Pistons choose Lawrence Frank

In the coming days the Detroit Pistons are expected to announce Lawrence Frank as their new head coach. Frank, a former Nets head coach and lead assistant for last year’s Celtics squad is expected to have an offer presented to him in the next 2 days.

A defensive specialist, Frank posted a decent 225-241 record during his 7 year tenure with the New Jersey Nets.  

His experience in coaching at the top level combined with his relative youth saw him snatch the opportunity above other candidates including former Hawks head coach Mike Woodson and current NBA assistants Kelvin Sampson, Bill Laimbeer and Patrick Ewing.

With the Pistons finally in the hands of a new owner after a 2 year search, it’s expected that GM Joe Dumars will begin rebuilding as soon as the season begins. The team is likely to build around young big man Greg Monroe and lottery pick Brandon Knight.

Frank had been in consideration for all 5 head coaching openings this off-season despite missing out on the opportunities in Houston, Golden State and Toronto.

Meanwhile the Celtics will now officially begin the search for a new assistant with no shortage of possibilities. It’s likely that coach Doc Rivers will once again seek a defensive minded coach somewhat like Frank and former assistant Tom Thibodeau.

NBA stars to play in Manila exhibitions

NBA superstars Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul will play in two exhibition games in the Philippines capital of Manila next weekend.

The event has been coined “Ultimate All-Star Weekend” and will see multiple NBA players compete against local Philippines talent.

According to reports, Sacramento's Tyreke Evans, Oklahoma City’s James Harden, Minnesota's Derrick Williams and the Los Angeles Clippers' DeAndre Jordan will also be participating. The organisers behind the event are reportedly also closing in on deals with Oklahoma’s Kevin Durant and Chicago’s Derrick Rose, with Darko Millicic, Mario Chalmers and Russel Westbrook also being linked to the game. Bryant will act as player/coach for the two games

In the first of two games to be played at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, the Kobe lead US squad will face off against the national Philippines team. The next day the team will play a team of Philippines basketball association All-Stars. The games will be played on Saturday and Sunday the 23^rd and 24^th of July.

Tickets for the game are priced between $7 and $120 AUD.

Players to receive $160 million in owed salary

The NBA players association will, at the end of the month receive $160 million in escrow funds. The NBA today confirmed that the players will receive the money earned from last season despite threats they would withhold the funds until the end of the labour stoppage. Split between the player’s union members, the money will allow the players to dig their heels in for the long run in this labour lockout.

During each season the NBA players are entitled to a guaranteed 57% of all basketball related income (BRI). To ensure the salaries and percentage split equate correctly each season, the NBA withholds 8% of every player’s salary in an ‘escrow’ fund.

The league then redistributes a percentage of this money each August until the salaries paid equates to 57% BRI.

In most cases the total league salary comes in above the 57% mark, even with escrow deducted. When this occurs the league keeps the money collected in escrow funds.

Owing to the financial uncertainty of the looming lockout this season, team owners were reluctant to spend, resulting in salaries coming in under the percentage split point.

The result is that every member of the NBAPA will receive thousands of dollars in lost salary next month, a first time occurrence since the concept was initiated in 1999.

The added pay for the players will help them finance their living for the remainder of the lockout, perhaps resulting in a temporary power shift in negotiations towards the player group.

Unfortunately for fans, this means the players will be more willing in to sacrifice salary come spring time and will almost certainly mean a prolonged lockout.

Williams’ Turkish move opens international floodgates

Just days ago New Jersey Net’s all-star point guard Deron Williams announced that, should the NBA lockout extend to the spring, he will take his talents to Turkey to play for the Turkish league team, Besiktas.

Besiktas, the team the former NBA star Allen Iverson played for last season, has reportedly inked Williams to a one year $5 million deal. The deal is contingent of course upon the time he actually spends with the club, which, should the labour negations resolve soon, could be nothing at all. A clause in the contract states that, should the labour negotiations be resolved, the contract will become void allowing Williams to return home to play for the Nets.

A multitude of league players over that last year have toyed with the idea of allaying overseas during the lockout. Williams of course is the first to officially commit,

The biggest issue with him playing overseas? Should he sustain an injury he could void his NBA contract. With more than $16 million owing to him over the next year, that’s a big gamble to take. An injury would mean not only loss of money to the player, but a serious loss in personnel for the New Jersey Nets.

Williams is the team’s major building block and a big lure to bring free agents to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, come season 2012-13.

With Williams’ contract now inked, even more professional players have toyed with the idea of playing abroad, with international born players the most likely to consider a move.

Former NBA players Zaza Pachulia and Darius Songalia have already inked multi year deals with European clubs, understanding that an NBA lockout could cost them millions of dollars in salary, not only this season but in salary rollbacks and cuts in the coming years.

Closer to home it is no secret that many NBL clubs, including Adelaide, Cairns and Townsville are actively pursuing Australian born NBA role player, Patty Mills.

Mills has spent the last 2 years with the Portland Trailblazers and speculation is, he may want to return home for a brief stint this spring.

Under FIBA rules no player can sign a contract with another team if they already have one agreed to with a team in a FIBA member country. Current NBA contracts do not apply however as the current NBA lockout effectively voids all player contracts leaving players free to pursue other options abroad.

There’s no doubt that if the NBA negotiations fail to improve, the league could see countless more players gamble on current contracts to earn a few extra bucks, and play the game they love, overseas.

Understanding the NBA lockout

For the second time in 13 years the NBA has imposed a lockout on their players. The decision by NBA Commissioner David Stern comes on the back of serious differences in the views of the NBA owners and administration and the NBA Players Association (NBAPA).

To fully understand the issues facing the two sides we must first have an understanding of the history of CBA negotiations in the NBA and of the previous deals signed by the two sides.

History:

Compared to the other major professional sports in the US, basketball has had a relatively quite history with CBA negotiating. Prior to 1998, the NBA had never lost a game due to issues with Collective Bargaining.

In 1998 the CBA of the current day expired and the players and owners began negotiating on a new deal. The two sides could not come to an agreement before the expiry of the previous deal though, and owing to the severe differences between the two sides, the NBA decided to impose a lockout.
Unlike previous lockouts, which all ceased before the start of the regular season, this one was much longer.

For 204 days between July 1 1998 and January 6^th 1999 the league was without its normal activity. This of course meant that no games were held in the early months of the season and as result the season was shortened from 82, to 50 games.

