The Return of the NBA (Atlantic Division Preview)

What will Dallas do for an encore? How will the young Miami trio finally play right to win it all? Will Derrick Rose repeat as MVP? Are the Celtics and the Lakers too old to contend? Does the Thunder have what it takes to win it all? Is Melo and Amar'e enough for a Knick renaissance? And is the Clippers the newest big thing in Hollywood? We look forward to the 2011-12 NBA season.

We now preview the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division.

Boston Celtics

56-26 (3rd in East, lost to Heat in 2nd round 4-1)

Are the Celtics too old and fragile? Those are the questions they need to answer in a shortened 66-game season, in which 3 straight games and less off-days would take its toll on the Celtics' aging legs. The Celtics were known as strong starters, and the 2010-11 season was no exception. However the Kendrick Perkins trade and injuries somehow affected the Celtics, and by the time they faced a more energized Miami team, they looked lost and out of synch. This year, no such strong starts is possible because of the shortened season, and aside from Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, no one else is capable of playing big for Boston. Now with Jeff Green out with a heart ailment, they need Marquis Daniels and Sasha Pavlovic to play big roles. Brandon Bass is a great upgrade over Glen Davis, and Greg Stiemsma was a defensive revelation in the preseason, though Jermaine O'Neal will remain the starting center. Avery Bradley and Jajuan Johnson, kindly step up now there's no Delonte West to back Rondo up. 

New Jersey Nets

24-58 (12th in East, missed playoffs)

This is the Nets' final season in New Jersey, and if they want to leave the Garden State with a bang, all they need is to add a couple of big pieces to contend. For now Dwight Howard is in Orlando, but the Nets remain open with the possibility of acquiring him. Deron Williams is now the Nets' leading man, but one star alone is not enough to win. Potential star in the making Brook Lopez will start the year with a broken foot, which isn't good news for the Nets. Aside from Deron, the Nets have three more Williamses: Jordan, Shawne and Shelden, the latter two jumping from the Knicks. Shelden and Shawne however is expected to play big roles, as well as perimeter machine Anthony Morrow. Jordan Farmar will again provide big minutes off the bench at point guard, but they need Kris Humphries to focus on basketball rather than showbiz. They added Mehmet Okur to temporarily take Lopez's spot, but then again a history of injuries may make him liable once Howard jumps in (hopefully).

New York Knicks

42-40 (6th in East, lost to Celtics in 1st round 4-0)

The 'Melo-Amar'e era officially commenced in February 2011. But now they'll have a full season to turn the Knicks around. Anthony and Stoudemire are now tasked to lead the Knicks back to prominence, something not seen since Patrick Ewing roamed the Garden paint. They added Tyson Chandler, a defensive game-changer, as well as Mike Bibby. But Toney Douglas is expected to nail the starting point guard spot with Bibby backing up. And Iman Shumpert is getting rave reviews with his pre-season performance, and the Knicks fans hope Shumpert will sustain that in the regular season. Landry Fields need to revert back to the pre-Melo trade revelation of last season. A full season of 'Melo and Amar'e should provide the Knicks some hope. 

Philadelphia 76ers

41-41 (7th in East, lost to Heat in 1st round 4-1)

A slow start, then a strong finish. That's how to describe the 76ers' 2010-11 season, returning to the playoffs for the third time in four years. They played well in a loss to the Heat in the playoffs. Andre Iguodala remain the lead general, but now they need bigger roles from Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young. Jodie Meeks was a playoff revelation, and needs to sustain that this season. They may lack in a big name player, but Doug Collins' squad played hard. Still, playing hard and tough alone doesn't translate in a deeper playoff run. 

Toronto Raptors

22-60 (14th in East, missed playoffs)

It was a disastrous season after Chris Bosh bolted from Toronto to Miami. Now that they added Dwayne Casey to be their coach, could this be a fresh start for the Raptors? Andrea Bargnani is a not a center, and he looked lost at the five last season. So they need Aaron Gray, Jamaal Magloire and rookie Solomon Alabi to fort the paint, and Bargnani to fort the perimeter. Jose Calderon, Leandro Barbosa need to pass more, and DeMar DeRozan needs to improve his shooting rather than dunking on people. This Toronto team may reach the playoffs in the foreseeable future, so this is a rebuilding season for them. 

We'll preview the Central Division on our next post.

The Return of the NBA (Southeast Division Preview)

What will Dallas do for an encore? How will the young Miami trio finally play right to win it all? Will Derrick Rose repeat as MVP? Are the Celtics and the Lakers too old to contend? Does the Thunder have what it takes to win it all? Is Melo and Amar'e enough for a Knick renaissance? And is the Clippers the newest big thing in Hollywood? We look forward to the 2011-12 NBA season.

We first preview the Eastern Conference Southeast Division.

