Come June

I went to the future in my time machine and this was the only picture I took

The season is wrapping up and things are becoming more clear. The contenders, the players, the match-ups and maybe most importantly the weaknesses. Opposing fans love to bring these up to their rivals in order to plant the seed of uncertainty. I am here to do just that. Don't be too upset though, if I'm mentioning your team in this list it's because they have a chance, albeit it a miracle, one in a million kind of chance for some of you, it's a chance none the less.

EAST:

Orlando Magic


If you're dumb enough to think this is cool, you might be dumb enough to think Orlando can win

The greatest big man in the game right now. He can rebound better than anyone since Ben Wallace in his prime years but he can also score. Is he a leader? Not really, he has too amiable a personality to really drive it home. They lost their starting point guard and brought in a very good option. They have been well coached and they have improved upon last season. This time last year they were slumping big time and they have avoided that even with adversity. They had excuses to fail and are still right on the heals of the defending champs. But they can't beat them in a 7 game series.
Here's why.

Depth Issues

As far as their guards go Alston is a fine starting point guard... But as good as he is playing he can't handle the entire load, especially not in a 7 game series. The eastern conference contenders have a glut of speedy guards that will exploit Anthony Johnson's aging legs. Lue would be a better option as far as speed goes, but he hasn't been used except in garbage time. It also seems to me that Courtney Lee starts to give the illusion of depth. Pietrus should start at the 2 guard and he has proven he can play in Turkoglu's absence. JJ Redick cannot defend anyone. Period.

Perimeter Dependent Offense

They average almost 27 3 pointer attempts a game. This can work against some teams, and only on those teams during the regular season. During the playoffs perimeter defense goes into effect. Without the 3 Orlando is an average team with a great center. Rashard, Hedo, Lee, and many others on this team depend on that shot. The team is basically a 3 point contest with a big rebounder that makes their mistakes forgivable. They won't be able to make that shot with consistency against Boston or Cleveland, and probably won't be able to against lesser competition in the first round.

Leadership Issues

Leader

As I said before Howard isn't much of a leader, he's just too nice. Rafer isn't either. Van Gundy doesn't seem to be much of one either. Although I hate to take Shaq's side on this one, Van Gundy does choke under pressure. People who follow him do find more success. Maybe he can prove me wrong. Remember that one in a million chance I was talking about?

Cleveland Cavaliers


Lebron blowing smoke

Cleveland is the most consistent team in basketball right now. They are winning with regularity and beating teams they should beat and competing every night. Lebron is the best basketball player in the game right now. He has amazing stats and plays hard every night which his team does their best to emulate. He has improved his jump shot and his defense which really helped to complete his already formidable talent. But... he hasn't proven he can win important games. He will most likely be MVP of the regular season but is that all he will ever be, a regular season star. Shades of Tracy McGrady. This isn't their only problem.

Undersized Backcourt

Not much to be said about this really. One guard is 6-1 the other is 6-3. It's only a couple inches but it can mean getting a hand on Ray Allen jump shot or watching it sink through the hoop. That being said Delonte is an excellent shot blocker, but only when he's guarding point guards.

Another Team with Depth Issues

Did you see Joe Smith guarding Leon Powe? Neither did Leon.

Injuries

Just as the Celtics are getting healthy Cleveland is getting hurt. Ben Wallace is out for the time being and may be cleared for practice next week. They desperately need him to guard the front court players Boston will throw at them. Also Wally is down and he gives them a perimeter player but not much defense, might be a blessing.

Lebron Under Pressure

In his first finals appearance he was swept and shot well under 40% for the series. In his battle last year with the Celtics he made only 55 of his 155 shots with mostly single coverage from Pierce. So the question is, who is going to give Lebron his much needed heimlich.

Boston Celtics


One more Blackstone come June

The defending champs won't get 66 wins again. They don't have Posey, or Pj, or some other players that are at home writhing in pain from various injuries. Can they still win. Absolutely. Reasons they won't? That's too easy, that's what everyone has been saying and writing all season. How about reasons on how THEY WILL WIN.

