Tag Archives: Josh Smith

by | March 1, 2011 · 12:06 PM

Beef Stew: After the Trade Deadline

So beefy

After a flurry of moves that came down just prior to the trade deadline all the way up to the 3 P.M. Eastern Time cutoff, the NBA has seen quite a dramatic shift. Now that it is over teams are still jockeying to shore up their assets and acquire role players for a deep playoff push. Of course every team wants to enter the playoffs healthy, but that may be easier said than done. On to the Stew!

Money, money, money

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed newly acquired big man, Kendrick Perkins, to an extension. It is a four-year deal that will net him $34.8 million. As an added incentive, the deal also includes bonus clauses that can increase Perkins’ pay. Furthermore, the Thunder have increased his 2010-11 salary from $2.3 million to $6.7 million and based the extension off the new salary. Perkins had been hesitant to sign an extension with the Celtics this season which factored into the team trading him. It looks as though the Thunder’s General Manager, Sam Presti, is playing for keeps.

In the epic saga that is Troy Murphy’s life, he now faces his greatest decision ever: what team does he want to chase a ring on? After being bought out of his present contract by the Golden State Warriors (he was traded to them at the deadline for Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric) it looked as though Murphy was well on his way to Beantown. That is until the most shrewd operator in the business came calling. Gordon Gekko, er…Pat Riley and the Miami Heat have shown interest in Murphy. Decisions, decisions. Miami would have to free up roster space to add the power forward, however, it would seem that there are plenty of players on their roster who are expendable outside of their marquee three. The only thing for Murphy to do now is to sit back, wait, and quote Cuba Gooding Jr. BREAKING: As this piece was being written, Marc Stein of ESPN reported that Murphy has chosen to play in Boston. The terms of any deal between the two parties are not yet known. I hope ABC was filming this, there was certainly potential for a bad reality show in there. Throw in some roses and you have a hit.

Everyone knew that the Washington Wizards really did not want to take Mike Bibby. He is old and that team is young. He likes to mall walk and they like to sleep in. It just was not going to work. Therefore, the Wizards did everyone a favor and bought out the remainder of Bibby’s $6.2 million salary for the season. Bibby had chosen to waive the final year of his present contract so that he would be able to be bought out. He is set to clear waivers on Wednesday. Once that occurs, it is widely believed that he will become a ring chaser on the Heat. Now, that Murphy has decided on Boston, Miami’s push for the veteran point guard will likely be stronger than ever as they do not have the best point guards in the league. Bibby is by no means the player he once was with the Sacramento Kings, however, he would be a positive offensive upgrade over both Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo. UPDATE: reports are saying that Arroyo has been cut to make room for Bibby.

After the New York Knicks swung their deal for Carmelo Anthony, they also acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves Corey Brewer. However, Brewer has not seen a single minute of playing time with his new team as Mike D’Antoni prefers to play Renaldo Balkman instead and the team deactivated Brewer. Now, the Knicks are in the process of buying him out. In the hunt for him now, according to various reports, are the Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks. He is expected to meet with several coaches from interested teams on Tuesday including mavericks’ coach Rick Carlisle.

Pain, pain, pain

Somehow, the Spurs have managed to stay healthy all season. Did they make a deal similar to Robert Johnson’s? Was it pure luck? Is it still the revenge of the small market? Whatever it was, it came to an end. Tony Parker is likely to miss two to four weeks with a sore calf muscle. In the long run this injury will not hamper the Spurs’ playoff quest. They already have 49 wins this season. However, they may seed some ground to the Mavericks, who are looking at catching the Spurs for the number one overall seed in the Western Conference.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are not going to make the playoffs. They would not even get an invitation to the NIT this year. They are awful. Yet, somehow they know how to beat the Los Angeles Lakers and the Knicks. They have beaten the Knicks twice. Ouch. However, the team may have just suffered its biggest loss of the season. Antawn Jamison will likely miss the rest of the season with a broken finger. The Cavaliers just cannot catch a break. Cleveland was actively engaged in trying to move Jamison to Golden State at the trade deadline but the two sides could not reach an agreement. After that news sunk in, Jamison’s left pinky decides to ruin the rest of the season. Poor guy.

Fresh off his recent arrival to the Denver Nuggets, Danilo Gallinari has fractured his left big toe in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. According to the team, the injury will keep him sidelined for a week to ten days.

In the same game that Gallinari was injured, Josh Smith left midway through the game with a stiff knee. Smith will be re-evaluated once the team returns to Atlanta.

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by | January 21, 2011 · 9:24 PM

Hawks impersonate Icarus against Hornets

David West and the Hornets pushed the Hawks around all night.

The Atlanta Hawks suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night. Atlanta managed only 25 points in the second half as they were destroyed 100-59.

Only Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford scored in double figures for the Hawks with 13 and 14 points respectively. The next highest scorer was Joe Johnson who had nine. As a team, the Hawks shot 23-79 for a lowly 29.1 percent on field goals.

Combined with the pathetic scoring output, Atlanta was also outworked on the glass as New Orleans out rebounded them 55-32.

Leading the charge for New Orleans was Chris Paul who had 16 points as four Hornets reached double figure scoring. Paul also had eight assists.

The Hornets shot 48 percent for the evening including making eight of their 15 three-point attempts.

Atlanta was without Al Horford who missed the game due to sore right ankle. It was very apparent how important Horford is to the Hawks as they were carved up by the Hornets offense. The loss snaps Atlanta’s two game winning streak.

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by | November 9, 2010 · 12:59 PM

Power Rankings

It's good to be undefeated

It’s only a handful of games into the season but it’s these games that can set the pace for teams.  Some have started the season off well.  Some haven’t.  Some are building what could be formidable playoff teams while others are already snowballing into what will turn them into lottery teams next summer.  However they are starting the season, every team is setting a theme for both the best and the worst.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (7-0)

Being the No. 1 scoring team in the league should be at no surprise for the defending champs.  Point guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are both averaging only four assists per game and they are putting up 22 a game (9th in the league).  They are spreading out the ball and utilizing their depth very appropriately.  We could still question parts of this bench but Blake and Matt Barnes give them a lot more to work with.  As long as Pau Gasol is playing well both defensively and offensively, sky is the limit for the Lakers.

2. New Orleans Hornets (6-0)

The Hornets are only scoring 97 points a game.  This stat comes to no surprise when you look at who can really score in New Orleans but the fact that they are still undefeated really sticks out.  A team built around arguably the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul would be thought to be perfect this far into the season around offense.  Instead, it’s the defense that is propelling this team forward.  While giving up only 91 points a game, the Hornets have held Milwaukee to 81, Miami to 93 and San Antonio to 90.  This is the best start in franchise history for the Hornets but how long can the winning last?

3. Boston Celtics (6-2)

The pieces are coming together nicely in Boston.  Rajon Rondo is averaging 15.5 assists a game and has surely won over the respect of both his teammates and the pundits.  Scoring distribution will keep this team fresh and a good man running point will definitely help.  Five of their six wins are over teams that were in the playoffs last season.  We have yet to see Shaquille O’neal and Kendrick Perkins both active on this roster.

4. Atlanta Hawks (6-2)

It’s balance that is keeping these Hawks afloat and that’s the best thing to build a season on.  Josh Smith is making a case for early MVP consideration and will just get better over the course of the season.  It’s also looking like extending Al Horford’s contract is looking like a good decision.  They are averaging 104 points a game while still collecting 32 defensive boards a game. However, this team needs to recover from its recent two game slide.

5. Miami Heat (5-2)

For those of you that expected the Heat to win 82 games, sorry but that can’t happen now.  In addition, loses to both Boston and New Orleans should be nothing to be embarrassed about right now.  Erik Spoelstra needs to figure out the best rotation of the bench that wont hurt them too much.  Right now, the bench is being outscored and outplayed.  It’s a long season and three players cannot carry a team by themselves.

6. Orlando Magic (5-1)

Orlando should technically be 6-1 but issues at Madison Square Garden caused the Knicks to postpone their inevitable loss to the Magic.  Regardless, their one loss to the Heat is warranted and Rashard Lewis needs to put up more than 2 points for the Magic to win such a statement game.

7. Denver Nuggets (4-3)

Nene, Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin are out with injuries.  They beat the Mavericks in Dallas with Sheldon Williams starting and that speaks volumes about how this team will perform when their big men return.  Their depth will increase tremendously.  If Denver keeps winning, it may translate to a happy Carmelo Anthony and when Melo is happy, everyone is happy.

8. Portland Trail Blazers (5-3)

Holding Phoenix to just 92 points and later Milwaukee to only 76 is what is helping this Trail Blazers team make the point that they are serious about defense.  Marcus Camby can defend well but Nate McMillen will need to figure out how to get some more scoring from his frontcourt.  His starting forwards only scored nine points against the Lakers on Sunday and they aren’t even breaking 100 points per game. It was, however, their fifth game in seven days.

9. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)

Dallas has seven players that will show up every night on the court. Jason Kidd is showing almost no signs of age while the frontcourt is stacked with Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler.  Dallas narrowly beat Denver last Wednesday just to lose to them Saturday.  The Mavs will rebound once Caron Butler and Shawn Marion hit their strides.  However, Dallas needs to clean up its turnovers that are at 16 a game and their bench is ranked second to last in scoring. Although there are no “statement” games in November, beating Boston is the closest you can get to having one.

