Pinto’s NBA team search

Part Four: Sadly I have not had enough time to write about my NBA team search, but by no mean does that mean I have not been searching. Between school, college basketball, the end of football season, the beginning of baseball season, and the NFL draft, I have just not had the time to fit it in recently, but now, on the verge of the playoffs I have another update. However, unlike what I said in Part Three, there will be a cut.

This time there is going to be a shakeup. I am cutting down from eight to four, instead of six, and I am also bringing in a new comer

1. Dallas Mavericks-My love for Mark Cuban has been fueling this, but I also love their team. Jason Kidd is one of my all time favorite players, and I also have alway been a huge fan of Dirk Nowitzki. They have a very strong roster, and Mark Cuban is not scared of making a move  to improve upon it.
2. Oklahoma City Thunders-The success that OKC has had surprises me. I really was not sure how the former Seattle Supersonics would be better suited to become the Thunder of Oklahoma City. It would probably be a better sell to me personally, if they were still in Seattle, but the young supertalented team has been good enough for me so far.
3. New York Knicks-I had to keep at least one East team on here at this point, and Indiana just was not cutting it. I love what they have done to transform this team from the desperate pathetic mess that they were jut a couple years ago. It does not hurt that Madison Square Garden is the Meca of basketball.
4. Portland Trailblazers-Portland is staying in this with how much I enjoy watching them play. It is hard not to like watching a team that has six players averaging at least 12 points. They spread the ball around a lot.

Honorable Mention: New Orleans Hornets-Wondering what happened to New Orleans? Well I have not really enjoyed watching them play the few times that I have been able to catch a game. Chris Paul does not look like he wants to be there anymore, and he is what draws me to the Hornets.

The playoffs are going to be a huge factor in my decision. Not just how a team performs, but how their fans support them (because I do not want to be a part of bum fan base), the fight they put up, the atmosphere when they are at home, and whether they choke or not are just a few of the factors that I will be looking at.

I am also not sure yet, whether I am going to continue this search into the off season or not yet. It is something I am going to have to ponder before choosing a team, because following my team during the offseason is one of my favorite aspects of being a fan.

Part Three:

The NBA season has been pretty interesting, and surprising so far. The Lakers are starting out slow, but everyone knows they will be there in the end. The Spurs are starting fast, and so are the Celtics. However it is a question whether either of them will be able to hold up. The Heat were another slow starting team, but now it seems like the big three have got everything down pat. Lebron and D-Wade are as deadly as expected while on the court at the same time, but none of these teams are in the running for my favorite team.

The last time I talked on my team search I left you all with Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets as leading my team search. I still love Chris Paul, and he is still my favorite player in the NBA. I also still love the way the Hornets play, and I think their organization is overall…solid. However, some one else is moving up the list, and their star player is giving Chris Paul a run for my heart.

I will give you one hint: He is an athletic freak that played at Oklahoma.

If you did not guess Blake Griffin, you either don’t care, or you don’t watch college basketball. Griffin is a budding young superstar, and he plays above the rim. My biggest problem with him is that he is bad from the free throw line, which will always irk me. I don’t care how big you are, its called the charity strike for a reason.

Blake, and his Clippers have moved up to number three behind the Hornets and the Mavericks. They took over the three spot for the Golden State Warriors, who have dropped heavily to the six spot, and therefore the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers both move up a spot.

I don’t know about the Warriors. It is more a problem with their organization i think more than anything. Nothing that their organization has done in the last few years has just screamed to me “We want to win a championship!”. I do still like their roster, and a big kicker for them would be making a big acquisition before the trade deadline.

The Mavs are still number two for one reason…Mark Cuban.

I think the reason why I am intrigued with the Thunder is understandable. Kevin Durant is a great young superstar. They are an old face in a new place, that has seemed to revitalize themselves.

