On Thursday evening, the lives of 60 young “hoop dreamers” will be altered forever. And while some will receive a guaranteed cheque in an amount worthy of one similar to the oversized 6-49 lottery cheques, others will be selected by teams late in the evening and even then still have to prove their worth. From recent busts like Olowokandi, Darko and Kwame to second round gems such as Manu, Agent Zero and Rashard Lewis, who was cemented in the green room in tears as thirty one teams passed him by, the NBA Draft will open up new chapters to the lives of many. As fans eagerly await the “kingpin” of the NBA to take to the mic and announce, “With the number one pick, the Washington Wizards select…..”, the balance of the league may once again change for better or worse with the addition of one of these professional hopefuls. And while for the most part, as with last year, the number one pick has pretty much been in the bag since the end of March Madness, the anticipation of the other 59 individuals and fans league wide remains. So without further adieu, I bring to you my breakdown of tonight’s events from 1-13 (and minus the ever popular “WE HAVE A TRADE!”)

1 – WASHINGTON WIZARDS: JOHN WALL
As with Blake Griffen last year, Wall was tabbed as the first pick even before he declared. Hopefully that is as far as the similarities will go in terms of their first year (Blake will officially still be a rookie this year!). Wall’s arrival in DC will move Arenas over to the two, where he feel free to shoot as much as he wants without worry of shunning his teammates. With Wall running the show, look for Mike Miller to slide to the three spot and for young big man JaVale McGee to have a career year.

2- PHILADELPHIA 76′ers: EVAN TURNER
The Sixers are an enjoyable mess. They have Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday at point, both of which can start. They have AI versions one and two at the two spot (all reports point to Iverson wanting to make another comeback), Thad Young mans the small forward spot, while big money no show Brand holds down the paint with Speights and newly acquired Spencer Hawes. So where does that place Turner? As the second best player in the draft, the Sixers have to take him and hope that they can either trade Brand or play him at the pivot position as he did during his early years in Chicago. Turner has the size and ability to play either the two or three spot and should pay dividends for the team either way.

3 – NEW JERSEY NETS: WESLEY JOHNSON
The Nets are in need of a couple of pieces to help complete the puzzle of their promising young team. While both forward positions are lacking star power, this summers free agent crop is full of talent at the four spot. IF the Nets do decide to go big, look for them to pick up Derrick Favors and then try to grab a Matt Barnes or Josh Howard off the market. In the mold of a Phoenix Suns Shawn Marion, Johnson has the ability to finish in the open court with flash, but unlike Marion, his jumper has a lot more finesse and grace.

4 – MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: DERRICK FAVORS
The T-pups are a mess. After last years drafting of two pg’s AND picking up Ramon Sessions it is clear that some purple haze is floating around the front office. If Johnson goes to the Nets, look for ‘Sota to take Favors and vice versa. Picking up Favors gives the Wolves a log jam of big men, as Kevin Love and Al Jefferson already occupy the paint. Although you could attempt to slide Favors to the three spot periodically, look for Jefferson to be placed on the trade block in order to bring in a shooter or small forward.

* In a perfect utopia, the Nets would select Favors and the Wolves take Johnson.

5 – SACRAMENTO KINGS: DeMARCUS COUSINS
While watching Cousins and Nellie battle it out in the “Yay” (a’la Cwebb) would make for amusing conversation and tabloid type news, Cousins would fit nicely with the Kings and make a great pick n roll combo with Ty Evans. The addition of Sammy D at the five will allow the trio of Cousins, Dalembert and Jason Thompson to interchange between the pivot and high post and create a wall on the defensive end.
* Cousins is also my pick to wear the suit of the night, although nothing will ever top my man Jalen Rose’s pin stripe attire*

6 – GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: GREG MONROE
Aside from the Nets/Wolves issue, everything at this point in my draft seems to be fitting into place nicely. Monroe gives the Warriors fresh legs at the five spot and also an offensive threat, something they currently lack with Biedrins and Turiaf. With a great set of hands and passing ability (reminds me of Vlade Divac, minus the 5 o’clock shadow and the cigarette hanging out of his mouth), the Warriors may find themselves only one player away (Anthony Randolph?) from heading back to the playoffs……in two years.

7 – DETROIT PISTONS: EKPE UDOH
The Pistons are rebuilding and the first place they need to start is in the paint. Udoh may not be the household name that fans are hoping for, but at 6’10 with a 7 foot plus wingspan, chances are more than a few shots will be altered next season. A Ben Wallace clone sans fro, Udoh will have the ability to learn from Wallace what it takes to get the job done on the glass, which shouldn’t be a problem after averaging 10 boards for Baylor this year. The only downside to Udoh’s game is that it resembles Wallace’s offensive inabilities as well.

