Karl Malone is a repugnant bully and I hope the basketball gods will see fit to punish the Lakers for having such a whiny little bitch on their team. Now that I have got that off of my chest, let's take a look at the needs of the teams eliminated in the second round of the playoffs:
Miami Heat: I addressed their team needs briefly a few weeks ago, but I have to tip my cap at how hard they played against Indiana. They managed to take a bigger, more talented, more experienced team to the brink of elimination. That said, if they are to take the next step, they are going to have to find a more talented two-way big man than what they had to offer this year. Inquiring about Stromile Swift from the Grizzlies (who have too many players that they want to protect in the expansion draft anyways) might be a place to start.
New Jersey Nets: Each of the next three teams has a tough
5-22-04 - Hari's Guest Column
5-19-04 - Meaghan's Guest Column
5-11-04 - Defining Thoughts
5-8-04 - Caroline's Guest Column
5-7-04 - Alcoholics
5-5-04 - Best Pictures
5-4-04 - NBA Second Round
Archives
1) Float On - Modest Mouse
2) Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
3) New Friend - Leisure
4) Time is Running Out - Muse
5) Ever Fallen in Love - Pete Yorn
6) Bring Out the Dancing Horses - Echo and the Bunnymen
7) Song For You - Alexi Murdoch
8) Cmon, Cmon - The Von Bondies
9) Is She Really Going Out With Him - Elvis Costello
10) Blue Monday - New Order
Sacramento King: The Maloofs must answer one question: Has this team's prime past or can its lackluster performance against the Timberwolves be attributed to a hobbled Chris Webber and a missing Bobby Jackson? Personally, I believe it to be the latter...I've always been a little blinded by the Kings, but I still think that they have the most talented top eight in basketball. If they can add a back-up wing with a jump shot and one banger inside, I don't see any reason that they can't rise to the top of the Western Conference next year.
San Antonio Spurs: If the clock operator in San Antonio had been a slight bit quicker on the draw in Game 5, we'd likely be talking about the Spurs-Timberwolves conference finals and we would have been spared a week's worth of "Are the Lakers unbeatable?" articles. Sadly, though, we must endure. The Spurs would be foolish to make any wholesale changes (a la trading Tony Parker)...they need to strive for continuity after the numerous changes last summer. There is no reason to think that the Spurs can't be holding the championship trophy next June with their current cast of talent
NBA Playoffs: Rising and Falling
Rising - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat. Everyone's favorite new player had pundits asking two questions: 1) Is it possible that he is better than both Carmelo and LeBron? and, 2) Why the heck wasn't he in the game for the final 10 seconds of Game 6 against the Pacers?
Falling - Eddie Jones, Miami Heat. A 6-for-21 shooting performance in Game 6 of the Pacers series isn't going to make anyone forget all of the big game failures of playoffs past.
Rising - Kevin Garnett, Minnestota Timberwolves. Consider that monkey officially removed.
Falling - Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento Kings. It is not easy to replace Chris Webber as the Kings' token choker, but Peja fills the role admirably.
Rising - Derek Fisher, Los Angeles Lakers. In one series, he proved he is a better fit for the Lakers than Gary Payton, shut down the previously red hot Tony Parker, and make one fallaway that will secure his place in the NBA history.
Falling - Robert Horry, San Antonio Spurs. Played so poorly in the clutch, that I want to support Bill Simmons's hypothesis that the only reason Horry signed with the Spurs was to intentionally sabotage them.
In-Between - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs. After the first six games in the playoffs, pundits were questioning whether he was already the best point guard in the NBA; in the last four, he looked like a nervous 21-year-old kid being bullied by men. But Spurs' fans, relax...he still has a sparkling future.
PREDICTIONS
Lakers in 6 (Currently tied 1-1) - If Hudson was healthy, the Wolves would have a real chance.
Pacers in 7 (Indiana leads 1-0) - This will be a more entertaining series than most expect.
