Baer Sports Talk
Monday, October 29, 2012
2013 Houston Rockets Season Preview
The Houston Rockets are a team that is very interesting in the way that they went about trying to built there team in the offseason. They decided that they wanted to stockpile draft picks in order to hopefully trade with Orlando for Dwight Howard. However, at the time of the draft the Magic were not in a position to trade him. ( He was later traded to the Lakers) Because they were unsuccessful in acquiring the services of Howard, they were forced into using all of there picks on young players in the draft. That is the main reason why they will have a tough time this year with all the young pieces they have. They were able to bring back Jeremy Lin along with the fact that a few days ago they traded for James Harden. With that addition here is how there starting lineup in projected to look like:
PG. Jeremy Lin
SG. James Harden
SF. Chandler Parsons
PF. Patrick Patterson
C. Omer Asik
Sports Illustrated projects the Rockets to finish 14th in the Western Conference. I think that with the addition of James Harden they can push up into somewhere in the 10-12 range in the Western Conference. James Harden brings a very physical game that will allow the younger guys to thrive by watching him take over games. I wonder how well Lin and Harden are going to play together, if they are able to play well together they could be tough to try to outscore.
Sports Illustrated projects the Rockets to finish 14th in the Western Conference. I think that with the addition of James Harden they can push up into somewhere in the 10-12 range in the Western Conference. James Harden brings a very physical game that will allow the younger guys to thrive by watching him take over games. I wonder how well Lin and Harden are going to play together, if they are able to play well together they could be tough to try to outscore.
2013 Golden State Warriors Season Preview
The problem with the Golden State Warriors has absolutely nothing to do with the offense and everything to do with the defense. They have one of the most potent offenses in the NBA, but they just have never been able to stop anybody. In the NBA, if you are not able to stop or at least contain, the really good teams they will find a way to outscore you. The other factor that plagued the Warriors was the amount of injuries that piled up towards the end of the year. If they are able to stay healthy along with playing a little defense the Warriors could make a real push for the playoffs. The projected starting lineup for the Warriors looks something like this:
PG. Stephen Curry
SG. Klay Thompson
SF. Harrison Barnes
PF. David Lee
C. Andrew Bogut
Sports Illustrated has the Warriors projected to finish 11th in the Western Conference. With the talent and the ability that this team has they could very easily find themselves in the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed. However, in order to do that they need to be healthy for a majority of the season and that mainly goes for Stephen Curry who just cannot seem to stay healthy. Curry in one of the best 3 point shooters in the game today but he just cannot seem to be on the court for 75 or more games a year. I look for the Warriors to make a pretty good push for the playoffs this year.
Sports Illustrated has the Warriors projected to finish 11th in the Western Conference. With the talent and the ability that this team has they could very easily find themselves in the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed. However, in order to do that they need to be healthy for a majority of the season and that mainly goes for Stephen Curry who just cannot seem to stay healthy. Curry in one of the best 3 point shooters in the game today but he just cannot seem to be on the court for 75 or more games a year. I look for the Warriors to make a pretty good push for the playoffs this year.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
2013 Detroit Pistons Season Preview
The 2013 Detroit Pistons should be a very interesting team to watch in regards to how the veterans come out early on in the year. Playing in the Eastern Conference will help this team out a lot because of the fact that they will be in the race for a spot in the playoffs for a vast majority of the season. They may not make it into the playoffs but they will have a legitimate shot if they get off to a good start. They like a lot of teams in the NBA have quite a few young players trying to make an impact on this team. Some of the young players include: Rodney Stucky, Brandon Knight, Will Bynum, and Greg Monroe. The projected starting lineup looks like this:
PG. Brandon Knight
SG. Rodney Stucky
SF. Tayshaun Prince
PF. Jonas Jerebko
C. Greg Monroe
Sports Illustrated's projection for the Detroit Pistons is that they will finish 11th in the Eastern Conference. However since they are in the Eastern Conference they still have a great chance of surprising some people and possibly making the playoffs. In order for them to do that they have to overcome the biggest obstable in my mind and that is how will Brandon Knight and Rodney Stucky play together? They have very similar offensive games so it will be interesting to see how they gel together.
Sports Illustrated's projection for the Detroit Pistons is that they will finish 11th in the Eastern Conference. However since they are in the Eastern Conference they still have a great chance of surprising some people and possibly making the playoffs. In order for them to do that they have to overcome the biggest obstable in my mind and that is how will Brandon Knight and Rodney Stucky play together? They have very similar offensive games so it will be interesting to see how they gel together.
