Southeast Division Previews
October 28, 2008
You saw HoopsAvenue’s Wizards preview the other day…now here are the rest of the Southeast Division. Check them out!
Atlanta Hawks
Matt McHale: Basketbawful
Hoopinion: Peachtree Hoops
Charlotte Bobcats
BrettL: Queen City Hoops
Ziggy: BobcatsPlanet
Miami Heat
Darren Heitner: SportsAgentBlog.com
Gregory Broome: The Peninsula is Mightier
Orlando Magic
Ben: Third Quarter Collapse
Washington Wizards
Rashad: Hoops Addict
HoopsAvenue: HoopsAvenue
Mike Prada: Bullets Forever
Truth: Truth About It Dot Net
Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com
Washington Wizards Team Preview
October 25, 2008
Finally it’s HoopsAvenue’s turn for the long-awaited Washington Wizards team preview (at least maybe it’s been long awaited by Wizards fans!)
Washington Wizards
Last Year’s Record: 43-39
Key Losses: Roger Mason
Key Additions: Juan Dixon, Dee Brown, Javale McGee
What significant moves were made during the offseason?
The key move for the Wizards this offseason was not losing anyone significant! The Wizards entered the offseason with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison both as free agents. Obviously Wizards fans were a bit concerned with 2 of their top 3 players being free agents, especially since the never underspoken Arenas had made some not so subtle threats about leaving town if he didn’t get what he wanted. Thankfully, Jamison signed quickly to a 4 year $50 million deal and Arenas soon followed with a 6 year $111 million deal.
Over $150 million was enough for one offseason so the Wizards didn’t do much else. They did, however, bring the fan favorite and streak scorer Juan Dixon back to Washington. The fans will love him again and he should get a real chance to contribute with Arenas sidelined for the first few months. In the draft, the Wizards picked up big man Javale McGee, an athletic 7-footer from Nevada. McGee has had some good preseason games scoring-wise thus far, but the Wizards will be looking for rebounds and shotblocking from their big men.
What are the team’s biggest strengths?
The Wizards’ biggest strengths are its individuals’ scoring ability and resiliency. Although we will not see him until January, Gilbert Arenas is one of the NBA’s most explosive players and capable of putting up points in a hurry by way of the three pointer and getting to the rim. Antawn Jamison has a great knack for scoring as well, although you wouldn’t consider him explosive. Its creativity and a deft shooting touch that makes Jamison a consistent 20 PPG player and one of the few active players to have tallied a 50 point game. Jamison and Arenas, along with Butler will once again have a shot at each averaging 20 PPG, an impressive feat. Juan Dixon and Nick Young will be coming off the bench and, while they aren’t going to vy for the scoring title, they are both capable of having 30 point nights. With so many capable scorers, the Wizards should be able to find someone to keep them close even on the worst of nights.
In addition to their scoring abilities, the Wizards have shown more resiliency than any other team the last few years. They’ve dealt with the Arenas injury for the past two seasons, a Caron Butler injury during the ‘07 playoffs, and now they’ll be without Arenas and center Brendan Haywood to start the 2008-09 campaign. Although the team will miss Arenas and Haywood, the reason they are still a playoff contender is because of the toughness of Caron Butler. He’s earned the nickname “Tough Juice” for a reason and seems to always keep the Wizards afloat.
What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?
Well, besides staying healthy, the Wizards biggest weakness continues to be defense. They’ll also be tested on the inside. The Wizards tied for last place in 3-point field goal percentage defense last season, a sign that they don’t always make their rotations and gamble too much, a charge any Wizards fan will tell you is true. Their field goal percentage defense was better, but could stand to be improved. Coach Eddie Jordan has put a great deal of emphasis on defense the past few seasons (and they have gotten better), but further progress needs to be made if the Wizards want to contend.
Defense will be even more challenging this season as big man Brendan Haywood will miss quite possibly the entire season. Look for a center-by-committee approach from Coach Jordan. Etan Thomas, Andray Blatche, and Javale McGee will all be asked to fill the role. Etan will be the punisher, Andray the finesse guy, and McGee the shotblocker. Too bad they can’t be combined into one player.
