Toronto Raptors 2006-07 Preview

The Toronto Raptors of 2006 have the distinct honor of being a team that no one knows about. Besides their superstar Chris Bosh, the Raptors are full of new acquisitions and draft picks. And even though they don’t play in a tough division, or conference, it is hard to imagine this ragtag group making the playoffs.

As mentioned above, Chris Bosh is the future of the Toronto Raptors. His career high numbers of 22.5 points per game and 9.2 rebounds solidified him as one of the best young big men in the game today. The Raptors fully expect him to be even better this season in both categories.

At the swing positions, the key players for the Raptors are Morris Peterson and Joey Graham. Morris Peterson is the only player who was with the Raptors five seasons ago, and he is a reliable shooting threat who can stay healthy and play eighty-two games a year. Morris had a career season, along with Bosh, in a bigger role last year and averaged nearly seventeen points a game. Expect more of the same this season as he will be relied upon for mid and long-range shots. Graham is a young small forward who is expected to develop soon into a good bench option. Another player who may factor into the rotation is former Indiana Pacer Fred Jones.

At the point guard position are former Buck T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. Ford is a good point guard in terms of passing but his shot is often suspect and his size leaves him vulnerable on defense more times then not. His speed should help the Raptors quicken the pace of the game, however. Behind him is Calderon, who is one of the best European point guards. He played for the Raptors last season and did an admirable job, averaging 9 points and 7.5 assists as a starter.

At the center position is another new acquisition in Rasho Nesterovic. He is a mediocre player who won’t make too big of an impact on his new team. One plus is that he has experience playing alongside talented big men and should help Chris Bosh develop into an even better player. First round pick Andreas Bargnani may get playing time as well.

The Raptors are probably not going to be a good team, much less a playoff team. They have good young talent, but just not enough to contend yet. Thankfully, they do have one of the best young players in the league to build around.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Boston Celtics 2006-07 Preview

Yet another mediocre team in the Atlantic division, the Celtics have some of the best young talent and depth in the Eastern Conference. The problem is that they do not have much else aside from Paul Pierce in the present to win games. Doc Rivers has his work cut out for him to make the playoffs in the upcoming season, and angry Boston fans are expecting no less.

As mentioned before, Paul Pierce is the sole superstar on a team with players mostly still searching for an identity. Pierce had a career year last season averaging 26.8 points per game. He also was applauded for his unselfishness and leadership roles. For the Celtics to win games, Pierce has to continue to be on the same page as his coach and teammates.

Outside of Pierce, the Celtics will boast their roster with many recent first-round picks. The point guard position will be the responsibility of two of these young players, in newly acquired Sebestian Telfair and Delonte West. West had a pretty good season last year with over 11 points and 4 rebounds and assists a game. Meanwhile, Telfair was drafted straight out of high school and has the pure talent to be a playmaker in the future.

At the shooting guard position veteran Wally Szczerbiak and Tony Allen will be asked to provide a second scoring option to Pierce. Wally is a good scorer who has always been reliable for about fifteen points a game. Meanwhile, Tony Allen should be a good option off of the bench.

Other key players for the Celtics include big men Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins. Both of these power forwards/centers have shown a lot of potential in the past and could be entering their breakout seasons. Coaches have been very impressed with Jefferson’s weight loss over the offseason, and feel as if he can make a huge impact on the team. Behind these two are more reliable options in Ryan Gomes and Theo Ratliff. Ratliff in particular has been in the league for quite some time and can be a good influence on Boston’s young players.

For Boston to be successful in 2006/07, they must establish a solid rotation (in 2005 they rotated in so many players that their play was inconsistent), and they need Pierce to continue his stellar play from last season. It is hard to see them making the playoffs without at least one of their young players becoming a star.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

New York Knicks 2006-07 Preview

One of the biggest disasters in all of sports in recent history, the Knicks have to prove that their enormous payroll can win games or face a not-so-good future. With most of their money locked up with selfish swing men new head coach Isiah Thomas will have his hands full trying to fulfill New York fan expectations.

The most talented player on the Knicks is point guard Stephon Marbury. The problem with Marbury is that he is often too selfish for a point guard and usually finishes on losing teams because of his attitude. It is hard to imagine the Knicks succeeding if Isiah can’t get Marbury to start playing team basketball. Behind Marbury is young, and short, Nate Robinson. Nate is a good option off the bench and can score points, but his size makes him a serious defensive liability.

At the two position are Jamal Crawford and Steve Francis. Both players are selfish shoot-first players with a lot of talent. Both players also have to find a way to be more effective in scoring. Expect the two to share time unless one of them emerges as a reliable option game in and game out.

