Thanksgiving Weekend

Tomorrow I depart to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. I will not blog, but I will eat and sleep a lot, and that is all that really matters.

Blessings:
Thanksgiving.

Review

Ok, so after Sundays events, it seems that most of the sports media have put the New York Giants ahead of the Tennessee Titans in their power rankings. I suppose this is ok because they are both one-loss teams, and the Giants are the defending champs. Also, the Giants appear to be more complete because of their three headed monster at running back, talented and under appreciated wide receiving corps, and even more under appreciated defense. Eli Manning has also been very good this season. Meanwhile, the Titans have Kerry Collins, who, while being solid, is still far from spectacular. The Titans have only a two headed monster at running back, but I would argue an equally effective one. Sundays game is not a good idea of how LenDale White normally plays. Our receiving corps, while not as good as the Giants, is also under appreciated, as is our defense, especially in the case of Albert Haynesworth. But there is one other point I would like to bring up: after yesterdays loss, all Ive heard about is how the Titans were "destroyed" by the Jets. One look at the score (34-13), and we can safely conclude that that is a fairly accurate statement. But my problem is that after the Giants lost in week 6 to the Cleveland Browns by a margin of 35-14, I didnt hear a single member of the media say that they got "destroyed." And whats worse is that the Giants lost to the Browns. The Browns. Who have a record of, what, 4-7? And yet we lose by the same margin to a team that is 8-3 and we get "destroyed?" The media doesnt make any sense and they just want to hype up a New York-New York Super Bowl. While I love the Titans and wish them the best, I still do not believe that they have what it takes to go to the Super Bowl, but I dont think that the Jets do, either. Pittsburgh does. I just dont appreciate that no ones giving the Titans any love.

Blessings:
The Supernal Gift of Prayer.

Waking Up Early

Today was only the second day all semester that I have woken up before my alarm. It was weird and I did not like it.

Blessings:
Home Teaching. Maybe Ill explain later, but you never have any idea how much a program that is designed to bless the lives of other people actually blesses you.

Religious Moment

Ok, I dont do this often, but today I want to post my favorite scripture, which is The Book of Joshua Chapter 24, Verse 15: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
I love this verse for so many reasons. For starters, it lays the pattern for us all to follow for us to accomplish our goal of eternal life in Celestial glory, and that pattern is to choose today whom ye will serve. If you choose today, that makes all your later decisions so much easier, because you will have already made the decision to be on the Lords side. It puts all of the little decisions that are so hard to make into eternal perspective if you just ask yourself: “Will I serve the Lord, or will I serve Satan?” The choice seems so much easier when put in those words. Also, I love Joshuas resolve. Even though his “choice” may be the unpopular one, and even if lots of people ridicule him for it, “he and his house will serve the Lord.” It teaches us to not be ashamed of our church or our Lord. It is these two simple principles that make every decision that we face in life so much easier. We must ask ourselves two questions when faced with a decision: “Am I on the Lords side? Do I care what anyone else thinks?” If the answers to those questions are “Yes,” and “No,” respectively, then you will always be making the right decision. Thus, this scripture, has the ability to change your way of thinking in every decision you make, and it will always help you make the right decision. I know that if we choose today to serve the Lord, then our decisions in the future will be so much easier. I know that me and my house, we will serve the Lord, no matter what others might say about us.

Blessings:
Being home.

Stupid Sleep Schedule

Ok, so I realize that I have been mightily inconsistent with my posts recently. This is because I honestly dont know what day it is. This is because I have accidentally become nocturnal. Yesterday, for instance, was a weird day. It started out at 11am, Wednesday morning. I was then awake up until 7pm Thursday night. I slept until 1am, and then awoke. My days are exorbitantly long, and usually much of it is during hours when all the humans slumber. I am questioning my own humanity because my lack of sleep affects me very little, honestly, other than that I have no idea what day it is. But, when trying to live with the humans, it becomes increasingly difficult because, not only do I not know what day it is, but they are most awake at times that I am most tired, and I am most tired at times that they are most awake. Oh well?

Blessings:
Cell phones.

Internet=Was Broken

My internet inexplicably quit working the other day. So, for the past day and a half I have been without internet access. Interesting fact-I sleep much much more when I have no internet.

Blessings:
Internet.

The Necktie

It is an odd piece of fabric that does not warm the neck, and in fact serves almost no purpose of functionality other than fashion. And I hate fashion. And yet I love the necktie. It can represent ability, respect, and high socio-economic status. At the same time it can also represent rebellion, youth, and retro-appreciation. I have just always thought that they are interesting. And thus I like them. And thus we shall keep them.

