Written by: Melissa Harder
The NBA playoffs started this weekend and I
for one am pretty excited because I’m still too despondent to watch anymore
playoff hockey. Luckily, I have the perfect replacement! Here are some thoughts
from a busy basketball weekend:
1. The playoffs will be about 50%
less interesting now that Derrick Rose tore his ACL in the last minute of the
Bulls Game 1 win. We can debate how stupid it was for Tom Thibodeau to leave
Rose in so late with the game in hand but it won’t change the fact that the
Bulls best chance at a championship is now in serious jeopardy.
2. Bulls GM Gar Forman is not the
sharpest tool in the shed – “We’re very optimistic that [Rose] will come
back at 100 percent, 110%.” I don’t even know what to say to that. I’ll let these
guys do it for me.
3. The Miami Heat played their
first game against team rollover a.k.a. the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony is going to
have to put the team on his back if this is to become anything but a quick warm
up for the Heat. But it doesn’t matter. The real gift for the Heat happened
hundreds of miles away with Rose tearing his ACL. Does this injury all but pave the way for the
Heat returning to the NBA Finals?
4. With Rose out, LeBron should be
prepared to field a ton of questions about how easy it should be for him to get
back to the NBA Finals. And if he and the Heat happen to win and hoist the
trophy in June, he should be ready to discuss that he got there without beating
the best. Life’s just not fair, is it LeBron?
5. Who gets the ball with the game
on the line? Kevin Durant makes the case that it should be him. Sure it wasn’t
a true buzzer beater and he got a pretty friendly bounce but that shot
preserved a home court playoff win against the Mavericks.
6. The Orlando Magic started the
trash talk early – “Y’all look real stunned,” Magic centre Glen Davis, yelled
at the crowd as he left the court. “Y’all look real stunned.” They did steal
one on the Pacers court but I bet game 2 will look very different.
7. It looks like the Lakers' Black
Mamba’s quest to tie Michael Jordan six NBA rings will be helped by some
defensive prowess with Andrew Bynum’s astounding triple double complete with an
NBA record 10 blocks.
8. You’ll have to look elsewhere
to find out what happened in the Spurs-Jazz series. Seriously. I just don’t
care about the Spurs. (And yes, I’m aware they are the number 1 seed in the
West).
9. Why, why, why would you ever
bump a referee? Rajon Rondo you should know better and you’ll probably be
suspended for your silly mistake. And the Celtics without their floor leader
are a very different team.
10. I thought Kenyon Martin was
dead but he plays for the Clippers. Who knew? I really miss his pretty red lips
neck tattoo.
11. Here’s what I was writing
during the fourth quarter of a game I thought Memphis had well in hand: Chris Paul may have to take over the game
far earlier than the fourth quarter because the Clippers looked thoroughly outclassed
by the Grizzlies in game 1 (even with their late run to make it look closer
than it actually was). Lob city was foul city with Griffin and Paul combining
for not nearly enough points and a crapload (a legitimate unit of measurement)
of fouls. Here’s what I learned: don’t write your article and bury a team
until the buzzer goes. Wow. What a comeback by the Clippers at one point going
on a 27-1 run in the fourth quarter to stun the Grizzlies on their home court.
12. Shaquille O’Neal I love you
buddy, I really do. How are you so funny in life and so terrible in the studio?
You’re ruining the Kenny Smith/Charles Barkley vibe. Is there such a thing as
studio announcer school? If so, TNT should send you.
13. Derrick Rose is out for the
playoffs. (What you knew that already? Well I’m still really bummed. And it’s
no coincidence that this one’s number 13.)
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Most observers of the NBA have all but already anointed the Miami Heat as the 2013 Eastern Conference Champions. In the West there seems to be more of a competition but the overwhelming opinion has the Oklahoma City Thunder emerging from there to meet the Heat. …
