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There are very few who have the right to comment on how LBJ handles his business

Before we start, LeBron could have let Clevland know he was leaving in a better way. Can we finally move on?? Now I’m getting about as tired as all of you are regarding the amount of publicity the LeBron James signing has received and continues to do so, primarily because so many people from the past and present sports world (and even political figures) keep chiming in with their 2 cents insuring that it won’t be off the first page any time soon. The latest to comment was his “airness” himself that “There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry or Magic” when he was playing, and that LBJ has tarnished his legacy. Of course after Jordan open the flood gates now everyone with a pen and a place to scribble seems to be taking shots at James. It seems like the stars of today are doomed from the beginning because if they insist on being ‘The Man’ they’re  perceived as being either selfish or a prima donna. Similar when the Kobe/Shaq ordeal went down, or later when Kobe demanded that management make some moves to give him a better shot, or when Paul Pierce gave Boston the same ultimatum. James, conversely I might add, gave management a much softer request and even signed a three year extension enabling them to do so. They didn’t deliver and he moved on. The fact that he is discussing his options with friends in the same field, who just happen to be Olympians and great players, to combat the big 3 in Boston (who did the same thing by the way) or Lakers out west who have quietly, if that’s possible while accumulating back-to-back championships, built an arsenal of their own in Tinsel Town, with two of the best players in the world in their starting lineup. Like it or not, we’re in the age of the ‘superteam’ and despite the accolades you might be able to accumulate during the regular season, when it really matters in the second season you will be exposed if you’re outmanned and Cleveland has been the quintessential example of this for two years running, and nothing was going to change so he took it upon himself to change it. If anything else the should be praised for giving the team seven great years, taking them further than they had ever been in franchise history, but at the end of the day they just can’t offer enough to bring the top talent to that city and win. Emphatically speaking, the only people who have a right to bitch are those in the state of Cleveland, and even that banter should be partially addressed to Dan Gilbert, and anyone outside of that needs to take a step back because you couldn’t possibly know all that went into LeBron’s decision unless you were in his shoes, and NO ONE is good enough to do that. That includes you Jordo, but you’ll have plenty of time to tell him to his face when the Heat come to see you this year in Charlotte.

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Derby Gets into Full Swing and dominos start to fall

***UPDATE*** Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have reportedly committed to the Miami Heat. Both players are expected to get the maximum amount allowable under the league's collective bargaining agreement, though the addition of James could change the players' salaries. If this is the case then the chess match really begins with the Carlos Boozer becoming the most important piece on the board left to lure LBJ away from the sunshine state. Now the question remains if these are the first two dominos of a signing frenzy that was waiting for the big dogs to commit? Contracts cannot be officially signed until Thursday.
***UPDATE*** Carlos Boozer signs 5-year deal with Chicago, and is actively involved in the process of recruiting LBJ to come to Chi-Town.

The “summer of discontent” seems to be the theme for the 2010 free-agent derby that has been foreseen and discussed since the start of the 09’ season, as no one seems to be staying at home other than Paul and Dirk whom no one expected to leave. Of course, all of this could change on Thursday when the last shoe will surely have dropped. Will Chi-town or Miami follow the Boston 3-party blueprint? Max out 3 players and surround them with whatever you have left in the till? In any case, when this is over the Eastern Conference will not look anything like it did last year and it will certainly be up for grabs. For now, here is what we have written in stone as the signings thus far:

• Amare, Knicks agree to 5 years, $99.7M
• Johnson, Hawks agree to 6 years, $119M
• Pierce, Celtics agree to 4-year, $61M deal
• Nowitzki, Mavs agree to 4-year, $80M deal
• Lakers, Blake agree to 4-year, $16M deal
• Suns, Warrick agree to 4-year, $18M deal
• Bucks, Salmons agree to 5-year, $39M deal
• Suns, Frye agree to 5-year, $30M deal
• Raps, Johnson agree to 5-year, $34M deal
• Griz, Gay agree to 5-year, $80M deal
• Bucks, Gooden agree to 5-year, $32M deal
• Wolves, Darko agree to 4-year, $20M deal

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RepeatLA, but despite the hate both earned respect

It’s official, no more wavering, the Lakers/Celtics now is in the same breath, sentence, highlight reel when speak of the greatest rivalries of all time. Now for those of you that already felt it was, let me explain that to be a true rivalry there must be SOME give n’ take. When it’s 9-2, that’s not a rivalry that’s dominance, when YOU’RE the team with 2 you’re not a rival you’re someone’s b@%^*. Now 3-9 doesn’t totally change the story but 3 out of the last 5 does, as now we can put them with Ali-Frazier, Yanks/Sox, Canadians/Red Wings, Michigan/Ohio St, Cowboys/Steelers, and Dodgers/Yankees. After the last meeting in 08’ which ended in a 39-point beat down, and a 4-2 series win for Boson exactly two years to the day, this series had lost some of it’s luster and a great series it what the ‘pseudo rivalry’ and the NBA both needed, and it was delivered in grand fashion in a 7-game series. Game 7 wasn’t pretty, and it more resembled an Eastern Conference Finals game than an NBA championship game. This was a throwback to the days of New York vs. Chicago when Oakley and Ewing would battle Cartwright and Rodman and if you scored 75 points for the game you were in good shape. It was played in the Celtic’s style and it’s a game they normally win, not to mention being a game same where the C’s were 7-0 and 4-0 vs. LA (please see previous b@%^* statement) but the Celtics themselves and even the Greenest of Boston fans has to give some props to gold-clad Lakers as they beat them at their own game and thankfully the refs let them slug it out. You can’t call them soft anymore or that would make you a hypocrite. On the other side if the Lakers had to chose who they would have thought would be the most advantageous opponent to face in the finals it would have been Boston, despite the history simply because of they would be the only team of the top 3 from the East that they would have held home-court advantage over, which proved to be the difference. But no one expected them to run the gauntlet of Wade/Miami, King James/Cavs, and Howard/Magic and have anything left in the tank to put up any kind of a fight against Kobe and the Lakers. However they did and it was there’s for the taking as they enforced their will on LA for three quarters before LA showed exactly how “un-soft” they are and took it back, but they too must respect Boston for going toe-to-toe with them in a fight that no one thought would go the distance. But hey, would something worthy of an Ali-Frazier comparison be anything less? What are your thoughts on the NBA Finals? Let us know here and in any of the quick links.

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Rotten Fish in the Boston Harbor

Great more stats, the team that won game 3, coming off a 1-1 series tie, in a 2-3-2 format, is 10-0. Phil Jackson is 47-0 when winning game 1 in any 7-game series. Only two players have ever scored 2 points after dropping 30 in a finals game. We know them all by now but won’t be in any of the stat pages if LA can win 2 of the next 4 (2 at home) is how DFish came through again in the 4^th quarter of game where he was not supposed to be a factor and saved, yes saved the Lakers. Firstly, his defense on Ray Allen was a major contributor of him going 0-13, and most importantly was his 4^th quarter offense when Kobe, who normally takes over the 4^th, was spent after playing almost the entire game and actually having to work on defense as Rondo was up to his old tricks of penetration and reeking havoc by dishing to the Boston big men for dunks or easy shots. Offense that included, what may go down as the shot of the finals if LA wins, a three point play where he challenged KG, Big Baby, and Allen on a layup inside one minute to put LA up 7. A D-stop by any of the three gives Boston 2 of the final 3 possessions and a chance to cut the lead to 2 or 3, but instead the and-1 gave the Lakers and insurmountable seven point advantage. It took the Celtics by surprise as the always “heady” Fisher normally would have pulled the ball out, ran clock and shortened the game. True, if he would have missed it we would have an “Atrest” type headline today. What is not surprising is the bitter taste of rotten fish in the Celtics mouths after game 3 which has come out in the press conference about the referring of the finals. Ironically, the Celtics are the ones crying foul (if you get a chance see “something foul about these finals” in the Boston Globe) as they are normally the team that beats up on their opponents then laughs when they complain. Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t these the same Celtics that beat down LA in 08’ and laughed when the Lakers said they were too physical? The “Bruisers from Beantown” whining? Say it ain’t so Doc, but that’s all that we’re hearing today, Doc sending in more film to the NBA than he ever has, and crediting Phil for doing his Jedi mind trick on the officials. So as someone who would like to see this series live up to the hype, I got news for you, the shots that RayRay and PP missed were wide open looks and the last time I checked they don’t put an additional 2-lb weight around your ankle for each foul, so regardless of how many you have it shouldn’t affect your shot. Moreover, the body that Artest is layin’ on Pierce is the same body Pierce was layin’ on Kobe two years ago. Don’t make excuses before the parade starts, man up, handle your business, and win the next two games you have at home then you just have to go 1 of 2 in LA. By the way, the same refs you’re complaining about also gave Kobe 5 fouls in game 2, Artest 2 in the first quarter of game 3 and 4 for the game, and lastly the afore mentioned Derek Fisher 5 fouls in game 3. I guess he was able to get the weights off his ankles in the 4^th quarter.

