2009 Celticsblog Draft: Voting Analysis : Team of the Future

[GaBerkowitz]

Southwest Analysis

Dallas - Very balanced team offensively.  Can expect between 12-17 points from Smith, Kidd, Murphy, Terry, Marion.   Weird team in that they are not young enough to expect any real growth, and they aren't good enough to seriously contend for a title.  Feel like they are a squad that could compete for a 5-6 seed, be competitive, but never get past the 1st/2nd round of the playoffs.  No real prime time player.  Also, defense is a major issue with this team

Houston  NIce 1-2 combo with Bosh and Joe Johnson.  I'm not sold on Monta Ellis, but as a 3rd wheel he is more than serviceable.  Randolph and Hill are a nice ying/yang at the SF spot.  RIght now they are very small, but are by far the most talented team in the division.

Memphis Tony Parker is an absolute stud, however I'm not sure how all these pieces mesh together.  Gay seems to be destined to be a high volume shooter/scorer.  Not sure how he will respond to sharing the rock. A lot of size with Bargnani, Lopez, Diaw.  By far the biggest team in the division.  Not sure if you can play Bargnani and Diaw together at all.  Seem like very repetative players.  Need a shooter and wing depth.  Again I can see this team being a 4-5 seed, without serious potential of emerging as a title contender.  Key hinges on development of Rudy Gay.  Needs to become a more efficient scorer.

New Orleans Kobe is clearly the center piece. I am working on the assumption that he has 2-3 more years in his prime + 2-3 more years of being wiley yet effective veteran.  I think in that 2-3 year window  Westbrook evolves into a legitimate PG and second wheel.  In Noah and BBD have a nice 1-2 combo inside.  Need more length and another big body.  Big time void in shooters.  Amir Johnson is real raw.  Team is very young overall.  Think 2-3 year timeframe and team can be competitive if right pieces are added.

San Antonio  Great backcourt.  Rose and Mayo will be the foundation of this team in the short and long term.  Need a low post scorer.  WIll undoubtedly struggle in short term.  Great upside and long term potential.

Now
1) Houston
2) New Orleans
3) Dallas
4) Memphis
5) San Antonio

3-5 Years
1) Houston
2) New Orleans
3) San Antonio
4) Memphis
5) Dallas

[BandwagonFan]

Well, plenty of people have given their analysis already, and I feel like a lot of them did so better than I can. Still, I just can't help myself

---FWOOSH---
It's time for... Tom and Steve's CELTICSBLOG FANTASY DRAFT ANALYSIS: ATLANTIC DIVISION

TOM: Tonight we're breaking down the Atlantic Division, and I have to say, Steve, there are a lot of teams to like here.

STEVE: You're right, Tom. Now that most of the quality guys are in uniform, the division races are really starting to shape up. Particularly here in the Atlantic. I love what Toronto has put together...

TOM: Toronto? They traded away their best scoring option in Arenas! Counting on Artest to lead you sounds like a bad idea for a reality show, let alone a basketball team.

STEVE: Andre Miller is a much better fit for this team at the point. And he's no slouch in the scoring department himself, averaging 16.3 points last season. He's also a far better distributer than Arenas is or ever will be, averaging 7.6 assists per game. For those keeping track at home, that puts him at 13th in NBA history in assists-per-game.

TOM: Isn't KG a big question mark from an injury standpoint?

STEVE: Not really. This is a guy who never had any sort of major injury issues until last year. I expect him to settle in fine once he knocks the rust off. Between him, Camby, and Artest, this is going to be a scary team on defense, and if we've learned anything it's this: Defense. Wins. Championships.

TOM: Thanks. The unnecessary over-punctuation really sold that one. Those of us who think scoring is kind of important, on the other hand, are really looking at the Celtics. This team looks like it could be one of the most talented teams in the league right now, with Dwayne Wade, Leandro Barbosa, and Lamar Odom carrying the load offensively.

STEVE: What? The Sixers look just as talented, if not more so, and their players actually fit well together. They won't be trying to find a way to play three bigs at the same time for the entire game.

TOM: Odom has put in plenty of time at SF over the years; while he's a bit of a liability there defensively, his offensive game isn't as ill-suited for the position as you seem to think.

STEVE: And what about the Knicks? Vince Carter is an unstoppable force on offense, Deron Williams is the best young point guard not named Chris Paul, and Perkins is a defensive beast in the paint.

TOM: He'll also lead the league in technicals without KG to babysit him. I really like New York, but I have to admit that they're pretty thin past those three players. They're strong enough on defense that I think they'll be in it until the end, though, even in a division as tough as this one.

