The Orlando Magic made it to the NBA Finals last June.

I thought I would begin with that in case you had forgotten…

Last year, the Magic were considered a part of the “Big Three” when it came to the hierarchy of teams in the Eastern Conference.  Yet it wasn’t necessarily a “1a, 1b and 1c” scenario, i.e. these three teams were ranked as well: At the top were the previous NBA Champion Boston Celtics, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers led by MVP LeBron James, and third were the young-and-surely-talented-still-not-quite-there-but-definitely-close-to-the-top Orlando Magic.  Some may have had the top two switched because of the Kevin Garnett injury and/or because of Cleveland’s better record in the regular season, but in any case Orlando was generally given the least amount of respect of the three.  And what happened come playoff time?

Orlando punched them both in the mouth.

In Round One, the Magic easily went by the 76ers in six games.  Round Two featured one of the biggest match-ups in the entire playoffs, with the Magic winning in an epic game seven in Boston by nearly twenty points, winning that series against the Celts.  The next round wasn’t an easy time either, but the Magic prevailed over the Cleveland Cavs when the entire world was awaiting a ‘LeBron vs. Kobe’ Finals.  With the Magic spoiling the dreams of fans, along with those of the players themselves, the team made it to the final round where they were simply outplayed by the best team in the land: the Los Angeles Lakers.  Part of me was rooting for the Magic because I really don’t like the Lakers (actually, a lot of me felt that way), but also because I could see the potential in what the Magic were doing; they had beaten two teams that were considered the best teams Orlando’s conference.  To me, that was impressive enough, and that impression has carried over to this year.

Obviously the team is much different this year.  There is no Hedo Turkoglu or Courtney Lee, not to mention a slew of injuries that is certainly making head coach Stan Van Gundy pull his hear out (we all know how animated that guy can get).  However, there are some changes this year that I believe have been for the better.  First and foremost, the trade to get Vince Carter in the offseason was a championship trade – normally I wouldn’t be much in favor of giving away young talent like Courtney Lee, but when you are contending for a championship the way that the Magic are you can afford to give up potential for proven stardom.  Carter was not the only addition that was made to the team either: the Magic also added Brandon Bass who, like Dwight Howard, can clean the glass and provide an enforcer-type mentality to the second unit.  The acquisition of Matt Barnes was also a good move in my opinion, as it is another scoring option on the outside that won’t necessarily slash to the hoop like Carter or Rashard Lewis will, but will keep the defense honest on the perimeter.

So, if it isn’t clear enough, it seems to me that this team got better in the offseason.  In addition to being a purely more talented team than last year, there are two other ways that I believe that the Magic will prove their dominance in the East.  The first is in the number of ways the team can beat you; the offense and defense create ‘pick your poison’ situations.  First, and especially once Jameer Nelson is healthy once again, the guard play is outstanding.  Vince Carter is still a pretty good passer, Nelson was an All Star a year ago and still one of the best players on this team.  Second is the shooting.  I already talked about Matt Barnes a bit, but when Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter or J.J. Reddick get hot, you might as well forget throw up the white flag.  In addition to being good scorers, Carter and Lewis are also good slashers, able to get to the rim and cause defenders to decide whether to overplay or loosen up to protect the drive.  Then you have the big man in the middle, Dwight Howard, doing what he does best: dominate the paint.  There isn’t a center in the league that is remotely up to Howard’s standards, and I wouldn’t expect anyone to get there soon, which is a testament to how good he really has become.  The thing about all of these ways the Magic will beat you is it isn’t a matter of being mediocre at any of them, but rather the talent on the team allows for greatness at each position to excel because they’re not all going to get the attention on defense.  Defensively, Dwight Howard is going to give any opposing team chills, especially when it comes to the defensive boards and his shot blocking ability.

Finally, what this team lacked last year was experience, and losing in the Finals was an experience that few teams get.  Though the growing pains were hard to handle at the time, I’m sure the team learned a lot about what it takes to be not just a contender, but a winner at the championship level.

Ultimately, these are the reasons why I believe the Magic are destined for greatness this year.  So step aside Cleveland and Boston; it may still be the big three, but the true number one resides in Orlando.

While I’m guilty of not blogging for a while, it has been to my advantage to look at the NBA not necessarily from a day-to-day basis but rather comprehensively over the last couple weeks.  Teams have played about 10 games or so, which is a perfect opportunity to see what these squadss are really about.  With all this being said, this is what I’ve seen thus far out of the NBA:

~Is Chris Kaman the best Center in the West? You may think, “Sam, it’s kind of funny to think about, but realistically there is no way.”  What I would say to that is if we want to talk real, let’s look at the statistics: 22 points a game, over nine rebounds, a block and a half, as well as a 55% field goal percentage and 76% free throw percentage.  How does that stand up to the rest of the league?  Well, the 22.3 points is thirteenth in the league, and nine rebounds are in the top twenty among all players as well.  I don’t think this is going to stay this way over the course of the season, but who would have thought that the bright spot for the Clippers would be Chris Kaman.

