1 Thing I Hope To See From Each Team This Season

In this post, I am going to tell you all what I personally want to see from each team this year. Comment below what you would want to see

Boston Celtics: I just want to see someone on this team have an outbreak season. Right now, this team really doesn't have a star player. I don't care who it is. It could be Crowder, Smart, Sullinger, Bradley, I don't care. I just want to see them having a guy that they can rely on in the 4th quarter.

Brooklyn Nets: I really hope that there are game-winners sinking for the Nets this season. Last season it was Jarrett Jack nailing them. The year before it was Joe Johnson. Unfortunately, these guys are aging. Joe "Cool" isn't that cool as he used to be. I just want to see some game-winners from this team.


New York Knicks: I want to see Porzingis have a 30 point night. I think that would be awesome. It probably won't happen, but that would be cool to see that guy just go off. He is the last guy you would be expecting to have a 30 point night, and I really want to see what this guy can do.

Philadelphia 76ers: I want Tony Wroten to average 20 PPG and 10 APG, with 2 SPG. I want this man to come back healthy first off. I don't think this one would be too hard. He averaged great numbers last season before he went down. I think this would be very feasable, and I hope he makes an all-star team. Plus, this man is on 2 of my 5 fantasy teams. So do it for me Tony!

Toronto Raptors: I want Terrance Ross to make another Dunk competition run. Why? Because, I want to see Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Terrance Ross, and Tristan Thompson all in a dunk competition. I know, it probably won't happen, but wouldn't it be awesome. Thompson and Wiggins are from Canada, Ross plays in Canada, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine play on the same team, Zach LaVine won it last year, and the All-Star game is in Toronto this year. This would be an amazing dunk contest!

Chicago Bulls: I want Derrick Rose to play all 82 games. I know it is nearly impossible, but it would be amazing just to see how well Derrick Rose plays. He is ready for the opener, and hopefully he can play every game.

Cleveland Cavaliers: I want to see Kevin Love regain his All-star status. This all starts with just getting him involved in the offense. I honestly hated David Blatt's offense and I would like to see a big change. If that happens, I hope to see K-Love averaging 20 PPG and 11 RPG. I mean, K-Love needs to be noted as a super-star, especially since he is now signed to a max contract. (fun fact: when I was going through Toledo OH, there was a radio station called K-Love, and I wondered, was it named that before Kevin was traded to Cleveland?)

Detroit Pistons: I want to see Brandon Jennings and Reggie Jackson be a top 3 backcourt in the league this season. Reggie Jackson is going to be playing mad because he is going to show people he deserved the money, and I really think this is Jennings's year. But that isn't all I want to see from the Pistons. I want to see Andre Drummond get into a argument with Stan Van Gundy similar to the one that Marcus Morris got into with Jeff Hornacek. Imagine it, Stan Van vs Andre Drummond. I can see it happening now.

Indiana Pacers: I want to see Paul George get moved back to SF. It isn't right to put Small George (reference: The Starters) at Power Forward position. It is okay to throw him in there a couple of times to throw teams off. But to start him at the PF just is a horrible move. You can't put PG-13 on Anthony Davis. It won't work; it just won't work. Don't try it because it won't work. Put Small George back at the Small Forward position, please.

Milwaukee Bucks: I want to see Kris Middleton become like Kevin Durant. Have you seen this guy shoot? He is pretty much impossible to stop. I love Middleton. He is amazing. He can make the most amazing shots in the post and is built kind of like Durant with his shot. I just want to see him average great numbers and make shots that KD would make.

Atlanta Hawks: I want to see this team take down the Raptors. Sorry Raptors fans, but I just want to see Carroll go down. I don't like the fact that he kind of left the Hawks without a real wing type of player. Face it, Carroll was a great wing who really was great in the overall team defense. And he left the team without that role filled. I kind of feel bad for the Hawks except for the fact that they got to the Finals through Al Horford's game winning travel.

Charlotte Hornets: I want to see the Hornets to shock the world. I want them to make it up in the playoff ranking to like the 4th seed. I love the Hornets roster. I love Kemba and I hope he makes the All-star team. Let's go Hornets, I believe in you.

