Christmas Day NBA Preview

Before I get started on this, what is up with the short sleeve shirts? NBA Jerseys suppose to be JERSEYS not v-neck colored T-Shirts with a team logo on them being sold for 109.95. I don't know but that is just me, so while we have this T-shirt festive NBA Christmas there are a load of games to get underway some games are probably not gonna be good as advertised due to injuries(Bulls vs Nets) while others are a showcase of the top western teams (sans Portland) that will most likely be challenging the Heat or Pacers in the NBA Finals. Notice I didn't mention any other Eastern Conference team, notice that. Nonetheless this NBA Christmas T-Shirt Fashion showcase will give you a progress report on how these ten teams are faring. Oh and Merry Christmas.

Chicago Bulls(10-16) vs. Brooklyn Nets(9-18) 12:00 PM EST Barclays Center

This season is not going as advertised for both teams.

Probable Lineups

Bulls

PG: D.J. Augustin SG: Mike Dunleavy SF: Jimmy Butler PF: Carlos Boozer C: Joakim Noah

Key Backups: Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson, Tony Snell

Notable Injuries: Derrick Rose (Torn Meniscus), Luol Deng (Achilles)

Nets

PG: Deron Williams SG: Joe Johnson SF: Paul Pierce PF: Kevin Garnett C: Andray Blatche

Key Backups: Jason Terry, Mirza Teletovic, Shaun Livingston, Reggie Evans, Alan Anderson

Notable Injuries: Brook Lopez (Broken Foot)

This playoff rematch was suppose to be better than advertised, unfortunately with a few key injuries it is only fitting this happens to be the first game of the holiday. Chicago will be lucky to have back both Jimmy Butler and Kirk Hinrich as they practiced Tuesday after battling injuries of their own.
The Nets despite losing their leading scorer Brook Lopez for the season is surprisingly in better health than usual with Deron Williams' ankle injuries hopefully behind him as well as Paul Pierce and KG back to a full bill of health. The problem still is the huge decline of Kevin Garnett as he is really looking like a shell of his former self even compared to last year and life would not be made easier going against his former assistant coach Tom Thibodeau and his stifling defense. Paul Pierce had some much needed rest coming off an ejection for a clothesline on Pacers guard George Hill. He will also face a tough task as Jimmy Butler is one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. 

Although D.J. Augustin has been solid for the Bulls during the last two games, but at 6'0 183, he is too small to handle the 6'3 210 pound Deron Williams who might be too much to ask Kirk Hinrich to guard coming back from injury. Add to that more depth and home-court advantage, I don't think Jason Kidd wants to be embarrassed in the Barclays Center

Key Matchup: D.J Augustin vs. Deron Williams

Prediction: Nets

Oklahoma City Thunder(22-5) vs. New York Knicks(9-18) 2:30 PM EST Madison Square Garden

This guy will have to step up if New York is to stand a chance.

Probable Lineups

Thunder

PG: Russell Westbrook SG: Thabo Sefolosha SF: Kevin Durant PF: Serge Ibaka C: Kendrick Perkins

Key Backups: Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb, Nick Collison

Notable Injuries: Steven Adams (ankle)

Knicks

PG: Beno Udrih SG: Iman Shumpert SF: Carmelo Anthony* PF:Andrea Bargnani C: Tyson Chandler

Key Backups: J.R. Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr., Cole Aldrich

Notable Injuries: Raymond Felton (Groin), Kenyon Martin (Abdomen), Metta World Peace (Knee), Pablo Prigioni (Broken Toe)

*Game Time Decision (Ankle, may not play)

When Cole Aldrich is labeled as a "key backup" you know you are in trouble. The Knicks injury list is as long as the yellow pages and star player Carmelo Anthony may not play due to popping his ankle against the Orlando Magic on Monday. 

After watching Melo play with a torn labrum in last season's NBA Playoffs I expect him to toughen up and play against OKC, but even a hundred percent Melo won't be enough to stop the 2nd best team in the Western Conference. 

Kevin Durant just keeps getting better as that gap between him and LeBron is getting tighter, Russell Westbrook will cause huge problems for New York's depleted backcourt and Mike Woodson would be crazy if he were to let Beno Udrih get the duties to guard him, but he might not have a choice. Andrea Bargnani hopefully will not make any more mistakes as the Knicks will have to rely on him as he can take Ibaka out of his comfort zone with his shooting range. 

Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb are young athletic guards coming off the bench that would cause more problems for that Knicks defense. This will be an easy win for Oklahoma City in Madison Square Garden.

Key Matchup: Kevin Durant vs. Carmelo Anthony

Prediction: Thunder

Miami Heat (21-6) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (13-15) 5:00 PM EST Staples Center

Kobe Bryant will miss Christmas Day for the first time since 1997.

Probable Lineups

Heat

PG: Mario Chalmers SG: Dwayne Wade SF: LeBron James PF: Shane Battier C: Chris Bosh

Key Backups: Michael Beasley, Norris Cole, Ray Allen, Chris "Birdman" Andersen

Notable Injuries: None

Lakers:

PG: Jordan Farmar SG: Jodie Meeks SF: Wesley Johnson PF: Shawne Williams C: Pau Gasol

Key Backups: Xavier Henry, Nick Young, Chris Kaman, Jordan Hill

Notable Injuries: Kobe Bryant (Knee), Steve Blake (Elbow), Steve Nash (back)

If only Kobe decided to make his comeback for Christmas.Some can argue that the Lakers have been better off without Kobe with coach Mike D'Antoni seemingly to finally have this Los Angeles team to play the way he wants to. 

For any non-Kobe obsesser, you have to love this team, its full of former NBA rejects and underachievers forming a squad that is just only three games away from playoff contention (over .500 before Kobe came back). Jodie Meeks, Xavier Henry and Nick Young can flat out score and if Lakers are to keep this game close they will have to provide most of the perimeter scoring. While declining Pau Gasol is still the best player on this team and needs to play that way. Jordan Farmar comes back for Christmas after nursing a torn hamstring but will be used in limited minutes. 

Wesley Johnson should be starting solely for the purpose of guarding LeBron, Dwayne Wade rested against the Atlanta Hawks and should be fully fit for Christmas. Chris Bosh will of course be a big factor as well. Heat will win this one although I have the Lakers making this game closer than we think.

Key Matchup: Chris Bosh vs. Pau Gasol

Prediction: Heat

Houston Rockets (18-11) vs. San Antonio Spurs (22-6) 8:00 PM EST AT&T Center

Is The Beard going to play?

Probable Lineups

Rockets

PG: Jeremy Lin SG: James Harden* SF: Chandler Parsons PF: Terrance Jones C: Dwight Howard

Key Backups: Aaron Brooks, Francisco Garcia, Omri Casspi

Notable Injuries: Omer Asik (thigh), Patrick Beverley (hand), Greg Smith (knee)

*Game Time Decision (ankle)

Spurs

PG: Tony Parker SG: Danny Green SF: Kawhi Leonard PF: Boris Diaw C: Tim Duncan

Key Backups: Manu Ginobili, Tiago Splitter, Marco Belinelli, Patty Mills

Notable Injuries: None

The state of Texas is not big enough for the two of them and this can be a possible Western Conference Final preview. Ankle injuries are spreading around like a disease and James Harden is hoping to play battling with one. James Harden would make a huge difference but his ankle will limit one of his biggest strengths and that is his dribble penetration.

 Have no fear Houston Jeremy Lin can provide that coming off a 20 point game against Dallas. All eyes will be on Dwight Howard if James Harden is limited and how would he perform against the NBA Finals runner ups with everyone watching? 

A clean bill of health for San Antonio and a plethora of three point shooters would be too much for Houston to handle. The key match-up will come down to utility men Chandler Parsons and Kawhi Leonard and what extra work would these two up and coming players will provide for their respective teams.

Key Match-up Chandler Parsons vs. Kawhi Leonard

Prediction: Spurs

Los Angeles Clippers (20-9) vs. Golden State Warriors (16-13) 10:30 PM EST ORACLE Arena

Who will win this brawl?

Probable Lineups

Clippers

PG: Chris Paul SG: Jamal Crawford SF: Jared Dudley PF: Blake Griffin C: DeAndre Jordan

Key Backups: Darren Collison, Matt Barnes, Willie Green

Notable Injuries: J.J. Redick (wrist)

Warriors

PG: Stephen Curry SG: Klay Thompson SF: Andre Igoudala PF: David Lee C: Andrew Bogut

Key Backups: Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Marresse Speights, Toney Douglas

Notable Injuries: Jermaine O'Neal (wrist)

Last time these two teams fought, Chris Paul put the team on his back and scored 42 points while also dishing 15 assists in a 126-115 win. 

