What went wrong: The Grizzlies lost the NBA lottery.  The entire atmosphere of the organization would have changed with Greg Oden or Kevin Durant in Memphis.  The Grizzlies are still in need of a superstar (box office) talent.  We need a player that can energize the fan base and pack the FEDEXFORUM.  We are hoping that player can be Rudy Gay but I am doubtful.

14.  What went right:  The Sonics were able to draft the most exciting talent to come into the NBA since Vince Carter.  He will eventually be must see around the league and they should begin to construct a roster around him immediately.  Kevin Durant had the most electric college basketball season I have witnessed since Chris Jackson of LSU.  The Sonics also made a shrewd GM hire in Sam Presti.  I thought he was a good choice even though I am going on 2nd hand knowledge.  I liked his trade of Ray Allen and what he got for taking on Kurt Thomas' contract from Phoenix.  However, I am skeptical on his selection of Jeff green at #5 when he plays the same position as Durant.

What went wrong: The new owners have not be a hit in seattle and are looking for a new arena.  I am one who does not think that they really want to move, they just want a sweeter arena deal.  The Sonics did not deal any of their young 7 footers.  It is just impossible to develop that many young players at the same position and they are all suffering for it.  I think Saer Sene is the best project and the best compliment to Durant if developed and the others should be given away.

13.  What went right: Nothing. Seriously.  They waited to long to trade KG.  Drafted the wrong player and traded for Trenton Hassel for a worse player with a worse contract.  This is the pit of the NBA now that KG is gone.  If I were Al Jefferson, I would not sign an extension here.

What went wrong:  McHale is still in charge.  Instead of getting AL Jefferson and the #5 for KG at draft time, he only gets Al Jefferson and spare parts. about a month later.  He then drafts Corey Brewer, who some like much more than me as an NBA player, over  three bigs (Wright, Noah, Hawes) when you have to know that KG's time in Minnesota is coming to an end.

12. What went right: The Portland Trailblazers won the NBA draft lottery and the right to draft the next great big man: Greg Oden.  In bringing in the next Blazer era, they decided to rid themselves of one of the last parts of Trailgangsta lore by giving away Zach Randolph to New York.  I think this was a good move because Oden is going to be so good that they will not need a steady  NBA veteran to keep the team afloat.

 

What went wrong: Micro fracture.  Greg Oden followed up a horrible summer league by having to go under the knife for micro fracture surgery and is projected to miss the entire season.  To add injury to insult, 2007 NBA rookie of the year is now projected to miss the playoffs with a recurring heal injury.  It looks like LaMarcia...LaMarcus Aldridge will get his time to shine this season.

 

11. What went right: The Sacramento Kings had the wisdom to lock up Kevin Martin without letting negotiations get public or nasty.  $55 million over 5 years is a steep price but his talent seems to warrant that type of contract.  Ron Artest and Brad Miller are supposedly in much better condition than they were last season.  If this is the case, then the hole everyone projects this team to fall into might never be dug.  There is some talent here, especially on the perimeter.

What went wrong:  They missed out on Stan Van Gundy as coach.  Just think, if Billy the Kid does not get scared and run back to the swamp, this team would probably be projected to be much better under the respected SVG.  Hiring Reggie Theus, a rookie NBA coach, to deal with Artest is a risk but as a former NBA player it could work out.

10. What went right: Tyson Chandler was able to spend the entire summer playing with and against some of the best players the NBA has to offer.  It can only help his perspective.  The team has also moved back to New Orleans full time, which should help them get back some stability because I don't think the homecourt advantage of OK was going to last much longer.

 

What went wrong: Peja is still not 100%.  Peja is the key to this team taking the next step into the playoffs and without his ability to stretch defenses, it is going to be a grind trying to get Chris Paul into the playoffs to shine.

 

9. What went right: I am not sure what went right here.  If you got something, please email me.

What went wrong: Elton Brand went down with an achilles injury.  If he loses some of his explosiveness, he will not be the same player.  Sam Cassell is a year older and at age 63, we should not expect much more out of him.

Linkage:

Here you can listen to Chad Ford's Podcast with Mark Stein where they both project the Grizzlies to be the surprise team of the season.