A big kicker for them is also the fact that the Thunder are the only major professional sports team in Oklahoma City, which I find interesting.I just feel like the atmosphere at their games would be so intensely unique for that reason.

The Pacers get more bonus points this time around, because of fate. Their scoring differential is currently at zero. They are also playing good ball, with a limited roster.

I am trimming my list down to eight, so with that I will announce the losers. DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

The Charlotte Bobcats & Milwaukee Bucks. Sorry guys you just were not cutting it.

So here is the list as it stands

1. New Orleans Hornets-Still holding strong, but this race is real close at the top.
2. Dallas Mavericks-They are right on the Hornets heels, and they may have just stepped on them.
3. Los Angeles Clippers- With as close as the top two are, it is practically a roll of the dice for the clippers and the following two teams.
4. Oklahoma City Thunders-Blake Griffin isn’t the only baller from my top four teams to be on Chris Paul’s heels. Kevin Durant is one heck of a ball player.
5. Indiana Pacers-Five might not sound very promising, even as far as they are down the list, they are very close to jumping the Thunder and possibly the Clipps here soon if they show me something special.
6. Golden State Warriors-They better watch themselves before they get cut.
7. Portland Trailblazers-Portland is staying in it, and with the way Golden State is dropping, they have a good chance at making the next cut down to six.
8. Memphis Grizzlies-I love this roster…a lot. However, it is managed poorly which frustrates me, because I feel they could easily be better than the 14-17 that they are right now. The most upsetting part is how much promise Sam Young shows. The last two times he saw double digit minutes he performed well. The eighteenth against the spurs he played eighteen minutes with 11 points and two rebounds. On the seventeenth at Houston he played for 19 minutes, and put up 19 points, 2 steals, and a block. Not bad against two good teams, but he has only seen 11 minutes combined in the three games since.

Honorable Mention: The New York Knicks. Yes, a new york team has finally played their way passed the anti-New York barrier that my heart has put up. The next post will not be a cut. However, The Grizzlies can and will be cut if they don’t show me anything. In that case the Knickerbockers, Amare Stoudemire, and Raymond Felton will have just played their way into contention.

I am sorry Boston. I just couldn’t help myself. It is your own fault that you have too many championships, or this little search wouldn’t even be happening.

Part Two:

Now, to what I should do. You all may remember back at the end of last NBA season when I declared that I was officially putting myself on the free agent wire for NBA fanhood. I have never really had a favorite NBA team, and now I have finally decided that I need a favorite NBA team.

This is the general list of requirements (not all are necessary but the team I selct will most likely be fovored by these characteristics) that I had posted up last summer, and I am adding in a few.

• The team can’t be either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers. They have too many championships. I can’t be associated with the best football franchise and the best basketball franchise. That is kind of cheating.
• They must be semi-local to western PA. I mean without a Pittsburgh team, it is hard to find something local. (least neccesary requirement, because I don’t know how much longer I will be in western PA.)
• It can’t be the Cavaliers. I hate Cleveland too much to force such a thing upon myself.
• They must be young, and hopefully have a young star in this years draft that I like. examples: Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson, Gordon Hayward, Ekpe Udoh, or Scottie Reynolds(even though he ripped my heart out, he is the kind of tough scrappy player that I would like to see get a shot in the NBA).
• Bonus pooints if you have a Pitt Player on your roster.
• Bonus Points if you are cursed (so the LA Clippers). It is what drew me into the Red Sox after my breakup with the Pirates.
• They must have a good ownership that has a history of making sound personel decisions.
• Newer franchises are nice.
• You don’t have to be good, but you have to at least show promise
• A good coach will get you points, and so will running a defensive style of basketball.
• I love point guards who can pass the ball and score. This will be an important requirement
• A competitive Division is more bonus.

