As of 9PM tonight, it appears that 9 teams in the East and 11 teams in the West are in the 2010 NBA Playoffs picture.
The Cleveland Cavaliers currently lead the NBA with a record of 46-14. They followed their longest losing streak of the season (3 games) by winning 3 games in 4 days. Following them closely in the East are the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks. While Orlando recently defeated the Cavaliers, Boston lost to Cleveland and New Jersey for its current 2 game losing streak. Rounding out the current playoff contenders in the East are the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Charlotte Bobcats. While Dwyane Wade has recently returned to the Heat's lineup, the Raptors await the return of fellow 2003 Draft class star Chris Bosh, who has missed the last 5 Raptors games. The Bucks have climbed into the #7 seed by going 8-2 in their last 10 games (best in the East). This threatens the Bobcats' attempt to make the playoffs for the first time, albeit amidst ownership changes in Charlotte.
In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers lead the way. They trail the Cavaliers for the NBA's best record by 1 game at a mark of 45-15. The Lakers' closest competitors in the West are the Denver Nuggets (whom the Lakers beat earlier today), the Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz. The Dallas Mavericks have strengthened their bid for a high seed and championship run with a recent trade for Washington Wizards players Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson. Currently holding seeds 5 through 8 in the West are the Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Portland Trail Blazers. The New Orleans Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Houston Rockets hang close behind for a chance to play in the playoffs. Like Milwaukee in the East, Oklahoma City has made its plea to be in the playoff picture by going 8-2 in their last 10 games (best in the West). Meanwhile, despite lots of speculation and trade talks, the Suns opted to retain star big man Amar'e Stoudemire for the stretch run. Stoudemire scored 41 points today in a close loss to the Spurs, who beat them by 3 points.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Eight Isn't Enough - Cavs Extend Winning Streak to Nine
True, the Memphis Grizzlies were playing their fourth game in five nights. Yes, these same Grizzlies played the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers last night. Yet, the Grizzlies had defeated the Lakers 95-93 yesterday. Furthermore, they had already beaten the Cavaliers in Memphis earlier this season. Adding to this, the Cavs are still missing Mo Williams and Delonte West.
Recognizing the need to come out strong early, the Cavaliers did so. LeBron James closed out the first quarter by hitting a jump shot at the buzzer, which gave Cleveland a 28-16 lead. By halftime, the Cavs were up by 18 points. They found much success by taking command of the key. Although Memphis leads the NBA with 52 points per game in the paint, Cleveland held them to 34 points in the paint while also scoring 64 points inside. Keep in mind that the Cavs are the league's best defensive team in the key this season. They built on their defensive success with 10 blocks in today's game.
While Shaquille O'Neal, J.J. Hickson, Anderson Varejao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas all played well tonight, Varejao deserves the most credit for shutting down Zach Randolph, who is the Grizzlies' leading scorer this season. For people not familiar with Randolph, his style of play is comparable to Rasheed Wallace when Wallace was younger (the two were actually teammates in Portland for 2 1/2 seasons). Randolph is most deadly when he can get the ball off passes cleanly. Once he gets set, he can create plays; he has a good pivot foot. He can score in the post or from outside. Entering the game with an average of 21.0 PPG, Randolph only scored 8 points tonight, including shooting only 3-14 from the field. Clearly Varejao, his teammates, and the coaching staff had studied their film and scouting reports well, as they kept Randolph out of his comfort zone and refused to let him get set on offense. Varejao's play was well-noted by the Cavs coaching staff. During his postgame interview, Mike Brown lobbied for Varejao's recognition on the NBA's All-Defensive Team.
Regarding the offense, the team's offense now seems to be combining elements from the 2006-2007 team and the 2008-2009 team. With Mo Williams and Delonte West still recovering from injuries, the team is putting the playmaking in the hands of LeBron James and Daniel Gibson. Yet, the offense looks as good as it has been all season--it is very fluid and smooth. The "LeBron and Four Guys" style is only being utilized when absolutely needed. The whole team is benefitting from the high level of execution, especially O'Neal and Hickson. While Shaq is wearing down and frustrating teams with his punishing powerful style of play, Hickson is recognizing his opportunities to score in favorable situations, as he constantly moves around, cuts to the basket, and crashes the boards. Other guys, such as Anthony Parker and Jawad Williams, continue to hit key shots.
