Sports Blog

Highlights From The 09-10 NBA Basketball Season

The plot in the world of basketball this season has been so twisted, so convoluted in terms of performances of some players as well as some of the news about particular players, it has made it an exciting game to follow.

In this article, I intend to look at both the good and the bad, the highlights and the lowlights of the 09 to 10 season.

The first thing we should recognize is some of the teams that have come out of nowhere and established themselves as very respectable basketball teams. There are two that stand out to me more than any others, and these were both two of the worst teams in the league last season.

The first of the two teams to mention is the Oklahoma City Thunder. No one imagined that they might become this successful in such a short space of time. The team can thank Kevin Durant for helping them to rise out so quickly from being one of the worst teams to being a successful team this season.

The second team that seemed to arise from nowhere is The Memphis Grizzlies. These guys are simply shocking, as unlike the Oklahoma City Thunder, people had no idea that this team would ever make it into the season.  Read more...

The Key Moments That Have Occurred During The 09-10 NBA Season

The plot in the world of basketball this season has been so twisted, so convoluted in terms of performances of some players as well as some of the news about particular players, it has made it an exciting game to follow.

Let’s look at some of the highlights of the 09-10 basketball season thus far. We’ll cover some good, as well as some bad here.

Two teams seem to have appeared from nowhere and stand out due to the fact that last season they were nobodies but this season they have become very successful and are building themselves a decent reputation with every game they play.

Thanks to Kevin Durant the Oklahoma City Thunder team have shot to a fast success, a success that people didn’t think was impossible but also didn’t think that would happen so fast. They have shot from being one of the lowest to one of the highest-ranking teams this season.

The Memphis Grizzlies may be an even bigger surprise. While people knew that the Thunder had the potential to be a good team, everyone had written off Memphis entering the season.  Read more...

The Top NBA Rookies

This season has shown us some really good NBA rookies who have definitely started out their careers on the right note. The norm is usually that it can be a lot of seasons down the road until a rookie will do really well, with a bumpy start and many things to learn about this league along the way.

But that’s not the case right now as we have been privileged to watch some very extraordinary rookies who have shown that they have everything a veteran player has. In the long run, this is such a good thing and means that they will most likely have a long career ahead of them.

So let’s review some of them who are at the top of the list for the NBA rookie of the year right now. Here are the ones who have the best chance.

If you asked anyone a month or two ago, Brandon Jennings might have been the consensus answer. He came out with a bang this year, highlighting his impact with an incredible 55 point performance in November.

Unfortunately, Jennings has shot around the 30% mark during the course of the last month so he’s fallen out of contention for the moment.  Read more...

The Los Angeles Lakers Look to Repeat

The NBA season has just about arrived, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the definite favorite entering the season. Why, you might ask?

Kobe Bryant proved that the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t need Shaquille O’Neal to win an NBA title. He did have the help of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom (two big men), but they’re not Shaquille O’Neal in his prime.

He also proved that he would win the next championship before LeBron James would, quieting critics who point out LeBron’s superiority with respect to that rivalry. And what a great rivalry this is!

Much of the Lakers’ success last year should be attributed to a lot more than just Kobe himself. This was a team effort through and through.

Andrew Bynum needs to have a break out year this season because he has contributed little in his career thus far. Bynum has improved his scoring average every year he has been in the league but can’t stay healthy. Bynum is a good talent; he has size and has shown signs of having the potential to be a great big man.  Read more...

Will The Indiana Pacers Improve in ‘09-’10

The Indiana Pacers had a very mediocre season in 08′-09′ season finishing 36-46. The bright spot for the Pacers was their home record, 25 -26. The Pacers were terrible on the road, 11-30.

The Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger had a breakout season, and put himself on the map as one of the best players in the NBA. Few people realize this, as the Indiana Pacers are a below average team that gets little coverage.

The Pacers defense was one of the worst in the NBA giving up more then 106 points per game for 26th in the NBA.

The Pacers have a young team with a good upside. The defense was their death blow last season giving up more points then they could score. More emphasis needs to be put on defense; we know the team can score.

The Central division should be an improvement overall – the Chicago Bulls are potentially a high 40 win team, the Cleveland Cavs acquired Shaquille O’Neal and will be the front runners.

Granger’s 87.8 free throw percentage was also among the best in the NBA. Had the Pacers been a winning team last season, Granger would have received far more credit. Still, his game should continue to improve, and it’s only a matter of time before Danny Granger becomes a household name.  Read more...

Is Blake Griffin the Answer for the Los Angeles Clippers?