8 – LA CLIPPERS: GORDON HAYWARD
Maybe it is just me but the Clippers don’t really need to find a starter out of this draft. With B.Davis and Eric Gordon in the backcourt and Travis Outlaw, Blake Griff and Hulk Hogan in the frontcourt, they put out a pretty solid lineup. What they really need out of this draft is depth and a frontcourt shooter……enter Hayward. At 6’9, Hayward will provide the Clips with a great outside threat that has been missing since the departure of the Polish Rifle.

9 – UTAH JAZZ: AL-FAROUQ AMINU
Chances are Boozer and the Jazz will be ending their relationship this summer, which will push Paul Milsap into the starting four spot, and while Okur has given the Jazz a unique big man who prefers to step out to the three spot, size is a necessity for the Jazz and Aminu fits what Sloan is looking for. Able to play both the forward spots, the Jazz can go small with Aminu at the four and move Milsap to the five in order to run with the rest of the West.

10 – INDIANA PACERS: XAVIER HENRY
The Pacers backcourt is a mess, and without much depth at the point in the 2010 draft, Indiana may as well fill at least one gap. There are a ton of forwards that can be had, but Granger, Murph and Hibbert have those three spots locked down. Henry has the size and strength to be the Pacers shooting guard of the future, despite not being the best at creating his own shot. A lockdown defender during his time as a Jayhawk, Henry’s 6’6, 220 frame will provide him with a NBA ready body.

11 – NEW ORLEANS HORNETS: PAUL GEORGE
The Hornets found a gem drafting Marcus Thornton last year, and are lacking at the small forward position, as Peja, MoPete and Julian Wright are more suitable coming off the bench. George will give the Hornets another component to run with Paul/Collison and Thornton. In the mold of Danny Granger (6’8, 220) George will give the Hornets what they need from a starting small forward in the ability to knock down the three ball and run the court on the break.

12 – MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: AVERY BRADLEY
Yes, there are a lot more talented players still on the board, but many of them are better situated in the front court, a place which the Grizz have enough depth. The lead guard spot has yet to be locked down by Mike Conley and the addition of Bradley allows the Grizz to part with unused Marcus Williams and Mel Mel the Destroyer.

13 – TORONTO RAPTORS: ED DAVIS
Bosh is on his way out after seven years of not being able to lead the Raps to anything significant in the playoffs, the Raps bring in a Bosh clone in Davis. While Davis does not have the range that Bosh gave the team, he does have the ability to finish strong inside and provides the team with a shot blocking presence on the defensive end. The Raps team is in the crapper with their one superstar wanting out, and a high priced Euro bust on the books, so another year of rebuilding is in the works for Canada’s only NBA squad.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
(Round 1 Predictions = 4 correct teams, 1 correct series total)

Cavs vs. Celtics = Cavs in 7
In the battle of “That was then, this is now”, the Cavs are channeling the pre championship Bulls who just could not get over the hump, despite having Jordan. For the past three years the Cavs have been listed as one of the contenders for the title, yet have fallen short. The Celtics of course won the chip two years ago, but injuries and Father Time have jumped on the Shamrock faster than expected…..but that isn’t an excuse for Rashweed to play like a bag of dirty diapers. Lebron is on a mission this year (as commanded by David Stern) to get to the title game, the Celtics have one final opportunity before their window completely closes and they rebuild around Rondo.

Magic vs. Hawks = Magic in 6
The Magic went to the top of the mountain last year after knocking off the favored Cavs, and this year they once again have taken a back seat to the team from Ohio. This will be a battle of two similar teams, as both love to run the floor and launch the longball. Athleticism should be at a premium in this series as Smith, Crawford, Williams and Johnson can attack you in a variety of ways (just keep JSmoove away from the three point line), while Carter, Lewis, Pietrus and Howard will have no problem matching their opponent move for move. After sticking with the Hawks as they built their roster from a pretender to contender, Joe Johnson needs to get out of his first round funk in order for the Hawks to have a chance.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Round 1 Predictions = 2 correct teams, 2 correct series)

Lakers vs. Jazz = Lakers in 6
People laughed and mocked the Purple and Gold when they dropped two games to OKC and struggled to drop the hammer in three of the other four. OKC is a team on the rise, and the Lakers at this point are not a team meant for the run and gun. The Jazz surprised most with a series over the Nuggets, but will struggle to match the Lakers inside game, especially with the loss of AK47 and Okur. D. Williams will have a field day with Fisher, that should not come as a surprise to anyone who has witnessed the Lakers lead guard struggle to keep up with the quicker pg’s in the league. With the Lakers holding such a size advantage in the paint, Kobe doesn’t have to dominate in this series as he may have or had to in others, which will serve better for the Lakers down the road.

