NBA Training Camp Battles Part 2

by Pete Toal… Here is part two of my series of Training Camp Battles: Starting Lineups Edition.

Minnesota T-Wolves:

Starting SF:  Ryan Gomes V.S. Corey Brewer

Gomes is an all around versatile forward who is able to post up and rebound while also being able to step out and hit the three if needed. Brewer is coming off a major knee injury and will look to establish his place in the lineup and will look to provide instant defense while also displaying his improved jump shot.

Winner: Ryan Gomes

Starting PG: Ramon Sessions V.S. Jonny Flynn

Sessions signed after a long battle of wondering where he would end up, but there is no denying his ability to pass the ball and fill up the lane quickly and draw the foul. Flynn is looking to prove that he is the right choice at point guard after a strong showing during summer league play, he can fill up the scoreboard in a hurry and also make the extra pass when needed.

Winner: Ramon Sessions

New Jersey Nets:

Starting SG: Chris Douglas Roberts V.S Courtney Lee

Lee comes over from Orlando where he was a huge contributor last season during his rookie year and will look to build on those numbers as he looks to become more aggressive on the offense end. Douglas Roberts is looking to prove that he is capable of stepping up big during his 2nd season as he has improved his outside shot and will also look to be more aggressive on offense.

Winner: Courtney Lee

Starting SF: Bobby Simmons V.S. Jarvis Hayes

Simmons showed last year that he was finally healthy and showed increased range on his jump shot while providing solid defense, Hayes played the 6th man role well and really helped the flow of the offense off the bench but will look to gain increased minutes this season by continuing to show strong hustle and offensive prowess.

Winner: Bobby Simmons

New Orleans Hornets:

Starting SF: Peja Stojakovic V.S. James Posey and Julian Wright

Stojakovic is a deadly outside shooter but overall the 82 game schedule and wear and tear is getting to his body rendering him ineffective during the playoffs. Posey is more suited as the 6th man who hustles off the bench, while Julian Wright is able to change the game with strong hustle and defense while gaining easy buckets running the floor.

Winner: Julian Wright (noted that he will start in order to rest Stojakovic’s back throughout the season, but Stojakovic will play more minutes)

Starting SG: Morris Peterson V.S. Devin Brown and Marcus Thornton

Peterson is looking to regain his form from his days in Toronto and will be a veteran presence again on this young hornets team. Devin Brown is a versatile guard who is more of a defender than an offensive weapon but can score when needed. Thornton is an exceptional shooter who is only a rookie and will look to gain substantial minutes as a spark off the bench early.

Winner: Morris Peterson

New York Knicks:

Starting Center: Darko Milicic V.S. Eddy Curry

Curry is said to be in great shape this season and looks to regain his mark as the starting center while being a dominating force in the lost post, Milicic is coming into a system where he finally will be able to display his unique blend of shooting and potential that he was drafted for in 2003.

Winner: Eddy Curry

Starting SG: Wilson Chandler V.S. Larry Hughes

Chandler is coming off a great season where he was a focal point later in the season on offense and will look to continue his rise as a leader this season. Hughes is a veteran presence who has the ability to score and defend but is more suited as a backup than a starter.

Winner: Wilson Chandler

Starting SF: Danilo Gallinari V.S. Al Harrington

Gallinari will look to prove that despite injury last season, he is an exceptional shooter and will look to develop the large potential that follows him this season. Harrington is more of a PF but with David Lee and Eddy Curry back in the fold he may be asked to slide over to SF as he is a legitimate 3pt shooter and will look to gain major minutes again this season.

Winner: Danilo Gallinari

Oklahoma City Thunder:

Starting SG: James Harden V.S. Thabo Sefolosha

Harden comes in a herald rookie who will be asked to play within himself and do many little things to help the team win while playing strong defense. Sefolosha has a year experience as a spot starter and displays ruthless hustle on the defensive side of the ball, but must improve his offense if he plans to regain his role this season.

Winner: James Harden

Orlando Magic:

Starting SF: Matt Barnes V.S. Mickael Pietrus

Barnes comes in as a free agent signing and will supply the team with unlimited hustle and a spark on defense while offering plenty on the offensive end as well. Pietrus is coming off a season where he was injured but played well during the playoffs and will look to use that motivation to capture the starting job.

Winner: Matt Barnes

Phoenix Suns:

Starting Center: Robin Lopez V.S. Channing Frye

Lopez is a project center who is full of hustle and defense, who often does not look to score around the basket. Frye is a spot up big man who can fill it up on offense but outside of blocks does not offer much on defense. It will come down to who is a better fit beside Amare down low.

Winner: Robin Lopez

Portland Trailblazers:

Starting PG: Steve Blake V.S. Andre Miller

Blake is last season’s starter and a very good shooter who did a fine job facilitating the offense last year. Miller is a pass first point guard who will look to gain the starting role after signing in the offseason, he is more of a penetrator on offense and has stated he views himself as the starter.

Winner: Andre Miller

Starting SF: Nicolas Batum V.S. Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw

Batum is coming off a very good rookie season and is also playing well in the euro tournament this off season and will look to regain his starting role with tough defense and an improved aggressiveness. Webster is coming off a lost season with injury, but offers instant offense and athleticism and will be hungry for a rotation spot. Outlaw is in a contract year and will look for major minutes again despite being a prime trade candidate at the deadline, he will play minutes at PF as well, using his hustle and athleticism to out hustle defenders.

Winner: Nicolas Batum (Webster will start by January in my opinion)

Sacramento Kings:

Starting PG: Tyreke Evans V.S. Beno Udrih and Sergio Rodriguez

Evans is by no means a pass first point guard and is better slated at SG, but with Kevin Martin there he will be auditioned at PG. Udrih is coming off a down season and will look to establish his role as the starter once again. Rodriguez is a promising player who will look to gain many rotation minutes with his strong passing skills.

