Posts Tagged ‘Phoenix Suns’

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.

Something is rotten in the state of Cleveland, and that something is the play of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Six games into the season there is talk already of how their offseason moves are not having the desired effect…make LeBron James want to stay in Cleveland.

Already it looks like the signing of Shaq isn’t working out. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is off to a horrific start in his new role the back-up center.  Role players aren’t performing how they did last year…oh yeah, Delonte West is trouble with the law!

What else can go wrong for a team that was supposed to tear through this season just as a puppy goes through a kid homework?!?

Probably things can get worse for Cleveland if King James declares that he is no longer interested in playing for the Cavs.

What will happen then? What ensues could be the biggest sports story ever…ever. Imagine Michael Jordan declaring that he no longer to play for the Chicago Bulls after they were unable to get past the Detroit Pistons in the late 80’s.

Many people think that LeBron is ready to bolt for New York if things don’t change soon. Well, they could be at least partially right. The chances are slim that LeBron will want to go to a team that is horridly incapable of getting its act together. There must be much better suitors for the King.

If LeBron wants to play for a major market team, New Jersey Nets are positioned more favorably to lure him out of Ohio. Primed to move to Brooklyn (New York), Nets are partially owned by James’ buddy Jay-Z and that can only boost Nets odds. Besides, if LeBron is intent on becoming a serious businessman, then there is nothing better than learning from a really rich guy, Russian steel magnate Mikhail Prokhorov.

What do Cavs do if they want to keep James in town? Well…there is nothing that they can really do. James’ departure would lend itself perfectly to the case of Kevin Garnett wanting out of Minnesota, so that he can have a real chance to win.

As much as athletes like to tout their horn about being loyal to their teams (and in the end their never do), reality is that some teams are naturally predisposed to winning, while others are just trying to emulate them.

Signing Shaq didn’t help the Phoenix Suns. Why should it work any differently for Cavs? Isn’t it obvious that Shaq is no longer the dominant force of old? He had it in him to bring the Miami Heat to the pinnacle of the NBA. No such luck in Phoenix. And as much as I would have loved for Suns to have won one with Shaq on their side, the chances of that happening in Cleveland are slim to none.

Not many people seem to learn from history. Wilt Chamberlain’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers did bring success, but that success wasn’t achieved by Chamberlain alone. And in as much as LeBron might believe that Shaq will be that missing piece of a championship puzzle, reality is sure to prove otherwise. I will then have the last laugh when LeBron gets fed up with Cleveland and bolts for New York…but not the Knicks, but my New Jersey Nets.