I have not blogged a whole lot about the NBA this season. When your favorite team - Phoenix Suns in this case, is playing a robust .344 ball, it's only natural to lose a little bit of interest in the league. But the interest in the NBA peaks only around this time anyways. Actually, it really peaks about a month from now when March madness is over and the playoffs are just around the corner, but people do start following it a lot more after the Super Bowl. The storyline for the rest of the season is whether or not the Lakers make the playoffs. Thats both good and bad. The good news is, the Lakers are struggling to make the 8-Th spot. The bad news is, once again the sports-world is almost exclusively obsessed about a big market team and it's prospects. Of course there are enough stars in LA to hold everybody's interest. Kobe is a "big market" all by himself! The worse news is, the Lakers probably will sneak into the playoffs. But I don't think they are going anywhere even if they do get in.
The Lakers are 4 games behind the Golden State Warriors for the 6-Th spot, but they are only 1.5 games behind the 8-Th spot. How cool is it that the Lakers are the 3-Rd best team in the state of California? I am pretty sure it will stay that way. The Warriors have had some issues lately with losses piling up due to a tough schedule and road games, but the schedule is easing up now and they should stay above the Lakers, who are playing better these days. Both Houston at 7 and Utah at 8 are good teams but the schedule is going to determine if and when the Lakers overtake them. The lower half of the West is fascinating with some new blood in there. It will be fun to watch the Warriors and the Rockets compete in the playoffs. As it stands today, Warriors play the Clippers, who they have owned in the regular season and Rockets will play the Thunder pitting James Harden - the pride of Arizona State, against his old team. I sure can live without Nowitzki and Kobe in these playoffs, but not sure if commissioner David Stern wants to.
In the East, the Heat and LeBron look unstoppable. They have won 16 straight and LeBron hit the game winner to clinch the game yesterday. That would have been big news last year when LeBron was relentlessly criticized for being genetically incapable of being clutch. It's amazing how 12 months and a championship can completely change perception and reorient the conversation. Now, those discussions sound absurd. Credit LeBron for putting in the work and perfecting his game. LeBron is single-handedly removing any and all drama from the Eastern conference playoffs, though I still have some hopes for the Pacers who have beaten them twice in the regular season. But the playoffs are different and the Heat's only challenge might have to come from the West. Unfortunately, it won't come from my Phoenix Suns. The only thing I am looking forward to with the Suns is, I want them to disprove ESPN's Bill Simmons' assertion that the Suns will have the worst record in the league. Thanks to the Charlotte Bobcats, Simmons is going to be wrong, but not by much. Simmons by the way was ranked as the most powerful sports media personality by Sports Illustrated. I was pleasantly surprised. It's a good list with a lot of great names - Barkley at 2, Bob Costas at 3, Jon Gruden at 5, and Adrian Wojnarowski at 6. Congrats Bill Simmons.
The Lakers are 4 games behind the Golden State Warriors for the 6-Th spot, but they are only 1.5 games behind the 8-Th spot. How cool is it that the Lakers are the 3-Rd best team in the state of California? I am pretty sure it will stay that way. The Warriors have had some issues lately with losses piling up due to a tough schedule and road games, but the schedule is easing up now and they should stay above the Lakers, who are playing better these days. Both Houston at 7 and Utah at 8 are good teams but the schedule is going to determine if and when the Lakers overtake them. The lower half of the West is fascinating with some new blood in there. It will be fun to watch the Warriors and the Rockets compete in the playoffs. As it stands today, Warriors play the Clippers, who they have owned in the regular season and Rockets will play the Thunder pitting James Harden - the pride of Arizona State, against his old team. I sure can live without Nowitzki and Kobe in these playoffs, but not sure if commissioner David Stern wants to.
In the East, the Heat and LeBron look unstoppable. They have won 16 straight and LeBron hit the game winner to clinch the game yesterday. That would have been big news last year when LeBron was relentlessly criticized for being genetically incapable of being clutch. It's amazing how 12 months and a championship can completely change perception and reorient the conversation. Now, those discussions sound absurd. Credit LeBron for putting in the work and perfecting his game. LeBron is single-handedly removing any and all drama from the Eastern conference playoffs, though I still have some hopes for the Pacers who have beaten them twice in the regular season. But the playoffs are different and the Heat's only challenge might have to come from the West. Unfortunately, it won't come from my Phoenix Suns. The only thing I am looking forward to with the Suns is, I want them to disprove ESPN's Bill Simmons' assertion that the Suns will have the worst record in the league. Thanks to the Charlotte Bobcats, Simmons is going to be wrong, but not by much. Simmons by the way was ranked as the most powerful sports media personality by Sports Illustrated. I was pleasantly surprised. It's a good list with a lot of great names - Barkley at 2, Bob Costas at 3, Jon Gruden at 5, and Adrian Wojnarowski at 6. Congrats Bill Simmons.
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