10. San Antonio Spurs (5-1)

Their record is impressive until you see that they have only beaten one team that made the playoffs last season in Phoenix.  They are fourth in the league in scoring with 109 a game and their next three games are easy wins against the Clippers, Bobcats and the 76ers.  The youth in San Antonio surrounded by a mix of good coaching and veterans will spell out an interesting season.  However, Greg Popavich needs his young guys to get the minutes they need to grow.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

It’s funny that a team with Russell Westbrook is ranked 30th in the league in assists per game but when you look at the depth in OKC, it begins to make sense.  The ball isn’t being spread out enough and sheer depth may haunt the Thunder again this season.  Again, it’s 82 games and it takes more than an sixth man to get through a season and make the playoffs out West.

12. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)

Rudy Gay became the first player in franchise history to score at least 25 points a game in five consecutive games.  However, it’s their defense that needs to step up since they are allowing their opponents to score 107 points a game.  They are undersized and young which is a bad place to be in the Western Conference.  It’s going to a long season with hopefully some growth.

13. Utah Jazz (3-3)

Deron Williams and company are obviously hurting from loosing some of their star players.  With Mehmet Okur out, the Jazz are limited in size and they are obviously having a hard time scoring when they can only muster up 78 points against the Warriors.  It wont get any easier with them playing Miami, Orlando and Atlanta this week.

14. Phoenix Suns (3-4)

Steve Nash entered the season with reservations about the Suns’ chances this season.  Losses to Portland, San Antonio and LA aren’t something to be ashamed of this season.  In all three of their loses, Hedo Turkoglu has scored six points twice and nine points once.  Maybe it’s time to put some production into this starting lineup. Alvin Gentry is going to get to the point where he no longer asks permission to yell at his team.

15. Chicago Bulls (3-3)

Derrick Rose and the Bulls really took it to the Celtics last Friday in a come back that forced overtime.  They fell short in the extra minutes but the play of both Rose and Joakim Noah should keep Bulls fans optimistic.  If Tom Thibodeau and company want to win, Ronnie Brewer needs more minutes and Carlos Boozer needs to return from injury.

16. Golden State Warriors (5-2)

The Warriors have started the season off 4-0 for the first time in 20 years.  Subsequently, three of those four wins are against teams that failed to reach the postseason last year and Utah isn’t the beast it once was.  Monta Ellis has already had two very impressive outings of 46 and 39 points and the return of Stephen Curry will greatly help this backcourt.

17. New York Knicks (3-3)

A win in Chicago could or couldn’t be a big deal this early in the season since we have yet to see them form.  Their other two wins were against Toronto and Washington which both paint a better picture of what this team is truly capable of.  We all know that Mike D’antoni teams can get worn out and that Amar’e Stoudemire’s heightened level of play wont last.

18. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)

Cleveland has the fourth best bench as far as scoring in the league.  That same bench never got LeBron James a ring so we don’t really expect the same to pan out for Antawn Jamison and friends.  Byron Scott is letting them grow but that’s about all we expect from this season.  An initial win over Boston is impressive until you see that they lost to Toronto and Sacramento the following days.

19. Sacramento Kings (3-3)

The Kings are scoring but still allowing their opponents to rack up 107 points a game.  DeMarcus Cousins has yet to record a 10-rebound game and Tyreke Evans is still trying to do too much on the court.  Good news is that their both young and when they click, it could mean a lot to wherever the Kings end up playing next.

20. Milwaukee Bucks (2-5)

Scott Skiles is having a hard time getting the Bucks rolling into this season.  They are 30th in the league in scoring at only 89 a game and it’s mainly due to their depth.  Drew Gooden is giving them some more power up front but with just Corey Maggette producing off of the bench, it may be a long road for the Bucks.

21. Houston Rockets (1-5)

All five of Houston’s losses came from very formidable teams this season (Lakers, Warriors, Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets).  Aaron Brooks will be missed and Kyle Lowry will not be able to carry the load by himself.  Luis Scola and Kevin Martin are working out well with all the injuries but Rick Adelman needs a healthy roster in order to compete.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (2-5)

Philly started the season off with losses against Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Washington.  If you are surprised, close this window immediately.  Evan Turner’s scoring has been up and down but what can you expect from a rookie surrounded by a bunch of trash?  Surprisingly, their bench is ranked first in scoring.

23. Indiana Pacers (2-3)

At first, it’s looks like Darren Collison may be a little in over his head at running Indiana’s point.  Then again, look at who this young man is passing to.  He filled in when Westbrook went down at UCLA and stepped up last season when Paul went down in New Orleans.  However, the talent is pretty thin in Indiana.  Danny Granger seems to be approaching a nice stride but there isn’t much other good news coming out of Indiana.

24. Detroit Pistons (2-5)

The Pistons are bottom feeders in almost every statistical category. This does not bode well for a team that is striving to achieve mediocrity. However, they have won their last two contests. Pistons fans should take any small achievement as good news because there will not be much this season.

25. Los Angeles Clippers (1-6)

At least one team in L.A. has a tough start to their schedule. The Clippers have faced the likes of Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Utah in their first seven games with their only win coming against the struggling Thunder. It must be hard to be the bastard child of the Staples center and see the Lakers with a sugarplum and lolly pop schedule until late January.

26. New Jersey Nets (2-4)

Right now the Nets are on a better winning pace than last year. That is the upside. It doesn’t look like Avery Johnson is ever going to let third overall draft pick, Derrick Favors, into the starting lineup anytime soon now that Troy Murphy is back. In their most recent loss, the Nets did their best Washington Generals impersonation to the Heat’s Globetrotter act.

27. Washington Wizards (1-4)

John Wall and Gilbert Arena will be reunited again. That’s good.  Their one win however, well, that’s not so good. December is going to be a rough month for the Wiz so now is their best opportunity to get some wins under their belt. Hopefully, the Republicans won’t try to filibuster their next win.

28. Charlotte Bobcats (1-6)

They were in the playoffs last season and had the number one rated team defense in the league. Now, they have a defensive rating ranked 20th. Not good. Maybe His Airness can breathe some life into this franchise. Something needs to happen, and quick, if they want another playoff birth.

29. Toronto Raptors (1-6)

The Raptors are bad. We knew they would be. They were bad last year even with Chris Bosh on their roster so what are the expectaions of them now that he is gone? Right, there are none. One thing that Raptors fans can take delight in is that the so-called Young Gunz on the team will put on a decent show every night. Jose Calderon needs to be back in the starting lineup otherwise the team’s assists will continue to be dreadful.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6)

We wrote an open letter to David Kahn. This is something we normally wouldn’t do. However, the T-Wolves are terrible. Kurt Rambis coaches like a chicken with his head cut off and has no sense that Kevin Love is their best player. They are ranked last in most every statistical category. They only thing that Minnesota fans have to look forward to is the high draft pick that the team will get next summer…which Kahn will promptly waste on yet another point guard. KAAAAHHN!

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by | October 24, 2010 · 11:36 PM

The Kobe Beef indulges a Fantasy

Our fantasy does not exist on an island

Soon everything will be right with the world again. The NBA resumes on Tuesday night. Once again we will be treated to the poor calls of referees especially on the quick on the draw technical fouls, the media will continue to sweat everything Miami, Los Angeles (not the Clippers), Boston, and Oklahoma City, and the league and the players union will grow ever closer to an impasse and eventual lockout. Yes, the world will be right. What this time of year also means is that fantasy basketball is here too. Our draft was Sunday night. Here at the Beef it will be our third nonconsecutive year that we have played together. There are eight other teams in our league. We figured that we would share our opening day rosters with you.

First, the roster spots:

Rosters consist of 15 available slots with only 12 players being able to be played on a given night. The positions are point guard, shooting guard, guard, small forward, power forward, forward, two centers, and four utility players.

Statistics are as follows:

Field Goals Attempted (FGA) -.25; Field Goals Made (FGM) 2.25; Free Throws Attempted (FTA) -.25; Free Throws Made (FTM) 1.25; 3-point Shots Attempted (3PTA) -1; 3-point Shots Made (3PTM) 4; Points Scored (PTS) .25; Offensive Rebounds (OREB) 2; Defensive Rebounds (DREB) 1.25; Assists (AST) 2; Steals (ST) 1.75; Blocked Shots (BLK) 2; Turnovers (TO) -2

Now without further adieu, our rosters:

TruWariers 5.0 (this will be the fifth season of the TruWariers; one championship, two third place finishes)

Dipset (this will be the third season of Dipset; two second place finishes)

We’ll keep you updated (albeit infrequently) on how our teams do this season. If you have a team, good luck to you as well.

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by | October 8, 2010 · 2:57 PM

Beefy Power Rankings

The preseason is underway and it’s time to rank these teams accordingly.  There are some obvious picks in the mix but there will be some surprises this season.  It’s our power rankings.

1. The Miami Heat

This is a no brainer.  Imagine the Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen signings happening 10 years before they did.  A mixture of three All-Stars built behind Pat Riley’s ego doesn’t spell CHAMPIONSHIP.  It spells DYNASTY.

2.  The Los Angeles Lakers

The defending champions will have the ability to compete for another title as long as Kobe Byrant Stays healthy.  The acquisition of Matt Barnes gives this defense a lot more bite and they finally have a backup point guard in Steve Blake.