The forward positions are filled by Jared Jeffries, Quentin Richardson, David Lee and Channing Frye. Of the four, Frye is the one with the brightest future as a Knick. Channing had a great rookie season, averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds a game and should expand upon those numbers with a year under his belt. Jeffries was acquired from the Wizards and the Knicks are hoping that he will bring toughness and defense to a team without either.

Finally at the center position is Eddy Curry, who once was referred to as a possible second coming of Shaq. Curry is not one of the brightest players in the league, but should be able to score in the paint enough to help the Knicks stay balanced. Right now, it is a pretty safe bet that the Knicks are regretting trading their picks for him.

The Knicks of 2006 are not much different than 2005, but a new coach, who is coaching for his job, and maybe desperation might help them score more wins. It is hard to see the playoffs for a team with as much selfishness as this one, but they certainly have the talent to do so if they find a way to play together.

The author is a well knowned sportsbetting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Orlando Magic 2006-07 Preview

It seems like just yesterday when the Magic were fresh off of signing Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady and had their future set for years to come. Now, the team no longer depends on either of the players and are fresh off of another rebuilding year.

The superstar on the Magic, and the future, is Dwight Howard. Howard is a monster in the post and looks to be the next best big man in the league. Howard has averaged a double-double in his first two seasons in the league, and took the next step last season by showing that he could be a reliable scoring option as well as a good rebounder. The expectations for him coming into this season are nothing short than at least 20 points and 12 rebounds a game, and he should have no problem reaching these numbers.

Next to Howard will be former Piston Darko Milicic. Darko has yet to play a season with consistent minutes, but should get his chance in 2006. His play in Europe has excited management and fans alike, but Darko will have to prove that he can perform in the NBA for the Magic to establish themselves as a playoff contender.

At the guard positions are young players Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick. Redick is a rookie who has to prove that he can do more than just shoot the three pointer, as his one-dimensional play in college was a reason why he wasn’t drafted higher despite averaging over thirty points a game. Nelson is a quick, small guard who can explode for points and impressed the sports nation in his second year in the league last season.

At the small forward position is Hedo Turkoglu. He averaged 14.9 points per game last season, and should be good for the same amount once again this year. He is also a veteran player who should be able to mentor fellow European player Darko Milicic.

Besides their starters, Carlos Arroyo is another player acquired from the Pistons who could have a good impact on the team. Arroyo is a good point guard who can make solid passes and get other teammates involved.

For the Magic to be successful in 2006, both Dwight Howard and Darko must explode onto the NBA scene and form a duo ala Tim Duncan and David Robinson. While that may happen someday, it probably will not this year. But the future is bright in Orlando.

The author is a well knowned sportsbetting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Washington Wizards 2006-07 Preview

The heat might be on for the Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan as he enters his third season as the head coach of the team. Despite leading Washington to consecutive playoff spots, the team as a whole has not shown any improvement on the defensive end and are not taken seriously as a championship threat by anyone.

The strength of the Wizards is their wacky guard, Gilbert Arenas. Arenas was the fourth best scorer in the NBA last season, but still failed to get much respect as he only made the All-Star team as a replacement. While the points are there, some feel Arenas would be better off shooting less and taking better looks. His 36.8% three-point percentage certainly doesn’t justify shooting almost seven three-pointers a game. There is no question, however, that Arenas can fill up the bucket any night he wishes to.

Rounding out the Wizard’s “Big Three” are Caron Butler and Antwan Jamison. Butler is a young wing scorer who was injured for a good amount of time last season but had a big impact on his team when he was able to play. He should be good for 17-18 points a game. At the other forward position, Jamison is a good inside scorer and he averaged nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds a game last season.

The rest of the supporting cast for the Wizards include shooting guards DeShawn Stevenson and Antonio Daniels and big man Brendan Haywood. Stevenson and Daniels together should provide enough offense to compliment Arenas at the guard position, but neither is near the top of the class at the two. Both of the guards averaged near or over ten points a game last season, but Stevenson was not a Wizard when he did so. Haywood is a serviceable big man, though slightly disappointing, who will be counted on for tough rebounds. That means averaging more than the usual 5.9 a game.

The main problem for the Wizards seems to be that they are perceived as a one or two man team at best. They have no defensive mentality and are very inconsistent from game to game. To get to the next step they have a lot of work to do, especially with the increase in talent throughout the Eastern Conference. It really is hard to project this team, despite the talent of Arenas, as finishing better than a bottom-four playoff spot and a first round exit like the past two seasons.