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A different kind of ‘Three Party’ evens the series for Boston

After shooting 10% from beyond the arch in game one the Celtics and primarily Ray Allen came back in game two to shoot nearly 70% and even the series, as Allen tied an NBA Finals record hitting 8 for the game. Almost lost in the shuffle was a triple-double by Rhondo which really set the tone as the Celtics got to the rim more times in the first quarter than they did all night on Thursday. What opened the door was a poor Laker shooting to start, coupled with a fervent effort on behalf of the Celtics to do a better job on the glass, and suddenly the C’s fast break, transition baskets, and open looks all seemed to appear. Fortunately, many of those open looks belonged to Ray Ray and LA paid the price. One potential negative byproduct was the lack of activity of the other ‘3-Party’ constituents as Paul Pierce and KG failed to build a rhythm as the Boston offense seem to focus on running Ray off of picks and then capitalizing on any mis-matches that may been created in the process, rest assured Phil will have an answer for that in game 3 and the C’s better as well. This is the series we didn’t get in 2008 and expected to see this year as it’s very competitive and looks like it’s going to go the distance, as reflected by the TV ratings (up 10% year over year and more than double that of the NHL who made the mistake of running up against them), but what is concerning is the pivotal role the referees continue to play, upon review two terrible calls against Kobe strapped him with 5 fouls and limited his minutes similar to Allen’s in game 1. In both cases it changed the complexity of the game and both teams were missing their primary scorer which is not what the 15.5 million viewers were tuning in to see. Now the NBA Finals have been trimmed to a best of 5 with the Celtics having home court advantage. If the Laker role players, particularly Lamor Odom (3 points, 3 fouls game 2) don’t show up then this will be a repeat of 08’, as without their contribution this lineup doesn’t look much different than when Radmanovich was feebly attempting to check Pierce. The challenge for Boston will be to come with the same intensity, as they will be playing on 1 day of rest. Boston played more games on 1 day of rest than any team in the NBA, similarly, the Lakers played more back-to-back games of any team in the NBA this year maybe that has prepared them for the grind of the NBA second season but it will be tough for the aging(ok Doc, experienced) Celtics to muster that same shut down D like they did in the 4^th quarter on Sunday. Another game that gives the winner one more foot in the door in the ‘first one to three’ derby. Who do you think will emerge in game 3, and will its winner take the rings as well? Let us know here and in any of the quick links:

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Celtics realize the reality of a “must win” game 2

As much as they want to downplay the importance of game one, by now Jackson’s/the Lakers 47-0 stat that has been so ubiquitously posted throughout the sports journalism world has been committed to memory, and if that’s not enough the daunting task of beating the defending champs 4 out of 5 is the consequence that awaits the Celtics if they fail solve the problem of the LA length in game 2. True the Lakers were ready to play in game one after a long rest between series and were carrying the weight of the chips on both shoulders for the beatdown administered at the hands of the Gang Green in 08’, but the C’s knew the importance and still got outworked, outhustled, and most surprisingly outmuscled. So now the stage is set for a true “must win” for Boston as I’ll be the first go out on a short limb and call this series over if the Lakers repeat their performance in game 1, and I think the Celtics will realize it as well. I know the ol’ adage “the series doesn’t begin until the home team loses or there is a game 7”, but not against this team, and not when you have the worst record of any playoff team and you’re heading home for 3 straight. There is a bit of a tail wind behind the C’s though as they have a history of answering the bell when their mettle is called and they during the summer vacation between games 1 and 2 they have been called out by everyone from the Boston media to soccer analyst. Even poor Pau Gasol can’t make benign statements without them being twisted into billboard material. All of that said, what may be the most important revelation that emerges from game two is that LA simply presents too many match up problems for Boston, at which point this could be perpetual death. I don’t think that’s the case and look for the ‘Three Party’ to rebound in this one, Ray Ray to stay out of foul trouble and for this game to bring back the magic of rivalries past. If this team is cut from the same stock of shamrocks past (and they are) they will represent in a big way and the Lakers and their A-List fans had better be ready for it.  

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The Case for Both winning the NBA Championship:

As we embark on what hopefully will be one of the most memorable NBA Finals since the days of Magic/Bird, all of the pre-game, analysis, and pundits have chimed in and now they players finally get to contribute themselves. However we would be remised if we didn’t step up to the plate with our two cents, and here is why we think each team will win:

Why LA will win: First and foremost is the 2-3-2 format. It’s public domain now that the Celtics had the worst home record of any team involved in this year’s playoffs, conversely LA is unbeaten and had the second best home record in the NBA, so there is a strong inclination that Boston and may need to sweep all three at home and with the Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday format that last game one day of rest may be the deciding game of the series because I just can’t see LA dropping a game at Staples. One good reason is the bench play for LA is more effective at home and shoot nearly 20% better and that is one area that public opinion gives the C’s a decided advantage. Secondly, if you look at the changes each team has added since the 08’ Finals and the record (LA 3-1), the Lakers are much better equipped to handle this specific Celtic team. Artest added as the defensive specialist to neutralize Pierce, he won’t shut him down but he will slow him down and I don’t know where the C’s will go get consistent offense if Kobe is on Ray Ray. Andrew Bynum was injured and missed the entire 08’ series but will play (although how effective he will be is still to be determined) and get 20 minutes in per game. Regardless of if he is able to average a double double, what he will be able to do is present a challenge for KG who has problems shooting over and moving athletic big men. Dwight Howard stifled KG’s offense and even on the switch with Gasol it doesn’t get much easier. The Laker bench shoots so much better at home than on the road that the Celtics will have to put up over a hundred at Staples to steal a win and I can’t see that happening.

Why Boston will win: True the Celtics are the team with the worst home record in the playoffs, but they’re also the team with the best road record and that means LA shouldn’t expect to win all four games at Staples. Next, the Lakers still have no one on their entire roster that can hang with Rhondo, who could easily get DFish in foul trouble then the Lakers are in for an entirely different kind of hurt. The problems Rhondo will create don’t stop with the point guard (you only have to review the Suns series to see what Nash, and some Dragic did to them) how he gets the rest of the team easy shots is what will make the difference. Furthermore, the Celtics are a much better team than they were in the regular season and peaking at the right time. Think about it, they’ve already beaten the teams with the best and second best records in the league (LA has the third) en route to the finals so they will be able to get this done on the road. Last but not least, the toughness of the Celtics, tends to take the Lakers out of their game and neither Phil or Kobe have ever beaten Boston in the Finals.

