GM Danny Ferry's Makeover of Mediocrity - Atlanta Hawks Season Preview

Starting Five: PG Jeff Teague SG Lou Williams SF Kyle Korver PF Josh Smith C Al Horford

Key Bench Players: G Devin Harris, C Zaza Pachulia, C Johan Petro, G Anthony Morrow, G DeShawn Stevenson, F Jordan Williams, G John Jenkins

Key Additions: G John Jenkins, G Anthony Morrow, G Devin Harris

Key Departures: G Joe Johnson, F Marvin Williams

The Hawks bringing in new GM Danny Ferry ended up being an inspired move that had a lot of risk initially. There’s no questioning Ferry’s pedigree from his time on the Spurs, but he learned some tough lessons in Cleveland. Desperate to win now in order to please LeBron, Ferry went anti-Thunder and surrounded his star with overpriced free agents like Larry Hughes. From that point forward, he had no choice but to speculatively flip huge supporting contracts for other massive contracts, getting more talent on paper by taking on more money. Cleveland never got that title and we all know where its superstar went.

Instant Trade Analysis: Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Nets get: SG Joe Johnson

Atlanta Hawks get: SF Anthony Morrow, G Jordan Farmar, G DeShawn Stevenson, F Jordan Williams, PF Johan Petro, 2013 First-Round draft pick (via Houston)

The casual NBA fan might not know who Joe Johnson is, but (and I hope I'm not overstating this) this trade changes the face of the NBA as we've predicted it.

Too much? I don't think so.

Running Diary - Celtics/Hawks Playoffs Game 2

One of the more intense sports debates I’ve had was three years ago about who was better now and who would have the better career: Jacoby Ellsbury or Brett Gardner. While three of us, including one Yankees fan, could agree that Ellsbury was superior, another Yankees fan was convinced that Gardner was the superior player. Fast forward to this offseason, I asked that same guy if he still thought Gardner was the better player to which he responded, “I said he was a better fit for the Yankees team at that time, not that he was a better player.” That situation right there exemplifies one of the annoying habits of many sports fans – revisionist history.

I’ve always wondered if I am guilty of this particularly in circumstances when I’m watching a game. For that reason, I decided to do a Bill Simmons-style running diary of the Celtics and Hawks game. Let's hit it:

Boston Celtics Playoff Game 1 Recap: With a Celtics Bias

Anybody who had watched the first two Atlanta-Boston matchups this year (Boston rested their starters for the third game) knew this one was going to an ugly matchup. This game certainly “lived up” to its expectations as the Hawks beat the Celtics 83-74 in a game where each team scored 19 points or less in three quarters. Below are the game’s biggest stories:
 

NBA Eastern Conference Preview

The first round of the NBA playoffs does not attract the average fan. The NBA actually made it that way when it mandated that all series would be a best-of-seven deathmatch, instead of the exciting, upset-rich best-of-fives that occurred in the first round. So as KOBEsh mentioned in his Western Conference preview, the better team will win in the vast majority of occurrences. But true Mambinites are legitimate hoopheads, so this year's first round of the NBA playoffs won't be any less special. Call us hipsters, because we don't need the general public to appreciate the drama on the hardwood.

Onto the picks...

Winners and Losers of the NBA trade deadline

KOBEsh went to Vegas this past weekend. While there, he decided to spend some time writing about the NBA trade deadline's winners and losers. His dedication is shameful yet endearing.


This post is probably a touch outdated, but the man wants the post run based on principle alone.

MAMBINO's NBA 2nd Half Preview

If it feels like the season just started, you're not that far off -- amazingly, opening day tip-off was little more than 2 months ago. However, even with only 33 games under our belts, this season has developed similar to every season we've seen before; teams have dissapointed, and teams have surprised, with the caveat of a insane schedule where guys are playing 5 games in 6 nights and back to back to backs.

