This season has had some ridiculous free agent conspiracies, cough cough, oops, I mean signings. With the Miami Super friends taking all the media attention, and the 2010 FIBA World Championship, its hard to focus on the upcoming 2010-11 season.

Today we focus on which players will have a breakout season in 2010-11, and why.

1. Darren Collison, Indiana Pacers

If O’Brien doesn’t figure out how to adapt to his game, he is not a good coach. Collison posted All Star level caliber performances over 40 games as the starter while Chris Paul was out, which is a long enough stretch to dispel any chance of it being a fluke. 2.

Anthony Randolph, New York Knicks

If Randolph starts, he will show Amare what rebounding and blocking shots are. Randolph’s main threat to stunt his unreal breakout potential are injuries and Russian import Timofey Mosgov taking over the starting position at center.

Don Nelson had a Chris-Webber like vendetta against Randolph, but with a new coach and a new team, the sky is the limit for this kid.

3. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

Look for Love to win the rebounding title, or come damn close. Seriously, his DNA attacks basketballs careening off the rim. With Jefferson gone, his numbers will spike, including assists.

Love is a brilliant passer, and although he lacks a but on the the defensive end, he will likely devise a strategy that works to make that part of his game solid as well. He is intelligent enough to make it happen.

4. Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers

Look for him to dominate the minutes and the paint. Legitimate 15-10 here. Speights has the game, and frame, to help the 76ers turn things around. Like Randolph, he was riddled with injuries, and never quite was able to find his stride after returning.

With Samuel Dalembert gone, Speights has to share time with Elton Brand and his insane contract (good job Ed Stefanski!) who might get minutes simply because of his contract.

5. Tiago Splitter, San Antonio

After watching him in the FIBA Tournament, it is safe to say Splitter will have a break out year his first year in the NBA. He has it all. Power, athleticism, coordination, soft touch.

Splitter will get as many minutes as he can play, and pushes Duncan over to his natural power forward position. Although personal numbers can suffer in Poppovich’s system, Splitter will be a breakout player in how he changes the landscape in San Antonio this year.

Noteworthy:

Greg Oden, Travis Outlaw, Jrue Holliday, and Ramon Sessions.

The Indiana Pacers have solidified their point guard situation, after a 5-year lapse at the position, by acquiring Darren Collision. Although the Pacers had to give up Troy Murphy and take on the inflated salary of James Posey, the Pacers made the right decision by pulling the trigger on this deal.

Collison showed star caliber potential with the Hornets after stepping in for Chris Paul last season, and averaged a not-so-average 18.8 points and 9.1 assists during 37 starts.

Larry Bird had these thoughts to share on how Collison will immediately help the youth movement in Indiana:

“I think it helps out tremendously,” Bird said. “I think this was the piece that we needed. The vision I have for this franchise is to get the core group up and ready to go as quick as we can, and this piece here will accelerate everything.”

Indiana Pacers fans already have shown their approval of this move, as ticket sales have already experienced a jolt after they heard the news. Perhaps they all recall the triple double produced against the Pacers in February.

Hope has arrived in Indiana.

Collison is accustomed to a winning brand of basketball, and he will bring his UCLA heritage of winning and inject it into the culture of Indiana basketball:

“People can look forward to a player that loves to win,I just want to bring that excitement back to the city.What I am is a hard-working player, someone that loves to win and will do anything to win games,” Collison said. “Last year with New Orleans, it didn’t sit well with me because we didn’t make the playoffs. I’m not accustomed to that coming from UCLA.”

Although the Easter Conference has suddenly become more tough with all the free agency action skewing the talent to the east, the Pacers can at least offer their fans hope to return to the playoffs.

The Pacers are stuck dealing with T.J. Ford, whom declined a buyout and will serve as Collison’s highly overpriced backup at $8.5 million this year.

Regardless of any unfavorable situations Ford may cause due to his own unhappiness,Indiana Pacers fans can now rejoice knowing they have solidified  a younger core.

Chris Paul returned to the lineup to help inspire the New Orleans Hornets to a victory over the Dallas Mavericks, 115-99. Paul’s return to the starting lineup relegated superb rookie Darren Collison back to the bench, where he still contributed 16 points and 8 assists in 34 minutes. Those number are expected to decline as Paul’s minutes increase.

The real question is: Should the Hornets risk playing Chris Paul at all this season? If so is it only to showcase he has recovered completely from his injury and that his trade value this summer has not diminished?

Could Paul save the Hornets by being traded?

With the Hornets all but completely eliminated from the playoffs what sense is there in risking any further injury or aggravation to your franchise player’s knee?

Is it because the level at which Darren Collison has performed as a starter during his rookie season might be the reason?