~Atlanta is pretty darn good – I’m writing this just after the Hawks narrowly beat the Blazers in overtime at home, but nonetheless you can’t ignore what Atlanta has accomplished this season.  The Hawks as of Monday evening are 9-2, including wins over Denver, Boston on the road, and the Blazers twice, not to mention one of those two losses coming on the road at the Lakers.  I said in my preseason goals that Atlanta was on the verge of doing something pretty great, but that was before I realized how good Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford really are.  They may not need another player, but rather just a little more time to establish themselves as a team to beat in the East.  So, look for Atlanta to continue this stretch, because they are indeed for real.

~Milwaukee and Phoenix are much improved: This seems like an obvious statement, but I really am quite surprised with how well these two squads are playing.  For Phoenix, Amar’e Stoudemire is still a superstar and one that we are now realizing how missed he really was a year ago.  We are also learning that Steve Nash is continuing to be the Eighth Wonder of the World: This is a man that has already won two MVP awards, and his coaches are praising him to the point where they are saying he is playing better now than he did when he was dominating the league three years ago.  Is he ever going to slow down?  Moving to Milwaukee, it’s clear that Brandon Jennings is the best rookie at this point in the season, and many believe that he has already locked up the Rookie of the Year Award.  My roommate is also convinced that Jennings is going to be the best player of all time (which I think is a bit of a stretch, but I suppose time will tell).  However, I’m not totally sold on the Bucks quite yet – Jennings is good, and yes he is averaging 26 points a game, but we also have to remember that he is basically the only scoring option while Michael Redd is injured.  Also, it’s seven games into the season!  There is absolutely no way Jennings will shoot 57% from beyond the arc as he has done in the first part of the season, and there have to be a few rookie mistakes thrown in there.  Though 55 points is hard to deny, let’s cool it just a bit – I’d like to see it happen for at least half a season before I consider dominance.  But, Milwaukee has new life, that is for sure.

~Minnesota and New Jersey are dreadfully bad: When you already have a ten-game losing streak and it’s mid-November, you know something is going wrong.  At least they both have bright spots in Al Jefferson (Minnesota) and Devin Harris (New Jersey).  But other than that, there isn’t much to be excited about.

~Cleveland and Portland fans, poor starts mean nothing: At least when it comes to the first couple games.  Everything is going to be fine, and is the way that it is supposed to be: Cleveland at 7-3, Portland at 8-4.  LeBron is still LeBron, and the young Blazers are still developing every day.  Now we know moving forward that if you start at .500 in the first six games it’s not the end of the world.

~I may be a homer, but Greg Oden is showing flashes of pure dominance: When Oden is in the game, and that is becoming the case more and more this season, there is some offensive strife but defensive brilliance shown. Oden is averaging nearly two and a half block in just 23 minutes a game (by far the least amount of minutes of anyone in the top ten in this category), which is currently second in the league.  And when Oden plays well, so do the Blazers: During the eight Portland wins, Oden is averaging eleven points and over eight rebounds in just under 25 minutes of play.  The man, even if his stats aren’t as gaudy as say Dwight Howard or Tim Duncan, is efficient to say the least.  He gets it done when he is on the floor, and the more reps he gets the more effective the Blazers become.

That’s all for now, I promise to post more often, and tell your friends about Hoops Hysteria!

After much pressure from the readership contingency, I’m getting these goals DONE, especially because a lot of you Northwest dwellers want to know what is going to happen with the Blazers this year.  Well, your patience has finally paid off!  First, I would like to say something up front: they need to change the name of the Northwest Division.  I think that it’s cool that it is called that because I am from the Northwest, but since when were Denver, Minnesota, Utah, and most absurd of all Oklahoma City considered in the Northwest part of the country?  Yes, I am smart enough to realize that Oklahoma City used to be in Seattle, but it still isn’t an excuse in my opinion.  My memo to the NBA: Clean it up!  Let’s get to some goals:

Oklahoma City Thunder: The goal for OK City is once again going to be to rebuild this year, but I tell you what there is a monster-to-be lurking in the south.  Kevin Durant is turning out to be the man among elite professional players, and he can score on anyone.  Russell Westbrook, who just dropped 13 assists last night (albeit on Sacramento), is developing into a rising star and one that can not only distribute the ball, but also put it in the hoop as well as grab some rebounds.  Jeff Green has also shown his knack for the game in his last couple years in the NBA, and the Thunder scored big time in the draft with James Harden from Arizona State.  They are also beginning to create an offensive and defensive identity, and have seemingly moved on from the fact that they are not playing in Seattle anymore.  Other than that, this is a mediocre team.  I wouldn’t expect great things this year, but I would like to see the Thunder push 30 wins this year and keep these players healthy and continually on the rise.