3.  The Dallas Mavericks

They may be a little too high on this for some people but we need to consider how they faired after last season’s trade with Washington.  They have had an entire offseason to mold together as a team and their best pickup of free agency, Tyson Chandler, is coming off a gold performance with team USA.

4.  The Orlando Magic

Even though Stan Van Gundy can no longer sport those turtlenecks, the Magic will contend.  Yes, they lost a good defender in Barnes but their contract with Vince Carter expires at the end of the season and he could be very valuable trade bait.  If they could compete last year, they should compete yet again this season.

5.  The Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are both coming off of a great summer with team USA.  Their leadership has grown exponentially and we expect it to show on the court.  There will be thunder in Oklahoma City.

6.  The Boston Celtics

Age has always been this team’s Achilles heal and the Shaquille O’Neal signing didn’t make them any younger.  Rajon Rondo proved that he is one of the best point guards in the league last season.  Jermaine O’Neal will give some more depth to the frontcourt but Ray Allen and Paul Pierce need to prove their worth yet again.

7.  The Chicago Bulls

The Bulls had probably one of the most impressive offseasons outside of Miami.  Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Brewer alone will improve the depth on this fairly young squad.  Tom Thibodeaou’s defensive mindset will work well in Chicago and Derrick Rose is proving to be a top player in the league.

8.  The Phoenix Suns

Last season’s Western Conference Playoffs were a definite surprise for everyone.  After losing Amar’e Stoudemire, don’t expect the Suns to stumble.  Hakim Warrick will score less but accomplish a lot more under the basket with his ability to actually play defense and hustle.  Goran Dragic knows what he is capable of as well as Robin Lopez.  Don’t expect anything from Hedo Turkoglu since we really don’t know what we’re going to get.

9.  The Utah Jazz

Yes, Loosing Boozer will affect the Jazz but Al Jefferson will spark that frontcourt.  Deron Williams is getting better and better and has stated that he will turn Jefferson into a better player than he already is.  We don’t expect a veteran coach like Jerry Sloan to trip up over loosing a few key players.

10.  The Atlanta Hawks

Head coach Larry Drew is expected to ease off of the isolation offense that implemented Joe Johnson so ineffectively last postseason for the Hawks.  Expect more balance on this team now that they don’t have to worry about a deal with Josh Smith.  Al Hortford is turning out to be a pretty decent basketball player and hopefully Jamal Crawford will play with the same intensity as last season despite contract issues.

11.  The Denver Nuggets

The only thing keeping Denver at 10 is the situation with Carmelo Anthony.  Contract issues can be very distracting.  However, Kenyon Martin should rebound from last season’s injury and the backcourt is stacked with Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson.  George Karl’s presence alone should revamp this team.

12.  The Milwaukee Bucks

Buck fever hit the nation last season with utter surprise.  Hopefully they can maintain the same level of competition this year.  Andrew Bogut finally has some help in the frontcourt with Drew Gooden and Corey Maggette will offer some veteran leadership on the squad.

13.  The Portland Trailblazers

Health is the main issue for the Blazers this season as both Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla are both coming off of serious injuries.  Luckily, Marcus Camby signed a two-year extension with Portland in April and will be able to hold down the frontcourt until both return.  They must get a full season out of Brandon Roy as well if they want to compete next summer.

14.  The San Antonio Spurs

Age will slowly kill this dying dynasty but until then, plan on one more run by the Spurs.  It’s time for Popavich to put in the young fellas and let DeJaun Blair and George Hill do their thing.  It’s their only hope with such a geriatric squad and an 82-game season.

15.  The Memphis Grizzlies

It may be time for this young Griz team to make the playoffs in the post-Gasol era.  Rudy Gay has shown that this is his team and his time with team USA will hopefully payoff.  It’s a solid core and with Zach Randolph in the mix, anything can happen.  They have several options on who to start at point guard but they really need to figure it out fast since that will determine if they are ready for the playoffs.

16.  The Charlotte Bobcats

They really took a step backwards by losing both Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton.  Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace are the best players on the team but they need to stay healthy (Wallace is injured all the time).  D.J. Augustin says he is ready to be this team’s point guard while it’s Tyrus Thomas’s first full season in Charlotte.

17.  The Sacramento Kings

It’s weird putting them up this high (yes, 17 would be high for some of the more recent Kings’ teams) but it all depends on the development of these young kings.  Tyreke Evans has shown that this is his show and hopefully he wont hit a sophomore slump.  Demarcus Cousins has the potential to be a great basketball player if he keeps his head on straight.  Samual Dalembert will hopefully aid in his growth as an NBA big guy.

18.  The Houston Rockets

By limiting Yao Ming’s minutes and Brad Miller already showing signs that his career is dwindling, Houston has a big problem at the center position.  Yes, they may make the playoffs but it depends on a lot of things.  Kevin Martin has already shown that he has trouble adjusting to new offenses and new players from his time in Sacramento (even he has injury problems).  He needs to kick the old habits and start scoring if the Rockets want a chance.

19.  The Indiana Pacers

It all revolves around the point guard position this season for the Pacers.  Darren Collison is good but he really needs to prove his worth.  He is going from a very deep backcourt in New Orleans to a very shallow one in Indiana.  Danny Granger needs to play with the same intensity and injuries need to be kept to a minimum.  If all this works out, the Pacers may be seeing the postseason for the first time in years.

20.  The New Orleans Hornets

An unhappy super star on the squad never helps a team.  This is exactly what is going down in the Big Easy and signing Trevor Ariza will not be a catalyst in making Chris Paul stay.  It is Monty Williams first full season in New Orleans but we have seen that this team’s problems run deep.

21.  The Washington Wizards

Over the past few seasons, we have seen that it takes a lot more than a first round pick to turn a team around.  John Wall is good but something is stirring up in Washington.  Gilbert Arenas has said that it is no longer his team and is eying an exit.  Good luck Gil.  Washington signed you to a maximum six-year contract in 2008.  You aren’t going anywhere.

22.  The Golden State Warriors

The Nelson era is over but we have yet to see if his style of ball with depart as well.  Keith Smart is going to have to implement some defense but that may be hard with a crew that is so used to running and gunning.  We will see some upsets and good games from these young guys but it’s going to take a little more than David Lee to turn it around for the Warriors.

23.  The Minnesota Timberwolves

Kevin Love is coming off of a productive summer and Corey Brewer improved a lot last season.  Michael Beasley has said that he wants to turn his life around and get serious about the game and what better place than the frozen tundra (sarcasm).  Drafting both Wesley Johnson and Lazar Haywood were steps in the right direction but it isn’t the Wolves time… yet.

24.  The Cleveland Cavaliers

Don’t feel sorry for them.  They did this to themselves.  LeBron James had no incentive to stay and management did very little to make him feel welcome by not including him in the coaching decision.  Byron Scott has a lot of work on his hands.  Antawn Jamison will be leading this team now and that wont be enough.  The only glimmer of hope for the Cavs is J.J. Hickson who showed a lot of potential last season.

25.  The New York Knicks

Amar’e Stoudemire and Eddy Curry spell out maybe one of the laziest frontcourts in the NBA.  They will win more games but Mike D’antoni has his work cut out for him.  We have already seen that he has a tendency for pissing his players off with his limited rotations.  Let’s see how that rotation works with a bunch of out-of-shape washouts.

26.  The New Jersey Nets

We have seen what Avery Johnson can do with a team that is already built (The Dallas Mavericks in 2005) but we have yet to see what he does with rebuilding.  He does an excellent job of implementing defensive schemes and the players in New Jersey will prove to be good students.  They finally have some depth with Anthony Morrow, Troy Murphy and Travis Outlaw but a reunion of Devin Harris and the little general could prove disastrous.

27.  The Philadelphia 76ers

It will take more than Evan Turner to turn this team around.  Andre Iguodala has proven that he isn’t a primary scoring threat and Allen Iverson and Andre Miller attributed to his early career success.  There isn’t much else in Philly to take the attention away from him.  Don’t expect much.

28.  The Los Angeles Clippers

Baron Davis showed up for the season out of shape.  Eric Gordon played well in the FIBA Championship but has shown that he is injury prone.  Blake Griffin is showing signs of promise but do we really expect a rookie to turn it around for the other team that plays at Staples Center?

29.  The Detroit Pistons

They are being sold.  That’s about all that they got going for them.

30.  The Toronto Raptors

They will be athletic with Leandro Barbosa, Julian Wright and the growth of DeMar DeRozan but Toronto will suck.  General manager Bryan Colangelo has shown that the Raptors are not done dealing but there really isn’t much for them to offer or even acquire that can turn this franchise around.

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by | September 17, 2010 · 12:49 PM

Erick Dampier: the Most Wanted Man in the NBA?

All this attention took Dampier by surprise too

What a strange world we live in. Maybe this is the ‘Bizarro NBA’ finally taking its grasp on reality with Commissioner Tim Donaghy handling the most profitable and fair league in history. What, you do not believe me? Then you try and explain all the recent interest in signing Erick Dampier. Yes, you heard right. Teams (multiple) are legitimately interested in bringing Dampier into their locker rooms next season. This is the same Dampier that was lambasted over the past six years for inconsistent play, dismal production, being lazy, and overpaid. Those are just a few of the complaints leveled against him during his time with the Dallas Mavericks. Nonetheless, teams are knocking on his door. Bizarre indeed.

