The West is getting hotter

For the few loyal readers who've been checking in from time to time to see if I've updated, thank you! And although obviously lacking in timely content, I hope that you do find something of merit on here. As I've found out over the past few months, the blog is definitely easy to start, hard to maintain.


So let's dive right into the heart of the matter. It doesn't take an expert to notice that the Western Conference is just stacked, more so than before.

Currently, there's 9 teams easily above .500 and in the playoff hunt.

Utah and Houston who remained quiet in the first half of the season are suddenly on fire.

The Rockets have a scorching 11 game win streak going, with T-Mac looking more and more like a leader. Yao is more physical in the post than years past, and this makes it easier for guys on the perimeter.

Utah has put up an impressive run of their own winning 8 of their last 10. Their offense has always had good chemistry and with Mehmet Okur back in the line-up, they're rejuvenated. He's one of the best shooters in the league, and that naturally creates more room for his teammates to operate.

One thing to note with both teams is their toughness, both inside and out. They have shooters, guys who can dish out the ball, and guys who can finish strong in the paint, both in transition and in a half-court set.

When you're playing great basketball, everyone is on the same page. No hesitation in passing a ball to an open teammate. No hesitation in taking the ball to the rack. You can see it in the Rockets and the Jazz right now. They're playing great ball. And their bound to upset one of the elite teams in the playoffs.

In the East, looks like the Celts are still gathering themselves with a 3 game losing streak with an ailing Kevin Garnett.

The equation for the Celtics is quite simple. When the three stars align, the C's win. Granted Kevin Garnett is still recovering from injury, Boston didn't establish their tempo in their three defeats against Golden State, Denver, and Phoenix. Obviously, those three teams mentioned all have a game plan that focuses more on offense than defense. And when teams aren't ready,
they're capable of taking down giants, as Golden State has already demonstrated in last season's playoffs.

Lebron is getting some help with the addition of Delonte West, Ben Wallace, and Wally Szerbiak. Interesting to see what sort of chemistry they develop. Funny thing is, when good players land on the same team, they become inspired by each other's presence.

Same story everywhere this season.

After the Gasol trade was official, Kobe had a monster game that night. Shaq's first game as a Sun against the Lakers, got another beast awakened in Amare Stoudamire. The dude had 37 points and 15 boards! So it's likely, Lebron might get some boost in energy from his new teammates.

Plenty more NBA to watch before anything is certain though.

The Lakers have the most potential. The Spurs still have the trophy in their hands.

For all we know, the Pistons may end up in the Finals again. They must be like the New England Patriots of the NBA. When all is said and done, they're usually in the hunt for a title.

So how do you like my stream of consciousness style posting? Hate it? Well too bad. It's not as bad as watching the Knicks versus the Clippers for example.

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For the few people that check back on here to see if I've updated, thank you! I see you. I promise to bring back some more interesting analysis in the near future....

Game Analysis: Suns @ Lakers

Key Laker players:

Andrew Bynum. He posted a career-high of 28 points on 11/13 shooting, with 12 rebounds. Don't forget that he's only 20 years old. Can anybody recollect the last time, a 20 year old center was this dominant? Obviously he still needs improvement on defense, but his offensive abilities are way beyond his years. Going toe-to-toe with Amare Stoudamire is no easy task. He catches impossible alley-oops with his tremendous wingspan, is one of the leading offensive rebounders in the game (he had 8 this game), and passes excellent through a double team. Another notable stat is that he's second in total dunks, and gets 98% of his points in the paint.

Derek Fisher. He's playing arguably some of his best basketball. He finished with 19 points on 7/15 shooting. He has one of the most reliable jump shots in the league. People forget he was the third leading scorer during LA's championship run. He is a stabilizing force both on and off the court. One can make the case that he has lead by example for this young Lakers squad. The confidence and poise of this veteran is seemingly rubbing off.

Kobe Bryant. He forced the Lakers' front office to make personnel changes. When it counts, he does it. He had a monster game with 38 points on 12/20 shooting and 7 assists in this game. With the opposition now having to worry about the other Laker players on the court, his game is more potent than ever. His elevation is the best it's been in years, making people forget that he completed knee surgery before this season. The difference between this season and previous ones is that his teammates are now making their shots, which means he'll be more generous about passing the ball. He had 7 assists in the game.

Trevor Ariza. The undoubted catalyst of this revived Laker team. Started this game. Attacks the rim with reckless abandon. He put a monster dunk over Grant Hill in transition that rocked the crowd. His individual defense and anticipation is excellent. Jackson is so confident in his defensive abilities that during this game, he was seen guarding several bigs, including Shawn Marion, Brian Skinner, and Amare Stoudamire. I wouldn't be surprised if he makes an all-NBA defensive team in the coming years with increased minutes.

