At least we have now made sure we'll trump the sixth place finish we had at the last world championships, but gold medal success is far from in our grasp as we still have to play the all-around very solid greece team ,who have few flaws, in the semis and either the high-powered, very talented (2nd only to us) Argentina team or the very skilled and high-scoring paul gasol led spainards. the biggest positive of the americans throughout the tourney has been the impressive defensive effort they have given forth, putting on tenacious full-court pressure for the entire game and never slacking off, particularly kirk hinrich and shane battier, as superstars lebron james and dwayne wade have been known to slack off their man at times. teams have been able to fight with us in the 1st half because there have been times when we have looked like the '04 olympic team and forget that their are other guys on the floor and jack up bad three pointers (as seen in the germany game) or commit stupid turnovers. chris paul has had one of the most important and underrated roles so far and i don't think we would be as good a team without him, as he always finds the open man and keeps on passing and making the smart plays when the offensive stars get too worried about scoring for themselves. in the end though, our talent, depth, and huge athleticism and speed advantage just give us the edge every time and makes us pretty unbeatable, theres only so much playing hard and shooting well can get you when you playing against the best in the world. we pretty much breezed through the preleminaries, blowing out an undermanned and intimidated puerto rican squad with ease as carlos arroyo's boys failed to give him much support and then blowing out china by focusing all the defensive pressure on yao ming so his poor perimeter teammates had to pick up the slack, which they didn't. slovenia was considered a decent enough squad filled with some nice shooting and smart playing europeans, but our depth and speed just kept pushing at them and got us the easy win. our biggest challenge so far came against the italians, somewhat of a surprise seeing as they had no nba players on their roster and weren't thought to be much of a challenge. they made their shots and didn't try to outrun us, they just played smart basketball and they had a good lead at halftime. but maybe this game was finally the wake-up call we needed because carmelo anthony went on a legendary shooting spree and single-handedly brought us back and then some with his three point barrage. melo has been the best and most consistent shooter so far, while joe johnson has done his part with shooting as well and lebron and d-wade have been the expected scoring stars. bosh was thought to have been an after-thought and left on the bench after dwight howard's dominance, but he provided a huge spark at the end of the italy game to put the italians away and has been the american's best offensive rebounder with his long arms and athleticism. howard's strength and width have made him an unrivaled beast against international competition, and while hinrich isn't quite the star that paul is and he hasn't been a great shooter, his defense, hustle, and command of the floor have all been top notch. battier's mastery of the little things and his nonstop hustle and defense, along with the occasional three, have made him extremly valuable. the main reason italy just lost it and got blown out was because they are just underhanded compared to the americans, they lack enough star power and nba-worthy talent and thats all it came down to. we already clinched the top seed out of our group, but finished off the preleminaries with a whuppin of weak senegal, a country somewhat raw in their basketball development, especially in guard play and offensive skill. they have some great athletes and good length and team speed, but they cannot shoot and their big men don't have much of a grasp of a post game. its fair to say we destroyed them. after that it really became time for us to prove ourselves, as the one-and-done round of 16 began with a game against austrailia, who lacks much star talent and needed a big game from milwaukee bucks center andrew bogut, who had underacheived so far and been poor on the rebounding and shot blocking and only average with scoring. the aussies are pretty athletic and have the inside-outside game with bogut and their talented scoring 2-guard, but they lack enough overall and in leadership. we dominated the entire game and our defense was the key, as the aussies had a horrible second quarter and couldn't get any shot attempts, when they did they usually missed and ended up with only a few points. bogut didn't come through with much of anything, and thats that. we took on a dirk-led germany next, dirk is a superstar player and one of the top 5 in the nba so we knew he wouldnt have a problem with his sharpshooting and scoring, hes basically the most unguardable player in this tourney. the problem is with his fellow mates, theres not much support here and not much offensive output from the guards. well this new look u.s. team wins games by defense, and thats how we stifled germany and ended a close game in the 1st half by dominating in the 2nd. the americans shot horribly, our three point shooting had to break a record for worst in international competition. it didnt help the germans that dirk had a very poor game, maybe jitters at goin against d-wade again, as his shooting wasnt great and he got most of his points off of free throws. now its time to get ready for the early morining rumble against greece on friday, a game i think we should win pretty easily, even though greece is solid in all areas and they play tough and the "right way", the don't have the scoring or star power to hang with us and while they might take a lead or two in the 1st half, our supreme depth and talent will eventually take over, as it has done the entire championships whenever we have played like the '04 americans and need a shaking up.

Like many other crazed fans who want some real, somewhat untainted american football filled with amazing riavlries, passion, and the raw and youthful energy still present in the young athletes not yet corrupted by money, i am incredibly excited about the upcoming college football season. in my lifetime i have never seen a national title race so wide open before, there are at least 15 teams with a chance to win it and every week a win or a lose could equal hope or doom for championship contenders. the heisman race should also be exciting, and ill probably get goose bumps the 1st time my hawkeyes run out on the field arm-in-arm. the big favroites going into the season are ohio state and notre dame, both returning to the fiesta bowl after that buckeyes win last year but playing for the title this time. honestly, nothing professionally even comes close to rivaling college sports and the intensity and the fans that make up football make this a great time of year.

the big ten championship is likely going to be an epic battle between bitter rivals ohio state and michigan all year decided by that much-hyped november showdown, but a sleeper like iowa or even wisconsin could come in and shake things up.