What are the team’s goals?
Optimistically speaking, the Wizards hope to have a Big 3 of Arenas, Jamison, and Butler by January, start playing for homecourt, get Haywood back for the playoffs (with no rust somehow), and try to make the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Wizards would surely be happy with that scenario, but realistically they have a few primary goals. The first is to obviously get healthy. Second, they want to develop their young talent: Nick Young, Javale McGee, and Andray Blatche. As far as results, they certainly want to make the playoffs. Arenas was out last season and they still did it so it would be a disappointment not to be back this season. They should aim for at least the Second Round as Wizards fans are tired of getting bounced in Round 1.
What crazy thing will Gilbert Arenas do this season?
This is obviously question numero uno for the Wizards this season. What will Arenas do next? We heard about his million dollar pool and mountain and his high altitude air pressure house, but what is next? How long can Arenas continue to be the biggest star in Washington without actually doing anything? When will his blog be updated? These are all pressing questions for the Wizards faithful. We can only wait and see.
Predicted Record: 45 - 37
Yep, I’m taking the optimistic angle here that Washington does have a Big 3 in mid-January and improves on last season’s record. Even without Arenas, there’s no reason this team isn’t at or above .500 by January. Jamison and Butler should be able to carry the load and they’ve got a capable group of role players and some improving young talent. I’ll go as far to say that the Wizards will make the 2nd Round.
Northwest Division Team Previews
October 24, 2008
The Northwest Division team previews are here so check out what bloggers are saying about the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Blazers, Thunder, and Jazz. HoopsAvenue will be chiming in with our Washington Wizards preview tomorrow! Look for that and the rest of the Southeast Division in the coming days.
Denver Nuggets
Jeremy: Pickaxe and Roll
Nick Sclafani: The Nugg Doctor
Minnesota Timberwolves
Derek Hanson & Staff: TWolves Blog
Andrew Thell: Empty the Bench
wyn: Canis Hoopus
Oklahoma City
xphoenix87: BallerBlogger
Zorgon: Blue Blitz
Royce: The Thunderworld
Portland Trail Blazers
Mookie: …a stern warning
Benjamin Golliver: Blazers Edge
Coup and SJ: Rip City Project
Utah Jazz
UtesFan89: The Utah Jazz
Basketball John: SLC Dunk
Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com
Central Division Team Previews
October 19, 2008
As our regular visitors have noticed, we have been linking up to the best NBA team previews from around the web lately and today’s installment is the Central Division. So, take a moment to check out these previews written by the NBA’s best bloggers on the Bulls, Cavs, Pistons, Pacers, and Bucks. And, in case you missed it, we have also covered the Southwest Division and Atlantic Division. HoopsAvenue will be chiming in later this month with our Washington Wizards preview.
Chicago Bulls
Nels: Give Me The Rock
Matt: Blog-a-Bull
Cleveland Cavaliers
Rock: Waiting For Next Year
FTS: Fear The Sword
David Friedman: 20 Second Timeout
Amar Panchmatia: Cavalier Attitude
Detroit Pistons
Brian Spencer: Empty the Bench
Natalie Sitto: Need4Sheed.com
Matt Watson: Detroit Bad Boys
Indiana Pacers
Tom: Indy Cornrows
Milwaukee Bucks
Jeramey Jannene: The Bratwurst
Frank Madden: BrewHoop
So, check out the previews and let us know what you think! Will this be the Year of the King? Even if it’s not to be for Lebron this year, it could be the year for your fantasy team. Click here to sign up for fantasy basketball. If you win our league or another league, maybe you should convince the, ahem, losers to pick you up a fantasy trophy from the guys at FantasyTrophies.com. Here’s what their trophy looks like:
Looks pretty sweet! Works for football too!