Minnesota Timberwolves: I very much liked what the Timberwolves were doing as an organization in the post-Kevin Garnett era.  That was until they decided to draft two top-five caliber point guards in the draft last summer, one of which won’t even be making the trip over here until probably around 2012, not to mention signing Ramon Sessions in free agency.  Huh?  They very well could have packaged those picks to make a bigger deal, and/or found a player lower on the board (Jordan Hill, DeMar DeRozan, Stephan Curry, etc.) to draft.  Luckily they found a super player in Jonny Flynn who can lead this team, which is the only redeeming factor of the entire ordeal.  We can’t forget about some of the other pieces the T-Wolves have picked up over the last few years, including Center Al Jefferson (the second best center in the league in my opinion), Kevin Love, (who is a good talent), Corey Brewer, etc.  Look for much of the same for the Wolves this year, as the fate of the season lies in the hands of Jefferson.  I’d say this team should shoot for 30 wins like the Thunder, though their future doesn’t look near as bright as I would have hoped.

Utah Jazz: It’s really hard for me to say this is the third best team in the division, but I really do think that’s the case.  Denver took a knock by losing a few role players but they are still strong, and Portland only got better this offseason, so Utah will have to take the backseat once again.  This is not to say that I could be completely wrong with that, because there is definitely the talent in Utah to make some noise this year; with names like Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, Ronnie Brewer, etc. there is enough talent to do some damage this season.  The goal then, at least for me, is to make a push at a home court advantage spot and contend with Denver and Portland at the top of this division.  I honestly think that they could get in the third or fourth spot in the West, they are that good and have that much experience, but I’m still not sold 100% as of now.

Denver Nuggets: Last year the Nuggets won 54 games last year, and that was when they had Chauncey Billups fresh from the Pistons and learning a somewhat new system.  Now, with the Denver scheme and a great playoff resumé, Billups could escort the Nuggets into a similar situation this year.  Unfortunately for them, Portland and San Antonio both improved (some would argue drastically) in the offseason, whereas the Nuggets did not make any major changes over the summer.  I’m somewhat torn on how well the Nuggets will do – I’m expecting a 50-win season out of them, as should they, and probably win a first round series would be an expected goal.  Other than that, I’m not sold on anything yet.

Portland Trailblazers: Blazers fans unite!  This is the best team Portland has seen in years, and I don’t think that they will disappoint.  I’m somewhat scared that now everyone has expectations of this team they are going to fold mid-season, but let’s hope that isn’t the case.  From the coaching of Nate McMillan and his staff to the leadership of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, to the fact that the bench can go ten players deep is scary.  The only real player they lost in the offseason was Sergio Rodriguez, and they replaced him with the best free agent point guard on the market in Andre Miller.  If Greg Oden is half of what people say he was this summer he is going to dominate the centers of the Western Conference, and Roy and Aldridge are going to have stellar seasons again.  The goal this year is definitely win a playoff series regardless of what they do in the regular season, though I do think that they should shoot for a division championship as well.  50 wins also seem possible for this year’s Blazer team.

That does it for the goals, look for more thoughts as the season moves on!

Well, it all begins tonight!  We are really close to finishing out these goals, so let’s take a look at the Southwest Division:

Memphis Grizzlies: For what it’s worth, the Grizzlies are sure making it interesting down in Tennessee.  With the additions of Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson there is not going to be a lack of drama for the Griz this year.  Yet, when you add these two talented players to a line-up that already had Marc Gasol, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, and Mike Conley, the offense looks very strong for this team.  And, aside from these players that can put points on the board, they drafted defensive minded players in Hasheem Thabeet and DeMarre Carroll that can defend both the perimeter as well as around the hoop (Gasol can do much of the same thing).  To be honest, I have somewhat high expectations for Memphis in 2009-10.  Who is to say that they can’t think about them winning 35 games this year?  Z-Bo and AI are quality players aside from the off-the-court antics, and it’s not like Memphis was thinking about building team chemistry when they signed them, so maybe the talent will carry them to 35 or more wins this year.  So I’m going to put the goal at 35 even though it may seem high, and maybe see what they are going to get out of Thabeet and Mayo moving forward.

