Season’s Over looks at the NBA’s Western Conference Finals matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets, which begins Tuesday, May 19 in Oakland.

By Mike Corasaniti
Editor-in-Chief

James Harden was one of the few players standing in the way of Steph Curry and this season's Most Valuable Player award. Now him and his Houston Rockets are the last thing standing in the way of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors from making their first NBA Finals appearance since the 1975 season.

The Rockets are the second-seeded team in the Western Conference after an impressive regular season that saw Harden come into even more of his own as one of the league's true superstars. Yet the Rockets are now certainly  feeling lucky to have even made it this far in the playoffs after getting nearly eliminated by the Clippers in dominant fashion in the previous round. 

Forced to overcome a 3-1 deficit at the hands of the Clippers, Houston now has to quickly refocus its efforts from coming back to jumping out to as good of a start as it can. But the Warriors, who swept the four meetings between the two teams in the regular season, are certainly not the team the Rockets were hoping to see.


Will the Warriors continue to rock chalk and move on handily to their first NBA Finals in 40 years? Or will the Rockets and their equally potent sharpshooting ways make things difficult for the reigning MVP?

A Word on the Warriors

With an impressive 67 regular season wins under their belt, Golden State have cruised into the conference finals. After handily sweeping away New Orleans in the first round, the Warriors beat the Grizzlies by more than 15 points on average in the last three games of the conference semifinals after surprisingly falling behind 2-1. Now only one more test awaits Golden State before it can play for a title.

After such an impressive regular season and start to the playoffs, it is indeed Golden State's series to lose. But that doesn't mean it's a lock in any sense. Stephen Curry will undoubtedly continue to be excellent as the best player on the best team in league. But the Warriors and their hopes for Western dominance will rest on the team's role players; namely Curry's No. 2 man Klay Thompson.

Thompson has averaged more than 20 points this postseason, but as evidenced in Golden State's two losses to Memphis in the previous round, Thompson's struggles translate pretty directly to team struggles. Conversely though, the Warriors are near unstoppable once Thompson gets into a groove. The shootouts between Curry and Harden have the potential to be historic, but defensive matchups between Harden and Thompson just might be a critical factor in the series.

A Word on the Rockets

Though it's Golden State's series to lose, the Rockets are coming into their first conference finals appearance in years with more momentum than any other team in the league after coming back from the brink against the Clippers in the previous round. Clutch City is feeling better than ever to face the Warriors in the conference finals, which is a good thing considering that they haven't fared well against Golden State all season.

In the end though, any chances the Rockets have at pulling off the upset rest upon the shoulders of Dwight Howard. The center was dominant in the last three games of the series against Los Angeles, putting up at least 16 points and at least 15 rebounds on all three occasions. If Dwight can now take the next step forward and and continue to put in strong efforts on defense, forcing Golden State's shooters to throw up more shots than they're maybe comfortable taking, then Houston may have a chance to give the Warriors some trouble.

Prediction

Will shutdown defense or efficient offense be the deciding factor in this year's postseason? It's still too early to tell, but Golden State has been the best team in the league this season on both ends of the floor. And Houston will need a lot more than the Clutch factor to overcome that this time around. Warriors in six.

Season’s Over looks at the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, which begins Wednesday, May 20 in Atlanta.

By Mike Corasaniti
Editor-in-Chief

Through a variety of struggles and injuries faced along the way, the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers have fought their way to a matchup of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference for a spot in the 2015 NBA Finals.

 The Hawks – who have drawn comparison to last year’s San Antonio Spurs all season long– are marching into their first conference final appearance since 1970. Still undeniably the best overall team in the East up to this point, Atlanta now just has to get past the best player in the league in LeBron James.

After taking the regular season series 3-1 over Cleveland, the Hawks have certainly proven it can get past the Cavaliers. But despite taking the season series, earning home court advantage, and facing an injury-ridden Cleveland lineup, the Hawks are easily the underdogs heading into the East’s final matchup.

Can the Hawks' all-star lineup move past its recent struggles when it needs to the most? Or will LeBron James, carrying an injury-plagued supporting cast, make good on his promise to Cleveland and make it to his fifth straight NBA Finals?

