NBA Previews: Portland Trail Blazers 2nd Place: Northwest Division

by James Finneral

The Trail Blazers finally had their breakout season last year where they put up a winning record and actually made it to the playoffs. After going through the rebuilding stage the Trail Blazers now have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA. With a young and athletic team it is hard to imagine them going downhill from 5th place in the Western Conference this year.

One of the Blazer's leaders is Damian Lillard who is heading into his third year out of Weber State. Lillard is a point guard who can both score and pass. He finished last season averaging 20 points and 5 assists per game earning him a spot on the West All Star team. Lillard is a proven scorer from the arc and his numbers will only improve this season. When the Trail Blazers need a bucket down the stretch, Lillard is their go to guy and he has yet to let them down. Lillard will be a premier point guard in the West again and will be essential for the Blazer's success. Another guy who the Blazers are dependent upon is their power forward, LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge had an outstanding season last year leading the team in scoring and rebounding. He finished the season 23 points, 11 rebounds and a block per game. Aldridge also earned a spot on the West All Star team and built a reputation as one of the best power forwards in the game. Aldridge will be a double-double machine again and be the leader in the post for Portland. With this dynamic duo in tact and healthy, the Blazers will be difficult to beat.

Lillard and Aldridge may lead the team, but the also have many other quality players who are often overlooked. Wesley Matthews accompanies Lillard in the back-court and has been a great compliment to him. Matthews is deadly from the arch averaging 2 three pointers a game last year. He finished with 16 points a game for the Blazers last year. Matthews is a great guy to have around because he can just supply the team with scoring on a consistent basis. Next is big swingman Nicolas Batum. Batum has played all his seasons with Portland after coming to the NBA from France. Batum is a solid all around player. He can shoot, rebound with his height and surprisingly can pass as well. Batum finished last season averaging 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. He is just another consistent player who the Blazers can rely on when Lillard or Aldridge are not having good games. If there is one area that the Blazers struggle in it is their bench. They have some decent young prospects, but none of them have proven themselves in the NBA. Steve Blake could be the only exception who actually had a nice season in Los Angeles not too long ago. The Blazer's bench will need to step up because the starters cannot play the entire game.

 The talent of this Blazers team will be evident throughout the 2014-2015 season. They have a nice guard tandem that should be able to compete with the best back-courts the West have the offer. They may not be able to repeat their title as the best rebounding team in the league, but expect Portland to not give teams too many second chances. The Trail Blazers will easily be a playoff team and should be able to go further in the postseason then they did last year.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Damian Lillard

SG: Wesley Matthews 

SF: Nicolas Batum

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge 

C: Robin Lopez

 

NBA Previews: Denver Nuggets 3rd Place: Northwest Conference

by James Finneral

The Denver Nuggets are a team that constantly puts up a decent season and has a chance to make the playoffs. Last year though the Nuggets dropped off a bit after losing shooting guard Arron Afflalo and were the 11th place team in the Western Conference. This season could be a different story because Denver has some new additions and a lot of fire power.

The biggest move of this offseason for Denver was getting back their former star shooting guard Arron Afflalo. Afflalo had a breakout year last year proving that he is a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end. Afflalo averaged 18 points a night and will be a great compliment to point guard Ty Lawson. The Nuggets have another shooting guard coming in this year, but this one is via the NBA Draft. The Nuggets got away with robbery by drafting Michigan State shooting guard Gary Harris at the 19th overall pick. Harris is a great shooter who can also drive to the basket. The most impressive thing about Harris is his basketball IQ. Harris always knows where he is supposed to be on the court which is essential for getting him open looks. He will have to play under Afflalo's wing for the first couple of years, but Harris could definitely develop into a big time shooting guard in the NBA.

