April 09, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) after scoring a three point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-89 to clinch a playoff berth. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Biggest strength for the Warriors: Outside shooting.

The Warriors were the best 3 point shooting team in basketball this season, shooting 40.3% on the season. They boast three players who shot over 40% from beyond the arc in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jarrett Jack. In hitting an NBA record 272 threes on 45.3% shooting, Curry had the greatest shooting year in the history of the league. Three point shooting is the biggest advantage the Warriors have over Denver as well as their path to victory. Barring some bizarre happenstance where the Warriors all the sudden turn into a defensive stalwart, the only way Golden State wins this series is if they shoot Denver out of the gym.

Biggest strength for the Nuggets: The Pepsi Center.

Denver was 38-3 this season at home, as opposed to 19-22 on the road. It’s very difficult for opposing teams to last four quarters in that altitude with the Nuggets running in transition the entire game. The Nuggets are going to be without Danilo Gallinari, who tore his ACL, and Ty Lawson likely won’t be playing at 100%. Denver is far from a lock to win this series, but it’s hard for me to pick against them knowing that they’re going to have three of the first five games of the series,as well as a possible game seven, at home.

Biggest weakness for the Warriors: Inside defense.

Andrew Bogut is a shell of his former dominant self while Carl Landry and David Lee are atrocious on that end of the floor. Denver should be able to get to the rim in transition whenever they choose. In the half-court, the Nugget frontcourt excels in spacing the floor and forcing opposing bigs to play effective help defense in order to get stops. David Lee will likely be eaten alive. Denver will attack him constantly in pick and rolls or force him to make rotations as a helper, neither of which bodes well for the Warriors. They could play Festus Ezeli, but his complete and utter lack of an offensive game makes him very difficult to play for prolonged stretches against good teams. Andris Biedrins makes me laugh.

Biggest weakness for the Nuggets: Outside shooting.

Whereas the Warriors were the best outside shooting team in basketball, Denver was the 25th best hitting at just a 34.3% clip on the season. This becomes more of a factor because Gallinari is injured and Lawson likely won’t be at full strength. The Nuggets are going to rely on Wilson Chandler greatly to hit outside shots and they need Corey Brewer to shoot well in the corners. They’ve been playing around with Evan Fournier, but who knows how many minutes he’s realistically going to get. It’s likely Prof. Andre Miller will get most, if not all, the minutes Fournier could potentially play alongside Ty Lawson or as the backup point guard. Because the Warriors are a foul prone defense and don’t boast a defensive stopper, I imagine they’re going to try and bait Denver into as many threes in the half-court as possible. It’s easier said than done, but if the Warriors can get Denver taking 22-27 threes a game they might just be able to get enough stops to win a few games.

Apr 15, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Denver won 112-111. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Prediction: Denver in 6

A month ago I would have called Denver winning this series a straight up lock. I still think they take it, but I don’t feel nearly as confident as I did previously. Against an average to slightly above average team like the Warriors, they should be able to overcome Gallinari’s absence. What worries me is Lawson’s torn plantar fascia. He’s invaluable as the trigger man to that offense and probably their best outside shooter. Golden State likes to defend pick and rolls by forcing the ball handler into a 16 foot pocket and try and get him to shoot mid-range shots, a strategy adopted by many of the teams in the league. Lawson shoots slightly above league average on mid-range shots, but if he’s injured and drops below league average Denver will have problems.

Best case scenario for Golden State is that they shoot the ball with ridiculous efficiency, slow the game down, and pack the paint. Lawson isn’t 100% and the Nuggets have to throw up a bunch of threes. However I don’t see this happening enough for the Warriors to win 4 games. I don’t trust the Warriors defense at all and part of me doesn’t trust Thompson or Jack to produce either. Thompson seems to be either super hot or super cold and if the Warriors get the latter than they’re probably screwed. Jack is the same way and if he’s missing on long 2′s and pull up 3′s, Denver should turn those misses into transition points.

In the end, I think it’s very hard to overcome the other team scoring points in transition. I don’t think Golden State can control the pace consistently, nor do I think they can keep Denver out of the paint. However, the Nuggets are much more vulnerable than they were a month ago and Golden State could absolutely shoot them right out of the playoffs. Of all the first round series, I think this will be one of the best and certainly the most entertaining. I like Denver in 6, but I don’t have a ton of confidence in that pick.

The big Italian was driving to the basket and when he planted on his left knee, it gave out and buckled. He started hopping on his right leg and grabbing his left knee. As he sat down on the court, he looked to be screaming in pain.

He was unable to put any pressure on his left leg, and was eventually wheeled off to the locker room on a cart. Hopefully for Gallinari and the Nuggets, the injury isn’t too serious, and he will be able to return for the playoffs.

(H/T to @talkhoops for the video)

UPDATE:

@WojYahooNBA is reporting tonight that Gallinari has a torn ACL.

Initial exam suggests likely torn ACL for Denver’s Danilo Gallinari, source tells Y! “Ligament was loose,” source says. MRI Friday.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) April 5, 2013

Mar 19, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) attempts a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

After going on a 15 game win streak that was pretty low key due to the Heat’s historic run, the Denver Nuggets have lost their last two games. Tonight the Nuggets will try to end their little slide when they take on the Brooklyn Nets.

Unfortunately, Denver will once again be without their starting point guard Ty Lawson. The team announced earlier this morning that Lawson, who had missed three of the last four games, is suffering from torn plantar fascia in his right foot.

#Nuggets PG @tylawson3 has a plantar fascia tear in his right heel. No surgery required. Out tonight vs Brooklyn. Status day-to-day.

— Denver Nuggets (@denvernuggets) March 29, 2013

According to the United States National Library of Medicine, plantar fascia is the tissue that “connects the heel bone to the toes and creates the arch of the foot.” While the team says that his injury is improving, this can be a very painful injury.

Lawson is #Nuggets leads team in scoring & assists. Athletic training staff says his injury is improving & treatment remains the same.

— Denver Nuggets (@denvernuggets) March 29, 2013

Lawson is averaging almost 17 points and 7 assists a game, both of which are tops on the team. He is also vital to getting the Nuggets out on the break and keeping the tempo up. If the Nuggets hope to make a deep run in the playoffs, they will need a healthy Ty Lawson to run the show.

Mar 15, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Kosta Koufos (41) shoots the ball during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 87-80. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

After last night’s 114-104 victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City, the red-hot Denver Nuggets have now won 13 straight games in large part to not only great offensive play, but lockdown defensive play as well. During the streak, Denver is allowing just 98.6 points per 100 possessions, which would be the third best figure in basketball if prorated throughout the entire season to date. An unsung hero of Denver’s run, and really of their entire 47-22 season, has been starting center Kosta Koufos. Often thought of as a scrub due to his goofy looking appearance and the follicly challenged nature of his hair, he is actually one of the more underrated big men in the league. Though Denver seems to get better the smaller they go, Koufos gives George Karl a viable option not only against smaller opponents, but also to match up against bigger teams with multiple effective big men. Koufos is the ideal role player, as he is rock solid defensively and craftily efficient on offense. While he’s not the most versatile player, he has a particular set of skills that he performs well and at a consistently high level.

Spacing is important in any offensive scheme, but this is especially true in George Karl’s offense. The Nuggets shoot the league’s sixth worst mark from three point range, but they’re still able to take the most field goal attempts at the rim. Part of this is due to how many fast break baskets they get, but also they make a concerted effort to attack the rim on offense and have the spacing to do so effectively. Without quality spacing, their attack would be far less effective than it is; Denver boasts the league’s third best offense at 107.6 points per 100 possessions. With Koufos on the floor, Denver is scoring 109.4 points per 100 possessions, nearly two points more than their season average. This may come across as surprising as Koufos isn’t a great post up threat or shooter and he isn’t a dominant pick and roll big. So why is Denver’s offense so successful with Koufos on the floor?