A Starting 5 that Causes Mismatches at Every Position

Kendrick Perkins is as big as a guy you will ever see and the last guy you ever want to be mad at you. He is a strong lumbering defender and enforcer. He has bothered players like Howard, Bynum, and Shaq he is 3rd in the league in Field Goal percentage and in the top ten in blocked shots. He is a an old school center, big and mean. The center on your favorite team is probably scared of him.

Kevin Garnett is one of the best power forwards in the history of the game and he is still hungry. He has changed the way we see the 4 position, he has an amazingly consitent mid range jumper and can defend every position.



And he's also a prick.

Paul Pierce can Shoot 3's, post up, drive to the hoop, and defend. He is eveyr position rolled into one. He creates mismatches no matter who guards him. He has stopped Lebron James and Kobe Bryant in back to back series. He is the reigning finals MVP and has more confidence that maybe any man I've ever seen. He's the second hall of famer on this list and I'm not even done.

Ray Allen is the best pure shooter many of us have ever seen. It seems like every shot is going in. He spreads the floor for the other players and gives them easier shots because of the single coverage. If you over play him he has regained his quickness that he didn't have last year and he's playing like he's 25 again. The drought he had in last years first two rounds will not reoccur.

Rajon Rondo is lightning quick, the only two players that I think might be faster are Barbosa and TJ Ford. He is 5th in the league in assists and one of the best rebounding guards in the league. He is the perfect compliment to the big three.

Depth

Leon Powe is a bruiser. He's tough and he will get rebounds over taller players just based on his superior strength. His stats adjusted for 48 minutes are amazing. He just needs the minutes that PJ received last year and they will be fine.

Stephon Marbury has been passing the ball very well lately amassing tons of assists in minimal minutes off the bench. Much of the rust will have shaken off when the playoffs starts which is important because I want this next guy to be shooting the ball, not handling it.

Eddie House has been shooting 58% from the 3 point line in the past month. That's all I have to say.

Brian Scalebrine can spread the floor, rebound, and defend and will be a welcome return in the next couple weeks.

Big Baby Davis has been playing very well and had a breakout game scoring 24 points off the bench.

Defense

When they are healthy they have the best defense in the league. They make you slow it down no matter what your style is and they force you into the half court. They have great perimeter and interior defenders and everybody is on board with Thibodeau's master plan.

Experience

They've won it last year and while repeating is rare these days this would be the squad to do it. They have better developed young talent, a healthier Ray Allen and a breakout point guard talent who has become one of the leagues elite in Rajon Rondo.

I have absolutely zero bias by the way. (Go Celtics!)

West:

New Orleans


They won't make the finals, but things could be worse

I have this team in the list and I do not have Houston or Denver. You might ask why since both those teams have better records. Well, those teams can't beat San Antonio or LA. To be honest neither can New Orleans, but I had three for the east and now I need three for the west. New Orleans have been great since getting back Tyson Chandler and have won 11 of their last 14 contests. They have every position covered by great diverse talent. They have the best point guard I have ever seen in my life. David West is the best player in the league without his own shoe. Butler and Peja are amazing from the 3 point line. Chandler is a great defender and receiver of perfect Chris Paul Alley oops. They have all this and James Posey off the bench. So what's the problem. They haven't been together all year and it took a hit on their confidence. They have a chance to pull it all together but I don't see them beating LA or San Antonio for these reasons.

Scoring

They have a great shooters and an amazing point guard but it just doesn't produce enough points for them. They defend really well allowing about the same amount of points as the Celtics, but they need to score to compliment their defense and they don't. Hopefully Posey will be able to turn it on during the playoffs and get the extra 10-15 points they need to push through the first couple rounds.

Depth

They have Posey and Armstrong but the rest are players that will be liabilities on the floor, they don't compliment their starting counter parts, they are just worse versions. This was a problem Dallas had when they lost to Golden State. They had depth to a point but they poor man's version on their starters instead of players that introduce a different dynamic or exploit a matchup.