The Smacchat Pick: Home court will make the difference and the Lakers will take the C’s down in 6 games.

LA/Boston make it a best-of-three series, series

The most storied rivalry in all of North American professional sports renews itself as LA and Boston battle for the NBA Championship for the twelfth time overall and the second in three years, each claiming one title over that span as the Lakers and Celtics have divided up the Basketball world between em’, with the C’s hoisting the trophy in 08’ and Lakeshow last year. However one would have to agree the Celtic win was much sweeter as it was done over LA, in impressive fashion, and on their home floor in front of their fans in the deciding game. What makes this series in the Best-of-Three for the “ultimate ultimate NBA Championship” is that neither club has any excuses/reasons for the loss. In 2008 LA fans noted that had they had the services of Andrew Bynum and/or a healthy Trevor Ariza they would have taken out the Celtics likewise last year, Celtic fans countered with the fact that but not for KG’s injury they would have defended their crown, an opinion voiced by Boston Globe sports writer Dan Shaughnessy in a sour grapes editorial the day after the Lakers put away the Magic. So now we have everyone on the playoff roster suiting up, although both teams have some key players banged up, but all will play and we can finally settle this on the court in an MMA sort of way, with no reasons or excuses and one man left standing. Both teams have re-loaded since the 08’ meeting with LA adding the services of the “thugwarrior” Ron Artest and Shannon Brown, while Boston has added Rasheed Walace but will be without key role players from the 08’ club in Eddie House and James Posey who came off the bench to drop huge buckets on LA last time around. Does Boston still have the better bench even with the the loss of House and Posey? Will a hobbled Bynum make a big difference? Most importantly, will the outcome be any different this time around? Let us know in any of the quick links:

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Will the NBA’s madness comes to an end with the Conference Finals?

Going back an looking at the pre-season predictions, mid-season “power rankings”, and acuscore playoff scenarios from various sports publications, it seems very similar to the NCAA that no one successfully predicted the NBA Final Four. From the opening tip of the playoffs we had so many upsets that the playoffs were often confused with the NHL. So as we begin the “fastest to 8 derby” it’s not surprise that many expect the surprises to continue but I am not one of them. It’s been fun, and I love a big upset as much as the next guy but if there is one sport where the dogs only bark so loud it’s the NBA. There will never in my lifetime be  a playoff year where 7 of 9 game 7’s are won by road teams, or a team loses a 3-0 series lead, and after watching the 2 and 3 sent home in the West and the top seed in the East, that’s all the Basketabll God’s have allocated for upsets in 2010 fiscal accounting year, so let’s get ready for a rematch of last year’s final and here’s why. I understand that Phoenix is one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the All-Star break, the chemistry thing, that they actually play a little bit of defense now, etc. etc. But the long and the short of it is just that, the Lakers are too long. Amare may get his but he’s going to have to work for them as he’s facing the biggest front line he’s seen all year at 7’1, 7’0, and 6’10. Which takes something away from the Suns’ drive-n-kick game plan because the spacing is entirely different. I’ve also heard that the Lakers “Bench Mob” is more of a one man gang, and the Suns bench is going to turn the series as Fry, Dudley(48% 3-pt shooting), Barbos, Dragic, and Amundson will surely outplay Lamar Odom, and as an entire unit that argument might hold water but this the Conf finals and you’re only going to go 3-deep on the bench to begin with, and Odom, Shannon Brown, and Farmar have plenty of athleticism to hold a Laker lead. At the end of the day Phoenix will need to get win(s) at Staples Center which no one has been able to do. Lakers in 6.

It’s not disputable that ‘Gang Green’ caught everyone by surprise and the vaccine wasn’t developed in time to save the city of Cleveland but they’re going to need that and some kryptonite if they want to get out of Orlando with a win. For all of the talk of the hole that Hedo created with his departure, Vince is looking like the old “Vinsanity”, Nelson is healthy, and they’ve got some serious continuity goin’ on down south. Ok, I’m with ya, that this could all be an aberration based on their competition thus far in the playoffs as Charlotte and Atlanta didn’t even make them break a sweat (or learn how to keep Howard out of foul trouble) but that also has allowed them to rest and prepare for an aging Celtic team that although only went 6 games was really beaten up. What Boston will face is a team that will match their defensive intensity and not have as many mis-matches on D, and present more threats on offense so they won’t be able to triple-team anyone as they did against Cleveland. It will certainly be competitive but in the end the Celtics lack of dominance at home will be the difference as the Magic will steal one in Beantown and take the series 4-2. How do you think the Conference Finals will play out? Let us know here and in any of the quick links:

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Wild West lives up to its name, and no favorite is safe

We posted an article at the beginning of this year’s NBA playoffs was that the West was wide open and the Eastern Conference didn’t get started until the second round, but not even we could have envisioned the potential chaos that was to unfold. Currently in the Western conference not one of the four top-seeds has a lead in their series, as the top seeded Lakers are caught in a storm in OKC as the Thunder have them tied at two games each, the Blazers are this year’s Rockets, overcoming injuries and somehow pushing the Suns to an even series as well, lastly #2 Dallas and #4 Denver are down 1-3 and going home soon. So is this parity or a fatal case of looking ahead? Well, let’s start at the top. This type of behavior we’ve seen before from the defending champs as their toughest series last year en route to their 15^th NBA Championship was against an injured and scrappy Houston Rockets club that pushed them to brink of elimination before finally succumbing in 7 games. Moreover, all three Lakers losses were by double digits including a 15 point loss in a closeout game 6. I don’t want to take anything away from the kids of OKC but this may be déjà vu so before you get too gitty about a 8-1 upset, you’d better wait until q4 of game 7. However, in the case of the Dallas Mavericks this is simply the classic case of dropping a crucial game at home and then going on the road in a rivalry game where you would have been underdogs anyway. The only benefit to the 82 game season is to reap the benefits of home court during the wars of the second season and you relinquish that right at your own peril as the Mavericks will contemplate all summer after dropping game 2 at home. Now they are staring at a veteran club with a Hall-of-Fame coach, down 1-3. Despite some of the best trade moves ahead of the deadline Cuban and his band of desperados will be wondering how it happened to them again come the weekend. Perhaps he should keep his locker room material to himself until after the series next year. The Nuggets may have been doomed the minute George Karl was stricken with cancer and relegated to remote control advisory. AD was a hell of a player but he’s not getting the same response from the players as Karl and you can’t tell me that after battling back from a 20 point deficit all the way to 6 (with the ball) that Denver doesn’t win that game with Karl at the helm. Now they face the same 1-3 Everest the Mavs do and their fate will be the same. For both teams that were the supposed “heir apparent” to the Lakeshow, the enormity of the disappointment if what appears to be inevitable comes to fruition, will put thousands on suicide watch. Unlike the previous two, Phoenix has a chance to right their own ship, change their destiny, and get back on track as they host the injury riddled Blazers in game 5. In Willis Reed like fashion Brandon Roy came off the slab, on to the hardwood, and into folklore as the Blazers evened the series in game 4. Just how long Portland can ride the momentum remains to be seen but the Suns would be wise to take care of there biznis’ at home as they may need to shots to put the Blazers away. Be careful what you wish for. Which of the top four seeds will advance in the West? Let us know here and in any of the quick links:

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NBA Playoff matchups set the table for the grand finale

It wasn’t quite as dramatic as the NHL, but it also came down to the final game on the final day to get all of the participants on board and in their seats and now we have our seedings for the NBA playoffs as well. Thus far every major sporting event in 2010 has been spectacular(ok, the BCS title game was .5 but then again it’s the BCS), and these playoffs are shaping up to follow in the footsteps of the Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament, and Master’s with great matchups in every round and at the end of the day die-hard hoopsters, fans from across the pond, and even David Stern want to see the Mamba and King square off in June in the biggest matchup since Magic and Larry wrote chapter 1. In the West alone the elite eight remaining all have at least 50-wins for the first time in history, here’s what we got in the first round.

