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Q & A with editor Bobby Gerould

Q: Which NBA teams do you think will be better in 2006-07 than they were last season?

A: I like Utah, Seattle and Houston in the West. Having Carlos Boozer from the start of the season, and added depth should make Utah much better than their 41 wins of last year. …Seattle played well late last season with Earl Watson getting good minutes. Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are still there and Nick Collison is a nice pro as well. They won 35 games which under achieved last season. …Houston was so injured last season that with any luck at all they would bet better by default – but they also added Shane Battier (draft day trade for Rudy Gay), and Bonzi Wells. They should crush last year’s 34 wins. …In the East I think Charlotte, Orlando and Boston will have better records. Charlotte has a chance to sneak up on folks. Last year they played without Emeka Okafor and Sean May almost the whole season. The result was a 26-56 record. Add Adam Morrison to the mix of Gerald Wallace, Brevin Knight, and Ray Felton – and the Bobcats – dare I say it – are a playoff team. …Orlando has the emerging talent of Dwight Howard with Jameer Nelson. They add J.J. Redick’s shooting, and maybe more of Grant Hill than we’ve seen lately. They won 36 games last year. …Boston – I maintain - has too much talent to continue to lose. Paul Pierce is a star. They have to be better than 33 wins or Doc Rivers is dust.

Q: Which teams might not be as good as last season?

A: Memphis lost Shane Battier and Bobby Jackson and Pau Gasol is hurt to start the 2006-07 season – so I’d say Memphis may struggle in the tough West. They won 49 games last season. …San Antonio won 63 games in 2005-06 and I think they will have a hard time duplicating that. A backup for Tony Parker is something they need to address. I’m not sold on Jacque Vaughn. …And also in the West – I see Sacramento not being as good without Bonzi Wells – and with a new coaching staff and schemes. The Kings won 44 games last year and they finished fourth out of five in the Pacific. …Back East – the Pistons set the bar really high with 64 wins – so without Ben Wallace – I’d say they slip a bit – although I do like Nazr Mohammed. …Washington won 42 games which may be hard to match with Orlando and Charlotte being better. …New Jersey could have a difficult time matching the 49 wins they posted in 2005-06.

Q: Are there any free agents out there that could provide help to a team?

A: I believe so. Qyntel Woods is an offensive talent that I can’t believe doesn’t have a deal. At least – as far as I know – he doesn’t. …Keith Van Horn can still score. …I’ve always been a bit of a Tony Bobbit fan – and I don’t think he has a gig right now.

Q: Do you think any rookies will start for their NBA team?

A: I could see Brandon Roy in Portland, and Rudy Gay in Memphis being starters.

Q: How about rookies that don’t start but have a chance to get some good minutes?

A: Randy Foye in Minnesota should share time with Ricky Davis, and Mike James. …I think Tyrus Thomas is too good to keep off the floor – but he’ll likely play behind Bulls front liners Ben Wallace, P.J. Brown, and Mike Sweetney. …Shelden Williams should log lots of time in Atlanta. …In New Jersey – the front line has been weak – so I could see Josh Boone playing there once he recovers fully from his shoulder injury. Adam Morrison should get time in Charlotte. …Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap are both Utah players I could see getting some run.

Q: How about some players who are underrated?

A: I love the energy of James Singleton for the Clippers. I don’t think Gerald Wallace gets the respect he deserves yet. Andres Nocioni in Chicago is a real competitor with skill. Mehmet Okur in Utah. To me, Zydrunas Ilgauskas should have been an All-Star in the East the last couple of years but he was overlooked.

Q: Who are the most explosive athletes in the NBA?

A: The NBA is loaded with guys that do amazing things with hand-eye coordination but what makes the NBA special are the freakish athletes that can ‘jump out of the gym’. Gerald Green in Boston is ridiculous. Obviously Vince Carter is in the conversation. Ronald Dupree in Detroit can fly – and so can Andre Iguodala in Philly. I think Maurice Evans - who is now a Lakers player – is fun to watch. …Josh Smith in Atlanta is the new human highlight reel. …Oh – and Lebron James isn’t bad either.

Q: Who is the quickest?

A: I do not have access to any numbers from testing but I’d say a few stick out. Leandro Barbosa in Phoenix gets steals at a high rate because of his amazing quickness to the ball. …T.J. Ford in Toronto, and Dee Brown in Utah come to mind. Tony Parker is amazing. …And Devin Harris in Dallas as well.

Q: Which current NBA players do you think will one day be good coaches?

A: Derek Fisher always comes across as a good communicator – so I think he might be a good coach. …Shane Battier has natural leadership qualities. …Antonio Daniels is a quality guy. …Earl Watson. Chris Duhon. Raja Bell.

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