San Antonio


Maybe if I make a weird face they won't publish this photo

A tough team but an older, more banged up version of the championship team two years ago. There has been some positive additions. Roger Mason is having a MIP season and hopefully he wins that award because I think he deserves it. To contribute on an already established team like the Spurs is a great challenege and he deserves recognition for that. George Hill also showed to be a great option in Tony Parker's absence. They decided Bonner was a better option than Oberto and I think they made the right choice there but some things will keep them from the west title.

Age and Injury

Oldest team in the league with an average age of 30. Finley is still productive but Bowen has fallen off this year quite a bit. Tim Duncan seems ageless and I'm sure as always his numbers will sky rocket in the post season. Still though a 7 game series will put a hurt even on a 25 year olds body, these guys in their mid to late 30s are going to be hurting after the first game to a degree. Manu's injury hopefully won't hamper his performance because they really need him at 100% to be competitive with the Lakers. They won this year in San Antonio with Manu and lost when he was injured.

Center Play

Bonner cannot guard Bynum. Even if Bynum is 80% it won't happen. Bonner had 2 rebounds in 21 minutes against him this year and was a minus 19 in the box score. Basically if Bynum is out and if Manu is in, the Spurs still will probably lose.

Los Angeles Lakers


She plays better D than Sasha

This team has the best scorer in basketball history. He can score from anywhere. When he wants to defend he does it very well. He has been passing more and scoring less which has meant more wins. He has a great team mate with Pau Gasol and a great mix of veterans and young energetic players. They have everything it takes to win a championship except.

An Answer for the Speed of Rajon Rondo

Rondo is too fast for the Lakers point guards. On Christmas day Kobe guarded Rondo, and he stopped him from scoring, but Rondo still had 12 assists. Derek Fisher can't guard Rondo, and neither can Farmar. Phil knew this and made a choice. This choice is a fluke because Kobe will not guard Rondo the whole series, it will take too much out of him. Pau is too soft on defense

An Answer for the Strength of Perkins, Powe, and Davis

These are X-factor players and they have the upperhand on the Lakers. These guys dominate weaker players and that is all the Lakers have to offer, especially if Bynum doesn't return at full strength.

Getting Over The Paul Pierce Factor

He matched or exceeded Kobe's play in every game. He forced Kobe to shoot a very poor percentage. He psyched out the whole team with a possible fabrication.

Laker's Under Pressure

This happens.

NBA Team Needs

This has been a nightmare year for many NBA teams. Teams have either been plagued with injuries (Lakers, Phoenix, Boston, Houston), bad coaching (Chicago, Phoenix), bad management (Phoenix) or have just been through a rebuilding phase (too many to list). A lot of teams are struggling. Even the best teams can get a lot better, so I would like to address every team's needs for this season and upcoming ones, if success is out of reach for them this year.

Atlanta Hawks

Size of teeth disproportionate to production on court

It seemed like they were destined for great things after the 7-game Boston series but they are having a very similar season to last year's. Some missing players (Childress) and some injuries (Horford) could be the blame but I think it is more a mix of being too young and having leaders that are not very good at leading (Bibby, Johnson). They have a very talented team but everyone seems to be happy to underachieve. Josh Smith and Marvin Williams could be playing much better, but seem complacent. They need a guy that will motivate them and if it can't be the coach, then it has to be a veteran that isn't quiet (Johnson) or obnoxious (Bibby). I heard Sam Cassell is free. By the time they're good enough to compete, I'm sure they will decide to send Joe Johnson to another rebuilding team.