Observing Koufos’ shot chart, we see that 390 of his 419 shot attempts have come at the rim and that he’s shooting 62.6% on those attempts. While detractors would argue that his limited offensive game would detriment him defensively, the fact that Koufos knows his limitations and plays to his strengths makes him a positive on the offensive end of the court. Rather than wasting possessions taking bad shot after bad shot, he spaces the floor and is efficient with the basketball when scoring chances present themselves. While he’s not the most gifted or skilled offensive threat, Koufos really knows how to play and has a good feel for the game. He excels at spacing the floor to open up driving lanes to the hoop and has great timing and instincts when cutting to the basket. The constant penetrating nature of Denver’s perimeter threats cause opponents to often help off of Koufos, allowing him to move around and receive the ball in a position to score. According to Synergy sports, Koufos shoots 64.6% on cuts to the basket. He has attempted shots on 168 cuts in 68 games, or 2.47 a game. That doesn’t sound like much, but those shots add up, especially when they’re going in 64.6% of the time. Koufos can also contribute in pick and roll sets, as his particular strength here is slipping screens and being nimble enough to finish in rhythm around the rim, like this:

Though efficient on offense, the defensive end of the floor is really where Koufos makes his mark on this team. With him on the floor, Denver allows just 100.5 points per 100 possessions, nearly two points less than their seasonal average of 102. While he does not possess disruptive athleticism, Koufos is a technician and his defensive positioning is excellent more times than not. He has an good grasp of what Denver wants to do in the pick and roll game and anchors one of the best pick and roll defenses in basketball. According to Synergy, Denver is fifth best in defending both pick and roll ball handlers and roll men, allowing 0.75 and 0.93 points per possession respectively. Koufos is also a strong help defender and averages 2.1 blocks per 36 minutes, a higher mark than Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan and Kendrick Perkins.

During Denver’s 13 game winning streak, the team is allowing just 99.4 points per 100 possessions with Koufos on the floor. In last Friday’s 87-80 victory over Memphis, Koufos was especially effective. Alongside his 18 points and 16 rebounds, he did a masterful job defending in the post against a Memphis team that is one of the more effective post up offenses in the league. Koufos defended 7 shots in post up situations, 5 from Zach Randolph and one each from Marc Gasol and Ed Davis. The Grizzlies were able to get just 2 of those 7 shots to go. This kind of defensive effectiveness is indicative of Koufos’ success defending post ups this season, allowing opponents to shoot just 37.7% and score 0.76 points per possession.

Kosta Koufos is one of Denver’s most valuable players. Their most used five man lineup of Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, and Kosta Koufos has killed the competition, outscoring opponents by 7 points per 100 possessions in 785 minutes played. When Koufos is on the floor, Denver outscores teams by 8.9 points per 100 possessions, a team high mark for an individual player. Without him, they outscore teams by just 2.8 points. The metrics all imply that he is a valuable commodity to the team and the eye test backs that up. He is not flashy or explosive, but Kosta Koufos is rock solid and he fits very nicely into what Denver wants to do on both ends of the floor. Koufos deserves more recognition than he gets (and arguably more minutes too) and is one of the most underrated big men in the NBA.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Synergy Sports

Earlier tonight, he showed us why, as he showed off his athleticism by denying Lamar Odom with a huge block.

Check out the video below. (H/T to @maxamillion711)

Tonight, he made his way there thanks to his long wingspan and a great pass from Andre Miller.

Late in the 1^st quarter, Miller found himself with the ball in the backcourt after a Nets’ miss. As he looked up, he spotted McGee sprinting down the floor towards the Nuggets’ basket. With a quick flick of his wrists, Miller threw an inch perfect lob from three-quarters court to McGee, who slammed the ball home with authority.

Miller finished with 8 points and 10 assists, while McGee added 14 points and 3 rebounds. It was not enough however, as the Nets defeated the Nuggets 119-108 in Brooklyn.

Jan 26, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson (3) controls the ball in the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets currently sit at 29-18, which is good for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Sitting above Utah and Houston, it doesn’t seem likely they’ll fall lower unless there’s some major trades in the West before the deadline, but they’ll have a tough time passing Golden State and Memphis, and the trio of OKC/San Antonio and the Clippers seem locked into the the top three spots. That likely means that unless they manage to climb to fourth before the season closes, Denver will be locked in one of the must-see first round match-ups of the Playoffs. The Nuggets are a quality side and have been for years, but 2013 seems to be another year where George Karl’s men are running in place, and destined to be Playoffs fodder for the real heavyweights. Unless Denver can flip the script, they appear headed for another first or second round exit which leaves us wondering, when will they ever take the next step?

For George Karl, this season would mark the ninth consecutive time that his squad has appeared in the Playoffs. Only the Spurs and Mavericks can attest to that feat, though the Nuggets lack the championship that both the other squads won during that tenure. Furthermore, both the Spurs and the Mavericks made it to Finals at least twice, while the Nuggets had their best run in the 2008-09 season when they fell in the Conference Finals. The Nuggets are also the only team of the three to never finish with the top seed, and have bowed out in the first round eight out of nine times.

Looking at it from a glass half-full perspective, you could say the Nuggets are a pillar of consistency despite enduring the Melodrama, a bungled Iverson trade and not being a free agent hot-spot location-wise. However, from a glass half-empty standpoint, the Nuggets are a franchise that has failed to take the final step  of development for nearly a decade and are led by a coach who has failed to get a championship in 28 years of head coaching.

The Nuggets are without a doubt a quality side, but the time has come for them to take the next step and become a serious contender. Going forward, the Nuggets are pretty restrained cap-wise with JaVale McGee, Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson all locked into long-term eight-figure deals going forward. Andre Igoudala’s player option at the end of this season gives them a bit of flexibility at the end of the year, but not a lot. Coupling in the location, and the Nuggets seem like they won’t be acquiring their definitive piece through free agency.

However, when you have a front office as creative and capable as Denver’s, that may not be an issue. Armed with the expiring contracts of Corey Brewer and Timofey Mozgov, the Nuggets are in a position to deal and possibly pick up another bargain that vaults from them from a solid team to an elite one. Paul Millsap has been linked to the Nuggets, and the Heat are reportedly interested in Timofey Mozgov.

The only other solution for the Nuggets is internal improvement, and judging by their finances, that’s indeed what they’re banking on. Ty Lawson is already a solid young point guard in the NBA but may have peaked already. His statistics this season don’t show a leap in production as you would expect from a young guard. His better-than-expected start his career may be all he can offer, but that’s not something the Nuggets should be disheartened by. Lawson is, right now, one the better point guards in the NBA with blinding pace.  Danilo Gallinari is a brilliant two-way player, but isn’t poised to suddenly turn a 14 point career scoring average into anything that can carry a team to a championship. JaVale McGee poses the best chance for the Nuggets to take the next step without making any significant changes. We saw McGee monster a legitimate (when healthy) franchise Center in Andrew Bynum during the Playoffs last season, when McGee was engaged. Of course, keeping McGee engaged and focused has always been the battle and was the reason the Wizards booted him out at last season’s deadline. The talent is there in McGee, but the consistency and maturity still appears to be distant.