New Orleans Hornets: Many people, from listening to and reading various sources, don’t have the Hornets making the playoffs this year.  One Mike Rice (Portland Trailblazer Television Color Commentator) also pointed out last night that there have been talks that the Hornets may not be satisfied with their head coach Byron Scott.  However, we cannot forget that this is a team that still features the best point guard in the game in Chris Paul, All Star Forward David West, and added a talented big man in Emeka Okafor.  Other than that, though, it’s hard to find much of an impact player on the Hornets’ roster – some may argue Julian Wright or Peja Stojakovic, but I only see a player (Wright) who is slowly coming into his own, and another (Stojakovic) who is past his prime.  Because this team made the playoffs last year, I’m setting the goal of making the playoffs again this year, but I’m not totally convinced that is going to happen.  They should be well above .500 again like they were last year, but an improved Phoenix Suns could snatch their spot come the spring of 2010.

Houston Rockets: The Rockets have taken major blows in the offseason.  Everyone knows about what happened to Yao Ming, who knows what is going on with Tracy McGrady, and you need to mention the departure of Ron Artest.  However, with good leadership from head coach Rick Adelman, some pieces are falling into place for the Rockets.  Starting with Aaron Brooks, and on forward to Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry, and Shane Battier, there are players in Houston that can run and make the game interesting for fans.  I, unfortunately, am not totally convinced of what they can do this year; there are just too many transitions going on for something great to be accomplished.  Therefore, I don’t want to make the goal to be the playoffs for the Rockets even though it should, but rather I’d like to see them develop an identity offensively as a unit this year, because I don’t have a clue what they are going to do [yet].  If they can accomplish this, I think the playoffs will follow closely behind.  It’s going to be somewhat of a struggle though – I wouldn’t expect close last year’s win total of 53 again this season.

Dallas Mavericks: Mavericks’ fans, I really hope you like ‘good but not good enough teams’ because you guys have another one!  All kidding aside, I feel bad for Dallas.  They are really close, and adding Shawn Marion I believe was a huge addition, but looking up at the Spurs and Lakers ahead of them it’s probably going to be a great regular season but most likely a quick postseason.  Also, losing Josh Howard for who knows who long wasn’t helpful either.  So, I’m going to say the goal in 2010 is to win a playoff series.  There are a lot of people who say that even that isn’t possible with all of the talent that the West is showing right now, but Dallas definitely has talent to match.  Let’s not forget that Dirk Nowitzki won the league MVP only two years ago, and this team has looked better and better after the addition of Jason Kidd.  I would even like to see the Mavs get home court advantage, and I think that is a very hard but definitely possible goal for this season.

San Antonio Spurs: It has been a couple years since their last championship, and based on the trend that we have seen from the Spurs over the last decade it’s no wonder that they are elite once again.  Everyone knows about Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli, but the addition of Richard Jefferson this offseason was key to making this a championship contending team.  Therefore, I’m setting the goal for the Spurs this year at making a Finals appearance in 2010.  I do think that it is true that the San Antonio is really the only competition for the Lakers when it comes to playoff time – I’m just hoping, for the Spurs sake, that things go according to plan in the first two rounds, because sometimes things can get a little interesting when a powerhouse team struggles slightly (does anyone remember the Dallas-Golden State match-up from a year ago?).  Ultimately I think they will be fine, and look for the Spurs to have a fantastic season overall.

There is the Southwest Division for you all and I hope you enjoyed it.  Also, I will be getting up the Northwest Division up very soon, but in the meantime enjoy the games tonight, and I’ll talk with you all in the near future!

Though I’ve been putting these up slowly, and I know that I won’t get them all done by the time the season rolls around, I assure you that they will be done SOON.  However, that note aside, here is what I expect to see from the Pacific Division this year:

Sacramento Kings: Ummmm… well, there really isn’t much to say about the Kings.  They were the league’s worst team last year, and that bad luck rolled into the draft lottery when they had to face the worst case scenario of getting the fourth overall pick.  Yet, things seem to be working out as well as they could have with the drafting of Tyreke Evans (who I believe is an incredible talent, similar to the level that Derrick Rose was at Memphis).  Though it would have been great to get their hands on Blake Griffin, I think that the Clippers’ Evans can provide versatility that this team needs, especially considering they really don’t have much talent outside of Kevin Martin.  The goals for this team are pretty minimal.  First, they need to win more than 20 games, and hopefully somewhere around 25, because the 17 they won last year was abysmal.  Defensively the Kings gave up over 109 points per game in 2008-09.  Unless the Kings can score like Phoenix or Golden State they cannot give up that many points, so it only seems necessary that they change that habit.

