NBA THOUGHTS

Here are some of my thoughts of the upcoming NBA season. I've got more on my mind, but I'm too stressed out to write all of them.

The Celtics will defend their title to death, but fall short.
For a KG-Ray Allen fan, this is, without a doubt, the hardest thing to accept about this upcoming season. KG, Jesus, and the rest of the Celtics will defend their title valiantly, but the huge vacuum left by PJ Brown, and in particular James Posey, will be hard to fill-up. Unless the Cs sign/steal a veteran contributor by midseason, they’ll be a piece or two short from repeating as champs.

Speaking of signing/stealing a veteran in midseason, I’d love to see the Cs nab the ageless Alonzo Mourning. The thought of KG and ‘Zo on the same floor as teammates makes me giddy. It’s must-see-TV. Imagine those two after they serve a double dose of vicious blocks on some poor sap:

KG: (shoving ‘Zo hard on the chest, snarling like a caveman on crack, eyeballs about to pop out): Yeah boy! *&#*($^@*@&! Good D! @&@^*#&@*#^&$*#&! Ubuntu! &^$*#(^@*! Ubuntu! Ubuntu! Ubuntu!

‘Zo: (pounding his chest like a madman, flexing his biceps, and hollering like a psycho): *&^&^%#(*^%@*#&#^@&! Yeah! *^#&%(@&%&*#&%@&%@*! Ubuntu! Ubuntu!

But then again, even that might be wishful thinking. As things stand now, the Cs will likely be dethroned. However, watching KG and the rest of the Cs defend that title like crazy will be worth it.

Houston will have a problem.
On paper, at least, the Rockets are legit contenders. Ron Artest, who is in a contract year and playing for his favorite coach, will surely embolden the Rockets with his toughness and roughness. He’ll also give them lockdown defense and added scoring punch. However, Houston’s fate still lies in the brittle feet of Yao Ming and the chronically hurt body of Tracy McCrady––not exactly a great proposition. Artest will have a very good year, but T-Mac and Yao will have to be healthy if the Rockets are to contend for the title. The chance of that happening is about the same as Michael Jordan’s batting average in the minor leagues: less than 30 percent.

Kobe will be MVP again.
He––not Paul Pierce or LeBron James––is still the best player in the world today. Mamba wants a championship badly, and wth a loaded lineup, he’ll be at his most dangerous best. He proved his alpha dog status in that gold-medal game against Spain in the Olympics, and that will carry over this season.

The Sixers won’t be as good as advertised.
After Elton Brand signed with the Sixers, a lot of experts penciled in the Sixers as legit contenders in the East, some even going as far as predicting a number 3 seed for Brand and company. Yes, the Sixers will be better this year, but to consider them contenders is stretching it a bit too much. They won’t even get home-court advantage in the first round. They don’t have depth, they don’t have anyone who can shoot consistently from the perimeter, and their defense is average.

The Knicks will be better.
No, the Knicks still won’t make the playoffs, but they’ll be better. Now, teams won’t be able to just mark their Knick games on their calendars and say, “We got a win here.” At the very least, these Knicks will compete on a nightly basis under Mike D’Antoni, and for a city that had to endure the gigantic ego of Larry Brown, the idiocy of Stephon Marbury, the perversion of Isiah Thomas, and the stupidity of management, being competitive is enough of a start.

Jason Kidd will make one final stand.
The obituary for Jason Kidd’s basketball wizardry has already been written, but its funeral will have to wait for at least one more year. I see J-Kidd dishing out a vintage Jason Kidd season one last time, just to remind us of his unquestioned greatness. That said, look for Dallas to fall in the first round. The West is just too damn strong.

Just for the fun of it, here are my predictions for the upcoming season:
MVP: Kobe Bryant, Lakers
MIP: Danny Granger, Pacers
6th Man: Ben Gordon, Bulls
DPOY: Kevin Garnett, Celtics
ROY: Derrick Rose, Bulls
COY: Jerry Sloan, Jazz

All-NBA First Team
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavs
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Dwight Howard, Magic

All-NBA Second Team
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Yao Ming, Rockets

All-NBA Third Team
Steve Nash, Suns
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs
Chris Bosh, Raptors

All-Defensive First Team
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Shane Battier, Rockets,
Ron Artest, Rockets
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Tim Duncan, Spurts

All-Defensive Second Team
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Bruce Bowen, Spurs
LeBron James, Cavs
Andrei Kirilenko, Jazz
Marcus Camby, Clippers