As of right now, Dampier is hammering out his finalized list of suitors that he plans to meet with in the near future. The major players in the Dampier sweepstakes so far are the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and the Atlanta Hawks (almost typed Falcons, wrong bird/sport). Utah had also been a rumored pursuer of all things Erick, with Mehmet Okur missing the majority of the season with a tentative return scheduled for December or January, but the signing of Francisco Elson will likely end the Jazz’s interest.

Miami being on the short list should surprise no one. They have scoured the league in their hunt to surround the Miami Thrice with mediocre and subpar talent. Why would Dampier not fall into this category? The last time Dampier did anything significant in South Beach he out played Shaquille O’Neal only to see the league and its officiating goons strip a title away from the Mavericks. #NeverForget (Yes, that last sentence deserves a Twitter hash tag. We are still bitter.) It seems like everybody wants to be a part of the Heat bandwagon as they have been prematurely crowned unbeatable. Rings for everyone! Just remember that the Titanic was unsinkable.

Many feel that Atlanta is a dark horse in the Dampier sweepstakes. It is well known that they would like to move Al Horford to power forward and Josh Smith to small forward more often this coming season. That would allow them to play their natural positions. However, the Hawks up-tempo style does not bode well for Dampier’s lumbering body. It is only by sheer luck that he ever finds himself on the fastbreak. Usually it is because he is still around halfcourt trying to get back on defense when a transition opportunity occurs. Atlanta must also deal with issues of cap room after signing Joe Johnson to a max contract this summer.

The most interesting prospect of the three teams at the forefront are the Houston Rockets. As we reported yesterday, the Rockets are limiting Yao Ming to 24 minutes a game no matter what. What Houston wants is for Dampier to step into the role as Yao’s backup and have Brad Miller, who they signed this summer, be the third string center. A frontcourt pairing with Luis Scola would also make for an interesting duo. Other than the possible Atlanta scenario, Dampier could see the most minutes in Houston. He could see 15-20 plus minutes a game. Plus he would get to play against in-state rivals and former team, the Dallas Mavericks. That alone could be incentive enough. However, are they on the same level as Miami is when it comes to title contention?

Other teams are likely to throw their hats and money into the ring so as of now nothing can be a certainty. What is certain is that this is the same Erick Dampier who averaged 7.6 rebounds, 6.6 points in 424 of a possible 492 games over the past six years. He is now 35 years old and only played in 55 games last season has he found himself battling lingering injuries.

The off season will begin even odder that it began for Dampier. He was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats by the Dallas Mavericks this summer, in what equates to a salary dump of his unguaranteed $13 million contract next season, in return for Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca. Charlotte mulled around the option of trading him for a while before releasing him. Now, he finds himself one of the hottest free agent commodities on the market. Where once Dampier’s field was barren, he finds it is now fallow. Oh how free agency is truly bizarre. A new fan base will soon be giving “Daps of Damp” on the off occasion he does something right on the court. (We averaged 1.2 “Daps for Damp” per game over the last six years.) Enjoy the attention while you can, Dampier, it will not last for long.

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by | May 1, 2010 · 2:29 PM

East and West Semifinals Predictions

Can the Lakers hold off another potent point guard?

Today marks the first day that the second round begins in earnest. All but one series has been locked in entirely and will be decided tomorrow afternoon. In the Least three of the four opening round series were wrapped up within five games. Boring, right? Last night the Hawks were able to hold off a late push by the Bucks in the Bradley Center to extend the series to a game seven. At least this series has made the East first round watchable. Out in the Wild West there have been two “upsets” (seriously, the West is so stacked that nothing can legitimately be called an upset), and one big sigh of relief from a paper tiger. It has been wild indeed. So, with the first second round series tipping off at 7 pm (CDT) now is as good a time as ever to give you the Kobe Beef’s second round NBA playoff predictions.

Eastern Conference

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 4. Boston Celtics

Cleveland handily took to task the undersized Bulls in the first round in a quick five game series in which we found out that Joakim Noah does not think that Cleveland rocks. Noah and Derrick Rose played brilliantly for the outmatched Bulls but their efforts were not enough. Shaquille O’Neal returned to action for the first round series and quickly reestablished himself as the inside force that he is known to be. In fact, he came back in better shape than when he went out with a thumb injury. It showed early on that the “Big Witness Protection” was channeling the Shaq of years past with the way he dominated the paint.

The Cavaliers have another player on their team that performed well in the first round. You may have heard of him. LeBron James is on a mission. It would take a force of nature bigger than the Haiti earthquake, volcanic eruption in Iceland, Hurricane Katrina, and the great tsunami combined to slow him down. (Please note that I mean only to refer to the scope of sheer awesome natural power that is behind these events and do not in any way intend to make light of the situations of people affected by these natural disasters.) LeBron had himself a little business trip in the first round, looks like he sealed the deal.

Boston used its entire arsenal to douse the Miami Heat. Their frontcourt completely outplayed their counterparts in black jerseys. Miami was hot coming into the playoffs but reverted back to their old selves once the series began. It seemed as though the four other players who were on the floor with Dwyane Wade were just there for the show. Wade certainly put on a show. Boston could not stop him; they did not need to though. They shut down every other player that Miami had. The Celtic’s defense looked like it was the caliber of their recent championship team. Defenses have a tendency to look good when playing against a sputtering offense.

So, these two bitter Eastern Conference rivals meet again in the playoffs. How do they match up?  Both teams’ frontcourts are deep. (How deep? Deeper than Sage Francis.) Boston has four players that they can rotate in and out of the four and five spots while the Cavs have five. As of right now, however, the edge must go to Cleveland. Kevin Garnett will more than likely neutralize any of the fours he guards and this is especially true of Antawn Jamison. However, Shaq’s presence in the middle and the tenacity and hustle wrapped up beneath floppy curls that are Anderson Varejao give Cleveland the advantage.

In the backcourt is where Boston has the advantage. Rajon Rondo will not be slowed down by any of the Cavaliers’ guards. He is likely to penetrate and dish at will. Finishing at the rim may be a problem for him in this series, however. Whoever the Cavaliers play at the two guard will need to stick to Jesus Shuttlesworth like glue. He does not move or rotate with the ability that he once could but he is deadly on curls off screens and you had better not think about leaving him standing outside the arc unless you like NBA Jam commentary playing in your head. Tony Allen will also play a factor in this series; if Mo Williams starts to heat up expect Doc Rivers to send in Allen to be the cooler.

What this series will ultimately come down to is a matchup between two men. (I am six months older than one of these men.) Paul Pierce and LeBron James will draw the assignments of guarding one another. In the past, Pierce has been a serviceable LeBron stopper. Well, “stopper” might not be the appropriate term, more like Pierce is able to slow LeBron for a moment at times. The fates of both these teams rest in the abilities of these two players. It will come down to who wants it more. Pierce and the Celtics have what James wants, they are in his way. LeBron is hungry but the Celtics will not go quietly into the night. Oh, and do not for one second believe that this phantom elbow injury that James sustained will slow him down.

The Cavaliers will win in seven games.

2. Orlando Magic vs. 3. Atlanta Hawks/6. Milwaukee Bucks

Orlando’s opponent will be known after the Hawks and Bucks meet Sunday afternoon for a game seven. A seven game series only gives the Magic more time to rest. As has been seen in the past, this could either be a good thing or a bad thing as the players might get stiff or out of rhythm. However, Orlando is by no means a seasoned or old team so the effects of down time should not be too adverse.

Since the series between the Hawks and Bucks has yet to be decided the focus here will be on the Orlando Magic. Hey, do you remember Jameer Nelson? I bet you do now. Nelson exploded during the series sweep of the Bobcats. Poor Raymond Felton had no chance of containing Nelson. He dropped 32, 13, 32, and 18 respectively in games one through four. If Mark Jackson was writing this piece he would surely follow those numbers up with the over used phrase, “Mama, there goes that man.” Nelson had seemed to disappear, this season, in Orlando’s offensive scheme but he has come storming back with vengeance. He paced the team in scoring in the first round and is surely looking forward to continuing his production in the second round.

Defensive stopper and defensive liability, Dwight Howard will continue to be plagued by foul trouble no matter the opponent the Magic face in the second round. (He brings the fouls on himself, it is not a vast referee conspiracy against him he just does not have good defensive positioning. He never has. If you want likely true referee conspiracies talk to a Mavericks fan about Dan Crawford.) The leagues wallet will likely become fatter because Howard will get slapped with at least one more $35,000 fine for criticizing the officials either publicly or on his blog. Emperor Stern does not like when people say mean things about his refs. The biggest challenge to Howard would be if the Hawks were to win their series. Al Horford, Josh Smith, and at times Zaza Pachulia battling Howard for boards is likely to get him into foul trouble early and often.

The Magic will continue to live and die by the three-pointer. It’s Stan Van Gundy’s way. If they keep connecting from downtown and their team defense remains as stifling as it has been there will be little threat to their aspirations of moving on in the playoffs. Expect a high scoring affair in the second round for the Magic as the Bobcats were ranked number one or two in virtually every defensive category.

Whoever their opponent ends up being, the Orlando Magic will win in six games.

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 5. Utah Jazz

Whew! If you are a Lakers fan you sure are glad to finally be rid of those pesky kids from Oklahoma City aren’t you? You bet. Any notions of the invincibility of the Lakers should be gone by now too. Who said they would sweep the Thunder? Not us here at the Beef. OK, Lakers fans, take a deep breath, exhale. Feel better? Well, you shouldn’t.