The Nuggets also have some very quality returning players for this season. This roster is athletic as any team's in the league and that starts with their floor general, Ty Lawson. Lawson came into the NBA after a nice college career at UNC that included a national championship. He has been steadily improving ever since until last year when he had his true breakout season. Lawson proved to be a two dimensional point guard averaging 17 points and nearly 9 assists per game. If Lawson can keep up his production then Denver will have an elite back-court. Denver is a mini version of lob city when Lawson is paired with Keneth Faried. Faried is actually a manimal and will fight for any rebound and loose ball. He is one of the most athletic power forwards in the game who can rise up for big time alley-oop finishes. Faried posted some quality performances for team USA in the FIBA World Cup and should be an essential piece to this Nuggets team. This duo is going to cause some major havoc this year and lead this team to success.

We also cannot forget about some of the missing pieces for Denver last year. Nuggets small forward, Danilo Gallinari missed last season after undergoing knee surgery. The year before his injury, Gallinari was one of the team's best players and actually one of the better scorers around the league. Gallinari is a pretty good perimeter player, but he is even better from mid-range. He says he is feeling great and if he can return, it will help out the Nuggets immensely. Big man JaVale McGee is also expected to return for Denver this year. Known for his excellent showing in the 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, McGee is also an excellent rebounder and rim protector. At 7'0" McGee is a large presence in the post and that was a piece the Nuggets were missing last year. With Gallinari and McGee coming back, the Nuggets will be sharper on the offensive and defensive side of the basketball.

Expect the Nuggets to make big steps this year and be a border line playoff team. They have no real weakness inside their starting lineup and their bench is nothing to scoff at either. This is a team that is being overlooked by many people and that probably motivates them more to succeed. The Nuggets will have a bounce back year and begin looking like the former team that had Carmelo Anthony.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Ty Lawson

SG: Arron Afflalo 

SF: Danilo Gallinari

PF: Kenneth Faried

C: JaVale McGee  

NBA Previews: Minnesota Timberwolves 4th Place: Northwest Division

by James Finneral

One of the biggest stories of this offseason was when Timberwolves former star Kevin Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Love has been the center piece for the Timberwolves for many years and frankly their only all star player in a while. At this point the Timberwolves are in rebuilding mode and they already have some talented young players to start them off.

Although they lost an excellent player in Love, the Timberwolves were able to pick up a great amount of talent and potential this offseason. In the three team deal the Timberwolves acquired the number one overall picks the last two years in Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennet as well as former Philadelphia 76er's powerhouse, Thaddeus Young. Minnesota is very happy with this deal especially because of the potential of Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins is one of the most athletic players to come out of the draft in the past few years. He is efficient in transition and has an excellent vertical leap allowing him to rise above defenders for easy points. If Wiggins can develop his jump shot and his defensive game, he could become another great young player in the NBA. Anthony Bennet was taken two years ago by the Cavaliers at the number one pick and he did not live up to expectations last year. Bennet only averaged 4 points and 3 rebounds last year hurting his chances of starting for the Timberwolves. Bennet is a pretty physical player and will be a decent bench player for Minnesota. Thaddeus Young is a great small forward and is definitely better than Corey Brewer, but the Timberwolves might have to move Young to the power forward to have a stronger starting lineup. Thaddeus Young is strong enough and athletic enough to play a stretch four and still put up the same numbers as last year. Losing Love hurts, but this trade could eventually pay off for Minnesota.

Ricky Rubio was a great compliment to Kevin Love because Rubio specializes in passing. He is one of the best passers in the game and creates so many opportunities for his teammates. Rubio should still have a similar type of season this year because there are still a lot of premium scorers on this team still. Rubio is a great guy for Andrew Wiggins to play alongside because he will get a lot more scoring opportunities. The Timberwolves were also able to get a nice backup point guard in Zach LaVine. The Wolves took LaVine 13th overall in this year's draft. It was a pick completely based off potential. LaVine is one of the most athletic players in this year's draft, but he needs to polish his game a bit. His jump shot could use some improving and he also needs to get stronger to play big minutes in the league. He will be able to learn from Rubio the next few years and be ready to take on a starting role somewhere. Lastly Nikola Pekovic is one of the more underrated players in the league. Pekovic and Love headed out a front-court that had the sixth most rebounds per game last season. He is one of the physically strongest players in the game and is really tough to handle down low. If Pekovic can stay healthy he should have no problem posting a bunch of double-double games this season.

