SB Nation User Blog: AK1984

AK1984's revised and finalized prognostications for the 2009-2010 season.

AK1984 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:47:55 -0000

STANDINGS

ATLANTIC DIVISION
Boston Celtics (62-20)
Philadelphia 76ers (39-43)
New Jersey Nets (34-48)
Toronto Raptors (31-51)
New York Knicks (24-58)

CENTRAL DIVISION
Cleveland Cavaliers (69-13)
Chicago Bulls (56-26)
Indiana Pacers (33-49)
Milwaukee Bucks (30-52)
Detroit Pistons (26-56)

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Orlando Magic (64-18)
Washington Wizards (49-33)
Atlanta Hawks (37-45)
Miami Heat (36-46)
Charlotte Bobcats (32-50)

NORTHWEST DIVISION
Utah Jazz (53-29)
Denver Nuggets (53-29)
Portland Trail Blazers (53-29)
Oklahoma City Thunder (25-57)
Minnesota Timberwolves (10-72)

PACIFIC DIVISION
Los Angeles Lakers (63-19)
Phoenix Suns (38-44)
Los Angeles Clippers (35-47)
Golden State Warriors (28-54)
Sacramento Kings (18-64)

SOUTHWEST DIVISION
Dallas Mavericks (59-23)
San Antonio Spurs (58-24)
Houston Rockets (47-35)
New Orleans Hornets (46-36)
Memphis Grizzlies (22-60)

AWARDS

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin

Most Improved Player: Brook Lopez (Editor's Note: Greg Oden was my original choice.)

All-Star Game MVP: Dwyane Wade

Coach of the Year: Rick Adelman

Executive of the Year: Donnie Nelson

Sportsmanship Award: Tim Duncan

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: Tracy McGrady

All-NBA First Team: Dwight Howard (C), Tim Duncan (F), LeBron James (F), Kobe Bryant (G), Chris Paul (G)

All-NBA Second Team: Amar'e Stoudemire (C), Kevin Garnett (F), Dirk Nowitzki (F), Brandon Roy (G), Dwyane Wade (G)

All-NBA Third Team: Brook Lopez (C), Pau Gasol (F), Carmelo Anthony (F), Vince Carter (G), Derrick Rose (G)

All-Defensive First Team: Dwight Howard (C), Kevin Garnett (F), Shane Battier (F), Andre Iguodala (G), Chris Paul (G)

All-Defensive Second Team: Brook Lopez (C), Tim Duncan (F), Ron Artest (F), Kobe Bryant (G), Rajon Rondo (G)

All-Rookie First Team: Blake Griffin, James Harden, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Jonny Flynn

All-Rookie Second Team: DeJuan Blair, Taj Gibson, DeMar DeRozan, Gerald Henderson, Chase Budinger

PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: #1 Cleveland beats #8 Miami (4-0), #2 Orlando beats #7 Atlanta (4-0), #3 Boston beats #6 Philadelphia (4-1), #4 Chicago beats #5 Washington (4-3)

Western Conference Quarterfinals: #1 Los Angeles beats #8 New Orleans (4-0), #2 Dallas beats #7 Houston (4-1), #3 San Antonio beats #6 Portland (4-1), #5 Denver beats #4 Utah (4-2)

Eastern Conference Semifinals: #1 Cleveland beats #4 Chicago (4-1), #3 Boston beats #2 Orlando (4-2)

Western Conference Semifinals: #1 Los Angeles beats #5 Denver (4-1), #2 Dallas beats #3 San Antonio (4-3)

Eastern Conference Finals: #3 Boston beats #1 Cleveland (4-2)

Western Conference Finals: #2 Dallas beats #1 Los Angeles (4-2)

NBA Finals: Dallas beats Boston (4-2)

NBA Finals MVP: Dirk Nowitzki

Okay, it's now your turn everybody.

Regarding Arizona, Chase "No Excuses" Budinger > Jerryd "Bust" Bayless.

AK1984 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:12:56 -0000

Regarding Arizona, Chase "No Excuses" Budinger > Jerryd "Bust" Bayless.

Sasha gets a trim.

AK1984 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:11:33 -0000

Sasha gets a trim.

No!

The Golden State Warriors sign some frontline depth.

AK1984 — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:23:15 -0000

The Golden State Warriors sign some frontline depth.

Mikki Moore is a tall, skinny third-string center who fits Don Nelson's frenetic run-and-gun offense.

Junk Drawer 8/29/2009

AK1984 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:15:05 -0000

As NBA fans, we tend to categorize guys as overrated and underrated regarding the credit they receive as basketball players. With that noted, I'm curious as to who y'all consider to be overrated and underrated posters at Blazersedge.

Personally, I think that I'm rated just fine by most people. Most of y'all have found me to be an obnoxiously brash, yet fairly intelligent poster who makes a fair amount of sound points -- while occasionally being wrong at times, though -- which means that I'm an overall above average, albeit not outstanding poster.

