2012 NBA Christmas Day Preview

James Harden singing Jingle Bells is just one of the joys of five NBA games on Christmas Day. (TotalProSports.com)

Christmas Day has almost arrived, which means a great day of NBA matchups will be on ABC and ESPN. I will preview what to watch for in each game. Merry Christmas to all!

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets  - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN
The Celtics will travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in a budding Atlantic Division rivalry. The premier matchup of this game will be the point guards, Rajon Rondo of the Celtics and Deron Williams of the Nets. Rondo is averaging 14.3 points and 11.1 assists in December while shooting 52 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Williams is having a down year as he tries to find his role with his newly formed team. He is shooting just 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc. Williams is still averaging 16.8 points and 8.1 assists a game. There's also a player on each team who is capable of taking the game over. The Celtics' Paul Pierce has been superb lately and is averaging 23.8 points per game in December. Joe Johnson has emerged as the go to guy for the Nets. He scored 22 points in their win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers - 3:00 PM EST, ABC
Both teams have been two of the NBA's biggest surprises. The Knicks have emerged as of the league's top teams behind great three-point shooting. The Lakers have struggled to come together as a team, but they will benefit from Steve Nash's return from injury. This game features some great matchups. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant are two of the league's top scorers. Anthony is scoring 33.7 points and shooting 50 percent from the field in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Bryant is averaging 33.8 points per game since the start of December. Another intriguing matchup will be two of the league's top centers. Dwight Howard is in his first season with the Lakers, while Tyson Chandler anchors the Knicks' defense. Howard has struggled a bit recently, averaging just 15.1 points per game in his past five games. As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Chandler will look to shut him down.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat - 5:30 PM EST, ABC
This is probably the most anticipated matchup of any of the Christmas Day games, featuring a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. This is the first meeting between these two teams this season, and the Thunder will be looking for revenge. As if you couldn't figure it on your own, the premier matchup in this game is obviously the NBA's top two players Kevin Durant of the Thunder and LeBron James of the Heat. Durant is averaging 27.9 points and 8.4 rebounds this season, while James is putting up 25.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game. The defensive matchup between the two will be intriguing as well. They will most likely be guarding one another for the majority of the game. The Heat will have the home crowd at their back, but the Thunder experienced what that was like last summer.

Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls - 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
These two teams may not appear to be two of the NBA's top teams, but both have played surprisingly well given their circumstances. The Rockets weren't expected to compete for a spot in the playoffs at all. However, a preseason trade has changed everything. James Harden, the centerpiece of the trade with the Thunder, has averaged 25.6 points and 5.6 assists a game as a starter in Houston. He has emerged as one of the league's top shooting guards right now. Meanwhile, the Bulls have kept winning, even without one of the NBA's top players. A number of players have stepped up in Derrick Rose's absence. Joakim Noah is averaging 13.5 points and 10.6 seen rebounds while Luol Deng leads the team in scoring with 17.8 points per game. They have helped the Bulls remain competitive while they wait for their superstar to return.

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers - 10:30 PM EST, ESPN
The Clippers are one of the NBA's hottest teams right now. The Clippers' offense is led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul runs the show with 16.1 points and 9.6 assists per game. In the post, Griffin is averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. The Clippers also have an elite defense that allows opponents to score just 91.6 points per game, which is fourth best in the NBA. The Nuggets are one of the most balanced teams in the league. Ty Lawson is one of the fastest players in the NBA and pushes the tempo of the offense. He loves to facilitate the ball to his teammates, such as Danilo Gallinari, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer. Lawson did strain his left Achilles in Sunday's game and is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game. If he is indeed out or not 100 percent, it would be a huge blow to the Nuggets' chances.

New York Knicks Allow Linsanity to Join the Houston Rockets

Jeremy Lin had a magical run in New York City with the Knicks, but now he must take his act to Houston to play for the Rockets. (Jim McIsaac)

Unless you were living under a rock (literally or metaphorically) last February, you more than likely know the incredible rise of Jeremy Lin to international acclaim. Nevertheless, the legendary tale is worthy recounting. The New York Knicks were mired in a rut of frankly terrible basketball. One of the major issues was they were lacking a true leader at starting point guard. Due to injuries and other issues, the Knicks were struggling to find anyone to play the position. At the end of the bench, they spotted a long forgotten kid from Harvard, named Jeremy Lin. Lin had gone undrafted, been cut by two teams during the preseason, and played in the NBA's D-League, before filling out the end of the Knicks' roster.

In February, the Knicks finally decided to give Lin a chance. All he did was lead the Knicks to seven consecutive wins. In nine of his first ten games, Lin scored at least 20 points. He started 25 of his 35 games with the Knicks, while averaging 14.6 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game. Sadly, Lin's phenomenal season was ended prematurely because of his need for knee surgery.

This summer, Lin became a restricted free agent. This meant that while Lin could sign an offer sheet with any team, the Knicks had the right to match it and accordingly keep Lin. As Lin explored options, so did the Knicks. They convinced veteran Jason Kidd to come aboard in a backup point guard facility. Meanwhile, Lin signed a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet with the Houston Rockets. This left the decision as to whether or not to match and re-sign Lin up to the Knicks.

The dilemma the Knicks faced was that the contract offered from the Rockets included a $14.9 million balloon payment for the third year. If they signed Lin, it would cost them another $35 million or more in luxury-tax penalties. The decision came down to whether or not the man in charge, Jim Dolan, was willing to pay the additional money. As it turns out, he was unwilling. Instead, he decided to do a sign-and-trade for another veteran point guard, Raymond Felton. Dolan also declined the option of signing Lin and trading him to the Rockets for something in return.

