Squeaky Bum Time

The top two teams in their respective conferences: Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls

It’s been little over four months since the NBA lockout ended, and it’s almost that time when we get a rough idea who’s making the playoffs and who isn’t going to. The league has entered into its fourth quarter and it’s time for the final push that could make or break a season.

One team that has already made the playoffs is the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have been on fire this season and have crept up to favourites in my book. The Bulls’ key man and reigning MVP Derrick Rose has missed a few games recently due to injury. Having watched the Bulls play Denver, one couldn’t help but notice that Rose was being missed. It seems strange, but it’s true; the Bulls look like they need Rose back as soon as possible. While the playoff spot is secured, the top seed in the East is still a position up for grabs.

The New York Knicks, on the other hand, are still fighting, and with the rise of their go-to man, Jeremy Lin, all eyes are on the Knicks. Milwaukee looks to have pulled a smart trade: Monta Ellis is ensuring that the Knicks have all the pressure on them as the Bucks are closing in on eighth place in the East. New York will have to go without Amar’e Stoudemire, who suffered a back injury that could keep him out of the playoffs, should New York make it. Carmelo Anthony has been awful this season, to put it nicely. I was surprised when he made the All- Star team. It’s clearly his poorest season as a professional.

In my last article, I mentioned that Derek Fisher was traded to Houston, which was true at the time. Since then, he has moved on to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who claimed him off waivers. This is a move that could help the Thunder, as Fisher has a lot of playoff experience. In my reckoning, Fisher would play as the backup point guard, considering that Russell Westbrook is on the roster for OKC. They currently occupy top spot in the West and should clinch their own playoff berth soon.

Let’s be real here, the Toronto Raptors are going nowhere. Canada’s only team lacked the finesse needed to challenge for a playoff spot, constantly relying on Andrea Bargnani to deliver the goods. The Raptors are currently sitting 12th in the East with just 16 wins. They have, however, ‘stunned’ fans by dishing out the odd victory, most notably their win against New York: a 96-79 win that snapped New York’s fivegame winning streak. They also almost upset the Bulls, only to be undone by a somewhat lucky basket for Luol Deng in the dying seconds of overtime. A couple of good performances could maybe see the Raptors sneak into a playoff spot but I wouldn’t count on that happening. In the Raptors’ 117-101 defeat to the Orlando Magic, a loud cheer erupted when Toronto scored 100, not because they were leading with seconds to play, but because free pizza is offered to fans every time the team scores 100.

On a side note, the game that featured Atlanta and Utah was the first game to go to quadruple overtime since 1997 when Phoenix beat Portland. Atlanta beat Utah 139-133 in this game.

With most teams having fewer than 20 games left in the regular season, it’s crunch time. There are still playoff spots, particularly in the West, which could be claimed by a number of teams. If I were to make a prediction, I’d say that Chicago and Oklahoma will top both their conferences while the much-talked-about New York Knicks will only barely scrape into the playoffs this time around.

Originally Written for the Interrobang:http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=8381&sectionID=4&issueID=202
Image Credit:
Video Credit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxHy-tkwVEg

NBA Watch: Justifying the NBA All-Stars

This is what greatness looks like. NBA All Star Starters 2012

Come the end of February, the NBA will host its 61st All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida. It's the first All-Star Game being held in the Eastern Conference since Atlanta in 2003, and fans and pundits are gearing up for the showpiece event. The starters have already been confirmed and I'm not too surprised by the votes that came in.

Eastern Conference

Derrick Rose: I've said it time and again; Rose looks to be the focal point of the Chicago Bulls. The 23-year-old Chicago native is in his third consecutive All-Star season and I see him maintaining that run for a number of years to come. I'd have been surprised if the reigning league MVP didn't make the NBA All-Star game.

Dwyane Wade: Shooting guard and eight-time NBA All-Star, Wade has been good this season so far, averaging 21 points a game. It's always nice to see players with potential perform. He's making a return from injury and I believe that the injury was a boost for team chemistry.

LeBron James: I'd have been surprised if James wasn't voted into the NBA All-Star game; this guy has been on fire this season. He's an eight-time All-Star, like his teammate Wade, and I'm sure he'll have plenty more. The only thing that bugs James right now is the fact that he's missing an NBA ring.

Carmelo Anthony: To be really honest with you, I haven't heard much about Anthony this season. True, he's averaging 22 points a game, which is great, but most of the news that I've seen out of New York has been concerning Amar'e Stoudemire, so this is great news for the former Denver man. This will be his fifth All-Star appearance and he is surely going to try to make the most of it.

Dwight Howard: Superman Howard is one of the most coveted players in the league. I know the Los Angeles Lakers were eyeing him during the off-season. This will be the sixth straight All-Star appearance for the player, who's won three NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards. Howard has started all but one game in his career, and that is something special. He's definite All-Star material and he proved it by getting the most votes at a little over 1.6 million.

Western Conference

Chris Paul: The transfer saga of the off-season, Paul is doing justice to the faith that the Clippers put in him. An All-Star appearance, his fifth in a row, is justified. Paul might not have the flashiest point per game stat, but at nearly nine assists a game and almost 19 points a game, he's impressive.

Kobe Bryant: Another perennial All-Star, Los Angeles Lakers' main man Bryant somehow always seems to find form every year. A 40-point night with an injured wrist seems to be the order of the day. Bryant is definitely up for a lot of praise once he eventually retires, but before that day comes, I expect more MVP-type performances from the Lakers' lynchpin.

Kevin Durant: What can I say about Durant? It's hard to criticize him because he's been great so far in his short career. You could say that Durant is the face of the Oklahoma City team and their success largely depends on his form. Remember, this is a guy who's started every game he's ever played and he's only 23. Having played in three All-Star games in a row, Durant definitely has many more to come in the future.

Blake Griffin: Big Griffin has been a beast. The Clippers have one of the best young players in the league. His recent monster dunk over Kendrick Perkins went viral, and is only one of the reasons why he is an All-Star. There is a mean swagger to his style of play and his dunking ability is one of the best I have seen in quite a while. One thing is certain; Griffin will have a successful career in basketball's big leagues.

Andrew Bynum: Bynum is another player whom I haven't heard much about this year, probably because most of the news from the Lakers concerns Bryant. Looking at his stats, Bynum is averaging 17.1 points per game, his best ever. He's polled in over a million votes, so basketball fans are noticing his efforts. This year marks Bynum's first All-Star appearance, so the 24 year old is definitely progressing in the correct direction.

The weekend of February 26 is definitely going to be a big one for basketball fans, given that the league is a truncated one because of the lockout. The rest of the All- Stars will be announced in due time. Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge are amongst my favourites. The NBA website reports that Canadian Steve Nash could make the cut at 38, and I know I would love to see that materialize.

Originally Written for the Interrobang: http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=8098&sectionID=4&issueID=196
Image Credit: http://www.nba.com/media/hoop/all-star_starters_670.jpg
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IESl5n54n0A (West)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFt6QNs_6l0 (East)