Freethinker
Hall of Famer
Dallas Mavericks:
The Mavs won this division by 5 games last year over the Spurs. Like every season this last decade the question is do the Mavs have enough talent around future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. With Kidd, Butler, Marion, Haywood and Terry they sure have a fighter's chance. From a caste perspective, the Mavs have 4 White players this season.
Dirk Nowitzki is one of only 2 White superstars that entirely carry their team on their back. Steve Nash is the other. There is little to say about Dirk that can't be found in detail in this thread. Dirk's game is nearly flawless (21+ ppg the last 10 seasons) even though his rebounding and 3pointers per game were down last season. Look for him to improve on those numbers. He also needs to improve his taste in women but that should not take away from his legend as a player. Enjoy this once in a generation player while you can.
Backing up Dirk is another veteran Brian Cardinal. The Purdue product has only been "allowed"Â to play more than 20 minutes a game in 2 of his seasons. Not surprisingly he was very effective shooting and rebounding the ball. At the age of 33, it would be foolish to expect anymore than a few token minutes a game, if that at all.
Sparkplug Jose Juan Berea, or JJ for short, is in a battle Kidd's backup with "Frenchman"Â Rodrigue Beaubois. On a side note, the NBA has an infatuation with drafting black guys from France. Maybe there aren't enough American blacks to draft instead of unathletic, White stiffs who magically excel at high school and college levels but I digress. JJ has been a key bench guy the last 2 seasons averaging over 7 ppg.
Lastly, is sharpshooter Steve Novak out of Marquette. He will most likely be the 3rd string SF/PF. According to ESPN, Novak wasn't expected to survive the cuts and you can certainly feel their disappointment. I'll admit that Novak has a 1 dimensional game as a 3 point shooter and does not hit the boards hard enough for a 6'-10"Â player. That being said, every team can use talented shooters. Novak would have been greatly appreciated in basketball yesteryear but shooting and fundamentals were systematically eliminated when the affirmative action push of "street ball"Â was thrust upon the league.
Grade: a superstar and 3 bench players gets a D+. C- if you are a huge Nowitzki fan.
Houston Rockets:
The Rockets had a bit of a down year without Yao Ming. This year the Rockets will be easing the 7'-6"Â giant back into action by limiting his minutes or even games. The Rockets have 3 White player in Adelman's rotation.
Starting power forward Luis Scola was an international star for Argentina, often times giving team USA fits, before coming over to the NBA. The 30 year old has seen his production increase in each of his 3 seasons in the states. Scola is one of the craftiest scorers in the league. That's not a knock, the man simply knows how to score in the post and around the basket. Hopefully Yao's presence will benefit Luis and not hinder him.
Backup SF Chase Budinger is simply one of the most explosive and exciting players in the NBA. If you don't believe me ask Lamar Odom, or DeJuan Blair or the entire Celtics team. The former volleyball player not only has hops, he has an excellent jump shot which his 92 three pointers last season attest to. With this skill set stardom is attainable if given the minutes and shot opportunities. In a fair world this wouldn't be a problem but tell that to a guy who magically fell from potential lottery to 2nd round draft choice. On a positive note, he will become a free agent sooner as a result. He can leave if he sees greener pastures and if he stays Battier is long in the tooth anyway.
Backup center Brad Miller has been one of the best but is starting to decline due to age as well as wear and tear. Despite this he is still a very good and productive player. Houston could be the perfect spot for Brad as Yao's minutes are limited. He's also an injury away from starting again. Miller is always one of the best passing and shooting centers in the league.
Grade: 1 solid starter and 2 premier reserves do not excuse the other 12 spots. D
Memphis Grizzlies:
A team that appears to be on the rise but will never take the leap with me-first, high volume shot takers like Mayo, Gay and Randolph. With Marc Gasol at center they do have an efficient player. He's also their only White player unless you count Vasquez and Haddadi whom I'll briefly touch upon.