Right now, my long list of teams in contention is led by the Neew Orleans Hornets. I have been a huge fan of Chris Paul since he played at Wake Forest, and they just happen to be third in the NBA in points let up per game. Being a Big East fan I have also been a huge fan of  Emeka Okafor. The biggest problem is that there have been talks that Chris Paul could be leaving the hornets, but I don’t feel like that will happen after the Hornets fast start this season.

After that the List is really in no particular order.

1. New Orleans Hornets
2. Dallas Mavericks-Love Mark Cuban. He is a Pittsburgh guy, and I like that. Dirk is entertaining, and Jason Kidd is one of my all-time favorite players. They are also good defensively.
3. Golden State Warriors-I am oddly attracted to this roster. Monta Ellis is a beast. I am a fan of Stephen Curry. Not to mention, it would give me another reason to hate the Lakers.
4. Los Angeles Clippers-Curses are fun. Blake Griffin is a man child. Eric Gordon, Eric Bledsoe, and Baron Davis are a beautiful combination in the back court. However, I am not so sure about Vinny Del Negro.
5. Oklahoma City Thuder-Kevin Durant is always a great recruiting tool. Russell Westbrook is my kind of point guard. He is the kiond of player who does a little bit of everything.
6. Indiana Pacers-I watched a Pacers (for some odd reason I just love that nickname) game for the first time in a while the other day. I like Jim O’Brien, and I don’t feel like he has ever been given a fair shot to rebuild a team. Roy Hibbert is a nice low post player. Danny Granger is a good shooter, and I have always been a huge fan of both Darren Collison and Tyler Hansbrough. I also love the city of Indianapolis, so that is bonus points.
7. Portland Trailblazers-I like the way they play defense, and Nate McMillan’s style of play that he has his teams run. I have always been a fan of both Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Portland seems like a fun city to visit also.
8. Memphis Grizzlies-Sam Young gets them bonus points. Acie Law and Greivis Vasquez are two young point guards that I like, but neither have gotten any kind of playing time. Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo are a sick combination. Can’t help but love that Memphis BBQ too.
9. Charlotte Bobcats-D.J. Augustin is one of my favorite point guards. Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson are two players that I like. MJ owns them so, he will try and get this team to the top ASAP. Larry Brown is one of my all-time favorite coaches. The only problem is that no one knows how long he will be there.
10. Milwaukee Bucks-I have always been fascinated by Milwaukee, and their beer loving town. Brandon Jennings is a nice dynamic point guard, but out side of those two things there isn’t much.

So that is what I am working with right now. Almost all other teams have already out, but I suppose if someone catches my eye I will have to bring them back into discussion, but for right now the race is wide open, with the Hornets having the slight edge over the rest.

Part One:

I watched more NBA this season than ever before (this was first posted at the end of the 2009-2010 season), and it seems to be that this has come from an affection (yes, you could call it a bromance) for a number of players that I have truly enjoyed watching in college. Amung the likes of Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rando, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Sam Young, Dejuan Blair, and others.

I may have to spend the next NBA season shopping for an NBA team. I have already thought out the requirements.

• The team can’t be either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers. They have too many championships. I can’t be associated with the best football team and the best basketball team. That is kind of cheating.
• They must be semi-local to western PA. I mean without a Pittsburgh team, it is hard to find something local.
• It can’t be the Cavaliers. I hate Cleveland too much to force such a thing upon myself.
• They must be young, and hopefully have a young star in this years draft that I like. examples: Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson, Gordon Hayward, Ekpe Udoh, or Scottie Reynolds(even though he ripped my heart out, he is the kind of tough scrappy player that I would like to see get a shot in the NBA).
• Bonus points if you have a Pitt Player on your roster.
• If you are cursed (so the LA Clippers). It is what drew me into the Red Sox after my breakup with the Pirates.
• They must have a good ownership that has a history of making sound personel decisions.

I have never had a favorite NBA team. I have always just enjoyed watching my favorite players, and only caught games when I felt like watching basketball. I feel like I am starting to enjoy the NBA to the extent that I need to have a dedication to a favorite team.