In The Paint - Atlantic Division 2009 Breakdown

“In The Paint” is an exclusive breakdown of each NBA team’s outlook heading into the 2009 calendar year, broken down by division. The breakdown takes a look of how each team is looking in this current season, its prospects for the 2009 NBA draft and free agency, and what possibly their potential will be going into the 2009-10 campaign next fall. We start our breakdown with the Atlantic Division, where the Boston Celtics have laid the Blueprint for success.

In the Paint: Atlantic Division

Boston’s blueprint needs to be followed.

Over the past two seasons, there has been no team so dominant in their division than Boston in the Atlantic. A division with such storied franchises as the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Nets all take a back seat to the champs. But it is not just Boston’s play on the court that sets them apart, but also their calculated risks off the court in assembling a winner that makes the the blueprint for the division, and the league. Read more

The NBA Top 50

The NBA Top 50
LayupDrill.com’s exclusive rankings of the 50 Best players in the game today, ranked by position.

LayupDrill.com brings to you what will be a Veterans Day tradition here, the unveiling of “The 50 Best”. This list breaks down the top 10 players in the game today at each position, compiling to the top 50 players in the NBA. There are some positions which are obviously deeper than others(point guard vs center, for example), so you may not see your favorite player making the cut. But we feel in order to be in the discussion as the best, you need to be at least in the top 10 among your peers. We also know there will be some fans of some veterans that may be upset their favorite future hall of famer is either low on the list of their particular position, or not on the list at all. Keep in mind, these rankings are not based on career achievement, but rather how good the player is playing today. We did not include players who are currently out, or have been due to injury for some time(the Agent Zero rule). Check out the lists, drop a comment or two, and let your voice be heard!
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Young Money Millionaires Part 1

Young Money Millionaires Part 1
The Highest Paid Players off the court

We all know the enormous contracts that many of the games best get for playing. But often, most of the biggest stars in the league make more away from the court. LayupDrill.com takes a look at the top moneymakers in the game today.

1. Lebron James - Cleveland Cavaliers $28 Million Dollars
Lebron’s earnings off the court is estimated to top nearly 28 million dollars this year alone according to Fortune Magazine. His many products that he backs include Nike, Coke, Upper Deck, Bubbalicious, State Farm and MSN.

2. Kevin Durant - Oklahoma City - $21 Million Dollars
The young superstar is still playing on his rookie contract, but his hustle off the court has paid off for him. Durant has big money deals in place with Nike and Gatorade.

3. Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers $16 Million Dollars
The MVP may be trailing King James in endorsements, but he certainly isn’t hurting for money. Kobe’s annual salary for this season was just under 20 million, and his total income off the court trails at 16 million. Seems like just yesterday companies were dropping Kobe left and right after the infamous Colorado trip, but now he’s one of the frontmen for VitaminWater, Nike, Upper Deck and Gameloft.

4. . Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic $15.5 Million Dollars
Orlando’s personable big man is another young star to become a hit to companies. Adidas and Vitamin Water already and was the cover athlete for NBA Ballers: Chose One

5. Shaquille O Neal - Phoenix Suns $15 Million Dollars
Shaq doesn’t like being behind Kobe in anything, especially not on the money makers list. Though Shaq is in the decline of his playing career, his personality and stature off the court has always made him very marketable. Shaq earned 20 million dollars in salary last year, and made 15 million in endorsements from Chinese sneaker company Li-Ning. He also sold his 2.5 acre Miami estate late last year, after having it on the market for almost 2 years to New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez.

6. Dwayne Wade - Miami Heat - $12 Million Dollars
Even though D. Wade was injured for most of the 2007-08 season, he had a banner year off the court. Wade has managed to masterfully market himself, scoring endorsement deals with T-Mobile, Gatorade, Converse and Topps.
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Whose really number 1

The Number 1 of all Number 1s….

Ranking the Number 1 picks since 1990…

With another NBA Draft on the books, I like to take time to sit back and reminisce on
the drafts of the previous few years, and see who wound up living to their potential, and who a bust. LayupDrill.com is proud to reveal our Top 10 Number 1 picks since 1990.

10. Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls - 2008
A shock to some by putting a player who has not played a game yet in our top 10 number 1s. Rose has the potential, and we stress potential, to be that good. Chicago has a point guard for the next decade.

9. Larry Johnson - Charlotte Hornets - 1991
“Grandmama” dominated the college hardwood with UNLV before making his splash into the NBA with the young expansion Hornets. His 9 season career was respectable, averaging 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 48% from the floor. Johnson showed flashes of greatness during the playoffs for Charlotte in 1994-95 season, as well as when the Knicks made their miracle run to the NBA Finals.

8. Elton Brand - Chicago Bulls - 1999
The most coveted free agent of the 2008 off season is a career 20-10 guy. Brand spent only 2 seasons with the team that drafted him, before being shipped out to the LA Clippers, and becoming the cornerstone to the franchise. Brand’s sole playoff appearance came in 2005-06, where he was arguably the best player on the court in every series he played in, averaging 25.4 points and 10 boards a game. The 2 time all star has the best yet to come in his career.

7. Chris Webber - Orlando Magic - 1993
I still remember watching the 1993 NBA draft, where Chris Webber donned the Orlando Magic hat, and thinking The Magic were going to have the most dominant front court the league had seen in years, teaming Webber and Shaq together. Of course, we would learn a few hours later that Chris would be shipped to Golden State for Penny Hardaway. It was in Oakland that Webber made his initial impact on the NBA in a major way, winning Rookie of the year, and leading the Warriors to the playoffs in his first season. Webber would leave Golden State for stops in Washington, Sacramento, Philiadelphia, and ending his career in Detroit. The 5 time all star never made it to the NBA Finals, coming close with the Kings, to be denied by the Shaq and Kobe led Lakers. C Webb came along way from the infamous no timeout - timeout against North Carolina in the NCAA Title Game.
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