Preview of Tonight`s games....

[Greenbacks]

:nohead:....Let me start off by saying...I did not write these articles,or publish them :lol:and i am not the editor:missingte....These are copied and pasted from another site....Just some information i find helpful,so i am passing it along.Hopefully it can give someone an edge to win some money....So please don1t give me credit....OK Uno :tongue2:




Preview: Atlanta at Orlando

With his ability to dominate in the paint, Dwight Howard is recognized as one of the most feared players in the NBA.
Howard and the Orlando Magic look to get off to a strong start to the season in Wednesday's opener against the visiting Atlanta Hawks, who are trying to build off a surprising finish to 2007-08.
Orlando went 52-30 last season to win its first division title since the strike-shortened 1998-99 season. It eliminated Toronto in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs to win its first postseason series since 1996 before losing to Detroit in five games in the semifinals.
It was the Magic's best season in a decade, and Howard was responsible for most of the success.
Howard earned first-team All-NBA, second-team All-Defense honors and finished fifth in MVP voting. He averaged 21.0 points, a league-high 14.2 rebounds and led the NBA in double doubles with 69. The 2008 slam dunk champion was also fifth in blocked shots (2.1) and third in shooting percentage (59.9).
In four games against the Hawks last season, Howard averaged 16.5 points and 13.8 rebounds in leading the Magic to two victories.
"It's amazing, because he scares the (excrement) out of me," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "He's doing it with both hands, he's making his free throws now. C'mon man, that's tough when you've got a big guy that can defend the ball, score, make free throws and block shots and rebound. I mean, there's nothing he can't do right now."
After last season, Howard helped the United States win the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, and now he has his sights on contending with Boston, Detroit and Cleveland for supremacy in the East.
"Got a gold medal now," Howard said. "Time to win a championship."
Orlando lost guards Keyon Dooling, Carlos Arroyo and Maurice Evans, but returns a strong scoring core with Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis.
Turkoglu averaged 19.5 points and shot 40.0 percent from 3-point range, while Lewis averaged 18.2 points and made 40.9 percent of his shots from beyond the arc last season. The Magic led the East in scoring (104.5), finished second in the conference in shooting percentage (47.4) and led the league with 801 3-pointers.
"This moment never comes for too many people like this," Howard said. "Not many people win a championship. We have the right opportunity, the right players, the right coaching staff. We're in a great position to do that."
The Hawks are probably a few years away from contending for a championship, as their focus is trying to prove last season's finish was not a fluke.
Atlanta went 37-45 to earn the East's final playoff seed and made its first postseason appearance since 1998-99. The Hawks faced Boston in the first round and took the eventual NBA champion Celtics to seven games. Atlanta won all three games at Philips Arena, but lost by at least 19 points in each game in Boston.
"Last season is last season. It's something to build on, but it's behind us now," Woodson said. "I'm sure the guys have a wonderful taste in their mouths, especially the guys who had never been to the playoffs.
"But I know what it feels like to win a title and, boy, it would be unbelievable if that ever happened with this team. In order to do that, we've got to put forth the time and effort ... make it happen. Nobody is going to give you the title. You have to earn it."
The Hawks return leading scorer Joe Johnson, who averaged 21.7 points, and Josh Smith, who averaged 17.2 points and 8.2 rebounds, but lost valuable sixth-man Josh Childress to a team in Greece.
Atlanta will count on two players who made their Hawks debuts last season to make bigger impacts in 2008-09.
As a rookie, center Al Horford gained confidence throughout the year. He averaged 10.1 points, a team-high 9.7 rebounds and was named the runner-up for the NBA rookie of the year award.
Point guard Mike Bibby was acquired at last season's trade deadline to direct the offense, and he averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 assists in 33 games for Atlanta.
"We've got something special here," Johnson said. "Now, we've really got to validate what we did in the playoffs."

 

[Greenbacks]

