With the NFL just getting out of our veins, sports fans are lukewarmly turning their attention to the NBA. Sundays that were filled with grid iron greatness will now be replaced by the nationally televised NBA double header. To kick off their reintroduction to the world, the NBA will host it's annual All Star event this weekend in the Big Easy, culminating with the game itself Sunday night. Whether you are a passer by...looking to keep your basketball pulse until March Madness, or a casual fan that prefers football, but will tune in when it's over...we'll get you caught up on the first half of 2013-14 NBA season.
The Miami Heat:
Outside of the first place Indiana Pacers, there is virtually no threat to the Heat and their quest for a fourth straight Eastern Conference Title. Indiana and Miami have separated themselves, and...barring a catastrophic injury...should finish 1 and 2 in the standings....setting up another epic Eastern Conference finals showdown.
The Wild Wild West:
The Western Conference is it's usual dog fight, with Oklahoma City and San Antonio leading the pack. The West can be summed up by three playoff races....as the conference is divided into three clear tiers....The seed contenders, the playoff contenders, and the lottery contenders. OKC and San Antonio...barring any more injuries, should secure a top 4 seed and home court advantage in the first round of this year's playoffs. The race for the other two spots is fierce...and wide open. Houston, The LA Clippers, and Portland (currently 3rd, 4th, and 5th,) have started to separate themselves, and are all basically tied record wise. One thing's for sure, whoever finishes 4th will have a tough opponent in the first round. The second tier of teams have also started to separate themselves from the third, and are in a fierce dog fight for the final three playoff spots. Dallas, Phoenix, Golden State, and Memphis (currently 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th) are all playing well, and are all within two games of each other with approximately 30 or so to go. The third tier of teams are fighting for lottery ping pong balls...and a stud college freshman.
So I'll digress.
Big Market Meltdown:
If last week is any indication, the NBA is in a real tough spot this spring. It's biggest markets (New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia) boasts some of the worst teams in the league this year. These games were scheduled way in advance, and with no flex scheduling that I can think of, we may be forced to watch a 20 win team get throttled Sunday after Sunday.
Point Well Taken:
This has been, by far, the year of the point guard....and for all the wrong reasons. Several high profile point guards (Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, Mike Conley, Deron Williams) have all missed considerable time due to injury. And that's not even counting Kobe, who can technically be listed because he runs his team's offense. With the exception of Rose, all should be back at some point to finish the season.
Trade Deadline:
With so many bad teams, and so much projected first round talent coming up in the draft, look for cellar dwellers to maybe ship off a veteran or two to a contender to position themselves. More importantly, we all know this is the year LeBron can opt out of his deal. What teams will do what to position themselves for a crack at King James? Something to look out for.
Enjoy the All Star festivities, and the rest of the season. follow @plcolter
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