Overall, the Cavs roster is developing into being better than last year's team. The recent injuries have given more players opportunities to prove their value. It is clear that the players, whether starting or on the bench, are hungry and talented. The roster is deep; the team is executing and succeeding no matter who is in the game. Through the adversity, they are laughing, smiling, and having fun. The "Shaquisition", as well as the signings of Parker and Jamario Moon, now seem to be fading into the past, as the team is now showing great chemistry. At this point, making a trade for another star player or role player seems counterproductive. Acquiring a power forward that can stretch defenses with outside shooting is just one of many ways to win ballgames, as the Cavs are now finding they have multiple ways to win games. As Leon Powe recovers from injury, his imminent debut may positively impact the roster in the same manner that a midseason trade would. When it is all said and done, midseason trades are for teams that think they are not good enough to win it all as is. In the midst of a 9-game winning streak, the Cavaliers look like they are ready to win it all, and the absence of a trade speaks volumes of confidence.
Recognizing the need to come out strong early, the Cavaliers did so. LeBron James closed out the first quarter by hitting a jump shot at the buzzer, which gave Cleveland a 28-16 lead. By halftime, the Cavs were up by 18 points. They found much success by taking command of the key. Although Memphis leads the NBA with 52 points per game in the paint, Cleveland held them to 34 points in the paint while also scoring 64 points inside. Keep in mind that the Cavs are the league's best defensive team in the key this season. They built on their defensive success with 10 blocks in today's game.
While Shaquille O'Neal, J.J. Hickson, Anderson Varejao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas all played well tonight, Varejao deserves the most credit for shutting down Zach Randolph, who is the Grizzlies' leading scorer this season. For people not familiar with Randolph, his style of play is comparable to Rasheed Wallace when Wallace was younger (the two were actually teammates in Portland for 2 1/2 seasons). Randolph is most deadly when he can get the ball off passes cleanly. Once he gets set, he can create plays; he has a good pivot foot. He can score in the post or from outside. Entering the game with an average of 21.0 PPG, Randolph only scored 8 points tonight, including shooting only 3-14 from the field. Clearly Varejao, his teammates, and the coaching staff had studied their film and scouting reports well, as they kept Randolph out of his comfort zone and refused to let him get set on offense. Varejao's play was well-noted by the Cavs coaching staff. During his postgame interview, Mike Brown lobbied for Varejao's recognition on the NBA's All-Defensive Team.
Regarding the offense, the team's offense now seems to be combining elements from the 2006-2007 team and the 2008-2009 team. With Mo Williams and Delonte West still recovering from injuries, the team is putting the playmaking in the hands of LeBron James and Daniel Gibson. Yet, the offense looks as good as it has been all season--it is very fluid and smooth. The "LeBron and Four Guys" style is only being utilized when absolutely needed. The whole team is benefitting from the high level of execution, especially O'Neal and Hickson. While Shaq is wearing down and frustrating teams with his punishing powerful style of play, Hickson is recognizing his opportunities to score in favorable situations, as he constantly moves around, cuts to the basket, and crashes the boards. Other guys, such as Anthony Parker and Jawad Williams, continue to hit key shots.
Overall, the Cavs roster is developing into being better than last year's team. The recent injuries have given more players opportunities to prove their value. It is clear that the players, whether starting or on the bench, are hungry and talented. The roster is deep; the team is executing and succeeding no matter who is in the game. Through the adversity, they are laughing, smiling, and having fun. The "Shaquisition", as well as the signings of Parker and Jamario Moon, now seem to be fading into the past, as the team is now showing great chemistry. At this point, making a trade for another star player or role player seems counterproductive. Acquiring a power forward that can stretch defenses with outside shooting is just one of many ways to win ballgames, as the Cavs are now finding they have multiple ways to win games. As Leon Powe recovers from injury, his imminent debut may positively impact the roster in the same manner that a midseason trade would. When it is all said and done, midseason trades are for teams that think they are not good enough to win it all as is. In the midst of a 9-game winning streak, the Cavaliers look like they are ready to win it all, and the absence of a trade speaks volumes of confidence.
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