Suns vs. Spurs = Suns in 6
This is a series about redemption for one team and potentially one last kick at the can for both. With a couple of aging but can still get it done superstars in TD and Nash, both the Spurs and Suns exceeded expectations since the start of the season. The Spurs will struggle trying to keep up with the Phoenix tempo, while the Suns will have their hands full with the battle tested team from the Alamo. Look for the Suns to take the series in six and kickstart the Tim Duncan retirement tour.

EASTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1

Cavs vs. Bulls = Cavs 5
The Bulls squeaked into the playoffs by a single game (thanks in large part to CB4′s blown layup against GSW!) and while they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, they just don’t have the horses to keep up with the Cavs. Derek Rose will put up a solid series of numbers and the Varejao/Noah battle of bad hair and ugly mugs will be epic, but in the end the Bulls have a former Dukie on their roster and that as we all know leads to failure in the NBA.

Celtics vs. Heat = Celtics 7
Depending on which basket Rasheed decides to shoot on, this series could go either way, but i would like to think that the Celts have at least one series left in them. Built for a championship two years ago, the aging, injuries and ego have all taken their toll on Boston. If the Heat has any hope of winning, DWade is going to have to drop 35+ each night, as aside from BEasy, he really doesn’t have much help…….yet.

Magic vs. Bobcats = Magic 5
The man in the middle will dominate this series for the Magic, as D12 will have his way in the paint. Even Gortat will give the Bobcats big men some problems. And when the ball doesn’t go inside, the three ball will also favor the team from Orlando. Charlotte will be looking to impress their new owner and that motivation might be enough to steal a game at home, but nothing more.

Hawks vs. Bucks = Hawks 6
At the beginning of the season, few believed “Young Money” could thrive in the “L” after his one year stint across the pond. And even more fans had the Bucks penciled in for the lottery draft, rather than the post season. However Jennings and his “ROY” season has brought the Bucks back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The Hawks were my “dark horse” team to follow at the start of the season and the addition of Jamal Crawford made them even more enjoyable to watch. This series will be the most exciting and competitive in the Eastern Conference first round, but in the end the Hawks have too much firepower for the young Bucks.

WESTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1

Lakers vs. Thunder = Lakers 5
Mind games and experience will give the Lakers a victory before the series even starts, and having Kobe will guarantee one more. However the other two “W’s” will be hard fought battles for the Purple and Gold. Look for KD to push his name into the spotlight even more during this series as ABC and TNT adore the underdog hero. The Thunder will grab one at home and will force Buss and Kupchak to reassess their point guard situation in July.

Nuggets vs. Jazz = Nuggets 6
This series is going to come down to the battle between Earl Smith and Kyle Korver. Yes, the respective stars will have an impact but ultimately it will be the role players who will decide the series. Smith can go 1-12 and then drop four straight bombs, while Korver is less flashy but a bit more steady. The Nuggets will be playing for Uncle George, who should be back for the second round, while the Jazz may still be impacted by Boozer (another Dukie) who has already expressed his desire to relocate (then said no, then yes, then no).

Mavs vs. Spurs = Mavs 7
This may be the most competitive series in round one of the Wild West. Counting out TD, Manu and Pop would not be wise, regardless of their seventh seed. The Mavs loaded up their roster with the addition of Butler and Haywood, who have helped give Dallas the depth that they need to get by the veteran Spurs. The Diggler has yet to make up for that horrendous Finals series of 2006, and this might be his best chance yet.

Suns vs. Blazers = Suns 6
Having Nash totally makes up for having a Dukie on the roster, and Amare apparently has not been affected in a negative manner by not being moved by the trade deadline. They may not be running under seven seconds, but ten to thirteen and a stronger focus on defense has led the Suns to a great regular season and primed for a strong playoff run. Further west, the Blazers have been not just bitten, but more like totally devoured by the injury bug, to the point in which they should just be playing in protective bubbles. The loss of BRoy for two weeks opens up minutes for Webster, Rudy and Bayless, but without their main man, the chance of me heading down to the Rose Garden to see a Lakers/Blazers game is pretty much out the window.

Do you need to have a three headed monster to be successful in the NBA?  No necessarily as Shaq and Kobe proved during their three-peat (credit to Mister Riley), or to the 06 Heat who still had a productive MDE,  the 04 Pistons or 94 Rockets who built their success off of blue collar team play. However, on the flip side, the success rate of teams that have a superstar trio is far greater than those who have not.

SHOWTIME 1980-1991 (Magic, Cap, Big Game James)
- One of the greatest trifecta’s in all off hoops history, covering the guard, wing and post position and with each able to take over the game in a variety of different ways, the Lakers threesome captured five rings while providing the world with “SHOWTIME”.

ORIGINAL BIG THREE 1980-1991 (Bird, McHale, Chief)
- On par with “SHOWTIME”, the original BIG THREE gave opposing front courts fits throughout the 80′s and early 90′s with Bird piloting the white and green clad Celtics. With McHale’s postup footwork on par with Hakeem’s, and Parish proving to be a impact player on both ends of the court, the Big Three gave the Eastern Conference fits and provided a formidable counter to the Lakers “Showtime”.

