The nets are one of the most exciting and popular teams in the league because of their super-talented big three. the talent and chemistry of their big trio is enough to make them one of the better team's in the nba and always a contender, but they are missing too many important pieces to seriously compete for a title. jason kidd is at the point in his career when everyone says he is declining, but he is still one of the top point guards in the game and he doesnt get enough credit anymore, he holds this squad together and is the main reason for their success. hes always been a dream teammate because of his elite passing and ball-handling and for his ability to always find the open man. hes perfect in transition and has two dream options himself on the fastbreak, the super-athletic duo of richard jefferson and vince carter. he is one of the best defensive guards in the nba and inspires his teammates to play better defense, and his toughness gets him major respect, hes always in the paint banging for rebounds or making plays happen. this is a poor rebounding team (because of their lack of big men) and jason kidd has led the nets in rebounding multiple times. kidd is not known as a great shooting point guard but he can usually knock down the open jumpers from the midrange and can be streaky from three point land. one of the best and most respected passers in nba history. and then there's everybody's favorite dunker, the explosive offensive force vince carter. his eye-popping athleticism, creative and classic dunks, and obvious offensive talent led many to dub him the next jordan, quite the shoes to fill for young vince. though it's apparent that hes not the next MJ he has found a new home and become reborn as a superstar in new jersey. he was looking distressed and lacked that spark his last few years in toronto, i think anyone would have felt beaten if they had to play for a crappy team in canada, but with jason kidd throwin him alley-oops and the nets offense giving him plenty of freedom to do his one-on-one thing he has excelled and re-emerged as a premier player. i am a little baffled by why the nets don't run a more fast paced, run-and-gun offense like the suns because they certainly have the weapons to do so, but they prefer the slow paced, isolation business, which is also effective because it demonstrates the one-on-one talents of vince and rj. problems with vince carter over the past few years have been his lack of toughness, which has improved since coming to the nets, and the fact that he doesnt play much defense. his main issue, however, if his penchant for jacking up jumpers and three pointers and settling for too many difficult shots when he should use his driving ability to finish around the rim and get easier buckets. he is probably the best dunker of all time and one of the most popular players in the game today. richard jefferson is an underrated wing for the nets, one of the most vital and consistent members of the team and he has quietly had two star-worthy seasons these past two years and has improved every year. his jumpshot is still really inconsistent but it has gotten much better than when he couldnt hit a thing in 2004's Olympic disaster. he is a fantastic athlete and impressive leaper with great quickness and a speedy 1st step, great option in transition for kidd and a prolific scorer. hes also become a good defender and his versatility holds the nets afloat, he played the best out of any net in the heat playoff series. now we move on to the main problem with new jersey, the power forward position and their lack of a solid frontline or any depth on their frontline. that is what's holding them back from a title, even though nenad kristic is developing into a very solid young center and looks like a long-term starter they still have no depth there and their power forward position is iffy at best, they need to add some serious post beef, another power forward who has starting potential, and they need a lot of overall depth, their poor bench was exposed in the playoffs and the main reason that they lost, hardly any depth at any position and scrubs had to play key minutes against miami. the current starter at power forward is the scrappy jason collins, twin of jarron who plays for the jazz. he doesnt put up much of anything stat-wise but he actually makes a bigger impact than most think, he is a tough post defender and hardworking player who goes after rebounds. he is a big guy and i think he guards shaq better than anyone in the league, a notorious flopper against him but he knows how to take the pain in exchange for shaq getting in foul trouble and his strategy works now that officials are getting a lot more strict with mr. o'neal. not a long term option by any means and a major hole to fill for the nets but as a role player coming off the bench jason would be good, just not as a starter. cliff robinson is an old vet who often starts at power forward as well, hes been in the league for a long time and knows how to play his role and be a leader. i thought his experience and leadership was very vital to the team and was shocked to discover that he had been suspended for the playoff series against the heat for violating the drug policy of the nba, that was really stupid and horrible timing, vets hardly ever make mistakes like that, especially in key situations. that wasnt the main reason that new jersey lost but because of their lack of depth it didn't help by any means. cliff is valuable as a player because of his size and shooting range, he can hit the three and the set shot from anywhere and is dangerous if left open, hes scrappy and hardworking out on the floor as well. used to be a great athlete but legs left him long ago, might retire before next year. nenad kristic mans the center position, i thought he had a breakout playoffs this season but he ended up being inconsistent and not showing up when the nets needed him. hes had the talent and potential to be one of the great euro centers since coming to the nba but has been raw and has needed some time to adjust to the american game, but he seems to be coming along and has emerged as a key player on the weak nets frontline. he is maybe their most valuable player because hes the only guy inside thats a threat with scoring and rebounding for new jersey. like most euro big men he has great shooting touch and range for someone his size and he is scrappy, has great length, and really pursues the boards and finds ways to put the ball in the basket, even though its usually not pretty.