(1) Lakers vs. (8) Thunder – An instant classic, the youngest player ever to win the scoring title against the best closer in the game, the youngest team in the playoffs vs. the defending World Champions, Hollywood vs. Hicktown, these games will be entertaining and competitive, but to all of those who are drinking the punch, stop. Bynum should play and start in game 1, Kobe will have had over a week to rest up, the Laker starting lineup has five players with more playoff experience than the entire OKC team. When the lights go on in Staples Center it will be like a Hollywood premiere and the stars will come out and shine. In other words, Lakers in 5.

(2) Dallas vs. (7) San Antonio -  LA lucked out the Spurs stepped up to take the seventh seed which conveniently disposes of one of their nemesis. Since the All-Star break the Mavs and Suns are the hottest teams in the West and now that the Spurs got Tony Parker back they’re looking like the Spurs of old, and just as dangerous. Rest assured the winner is doing everyone else a favor by taking out the other. Jason “the” Kid and Dirk against Parker and Duncan for the battle of Texas, another great matchup that’s tough to call but home court makes the difference and Cuban finally becomes Texas state champions in 7.

(3) Phoenix vs. (6) Portland – This would have been one of the best series in either conference but with no Brandon Roy the Blazers will not be able to stay in this series. They’ll keep the games tight but Nash and Stoud will have too much down the stretch for them every time. Portland may take one in the Valley of the Sun but that will be about it. Phoenix in 5

(4) Denver vs. (5) Utah – The Jazz have been playing some of the best basketball since the break and Denver is tied for the best home record in the conference. True, the Nugs are not the same team without Karl at the helm and they have struggled down the stretch but they’ve got all of the necessary components to win, the experienced point guard in Billups, the franchise player in Melo, a spark off the bench like JR Smith, and soldiers to handle the dirty work. Utah has a similar makeup with Olympians Williams and Boozer, Milsap on the glass, and a great supporting cast. This could be the best series of the first round I either conference and should go the distance. Tough one to call but without captain Karl at the helm we’re gonna call the upset and take Utah in 7.

If there was an upset in the Western Conference in the 1^st round almost no one would be surprised but the East is a different story as these matchups should all play true to form but the drama of the later rounds will not be matched as the two teams playing the best basketball in the league will face off prior to the Finals but here’s how the first round shapes up.

(1) Cleveland vs. (8) Chicago – The Bulls needed all 82 games to clinch the 8^th seed but they gained some serious mojo in the process and they’re going to attempt to shock the world by knocking off the Cavs. I can’t see that happening, perhaps they can steal a game, but they won’t push them to 7 like they did with Boston a year ago.

(2) Orlando vs. (7)  Charlotte – No matter how you look at this matchup it reads like a 4-0 sweep as the Magic have the best overall record in the league since the All-Star break and are clicking on all cylinders. The Cats will be gamers but Mike ain’t playin’ and they don’t have the guns to stay with the defending conference champs.

(3) Atlanta vs. (6) Milwaukee – This had all the makings of a great 7-game series but the injury to Bogut means all bets are off, literally, and this is another blowout 4-0, 4-1 series. What you need to watch is how much rest Hotlanta gets is able to get ahead of the semis.

(4) Boston vs. (5) Miami – Now this is a series we can sink our teeth into! So much riding on this one as all of the rumors about the “Big 3” breaking up if they come up short of a championship, Doc Rivers leaving after the season, and the beginning of another rebuilding era after this season. Meanwhile the Heat need to win at least one and perhaps two series two show enough promise to keep DWayde from testing the free agent market in the Gold Rush Summer of 2010. This series has some great story lines as DWade tries to take on the three headed monster. We think this will be the only extended series in the East and a good one, say good bye to the ‘3 party’ as Miami wins this in 7.

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Don’t be fooled by late season changes in the weather

It a yearly ritual that the last week of the regular season contains some of the fiercest jockeying that you’ll see at any time during the year, as the teams battle to get into the top four and ensure that first home series, teams at the bottom jockey to lose and get the first overall pick, and teams on the fault line try to extend their season just long enough to lose to the top seed. However this year is more anarchic than most as over the past week the top 9 teams in the league have lost at least once, one loss has dropped a team in the West from 2^nd to 5^th and positions 2-6 are still only separated by 1.5 games with 4 teams tied. The East has been more traditional but still has some drama left to come with the 3-4 and final playoff spot to be decided. Now in the midst of this mire have been rumors of premiere teams fading and sleeper teams rising but I just wanted to take a moment and point out a couple of important points to fans in the event they began to get carried away in the end of season hoopla. Firstly, let’s look at the “peaking at the right time” teams. Every fan of Phoenix, Dallas, Utah, Milwaukee, and now Miami, who are under the impression that their club is streaking and playing the best ball of anyone going into the playoffs, please, take a step back and look at who you beat during that time. Am I the only one that’s noticed that almost every team in the top 5 of each conference has had a 8-2, 9-1, or even better run this year? The NBA this year, for all of it’s parity, has some really bad bottom dwellers, and if you get to play everyone at least twice so rest assured you’ll get a stretch were you dancing with 5 teams under water consecutively and have a great opportunity to build some good mo’, so don’t try to parlay that into home court advantage. Since Dallas went 13-0, they’re 5-5, the Jazz climbed all the way to #2 before getting whacked back to reality by the Lakers, but went 6-1 with wins over Washington (twice), Golden State, New York, and Minnesota, and now the Suns are “playing the best ball in the league with wins over the Twolves (2x), NY, Golden St., and Jersey? Did we mention that they also lost to the Spurs and Lakers in the middle of that streak? So, be wary mid-majors on what these streaks may portend because once the playoffs start, it’s a whole new season. Next, the rumors of the Lakers demise are greatly exaggerated. True they are a different club without Andrew Bynum and if they don’t get him back then we’ll talk, but in the meantime they sit on a 5 game lead for best record with 5 to play but 3 of those games are with the Clipps, Twolves, and Kings so even if they rest AB until the playoffs every playoff series in the West will tip off in Staples Center, although every NBA fan knows that Cleveland doesn’t match up well with Orlando and how the Magic opened up the entire can on the Cavs in their house last year en route to the finals. It would behoove the Lakers to keep that one game lead over Orlando in lieu of a possible rematch. Lastly, that anyone other than the teams with home court have a shot at getting to the Finals. Let’s just use the simple math here. Of the top 8 teams only Boston and Dallas have more than 10 losses, outside of them the worst is Atlanta, who wins 82% of the time at home. The best road team not in the top 8 is Boston at 64%, meaning they have just over 50% chance of stealing one on the road, the rest fall below 40% so rest assured, they play the 82 games for a reason. Who do you think will take the top 4 spots in the West? Are we wrong about the hot teams going into the playoffs? Let us know here and in any of the quick links.

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What if the NBA went to a ‘bracket format’ like the NCAA?

With the NBA playoffs just over a month away the matchups are starting to fall into place with copious amounts of attention being paid to who is seeded where. From the top of the standings to calculate what city the path to the finals will go through (Cleveland in the East and LA in the West) to the bottom of the table on who has the best odds to win the John Wall sweepstakes (Nets), and what are the 1-8 seeds in each conference to see if there are any good early matchups worth watching. And that’s what got me to thinking, it’s pretty much the general census of sports fans in the US that March Madness produces is the most fair, uncontroversial, no-excuses, champion we have in sports. The only downside I hear is sometimes it’s frustrating to watch players miss so many open jumpers or turn the ball over with so much on the line, etc. So what if the NBA went to a brackets format instead of dividing by conference? For you purist we can still keep the best-of-7 format and only keep the same number of playoff teams (16) but in a year where the sub .500 gets you in the East but your bags are already packed for the summer in the West, or if the power is tilted in one side or the other it may make sense. Now before you close the browser, just look at what the matchups this year would be and tell me they’re not better than what we’re going to get….

