Start Of The Season

To all my blog fans (all 3 of you), I am back.  As you know, I just moved to NY from SF and am getting settled into my new city...  So here are some thoughts on the NBA season thus far.  SI picked the Thunder to beat the Heat in the NBA finals and that looks to be a very logical choice.  The Thunder have Westbrook back and still have an absolute beast in KD.  And the injury showed how valuable Westbrook is to that team.  He is the motor that makes them run and although he might not be a pure pass-first point guard, Westbrook is a gamer.  He is an elite athlete, a defensive matchup nightmare, and absolutely fearless on the floor. Once they really figure out how to play together (trust/pushing egos aside), they can be a true force in the Stockton/Malone, Pippen/Jordan, Magic/Kareem, and Wade/James tradition...hopefully not the Icognito/Martin combo that people labeled them to be...Speaking of the Icognito situation, yes, the NFL culture could use some cleaning up.  But it's a whole culture built around the warrior mentality that we all buy into. And I blame the Dolphins for having bad leadership. Why didn't one of the other captains step in?  When you have to go to the media to get help, there is clearly something wrong.  How many Super Bowls have the Dolphins won in the last 20 years?  Exactly.  Leadership, and it usually starts at the top (ownership). ..Ok, back to basketball.   The Bulls have had a slow start but are showing signs of coming together. I really believe they came to the regular season tired.  Thibs drove them really hard in preseason and treated those games like playoff games. I think the Bulls will be fine but it might take a month or so.  Rose will come back to his old self although I don't think his focus should be on scoring a lot right now for the Bulls to be good.  He needs to limit his turnovers, control the tempo, and ease his way in.  But I think the biggest problem in the Bulls is their lineup in general. They still don't have a deadly shooter, someone to come off the bench and knock jumpers.  Dunleavy looks ok but I am not sure he is a great fit.  Sure, he is taller than Belinelli but Marco just looked smoother.  The Bulls really need a Ben Gordon type, an instant offense type.  They don't have that in their starting lineup and they clearly don't have that in their bench. Boozer is playing well, and Deng is solid but they have holes offensively.  Bulter clearly can play but he does not like to shoot and he is more of a 3 in my opinion than a pure shooting guard...Why did the Cavs draft Bennett? Everytime I check out a box score, I see zeros across the board.  I know its early and people say he can play but right now, it's looking bleak. Imagine if they got Oladipo and put him in off the bench? ..The Lakers will be scary when Kobe comes back, assuming he can stay healthy.  Gasol is playing inspired ball and they are clearly stacked with a lot of solid role players (Blake, Young, Henry)...I really believe the Clippers will the best (regular season) team in the West after All Star Break.  Once the players learn from one of the best in Doc, they will be scary.  They are stacked with shooters, athletes, and a strong bench...The Warriors also are going to continue to be an elite team.  Igoudala is a true pro, they have great shooters, and if Bogut can stay healthy, they have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA....Look out for them in the playoffs, they have NBA Finals material...I don't understand how a lot of people were all over the Nets to be a dominant team to start the season....they need time to integrate a whole new lineup with a new coach....And the Knicks, they are a confusing one and no true identity.    With Chandler out, they don't have a lock down defender down low. Rumors are that they are trying to get Ken Faried..they could really use him....How about the Suns and the Sixers? Congrats to the Sixers for drafting MCW and for the Suns for playing inspired ball...Where does Omer Asik land?  A playoff team will be lucky to have him.  The Knicks can use him now but who could they give up to get him?  Asik would look perfect in a Mavs uniform next to Dirk but that would never happen.  Look for Dar

yl Morey to make a genius trade...It's going to be an interesting season....Thoughts and continued prayers for the Philippines.  The support has been amazing and inspiring.