DA BULLS 1996-1998 (MJ, PIP, DENNIS)
- The Bulls trio led Chicago to what many consider to be the greatest team ever in 95-96 with a 72 win season. With Dennis relatively contained by Phil, MJ and Pip, the Bulls added not only a physical presence on the defensive end of the court, but also and what might be a more important factor, a mental edge (flashbacks of Dennis and Sonics big man Frank Brickowski). This would be the first of the Bulls second championship trifecta (can’t use a Pat Riley coined phrase here)

RUN TMC 1989-1991 (Hardaway, Richmond, Mullin)
- The “Utep Two-Step”, the “ROCK” and a long range crew cut bomber provided countless highlights for the Bay Area during the early 90′s with a run and gun offense. As part of the mad scientist’s (Don Nelson) offense, the Warriors trio did not find much playoff success, but as from a fans standpoint, these three made uptempo basketball enjoyable during the “New Jack Swing” era.

BAD BOYS 1986-1991 (Zeke, Dumars, Rodman….before he was Dennis)
- The team that everyone despised for their “my shit stinks and I know it”, physical in your face, smash mouth basketball was a squad that knocked off everyone’s favorites during that period (Bulls and Celtics in the East and Lakers and Blazers in the West). While Isiah attempted to play the hero in an amazing fourth quarter against the Lakers in 88, the team from the Motor City did not claim their rings until a 89 rematch with LA and a 90′s defeat of the Blazers.

CELTICS 2007- Present (KG, RAY, PP)
- These three do not deserve to be called the BIG THREE as many currently do. They just haven’t had the longevity to stake that claim. I also hate KG on the Celtics, as he has become a “mean muggin, point guard bullying thug”. I also hate the fact that Jesus Shuttlesworth is on the Celts roster, making two of my favorite all time players playing for the sworn enemy. And the fact that P squared claimed to be the best player on the planet after capturing his only title makes one laugh…good, yes, bestest, not quite.

SPURS 2002 – Present (TD, PARKER, GINOBLI)
Probably the most under appreciated of the NBA trios, these three have carried the Spurs to three titles and numerous deep trips through the Western Conference playoff bracket. While others during this period have had some sort of “street cred”, gimmick name, or some sort of other mass promotion to help boost their favoritism amongst fans, the most limelight these three have consists of Eva (only slightly less annoying than JKidd’s ex-wife) and TD’s Adidas spots.

HONORABLE MENTION:
3J’s 1994-1997 (Kidd, Mashburn and Jackson……along with Toni Braxton)

7 Seconds Or Less 2004-2008 (Nash, Marion, Amare)

Monday, December 7th featured the return of the original AI to the “City of Brotherly Love”. After three seasons bouncing from Denver to Detroit to a cup of coffee and a chance to get up close and personal with Hasheem Thabeet in Memphis, Iverson once again donned the number 3 Sixers jersey that made him famous (though I personally enjoyed him more without the ‘rows and in a Hoya uni). Am I one of the few that lumped AI together with Mr. Sprewell and Starbury (at the very least, Steph was willing to play anywhere, he was just a little bit misunderstood). Let me get this straight, AI was traded to Denver from Philly because he didn’t want to / was late for practice or mandatory team functions such as fan appreciation night. This being a man who cried about “going home” during his return to Philly press conference, but yet was oh so happy to get out of town when things weren’t going well.

Dont’ get it twisted, I like and give credit for Iverson as a scorer, especially being one of the little men that gets bounced off concrete wall like screens and has little fear of driving into the trees that clog the lane. As a team player, I don’t know if he is what any young team needs, as evident in Memphis, and based on the fact that Eddie Jordan basically let AI determine how much burn he will get in his first game back, while Royal Ivey pulls splinters, I can’t imagine that he will be good for the the growth of Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday (along with Thad Young) and the rest of the Sixers. True it was not the best way for AI to end his career after the fiasco in Detroit, but one would have thought that after the Pistons and Grizz, maybe Iverson would take a moment and take to heart what people are saying about him. If he had just waited a week or two in Memphis, he would have been starting alongside OJ and Rudy, but his ego couldn’t deal with having to EARN his place.  Playing 37 mins and going 4-11, including a couple missed bunnies in a loss to Denver on the night he returned to Philly wasn’t the Hollywood script I am sure he hoped for.  Next up, a 3-10, 33 minute beating at the hands of the Pistons and Rodney Stuckey gives ammo to the thought that each team was/is better off without him (credit given that the Nugs are a top team in the West)

My question is……how will the past three years affect Iverson’s place in the history of the game? Yes he still has the “street cred” vote, but where does he rank in the group of his peers from the same era (Kobe, Jesus Shuttlesworth, TD, Nash, KG) or as one of the top all time shooting guards in league history. Anything less than the playoffs this season would be seen as a failure for the Sixers before Iverson, and in my opinion anything less than a place in the second round with him will be as well.