Atlanta Hawks

44-38 (5th in East, lost to Bulls in 2nd round 4-2)

The Hawks started and finished slow, yet somehow pulled off two wins in Round 2. Still not enough, though. Joe Johnson and Al Horford were the big stars, but the loss of Jamal Crawford is a bitter pill to swallow. Josh Smith is the fuse ready to explode, needs to be more assertive, though. Jeff Teague was a revelation in the playoffs, and may supplant Kirk Hinrich in the starting point guard job. Now they added Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse past their primes, but can they turn back the clock? Jason Collins did a good job against Dwight Howard in the playoffs, but is he good enough for a full-time starting center gig? These Hawks were still not good enough to contend, and probably be eliminated in the first round this time.

Charlotte Bobcats

34-48 (10th in East, missed playoffs)

The Bobcats took a step back, enduring a coaching change (Paul Silas replacing Larry Brown) and trading original Bobcat and all-star Gerald Wallace to Portland. Now Michael Jordan has to start over, again. The Bobcats lack star power and money to be a viable force in the league, and when you have guys like D.J. Augustin, Boris Diaw, Gerald Henderson, DeSagana Diop and Tyrus Thomas, you have a team with a recipe for disaster. Unless your name is Kemba Walker, if he's ready to lead the Bobcats back to prominence. They swapped Stephen Jackson for Corey Maggette, but that's still not a game-changing trade in Charlotte's part. 

Miami Heat

58-24 (2nd in East, lost to Mavericks in Finals 4-2)

Last season, the Heat were the talk of the NBA, with LeBron James and Chris Bosh becoming sidekicks to franchise leader Dwyane Wade. They started slow before finishing strong with 58 wins, and dumping the league-leading Bulls in the Conference Finals. They couldn't get together though against the Mavericks in the Finals. As proven time and time again, three stars are not enough to win it all. The Heat do have a blend of veterans and youngsters, and while James, Bosh and Wade will be there to lead the offense, they need valuable contributions on both ends from Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, James Jones and Mike Miller. They added defensive specialist Shane Battier for good reason. But they need Dexter Pittman to mature, fast. 

Orlando Magic

52-30 (4th in East, lost to Hawks in 1st round 4-2)

The preseason was all about the Dwight Howard trade rumors. For now, they were put to rest. As for the Magic, the season before was a disappointment, winning 52 games, then poofed against the Hawks in the first round. Superman needs his super-sidekicks, now. But when you have Hedo Turkoglu. Jason and Quentin Richardson, J.J. Redick, Ryan Anderson, Jameer Nelson and Chris Duhon, their games were more predicated from the outside. At least Anderson now has the penchant to crack the boards. But the inside game is something the Magic need more than ever, and even if they added Glen Davis from Boston, you may expect Howard to tire out blocking shots and rebounding. The trade of Marcin Gortat was a big blow for the Magic, and if Howard were to be traded, the lack of a center would knock Orlando out of contention.

Washington Wizards

23-59 (13th in East, missed playoffs)

The John Wall era got underway. Positive news. But Wall needs to grow up, fast. The Wizards are still a few pieces away from returning to prominence, but this group is promising. The return to the modernized 70s Bullets motif was a first step. And adding Jan Vessely and Shelvin Mack saw encouraging signs. But they need 2010 big money signee Andray Blatche to snap out of last season's funk, and for recent Manila visitor and naturalization candidate JaVale McGee to show that he's dangerous at center. And is Jordan Crawford better than Michael Jordan? He needs to prove that in 66 games.

We'll preview the Atlantic Division on our next post.

Ray Bourque and the Stanley Cup, 10 Years Later

Ray Bourque winning the 2001 Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche

Ray Bourque may have been better known wearing the Bruins' black and gold for three decades. But it was wearing the Avalanche's maroon and ice blue sweaters that sealed his Hall of Fame career. In his final NHL season of 2000-01, he finally tasted the only prize that had eluded him since getting drafted by the Bruins in 1979: the Stanley Cup. That year, Bourque and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the defending champion New Jersey Devils in seven games for their second Stanley Cup. But instead of holding the newly-won cup up high, Avs captain Joe Sakic immediately handed it over to Bourque who raised it in a moment of triumph and vindication. A few weeks after, he brought it to Boston and presented it to the Bruins faithful.

For Bourque, it was a moment to remember, as it healed all the struggles he endured while wearing the Bruins' black and gold. As a Bruin, he captained the team to the Stanley Cup Finals twice in 1988 and 1990, only to lose to a more dominant Edmonton Oilers dynasty each time. The Bruins were title contenders in Bourque's prime, and at its peak winning the President's Trophy in 1990, they had a dangerous team of Bourque, Cam Neely, Don Sweeney, Reggie Lemelin, Andy Moog and Glen Wesley. The Bruins though weren't able to solve the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers, and even Patrick Roy and the Canadiens of Montreal. After 20-plus years, Bruins GM Harry Sinden traded his star to the Avalanche midway through the 2000 season in the hopes of winning the Stanley Cup.

