NBA Rise and Fall
The NBA regular season is a little more than a week away so we here are Sportsbook Veteran have previewing the upcoming season. Today we look at the 2009 playoff teams that will be lottery bound in 2010 and the 09 lottery teams who are going to make the leap back into the playoffs this season.
Eastern Conference
Washington Wizards – The Wizards were near the bottom of the East last year due in large part to starters Brendan Heywood and Agent 0 Gilbert Arenas combining to play in only 8 games. Obviously the loss of Arenas had more to do with the Wizards struggles, when he’s on, he’s good for 30 points a game. I like his attitude this season; he’s avoiding talking to the media to anyone really. For a player who had one of the most popular blogs on NBA.com this means something. He’s finally realized talk doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t have the wins to back it up. Along with Heywood and Arenas coming back, the Wiz have added some nice firepower to their lineup in the form of Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Look for the Wizards to slide into the 7th or 8th slot in the East.
Heading South
Detroit Pistons – They lost Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace leave and replaced them with defensively challenged Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox who has never lived up to his potenital and big time scorer Ben Gordon. Gordon will be competing for minutes with mainstay Rip Hamilton and the young Rodney Stucky, kind of like how Allen Iverson did last season. I’m predicting it goes just as well. The Pistons decline in the East will be complete this season with a trip to the lottery.
Western Conference
Movin on up
Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder are the best young team in the league, led by Kevin Durant and his supporting cast of Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and 1st round draft choice James Harden. Durant’s progress from year one to year two has been phenomenal if it continues in to year three the Thunder could be a danger to the establishment in the Western Conference. The West is stacked from top to bottom but the Thunder will make noise, it’s a long shot but I see them snatching the 8th seed.
Heading South
Houston Rockets – Trev Ariza is nice and Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks are coming into their own but without Yao Ming, who is lost for the season, it will be a struggle to compete in the ultracompetitive Western Conference. Tracy McGrady will return at some point this season but the constant question is for how long? McGrady has an expiring contract so if he is able to make a successful return this season look for him to be traded before the February deadline. Sorry Houston fans, your boys are going to be counting ping-pong balls this spring.
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