Indiana At Detroit

Many observers felt the Detroit Pistons were due for some rebuilding after a third straight conference finals exit in 2007-08. Instead, the team's only major change was a coaching one.
Michael Curry makes his head coaching debut as Detroit looks to put last season's disappointing end behind it, starting with a home game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in the teams' 2008-09 openers.
The Pistons have been one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams over the past seven seasons, reaching the playoffs each time and capturing the last four Central Division titles. Detroit went 59-23 in 2007-08, but lost to Boston in the conference finals.
Despite its recent status as a perennial NBA title contender, Detroit has won only one championship during that seven-year span, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004. The Pistons have reached the conference finals six straight times - the first franchise to do so since the Lakers went to eight in a row in the 1980s - but they're also the first in more than a half-century to lose in that round three years in a row.
After last season's exit, speculation began that Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars would opt for wholesale changes to an aging roster. Instead, all five starters from last season return, although 21-year-old forward Amir Johnson has been inserted into the starting lineup, taking the spot of 34-year-old Antonio McDyess.
Dumars did make one big change, firing Flip Saunders, who coached the Pistons from 2004-08. He promoted the 40-year-old Curry, an assistant under Saunders who has no head coaching experience.
"Patience is always going to be my toughest thing to do," Curry said. "Being able to lead, communicate and knowing the game are things I've always been real comfortable with."
While Curry is working with the same key group of players that combined to hold opponents to a league-low 90.1 points per game last season, he'll be looking to work some of the team's youth, such as 25-year-old forward Jason Maxiell and second-year pros Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo, into bigger roles.
"Our core guys are back, but we'll be different," Dumars said. "We're going to incorporate young talent, and we've added a new, young coach."
Veterans Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton figure to led the Pistons again offensively. Hamilton scored a team-high 17.3 points per game last season, his lowest average since he was a rookie in 1999-2000 with Washington. Billups averaged 17.0 points and 6.8 assists in 2007-08.
While the Pistons figure to contend again for a division title, the Pacers will need to make some big improvements coming off their second straight losing season.
Indiana finished 36-46 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year - the first time it failed to reach the postseason in back-to-back seasons since 1987-88 and 1988-89. The Pacers struggled with injuries to forward Jermaine O'Neal and point guard Jamaal Tinsley, two of their top contributors in 2006-07, and although they averaged 104.0 points - seventh-highest in the NBA - they gave up 105.4, the fifth-most.
"We were so porous," Indiana's Jeff Foster said. "We got to get that nailed down and good things will happen."
O'Neal, a six-time All-Star with the Pacers, was traded to Toronto for point guard T.J. Ford and centers Rasho Nesterovic and Roy Hibbert - the 17th overall pick in the 2008 draft - in July. Ford and Nesterovic are expected to start Wednesday.
Veteran Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush, the No. 13 selection in the draft, were also picked up in the offseason from Portland.
Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger turned in career seasons for the Pacers in 2007-08, with Granger averaging 19.6 points and 6.1 rebounds and Dunleavy adding 19.1 points and 5.2 boards per game.
Dunleavy, though, was limited in the preseason by a knee injury and may not start Wednesday.
Detroit swept the four-game series against Indiana last season, winning by 13 and 16 points in the two games at The Palace. The Pistons have won six in a row versus the Pacers and nine of the last 11 meetings.
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[Greenbacks]

