2012 Team Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves

Starters

• PG – Ricky Rubio
• SG – Brandon Roy
• SF – Andrei Kirilenko
• PF – Kevin Love
• C  – Nikola Pekovic

A solid starting lineup. A high level PF in Kevin Love. A slightly above average PG in Ricky Rubio. Two middle of the pack starters in Kirilenko and Pekovic. An unknown in Brandon Roy.

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2012 Team Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

Starters

• PG – Jrue Holiday
• SG – Jason Richardson
• G/F – Evan Turner
• C  – Spencer Hawes
• C  – Andrew Bynum

It’s unclear how effective this starting unit will be. Major questions about how well Hawes can transition to PF (I am more of a doubter than a believer). A pair of young players in Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner who will be looking to take a leap forward also. So I am not sure how to rate them just yet.

They have a top five center in Bynum, a top ten PG in Holiday, a middle of the pack SF in Turner, a below average but solid starter in J-Rich and I have no idea about Hawes. What that equals out into, I am not sure.

2012 Team Preview: Portland Trailblazers

Portland Trailblazers

Starting Lineup

• PG – Damian Lillard
• SG – Wes Matthews
• SF – Nicolas Batum
• PF – LaMarcus Aldridge
• C  – Meyers Leonard

A decent starting unit.

LaMarcus Aldridge is the man of the moment. A top five PF/C. A highly skilled offensive player who possesses both a strong post game and a very good jump-shot all the way out to 20+ feet. Shot-creator. You can run your offense through him. A decent but below average rebounder. A solid defensive player at either big man position.

2012 Team Preview: Charlotte Bobcats

Charlotte Bobcats

Starting Lineup

• PG – Ramon Sessions
• SG – Gerald Henderson
• SF – Michael Kidd-Gilchrest
• PF – BJ Mullens
• C  – Brendan Haywood

A very weak starting lineup. Not a single player who is a top ten player at his position. Not a single above average starter. Not even an average starting player. All five players are well below average starters with BJ Mullens being one of the worst starting PFs in the league.

2012 Team Previews: Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

Starting Lineup

• PG – Brandon Knight
• OG – Rodney Stuckey
• SF – Tayshaun Prince
• PF – Jason Maxiell
• C  – Greg Monroe

A weak starting lineup. Not sure who’ll get the nod at PF yet but I’ll go with Maxiell for now. A good starting center and small forward. A serviceable starting two guard and two liabilities at PG and PF.

2012 Team Preview: Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors

Starters

• PG – Kyle Lowry
• SG – DeMar DeRozan
• SF – Landry Fields
• PF – Andrea Bargnani
• C  – Jonas Valanciounas

A weak starting lineup. One top ten player (PG) in Kyle Lowry. Unsure how to rate Bargnani. At least two, if not all three, of the remaining starters are liabilities.

2012 Team Preview: Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

Starting Lineup

• PG – Rajon Rondo
• SG – Avery Bradley
• SF – Paul Pierce
• PF – Brandon Bass
• C  – Kevin Garnett

A very strong starting lineup. One of the best in the league. Arguably the best point guard in the league, the second best center, a top five small forward, a shooting guard that was very impressive in the latter part of last season. The weak point is the power forward position.

2012 Team Preview: Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors

Starting Lineup

• PG – Steph Curry
• SG – Klay Thompson
• SF – Richard Jefferson
• PF – David Lee
• C  – Andrew Bogut

A good starting lineup. An explosive backcourt with a top ten PG and possibly a top ten SG also. A top twelve starting center in Bogut. A middle of the pack starter in David Lee. A below average but serviceable starter in Richard Jefferson.

2012 Team Preview: Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards

Starters

• PG – John Wall
• OG – Bradley Beal
• SF – Trevor Ariza
• PF – Nene
• C  – Emeka Okafor

The Wizards lineup has one above average starter, three middle of the pack starters (with Wall having lots of room for improvement) and one unknown in Bradley Beal.

2012 Team Preview: Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks

Starters

• PG – Brandon Jennings
• OG – Monta Ellis
• SF – Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
• PF – Ersan Ilyasova
• C  – Samuel Dalembert

This is a weak starting unit. A dysfunctional starting backcourt that lacks defensive integrity and a frontcourt that lacks oomph. I would consider their backcourt below average and for each of their frontcourt players to be borderline top 20 players at their respective positions. So a starting unit that is a bit below average across the board.