Marc is usually over shadowed by his older brother Pau (and rightfully so) but this young man will soon be making a name for himself. In only his second season, he averaged 14.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. At 25 years of age there is still great room for improvement.
Greivis Vasquez is a guard out of Maryland who was born in Venezuela. He performed well in his 4 years of college and can play either guard position.
Hamed Haddadi is the other caste breaker as the 1st Iranian born player in the NBA. He performed well in the last Olympics which prompted his signing. Since the globalist controlled media whips itself into a fervor every time Iran is mention, I chose to support this guy.
Grade: 1 white starter and a pair of somewhat caste breakers. F+
New Orleans Hornets:
Stop the presses! The hornets have 5 White players this season. Between these guys and the excellent Chris Paul and David West the Hornets should see a great deal of improvement.
The only starter of the 5 is SG Marco Belinelli. The Italian product has bounced around his first few seasons but appears to have found a home in NO. Team reports expect him to have "a big role"Â and Paul called him "an unbelievable shooter"Â. High praise from a great player. He's also a great athlete as this dunk shows.
Peja Stojakovic is the backup at SF after years of starting. He may only be 33 but his body is older due to many injuries. Peja is one of the greatest shooters of this generation and an asset to any team, especially off the bench.
7 footer Jason Smith is listed as the backup PF. The Colorado State Alum had a rough go of things in Philly despite being a 1st round pick. He's an athletic big man who has 3 point range. A change of scenery certainly can't hurt for this young man.
Former Pitt Panther Aaron Gray is truly a load in the middle. The backup center measures 7 feet at 270 pounds. From what I've seen of Gray, he has a good touch around the basket. However, he has only seen limited minutes thus far in his career.
Caste football favorite Joe Alexander is currently listed as a 3rd stringer. Joe was a lottery pick by the Bucks and after only one injury filled season (hamstring) and limited playing time his option was not picked up. This is unheard of and rarely happens. Joe has the unlimited athletic potential that the NBA always looks for. He also was very raw out of West Virginia and needed to be coached and dealt with patiently. High pick be damned said the Bucks. Weird how this works isn't it? Will the Hornets give Joe a real opportunity and if so will Joe make the most of it. He must understand that White potential is given much less time to develop and his career could be on life support.
Grade: 1 starter, 3 backups and a wildcard. D+ but could be a C-
San Antonio Spurs:
The Spurs will once again slightly retool and take a shot at the Western Conference title. The core of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker remain in tack, it's the additional pieces that will determine if they can knock of the Lakers or even the Mavericks in their own division for that matter. Their ace in the hole could be Brazilian rookie center, Tiago Splitter. The Spurs White player total is only 3.
Manu Ginobili begins the season as the starting SG. Head coach Gregg Popovich has said he will limit Manu's playing time in an effort to keep him on the floor, as the 33-year-old enters his ninth year in the league. Luckily, Manu is one of the league's most productive players on a per-minute basis. With Duncan and Parker's production down a bit they will need Manu more then ever. He continues to be one of the more exciting players to watch.
Tiago Splitter hails from the largely German descendant city of Joinville, in the south region of Brazil. Tiago has been playing professionally since 2000, mostly in the Spanish league where he won the MVP twice. The Spurs drafted Splitter in 07 and have been waiting patiently for him to come over. Scouting reports say Splitter is primarily a low post player, with an excellent assortment of footwork and spin-moves with his back to the basket, and a very effective jump-hook he can shoot with either hand. He is also extremely aggressive putting the ball on the floor and creating. He could be the partner in the paint that Duncan needs to get back to championship level.
PF Matt Bonner seems to have found his niche in San Antonio as he opens his 5th season with the team. The Spurs front court is crowded with Duncan, McDyess, Blair and Splitter but Bonner does something that none of them can and that's stretch the court with his long range shooting.