lamond murray is a vet with nice size for a guy who plays strictly on the perimeter, hes dangerous as a shooter and offensive weapon off the bench and is pretty solid overall and with leadership. bostjan nachbar is an average euro whos been vaunted as a dangerous shooter but has never proved that claim correct and has never shown anything that propels him over the top to make him more than a benchwarmer and trading option. scott padgett is a streaky three point ace with decent size but is used strictly as a spot up shooter from the three point range. zoran planicic is a young and talented european project who's development in the u.s. game and with beefing up will be valuable. john thomas is a big and out of shape undersized center who only gets playing time because of the lack of post players on this team, tough and a banger but not too talented and hasnt played much basketball since coming into the league. antoine wright is a talented and versatile, athletic swingman who was a rookie last season. he didnt play much at all and doesnt fit in on this team but he definitly has talent and could contribute if he were on another team. jacque vaughn is a hardworking veteran who is a good leader and tough player when hes on the floor, can hit the open shots and does what is expected of him.

The two prominent questions out there following this year's NBA Finals are "can the heat can repeat as champs?" and "does dwayne wade really deserve to be compared to micheal jordan after his classic Finals debut, maybe the best of all time?" i just don't think that the heat can repeat as champs, obviously they are everyone's favorite going into next season and they have dwayne wade so they are going to be competitive no doubt, but shaq is not getting any younger and he really didn't make a big impact in the championship, and other key role players for miami like 'zo and GP will probably retire, and the other ones are aging too. i believe they could use some more youth and athleticism for the bench and another shooter so they can have some more offense for the bench as well. shaq will still be dominating next year and will be a main focus for the heat's opponents and dwayne wade is at least one of the top three players in the league, so that one-two punch will make them tough, but there are some great teams in the league and next year's finals is perhaps the most wide-open in years. my prediction is that if amare stoudemire returns healthy, and i mean 100 percent healthy, that the suns will win the title and become unstoppable on offense. they will be so good when amare returns that its gonna be scary, look how well they did this season getting to the conference finals without him, with all their young talent and offensive stars defenses are going to stand no chance, and teams playing against phoenix cannot just attack the inside for the entire game to beat them with amare down low blocking shots. obviously dallas is going to be a contender again because they have so much talent, the coach of the year, and they play tougher and they play better defense. they lost this year because they broke down mentally after game 3 and they have lots of playoff and championship inexperience, dirk was too passive and lacked the mental toughness to take over the games in the clutch, but that will only come with more experience. they also settled for too many jumpshots down the stretch, but that is just another sign of inexperience. the spurs will be a contender again and if they meet the suns they have the type of team that can lock them down, i believe that if the spurs would have beat dallas that they would have moved on to the finals and that their team and style of play could have beat the heat, they match up well with them. i think bruce bowen could have done a great job on wade, and duncan could have attacked the inside and shaq has notoriously had issues with tim. i also think that the spurs win the matchup battle at point guard with tony parker and small forward with manu ginobli. the spurs are still the type of team built for a title, they are aging and their flaws and depth issues were exposed against dallas but they know how to win, they have great chemistry, and they still have tim duncan and young stars parker and ginobli. detroit will obviously be a contender because of their dominating starting 5, but there is talk that ben wallace may not get re-signed, that would scare me big time if i were a piston's fan because he is the heart and soul of the team and would disrupt their chemistry to the point that they wouldn't even be close to what they are now. they just don't seem to be the same team that won a title or even that got to the finals and lost to the spurs, "fading" might even be the word to use. but there is not doubt that if wallace is re-signed that the pistons would automatically be a title contender again. some experts are saying that cleveland could be a dark horse title contender, but im just not buying that until they get more help for lebron. how soon we forget about lebron and all the jordan comparisons he was getting when he was dropping triple-doubles in his playoff debut, it seems like nba experts find a new "flavor of the week" ,well, weekly. lebron will keep his team in contention and they are bound to have more confidence now that they have seen that they can compete with the best, but king james just does not have enough support. going back to the dwayne wade question, i honestly dont believe that he is the best player in the league, i think that title belongs to kobe. obviously wade is much more likable than kobe and he brings better leadership qualities and intangibles, but kobe has that three point range that wade lacks and hes more untoppable of a scorer and a better shooter. i think wade is a better jump shooter than lebron but king james is a better passer and ball-handler and he is basically a bigger and more physically dominate wade. as far as the jordan comparisons go, i think wade's performance and talents are jordan worthy but hes gonna have to win a few more titles before we start talking about that, as well as play more defense, which is something lebron also has to put a bigger effort into.

