BASKETBALL SECTION

 

 

OK...to start this section off, below is my take on the NBA as it stands during the 2005 offseason. I make no apologies for concentrating on the NBA for this section as the NBA is the part of basketball I keep in touch with the most.

 

STATE OF PLAY

 

It seems to me that the biggest question in the NBA this summer has to be, can Phil Jackson revive the Lakers? OK, he did a fine job with them when he was last in LA and he was also the coach of two Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls teams that won six titles between them back in the 90s. But after the Lakers sold Shaquile O'Neil to the Miami Heat Kobe Bryant was left to lead the team on his own and, very classy player though Kobe is, it did not work - the Lakers didn't even make the playoffs. This meant that they were able to enter the Draft for the first time in ages and snap up Andrew Bynum with the 10th pick who's supposed to be a decent scorer and have added Kwarne Brown, a former No 1 draft pick from the Washington Wizards. But given that Kobe already had the likes of Lamar Odom and Vlade Divac as a solid seeming backup crew last season, the Lakers ae best kept on wildcard status - I've got a feeling the glory days in LA are over for a while..

While LA was struggling last season, Shaq was igniting the Heat, having formed a lethal double act with Dwayne Wade. As a result, the Heat were near dead certs for the NBA title...untill both Shaq and Wade hit fitness trouble during the Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons. A few days back Antoine Walker and Jason Williams got added into the mixer from Boston and Memphis respectivly and both of those players have thier uses. So baring injury, this side has to be the favourites to take the title this time out.

The Detroit Pistons are a team that to my mind have overacheived spectacularly over the last couple of years - beating the Lakers to claim the '04 title and only giving that title up to the San Antonio Spurs over the first seven-game Finals series in my memory. I'm not a big fan of their ultra-defensive style personally but even I can't argue with their recent record - complete with a lot of their players appearing in All Star Games. So they'll probably have a big say in where the title goes.

However neither the Pistons nor the Heat can claim to be the reigning NBA champions - that honour belongs to the San Antonio Spurs. Tim Duncan was the obvious number 1 draft pick in '97 and with the retirement of David Robinson, the team was pretty much his last season, and with the top class international backup crew of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, three point assasin Robert Horry and Michael Finley just signed from the Dallas Mavericks,they're a solid bet to make the Finals at least!

So, who else is worth checking out?

Well the New Jersey Nets have now got Vince Carter and when he's on form there'll always be fireworks. The New York Knicks have fallen on hard times recently but Stephon Marbury amongst others could potentially shine and with ex-Pistons coach Larry Brown at the helm...who knows? The Clevland Cavaliers should certainly be considered a force with LeBron James in the mixer and the Bulls have are starting to be worth a look for the first time since Jordan retired with a solid young team. The Millwaukee Bucks picked Aussie Andrew Bogut with their number 1 draft pick but how good he's going to be remains to be seen. Out West, you've got Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming teamed up for the Houston Rockets who've all proven themselves members of the NBA elite. I've always had respect for Phoenix Suns's Steve Nash who has to be the ultimate point guard and the Sacremento Kings...just like playing classy basketball.

Play ball, all of you.

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