Blessings:
Chinese food. Its delicious, no joke.

I am not yet Dead

I survived the teeth pulling.

Blessings:
A mouth that doesnt hurt.

To Die will be an awfully Big Adventure

Tomorrow I get my wisdom teeth removed. To die will be an awfully big adventure...

Blessings:
Warm Novembers.

Three Tests in One Day=Awful

Today, at the colleging type, I took three tests in one day. For all of you at the high-schooling-type who take, like, five tests a day and think that three is no big deal, you must realize that I only have four classes, so taking three tests in one day is insane. So pretty much, my brain is fried. And it is no good.

Blessings:
Taking a break

Tonight-I Sleep!

I have not done so in two days, so Im excited.

Blessings:
Have you ever had one of those moments when it seems like time slows down allowing you to cram in more than you thought you could? I had one today, and it was very good.

Making Friends and Influencing People by The Correct One

Hello, world. I am feeling generous today, so I would like to tell you all how to make lots of friends. Now, lots of people say really weird things like smiling all the time, being nice to everybody, and using their names constantly, but really, this is all ridiculous. Making friends is a simple two step process. It is time tested and true. So, without further ado:
1. Tell the cinder block joke-This is the most complicated step in the process. Technically, the prerequisite to this step is to find somebody (or somebodies) who you want to be your friend(s). You gather them around you, and then you tell this simple joke: "Ok, so a father and his three daughters were on a long car ride, and they were getting kind bored, so, to pass the time, the oldest daughter asked: 'Daddy, why did you and mommy name me Rose?' 'Well thats simple' said the father. 'Its actually kind of a funny story. When you were a little baby, a rose petal fell on your head, so we decided to name you Rose.' And so the oldest daughter was like: 'Oh thats cool.' Then the middle daughter got interested, and so she asked: 'Daddy, why did you and Mommy name me Lily?' Once again, the father quickly responded: 'Well, when you were a little baby, a lily petal fell on your head, so we decided to name you Lily.' The second daughter thought that this was cool too. Then the thrid daughter said: 'DUHR!' Once again the father quickly responded: 'Shut up, Cinderblock!'" Now, this may seem simple, but you would be surprised how many people mess it up. There are a few key points. Firstly, as goes with any joke, try to not laugh in the middle of it. Also, if you introduce the joke as the "cinder block joke," by the time you finish with Lily, the audience should be able to tell where you are going, so you have to really sell the next part. The noise is really the key to it all. You have to make it sound like you are the stupidest person on the planet. It is acting. You must try to sound as if you actually had a cinder block dropped on your head when you were a baby. This is the funniest part of the joke. "Shut up, Cinderblock!" is just icing on the cake. Also, you need not repeat this joke word for word. If you know anything about humour, then you should be able to tell where the important parts of the joke are. Include those main points, but feel free to embellish or shorten where needed.
2. Quit while you are on top-Never speak to these people again. Fear not, after the cinder block joke, you will be allowed in with any group. You need not ever do anything again, but you have already bought yourself permanent access to their club.
And that is how you make friends. It is that simple. I wish you all luck.

Blessings:
A certain stage presence.

I can Sleep a Ton

Ok, so this is an old story, but its important for you all to know about the future Ruler of the Worlds sleeping habits. Once I slept for 37 hours strait-undrugged. It was not pleasant, and it took a lot of practice to get up to that level, but I managed it. Behold my awesomeness.

Blessings:
Feeling invited.

