Outlook for the 2013-14 Portland TrailBlazers

The 2012-13 Portland TrailBlazers were an average team that was incomplete and that's just about all you can say about them. From the core the Blazers already have, Liliard, Batum and Aldridge, the Blazers already have a bright future. Liliard and Aldridge are forming a formidable duo, after a stellar rookie season by Damian and another great year by LaMarcus, and have a chance to become like Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer if they put in enough work.

Batum is also coming into his self lately with a great all-around year with averages of 14.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG.

They had a good enough starting five, which also consisted of Wesley Mathews and J.J. Hickson, to make the playoffs but their bench - the biggest names being Meyers Leonard, Eric Maynor and Nolan Smith; their big is pretty small - was atrocious and was their biggest downfall ensuite to them finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 33-49. To make it even worse for this up and coming season, they lost J.J. Hickson, who finally established himself as a starting C in the NBA

and Eric Mayor, who formed a great backcourt combination with Damian Liliard, with Liliard played off-guard. With Hickson gone, the Blazers traded for the underrated Robin Lopez.

Now I know what y'all think, "Robin Lopez? He's a joke". I have to completely disagree with you on that. In the 2012-13 season, the 7-footer averaged 11.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.6 BPG in 26 minutes of action per game on 53.4% from the field and 77.8% from the line, which is amazing for a C. Compare those to Hickson's numbers, 12.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 0.6 BPG in 29 MPG on 56.2% from the field and 67.9% from the charity stripe, and you reduce the amount a little bit of rebounding for a better inside presence who will get you close to the same amount of points. If you put those numbers into per 36 minute numbers, Lopez's stats are: 15.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 2.2 BPG. Hickson's numbers are 15.8 PPG, 12.8 RPG and 0.8 BPG. Now if you ask me, with LaMarcus Aldridge averaging 9.1 RPG, I wouldn't be worrying so much about the extra rebounds if you have a C averaging 2+ blocks per game. It goes like this: Lopez and Hickson are equal scorers, J.J. is a better rebounder, Robin is a better defender and better free throw shooter. The Portland TrailBlazers made up for the loss of J.J. Hickson with Robin Lopez and aren't losing much, if not gaining something better. Other than Lopez, they also traded for Thomas Robinson from Houston, in the middle of the season. For Eric Maynor, the Blazers drafted C.J. McCollum 10th overall to be their 6th man and possible starting SG if he dethrones Mathews for the job.

McCollum has a legit chance of winning ROY, even coming off the bench because he can score at will and is being given the opportunity to, with the situation he landed in. Along with McCollum, Mo Williams was also added

boosting the TrailBlazers chances of making the playoffs. They will be the team's 1-2 punch off the bench, solidifying it among the ranks of the NBA. The rest of the 2013-14 Portland TrailBlazers consists of Dorell Wright, the swingman who once led the NBA in 3-point field goals made in the 2010-11 season, Eliot Williams, who is coming off an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the whole 2012-13 season, Luke Babbit, the sharpshooting SF who can't do much, other than shooting, Earl Watson, who adds veteran leadership and Terrell Harris, who only adds to their depth. Also rookies Allen Crabbe and Marko Todorovic will add whatever they can to the table. Rounding out the roster are returning players, Will Barton, Joel Freeland, Victor Claver and Sasha Pavlovic. Of course, the TrailBlazers are going to be faced with tough decision on which 4 to cut because you can only have 15 players on an NBA roster at once. Whoever they decide on keeping, the 2013-14 Portland TrailBlazers are looking like an above-average team with their starting line-up intact from the previous season and a revamped bench, and might even make the playoffs as the 7th or 8th seed with the already tough Western Conference. The TrailBlazers just might and surprise us all.

Revisting The 2012 NBA Draft Class

With the NBA Draft coming up in a few weeks I thought this would be a great time to revist the 2012 draft class and how the Rookie seasons went for a few players from that class. So lets get to it.

#1 Pick Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)

As the New Orleans franchise looks towards the future they have a lot to be excited about with the name change to the Pelicans and Anthony Davis to build a whole franchise around. Davis didn't put up gaudy numbers but he definitely showed flashes of what he could be through out the season on the defensive side of the floor. Davis is surely a conerstone for the young franchise and Tom Benson has a lot to look forward to moving ahead. Davis just needs to make sure he stays healthy.

