2009-10 NBA Preview: Detroit Pistons

The Pistons got rid of Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace, but added Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva this off-season. The core of this team is still there and an improvement on their 39 win season is in their future. Can Villanueva fill the shoes that Rasheed Wallace left? Can Rodney Stuckey take his game to the next level? How much does Richard Hamilton have left in the tank? Here is the 2009-10 NBA Preview for the Detroit Pistons.

Additions/Subtractions - The Pistons were one of the most active teams in free-agency this past off-season. They signed two of the best free agents available right off the bat. Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva signed the same day for big money and will be slotted into the starting line-up this season. They also went out and signed Chris Wilcox and Ben Wallace, which will fortify their roster depth. I like their draft picks coming in. Austin Daye is a long, athletic player and DaJuan Summers could turn into a useful player for the Pistons. Rasheed Wallace, Walter Herrmann, and Allen Iverson are no longer with the team, but only one of those players they will miss, I'll let you decide which player that I am referring to.

2009-10 Expectations - After seven straight seasons of winning at least 50 games, they took a step back in 2008-09 and fell to 39-43. Michael Curry was fired as head coach and John Kuester was hired to lead the team. They signed Gordon and Villanueva to be fixtures on this team for years to come, but neither have really lived up to their potential so far in their NBA career. Gordon has proven to be a great sixth-man, but he is being paid "starter money" and Villanueva has only averaged 13.4 points per game since he was a lottery pick. They will miss Rasheed Wallace and his leadership, but Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey are still there to become the new leaders on this team. I believe the Pistons are expecting to be a top 5 seed in the East this year and if they don't make to at least the 2nd round of the playoffs, this season will be a failure.

2009-10 Prediction - The Stuckey/Hamilton/Prince/Villanueva/Kwame Brown starting line-up will lead this team to the playoffs, but they need more PG depth. Prince will end up being an All-Star and Gordon should win the Sixth-Man of the Year award. They will bounce back from the 39-win season and get back near their normal 50 win total.

2009-10 Win Total - 49-33

Are The Chicago Bulls Better in 2009-10?

The Bulls lost Ben Gordon this off-season via free agency to the Pistons, but the nucleus is there for the team to do well going forward. They traded for John Salmons and Brad Miller at the trading deadline last year, which turned out to be a great move. What Derrick Rose did with this team as a rookie was great and point guards tend to make jump in year two, which could be scary for the other teams in the Eastern Conference. Can the Bulls be better in 2009-10, even though they lost Ben Gordon?

With a rookie head coach, Vinny Del Negro, and a rookie point guard, Rose, the Bulls made the playoffs last year. They had a much better 2nd-half of the season, thanks to the Salmons/Miller trade. Del Negro did some good things, but still has a lot to do to make the next leap and get this team a higher seed and make it to later rounds of the playoffs. The Bulls/Celtics playoff series last year was one of the best in the history of the NBA, unfortunately it was a first-round match-up. Both of the teams deserved to move on in that series, it was amazing. Ben Gordon was a big part of that series, they will miss him, but with Salmons having an off-season to get familiar with the team, he could turn into something more special.

The back-court on the Bulls is the biggest asset to the team. Rose and Salmons will be great and Kirk Hinrich will be backing up Rose and play some two-guard as a 6th man. They could benefit from adding some depth at SG/SF, since the only Jannero Pargo is listed as the back-up an either of those positions. Depth will be an issue and if an injury occurs at either SG/SF, they could be in trouble.

The front-court needed a veteran and by adding Brad Miller, it happened. He can mentor Aaron Gray, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas and help them develop into great players. Noah and Thomas will be battling for playing time, but Thomas was trade bait this off-season, but nothing happened. I wouldn't be surprised if he is moved for back-court depth at some point this season. James Johnson and Taj Gibson were drafted and just waiting for an opportunity at PF, which Gibson could see time in the D-League to save a roster spot.

Do I think that the Bulls will be a better team without Ben Gordon? Yes I do, let me explain why. Gordon has never really developed into a consistent starter in the NBA. He could come off the bench and put in 20 points in the 4th quarter, but in many of those games, they were already behind and he didn't help. Don't get me wrong, Gordon is a good player, but John Salmons is the starting SG that this team needed. I think Derrick Rose will get the best out of the players on this team and with a few signings next off-season, they could be one of top teams in the league. The team could be a year or two away, but with the decline of the Celtics on the horizon during that time span and the possibility of Lebron James leaving Cleveland, there will be a spot in the Eastern Conference there for them.

