TOP 10 NBA Storylines (2012-13)

Whats up my peoples! With the 2012 NBA season ending up with Bron Bron, DWade, and Bosh getting that elusive NBA Title over the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder (brushing the haters off in the process), it setup a amazingly busy off-season which had some good (Olympic Gold), some bad (Dwight Howard  saga), and some ugly (Jeremy Lin / Knicks situation); With the NBA 2012-13 Season in gear, we here at SPORTSEFFECTLIVE.COM  would like to present you with the


                                      SELIVE  TOP 10 STORYLINES in the NBA


Drum Roll Please.......LETS GO!



(10) Will the Knicks make a serious run this season?
   The Knicks finished last season much like they started it - in a flux, trying to compete without a full team on display (Jeremy Lin knee & Amare smashing hand, Baron Davis hurt, changing of coaches) against a team the Knicks feel like they was as talented as and as good as (Miami). And while they was dealt a quick first round exit to the eventual champion Heat, the Knicks went away feeling as if they could - dare say it - beat that Miami Heat team, with a few changes, to say the least. So they ditched Twitter legend and 10 game sensation Jeremy Lin for a more solid, but sometimes silent Raymond Felton, and signed Hall of Fame PG Jason Kidd; They brang Rasheed (pronounced RAAAH-SHEEEED) Wallace out of retirement to shore up the frontcourt, and with Melo staying in shape year round and keeping coach Mike Woodson to start the season, there is no reason why the Knicks couldn't.....win a first round series this season?
Note: Amar'e Stoudamire is injured for first 6-8 wks with knee injury, making Rasheed that much more valuable.

(9) Are the Brooklyn Nets gonna take over crown as "King of New York?" 

  In the rap game, there are a few cats that could rightfully claim one of the most prestigous positions in history. Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, 50, Diddy to name em. King of New York has one of the most powerful sounds to it in the english language.  Just ooooozes power, fame, fortune. And now, with the Brooklyn Nets in their new incredible playground (Barclay Arena), move over Knicks, as the Nets owner, (a Russian version of Ivan Drago In A Suit) tries to take the Nets where they have never been before. Teaming with Jay-Z definitely helped his cred (streed cred, to be exact) as Prokhorov has been loose with the pockets (signing Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, and Brooke Lopez) and has repeatedly said his 5-year plan will bring him a title. Will Prokorov take the Jay-Z Blueprint route? Or will he be more on the Vanilla Ice plan? I'd have to say right now, "Ice Ice baby" as Prokhorov has delivered a amazing one hit wonder with his new Arena and Team; Question is can he create a Classic Album? Remains to be seen.


(8)  Rookie Report 
Every season there is rookies who look to shape the future of the league, and this season is no different as colleges finest head to the pros. With Unibrow expert Anthony Davis leading the way, here is some rookies to look for to make a IMMEDIATE impact:

  Anthony Davis (New Orleans) - Davis reminds me of a young Marcus Camby, but with better skills on O. He can single handedly win a game without scoring 5 points, and he will keep the Hornets competitive every night. And he will be rookie of the year as well.
   Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte) - Kidd-Gilchrist is not the most recognizable player, nor will he amaze you with his high flying tactics or flashy moves, but one thing will be evident; his overall skills will help Charlotte climb up the ladder this season. He's a stat sheet stuffer who will become a lockdown defender and a 14 point, 7 board type of guy this year.
   Damian Lillard (Portland)  - Lillard lit up the summer league and preseason, and will get his chance to be the dynamic PG he is. With some good pieces already in place, he will fit seamlessly and could help the Blazers get to the playoffs. Rookie of the Year darkhorse.
   Harrison Barnes (Golden St) - Barnes had a good college career, but looked to be already thinking NBA while at UNC. Now that he's in the NBA, look for Barnes to average 15+ this season for the rising Warriors.
   Dion Waiters (Cleveland) - When the Cavs drafted Waiters, there was a feeling of "why they do that?" & "He ain't even start on his college team!"  But when you look more at Waiters, you realize he was the PERFECT pick. A confident combo guard who can shoot from real deep and can slash to the hoop as well, he will have ample opportunity to do his thing. If his defense turns up, he will be on the short list for Rookie of the Year.
   Jared Sullinger (Boston) - Sullinger dropped a little because of his "lack of explosion & knee problems" but his first bucket in the NBA was - a fast break dunk. Point made. Sullinger will be a key piece of the Celtics run if they want to get back to the NBA Finals.