We've each picked teams that will, in the second half of the season, wilt like LeBron in the 4th quarter, rise up like Dirk or are badly in need of a trade. Read on MAMBINites.

Why the Atlanta Hawks Deserve Your Hate

There are four types of teams in the NBA. Some of them fall into categories relative to your particular franchise allegiance, and some stay the same no matter what the colors you cheer for.

1) The franchises you love

A pretty easy one; the city you live in, the region your family is from, the college you went to or the place your spouse grew up. The team you live and breathe and die with, the one that gives you fits late at night and effects you deep into the summer.

2) The franchises you hate because of the franchises you love

Any team that would threaten the superiority of the team you love. Perhaps it's the crew that prevents your beloved franchise from reaching superiority. You hate them viscerally, like your DNA was programmed with the genomes that set your senses ablaze when those colors came across your corneas. You hate because you love.

3) The franchises you respectfully hate

And then there is the point where the rivalry is no longer a simple issue of them being better than you, or you trying to be better than them. It's a rivalry steeped in deep tradition that will permeate through the histories of both regions for as long as organized ball is played. Hundreds of games have been contested, and with it, championships and accolades for both of those teams have followed. But through it all, you come to hatefully respect them on the opposite side of the field. They know the thrilling rush of victory, and the desolate emptiness of defeat. In all of your hostility and antagonism, there's a unity of spirit that can't be denied. You hate them, with respect, because in the end, you're all a part of a shared tradition.

4) And then there's the franchises you just hate...because they're awful

There comes a point in your love of the game transcends the simple loyalty you have towards a certain team. You begin to love the sanctity of the sport that it inhabits. You start to see players as not just opponents, but also through the prism of how they represent the principles of the game you love so much. Oddly enough, the more you become invested in your team, it seems the more objective you become about the sport it's in.

As such, the hate flows from you like a barbed Tupac lyric. Teams, players and management that you would otherwise find benign, as they have no daily, weekly or even monthly impact on your sports-watching life, begin to anger you than you have any logical cause to be. They consistently make the wrong moves, misevaluate players, hire the wrong coaching staffs and say the most offensive statements possible in the media. You hate them because they violate the sanctity of the sport you take so seriously. You hate them because they are terrible. Simple enough.

This is why I hate the Atlanta Hawks. And you should do.

WWE for a NBA Fan - Southeast Division (Part 2)

In my despondency regarding the NBA Lockout, I devised a series of posts detailing how a typical NBA fan could survive a basketball-less winter with the help of well-placed WWE Superstar replacement suggestions. While it seemed far-fetched on the surface, I actually came up with some similarities between the two "sports", and more importantly, it gave me an excuse to write about professional wrestling.

Then Friday happened. To my amazement and surprise, the NBA season seemed as if it would proceed with a 66-game schedule. My abject joy aside, I realized that my massive 6-parter titled "WWE for an NBA Fan - How to Survive the NBA Lockout with the WWE" was now pretty bunk. Easily the worst part of the lockout ending.

However, seeing as half of it is already done and I enjoyed writing it so much, I will soldier on with the WWE for an NBA Fan series. While the NBA might be back, remember that the WWE never turned its back on you. These suggestions still bear weight, and perhaps, just perhaps, it will bring more eyes to the WWE. So I won't be alone. Sad and alone.

(Check back here for Part 1)

Atlanta Hawks: Kofi Kingston

As far as I can tell, the Hawks, who in their time in Atlanta have only gone so far as the conference finals twice (not since the 1969-70 season) and their fan base are not really concerned with winning and excellence so much as they are with playing hard and entertaining the crowd. Kofi Kingston is a fantastically entertaining wrestler, whose aerial moves and wrestling maneuvers are all highlighted by his extraordinary flexibility and agility. He's gone so far as to win the Intercontinental title, but truthfully, is no real threat to a world title any time soon. He's an entertainer, he works hard and he went to the best undergraduate college in the land.