Lamar Odom. Unselfish as ever. He didn't have his best shooting night in this game only converting 6/18, but he still has the ability to create his own shots when the Laker offense gets stagnant. A reliable defensive rebounder, and definitely not afraid to dive for loose balls. He can fill the lanes as well as shoot the three ball.

Team Breakdown: Dallas Mavericks

Observations from the December 18 ESPN broadcast of Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks.






















Offense

Talent: Same personnel. Same offensive firepower. Individually, still one of the most talented squads in the league. Josh Howard and Jason Terry are off to good starts, averaging 21.9 and 16.4 ppg, with both stars shooting close to 50% from the field. Dirk is making a conscious effort to post up more. Devin Harris is lightning quick to the rack, but still needs a more reliable jumper.

Quality of Shots: Not so good. A lot of shots are forced. They still don't have a consistent low-post threat. Dirk is drifting in and out of the low block, and the other players are just standing around, waiting for him to be the man. During most of the game, the Mavs were dominating individually, but in the closing minutes of the game, their lack of a fluid offense was exposed, as the Suns stormed back from a 14 point deficit to close to one. The quality of shots seemed to drop significantly, especially without a go-to guy.

Defense

Individual: Not as menacing as in the prior season. Terry, Howard, and Harris were swarming opponents on the perimeter - making it difficult to get open looks or to make the entry pass into the post. So far this season, that same intensity is lacking. Phoenix's high-throttled offense got to the cup way too easily in this game.

Team: The reason the Mavs were so good last year was because their defensive rotation was outstanding. Along with applying pressure on the perimeter, they would converge in the paint when necessary. This year, they're giving up 98 points on average to the opposition. Consequently, this leads to closer games (point differential is 9th, at +3.53).

Prognosis

To say that they were humbled in their 1st round elimination to the Warriors last season would be an understatement. If Dallas can figure out the right balance of including more of Dirk in the post, without making the offense stagnant (like they did in this game), they should be able to execute better. Most importantly, the collaborative and fiery spirit that characterized last season's 67 regular season wins, is still lacking at both ends of the court. If Avery can get his mojo back, and get the players to understand the team game more, they'll be back in full force. Until then, one can only hope that they'll gain steam as the season progresses just like last year.

Young Ones continue Laker Heritage

Los Angeles - On Sunday, just like how the storm clouds dispersed after several days of rain- the retro unis of the Los Angeles Lakers suddenly seemed as bright as the Southern California sunshine.

The forecast was warm with patches of clouds. The outcome - sunshine with clear blue skies.

In a Heritage Week match-up, the Lakers hosted the Golden State Warriors in front of a packed Staples Center crowd. The Lakers had beat the Warriors in its past 8 meetings. The result of this game was to continue that trend of purple and gold dominance.

The home team pulled out all stops as 7 Lakers scored in double digits and beat the Warriors, 123-113. They extended their win streak against Golden State to 9.

In the first quarter, Baron Davis did what Baron Davis does best - pushing the tempo and unloading from distance. He along with Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis put the Warriors in a good position, scoring 59 at the half and putting them well on track for their league-best of 110 points per game.

But the Lakers seemed content with playing along at this breakneck speed. They would score 60 points by halftime, with a dazzling array of plays from Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar, the core players part of the second youngest team in the league.

The story of the game was Bynum, who established his presence in the paint early on - overpowering the Warriors, and scoring 20 points which tied his career best. He also finished with 11 boards and 5 blocks.

The Warriors proved once again their knack for the fast break and the three point shot, but only converted 8 of 33 taken from beyond the arc. They seemed to lose steam in the second half, as the Lakers' defense applied pressure on the perimeter, forcing the Warriors into tough shots.

Another bright spot for the Lakers was the impressive play from newly acquired small forward, Trevor Ariza. He got significant minutes as Luke Walton did not play due to his recovering injury. He showed flashes of brilliance at both ends, wowing the crowd with his tremendous leaping ability and almost completing a monster dunk on the baseline.

In the fourth, the Warriors were still unrelenting in their offense, but were over-matched on this particular night, as Kobe Bryant's clutch jumpers, Lamar Odom's passing, Derek Fisher's timely three pointers, and Ronny Turiaf's strong post moves, opened up the lead for good.

After the next couple days of rest, the Lakers will be put to the test, as they go to San Antonio to play the defending champion Spurs who own the league's second best record and are 12-0 at home thus far in the season.

