Since NBA basketball was of my jobs this past year, I feel that I must share some of the thoughts that I accumulated over the season that was, and the playoffs that are getting under way. With that in mind, here are my takes on the lottery-bound teams, the first round playoff series, and who I think the award winners should be.
LOTTERY TEAMS
Atlanta Hawks - Insert your playoff guarantee joke here. This team is a mess, and they don't seem to have any direction. A collection of Theo Ratliff and a bunch of guys out of the scorer on bad team mold. This team is ugly.
Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavs have a bunch of interesting players. Ricky Davis, Dajuan Wagner, Zyldrunas Ilgauskus, and maybe even Darius Miles have some star potential. But as a TEAM, they are still horrible. This team needs a leader, a point guard, and a coach that demands respect.
Chicago Bulls - I really like this Bulls team. They are really young, but they improved measurably over the course of the season. The Bulls were reamed for trading Brand-for Chandler, but both Chandler and his counterpart Eddy Curry have UPside. Jay Williams won't be as bad as his rookie season, Jalen Rose provides some experience and scoring, and I LOVE Jamal Crawford. Why they don't play he and Williams in the backcourt together is beyond me. Mark it down - Playoffs next year in the awful East
4-15-03 - One Saturday Night
4-10-03 - Thinking Can Be Dangerous
4-9-03 - The Next One
4-8-03 - The Break-Up Column
4-7-03 - Hari's Column
4-5-03 - Me Thoughts
4-1-03 - Vegas Recap
ARCHIVES
1) "Not Dead Yet" - The Bad Examples
2) "Meet Me in the Bathroom" - The Strokes
3) "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues"- The Eels
4) "Butterfly" - Weezer
5) "We've Been Had" - The Walkmen
6) "Touch You, Touch You" - Hot Hot Heat
7) "If It Were Up To Me" - Rooney
8) "Just For You" - Solomon Burke
9) "Just Like California" - Old 97's
10) "Its True That We Love..."-The White Stripes
Golden State Warriors - Most improved team of the year. All kinds of talent, but do the pieces fit together? Very fun to watch all year.If they lose Arenas in the offseason, who plays point guard next year?
Houston Rockets - Early in the year, everyone was talking about the Rockets like they are a future championship contender. Since they folded up down the stretch, that talk has disappeared. This season has to be viewed as a complete disappointment. They were healthy, Yao was better than anyone expected him to be, Steve had another All-Star year, yet still no playoffs. If that happens again next year, this team will have to be blown up. I'd love to see them chase Lamar Odom this summer.
Los Angeles Clippers - A complete disappointment...a ridicuously talented team that played without heart or direction. What a waste.
Memphis Grizzlies - Jason Williams was the poster boy for everything that was wrong with the NBA...all flash, me first, overhyped "point" guard. But something happened when Hubie Brown took over this team...Williams played like a confident, clutch floor leader who had an outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio. This team gave everyone fits in the second half of the season, and with a year of seasoning and a little veteran leadership, they have a future for the first time in franchise history.
Miami Heat - Boring, boring team. Caron Butler deserved better. He could be Paul Pierce in 3 years.
New York Knicks - As hard as it is to believe, the Knicks may have actually overachieved this year. They have a host of aging, overpaid players, but they were actually in playoff contention late into the year. Give Allan Houston a tip of the hat for actually looking like he isn't overpaid for parts of the season.
Seattle SuperSonics - This team is a little bit like Golden State North. There is talent here, but the question is, Do the pieces fit together? They don't have a point guard, all of there best players are 2s and 3s, and they lack a true post threat. But they still likely would ahve been a playoff team in the East.
Toronto Raptors - Can you believe this team was an Eastern conference finalist two years ago? Do you think that they are possibly having second thoughts about letting Tracy McGrady go? That will go down as the biggest mistake of the decade.
Washington Wizards - Sure, Michael Jordan proved he could still play, but his comeback has to be viewed as an unmitigated failure. The young talent has regressed, no worthwhile free agents have been attractes, and the playoffs have not been reached. All the Wizards have done iss cost themselves a few lottery ping pong balls.