Grade: 1 great starter and 2 reserves. DEdited by: Freethinker
The Mavs won this division by 5 games last year over the Spurs. Like every season this last decade the question is do the Mavs have enough talent around future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. With Kidd, Butler, Marion, Haywood and Terry they sure have a fighter's chance. From a caste perspective, the Mavs have 4 White players this season.
Dirk Nowitzki is one of only 2 White superstars that entirely carry their team on their back. Steve Nash is the other. There is little to say about Dirk that can't be found in detail in this thread. Dirk's game is nearly flawless (21+ ppg the last 10 seasons) even though his rebounding and 3pointers per game were down last season. Look for him to improve on those numbers. He also needs to improve his taste in women but that should not take away from his legend as a player. Enjoy this once in a generation player while you can.
Backing up Dirk is another veteran Brian Cardinal. The Purdue product has only been "allowed"Â to play more than 20 minutes a game in 2 of his seasons. Not surprisingly he was very effective shooting and rebounding the ball. At the age of 33, it would be foolish to expect anymore than a few token minutes a game, if that at all.
Sparkplug Jose Juan Berea, or JJ for short, is in a battle Kidd's backup with "Frenchman"Â Rodrigue Beaubois. On a side note, the NBA has an infatuation with drafting black guys from France. Maybe there aren't enough American blacks to draft instead of unathletic, White stiffs who magically excel at high school and college levels but I digress. JJ has been a key bench guy the last 2 seasons averaging over 7 ppg.
Lastly, is sharpshooter Steve Novak out of Marquette. He will most likely be the 3rd string SF/PF. According to ESPN, Novak wasn't expected to survive the cuts and you can certainly feel their disappointment. I'll admit that Novak has a 1 dimensional game as a 3 point shooter and does not hit the boards hard enough for a 6'-10"Â player. That being said, every team can use talented shooters. Novak would have been greatly appreciated in basketball yesteryear but shooting and fundamentals were systematically eliminated when the affirmative action push of "street ball"Â was thrust upon the league.
Grade: a superstar and 3 bench players gets a D+. C- if you are a huge Nowitzki fan.
Houston Rockets:
The Rockets had a bit of a down year without Yao Ming. This year the Rockets will be easing the 7'-6"Â giant back into action by limiting his minutes or even games. The Rockets have 3 White player in Adelman's rotation.
Starting power forward Luis Scola was an international star for Argentina, often times giving team USA fits, before coming over to the NBA. The 30 year old has seen his production increase in each of his 3 seasons in the states. Scola is one of the craftiest scorers in the league. That's not a knock, the man simply knows how to score in the post and around the basket. Hopefully Yao's presence will benefit Luis and not hinder him.
Backup SF Chase Budinger is simply one of the most explosive and exciting players in the NBA. If you don't believe me ask Lamar Odom, or DeJuan Blair or the entire Celtics team. The former volleyball player not only has hops, he has an excellent jump shot which his 92 three pointers last season attest to. With this skill set stardom is attainable if given the minutes and shot opportunities. In a fair world this wouldn't be a problem but tell that to a guy who magically fell from potential lottery to 2nd round draft choice. On a positive note, he will become a free agent sooner as a result. He can leave if he sees greener pastures and if he stays Battier is long in the tooth anyway.
Backup center Brad Miller has been one of the best but is starting to decline due to age as well as wear and tear. Despite this he is still a very good and productive player. Houston could be the perfect spot for Brad as Yao's minutes are limited. He's also an injury away from starting again. Miller is always one of the best passing and shooting centers in the league.
Grade: 1 solid starter and 2 premier reserves do not excuse the other 12 spots. D
Memphis Grizzlies:
A team that appears to be on the rise but will never take the leap with me-first, high volume shot takers like Mayo, Gay and Randolph. With Marc Gasol at center they do have an efficient player. He's also their only White player unless you count Vasquez and Haddadi whom I'll briefly touch upon.
