NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division
My grey cells were pushing at the cavity walls covered by my cranium, owing to the huge centrifugal force. No, I wasn’t flying a jet plane, nor handling a Formula One car in the least. It was a simple case of watching the Lakers making trades and free agency moves this off-season that were just, I have only one word for it, UNFAIR. A team with a superstar at nearly every position in the starting line-up is unheard of. Mitch Kupchak went on and just did nearly that (Metta World Peace or whatever you call him isn’t any more).
While the two teams from La-la land went on a scavenging hunt to further strengthen their roster, the sun didn’t shine so bright on Phoenix, Sacramento still remain a Royal pain and the other team is still waiting for its “Golden” years to return.
Los Angeles Lakers
Key Losses: Andrew Bynum, Matt Barnes, Ramon Sessions
Key Additions: Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks, Antawn Jamison
Rome was certainly not built in a day. The Lakers’ overhaul of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, without taking back any bad contracts, would have been arguably the greatest NBA off-season in-sourcing for a team if not for the Miami gig two years earlier.
If the Lakers fans however think that this team is going to go off from the offset, they may be in for a shock. This is no NBA 2k13, as they may be the strongest side on paper, but it takes time more than just names on papers to get things in the house where they ought to be.
Biggest strengths: Star power. Yes that gets you quite a long way towards a title. The Lakers have a starting line-up of four current and one ex-All Star, all of whom are still quite adept at playing basketball at a high level. Here we have Nash, the most creative point guard in the business. A BLACK MAMBA. Couple them up with A) The most athletic big in the world and B) Arguably the most skilful big in the league. Imagined it all? Taken it all in? It must be quite difficult to think of what could come in the way of this approaching tornado.
Biggest weaknesses: Nash doesn’t seem to know how to play if the ball is not in his hands, but can you blame him? I don’t think he has ever played on a team like this. Kobe is Kobe. He can play with or without the ball, but he is most effective if he forces teams to double him, so he needs the ball enough to go in on them. Kobe and Nash are going to have to split ball handling duties, I think it will be a lot like Miami, where you can’t construct a traditional team, but the talent level is so high it won’t matter.
The group is ageing World Peace has really been falling down at the rate of knots regarding his athleticism. Mike Brown, to put it mildly, said “I would have rather have many others than him.” The chemistry will be lacking at the beginning of the season, but the Lakers will eventually figure it out, and I hope it takes as long as it did for Miami, so that this year it will be just frustration . . . if things go wrong (I mean good for the Lakers), they might figure it out by the All Star break.
Oh, and their bench is just about the worst collection of sad sacks in the NBA.
Los Angles Clippers
Key Losses: Mo Williams, Reggie Evans, Kenyon Martin,Randy Foye, Nick Young
Key Additions: Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill,Willie Green, Ronny Turiaf, Matt Barnes
Always known as the other team from LA, the Clippers certainly did outdo their city rivals with their off-season activities last season. With some indirect help from commissioner David Stern, LA’s second team stole all the limelight from their perennial big brothers by bringing in, arguably the best point guard in the league. Last season was like a mid-summer night’s dream for the much maligned franchise when they finally reached the Semis of the Western-Conference play-off, before being clinically disposed off by the legends of San Antonio.
Even with all the success, the team line-up was as asymmetric and unbalanced as they come. A year together and some smoothening round the edges, this team should be stronger.
Biggest strengths: In a superstar driven league, Clippers have two of them. A powerful 1-2 punch that has serious knockout capability. Chris Paul was a first team All-NBA last year, while Blake Griffin weighed in with a second team All-NBA selection. Not bad for building for success around these two eh!!
The whole of the starting line-up returns. The comeback of Billups, along with a bench comprising of Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford and Grant Hill, the team has serious depth.
Biggest weaknesses: The team was incredibly efficient on the offense, but below par on the defensive side. How much of improvement will this team make in this respect? Time will tell.
Which Odom will show up for this season? The Sixth Man of the Year or the unkindled spirit in Dallas? Hill is 40, and Father Age has a funny way of catching up, and it may well be the case this season. The long-ball threats of Foye and Mo Williams now gone, the Clippers will have to rely a lot on mid-range shots.