With the NBA season off and running like the fine tuned machine that Mr. Stern likes it to be, my attention has turned to the non-pay to play (depending on what school you go to and your level of talent in the topsy-turvy world of NCAA allegations) scene.  While I won’t dissect every squad in the top 25, I will touch on my favs and rant on my not so fav (Duke Bluedevils), and throw in my thoughts on the Maple Leaf raised players running the game down south.  Anyone else notice that there is only one Pac 10 team in the top 25 early this season?   Just think 4 1/2 months from now, it will be March Madness, the greatest three weeks of hoops bar none!  My early picks for the FINAL FOUR:  Kansas, Michigan State, Kentucky, UDub (bracket fans know you have to have an underdog!).

1   Kansas

2  Michigan State

3  Texas

4   Villanova

5   Kentucky- Coach Cal jumped ship from Memphis and took his crew of recruits with him to Lexington, helping push the ‘Cats to the top five.  Led by all world point god John Wall, the Wildcats feature a nasty triangle with Pat Paterson running the wing and DeMarcus Cousins holding down the paint.

6   Purdue

7   Duke – I HATE DUKE……..VIDEO NOT SAFE FOR THE LIL BLUEDEVIL FAN IN YOUR HOUSE

8   West Virginia

9   Tennessee

10   Syracuse

11   North Carolina

12   Butler

13   Connecticut

14   Washington- The backcourt of Isiah Thomas and Abdul Gaddy is bound to drive opponents crazy as these two take turns pushing the tempo for the Huskies.  Quincy Pondexter has posted some nasty stats in his last three games, hitting three straight double doubles, including a 30 point, 15 board effort against San Jose State.

15   Michigan- Yes folks, the boys in yellow and blue are back in the top 25!  With Manny Harris running the show, including hitting the second triple double in school history

16   Louisville

17   Ohio State

18   Georgetown – Super soph Greg Monroe leads the Hoyas after many thought he would have entered last years NBA draft.  In my opinion the decision to stay will only help Monroe as in the games that I followed the Hoyas he did not give me the impression that he was ready to handle the NBA big men

19   Clemson

20   Illinois

21   Maryland

22   Minnesota

23   Notre Dame

24   Vanderbilt

25   Oklahoma

25B Gonzaga – The Bulldogs should find themselves in the top 25 pretty quickly.  This past week they captured their first Maui Invitational title on their third attempt in an overtime affair against the much heralded Lance Stephenson and the Cincy Bearcats.  With BC big man and starting pivot, Rob Sacre being a prominent figure for the ‘Zags early in the season averaging 14ppg, rookies Bol Kong and Kelly Olynyk have found successes despite struggling to find minutes early in their rookie seasons.

Welcome to the LOCKER ROOM…….This is a place in which visitors can freely express their thoughts on anything and everything related to the game on the hardcourt or the concrete, NBA, FIBA, NCAA, CIS, CCAA, BC HIGH SCHOOL or anything in between.  Remember to keep it clean!

November 16th
For some reason I have never really enjoyed watching teams from the Eastern Conference. I don’t know if is because the Lakers rivals while I grew up where the Pistons and Celtics, or if it was mostly because the teams played a slow down style of ball that was just not appealing. However things have changed over the past couple of years, as the “Beasts from the East” are not longer playing smash mouth basketball, but rather matching up with their own brand up fast break basketball. This season, I made it a point to try and support and enjoy at least one Eastern Conference squad, and after a lot of debating I finally selected a team which may surprise some. I could have gone with the popular choice with the Magic (actually I do like them), and of course I had to ix nay Boston, Cleveland and Detroit…….so after all was said and done, my pick in the East is the Atlanta Hawks. Why you ask? Well it certainly has nothing to do with Bibby’s playschool tattoos, but rather a strong starting five at all spots, along with some nice play coming off the bench with the additions of Jamal Crawford, Mo Evans and a man named Zaza (pretty much just for the name alone, nothing to do with his game). Time to break down the top eight in the east

1st) Orlando – They got to the top of the mountain last year, only to get kicked off by Kobe and company. Yes they lost Hedo and Rafer and Courtney Lee but with the incoming crew including Vince and Brandon Bass, they haven’t fallen off that much once they get the chemistry right. Even though VC’s game has fallen off a bit over the last couple of years from were it was, just by name and history alone, opposing teams would probably fear him more than they did Turk.

