My Basketball Blog

Yes it has been a while since I have last posted, but thanks to Alex Kim and Tony for picking up the slack. There is nothing like a good Zack Randolph NBA video to start my day off! Anyway, since I have been gone I have watched a fair amount of basketball, drank a fair amount of alcohol, and have decided to share my revalations with you all.

-Once the excitement of the Cavaliers just making a move at the trade deadline wore off, I don't know how I feel about this trade. It almost feels like the exact same team, but with LeBron picking up more of the slack. Ben Wallace has been inconsistent and struggles guarding quicker power forwards. Wally Szeribak is shooting Larry Hughes type numbers right now and forcing shots. Hopefully we can contribute that to learning the offense and not feeling comfortable but I hope the Cavs did not swap one bad shooter for another. In the meantime, Larry Hughes is happily jacking up as many shots as he pleases in Chicago and not caring about whether they win or lose because apparently that's not at all important to him. Delonte West has impressed me. I think that if he can push the ball up the court like he has and hit his shots, then he will really help LeBron out. What more can you say about LeBron? He still falls in love with his jump shot when he is hitting it like he did in New York, which hurt him against Chicago the next night. But other than that the man is having one of the greatest seasons ever. If Wally starts shooting better and Gibson is still hitting shots when he comes back, watch out. Ric Bucher predicted Cavs-Lakers in the finals. I was a bit shocked but, man, how much fun would that be to watch. David Stern is praying for that match up.

-When you think of the most disappointing team in the NBA, you usually don't think of a team 10 or more games above .500. But the Denver Nuggets have got to be that team. This team on paper should be unbelievable. Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony. The 3rd and 4th leading scorers in the league! Marcus Camby, a great shotblocker and Defensive Player of the Year. A healthy Kenyon Martin. So what's wrong here? Why is this team getting blown out at time by the Knicks? Why could this team possibly not make the playoffs? The Nuggets don't play defense that's why. Why does Camby have so many blocks? Because opponents are blowing by their men so often Camby has to step in around the rim. The Nuggets could average 110 per game, but they re also giving up over 100 ppg. The Mavericks tried this style of play in the earlier 2000's and the Suns tried it the past few years. You will not get past the Spurs or the Lakers not playing any defense. Hell you won't get past the Warriors playing defense like that. Until the Nuggets stop caring so much about scoring and focus on the defensive end, this team will never make it out of the West. I would definitely call them the most disappointing team in the NBA.

-I miss the run and gun Suns. I still cannot tell if Shaq is making the Suns better, but besides their recent win over San Antonio, the have not looked very impressive. Shaq slows down their offense as expected and the Suns are scoring in the mid 90's every game now, something you used to never see. I understand that the Suns want a tested big man down the stretch in the playoffs, but was Shaq really that guy who was going to put you over the top? No longer are the Suns flying down the court before the other team can turn around after a basket. They have to set up their half-court offense which they are definitely not as good at. Amare Stoudamire has not been turned loose like he used to, he is a great player but I remember him being an absolute freak a few years ago. I just really do not see the Suns beating the Spurs in a seven game series with Shaq, he has lost most of his post game, still cannot shoot free throws, and almost killed himself jumping into the crowd the other night. Keeping Marion just made more sense than trading for Shaq.

-Dwight Howard is mad no one is talking about his Magic in the East. He's right, they aren't making much noise but, besides Hedo and Dwight, are they really getting great production from anywhere else? Rashard Lewis is inconsistent and what happened to to Jameer Nelson? He needs to play so much better for this team to be a serious contender.

-Watch out for the 76ers to give a high seed a run for their money in the playoffs. Andre Miller and the freakishly talented Andre Inguodala are slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the East. The bounce back from the Allen Iverson-Chris Webber debacle has gone pretty smoothly for the 76ers, and no one is talking about them.

-Are the Hawks ever going to learn how to play together. Al Horford, Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Josh Childress....this team has so many early first round draft picks that its inexcusable that they are still this bad.

-The Miami Heat could potentiall be the first team to be on National TV more times than they had wins now that Dwayne Wade is "out for the season." TAKE THEM OFF! Countdown to the day Pat Riley resigns and throws another frightened coach in to coach Beasley and Wade until they get good again is on.

-If I was to predict the NBA Finals right now, it would be extremelly hard to do. I think it is between the Spurs and Lakers in the West. I feel that the Spurs have gone away from how they win, and that is Tim Duncan. Manu has takes over that offense, and is playing fantastically, but the Spurs have always put Tim Duncan first. I think the combination of two great big men in Gasol and Bynum coupled with Kobe smelling that trophy is too much for the Spurs to handle. Out of the East it is a toss up. I think the Celtics would take out the Pistons in a 7 game series, but I cannot count out my Cavs either. If the Cavs gel, watch out because you know LeBron will step his game up in the playoffs. It will be a great playoffs. Look for the Warriors to take out another high seed in an early round again.