Dwight Howard trade cements death to small markets

By Kshell

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Dwight Howard it just continued a long going trend that has been happening in the NBA for a while. That trend being that small market teams simply can't compete in the NBA. Howard isn't the first Super Star to be dealt from a small market to a major market and he isn't going to be the last. In the NBA the rich continue to get richer while most of the league sits back and enjoys being not a factor. The Lakers roster now features six former all-stars in Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest and Antawn Jamison. Of those six all-stars they drafted none of them and only Bryant has played his whole career there. The Lakers aren't the only team doing that as they are just trying to keep up with their rivals the Miami Heat.

When Lebron James announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach" along with Chris Bosh the Miami Heat formed a "super team" who won a championship this past season. The Heat's roster has five former all-stars in Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Of those five all-stars only Wade was drafted by the Heat. James left a small market in Cleveland while Bosh left Toronto for Miami as well. Players want to play in big markets, great weather and win a title. Since teams in big markets and with great weather have players flock to them they are naturally able to win a title as most great players go play for them. The two overwhelming favorites in the NBA are the Lakers and Heat who feature 11 former all-stars and only one was drafted by that team. This is a scary trend for the NBA which back in the 1970's saw eight different teams win an NBA championship. Since 1980 to the present day only nine teams have won an NBA championship. Los Angeles Lakers(10 titles), Chicago Bulls( 6), Boston Celtics(4), San Antonio Spurs(4), Detroit Pistons(3), Houston Rockets(2), Miami Heat(2), Philadelphia 76ers(1) and Dallas Mavericks(1). There is no parity in the NBA that is for sure.

For a small market team to win the NBA title you need to get really lucky. First you need to win the lottery to draft a franchise changing player like a Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, etc. Second you need that player to want to stay with your team which so far only Tim Duncan has done with the Spurs. Duncan led the Spurs to four NBA championships as he was the #1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. Duncan wasn't joining a terrible team either as they had super star David Robinson who had basically missed the previous season so they immediately became a success. The only other way to succeed is to suck bad enough so you are in the NBA lottery and strike gold. Also helps having an owner who is best friends with the commish so he can give you Kevin Durant landing the #2 pick in a year with Kevin Durant, then sucking again to draft Russell Westbrook with the #4 pick then sucking again to draft James Harden with the #3 pick which is what Oklahoma City did. Under this current format there is a good chance Oklahoma City won't be able to keep all three guys there. NBA history shows one of them will bolt and still no players will continue to go there. Nothing against Oklahoma City or any other small market but NBA players don't like small markets. They want to play in Los Angeles, New York or Miami. That is where the endorsements are, that is where the beautiful women are, that is where a lifestyle outside of basketball is. Tim Duncan stayed so the Spurs won four titles, remember when Kevin Durant is a free agent he'll be 26 years old so he'll be in the exact same spot in his career which Lebron James was in. 20 years from now nobody is going to remember that Lebron James played for Cleveland.

Let's go back to the 2008 "Redeem Team" roster shall we? You had Chris Paul(New Orleans), Kobe Bryant(Los Angeles), Carmelo Anthony(Denver), Lebron James(Cleveland), Dwight Howard(Orlando), Deron Williams(Utah), Chris Bosh(Toronto), Jason Kidd(Dallas), Michael Redd(Milwaukee), Dwyane Wade(Miami), Tayshaun Prince(Detroit) and Carlos Boozer(Utah). Of those 12 guys you see 10 guys not playing for Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. As of right now nine of those guys are playing in Los Angeles(Bryant, Howard, Paul), New York(Anthony, Kidd, and Williams) and Miami(James, Wade and Bosh). Boozer left for a big market as well in Chicago while Redd and Prince careers fell off so nobody really wants them. So that is 83% of the team is now playing in big markets which screams small market teams just don't matter in the NBA.

As a northwest fan this sucks I must say. It hurts knowing that when we do get a team and they are the Sonics again we are playing against a stacked deck. On this current 2012 team only Kobe Bryant was the only player not picked in the top 10. So the only chance a small market has is to suck for multiple years in a row like Oklahoma City while also being in a draft with a game changing player like a Tim Duncan or Kevin Durant. Meanwhile Los Angeles, Miami and to a lesser degree New York will continue to clean up on free agents. David Stern in the 1980's decided to feature the players with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird instead of the teams. Due to that the players have all the power in this league which means the teams don't. Lebron James set the stage also for if players are willing to take less money to join forces to create a super team. No the Howard trade didn't change anything at all just cemented the fact that the big market teams in this league are going to continue to get better. While the small market teams are going to have to continue to fight a stacked deck which is made to prevent them from winning championships. That is the NBA that David Stern built which sucks for all small market teams. Basically as long as David Stern is commish small markets teams don't stand a chance.

Two words I'd thought I'd never utter in my lifetime.........Go Lakers!

By Kshell

There is a saying that an enemy of my enemy is now my friend. That is how I feel about the second round playoff matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Zombie Sonics. Sports can be funny sometimes but I'd put this in the cruel category where I'm forced to root on a team that growing up was my first sports team I ever hated. Many people make the mistake that the Seattle Supersonics biggest rivals were the Portland Trail Blazers but that simply wasn't the case. Minus the 1978 season neither team was good at the same time. When the Blazers were contenders the Sonics were rebuilders, when the Sonics were contenders the Blazers making the playoffs as a bottom seed. No the Sonics true rivals were the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and of course the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have ended the Sonics season five times in their history including twice in the Western Conference Finals and twice in the 1990's when the Sonics had homecourt advantage in both series. Still the Lakers are the lesser of two evils this series and I'll be rooting for them even though it's going to be painful.

