Excuse me, I have a lunch meeting with Cliff Huxtable

Originally I planned to write a really dark and trippy piece on the death of the Lakers and Celtics then I woke up from watching “American Psycho”, decided to return some videotapes, lost my train of thought and here we are it is Mothers Day.

We are now three games into each series of the 2nd round and every conclusion I tried to draw from some of these games has either been tested or totally proven incorrect. Due to the power of the reverse jinx this will be the only sentence that mentions the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers series.

I don’t need to go into a punch-by-punch breakdown of each series or point out key matchups or things to watch for because at this point it would be pointless and has been covered ad nauseam by every basketball “expert” under the sun.

The reason I mentioned “American Psycho” is because I find it interesting in that it is the one movie/book where not only I am a fan of the main character, Patrick Bateman, who “seemingly” (a discussion for another time…) does all of these terrible things, but I am openly hoping for him to continue to do all of these terrible things. Because it not only makes it more exciting entertainment, but it also has this depraved comedic I won’t say charm, but something I find to be incredibly fascinating throughout the movie/book.

And in some strange universe this relates to me as I watch the 2011 NBA playoffs most notably the Miami Heat. Now let me clarify that I am not rooting for the Miami Heat, but I am not exactly rooting for the Boston Celtics either. I guess what I mean is that if the Heat keep on winning I think it makes for a more interesting narrative despite all of these “terrible things” they may have done coming into this season.

“I killed Paul Allen. And I liked it…”

In some respects if the Heat win the championship it will eradicate some of my notions of what it takes to win an NBA championship and how the game should be played. Yet, I am still fascinated to watch these guys play. They have no Point Guard, no post scoring to speak of and at times do a very poor job of moving the basketball, but they also have two of the best basketball players on the planet to defer to at any point during the game and play very good defense. I hate the trend that “The Decision” may have set in motion for how teams will be built in the future, but I must say that it makes for very compelling story lines. And much like when Patrick Bateman throws a chainsaw down 7 flights of stairs to kill a woman I am intrigued to see how it all plays out.

“There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me.,,”

I feel very similar to LeBron James. Going into this season LeBron finally came to the realization that “The Decision” pissed people off and that he would no longer be seen as the fun loving player he once was thought of in Cleveland, but rather a pariah in search of a championship and some sort of basketball utopia in South Beach. So, LeBron decided to embrace this “villain” persona, he made commercials, gave interviews, etc about how he was going to use this backlash as motivation to lead the Heat to a championship and prove everybody wrong. LeBron can say and do all of those things publicly, but you know what I don’t believe him. He still wants people to like him, buy his jersey and shoes and keep growing the brand of LeBron. Because if he really wanted to shut people up and silence the “haters” he would have spent his summer developing a post game as a big eff you to everybody because that would have made him practically un-guardable. Rather he decided to focus on other things besides basketball and as Patrick Bateman be the side of Phil Collins that “…works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist”.

“Harold, its Bateman, Patrick Bateman. You’re my lawyer so I think you should know: I’ve killed a lot of people.”

Spoiler Alert…

As you can gather from that last quote Pat Bateman murders a lot of people, but the problem is that no matter what Bateman does he cannot seem to be caught nor stop himself. So, as the story closes Bateman is a free man, who does not pay for his crimes. As an ending of a book/movie that works for me. In terms of sports that type of ending does not work for me. And so as much as it might sound like I am advocating how exciting it would be to watch the Heat in the finals, that it is great to watch the best players on the biggest stage. I do not want to see the Heat win. I do not want them to get away with hijacking the free agent process and winning a championship on their first try out of the gate. It is kind of like Patrick Bateman having all of these material things, but the one thing he can’t get is a reservation at Dorsia (sp?) and that’s the Heat. They can win all of these awards, have all of these commercials and endorsement money, but I do not want them to get that championship.


