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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NBA Season Preview 2013-14: Phoenix Suns

2012-2013 Regular Season Record: 25-57

Key Additions: G: Eric Bledsoe (from Clippers via trade),  C: Alex Len (Rd 1, Pick 5), G/F: Gerald Green (from Pacers via trade), G: Archie Goodwin (Rd 1, pick 29), Jeff Hornacek (Head Coach)

Key Losses: F Luis Scola, F Michael Beasley, G/F Jared Dudley, C Jermaine O'Neal

Projected Starting Lineup: PG: Goran Dragic, SG: Eric Bledsoe SF: Gerald Green PF: Markeiff Morris, C: Marcin Gortat

Key Backups: G Shannon Brown, F Marcus Morris, C Alex Len, G Kendall Marshall, F Channing Frye

New Suns GM, Ryan McDonough starting off with a clean slate

Ever since taking over for the Phoenix Suns, former Boston Celtics executive Ryan McDonough nearly rebuilt the whole rosters with younger players with lots of potential. McDonough has done a good job ridding the older players with heavy contracts, waiving the knuckleheads (*cough* Beasley *cough*) and getting a first round draft pick in the process. The problem during the Suns' disappointing 25-57 season was a lack of team chemistry, disgruntled players and a switch of coaches mid season, and with a permanent signing of former Suns player Jeff Hornacek as the new head coach, Ryan McDonough sent a message that there are spots up for grabs.

Player Spotlight

After being in John Wall and Chris Paul's shadow, in Phoenix, the lights are on Eric Bledsoe.

Ever since his days in Kentucky, I was a huge fan of Eric Bledsoe. Built like a football player and can jump out of the building, I rated him as nearly as talented of a prospect as his former teammate John Wall and during his time in Los Angeles, he became one of top backup point guards in the NBA.

The possibilities are endless on how this former Kentucky guard will perform for Phoenix with the chains unleashed. To get a sample of what you are going to see from this 23 year old, let's take a look at his stats. Eric Bledsoe in 20.4 minutes, averaged 8.5 points per game, 3.1 assists, 3 rebounds, 0.7 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. If we average those stats over 36 minutes, you get 14.9 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 2.5 steals per game!

If the combo guard played 36 minutes per game the whole season, Bledsoe would be tied with Russell Westbrook for rebounds(although Westbrook played 34.9 minutes), would beat out former teammate Chris Paul as the top steal leader and would be far and away the number one block leader.As for scoring, that average can be exceeded as he has full freedom and the green light in the Suns offense unlike in LA where he had Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford and Chris Paul.

Dragic and Bledsoe, the ideal combo?

With Goran Dragic playing alongside him, that gives Phoenix a nice 2 guard combination. Eric Bledsoe's 6'8 wingspan allows him to cover shooting guards, if the opposing point guard is too athletic and strong for Dragic, Bledsoe can slide over and guard the Westbrooks, Roses of the world as he packs just as much strength and speed with the best of him.

As for the offensive potential of the two combo guards, both players compliment each other with Dragic's technical style of play and Bledsoe's explosive style of basketball. Both guards masks each others' weaknesses, Bledsoe can have problems slowing the tempo down in the offense, his high octane energy can lead to turnovers from bad decision making. Bledsoe also needs to improve his mid range game as he was 29 percent from 16-23 feet. Dragic is a better passer at this stage of his career than the 23 year old averaging 7.4 assists on the season, Dragic also has a more developed mid range game shooting 42 percent from that area.

The Others

Will 5th pick Alex Len make an impact this season?

Eric Bledsoe is not the only player in the starting lineup that has something to prove, Gerald Green has had an up and down career in the NBA so far and has not lived to the immense expectations he has had coming out of high school. The Suns will give him another chance in that small forward spot which has to be the position of weakness in Phoenix.

Another weakness is the power forward spot and while the Morris twins have proven to be good role players this past season, do they have what it takes to bring their respective games to the next level? Making a comeback is Channing Frye who missed all of last season with a tragic enlarged heart. Fortunately, Frye is clear and should add the veteran presence in the locker room as he is currently the longest tenured Sun.

