After watching Opening Day in this short but sweet NBA Season, many interesting thoughts are dancing in our heads, and like itchy algae of the brain, we scratch our opinions into a new edition of NBA Throw-Up.
The Knicks are the team to beat in the Atlantic Division. Say what you will about Boston's established chemistry, the upcoming addition of all-star Paul Pierce, the bright edition of Brandon "Delicious" Bass, or Rondo's emergence as the Celtics' leader, they simply aren't going to win as many games as the New Yorkers. There are a few NBA cities that are feeling the excitement of a promising new basketball season, cities that haven't felt this way in a long time, and New York is among them (Minneapolis is also). With a full season (or semi-full, what with the lockout taking its toll) ahead of them to hammer out the details, to determine an ideal rotation, and get to injured guys back into the mix (we all know that when Baron Davis feels the pressure of a good situation, he tends to rise to the occasion), the Knicks should find themselves on par, if not above the Boston Celtics in the final playoff seeding. With a serious lack of front-court depth, the Boston team of leprechauns are finally poised to fall out of contention. The Knicks, on the other hand, are heading in a different direction. Lead by Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, the boys from Manhattan have all the upside, and while they might not be able to overcome the powerhouse Heat or Bulls, the Knicks are knocking on all the right doors, while Boston will be holding on for dear life like an elderly geezer water-skiing.
The Dallas Mavericks looked bad. And not just bad. The Mavs looked really bad. In their 105-94 loss to the Miami Heat, only Jason Terry showed the heart and drive that made Dallas the champions we've all grown so fond of (unless you haven't). Dirk Nowitzki looked a step slow all night, and for a guy who plays a step slow anyway, this additional slow step is an early season concern. Certainly Germany's darling will find his way back to elite greatness, because that's what he is, but with reports of him taking three months away from basketball and exercise, the guy looked somewhat scrawny and awkward out there, more so than we've come accustomed to. And while Dirk isn't the guy to worry about, as we should all expect him to find his game in a relatively short span of early season games, it's the rest of the Mavericks that gave me the worry worms deep down in my guts. Jason Kidd is set to turn 39 in March. After giving Dallas everything during the playoffs last year, is it possible that he's slipped into a mental ease of dedication? Lamar Odom will become a reliable force for Dallas, but he's not the defensive anchor that Tyson Chandler was. Brendan Haywood isn't either (in fact, Brendan Haywood might just be the worst starting center in the Western Conference). Vince Carter doesn't even like basketball all that much, and his attitude will certainly affect his playing time, as it appears Vince is already on some sort of leash held by Coach Rick Carlisle. It's going to be a long season, one full of bumps for the champs. If they hope to repeat some of their success from last year, they'll need to figure some things out, things that at this point seem to be completely mysterious and potentially improbable.
The Miami Heat are still the villains of the NBA. Regardless of how people perceive Kris Humphries, Miami and their monopoly of guys named Dwyane or LeBron can't escape the hate. We've noticed James trying his darndest to smile into the camera, to wish us a Merry Christmas, to create whisperings of how he's a real stand-up guy, of how he loves Ohio and loves people everywhere, and of how he just wants to be our friend. Tough break, sinister LeBron. You made your bed, now you sleep on it. You don't want basketball fans to hate your guts? Maybe you shouldn't have quit on Cleveland. Maybe you shouldn't have formed a super-core super-team with your pals. Sure, it's all good for you to do whatever you want in free agency, that's your right as a businessman (because as the players reiterate pretty constantly, the NBA IS a business. But don't come crying to Jim Grey or Michelle Tafoya about how it's unfair that everybody hates your guts, because like love, or fear, or excitement, hate and dislike are organic feelings that occur through a process of logical brain-chemistry. And although LeBron and his Heat teammates are heavy favorites to win it all next spring, it won't be James's championship like it would have been in Cleveland. It'll be like NSYNC winning a Grammy. Manufactured success, the kind that makes people angry. The kind that breeds negativity. LeBron can try as hard as he wants to get us back. He can make the "sincere" commercials that he's suddenly so fond of. He can do charity work until his thumbs fall off. But that guy ditched his chances to be one of the noble greats. And the NBA is a better place because of it. We all love to hate in sports, and thanks to James, we have as huge of a target to aim our disdain towards as any I can ever remember.
It sure was strange watching Kobe Bryant fumble away the victory that seemed almost in hand for his Lakers against the Bulls. Up by 6 with under a minute to go, the Lakers looked poised to win the season opening against Derek Rose and the defending number 1 of last year's Eastern Conference. Luol Deng missed the next shot for the bulls, and a defensive rebound would have sealed the deal, but Deng wasn't blocked out and he got the offensive board and quickly put in a bucket near the hoop. To make matters worse, Pau Gasol (who had a poor game with only 14 points and 8 rebounds on lousy percentages) fouled Deng for a 3-point play which Luol converted. Lakers lead cut in half to 3. After running some clock, the Lakers ended the following possession with a Bryant miss which was collected by Deng. In some sort of foolish attempt to take possession away from Luol, Kobe fouled the Bulls' forward, and with Los Angeles in the penalty, it stopped the clock and gave Chicago two free points (as Deng converted on both free throws), cutting the lead down to one. Next came the real head scratcher. With Kobe receiving the ball near the mid-court sideline, he picked up his dribble and stood still for a few moments, expecting a foul. When he suddenly realized that the Bulls were trapping him, he panicked and tried to pass it to Gasol, who was as surprised as the rest of us. Deng was right there to slap the pass away and grab possession for the steal. As the final seconds ticked away, Chicago got the ball to its leader, Rose, who hit an incredibly difficult shot in the lane to take the lead. With one final chance, Bryant dribbled the ball down the court, and forgetting that he had teammates, took the shot into 3 Bulls defenders, getting his attempt at victory blocked with ease by Deng. A very entertaining finish to a great game, it was all the right moves by Deng and all the wrong ones by Bryant that delivered Chicago a 1-0 record.
The Clippers have the depth to make some noise in the playoffs. As long as they can stay healthy, and if they can develop the team-first chemistry needed to win, something that a guy like Chris Paul is an expert in creating, the Clips of Los Angeles have the pieces to succeed THIS SEASON. The Western Conference is as up-in-the-air as ever, and as a result we're poised for an extremely entertaining campaign on the horizon. The clear-cut favorite from most experts is Oklahoma City, but right behind them it's a shifty free-for-all. Dallas, the champs, lost key contributors (Chandler, Stevenson, Barea, and even Peja) and brought in a lesser talented import of players. While watching them play basketball against Miami, I noticed Brian Cardinal, airballing a three pointer, playing 14 minutes, and I thought to myself, this is not the recipe for winnings basketball. But anyway, alongside Dallas in the wide-open West are the Spurs, who are a year older (and they were old as hell last year). The Grizzlies are about as talented as the rest, but lack the winning experience that most think is necessary to go to the Finals. The Lakers are suddenly in disarray, and their talent isn't what it used to be. Portland is always a candidate to surprise some folks, and if they can finally stay healthy they might be able to make a rumble in Rip City. And right in with this group sits the Clippers. With brainy veterans Paul and Chauncey Billups running the show for Los Angeles, I wouldn't put it past them to challenge the Thunder (or whomever it may be) for the Western Conference Title.
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