Your official BigBasketball 2015/16 NBA season preview - now with 15% more childish humour

[Atlanta_Cats]

You will be astounded at the substandard effort I shall turn in for Phoenix then

To be fair it took me a good 2 weeks or so to write mine for the Hawks...

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Spelt Leuer wrong. What an amateur!

 

[Son of Skeletor]

2014/15 Record: 56-26 (2nd in Pacific, 3rd in West), lost 4-3 to Rockets in second round

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #1 offensively, ranked #15 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: Blake Griffin (21.9 ppg), DeAndre Jordan (15.0 rpg), Chris Paul (10.2 apg)


Welcome Aboard: Paul Pierce (3/10), Josh Smith (1/min), Wes Johnson (1/min), Pablo Prigioni (1/min), Cole Aldrich (1/min), Lance Stephenson (trade)

Thrown Overboard: Matt Barnes (Grizzlies), Spencer Hawes (Hornets), Big Baby Davis (Pizza Hut), Hedo Turkoglu (Pizza Hut), Ekpe Udoh (Turkey)

Drafted: F Branden Dawson (#56)

Notable: Lost DeAndre Jordan, re-signed DeAndre Jordan (4/88) & Austin Rivers (2/6), underwent laughable dynamic branding re-development

DeAndre couldn't help but change his mind after being tempted by Satan himself



The Lowdown

After enduring their most Clippers playoff exit ever, followed by their most Clippers off-season ever, LA's noisy neighbours are back to annoy us once more.

Last season should have been the breakthrough one in Lob City, but after surviving the Spurs in an epic first round encounter and having Houston dead-to-rights in the next, the mother of all playoff meltdowns ensured that the NBA's most reviled team will also remain its most scrutinised.

Make no mistake, it was LA's supporting cast who were largely responsible for that meltdown, but it is the franchise's core - Paul, Griffin and Jordan - who will continue to wear the black hat until the Clippers finally fulfill playoff expectations. It's not just the on-court leaders who will be under the microscope either; GM Rivers has begun to put Coach Doc under increasing pressure, while Steve Ballmer's... er, interesting... image makeover will hardly have the critics lining up to take the Clippers seriously either.

As for the aforementioned supporting cast... well, Matt Barnes is no longer around to frighten the kiddies, Spencer Hawes has taken his fight against good fashion elsewhere while Big Baby Davis was last seen wandering the streets in search of a good hotel...

... that's the good news. On the other hand, Lance Stephenson has arrived after blowing his shot at stardom in Charlotte, Josh Smith joins with a penchant for shot selection that's uglier than the Clips' new logo, while Cole Aldrich almost makes Hawes look like Johnny Depp.

Of course things could be worse; the Clippers have won more regular season games than any team bar San Antonio and OKC over the past four seasons, while they faced the prospect of very real disaster before Doc, Blake and friends barricaded themselves Lawry & Greig style inside DeAndre Jordan's house and persuaded him to re-commit to LA.

More to the point, while they're not going to win many popularity contests, the Clippers are young, deep and talented enough on paper to be considered a real contender.

Over to you Clips - it's showtime.

In my professional medical opinion Lance you need to post more of your own highlights on Twitter


The Roster

GUARD: So many potential gifs, so little space to include them all.

All-righty, so CP3 we know. Previous playoff mishaps and his propensity to fall short of the Conference Finals has led to an endless succession of well-aimed jabs. In defence of the little maestro he shot 50/40/90 in the playoffs with a 4:1 assist/turnover ratio, and remains the most complete pure point guard in the league. He also did this:




It's what happens here beyond CP3 that will make or break the Clippers' fortunes. JJ Redick had a good season, knocking down 200 treys at 44% and posting a muscular TS% of 62%. His shooting range and off-ball movement is vital for a Los Angeles offence that can be a little spacing challenged at times. Like the rest of LA's supporting cast Redick struggled when push came to shove in that Houston playoff series, a fact that will not have escaped him.

Austin 'Son of Dad' Rivers actually had his moments after arriving mid season amid much skepticism. Games like this helped erase some of the suspicions of nepotism, although with Austin it's sometimes a case of one step forward...

