The New York Knicks will be an interesting team to keep an eye on this season because they truly have an unlimited amount of story lines. It makes sense, because any team that has Carmelo Anthony on it is made for that type of stuff. Tie that in with first year head coach Derek Fisher joining the squad, and you have the soap opera that is the New York Knicks. 

Let’s get back to the whole Fisher story before we delve into these players. Phil Jackson took over as the president of basketball operations half way through last season, and that gave everyone in the Big Apple some hope moving forward. Plain and simple, the Knicks had a terrible season. They couldn’t make the playoffs in the weakest Eastern Conference that we’ve probably ever seen. So they fired Mike Woodson, and the rumors started flowing about who would be the next coach of the Knicks. Of course Phil wanted “his” guy so he went mostly after his former players. For awhile, we all though Steve Kerr would take the job, but that was until he got the offer from the Golden State Warriors to come coach, and he ran towards that opportunity like Forrest Gump all jacked up on chocolates. Then there were other rumors that coaches like Tom Thibedeau and Brian Shaw would leave their respected teams to come coach the Knicks, but ultimately Phil ended up with his last option, which was Fisher (LOL). It was somewhat of a strange hire since D-Fish was playing for the Thunder just last season, but it was made possible by the Nets hiring Jason Kidd last offseason, just months after his retirement. It worked out okay for the Nets last year since they made the playoffs, but ultimately Kidd’s lack of coaching experience got the best of him and he made lots of bonehead moves from the sidelines. I think Fisher has a better basketball coaching mind than Kidd, despite Kidd being the better player in his prime, so ultimately I think this move will benefit the Knicks more than it did the Nets. The question is this: Will the Knick’s superstar player, Melo, take orders from a coach who he was playing against just a couple months ago? I’m sure we will hear all about it if he doesn’t… 

Melo is fresh off a summer in which that young man got PAID. He signed a 124 million dollar contract that ties him down in New York for the rest of his career. In a recent interview Melo told reporters that he believed he was “the most under-rated super star in the NBA”… um… no you’re not bro. In my opinion he could be the most over HYPED. Since he’s been in the league after his one year at Syracuse, he’s been a one-dimensional player who hasn’t made a long playoff run. Don’t get me wrong, Melo can play. He’s been one of the biggest scoring threats in the league for the last eight years, but the most underrated? C’mon man!!  For the Knicks to make any type of run this season they will need Melo to completely buy into Fisher’s new system and he will need to find a way to get his teammates involved.... for once. 

Anther big question for Knicks is their most controversial player, JR Smith. To be honest, I love this guy. I even have his signed Hornets jersey hanging in my old room at my parent’s house. The only problem with Smith is that he needs to grow up. Last season he took some heat for untying player's shoes while waiting on free throws to be shot. He also has been accused of pulling player’s pants down and doing childish things of that nature. Is he doing those things with ill intentions? There’s no way. But JR is a professional and people want to see him act like that. He is an above average scorer in this league, and the Knicks could really use his scoring punch off of the bench this season. When “JR Swish” is on, he’s almost unstoppable, but when he’s off…. Well…. You could probably throw me out there and have just as good of a chance of hitting the shot. 

Newly acquired point guard Jose Calderon should be a player that makes a humongous difference for this squad. I believe he’s an upgrade from Raymond Felton, who’s now with the Mavericks. Calderon is a pro’s pro that thrives on getting his teammates involved. Seeing that he now plays for the Knicks, he has no other choice but to distribute. With shot heavy players like Melo and JR Smith, he’s the type of point guard that will mesh well in this system. Supposedly Fisher is thrilled the Knicks got him via trade because Fisher claims he always hated playing against Calderon. The Spanish point guard also is keen to getting triple doubles occasionally which shows his versatility as an all-around player. 

I haven’t mentioned Amare Stoudemire yet because I think that shows how relevant he is at this point in his career. Amare was a baaaaad man early in his career, and at one point was one of the most explosive players in the league. But ever since he made the move to the Knicks from the Suns via free agency, he hasn’t been the same player. He’s been riddled by injuries and inconsistent teammates. Many people believe that Melo plays best at the power forward position, therefore leaving Amare without anywhere to play since that's the position he played his whole career. Amare had to get used to a bench role last season and he had some bright spots, but I’m not expecting too much from him going forward. 

I think Tim Hardaway Jr. and rookie Cleanthony Early should both help this team this season. Hardaway Jr. showed us last season he knows how to light it up, and Early had a great college career at Wichita State. I was actually very surprised that Early dropped into the second round in this year’s draft, because he was certainly a first round talent. Seeing that he was the only draft pick the Knicks had in the draft, he will get his chance to shine. I think the Knicks will compete to make the playoffs this year, but I have them just missing out… They’re the hardest team to judge because they have the talent, but no one knows how it will all come together in 2014-15. 

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Unlike a revolution, which can yield results in a few years, this revolution occurred  over many many years. In short the idea was to change how institutions functioned without ever using the term Marxian.

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The Sacramento Kings enter the 2014 season with a roster that looks to have a decent amount of talent on it. They have big name players such as Demarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay along with an assortment of young players that should fill in nicely. This is a year in which the Kings themselves have higher expectations than they did in year’s past, and they hope to break the playoff barrier in the Mike Malone’s second season as head coach. 