Till next time… when I compare Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook to Clay Easton and Julian Wells of “Less than Zero”

Brief thoughts by Jack Haley

Sorry for the no posts lately, but I just wrapped up my stay at Jon Gruden’s QB camp. And let me tell you something THAT GUY!!!! I must say it is no bueno for me to sit here on the last Saturday in April and have no NBA action on for the day. However, the 1st round was quite spectacular so at least we got that going for us.

This post was interrupted yesterday by my attendance of a matinee of Fast Five, which I must say was quite spectacular.

And with the end of the 1st round we bid adieu to several quality and not so quality teams. So, let’s move on to some random thoughts as we head into the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs.

- Hopefully we have seen the last of Dick Stockton calling games. Look, Dick was once a great NBA announcer, but that was like in 1989. Now he is just a confused old soul that somehow gets stuck with games past his bedtime.

- For as great as Brandon Roy was in the 4th quarter of game 4 for the Blazers I think that somehow while saving that game for Portland ended up losing them the series. The Blazers seemed to rely on Roy being the go-to-guy from that point on instead of LaMarcus Aldridge. I felt that the Blazers played away from their strengths and the fact that Dallas struggled to guard Aldridge virtually all series. To me it just made no sense for the Blazers and I ultimately think it hurt them in the last two games, which were Mavs wins.

- I think it is perfect that the Orlando Magic play in the state of Florida because much like the state of Florida the Magic are very overrated. Sure you have your great big attraction in Dwight Howard (Disney World) and also you have a pretty solid go to option in Jameer Nelson (Miami), but when you surround that with mediocre or past their prime guys (locations) you are going to have problems and that’s no fun for anybody. Sure you can get quality time out of Hedo ( Ft. Myers), Gil Arenas (Ft. Lauderdale), JJ Redick (Key West) and Jason Richardson (Tampa), but overall those pieces (places) only bring so much to the table and do not offer much in the way of excitement. Not to mention any state that has Jacksonville as its most populated city is overrated by default.

- I think a bigger deal could have been made for the Grizzlies beating the Spurs, but after watching that series to me it seems the better team won. The Grizz took away the Spurs biggest weapon by limiting their good looks from beyond the arc and caused a number of uncharacteristic turnovers by the Spurs throughout the series. For the record I now think Lionel Hollins, Grizz coach, is a genius for tanking the last 2 games to draw the Spurs. Plus, Hollins sounds like a mix of Norman Dale and Pete Bell during timeouts, so it is hard not to like him or get up to play for him.

- I own an iPhone (we’re happy for you!!), but I wish Apple would stop airing those damn “Do you own an iPhone” commercials.

- It seems like forever since the Bulls have played, but that is a good thing. It gave them some time to rest and recover. I would say prepare for the Hawks, but that is impossible since Atlanta does not run anything and loves to hoist up 30 foot jumpers at the drop of a hat.

- So, I guess Kobe Bryant’s ankle is ok??

- Heat-Celtics has the potential to be the best 2nd round match-up we have seen in the last 10 years of the playoffs, but it will feel like watching Donald Trump vs. Jay Leno. In that I wish both could lose, but ultimately they will be all over our TV and unfortunately one of these teams will not be going away anytime soon.

- 2nd round predictions:

o Thunder over Grizzlies in 6 games
o Lakers over Mavs in 5 games
o Bulls over Hawks in 5 games
o Heat over Celtics in 7 games


This was real short and I hope I carve out a block of time for some extended thoughts in the upcoming week. As fun as it was to have on 3 games a night I am actually glad that the playoff schedule will be back to normal and all four of these series’ should be pretty entertaining.

Till next time…

NBA Playoff Thoughts: The Franklin & Bash edition

Well we are a couple of ballgames into the 2011 NBA Playoffs and I must say that it has been nothing short of outstanding thus far. Especially the slate of games that took place last Saturday and Sunday save for that Atlanta-Orlando game. Each series has played at least 2 games and in some cases 3 games and some questions have been answered and others still linger.

