Nba Season Preview 2009/2010

Product:STAR Date:10-27-2009Desk: SPT-0006-CMYK/26-10-09/19:45:00

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2009

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SPORTS

NBA Season Preview 2009/2010

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EASTERN CONFERENCE Teams in order of predicted finish ATLANTIC DIVISION 1. Boston

4. New York

2. Toronto

5. New Jersey

players to watch Ron Artest Lakers The defending champion Lakers in effect traded young up-and-comer Trevor Ariza for the mercurial Ron Artest in what has to be considered a gamble. Can he fly all season on the straight and narrow under the intense scrutiny of Los Angeles? Shaquille O’Neal Cavaliers Right now, Shaq’s all about the ring and trying to get one for LeBron James. But does he fit in Cleveland as a big man who likes to plant himself in the paint, precisely where James does his best work? An interesting combination, to say the least.

3. Philadelphia Key moves: Raptors make the big splash with Hedo Turkoglu. . . . Nets jettison Vince Carter to save money for big splash in 2010. . . . Sixers get the oft-injured Elton Brand back as Andre Miller departs. Key questions: Boston’s Big Three another year older; does that make them wiser or more fragile? . . . Knicks treading water until they can make move on LeBron James. How patient are fans? . . . Who’s going to run the offence in Philly, or will they just look to score everything in transition? . . . And if Nets don’t get to Brooklyn, will Russian owner stick around? What may happen: Boston remains the cream of the crop and should win going away, but are there one or two other playoff teams coming out of the division? The pick here says one.

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CENTRAL DIVISION 1. Cleveland

4. Milwaukee

2. Chicago

5. Indiana

NBA storylines

3. Detroit Key moves: Cavs, exposed in the conference final last June, add Shaq and two former Toronto starters in Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker. . . . Pistons go all offence with Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. . . . Bucks may hand reins to rookie point guard Brandon Jennings.

Clearing the decks for 2010 It’s known as The Summer of LeBron, when James and a handful of other all-stars — Chris Bosh among them — can opt to become free agents. Every player move made during the season will be couched in terms of what it means financially next summer. What’s up in New Orleans? It wasn’t too long ago that the Hornets were seen as one of the good young teams to watch. Now, all-star Chris Paul has lost some key players and friends, coach Bryon Scott’s in a lame-duck year and the Hornets are just another team. How will fans react?

Key questions: Will loss of Gordon cost the Bulls dearly, or is a healthy Luol Deng a good enough replacement? . . . Who’s the odd-man out in the Detroit offence, and will he be a happy camper? . . . Can Shaq and Zydrunas Ilgauskas really get along in Cleveland? . . . Will Mike Dunleavy be any help at all in Indy? . . . Who scores the points in Milwaukee?

By Doug Smith Follow the Raptors and NBA at thestar.com/sports

Vince Carter Magic At home and comfortable in Orlando, joining a team centred around Dwight Howard, with little pressure to be the top dog. Seems like a perfect situation for the ex-Raptor, who proved in New Jersey that he could still make the huge play when needed. Richard Jefferson Spurs San Antonio stole him from Milwaukee in a move designed to save money for the Bucks. But if he’s the fourth offensive option with the Spurs behind Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, that’s a pretty high-powered offence. And he defends well, too. Rasheed Wallace Celtics He’s in a secondary role with the powerful Celtics and gives them another talented big man who could ease the load on Kevin Garnett as he recovers from knee surgery. Motivated, Wallace is an excellent player; can the Celtics keep him interested all year? Rasheed Wallace gives the Boston Celtics depth up front.

Labour talks With the referees back in the fold on a two-year deal, all attention will be shifted to the labour contract with the players. The current deal expires in 2011 but talks have already begun and the league will be looking for some kind of economic concessions. Attendance Times are tough all over and the amount of discretionary income is limited. Some teams are trying different methods of getting fans into their buildings — the Nets will come and visit if the price is right — and we should see some interesting marketing ploys. Being careful not to be sick The league has mandated that any player showing signs of a flu needs to be tested for the H1N1 virus and kept away from the team. There will be more hand sanitizer than you can imagine around every franchise to help avoid spreading the virus.

Will LeBron be picture perfect with free agency looming?

What may happen: Cleveland is the cream of the crop, but Chicago and Detroit should be in a dogfight for the bottom of the post-season roster. There may not be room for both of them.

WESTERN CONFERENCE Teams in predicted order of finish SOUTHWEST DIVISION 1. San Antonio

4. Houston

2. Dallas

5. Memphis

3. New Orleans Key moves: Spurs load up for a run at Lakers by adding key front-liner Richard Jefferson and veteran backup big Antonio McDyess. . . . Mavs get Shawn Marion as running mate for Jason Kidd. . . . Hornets finally move Tyson Chandler. Key questions: Can Manu Ginobili remain healthy enough to really help the Spurs make a run? . . . How will Houston cope with no Yao Ming and, when he returns, a surgically repaired Tracy McGrady? . . . Is Emeka Okafor just a more expensive version of Chandler for the Hornets? . . . Will trying to save money drive the Grizzlies further into oblivion? What may happen: The Spurs will only be judged on whether they can legitimately challenge Lakers. The Mavs think they have championship potential but depth may be an issue. Hornets are no longer flavour of the month. PACIFIC DIVISION 1. L.A. Lakers

