NBA Blast!

It's time to go....

2012-01-22T13:04:00.000+11:00

Throughout the NBA season there will always be trade rumors. Heres some where we just feel a deal should get over and done with so both parties can get on with their futures, whether that be through rebuilding with young players, or loading up to compete for a championship.

Dwight Howard- Please stop me if you've heard this guys name mentioned in trade rumors. Howards name has been the most talked about when it comes to trades since the start of the season and as each day goes on the risk becomes higher that Howard leaves Orlando for nothing. Surely they can't run that risk. Its time to go. The most probable place at the moment is probably the Lakers. They have a key asset in Andrew Bynum which they could trade for him and Howard wants to play in L.A. There were rumors of the Lakers having to give up Bynum and Gasol for Howard, but as the trade deadline drawing closer and with Bynum becoming more impressive, the Magic may have to settle for just Bynum. The only thing stopping the deal is the rumor that Howard wants to pair up with Deron Williams in Brooklyn. That story however is for another day.

Deron Williams- Oh, you've heard his name in rumors too? Williams is currently apart of a terrible Nets team, a perennial all star unable to use his skill set in a playoff contending team. Williams has stated his desire to stay with the Nets, but only if they can acquire Dwight Howard. So for the Nets its all (Howard and Williams) or nothing.

Ray Allen- Danny Ainge has seen the Celtics throw back their franchise before when they passed up opportunities to trade Bird, Mchale and Parish towards the ends of their careers. Now its time for him to make the move with his big 3. The first to go is Ray Allen. Still an incredible shooter despite his age, Ray could be a huge addition to a contending playoff team. But which contenders need a SG? My top 3 are Philadelphia, New York and the Clippers. All 3 teams could offer nice packages for Allen, which may be enough for Ainge to move him to avoid getting nothing for him next summer.

Steve Nash- Nash is rotting out in Phoenix. He's playing on a team thats not going to make the playoffs and he still has the skill set of any of the top PG's in the league, despite his age. The suns unwilling desire to give him up has been frustrating as a fan, but surely now is the time before he walks for a franchise which he has given his heart to.

Kevin Garnett- I can't see Pierce leaving Boston, but KG's contract ends this season, so there will be a desire for Ainge to move him if he is serious about breaking up the big 3. Again he would have to go to a contender requiring a PF. I'm looking at Orlando, Atlanta, Denver, Memphis or even the Thunder if they wanted Ibaka playing as a 6th man, a role he thrived in.

Big Night In The NBA!

2012-01-11T19:34:00.003+11:00

Blast News!

A big night in the NBA tonight saw a few big stories develop. Here's a wrap up of a few.

Wizards Get First Win.
Wizards coach Flip Saunders decided to bench starting forward and know big ego Andray Blatche and it lead to a convincing win against the Toronto Raptors at home. Its really just good to see the Wiz get a win.

Mavs Back On Track.
Dallas had a victory against Detroit tonight and this brings their record to 5-5, things are looking a lot better after the Mavs woe-full start to the season.

Bogut Return Helps Bucks To A Win.
Andrew Bogut returned from his personal problems in Australia and had a double double against the Spurs. He got a lot of help from Stephan Jackson with 34 points and 7 assists. This is a great win for the bucks to try and give them so momentum going forward.

Jazz Win Their 5th Straight.The Utah Jazz won their 5th straight game tonight against Cleveland 105 to 133. The jazz Host the Lakers tomorrow night and don't expect the Jazz to be the pushover they were earlier in the season, especially playing on their home floor. I expect a tight one in Salt Lake City.

Sixers Off To Flying Start.The Sixers are off to their best start in 11 years, starting 7 and 2 after their victory at home over the Kings tonight. Elton Brand lead the way for Philly with 21.

Warriors Cool off Heat In Overtime.The warriors were able to defeat the heat in overtime after Dorell Wright came up huge in the last late fourth and overtime to lead the warriors to victory. Lebron James threw up a few bricks that late that looked horrible, he just went missing the 4th quarter again. That being said he is having a outrageous season putting up MVP numbers early.

Kobe Goes For 48pts Against Suns.
Kobe Bryant had a 17pt first quarter and he never looked back on route to a 48 point game. Kobe also showed us some of those young Kobe moments with a reverse alley-oop and a nice blow by on grant hill.

LUKE WALTON ALERT!!!! Yes there was a Luke sighting tonight and he had a reasonable game with the crowd behind him 100% all game.
Watch the video below to see Kobe's back to back dunks against the suns.

The Blast: Power Rankings

2012-01-10T23:32:00.000+11:00

The Miami Heat continue their tear up of the league. The 76ers are playing their best basketball since the days of Allen Iverson. The Lakers have been revitalised by the return of Andrew Bynum. Finally the Wizards are the worst team in the league and are still win less with 8 losses. Lets get to week 2 of the blasts power rankings.