So, the following are my semi-coherent impressions on what has transpired thus far with the help of some indie rock paragraph headings endorsed (not really) by the Red Rocket, Matt Bonner

Now I am ready to start… - Arcade Fire

The team that has impressed me the most so far has been the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant and Westbrook took over in game 1, but it has been the Thunder’s physicality and play on the defensive end that has really impressed me. After a hot start early from the Nuggets the Thunder have made them take tough shots and of course it helps that Denver has a bunch guys willing to settle for jump shots and that’s even without JR Smith playing many minutes. I think OKC is really dangerous out West and can make a run past the Spurs.

Speaking of the Spurs… This Grizzlies match-up is just a nightmare for them. I think they will win the series, but it is going to take a lot of wind out of their sails. The Grizz have shown the potential to pound them in the paint harder than Tony Parker did Brent Barry’s… I’ll keep this PG, but you get the idea. I think this series is going 7 games and that means we get 5 more games of Tony Allen’s shenanigans, which is cool by me.

I am so bored… -Wavves

I have watched all of about 5 minutes of this Magic-Hawks series. From what I have seen in the box scores and what is being bantered about on the ‘net is that Dwight Howard is pretty good, but besides Jameer Nelson the Magic are bad. Plus, it helps that by all accounts Larry Drew has coached a terrible series so far for the Hawks. I love this game, but this series makes me want to watch the 2011 Chicago Cubs.

Angela Surf City… -The Walkmen

Playoff time in LA, which means the Lakers are going for a 3-peat and TNT, hammers us with gratuitous cross-promotion shots of George Lopez sitting courtside. It was a foregone conclusion going into this series was that Chris Paul was going to have a big series vs. the Lakers. The question was would that be enough for the Hornets to win one game. It was, but man were they bad in game 2? The shots the Hornets hit in game 1 were not falling in game 2. Somehow I do not think Aaron “White Panther” Gray will go 5 for 5 again in a game let alone have 5 more field goals. The Hornets played perfect in game 1 and well the Lakers played perfectly disinterested. A positive note for the Lakers was the play of Andrew Bynum in game 2 and the continued solid play of Lamar Odom, but I think this Lakers team could be in trouble.

Dance Anthem of the 80’s -Regina Spektor

I bring up the 80’s because that is what Carmelo Anthony's game 2 performance against Boston has reminded me of. Part shades of Bernard King in his Knick days and part MJ in ’86 at the Garden, Carmelo torched the Celts for 42 & 17 and almost pulled off the impossible: winning a playoff game with a roster that would struggle winning a game at an open gym. Between Amar’e in game 1 and Melo in game 2 it felt like the Knicks should have won a game in Boston. The reason they did not is pretty simple: Doc Rivers. Rivers is just ridiculous with coming up with offensive sets out of timeouts, whether it be a sideline lob or back-“trip”play to setup Ray Allen for a game-winning 3. Rivers is probably the best coach in the NBA out of timeouts and that has been the difference so far.

Walk in the Park… -Beach House

I knew this was a good match up for the Heat and outside of Thad Young’s fun game 1 performance it has been smooth sailing for the Miami Sound Machine as well as the Heat. This Miami team is very intriguing and I can not tell if this team is peaking or just taking advantage of a weak 76ers team. At some point I will have some extended thoughts on the Heat, but this series does not warrant that.

I think ur a Contra… -Vampire Weekend

Jason Kidd looking spry, Dirk’s love for all things Hasselhoff and an amusing Blazers group has made this series fun to watch. All three games have been close and we have seen a variety of players hit some big shots as well as Brandon Roy in tears because of playing time. Good times all around. The one thing that irks me about this series is JJ Barea, reserve Mavs guard, I do not know what it is but I hate Barea and find it difficult to enjoy the Mavs when he is on the floor. Other than that this series has been solid and will almost certainly go 7 games.

