2010-11 SBNation NBA Blog Previews: Atlantic
by Tom Ziller on Sep 18, 2010 5:49 AM PDT
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PrintIt's that time again: SBNation NBA blog preview time! The Atlantic Division was up first this week, including all 2,321 Celtics bloggers. Good times.
Next week is ... the Pacific Division! Kings are up on Wednesday. Wear 3-D glasses.
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Celtics: CelticsBlog | Celtics 24/7 | Celtics Central | Celtics Hub | CelticsLife | Gino's Jungle | RedsArmy.com | SBNation Boston | SBN Recap
Knicks: Posting and Toasting | Bandwagon Knick | KnickerBlogger.Net | SBN Recap
Nets: NetsDaily | NetsAreScorching | Fanway | SBN Recap
Raptors: Raptors HQ | Hoops Addict | Hip Hoop Junkies | SBN Recap
Sixers: Liberty Ballers
Recaps: All Previews
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/hit tip to Mike Prada
I read the first four reviews on the SB Nation recap page and had to stop because my lips were cramping.
A sweeping prologue to the season and some nice kindling to get my NBA fire started. Fans are the most optimistic of people aren’t they? Raptors, Nets, Knicks all predict fantasy season win/loss records for next year (IMHO). I expect no different from the Clips, Wolves, Warriors and Kings. Thanks for posting this TZ.
rec’d.
Weak division
Can we really vote for anyone but Boston? I tried for a second to vote for New Jersey, but then I remembered even with their great center they still sucked big time.
New York is the team I see finishing 2nd in that division
Probably taking the 7th or 8th seed in the East.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
How can you not vote for New Jersey after spending their cap space on Travis Outlaw and Anthony Morrow?
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
I don't disagree with the Morrow signing
But Outlaw and Petro I do. Shoot, I’d be absolutely thrilled for Carl to get the same deal as Outlaw though, but I think he’ll end up being worth around 10 million a year on the open market.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
what’s wrong with Morrow? He is one of the best if not the best shooter in the game, and they signed him to a nice contract.
I also belive Outlaw is a solid pick up. Kid’s only 25 and has been around for 7 years already, yet he’s a couple of years away from entering his prime, so while he has experience in the league I don’t think we’ve seen his best days. He was a pretty solid contributor on a stacked Portland team and now will have the chance to start and play 30+ minutes, I think he’ll be alright, if you check his stats in games he’s been given 30+ min over the course of his career they’re pretty soli, and if he could help off then bench averaging 13ppg in 26 mpg on a 50+ win Portland team, idk why I shouldn’t expect a solid contribution from him with a starting role on the Nets. He’s coming from an injury plagued season tho, so that could be a reason for concern.
They gave him a MLE contract. Full MLE contracts are worth $34 M and 5 years, the Nets gave Outlaw $35M and 5 years.
I actually like all of them.
But not as the crowning jewel of the Nets’ 2010 free agent bonanza. Solid role players all of them. Now all they need is some starters.
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
They have three solid starters in Lopez, Murphy and Harris
Now they just need a future at SF and SG, which could be Terrence Williams and Damion James, and Derrick Favors to replace Murphy.
If Billy King doesn’t screw it up like I think he will, the Nets could be good in a few years. Real good.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
watch out for TWill. Kid’s a stud. He can do about everything on a basketball court, except shoot. He can play 3 different positions, both on offense and defense, he rebounds like a beast and possesses great passing and playmaking abilites. He didn’t break out until the final 2 months of the season, but he was great during that stretch, averaging 14.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 5.4 apg, and being a TD threat every night. Prior to last season’s start, team insiders told one of our beatwriters in the NJ media that they believed Williams could become the most talented player on the team.
I think his and Favors’ development will be the key to the Nets rebuilding process. We all already know Lopez is gonna be really good, now if Williams and Favors show they’re building blocks of Brook’s level, we have some serious talent here. Add to that an All-Star caliber PG in Harris (who will be that veteran guy when all those kids hit their primes… Devo’s just 27 now) and I think we have a good mix.
I’m not a big fan of Favors (I wanted us to take Cousins), but Avery has lots of faith in this kid, when asked if they could become the east Thunder, he said you need a Durant type of player and he said hopefully Favors is that guy. We’ll see. I’ll be glad if Favors ends up being a Joakim Noah caliber player.
Do we lack that true superstar guy? Yes, I do believe so. I don’t think Lopez, Williams or Favors will be that type of player, but they have a chance to be very good, and having 4 guys of that very good level (Lopez, Harris, and if they pan out, Favors and Williams, well surrounded by solid role players) could be enough to make the team compete at a high level in a few years. After missing out on the superstars, Prokhorov talked about the Pistons model.
I think this team should be fun to watch this season.