5 Key Swing Teams in 2008-2009
October 16, 2008
Just as Ohio and Florida are key swing states that could go either way for the candidates, there are a few NBA teams that could go boom or bust. How do you define a “swing team”? Well, here’s my definition:
swing team 
(noun)
- a team that is “good on paper,” but regularly falls short of expectations
- a team that relies on 1 or 2 players with a history of injuries
- an unproven team with a lot of talent, but little experience
So, here are 5 swing teams for the 2008-2009 season
- Toronto Raptors - After a .500 season last year, the Raptors decided to mix things up a bit and traded T.J. Ford for Jermaine O’Neal. O’Neal, of course, is a former all-star, but missed half of last season due to injury and put up just average numbers when he was on the floor. Then, there’s 22-year old Andrea Bargnani who has lots of potential, but is coming off a sophomore slump. Raps fans are hoping JO is his healthy old self and Bargnani blossoms. If that happens, the Raptors will do some damage.
- Denver Nuggets - A lot of fans were scratching their heads when the Nuggets basically gave Marcus Camby away to the Clippers this off-season, but maybe their roll of the dice will pay off. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony are still a scary duo and maybe Anthony’s gold medal in Beijing will rub off on his teammates. For the Nuggets to swing upward, they need those two to play well and as a team, plus some help (and health) from Camby’s replacement Nene.
- Washington Wizards - It’s the same old story for the Wizards. Injuries, injuries, injuries. Remember this is the same team that was in 1st place in the East in 2007 at the All Star break before injuries decimated them. They’ll start off without Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood, but a cast of youngsters along with Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison will try to hold down the fort until 2009. It seems unlikely, but if everyone gets back to 100% this team could swing in a big way.
- Miami Heat - Coming off a 15 win season, there’s only one way for Miami to swing, but they could really surprise some people. They’ll need Dwyane Wade to stay healthy and for Michael Beasley to make an immediate impact. Shawn Marion needs to play up to his capabilities as well.
- Houston Rockets - Talk about a swing team! The Rockets two stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are two of the league’s best talents, but have spent more time with ice packs than they have on the floor the past few seasons. Add the combustible Ron Artest to the mix and that’s like adding vinegar to baking soda. Unbelievably, the Rockets could realistically win the Finals or see their best 3 players injured and suspended by December.
Unfortunately there’s no voting when it comes to swing teams or we’d all be stuffing the ballot boxes….all we can do is sit back and watch. Any predictions?
Southwest Division Team Previews
October 12, 2008
Last week, we gave you team previews for the Atlantic Division. This week, we have the Southwest Division team previews. The Southwest Division is clearly the best division in basketball this season so it should be really interesting to see what is in these previews. The previews are written by a bunch of great NBA bloggers from around the web most of who are local to the team they cover so you can get a lot of insights from them! HoopsAvenue will be chiming in later this month with a Washington Wizards preview so stay tuned.
Dallas Mavericks
Jake Kerr: Mavs Moneyball
Houston Rockets
grungedave and UofTOrange: The Dream Shake
Memphis Grizzlies
Joshua Coleman: 3 Shades of Blue
New Orleans Hornets
Rohan: At the Hive
ticktock6 & mW: Hornets Hype
Ryan Schwan & Ron Hitley: Hornets247.com
San Antonio Spurs
Graydon Gordian: 48 Minutes of Hell
Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com
Beasts of the East
October 8, 2008
Twelve days ago we took a look at some of the best teams in the West and the Lakers emerged as HoopsAvenue’s favorite as well as the fans’ favorite according to our poll. This week we’ll take a look at the Beasts of the East.
The poll results for Eastern Conference champion closed out like this: Other 48%, Celtics 25%, Cavs 15%, Magic 8%, and Pistons 5%. Hmm, looks like we’ve got either a bunch of pranksters or homers in this one as its hard to believe almost 50% of the fans would pick a team other than the Celts, Cavs, Magic, or Pistons next season! Maybe we’re just underestimating the Knicks, though, who knows?