A Word on the Cavaliers

The Cleveland backcourt will be crucial for a Cavs team looking to make its first finals appearance since 2007. 

At the point guard position, Kyrie Irving can be one of the most difficult players in the league to defend once he gets into a groove. Multiple injuries however have limited the star to playing below his full capacity. And though the Cavs got some surprise support late from Matthew Dellavedova against Chicago, it’s way too early to dub the backup point guard an essential piece to a championship run.

Luckily, as far as role players go, the Cavaliers found some pretty solid ones in their shooting guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. If the two former Knicks can limit their turnovers and continue to provide consistent offensive support, it should provide enough support for James and big men Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson to stay rolling.

Indeed it’s difficult to worry too much about Cleveland’s chances whenever James is leading the way. But as history as shown for LeBron in the postseason, he’s going to need some help.

Throughout the NBA offseason, Season's Over will be examining which perennial bottom feeders may be rising. The second feature of The Path to Prosperity series looks at Minnesota's recent futile history and how the Timberwolves could go from a team with only one division title to a threat in the stacked western conference.

By Drew Vandemore
Staff Columnist

Well Wolves fans I’ll tell you this. It’s not going to be easy. There’s going to be things you probably don’t want me to remind you of (Remember when you took Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry then traded Ty Lawson in the same night during the 2009 NBA Draft?), incredibly rough patches of basketball, and a lot of empty arenas, but I guarantee you it will be worth it in the end. 

Since acquiring Kevin Love in the 2008 draft from the Memphis Grizzlies, you haven’t made the playoffs. Despite having solid complimentary players like Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic, your roster has failed to get you above 9th place in the Western Conference. How can we fix this you might be wondering?

Have no fear, because GM Drew Vandemore is here:

Step 1: Trade Kevin Love

Sorry folks but I figured it was easier to get this one out of the way first before addressing the other gaping issues within the organization. Love is the best player the Wolves have had since Kevin Garnett, however he seems absolutely primed to leave in the offseason via free agency after voicing frustrations with the front office for not giving him enough pieces to at least make the playoffs in his first six NBA seasons. 

People have been discussing deals with the Cavaliers, but there are two teams that should not be forgotten in this sweepstakes. Both Phoenix and Golden State provide extremely interesting opportunities for Love to make the playoffs, and for the Wolves to acquire young assets in return. Here are some potential trade scenarios:

Minnesota trades Kevin Love and Kevin Martin to Cleveland for Anderson Varejao, Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters, and a future unprotected first round pick

The Wolves may not get the coveted Andrew Wiggins in this deal, however they get immediate help in the form of cap space by getting rid of Martin’s contract and trading for Varejao (with whom they would arrange a buyout allowing him to sign with a contender). They get a shooting guard in Waiters who was the number four overall pick in the 2012 draft and would benefit greatly from a change of scenery, and they acquire Bennett who was the top overall selection in the 2013 draft. 

This gives the Wolves two great pieces to build around going forwards, while waiting for Pekovic’s monstrosity of a contract to come off the books in what will be four of the longest years of all time for Wolves fans. The extra unprotected pick would come at least in the 2017 draft if not further away, in hopes that the Cavaliers will have entered somewhat of a rebuilding stage by that point.

Minnesota trades Kevin Love and Kevin Martin to Golden State for Klay Thompson, David Lee, Festus Ezili, and a future first round pick

This deal may seem more appealing to Wolves fans as they get a rising star from a playoff team in Thompson, while getting a former all-star in Lee. Ezili provides solid minutes as a back up center to future starting center Gorgui Dieng. Ezili and or Lee would also be likely involved in deals surrounding the trade deadline with contenders, allowing for the Wolves to stockpile even more assets. 

Thompson fits well with no matter who is operating in the post for the Wolves as he is a deadly three point shooter, and Minnesota is again able to move Martin’s contract. A future backcourt with Zach LaVine and Klay Thompson could be the next Westbrook/Harden combination.

