Michael Beasley

NBA: 50 Bold Predictions

Hoopsworld — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:28:26 -0700

Last year I wrote this same column and it was far and away the most commented upon piece I've ever written for HOOPSWORLD. That, of course, means it was a rousing success (even though I got a whole bunch of my predictions wrong), so I'm doing it again hoping to improve upon last year's record.

The following are 50 predictions for the upcoming NBA season. The comments and opinions expressed in this article are mine and mine alone, but that means you get to tell me how wrong I am in the comments section below. Enjoy the read for what it is, and I look forward to hearing from everyone.

This could also be good fodder for my chat this Thursday at 5:00pm Eastern. Okay, enough self-promotion; onto the predictions…

Statistics and Individual Achievements

Kobe Bryant, after averaging fewer than 30 points per game last season for the first time since 2004-2005, will fail to meet the 30 ppg game mark again this season.
At the same time, he will average a career-high in assists (his previous high is 6.0 apg in that same '04-'05 campaign).
LeBron James will once again lead the league in scoring, but will see a rise in ppg by at least 1.0 points. Last year he averaged exactly 30.0 ppg.
James's rebounds and assists per game both will be in the 8's (they were 7.9 and 7.2 last year, respectively).
That also means that LeBron will be this year's MVP. The Cavs might not have as much team success as other candidates, but his stats will be just too good to ignore.
Deron Williams is an All-Star this year as long as he stays healthy.
When both Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh are healthy the Raptors are going to be very good, but O'Neal will end up missing at least 20 games due to injury this season.
Bosh, on the other hand, will be much healthier, playing 75+ games.
So will the oft-injured Dwayne Wade. He'll go 75+ as well.
Kevin Martin of the Sacramento Kings will finish the season among the league's top five in points per game.
Just like last year, Chris Paul will lead the league in assists.
Deron Williams will jump Steve Nash for second place in that same category.
Also just like last year, Dwight Howard will lead the league in rebounds, but his average will jump up to at least 15.5 rebounds a game (compared to 14.2 per game last season).
Jerry Sloan will be Coach of the Year. The Jazz are always fantastic and he never wins. Maybe this year.

Team Play

The New Orleans Hornets will finish the season with the best record in the NBA.
That best record will be right around 60 wins (I'll give myself 2 games either way).
Sacramento, Oklahoma City, and Charlotte will battle all season for the league's worst record, but ultimately it will be the Bobcats that win the league's fewest games.
The Eastern Conference will win more games in inter-conference play against the Western Conference this season than they did last year.
The Denver Nuggets will lead the league in team scoring.
The Toronto Raptors, who last year were 28^th in the league in team rebounds, will be in the top ten of that same category this season.
The New York Knicks will win over 30 games this year (compared to 23 wins last season).

Trades

Shawn Marion will finish the season on the Miami HEAT. He's not going to be traded.
Lamar Odom isn't going anywhere, either.
The Chicago Bulls will make at least one trade to cash in some of their smaller pieces for something bigger. If they can't make a big one happen, they'll still make at least one smaller trade to appease the fans.
Jamaal Tinsley will get bought out before he gets traded. Indiana just won't be able to find a taker for him.
The Golden State Warriors will go through the entire season without trading for another reputable point guard. They'll choose instead to just wait on Monta Ellis to get healthy and punished and maybe let Stephen Jackson run the point in the meantime.
Sacramento's Brad Miller will be moved right around the trade deadline in exchange for expiring deals and/or draft picks.
As much as the Knicks would love to trade Zach Randolph, nobody's going to want to eat his contract. As a result, he'll still be on the roster by year's end.

Rookies

Derrick Rose, despite being the most exciting player on Chicago's roster, will be among the league leaders in turnovers per game, somewhere between 3.5 and 4 a night.
The rookie that will score the most points in a single game this season is O.J. Mayo.
But Michael Beasley will lead all rookies in scoring.
Kevin Love, by most measurable benchmarks, will be considered a disappointment after his rookie season.
Brook Lopez, by most measurable benchmarks, will be much better than most people think.
Danilo Gallinari is going to look more and more like a bad pick as the season progresses. My best guess is he'll float somewhere in between injury and mediocrity.
Marreese Speights and J.J. Hickson will put up numbers similar to Luis Scola and Carl Landry did last year in Houston.
Chris Douglas-Roberts is the best the second round has to offer. He'll be as solid as a second rounder comes this year.
Greg Oden will be in the top five in the league for blocks per game.
Derrick Rose will be the Rookie of the Year (I'm only giving myself one homer prediction this year instead of the six or seven I threw up last preseason).
The rest of the All-Rookie Team will be Oden, Beasley, Mayo, and Hickson.

