Monday, April 28, 2014

NBA Playoff's have been great. Except....



  The first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs have been absolutely fantastic!  The games have been what every NBA fan could hope for.  And to be completely honest the games should be the story, but unfortunately they are not.  The league is mired in controversy thanks to the ignorance of one "entitled billionaire"  While I have my opinion and share the opinion as many others, I am not going to let this buffoon ruin my love for the NBA or the Playoffs.  Adam Silver will handle his business and I will wait for his decision.

  So lets move on.....

  Lets talk about how great the Playoffs have been thus far.  There have been 7 overtime games already!  There have only been a couple of blowouts and only one series that has been dominated by one team.  There has been drama and excitement in every series.  This is why I watch playoff basketball.  Lets run down the series.

Dallas Maverick vs. San Antonio Spurs-

  This is the best series no one is watching.  For the basketball purist, this series has been a lot of fun.  These two team are the two "old men" teams at the Y or the Rec center that have played together since the dinosaurs walked the earth!  The execute you to death, play good defense and can flat out shoot.  At one point in game two, I watch Jose Calederon hit 4 straight jumpers from the left elbow, all pure.  But that was to be overshadowed by Vince Carter turning back the clock and hitting an unbelievable 3 in the corner for the win.  Right after Manu Ginobli had given the Spurs the lead on a great drive to the basket.  Fantastic series!

Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers-

  This is a bad match-up for the Pacers.  The Hawks penetration and kick game has been unstoppable.  Jeff Teague has shown his superior speed and quickness and has given Indiana fits.  The Pacers Roy Hibbert is having a complete melt down and Lance Stephenson just wants to dribble the ball for the entire 24 seconds on the shot clock.  To be honest the Pacers are such a mess I find myself pulling for the Hawks and the upset to see how "Larrry Legend" handles things and if he blows up that team.

Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors-

  This one is going to come down to will....period!  The series is tied 2-2 with both teams having one a road game.  These teams don't like each other and it has been chippy at times.  Paul Pierce did what Paul Pierce does in the playoffs, he closed out game one for the Nets in Toronto.  This series has a bit of a "David vs Goliath" feel to it and Toronto is giving Brooklyn everything they can handle.  Deron Williams really has been a non-factor in the series thus far.  Game four he was held to 10 pts.  If the Nets want to move on Williams will have to be much better and play up to the contract that he received.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder-

  This series has been interesting.  The series is ties 2-2 but could very well be 3-1 for either team.  There have been a number of 4 point plays in this series and some really boneheaded plays to close out games by Tony Allen.  Luckily for him, the Grizz have been able to hold on.  3 of the 4 games in this series alone have gone to overtime!  Gotta love bonus basketball!  Now we have a 3 game series and if it is anything like the first 4, you would be wise to tune in.

Los Angles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors-

  This series is tied at two games a piece but would likely be 3-1 for the Clips had Sterling joined the 21st century.  I can't even call him an owner or Mr. he does not deserve even that consideration.  No one can tell me that this won't be a major distraction for the Clippers the remainder of the playoffs, regardless of Adam Silver's investigation.  Here is a team that had a legitimate chance of making the finals and now who knows where their heads will be.  This will be the ultimate test for Doc Rivers and his staff to get these kids refocused on the task at hand.  Best of luck to the Clips.

Charlotte Bobcats vs. Miami Heat-

  Gotta be honest here, I had hoped that the Cats could give Miami a little better series.  But with Big Al's injury that just wasn't going to happen.  Give it to the big fella, he is out there battling, but he is not 100% and that is what it was going to take to give Miami a series.  Lebron is doing what Lebron does, leading his team.  Dwayne Wade looks relatively healthy but time will tell.  This was the best first round match-up for the Heat as they won't have to overextend anyone and can continue to nurse their bumps and bruises.

Portland Trailblazers vs. Houston Rockets-

  In my opinion, this has been the most entertaining series thus far.  LaMarcus Aldrige has been amazing scoring 46,43,23 and 29 respectively!  The Rockets have had no answer for him.  James Harden has been ineffective and inefficient in the series.  Game 3 had a game winner by a rookie Troy Daniels playing in his first playoff game! Game 4 was all about grit and toughness.  It went to overtime where the Blazers pulled out a win 123-120.  The series is 3-1 Portland with the Blazers looking to close it out in Houston on Wednesday.

Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls-

  Can't say I saw this one coming!  This series has been all Wiz and their team balance.  The Bulls are known as a defensive juggernaut but they simply can not score.  Mike Dunleavy had an outburst in game 3 scoring 35 pts hitting eight 3 pointers and giving the Bulls their only win of the series.  The Wiz will look to close it out on Tuesday in Chicago.

  This is why we watch.  To watch these incredible athletes compete and give it everything physically possible to give their team a chance.  I love this time of year and am not going to let one moron be the focus of this great game and these great series.

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