Miami Heat: I want to see the Hassan Whiteside get 16 blocks in 1 game. I want him to set record for blocks in a game. Yeah, that is what I want to see. And I want to see it on National Television. Let's go Whiteside. I'm counting on you. Maybe you can make the all-star team too huh?

Orlando Magic: I just want to see this team play in the Playoffs. They seem like they would make some noise. They are such an athletic team and I could see them really making a challenge for a team like the Cavs or the Bulls. So I hope this Magic team can really make the Playoffs so much more interesting this season.

Washington Wizards: I think John Wall and Bradley Beal are the 2nd best backcourt in the NBA, and it is time for them to show it. They need to be hooping this year. This is the time for the Wizards to be a top team lead by the 2nd best backcourt in the NBA. I hope they just make some noise in the east and show that they are in it to win it.

Dallas Mavericks: Just please be healthy. I'm not sure if you guys have seen the injury list, but it is pretty bad. I want to see this team healthy, because they are a great team to watch. So Mavs, please stay healthy.

Houston Rockets: I want this team to find other scoring options. I want Ty Lawson or Ariza to have some 30 point games. I just don't like the fact that James Harden literally did everything last year. I just could watch them, it was like, who is getting the ball, Harden of course. They were great to watch in the playoffs, everyone was getting involved and I hope that continues into this season.

Memphis Grizzlies: I want them to be fun to watch. I hate watching the Grizzlies. They aren't a great offensive team and their defense is great but it is boring offense. It isn't amazing steals and blocks, it is just great defensive positioning and making teams put up tough shots. I just want this team to make exciting plays so I can watch them with my adrenalin pumping.

New Orleans Pelicans: I want Jrue Holiday to finally show that the Nerleans Noel trade was a good one. Jrue Holiday doesn't have to put up great scoring numbers, he just needs to lead this team to victory. I want to see those assist and defensive numbers from him.

San Antonio Spurs: I want to see Tim Duncan put up 12 PPG, 8 RPG 1.6 Blocks per game. Is it too much to ask from him? I know he is old, but he is still a great player. I think he can do it and I believe he can. Do it Timmy. Don't let this be your last. Keep pushin'

Denver Nuggets: I want to see Kenneth Faried to have a poster dunk on Terrance Ross. Revenge on the one Ross had on him. I can see it coming. It is just a matter of time. Trust me, Kenneth Faried doesn't forget anything.


Minnesota Timberwolves: I want to see the Wolves play this season for Flip Saunders who recently just passed away. I know KG and the rest of the team must be devastated from the loss of there coach. I can see them really putting up a fight this season in remembrance of Flip.

Oklahoma City Thunder: I want to see the Thunder completely dominate the whole season by playing team ball. I want to see Westbrook and Durant coming off screens and everyone getting involved, not just those two getting into isolation. I would love to see some team basketball because they have great players on the team that seem to never really be used as much as they should be. So give us some team basketball this year Thunder.

Portland Trailblazers: I want to see Damian Lillard lead the league in scoring. I think it is feasible. This man doesn't have much of a team and pretty much is just going to go off in the scoring department. I expect a 50 point night from him along with multiple 40 point nights. Can Dame do it? Probably. I think that Lillard is going to have the green light every possession up the floor and he will be knocking down shots. It will be a lot like Westbrook was last year. Just putting up tons of numbers even though his team was losing.

Utah Jazz: I want to see Gordan Hayward make the All-star team and I don't want Gobert to make the team. Gordon Hayward should have made it last year but was snubbed. Hayward is such a talented player and deserves it this year. Gobert is impressive defensively but I don't see what he does offensively that is so impressive. So, Vote Haward, don't vote Gobert.

Golden State Warriors: I want to see the Warriors really put up a fight in the West. I'm not a Warriors fan, but I loved watching them last year. And now the Clippers are saying that the Warriors had it easy. I really hope the Clippers get taken down by the Warriors in the playoffs. I just want the Warriors to silence them. Obviously Chris Paul's ankles haven't had enough. 


Los Angeles Clippers: I want to see Blake Griffin become MVP. I just went on ranting on how I want the Warriors to take down the Clippers, well, now I will rant on how Blake should be this years MVP. After a wonderful performance last year in the playoffs, I think Blake should carry that success into this season and have his best season yet. Blake can do it, I know he can.