Golden State: Though the roster in Golden State may be a little shaky, it doesn’t mean that this team is going to be disinteresting this season.  These Warriors, like with the Suns, play an up-tempo brand of basketball that is sure to make the fans in Northern California interested in what is going on with the hometown team.  With that the goals rally around the interest level of this team.  First, I feel that the team needs to stick with the ‘run-and-gun’ format that Don Nelson has established—we saw last year what happens when a team (Phoenix) that is famous for this style of basketball changes what they’re about.  I would also like to see Stephen Jackson shopped and eventually traded, mostly because it is never helpful to have someone who is detrimental to team chemistry on the team itself.  Finally, there needs to be continued development of the young stars in the making that this team has: Monta Ellis, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Stephen Curry, etc.  There is a lot of young talent on this squad, and if they can exchange Jackson for another piece, this could be a team to watch out for a few years down the road.

Los Angeles Clippers: The question that I feel like I have to pose is this: What is going to go wrong with the Clippers this season?  It always seems like a joke that this team doesn’t perform well because, “Well, they are the Clippers.”  As absurd as it may sound, it’s starting to make more and more sense, especially with the lack of production this team has had in the last few years considering the talent they show on paper.  I’m not so sure this year will be any different.  I think that setting the goal at the playoffs would be a bit auspicious, so it would make sense that the goal (like with Golden State) would be to continue development.  The Clippers have a host of great young players that look to have promising futures, most notably Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, and Blake Griffin.  On the flip side, they also feature some great veteran players such as Baron Davis and Marcus Camby.  So, along with development, I think that it should be a goal for this team to establish more of an identity as a team this year.  Unfortunately I’m not quite sure what that will look like, but it does need to happen sooner or later, and why not do so in a development year?

Phoenix Suns: Since I’m living in Phoenix for the next four years (student at Arizona State University), I’m going to give the Suns a bit of praise this year even if it pains me to do so.  It’s impossible, however, to say that the Suns aren’t going to be a pretty good team this year.  They have a solid roster, especially with a healthy Amare Stoudemire and [hopefully] the Steve Nash of old who can both still get up and down the court.  I feel that the goal for the team is to make the playoffs.  They are definitely going to make a push, and fall into the seventh-eighth-ninth best team in the West area.  So, really, it’s playoffs or bust for the Suns this year.

Los Angeles Lakers: I thought that when the Celtics won the championship in 2008 they were surely going to repeat in 2009—I feel the same way about the Lakers this year.  And, looking at various previews of the NBA this year, I’m not the only one.  It seems as if it would be a complete failure of a season if the Lakers didn’t win another title next spring.  Part of me thinks this mindset is a bit of a stretch, but then again when you look at the talent that the Lakers have and you consider that the addition of Ron Artest makes them even more potent on the floor, you might as well lock them in as the team to beat this year because they are just so darn good.  I would be very surprised if anyone would be able to get past these guys this year, so the goal for the Lakers in 2010 is to win in the postseason, and ultimately win a championship.

Well, there you go for the Pacific Division.  Soon will be the Southwest Division, so stay tuned!

Hey hoops fans, I know it has been about a week since I my last post, and I’m really sorry about that – hopefully you can forgive me and I’ll write more often.  However, seeing as the season starts in less than a week I thought I’d better get moving on finishing these team goals and then start watching some games!

Last week I touched on the Atlantic and Central Divisions.  Today, I’m moving on to possibly the deepest division in the East and maybe even the entire NBA: the Southeast Division.  When I said that the Eastern Conference has started to turn the corner in terms of talent, I don’t think there is a better example than what has gone on in this division.  Though I think it isn’t much of a question who will finish this season at the top (after all, the Magic did make it to the Finals last season), the rest could be very interesting down the stretch.  So, let’s talk about what these teams should accomplish this year!

Charlotte Bobcats: Sorry if I made it sound like every team in this division would be good… I didn’t mean it, I promise.  Even though there is a soft spot in my heart for the Bobcats, probably because expansion teams stink for a couple years before they really start to turn it around, they could have the second-worst roster in the Eastern Conference.  Who has the worst, you ask?  In my opinion, the Knicks—but I don’t want to have to talk about New York basketball more than I have to.  Looking back at the Bobcats, it’s all about development.  Gerald Wallace was the team leader in many statistical categories, including points and minutes.  The other two most skilled players at one point last year – Emeka Okafor and Jason Richardson – have moved on to different teams.  Last season there were 24 players that appeared in at least one game for the Bobcats.  This, I feel, needs to change.  So, my goals for the Bobcats are establish a roster that they can start to build on, and then keep Wallace, Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler, etc. developing into hopefully a core group that contend for a playoff spot in a couple years.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards, in my opinion, are the fourth best team in the division, and they really aren’t all that bad.  Unfortunately, the team won less than twenty games last season and didn’t even get a draft pick to show for it (they traded it away to get Randy Foye and Mike Miller).  Luckily, now that Gilbert Arenas is back, it wasn’t a necessity to get “young talent” per se but rather it was more important to acquire more established players that could add to the roster.  With a core of Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison the Wizards could play well.  While I think the goal for the team should be to make the playoffs, I’m still not convinced it will.  Don’t forget that Washington was the worst team by far in the Eastern Conference last season, and I don’t see how they will be able to make a drastic jump in the playoffs.