Stats: 14 PPG 8 Rebounds 2 Blocks

#2 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte Bobcats)

When the Charlotte Bobcats drafted MKG at number two overall they knew they were getting a guy who had a high motor, was very durable and has some upside. In the Early part of the year he was showing people the type of player he could player he could be on a regular bases when he put up 25 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. The season was very up and down for Gilchrist and he had a hard time getting into rhythm at times due to Coach Mike Dunlap being inconsistent with his minutes. MKG still has to fine tune that horrendous jumper but in time he should become a very productive NBA player, maybe even an All-Star.

Stats: 9 PPG 2 Assists 6 Rebounds

#3 Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)

Bradley Beal when playing for the Gators was known as a perimeter shooter so to put that ability with John Wall's explosiveness in the back court was a big deal for the Wizards organization. The only problem was John wall didn't return from injury till January so people had to wait to see the tandem play. When they did play the Wizards played near 500 basketball. Beal shot 38% from the perimeter during his rookie season and played a big role for the Wizards over the in wins over the Heat and Thunder. Beal can only get better from here as he adjusts to the NBA game.

Stats: 14 PPG 2 Assists 4 Rebounds

#4 Dion Waiters (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Last season the Cavs were looking for someone who was going to be a great back court partner with franchise guard Kyrie Irving and while on the court near Kyrie, Dion Waiter was just that. He showed people throughout the course of the year that he can score the basketball consistently. The only problem with him shooting the ball so much is that he is a volume scorer and needs to work on being more efficient. In his rookie season though Dion Waiters has shown the Cavs that he can be a reliable back court partner for Kyrie Irving.

Stats: 15PPG 3 Assists 2 Rebounds

#5 Thomas Robinson (Sacramento Kings/Houston Rockets)

Of all the players in this draft class nobody was more unlucky then Thomas Robinson. He spent time Sacramento and Houston this season and couldn't find minutes anywhere consistently. Now he will probably be leaving Houston as the Rockets make their push for Dwight Howard. Robinson has all the tools to make him a productive player in a rotation he is tough,Strong and can guard multiple positions. Wherever he gets a fair shot T-Rob will make the most of it and that team will get a solid player.

Stats: 5 PPG 5 Rebounds

#6 Damian Lillard (Portland Trailblazers)

This was considered a reach at the time Blazers made the pick but once all the media hype faded and the games began Lillard quickly put the doubters to rest and ran away with the Rookie of the Year award. He has franchise player written all over him and the Blazers management has to feel good about having someone to build around for years to come. Lillard can still improve but he had as good as rookie season as I've ever seen breaking Stephen Curry's rookie three point record.

Stats: 19 PPG 7 Assists 3 Rebounds

#7 Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors)

Not going to lie coming out of UNC I was never high on Harrison Barnes but many people were coming into this season. As the season went on he got better and pretty much proved everybody right and served as the backbone for a Warrior team that made the Playoffs this year for the 1^st time since 2007. Barnes has range,explosiveness and a high basketball IQ he will definitely be an All-Star one day he converted me into a fan this season after contributing in the postseason.

Stats: 9 PPG 4 Rebounds 1 Assist

#8 Terrence Ross (Toronto Raptors)

Terence Ross is very athletic and can shoot from outside in his 1^st season with the Raptors he saw an adequate amount of minutes. He can be a solid bench player and still has some upside but I don't seem as a starter in Toronto especially with Derozen at the 2.

Stats: 7 PPG 2 Rebounds

#9 Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons)

10 years down the road when people look at this draft Andre Drummond could be the best player in it he has that potential. The #1 pick in this draft Anthony Davis has a player efficiency rating of 21.80. Andre Drummond has a Player Efficiency rating of 21.69 while playing 8 minutes less then Davis. He is listed a 6'10 270 pounds at the age of 19 which means that as I’m typing this post Drummond is growing into a 7 footer. Early in his rookie season Drummond sat on the bench but as he got minutes he showed the NBA what he was about like when he dropped 18 points and 18 Rebounds on the Milwaukee Bucks.He certainly has all the tools in the world to be one of the best centers in the league and with a front court partner like Greg Monroe Detroit Basketball can be happy about the days ahead.

Stats: 8 PPG 8 Rebounds 2 Blocks

So the 2012 draft class brought some pretty solid players. It will be interesting to see what these young talented players do going forward.

Video Blog: NBA Awards

Awards in the NBA are being handed out as we speak, checkout my awards breakdown in the video below. See how my picks stack up with the NBA.

