You know, I started these with the intention that they'd be weekly, but I randomly started on a Friday, and that doesnt make a whole lot of sense. I think I'm gonna switch the next one to a Tuesday or Wednesday. See how that goes.
Anyway --
1. Boston Celtics – Well, everything is just ticking along swimmingly, I suppose. All five starters are being touted for the All-Star game; at least, they are if you talk to all five starters. And yet, I can’t make myself care all that much, not until I know whether KG will still have knees in April. Kinda takes the fun out of winning streaks.
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Sheesh, when do they do those tests that show that Kobe is actually composed of a mimetic adhesive poly-alloy? He broke a finger on his shooting hand, and I swear he just willed some slightly less necessary part of his spleen to redistribute itself to where it was needed most. It’s just not fair.
3. Orlando Magic – And on the other hand, the same night that Kobe broke his finger and returned later that same game, Vince Carter left a game 2 ½ minutes into the second half with a sore right knee and did not return. Not to beat a dead horse, but man, he don’t always make himself look good, y’know?
4. Atlanta Hawks – Al Horford is six foot ten. In my next life, I wanna come back as an undersized NBA centre. Not Chuck Hayes, though, that guy’s way too short.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers – A team I just can’t get all that excited about. Yeah, they have the basketball neutron Bron when playoffs come, but really, the difference from last year is that they added Shaq, AP and Moon, two aging starters from non-playoff teams last year and a hyper-athletic guy who will frustrate you no matter which side you’re cheering for.
6. Denver Nuggets – Chauncey just tweaked a muscle in the man-region. Could be nothing, could linger for weeks. Ty Lawson, show us what you got.
7. Dallas Mavericks – Here’s something – I don’t expect injuries to the old guys on this team. Howard might pop something, but Nowitzki and Kidd, they’ll go all year. This might actually be what to expect from this team. Huh.
8. Utah Jazz – A hell week of Lakers X 2, Magic, and Spurs, and they go 3 and 1. That oughta go in the scrapbook. You’re allowed to have a T-Wolf letdown after that.
9. Phoenix Suns – Has anyone pointed out that Steve Nash is the anti-contract year player yet? No? Okay, let me do it. He’s better when he knows people want him around.
10. San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan is kind of godlike. Has anyone asked him to just, you know, lay his hands on Manu’s knees and ankles? Couldn’t hurt.
11. Houston Rockets – T-Mac is back in the line-up, and being used exactly as much as he should be. I honestly don’t see him being traded this year, I totally believe Morey just wants all that cap room to go after 7 underachievers. He certainly doesn’t want more years of salary cap straitjackets.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – What are the odds these guys pull off a trade for Marc Gasol in 2012? Like, 70-30?
13. Portland Trail Blazers -- What are the odds these guys pull off a trade of Greg Oden in 2012? Like, 70-30?
14. Miami Heat – Wade doesn’t have as much to prove this year as last year. He’s more likely to attract a free-agent running mate if he plays the whole season at 90%, rather than go Supernova again and get injured. Save it for next year.
15. Detroit Pistons – These guys are like the Rockets lite, winning with the second half of their line-up, except that I don’t really wanna cheer for them. Can’t put my finger on it. I think it might be the difference in GMs, and my faith that the next move will be a good one or not.
16. Milwaukee Bucks – Welcome to the Eastern Conference, where being .500 (with a rookie point guard) makes you a team to watch. Just don’t tell anybody, or it’ll cost ya $7500.
17. New Orleans Hornets – I guarantee Chris Paul will not spend his entire career in New Orleans, although now that I think about it, I can’t guarantee he won’t spend his entire career with that franchise. Makes me sad.
18. Memphis Grizzlies – At the beginning of the season, I seriously expected the NBA leader in assists to outdo the entire Memphis squad. Steve Nash is at 11.3 per game. Memphis is at 18.9, ahead of seven other teams. Glad I kept my money in my wallet.
19. Sacramento Kings – Welcome to the Western Conference, where two games under .500 (with a rookie point guard) makes you a team to watch.
20. Toronto Raptors – Honestly – I came up with a name for this blog entirely independent of the fact that my home team often looks like they could use some Red Bull. Gah.
21. Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Wallace is gonna average 10+ rebounds this season, just because all of a sudden he feels like he should. I don’t know if I should be impressed or wonder why he never did it before.
22. New York Knicks – Okay, so they probably won’t get any major free agents this summer. Plan B – they put the New York media to work, and flood the markets with stories about how all the biggies are gonna sign 2-year contracts, with the second year as the player’s option, because it might be a sound move for when the economy rebounds and the cap can go back up. Or something like that. Anything so the Knicks get a shot at bidding without the Eddy Curry factor weighing in.
23. Los Angeles Clippers – Recently, I inadvertently discovered that Mike Dunleavy is the winning-est coach in Clippers history. I actually heaved an audible sigh once I finished typing that sentence.
24. Indiana Pacers – I should make some crack about sighing when I realize something about Mike Dunleavy Jr., but honestly, I just don’t have the energy. That last one is still bugging me.
25. Washington Wizards – If you told me the Wizards’ Achilles heel was gonna be defence, or Gil’s knees, or injuries in general, or non-specific boneheadedness, yeah, I could’ve got behind that. But free throws? Did not see that coming.
26. Chicago Bulls – I actually saw it suggested that someday Beasley might be thought of as the star of his draft class, eclipsing Rose. It’d be a damn shame (well, you know, good for Beasley and all, but you know what I mean), but at least Rose’d have his modelling career to fall back on.
27. Golden State Warriors – I make this bold prediction: At some point this season, there will be an unremarkable looking game on the Warriors schedule that turns into some offensive explosion record-setting night. For either team. It’ll have something to do with a combo guard.
28. Philadelphia 76ers – Dude, Iverson has an arthritic knee now. And he’s gonna keep playing. Damn, who’d have thought I’d get nostalgic for Sprewell?
29. Minnesota Timberwolves – Keep playing hard, boys, I swear it’s appreciated.
30. New Jersey Nets – I got nothing. There aren’t enough ping-pong balls in the world to make this palatable.
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