The Los Angeles Clippers lucked out this year. While the team didn’t have the worst record in the NBA last season, they were pretty downright bad. This was pretty surprising considering the fact that the team had signed both Baron Davis and Marcus Camby – two very big names.

Not being able to win 20 games as a professional basketball team is very embarrassing. The Clippers were 27th in scoring and 25th in defense – at least they weren’t dead last in both categories.

Often times, who to select at number one may depend on a team’s needs or preferences. The choice was clear this time around. Blake Griffin had established himself as a dominant player in college basketball, and the overwhelmingly obvious choice at number one.

An extremely versatile player, Griffin’s power and forcefulness are the type that can positively impact any team. He’s a franchise player in the mold of a Tim Duncan.

You may remember that Duncan, alongside David Robinson, led the Spurs to an NBA championship during the very beginning of his career. Can Blake Griffin have a similar type of impact for the Los Angeles Clippers?  Read more...

Will Gordon and Villanueva Save the Detroit Pistons?

Things took an interesting turn for the Detroit Pistons this past year. Gone are the days of the Eastern Conference supremacy, and gone are many of the familiar names we’ve been accustomed to seeing in a Pistons uniform over the years.

Chauncey Billups is now in Denver (and playing great basketball). Allen Iverson, who was acquired in this trade, has also left town to sign with the Bobcats (so much for winning that championship anytime soon). Then there’s Rasheed Wallace, who opted to join the Celtics after the end of this season.

The Allen Iverson trade was a disaster and the Pistons played disinterested at times. The Pistons would go on long scoring droughts which essentially ended their season at the all-star break. They were wishing they had Billups back!

For the Chicago Bulls Ben Gordon averaged 21 points per game and made many important shots against the Boston Celtics in the first round in the 09′ playoffs.

Villanueva comes in with some size. He can score points as well and with his presence on defense, he should help improve both sides of the ball.  Read more...

An Improved Charlotte Bobcats Team

The Charlotte Bobcats have never made the NBA playoffs. They are hoping that might change this season. While the Bobcats have never been a successful team, they quietly had their best season in franchise history last year, finishing with a 35-47 record.

The Bobcats have a very young team – one of the youngest teams in the NBA. The Bobcats played some of their best basketball towards the end of the season; this gave fans of the Bobcats hope that there are just a few steps away from making the playoffs for the first time.

Head Coach Larry Brown is an all-time great coach who has turned around teams before and made them playoff worthy – this could be Brown’s toughest challenge to date.

Brown’s work ethic and discipline seems to have carried into the Bobcats last season, as they suddenly looked like a team that believed they belonged in the post season.

The Bobcats in the 08′- 09′ season were a pretty good team at home, 23-18 – but the road record is what prevented them from making the playoffs, 12-29. If the Bobcats can maintain a good home record like a season ago and improve their road record, they will be close to a .500 team.  Read more...

The Premier NFL Teams in Each Conference

With the football season nearly halfway over, it looks like the contenders and the pretenders are starting to separate themselves. The race is wide open in both conferences, but there are some very obvious front runners at the moment.

It’s time to review the season thus far by proclaiming the best teams in each conference. When all is said and done, I’ll then go ahead in making a Super Bowl prediction.

In the AFC, it would appear that there are a few clear contenders. First of all, the Pittsburgh Steelers have bounced back from a disappointing start, winners of 4 straight and now 5-2. They have Troy Polamalu back and the fact that they beat the Vikings shows that this team is strong.

There are also the surprising Denver Broncos, though no one is fully ready to take them seriously yet. Don’t forget about the Patriots either, playing some strong football.

In addition to these three teams, the Indianapolis Colts are right there as well. In fact, they may be the best in the AFC thus far, as the team has won its first 7 games. Peyton Manning looks as good as he ever has, and they’re the team to beat.  Read more...

A Season Outlook: The ‘09-’10 Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls had a better season then their record would have indicated in 08′ -’09, 41-41. They were eliminated in the first round by the hands of the Boston Celtics but proved they had a never say quit mentality. Each game was seemingly more dramatic then the previous one. The Celtics had all they could ever want from the Bulls in that series without question. The Bulls look to build off their great performance in the 09′ playoffs this season.

The Bulls were a very good home team, 28-13, but a terrible road team,–28. This will have to improve if the Bulls want home court advantage in the playoffs come the spring time.

Vinny Del Negro has since assumed the role, and has slowly brought the team back to a competitive state. Del Negro had some success in the back office for the Suns, but he’s never been a head coach before.

The loss of Ben Gordon will hurt the Bulls offense – during the 09′ season Gordon averaged 21 points per game and had a sensational first round playoff. Where the Bulls will make up for the points lost during the season will be interesting to see.  Read more...