1. Miami Heat 8-1 (1)- The Heat are still on a roll and if not for a slip up against Atlanta last week, they would still be without a loss.
2. Chicago Bulls 8-2 (3)- The bulls are the second best team in the league and are again doing it with their incredible defense.
3. Oklahoma City 8-2 (2)- The Thunder are the best team in a western conference where every team shows its weaknesses on a nightly bases. They just have the least number of weaknesses.
4. Portland Trail Blazers 6-2 (4)- After all the seasons with horrible luck with injury the Blazers deserve some good fortune. This team is just clicking.
5. Philadelphia 76ers 6-2 (19)- The 76ers have reeled off 5 straight wins and are currently ranked the best offensive AND defensive team in the league. No one would have picked that. They are playing their best ball since the glory days of Dr.J and AI.
6. L.A Lakers 6-4 (9)- The improvement with Andrew Bynum back in the line up has been massive. They are the lakers of old and are a real threat in the West once again.
7. San Antonio 6-3 (5)- The Spurs are still playing good ball without Manu. I'm just worried they'll drop right back in the pack as his absence becomes notable.
8. Atlanta Hawks 7-3 (11)- The Hawks picked up a very nice win against a full strength Heat team. Then they go and lose to the same team without Wade and LeBron. Go figure.
9. L.A Clippers 4-2 (13)- The defense is slowly clicking and the offense is still there. If someone other than Griffin could grab a rebound this team will be a huge threat.
10. Orlando Magic 6-3 (7)- The Magic still have Dwight, for now, and are winning games thanks to his team mates, namely Ryan Anderson who is playing out of his mind to start the season.
11. New York Knicks 5-4 (8)- The Knicks are still terrible defensively, although it did look slightly better Tuesday, even if it was against the Bobcats. Melo is starting to dish to his team mates and become unselfish, which can only be a good thing for this club.
12. Boston 4-4 (10)- The Celtics looked a lot better with Pierce back in the line up, until Indiana managed to shut them down completely in their home gym.
13. Indiana Pacers 6-3 (6)- This Pacers team is still strong. We just over reacted early. With Granger out Tuesday they showed how essential it is to have all their players on the floor.
14. Denver Nuggets 6-4 (12)- Still as balanced as ever and still struggling to commit to defence.
15. Dallas Mavericks 4-5 (15)- Surely somethings gotta give soon for the defending champs.
16. Phoenix Suns 4-4 (20)- The Suns impressed more than a few with a huge win over the Blazers on TNT last Friday. With Nash leading the show, how could they be bad?
17. Utah Jazz 5-3 (18)- The Jazz are continuing to impress with their young squad and are getting solid wins on the board. Could they push for playoffs?
18. Memphis Grizzlies 3-5 (17)- I still can't believe a team that impressed so many in the playoffs last season can continue to disappoint this much. Z-Bo may be out, which means Gay must lead the offense.
19. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-4 (22)- The Cavs and Irving have been very impressive early. Their may be life after LeBron. Long live the king.
20. New Orleans Hornets 3-6 (21)- The Hornets have had their fair share of injuries early, most notably to Eric Gordon.
21. Toronto Raptors 4-5 (25)- The Raptors have had some great moments early, as well as some shockers. Thats what you'll get with a team who's best player is Andrea Bargnani.
22. Minnesota Timberwolves 3-6 (23)- Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love could bring something special in Minny, hopefully they stay around.
23. Houston Rockets 2-6 (14)- The Rockets are not as bad as their record suggests. Their defense has however been atrocious.
24. Golden State Warriors 2-6 (16)- The Warriors have suffered injuries in the early season and should improve, mainly through their new found commitment to defence.
25. Detroit Pistons 2-7 (26)- Surely Frank will have the Pistons playing defense shortly. Surely.
26. Milwaukee Bucks 2-6 (24)- The sooner Bogut returns the sooner the Bucks can actually have a shot at winning.
27. Charlotte Bobcats 2-7 (29)- The only positive for the Cats at the moment is that they are not the worst team in the league.
28. Sacramento Kings 3-6 (27)- Westphal got fired, which is definately a positive for the Kings. Can they finally find some chemistry and win with their young core?
29. New Jersey Nets 2-8 (28)- New Jersey. Please get someone in to help Deron Williams or trade him to a place we can see him prosper. Yours sincerely, every NBA fan in the world.
30. Washington Wizards 0-8 (30)- 3 more games, 3 more losses for the Wizards. Can someone teach this team how to pass?

The Blast: Power Rankings

2012-01-04T15:55:00.001+11:00

We are now 10 days in to this hectic shortened NBA season. The Heat and Bulls, as expected are off to hot starts in the East, while its the Thunder and the Blazers off to good starts in the West. There have however been surprises, including the Mavericks being last in the West. Here's week 1 of the Power Rankings