 

Darko Milicic: Huge.  He is a big man.  However, he does have one of my big man pet peeves: He doesn't dunk everything around the goal.  I always like guys who try to rip the goal down when they can.  You get more foul calls that way.  He does have better post moves than I thought and is going to be hard to push out of the post by the opposition.

 

Juan Carlos Navarro: Our Spanish fans warned us he was not a point guard and he is not.  However, he is probably second to Damon among our guards in understanding the nuances of offense and getting space for your team to get shots.  His dribble can't with stand intense NBA pressure though.  I need to see much more to make a definite determination though.

 

Casey Jacobsen: He will rival Mike Miller for best shooter.  I think he is going to earn playing time simply for his ability to stretch defenses.  He is bigger than I remembered and a willing defender.  It will be interesting to see how the rotation shakes out.

 

Stromile Swift: I sure hope he takes to flier on that free agency thing next summer.  Does not get it. Will not get it.  You can call him Mr. DNP-CD barring injuries.

 

Brian Cardinal:  The Custodian seems to be back and one thing I do know is that coaches love his smarts and hustle.  If healthy, he will be in the rotation.  He didn't shoot much but I am guessing he can still shoot well from deep.

 

Andre Brown:  I don't think he is as good as AJ from last year but I don't think he will see much active time either.  Live body and active but I don't think he is another Kinsey.

 

Terrance Kinsey:  Looked good to me.  Seems to be getting more range on his jumper and more confidence in demanding the ball.  His combination of offensive and defensive aggression is going to be hard to keep on the bench.  If Rudy is going to shoot jumpers all day than TK offers something that neither Gay or Miller brings to the table.  If TK gets a consistent 3 point shot than he is going to get 25+ minutes.

Kyle Lowry: We miss you kid. Get well soon!

All in all I think it was a good half speed scrimmage.  It was a good idea.  Look for the Western Conference slop offseason review later tonight!

MemphisX

 

15.  What went right: No other team in the NBA made a bigger splash this summer than the Boston Celtics.  Fresh off of one of the most disappointing seasons in their storied history, they promptly got a lottery night gut punch that seemed to mark the end of Danny Ainge in Boston.  Then Ainge pulled off a much scrutinized draft night trade for the tender ankled Ray Allen.  It was thought to be a move of desperation at the time. A last ditch effort to "look the part" of a upper echelon team.  Then there was the mishandled attempt to facilitate a Keven Garnett to Phoenix deal that was thwarted by Shawn Marion.  In a true darkest before the dawn scenario, Kevin McHale decided to cement himself in Celtic lore by gift wrapping KG to Boston for a package significantly worse than one he turned down on draft night.  The Celtics were left with three players that could rival the real Big Three in talent level.  It will probably go down as one of the all time image turnarounds in sports.

What went wrong: Lost in the hoopla of the KG and Jesus deals was the fact that the NBA is not a 3 on 3 tournament.  The Celtics are thread bare beyond 2nd year point guard Rajon Rondo.  Rondo is a capable starter and should shine with all the attention the stars will get.  However, there is nothing on the front line to help Garnett.  Also, the C's do not have a credible backup at PG or any other position.  Another problem the C's face is that Doc Rivers is still their coach.  It will be interesting to see if Boston can defend well enough to warrant all the hype they will get this season. I am doubtful.



14.  What went right: The Bucks took one for all the small market teams in the NBA and stood up to the bullshit that was Yi's handlers.  They drafted the player they thought was the best for that pick and got him signed.  The Bucks also kept their two free agent guards, Mo Williams and Charlie Bell, despite their flirtations with South Beach.  Also, Michael Redd came out of this summer healthy and ready to get back to the playoffs.  The Bucks also brought back Desmond Mason, who they traded away in a horrific deal for the player formerly known as a real NBA player (Jamaal Magloire).