Before I can get into why I'm rooting for the Lakers this series(should be pretty clear) I have to explain why it's so painful. There is a deep playoff background between these teams. Back in 1978 the Sonics who started off 5-17 made the playoffs led by new coach Lenny Wilkens. That would mark the first of three straight years the Sonics-Lakers would face off in the playoffs. In this best of three series the Sonics would earn their first ever playoff series win defeating the Lakers two games to one. In 1979 on their way to the franchises only championship the Sonics faced the Lakers in their first round(actually second as top two seeds received byes) which they won four games to one.  That series though featured two overtime games and four games decided by six points or less which the Sonics won three of them. Then in 1980 the Lakers had a rookie sensation at point guard named Magic Johnson. Despite winning 56 games(four more than their title year) the Sonics lost out on the division title to the Lakers but would square  off with the Lakers in the western conference finals. The defending champs upset the Lakers on their home floor in game one 108-107. Then the Magic dynasty started as the Lakers rattled off four straight wins including the final three by six points or less. That paved way to the 1980's as Magic dominated the league winning three MVP's and five NBA championships including a title that year while going to the NBA Finals eight times that decade. In the 1986-87 season the Sonics who were the 7th seed with a losing record shocked the #2 seeded Dallas Mavericks then #3 seeded Houston Rockets before once again facing Magic and the Lakers. The Lakers swept the Sonics in the Western Conference Finals led by Magic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Michael Coopers defense. The Lakers won game one by five points, game two by eight points then game three by a score of 122-121 before blowing out the Sonics in game four. In the 1988-89 season the Lakers swept the Sonics in second round as Magic Johnson would go 3-0 against the Sonics in the playoffs.

In the 1990's Magic Johnson had came down with HIV virus so the Lakers weren't dominant anymore. The Sonics were the new team on the west coast as they swept the Lakers in the regular season five games to zero in the 1993-94 season in earning the top record in the NBA. The Sonics would of course choke in the first round to the Denver Nuggets. The following year Nick Van Exel would become a Sonics killer as the Lakers won four of five in the regular season against the Sonics. The Sonics would face the Lakers as the 4th seed who won 57 games while the Lakers had won just 48. In game one at the Tacoma Dome the Sonics blew out the Lakers 96-71. Then in game two the Lakers had built up an eight point lead then a sudden power outage happened in the Tacoma Dome killing the momentum. When the game resumed the Sonics made a run but would lose 84-82 as the Lakers stole home court. In game three the Sonics would lose 105-101 which had them facing elimination once again. Then in game four the Sonics were up by nine points after the first quarter and led by eight heading into the fourth only to see the Lakers outscore the Sonics 32-20 to end their season 114-110. After the Sonics won the Western Conference title in 1995-96 the Lakers would sign Shaquille O'Neal. In a tight division title race that came down to the final day the Lakers would lose to the Blazers as the Sonics won the division title over the Lakers. Again in the 1997-98 with Shawn Kemp traded everyone expected the Lakers to win the division title. Once again came down to the final day only the Sonics defeated the Blazers in Portland to clinch the division crown for the third straight year and fourth year out of five. Those two teams would square off in the playoffs. The Sonics would win game one at home before losing the final four games to the Lakers which marked the end of the George Karl era in Seattle.

As you can see this Lakers franchise has caused the Sonics fans plenty of grief in thier lifetime. With all that said I'd kill to live those moments again vs the garbage we have to deal with now which isn't having a team. Seeing ESPN jerks posting our stuff as Oklahoma City stuff. I have no choice now to become the type of person that I hated which is cheer on Kobe Bryant and hope the Lakers knock off the Zombie Sonics. The Lakers defeated my team fair and square but what those dirtbags in Oklahoma City did was rip out my heart and now with Durant being so incredibly good like we all knew he would be they are now stomping on my heart  as well. The Lakers have already defeated the Zombie Sonics back in 2010 but this Zombies team is different. The Zombies are trying to take over the Lakers as the premiere team out West since the West has only seen three teams make the NBA Finals since 1999 which is the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. The Zombies are challenging that and hopefully Kobe Bryant still has one last run left in him. This is a great series from a basketball standpoint as you have the estbalished franchise with the established super start going up against the up and coming franchise with the rising super star. Both will be starters this summer on Team USA as well. For now I have to root for the Lakers despite growing up hating that team for breaking my heart in the 1995 playoffs and then putting the final nail in the George Karl era which led to this mess.

At the end of the day in sports when you watch games whether you like to admit it or not you are always rooting for a team. When the Washington State Cougars take on the Oregon Ducks I say "Go Cougs!" as they are the lesser of two evils. In this matchup the Lakers are the lesser of two evils as they didn't pack up and leave my city to some dust bowl in the middle of nowhere. The Zombie Sonics are going to go on a run and the only thing that can prevent that is the Lakers who seem to destroy every young team's chances at making runs. The Lakers since 1980 have won 10 NBA championships and made 16 NBA Finals. They are the most successful franchise in the NBA in the last 30 years and there isn't really a close second. So to this I say Go Lakers proudly! Sure I'll most likely be rooting against them in the Western Conference Finals but for this series I want the Lakers to win. Look they are the lesser of two evils and I encourage everyone in Seattle to hop on the Lakers bandwagon for just this series.

SSB weekly rant: May 5th-11th edition

By Kshell

This week my rant won't be as controversial as last week which received some hate messages for calling out a KJR host. Instead this week I'll focus on the Seattle Mariners going to play the New York Yankees at Yankees stadium. As the Mariners prepare for the Yankees they'll have a rookie returning to the place where he was supposed to be part of their future but was traded. The Mariners will also be sending their ace Felix Hernandez who lately has been fantastic in New York. I'll also touch on a former Sonics coach who is doing everything in his power to provide a major upset in these playoffs. A coach who in my personal opinion someday belongs in the basketball hall of fame as he is one of the most underrated coaches in the NBA.

Today the Seattle Mariners are taking on the New York Yankees as Felix Hernandez takes the hill. In his career against the Yankees Hernandez is 6-4 in 11 career starts having thrown 79.1 innings with three complete games and one shutout. He has a 3.29 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 66 strikeouts. However since 2009 Hernandez has simply dominated the Yankees.  Hernandez in seven starts has been 5-1 having thrown 55 innings(7.2 IP a start) with 2.12 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. He has recorded 47 strikeouts(7.7 K's per 9) with three complete games including a shutout. His lone start last year at Yankees stadium he recorded the win having pitched seven innings allowing one run. That win was signficant because the Mariners had been on a 17 game losing streak which of course their ace ended. Hernandez the last three years has stepped up his game when going up against the Yankees and I'm excited to see what he will do today.