Ahhh preseason optimism
All that’s fine, but a + 20 in the win column? Ther were a ton of ?? in your post there.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Sep 20, 2010 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh, I def. agree. Nets traded away their superstars (Kidd, Carter) and they didn’t end up landing any marquee free agent. I can understand what they did tho. After realizing they had no shot at Lebron, Wade and Bosh, they decided to bring in young role players who could complement our core guys and grow next to them the next few years. It wouldn’t have made any sense for them to go out there and overpay for a big name like say an Amare Stoudemire, when they just drafted a kid who plays that position with the 3rd pick. That’s why the Troy Murphy addition makes sense, his contract expires next summer, so he can help us be more competitive (he complements both Derrick and Lopez extremely well), while taking some pressure off Favors and won’t hurt his development nor limit his minutes like a big name would. Had they signed a big name like those who were left (most of them PF: Boozer, Amare, maybe even Lee), Favors wouldn’t start, not this season, not next, never, and why spend the big bucks on guys like that if you believe in the kid’s potential after using such a valuable asset like the 3rd pick on him. Murphy could come off the bench if Favors grows faster than expected and could be re signed as a quality vet at a much smaller salary next summer. I like Outlaw and Morrow, Farmar and Petro not so much, but they’ll be playing more limited roles (they’ll be backing up our 2 star players, Lopez and Harris, so it’s not like they’ll be playing a lot of minutes).
then I remembered even with their great center they still sucked big time.
Last year’s team doesn’t exist anymore.
There are only 4 players left from that roster, its three best players (Harris, Lopez and Williams) and Humphries, who will have a hard time getting any pt (he could be an OK energizer off the bench for 12-15 minutes).
They went from having Yi at the PF to have Troy Murphy (a double-double machine and a big who shoots like a SG) and this year’s draft number 3 overall pick, Derrick Favors. That’s a massive improvemnt.
They improved big time in some areas they were extremeley weak last season, see shooting (Morrow, Murphy, Outlaw, James) and rebounding (Murphy, Favors, James, Petro).
Not to mention they got an actual coach, and a very god one indeed. Last year they were “coached” (if you can call it like that) by a moron who wasn’t a coach and who didn’t want to be one to begin with (Kiki Vandeweghe, who was our GM and was named HC by Rod Thorn because of personal vendetta after Kiki got Frank, Rod’s pet, fired, and because RATner was a cheap owner and didn’t want to hire a new HC for the rest of the season). Our coaching staff got much stronger with the additions of Sma Mitchell and Larry Krystkowiak.
Look, Im not saying the Nets will be great, but they’ll be decent at least, IMO.
I think worst in the league is gonna be between them or the T-Wolves.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
for sure.
I’ll say Raps will be the worst, as I still like the Wolves a little.
by hoodieNation on Sep 18, 2010 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions
not the Cavs?
i imagine the Raps being to get a better record than the Cavs.
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent"- Qui-Gon Jinn
I keep forgetting about them...
they’re like not even a real team anymore.
by hoodieNation on Sep 18, 2010 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Unless Cavs blow up the team they aren't going to be worst in the East by far
They are playoff experienced, and Williams, Jamison, and Varejao will keep them in games. I’m thinking somewhere in the 30s for the Cavs.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
They'll strain to reach 30
but probably get there + 1 or 2
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Sep 20, 2010 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions
Wanted to be ''that guy''
that voted for poor Toronto.
Most of the previews, if not all of them,
are too subjective and self-deluded. I know all of us “feel” that Donte and Casspi have the potential to be all-stars one day (right?). The Dubs fans think Curry is better than Nash. The Nets’ blogs have their team win 32 games at minimum (+20 than last year the least). The Celtics fans feel that Shaq is the key to win a championship again.
Even the Raptors fans say that the team will be a bit better defensively last year. Better? After losing the best defensive player in the NBA (Antoine Wright)!!
Yeah, and Omri Casspi is a starting-caliber Small Forward
Cousins is ready for prime time and Dalembert can be an important component of the offense.
We’re all deluded. Can’t be mad at hope.
GREENE! You’ve been superfluously apostrophe’d! - andy sims
iashwash, you are the voice of reason - Holmdel
you are aware
that people have been put in strapped sleeved white coats for less
by betweentheeyes on Sep 18, 2010 9:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, its beautiful actually
We don’t have that kind of trust and hope in our teams here in Greece. It’s all about criticizing and cynicism. It’s great to see that in the NBA. Although a reality check from the bloggers would be good.
Prada was more skeptical than those blog sites
and even he was generous a time or two IMO. The Celts he may have underrated a bit, I coud see 55 wins pretty easily. 22 for Toronto sounds about right.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
I think he way over estimated the Knicks
Yes, their offense my be a little better, but I can’t see where anyone they picked up improves the defense all that much.
Turiaf & Randolph are coming over from GS which was an even worst Defensive team than the Knicks. And, a big man rotation of Amare, Turiaf and Randolph? How is that supposed to be a good front court? I like Felton, but he’s no Nash. And, a career aver. of 13pts/6 assts on 41% from the Field just doesn’t seem enough to make up for the lack of size and skill in the post.
I just don’t see where NY improves by 9 games, like Prada suggested. They were only 6-10 in their own division last season and 9-21 against the West. So, maybe they win a game or two more in their division 8-8, but they’re going to have just as much trouble in the more improved West. Actually, I think that NJ and the Sixers will make bigger improvements this season than NY.
The Southeast is still the dominant division with 4 teams making the Playoffs again. (Orl, Cha, Mia, Atl). Boston wins the Atlantic, with Chicago & Milwaukee battling for the Central so that only leaves one playoff spot left. And, I think Cleveland’s defense could still carry them to 40 wins and the 8th playoff spot.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
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