Speaking of smooth crossovers, Jamal Crawford will lace up the sneakers for the 16th consecutive season. When he's on, Crawf can still kill a team single-handedly. Unfortunately for the Clippers he was not 'on' as often as they'd have liked last season, shooting just 39% from the field and 32% from three. More worryingly still, those numbers plummeted further still to a paltry 36% and 24% from three in the playoffs. With all the new additions, at least there will be more competition for shots now.

While on the topic of guards with smooth handles and faulty shooting radars, Lance Stephenson himself figures to enter the backcourt equation at some point too. While the Clippers will welcome the presence of another defensive ballhawk to ease Paul's heavy load, CP3 might not be so enamoured with the new acquisition's shot chart...

Finally, proving that Los Angeles doesn't have a complete aversion to recruiting likable guys, the venerable Pablo Prigioni has also come aboard. Even in a ridiculously crowded backcourt, Prig probably figures to spell CP3 during the dog days of the long and winding regular season.


FORWARD: Things are finally falling into place for Blake Griffin.

Once viewed as the poster-child for the hype-over-substance showbiz world of the NBA, Griffin to his eternal credit has worked on his game to the extent that he has become almost the complete offensive player. A bear (albeit it a highly unorthodox one) to guard in the post, and possessed with the ball handling skills and court vision of a guard, BG's improved outside shooting touch has rendered him almost un-guardable. His place among the upper echelon of NBA royalty was cemented with his dominant play in the post-season, where he averaged 25 & 13 with 6 assists to boot. He still struggles with elite post defenders and suffers the odd lapse on D, but those are minor quibbles.

I survived Donald Sterling & Matt Barnes and all I got was this lousy shirt

At the other forward position the Clippers will miss Barnes's hard-nosed defence, even if they won't miss his inherent douchiness. One of Doc's biggest dilemmas will be in working out who to start at this position and who to bring off the bench. The word was that he is considering starting journeyman Wes Johnson over Paul Pierce here. Although it makes sense on some levels - Pierce is the potential bench weapon that Johnson could never be - there are also arguments against starting the younger man.

The Lance Stephenson Question also comes into play here, as backcourt minutes will be hard to come by and Lance is by far the best defensive option of the three. Unfortunately he's also the worst shooter of the three, so there's no perfect solution. However Doc arranges the minutes here, what's not in question is the fact that Pierce can expect to see the court during vital playoff moments.

Josh Smith's unusual career has undertaken another strange twist, jumping ship from the Clips' erstwhile tormentors in Houston to join the circus that is LA's bench. Presumably J-Smoove will be asked to become Griffin-lite, using his physical gifts and passing vision to keep the offence humming when the starters sit. Although quite how a bench unit comprising of Crawford, Rivers, Lance, Smoove (and possibly Pierce) divides up the shots on offer is anyone's guess...




CENTRE: Before DJ Renege changed track and turned the tables on Dallas, the Clippers were a bee's doodle away from starting Cole Aldrich here...

The big man has managed to achieve two things in his NBA career that few would have ever thought possible - he's made Shaq look like a good shooter from the line, and - as one wag wryly noted - he managed to garner near universal sympathy for Mark Cuban among the basketball fraternity.

In fairness to Jordan, his 15 rebounds per game and shot blocking prowess were qualities worth fighting for, even if it makes both he and the Clippers pariahs in the short term. It seems a long time ago now when critics were laughing at LA for giving DAJ $40 million - his steady development as the third pillar on the team has ensured that the naysayers have long since been forced to eat their words. Of course he has since given critics another reason to laugh at him... oh DeAndre.

If former Sam Presti pick Aldrich doesn't work out as backup, expect Smoove to get some burn as a small-ball five.


Pick & Pop - where we pick out one of the single most clumsy attempts at justification in written history and pop it here for posterity to laugh at

In the Gun: GM Rivers

If GM Rivers's latest attempt to bolster the depth on the roster doesn't pay off, then Coach Rivers might find himself under pressure. Then there's Player Rivers Jr...

Is a Gun: Mr. Griffin

Sure he's a better player now, but I'm nominating him for this section purely on the basis of this:




Needs Improvement: Killer instinct

I'm not sure that failing to take your opponent seriously is a valid defence for playoff failure when you've never been past the second round before as a team or as individuals. There's no excuses left for this team, it's time to put up or shut up. The defence could also stand to be improved a little, although with the likes of Stephenson and Smith that's only likely to occur at the cost of a little offensive potency.

