The Characters of the 2012-2013 Season

I spend an inordinate amount of time watching TV and movies. What I enjoy about the flashing images on my screen is meticulously developed characters with a story that draws the viewer to the edge of his or her seat as we watch the characters we have built a connection with thrive or fail in front of us.

These are the same reasons I love the NBA. Some fans are born and bred fans of a specific team, but my family never enjoyed professional basketball like I do now. I feel the same connection with players and teams that I feel when I watch a movie. Each team or player forms a story line worth following, if you make the connection.

Whether it's Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen going to Boston and revitalizing the Celtics, or watching the Kings and Bobcats try to survive as organizations, the NBA is full of fascinating plots every year.

Here are my predictions for the most interesting players and teams for this season.

Memphis Grizzlies
I shall once again take the reigns as captain of the Grizzlies Bandwagon. This team has captivated me for the past three years: Zach Randolph, a New York reject, found his place in Memphis as a backboard banger and mid-range master; Marc Gasol emerged from Pau's shadow with his own All-Star formula as a rebounder and tough inside scorer; Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, Jr. and Tony Allen are an enticing back-court. Hopefully Gay and Randolph can find their stride working together, Conley can continue to improve as a ball-handler and defender, and Allen can find an offensive rhythm. My biggest question for the Grizzlies: who can come off the bench and score? The loss of O.J. Mayo is detrimental if only for his sporadic scoring off the bench. I think Memphis will be the 5 seed in the West, but, to beat the big boys, Memphis needs to find its niche.


Uni-brow Nation

The Hornets begin their Anthony Davis era with an interesting roster. Will Davis be a full-time center on defense or roam in a zone? Can Al-Forouq Aminu produce consistently on offense? Does Eric Gordon even want to be in New Orleans? How many times will Austin Rivers go 0-9 from three-point territory? How quickly before everyone in the New Orleans Arena has unibrows? Obviously a lot of questions but there are some serious advantages for the Hornets. They have a young roster with only one bloated contract (Gordon, who deserves it). Monty Williams looks like an up-and-coming defensive strategist who could mesh with Davis to create a defensive juggernaut in the future. Ryan Anderson is an interesting piece to open the floor for Gordon drives to the lane and Davis in the post. All things considered, the Hornets, at best, are battling for an 8-seed; at worst they are the number 10 pick in the draft.

Brandon Roy
I love a comeback story, and it will be great to see Roy suit up in Minnesota this season. But can Roy's knees function in the grind of an 82-game schedule? I think they can. Assuming he is medically cleared to play, Roy should not have to rely on his athleticism as much as he did in Portland. Rick Adelman runs a "Corner" offense in Minnesota which relies on pick and roll/pick and pop, interior passing and spot up shooting. In Portland, Roy was primarily an isolation threat who used his natural agility to beat players to the hoop. I don't think he can be a defensive stopper, but he can be an effective third option behind a healthy Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio combo, if that ever happens.

And, to piss off Dimitri...

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland has two roads its team can venture on this year. One is a flourishing offensive team behind Kyrie Irving. The second is the lottery. This is Cleveland we are talking about, so Irving will probably be on pace for an MVP season, then his knees will explode and the Cavs will lose 30 straight.

Los Angeles Lakers
As a long-time Laker hater, it was difficult seeing them pick up Steve Nash this summer. Let us hope the Triad of Evil (Bryant, Neck Beard, Howard) is enough to dim the shining light of Nash's goodness on the court. Yet I find myself yelling at my friends that the Lakers will hoist the golden trophies at the end of June... After two years of early-playoff exits, it is again tough to be a Laker-hater.

Dirk Nowitzki 
Last year was a rough year for the Big German. His Mavericks were done away with quickly by the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs and he made the All-Star team on his name alone. The big news is Dirk will miss about 6 weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Dirk is 34, and this injury made me wonder if we will see him around much longer. I grew into a basketball fan around the time Dirk was making a mark on the league so I wish him all the best. What was the point of this paragraph? An excuse to show this video. All hail Dirk and his Awkward-but-Clutch-Jump-Shooting!

Ivan Johnson
Of all the interesting teams and characters this season, Ivan Johnson reigns supreme. Johnson is a hybrid PF/C for the Hawks, and he is my candidate for the player most likely to brawl with fans in the stands, since Ron Artest already did that one.

I could go on about his eccentric personality (he wears a grill during games and got banned from playing basketball in South Korea. BANNED!) and his playing style (he broke the backboard in practice last week. PRACTICE!), or you could read Rembert Browne's "Ivan Johnson Chronicles" on Grantland. I recommend the latter.