1)there are no questions about OSU's offensive talent, troy smith has truly matured as an elite passer and maybe the best qb in college, and he has great mobility, he just doesn't use it much anymore, trying to impress the pro scouts with his arm instead. he has an underrated elite running back in antonio pittman along with bruising freshman chris wells, as well as one of the top wideout corps around. ted ginn jr is extremly fast and versatile, dangerous returning kicks and getting lined up all over he field so he's pretty hard to cover. anthony gonzalez is probly the best number 2 in D1, he's fast, has reliable hands, and comes up big in the biggest games. it's no coincidence that gonzalez and troy smith have become so popular in columbus, they both had their best games against michigan. their defense is a question mark just because they are replacing so many vets who are now in the nfl, but their interior line is tops in the big ten and the linebackers they got to replace nfl-bound a.j. hawk and bobby carpenter are very talented and full of potential, just short on experience. i think it will be a better defense than people think.

2) the wolverines have one of the most talented teams they have ever assembled, it's just a matter of if they underacheive again like last year. i don't think it will happen, they're gonna be hungry and motivated and they're too good on both sides of the ball to have a bad year. their offense has a proven but overrated QB who has started since he was a freshman, when he had a huge year, but chad henne (his name) had an off-year like the rest of this roster last season so lets see if he can bounce back, he should because he has the experience and the leader role now. he definitly has the weapons, everyone from touchdown machine mario manningham to speedy and versatile steve breaston (michigan's answer to ted ginn) is a threat to score so if henne doesn't play well it's not their fault. mike hart is a potential heisman winner at running back, he struggled with injuries last season which was one of their main problems, since he had a stellar freshman year too, so if he can be their workhorse again they will have a top offense. the defense may be even better, don't know too much about the secondary but the defensive line is monstrous and aggressive, will put the pressure on every time, and the linebackers are the best in the big ten led by future nfl lottery pick lamar woodley, who is always around the ball, forcing turnovers and making plays happen, he is truly a beast. they have tough games against notre dame and iowa, but their season will really be defined by the ohio state game, as they have been burned by troy smith the past two seasons and really wanna get a win this time.

3) the hawkeyes are an impressive team dear to my heart, kirk ferentz has truly done an excellent job rebuilding them and making them a national power using only average recruits compared to the superstars comitting to ohio state and michigan every year. we are a blue-collar and tough team who always play with heart, and we are finally getting the talent to match up with that mindset. we got a fantastic senior QB in drew tate, one of the best ever to line up under center at iowa. he makes up for a lack of size with a big arm and an even bigger competitive nature, his heart and intensity on the field along with his flawless leadership characteristics can pretty much will the team to win. we have a great running game that goes two or three deep, but the versatile albert young is our star, while the speedy damien simms and bruising shonn greene are our change of pace backs. our line is young and not the best we have ever had, but we have some big guys and o-line is something we never have to worry about with all the 300-pound cornfed farmboys wandering around the heartland in the state. senior mikes jones is the best of the bunch, but marshal yanda is big and a local favorite and dace richardson is one of the more athletic linemen we have ever had. wideout is a problem, we lack experience and a go-to-guy. herb grigsby is fast but small, calvin davis has stud potential and talent but is injury prone and unproven, while noone else has enough experience for me to predict the impact they will make (andy brodell, trey stross, dominique douglas). our main guy through the air will be 6 ft. 7 tight end scott chandler, tate's favorite and most consistent target. whenever drew's in trouble chandler is always there to bail him out with his great hands and dominate size, and he's a great option in the red zone. our defense has to replace two nfl-guys at linebacker, like the buckeyes, but theres plenty of experience there so it shouldn't be much of a problem. our d-line played great and with more aggressiveness as the season wore on last season, but looked lost and way too conservative for the 1st half of the year. the continued maturation of the line will be vital to our defense, i think they will do a good job carrying in momentum from last year. kenny iwebema and bryan mattison are all-big ten worthy defensive ends, iwebema being the physical freak and pass rusher while mattison is the hardworker and ball-hawk who thrives off the attention iwebema gets from opposing lines. the defensive ends are both pretty big and athletic and great run-stuffers, and our safeties are studs, especially the hard-hitting marcus paschal, but our corners, adam shada and charles godfrey, are mostly unproven and undersized. both are good hitters and norm parker schemes them so they dont have to play much man-to-man with taller wideouts, but their lack of size and elite speed will hurt them.

4)wisconsin-seems like they lost a lot even though they really didn't, they just lost real big names. the running game is the main question on offense thanks to the surprising departure of star brian calhoun to the nfl, but beastly bowling ball b.j. hill could be a sleeper, hes just unproven and coming off a major injury. i dont think beloved coach barry alvarez's resigning from head coach will make a big difference, he will still have input and contact with the players as athletic director, they just probably wont be able to maintain that inspired play they gave for him in the capital one bowl for this entire season. the defense, especially the linebackers in particular, is very solid and one of the better and more physical ones in the big ten, which is saying something seeing as the big ten is defined by its physical nature. john stocco is a capable veteran QB who gets the job done, and if they can get a running game going the badgers will be a very balanced and dangerous big ten team that could be a surprise, just more questions then answers but the talent, especially on defense, is definitly there.