1/16 – Cleveland vs. Miami – Lebron vs. DWayde in the first round, I’m tuning into this matchup to watch two Olympians and future HOF go at it. Even if the Heat get swept out it still would be great watch them both play 48 minutes because the games actually matter.

2/15 – Lakers vs. Charlotte – See, not such an easy first round for LA, as the Bobcats have already beaten the Lakers this year. Jordan’s young crew trying to take out the defending champions and keep Kobe form getting closer and Phil form saying that Kobe is as good or better than he is.

3/14 – Magic vs. Grizzlies – Another good series with some of the best young talent the league has to offer in Gay, Mayo, and Howard. Although it may be a 4-1, the game would be tight and entertaining, and in the old format the Griz are not even in the post season.

4/13 – Dallas vs. Milwaukee – Dirk vs. Bogut in the battle of the Euro dominant centers, Kidd vs. Jennings as the crafty vet tries to take the rookie sensation to school. Not to mention the two hottest teams in basketball over the last 12 games.

5/12 – Denver vs. Portland – Talk about a great first round matchup! This would be up and down with, once again, marquis players in Brandon Roy and Carmello. This series could easily go 6 or 7 as both are dominant on their home floor. Stealing a road win would be crucial.

6/11 – Utah vs. San Antonio – It wouldn’t be Malone, Stockton, Robinson, and Duncan, but still a classic West matchup of two of the more storied franchises over the past decade with plenty of stars left to put on a show.

7/10 – Boston vs. Phoenix – oh yea, how good would this series be?? The up-n-down style of the Suns against the Celtic D? Rhondo v. Nash, KG vs. Stoudamire? Nice. Oh, and the best part? The winner would draw the 2/15 winner so everyone would get a chance to see the ‘rubber match’ between LA/Boston where that will not happen otherwise.

8/9 – Atlanta/Ok City – A battle between the NBA future best, displaying the best in young talent the league has to offer as the youngest teams in the league battle in what would certainly be a 7-game, and probably go down to who had the ball last in game 7.

See, not bad,  I’m just sayin’ there would be plenty of great matchups en route to a possible Kobe/LeBron final. Something to think about if you’re having a tough time muddling through the first round. Would you like to see the format change to a one-bracket system? Let us know your thoughts here and in any of the quick links.

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Don’t just hand the West over to LA just yet 

As someone responsible for posting the standings every day of the NBA season, I realize like any statistician that LA and Cleveland have held the best record in their respective conferences for literally the entire season with the exception of the 2 ½ weeks. Not since the Laker/Celtics rivalries of the 80’s has that been the case. Perhaps it’s because of that dominance that a Cleveland/Lakers, LeBron/Kobe, Best in the East vs. Best in the West has been the forgone conclusion of every prognosticator and pundit form Atlantic to Pacific. However, a couple of things to consider before you purchase your NBA Finals tickets, (oh yes I forgot they’re already sold out though the end of the playoffs in LA) well, if you could buy them. Firstly, the Laker team that hoisted a banner last year went into the playoffs riding a strong winning streak, in fact they had the second best record after the All-Star break. This team continues to struggle on the road and is just playing .500 ball outside of Staples since their last 16 (although they are tied for second best road record) and they have only 3 of their next 11 in the friendly confines of the Staples Center. Secondly, “Da Bench Mob” is not what it was last year. True LO should be the favorite for 6^th man of the year, but beyond him it has been very inconsistent and the guards (Farmar, Brown) turn the ball over way too much. Additionally, they don’t put teams away like last year’s team did, missing way too many free throw that cost them valuable energy on the starter’s legs because of the added minutes. Lastly, will they have the same desire as last year now that the monkey is off Kobe’s back? Oh yes, then there is that matter of the Mavericks and Nuggets whom have BOTH beaten LA at Staples already this year. Although they sit 5 games back of LA, Dallas is the hottest team in the NBA, winners of 9 straight. The Maverick acquisition of ex-Laker Caron Butler has made an immediate impact and they are actually starting to play a little bit of D in Dallas. The Nuggets are not going to sneak up on anyone this year, as they are clearly seen as one of the top 4 teams in the league and are very tough to beat at home. It’s no secret they’re not afraid of the Lakers and in fact would relish an opportunity to extract revenge for last year. They are also within striking distance at only 5.5 back. So despite the fans, league president, advertising network, and sporting enthusiast, who wand to see a dream puppet matchup, you may want to hold off on those pre-sale tickets because there are a couple of teams that might bring some rain to California where it rarely does, and hasn’t since June of last year.

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Have the Cavs tinkered one too many times?

When the trade for Antwan Jamison was made most fans immediately penciled in the Cavs into the Eastern Conference Finals, but the team that had won 13 straight has now lost 3 in a row to drop their record to 43-14 in a virtual tie with LA for the best record as they are even in the loss column. The advantage the Cavs have is that they own the tie-breaker due to their sweep of the Lakers this season. Even though they’re the coaches of the previous two NBA Champions, PJ and Doc have chimed in about the Danny Ferry’s tactics (and ethics), which as a GM let’s you know you’re doing something right, as they seem bitter out of jealousy that they weren’t able to be as creative at the trade deadline. It seems to be public knowledge that LA wanted Kirk Hinrich but couldn’t put enough in the pot to lure the Bulls into a trade. The rub is if the Cavs are not able to get Z back after 30 days then they’ll have quite the void in the middle as their ‘twin towers’ were the perfect countermeasure to LA’s Gasol/Bynum tandem. After getting punked twice last year by LA the Cavs turned the table and have taken the Lakers out twice, gaining the edge in home court and sending a message in the process that if they meet in the finals, they’re going to be the favorites. So why did the Cavs mess with a formula for success? Well if the NBA is a game of matchups and runs then it’s quite clear that the Cavs have some serious matchup problems with the Orlando magic that still need to be addressed as the in addition to practically sweeping them out of the playoffs last year, the Magic have come back even stronger with the addition of Vince Carter who has found the fountain of youth in the Sunshine State. Perhaps the Cavs think their toughest work might just be getting out of the East? Meanwhile I’m still not sure what the C’s were thinking by going and getting “Kryptonite”. I mean “Rupaul” Rhondo is as quick as they come and always brings it in big games, as once again he almost messed around last week and went for a triple double on LA. But House is the guy off the bench that brings that 3-point element that just kills teams that have their second unit in (ie; LA in 08 finals). So now they have two mites that can run defenders ragged but neither can check any of the premiere point guards in the league without help-side and once you start doing that then offenses like the triangle really kill you. Cleveland never beat a healthy Boston to get to ECF and the C’s finally had their ‘big 3’ on the floor with some new complements but once again a formula that worked well is being tinkered with and I’m not sure why. So the Cavs get the crafty vet at the potential cost of a big man, the C’s get more speed but give up shooting, the Magic made their move in the pre-season, and LA “check raises” with what they think is a winning hand again. The playoffs will tell who has made the best ‘pre trade deadline’ moves, and the rest will have all summer to ponder what went wrong if they didn’t. Who do you think is in the best position to advance to the finals? Let us know here and in any of the quick links.