Minnesota trades Kevin Love and Kevin Martin to Phoenix for Markieff Morris, Eric Bledsoe, and a first round pick

This is my favorite crazy Kevin Love trade scenario because it would require Bledsoe to agree to a max contract with the Wolves. By doing so, the Wolves guarantee themselves a rising star under contract for the next four years who would work well either on or off the ball (in this case off the ball, playing next to Ricky Rubio) and allowing for a player like Chase Budinger to shine by launching threes from the corner while the two backcourt mates run pick and pops. Love to Phoenix guarantees them the playoffs for years to come and would pair nicely with Goran Dragic and Miles Plumlee/Alex Len. The Wolves starting lineup in this case would be:

1. Ricky Rubio
   
2. Eric Bledsoe
   
3. Chase Budinger
   
4. Markieff Morris
   
5. Nikola Pekovic

Pair with that lineup a bench of LaVine, Dieng, Dante Cunningham, Alexey Shved, and Shabazz Mohammed, and you’ve got a great young core to build around for the foreseeable future. 

My choice: Take the Phoenix trade. While trading with teams in your conference tends to make teams hesitate, this move works out too well for both sides to not happen. 

Step 2: The draft

By trading away Love, Minnesota should be able to find their way into a top 5 pick in the draft. For the sake of my analysis, I’m going to say they end up with a top 10 pick (lottery luck!) and select Chris LaVert (Who doesn’t want LaVine and LaVert on the same team?), a 6’6 SG from the University of Michigan. 

With the pick they acquire from the Suns, the Wolves could target someone like SF Terran Petteway from the University of Nebraska or Alex Poythress from Kentucky. The Wolves should do all they can to continue to stockpile young assets to set themselves up for future stars to come into free agency or come available via trade. 

Step 3: Acquiring a star

This is the hardest part. Minnesota has never been a popular free agent landing spot for stars. Actually, most stars have tried to leave Minnesota when they get there.  However, with a young attractive roster full of players like LaVine, LaVert, Petteway, Bledsoe, Dieng, Pekovic, etc the Wolves roster actually becomes attractive to a star who is looking for young help that can allow for him to not have to carry as big of a load. 

If Bledsoe keeps developing it is not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that a big name free agent would come play with him and the talent that the Wolves front office would be able to acquire around him. After the 2016 NBA season, there will be a bevy of big time free agents to choose from, including Kevin Durant, Al Jefferson, and more. I

It is imperative by that time that the Wolves have acquired enough young talent through trades and draft picks to be able to acquire such a talent if they want any shot of ascending to a championship caliber team. We’ve seen recently through free agent signings like Houston signing Dwight Howard, Cleveland signing LeBron James, and Charlotte signing Al Jefferson that stars are willing to go to markets that before they wouldn’t have if both the money situation is right and the roster possesses young talent. 

Due to the current CBA, I see this trend continuing as it becomes harder and harder to form super teams in the Association without superstars taking pay cuts. By building around a young core that they already have in LaVine, Mohammed, Pekovic, and Dieng, Minnesota can position itself very well by the time the next large class of big time free agents comes around. 

By rebuilding the team now, the Wolves stand to be getting better by the time that the rest of the Western Conference is coming back down to Earth talent wise. Hang in there Wolves fans, the journey might not be an easy one, but the playoffs might not be as far away as you think. 

Throughout the NBA offseason, Season's Over will be examining which perennial bottom feeders may be rising. The opening features of The Path to Prosperity series look at Charlotte's recent futile history and how the Hornets could go from a seven-win team to a potential conference contender.

By Drew Vandemore
Guest Columnist

“With the ninth pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Charlotte Hornets select…” 

These were the words that came out of NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s mouth last Thursday. For the first time since the 2001 draft (Where ironically enough, the team selected another power forward from Indiana in Kirk Haston), the Charlotte Hornets had a draft pick.

This article is Part 2 of a two-part series that will look to the future of the Charlotte Hornets, how they fared in the 2014 NBA draft, and some ideas for the 2014 free agency period, which starts on Tuesday. Part 1 looked at how the Charlotte Bobcats failed and succeeded in recent years to reach the position they are now in today.

