A Preview of Brian Scalabrine's One on One Scallenge.

If you haven't heard, some where in December of 2012, Brian Scalabrine challenged everyone in Boston to a One on One game.

Via TBJ:

In Boston right now, we have this challenge going out. I (Brian Scalabrine) do a radio show out there, and there are people on the street that really believe they can beat me. So we’re doing tryouts for the top 10 people in Boston to play me one-on-one.

And we’re playing to 11. And we’re gonna film it, everything. The reality of people and what they think NBA players are like. I’m the last guy on the bench and I will kick your butt if you’re out on the streets. It’s just the way it is.

To make your Friday even better, here's a preview of the White Mamba destroying naive NBA fans.

The best thing that could possibly happen, has happened. The games will air on January 22nd, you might want to ask for a day off, because you won't just watch it once. Believe me when I say that you will likely spend at least 24 hours watching an ex-NBA benchwarmer compete against random people for that beautiful White Mamba trophy (at least that is what I think it is). Please don't let the world end yet.

Via: CSNNE

NBA East Preview: Who makes the Playoffs?

The East has been a step behind the West in terms of quality teams. While it houses the reigning NBA champions, achieving a playoff spot in this conference is slightly easier. The competition is lackluster, besides the few notable powerhouses, the rest of the teams are the butt of the NBA. This summer, a lot of new faces arrived in the East. Some soared in the power rankings, where as some dropped. Here are my predictions for the 2012-2013 eastern conference playoff spots.

1. Miami Heat
With the Bulls now out without Derrick Rose and their bench mob, the Heat will take over at the top. The addition of sharp shooters Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will make this team even deadlier. Especially in the small ball offense that they like to run. Look for LeBron to post up more often. He can wreak havoc in the paint by himself, and if you dared to double, his court vision will find an open man, which will result in 3 points. Miami's defense will remain just as irritating, but they will have to come up with a solution for the skilled Big Man (Hibbert and Bynum). It will not be a problem for this team to make it back to the finals this year, but whether they will repeat depends on Wade's pending health.

2. Indiana Pacers
How good Paul George will get this season will define what the Pacers can achieve in the post season. Otherwise this remains a solid team that plays great defense and suffer from occasional offensive droughts.

Granger hasn't improved into the offensive threat they would like, he needs to find consistency, as with much of the other players on this team. Hibbert has to demand the ball into the post more often, he is too skilled to not get more touches. Note to Vogel, please tell me you worked on getting the ball into the post over the summer, there is no reason why Hibbert should not be your go to scorer.

Coming back from this summer, they gain more depth with D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green, and importantly Ian Mahimi to back up Roy. To get past the Heat they must improve offensively, they have the basic tools but the players are just outmatched in some positions.

3. Boston Celtics
If there is anyone that can take the Heat down before their return to the throne, it's the Celtics. Losing Ray Allen might seem detrimental at first, but adding Jason Terry, who will be more than happy to be the sixth man can turn out for the better. Terry is a streaky shooter, but he is able to create for himself, which will be needed for instant offense that Boston is really short of. Courtney Lee is a bonus, gives them another streaky shooter that can defend the wing.

The Celtics are a  heavily loaded defensive team, if they can stay healthy, any team they play will have a tough match up. With excellent depth at Doc's disposal, the elders will get enough rest to be effective in late game. The struggles on offense has to be cured by Rondo, he has to put points on the board, giving up shots frequently hurts the team more than often.

4. Brooklyn Nets
I know this might be a stretch, but this Nets team looks promising. Offensively, they are a juggernaut, a starting group of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez will light up the score board. The key factor for the team is for Joe Johnson to find his place. With Deron beside him, there should be no circumstances, where he should play as iso-joe.

Kris and Brook will sweep the glass and should give them double doubles every game. They have a decent bench in C.J. Watson, Marshon Brooks, Reggie Evans, foreigner Mirza Teletovic, and Josh Childress. Oh, I forgot about Andray Blatche. Sorry, can't even write that without laughing.

The biggest problem will be on defense, they are lacking in basically every position, Gerald Wallace is not as young as he used to be. If they figure out a way to cover up their defensive woes, this team should give New York something to talk about.

5. New York Knicks
Adding a bunch of players that you recovered from fossils do not make them better defensively. I don't understand what James Dolan and Glen Grunwald was thinking, letting go of Jeremy Lin could have cost them a lot more than the poison pill contract. Off the record, I am not caught up into the Linsanity hype, but I do think he is an average point guard and by far better than the always chubby Raymond Felton.