JaVale McGee may ultimately be the deciding factor for the Nuggets. If he can develop into the franchise carrying Center he’s hinted at possibly being, the Denver Nuggets should instantly be thrown into championship talk. The issue is, he’s not showing to be any closer to maturing this year than he was in Washington. The Nuggets awarded him a 4 year, 44 million dollar contract in the offseason which makes him the only player alongside Gallinari and Lawson to carry guaranteed money into 2015-16 (Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton have received modest qualifying offers). If he fails to turn his talent into anything tangible, he could hamstring the Nuggets’ attempts at a championship and leave them lingering in no man’s land for another half-decade.

The Denver Nuggets right now are a very good basketball team and probably will be when the season finishes. But a very good basketball team doesn’t beat the Thunder, the Spurs, the Clippers or the Heat in a best of seven playoffs series. Very good cannot be good enough anymore if Denver are serious about winning their first NBA championship anytime soon, they need to be great. It’s time for the front office to get serious about taking the next step.

May 14, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers small forward Andre Iguodala (9) drives the ball against Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (34) during the second quarter in game two of the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

Andre Iguodala
Resume: 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.7 steals (6th in league), 35.6 minutes, 45% FG, 39% 3PT (career best), and 62% FT… Team record in games played: 33-29 (2-2 without)… Playoffs: 12.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 38% FG, 39% 3PT, 59% FT, 7-6 record… All-Star

I ask you to give me three paragraphs to set up an overly-complicated analogy that compares the way I look at eating to the NBA. I promise it will all make sense in the end when it ties to Andre Iguodala. At least that’s what I’m hoping for.

Over the course of an average school week (Monday thru Friday) I’ll eat about 15 meals. In general, there are great meals, average meals and poor meals. Being a poor college kid I’ll eat about 5 poor meals a week. Some mornings I oversleep and have time for about half of a pop tart before I have to catch a shuttle to class. There are some miserable nights where shopping mishaps cause me to rely on macaroni and cheese for dinner. Even at the dining hall there are the typical poor selection nights like BBQ riblet sandwiches and the least Italian eggplant parmesan you could find.

Usually there are about eight meals a week that I’d classify as average. A bowl of cereal for breakfast; delicious Campbell’s Chunky soup for dinner; corn dogs (yes, I enjoy corn dogs), chicken sandwiches or old reliable (a turkey wrap with American cheese, lettuce, onion and mayonnaise) at the dining hall. If that is my slate of meals for a day, I’m a happy camper. But then I get maybe two days a week where I might go out on a date, or maybe I’ll go to the Subway, Taco Bell or Chick Fil A conveniently located right on campus. I’m jacked up for those meals.

One final part to this analogy is that any snacks consumed over the course of a week can drastically improve the way you view what you ate for the last 5 days. Every once in a while me and some roommates will throw a frozen pizza in the oven and go to town on that at midnight. On Monday nights I have popcorn while I watch WWE Monday Night Raw after Monday Night Football. Who doesn’t love an occasional Red Baron pizza or some Orville Redenbacher popcorn?

Now, let me get to the meat of this analogy. I look at the meals I eat during the course of the school week the same way I’d look at an NBA roster. In most cases, if an NBA team has two stars (2 great meals), eight rotation worthy players (8 average meals), and five scrubs (5 poor meals), they can be successful. The snacks come in to play as outside factors that have an impact on a team (coaching, a great crowd, style of play, easy division/conference, etc.) Now obviously not every NBA team is constructed in the style that I just put forth. The 2011 Dallas Mavericks had a ton of success with one star player (Dirk Nowitzki doing his best 20 oz. T-Bone Steak impersonation), a whole bunch of rotation guys who stepped up in the postseason (Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic, J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson) and some killer snacks along the way (great coaching, historically good 3 point shooting and LeBron melting down in the NBA Finals).

For so many years the Philadelphia 76ers relied heavily on Andre Iguodala to be a Buffalo Chicken Sub from Subway when in reality he is more of a Campbell’s Chicken Corn Chowder. I love Iguodala’s game, but he’s not suited to be a traditional number one guy. It’s not his strong suit. Philadelphia has had an offense in the bottom half of the league for the last 5 years. Iggy isn’t meant to be playing in grind it out games. He should be flying around the court wreaking havoc and showcasing his incredible athleticism. Enter the Denver Nuggets.

Getting traded to Denver is the biggest blessing in Andre Iguodala’s career. He gets to run and gun with a slew of talented young players in Denver instead of being forced to do everything for Philadelphia (and getting them damn close to the Eastern Conference Finals last May). Even though Denver doesn’t have the traditional “Meal plan” that I presented, theirs gives Iguodala a better chance to succeed than Philadelphia’s did. Iguodala is playing with the most talented supporting cast of his career; one top 50 player (Ty Lawson), one honorable mention (Kenneth Faried) and a few other talented pieces (Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, JaVale McGee) that make Denver slightly intriguing. Add in a few snacks (good crowd, good coach, visiting teams being forced to play at a much higher altitude than normal, and most importantly, a rejuvenated Andre Iguodala playing in a style that masks the fact he is a Chicken Corn Chowder and not chicken parmesan) and the Nuggets are a legitimate sleeper as a contender in the Western Conference. Even if you don’t buy into the Nuggets hype, it’s hard to imagine Iguodala not thriving this year.

• 

  April 9, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (34) reacts to his basket and foul against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets defeated the Warriors 123-84. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

  JAVALE MCGEE, C, Denver Nuggets
  Last season: 25.2 MPG, 11.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 19.90 PER
  McGee is on just about everyone’s radar to gain most improved player recognition this season. A big reason is because of his well-publicized workout sessions with the great Hakeem Olajuwon in the offseason, leading us to believe that he’s going to have endless post moves this season. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing these “tweaks” in game action to see if there’s a noticeable difference. Whether McGee’s offensive game is truly more polished or not, it’s his defense that the Nuggets will be depending on. We know this team will be able to score the ball (1st overall in points and assists last season), but they’ll need McGee to continue with his dominant shot blocking in the middle. You’d like to think McGee will take the young Kenneth Faried under his wing defensively and improve the Nuggets interior. McGee’s development may just be that crucial factor in the Nuggets contending the the LA’s and OK’s in the West or being just another middle-tier playoff team.

• 

  March 30, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Brandon Roy (7) against the New Orleans Hornets during the third quarter at the New Orleans Arena. The Hornets defeated the Trail Blazers 95-91. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

  BRANDON ROY, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves
  Last season: Did not play.
  Since he had the Wolves winning ball games last year, the X-Factor here could easily be Ricky Rubio, but let’s look past a certain degree of obvious here. Rubio won’t be ready to start the season, so only his absence will be a factor right away. The return of Brandon Roy on the other hand, will be huge for this team. The knee questions will be abundant in the beginning stages of the season and with the Wolves being extremely thin at shooting guard (Alexey Shved (rookie) and Malcolm Lee currently listed on the depth chart), they’ll need big minutes from Roy. Can he handle it? We’ll see. But Minnesota’s playoff shot depends on it. If Roy can return to even 80% of his peak form, he’ll be an excellent second option to Kevin Love. A season away, a fresh start, a new team… will the ‘Return of Brandon Roy’ be enough to propel the Timberwolves into postseason? Certainly an intriguing storyline.

