Timmy Dunks to start at 240 pounds (-15)

[Wolverine]

Spurts - integrating Jefferson and making sure everyone is healthy
Flakers - teaching Ron Ron not to shoot so much as he'll break the offense
Suxxorz - new coach, new players / injured players returning, new 'point' guard...

Those are primarily the 3 teams followed here?

I'd add the Jazz to that list.  Joe, Skander and Ted are all Utah fans.

The "singles" are me (Suns), Ziggy (Blazers) and jn (Wolves), just to name a few.

[jemagee]

Hmmm....all off the top of my head

Jazz have Boozer fall out and finding out if either of their young 'euro' centers can be any good any time soon

Blazers have to find out how to take that next step and find out if Andre Miller is going to fit (that fan piece aside) as history indicates he'll come into camp out of shape, and start slow, and he aint as youngs as he used to be.

Suns - better without fat shaq - how to make steve nash super happy - amare's eye - who else they got?

Wolves - um...better positioning for the lottery?  Getting that kid the rookie of the year?  Taking egg off face of GM?

If we look hard enough every team has something that matters during training camp...

[Wolverine]

Suns - better without fat shaq - how to make steve nash super happy - amare's eye - who else they got?

I'm looking forward to seeing how Earl Clark does at PF.  The first-rounder is coming off the bench (Frye is supposed to start), so we'll see how he does.  I wasn't sold on him at the time of the draft, but I believe Skander(?) said that he was impressed by him.

[jemagee]

And of course with the Spurs - Dajuan Blair - the one that they kept talking about on draft night how the spurs got a steal and everyone would regret it and how smart the Spurs were.

We'll see.

[jemagee]

Personally - what I was looking forward to was Jrue Holliday stepping up in training camp the way Andre Iguodala did when he was drafted 9th and supplanting Louis Williams before even a game starts - but sadly that's just not happening

[westkoast]

Honestly, if Ron Ron is posting up on the block and taking shots I don't have a problem with that.  It's those off balanced 3s 9 seconds into the shot clock I am more concerned about.  I think the 'Flakers' need to do a good job of helping him with decision making all around.  It is more than just keeping him from 'shooting too much'

Here is my focus for the Clippers this year:

Any decision they all agree on, do the exact opposite.  Whatever it is you did last year, do the opposite.

[jemagee]

There were some articles in the off season about the percentage of shots Ron Artest took for the Rockets and how many of them were not within the set...I don't recall the exact numbers but it was part of the 'cons' of Artest coming to LA - not his attitude or whatever but the way he played in Houston - that his 'good beahvior' masked some poor on the court / non team play...

Paying ARiza the same amount they paid Artest makes more sense to me due to youth, lack of possible headache and knowing his place in the system...I don't think the reward of  Artest versus ARiza matches the risk.

[jemagee]

The clippers focus should be - find a way to convince Donald Sterling to sell his golden goose, then find a way to move to anaheim and then build a real winner.

[westkoast]

There were some articles in the off season about the percentage of shots Ron Artest took for the Rockets and how many of them were not within the set...I don't recall the exact numbers but it was part of the 'cons' of Artest coming to LA - not his attitude or whatever but the way he played in Houston - that his 'good beahvior' masked some poor on the court / non team play...

Paying ARiza the same amount they paid Artest makes more sense to me due to youth, lack of possible headache and knowing his place in the system...I don't think the reward of  Artest versus ARiza matches the risk.

I am aware of that.  I don't know how much of that can be brought over into Ron's game as a Laker.  When T-Mac went down he actually moved up the ranks in terms of offensive option.  Houston wasn't exactly stacked with offensive players especially not on the perimeter.  As T-Mac and Yao were in and out his number of shots picked up, partially because he does force shots and partially because Shane Battier cannot be the main option in an offense (heh).

I wasnt happy with the deal and I said that here when it was reported.  I think it is a huge gamble to bring in someone who could mess up the chemistry.  Would have been my preference to keep Ariza, let Ron stay in Houston, and give Ariza the chance to notch his game up even more.  At the same time I don't think Artest is a scrub.  He can play basketball very well.  As for locker room drama, you can still win titles with it but eventually it boils over.  Problem is Kobe's got only a couple of years to rack up more titles as the main force on the court.  Right now everyone is praying around the league.  Laker fans are praying he acts right to defend our title and people who dislike the Lakers are praying he loses his marbles. 

[Joe Vancil]

Here is my focus for the Clippers this year:

Any decision they all agree on, do the exact opposite.  Whatever it is you did last year, do the opposite.

That's more true than you know.  Spending money to keep stars and not signing the injury-plagued and out-and-out bums to luctrative contracts would be a good change-of-pace for the Clippers.

[Reality]

And of course with the Spurs - Dajuan Blair - the one that they kept talking about on draft night how the spurs got a steal and everyone would regret it and how smart the Spurs were.

We'll see.

WooHoo!  16 pts 19 boards in 22 minutes vs Houston who was playing their starters.
Nice preseason debut!

[jemagee]

(Dajuan Blair) WooHoo!  16 pts 19 boards in 22 minutes vs Houston who was playing their starters.
Nice preseason debut!

Yeah, Adrian Woja(cant spell his name properly) sent a twit that hoopshype reprinted that numerous gms sent him 'curses' about their doctors telling them to pass on Blair.

Nothing like over reacting to one performance by a guy in a meaningless game

[Reality]

(Dajuan Blair) WooHoo!  16 pts 19 boards in 22 minutes vs Houston who was playing their starters.
Nice preseason debut!

Yeah, Adrian Woja(cant spell his name properly) sent a twit that hoopshype reprinted that numerous gms sent him 'curses' about their doctors telling them to pass on Blair.

Nothing like over reacting to one performance by a guy in a meaningless game

Failed attempt Debby Downer.
Didn't overeact.  Nothing wrong with being stoked at the stats he put up vs Houstons starters. Tell me the last time a rookie did that in preseason.
That's what i thought.

[jemagee]

Well what I meant was the GMs.

And the last time a rookie had good numbers against the starters on a team missing both its 'star players' and the big man in the middle...i expect it's probably happened before.

[Reality]

Oh you mean the GMs that passes on Blair per their doctors advice that he was too damaged.   
Well it's a wait and see if his knees hold up so he can dominate Gasol and on into the playoffs.

He's looking like Chuck Barkley-Rodman on the rebounding front now.