2009-10 NBA season outlook and predictions
Paul Ables
Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: Sports
By: Paul Ables
The 2009-10 NBA regular season tipped off early this week, ringing in the start of another exciting basketball season and giving every team a fresh start on crafting a successful season. Many teams made improvements to their roster, but the dominant storyline of the offseason was how each of the top teams in the NBA made moves to improve themselves, setting up for a top-heavy NBA season with less parity and more dominance by a handful of teams. Here is a recap of some of the offseason's biggest moves:
1. The Los Angeles Lakers added SF Ron Artest. The defending champions not only re-signed star Lamar Odom, they also went out and signed one of the best all-around players in the NBA, bringing in Ron Artest. He will always be known for his wild antics, but those days appear to be behind him as he has now become an excellent all-around player. He is one of the best defenders in the league, and he is also a great shooter who will help lighten the scoring load for star player Kobe Bryant. With Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom in their frontcourt, the Lakers still have arguably the most talented roster in the NBA.
2. The Boston Celtics signed PF/C Rasheed Wallace. The 2008 NBA Champions had another successful year in 2009, but they lost All-Star PF Kevin Garnett to injury and he missed the postseason. They lacked depth inside, so they went out and added another veteran player to their squad by signing free agent Rasheed Wallace. He will likely come off of the bench for the Celtics, giving Garnett and C Kendrick Perkins a breather. Wallace is a multi-faceted scorer who can hit the outside shot as well as bang down low. He is also one of the best post defenders in the league. His addition to the Celtics gives them an incredible line-up of veterans who are hungry for another title.
3. The Cleveland Cavaliers added C Shaquille O'Neal. The Cavaliers were the regular season Eastern Conference champions last season and dominated on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. But when they met the Orlando Magic and C Dwight Howard, they didn't have anyone who could match up against him, and they paid for it dearly after losing the series to the Magic. So to help them with their interior game, they added the biggest inside presence in the league: Shaquille O'Neal. While he is near the end of his career, he is still producing at an All-Star level, and being that he's now paired with the game's best player in LeBron James, Shaq looks to be motivated to win another championship ring. Will the Big Diesel take Cleveland to the next step? It will be one of the biggest storylines of the season.
The 2009-10 NBA regular season tipped off early this week, ringing in the start of another exciting basketball season and giving every team a fresh start on crafting a successful season. Many teams made improvements to their roster, but the dominant storyline of the offseason was how each of the top teams in the NBA made moves to improve themselves, setting up for a top-heavy NBA season with less parity and more dominance by a handful of teams. Here is a recap of some of the offseason's biggest moves:
1. The Los Angeles Lakers added SF Ron Artest. The defending champions not only re-signed star Lamar Odom, they also went out and signed one of the best all-around players in the NBA, bringing in Ron Artest. He will always be known for his wild antics, but those days appear to be behind him as he has now become an excellent all-around player. He is one of the best defenders in the league, and he is also a great shooter who will help lighten the scoring load for star player Kobe Bryant. With Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom in their frontcourt, the Lakers still have arguably the most talented roster in the NBA.
2. The Boston Celtics signed PF/C Rasheed Wallace. The 2008 NBA Champions had another successful year in 2009, but they lost All-Star PF Kevin Garnett to injury and he missed the postseason. They lacked depth inside, so they went out and added another veteran player to their squad by signing free agent Rasheed Wallace. He will likely come off of the bench for the Celtics, giving Garnett and C Kendrick Perkins a breather. Wallace is a multi-faceted scorer who can hit the outside shot as well as bang down low. He is also one of the best post defenders in the league. His addition to the Celtics gives them an incredible line-up of veterans who are hungry for another title.
3. The Cleveland Cavaliers added C Shaquille O'Neal. The Cavaliers were the regular season Eastern Conference champions last season and dominated on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. But when they met the Orlando Magic and C Dwight Howard, they didn't have anyone who could match up against him, and they paid for it dearly after losing the series to the Magic. So to help them with their interior game, they added the biggest inside presence in the league: Shaquille O'Neal. While he is near the end of his career, he is still producing at an All-Star level, and being that he's now paired with the game's best player in LeBron James, Shaq looks to be motivated to win another championship ring. Will the Big Diesel take Cleveland to the next step? It will be one of the biggest storylines of the season.
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