Los Angeles Lakers: I want to see Kobe yelling at Roy Hibbert, similar to how it was when Dwight Howard was with the Lakers. Then I want to see Swaggy P and Louis Williams arguing over who should get the ball, because that is about as entertaining as it will get, except for the fact that Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson are looking really good. Give us some L.A. entertainment here Lakers!

Phoenix Suns: I want to see Tyson Chandler as a KG type of leader this season. I can just see him breaking up fights in the locker room and really showing Alex Len how to play. I think everyone is looking at Wade and Kobe as mentors, what about Tyson Chandler.

Sacramento Kings: I want DeMarcus Cousins or Rudy Gay to get traded. They are just a waste of talent right now. I would really like to see Rudy Gay on the Bulls and DeMarcus on any team but the Kings. I just don't like having this team year after year waste these guys' talent. I want to see these guys winning some games.

So what did you think? Did you agree, disagree, or are you just straight up confused. Comment Below. Hope you all have a great NBA season and stay tuned to NBA Inside the Play as the NBA season kicks off soon.

Karl-Anthony Towns Is a Skilled Big Man

"Karl-Anthony Towns 2015" by Dennis Adair from Gainesville-StPetersburg, FL - Karl-Anthony Towns. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

The Big KAT had lots of people that questioned him going into this upcoming season. I really hope that all of those questions have been put to rest. Last night, the Minnesota Timberwolves had a preseason win over the Milwaukee Bucks. They have Karl-Anthony Towns to thank for that W. He played great on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor and had shown off his great post game. He was anything but a disappointment last night.

Karl started off the night with a nice basket underneath the hoop right after the opening tip. He made a nice pivot move to get up the shot. Then he showed us a nice kind of fade-away bank shot over Greg Monroe. Then he gave a nice hesitation move with a hook shot. Later, he would give us a pump-fake and a nice finger-role layup. My favorite post move he gave us though, was the little shimmy shake fade-away that he nailed over Greg Monroe. It is clear that Towns has his post game down.

His defense really struck me though. He was really able to contain a big man in Greg Monroe in the post and he really started to bother Monroe. When the Wolves went against the Bucks the 1st time this preseason, we didn't see that because Towns got into foul trouble early on. But in this game, Towns was able to defend at the 4 and the 5.

While Towns is a center, he proved the ability to play at the 4 spot. At the end of the game, Gorgui Dieng was put in with Towns. Gorgui played the 5 spot while Towns was placed at PF. It worked and the Wolves played pretty well with the both of them in there. You could see that the Wolves played a lot of high post action and PNR with both of them in the game, and you know Ricky Rubio will find you if you make a nice roll to the basket off a pick.

Towns played well at the defensive end and the offensive end. His rebounding is what put the cherry on top though. He ended the game with 12 rebounds, and he fought for each one of them. It really wasn't Towns that surprised me with the boards though, it was the whole Minnesota team. They really fought for each possession and grabbed as many boards as they could. While they did loose the rebounding batter, they definitely won the hustle battle. This is a young team that clearly wanted to win.

We new Towns would have these attributes, we might have thought they would have been that refined, but we knew he could play defense and rebound as well as post up. What you might not have known about him is that he can run the fast break and pass the ball really well. Towns fits so well with this Timberwolves team because he can run. Just take a look at the dunk and the alley-oop he had in transition. His passing abilities looked good in the summer league and they look pretty good now too. He had a nice around-the-back pass to Tayshaun Prince for a 3 pointer in the game.

In the end, Towns played really well, and I expect him to have a great season. It will be fun to see him, Wiggins, Muhammad, and LaVine running with Rubio throwing some oops.

Key Players To The Miami Heat's Success

"Dwyane Wade" by Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA - Dwyane Wade. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

After I saw the Heat vs Wizards preseason game broadcasted on ESPN, I decided to ask Adam Spinella from www.bballbreakdown.com 5 questions on the Miami Heat and their key role players for the upcoming regular season. Here they are:

Me: To you, does Gerald Green look like he is in the running for 6th man of the year?
AS:  "No he isn't; the Heat have such a strong starting 5. They will play a lot of minutes as a unit, and they are all strong scorers. If Green logs major minutes, he won't be the primary or even secondary scoring option. His stats simply won't be in the conversation."