Analyzing the picks

Charlotte had two first round picks in the 2014 draft, receiving the No. 9 overall pick from Detroit to complete the Ben Gordon trade (In the 2012 offseason, Charlotte agreed to send SF Corey Maggette to Detroit for SG Ben Gordon and a future first round pick) and the No. 24 overall pick from Portland to complete the Gerald Wallace trade (At the 2011 trade deadline, Charlotte agreed to trade Gerald Wallace to Portland for a bunch of expiring contracts and two first round picks). The Hornets also sent their own No. 16 overall pick to Chicago to complete the Tyrus Thomas trade from 2010 – thank God the Tyrus Thomas experiment can finally be wiped from our memories – which the Bulls packaged in a deal for Doug McDermott.

Heading into the draft, Charlotte was thought to be eying shooting prowess with the No. 9 overall pick. Most mock drafts and analysts had Charlotte selecting Creighton senior and 2014 Wooden Award Winner Doug McDermott. While there were occasionally rumors of Charlotte being interested in other players such as Louisiana-Lafayette point guard Elfrid Payton or Michigan shooting guard Nik Stauskas, the Charlotte front office had apparently fallen for the 6’7 McDermott. 

When it came time to pick however, the circumstances had changed for Charlotte. Noah Vonleh, an 18-year-old power forward from Indiana was widely considered a Top 5 selection going into the draft. And he was still on the board for the taking. 

Charlotte fans had right to be nervous when Adam Silver walked to the stage, undoubtedly anticipating hearing McDermott’s name, one day forcing talks about how McDermott wasn’t the next Adam Morrison. However something funny happened: Charlotte made the right pick, selecting Vonleh despite him being somewhat repetitive with what they had drafted the previous year.

I love the Vonleh pick for two reasons. First because he oozes potential (Watch this highlight reel and tell me you can’t see the talent this young man has  – just mute the video so your ears don’t begin to bleed), and second because he was the best player available at the time. GM Rich Cho has been quoted multiple times in saying that the organization was going to take a “draft for talent, trade for need” mentality to any draft that he would be a part of, and that is exactly the criteria that the team took with this pick. 

Vonleh has already drawn comparisons to a young LaMarcus Aldridge, most likely because he shot 48 percent from 3-point range in his one season at Indiana and has hands that are reportedly bigger than those of 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. He possesses a solid back to the basket inside game and has the ability to stretch the floor, which makes him an ideal compliment to current starting center, 2014 All NBA 3rd team performer Al Jefferson. 

The drafting of Vonleh also makes the retaining of free agent PF Josh McRoberts less of a necessity. If McRoberts decides to command something larger than say a 4 year deal worth 20 million, the Hornets can afford to let him walk while playing Cody Zeller and Vonleh at the forward spot opposite Jefferson. Noah Vonleh: A

The Hornets were able to work out a trade sending the No. 24 pick (Shabazz Napier) to Miami to acquire the No. 26 pick, the No. 55 pick, and a future second round pick. With the No. 26 selection, the Hornets were able to fulfill their wish of a shooting guard who can shoot, drafting P.J. Hariston from the Texas Legends in the Development League.

Hariston played for the Legends this past season after being dismissed due to legal trouble at UNC. He shot a solid 36 percent from the NBA 3-point line in his one season in the development league, and that should at least remain constant heading into this season.  

This selection seems to be a perfect fit for a team who desperately needed three-point shooting in order to take the next step as a team and free up space for Big Al to work on the block. While I would have been happy with either Hariston or Cleanthony Early, if Hariston can prove to the Hornets that he is truly past his legal problems this pick could end up being a steal late in the first round. P.J. Hariston: B+


The Hornets made two selections in the second round, selecting Stanford PF Dwight Powell with the No. 45 pick and Semaj Christon with the No. 55 pick. Powell is part of a trade that will send him to Cleveland, and Christon has been traded for cash considerations to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The reason I like the Powell pick actually has nothing to do with Powell himself, but rather that he was packaged with Brendan Haywood in a deal that has sent the two big men to Cleveland for Alonzo Gee and his fully non-guaranteed contract. This allows for the Hornets to get an extra $2 million below the salary cap by getting rid of the oft injured Haywood and waiving Gee, giving the Hornets a total of roughly $20 million in money to spend during the offseason this summer. Overall Draft Performance: A-

At the end of the night, Charlotte had successfully set itself up for what is being considered by many as the most important offseason in the young history of the franchise. To guarantee any success going forward, Charlotte must continue to build on the momentum it has gained by the playoff finish from last season and a draft that has been considered a unanimous success amongst its fan base. 