At any rate, here are my nominations for overrated and underrated posters.

Overrated: BlazerFan1 & tominhawaii.

Underrated: BlazerFanSince1970 & two4larue.

On a side note, my favorite posters are Magnum, Mortimer, Norsktroll, & jksnake99.

I have countless other favorites, too, although those four rank at the very top of my list.

Weekend Trade Drawer!

AK1984 — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:13:51 -0000

Because it's been a long amount of time since anybody has posted some cockamamie trade proposal, I've decided to reignite this simmering flame by fueling the fire with my following four-team, eleven-player trade proposal.

FROM CHICAGO

Kirk Hinrich ($9,500,000)

Outgoing Salaries: $9,500,000

FROM NEW JERSEY

Trenton Hassell ($4,350,000)

Brook Lopez ($2,255,880)

Outgoing Salaries: $6,605,880

FROM OKLAHOMA CITY

Nick Collison ($6,250,000)

Outgoing Salaries: $6,250,000

FROM PORTLAND

LaMarcus Aldridge ($5,844,827)

Steve Blake ($4,000,000)

Travis Outlaw ($3,600,000)

Jerryd Bayless ($2,143,080)

Victor Claver (Draft Rights) {$1,012,900 Cap Hold}

Joel Freeland (Draft Rights) {$824,200 Cap Hold}

Petteri Koponen (Draft Rights) {$824,200 Cap Hold}

Outgoing Salaries: $15,587,907

TO CHICAGO

Steve Blake ($4,000,000)

Victor Claver (Draft Rights) {$1,012,900 Cap Hold}

Joel Freeland (Draft Rights) {$824,200 Cap Hold}

Petteri Koponen (Draft Rights) {$824,200 Cap Hold}

Incoming Salaries: $4,000,000

TO NEW JERSEY

LaMarcus Aldridge ($5,844,827)

Travis Outlaw ($3,600,000) {Acquired With Trade Exception}

Incoming Salaries: $5,844,827

TO OKLAHOMA CITY

Trenton Hassell ($4,350,000)

Jerryd Bayless ($2,143,080)

Incoming Salaries: $6,493,080

TO PORTLAND

Kirk Hinrich ($9,500,000)

Nick Collison ($6,250,000)

Brook Lopez ($2,255,880)

Incoming Salaries: $18,005,880

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=nkymyg

For the Chicago Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf slashes payroll both now and for the summer of 2010 -- in which local legend Dwyane Wade will be an unrestricted free-agent -- by trading Kirk Hinrich for a cost-effective downgrade Steve Blake. The Bulls acquire some future assets, too, which is through the draft rights to a few foreigners (i.e., Victor Claver, Joel Freeland, & Petteri Koponen).

For the New Jersey Nets, the team would solidifiy the forward positions with LaMarcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw. Because the possibility of LeBron James signing there next summer is a long shot, this'd be a much quicker and less risky way to retool the ballclub. Meanwhile, though, the Nets would be a bit weak at center, although Tony Battie, Josh Boone, and Sean Williams could hold down the fort for one season.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti would save face in the community by dealing disgruntled Nick Collison, whose feud with asinine sports radio talk show host Jim Traber is amusing stuff. In return for Collison, Presti would receive a scrub with an expiring contract (i.e., Trenton Hassell) and a young ~~prospect~~ project combo guard (i.e., Jerryd Bayless) who'd receive playing time behind Russell Westbrook.

Bayless, who barely has more potential than the injury prone washout Shaun Livingston, would be lucky to play with a tall, defensive-minded point forward in Kyle Weaver. Heck, I can't even think of two more appropriately skilled backup wings than Weaver and Thabo Sefolosha for the fatally flawed Bayless to play next to on a second unit. Bayless, who can't run the point to save his life and is an overaggressive dunderhead on defense, would get his deficiencies masked by playing next to two smart, high BBIQ players like Weaver and Sefolosha.

For the Portland Trail Blazers, it's 100% about embracing tried-and-true traditional basketball. The vision of a present-day "Twin Towers" frontline built around two legitimate 7-footers, Greg Oden and Brook Lopez, would make me jump for joy and even cry tears of happy like G.O.B. (i.e., Arrested Development reference).

Also, I needn't explain in detail as to how Kirk Hinrich is astronomically superior to Steve Blake. For those of whom who appreciate first-class, five-star perimeter defense, you know by now how Hinrich is to filet mignon as Blake is to ground beef.

Oden and Joel Przybilla split time at center, while Lopez -- who, as a rookie last season, had a 62.2% eFG% on inside shots (i.e., 61% of his field-goal attempts) and a 39.0% eFG% on jump shots (i.e., 39% of his field-goal attempts) -- and Collison would split time at power forward. Y'know, I'm sick and tired of this inefficient pick-and-pop junk with ~~power~~ soft forwards like LaMarcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw. When did Charmin become NBA sponsers? Man, I sure didn't get the memo.