Southwest

When the NBA realigned a few years back, all of these teams had been in the playoffs a year before. Not much has changed. All of the teams are expected to be in the playoff picture this year, with the exception of the Grizzlies, who I think arent even as bad as people say.
1. New Orleans Hornets-Everyone knows that the starting five is superb. But does the bench have the depth to get them to the finals? Last year, the answer was obviously no. But this year, I would watch for two things (and sometimes when you have a team this good thats all it needs) that will help them get to the finals: free agent James Posey, and the continued improvement and playing time of Julian Wright. Posey has played on a championship team the past few seasons. Hes just a savvy, scrappy vet who plays hard and can also hit an outside shot. Wright, has loads of potential, and if the Hornets can find minutes for him, I think it will pay huge dividends.
2. San Antonio Spurs-Well, its an odd numbered year, so that means that the Spurs are going to win the championship, right? Wrong. The Spurs are getting up there in years and its starting to show. Early returns on the season show how tough the going has been. They are 1-3, with their one win coming in double overtime AGAINST THE TIMBERWOLVES. And that was only after Tony Parker scored 55 points. But theyve been playing without the services of Manu Ginobili. Also, I fully expect the Spurs to be ready to play for real soon. It is, after all, an odd numbered year...
3. Houston Rockets-Ron Artest certainly makes this team better. But how much better? Not enough. Why? Just a hunch. All I know is that no Tracy McGady-led team has ever made it out of the first round. I fully expect that trend to continue.
4. Dallas Mavericks-On the one hand, Josh Howard, Jason Kidd, and Dirk Nowitzki form a scary team, especially considering the supporting cast of DeSagana Diop, Jerry Stackhouse, and Jason Terry. But on the other hand, this team did not look good last year after the Jason Kidd trade, not to mention that Josh Howard decided to open up a can of crazy. Playoffs are still likely, but I think that this team has more chemistry issues that didnt come from Avery Johnson.
5. Memphis Grizzlies-I honestly think that these guys are better than a lot of people say. Im not saying that theyre going to make the playoffs or anything, but I think that theyll surprise a lot of people. The Pau Gasol trade might turn out to work in their favor because his brother Marc Gasol has actually looked really good in the preseason and early part of the season. Darrell Arthur got bounced around a lot on draft night, but that doesnt mean that hes no good. Look for him to make an impact with this team. Mike Conley should be much improved and may start looking like he was worthy of being the #3 pick in last years draft. Unfortunately for him, Javaris Crittenton is also looking like a nice pickup in the Gasol trade. They might compete for minutes. Rudy Gay continues to get better and he should be an All-Star this season. Marko Jaric will be a vet on this team after coming over from Minnesota in the Mayo-Love trade, but he should be able to be a valuable asset. Mayo himself is an obvious ROY candidate, along with Marc Gasol, actually, Darko Milicic is another vet, and although hes never developed into what he was drafted to be, hes still solid, especially on the glass, which is an area that this team needs special help. Overall, Im just excited about this team. Not for this year, but for the future. Its all coming together in Memphis.
Well, now just to recap how I have things set up-
West East
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons
8. Dallas Mavericks 8. Washington Wizards
4. Portland TrailBlazers 4. Miami Heat
5. Utah Jazz 5. Philadelphia 76ers
2. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Boston Celtics
7. Houston Rockets 7. Orlando Magic
3. San Antonio Spurs 3. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Phoenix Suns 6. Toronto Raptors

2nd Round
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons
5. Utah Jazz 5. Philadelphia 76ers
2. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Boston Celtics
3. San Antonio Spurs 3. Cleveland Cavaliers

Conference Finals
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons
2. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Boston Celtics

Finals
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons

Champion
Detroit Pistons

MVP-Chris Paul
ROY-Michael Beasely
Defensive Player of the Year-Tyson Chandler
Most Improved Player-Rodney Stuckey
6th Man of the Year-James Posey
Coach of the Year-Byron Scott

Blessings:
The ability to download programs that do my homework for me (dont ask).