Marcin Gortat has been frustrated with Suns life last season, still posting solid numbers as he is one of the better centers in the NBA. Hopefully Jeff Hornacek gave Gortat new found hope although it is yet to be seen if the Polish international is in Phoenix's plans or not. Rookie center Alex Len will have a say in that, a mobile 7'1 big man with a soft touch. Len has excellent pick and roll potential, a nice shot blocker averaging 2.1 per game in Maryland and a decent jumper. He has an obvious lack of strength as with most big men coming from college. May not be ready yet on day one, but could be the player to watch in the future if he can get over his ankle problems.

When it looked like Kendall Marshall would be the successor to Steve Nash, the Suns went out and signed back Goran Dragic and Marshall was limited to backup playing time. The former Tar Heel did not have a good season in his allotted  time and this season might be the determining factor whether Marshall is NBA caliber. There is some debate if former Kentucky guard Archie Goodwin left the Wildcats a year or two early, but the 19 year old had a encouraging summer league and could be the sleeper of the draft. Shannon Brown returns as the Suns possible sixth man and has the versatility to play the one, two and three if the Suns go small.

Overview
Jeff Hornacek has spent his first six seasons in Phoenix and enjoyed his time as a prolific scorer. This decision as the Suns head coach is a great move as he has the immediate backing from fans of Arizona. The Phoenix ownership will give him plenty of time and patience as this young squad is not ready to compete during this season of rebuilding. Nonetheless, I expect them to eclipse their last season's mark of 25 wins as they start their second season post-Nash era.

Projected All-Stars: None

Season Projection: Bottom of the Western Conference



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NBA Season Preview 2013-14: Charlotte Bobcats

2012-2013 Regular Season Record: 21-61

Key Additions:  F/C Cody Zeller (Rd 1, Pick 4), C Al Jefferson (3 years , 41 mil, 27.2 guaranteed), Gerald Henderson ( 4 yrs, 24 mil, 12 mil guaranteed), Steve Clifford (Head Coach)

Key Losses: F: Tyrus Thomas, Mike Dunlap (Head Coach)

Projected Starting Lineup: PG: Kemba Walker, SG: Gerald Henderson SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist PF: Cody Zeller, C: Al Jefferson

Key Backups: G Ramon Sessions, F/C Bismack Biyombo, G Ben Gordon, F Josh McRoberts

With a high profile signing and another top 5 pick, Can MJ and the Bobcats get back to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history?

Despite improving on their atrocious seven win record by 14, the Charlotte Bobcats were still among the worst in the NBA, lacking in talent and coaching. They weren't arguably the worst team in NBA history like they were in the 2011-2012 season but still is the laughing stock of the NBA and is it possible to rebuild with this team?

First, the Charlotte Bobcats did not have many players signed over the previous years that panned out, one being Tyrus Thomas. The athletic forward has had problems with injuries and confidence throughout his career and probably had his last stint of his NBA career. Mike Dunlap also got let go after his first year with the team after having problems with team chemistry and lineup rotations. Another clean slate(and another new jersey) the Charlotte Bobcats are looking to fly under the radar and sneak up the Eastern Conference.

Player Spotlight

If the Bobcats are gonna get anywhere from rock bottom, Kemba Walker will have to be the answer.

While basketball fans were paying attention to other teams, Kemba Walker silently put up a very solid season, averaging 17.7 points per game, 5.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game on 42 percent shooting. The Bronx-born 23 year old has made excellent strides from his struggling rookie season in which he shot near 37 percent. Kemba Walker has shown flashes in what made him the NCAA player of the year in Connecticut, but the problems still lies in his ability to finish in the paint given his 6'1 frame. Kemba manages to suppress that weakness with an excellent mid range game in which he can pull up off the bounce with his quickness and anticipation. In this era of the point guards, it might not be realistic in Kemba Walker's career(and Bobcats' expectations) for him to ever be a possible all star in future, but can make improvements next season for the Cats' to take the next step.

