I'm a huge Lakers fan, and have been my whole life. Hence, most of my posts will be through crazy Lakers (Yankees, Cowboys, Blue Devils) colored glasses. Here is the first of many posts...
Just some thoughts on the state of the NBA.
First lets talk about the Miami Heat. They were disappointing at the start of the season, but are really starting to play good ball. I think part of the difference has been Pat Riley (he's not getting enough credit). He has always had a dominant big-man wherever he coached (Kareem, Patrick Ewing... even Michael Thompson and Vlade Divac after Kareem retired), and now more of the offense goes through Shaq. Even if it does end with D.Wade taking (and most of the time making) the shot. I think they are the best team in the East, and are gelling at the right time. Yeah, this is a superstar team, but it takes a special kind of coach to soothe all the egos and get these guys all together on the same page.
The East playoffs will be boring till you get to the Heat and Pistons... no one else is good enough to make some noise (the Cavs are about a year away from beating anyone. The Nets not so much). I think the Heat will represent the East. They can beat the Pistons in a short series.
Out West is another story. While I thought the Spurs had an easy road out there, I really feel like the West is more wide open. There is the potential for some really interesting matchups.
The Spurs and Dallas are both super-strong, top to bottom. They would normally be considered locks to face each other in the Western finals, but every discussion should be put on hold till Amare Stoudamire comes back from his injury... and now that Denver has both Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby back and healthy, i dont think its too much of a stretch to think theyll go on a similar run as they did last year (33-7 to end the season). There are also some real feel good stories in the Hornets and the Clippers. Both teams playing way above what anyone thought, Byron Scott should be Coach of the Year, and if youre not already a fan, you should become a fan of Chris Paul... as a rookie he' already one of the top point guards in the league. Look him up, he's gonna be huge. Plus should the Lakers sneak in (they are currently in the 8th spot) they would be a tough matchup for anyone. Phil Jackson and Kobe (who's been on a tear, and will probably be MVP if the Lakers make the postseason) together in a short playoff series... no one wants to face them, not even the Spurs. Wide open out West, I love it.
As a New Yorker, I feel the need to comment on the state of the Knickerbockers. The Knicks are in a sorry state. I think as much as they've mailed it in, Brown is also using this team as an example of how poor a GM Isiah is. This team will not succeed until Brown is in complete control of the team. They are the worst team in the league. They have some solid players (Marbury, Crawford and Curry), but not a solid team. They either need to start developing the young talent they have and giving quality minutes to these kids (Frye, Robinson, Lee, Ariza and Woods) or start dumping them for more draft picks and serious rebuilding. Too many (shoot first) point guards and power forwards (no true center) for them to ever be a force as they were built. Isiah needs to realize he isnt a GM and go back to being a commentator. I thought they were going to be better this year, but this wasnt a Larry Brown built team. No true playmakers and no difference makers in the paint. A recipe for disaster.
Just some thoughts on the state of the NBA.
First lets talk about the Miami Heat. They were disappointing at the start of the season, but are really starting to play good ball. I think part of the difference has been Pat Riley (he's not getting enough credit). He has always had a dominant big-man wherever he coached (Kareem, Patrick Ewing... even Michael Thompson and Vlade Divac after Kareem retired), and now more of the offense goes through Shaq. Even if it does end with D.Wade taking (and most of the time making) the shot. I think they are the best team in the East, and are gelling at the right time. Yeah, this is a superstar team, but it takes a special kind of coach to soothe all the egos and get these guys all together on the same page.
The East playoffs will be boring till you get to the Heat and Pistons... no one else is good enough to make some noise (the Cavs are about a year away from beating anyone. The Nets not so much). I think the Heat will represent the East. They can beat the Pistons in a short series.
Out West is another story. While I thought the Spurs had an easy road out there, I really feel like the West is more wide open. There is the potential for some really interesting matchups.
The Spurs and Dallas are both super-strong, top to bottom. They would normally be considered locks to face each other in the Western finals, but every discussion should be put on hold till Amare Stoudamire comes back from his injury... and now that Denver has both Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby back and healthy, i dont think its too much of a stretch to think theyll go on a similar run as they did last year (33-7 to end the season). There are also some real feel good stories in the Hornets and the Clippers. Both teams playing way above what anyone thought, Byron Scott should be Coach of the Year, and if youre not already a fan, you should become a fan of Chris Paul... as a rookie he' already one of the top point guards in the league. Look him up, he's gonna be huge. Plus should the Lakers sneak in (they are currently in the 8th spot) they would be a tough matchup for anyone. Phil Jackson and Kobe (who's been on a tear, and will probably be MVP if the Lakers make the postseason) together in a short playoff series... no one wants to face them, not even the Spurs. Wide open out West, I love it.
As a New Yorker, I feel the need to comment on the state of the Knickerbockers. The Knicks are in a sorry state. I think as much as they've mailed it in, Brown is also using this team as an example of how poor a GM Isiah is. This team will not succeed until Brown is in complete control of the team. They are the worst team in the league. They have some solid players (Marbury, Crawford and Curry), but not a solid team. They either need to start developing the young talent they have and giving quality minutes to these kids (Frye, Robinson, Lee, Ariza and Woods) or start dumping them for more draft picks and serious rebuilding. Too many (shoot first) point guards and power forwards (no true center) for them to ever be a force as they were built. Isiah needs to realize he isnt a GM and go back to being a commentator. I thought they were going to be better this year, but this wasnt a Larry Brown built team. No true playmakers and no difference makers in the paint. A recipe for disaster.
Labels: Sports
posted by LEV at
1:07 PM
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