Well after each series played their 1st game this past weekend, I think we are in for a great playoffs experience. Each game was closely contested. The Grizzlies, as an 8 seed, got their 1st playoff victory in franchise history yesterday. I'm excited at least and I hope you are too.
One interesting storyline going into this year's postseason is two former teammates finally getting off the top of the list of most career regular season games played without every playing in the playoffs by an active player. The Celtics' Troy Murphy and the Pacers' Mike Dunleavy finally made the playoffs after long careers, much spent together. Murphy led the list with 656 career games in 10 seasons before making it this year. Dunleavy just trailed Murphy, having played in 627 games in 9 seasons. Before this year, the two were teammates for all 8 years of Dunleavy's career. They were both drafted by the Warriors, then traded together to the Pacers during the 06-07 season. So who now takes their spot atop the list? The Pistons' Chris Wilcox, at 534 games.
One other quick link I came across that I found entertaining is an article by the Sports Pickle: What Your Favorite NBA Playoff Team Says About You.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
NBA Playoffs Preview
Well it's finally here, the NBA Playoffs. What makes this so exciting? Every night, there is basketball of the highest quality. The quality of the games is what separates the NBA Playoffs from the NCAA Tournament. There are 16 teams all trying for that elusive title as NBA Champions. True, there aren't too many upsets, but for anybody who just likes the game itself, you can't beat this. Because each series is a best of 7 games, you cannot surprise your opponent to move on to the next round. To win, you actually have to adjust and force your will upon the other team. There are plenty of story-lines, and the best way to digest them all is to simply watch the games.
My predictions for the 1st Round.
Bulls vs Pacers
Although I think the Pacers can put up a good fight, the Bulls have Derrick Rose, and he seems unstoppable right now. These teams are in the same division so they are familiar with each other, which I think will hopefully make the games more intense and better. My pick: Bulls in 5 games.
Spurs vs Grizzlies
The injury to Manu Ginobili makes this a little less sure for the Spurs. San Antonio is a very experienced, veteran team, but I think they are one significant injury to one of their main 3 players from being an easy team to defeat. The Grizzlies are a hot, young team with little playoff experience. Overall, I think the Spurs experience will put them over the top. My pick: Spurs in 6 games.
Heat vs 76ers
This is what everybody has been waiting for: to see what the Heat can do in the playoffs. What very few people are talking about is how good the 76ers actually are. One of the most surprising teams of this year, the 76ers are a tough out for any team. But I think the Heat have mostly figured out how to work together and make this team run. Their talent and experience will be too much for the young 76ers. My pick: Heat in 4 games.
Lakers vs Hornets
The defending champion Lakers certainly have the experience and talent to make them contenders for the championship again this year. If healthy, they are one of the deepest teams in the league. The Hornets lost their 2nd best player (David West) to injury about a month ago, which severely weakens them. However, the Hornets do have Chris Paul, who I think will be able to win one game himself. But just one. My pick: Lakers in 5 games.
Celtics vs Knicks
One of the most anticipated series of the 1st round, these two teams do not lack star power. Both teams have been mediocre since making an in-season trade in February. The Celtics went to the finals last year and won it all 3 years ago. The Knicks haven't been in the playoffs in a while, and their stars have little playoff success. But I still think these teams match up well if Shaq is out with injuries for the Celtics. My pick: Celtics in 7 games.
Mavs vs Blazers
Most people are picking this for their 1st round upset. The Mavs have been struggling lately and the Blazers have been playing well since they traded for Gerald Wallace. The Mavs also have little playoff success in the past decade and the Blazers seem to match up well with them. Dirk Nowitzki can win at least 2 games by himself for the Mavs and I don't know if the Blazers have anybody like that. My pick: Mavs in 7 games.
Magic vs Hawks
Last year the Magic swept the Hawks in the 2nd round. This season the Hawks have won 3 of 4 games against the Magic. So which one of these will hold true? I think neither will happen again. The Magic are a very different team with their big trades from this year, and I think the Hawks are better than last year, although they are less talked about. However, I think Dwight Howard muscles his way past the Hawks. My pick: Magic in 6 games.