The mavs may have the most talented and versatile roster in the league, they have always had plenty of offensive weapons but when coach avery johnson took over late last season he turned them from a talented finesse team that couldnt do squat in the playoffs into a tougher, defensive-minded title contender. not many people thought that the mavs had a chance to get to the finals but not many experts could have predicted the immense impact avery had on this team, don nelson's teams where fastbreaking, up-and-down offensive juggernauts that couldnt play defense, and if you can't play defense you cannot win a championship. avery definitly deserves coach of the year for getting this team to the finals and getting them to play like champs, even though things kind of fell apart for them in the finals. dirk nowitzki added even more to his nearly unguardable game when he listened to avery and started attacking the basket more frequently and with more aggressiveness, which in turn caused many to call him one of the best players in the league and a definite superstar. he had an overall poor championship outing but that doesnt diminish the series' he had against the spurs and the suns. i really thought the mavs just had too much talent up and down for miami in the finals but i could not have forseen the dominate and classic performance by dwayne wade or the determination and big plays from the title-hungry vets on their roster.

the point guard position is an interesting spot for the mavs, it is usually manned by true 2-guard jason terry but devin harris often claims the starting role and the harris-terry backcourt almost-always is more effective. terry is the 2nd offensive option on this team and a scoring and offensive sparkplug, he is a true scorer and has an explosive 1st step and leaping ability, known to pull up and shoot questionable shots in transition (which he can actually make) but he has really improved his once-poor shot selection since coming to dallas from atlanta. hes good with his signature tear drop which he can always get off in traffic and with his rainbow jumpers, he likes to shoot over the defense and he has great range, not always consistent with his threes and hes more of a scorer and streaky shooter but hes one of the best clutch shooters on this roster and you can't leave him open, really broke out as an offensive star in the houston playoff series last year. hes never been known for his defense and he often lets quick opposing guards blow right past him. devin harris is one of the quickest players in the league, his dribble penetration is pretty unstoppable and he kind of reminds me of a younger tony parker, before he got the midrange shot down. he had a few breakout games in the suns series and has emerged as a bright young star in the league and basically shed his awkward rookie image from last season. there are still games where he seems to disappear and not have much of an impact and his drives to the basket can often get out of control as he runs straight into the opposing team's big men. with that said the whole team thrives off his quickness and explosive agility at getting to the basket, where he knows how to finish and dish to open teammates. his midrange shot is still inconsistent by nba standards but hes shown that he can knock it down in the clutch with game 1 in the sun's series. another back-up point is respected vet darrell armstrong, always known for his amazing hustle, energy, and fearlessness in taking charges and playing tenacious defense, and nothing has changed now in his back-up role. he doesnt get much playing time anymore like he did in his starring role with the magic, but he brings great leadership and experience off the bench and always plays with fearless energy when he gets in the game.

