Changing of the Guard (Looking forward to 2012)

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Changing of the Guard (Looking forward to 2012)
Part 1

To casual observers or long time fans of the NBA, these playoffs seem to be missing something. Where are the Lakers or the Spurs?
Since 1999 (post-Jordan Era) the NBA Finals have been primarily dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, yet this year both teams are watching the games on TV like the rest of us.

Could this be just a “fluke” year, similar to 2006 when neither the Spurs nor the Lakers made it to the Conference Finals? It doesn’t appear that way.
Experience usually counts for a lot in sports, but there is a fine line between having a lot of experience and being too old. In a fast-paced game such as basketball, fresh legs are key, especially over an 82-game season.

This year’s conference championships have ushered in a new era in the NBA, full of young, hungry, talented teams, eying their places in NBA history.

I'm going to be doing a 10 part series on 10 different teams that I believe will be contenders in the 2012 NBA season. Feel free to add your opinions and tell me how you feel.

Team #1. NEW YORK KNICKS

The New York Knicks are the first team I want to talk about heading into this offseason. They have two-thirds of their “Big Three” intact and are still searching for that one other guy. Yes they didn't look too impressive this year in the playoffs but don't forget this team didn't have a lot of time to gel and learn how to play together (like the Miami Heat earlier in the season). There are a lot of reasons why I consider the Knicks to be a title contender next season, the main reason starting with the off-season moves that will take place this up and coming summer. And here is the guy who will help change all of that...

Chris Paul

I would like to introduce you to arguably the best pure point guard in the game today, Chris Paul. If you go back to last summer how many times did you hear on ESPN or Sportscenter that Chris Paul wanted out of New Orleans? He didn't believe they had the talent to be a contender and the Hornets organization wasn't doing anything to help Cp3 out and make the team into a championship caliber team. If you watched the Hornets in the 1st round of the playoffs this year against the Lakers, you saw just that. Chris Paul practically almost averaged a triple-double verses the Lakers but only one man can do so much. And now you see Chris Paul at every Miami home game wearing a NY Yankees hat..Is this a sign of whats to come?

LeBron Paving the Way

Now I know a lot of people consider LeBron James to be a "traitor" and is perhaps probably the most hated athlete in the NBA for leaving Cleveland but in my opinion Lebron James is probably one of the smartest athletes I've ever seen play. If you are in the NBA your ultimate goal is to win the championship, and get as many rings as you can. Basketball is a lot like business, you have to make smart moves/decisions to be successful. So it was no surprise to me that LeBron took his talents down to south beach after leading a bunch of scrubs to the championship and coming up short. LeBron made a smart business move, and look at where he's at one season later.
LeBron kind of started a movement. If you can't win where your at why stay there? And now you see players like Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, etc who are trying to do the same exact thing. Does it mean your a sellout? No, it means you care about what you do as a career and you don't want to go down in history as one of the greatest players to never win a championship.

Get A Pass-First Point Guard

The Knicks have Chauncey Billups. For now. However, he is getting older and won't be able to play the minutes he does in a few years, and he's not even a pass-first point guard. A smart thing, and the right thing the Knicks should do is acquire a smart, pass-first point guard to complement the stars of the team. They need to get someone who doesn't need to score to dominate the game.

Chris Paul would be an ideal fit here. He's going into free agency in 2012 (if he doesn't sign an extension) and he would suit the Knicks perfectly.

Carmelo Anthony & Chris Paul Relationship

Now a lot of you may not know this but Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul have been good friends for quite some time, in fact Chris Paul was Carmelo's best man at his wedding last year. According to a person who spoke with wedding attendee Amar'e Stoudemire, Paul made the reference during a speech of a potential union of himself, Stoudemire and Anthony, saying, "We'll form our own Big 3," Paul allegedly said. Can you imagine the face of Spike Lee (who also attended the wedding) ? LOL. In my opinion all roads for the free-agent Chris Paul right now lead to New York (unless the Hornets can make a move and make Paul somehow feel like there a contender).

The Hornets have been my favorite team since the Dell Curry, Wesley Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, Glen Rice, Alonzo Mourning era, and I always will be a fan. I hope they find a way to keep Paul happy because he is my favorite athlete, but no matter where he goes I'll always be a fan and hope he gets a ring.

So what if the Knicks don't acciqure CP3 this offseason? Do they still have a chance?

Yes they do, and here's one thing they need to work on to get there..

Surround the Stars with Role Players to Provide Depth

Everyone knows a very, very important aspect to winning an NBA championship is having depth. What do past champions and teams like the Lakers and Celtics always have? Depth. This is crucial and is something you can bet Donnie Walsh is already thinking about.

Conclusion & How I see the season playing out

In my opinion the Knicks (without another elite player) have a couple of years to go before becoming title contenders. But, if they execute these moves in the offseason and form a new big three, they have a serious chance.

With an additional elite player:I project them to make it to the Eastern Conf. finals vs. the Miami Heat..Which would be a hell of a series
Without an additional elite player: I project them to still make the playoffs but to take another early exit in the 1st/2nd round.

I Can't wait to see what Donnie Walsh stirs up in the next two years.

The fans are enjoying fresh new faces and a faster pace in the playoffs this year.
According to figures from an ESPN article, the first two rounds of the playoffs averaged almost five million viewers, an increase of over one million viewers per game. Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals, between the Heat and the Bulls, was the most-watched NBA game on cable, with 11.1 million viewers.

It was enjoyable to watch the Spurs and Lakers dominate the 2000’s, but this new era of youth is a welcome change.