Week in Review

Weekly Update

So because he pays my bills I figure I should throw my dad’s company some love. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, if “you miss a day, you miss a lot.” Well after spending a week out of the loop in Mexico, I’m pretty sure the same can be said about the NBA. Here’s some of the highlights from when I was gone.

1) Celts Falter- After an impressive Christmas win without Paul Pierce, I came away thinking both less of the Magic, but more so positively about the Celtics. Then I leave the country and they lose the last three games of their road trip, two of them to bottom feeders Clippers and Warriors. Now I know it can be said that they don’t have two of their starters and it was a long West Coast trip, but those are the games that are tough to lose. Their recent setbacks opened the door for the Cavs to jump into the first seed in the East, and in a rivalry where home court advantage is a premium, the Celtics may be kicking themselves in May for that. But of course, as I am in the United States again for no more an hour and the Celtics go out and beat the streaking Raptors without 3 starters. I am sure it is just a coincidence, and one that I will be sure to monitor when I go on Spring Break, but it seems like my presence in this country is good luck for the banged up Celtics. Now I won’t claim to have super human talents to control this team, but if during a pivotal game 7 against the Cavs in late May I am nowhere to be found, then I’d check Mexico.

2) Kobe Saves the Lakers, Again- It was obvious to anyone that watched the Christmas game that the Cavs were simply the better team that day. And it seems that the Lakers haven’t really been the same since then. They got blown out again at Phoenix in their next game, and if it weren’t for number 24, would have lost their next two against those increasingly pesky Warriors and the Kings at home. It took season highs in points (44) and assists (11) from Bryant to beat the Warriors, and then Kobe’s second game winning 3 pointer to sink the Kings. These Lakers were not supposed to struggle, but like their Eastern counterpart Celtics they also have been dealing with injuries (Artest’s concussion- which he claims is from falling down the stairs, and now Pau Gasol is banged up again.) The difference between these two teams though, and the reason why I wrote the Lakers would beat Boston for the title, is that the Lakers can simply rely on Kobe to win games for them. His killer instinct is in full gear and in the last 10 games he is averaging a vintage Jordan 35+ points per game. The Lakers will be fine and will win the West as they are better than anyone else in a long series, but pay attention to how much Kobe is having to exert himself early in the season, as Phil Jackson is having to play him very long minutes because he just doesn’t trust his bench, and that might catch up to the Black Mamba at the end.

3)Gilbert’s Gun Issues- This was actually the first story that I read when I got back and I literally laughed out loud at it. By no means do I think that playing or messing around with guns is funny, but the way the story has been broke is pretty hilarious. Allegedly Arenas owed second year man Javaris Crittenton some money from a gambling debt, and this is something that no one who knows anything about Gilbert would deny is a very plausible situation (don’t believe me, check the youtube clip of him betting Deshawn Stevenson in a shooting contest). But then when the young Crittenton tried to collect, an argument broke out on the team plane and then continued into the locker room later. There have been different reports, and I am hesitant to believe anything, but one of the more ridiculous versions was that Gilbert laid out his three guns and told Crittenton to pick one, to which Javaris naturally replied well I have my own. This was brought on because they were having a competition over who “had the bigger gun.” C’mon, are you kidding me. You don’t exactly have to hold a Masters degree in English to understand the metaphor behind that comparison. It’s absolutely completely ridiculous, and again I am not sure what exactly happened, but either way guns have no place in locker rooms. I’m especially upset at the timing of this incident as just last week I wrote that the NBA superstars these days (and as of a few years ago, Gilbert could be considered one) were taking the “thug” aspect out of the league. I have followed and been a fan of Arenas since he was at Arizona, but this is uncalled for, and after an investigation I would not be surprised if heavy fines and/or suspensions followed.

4) Little Nate Returns- After being a DNP Coaches Decision for the fourteen straight games, Nate Robinson squeaked his way out of Coach Mike D’Antoni’s dog house and found himself on the floor for the first time in nearly a month. Making the most of his opportunities, Nate exploded for 41 points in leading the Knicks to the upset against the Hawks. Look no one is questioning Robinson’s ability to fill it up, and I am honestly not surprised that he got his shot again. But I am still hesitant to see how this will transpire. I initially thought that he would continue to ride the bench for a little bit longer, and then as the trade deadline began to draw closer the Knicks would showcase him selectively to try and induce suitors to trade for him. I still think that this a viable option, and that he could help a contender with some quick offensive sparks off the bench, but remember the most important thing, it’s the Knicks front office, so NOTHING is out of the question.

5) Cavs Answer the Bell- I know that they had a bad loss at home to the Bobcats last night, and I will criticize that just like I did the questionable Celtic losses, but that is the lone blemish for this team in a while. After losing to the Dirk-less Mavs, the Cavs really came together to finish their West Coast trip and then took two straight from East rival Atlanta. I know it is still early, and that they have a long way to go, and a lot of injuries to avoid, but I am starting to believe in the legitimacy of this team. The major knock on the Cavs last year was that in racing to their 66 wins they never could beat any team of consequence. And that was absolutely the case and showed itself immensely in the playoffs. The Cavs beat the bad and average teams handily last year (two early playoff sweeps), but struggled with the elite teams (Magic, Celtics, Lakers etc.) This year it’s a different story though. Apart from the opening night loss to the Celtics, which I am going to throw out because it was a team trying to incorporate three new starters and learning to play together, the Cavs passed every major test. They have beaten the Magic, Lakers, Hawks, and Suns on the road and have continued to hold home court as well. I know they have what look like a lot of bad losses on their record, but I think that this is still a better situation than last year. I think that due to their performance in big games, it should be noted that this team can compete at the highest level when called upon. And more importantly that their losses to bad teams can be attributed to a lack of focus or energy. This isn’t a habit the Cavs want to fall into too often, but I think that this Cavs group, now with each of their core players being playoff tested, have learned that they really can pick their battles in the regular season. So, maybe it’s just me justifying it to myself, but I think that when the stakes are high enough, like in the playoffs, there will be no mental breakdowns, no shortage of energy, and no team that the Cavs can’t beat.