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The Next Cream Of The Crop

The NBA has evolved over the last decade. It went from a league that Emphasized post play to a more small ball guard oriented league. Point guards in todays NBA are specimens and are doing things you never thought you would see a Point guard do. Russel Westbrook and Derrick Rose when they step on the floor are usually the most athletic guys on the floor, teammates look for them on alley-oops more then they look for their teammates on alley-oops the game has changed and the Point Guard position has become hands down the most important position in the league. The league today posses so many talented guards that it's hard to keep track of sometimes. Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rando, Tony Parker, Russel Westbrook and Deron Williams are the “cream of the Crop” as far as point guards go but there is a new wave of talent that I would like to delve into today the “2nd wave” of guards if you will, the guys that in the coming years will make the Point guard position even more competitive then it already is at this point.

When Talking about the future or guys that will take over the #1 spot for players in the league in the coming years not just point guards, you got to start with Kyrie Irving in only his 2^nd year in the league taking over the league seems to be this man's mission. Last season he joined Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson and Lebron James as the only No. 1 overall draft picks to average at least 18.0 points and 5.0 assists. He won the MVP of the Rising stars Challenge game at All-star weekend between Rookies and sophomores shooting 8-8 form 3 for 34 points.

This man has been a winner ever since he was playing at #6 Patrick High School in New Jersey with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He has taken his game to seemingly a whole new level this season and has become the unquestionable leader for a Cleveland Cavaliers franchise still trying to get back on it's feet since “the Decision” Lebron James made several seasons ago. The man fears nobody and you know that when he confidently puts up money to play the likes of Kobe Bryant 1 on 1 like he did in the off season .He his very poised for someone his age and he just has that “thing” or it factor that All-Stars in this league posses and if he can stay healthy then there is no stopping Uncle Drew from leading the Cavs some place special one day.

John Wall Is a perfect example of what the point Guard position has became in the NBA he is long, explosive and athletic but Wall like Kyrie Irving is a 1^st round pick who went at the top of his draft class who has big shoes to fill in Washington. In his 3^rd season in the League John Wall has had a hard time staying on the floor. Since the day he put on a jersey Wall has been expected to be a savior for a franchise that has been struggling for some years now. He came in after one season at Kentucky and hasn't quite lived up to what I thought were unrealistic expectations, there is a maturation process that goes on when you come into the league that young especially when the team you play with surrounds you with Lazy Knucklehead ball players (Javale Mcgee, Andre Blatche).

It's year 3 and we are starting to see Wall's game Mature he plays with a much better pace and the Wiz are starting to surround him with pieces Like Bradley Beal And Nene. Once John Wall puts a full season together then we will see something special from the rookie of the year runner up.

They say Winning is a process well that is an understatement for Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats. When Walker got drafted he found himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Bobcats were just a few seasons removed from a playoff appearance when he was drafted they had just traded Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson and Kemba found himself on a very young talent depleted roster. The team was beyond bad in fact they were so bad that they set the record for lowest winning percentage in NBA History going 7-59 and Walker struggled. It's crazy to think that Kemba Walker who was a Mcdonalds All-american in high school and led Uconn to a National Championship was now part of the worst team in Pro basketball history. Kemba didn't let his team's struggle get to him, when summer came he spent an ample amount of time in the gym working on his Jumpshot so he could improve his game offensively. The result is a much more improved game offensivley with a 6 percent increase from the 3 point line and 7 percent increase in his overall field goal percentage.

Kemba Walker is 20-103 in his basketball career to this point but with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as another Building block, another high pick in this years upcoming draft and 20 million dollars of cap space to play with Kemba may finally get some help and show the basketball world what he can really do when he has weapons around him. Kemba is a winner brings it every night and is a top flight talent in this league surrounded by a bunch of end of the road players.

When the Blazers made their 2013 1^st round draft selection this season and chose Damian Lillard from little known Weber State many experts called it a reach, well now with abut 20+ games left it looks like Lillard is already going to be the unanimous Rookie of the year and for good reason. He exploded on to the scene opening night vs. Lakers wasn't star struck by Kobe Bryant or Steve Nash and proceeded to collect 23 points and 11 assists in his rookie debut joining Isaiah Thomas and Oscar Robertson as the only players to get 20 points and 10 assists in their rookie deubt. He leads all rookie's in assists and points and has displayed a poise much beyond his years, Lillard is doing Weber State proud.

So there you have it the next wave of Point guards in the league all talented and all ready to lead their teams to the top.

Vegas Summer league

Vegas summer league has wrapped up and there were some rookies and sophomores who impressed. With all the different teams competing in sin city there was more talent on display then in Orlando. So with out further ado lets get into the players who impressed.