adrian griffin is a vet who is an off and on starter at 2-guard, not really talented enough to be a starter but he is a great complementary role player who plays hard and helps his teammates. he can play defense and knock down open shots and is reliable in doing the "dirty work", never makes a big impact though. jerry stackhouse is one of the best 6th men in the league and is one of the game's better scorers, in his prime and in his starting roles in phila and detroit he was an offfensive star who averaged well over 20 points a game multiple times, but hes hapily and smoothly adjusted to bringing offense and scoring off the bench in dallas so that he can win games instead of being the star. very valuable and maybe the only consistent offensive player off the bench for the mavs, he is an assassin with shooting range all over, he's single-handedly taken over games with a string of three pointers, hes long and athletic as well which adds to his versatile offensive game, he also brings great intensity and energy whenever he comes in. marquis daniels is one of the more talented, versatile, and promising young players off the bench. he has a great all-around game and gives the team a huge boost whenever he comes on the floor, he did not play enough in the playoffs and he is incredibly underrated when it comes to his impact. he can handle the point position whenever needed and is an excellent ball-handler, hes long, quick, and real athletic wiht his 6 foot 6 frame and he knows how to score and finish in transition. his game is pretty identical to josh howard so i could see that they get confused, they have the same scoring moves and same appearance, but howard has got himself a much better jumpshot than marquis. thats the only problem with daniels, hes a horrible jumpshooter even though his form looks alright. daniels is perhaps most well known for his defense, he was the steals-leader in college with over 2 a game, he is maybe the best defender on the team, he is quick and athletic enough to stick the best players in the league (like dwayne wade in the finals, he did the best job out of anyone) and he can still get his steals.

josh powell is a rookie out of nc state, a raw player who has great physical skills, strength and athleticism. he still has a lot to learn with the nba game as far as post moves and shooting touch go but he has the size and shot blocking ability to be a real nice player and long-term option at forward, right now hes an emergency option and there for depth. a player who was not even on the playoff roster for the mavericks but who i think has some serious star potential is undrafted rookie rawle marshall out of oakland universiy in michigan, his game is like that of a raw and skinnier shawn marion. he is a great scorer with impressive atheticism and amazing length, raw and still has a lot to learn, he needs to bulk up big time as well, but when i saw him play for the injured josh howard and marquis daniels he looked impressive and showed off the potential to be a star on this roster someday in the near future. josh howard is a versatile, all-around future star and the player who holds this team together. his impact on this team is pretty unrivaled among role players, howard has the talent to be a star but his role with dallas is so valuable i dont think they would be the same team without him. he still needs to work on consistency for his jumpshot but he has improved his shooting drastically and is now dangerous so that opposing defenders cannot leave him open. hes known for his signature one-handed runners and wide array of scoring moves, hes very quick and athletic and is very hard to defend. hes also one of the team's best defenders and he often guards the superstars, great all-around player and very important to this team. keith van horn is another forward, an injury-prone but offensively skilled vet. he was hurt for much of this season so he was understandably rusty, but overall he basically made a playoff no-show and wasnt even an impact in the finals, he did have a pretty good series shooting-wise against the spurs though. hes always been a big guy who can shoot and who has dangerous three point range but hes not much of an inside player and is kind of a softie in the post. he gets hurt often so that has diminshed his career but he is one of the more skilled big men in the league. it seems like he lacks energy, effort, and passion out there sometimes as well and ive noticed a lack of tenacity in pursuing loose balls, hes not really a reliable option off the bench. and the final forward is the great superstar dirk nowitzki, maybe the most unguardable player in the history of the game. noone his height (7 feet) has been able to shoot like him or is as offensively skilled as dirk is. his perimeter shooting touch is maybe the best out of anyone in the league, let alone big men, and for his size he has great quickness and ball-handling ability. hes always settled for lots of perimeter shots and tough-to-make fadeaways but hes always drained them and his height makes it impossible to block his shots. he was already unstoppable with his larry bird-caliber shooting but avery johnson wanted to make him dominate and he has him attacking the basket, driving right to the hoop, and posting up more on the blocks. dirk has always had an amazing work ethic and passion out on the court, but hes never been a very good defender, he takes a lot of tough shots, and hes not really a vocal leader for this team. however,with his newfound aggressivness he is one of the game's best.

the position of center for dallas is interesting, hardly any offensive production but some great defensive presences here and even a little promising young talent in desagana diop. diop came out of oak hill academy high school and spent his few nba seasons warming the bench in cleveland, he ended up losing a ton of weight and dallas gave him a chance to be a starter and the team's center of the future. he has amazing length and is pretty quick and athletic for someone his size, one of the league's most gamechanging shot blockers and a defensive force whenever hes in the game. hes a hardworker who goes after rebounds and his long arms make him an offensive board specialist, offensive game is limited to putbacks but he is working on post moves. erick dampier is a much-criticized back-up center for the mavs. he has great size and strength and that made him a dominate center in college and a beast at golden state, but the mavs made a big mistake in signing him for so much money. dampier also should not have said that he was the 2nd best center in the league, that also caused shaq to call him ericka. hes got great strength and is a tough finisher and fearsome post defender, nice shot blocker. he can be a hack and be a lazy player at times, also kind of passive on offense and with the boards sometimes. dj mbenga is a huge, physical young african center. he doesnt have much going on skills wise and he doesnt really have any offensive moves except a type of jump hook but he is strong, he can jump, and he can block shots. he gets a lot of fouls but his strength and physical play make him valuable against some of the bigger and better centers in the nba.

