Looking Forward, NBA

Now that the football season has come to an end, Long Rangers and sports fans everywhere will turn our attention to the rest of the basketball season. A few things to notice from the first half of the NBA season.


Rookies: Blake Griffin and Kevin Love are dominating! Both are performing on an extremely high level despite not being on good teams. You can’t watch a SportsCenter top 10 without seeing a dunk from Blake Griffin, and Love has a record 38 consecutive double doubles.

Lakers: Haven’t really done a whole lot this season. Or have they? They are 36-16, however, they haven’t been that strong when facing top teams. Don’t count them out, they know when to turn it up come playoff time. Lamar Odom knows they shouldn’t have 16 losses, but will this lack of effort during the regular season come back to bite them?

Cavaliers: Looks like owner Dan Gilbert was a bit mistaken when he promised that Cleveland would win an NBA Title before the Big 3. They just set the record for most consecutive losses at 25. “See, Lebron, look at all the records you are missing out on!” – Conan O’Brien.

Heat: Despite lots of hate and foul wishes, they actually are coming together and are looking like a team that will still be playing come May. They are 38-14 and riding a 7 game win streak. While the Big 3 may play better one at a time instead of together, they are getting it done.

Melo: Drama. Looks like he was going to the Nets, nope maybe the Knicks, ehh probably not. Now maybe the Lakers? And Bynum to the Nugs? Well that is a little far fetched, but with the trade deadline approaching it could become a reality. Things to consider is Kobe/Melo cooperation. Also the Lakers strength (other than Kobe) is their size, with Bynum gone would they need to change their game plan?

Oh yeah, one other thing, the Spurs: They seem to slip under the radar, however they are the top team and are rolling. Most people would view an older roster as a disadvantage, yet the Spurs use that maturity to stay out of the headlines, keep their focus, and use their knowledge to beat top teams. They are going to be strong in the playoffs because they have a very experienced roster, however down the stretch they need to remain healthy.