This team is young, talented and athletic, but they need a couple years to build chemistry with each other and develop their younger players. In such a difficult conference, the Timberwolves will probably not make the playoffs, but do not expect a big drop off from them this year just because they lost Love. They will have a very similar record and will only get better in the years to come. This deal seems great for the Cavaliers now, but in a few years this trade will pay off for Minnesota.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Ricky Rubio

SG: Kevin Martin

SF: Andrew Wiggins  

PF: Thaddeus Young

C: Nikola Pekovic    

NBA Previews: Utah Jazz 5th Place: Northwest Division

by James Finneral

The Utah Jazz took a big hit when the forward tandem on Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson left Salt Lake City. The Jazz are now in rebuilding mode gathering young and talented players who are the league's future stars. Despite the upside, the Jazz just simply do not have the talent right now to be a playoff team in the Western Conference.

This Jazz team does not currently have a prominent team leader, but their shooting guard Gordon Hayward is probably their best player. Hayward shot down a big time deal to play for a rising Charlotte Hornets club to come back and lead the Jazz. Hayward is a big strong guy who can shoot and drive to the basket. He has been improving each year since he has been in the league and should continue to improve and become the leader of the Jazz. At 6'8" Hayward can play the small forward which might actually work out best for Utah. Jazz sources are saying that 6'6" guard Alec Burks may win a starting position. Burke had a nice season last year averaging 14 points and will probably be forced to play shooting guard with Trey Burke already at the point. Burk's athleticism will fit in nicely with the very athletic Utah roster.  

The Jazz took a pretty big risk in the draft by selecting Australian point guard, Dante Exum. Exum is a great talent that certainly has the skills to play in the NBA, but picking him is risky cause no one knows how the competition in Australia stacks up to NCAA competition. Exum is a decent shooter and scorer, but he is a pass first guy who tries to make his teammates better. Luckily Exum does not have to jump into a starting role immediately. He will get quality minutes from the bench and get a feel for NBA competition before he is ready for a starting role. The man who will be playing in front of him is Trey Burke, the second year man out of Michigan. Burke posted a pretty nice rookie season averaging 13 points and 6 assists. He may be undersized, but Burke can put up a couple 30 point games last year showing that he can be an effective scorer in the NBA. Burke will only get more and more comfortable and should develop into a great young point guard in the following years. With two young point guards the Jazz can be a team to be feared in the future, but wouldn't the smart thing be to trade one?

The Jazz front-court will be headed by Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. Derrick Favors is one of the Jazz's most consistent players who averaged nearly a double-double along with a block throughout last season. Favors is relentless on the glass preventing teams from getting second chances and also giving his team another chance to score. At only 23 years old, Favors is only going to get better and he is prime for another solid season in 2014-2015. Enes Kanter is going to have to step up this year for the Jazz to have a chance at being successful. Kanter had a decent season last year scoring and rebounding the basketball, but his defensive game needs some work. Kanter is strong enough to hang with the big boys down low, but a lot of teams had success in the paint against the Jazz last year. If Kanter can protect the paint for the Jazz then they will be able to stay in games even against tough opponents.

The Jazz are one of those teams that definitely need a few years before they can be contenders in the Western Conference. They have plenty of talent, but the players have to live up to their potential for them to move forward. In a matter of years the Jazz could be one of the most feared teams in the league, but they will need some time to work up to that achievement.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Trey Burke

SG: Alec Burks

SF: Gordon Hayward 

PF: Derrick Favors

C: Enes Kanter 



    

NBA Previews: Toronto Raptors 1st Place: Atlantic Division

by James Finneral

Five years back who would have thought the Toronto Raptors could ever be the top team in the Atlantic Division and have the third best record in the Eastern Conference. Since then this team has drastically changed. Toronto has been rebuilding for the past few years and now their team is finally starting to shape up. Now the Raptors have one of the more talented rosters in the league and they are showing no signs of slowing down.