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Last minute trades may make things more interesting but won't change the outcome

It’s only fitting that the Lakers and Celtics step into the ring for round two on the day of the NBA trade deadline. As one of the NBA’s elite 4 teams both the LA and Boston are the targets of strategist on how to counter their dominance and the balance of power. Along with Cleveland and Orlando they’re the targets of GMs throughout the league who aim to make the moves that will knock them from their perch. Marc Cuban and his band of Mavericks have been the petulant child in the West for the last 6 years and want their piece of the pie. Their latest move added Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood a scorer and another 7-footer to complement Dampier in order counter the size of the Lakers down low, but judging by their first two games since the trade it may take some time for the new team to gel. In the east the Cavs added a crafty vet in Antwan Jamison and young point guard Sebastian Telfair, but give up Z in the trade, the jury is still out on what chess moves the Cavs are trying to make here as the size of Shaq and Z is what gave the Lakers problems in their two meetings this season (both won by Cleveland) so adding the 6-9 Jamison helps against the slashing team of Orlando, which presents huge match up problems for the Cavs and upset them last year, but hinders against the size of LA if the dream matchup of Kobe/LBJ comes to fruition in the Finals. Still on the board is Amare Stoudemire who in all likelihood will be heading across the country to Miami by the time lunch is over Thursday, now that Cleveland has emptied their holster. That deal won’t get the Heat far this year but they’ll still have some serious cash in the till and if they strike gold in the 2010 free agent derby then they could be back in contention for a ring sooner than later. The team that is most happy to see him on in the sunshine state rather than the heartland is LA who really would have had a tall order to contend with King James, Stoudemire, and the 3-point shooters, as teams with that good inside-out game present problems for the slow-n-go triangle Lakers. Rest assured we haven’t heard the last of the deal making and this may be outdated by the end of business tomorrow, but in the meantime the NBA cocktail was certainly shaken up but it hasn’t stirred the end result of an LA/Cleveland final. Do you think either of the moves will change the outcome of the season? Let us know here and in any of the quick links.

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NBA Up and Comers’ aim to threaten the establishment

Orlando Magic (8-2 last 10) – 6 games back of best record in the East. Dwight Howard might finally be getting the help he needs as the team is starting to gel and play with the energy that they had during the post season last year. Most importantly, there was a Vince Carter sighting twice last week including almost droppin’ a fiddy spot on the Hornets (48) in a Monday night win. If Vinsanity can contribute consistently the Magic become the team that no one wants to play, and are going to be a real tough out. Cleveland had better watch out for a repeat of last year’s upset.

Denver Nuggets (7-3 last 10) – 5 games back in the West. A statement win over their nemesis at Staples last week went a long way to building their confidence that they can steal won on the road come playoff time as they almost did twice last year. A year wiser, they know (think) they can beat LA according to George Karl. They’ll need to secure the 2-seed to ensure they don’t run into them until the finals but aside from that they’ll welcome a rematch.

Utah Jazz (9-1 last 10 including 8 in a row) – 7 games back in the West. Where on Earth did the Jazz come from? They have suddenly caught fire and will cut that deficit to 6 next week as the “Kobeless” Lakers come up to the high altitude. Coming off convincing and big wins over conference rivals Denver, Portland, and Dallas they are the hottest team in the NBA right now other than possibly the Cavs, but have played a tougher stretch. Like Denver the Lakers were set up to be the litmus test but won’t be the same with no Mamba and no Bynum. The Jazz will administer the beat down just the same and let them know that if they come back up in the Spring, don’t expect to walk out 4-1.

Phoenix Suns (7-3 last 10) – 8.5 back in the West. I realize two of those 7 wins were against the Nets and Warriors but 3 were also against Houston, Dallas, and Denver and they’ve won 5 straight. They seemed to have righted the ship but the big question remains on what will become of Amare Stoudemire and will be moved before they can’t get fair value for him? Either way Nash is have arguably one of his top 3 seasons in the NBA stat wise, and they still can score with anyone. The D will have to improve if they want to advance but if they keep that first round home court advantage they’ll be a tough draw in the 2^nd round. Look for them to make a move prior to the deadline which may or may not be for the better in regards to this season however.

Oklahoma City (7-3 last 10) also winners of 5 straight and a favorable next 10 stretch which means look for them to climb out of the 7 to as high as possibly the 5 which is good news for anyone because this is not the team you want in the first round. Grant it, they’ll have the first ever playoff ghitters, but they’ll also have a ton of athletic ability and three of the best young players in the game that will only get better every week ahead of the playoffs. As I mentioned before, LA wants no part of this team in an 8-1 matchup as they are just the type of team to give them trouble. One that is very athletic, gets up and down the court, likes the up tempo so the Lakers can’t get into their triangle. They might be too small up front to take 4 games from the champs but they will certainly take a bite out of them and slow them down a bit.

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NBA “Showdowns” paint a playoff picture that’s not so clear

One of the things that separates the NBA from every major sport is how there are no ‘hypothetical wins” and you know that every team will matchup with every team at least twice a year, with each have a home advantage one game, and a winner will be decided without the aid  of a computer or statistical analysis. Now that the NBA season is more than half over we’d had an opportunity to view every matchup an what’s clear is that, although the playoffs may not be a foregone conclusion, there are certainly some teams that should avoid others at all cost. Starting the Celtics, whom look like they may need to make some moves prior to the deadline after all. Grant it, they had a gauntlet of a 3 game stretch where they played arguably 3 of the 4 best teams in the league, and unfortunately they lost all 3. Orlando, Atlanta, and LA all took a bite outa the big 3 leaving them to ponder if an aging and aching KG will be able to make it through the second half of the season let alone the ‘second season’ that are the playoffs. And for those who wrote off the Magic as losing their chemistry by letting Turk get away and going with VC instead, well, they’re coming off two huge wins over teams they’ll probably see again in the final four, Boston and Atlanta, and are going into the break looking like the team that upset Cleveland in the Eastern finals last year. Speaking of Cleveland, the consensus pick to get to the finals this year are the Cavs and Lakers, and in the afore mentioned ‘showdowns’ the Cavs have beaten the Lakers twice showing they have improved over last year and my pose some matchup problems for the defending champs if the pundits are right and they meet again for a third time in June. While we’re on the subject of matchup problems the Hawks have now emphatically proven that pushing the Celtics to seven games two years ago was no fluke, as they have broken on the broom on the green this year with a four game sweep. The Hawks are young and athletic at all five positions and really expose the C’s weakness, but they don’t seem to have any kryptonite handy when they matched up with Orlando last week. In the West the Lakers don’t seem to have any matchup problems with anyone they might face in a seven-game series as they will surely have home court and unless they draw Portland no one can match their size and length down low but the once feared “bench mob” doesn’t seem to scare anyone out of town anymore. I’ll tell you they DON’T want any part of, and that’s the Thunda’. If Ok City gets the 8-seed, people will be screaming about another Nuggets/Sonics revival, but the teams that everyone thought would be poised to challenge the Lakeshow, mainly Portland, Denver, and Dallas didn’t improve at the pace many expected them to over the past year and as illustrated by the 4.5 game lead the Lakers enjoy for the best conference record. It may not seem like much, but for a team that wins close to 80% of their games, it’s as wide as the Grand Canyon if Kobe doesn’t have to sit out a few. Who do you think will be the final four in each conference? Let us know here and in any of the quick links.