5)penn state lost too much on both sides of the ball to compete for a big ten title, but they have the talent there for the future, especially with those versatile sophmore wideouts who got all that hype last season so they shouldnt stink it up for a long stretch and get the fire joepa stuff talked started up again. the biggest loss is probably offensive force micheal robinson, the team's athletic QB last year who was drafted in the NFL as a wideout. he was a big surprise and brought major life to an offense that was too conservative and had sputterd the past couple of years under traditional drop-back passers, as robinson brought explosive ability and a strong arm. the other major loss was on the defensive line, in their stud pass rusher tamba hali, who departed to the kansas city chiefs. the penn state defense was great last year at stopping the run and putting pressure on the QB, but the young and inexperienced line they have now will trouble matching that and is one of the team's major questions. the new QB, anthony morelli, is another one of their traditional strong-armed drop-back passers, he's not gonna spark up the offense with many big plays like robinson but he is good enough to get the offense rollin once he gets some experience. he will be helped along by those young weapons they have on offense, who have all been lined up at reciever, tailback, and even cornerback. the defense is led by bednarik award winner paul pozluzny, maybe the best linebacker in the nation if he is healthy. he suffered a major injury in the nittany lion's orange bowl win over florida state last year but his recovery will be vital to the young and unproven defense, paul's a hard hitter and physical player who's ferocious against the run. they should be decent and make a bowl but are not good enough yet to compete with the top of the conference.

6)michigan state has a lot of explosive weapons on offense, but they lack good balance because their defense is bad, probably worse than they were last year, especially at preventing the big play. the spartans also have a history of breaking down mentally and emotionally every season, when they look unstoppable out the gate and get off to a hot start but then inevitably suffer a crushing loss that they can never recover from. i hate to say that like it's a team attribute but it happens every year so it's worth mentioning, because all those intanigibles come to down to your player's heart and the coaching. the offense should not be a problem and they should be able to overcome their defensive deficiencies by outscoring people, it's just a matter of maintaining consistency and staying focused because they have the talent to make a bowl game. main offensive guys are future nfl QB drew stanton, who's got everything you could ask for in a quarterback. he's got a strong arm, mobility, toughness, and he's smart with great intangibles and athletic ability. matt trannon is a massive target at wideout and javon ringer is a speedy home-run threat whenever he touches the ball.

7)purdue has the same story as usual, looks like they have an explosive offense but horrible defense that should keep them out of a bowl game. their spread-option attack is pretty unstoppable and they have the weapons to make it effective. dorien bryant is a speedy threat to score every time he touches the ball, their QB curtis painter has the perfect combination of talents (mobility and decision making) to succeed in the uptempo offensive style, and cory sheets is a capable running game with a nose for the endzone. the only issue in the defense will not be able to stop anyone anywhere, simple as that, worst in the big ten, and that fact will keep them near the bottom.

8)indiana is a team on the rise, just not this year. their defense is bad, especially against the pass, but they have an unstoppable wideout in 6 foot 7 james hardy, who can battle with the best in D1 and should give some of the conference heavyweights trouble. if blake powers can get some consistency he can be a very good big ten QB, but he has a great athlete behind him in kellen lewis if he screws up. just really don't have the talent to elevate above the bottom of the conference right now.

9)minnesota-looks like an off-year for the gophers, who have rode their all-world running backs marion barber and laurence maroney to respectable success the past couple years but who have neither one of them now since they both left for the nfl. they have a talented QB on the rise, bryan cupito, but he is not good enough to handle the entire offensive load, which he will have to do now that running back gary russell is out for the year because of academics. defense isn't too hot either, and the only star they have is tight end matt spaeth, a big target in the red zone who should help out cupito big time but who fight be forced to block more because of the bad running game.

10)northwestern is only above illinois by random selection, as both teams are horrible and will not only be in the bottom of the big ten but most likely all of D1 football as well. the wildcats were pretty good last year, with a balanced and at times explosive offense that pulled off some upset wins (big one against iowa) and made up for the poor defense. the offense still has speedy freshman sensation tailback tyrell sutton, but lost their versatile and hard-nosed QB brett basanez, the leader and identity of the offense who's combination of mobility, decision-making, and great heart lead the team to most of their victories. the QB situation is quite a dilemma now with no-one looking good enough to start, none of the wideouts elevate themselves above the pack, and the defense is just as bad as last year, so sutton will have to be a workhorse if northwestern is to be successful.

11)illinois is on the right path to rebuilding, ron zook just inherited a bad team with a serious lack of talent. juice williams is their true freshman sensation at QB, who's a great athlete creating lots of hope and momentum for the illini's future. he has a long, long way to go however and noone should expect him to be a savior right away, the speed of the game and decision making will be his biggest issues. the defense is ok at spots but horrible in others, and it's hard to win with such holes, and there are questions and inexperience abound on the offense end. the main thing is just experience and time, illinois has shown some bright spots, they just need time.

NFC North (a.k.a. my division ya'll): 1st-Chicago Bears, the squad which managed to elevate above this notoriously crappy division last season and make the playoffs, known for their fearsome, physical defense and grade-A running game. i have always loved the nfc north because of the amazing history and influence present in all the teams and in all the stadiums, the rivalries, toughness, and intensity that define the game of football are personified in this division, and even though the teams are pretty bad these days you can never forget the past and the rivalries between the teams here are better than any others in pro football. but back to the bears. there quarterback situation is a huge question mark and will probably be the key to their season. their defense is the toughest, most intimidating, and aggressive in the league, but sometimes i think they're overrated because they give up a lot of big plays, mostly throuhg the air as seen against the panthers in last year's playoffs. there run defense is fearsome though. the running game is their main offensive weapon and something they are always good at, whether thomas jones or cedric benson is running the ball they both fit the system and they both will do well with the power running style. grossman is talented at qb but unproven and not as good as people think he is, did give the offense some confidence when he played though. ima big griese fan and i think he would do very well stepping in just in case rex f's up. and of course there is the solid orton, who led the bears to much of last year's winning but who was pampered along by the running game.