Pacific

The most intriguing thing about this division is the swap of two big time players wihtin the division and how that will affect each team.
1. Los Angeles Lakers-Still arguably the best team in the west. They went all the way to game six of the finals last year, and that was without their budding star center Andrew Bynum. The biggest loss this offseason was the loss of Ronny Turiaf, who was a solid backup, but the readdition of Bynum should make up for that. The biggest "addition" is the new strategy in lineup management. When the trade was made last year for Pau Gasol, everyone was talking about the fearsome frontcourt of Gasol, Bynum, and Lamar Odom. But it became apparent in the Finals last season that Odom was misplaced, and there was actually a lot of trade talk surrounding him. So Phil Jackson did what apparently has become popular lately, taken their third or fourth scoring option on the team, and made them come off the bench. This will allow Odoms unique skill set to exploit the lesser half of a teams rotation, and also allow the other bigs, Gasol and Bynum, to get some rest without losing that much of a step on the court. All in all, this team hasnt "improved" much, but they were very good last season, and with the continued development of Jordan Farmar, we may see this team back in the Finals.
2. Phoenix Suns-The "new look" Suns play at a much slower pace and still cant play defense. So how are they still going to make the playoffs? Well, they have a total of three MVP awards and three Rookie of the Year awards to their name, and no team with that much talent is going to just fall off the face of the map, even if they have a rookie coach and are very old. I still think Steve Nash is one of the top five point guards in the league. Other than that, watching Robin Lopez's development will be fun. Also, look for a Leandro Barbossa trade somewhere along the line.
3. Golden State Warriors-Last season, this team was the best team in NBA history to not make the playoffs. Then, they lost their best player. Then, they lost his replacement. Could things be going any worse for this team? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. They are still a collection of overachieving hustlers with potential to go to the playoffs, but probably not the discipline to do so. Just to give you a taste of what this team is about, listen to this: Kelenna Azubuike could go for 40, or be a non-factor. Andris Biendrins can score 20, grab 20 boards, and have two blocks, or he can be invisible. And the list goes on of players who play like that. The good news is that they sort of at least replaced Barons scoring in the offseason with Corey Maggette, who really was a Warrior waiting to happen. Also, the Anthony Randolph pick should turn out to be a good one. Ronny Turiaf should also be a nice addition on the inside. They traded for Marcus Williams basically out of necessity after losing Monta Ellis, but I actually think that he will be a big factor and might be able to start alongside Ellis once he comes back. Brandon Wright is another intriguing player. He could be great if they ever gave him some minutes. Overall, I dont see playoffs, but I do see interesting. Same old, same old...
4. Los Angeles Clippers-They managed to lure Baron Davis away from Golden State, but only after losing their big star, Elton Brand. What does it leave them with? About the same place they were last season. But the Clippers werent done there. They basically redid their entire roster, adding, among others, Marcus Camby, Ricky Davis, Eric Gordon, Jason Hart, DeAndre Jordan, and Mike Taylor. So NOW how do they stack up against the other elites in the West? Well, they might be more interesting, but theyre still not even close to the level of the bigs. It will take a few years for guys like Eric Gordan, Deandre Jordan, and even Al Thornton to fully develop, and that means no playoffs for a while for these guys. The worst part is that by the time these guys are ready, guys like Baron Davis and Marcus Camby are going to be done.
5. Sacramento Kings-Everyone, even the Maloofs, know that this team is going nowhere this season. But the good news is that the future looks bright. For a rebuilding team, this team has the perfect mix of young talent and vets to help teach them what to do. It begins with the young guys who are going to be stars in the next few years-Donte Greene, Spencer Hawes, Kevin Martin, Jason Thompson, and Beno Udrih. They will learn from the savvy vets-Bobby Jackson, Brad Miller, John Salmons, and Kenny Thomas. And hey, they may even win a few games in the process.
Tomorrow we finish off our NBA preview with what might be the toughest division in all of sports-The Southwest. Can Chris Paul lead a team with no bench to the Finals? Can Ron Artest help T-Mac and Yao make it out of the first round? Is it an odd numbered year (yes...)? Will being off of "The Little Generals" leash help Dallas return to glory? Can Memphis's young guns make them respectable?

Blessings:
Weekends.

