We’ve taken a couple weeks off here at JIB Sports because we have been relocating our office. We are now moved and ready to get rolling again. The NBA season is winding down, and the Playoff pictures are no clearer than two weeks ago. We’re back with another report card, only one more left in the season.
A – The “Work in Progress” Trailblazers- It was only a few years ago that the Portland Trailblazers completely overhauled their roster. At the time, they looked several years out to being decent, but their several trades and draft picks have already turned the corner. When the Blazers drafted Brandon Roy in 2006, they did so based on his performance in the NCAA tournament with his Washington Huskies. With Roy as their nucleus, the Blazers have transformed into a contender in the NBA. They have the look of the Sacramento Kings of old, they are stacked with talent but their window of opportunity might close soon because their talented players might go elsewhere for more money sooner than later.
B – Cavs Making Franchise History – The Cleveland Cavaliers have a rich history. They have had many different uniforms, we know that because this year’s team has worn more throwback uniforms than their actual uniforms. They have also had many winning seasons and been posterized more by Michael Jordan than any other team in the East. Amidst all their “storied history,” no Cavs team has ever won more than eleven straight games, until this season. LeBron James will most likely win the MVP, Mike Brown will most likely win the Coach of the Year award, and the Cavs are also going to set a franchise record for most home wins. Nothing short of an NBA Title will satisfy the Cavs this year, which is sad because they’ve had an amazing season regardless.
C – The Stumbling Spurs – At the beginning of February, there was the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs and everybody else. While everybody has been duking it out for the 3-8 spots in the Western Conference Playoffs, the Spurs have slipped. The Spurs have stumbled, going 9-7 in the last month, and opening the front door for several teams to jump them in the Playoff seedings. While the Spurs got younger when they lost Robert Horry, they are still an old team and as such their bald spots are getting bigger. With younger teams like the Trailblazers, Hornets, and Jazz on the upswing, the Spurs are definitely on the downswing.
D – “Brackets” -Whenever March Madness rolls around, in all it’s glory, it’s only a matter of time before someone somewhere comes up with a lame spin off of the tournament. This year it’s NBA.com, and they have a NBA dance team bracket, the battle to find the hottest dance team. There was one good bracket I heard about, the breakfast cereal bracket, Cinnamon Life was the #1 seed.
F – The NBA and Mark Cuban’s Soap Opera- It happens every year, it’s expected, Mark Cuban makes disparaging comments about referees and the NBA fines him $25,000. This year Mark Cuban has been fined several times, twice involving complaints against J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets. As horrible as NBA refs can be at times, they are made untouchable by David Stern. He’s made a NBA society where criticizing refs is just not politically correct. Although most of Cuban’s comments are warranted, he comes off as the parent that embarrasses their kid at a recreational basketball game by yelling at the refs.
Tags: NBA