I’ve never understood how players could get tired from “Jet Lag” before, and how travel wears on the body until these last two weeks. In those two weeks I’ve gone from California, to Minnesota, to Ohio, then finally from Washington D.C. to California (that flight was NO fun). Throughout the whole trip, I grasped the concept of how all the traveling for games can affect athletes in a whole, especially going between time zones. That also explains my absence from the writing scene as I have not had time to write, but now I’m settled once more, and let the writing commence… again.·
Much has happened in the sports world since I last wrote, and I’m sure you’ve all read articles about them, so let’s not rewind time and have you read them all over again. As of right now, the NCAA tournament is pretty much busted, with Butler and VCU playing in the Final Four, crazy isn’t it? The other two teams are the Kentucky Wildcats, and the UConn Huskies. There isn’t a one-seed left in the tournament, which hasn’t happened since 2006. Then again, the fact that the 11-seeded VCU Rams made the Final Four also draws comparisons to the 2006 tourney, when I’m sure you all remember George Mason making the Final Four (if you don’t know who, or what, check ESPN because they’ve been blowing up the story non-stop). Now enough of the NCAA, we all know it will be Butler and UConn, with Kemba Walker killing the Bulldogs’ season in the championship.
Now off to the NBA, where the veterans get tired, and point guards get overrated. Derrick Rose, clearly the MVP this year solely because no one else is really aiming for the award or is getting as blown up as he is, I mean c’mon, the kid is probably a walking fat head by now. The Chicago Bulls are now two games above the plummeting Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings with the Heat now only two and a half games back as well. The season is coming down the stretch and the East looks like it could be a close one. The bottom of the standings look horrendous though, with the Bucks who are 29-43 STILL in the playoff hunt; there is clearly something wrong with the water on the East coast.·
Now the Western conference is something to be excited about, because with the season winding down, the Lakers are still the two seed! Haters everywhere rejoice, okay enough of that, now the Spurs are still the top seed but seem to be winding down a little too early losing some questionable games. The Spurs are only up four games to the HOT Lakers, with 9 games left for both of the teams, so the top seed is far from secured yet. The Dallas Mavericks are also just one back from the Lakers as well, so they can’t slow down either, and then Oklahoma City is a lock at the four seed as you can’t imagine the Thunder catching up from five and a half games.
The Lakers are the hot commodity since the All-Star break, and you have to wonder if that’ll make the transition to the playoffs. In football the hot team is usually the best bet, but in basketball, all bets are off. Last year the Atlanta Hawks were picked highly to be the “hot” team in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and look what happened to them, I mean sure they got by the Bucks in the first round (7 games), then got plastered by the Magic getting swept out in the second round. In the NBA being the hot team doesn’t necessarily get you anywhere, but with David Stern’s love for big markets, you can never count out the Lakers. What the winning is hiding for their team is the lack of production from their supposed “star power” bench. As of late, the bench seems to be out of sorts, as it has looked to be all season. Steve Blake who was supposed to be a key offseason pickup has struggled with his shot, and Shannon Brown seems to be out of sorts. Odom is the only consistent player on that bench this season.·
Now the sputtering team up in Boston, where the grass is gray on the other side. The starters for the Celtics seem to be playing old, uninspired, and just plain BORED. Last season, at this point the team was shut down due to all of the injuries they seemed to be carrying, but this year, the Big Three seem to want to do that again as they come out and start games way too slow to win. The schedule at the moment is really soft, so the fact that they lost two games in a row in this clutter of games is astonishing. Rajon Rondo seems to be playing well like crap, and he lets it affect his attitude on the court as you can see that he just doesn’t want to play. While the bench is still trying to figure out who is going to play with the reserves, the starters should have their respective games and check, but continue to struggle. If they are hoping for the “on” switch to just come on in the playoffs, they better check themselves because this year, teams are hungry and just won’t back down. If there is hope for an 18th Banner the Celtics need to pick up their play, and finish strong because the Lakers are playing fierce.·
Now last but not least. Derrick Rose, will win the MVP. The question is “why?” and the answer is “he gets all the media attention”. It’s hard not to vote for someone when you have their stats thrown in your face after every game. I’ll admit that Rose is a great player (not necessarily the best point guard though) and he has led this team to where they are right now, but to make comparisons to Air Jordan himself is just a comment best kept to yourself because you will be mocked… a lot. Come playoff time, the Bulls are still too young to get somewhere THIS year, but the year after and down the road are theirs to take. Dear Eastern Conference teams, if you key in on Derrick Rose, and contain him, you will win that game, just good luck doing that for four games in a series.·
With the playoffs in sight, I can not wait for April 17th. The real teams show, and the extremely long preseason is over. Old teams and young teams play once again, and show what they’re made of. Nine games left, to earn your seeds, and make your schedule easier. Good luck to the teams of the NBA…that are still in contention of course.