The deal that was eventually agreed to in 1999 lasted until 2005 and a new deal was promptly signed thereafter.

That deal, the last effective one, contained some of the following basic agreements.

• The players would receive 57% of all Basketball Related Income (BRI) (equates to about $2.1billion in 2010-11)
• A “soft salary cap” system was used in which could spend an unlimited amount of money over the cap with the use of a few crucial “salary cap exceptions”
1. Bird exception- Teams may exceed the cap to resign a player that has not changed club via free agency in the last 3 years.
2. Mid level exception –during free agency each team over the cap is allowed to spend up to 5.8 million dollars on acquiring new players.
3. Bi-Annual exception – every 2 years teams receive a $2 Million exception fro the use of signing free agents mid season.

• The “Luxury Tax” is a point in which a tax of $1 for every dollar spent is enforced. This occurs above the current cap. (currently sits at $70.3 million)

• Player salaries are capped depending on their league experience. For veterans this cap is around the $17 million mark for the first year of a multi year deal.
• Player contracts could be no longer than 6 years for a player returning to a club and 5 years for a player joining a new club

Negations today: What the league wants

The previous deal for league expired at the end of last month. Commissioner Stern acknowledged that the two sides are extremely far apart on some serious sticking points in the negotiation and so decided to impose another lockout.

The league claims that 22 of its 30 teams have lost a combined $300 million in the last season alone. It’s claimed that most teams outside the major cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Dallas have a disadvantage in the current system, losing money while also having a significantly smaller shot at maintaining a quality roster and competing for championships.

According to the commissioner, the league’s major aims are to secure a guaranteed profit for all franchises and increased competition between all 30 teams.

It’s primary way of reducing costs? Cut the players income.

The league hopes to reduce the current 57% BRI share of the players by up to a third, in turn reducing max contracts from around $17 million to a much more modest $11 million in the first year.

Teams also aim to remove or reduce guarantees on contracts, making it so payment by the team is contingent upon month by month and year by year performance of the player, a concept that hasn’t been used in the NBA in decades.

On top of all this the league hopes to put a firm cap in place, effectively ending the age of guaranteed contacts and many of the current exceptions. Under the current proposal, teams would get up to 3 years to get below this hard cap figure.

A major way they would do this could be the introduction of an Amnesty Clause.

With this in place teams could pay off the remaining money due to a player immediately and remove them from their cap figure. This rule would be great fro teams burdened with bad deals like Orlando (Gilbert Arenas), Washington (Rashard Lewis) and Los Angeles (Ron Artest).

Most analysts are doubtful a true hard cap will come into effect though, considering the amount of change that would occur to every team.

What the Players want:

Compared to what the owners want, the player’s demands are quite simple, yet no less difficult to achieve. The players essentially want the same deal, with very little concessions on their part.

They want a 5 year deal that will ensure they get a good a shot at negotiating for money from the new TV deal that will come into effect in 4 years time. They want to keep the current soft cap system, enabling them to keep their current guaranteed contracts an most of all they want no less than 53.5% of BRI (a concession of 3.5%).

How long will it go:

Compared to the league imposed lockout of 1998, this year’s lockout is many times worse. The owners are completely unwilling to budge without achieving nearly every one of their goals.

The majority of players only get payed between November 15^th and late January and so their wont be much financial toll for them until November.

If the lockout extends to August the league will seriously consider cancelling pre-season games and if it comes to September or October, we could miss regular season games. Most likely the earliest their will be an agreement is late November. We’re likely to see a serious number of games lost and perhaps, a whole season missed. I don’t think that this is the likeliest of scenarios by any means however.

The only thing we can be sure of is that until the players and owners come to an agreement on the % split of income, there will be very little movement on other issues surrounding the CBA. As fans of the game, we can only hope that negotiations continue to move well and an agreement comes quickly.

Mock Draft #3

Just over 24 hours remain till the NBA Draft on Friday.

This years draft is a very weak one with very few of the players expected to become solid NBA starters.

My Lottery Mock Draft

1. Kyrie Irving PG - Cleveland Cavaliers

Freshman/Duke, 6’3” 191 lbs– 17.5ppg, 4.3ast, 3.4rpg

Hands down a top two player in the draft Irving is almost a lock for #1. Cavs GM Chris Grant is set on Irving despite owner Dan Gilbert’s interest in Derrick Williams.

This pick will have huge ramifications for the first 4 spots depending on which way the Cavs swing.

Irving’s solid Chris Paul-like-game leaves it almost impossible for Irving to be a bust. He will start immediately and may end up being an all star one day.

2. Derrick Williams PF– Minnesota Timberwolves

Sophomore/Arizona, 6’9” 248 lbs – 19.5ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.1ast

Williams, like Irving is the only other sure thing in this draft. Projected to be a borderline all star and with little chance of becoming a bust, Williams is the safe bet.

Although not filling a need (Love, Randolph, Beasley and Johnson all at the forward already) the wolves will almost definitely go in this direction.

3. Brandon Knight PG -  Utah Jazz

Freshman/Kentucky, 6’3” 177 lbs – 17.3ppg, 4.2ast, 4rpg

A combo guard with great shooting skills, Knight is a high risk pick. He’ll likely pan out but there is a chance that he will have great difficulty adapting to the NBA PG role. If this is the case Knight may end up underwhelming most people.

Knight had a pretty slow year in Kentucky but has a solid outside game and an NBA PG body. He was a great teammate at Kentucky and this should help him going forward.

4. Enes Kanter C Turkey– Cleveland Cavaliers

19 YOA/Turkey, 6’11” 259 lbs, DNP 2010-11

Not much is known about Kanter. Having played just 2 games in the last 18 months (ruled ineligible for Kentucky) we don’t know how much he has improved since early last year. KAnter is a good kid who seems extremely devoted to his goal, having picked up solid English skills in just over a year. He should have little competition for minutes next year but would do well to learn from long time Cavalier Anderson Varejao.

5. Kawhi Leonard SF -  Toronto Raptors

Sophomore/San Diego State 6’7” 227 pounds - 15.5ppg, 10.6rpg, 3.5ast

Having signed former Mavs defensive assistant Dwayne Casey as the head coach for next year the Raptors will be looking to improve defensively. That will either mean they take Bismack Biyombo or this man Kawhi Leonard.

A defensive combo forward with great rebounding ability, Leonard will fit well with the Raptors.

