 |
| Ray Allen goes to the dark side. Hope he regrets it. (image by Colin E. Braley/AP) |
It's that time of the year again when friends become frenemies, when allies, colleagues, and classmates become rivals, when guys check their fantasy rosters on a daily basis, and when majority of the world unites once again in hoping the Miami Heat find a way to fumble.
Hello, NBA. We missed you. It's time for our 8-month love-hate relationship once again.
What follows are some of the things I'd love to see happen in the upcoming NBA season. Chime in, troll, agree, disagree. Just read and consume it all and show us what YOU think!
ATL: Lou Williams, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Teague
form an awesome shooting backcourt.
BOS: They make Ray Allen miss being a Celtic, and,
yeah, another Avery Bradley block on D-Wade.
BRO: They make Dwight Howard wonder if going to LA
was the right choice after all.
CHA: Bismack Biyombo leads the league in blocks
CHI: Rose returns and makes Chicago well again.
Also, a Rip Hamilton renaissance.
 |
| Can Derrick Rose return in time to save us all from an unwanted Miami repeat? (image by Charles Cherney/AP) |
CLE: Kyrie Irving become an All-Star.
DAL: Dirk Nowitzki returns sooner than expected and
helps the Mavs make a late season playoff run.
DEN: Javale McGee doesn’t make any bonehead plays,
and I hope he can be naturalized for the Philippine Team.
DET: Greg Monroe, please be a monster. You’re on
ALL my Fantasy NBA teams!!!
GSW: Andre Bogut, David Lee, and Andris Biedrins
become the best all-white frontline in the league – only because Dirk, Kevin
Love, and Andrea Bargnani (wait, what?) aren’t on the same team.
 |
| David Lee is one-third of the Warriors' White Triumvirate up front. (image by Ben Margot/AP) |
HOU: Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, and James Harden all
play worthy of their hefty salaries.
IND: DJ Augustin becomes the glue that puts all the
pieces of this potentially awesome team together.
LAC: AT LEAST one episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians where Khloe doesn’t whine (yes,
this is because Mr. Khlor Kardashian a.k.a. Lamar Odom is on this team).
LAL: Kobe Bryant and Antawn Jamison still find
reasons to pass the ball even if they already have Steve Nash for that. (2
ballhogs + one of the best passing PGs ever = success, right?)
MEM: Rudy Gay please don’t bust out this season –
only because I chose Danny Granger, Greg Monroe and DeMarcus Cousins over you
as my keepers from last season.
 |
| Will Rudy Gay finally erupt in 12-13? (image by Lance Murphey/AP) |
MIA: I’d be okay with LBJ getting another MVP
trophy. I would NOT be okay with LBJ winning an actual 82-game season title. #nevertooearlytohate
MIL: A scoring fiesta happening with both Brandon
Jennings and Monta Ellis on board. Also, Ersan Ilyasova to clean up their mess.
MIN: Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio come back strong
from their injuries to lead Minnesota’s late surge for the last playoff berth.
NOH: Anthony Davis wins ROY.
NYK: Argentina’s Pablo Prigioni proves he is an
all-word point guard.
 |
| Pablo Prigioni may turn out to be a sleeper star for the Knicks. (image by Jessica Hill/AP) |
OKC: KD and Jet Zero return to the Finals and whip
Miami. Period.
ORL: JJ Redick averages 20ppg because, hell, who
else is going to score?
PHI: With Bynum out, Kwame Brown has another chance
to prove that MJ was right in choosing him with the #1 overall pick like eons
ago.
PHX: Michael Beasley busts out and becomes an
All-Star.
POR: Nicolas Batum blossoms into a top-tier wingman
to take some pressure off of LaMarcus Aldridge’s shoulders.
 |
| Can Nicolas Batum show he's a top-tier prospect for the Blazers? (image by Greg Wahl-Stephens/AP) |
SAC: DeMarcus Cousins becomes the starting PF/C for
the West All-Stars, or he puts up astronomical numbers to help me get top shelf
in my Fantasy leagues.
SAS: Everyone writes them off again, and they enter
the Playoffs with the homecourt edge in the first round anyway.
TOR: Andrea Bargnani learns to rebound the ball
(5.5rpg last year was a joke!), so he can at least be considered for an
All-Star spot.
UTA: Enes Kanter forms a three-headed monster with
Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap down low.
WAS: John Wall comes back strong. The Wiz will
still lose, but at least we’ll get to see Wall’s highlights.
 |
| Come back soon, John Wall. We need your weekly highlights. (image by Anne Heisenfelt/AP) |
My Top EIGHT East Teams right now:
1 – Miami Heat
2 – Boston Celtics
3 – New York Knicks
4 – Indiana Pacers
5 – Brooklyn Nets
(Brooklyn should have a better record than Indiana, but because the Pacers will
win their division, they will be in the top four)
6 – Philadelphia 76ers
7 – Atlanta Hawks
8 – Chicago Bulls
My Top EIGHT West Teams right now:
1 – Oklahoma City Thunder
2 – Los Angeles Lakers
3 – San Antonio Spurs
4 – Los Angeles Clippers
5 – Memphis Grizzlies
6 – Utah Jazz
7 – Dallas Mavericks
8 – Minnesota
Timberwolves
In the end, I HOPE OKC
beats out the super teams – the Clips, the Lakeshow, and the Heat – on their
way to their first title in the KD-Westbrook era.
The NBA is back, boys!
Time to get nasty!
Here are some YouTube clips to get you all excited:
Here are some YouTube clips to get you all excited:
The Best of Training Camp 2012:
The Top 10 Plays of the 2012 Preseason:
0 Comment