The issue lies with Carmelo and Amare, if they don't find a way to mesh, the Knicks will never get anywhere. Their defense has already improved under Mike Woodson, I just don't see it can any better with the veterans they added. This team remains a solid playoff team, other than that they are no where close to contention.

6. Philadelphia 76ers
This young team has all the potential in the world, right now it is just waiting on Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner to get up to the next level. They need to provide consistent performance for this team to improve.

Andrew Bynum is now the face of the franchise, free from Kobe's grasp, he should be a terror for any team that he plays against. He has to put up big numbers every game to push Philadelphia up the seeding chart to avoid an early playoff exit. (Which should have happened last year if it wasn't for a certain knee that gave out.)

Doug Collins have done a wonderful job with this team, assembling a surprising third best defense in the league. Losing Andre Iguodala might take a toll on this team against opposing Superstars, hopefully putting Bynum in the paint will slow them down.

7. Atlanta Hawks
So long are the days of Atlanta's boring isolation offense. Let's welcome a new running game. Jeff Teague has been spectacular, finally discovering his role. He has to improve on his passing game with the new shooters Danny Ferry has put on this team. Anthony Morrow and Kyle Korver will be a huge boost to the offense.

Al Horford comes back this year at complete health, he and Josh Smith combining down at the low post will put up big numbers. This all comes down to Smith, he has to stop settling for jumpers, this is his contract year, it is time for him to play at an All-Star level. Which he is very capable of doing, the fate of Atlanta is in his hands, if he can break out from this Joe Johnson absent offense, Hawks will crack the playoffs easily.

8. Chicago Bulls
As a Bulls fan this is heart breaking, without Derrick Rose this year, they will play for an early exit in the playoffs. This again, prevents them from getting a good lottery pick. In honesty, they should tank and see if they can pull what San Antonio managed to do in 1997 (David Robinson got injured, Spurs tanked and got Tim Duncan). That's enough of my rambling, because I can go on forever, but let's just stop here.

The best chance Bulls had at a championship was last year, who knows what would have happened if Rose didn't tear his ACL. Losing the bench mob is a huge hit for the Bulls, their depth was the only thing that kept them from losing. Without them, even with Rose back they can't compete with the Heat. It will take some time before they re-insert themselves as a contender, most likely in Rose's prime (Yes, I believe his knee will be fine) or when LeBron's age catch up to him.

The Others:
Milwaukee Bucks
Don't Sleep on this team yet, they might sneak on into the playoffs. They have been stuck at the 9th seed for quite a while now, but with the Bulls and Hawks feeling the void left behind by their superstars, it lays out a perfect opportunity for Milwaukee. I am still perplexed by the Ellis and Jennings combo, which have yet to work out. Ilyasova is a promising player whose production will be necessary to clinch playoff berth. With all that said, defense remains an issue and it just seems like they are a few pieces short for any future success.

Toronto Raptors
This team has been frustrating, they have the talent, but are having a hard to time to find it. The Raptors are a team in progress, Bryan Colangelo is beginning to build an impressive team, it is just going to take a few years before they get out of the missing playoff slump. Their future relies on DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry,  Andrea Bargnani's health, the Jonas Valanciunas project and a surprise in Terrence Ross.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving is ridiculously good, but that is all this team has going for them. Tristan Thompson has been disappointing so far, let's hope Dion Waiters doesn't follow that trend.

Washington Wizards
Nothing is going right for the Wiz, John Wall is injured, and Nene is still unclear when he can comeback. Next year Washington, next year.

Detroit Piston
They a potential star in Greg Monroe, if he can fit with Andre Drummond, they can put in a devastating front court. Give this team some time for their draft picks to develop, Joe Dumars might finally be on track.


Charlotte Bobcats
They can't get worst than last year. Ben Gordon, Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker should be able to pick up the load on offense. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is still a work in progress, he does provide a bright future for the Cats but still, defensively this team is a disaster. Maybe Brendan Haywood and Bimack Biyombo can fix that?

Orlando Magic
If your offense depends on Jameer Nelson, your team is likely not going to do so well. Orlando created a huge mess this summer, getting Arron Affalo out of a 4 way trade that lost Dwight Howard. It will be some time for this team to be any good, and it starts with getting rid of those heavy contracts.

NBA West Preview: Who makes the Playoffs?