Although an unlikely star, if Leonard develops a jump shot and continues to develop he his skills in the gym he may yet be a key player moving forward with Toronto.

6. Jan Vesely SF – Washington Wizards

21 YOA/Czech Republic 6’11” 240 lbs - 10.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.3ast

Short of acquiring the number 2 pick for Derrick Williams, Vesely is exactly what the Wizards need from this draft.

His strong transition game and explosiveness around the rim will make him an exciting running mate for second year guard John Wall.

Like Leonard he lacks a true shooters touch but may have a chance to develop it in the NBA.

7. Jimmer Fredette PG – Sacramento Kings

Senior/BYU 6’3” 195 pounds - 28.9ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.2ast

If Leonard and Vesley are both off the board I don’t see how the Kings go past Jimmer. Owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are said to be very high on Jimmer despite the fornt office’s interest in Kemba Walker. With GM Geoff Petrie’s job security low, the owners figure to have a big say on this pick.

Jimmer would fit well off the bench for the kings splitting minutes with Marcus Thornton and Tyreke Evans in a three guard rotation.

Easily the riskiest pick in the lottery, Jimmer could end up being a total bust.

8. Kemba Walker PG – Detroit Pistons

Junior/Connecticut 6’1” 184 pounds - 23.5ppg 5.4rpg, 4.5ast

Walker had a stellar year at UConn, leading the Huskies to a national championship.

He was one of the top scorers all season and at times carried the team on his back.

His size could be an issue at the next level as most guards are an inch or two taller.

The Pistons will be hoping he can overcome these obstacles and take over the reigns from long time guard Rodney Stuckey.

Like Jimmer, Kemba has a fairly high chance of not working out as a star calibre NBA guard.

9. Alec Burks SG– Charlotte Bobcats

Sophomore/Colorado 6’6” 193 pounds - 20.5ppg 6.5rpg, 2.9ast

Burks is the top shooting guard in the draft and one of the most solid scorers. His jump shot isn’t all there, but he is a solid athlete and is decent on defence.
He would fit nicely in Charlotte with Stephen Jackson moving over to play more minutes at the 3 spot.

Most shouts figure he’ll take a good 2 or 3 years to really find his feet and a lot hinges on his ability to acquire a solid jump shot.

10. Klay Thompson SG– Milwaukee Bucks

Junior/Washington State    6’7” 206 pounds – 21.6ppg, 5.2rpg, 3.7ast

If Burks isn’t available here the Bucks will almost certainly go for Thompson.

A really solid shooter with NBA range he is a true commodity in this draft.

The biggest danger however is that he made most of his moves in workouts over the last few weeks. There are some doubts about his maturity and his ability to handle an 82 game season.

11. Bismack Biyombo PF– Golden State Warriors

18 YOA/Spain (from Congo) 6’10” 240 pounds - 6.4ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.3bpg (17.1mins)

Biyombo splashed onto the scene a few months ago after a spectacular showing at the Nike Hoops Summit. Scouts are hoping he can turn into an impressive shot blocker and defender.

He lacks much of an offensive game but can be a huge presence on defence. He may not even be available here with the Raptors apparently taking a keen interest in him.

12. Chris Singleton SF - Utah Jazz

Junior/Florida State 6’9” 230 pounds – 13.1ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.2 ast

Singleton is a defensive player who could contribute straight away. He’s a real worry on defensive though, having the second lowest offensive efficiency of any one in class.

He does have a decent catch and shoot game though and that should bump up his efficiency at the next level.

13. Tristan Thomson PF – Phoenix Suns

Freshman/Texas 6’9” 227 pounds - 13.1ppg 7.8rp 2.4bpg

The Suns have a hole at PF and Thomson may just be able to fill it. A solid role player or borderline starter, Thomson does his best work off the ball. Thomson is a raw offensive talent but should develop well with Steve Nash delivering him the ball. He could move up as high as the 9^th spot or slide all the way out of the lottery.

14. Jonas Valanciunas C – Houston Rockets

19 YOA/Lithuania 6’11” 240 pounds - 7.6ppg, 5.6rpg, 0.6bpg (14.9mins)

Most mock drafts have had Valanciunas high as the 4^th spot over the last month or so. A problem arising from his current European contract means he will almost certainly not be available to play next season.

The Rockets should be his lowest possible falling place.

They’ll be hoping that come 2011-12 he should be able to compete and contribute to a potential playoff team.

Irving says he wants to represent Australia

Likely number 1 overall selection Kyrie Irving says he wasn’t to represent Austraoia

Born in Melbourne, Kyrie spent his first 2 years growing up “down under”.

Irving, whose father Drederick played fro the Bullen Boomers in the NBL in the 90’s holds dual Australian and American citizenship.

Realising perhaps the unlikely hood that he will ever represent the US at the highest level, Irving has instead expressed interest in donning the green and gold for the upcoming Olympics.

Irving would become the team’s second best player behind Bucks center Andrew Bogut.

The combination of Bogut and Irving with fellow NBA players David Anderson and Patrick Mills may be enough to see Australia’s chances in the tournament rise significantly.

Speculation earlier this year had Irving firmly aiming to play USA basketball, but there is little chance he will be given that opportunity, considering the wealth of young PG skill in the USA. NBA PG’s Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, Stephen Curry and Russel Westbrook are all considered stronger talents than the Melbourne born Irving.

Although FIBA rules say that once a player chooses to represent a country after their 17^th birthday they cannot change, there are certainly exceptions. If authorised by the FIBA secretary general on the proviso that it “is in the interest of development of basketball in the country” a player may indeed switch teams.

Piston PF Charlie Villanueva is one such example. After representing the US at junior level he was bale to represent the Domican Repubklic.

Even he is cleared to play for the Boomers this year it is unlikely he will join the squad immediately, considering an impending lockout leaves him unsigned and without NBA health insurance.

The Boomers will compete against New Zealand in a 3 game series this spring although the young aussies on the squad will likely be without all of their NBA team mates.

The Australian squad will have training camp next week before playing a two match series against china later this month.

Mock Draft #2

With just over two weeks until draft night, here is my second Mock Draft for 2011

My Lottery Mock Draft

1. Kyrie Irving PG - Cleveland Cavaliers

Freshman/Duke, 6’3” 191 lbs– 17.5ppg, 4.3ast, 3.4rpg

Irving has solidified his position as the number one prospect over the last few weeks despite working out for only a select few teams. Baron Davis, the Cavs current guard seems to be enjoying his role as a mentor through the offseason, so the Cavs should have no hesitation bringing in Irving for next season.