The Hornets benefit of playing Paul is that they can evaluate if he is capable of regaining his form after surgery and showcase this form to potential trade suitors. The only logical explanation is that they want to show league Paul has maximum trade value.

New Orleans can decide which of the following potential moves benefit them the most:

1. Trade Chris Paul to acquire any/all missing pieces of the puzzle and cap relief in the form of expiring contracts.
2. Trade Darren Collison and acquire a smaller piece of the puzzle.

Trading Paul might sound like the most ludicrous trade in the history of mankind, but for a team in serious financial strife ($15,630,994 over the cap, which really means $31,261,988), handing over the reigns to Darren Collison is a reasonable downgrade.

Plus, Chris Paul commands so much in return via trade that the Hornets could pillage a roster for the players to fill in every possible void, and bundle in Peja Stojakovic’s stupidly rich contract.

The only possible downside to playing Chris Paul now really is if he injures his knee again, lessening his value for the summer.

With Chris Paul out due to knee surgery Darren Collison has emerged into respectability as an NBA point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.

Tonight was his 3rd consecutive game in which he hit 20 points or more. He went finished with 25 points and 9 assists against Rajon Rondo, who is quite possibly the best defensive point guard in the business.

In following up to my earlier piece on how he would fare filling the shoes of CP3, it has not only become apparent that he has done so successfully, but one might argue Collison is the most NBA-ready, pure point in the 2009 NBA draft class.

He had shown solid signs as CP3′s back up, but now he is keeping the Hornets playoff chances alive. They are currently ranked 10th in the Western Conference.

CP3 meet DC2: Darren Collison. (Credit: picapp.com)

Collison was instrumental in leading the Hornets to a victory over the Celtics tonight. His energy and defensive pressure was a major distraction for Boston. He did commit a New Orleans Hornets team record 10 turnovers, but hey, he was playing against Rondo.

During February Collison is averaging 19.7 Points and 8.2 Assists. That is not as good as Paul, but compared to other starting point guards in the league, it is impressive.

Collison currently ranks 10th amongst the top rookies in player efficiency rating for the season. I predict “DC2″ will be climbing higher up the rankings as the next month unfolds with starter minutes.

If you play Fantasy Basketball, you should hope you can still pick him up.

Chris Paul is having knee surgery. The projected timetable for his return is varying based on which report you read, and the New Orleans Hornets must be concerned about their 2009-10 season being a wash.

Hornets fans already know this, but for those who do not follow them closely, you should take a closer look at rookie PG Darren Collison.

Paul will lead his team from the sidelines until his knee recovers. (Credit: picapp.com)

When Paul went down earlier in November, Collison stepped in, leading the Hornets to a 4-3 record. He put up solid numbers, and his averages when starting are very good: 15.1 points, 7.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds.

It also can’t hurt Collison to have been Chris Paul’s understudy all year. That alone is a huge benefit boding well for his future as the interim starter for the Hornets.

The long term effects of this injury are unknown, as a long term prognosis has yet to be diagnosed. One thing is an absolute certainty: Chris Paul is the face of the franchise, and rushing him back under any circumstances is not worth the risk.

You want to avoid seeing Paul end up with a Michael-Redd-like scenario at any possible cost.

The Hornets backcourt will undergo some serious litmus tests in the coming days, as both starters will be rookies Collison and Marcus Thornton. Thorton has emerged as a valid scorer, and Collison is coming off 17 points and 18 assists in has last game.

Will these guys hit the rookie wall? We are getting to the point of the season where the rookies start to fall off statistically, so the timing of Paul’s injury could ultimately implode the Hornets if both Collison and Thornton run out of gas.

I think Collison is safe from the wall. He is a quality player, and he would likely be a starter on many other teams. However, since Paul was netting 38:42 minutes a game, Collison is essentially fresh enough to really come on strong during the second half.

I am high on Collison, and believe he will step up and produce in a  big time fashion for the Hornets. I just think that the second unit will be depleted to the point that the Hornets’ first unit will find themselves playing catch up every time they check back into the fray.

Get well Chris Paul, but please don’t rush back. No matter how good Collison plays, nobody will forget about you.

]]> http://protectthepaint.com/2010/02/01/chris-paul-injury-will-test-darren-collison/feed/ 0 http://protectthepaint.com/2009/06/22/southeast-division-nba-draft-preview/ http://protectthepaint.com/2009/06/22/southeast-division-nba-draft-preview/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:31:42 +0000 Adam Sedie http://protectthepaint.com/?p=741

The Orlando Magic  rose out of the Southeast division into the NBA finals this year. The possible return of Josh Childress to Atlanta (they still have his rights as a restricted free agent), roster moves made by Miami, and the future of Hedo Turkoglu’s free agency ventures all will factor into this summers moves.

There is plenty of  room for teams to rise and fall in this division. If Washington starts the season healthy they are Protect the Paint’s choice to have the biggest turnaround year, possibly turning a 19 win last season into a 50 win season.

