FanNation - The Republic of Sport

 BOSTON A+ Garnett is a true leader, a warrior, he's completely changed the culture  in shamrock country. They feed off his energy on both ends, particularly defensively.He's been great for Kendrick Perkins who looks transformed at the defensive end, and 'Big Baby' Davis who will be quite a force for years to come due to having the opportunity to learn from and watch Garnett play in practice and in games.

  Garnett is also the consummate pro and is great on and off the court. Pierce has embraced his new role and fits perfectly in it. He's the guy that they go to when they need a tough shot late in games, he can be iso'd 1 on 1 or draw and kick. He's needed to be the 'guy' but doesn't necessarily have to be the C's everything, and it's a nice feeling for P2. You cna see it in his face, he's less stressed and knows he's got help and it's a beautiful thing to watch. 

 Ray Allen, piece three of the trio of terror. Another dead eye shooter and a secondary option to Pierce depending on matchup for big shots in clutch spots. He's got icewater in his veins and can literally go for 30 on any night just based on stroke and feel. 

 Tony Allen, Sam Cassell (huge veteran presence with TONS of big game/big shot experience), James Posey (absolute glue player that's kept this team together at both ends), Davis, PJ Brown, Leon Powe (the most underrated season of any Celtic), Big Baby Davis, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo (future superstar) round out what is an absolutely lethal team.

A better all around club(C's), with less glaring flaws, than either the 18-1 Patriots or the WC Red Sox clubs, who both had weaknesses that were apparent.. and that's saying something in the New England area. They're gonna have to prove it in the playoffs, and that East is gonna be more of a bloodbath than cakewalk than people might expect it to be.

 The Celtics/Pistons potential ECF showdown (or as I see it, Must See TV) is as anticipated a series as i've seen the past decade. It's gonna be something else if it shakes out that way, but I promise you this, if you're not careful the Magic,Cavs (LeBron, need I say more) Sixers (as hot as anyone right now), Raptors (if they get healthy and get rolling again) and Wizards (with they're own big 3 and a nice bench) will spoil that party.

  DETROIT -A. What can you say about Dumars job this year? Jarvis Hayes? Rodney Stuckey? Arron Afflalo? Walter Hermann? Juan Dixon? Theo Ratliff? To a nucleus that already included one of the best starting 5's in basketball. Wow, is all I can say.

Rip, Rasheed, McDyess, Chauncey and TayShaun have all been terrific. That unit, minus, Dyess, already has brought Detroit a Championship, and isn't that what it's all about. They almost brought them 2, when they went toe to toe with the Spurs and outplayed them in Game 7 of the Finals.. only to come up a hair short.

 Jason Maxiell has been an absolute beast and a more than ample replacement for Ben Wallace. Maxiell might be one of the 4 or 5 most underrated, underappreciated players in basketball outside of the blue-collar Detroit area. Just a force at both ends and another one of Dumars classic finds.

 Amir Johnson is finnaly playing and earning some of the trust of coach Flip Saunders, and he's a heckuva project. There's a lot of upside there. What can you say about the find, or steal, I should say of Jarvis Hayes. Who was a very good player when healthy for the Wizards and is ideal as a 6th/7th man, first combo player off the bench after Maxiell.

Hayes has been great for Detroit and gives them another dimension at both ends. And how about future all-star Rodney Stuckey? Is that kid any good? A 6'5, 190 lbs PG that can run the floor and shoot the daylights out when given the green light. Oh, and all these guys? They're all young and they can ALL play defense.

The Pistons play their best ball against the better teams and that matchup with Boston for Eastern Conference supremecy looks extremely tantilizing.

  ORLANDO- B+. A legitimate #3 seed. They can play with ANYONE, ANYWHERE. They're good enough to beat you playing any style you want to play. They're only downfall? Lack of experience in big games and hard-nosed collective team defense. Once they get those two things shored up, watch out!

Dwight Howard is laying claim to being the best big man threat down low on the planet for the next decade and a half. Rashard Lewis' signing, much maligned, considering the $ he got and his injury questions, has been the perfect signing for this team. Lewis is a 6'10 small fwd that can shoot lights out from beyond the arc. When Howard gets doubled, Lewis is a legit option to receive the kick-out and kill you from distance and make you pay. He's also been healthy all season long.

Hedo Turkoglu, what can you say about his season thus far.A Magic Co-MVP esque campaign along with Howard.Hedo's been ridiculous all year long. He's played some 4 and 5  for the Magic and he's made big shot after big shot when Orlando's needed him to. A 6'10 swing fwd that can effectively put the ball on the floor and finish, along with, being able to dribble and create his own shot is not a combination that grows on trees. He's an above average defender, a characteristic he doesn't get enough credit for as well.

That's their version of the 'Big 3' and it's not as flashy as Boston's or even Washington's for that matter, but it's almost (notice how I said, almost) as effective.

Jameer Nelson, Keith Bogans, Pat Garrity, Mo Evans,Brian Cook, Carlos Arroyo, Adonal Foyle and Keyon Dooling make for an interesting squad to add to their big 3. This isn't as deep a bench as Detroit or Boston's. It's not very deep when it comes to defensive stoppers or big men depth, though Foyle can do a little both behind Howard. It's a run and gun bench that's built to score.

