1. 7. Trades for the Free Agency Class of 2012 Dwight/Paul/D-Will
Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams lead the charge for the Free Agent Class of 2012. Not as intriguing or powerful as the 2010 class led by LeBron James and company, this proves to be a strong class of future Hall of Famers.
We might see Dwight don the Laker colors such as what Shaquille O’ Neal did before. We might see CP3 running Mike D’ Antoni’s run-and-gun style offense over at New York with Carmelo Anthony and STAT. Deron Williams might just go to the team that desires.
Trades will place teams in position teams to again land a marquee player or they will result to trade for any of them.
Predictions:
Dwight Howard: Traded to the LA Lakers for Andrew Bynum and someone I don’t really give a damn about.
Deron Williams: Stay with the Nets and go elsewhere. You can’t really understand how this guy thinks.
Chris Paul: Traded to the Clippers. Sign max contract extension.
2. 8. Gives the Oldies One More Shot
Will the Boston Celtics, or also more popularly known as the Retirement Home for the aged, get one more run at the Larry O’ Brien championship trophy? Will Kobe be able to carry the Lakers to another ring? Can Tim Duncan win championship #5?
With the given schedule, I don’t think teams such as these can have a good chance to compete for ring unless they tank numerous games. Thinking about how these teams value winning the regular season, tanking games would literally kill them.
The only logical chance for them to win is for them to qualify for the playoffs with lower seedings then come playoff time, beat the younger teams.
When you think of it, old teams should benefit from a shoter schedule since there are lesser games. Lesser flights, lesser road trips, among others but when you pack it that way, it’s a totally different story. There’s no logical sense concluding that Kobe’s knees are going to hold-up after this season. This league is going to literally KILL its old superstars!
3. 9. The Year of the Durantula?
Kevin Durant had another sound year last season. Dominating the opposition with his relentless scoring ability. Graceful finishing and a killer instinct, that sets Durant from the other young players in this league. There’s no way to defend him. He’s can kill you in any conceivable way. The question is, how do you want it?
I had Durant as my 2nd option on winning the MVP behind LeBron. (Dang, I just hate Derrick Rose or what?) Durant led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the eventual Champions, Dallas Mavericks.
Durant has already made a clear point, he’s the leader of this young Thunder team and that was further affirmed by the fact he got a massive contract extension with the team last summer. Durant has continued to blossom in every year he has been in the league considering the fact he was only 2nd to Greg Oden. The Blazers must be shaking their head.
Durant is also a victim of timing. The time he enters the league, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are there and as he is already making his name, a ton of players come in after him but that’s life. We can’t complain about it. We just have to do our best and let Him to do the rest.
4. 10. Jimmermania?
Jimmer Fredette is in the NBA! Say what? Yes, the BYU standout who made waves last year in college joins the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. As early as now, he is already dubbed as the Savior of this franchise. A franchise, who a couple of years back was one win away from the NBA Finals.
Jimmer’s scoring prowess dazzled college basketball fans, scouts, and players. Who would ever think that a player would be scoring 30, 40, and even 50 points in a college basketball game? JJ Redick was the last player who shot the lights out but would you ever think a white guy from BYU could do it? I don’t think so.
Yes, Jimmermania is a noun that signifies the presence of a great player. A player who shoots the outside shot with relentless accuracy.
To me, I don’t like the way Jimmer Fredette plays. I don’t like players who shoot 30 shots a game and makes 12 of those and scores 30+ points. You giving disgrace to the game of basketball! Basketball is team sport and you should help in every other category aside from scoring. If it were just about scoring, as people perceive it to be, it’d be called Burning the Hoops.
But who am I to judge?
5. 11. D-Rose 2.0 ?
Finally, a post-Michael Jordan Chicago Bull player wins an MVP award. Derrick Rose led the Bulls to the best record in the Eastern Conference and led them to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost to the Big 3 in a grueling six game series.
Pooh, his nickname, dazzled the league with his courageous and relentless drives, something very similar to what Allen Iverson did then, minus the hits. Rose goes in the lane and seems to finish any shot with the greatest of difficulty channeling his inner-MJ.
Rose deserved the MVP. I can’t just continue to hate him for stealing the award but he did something magical last year, leading the Bulls amidst all the injuries to the best record in the East and that is something easier said that done. How many times did he have to save the Bulls? Countless.
Are we going to see a much better Derrick Rose? I don’t think so. Rose’s game will still be explosive but I think he’ll have lesser scoring opportunities with the return of Carlos Boozer. Boozer will now hopefully provide their scoring down low. Rumor has it that they are in hot pursuit of Jason Richardson and that is going to lessen his shot attempts. Is he willing to cut his numbers? Most certainly. Pooh ain’t too greedy.
6. 12. Sophomore Slumps?
You’ve reached #12. Sorry if I tired you out after reading but let’s make this quick, I hope. Last year, a lot of Rookie posted great numbers and were major contributors for their respective teams. Can we attribute their success to talent, hardwork, and thriving in the proper system or say they were lucky. Teams didn’t look too much at them and let them to their own thing.
Sophomores usually have significant drops in their production, or what I like to call Sophomore Slumps. They go through that kind of stretch because they’d never expect that they been given that much attention both defensively and offensively this early in their career. There are very little players who don’t undergo this phase in their career and those are an elite few.
Will we see Blake Griffin bleed for every point? John Wall blocked at the rim countless of times?
Those scenarios are highly probable but can these sophomores prevent the slump? YES!
We’ve made a brief rundown on the league before it begins on Christmas. Were in for an exciting season full of ups and a lot of lows but the world is just happy to finally see players putting the basket down the hoop.
And It Drops…
Nothing But Net.
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