Basketball Roundup

In all my years watching the NBA this is has been one of the most exciting seasons. The Knicks are a joke and it really ruined the early part of the season for me. However, as the All Star break has come and gone, the Western Conference race has rejuvenated me and I am as into the regular season this year more so than ever in the past.

At this time the Spurs won tonight and the Lakers lost last night so I believe the Spurs have a 1 game lead for the top seed in the West. But before I get to the top seeds I will start with some other teams out West. I have been very impressed with the Blazers this year but they are about a year or two away from being a factor in the West. The Rockets are cruising but the injury to Yao will really crush them. I know they have an easy schedule now and are a few games ahead of the Nuggets but I feel that loss will cause them to miss the playoffs. Here is how I see the Western Conference finishing up:

8. Nuggets: If the Rockets get into the playoffs it will be because the Nuggets self destruct. This team is extremely talented with AI and Carmelo but the team does not play defense. You can't trust them in the 4th quarter and can only win by outscoring opponents. With no defense they have no chance to win a playoff series.

7. Warriors: I like the Warriors but they also play very little defense. They had a great run last year and played fantastic at home. The trouble is they do not sneak up on anyone anymore and I don't think they will get out of the first round either although if they can somehow get up to the 6th spot and draw the Suns they might have a chance.

6. Mavericks: I do not like the Mavs and think the Jason Kidd trade will hurt them down the stretch. Kidd is still a great player, a leader and has playoff experience. Devin Harris is not as good a player but he has playoff experience and he can defend the quicker guards in the West. Kidd cannot guard Nash, Paul, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, or Tony Parker. Kidd is older, he is not as quick, and he cannot shoot. He can run the fast break but the team is too slow around him and they don't have anyone like Richard Jefferson or Vince Carter to finish at the basket. I think this team has taken a step backwards after their first round collapse last year and will not make it out of the first round once again.

5. Hornets: I have not watched the Hornets too often but after watching them beat the Suns in double OT and after they handed it to the Jazz I will try to watch them more often. Paul is one of the most exciting players in the league and will get serious consideration for league MVP. He does everything on the court and is a great competitor. I don't think the Hornets have enough experience to go far in the playoffs but a matchup with the Jazz will be a great one.

4. Jazz: The Jazz will go as far as PG Deron Williams can take them. DW had 19 assists tonight (granted it was against Memphis) and continues to improve. I have not been so impressed with the rest of the team and I think a matchup with New Orleans will be very tough. The Jazz are hard to figure as they get beat by poor teams but they are strong against playoff teams.

3. Suns: Getting Shaq completely destroyed this team. Shaq is old and is good for maybe 25-30 minutes per game while going for around 12 points and 8 boards a game. I agree Marion had to go if he was unhappy (and he would have left after the year) but there is no denying that the Suns on the court are much better with him than Shaq. Shaq clogs the middle of the floor and make it more difficult for Nash to work with Amare. They do not spread the floor as much and they are not as quick on the fast break. Marion was also a great defender for them. Not to say Shaq can't help guard guys like Duncan but Duncan can take him out of the paint and is too good for Shaq. I would rather have Amare on him. Also, there are many quick guards/small forwards that Marion could guard well like Kobe, Carmelo, Dirk, and Ginobli. I think the Suns will figure it out by the time the Playoffs roll around and Nash and Amare are too good for them to not be at least a 3 seed. I think the Suns will get out of the first round but I don't think they can get past the Spurs or Lakers.

2. Lakers: What a difference Pau Gasol makes. As soon as he got to LA the Lakers took off. They are a different team now. Kobe does not have to take on the entire scoring load and when Bynum comes back the Lakers front line will average about 7 feet tall per player. They have in my opinion the best bench in the NBA as well. Farmar has really emerged as a solid PG and they have some guys who can come off the bench and play quality hustle minutes. As long as Kobe can continue to play with the bad pinkie this team has a great chance of winning the championship.

1. Spurs: It's amazing that the Spurs are the top seed in the West. Parker missed a couple of weeks and the Spurs didn't miss a beat. Mostly because Ginobli (a good player) has played out of his mind this season and Duncan has been very consistent. The Spurs coast during the regular season but they continue to win. With home field advantage and the team remaining healthy it will be very hard to top this team but I think this year the Lakers have a great chance.

As for the Eastern Conference only 4 teams even deserve mention: The Magic are good and Howard is a beast but they are not good enough to beat the Celtics in the 2nd round. Ultimately the Celtics will be in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavs or Pistons. When the Cavs traded for Ben Wallace Wally, and Delonte West I thought they had a chance to really make noise in the East. After watching them lose to the Bucks this week I realized their offense is still terrible and it will be up to Lebron to carry them just like he did last year. If Lebron can score 40 a game in the playoffs and the team can make a few plays around him they can beat Detroit again. Detroit has been very impressive lately but I think the winner of the Pistons-Cavs series will be drained after a long series and not have enough to beat the Celtics.

Ultimately, if I had to pick a team right now I would go with the best player in the NBA, the deepest bench and great talent. I love the Lakers and it would be great to see Kobe vs. Garnett (or Kobe vs. Lebron) in the NBA Finals. I'm bored of the Spurs and it's time for Kobe to step up in the playoffs the way Jordan did a decade ago.

One thing is for sure; this season has the potential to have the greatest regular season finish and the most exciting playoffs in a very long time.