Irving has a pure point guard’s game and the potential to be a borderline All-Star down the road. His game compares loosely to Chris Paul’s but without the superstar abilities.

2. Enes Kanter C Turkey– Minnesota Timberwolves

19 YOA/Turkey, 6’11” 259 lbs, DNP 2010-11

The Wolves locked up Ricky Rubio during the week and so shouldn’t consider taking a PG with this selection. Although I had Williams of Arizona in here last time, I'm leaning towards the T’Wolves picking on need.

Darko Milicic was the starting C for the wolves last season and so they will be looking for an upgrade.

A strong back-to-the-basket game and a true center’s body are assets for Kanter.

3. Derrick Williams SF– Utah Jazz

Sophomore/Arizona, 6’9” 248 lbs – 19.5ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.1ast

The Jazz should pick Williams if he is available at number 3. Some consider him a power-forward with others putting him at the 3. It’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts to the NBA style and just where he’ll fit into the Jazz roster. With Andrei Kirilenko coming off the books this off-season and Gordan Hayward the only other SF under contract, management will be hoping to have him start from game 1.

5. Jan Vesely SF – Cleveland Cavaliers

21 YOA/Czech Republic 6’11” 240 lbs - 10.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.3ast

With the Cavs already having a young point guard in Kyrie Irving they would likely go toward the athletic European wing.

Vesely is explosive around the ring and thrives in transition. Despite his length he is best served at the Small Forward position.

The Cavs have very little in terms of depth at the 3 so he should be able to contribute early.

5. Brandon Knight PG -  Toronto Raptors

Freshman/Kentucky, 6’3” 177 lbs – 17.3ppg, 4.2ast, 4rpg

Knight had a pretty slow year in Kentucky but was highly regarded out of high school. Scouts and GM’s are hopping he can get back on track and continue to develop in the league. He has a solid outside game and is one of the smartest players coming out.

His size and quickness are great qualities hard to come by in young guards.

6. Kawhi Leonard SF -  Washington Wizards

Sophomore/San Diego State 6’7” 227 pounds - 15.5ppg, 10.6rpg, 3.5ast

Although not a huge upside guy, Leonard is still a decent catch at #6. Leonard’s best work is done on the glass and on defence and that’s where he thrived last year at SDSU.

Like Derrick Williams, Leonard is a combo forward without a true position. After playing PF in college the Wizards will be hoping he can contribute at the 3 and the 4 next year. Perhaps if he transitions well to the 3 spot he could move into a starting role late in the season.

7. Kemba Walker PG – Sacramento Kings

Junior/Connecticut 6’1” 184 pounds - 23.5ppg 5.4rpg, 4.5ast

Walker had a stellar year at UConn, leading the Huskies to a national championship.

He was one of the top scorers all season and at times carried the team on his back.

His size could be an issue at the next level as most guards are an inch or two taller.

The Kings will hope to slot him into the starting line-up early, sharing minutes with Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton (should they re-sign him) at the guard spots.

11. Bismack Biyombo PF– Golden State Warriors

18 YOA/Spain (from Congo) 6’10” 240 pounds - 6.4ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.3bpg (17.1mins)

Biyombo splashed onto the scene less than a month ago after a spectacular showing at the Nike Hoops Summit. Scouts are hoping he can turn into an impressive shot blocker and defender.

There are concerns about his age however, with reports saying he could be closer to 24 than 18.

9. Alec Burks SG– Charlotte Bobcats

Sophomore/Colorado 6’6” 193 pounds - 20.5ppg 6.5rpg, 2.9ast

Burks is the top 2 guard in the draft and one of the most solid scorers. His jump shot isn’t all there, but he is a solid athlete and is decent on defence.
He would fit nicely in Charlotte with Stephen Jackson moving over to play more minutes at the 3 spot.

10. Klay Thomson SG– Milwaukee Bucks

Junior/Washington State    6’7” 206 pounds – 21.6ppg, 5.2rpg, 3.7ast

Thomson’s stock has jumped considerably since my last mock with great workouts around the league. His long range shooting and good ball skills have impressed teams.

He sees himself as a good off-ball scorer and a really solid shooting threat.

The Bucks would probably rather have Burks, but Thomson still fits their need well.

8. Jonas Valanciunas C – Detroit Pistons

19 YOA/Lithuania 6’11” 240 pounds - 7.6ppg, 5.6rpg, 0.6bpg (14.9mins)

Valanciunas is pretty limited offensively but that shouldn’t be a problem on this stacked Warriors squad. The Warriors recently signed rookie head coach Mark Jackson so there’s no telling what direction they may go.

Valanciunas likes to bang the ball inside and does well on the glass.

There are rumours of a Monta Ellis-Andre Igoudala swap in the works and if so, the team may target a more offensive minded player.

The buyout for Valanciunas increased to almost 4 million last week so there are serious concerns about whether or not he will even be able to come across next season

12. Jimmer Fredette PG – Utah Jazz

Senior/BYU 6’3” 195 pounds - 28.9ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.2ast

Assuming the Jazz haven’t already selected a PG, I think “The Jimmer” will be too good to miss. He played college ball at BYU which is close to Salt Lake City and so the home town crowd may do him good.

He was a stud scorer at college though his defence was well under par. He is probably the best and most confident shooters in the college game.

Fredette projects well as a bench scorer but could have serious problems if too much is expected of him next year.

13. Tristan Thomson PF – Phoenix

Freshman/Texas 6’9” 227 pounds - 13.1ppg 7.8rp 2.4bpg

The Suns have a hole at PF and Thomson may just be able to fill it. A solid role player or borderline starter, Thomson does his best work off the ball. Thomson is a raw offensive talent but should develop well with Steve Nash delivering him the ball. He could move up as high as the 8^th or 9^th spots or slide a little further than 13^th.

14. Chris Singleton SF  - Houston Rockets

Junior/Florida State 6’9” 230 pounds – 13.1ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.2ast

The Rockets are in need of some depth at forward with long time 3 man Shane Battier traded to the Grizzlies mid-season. Singleton has a strong post game for a combo forward and makes good decisions down on the block. He’s also a good defender both on ball and in the post.

Singleton will compete with Chase Budinger and Terrence Williams for time and will likely have a spell or two in the D-League next year.

