Playoff Preview: Magic vs Bobcats

(2) Magic vs (7) Bobcats

Am I the only one thinking the Magic may have some problems handling this Bobcats team? In my book Charlotte is an awfully tough team. Jax really gives them an edge and is not easy to outcoach Larry Brown you know? Stan Van Gundy is a pretty good coach and the mere quality of the Magic -and their best player- is going to give them the series. Orlando is playing amazing basketball and they haven't miss a beat since the All Star game.

Charlotte has a nice collection of big bodies to throw at Howard and getting under Howard's skin is a good way to get him off his game. Brown would make sure Wallace and Jackson attack the basket, and Howard, any chance they get.

What about Vince? Everybody have been waiting for this moment to critize and attack good ol' Vince. I like Carter. It sucks he doesn't have the thrive for glory like Kobe has. A real shame. I just hope that for a couple of months he discovers some type of hunger, like he were in a contract year, a play aggresive, smart and efficient basketball. 2 months. 1 ring. Players have been playing hard for a decades without a real chance of getting a title. It can't be that hard

This is not going to be a pretty series. They are both defensive teams so you know what that means. Hack-a-Howard is going to be in place. MJ is going to be there playing cool. Best case scenario: Jax goes all Nellie ball on Brown and ends up in the bench for the last couple of games.

Basketball Gods Prediction: Orlando in 5

Win Scale (From 1: "The refs gave them that game. Are they really this bad?" to 10: " This is the best team ever! Make me yours" ) 7

2008 Trading Bonanza. The Sequel ?

Four monts go by so quickly. I gain nothing looking back and trying to explain my non existening fan base what the hell I've been doing during the NBA Season. I have been watching. I know what's going on but I'm sure y'all also know what is happening so let's call it a day , a'right?

I've finally been compelled to blog thanks to the tons and tons of trade rumors out there. So I'm killing some time arranging some trades that should happen (Using ESPN's Trade Machine or RealGM's Trade Checker. Keep this in mind and weight in this trades the economic scenario we are living in. Small market teams like Hornets or Milwaukee might be force to surrender some key players just because there's not enough money to pay the luxury tax. This is a reality. It certainly sucks for a team like New Orleans to give away Tyson Chandler for some scrub and a draft pick but this are the times that even the deep pockets ain't so deep no more (Yeah, the rest of us who don't even have pockets we are just fucked)

The Amar'e Saga

Apparently Amar'e is going nowhere. If something happens in the next couple of days this is the trade I'd like see happening. Amare to Toronto, Bosh to Chicago, a nice little package to Phoenix.
Why would Colangelo do this? I know is far fetched but somewhere down the line Colangelo will have to trade Bosh. This way he's getting a player ready for primetime, not just a kid with some upside and a hustle swing player in Nocioni, that might prove to be better suited for Toronto than Shawn Marion (cheaper too). Phoenix is geting more than 12 million dollars coming off the book next season and Chicago is getting the franchise big guy to pair with Rose.
Chances of happening? 0.2%





The Blazers

Kevin Pritchard is looking at Caron Butler, Richard Jefferson and Gerald Wallace. I do think he's going to end up with one of those guys.

Washington might be shaving salaries just as a consecuence of their record. I don't see them moving Butler but I see Jamison in different colors next weekend. More on him later.

Milwaukee is going nowhere this season or next or the next one after that. If you ask me Michael Redd is not a franchise player but right now he's injured and untradable. As the big australian is untouchable the only valuable piece here is Jefferson. So he'll be sacrificied for the all mighty dollar. The Bucks get LaFrentz's contract and a couple of young guns. Next year they can trade Redd and I promise you the Buck will be in a better place
Chances of happening? 30%

Larry Brown likes Gerald Wallace. He does. But again economics might get in the way and I assure you they prefer keeping Okafor than Wallace. That's the only reason why I see something like this happening. This way the Bobcats get rid of Felton in the process and get in return cap space (aka LaFrentz' expiring contract), Sergio Rodriguez and the likeable sweet shooting Martell Webster. Throw some draft picks here and there and they are done. Take this as a straight up salary dumping move
Chances of happening? 14%


And Chris Paul is pick and rolling with...

Another crisis related move. Add one of the 800 draft picks Sam Presti has collected and we have a cute little trade. You know I hold Wilcox in high regard. He works hard, great rebounder, good guy. A little undersized and he might collide with West in the court but the Hornets would save more then 11 million dollars this offseason. And Chandler gets a fresh start ...again...
Chances of happening? 49%



Dead Wizards

They might no be dead (Basketball wise they are) but they are too expensive to be this bad. Arenas is...Arenas. Whatever that means. So their tradeable assets are Jamison and Butler. Butler is younger and that is why he's the guy staying and Jamison is the one packing his stuff. A pretty much straight up Jamison for Artest deal might be the right path for both teams and players. Houston gets a reliable 4 and Washington get a half season trial on Artest ( why everybody gets and "Artest trial" You all know that he can snap after more han 4 months, right?). Not sure the Rockets are going to give up on their own "big three" just yet but they might realize that this guys are not delivering no championship.
Chances of happening? 8%