STEVE: Let's go back to Philly for a minute. You've got Carmelo Anthony, Andrew Bynum, Baron Davis, Emeka Okafor, and Ronnie Brewer. Their worst starter averaged over 13 points a game last year!

TOM: And outside of Davis, not a single starter is over 26 years old. They're pretty good, but I like them better a couple of years down the road than I do right now.

STEVE: So it looks like the odd man out in this division is...

TOM AND STEVE TOGETHER: The Nets.

STEVE: And I feel bad about it, too. They've got some great talent and tons of experience. They're not quite talented enough to win now, and are simply too old to win later.

TOM: With the age of those players, you've got to expect that they finish this season in the Atlantic basement.

STEVE: That's going way too far. They can still play with the best of them - this team would probably win the Southeast. Still, it'll be tough playing in a division like this one.

STEVE'S PICKS:
1. Toronto Raptors (Defense. Wins. Championships.)
2. Philadelphia 76ers (tons of talent that can actually be on the court at the same time)
3. Boston Celtics (players don't mesh well, Odom out of position)
4. New Jersey Nets (just a bit too old)
5. New York Knicks (lack of depth ends up killing them)

TOM'S PICKS:
1. Boston Celtics (most talented by far)
2. Philadelphia 76ers (great talent, slightly too young)
3. New York Knicks (well-balanced, though depth is a concern)
4. Toronto Raptors (KG and Camby will both miss time, possible Artest meltdown)
5. New Jersey Nets (not enough left in the tank to hang around)

[indeedproceed]

Yikes. There goes the dynamite.

[BandwagonFan]

That... got out of hand quickly.

Sorry for the length, guys  I'll definitely rein it in moving forward.

[BigAlTheFuture]

Southwest Analysis

Dallas - Very balanced team offensively.  Can expect between 12-17 points from Smith, Kidd, Murphy, Terry, Marion.   Weird team in that they are not young enough to expect any real growth, and they aren't good enough to seriously contend for a title.  Feel like they are a squad that could compete for a 5-6 seed, be competitive, but never get past the 1st/2nd round of the playoffs.  No real prime time player.  Also, defense is a major issue with this team

Houston  NIce 1-2 combo with Bosh and Joe Johnson.  I'm not sold on Monta Ellis, but as a 3rd wheel he is more than serviceable.  Randolph and Hill are a nice ying/yang at the SF spot.  RIght now they are very small, but are by far the most talented team in the division.

Memphis Tony Parker is an absolute stud, however I'm not sure how all these pieces mesh together.  Gay seems to be destined to be a high volume shooter/scorer.  Not sure how he will respond to sharing the rock. A lot of size with Bargnani, Lopez, Diaw.  By far the biggest team in the division.  Not sure if you can play Bargnani and Diaw together at all.  Seem like very repetative players.  Need a shooter and wing depth.  Again I can see this team being a 4-5 seed, without serious potential of emerging as a title contender.  Key hinges on development of Rudy Gay.  Needs to become a more efficient scorer.

New Orleans Kobe is clearly the center piece. I am working on the assumption that he has 2-3 more years in his prime + 2-3 more years of being wiley yet effective veteran.  I think in that 2-3 year window  Westbrook evolves into a legitimate PG and second wheel.  In Noah and BBD have a nice 1-2 combo inside.  Need more length and another big body.  Big time void in shooters.  Amir Johnson is real raw.  Team is very young overall.  Think 2-3 year timeframe and team can be competitive if right pieces are added.

San Antonio  Great backcourt.  Rose and Mayo will be the foundation of this team in the short and long term.  Need a low post scorer.  WIll undoubtedly struggle in short term.  Great upside and long term potential.

Now
1) Houston
2) New Orleans
3) Dallas
4) Memphis
5) San Antonio

3-5 Years
1) Houston
2) New Orleans
3) San Antonio
4) Memphis
5) Dallas

I think New Orleans would finish last in th Southwest. There are aren't enought talent aound Kobe for him to win. I feel my team is better now.


Rose>>Westbrook
Mayo<<<Bryant
Prince>>Jonhson
Kirilienko>Davis
Foster=Noah

I think the Spurs can compete with anybody in the division.

[indeedproceed]

That... got out of hand quickly.

Sorry for the length, guys  I'll definitely rein it in moving forward.

Don't even think of it. We got nothin better to do than read it, you might as well write it. I only ask that the pacific goes next.