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NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
23	* LeBron James (Cleveland)	F	6-8	250	12/30/84	St. Vincent/St. Mary HS
5	* Kevin Garnett (Boston)	F	6-11	253	05/19/76	Farragut Academy HS (CHI)
3	* Dwyane Wade (Miami)	G	6-4	220	01/17/82	Marquette
3	* Allen Iverson (Philadelphia)	G	6-0	165	06/07/75	Georgetown, D.C.
12	* Dwight Howard (Orlando)	C	6-11	265	12/08/85	SW Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)

NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
15	* Carmelo Anthony (Denver)	F	6-8	230	05/29/84	Syracuse
21	* Tim Duncan (San Antonio)	F	6-11	260	04/25/76	Wake Forest
24	* Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers)	G	6-6	205	08/23/78	Lower Merion HS (PA)
13	* Steve Nash (Phoenix)	G	6-3	178	02/07/74	Santa Clara
1	* Amar'e Stoudemire (Phoenix)	C	6-10	249	11/16/82	Cypress Creek (FL)

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As the “Pace Cars" are forced to pit, the field catches up

The division and conference leaders that have were the favorites coming into this year, have had some mechanical failures and begun to slow down allowing the rest of the field to catch up and some have even traded some paint. The Lakers, who have not only held the best record in the West but the entire NBA for most of the year, have a myriad of injuries and must hit the pits for a complete overhaul. As Pau “Secret” Gasol (strong enough for a man but made for a woman) has now injured his other hamstring and soon will have missed more games than he has played, Kobe has a bad back and would be better suited to sit it out and get healthy because he can only pass as a ‘decoy’ for so long. Ron Artest is now also misfiring with an injury, and bench players Sasha and Morrison (remember him the 3^rd pick). As long as the Laker laundry list is the Celtics may not have more St. Jude frequent flyer miles, but if the Lakers tires are treading low, the Celtics are missing pistons and timing belts. The loss of Garnett, Pierce, and Davis for substantial periods during the season (KG is still out) now have lost Rasheed Wallace as well. Now before you hand over the purple heart to Beantown, the Magic lost JMill for the first part of the season (due to his own accord) and he still is fully acclimated to the offense the way he was at the end of the season, and now their MPV Dwight Howard has missed his third consecutive game. The result of all of these car wrecks is a Laker lead that is down to 4 games in the West after a scrappy victory in Dallas on Wednesday, and LA has lost  4 of 10 including 3 consecutive road games. The C’s have dropped to 2^nd in the East as they simply couldn’t hold off the Cavs any more. Fortunately, they’re not getting any pressure in their division (9 game lead) but don’t look now as the Hawks who have moved into the Garden and moved Boston into the garage (3-0 vs. Boston this year) are only 1.5 behind them and 4 behind Cleveland. The Magic on the other hand do have to worry about their division as Hotlanta is only .5 back and will probably pick that up later in the week. As this season started it was a 3 horse race in the East between Bos, Clev, and Orl but now it’s anyone’s race and it will be interesting to see if Cleveland can make it wire-to-wire without stopping to pit themselves, in any case now the field is back in the race as we approach the mid-way point. What the ‘pole sitters’ have lost is the intimidation stigma as none of the up and coming teams believe they can’t take the flag on any given night. Who do you think will win each conference? Will someonce get hot in the second half and dethrone one of the favorites? Let us know in any of the quick links:

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At the Christmas break it’s still hard to tell “who’s da man”

Well, the Christmas Day NBA marathon turned out to be a little lack luster as the marquis matchups didn’t quite live up to the 90 days of hype that preceded them. The Denver/Portland matchup was by far the most competitive and well played but no one was awake to see it. So what do we know so far as the NBA approaches the All-Star break? We know that there are four elite teams in the Association and three reside in the East, Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, and LA, no surprise there as they were the favorites going into the season. We know that there is really no one to challenge the Lakers out West, at least not in a 7-game series so if they can stay injury free, and that’s a big if as they now have had 3 starters with injuries that have kept them out of at least one game (Pau, Artest, Kobe), but barring that, Denver doesn’t look to have the same spark as last year and will do about the same, Dallas can maybe take 2 games from em’,  and the Suns simply don’t match up well with LA’s size so that would be 4-0. Unfortunately, the Lakers seem to know this and don’t show up every night which may come back and haunt them in the end. On the other side of the rock the East is so wide open that it may just be a matter of who can survive and advance. Cleveland sent a solid message on XMas day going into Staples and opening up the entire can on the Lakers from the 2^nd minute on. We’re not sure what to expect from the Cavs, the club that goes into the den of the team with the best record in the NBA and blows them out, or the team that loses to Washington, Toronto, and Charlotte? Either way, they’ll be there in end in East. We were actually going to write about how Boston looks like the team to beat as they showed incredible fortitude on Xmas Day, as the also went into the den of a powerhouse without their number one guy and walked out with a victory in impressive fashion, then turned around and lost to the Clipps for the second consecutive year thus giving back the win to the Lakers who still hold the one game lead for the best record and the all important home court advantage in the finals. They also have had injuries to key starters, Peirce being the latest, and will probably have a deficit to make up by the time he comes back. Now that leaves Orlando, who you can’t sleep on because they may be going through some growing pains since the return of J Nel but they don’t seem to be winning the games they should and people are figuring out how to stop Howard who didn’t seem to develop a consistent mid-range game over the off-season so look for KG to make up for last year if they cross paths again in May. We looked at the Mid-Majors last week and contemplated weather any could disrupt the freight train of the big four and we didn’t see it happening but do you see any of the big dogs stumbling down the stretch and who will be left standing come June? Let us know here and in any of the quick links.

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Sleepers lurking and waiting for the big dogs to stumble

Ok, enough Lakers/Celtics/Cavs/Magic already, we all know who the favorites are, but what about the teams waiting in the wings, lurking in the shadows, and counting the hours until midnight to become this year’s Cinderella? By definition some of these teams are not going to boast records that will garner immediate attention and that’s why we’re looking at them now so when May/June rolls around we won’t be asking “where did they come from?” These are some of the teams that may not only make the final 8 in each conference but ruffle some feathers once they get there. 

Southwest Division – Dallas Mavericks, I know they’re in first place but no one is putting them in the same conversation as any of the big dogs we talked about. Firstly, the Mavs are one of only two teams to be LA in LA (and I don’t mean the clippers), secondly you don’t see a difference between what you see on the road and what you get at home (9-3 home, 10-4 road). They have enough young legs to keep up the pace until the second half of the season and a veteran point guard to keep their heads on once they get there. 

Pacific – LA Clippers, yes the Clipps, JV team to the Lakers. I know, I know, just hear me out. 11-13 in third place without their number one draft choice who happens to be a major difference maker. I realize they haven’t established a real threatening presence (just 4-5 at home) but they play hard and are usually in the game (point diff -2.2), they also have the triangle of components that teams need to advance in the playoffs once they get there, good coaching, vet point guard to handle and make decisions down the stretch, and young talent that can create their own shot (Butler, Gordon, Telfair). Trust me, you don’t want them in a 1-8 matchup, watch out Varsity.

Central – Milwaukee Bucks, the betters already know this and they may not be happy if the cat gets out of the bag but the Bucks are the best cover team in the NBA. They have a losing record and a positive point differential. Furthermore 60% of their losses are within 6 points, so they are always in the game. Milwaukee is very young and athletic and present a lot of matchup problems for teams. They’re just outside of striking distance now and will need to improve on their road record (2-8) but when they correct that, Cleveland better not stumble and Boston better not be looking towards the second round.

