NBA News and Analysis

Top College Basketball Teams 2011-12

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Michael

Due in large part to the unfortunately prolonged NBA lockout, this season of college basketball promises to be the most exciting in some time. It is a simple fact that more attention will be paid to the college game the longer the NBA remains inactive. Fans of New York basketball will want to head to http://www.directstartv.com/localchannels/New-York/ not for the Knicks and Nets, but for high profile college teams like Connecticut and Syracuse. Instead of media focus on Chicago and LA, the basketball world will focus on locations like North Carolina’s Tobacco Road, where Duke and UNC will battle for the ACC crown. All over the country, college basketball will be more prominent than ever – so, with that in mind, here are some early season previews on some of the top teams.

Harrison Barnes

Will Barnes and the Tar Heels make this year memorable?

• North Carolina – Thanks to a strong finish in the 2010-2011 season and a slew of returning stars, the Tar Heels are atop most polls to start the year. Carolina looks to be very strong inside with the post duo of Tyler Zeller and John Henson, and will surely benefit from the expert point guard play of sophomore Kendall Marshall, who will start a full season for the first time. These pieces, along with dynamic star-in-the-making Harrison Barnes and freshman stud James McAdoo, make UNC a formidable force this year.

• Kentucky – Once again, coach John Calipari has assembled a team of NBA-level talent, but unlike in some years past, his team will not rely solely on freshmen. Last year’s freshmen stars Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb returned to join a new batch of freshmen full of stars including Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, and potential number 1 draft pick Anthony Davis.

• Ohio State – The Buckeyes lost dynamic guard and team leader David Lighty, but return arguably the best big man in the country in Jared Sullinger, who could make Ohio State a contending team by himself. Add on the likes of William Buford, Aaron Craft and company, and this is a team with serious Final Four potential.

• Connecticut – Last year’s surprise champion Huskies lost star Kemba Walker, but still have an extremely impressive roster capable of winning another title. Veteran big man Alex Oriakhi will be joined up front by freshman beast Andre Drummond, and sophomore Shabazz Napier will look to slip into Walker’s shoes at the point guard position. Meanwhile, sophomore Jeremy Lamb looks like a player of the year contender, and the UCONN role players will only improve with time.

• Duke – Despite the losses of Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving, the Blue Devils look to be capable of keeping themselves right in the Final Four conversation. Juniors Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Andre Dawkins are each capable of starring on any given night, and phenom Austin Rivers may well be the best freshman in the country, if not one of the best players. Expect Duke to be in the mix as well.

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#NBAFanVoice: Loss of Basketball Related Legacy

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Michael

This is part of NBA Fan Voice day.  Please take part by tweeting, liking, or blogging about #NBAFanVoice – a day when the fan’s voice will be heard by everyone.

NBA Stand T-Shirt

Stand United . . . in the unemployment line.

Congratulations, NBA players, you are intelligent enough to create rhetoric as awful and disgusting as the owners’ rhetoric. “Stand United.” “Let Us Play.” Really, Derek Fisher?

And you know who this rhetoric is fooling? The NBA players. Unlike the owners’ useless statements, which are only meant to outwit the media and fans, the players’ worthless phrases are only hurting their own position. The NBA Players Union is succeeding in uniting the players through their little marketing campaigns. The problem is, they are gathering at a point even further away from compromise. And when the owners are the ones holding the majority of the power in these discussions, the players’ “unity” only serves to drag out negotiations.

Will the owners ever fold and give in to what’s best for the players? Never. The players will have to make the biggest concessions before this lockout ends. Is that right or wrong? IT DOESN’T MATTER. It’s life – it’s not always fair. The bottom line is that the owners have the clout and financial ability to hold out as long as they have to to get what they want. The sooner the players pull their heads out of the rhetorical sand, the better for everyone.

The players, who have relatively short and volatile careers, don’t only have financial incentive to end this lockout. For both players and their teams, the more games missed, the bigger the potential negative impact on their basketball legacy. Look at who could lose the most:

  • Boston Celtics Big 4- 2011-12 is likely their last chance to win a title with the current team
  • Miami Heat Big 3 – if this season is canceled, they are already half-way through the LeBron/Wade/Bosh era (each of their contracts can potentially end in the summer of 2014), without a championship
  • Dirk Nowitzki – would back-to-back titles even be possible with a year-long break in between seasons? Dirk isn’t getting any younger
  • Derrick Rose – will the break affect his (and his team’s) journey to the top of the league?
  • Kobe Bryant – at what age will his legs just fall off completely?
  • Rookies – not only could Rookie of the Year be really competitive in 2012-13, but the first year as a pro often makes or breaks a career
NBA All Stars 2011

Who is hurt most by the lockout? Those trying to establish their legacy.

And the list could go on for a while.  I’m hoping that the players finally realize that they won’t get a better deal six months from now.  Are the players really going to sacrifice their potential legacies just to prove that they are really united?  Don’t be stupid, players – accept the best deal you can get as soon as possible.

What would it take to convince the union to give in?  Honestly, simply a few key players could sway most of the league.  Take most of the players on the above list.  They are leaders of the league, as well as of their respective teams.  If LBJ, D12, KG, and the other players with cool nicknames speak up for saving the season, others will follow.



Yes, the players have proven that they are stubborn and determined.  But are they also determined to throw away their legacies?

Time is running out.