Here are a couple of thoughts on what the team should do with their roughly $20 million dollars in cap space:

1. Make Lance Stephenson the priority: While bigger name teams are busy clearing out space for names like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, Charlotte should be putting all of its energy on bringing in the 23-year-old shooting guard. Stephenson has developed extremely well so far in his three seasons in the league, averaging nearly 14 points per game last season while shooting 35 percent from 3-point range. Offering Stephenson, an unrestricted free agent, a 4-year deal worth $40 million dollars might be enough to get him in a Hornet uniform.
2. Address the backup point guard spot: Free agent Ramon Sessions has publicly welcomed the idea of returning to Charlotte for a second stint near home (he is from Myrtle Beach). A 2-year deal worth $8 million should be fair to Ramon, while also leaving the Hornets with a little wiggle room below the cap line.
3. Re-Sign Josh McRoberts: McRoberts was critical in the Bobcats offense last year, playing the role of distributor from the power forward position. Offering McRoberts a 3-year deal worth $15 million seems fair for the value he provides to the Hornets. McRoberts is a unique free agent in that his value largely depends on him being allowed to play a Boris Diaw type role that he currently enjoys in Charlotte. McRoberts is quoted as saying he wants to be back in Charlotte and the Hornets front office has been quoted saying they want to bring him back. Get this done. 
4. Bring back Anthony Tolliver: Tolliver was one of the few bright spots for the Bobcats last season from 3-point range, shooting an incredible 41 percent from beyond the arc. Tolliver made $975,000 last year and presumably could be brought back on a similar, non-guaranteed deal. Tolliver makes sense as a savvy veteran to keep on the roster that can also step in and play SF or PF in a pinch. 
   

If the Hornets are able to pull off each of these four transactions, you could see the following lineups on the floor next year:

That starting lineup has a very good chance at retaining its position as one of the top defensive teams in the league, as adding an above average defender like Stephenson should do nothing to hinder their efficiency on that end. Moving Henderson to the second unit seems to make a lot of sense for both sides, although I believe that Charlotte will be actively shopping his contract at the trade deadline this year. 

Getting Taylor back will be an enormous boost for a unit that really struggled to score the basketball at times last year. Overall this roster is much improved while remaining slightly under the salary cap. 

Looking Ahead

This lineup should be good enough to challenge Washington for the second spot in the Southeast division (Assuming Miami is able to retain their “Big 3” this offseason). If LeBron and Co. leave Miami, Charlotte would have a serious chance at winning the division and obtaining a top 4 seed in the beleaguered Eastern Conference.

'14-'15 Prediction: 50-32, 2nd in the Southeast division and a No. 5 seed in the East. 

 If Miami is able to retain their free agents as expected, a second place finish in the division is certainly not out of the question. Still, although this team may be drastically improved next season, Charlotte fans know better than to expect a Conference Finals appearance for a team that has struggled mightily in recent years. 

Throughout the NBA offseason, Season's Over will be examining which perennial bottom feeders may be rising. The opening features of The Path to Prosperity series look at Charlotte's recent futile history and how the Hornets could go from a seven-win team to a potential conference contender .

By Drew Vandemore
Guest Columnist

It's no stretch to say that all 10 seasons Charlotte's basketball team played under the monicker Bobcats were tough for the city and its fans. From their opening game against the Wizards in 2004 to their final playoff game against Miami in 2014, Charlotte ran through the gauntlet most new franchises must face. But there just might be a light shining brightly at the end of the tunnel.

This article is Part 1 of a two-part series that will look at how the Charlotte Bobcats failed and succeeded in recent years to reach the position it is now in today. Part 2 will look to the future of the Charlotte Hornets, how they fared in the 2014 NBA draft, and some ideas for the 2014 free agency period, which starts on Tuesday. 