Miami Heat: The Heat went four games over .500 last year, and I’m expecting them to do something similar this year.  However, the main goal for Miami aside from making the playoffs once again is locking up Dwayne Wade long term.  Wade is a superb talent, and one that has clearly reached an elite level.  Though he has yet to show that he can do anything without a qualified big man (remember Shaq?), he still has the ability to take over games and become the go-to player on the court.  Not only was Wade the scoring champion in the NBA last year, he also averaged nearly eight assists and over two steals a game.  If that doesn’t do it for you, I don’t know what will.  However, I do think that if Wade is to sign a maximum contract with the Heat, they have to make some noise in the playoffs.  That means at least win some games in the first round, preferably win your first round match-up (which, by the way, won’t happen).  Make it clear to D-Wade that you are serious about winning and have the potential to do so.  If this occurs, Miami could be in the playoffs for many years to come.

Atlanta Hawks: I feel really bad for the Hawks.  Not because they are a bad team, but because they are a good team, yet not a good enough team to do anything this year.  The goal, as it has been for the last couple years, falls in winning the first round of games in the postseason.  Personally, however, I would really like to see the Hawks do a bit more than that.  Last year, the boys from Atlanta won 47 games.  Why not bump that up to 50?  You know that you are at best the team in the ‘four slot’ in the East because Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando are considerably better.  I’d even like to see Atlanta attempt to make a deal with a superstar type player to play alongside Joe Johnson (can you say Carlos Boozer?).  So, in the end, win 50 games, win round one of the postseason, and maybe add another piece to the championship puzzle.  These guys are really close to doing something spectacular.

Orlando Magic: Let me say this up front: Dwight Howard is the most big man in the game.  Why do I tell you this?  To make it clear that Mr. Howard is on another level when you compare him to every other big man in the league (minus maybe Kevin Garnett).  Howard is seemingly a man among boys, yet he’s only 23-year-old.  This year he is slated to score over 20 points a game, snatch around 14 rebounds, shoot around .600, and most likely block around three shots as well.  Everyone says, “Well of course he’ll score so many points and shoot such a high percentage – practically every shot he makes is a dunk.”  Let me ask you this question: if you can bulldoze the paint like Howard can, why wouldn’t you dunk on everyone all the time?  Aside from Howard, this team is stacked: running the show is Jameer Nelson, along with Rashard Lewis (once he serves his suspension), Vince Carter and Brandon Bass.  In my opinion, this is the team to beat in the East, and could very well become a dynasty at the league level.  Thus the goal is to win an NBA title.  It will be hard, especially after losing last year to the Lakers, but definitely very possible.

That’s pretty much it from this division and the Eastern Conference.  I promise to soon put up goals for the divisions out west, for sure by the time the season gets underway.  So please, check in on the site to see what’s new, and let your friends know about what’s going on at Hoops Hysteria!

Hello again, and welcome back to my edition of ‘Team Goals’ for the 2009-10 season.  In my last post, I went through the Atlantic Division, giving advice to teams and really setting a certain standard for what I want to see from each of them this year.  Again, the point of having goals for a team is not to rank them like many professionals do – rather, this gives an opportunity for you, the reader, to think about what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of the seasonal performance we will eventually see for teams in the NBA.

With that in mind, here are the things that I would like to see from the teams in the Central Division:

Milwaukee Bucks: There are a few things that are going in favor of the Bucks, and a few things that are going against them as well.  But, I think it’s safe to say that the negatives outmatch the positives.  One positive that I see is Michael Redd.  Redd has become an elite scorer, and even at age 30 his production is still going strong.  Also on the positive side is Andrew Bogut who, if he can stay healthy, I believe can have a strong impact on the floor.  Last year Bogut averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in the 36 games he played in.  One major goal I see for the Bucks is to make sure that Redd continues his habit of putting the ball in the basket, and for Bogut to stay on the floor for a longer period of time.  We also all remember (how could you not?) the entrance by Brandon Jennings at the NBA Draft this past summer.  If anything, I think a goal that should be set by the Bucks is ultimately that they don’t embarrass themselves this season.  They had a bad start with Jennings, and the exit of Richard Jefferson didn’t help much either.  I hope the Bucks can just have a marginal year, keep their stronger players on the court, and take it from there.

