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On The NBA 2014-2015 season’s eve, the incredible two man team of TSN 1050 Radio’s #1On1 with Will Strickland and Duane Watson get you ready for hoops in Canada! Over the next three days, the guys will give you the news, views and truths on all things NBA and Canada basketball, including insights on the Toronto Raptors and their chances to go deep into the playoffs this season. The #1On1 with Will & Duane NBA Season Preview first looks at the Western Conference, where the unbreakable triumvirate of the great Timothy Theodore Duncan, Emanuel David Ginobili and William Anthony Parker, Jr. has time and time again, year after year, continued to defy the odds and the naysayers when it comes their age and ability. Though the sun sets in the West, apparently no one told the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs. As they hoist their fifth title banner and collect their jewel and adoration on NBA opening night this Tuesday vs the Dallas Mavericks, ask yourself if you’re willing to bet against them again. Does a team with an ailing, but reigning MVP in Kevin Durant get back to the Finals and find redemption? Or maybe a newcomer to the throne like the Blake Griffin/Chris Paul-led Los Angeles Clippers will ascend the highest of heights in the West? Duane Watson and Will Strickland give their predictions and you tell them if they are on point or way out of bounds! Stephen John Nash Will Retire. Strickland: When? Now? Didn’t he retire three years ago in Phoenix? Despite listing Toronto, where Nash is Executive Director of Canada Basketball, and New York, where he resided in the offseason, as potential free agency destinations for him, Steve Nash didn’t retire when he hurt his back recently picking up a bag and likely ending one of the most unlikely NBA careers ever. Steve Nash retired for many the moment he swore he’d never play for his enemy, the Los Angeles Lakers, and then promptly signed there. Watson: As soon as Nash left the confines of the magical rehabilitation pixie dust of the Phoenix Suns, his body’s deterioration seemingly accelerated. Nash will have only played in 65 games over the past three seasons for in Los Angeles. As the oldest player in the NBA, like everyone else, he wasn’t able to elude father time. Nash will retire, but only after he gets the $9 million that the Lakers owe him. The Los Angeles Lakers Will Be The Worst Team In The Western Conference. Strickland: No team that possesses the maniacally competitive and highly polarizing Kobe Bean Bryant will ever be last at anything, especially when the Western Conference has the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings for that. Bryant will soothe his wounds by surpassing his boyhood idol Michael Jeffrey Jordan for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list this season. Watson: Kobe Bryant, despite his talents, does not bring the best out of people. He will be coming back from an Achilles injury and the other two best players on the roster, (Steve Nash & Nick Young) are out with injuries. That leaves a bunch of young players and a new head coach in Byron Scott, who will grate on them quickly, as he’s a strong believer in tough love. All in all, a recipe for disaster born by regret for signing Kobe to a (legacy) extension and crippling the ball club. Anthony Davis Will Be League MVP. Strickland: Yes… just not this season. The Brow is the future of the NBA: long, athletic, skilled and able to dominate the game in multiple aspects, whether he’s scoring or not. Be afraid… be very, very afraid! Anthony Davis is rated next and will live up to the billing. Watson: After a coming out party as an anchor on the gold–medal USA Men’s basketball team, Davis is putting together all of the elements that made him a #1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. His inside and outside game, coupled with defensive ability make him a match-up nightmare and as long as the Pelicans are performing, he will start his ascent as one of the new faces of the league. Flip Saunders Will Be The First Coach Relieved Of His Duties This Season. Strickland: Yes… and rightfully so, even if he is the one who does the firing as Saunders serves as both head coach, President of Basketball Operations and part-owner. Let this prediction also serve as a ringing endorsement of former Toronto Raptors’ bench boss and 2006-2007 NBA Coach of The Year to lead the young wolf pack of Canadians Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, high flyer Zach Levine, vet Thaddeus Young and new face of the franchise (for now), Ricky Rubio. Watson: There’s a bit of a caveat as he is also the team’s GM, but he won’t want to be on the sideline enduring the losses. It will be his first time in a dual role, and he will want to focus on building a better team and leave the coaching in the hands of his initial lead candidate, former Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell. DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins Will Be An All-Star. Strickland: No question. Cousins’ abilities were on full display in the Gold Medal game as his tenacity and work off the boards awakened his US Men’s’ National Team and spurred them to victory. More impressive however were his displays of teamwork, maturity and leadership in Spain as he had opportunities to become the “Ugly American” with a poor attitude and one short circuited punch attempt to the back of Raptors & Lithuanian star centre Jonas Valanciunas’ melon. Boogie brings these experiences to a poor Sacramento team