Honestly, I have to agree with him. If you look at last years winner, Louis Williams, and his team, you will see that besides Lowry and DeRozan, there isn't a lot of strong scorers on the team. Valanciunas only scored about 12 PPG, Ross only scored about 8 PPG, and don't even get me started with Amir Johnson. So they needed another scorer, and that just happened to be Louis Williams. Also take a look at Jamal Crawford. We all know that the Clippers in past years have had very few people to rely on. Green on the other hand, is on a very strong team. Dragic probably won't get as much scoring as he was used to with the Suns. This is a very strong team. I do expect Green to average around 9 PPG though.

Me: Do you see any improvements in Gerald Green's game?
AS: "He's become a much more consistent outside shooter over the last several seasons."

Yeah, he has. You can see the shooting improvements from his D-league days til now with the Heat. He looks like he has improved on that from even last year. He was always a good athlete, but he is sort of adding on to that. You can also see that he is willing to take the end of game shots too. You look at his mid-range game, it is amazing. The game against the Wizards was just simply an amazing shooting performance from Gerald Green.



Me: If Dwayne Wade gets injured during the season, would Gerald Green be able to start at the shooting guard position, or do you think it would have to be Mario Chalmers?
AS: "Green could start instead of Chalmers, though it hurts their depth behind Deng, the weakest member of the current starting rotation. If I were the coach, I'd start Chalmers on nights when Wade isn't in the game."

What you want is Green to fill in for Deng, because, like Adam said, he is the weakest man in the rotation. The good thing is, both Chalmers and Green have starting experience. I do think that Chalmers would be better to come in and start because the Heat have won championships with him starting. Also, Chalmers would be more likely to play more of that team player role if he was in the starting line-up and Green could just come off the bench looking to score. It really depends on the match-ups too. You probably don't want to put Chalmers on Klay Thompson or Green on Eric Bledsoe. But like Adam is saying, either one would work, but it would be smarter to probably start Chalmers so you have more depth at the wing position.

Me: If you remember McRoberts from the 2014 playoffs, what role do you think he will play with the Heat and do you think he can get back to the way he was with the Cats?  
AS: "McBob has a valuable role because he's going to be asked to facilitate for others and provide spacing. He's a very dynamic offensive presence on a team that has a lot of scorers but very few shooters. He's capable of spacing to the corners and being a spot-up option, but is a great playmaker at the top of the key. He is a fantastic backup to Bosh."

McRoberts is kind of like the forgotten child of the Miami Heat and he has such a great skill set that he brings to the floor. He has a great shot from the corner and he is indeed a great playmakers, as we saw he was with the Cats. He will definitely be used for transition and to attack the basket and space the floor. One of the big things though, is that he will be used in many defensive situations. Back in the 2014 playoffs, he was guarding LeBron James. He is very skilled and if you look at the video below, you will see that Josh McRoberts is able to run the offense and has a very great skill set.


 
Me: What is the difference with the role that Dragic will play with the Heat vs the role he played with the Suns?
AS: "Dragic will obviously be slowed down in Miami, and he'll cede the ball more frequently to Wade as the primary option. Don't expect him to score at the prolific rate he did in Phoenix, but his assist numbers should rise as he finally has a bonafide PNR man in Hassan Whiteside."

What Dragic will see is a lot of Pick and Roll with Hassan Whiteside, and pick and pop with Chris Bosh. This is something that Dragic will strive off of and expect him to really get into the paint and finish. What it will also do is create lots of spacing for guys like Bosh and Wade and they will be left

wide open on the outside. Also, Whiteside will be driving strong to the hoop and he will be able to get great rebounding position just in case Dragic were to miss the layup. Dragic obviously won't be isolated and getting the ball as much as he was in Phoenix because there are so many other options on this talented Heat team, but do expect Dragic to excel in the PNR.

Well, this Miami Heat team looks like they have a really deep bench that has many talents and Erik Spoelstra will many different line-up combinations to mess around with. The Heat even look like they have shot at the Finals so don't count them out.

