Youth movement

PARIS (The International Show) - A new, exciting ,accelerated and compact NBA season gets going on Christmas so I would like to point out some tendancies we will see and predict some outcomes.

Over the years I have been a proponent of shortening the regular season in order to increase the importance of each game and the quality of play along with reducing injuries and prolonging players' careers.

However THIS shortened season is NOT what I had in mind because unfortunately none of the stated objectives will be fulfilled! This lockout-shortened season will accentuate a major NBA youth movement which the results of the lockout negotiations have already jump-started because everyone understands that the new model for success in the NBA is to have a roster full of young, underpaid stars who win enough to fill seats and are friendly to a team's bottom line. On the other hand, for years now we have observed that EXPERIENCE wins championships.

So what should these points all add up to this season? How about Miami against Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals! With 66 games compacted like sardines into a four month period, the teams with young rosters which recuperate faster physically will be at a net advantage over aging teams like Boston and San Antonio and we could even put the Lakers and Mavs into this category.

The teams that will profit the most are Miami, with 3 superstars in their prime, Chicago, built around Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah who are settled in with new contracts, Oklahoma City which should be young and good enough to dominate the West but just inexperienced enough to lose to Miami in the Finals , Memphis who intelligently re-signed Marc Gasol after being the surprise of last season's playoffs and yes, the "Lob" Angeles Clippers led by those alley-oop fiends Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Of course certain players on those five teams are going to have to keep up the pace alongside the young bucks.

Guys like Carlos Boozer and Rip Hamilton in Chicago , Zach Randolph in Memphis or Chauncey Billups with the Clips.

Here's where coaching and player rotations will be even more important than usual so don't be surprised if Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan sits out that third game in three days when their teams visit your town, folks!

Preserving and protecting players' health for the playoffs will be the coaches' ever-present mantra all season long.

Take Dallas, which certainly has a chance to repeat after stealing Lamar Odom away from the Lakers to make up for losing Tyson Chandler to the Knicks.

The key for Rick Carlisle is how much production he can count on from youngsters like Ian Mahinmi and Roddy Beaubois the two French subs, because he has alot of aging players that will definitely need their rest.

Another BIG question is how well did the older players stay in shape during the lockout down time.

We will quickly see who stayed in top shape like a Ray Allen while others may drag along with injuries all season, or worse, see their careers terminated.

Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers will have the same worries as Rick and in my opinion the most stressed out coach of them all will probably be Mike Brown who has the impossible task of trying to make Lakers fans forget everything and anything concerning the past mega-success of Phil Jackson and his staff.

Now Jerry Buss's son Jim will be calling the shots and he has not proven that he has what it takes to fill his father's BIG shoes.

Ignoring what Phil Jackson built, choosing Mike Brown without consulting Kobe, failing to upgrade at point guard, giving Odom away, keeping Metta World Peace and alientating Pau Gasol through trade rumors are all part of the new decision-maker's rookie resume!

Add to all that that Kobe is divorcing his wife while the Clippers will probably move ahead of them (at least in the fans' hearts) and the Lakers' season is shaping up to be one big Hollywood soap opera!

The teams that should progress the most compared to last season in the West are the Clippers, Golden State and Minnesota whereas in the East, New York,Indiana and Washington should improve alot.

I predict Oklahoma City over Memphis or Dallas in the Western Conference Finals and Miami over Chicago in the East.

I will go into more detail on these different points in the upcoming weeks.

Hey, what do you think?

George Eddy

FIBA

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