Although not Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, Kemba Walker is able to get by regardless of his physical limitations, his amazing ball handling skills combined with his speed allows him to get anywhere on the court, his energy is infectious, he's durable(played all 82 games last season) and also has a decent three point shot at 32 percent. Areas the former UConn guard needs to improve is his passing, granted Kemba does not have much help and constantly plays with another point guard, but needs to balance being a passer and being a scorer in a more effective way. Given his size, he probably will never be a good defender but can be a terror picking off steals averaging 2 of them last season.

The Others

Is Big Al looking for a challenge or is he just in it for the money?

Al Jefferson enjoyed a fine couple of seasons for the Utah Jazz before cashing in on the Charlotte Bobcats averaging 17.8 and 9.2 rebounds in his final season. He has battled injuries throughout his career and is not the same player that got traded to the Timberwolves as part of the Kevin Garnett trade but is still one of the better centers of the NBA. Big Al can be what the Bobcats are missing in the post, but there is a little skepticism in the former high school draftee going to a bottom feeder team for a generous amount of money over a contender, does he have the ambition to win?

The fourth pick of the draft Cody Zeller enjoyed a fine two seasons at Indiana and is projected to fight with Bismack Biyombo to be the starting power forward. At 7'0 240, Zeller can run like a deer across the court and spread the floor out with his mid range game, extremely technical for a 21 year old, does he have the strength to hang and defend against the NBA big men?

Speaking of Biyombo, his defense is promising and his offense is offensive, with another coach, this might be his make or break year if we do not see any improvements.

Michael Kidd Gilchrist might be the worst shooting small forward in the NBA, but can pretty much do everything else that can impact the game. Has a lot of potential, can he improve his jumper?

Before we know it, Gerald Henderson might be a Bobcat/Hornet for life. Has found his role on the team utilizing his athleticism developed a jumpshot and has been producing well averaging 15 points per game over the last 2 seasons. But then again, who else is going to score?

As for the rest of the team, Ramon Sessions is a solid point guard who plays best in a sixth man role and has worked well with Kemba, Ben Gordon is no longer the player from Chicago but still can catch on fire in any second, McBob has one of the best nicknames in the business and can provide a good cover for Zeller/Biyombo/Jefferson.

Overview
Steve Clifford has a tough job ahead of him, and Jordan and the rest ownership have proven before they are not scared of firing a coach after the first year. Steve Clifford has a interesting background being a former protege of the Gundy brothers and serving as a Lakers assistant last season, it will be difficult to coach a young basketball team that had its third coach in three years. While the future Hornets should further improve on their 21-61 record, expect another losing season under the Bobcats name.

Projected All-Stars: None

Season Projection: Bottom of the Eastern Conference

NBA Season Preview 2013-14: Washington Wizards

2012-2013 Regular Season Record: 29-53

Key Additions:  F: Otto Porter Jr. (Rd 1, Pick 3), Glen Rice Jr. (Rd 2, Pick 35 via 76ers) Eric Maynor (2 yrs, 4.12 mil, all guaranteed), G John Wall (Contract Extension 5 yrs, 80 million, all guaranteed)

Key Losses: None

Projected Starting Lineup: PG: John Wall SG: Bradley Beal SF: Otto Porter Jr. PF: Nene C: Emeka Okafor

Key Backups: F Trevor Ariza, G/F Martell Webster, F/C Kevin Seraphin, F Trevor Booker, G Eric Maynor, F Jan Vesely

Move over Barack Obama, John Wall is now the big man in Washington DC! Just a few days ago from today, John Wall signed a maximum contract as shown above keeping him to 2018. Of course with a big contract comes big expectations, expectations that John Wall can not do alone. And that expectation is to lead the Washington Wizards to glory something former maximum contract signee Gilbert Hibachi Arenas(or whatever you call him these days) could not do.