1. Miami Heat (5-1)- Miami have flown out of the blocks, as expected, having only dropped one game to an inspired Hawks team. The chemistry has gotten even better in Miami and they will remain in the top 3 all season.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-2)- The Thunder are also off the a quick start, led by MVP favorite Kevin Durant. They should also remain high on the power rankings, with an expected number 1 seed in the west.
3. Chicago Bulls (5-1)- The Bulls are enjoying a good start and have the be happy with the improvement of Omer Asik.
4. Portland Trailblazers (4-1)- The Blazers good start was a little unexpected. L.Aldridge filling up the stat sheet however was not.
5. San Antonio Spurs (3-2)- The start is indicating another playoff birth for the veteran spurs. However the loss to the wolves, along with Manu Ginobli with a fractured hand, will be extremely costly.
6. Indiana Pacers (4-1)- No one would have expected this good of a start from a well balanced Pacers team. They are improving on both ends and should be a solid threat in the playoffs.
7. Orlando Magic (4-2)- Despite all the Howard rumors and controversy surrounding the team the have gotten off to a solid start.
8. New York Knicks (2-3)- The Knicks have been slow out of the gate but there next few games are against week opponents. Look for their record to improve, especially as they regain players from injuries.
9. L.A Lakers (4-3)- The Lakers started slow but are regaining momentum with the return of big man Bynum.
10. Boston Celtics (3-3)- This veteran team could be as big of a threat as any in this shortened season, especially with the return of Paul 'the truth' Pierce.
11. Atlanta Hawks (4-2)-
12. Denver Nuggets (4-2)- The Nuggets balanced roster has again started out well. The record would have been even better if Galinari could finish his lay ups.
13. L.A Clippers (2-2)- Lob city is incredibly entertaining offensively, but are currently the worst defensive team in the league. Deandre Jordan must improve that.
14. Houston Rockets (2-3)- The Rockets will have another consistent season that should see them in the hunt for a low playoff seed out West.
15. Dallas Mavericks (2-4)- The biggest shock in the league is seeing the Mavericks at the bottom of the West after winning the championship last season. The Mavs new roster just hasn't clicked yet, however don't expect to see them this low in the rankings for too long.
16. Golden State Warriors (2-3)- The Warriors are finally seeing an end to their fast-paced, no defense game. They are still entertaining to watch and Mark Jackson promised fans playoffs at the beginning of the season. If the defense continues to improve, that is possible.
17. Memphis Grizzles (2-3)- Other than Dallas, the Grizzles have been the most surprising of the teams with bad records. They looked so good in the playoffs, but have started slowly this season.
18. Utah Jazz (3-3)- There not going to be as good as past Jazz teams, but with young names including Haywood, Favours and Kanter along with Jefferson, Milsap and Harris, you won't have to pay me to tune in and watch them on league pass.
19. Philadelphia 76ers (2-2)- The 76ers were impressive last season with their improvement and they should again improve their defense and make the playoffs this season.
20. Phoenix Suns (2-3)- Probably should have traded Nash a season or two ago when his value was higher as they need to rebuild through their young players.
21. New Orleans Hornets (2-3)- Got some nice assets for Paul and have been competitive early. The sooner Eric Gordon gets back on the court the better.
22. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-2)- The Cavs and their young roster has been impressive early, led by future all-star Kyrie Irving. He's a stud.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-3)- Another league pass favourite. Rubio and Williams have started their young career's well. Oh and Kevin Loves numbers have been ok too.
24. Milwaukee Bucks (2-3)- This team, with Bogut, should be a lot better than what they have been showing early.
25. Toronto Raptors (2-3)- The Raptors are in the rebuilding phase, however if Derozen and Bargnani can continue to light up the stats sheet like they did against the Knicks, they might actually win a few games.
26. Detroit Pistons (2-3)- We should continue to see an improved Pistons team with Frank as their coach. This is still an experienced roster and if they can begin to click they may even push for a low playoff spot. No joke.
27. Sacramento Kings (2-4)- If Demarcus Cousins had a good mindset and commitment to the Kings, they could have huge potential with evans and freddete in the frame.
28. New Jersey Nets (1-5)- The longer Lopez is out and the longer that no help is brought in to New Jersey, the less time Deron Williams may spend suiting up for the Nets.
29. Charlotte Bobcats (1-4)- The Bobcats have been competitive early, especially in a shattering loss to the Heat. They are a young team that will have to scrap to pick up wins throughout the season.
30. Washington Wizards (0-5)- The only team without a win through 10 days. John Wall is the future but he needs some help.

The Blast Rumour House

2012-01-02T21:55:00.002+11:00

A wrap up on the big rumours surrounding the NBA lately.

Injuries
-Eric Gordon's return is still a few games away, he will not play in the second game of the hornets back to back tomorrow.

Trade Rumours
-There is reports that DeMarcus Cousins has demanded a trade from the Sacramento Kings. It seems Cousins ego was too big for Sacramento town. The question at the moment is who wants the former number 4 pick? Maybe the celtics or even the Nets. He will have to check his ego issues if he wants to become a household name.

-The Orlando Magic are now taking offers from everyone for Dwight Howard. It seems they will make the trade sooner rather than later even if they run the risk of losing him to free agency.

-Rondo's name has been thrown around a bit lately regarding a trade being worked out.

Signings
-Yi Jianlian and the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a one year deal. Will Yi be able to save the slowly sinking ship in Dallas who today lost to the Timberwolves... yes I just said that.

Notes:
-Kobe Bryant became the youngest player ever to score 28,000 points loss in today's loss against the Denver nuggets, all in all it was a terrible game for Kobe who shot 6 of 23 from the field.

-The Bulls won by 50 points today!!! wow

BOLD PREDICTION
The T-wolves will win their next game making that 2 in a row!

Lakers Vs Nuggets Recap

2012-01-01T10:29:00.001+11:00

The Lakers played host to the Denver Nuggets this evening and the game had some headlines going in.

The Lakers were the victor but it was in no sense a pretty victory. The Nuggets had a chance to tie the game with only a few seconds remaining but Danilo Gallinari's missed a wide open breakaway layup giving Kobe Bryant (who was one assist shy of a triple double) the rebound and he would hit 1 of 2 free throws which sealed the game. Al Harrington did have a near half court shot to tie it but it was never going in.