Closing Time… -Semisonic (yeah, I know what you are thinking)

Two things that go will with closing are coffee and Derrick Rose. All 3 Bulls-Pacers games have followed the same script with the same result every time. Indiana’s solid collection of role players gut out 45-46 minutes of solid basketball by hustling, making some tough shots and playing some decent defense, but then Derrick Rose swoops in and all that work goes to sh*t. Rose has crushed the hearts of the heartland and probably John Mellencamp as well by his clutch play. Some kudos also has to go out to Kyle Korver, who has knocked down some huge 3’s and jump shots late in the games as well. I am running out of mean things to say about Carlos Boozer by this point so I will just nothing at this point besides once a Duke guy always a Duke guy… I hope the Bulls can wrap this thing up tomorrow to get a nice little rest before the start of the 2nd round because it only gets tougher from here.


Save it for later… -The English Beat

I could go on and on about the NBA playoffs, but I need to get mentally focused for the Arcade Fire show tonight. It should be another fun weekend of games and I will probably have another post up on Monday with some more thoughts.

Till next time... RIP Gerard Smith of TV on the Radio

The 2011 NBA Playoffs: Be All That You Can Be

Lafayette "Fat" Lever being all that he can be...

No break down of the NBA playoffs is complete with out offering some predictions. Most of the breakdowns will be pretty short, so I can gear up for the NBA version of Christmas.


EAST (1) Chicago vs. (8) Indiana
Season series: 3-1 Chicago



I covered a fair amount on the Bulls in my previous post, so let’s talk about the Pacers. The Pacers I think can make this series competitive. They have some solid pieces on the perimeter with Darren Collison and Danny Granger along with some solid depth down low in Josh McRoberts, Roy Hibbert and Psycho T. The Pacers shoot the ball pretty well and work well off of screens both on the ball and away from it, which evidently is one of the Bulls’ strength on the defensive end. The Pacers might be able to steal one. Let’s hope not…

Pick: Bulls in 5


(4) Orlando vs. (5) Atlanta
Season series: 3-1 Atlanta

I don’t have much to say about this series. Because I really do not enjoy watching either of these teams play. The Hawks have had some success against the Magic because Jason Collins can match-up down low with Howard, which allows the Hawks to stay out on Orlando’s shooters. However, the Hawks have been miserable lately and in fact they allowed more points this year than they scored. Orlando has not gotten any better since the trade and at times they are down right terrible on defense when you throw out Arenas, Hedo and Ryan Anderson on the floor together. I think the Magic screen and roll the Hawks to death and pull this off, but this series will be ugly

Pick: Magic in 6


(2) Miami vs. (7) Philadelphia
Season series: 3-0 Miami

The 76ers are a great story after a tough start to the season, but this is a real bad match-up for them. The Heat can counter any funk lineups that Doug Collins will throw at them. The Heat are very good defensively and if they can get stops and turnovers, which allow them to push the ball in transition then watch out. The 76ers will not be able to control pace on the Heat like other teams may be able to down the road. It will ve interesting to see how this Heat group plays in the Playoffs together, but I do not think the
76ers will be able to test them very much.

Pick: Heat in 5


(3) Boston vs. (6) New York
Season series: 4-0 Boston

I wish CBS still had NBA games and we could get a lucid Dick Stockton to call this match-up of classic NBA teams.



What the Celtics did last year down the stretch was in part an effort to rest their players, but this year… This Celtics team looked like a disaster down the stretch. Rondo is a different player and not in a good way. And the big three is another year older. So, of course this Celtics team seems ripe for a 1st round upset… Well, it is not going to be this year. The Knicks are a nice story and it is great to see relevant basketball being played in the Garden again. However, the ‘Bockers are atrocious on the defensive end and I think they gave up 1 too many players (Ray Felton) in the Carmelo trade to be able to beat the Celtics this year. This should be fun to watch, but I think the Celtics get back on track.

Pick: Celtics in 6


WEST




(1) San Antonio vs. (8) Memphis
Season series: 2-2

After tanking their final 2 games the Grizzlies got the match-up they wanted in a 60+ win Spurs team. Wait a minute… Yes, you read that right. The Spurs come into the playoffs a little banged up with Ginobili and Tim Duncan, but I think their experience and home court advantage will allow them to push past the Grizz. I like this Grizz team, who would have been the 5 seed in the East and instead are an 8 seed out West. Zach Randolph is as tough as they come in the post and Mike Conley has played a pretty decent point. However, the Grizz struggle shooting from the perimeter and really don’t have an elite wing with Rudy Gay being lost for the season. So, I think the Spurs get it done.