Northwest

Finally, I get to talk about the Jazz. Unfortunately, I made these picks before the season began, and so, in order to not be stupid and use the first week of the season as part of my equation, I have to keep my picks the way they were right after the preseason, and that means that I have Portland taking the division. I...well...I...well Ill explain in a second I guess.
1. Portland TrailBlazers-On paper, this team appears to be young, explosive, able to defend, and deep. Their one true problem? Fragility. And the early returns on the season show that that is a big factor. But presumably, this team will be good when they are all healthy. This past summer was huge for the Blazers. Firstly, they have four rookies on their roster, three of which have a legitimate shot at winning ROY and the other one being a very good role player. They traded for Jerryd Bayless, who may be the steal of the draft. He'll be starting by midseason. Then theres Rudy Fernandez who is already one of the best international players in the NBA. And of course, Greg Oden. In the 13 minutes that hes played this season, he showed us what a defensive force he can be. Also, the rest of the team is very young and will only get better as the season goes along. Even if they dont win the division, it will be fun to watch the progress of the following: LaMarcus Aldridge, Channing Frye, Travis Outlaw, Brandon Roy, and Martell Webster. Every single player of mentioned will make a contribution to this team this year. See? They just look so deep. But...
2. Utah Jazz-Sometimes things dont work out the way they look, and thats why the Jazz are still the best team in this division. The only significant roster change over the summer was the acquisition of Brevin Knight who will be a better backup point guard than Jason Hart was. But other significant changes were made. Firstly, Andrei Kirilenko was moved to the bench. But wait, isnt that the guy whos been complaining about his PT over the past two or so seasons? Yes, yes it is, but he and Coach Sloan have it all worked out. See, like Manu Ginobili from San Antonio, Andrei will now come off the bench at about the same time all the good players on the other team go out. He will destroy them. Also, the early returns on the season show that he is getting much more playing time than starter CJ Miles. The other big change? We call it time. All the good players on this team just keep getting better: Deron Williams, Morris Almond (who should get more PT this season and start scoring in bunches like he did in the NBDL last season), Ronnie Brewer (my breakout player of the year pick), Kyrylo Fesenko, Kosta Koufos, Paul Millsap, and Ronnie Price. It will be interesting to see who gets more minutes at backup center, Fesenko or Koufos. One, or hopefully both, are the heir apparent at center, so their play will be interesting to watch. Even Carlos Boozer will be playing better this year because hes in a contract year. Brewers really going to explode, guys. Two years from now hes going to be a star. Im talking 20 ppg, 2.5 stlpg and being a leader on this team along with Deron. But yeah, this might be our last year to do it because Boozer, for some stupid reason, is dreaming of Miami Beach, and who knows how long AK-47 will put up with being a backup, and Matt Harprings knees are giving out, and Im not sure how much Sloan has left in the tank, and Okur is looking more and more like hes not the answer, and yeah, we need to get this done. But we can do it. It all comes down to facing teams like LAL, NOH, SAS, PHX, DAL, and HOU. If we can beat those teams, then we're in good shape.
3. Denver Nuggets-Once again, these are preseason picks, so the Iverson-Billups trade does not factor in here, although honestly I think that its a very even trade for the teams, so either way the bottom line here is that the Nuggets are not making it to the playoffs this year. Their defense was already swiss cheese last season, and that was before they gave away Marcus Camby. There is no way a team that doesnt even attempt to play defense is going to make it to the playoffs. Not in the west. No.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves-It was a busy offseason for the Wolves, mostly because they dumped a few huge contracts. They did, however, manage to pick up a few important pieces in the process, though. Firstly a trade with Philadelphia produced Rodney Carney, which nobody seems big on anymore, but this guy was a first round draft pick just a few years ago. I dont see why if he gets some playing time he cant shine. Just give the guy a chance. Then of course there was the draft night trade that produced rookie Kevin Love and vet Mike Miller. Both of these guys are going to be very helpful. But as is the case with most young teams, the biggest help this team is going to get is time. Al Jefferson is only going to get better, and hopefully the same is true for Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Rashad McCants, Craig Smith, and Sebastian Telfair. Or they could all stagnate. Who knows?
5. Oklahoma City Thunder-Sounds weird, doesnt it? It should still be the Sonics, but some owners are stupid. Anyway, about the team: they suck. The good news is that everybody knows it and nobody expects anything from them. Not even the fans. They are young, though, so watching the development should be fun. Let me just name drop for a second, and then check back in a few years and tell me how many of these guys made All-Star appearances: Jeff Greene, Kevin Durant, DJ White, Russell Westbrook. All right, thats all I got for this "team."
And so, tomorrow we continue our Parade through the NBA by looking at the most boring conference in the west: the Pacific. Are the Lakers the best team in the leauge? Will the Suns die midway through the season from shere exhaustion? How big is the loss of Baron Davis? How big is the loss of Elton Brand? Besides Kevin Martin, who plays for Sacramento?

Blessings:
Pushed back deadlines. Particularly for homework.