The Lakers have advanced to the second round of the playoffs after witnessing the birth of a future power house. (I wonder if they played Tribe’s “Jazz (We’ve Got)” when Utah knocked out Denver.) Los Angeles survived but was certainly given the shock of its life. Good news for the Lakers is that they will not have to see the likes of Russell Westbrook until next season. Kobe Bryant is happy he does not have to guard him anymore having told both Kevin Durant and Westbrook after the game, “You all are two bad motherfuckers and I’m glad to be done with you.” In all reality it is hard to guard a player when you are two to four steps behind them. Do not look now, Kobe, but just as you get done with Westbrook, who torched the Lakers all series, you get to play against Deron Williams.

This post season is turning into the domain of the point guard. Williams just may be the best point guard of the bunch in the playoffs. In game one against Denver he scored 26 point and dished 11 dimes, game two: 33 points 14 assists, game three: 24 points 10 assists, game four: 24 points 13 assists, game five: 34 points 10 assists, game six: 14 points 10 assists. What that translates to is that Williams averaged 25.8 points and 11.3 assists per game. The kid from The Colony is doin’ it, and doin’ it, and doin’ it well. If Derek Fisher could not keep up with Westbrook well then he…well, the English language has no word to describe what Fisher is about to experience. Basically it will appear as if Fisher is a ghost, invisible and with no mass. A vaporous apparition if you will. Williams will start his drive and all you will see is an odd hazy purple and yellow cloud where a defender once stood. Kobe will have to try and stop Williams, if Deron can be stopped.

Another area of concern for the Lakers will be the play of the frontcourt. Unlike the Thunder, the Jazz have size and strength in the post. Oh, but Pau Gasol and Carlos Boozer will cancel each other out, right? In what universe have you been watching basketball? Boozer is a superior defender and has a larger offensive repertoire than Gasol. One on one in the post Boozer will win the majority of the time. If the Jazz are on offense and Boozer gets the ball with Gasol guarding him Boozer will score or go to the line. Gasol is in for a long series, his defense or lack thereof is in for a serious test. The Lakers frontcourt depth is in for a rude awakening. Coming off the bench for the Jazz is one Paul Milsap. Pitted against the Lakers’ second unit, Milsap will dominate the game. Denver’s bigs off the bench could not contain him and Denver has quality players coming off the bench. The Lakers have Lamar Odom and that is it. Expect Andrew Bynum to be a non factor outside of the first quarter in each game.

Los Angeles does have one thing going for them: Kobe Bryant. Since the Jazz shipped off Ronnie Brewer in a money saving move at the trade deadline they have had no real perimeter defender. The absence of Brewer will be felt by the Jazz in this series. Rookie Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles will likely draw the duty of defending Kobe. (Having not seen the Jazz play much recently I cannot make a projection as to which is a better defender.) Kobe is likely to transform into Kobama for the Lakers again as this will be another tough, and much more physical matchup. Is Kobama mad that Gasol won game six in Oklahoma City? Probably not, a bailout is a bailout.

This series will be a rematch between old rivals. Jerry Sloan has coached the Jazz since before time itself existed it seems and once more he will face a team coached by Phil Jackson. Their most epic show downs came in the late 1990s when Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls. They met in the finals for two consecutive years with Jackson coming out on top each time. Having Michael Jordan on his team certainly helped the Zen Master achieve victory. Now he has Kobe and the odds are still in his favor. The Jazz will not be able to escape their injury issues forever. The series will be close and at times ugly. More than one on court altercation with fines following it should be expected.

Battered and bruised, the Los Angeles Lakers will win the series in six games.

3. Phoenix Suns vs. 7. San Antonio Spurs

The Portland Trailblazers showed the greatest mettle and character of any team in the playoffs so far. Brandon Roy channeled the emotion and resolve of Willis Reed as he returned from surgery just eight days after it was performed. Alas, it was not enough as the Suns were able to bounce the Blazers from the playoffs in six games. To the surprise of many the injury to Robin Lopez has not tremendously hurt the Suns as Amare Stoudemire continues to be a force to be reckoned with. Alvin Gentry is even doing his best Mike D’Antoni impression as the seven seconds or less mantra is still very much alive and well in the valley of the sun.

San Antonio has time to rest the old legs of Tim Duncan as the series with Phoenix does not start until Monday. (If you wonder how and why the Mavericks lost read Team Hate and The Nelly Curse.) The Spurs defense looks better than it has in some time. It must have been Greg Popovich’s plan to play every team that downright hates the Spurs in the playoffs; first the Mavericks, now the Suns, and then possibly (if we go by our own prediction) the Lakers. This band of dogs must be masochistic. Generally the smart route is to get the easiest path to the top. I guess dogs are not smart.

Phoenix likes to run, San Antonio likes to walk. Let the battle for game pace begin. The Suns will have their way in at least two games of the series as no matter what is happening on the court they will simply not stop running. However, it would be wise to think that the Spurs will put backcourt pressure on Steve Nash, like they did to Jason Kidd, in an effort to force the ball out of his hands and thereby slow the pace of the game. Dallas never adjusted for it and they lost, Phoenix must adjust for it if they hope to even be in this series. San Antonio will also try and shut down all the three point shooters on Phoenix and chase them off the arc. Their attention to defending against the three will free up Amare to run wild in the middle. The Spurs have to suitable defender to stop him but they do have a lot of bodies to throw at him. Amare should have a monster series, which is what Popovich wants as long as everyone else on the Suns contributes little to nothing. Do not expect to see Duncan defending Amare one on one much; foul trouble does not suit Timmy well.

The biggest problem for Phoenix is the fact that they still do not play defense consistently. Sure they are better at it now, but it is still not in their nature. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and George Hill will eat the Suns backcourt alive. Each will undoubtedly end up on the floor after each drive because they think that basketball is soccer and dives make sense. Hill is less prone to do this as he is not foreign but is picking up on the bad habit. (Note to all foreign players: Offensive flopping is just as embarrassing as defensive flopping. Please stop. You are only giving Americans more reasons to feel superior to whatever country you are from.) Good thing for the Suns that Robert Horry is not around to cross check anyone this time.

San Antonio is on a roll. The Spurs will win in six games.

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by | April 29, 2010 · 1:29 PM

Fear the Deer

Surprise!

Everybody knew it was over before it began. There was simply no hope of advancing especially when pitted against such a seasoned and well rounded group with contender aspirations. They had been here before and gone toe to toe with the elite. This year they even added a new threat to bolster an already potent roster. In the Eastern Conference, where three of the series have already concluded, one continues on, to the surprise of many. This series is like the Land of the Lost in the East as somehow it has fallen into a dimensional portal where legitimate competition still exists. (Imagine, if you will, a giant hawk and deer chasing sports writers through a prehistoric land while constantly battling each other.) Unlike the other series’ where the losing team won a total of two combined games, the series pitting two animalistic forces against one another has yet to be decided. What everybody was so certain of before the series began has only proven to show how little anyone actually knew.

When Andrew Bogut went down towards the end of the regular season the Milwaukee Bucks lost their best defensive player. At the time they were poised to face the Boston Celtics in the first round in what many considered to be a rather favorable draw considering how poorly the Celtics were playing at that time. (Boston clearly drank its prune juice just before the playoffs began as they look like a completely different team after making quick work of the Miami Heat.) Instead the Bucks dropped a seed and were paired with Atlanta to open the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The writing was on the wall. Atlanta is making their third consecutive playoff appearance and is looking to improve on last season’s playoff run where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern semifinals. It was assumed that they would be the aggressor wanting to capitalize on the opportunity to solidify themselves as an elite team in the East. Milwaukee, on the other hand, had not even reached the postseason since 2006 and has not won a playoff series since losing in the Eastern Conference finals in 2001.

After the first two games the Hawks looked to have a commanding stranglehold on the series. In the first two games the Hawks won by ten points each time. Paced by their regular season scoring leaders, Joe Johnson and Sixth Man of the Year, Jamal Crawford, Atlanta seemed to be firing on all cylinders. Johnson scored a total of 49 points in the two wins while Crawford scored 17 in the first game but had a low scoring game two. However, when Crawford went cold the slack was quickly picked up by others. Al Horford and the human highlight reel that is Josh Smith more than made up for Crawford’s off game with superb performances of their own. Smith totaled 21 points, cleaned the glass for 14 rebounds, and dished out nine dimes while Horford had 20 points and ten rebounds. With Bogut out these two were more than eager to dominate all aspects of the painted area on both sides of the floor. Who could stop them? Yet, not all is what it seems in the two games that Atlanta was able to notch in their belt.

During the first encounter between the teams the Hawks were able to build a 20 point lead in the first quarter and were able to sustain that lead which grew to 22 point at halftime. One half, just one half of basketball is how much the Hawks actually played in that game. It was enough in the end but was telling of what the future had in store. All season long the Atlanta Hawks have had trouble closing out games and if it were not for such a big lead they might have very well found themselves on the wrong side of the win/loss column. Game two was a much more even affair with Milwaukee hanging around much to the chagrin of the Hawks.  The third quarter was when Atlanta finally was able to pull away outscoring the Bucks 24-16. One good quarter of play, that is all it took but this is a team that was supposed to dismantle Milwaukee with their star player out for the playoffs. Nonetheless the Hawks won the first two games on their home court but in the wins another story was lurking just below the surface.