2nd-the detroit lions should finish number 2, they have the infamous rep of being one of the worst and most unsuccessful teams in pro sports, and even in these past couple of years where it looked like they had the talent to compete, they have underacheived big time, especially with their offense and recieving core. they should have an unstoppable passing attack but thanks to major inconsistencies at qb and offensive line holes their passing game and running game have not been close to being what they should be. kevin jones was supposed to continue on with his breakout success in '04 but he struggled big time. with mike martz i think the passing game will finally be potent, and they got rid of the joey harrington stigma and grabbed reliable vet joe kitna and young and strong armed but inconsistent josh mcown, who is a capable backup. jones is hungry for a big season but its hard to tell what hes gonna give you after last year. the defense has some studs in spots, especially in the middle and against the run, but they have a ton of holes and lots of bad spots that make their defense overall pretty poor. i think martz will make a big difference ,though, and with the talented recieving core and some consistency at qb for once they should have a decent record and compete for the division title.

3rd-my vikes have had some major problems lately which havent helped the already no-name team. since the departure of stars randy moss and daunte culpepper these new vikings are filled with a bunnch of unknown hombres and while the talent isn't recognizable it is underrated and definitly there. the loss of greenway hurts their defense a bit because they lack much at linebacker but its not devastating because they have a lot of talent elsewhere and a capable guy who can take greenway's spot and basically give the same output. the loss of koren robinson hurts a lot more because this recieving crew was really weak anyway, and koren was an athletic deep threat, pro bowl player, and had really emerged as a capable number one by improving his consistency. now the vikes have no true number one pass-catcher and will have to rely even more on the running game. a lot of pressure will be on chester taylor to produce huge numbers and he definitly has the potential to do so. he's running behind one of the game's best offensive lines, the left side is dominant with steve hutchinson, and taylor has a great combination of power and speed. johnson is an old and solid qb who can manage games but who's not the type to win them himself, but if he can produce some numbers in the short to midrange passing game then the running game should take care of itself. the defense should be very good, the run stopping and the frontline is great and the secondary is very good as well with playmaking ball-hawk darren sharper and athletic, tenacious corners antoine winfield and fred smoot. with great defense and the running game they should be in division title contention, but everyone has a chance to win the nfc-north because all the teams are so crappy and so similar. everything will really hinge on chester taylor.

4th-out of all the teams in the division i think the packers are the only one who dont have a chance to win, they are just that bad. its sad to watch favre forcing everything and just chucking the ball as hard as he can and hoping one of his scrub recivers can bring it down and not break their fingers. there is just not the support around favre that he needs, he lacks a true number one receiver and much depth at all and makes the vikings receivers look like the cardinals. their running game should be a strength with tons of depth but major injuries to the top-2 backs leave big question marks and take that strength away. the line has major issues, even though they have gotten more talent there since last year they still have large holes to fill. the defense is even worse, good against the pass but they a have hard time stopping teams. the defensive ends are both very good and very solid, and the linebacker corp is young but has a lot of talent and potential, but excluding athletic playmaker and ballhawk al harris in the secondary they have nobody, they will have trouble stopping teams, favre will commit a bunch of turnovers again because they did nothing to support him, and the pack will likely replicate last years finish. donald driver is a consistent pass catcher and has great chemistry with brett, but he drops too many passes and isnt a real number one guy. i support favre's choice to come back because if he loves to play football u cant stop a man from playing, but he's gonna be disappointed because this crappy squad is not different from last year.

Boston Celtics: PGs (sebastian telfair, rajon rondo, delonte west)-Boston lacked a true point guard before draft night this year and you could say that the position was a team weakness, but by the time the draft was over they ended up with a pretty good unit filled with impressive potential, making point guard a team strength. getting telfair was either a move you loved or hated, and i loved it. telfair is an immensly talented player who never got to show all that he could do in portland, never got the chance and lost confidence after injury and subsequent benching last season. he has great ballhandling and playmaking skills, he is extremly quick, flashy, and great at getting to the basket and scoring or dishing. he's a little guy and his jumpshot is'nt too good but his talent and potential is great and i don't think he has reached the ceiling yet. keep in mind that he could be traded soon for allen iverson, but for now he is safe, especially since billy king recently said he has stopped shopping "the answer". rondo could potentially be better than telfair, he is a workout wonder and physical specimen with great speed, athleticism, and huge hands, which is a key part of success. i think people tend to overanalyze his physical gifts and overrate him because of his stellar workouts because he has never done anything throughout his college career and never even been close to fulfilling the hype. he never became a leader or playmaker at kentucky and his shot is still horrible but he has shown signs of improving and if he can live up to his natural gifts he will be the starter here, right now he's just a defensive stopper. delonte west will still be a key member of this squad and his development as a star will be vital to boston's future, he just won't have to be the main point guard and floor general anymore. west is athletic, unselfish, and has potential as a scorer and pretty good playmaker, good team player who could either be a good role player or contributing starter.