Now these two teams meet in Oakland at the ORACLE Arena and the crazed Golden State crowd will not allow the Clips to steal one on the road. Oh and let me introduce you if you have not met them already, meet the Splash Brothers; Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both of whom combined for 175 threes so far and is possibly the best shooting backcourt in NBA history. 

Clippers will be missing their hit-man J.J Redick for this three point shooting party and with Jamal Crawford starting at the two guard makes them thinner in the second team. 

The match-up of David Lee and Blake Griffin is interesting and don't be surprised if a flagrant foul or two is called. How much will defensive anchors DeAndre Jordan and Andrew Bogut affect this game. 

So many intriguing match-ups in this game but ultimately it comes down to Chris Paul and Steph Curry. The Warriors are one of the strongest home teams at 9-4 and will have a chip on their shoulder for what I feel would be the game of Christmas. 

Key Match-up Chris Paul vs. Steph Curry

Prediction: Warriors

NBA Season Preview 2013-2014: New York Knicks

2012-2013 Regular Season Record: 54-28

Key Additions: G Tim Hardaway Jr.(Rd 1, Pick 24), F/C Andrea Bargnani F Metta World Peace(2 yrs 3.2 million, 1.59 guaranteed), G Beno Udrih(1 yr, 1.27 million, 884,293 guaranteed), G J.R. Smith (Contract Extension: 3 yrs, 17 million, 11.54 million guaranteed)

Key Losses: G Jason Kidd (Retirement, Coaching Brooklyn Nets), Rasheed Wallace (Retirement), F Chris Copeland,  F Steve Novak, C Marcus Camby

Projected Starting Lineup: PG: Raymond Felton, SG: Iman Shumpert SF: Carmelo Anthony PF: Andrea Bargnani C: Tyson Chandler

Key Backups: G/F J.R. Smith, F Metta World Peace , F Amare Stoudemire, G Beno Udrih, G Pablo Prigioni, F/C Kenyon Martin. G Tim Hardaway Jr., 

The block that ended the Knicks' season.

They were the oldest team in the history NBA. One of the most exciting teams to watch with their free flowing style of play. Last year was suppose to be their year, after signing a future hall of famer Jason Kidd, a long time veteran Marcus Camby, former Knick Raymond Felton and an Argentine icon in Pablo Prigioni. The Knicks not only wanted to be the best team in New York, they wanted to be the team that can challenge the Miami Heat. Carmelo Anthony led the NBA in scoring with 28.7 points per game, J.R. Smith won the Sixth Man of the Year, the Knicks broke the record for most threes in a season. The Knicks shown they were a team to be reckoned with in the regular season, but things changed during the NBA playoffs.

It took 6 games for the Knicks to defeat the Rajon Rondo-less Celtics, often settling for complacency allowing a 20 point unanswered run from Boston. The glaring weaknesses became bigger against the Pacers with their lack of size being exploited by David West and Roy Hibbert. The Knicks were not allowed to play small ball with Melo at the 4 and Tyson Chandler was being overpowered by the mammoth Roy Hibbert. Paul George's size and versatility nullified New York's top offensive threats and the hot streak of Lance Stephenson during the series proved too much for New York's guards to handle.

In the off-season the Knicks decided to address their lack of ruggedness with the signing of Ron...Metta World Peace, a 7 foot in marksman in Andrea Bargnani and an efficient combo guard in Beno Udrih. Despite the new additions, if the Knicks are to get anywhere, it is dependent on the play of Carmelo Anthony.

Player Spotlight

How many "threes to the domes" will it take for Melo to win a championship?

Carmelo Anthony had one of the better seasons of his career in 2012-2013. The former Syracuse forward was the focal point of the Mike Woodson isolation offense creating mismatches at the small forward and power forward position. The change to the 4 allowed Carmelo to do what he does best; play in the post and operate from mid range. His quickness off the dribble and strength also allowed mismatches as he is too strong to be covered by an average small forward and he is too quick to be guarded by a power forward. But when the small forward who is covering you is 6'10 and more athletic added to a shoulder injury, Carmelo could not bring forth the performance to put the Knicks over the Pacers.

Carmelo Anthony throughout his career earned the reputation of being a "ball-stopper" often resorting to breaking down his opponent rather than playing with the team. This is all not to blame on Melo, head coach Mike Woodson has been notorious for using an "Iso-Joe" offense in Atlanta and racked up a NBA high 16 percent in isolations last season. Whether it is Carmelo Anthony or J.R. Smith, the ball often does not leave their hands when their eyes are on the bucket which often left to broken offensive plays and bad turnovers. 

