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!
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?
Mo Williams Trade Huge for the Cavs
August 14, 2008
A lot of people didn’t pay much attention to Mo Williams last season and that’s understandable since he was playing in Milwaukee and in the shadow of Michael Redd and even Andrew Bogut, but that is all going to change this season now that he’s in Cleveland. This trade is huge for Cleveland. It’s just what the doctor ordered if that doctor is Lebron James. Mo Williams, in case you had forgotten, brings an average of 17 points and 6 dimes to the Cavs, taking a whole lot of pressure off The King. No more Sasha Pavlovic at point guard, no more Damon Jones pouting on the bench. Larry Hughes couldn’t deliver as Lebron’s sidekick a few years ago, but Mo Williams will.
This puts the Cavs right in the mix in the East. They are serious contenders to the Celtics and Pistons. Given that the Celtics will be a year older and less motivated, the door is wide open for Lebron James. For the first time in his career, he’ll be able to trust that his teammates can get it done when he needs a breather. I’m not ready to call the Cavs the East champions, but I’m getting close.
Loading ...