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Basketball is among the most popular sport in the entire world. Thanks to NBA and the likes of Nike jordan, Kobe Bryant, and others, many people have indulged into this sport not merely because their idols do so but for the simple reason that they want to be physically fit and live a prolonged and healthier life.
In reality, playing basketball also became popular to people who are trying to lose weight for good because it doesn’t give them excessive pressure and give them much fun. Since playing basketball enables a person to play with others, it is enjoyed by a lot of because it also helps them improve their social skills.
For people who believe that their weight is greatly affecting their self-esteem due to physical appearance, health, emotional stability, physical abilities along with the overall quality of your life generally, then it is about time that you contemplate on losing weight by playing basketball.
How to get started
Whether you are playing to lose weight or maybe to have fun, there are some considerations first prior to deciding to finally decide to engage with the experience.
Before buying all the gear necessary for playing basketball, you must determine first the actual reasons why you want to engage in sport. For many, they play basketball because they want to lose weight while for others, it’s because they enjoy playing with others. By determining and establishing your reason/s why you would want to play basketball, you can use these as motivations continue it.
Next, know it in yourself when you can be truly and whole-heartedly committed in doing the things necessary for you to play basketball. By asking yourself if you are ready to permanently change your food intake, how you eat, your behavior along with your activity level, the possibility is greater that you would achieve your goals in playing basketball.
Third, get a back up support system should you be having a hard time maintaining your interest on basketball. It could be best if you have a set of friends whom you can play basketball with on consistent basis. If you have a fixed schedule along with a fixed set of players, you’ll be encouraged to play basketball regularly.
Helpful pointers
If you are planning to play basketball frequently, you must seek professional help first to see if you are physically and mentally fit for that sport. For those who are playing basketball to, here are some ideas you can do yourself:
• Watch the foods you eat. Choosing the foods you eat from your food pyramid can help you build a well-balanced diet and will give your body the nutrients it requires to endure the rigorous activities while playing basketball.
• Never, ever skip regular meals. Food nourishes the body. Although dieting or reducing food intake can help you lose weight, this cannot assure permanent weight-loss because you will tend to eat more another meal.
• Prevent dehydration by drinking lots of water. Basketball is rigorous sport so expect that you’ll sweat a lot. You must make certain you need to load up on liquids, especially water, which means that your body will be well-dehydrated to avoid dehydration-related problems.
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Written by Karri Owens on January 22nd, 2012 with comments disabled.
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Charlotte decided to work on their rebuilding phase after dealing away one of their top players in Gerald Wallace by the trade deadline for draft selections. Head Coach Larry Brown was replaced by Paul Silas in December and they ended with a regular season mark of 34-48, just three victories short of the eighth seed won by the Indiana Pacers.
The Bobcats also chose to let go of Stephen Jackson, Kwame Brown and Shaun Livingston. Jackson was the team’s leading scorer with 18.5 points/game but was more of a headache as he played selfish basketball for the Bobcats last season.
The Bobcats seemed to have a successful night at the draft when they traded for the 7th pick which turned out to be Bismack Biyombo. He has the makings of a Ben Wallace type and all he needs to do is to get adjusted to the NBA game. They also drafted Kemba Walker, who has a winner’s mentality after leading the Connecticut Huskies to a National Championship last year.
Biyombo probably will not get much floor time as he needs to be adjusted to the NBA style, but PG Kemba Walker should see a lot of court time from the start. Walker may begin the year coming off the pine, but don’t be shocked if he winds up taking the starting point guard spot from D.J. Augustin. While Augustin put up 16 points and 6 assists, he was a big disaster on defense.
Gerald Henderson will begin the season as the starting shooting guard as their free agent pick-up Reggie Williams will be out 6-8 weeks with an injury. The Bobcats dealt for Corey Maggette in the desires that he can offer offense to a team needing a true scorer. Although he put up just 12 points for Milwaukee last season, he just started 18 times and will look to have the starting SF spot for Charlotte this season. Heaveraged nearly 20 a night the previous three years in Golden State.
Boris Diaw and Tyrus Thomas will have the starting spot at the center and power forward slot respectively. They have also added some nice depth by getting big man Bryon Mullens through trade. They also have D.J. White as the backup PF.
