After a summer of dizzying player movement, it’s now a bit of a challenge trying to make predictions for an upcoming National Basketball Association campaign when you hardly know which players make up each of the 30 team rosters. The unknown impact of the pairings of star players exist all … Read more
The second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs was every bit as good as the first round was bad, with two stirring Game Sevens and two other series many thought would go seven. I have to admit to being very surprised at three of the four surviving teams, as evidenced … Read more
There’s a basketball cliche that states “a playoff series doesn’t start until the home team loses a game.” While I’m not down with that one, it’s become clear that “the NBA Playoffs don’t start until the first round ends.” After a mostly lackluster first round of action where only the … Read more
Let’s try this again. In this space 12 of the 16 playoff participants were accurately predicted and five of those teams were correctly seeded. However, the Orlando Magic were picked here to finish dead last in the Eastern Conference but ended up qualifying for the post-season as the 7th seed. … Read more
Fans of the NBA endure one of the shorter off-seasons in professional sports, yet it seems like the longest. But the final cuts have been made, the rosters are set (for now) and the 2018-19 NBA season is here. As usual, the number of real championship contenders can be counted … Read more
For the fourth consecutive year, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will represent their conferences in the NBA Finals. It’s a safe bet that the two combatants are every bit as weary of playing against each other on this stage as many fans are of the matchup, but … Read more
To date, twelve of the sixteen teams that qualified for the 2018 NBA Playoffs have been eliminated. Of those twelve, zero had a legitimate shot at representing their conference at the NBA Finals next month, let alone winning the championship. Of the four remaining teams, one is the defending champion … Read more
OK, so that went well. First-round predictions included Western Conference 3rd-seeded Portland over 6th-seeded New Orleans in six games. So of course, Rajon Rondo reverts to yesteryear and the Trailblazers not only lose, but get swept. Then Oklahoma City loses to Utah in a series where the reluctant third member … Read more
For most of the 2018 NBA playoff participants, it’s now time to inactivate the cruise control button–in most cases in effect since early March–and get serious. After about a six-week hiatus, the games count again. Only a handful of teams in the Western Conference got to experience playoff-level intensity at … Read more
The NBA’s Western Conference is widely viewed as the league’s bully, and solidified its reputation by adding four former Eastern Conference All-Stars to its rosters during the summer of 2017. Despite the reputation, however, the West has only won half of the last six NBA championships (thanks largely to Lebron … Read more