2nd) Boston – Now that KG is finally healthy we don’t have to see him “mean muggin” on the bench night in and night out. Rondo has proven himself to be a legit starter and has improved his once broken jumper even if only slightly. Rashweed joins his draft class mate with hopes of capturing one title before heading to greener pastures. This team isn’t made with thoughts of the future, but rather a win now approach with KG and Sheed playing their in their 14th season, Ray is 13th and PP his 11th. It is unfortunate that I still cannot bring myself to support the successes of KG and Ray, two of my favorite players, as they continue to be employed in Boston.

3rd) Atlanta – I’m probably going to get laughed at and any credibility that I am trying to build up as a writer has probably gone out the window on this pick, but as said above, I think that they have a well rounded starting five and talent in varying degrees coming off the pine. Hopefully Bibby has a playoff bonus incentive in his contract so he can get that ink properly taken care of. It will finally be nice to see Jamal get an opportunity to play in June.

4th) Cleveland – I don’t want to get started on my theory that Mr. James will join Sir Charles, Reggie, Stockton/Malone and Pat as one of the greats to never win a ring just yet, I will save that for another rainy night. Adding Shaq is supposed to help battle DH12 and the feared Kendrick Perkins in the playoffs, but it didnt work last year for Phoenix, what makes Cleveland think it will work when Perkins, Horford, or Dwight outrun the MDE?

5th) Chicago – After a great battle with Boston in the first round last year, the hopes are high in Chi-town, however out of the gate, things do not look so good. Letting Ben Gordon sign with Detroit will come back to hurt the Bulls. Sure he may be one dimensional, but that one dimension (scoring!) is much needed on this squad. I don’t know if John Salmons is the answer and the loss of Ty Thomas for about two months will certainly have an impact.

6th) Miami – After an ugly offseason with B-easy heading to Houston to hang with John Lucas, the hopes for improvement of last years 43-39 record (5th in the east and not even top nine in the west) looked to shatter. However, the start of the season has brought a new level of maturity for the second year star. While I don’t see Udonis Haslem, JO or Joel Anthony striking fear into the hearts of the Eastern big men, one Mr. Dwyane Wade certainly has no problem showing them how it is done

7th) Toronto – The JO / Marion experiment failed, but hopefully Euroball will succeed. Adding Hedo to the mix should help the Raps more than Marion did, as Turk is able to create for himself. It took a couple of years, but it appears that they finally have found a solid pg in Jarrett Jack to back up Jose and also slide into the 2 spot should the team want to go small. Anyone else notice that since Bosh decided to let his hair go, so did the Raps level of success? Derozen is going to need a while to find success, but this one should be a keeper, and if Bosh decides to leave, I have a feeling that he will be the next in line to take over the “star” role.

8th) Philadelphia – The loss of Dr. Dre certainly hurts the Sixers, as it leaves Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday manning the point, something that I don’t think either are ready for quite yet. The Elton Brand experiment has failed horribly, but the improvement of Iggy and Thad Young on the wings and Speights in the post should be enough to get this team the unfortunate eight seed and a first round exit. Though if the Sixers somehow manage to meet up with the Cavs in the playoffs, I hope to see much more of this (assuming Bron doesn’t confiscate the tapes)

HONORABLE MENTION – Both the Wiz and Pistons have the ability to either stink it up or be players in the post season. Looking at their lineups and additions this season, there is no reason why they should not crack the top eight in the East, but just barely replacing the Raps or 76′ers. The one difference between adding BG to the Pistons roster where the Iverson experiment failed is that Gordon has accepted the role of coming off the bench, knowing that he will be playing in the crunch time.

November 6th

It is just over two weeks into the NBA and already the landscape has settled into what many have predicted.  The Purple and Gold, C’s and Magic are sitting on top of their respective divisions and conferences despite slight alterations to last years rosters for good or bad.  However Madame Cleo may not have foreseen the early struggles by the Cavs and Spurs who are treading around the .500 mark, including Bron Bron dropping his first two games.  Now not to crash the party, as I know I’m dropping my predictions and thoughts a little late in the game, but like AI in Memphis, I will look to make an immediate impact and hope to get into the flow of things in the next week or two.  For now I bring you my thoughts on the Western Division and the four who should, the four who could and the ones that just have no hope in hell of achieving anything of merit.

1) LA LAKERS – So much has been written about the primary tenants of the Staples Centre (proven by the fact that the Clippers had to play on the Lakers floor during a Clippers preseason home game double header), from their off season addition of Ron Artest to the fact that the “Stache” has a ring while many legends do not.  I for one am still on the fence about the whole Ariza/Artest situation, as I just dont think that Ron Ron fits the team as well as Ariza did.  While Artest has (or had) the physical talents, there is something to be said for chemistry and mental stability.  The early season injury to Pau will give some of the bench mob a chance to prove their worth.