John Wall recently stated that this contract will motivate him to another level and if the Wizards are able to take the next step, it has to. John Wall started last season with a left knee injury that kept him sidelined to January 12 where he made his impressive debut against that Hawks that saw an upset Wizard win 93-83 in which Wall scored 14 points in 21 minutes. Wall kept this impressive play up for the remainder of the season and transformed the Wizards from bottom feeder(5-28 without Wall) to a team that was not going to be pushed around(24-25 with Wall). To note, John Wall was also getting better as the season went on, his pre All-Star break stats were 14.7 PPG, 7.3 AST and 3.2 RPG on 43 percent shooting over 28.8 minutes. Wall then exploded post All-Star break with 20.7 PPG, 7.8 AST and 4.5 RPG on 45 percent shooting over 34.9 minutes. The major difference in the numbers indicates he was still getting back to fitness pre All-Star and his post All-Star numbers will be more of the norm this upcoming season.

John Wall's game is a hybrid of Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo. He is similar to Russell Westbrook in that he is usually the fastest man on the court and arguably the fastest player in the NBA right now who is seemingly unstoppable on a fast break. Wall is also similar to Rondo in that he plays with a pass first mentality and displays tremendous court vision. Defenses also give him the Rondo treatment forcing him to shoot the ball by playing off of him as far as they can while trying to block all passing lanes. Which like Rondo, shooting especially the three point shot is John Wall's Achilles' heel. Despite showing an improvement in his three point shot with a 34 percent clip post All-Star, Wall still only took one a game. In today's NBA, no matter how athletic you are or court savvy, it is almost imperative for a point guard to develop at least a serviceable three point shot playing at the top of the key. And in John Wall's case he will become practically unguardable if he develops a three point shot that he is confident with. To show just how deadly his offensive potential is, against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wall exploded for a stat line of 47 points with 7 rebounds and assists while making 2 out of 4 from the three point line. His defensive potential is enormous as well, gaining the reputation as one of the best shot blocking point guards and also chipping in a steal per game. His on the ball defense is good as well and will only get better due to his athletic ability. This year could see the evolution of John Wall but in order to take the Wizards into the next level, he will require help from the other young prospects.

Bradley Beal was drafted 3rd overall in the 2012 NBA draft for the main reason of being John Wall's Robin. Beal compliments Wall's game well, he is a prototypical two guard that can catch and shoot as well as shoot off the dribble. John Wall's early injury also had an impact on his rookie play, shooting around 35 percent without Wall and shooting around 46 percent with Wall. His season unfortunately got cut short to a right fibula injury and only played 56 games in the season that also cut him short of working with the USA team. Bradley Beal just got cleared yesterday for contact and just in time before training camp, Beal's shooting ability stretches the floor for John Wall to penetrate opposing defenses and vice versa.

The other piece to the puzzle is a bigger question mark, Otto Porter Jr. drafted 3rd overall, Otto Porter was seen by many as a "safe" pick that he will be able to make an impact on the NBA court from day one. His Vegas Summer League play proved otherwise, the Georgetown product scored 6.3 PPG on 30 percent shooting, 3.7 RPG and only 1 assist per game through 3 games before ending his summer league play to injury. One of the main problems for Porter's struggles is his lack of strength, Porter has a lanky frame of 6'9 205 and guarding the LeBron James and Carmelo Anthonys of the world will pose serious problems for him. There are many things that Porter does well but he does not really stand out in a particular skill set. He shot 42 percent from three in college but can he get his shot off against the NBA caliber talent? Can he make his lanky frame work ala Tayshawn Prince and become a terror on the defensive end or will he have similar struggles ala Wesley Johnson?

Big men Nene and Emeka Okafor are getting up there in age, both 30 years old. Can Nene stay healthy and provide the inside scoring he was known for 11 years in the NBA? Can Emeka Okafor provide the defensive presence necessary to compete with the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks of his division? They will also be backed by young promising bigs; Kevin Seraphin and Trevor Booker. The Frenchman Kevin Seraphin is similar to Nene in regard he knows how to score in the paint using his 275 pound frame to average 9.1 PPG in 21.8 minutes of play. Trevor Booker also provides energy off the bench grabbing 5 rebounds a game in 18.5 minutes of play. The bench also provides athletic utility man Trevor Ariza and the sharpshooting Martell Webster. Eric Maynor will look to forget his horrible Portland stint being over a year removed from his ACL injury, Jan Vesley has been disappointing so far in the NBA and this will be his make or break year and Glen Rice Jr. will look to crack the rotation after an excellent showing in the D-League.