SGs (wally szcerbiak, tony allen, allan ray)-kind of a weak position for boston, wally is not a long-term option so they hope they have the future talent there in tony allen and undrafted rookie allen ray, who both have mad potential. wally is one of the best catch and shoot players in the nba, quick release, sweet stroke, and with telfair and pierce he should get his chances, but he cannot do much else, like create his own shot, and he might just be here for trade fodder. tony allen is a good all-around team player, wants to step into more key role and has had some off-court issues but he has the talent to be a good contributor, right now he's a tenacious perimeter defender, good set shooter, and decent role player with the potential to be more than that. allan ray was a star guard at villanova and a key player for their elite 8 team last year, but didn't have the nba size or all-around game to get drafted. he is a very good three point shooter and a hardworking player with great intangibles, really what you want out of your role players, and he has good potential and could be valuable off the bench, he was a major bargain as an undrafted free agent.

SFs (paul pierce, gerald green, brian scalabrine)-this unit is boston's strongest for obvious reasons, and paul pierce is, in my opinion, the nba's most underrated superstar. people don't appreciate the numbers paul puts up, and he really put this callow squad on his back and accepted their rebuilding efforts instead of demanding a trade, which a lesser man would not have done. paul is your protypcial nba superstar because he is big, strong, and athletic, very versatile, and he can score all over the court. he has shooting versatility and his scoring skills are up there with the elite, but you never hear his name called with the all-nba teams and his name isn't usually mentioned with the game's best, but it should be. this team hasn't had much success lately so that might be the reason. the thing that seperates paul from other stars is his size, he's stronger than others his height. gerald green is a freak athlete with freakish hops, his leaping ability is jaw-dropping and even though he didn't get consistent playing time last season he somehow made more than half of the season's best plays, including that amazing finish from that off-the-backboard alley-oop from tony allen. he is skinny and needs to get his all-around game and focus in check, lots to improve on, but his potential is great and he could be a great paul pierce backup, take over when he's gone, or fit in to the starting lineup as a versatile scoring threat. scalabrine isn't the most naturally or athletically gifted but he is a big guy, a hardworker, and the best hustle player on this team. he has a real nose for the ball and is always tenacious, got good size but lacks enough talent or scoring skill to get much playing time.

PFs (al jefferson, ryan gomes, brian grant, leon power)- this is a unit with loads of potential and star talent (plus washed up vet brian grant), but lots of the players are unproven so it's hard to say how good they are. jefferson has been hyped as a star power forward of the future and dudes have been harping on his potential ever since he came into the league, but he is progressing at a slower rate than expected and it's hard to tell if he will be as good as expected. he is big and looks like he could be a shaq-type of dominator on the low block and a force on the boards and an intimidator on defense, but his skills are raw and he has some conditioning problems, hasn't been as dominate or productive as his size suggests either, but he is only 19 or 20 years old so it's hard to bash him yet. ryan gomes is a fantastic scorer already and broke out as a player during the 2nd half of last season, his potential and development as an offensive star will be vital to the celtics future, and he is playing even better than anyone expected when he was drafted so that's a good sign. brian grant is still good with leadership and experience, and he can be a tough and reliable defender if he must be put in the game, but his career is pretty much over, he gives them no offense and his ability is basically washed up and he will either be traded or waived. powe is a real solid player who gives you consistent production with low post scoring and rebounds, he is strong with an nba-body and will be able to contribute and provide valuable depth, but he is somewhat undersized, has had some major knee surgeries, and will probably never be a star or even a starter in this league.

Cs (kendrick perkins, theo ratliff, dwayne jones, kevin pittsnogle)-center is a very iffy spot here, not a lot of talent, at least not proven, and one veteran who is way overpaid for his production. perkins is big and a fearsome banger with good potential and will be the most important player on this team in his development besides maybe al jefferson. his size and low post-dominance is the most intriguing thing about him, as well as his defensive and rebounding ability. ratliff is still a great shot blocker and rebounder who should be a good leader and all-around solid low post player who will do the dirty work, but his contract is a bitch, worse than raef's, and may pose minor problems for re-signing young players in the near future. dwayne jones is young, athletic, and talented but he is raw and with his strength, skill level, and attitude (as in focus) he is just not at an nba-level and is just a potential player right now who they hope will develop soon. kevin pittsnogle is an undrafted rookie from west virginia who is somewhat singular in his ability. he can shoot threes all day and will have no problem with his super-quick release, but he thrived off of match-up problems in college and nba defenders are too good to leave him open. he just hovers around the perimeter and his defensive ability as well as his post game are not very good for the professional level, but his sharpshooting will get him some minutes giving boston some instant offense off the bench.

New Jersey Nets: PGs (jason kidd, marcus williams, derrick zimmerman, jeff mcinnis)-now that the nets have finally found a capable backup and successor to jason kidd this unit is set for the long term and one of the team's strongest positions, and one of the league's best too. in a few years when j-kidd retires they may have some depth problems and the erratic and often-injured jeff mcinnis will probably be traded, but just jason kidd and rookie marucs williams in themselves are enough to make point guard a team strength. kidd is underrated at this point in his career, when his physical skills are declining and everyone just assumes his production is falling as well, which it is not. kidd is still one of the game's best point guards and probably the best passer and playmaker with unrivaled floor vision. not many players in nba history have that leadership and court vision that kidd possesses, he is also a fantastic teammate that everyone wants to play with because he gets you plenty of opportunities and the shots you want. kidd is also one of the toughest and scrappiest guys out there as well as being one of the best defensive guards, and he leads his team in rebounding multiple times, kind of sad for the rest of his squad really. not a great shooter but can hit when open from midrange and is streaky from beyond the arc. williams is a rookie from uconn and was the best playmaker and pure point in this year's draft. he had issues with being out of shape, his attitude, and off the court issues like being suspended for selling stolen laptops but his floor vision and ability to see plays in his head before they materialize is a priceless attribute in point guards and a trait usually reserved for veterans. besides being a great passer marcus is also a good shooter extending out beyond the three point line and he is capable of getting in the paint and scoring, needs to get stronger though and not the quickest guy either. his bad habits should be fixed as he is tutored by kidd and he will be very valuable in spelling kidd and his bad knees. zimmerman is your typical nba scrub, not really a capable backup but someone who is there for emergency depth and to fill out the roster. he is a great athlete, hardworker, and tenacious defender but his offensive game is really lacking and he doesn't have much of a shot either. getting mcinnis was thought to be a good step in backing up kidd and finally giving him someone who could come in and give the nets some nice production, but jeff has a big injury history and a work ethic problem and both of these things were evident as he didn't play too much or too well last year. when he is healthy and dedicated he is a very talented player who can score, is dangerous shooting from the perimeter, and be a tough defender when he puts the effort in. but his mindset is just not fully dedicated and the nets will probably get rid of him now that they have marcus.

