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Tag Archive - 2010-2011 Season Previews

Hardwood Paroxysm’s Incomplete 2010-2011 NBA Previews: New Jersey Nets

October 25, 2010 in by with 1 Comment

Yeah, yeah, we didn’t do one for every team. Not like you all won’t get your fair shake around here, for better or worse. Trust me, if you’re some of the teams out there, you don’t want to hear us talk about you.

But, with a little less than 48 hours to go before the season opener in Miami,we’re going to throw up some stuff discussing the upcoming season. And now, we bring you the Nets.

GUEST LECTURE

Sebastian Pruiti is the author of NBA Playbook, which puts our pitiful ramblings about playsets to shame. Today he delves into his former haunt, the Nets.-Ed.

Despite only winning twelve games last season, the Nets seem poised to have a bounce back year.  Although everyone seems to agree that they will win many more games this season, nobody is really sure how much better they will be though (In fact, ESPN’s experts have them finishing anywhere between 7th and 14th in the Eastern Conference).  There are few factors that will help determine how good the Nets can be this year.
The first is the new coach, Avery Johnson.  Johnson is going to really have to earn that reputation as a defensive specialist this year.  The Nets’ projected started lineup of Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, Troy Murphy, and Brook Lopez features four below average defenders, and even if Harris returns to his Dallas ways on the defensive side of the basketball you aren’t going to beat teams with two defenders.  Team defense is going to be the key, and he needs all five guys to buy into his system, trust each other, and help when needed.
The second factor is Devin Harris.  Harris seemed to be the player who struggled most on last year’s twelve loss team.  With no other perimeter threat, Harris’ game really dropped off as defenses loaded up against him.  This is something that Harris never really had to deal with in previous seasons, and with defenses loading up on him he really couldn’t get in the lane and create the havoc he is known to on the offensive end.  With some strong shooters on the outside (Murphy, Outlaw, and Morrow), a better Brook Lopez in the middle, and a dynamic player in Terrence Williams on the outside, teams can’t really load up on Harris anymore.  Look for Harris to return to his All-Star ways, if he can stay healthy.  Harris hasn’t played over 70 games since he was a role player on Dallas’ 06-07 team (he played just 26 minutes a game that year).
The final key for the Nets this year is Brook Lopez.  Lopez put up some fantastic numbers last year, scoring 18.8 points and grabbing 8.6 rebounds.  Lopez is just 22 and is still learning the center position, so you can expect him to have an even bigger season since he will be facing less double teams.  Much in the same way that no outside threat hurt Devin Harris, that lack of a threat hurt Brook Lopez as well.  The Nets were the worst three point shooting team in the NBA last year, so whenever the ball was entered into Brook, he would see a quick double team (and even triple teams later in the season).  Now with shooters surrounding Brook and with one at the high post in Troy Murphy, Lopez can work knowing that teams will be very hesitant to double him, because if they do, he can simply hit one of the shooters sharing the court with him.
I think that we can all agree that the Nets will improve on last year’s terrible season.  How much depends on whether or not coach Avery Johnson can get them playing team defense, whether Devin can return to his all-star ways, and if Brook can take another step towards his development.  Sure there are other factors (can Anthony Morrow add to his game, can Travis Outlaw prove he can be a starter, Terrence Williams’ effectiveness), but these are what can really take the Nets’ to next level or keep them in the bottom of the East.

Despite only winning twelve games last season, the Nets seem poised to have a bounce back year.  Although everyone seems to agree that they will win many more games this season, nobody is really sure how much better they will be though (In fact, ESPN’s experts have them finishing anywhere between 7th and 14th in the Eastern Conference).  There are few factors that will help determine how good the Nets can be this year.

The first is the new coach, Avery Johnson.  Johnson is going to really have to earn that reputation as a defensive specialist this year.  The Nets’ projected started lineup of Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, Troy Murphy, and Brook Lopez features four below average defenders, and even if Harris returns to his Dallas ways on the defensive side of the basketball you aren’t going to beat teams with two defenders.  Team defense is going to be the key, and he needs all five guys to buy into his system, trust each other, and help when needed.