Fantasy Friday: Preseason Pickers

The Preseason has been great. It has given us a preview of some great players and has given us a picture of what they will be like in the regular season. Take a look at the guys you need to pick up.

10. Nikola Vucevic: Well, this man can play basketball. We know he can rebound and we know he can score. But one thing Vucevic has shown us in the preseason is his passing and defense has improved. He had a great 5 blocks total so far and 4 steals. He also has 10 assists in 6 games. He is looking pretty snazzy, and improved. His recent 24 points and 14 rebounds game makes it seem like you need Vooch on your fantasy team.

9. Kyle Lowry: He doesn't look much better from last season, but the reason why he is on here is because people were very concerned when he played very poorly in the playoffs, but I can assure you Lowry is just fine. And if 40 points in 1 preseason game isn't enough, I don't know what is.

8. Nicolas Batum: Batum looks better than he ever has. This fantasy stats filler looks great in a lot of categories. He has had 2 double-doubles so far and he has passed the ball well. He will be a key player for the Hornets and looks like he will be filling the stat sheet.

7. Paul George: Nobody was really sure how Paul George was going to do, but I can assure you PG-13 is looking great. He has shown us a double-double and a 35 point night. He has scored and passed the ball, and is looking mighty fine on the court.

6. Andre Drummond: There was some questioning whether Andre Drummond would get more offensive opportunities when Greg Monroe went to the Bucks, and it seems like he is getting more opportunities. So far, in 7 games, Drummond has not scored less than 12 points in a game. He also had a 21 point night and is looking very strong offensively. Of course, Drummond's best area is his defense and his rebounding. He has 6 blocks and 6 steals total along with 88 rebounds. All of this being in just 7 games, where Drummond isn't playing many minutes. Expect him to be very strong offensively and defensively when the season comes along.

5. C.J. McCollum: This man is going to be in the running for 6th man of the year and most improved player. He has been doing a great job of scoring, rebounding, and passing the basketball, and he has been doing it at a high rate. How is 18.3 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.6 RPG, and shooting 40.5% from the 3-point line not impressive.

4. Jeremy Lin: Surprise, Surprise, Jeremy Lin is coming back, but this time he is more of a role player. He might just be the best role player out there, and he is going to be a steal in the draft, mainly because he has been going undrafted. While he didn't look so great with the Lakers, he has averaged 15.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 47.1% from the 3-point line in 6 games with the Charlotte Hornets. Great job Jeremy!

3. Derrick Williams: Honestly, I don't even know how I can put this man at number 3 and not in a higher position because this mans preseason performance has been absolutely spectacular. This man is going to be on the free agents list for your league most likely, so pick him up. He has averaged 16.2 PPG, and 3.8 RPG. I'm asking myself, do I even know this player? Derrick Williams will give you points. Derrick Williams, didn't see that coming.

2. Gerald Green: Nobody could foresee a guy who just got a finger amputated, averaging 16.9 PPG, and shooting 41.2% from deep. But he has done it and Gerald Green is looking better than ever as we are seeing him hit some clutch shots lately. Good for Green!

1. John Jenkins: Who? The man who is averaging 20.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.5 APG, that is who. John Jenkins is averaging stats nobody who even dream of him averaging. He has done the impossible and hopefully it carries over to the regular season. Pick him up now, before someone else does.

PG-13 Is Putting Up Some Great Numbers

When Paul George went down, it shocked the NBA community. Everybody said that George would be out for the next season, and nobody expected him to return. But when Paul George returned, people didn't see the same Paul George. They saw a Paul George who didn't lead a team. Everyone thought that Paul George might never be the same. Then came the 2015 preseason, and George exceeded everyone's expectations.

So far, PG-13 has played 5 preseason games, and he has been anything but disappointing. His first game of the 2015 preseason was against the New Orleans Pelicans where he scored 18 points. It should be noted that Paul George played a lot of the PF position in that game. However, it didn't seem like that best match-up for him as he had to guard super-star, Anthony Davis. Despite the sub-par defense, Paul George's offense look great as he attacked the rim with power and finesse.