Falling Out

Marcus Morris PF

Junior/Kansas 6’9” 230 pounds - 17.2ppg, 7.6rpg, 0.6bpg

14. Jordan Hamilton SF  - Houston Rockets

Sophomore/Texas 6’8” 225 pounds - 18.6ppg, 7.7rpg, 2.1ast

Lakers close to deal with Mike Brown

According to reports coming out of Los Angeles on Thursday, the Lakers are nearing completion in their head coaching search.

Currently in the lead for the job is 2009 Coach of the Year Mike Brown.

Brown was formerly the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005-2010. His tenure included a trip to the Finals in 2007 and a trip to the Conference Finals in 2009

Brown has been working as an analyst for ESPN this season after being fired by the Cavs in mid 2010.

Also believed to still be in the running are former Rockets head coach Rick Adelman and 7 year Lakers assistant Brian Shaw.

Should the talks with Brown collapse in the coming days the team is likely to instead sign Adelman. Brian Shaw had previously been backed by multiple Lakers players including Kobe Bryant. Team officials seem to think an experienced hand would serve the team more productively however.

The vacancy opened up juts weeks ago as Phil Jackson announced his retirement from coaching.

Jackson was the head coach of the Lakers for 12 years between 1999 and 2011 (one year break in 2004-05 and the Bulls from 1989-98. His career was arguably the best of any NBA head coach, racking up a record 11 championships.

There are suspicions that Jackson’s retirement may only be short one however, with some believing he could return after one season off. Highest on the possible list of destinations is the New York Knicks, for whom Jackson played for 11 seasons from 1967-78.

Coincidently, current Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni’s current contract expires at the end of next season.

The head coaching vacancies in Golden State and Houston are still currently open, with both teams nearing decisions on the matter.

Brown is believed to be in play for the Warriors if the Lakers deal collapses and TV analysts Kevin McHale and Mark Jackson are also possibilities. Boston assistant Lawrence Frank and Mavericks assistant Dwayne Casey are also believed to be in play for both teams.

Mock Draft #1

The NBA Draft will take place late June in New Jersey. A month out from the draft, this is my first mock draft.

My Lottery Big Board

1. Kyrie Irving PG - Cleveland Cavaliers

Freshman/Duke, 6’3” 191 lbs– 17.5ppg, 4.3ast, 3.4rpg

Irving is almost unanimously thought to be the best player in the draft. The Cavs have a very shallow roster at all positions and as such, need should not be a factor in this selection.

Irving has a pure point guard’s game and the potential to be a borderline All-Star down the road. He is coming off a food injury last season with Duke but it probably won’t hurt his stock come draft night.

2. Derrick Williams SF– Minnesota Timberwolves

Sophomore/Arizona, 6’9” 248 lbs – 19.5ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.1ast

The only player other than Irving to be considered a top 3 lock, Williams is a very solid player. Although not possessing the upside that Irving has, Williams does have potential to be a 2^nd or 3^rd option on a good team.

The Wolves have a pretty decent rotation at SF and so Williams probably won’t fit well. This would likely lead to at least one of Michael Beasley, Wes Johnson or even Williams himself to be traded on draft night.

If the Wolves were picking on need they might selected Enes Kanter or trade down for Bismack Biyombo.

3. Brandon Knight PG -  Utah Jazz

Freshman/Kentucky, 6’3” 177 lbs – 17.3ppg, 4.2ast, 4rpg

Although Knight wont be the best available at the 3^rd pick the Jazz probably wont want to gamble on Kanter.

Knight, a scoring point guard had a slow start to the season for Kentucky, but performed strongly in the tournament in March.

He is one of the best shooters in the draft and thrives from behind the 3pt line.

He has plenty of upside and should equate to a solid guard in the mould of Jason Terry or a weaker Chauncey Billlups.

4. Enes Kanter C Turkey– Cleveland Cavaliers

19 YOA/Turkey, 6’11” 259 lbs, DNP 2010-11

Kanter didn’t play a game in 2010-11 but despite that he should still make the top 5.

A non-traditional euro big-man, Kanter makes his money in the paint. A strong back-to-the-basket game and good floor running ability make him an asset to any team.

There were concerns over his attitude this week, after he refused to interview with Utah, instead saying he wants to play for the Washington Wizards.

Despite the trouble, the Cavs should pick him for his high talent level if he is available.

5. Jan Vesely SF - Toronto Raptors

21 YOA/Czech Republic 6’11” 240 lbs - 10.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.3ast

Vesely has been the best young talent in Europe for a while now. Really hitting his stride in December and January Vesely is pushing hard now while it matters.

Vesely does his best work above the ring and loves to get out in transition.

The Raptors would really like a center to allow Bargnani to move to the 4. This could mean they’ll make a trade, possibly involving this pick.

6. Kawhi Leonard SF -  Washington Wizards

Sophomore/San Diego State 6’7” 227 pounds - 15.5ppg, 10.6rpg, 3.5ast

It’s no secret that the Wizards would much rather take Enes Kanter here. They’ll probably have to settle for Leonard though, as the other big options are likely to fall before the 6^th pick.

Leonard was great all year for the Aztecs, thriving in his scoring power-forward role.

There are problems though, with most suggesting his lack of height will lead him to push over to the SF spot.

The adjustment is likely to be a difficult one, and he could have a tough first year in the league.

7. Kemba Walker PG – Sacramento Kings

Junior/Connecticut 6’1” 184 pounds - 23.5ppg 5.4rpg, 4.5ast

There were true concerns about his height pre-combine but he surprisingly measured up at a true 6’1”.

Walker was impressive all year at UConn and led the Huskies to a national championship on the back of his impressive scoring and floor running abilities.

The Kings have needed a better playmaker than Tyreke all season and it looks like they should get him.

8. Bismack Biyombo PF– Detroit Pistons

18 YOA/Spain (from Congo) 6’10” 240 pounds - 6.4ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.3bpg (17.1mins)

Biyombo splashed onto the scene less than a month ago after a spectacular showing at the Nike Hoops Summit. Scouts are hoping he can turn into an impressive shot blocker who could compare loosely to Serge Ibaka.

There are concerns about his age however, with reports saying he could be closer to 24 than 18.

9. Tristan Thomson PF – Charlotte Bobcats

Freshman/Texas 6’9” 227 pounds - 13.1ppg 7.8rp 2.4bpg

Undersized at the 4, Thomson is still a good talent.