Orlando Magic: Kane

I feel awful for Orlando. I really really do. In their brief 20 year history, they've made two finals (two more than Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington combined), had Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Dwight Howard and reaped no titles. Their consistency towards winning regular season games is to be recognized and respected, and yet, they never have quite enough to get them over the top. In fact, this team is has been cursed nearly as much as the Los Angeles Lakers have been blessed. Tracy McGrady was dropping 30 points a game while his team lost 60+ every year. Grant Hill, on a surefire Hall of Famer course after his brilliant college career at Duke and unbelievable play in Detroit, came to Orlando on a massive 7-year deal and only played in a staggering 34% of their games. Shaquille O'Neal, the best center of his generation, left the Magic and went on to win 4 titles with the Lakers and Heat. Dwight Howard, the best center of his generation, could very well do the same in 10 months time.

My point here is, the Magic's tortured fan base (one of the most underrated in all of sports) needs a superstar with consistency. They need to know year-in and year-out what they're getting. They need a wrestler to match the toughness and physicality of player they're used to seeing, with none of the disappointment.

Kane has been in the WWE in his current incarnation as the hideously burned brother of the Undertaker since 1997. His work in the ring is more than adequate, but less than excellent. He is a compelling character, a physical specimen and yet, not entirely fascinating enough for the company to completely invest itself in. His best description? A steady hand. Kane is good enough to be considered for the main event, but that consideration should always stop before thinking about putting the championship around his waist. And everyone knows that; the fans know it, the company knows it and Kane knows it. I know what I'm going to get from Kane in 2012. Magic fans could use more of the same knowledge.

Washington Wizards: Alex Riley

Another easy call. In 2012, all I really want for Wiz fans is to not have to deal with guys shooting themselves in the leg, threatening to shoot each other in the locker room or pretend shooting each other in pregame warmups. I want the focus in Washington to be on the actual court. The District is a fantastic basketball hot bed, with dedicated fans that aren't just crazy about hoops, but know what they're talking about. They have a young team that won't contend for a couple of seasons, but surely will be fun watching them make it there.

Alex Riley is the perfect WWE Superstar for fans of the Wiz to follow during this lockout. He looks like the type of douchebag you'd see in the local college bar, or perhaps you'd just call him a tremendous blowhard, but certainly not one that's going to bring a gun into the locker room. After all, he's a nice looking dude who went to a fantastic undergraduate university (yes, that's really him). He's not going to create any type of locker drama and get himself fired any time soon. But similarly, I wouldn't expect him in the main event in that same time frame. Be patient Washington. And in the meantime, enjoy a guy that's not going to be packing.


Miami Heat: John Morrison

Obligatory Miami Heat cheap shot begins...now.

(BTW - John Morrison had his WWE contract expire THIS WEEK. Yes, yet another untimely development for the rantings on MAMBINO. However, I will keep this comparison as is just because it's so perfect)

The Heat lost the NBA Finals. Even without a traditional offseason and June being a distant memory being lost amongst the falling leaves and snow storms of the seasons, writing that sentence still brings me an immense amount of satisfaction.

However, regardless of the cowardice of LeBron or the stupidity of Dwyane Wade, there is much to be made of the style in which the Heat played their first season. They took the court every game like it was their last, playing with such reckless abandon simply as a survival tool; after all, every single team played against them like it was a playoff game. The other 29 squads had a bullseye on the self-proclaimed future 7 time champions. To their credit, the Heat took every single criticism to heart, and let their game dictate their anger and frustration. They rode this all the way until the Finals, where the Mavericks showed that the Heat were so much less than they thought they were. For all their posturing and supposed greatness, Dallas proved the Heat to be no more than the facade of a champion rather than the genuine article. They had the look and swagger of titlist, and yet when it came down to crunch time, all the production and fanfare behind their play wasn't enough to hide the massive holes on their squad. They only appeared to be the best. They could only ride what got them to the Finals to two wins short of the trophy. They were not who they seemed at first glance.