This series in New York will also have the return of Jesus  Montero to Yankees Stadium. Montero this offseason was traded to the Mariners for Michael Pineda(who is out for the season). Montero was the prized prospect for the Yankees and last year in 61 AB's he hit .328/.406/.590 with four home runs and 12 rbi's with nine runs while catching only three games. This year Montero is experiencing his first full season in the majors as he is the Mariners DH but also catches some. This year in 112 AB's Montero is hitting .268/.282/.420 with four home runs and 16 RBI's. He has also scored 10 runs while playing in 11 games at catcher all of which were starts. Montero is only 22 years old and since Pineda is out for the year the Yankees will be very bitter if Montero were to have a big series. Since New  Yorkers drive me nuts I hope Montero has a big weekend so the Yankees crowd can turn on their own because that makes me very happy.

How about the job that former Sonics head coach George Karl is doing? He lost what should have been his franchise player in Carmelo Anthony last year only to continue putting the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. This year after trailing three games to one to the heavily favorite Los Angeles Lakers the Nuggets led by Karl have forced a game seven. Karl is coaching circles around Lakers head coach Mike Brown which TNT analysis Charles Barkley makes a note of every game. Karl is one of the most underrated coaches in the NBA. In his NBA career he is 1,074-731(.595) in 24 seasons. In those 24 seasons Karl has seen his teams win 50 plus games 11 times and two of those years were strike shorten seasons. Karl has coached five different teams leading all five teams to the playoffs.

In Seattle the Sonics won the championship in 1979 with 52 wins then followed that up with 56 wins in 1980 as they lost in the Western Conference Finals. After 1980 until Karl's first full season in 1993 the Sonics won over 50 games just once which was in 1982 when they won 52 games. Then Karl comes to town and the Sonics win 55 plus games every year from 1993-1998. After Karl was fired the Sonics won 50 plus games just once in 2005 when they won 52 games. Karl took the Milwaukee Bucks who had won 52 games to a game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 a franchise that prior to his arrival hadn't advanced that deep since 1986 when they lost to the Boston Celtics. That was the Bucks first 50 win season since 1987 and his first year he took them to the playoffs in 1999 which was the Bucks first playoff trip since 1991. He then takes a one year break to go to the Denver Nuggets. During the 2004-05 season Karl took over midseason as the Nuggets were only 17-25, Karl went 32-8 with the Nuggets leading them to the playoffs. He has taken the Nuggets every year to the playoffs in his eight year career with them. In 2009 he led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals their first playoff series win since well they beat his Sonics in the famous 1993-94 upset. That was the Nuggets first Western Conference Finals since 1985 when they lost to the showtime Lakers. Karl has won seven division titles, made four conference finals and one NBA finals in his career. Karl is a legendary coach and I hope every finally appreciates his greatness as he belongs in the hall of fame damn it!

Well that was my weekly rant sorry if my Karl rant ran a little long but it does bother me that his name doesn't get brought up with the elite coaches. The Mariners will have a fun series this weekend in New York as the Yankees prized prospect returns home wearing the Mariners gear. Meanwhile King Felix gets to pitch on the big stage which he has done a great job of lately. The NBA playoffs has been terrific so far which hurts because I miss the Sonics even more. I'm glad you listened to my rant and hopefully my rant on Karl either confirmed what you had already thought or changed your mind a little on him. Karl is one of the greatest coaches in Seattle sports history and firing him just started the downhill spiral of our franchise.

I still miss my Sonics

By Kshell

The stage was all set this year for the Sonics as they have just won the Northwest Division title. The Sonics feature a young team that is poised to win some titles especially after the Kendrick Perkins trade. The Sonics feature Kevin Durant who was the youngest scoring champion last year and led the league in scoring once again. The Sonics will face a familiar face in George Karl whose division rival Denver Nuggets will face off with the Sonics. The Sonics have given us a nice distraction from the Mariners terrible start, NFL lock out and the Huskies disappointing season. Then all of a sudden I woke up from my dream or am I leaving reality to a nightmare right now? Our team was stolen three years ago in July yet the pain still exists for me. This still feels like some sort of nightmare and at any moment I'll join reality where the Sonics featuring Kevin Durant are hoisting the championship trophy. In this following post I'll talk about my memories of the Sonics growing up and the pain I feel now. I won't talk about who is at fault because we all know who is(Schultz, Bennett,Stern and Nickels). So hope you enjoy this following post how the city of Seattle still misses their team.

Growing up in Southwest Washington there was a divide in our area between Seattle SuperSonics fans and Portland Trail Blazers fans. You see where I grew up we are only 50 miles from Portland but Seattle is the home state team. I was a Sonics fan my very first sports team I got into and my very first sporting event I went to was a Sonics game. It also helped that the Sonics growing up in the 1990's were the best team in the northwest which as a kid matters quite a bit. The first year I got into the Sonics was my second grade year when the Sonics had the best record in the entire NBA going 63-19. My dad bought me a Sonics shirt for the playoff ride as this was the year Seattle was going to win their first title since 1979. Well after being up two games to none the Sonics lost both games in Denver to force a game five. I remember at no point did my dad think the Sonics would lose the series. He was complaining how going five games will tire us out down the stretch. I still remember that game as the Sonics were bailed out by a Kendall Gill tip in to force overtime. The Sonics would ultimately become the first team to ever lose in the first round of the playoffs as the #1 seed. The NBA was forbidden in my house for the rest of the playoffs so unless I was at my grandparents house I missed most of that playoffs(I did see the O.J. car chase though).

The following year in third grade is when I really got into the Sonics. For those who went to Mint Valley Elementry school with me can testify I wore Sonics clothes every single day. I even bought a shirt with the schedule on the back. That year is when I went to my first Sonics game ever which took place at the Tacoma Dome that year. We lost to the Spurs by three points as David Robinson had a big game(he would win the MVP that year). I don't remember much from the game other than the Sonics had 37 rebounds as a team and Dennis Rodman had 27 rebounds by himself. I also remember Sam Perkins signing autographs for a bunch of fans at halftime. I also bought a Shawn Kemp home jersey at the game. That christmas I got a brand new Sonics starter jacket which was the best gift I could have got plus I still have that jacket. When the day comes I'll have my son wear that jacket to still represent the Sonics. That year once again the Sonics would lose in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers which saw them lose three straight heartbreakers. Most people thought George Karl was going to be fired. I'll never forget Karl in the postgame press conference crying pleading to the public to forgive him and keep his job. The Sonics would keep Karl and be rewarded.

