I know the NBA season is just one month in, but let's see if a few of the playoff teams of last year are for real... or not.
Let's start with last year's 1 seed in the Western Conference, and my favorite NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Lead by the regular season MVP, Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were the downright favorites to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals and they did but fell short of a championship, losing in 6 games to the Boston Celtics in an embarrassing meltdown.
Not much has changed for the Lakers as they sit atop of the Western Conference once again with a 15-2 record. The Lakers have simply looked amazing in their first 17 games, with Kobe playing like the superstar he is, Pau Gasol playing his natural position at Power Forward, and Andrew Bynum coming back from injury. Not to mention the rest of the players that have played a big role in their success including guards Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar & Sasha Vujacic and forwards Lamar Odom, Vladmir Radmonovic, & Trevor Ariza. With their studs playing like studs, the role players doing their job, the bench players outworking the opponent's bench, and Phil Jackson coaching and running the team very efficiently, this Lakers team looks unstoppable. Gasol and Bynum are owning the boards and killing it with points in the paint. Fisher and Farmar aren't turning the ball over too much, playing good defense, and running the offense smoothly. Odom, now the 6th man, and Ariza have thrived playing on the 2nd unit. This team has put up the most points per game in the NBA, and is 5th in the West in opponents' ppg. All said and done, this team is FOR REAL. We'll be seeing Kobe and the Lakers in, not only the playoffs but, the NBA Finals for the 2nd straight year.
LA LAKERS: For Real
Next, up the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets last year were the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs but were swept by the 1 seed Lakers. Not many believed that Denver would make any "noise" in the playoffs, as they've lost in the first round for the past 5 seasons with a total record of 4-16.
This team felt that they needed change and needed it now in order to "make noise" in this year's playoffs. That's why they traded away perennial all-star guard Allen Iverson for "Mr. Bigshot" himself, Chauncey Billups. Billups, the former Piston, brings playoff experience, having won the 2004 Finals over the Lakers and was voted MVP. He also brings tenacious defense and clutch shooting, something the Nuggets are not used to seeing. With the addition of Billups, the Nuggets have won games with defense in low-scoring affairs, and are playing with swagger they lacked in prior seasons. Even after trading their best defensive player in Marcus Camby, players like Nene have stepped it up and the team is on the verge of greatness. On the court, this team brings superior athleticism in J.R. Smith, prolific offense with Carmelo Anthony, gritty defense and rebounding with Nene and Chauncey Billups, and a winning attitude.
For years Denver has been the joke of the Western Conference playoffs, and teams have breezed by them in past seasons but this year won't be the same. The Denver Nuggets will finally move on to the 2nd round of the playoffs and quite possibly might make it to the conference championship if they keep up the D and if Billups can hit a clutch game winner here and there.
DENVER NUGGETS: FOR REAL
The last west team I'll be talking about tonight are the Dallas Mavericks. In last year's playoffs, the Mavs lost in the first round to the 2 seed NO Hornets. It was only 2 seasons ago when Dallas was up 2-0 in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. The Mavs broke down and the Heat stepped up to beat up an ugly Mavs team to win 4 games straight for the championship. They've never recovered since. Last season owner Mark Cuban pursued a trade for veteran point guard Jason Kidd, and like usual he got what he wanted. The Mavs traded young up-and-coming star Devin Harris and 2 first round picks for Jason Kidd, who is 3rd all time in most triple-doubles in a career, only behind Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. With this trade, the Mavs felt they added that all-around burst of efficiency they needed to clean up their mess. It ended up that the mid-season trade only created more confusion on the court and left them in the dump.
So far the Mavs are 9-8 the season, barely over .500 after firing Coach Avery Johnson, replacing him with Rick Carlisle. In their 17 games, they've yet to have impress any pundits of the game. They haven't blown out teams or won any big games. They've lost games where they've led by double digits throughout the game. It seems that the Mavs can only beat teams that are down and out, and haven't been able to show any true greatness thus far. Kidd has slowed down their team and has made the offensive less productive. Josh Howard has been finding himself in the media and internet for acting like an idiot and has been a huge distraction for the team. Their bench... just sucks. The only bright light I see on this team is Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, but they can't do it by themselves! Dirk is always going to put up his numbers and Terry is always going to get a good matchup, but they can't rely on their teammates to come through when they need them the most. I see this season as the beginning of the end. The Dallas Mavericks will miss the playoffs for the first time in 8 years. The upcoming offseason will be a busy one for this team as they need change and need it fast. The changes they've made already have only made things worse, and management needs to clean up this sloppy mess of an NBA franchise. Mark Cuban, I beg you to let someone who knows what they're doing to take over for you; you are not able to bring a championship to Dallas, sir.
DALLAS MAVERICKS: NOT FOR REAL.
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