This is John Morrison. He is an unbelievable athlete whose body is conditioned to the utmost perfection. His career started rather dubiously, as Morrison won a WWE reality series titled "Tough Enough" to garner a WWE contract. He and co-winner Matt Capotelli (whose career was cut short due to a brain tumor) were given immediate, though brief, exposure on WWE television. Throughout Tough Enough and his ensuing appearances on WWE's weekly episodic shows, the wrestling audience got to see all the potential that made him into legitimate prospect emerging almost inexplicably from a television show that seemed to produce no real talent. Though his improvisational skills on the microphone were to be desired and his personality was somewhat less than enthralling, Morrison none the less impressed everyone, including those here at MAMBINO, with his extraordinary athleticism and natural feel for professional wrestling. His coordination surpassed his lack of in-ring experience and he seemed truly driven to be great.

Years later, I still see those same qualities on screen. If I were to see Morrison for the first time today, I would think that Morrison was headed straight for the main event. He moves around the ring with what looks like foolish abandon, but in reality is a carefully laid plan for attack. Named "John Morrison" for his striking resemblance to dead rocker Jim Morrison, John has all the looks of a bonifide WWE superstar; chiseled, tall and good looking.

The truly unfortunate feature here is, that for all of Morrison's tools and potential, his evolution as a professional wrestler has been stunted by a lack of imagination. Every quality of John's arsenal I just mentioned is simply an extension of every ability he already had. As the years have passed and his peers have added newer weapons and skills to the entirety of their professional wrestling arsenal, Morrison has only stepped on the gas pedal rather than change gears. On the surface, he looks fantastic. He is entertaining and his move set is astonishing to the untrained eye. I've been watching John Morrison for 8 years now. He hasn't evolved enough to where I'd call him a champion.

The Miami Heat crowd are front-runners. Don't try to argue otherwise. They want to be entertained, taken on a good ride and hopefully some winning will be attached to the end result. The accessory emotion that lies with their sports fanaticism is hope, rather than fate. Whatever happens, win or lose, life will go on. The beach will still be there, the weather will be wonderful and there's no reason to dwell on sports as if they control your fate. That's why for all the bitter disappointment towards the end of the Heat season, South Beach didn't melt down in the same way that Boston, New York or hell, even Vancouver did. The accomplishment was the journey in Miami. The goal was important, but only in speech rather than in feeling. This is perfect crowd for John Morrison.


There you have it MAMBINO followers. Check back next week when we take a look at the Central division.

MAMBINO's NBA Preview Launch - Burning Questions for the UPCOMING 2011-2012 Season

Any text you get at 3:18 am at any point, any day, is most likely bad news. It means one of several things:

1) You've got an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend who either wants to pick a fight with you, or wants you to come over for an inter-coital incident that will leave you battered and broken the next morning, both physically and emotionally

2) You've got a current girlfriend or boyfriend that got too drunk and your car is now approximately 20 minutes away from being a $20,000 college trashcan

3) Something bad happened to someone you care about. Just got real there. Sorry MAMBINO readers.

4) Your friend needs a place to crash, and now your apartment becomes a $1,000 a month college trash can.

Friday night, nearly fast asleep at 3:18 am, Eastern Standard Time, I get a text message from my boy, OKC Thunder Fan #1 and the only owner of a Thunder Royal Ivey jersey in North America, Stolte, which read:

"DEAL DONE. TEARS OF JOY"

I put down my phone, not quite understanding what my almost assuredly shwasted friend was digitally blabbering about. About to fall back deep into my second tryptophan-induced slumber in the same number of days, I sat back up and clumsily jumped onto my Twitter app. Ken Berger, my new messiah and best friend, let me know that indeed, a handshake deal was agreed upon between the lawyers representing the players and owners and a 66-game 2011-2012 season was merely days away from becoming a reality.