Pick: 5th in the East’s Southeast Division – Our best NBA handicapper thinks the Bobcats are clearly going in the right direction, they still have a long way to go to contend night in and night out with the rest of their conference. While this squad will be good on the defensive end, they will struggle to reguarly score enough to win games. The main goal for Charlotte this season will be to develop their young guys and get them the right pieces in place to make a serious run next year. They might still be able to make the postseason this season in the East, but for that to happen, Kemba Walker will have to be a superstar from the start.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 21st, 2012 with comments disabled.
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The Boston Celtics are winners of 17 NBA titles, 21 Conference titles and 20 Division titles. Saying the Celtics have a brilliant history in the NBA is an understatement. The Boston Celtics have won 8 successive titles at in a row, starting in 1957 and ending in 1969. Some of the greatest players to be a part of this winning franchise are Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird and Paul Pierce. In my opinion, the greatest Boston Celtics of all-time are John Havlicek, Larry Bird and Bill Russell.
No.3: John Havlicek (1962 “1978)
Havlicek won 8 titles in his tenure with Boston. At the end of his career, he put up 20.8 points per night, 4.8 assists per night and 6.3 boards. Havlicek made an effect on the league with thirteen NBA All-Star game selections, eleven All-NBA team appearances, an NBA Finals MVP in 1974 and being named to the All-NBA defensive team eight times. He is regarded as the best 6th man in NBA history. Incredibly, he’s the Celtics all-time leader in points, games played, minutes played and both field goals made and tried.
No.2: Larry Bird (1979 “1992)
Larry Bird is thought of by NBA handicappers as one of the smartest men ever in basketball. Bird’s career stopped with him putting up 24.3 points per contest, 6.3 assists per game and 10 boards per night. We could go on continually about Bird’s memorable achievements with the Celtics. He achieved three titles in Boston, was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980, won the NBA MVP three times, was two times the NBA Finals MVP, twelve times an NBA All-Star and 9 times named to the All-NBA First team. Only every once in a while in history a player such as Larry Bird comes along and takes the hearts of fans all across the world.
No.1: Bill Russell (1956 “1969)
Let us give Bill Russell a moment of silence for all his accomplishments – they rank among the most impressive in the history of the NBA. The best Celtic of all time has 11 NBA Championship rings, yes 11. He is also a twelve-time All-Star player, five time NBA MVP, and five-time NBA Rebounding league leader. Russell is at the heart of the Celtics dynasty. He talked about defense and he played it as well as anybody in history. Bill Russell is one of the greatest players to ever play the game and you’d be hard-pressed to debate that any other player should be rated at the very top of this list.
Not so many groups can boast the likes of John Havlicek, Larry Bird and Bill Russell in their team’s history. All three players named might have been recognized as the best ever playing for many other groups. They all know what it feels like to win several championships and to hold multiple records. Nonetheless when it’s all said and done, I am absolutely sure you may agree with me in asserting that the owner of eleven championship rings, Bill Russell, is the greatest Boston Celtic of all time.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 21st, 2012 with comments disabled.
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The Wizards are a young squad looking for an identity, after winning a terrible 23 times last year and having the fourth worst win total in the NBA. They do seem to be going in the right direction after adding a lot of young players through the draft. The Wizards played very sloppy basketball last season and their team needs to mature fast if they want to contend every night.
The Wizards have had a pretty solid offseason after drafting Jan Vesely with their seventh pick. They also drafted Chris Singleton with the 18th pick and Sheldon Mack with their 34th pick. Vesely is an athletic forward who can run the floor, Singleton was considered the best defensive player in the draft, and Mack could become a valuable reserve. They have also re-signed free agent shooting guard Nick Young, who averaged a team best 17.5 points/game last year. Ronny Turiaf and Roger Mason Jr. were players signed in free agency.
After putting up 16.4 points, 8.3 assists. 4.6 boards and 1.75 steals last year, John Wall will have a heightened pressure to get better from his rookie campaign. He was hit with health issues last season, and the hope in the franchise is that if he can stay on the court this season, he can provide big numbers that can excite their fan base.