Looking Back

Kemba Walker had to expect something different. 

Coming off of a national championship run at the University of Connecticut in 2011, Walker skyrocketed up NBA draft boards. Teams loved his pure athleticism and ability to create his own shot, and that made up for what he lacked in the height department (Walker is barely over 6 feet). 

"I told him it’s time to move on," said then UConn head coach Jim Calhoun told NBA.com. "He’s ready to move on as a man. He’s ready to move on as a basketball player- emotionally and physically." 

The Bobcats, who were coming off of a 34-48 season and were led mostly by then interim head coach Paul Silas, selected Walker No. 9 overall. But with talented players on the roster such as D.J. Augustin, Boris Diaw, Stephen Jackson, and Gerald Henderson, the Bobcats seemed poised to be able to remain competitive while undergoing a minor rebuilding job for the next few seasons.

Instead, Charlotte chose to go the complete opposite direction and totally empty the cupboards. The Bobcats traded Stephen Jackson to Milwaukee in what was a three way deal between Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Sacramento. That landed the Bobcats SF Corey Maggette and the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 draft, which the Bobcats used to select big man Bismack Biyombo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (On Biyombo's resume is the only triple double performance in the history of the Nike Hoops Summit game, so he seemed as good of a place to work into some rebuilding as any.)

Still, in the 2011 offseason, the Bobcats made absolutely zero effort to improve their roster outside of Kemba Walker. Majority owner Michael Jordan tried to warn the fan base of what was about to happen, but even he could not have envisioned where the upcoming season was heading. 

Herein lies the issue with this decision making: Not only was the season shortened due to a lockout that lasted until Christmas Day (Thank goodness for Charlotte's sake), but because of the inefficiencies of the Bobcats front office – and the old CBA – Charlotte was perfectly content with sucking until they had enough “pieces” to try to contend. 

At one point in this absolute embarrassment of an NBA season, the Bobcats had a starting lineup as follows:

1. D.J. Augustin
   
2. Gerald Henderson
   
3. Corey Maggette
   
4. Eduardo Najera
   
5. Desegana Diop

In his first NBA season, Kemba Walker won about 22 percent of the number of games that he won in his final season at UConn. The 10.6 winning percentage is the worst in NBA history and the seven wins is the fewest by any team if you exclude the 1948 Providence Steamrollers, who were also apparently a professional basketball team.

The Bobcats began to show some competent signs the next offseason despite what the fan base may have thought. GM Rich Cho (The mastermind behind the Biyombo and Walker picks) had a full year on the job and was beginning to show some of the savvy that he had become known for in Oklahoma City, where he established a record as an elite decision maker by drafting Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka. 

Charlotte traded Corey Maggette’s expiring contract to Detroit for two years of Ben Gordon’s monster contract and a future first round draft pick. In that draft, Charlotte selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist No. 2 overall (*cough* After the lottery was rigged so the league could entice a high bidder to buy the league owned New Orleans Hornets *cough cough*) before then getting a steal with Vanderbilt’s Jeff Taylor at No. 31 overall.

Charlotte then let Augustin sign with Indiana in free agency to clear the way for Walker to take control of the team. Paul Silas resigned (Fired? Resigned? Forced out? Same thing.) and the team Hired Mike Dunlap, who was an assistant on Steve Lavin’s St. John’s Red Storm team at the time. 

From the George Karl coaching tree, Dunlap was long thought to be head coaching material, but his style seemed to be more applicable to college players.

"Mike Dunlap absolutely elevates every player and team he comes into contact with," said Karl to the Charlotte Observer. "He will take you from good to great. Name any top-level, elite coach in the game – the only difference between Mike and them is their address."

This is what attracted him to owner Michael Jordan at the time due to the fact that the Bobcats had one of the youngest roster’s in the NBA. Jordan felt that this hiring would help progress his young guys while motivating whatever veterans were stuck on this God-forsaken team to give their all. 