Thunder vs Nuggets
Two fun teams to watch. The Thunder were thought to be favorites coming into the season, but then fell out of popularity as they struggled at the start of the year. The Nuggets have been greatly improved since trading Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks in February. Both teams are young and athletic. But the Thunder are too talented to let this series get away. My pick: Thunder in 5 games.
So there you have it, I went with all favorites which I know is no fun, but that's OK. The real fun is watching all the games. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the great games going on.
My predictions for the 1st Round.
Bulls vs Pacers
Although I think the Pacers can put up a good fight, the Bulls have Derrick Rose, and he seems unstoppable right now. These teams are in the same division so they are familiar with each other, which I think will hopefully make the games more intense and better. My pick: Bulls in 5 games.
Spurs vs Grizzlies
The injury to Manu Ginobili makes this a little less sure for the Spurs. San Antonio is a very experienced, veteran team, but I think they are one significant injury to one of their main 3 players from being an easy team to defeat. The Grizzlies are a hot, young team with little playoff experience. Overall, I think the Spurs experience will put them over the top. My pick: Spurs in 6 games.
Heat vs 76ers
This is what everybody has been waiting for: to see what the Heat can do in the playoffs. What very few people are talking about is how good the 76ers actually are. One of the most surprising teams of this year, the 76ers are a tough out for any team. But I think the Heat have mostly figured out how to work together and make this team run. Their talent and experience will be too much for the young 76ers. My pick: Heat in 4 games.
Lakers vs Hornets
The defending champion Lakers certainly have the experience and talent to make them contenders for the championship again this year. If healthy, they are one of the deepest teams in the league. The Hornets lost their 2nd best player (David West) to injury about a month ago, which severely weakens them. However, the Hornets do have Chris Paul, who I think will be able to win one game himself. But just one. My pick: Lakers in 5 games.
Celtics vs Knicks
One of the most anticipated series of the 1st round, these two teams do not lack star power. Both teams have been mediocre since making an in-season trade in February. The Celtics went to the finals last year and won it all 3 years ago. The Knicks haven't been in the playoffs in a while, and their stars have little playoff success. But I still think these teams match up well if Shaq is out with injuries for the Celtics. My pick: Celtics in 7 games.
Mavs vs Blazers
Most people are picking this for their 1st round upset. The Mavs have been struggling lately and the Blazers have been playing well since they traded for Gerald Wallace. The Mavs also have little playoff success in the past decade and the Blazers seem to match up well with them. Dirk Nowitzki can win at least 2 games by himself for the Mavs and I don't know if the Blazers have anybody like that. My pick: Mavs in 7 games.
Magic vs Hawks
Last year the Magic swept the Hawks in the 2nd round. This season the Hawks have won 3 of 4 games against the Magic. So which one of these will hold true? I think neither will happen again. The Magic are a very different team with their big trades from this year, and I think the Hawks are better than last year, although they are less talked about. However, I think Dwight Howard muscles his way past the Hawks. My pick: Magic in 6 games.
Thunder vs Nuggets
Two fun teams to watch. The Thunder were thought to be favorites coming into the season, but then fell out of popularity as they struggled at the start of the year. The Nuggets have been greatly improved since trading Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks in February. Both teams are young and athletic. But the Thunder are too talented to let this series get away. My pick: Thunder in 5 games.
So there you have it, I went with all favorites which I know is no fun, but that's OK. The real fun is watching all the games. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the great games going on.
Monday, April 11, 2011
I've been copied...or something like that
While I am pretty sure he wasn't actually copying me, Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen recently wrote an articled titled Payroll breakdowns: Which teams get the most for their money? He basically did the same thing I did all season, except he only did it once this year. Clearly he came up with the same information I did: that the Chicago Bulls were the best value team this year, and that they are the only team with a cost-per-win of under $1 million. He writes in the first paragraph that this is an annual review, so apparently he has done it before, but I had never seen it before. Anyways, it's nice to know that I can do what professional NBA writers do.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Jerry Sloan for NBA Coach of the Year?