Southeast

Last season we watched the Boston Celtics go from worst to first. So dont call me crazy when I go predicting a big bounce back from Miami's disappointing season. Also, Gilbert Arenas being hurt will hurt Washington this year. Orlando will once again not live up to expectations. Atlanta will "come back to earth," and Charlotte will be Charlotte.
1. Miami Heat-Last season was doomed from the start. Dwayne Wade was injured, and Shaq had had it. But this season is different. Wade is back and healthy, and if we're just going off of his most recent Olympic appearance, then he looks like the best player in the world. Also, Shawn Marion is a major improvement over Shaq, especially since hes playing to showcase his talents this year. Also, Udonis Haslem is back, and he is often underestimated. He can be counted on for 10 and 10 a night, which in the east is huge. Also, theres a new kid in town named Michael Beasley. Honestly, I dont think he'll win ROY (that would be Derrick Rose), but theres no doubt that he'll help. Mario Chalmers is also an interesting pickup. Dont get me wrong, this team isnt making it back to the Finals any time soon, but they are playoff ready.
2. Orlando Magic-This team basically has not changed last year, which normally is a pretty good strategy for a young playoff team. But this teams big star, Dwight Howard, did not impress anybody in the Olympics, and it really scares me for this teams future. Other nice young centers are popping up all over the league-Andrew Bynum, if Greg Oden can ever stay healthy, Al Jefferson, and so forth. Im just not sure that Dwight Howard is everything everyone claims him to be. And if hes not, then this team is nothing. With that said, I think that he is very good, just a little overrated. I also think that this team is definetly good enough to make the playoffs.
3. Washington Wizards-This team might be the best team in the division, but Gilbert Arenas cant stay not hurt. Also, this is another team that didnt do a whole lot in the offseason. Well, they did, but it was all in house, namely resigning Mr. Im Always Injured and also Antawn Jamison. So, this team is merely a borderline playoff team. What will be fun to watch is how much rookie JaVale McGee will get used (he needs a ton of time to develop, but he could be great when and if he breaks that plateau) and the progression of Nick Young.
4. Atlanta Hawks-The Hawks were terribly inconsistent last season, and on the whole, not good. And yet they made it to the playoffs and even pushed the eventual champion Boston Celtics to seven games before getting blown out. So what are we to make of them? Overachievers, thats what. Also, this team has gotten worse since last year. I know that Josh Childress wasnt the best player on the planet, but he was their sixth man, and they used him a ton, too. In sum, this team is back to where they should have been last year-a few years away.
5. Charlotte Bobcats-Some things never change. Well, at least theyre exciting this year. Only four things are certain-Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace will be under appreciated studs, Emeka Okafor will be solid but not spectacular, and Adam Morrison will be ugly. As with the other stuff, the DJ Augustin pick brings intrigue into the backcourt. If, somehow, the Bobcats are making a playoff push midseason, Raymond Felton might be able to fetch a mid-level vet come trade deadline time. Also, two disappointing high draft picks might have their last chance to impress in Charlotte-Sean May and Adam Morrison. So their play should be fun to watch. But overall, this is still an underwhelming team. A pushover, if you will. Hey, I call them when I see them.
Tomorrow we get to look at the division with my favorite team in it: The Utah Jazz, which means its time for the Northwest division and the questions that come with it: How good is Greg Oden? Can Utah press beyond the other tough teams in the west? Shouldnt they just drop the "D" in "Denver" and totally change the name of the city to "Enver?" Can Minnesotas young and inconsistent backcourt step up and help Big Al out? Why move?

Blessings:
Enfranchisement

Atlantic

This division last year contained both the eventual champion and also the laughingstock of the NBA. We may see more of the same this year. But the teams in between bring intrigue. Real intrigue. So-
