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August 27, 2007 ...Adding James Posey to the Celtics should be a good thing for Boston. Posey is tough, and he defends while providing just enough offense to make due. The C’s best rotation as I see it now would have Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Eddie House playing the guard’s minutes. Paul Pierce backed up by Posey at the Small Forward would leave the Power Forward and Center time to Kevin Garnett, Leon Powe, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis. If Tony Allen can return from two torn ligaments he will add guard depth. The Celtics probably still need one more real point guard.  I’m not sure Gabe Pruitt is ready to run a team. The rookie from USC can score for sure. Scot Pollard, Brandon Wallace, and Brian Scalabrine fill out their roster at this point.

 

August 20, 2007 …I hope you all are reading True Hoop which is now a part of the ESPN.com family. ... NBA-TV could be sold. ...Wifey has a theory that NBA players who have their first child during a season generally have ‘down’ years. She says Peja Stojakovic was never the same after the birth of his son—and then Brad Miller digressed last season. That could be bad news for Kendrick Perkins.  ...Is it time for a Summer rating of NBA teams headed into the 2007-08 season? 1. Phoenix - Remember the playoffs vs. San Antonio—and the suspensions that kept Amare Stoudemire out? In my mind—that cost Phoenix a championship. They added classy Grant Hill and they return Steve Nash, Amare, Leandro Barbosa and Shawn Marion.  2. San Antonio - Proud defending champs have the super trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobilli. 3. Chicago - The Bulls were already good but they had to improve inside. P.J. Brown wasn’t the answer but Joe Smith, and Joakim Noah may be the right guys to compliment Ben Wallace. 4. Boston - I’m on the C’s bandwagon. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce are enough in the East. It’s a bonus that Rajon Rondo has a chance to be special. 5. Houston - I like the Rockets chances with Rick Adelman in charge. Tracy McGrady should thrive. 6. Dallas - They had the best record in the NBA last year. 7. Utah - They can be better if they can improve on Gordan Giricek as a minutes playing backup. 8. Denver - Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and Marcus Camby on the same team will win you some games! 9. Charlotte - This is asking them to make a HUGE jump but why can’t they? They have Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, Sean May, and Raymond Felton. 10. Miami - It seems to me like Shaq is slowing down. 11. L.A. Lakers - Kobe Bryant carries the Lakers but Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Brian Cook seem capable of bigger roles. Will Kobe and Phil Jackson let that happen? 12. Detroit - Chauncey Billups is the truth. Can the rookies Rodney Stuckey, and Arron Afflalo help keep the Pistons from losing leads built up by their starters? 13. Cleveland - Keep in mind that the Cavs have not re-signed Anderson Varejao (yet). They had no draft picks and they have not added anyone via free agency (yet). 14. Washington - Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler gave people fits last season. More of the same. 15. Seattle - I think progressively. I love Kevin Durant. Kurt Thomas, and Delonte West join Luke Ridnour, Nick Collison, Wally Szczerbiak, Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox. 16. Golden St. 17. Toronto, 18. New Jersey, 19. Memphis, 20. Atlanta, 21. Indiana, 22. New Orleans, 23. Milwaukee, 24. Philadelphia, 25. Sacramento, 26. Portland, 27. Orlando, 28. New York, 29. Clippers, 30. Minnesota. 

 

August 19, 2007 ...If the Knicks starters are Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Zach Randolph, and Eddy Curry—I’d almost rather have their bench of Nate Robinson, Fred Jones, Renaldo Balkman, David Lee, and Randolph Morris. I guess that’s a backhanded way to say I like the depth of the Knickerbockers. ...The Bucks seem really thin in the backcourt to me with great starters in Mo Williams, and Michael Redd but only Charlie Bell, Lynn Greer, (Awvee Storey) and Ramon Sessions backing them up. Earl Boykins is a free agent - leaving Milwaukee short. Ruben Patterson - a free agent as well — is a guy that will not be easily replaced by the Bucks. Yo—Milwaukee - Hassan Adams is available. Actually, the Bucks bench is poop relative to the rest of the Association.  ...The Rockets roster has way too many players right now. They have 19 players—not including free agents Dikembe Mutombo, and Jake Tsakalidis. I’ll cut Aussie rookie Brad Newley, and injured vet Bobby Sura to get them to 17. But talk about  a crowd in the backcourt… The Rockets with Rick Adelman at the controls have options in Rafer Alston, Steve Francis, Mike James, John Lucas III, Kirk Snyder, Luther Head, and rookie Aaron Brooks. Tracy McGrady can be a guard if he wants to as well. Ditto Bonzi Wells, and Justin Reed...Maybe the Bucks should be hitting up the Rockets.

 

August 18, 2007 ...NBA hardcore questions as the season approaches: Who will backup Raymond Felton at the point guard spot in Charlotte? ...Can Denver do better than Yakouba Diawara as their two-guard off the bench? Is Von Wafer the answer for the Nuggs? Will it be rookie Herbert Hill as the starter at PF for the Sixers? If not Hill, then who? Louis Amundson? ...Shouldn’t Cleveland find SOME way to be better than Eric Snow as their starting PG? Will the Knicks realize that their best BIG is David Lee—not Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph? Will Nazr Mohammed continue to rot in Detroit? Can Kenyon Martin return healthy for the Nuggets? Will Bobby Simmons return in Milwaukee? Can the Clippers win games without Elton Brand? How many times will Cory Maggette get to the line now that he should be the focal point of the LAC offense? How will the minutes work out in Seattle with Luke Ridnour, Delonte West, and Earl Watson? In the front court in Sonic-land—how do you split time for Kevin Durant, Wally Szczerbiak, Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, Johan Petro, and Kurt Thomas? Is Robert Swift going to contribute? Who is the Rockets point guard? Rafer Alston, Mike James, or Steve Francis? Will Speedy Claxton play like the old Speedy Claxton who was pretty good? Or will Speedy stink like he did last year—after an injury curtailed him at the start of the season? Is this the year the world figures out that Raptors backup Jose Calderon is the real deal? Outside of J.J. Redick—do the Magic have a natural two-guard on their roster?

 

August 15, 2007 ...I was embarrassed. Mad at myself. I’m at P.F. Chang’s with family and we are discussing the Kings signing Syracuse rookie free-agent Darryl Watkins. Dad mentions the athletic Orange star that is now on the Memphis Grizzlies. We both pause to bring up his name. I couldn’t do it. What? About 30 seconds later—Dad says—Warrick. Then my wife says, “Hakim Warrick.” It still didn’t sound right to me. What is wrong with my brain? My Dad tried to make me feel better by saying “it’s August”. Maybe so—but I should never ever have a brain fade like that. Hakim Warrick is an NBA starter that shot over 50% from the field last season. He played in all 82 games. I know these facts but for whatever reason last night at dinner that recall section of my dome was empty. ...Maybe I am in my racing mode too much. The last time it happened was when Toronto’s Kris Humphries had a big night off the bench last season. He had season-highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds at Phoenix on 11/18/06. I saw the name Humphries in the box score and for the life of me—I couldn’t name his first name. I had to log onto to NBA.com to put two and two together. Then I instantly recalled that Humphries was a double-double guy as a Freshman at Minnesota. He was Big Ten Freshman of the Year before going to the Jazz for a couple seasons. Last year he played as a Raptor. Home