Head Coach Randy Wittman is on the hot seat this year, and a playoff birth could prove to be all the difference to keep his job. The Wizards should be able to improve their total points per game that was ranked 28th in the league with 93.2 with a healthy John Wall, Beal and Nene. Their strength was in rebounding(43.2) and defense(95.8 allowed) that had them 8th and 9th in the league respectively and should be able to maintain their output. Everything I said about Kyrie Irving is the same with John Wall, I expect him to take his game to the next level. I had a tough time with this prediction, but the Wizards will just make the playoffs next season if Wall, Beal and Nene can stay healthy and if Porter can put his summer league play behind him.

Projected All Stars: John Wall

Season Projection: Playoff Contention(8th place if healthy)

NBA Season Preview 13-14: Orlando Magic

2012-2013 Regular Season Record: 20-62

Key Additions: G Victor Oladipo (Rd 1, Pick 2), F Jason Maxiell (2 yrs, 5 mil, 2.5 mil guaranteed) , G Ronnie Price (2 yrs, 2.58 mil, 1.27 mil guaranteed), F Romero Osby (Rd 2, Pick 51)

Key Losses: None

Projected Starting Lineup: PG: Jameer Nelson SG: Arron Affalo SF: Maurice Harkless PF: Tobias Harris C: Nikola Vucevic

Key Backups: G Victor Oladipo, F/C Glen "Big Baby" Davis, F Andrew Nicholson, F Jason Maxiell

Well there is one thing Orlando Magic fans can be happy about, they are now the clear cut winners of the Dwight Howard trade. It was always seemingly inevitable Dwight Howard would leave the Orlando Magic and unlike the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Magic managed to get pieces out of the trade in the form of Arron Afflalo, Maurice Harkless and Nikola Vucevic. What has also been the cause and effect was a huge rebuilding year, one that netted them the 2nd pick of the NBA draft in which the Magic choose Victor Oladipo.

Enter Victor Oladipo, part of the Indiana Hoosier resurgence alongside current Bobcat Cody Zeller, leads the current new look Orlando Magic. Oladipo is an intriguing prospect, blessed with excellent athleticism and good defensive qualitiesthat I found at first puzzling the Magic drafted him although having a playing style similar to the aforementioned Arron Afflalo. After watching the Orlando Summer League, Oladipo has left doubters including me speechless.

Orlando Head Coach Jacque Vaughn, tasked the Nigerian descent two guard of running the point guard position, one that doubters including me questioned with his presumed lack of ball handling and playmaking skills. Victor Oladipo put all those doubters including me on hush as he was the only other rookie not named Kelly Olynyk to make the first team of the Orlando Summer League scoring 19 points, grabbing 4.3 rebounds, five assists and picked off 3 steals through four games. Oladipo shown surprisingly good ball handling skills, a knack for hitting the big shot and blazing speed to cover both areas of the court in a matter of seconds. This summer league showing has him drawn to comparisons of Russell Westbrook, a player who also was almost exclusively a two guard in college playing at UCLA. While it is quick to put such a heavy ceiling on him, I expect after this summer league showing he will be used primarily as a point guard, and with learning under former point guard Jacque Vaughn and an experience point in Jameer Nelson, the sky is the limit on his presumed limited potential.

The free agent signings the Orlando Magic have made are not too much to note although Jason Maxiell and Ronnie Price adds some veteran presence in a young locker room. Maxiell was a high energy guy during eight seasons with the Pistons and Ronnie Price is an explosive combo guard who has seen stints with Sacramento, Utah, Phoenix and Portland. This team is obviously not expected to land a big star at this stage of development but are solid short term signings for a rebuilding team.

