This is What Happens When You're Unprepared.

So I missed the start of the season. I turned around and the first games were starting and I just had to watch. And before I knew it, I had enough for a lengthy article and can't even remember what I was thinking of doing for the season preview. Therefore, enjoy these thoughts on the first 2 nights of NBA basketball.

Can I have one of those 'ifs' back?

I take it back. Kyle, don't venture inside the 3 point line. Just stand out there and shoot. Do not ever put the ball on the floor. You're trying to do too much and it's affecting your game. You have a speciality. Stick to it.

Swim Upstream Already!!!

This is John Salmon's last year under his current contract. He's going to have to prove to everyone that he can actually play basketball. During the opening game this year, I said to a friend, "He's gotta average 12 pts a game this year. His job is to come in and score." He shows it sometimes and took the ball to the hole on 3 consecutive possessions against Milwaukee. I still think Korver would be better in that role as the bench scorer with Salmons in the starting lineup, but Salmons seems to be doing some of the things needed of him. A little more though would be better. IIRC he ended that game against Milwaukee with 10 pts. 12 would have provided the win.

Don't Overreact.

Chris Webber had an amazing first game and showed that he and Allen Iverson can coexist. Webber went off early and finished with 32pts, 14 boards, and 5 assists. He even got 2 blocks, which was impossible last year. But it was still only one game. Webber still shot too many jumpers in the game. He scored most of his points on the low post, with putback dunks and jump hooks. The jump hook looked especially good. But instead of sticking with that, he moved out to his spot on the elbow and started clanging jumpers. I cringed when for his last 2 shots in regulation, he posted up on his man, then turned to face the basket and shot the jumper instead of his hook shot. It was not surprising when both shots missed.

All in all, the Sixers looked very good in stretches. But it seemed that whenever they got a lead, they got complacent and stopped moving on offense. And they weren't good enough defensively to make up for it.

Rotations

It looks like Mo Cheeks is going to go with a more offensive minded lineup from time to time. He put Webber at the center, with Lee Nailon at the 4 and Iggie at the SF. The only problem with this lineup is that there are no rebounders on the floor. And they don't exactly look imposing as a defense. I don't know why Deng Gai has not gotten into a game yet. If Cheeks is going to be using Webber at the center position, it would behoove him to place Gai at the PF to put some semblance of a defender at a big man spot. Gai and Webber could take turns on defenders to try and keep Gai on the weakside, where his shot blocking would be a major asset.

Game 2?

Didn't happen. I think it was obvious to everyone that playing the Detroit Pistons in their home opener, the night after losing an overtime game at home was not going to end well.

Byron, you love your lamp(e)!

Why hasn't Maciej Lampe gotten on the court yet? What is Byron Scott thinking? And where was Travis Outlaw in Portland? Odd that these teams are in a youth movement, trying to find out who is going to be a basketball player, and they leave these guys on the bench.

John Hollinger, I'm holding you responsible.

I just want to ask: Where are the numbers I was promised from Chris Andersen? Why isn't he even starting? I guess this is another question for Byron Scott. And why trade an All Star center for Desmond Mason, just to give Mason a bench role and 20 minutes a night? I think I need to call George Shin and tell him I'll coach the team for a fraction of what he pays Byron.

Crazy Rick Adelman - His Frontcourt Lineups are INSANE!!!

In the preseason, Rick Adelman announced that he was going to go with a rotating starting frontcourt this season. Depending on matchup, he would start any combination of Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Kenny Thomas at the center and power forward positions. Thus far he has gone with Abdur-Rahim at the 4 and Miller at the 5, which is pretty much what anyone else thinks he should do. But who knows with that crazy guy. I guess that's what happens when you always produce a winning team yet no one thinks you'll be employed after this year.

Well, 1 out of 2 ain't that bad.

Jameer Nelson did not start in Orlando. Instead, Brian Hill went with the ever potent DeShawn Stevenson. I have no idea what Jameer did to deserve this, but I wish some team would save him from Orlando.

Meanwhile, Delonte West did manage to win the starting PG position in Boston for the Hated Celtics. He played well in the opener with 14-9-9, with 3 steals and 4 blocks. A few more games like this and people will every wonder why Orien Greene ever entered into the discussion.

We can't talk basketball without a taste of Manlove.

Eddy Curry made his regular season debut with the Knicks. He played a nice game (and got more minutes than anyone would have expected) with 19-8 and 2 blocks. He was still a little slow and missed quite a few rebounds, but it was a nice start for his Knick career. A couple things are still clear.

1. Eddy still has slow feet. I don't know how know I'm the only one who's seen this, but really, let's get this guy doing some exercises to improve his quickness. A better first step would take Eddy a long way.

2. He's out of practice. Eddy shot 40% from the field and 50% from the line. Those percentages should be 20 pts higher each.

3. If I thought I used to get mad at Kirk Hinrich for not passing to Eddy, I think I might have an anuerism this year watching ball hogs Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, and Quentin Richardson keep the ball out of his hands.

Finally, kudos to Yahoo.

Normally when you want to prepare someone for a fantasy basketball season, you put out a mock draft a couple weeks before the season. This year, Yahoo decided that they wanted to wait until a day before the season to publish their mock draft. So that no one could use it. Good job fellas. I use the mock drafts to see the earliest any of my targeted players go. The earliest I had seen Eddy drafted when my draft occured was Round 9. The Yahoo draft had him in Round 7. If that had been out a week earlier, I wouldn't have had to rush through a 3 team deal to get Eddy back on my team.