2013 Denver Nuggets Season Preview
As most people who follow the NBA know, the Denver Nuggets no longer have Carmelo Anthony, who was the heart and soul of there team a few years ago. However, this offseason they may have made the most underrated move by acquiring Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers. Iguodala is coming off helping Team USA capture a gold medal as the defensive stopper. He is such a good player because of the versatility that he brings to the table along with his unselfish attitude. The Nuggets should be a very good team with the many pieces that they have and the fact that so many of the players that they have are very unselfish. The starting lineup should look like this:
PG. Ty Lawson
SG. Andre Iguodala
SF. Danilo Gallinari
PF. Kenneth Faried
C. Javale Mcgee
Sports Illustrated has the Denver Nuggets projected to finish 4th in the Western Conference just behind the San Antonio Spurs. I would say that that is where I would have them as well, mainly because of the youth that they have, along with some new players that have to get used to playing with each other. I think that this team has a chance to go deep into the playoffs, provided that they are able to stay healthy for the majority of the year.
Sports Illustrated has the Denver Nuggets projected to finish 4th in the Western Conference just behind the San Antonio Spurs. I would say that that is where I would have them as well, mainly because of the youth that they have, along with some new players that have to get used to playing with each other. I think that this team has a chance to go deep into the playoffs, provided that they are able to stay healthy for the majority of the year.
2013 Dallas Mavericks Season Preview
The Dallas Mavericks in the offseason completely revamped there lineup. While they have a lot of talent the main key for them is getting back the heart of soul of there team, Dirk Nowitzki as soon as possible. He is suppose to be out for a few weeks but they need him in the lineup not only for his offensive skills but also for his veteran leadership. Some of the new faces that they welcome to the team this year include; Darren Collison, OJ Mayo, Kris Kamen, Vince Carter, and Elton Brand. With all this talent, if they are able to play together as a team they could be a force in the Western Conference. There starting lineup should look like this:
PG. Darren Collison
SG. OJ Mayo
SF. Shawn Marion
PF. Dirk Nowitzi
C. Chris Kaman
Sports Illustrated projects the Dallas Mavericks to finish 7th in the Western Conference. While I think this is a very safe projection I would have to say that they could very well be a lot higher come the end of the season. I believe that they projected them here mainly because of the fact that they have so many new pieces on there team. With this being said I would say that they are a much better team then Grizzlies. If they can all play as a team together, the rest of the teams in the Western Conference better beware of the Mavericks.
SG. OJ MayoSports Illustrated projects the Dallas Mavericks to finish 7th in the Western Conference. While I think this is a very safe projection I would have to say that they could very well be a lot higher come the end of the season. I believe that they projected them here mainly because of the fact that they have so many new pieces on there team. With this being said I would say that they are a much better team then Grizzlies. If they can all play as a team together, the rest of the teams in the Western Conference better beware of the Mavericks.
2013 Cleveland Cavaliers Season Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still trying to rebuild there team after Lebron James left to take his talents to South Beach and play for the Heat, and win a Championship last season. This team however is gaining experience with the young nucleus that they have. This year is going to be a very difficult season for them because of the youth. The starting lineup for the Cavaliers looks like this:
PG. Kyrie Irving
SG. CJ. Miles
SF. Alonzo Gee
PF. Tristian Thompson
C. Anderson Varejao
Sports Illustrated projects that the Cavaliers will finish 12th in the Western Conference and miss the playoffs. I would agree with this assessment of this team because of the inexperience. The good thing about this team is that in a few years they should be a very good team and possibly one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference if the young players can live up to the hype.
Sports Illustrated projects that the Cavaliers will finish 12th in the Western Conference and miss the playoffs. I would agree with this assessment of this team because of the inexperience. The good thing about this team is that in a few years they should be a very good team and possibly one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference if the young players can live up to the hype.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
2013 Chicago Bulls Season Preview
The Chicago Bulls are going to have a very tough road ahead of them. They begin the season without the Heart and Soul of there team Derrick Rose. However, they have a talented enough team to stay a float until Rose comes back. That means that other players (not named Rose) are going to have to step up in his absence. One of the biggest keys will be how does Carlos Boozer play, because since he has arrived in Chicago he has vastly underachieved. When he played for the Utah Jazz a couple of years ago he was one of the best big men in the league. He combined his long range game with an extremely great understanding of how to use his big body to get tough rebounds.
The Bulls Projected Starting lineups looks like this:
PG. Kirk Hinrich
SG. Richard Hamilton
SF. Luol Deng
PF. Carlos Boozer
C. Joakim Noah
Sports Illustrated's Projection for the Bulls is that they will finish 7th in the Eastern. I would have to agree with this although I think that they are a better team then the Atlanta Hawks. (who are ranked ahead of them) However the Bulls will take there bruises early on in the season, especially since they have a very tough schedule early on in the season. Next up will be the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bulls Projected Starting lineups looks like this:
PG. Kirk HinrichSports Illustrated's Projection for the Bulls is that they will finish 7th in the Eastern. I would have to agree with this although I think that they are a better team then the Atlanta Hawks. (who are ranked ahead of them) However the Bulls will take there bruises early on in the season, especially since they have a very tough schedule early on in the season. Next up will be the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
2013 Charlotte Bobcats Season Preview
The Charlotte Bobcats are still a very young, but up and coming team in the NBA. They have a lot of very good young players that are continuing there development under the ownership of the greatest player of all time Michael Jordan. The main weakness that I see with regards to this team is just what I stated before. The immaturity of this team could lead to them having trouble closing out teams that have more experience talent. However one of the strengths that they have, is the extended depth at the Center position, something that they did not have last year. It should be a very interesting year for the Bobcats. Here is a preview of there roster.