Big Question: Can LA's wild and wacky bench actually work?

The Clippers had to do something to improve the bench - the supporting cast of Redick, Barnes, Crawford and Rivers shot a combined 34 / 123 during Games 5-7 of the Rockets series. Getting the likes of Stephenson, Pierce and Smith on to the roster certainly makes for a deeper pool of talent, but will the pieces fit? Even some of the Cliipers' own fanbase have their doubts...


And now, a word from our sponsors... paging BG32 , your team needs you


The Magic Eight Ball

My shaman senses are predicting an expensive lawsuit in the not-too-distant future...

Actually I'll come clean here - I have NFI what the Clippers will do this season, purely on the basis of their tendency to do the unthinkable. Adding talent like Lance and Smoove could help... but if Crawford, Rivers, Lance & Smoove all catch the shooting yips on the same night then Billy Crystal and friends should cover their heads as well as their eyes.

Don't ask me how it has happened, but the Clippers have become the most Hollywood team in LA. I predict we'll all have a lot of fun discussing just that this season.

 

[djrossie16]

I'm now convinced you do not sleep Son of Skeletor

 

[stewie griffen]

Spelt Leuer wrong. What an amateur!

I believe thats amateuer

 

[stewie griffen]

Speaking of childish humour, this ones for the Portland fans

https://streamable.com/coo9?t=1.9

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Great work Son of Skeletor

Props for the Greig/Lawry reference.

Also Wes Johnson looks excited to be unveiled as a Clipper based on that photo

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Preview is hours away, maybe right after the game.
Have the day off work and with the girlfriend and roommates all clearing out this arvo nothing will stop me.

*Preview may be cringe-worthy optimistic or horribly pessimistic due to the result of the opening game of the season, where all final judgements will be hastily and unfairly made.

 

[fidstar]

My preview is going to be horrible compared to everyone else. It's actually hard to make jokes about a team when they win the championship.

Golden State Warriors

2014/15 Record: 67-15 (1st in Pacific, 1st in West), won the championship

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #2 offensively, ranked #1 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: Steph Curry (23.8 ppg), Draymond Green (8.2 rpg), Steph Curry (7.7 apg)


Welcome Aboard: Jason Thompson and Ian Clark

Thrown Overboard: David Lee, Justin Holiday and Ognjen Kuzmich

Drafted: Kevon Looney (Pick 30)

Notable: Well the Warriors did what they had to do in the offseason. They resigned Pepsi-Max Green, got rid of Lee's contract (without giving up anything) and resigned the bunch of role players that helped win them a championship. The only thing you could argue they didn't do was resign Barnes this offseason, which will mean he becomes a restricted free-agent next year. But at the end of the day if that's the worst thing that happens to you in the off-season, it's a good off-season (Kerr may disagree that is the worst thing to happen this offseason...).

The Lowdown
Golden State are relatively young and won an NBA Championship. Don't fix what isn't broken. The Warriors were exceptional defensively last year (rank number 1) and offensively (rank number 2). They cruised through the season with a point differential better than any team in history without Michael Jordan on the roster. While everyone gives credit to the Warriors, I think they are still underestimated for how historic last season was. 67 wins in the current Western Conference is amazing and I can't see how the Warriors 2014-15 season isn't rank in the Top 5 individual seasons of all time.

This season they have bought back the core of the 2014-15 team and there is no reason to think that they can't put together another amazing season.

The Roster

GUARD:
At the start of last season there was an argument of which team had the best backcourt in the league. That argument ended pretty quickly as the season progressed.

Steph Curry went from star to super-star winning the MVP with 23.8/7.7/4.3 in just 32.7 minutes a game. He also flirted with a 50/40/90 season (he had 49/44/91 season) and at times made it look effortless. And he then stepped it up in the playoffs going 28.3/6.4/5.0. During the playoff run he knocked down 98 three pointers, just slightly better than the previous record of 58.

As if that wasn't good enough, he looks like he might be able to get even better, with a great preseason and opening game.

Steph's shot chart....

And here's some highlights, just because...

