7th and 8th seed prediction part two

A Quick Tangent

Before we start the Eastern Conference I'd like to begin my mentioning a team I'd forgot about completely in yesterday's post, The New Orleans Pelican. It is my opinion that this team made a huge mistake by trying to rush the rebuilding process with the questionable Jrue Holiday trade and Tyreke Evans signing. That is not to say they are horrible moves by any means, nor do I believe that either are bad players. However, this team clearly has a new ownership that is not patient and they have mortgaged their future for one overpaid and one overrated player (they could both easily fit under each description by the way). Jrue Holiday is a bit overhyped in my opinion since last year his stats were inflated by being the only facilitator on a bad team requiring him to be the focal point of the offense. I think it was a fluke year personally a bit though he is certainly a solid starting point guard. I'd not rate him as an all-star level point guard, and moreover he's really not much better than Jeff Teague who makes around four million dollars less each year. Listen, I would be happy with Holiday as my point guard any day of the year, but trading Nerlens Noel and another likely lottery pick in a stacked draft is not something I can support. He is simply not that valuable and that huge of an upgrade over new King Geives Vazquez. The defensive Two Towers tandem that a Noel Davis combination could have created, with Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson's shooting touches would have been the basis of a very dangerous two way team. Instead they've basically supplied the Sixers with possibly two future all stars. And lets face it, Tyreke Evens is a position less ball handler who can't shoot. Still, Jrue Holiday is an above average point guard and still an upgrade (even not a huge one), while Tyreke should be able to fully embrace and succeed in a Sixth Man role if he is supplied one (which the Pelicans should). New Orleans with three primary ball handlers in Gordon, Evans, and Holiday will begin the season with major chemistry issues on offense to start the season and no one on the roster is really a standout defender, yet (except of course the all mighty Al-Farouq Aminu). They probably won't succeed this year and will be back in the lottery for the third year in a row only this time to give their pick to another team. Thats not to say this team won't improve in the future as this is an extremely talented roster with almost every major player having plenty of potential left. There's really no telling how good the Pelicans could end up being if everything fall together just right. All the young players should improve on defense, though no one but Holiday, Davis, and Aminu project to be anything more than decent at most, and as bench depth is added the future is bright in the Big Easy.

I'm gonna put off the Eastern Conference for another day, but disclaimer it will only be for the last seed as I see the Wizard's and Hawks taking the sixth and seventh seeds. 

A quick what if:  I remember reading in 2000 Tim Duncan almost joined Tracy Mcgrady and Grant Hill in Orlando. lets say Grant Hill stays healthy, that team if it meshes is almost guaranteed dynasty and my opinion and I get giddy just thinking about it. Also in 2003 Jason kidd almost joined Manu and Duncan in San Antonio another super team that was barely evaded. Now the first one would probably lead to Mcgady and Grant Hill being Hall of Fame locks instead of the borderline ex-players they are now. People especially forget how amazing Grant Hill was early in his career. Meanwhile who picks Dwight Howard in 2004 and does Dwightmare still happen? For the Spurs scenario it may or may not have lead to Tony Parker being traded. To who of for what is an anyones guess but how his career would have turned out behind Kidd or out San Antonio all together is an interesting thought. 

2013-2014 NBA Season: 7th and 8th Seed Conference Projections

Who's gonna make the Playoffs?

This offseason has had us see multiple NBA team's attempting to tank for next year's Super Draft 2013, also known as the riggin for Wiggins tactic. We have also witnessed playoff teams either turning themselves into title contenders, desperately trying to stay ones, attempt to return without committing much money to the future, or purposely get worse for the draft   fallen out of the hunt completely. In each conference the first six playoff teams are pretty obvious in many fans and writers minds alike. The common consensus, one i completely agree with is the Heat, Pacers, Bulls, Nets, Knicks, and Wizards (or Hawks depending on the person) in some order in the east (p.s. this order is what the standings will be year end IMHO). Meanwhile in the extremely deep as always west it is almost impossible to predict what the conference standings will be at year end. On the other hand, baring serious injuries to star players, there's no denying that it will consist of some combination of the Clippers, Rockets, Spurs, Warriors, Grizzlies, and Thunder. This leaves two seeds left in each conference up to debate. Who will end up there at season's end is anyone's guess, and since I'm anyone, here's mine. 