that he’ll have to carry even more this season. Watson: “Boogie,” early in his career, developed a reputation as a player with an attitude and bad temperament, despite his stellar play. While his on court performance hasn’t slipped, his poise and play with USA Basketball last summer displayed what many knew all along… his passion is as big as his game. Western Conference coaches will see that if he played under Coach K, he will finally get that vote in as a reserve in New York. Eric Gordon & Tyreke Evans Will Cripple The Hornets Playoffs Chances With Injuries. Strickland: Even healthy, oxymoronic when speaking about Evans and Gordon, there’s little doubt they’d help the Pelicans fly into the playoffs. The addition of Omer Asik as well as getting the sharpshooting Ryan Anderson back on the floor and hoping Jrue Holiday can regain his All-Star form if not All-Star status will mean more to the playoff hopes of New Orleans. Watson: While Anthony Davis will have a banner season and the return of Ryan Anderson and addition of Omer Asik will bolster their frontcourt, the Pelicans shooting guards will prove to be the boon of this team. Lacking much offensive firepower in the backcourt, Gordon and Evans chronic injury history and their absence from the line-up will have many posing “what if?” at the end of the season. Damian Lillard Will Be Voted In As An All-Star By The Fans. Strickland: No. With relative shoo-in incumbents Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry in front of the rapping point gawd MC Dame Lillard, it will be his continued growth as a leader for a talented Portland Trailblazers outfit that will have fans stuffing All-Star ballot boxes to push for his inclusion as one of the top 24 players on the planet for a fun-filled weekend in Gotham. It’s not Dame’s time just yet, but when it is, he won’t relinquish for quite some time. Watson: “Dame” is doing everything right earning a reputation on the court and off of it. The only thing better than an old superstar point guard that hasn’t won it all, is a young superstar point guard that hasn’t won it all. The fans are recognizing, as Lillard’s ability to single handedly win games, is the reason why people are excited about the Trail Blazers. The Los Angeles Clippers Will Win The West. Strickland: No. They have all the talent in the world, an experienced bench, one of the top coaches in The Association in Doc Rivers and a bright owner in Steve Ballmer who has taken the Donald Sterling cloud from over the franchise. Even that will not be enough to overcome the Spurs x Thunders of the NBA world. Whispers of Chris Paul losing a step after a tough close to his playoffs last year will not be offset by a potential MVP-like campaign from Blake Griffin. Watson: The Clippers have all the tools to have the best record in the Western Conference. Blake Griffin is asserting his dominance as one of the top power forwards in the game, head coach Doc Rivers has a roster and a bench that can compete 82 games a season, and there’s Chris Paul. But for all of that, they will continue to realize that the regular season and playoffs are two different seasons and won’t be playing in June. The Utah Jazz Will Sneak Into The Playoffs. Strickland: No! But, going out on the thinnest of limbs here, I truly do believe that a team who won 25 games last year will push for that final playoff spot in the West until the last week of the season. New head coach Quin Snyder has implemented a sharp motion offensive scheme that will highlight the talents of his young stars Gordon Hayward, Trey Burke, Rodney Hood and Dante Exum, as well as allow blossoming big man Derrick Favors and an improving Rudy Gobert, who is coming off of a very solid summer of international play with France’s Bronze medal winning squad at the FIBA World Cup. Watson: Bold considering this team only won 25 games last year, but there is a depth of talent on this Jazz roster and rookie head coach Quinn Snyder has already found ways to maximize it. Even if they don’t make the playoffs, they will be a much-improved squad from the year prior, adding experience to the young core Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Rodney Hood, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors. The Spurs Will Repeat. Strickland: Hard to bet against them… but I will! Injuries and how you play around them are a variable that is always necessary to consider in pro sports. So is age. Despite exacting their revenge vs the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals last season, the Spurs ability to defeat father time will factor heavily in allowing a new boss in the West to reign. Watson: Likely the least bold of all the predictions, as the depth, the experience, the coaching, and the minutes management should lead them right back to where they left off. It’s the Spurs title to lose and coach Popovich and the veterans on this team only do that once a decade, (see 2013 NBA Finals). You can find Duane Watson(@duanewatson) and Will Strickland(@wallstrizzle1) plying their trade in the Art of Basketball Commentary on #1On1 with Will & Duane every Saturday afternoon at 3pm ET on TSN 1050 Radio. Tune In! Tell A Friend! You’ll Be Glad You Did! Cheap NHL Jerseys From China . Selected by the Titans in the 2007 NFL Draft, Johnson rejoined the club last season after a five-year stint with Indianapolis. Wholesale NHL Jerseys 2020 . The Brazilian-born strikers brace drew him level with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the leagues leading scorers with 17 goals apiece through 16 rounds. "The