In the mould of a poor man’s Josh Smith, Thomson is still very raw. He does his best work off the ball and so won’t find it too hard in the league.

There are rumours that Toronto may take him, being a native of the region.

10. Alec Burks SG– Milwaukee Bucks

Sophomore/Colorado 6’6” 193 pounds - 20.5ppg 6.5rpg, 2.9ast

There have been rumblings about Burks going to Milwaukee for weeks. He fits their need for an off-the-dribble creator well and could fit nicely into the rotation.

It’s rumoured that Bucks PG Brandon Jennings is on the block, and if it’s true it could mean the Bucks package this pick with him, or else possibly move up in the draft.

They still would like to get deeper at the backup point and center positions.

11. Jonas Valanciunas C - Golden State Warriors

19 YOA/Lithuania 6’11” 240 pounds - 7.6ppg, 5.6rpg, 0.6bpg (14.9mins)

Valanciunas is both the best player and also a need filler for the Warriors at this pick.

There are concerns about his lack of a rounded post game and his slow development.

If he can be a decent contributor on defence and a part time offense player he could start for the Warriors and help them make a playoff run next season.

12. Marcus Morris PF – Utah Jazz

Junior/Kansas 6’9” 230 pounds - 17.2ppg, 7.6rpg, 0.6bpg

One of the two Morris twins, Marcus has recently taken a step above his brother Markieff.

Marcus is a little undersized for the 4, but has a solid offensive game. He could look to be a sold role player for a few years and maybe eventually turn into an NBA starter.

13. Jimmer Fredette PG – Phoenix Suns

Senior/BYU 6’3” 195 pounds - 28.9ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.2ast

Jimmer was the best scorer in the college game last year and almost single headedly led his team to the round of 16.

He’s not particularly strong or fast but is one of the best shooters in any league in the world. The Suns would be hoping that with some guidance from Steve Nash and a bit of luck he could be their PG for the future. Most scouts think that Jimmer will be a sixth man at best for the rest of his career.

14. Jordan Hamilton SF– Houston Rockets

Sophomore/Texas 6’8” 225 pounds - 18.6ppg, 7.7rpg, 2.1ast

The young forward from Texas is a solid talent who could compete for minutes right now on the current Rockets squad.

A potent offensive threat, Hamilton compares somewhat to a much less talented Joe Johnson.

Hamilton has been the number 1 scorer for Texas all year and so might have some troubles sliding into an off ball role alongside Kevin Martin.

Cavs win NBA Draft Lottery

Even with another 2 rounds of the playoffs to go, the NBA world momentarily turned its gaze to Secaucus, New Jersey for the 2011 draft lottery overnight.

In an improbable turn of events, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2.8% chance pick was the first drawn. The pick, acquired from the LA Clippers mid season, was the first drawn and so they will select first come draft night.

The Clippers sent the number 8 chanced selection to Cleveland at the trade deadline in a deal that saw the Cavs swap Mo Williams for Baron Davis.

The Cavs were represented at the lottery by 14 year old Nick Gilbert, son of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. Nick was there to spread awareness for Neurofibromatosis (NF), a disease he has had since birth. NF is a nerve disorder that causes tumours to grow without warning throughout the body.

The win for the Cavs is great story for the NBA and the town of Cleveland, so much so in fact that it prompted Timberwolves GM David Kahn to say this

    “This league has a habit, and I am just going to say habit, of producing some pretty incredible story lines”.

The comment is highly controversial and seems to imply the lottery may have been rigged in favour of the Cavaliers.

Such a careless comment is likely to gain big scrutiny in the press and in the league offices, with many expecting a large fine to be handed out.

The Cavs, and indeed all NBA teams, have just over a month to prepare for the draft, which will be held on the June 23 in Newark, NJ.

The Cavs weren’t the only ones to move up though, the Jazz also moved up 3 spots to take the 3^rd overall pick. The Jazz’s pick was also a mid season acquisition, coming in the trade of Deron Williams to New Jersey in February.

The T’Wolves will have the second pick, with the 3^rd 4^th and 5^th going to Utah, Cleveland and Toronto respectively.

Former Duke freshman Kyrie Irving is expected to go number 1 with Arizona forward Derrick Williams and one of SDSU forward Kawhi Leornard or the Turkish center Enes Kanter expected to round out the top 3.

Celtics bounced, future now in the balance

Exactly a year to the day that he played his last home game in Cleveland, Lebron James and his Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

In a mostly close game 5 matchup, James helped put away his long time rivals in the Celtics.

Boston’s big three of Pierce, Allen and Garnett combined for 45 points on the night, whereas the Miami pair of Wade and Lebron had 67 points and 17 rebounds with Chris Bosh also chipping in 14 points and 11 boards.

The Heat will now face the winner of the Chicago-Atlanta series in which the Bulls currently have a 3-2 lead.

For the Celtics, the loss means the end of their season and the beginning of the off-season restructuring that has been needed for months.

This year’s Celtics squad saw only 5 of lasts year’s NBA Finals team return and we will likely see some of the same roster changes as last season.

Head coach Doc Rivers previously stated his intentions to step down from coaching next season to watch his son Austin play college ball for Duke. Yesterday he announced his is likely to change is mind and said he was “leaning heavily towards coming back”. Assistant coach Lawrence Frank is one of 3 candidates for the head coaching jobs at Golden State and Houston and is likely to move on from the Celtics in 2012.

With Paul Peirce, Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett all locked in for next season, the Celtics appear to have a decent core. Shooter Ray Allen said in the post-game press conference yesterday that he plans not to exercise his contract option and instead play with the Celtics through 2012.

Veteran Center Shaquille O’Neal was riddled with injuries all year and has likely played his last NBA game. Shaq has a one year option to stay with Boston, though there is no indication he would be a starter or even fetch serious minutes if he was to return.

Other free-agents include young forwards Glen Davis and Jeff Green and backup guard Delonte West. Davis has stated he would like to see bigger minutes and possible a starting role next season whilst also saying that his ideal situation would be to stay in Boston. Green will probably fetch upwards of $6 million a year on his next contract despite his relatively poor play with the Celtics. West was a key player this year and the Celts abd will be key to the team next season.

Boston will need at least 2 out of three of these guys signed if they are to compete next season.

With the team salary likely over the cap as of next season, (the new cap is likely to be lower under the new CBA) they will have about $5.8 million to improve the roster under current rules.