• 

  June 4, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) reacts against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half in game five of the Western Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs at the AT

  KENDRICK PERKINS, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
  Last season: 26.8 MPG, 5.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 8.69 PER
  Everyone’s an X-Factor on this Thunder team. I need not label Durant, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka as merely important, but rather they are collectively expected to produce. Perkins is that wild card. Even though he’s now a league veteran, he needs to become more than just the guy who leads in the league in Technical Fouls-to-Smiles ratio. The team needs defense and rebounding out of their 5-spot, certainly not scoring, with all the other All-NBA talent on the team. But doesn’t it seem like a starting NBA center that averages 27 minutes per game should have a higher PER than 8.69? If Perkins is so strong and solid defensively, why does he only average 6.6 rebounds per game? Part of the reason is foul trouble, he has to stay on the floor. Obviously the Thunder won’t have trouble competing in the West, but when it comes time to face the Dwight Howard’s in meaningful games, will Perkins be the X-Factor?

• 

  July 19, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives in the first half of the game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

  DAMIAN LILLARD, PG, Portland Trail Blazers
  Last season (at Weber St, 32 games): 34.5 MPG, 24.5 PPG, 4.0 APG
  Boy has this team flipped it’s roster upside down over the past season. It seems there will be plenty of opportunity for some new faces, as well as rookies… including the co-MVP of the Vegas Summer League, Damian Lillard. After a stellar NBA summer and incredible college career at Weber St., Lillard should be featured immediately in the Blazers starting lineup. On top of that, after LaMarcus Aldridge and likely Nicolas Batum, Lillard could figure to be the third scoring option on this team, considering he averaged 24.5 ppg in college last year. Combine that with a lot of Rookie of the Year talk, and that’s a ton of pressure. Fortunately, expectations for the Blazers are not very high in this “transition” season.

• 

  October 1, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz small forward Marvin Williams (2) poses for a portrait during media day at the Zions Bank Basketball Center. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

  MARVIN WILLIAMS, SF, Utah Jazz
  Last season: 26.3 MPG, 10.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 15.87 PER
  This is beginning to feel like Groundhog’s Day. We’ve been waiting for the Marvin Williams “breakout season” for about 5 years now… let’s just face reality, it’s not happening. As I look up and down the Jazz roster, they are the weakest at the small forward position, where Marvin currently occupies the starting spot. Right now, the Jazz are a borderline playoff team with most of their offense coming from the Jefferson/Millsap combination. If Marvin doesn’t adjust well to his new team and he’s deemed “limited” offensively, we could see a Derrick Favors or Enes Kanter spike in minutes or take over the starting spot. Who knows, maybe Marvin will adapt better to a new situation and a switching of conferences? For the Jazz to have an overachieving (think mid-low playoff seed) campaign, Marvin Williams will have to be worth every penny of the $8,287,500 he’s owed in 2013.

May 10, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) drives to the basket during the first half of game six in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

Ty Lawson
Resume: 16.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists (10th in league), 1.3 steals, 34.8 minutes, 49% FG, 37% 3PT, and 82% FT… Team record in games played: 36-25 (2-3 without)… Playoffs: 19.0 points (career best), 2.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists (career best), 51% FG (career best), 32% 3PT, 63% FT, 3-4 record

Did you know that the starting point guards on the last two North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Championship teams were both selected after one of their teammates in an NBA Draft, and so far both are enjoying better careers than their counterparts? Back in 2005, it was Raymond Felton picked after Marvin Williams. At the time (and still today) this seemed like a head scratcher considering Marvin Williams didn’t even start for North Carolina and because the next 3 picks went Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Raymond Felton. Let me run this at you again… Atlanta passed on not only future All-NBA caliber point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams (by far the two best players from the 2005 draft) but also the best player on North Carolina’s championship team, apparently because they felt comfortable going to war with Royal Ivey, Salim Stoudamire and Tyronn Lue as their point guard stable. You aren’t going to believe this, but Atlanta finished 14^th in the East that season.

Fast forward to 2009 when Indiana grabbed North Carolina power forward and college basketball icon, Tyler Hansbrough, with the 13^th pick. Five picks later Minnesota (pick later traded to Denver) drafted North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson, reigning ACC player of the Year. Just three months earlier, there was genuine panic amongst Tar Heels fans and anyone who picked North Carolina to win the NCAA Tournament in their bracket because Ty Lawson was suffering from an injured Sgt. Hulka.

This is how we arrive at Ty Lawson, ranked number 46 on my list of the top 50 players in the NBA. Let’s flash back one more time the 2009 Draft (we’re done with time travel after this one, I promise), a draft that was rich with point guards. Lawson is topped on my list by only one point guard from that draft and by only 3 players from the 2009 class overall; impressive when you consider that Lawson was selected 18^th. Lawson was a steal for Denver at 18 considering he was being brought into a high-octane, fast-paced, full-throttle, all-the-quips-about-speed-and-tempo-you-want type offense, which suits Lawson extremely well. After two years as the back-up to Chauncey Billups, Lawson became the starter and thrived, posting career bests in every statistical category.

You expect a player who gains a bigger role and more minutes to improve statistically, but at just 24 years old Ty Lawson is mature beyond his years. By all accounts he is a great locker room guy, and he already seems to have learned what not every point guard realizes throughout his career. He finds a way to vacillate between being the facilitator of an up and down offense, and also as the Nuggets late game closer. Not every point guard can effortlessly do that. And it’s still not totally there for Lawson. Even though he was probably Denver’s best player in their seven game series against the Lakers (highlighted by a 32 point, 6 assist, 5 rebound gem of a Game 6), he wasn’t great statistically in the “clutch” minutes of the game, whatever that means. I saw Lawson score over 24 points four times in the series, foreshadowing what Russell Westbrook was going to do in the 2nd round.

Remember though, Lawson is only 24 and will be getting much better with a lot of young talented pieces around him, including a shiny new toy in Andre Iguodala. There is buzz in NBA circles that Denver may be able to play spoiler in the west. I seriously doubt they could handle the size of the Lakers or the Thunder trio of Durant, Westbrook and Harden, but for some time Denver should remain one of the most entertaining teams in the league.

May 12, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) and Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (34) go for a rebound in the second half of game seven of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center. Lakers won 96-87. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Super-Secret Stat: JaVale McGee’s on-court/off-court splits as a member of the Denver Nuggets in both the regular season and playoffs in terms of offensive and defense ratings, rebounding percentages, and pace factors.

Analysis: There was major initial head-scratching at last season’s trade deadline when the Nuggets shipped the newly-signed Nene off to Washington in exchange for the crazy-talented and just plain crazy JaVale McGee.  Why break up the foundation of a promising core, especially to acquire a big risk like McGee? Then Nene was out a few more weeks with injury, the NBA world looked at his contract numbers, and it appeared Denver avoided a player that could become a salary cap albatross and got one that gave them some major flexibility in the future.

Fast forward to now and McGee is a key piece of the renovated Nuggets’ plans.  He signed a four-year, 44 million dollar contract with Denver as restricted free agent in July, a reasonable contract for a player with McGee’s extremely rare size and physical gifts.  True bigs are always overpaid in the offseason, and there was some thought that the Nuggets would be forced to overpay the mercurial youngster after his breakout playoff performance against the Lakers.  Instead, GM Masai Ujiri – the league’s best front office man, perhaps? – locked McGee up at a fair price given his current level as a player, and as a potential bargain if he continues the rapid development he showed in May.

McGee’s value has always been a hot-button topic in the league.  Despite his prodigious size and athleticism and flashes of tangible skill, his actual on-floor impact was never positive as a member of the Wizards.  Most interesting was his play defensively, as McGee is arguably the league’s best shot-blocker and easily grabs double-digit rebounds on occasion, but advanced statistics painted his overall influence as a net negative.

Did the trends that plagued McGee as a Wizard follow him to Denver? Were his individual playoff numbers indicative of his real on-court value? Can he run with Ty Lawson and the breakneck Nuggets? Check out the graphs below – original creations, by the way – and see for yourself.