Rockets run out of fuel in final minutes

Houston- Two Texas powers clashed in Houston. One churned out a win in an evenly-matched game with playoff intensity.

After an 0-4 skid by the Rockets in the absence of their star player, Tracy McGrady came back from his hyper-extended elbow and sparked a stagnant Houston offense with his confident play-making.

Although Houston led for much of the game, the fourth quarter was highlighted by Brandon Bass's inside play against a slower Yao Ming; propelling the Mavericks to a 9-2 record with a 100-94 road win.

A physical and heated game from the onset, Josh Howard came out strong with 15 points in the first half, displaying his versatility with a smooth outside stroke and speed rare at his height.

The Mavericks, who finished last year's regular season with an NBA best of 67 wins, had trouble getting past the swarming defense of the Rockets. With an enthusiastic Houston home-crowd behind them, the Rocket's defense shined in the half-court as well as in transition, as Dallas players resorted to one-man offensive tactics, with Devin Harris pushing the ball up court and often times forced into a difficult shot. He finished with 22 points.

The score at half-time was 48-47, with the Rockets ahead in a tightly contested first half.

In the 3rd quarter, the Rockets moved the ball efficiently, which lead to wide-open perimeter shots. Shane Battier and Rafter Alston went a combined 6 of 13 from distance, and finished with 12 and 18 points respectively.

At the 5 minute mark in the 3rd, with several sharp passes from McGrady to Yao, the lead was spread to 15, and it looked as though the Rockets had it wrapped up. Yao would end the night with 30 points and 15 rebounds.

But the Mavericks would find their way back into the game, with Brandon Bass's soft touch around the paint, and utilizing his quickness on the slower Yao. Bass had a prolific game with 17 points on 6 of 12 shooting.

In the fourth, Devin Harris's relentless attacks to the basket, combined with several of Dirk's post-up plays, put the Mavericks in a position to strike.

The Rockets' lead in the waning moments of the fourth were wiped out with Jerry Stackhouse's corner three and clutch free throws. This put the Mavericks up and would seal the deal for a Mavs victory.

Until proven otherwise, the Mavericks will be the ones to beat, at least in the regular season.

The Dawn of a New Season

Los Angeles - Summertime is like winter for the NBA season. Those tiny seeds buried in the off-season begin to surface as snow-capped buds at the end of October, and continue their growth until full bloom in June.

Granted, teams will not be in mid-season form until presumably mid-season--the start of the 2007-2008 NBA games are just 4 days away and that gives us enough reason to start celebrating.

Let's briefly take a look at things to look out for.

-Kobe Bryant. He's a man on a mission, but will his venture ultimately be a round-trip to anywhere but a championship contender? If he does leave Los Angeles, he's jetting away on coach, courtesy of Jerry Buss.

- The Boston Big Three. What it do, you may ask? Kevin Garnett is playing in the pre-season like he would be playing for the O'Brien trophy in June. That should be enough to vault them into the East elite.

- Dallas resurgence? I think so. Last year they had the luck of facing the only team that could have possibly knocked them out in the first round. Up until then, they were the ones knocking opponents down like bowling pins, and switching styles up like a cross-dressing hipster.

-Phoenix rising? Boom or bust year for the NBA's sweethearts. A lot of speculation on Grant Hill's impact on this team. I say it's marginal, if they still think they can outrun opponents come playoff time.

-Enough fight in the Bull? Heralded rookie, Joakim Noah makes his debut. Ben Wallace gets his head-band back. Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich will be running the show. And Luol Deng is the heart and soul of this team. Chi-town has something (not named Air) to root for again. They are certainly wild cards in the East.

- Motor (City) running again? Yes. The usual ballers (Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince) will be hungrier after being embarrassed by Lebron James in the East Finals last year. One look at their roster tells you they're still in serious contention for a Finals berth, with big bodies like Nazr Mohammed, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson doing the dirty work. I'm looking forward to their comeback this year.

- Sleeper Picks? The Toronto Raptors showed some promise with their late-season run last year. They are still relatively young, but they can be a legitimate force in the East if they continue building on last year's effort.

-The Rest? The defending champs, San Antonio Spurs will be in the thick of things when it matters. They should cruise their way into the playoffs with a #3 seeding. The Jazz, led by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer will have plenty to prove this year amongst the stacked West powers. The Cavs made their fluke Finals appearance last year by taking down the Detroit behemoth, but they'll need more than just fireworks from Lebron James to take it to the next level.


So that about wraps it up for my pre-season discussion. Questions and comments are always appreciated. Hope you'll enjoy this upcoming season as much as I will! And don't forget, offense starts on defense.