2 and  2B) DENVER / PORTLAND – The maturity of Melo and the growth of the young Blazers squad leaves me torn as to which squad will claim the second seed in the West.  With the addition of Ty Lawson to the Nugs backcourt, the boys in the Mile High can slide Billups over to the 2 spot if needed.  The loss of L. Kleiza and the suspension to JR Smith for the first 10 games was thought to hamper the early season record, but to date sitting at 5-1 has proven otherwise.  The Blazers (sadly the closest team to Vancouver) made a truck load of offseason transactions that will take some time to mesh, but I can see things settling down around Christmas that will allow the boys in the Rose Garden to flurish towards the end of the season.

4th) SAN ANTONIO - Like most of the Western squads, the Spurs will need some time to mesh with their offseason additions, RJeff and McDyess.  However if this squad remains healthy a crew of Duncan, Parker and Ginobliiiiiiiii (in my best Barkley impersonation) looks to be in good for one last run at a ring before hitting the rebuilding path.  While watching the Spurs play has traditionally been as exciting as watching astroturf grow, you gotta give some love to Jefferson for this nasty bit against the Blazers this past week.

5th) PHOENIX – The loss of Shaq is actually a positive for the Nash led crew.  As much as the M.D.E. tried to keep up with the tempo and posted some of his nicest numbers in recent years, he was not the right fit for this squad.  One might not think that replacing a four time champ with multiple individual awards with journeyman Channing Frye would provide anything positive for the Suns, but Frye’s ability to step beyond the three has opened up the paint for STAT to operate, something he was unable to do with the Diesel.  Defense is still somewhat of a foreign language for this squad, but at least the run and fun will be back, and so will a middle of the pack return to the playoff rankings.

6th) DALLAS – Hopefully the Matrix will once again find the form that he had three seasons ago in Phoenix, once again running with an uptempo point guard.  While the loss of Josh Howard hurts the depth, one has to think that JKidd and the Diggler, like the Spurs will make one final push for the playoffs before heading into retirement.

7th) HOUSTON – Sure they lost Yao and TMac, but the Rockets are still part of the Texas triangle and will be the blue collar team that will fight to get into the playoffs.  Sadly even though McGrady changed his jersey to 3, his back woes are still the same as when he wore number 1.  Ariza will continue to grow, regardless of the pressure placed upon him to produce, and Aaron Brooks will show that last year was not a fluke.  Anyone else notice that I have the two Duke alum sitting at the bottom of the list?

8th) UTAH – Yes they have Deron, AK47, and Paul Millsap, but they also have Carlo Boozer, and for that reason I drop them to 8th…….and they are lucky not to be on the outside looking in.  Boozer has done nothing but look out for himself and his own best interest (can someone say Derrick Coleman and Tim Thomas).

HONORABLE MENTION – The Seattle Sonics (read OKC THUNDER) are the best of the rest but here is hoping that the Emerald City curse continues to haunt them at least for another year……kind of like the Vancity curse that is slowly wearing off the crew in Memphis.

October 22nd

With the NBA regular schedule just days away, the Suns and Blazers graced GM Place with their presence in their final pre-season tilt.  Before the LOCKER ROOM gets into the season preview for the entire league, check out the season preview from these two squads as the Blazers dropped the Suns and BC boy Steve Nash.

September 9th

Where has the summer gone?  It seemed like only a short while ago that the sunny hoops season tipped off with the Dolphin Basketball Classic, followed by the first annual Kitsfest tournament and the 5th Anniversary of HOOPFEST.  While the pleasurable aches and pains healed, one might think that this gym rat had more than enough of the game to fill his plate, however I was pleased to announce my foray into the media side of the sport, by accepting  a position as the official correspondent for the Vancouver hoops scene for BOUNCE Magazines website.  Please feel welcome to check out my articles along with the other great writers at BOUNCE.

With the fall months coming up quickly, the WCBL will tip off its twelfth season on Oct 18th.  For more information head to the league page on the Centrecourt site. Just about two weeks after the WCBL action hits the court, the NBA gets underway with a lot of changes and anticipation.  After weeks of waiting, AI finally inked the papers to suit up as a member of the Grizzlies!  Will he and ZBo help Conley, Mayo and Rudy join the top eight in the west, or will they cramp their stats and growth by selfishly looking to get their own?

In the next few weeks check back as I drop a full overview of the upcoming NBA and NCAA seasons along with a piece on the West Coast Classic Tournament on Bouncemag.com!

HOOPSWORLD SPRING EDITION

July 20th, 2009

The middle of July only means one thing in the West Coast hoop circles……..The Annual Dolphin Classic Tournament!  Growing up in Richmond there were two things that you did as a young basketball hopeful.  One, you went to a Mel Davis basketball camp, and the other was spending any free moment at Dolphin Park working on your skills.  While days of seeing the park filled with youthful ballers and slurpees or screamers from Danny’s Market on a consistent basis are few and far between, not to mention the overhanging tree on the west end of the court and the water hose at the May’s house that kept players refreshed for years on end, the tournament has found a new home at Thompson CC, the love for the event itself has not been affected.  No matter who you are or what you have going on, the one thing that needs to be marked on your calendar each year if you have any dedication to the game is the Dolphin Classic!