Let's set aside my abject and utter joy here. I will ignore the fact that I stayed up until 3:45am researching a news story that had zero actual information available other than the paragraph I just typed, all while knowing full well I had to be awake at 8am. I have sent out approximately 20 text messages to 20 different hoopheads throughout the day, with a dozen e-mails following suit expressing my disbelief. I just had a 20 minute conversation with a fellow member of Laker Nation that was actually about basketball. We don't have enough time. Free agency will open in a week, with the season following a little more than two weeks after that. I was nearly resigned to a winter without NBA basketball (see my first post in a series of 6 detailing suitable WWE replacements for YOUR particular NBA squad) and having to follow a frustrating Jets teams, a Los Angeles Kings squad with no television out here in the East and a Boston College basketball team that's already lost to Holy Cross by 11, barely edged out UC Riverside by 3 points and lost to UMass by 36 points...at home. Truthfully, and perhaps this was largely due to me wanting to preserve my sanity and not set myself up for disappointment, I haven't even begun to think about the 2011-2012 NBA season yet.

So now, like a your lame friend who got to the party 4 hours late and decides to chug a handle of vodka to catch up to the surprise of no one and the embarrassment of everyone, we here at MAMBINO HQ will be playing vodka handle catch up with the nubile 2011-2012 NBA season.

In our darkest days of the lockout, BockerKnocker and I devised a sneaky way to discuss the NBA without having actual basketball being played by coming up with a series of posts titled "20 Things We'll Miss About the Cancelled 2011-2012 NBA Season". Despite the self-loathing, pathetic nature of such an endeavor, we've found that even with the season revived from the brink of an almost certain death, "20 Things" is still relevant.

Thus, over the next month or so, BockerKnocker and I will begin our "20 Burning Questions for the 2011-2012 NBA Season". Our well-thought out questions from the pit of our NBA-deprived minds cover 22 teams and will serve as our de facto NBA season preview.

Obviously a 22 team season preview won't cover the entire 30-team NBA. I safely say that the remaining 8 teams remain the 8 least interesting teams in the league. MAMBINO has hardly been known as an equal opportunity sports blog. We like who we like and we hate teams that only mildly offend us. But in the spirit of equality, here's a 5 brief questions for 5 teams that you probably won't think about in the next 4 weeks:

Atlanta Hawks

Burning Question - Keeping together the core hasn't equaled postseason success, so what will Atlanta do to take the next step?

The Hawks have made the playoffs the past 4 seasons, have made it out of the first round 3 times and yet, have won a combined 2 games. Though a 4-seed is a great accomplishment in a top heavy Eastern Conference, in none of those years have the Hawks come close to being anything more than an also-ran. Each of their offseasons have had the sole focus of resigning a member of their core (Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith) rather than adding a difference maker (like a quality center or a true point) to the fold beyond the likes of Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford.

There's no telling what the new CBA will bring going towards free agency, but the Hawks need a lot of help if they want to contend with the Heat, Celts and Bulls, and don't have a lot of cap space to make it happen. Barring a trade for a quality big to go alongside Al Horford, I don't see the Hawks improving much on last season's record. And with their track record, I don't think any difference making moves are in the works.

Prediction: 35-31, 3rd in the Southeast, 5th place in the East

Charlotte Bobcats

Burning Question - can Michael Jordan keep a rebuilding team interesting?

Considering their best young players are DJ Augustin, Gerald Henderson and Bismack Biyombo and veterans are the likes of Corey "Black Hole of Ball-Stopping" Maggette and Boris Diaw, no. Michael's role as one of the most hard-line owners during the whole lockout has spoken volumes about how badly the Bobcats are losing money. He's said numerous times that he'll spend money when it will help the team win, but I don't see this team being at all in that sphere.