SGs (vince carter, antoine wright, eddie house)-this position is set because of uber-popular and explosive offensive star vince carter, but if antoine wright were on a different team and could get more playing time he would show that he is a very talented player as well with loads of scoring potential. the nets don't wanna deal wright because of his value as such a talented backup in case vince goes down, but with carter holding this spot down wright has a very tough time getting in games. carter has had a career rejuvenation coming to new jersey and playing with jason kidd is the best thing that could have happened to him. he has become a smarter and less erratic player and he has become tougher and not suspect to sitting out long periods of time for small injuries. he is one of the leagues best and most versatile on offense and his amazing dunking ability and athleticism have made him one of the league's most popular. his monster dunks are big momentum changers and always give the team an energy spark, and he gets plenty of chances to pull them off and plenty of alley-oops and finishes on the fastbreak with jason kidd dishing the rock to him. carter should be able to dominate just driving to the basket with his superior strength and athleticism, but he still settles for way too many erratic jumpers and three pointers. he can make them but he misses them a lot too, which slows down the offense and doesn't make full use of carter's ability. antoine wright is a great athlete and scorer, nice slasher to the basket with nba physical skills, but he hasn't really got a chance to show his skills yet and he still needs to work on his shooting and all-around game to more fully hone his ability and prove that he deserves a contributing role somewhere. the recent addition of eddie house brings cause to update this position, and he definitly fires up their bench offense, which was lacking in this past playoffs. his quick trigger three point shooting style is impressive to witness and i thought he couldn't find a better fit than in phoenix but new jersey desperately needs some instant offense and some more depth and even though all house can do is shoot and shoot the ball fast he will help the nets out.

SFs (richard jefferson, bostjan nachbar)-jefferson is one of the most underappreciated and quietly dangerous players in the nba, but his backup nachbar has had some issues translating his game to the nba and even though dudes have been hyping his versatile skill set and talents since he came over from europe and he has impressed in overseas action, he has not been able to deliver much production in the nba and his stats don't warrant anything more than garbage time minutes for him. people said last year that he had a nice three point shot but he failed to demonstrate, and while he seems to play the game right and do a lot of things pretty well (he is skilled), he doesn't do one thing well enough to warrant much playing time. jefferson may be remembered by some for his horrible shooting performace in the '04 olympics, and while he is still by no means a sharpshooter he has improved his perimeter shooting ability to were he is dangerous if left open. he mostly gets by on his impressive athleticism and hops and his great hustle and penchant for doing the dirty work. he is a great finisher and capable slasher with his nice physical skills, as well as a tough defender and a hardworker, since a lot of his points aren't flashy (well, his dunks are) his production seems to go widely unnoticed, as he is the most consistent and reliable point producer on the nets.

PFs (jason collins, cliff robinson, josh boone???)-this position is a big weakness for new jersey and one of the main things holding them back from championship success, as their lack of any real production from this spot makes their frontcourt very suspect. both of these players would be excellent playing their roles or backing up stars on some other team but they shouldn't be getting these major starting minutes. collins is a real tough bruiser with plenty of size and strength, but he puts up very tiny numbers, especially with points, and for his size he isn't a great rebounder either. he is one of the nba's best post defenders, and his ability to take charges (or flop) is highly regarded by many as making him the best defender in the league at taking on shaq, which is something he always does well at, especially in frustrating him. his point production is too minimal to ignore though and new jersey needs someone who will provide all the tough banging but who will score more. robinson is a real old veteran with pretty versatile skills and a tough mentality that makes him a good leader and a good banger, but his physical ability is well past its prime and i question the influence he has on the locker room now after he was suspended in the playoffs last year for failing a drug test. the main thing he brought to the table was his leadership and experience in the league, as well as bringing offensive consistency and toughness whenever he entered the game along with the occasional three point outburst. too old and not quick or athletic enough to keep up anymore though. boone hasn't been signed yet but he brings a lot of things to the table that new jersey lacks overall in the frontcourt, toughness and rebounding. he is athletic, a great defender, and impressive on the boards, which could all help new jersey, but he lacked confidence and consistency in college and he never developed much of an offensive game, which won't help new jersey. if he is signed ,though, he will be an improvement.