May 6, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (34) reacts during the second half of game four against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Pepsi Center. The Lakers won 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

Javale McGee has instantly become one of my favorite players in the NBA. In addition to helping me out immensely in fantasy basketball for the past 2 seasons and having a milf for a mother (here’s a clip of her getting up close and personal with Dr. J during the 2011 slam dunk contest), he has the ability to amaze for better or worse. If Javale has seen this youtube clip chronicling 8 of his dumbest plays, I’m sure it will make him feel better at night that the individual who edited the video isn’t exactly a genius himself with some of the mistakes made but I digress.

McGee’s fortunes changed for the better as he got traded to a more competent organization, the Denver Nuggets during the 2012 trade deadline in a 3-way deal which brought Nene to Washington and Nick Young to the Los Angeles Clippers. Javale’s talent has never been in question and GM Masai Ujiri along with the rest of Denver’s organization must have experienced buyer’s remorse in signing Nene to a 5-year, 67 million dollar contract compelling him to pull the trigger on the trade. I’d also experience regrets if I signed a 29 year old big man who isn’t a particularly good defender or has never averaged 15 points or 8 rebounds in a season to a near max extension so props to Ujiri to cutting his losses quick and actually upgrading in the process.

For all the criticism about Javale McGee’s basketball acumen, the man can flat out play the game. He’s a brilliant athlete who probably should have won the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, his creative dunks nor his mother’s buttering up the judges could not change what seemed was a predetermined  decision to have Blake Griffin win as McGee ended up finishing in second place. Javale is very good at protecting the rim as he has finished 2nd in blocked shots the past two seasons and has an emerging offensive game. He is only 24 years old and is signed to a reasonable 4-year, 44 million dollar contract so Nuggets brass also thinks highly of McGee.

Statistically he has improved in each of his first three seasons and his per 36 minutes stats are very impressive since joining the Nuggets, averaging 18 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks a game while shooting 61.2 percent from the field. McGee performed strongly in the playoffs as well. Despite losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, he averaged close to a double double putting up 8.6 points and 9.6 rebounds with 3.1 blocked shots a game in 25.9 minutes. If he can improve his horrific free throw shooting (he shot 45 percent from the stripe in 2011-2012), even greater things may be on the horizon for the young man.

Javale McGee has also shown a commitment to taking his game to higher levels as evidenced by working with NBA all time great Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon. Hakeem sees great promise in Javale and even went so far as to say McGee should dominate the league in a recent interview with FOX 26 sports. From Mark Berman for MyFoxHouston.com  (via PBT ):

“He has tremendous talent. I give him all these moves and he can finish and he’s already skilled. So now just show him how to use that skill to (get) to the next level.” [...]

“The moves that we work on are not for a stiff big guy,” Olajuwon said. “With him he’s agile. The move flows. So I’m excited to see what he’s going to do this year.”

Hopefully McGee can incorporate some of his newfound moves into his game for the 2012-2013 season. Coach George Karl does a solid job getting the most out of his players and with a very deep supporting cast including Ty Lawson and newly acquired Andre Iguodala, this Nuggets team is capable of making serious noise and should not be slept on by any means. While most of the off-season talk surrounding the Western Conference is about the new look Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, people would be making a serious mistake if they forget about the Nuggets. If Denver aspires to reach the upper crust of the Western Conference however, McGee must continue to realize his potential and perform at a high level.

May 10, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) reacts during the second half of game six in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

Dwight Howard forced his way to the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash.  Chris Paul finally landed with the Clippers and the game’s best lob finisher, Blake Griffin.  Deron Williams was suddenly shipped to New Jersey/Brooklyn, then threatened to bolt on the open market free agency before the talent around him was upgraded by the additions Gerald Wallace and Joe Johnson.  Carmelo Anthony made no secret of his desire to play in New York with Amare Stoudemire and inevitably got his wish.  And it seems Chris Bosh and LeBron started it all in that now fateful summer of 2010 when they played the free agency field, eventually getting signed and traded by their original teams to Miami for pennies on the dollar to join Dwyane Wade.

The Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, and Cleveland Cavaliers had that elusive franchise player in their grasp, drafting and developing these guys into stars they thought could eventually lead them to a championship.  Those teams found out, though, just how sharp the other edge of a superstar’s sword is when it neared time to discuss a second contract extension.  Unhappy with the talent or culture surrounding them or a combination of the two, James and Bosh made their intentions to feed the free agency frenzy clear from the beginning but left open the possibility of a return to their original clubs.  The backlash that followed them to South Beach – James especially, of course – was so rife with fan disgust and vitriol that stars had to find a new way to take advantage of player movement, and we saw it with Anthony a few months later.  Instead of leading the Nuggets on like a desperate mistress, he dumped them as soon as he could and indicated his wish to be traded, letting the public’s criticism tire throughout the process.  Utah and New Orleans saw it happening and reacted accordingly to get as much value for Williams and Paul as they could, while Orlando played the hapless role of Toronto and Cleveland as long as they could before finally caving and starting anew by trading Howard to the Lakers, effectively forming another SuperTeam.

That’s where we are in the league today and the above is pretty much how we got there.  James is mostly credited with starting the Superstar Movement Movement and these guys’ preference to play with someone else that could come close to matching their almost unparalleled abilities.  Whether or not that’s true doesn’t really matter – and the formation of the Big Three-era Celtics suggests it isn’t – but a prevailing theme exists here: the need in today’s NBA for not just one star, but two or three.  And if the players realize it, front office personnel obviously do too.

Except that of those Nuggets, it seems, the team that took the initiative and dealt their star for as close to fair value as they could.  This isn’t a new thought necessarily, that Denver is going against historical league convention and building a fiscally sensible team in every sense of the word; they’ve been headed that direction since trading Anthony at the 2011 trade deadline.  But shipping the recently extended, newly overpaid, and always injured Nene out at last season’s for Javale McGee? Facilitating the Howard-to-Lakers deal by trading the similarly priced Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala? That’s uncharted territory for even Denver in terms of financial forward-thinking and team-building, and it’s a model no other NBA squad is bold – or stupid, perhaps? – enough to undertake.

Acclaimed Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri has assembled the deepest roster in the league and one of its most versatile, a group that pushed the old Lakers to seven games riding the wave of those strengths and sudden and abrupt development from the ever-talented McGee.  And last week Ujiri added Denver’s only All-Star, Iguodala, to that core at the expense of a similar but inferior player and the Nuggets’ only aging player whose salary could eventually become a burden.

It’s an interesting and thought-provoking way to go about winning, and this roster will no doubt do a lot of that as long as stalwarts and likely starters Ty Lawson, Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, and McGee are allowed time to develop together.  They’ve got talented depth like (recently re-signed) Andre Miller, Corey Brewer, Jordan Hamilton, Wilson Chandler, and Timofey Mozgov behind them, too, so this team’s only question is just how much winning it will be able to do when Spring rolls around.  They’ll thrive in the regular season because of all that depth, versatility, and speed that George Karl loves to employ, but can a team full of Robins beat one like the Thunder or Lakers with multiple Batmans?

Only time will tell there, and even if Denver fails in that regard this season we still won’t know the answer.  Lawson, Gallinari, McGee, and even Faried are young and maybe future All-Stars, if seeming destined to fall just below that truly elite superstar level at their realized potential.  But if two years from now all these Nuggets managed was to win a playoff series or three, they can just hit the quick restart button again just the way they did by trading Anthony, Nene, and Afflalo.  At the very least that’s what all these proven but potential-laden, cost-effective assets buy you, unparalleled flexibility should a move to a struggling team need to be made or the right one to a playoff team just finally come along and put them over the top.

