It begins tonight on TNT. As excited as I am, I'm not real big fan of the two games the NBA chose to kick off the season. The Mavs and Heat should both be playing as should LeBron. Oh well, I'll be watching.
Quite a few links out there today so there won't be much commentary...
Dwain Price breaks down each team in the East and West. He notes that the Mavs simplify the offense when Mbenga comes in because he doesn't speak English. Should I have known that? I know he speaks seven languages and I've heard him speak nearly perfect English before - maybe it was scripted for him.
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Price looks at the coaches who are on the hot seat and the coaches who have complete job security. He somehow fails to mention Sam Mitchell, coach of the Raptors, who everyone considers done before the season even begins.
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Art Garcia breaks down each new addition to the Mavs roster.
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The Charlotte Observer has a really weird four question interview with Jason Terry. Three of the questions are about his superstitions and the other is whether or not he saw his father much as a child. Random...
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Sefko has a pretty good article about Devin Harris. He compares Harris to Tony Parker, a comparison I've made for a while now, and has lots of quotes from Parker about how he improved and about what Harris needs to do.
Even though the outcome didn't count, one sequence in the second quarter illustrated the difference between the two when Harris drove to the rim, but had his layup blocked. Parker got the ball in transition and lofted in a floater at the other end.
Price also has an article about the eight teams with an eye on a Championship this season.
Mavericks: The league's deepest team is driven to erase last year's Finals failure.
Spurs: People forget how close they were to knocking off the Mavs last season.
Suns: How far Phoenix goes depends on Amare Stoudemire.
Clippers: PF Elton Brand is a monster and PG Shaun Livingston could be special.
EAST Heat: Still the champs until someone knocks them off.
Bulls: Is it realistic to think Ben Wallace makes them a championship team?
Pistons: Backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton gives them a chance.
Cavs: Good news for LeBron: Dwyane Wade proved a one-man team can get it done.
And finally, Angel Verdejo takes a look at Sidney Moncrief and the Fort Worth Flyers.