This rebuilding team has some nice rebuilding pieces. Despite Glen Davis being the designated starter of the Magic during the 2012-2013 season before being sidelined by a left ankle injury, I expect him to start the season on the bench after the tremendous showing of duo forwards; Maurice Harkless and Tobias Harris. Harkless struggled in the first half of the season when he was thrown into the starting spot after Hedo Turkgolu went down, but in the second half of the season, he averaged 13.4 PPG while rebounding at a clip of 5.3 in 35.7 minutes of play. The former St. John's man is versatile and athletic able of playing both forward spots and with further improvement on his shooting could be a player to watch for the Magic. Tobias Harris is also a player to keep an eye on and who would of thought the Magic came out with a rising star out of the trade of J.J. Redick. Tobias Harris averaged 17.5 PPG, grabbed 8.5 boards, chipped in 2.1 assists and also added a block post-trade playing the power forward position. At the age of 21, Tobias Harris already has a game mature beyond his years that will only improve with time.

Nikola Vucevic also surprised quite a few this season averaging 13.9 PPG and 11.9 rebounds even breaking Shaq's longstanding record of rebounds in a single game with 29 against the Miami Heat. In a league where it is rare to find talented seven-footers, the 76ers are wishing they had him back. Arron Afflalo had a heavy offensive workload last season scoring 16.5 PPG at a 44 percent clip. Same can be said for Jameer Nelson who scored 14.4 PPG and 7.4 assists before his season ended due to injury. Youn power forward Andrew Nicholson shown promise scoring 7.8 PPG in 16.7 minutes and could be in line for more playing time this season.

This upcoming season is only expected to be a slight improvement upon last season's 20-62 record. Jacque Vaughn is the right coach for the job with his leadership and his relationship to players as a former one himself, this team will grow as he grows. Unfortunately for this upcoming season they do not have much offensive firepower to compete in the Eastern Conference. This team is still in rebuilding mode and with the rising young talent they have, expect the Orlando Magic to make some noise a few years down the road.

Projected All-Stars: None

Season Projection: Bottom of the Eastern Conference

NBA Season Preview 13-14: Cleveland Cavaliers

2012-2013 Regular Season Record: 24-58

Key Additions: G Jarrett Jack (4 yrs 25 mil, 19.4 mil guaranteed ), F Earl Clark (2 yrs 9 mil, 4.5 mil guaranteed), C Andrew Bynum (2 yrs 24.75 mil, 6 mil guaranteed) Anthony Bennett  (Rd 1, Pick 1) , G/F Sergey Karasev (Rd 1, Pick 19), Head Coach Mike Brown

Key Losses: Head Coach Byron Scott

Projected Starting Lineup: PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Dion Waiters SF: Earl Clark PF: Tristan Thompson C: Andrew Bynum

Key Backups: C/F Anderson Varejao,G Jarrett Jack, F Anthony Bennett

After the infamous ESPN Special, "The Decision" in  July 8, 2010, the Cleveland Cavaliers immediately became a bottom tier team in the NBA in which I felt would never recover. Looking at the team three years later, the Cavaliers are set to make push towards the Eastern Conference's top eight. A huge reason for the come-up is third year guard Kyrie Irving, who has took all the pressure of being the post-LeBron franchise player and exceeded expectations with no sweat at all.

This former Duke guard operates the floor with undeniable confidence, has an incredible handle of the ball and creates a good image for the league being a huge difference from the Allen Iversons and Latrell Sprewells of the NBA. As a rookie, Irving posted stats of 18.5 PPG , 5.4 AST and a .47 field goal percentage playing 30.5 MPG. He followed up that season scoring 22.5 PPG, 5.9 AST with a .45 FG percentage  at 34.7 MPG. On top of these stats he also displayed deadly three point shooting with just over 39 percent for those first two seasons. While Kyrie is dynamic and dangerous on the offensive end, his defense could use some improvement. Over the past two years, Irving has been statistically one of the worst defensive point guards in the NBA. Despite that, he has made an improvement from his rookie year where he was abysmal on that side on the floor and will only improve with defensive minded Mike Brown as coach. If you take a look at the assists stats and consecutive seasons with over three turnovers per game, some can may take those outputs as alarming but for Kyrie's credit, he did not have much to work with and the ball had to be in his hands for his team to get a chance to win. With a plethora of new acquisitions at Kyrie's disposal, Irving is set to take the league by storm and is expected to battle Chris Paul and Derrick Rose as the best PG in the NBA.