Preview: Phoenix at San Antonio


The days of seven seconds and shoot have set on the Phoenix Suns.
But after last season's first-round playoff exit to Wednesday night's season-opening opponent - the San Antonio Spurs - a change in philosophy might be the best thing for them.
With Mike D'Antoni taking his up-tempo pace to the New York Knicks, Suns president of basketball operations and general manager Steve Kerr selected former Spurs teammate Terry Porter as the Suns' new bench boss.
"Obviously, there will be differences and there will be nuances," Kerr said. "But the key for us was having somebody who would be balanced on both sides of the ball, who wanted to continue to push the ball and maintain our up-tempo style but could also help us come in and improve defensively."
Phoenix was third in the NBA with 110.1 points per game last season, but allowed 105.0 - 25th in the league. Porter spent the past two seasons as a lead assistant in Detroit, and the Pistons led the league in scoring defense at 90.1 points per game in 2007-08.
"I will be hands-on when it comes to the defense," said Porter, who coached the Milwaukee Bucks from 2003-05. "When you talk about defense, there's got to be a desire there, and there's got to be a lot of repetition."
It will take that if the Suns hope to compete in the loaded Western Conference.
"I think it is a championship-caliber team," Porter said during his press conference in June. "I think they have some pieces in place that have obviously competed at that level over the last four years."
Many of the same pieces from last season's 55-27 team are back, but the Suns' core has burned through plenty of miles.
Two-time MVP Steve Nash turns 35 in February and opens his fifth season in his second stint with the Suns. Last season, Nash averaged 16.9 points and his 11.1 assists per game were second in the NBA to Chris Paul. Nash ranked second in three-point percentage at 47.0 and fifth in free throws at 90.6 percent.
Even with a new coach, the Suns' floor general doesn't expect a down shift in the Suns' high-octane offense.
"I'm not really concerned that we're going to change styles completely." Nash said.
Shaquille O'Neal begins his first full season with the Suns after last February's trade with Miami. In 28 regular-season games with the Suns, O'Neal averaged 12.9 points and 10.6 rebounds. He went for 15.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in the playoffs, and the 36-year-old O'Neal said next season - his 18th - will be his last.
If last season was any indication, Amare Stoudemire will thrive playing a full season next to the mammoth center. In the 29 games after O'Neal's debut on Feb. 20, Stoudemire averaged 28.5 points. He averaged 25.2 points and 9.1 rebounds overall, joining Nash on the All-NBA second team.
An ankle injury, torn iris and dislocated left pinkie in the preseason has the seventh-year forward looking ahead to the 82-game season.
"Thank God (the preseason is) over," Stoudemire said.
Porter will start Matt Barnes, who was acquired from Golden State, over Grant Hill at the small forward position, while Raja Bell starts at the shooting guard position. Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa, first-round draft pick Robin Lopez at center and first-year guard Goran Dragic round out a deep rotation for the Suns.
While the Suns adjust to Porter's coaching style, the San Antonio Spurs will stick with what's worked under Gregg Popovich. Despite last season's Western Conference finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Spurs have the league's longest playoff streak at 11 years, winning titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007.
"We have a proven system. We have a proven bunch of guys," said Tim Duncan, who begins his 12th season. "And we like our chances."
Those chances were hurt when Manu Ginobili, an All-NBA third team selection, had surgery on his left ankle in September and could be sidelined until December.
Tony Parker, Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley and Fabricio Oberto join Duncan in the starting five, although Parker, 26, is the youngest of the group.
"Isn't Tony (Parker) still like 19?" Duncan joked. "We'll be all right. We're still old. We'll stay old."
Robert Horry was not re-signed and Brent Barry signed with the Rockets, but the Spurs - the oldest team in the NBA for the fourth straight season - signed 28-year-old Roger Mason Jr. from Washington, where he averaged 9.1 points in 2007-08.
San Antonio defeated the Suns in five games in their first-round playoff series last season after eliminating Phoenix in six games in the 2007 Western Conference semifinals. Phoenix has won its past two regular-season games in San Antonio after losing 12 of the previous 13.
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[Greenbacks]

Preview: Memphis at Houston



Another strong season for the Houston Rockets resulted in yet another bitter playoff disappointment in 2007-08. The controversial addition of Ron Artest may give them their best chance yet to snap out of that familiar pattern.
Artest makes his Houston debut as the Rockets begin their quest for their first postseason success in more than a decade on Wednesday night by hosting the rebuilding Memphis Grizzlies in each team's season opener.
Houston suffered its sixth consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs last spring, and still hasn't won a playoff series since advancing to the Western Conference finals in 1997.
The Rockets' latest postseason failure overshadowed their surprising regular season, during which they put together the second-longest win streak in NBA history at 22 games and finished 55-27 despite losing Yao Ming to a stress fracture in his left foot in February and missing Tracy McGrady for much of the season because of nagging injuries.
With Yao and McGrady getting healthy again and Artest on board, the Rockets hope to take the next step this season.
"I've been waiting for this for a while," said the 29-year-old McGrady, limited to 66 games last season because of elbow, knee and shoulder problems. "I know I get criticized for not leading my team out of the playoffs, but it's hard when you don't have those pieces to elevate you to that next level. Now I have that. We'll see what happens."
Artest brings more than his share of baggage. He's perhaps best known for his role in the brawl with fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills during a game early in 2004-05. He was suspended for the remainder of that season, a total of 73 games - the league's harshest punishment ever for a fight.
Artest, a 6-foot-7, 246-pound forward who averaged 20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals for Sacramento last season, has also been arrested for domestic abuse and had a dog seized from his California home because it was malnourished.
He insists, however, that he's not going to be making any more trouble with the Rockets.
"I'll be ready," he said after the trade was made official in August. "Whatever (coach Rick Adelman) needs me to do, come off the bench, be the sixth or seventh man, start, I don't even care. Whatever he needs me to do, I'm 100 percent sure it's going to work."
Artest could be particularly integral for the Rockets with McGrady's status for Wednesday still uncertain. The two-time league scoring champ revealed at the start of training camp that his left shoulder was arthritic and will require surgery after this season. McGrady also said his left knee was healing slower than expected from surgery in the spring.
"I'm gaining confidence," he said Tuesday. "I've been through three straight practices, grinding it out. A game is going to be a little bit different. Hopefully, it's all positive, because I want to get out there with the guys."
Meanwhile, Yao has proclaimed himself 100 percent healthy and will start against Southwest Division rival Memphis, which has finished in last place in the division with a 22-60 record each of the last two seasons.
The Grizzlies, though, have higher hopes for 2008-09 thanks to a wealth of young talent led by Rudy Gay. The 6-foot-9 swingman emerged as a star last season, joining Cleveland's LeBron James as the only players in the league to average at least 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals.
Gay was limited to 12.8 points and 36.7 percent shooting from the field as Memphis dropped three of four meetings with Houston last season.
He will be joined by rookie guard O.J. Mayo, who's making the leap to the NBA after one season at Southern California. The No. 3 overall pick impressed second-year coach Marc Iavaroni with his preseason performance.
"He has displayed the character and quality you need in a great player and potentially a great leader," Iavaroni said.
"He's willing to work hard, he's willing to be coachable, he's willing to fight through adversity, he's willing to fight through inconsistency whether he's getting 28 points one night or eight the next. He's shown a real resilience that's going to be real important to him, especially at this point of his career."
Iavaroni's club was 0-2 at the Toyota Center last season, extending its losing streak there to four games dating to a 93-81 victory April 15, 2006.
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[Greenbacks]