Wall and Young will be joined in the starting lineup by center JaVale McGee, power forward Andray Blatche, and small forward Rashard Lewis. Both McGee and Blatche have the talent to be very good players, but right now they lack discipline, maturity and focus. Blatche averaged 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, while McGee averaged 8.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.44 blocks a game. Lewis came over in a trade with the Magic last season, and averaged just over 12 points a game.
The improvement of this roster will rest mainly on the hands of their reserve players. Rookies Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton will probably be given a lot of floor time to display their talents and help Washington take home victories. Also in their bench in back-up shooting guard Jordan Crawford who put up almost 12 points a contest last year. Turiaf, Mason Jr. and Trevor Booker will also have major roles for this franchise in the upcoming year.
Pick: 4th in the East’s Southeast Division – While this franchise is clearly capable of advancing from their win totals last season, our NBA handicapper feels a lot of that will be dependent on the improvement of some young guys. They have more skilled players than Charlotte and they can end up in front of them but much of that is also dependent of the improvement and growth of the team. They may end up in front of Charlotte but they’re still at least a year or two away from making the postseason.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 21st, 2012 with comments disabled.
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The Trail Blazers have been to three NBA Finals, winning just once in 1977. During the existence of the team, they have made the playoffs 29 times. The household names within the franchise include Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Buck Williams, Maurice Lucas, Terry Porter, Brandon Roy and Sidney Wicks. The best players in franchise history, in my opinion, are Terry Porter, Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton. Most NBA handicappers would agree.
No. 3: Terry Porter (1985 – 1995)
Terry Porter’s career at Portland saw him average 14.6 points per game and 6.8 assists per game. In 7 of his 10 seasons at Portland, Terry had picked up over 100 steals. He was the leader of the team when it made the NBA Finals both in 1990 and 1992. He was also named to the All-Star team in 1991 and 1992. Porter still holds the record for most assists in franchise history (5,319).
No.2: Clyde Drexler (1983 – 1995)
Clyde Drexler, also known as “Clyde the Glide”, suited up for the Trail Blazers for 12 years. Named to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2004, he put up 20.9 points per contest, 5.8 assists per contest and 7 boards per contest, as well as being voted to the All-Star team 10 times in his career. In 1990, the shooting guard led the Blazers to the 1990 NBA Championship against Detroit, but lost to a powerful Pistons squad. After having the best record in the regular season in 1991, the Blazers were the top choice to win the title heading into the postseason, but lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Championship. In 1992, Drexler again led his squad to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls, where they were defeated a second time in the championship series. Drexler’s quickness on the floor was undeniable and his calm demeanor off and on the court was highly respected throughout the NBA.
No. 1: Bill Walton (1974 – 1978)
Bill Walton was a member of the team when the Blazers captured their only league title in 1977, where he was voted the Finals MVP. In Portland’s championship year, he put up 18.6 points per contest, 14.4 boards per contest and over 3 blocks per contest. Walton is the only Portland player to be named MVP (1978) and was named to the All Star team two times while playing for the Blazers. His injuries eventually surpassed his true potential, but whenever he was on the floor for Portland, he was nothing short of superb.
Clyde Drexler’s career actually could make him the number 1 player in Trail Blazer’s history. The proven fact that Bill Walton really led the Blazers to their only championship rates him higher than any other player to my mind. In spite of his awfully brief time with Portland, I see him as the best Trail Blazer of best-ever.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 21st, 2012 with comments disabled.
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After franchise cornerstone Dwight Howard requested for a trade, the Orlando Magic have since been the center of attention heading into the start of 2011-12 season. Trade talk has swirled around Dwight Howard as different trade scenarios seemed to change daily. But trade talk has since died down and we may see Howard in a Magic jersey until probably half the season, and then he would likely be traded to the Nets, Lakers or Mavericks. If the Magic come out of the gates and play strong to preserve their identity as contenders, then they may be able to convince Howard to stay. As it stands though, it’s hard to imagine them regaining their momentum after being upset by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs last year.
Stan Van Gundy has his work cut out for him this year, because the team don’t have a lot of talent on their roster to make a deep run in the playoffs again. But Orlando still has a shot as long as they have Howard on the team. During the 2009 season, no one believed they could reach the Finals but Howard proved that he is the special kind of player capable of making his team a contender. It’s going to be very hard to duplicate that level of success this time around though, as the trade of Howard looms in the landscape of Orlando’s future.
