Archive for the ‘Western Conference’ Category

Mehmet Okur as he injures his Achilles (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Bam! In one moment Utah Jazz’s chances in these playoffs went from bad to worse.

Mehmet Okur went down in the opening game of the Jazz playoffs series against the Denver Nuggets. The tear in his left Achilles tendon was the result of Okur’s drive to the basket where he awkwardly twisted his left leg and collapsed to the floor.

Jazz are already operating with a depleted roster; while they await for Andrei Kirilenko’s return, Okur’s play will be sorely missed as they try to take on the energetic  Nugget’s squad.

What will Jerry Sloan’s overachieving squad do now? At full strength, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and the rest of the team can still prove to be a formidable opponents for the likewise wounded Nugget’s that are playing without George Karl.

It will be interesting to see how Jazz execute without Okur, who could spread the floor with this outside shooting and will that force Sloan to play Kyrylo Fesenko or Kosta Koufos?

Sloan is likely to go small and insert Paul Millsap into the lineup, but this doesn’t look like a long term fix for Jazz’s woes. They need Andrei Kirilenko back, a lanky body to protect the basket, make some steals and start the fast break.

No matter what happens, we know that Sloan can get more out of players than any other coach in the league. Yes, maybe he’s as good as Phil Jackson. Sloan never coached anyone like Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. Let’s give credit where credit is due.

Western Conference

(1) L.A. Lakers vs (8) Oklahoma City
In what would have been otherwise easy series for Lakers, the late season slumps will most definitely translate into a grueling series against an up-and-coming Thunder. Only Lakers unraveling at the seams propel Thunder into the second round. However, I take Lakers due to their home court advantage. Will Kobe Bryant’s finger be an issue?

(2) Dallas vs (7) San Antonio
This one is tricky, just because of the disparity between the second and seventh team in the West is so miniscule, any of those teams has a good chance to move on to the next round.

Mavs midseason acquisitions of Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson bolster their already solid offense. Haywood is the kind of center that Mavs haven’t had in a long time and look for him to be the difference maker.

Spurs have championship experience and they’ve been here time and time again. Gregg Popovich will find a way for his team to win, the question is are Mavs too strong this time around.

I don’t see how Mavs who have the home court advantage and have beaten the Spurs 3-1 in the season series will lose this one. But I wouldn’t totally count out the chances for an upset.

(3) Phoenix vs (6) Portland
Brandon Roy is out for the first round and he isn’t the only injured Trail Blazer. Any way, Blazers are too banged and are missing too many pieces to win this one. Phoenix is playing too well to lose. Nothing here indicates that Blazers will be able to win more than one game in this series.

(4) Denver vs (5) Utah
This would have been a great series if both teams were at full strength. Jazz have four starters that are either battling or are out with injuries: Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilineko.

AK-47 is the x factor in this series. If he comes back from his calf injury and will do a decent job guarding Carmelo Anthony, then Jazz will definitely pull what would be only listed on paper as an upset. Denver isn’t the same team that challenged the Lakers last year, unless Kenyon Martin returns at full strength and they play well under Adrian Dantley while George Karl is out.

What’s new: Tracy McGrady is unhappy with his situation in Houston. Really? It only took 5 years and now it looks like the time to dismantle the duo of Yao Ming and T-Mac. And only if it would have lasted…

There are players that go from team to team and bring success everywhere they go. Even Vince Carter, T-Mac’s cousin, brought more to the teams he played on than McGrady ever did.

Even though McGrady technically did advance into the second round of the playoffs, he did so on a technicality of being on the injured reserve list of the 2008-2009 Houston Rockets that beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, but eventually lost to Los Angeles Lakers who would become champions that year.

Maybe it’s McGrady’s faith to be matched with perennially losing teams that never do much in the playoff and then one day he will be trade, much like Kevin Garnett, to a contender and win the big one. Yet, that remains to be seen because much more deserving players have never had their chance at a championship ring.