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For players in the NBA, this is the time of year they play for. For some teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s a chance to show doubters that the last three years were not a fluke. For teams such as the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons, it’s time to show those same doubters that they are the teams to beat, with only a handful of games until the NBA playoffs.
In the east, things look solidified with Detroit at the top and New Jersey, Philadelphia, Indiana and New Orleans rounding out the top five. Going into Sunday, the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic were sixth and seventh with Washington holding the eighth and final spot, as New York and Milwaukee attempt to make a late season run.
Even though the Bucks and Knicks are less than two games behind the Wizards, the possibility of either team making the playoffs looks good. In their remaining games, the Knicks play three teams over .500 with their next to last game against the Wizards. This one game could determine the final spot.
The Bucks play four teams over .500, but with last year’s playoff push turning into a flop for the Bucks, the odds are against them. With the addition of Gary Payton and Desmond Mason, anything could happen for the Bucks.
The only question about seedings in the west is: will the Suns hold on? I believe they can, due to the fact that they have what looks to be a stronger starting five than Houston and with players such as Stephon Marbury – who can be the go-to-guy – and a young presence like Amare Stoudamire who can compete with almost any big man in the NBA, things look promising for the Suns.
Now as far as the conference finals go, in the east, I like Indiana and Detroit. Granted, the Sixers have Allen Iverson and the Nets have experience and a great floor general in Jason Kidd, but the Pacers and Pistons look too strong.
The Pacers are basically the “bad boys” of the NBA. They have a tenacious attitude that they take into every game. Everyone on the starting five was a reject somewhere else. With the mentality of payback and Isiah Thomas as head coach, who played on “bad boy” teams like this in the 90s, they look dangerous.
Detroit has a great defensive presence, especially in the middle, where Ben Wallace can make people pay on the boards or with his shot-blocking ability. In the end I take Indiana.
The west has the usual suspects: Dallas, San Antonio, Sacramento and Los Angeles. After much debate and thinking, the Western Conference final will consist of Dallas and L.A.. The Mavericks have three legitimate 20-point scorers and can bring a fire starter like Nick Van Exel off the bench.
The Lakers are, well … the Lakers. We all know how good they are, and when the playoffs roll around they always step up. With that being said, I take Shaq, Kobe and company over Dallas simply because Los Angeles only cares when it’s playoff time.
Once again, it’s the rematch from the 2000 NBA Finals and it will be the same outcome – a Lakers’ win. But honestly, I think this could be the last one for Los Angeles because players such as Rick Fox, Robert Horry and Shaq are not getting any younger and that can hurt a team big time.
Finally, the MVP award is between Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. After looking at the advantages and disadvantages of each player, the verdict is in – I take Garnett. Kobe has Shaq. McGrady is the scoring leader and a has a balanced team, but when you start getting compared to Magic Johnson and win the All-Star Game MVP such as Garnett has, I can’t go against him.