Pick: Spurs in 6


(4) Oklahoma City vs. (5) Denver
Season series: 3-1 Oklahoma City

I am hoping the average score of this series winds up to be in the 128-124 range. I think the Thunder have the look of at least a conference finals team... Maybe more. The Nuggets are as fun to watch as any team in the NBA. It is shame that these two teams have to meet up in the first round, but at least this will be entertaining. The big question is who do the Nuggets turn to down the stretch? Because they really play well as group, but they do not have that go-to-guy you need for a tough basket in crunch time. The Thunder pushed the Lakers last year, but much like the Bulls this Thunder team has yet to win a playoff series let alone a playoff game on the road. Westbrook has taken his game to another level this year and the addition of Perkins bolsters their front line and allows Durant to play his more natural position in the 3 spot. This has the making of one of those classic late 80’s / early 90’s Western Conference playoff match-ups like the Suns-Supersonics.



(Oh My.....!)

So, over course that means this series will be boring to watch since I just spent the better of this paragraph hyping it up. The Nuggets make it interesting, but I really like this Thunder team.

Pick: Thunder in 6


(3) Dallas vs. (6) Portland
Season series: 2-2

This series will be really fun to watch. The Blazers are going to throw the kitchen sink at Dirk and pretty much every NBA expert likes the Blazers. Either way I think this series goes 7 games. The Blazers struggle shooting the ball and the Mavs have been pretty average down the stretch. I tend to like the Blazers ability to mix and match different lineups a little more than the Mavs, who are missing some key components (Butler and possibly Beaubois). Rip City gets it done, but it is close.

Pick: Blazers in 7


(2) L.A. Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans
Season series: 4-0 Los Angeles

Chris Paul is a great point guard and facilitator, but without David West the Hornets have no shot. It will be interesting to see if Bynum plays at all for the Lakers and if so how effective will he be? Also, let’s see what teammates get chicken pox from Steve Blake

Pick: Lakers in 4




Finals Pick:

Heat over the Thunder in 6.

I think the Heat slightly edge out the Bulls in 7 and the Thunder push past the Lakers in 6. Obviously I hope this does not happen, but I just have a strange feeling about this Heat team. The Thunder pick is more becuase I just do not want to pick the Lakers.

Till next time... Here is some Warpaint from yesterday at Coachella

Breakfast with the Bulls

Only the Bulls… Your one and only Chicago Bulls.


Let’s see 60 wins: check; front-runner for MVP: check; coach of the year: check; Went from close to last in the league to 12th in offensive efficiency: check.


I could go on and on about all of the accomplishments and accolades that the 2010-2011 Chicago Bulls have achieved so far, but the main question is will it mean anything if you ain’t got that ring? Yes and No. That is such a cop out answer on my part…


The first thing this team has done is at least brought the Bulls back into the sports conscience of this town for the first time in along time. Did you see that Rose dunk? Man, I hated Noah when they drafted him, but that guy works his tail off… People are actually watching this Bulls team, which for awhile was very difficult. Trust Me. Tom Thibodeau has proven to be a tremendous hire for the Bulls. What they have done on the defensive end is just incredible. Their team defense has been the best I have seen in the NBA in a few seasons. Especially for not having many great individual defensive players; I mean when Kyle Korver can actually play in crunch time and defend somebody you know your coach has a done a hell of a job.


I remember reading an article early in the season where Derrick Rose was talking about the start of every practice, which is usually began by spending 20-30 minutes on defensive closeouts. That’s a drill that teams in grade school work on, but it’s also what separates this Bulls team. It is the little things that the Bulls are willing to do that has made them so successful up to this point. Also, it helps when you buy into your coach’s message from the top on down.