In my humble opinion, Dolan simply made the worse possible decision for his franchise. The Knicks supporters had already suffered from many of the rash decisions his regime had made. Long mired in mediocrity and continued failure, Lin awoke a stagnate and unhappy fan base. He energized them and gave them someone to hope and believe in. So when Dolan is given the chance to re-sign Lin, what does he do? He simply allows him to walk, while getting nothing in return.

Way to alienate your fan base even more, Mr. Dolan. You should reward yourself with a nice, big bonus. Every move the man makes seems to turn out as a complete flop. The one thing that turned out beautifully, he lets go. All because he doesn't want his franchise to have to pay the additional money out of pocket. Jeremy Lin's historic rise from unknown commodity to international sensation is unprecedented. He has become one of the most popular athletes in the world. I guess all that wasn't enough to earn him a second year in New York.

Twitter, blogs, and more are ablaze with the frustration and harsh criticism of Knicks' fans. Many have stated that they have switched their allegiance to supporting the newly relocated Brooklyn Nets. Normally, I would say that you should support your team no matter the circumstances, but I understand where these fans are coming from. Jim Dolan has time and time again hindered the success and growth of this franchise. As long as he remains in control, I would not dare to wish the fate of being a Knicks fan on even my worst of enemies.

2012 NBA Draft Winners and Losers

Harrison Barnes could be the potential star of what is a solid draft class for the Golden State Warriors. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Draft Winners


1. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors couldn't have been happier to have Harrison Barnes fall in their lap. Many experts love to bash him for his struggles in the NCAA tournament after point guard Kendall Marshall got hurt. However, I believe his rare athleticism, pure shooting, and solid defending make him a potential All-Star. He fits a need for the Warriors and will slide in their starting lineup at small forward alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut. Then, later on the Warriors got Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green. Ezeli is a big man full of raw talent. He will slot in well behind Bogut. Green provides good awareness and athleticism at either forward position. With the move to San Francisco under way, the Warriors are a franchise headed in a promising direction.

2. Houston Rockets
Everyone knows about the Rockets attempts to land Dwight Howard. They might not have been able to pull it off on draft night, however, I believe they did very well with the draft picks they used. With the 12th overall pick, they got Jeremy Lamb, who wasn't expected to fall out of the top ten. Lamb is a great shooter and has solid athleticism. While he doesn't have that killer instinct, he has the talent to become an excellent role player. At #16, the Rockets picked one of the most interesting talents in the draft, Royce White. While he doesn't really have a true position, his offensive awareness and hard working attitude make him a special talent. With 18th overall pick, the Rockets added Terrence Jones. While most Kentucky draftees are overrated in my opinion, Jones might be the exception. His ability to shoot and attack the basket make for a great value pick. The Rockets are stock loaded with talent. They definitely now have the depth to trade for Dwight Howard or another star player who's available.

3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons were another beneficiary of a player falling in their lap. Their man is seven-footer Andre Drummond. Drummond didn't have as good of a freshman year as many expected, but all of the talent is still there. I believe he can learn a lot from Greg Monroe, who has developed into a double-double machine for the Pistons in the post. If Drummond and Monroe click well together, the NBA better watch out. In the second round, the Pistons added two athletic wings in Khris Middleton and Kim English. Middleton's draft stock took a drop this past season due to decreased production. If he is able to regain his form, he has the ability to be a solid complimentary player. English is a great defender and pure shooter. Both Middleton and English should slot well beside Brandon Knight in a rebuilding Pistons team.

Draft Losers


1. Cleveland Cavaliers
After failing to trade up to the #2 overall spot in the draft, the Cavaliers shocked everyone with their selection at #4 overall spot. They selected Dion Waiters to be the backcourt partner to Kyrie Irving. From a logistical standpoint that makes sense, but Waiters had many question marks in the eyes of draft experts. His lack of size and defensive ineptness were two of the biggest concerns. Even if the Cavaliers believed Waiters was their man, they should have traded down to take him later and acquire draft picks in addition. The Cavaliers then traded their three other picks to the Dallas Mavericks for Tyler Zeller. Zeller certainly has potential, but he better develop into a special player, if you are going to give up three picks for him. The Cavaliers' draft day moves were puzzling from top to bottom.

2. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were looking for a guard and selected Terrence Ross at #8 overall. With the likes of Jeremy Lamb, Austin Rivers, and others still on the board, the pick was rather surprising. While Ross does have excellent athleticism and potential, perhaps the wiser move would have been to try and trade down to get Ross later and additional picks. The Raptors added Quincy Acy and Tomislav Zubcic in the second round. Both guys are athletic and have definite potential. Not a terrible draft for the Raptors, I just don't think Ross should have been a top ten pick.

3. Boston Celtics
One of the biggest lessons we learned about the Celtics from this past postseason is that they don't have the athleticism and seed to compete with the NBA's best young teams. With the 21st and 22nd overall picks in the draft, the Celtics were in a position to dismiss that need. Unfortunately, I believe they missed the boat entirely. First, the Celtics picked Jared Sullinger. Sullinger is undersized and his back problems were a red flag everyone knew about. Second, they took Fab Melo. With a history of off the court issues and a lack of athleticism, Melo does not seem like a good fit for the Celtics. Neither player supplies the real need of the Celtics, and both players have been considered among the most likely draft busts. This draft appears to be a missed opportunity for the Celtics.