Two other rookies to watch: Jae Crowder (Dallas) & Bradley Beal (Washington)









(7) Texas Roadbock

Lin-sanity to the Dirty South

  With 3 teams in Texas, there is a constant battle for bragging rights, but which team will be best? Dallas will have Nowitzki out early, but with newcomers O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison in the backcourt and rookie F Jae Crowder coming on strong, the Mavs could be a late season suprise; The Spurs will depend on their vets to keep them atop the league, but can they get back to the Finals with a old aging team? And the Rockets made the splash of the preseason, trading to get James Harden and Daequan Cook, but will they have enough to get into the upper echelon of the West? And will Lin-sanity continue to ball out in the dirty south? A Lin - Harden backcourt is very intriguing.



(6)  Battle for LA

  Last year the Clippers announced that they will be a threat last season by pulling a Kevin McHale (up and under post move) on the Lakers, sneaking Chris Paul and solidifying themselves as a player in the Western Conference Sweepstakes. The Clippers made it to the second round, and now with new players such as Lamar Odom, Matt Barnes, Jamal Crawford, and Grant Hill, can they take the leap over the Lakers? Not so fast Clip Joint, as the Lakers looked to do a one-up with the trade of Dwight Howard and the signing of Steve Nash. Should be a great year for LA. Which team will rise above the other?



BONUS: 
                                     Cavs, Pacers look to make major strides this season.

Cavs Season Outlook: Will the Cavs make the Playoffs?


The Cavs new dynamic backcourt duo

 The Cavs made a great decision to draft Kyrie Irving and Tristian Thompson last season, finally pulling away from the dark LeBron cloud that lingered over the franchise since the "Decision". Irving was the Rookie of the Year and proved the doubters wrong, that although he only played in a handful of college games, he was the real deal. With another bold draft in Dion Waiters, its looks as if he has his backcourt mate for the next 5 years; I said that Waiters would be a double figure scorer as soon as he touches a NBA court, and it looks as if he will (17 in his season opener). If  wild thing Anderson Varaejao can stay healthy, look for the Cavs to snag a 6 or 7 spot this season in the Playoffs.

Pacers Season Outlook:  Can they get to the Eastern Conference Finals?
The Pacers had a great season last year; They won a first round series, and won 2 games from the Heat, actually holding the lead in the second round series (2-1). However, DWade and LeBron woke up, turned up the juice and sent the Pacers packing. With budding talent in Paul George, Danny Granger, and Roy Hibbert, the Pacers will look to move up into the top 5 teams in the NBA. Won't be easy, but the foundation is there. George Hill will be running the show, and if George can take a step up, the Pacers will be a player again in the East. Only thing is, this season, nobody will overlook Indiana, which means they will have to come to play every night. Can they take it to the next level?

Note: They won't have Larry Legend looking over their shoulder this season.


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 NEXT ARTICLE : TOP 5 STORYLINES OF THE NBA SEASON (Friday)

Top 5 Sporting Events of Weekend

This weekend before the 4th of July featured some HUGE SPORTING fireworks going on, with the Major League All-Star picks, Track and Field Trials, and High School BBall Shootouts and 7 on 7 High School Football goin' down.....Here's the SELive Hot 5 Events last weekend... Have a great 4th of July!! ENJOY

1. Tiger Wins.....Again.
           When Tiger Woods won a few weeks ago, sports people was ready to annoint him king again; All you heard was "Tigers Back!"; then he promptly played sub-par for the final two rounds in the Open, and the wagon-riders fell off faster than Dwight Howard leaving Orlando, saying "Tiger will never be like he used to be!"...well looks like he might be headed back to domination nation, passing Jack Nicklaus for second on ALL-TIME WINS...And as Tiger threw a little salt in the wound of all the reporters, golfers, standbyers and haters during his press conference, you could almost hear him saying in the infamous words of Dave Chappelle, "4 shizzle"