Carmelo is expected to play his natural position at the small forward spot this season with the inclusion of Andrea Bargnani. The feeling should be mutual as Bargnani can park out at the edge of the three while Carmelo can play inside the key. For defense, Metta World Peace may not be his former self but is still one of the most feared players in the NBA, just ask Tyler Hansbrough. At 260 pounds, Metta World Peace can handle the David Wests as well as the Paul Georges while Melo does not have to take as much responsibility defensively (something he won't complain about).

The Others

J.R. Smith and Tyson Chandler will be just as important to the Knicks' success as Carmelo Anthony

When it looked like guard J.R. Smith will miss part of the season with knee surgery, Smith is back in action and is ready for New York's final preseason game. At 28 years old, J.R is entering his ninth season in the prime of his career. Last season Smith averaged 18.1 points per game, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Smith played more disciplined and controlled, and was a nice compliment to Carmelo Anthony. While we saw more consistency, the bad J.R. Smith was back in full effect shooting 33 percent throughout the playoffs. The problem with J.R. if he is in bad form is he does not know when to stop shooting, a mentality that Denver fans knew all too well and that New York fans came to experience against Boston and Indiana. J.R. Smith is almost just as important as Melo because somebody else needs to score as they were not many other scoring options outside of them last season.

Despite winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, Tyson Chandler does not get the credit he deserves on the defensive end. Chandler was an integral part in Dallas' championship run and transformed the New York Knicks defense from being horrible to being one of the better defenses in the league. Chandler uses every bit of his 7'1 frame and his nimble feet to be a menace at the defensive end making life hard for opposing players to drive to the basket. On offense Tyson is pretty serviceable too, finishing a high amount of his close range shots with dunks, put-backs and easy layups. As I mentioned before, he had major problems dealing with Roy Hibbert as he was too strong for the skinny Tyson Chandler to handle. The Knicks still have not addressed that issue as Cole Aldrich and Josh Powell are his backups.

Iman Shumpert will take Jason Kidd's place in the lineup as the starting shooting guard and came on strong towards the end of the season as he was readjusting to his knee and shown flashes of his athleticism. Known for his lockdown defense, Iman Shumpert is expected to improve his consistency on the offensive end of the ball and give the Knicks another outlet for scoring.

Raymond Felton is a solid if unspectacular point guard capable of running an offense and can provide points when needed. Last season, Felton averaged just 5.5 assists last season due to other options on the offensive end. Felton is best in a full court style of offense where he is dominating the ball and running the pick and roll as he was doing during his first stint with the Knicks. Bargnani can give the former North Carolina point guard some nice pick and pop potential.

Part of Felton's early success was the dominance of Amare Stoudemire who has been slowed down by knee problems and punching fire extinguishers. It could be stretching it to think that Amare Stoudemire would ever get back to his old self that made him one of the top power forwards in the NBA but then again he averaged 14.2 points per game and 5 rebounds in only 23.5 minutes during his short comeback last regular season.

Beno Udrih is one of the more underrated point guards in the NBA, this will be the fifth team in the Yugoslavian guard's career and is a solid backup for either guard position. Pablo Prigioni might of came to the NBA too late in his basketball career as he is past his prime but is still an important player on the bench thanks to his basketball IQ. Kenyon Martin made an immediate impact after getting signed late into the last season, will provide backup minutes at the 4 and 5 slot.Tim Hardaway Jr. has an NBA pedigree in his genes and a great pickup for the Knicks at 24, knows how to score but could be brought along the rotation slowly.

Overview

Will there be changes to the Mike Woodson offense?

In the 2012-2013 season, the Knicks were last in the NBA in assists per game, and 26th in rebounds. The Knicks at times were one-dimensional offensively as they lived and die by the three or at the hands of Melo and J.R.. New signing Andrea Bargnani does not deviate from the team formula and should become more of an replacement for Steve Novak. Metta World Peace is back in his hometown and he will definitely get behind the fans and bring the toughness for this Knicks team. While these group of players are younger and more versatile than last season's squad, the Knicks have not made enough off-season acquisitions to offset their intercity rivals the Brooklyn Nets. With Carmelo Anthony having recently declared for the open market, this could be the year of judgement for the New York Knicks.

Projected All Stars: Carmelo Anthony

Season Projection: Playoff Contention(5th place, 2nd in Atlantic Division)



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