2/3rd's Review: There’s Always Tomorrow

With just under a third of the season to go, it is time to reflect on who’s gonna Kick Buttock down the home stretch, who’s bettin the bottom dollar that Tomorrow they’ll be the Suns and who’s riding a Clown Car on a detour to nowhere.

There’s Always Tomorrow

The Lakers have been on the cusp of elite status all year, but injuries and inexperience put them squarely in the lead of the Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow cru. Kobe has matured his game and the results are fantastic for L.A. Like all things Kobe, the media has beaten the Bryant re-invents himself story to death, so I need say no more. What a find Luke Walton has been. Great guy for L.A. Clearly Bynum is going to be good and maybe very good for the Lakers. When Odom is healthy, he is better than all but 10-12 forwards in the game. L.A. has the pieces to be a major factor next year.


The Cavs are playing some fuggly basketball this year. Sure Cleveland is saddled with unfair expectations because of the brilliance of LeBron, but there is no excuse for playing such crappy offense. Much as some criticism has gone LeBron’s way, the fact that Larry Hughes and Eric Snow can’t put the ball in the ocean does not help. Still, Cleveland has a formidable front line with Big Z, Gooden and Varejao, and Mike Brown has them all playing defense. With the annual post-season half court slow down, LeBron and Cavs may have some tricks up their sleeve, but King James needs a point guard to squire his squad, and that means Tomorrow.

I was never quite sold on Washington, so I want to get that on the table. I think they are soft. Arenas is a phenom. His run in the first half of the season was up their with most any guard who has ever played the game. Caron Butler had been an absolute force until he hurt his back, and Jamison was playing very well as the third fiddle. But injuries and in-team fighting have stretched the Wizards thin. With their core all in their prime, the Wizards still have much to be excited about. If a player like Blatche could pan out, the Wiz will ease on the road. But not this year.

New Orleans is a team for Tomorrow. A successful playoff run after the injuries in the first two thirds of the season would be an unbelievable story. But regardless if they make it to the post season, the Hornets are clearly a team on the rise. They have a nice little thing going with the Paul-Chandler-West core. Coach Byron Scott has gotten big contributions from 10-11 guys on his roster over the course of this injury-riddled season, which to me indicates that he has deep buy-in from his team.

Not much to say for Denver, except that they better be a team for Tomorrow, because they suck for today. They have outstanding star power, but their record since the trade is horrible. Until the trade, Denver was playing with a cohesion that is gone. Miller, while no Iverson, is a hell of an offensive point guard. He runs a team. Iverson leads a team. The adjustment has been painful. In a stacked West, even if they do get to the playoffs, their dismissal will be swift. Not quite ridin the clown car, but treading dangerously on the tread wheel of just good enough to be disappointing.


Indiana still has an aura of being dangerous, despite a near half decade of falling short of their ‘potential.’ Jermaine O’Neal is in his prime and regularly takes names in the paint. I love that he leads the League in blocks.The Dunleavy-Murphy trade seems to have helped their offense by creating some more room for Granger and Daniels to contribute. Tinsley is the secret key for Indy. When he is on his game, the Pacers can roll most anybody. Too bad consistency is not Tinsley’s game. With a few tweaks, this veteran team still has a two-three window to make a run in the East.


After bursting out of the gates, Orlando had some folks thinking that perhaps that wacky youngster Dwight Howard was on to something with his audacious pre-season prediction. Cruel reality set in these past few months, but the play of Howard has the League on notice that Orlando’s time is soon. As for the rest of the squad, there is some promise of improvement, but changes will have to be made. Darko looks pretty good, and teams well with Dwight. Jameer Nelson’s game is proving somewhat suspect, however. Being a starting NBA point guard is a very hard job, and Jameer is still learning. Hidayet Turkoglu is quietly having his best year, but Old Man Hill and his rickety bag of bones are providing very little of the consistency this young team needs. Tomorrow

Milwaukee has had mad injuries, but I like what they are doing. Michael Redd is obviously the key, but trio of Bogut, Mo Williams, and the injured/disappointing Charlie Villanueva are pretty damn good in their own right. Role players like Rube-a-Dube and Charlie Bell have performed very well, as did mini-might Earl Boykins before Williams came back from injury. Speaking of Williams, who would have predicted that he would outplay both TJ Ford and Villanueva? A typical Tomorrow team, the Bucks will have a much better season next year.


I am telling yall bout Portland. The kids can play and Nate’s showin the way. Defying many prognosticators, Jarret Jack is turning into a very effective NBA point guard. Rookie Brandon Roy has hit three 3’s that either tied the game or put the Blazers ahead with under 2 seconds on the clock. The Zach Attack is back. Randolph is an exceptional scorer from the forward position, scoring on a combination of putbacks, drives, jumpers, post moves and getting to the line. Ime Udoka has been a great find; the Portland native is a tough defender with a knack for timely offense. With several other talented young prospects, including bigs Aldridge and Outlaw, the Blazers are poised for a return to the Playoffs Tomorrow.


New York is somehow showing signs for Tomorrow, though the injury to Crawford is bad news. Marbury had accepted a role that allows Crawford and Curry to lead the offense, and the youngsters are producing in what is turning out to be a surprisingly good year in Knickville. Now Marbury must step up. David Lee looks great. With the likes of Frye and Robinson, New York has talent in the hopper. New York may even make the Playoffs. But with the crazy contracts the Knicks are carrying, the question remains how much better can this core get?


Despite that GState has been a perpetual clown car passenger, Nellie adds an element of hope for the Warriors they haven’t had since Nellie’s last tour of duty: a plan. Nellie is crafting a team around his open style, and with the oft injured duo Davis and Richardson, mixed with Ellis, Harrington, Jackson and Biedrins, and Nellie’s got plenty of juice. True, 2006-07 looks to go down as yet another journey to the Lottery for the Warriors, but sun is burning through the Bay fog and before long Golden State will shine.


Seattle could come round with their current crew if Collison, Ridnour and Wilcox all take a step forward over the upcoming off-season. Ray Allen remains one of the game’s best, and Rashard Lewis has become a top forward when he is healthy. But both are perimeter players and both play mostly with finesse. Seattle has drafted centers in the first round of the last three drafts. Since centers take awhile to develop, not much has been expected thus far. But next year, the trio of Petro, Sene and Swift must produce. The team I would least likely bet my bottom dollar on, the Sonics need to make a serious jump (playoffs in the West) next year, or they will be blown up.