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The wait is over as the first two days of the 2009-2010 NBA season is over and done. We saw strong teams get beaten, players coming back (Mr. Arenas!), rookies who don’t play like one and more and more exciting plays. It’s just exciting isn’t it? So here are some of our thoughts from the first two days.

• The Cleveland Cavaliers are 0-2 after losing to the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors. Lebron James has been fantastic in the first two games but we still think that their lineup isn’t that strong this year even with Shaq and new addition Anthony Parker around. The Cavs need to get things together or else…
• Gilbert Arenas is back! We know it’s just one game but if you saw how he played he had thing in control on his way to a 29 point game where he had 9 assists. He didn’t record any assists but he shot well,10-21 from the field. It looks like the 2 years did his body good as he tries to revive his career.
• We loved Andrew Bynum in his first game where he posted a line of 26 points, 13 rebounds while shooting 9-15 from the field and 8-10 from the line. We have a good feeling that he will stay healthy this year.
• The Philadelphia 76ers really had a hard time against the Orlando Magic and we don’t like what we’re seeing with Elton Brand. As for Marreese Speights, this guy really looks like he will battle Samuel Dalembert for minutes and he could end up being their starter by December.
• So much for Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy saying that Dwight Howard can hit close to 75% of his free throw attempts. He started the year going 3-6.

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Shaquille O’neal just knows how to get his name talked about even if his team is out of the playoffs. A couple of weeks ago, Louis Amundson pranked Shaq and he retaliated. This time Shaq’s did a video of him tempted by Krispy Kreme donuts while Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” plays in the background.

I’ve got mixed emotions on this video as it looks funny, creepy and weird but I love it because it’s Shaq. Another great work by the Diesel.

Jason Kidd passed Magic Johnson for 3rd All Time in the NBA’s career assist List. This came on a game where Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks crushed the Suns’ playoff hopes with a convincing 140-116 win. He was able to reach the milestone, 10,142, in the second quarter on a dish to Josh Howard.

He had 16 assists in the first half and finished the game with 20 giving him a running total of 10,148. He received a standing ovation from the Mavericks’ crowd together with commentator Mark Jackson who is second in the list with 10,334. John Stockton is the all time assist leader with 15,806.

Kidd has been one of my favorite players of all time and it’s surprising how he has taken care of his health even after having a major knee surgery. Remember this guy is already 36 and he is still outplaying some of the younger guards. He has also been a surprise this year fantasy wise and to everyone who got him in the third round, your team must be doing well this year.

Here’s a video of Jason Kidd getting his 10,334th career assist:

Image by kevindooley via flickr

The Phoenix Suns are now on the outside looking in for the first time since Steve Nash arrived in Phoenix in the summer of 2004. They’re trailing the Dallas Mavericks, who’s in 8th place, by 4 games but things have been positive with the Suns’ recent win steak. Making the playoffs for the Suns is reachable but it won’t be easy. Here are some reasons why they will make the playoff and why they won’t.

Why the Suns will make the playoff:

• Steve Nash will play like old Stevie

I don’t mean like an old Steve Nash, which was how he was playing under the system of Terry Porter. What I mean is playing like his MVP seasons. We all know that he is the quarterback of the Suns and they’re a completely different team without him. I still think that he should have been voted in the All Star team if it weren’t for Terry Porter. (more…)

I haven’t been able to update this section lately but all is not too late since there are still a lot of players you can pick up to help your team reach first place or just enough to make to the playoffs. We are down to our last month so it’s important that you play close attention to the waiver wires and fix your roster everyday. So here are some of the fantasy basketball pick ups you may still find.

Chris Andersen, PF-C, Denver Nuggets (22% owned)

With Nene out, Andersen will get the bulk of minutes at the center position and he is a very good source for blocks and rebounds. When Nene comes back, as long as you’re in a deep league you can still hold on to him.

Marreese Speights, C, Philadelphia 76ers (10% owned)

He has been up and down mainly because he is a rookie but if you’re in a deep league you have to have this guy on your roster. Good source of rebounds, blocks and fg%.

Fred Jones, SG, LA Clippers (4% owned)

The Clippers are clearly struggling and they’ve had a hard time having able bodies to play on a nightly basis that’s why journeyman Fred Jones has been given a chance. He has scored double figures in four out of the last five games and is a decent source of threes and steals. Surprisingly, he has been giving a block in three straight.

Kyle Weaver, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (1% owned)

This guy has been under the radar of most people but he has been producing lately. 45% FG shooting for a guard with a three in the last five out of six games. An all around guy who will give you three rebounds and three assists, a steal and very good ft shooting. Surprisingly, his scoring has been up after the trade for Thabo Sefalosha to the Thunder.