 The key to the Raptor's success starts with their best player, Kyle Lowry. Lowry played excellent this past season as an all around point guard averaging 18 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds per game. The Raptors did great in the offseason just by re-signing Lowry. As I stated in my past free agents article I believe Lowry is prime for even more of a breakout year and will earn a spot on the East All Star Team. It is convenient for a team when their best player is their point guard because the point guard initiates and runs the offense. Lowry is a great guy the have at that position and they even have a nice backup if he gets injured. The Raptors acquired point guard Greivis Vasquez from the Sacramento Kings last year. Vasquez is an excellent passer and proved that during his season with the New Orleans Hornets in 2012-2013. He will be a great replacement if Lowry goes down and the Raptors will be able to move on.

Along with Lowry many other of the Raptors starters stepped it up last year. DeMar DeRozan finished tenth in the league in scoring last year averaging 23 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. These are pretty very impressive statistics especially considering he is shooting guard and few people at his position can put up those type of numbers. DeRozan is very quick and athletic and will continue to fill out the stat sheet this season. At small forward Terrence Ross has been a nice fit for the Raptors. Ross is another great athlete who really benefits the Raptors transition game, but he does not take too much attention away from Lowry and DeRozan. Ross is a reliable guy that can put up 10 points a night and provide some highlight reel plays to get the team pumped up. If he continues to be a nice compliment for the Raptors two stars then Toronto will continue to thrive on the offensive end.

On the defensive end, the Raptors are powered by their two big men, Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson. Valanciunas came on to the scene last year during his second year in the NBA and made a huge difference for the Raptors. He nearly averaged a double-double as well as a block per game this past season. At 6'11, 230 pounds Valanciunas is a large presence in the post and can hang with some of the strongest centers. Amir Johnson is another big man that subtly plays a big role for Toronto. Johnson is 6'9", but he is one of the most athletic power forwards in the business. His vertical leap makes him as dangerous on the glass as a seven footer. Johnson will keep progressing and locking down the power forwards in the Eastern Conference. These quality big guys are nice to have when you already have two talented guards to make plays for them.

The Raptors starting lineup is one of the best in the East and they have a good number of guys that can jump in and give their studs rest. Their back-court can hold their own against anyone in the league and their big men are not to shabby either. This Toronto team is easily good enough to win this division and will finish as one of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Kyle Lowry

SG: DeMar DeRozan

SF: Terrence Ross

PF: Amir Johnson

C: Jonas Valanciunas

 

NBA Previews: New York Knicks 2nd Place: Atlantic Division

by James Finneral

After signing Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire a few years back the New York Knicks believed they could be contenders in the East. After that Stoudemire busted and Carmelo Anthony was pretty much the only reliable player around for New York. You may call me crazy, but with Anthony coming back I believe this team will gel and have one of their best seasons in a while.

You can't think of the Knicks without thinking of Carmelo Anthony. Over the past four years Anthony has become the face of the franchise and one of the top players in the league. Anthony's new contract may make him seem greedy, but in truth it shows his loyalty to the Knicks and how he wants to lead them to a title. With a leader that is happy to be in New York it already helps the Knicks. Anthony knows the Knicks do not have the talent to win a championship this year, but he does have faith that they can take some major steps. Melo should have no struggles putting up the same numbers that he did last year. He is debatably the best scorer in the NBA and his rebounding just seems to be getting better and better. Anthony has never been a big passer, but he provides enough for his team as is and will once again be an all star and the best player on the Knicks.