Howard averaged 22.9 points and 15.1 rebounds per game last year, but the rest of the team struggled and failed to reach their potential. The Magic traded away Brandon Bass for Glen Davis and Von Wafer, they waived Gilbert Arenas and his atrocious contract and were able to re-sign Jason Richardson and Earl Clark. But the overall team make-up may just not be enough to convince Howard to stay after this season.
Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson is the anchor that can bring Orlando back to the top tier. He has the skill to be an all-star but he needs to stay on the corut. He hasn’t stayed injury free for a full year in seven seasons that he wore a Magic uniform. Last season he put up just 13.1 points/game. For the Magic to be a serious threat he has to be putting up at least 16-18 points a night.
The rest of the starting five leaves a lot to be desired as they contain high-priced, over the hill guy in Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu. Although Turkoglu has done well in Van Gundy’s offense, an upgrade would only have helped at the three spot. Glen Davis is not a better player than Bass but looks to be a better compliment next to Howard, overall the team should have tried to find a better starting lineup if they really wished Howard to stay.
Orlando does have some nice guys off the pine. They have J.J. Redick and Ryan Anderson who are able on offense. Backup point guard Chris Duhon is a nice player that can start if Nelson gets hurt, and they also have Quentin Richardson who can still shoot the rock despite not doing so well last season.
Prediction: 2nd Eastern Conference Southeast Division – Our top NBA handicapper says this prediction is based off the assumption that Howard remains with the Magic this season. Although he could very likely be traded by the deadline, it’s not a foregone conclusion. With Howard, this team can still win a lot of games and fight for the fourth seed against the Knicks in the East. If they do trade Howard, they will obviously be worse off, but they can still sneak in to the playoffs depending on what they get in return.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 20th, 2012 with comments disabled.
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Despite making the Finals last year, the Miami Heat felt a huge disappointment after losing to the Mavericks in six games. After adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh last year, the team guaranteed multiple championships and they almost won one last year. After struggling at the beginning of the season, the Miami Heat ended up having the second best record in the Eastern Conference at 58-24. Miami coasted in the first 3 rounds of the playoffs beating the 76ers, Celtics and Bulls but lost in the Finals.
There is no doubt that the heat is on Miami’s Big Three to step up and bring home the championship this season. Miami let go of free agents Mike Bibby and Jamaal Magloire to free agency and lost Zydrunas Ilgauskas to to retirement. The team did bring in veteran SF Shane Battier, sign Eddy Curry and re-sign Mario Chalmers, James Jones and Juwan Howard. They also took PG Norris Cole with their draft selection.
The Heat’s big three of James, Wade and Bosh totaled almost 71 points of the team’s 102 points per night last season so they really didn’t need to make a lot of additions in the offseason. James and Wade are two of the premiere players in the entire NBA; they are not just superb on offense but they are excellent on defense also. Their skills to make their other teammates better is also what makes this such a great team. James is one of the more well-rounded players in the NBA and he is a triple-double threat everytime he plays a game. He put up 26.7 points, 7.0 assists, and 7.5 boards/game last season. Wade isn’t far behind, as he averaged 25.5 points, 6.4 boards, and 4.6 assists.
After playing as the top option in Toronto for many seasons, Chris Bosh staggered offensively at times after being seen as the third option. Bosh put up a career-high 24 points in his last year in Toronto, and came in having put up at least 22 points over the past five years. In his first season with the Heat he put up just 18.7 points/game. Wade and James have to find a way to keep him more involved in the offense if they want to win it all this season.
Chalmers and Joel Anthony will round out the starting five. Chalmers really seemed to find his groove in the playoffs, as he enjoyed a string of strong performances down the stretch to prove his worth in Miami. Anthony gives the team a solid inside defender and rebounder, who will be asked to do even more with the departures of Ilgauskas and Magloire.
The rest of the team is made up of a bunch of capable role players. Battier gives them a solid defender and a guy who can hit the open corner three, Mike Miller is a deadly outside shooter, and Udonis Haslem does whatever the team needs of him on both sides of the ball, Two players that can also shoot the ball and provide a lift offensively off the Miami bench is James Jones and Eddie House.
