Exploring the NBA Lockout: Deronimus Williamus is also John Cabot

A continued look at the seafaring ways of the NBA Lockout's generation of heroic blunderers and trailblazers: 

His parents named him in Latin, calling him Deronimus Williamus. But, In Italian, the name somehow became completely transformed into Giovanni Caboto, which many believe was an effort of the maritime explorer to hide his debts by changing his identity. From the Italian version of his name, which is the one he used when signing important documents, Deronimus became known across the European continent as a man who could be spoken to in any language because, after all, money has a mouth that will kiss any tongue. In France, perfumes whispered to him as Jean Cabot. In Spain, precious gems sang to him as Juan Caboto. And, in England, coins clanked to him as John Cabot.

NBA Preview Part 1: Atlantic Division

It's October.  You have the NFL and college football in full swing. The MLB playoffs run throughout the month (Go Giants).  But it is also three weeks from the beginning of the most anticipated NBA season in recent memory.  Since we can't hold in this bottle of anticipation any longer, and aren't sure when we will see basketball again after this season, LCB is getting a head start with today's Atlantic Division preview.  I wanted to do an over/under regular season wins based on Vegas, but since it's still early, I haven't seen any released yet. For right now, I will use last year's win totals to make predictions, and in the coming days, Teach will be posting player "profiles."

1)  Boston Celtics
Last Year: 50-32, Lost in NBA Finals
Additions: Shaquille and Jermaine O'Neal
Subtractions: Rasheed Wallace, Kendrick Perkins until the All Star Break.

The Celtics made a surprise run to the NBA Finals and brought back the Big Three for one more opportunity at a title.  After Kendrick Perkins tore his ACL in Game 6 of the finals and will be shelved for the beginning of the season, the Celtics have turned to two old centers with the same last name.  The O'Neals will be needed to provide stability in the frontcourt and will need to stay healthy, which neither have been able to over the course of their careers.  If they can provide enough until Perk comes back, Rondo continues to be Rondo, and the Big 3 can stay relatively healthy, then I like the Celtics to slightly increase their total.
Prediction: 52-30


2) Toronto Raptors
Last Year: 40-42
Additions: Leandro Barbosa, Amir Johnson
Subtractions: Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu

The Raptors offseason as been terribly similar to the Cleveland Cavs offseason, as the lost their franchise player Chris Bosh and didn't really add anybody of note. They should have attempted with Bosh what the Nuggets are doing with Melo. Trade him for something or lose him for nothing. They have a roster of good shooters and occasionally will be able to get hot and just outscore teams.  They also had the worst defensive team in the league last season, and have no proven interior scoring as Bargnani likes to camp out on the perimeter and shoot threes.  The will need to scrape together a season where they will be challenging for the league's worst record and depending on the bounce of a lottery ball. No brainer they will be lower than last year.
Prediction:  22-60


3)  New York Knicks
Last Year: 29-53
Additions: Amare Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Anthony Randolph
Subtractions: David Lee, Al Harrington, Chris Duhon


It was a rather disappointing offseason for the Knicks as they are left wondering what could have been.  They lost out on the Lebron James sweepstakes and weren't able to pull in Dwyane Wade either.  They were able to grab Amare Stoudemire as a consolation prize, but the future of the franchise can't be reliant on a guy with a huge injury history, lack of defensive prowess, no proven leadership capacities, and abilities that are totally reliant on a pass first point guard like Steve Nash.  But he can be a piece of the puzzle, and the Knicks have some other pieces: Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph.  The Knicks will be better and they have players that are better suited to run Mike D'Antoni's system, but the future is still unknown, and they will need more to contend.
Prediction: 41-41 8th place first round exit


4)  Philadephia 76ers
Last Year: 27-55
Additions: Evan Turner, Andres Nocioni, Spencer Hawes
Subtractions: Samuel Dalembert, Allen Iverson