2. Spain wins UEFA EURO Cup 2012.... Again

          When you think of dominance or a dynasty, you think of a team winning multiple Championships in a 5-10 year span. And right on cue, what the Spaniards did to Italy in the Final (4-0) is the crowning achievement to a team who plays with the style and flair that you would see in the Spanish dance floors.  Spain has won the last 3 Major Soccer Championship Events (EURO Champions 2008 & 2012 and World Cup 2010) and became the 1st Team in history to repeat as back to back EURO Cup Champions. When looking for a comparison as to how great this team is? How about Brazil in the Pele days?....and......thats it folks. And when you watch the Spaniards play, you know you are watching GREATNESS. They have guys who can score from anywhere, anytime. They control the ball and do whatever they want. They know all the angles and are a complete team. Just to let you know how dominant they were: Italy, who completely outplayed the #2 ranked Germany team, riding the most dominant scorer in the tourney (Balotelli)..Balotelli was suffocated to the point after the game he pushed his coaches out of the way - literally - to get to the locker room.

Balotelli jerkin around

3. Brandon McKinney Youth Camp, 7 on 7 weekend

Brandon McKinney 7 on 7 Passing Camp

        Chaminade -Julienne grad and current Indianapolis Colt Brandon McKinney hosted a great sports weekend for the youth this weekend as he held his youth camp (saturday) and high school 7 on 7 football camp(sunday) out at Trotwood-Madison High School. McKinney has played in the NFL for a while now, and he loves being able to give back to the community. He told us that he was "excited" for the opportunity to play in Indy and looks forward to having a chance to be a starter and showcase his skills. He also loves the fact that Indy is relatively close to Dayton, so family and friends will get to see him play. Major props to McKinney. There was hundreds of kids to show up for the camp, and notable playoff teams such as Thurgood Marshall & C-J, along with Columbus teams and the State Champion Rams who provided some great action. Coach Douglass was qouted as saying "Some new faces will have to step up this year" which will provide some exciting storylines for the Rams.















4. Daequan Cook High School Shootout 

      Continuing on the local note, Dunbar hoop legend and Oklahoma City Thunder G Daequan Cook held his High School Shootout this weekend at the Dunbar and Stivers High School. Cook, who attended the Shootout as well, is another guy who loves giving back to the community. With the amount of talent in the city area, the Shootout had all the City League Teams as well as other schools. Cook continues to help out the city which helped him realize his dream. Cook was dissapointed that his Thunder didn't get the NBA Title, but feels his squad will be back next season.

5. Major League Baseball All-Star snubs, Cueto takes LaRussa's girl?
     Major League Baseball announced their All-Stars this weekend and the Reds were not happy with the omission of Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips. Manager Dusty Baker was pissed, and said BPhillips not being on the team was a major mistake and was baffled, while Cueto was a little more blunt saying himself, "My numbers were very good. Maybe the Manager (All-Star Game) was mad that I was dating his girlfriend." Girlfriend? Huh? Ok, first... whos the All-Star Manager? Oh yeah, Tony LaRussa, the manager of the Cardinals. The one who still holds a grudge over Cueto spiking his players like Bruce LeeRoy and BPhillips squaring off against Cards in the Brawl in Cincy a couple years ago. Hey, I thought LaRussa was married? He has a girlfriend?....Hmmm...What's really goin' on LaRussa?

6. Free Agency Begins in the NBA

Superman to Brooklyn?

      I think this summers free agency is actually BETTER than last years, with all the big names that will be on the move - or not.  Starting with Dwight Howard, to Steve Nash, to Deron Williams, to OJ Mayo, to Roy Hibbert, to Brandon Roy coming back, this summer will shape the NBA newest team to challenge the Heatles. Remember SELive Says: Whoever gets the blockbuster deal will be in the NBA Conference Finals THIS SEASON. Chalk it up.


HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!  DON'T BLOW YASELF UP TRYING TO LIGHT SPARKLERS!     

                                          
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