In my fourth grade year was probably the best sports year of my life to date. The year began with the Seattle Mariners miracle 1995 run which alone would make for a great year. Then Washington Huskies football won a share of the Pac-10 title and the basketball team surprised everyone and made the NIT. The Seahawks had their first non losing season since 1990 as well going 8-8 and even had a shot at the playoffs that season. Still my first love the Sonics were having a great season. Overshadowed by the Chicago Bulls 72-10 season the Sonics had the best record in the Western Conference and once again were the #1 seed. The Sonics won game one without my favorite player Shawn Kemp who was suspended as they defeated the Sacramento Kings in game one behind Gary Payton. Then Kemp returned in game two only for the Kings to upset the Sonics at Key Arena where they had lost just three times all year. I was so down I remember being so upset I took down my Kemp posters. I was thinking not again not another first round choke job. Then in game three down in Sacramento the Sonics found themselves trailing by double digits I had a sick feeling in my stomach at that point. I remember the Sonics came back led by Frank Brickowski of all people drilling some three pointers. The Sonics would clinch in game four and finally win a playoff series. The Sonics would then sweep the two time defending champions Houston Rockets(had gone 12-0 against them previous two years). Then the Sonics blew out the Jazz in game one and in game two the Sonics rallied behind a great Shawn Kemp dunk. The Sonics would then rally game four to take a three games to one lead. Then the Sonics lost game five at home in overtime then were blown out in game six forcing a game seven. The Sonics won that game seven and due to the Bulls being so dominant that felt like a championship. I celebrated with my dad and was so excited. I went to school that monday wearing my Payton jersey and was so pumped up about the win. Then the Sonics were down 3-0 to the Bulls rallied to win the final two at home before losing in the finals. Then that offseason destroyed basketball in Seattle.

That offseason the Sonics felt they had to get a big man. The Sonics lost to the Bulls mainly because they were dominated inside by Luc Longley and Dennis Rodman. The Lakers had just signed Shaquille O'Neal as well so the Sonics counter by signing Jim McIlvaine. That single move destroyed the Sonics mini run they had going. The Sonics would once again win the Pacific Division on the last day of the season as the Portland Trail Blazers upset the Lakers. The Sonics would defeat the Phoenix Suns in five games but would lose to the Houston Rockets in seven games in the second round. After the game Shawn Kemp said he had played his last game as a Sonic. Kemp was unhappy with his contract and how McIlvaine was making more money than he was. Kemp would be traded in a blockbuster deal that brought in Vin Baker. That 1997-98 year saw the Sonics win their fourth division title in five years. George Karl became just the third coach in NBA history to win 55+ games with the same team for six straight years. I went to a game that year at Key Arena where the Sonics won their 55th game that is when I bought my Vin Baker jersey. After another playoff loss to the Lakers in the second round Karl was fired. The Sonics in his six seasons won 55+ games, won four division titles, went to two western conference finals and one NBA finals. The Sonics just weren't the same after that. At the time I was spoiled I was so mad at the Sonics for once again breaking my heart in the playoffs that I figured that was normal to make the playoffs every single year as a high seed. I would quickly find out those were my peak years as a fan.

After Karl was fired it was pretty hard being a Sonics fan. It was really tough for me who was spoiled by success that the Sonics started to struggle while the Blazers were enjoying their run. After four straight lackluster seasons which saw the Sonics bounced in the first round in five games twice the unthinkable happened. It was my junior year and I remember getting home from school and seeing on espn.com that Gary Payton had been traded. I wanted to like our new owner Howard Schultz but it was tough after trading away the franchises best player. The Sonics did bring back Ray Allen who was the best pure shooter in the game at the time and probably still is. Still growing up Payton and Kemp were my favorites and those two were officially gone. What made it even worse was the offseason where Payton signed with the hated Lakers. I liked Payton so much I also did the unthinkable I wanted the Lakers to win a title that year so Payton could win. The Sonics were becoming an afterthought as well since the Seahawks and Mariners had become good. The Sonics who once ruled the city of Seattle found themselves the third team on the pecking order.

I'll never forget my first year of college in Ellensburg, Washington at Central Washington University. I didn't know anyone at first so I watching the Huskies who went on to be the #1 seed in basketball which wasn't a surprise. The big surprise was the Sonics who were picked to finish last place. That Sonics team was my favorite individual sports team ever probably due to my age I could appreciate them more than my youth. This Sonics team came out of nowhere and had Mr.Sonic Nate McMillan coaching the team. The team featured Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis with the rest of the roster full of scrappy players. The Sonics won the first ever Northwest division title that year then were up two games to one against the Sacramento Kings heading into game four. I still remember the Sonics trailing by double figures then Ray Allen went off. Allen would score 45 points and when he hit the falling away three pointer to ice the game I remember freaking out. The Sonics would win a playoff series then face the heavy favorites the San Antonio Spurs. The Sonics down 2-0 came back home and won both games at home. Then in game six in a back and forth game the Sonics finally lost by a Tim Duncan buzzer beater. I was never more proud of a Seattle sports team than I was that team. Then a few months later Nate McMillan left to our rivals the Blazers which pissed me off. Then a year later doom hit Schultz sold the team to out of state owner Clay Bennett which had me worried.

After another disappointing season I remember the day the draft lottery happened. I was sitting in my college house with my two roommates as the Sonics landed the #2 pick we celebrated so much. I thought by landing Durant the Sonics were safe no way this team was moving. I remember my Blazers roommate rubbing it in that the Blazers had the #1 pick and Greg Oden. I was excited for the Sonics as Wally Walker was finally gone and Kevin Durant was coming to Seattle. The year ended with the Sonics having their worst season in franchise history but that was all right the team was young. Then in July the darkest day happened the Sonics were leaving to Oklahoma City. Our own damn city sold the team out and got nothing in return. The Sonics had two years left on their lease and Mayor Greg Nickels let the team leave. The worst part is not only did they leave they got to share the history which still to this day pisses me off! We lost our team, history and a great talent like Kevin Durant. Durant the only Seattle Supersonic ever to win rookie of the year by the way. No matter what Durant does remember he was drafted by Seattle and like our team was stolen from us.