It was Andrew Bynum's return to the NBA and what a return it was, 29pts on 13 of 18 shooting with 13 rebounds a 2 huge blocks. His presence down low was a huge factor in this game altering shots and intimidating the defence. The Lakers going forward look very deadly with him in the line up doing what he does best.

I cant finish this post without giving a shout out to Derek Fisher and his crazy hustle play with just over 2 mins remaining (will insert youtube link when available). He was forced to put up a shot on the shot clock buzzer and then chased down the rebound and Ty Lawson one of the quickest players in the NBA and dived on the ball calling a time-out. You can make claims like he is too slow and cant play any more but never question his heart and hustle.

The Nuggets on the other hand are quite a solid team with scorers all round and high energy players to make things happen for them. They were gifted a lot of open three's by the Lakers and this is what allowed them to get on top late and stay in touch early. Al Harrington was their top scorer off the bench with 21 points then behind him were three other players all with 13 points( Afflalo, Miller and Nene)

The Nuggets looked like a solid unit most of the game until the Lakers turned their defence to another level with the last made Denver field goal of the game at the 3min 40 mark. The Lakers defence is starting to really blossom under coach Mike Brown and opposing teams will have to adjust thier games just to play with their intense defence, that being said the Lakers can get Lazy and if they stop playing defence they look terrible.

The Blasts New Years Resolutions

2011-12-31T11:15:00.000+11:00

The Blasts New Years Resolutions

Celtics are finally on the way out.

Odom may not find his niche is Dallas.

Thunder will win west by 5 games.

Lakers have a big trade in the works.

The Pacers are improving and in a few years will be a very solid team.

New York still has not found that "defence" that has eluded them for so long.

Miami will go undefeated for the longest.

The Clippers will break the record for most alley oops in a season... Even with a 66 game season.

Blasting The Big Issues

2011-12-30T22:15:00.000+11:00

After 5 days of NBA action many story-lines have surfaced and we here at NBA Blast are here to give them to you.

-Dallas and Boston have both started the season without a victory. (granted Dallas was 1.4 seconds away from victory... but Kevin Durant hit a crazy shot on the buzzer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeZCNx7mYJk
Both teams are considered to be veteran teams but no one would have predicted this. Dallas has the Raptors at home tomorrow so this should lead to a victory and if it does not then there are some serious problems with the defending champs. The Celtics also have an easy game coming up against the pistons. Both teams should get a win from these games and try to get their season back on track. A good start is needed shortened season.

-The on-going Dwight Howard trade saga has continued and the Lakers are the only team with any buzz surrounding Dwight lately because of the nets losing Brook Lopez as a valuable trade piece for the time being. Dwight seems content at the moment but if he is serious about leaving surely the magic will do it soon, they sure as hell don't want him leaving for nothing like Lebron James did last summer.

-The Thunders hot start has been no surprise at all and they are sending the rest of the league a message with this hot start. This high energy team is a serious force to be reckoned with and the rest of the league is taking notice.

The Lakers have bounced back from their sloppy start to the season and picked up two victories in a row, most notibaly against the New York Knicks where they enitlated Knicks in all area's are Kobe did his usual thing. Saying that he feels better than he has ever felt in years, this has showed in his play this season where he has looked good all year still scoring in large numbers.

-The Rookies has impressed so far this season, Rubio has looked good and so has Kemba Walker. A breakout rookie in Anthony Cole was uncovered in Miami against the Celtics where he dominated and actually lead the heat to victory over their rivals the Celtics.

Blast Facts!
The Raptors are leading their division.
Amare injured his ankle against the Lakers and is listed as day to day.
Redd signs with the Suns
Michael Jordan is engaged!
Bynum comes back from suspension in the Lakers next game.
Brian Scalabrine has been seen getting into shape and is ready to make a impact... hehe

The daily blast

2011-12-27T22:54:00.000+11:00

A big night in the NBA saw 12 games played. There was a lot of action to be had so here's the blast.

New Jersey (90) VS Wizards (84) in Washington.
The Nets traveled to Washington for both teams season opener. This was a battle of elite PG's and Williams and Wall did not disappoint. The Wizards blew out of the gates and opened up a 21 point lead thanks to the play of their star young PG John Wall. However the nets would storm back, led by their star Deron Williams to take eventually take the lead and pull out an impressive win, considering they were missing their starting centre Brook Lopez.
NJ: points- D-Will (23), assists- D-Will (9), rebounds- Humphries (16), steals- Gaines (2), blocks- Williams, Petro and James (1)
Wizards: points- Young (16), assists- Wall (5), rebounds- Blatche (10), steals- Wall (3), blocks- McGee (3).

Bucks (95) VS Bobcats (96) in Charlotte.
In the second game on the schedule the bucks and bobcats opened their seasons in Charlotte. The battle saw Steven Jackson in foul trouble from early in the game and he was fouled out in the 3rd quarter. That caused the Bucks scoring to slow and the Bobcats took over through Henderson and Augustin. In a close finish, Mike Dunleavy finished an open 3 and rookie Kemba Walker pulled down a rebound, was fouled and managed to finish both clutch free-throws to seal a close win for the Jordan owned Bobcats.
Bucks: points- Jennings (22), assists- Livingston (6), rebounds- Bogut and Ilyasova (9), steals- Ilyasova and Bogut (2), blocks- Bogut and Gooden (1).
Bobcats: points- Augustin (19), assists- Diaw (9), rebounds- Diaw (11), steals- Maggette, Diop and Walker (1), blocks- Diaw (2).