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Sacramento Kings Preview 2011-12

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Michael

Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins

Team Name:Sacramento Kings
Last Year’s Record:24-58
Key Free Agents: Marcus Thornton, Samuel Dalembert
Team Needs: A Veteran

1. What are Sacramento’s biggest needs this offseason?
Sacramento has arguably the best young team in the league.  Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton, and rookies Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Honeycutt, and Isiah Thomas all have lots of talent and are on rookie-level salaries.  What they need is a veteran – someone who may not be an All-Star anymore, but brings the experience and leadership that come from winning.  Unfortunately, this year’s free agent pool is a little lacking and doesn’t have many options.  If at all possible, the Kings should try to get Tayshaun Prince.  He’s got a championship ring and an Olympic gold medal, can shoot the ball, and is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, which the Kings could really use.  And, maybe most importantly, he doesn’t mind not being the star of the team.  His leadership could help the young Kings team grow, without taking away the youthful identity of the team’s new core of Evans, Cousins, and Fredette. (Backup options: Shane Battier or Grant Hill, for many of the same reasons).

2. What are the King’s biggest strengths & weaknesses?
Strengths – offensive rebounding (best in the league), overall rebounding (4th), plenty of cap room.
Weaknesses – defense (just isn’t their style), not efficient enough on offense to overcome lack of defense.
Whether or not it can win a championship, the strategy of “all offense, no defense” can at least make a team a contender if done right.  The Suns and Knicks have made the playoffs recently using that model.  But if you’re going to ignore defense, shouldn’t your offense be outstanding?  The three other teams that focused on scoring last year were the Suns (29th in points allowed, 4th in points scored), Warriors (27th and 7th), and Knicks(28th and 2nd).  Yes, their defenses were awful, but their offenses were in the top 7 in the league. The Kings, and the other hand, came in 24th in points allowed, but only 14th in points scored.  To have a shot at a playoff spot, they’ll likely need a top 7 offense.
The problem is efficiency.  They finished at 26th in offensive efficiency and effective shooting percentage, 27th in points per shot (1.17), and 28th in assist/turnover ratio.  These problems should become less drastic over time as the young guys learn to play together at an NBA level, but Coach Westphal needs to do whatever he can to alleviate these growing pains.

Kings' Rookies3. If there is no season in 2011-12, how is your team set up for 2012?
It depends on how the new CBA looks, obviously, but the Kings are looking good for the future.  Their excessive cap space will allow them to take advantage of the good-looking 2012 free agent class, and hopefully they can keep making good draft picks in a loaded 2012 draft.  They would be hurt by the fact that their young talent is missing out on a year of playing together, but other teams will be suffering from the same thing.  If the Kings’ key players can be responsible and play together during the lockout, then a missed season could likely speed up their return to NBA contention.

4. If you could make one change to the NBA’s new CBA, what would it be?
Make the luxury tax higher and redistribute it to teams that don’t exceed the cap.  Teams like the Lakers and Knicks can spend more if they want, but they’ll have to be much wiser with their money if it’s going to benefit them more than their opponents.

5. How long until the Kings will contend for a playoff spot?
If one or more of their young players can make the leap to stardom, and they use their cap space wisely, and the top free agents in the Western Conference continue to move to the East, and the Spurs, Lakers, and Mavericks fade with age, they could possibly get a 7 or 8 seed in the 2012-13 season.  I know, that’s a lot of factors, but after that they should become a big player in the West for years.


Comments? Questions? Complaints? Leave them below.


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2011-12 Southwest Division Previews

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Michael

With the start of the NBA season hopefully coming soon, CelticBlog.com’s Jeff Clark has once again set up individual previews of each NBA team, done by the best NBA bloggers on the web. Here are the Southwest Division previews for the 2011-12 season:

Dallas Mavericks Continue reading →

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Problems With Revenue Sharing

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Michael
Donald Sterling

Donald Sterling won't share his profits with anyone - but if they want to share with him, he won't object

The NBA’s board of governors is meeting today (Thursday, Sept. 15) to discuss revenue sharing among NBA teams. The idea of revenue sharing is that some teams are able to make plenty of profits, while other teams in smaller markets may not be able to avoid losing money because they either aren’t as competitive or they just don’t have a big enough fan base.

There are many issues both for and against revenue sharing. For example, some teams make money because they are better run than others. Take, for example, the Lakers (high revenues/profits) and Clippers (low revenues/profits). LA Lakers tickets are going to sell easier and at a higher price than Clippers tickets. TV and advertising contracts are going to be higher for the Lakers than for the Clippers. But both are in the Los Angeles market – they even play in the same arena – so the market size isn’t the difference. However, the Lakers have been much more successful and are always competitive, while the Clippers are more often than not near the bottom of the league. It’s because the Lakers have made good choices and built a loyal fan base. The Clippers can’t keep up because they are not as well run.

So should the Lakers be penalized and have to share their profits with less successful teams like the Clippers? That doesn’t seem fair. As you can see in ESPN’s Henry Abbot’s recent article about revenue sharing, the owners are looking at a plan that will set standards for each NBA market, and revenue sharing will depend on this standard, whether the team did as well as expected or not. This would also prevent cheap owners like Donald Sterling from simply profiting from the system, forcing them to put effort into running their franchise successfully.

Although this will likely help the problem, I think that the luxury tax could also help level the playing field. It’s unlikely that the new CBA will include a hard salary cap, so there will still need to be a luxury tax for teams that like to spend a lot on players. If this tax was taken and given to teams that are struggling at turning a profit, it would help the smaller market teams have a chance to compete with the Lakers and Knicks.

Any thoughts? Post them below.

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