Now because so many idiots got rich by being sell outs the fans are the ones who are left to suffer. The only professional championship that was won in anyone's lifetime is no longer in our city. The Sonics were the most successful franchise having won six division titles, reaching six Western Conference finals, reaching three NBA Finals and winning a World Championship. Our history is gone and so is the Sonics yet I get the impression I'm in the minority who is outraged by all this. Look how ESPN felt so "sympathic" to Cleveland for the Lebron James situation. What about Seattle who lost Durant and our team!!! Only Bill Simmons will bring up the Sonics situation while the rest of the media pretends nothing happened which makes me sad. I hate how casual fans or fans of other teams just expect Seattle fans including myself to just "move on". Makes me sick to my stomach when the Hijack City Zombie Sonics were in the playoffs last year and ESPN bragged up how great their fans were. I know their fans didn't do anything but when you have feelings for someone and see them with someone else you naturally don't like that person she is with. That is how I feel about Oklahoma City and I hope Durant leaves them in five years.

The Sonics leaving did so much damage to so many people. I take a look at myself for example. I always felt the Sonics were the big reason why my dad and I grew so close growing up. We always had the Sonics to talk about regardless of how good or crappy each of our days went. Huskies football dominated the discussions but that was just 12 games a year while the Sonics were 82 games plus playoffs. I remember going to games with my dad with the Sonics and how them winning/losing meant so much to us. I also remember years later in my college years calling my dad talking Sonics. I feel for kids growing up what are they going to do? The city of Seattle has produced so many great NBA players you have to wonder what the absence of an NBA team will do going forward. All I know is the Sonics built a great relationship between my dad and myself. Of course David Stern didn't think of that as he ripped my heart out of my soul.

In conclusion, I still miss my Sonics. I miss playoff basketball and I'd kill to see the Sonics get upset in the first round again. I'd take that over what we have now which is nothing. Instead the city of Seattle has a crappy baseball team to watch right now when we should be getting ready for the playoffs. This used to be my favorite time of the year the NBA playoffs as a kid where Key Arena would be rocking loud. Now I'm left wondering if we'll ever get a team back. Nobody seems to care far as the "important" people go. On Dave Niehaus day Costco had Howard Schultz do an autograph signing which didn't sit well with Sonicsgate Adam Brown who was removed for simply wearing a Sonics hat. Earlier that week the city council of Seattle named a day statewide Starbucks day. Now today the NBA named Clay Bennett head of the relocation committee. I feel as if people are intentionally trying to rub Seattle's faces in the crap that they took on us. I'm still heartbroken about the team being gone and still am in shock. I know it has been three years but it feels like it has been 10 years since we last had an NBA team. I wish nothing but bad things for the league as long as David Stern is running the show. I just want my team back. I still miss my Sonics and like most Sonics fans I sit at night watching old youtube clips of the Sonics. They can take our team and history but these jerks can't take away the memories. I saw Seattle clinch the western conference championship, my dad remembers when they won the title in 1979, I remember where I was when Shawn Kemp would throw down a monster dunk. Just remember that fans don't be afraid to openly miss the Sonics and if someone tells you to get over it tell those people to get bent. I just hope someday I can wake up from this nightmare and see Kevin Durant hoist that trophy for Seattle.

Please commissioner Larry Scott move the Pac-10 tournament from L.A please?

By Kshell

Well folks the calender reads March so it's that time of year. That time of year where every conference has a conference tournament to showcase their conference to the nation. While every other conference is racing with Jimmy Johnson behind the wheel the Pac-10 will have the old 60 year old driving behind the wheel. As is often the case the Pac-10 finds themselves as the old man who yells "Get off my porch!". The Pac-10 has everything backwards which isn't the current commissioner Larry Scott's fault but he sure can help things. The Pac-10 has a terrible t.v. contract for football and basketball. The Pac-10 also has without a doubt the worst conference tournament going. A conference tournament that has the worst attendance in the nation can easily be fixed. In this following blog post I'll explain why moving the conference tournament from the nicest arena in the conference and second biggest city in the nation will improve the tournament. I'll suggest the logical venues such as a basic rotation since every Pac-10 soon to be Pac-12 team has an arena that could host such a tournament. I will also think outside the box and suggest a city that doesn't even have a Pac-10 soon to be Pac-12 team.

First I'll explain why Los Angeles is such a bad city to host such a big tournament. First of all Staples Center is way too big. Unless the Los Angeles Lakers are playing behind Kobe Bryant this place has often looked very empty. Just ask the Los Angeles Clippers before Blake Griffin arrived. I'd rather the conference tournament be in a stadium that is slighty too small than too big. Los Angeles also isn't the greatest sports city in the world. There is a reason why the NFL hasn't been there in over 15 seasons. Los Angeles is well known for arriving late and leaving early. It didn't take much effort the Washington Huskies fans to take over Los Angeles when the Huskies swept the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins. Both crowds were split half and half showing Los Angeles has bigger and better things to do. Unless the UCLA Bruins or USC Trojans are playing in the game nobody else cares. The other games will often be empty as you'll see tomorrow when the Apple Cup round three takes place at 8:40 p.m. It's not too late for Scott to make a bold move and move from Los Angeles. Now I've determined that Scott should move from Los Angeles you are wondering where should they go?

I think the Pac-10 soon to be Pac-12 could go two different directions. I'll offer up the most fair solution which is a basic rotation. You could rotate between Phoenix(satisfies the Arizona schools), Oakland/San Jose(Bay Area), Portland(Oregon's), Seattle(Washington), Denver(Colorado), Los Angeles(LA schools) and even Spokane(Washington State). All these places have hosted NCAA tournament games with great success. In the past NCAA tournament games were lame atmosphere's but with the pod system there is more life to them. Last year the Huskies took over San Jose just like the year before at Portland. Spokane has done a tremendous job over the years hosting the tournament. All these places can host an NCAA tournament and some even the elite eight so surely they can host a conference tournament. Plus by rotating it keeps the tournament fresh and I think more of a fan turn out would happen. If your team is struggling say like the Huskies are this year why go? I'll just wait next year to go to Los Angeles. While if it's rotating and let's say the tournament is in Phoenix when spring training is going on some fans might go anyways. With a rotation every fan base will have the opportunity to see their home team at least once in a decade. Unlike other conferences the Pac-10 soon to be Pac-12 has arena's for every group of teams that have had NBA games/hosted NCAA tournament games. The downfall is how can you make noise to the folks on the east coast when it is stuck up in Spokane? Well I have my personal favorite solution that I think fits the fair category, fan excitement category, and making noise back east.