Marc is usually over shadowed by his older brother Pau (and rightfully so) but this young man will soon be making a name for himself. In only his second season, he averaged 14.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. At 25 years of age there is still great room for improvement.
Greivis Vasquez is a guard out of Maryland who was born in Venezuela. He performed well in his 4 years of college and can play either guard position.
Hamed Haddadi is the other caste breaker as the 1st Iranian born player in the NBA. He performed well in the last Olympics which prompted his signing. Since the globalist controlled media whips itself into a fervor every time Iran is mention, I chose to support this guy.
Grade: 1 white starter and a pair of somewhat caste breakers. F+
New Orleans Hornets:
Stop the presses! The hornets have 5 White players this season. Between these guys and the excellent Chris Paul and David West the Hornets should see a great deal of improvement.
The only starter of the 5 is SG Marco Belinelli. The Italian product has bounced around his first few seasons but appears to have found a home in NO. Team reports expect him to have "a big role"Â and Paul called him "an unbelievable shooter"Â. High praise from a great player. He's also a great athlete as this dunk shows.
Peja Stojakovic is the backup at SF after years of starting. He may only be 33 but his body is older due to many injuries. Peja is one of the greatest shooters of this generation and an asset to any team, especially off the bench.
7 footer Jason Smith is listed as the backup PF. The Colorado State Alum had a rough go of things in Philly despite being a 1st round pick. He's an athletic big man who has 3 point range. A change of scenery certainly can't hurt for this young man.
Former Pitt Panther Aaron Gray is truly a load in the middle. The backup center measures 7 feet at 270 pounds. From what I've seen of Gray, he has a good touch around the basket. However, he has only seen limited minutes thus far in his career.
Caste football favorite Joe Alexander is currently listed as a 3rd stringer. Joe was a lottery pick by the Bucks and after only one injury filled season (hamstring) and limited playing time his option was not picked up. This is unheard of and rarely happens. Joe has the unlimited athletic potential that the NBA always looks for. He also was very raw out of West Virginia and needed to be coached and dealt with patiently. High pick be damned said the Bucks. Weird how this works isn't it? Will the Hornets give Joe a real opportunity and if so will Joe make the most of it. He must understand that White potential is given much less time to develop and his career could be on life support.
Grade: 1 starter, 3 backups and a wildcard. D+ but could be a C-
San Antonio Spurs:
The Spurs will once again slightly retool and take a shot at the Western Conference title. The core of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker remain in tack, it's the additional pieces that will determine if they can knock of the Lakers or even the Mavericks in their own division for that matter. Their ace in the hole could be Brazilian rookie center, Tiago Splitter. The Spurs White player total is only 3.
Manu Ginobili begins the season as the starting SG. Head coach Gregg Popovich has said he will limit Manu's playing time in an effort to keep him on the floor, as the 33-year-old enters his ninth year in the league. Luckily, Manu is one of the league's most productive players on a per-minute basis. With Duncan and Parker's production down a bit they will need Manu more then ever. He continues to be one of the more exciting players to watch.
Tiago Splitter hails from the largely German descendant city of Joinville, in the south region of Brazil. Tiago has been playing professionally since 2000, mostly in the Spanish league where he won the MVP twice. The Spurs drafted Splitter in 07 and have been waiting patiently for him to come over. Scouting reports say Splitter is primarily a low post player, with an excellent assortment of footwork and spin-moves with his back to the basket, and a very effective jump-hook he can shoot with either hand. He is also extremely aggressive putting the ball on the floor and creating. He could be the partner in the paint that Duncan needs to get back to championship level.
PF Matt Bonner seems to have found his niche in San Antonio as he opens his 5th season with the team. The Spurs front court is crowded with Duncan, McDyess, Blair and Splitter but Bonner does something that none of them can and that's stretch the court with his long range shooting.
Grade: 1 great starter and 2 reserves. DEdited by: Freethinker