Preview: New Orleans at Golden State


They have arguably the league's best point guard in Chris Paul, one of the deadliest 3-point threats in Peja Stojakovic and talented big men Tyson Chandler and David West patrolling the paint.
Mix in a lock down defender in newcomer James Posey, and it appears that the New Orleans Hornets have all the ingredients for a championship run.
When they open their season Wednesday at Golden State, the Hornets face a Warriors team missing its top two scorers from last season.
In their first full season back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina forced them into a two-year stay in Oklahoma City, the Hornets pushed the San Antonio Spurs to Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals after winning a franchise-best 56 games and its first Southwest Division title.
"Some of the stuff we did last year is crazy to think about now," Paul said. "Those records are set, and now we've got to set one record for this franchise, and that's to win a world championship."
In just his third season, Paul was a first-team All-NBA selection after averaging 11.6 assists and 2.7 steals - the first player to lead the league in both since Utah's John Stockton in 1992. Paul scored a team-high 21.1 points per game while hitting 85.1 percent of his free throws and nearly 37 percent from the 3-point line.
"Chris Paul, in my mind, he's the best point guard in the league," New Orleans coach Byron Scott said.
West had a breakout 2007-08 and was a first-time All-Star with career bests in points (20.6) and rebounds (8.9), Chandler scored a career-high 11.8 points per game and was fourth in the NBA with 11.7 rebounds per contest, while Stojakovic was fourth in the league with a career-best 44.1 percent from beyond the arc.
"David West has emerged as one of the best young power forwards in this league, Tyson has emerged as one of the best young centers in this league and everybody keeps forgetting about Peja, who is still, to me, the best shooter in the NBA," Scott said. "So I don't look at us as a 'Big Three.' I look at those four guys as really our 'Big Four.'"
New Orleans signed Posey to a four-year, $25-million deal in the offseason. Posey averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 26 postseason games last season as the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship. Posey also won a ring with the Miami Heat in 2006.
"This is why you play the game, for the opportunity to compete for championships and a chance to win one," Posey said.
For Golden State, the goal this season is figuring out a way to replace its top two scorers. Despite leading the NBA in scoring at 111.0 points per game, the Warriors missed the playoffs after going 48-34 in a loaded Western Conference. Baron Davis led Golden State with 21.8 points and 7.6 assists per game, but opted out of his final year and signed a five-year, $65-million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden State countered by signing the Clippers' top scorer last season - Corey Maggette - to a five-year, $50-million deal. Maggette averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 2007-08.
"He's been one of the most productive players in our league for the last several years, and provides us with additional versatility and veteran leadership," said Chris Mullin, Golden State's top basketball executive.
After averaging 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season, Golden State guard Monta Ellis was rewarded with a six-year, $66-million contract in July.
In late-August, Ellis injured his ankle in a mo-ped accident, but told the team he injured himself during a pickup game in Mississippi. Ellis' decision to lie about his injury cost him approximately $3 million as team president Robert Rowell suspended Ellis for 30 games without pay.
"He's a 22-year-old young man who has done a lot of great things to get himself into a position where he was to get a $66 million contract," Rowell said. "We have faith in him that he's going to continue to prosper and be a great player in this league."
Golden State lost Mickael Pietrus to Orlando and Matt Barnes to Phoenix, but re-signed center Andris Biedrins to a six-year contract, traded for point guard Marcus Williams from New Jersey, and signed Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf.
New Orleans won two of three matchups against Golden State last season.

