Saturday, December 14, 2013

The Good, Bad, and the Ugly: NBA

     Now that the NBA season is almost a 1/3 the way through, here are some of the bigger stories and surprises of the season so far.

The Good
     The Pacers are establishing themselves as the team that can challenge Miami, and they aren't afraid to get into the 2 time champions face, and get aggressive.  Not only that, they also look like a team that has begun to gel together, and are playing comfortable with one another.  If they can stay healthy and somehow get home court in the playoffs over the Heat, they could see themselves in the Finals in June.
     The Trailblazers have jumped out to an early division lead over OKC, and seem to have the youth and energy to carry them to a top seed in the playoffs.  Which is going to be tough in the Western Conference, with so many teams emerging, such as Phoenix, and the Clippers, and the Warriors, and Houston, it will be a rigid run to the playoffs.
     The Nuggets have impressed their fans with their play, and Brian Shaw seems to be getting everyone on the same page.  Plus, strong bench play from Mozgov, and Nate Robinson has certainly helped.

The Bad
     Almost the entire Eastern Conference.  When the division leaders aren't even at .500, you know your in a 2nd rate conference.  The Brooklyn Nets are finding out that money can't buy chemistry on the court, Derek Rose is injured once again, and has serious questions about his playing career, and Boston is rebuilding.  Fan expectations for these teams should be set real low for the next few seasons.

The Ugly
     New York Knicks, it seems that Carmelo Anthony is tired of playing in New York, and with no coach to guide them, the Knicks are looking like they are going to be shooting for a lot of balls in the NBA draft lottery.  So much talent but no leadership on that roster, it's truly disappointing.  Hopefully the Knicks can open up some salary cap space and sign some Free Agents as they look for someone else to be the face of the franchise, because Melo's selfishness is shining bright under all those lights.

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