The other half of the Splash Brothers goes okay too. Klay made his first All-Star game and was named in an All-NBA team. He scored a career high 21.7ppg having a good shooting year (46/44/88). Had a half decent quarter against the Kings as well.



They have two solid veterans as back up in Livingston and Barbosa. Barbosa though can be inconsistent and has at times fallen out of the rotation (with Iggy handling the ball more).


FORWARDS:
Pepsi Max now needs to play up to the contract he signed. While he was a bargain last season for what he provided, he now is getting the $$$. He isn't a stats machine and is more like the Swiss army knife in that he does what his team needs. And he obviously brings it defensively. He's the bloke who can have a 10/8/5 game and still be as valuable as anyone on the court. Having said that he relies on his energy. Can he do it all season? Can he do it now that he has the money in his pocket? Will he rub a teammate up the wrong way if the Warrior have a slump? Will be interesting to see.

Barnes stepped back into a starting role last season. In all honesty he seemed to be the least important starter. He was a great floor spacer with his corner 3s and can provide instant offense, but at times can look like he's not in the play for long periods of time. Battled well with the bigger PFs in the game and while not a great defensive player is very versatile.

Warriors have plenty of depth here as well. They have two guys who polled well in the 6th man of the year award in Iggy and Speights. After, what I thought was a pretty average season, Iggy showed just how valuable he was in the playoffs helping slow down LeBron and earning the Finals MVP trophy. Speights on the other hand was instant offense. He has a great catch and shoot player and with opposition teams needing to worry about Steph and Klay he can get some easy shots. Having said that I wouldn't expect Speights he average more than 10-12 minutes a game as he can be a liability at the other end. But he will be important if Kerr wants some scoring power.


CENTER:
Australia's GOAT player fills the center spot. With a team full of people who can score, Bogut isn't needed offensively (other than the occasional dunk). His defense at the rim is as good as anyone in the league. One weakness he has is playing on someone who can shoot or is quick in a pick and roll. As a result he was benched during the NBA finals as he couldn't handle LeBron in those situations. He's dropped 10kgs in the offseason to help with that (and it should also help with his injury history).

Golden State have a reliable (when fit) backup in Ezeli.

They often play small with Green filling in at the 5.

6th (Wo)man:

In the gun:
No one really. Winning a championship gives players some grace.

Is a gun:
Steph Curry - No big surprise here.

Needs Improvement:
Might seem harsh, but Iggy needs to improve his regular season.

Big Question:
Will there be a championship hangover? Talent wise and coaching wise there's no reason to think they can't go back to back. It will come down to motivation.

The Magic Eight Ball

I'm going to read Son of Skeletor mind and say there is no reason they can't win it all again. The two "issues" they had last year was playoff experience and an inexperienced coach. Neither of them are issues anymore. It will come down to a little bit of luck going their way (as with any championship) and staying healthy.

 

[stewie griffen]

Nice work fidstar.

Think you've nailed it, as hard as that was

Luck, health and one thing in the West - match ups come playoff time. Altho the Dubs match up pretty well with anyone

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Nicely done fidstar , now linked in the OP. Great choice of Steph gifs too.

Concur with stewie, the Dubs are very hard to preview as everybody knows they're damn good. Minimal roster turnover too.

This was the penultimate preview for the season folks, just one to go.

 

[stewie griffen]

Harrison Barnes is definitely the odd man out. If they have no intention of keeping him would it be worth dangling him in the market come deadline time? If they could wangle a first rounder it would help their future picks. Cap space won't be an issue, but their future draft pick cupboard is pretty bare. They could even take a vet on an expiring or 2 year deal back to effectively buy a pick

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Sacramento Kings​

2014/15 Record: 29-53

2014/15 Stats: Ranked 14th offence, 28th defence


2014/15 Leaders:

Points: Demarcus Cousins (24.1 PPG)

Assists: Darren Collison (5.6 APG)
Rebounds: Demarcus Cousins (12.7 RPG)


New Royalty: Rajon Rondo, Marco Bellinelli, Kosta Koufous, Willie Caulie Stein, James Anderson, Seth Curry, Deja Dukan, Quincy Acy, Caron Butler


Regicide: Nik Stauskas, Ray Mccallum, Jason Thompson, Derrick Williams, Carl Landry, Andre Miller, Ryan Hollins, Reggie Evans

Draft: Willie Caulie Stein (Pick 6)


Notable: We retained Cousins (thank the lord), turned over 10 roster spots and managed to keep four of the starting five which we by far our best performed unit on the floor last season


The Lowdown

Sacramento’s 2014-2015 campaign can be summarised in three oft-joined words. Good, bad and ugly.