They're gonna need to add to this rotation in the offseason, particularly some size, if they want to legitimately compete for a title, but the nucleus is there for a solid ballclub for years to come. Very dangerous 3 seed as Detroit's found out this season.

  CLEVELAND-C+. This was a tough grade, and basically LeBron singlehandedly got them a C+, they would've gotten a hard C if it wasn't for the King. I wasn't against their moves at the deadline, I actually felt it made them tougher and a harder out. However, there was a high degree of risk involved in making those moves, and so far, unlike the other trades that took place, the Cavs deals haven't had the desired impact so far.

LeBron has been nothing short of spectacular this year. A case could be made, and a strong one at that, that James is the MVP, and also the single best individual athlete in team sports right now. However, the help hasn't been there to land him, the first, of what may be several championships.

Keep in mind these are the defending Eastern Conference Champs still. They did outlast a very rugged Piston squad last year.

 Ben Wallace, though he's not close to what he once was, was still supposed to be a defensive presence that could give them that ruggedness  in the interior they didn't have with Gooden/Ilgauskas.

Delonte West, who's a very nice two way guard was supposed to give them that stability at the point position, something they haven't had since Andre Miller left.

Wally Szcerbiak was supposed to be the bullseye shooter that could make defenses pay on draw and kicks and provide some solid bench scoring upon his return to the state of Ohio. And Joe Smith, who's being used very incorrectly by coach Brown in my opinion, was supposed to give some relief at the 4 and 5 spots off the pine.

Well, West is starting to round into form and give them about what they expected going in. 14, 6, 5, 2 is about what you'd expect from West in  around 28-35 mins. Szcerbiak hasn't however provided what they felt like they would get from him, but he's still learning that offense and getting used to what LeBron does and vice verse.

Wallace can still provide something come playoff time, because he'll be playing a lot of 4 when Z's on the floor and he should have a defensive advantage there against some of the lesser PFs in the Conference.

In order for this to work and the Cavs to make another run they're going to have to have a few things happen: a)LeBron just  has to absolutely impose his will on games and carry them thru rounds singlehandedly.

b) Devin Brown is going to have to continue to provide what he has the last month, especially defensively and Damon Jones and Szcerbiak are going to have to give them at least six 3 ptrs a game between them in big spots.

c) Zydrunas is going to have to hit shots with his touch and range for a big man to create spacing on the floor so other guys, namely James, can move around more freely and teams can't congest the paint when LeBron drives.

 d) Joe Smith is an extremely valuable, under-utilized piece that's gonna need more mins when it matters.

 e) An overall collective commitment to defense, they have the horses defensively, now they gotta buckle down and muck with some of the more talented squads.

  WASHINGTON- B-. A solid B-minus. This is a very, VERY dangerous team. The Wizards actually have more firepower, and are more dangerous, than that other team that plays in the phone booth in Washington, the Capitals. A healthy Wizards team is almost every Eastern team's nightmare matchup before the ECF.

A trio of Butler, Jamison and Arenas is as lethal a scoring trio as you'll find in the league. All are capable of getting 25+ a night and there's enough bench scoring with some of that youth they have now to play with any team in the league. Their main concern is/has been health.

If they were completely healthy, had gelled as a unit, and were playing sound ball going in to the big dance, I could see them being a darkhorse team representing the nation's capital on the NBA's grandest stage, The Finals. This team is that good. They've shown how good they are, even without Arenas, vs Boston this year in two absolute epic battles.

They're actually getting legitimate Center play this year from Brendan Haywood, who's having by far his best year as a pro. Haywood has emerged as a well-rounded Center that plays on both ends.

And how about the kids they got coming up? Nick Young? Andray Blatche? Roger Mason? Keep those 3 names in mind, particularly Blatche, a 6'11 freakshow that can do everything you could possibly want.He just needs experience because he's so very young. And Nick Young, the 6'7 phenom from USC.

This team has everything you need, like I said, they just need to keep their stars healthy and the kids need more playoff experience.

  TORONTO- A C+. This team is on the cusp of a B-/C+  and the way they were playing before Bosh's injury would've had them in solid B territory. This is a very talented young ballclub. The injury bug hurt them with Bosh's untimely injury. Chris Bosh emerged this season as a superstar, and he is on the verge of reaching mega-star proportions. He is such an uber-talent and really doesn't have any fundamental weaknesses in his game.

As a matter of fact this year Bosh added to an already well-rounded offensive reporitoire, by adding a 3 pt shot. He's an MVP in the making. The supporting cast is also young and talented.

They have a very good two-headed monster at PG with TJ Ford and Jose Calderon.

Calderon is on the fast track toward becoming a household name in the Association. He can do it all, he has everything you want in a floor general. He's calm, cool and collected. He exudes confidence and leads by example both on the break and in the half-court.

Bargnani, a former #1 overall selection has been a little up & down but I think the Raps should definitely stay the course with this kid. He reminds me A LOT of Dirk early in his career. He gets frustrated easily, doesn't play great defense, is a streaky shooter that is a little too finesse to play good NBA basketball consistently.