Brandon Jennings, who will likely come in second or third in the ROY voting today after Tyreke Evans is announced the winner, carried the Bucks in game one. In fact, he essentially was the Bucks in the first game. Atlanta had no answer for him. He scored 34 points and connecting on four of six shots from behind the arc. Over all he was 14-25 shooting for the game. These numbers could have been higher for Jennings, however, as he had five of his shots blocked. It would be wise to note again that the Bucks only lost by ten points. In the second game the Hawks gave Joe Johnson the task of guarding Jennings for much of the game. This had the desired result for Atlanta as it slowed down Jennings but the side effect to slowing the production of Jennings was that it awoke the powers of Sampson that John Salmons stores in his beard.

Since being acquired from the Bulls (who looked as though they still needed his scoring might in their series with the Cavs) Salmons has been a major factor on both sides of the ball for the Bucks contributing heavily to their success. He shouldered Milwaukee’s scoring attack for the second and third games of the series scoring 21 and 22 points respectively. It would take more than the effort than one player to get the Bucks back into the series however, and they would get it once they returned to the Bradley Center. Milwaukee pounced on the Hawks quickly in game three scoring 39 points in the first quarter on route to an eighteen point rout of the Hawks. Their attack was finally balanced, despite Brandon Jennings sitting out after a fall, with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Luke Ridnour, Ersan Ilyasova, and Jerry Stackhouse all scoring in double figures to go along with Jennings’ 13 points and Salmons’ scoring output. Jerry Stackhouse has had a sort of resurgence during this series as he has been one of Milwaukee’s best bench players.  A series was beginning to take shape.

In game four it was more of the same for the Bucks in terms of scoring distribution as it was spread among several players again. Carlos Delfino was key for Milwaukee scoring 22 points with 18 of those points coming from downtown. Jennings returned to form scoring 23 points and Salmons contributed 22 as the Bucks won 111-104. The Bradley Center completely rejuvenated the Bucks and they are playing like the team that made the successful run after the All Star break to solidify a playoff spot. In the absence of Andrew Bogut, Kurt Thomas and Dan Gadzuric have performed stoutly in the middle. So each team has won on their home floor. This is the point of home court advantage and the series was now tied at two games apiece. Atlanta’s early swagger had all but vanished since their early success, not only could not finish games strong, they were not even in a position to win the games late as Milwaukee paraded to the foul line late in game four allowing them to hold off a push by the Hawks.

Last night in Atlanta the Hawks looked to regain their lost confidence as they took the court at Philips Arena where they had won fourteen straight games. The Hawks scored consistently in the first three quarters totaling 23 points in each and went into the fourth quarter with a 69-61 lead. With 4:10 left in the game the Hawks led 82-73 and appeared in control in front of their home crowd. However, the Bucks went on an 18-5 run to close the game and give them a 91-87 win stamping out the high flying Hawks and their aspirations of victory. With the win, Milwaukee now holds a three games to two series lead. Again, the Bucks’ usual suspects paced the team. Jennings scored 25 points and Salmons pitched in 19 in the win.

Atlanta has no answer for Milwaukee’s two main scoring threats and has blown each opportunity they have had to regain some semblance of their former selves. Joe Johnson has been the only constant for the Hawks as his teammates have not played consistently each game. Jamal Crawford, Al Horford, and Josh Smith have all been crucial at times but their efforts are not coming when the Hawks need it most. Unless they can solve the problem that Jennings and Salmons have created defensively Atlanta can only hope to survive their next game in the Bradley Center. Major adjustments must be made for force a game seven. The once lauded Hawks are in trouble, can they stop the Bucks’ stampede? Atlanta’s missteps have, however, given the otherwise uneventful Eastern Conference first round a series worth watching. No one doubted that this was their series to win.

What everyone knew turned out be nothing at all. Without Bogut each player for Milwaukee has elevated their play to get the Bucks into the position they are in. Instead of succumbing to Atlanta’s buckshot, they have clipped the wings of the Hawks. Playing in front of their hometown fans, with chants of “fear the deer” reigning down, will give the Bucks extra motivation to win game six and advance to meet the rested Magic in the semifinals. Atlanta’s singular task is to force a game seven but if their two previous games in the Bradley Center are any indication of their performance the outlook is dim. It would not be ludicrous to assume that the Hawks could be the outcast when the Orlando Magic resume play for the second round.

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by | April 16, 2010 · 3:45 PM

Eastern Conference Round One Predictions

Start your engines

They did it. In the East, every team in the playoffs has at least a .500 record. You cannot say that often. Good for them. However, simply having all eight teams at .500 or better does not make the conference as strong as its counterpart where all eight teams have at least 50 wins. Nonetheless, a team from the East has just as much of a chance at winning the NBA Championship as one from the West. Everybody is equal for now, on Saturday this will change.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8. Chicago Bulls

I wrote some time ago that the Bulls would make the playoffs because Toronto was not good enough to win the games they needed down the stretch to make it. What was not foreseen was the injury sustained by Chris Bosh sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season. The Raptors did not prove me wrong and sputtered to a finish. C’est la vie, Toronto. Chicago put the fate of their playoff lives in the hands of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Noah stoked the flames when he returned from injury and was a catalyst to get the Bulls into the playoffs. They are in now and they face the team that Rose referred to as simply “LeBron” when he said the Bulls would make the playoffs. It would be improper, despite the other quality players surrounding the Cavaliers’ central figure, to correct Rose’s notion of who the Bulls face.

To congratulate the Bulls the man who is responsible for Chicago’s six championships personally paid them a visit after the Bulls defeated the Charlotte Bobcats to get the last playoff spot. Michael Jordan was in the Bulls locker room after the game giving the team his well wishes. It is not every day that His Airness personally expresses a message of luck to a team that just beat his. This should serve to boost and motivate the moral of an already fired up group.

During the regular season the Bulls beat the Cavaliers twice. This scrappy team knows how to play them. The Bulls also have history on their side going into this matchup as they have never lost a postseason series to the Cavaliers. Will history repeat itself? Noah has stated that he wants “to try to shock the world” and beat the Cavaliers in the first round. If the Bulls were to accomplish this it would be the biggest upset since the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs. Waiting for the Bulls, however, is a “different monster” who will stop at nothing until his post season dream is realized. For the Bulls, it will be an uphill battle.

Chicago’s backcourt matches up favorably with their counterparts in Cleveland. Rose and Kirk Hinrich are a good combo set with Rose exhibiting the flash and get to the cup quickness and Hinrich being able to hit from all points on the floor as well as create off the dribble. Luol Deng has the potential to score at will from the three spot and at 6’9” can shoot over Cleveland’s guards, but it is unlikely that he will get that mismatch often. Chicago’s best players are Rose and Noah. They rely on them to fight and scrap. Noah is especially talented with his ability to score and rebound in buckets. However, he, along with the other Bulls centers, is going to have his hands full.

Shaquille O’Neal is returning from his thumb injury for the playoffs. His size and physical presence will likely disrupt every play that comes near the paint for the Bulls. Brad Miller, Taj Gibson, and Noah will have to alternate shifts against the big Aristotle and avoid foul trouble. Shaq, however, is not the top concern for the Bulls. Their main concern is to try and contain a force of nature. LeBron James presents matchup problems across the board. Committee defense and switching on screens may be the Bulls only option if they hope to slow him down. A healthy Hakim Warrick would also serve the Bulls well in their defense of James. Warrick’s size and length are enough to hamper James’ abilities but probably not enough to stop them all together. If Warrick is not healthy, duties will fall to Deng who is one of the Bulls best defenders. It will be interesting to see what strategy Vinny Del Negro employs to stop the Cavaliers attack, either try and stop James or let James run free and shut down the rest of the Cavaliers.

Series Prediction: For some reason this series has an eerie feel about it. On one side you have the team that prognosticators and analysts have fawned over all season and on the other you have a tough never say die team that took matters into their own hands and won when they need to most. Do not be surprised if this series plays itself out over the course of seven games; conversely do not be surprised if it lasts a mere four. Could Lebron’s rest become an issue? Doubtful. Will any of Cleveland’s guards slowdown Derrick Rose? Probably not. To be safe, Cleveland wins in five too close for comfort games.

2. Orlando Magic vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats

Nobody expected the Bobcats to make the playoffs this season. Yet, here they are. Snagging Stephen Jackson this season was a steal for them as he almost instantly clicked with his new squad and propelled them toward the playoffs. The Bobcats also have a new face higher up in the team ranks. Well, in all reality his face is not so new to the team but his position is. Michael Jordan became the majority owner of the NBA’s second youngest franchise this year. This will be the Bobcats’ first trip to the NBA’s second season and greeting them are the defending Eastern Conference Champions. Roll out the welcome mat.

(Much of the following has been taken from a previous article I wrote to save time and my fingers.) The matchup of the Bobcats and Magic has the potential to be the lowest scoring series in the modern playoff era as these teams rank number one and two in team defense and defensive efficiency with Charlotte being first in team defense and Orlando being first in efficiency.  Orlando has been the league’s best team since the All Star break and looks to continue this trend into the Playoffs. Maybe the Bobcats have been planning this matchup all season because they five players listed as centers on their roster and that does not even include Tyrus Thomas who is listed as a power forward. Larry Brown will of course have to shrink his roster down for the playoffs but it can be taken for granted that he will have plenty of bodies to throw at Dwight Howard throughout the series. Having many bodies to wear down Howard is a key to this series for the Bobcats. If they can get Howard into foul trouble or simply get him fatigued and force him to the bench it will open up lanes that Charlotte can use to get high percentage shots and not run the risk of seeing the ball in the third row. Honestly, teams must get really annoyed when Howard gives them the ball right back.