This second year expansion team is a long ways away from competing for anything, but they have some bright and underrated young stars and if they can fill in a few more important pieces and just keep growin they could sneak into the playoffs sometime in the near future, they showed flashes this year, raymond felton also looked really impressive during the season's 2nd half, they also succeeded in not having the league's worst record. to the casual nba fan the bobcats look like a bunch of scrubs and d-leaguers, i thought this for a while myself and in the case of matt carroll this is actually true, but there a few talented players who dont get enough credit and who form a very positive young nucleus. they are definitly set at point guard and shooting guard and at the power forward position for the long term, but who knows if primoz brezec can be good for the future, i dont think so, and they need an athletic scorer at the small forward position. alan anderson is a forward and rookie out of msu, he was kind of an underacheiver, a tweener, hes undersized too and wasnt even a star with the spartans but he showed the potential and physical skills to be a decent nba contributor, he also impressed in summer league with the aggressiveness in which he attacked the basket, knocking down open shots, and he also showed a better work ethic. hes one of the scrubs on this team though. lonny baxter is a young player from maryland who was traded to charlotte from the houston rockets to add some serious beef to the bobcat's frontline after the injuries to their two best post players, emeka okafor and sean may. hes not really polished skill-wise and is kinda out of shape, but hes a hard working banger who gives you plenty of hustle and energy, he works hard on defense and the boards and is tenacious with offensive rebounds and scoring around the basket. primoz brezec is their european center who put up a pretty productive career with the pacers and now thrives as a pick and pop expert in charlotte, just drive and kick it out to brezec and he will knock down the 15 footer every time. hes inconsistent and isnt a really tough inside player but hes long and he can shoot, just not a long term center. kevin burleson is a good athlete and a tenacious player and hardworking defender, also the brother of nfl wideout nate burleson, but he is a scrub by nba standards and is usually warming the bench for the bobcats. matt carroll is the former mvp of the d-league, not really athletic, quick, or overly talented in one area or physically but he can really shoot and light it up big time when hes hot and hes skilled in multiple areas and knows how to play the game right. melvin ely is a big and athletic banger whos strong and tough and knows how to attack the basket and finish but he is not really skilled and is raw as far as post moves come but he gets by on both ends of the court with his physical play and strength and he played well to end last season with all the inuries in the front court. raymond felton is the face of the franchise and one of the game's brightest young point guards, he had questions about his ability to run a slower tempo attack and the halfcourt sets coming out of north carolina's championship team and there were questions about his ability to consistently knock down jumpshots, but he showed major improvement in all those areas (still needs to work on shooting though), he is already a cat-quick sparkplug who holds the team together with his playmaking and makes a huge impact on his teammates and knows how to make them better. running the fastbreak and transition game is his specialty and he knows how to do that to perfection, hes also quick and strong enough to get in the paint and score and drive and hes a tough and scrappy player as well. jumaine jones is a forward who came over from l.a. (he was a benchwarmer over there) and who played much better and fresher in his new role with the bobcats and became one of their primary scoring options. the bobcats could eventually be known for giving all these so-called scrubs a chance to succeed and in doing so they built a good team, and jumaine could be one of their key players for that idea. with his good size he is a real versatile player and he has shown that hes a great three point shooter, a good defender, and a versatile scorer from different areas of the court. brevin knight is a veteran point guard who is tutoring raymond to eventually take over his position for good and who has quietly been one of the league's better playmakers for the past two years and has ranked at the top of the charts for his assist numbers, finishing 2nd only to steve nash the season before last. hes real quick and obviously knows how to find the open man, but he has always been a poor shooter his whole pro career and thats still the weakest part of his game. sean may is an undersized power forward and star from north carolina, one of the promising young players for the bobcats future. hes had questions about his athleticism