 

[Greenbacks]

Preview: New Jersey at Washington


The trade of Jason Kidd during the season had been long-rumored, but when the New Jersey Nets dealt Richard Jefferson over the summer, it seemed they were intent on rebuilding.
The Washington Wizards committed a lot of money to retaining their core players, but they'll start the season without perhaps their most important piece.
No one knows exactly when Gilbert Arenas will return from offseason knee surgery, but the Wizards will try to survive without him once again starting Wednesday night when they open at home against the youthful Nets.
Washington (43-39) made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season in 2007-08, losing to Cleveland in the first round for the third straight postseason. Even getting in, though, wasn't easy. Caron Butler missed 24 games due to a hip injury and center Etan Thomas missed the entire season after open-heart surgery, not to mention Arenas playing only 13 games after having his second career knee surgery.
Butler and Thomas are healthy heading into Wednesday night's opener against the Nets (34-48), but the Wizards will be missing two starters, and they're not sure when either will return.
Starting center Brendan Haywood had surgery in mid-October to repair a torn wrist ligament, and he may miss the entire season, but it's the uncertain status of Arenas that is the even greater concern. Despite his injury history, the Wizards signed him to a six-year, $111 million contract in the offseason, just months before Arenas had a third surgery that will likely sideline him until at least December.
"It's just been the story with us - stay healthy, stay healthy. Everybody's saying the same thing for the last three years: 'We've got to stay healthy.' But that's the bottom line," forward Darius Songaila said. "Otherwise, we're never going to know what we can do."
Butler and Antawn Jamison will have to do the bulk of the scoring until Arenas returns, and they've certainly proved to be capable of carrying the team. Butler was the only player in the league to average 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals last season. Jamison - who signed a four-year, $50 million extension this summer - was one of only two players in the Eastern Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"We have to do what we have to do until Gil comes back," said Antonio Daniels, who averaged 8.4 points last season and will replace Arenas in the starting lineup. "That's easier said than done, but last year, we got a little experience of what we need to do."
The Nets will be looking to stay competitive despite a more youthful group than they've had in years. Fourth-year point guard Devin Harris, who was the key piece in the trade that sent Kidd to Dallas, will be one of the few Nets with any significant playoff experience.
New Jersey has only seven holdovers from last season's team, the first Nets squad to miss the postseason in seven years. One of those is Vince Carter, New Jersey's leading returning scorer at 21.3 points per game.
Other than Carter and Harris (14.8 ppg), the next-highest returning scorer, Josh Boone, averaged just 8.2 points last season.
The big offseason move in New Jersey was the trade of Jefferson to Milwaukee for veteran small forward Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian, the sixth overall pick of the 2007 draft. Jefferson was coming off his best scoring season, averaging 22.6 points to finish ninth in the NBA, but general manager Kiki Vandeweghe felt with an aging core, the decision to deal Jefferson was the right one.
"If we stood pat and didn't do anything, we realized we weren't going anywhere," Vandeweghe said. "We're getting to where we wanted to be. Patience is what you want with young players as long as they are working hard."
Simmons and Jianlian will get plenty of time, and, up front, New Jersey will rely on a trio of young players. Boone, second-year player Sean Williams and rookie first-rounder Brook Lopez all figure to see major minutes in the paint.
Despite the youth movement, Nets president Rod Thorn says there's a lot of optimism.
"I can't say I have scaled (my expectations) back," Thorn said. "I think we will be competitive, I really do."
The Nets won two of three from the Wizards last season - all before the Kidd trade.
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[Greenbacks]