The second factor is Devin Harris.  Harris seemed to be the player who struggled most on last year’s twelve loss team.  With no other perimeter threat, Harris’ game really dropped off as defenses loaded up against him.  This is something that Harris never really had to deal with in previous seasons, and with defenses loading up on him he really couldn’t get in the lane and create the havoc he is known to on the offensive end.  With some strong shooters on the outside (Murphy, Outlaw, and Morrow), a better Brook Lopez in the middle, and a dynamic player in Terrence Williams on the outside, teams can’t really load up on Harris anymore.  Look for Harris to return to his All-Star ways, if he can stay healthy.  Harris hasn’t played over 70 games since he was a role player on Dallas’ 06-07 team (he played just 26 minutes a game that year).

The final key for the Nets this year is Brook Lopez.  Lopez put up some fantastic numbers last year, scoring 18.8 points and grabbing 8.6 rebounds.  Lopez is just 22 and is still learning the center position, so you can expect him to have an even bigger season since he will be facing less double teams.  Much in the same way that no outside threat hurt Devin Harris, that lack of a threat hurt Brook Lopez as well.  The Nets were the worst three point shooting team in the NBA last year, so whenever the ball was entered into Brook, he would see a quick double team (and even triple teams later in the season).  Now with shooters surrounding Brook and with one at the high post in Troy Murphy, Lopez can work knowing that teams will be very hesitant to double him, because if they do, he can simply hit one of the shooters sharing the court with him.

I think that we can all agree that the Nets will improve on last year’s terrible season.  How much depends on whether or not coach Avery Johnson can get them playing team defense, whether Devin can return to his all-star ways, and if Brook can take another step towards his development.  Sure there are other factors (can Anthony Morrow add to his game, can Travis Outlaw prove he can be a starter, Terrence Williams’ effectiveness), but these are what can really take the Nets’ to next level or keep them in the bottom of the East.

AN ALTERNATE DISCUSSION

Rohan from At The Hive.com chimes in with an alternative take on the Nets.
The gap between what the 2010-2011 New Jersey Nets are and what the 2010-2011 New Jersey Nets could have been is staggering. The team entered the summer in position to challenge for multiple marquee free agents, over $20 million dollars in cap space and an extraordinarily rich owner on the horizon. At various points, New Jersey was a rumored destination for LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, Amar’e Stoudemire, and John Wall (as a first overall pick). At summer’s end, the team instead finds itself with Travis Outlaw, Anthony Morrow, and Jordan Farmar (and let’s not forget that Billy King is the new GM).

And yet, it’s not all bad. Despite Devin Harris’ struggles in 2009-2010, he figures to rebound somewhat. Derrick Favors is more a project than an immediate solution, but he’s still one of the most impressive post prospects in years (and he only turns 20 next July). Brook Lopez is already one of the league’s top centers at just 22 years old. And as wildly different as Outlaw, Morrow, and Farmar are from James, Boozer, and Stoudemire, they still bring great athleticism, great shooting, and steady bench play, respectively. This is a deep team. This is almost certainly a playoff team out East.

It’s hard to imagine last year’s horrific, injury-marred season impacting this one in too many ways. Even though the previous incarnation won a putrid 12 games, they underperformed their Pythagorean by 5 whole wins (largely fueled by their NBA-worst record of 1-13 in games decided by 5 points or less).

The team will largely be ready for the slow pace Avery Johnson brings with him. Team insiders are already citing the immediate impact Johnson is having on the defensive end with young players like Terrence Williams. And Johnson has obviously worked with Devin Harris before. It could take a while for a relatively young core to fully buy into Johnson’s system, but his defensive impact in Dallas was undeniable. There’s certainly reason to believe it’ll work again, in a much weaker conference.
The Nets are essentially in a position few teams get to experience: they’ve got the building blocks for an elite squad in place, without too much immediate pressure. Avery Johnson should get time to implement his strategy, and the team has an opportunity to be patient with Derrick Favors. 2010-2011 can essentially function as a “feeling out” period, with the added bonus of potential playoff experience for Favors, Lopez, et al. New Jersey can then move in for that final missing piece, whether through a trade, the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony, or simply the realization that Favors can indeed play at an All-Star level.

What’s currently unfolding in New Jersey feels very organic. Fans will get to watch a young team grow in front of their eyes. Maybe that’s not worth missing out on a free agent superstar. But maybe it is. With just a couple lucky bounces, New Jersey could very well send the Nets off to Brooklyn in style.