In his second game, which was his most impressive, George scored 32 points total against the Detroit Pistons. It was obvious that at that point, everybody knew that Paul George was back. He controlled the offense and dominated in that game as they grabbed the win. One thing worth pointing out is that he shot 5-9 from 3 point land. That seems to be something that George has improved. While 32 points isn't that big of a deal, George scored those points in 24 minutes. He seemed to be knocking down every shot in that game as he shot over 55% from the field and the 3 point line.




In the third game, George had a bad shooting night, but all players have those kind of nights. He shot 4-14 from the field and 1-8 from the 3-point line. Not the best but it could have been worse. The bright side is that he had 7 rebounds to go along with his 13 points. Despite putting up not-so-great numbers, the Pacers still won the game.

The fourth game was not the best night, but there was reason behind it. PG-13 only played 12 minutes in the game. It was obvious to see that he did play pretty good though since he had 13 points in those 12 minutes, which played a big part in the win against the Pistons. Paul George did show us his athleticism is still there when he finished an amazing alley-oop dunk. He also did great in isolation, which he showed a little bit of in this game.

In the most recent game, Paul George had a great 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. George was showing off his passing skills in this game as he found his teammates beautifully. He did a little bit of everything in the game, showing us his outside, and inside game, as well as showing us his ball handling skills. This was probably his bet all-around game PG-13 has had.




So far Paul George seem to be improved and so does his team. He has shown that he can run the offense and he can find teammates. He has also shown a balance in scoring as 35.5 % of his points come from the 3 point line, but 25.8% come from the paint and 23.7% come from the FT line. He looks well improved in his shot and I think this will be one of Paul George's best seasons. With PG-13 on the team, developing player Glenn Robinson III, and new additions, Monta Ellis and Chase Budinger, I don't see a reason why the Pacers wouldn't make it to the playoffs.

Clippers Take Down Nuggets in the 1st Preseason Games

The high-flying Clippers started the NBA preseason with some style. We saw some great previews of some players and it was an entertaining game to watch.

Lob City

We saw some amazing dunks, and it is clear that the Clippers are more athletic then they have ever been. Of course, DeAndre and Blake are still dunking as usual, but with new additions of high-flying, Wesley Johnson, and former dunk contest winner, Josh Smith, the Clippers put on a show last night.

Rebounds

Despite DeAndre Jordan grabbing 12 boards, the Nuggets killed the Clippers on the boards. The Nuggets controlled the board by 57-39, and it is obvious the Nuggets have got rebounding down. The Clippers are a great rebounding team. They have DeAndre Jordan who lead the league in rebounds last year, and they also have a great rebounder in Blake Griffin. And for the Nuggets to beat the Clippers in rebounding by 18 rebounds, that is pretty impressive.

Lance looks the Same

Lance Stephenson shot 2-10 from the field and 0-2 from the three point line. He really isn't looking good and he needs to improve. Doc Rivers is going to have to limit this man until he can prove that he can shoot, or else he will end up like he did in Charlotte.

Who is Joffrey Lauvergne?

Well, if you haven't heard about this man, it's because he has really done much, until last night. This man is the leading scorer in the NBA right now. So congratulations to Joffrey! Last night he scored 16 points and along with that he had 11 rebounds. He is looking great. Other players on the Nuggets also made their mark. Emmanuel Mudiay had 14 points and had a great shooting night after starting off a little rough. Will Barton had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 10 points and 7 assists. However, one guy that was really disappointing was Kenneth Faried who had 0 points and 4 turnovers. Also Mudiay had 8 turnovers, which is really concerning for the starting point guard. Other than that, the Nuggets are looking really impressive.

Clippers are Thankfully Looking Better Than Their New Logo

The Clippers new logo isn't an upgrade, I will tell you that. I didn't see what was wrong with their old one. It looked great. Thankfully, the Clippers themselves looked better. Chris Paul had a great night finding people for dunks all night as he had 9 assists to go along with his 12 points. Blake Griffin had a pretty good night and played some good defense as he ended the night with 1 steal, 1 block, and 11 points. New addition Josh Smith looked great and will be a key to the Clippers success this season. He finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds. The Clippers are obviously improved with a lot more bench depth. I expect them to do even better than last year.