Around The League: And Down the Stretch They Come

Basketball fans, relax, take a deep breath, and concentrate. This is THE best month for the greatest indoor sport of all time! March Madness is underway and it’s been a fun NCAA tournament. The pro game is also exciting around this time because teams are starting to get in gear to make a run at the playoffs. Aren’t you glad that this is not college football and we don’t have to worry about the politics of the BCS?? It would be hilarious to see the Mavericks and the Spurs and whoever else jockeying for position to win a BCS title. I’ve always said to remove the “C” from “BCS”. When I watch NBA games around this time of year, I see the intensity and that is REALLY why they play the game.

Kevin Durant and Greg Oden are cancerous to pro teams. If you are a Celtics fan, you have to be shaking your head at Danny Ainge. If you haven’t heard, Ainge was spotted sitting next to the family of Kevin Durant during the Big 12 Tournament. The NBA rules clearly state that the contact with a player or his family while he is a college student is a no-no. The NBA turned to the Celtics to collect a $30K paycheck. Durant and the Longhorns took a bow this past weekend from the tournament but he has yet to declare for the NBA draft. In other words, HANDS off!! The same applies for Oden who is currently on his way to the Sweet 16. Bobcats CEO Michael Jordan also made comments pertaining to both players and his team was fined $15K. Every team in the league clearly would like to have those two players but heck, the season isn’t over just yet. My message to the league is simply to enjoy the tournament and its many “shining moments”.

With that out of the way I need to dive into this race for the number one seed in the Western Conference. This year amazes me. For some reason, every good team has had a lengthy streak of some sort this season. The Mavs, Spurs, Suns and even the Cleveland Cavs have been on winning streaks of 8 games or more this season. And doesn’t it seem that bad teams always end those streaks? I know it’s frustrating to the actual teams too because the Warriors, T-Wolves, and Celtics have ended streaks of NBA freight trains. I watched the Mavs/Warriors game last week and it looked like the Warriors could possibly contend for the NBA championship. They exploited the Mavericks and their lack of hustle on that night, and yes I do know that it was the second game of a back-to-back. And did you also know that the Warriors have the Mavericks’ number? With only 11 losses this season, the Warriors have beaten Dallas twice this season. As of today, the Warriors currently hold the eight spot in the hunt for the playoffs setting up a potential Mavs/Warriors first round meeting. Luckily for Dallas, the playoffs begin in late April and not March.

The Spurs haven’t won a game in over a week. Since they beat the Clippers on the 13th, San Antonio has now lost 2 straight after a run of 13 in a row. Phoenix is licking its wounds as well after a possible West Finals preview against Dallas on last Wednesday night. The Suns battled the Mavericks tooth and nail in Dallas before leaving the American Airlines Center with a double overtime victory. Nash and Nowitzki didn’t disappoint either with stellar head-to-head performances. And I don’t want to leave out Amare Stoudemire either. With 41 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, the Suns’ big man could be the key to the Phoenix Suns success for the playoff run.

So the MVP debate lingers on. Nash, Nowitzki, Bryant, and even Duncan are still the front runners to win the Steve Nash award as I call it.

I also want to mention that the Cleveland Cavaliers are sneaking under the radar over there in the East. The hottest team in the NBA has a leader in Lebron James that has been on a tear since the all-star break. Averaging 27 points per game, James and the Cavs are making a push toward the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Move over NBA champs, there is an exciting team making a push to get to the 2007 Finals. With a hair under 20 games Cleveland is right there with the Pistons contending for the number 1 seed in the East. If they make it to that spot, the first round looks promising as they would face the Indiana Pacers. It’s a good thing for the Cavs that they play these games on the court instead of a strip club. If you didn’t get that, shoot me an email.

So fasten your seatbelts boys and girls, the stretch run toward the playoffs will be a fun one!

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