project to win less than the 35 games they won last year, but with more young players involved, it will be a more beneficial season.

Washington:
With Arenas missing almost all of April and the entire playoffs with an injury, the Wizards should be better this season simply because of his prescence. Additionally, the Wizards have brought in shooting guard Nick Young through this year's draft and have agreed to terms with Oleksiy Pecherov, whom they drafted with the eighteenth pick in 2006. The Wizards are still hopeful they can move centers, Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood, as well as, the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro. Moving these players could bring back more talent upfront to compete for minutes. However, I have the Wizards falling because with the Magic and the Celtics improving, the Wizards have not done enough to get significantly better.

Toronto:
This offseason, the Raptors have added Maceo Baston, Carlos Delfino, and Jason Kapono, while losing Morris Peterson. Toronto's additions may be benefiical, but are not strong enough to think they will have any better of a season than last. They will see improvment from Andrea Bargnani and Joey Graham, but last year's team avoided significant injuries and played in the weakest division in the league. With Boston and New York looking to be much improved, the Raptors have not improved enough. They still lack a formidable wing player to put next to Bosh in the post.

Who's Remaining at Status Quo?

Cleveland:
I believe that Cleveland should have an improved regular season this year because of head coach, Mike Brown's willingness to play Larry Hughes as the starting point guard from day one. Brown moved Hughes from the starting shooting guard to the team's point guard before Cleveland's March 3 game against Toronto. After that, the Cavaliers finished the season winning 17 of their last twenty four games. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers have not added any talent to their squad. They are currently struggling to figure out the best way to deal with Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejo, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Donyell Marshall. With Varejo signing a large extension this summer, it will be hard for Cleveland general manager, Danny Ferry, to rationalize having him play behind Gooden. The Cavaliers' talent should be improved because of the development of Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown. However, with most of the teams' around them coming back strong, the Cavaliers have not done enough to show that they will be improved from last season.

Miami:
Miami struckout in their pursuit of Mo Williams and Mickael Pietrus and appear to be sitting at status quo. Playing without Dwyane Wade for 33 games last season greatly hurt the Heat. Miami will win more games this regular season, but without adding anymore talent besides Daequan Cook and Smush Parker, the Heat will most likely not be able to get out of the first round again this year. Their young players like Cook, Dorrell Wright, and Wayne Simien do not appear to be talented enough to make an impact this season.

Milwaukee:
The Bucks selected power forward, Yi Jianlian, this offseason to add to their mix of Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Andrew Bogut, Mo Williams, and Charlie Villanueva. Whether or not Jianliian actually joins the Bucks, I do not think will make a difference in their success this season. Milwaukee should benefit from less injuries, however, they still lack a consistent scorer in the post. Without this guy, the Bucks are still a jump shooting team, who will struggle to make the playoffs.

Detroit:
Detroit's offseason does not appear to be finished, with last year's starting center, Chris Webber, still unsigned. Eith way, this season's version of the Pistons will greatly be determined on the success of some of their young players: Jason Maxiell, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson, Arron Afflalo, Sammy Mejia, and Rodney Stuckey. These guys will play significant minutes in an effort to give Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Richard Hamilton increased rest. The Pistons struggled in last season's Eastern Conference finals, but there is no reason to think they cannot get back there again. Getting past the Eastern Conference finals will be a tough task for Detroit. They still tend to lose focus at times and struggle to get consistent play at times from Wallace.

So, as of right now, if the Celtics get Garnett, here are my Eastern Conference regular season projections:

(1) Detroit, (2) Cleveland, (3) Chicago, (4) Boston, (5) New Jersey, (6) Orlando, (7) Miami, (8) Toronto, (9) Washington, (10) New York, (11) Charlotte, (12) Atlanta, (13) Milwaukee, (14) Indiana, (15) Philadelphia

Bulls Plan to Get Inside Scoring By Committee

After losing their second round playoff series to the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls general manager, John Paxson, explained that they clearly have a need for someone who can score in the post in order to advance further next season. This immediately started trade rumors that had the Bulls acquiring Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, and others. With the league's summer camps now over and teams getting ready to focus on the season ahead, it is becoming more likely that the Bulls will stick to their current roster.

At the power forward position Joe Smith, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and Andres Nocioni will all share time. Smith is projected to start at the position and Nocioni will play at that spot sparingly when they want to go with a small lineup. Thomas and Noah may also spend some time backing up Ben Wallace at the center spot.

Here are my projections for the these four guys when they spend time at the power forward position for the Bulls:

Name, Minutes, Points, Rebounds
Joe Smith, 22, 10, 6
Tyrus Thomas, 16, 8, 6
Joakim Noah, 5, 4, 3
Andres Nocioni, 5, 4, 2

So during the 48 minutes of a game, the Bulls project out to get 26 points and 17 rebounds from the power forward position. The idea of having a problematic position be filled by a group of strong role players may work well for the Bulls. Each of these four guys plays with a great deal of energy and provides unique individual talents.

The Bulls certainly hope that the 2007 Pepsi Pro Summer League will be a sign of things to come for Thomas, where he averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds per game, while being named to the First-Team All-Summer League team. Long-term, if Thomas can continue to develop into a reliable power forward, then the Bulls problems may be solved without having to give up any of their assets. Looking at next year, Thomas should be able to provide great help off the bench for Skiles when he looks to spell Smith of minutes. He brings the ability to block shots and play above the rim, skills that Smith no longer can provide well. At the same time, Smith will provide spirts of strong post play and competent post defense.

Noah will be another wildcard for Skiles because his game is still very raw. Undoubtedly, Noah will bring great shot blocking and energy and any offense he can bring will be seen as a bonus. Nocioni's ability to play big allows Skiles to move to a smaller and quicker lineup. I assume that Skiles will look to do this in short stints during a game.

Although these four guys cannot bring what a Jermaine O'Neal or Kevin Garnett can bring to a team, they should be able to form a nice combination at the power forward spot each night. The Bulls big men will certainly be upgraded with a healthy Nocioni, development of Thomas, and the additions of Smith and Noah. Hopefully, at the end of next season, Paxson will not be again quoted as saying that their offseason priority is a scoring big man.

Denver Nuggets' 2006 Offseason

(Originally posted on October 9, 2006.)

The Denver Nuggets made two transactions this summer:

Acquired forward Joe Smith from the Milwaukee Bucks for guard-forward Ruben Patterson.
Acquired guard J.R. Smith from the Chicago Bulls for guard Howard Eisley and two second-round picks.

On the surface these are small moves that will not result in them to jump from 44 wins to become a 50 win team. However, if you consider the risk-reward, the Nuggets without question had a productive offseason.

Consider the salaries and ages:

Player Name, Age, 2006-07 Salary, 2007-08 Salary
Ruben Patterson: 31, 7.8, free agent
Howard Eisley: 34, 1.2, free agent
Joe Smith: 31, 6.1, free agent
J.R. Smith: 20, 1.1, 1.6 team option

Now consider the Nuggets depth at SG:
Julius Hodge
Courtney Alexander
Earl Boykins

The Nuggets gambled an aging point guard and two second-round picks on a guy who only two years ago was a major prospect. They also upgraded their roster with the Joe Smith-Ruben Patterson swap. Patterson would have spent another season disgruntled as he would have been stuck behind Carmelo Anthony and Eduardo Najera. They were able to accomplish these feats while saving almost two million dollars this year. Although these moves were not major splashes that some may have been looking for them to make (i.e. trading Kenyon Martin, bringing in an all-star shooting guard), they were important moves that will help the Nuggets organization.