The author is a well knowned sportsbetting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Indiana Pacers 2006-07 Preview

One of the most disappointing teams for the past few seasons, the Indiana Pacers have been on a steady decline ever since their former small forward Ron Artest charged into the stands to attack Pistons fans. After losing his replacement, Peja Stojakovic for almost nothing, they find themselves without championship caliber talent for the first time in half a decade.

The anchor for the Pacers is power-forward Jermaine O’Neal. Jermaine is one of the premier post players in the NBA and is by far the best player that the Pacers have. If they want to guarantee themselves a playoff berth, they need to ensure that O’Neal stays healthy and productive for all eighty-two games in the season. This is a high task for a player who has missed a total of 69 games in the past two seasons alone.

The Pacers hope to offset their loss at the small-forward position using two players. The first is last years first round pick of Danny Granger. Granger is a talented player who showed flashes of brilliance in limited playing time last season. Ahead of him on the rotation is a familiar face in Al Harrington. Harrington was traded back to the Pacers after a very productive season with the Atlanta Hawks. If he can continue his improved players, Indiana should have a formidable post presence game-in and game-out.

Starting at the guard positions are Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley. Tinsley is one of the better point guards in the league when he is able to stay healthy. The problem is that he just can’t stay healthy. Jamaal has missed at least 30 games for the past three seasons. Stephen Jackson is a pretty good shooting guard who sometimes makes bad decisions. His 16-18 points per game adds a much-needed scoring threat from the guard position.

On the bench for the Pacers are newly acquired Marquis Daniels and young players such as Sarunas Jasikevicius and David Harrison. Daniels was an integral member of the Mavericks bench last season and should be a good sixth or seventh man for the Pacers. Harrison and Sarunas were slightly disappointing last season but have the potential to pan out nicely for the Pacers. Sarunas in particular is a deep three-point threat who could add another dimension to the Pacers.

Rick Carlisle has his hands full with the Pacers once again, but he shouldn’t find it a problem to get to the playoffs once again. Winning a playoff series or more, however, is an entirely different story.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

NJ Nets 2006-07 Preview

Going into the 2006/07 season, the New Jersey Nets are one of the biggest question marks in the NBA. While they have had enough talent to make the playoffs consistently for a good while, they have never been able to get over the hump and win a championship.

The good news for the Nets is that they reside in one of the weakest divisions in the NBA. None of the other teams in the Atlantic division pose a serious threat to the Nets. Aside from that, however, the Nets are composed of three star players and one or two nice role players. Jason Kidd is no longer the best point guard in the league, as surgeries and age have slowed him. He still, however, is able to get take good care of the ball while setting up his talented teammates.

The Nets best players are high-flyers Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter. Carter has long been one of the most talented players in the NBA, and is a threat to explode for a large amount of points any game during the season. His health issues have been a non-factor with the Nets, as he has only missed 8 games in the last two seasons. Richard Jefferson is another talented wing player who does not have as much experience in the NBA as Carter does. He should average around twenty points a game as usual.

In the post for the Nets are Nenad Kristic and Jason Collins. Kristic is a talented young center who had Nets personnel raving by the end of last season. He is expected to improve further and to help solidify a shaky center position for the Nets. Collins is another young post player who has been disappointing through his first five seasons in the league. His career points average of 5.3 is just not getting the job done nor is his career rebounds average of 4.9. New Jersey should hope for at least a fifty percent improvement in both of those categories from Collins.

Aside from their starting five, the Nets really do not have much depth to rely on. Clifford Robinson is a player who has been in the league forever, but is too old and unreliable to depend on as a backup. Eddie House is a good sparkplug off the bench, but there is a reason why he has bounced from team to team over the past few seasons.

The New Jersey Nets have enough talent to win a weak division with their starting five rotation, but without any depth they will fall short again of a title run.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Miami Heat 2006-07 Preview

No team was more successful than the Heat last season, as they ended with a championship under their belt. To repeat their success, however, the Heat will have to dedicate themselves to winning one game at a time once again.

There is no doubt that the great strength of the Heat is that they have two superstar players. Shaquille O’Neal has long been one of the best centers in the league. His numbers since joining Miami have been dwindling, and one of the keys to the Heats success may be how productive Shaq can be. After only playing 59 games and averaging 20 points per game, his lowest mark of his long career, O’Neal has a lot of work to do to prove critics wrong about his apparent decline as an elite player.

The other superstar the Heat boasts is Dwayne Wade. Unlike his big counterpart, Wade is one of the youngest superstars in the league and will look to continue his consistent improvement over his first three years in the league. As long as he is able to stay healthy and can pour in his usual 25-30 points per game and 6-7 assists per game, there is no doubt that the Heat can win the Southeast division for the third straight year.