PLAYABLE TUNES

PLAYER WHO COULD BE AN IMPACT GUY BUT PROBABLY WONT’ BE:

Jordan Farmar. In the Nets’ last preseason game against the Knicks, Farmar came off the bench and went en fuego. He lit it up. Absolutely torched the Knicks from the perimeter and helped lead the team back. They were within one possession, they were locking down. And then… Farmar needlessly gambled on a steal, leading to a wide open thee. Game over.

Aaaaaaand that’s Jordan Farmar’s career, right there.

YOU SHOULD WATCH BECAUSE:

Terrence Williams, Brook Lopez, together in any capacity, is like the second Band of Horses album.

YOU SHOULD HATE THIS TEAM BECAUSE:

They couldn’t leave well enough alone to just build through the draft. They had to get all cute and fancy and sign a bunch of players just to say they spent money. It’s like putting a spoiler on a mini-van. I hate those things.

Hardwood Paroxysm’s Incomplete 2010-2011 NBA Previews: Milwaukee Bucks

October 25, 2010 in by with 3 Comments

Yeah, yeah, we didn’t do one for every team. Not like you all won’t get your fair shake around here, for better or worse. Trust me, if you’re some of the teams out there, you don’t want to hear us talk about you.

But, with a little less than 48 hours to go before the season opener in Miami,we’re going to throw up some stuff discussing the upcoming season. We started with the Magic, and now, to indulge the League Pass junkie in you, move on to the Bucks.

THE MAIN EVENT

Angry deer sign

One year into Scott Skiles’ coaching tenure, four years after Andrew Bogut was selected with the top pick in the 2005 draft, and just months after Brandon Jennings skipped back across the pond, the Milwaukee Bucks became a legitimate cult favorite among NBA die-hards. Jennings’ 55-pointer against the Warriors cemented his status in the underground and the mainstream alike, but it was the rest of the season’s path that slowly converted all serious basketball fans into Bucks followers.

What started with Jennings carried to Bogut, the highly-skilled, two-way big man who unexpectedly made a run at the Defensive Player of the Year Award without notifying the appropriate authorities. We knew of Bogut’s lefty hook and his turnaround jumper, but few players are capable of putting together such an all-encompassing defensive performance. With Bogut quietly leading a charge that many attributed to Jennings, the tremendous impact of Skiles’ coaching became increasingly evident. With Bogut in, the Bucks were among the top defensive teams in the league last season, despite having a roster seemingly held together by putty and packaging tape. With Bogut out, the Bucks still managed to hold their own defensively, their best player sitting sideline, draped in white cloth. The Bucks’ appeal is equal parts Jennings, Bogut, and Skiles (with a dash of Ersan Ilyasova, Luke Ridnour, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Carlos Delfino, to taste), as their combination of flair, consistency, and grit made them one of the most endearing and successful teams in the league.

That doesn’t seem likely to change in the coming year, provided the NBA faithful keep their eyes open. Hit it, Holly.

GUEST LECTURE

Today’s mid-post guest lecture comes from Holly MacKenzie of RaptorBlog, The Basketball Jones, NBA.com, and Twitter (she runs the damn thing) fame. Holly has a degree in Pimpology and thinks the NBA is pretty swell. -Ed.

Viewers are going tune in for the Bucks because they’ll recall being mesmerized by a certain slight-yet-sturdy point guard’s passes, fearless drives to the hoop, and a bold personality that’s even brighter than his game. They’ll tune in because they remember that aforementioned fateful Saturday night, when the rookie went scoreless in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors, but somehow finished with 55 points. They’ll tune in because they want excitement, and Jennings will give it to them.

What a lot of people don’t realize though, is that while they’ll be rooting for the new face of the Bucks, they’ll be falling for the rest of his teammates all at the same time.

Andrew Bogut is one of the youngest, brightest, and most exciting big men in the league, and though the enduring image of his fall will be remembered for it’s brutality, look for him to come back this season and force us to forget it. Bogut will remind us just how good he is and how great his team can be with him in the middle. Add in a cast of characters with a little bit of something for everyone and you’ve got the Bucks roster. You like hard workers with deep thoughts and gun tattoos on their stomach? See rookie Larry Sanders. How about outgoing, self-appointed social media kings looking for the right situation? Check @cdouglasroberts. Love cheering for the little guy? Boykins! Are blue-collar, college fan favorites your type? Jon Brockman’s in town. Oh, you want some royalty? Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. A fan of pretty boys? Carlos Delfino. Looking for an equally heartwarming/heartbreaking journey? Michael Redd.