Boston Celtics


Only in shape during the off season

Never have I seen such a good team have such glaring deficiencies. They have two inexperienced backup power forwards (Powe, Davis). One is fat and both get too many fouls. Both thought they would start during KGs absence but both got slighted since the red headed one (Scal) spreads the court. They also don't have a backup point guard (Sorry Eddie House, but you pass as much as Wilt Chamberlain. And I mean the buried and dead Wilt; not the one that played basketball). Last year PJ Brown was an asset and Sam Cassell was a liability. They've basically broken even, so hopefully they'll get better with their selections. It would have been nice to get Nocioni since the absence of Posey is notable, but they will have to settle for the oft injured Tony Allen. Mikki Moore will help with his size and athleticism. He is the perfect guy to come off the bench. Even though they felt like they may have settled for him (after Joe Smith decided to stay with OKC) I think he addresses more of what they need in the front court. I have a feeling Stephon will be a model citizen, not because he's a nice guy but because he wants to prove everyone wrong and show NY what they're missing. He's also in a contract year.

Charlotte Bobcats

They've already addressed an issue with the J-Rich trade. They go two solid players instead of one borderline problem player. They have two really good point guards so they probably should have traded one to sure up their center position. I would like to see them move Emeka over to the PF. A combo of Vlad Rad and Diaw in your front court is too soft to compete with most teams. Hopefully Hasheem Thabeet will be available when they make their draft choice.

Chicago Bulls


Not in charge for long

Absolutely nothing except a new coach.

Cleveland Cavaliers

They will need plenty in 2010, but who cares anyway right?

Should have traded Wally for anything and anyone. Wally can't defend against any Boston player....or any player in general.

They will look to sign whomever gets rejected by Boston.

Dallas Mavericks


He wants everyone to be educated on flags and black people

They need a screaming mad man to pump some adrenaline into this mechanical team. This is actually a team that could use some attitude. They need some pompous jerk that isn't complacent from smoking too much weed.

They also need more offense. When Josh and Dirk sit, it's downright embarrassing on offense. I still don't see why Gerald Green doesn't come in during those instances. Sure he doesn't play defense but at least Dallas will be on SportsCenter for the first time all year.

Denver Nuggets


Jared for MVP!

They made the best possible move already and now they just have to wait for those things to fall into place even more so. I see good things for this team, but I still think JR Smith is an asshole.

Detroit Pistons

Total rebuild just about. AI might be seen as a bust but they will have a ton of cap room and they will be able to get a solid PF out of the deal. With the way things are going they might get a decent draft pick as well. ;)

Golden State


Monta Ellis is like the JV version of Jay Williams

They have some good young pieces, but nothing seems to fit. They can score in large numbers, but their defense is atrocious. Every player is talented at every position but they're too young and the coach doesn't seem to preach discipline. Their team leader was once the shame of the entire NBA. I don't know if they need anything other than accountability.

Houston Rockets


Houston's new team shoe

In a race with the Phoenix Suns to see who can be the biggest disappointment. To win that, they just need one more injury.

Indiana Pacers

If only they could play the four best teams in the NBA over and over, they would be around .900

They need another SG and someone to backup Troy Murphy. The draft is pretty deep. I could see them landing Jrue Holiday and letting him know that he isn't a point guard.

They need to deal with the Jamal Tinsley situation. If they buy him out, look for the Celtics to pick him up, unless he's 50 pounds overweight hanging out in some other country.

LA Clippers


A picture of LA's second biggest disaster

I don't see any worthwhile pieces. Baron is injury prone and can't lead. Kaman is injury prone and goofy. Thornton is destined to be 15 and 7 for life. Eric Gordon will try to sign with someone else just to shed the horrible uniform and to play with others who deserve to be in the NBA. They need a new coach and new personnel. While they're at it, they should change their name since "Clippers" has become synonymous with failure.

LA Lakers

Kobe did this to himself after watching Sasha play defense on Ray Allen

Everyone praises their depth, which they have to some degree, but they are very slow footed at PG and Rondo will exploit that. So will Mo Williams, if Cleveland gets lucky. The truth is, if they don't get some speed at that position, Tony Parker will exploit it and they won't even see Boston or Cleveland.