Simply put, Orlando is good, real good. (I cannot believe I admitted it but circumstances forced my hand.) They will be heavy favorites to return to the Eastern Conference Finals coming into the playoff but they should not get that far ahead of themselves just yet. Charlotte stands in their way. Orlando does not match up well against the likes of Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace. Vince Carter is not a noted defender and will have his hands full with Jackson. It is possible that Matt Barnes, Jackson’s former teammate in Golden State, will be called upon by Stan Van Gundy to guard him but then this likely gives either Carter or Rashard Lewis defensive duties against Wallace. Mickael Pietrus factors to play a large role in the series with his efficiency and the defensive end of the court and his ability to stretch the floor on the offensive end with the three-point shot.

What should be the biggest factor in this series is the Magic’s penchant to fire up the long ball. This season they set the NBA record for made three-pointers with 841. The previous record was 837 set by the seven seconds or less Suns during the 2005-06 season. It is rather astounding that a team considering that this season’s Magic team is the complete antonym to D’Antoni’s doctrine in Phoenix when the Suns set the previous record. Orlando does, however, live and die by the three. If it is not falling they have little hope of winning a game. Jameer Nelson will be key in this regard. He has been heating up of late and if this trend continues he could propel the Magic forward with his outside shooting. J.J. Redick has also been playing well this season displaying that he is no longer just the face up jump shooter he was at Duke. He now has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the lane. (Kid has also beefed up like crazy.) It will be a tall order to stop the Magic’s outside shooting but it should be the number one priority of the Bobcats.

Series Prediction: Charlotte has brought in playoff veterans to help guide the team to where it wants to be in players, their head coach, and their owner. This wealth playoff knowledge should serve the Bobcats well as they enter their first ever test of the postseason. Stephen Jackson, Larry Brown, and Michael Jordan all have rings which is more than anyone in the Magic’s organization can say (except White Chocolate). These rings will undoubtedly be on display around the Bobcats’ locker room to motivate the team. Motivating Orlando is their sense of failure and an unfinished business from last season. Charlotte will surprise many in this series, but a surprise is only just that. It does not translate to the second round. The Magic will win the series in six games.

3. Atlanta Hawks vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks

This would have been a great series. It could have gone seven games and been a knockdown, drag out, slugfest. Sadly it will not be. The loss of Andrew Bogut has completely curtailed any belief that the Bucks could pull off a first round upset. It is rather unfortunate that this had to happen too. Milwaukee was hitting stride and clicking on all cylinders after the acquisition of John Salmons from the Bulls. They were poised to be the dark horse, err…deer rather, in the Eastern playoff picture. With Bogut anchoring a stingy Skiles coached defense and a proven offensive attack even with Michael Redd out for the season (again) they were scary. “Fear the Deer” the saying went. But then Bogut came crashing down. Since the injury to Bogut the Bucks are 6-7 after going 40-29 with him in the lineup. This does not bode well for a team looking for its playoff series win since losing in the Eastern Conference finals in 2001.

Atlanta has played with the big boys in the playoffs before and they expect to do better this year than they did last after going home in the second round. They have added fire power to their lineup this season with the addition of (the Kobe Beef’s sixth man award winner) Jamal Crawford and have watched as Josh Smith (our DPOY runner up) has grown into a statistical monster who eats up boards, hounds the ball, and swats shots like flies. Offensively the Hawks have the second most efficient attack in the league with a rating of 111.9. Their offense will be tested by the Bucks defense but without Bogut clogging the middle they pose little threat to Atlanta.

Expect Joe Johnson to put on a display worthy of saying, “Hi, I’m Joe Johnson and this summer I become an unrestricted free agent. Here is what I am good at. Wouldn’t you like me on your team?” The Hawks would certainly like to keep Johnson right where he is. Johnson is the main weapon in the Hawks arsenal and will pace the team throughout their playoff run. Any potential wild cards that may appear this season for Atlanta does not seem like a likely occurrence as each player knows their role and performs it to a T.

Series Prediction: The “if only’s” abound for Milwaukee but without Bogut their playoff aspirations have become mere dust in the wind. Atlanta will win the series in five games.

4. Boston Celtics vs. 5. Miami Heat

On paper the Boston Celtics should run away with this series. On paper the Boston Celtics have a stingy defense that shuts down opponents with ease. On paper this is a team that was built for the playoffs. On paper this is a team of champions who know how to win. On paper I can draw a picture of myself with hair like Aaron Eckhart surrounded by Scarlett Johansson, Alicia Keyes, Hillary Duff, Mandy Moore, Rachel McAdams, and Beyonce in a harem on my own tropical island. What the hell, let me pencil in Megan Fox too as a cheap gimmick. Oh, and while I’m at it lets throw in Salma Hayek and Carmen Electra. What a lovely drawing. Ah, the joys of paper potential. Boston has stumbled into the playoffs tripping over their own feet. This is not the same team that people said could challenge the Cavaliers for the Eastern crown at the start of the season. Their last good defensive performance came against the Mavericks on 20 March and their defense has looked anemic since. In their last meeting with Cleveland the Celtics blew a 22 point lead which would have cost them the game if LeBron James could have made a few more free throws down the stretch and not taken an ill advised three on a fastbreak. This month the Celtics have lost to Houston, New York, and Washington. Last time anyone checked none of these teams were postseason bound. They are playing for lottery positions. FDR once said that they only thing we have to fear is fear itself. In the Celtics case they need to fear themselves, their ineptitude on the court, their age, and a certain player who will face them in the first round.

(Some of what is included in this paragraph is reprinted from an earlier article.) Dwyane Wade is the Miami Heat. He has them playing at a high level and streaking at the right time. Miami is 18-4 since the start of March and has its eyes set on the second round. Wade will not let the frail and withered Celtics stop him. What this series will turn into is Dwyane Wade’s audition tape for free agency. Expect him to slice through Boston’s feeble and aging defenders, scoring frequently and at will. The only player the Celtics have on their roster that is capable of keeping up with Wade is Rajon Rondo. However, Rondo is too small and lacks the strength to guard Wade. Certainly guard duties will not fall to Jesus Shuttlesworth; he has never been known for his defensive capabilities and will likely see little time guarding him. The task of defending Wade will fall to Paul Pierce. Pierce has somehow molded himself into a serviceable defender since the acquisition of Kevin Garnett but will remain a step behind the slashing Wade who is expected will make mincemeat of the Celtics lethargic frontcourt when getting into the paint. If Kevin Garnett wants to complain about fouls he should have saved his breath for this series. Sources have just informed me that Dwyane Wade has just purchased a new condo on the foul line for this series and plans to make it his permanent residence. In every series that Wade plays in during the playoffs the spectral calls of 2006 follow him. This series should be no different.

Outside of Wade, the Heat matchup rather nicely with their aging blunder counterparts. Their frontcourt consists of Jermaine O’Neal, Udonis Haslem, and Michael Beasley. Expect this trio to out rebound the hapless Celtics in almost every game of the first round. But what the series will come down to essentially is the scoring duel between Wade and Pierce. Both players look to be their respective teams leading scorers each game and this will not change. Boston’s bench is a joke other than Tony Allen and Big Baby when it comes to actual contribution.

Series Prediction: The most anticipated part of this series will be how quickly Boston loses its cool. I’m going to guess either ‘Sheed or KG is assessed a technical foul around three minutes into the second quarter of game one. Boston and its management might want to reassess the win now policy that they enacted several years ago. Sure they won a title but in all reality what did it truly cost them. Their team is so old (how old are they?) that they have destroyed their future and may lose many of their players in free agency this summer. Miami might also lose its best player this summer too. Dwyane Wade sold his property in south Florida last month so the outlook is grim for the Heat. However, they do have the ability resign Wade, add a max player and another player at $9-10 million this off season with the cap room they will have available. As for now they will have one last hurrah with Wade firmly at the helm. Miami wins in seven.

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by | April 6, 2010 · 6:24 PM

The Beginning of the End: Seeding Projections 2.0

King James stands tall in his Eastern kingdom but in the West turmoil and uncertainty rule the land

The NBA begins its last two remaining weeks of the regular season tonight after taking the night off yesterday for the NCAA Men’s Finals (the officiating was rather reminiscent of the 2006 NBA Finals in its quality, don’t you think). In all reality, little is actually decided when it comes seeding in either conference as game play starts anew. These races have mere days to play out with playoff implications, matchups, and potential upsets, especially in the West, abundant. Now that real professional basketball has retaken the round-ball stage (we at the Beef love opening day in baseball but that’s not what we are here to write about) let us take a look at the standings and potential first round matchups.

In the Leastern conference the top four seeds are decided with the only position jockeying going on between the Atlanta Hawks (who have just lost Joe Johnson for at least two games with a sprained right thumb) and the geriatric Boston Celtics, who looked ready to call it day on Easter and give in to the Boy King because they had reservations at Luby’s, for the third and fourth seeds. The bottom four seeds (which have been discussed here) are the interesting stories of the East. Much has to be revised about what I previously wrote due to the injury sustained to Milwaukee Bucks’ center Andrew Bogut. He has undergone successful surgery and is expected to miss six weeks for recovery. This is a shame because the Bucks were playing at the highest level that they have in years and were poised to scare any team they faced in the first round. The phrase “fear the dear” that has been prevalent over the past few weeks no longer carries the same resonance. Without Bogut they do not pack the same punch as they once did. A completely healthy, sans Michael Redd of course, Milwaukee team would have, if matched up against the aforementioned Luby’s loving, fiber consuming Celtics, posed quite a threat and possibly, no, more than likely, advance to the second round. The Bucks have dropped to sixth in the east just a half game back of the Heat.

