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.