Cs (nenad kristic, mikki moore)-this is a key position for the nets and the development, consistency, and hopeful stardom of nenad kristic will be the main key to this squad's title hopes, because no team can win it all without a dangerous front court player who draws so much attention that it opens things up for his teammates (shaq). nenad is showing plenty of signs that he is becoming the player that new jersey hoped he would, but he needs to be much more consistent in his production, as he played really well to open last season's playoffs but he faded horribly to end them. he is skinny as well but is supposedly working on his strength big time this offseason, good news for nets fans. his shooting touch, skillful scoring ability, tough and scrappy play, and tough work on the boards and blocks seem like all the tools you need to be a great euro center, and even though nothing nenad does is flashy or pretty he has the skills to be an all-star and the centerpiece of this team in the near future. moore is here to provide a solid and reliable veteran presence to back-up nenad, something new jersey didn't have last season, and be someone who can give them some consistent production when kristic is out. he played surprisingly well in seattle last year and his experience and solid all-around post play will be welcome here in post player-starved new jersey.

New York Knicks: PGs (stephon marbury, nate robinson, mardy collins)-tons of talent in this new york backcourt but it's filled to the brim and there are horrible chemistry issues, everyone here is talented but everyone thinks that they deserve to be a star and get elite playing time. there are just too many players and the point guard position is living proof that you cannot just stockpile talent and call it a team. for all his faults and for all his obnoxious arrogance i am a starbury fan and talentwise he is one of the best point guards in the game today and ever out of new york. his overall offensive talents are pretty flawless, he is an excellent ballhandler, playmaker, and inside scorer who's supreme ability to get in the paint and score and blow by multiple defenders to drop a crazy finish or dish is impressive to witness. he is also a capable shooter, better than his cousin sebastian telfair, but by no means a sharpshooter. his cocky attitude, me-1st, one-on-one style of play, and seeming lack of respect for teammates and coaches have made him many enemies in the league and none of his teams have been successful. he has never won in the playoffs and you could say that most of those times it was his fault, especially with his major underacheiving alongside KG in minnesota. this history of losing and controversy surrounding marbury and his various coaches and star teammates and his inability to get along with other stars may define him and cause others to forget about his impressive talent. at least he is proud to be a knick, and claims he wants his ashes sprinkled in madison square garden. nate robinson is not a true point guard, isn't a great shooter, and is only 5 foot 7 with shoes, but his shocking athleticism, hops, and strength make him one of the most high energy sparkplugs coming off the bench in this league. he always fires up the team with his uptempo playing style and by making plenty of exciting plays, like that game-winning fadeaway three pointer in the regular season or one of his jaw-dropping dunks. talented player with erratic style and questionable attitude at times but he is good and will be a valuable young player for nyc. mardy collins is a rookie combo guard from temple who is a very solid and versatile player but this backcourt is so packed in nyc that he will struggle to get playing time and be a contributor. he has good size, is unselfish, can score, and play defense, but he has an iffy shot and a problem with consistency. his versatile skill set and size advantage over other point guards should help him get a little playing time and he will at least provide good depth.

SGs (jamal crawford, steve francis)-once again, a unit stacked with top notch scoring talent, but both these guys want to and deserve to start and there are more chemistry problems here as well. francis has all-star scoring ability but his failure to pass, turnover problems, and inability to run the point contributed to his quick downfall in houston and orlando, a fairly quick descent from all-star to decent scorer who somehow ended up in the most insane, foolish, and bizarre backcourt in the nba along with stephon marbury, very talented but a chemistry experiment from hell that is basically destined to fail. francis has point guard size but his natural position is shooting guard, he is very strong and athletic for his size and his impressive hops set him apart from others and make it difficult to stop him from scoring and finishing. not a great shooter or defender and he can get selfish and let his scoring get in the way of his playmaking, which causes him to commit turnovers, but his ability to score the basketball still makes him an elite offensive talent. jamal crawford has all-star talent and should be putting up major numbers or getting star treatment, but a combination of his erratic and inconsistent play and the fact that he is stuck in nyc have contributed to the fact that this above average player has simply been average. he is lanky, athletic, can score, and he can shoot the three, but besides that fact that he is too skinny and doesn't always give defensive effort he is known for his crazy, at times horrible shot selection and inconsistent play. his scoring and athleticism make him valuable here but he might flourish in the right environment, which is not new york, and it could be time for him to get traded to a place where the right coach could get his talent in control.

SFs (jared jeffries, quentin richardson, jalen rose, renaldo balkman, ime udoka)-this is a very deep position but very packed and it will be hard to dish out playing time to all of them. luckily this is a pretty unselfish, bright, and promising crew of players, not counting quentin richardson, so these guys should not create chemistry problems by demanding the ball and whining about not scoring enough. actually, this group could be the most valuable on the team because they are the knicks best defenders and hustle players and will be nice providing complementary scoring, if jeffries starts expect a breakout year for the underrated wing. jeffries didn't give washington great production but thats somewhat expected when you play alongside gilbert arenas. jeffries is a great athlete with long arms who creates plenty of matchup problems with his height of 6 ft. 10, he is a versatile player and a dangerous defender and shot blocker, and though he is lanky and has an inconsistent jumpshot, his scoring should be upped and even though this isn't the best fit for jeffries with all the other similar players on the roster he will be an important and underrated contributor. richardson is an erratic three point spcialist with good size, strength, and athleticism for the position, but he chooses to jack up countless threes and waste his impressive talent and the potential he once had. he thrived in phoenix with the freedom to take all the shots he wants, and had his best shooting season and probably the best season of his career, very valuable shooting piece to the suns roster two years ago but shooters are replaceable in this league and the suns ended up trading him to get kurt thomas. richardson has not been able to sniff his phoenix success in nyc, partly because he lacked the shot selection freedom he had with the suns now that he was under larry brown and partly because he settled for way too many poor long-range shots. he has had a questionable work ethic and attitude throughout his career and with all his talent and shooting ability he should be a lot better than he is, but he is just another average player in the knicks chemistry mess right now. jalen rose is a veteran who was just happy to get out of toronto last year, and while he has been a very nice player his whole career with good scoring ability and versatility his years of good production are numbered and with his contract right now the knicks will probably unload the vet on to another team, like a young playoff contender who could use a battle-hardened vet to beef up their playoff roster. rose played surprisingly well in new york last year but he was really playing for nothing, and while his scoring and experience could help anyone, his contract and the position he plays don't help nyc too much and his dedication and attitude to a losing team will not last much longer. balkman is the much-maligned 1st pick of new york in the recent draft, not for the fact that he is a bad fit or a horrible player but the fact that he averaged 9.6 points in college and would have been available in the 2nd round and probably as an undrafted free agent. he wont ask for the ball and he is not selfish or a chemistry problem like the rest of the roster, he is a great athlete and high-energy hustle player and defender who will play his ass off, but his offensive ability is extremly limited and his numbers wont be too impressive, except maybe his steals. might not get much playing time with the recent acqusition of jeffries but could be a nice and underrated role player. udoka is a good athlete and a raw, hardworking player but the complete talent is just not there and he will have trouble getting off the pine on this roster.