Under Mike Malone’s patient and disciplined coaching in the first 23 games the Kings were 10-11 after a tough opening schedule, including a 5-1 start which had myself and other Kings fans hopelessly dreaming that something was coming together. The team was a tough unit and with a rotation of 9 players performing their roles well we looked good.

Enter viral meningitis

Losing Demarcus Cousins for 10 games in which the Kings went 2-8 after sitting pretty at 9-6 derailed the season, as ridiculous as that sounds. The team crumbled as players were forced to step up and were subsequently found out without the big man to carry the offence and to a lesser extent; anchor the defence.

Front office overreacted to some bad losses from very comfortable winnable positions and in one of the worst decisions from recent years sacked Malone, in the process upsetting Cousins who had reportedly a fantastic relationship with his coach and who’s play had been reflective of that. This would lay down the undercurrent of uncertainty and tension that follows the Kings to the current day, the direction had changed at the whim franchise paranoid about success right now.

In came assistant Coach Ty Corbin who brought in a gamestyle that meant the players forced things too hard trying to overwhelm opponents with constant ball movement and tempo. Malone’s defence schemes which kept the team together fell to a run and gun gameplan which exposed poor ball handlers and a lack of team chemistry among players.

The result was a 7-21 record as a team clearly already a shell of itself by January turned the ball over and leaked points from the perimeter like a sieve as defenders scrambled for position under a coach thrust into the wrong situation trying to appease a (is deluded too strong a word?) owner.

The offence was muddled as Gay’s and Cousins iso-centric games were completely against what they were being told to run from the front office (4 on 5 defence wtf Vivek) and Corbin looked clueless as to what to listen to as angst grew in Sacramento; amongst every man and his dog in the media throwing in their two cents as to what to make of a trainwreck of a season.
He was gone by February.

In somewhat of a coup George Karl was hired to salvage something from the mess, and it wouldn’t have done his health problems any good as the team continued to splutter; his mark on the team minimal.

Injuries didn’t help as vital trio Collison, Gay and finally Cousins were all sidelined through injury and an average of just over 61ppg just couldn’t be made up for.

Sometimes the team would run plays from under Malone, Corbin and Karl all in the same quarter, with most players of the knowledge big changes were to be made in the off-season and playing accordingly.


Basically it can be boiled down to a massive cluster* that didn’t need to happen, the team never showed any signs of getting back to the cohesiveness under Malone, or amounting to anything in the future.



The Roster


Point Guard:

Rondo gets first go at the starting point, with all and sundry well aware of what he is capable of when playing in a system where he can orchestrate where the cutters are coming from and where the shooters will be sitting.

The problem is is that Ben Mclemore will never be Ray Allen, more so with his off the ball work than his actual shooting, as a backcourt pairing which Karl is looking to experiment with first they’re not the greatest fit; both aren’t strong drivers to the hoop and McLemore’s 3 ball is passable but not to the point where Rondo drawing the defence in and kicking out to Ben will be a routine play.

What I do like about Rondo and what I saw a lot in pre-season is that he can run the pick and roll with all three big men who will see a lot of action this season easily. His hands in close when he’s within 3 feet of the basket is unparalleled as he jumps nearly under the basket past two closing defenders, and with easy dishes to the big guys in position a lot of easy baskets were scored in the pre-season.

I really have no idea which Rondo will show up on any given night, but his contract for one year is worth the gamble and our assists numbers have jumped up by 5 (only pre-season I know) with him running the team.

Defensively he’s the best guard we have, but that is more of an indictment than anything.

Vying for the starting role is Darren Collison, who in 45 games last season as a starter surprised many with his scoring and ability to competently run a team under trying circumstances, far improving on his previous gig as a starter on the remnants on the 2011 championship Mavs team.

