Golden State Warriors and the playoffs

They might have a shot at the 8th slot, depends on how the team gels. But I wouldnt bet on them, since 2 of their top 3 players are injury prone (Curry and Bogut). Thompson and Barnes are young and unproven in the clutch. But I do like the addition of Landry.

Warriors, not going to make the playoffs because there are 6 teams in the West that are better than them right now. (Lakers, Thunder, Grizz, Clippers, Spurs, Nuggets) The you got the Mavs, Wolves fighting the Jazz and Blazers for the last 2 playoff spots. Thats 10 teams I got ahead of the Warriors.

Also watchout for the Kings, they are my sleeper team to make the playoffs.

By my count, there are seven Hall of Fame locks or players approaching that category who have a chance at wearing only one NBA uniform. They are:

If the Lakers do get Howard’s signature on a long-term deal, they’d have only Howard and Nash on the books for 2014-15, giving them flexibility to bring back Bryant on a more realistic contract and fill out a competitive roster. Still, Howard and Nash would earn just north of $30 million combined in this scenario, meaning Bryant might have to “settle” for something in the $10 million annual range to keep the books as clean as possible. And as always with the Lakers (and any team), a dozen things could change between now and then to obliterate this cap projection. But there’s no obvious reason as of now why Bryant might need to go elsewhere.

Tony Parker: Parker is not at that level quite yet, but if he puts together a few more seasons like his stellar 2011-12 campaign, he’ll be there soon. He’s the youngest guy on this list at 30, and he’ll have turned “just” 33 by the time his contract expires after the 2014-15 season. Duncan’s new deal expires at the same time even if he opts into the final season, and it’s hard to see the Spurs committing more than two years of guaranteed money to Ginobili after next season. In other words: The books are going to be very clean in San Antonio if and when Parker hits free agency ahead of the 2015-16 season.

Which teams do you think will be battling for eighth in the Western Conference this April? Give us your predictions for this year’s playoff teams and near misses.

Brand is a well-respected NBA veteran, but being amnestied by the Philadelphia 76ers gave him additional motivation in his quest to help his new team.54324534

It has actually been a pretty remarkable run for the Celtics. It has not always been pretty, and it has had its share of controversy and heartbreak, but no one in 2008 would have predicted the Celtics would still be in the championship mix in 2013. But while the Celtics run as one of the NBA's elite is not over, the era that started it all is.
4t3443

His ascension to the role is perhaps the biggest story line in Boston. Doc Rivers has said it. Danny Ainge has said it. So have Garnett and Pierce. Everyone in Green is making sure the world knows that Rajon Rondo is the leader of this team. jgfdh

The guys not named Rondo are right about him stepping up in to a new role. He IS their leader. On the court, the ball is in his hands more than any other. He orchestrates offenses, often independent of Doc Rivers, who is content to let his point guard's CPU process everything he sees before him. And like Garry Kasparov flying through move after move in his head before placing a fingertip on a bishop, Rondo cycles through options at a dizzying mental pace before actually triggering the offense. sae23

Rondo's eyes may as well be motion-detecting cameras, picking up flinches, sideways glances, and missed assignments within milliseconds of them happening. And he has no qualms about letting anyone, from Kevin Garnett to Dionte Christmas, know that what's happening, when it will happen, or why they missed it. 890890897

But Garnett, Pierce and Terry have been through the wars. They are still among the best in the business even at combined 106 years old. You do not hang around the NBA into your mid 30's in very important roles unless you know a little something about the game. These guys have forgotten things about basketball that Rondo hasn't learned yet. Of course they will lead. nbmg

Aldridge will obviously be working closely this season with Lillard, whom Olshey has labeled the team's franchise point guard. The sixth overall pick in the NBA draft, Lillard averaged 24.5 points, five rebounds and four assists as a junior last season at Weber State.

This offseason, Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld discussed the possibility of Evans joining Washington’s front office, but the veteran wasn’t ready to retire and move into the next chapter of his life. The Wizards weren’t interested in bringing back Evans as a player so the two sides parted ways.

In the meantime, Beal has the option of becoming more of a distributor or relying on the style of play that allowed him to average 14.8 ppg in his one season at Florida. For Beal, knowing when to pass and when to shoot is part of the challenge of becoming a professional.

But Irving isn’t going to be making a habit of such goose eggs. In fact, after winning Rookie of the Year last season, Irving is looking to come in and take his game to another level, and he uses two words to describe how he’s going to do that: patience and efficiency.

Evans believes he still has plenty left in the tank. Last season with the Washington Wizards, Evans produced when given an opportunity, averaging 4.9 points in 14.3 minutes. During the final game of last season against the Miami Heat, he was arguably the best player on the court, finishing with a game-high 18 points in 23 minutes. Evans trained in Houston during the offseason and feels great. While he can still help a team on the court, he acknowledges that his biggest contributions come off the court. He’s an excellent leader and locker room presence, which every team needs to succeed.

“I am happy that my identity is not tied up in being an NBA player,” Evans said. “If I were to retire today, I would have no regrets and would be extremely thankful God allowed me to play eleven years professionally after not being drafted.”

''I'm excited about my game, really. I feel that (Stotts') offense is tailored more to the elbow and that's what I've worked on this summer,'' Aldridge said. ''So I'm excited about showing people that I've gotten better.''

Another key aspect working is Dragic’s favor is exactly what Coach Gentry mentioned above: his relationship with Nash. For nearly three of four years that Dragic has been in the league, he was Nash’s backup at the point guard position. During his first stint in Phoenix, he did his best to soak up everything he could from the former back-to-back NBA MVP. Now, with the starting spot his to lose, Dragic returns hungrier than ever.

Unfortunately, before Wall and Beal could take their marks, the former sustained a stress injury in his right knee, which means the Wizards will be without their “backcourt of the future” when the season opens in early November. Wall hopes to be back soon thereafter, but in the meantime, Beal is being asked to develop into a professional without the aid of Wall.

Aldridge will obviously be working closely this season with Lillard, whom Olshey has labeled the team's franchise point guard. The sixth overall pick in the NBA draft, Lillard averaged 24.5 points, five rebounds and four assists as a junior last season at Weber State.

“Well, we’re still going to be basically doing the same thing that we’ve done in the past,” Gentry said. “The system that we run is practically going to be the same. I think it will be a little more controlled by me as a coach, whereas Steve basically had unlimited freedom.”

“He made the team, ended up starting some games. The following year, Sam Presti made one free agent signing. It was Kevin Ollie to help Russell Westbrook grow. To this day Kevin remains friends with the organization.”