Season Predictions

2011-12-25T21:37:00.000+11:00

TheAledShow's Predictions.

Finals Competitors- Thunder Vs Miami
Champion- Thunder
The Thunder seem to be perfectly poised the win it all this year. The Thunder have it all going for them, a future Hall Of Famer in Kevin Durant and a great supporting cast around him including a Kendrick Perkins who has slimmed down and has something to prove.

Wrenie's Prediction:

Final's competitors: Thunder VS Bulls
Champion- Bulls
Derrick Rose has his MVP, now he will lead the Bulls to their first championship since the Jordan era. They have the best starting 5 in the league with the addition of Rip Hamilton who gives them what they so desperately desired, a guard who can shoot. If Boozer can improve on his slow first season in Chicago and the Bulls can get past Miami in the East, they will be in a great position to take out the ring.

MVP
TheAledShow's Prediction- Kevin Durant
He will lead his team to the NBA finals and on the way he will pick up the MVP.

Wrenie's Prediction: Chris Paul
The guy that comes in to improve a teams roster often gets a lot of credit towards the MVP award. Paul will come into a lottery bound Clippers team and transform them into a genuine playoff threat.

Rookie Of The Year
TheAledShow's Prediction- Kemba Walker
The Young man impressed in the pre-season and gained praise from the great man himself Michael Jordan, saying he saw a lot of himself in the young guard.

Wrenie's Prediction: Kyrie Irving
The Cavaliers second number 1 pick in the past 10 seasons. We all know who the last one was. Irving has CP3 like potential and will start and be expected to contribute straight away for a young and inexperienced Cleveland team.

Defensive Player Of The Year
TheAledShow's Prediction- Dwight Howard
This man is ridiculous when it comes to blocking shots... Dwight seems a lock for this award.

Wrenie's Prediction: Tyson Chandler
It's hard to tip against Dwight. However if Chandler can come into New York and get them playing defense at a higher level than what they have been (which admitably is almost none) then he must get a lot of praise for this award.

Most Improved-
TheAledShow's Prediction- Paul George
I just got a feeling this guy is going to have a breakout year, and this are looking good in pacer town this year with a few key signings.

Wrenie's Prediction:Evan Turner/Demar Derozen
I couldn't split the 2. I'm high on both these guys from their pre-season and what has been coming out of training camps. Turner had a disappointing rookie season last year, but has been working hard on his overall game throughout the lockout and should have a solid season for the young sixers. Derozen has always had huge potential but has struggled through his early career to make it work as the lead man in Toronto. This season he may actually lead Toronto to the 'dangerous' team.

6th Man Of The Year
TheAledShow's Prediction- James Harden
All the talent and energy he brings to the court will help the always improving swingman to win this award

Wrenie's Prediction: Lamar Odom
This guy was a huge loss for the lakers. His loss alone has many predicting a huge fall in L.A, which shows the value he brings off the bench. Simply put he does a bit of everything without demanding the spot light.

BOLD PREDICTION-
TheAledShow's Prediction- Lakers will rise up and acquire Dwight Howard somehow keeping Kobe and Gasol in the process, which will poise the Lakers for a Serious shot at the title.

Wrenie's Prediction: I have several. Dwight WILL stay in Orlando and then leave for nothing next summer. Chicago WILL beat Miami in the East Finals. The Thunder WILL beat the Grizzlies in the West Finals. Finally Rose WILL lead the Bulls over the star struck Thunder in the NBA finals.

'The truth' unlikely to provide 'answers' against the Knicks on opening night

2011-12-24T19:57:00.000+11:00

News in is that Paul 'the truth' Pierce may be unable to suit up for the Celtics against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on opening night. Pierce is suffering a nagging heal injury that is likely to sideline, or at least reduce, his impact in the NBA's season opener. Pierce missed today's main session but did join the final shoot around and work outs after. Coach Doc Rivers has said he will go with his medical staffs opinion and not what Pierce tells him saying that 'an injury can be big in this condensed season. Even minor injuries that may keep a player out and then expand to 10 or so games are equal to 25 games (in the shortened 66 game season).' Pierce will most likely be a game time decision but Rivers has already said 'even if Paul is cleared to play he will come off the bench and play around 15-20 minutes'. Sasha Pavlovic is likely to start in his place as he did in the final pre-season game against the Raptors. The expected starters will be Rondo, Allen, Pavlovic, Garnett and O'neal.

Bulls Vs Lakers Xmas Preview

2011-12-23T20:17:00.000+11:00

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers enter this shortened season with a chip on their shoulder. After being destroyed by Dallas in second round of last seasons playoffs they must now show the NBA that they are a serious Championship contender.

The Loss of Lamar Odom will hurt the Lakers severely, especially when it comes to bench play. The Lakers Bench was subpar last season with Lamar Odom induced but now with no Odom and a lot of new faces, including Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy and Jason Kapono. The Lakers will also be without Andrew Bynum who is serving a 5 game suspension for his hit on JJ Barea in the playoffs and a injured Kobe Bryant, but everyone knows Kobe can still produce even whenseverely injured.