1. Boston Celtics-Still the men in green cannot be counted out. Everyone is questioning their hunger, but when everybody comes out and starts predicting the Lakers, the Rockets, or whoever to win the championship, I think that makes them more hungry. Plus, I would never count out Kevin Garnetts hunger. But there is no denying that this team is getting older-but thats only bad for three specific players. Other guys are only going to get better with age. Im talking about Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis. If Rondo can play like he did in game 6 of the Finals (I know thats unrealistic) or anywhere close to it, then this team will stay in contention. Look for Kendrick Perkins to develop into a Samuel Dalembert-like player. Tough inside and on the glass, and his offensive game is constantly expanding. He'll always be underappreciated, though. Tony Allen will develop into a Bruce Bowen-like player, which is all that they need from him. Playing behind KG is clearly helping Leon Powe immensely. The loss of Posey will hurt, but not enough to keep this team from contention.
2. Philadelphia 76ers-The big winners in the offseason were able to not only lure the best free agent on the market to Philly, but also able to resign their current star-Andre Iguodola. But already this team appears to have its window closing, so they might have to go for it all this year. A lot depends on the health of Elton Brand. When he plays, hes as consistent as you can get, but he only played two games last year. Philly cannot allow that to happen. The Sixers also shored up their bench over the summer, too, adding vets Royal Ivey, Donyell Marshall, Theo Ratliff, Kareem Rush, and rookie Marreese Speights. Speights will need time to develop, but they can afford it with the frontcourt in front of him. So, in conclusion, this team could be freaking amazing, or an overrated disappointment.
3. Toronto Raptors-This team also took a gamble this offseason-trading away some big time talent and a first round draft pick for a high risk high reward player named Jermaine O'Neal. The Raptors are hoping that Jermaine can stay healthy, play at the level that he was playing at a few years ago, and play team basketball. My bet is that he can only do it for so long, and they eventually collapse into a purple puddle of nothing by the end of the season. Other factors will also hamper this team. They traded away everything including their bench for Jermaine O'Neal. That will certainly hurt them come playoff time. Andrea Bargnani appears to be a bust so far, and that will definetly hurt the Raps. This team depends far too much on Jamario Moon. I love the guy and hes freakishly entertaining, but he shouldnt be starting on this team. So, although this teams starting five might be one of the best in the league, these huge lingering factors will finally all blow up in their face come playoff time.
4. New Jersey Nets-The firesale was on midway through last season, and now we are left with a collection of interesting but not very good players to play this season with. You should feel blessed the Knicks are in your division. I honestly dont expect Vince Carter to last through the season with this team. I really think that anybody and everybody is up for grabs, so long as you can get LeBron come 2010. But the Nets are preparing for the future in other ways, too. They had a very productive draft, grabbing Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, and Chris Douglas-Roberts, all of whom will contribute this year. Lopez finds himself in the most interesting position, fighting for playing time with the undersized but talented Boone, the constantly crying and overpaid Stromile Swift, and the offense deficient Sean Williams. I dont know how the Nets are going to handle that one. Yi Jianlins progress will also be fun to watch. As a final note, Devin Harris will not develop into an All-Star, no matter what you think. He had a better team in Dallas, and thats why he was doing well. Here, hes just another guy. They should have kept Marcus Williams.
5. New York Knickerbockers-I honestly dont even know what to say. If you are anyone, except maybe a hardcore Knicks fan, the only thing you have to look forward to on this team is Jamal Crawfords response to Mike D'Antonis offense and how quickly Danilo Gallinari will get booed out of town. Why is Stephon Marbury still on this team?
Wow, you guys have no idea how happy I am to be out of that division. It just makes me sad, honestly. Unfortunately, tomorrow we will be examining the worst division in all of basketball-the Southeast, where we get to consider questions like: Is Dwayne Wade Miami? Is Dwight Howard the new slim T-Mac? Is Atlanta for real? Why did the NBA Live 2009 simulation predict Charlotte to be a playoff team? What will become of Agent 0?