[indeedproceed]

Southwest Analysis

Dallas - Very balanced team offensively.  Can expect between 12-17 points from Smith, Kidd, Murphy, Terry, Marion.   Weird team in that they are not young enough to expect any real growth, and they aren't good enough to seriously contend for a title.  Feel like they are a squad that could compete for a 5-6 seed, be competitive, but never get past the 1st/2nd round of the playoffs.  No real prime time player.  Also, defense is a major issue with this team

Houston  NIce 1-2 combo with Bosh and Joe Johnson.  I'm not sold on Monta Ellis, but as a 3rd wheel he is more than serviceable.  Randolph and Hill are a nice ying/yang at the SF spot.  RIght now they are very small, but are by far the most talented team in the division.

Memphis Tony Parker is an absolute stud, however I'm not sure how all these pieces mesh together.  Gay seems to be destined to be a high volume shooter/scorer.  Not sure how he will respond to sharing the rock. A lot of size with Bargnani, Lopez, Diaw.  By far the biggest team in the division.  Not sure if you can play Bargnani and Diaw together at all.  Seem like very repetative players.  Need a shooter and wing depth.  Again I can see this team being a 4-5 seed, without serious potential of emerging as a title contender.  Key hinges on development of Rudy Gay.  Needs to become a more efficient scorer.

New Orleans Kobe is clearly the center piece. I am working on the assumption that he has 2-3 more years in his prime + 2-3 more years of being wiley yet effective veteran.  I think in that 2-3 year window  Westbrook evolves into a legitimate PG and second wheel.  In Noah and BBD have a nice 1-2 combo inside.  Need more length and another big body.  Big time void in shooters.  Amir Johnson is real raw.  Team is very young overall.  Think 2-3 year timeframe and team can be competitive if right pieces are added.

San Antonio  Great backcourt.  Rose and Mayo will be the foundation of this team in the short and long term.  Need a low post scorer.  WIll undoubtedly struggle in short term.  Great upside and long term potential.

Now
1) Houston
2) New Orleans
3) Dallas
4) Memphis
5) San Antonio

3-5 Years
1) Houston
2) New Orleans
3) San Antonio
4) Memphis
5) Dallas

I think New Orleans would finish last in th Southwest. They're aren't enought talent aound Kobe for him to win. I feel my team is better now.


Rose>>Westbrook
Mayo<<<Bryant
Prince>>Jonhson
Kirilienko>Davis
Foster=Noah

I think the Spurs can compete with anybody in the division.

AK 47 will get bullied by glen davis. Who is NO's Johnson?

[indeedproceed]

New Orleans really needs to sit one of Davis or Amir and get a real SF.

[Roy Hobbs]

Well, plenty of people have given their analysis already, and I feel like a lot of them did so better than I can. Still, I just can't help myself

---FWOOSH---
It's time for... Tom and Steve's CELTICSBLOG FANTASY DRAFT ANALYSIS: ATLANTIC DIVISION

TOM: Tonight we're breaking down the Atlantic Division, and I have to say, Steve, there are a lot of teams to like here.

STEVE: You're right, Tom. Now that most of the quality guys are in uniform, the division races are really starting to shape up. Particularly here in the Atlantic. I love what Toronto has put together...

TOM: Toronto? They traded away their best scoring option in Arenas! Counting on Artest to lead you sounds like a bad idea for a reality show, let alone a basketball team.

STEVE: Andre Miller is a much better fit for this team at the point. And he's no slouch in the scoring department himself, averaging 16.3 points last season. He's also a far better distributer than Arenas is or ever will be, averaging 7.6 assists per game. For those keeping track at home, that puts him at 13th in NBA history in assists-per-game.

TOM: Isn't KG a big question mark from an injury standpoint?

STEVE: Not really. This is a guy who never had any sort of major injury issues until last year. I expect him to settle in fine once he knocks the rust off. Between him, Camby, and Artest, this is going to be a scary team on defense, and if we've learned anything it's this: Defense. Wins. Championships.

TOM: Thanks. The unnecessary over-punctuation really sold that one. Those of us who think scoring is kind of important, on the other hand, are really looking at the Celtics. This team looks like it could be one of the most talented teams in the league right now, with Dwayne Wade, Leandro Barbosa, and Lamar Odom carrying the load offensively.

STEVE: What? The Sixers look just as talented, if not more so, and their players actually fit well together. They won't be trying to find a way to play three bigs at the same time for the entire game.

TOM: Odom has put in plenty of time at SF over the years; while he's a bit of a liability there defensively, his offensive game isn't as ill-suited for the position as you seem to think.

STEVE: And what about the Knicks? Vince Carter is an unstoppable force on offense, Deron Williams is the best young point guard not named Chris Paul, and Perkins is a defensive beast in the paint.