The Postseason

Top four teams in the East: Orlando, Philly, Boston, and Detroit.
They'll be up against the bottom four playoff seeds: Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago, and Indiana.
Top four teams in the West: New Orleans, L.A. Lakers, Utah, and Houston.
Up against the bottom four seeds: San Antonio, Phoenix, Denver, and Portland
That means the Dallas Mavericks and Miami HEAT will miss the playoffs.
The NBA Finals will be between the Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Hornets.
Boston will win their second straight title.
On a whim here—the Sacramento Kings win the first overall pick in the NBA draft.
The San Antonio Spurs won't make it out of the first round in June of 2009.
But the Houston Rockets will for the first time in Tracy McGrady's career.
No teams with a sub-.500 record will make the playoffs (two did last year—Philadelphia and Atlanta).

Let the angry comments commence! Last year I scored just over a 50%, but was pretty close on a lot of the ones I missed. This time around I'm shooting for 75% correct. One year older, one year smarter. At least, that's the way it should work, even though Lindsey Lohan is living proof that this is not always the case.

I can't wait for another great year of NBA basketball, especially considering how wide open the league is this year. The tide is changing from some of the older elite Western Conference teams towards a whole bunch of burgeoning success stories. That means fantastic basketball for the next several months. Get comfy, folks. The season's almost upon us.

NBA: Top Preseason Rookies

Hoopsworld — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:11:30 -0700

By: Travis Heath

Preseason is what it is. Win and losses really do not matter. However, preseason games do give the masses a chance to see the first glance of the stars of tomorrow. Here's a look at some of the rookies who have performed well thus far during the league's version of a dress rehearsal.

Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers

It took a year longer than most fans had hoped, but Oden has finally taken the NBA hardwood. The big-man from Ohio State hasn't disappointed, either. His physical size alone has made him a factor. This much is clear so far: If my man gets near the rim, he's going to try and rip it off. Defensively, he's also going to block a heck of a lot of shots this season, too. Just think what Oden will be capable of when he gets into "game shape." He will be a factor for the Blazers this season. When he gets a fully refined offensive game a couple of years down the road, he may evolve into the best big-man in the game.

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Yes, Rose looked nervous early during his first action in his hometown of Chicago last week and turned the ball over a few too many times. Of course, it would have helped if his teammates had caught a pass or two. This kid is a big, strong point guard who will be able to get into the lane whenever he wants to. He looks a lot like Deron Williams out on the floor but with better springs. Chicago won't regret taking Rose. This kid has a chance to be a factor for the Bulls for the next decade-plus.

Michael Beasley, Miami HEAT

Everyone knew the Beazer could play, and he's done just that during the preseason. His ability to score inside and out will help him be effective right out of the gate. He's the kind of kid who can score 20 points without even trying. When he's focused, he's shown the ability to be very good on the boards, as well. Miami has been bringing Beasley off the bench so far this preseason, but it will be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup if he continues to score the basketball like he has been. If he commits to defending and keeps his head right, Beasley has the chance to be special.

O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies

There's something about this kid that just screams professional. He's already started taking on a leadership role and is fiercely competitive. His outside jumper has been questioned by some, but given his work-ethic one would have to believe it's only a matter of time until he becomes a legitimate deep threat from behind the NBA three-point line. And just for the record, Mayo hit six three-point shots in a game on Monday night and is shooting over 36% from beyond the arc in the preseason. At just 6-foot-4, there will be nights where Mayo will get taken advantage of on the defensive end by some of the league's bigger shooting guards. However, he'll become a more crafty defender over time as he gains more experience. Mayo no doubt has All-Star potential.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

No, Love hasn't been the most athletic or physically talented rookie this preseason. However, he has been solid and smart. There will be moments this season like the one in last Friday's preseason game in Denver where he gets embarrassed by athletic veterans like Kenyon Martin. There will also be moments where he throws a great pass from the high-post down to Jefferson in the low-post or where he stretches the defense with his outside shooting ability that leave Wolves' fans optimistic about what the future might hold. His ability to position rebound and throw quick pinpoint outlet passes might not make the highlight reel, but these skills will certainly benefit his team.

Robin Lopez, Phoenix Suns

This is probably not the Lopez many readers were expecting to see on this list, but his defense and hustle have raised eyebrows in the preseason. His brother Brook may have a more refined offensive game, but Robin's energy has been hard to ignore. He's relentless on the offensive glass and a deceptive shot-blocker on the other end. He likely won't ever be a superstar, but he'll be just the kind of hard-nosed energy player every championship-caliber team has to have.

Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers

Okay, so Fernandez got injured early in the preseason. But what we saw left us yearning for more. The first thing fans are likely going to do when watching this kid play is check to make sure they didn't accidentally hit the fast-forward button on their Tivo remote; dude is in a perpetual state of motion on the court. His high basketball IQ combined with his flare for the dramatic will make him an instant fan favorite in the Rose City. This guy has a chance to be the next major international superstar in the Association.