With familiar faces on and off the court, the 24th Annual Tournament featured what might be the final appearance from the “Home Team”, a crew of players from the Emerald City, lead by Coach Ed Haskins.  Going out as only an athelte(team)  should, the Home Team held hopes off a X-Falcon “three-peat”, while capturing their fourth championship in six years.  With X-Falcon Casey Archibald and Home Team Al Snow both dropping an offensive display that kept the crowd hot, the championship game continued to hold the buzz that was created from the dunk contest held prior to tip off.  After a great tribute to Aaron Chan, the battle between Henry Bekkering and Kevin Kemp proved to be one for the ages.  While Bekkering threw down over a quartet of kids, it was Kemp who blew away the crowd with an unbelivable title clenching dunk that shut down the competition.

The great thing about the Dolphin Classic is that there is no special recipe for it, other than dedication and hard work by the members of the Dolphin Committee and the countless volunteers that offered their assistance leading up to the tournament and over the course of the weekend.  There is no prize money to entice players, no big corporate sponsor ads, tv spots or street agents to bankroll a team.  There are those out there who say they play for the love of the game and are ready to play 24/7, but are rarely around when it comes time to step up, and then there are those who are willing to do anything and everything in order to be part of a true classic event.  A big shout out to Bira, Bruce, TJ, Tony, Gurj and everyone at Thompson CC for putting on an outstanding event.  Time to hit the ice bags and get ready to roll for the 25th Anniversary!

July 10th, 2009

WOW! The NBA offseason has seen more changes than a Posh Spice shopping spree!  With so many new faces in new places, the 2009-10 season is setting up to be one of the most exciting story filled seasons in recent history.  The big question though……..is change always better?

Will Hedo actually help Toronto get back into the playoff hunt and will young rookie Demar Derozan be able to get through the season without being refferred to as the next Vince?  Will the M.D.E (or BIG whatever he is gonna be in Cleveland) be able to “Win a ring for the King” as he claims?  Looking back over the course of Shaq’s career, dude has had some pretty sweet teammates (Penny…oh what could have been, Kobe, Wade, Nash and now Bron). Sitting back and looking at it, the EAST top three is going to be NUTZ next season.  While I dont agree with moving Lee, Rafer and Battie for Vince, the newest addtion of Brandon Bass helps the Magic in the front court, along with a young potential in Ryan Anderson.   The Celtics on paper got better with the addition of Rashweed Wallace to back up KG or play in the post beside him, but one has to think that Beantown has a two year window to claim another title.  Can you believe that KG is a 14 year vet……DAMM.  Maybe it’s just me, but I still have hopes of seeing one more year of Showbiz and KG before Steph catches the boat to the Euroleague or appears at the Langley Events Centre to battle the IBL Vancouver Titans!  Speaking of fallen superstars, does Gilbert still have any shine in Washington after sitting out for almost two seasons?  Two time Dolphin Classic Alum Jamal Crawford finally got outta Nelliworld and has landed in what should be a good situation with the ATL Hawks.  Always had love for JC since his days at Michigan.

Touching on the WEST for a minute, I’m actually a bit torn on the addition of Ron Ron to the purple and gold….I liked Ariza, dude was coming into his own on both ends of the court and was basically a young Artest without the complex behaviour.  As much as I like Fish, I hope that Uncle Phil will give Farmar and Brown some more burn, it was killing me watching Fish get eatten up in the playoffs, while JF and SB found success.  The Spurs look to be on a mission to get the Timbot one more ring, but it is an even calendar year, so the Spurs shouldnt win.  The loss of the mighty Yao makes the Rockets a lottery bound club, while their Texas neighbours addition of the Matrix pushes them back into the upper levels of the Western Conference.  Will Marion return to his All-Star form now that he is playing with another elite PG in Kidd?  As much as I bleed purple and gold….and white on Sunday….I like where the Nuggets and Blazers are going with their respective squads, both will be nasty this year.

Some food for thought……isn’t it unfortunate to see Iverson now in the same situation that Marbury faced the last two years?  Dont get me wrong, AI needs to take a look at himself and realize that he had a great thirteen year run as a game changing pg, but there is nothing wrong with coming off the pine as a sixth man to help get the one thing that has eluded him through his career.  HOW THE HELL DOES SIDESHOW BOB GET 50 MIL for averaging 6pts and 6rebs, HOLY CRAP!  Seriously, how many out there think they could get three baskets and six boards a game in about twenty five minutes of playing time alongside Bron and Mo Williams.