and how in-shape he is and has never had a chance to prove the critics wrong seeing as he was hurt all of this past season. hes got great hands, good size, a soft touch, and he can score around the basket and is a really good teammate and competetive guy. playing with emeka is gonna make the team really undersized so thats why they need a big center. emeka okafor is their talented young post player of the future and one of their promising young stars. he won rookie of the year last year and was hurt for a good part of this season, but he has improved big time since coming out of uconn. good size for a power forward but undersized as a center, he was really raw on the offensive end coming out of college and he still has plenty of room to work on his offensive skills but hes got a much better touch and he can shoot better from the midrange now, it cant hurt that he trained with hakeen the dream last summer either, a similar player in various respects. hes a phenom physically and athletically and is a beast on the boards and on defense and once he gets healthy again and keeps improving on offense he will be a preimer young star in the league. bernard robinson is a young athletic guy who plays with energy and intensity, hes a good defender but raw and not really nba ready with his other talents but his speed and athletic ability could make him a good scorer if he improves. jake voskuhl is a center whos not here for the long term but here for depth and hes not the most talented or skilled player when it comes to finesse stuff. hes got good size and toughness, he brings plenty of energy, and he attacks on both sides of the ball, he played a much bigger role in the team during the last half of the season with all the injuries and he put up good numbers with the boards and was a tough defensive presence. gerald wallace is one of the most underrated players in basketball and a bright young star, good leader, and preimer player for the bobcat's future. hes a freak athlete and already a defensive stopper and steal expert, great slasher and scorer who can finish in transition with the best and whos only fault is his spotty jumpshot. and it can't hurt that micheal jordan has recently joined the charlotte ownership, even with his failure in washington fresh on many people's minds he will bring positive attention to the team that they have been lacking ever since their inception and that can only be a good thing.

This ain't your daddy's beantown celtics of the larry bird or the bill russell days, they are in a serious rebuilding phase right now and they're really banking on the immediate development of their young players, they definitly have the talent and potential in their young and recently drafted players but they are trying to rebuild around paul pierce and he wants to win right now so i doubt that he will stay committed to the cause for much longer. i honestly dont think that will be much of a problem if paul leaves because danny ainge has drafted really well and made the most of his picks over the last few years, and if he trades pierce he could probably get more young players or draft picks for it. the end of season surge by boston when they got themselves in the playoff race before eventually falling out should be credited to the suddenly star-worthy play from their roster of the future, most notably guys like ryan gomes and gerald green who both had relatively quiet seasons before coming on big time to close the season. delonte west, al jefferson, and kendrick perkins all seem to be panning out as well, they are still very young. when i saw this roster before the year i thought ainge was crazy for putting this weak team together but now i think he's a genius for getting all these good young guys and giving them plenty of confidence and time to grow. there is no denying paul pierce's immense talent and his impact on this team (he also played like a man possesed down the stretch) but hes not indispensable. it was also a smart move to trade vets mark blount and ricky davis midseason because they were just holding back the development of the team, ricky is also too selfish of a scorer. in return they got career underacheiver micheal olowakandi, who its worth saying played much better and fresher when he got to boston than he had in a long time in minnesota, and catch and shoot wiz wally s., who should help open up the offense for all the other players with his shooting skill. boston also got rid of two young nonfactors on their team, justin reed and quick marcus banks, who was playing much better for the timberwolves. they are still a long ways from competing for titles but they should be making the playoffs and fighting in the near future, if maybe even this next season. the only real faults they have at the moment are inexperience and problems with consistency and defense, all common issues with young teams. they also need a true point guard to run the offense desperately, delonte is talented but not fit as a long term, "real" point.