I suggest moving the tournament to Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes that is correct I just suggest Sin City, the gambling capitol of the world, a city that doesn't even have a team in our soon to be 12 team conference. I also have a vision and I know Vegas would work and be the best thing for this conference. Anyone who has been to Vegas is nodding their head in agreement with me right now. If this tournament was in Vegas you wouldn't be reading this instead you would be in Vegas having a great time. The West Coast Conference tournament just finished and it was a huge success. The crowd was into it and there was plenty of fans there. Who wants to watch a championship game where there is more empty seats than people? I sure as hell don't! In Vegas which is the tourist capitol of the world fans would flock in full force to check out the tournament. Vegas offers plenty of things to do throughout the day as well. Not suggesting Los Angeles is some boring city at all but in Los Angeles the bars close at 2 a.m. Not in Las Vegas you can drink all night long. There is tons of casino's and hotels everywhere for people to stay at. Las Vegas also is a cheaper flight than Los Angeles. Las Vegas is still only four hours away from Los Angeles and six hours from Phoenix. Las Vegas would provide fans for something to do when there is no games going on. Las Vegas has so many tourists as well that you'll have more fans who want to go watch the event. Now some people have some concerns which I'll address.

The pictures to the right are of the proposed new sports complexes that could be built in Las Vegas. They would feature a minor league baseball stadium, an NFL sized football stadium(think Super Bowl) and an NBA arena(Hello Kings after they fail in Anaheim in five years). With a state of the art arena you won't feel the pain as much when leaving Staples Center. Another concern I've heard is what about the distractions of Las Vegas? Yes because Los Angeles is such a clean city with zero crime ever. Just look at Elise Woodward and Kim Grinolds facebook status about some guy with a gun in his hotel currently. If players want to get in trouble they can get in trouble in any city. The players are under curfew anyways so nobody would be going out and like I said if they want to sneak out they would anyways. The people who are complaining about Las Vegas "dirty" side are anti-gambling which is totally fine. Just remember those Ned Flanders types probably wouldn't be going to Los Angeles either. Even if Las Vegas never breaks ground on that arena it is at least something worth trying once right? Las Vegas doesn't have a team but has several big time money makers in town. Word would spread to New York quickly about the Pac-10 soon to be 12 tournament(especially if on ESPN or own network). If Las Vegas bombs(which I don't think it will) then at worst you failed one year. Larry Scott needs to try something because the current format is broken.

All in all, I'll stick to my belief that Las Vegas is the best option. I think you'll get more fans to travel to the event. Everyone is looking for an excuse to go to Las Vegas regardless of the time of year. There is a reason why the Las Vegas bowl which typically features a 6th place Pac-10 team always sells out. There is a reason why the NBA summer league is always packed as well because Las Vegas for all that it has is dying for sports. Las Vegas needs sports extremely bad and if the tournament goes to Las Vegas it would be a huge success. Don't waste any time commissioner Scott you can muscle the west coast conference out but I don't know about the Mountain West conference(UNLV is Mountain West). Get in there and try to steal another market. Plant your flag in another conference territory. The Pac-16 isn't dead yet and I predict by 2016 there will be more expansion. This is the perfect way to announce to the nation you are ready to expand. This is the perfect way to announce hey look at us we are the "cool" conference. Las Vegas is a city full of glitz and glamor. The Pac-10 soon to be Pac-12 knows what to do just move the conference tournament to Las Vegas. For once guys think outside the box instead of always being the last conference to adapt to the new way. While the Big East and the ACC is using twitter the Pac-10 is still using myspace. The time is now Pac-10 soon to be Pac-12 to make a stand! Move the conference tournament to Las Vegas mark my words it will be a huge success.

NBA 2010-11 season preview and predictions

By Kshell

We just witnessed one of the biggest off seasons in NBA history. No off season saw as many changes as this past off season. The big news came when Lebron James announced that he is taking his talents to South Beach. Not since Kobe and Shaq have we seen two top five players in the NBA play on the same team, not since Jordan and Pippen have we seen two great wing players play on the same team. The Miami Heat made the most news this off season but there are still other teams ready to contend for a title.

In this upcoming preview of the NBA I'm going to focus only on teams who have a chance at winning a championship. The NBA unlike Major League Baseball or the NFL is usually a predictable sport. There are no teams that come out of nowhere to win a title. Some teams improve significantly from year to year but that is because they land some all-stars in the off season or win the draft lottery. You won't see the Charlotte Bobcats or Toronto Raptors come out of nowhere to win the title or even compete for a title. So having said that I'll break down the divisions and focus on the teams I feel have a shot at the playoffs then I'll offer up my predictions.

Eastern Conference:

Southeast Division:

This division is probably the best division in basketball from top to bottom. This division features the Heat, Magic, Bobcats, Wizards and Hawks. Four of those teams made the playoffs last season while the other(Wizards) have Gilbert Arenas back and #1 pick John Wall. The Bobcats made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season and the Atlanta Hawks have made the postseason three years in a row. Now that I'm done talking about the have nots I'll deal with two teams in the division who are thinking NBA championship.

Miami Heat: No team has had a bigger off season than the Miami Heat have in NBA history. The Miami Heat were the 5th seed in the East last season with 47 wins and just brought in several big time players. The Heat retained Dwyane Wade who many consider the third best player in the NBA today. The Heat then brought in five time all-star Chris Bosh at power forward. If that wasn't enough they became the league favorites when Lebron James announced he would take his talents to "South Beach". James is only 25 years old about to be 26 and has already won back to back league MVP's.

Lebron James has won 60+ games back to back seasons in Cleveland without playing with a marquee player. King James finally has his supporting cast as the Heat brought in Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Udonis Haslem, James Jones and Eddie House. With three all-stars including two of the best three players in the NBA it is hard to pick against this team. The Heat might struggled out of the gate as they haven't played together but look for this team to look pretty unstoppable come February and beyond. The Heat only weakness might be come playoff time they have no size in the paint besides Bosh so against teams like Orlando, L.A., Boston and maybe even Chicago they could get worn down in the paint.

Orlando Magic: The Orlando Magic again continue to be underestimated in the Eastern Conference. Two years ago they stunned everyone when they upset the Cleveland Caviliers in the Eastern Conference finals but ultimately lost to the Lakers in the NBA finals four games to one. Then last season they lost in the Eastern Conference finals to the Boston Celtics in six games. The Magic return 10 guys who were in their rotation last season and are a team that won't go away.