Bismack Biyombo
Gerald Henderson
Kemba Walker
Ben Gordon
Tyrus Thomas
Michael-Kidd Gilchrist
With this Bobcats basketball team, the key will be how do all the young players that they have play. If they are able to play together well enough as a team they could be a very dangerous team. A lot times the teams that veteran teams do not want to play are the young up and coming teams because of the fact that so many of them will play with reckless abondon. I would say that the Bobcats will not be able to make playoffs, however they are not too far away. Next up in the Season Previews is the Chicago Bulls.
Bismack Biyombo Gerald HendersonWith this Bobcats basketball team, the key will be how do all the young players that they have play. If they are able to play together well enough as a team they could be a very dangerous team. A lot times the teams that veteran teams do not want to play are the young up and coming teams because of the fact that so many of them will play with reckless abondon. I would say that the Bobcats will not be able to make playoffs, however they are not too far away. Next up in the Season Previews is the Chicago Bulls.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Brooklyn Nets Season Preview
In terms of the team that made the most acquisitions during this free agency period, the Nets were among the most active. There first priority was the make sure that they were able to lockup Deron Williams because if they did they were going to be able to possibly attract a lot of free agent players they could add to there team. Along with possible free agent pickups, the Nets went hard after Dwight Howard trying to acquire him from the Magic in a trade. The Nets were unsuccessful however because they were not able to give the Magic the kinds of trade pieces they desired. After failing to acquire Howard, they instead set there sights on the Atlanta Hawks Joe Johnson, which they were able to acquire in the off season. Some of the other very important acquisitions that they made included: Andray Blatche (Free agent), Josh Childress (Free agent), Jerry Stackhouse (Free agent) , CJ Watson (Free agent), and Gerald Wallace (Resigned). Because of all the major moves that the Nets were able to move I would have to say that they put themselves right up there with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. They have as much talent as any team in both the Western and Eastern Conference along with the fact that they also have a bunch of depth. This should be a very exciting year for the Nets, along with the team having a lot of talent they also are moving to a new arena (the Barclays Center).
Andray Blatche
Joe Johnson
Gerald Wallace
Brook Lopez
CJ Watson
Jerry Stackhouse
Deron Williams
My projection for the Brooklyn Nets this year is that they will be the 2nd or 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. One of the biggest concerns that I have about this team is whether they will be able to gel together early on with all the new faces they have. It took Miami (Heat) a little bit of time in order to get together in the beginning of the season two years ago. However when they figured out how to play together you see the result. (they won an NBA Championship) I think the Nets will be just fine, it just may take them a couple of weeks to get used to playing with each other. Next up on the NBA preview will be the Charlotte Bobcats.
Boston Celtics Season Preview
For the Boston Celtics this is going to be an interesting year to see how they are going to handle loosing one of the Big 3, as Ray Allen has signed with the Miami Heat. Allen was a very instrumental part of the success of the Celtics over the last couple of years. His ability to stretch the defense and make other teams guard against the 3 allowed Pierce, Garnett, and Rondo to attack the inside at will. It was almost like pick your poison, either you let Allen beat you from the outside or you allow the others to attack you on the inside. Although they did loose Allen, they signed Jason Terry to provide those opportunities to stretch out the defense to allow for the penetration into the lane. Another huge key for the Celtics will be how healthy are they going to be this year. With Garnett and Pierce both pushing into the late 30's, how will they hold up throughout the entirety of the season.
Brandon Bass
Avery Bradley
Dionte Christmas
Kevin Garnett
Paul Pierce
Jason Terry
Jeff Green
Darco Milicic
My projection for the Celtics this year is that they will battle the Heat and the Bulls for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and will end up finishing either the number 2 or 3 seed in the East. With that being said if they are unable to stay healthy this season they could very easily slid into the 5th or 6th seed. So, the biggest key for the C's will be the health of the team as a whole. The next preview will be the new look Brooklyn Nets in the brand new arena.
My projection for the Celtics this year is that they will battle the Heat and the Bulls for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and will end up finishing either the number 2 or 3 seed in the East. With that being said if they are unable to stay healthy this season they could very easily slid into the 5th or 6th seed. So, the biggest key for the C's will be the health of the team as a whole. The next preview will be the new look Brooklyn Nets in the brand new arena.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)