Even with the Lakers terrible bench they still have many weapons on the offensive end with a lot more shooters than last season and the combined talents of Kobe and Gasol. Any team with those two names in the starting line up can cause serious headaches for their opposition.

The Chicago Bulls and their reining MVP Derrick Rose are coming off a great 2010/2011 season and playoff run where they were eventually dispatched by Miami's Big 3 in the conference finals of last season. Derrick Rose will be huge problem for the Lakers with his vast array of moves and lighting speed as Fisher has not been able to keep up with young talented point guards of this generation.

The Bulls most notable signing this off-season was to add Richard Hamilton to their roster. Hamilton a Championship player and capable scorer will add even more depth to the bulls already amazing looking roster.

The Bulls look poised to be a serious challenger for the title this year and they should be in contention with Miami for that number 1 seed in the east.

The game on Christmas day is set to entertain but I see the Lakers coming out on top. A disappointing pre-season and many people dissing the Lakers will just act as motivation for the Lakers to come out on opening night and show the NBA what they are made of. It will be a extremely close game and Pau Gasol will need to step up big time. The bulls just won’t be able to stay with the Lakers if they execute their offence correctly and play tough D.

Prediction- Lakers by 4.

NBA off-season signings

2011-12-23T19:21:00.001+11:00

NBA off-season signings, a set on Flickr.

Key off-season signings in the NBA

The blasts take- Friday 23rd December 2011

2011-12-23T15:44:00.000+11:00

This is the first week of 'the blasts take' a weekly take of all the key news in the NBA.

The season is finally set to get underway at 4 am Monday the 26th of December, Australian time and fans are a buzz. Opening day features 5 games including an Atlantic clash between the Knicks and Celtics in New York, the Finals rematch with the Heat and Mavs in Dallas, a power house in the East VS a power house in the West with the Bulls and Lakers in L.A, the up and comers against the potential decliners with the Thunder and the Magic in OKC and the two up and comers with the Clippers and Warriors at Oracle Arena. It is sure to be an intriguing opening day with all games being a must watch. All the action will be covered here at the blast so be sure to check in for daily updates.

There is massive news in New Jersey with the Nets starting centre Brook Lopez sidelined with a broken foot in practice. This not only weakens the current roster but also sees the Nets decline in the race for the Magic's Dwight Howard, who they have been strongly linked to with Lopez being the key trade piece. Deron Williams is in desperate need of help in New Jersey and this injury certainly does not help. The Nets did however find a temporary solution by trading for the Jazz's Mehmet Okur for a draft pick. Okur is a former team mate of Williams' in Utah and will help by stretching the floor as a shooting 7 footer.

Matt Barnes has been the first to express his frustration with the new rivalry in L.A. This is arguably the first season in the history of having 2 teams in L.A that have been questioned over which is better, with the clippers signing Chris Paul, Caron Butler, Chauncey Billups and resigning Deandre Jordan in the off-season. The Clippers defeated the Lakers comfortably in both pre-season games played between the two clubs. Barnes was in the centre of the action when he shoved Blake Griffin to the floor, which he received a flagrant foul for. He expressed his frustration for all the celebrations after the dunks in which the clippers were performing saying 'It's as if every dunk they did won them the dunk contest'. He also said 'It's good for them to see that they have signed some good players and there will be some competition here in L.A'. If the pre-season and the competitiveness and physical play of both teams is anything to go by, this should be a good showdown to watch this season.

Thats about all for the blast in this shortened, first and final pre-season edition. Check back next week for a comprehensive rap of all the NBA action as the first week unfolds! Keep blasting

Miami VS Dallas preview

2011-12-23T14:46:00.000+11:00

Game 2 of the NBA's opening night features the rematch of last seasons NBA finals with the 'Heatles' playing the 'big D' in Dallas.

The Heat come into the season regarded as the best team in the league with their star-studded trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh having a year of playing together and learning each others games. James and Wade are 2 of the top 3 players in the league and will surely force Miami deep into the playoffs again for what should be another finals appearance. There expected starters for the game are Mario Chalmers, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Joel Anthony. Their key bench players are Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier. This is a tremendously strong team with the only real needs being a stronger centre and a veteran, unselfish point guard.

The Mavericks come into this season in an interesting position. Free Agency saw them lose key championship players including Tyson Chandler (to the Knicks), Caron Butler (to the Clippers) and J.J Barea (to the Wolves). They did however make up for these loses with key signings including Vince Carter, Delonte West and Lamar Odom. This will be an interesting season for the veteran Mavericks that should again see them as a strong contender in an even Western Conference. The expected starters will be Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Shaun Marion, Dirk Nowitzi and Brendan Haward. Their key reserves are headlined by Jason Terry and reigning 6th man of the year Lamar Odom along with Delonte West, making this one of the deepest teams in the league yet again. The main question for the Mavericks is whether they can repeat back-to-back championships, which has been proven hard to do in the best basketball league in the world.

With all factors considered and the off-season moves in place, these two teams should again be high seeds in their respective conferences. The Mavericks, despite losing key pieces, have made key signings which have put them in good steed for the season. However no-one can ignore the star power of this Miami team and with a year of chemistry behind them, expect to see the Heat back in the NBA finals and contending for their first ring together.

Prediction: Miami by 7

Dwight Howard Race!!