The 76ers had the pinball bounce their way in the draft lottery and were able to land a stud college player in Evan Turner with the second pick.  They made a good move by firing Eddie Jordan last year, as I don't believe he knows how to teach defense, but the Doug Collins hire was perplexing to say the least.  Just doesn't seem to fit with a team chock full of young players.  Most of their best returning players are young (Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Jrue Holiday, Louis Williams, Marreese Speights) and I would expect them all to improve from a year ago.  There major weakness is in the interior, and they didn't do anything to address it and it will be hard to with the bad contract of Elton Brand. They will improve their win total and will challenge for a playoff spot, but won't be a serious factor because of the youth and lack of frontcourt defense.
Prediction: 38-44


5)  New Jersey Nets
Last Year: 12-70
Additions:  Avery Johnson, Derrick Favors, Jordan Farmar, Troy Murphy, Anthony Morrow, Brian Zoubek
Subtractions: Crappy players from a 12 win team.

Here is your cliche review of the Nets last season that you will see everywhere, "It couldn't get any worse for the Nets last season on their way to winning 12 games, but the good news is that they can only up from here"

Now that we can move on, I liked what the Nets did in the offseason.  When you only have 4 players left from a team that won 12 games, you have done what you can to change the culture of losing.  They were in the Lebron sweepstakes and lost, but it won't be disastrous like I think it was for the Knicks and Cavs.  They couldn't really grab any of the top flight free agents, but they didn't go overboard with any of the contracts they signed. They have some quick guards that can penetrate and have outside shooting, so their offense will be much better. Derrick Favors and Damion James will be productive NBA players. Brook Lopez and Troy Murphy will be provide interior scoring, but will have trouble with good interior players. They have some pieces, but this won't be an overnight fix and they won't be the worst team this year.
Prediction: 29-53

Aftermath of the Darren Collison, Troy Murphy, and Trevor Ariza Trade

A wild pack of family dogs came runnin' through the yard

As my little sister played, the dogs took her away

And I guess she was eaten up okay....

--Modest Mouse, "Wild Pack of Family Dogs"

If I were one to speak in cliches, and maybe I am, I would respond to the four team, five player trade that went down yesterday as a sign of the times, that in moments of economic uncertainty fortunes are made and fortunes are lost.  Of course, that would all come off as hyperbole, seeing as how the biggest names in the trade were all essentially role players and second tier players, at best, and the fact that the teams involved were Indiana, New Orleans, Houston, and New Jersey would only add to the embellishment of what is essentially a story born out of the dog days of summer.  And perhaps it is in that phrase, dog days, that the heart of this story lies.

LCB NBA Picks: Lebron's Destination

Everyone else is doing it, so we thought we would join in on the fun, because we're sheep. Yep, you guessed right, we're going to tell you where Lebron is playing next season before he gives his big announcement tomorrow night. So give us a moment, as we prepare to look into the deep dark future of tomorrow and make the jump to see what we see.

"Two on the Aisle": Busted Brackets

From time to time, we tend to use Ed Hopper paintings as a magnifying glass for studying the ins and outs of the NBA, and, with March Madness in full gear, the NBA becomes a fan of the drama much like the rest of us.

The number of the day is:

Eighteen as in the New Jersey Nets broke the NBA record for the worst start for a season with an 0-18 record, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 117-101. The Nets passed the 1988-89 Miami Heat and the 1999 Los Angeles Clippers, who both started out 0-17 before winning. The Nets have lost every which way you can think; close games (4 losses by 3 points or less), blow-outs (12 losses by 10 points or more), when they shot better (0-4 when they led in FG%), and when they out-hustled the other team (0-6 when they led in rebounding). But this isn't a time to feel bad for the Nets. No, I say it's time they get to celebrate, even if it's only for one night. Why? Because how many teams break records? Not a lot, and yet, they have. So congratulations New Jersey, your now home to one of the worst teams in professional sports history. Oh and you are now in first place for the John Wall sweepstakes.

NBA Draft: Winners and Losers (@ a glance)

The following are lists of who I think found immediate help in the draft and who missed an opportunity to find immediate help.