Indiana Pacers: Let me start out this section by posing this question: Where the heck did Danny Granger come from?  I think that with the roster that has been assembled there (aside from those ludicrous allegations of the team having too many white players), Indiana could surprise some people this year.  The goal?  It may seem ambitious, but I’d really like to see the Pacers make a push towards the playoffs.  I think that they fall into that “ninth or tenth best team in the East” category, and if they put together a nice season they could be around .500, which could be enough to make the playoffs in this conference.  I’d also like to see improvement from Roy Hibbert and rookie Tyler Hansbrough (who I actually like as a professional player), as well as Brandon Rush.  The loss of Jarrett Jack does hurt, but other than that the core of this team seems very solid.  Though I don’t think it should be a goal for Indiana to make the playoffs, I think that they could hover around the .500 mark and make a peek at the playoff race.

Detroit Pistons: To be honest, I’m not totally sold on what Detroit has to offer.  Essentially what this means is that what the goal of the team is and what they can actually accomplish I believe are two different things.  First off, this is a team that needs to get into the playoffs, and not do it by being four games under .500.  Not only is that embarrassing to the conference, it really doesn’t look good to the fans in Detroit either.  Losing Rasheed Wallace wasn’t helpful (minus the character issues that have been dropped), and neither was losing Chauncey Billups, who could have been the most dominant point guard at the end of last season.  Getting Ben Gordon was nice, but I’m not sure why so much was made of the acquisition of Charlie Villanueva.  Also Rodney Stuckey is an upcoming star, and they still have Richard Hamilton (though, unlike Redd, this scorer is slowing down).  So, the goal is to be at least five games above .500, and make noise in the playoffs, but again it doesn’t seem likely to me that this can be accomplished.

Chicago Bulls: With the way that the Bulls played Boston last year in the playoffs, I really don’t think they will be surprising anyone this year.  Therefore, based on how well they did, I think that the goal for the Bulls is to win a playoff series.  I see the Bulls as similar to the Blazers out West.  They have a lot of young talent, a superstar in the making in Derrick Rose (similar to Brandon Roy), and a strong role playing core with players like John Salmons, Joakim Noah, Brad Miller, etc.  Playing well against the Celts had its assets and liabilities: First, it showed an upgrade of the caliber of product that Chicago puts out, something that has been absent for the last couple years.  Secondly, however, it raised the standard of success of the team this year.  In all, I believe the goal of winning a playoff series is a legitimate one for the Bulls this year.

Cleveland Cavaliers: This year could make or break the future of this franchise.  So, the goal is basically to win, period.  The Cavs need to win a title in 2010, and by doing so I believe will accomplish two goals in one: Finally put the City of Cleveland back on the sports map, and also all but lock up LeBron James to a lifetime in a Cavaliers’ uniform.  It seemed a bit farfetched to me for LeBron to move to another city because, well, Ohio is his home.  In any csae, the goal remains: win a championship.  If this is not accomplished, I think that the fans in Cleveland would go crazy, LeBron may take his chances elsewhere, and this strong run by the Cavs would be over in just a short amount of time.  I really think that would be a shame if it were to occur.

Well, that does it for the Central Division.  In terms of predictions, I think the Cavs, Bulls, Pistons, and maybe Pacers sneak into the playoffs.  But, aside from the predictions, these are the goals I have set for these teams.  Look for my next post soon: Team goals for the Southeast Division.

Forgot to add this into the post… But here it is now.

First, I would like to say up front that everything that I say on this blog is my opinion and my opinion only.  I will also concede the fact that it would be impossible to make any predictions or any statements that are completely flawless – after all, what would be the excitement of sports if they players didn’t even play out the games?  On the flip side, I do think that predictions and holding teams to a certain standard are essential as a sports fan as well: There should always be a certain goal for every team or a certain expectation of achievement that they possess in order to determine at the end of the season if they were successful or not.

My first posts I would like to devote to something different: Team Goals.  It seems that all professional journalists, writers or even bloggers (like me) are much too interested in ‘previewing’ the season to come.  So, I thought I’d make things a little more interesting by writing down what goals I’d like to see each team achieve this season.  Unfortunately, there is going to be some overlap: the goal for Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando will be to get to the NBA Championship out of the East, regardless of what anyone else may say.  Additionally, for example, a major goal for Cleveland this year is also to make sure that LeBron signs with the team long-term, and that they continue to piece together a roster that can contend for titles in the next several years.  Basically what I’m trying to say is that it’s not just how well a team does in terms of the standings that are critically important, but includes other factors as well.