Did we miss a sleeper? Let us know here or in any of the In-Game Chat Rooms

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Lakers and Celtics starting to enforce their will but both have issues 

In taking stock of the various NBA power rankings from pundits around the sports world the top 3 may vary depending on the geographic origin of the writer but what is the common denominator is a nucleus of Lakers/Celtics. Obviously, the banter continues over who has the superior club as Celtic fans insist if KG had not gone down to injury that Boston would be working on a three-peat and Laker fans retort by noting that if Bynum and Ariza had been healthy they would be doing the same. However, it needs to be noted that although they’re both posting the best two records in the league (LA 16-3, Bos (16-4), they are not without their major issues and questions. In regards to the Lakers, how can you call them dominating when they’ve played 90% of their games at home? I’ll tell ya, they had better build up a big lead by the half-way point as they have the majority of the season on the road and play more back-to-back games (41) than anyone in the NBA. That said, they truly the class out West with two blowouts of Suns in their head-to-head matchup, and if they stay healthy, we can’t see anyone stopping them from taking down the number one seed. Where they go from there remains to be seen. As far as their nemesis in Green, the Celtics also have gotten out to the best record in their respective conference and, in turn, also have their issues. Unlike LA, it’s not quite so clear that they are the class of the East as they have do have to deal with Orlando who happen to be the defending conference champs, and have the same record this year. Then there’s that pesky King James who plans to drive his Diesel to the arena come Conference Finals time, but the biggest foe the C’s may face is the guy in the white coat, read cross, and stethoscope. As age becomes more prevalent and the akes and pains add up the question get louder if Boston can keep the Big 3 patched up this year, and how many miles will their tires have if/when they make it to the conference finals. We unlike the pundits don’t think they sustain this level for the entire year, and the tide will get too high, and the C’s will find themselves on the road in the playoffs and that will be the end of the Big-3’s run. So don’t be so quick to book your June reservations if you from either coast as there is much to be decided and a few teams you may want to consult with first. Do the big two get together for a best-of-3 in the finals or will one of them be absent? Let us know here and in any of the quick links:

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In words he can relate to, Iverson needs to recognize 

I like most true NBA fans admire everything Allen Iverson has accomplished and how there has never been anyone in the history of the NBA who has done more with less. However at this point of his career he needs to understand that he can’t get out there and do those things that he used to do, let alone his body being able to handle the wear and tear, and not be so adamant in his demands to both be a starter AND play for a contender. It’s not that owners/teams don’t believe he can still contribute but if it is a contending team then they have a starting backcourt this is already working and wouldn’t want to disrupt the chemistry, if it’s not a contender (as it was in Memphis) then you’ll want to give your backcourt some experience. Now AI would be an ideal addition if he would agree to mentoring a young point-guard and come off the bench and play in crunch-time, but AI still believes he can start on a contender an therein lies the problem. Now the rumor is that Philly wants him for an encore to his previous 10-year tenure. With first rounder Jrue Holiday out of UCLA, a one-n-done, with huge upside but no experience, would be the perfect pupil for Iverson if the mentor’s attitude is in the right place but AI needs to understand what’s his legacy is, recognize what he’s accomplished, and decide that if he does come back, he needs to be a positive influence in whatever role he plays as not to exemplify the attitude ridden gansta’ that has some owners concerned. Should AI call it quits or does he just need an attitude adjustment? Let us know here and in any of the quick links:

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NBA “mid-majors” not ready to concede divisions so easily 

The consensus favorites to take the divisions and conference titles are not finding path back to finals so easy as some sleepers have come out with vigor and have sent a message that they were not just there to tune up the Lakers and Celtics for a Finals finale. Starting in the East the Hawks have not only surprised the defending Eastern Conference Champs from the Southwest but possess the best record in the NBA at 11-2. Undefeated at home at 7-0 the Hawks don’t have the mega-star but a lot of good players that play hard and prevent all kinds of matchup problems for most teams with their top to bottom speed. Now, can they keep this momentum going for an 82-game season? Well, don’t discount the fact that they pushed the Celtics to a 7^th game the year Boston took the crown and made the playoffs again last year. This was year the dividends were supposed to be paid, let’s wait until June to see what kind of IRR they got. Looking at the Central division, once the Diesel teamed up with the King most had made reservations for the Cavs in the finals but the an 0-2 start and tough games that have gone down to the wire have left the Cavs with a 9-4 record, a point differential of only 3.9, and many questions about their ability to survive 82 games and have enough left to deal with the East come playoff time. Until then the Bucks haven’t conceded anything as they have won 2 straight and are just ½ game back despite some injuries. Now the test for Milwaukee comes when they have to go on the road (7 of their first 10 have been at home) to see if they will be a topic of discussion past the Christmas holiday. In the West the Phoenix Suns were left for dead in the desert with the departure of Shaq but Nash seems to have made a deal with the devil and has found the fountain of youth as he looks more like he did in his 20’s, Stoudemire is staying healthy, and Channing Frye has come out of no where to become an inside/outside threat. Unfortunately despite their first place standing they failed their fist litmus test as the Lakers smoked them by 19 earlier this month which could mean they’ve got a ways to go to step up to the upper echelon. Lastly, how happy is Mark Cuban right now? The Mavs didn’t seem to make any major additions as they have in previous years  so not a whole lot was expected of them. But out to a 10-3 start including a victory over the Lakers at Staples has them tied with the Suns for the best record in the West. They have the best point differential as well and have played just as many on the road and at home. Can’t knock what they’ve done on the defensive end or that they’ve won 5 straight so perhaps staying put and allowing the team time to gel was the right formula. Who do you think is the biggest surprise and disappointment of the early NBA season? 

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Lakers get stronger but so does the League – NBA Preview

If there is an empire in the NBA over the past decade it’s the LA Lakers. Already with six appearances in nine years and four titles, the Lake Show is as close to dominant as you can get without wearing pinstripes. And much like their mirror image from MLB the Empire has gotten stronger, with the addition of Ron Artest, LA finally has some ‘stank’ to go with all of that fineness. However it’s not going to be easy for them as the rest of the league, particularly at the top, has gotten better as well. The Cavs have added the Diesel, Boston adds to its age (and championship experience) with Sheed, out West the Spurs get a much need spark in the paint in Richard Jefferson, and should be in jail for stealing Blair out of the draft, as he could be the Charles Barkley of the next decade. Don’t forget the defending Eastern Conference Champs that added Vincanity to a very well balanced lineup. So the trip back up the mountain will not be easy for LA, and some say they’re not going to repeat the feat of the “Combo Dynasty” of early Zeros, particularly because of the strength out of the East. It’s clear that we’ve seen a shift in the balance of power over the past five years as early on in the decade 4 of the top 5 teams played in the Pacific time zone, now it’s the reciprocal as the powerhouses are on the right coast which bodes the question: will the winner of the East have anything left to take on LA if they get there? Can Boston stay healthy enough to make it through 82 games? Will Shaq and LBJ run into the same problems as Shaq/Kobe? How much has Vince’s skills diminished, and can he take the Magic to the next level? Will Tracy ever complete a playoff season where the Rockets win a series? All good questions that will be answered over the next six months. Let us know your thoughts here and in the chat rooms as we have a chat room for every game on the schedule. Also chime in on any of the quick links: 

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World Champions struggle to keep the core together

As soon as the parade was over, well actually during the parade, the questions were swarming if the Lakers were going to be able to keep their championship team in tact. Mainly free agents Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Shannon Brown. The feeling in LA is that they have the components to make another trip back (and win) a second consecutive NBA title. After Kobe stated that he would not opt out of his extension it appeared that the off season in La-La Land would be as beautiful as the weather. Unfortunately there are some flaws in the planning of the “Purple Reign” sequel. Firstly, the Lakers need to get their house in order as they appear to be unclear on the Odom (10 million) deal and even further away from Ariza (5.6 vs. 8million) that his agent was looking for, and the Shannon Brown talks have yet to get off the ground. Even if LA can miraculously come to terms with all three that doesn’t ensure their ticket for a return engagement as the rest of the league has made additions in the draft the Lakers felt they had enough in the cubborad to stand pat, a major mistake. The move that may come back to haunt them is passing on the Pittsburgh twins (Blair and Young) who could have immediately helped their one blaring deficiency, getting out “physicaled” on the boards. They got plenty of firepower on offense what they need is an enforcer (aka Rick Fox, Coach Rambis). Although not complacent, perhaps too confident that their current hand will be good enough to withstand another flop, and even though they may be playing with house money as the last team to repeat, if the chips don’t fall into place USC can feel comfortable re-painting the Coliseum Cardinal and Gold again.