What went wrong: The Bucks supposedly had to give Yi a promise of playing time to secure his signature.  If this is true then I hope that he is a credible NBA player.  My guess is that he will struggle early until he adjusts to the speed of the NBA and then his natural gifts will start to take over.  They also severely overpaid to retain their guards.  I am not sure if they are even good enough to make the playoffs in the East which would be a bad sign with so many long term deals on the books.  Also, I will be monitoring Charlie Bell's play.  I mean I would be pissed if I had to pass up the chance to be a 20 something year old millionaire on South Beach to go back to Milwaukee.

13. What went right: The Atlanta Hawks did not hit ground zero and kept two 1st round draft picks.  The Hawks selected seasoned college players that should be able to help the team right away.  Al Horford should be able to step in to the center position and compete from day one.  Acie Law should finally give them a high level talent at the point guard position.  Also, Marvin Williams and Josh Smith are a year more experienced which should show significantly on the court.  Smith looked to be on the verge of becoming a force after  Joe Johnson went down.

What went wrong: The Hawks drafted two more players.  It amazes me that teams that have long playoff droughts continue the cycle of drafting young players.  Young teams simply struggle in the league for a variety of reasons.  The Hawks struggles should be compounded by the fact that the lack quality NBA size and interior defenders.  Also, the Hawks supposedly were going to pass on the chance to trade for Amare Stoudamire.  So I guess the worse thing that happened to the Hawks was that they have the same dysfunctional ownership group.

12.  What went right: The Knicks acquired a prime 20 and 10 PF for peanuts.  Heck, they got him for less than peanuts.  Zack Randolph should immediately become the Knicks go to scorer and take a lot of pressure off of Eddy Curry.  Teams will struggle to defend the Knicks low post threats.  If the Knicks can get any perimeter shooting, they could actually be dangerous by the end of the season.  This might explain why they are in pursuit of Allan Houston.  I think they would be better served dealing for a perimeter shooter under 30 years old.

What went wrong: Most would say the sexual harassment trial but that is small potatoes in New York.  Thomas failed to bring in a big name player to satisfy the lust of New Yorkers.  So we should see a stream of rumors and potential trades from the papers until he does brings an All Star into town.  One other bad point is that Nate Robinson is still on the roster which should cost them 10 games at least.

11. What went right: Although the Bobcats did not acquire an All Star, they did get a real, live NBA player instead of another freaking draft pick.  Jason Richardson should take a lot of pressure off the youngsters in Charlotte.  Raymond Felton should finally have the PG position all to himself and show he belongs in the conversation with Chris Paul and Deron Williams.  With Emeka Okafor anchoring the middle, the Bobcats have a chance to finally make the playoffs in the East. The Bobcats also kept Gerald Wallace at a seemingly good price.

What went wrong: Michael Jordan is still in charge and the Adam Morrison pick can't be undone.  Can you imagine if they would have taken Tyrus Thomas to go with Wallace and Emeka or Brandon Roy. Jeez....

10. What went right: The Philadelphia 76ers did not trade Andre Miller.  When some teams lose their star players, they eject every credible NBA player over 25 off the roster.  This just delays the rebuilding process (see Atlanta). The 76ers will extend Andre Iguodala.  Unfortunately, they will probably give him $20 million more than he is worth.  Louis Williams looked like a potential breakout player in summer league.

What went wrong: Sam Dalembert got hurt playing for Canada.  The 76ers also took on the contract of the Nutcracker (Reggie Evans).  This team has same interesting parts on the roster but most of them would be better served playing off of superstar talents and there is not one on the roster.

9. What went right: Jermaine O'Neal is not in Los Angeles or New Jersey. As long as the Pacers have this anchor in the post, they have a chance to be decent.  If O'Neal is healthy they could contend for a playoff spot despite what most national media guys will tell you.  Jamaal Tinsley is supposedly healthy (and not imprisoned...yet). Diogu, Foster, and Murphy gives them some interesting options next to JO.  I expect this team to be much better than expected.

What went wrong: Shawne Williams got popped for pot.  For an organization that is struggling with off the court problems, this was not good news.  As punishment, he was suspended for his only appearance in his hometown.  Another problem is this team is counting on Mike Dunleavy to finally make consistent contributions to a winning team, something he has not done his entire career.  If these funny looking parts can play some defense, then they should be ok.