tony allen is a combo guard coming off the bench for boston, he didnt play as much as some though he might have last year, but hes only played two seasons in the nba and he has plenty of time to get his stuff together and develop, i think hes had some legal troubles. hes a tenacious perimeter defender and really aggressively attacks the ball, hes a high energy player overall and he can hit the set shots, theres better players on this roster right now though, hes also kind of a tweener because he isnt a true point or a great shooter but hes still a young player. dan dickau is a pretty young point guard from gonzaga, he had a breakout year as a score-1st point in new orleans the season before last but when he came over to boston to supposedly solve their point problems his issues were exposed, hes way too little and short and isnt athletic or quick enough to make up for the height defiencies, he isnt a true point guard either but he can fill up the points category in a hurry, hes a good shooter and scorer and he can jack them up. ryan gomes was an impressive rookie from providence who looks like maybe the most important young guy for the future in boston, he came on as one of the best rookies of the year during the 2nd half of last season and down the stretch and he was a main reason that boston stayed in the eastern playoff race, he was a draft steal and hes a great all-around player, a great scorer, and really athletic and versatile and he maybe the glue that holds the future celtics together. gerald green is a tmac-like rookie high schooler who has the limitless potential to be a superstar someday, but he still has plenty of room to grow and lots to learn. a positive, however, was how well he played to end the year last season when he finally got out of the d-league and earned some playing time with his scoring theatrics and nice offensive play. hes had a questionable attitude and intangibles and hes rail thin by nba standards, but hes got a great jump shot from any range of the court, hes a clutch player, and hes got out-of-the-gym athleticism and jumping ability. orien greene is a scrappy rookie outta louisiana-lafayette, hes a hardworking and high energy player and one of the teams defensive stoppers and best hustlers who gets the hustle buckets, but he doesnt have much of an offensive game or a great jumpshot, still, hes an important young player and will probably be a nice role player. al jefferson is a key young player for the celtics and probably their most vital contributor for the future,hes a real big guy who knows how to use his body to score, he eats up the post and the boards with his size and has shaq-like finishing skills, he has problems with conditioning however and his skills and overall game are very raw seeing as this was his 2nd year out of high school, didnt have the season some thought he would have but he is still developing and im sure the coaching staff are handling this precious gem with care. dwanye jones is a young, tall and long forward/center who hardly ever plays so i dont know much about him, hes spent the majority of his rookie season on the bench, he also was one of the players who came over from the timberwolves. raef lafrentz is a veteran center from kansas, has always been reliable and hardworking, good size as well, just not really quick or athletic , never really been a long-term option for his position but hes always been a solid player and matchup problem because of his long ranging shooting ability, when hes hot from downtown theres nothing you can do to stop him and his shooting range seperates him from other guys like him. micheal olowakandi is notorious for being the number one pick whenever he was drafted and for being one of the biggest draft busts in sports history, hes long, athletic, and looked like he was full of the talent and potential to be a revolutionary center like kevin garnett was for the forward position, he ended up not having the work ethic, effort, or the intensity to be a great player and he never realized his potential, really just a career underacheiver who never learned to take advantage of his physical gifts. hes still fairly young though and he seems to be taking advantage of his fresh start with boston, he has found a new role as a nice scoring contributor and energy guy off the bench. kendrick perkins is a young big man out of a high school in texas who should be a key contributor in the near future, for the time being he is most known for his alleged confrontation with paul pierce in the locker room, but hes real big and has great size, he knows how to use his body and once he harnesses his ability along with his physical skills and aggressive style of play he will be good. paul pierce is the team's superstar for the time being, he is the protypical superstar in today's nba, incredible strength and eye-popping athleticism that make him nearly unstoppable at getting to the basket and scoring, all the skills and moves possible on offense, very versatile on the offensive end, he also has shooting range all over the court and is streaky from three point range, he is by no means a sharpshooting superstar and isnt a pure shooter like guys such as tmac or ray allen, but he carried this young squad on his back multiple times this year and is vital at keeping the celtics afloat while they go through their rebuilding stage. brian scalabrine is a big high energy hustle player, not the most skilled or talented, or a very pretty player, but he goes after the ball and always fires up the team when they are looking stale with his hustle and pursuit of loose balls and rebounds. wally szczerbiak was a key player in minnesota and kg got him plenty of shots to make him an all-star, but he wore out his welcome with selfish play and an obnoxious attitude, luckily he found a great role in beantown as a catch and shoot expert who opens up the offense and is very valuable with shouldering the scoring load, hes a great shooter and hes offensively skilled but he cant create his own shot, hes not very quick or athletic and he doesnt always give much defensive effort. delonte west handled the point guard duties this past year and i dont think he gets enough credit, he is quietly one of the best young playmakers in the game and impresses me every time i see him, hes quick and athletic, hes got great court vision and passing ability and he is actually really athletic, he can score and be a streaky shooter when he wants to and always plays with more freedom and confidence whenevr he gets to handle the 2 guard position but he doesnt score a lot or put up big stats, he prefers the backseat role, boston should probably get a true, pass and defense 1st point guard so delonte can focus his all-around talents on making plays happen himself.