 Bargnani has certainly shown flashes of brilliance though and as he continues to grow he will only get better and be a nice compliment to CB4.

Rasho has been consistent at C, you know what you're gonna get with the big 7 footer in the middle. How about this stat.. Rasho's been in the playoffs every year since he's been in the league (Minn, SA, Tor) hey he's gotta be doing something right.

Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino have been instrumental in the Raptors success this year. The two 6'6 swing G/F's have provided good defense and timely offense at two critical positons. The best feel-good story on the Raps has been Jamario Moon.

Moon has not only electrified the packed houses in the ACC with his his explosive dunks, he's been a defensive bright spot for Sam Mitchell and co and looks to be a player for years to come for Toronto.

This is a team that's well managed with Bryan Colangelo and has a very deep young nucleus to build off of. A very entertaining team to watch.

  PHILADELPHIA- B. The Sixers get a solid B grade and I was very tempted to give them  a B+ the way they've finished the year. WHAT A JOB BY MO CHEEKS! This guy has been a solid NBA coach in both Portland, and now Philly, very underrated. He's gotten the absolute most out of this group of overachievers, and boy are they ever fun to watch!

A lot of these Eastern teams you don't see getting the kind of pub they deserve are very entertaining, (Raptors, Hawks, Sixers, Wizards).

I'd certainly wanna watch those teams over the Leafs, Phillies, Flyers, Thrashers,Falcons, Braves, Nationals etc right now if you're basing it on on-surface product and entertainment value.

Like Chris Bosh, another soon to be NBA MVP candidate? Andre Igudola. Igudola's made the jump this year from talented young phenom to superstar. He's a DYNAMITE athlete that has everything you could possibly want in a star. He's explosive on the run, he finishes with POWER, he's got a very nice jumpshot, he's a terrific on-ball defender and he leads by example as well. His game has flourished this year and he's got this 6er team primed for a possible MAMMOTH upset in round 1.

NOT trading Andre Miller was one of the best moves that GM Ed Stefanski made at the deadline. Miller was coveted by several teams but the 6ers felt like they weren't getting enough in return for their floor general and hung onto him. Good move.

Miller/Igudola and Center Sam Dalembert have attempted to create their own 'Big 3' in the city of brotherly love. Dalembert, always known for his defensive prowess, has upped his game even more this year and his ability to change shots down low has ignited a very efficient fast break for Philly this season.

Couple that with the play they've gotten from future star Thaddeus Young and you have the makings of a very good basketball team. This team might be a year away from trying to move into a crowded top 6 with Bos, Det, Orl, Cle, Wash, Tor but if anyone slips, the 6ers will be right there to take their spot.

HUGE wins this season over some very tough teams both at home and on the road (Suns, Spurs, Celtics, Pistons, Nuggets, Magic, Mavs, Kings ) to name a few have all fell victim to this young & exciting team.

Names to watch for outside the obvious: Louis Williams, Rodney Carney.

   ATLANTA- C+ for getting into the playoffs. This is a fabulous mix of young players that finally are going to taste the sweet nectar of the playoffs. It's been long overdue, but fans in the A-T-L have reason to rejoice. This is a good, young team, and it's not smoke and mirrors either.

 They're not gonna beat Boston in Rd 1, lets not kid anybody, but they might make that an entertaining 1st round series as they could potentially go toe-to-toe with the eventual World Champs.

I predict a sweep, possibly 4-1 if they can squeak one out in Hot-Lanta, but it will be one heckuva learning experience for the young Hawks. And those 4 or 5 games will all be worth watching as well.

I mean come on, if you've watched these guys this year, you've enjoyed yourself. They have to learn to win on the road, but in the NBA, like all sports, that's no easy task and comes with time and experience.

 What they have done is learn to defend their homecourt, and do it well. Atlanta is a very tough place to play these days, when'd you'd think you'd hear that?

The acquisition of Mike Bibby shored up their first trip to the playoffs in quite some time. It gave them a true PG and some credibility around the league.

Joe Johnson is a star, he's just not a guy casual fans hear about enough cause he's not marketed as hard and he's not on a winning, playoff calibur ballclub.. that is until now. Johnson is a guy that can give you 25-6-6 very easily on any given night. Those are otherworldly numbers if you put them up with regularity.

Josh Smith has really upped his level of play as well. He was a novelty guy before that could dunk and play a little D. Now he can still dunk, play a lotta D, and..shoot.

Smith's play is the single biggest reason for this team's climb into the playoffs, that, and oh, the drafting of Al Horford. Horford is a clearcut runner-up to Durant for ROY honours, and in some people's minds, a favorite for the award.

Horford has been nothing short of sensational for Atlanta in the middle this year and that starting 5 looks like it will be intact for years to come.

Bibby, J.Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams (who left as a freshman and is just starting to round out his game) is quite the quintet.

**** Look out for the WESTERN CONFERENCE GRADES blog some time shortly. Any and all views/reads and comments are not only welcomed, but encouraged. GOD bless and continue to watch/enjoy what has been a ressurgent season for the NBA for basketball and sports fans alike. ***