If that money is available they should look to sign a center to fill the void of the Big Diesel. Options in their price range are scarce, with Nazr Mohammed, Jeff Foster and Sam Dalembert the most likely targets. The money will also go towards a swingman to split minutes with Allen and Pierce, with Jason Richardson an ideal target. The need at the 3 spot was made evident with Jeff Green’s struggles moving over from power forward following the trade from Oklahoma.

The Celtics will most likely have the 25^th pick in the draft come June. Plenty of swingmen and position players are available, but none that will make a serious impact next season.

Although the future seems uncertain for these Celtics, it is likely that GM Danny Ainge will attempt big moves this offseason or else give this team one final one-year title window.

The most likely to be moved is Ray Allen, with nearly every team in the league desiring a shooter as good as he is. There is plenty of demand for the 35 year old veteran with teams like Chicago and Dallas likely to spend big should he be available.

More than likely however this team will be together next season, at least until the trade deadline anyway.

Barring a big trade, the Celtics will have to remain with a very similar roster.

Considering the improved strength of teams in the East (New York, Chicago, Miami) the Celtics may be struggling for a playoff seed, let alone a championship, come 2012.

Tigers release Corey Williams

The Melbourne Tigers have decided they will not re-sign point guard and current team MVP Corey Williams.

The news comes just days after the Tigers appointed former Townsville head coach Trevor Gleeson to a 3 year deal.

Williams, who played under Gleeson in 09, was pushed out from Townsville after his MVP season by then head coach Gleeson.

Williams led the league in assists (6.1pg) and was the leagues fifth best scorer with 17.3 a game last season.

The Tigers are looking to replace Williams with a home grown Aussie point guard. The Tigers had targeted Blaze PG Adam Gibson but missed out after the guard decided to re-sign with the Gold Coast.

Another player on the radar is Perth’s Damien Martin, but most league sources believe him to stay with the Wildcats.

The Tigers’ lack of success in the recruiting area will likely lead to them signing an import guard, with a candidate being MVP Gary Ervin, who is yet to re-sign for season 2012.

The Tigers have no current point guards on the roster and retain the rights to only Cam Tragardh, Daryl Corletto, Tommy Greer, Matt Burston and Bennie Lewis for the 2012 season.

Another question mark for Melbourne is the availability of exciting young forward Lucas Walker.

Without a big PG signing the Tigers could be in an even worse position than their disappointing 2011 season.

The moves have lead to widespread criticism for CEO Seamus McPeake who already angered fans with the mid season sacking of long time Tiger, Al Westover.

Williams though is a possible signing for the Adelaide 36’ers and along with Townsville’s Luke Schenscher could give Adelaide the best offseason signings in the league.

More NBL news is expected soon with the free agency period commencing in less than a week.

T'Wolves close to signing Rubio

The Minnesota Timberwolves are pushing hard to sign former first round pick Ricky Rubio.  A team of Timberwolves officials, including GM David Kahn are in Spain this week to meet with him. Rubio was drafted by the T’Wolves with the 5^th overall pick in 2009 but remained unsigned dude to buyout issues with his Spanish team. Rubio has since moved to Regal Barcelona, who now holds a $1 buyout for his rights. By NBA rules the wolves can only contribute $500,000 to any such buyout and would have to seek outside financing for the remainder of that figure.

Earlier in year there were reports from those close to Rubio that he would be unwilling to sign with Minnesota and would instead ask for a trade to a larger market team such as New York or Miami.

Despite the rumours, the T’Wolves are hoping to sign Rubio to a long term deal within the next few weeks.  The young point guard was highly touted in 2009 but has had an underwhelming 2011 Euroleague campaign, averaging 6.5ppg and 3.6 assists in 22.7 minutes per game.

If Rubio were to join the Wolves next season he would be a strong possibility to take Luke Ridnour’s current starting job.

The Wolves had the leagues worst record in 2010-11 and have the highest chance at attaining the number 1 overall pick in the upcoming lottery and draft. If the wolves were to acquire the first pick, they would almost certainly take Kyrie Irving, the consensus number PG out of Duke, which would only further complicate Minnesota’s rotation troubles at the guard positions.

Depending on the outcome of the draft the wolves are likely to see at least one of their young PG’s moved to a new home, with second year Jonny Flynn the most likely candidate.

Either way the Timberwolves will be happy to have a new young talent to pair with All Star Kevin Love after the teams dismal 2010-11 season.

Tigers appoint Gleeson as head coach

In a shock move, the Melbourne Tigers of the ANBL have hired 2010 NBL Coach of the Year and former Townsville Crocs coach Trevor Gleeson to a multi-year deal.

Gleeson signed to the 3 year deal on Thursday afternoon just 6 days after resigning from his head coaching job with the Townsville Crocs. Gleeson is seen through the league as one of the best, and focuses his teams on the defensive end of the court.

The news is disappointing for former interim coach Daryl McDonald who was eager to continue into the 2011-12 season.

Gleeson has said that the move to Melbourne was so that his wife, who is currently fighting cancer, could receive the top notch treatment available in the Victorian capital.

The move is a very positive one for the Tigers as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2010-11 season.

Gleeson is expected to evaluate the playing list in the coming days. Current Tigers MVP and former League MVP Corey Williams has yet to receive a contract fro the coming season. The league’s free agency period begins in two weeks time.

NBL Grand Final series preview

On Wednesday afternoon the NBL Grand Final series will begin with Game 1 in Auckland.

The first Grand Finals appearance for either club, the Cairns Taipans will go against the minor premiers New Zealand Breakers.

Both teams needed three games to reach the Finals with Cairns overcoming number 2 seeded Townsville and the Breakers outlasting the defending champion Wildcats.

The Breakers are favourites to take out the championship. The Breakers won the season series 3-0

New Zealand

The Breakers have far and away the most talent in the series but will still be pushed if they are to take out the series. Their main push will come from SG Kirk Penney and on the play of centre Gary Wilkinson. Both Wilkinson and Penney made the All NBL First team this year after impressive seasons.

The perimeter play of veteran leader CJ Bruton off the bench will also be huge for the Breakers. Although he posted a disappointing stat line for the first series against Perth he shouldn’t be discounted in such a high pressure series.

The depth of the bench of New Zealand is huge, with Bruton, Braswell and Boucher all figuring to have big impacts.

The Breakers were taken care of by their Wildcats in Game 1 of their first round series so it’s unclear what kind of advantage they’ll experience on their home floor.

