Its March 19th, 2011, and the NBA Playoffs are about a month away. To me, this news is always bittersweet, naturally excited to see who will be named champion, but also sad to be left without basketball until next fall. However, this season, a new feeling is added to the mix: confusion.
Though the current rankings are as follows (Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers for the East and San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, New Orleans Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies for the West), I cannot imagine that with all the recent trades and variety in schedules from one team to the next, by the time the Playoffs come around, things will be the same. As surprising as some of these standings already are, they may just get even more wild.
Starting with the East, for one, its hard for me to believe that the Indiana Pacers are going to make the cut, even as the eighth seed. I can easily see either the Charlotte Bobcats or the Milwaukee Bucks surpassing them, and with good reason. The Pacers aren't necessarily a bad team, though personally I find their rhythm dull, but they aren't Playoff material. Playoff teams need to possess superstars and experience and for now I would argue that the Pacers would have a hard time making a case for either. While TJ Ford may have some time under his belt, his scoring average has taken a plunge, and newbie Tyler Hansbrough simply can't lead his team to victory alone. In a few years the Pacers may be able to call themselves worthy, but for right now, I just don't see it. (On that same note, I can certainly see the New York Knicks overtaking the Philadelphia 76ers, as long as Carmelo Anthony makes as much of an impact as expected, but it'll be a close and unpredictable race).
Second of all, as much as it breaks my heart to say this, I can imagine the Boston Celtics overtaking the Chicago Bulls for the number one spot. The Bulls have the talent, and the desire, and they are no stranger to the offseason, but nevertheless still seem to struggle with confidence. Fortunately, since the coaching staff changed from Vinny Del Negro to Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls have taken a positive step forward in controlling their emotions, but yet cannot shake the problem of playing down to competition (their performance last night in Indiana being a prime example). So although the Bulls' record is already much improved, and up to par with that of the Celtics', one must leave room for a handful of winnable losses to come in the future. (Similarly, I could easily see the Miami Heat slipping in the rankings, having a chaotic first season with the newly assembled squad, in my opinion only currently being saved due to the Orlando Magic not taking full advantage of their depth.)
In relation to the West, though many may disagree, I actually don't see the LA Lakers making it to number one. True they have been on a better path since the All-Star break but they just aren't as composed as they have been in previous years. And although, and I mean this with no disrespect, I find the San Antonio Spurs to be frightfully boring to watch, they are currently unstoppable. They aren't concerned with being plastered across SportsCenter; they have no fancy footwork and they make no out of pocket comments. They simply stick to the basics and the basics get them there. Do I see them taking it all? No. But they are certainly not to be slept on.
A place change I do see taking place however is the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Personal bias and desire aside, I truly believe that the Thunder can overpower the Mavs, especially with the addition of Kendrick Perkins to the lineup. They have fresh feet, by way of a young team, drive, being lead by the genius of Kevin Durant, and are only 2.5 games behind the Mavs. There is no doubt that both of these teams will make it but only time and performance will tell in what order.
As a disclaimer for my last point, I must say I have only seen the Memphis Grizzlies play once or twice this season, and also want to add that I'm a huge Rudy Gay fan. However, with that said, I simply cannot accept that the Utah Jazz, even after losing both Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams (well and a handful of other players to none other than my Bulls), will be shut out of the race by them. The Jazz have been far too big a threat in the West to be denied and I am confident that as long as no other major changes take place, they will pull ahead.
The way I see things the Boston Celtics will take the one seed for the East followed by the Chicago Bulls, the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat, the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Milwaukee Bucks, while the San Antonio Spurs lead the West, with the LA Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trailblazers, the New Orleans Hornets and the Utah Jazz, behind them.
The one-month countdown begins now.
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