The Miami Heat have been the most surprising team in the East over the past month. They started the month of March in the ninth seed in the East and are, tonight, sitting comfortably in the fifth seed. With the injury to Andrew Bogut in Milwaukee, expect the Heat to comfortably hold onto this spot as it is unlikely that the undermanned Bucks and especially the Charlotte Bobcats, Toronto Raptors, or Chicago Bulls should catch them. I must revise my Eastern conference playoff projections from last week accounting for Bogut’s untimely injury:

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. Orlando Magic
  3. Atlanta Hawks
  4. Boston Celtics
  5. Miami Heat
  6. Charlotte Bobcats
  7. Milwaukee Bucks
  8. Chicago Bulls

Yes, I still consider the Raptors a non playoff team. They have been playing better of late but the loss to Golden State has really hurt their chances especially entering the tough stretch of games that they are and with their showdown with Chicago looming on Sunday. Unfortunately this means that the matchups in the east are not as desirable as they could be.

The Bobcats and the Hawks matchup rather favorably in the first round. In all reality this series, as hypothetically depicted here, will depend on the play of the Bobcats, and more specifically that of Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace. These two players are the catalyst that propel and drive the ambitions of the team. However, this is just the first step of many that the Bobcats. Atlanta has been to the playoffs and will more than likely go farther this year as the addition of Jamal Crawford, our Sixth Man recipient, has given them the extra firepower that they need, as well as the improved and outstanding play of Josh Smith, for a deep playoff run.

Miami and Boston may have been a good series several years ago, but alas, it simply is not to be this year. What this series will turn into is Dwyane Wade’s audition tape for free agency. Expect him to slice through Boston’s feeble and aging defenders, scoring frequently and at will. Rajon Rondo is too small and lacks the strength to guard Wade; Jesus Shuttlesworth has never been known for his defensive capabilities and will likely see little time guarding him. The task of defending Wade will fall to Paul Pierce. Pierce has somehow molded himself into a serviceable defender since the acquisition of Kevin Garnett but will remain a step behind the slashing Wade who I expect will make mincemeat of the Celtics lethargic frontcourt. Eventually the Celtics will win the series.

Outside of these two series there will be little to get worked up for. The Cavaliers will easily sweep the Bulls (or Raptors, yes I am counting them out but on the off chance they make the playoffs they will be just as easily brushed aside) and the Magic will defeat the Bucks in five, closer than comfortable, games. So that is just one of many hypothetical scenarios the Eastern conference faces. What about the West? Is anything actually decided in the most Wild West? (The Western conference has, over the past several years, seen its parity reach remarkable status.) This season it looks as though all eight teams that reach the playoffs will have 50 or more wins. 50 or more! Think about that for a second. When was the last time a conference sent eight 50 win teams into the playoffs? I honestly do not know it that has ever happened (if someone does know please comment on this post). The West promises a dogfight each round with each team having the same chance as the other. Oh, but isn’t that exactly what the playoffs stand for? Anything can happen, right? Hey, look at the East and tell me the Cavs will lose in the first round, do it. You’d be wise not to. (All references and comments concerning to my 2007 Mavericks should be forwarded to Avery Johnson and Don Nelson personally. This writer is still bitter and does not want to hear it.) What does the West look like today? It will look different tomorrow.

  1. Los Angeles Lakers
  2. Dallas Mavericks
  3. Denver Nuggets
  4. Utah Jazz
  5. Phoenix Suns
  6. Oklahoma City Thunder
  7. San Antonio Spurs
  8. Portland Trailblazers

Compare these teams to those of the East. That’s right, you cannot. This lineup is insane in the overall talent of the teams. The Mavericks, Nuggets, Jazz, and Suns each have 50-27 records which should lead to quite a spectacular finish to the regular season. If the Mavericks, Nuggets, and Jazz all end the season with the same record the Jazz would hold the overall tiebreaker over the other two teams. What makes the West even wilder are the fates of the other teams. The Lakers continue to look absolutely incompetent against quality opponents down the stretch while the Spurs seem to think they are currently on their annual rodeo road trip only a couple months later than it actually occurred. Portland and Oklahoma City are the true enigmas in the West. But we shall discuss Phoenix first.

Phoenix will likely remain in the fifth seed, for the time being, but with Robin Lopez out for the foreseeable future Amare Stoudemire will not be as productive as he has been this season as his minutes at the center position will undoubtedly spike. They just picked up Dwayne Jones, the top rebounder from the D-League to replace Lopez. Jones was scouted several times this year by other teams but eventually passed on because his scoring mostly comes because of offensive rebound put backs and not based on his own shot creation. Until Lopez’s return the shorthanded rotation (which is quite shallow from the bench already) will have its hands full. In the fifth position the Suns could be matched up against either Dallas, Denver, or Utah. Not a desirable draw for any team as it would seem. What is least desirable for the Suns are their remaining five regular season games. They host San Antonio, play at Oklahoma City, then host both Houston and Denver, and finish the regular season in Salt Lake City. Everything I previously wrote about staying in the fifth seed should be completely tossed aside. The Suns will have to muster every available ounce of will they possess to win more than two of these games. This should be a fine test of Phoenix’s mettle heading into the playoffs and will likely show the team’s true character and whether they can actually contend in the NBA’s second season.

Back to the enigmas. What are the Portland Trailblazers and Oklahoma City Thunder capable of in the playoffs? I hesitate to even speculate because anything I can write will quickly be proved as folly once these two teams set foot onto the floor of big stage with its bright lights. What do we know then? The Blazers scare everyone, everyone that is except the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets. These are the only two Western conference playoff teams that have winning records against the Blazers. They have swept the season series with Dallas making the Mavericks hopeful that they do not encounter this Blazer team in the post season. At this point, however, it seems unlikely that they will meet as Portland cannot find a way to move up from the eighth seed with the Spurs surging like they are. The Lakers and Blazers meet on Sunday in LA for what is a potential first round matchup. How will the Lakers fair, sans young Bynum, against a deep, lengthy, and tall team with the ability to switch on every pick and roll and not be at a disadvantage? If their play of late is any indication, the Lakers shall falter yet again and the paper tiger shall whimper as its paw has been pricked once again. This could likely become the story we are faced with if these two teams were to meet in the first round. The Blazers are not an advantageous draw.

Toby Keith has a restaurant just down the street from the Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City that takes up an entire city block, if not more. This used to be the biggest attraction in town which is why I rather enjoyed passing it while scoffing on the highway riding a Greyhound out of there to return to Texas my Texas. If this is all they have, well then, good riddance. As a Texan I cannot help but despise everything about the Indian Territory north of the Red River. This will never change. The transplanted Supersonics, however, are trying to make me eat some of my words, they never will though. In no way does this mean that the Thunder are not an exciting team to watch. Seeing a young team make the playoffs for the first time in their franchise’s history (yes, Seattle made the playoffs multiple times and has a championship title to its credit but the two must be severed at the hip) is always rewarding because maybe someday that team will help to break up the homogeneity that is the NBA Championship since the 1980s. Their core is young, very young. In fact it is disturbing how young they actually are. Do not let their youth and playoff inexperience lull your senses. They have been playing at a high level all season. Like the Blazers, they will not be an easy out especially if matched up against the Dallas Mavericks. The two teams split the season series at two games apiece and the Thunder seem to have the Mavericks number and matchup well with them up and down their roster. Will the playoff immaturity of the Thunder be their Achilles heel in the playoffs or will the team continue to surprise and overachieve as it has already done to get this far? Only the Thunder and their young cast of players will be able to honestly answer that question.

What about projections for the embattled West then? It seems only fair that I do so despite my inclination to the contrary. The West is too good and my personal bias for it leads me to not want to attempt to predict it. I judge the East with contempt so it is not hard to make estimated projections as to where teams will be seeded. It is easy because there is only one serious contender in the East (as there has been for my entire life) and it will take a feat of the purest will to overcome that team. In the West it is different, the paper tiger leads the pack but its pursuers are around every corner, nipping at its heels as it grows tired and weak from a long season. Here they are:

  1. Los Angeles Lakers (Yes, they barely hold on due to the weak quality of opponents they face to close out the regular season.)
  2. Utah Jazz
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. Denver Nuggets
  5. San Antonio Spurs
  6. Phoenix Suns
  7. Oklahoma City Thunder
  8. Portland Trailblazers

These projections are based on nothing but assumption. The West is unpredictable. What is predictable is that 1) there will be more predictions before the season’s end and 2) the first round of the Western conference playoffs should be the most memorable in recent history. I honestly expect each series to go a minimum of six games. In the East, the same cannot be said. Hopefully the lights of the playoffs will inspire the lower seeded teams to perform at a higher level than they did all season to keep the Leastern conference first round from being the lackluster sideshow of the West’s main attraction. Whatever the case, the playoffs are less than two weeks away and the real spectacle is about to begin once more.

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