I put the Magic in the championship hope because of Dwight Howard. Howard has been named first team all NBA the last three seasons. He was the first player in NBA history last year when he lead the league in FG%, Rebounds and then Blocks. He has also been working out with Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon on his moves in the paint. Howard is there defensively as he has averaged over 12 rebounds a game since his second year in the league. He needs to be more consistent on offense for the Magic to be a realistic championship pick.

The Magic also feature shooters and scorers to help Howard out. The Magic are hoping to get more consistency out of Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter. The Magic could pull a trade as Orlando is a place celebrities like to live in. I don't see the Magic having the fire power to swing a trade for Chris Paul or Carmello Anthony. The Magic are a huge threat to the Heat because of Howard.

Atlantic Division:

This is a pretty weak division. You have perennial lottery teams in the New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers who are playing for the future. You then have the Toronto Raptors who couldn't make the playoffs with Chris Bosh and feature no players worth talking about. That leaves me with two teams.

One team that is kind of intriguing is the New York Knicks. The Knicks lost out on both Bosh and Lebron. In fact they missed out on everyone it appeared but they did bring in Amare Stoudemire, who has been in the all-star game in his last six healthy seasons. He was also first team all NBA back in the 2006-07 season. Amare gives the Knicks that star power this franchise has lacked since Patrick Ewing. Look for the Knicks to be big players in the Carmello Anthony sweepstakes this year and down the road Chris Paul. The Knicks aren't there as of right now today for an NBA title which leaves me with just one team in this division.

Boston Celtics: The Boston Celtics last year lost a heart breaker that will last for the rest of their lives. When the Celtics blew a 13 point lead at L.A. in game seven they knew they blew a chance they'll never get back. The Celtics are still a team that nobody will want to play come playoff time. The Celtics know how to win. Three years ago when they were the original "big three" with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen they won the NBA championship. The following year K.G. went down and they lost to eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando in seven games after being up 3-2 in the series. Last year the Celtics upset both Cleveland and Orlando only to lose in the finals.

The Celtics made plenty of moves this off season bringing in Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal both former all-stars. The Celtics are a deep ball club who have plenty of big bodies to throw at teams. I haven't even mentioned the Celtics best player in Rajon Rondo who flirts with a triple double every game he plays. He is so quick and led the NBA last year in steals yet averages over four rebounds a game. The Celtics when you play them in a playoff series because they have so many fouls to give no guard will get any easy buckets. This is also a team who ended both Dwayne Wade and Lebron James season last year in the playoffs.

Central Division:

I think I'll give this division the nod for crappiest division since the Atlantic does feature the Boston Celtics. This division features such awful teams as Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers who will be starting Tyler Hansbourgh or Josh McRoberts. The Cleveland Caviliers are no longer a relevant NBA franchise ever since the decision. The other team is the Milwaukee Bucks who were a playoff team and most likely will make the playoffs again. Then again that team lacks any stars so they are pretty limited. I'll turn my attention to a team who had a nice off season but it could have been so much more.

Chicago Bulls: First I'll discuss what I like about the Bulls. The Bulls have a young up and coming point guard in Derrick Rose who was the second best player on the United States gold winning basketball team in the World Games. That was USA first gold medal since 1994. The Bulls also feature the best rebounding team in the league and got even strong by signing two time all-star Carlos Boozer.

The Bulls missed out on this off season. Just like in 2000 they struck out on the big three. The Bulls failed to land hometown guy Dwayne Wade to pair him up with Derrick Rose. Many believed heading into the off season that Lebron James was going to be a Chicago Bull but Jerry Reinsdorf couldn't pull the trigger. As it stands now I expect the Bulls to win a playoff series but not making any real noise come playoff time.

Western Conference:

Southwest Division:

The Western Conference is strange this year as they only feature three bad teams yet realistically feature only two teams who can win a championship. This division is the prime example of that as this division features no bad teams but realistically I can't see any of these teams winning a title. The New Orleans Hornets posted the worst record in this division but still won 37 games and Chris Paul played in just 45 games. With a healthy Paul this team could be a playoff team. Memphis is the next team in line who went 40-42 and return a young nucleus that could also make the playoffs.

Another intriguing team is the Houston Rockets who went 42-40 last year but didn't have Yao Ming the whole year. The Rockets also have trade pieces to swing a trade for a Chris Paul or Carmello Anthony. The Rockets will Yao will be a playoff team. They pushed the Lakers two years ago to seven games after defeating Portland in the first round. Another team is the San Antonio Spurs who still have the same nucleus and coach who won three championships together. Tim Duncan actually have four championships but the Spurs appear to be old and haven't made it past the second round the past two seasons.

Dallas Mavericks: I don't believe that the Mavericks are a championship contender but they are a successful franchise. The Mavericks are the modern day Utah Jazz of the 90's. Here are the Mavericks win totals this decade starting in 2000-01 season they won 53 games,57, 60, 52,58, 60, 67, 51,50, and 57 last season. Unfortunately for the Mavericks amongst all that winning there was just two Western Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. In fact during the 2006-07 season the Mavericks became the team to win the most games in a season and not win a playoff series when they won 67 games.

The Mavericks still feature former league MVP Dirk Nowitzki who made the All-Star team nine consecutive years. Dirk has also made the first team all-NBA team five times. As long as Dirk is on the Mavericks and as long as Mark Cuban is the owner the Mavericks will have a deep and talented roster. Unfortunately for them they don't have another premiere player to go along with Dirk so that means they won't win a title this season.

Northwest Division:

With the exception of the Minnesota Timberwolves who could be the worst team in the NBA despite featuring one of the best rebounders in the league in Kevin Love. This Division is pretty deep and the other four teams are very close together.

The hardest team to predict is the Denver Nuggets. If the Nuggets hang on to Carmelo Anthony this is still a really good team who under George Karl has yet to miss the playoffs. I do believe Anthony will force a trade at some point and Denver will then blow up the roster. The next team is the Portland Trail Blazers who I believe to be a really good team but not a championship threat. If you want to read more about Portland read my season preview right here.

