Hello sports fans! Today I am continuing with my states of sports besides football. Today's sport is the NBA. You probably think the biggest story of this NBA season is the Linsanity that has unfolded in New York, that is totally untrue. Jeremy Lin is a great story, but he has been blown way out of proportion by the mass media. Without Sports Center there would be no Linsanity. So let's get to the real stories here.
Chances of winning the title:
Contenders: Lakers, Heat, Thunder, Mavericks, Bulls, Spurs.
On the Verge: Celtics, Clippers, 76er's, Magic, Nuggets, Jazz, Hawks.
Pretenders: Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, Rockets, Trail Blazers.
No Chance: Toronto, Cleveland, Grizzlies, Jazz, Warriors.
When's the draft?: Hornets, Kings, Suns, Bobcats, Wizards, Pistons, Nets.
Scoring Is Down
You can tell that the lockout has really taken it's toll on the players. The short off-season has really created some low scoring games. If you like games that end up in the hundreds, this isn't the season for you. Players are getting really tired, really quickly. Teams sometimes have to play three nights in a row. Tired players = low scores. It's really that simple.
There is a Great Game Every Night
The condensed schedule has caused low scoring games, but there is almost always a great game on every night. In a regular NBA season we would be lucky to get two huge games within a week. Now, there are literally two worthwhile games being player every night. For example take a look at this Sunday. In the earlier games on ABC there is a double header which features two games with playoff implications. First you have the Mavericks and the Knicks, then you have the Magic taking on the Heat. What a day! As the late Billy Mays said, "But wait! There's more!" Later that night, the night cap pits the Nuggets and the Thunder in a Western conference stand off. That's three great games that would be weeks apart in a regular season. So if you hear the the NBA is on, you better tune in.
The Playoffs are Wide Open...
Honestly, with how the season has gone so far, I wouldn't be so surprised if this year's playoffs are just like the NHL's. If you don't follow the NHL let me clue you in. The NHL is notorious for teams barely making it into the playoffs then absolutely catching fire once they get there. With the condensed schedule in the regular season and the wide open schedule in the playoffs, once teams get rest they could be completely different. When it gets to be playoff time, it will be any given team on any given night. Plus, the race will be close down the stretch this year. Hold on to your hats folks, this is going to be a wild ride!
...But There Still Isn't Much Parody
Let's face it folks, in the past fifteen years there have probably been seven different teams to win the championship. With my guess out of the way, let's check the stats:
Dallas Mavericks - 2011
Los Angeles Lakers - 2010, 2009, 2002, 2001, 2000
Boston Celtics- 2008
San Antonio Spurs- 2007, 2005, 2003, 1999
Miami Heat- 2006
Detroit Pistons- 2004
Chicago Bulls- 1998, 1997
I'm shocked I was really able to guess that...Wow...Sometimes I scare myself! Seven was really the first number that came to mind! Anyway, back to this season. The NBA has always been a monopoly and what is going to change that. If you look at my list of contenders the only teams that are not in contention and have won a championship or haven't won a championship are the Celtics, Pistons, and the Thunder. So what makes you think that is going to change? Nothing. So let's just sit back and enjoy what is the NBA. The All-Star game is only a few weeks away and then the season really picks up.
So who do I have in the Finals now? As of right now, I feel the Thunder are the best team in the league and they will take on the Bulls in June (only if Rose comes back healthy!).
Thanks for reading!
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