Jordan Hill’s game would be a nice fit in Washington. (Credit: ESPN)

Washington Wizards (19-63)  With the  #5 pick  Jordan Hill or James Harden looks like the most promising for the Wizards. Adding someone with size and or scoring ability is a good contingency plan for an injury riddled roster.

At the 32 pick it is not too far-fetched to see someone like Patrick Mills or Darren Collison being  selected for additional depth at PG. This might be a wise choice as Gilbert Arenas’ knee is an unknown factor.

Charlotte Bobcats (35-47)  Charlotte is stacked at the forward position. They should focus to find smart, athletic and defensive minded guards that can play for Larry Brown. With the 12th pick look to see Charlotte selecting Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, or Terrance Williams.

It is a possibility that Raymond Felton Leaves leaving the Bobcats with DJ Augustine and little else at the point. This philosophy should hold up with the 40th pick as well, and North Carolina Tarheels’ Wayne Ellington and Danny Green could be available this deep.

Ty Lawson is a champion in the NCAA. Can that translate to the NBA? (Credit: themixtapemonster.com)

Atlanta Hawks (47-35) In a deep draft for guards, a PG reserve for Mike Bibby would not be bad with both  the 19th and 49th pick. Marvin Williams and Josh Childress are restricted free agents.

Rumors for Josh Smith being moved also can play into Atlanta moving up in draft order.  With people worrying Ty Lawson might be injury prone, look for him to still be available at pick 19.

Joe Ingles could surprise the NBA (Credit: draftexpress.com)

Miami Heat (43-39) holds the 43rd and 60th (via Indiana). Vastly improved with a rejuvenated Dwyane Wade. The heat must ask if Mario Chalmers is the long term answer at the point, and if Michael Beasley is a more natural fit at the 3. The Heat could look for a big like Joe Ingles or Josh Heytvelt.

If all quality bigs are gone by pick #60, look for Miami to have another “steal of the draft” type Guard in Jodie Meeks or international players Rodrigue Beaubois (France), Nando De Colo (France), or Patrick Beverly (Ukraine).

Orlando Magic (59-23) Orlando has no picks in this years draft and will make retaining free agent Hedo Turkoglu their main objective. Look to see potential trades involving Rafer Alston including picks or future picks. Other than that, the Magic stand pat (no pun intended, Pat Williams)

The division featuring the 2008-09 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers will have other teams in the division seeking out immediate help to contend during the 2009-10 season. Look out for a healthy Los Angeles Clippers roster with Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon leading the way to contend this season as the best in the west.

Yup, we said it. The Clippers.

Griffin will make an immediate impact in the NBA (Credit: northwesternwins.com)

Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)     The Lakers could lose Lamar Odom, and Trevor Ariza to free agency. Although highly unlikely, it is a possibility. The only real weakness the defending champs will have is depth at point guard.  Jordan Farmar has not proven his worth as a long-term solution. Look for LA to see what is left on the table with the 29th pick. Perhaps they will stay local and draft another UCLA alum in Darren Collison. If not, they would need to go for the best available player like Marcus Thornton.

Phoenix Suns (46-36)    With a team full of veterans and no room on the roster, we suggest you keep your eyes on the trade market as with only $7 Million of salary on Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley, Robin Lopez, Louis Amundson and Alando Tucker,  With Dragic expected to see an increase in tim t his year, It might be a stretch, but Chase Budinger would be a nice local fit after playing down at the road at Arizona last season.  If not Budinger, perhaps James Johnson is another suitable option at SF.

Jennings has 1 year of pro experience in Europe. (Credit: Rueters)

Golden State Warriors (29-53)    The Warriors are at a crossroads. Their most glaring need is a true point guard. Monta Ellis is supposed to be their 1, but he is absolutely a pure 2 in a 1’s body.  Even though Ellis was promised by management a PG would not be drafted, look for the Warriors to select either Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn or Stephen Curry. Curry would fit into Nelsons offense almost immediately. If the Warriors draft Curry, watch out for trades coming out of Oakland in the immediate future.

Los Angeles Clippers (19-63)    This is a no brain decision. Blake Griffin. Look forward to having two franchises in Los Angeles at the top of this division very soon. With Eric Gordon having starters minutes and a healthy roster from the start of the year, look out for Blake Griffin and the Clippers

RIcky Rubio is a hot NBA draft commodity (Credit: panaramio.com)

Sacramento Kings (17-65)    The Kings need one position desperately filled in the Sactramento: a solid PG. If  not available with the 4th overall pick, it is within reason to see the Kings making draft day moves to secure Ricky Rubio as their long term investment at PGs. If Rubio is not available,  look for Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings, and as a long shot we have Jeff Teague.