Cairns

The Taipans have made an impressive post-season push after a solid regular season. After taking care of the home court Townsville Crocodiles on Sunday the Taipans are in with a fighting chance in this one.

The Taipans will look to Alex Loughton, Ian Crosswhite and point guard Ayinde Ubaka for the majority of their scoring.

Guard Daniel Dillon also figures to have an impact off the bench after dropping a huge 21 points in the game 3 win over the Crocs.

Although they only just sneaked into the finals, the Taipans are still a big threat to New Zealand’s hopes of a first title. Their stifling defence was the best in league through the season but will be met with the leagues best offensive team in New Zeeland.

All in all it figures to be a huge NBL Finals series and a fitting end to a great season.

My Picks:

New Zealand in 3 games

MVP: Kirk Penney

Taipans outlast Crocs in Townsville

The Cairns Taipans have won their first ever playoffs series after a stunning 93-83 victory over the Townsville Crocs. The Crocs, who had home court advantage for game 3 were run out of the building after an impressive showing late by Daniel Dillon (21 points, 7 rebounds).

Cairns now advances to the Grand Final Series against the New Zealand Breakers. The Breakers disposed of their first round opponents the Perth Wildcats in the 3rd game on Wednesday.

The Breakers are favoured in the grand final matchup and will look to veteran leader and former MVP Kirk Penney for the series.

Game one of the Grand Finals series will be played in Auckland on Wednesday.

The breakers have home court in the series.

The game will be broadcast live around the nation at 4:30 eastern on OneHD.

NBA Playoffs preview: Western Conference

This is the second part of my NBA playoffs preview, this time focusing on the Western Conference.

1-San Antonio Spurs vs 8- Memphis Grizzlies

Spurs

Head Coach: Gregg Popovich (14^th playoff appearance)

Starting Lineup: Tony Parker PG, Manu Ginobili SG, Richard Jefferson SF, Tim Duncan PF, Antonio McDyess C

Grizzlies

Head Coach: Lionel Hollins (1^st Playoff appearance)

Starters: Mike Conley Jr PG, Tony Allen SG, Sam Young SF, Zach Randolph PF, Marc Gasol C

In this first round match-up the might and experience of Tim Duncan and his Spurs goes up against the young Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies will be without their leader and second leading scorer in Rudy Gay. This series figures to be very one-sided with the Grizzlies just happy to be in the post-season for the first time since 2006.

The Grizzlies should be able to salvage at least on game though with the twin post threats of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph creating matchup problems inside.

Memphis will also need new recruit Tony Allen to hit his stride offensively.

The Spurs will again base their attack round the greatest power forward ever in Tim Duncan and his loyal counterparts Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs will also need big contributions from Dejuan Blair and George Hill off the bench and a veteran showing from Richard Jefferson.

My Prediction: 4-1 Spurs

4-Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5-Denver Nuggets

Thunder

Head Coach: Scott Brooks (2^nd Playoffs appearance)

Starting Line-up: Russel Westbrook PG, Thabo Sefalosha SG, Kevin Durant SF, Serge Ibaka PF, Kendrick Perkins C

Nuggets

Head Coach: George Karl (20^th Playoffs appearance)

Starting Line-up: Ty Lawson PG, Aaron Afflalo SG, Danilo Gallinari SF, Kenyon Martin PF, Nene C 

After big trade deadline moves by both teams these two now meet up in the first round. The Nuggets, who swapped Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups for Ray Felton, Gallinari and Wilson Chandler will be the underdogs in this series. Oklahoma swapped number 3 scoring option Jeff Green for Boston’s defensive center Kendrick Perkins.

The Thunder are making a second consecutive playoff appearance after being bounced by the eventual champion Lakers in the first round last season.

The huge scoring provided by Russel Westbrook and back-to-back scoring champion Kevin Durant should be too much for the Nuggets in this one.

The Nug’s have been playing well as a team since the deadline, utilising a 10 man rotation. They should have enough firepower and defence under Coach George Karl to pull off a few wins.

My Prediction: Thunder 4-2

2-Los Angeles Lakers vs 7- New Orleans Hornets

Lakers

Head Coach: Phil Jackson (20^th Playoffs appearance)

Starters: Derek Fisher PG, Kobe Bryant SG, Ron Artest SF, Pau Gasol PF, Andrew Bynum C

Hornets

Head Coach: Monty Williams (1^st Playoffs appearance)

Starters: Chris Paul PG, Willie Green SG, Trevor Ariza SF, Carl Landry PF, Emeka Okafor C

The two time defending champs will, for the first time 4 years, end the regular season with the second seed in the west. Kobe and the Lakers go up against perennial All Star and top 2 point guard Chris Paul.

Paul has been burdened with recovery from a knee injury this season but has still been able to post impressive numbers and will New Orleans to a 46-36 record.

The Lakers have been rolling since the All Star break but recently lost center Andrew Bynum to a bone bruise on his right knee. The team has said the injury isn’t serious and Bynum, who has suffered knee injuries for years, will play against the Hornets.

The experience of Kobe’s Lakers should be more than enough to top the Hornets.

My Prediction: Lakers 4-1

3-Dallas Mavericks vs 6-Portland Trailblazers

Mavs

Head Coach: Rick Carlisle (8^th Playoffs appearance)

Starters: Jason Kidd PG, Roddy Beaubois SG, Peja Stojakovic SF, Dirk Nowitzki PF, Tyson Chandler C

Blazers

Head Coach: Nate McMillan (5^th Playoffs appearance)

Starters: Andre Miller PG, Wesley Matthews SG, Nicholas Batum SF, Gerald Wallace SF, LaMarcus Aldridge PF

Former MVP and this years best PF Dirk Nowitzki will lead the Mavs into this one against the three headed dragon of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace.

Wallace, who was acquired at the trade deadline will be a key cog in the Blazers’ run. His ability to defend both Dirk and Shawn Marion will be central to the Blazers’ hopes. Also, the play of Brandon Roy off the bench as he recovers from injury and the continued rise of LaMarcus Aldridge will be key factors. If the bench for Portland fires then this series could lead to an upset.

The hopes of the Mavs lie squarely on the shoulders of Dirk, who has been a dynamo all year for Dallas. The Mavs will also look to veteran PG Jason Kidd.

The wing scoring on offer from the Blazers and their deep bench should be enough to pull off a big upset in this first round series.

My Prediction: Blazers 4-2