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Indiana Pacers 2006-07 Preview
One of the most disappointing teams for the past few seasons, the Indiana Pacers have been on a steady decline ever since their former small forward Ron Artest charged into the stands to attack Pistons fans. After losing his replacement, Peja Stojakovic for almost nothing, they find themselves without championship caliber talent for the first time in half a decade.

The anchor for the Pacers is power-forward Jermaine O’Neal. Jermaine is one of the premier post players in the NBA and is by far the best player that the Pacers have. If they want to guarantee themselves a playoff berth, they need to ensure that O’Neal stays healthy and productive for all eighty-two games in the season. This is a high task for a player who has missed a total of 69 games in the past two seasons alone.

The Pacers hope to offset their loss at the small-forward position using two players. The first is last years first round pick of Danny Granger. Granger is a talented player who showed flashes of brilliance in limited playing time last season. Ahead of him on the rotation is a familiar face in Al Harrington. Harrington was traded back to the Pacers after a very productive season with the Atlanta Hawks. If he can continue his improved players, Indiana should have a formidable post presence game-in and game-out.

Starting at the guard positions are Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley. Tinsley is one of the better point guards in the league when he is able to stay healthy. The problem is that he just can’t stay healthy. Jamaal has missed at least 30 games for the past three seasons. Stephen Jackson is a pretty good shooting guard who sometimes makes bad decisions. His 16-18 points per game adds a much-needed scoring threat from the guard position.

On the bench for the Pacers are newly acquired Marquis Daniels and young players such as Sarunas Jasikevicius and David Harrison. Daniels was an integral member of the Mavericks bench last season and should be a good sixth or seventh man for the Pacers. Harrison and Sarunas were slightly disappointing last season but have the potential to pan out nicely for the Pacers. Sarunas in particular is a deep three-point threat who could add another dimension to the Pacers.

Rick Carlisle has his hands full with the Pacers once again, but he shouldn’t find it a problem to get to the playoffs once again. Winning a playoff series or more, however, is an entirely different story.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

The Legacy Of Michael Jordan
By Jonathon Hardcastle
Although he has been retired for several years now, Michael Jordan is still widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. His influence was felt not only in the way the game was played, but also in how it was perceived around the world. Ultimately, his excellence at his sport was instrumental in catapulting the popularity of basketball and the National Basketball Association all over the world during the eighties and nineties. Beyond all this, Jordan was also a marketing force and was hands-down the most successfully marketed athlete of his generation and, possibly, all time. In 1999, Jordan was named by ESPN as “the greatest athlete of the 20th century.”

Jordan retired from the NBA after 15 seasons, during which he established a number of prestigious records. His 30.12 points per game average is the highest ever in NBA history. He also won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and was the MVP of the NBA Finals every time they claimed the championship. In addition, Jordan has been the NBA’s leading scorer for 10 straight seasons and was the league’s Most Valuable Player five times. He was also selected to the All-NBA First Team 10 times, the All-Defensive First Team nine times aside from leading the NBA in steals in three years. The Associated Press also ranked him as second only to Babe Ruth as top athlete of the century.

Jordan’s wizardry on the basketball court was evident from the very first time he stepped onto an NBA court as a rookie in 1985. He unveiled the full package – a dazzling array of dunks, ferocious defense and the amazing ability to score any time he wanted to. His leaping ability was off the charts and quickly earned him such colorful nicknames as “Air Jordan” and “His Airness.” In one playoffs game against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Jordan scored a record 63 points, which prompted the league’s then-reigning MVP Larry Bird to proclaim that he was “God disguised as Michael Jordan.”

The media has portrayed a number of players as “the next Michael Jordan” upon entering the NBA, including such renowned hoopsters as Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, who have all fallen short of their lofty billing. The latest to earn the sobriquet are LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but they have a long way to go before they can earn the right to be called the next Jordan.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Sports, Recreation, and Games