No superstars.  Young talent.  Unmatched depth.  Tradable assets.  Managebale salaries.  This is the Denver Nuggets, the NBA’s latest and most ambitious model for team-building, an organization that helped usher in and facilitate the SuperTeam movement not once but twice choosing to avoid it altogether.  We won’t know if it will work for a while, but in league more title-or-tank than ever it’s certainly a refreshing approach.

Apr 20, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) takes a pass during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 104-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

I could have just as easily called this entry “NBA Players I’m Most Excited To See Develop This Season,” but upon deeper consideration, I’ll avoid make this a personal wishlist and stick to guys I expect to break out, rather than the players I hope to.

Do I think that all of these players will be in the serious running for Most Improved Player? Of course not. But I do expect them to take a major step forward this year statistically, get noticeably better and have a big impact on their teams

Also, when we define “breakout season,” we have to consider young players, typically with 1-3 seasons under their belt, who may have had very limited opportunity (for a number of reasons) or even the right team to help them grow from their rookie status. So no, rookies won’t count. And despite being given a fresh start with a new team and having a heck of an Olympic run, Andrei Kirilenko or his type will not quality for the “breakout” list, sorry Timberwolves fans. With that out of the way, the list:

• Klay Thompson, Warriors
  I absolutely LOVE Klay Thompson this season. He has a perfect situation for himself in Golden State where he can get plenty of minutes swapping between the starting shooting guard spot and some time at small forward. He’ll be playing in a very young, up-tempo offense that finally has a capable center in Andrew Bogut, who teams will have to pay a little more attention to than Andris Biedrins and Ekpe Udoh. That means open shots for Klay, who was one of the best three-point shooters in the league last season. If this year’s Summer League is any indication, Klay will progress quickly and form one of the best shooting backcourts in the game with Steph Curry. Even though it was only two games, Klay averaged 20.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and shot the lights out in Vegas, going 10-for-14 from behind the arc. A shooter with great size at 6’7, he’ll be an extremely hard cover at the 2-spot, so there’s no reason to think he won’t get much better in every category. I expect him to be the number one scoring option very quickly.
• 

  May 10, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) reacts during the second half of game six in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 113-96. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

  Kenneth Faried, Nuggets
  Aside from having arguably the best nickname in the league, “The Manimal” proved last season that his ferocious rebounding skill set absolutely belonged in the league. In only 22.5 mpg for the Nuggets last season, he averaged 10.2 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Like the season itself, Faried got even better in the playoffs, where his rebounds went up and he averaged a double-double (10.4 ppg and 10.0 rpg) in seven games. Faried figures to be a starter going into this season and the Nuggets have the look of a very dangerous team in the West, especially after adding Andre Iguodala to upgrade the defense. It should surprise no one at all if Faried ends up averaging a double-double this season, given 30+ minutes a night.

• 

  Mar. 16, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe during game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Pistons 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

  Greg Monroe, Pistons
  Monroe barely makes this list, simply because many feel he had a breakout year last year, to which I agree. However, I think Monroe has a chance this year to not only improve further, but to become THE franchise player in Detroit. The Pistons are long since the days of their 2004 Championship season and now finally have a budding young star in Monroe (and hopefully Brandon Knight) to start building around. The skilled big man started all 66 games for the Pistons last season, averaging 15.4 ppg and 9.6 rpg in 31.5 mpg. The only knock on Monroe is that for his size, he should be a better shot blocker, averaging only 0.6 over two seasons. His totals (including blocks) should go up this season as he the Piston offense will run more through him. Expect very close to a 20 and 10 season.

• 

  Apr 12, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams (7) jumps up for a rebound in the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

  Derrick Williams, Timberwolves
  As the #2 pick in the draft last year (with some arguing that he should have been #1 over Irving), a lot was expected of Derrick Williams. His numbers were solid, but not impressive. In only 21.5 minutes, 8.8 ppg and 4.7 are fine for a rookie season. Shot selection was a mild concern, as .412% shooting is a little scary, but that should improve in his second season and the eventual return of Ricky Rubio. Even with the rosters additions of Kirilenko and Buddinger, Williams should see closer to 25 minutes this season with the Wolves hopes his production spikes as well. Williams will primarily back up Kevin Love at the 4-spot and will see some minutes at the 3. It may not be by the same leaps as the other guys on this list, but I expect a step forward, which the Wolves will need to get into the playoffs in the tight West.

• 

  May 23, 2012; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Evan Turner (12) reacts during the first half of game six of the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers defeated the Celtics, 82-75. The 76ers tied the series at 3 games each. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

  Evan Turner, 76ers
  Another #2 pick, Turner was an anomaly even before he entered the league. An extraordinary, do-it-all talent at Ohio State with a puzzling personality, one would hope that his third year in Philly will see him grow into a go-to player. Even with the roster changes (Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams OUT, Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson and Nick Young IN), Turner’s minute numbers should start to resemble his playoff ones from last year (34.5 up from 26.4) and he could be in line for a starting spot right away. While the shooting was ugly (.364% over 13 playoff games), everything else went up, including 7.5 rebounds per game. At this point, Turner doesn’t have the look of an NBA scorer and the Sixers want to use him as a Scottie Pippen-like point forward who can rebound and facilitate. It’s time for Turner.

• 

  April 24, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) blocks the attempted dunk of Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat (4) during the first half at Energy Solutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

  Derrick Favors, Jazz
  As much as Enes Kanter could be on this list as well, I expect Derrick Favors to more opportunity right away. When the Jazz bumped Favors minutes up from 21.3 during the season to 29.0 in the playoffs, he responded by posting a near double-double in 4 games with 11.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 1.5 bpg. If he can improve his free throw shooting, the scoring average will see an increase. With Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap the starters, Favors should be the first big man off the bench to play either the power forward or center position. Utah isn’t a big market, so it’s easy for Favors to fly under the radar, but I expect we hear his name mentioned a lot more in this upcoming season as the Jazz gun for a playoff spot. He’s definitely a building block.

Mentionables:
Avery Bradley (Celtics), MarShon Brooks (Nets), Kemba Walker (Bobcats), Dominique Jones (Mavericks), Brandon Knight (Pistons), Paul George (Pacers), Josh Selby (Grizzlies), Iman Shumpert (Knicks), DeMarcus Cousins (Kings), Enes Canter (Jazz), John Wall (Wizards)

April 10, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Injured Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard claps from the sidelines against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 93-85. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

Dwight Howard finally got traded. So now we all can get on with our lives, his “Indecision” is now over after a blockbuster 4-team deal brings him to Lakerland where he will join forces with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol (how is this even possible?). Before I break down what the deal means for each team, below are all the players and draft picks involved. David Stern is cringing somewhere trying to comprehend this trade.