Memphis Grizzlies

I liked Kyle Lowry, he played great defense; but giving Conley some confidence was also a good move. I love the pieces they have so far and with a good draft they could grab another PG to shake Conley's confidence. Or they could be smart and upgrade the frontcourt.

Miami Heat


He doesn't play as big as he should

They thought they were getting a good forward but instead got an insecure head case. Hopefully he develops or they might need to get another forward. Oh regrets, management must have missed this.

Milwaukee Bucks


Over two dozen sold

Their 2 best players are injured, their draft was a bust and no one cares about them. Yet they're still hovering around 500. Although I like Ramon and Luke, I think they're weakest at PG and the draft has plenty of them.

Minnesota Timberwolves

They need McCants back and 11 other players just like him.

Just kidding.

They need a point guard and a backup for Foye that isn't married to Whitney.

New Orleans Hornets


Tyson was instantly reminded of Hornet's management

I think some God out there loves the Hornets, because they tried to implode and one little (big) toe wouldn't let them.

New York Knicks


He even wears street clothes in video games

They could have used a faster, more athletic big man. Someone like Amar'e but with a better eyeball. I could see them snatching Joe Alexander next year and making a man out of him. Of course this team will stay about as good as they are now until around 2010.

New Jersey Nets


The Lopez twins grew up so fast!

They're really lucky they picked the right brother.

Orlando Magic


JJ Redick's new look

I thought they were done when Jameer went down. Then they got two solid point guards in less than a week. I didn't know there were that many solid point guards in the league.

Oklahoma City Thunder


They don't look like they're rebuilding, do they?

My pick for most improved team next year. Durant and Westbrook are downright scary. I like the addition of Krstic so they don't have to play the weird 7 footers they drafted with the retarded management they had before. They're going to have a great draft pick and I think they should trade it for a really good veteran and sneak their way into the playoffs as an 8 seed.

Phoenix Suns


This photo was taken 1 week ago

They need a backup PG; they have always needed one. Nate Robinson would have been nice and Rondo would have been pretty good. Maybe they shouldn't trade away whoever they draft this year.

Philadelphia 76ers


Elton's Brand

A healthy Brand isn't going to do the trick; they need someone more athletic. They would have been better off with Corey Maggette. Andre Miller is going to leave town next year and they will need a point guard. However, none are available except this guy.

Portland Trailblazers

They're really lucky that they have the best backup center in the league. It is really hard to say what this team needs because they mainly just need to develop. I love their coaching, their athleticism, their depth, and their leadership. A lot of their talent is raw and tender, but if you don't think he looks like Hakeem right here, you're crazy.

Sacramento Kings


He was so loyal to the Kings, he refused to play well for any other team

I might have to write a whole other article just on this team. Not only are they horrible, they aren't fun to watch either. Their best player has no personality and their second best player would easily be waived by any of the top 4 teams. If you combined the best players from the Kings and the Clippers, they would still lose to UCLA.

San Antonio Spurs


Youth Movement

Everyone thought they were too old (and they are), but all the other teams got worse, so they're back in the top 5 teams in the league. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and three guys in wheelchairs would still be above .500

Toronto Raptors


Don't worry kid, they're actually harmless.

Too slow to be run and gun and too small to be good in the half court. Bosh is leaving anyway so does anything matter for this team? At least they will have plenty of cap space.

Utah Jazz


Where have the real men gone?

First off I want to say Deron is not as good as Chris Paul. Not even close. That being, said he's the second best point guard in the league. Please stop looking for comparisons between them, there are none. I love Sloan; he should be coach of the year this year. I like their depth and if they can stay healthy, I like their chances to go deep into the playoffs. Bad seeding will be their early demise. They could use a defensive-minded backup point guard that isn't 5'10.

Washington Wizards


Gandalf isn't the only wizard you should be crying about

I don't like Blatche; he isn't starting material. Jamison, Butler, and Arenas couldn't make it happen when they all were healthy so until they get new pieces to help those guys (bigger front court, better bench), they will be between 1st round losers for years to come.

-JW