WINNERS

Miami Heat

Michael Beasley gives them a versatile post player. He can score from just about anywhere, which greatly improves a team that started Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount inside. The Heat also picked up Mario Chalmers, who I believe is a much better point guard for this team than Jason Williams. Chalmers is a winner. We know this from watching him at Kansas. He plays amazing defense and takes care of the ball. I think he immediately makes life easier for Dwayne Wade in the backcourt. A lineup of Wade, Marion, Chalmers, Beasley, and Blount with Haslem and Daequan Cook off the bench can get the Heat back into the playoffs in the East.

New Jersey

The moves here aren't just about who they drafted, but about Rod Thorn and company coming to the conclusion that the Vince Carter-Richard Jefferson experiment failed. Personally, I feel VC is more to blame, watching him is like watching Da Vinci burn the Mona Lisa every night.

Brook Lopez brings toughness and a bit of scoring to a frontline that on paper doesn't seem so bad now. If Nenad Krstic comes back healthy, then the Nets now have Krstic and Lopez at the four and five backed up by Sean Williams, Josh Boone, and Desagana Diop, that's better than any big man rotation they had when they were going to the Finals. Now, add to that group of guys Yi Jianlian, Ryan Anderson, and Chris Douglas-Roberts; it's like the Nets are hosting auditions for Lebron James' supporting cast in 2010.

Phoenix Suns
Yes, Robin Brooks is the savior of the Shaq Trade. If they had a player like him on their team when they made the trade, it would have made a lot more sense. At this point in his career, Shaq is always in foul trouble, and when he went to the bench, the Suns were forced to play Amare against the Tim Duncan's of the world. Now, when Shaq goes to the bench, they can keep Amare at the four, and tell Robin Brooks to go out there like a pitbull on a porkchop. With any other team, I would have shrugged my shoulders at this pick, but with the Suns, it just makes sense. Malik Hairston isn't a bad pickup either. In fact, Phoenix, it wasn't a bad idea to actually draft someone afterall, was it?

LOSERS

San Antonio Spurs

R.C. Buford and Pop, I have the utmost respect for you two, but do you think you got too clever for your own good by taking George Hill with the 26th pick? He played for IUIPUI. Doesn't this seem a bit like the guy in a Fantasy League who was always high on T.J. Duckett a few years ago? The pick just doesn't make sense to me as a fan of the Spurs. We're old, and we know we're old, especially on the perimeter. Mario Chalmers, J.R. Giddens, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Darrel Arthur were all still on the board. All of those guys seem to fit needs on this team more than George Hill. Giddens and Arthur are athletic as hell. Douglas-Roberts can score, and Chalmers plays defense and can shoot (unlike current backup Jacque Vaugn). Oh, well, in R.C. we trust.

Charlotte Bobcats

I feel like the Bobcats needed to do something that would remind the state of North Carolina that they have a team worth watching. Drafting Brook Lopez with the 9th pick might have done this. He would have allowed the team to move Nazr Mohammed to the bench and slide Emeka Okafor over to the four, strengthening the bench and the starting lineup. Instead, the Bobcats drafted D.J. Augustin, who I like, but not when the team already has a point guard in Ray Felton. Also, add in the fact that last year the team dumped Brevin Knight to make room for Felton as the starting point guard. Felton averaged 14 ppg and 7 apg last year, so in my eyes, it seems a bit early to give up on him, especially considering the amount of time it takes a point guard to develop in the NBA (John Stockton, Chauncey Billups, Gary Payton, Tony Parker). Now, the Bobcats are in pretty much the same situation they were in before parting ways with Knight, and I still don't see them headed to the playoffs because they still have all of the same problems.

Alexis Ajinca, however, was a real steal, considering he averaged 5ppg in the French League.

Washington Wizards

After talking with my friend Stevo, I was convinced into thinking the Wizards could have gotten more for their second round pick than JaVale McGee. I hope he's a high energy guy, so we can call him Maniac McGee after the kids book.