Western Conference: Trial Blazers and TWolves 

Between the Laker's and Nugget's corpses, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, and maybe even the Jazz, its gonna be one hell of a battle for a chance to be swept in the first round. Lets start with saying the Jazz have a very outside chance since this would be breaking on essentially their entire starting lineup breaking out. The chance of Alec Burks, Gordon Heyward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, and Trey Burke all solid NBA starter is pretty low but not entirely outside the realm of possibility. 

Meanwhile the Lakers put all their chips in on Dwight Howard, a forty year old Steve Nash, playing a thirty four year old Kobe Bryant until he literally fell apart, and assuming Paul Gasol and really everyone in general would manage to fit into Mike D'antoni's disaster  system (not to mention no bench). Looking back on it, its really not to surprising it didn't all work out. Although I'd be easily convinced that another coach...coff coff Phil Jackson... excuse me I have a terrible case of hindsight, would have been able to make all the pieces fit together. Listen the team was plagued by injuries all year not helping their trouble meshing together and in another universe we are talking about the NBA Champion Lakers and how Dwight Howard is ready to take the Laker Torch from NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant (In another world there's a Laker super team juggernaut winning multiple titles with CP3, D12, and the Black Mamba but that's a story for another time). Meanwhile this offseason they've replace Howard by getting rid of the man formerly known as Ron Artest, adding Swaggy P and Chris Kaman, and bringing back Jordan Farmar. So obviously thats a title contender right there right once Kobe come's back opening nigh after spending the offseason taking steroids, deer antler spray, enriched vampire blood, and injecting his children's platelets into his knees. Not so fast... what's that Steve Nash and Pau Gasol's dead bodies can at least drag them to an 8th seed? Not a chance! This team's defense is  gonna be atrocious, their bench will be horrendous once again unless Wesley Johnson sum how fulfills his top 4 pick selection. There's no possible way I see this team making the playoffs and they looks to be mediocre to awful in every category. I already covered the Nuggets in my last article but honestly the J.J. Hickson and Timothy Mozgov signings make no sense especially in combination. In a conference this deep I'm not confident in replacing Iggy and Galinari's production with Nate Robinson, Randy Foye, the fore mentioned players, and the Village Idiot finally breaking out. That leaves Dalls, Portland, and Minnesota.

 I've applauded the Trial Blazers offseason already and they've improved themselves even more with their Mo Williams dirt cheap signing. I think they have the best chance out of all these teams of grabbing a seed personally (though as we'll get to Kevin Love and company are very close). They won't play very good defense but their competition looks to be just as bad if not worse so I don't see this dragging them out of the playoff race much. With the addition of Robin Lopez they have a very solid starting lineup that should average eighty point on its own easily. They're bench will also score plenty with tons of three point and scoring options and potential breakout players in C.J. Mcollum and to a lesser extent Thomas Robinson. 

Meanwhile the Timberwolves have assembled a similar core after resigning Nikola Pekovic and Chase Budinger  and signing Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer. While their offense is going to be hard to beat, their defense is lacking practically any plus defenders past Rubio and Brewer (who are by no means stoppers). That's not to say Portland's defense is much better its more excluding Lillard who was a rookie mind you, their starting five are at least decent defenders, while Kevin Love, Pekovic, and especially Kevin Martin are big minuses. Their bench is also gonna be pretty decent as well though with Shved, Barea, Brewer, Muhammad, Dieng, and Derrick WIlliams providing production. None of those guys really stand out considering two are lottery busts and the rest aren't exactly sixth men of the year caliber players. Compared to the Mavericks I say its close, but I'd give it to the Twolves for the 8th seed. While Rubio and Calderon aren't too far apart, (Calderon is a master on offense but a horrible defender, Rubio great playmaker and capable defender but he can't score easily), Kevin Martin and Monta Ellis cancel each other out , Shawn Marion and Budinger might be a toss up, I have to say I think Kevin Love when healthy is a notch above Dirk at this point in their careers. I'd take Rubio and Love over Calderon and Dirk any day in 2013 and I think thats the difference. Plus Perkovic is a better than Dalembert and the Mavericks don't have a bench that seems to be any better than the Wolves. Therefore I present the seventh and eighth seeds in the 2013-2014 Wester Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Eastern Conference Pt.2 tomorrow