While the season started well – the Bobcats were a surprising two games over .500 after the first 12 games of the season – the tide turned quickly. Charlotte finished the season an improved 21-61, but only won 14 of their last 70 games en route to tripling their win total from the previous season. 

Despite this improvement (No NBA team had ever tripled their win total before), the Bobcats fired Mike Dunlap after just one season due to what Rich Cho said was “not a great fit”. Dunlap had become unpopular with a majority of the roster due to his tendency to micromanage and bench veteran players for long periods of time. 

The 2013 offseason then brought a renewed spirit to an absolutely beaten up fan base. Not only did the city of Charlotte manage to acquire the Charlotte Hornets name back for the 2014-2015 season, but the organization made the biggest signing, maybe both literally and metaphorically, in team history: Al Jefferson. 

Big Al has been a dominant low post scorer in the NBA for 10 years, coming straight from high school in Mississippi to the league. Signing a player of Jefferson’s caliber signaled that Charlotte could become a popular destination for free agents if the right pieces were put into place. 

Steve Clifford, a long respected NBA assistant and a disciple of Jeff Van Gundy, was hired as head coach and made an immediate impact on the team. The Bobcats were able to acquire Josh McRoberts at the 2012 trade deadline for Hakim Warrick in what seemed to be a minor deal at the time. However, McRoberts ended up almost being the perfect pairing with Jefferson and Walker, essentially becoming a second point guard on the floor: He averaged 4.3 assists per game from his power forward spot while knocking in a respectable 36 percent from 3-point range. 

In the 2013 draft, Charlotte selected PF Cody Zeller out of Indiana with the No. 4 overall pick. Despite the weak draft class, the Bobcats were able to find arguably the best player selected in the top seven picks. This led to optimism for the upcoming NBA season in  Charlotte for the first time since Larry Brown led the way. 

The Bobcats started the 2013-2014 season rather slowly, at one point falling to 17-25 and again eyeing a lottery selection. Jefferson was dealing with lingering ankle issues from a preseason injury and Zeller was struggling to adapt to the speed of the NBA game. The team limped into the All-Star break at 23-30. 

But something changed midseason in Charlotte. Jefferson got the rest he so badly needed for his ankle and was able to use his All-Star snub as motivation. The team came out blazing in the second half of the season winning their first four games out of the break. In March, the Bobcats beat both the Pacers (Top seed in the East) and Blazers (No. 5 seed in the West) by 30 points. The team went 20-9 after the All-Star break and finished with a record of 43-39, good enough to earn the Bobcats their second ever playoff appearance. 

The Bobcats earned the No. 7 seed in the East, drawing a first round matchup with the two-time defending champs. In the first quarter of the first game against Miami, Al Jefferson tore the plantar fascia in his right foot with the Bobcats leading 21-14. The Bobcats never really stood a chance in the series to begin with, but the injury to Jefferson all but sealed Charlotte's fate. In Game 4 at Time Warner Cable Arena, the Bobcats gave a valiant effort without Jefferson in their final game under the infamous moniker, but ultimately fell to the Heat 109-98.

Now having the ability to judge these decisions, it is obvious where the Bobcats began their misfortunes. Not only has Biyombo failed to turn into anything remotely close to an efficient player in his three full NBA seasons, but players drafted in the same range as him such as Klay Thompson, Alec Burks, and 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard have proven their worth all while doing things that the now Hornets desperately need in order to advance to the next level. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, while a fan favorite, has a long way to go as an offensive player to live up to the hype of a No. 2 overall pick despite being one of the top young defenders in the league. Zeller struggled heavily in the first part of the 2014 season but seemed to progress nicely after the All-Star break, finding his groove by playing closer to the basket and finding garbage baskets and making hustle plays. 

There may be some well-justified buzz surrounding these new Hornets, but whether the moves in recent years have indeed set Charlotte up for success still remain to be seen. 

By Mike Corasaniti

Game: 2014 NBA Finals
Location: New York City, New York; Houston, Texas
Date: June 2014
Teams: Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets

Championship odds for both the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets have changed dramatically since the Miami Heat wrapped up their second title. The Rockets have since acquired superstar center Dwight Howard and the Nets took on half of the Boston Celtic's starting lineup. Combine the new arrivals with the growth both teams have gone through in recent years and you have two sexy picks for a championship matchup.

