With the NBA’s annual All Star Weekend soiree now in the rear view mirror, the season moves into the proverbial business end. The playoffs are just two short months away, and whilst some teams are priming for a deep run into June, some are starting to taper out. Miami, Boston and Chicago are the front-runners out in the East, with the Magic and Knicks right on their tails. Out in the West, it again looks like the road to the finals is going to run through Los Angeles and Texas. The Lakers, San Antonio and Dallas are leading the way, with Oklahoma City shaping up as the challenger to the throne.
With this in mind, lets explore some of the biggest stories facing the NBA universe, as we push through to the end of the season.
CAN THE LAKERS MAKE IT THREE?
The Lakers are right now, on the very edge of greatness. Another title this season would elevate this group of Lakers to pantheon levels of excellence. Phil Jackson would cement his place at the pinnacle of the very bet coaches list taking what would be his Twelfth Championship, culminating his fourth Three-Peat of titles.
Kobe Bryant finds himself in a similar situation. He wouldn’t be assuming the clear-cut mantle of “The Greatest of All Time”, but he would be close. He’d probably be top 2, right up there with Michael Jordan.
He would surpass so many Laker legends that had come before him, which is a fair list to be leading. The Lakers are the most successful franchise in the history of the NBA, and Bryant would be their greatest ever player.
However, besides all of these amazing basketball feats, his social rehabilitation would be complete. Right now, Bryant’s rape trial in 2004 is quickly becoming a memory. Don’t forget that at the time, many people were calling for it, and there was a real chance Bryant would be sentenced to prison.
At the time it seemed almost impossible for the Bryant Brand to recover from such a hit. Ex-teammates labeled him brash, arrogant, cocky and a bad teammate.
Look at how far Bryant’s come now.
Bryant was the leader of the 2008 Gold Medal winning Team USA, whilst assuming a very Jordan-esque position with the Lakers, becoming a mentor for the team. All the while he has still maintained his clutch finishing ability that has helped the Lakers win the last two titles. Another title would give him six for his career, and his legacy would be complete.
As it stands now, the Lakers have the fifth best record in the league, and are right in the mix. Bryant proved at the All Star Game, that he is still one of the best players in the league, scoring 37 points en route to collecting his record equally forth All Star MVP Trophy. As he seems to have a way of doing throughout his career, whenever Bryant has been written off, he’s come back stronger than ever.
THE MIAMI HEAT
After such an offseason of upheaval, Miami were slow out of the gate. Stumbling to an unconvincing 9-8 record, Miami have bounced back to become one of the strongest teams in the East. With a record of 41-15, they sit one game behind the Boston Celtics for the lead of the Eastern Conference.
One of the main questions regarding Miami was who would lead the team down the stretch, a question that Lebron James has resoundingly answered. He’s the reigning back-to-back NBA MVP, yet he carries himself in the manner of a man who has so much to prove. It’s a desire that motivates James to take his game to that next level when it really counts. James acknowledges that there is a point in every season when regular season games, carry that extra significance.
That time is now.
The reason is simple: With every passing game, he’s that much closer to returning to the playoffs, and resuming his unfulfilled quest of winning an NBA championship.
For weeks now, James has been saying that he starts getting into “playoff mode” after the All Star Break. He claims that during the season he’s constantly building towards the playoffs, looking to improve with every game. This season, he is.
His stats have gotten better each month. Scoring is up. Rebounding is up. Assists are up. Yet, the most impressive part of all of this is that he has become an even greater, dynamic weapon for Miami.
His performance in the All Star Game is all the proof you need. Lebron amassed a Triple-Double, 29 Points, 12 Rebounds and 10 Assists.
The only other player in All Star history to do that? Michael Jordan.
If performances like these are what James considers “Playoff Mode”, then Miami are certainly going to be very tough to get by come playoff
time.
3. POTENTIAL 2012 SEASON LOCKOUT
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement that’s in place between the league and players expires on the 30th of June. The main issue holding up the new agreement being signed is that collectively the NBA Owners claim to be bleeding money, to the tune of the league predicting losses in excess of $350 Million. Owners are pushing for reductions in contract length and maximum value that can be offered to players. NBA Commissioner David Stern recently stated that he aims to cut player salaries by over $700 Million annually.
So what does all this actually mean?
If the players and owners don’t reach a compromise, the players are well within their rights to go on strike. This means that, next season will potentially be shortened, or even cancelled. As much as this appears to be an extreme circumstance, The NBA does have precedence for such events.
The NBA last suffered a lockout in 1999, one that lasted for just over 6 months, cutting the length of the season by a third.
The biggest potential problem though from a looming lockout, is the fan backlash suffered as a result. The last lockout angered fans, as many thought it was purely a result of greed by both parties. With players earning ludicrous salaries in today’s NBA, a strike would potentially have the same affect, as many fans struggle through the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis.
Along with all of this, we still have the continued rise of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Amar’e, Melo and the Knicks resurgence, Blake Griffin continuing to lead a Los Angeles Clippers revival, and Derrick Rose turning in a MVP caliber season in Chicago. San Antonio and Boston are turning back the clock, to make that one last deep playoff push.
All that’s left to do now is watch and see how the rest of the season plays out.
Until then, I’ll leave you with some predictions for the end of the season.
PREDICTIONS
CHAMPIONS: Lakers
EASTERN FINALS: Miami vs. Chicago
WESTERN FINALS: Lakers vs. San Antonio
EASTERN DARK HORSE: New York Knicks
WESTERN DARK HORSE: Oklahoma City Thunder
EASTERN SLIDERS: Boston Celtics
WESTERN SLIDERS: Dallas Mavericks
MVP: Derrick Rose
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Blake Griffin
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