Category Archives: nba

2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Portland Trail Blazers

Portland was able to get into the second-round of the playoffs, but ran into the San Antonio. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard just keep improving together, but they were not ready for the Spurs. No team was ready for the Spurs.

Portland didn’t mess with the team this off-season. They kept all the starters and just added some bench depth. This could be the season Portland matures and has a nice playoff run.

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Portland Trail Blazers.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Phoenix Suns

The Suns went into last season as a bottom-of-the-barrel preseason pick. They were able to trade Luis Scola to Indiana for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee and a first-round pick. That trade helped spark a winning season in Phoenix.

The Suns gave Eric Bledsoe a big contract this offseason. If he plays as well as expected, their back-court duo of Goran Dragic and Bledsoe could be the best in the league. Let’s hope the payday doesn’t mess up his work ethic.

The Suns were only a game out of the 8th spot last season. Will they make the playoffs this season?

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Phoenix Suns.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

To best explain where the Sixers are as a franchise, they left the 2014 NBA Draft with Joel Embiid (who is expected to miss the entire season) and Dario Saric (who may not play in the NBA for two seasons). Yes, this occurred a year after Philly drafted Nerlens Noel, who sat out all last year recovering from an ACL injury.

The 76ers have made little to no effort in improving their roster for this season. They signed borderline D-league players. Philly is already tanking and haven’t even played a single game.

It will be a long ass year in Philadelphia.

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Philadelphia 76ers.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Orlando Magic

The Magic have spent the last two off-seasons rebuilding a young, athletic roster. They were able to draft Victor Oladipo to guard wings, Elfrid Payton to play the point and Aaron Gordon to do the freakishly athletic things he’s expected to do in the NBA. Orlando is off to a nice start.

How far away is the Magic from being a playoff team?

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Orlando Magic.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are the perennial preseason favorite to win the Western Conference. They deserve all the hyped they receive. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are two the best ten players in the league. Unfortunately, this preseason is much different for one of their stars.

Kevin Durant is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks with a Jones fracture in his right foot. OKC didn’t really have a contingency plan for this. They are thin at small forward and will need to be creative to fill his spot.

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: New York Knicks

Carmelo Anthony did the whole recruiting tour this off-season. He visited Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles (among others) and each team pulled out the red carpet. It was a long shot he would sign anywhere other than back in New York, but I’m sure he got some free meals out of it.

The Knicks had a disappointing season last year. They had hoped to build on the previous season’s success, but were derailed by injuries and underwhelming free agent signings.

Can the Knicks bounce back and once again be a playoff team?

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the New York Knicks.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis is my sleeper pick for MVP. It is highly unlikely, but just like Derrick Rose did a few years back, he beat the odds and won the award over the usual candidates.

In order for Davis to become the next superstar, the Pelicans need to make the postseason. That is easier said that done in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

New Orleans have a fun roster to watch. They can spread the court with shooters and score at the hoop with athletic finishers at the rim.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the New Orleans Pelicans.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota was busy this off-season. Trade rumors swirled all Summer. No one had a clue which player(s) they would get for Kevin Love. First, it was Klay Thompson, then Chicago jumped into the mix and finally, LeBron returned to Cleveland. That move trumped everything and Love was moved to Ohio.

How will the new-look Twolves fare this season? Was the Kevin Love trade the first of many future moves?

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee technically lost the NBA Lottery, but ended up with the player they wanted, Duke’s Jabari Parker. Also, the nation was the real winners of the NBA Lottery. We were introduced to the Bucks co-owner’s daughter, Mallory Edens.

Jason Kidd is now in charge in Milwaukee. How will he fare with young talent?

Do the Bucks play hard all season or will they once again tank to speed up the rebuilding process? That’s the biggest question in Milwaukee.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Milwaukee Bucks.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Miami Heat

LeBron James took his ball and went home…and Miami fans should thank him. If you like actual basketball (not that non-stop isolation offense crap), you’re going to love this team. Also, since you got rid of LeBron, you probably got rid of most of the bandwagon fans who did nothing but jack up the price of tickets (and cause the remainder of NBA fans to hate your fanbase).

Miami probably won’t be in the NBA Finals this season, but I like the team they put together. They spent their cap money pretty well. They may have overpaid Chris Bosh, but we’ll see what kind of player he is without LeBron. He could be worth every penny.

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Miami Heat.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Memphis Grizzlies

Getting to the playoffs is becoming the norm in Memphis. The Grizzlies were never synonymous with winning until Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol joined forces in the paint. They have become a trendy sleeper pick come playoff time year after year.

How many more years do you think the Randolph/Gasol duo have in them? Randolph is just 33 years old, but this will be his 14th season. Has the championship window closed in Memphis?

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Memphis Grizzlies.

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2014-15 NBA Team Preview: Los Angeles Lakers

I wonder if Kobe Bryant ever wonders if he should have retired after blowing out his Achiilles’ tendon? I’m sure it crossed his mind a few times in-between the gym and the bank…where he cashes those huge checks. He now finds himself trying to play with Swaggy P.

The Lakers are expected to be near the bottom of the NBA standings. Does Kobe have a little magic left in him? If things go bad, how does Kobe handle losing?

We will be posting a team preview for every team up until the start of the regular season.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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