Kurt Thomas, C, San Antonio Spurs (3% owned)

The veteran can still play that’s for sure as he has been playing well of late grabbing rebounds and with that occasional putbacks. The Spurs will try to be cautious with Duncan’s knee as we near the playoffs, Thomas is the only reliable big man off the bench for them. Grab him if you really need help in the boards.

Nicola Batum, SG-SF, Portland Trailblazers (2% owned)

He has been scoring double figures in three out of the last four games and has been hot shooting the three. An all around guy also who will give you steals and an occasional block. But this guy should only be grabbed if you’re in a deep league.

Michael Finley, SG-SF, San Antonio Spurs (14% owned)

He has been hot with the threes lately due to an increase in minutes when Manu Ginobili went down with an injury. He won’t be on fire every night but as long as he is getting minutes the points, threes and occasional steals will keep on flowing. Grab him now!

Brandon Rush, G-F, Indiana Pacers (3% owned)

You knew how he was capable of scoring 20 in a games in December when Dunleavy was out. Now that he is given minutes, it’s also a given that he will score in double figures in most games in the last month of the regular season. Just be sure you can take his 37% fg shooting.

Other players you may pick up:

Goran Dragic, PG, Phoenix Suns – A short term pick up if Nash will be out a little longer.
Antoine Wright, SG, Dallas Mavericks – Grab him if he is still in the waiver wires.
Francisco Elson, C, Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks are thin at the center position and he’s starting.
Travis Diener, PG, Indiana Pacers – No Granger. No Dunleavy. Ford is in and out of the lineup.
Keyon Dooling, PG, New Jersey Nets – Good source of points and threes.

Here’s a video I saw on ESPN.com where they analyze if Amar’e Stoudemire will leave or will he stay and run ‘n gun as a Phoenix Sun.

You're out Porter, You're in Gentry

League sources say that team officials of the Phoenix Suns were meeting on Sunday afternoon with Alvin Gentry to finalize a deal for him replace Terry Porter as head head coach of the Suns.

As this deal is being finalized, Terry Porter said that he hasn’t heard anything from Suns officials and they will be meeting later today.

Gentry, who has had head coaching experience with the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat, is the lead assistant and will be taking over the Suns for the remainder of the season.

Reasons for the firing of Porter are obvious as he wasn’t able to bring the defensive mindset that the management was looking for when he was in Detroit. Another is that the whole offense of the Suns became too slow and was focusing too much on Shaquille O’neal. These led to the trading of D’Antoni’s favorite Boris Diaw and crowd favorite Raja Bell to the Bobcats for Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley in December. Coach Porter also loosened up the offense and it looked like they were winning again but losing 8 out of the final 13 games convinced management that it was time for him to go.

This could be great news for Phoenix Suns fans as Amar’e Stoudemire might not be traded after all. It also looks like they have a good relationship with coach Alvin Gentry as he has been with the Suns since 2004. Let’s just hope that Gentry learned a thing or two from D’Antoni’s run ‘n gun system as this will boost the production of all the Suns players except Shaquille O’neal.

If Amar’e stays, look for the Suns to go to him more and play Phoenix Suns basketball with all the running. Steve Nash’s career will be rejuvenated after it took a step back for half a season this year. Look for them to score more this second half and I’m pretty sure that fantasy owners of Suns players and Suns fans are all excited with this.

Rondo in Deng in a Suns uniform..not bad!

Since the arrival of Steve Nash in the valley of the Suns, Phoenix has been one of the strongest teams in the West. They were well coached under Mike D’Antoni with his run and gun style of play and they had a great core with Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw. Half of that core is gone now and they have a new coach, Terry Porter, for this 2008-2009 NBA season and they also have new faces but not necessarily young legs. In fact, the two players, Shaquille O’neal and Grant Hill, they’ve traded for and signed the past two years are turning 37 this year.

Former MVP Steve Nash will be turning 35 this year, and wouldn’t it be nice if the Phoenix Suns had kept some of their first round draft picks that they’ve traded during draft night the past 4 years? (more…)

Boris Diaw looked like a rising star in the 2005-2006 season – the season where Amar’e was out because of a knee injury. He had averages of 13.3 points, 6.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds to go along with percentages and a block a game. This led to the Suns extending his contract for 5 years worth $45 million. The summer after that he got fat and Amar’e came back full force and he played a lesser role in the offense. (more…)

Mike D'Antoni image by holidaygolight via flickr.

Mike D’Antoni will be facing his old team for the first time tonight as he tries to lead his New York Knicks against the Phoenix Suns. Both teams have gone opposite directions this year as the Knicks are looking like a team finally making the playoffs after years of missing it while the Suns look like a borderline playoff team after years of dominance.

It would be interesting to see how Steve Nash will play with a different lineup from a year ago against his former coach, who’s system helped Nash win back to back MVP. (more…)