I’d say that covers all of the things that the average fan and the fanatic could deem necessary. Actually, we forgot about the fanatics. The insane fans who sit in Squad6 are given free tickets all season courtesy of the Bucks’ jolly Australian giant. Bogut provides the tickets, the fans provide the noise and the Bradley Center is the happy beneficiary.

Add in a coach who is known for his stern and serious demeanor who will have the challenge of being responsible for harnessing all of the personalities and talent on this roster and you’ve got yourself a team to watch. Think about all of that and try to tell yourself you’re only tuning in to see what Jennings is going to do next.

AND NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING:

Holly’s right, but it’s not only the Milwaukee mainstays and the lovable cast-offs that act as extensions of last season’s Bucks allure. Ridnour, scrappy resurgent that he was, has signed with the Timberwolves after playing the year of his life last season for the Bucks. Charlie Bell and Dan Gazuric are gone, but no one weeps. In their stead, Milwaukee has added two understandably polarizing figures: Corey Maggette and Drew Gooden, both scorers tasked with improving the Bucks’ offense.

They are the key to what will become the new and improved — but still infinitely watchable and appealing — Milwaukee Bucks. This isn’t the Heat, a demolition project labeled as a remodel. It’s a series of renovations to emphasize the same familiar themes, to evoke the same feelings with different light and new architectural features. All in all, the Bucks boast everything they had and did a year ago, only with a few new deceptively appealing characters and a subtle shift toward offense’s dark arts. Chalk up Maggette and Gooden’s production as empty stat-hoarding if you must, but they’ll be gorging on points on a team that starved for them last season.

Last season’s Bucks were lovable for their flaws, and while many of those flaws will be hedged in the coming season as Maggette cycles to the free throw line, Gooden and Brockman hit the offensive glass, and Keyon Dooling and CDR generate some extra offense, each of those new additions brings with them their own delightful limitations. The new Bucks won’t be a Broadway performer’s rendition of a penetrating folk song, perfect in its pitch but devoid of all character. They’re still limited. They’re still a step below Miami, Orlando, and Boston. They’re still the ideal selection for League Pass viewing on a Wednesday night, when that nationally televised Nuggets game is the last thing you need. They’re still the Bucks, and they’re still perfect just the way they are.

NECESSARY ADDENDUM:

Even though he’s given a rather cursory treatment here, Brandon Jennings is pretty spectacular. His field goal percentage is painful, but to see his synergy with Bogut on the pick-and-roll, his quickness in limited space, and his on-ball defense…well, it’s always the little things, isn’t it? He may not be the total package yet, but Jennings has a lot going for him in ways both big and small.

PLAYFUL TUNES:

PLAYER WHO COULD BE AN IMPACT GUY BUT PROBABLY WON’T BE:

Who can ever tell with Skiles doling out the minutes? I’d say Chris Douglas-Roberts, but its feasible that he could turn his career on its head and turn out shooting mid-range jumpers for the Bucks all day, every day. I’d say Jon Brockman, if only because the rotation may not allow him the minutes he deserves to gobble up rebounds, but the Brochness Monster seems to be of Skiles’ brand. I’d say Larry Sanders, but Jennings bucked everything I thought I knew about Skiles and young, promising players. Every player on this roster who has the potential to contribute could be on Skiles’ call, so even a random guess is as good as mine.

YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WATCH BECAUSE:

Ahem. You have been reading, right?

YOU SHOULD TOTALLY HATE THIS TEAM BECAUSE:

Skiles, for all of his strengths, will be Skiles. Jennings, though gifted in so many ways, will be Jennings, and he’s no stranger to hoisting up a shot or 12 just for the hell of it. All of this means that the Bucks’ offense, though improved, will be the Bucks’ offense.

That’s about all I’ve got. They’re not as good offensively as you’d like them to be, and the new additions can only do so much. Otherwise, the Bucks are theatrical dynamite, a basketball fan’s dream, and quirky enough to funnel interest over the course of the entire year.

Hardwood Paroxysm’s Incomplete 2010-2011 NBA Previews: Orlando Magic

October 25, 2010 in by with 1 Comment

Yeah, yeah, we didn’t do one for every team. Not like you all won’t get your fair shake around here, for better or worse. Trust me, if you’re some of the teams out there, you don’t want to hear us talk about you.

But, with a little less than 48 hours to go before the season opener in Miami,we’re going to throw up some stuff discussing the upcoming season. And for starters, we bring you the Magic.