Winner: Tyreke Evans(although Udrih may share minutes with Evans)

Toronto Raptors:

Starting SG: Marco Belinelli V.S. DeMar DeRozan

Belinelli is a sharp shooter from outside and will look to use those skills as a way to gain the starting role but must first learn to play defense as well as he provides offense. DeRozan is the much hyped rookie who is able to provide highlight reel athleticism and solid defensive play, while continuing to develop his offense.

Winner: DeMar DeRozan (will play around 18 minutes per game)

Washington Wizards:

Starting SG: Mike Miller V.S. Randy Foye and Deshawn Stevenson

Mike Miller and Randy Foye come in after a trade with the T-Wolves, both provide instant offense but little on the defensive end. Miller is a spot up shooter while Foye is more of a slasher who is a combo guard and could easily slide over to PG when Arenas is out. Stevenson is the returning starter and will look to provide his trademark defense and an improve offensive arsenal in order to win the job in camp.

Winner: Randy Foye

Next in the series I will go team by team and look at each reserve position battle and pick my winner of the training camp battle. So Stay Tuned!!!!!

Also feel free to suggest any position battles in which you see a training camp battle happening…..

NBA Training Camp Battles, Part 1

by Pete Toal… Here is a look at Pt. 1 in a two-part series that I call NBA Training Camp Battles.

It is where I look at each team and analyze the battles for rotation spots at certain positions and give my opinion on who will win the job.

Pt. 1 will look at each team’s starting lineups and give you analysis on who will battle for each open position in training camp.

Starting Lineup Battles

The long-awaited segment of Training Camp Battles is here. I will go through teams in the league that will have a flurry of rotation battles as the season approaches.

Atlanta Hawks

Starting PG: Jamal Crawford vs. Mike Bibby

This should be interesting as Jamal Crawford is the big addition to the Hawks this season and most likely will back up the shooting guard spot while playing spot minutes at the point, but one has to wonder if the Hawks don’t view Crawford as a way to reduce Mike Bibby’s minutes during the season in order to keep him fresh during the playoffs. Crawford played point guard in Golden State and New York and can score in bunches but, as said earlier, is better suited as a scorer; it will be fun to watch the battle in camp.

Winner: Mike Bibby

Charlotte Bobcats

Starting PG: Raymond Felton vs. D.J. Augustin

Raymond Felton is still without a contract and will likely sign the club’s one year offer and bolt next season in free agency, but he faces stiff competition in second-year guard D.J. Augustin for the starting point guard spot.

Felton brings more experience and better passing skills, but no one can deny that Augustin is a speedster who can fill up the lane in a hurry and get quick points. The question is can Augustin develop more of a pass first role in order to win the job over Felton?

Winner: Raymond Felton

Chicago Bulls

Starting Center: Brad Miller vs. Joakim Noah

Brad Miller is more experienced and now with more time in the system can look to challenge for the starting center spot with last years starter Joakim Noah. Noah possesses many skills on the defensive end and has endless hustle but is limited on offense, while Miller is more of a offense first type center who is healthy after injuries hit last season early on.

Head coach Vinny Del Negro will have to ask his self if he needs more scoring up front with Miller alongside Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng or will he rely on the other starters to supply offense and let Noah start and do all the dirty work.

Winner: Joakim Noah

Cleveland Cavaliers

Starting SG: Anthony Parker vs. Delonte West

Returning starter Delonte West will battle the newly signed Anthony Parker for the starting 2-guard spot and it should be a tough battle as West knows the system and performed well there last season supplying solid offense alongside Mo Williams but also combined with him to be one of the smaller back courts in the league. Parker brings leadership and tough defense along with very good outside shooting and is a bigger guard to pair with the smaller Williams.

Winner: Delonte West

Detroit Pistons

Starting Center: Chris Wilcox vs. Kwame Brown

Kwame Brown will look to secure his starting center spot over newly acquired Chris Wilcox as he will be asked to rebound and hustle while not having to score much. Wilcox brings a legitimate scoring threat to the post and a strong rebounding prowess that will be needed upfront but will often be needed off the bench with a young core in place.

Winner: Kwame Brown

Golden State Warriors

Starting SG: Stephen Curry vs. Kelenna Azubuike and Anthony Morrow

Stephen Curry faces a uphill battle to start as a rookie despite being a favorite of coach Don Nelson and having a tremendous shooting stroke. Kelenna Azubuike is also a system favorite who displayed solid defense and showed he could score as well last season. Anthony Morrow is a sharp shooter who is better suited for major offense off the bench and will look to lock up the sixth man role.

Winner: Kelenna Azubuike

Houston Rockets

Starting C: Chuck Hayes vs. David Andersen

David Andersen is newly signed out of Europe after his rights were traded from the Hawks, he is more of a spot up big man than a low post threat but will look to prove his worth in the league as the fill in for Yao Ming, but will be challenged by undersized veteran Chuck Hayes who is a tremendous rebounder for his size and supplies hustle and solid defense and may be better suited sliding over to natural PF spot than center but won’t give up without a fight.

Winner: David Andersen

Los Angeles Clippers

Starting C: Marcus Camby vs. Chris Kaman

Marcus Camby is in a contract year and is again healthy and will look to supply game changing blocks and again be a the top of the league in rebounding but will face stiff competition from Chris Kaman, who is also a good rebounder and one who provides solid low post skills as well. The question will be who fits better next to top pick Blake Griffin, as both players will play big minutes this season.

Winner: Marcus Camby