TOM: He'll also lead the league in technicals without KG to babysit him. I really like New York, but I have to admit that they're pretty thin past those three players. They're strong enough on defense that I think they'll be in it until the end, though, even in a division as tough as this one.

STEVE: Let's go back to Philly for a minute. You've got Carmelo Anthony, Andrew Bynum, Baron Davis, Emeka Okafor, and Ronnie Brewer. Their worst starter averaged over 13 points a game last year!

TOM: And outside of Davis, not a single starter is over 26 years old. They're pretty good, but I like them better a couple of years down the road than I do right now.

STEVE: So it looks like the odd man out in this division is...

TOM AND STEVE TOGETHER: The Nets.

STEVE: And I feel bad about it, too. They've got some great talent and tons of experience. They're not quite talented enough to win now, and are simply too old to win later.

TOM: With the age of those players, you've got to expect that they finish this season in the Atlantic basement.

STEVE: That's going way too far. They can still play with the best of them - this team would probably win the Southeast. Still, it'll be tough playing in a division like this one.

STEVE'S PICKS:
1. Toronto Raptors (Defense. Wins. Championships.)
2. Philadelphia 76ers (tons of talent that can actually be on the court at the same time)
3. Boston Celtics (players don't mesh well, Odom out of position)
4. New Jersey Nets (just a bit too old)
5. New York Knicks (lack of depth ends up killing them)

TOM'S PICKS:
1. Boston Celtics (most talented by far)
2. Philadelphia 76ers (great talent, slightly too young)
3. New York Knicks (well-balanced, though depth is a concern)
4. Toronto Raptors (KG and Camby will both miss time, possible Artest meltdown)
5. New Jersey Nets (not enough left in the tank to hang around)

Pretty classic.  I must say, I'm more in line with "Steve's" thinking here, although I go back and forth on Toronto and Philly. 

[indeedproceed]

I feel like Jonah Jameson ins spiderman. WHO IS THIS GUY?!

Which one of you guys is the one always bringing in nice photos?

[The Walker Wiggle]

Meanwhile, I tip my cap to GABerkowtiz for a tighter and more modest Southwest overview than I'm capable of writing; degree of difficulty was high.

I do feel I owe the Hornets' GM a more generous appraisal than his own.

New Orleans Bryant still threatens to exert his will over the division (the conference, the league...). And, out of O'Neal's shadow once and for all, with his place in history secure, Kobe may relish the challenge of his new role as player/"coach" in New Orleans. This month, Russell Westbrook has already outplayed the field in Orlando's Summer League and outplayed his competition (Rose, Harris and Augustin) in USA Basketball's four day minicamp. While Noah and Davis have the makings of the league's most emotional and physical young front court, and one of its hottest tickets. Lastly, Amir Johnson may not be a natural small forward, but it should be hard to keep the long - and long on talent - shot blocker off the court.

[KCattheStripe]

The Memphis Grizzlies are confused as to how they could be fourth in their division and still be considered in the hunt for a 4-5 seed? Are we over or under rated? Are we good, bad, great or terrible? Or are we just a collection of very good players whom no one knows enough about to give the proper credit, but who are also good enough that people can't outright dismiss us?

Who knows?

[indeedproceed]

The Memphis Grizzlies are confused as to how they could be fourth in their division and still be considered in the hunt for a 4-5 seed? Are we over or under rated? Are we good, bad, great or terrible? Or are we just a collection of very good players whom no one knows enough about to give the proper credit, but who are also good enough that people can't outright dismiss us?

Who knows?

You're either over-underrated or under-overrated.

Just think how awesome it would be to just be rated. No prefixes to hold you down, just you and the open road. Goin wherever the wind takes you. Ahh..

[The Walker Wiggle]

Memphis's self-assessment may be the best I've ever come across. Worth at least one Tommy Point.

[KCattheStripe]

The Memphis Grizzlies are confused as to how they could be fourth in their division and still be considered in the hunt for a 4-5 seed? Are we over or under rated? Are we good, bad, great or terrible? Or are we just a collection of very good players whom no one knows enough about to give the proper credit, but who are also good enough that people can't outright dismiss us?

Who knows?

You're either over-underrated or under-overrated.

Just think how awesome it would be to just be rated. No prefixes to hold you down, just you and the open road. Goin wherever the wind takes you. Ahh..

Johnny Ramone: I just wanna be just RATED!

I'm not sure why we're hard to gauge. I see us as a 4-7 seed with championship aspirations 2-4 years from now. Not a bad window.