The biggest key to this team is clearly Cousins. First off, Cousins is one of the best power forwards in the game. The man can score, rebound, block shots and get technical fouls like no one else. Last season Cousins averaged 23 points per game to go along with nearly 12 boards. Simply put, Cousins isn’t just good, he’s ELITE. His talent has never been in question. His attitude, on the other hand, has. Ever since he was at Kentucky in the confines of Big Blue Nation, Cousins has had an enormous attitude problem. He’s constantly getting technical fouls and skirmishing with other players. His maturity has been lacking in the past, but supposedly this season his goal is to only get five technical fouls, which would be a major decrease from years past. If Cousins can someday can get his head right, we’re talking about a guy who could potentially be the league’s MVP. 

Rudy Gay will look to improve this year, in his first full season as a member of the Kings. We all know that Gay has never been afraid to shoot the ball, Kings fans and upper management just hope that it goes in a little bit more this year. Last season he averaged 20 points per game to go along with six rebounds. He’s always been a tough cover for opposing players due to his lanky frame, and if he can mesh well with Cousins, then they could team up to be a tandem to be reckoned with. Both players played in the FIBA World Cup this summer for Team USA, so that was added opportunity for them to develop chemistry and to be mentored by some of the top players in the league. 

The addition of Darren Collison in the offseason should sure up the point guard position in Sacramento. Collison has been a starter in this league before, but last year he backed up Chris Paul on the Clippers. Now that he’s been handed the keys to the Kings offense, we shall see what he can really do. Last year he averaged eleven points and three assists in a limited role. I definitely expect those numbers to increase this season. The Kings also acquired veteran guard Ramon Sessions which should bring depth to the backcourt. Sessions is an experienced player who will be good in bringing stability to the second unit as well as the locker room.  

Youngins like Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskus will also be interesting to watch this upcoming season. McLemore is entering his second season, after a so-so rookie campaign. He averaged nine points per contest last season, but struggled to create his own shot. He was a knock down shooter during his time at Kansas so hopefully his 32% shooting from long distance will improve. The Kings drafted Stauskas in the lottery of the last draft, and they expect big things out of the guard from Michigan. Last season he was the go to guy for the Wolverines and he played a vital role on the team that went to the National Championship game two seasons ago. 

I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team make a push for the playoffs, but in a loaded Western Conference, don’t get your hopes up, Kings fans. They have the talent, but we will see how it all fits together. I do think Cousins will finally make his first all-star game this season, after a long drought due to his immaturity. I expect a .500 record out of this squad, but they could definitely prove me wrong. 

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These last six months haven’t been the best for the Indiana Pacers. After having the best record in the NBA at the all-star break, they proceeded to throw up all over themselves, looking like a shell of themselves during the second half of the NBA season. They eventually lasted six games in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Heat, but that was in a lowly Eastern Conference in which they were almost bounced out of the first round against the Hawks. To make matters worse, their best player and perennial NBA all-star Paul George suffered a sickening injury competing in a Team USA scrimmage in August (see video). So instead of ranking them as a playoff team going into the 2014 season, I have them finishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. 

Last season, George along with swingman Lance Stephenson took 35% of the Pacers' shots. Now that George is out because of injury, and Stephenson took his talents to Charlotte, the Pacers will have to find a way to produce on the offensive end on a nightly basis. The number one candidate for that role is 34 year old David West. Last year he was probably the most consistent player on the team, averaging 15 points and seven rebounds per game. He’s also known as the leader on this less than stable Pacers ball club. He will be relied on to be the team’s leading scorer and rebounder… a heavy load for a guy who is on the downhill slope of his career. 

If the Pacers are lucky, they will get the old Roy Hibbert back this season. Halfway through the year it seemed as if Hibbert completely forgot how to play the game of basketball. The Georgetown product would have games where he literally wouldn’t score a point and not grab a rebound. Seems hard to do when you’re over 7 feet tall. There were rumors that his bad play resulted from off the court issues, but who will ever know. Last year he averaged nine points and five rebounds, which isn’t half of what he’s expected produce. The Pacers will need him to return to his all-star form if they have any chance of making noise this season. 

George Hill is another player who struggled to get it going last year. This season will be his fourth to be a permanent starter since coming from the Spurs, and in his career he’s never averaged more than five assists. He will need to become a better distributer at the point guard position. Backing him up this year will be CJ Watson. Watson has shown his bright spots in the past, so it’ll be interesting if he can expand on the five points he averaged last year. 

Since George is out for likely the season, the Pacers will need to find someone that will fill the position of small forward. That person will likely be CJ Miles, who’s been with the Cavaliers these last few seasons. Last season he averaged almost ten points per game in only twenty minutes of action a night. With an expanded role, I expect him to produce at a higher rate. The Pacers also acquired Rodney Stuckey in the offseason so if he can become a more consistent scorer he could find himself as a permanent starter. 

Luis Scola and Chris Copeland will both be solid contributors off the bench. Last season was rough for both players, but if they can find a way to perform like they were expected to last season, then the Pacers bench will likely be improved. I just don’t see too much promise with this roster. Frank Vogel just signed a longterm extension, which relieves some pressure off him not having his best player healthy this season. He will have to coach his way out of a tough situation this year, and if he can do it don’t be surprised if he wins coach of the year. 

ciao amico