In 2001, the Avs already sported a dangerous team of Sakic, Roy, Adam Foote, Milan Hejduk, Peter Forsberg, Rob Blake, and now Bourque. That combo would ride their way to the President's Trophy that year and eventually beat the Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Devils of two Scotts (Stevens and Niedermayer), Martin Brodeur, Ken Daneyko and Patrik Elias, the Avs had a hard time disposing of the defending champions, before finally extinguishing them at Pepsi with a 3-1 Game 7 victory. And after commissioner Gary Bettman handed the cup to Sakic, he immediately handed it over to Bourque in a show of respect for the retiring defenceman.

Ten years later, his old team broke a 39-year title drought at Vancouver, in a Game 7 and in a shutout that triggered a riot outside Rogers Arena. Even though his triumph didn't come from wearing a black and gold sweater, the Bruins still retired Bourque's No. 77 in a show of class and respect.  The Avs did the same by retiring his number, despite playing for only a year and a half. Bourque was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. Though he may have won the cup in Colorado, he's still a Bruin to me. 

Another NHL Coaching Change

'Till We Meet Again: Jacques Martin

On Saturday, December 17, the Montreal Canadiens fired head coach Jacques Martin. At the time the Habs were 11th in the East with 13-12-7, but it was poor offense and the habit of blowing 2nd period leads that cost Martin's job. 

Martin had just won 600 NHL games late last season, and in his two-plus season tenure have led the Canadiens twice into the post-season. But with the team in the near-bottom this season, the Montreal brass needed a new voice. Randy Cunneyworth, his assistant was promoted for the season on an interim basis. The big knock on Cunneyworth is his lack of knowledge in the French tongue, the primary language in Montreal, so it may take a while before he gets used to the surroundings. Good luck on Cunneyworth to turn things around.

P.S.: Cunneyworth and the Habs visit TD Garden and the defending champion Bruins tomorrow. They currently own a 2-1 mark against Boston in the six-game matchup, but the Bruins are looking to tie the season series, having rolled to an 18-2-1 mark since their last defeat against the Habs. Good luck to my Bruins in bringing down the Habs.

NHL Winter Classic 2012

The fifth annual NHL Winter Classic will be on January 2, 2012 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The diamond and outfield the Phillies usually play on will be temporarily converted into a hockey rink for this occasion. This edition will pit the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers; the Flyers having played in the annual classic before. In the 2010 Winter Classic the Flyers lost to the Bruins in overtime 2-1 at Boston's Fenway Park; the Flyers would exact some measure of revenge by overcoming a 3-0 deficit to beat the Bruins in that year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Flyers and Rangers are off to good starts this season; the Flyers currently leading the Eastern Conference, while the Rangers rank 4th. Expect this to be as entertaining and as exciting as the previous Winter Classics. The game will be at 1:00 p.m. ET on NBC.

By the way, the game will be played on January 2 instead of the customary spot on New Year's Day to avoid conflict with the Mummer's Parade in Philadelphia.

A Tough Spot for Coaches (Update)

I mentioned before about the reasons coaches get fired. Monday saw three different coaches fired. In the NHL, after a four-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Kings fired Terry Murray as head coach and replaced him on an interim basis by John Stevens. The NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, due to the rash of injuries and a 5-8 record, fired coach Todd Haley and replaced him with Romeo Crennel on an interim basis. And in Miami, the Dolphins fired Tony Sparano and Todd Bowles took over for the final three games, with the Dolphins sporting a 4-9 mark. Best of luck to the new coaches for turning your team around.

'Till We Meet Again: Terry Murray, Tony Sparano, Todd Haley.

Back in Business

The NBA is back in business, as training camps and free agency got underway on December 9. It all came together after the commissioner's office and the players association agreed upon a new CBA that officially closed the door on the lockout.

During the lockout players either signed contracts overseas, dabbed in other non-basketball endeavors, or played in exhibition contests. As the first day of training camp got underway several teams were a few players short of the minimum training camp count of 14 players. The free agency period was so short that team executives were finding it hard to sign the right players. Worse, several players were signed to overseas contracts during the lockout, particularly in China where foreign players were signed for one year, without an opt-out clause. So the executives in every team need to think fast in finding the right players.

The big news prior to the start of training camp is the proposed Chris Paul to Lakers trade that also involves the Rockets. However, the NBA, as owners of the Hornets, rejected the trade. Paul, a free agent at season's end, did show up in the Hornets' camp, but his status as a Hornet remains under speculation. Likewise Dwight Howard, also an FA in 2012, is being subjected to trade rumors after the Magic lost in the first round the previous year. The big news is that the Magic were unable to surround Howard with the right talent that would keep Orlando's title hopes high, and the possibility of Howard going to the Lakers, Clippers or the Nets is being discussed.

Other news on Day One of training camp include the possible retirement of oft-injured Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy, David West possibly leaving the Hornets for the Celtics, the Mavericks losing Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler to the Knicks and Clippers, respectively, and Nene's status with the Nuggets. We'll keep you posted on the latest news regarding the NBA free agency and training camp.