Final Thoughts On The 2012/13 NBA Season

• If the Lakers fail to make the playoffs, I believe that it’s 50/50 odds that Dwight Howard leaves the Lakers this offseason. If they make the playoffs, it’s 80/20 that he stays.

• The biggest front office gaff actually started at last season’s trade deadline, Brooklyn’s post-D12 opt-in panic trade of the #6 pick in the 2012 draft for Gerald Wallace. This not only eliminated them from the D12 sweepstake, but it caused them to resign Wallace to a terrible four year deal and trade for Joe Johnson.

• LeBron James treated the rest of the NBA as if they were his high school’s junior varsity team.

• The 2012 draft class is much better than it showed. Players like Terrence Jones, Jeremy Lamb, John Henson, John Jenkins, and others will make a much bigger impact during the 2013/14 season.

• The practice of sending mid to later round first round draft picks to the NBA DLeague for a “red-shirt” season will become more common. OKC did this with both Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones. Houston did this with Terrence Jones this season and Marcus Morris last season. The Celtics did this with Fab Melo. Fab Melo is a project and the DLeague is a perfect place for him to develop. However, I believe that had  both Lamb and Jones been drafted by different teams, each could have receive a lot of PT & made the All Rookie team.
• The Bobcats are finally heading in the right direction. However, it’s a long trip from the bottom. Props to Rich Cho. 

•  The Timberwolves have had terrible injuries the past two seasons. With proper health, they stand to make a HUGE playoff leap next season. It’s too bad David Kahn most likely will not be around to see it.

•  As of now, the Bobcats, Suns, and Kings are looking like the three major contenders for the Andrew Wiggins/Jabari Parker sweepstake. The dark horses are Utah, Dallas, and….. the Lakers.