2011-12-23T08:59:00.000+11:00

New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez has fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and will have surgery this Friday.This injury can sideline players for up to 10 weeks. Pau Gasol suffered the same injury at Memphis but still managed to come back strong. Deron Williams said that "Brook's a big part of our team. But there's one thing you learn in this business -- you can't control injuries. From what I understand, it's not that severe, so hopefully he'll be on the court soon."

This is a huge blow for the New Jersey Nets who were looking to build a trade package around Brook Lopez for Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. At this point in time this surely leaves The Lakers as frontrunners in the Dwight Howard race. For a good part of the off-season the Lakers have been competing with the New Jersey nets for the trade rights to Dwight Howard. Now with Lopez out of the picture it would mean the Lakers would not have to give up as much as they originally planned. The Lakers have been rumored to offer a trade package around Andrew Bynum and/or Pau Gasol along with other players and draft picks but now it seems possible that the Lakers can get Dwight without giving up 2 big men.

The Orlando Magic's All Star Center and reigning DPOY has asked for a trade out of Orlando this Off-season but the magic seem to be hesitant to trade him and are trying to convince him to stay. One would assume that the Magic would rather trade him sooner rather than later so they don't run the risk of losing him for nothing. (like Lebron)

Knicks VS Celtics preview

2011-12-23T00:07:00.000+11:00

The opening game of the NBA season is the New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks will come in with their star duo Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire having a year of playing with each other, as well as free agent acquisitions Tyson Chandler and Baron Davis. The Knicks should be much improved and are expecting big things this season, with coach Mike D'Antoni saying they 'must be considered a contender'. There depth however can be questioned with no real strong big men to back up Tyson Chandler who despite last years healthy and successful season, is injury prone. The Knicks should have a starting line up of Baron Davis, Landry Fields, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire and Tyson Chandler with key bench players being Toney Douglas and rookie Irman Shumpert.

The Celtics come in for what will likely be one last shot at a championship with their aging roster. The Celtics big 3 + 1 includes all stars Rajon Rondo, the best 3 point shooter in the game Ray Allen, The Truth Paul Pierce and Kevin 'the big ticket' Garnett. With Allen, Pierce and Garnett drawing closer to the end of their Hall of Fame careers however this is probably the Celtics last shot at a title for a few years. Paul Pierce does however come into the season banged up and with recent news of key player Jeff Green's heart condition that will keep him out for the entire season, the Celtics are not looking good even in a shortened season. Their depth can also be questioned with the loss last season of key players including delonte west, nate robinson, kendrick perkins, shaquille O'neal and recently Jeff Green. The starters are expected to be Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal.

This will be an intriguing opening night Eastern conference match up between the 2 teams most likely to be a top of the Atlantic division. Despite the Celtics winning all 8 games against the Knicks last season, the off season additions the Knicks have made should be able to contribute right away and help pull out a close opening night game against the C's.

Prediction: Knicks by 5.

CP3 to LA!

2011-12-15T14:28:00.000+11:00

A deal has finally been completed which will see Paul end up in LA, there 'other team' the Clippers.

The deal sees the Hornets obtain guard Eric Gordon, forward Al-Farouq Aminu, center Chris Kaman and the 2012 first round draft pick originally owned by the timber wolves. The Clippers will receive All-star guard Chris Paul and 2 second round draft picks in 2015. This is a fantastic deal both ways as the hornets receive great young talent in Gordon and Aminu as well as former all-star Chris Kaman to go with what will be a very high first round pick in what is a talented draft.

The Clippers benefit by receiving one of the top 3 PG in the NBA to pair with the unbelievably talented Blake Griffin as well as FA import Caron Butler as well as the recently resigned Deandre Jordan who will now be there starting center. This deal gives the Hornets a very bright future with some terrific young players as well as making the Clippers very dangerous in what has become a weakened Western Conference with a lot of star players moving East in recent years.

The Clippers with there off-season moves should immediately come into contention for not only a playoff seed but should also be a dangerous contender to come out and win the West. This is an intriguing deal that has played out over the past week and has finally been resolved.

The only question left now is how strong can the clippers be?

Nene resigns with Denver

2011-12-14T14:42:00.000+11:00

In a surprise move Nuggets Centre Nene has resigned a 5 year deal with the team. Nene had been rumored to sign elsewhere with a lot of teams interested in the talented big man. The Nets were originally the favorite to sign Nene, along with the Houston Rockets. However Nene has reportably signed a new deal with the Nuggets, which to me is a puzzling move as they have no other key pieces that will see Nene reach what every player desires, a championship ring. This is an interesting move both for the Nuggets franchise, as they are signing Nene to a massive deal for a guy who is probably not a number 1 option on offense or defense and for Nene, who has no other considerable pieces around him in Denver.

Dwight Howard narrows list to four

2011-12-14T13:47:00.000+11:00

The continued saga of Chris Paul has a side plot with fellow superstar Dwight Howard also rumored to be traded by the Orlando Magic.

The All-NBA centre originally requested a trade from the Magic, twice, but has reportably since changed his mind and would be happy to stay in Orlando if they brought in more players of his choosing. His original trade request was because he was unhappy with some deals GM Otis Smith and done or not done because of a lack of communication with Howard, the franchise player.

He is however still open to signing a long term deal with the Magic as well as the Lakers, Nets and Mavericks. The Magic will be in no rush to deal the best big man in the league and will do everything they can to keep him happy.