GUEST LECTURE

Today’s guest lecture comes from Eddy Rivera of MagicBasketball.Net. Eddy is a graduate student at Northwestern University and likes woolen socks.-Ed.


It’s championship or bust for the Orlando Magic. Like last year. But this year feels a little different. Yes, the Miami Heat are the proverbial elephant in the room and with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh forming like Voltron, they will be the standard bearer in the Eastern Conference much to head coach Stan Van Gundy’s chagrin. Yes, the Boston Celtics remain the litmus test for the Magic, in the sense that the C’s will continue to be a difficult matchup with their personnel. The Celtics seemingly endless supply of big men, which begins with Kendrick Perkins (when healthy), Jermaine O’Neal, and ends with Shaquille O’Neal, will push the limits with Howard when the two conference rivals face off against each other.

Kanye West once said, “no one man should have all that power.”

However, there’s one player for Orlando that has the power to change everything that happens in the East and that’s Dwight Howard.

Since the Magic christened themselves as title contenders en route to their NBA Finals appearance in 2009, Howard has always had the power to determine his team’s road to a championship yet he’s come up short.

That’s why Howard is kicking things up a notch.

During the off-season, Howard spent a week in Houston working out with Hakeem Olajuwon and improving his low-post game. When video chronicling their training sessions surfaced on YouTube, the internet was abuzz. And when Orlando kicked off their preseason against — ironically — the Houston Rockets, the NBA was put on notice after Howard put on an offensive display against Yao Ming, blitzing him for 10 points in the first quarter when they were matched up head-to-head. Not just with hook shots, mind you, but with mid-range jumpers and spin moves. Granted, it was one game and Yao is not in tip-top form right now, but Howard doesn’t care (he pulled the same shenanigans against Emeka Okafor). Did I mention that Howard also sought out the wisdom of Karl Malone and another player that he would not name?

Howard is a man on a mission.

Correction. Howard is a serious man on a mission. No more goofing around. All the antics that people have been accustomed to seeing from Howard for the past six years when he’s on the court? No longer happening.

Losing sucks. Having the Heat take all the attention away from the Magic in the state of Florida, in the same conference, in the same division. That sucks, too. Those are some of the reasons why Howard has changed. Or if you take Howard’s word for it, he’s different because he “got older.”

Whatever the case may be, things have never been more interesting with Howard than they are right now. That’s precisely why Howard is one of the key players to watch in the league this season. For years, people have been waiting for Howard to fully evolve into a dominating two-way player.

Well, the wait might be over this year.

PLAYFUL TUNES:

PLAYER WHO COULD BE AN IMPACT GUY BUT PROBABLY WON’T BE:

Ryan Anderson. Why? Because I don’t trust SVG. That’s why. “Oh, he’s going to play Rashard more at the three.” “Oh, no, he’s not going to stick to a pure 4-out-1-in.” “Oh, he really believes in Anderson.” Don’t buy it. He’s a swindling mustachioed conniver trying to swindle me out of hope. That sonofagundy is giong to try and get me to buy into his mishmash nonsense of changing his ways, but I know better. Oh, Ryan will get minutes to start out. And he’ll play well. But then SVG will scream at him over some blown rotation where the other team doesn’t even score or for not being in position when Vince breaks the play anyway. And he’ll be back, buried, giving the sad panda face and trying not to cry on national television. I’m too smart for you, SVG. I’m not falling for your little nonsense anymore. I’m an adult now. An adults know: coaches don’t change.

(Possible exceptions: Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle, Rick Adelman, pretty much every coach ever.)

YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WATCH BECAUSE:

Good Goddamn can this team play basketball-o. Fast, strong, athletic, talented, skilled, versatile, efficient, dedicated, you got a superlative that’s good, they’ve got it. This is an incredibly good team on paper, and it translates on the floor for almost all the time. Boson detonating them like blowing up one of the legs of an underwater structure and watching the rigs fall into the ocean while the fish panic wasn’t them getting exposed, it was Boston getting revealed as one of the more dominant focus-level teams of the decade. The Magic shoot threes, dunk the ball, dribble-drive, play in transition, and defend like mad. There’s almost nothing to not like about this team.

YOU SHOULD TOTALLY HATE THIS TEAM BECAUSE:

They expose the true folly of underdogs in the NBA. Even when you’re the favorite, you’re not the favorite. That’s all I got. Oh,and they have this guy.