He’s probably more suited to a spark plug off the bench but he’s definitely the guy at this stage that is relied upon down the stretch of games. Quick, clever and with an underrated jumpshot from all over the court it’ll be good to have one of the best back up points in the league back in the purple this season.

Seth Curry and David Stockton figure to see junktime minutes barring injuries, take one look at their surnames and guess which one is a scoring combo guard and which one is strictly pass first.



Shooting Guard:

Ben McLemore’s improvement on his sophomore campaign over his rookie year was simply put a relief for all Kings fans. While he’s still a long way off a jack-of-all trades scorer which he was projected to be he’s a solid enough 3 point shooter both spot up and off the dribble to command respect and be the 3rd or 4th link in the chain behind the main guys.

Will he take another step forward to be a Bradley Beal/ Wes Matthews type this season? Remains to be seen, defensively he keeps improving, but it’s hard to see his offence keep improving when 75% of his shots are the ball being dumped outside to him with the shot clock winding down to try and create off the dribble a contested long two or three. That being said his handles are poor and he’s prone to pulling a Cassipi and creating a turnover out of nothing, so while it’s definitely not a make or break year it is the time for him to make strides and form a concrete game.

Hopefully under Karl he can do so, he’s had my interest since day one.

Marco Bellinelli was probably our best free agent signing of the off-season, reliable and creative and with a stroke to put your life on he’s exactly what was needed to be brought in. He’s there for a spacing and a defacto ball handler for both the first string and second string units. If he can produce what he has in San Antonio our benches capability is no longer our biggest weakness, which is probably what has me most excited for the upcoming season.

James Anderson is in cattle country on the cheap, defensively solid and with a good stroke from three he’s good insurance but shouldn’t figure too heavily in the rotations.


Small Forward:

Rudy Gay is still around and still putting up some of the best numbers of his career, a textbook second option who can create his own and carry the team when he’s on he’s the perfect foil for Cousins. He doesn’t look to be slowing down just yet, and the Kings are better for his efficient shooting and sexy smile after being fouled (yeah I went there).

Omri Cassipi was brought back on a nice deal, and although he’s got the knack of looking like he doesn’t know how to play basketball he’s a handy option at the 3 or as a stretch 4. He was brilliant under Malone to be honest as a spark plug off the bench, but his play mirrored the teams as the season wore on and he forced the issue far too much which lead to sloppy play on both ends of the floor. With a more defined role this year I hope to see more of the Israeli which turned the home game against the Bulls way back last November with his persistence to drive past defenders closing out for threes and kamikaze his way to a weakly defended hoop.

Caron Butler is still around, and now he’s employed as a sage in Sactown to be a calming locker room influence, and hit the occasional jumper. He’s had a great career and word of his off-field influence has been nothing but glowing.


Power Forward:

While he’s actually a very capable center, Kosta Koufous has been given the nod to start at the 4 alongside Cousins, and he’s been his quietly effective self throughout the pre-season. A good post defender, glass cleaner, and with a nifty hook shot when he sidles into good position under the rim amongst the commotion with far more prominent offensive weapons taking most of the attention, you know what you’ll get with the big Greek.

He straightens us up when he’s on the floor and that’s what we’ve been screaming out for since Malone got crucified, really happy with the acquisition.

Quincy Acy is again a King, and again he should see sparing minutes should all go to plan. An energy guy, not much else to say…I like his beard and hope he can pull out a nice dunk every now and then if he gets gametime but you’d rather a Jon Leuer type who can do more offensively at the end of the bench. I don’t think he improves us.

Eric Moreland is defensive insurance, but very much still a work in project. His shot blocking is great, but he’s not the player that should see time in a team aiming for the playoffs.


CENTRE:

Whether you like it or love it, Demarcus Cousins is Sacramento and the season rides or dies with him.

A tumultuous off-season which nearly caused myself and other Kings fans aneurysms as rumours swirled around that he’d be a Laker, a Nugget, anything to be away from Coach Karl really; is behind us.

He can put up 28-15-4 if all goes right, he’s the best center in the league and cannot be contained. The knocks on him are his efficiency as he tries to do it all when the chips are down and often forces the issue, I pray that with an undeniably more balanced and deep roster this season he can delegate to whoever is bobbing up to lend him a hand.

He should be an All-Star again, and injury permitting continue to dominate and give me a reason to fanboy, hard.

