The What A Difference A Year Makes Thread...

[shizzle]

So this is to take your minds off the TJ/Calderon debate, the Mitchell sucks or the trade Joey G for Pau threads.

This is just to talk straight hoops. So I propose the "what a difference a year makes" thread. The rise and fall of players or teams a year later. I will start with my favourite winners and losers.

Obviously the Portland Trailblazers are the biggest zero to hero story this year...but how about some love for the crash that is Miami! You gotta love Shaq finally getting dumped on for not working out and arriving to camp inshape... Kobe was right!

You have to love the recent rise of players like Kevin Martin and Monta Ellis. The obvious difference a year makes player, which is a bit closer to home, has to fall on Bargs. Last year this time there were screams that he was the second coming of Dirk.... But what about Zach Randolf! Max player money a year ago all comfortable in Portland...never get comfortable.

How about a shout out for Ben Gordon. That 10 Million a year is looking pretty damn good about now bitche$....You might not want to ask Latrell Spreewell for advice next time you're negotiating your contract!

[Trilogy]

K-Mart was pretty legit a year ago too. No one really noticed him though. Same with Monta, though he had a little more pub. They have definetely improved very much so during this past year though.

I was calling the Miami downfall since preseason.

Though, I had Chicago pegged near the top of the East.

Those contract extensions for Okafor, Iggy, Gordon, Deng are looking might attractive to them right now.

Portland are extremely scary. They're too young to realize their not supposed to be this good yet.

[itbobby007]

They're too young to realize their not supposed to be this good yet.

Nice.

[theSkinny]

I cant wait to see how much money Paul Allen will dish out to keep all of the kids in Portland....


Im sure it will be handled alot better than the rise/fall of the baby bulls

[mwaschkowski]

Ya, its hard to believe some of the changes. Bulls and Miami definitely.

How about Boston?? I wanted to believe in Boston but was persuaded by others that they might not be 'all that' and boy was that wrong, they are all that and more. KG, PP, and RA have all come through and made their entire team better. We need another CB4 on our team if we want to compete

[shizzle]

Yeah Boston is the 2nd biggest rise story of the year as far as I am concerned...

Anybody remember Cleveland in the Championship finals last year!

[asif9t9]

In terms of the Raps, I took it all in last year. Every year, in every sport, there's a "surprise" team. Orlando this year. Packers in the NFL. Always that team that comes out of nowhere.

We were that team last year. Enough for BC to be exec of the year and Smitch to be COY. Andrea second in ROY voting. Andrea and Garbo both getting rookie of the month honours. Jose doing a 180 from the year before. Everything was so great. Too great. haha

[The_Hater]

Ben Gordon either got some VERY bad advice from his agent or grossly overestimates his own abilities. Probably both.

He's an undersized chucker with marginal skills (besides creating his own shot) and will never see $10 million a season ever again.

Anyone want to bet he ends up on the Knicks next season?

[Pchu]

Ben Gordon either got some VERY bad advice from his agent or grossly overestimates his own abilities. Probably both.

He's an undersized chucker with marginal skills (besides creating his own shot) and will never see $10 million a season ever again.

Anyone want to bet he ends up on the Knicks next season?

Here is my predicted Zeke's proposal:

Malik Rose (Expiring) + Balkman + unprotected 1st in 2008 for Ben Gordon.

[EnigmaticProblem]

I think the Blazers would've done well were they to rank in the bottom 5 of the league this year, as were expected. The foundation they could create, potentially, would be damn near flawless.