That top starts with Derrick Rose. There is a million different ways you could argue whether Rose is the MVP or not, but to me the thing that has made him so valuable to this team is the attitude that he brings to every game. The way he has fully embraced Thibodeau’s message and led his teammates on the court are to me the qualities that makes him the MVP besides some of the ridiculous games and plays he has had this season. A lot of star players are difficult to manage at times and do not take kindly to criticism by their coach. A perfect example of what makes Rose different would be when the Bulls played in Atlanta in March. The Bulls held a pretty comfortable lead in the game around the 3rd quarter when the Hawks came down and ran a screen & roll. On the play Rose allowed himself to be screened easily, which led to the Hawks scoring an easy bucket. Thibodeau immediately called a timeout and gotten in Rose’s face about the play. Rose did not pout or ignore his coach instead he acknowledged he made a mistake and said my bad. In a game where the Bulls won by a comfortable margin that told me a lot about Rose and the respect he has for his coach and the way he plays the game. And I think that the willingness of Rose to buy-in has reverberated throughout this team. It really is a likeable group to watch play the game of basketball.


All of that is great, but the really business at hand starts on Saturday. The Playoffs… I have seen the numbers thrown out that every time the Bulls have won 60+ games they have won a title. Well, that’s great in all, but you need to remember up until this point the highlight of the post-Jordan Bulls has been losing a 7 game series to a Garnett-less Celtics team. Having home court advantage will be a huge plus for this young team and the way as scary (Noah and Brewer) as it was how they kept their foot on the pedal all the way through the regular season that is also a plus for this team. They kept that edge and swagger heading into the playoffs because at this point the Bulls do not have that switch like the Lakers or potentially the Celtics have where they can just turn it on or off at the right time.



With all that said this team needs to win a playoff series. Going from no playoffs series’ wins to an NBA Finals is a big leap. Do I think the Bulls can make that leap? Sure… They will beat Indiana, but then the hard part starts. You can throw out regular season records when it comes to the playoffs. Your benches shorten up; you don’t have to account for long road trips or back-to-back games. After the first round I think the East will be a dog fight (predictions tomorrow) and I think the Bulls will be able to handle their own, but it is not a sure thing by any means.


This is where I come full circle on this Bulls team. Like I said they have done the little things right all year to put them in this position. Now it is time to continue to execute, defend and hit some big shots if you want to advance. The NBA playoffs are exciting as it gets at least for me. It is finally nice to have a dog in the fight again.


Tell next time… Another week & another farewell: Goodbye, Free Darko.

This video is not Bulls related, but I could not resist the combination of Pearl Jam and Shawn Kemp. Enjoy!

A sort of a Playoff Primer

This would have made a better bronze bust...

Good morning, Mr. Magpie. We are one week away from the start of the NBA playoffs, which makes me giddy. I have long since tired of watching meaningless regular season games prominently involving non-playoff teams like the Utah Jazz and the Atlanta Hawks. Sh*t!! The Hawks made the playoffs?? In this post I would like to kind of layout a schedule of what “valuable” insight I will be offering during the playoffs.

First off a big congrats needs to go out to the Bulls of Chicago for clinching the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. This Bulls team continues to amaze on the defensive end and again words can not describe how awesome it is to watch Derrick Rose night in and night out.

I think home court advantage will serve this Bulls team very well especially against battle tested teams like the Magic, Celtics/Heat and hopefully the Lakers down the line. For as great as this Bulls team is they have yet to win a playoff series and playoff basketball is a whole different animal than the regular season.

As for my “writing” during the playoffs I hope to have a least a little blurb up each day or at least every other day once the games start next Saturday. I will probably be rolling out a playoff preview by next Thursday once all the matchups are set in stone. From there the posts will consist of some game diaries, links to all things NBA, thoughts on the Bulls (since they are actually relevant again) and some other little nuggets and tidbits with guest appearances possibly along the way.

In non-NBA related news I would recommend that anybody check out the new Strokes album “Angles”, which is a welcome return from what I felt like was a fairly underwhelming previous album. It has the feel of an early ‘80’s Cars record with splashes of the Strokes’ earlier material. Some other releases that the cool kids on the interwebz are buzzing about that are quite good is the debut album by Yuck, an English band which sounds like it was made in 1993. Also, the new Pains of Being Pure at Heart album “Belong”, which is a solid follow-up from their debut disc. If you have not done so yet do yourself a favor and start watching “Justified” on FX. Trust me it’s worth it.