The West have been a powerhouse for years now. Making the playoffs in this conference is no easy feat. The competition is tougher, and for lower seeded teams, making into a guaranteed playoff spot is always a struggle. A lot have changed in the West since last season, some teams went under construction, some added new players, but one thing is for sure, the strong remained strong. Any thing can happen in a full 82 game season, here are my predictions for the 2012-2013 western conference playoff spots.

1. San Antonio Spurs
I got to give it to the Spurs. Every year you expect a drop off, but they always make a late run to the top. Not much has changed to the solid Spurs team, their core group remained intact, and the bench stayed just as deep. Tony Parker will once again pick up the baton and conduct beautiful music with this team. This time however, he will have more help from Kawhi Leonard whose continuous improvement can guide this team to a deep playoff run.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Coming off the beating they took in Game 5 at the hands of the Miami Heat, the reigning western conference final champions will play with a sense of revenge. The Thunder comes back this year without any veterans. They instead, added more youth, drafting the enigmatic Perry Jones III, and picked up Hashen Thabeet. All is good for Scott Brooks, Eric Maynor returns from his knee injury, providing OKC with a defensive back up point guard.

This might be Thunder's best shot at winning the Larry O' Brien trophy. After this season, James Harden will likely be gone. Kevin Durant and company will have to take advantage of this opportunity to seal the deal. They will give the Spurs a run for their money as the top seed, but inconsistency will be a factor, as they can often shoot themselves out of the game.

3. Los Angeles Lakers
Without a doubt, the biggest story of the whole summer, adding Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, makes this team a title contender again, and a damn good one too. They added more offensive weapons to their bench, with Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks. The problem for the team is that it still lacks depth and defensive presence (except Dwight Howard, of course). Mike Brown will need to make this team gel quick, and find ways to rest his stars, without letting leads blow away.

I would put them up higher in the seeds, but in a 82 game season, for a roster full of aging players, injuries are inevitable. Any injury to the core group, will cost them games. If they somehow stay healthy, they would take 2nd seed. Don't even think about 73-9 Metta World Peace, you will be lucky to get 60 wins.

4. Los Angeles Clippers
No idea how the new flopping rule will affect this team. I do know that they still have their all stars, and they will definitely improve with a full training camp. Giving Chris Paul time to adjust with his teammates will make this team all the more offensively devastating. With Billups returning, they will get a veteran guard that can control the pace and hit shots when it matters. Additions of Lamar Odom, Matt Barnes, Jamal Crawford and Grant Hill provides more overall depth.

Defensively, the Clippers will miss Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans who held down the paint for them. DeAndre Jordan will have to pick up the responsibilities of guarding the west big men, which will be different than his usual help defensive role. How well he adjusts to this change will determine where the Clippers stand.

5. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets will stay burning the soles of their opponents with their incredible speed. Andre Iguodala provides them with versatility at both ends of the floor. His defense will be heavily relied on, especially against fellow All Star players from opposing teams. Javale McGee should have settled in to Denver by now, and if he absorbed even half of what he learned from Hakeem Olajuwan this summer, it will give the Nuggets something in a half court situation.

Ty Lawson will be appointed to lead this team on the open floor, despite his height, he is a huge threat offensively in transition. Gallinari has to play at an All Star level for this team to get to the second round, he can not continue to miss open opportunities. This team will have a lot of defensive troubles, hopefully Kenneth Faried, McGee and Timofey Mozgov can cover the porous back court defense.

6. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies was a surprising 4th seed last year. This time around, Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph have time to mesh together. The front court of Marc Gasol and Randolph is the key to this team's success. They have to rely on post scoring or involving them in some kind of play to find points. This will be a gritty defensive team, but on offense the lack of shooting can hurt them in the long run.

7. Dallas Mavericks
 Another team you can never count out. The Mavericks rebuilt their front court with Chris Kaman and Elton Brand. Kaman gives the Mavs something that never got from Haywood, an actual offensive package in the low post. This depth in the front court is new to the team, and Rick Carlise will have to figure it out. Without other offensive pieces, the Mavs will be fighting for this spot, and possibly a early playoff exit.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves - Utah Jazz
Edge to Timberwolves if Ricky Rubio comes back 100%, if not Jazz will sneak in at 8 again. The Wolves have all the pieces to take this spot if they can manage to stay off the injury list. Kevin Love will continue to put up big numbers, and new wings Andrei Kirilenko and Brandon Roy can put points up in bunches.