Pfs (channing frye, david lee, malik rose, mo taylor)-this is a great unit with more potential than any other position on the roster thanks to the 2 young talents frye and lee, who should both get major minutes now that larry brown is gone. both of these guys were the only bright spots in last year's nightmare season, and they deserved to play a lot more than they did, and in the near future they could both be stars and future hope for nyc fans. frye is long, athletic, offensively skilled with a nice midrange shot, and he's got top-notch shot blocking and rebounding ability, just needs to keep improving his consistency, confidence, and put more strength on so that he can dispell the "soft" label. lee is a hardworker, blue-collar athlete who can bring a big energy boost off the bench with his surprising athleticism and hops along with his versatile skill-set and impressive hustle. valuable piece to knicks future as a star or role player. rose is a hardworker who really fights on offense and defense down low, his attitude and size are both good but he lacks good power forward height and he is not the most skilled or fit to start at this position, good role player though. taylor has a horrible contract and he is not a great player anymore, he has good size and is a physical and intimadating force down low on defense and on the boards and can muscle his way around for buckets but he thinks he is a lot better than he really is and the young guys on the roster are unseating him.

Cs (eddy curry, jerome james)-very iffy but very important position, if eddy curry fails to live up to the hype and has another poor year next year the knicks are in trouble because they are really relying on curry to become an offensive centerpiece and a dominate low post scorer they can win around, ex. shaq. james is lucky he got that fat contract after an above-average playoff showing for seattle, because his work ethic, hustle, and attitude about playing hard is straight poop, just watch him out on the court, because with his size and low-post scoring ability he should be one of the league's best backup centers. curry has great size and scoring stuff down-low but he lacks effort and hustle too, at least consistently, and his poor rebounding numbers as well as his lazy defensive effort demonstrate this attitude problem. if he can improve and fire up his game and effort than his size and scoring should keep the knicks afloat. james is big and skilled and tough on the boards but he can only contribute for stretches because he is out of shape and needs to step his game up and dedicate himself to new york so that he can be a valuable backup.

Philadelphia 76ers: PGs (allen iverson, kevin ollie)-iverson is one of the greatest scorers and players of all time, but his career may be remembered for his selfish play, hip-hop infused style that struck fear into the hearts of rich white men everywhere, and the fact that minus his one finals appearance his team has lacked winning success. he is also not a true point guard and even though his united states pride is some of the best around he definitly contributed to the american's embarassing defeat in the last olympics. but lets stop focusing on the negatives and look at the amazing player that is "the answer", as the 76ers would be (and might be) nothing without him and his heart, desire, intensity, and toughness are all admirable traits that are hard to find in nba superstars these days and are some of the best in any player who ever played the game of basketball. in college he became a fan favorite because he was the "little guy" with a big heart and drive to the basket, and his toughness and reckless nature (not caring for his body) inspired many and he has carried that popularity with the youth throughout his career. he's got respect all over the league because of his amazing scoring ability, he isn't a very good shooter so you might not expect him to score so much but he dominates the ball and can sometimes get tunnel vision, focused only on scoring the ball himself and not dishing or making the smart plays. this really hurts his teammates and i believe that iverson could never play with another superstar. i love iversons ability as a scorer and offensive player and he can make a fair sure of flashy passes when he wants to but he should be playing 2-guard since he hardly ever runs the offense, and he is very selfish and takes too many shots, which bogs down the game and frustrates open teammates, like kyle korver and chris webber. im not denying his greatness as a player and philadelphia would be nowhere without him, but they might be better served continuing to shop him and rebuild because the way he plays they might never win with him, and he sure doesn't have much of a supporting cast. but i ramble on, and forget about his veteran backup kevin ollie. he's not too talented but hes good as a backup, he can come in and play defense, run the offense, and manage the game. he won't give you much offensive production and put points on the board if the team is down but as a solid vet backup who can handle the game, he's not a bad option, but they could use a lot more talent at the point guard position seeing as iverson doesn't really play point anyway.

Sgs (kyle korver, willie green, louis williams)-

Sfs (andre iguodala, rodney carney, bobby jones)-

Pfs ( chris webber, slavlik randolph)-

Cs (samuel dalembert, steven hunter)-