Mid-Summer 2002-2003 NBA Preview...

I'm a diehard Cleveland Cavaliers fan, sometimes the NBA season seems like it lasts forever......It's tough being a CAVS fan. I have fun watching the other teams and I'm hoping Sacramento can put it to LA this year.

I appreciate your comments and post your perdictions as well.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

1. New Jersey Nets- Had one of the best offseasons of any team. Lost Van Horn and Mac Cullouch, gained Mutombo, Childs, and Rogers. The excitement will continue. Their frontcourt(Deke, KMART, RJ, ATrain) is one of the best defensive bunches in the league. Prepare for greatness! But, the Kings, Lakers, Mavs, Blazers, Spurs, and Clips can all beat them in a 7 game series.

2. Boston Celtics- Walker and Pierce are the second best duo in the league. But what was with trading Kenny Anderson for Vin Baker. They no longer have a starting point guard or small forward but they will still go deep in the playoffs.

3. Philadelphia 76ers- Will have an awesome season. Great additions during the summer. They now have that second scorer with Ivy(Van Horn), lost aging Mutombo, and built up some depth. Clancy can be a suprise rookie but wont get much time behind DC and Skin. Wont pass the Celts or Nets due to the ongoing Brown vs. Iverson fiasco.

4. Orlando Magic- Mc Grady is a top 5/6 player in the L and will carry this team on his back for the next 5 seasons. Have no frontcourt whatsoever which will hurt when goin against guys like Walker, Martin, Dikembe, Alonzo, VAn Horn, and Dyess every night. That will kill them in the playoffs, but Tmac has the talent to take them into June.

5. Miami Heat- Have lots of potential but no floor general.
Caron Butler was a great choice and will run up votes for the Rookie of the Year. Grant and Zo might have the defense to stop Shaq but they wont make it far enough to play him.

6. New York Knicks- Lost bigtime when they traded Camby and Jackson for Dyess. Frank Williams was a good pick but Nene would have been better. They have no point guard or center and Mc Dyess and Houston will probably get injured, which puts the pressure on Spree and Williams who probably cant win more than enough to make the playoffs.

7. Washington Wizards- Have a great future but no present!!!
Jared, Rip, Kwame, Haywood, Hughes, could be an amzing starting 5 in a few years but not now. Wont compete with any of the teams above.

CENTRAL DIVISION

1. Indiana Pacers- Have an amazing team, great leadership, youth, and depth. Tinsley can have an allstar season, Jermaine and Artest are one of the best best defensive tandems in the league. Tinsley, RMiller, Artest, JONeal, BMiller, Croshere, Harrington, Bender, Mercer, IMPRESSIVE!!!!

2. New Orleans Hornets- Baron has so much talent and a great supporting cast. P.J., Wesley, Elden C, and Mash fill otu the starting 5. New City should present lots of excitement.

3. Atlanta Hawks- Lost Kuckoc to get Big Dog, drafted Dickau, but still need something. JT and DeMarr serve a great backcourt, and Big Dog, Reef, and Theo a good frontcourt.

4. Detroit Pistons- Had a good season in 01-02 and will again in 02-03. Ben Wallace rebounds and blocks better than any 4/5 in the league, Stackhouse can score, and Rodney White and Veljko Rebraca will contribute a lot against the top 3 teams.

5. Toronto Raptors- I know everyone's gonna flip out about this one, but their offseason sucked and they don't have enough to beat out the top 4 teams for a playoff spot. Vince and MoPete are good but the rest of the team is getting old(AD, Awill, and Hakeem). They lost Keon and now have no starting center, they lost Childs and will now have to start Alvin, and the didn't really get anyone good back. JYD shoulda been traded, they could have got someone good in return. VC does not have what it takes to carry the entire team.

6. Milwaukee Bucks- Forget playoffs the lost Glenn and Cassel doesn't even want to be on the team. Ray Allen and Thomas have potential but this Conference has too many better teams that put this team in a deep hole.

7. Chicago Bulls- Drafted 02-03 Rookie of the Year, Jason Williams who is probably already a top 10 point guard in the league. They also signed Donyell Marshall. They have a young but talented starting 5 with Jwill, Rose, Marshall, Chandler, and Curry with Robinson, Fizer, and Best on the bench.

8. Cleveland Cavs- Will sell more tickets, but lose more games. Dmiles, Juannie, and Rdavis will be exciting to watch but the team will be horribly awful. They traded their best player(Dre Miller) and their other best player(Z) has yet to play a healthy season. Will fight with Chi-town, Denver, and Washington for that number 1 pick that will land a team "the next Michael Jordan" Lebron James. I've seen this kid play and he is special!!!