Speaking on new acquisitions, Andrew Bynum, Earl Clark, Jarrett Jack and rookie Anthony Bennett adds much needed depth in the thin Cleveland Cavaliers. Arguably the biggest risk-reward in the free agency, Andrew Bynum known for having glass knees and being temperamental, was formerly the best post playing center in the NBA during his Los Angeles Lakers tenure averaging 18.7 PPG, grabbing 11.8 rebounds with almost 2 blocks and shooting 56 percent in the 2011-2012 season. You can also take into account that Bynum had to play with the high usage Kobe Bryant and a closer to prime Pau Gasol. If Andrew Bynum can even produce of semblance of that season, it will be a major improvement over what Cleveland had last year and at only 6 million guaranteed in his incentive laden contract, could prove to be a bargain.

 Jarrett Jack was one of the better point guards in the NBA let alone as a sixth man and should make a similar impact spotting Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters as he did with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Shooting 40 pct from the 3 point line would combine for a similar two 3 point guard tandem as he did with his former teammates and had really stepped up his game in the postseason scoring 17.2 PPG on an superb 50 percent field goal shooting in 35 minutes per game. Jarrett Jack could play either guard position and with a high basketball IQ and much needed playoff experience, Jack could be a team leader and possibly one of the top sixth man candidates for this young side.

Earl Clark is a versatile forward and fills the small forward position which was clearly the biggest hole on the team. The 25 year old has worked hard from being a fringe but promising NBA player to an established one gaining over 22 minutes for the Lakers last season and will have all to prove as a starter for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The surprise first pick Anthony Bennett will have to prove many doubters wrong to justify his draft status. Standing at 6 foot 8, will he be more of the lines of a Paul Millsap or Elton Brand or will he struggle with being an undersized tweener 4 just like more recent draftees; Michael Beasley or Derrick Williams? Other first round pick Sergey Karasev had questions on whether he would come to the NBA or remain in Russia for the upcoming season but with reports that he is indeed coming over could prove to be a good pick for the Cavs as his draft stock would have been higher.

As far as the other returning players on the team, Anderson Varejao is coming back off a life threatening injury with a blood clot. The good news is that Varejao is ready to return. Varejao was arguably the top center in the Eastern Conference before the blood clot averaging 14.1 PPG and 14.4 RPG on 48 percent shooting. I would expect Mike Brown to incorporate Varejao in the rotation by playing him at the power forward spot but for now I see him spelling Bynum and working with the second team. The current starting power forward Tristan Thompson has made strides in improvement and is a solid starter in the NBA. Given his two years of starting experience and is still developing I also expect Thompson to start over Bennett for the beginning of the season. Dion Waiters has shown flashes and even took over games for the Cavs when Kyrie Irving went down to injury. Shot selection and defense were a problem for him but on the offensive end when he is hot, he is on fire.

Even when Anderson Varejao was playing, the Cavaliers were still one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. The Cavaliers were sixth in the NBA in points allowed giving up 101.2 PPG, a near five point difference in what they scored which was 96.5 PPG. This is expected to be addressed with the hiring of Mike Brown for his second stint with the team. In his previous tenure, the Cavs were among the top defensive teams in the NBA for multiple years and made the Lakers formidable in defense before the Dwight Howard saga. Mike Brown has also coached Andrew Bynum during his best year which probably influenced Bynum's move to Cleveland. Although Mike Brown can bring defense, former coach Byron Scott has been very influential in the development of Kyrie Irving just like he was with Chris Paul in his early years and is surely not to blame for their losing records and is a better coach than given credit for.

Nonetheless, the Cavaliers have built a playoff contending team in the Eastern Conference and even though Dan Gilbert failed on promising fans they will win a title before LeBron, has surprised alot of people with the quick rebuild of his team. Kyrie Irving in my opinion will emerge as a top point guard and could prove to be an all star starter. Uncle Drew is a positive influence in the new generation of the NBA and is a good role model for children and the post aftermath of LeBron James for fans in Ohio.

Projected All-Stars: Kyrie Irving, Andrew Bynum(If healthy)

Season Projection: Playoff Contention