HOUSTON ROCKETS
Everyone wants to see what will happen with the James Harden situation, I get it; so do I. However, a big piece of me wants to see him stay. If you add him to that roster, it’s pretty scary. They got a lot of pieces to make some noise in the West and be a tough out come playoff time. So let’s start with the obvious… “Mr. Dougie” himself, John Wall! John has been out of basketball for so long man. I think some people may have forgotten how good he is but I sure didn’t. He was certainly not the best PG in the game, but he was for sure arguably a Top 5 PG for a minute. And although he may not come back on that same level, he’s still a top PG in this league. He has always had a chip on his shoulder and I don’t expect that to go anywhere. In fact, I fully expect that chip to be a lot bigger now. He has a lot of people that I am sure he wants to remind how good he is. What I always thought was crazy about John is that he has played the same exact way since I seen him in high school. We were on the same team at the Reebok Breakout Camp, which was the new underclassman camp for Reebok. He was just some kid from North Carolina. Nobody had really heard of him and he wasn’t on any rankings at the time. By the end of camp that all changed though. Saying he was fast with the ball would be an understatement. He would fly up the court weaving through traffic, almost looking like he was out of control low key, then takeoff and punch on somebody down the lane with the left. That was wild man, not going to lie. He blew up right after that camp too, look it up. So to see him do the same exact thing at every level since then is crazy like I said. Back to the Rockets though, John will be tough for them. He has had a ton of time to work on getting his jumper right which really will make him hard to guard. Him and The Beard as a backcourt is a nightmare for teams. Will they coexist? Only time will tell. John isn’t the only piece though.
Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins is back as well. And we all know what Boogie brings. He is a walking double-double that can pass, handle it, and shoot it. He is out to remind some people about how good he still is, too. My biggest concern with Boogie will be on the defensive end. Will he be able to guard the pick & roll? Every team is running it and every team is going to put him in it. If he can’t then they’ll be forced to go small, but that’s where my next piece comes in at. Christian Wood. He can play small-ball 5 and still give you great rim protection. A lot of people may know C-Wood from popping on the NBA scene last season with the Pistons. However, real hoopers and hoop junkies have known about him for awhile, especially if you followed the Gleague. I played with C-Wood in the G and it was clear as day that he did not belong down there. His skillset mixed with his size makes him elite. There was a week or two stretch where he averaged 40 points and 17 rebounds down there; he looked like Giannis with a jumper. So once he got his chance in the league again, I knew what was going to happen. So you got all these guys plus PJ Tucker, Eric Gordon, Daniel House, and a few others. I mean that is a nice looking roster.
Their X-factor though, isn’t even a player.
Stephen Silas is the new head coach of the Houston Rockets. I don’t know what style of basketball we are going to see, but after watching the first preseason game, it’s evident that we will see an actual offense. That excites me! Don’t get me wrong, James Harden with “D’Antoni Freedom” is damn near unstoppable. However, it’s hard to watch sometimes and it doesn’t win when it counts. Potentially seeing Harden play within a real offense again will be dope. So I hope he stays in Houston. They don’t have any chance to come out the West but they will be fun to watch and scary to play come playoff time.
BROOKLYN NETS
The best team in the East and my favorite to get to the Finals. This roster is loaded with talent. They have everything a championship-caliber team needs: perimeter shooting, shot creation, pick & roll threats, rim protection, switch-ability defensively, and most importantly, clutch performers down the stretch. There’s a few questions that need answers though:
Will they be able to put it together year one?
I honestly think they will. Their role guys, Dinwiddie-LaVert-Harris-Prince-Allen-Jordan, fit in easy with ball dominant guys. They all bring something to the table too that will win games for them. After making the playoffs in recent years without major superstar power, I think this year they really feel they can win it all so they’ll do whatever is necessary.
Will Kyrie & KD coexist?
First, let me start by saying that I am so excited to have them back in the league. KD is in my personal Top 5 players to watch. He is box office damn near every night. Word on the street is that he looks better than he did before which is really scary for defenses across the league. Kyrie is must-see TV. He is by far the best ball handler & finisher I’ve ever seen. You can’t teach what he has. I don’t care what he does off the court, on the court he is a certified killer and is out to get a ring without LeBron. As far as coexisting, I think they can do it. KD is a different PIC than LeBron. He can play off the ball better, he isn’t an alpha personality, and he doesn’t need a ton of shots to put up points. Kyrie is a different PIC than Russ, too. Kyrie’s ability to shoot allows him to be a bigger threat off the ball. And although he is not as good of a playmaker as Russ, he is a better scorer. I mean these guys on the court together, they might average 60ppg.
How will Steve Nash be as a head coach?
I truly believe Nash will be a great head coach. Not because of his schemes, X’s and O’s, or anything like that. It’s because he is a great leader. His experience being a 2-time MVP and all-time great PG, he knows how to leads teams. He understands what they’re thinking as players and will know how to reach them and get them to buy in; he’s already done it before. There will be a learning curve for sure, but come mid-season, they’ll be fine. Being a coach is more than just coaching, especially in the NBA. I mean think about this, you’re trying to coach guys who make more money than you. How do you get them to buy in? Oftentimes they have huge egos too, and think they know better than you. How will he get them to listen? RESPECT. Those guys may not respect him as a coach because he isn’t proven yet, but they definitely respect him and his knowledge as a player. That will go along way. He’s worked with KD for years already before this too which will help.
Regardless of how it all plays out though [cough, cough.. finals], as a hoop junkie I am just excited to have KD and Kyrie back. Brooklyn will be showtime all season.
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