Till next time people…

Farewell LCD Soundsystem… It was a great run

Let Chicago Shake: The Return of the King

In a one man operation you have the right to label yourself as a Monarch.

It’s been a long time… In fact it has been about 7th months since I have updated this blog. I feel like Tim Thomas in that I had an incredible run through the playoffs. Then I got paid and decided to coast all the way through the regular season, put myself into a position where I could be released/traded just in time to turn it on again for the playoffs and get that next big mythical payday.

So, you ask what have I been doing with my time? Well, I could say coming up with the next hot statistical metric that would justify calling Luke Harangoady a serviceable player in the NBA, attending a Lil Wayne concert or contemplating the cultural and economic impact of the Japanese Tsunami. The fact is that I have been really busy with work related items, but that does not mean I have still not watched, read, listened, or tweeted a great deal about the NBA. I mean have seen this Rose kid play?? He’s going to be pretty good for someone without a qualifying SAT score.

Without question the 2010-2011 NBA season has been one of the best in the past decade or so. I think “The Decision” was a great kickoff to the season as far as raising the interest level of fans, not so much as a television program. The TV ratings have been fantastic and the resurgence of likable top tier talent has made the NBA into sort of a comeback story among casual fans (I’ll get to this in a moment). It also helps that in pretty much all of your major markets the teams have been pretty successful.

Living around Chicago has made this season a little more unique. It seems that people, who forgot the NBA existed after MJeff left the Bulls are finding a way to enjoy not only this Bulls team, but especially Derrick Rose. You go out around town and people are actually talking Bulls basketball, the sound of the game is actually on at local establishments and everybody and their brother has on a throwback Craig Hodges jersey like he’s Dennis Savard. That last thing has obviously not happened, but it would be great if it did. The reason I inserted Savard’s name there is because it seemed like the Blackhawks swept up the city into Hockey-mania last year from about April to June and I think to a certain extent this Bulls team could do that as well. In the coming week I will probably have a longer post about all things Bulls, but for this post I want to focus on the stretch run to the playoffs and my observations of the NBA so far.

So, on to some NBA power rankings or what some may call an easy writing ploy to help me get back in the swing of things.

Gone Fishing…

It’s pretty safe to say that the following teams can pack up their bags hit the golf course or strip club of their choice and get ready for the next season in 2014.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - With Lebron leaving most people expected the Cavs to be bad and guess what? They are bad as in worst in the NBA, but at least Baron Davis will play hard for them…

29. Washington Wizards - John Wall will be good at some point and JaVale McGee is a pretty solid player. I can't think of anything else so that tells you how exciting the 2010-2011 Wizards must have been for the people of Washington.

28. Toronto Raptors - I hear Toronto is great place for visiting NBA teams, so at least they have that going for them.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves - Kevin Love was a fun story, but I am guessing Lakers fans are happy that Kurt Rambis took this job.

26. New Jersey Nets - Just move to Brooklyn already and hire TV on the Radio as your house band for home games.

25. Sacramento Kings - Well at least 1st round pick Demarcus Cousins made it through the season without any altercations. Oh, wait…

24. Detroit Pistons - Charlie Sheen seems more functional than this band of misfits with bad contracts.

23. Utah Jazz - Jerry Sloan was ran out of town followed by the departure of D-Will and all your left with is a decent post player in Al Jefferson and season ticket holders, who have 7 wives.

22. Milwaukee Bucks - “Fear the Deer” was a cute little fan campaign, but for a team whose third best player is Johnny Salmons… enough said.

21. Golden State Warriors - I love watching the Warriors, but unfortunately league rules only allow you to play with one basketball at a time. Because they have a number of players, who need it in their hands at all times.

20. Los Angeles Clippers - The Blake Show has been fun to watch all season and if Eric Gordon could stay healthy the Clips could be dangerous in the near future.

