They fetched donuts, they rode the pine at times and they got their feet wet. Now members of last year’s rookie class are ready to contribute. Of course we know that this year, Derrick Rose will continue his rise to that Deron Williams/Chris Paul point guard status and O.J. Mayo will build on his sensational rookie campaign. But there are several sophomores who have flown under the radar that you might need to start keeping tabs on. Here’s my five. Read More »

Even with seven new faces on the roster, the Orlando Magic have been playing like they’ve been together for years. After posting a perfect 8-0 preseason record and dominating Philly 120-106 in the home opener last night, the team is showing why they were the Eastern Conference Champions last year.

One member of the Magic that could have a bigger role in the team’s quest to return to the Finals is fourth-year guard J.J. Redick. With a 5.5 ppg career average, it’s fair to say the former Duke All-American and lottery pick has not lived up to his billing so far. Read More »

Some of the benches on NBA squads are just nasty. It used to be teams would go just seven or eight deep in their rotation. Now some of these teams have benches so stacked that they could probably handle Milwaukee or Sacramento’s starting fives. I ranked my top five second units in the league. Keep in mind, starting lineups haven’t been set in stone and some of these guys might start come opening night (tonight for some). Read More »

Last season, the Orlando Magic kind of snuck up on the rest of the league. While everybody knew that they had a solid roster, not many expected them to come out as Eastern Conference Champions. This time around, Orlando is not only one of the favorites to win the East again but is right there in the mix to compete for a title as well. This time around, the path will be a little different. Read More »