Preview: Miami at New York



Coach Mike D'Antoni left Phoenix for New York to begin erasing the culture of losing for the Knicks. Dwyane Wade is hoping the addition of a talented rookie can start rebuilding the recent winning tradition of the Miami Heat as the teams begin their season Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
A franchise in utter disarray for most of the past two seasons, the Knicks took their first steps at restoring their legacy by hiring respected basketball executive Donnie Walsh as team president late last season. Walsh, in turn, hired D'Antoni in the offseason after reassigning previous coach and president Isiah Thomas within the organization.
D'Antoni, who won three Pacific Division titles while averaging 58 victories in his four full seasons, is now figuring out how to incorporate his up-tempo offense with much of the same roster - assembled mostly by Thomas - that went 23-59 en route to New York's seventh consecutive losing season.
"We've got to know that it's a tough, tough road and it's not just going to be, 'Oh man, they're great,"' D'Antoni said. "It's not going to be that way. It's going to take some tears and hard work, and it's going to take a lot of ... lot of moxie on these guys."
D'Antoni does have some offensive talent with guards Jamal Crawford (20.6 ppg in 2007-08) and Nate Robinson (12.7), plus power forward Zach Randolph (17.6). Quentin Richardson likely will get the first chance to produce at small forward since he played under D'Antoni at Phoenix in the 2004-05 season, while David Lee will provide help in the paint for Randolph.
The Knicks are hoping free agent acquisition Chris Duhon, who signed a two-year, $11 million contract in July, can guide the offense. He never averaged more than 8.7 points in any of his four seasons with the Bulls and struggled in 2007-08 - scoring 5.8 points per game while shooting 38.7 percent.
"Are the Knicks one of the best teams in the league? No, not at all," Duhon said at the time of his signing. "But the opportunity to be part of a change is also great and something I'm looking forward to. People don't realize when I went to the Bulls, we were kind of in the same situation and we were able to turn that around."
D'Antoni also may have to find a spot for enigmatic guard Stephon Marbury, who is getting paid more than $21 million in the final season of his contract, but also lived up to his reputation as a malcontent at times last season, most notably when he left the team in Phoenix after a disagreement with Thomas. Marbury was limited to 24 games in 2007-08 due to ankle surgery and averaged a career-low 13.9 points.
Since winning the 2006 NBA title, the Heat have gone from champions to swept in the first round attempting to defend their title in 2007 to now attempting to rebuild from a 15-win season that matched the worst in franchise history - established upon entering the league in 1988-89. Wade's injuries were a key reason for that rapid fall from grace, having played just 51 games in each of the last two seasons because of shoulder and knee ailments.
But fully healed and coming off a stellar performance in helping the U.S. to the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics, where he was the team's leading scorer, Wade is ready to lead a team that has been re-tooled since the departure of center Shaquille O'Neal.
"Of course on paper there is a lot of teams more stacked than us, better than us on paper," said Wade, who averaged 24.6 points and 6.9 assists in 2007-08. "But we have got to use what we have to get over the hump, come out early on and find a way to stay above water."
The silver lining of the 15-win season came in the form of the No. 2 pick in the draft, which the Heat used to select forward Michael Beasley. The 19-year-old became the second straight freshman - following the path Kevin Durant blazed at Texas before being drafted No. 2 by Seattle in 2007 - to dominate the Big 12 Conference, averaging 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds while shooting 53.2 percent in his only season at Kansas State.
"Michael can flat-out do it all," Wade said of Beasley. "He's one of those players who does things in practice you've never seen. His athleticism, his skill level, it's just there. He'll be able to come in and play right away."
Erik Spoelstra will make his NBA coaching debut after being promoted by team president and former Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley in the offseason. Spoelstra, who turns 38 on Saturday, is the youngest coach in the league and the first Filipino-American coach in NBA history. But the long-time member of the Heat staff - having joined the franchise as a video coordinator in 1995 - is confident in his ability to make the jump.
"I wasn't totally blind to what head-coaching responsibilities are. I've seen this, closely, now for 13 years," Spoelstra said. "I've watched it pretty intently the last couple of years. That's just part of it. It's going to be a big challenge. It's going to be a big change. But I'm ready to take that step right now."
Spoelstra likely will start Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem alongside Wade and Beasley, but the point guard position is still up for grabs among Chris Quinn, rookie Mario Chalmers and Marcus Banks.
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[Greenbacks]