Three year defensive center out of Kentucky Willie Caulie Stein comes with much promise for the future but the potential to contribute a lot early too. While his minutes will certainly fluctuate along with his consistency offensively he is as close to a sure thing defending anywhere on the court as any rookie since Anthony Davis. He’s a thoroughbred hustle guy with a great head for the game and a nice touch when set up, he’ll always have a place in this league.

I hope to see him starting at times.



In the gun:

George Karl and the teams image. While all of that actually reads quite pretty from an individual standpoint the chemistry is very much untapped at this point. I see nine guys all very capable of being part of a strong team and I see young guys behind them who have all shown flashes, but for it all to come together so quickly Coach Karl is going to have to pull a masterstroke to be honest.

The media is constantly wailing on the teams front office and direction and waiting for it all to blow up as there is no doubt there are some jarring personalities in the locker room. Success is the best remedy to conflict here.

Karl has got a load on his hands to not only ensure that doesn’t happen but also harness a talented group and take them north of 35 wins to be seen as a pass mark from the basketball world.

Personally, I want to see Rondo revamp our offence when Cousins and Gay cannot carry it, I want to see him bring others into the game like he once regularly did and be the dynamic difference between last years offence and this years one.


Is a gun:

Demarcus Cousins, nobody embodies their franchise more than he does the Kings right now. We need him not only to go forward but stay relevant.


Needs Improvement:

Assisting on buckets, three point shooting, team defence.

Bloody turnovers!

Looking at those individually and then looking at the off-season acquisitions all shall be improved on, so all Karl needs to do is find the right mesh of guys on the court at each time and hope they buy in to what he’s selling.


Big Question:

Despite hitting 4/5 on threes opening night, can Cousins please stop with that shot off the dribble? Seriously all off-season I expected it to go away but he’s persisting with it. I guess I can’t complain just yet but against some smaller frontlines than the Clippers I want to see him on the block more dominating inside getting the opposition in big foul trouble, it’s perhaps the most underrated part of his game.


Crystal Ball:

41-41. 9th seed, turnovers continue to be a problem all year and individual brilliance is the only thing keeping us in the playoff race as our players continue to force the issue too much on offence.

Or maybe the 8th seed, the guys mesh and ride an emotional wave of inspiring wins and individual performances to bring some geunine hope to Sacramento.

I honestly don’t know, but I’ll be watching all year as I’m sure most basketball junkies are out the corner of their eye on the most intriguing team in the NBA.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Sorry about the lack of creativity outside of some cringe puns guys, have been swamped unexpectedly the last few days with work calling in and my computer and gifs is a complete waste of time.

 

[stewie griffen]

Regicide
Glorious

 

[fidstar]

Good review. Lack of pretty pictures though. I need them to keep my concentrati.... hey look a blue car!

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Quality work Hipster Doofus , seriously impressive writing. You didn't even need to use my lame puns, 'regicide' FTW

I still think WCS is a better fit to start with Boogie, will be interesting to see if Karl sticks with twin towers or not.


*********


Well folks, that's our preview done for this season - Bill & Jalen eat your heart out. Thanks to all who have read and provided feedback.

We ask only that you remember our few predictions that by chance come true, and conveniently ignore the copious others that prove to be horribly wrong.

Big thanks to all who endured our nagging with good humour and submitted their thoughts along the way. It's great to hear from as many voices as possible, and many a giggle was shared along the way. Big thanks to Atlanta_Cats , fidstar and Hipster Doofus in particular for their stellar write-ups, and to Look2Me4Guidance for his continued sage counsel on all things humourous.


Last but not least, a very big round of applause for stewie griffen , who was not obliged to write a single preview but ended up doing this many;




... then he did a fourteenth and completely ruined the joke - thanks stewie!

Mathematical inconsideration notwithstanding, stewie is the reason this preview didn't go the way of Bill & Jalen's, so a sincere thankyou from me. As the board's leading provider of breaking news (stewbombs), instantaneous vines/gifs and Pricey's mum jokes, I think he'd make a fitting recipient for any inaugural BigBasketball board MVP trophy.

As such a thing doesn't exist yet, I'm afraid this will have to suffice, for now:

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Great work guys. It's hard for me to make you look good, but we get there!