How Brooklyn gets there

It did not take long for Brooklyn to emerge behind the Knicks as the city's new counterpart. The projected starting lineup of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez looks like a team that could make an easy deep playoff run in just it's second year in a new city. 

How Houston gets there

The biggest question mark for the Rockets will obviously be their biggest offseason acquisition. Will Howard thrive in a new city, a smaller market, and a different offense? Or will he continue to solidify his growing legacy as an immature bust? Only time will tell how the Dwight Howard experience will play out in Houston, but a change of pace with players like James Harden and Chandler Parsons could be just what the big man needs. 

The Matchup

Were there ever two teams with so much speculation surrounding their success? The beginning of the playoffs next spring could start would both teams scraping their way in or with both teams dominating and people would feel equally the same. The Nets are either a veteran team or an old team, and the Rockets are either dynamic or way too overly hyped.

A best case scenario with both teams in the Finals though is just that possible despite all of the doubts though. Despite 82 regular season games and a long playoffs, the fates of both teams will still most likely depend on whether they can get past the Heat or Spurs, who look just good enough to make it back to the championship for a rematch.

But say they do overcome their biggest obstacles, whether that be their opponents or themselves, Brooklyn should be the go-to pick. They are the Lakers from last year without the combustibility of the Lakers, with just enough pressure to solidify Brooklyn as a basketball hotbed. Dwight Howard could be standing tall a year from now as a Finals MVP, exorcising countless ghosts of teams spited in the past. But he could just as easily be heading into another offseason, coming just short in the Finals against a more well-rounded team.

Prediction

Brooklyn in 7

The Los Angeles Clippers (27-8) are starting to prove they may be the team to beat in the west, so long as they could handle the Oklahoma City Thunder (26-7) in a Western Conference Finals showdown.

By Mike Corasaniti

Look at any NBA power rankings thrown around the Internet and you’ll see some variation of the following: No. 1 Los Angeles Clippers, No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder.

While the league may still belong to the Heat, the Western Conference belongs to these two teams, and they’re not going through anyone but each other for a shot at a title.

How the Clippers get there

Los Angeles is the best team in the NBA right now (doesn’t that have a nice ring to it?).  They may not have proved everything in their amazing win streak over the past weeks, considering the schedule may have been a little closer to the cupcake side, but nobody wins that many games in a row by accident.

What the Clippers mostly proved in their recent winning ways is that they’re more than just a highlight machine for Monday mornings; they can actually play some pretty decent defense. In allowing only about 93 points per game so far this season, the Los Angeles has proved that it’s not the team San Antonio swept out of the playoffs last season.

Los Angeles has proved it can win.

How the Thunder get there

Behind one of the most potent scorers in the league, the Thunder have been riding one of the most efficient offenses in the league (second in points per game with over 105). When Oklahoma City wins, they usually win big.

They’ll sweep Portland or Denver or whoever else is thrown their way the first round, if not entirely behind Durant putting up more than 30 per game. Memphis or San Antonio will put up a huge fight in the next round, forcing the Thunder to flex their defensive muscles that can be so surprisingly tough (especially with Serge Ibaka playing the best overall basketball of his career).

Memphis and San Antonio could both put up interesting matchups in the frontcourt for the Thunder, but Oklahoma City just has too many weapons for anybody to stop a return trip to the conference finals.

The matchup

Is this a matchup between potent offense and shutdown defense? Not necessarily. But this series does provide for some awesome matchups. Chris Paul on Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin on Serge Ibaka, and even DeAndre Jordan on Kendrick Perkins, this series would be a hell of a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, that feeling of a fun series is eerily similar to the feeling from last season’s NBA Finals. So many juicy matchups, but only one side with the experience and the proven ability to win when it matters most.

Games 1 and 2 will probably be barnburners out of the sheer awesomeness of the matchup, but it would be a surprise if it takes Oklahoma City too long to wrap up it’s return to the Finals.

Thunder 4-2