CATEGORIES Auto & Trucks Business & Finance Computers & Internet Education Family Food & Drink Gadgets and Gizmos Health Hobbies Home Improvement Humor Kids & Teens Legal Marketing Men Music and Movies Online Business Parenting Pets and Animals Politics and Government Recreation & Sports Relationships Religion and Faith Self Improvement Site Promotion Travel & Leisure Web Development Women Writing Keyword Search Article Title Author's Name SITE MENU Search Submit An Article Submit Articles in Bulk Submit Press Release Syndicate Articles Distribute Articles Privacy Policy Terms of Use Link To Us Contact Us Site Map Home

NBA 2004-2005 Season Preview  by: Gary Whittaker Here are your big stories for the upcoming new season: Kobe Bryant found guilty of rape. Lakers are forced to “bend over” for Kobe’s manhood and finish with their worst record in 10 years Mark Cuban shocks the world as he gives away the Dallas Mavericks on his show, The Benefactor! Although the show was cancelled before this episode was aired, the transfer of ownership is legal and binding. Vince Carter traded to Knicks! Unfortunately, trade had to be annulled after Vince fails medical. After years of speculation, doctors confirm that Carter indeed has no heart. Ok, so those may not actually pan out, but here are some that we think will: SHAQ catches latino Heat in Miami as the city gets playoff fever James may be King, but it’s Carmelo that finds playoff gold for the 2nd year in a row Vince Carter traded Knicks! Team then goes on to loss 15 straight and fall out of playoff contention as Vince’s heart is called into question. The focus of this year will not be on the top two draft picks, but on (arguably) the top 2 players in the league. Expect Kobe and Shaq to dominate national headlines as each will set out to prove that they were not the cause of the Lakers collapse in the Final’s against the Nets. It is a matter of public record that during stretches of the last 2 seasons, that when either Kobe or Shaq would go down with an “injury”, the Lakers won more with Kobe OUT of the line-up, then when Shaq was out of the lineup. Much more, as this chart from http://www.82games.com will illustrate Plus/Minus splits for Shaq-Kobe Player Situation Off48 Def48 Net48 W L Shaq with Kobe 104.0 93.5 +10.5 45 10 Shaq w/out Kobe 95.0 91.2 +3.8 34 29 Kobe with Shaq 104.0 93.5 +10.5 45 10 Kobe w/out Shaq 94.7 99.3 -4.6 22 36 Looking forward though, none of that matters as both players go into this season surround by a new starting 4. Shaquille and Miami aside, the next biggest story will be how 5 of the 8 playoff teams from the East may be below .500. We expect quality basketball to be hard to come by in the East. Your two other top teams will be Detroit and Indiana. We expect Isiah Thomas to make things interesting in New York, Lebron James to make highlight reels in Cleveland, and Toronto to be Charlotte’s 2nd rival (after New Orleans) as they will be battling to stay out of the cellar. The Sun may set in the West, but we feel that this team is on the rise, and ready to take the next step forward. The Kings, Timberwolves, Lakers and Spurs will be hard pressed to keep them out of the top 4 this year. With the possible exception of Seattle, every team should be fun to watch this year. Here are our predictions for the final standing this season Eastern Conference Atlantic Boston Celtics New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers New Jersey Nets Toronto Raptors Central Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers Milwaukee Bucks Cleveland Caveliers Chicago Bulls Southeast Miami Heat Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Bobcats Western Conference Southwest San Antonio Spurs Houston Rockets Memphis Grizzlies Dallas Mavericks New Orleans Hornets Northwest Denver Nuggets Minnesota Timberwolves Utah Jazz Portland Trailblazers Seattle Supersonics Pacific Phoenix Suns Sacromento Kings Los Angelos Lakers Golden State Warriors Las Angelos Clippers About The Author Gary Whittaker is the editor of T.E.N Magazine. You can visit the site at http://www.tenwebzine.com. You will be able to find more great articles on sports, politics or other subjects, so check it out! editor@tenwebzine.com This article was posted on September 23, 2004 Read More Articles from the "Recreation and Sports" Category: Is Playing Poker Online Right For You? by Jeff Dragt Live Cricket Coverage Provides Adrenaline Rush To Cricket Fans by Ella Wilson The Olympic Games - A Brief (And Bizarre) History by Jeff Beck Shannon Lake Golf Course, Okanagan Valley and the Pandosy Inn by James Murray Let The Games Begin - Taking Your Sporting Passion Online! by Madison Lockwood Player Profile: Ted Forrest by Kenneth Bateman Skatesailing – The Ice Age by Jakob Jelling With Understanding Comes Success by Jeffrey Rolo Nancy Meyers Comes Up With a Winner: A Romantic Comedy that Really Works by Ed Bagley How to Create A Music Box, Part I by Monique Hawkins << Back to "Recreation And Sports" Index

Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the views of ArticleCity.com and/or its partners.

	Web www.articlecity.com