More to the point, even the worst teams in the league have an exciting young player[s] to showcase and build around (Minnesota, Cleveland, Clippers, Washington), while the 5'10' Augustin, the designated shooter Henderson and defensive stalwart (supposedly) Biyombo are not worth the entertainment value that Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams, Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving and John Wall will give you. It's going to be a long season for Bobcats fans. All twelve of you. Maybe not the worst, but certainly the most boring team in the East.

Prediction: 17-49, 5th in the Southeast, 13th in the East

Denver Nuggets

Burning Question - Can the Nuggets survive the Chinese purge of their players? And free agency?

More than any other team coming out of the lockout, if everything stands as it did before September, they will be losing 3 potential players from their 2011-2012 squad.

The Chinese Basketball Association notoriously proclaimed that only free agents could sign with any of their professional team and that they would not be allowed out of their contracts if the lockout were to end mid-season. Wilson Chandler, JR Smith and Kenyon Martin, all Denver free agents, decided that the cost of perhaps missing a potential NBA season wasn't prohibitive enough to miss out on $3 million dollar CBA contracts.

Personalities aside, these three were huge pieces for the surprising 2011 Nuggets squad. Though Martin wasn't likely to be resigned, Chandler (as a restricted free agent) and JR Smith (a young knucklehead, albeit a talented one) are both pieces that could have been back for this year's campaign.

Will Denver be able to survive this purge of talent? Not to mention their free agent center Nene, whose bruising attack and true post game could be another team's to use in a few weeks time? Though still talented, I'm guessing without the post-Melo FU wave they were riding last year, the Nuggets won't be able to finish better than 7th place in a crowded Western Conference

Prediction: 35-31, 3rd place in the Northwest, 7th place in the West

Indiana Pacers


Burning Question - Will Danny Granger become anything more than the Bobby Abreu of Fantasy Basketball?

Bobby Abreu is the best player that ever hit fantasy baseball. He was a reliable .300 hitter, with 20 homers, 100 RBI and 20 stolen bases per year. Though highly regarded amongst statisticians, Phillies fans and fantasy baseball managers, he never really broke through towards being a household name. For the five dozen of us that play Fantasy Basketball, you know that Danny Granger is our Bobby Abreu. A consistent source for key fantasy statistics, Granger is not considered as elite in real life as he is in the sadder, yet just as real lives of fantasy basketball managers.

With the Pacers having plenty of cap room in order to sign potential free agents and have the squad become more than a 5 game first round fodder for the Heat, Bulls or Celts, is this the year where the country recognizes Granger's talents? More importantly, is this year he becomes just more than a good player on a terrible team?

I'm not so sure that it is. Granger is great, but his skill set translates to nothing more than a great second or third option on a great team. With sign and trade rules still being in effect for now, as well as bigger market teams wanting to make a splash coming out of the lockout gate, I don't see the Pacers being able to get the franchise player they're hoping for, or Danny Granger turning into that guy.

Prediction: 33-33, 2nd place in the Central, 7th place in the East

Milwaukee Bucks

Burning Question - Will the Bucks be relevant again? Will they regret giving up Jimmer for Stephen Jackson?

Many many moons ago, before our hearts and minds were locked out, along with the NBA players, a trade surfaced including Milwaukee, Sacto and Charlotte, with the end result being that Stephen Jackson going to Milwaukee, while the Bucks' 10th pick in the draft, BYU legend Jimmer Fredette, going to Sacramento.

Jimmer was one of the most exciting players in college basketball the past two seasons, but everyone seemed to have questions of whether or not his size and seeming lack of defensive acumen would translate to a noteworthy NBA career. If so, will the Bucks, worst in the league in scoring last year, regret giving up a guy who could potentially be a 15-20 point a night threat? Stephen Jackson is a great addition for Mily-walk-kay (which in Algonquin means, "The Good Land"), providing both passing and defense that the departed Corey Maggette seemed allergic to. I'm not sure if Jackson is the answer, as ball movement wasn't the problem entirely with the Bucks, but rather it was the fact that no one could put the ball in the hoop.