Preview: Sacramento at Minnesota


Although they feature contrasting styles, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings both missed the playoffs last season. For that result to repeat itself in 2008-09 would not be a surprise.
Minnesota hopes to showcase an improved inside game Wednesday when it debuts rookie Kevin Love against high-scoring Kevin Martin and Sacramento in the season opener for both teams.
The Timberwolves went 22-60 last season - their first since trading all-time franchise leading scorer and rebounder Kevin Garnett to Boston. While that deal worked out well for the Celtics - who won the NBA title - Minnesota endured major growing pains. However, Al Jefferson, acquired in the Garnett deal, had a breakout season.
Jefferson finished third in the league with 55 double-doubles (Garnett had an NBA-high 69) and averaged career highs of 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in his fourth season. He should now have more help in the frontcourt with the arrival of Love.
Love, acquired from Memphis in a draft day trade after being selected fifth overall, helped lead UCLA to the Final Four in his only season in college. The burly forward is known as a bruising rebounder who likes to mix it up in the paint.
"That's really what gets me started, gets my blood flowing, gets me going in the offense and defense as well," said Love about rebounding. "So I just gotta get out there every day and that's one thing that I can control; how many times I hit the boards and go to the offensive and defensive rebounds."
Minnesota coach Randy Wittman expects the strength of his club to be a frontcourt that features Jefferson, Love and second-year forward Craig Smith.
"With Al, Kevin and Craig, we need to jam it inside when we're not hitting perimeter shots," he said. "If we do that, we'll be fine."
Sacramento went 38-44 in coach Reggie Theus' first season, then dealt second-leading scorer Ron Artest to Houston in August after tiring of the volatile swingman's antics. The Kings have other options to fill minutes on the perimeter, with double-figure scorers John Salmons and Francisco Garcia expecting to see increased playing time while helping star shooting guard Martin shoulder the scoring load.
"They have an opportunity to get a lot of minutes," Martin said. "And they can make the most of these opportunities because it'll probably reflect on their careers. So I know they are excited, and thats the X-factor for us this year."
Entering his fifth season, Martin is coming off the best campaign of his career and is now the centerpiece of Sacramento's rebuilding effort. He averaged 23.7 points last season to rank sixth in the NBA, and also shot better than 40 percent on 3-pointers for the first time.
Up front, the Kings are hoping second-year center Spencer Hawes and first-round draft choice Jason Thompson can adapt quickly to the NBA. Hawes averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in limited minutes last season, but showed flashes of potential in the preseason with averages of 11.4 points and 7.9 boards.
"I'm interested in watching the young guys and to watch the team grow," Theus said. "We have a lot of veterans who got a lot of minutes (last season). So they are going to play a big part in the growth of these young guys because they need it and they need to know what the NBA is all about."
Martin averaged 33.0 points against the Timberwolves last season, but the Kings lost two of three meetings.
</BLOCK></BODY.CONTENT>

 

[Greenbacks]

Preview: Denver at Utah


After winning consecutive Northwest Division titles and three playoff series in the last two seasons in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference, the Utah Jazz feel they're on the brink of something bigger in 2008-09.
Of course, they're unlikely to get very far without their most important player.
The Jazz will begin their season without injured point guard Deron Williams, who will be recovering from an ankle sprain when Utah welcomes the Denver Nuggets to Salt Lake City on Wednesday.
Since the Jazz selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Williams has improved in each of his three seasons, missing only four total games over that span and developing into one of the league's best point guards.
Last season, he ranked third in the NBA with 10.5 assists per game, also averaging 18.8 points, shooting better than 50 percent from the field and starting all 82 games.
Williams won't duplicate that last feat this season, however. He injured his ankle in the preseason and is likely to miss at least the first two regular-season games, but X-rays were negative and the Jazz are hoping he won't be out any longer than that. Ronnie Price and Brevin Knight will be the point guards in his place.
"We can't do anything about it, other than hope he gets healthy as soon as possible," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "Our job still remains the same regardless of who's here."
Utah will also begin without reserve Matt Harpring, who has been dealing with an infection that resulted from ankle surgery. With Harpring out, former All-Star Andrei Kirilenko has become the sixth man, with youngster C.J. Miles sliding into the starting lineup.
There's still plenty of optimism entering Sloan's 21st season at the helm. The Jazz's roster remains almost unchanged from last season, when they went 54-28 and advanced to the West semifinals, eventually falling in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"We're going to come out here, try to dominate and try to get a championship," forward Carlos Boozer said. "Whoever we have to go through, we go through them."
Boozer will again draw plenty of attention from opponents after averaging a career high 21.1 points in 2007-08, also ranking in the NBA's top 10 with 10.4 rebounds per game. He shot nearly 55 percent from the field, helping the Jazz rank second in the league as a team in that category (49.7 percent).
Utah was especially good at home, going an NBA-best 37-4. The Jazz won both of their home games against the Nuggets last season by 27 points.
They've won nine of their last 11 overall against their Rocky Mountain rivals, and they had little trouble scoring against Denver in 2007-08, averaging more than 120 points in the teams' four meetings and winning three of them.
With that in mind, the Nuggets have set their gaze on improving an unsightly defense. They allowed 107 points per game last season - the second-worst in the league - then traded away former NBA defensive player of the year Marcus Camby during the offseason.
But coach George Karl didn't run any offensive drills early in training camp, and offensive-minded stars Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson both said the team has rededicated itself to defense.
"I know a lot of people are saying that our defense left when Marcus Camby left," Anthony said. "So, I think that gives us motivation to go out there and prove to everybody that we are going to come together as a team and play defense.
"I'm pretty sure you guys will see a different defensive team this year from the Denver Nuggets."
Karl is hoping the return of Nene to the starting lineup will help. Nene missed most of last season due to testicular cancer, but he's slated to take Camby's spot and the Nuggets are looking for him to regain his 2006-07 form, when he averaged 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Despite their defensive woes - and thanks mostly to the league's second-best offense - the fast-paced Nuggets went 50-32 in 2007-08 and captured the West's final playoff spot. Iverson and Anthony were both among the top four in the league in scoring, with each averaging more than 25 points.
But Denver was swept out of the first round by the Lakers, the fifth straight season the team has been knocked out in the West quarterfinals. The Nuggets have won only four total postseason games over that span.
"I've been in this league going on my 13th year and I've been to the finals once. I would have thought I'd have been there five or six times by now and won a championship," Iverson said. "So, obviously, the commitment is there from me to sacrifice my game, do whatever the team needs me to do."
</BLOCK></BODY.CONTENT>