Of course the Knicks will need more than just Carmelo Anthony to be successful this year. This team has plenty of talent they just need to build chemistry with each other. Lets start with the front-court. Although Amare Stoudimire has been injured often, when he has played he has shown signs of his old self. Stoudemire is a powerhouse who is quick on his feet giving him an advantage against most power forwards. Look for Stoudemire to start the majority of the games and make some major improvements this year. With Tyson Chandler gone the Knicks can play Stoudemire at the center and have Anthony play the power forward forcing rookie Cleanthony Early to start at the small forward. They could also start Andrea Bargnani at center and play Stoudemire at power forward and Anthony at the small forward. The Knicks will have to make these executive decisions, but no matter what, the starting lineup is looking pretty solid.  

The Knicks have made some new additions as well such as general manager Phil Jackson and point guard Jose Calderon. Jackson has gone down as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game. His wealth of basketball knowledge and charisma towards his players has lead to success year after year. Although he will not be coaching, Jackson can make a huge difference to the Knicks organization. The main thing the Knicks were missing throughout last year was a reliable point guard. Raymond Felton was not their ideal fit and it really effected their team. Adding Jose Calderon was a great move for the Knicks. He is a dual threat point guard, but Calderon is more of a pass first guy which is perfect for the Knicks. He will be able to feed Anthony, Stoudemire and J.R. Smith making the Knicks offense even more deadly. These two gentlemen will play huge roles for the Knicks this year.

With everyone healthy and Calderon joining the team, the Knicks have one of better rosters in the Eastern Conference. This could be the year that this team finally gels and gets back on track. They're not going to win the championship, but the Knicks have enough talent to be one of the last teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Jose Calderon 

SG: J.R. Smith

SF: Carmelo Anthony

PF: Amare Stoudemire 

C: Andrea Bargnani  

 

NBA Previews: Brooklyn Nets 3rd Place: Atlantic Division

by James Finneral

After being one of the most hyped teams heading into last season the Nets just ended up being a mediocre team in the NBA. Given that Brook Lopez was out for nearly the entire year, the Nets did not live up to anyones expectations. They were supposed to be a team that could challenge the Miami Heat, but their players did not gel and they now have a worse roster than last year.

Last year was the Nets best chance to make a title run. When they traded for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnet the Nets were not planning for multiple years in the future, they wanted to win the next year. With Pierce gone the Nets certainly lose a quality guy who can provide for the offense. Garnet may have another decent year in him, but the Nets will need to rely on their Big 3 consisting of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez. Johnson might just be the most important of the three. Coming from Atlanta, the Nets knew Johnson was a strong shooting guard who specializes in scoring. Since he has been in Brooklyn, Johnson has been extremely inconsistent. He will score 35 points multiple times during the season but then the next night he will drop less than 10. Johnson is an all star caliber talent, but the Nets will need him to be more consistent to win big games.

Brook Lopez is a huge part of the Brooklyn Nets and is probably their best player. Without him in the lineup the Nets front-court really struggled throughout last year. Now that he is returning the Net's offensive and defensive efficiency will improve greatly. The Net's bench is not that deep, but one player who could be pretty helpful this season is Mason Plumlee. He is coming off a decent rookie season, but he certainly has the skill set to be a solid power forward in the NBA. He is a big strong guy who has a number of post moves. Plumlee should see more time this year and could be a very good guy to give Garnett or Lopez a rest.

The last piece the Nets need to be successful is the efficiency of their point guard, Deron Williams. A few seasons back many experts thought that Williams could be a top of the line point guard. Unfortunately Williams has been prone to injuries and when he has played he was just decent. There's no question Williams can be an all star point guard, but he needs to stay healthy and consistent. With their high powered offense the Nets will need a floor general like Williams to create opportunities for his teammates.

The Nets have a chance to make the playoffs, but with the multiple question marks surrounding their roster its hard to take them as one of the top eight teams. They have a number of players with great talent, but they have yet to live up to expectations. Lets see if this Nets team can get back to the way they were when they had Jason Kidd and Vince Carter.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Deron Williams 

SG: Joe Johnson

SF: Andrei Kirilenko

PF: Kevin Garnett 

C: Brook Lopez