Lakers receive: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark

Magic receive: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Josh McRoberts, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Christian Eyenga, 3 protected 1st round draft picks (1 from each team), 2 2nd round draft picks

Sixers receive: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson

Nuggets receive: Andre Iguodala

Apr 5, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) reacts after a turnover during the fourth quarter at Amway Center. New York defeated Orlando, 96-80. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

Los Angeles Lakers – Is it possible for General Manager of the 2012-2013 season to be locked up already? Because Mitch Kupchak is making a phenomenal case for that award right now. With Kupchak’s moves, the Lakers have gone from a respected but not serious championship contender to possibly the favorites to win coming into next season. Steve Nash for 4 draft picks and now Dwight Howard suiting up for the purple and gold without having to give up Pau Gasol sounds like an excellent summer to me. The Lakers also received Chris Duhon (completely and uttlerly useless at this stage of his career) and Earl Clark, who actually could turn into a decent backup but is far from the main attraction. With the addition of Dwight Howard, the Lakers become an even more problematic team on both ends of the court to contend with. On the defensive end, Dwight Howard will mask much of the Lakers weaknesses on that end. Teams can no longer pick and roll them to death and with D12′s shot-blocking and rebounding prowess, the Lakers will be a defensive force. Not to mention coach Mike Brown hangs his hat on his defensive schemes, with the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year anchoring the paint the Lakers will be difficult to light up. Now on the offensive side of the ball; picture the many looks the Lakers can give opponents, I’m having visions of pick and roll being run to perfection with Steve Nash and Dwight, Pau Gasol at the high post and Kobe Bryant on the wings, just think about that for a second. The YouTube link in the last sentence is  p&r run with JJ Redick, this is infinitely scarier as a defense with one of the best point guards of all time running it. While Dwight Howard does not have the post repertoire of Andrew Bynum, he is still a high percentage scorer (57.7 percent from the field over his career) and commands a double team. With an all time legend running the point, Dwight Howard’s skills will be maximized offensively. With 4 guys capable of being a first option on any given night, there will naturally be some sacrifice in order for the Lakers to reach their vast potential but this trade was an absolute no brainer for L.A..

While Dwight Howard seems set on exploring free agency next summer, does anyone really believe he will leave the glits and glamour that comes with being a Laker? Nevermind the fact that he would be sacrificing money to leave, he gets to perform in one of the two biggest media markets in the country (New York being the other) and will be playing on a team very capable of winning a championship.

Grade: A+

Apr 26, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Nuggets shooting guard Arron Afflalo (6) against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Target Center. Nuggets won 131-102. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Orlando Magic – Any time you can turn the best big man in the NBA into the pu pu platter that is Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, Moe Harkless and draft picks that very likely won’t be before the 20′s, you have to do it right? I’ll stop being facetious now, it is obvious that new GM Rob Hennigan is trying to build from the ground up. I don’t need to rehash the whole Dwight Howard fiasco leading to this trade so I will focus on the future ramifications for Orlando. At first glance, it appears that Orlando is maybe getting 10 cents on the dollar and one would be correct to assume as much. None of the players the Magic received currently are or project to be superstars, though Moe Harkless has potential to be a very solid swingman some day. Arron Afflalo is a solid role player, one who plays strong defense and can hit the three and Al Harrington who is a nice, instant offense 6th man type player. Nikola Vucevic showed flashes of potential in limited playing time for Philadelphia last season averaging 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in less than 16 minutes a contest. The Magic will also receive 3 1st round draft picks (all of which are protected) and 2 2nd round picks in this deal. While Orlando could have received much more talent in return for Dwight Howard, they were able to rid themselves of some questionable contracts (Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon) and will have maximum cap room for the 2013 off-season. Orlando has always been a friendly destination for free agents, with the warm climate and no state tax the Magic shouldn’t struggle to improve their team through free agency, especially considering that they can free up even more money if they choose to cut partially guaranteed deals to both Harrington and Hedo Turkoglu. I’m sure Magic fans while not satisfied with the return they got for Dwight Howard are happy that they can finally sleep at night knowing this situation is over. I’m sure they will be ready to shower Howard with boos when he returns to Orlando on March 12th.

Grade: D, I’m not giving an F only because if Hennigan hits on these future draft picks the outlook is much less pessimistic in Orlando.

April 22, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) makes a dunk past Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha (2) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Lakers won in double OT 114-106. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Philadelphia 76ers- I for one think the Sixers front office did an excellent job in this trade. For all of the concerns that come with Andrew Bynum, mainly his attitude and his injury history, he is an immensely talented post player and immediately becomes Philadelphia’s first legitimate go to player since the beloved Allen Iverson. He should be able to average 20 and 10 easily on his new team and will appreciate being the number one option which is something he would never be in Los Angeles so long as Kobe Bryant is still a Laker. The Sixers also acquired Jason Richardson in this deal, while JRich at 31 has seen better days as a basketball player he will be a great complement to Bynum as someone that can space the floor as a three point specialist and is an undervalued component of this trade. For everything Andre Iguodala did well as a defender and a playmaker, he was miscast as the go-to guy for the Sixers for years and received his fair share of criticism in his eight years in Philadelphia. The Sixers never made it past the second round of the playoffs throughout Iguodala’s tenure in Philadelphia and this transaction signifies the beginning of a new era, one that Sixers faithful should be very excited about. Bynum instantly makes the Sixers a threat in the East and while they are not in the class of the Miami Heat, they should project to win around 50 games this season and fight for a high playoff seed.

It is unclear whether Andrew Bynum will choose to sign an extension with Philadelphia but much like in Howard’s situation, he would be turning down millions of dollars if he leaves after the 2013 season. Plus growing up an hour outside of Philly can’t hurt, right?

Grade: A

Denver Nuggets – While the Nuggets clearly upgraded in talent, acquiring 2012 All-Star and Olympian Andre Iguodala, it did come at a cost of helping a conference foe get significantly better as well. I’m sure General Manager Masai Ujiri will live with the trade-off however, Iguodala is a picture perfect fit for the up-tempo style George Karl employs and the Nuggets save money long term on this deal, shedding the contracts of Afflalo and Harrington. Iguodala quietly had the best three point shooting percentage of his career this season (39.4 percent from deep) and is an elite defensive stud. While he only averaged 10 shot attempts a game, he averaged 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Sixers in 2011-2012 and is no longer in a situation where he is expected to be a heavy scorer as he was circa 2006-2010 in Philadelphia. With great point guard play from Ty Lawson and Andre Miller at his side, I expect an uptick in Andre’s scoring in 2013. A starting lineup of Javale McGee, Kenneth Faried, Wilson Chandler/Danilo Gallinari, Andre Iguodala and Ty Lawson is young, scary athletic and should be an incredibly fun team to watch this upcoming season. Masai Ujiri has done a masterful job building this Denver Nuggets team since trading Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks in February 2011 and while they are likely not a championship threat, this team is an unenviable match-up on any given night.

Grade: A-

Jan 20, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) meet prior to the start of the game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

Everyone can finally wake up… the Dwightmare is over!

After what is now months of basketball and media torture, Dwight Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers late Thursday night in a four-team, 8-player trade that also involved the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers. According to ESPN’s Mark Stein, there is a trade call with the league office scheduled for Friday to secure the necessary NBA approval to make the deal official.

The full, completed trade will look like this:

While many NBA fans will hardly be blindsided by the news of this inevitable Dwight Howard trade, the assessment of the deal should serve as some serious water cooler buzz throughout offices tomorrow morning. By adding Nash and now Howard, are the Lakers now clearly the team to beat? Did the Magic get enough back in return? Will Bynum be happy enough in Philly to sign long-term? Did Denver add enough in Iguodala? All questions to be debated by experts and fans alike.

Here is a preliminary breakdown to what this trade means to each team:

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Obviously, they are the major player in this deal. Basically, they replace Andrew Bynum (and give up a protected first-round pick) with Dwight Howard and somehow manage to keep Pau Gasol in the process, which might very well be the underlying remarkable element to this whole deal. So after acquiring two-time MVP Steve Nash a month ago to come facilitate a new era of Showtime in Los Angeles, the Lakers will send out a starting lineup of Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, likely Metta World Peace and Dwight “I’ll play out the 2012-13 season before deciding how comfortable I am in Los Angeles” Howard. Even after finally being dealt out of Orlando to an instant contender, the guy is still unbelievable.