AWARDS
MVP - Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic. I take this award at face value, and believe that the player who is Most VALUABLE to his team deserves this award. Take McGrady off of the Magic, and they would be the Denver Nuggets. Plus, McGrady has the unique ability to put his team on his shoulders in the games they most need to win. Plus, he seems to be an all around good guy. He is everything that is right in the NBA. Runners-up: Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan.
Rookie of the Year - Amare Stoudamire, Phoenix Suns. Yao was good and may still turn out to be great, but right now Stoudamire is more of an impact player. He is a better defender, a better rebounder, better hands, and more of a killer instinct. The first time I watched him in the preseason, I thought he was going to be special. I probably saw Yao a few too many times to be as excited about him anymore. Runners - up: Yao Ming, Caron Butler.
Coach of the Year - Gregg Poppovich, San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs looked decidedly average 25 games into the season, but man did they turn it on after that. Their talent is good, but not sp[ectacular, yet still they finished with the best record in the league. Runners-up: Rick Carlisle, Rick Adelman.
Most Improved Player - Jason Williams, Memphis Grizzlies. I pleaded my case above. I think he gets it now. Runners-up: Troy Murphy, Tony Parker.
ALL NBA 1st Team (Way Too Easy)-
Center - Shaquille O'Neal
Forward - Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett
Guards- Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant
2nd Team
Center - Ben Wallace
Forwards - Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Webber
Guards - Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson
FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS
EAST (DOES IT EVEN MATTER?):
#8 Orlando - #1 Detroit (Magic leading 1-0):
Everybody who wants to be a coach should look at the job that Rick Carlisle is doing on a team without a true scorer or a true superstar (Sorry Ben Wallace, superstars must paly both ends of the court).Detroit is a solid team that plays good defense and excellent fundamental basketball. They rode hard work to homecourt advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Unfortunately, they do not have Tracy McGrady. Orlando in 6.
#7 Milwaukee - #2 New Jersey (Nets lead 1-0)
If I wrote this ten days ago, I likely would have picked Milwaukee...they had all of the look of a sleeper team in a weak East. But then Gary Payton, Sam Cassell, and Jason Caffey got arrested outside of a strip club. And the Nets won the open by a couple hundred points. Never mind. Nets in 5.
#6 Boston - #3 Indiana (Tied 1-1)
It is hard to argue that Indiana has the most talented roster in the East (the fact that they are only the third seed speaks volumes of Isiah Thomas's coaching abililities). If they only had a point guard... Boston is a hit an miss group of gunners that lacks heart (with the exception of Pierce) and has never fully recovered for making one of the worst deals in league history by acquiring the albatross Vin Baker this past summer. The basketball gods have not forgiven them. Indiana in 7.
#5 New Orleans - #4 Philadelphia (76ers lead 1-0)
After what he did in Game 1, would you bet against Allen Iverson? Me neither. Sixers in 6.
WEST
#8 Phoenix - #1 San Antonio (Tied 1-1)
That shot that Ginobilli hit tonight saved the Spurs...it really looked like the Suns had their number. Still, the Suns are not going to go away and should go home very pleased that they are took one in San Antonio and gave them all that they could handle in Game 2. It is tempting to pick the Suns, but...Spurs in 7.
#7 Utah - #2 Sacramento (Kings 1-0)
The Kings are simply more talented. And they have been waiting for the palyoffs all year. Kings in 4.
# 6 Portland - #3 Dallas (Mavs 1-0)
You think Mavericks fans were a little bit excited when the Lakers snuck into the four spot? Their seasons obituary was already being written before the Blazers choked against a Clippers team that had nothing to play for. Finley is rounding back into form, and with the Rockets still in Lotteryland, I am renewing my application for Temporary Fan Status. Mavs in 5.
#5 Los Angeles - #4 Minesota (Lakers 1-0)
So you are the Minnesota Timberwolves. You have just completed the greatest season in club history and locked down homecourt advantage for the first time ever. After an unlikely series of events, you realize the red hot, 3-time defending champ Lakers will be your first round opponent. And Kobe drops 28 on you...in the first half. You now have the right to be demoralized. The Timberwolves have some heart, and likely will steal a game or two, but this series is effective over. Lakers in 6.