Prediction: 29-35, 3rd place in the Central, 9th in the East

Philadelphia 76ers

Burning Question - Can Evan Turner take the next step? Will the 76ers continue to be the biggest market team in the NBA that continues to have the least amount of impact?

Ever since the departure of Allen Iverson, Philadelphia has been largely a team full of role-players who play extremely hard with little notoriety and similar fanfare. Especially contrasted with the Flyers' recent postseason success and the free-agent bonanzas that the Phillies and Eagles have gone on the past few seasons, it only magnifies the fact that the big market 76ers are grab so little regard in the NBA.

They've been afflicted with the Curse of the Mediocre; good enough to make the playoffs as a low seed, not bad enough to win a round but not bad enough to get a great draft pick.

Miraculously, he 76ers finally overcame the Curse of the Mediocre two seasons ago when they were awarded the number 2 selection in the 2010 NBA Draft. With it, they took Ohio State swingman Evan Turner, over other prospects such as Georgia Tech forward Derrick Favors and Kentucky center DeMarcus Cousins. Turner went on to have an average rookie season, scoring only 7.2 ppg and shooting around 42% from the field.

Though I saw some moments of potential, I, along with a lot of other NBA pundits, have already labeled Turner as a bust, especially considering the potential shown by both Favors and Cousins in their rookie campaigns. While it's early, I don't think Turner will improve enough in this sophmore season (if ever) to justify picking him over the two big men I just named. More importantly, I don't think he'll be enough to make Philly into a relevant watchable team. Well, at least there is the Dream Team across the street Philadelphia fans. You won't notice how bad the Sixers are when the Eagles are in the NFC title game.

Prediction: 27-39, 3rd in the Atlantic, 10th in the East

Toronto Raptors

Burning Question - Will new coach Dwane Casey get the Raptors to care about defense?

No. Calling Leandro Barbosa, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Linas Kleiza "defensive sieves" might actually be too generous of a term. These gentlemen get called out for being soft by Stephen Curry. The question isn't really whether or not Dwane Casey, who helped Dallas turn into a defense-first squad the past 3 seasons, can get his guys to lock down and play hard on both ends of the court. It's more the question of whether or not they are even capable of it. DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis and Jerryd Bayless rank as the only other regulars that have a chance to become the players Casey hopes they can become.

Also, keep in mind that help isn't necessarily on the way. Their first round pick, 5th overall, Jonas Valanciunas won't be able to come over from Europe until after next season. It will be another rebuilding year in 2011-2012 for the Raps, and with such a fertile draft class available next summer, I fully expect the Raptors to start trading players for draft picks this year.

Prediction: 17-49, 5th in the Atlantic, 14th in the East

Utah Jazz

Burning Question - Will the first full season without Jerry Sloan at the coaching helm in 20 years mean a disastrous year for the Jazz?
Yes. With Deron Williams off the roster and Andrei Kirilenko's comically gigantic contract nothing more than a memory, the Jazz have gone into full blown rebuilding mode. Jerry Sloan abruptly retired in the middle of last season, leaving the Jazz without the consistent identity that's defined them since 1988.

With Memhet Okur's $10 million dollar salary expiring after April 2012, I'd expect the Jazz to deal him, as well as Raja Bell ($7 mil over 2 seasons), Devin Harris ($19 mil over 2 seasons) and maybe even Paul Millsap ($14 mil over 2 seasons). Derrick Favors and draftee Enes Kanter, not to mention Al Jefferson, are all emerging options in the front court, there's no reason to keep those players in a season of transition for the Jazz. Coach Tyrone Corbin had a rough two month stretch to end the season (8-20) and I'm not sure if he's a much better coach than that.

Prediction: 21-45, 5th in the Northwest, 14th in the West

Check in with MAMBINO over the next few weeks as we slowly but surely unveil our 2011-2012 NBA Season Preview. Welcome back everyone. We're back in business. I've never been so happy with a 3:18am text message in all my life.