The Jazz kept their bigs, which will be a plus in the west. Favors and Hayward are bound for a break out season, and if the new back court of Mo and Marvin Williams work out, they can easily creep up on Minnesota.

The Others (Not in Order):
Golden State Warriors 
Stephen Curry is finally back, hopefully for good. This team might make a splash late in the season, only if Bogut comes back, Klay Thompson's promising future holds up and the rookies adjust quickly. Oh, and they will have to learn how to play defense too.

Sacramento Kings
I don't even know what is going on with this team. They have alot of talent but they just never seemed to be able to get it together. For any playoff hopes, they will have to make some changes.

Portland Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets
These are all teams in rebuilding mode, the future is bright for the Suns and Hornets. As for Blazers and Rockets, it is not looking too good.

Cogs and Gears: The Thunder is still the best in the west.

Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

This is a follow up article to my Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers preview, if you have not read it, please check it out. This post focuses only on the Thunder and Lakers, based on the assumption that they are most likely to face each other in the playoffs.


Last season, the Thunder have established their dominance in the West, taking apart every team they faced with much ease. They swept the reigning champion Mavericks and took no more than 6 games in each series en route to the NBA Finals. Although their quest for the Larry O' Brien Trophy got stopped short by the Miami Heat, they proved to everyone that youth is not a factor and that they can hang with the best of them.

Over the Summer, the Lakers went under construction and rebuilt themselves as title contenders. The addition of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, gave Lakers a new edge on both offense and defense.While on paper, the superstar studded team seems unbeatable, but are they even good enough to get out of the formidable west?

One problem that Lakers still have not addressed is their perimeter defense, you can even argue that it got worst. With the exception of Metta World Peace, their back court unit is a defensive liability. As a jump shooting team, the Thunder can easily exploit that weakness. Kevin Durant is as unstoppable as they come, Metta will only be able to hold him off until KD utilizes his height and length over the bulky defender (MWP does play Durant pretty well, holding him down to 6 point less than his average and 7% lower than his usual FG%).

To Los Angeles's dismay, the Thunder are one of best at attacking in transition (14% of their offense at 58 FG% ). With old legs and German knees the Lake Show will not be able to keep up (highest FG% allowed by the Lakers's defense at 59%). Early substitution, exposes even more holes  in the veteran filled roster. If they can not stop the youngsters from running the ball, Kobe will always be one short of a championship from tying Michael Jordan.

In pick and roll situations, Lakers should improve drastically with better rotations from Dwight. In the Western Conference Semi Finals, Westbrook was able to pull up for a shot when ever he wanted, because Bynum was slow to hedge after the screen. Howard's quickness will be able to solve the issue.

Despite the improvements to the Los Angeles front court, Thunder's reliance on the mid range game create another set of difficulties. According to NBA Advanced Stats, Superman does not affect the Thunder's FG% at all, 50% when he is on, and 48% when he is on the bench. Dwight will need his less defensive minded teammates to step up and protect the basket. Do not discount for Howard's presence though, for it does play a role. The young squad's big three tend to decrease their attempts at the hoop when the big man is around (about 6 less).


Oklahoma City is an underrated defensive team, and not to mention they have the only kryptonite left in the league. Angry face Kendrick Perkins is the key to hold down Shaq 2.0 in the defensive end of the court. As a member of the Boston Celtics, Perkins held Dwight to a 39 field goal percentage. Without him, Superman emerges and shoots at a 53%. If history repeats itself, Steve Nash will convert Dwight to an even more dangerous offensive threat, making it harder for anyone to defend him.

Serge Ibaka's superior help defense instincts have caused trouble for any team that dares to shoot at his basket. He alone, swipes the Lakers's field goal percentage down to 36% from a 47%. Back court wise, OKC have already found the anti-venom for the Black Mamba, in form of a man named Thabo Sefolosha. In the 2011-2012 season, Kobe shot at an average of 43%, but that number drops to the 30's when he faces the lanky swiss.

Oklahoma City's combined youth and unique versatility create match up night mares for Los Angeles. Before the Lakers even think about getting their hands on a 17th banner, to rub in face of their historic rival, Celtics, they will have to play their best defense. After all the young squad's dependence of mid range jumper will either make them or break them.


Sources: The Oklahoman (Picture), Statistics from My Synergy Sports, NBA Advanced Stats and Basketball Reference.