Rookie point guard Norris Cole is an underrated pickup who can take minutes away from Chalmers with his defensive ability and poise. Eddy Curry, who was once seen as one of the best potential post men in the league, could be used as another inside guy in the rotation.
Pick: 1st in the East’s Southeast Division – The Miami Heat is certainly the top team in the East at the moment, and looking to the NBA Finals odds they are even the top team in the entire NBA. After last season’s disappointing defeat in the Championship, this team will approach the new year even more hungry to take what they think is rightfully theirs. Their sole issue going forward is their late game play. It was an area they found difficulty with all year, as they didn’t seem to know who should take the final shot. If they can get that figured out, they should be back in the Finals.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 20th, 2012 with comments disabled.
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The Atlanta Hawks earned the fifth seed in the East after ending the season with a 44-38 mark last year. The Hawks took down an unimpressive Orlando Magic in the opening round but were beaten by Chicago in the next. While they managed an upset over Orlando, it has been obvious that Atlanta is trying to make the jump to becoming a top tier squad. After winning 53 times in 2009-10, Atlanta struggled and ended up with nine less wins in 2010-11.
The Atlanta Hawks will showcase a couple of modifications to their roster. After losing Jamal Crawford to free agency, they brought on veterans Tracy Mcgrady and Vladimir Radmanovic. Although Mcgrady is obviously not the player he was back in his heyday, he can still be efficient in limited time. Radmanovic is a 6’10 small forward with solid shooting ability and his numbers will rely on how much playing time he can get.
Atlanta will have one of the top starting lineups in the NBA. Third year point guard Jeff Teague came on in the postseason last season and will be given the keys as the starter this 2012 year. He will be surrounded with a team that includes Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Al Horford. Johnson, Smith and Horford are all able scorers that can without a doubt put up over 20 points, but more times than not, they settle for difficult jump shots instead of driving to the basket. If head coach Larry Drew can get Horford and Smith to play more near the basket, the Hawks have the ability to be one of the top offensive squads in the entire league.
Losing super sixth man Jamal Crawford will obviously hurt the Hawks’ bench this season. Mcgrady and Radmanovic will join Kirk Hinrich, Zaza Pachulia, Jason Collins among others as key reserves, but none of these players have Crawford’s offensive skill set. It is likely that this team will employ a much more shared approach instead of relying on Crawford’s scoring ability off the bench. The benches’ play this year will determine where the Hawks will land by the end of the season.
Pick: 3rd East’s Southeast Division – Our NBA handicappers think the Hawks have the skill and the pieces to compete for a top 4 seed but they can’t seem to put it all together. It seems as though the guys do not have the motivation or drive to be champions and are just happy in reaching the postseason every year. Many times in the course of the long NBA year, Atlanta does not seem to have the mental toughness and motivation to do anything more than what they’ve done in previous seasons. Jeff Teague’s play will determine where this team is going, but the Hawks also need a dynamic scorer of the bench if they want to contend in the east. This team will be very up and down and will make the playoffs as no higher than a 5th seed. They may win the opening round again, but it will be very unlikely for them to move past the second round.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 20th, 2012 with comments disabled.
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The Milwaukee Bucks disappointed everybody when they churned in a losing record last year after going 46-36 in the previous season. They were primed to make a big push in the Eastern Conference but lost all their momentum when injuries hampered their star center in Andrew Bogut. They played excellent defense last year, but simply didn’t have the scoring punch needed to consistently win games.
The Bucks were able to sign Stephen Jackson and Beno Udrih while giving up Corey Maggette and John Salmons, they also brought on Mike Dunleavy in free agency. With the additions of these guys, the plan in Milwaukee is that they will have enough talent on offense to finally get back to the postseason.
Jackson has the chance to be the top scorer in this mostly defensive minded squad. He put up 18.5 points/game with Charlotte last year and has every chance to put up 20 a night this season. Udrih put up a career high 13 points/game last season with the Kings, while veteran forward Dunleavy averaged 11 points/game with Indiana.
We should see a starting lineup of C Andrew Bogut, PF Drew Gooden in the post, SF Stephen Jackson on the wings and Mike Dunleavy and Brandon Jennings at the two guard positions. Andrew Bogut is coming off another injury-riddled year while Jennings hit the Sophomore slump after starting strong in his rookie season with 15.5 points during the 2009-10 league year. Milwaukee needs the steady play of Bogut and Jennings if they want to get back in the postseason in the Eastern Conference.