On the same, the Clippers weren’t really an efficient shooting team. Will Blake Griffin’s work with coach Bob Thate pay off? It certainly needs to. Clippers were the second worst free-throw shooting team in the league, and will need to make large strides in this department if they are to have aspirations of a long post-season.
Sacramento Kings
Key Losses: Terrence Williams, Hassan Whiteside.
Key Additions: Thomas Robinson, Aaron Brooks, James Johnson.
The Sac-town Royals enter the season still looking for a definite identity. They thought they had a cornerstone in Tyreke Evans when he burst on to the scene in 2010. 2 years on, their focus has shifted to their gifted big man DeMarcus Cousins, and a way of making Evans relevant again.
Biggest strengths: The inclusion of talented rookie Thomas Robinson to the existing front court of DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson should mean that the paint should be the Kings’ best friend. DeMarcus Cousin’s play and off-court maturity will dictate a lot towards how the Kings’ season pan out. Can’t think of any more positives for the people of Sacramento to get all worked about.
Biggest weaknesses: The explosion of rookie point guard Isiah Thomas now pushes and forces Evans to play at 2. That’s not something I am really intrigued by. If Tyreke can base his game on the dynamic Wade, he may find this to be a coming out. But he is yet to get my vote of confidence.
The Kings have two glaring heels of Achilles: Defense and Shooting. Jimmer was supposed to be the answer. The Kings would still be high on him, while the addition of Brooks should help in this regard. The defense has to be anchored from the interior presence and athleticism of the big man. That remains a big question. The Kings should be heading towards another lottery finish.
Phoenix Suns
Key Losses: Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick, Michael Redd, Ronnie Price, Robin Lopez
Key Additions: Luis Scola, Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic, Wesley Johnson, Kendall Marshall, Jermaine O’Neal
The removal of Nash and the daddy figure of Hill has basically snatched away the identity and the soul of the franchise in Arizona. Its a fresh new start for for some fresh young faces, and re-inventing the style of play that would take this team forward. The shoes that Nash has left to fill is enormous, but in the return of their prodigal son Goran Dragic, the team looks to be in secure hands at the least.
Biggest strengths: They will look to their three potential stars in Scola, Dragic and Beasley to deliver. Scola is the wily old fox that continues to deliver year in, year out. Dragic’s breakthrough last year in Houston prompted the Suns to bring back the guard after having spent a number of years under Nash’s tutelage. Can Beasley finally “get it”. If he does, look out! B-Easy is one of the most natural scorers in the league but can he do it while being efficient??
Biggest weaknesses: You take out the most creative Point Guard in the NBA out of a team that is accustomed to him running the show for eight long years, and you have some soul searching to do. Besides the obvious miss of Hill and Nash, the Suns really do lack size in the frontcourt besides Gortat and Scola.
A year in the doldrums and answers to some harsh question await.
Golden State Warriors
Key Losses: Dorell Wright,
Key Additions: Andrew Bogut, Jarrett Jack, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli
With the trade for Andrew Bogut last year and its subsequent tanking, the Warriors put an end to the Monta Eliis era. The success and failure depends on the health of Andrew Bogut, not an easy thing to bet on. Bogut is probably the first man in the state of Bay area worth note in some years. On his fragile shoulders, this team’s fortunes lie.
Biggest strengths: In Curry, Thompson and Rush the team has some elite shooters. The presence of David Lee and Bogut in the low block should give some real good looks for them to exploit. But will Curry’s ankles hold for a full season? The team seems to be filled with eternal crocks.
The addition of Harrison Barnes should really be interesting. His college game certainly didn’t live up his comparisons with Kobe coming out of high-school. Does his game suit better in the NBA?
Biggest weaknesses: The Curry-Thompson partnership is not particularly savvy on the defensive end of the floor. Can Bogut bail them out?? ONLY if he is there on the court avoiding injuries. Even then its a tough ask.
The coaching of Mark Jackson?? What coaching??
There are a lot of question marks on this team. a lot of unknowns. This team relies exclusively on them. If the question marks turn out right, a run for the playoffs is what I can envisage. Otherwise, another trip to the lottery it is!!