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Westbrook was a somewhat risky pick by GM Sam Presti. Like Rose, Westbrook has had his ups and downs this preseason. Such is life in the NBA as a rookie point guard. However, his physical prowess and defensive effort and instincts have to excite the Oklahoma City faithful. And don't take it from your friendly neighborhood columnist, either. Check out what former UCLA teammate Kevin Love told HOOPSWORLD about Westbrook after getting a chance to compete against him in the preseason. "He looked great the other night. I'm not just saying that because that's my boy, either. His change of direction, how fast he was, the way he can run the point and how he passed the other day... he looked great. The one question-mark about him has been his shooting, but I've seen him shoot at practice. If he can shoot when the lights come on as well as he does in practice, he's going to be a star player."

NBA: Weekend Wrapup

Hoopsworld — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:02:02 -0700

By: Steve Kyler

The Dead Deal : As the publisher of HOOPSWORLD, I am often faced with a quandary, do you report something you know to be dead or run it because its juicy? This becomes relevant because our friends at Yahoo!, who have been doing a great job behind some quality reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski, ran a piece about a possible Bulls trade with Miami. Now mind you the Chicago Bulls have been as careful as anyone in the league about what information was allowed out, and were extremely careful about how trade rumors would affect the team this year. Basically learning their lesson from last year, when Kobe Bryant rmors, compounded with botched contract talks destroyed the Bulls locker room. Now with just 13 days until NBA raining camps open the Bulls are again surrounded with trade rumors involving Ben Gordon, Joakim Noah and Larry Hughes. There is little doubt the Bulls would love to move Larry Hughes, and he is likely a player dealt before the February trade deadline if the Bulls can find a taker on Larry's deal. Moving Noah or Ben Gordon for that matter is not on the table, and has not been for some time, according to Bulls' sources reached yesterday. The HEAT have let everyone with a pen know that trading Shawn Marion is not on the table, and the rumored deal with Chicago revolved around talks in late July that died a quick death. So while there is always a need to put out the news, when does putting out the news on something dead become more harmful than helpful? If you ask teams heading into camp in two weeks, its stuff like this that makes them want to stop allowing press in the building.

Laying Off The Gym : Reports out of Cleveland suggest the Cavaliers have urged Lebron James to stay out of the gym since the Olympics, urging him to get some rest. Several teams have asked their Olympians to take it light, but informed sources near a few of them say the positive vibe they got from winning the gold in China has motivated them to get in the gym early. Orlando star Dwight Howard was a driving force behind getting all of the Orlando Magic players in town a full three weeks early. The Magic are reportedly working hard every day, even going as far as saying they have started working on the offense and defense, a bit more structured that some heated pickup games. While the risk of injury is greater for those that played in China, it will also be interesting to see how quickly those guys and their teams get out of the gate, especially teams like Cleveland and Orlando that need all the help they can get in the much improved Eastern Conference.

AJ Signs Overseas: Former HEAT player Alexander Johnson has signed a deal to play in Europe. AJ signed with Brose Baskets of Germany, and will play the Euroleague season abroad. AJ was cut early by the HEAT after a marginal season in Miami. A bruising four spot player, AJ is a favorite of HOOPSWORLD who got a raw deal by the HEAT who cut him while injured. AJ is expected to play summer league next summer and try to get back into the NBA.

The Beazer Not Feeling The Love : Reports are surfacing that Michael Beasley has fired his agent Joel Bell, with reports citing lack of "marquee endorsements" as the root cause. Beasley, like most athletes was steered to Joel Bell by a long-time family friend and AAU coach Curtis Malone . Beasley is now shopping for a new agents and it seems he's down to Aaron Goodwin and Andy Miller. Goodwin seems like the front runner due to his relationship with Kevin Durant, one of Beasley's closest friends in the NBA. It's not a surprise to see The Beaser switching agents, before it's all said and done, I think Big Mike going to fire everyone in the business, he seems like a tough client to keep happy.

NBA: Must-Watch Rookie Team

Hoopsworld — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:24:13 -0700

By: Yannis Koutroupis

When Kevin Garnett averaged 10 points and six rebounds 13 years ago during his rookie season we knew there was something special about him. Despite the low numbers it was apparent that he was going to develop into the dominant force he is today. The same could be said for Amare Stoudemire after he produced 13 points and eight boards a game his first season. They didn't produce on a nightly basis then like they do now, but they were extremely exciting to watch. The 2008 draft class has several players that will warrant special attention as well. While it's not a guarantee that they will develop into dominant forces like KG and Amare eventually did, you'd be foolish to pass up watching these guys when you get a chance to this upcoming season. Here's a look at this year's must watch rookie team:

Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
In March we watched Rose develop into the best point guard in the country at Memphis. In June we watched him struggle significantly against fringe NBA talent at the Orlando Summer League. How good he'll be in year one is a major question mark right now, but Rose has had ample time to rest his knee that was giving him trouble in Orlando. He should be 100% healthy now and with all the weapons the Bulls have he's going to be worth your time to check out. He's going to be splitting time early on, but the Bulls drafted Rose to be their point guard and the plan is to eventually hand the reigns over to him. Very few point guards in the league have the talent that Rose does, and once he gets acclimated to the NBA game he should put himself among the elite.