It seems most convenient to go division by division to assess team goals.  Because I am from Portland and a HUGE Blazer fan, it only seems fitting to work up to the Northwest Division in the Western Conference and make it the climax of this entire ordeal (because, well, it’s the pinnacle of fanhood for me).  Each blog post will consist of one division until the season starts, and then we’ll take it from there.  Sound good?  (I hope so.)

Team Goals – Atlantic Division

Oh, the Eastern Conference.  It seemed like a punch line of many sports fans for a while, but slowly teams in the East have become more and more competitive.  I would even say that there are more Championship caliber teams in the East than in the West, something that I don’t think I could have said even a year ago.

Looking at the Atlantic Division, the favorite is obvious with the Boston Celtics, and then there is quite a drop off from there even though I see three very solid teams in this division.  Here is what I hope to see out of the division this year:

New York Knicks: I think this could be the truest statement I’ll say in this post: If you are still a Knicks fan, either you’ve been in a coma for the last five years or you are the most dedicated human being alive.  Think about this: the biggest names that have come to New York in the last couple years include David Lee (who is the only flicker of hope on that roster), Nate Robinson (who isn’t really all that great, he can just jump really high), Isaiah Thomas (oh yes, I went there), and Stephan Marbury (no comment).  Thank goodness for Mike D’Antoni coming to NYC to make this team at least halfway interesting to watch on T.V., otherwise I might as well forget that they even exist.  The team goal for New York this season?  Get LeBron James on your team!! I don’t care if you have to brainwash the General Manager of Cleveland or trade Madison Square Garden for Quicken Loans Arena, it is paramount that this organization get LeBron into a Knickerbockers uniform.  Getting another piece like Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh would be very nice, don’t get me wrong, but getting LeBron could elevate this team from being purely boring to contending at some point in the East.  Plus, we could finally be done with these rumors about LeBron going to New York.

New Jersey Nets: First off, I’d like to congratulate New Jersey on the new ownership this summer with Russian Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov; I think that it’s really cool that the NBA has become more of an international game, and I hope it continues to grow beyond the borders of the United States (and Toronto).  With that being said, the Nets are going to be facing another rebuilding year, so the goal revolves around just that: work on building up the squad.  It’s nice for New Jersey because they don’t need an identity – they already have that with PG Devin Harris (who they should never get rid of; this guy could be the next big thing in the NBA before we know it).  So, work with Harris, Courtney Lee, Terrence Williams, Brooke Lopez, etc. and make sure these guys meld together.  Do I see the playoffs for NJ this year?  No.  But the year after?  I think it could be a very good possibility.  Also, I would like to see some improvements on the work for the move to Brooklyn, because that could add a new sense of life into a now Jason Kidd-, Richard Jefferson-, and Vince Carter-less Nets team

Toronto Raptors: I’m on the fence with how Toronto is going to do this year.  Regardless of what I think, however, the goal for the Raptors is make the playoffs and make some noise in them.  Do I think that this is possible?  Not really, but considering the amount of money that they spent on Hedo Turkoglu in the offseason and the pressure that Chris Bosh has put on the team, they need to step up and win some basketball games.  The team that has been assembled seems to be solid:  Turkoglu, Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, etc., but they can never put it all together; if you weren’t aware, this is a team that was 16 games under .500 last year.  They need to get their act together and do something meaningful this year.  Otherwise, the only happy Raptor will be Hedo’s wife (who couldn’t hardly wait to get to Canada).

Philadelphia 76ers: Sixer fans, to be honest I don’t know what the heck your team is going to do this year either.  From the way they performed last year though, I’m marking this season a bust if there isn’t another playoff appearance.  Now that the starting Point Guard is in Portland (that would be Andre Miller for anyone confused), it may be an interesting year.  However, with Elton Brand back [hopefully] for more time, young stars in Thaddeus Young and Andre Igoudala, and a steal of a draft pick in Jrue Holliday, this team has potential for the future.  But, if they do not make the playoffs in 2010, there could be some major drama in Philadelphia.  I’m also going to make it a goal for the 76ers that they tone down Philly sports fans just a bit; sometimes they are too much to handle (but you have to love how passionate they are).

Boston Celtics: The championship window is waning in Bean Town, but that doesn’t mean that it’s shut.  Not by a long shot.  Any team with Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace and Rajon Rondo should compete for a title.  Thus, the goal for Boston is not just to make it to the NBA Finals next June, but win the NBA Finals.  There really isn’t much more than that.  With aging superstars, there is only so much time left within their bodies.  Win the championship, bring another trophy home to Celtic fans, and then take it from there.  I will assess Boston on a year-to-year basis until KG, RA, and PP start to bite the dust.

Well, that’s about it for the Atlantic Division.  Hope that was entertaining enough, send me your thoughts and comments, and look for more Team Goals soon.  Up next: the Central Division in the East.