4. Golden State

2. Phoenix

5. Sacramento

3. L.A. Clippers Key moves: Suns jettison Shaquille O’Neal, which should make for a more peaceful season. . . . Lakers make one huge move, adding Ron Artest. . . . Clips banking on rookie Blake Griffin making them relevant. Eventually, but certainly not now. Key questions: Is this the worst division in the league? Many would say yes, by a long shot. . . . How long until Stephen Jackson finally wiggles his way out of Golden State? . . . If Suns fall out of race quickly, will they look to move Steve Nash and rebuild? . . . How is Amare Stoudemire’s eye? . . . Are the Kings still in the league? What may happen: The Lakers should have the division title sewn up sometime around the American Thanksgiving holiday. Clippers, Warriors, Kings should be making plans for draft lottery today and save themselves some time.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION 1. Orlando

4. Miami

2. Atlanta

5. Charlotte

NORTHWEST DIVISION

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3. Washington Key moves: Jamal Crawford adds to a potent offence with the Hawks. . . . Vince Carter goes home to Orlando to replace the departed Turkoglu. . . . The Heat do nothing to keep Dwyane Wade happy.

teams to watch

Key questions: Can the Magic keep shooting three-pointers as well as they did in last season’s run to final? . . . Can Dwight Howard shoot FTs well enough to stay in late-game situations? . . . Can the Wizards ever stay healthy? (Not now, with Jamison on the shelf). . . . Bobcats made late playoff run a year ago; can they do it again? What may happen: Magic might be the best team in the East and should cruise. If Wizards can get their act together under new coach Flip Saunders, they might be able to challenge Atlanta.

WEDNESDAY Doug Smith takes a look at the Raptors and their chances for 2009-10.

Portland The Trail Blazers were everyone’s darlings a year ago and they responded with a drive to the playoffs. Now the real work begins as they try to join the elite teams in the West and they won’t be able to sneak up on anyone. Washington The hits just keep on coming for the Wizards, who get oft-injured Gilbert Arenas back but will start the season with Antawn Jamison on the shelf. They added depth with Randy Foye and Mike Miller for new coach Flip Saunders. Memphis Watch ’em if you’re the type that likes a train wreck because the possibility exists. Toss shot-happy Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson into a mix that includes O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay and this could get ugly fast.

Oklahoma City Are the Thunder this year’s Trail Blazers? Kevin Durant is a unique talent and with plenty of good young teammates around him like Jeff Green and a good young coach in Scott Brooks. This could be the up-and-coming team to watch this season. Miami With all the changes teams in the East made, the Heat were strangely silent, not giving Dwyane Wade any real help. Michael Beasley’s had off-the-court issues, Jermaine O’Neal could very well get injured and Miami could be in for a long year. Dwyane Wade, left, and Rudy Gay could be in for long seasons as the Heat and Grizzlies look to be struggling squads.

1. Portland

4. Oklahoma City

2. Utah

5. Minnesota

3. Denver Key moves: Youthful Blazers pick up key veteran PG Andre Miller after losing Hedo Turkoglu. . . . Jazz stands pat with glut of big men with Paul Millsap and Carlos Boozer. . . . Conference finalist Nuggets let starting two-guard Dahntay Jones go to the Pacers. Key questions: Most competitive division? It’d be close, along with the Central. . . . Can Portland make the next move up the ladder, having tasted the post-season already? . . . Is Kevin Durant good enough to drag Thunder to legitimate playoff chase for first time? . . . Will Timberwolves rue the day they drafted two point guards back-to-back and let one stay in Spain? What may happen: If Blazers remain healthy and Andre Miller provides leadership, they should win division. Jazz may be distracted until they move Boozer in a trade. PHOTOS BY REUTERS, AP

Vinsanity could help Magic pull title out of their hats NBA from S1

Turkoglu to give Bosh another offensive weapon; Dallas added Shawn Marion and re-signed Jason Kidd to show Nowitzki they weren’t afraid to make bold moves and Cleveland, which has the most to lose should the incomparable James bolt, made a huge splash by getting Shaquille O’Neal as a running partner for James. Only the Heat failed to make a substantial move, but they weren’t

considered legitimate Eastern Conference threats at any point. That would fall to the Big Three — Orlando, Cleveland and Boston — each of whom made significant moves to challenge each other and the Lakers. But as with every substantial roster move, the possibility of it backfiring is real. Cleveland’s addition of O’Neal gives the Cavs two strong personalities with the possibility of that mix not working; the Celtics added

mercurial veteran Rasheed Wallace for a backup role and the defending East champion Magic let Turkoglu go but brought in Orlando-native Vince Carter for what they hope is a triumphant homecoming. Carter would seem to be the perfect addition for an already-strong Orlando team, able to cede No. 1 status to Dwight Howard but still more than capable of dominating games. And while pre-season records mean nothing, the Magic still went

8-0 and enter the season brimming with confidence. But all eyes will be on Lakers. With Bryant, Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum returning and Phil Jackson a strong enough personality to deal with any character issues, their major roster move could very well work out. The big challenge for the Lakers is going to be acclimating free-spirit Ron Artest into a team with very well-defined roles. Artest, signed as a free agent when the Lakers decid-

ed to let Trevor Ariza walk away to Houston, craves the spotlight and should get more than his share of attention in Los Angeles. But because that’s his history, he’s not worried about it becoming a distraction. “I’m always trying to be in the media anyway,” he said during training camp. “I’m always trying to do things to stay out in the public, stay relevant. “That’s my history, being a distraction to a team.”