Yet, a team with an ultra-efficient back-to-the-basket post-up threat on the low block who'd also excel in side screen-and-roll plays via the two-man game with Andre Miller (i.e., Oden) -- as well as a sweet pick-and-roll and occasional pick-and-pop option along the high-post who can also stick a 15-foot baseline jumper (i.e., Lopez) -- would need a head coach who could properly utilize their skills; that isn't Nate McMillan's forte.

Instead of the high-low zone offense, a team featuring a big frontline of Oden and Lopez, a spot-up shooter on offense at the 3, a well-rounded offensive player at the 2, and a pure point guard at the 1 would work best with a 3-outside/2-inside motion offense that focuses heavily on the pick-and-roll. There's one man who could successfully run it, too, and his name is Jeff Van Gundy.

http://www.coachesclipboard.net/MotionOffense.html

http://www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-bin/champ/p/Basketball/Jeff-Van-Gundy-Executing-and-Defending-the-Pick-Roll-Part-I-II_BD-02692.html

In 1999, Van Gundy led the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals with a frontline featuring old-fashioned center Patrick Ewing, stout man-to-man defender and face-up jump shooter Kurt Thomas, gritty backup center Chris Dudley, and stud weakside help defender Marcus Camby. Because Ewing was unavailable for the 1999 NBA Finals due to injury, the Knicks had no real shot of shutting down the San Antonio Spurs and its Twin Towers duo of David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

All in all, a 10-man rotation of Joel Przybilla (20 m.p.g.), Brook Lopez (32 m.p.g.), Nicolas Batum (16 m.p.g.), Brandon Roy (40 m.p.g.), Kirk Hinrich (20 m.p.g.), Greg Oden (28 m.p.g.), Nick Collison (16 m.p.g.), Martell Webster (16 m.p.g.), Rudy Fernandez (24 m.p.g.), and Andre Miller (28 m.p.g.) -- with Van Gundy at the helm, as well as benchwarmers in Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, and three minimum-level veterans (e.g., Ime Udoka, Keith Bogans, and Brevin Knight or Tyronn Lue) filling out the roster -- may have a real chance at usurping the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs and playing for a ring in the 2010 NBA Finals.

I'd wager to bet that Delonte West was high while filming this.

AK1984 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:56:07 -0000

I'd wager to bet that Delonte West was high while filming this.

Dallas signs Drew Gooden to a one-year, $4.5 million deal, with incentives that can total it over $5 million.

AK1984 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:54:03 -0000

Dallas signs Drew Gooden to a one-year, $4.5 million deal, with incentives that can total it over $5 million.

I don't like this one bit for the Mavericks, as Drew Gooden isn't a defensive-minded center that the team needs to platoon with Erick Dampier at the pivot.

I feel bad for Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson, who lost out on their first target in Marcin Gortat and had to settle with the less than impressive Gooden.

Mark Warkentien makes another shrewd move.

AK1984 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:59:01 -0000

Mark Warkentien makes another shrewd move.

Warkentien, who's unquestionably one of the most intelligent front office executives in the NBA, dumps a couple of crappy second-year players (i.e., Walter Sharpe & Sonny Weems) for a decent backup or third-string power forward in Malik Allen.

The Milwaukee Bucks complete this move due to Weems only being guaranteed $174,284 of his salary next season if he's waived by 8/15/2009. Knowing Scott Skiles, I expect that Weems will be waived and Sharpe will be released sometime this summer.

7/15/2009 JD: Who's your favorite NBA player -- past or present -- who never played for the Trail Blazers?

AK1984 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:59:00 -0000

For me, this is an extraordinarily tough question. It gets even more difficult due to my inability to include any former Seattle SuperSonics, as I grew up a fan of the green and gold -- as well as occasionally red -- before the frachise's dismaying departure to Oklahoma City.

Anyhow, with regards to active players, my favorite guy to watch play the game is none other than Kirk Hinrich.

Unlike most perimeter players, his style of hard-nosed, yet smart defense is optimum in an era where hand-checking and bumping leads to foul calls on guards.

Hinrich, moreover, is capable of defending not only point guards, but also wing players -- both big and small -- which is an astounding quality to be possessed by a 6'3" guy. In fact, it's his most unique skill.

Lastly, Hinrich is versatile on offense and can fill numerous roles -- whether it's as a pick-'n'-roll point, a two guard who comes off of screens and hits jumpers, or a 3 who sits in the weakside corner and waits for the perfect pass to drain a spot-up three-pointer -- which shows that he's a real team player.

Oh, and when it comes to my favorite player as a kid growing up during the mid-'90s, here's an awesome highlight video to provide visual evidence as to the reason behind my choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GCyU0sKxqI

P.S.: It was Magnum's idea to make this today's junk drawer, so he deserves kudos.