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We’ve gone through several games of basketball and I’d like to take a look at some of the predictions people made about NBA teams. I happen to disagree with some of the proclamations that were made, and I’d like to explain why. Let’s determine the best NBA team.

While it’s true that nothing right now is set in stone, I do believe that the early season results have happened for a reason and I think it all comes down to the presence of certain players on these teams.

As much as I believe that Shaquille O’Neal, Vince Carter, and Ron Artest are some incredibly talented players, I simply don’t think they’re the right fits for their teams. I think that each team is struggling to find its way with their new player, and hopefully they can adapt as the season progresses.

Ron Artest has gone to the Lakers. Sure, he’s a great defensive player and he’s incredibly talented, but I just don’t think he’s a team player.

He’s gone from team to team in the NBA and never seems to find a home where he’s loved. LA took a chance with him and I’m not sure that I agree with the move.

Then there are the Cavs. Shaq is a different story than Artest, as he has a great attitude and wants to win. Unfortunately, I think he just throws off the team’s rhythm and his presence in the middle might not be so good for the team. Their record so far would indicate this too.

With the Magic, I’m just not a fan of Vince Carter. I loved him during the earlier part of the decade, but I think that his best days were behind him and I do think that Hedo Turkoglu was a better fit for the team.

The only team that I think got it right with its major acquisition was Boston. Rasheed Wallace plays his heart out, and was a huge contributor to the Pistons. It’s no wonder the Celtics are still undefeated.

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Even if you aren’t a basketball fan, you must have heard of LeBron James. He is one of the best players that has ever played for the NBA, but is he the best of all time?

It’s obvious that the younger basketball fans idolize James, and consider him the best that there has ever been. A few good seasons do not a fabulous career make, so it’s far too early to say that he’s the best ever.

Okay, we all know that in the time he has played in the NBA he has been brilliant, but he still had a long way to go. For one thing, he still doesn’t have a championship ring. That is something that every past master of the NBA possesses, so not having one is a blot against LeBron.

So what does a potential superstar do when he needs help to reach the ultimate prize? Play with Shaq, that’s what! If anyone can help LeBron get that ring, he can.

Teaming these two together has to be looked at as a stroke of genius. The Dominant force of Shaq will complement the skills of LeBron, and vice versa.

We may be getting carried away a bit here in the excitement of seeing them playing together. You can put your money on reaching the play offs without too much trouble, but the Cavs got there last season and got their asses kicked by the Orlando Magic. They must be praying that having Shaq onside will stop any such embarrassment occurring a second time.

LeBron James still has a lot of years ahead of him in the game, so even if he wins the championship this year, it is still too soon to pronounce him the best ever.

The thing LeBron lacks is a maturity in his game due to his age, watching this develop over the next few seasons is going to be fun to watch.

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Carmello Anthony scored 41 points and the Denver Nuggets used a second half comeback to give the Portland Trailblazers a rare 97-94 loss at their Rose Garden Arena home venue on Thursday night. The Blazers held a 67-62 lead heading into the final quarter but for the second time in as many games had trouble putting their opponent away. Brandon Roy led Portland with 30 points, and Greg Oden was the high rebounder for the home team with 9 boards. Portland is now 1-1 on the young NBA season, while Denver improved to 2-0.

NBA pointspread players who took Denver as +8 road underdogs enjoyed their outright victory and the ensuing payday. The Nuggets have covered the number in both of their victories this season, while Portland evened their ATS mark at 1-1. The’1 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 200.

After the game, Anthony was happier about the victory than his personal offensive outburst:

“We came out here and stole the win. It wasn’t just an important win. It was a battle.”

Anthony made 7 of 9 shots from the floor and 9 of 10 free throws in the decisive fourth quarter run:

“My shots were going in. I was trying to attack. I got to the rim and the foul line.”

Portland’s Greg Oden was taking the loss hard, as he missed a couple of late game free throws that could have given the Blazers a lead:

“This is a tough one. I definitely stepped up there with confidence thinking I was going to hit both and it didn’t go that way. I put this loss on me. I need to step up and make those.”

Team leader Brandon Roy said that he’d give the Blazers’ big man a pep talk, stressing the fact that missed shots are just part of the game:

“The biggest thing is to let go. We all miss shots, you’ve got to forget about it.”

Roy also added that the choppy pace of the game with a lot of fouls called benefitted Denver playing in back-to-back games:

“I think it benefited them a bit more coming off a back-to-back. They were tired but anytime you slow the game down that much, it gives them a chance to recover.”

The Blazers will head to Texas for a rematch against the Houston Rockets, whom they beat to open the NBA season. They’ll play at Oklahoma City on Sunday before returning home for a game at The Rose Garden against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Denver will head back to ‘The Mile High City’ for a game against Memphis on Sunday before an east coast road trip with stops in Indiana and New Jersey early next week.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Things took an interesting turn for the Detroit Pistons this past year. Gone are the days of the Eastern Conference supremacy, and gone are many of the familiar names we’ve been accustomed to seeing in a Pistons uniform over the years.

Being 39-43, most people agree doesn’t deserve a playoff birth but since they haven’t changed the rules the Pistons had to face the number one team in the East at the time.

The Pistons were 28th in scoring out of 30 NBA teams. This is why the Pistons went after Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.

Ben Gordon should help their scoring issues. He put up some very respectable numbers in the past for the Bulls and even came up big in several playoff games.

Villanueva comes in with some size. He can score points as well and with his presence on defense, he should help improve both sides of the ball.

This is the year nobody really knows what they will see from the Detroit Pistons. When teams get new faces people automatically assume the team will improve, that doesn’t always happen. Yes, the Detroit Pistons are a playoff team but can they compete with Boston? Cleveland? Orlando? The Pistons hope Rodney Stuckey is their franchise point guard for years to come. The Pistons still have Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince who have many playoff game experience.

There’s some talented youth in Rodney Stuckey, and he’ll finally have the opportunity to shine at the point guard position. Additionally, Jason Maxiell will continue to develop, and Chris Wilcox will provide the team with some solid minutes at the forward and center positions.

This season for the Detroit Pistons will be very interesting because when people speak about the front runners in the East the pistons aren’t mentioned. We will see how the new acquisitions work out.

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They came oh so close in 2007. Having made their first NBA finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers appeared to be destined for greatness.

The general assumption for most NBA fans was the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – the Lakers fulfilled their end of the bargain, Cavs did not. Instead, the Magic took their place.

The Cavs were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic, and relatively easy to. If it wasn’t for Lebron James miracle shot at the buzzer, the Cavs would have been embarrassed at their performance.

The last few seasons the Cavs have been a great regular season team – 08-09′ 66-16 – winning the Central division by more the 25 games. The regular season gives teams the chance to build chemistry and acquire home court advantage – the Cavs seemed to have excellent chemistry during the regular season (taking fake photos during the pre-game introduction).

Unfortunately, the team’s run was spoiled by the Orlando Magic. This left Cleveland fans wondering if Dwight Howard and the Magic had the Cavs’ number, and what could be done about this.

Surely, the team was lacking in the big man department. Enter Shaquille O’Neal. The Cavs now enjoy the presence of the big man on their roster, and will look to use his physical prowess and playoff experience to bring home an NBA title.

In basketball, more then in any other professional team sport – one player can take a team to the Finals but typically those “one man band” teams don’t win the championship. Jordan didn’t win a title until he got Scottie Pippen.

If the Cavs expect to win the title in 10′ they must get more from Mo, Delonte West, and Daniel Gibson. The Cavs added Leon Powe and Jamario Moon – hopefully they can contribute to a championship winning team.

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