Jerryd Bayless – Portland Trail Blazers
After a disappointing slip on draft night Jerryd wasted no time on proving people wrong at the Las Vegas Summer league by earning MVP honors. He's projected to be the backup point guard right now in Portland, and Bayless has the skills to contribute right away. He's a lot like Tony Paker in the sense that he's a better scorer than passer, and also like Tony he has speed that is uncontainable. Bayless is a fiery competitor that will bring the intensity this young Trail Blazer squad needs to make the playoffs in the West. Portland is overflowing in young talent that will help open Bayless up to do what he does best: score. However, don't be surprised to start seeing his assist numbers climb up as the long term expectations are for him to become a full time point guard.

Michael Beasley – Miami HEAT
There may be questions about his work ethic, intensity, and maturity level, but Beasley is undoubtedly going to be a rookie to watch this season. He's an elite level talent, even at this level. He's slated to be the 6th man this season in Miami, which is scary when you think about what he's capable of. There's very little Beasley cannot do on the basketball court. We should see him at both forward spots this year, giving him a chance to showcase his extensive skill set. If Beasley produces consistently early on the HEAT could start to seriously consider trading Udonis Haslem or Shawn Marion to open up time for him. Before the draft the HEAT were said not to be very high on him, but watch how quickly that becomes a complete afterthought.

Anthony Randolph – Golden State Warriors
If you missed out on getting to watch Randolph at the Vegas or Salt Lake Summer Leagues you're in for a treat. At 6'11 Randolph is extremely athletic and possesses more than adequate perimeter skills. Randolph will thrive in Golden State's up tempo offense and should eventually turn into one of the tougher players to match up with in the league. The big problem for Randolph though is his slight frame, and in the very physical NBA he could have some issues early on with injuries. Offensively he's a lot like Lamar Odom, but on the defensive end he is much more active. He has the potential to be a fantasy powerhouse because he can impact the game in so many ways. Randolph will have people thinking right away that the Warriors got an absolute steal at 14.

Greg Oden – Portland Trail Blazers
We have been waiting for Oden's rookie season since he was a sophomore in high school. Microfracture surgery pushed it back a year, but Oden is finally ready to start what many believe could be a Hall of Fame career. Incase any of you have forgot, Oden is a freakishly athletic 7 footer with an incredible wingspan and a frame similar to Dwight Howard's. Reports and players out of Portland say he's lost nothing in terms of athleticism despite the surgery. Oden is going to be a force defensively and on the boards, but in order to establish himself as a dominant center his offensive skills are going to need to improve. We saw what sitting out a year did for Amare's overall game, and if it has any kind of similar impact for Greg – watch out for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Honorable Mention:

Rudy Fernandez – Portland Trail Blazers
It was tough to fight off the urge to put him on the first team after how great he was in Beijing. Fernandez is a terrific offensive player that also appears to be a major part of Portland's rotation this season. How well he plays on the defensive end could dictate how much he plays, but offensively Fernandez is already ready for the NBA.

O.J. Mayo – Memphis Grizzlies
Mayo would probably make a lot of other people's first team, but after Vegas Bayless earned a slight edge in this writer's mind. Memphis presents a great opportunity for Mayo, and with Mike Conley Jr. and Rudy Gay there he won't be expected to do too much offensively. If Mayo really focuses in on the defensive end the Grizzlies could win more games than people expect.

Eric Gordon – Los Angeles Clippers
While the signing of Baron Davis definitely takes minutes away from Gordon, it's going to make him a much better player. The two players have similar builds and are incredible offensive players, but Gordon needs help developing into a point guard. Baron has established himself as one of the league's best, and his guidance should make Gordon a much better player.

Brook Lopez – New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets have obviously embraced the rebuilding process and Brook Lopez is going to be a big part of that. The hope is that Lopez will provide some offensive punch inside that they have been lacking for years now. During summer league he showed signs of being able to produce just that, and with expectations being so big he will certainly see a lot of minutes.

Kevin Love – Minnesota Timberwolves
There's nothing like some gold old hard work to turn your doubters into believers. People have questioned how good Love would be in the NBA from day one, but thanks to his incredible work ethic he appears to be ready to be a solid pro. Alongside Al Jefferson Love will only be expected to defend, rebound, and help the flow of the offense. Hey may never be an all-star, but he will contribute significantly to the Timberwolves.