Bonus Video!

The NBA through Tier-Colored Glasses

It’s mid-October and that means two things. The NFL’s unofficial contest of which team can incorporate the most pink into their color scheme is well underway and so is the NBA preseason. Yeah, I know the preseason is meaningless. In fact the only thing that might be more trivial is NBA season projections. Lucky for you that’s exactly what this post is about! Without further ado, here is my take on the NBA using state-of-the-art tier technology.

Tier One: Nobody will be surprised if these teams are hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June

Tier Two: If the stars align just right, these teams could win it all

Tier Three: These teams won’t go all the way, but they’re capable of a playoff run

Tier Four: As the season wraps up these teams will be duking it out for the final playoff seed

Tier Five: The lottery crew

Tier Six: With the number one pick, the *enter tier six team here* select…

Tier One: Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder

LeBron James needs more than one ring to fulfill his promise to Miami

The Heat are the reigning champs and they have the best player on the planet in LeBron James. That’s reason enough for me to consider them the favorites heading into the season despite the Lakers’ acquisition of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. Let’s be honest though, the Lakers are going to tear it up this season and the only thing that could potentially keep them from reaching the promised land is Pau Gasol’s neck beard. That or Metta World Peace’s razor-sharp elbows. Speaking of those elbows, James Harden is in a contract year. Consider that and the fact that the Thunder are fresh off their first finals appearance and you’re looking at one hungry and talented roster.

Tier Two: Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics

The biggest flaw in Rose's game is his durability

Can Derrick Rose stay healthy? Will Kawhi Leonard take the next step? Do Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have enough left in the tank to lead the Celtics? These are the questions facing the tier twos and if they respond they have enough talent to run with the big boys in tier one.

 Tier Three: Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks

Along with a new city and logo, the Nets will also change another
thing about the franchise this year: they'll actually win games

West:

Iggy to Denver will have the Nuggets improve on their positive 2011-2012 campaign. The “Lob City” Clippers will again provide a lot of highlights but don’t sport a deep enough roster to be considered elite. The Mavs are getting long in the tooth and have a lot of new pieces to work in. Memphis is looking like a tough out and their size will continue to create mismatches down low.

East:

Don’t look now, but the Eastern Conference is actually looking like they’ll have a solid group of playoff teams for the first time since the three-point line was introduced. OK, maybe it hasn’t been that long but all four of these teams will hit the court with solid rosters capable of winning fifty games.

Tier Four: Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trailblazers, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks

These are two guys I don't want to mess with. Look at those beards!

West:

I’m buying into the Timberwolves this year and if you forced me to pick a team from this group that’s who I’d go with. Getting a healthy Rubio to pair with a nasty blue-collar front line of Love and Pekovic will go far in getting playoff basketball back in Minnesota. Not to mention if Brandon Roy can perform anywhere near the level he was at before his pseudo retirement the Wolves can make some noise.

East:

You read that right. I think the Raptors will make the playoffs this year. They’ve assembled a balanced roster that doesn’t have Jose Calderon as a starting point guard anymore. Kyle Lowry was a nice pickup for Toronto and he’ll fit in perfectly with this group. The big Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas also will make his NBA debut this season and could form a nice frontcourt with Andrea Bargnani.

Tier Five: Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers

Another trip to the lottery will drive Houston "Linsane"

West:

As much as I don’t want it to be true, I think the Rockets will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs roll around. Sad day. The Suns will struggle in the post-Steve Nash era and will be the Rockets’ number one competitor for the fourteenth pick in the NBA Draft. Golden State is going to need more than Andrew Bogut to get to the playoffs.

East:

Washington will be improved this year but there is nowhere to go but up from last season. John Wall and Bradley Beal form a talented young backcourt that shows promise for the future. Getting Monta Ellis will make the Bucks a little more fun to watch but it was overall a lateral move. Kyrie Irving is going to need some help to make Cleveland a playoff team and Dion Waiters is not it.

Tier Six: Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Bobcats

West:

DeMarcus Cousins and Thomas Robinson is a very nice start but the Kings have to build around these guys to start moving up the NBA ladder.

East:

I think it’s essentially a pickem’ between which of these three teams is more terrible. The Pistons need some backcourt help. Maybe Magic GM Rob Hennigan can find his Kevin Durant in the 2013 draft to move Orlando out from under the shadow of the “Dwightmare.” The Bobcats are the Bobcats. Do you think MJ has one more comeback in him? Me neither.