The NBA season is about to start, and I can say with certainty that if Bogut and Curry stay healthy, the Warriors will be in the playoffs, perhaps even make it into the second round. Go Warriors! I need to mention the new kid Harrison Barnes who's going to be a quintessential 3 in the NBA, and Klay Thompson, a fab shooting guard, who's going to come into his own this season. And I'm crazy for David Lee's game, always consistent, with that, "you never know I might just dump 30 points on you if you don't take me seriously, component. The Warriors have depth and a much better handle on team D.
Now to my transplanted hometown, Sacramento, home of the Kings, GM'ed by Geoff Petrie a player I coached when he played for the Portland Blazers. He's a smart fellow who has got himself in a bit of bind since his glory Vlade Divac days. Now he has DeMarcus Cousins, who will either be an Elvin Hayes, Walt Bellamy headache or one of the greatest centers in the NBA. What a talent. But I tremble when I watch his body language and his facial expressions which spell the words I AM SPOILED, PLEASE DON'T DISCIPLINE ME OR I WILL POUT. And what in the world is going to happen to Tyreke Evans? Can he ever learn to shoot a decent jump shot? Doesn't look like it to me, and Coach Smart has him playing the 3 now. Well, playing the forward position requires some different skills than the backcourt. It's not going to happen. Tyreke becomes a liability. Fredette couldn't guard my grandmother. The Kings have cobbled together some decent players, but they go nowhere without a stable, hardworking, mature Cousins. What are the odds of that happening?
Sorry to see Kevin Love go down with a broken hand. The Timberwolves are still my sleeper team for the future. Keep your eyes on the Russian guard, Shved. Kirilenko will perk up the defense. Both Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love will be back in time to make a late charge. But I may change my mind and pick the Houston Rockets as my sleeper. Their additions for this season are impressive: Omar Asik at the post will realize his potential; three great rookies; White, Lamb, and Motiejunas. Motiejunas could turn into an All Star power forward and Lamb an All Start guard. Jeremy Limm is still a question mark for me. I think players have come to realize he has only a decent jumper, and they'll play him for the drive and also beat on him the way Mario Chalmers of the Heat did last year. Houston can fill the net, but can they play D????
The Celtics? Jason Terry will help and Green will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Great coaching will keep them competitive, into the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder will not make the Finals of the NBA. Perkins is not the answer in the paint. He has no finesse at all, no real post moves.
LA will not produce even with Dwight and Nash because Brown is not a head coach. Their only hope is if Nash takes over the team. I'm baffled by those who say Brown is a good coach. Princeton Offense, my behind! By the way, I guess Kobe has not grown up yet as I recently thought he had. How bush was it when he badmouthed Smush and Kwame? So, they're not great players, so what, they're teammates. No class Kobe, No Class. If I was a teammate of Kobe's I'd be looking over my shoulder.
Speaking of class: Tom Brady deserves the Class Medal. After being taunted by that silly SeaHawks player, Brady responded by praising him, ending by saying that his father always taught him "to respect his opponents." That's class Kobe. Get a grip on the concept.
I can't see how Orlando or the Hawks have much of a chance this year. Milwaukee will be a tad better with some new post presence with Dalembert while Monta Ellis and Jennings will score. And Ekepe will improve. Utah will be floating in the middle of the pack, maybe a year away. Not sure about Tyrone Corbin's coaching skills.
Detroit will be improved and may turn into a playoff team. Great first round draft choice. I love Andre Drummond. Combined with Greg Monroe, they can own the boards. Brandon Knight is tough. So I pick Detroit for the playoffs. Stucky is tough minded, not the greatest point guard but will do for the time being. Might go beyond first round in the playoffs.
Chicago, always strong with Noah, Boozer, and Deng, but without Rose, they don't beat the Heat or Boston, or maybe Detroit. Will the Knicks do the job? Not with Carmelo. Carmelo possesses an irreparable selfish gene. He suppresses it for awhile, everything looks sweet, then inevitably it returns, like someone on a constant diet who knocks off a few pounds but eventully falls off the food truck. He simply doesn't get it. As for Amare? Well, he has to be in a system because, I hate to say it, he's not the brightest kid in the class.
The Heat? We'll let the gods decide. Probably they'll win the East. Unless Rose comes back strong. The Nets need a great season from Joe Johnson while Brook Lopez must become a defensive center for once in his life.Was it Stanford that turned him into a wus? Those damn intellectuals.
This blog is about basketball, but our Giants are in the finals for the National League title. So here's poem for them and baseball.
The Double Play by Robert Wallace
In his sea lit
distance, the pitcher winding
like a clock about to chime comes down with
the ball, hit
sharply, under the artificial
banks of arc-lights. bounds like a vanishing string
over the green
to the shortstop magically
scoops to his right whirling above his invisible
shadows
in he dust redirects
its flight to the running poised second baseman
pirouettes
leaping, above the slide, to throw
from mid-air, across the colored tightened interval,
to the leaning -
out first baseman ends the dance
drawing it disappearing into his long brown glove
stretches. What
is too swift for deception
is final, lost, among the loosened figures
jogging off the field
(the pitcher walks), casual
in the space where the poem has happened.
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