NBA Preview 2008

A few pre-season games have already worked their way into the national progamming schedules of ESPN & TNT. This Thursday on TNT will be the first double header Pre-season game, and the season officially starts on October 30th.

So with no further adieu let's talk some basketball shall we. As soon as October hits, my blood starts to run a little swifter through my veins as the excitement begins to build up from the holidays... yes, but also because of the basketball season starting up. I slowly work ESPN and Sportscenter back into my rotation of what to watch on a daily routine basis, and ESPN the website becomes a daily stop throughout my daily surf threw the intraweb.

Teams I'm Excited to Watch:
Phoenix:
Has been my team since obtaining Steve Nash, not so much because I am a Steve Nash fan (although I am) but more because they are an exciting team to watch. They put up 100+ points a game and mostly shoot threes. Which is basically the way I enjoy playing when I'm found on the hardwood. So I will be looking for them to make it deep into the play-offs. They made a few small moves in the off season the biggest being that they signed Grant Hill, I'm not sure how smart of a move that was, but I'm anxious to see how it plays out.

Celtics:
This is the team that made the biggest moves in the off season and obtained two of my favorite players, thus making my heart twitter with that much more glee. Seeing as how I was raised in a Larry Bird home, Celtics was the team I rooted for from birth. Up until I learned of the greatness that is Michael Jordan where I quickly was converted into a loyal Jordan disciple which effected my life on and off the court. Moving forward I am happy that I now have a renewed interest in the team and will once again return to my roots and become a very avid Celtics fan. I can not wait to see what the trio of Kevin Garnette, Ray Allen, & Paul Pierce will do to an already weak Atlantic Division.

Spurs:
Well let me start out by saying NO I AM NOT A SPURS FAN. Most people who do not know me very well will automatically assume that because I was born and raised in San Antonio that I would obviously be a die hard Spurs fan, however due to the ridiculous nature of "Spurs Fan," I have been left drained and unable to be associated with such a RETARDED group of people. That being said, I'm not a moron, so for me to just simply HATE the Spurs would be equally ridiculous. They are obviously either The Best, or one of the best teams of the last decade. Tim Duncan is the best big man in the league right now, and in the top 3 if not 2 players in the NBA altogether. Also I am a huge fan of Ginoboli despite his terrible ability to act, and over dramatize fouls on the court. So the Spurs are definitely a team to watch by any fan of the sport. Besides they are the returning champs, and seeing as how they have yet to repeat, it will be interesting what the season has in store for them, especially since they really didn't make any changes.

Houston:
I used to be a huge fan of Tracy McGrady, because of this I have always recieved a great amount of ridicule and late night phone calls or text messages from family and friends reminding me each and everytime he didn't come through and choked. So due to the fact that for the past 3 or 4 years he has consistently NOT produced, but instead he is consistently disappointing. I have taken a huge leap off his bandwagon, and am no longer promoting Tracy McGrady as nothing more than a decent ball player, who HAD a lot of potential, but that is NOT living up to it. With that being said Houston did make a few moves this summer, one huge one is bringing in a new coach with a new style of play. That alone sparks up the slightest hope that perhaps T-Mac will return to the greatness that he once was on the road to becoming. One move that I definitely think was RETARDED was Houston bringing Steve Francis back to their roster, kind of a BONE head move if you ask me, and might even be a worse fit than Steve being in New York. That move alone could very well bury any and all chances of Houston surviving the West, unless some how Steve learned how to lead a team and pass the freakin ball. However the last memo I recieved they weren't teaching anything like that up in New York, nor were any camps being held in Orlando, and last I checked even the Fun Police have retired.

Washington:
Each and every year for the past 5 years I am becoming more and more of a fan of Gilbert Arenas, and he has quickly climbed up the latter of my favorite players list. I could care less what the rest of his team plays like, well I shouldn't say that because I would love for him to have a strong supporting cast, but at the same time that won't stop me from watching him play. Just like the I never stopped watching Allen Iverson play with the 76ers.

Denver:
With Carmelo Anthony improving each and every year, and the fact that this will be the first FULL season Melo and Iverson (another favorite.) share the court, also they should be a lot more healthy as a team, so they should be pretty solid.

Sacramento:
Is going to suck BAD this year, they seem to be totally rebuilding their team, their coach has found a new home on the Houston Rockets sidelines, and I'm not totally positive what moves were made as far as players being added and subtracted goes, however they do still have the highly streaky and inconsistent play of Mike Bibby who in my opinion has the sweetest looking jump shot in the NBA. That reason alone keeps me tuning into their games. I get goose bumps seeing how beautiful his shot is. Sadly it seems that Sacramento sealed their own fate when they decided to trade Chris Webber and try to build their team around a guy who only had success because Chris Webber was on the court. (Peja Stojakovic. **100 bonus points to anyone who can tell me what team he plays for without looking it up online.**) It seems the team has gone on a swift downward spiral ever since.

I don't have any real solid predictions for you, in regards to who is going to win the championship, or who's going to win "ROY" not even a name for who's going to lead the league in points, however I will leave you with this

MVP:
Steve Nash, Kevin Garnette, LeBron James (It will be one of them.)