NBA Halfway Point
As I sit here watching the All-Star Game and having seen much of the NBA's All-Star Weekend, there are a few things that I feel need to be said.
Kobe Bryant
During much of the early 2000s, I was not a Kobe fan. In fact, due to his arrogance, I despised him for a while but still found a way to respect his game. I have watched some of his "farewell tour" and must admit, I am a bit sad to see him retire at the end of the season. I agree with the simple statement by Magic Johnson, "There will never be another Kobe." In the post-Michael Jordan era, Kobe was the player who carried the entertainment and the ratings of the league on his back until Lebron James came into the league. Had it not been for Kobe and his style and caliber, the NBA would have gotten lost in a Brady-Manning world. With much respect, I say to Kobe, happy trails and I will miss watching you play.
Minnesota Timberwolves
My favorite part of All-Star Weekend is the individual competitions: Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Contest. The outcomes of these three contests made it seem to me that the Minnesota Timberwolves are a team that is built for beautiful basketball...and for success. With wins in the Skills Challenge (Karl Anthony-Towns) and the Dunk Contest (Zach Levine...not related to Adam) it would seem that Minnesota should be doing well. I was sure surprised when I looked at the standings and saw that the Timberwolves were the third worst in the Western Conference and in the bottom five in the league. My only thought is that maybe they just can't stand up against a defense. Anyhow, I look to see this team improve the remainder of this season and next season. (Also RIP Flip Saunders).
An Improved East
If I remember correctly there were only 3-4 teams on the Eastern Conference last season that were above .500 at the All-Star Break and at the end of the season, three playoff teams didn't have winning seasons. I am happy that all of the top eight in the East are above .500. Notably, the Celtics and Pacers are back in the mix with perpetual favorites Cleveland and Chicago. Though it seems like the West has already been won (or at least it is narrowed down to two or three teams) I find the playoff race in the East to be highly intriguing. I would look for John Wall and the Wizards to make a run in the last part of the season as well as the Charlotte Hornets to finally make it back to the playoffs, their first appearance as the Hornets since 2002 (2 appearances as the Bobcats in 2010 and 2014).
My BOLD Pick
Let me first start off by saying it is looking like another Warriors-Cavs Finals is on the schedule but I will not be surprised if there are a couple surprises that could throw off a lot of predictions.The rising confidence of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan could hit their season's peak at just the right time. I see the Raptors making a deep run in the playoffs and possibly making it to the Finals. From the West, the only team that can really challenge Golden State is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs have a great inside defense but the Warriors play an outside game, a game that Westbrook and the Thunder backcourt can limit. In a seven game series I think the Thunder could find a way to strategically hold the Warriors back from another championship run. My bold (and likely very wrong) prediction is a Raptors-Thunder Finals with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant winning their first NBA Championship under rookie head coach (and a personal favorite) Billy Donovan.
Anything is possible....right?!
Kobe Bryant
During much of the early 2000s, I was not a Kobe fan. In fact, due to his arrogance, I despised him for a while but still found a way to respect his game. I have watched some of his "farewell tour" and must admit, I am a bit sad to see him retire at the end of the season. I agree with the simple statement by Magic Johnson, "There will never be another Kobe." In the post-Michael Jordan era, Kobe was the player who carried the entertainment and the ratings of the league on his back until Lebron James came into the league. Had it not been for Kobe and his style and caliber, the NBA would have gotten lost in a Brady-Manning world. With much respect, I say to Kobe, happy trails and I will miss watching you play.
Minnesota Timberwolves
My favorite part of All-Star Weekend is the individual competitions: Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Contest. The outcomes of these three contests made it seem to me that the Minnesota Timberwolves are a team that is built for beautiful basketball...and for success. With wins in the Skills Challenge (Karl Anthony-Towns) and the Dunk Contest (Zach Levine...not related to Adam) it would seem that Minnesota should be doing well. I was sure surprised when I looked at the standings and saw that the Timberwolves were the third worst in the Western Conference and in the bottom five in the league. My only thought is that maybe they just can't stand up against a defense. Anyhow, I look to see this team improve the remainder of this season and next season. (Also RIP Flip Saunders).
An Improved East
If I remember correctly there were only 3-4 teams on the Eastern Conference last season that were above .500 at the All-Star Break and at the end of the season, three playoff teams didn't have winning seasons. I am happy that all of the top eight in the East are above .500. Notably, the Celtics and Pacers are back in the mix with perpetual favorites Cleveland and Chicago. Though it seems like the West has already been won (or at least it is narrowed down to two or three teams) I find the playoff race in the East to be highly intriguing. I would look for John Wall and the Wizards to make a run in the last part of the season as well as the Charlotte Hornets to finally make it back to the playoffs, their first appearance as the Hornets since 2002 (2 appearances as the Bobcats in 2010 and 2014).
My BOLD Pick
Let me first start off by saying it is looking like another Warriors-Cavs Finals is on the schedule but I will not be surprised if there are a couple surprises that could throw off a lot of predictions.The rising confidence of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan could hit their season's peak at just the right time. I see the Raptors making a deep run in the playoffs and possibly making it to the Finals. From the West, the only team that can really challenge Golden State is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs have a great inside defense but the Warriors play an outside game, a game that Westbrook and the Thunder backcourt can limit. In a seven game series I think the Thunder could find a way to strategically hold the Warriors back from another championship run. My bold (and likely very wrong) prediction is a Raptors-Thunder Finals with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant winning their first NBA Championship under rookie head coach (and a personal favorite) Billy Donovan.
Anything is possible....right?!
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