1. Josh Selby G Memphis Grizzlies 2nd round pick 49th overall 2011 draft

@joshselby2

The former Kansas Jayhawk saw little time in the Grizzlie rotation with Tony Allen and O.J Mayo at shooting guard for the grind house gang. With the departure of Mayo to the Dallas Mavericks Selby may have an opportunity to get significant time in the Memphis rotation. Selby proved to be one of the most outstanding players in summer league dropping 30+ points in 2 of his 4 games. He shot lights out from the perimeter putting up numbers you usually see from me playing NBA 2k12 . In all seriousness though if Selby can come off the bench and give the Grizzlies some consistent shooting from the perimeter he will stick around for a long time. Memphis desperately need shooting from the perimeter ranking 25th in the NBA  last year shooting 32% a team from dowtown. If Selby can fill it up from 3 he will add a whole new dimension to the grindhouse offense.

Summer league stats: 4 Games 29 Minutes 27.5 PPG 2.8 Rebounds 2.5 Steals 59 FG%  70 % 3pt FG


2. Kemba Walker PG Charlotte Bobcats 1st round 9th overall 2011 draft

@KembaWalker

Kemba Walker is known as a winner capturing a national title at Uconn in early 2011 but his NBA experience was vastly different. He played on the worst team in league history going 7-59 with the Charlotte Bobcats. Talk about being brought down to earth from being on top of college basketball to worst team in NBA history. Kemba Walker individually struggled for most of the season and his numbers reflect that. Walker did show some flashes of brilliance posting a triple-double vs. Wizards on January 25th . With Walker being given the job,having his 1st real camp and a quicker more up tempo system by new coach Mike Dunlap Walker is looking to prove all the doubters wrong that say he can”t be a starting point guard in the NBA. He silenced all the critics (for now) with his impressive summer league play. He had games where he didn’t play his best basketball and still impacted winning. For example in the 2nd game vs. Cavaliers Walker shot 2-14 from the field but with the game on the line and the Bobcats down by 1 he hit a floater to give the Charlotte the win over Cleveland. Kemba may not be your prototype point guard but playing to his attributes in the Dunlap system will allow him to flourish and I expect the starting point guard to be in the running for the most improved player of the year award.

Summer league stats: 5 games 31 Minutes 15.8 points 3.6 Rebounds 5.8 Assists 1.8 Steals 35 FG%

Damian Lillard G Portland TrailBlazers 1st round 6th overall

@Dame_Lillard

Considerd a reach by many experts Damian Lillard has a chip on his shoulder to hopefully prove the critics wrong that he wasn’t a reach. He is a  little known point guard from the miniscule college of Weber State where he put up big time numbers his sophmore and senior seasons putting up 19.9 and 24.5 points respectably. Lillard is a guy who can flat out score and I saw a lot of things I liked out of the summer league scoring champ. He broke down defenses and penetrated the middle of the floor and set up team mates making it look effortlessly at times. Although he was inefficient at times Lillard was aggressive and you like too see that out of  your rookie point guards,especially if he is projected as your starter. This kid has All-star potential

Summer League Stats: 4 Games 32.8 Minutes 26.5 PPG 5.3 Assists  4.0 Rebounds 0.5 Steals 43.8 FG% 37 3PT FG%

Jeffery Taylor F Charlotte Bobcats 2nd round 32nd overall

This too me is considered a steal in the 2nd round because Taylor posses 1st round talent his game is versatile. He takes pride in his defense 1st but on offense Taylor can shoot lights out from the perimeter but still posses the athletic ability to get to the rim and finish. At 6’7 him and Michael-Kidd Gilchrist  will likely see some playing time with each other which could make for some exciting basketball in the queen city this season. Taylor no matter where he plays will be an effective NBA pro. His perimeter defense and long range shooting will make him an asset in Charlotte  this upcoming season and the native of Sweden  has looked solid so far even though its only summer league.

Summer League Stats: 27 Minutes 11.8 PPG 1.3 Assists 4.5 Rebounds 0.2 Steals  40 FG% 37 3pt FG%

Bradley Beal G Washington Wizards 1st round 3rd Overall

@RealDealBeal23

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The St.Louis native is considerd by many to be the most NBA ready player in the draft and will be John Wall”s backcourt partner in crime for the Wizards. Beal will compliment Wall’s raw atheletisicm very well with his ability too shoot the ball from the perimeter. For the 1st time maybe ever in DC the wizards have a backcourt they can build around for a long time. I like what I saw from Beal he played solid defense hustled  in the open court to block players and in close outs. The effort level was really high and for a franchise that has a trend of having guys who take play off Beal should make a differnce.

Summer League Stats: 5 Games 30.6 Minutes 17.6 PPG 1.8 Assists 4.6 Rebounds 1 Steal 41 FG%  30 3PT FG%