 

[Greenbacks]

Preview: L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers


The Los Angeles Lakers played 103 games between the regular season and the playoffs in 2007-08, then the team's two leading scorers spent the summer representing their respective countries in the Olympics.
After a blowout win in their home opener, they won't get any rest yet.
The Lakers will be visitors in their own home Wednesday at Staples Center against the new-look Los Angeles Clippers, who are hoping to have Los Angeles native Baron Davis healthy and in the lineup for his Clippers debut.
The Lakers (1-0) made it to the NBA finals last season before losing to Boston in six games, but that wasn't the end of the summer for Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Bryant led the United States to a gold-medal game victory over Gasol and Spain, adding eight more grueling games to a Los Angeles season that spanned 103 contests from late October until mid-June.
Bryant and Gasol didn't look fatigued in their season debut on Tuesday night, however. Bryant scored 23 and Gasol 15 as the Lakers blew out Portland 96-76 at Staples Center.
"We worked very hard defensively and we played together as a group," Gasol said. "We just had so many weapons to use and we had that talent that we need to win."
The Lakers also enjoyed the return of center Andrew Bynum, who didn't play after mid-January last season due to a knee injury. Bynum scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds on Tuesday.
Bynum and the Lakers will be back on the court on Wednesday, this time as the visiting team in the season opener for the Clippers (23-59). There will be a number of new faces for the Clippers this season, and that process all began when power forward Elton Brand signed a five-year, $82 million deal with Philadelphia on July 9.
A day later, the Clippers tried to make up for the loss of their best player by signing a former All-Star from division rival Golden State. Davis, who grew up in Los Angeles and went to UCLA, signed a five-year, $65 million deal to give the Clippers a playmaker at point guard they've long been lacking. The Clippers used seven point guards last season.
"He's going to make it easier for everybody else," said second-year forward Al Thornton, who averaged 12.7 points last season. "We know Baron can score and create his own shot. But Baron is going to create easy shots for everybody and he's going to do his thing, as far as scoring the ball. Maybe now I'll be able to get some easy buckets. Last year I had to work for everything."
The Clippers can only hope Davis and the new supporting cast can have better luck against the Lakers than last year's team did. The Lakers won all four meetings with the Clippers last season by an average of 26.0 points.
Davis averaged 22.5 points against the Lakers in four games in 2007-08.
In all, the Clippers have nine players who played elsewhere last season. Leading scorer Corey Maggette left for Golden State, but in an effort to replace Brand's big body up front, the Clippers traded for former defensive player of the year Marcus Camby.
The problem with the two most significant acquisitions - Davis and Camby - has been keeping them on the floor. Davis played one preseason game due to an injured finger, and Camby didn't play at all because of a bruised right heel. Coach Mike Dunleavy is optimistic Davis will play against the Lakers, but Camby is almost certain to sit out.
"It's been tough from the standpoint of a little bit of the chemistry, guys playing together," Dunleavy said. "There's nothing we can do about it. The young guys have gotten a chance to learn about playing in the NBA."
One of those young guys is first-round draft pick Eric Gordon. The shooting guard, who averaged 20.9 points as a freshman at Indiana to lead the Big Ten in scoring, averaged 14.6 points in the preseason to lead the Clippers. He's just one of the reasons Davis feels like this could be a much improved Clipper team.
"It comes down to trust and sacrifice and hard work," he said. "With the amount of talent we have, we should be a pretty good team. The potential is great, definitely playoff-potential type of team."

 

[Greenbacks]

No previews for....

Bucks - Thunder

Raptors - Sixers

 

[Greenbacks]

Good luck :toast:

 

[Greenbacks]

Bump :drink:

 

[bluestreaks23]

Hawks +7.5, Heat +3 ,Bucks +2.5, Hornets -6, Pacers/Pistons Under 187.5

 

[seriousaddiction]

hawks, clips, maybe indiana