Playoffs
NJN vs. Det
Phi vs. NO
Ind vs. Orl
Bos vs. Atl

NJN vs. Phi
Ind vs. Bos

NJN vs. Ind

MIDWEST DIVISION

1. Dallas Mavericks- Nash, Finley, Nowitzki, Oh My!! Best team next to Sacramento. La Frentz and Najera add to the starting team and Van Exel, Bardley, Wang, and Griffin fill out the bench.

2. San Antonio Spurs- Tim Duncan is the best player in the league, they built a strong frontcourt, and Parker's a future All Star. They resigned Malik Rose and Bruce Bowen and signed Kevin Willis over the summer. Parker and Speedy are a great PG duo; Smith can shoot; and Bowen, TD, and Drob are an awesome defensive front court.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves- Loren Woods will improve, Wally became a star, and KG is downright awesome. But, Tarrell is old and will be burned by Nash, Bibby, Payton, Marbury, and Francis night in and night out. They still don't have what it takes to go far.

4. Houston Rockets- YYYAAAAOOOOO! With the number 1 pick in the 2002 draft the Houston Rockets select Yao Ming. The 7'6" star should be incredable and will add to the Cat, Francis, and Griff to make a playoff team once again in Houston.

5. Utah Jazz- Wow, is this weird, Utah will not be a playoff team next season, but could be once again any time soon. Malone and Stockton are getting old but still play good, and Andrei Kirilenko is a future All Star and Defensive Player of the Year.

6. Memphis Grizzlies- If Pau Gasol and Shane Battier are half as good as Jordan and Pippen this team can be phenominal. Jerry West likes Jason Williams and sees something in him, the question is who doesn't see something in him? Bring this something out Jerry! Swift, Lorenzen, Gooden, and Mike D all have something to provide.

7. Denver Nuggets- Gained Camby and Jackson, woohoo. Drafted Skita and Nene, yippee. But sorry Denver your team still sucks.

PACIFIC DIVISION

1. Sacramento Kings- The Greatest show on Court! Bibby continues greatness, Webber is crowned MVP, and BoJax, Peja, Vlade, Christie, Keon, Hedo, and SP bring this team in the finals and out with a ring.

2. Los Angeles Lakers- The 3rd best team in the L. Shaq, Jack, and Kobe wont see a ring, but are still the best player, player, coach trio in the NBA. Eventually they can come back but Sacramento and Dallas' offseason moves just put them behind. Shaq look out for this guy, his name is Yao!(sorry I just had to say it)

3. Portland Trail Blazers- Wow, this team is stacked, a little too stacked. Sheed, Damon, Bonzi, Sabas, DD, McInnis, DA, Ruben, Randolph, Pip, Woods and Daniels have what it takes to beat the Mavs, Kings, and Lakers but they never will.

4. Los Angeles Clippers- A top 10 team after the summers additions. Dre, Q, Puffy(Odom), Brand, and Kandi may be the top starting line in the L. Pike, Maggettee, Baxter, Ely, Dooling are all still improving. This team can be a huge playoff threat.

5. Phoenix Suns- Marbury and the Matrix are two of the most underrated players in the NBA. Penny is old and should have been traded. The team is loaded at the 4 with Amare, Googs, and Outlaw. JJ is a star in any moment and Big Jake might help. But still when you play in a division this competitive you need more to win.

6. Seattle Sonics- GP and Shard showed something last year in the playoffs and they almost knocked out Duncan's Spurs in the Quarters! But This team doesn't have enough to be successful.

7. Golden State Warriors- 'Tawn, Jrich, Dunleavy, Murphy and Arenas can be good soon but this team is way too weak to compete. They'll be looking for Lebron and right now they are side by side with Denver and Cleveland to chances of that number 1 pick.

Playoffs

Sac vs. Hou
SAS vs. Por
Dal vs. LAC
LAL vs. Min

Sac vs. Por
Dal vs. LAL

Sac vs. LAL

NBA Finals

Sac vs. NJN

NBA Champions- Sacramento Kings

MVP- Chris Webber
Coach- Rick Adelman
6- Bobby Jackson
MIP- Richard Jefferson
DPOY- Ron Artest
ROY- Jay Williams

Scoring Leader- Tracy McGrady
Rebound Leader- Ben Wallace
Assists Leader- Andre Miller

Dunk Contest Champ- Darius Miles
3 Point Champ- Peja Stojakovic

ALL NBA TEAM(g, g, f, f, c)
1st- mcgrady, kobe, duncan, webber, shaq
2nd- kidd, iverson, nowitzki, garnett, bwallace
3rd- pierce, amiller, brand, martin, joneal

ALL DEFENSIVE TEAM(g, g, f, f, c)
1st- kidd, christie, artest, martin, bwallace
2nd- kobe, payton, bowen, kirilenko, joneal

ALL ROOKIE TEAM(no order)
1st- jwilliams, wagner, ming, butler, skita
2nd- gooden, clancy, fwilliams, dunleavy, nene