Veteran Drew Gooden is the who plans to start at power forward, but at this stage in his career Gooden is really better off as a bench player than a starter. Gooden put up 11.3 and 6.8 boards last season, well below his 2009-10 figures of 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Depth is one of the biggest issues for Milwaukee at this stage. While they dealt for Livingston in the Charlotte deal, their only other available choices at the guard spots are Carlos Delfino and Beno Udrih. Ersan Ilyasova, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and rookie Tobias Harris will plan to see a lot of minutes behind Gooden, but they lack depth at both center and small forward. In order to take advantage of the talents of Dunleavy, the Bucks need to go out and add another option at the shooting guard position, so that he can take the small forward role on the second unit.
Prediction – 3rd in the East’s Central Division: Milwaukee will continue to go with coach Skiles defensive mindset, but their top issue is scoring on offense. Both Jackson and Jennings are capable scorers but they have the inclinations to take terrible shots. The focus for Milwaukee to bet back to their winning record is with the play of Bogut on the inside. If the elbow issues continue to hurt him on offense, then Milwaukee will have a tough time getting back to the postseason. They have almost no chance to take on Chicago for the top ranking in the Central Division and they are likely a step behind the Pacers too. That is one reason NBA handicappers will be shying away from them this season. The Bucks may shock people like they did a few years ago, but a lot of things have to go right for that to happen.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 20th, 2012 with comments disabled.
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The Pistons canned head coach John Kuester and brought on former Nets head coach Lawrence Frank in the offseason. Detroit is wishing that this move will breathe new life to an otherwise failing squad. Detroit won just 57 times in two years with Kuester, ending up last year with a 30-52 mark.
The Detroit management has faith that Frank can turn this franchise around soon and will have a brighter future after this season’s draft. The Pistons spent their eight selection to take Kentucky’s Brandon Knight and added a pair of quality second-rounders in Kyle Singler and Vernon Macklin. Although Knight doesn’t necessarily fill a hole for Detroit, he was the best player left in the draft.
The Pistons resigned Rodney Stuckey during the offseason and they will now have a lot of depth at point guard. Stuckey was the leading scorer for the team last year scoring 15.5 points/game. Rookie PG Knight and Will Bynum will play behind Stuckey as they look to have one of the better point guard combinations in the league. They are however extremely thin at the shooting guard slot. Ben Gordon is the only shooting guard on the roster, and he has been a big disappointment for the team ever since they signed him two seasons ago. Gordon averaged 20.7 points/game in his final season with the Bulls in 2008-09, but managed to score just 13.8 points and 11.2 points in his two seasons with Detroit.
The Pistons may not have a stud at center or forward, but they have a lot of nice pieces that could end up complementing each other well. They are excited about center Greg Monroe’s potential, who averaged 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds as a rookie. Veteran Ben Wallace gives them a big body off the bench, but at 37 years old, he is certainly in his last legs.
The Pistons signed veteran small forward Tayshaun Prince to a four year deal, but at 31 he is also getting old. Prince’s presence though will allow second year-forward Austin Daye to improve at his own speed. The hope for the Pistons though is that Daye will continue to get better and become a big time contributor this season.
Charlie Villanueva will be the starting PF in Detroit but he is a very volatile player and his production doesn’t exactly fit with his personality. Jason Maxiell will backup Villanueva but he is undersized and will have a hard time trying to match-up with taller power forwards. This is arguably the Pistons biggest weakness going into the season.
Prediction: 4th Eastern Conference Central Division: The Pistons are finally headed in the right direction after some of the pieces they got this offseason. They still have a long way to go to reach the playoffs but they are slowly getting there. Chicago is the clear-cut favorite to win the division, and right now Milwaukee and Indiana are also significantly better off than what the Pistons currently have on their roster. That is why the NBA Finals odds are not too favorable. Although they have pieces that can get it done on the defensive end, the Pistons are still lacking a go-to scorer that can consistently give them 20 points a game. The lack of playmakers on the offensive end will make it extremely hard for the Pistons to stay competitive over the course of this shortened and unforgiving season.
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Written by Jack Jones on January 19th, 2012 with comments disabled.
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