As we near the end of the NBA's regular season, it is time to start thinking of season awards. My vote for Coach of the Year: former Utah Jazz coach, Jerry Sloan. This award usually goes to a coach who helped his team to a winning record and a playoff berth. Jerry Sloan did neither. Instead, he abruptly retired in the middle of the season this last February. So why do I think he should get it this year? Here is why:
The guy is also kind of a bad-ass. In 1976, Sloan took the head coaching position at the University of Evansville, but then withdrew after just 5 days. That same season the Evansville basketball team as well as coaches were killed in a plane crash at Evansville Airport. Also, according to this story on Yahoo! Sloan saves his friends lives with his gun.
Jerry Sloan has been an NBA icon since the 1960's. Now that he is retired, the fact that he never won the COY award is embarrassing for the NBA. I guess when you have been that successful for so long, people just expect you to be good, so they are never as impressed as they would be by someone who has a surprising good season. So for the 2010-2011 NBA season, my vote (if I actually had one) goes to Jerry Sloan.
- NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history."
- Sloan had a career regular-season win–loss record of 1,221–803, placing him third all-time in NBA wins. Sloan was only the fifth coach in NBA history to reach the 1,000 victory milestone, and he is the only coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins with one club (the Utah Jazz).
- He also coached for one team longer than anyone in NBA history. The 2009–10 season was his 22nd season (and 21st full season) as coach of the Jazz.
- Sloan coached the Jazz to 15 consecutive playoff appearances from 1989–2003.
- He is one of only three coaches in NBA history with 15-plus consecutive seasons with a winning record (Pat Riley and Phil Jackson are the others).
- He led Utah to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, but lost to the Chicago Bulls both times.
- And through all of those great seasons and accomplishments, he never won the Coach of the Year award.
The guy is also kind of a bad-ass. In 1976, Sloan took the head coaching position at the University of Evansville, but then withdrew after just 5 days. That same season the Evansville basketball team as well as coaches were killed in a plane crash at Evansville Airport. Also, according to this story on Yahoo! Sloan saves his friends lives with his gun.
Jerry Sloan has been an NBA icon since the 1960's. Now that he is retired, the fact that he never won the COY award is embarrassing for the NBA. I guess when you have been that successful for so long, people just expect you to be good, so they are never as impressed as they would be by someone who has a surprising good season. So for the 2010-2011 NBA season, my vote (if I actually had one) goes to Jerry Sloan.
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Consistency of the Spurs
ESPN runs a daily NBA update called the Daily Dime. It is full of the latest stories, tidbits, and stats from the previous night's NBA action. In this morning's edition of the Daily Dime, I found something that I find to be simply incredible about the Spurs.
Also in the Daily Dime was this little story, shared by NBA rookie, All-Star, fan-favorite Blake Griffin on his Twitter page.
This just goes to show how good the Spurs and Tim Duncan have been over the past 14 years. It is a stat that boggles the mind.
Last night, the Celtics defeated the Spurs 107-97, extending San Antonio's losing streak to five games (in the first 4 losses, Tim Duncan was out with an injury). It's the first time since Duncan joined the team before the start of the 1997-98 season that the Spurs have lost five or more consecutive regular-season games. San Antonio had been the only team in the league without at least one five-game losing streak over those 14 seasons. In fact, every other NBA team has had no fewer than six separate five-game losing streaks over that span. Prior to Thursday night, the Spurs' last five-game losing streak came in April 1997, when they lost their last six games of the 1996-97 season, just prior to drafting Duncan.
The Spurs' just-concluded span of 1,112 games without losing five in a row was the second-longest such streak in NBA history. The record is held by the Celtics, who went 1,412 games without losing five straight games from 1950 to 1969.
Also in the Daily Dime was this little story, shared by NBA rookie, All-Star, fan-favorite Blake Griffin on his Twitter page.
Random lady in phoenix: "you're tall you should play basketball" Me: "Ehh I dunno" lady: "no really!" me: "ok I guess I'll give it a try"I think this is hilarious.
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