The Utah Jazz could very well be the most consistent franchise in sports and yet nobody would know it. Did you know the Utah Jazz have had just one losing season the 1983-84 season. That is incredible in sports to go over 25 years and have just one losing season. Since hall of fame coach Jerry Sloan took over in the middle of the 1987-88 season he has had just the one losing season back in 2003-04 when John Stockton retired and Karl Malone left. Unfortunately for the Jazz the NBA is a stars league so being a good ran franchise who always wins gets you nowhere. How the NBA is set up you either need to be awesome or terrible then get a top draft pick and get awesome again. The Jazz feature several good players in Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur, and Andrei Kirilenko. The Jazz also acquired Al Jefferson from the Timberwolves to take over for Carlos Boozer. Look for the Jazz to win 50+ games but not do much in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City Zombies: The Zombies or thieves as people in Seattle will refer to them as are one of two teams who have a chance at winning the title. Any time you feature a 22 year old scoring champ who is the favorite to win the league MVP you have a shot at winning the title. Kevin Durant last season at just 21 years old averaged 30.1 PPG, shot 47.6% from the field, 90% from FT's while shooting the most FT's, and he shot 36.5% from three point range. Durant is deadly and is still four years away from his prime years which makes him even scarier.

The Zombies also feature Russell Westbrook who averaged 16/8/5 with 1.5 steals a game. Westbrook along with Durant played for USA in the WBC. Westbrook every day was going up against Derrick Rose and Chauncy Billups while also working with his Kevin Durant for two months. Jeff Green also tried out for the team and was barely cut. The Zombies feature a nice young roster. The Zombies still need to get some size if they want to overtake the Lakers. They missed a great chance to fleece David Kahn and get a free Al Jefferson. Unfortunately for Sonic fans like myself Kevin Durant will someday hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. That day is going to suck.

Pacific Division:

These division features two bad teams who can upset you. First they feature the Sacramento Kings who have two good young players in Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins but expect them to still struggle. Another bad team who should be interesting is the Golden State Warriors who with Monte Ellis and Stephen Curry will score over 110 points.

Now these next two teams could make the playoffs or miss the playoffs. First I'll talk about the Los Angeles Clippers who have a talented roster and get back #1 pick Blake Griffin who should make a big impact. The Clippers though at the end of the day are the Clippers so something will inevitably go wrong. The Phoenix Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals last year but lost Amare Stoudemire so they'll be lucky to make the playoffs. Now I save the defending champions for last.

Los Angeles Lakers: Believe it or not the Los Angeles Lakers are still the two-time defending World Champions. I know this may seem crazy but the Lakers not the Miami Heat are the defending champions.

The Lakers are looking to become the first team since the 1984-87 Boston Celtics to reach the NBA Finals four consecutive years. Before Phil Jackson started his run reaching a "3-Peat" was a hard accomplishment but now people brush it off because Phil has made it look so easy. Phil is trying to get his fourth 3-peat in his career. Kobe Bryant the reigning back to back Finals MVP and alpha dog of the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal team is looking to tie Michael Jordan for his 6th championship ring.

Typically when a team returns all five starters including key bench players and adds to that team they are the unanimous pick to win the title. This is another reason why the NBA season has been so crazy that the Lakers aren't the clear cut favorites to win the title. The Lakers are huge favorites to win the Western Conference. I don't see any team being ready to defeat the Lakers in a best of seven series in the West.

Predictions:

Now it is time for some predictions on this upcoming season. I didn't have very many predictions this year but hope you enjoy them anyways.

Bobby Jones: Four year starter at UW Basketball from 2003-2006, captain on Sweet 16 team in 2006

East
1 Heat
2 Magic
3 Celtic
4 Bulls
5 Hawks
6 Bucks
7 Bobcats
8 Knicks

West
1 Lakers
2 Dallas
3 OKC
4 Spurs
5 Portland
6 Utah
7 Denver
8 Suns

Finals: Lakers over Heat in 7
MVP: Kevin Durant

Michael Clouse: Basketball fan and friend of mine

East
1. Heat
2. Magic
3. Da Bulls
4. Celtics
5. Bucks
6. Hawks
7. Nets
8. Wizards

West
1. Lakers
2. Thunder
3. Mavs
4. Jazz
5. Blazers
6. Suns
7. Spurs
8. Grizzlies

MVP - D-Rose

Finals - Lakers over Bulls in 6.

Mark A. Miller aka Seattlehawk94 contributer to Seattle Sportsblog
Western Conference:
1. Fakers
2. Blunder
3. Mavwrecks
4. Jail Blazers
5. Suns of Bitches
6. Chaps and Spurs
7. McNuggets
8. Pocket Rockets

Eastern Confrence:
1. Bawwwwwston
2. Steers
3. Cheat
4. Bricks
5. Yucks
6. Magic Johnsons
7. Piss-tons
8. Craptors

Conference Finals:
Fakers over Jail Blazers
Bawwwwston over Cheat

NBA Finals:
Fakers over Bawwwwston

MVP: Kobe
ROY: Wall
COY: Mac-10

Kris Shellenbarger: Aka Kshell author of this blog

East:
1. Heat*(Have a large bet that they win title over Lakers)
2. Magic
3. Bulls*
4. Celtics*(Regular season doesn't matter to them)
5. Hawks
6. Bucks
7. Knicks
8. Wizards

West:
1. Lakers*
2. Mavs*
3. Hijack City(have a $100 bet they finish higher than Blazers)*
4. Blazers
5. Jazz
6. Rockets
7. Spurs
8. Clippers

Finals: Heat over Lakers in 6
MVP: Kevin Durant

Bold Predictions: Portland will win 55 games this yaer and win a playoff series.

Bold Predictions: The Heat will survive a tough seven game series against the Celtics and overcome a 3-2 series deficit.

Bold Predictions: This will be the last year the Spurs make the playoffs as the roster will be blown up at season end.

Bold Predictions: The difference between the #2 seed in the West and the team who misses the playoffs will be just six games.

Okay guys that is my NBA preview and predictions. I hope you enjoyed reading them and check back at the end of the season to see just how badly I got the playoff teams wrong. This should be an exciting year watching so many heavy weights square off. That is how the NBA works when it is at it's best. The 80's were the glory years and they only saw four franchises win a championship and five reach the NBA finals. Look for this decade to be similar as the 80's were only a handful of teams will taste success that is why the NBA is a broken model. Enjoy the NBA while you can because next season will begin in a lockout which will be worse than 1999.