November 25th: Getting Hot in Cleveland

Well, it’s been almost a month since the NBA tipped off, which means we are officially ready to panic about the Cleveland Cavaliers.

You see, a 6-7 record to start the season has left the sports world scratching its collective head. How can you add two of the top 10 best players in professional basketball and not see immediate results?

To make matters worse, the team is losing to anyone and everyone. Good teams? The Cavs have lost to the Spurs and Raptors. Bad teams? They’ve also lost to the Jazz and Knicks.

That isn’t to say there haven’t been wins too. The Central-leading Bulls and the high-rising Pelicans were each dealt losses by LeBron and Co. The real question becomes, then, which team we should expect after having been a front-runner to win the NBA championship this year.

Let’s look at a few facts, though. Of the 15 players on the active roster, 10 of them were not playing for the Cavaliers a year ago. Not just any ten, either. Two of the starting five, plus three major contributors off the bench. While all basketball courts are the same dimensions, it is a huge adjustment to move to another city, meet new teammates, and get into a new system. This is, of course, all compounded by a rookie head coach, David Blatt, who is experiencing some growing pains as he gets comfortable with the intensity of the NBA.

On top of everything, the superstars brought in to help James’ quest to bring a title to Cleveland have exactly no experience in the playoffs. Kevin Love was stuck in Minnesota, where losing was as assured as snow in October (yes, there is snow in October in Minnesota). Kyrie Irving was a flashy member of a Cavaliers team that is only a few years removed from breaking the record for sucking over the longest stretch of time (don’t worry, the 76ers made that a distant memory last year). This team may be a statistical powerhouse, but it will need to do a lot of work to translate those individual numbers into team wins.

This team, though, is a few weeks away from getting comfortable playing in their new environment. Players will grow comfortable, teammates will gel, and this team will begin to scare everyone. Oh, and did I mention that, in the abysmal Eastern Conference, a 6-7 record earns the Cavaliers the seventh seed in the playoffs?

LeBron James is the greatest player in the world. He will be able to take over this team and lead them on a deep drive that will scare any and all opponents. On the way, though, he will have to learn how to be a player, a teammate, and a coach. He is doing all three of those things now, but the ratios are off. He needs to let Blatt do his job, while also providing guidance to an inexperienced team.

In an 82 game season, teams will go on hot streaks and cold streaks. While sensationalists will try to panic about any bump in the road. This Cleveland team, though, will be fine. There will be some learning curves, but come April and May, this will be a force that should put some fear into the Bulls, the Spurs, and anyone else who has an eye on a title.

October 29th: NBA Preview

The NBA season is ready to kick off after one of the most exciting off-seasons in recent memory. LeBron has come home, the Clippers have new ownership, and the Bulls have a healthy Derrick Rose (we hope).

That being said, things are going to get exciting right off the bat. Here is the Zoot Perspective: Left Fielder’s NBA Preview for the 2014-2015 season:

MVP Award: LeBron James

Coming back home is going to be good for LeBron’s psyche. He will also have more help in Cleveland than he did in Miami, leaving him open to dominating at his game. There is nobody on this planet who balls better than LeBron, and he will regain his control over the MVP award fairly easily.

Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker

My favorite player coming out of college this year, Parker is primed to have a monster rookie year. Playing for the Bucks will help, as they’ll take all the talent they can get. He can score, is growing as a defender, and will become an instant leader on a team with nowhere to go but up.

Surprise Team: Charlotte Hornets

The Bobcats finished their short-lived career with a playoff berth. Now, the Hornets are going to have a coming out party. The new logo and color scheme are awesome, and the team is ready to compete. Lance Stephenson is a huge addition, and the duo of former Hoosiers, Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh, will both be big role-players as they develop (although I’m clearly biased). I expect this team to emerge as a md-level competitor in the East.

Disappointing Team: New York Knicks

The Knicks are excited about Phil Jackson, and thrilled that they were able to re-sign Carmelo Anthony. Other than that, there isn’t much to look forward to. They will have occasional bursts of scoring enthusiasm, but this team needs a whole lot more of a supporting cast than Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith can provide. I think this team will be competitive in 2016, but not this year.

Eastern Conference Playoff Picture:

1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose is the key to this team. He doesn’t need to be an MVP, he just needs to stay healthy and produce.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers - This team is terrifying on paper, although a learning curve is to be expected.
3. Washington Wizards - The Wizards will have to answer to whether or not last year was the start of something or a fluke.
4. Charlotte Hornets - A surprise team to watch, the Hornets are young, can run the court, and look like a sleeper pick for the East.
5. Toronto Raptors - An overtime loss was all that stood between the Raptors and a deep run in the playoffs. This year they’ll look to get back there.
6. Miami Heat - Oh, how far they fall. The Heat got Luol Deng to replace LeBron, which will be good enough for the playoffs, but nowhere near championship level.
7. Brooklyn Nets - A lot has changed for the Nets, but I like their competitive edge. Lionel Hollins was huge for the Grizzlies, and will do great things for the Nets.
8. Detroit Pistons - This is another sleeper for a lower-level playoff team. The Pistons could be competitive in a powerful division.