My prediction for the Bulls is for them to end up as a 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. Their overall record will be around 53 win team and do well in the playoffs next season. I see great things for them this year and their future is even brighter. If they can build from the solid performance last season, 53 wins is very attainable. Derrick Rose could be an MVP candidate if they surpass 53 wins and he could turn into what Chris Paul has been the last two seasons. Chicago will be better than last year and the games against Detroit will be very fun to watch.

NBA Trade Frenzy : Pack Your Bags

In between Christmas and the trade deadline in February, expect many NBA teams to jockey for position by making a few trades to improve their teams going down the stretch. A lot of contenders have some key players, and more importantly, expiring contracts, to dangle out there for the best deal. Who will make the trades and what players will go? Who will clear more cap-space for the 2010 free agency period? Here are the top eight expiring contracts likely to be traded before the deadline.

8. Ben Gordon - Chicago Bulls ($6,404,750) - Chicago could make a starting line-up filled with guards, and need front-court help. They have just a one-year qualifying offer and it will be hard to trade Gordon since he had what is the equivalent of a "no-trade clause," since he would get Larry Bird rights at the end of this season. It will be hard to trade him, but I have a hard time believing that if Chicago lines up a trade that would put Gordon on a contender, that he would decline the trade.

7. Bobby Jackson - Sacramento Kings ($6,487,888) - The Sacramento Kings are off to one of their worst starts in the team's history and looked like they have already packed it in. Their coach was already fired and appears to be playing for more ping-pong balls in the lottery. The Kings could move Jackson to clear cap space for 2010 and maybe get a draft pick in the process. He has been a deadline gem the last fe seasons and it seems like that could be the case again this season.

6. Andre Miller - Philadelphia 76ers ($10,333,334) - Philadelphia had high hopes coming into the 2008-09 season with a positive showing in the playoffs last year and the signing of Elton Brand. The season didn't start off as they hoped and their coach was fired just a few weeks ago. The 76ers aren't going to be players in the 2010 free agency bonanza, so if they move Miller, it would be a move to build for next year. Philadelphia would be looking for first round picks and maybe a young point guard, something similar to the Devin Harris/Jason Kidd trade last year.

5. Lamar Odom - Los Angeles Lakers ($14,148,596) - The Lakers could be looking to make a move if some other Western Conference teams start improving their rosters. Odom, who hasn't played well in the playoffs, is now the Lakers sixth-man and looks like the most movable piece. Odom seems like he is content with his role with the team, but that could change with a more prominent 4th quarter role for Andrew Bynum. If Portland, New Orleans, or Boston make some moves, look for the Lakers to dump Odom to compete.

4. Eric Snow - Cleveland Cavaliers ($7,312,500) - Eric Snow is basically the Keith Van Horn of this season. He hasn't played in a game this year, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, it could be worth dangling out there for teams looking to make a run at free agents this off-season (Carlos Boozer) or the coveted 2010 off-season. Snow's contract isn't Cleveland's only expiring contract worth-noting as you will find out later.

3. Shawn Marion - Miami Heat ($17,610,000) - Miami has had its share of deadline trades and Marion's move has been rumored since the end of last season. The Heat are currently floating around .500 and in the Eastern Conference its good enough to make the playoffs, but probably not get out of the first round. Marion is the biggest impact-players currently on the market and I'm positive that a deal will come across Pat Riley's desk that will be too good to pass up. Shawn Marion will not be in South Beach by mid-February.

2. Wally Szczerbiak - Cleveland Cavaliers ($13,275,000) - It's amazing that Wally Szczerbiak actually signed a contract where he is getting paid this kind of money, but worst contracts have been signed. He is still a great shooter and can put up 20 points on any given night, but Cleveland doesn't need him and can use him to obtain a player to help them win a championship. Rumors of a possible deal with Milwaukee for Michael Redd could be where Szczerbiak lands. His contract is the ace up Cleveland's sleeve, the other elite teams (Boston and L.A. Lakers) can make a trade and improve their club as much as the Cavaliers.

1. Raef Lafrentz - Portland Trailblazers ($12,722,500) - Once the apple of Mark Cuban's eye, Lafrentz is relegated to the bench. His expiring contract could lead to a large power shift in the Western Conference. Portland is a young, explosive team and a trade of Lafrentz could land them some veteran leadership that they desperately need. A veteran point guard would be first on their list, someone to spell Rudy Fernandez and can maximize their offensive ability, since they have some great defenders in the low-post. If Portland can get a veteran or two in a trade, the Blazers instantly jumps up a few spots and could guarantee a spot in the playoffs.

The trade activity this season has only just begun. I think there will be more trades this season than in year's past and will change the playoff landscape. I wonder if Keith Van Horn will make a comeback for some of this action?