Kobe Bryant, chasing a gold medal over in London at the moment was apparently “ecstatic” to add a piece like Howard without having to give up Gasol in the process. Wow, do you think?

So now the Lakers, already contenders without this deal, perhaps jump to the top of the Western Conference as favorites over the youthful Oklahoma City Thunder and veteran San Antonio Spurs. While the starting lineup certainly breeds no questions, some may arise about the depth of the bench. Upon reacting to the trade and taking into consideration their draft and offseason moves, I don’t believe they will be quite as thin as some may originally think. Adding Antawn Jamison on the cheap was definitely a key move, while role players like Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, Andrew Goudelock and Josh McRoberts will have the opportunity to solidify their place in the rotation. I even like what the Lakers did in the Draft by grabbing who I think is an underrated Robert Sacre out of Gonzaga and Darius Johnson-Odom from Marquette.

Trust me, the Lakers and their ability to now run an almost-unstoppable pick and roll, will be just fine for a full 48 minutes a game.

May 26, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers small forward Andre Iguodala (9) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics in game seven of the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

DENVER NUGGETS

I feel like the Nuggets gave up a slightly too much to land just Andre Iguodala in all of this. Aaron Afflalo, who they just signed to a very healthy long-term deal last season, is basically a poor man’s version of Andre Iguodala, without the brand name and the double the price tag.

Their numbers from last season are very comparable, with Afflalo having an advantage in several categories, including scoring and all of the shooting percentages:

Al Harrington, one of the first options off the Denver bench, will be hard to immediately replace with his solid scoring and perimeter shooting. And surely he can’t be thrilled about moving to the rebuilding project in Orlando. It’s also worth being reminded that Denver also gives up a protected first-round pick to the Magic. All of this seems like a lot for Iguodala and doesn’t essentially improve the Nuggets.

Iguodala, an All-Star and also chasing a medal in London, has been on the block for a few seasons now and may finally welcome a move out of Philly.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

May 6, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Aaron Afflalo (6) shoots the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Jordan Hill (27) during the first half of game four in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

The Sixers come away from the deal with a young star in Bynum that they can build around… if of course, he wants to stick around after this season. Growing up about an hour away from Philadelphia combined with now having “his own team,” might be reasons for him to play there beyond next season. Also, the idea of being a dominant big man in the Eastern Conference while earning multiple All-Star and potential playoff appearances must be enticing. During this season, Bynum could sign a three-year, $60 million extension or wait until next season when he would be eligible for a five-year, $102 million deal. Regardless, the Sixers were apparently comfortable to roll the dice without Bynum’s commitment.

In Jason Richardson, the Sixers get a veteran scorer with a very favorable contract. Whether he’s a starter like most of his career, or he comes off the bench, he’ll help mentor the team’s younger players at the shooting guard and perhaps even the small forward position. His production has dipped the past couple of seasons, but the Sixers could do worse.

ORLANDO MAGIC

May 6, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Aaron Afflalo (6) shoots the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Jordan Hill (27) during the first half of game four in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

While the Magic are certainly relieved to have this hostage situation behind them now, they immediately enter rebuilding mode and go from the 6th seed in the East to the lottery. Initially there were some reactions that the Magic didn’t get enough back in the deal. I disagree. Getting rid of Howard was the move they were forced (literally) to make and one that I don’t necessarily see as negative. They knew by doing so that they were starting from scratch. By adding veterans Afflalo and Harrington, young guy Nikola Vucevic (who showed some promise last season) and St. Johns rookie Moe Harkless, they pulled in a solid enough mix with guys that can contribute right away and others with the potential to. Does all of it replace Dwight Howard? No, but that wasn’t the goal anyway. I think when you consider that they added three first-round picks, they could be in a very nice position in just a couple of seasons. This season will end up being a long one in Orlando, where the fans have become accustomed to a perennial playoff team.

As Stan Van Gundy is off in a corner weeping, the rest of us can rejoice as the Dwight Howard saga has finally come to and end… until next season.

March 7, 2011; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) rebounds the ball during the third quarter against the Cleveland Caviliers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

Take: When will NBA front offices finally  learn about undersized, highly productive, rebound-addicted, and hyper-active power forwards come draft time? The overwhelming success of guys like Paul Millsap and DeJuan Blair should have served as enough precedent to convince at least one team to take Faried – college basketball’s all-time leading rebounder and 2011 PER king – among the top ten picks last June, but instead he inexplicably lasted until Denver excitedly snatched him at 22nd.  What’s worse is that range – anywhere from mid to late first round – is exactly where Faried was projected to go.

And why is that? Why was the most productive college rebounder ever considered at best a “solid” prospect, not even worthy of a late lottery pick? Two reasons: height and offensive polish.  Here’s the problem – outside of the surefire, can’t miss, star-potential-laden guys, shouldn’t teams be searching for players with one certifiable NBA skill? Someone that will be in the league for a decade because he’s better than the vast majority of players at a single aspect of the game?

Bearing that in mind, Faried – in last year’s admittedly weak draft, mind you– deserved to be a top ten pick.  Outside of Irving and Derrick Williams, nobody was can’t miss or so wrought with untapped promise that they were obviously superior to Faried.  So what if he wasn’t even 6’8”, already 21 years-old, and wasn’t going to be a primary option? The guy was one of the most productive players in NCAA history.  He had a 7’0” wingspan that more than made up for how far his head was from the rim.  He was one of the best athletes in the draft.  And maybe more important than all of that, his approach to the game was ideal and his motor never stopped.

Players with those qualifications are what teams should want once the Kevin Durants, Derrick Roses, and Blake Griffins of the world are off the board, and Faried’s immediate success once he finally become a staple of George Karl’s rotation is perhaps the best indicator yet.  Denver found a guy that will be an impact player in this league for the next ten years, and they did it picking 22nd in what was considered one of the weakest drafts of all time.

So after Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and the remaining cream of the crop are taken in the top six or so picks of the 2012 draft, keep an eye out for rebounders, shooters, defenders, or passers.  Guys that will stick in the league because they do just one thing better than the rest.  Then watch them make a difference for a playoff contender once the season finally comes around, just like Faried has for the Nuggets in 2012.

Feb 6, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari (8) prepares to shoot a free throw in the third quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at the Pepsi Center. The Rockets defeated the Nuggets 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

Take: The Nuggets have struggled due to a rash of injuries to key players since their hot start to the season had them the talk of the league.  They’re just 8-13 over their last 21 games and have fallen to seventh place in the Western Conference, a mere game ahead of ninth place Houston.

Having said that, assuming the Nuggets gain a postseason birth they’ll be a tougher out than their likely seed would suggest.  Though their superior depth won’t be as big an advantage come playoff time as most suggest (when rotations are shortened and stars play more minutes), what’s going overlooked is their unmatched ability to draw fouls on offense and prevent from fouling on the other end.

When the game slows down and the point differential between the winning and losing team dwindles, making an impact at the line matters more than ever.  Denver, with foul-drawing machines Danilo Gallinari and Nene leading a host of other players that gain free throws better than most, is well-positioned offensively in that regard.  And on the other end, their uptempo style helps negate the need for fouling the shooter.  Keep an eye on this as Spring rolls around and the Nuggets are giving a higher seed a better fight than expected.

We now have the official draft order for the upcoming NBA Draft:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Utah Jazz

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1. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls continue to come on strong, led by MVP candidate Derrick Rose (24.9 PPG, 7.8 APG on the season). The Bulls have held their opponents under 85 points seven times in the month of march and have won eight of their last ten.

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