Western Conference Playoff Picture:

1. San Antonio Spurs - The defending champs know how to get it done in the regular season. They will cruise to a top-seed finish.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder - The first few months without Durant will hurt, but this team is deep enough to overcome it and make a run.
3. Los Angeles Clippers - There might be some growing into new ownership, but this team will wind up even better than they were a year ago.
4. Dallas Mavericks - Dallas gave San Antonio a run for their money in last year’s postseason, and they’ve added the pieces to make it back there.
5. Portland Trail Blazers - Lillard is a beast, and Aldridge is a reliable star. This team will be fun to watch, although they are one star away from contending for the West.
6. Golden State Warriors - The Splash Brothers make the Warriors exciting, but, if you live and die by the hot hand, you aren’t destined for long playoff drives.
7. Houston Rockets - Everyone was singing the Rockets’ praises this time last year. Now, there are too many questions about their reliability. A low-seed playoff team is all you can expect.
8. New Orleans Pelicans - This isn’t so much picking the Pelicans as it is picking Anthony Davis. He will eat the rest of the league for breakfast.

Eastern Conference Finals: Chicago Bulls over Cleveland Cavaliers

A midwestern battle, this should be the best matchup all year. In the finals, the Bulls will have home-court advantage, and will use their experience and defense to beat the still-gelling Cavaliers in 6.

Western Conference FInals: Los Angeles Clippers over San Antonio Spurs

The Clippers were distracted during last year’s playoffs, no matter what anyone tells you. The Spurs are constantly finding ways to be there at the end. This will be an epic 7 gamer, but Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will lead the charge.

2015 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over Los Angeles Clippers

Two major markets squaring off. This will be a showdown of two of the game’s best point guards and two of the game’s best big men. It’s nearly impossible to predict how things will go, but the Bulls have the championship pedigree to bring home the championship.

Bull Market, Bear Down

The Bulls’ hopes of a championship run snapped along with Derrick Rose’s meniscus earlier this week. For the second straight season, the team is forced to look to the rest of their year knowing that their superstar, the face of the franchise, isn’t going to be returning any time soon.

Now the Bulls are faced with a decision. It has become clear that Rose is facing much more than simply physical deterioration. A meniscus tear does not require a player to miss the entire season, especially only eight or nine games in. To rule out the whole year means that Rose is dealing with an emotional, mental block that puts his career in far more jeopardy.

With Rose as no longer a viable option, the speculation has been that the Bulls tank their season in favor of drafting higher and getting more in return for the future. While this may put the future into perspective, it is not the kind of answer that Chicago fans are looking for. Bulls fans are accustomed to the big names, the Michael Jordans of the world, not the Anthony Davis model.

That leaves it to the Bulls front office to go out and get themselves a free agent or two. Luol Deng, the Bulls’ last real star left standing with Rose hurt and Carlos Boozer struggling to produce, is going to be on the market, but so will a few other big name options, including Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, and even LeBron James. If the Bulls want to return to form, they will find a way to bring in the big name that will immediately launch them into the upper class of teams in the league. Rose, it seems, will no longer be sufficient to lead the charge.

In a similar predicament, the Bulls’ football counterparts are having a similar challenge. Jay Cutler has played five seasons with the Bears, and only played a full season in one. While playing “often,” he has also experienced injuries each year, including concussions, sprained ankles, and a general beating. In the 2013 season, the pressure was on, as Cutler was in a contract year and was being evaluated both by the team and others as to the extent to which he deserved to be resigned. Yet again, the injury bug caught hold, and Cutler has missed parts of four games.  The Bears are 6-5 this season, yet another season that started strong and head into mediocrity after Cutler gets beat around.

Aside from Cutler, the Bears have a running back that is capable of being a stud, two of the best receivers in the game, and a defense that, while struggling this year, is known for being monstrous.

With Cutler’s contract coming to an end, the Bears have a similar identity crisis on their hands. Rather than resigning Cutler, though, it would do the team best to let the guy go and move on to the next play-caller.

While free agency may be the route for the Bulls, it is not for the Bears. In a draft class that has plenty of quarterbacks that run the gamut on playing styles, the Bears have several options. The trend right now is running quarterbacks, like RGIII or Russell Wilson, guys who can get out of the pocket and extend drives with their legs. This doesn’t really fit in with what the Bears have done in the past, or the way their team is built. Instead, there is one option that appears to be a QB-Team match made in heaven.

AJ McCarron is the most undervalued pick in the draft. To get him, it will probably take a mid-to-late second or early third round pick. A pocket passer, McCarron would fit into the Bears’ system, and wouldn’t require a top draft pick to do it. It would also greatly help his development as a player to be able to spend at least his first year throwing to receivers like Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, who have a way of making even the Josh McCowns of the world look good.

Both Chicago teams are looking to heal, but must go in very different directions. Retailers should celebrate, though, because either way, there will be some new jerseys hitting the Chicago market.