Of course, no team can win games with only two players. The Heat will therefore look for key contributions from forward Udonis Haslem and role players Jason Williams, Antoine Walker and James Posey. Haslem is a young big man who compliments Shaquille nicely on the defensive end of the floor and brings toughness to the squad. The other three players, all acquired in the 2005 summer, are aging veterans who can score points and shoot the long ball. Another bench player who could have a sizable impact is Alonzo Mourning, who substituted nicely for O’Neal last season. It is important that all five of these players continue to perform as they did last season.

On the sidelines for the Heat is NBA legend Pat Riley for the second straight season. Riley is a top-calibar coach who will expect nothing less than a second championship and will aim to keep his team focused on their new goal.

The Miami Heat have championship rings and all of their key players and coaches back for the 2006/07 season. But they will also have a bull’s-eye on their backs for the entire season and they will really have to play their best basketball to return to the Finals for the second straight season.

The author is a well knowned sportsbetting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Cleveland Cavaliers 2006-07 Preview

The main story for the Cavaliers in the 2006/07 season, as it has been for the past three and probably will be for the foreseeable future, is LeBron James. LeBron is by far one of the best young players that the league has seen in a very long time, and his performance last season was as impressive as any other players in the NBA.

LeBron James was third in the league last year with 31.4 points per game. His scoring numbers have improved every year since he has been in the league and there is no reason to expect a drop in production anytime soon. One thing that Cavaliers fans would be happy to see is an increase from his 6.6 assists a game. Once thought to be the heir apparent to Oscar Robertson, James still has a lot of work to do in getting his teammates more involved.

Playing aside LeBron in the upcoming season are role players such as Larry Hughes and Zydrunnas Illgauskas. Larry Hughes is coming off a slightly disappointing season in which he was injured for two-thirds of the year. He should benefit greatly from playing an entire season next to one of the best players in the league and return to his 2004 form when he averaged 22.1 points per game. Illgauskas is a great scorer at the center position and is usually the key to how well the team as a whole does. If he is able to set a tone early, the Cavaliers are very tough to beat.

Other role players who are expected to contribute to the team include Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones and Anderson Varejao. Marshall is an inconsistent scorer at the power-forward position who has a long range. Jones is another inconsistent shooter who can light it up from the three-point range. Both players are expected to improve upon mediocre 2005 seasons. Anderson Varejao is a pure energy player who can give the team a boost off of his reckless play. Varejao has to stay healthy, however, and make it past the sixty games played mark for the first time in his career.

Second-year head coach Mike Brown may not get much press, but there is no question that he got the job done last year by leading the Cavaliers to their first playoff berth in a long time and winning a playoff series. More will be expected from him and the team, however, in 2006/07 and Brown needs to make sure that his team is not happy with last years results. This is not a championship team yet, but they are only one or two players away from that status.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Chicago Bulls 2006 Preview

Just how good are the Chicago Bulls? After two straight playoff appearances, the Bulls look to take the next step after a couple of key additions in the offseason. To do so, however, they have to prove that they are the best, or even second-best, team in their own division.

The biggest addition for the Chicago Bulls was defensive stalwart Ben Wallace. Wallace is a four-time defensive player of the year who will bring toughness and a team-mentality to the Bulls. He is also a veteran presence on a fairly young team. The main problem with Ben, however, is that he is no offensive threat, which is the main area the Bulls lacked in last season.

The main scorers for the Chicago Bulls are the young backcourt players in Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. Hinrich is an excellent point guard who can shoot from any spot on the floor. The Bulls expect him to get better as he has over the past few seasons. Much in the same way, Gordon is expected to continue as the leading scorer of the Chicago Bulls. It would come as no surprise if the third-year man out of Connecticut reaches the 20 points per game plateau.

Luol Deng is yet another talented young scorer at the small-forward position. Deng seems to be more comfortable coming off the bench, however, as he averaged almost three points more a game in that position then as a starter. The starter, therefore, is Andres Nocioni who can provide energy and double-digit points night in and night out.

The Bulls pride themselves on playing tough defense and having one of the deepest rosters in the league, and that should continue through the 2006/07 season. Some of their key bench players that haven’t been mentioned so far may include first-round draft pick Tyrus Thomas. Tyrus is a very young player who has a lot of talent but is relatively unpolished. Ben Wallace should help in his development as an elite NBA player. Another key bench player that coach Scott Skiles has relied on is backup point guard Chris Duhon. Duhon is a relatively unspectacular player who can manage the offense when Hinrich needs a break.

The Bulls certainly have a lot of talent entering the 2006 season, but most of that talent is also very young. This may end up being their downfall once again, as in the past two seasons. One thing is for sure, Chicago is on the right path to success.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.