Blessings:
Daylight savings time. Yeah, more sleep!

NBA Season Preview-Central

All right. Once again this is a little late. And also I know I havent even updated you with my Halloween happenings, but thats really unimportant. Not to mention that I totally blew my 100th blog. Oh well. This is important. The best sport of all times time has come. So, without further ado, here is my preview for the upcoming NBA season, with the focus being on the Central division. Other divisions will come later.
1. Detroit Pistons-Well, it turns out that Joe Dumars promise to blow up the team resulted in basically nothing except the firing of his coach. So, this teams success will show whether Michael Curry is any good coach in the NBA. But they will, barring major injuries, make the playoffs relatively easily. The starting five is all there, not to mention the continued improvement of Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Arron Afflalo, and Rodney Stuckey. Two notable additions were the low risk, high reward signing of Kwame Brown. He was drafted for his potential, which he has yet to really live up to. But the Pistons signed him for almost no money. So, if he finally lives up to his potential, then the Pistons have a really good team, even better than they already are (which is pretty dang good because Im predicting them to win the Finals). Worse comes to worse, he is another body who can absorb fouls and give Sheed and Dice a rest. More likely than both of those scenarios is that he will be a viable back up who plays tough D and grabs a handful of boards a night. The other addition is Walter Sharpe. He looks like a Piston, and the Pistons have never been afraid of giving rookies significant playing time (Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey). These guys are never going to win any individual awards, and Im not even sure the All-Star appearances that some of these guys have been making the past few years have been warranted, but this team is exactly that: a team. They play together, they all have the same purpose, and they just want to win. The solid play of the top five combined with the infusion of the newbies and the continued development of the younger tier will get this team back to the Finals and they will win it.
2. The past few years, this team has been deep into the playoffs, even making it to the Finals once, and it was all due to one man whose name I dont even need to mention because its so unbelievably obvious. But finally this past summer, the Cavs front office got serious and has now brought in some serious help. It actually started at the trade deadline last season, acquiring the perimeter help of Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and the defensive presence of Ben Wallace. Then they went out and got Mo Williams. Its still tough to say that this team is now truly legit now, though, because the play by everybody not named LeBron James is just so inconsistent. Boobie can score 40 and dish out 10, or he can score nothing and pass out two. Z can be effective, scoring, rebounding, and blocking, or he can disappear for long stretches because of foul trouble. Sasha Pavlovic and his soft play are still hanging around from the days when it was no secret that LeBron had no other weapons. Wally can get on fire, but then there are always the times when hes not on fire. Varejao, like Sasha, are both pieces that the Cavs would like to, but have been unable to get rid of. Ben Wallace is also one of those pieces, but I still believe that he can be a presence on the inside, especially if Z can stay out of trouble and let him play his more natural position of power forward. Neither West nor Mo Williams are really true point guards, which is ok because LeBron can create his own shot, but its not good for the rest of the team. But there are good things. First of all, the Cavs had a successful and productive draft. JJ Hickson will be able to step in for Z and fill the front line with Ben Wallace and be a force in the paint, at least defensively. Hickson is already better than Wallace on the offensive end, and more of a banger than Z. Also, they got Darnell Jackson, who is a bit of a project, but could pay huge dividends in the long run. Even Jawad Williams will help in a few years. For now, though, Hickson will be very helpful. I also believe in Mo Williams as a point guard. In Milwaukee, his only target to pass to was Michael Redd, who was often well covered. In Cleveland, not only does he have basketballs best player, but also several weapons, especieally on the outside. So what does all of this add up to? Well, unfortunately in the improved east, its about where they were at last year. Sorry.
3. Chicago Bulls-The past few seasons have been weird to watch for this team. They have so many odd pieces (and they keep adding to the pile of assorted players, might I add) that it just seems like the season is a constant trial to see who they are going to keep. Well, this season could be the season that all of their odd pieces come together. Or it could be the season where they completely implode and end up in a place that actually deserves a #1 draft pick. For the record, I honestly believe that any of the rest of the teams in this division could be in this same place for the exact same reason and that only a few games will separate them in the end. But for now, Chicago looks the most promising. We now know of a few players that will be here for a while, namely Luol Deng, Jokim Noah, Thabo Sefolosha, and Tyrus Thomas. Also, Derrick Rose has looked extremely promising in his first few games, so I wouldnt award Michael Beasely the ROY preemptively. It remains to be seen what they will do with Drew Gooden, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, and Andres Nocioni, but for now, they are all part of the team. All of them honestly have all star potential, and when you add that with guys like Luol Deng, Jokim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas who also have All-Star potential, and a ROY candidate like Rose, and you have a team that could make some noise. But the problem is that this team is under rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro, and they might just be too young and undisciplined as a group. I honestly just dont know what to do with them. As of right now, I say no playoffs.
4. Indiana Pacers-The team made one huge change over the summer, but other than that are still just a borderline playoff team in this eastern conference. But that huge change could be the thing that does get them in. They traded away long time headache Jermaine O'Neal in exchange for new starting point guard TJ Ford and new center Roy Hibbert. Also, they acquired Brandon Rush and Jarret Jack from Portland. This gives the team two experienced point guards who will shut up and play, as opposed to their previous point guard, who is mysteriously still on the roster (Jamaal Tinsley). Ford will open up this offense to their loaded perimeter players who can nail it from outside. Brandon Rush will be another one of these players, who also happens to be an excellent defensive player. Hibbert will take a few years, and will never be an offensive threat, but he will a lot of shots, and he will average double digit rebounds in his career. The rest of this team as currently constituted obviously still revolves around the versatile Danny Granger. If Ford can make this offense click, then this team might be playoff bound. But their lack of a true inside presence will really hurt them, even in the east.
5. Milwaukee Bucks. First of all, their last place ranking doesnt necessarily mean that they have no chance. I honestly believe that they could be playoff bound, but it will take a few unknowns to work out for them. We know that Michael Redd will continue to be the second coming of Ray Allen in Milwaukee, being arguably the best pure shooter in the NBA. We know that Richard Jeffersons production will be the same as, if not better than, his days in New Jersey, which is a very good thing for the Bucks. But we dont know how much playing time rookie Joe Alexander will get, much less whether or not his freakish athleticism will translate to production in the NBA. We dont know when Andrew Bogut will live up to his potential. We dont know whether Luke Ridnour can lead a winning team or not. We dont know if Charlie Villanueva can return to 2006 form. Really, for this team to be playoff bound, I really think that it will only take two of these four things for them to really click, namely the play of Luke Ridnour and Charlie Villanueva. They can live without Bogut and Alexander for now, but if they could step in and contribute in a big way, then look out. This team could be dangerous. But I just dont see it. Michael Redd is actually fairly easy to shut down defensively, and while the addition of Richard Jefferson makes it harder, it doesnt make it impossible. And I just cant fathom a Luke Ridnour led team being in serious contention for the playoffs.
So, tomorrow we break down the tumultuous Atlantic division, with concerns galore: does Boston have the drive to repeat, and how badly will the loss of James Posey hurt them? Can Elton Brand push Philly over the top? Can Jermaine O'Neal stay healthy and actually help Toronto out? Can New Jersey make the playoffs even in a year that they are clearly rebuilding? What can Mike D'Antoni squeeze out of New Yorks pathetic roster? Stay tuned.

Blessings:
8-0!