I feel Howard will stay in Orlando for the season, however if the Magic cannot get any significant deals done, which put them in the situation to compete for a championship, he may walk and leave them for nothing as a FA at the end of the season. Howard is however very fond of the organisation and if no deals are in place by the trade deadline he would demand a trade to ensure the Magic get pieces back for him, rather than him leave for nothing.

Free Agency Tracker

2011-12-14T04:31:00.000+11:00

Arron Affalo- Resigned with Nuggets
Ray Allen- Exercised option with Celtics
Lou Amundson- Resigns with Warriors
Leandro Barbosa- Resigns with Raptors
JJ Barea- Signs with the Timberwolves
Tony Battie- Resigns with 76ers
Shane Battier- Signs with the Heat
Mike Bibby- Signs with the Knicks
Chauncey Billups- Signed on waivers by the Clippers
Derrick Brown- Signs with Bobcats
Kwayme Brown- Signs with the Warriors
Shannon Brown- Signs with the Suns
Caron Butler- Signs with the Clippers
Rasual Butler- Signs with the Raptors
Brian Cardinal- Resigns with the Mavs
Anthony Carter- Signs with the Raptors
Mario Chalmers- Exercised option with Miami
Tyson Chandler- Signs with the Knicks
Wilson Chandler- Opts out of Nuggets deal to move to China
Daequan Cook- Resigns with the Thunder
Glen Davis- Signs with Orlando
Boris Diaw- Resigns with the Bobcats
Goran Dragic- Stays with Houston
Mike Dunleavy- Signs with the Bucks
T.J Ford- Signs with the Spurs
Jeff Foster- Resigns with the Pacers
Marc Gasol- Resigns with Grizzlies
Aaron Gray- Signs with Toronto
Jeff Green- Resigns with Boston
Chuck Hayes- Signs with Sacremento
Grant Hill- Resigns with Suns
Eddie House- Resigns with Heat
James Jones- Resigns with Heat
Deandre Jordan- Resigns with Clippers
Jason Kapono- Signs with the Lakers
Nenad Kristic- Signs deal with Russian team
Jamal Magloire- Signs with Toronto
Kenyon Martin- Signs deal in China
Roger Mason- Signs with the Wizards
Tracy McGrady- Signs with Hawks
Nazr Mohammed- Resigns with the Thunder
Drew Neitzel- Signs with Mavs
Greg Oden- Resigns in Portland
Larry Owens- Resigns with Wizards
Anthony Parker- Resigns with Cavs
Sasha Pavlovic- Resigns in Boston
Tayshaun Prince- Resigns in Detroit
Vladimir Radmonovic- Signs with Atlanta
Zach Randolph- Resigns with Grizzlies
Jason Richardson- Resigns with Orlando
J.R Smith- Signs deal in China
Sebastian Telfair- Signs with Suns
Kurt Thomas- Signs with Blazers
Marcus Thornton- Signs with Kings
Sasha Vujacic- Signs with Turkish team
Von Wafer- Signs with Orlando
Earl Watson- Resigns with Utah
Sonny Weams- Signs deal in Lithuania
David West- Signs with Pacers
Chris Wilcox- Signs with Boston
Damien Wilkins- Signs with Pistons
Brendan Wright- Signs with Mavs
Thadeus Young- Resigns with 76ers

Whats up with CP3?

2011-12-14T04:02:00.000+11:00

The latest deal for all-star guard Chris Paul has hit a snag and fans around the world are wondering whats next?

The first deal for CP3 has him moving from the hornets to the lakers in a deal that would see him join fellow all star Kobe Bryant. The lakers would move lamar odom to the hornets and Pau Gasol to the rockets in the deal. The rockets also lent a hand, sending highly rated forward Luis Scola, guard Kevin Martin and young point guard Goran Dragic to the Hornets along with several first round draft picks. However the trade was rejected by the league saying the lakers were not giving up enough in the deal and would be too star-studded.

This frustrated the lakers, including players included in the deal, namely Lamar Odom. A day after the trade had been rejected by the league, Odom demanded a trade from the Lakers as he was that hurt that he was included in trade talks after all he had given the club. The reigning 6th man of the year was then traded to the enemy Dallas Mavericks for draft picks, a move that has left star guard Kobe Bryant 'pissed off'.

The second rumored deal for Paul saw him moving the LA's 'other team' the Clippers. The deal however was ultimately put on hold by the clippers because of the demands the league owned hornets were making. They insisted that the clippers included highly touted guard Eric Gordon as well as the prized first round 2012 draft pick, which belonged to the Minnesota Timberwolves and will be a high pick in what is rumored to be a deep and talented draft. The Hornets also wanted Chris Kaman and his expiring contract as well as talented young players Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe included in the deal, which the Clippers, as well as the rest of the world, considered way too high of an asking price. With the deal now on its hinges and likely to be completely called off by the Clippers, what happens next?

The Hornets asking price for Paul is currently way too high or any club to trade for him and at this rate he will not get traded and will be simply able to walk in the FA period of 2012, where he is an unrestricted free agent. His original destination of choice, the Knicks, have no hope of fulfilling his wish as they simply don't have the pieces required to put a deal together that would be accepted by the league and commissioner David Stern.

Stay posted for the latest news on Free Agency and the CP3 buzz.