important thing is to help the team win, not the goals," Diego Costa said. After a first half dominated by defence, Atletico pressed Valencia into its area and Diego Costa did the rest. https://www.nhljerseys2020.com/ .D. Martinezs ninth-inning sacrifice fly scored Torii Hunter with the winning run and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 Sunday. NHL Jerseys 2020 Store . Dalton completed his only pass and led the Bengals to a touchdown in his only drive -- one that took four minutes to finish -- and the Cincinnati Bengals ended the preseason with a 27-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. Fake NHL Jerseys 2020 . Jagr had a goal and two assists, Andy Greene scored 43 seconds into overtime and Marek Zidlicky had two goals as the Devils rallied past the Washington Capitals 5-4 Saturday night.CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are headed toward the All-Star break on a high note. So is Anthony Bennett, the much-maligned No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. As the Cavaliers avenged a 44-point loss to Sacramento with a 109-99 win over the Kings on Tuesday night, Bennett had 19 points and 10 rebounds -- both career highs -- in Clevelands third straight win. "Youre starting to see a little bit of what we see in practice and the reason why we drafted him," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Hes a talented young man and hes starting to come to life a little bit. Hes even better than what you saw tonight." Former general manager Chris Grant, who was fired last week, was roundly criticized for taking Bennett with the first pick in June, but the rookie from UNLV has made major strides after being a non-factor until mid-January. "Anthony Bennett kicked our butt," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "Im sure Chris Grant is smiling at home -- and deservedly so -- because that was his No. 1 pick." Bennett was smiling, too. Asked when the last time he had fun playing basketball he said, "I dont remember, but today was one of those days." Bennett hit two 3-pointers in a little over a minute in the second quarter and scored 11 points in the first half. His 3-pointer with 4:40 left in the game gave Cleveland a 100-85 advantage. Bennett was aggressive going to the basket -- going to the line nine times. Bennett had shoulder surgery before the draft and didnt play in the summer league. He adjusted slowly once the season began, and his minutes were limited when he played. That has changed. "It feels great," Bennett said. "All the hard work Ive put in with the players and coaching staff is paying off." Brown began giving him playing time last month after he showed progress in practice. "Its not anything that all of a sudden happened overnight," Brown said. "Hes a good basketball player. He can pass it. He can shoot it. He can run the floor. He can finish in traffic. He can rebound." Luol Deng led the Cavaliers with 22 points, and Dion Waiters added 20. The Cavaliers, beaten 124-80 in Sacramento on Jan. 12, took a double-figure lead early in the second quarter and were in control the remainder of the game. Cleveland has won three in a row for the second time this season. Cleveland also won threee straight from Dec.dddddddddddd 7-13. The Cavaliers will go for a season-high, four-game winning streak in their final game before the All-Star break on Wednesday at Detroit. Cleveland has won all three games since Grant was fired. DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points to lead the Kings, who have lost 10 of 12 and seven straight on the road. The Cavaliers built a 67-49 lead in the third quarter. The Kings cut their deficit to seven points early in the fourth, but Cleveland went on a 7-0 run, sparked by Kyrie Irvings 3-pointer, to go ahead 91-77. Irving, who was 3 of 14 with seven points in the first meeting, had 13 points and six assists. The Cavaliers broke a three-game losing streak against the Kings. Cousins, taking advantage of a matchup with Cleveland centre Tyler Zeller, had 11 points and six rebounds in the first quarter. The Cavaliers played without starting centre Anderson Varejao, who missed the game with a sore back. Cousins didnt score again in the half. The Cavaliers used a combination of Zeller, Tristan Thompson and Henry Sims in an attempt to neutralize Cousins, who was averaging 22.7 points going into the game. The 6-foot-11 centre attempted only two more shots the rest of the game and was 11 of 16 from the foul line. "The effort wasnt there," Cousins said. "It was just bad overall. I dont really have an answer, but whatever it is, it needs to be fixed. After the All-Star break, well start fresh, which is what we need right now." Tristan Thompson had 16 points and 13 points for the Cavaliers. Isaiah Thomas scored 16 points, and Rudy Gay added 14 for the Kings. Sacramento has dropped the first three games of a four-game trip that ends Wednesday against New York. The Kings are 6-19 on the road. C.J. Miles (sore right foot) also missed the game for Cleveland. NOTES: Asked to describe Varejaos injury, Brown said, "With Andy, its his back and really his whole body that is sore, so it will be good to get him some rest, but obviously, you hope that its not a long-term thing." ... Varejao wont travel to Detroit ... Malone spent five seasons as an assistant under Brown with the Cavaliers from 2005-10. ... Thomas and Kings F Jason Thompson each picked up two fouls in the first quarter. Thompson committed his third foul 34 seconds into the third quarter and was scoreless for the game. ' ' '