Anyways, what about the supposed top 4 teams. Well, here’s how I’d seed them:
- Boston Celtics - The Celts are a bit older, don’t have as much motivation, and lost a key player in James Posey, but they’ve still got the Big Three and will obviously be a force to be reckoned with. They’ve got to be considered the favorites to get back to the Finals, but if I could take the entire field vs. the Celtics, I would.
- Orlando Magic - Orlando had the 3rd best record in the East last season and Dwight Howard is still getting better (scary!). Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis also give them a lot of versatility. This team is primed to be in the hunt and don’t be surprised to see them make 1 more move during the season to make that championship push.
- Detroit Pistons - The Pistons are probably getting tired of falling short, but I expect that to continue next season. The same cast of characters is back which is still a good thing, but it might be time to shake things up a bit. I wouldn’t count out a team with Chauncey Billups, though. Detroit’s plan should be to aim for homecourt in the playoffs and then maybe things will break their way.
- Cleveland Cavaliers - Now, this is an interesting team. The big question is whether or not Mo Williams is the sidekick Lebron needs. Larry Hughes was supposed to be that guy a few years ago and obviously that never panned out. Another thing working in the Cavs favor is the desperation of their management to keep Lebron James happy with his free agency coming up in 2010. Big Z doesn’t have too many years left so a big move this season might be necessary to keep Lebron happy, and it might help them win the East.
It would certainly be a surprise to see another team win the East, but there are some longshots. The 76ers, after acquiring Elton Brand, are on the radar, but you still don’t get the feeling they are Finals ready. Then, you’ve also got the Wizards who have one of the best Big 3s in the league, but once again injuries are threatening their chances. Even Toronto with a frontline of Chris Bosh and hopefully (for them) a healthy Jermaine O’Neal could be a contender.
Who do you think will win the East?
Atlantic Division Team Previews
October 6, 2008
A bunch of us NBA bloggers are previewing the upcoming season and the first installment is our Atlantic Division previews. Check out the previews below for the Celtics, Nets, Knicks, 76ers, and Raptors. Also, stay tuned as we work our way through every team in the league. HoopsAvenue will be previewing the Washington Wizards later this month.
Boston Celtics
Jeff Clark: CelticsBlog.com
Jim Weeks: Green Bandwagon
FLCeltsFan: LOY’s Place
John Karalis: Red’s Army
Dustin Chapman: Celtics 24/7
New Jersey Nets
Dennis Velasco: About Basketball
New York Knicks
Joey: Straight Bangin’
Seth Rosenthal: Posting and Toasting
Philadelphia 76ers
Dannie & Pete: Recliner GM
Jon Burkett: Passion and Pride
Toronto Raptors
Franchise: RaptorsHQ.com
Ryan McNeill: Hoops Addict
Cuzzy: Cuzoogle
Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com
Fantasy Basketball is LIVE!
October 1, 2008
HoopsAvenue Fantasy Basketball is LIVE!
We are very excited about fantasy basketball this year and don’t want you to miss out on the action. If you haven’t registered yet, click here and get your team now!
If you’ve already registered, it’s time to begin setting your opening day roster. Click here to access your team.
The season is now just 27 days away. The Cavs and Celtics will tip things off at 8 PM on October 28th! Are you ready?
HoopsAvenue Fantasy Basketball is unlike any other fantasy basketball league. Here are the basics:
- Choose a roster of 5-8 player each day staying under the salary cap
- Divide up a total of 240 minutes among those players
- Scores are tabulated daily and you can adjust your roster whenever you want
- Player prices fluctuate daily depending on their fantasy value and demand
- We keep track of daily, weekly, and season rankings
By giving you the option of going “all in” with 5 players playing 48 minutes each or spreading your minutes among up to 8 players, we’ve added a whole new dimension to fantasy basketball. Throw in the fact that you need to balance fluctuations in the player market with the need to rack up fantasy points on a daily basis and the strategies are endless!
We hope to see you on the leaderboards so sign up today!
Register for HoopsAvenue 2008-2009 Fantasy Basketball today for a chance to win NBA 2K9!
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