So, you’re saying there’s a chance… Near playoff teams and the lucky few, who will be eliminated in round 1.

19. Phoenix Suns - Nash has still been solid, the trade with Magic at least netted them Marcin Gortat, who is a nice bench big, but the addition of Vince Carter immediately takes away any chance they have at making a slim run to get into the playoffs.

18. New York Knicks - Yes, the Knicks will still make the playoffs. However, they have been 7-12 since the Carmelo trade and 8 of those losses have come to teams under .500 and Chauncey Billups is their point guard…

17. Charlotte Bobcats - The Bobs are fighting for the 8th spot in the East. Although, they might as well save MJ the trouble of making the playoffs, so he can hit the golf course early and work on drafting Jimmer Fredette, so he can pair him with Adam Morrison in the backcourt.

16. Indiana Pacers - Pacer basketball is alive and well led by Tyler Hansbrough in the push for the 8th seed in the East. I really hate Psycho T so that last sentence was really hard to write.

15. Houston Rockets - The Rockets have the 3rd best record since the All-Star break, but barring a miracle won’t make the playoffs. At least they won’t have to cart around Yao Ming’s corpse after this season…

14. Philadelphia 76ers - Doug Collins has done a good job helping his team recover from a brutal start to the season, but their roster still needs a lot of work before they could win a playoff series.

13. Atlanta Hawks - Wow, they really love their Hawks in Atlanta… Joe Johnson may have been the worst signing of the summer. This team really reminds me of the late 80’s-early 90’s Cavs teams that would always make the playoffs, but never stick around long enough to make any noise.

12. New Orleans Hornets - David West’s torn ACL killed any chance the Hornets had of making a run. Chris Paul will be gone along with professional basketball in New Orleans in 2 years. So, I would say it is not a good day to be a Hornets supporter.

11. Memphis Grizzles - When he is not supposedly setting up major drug deals Zach Randolph is one of the best PF’s in the game

10. Portland Trailblazers - Another team I really enjoy watching. The Blazers have had horrible injury luck, but still have solid players like Aldridge and the newly acquired Gerald Wallace that could scare some teams in the West.

9. Denver Nuggets - George Karl has done a great job with the team both pre and post trade. I am also glad that Karl is back on the sidelines because I don’t think I could have read another Rick Reilly piece about him watching basketball with Karl.

The Contenders…

All of these teams have a shot at making a run to glory. Some not as much as others…

8. Orlando Magic - They dumped Vince Carter, which gave them an immediate boost to their title chances. However, they replaced him with Gilbert Arenas…

7. Oklahoma City Thunder - I love Durant and Westbrook has come into his own this season, but this team is still a legit third scoring option away from winning the West.

6. Dallas Mavericks - Dirk is well, Dirk. The Mavs have a roster loaded with some talent and savvy veterans; nevertheless it still will not be enough to get them through in the West. Although, I am looking forward to Mark Cuban ridiculously over paying an aging veteran center during the summer to help the Mavs make a title run in 2013.

5. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs are running away with the 1st seed in the West. Then again it is the regular season; we will see what happens if Duncan can come back healthy and the Spurs are able to adjust to post-season basketball where you can’t always turn games into a track meet.

4. Boston Celtics - It is awfully quiet in Beantown… What was that Kevin Garnett?? I can not hear you after your muscle left in the form of Kendrick Perkins. Sure, the C’s can turn it on for the playoffs, but we’ll see.

3. Miami Heat - I hate to say it, but the Heat are slowly creeping up in the East. Only 2.5 games back of the 1 seed and playing some pretty good basketball. It remains to be seen how this group will perform in the playoffs, but I think we can say for certain that Chris Bosh is not a superstar.

2. Chicago Bulls - I will let Dan Majerle explain why this Bulls team works…

1. Los Angeles Lakers - Playing great basketball since the break. Lamar Odom has been awesome, but can Kobe be clutch for them down the stretch??

And with that we are finished with the first post in 7 months. Take it away Bob Seger...