With the NBA playoffs now in full swing, you must agree some things have gone as expected, while others have come as a shock.
Here are the top headlines of the NBA Playoffs thus far.Are Grizzles for real?
Ask San Antonio. Let’s be honest, if you were to tell me the Grizzles would defeat the Spurs in six games, you would be accused of blasphemy. The fact of the matter is Memphis is a solid team with emerging players. Zach Randolph is a solid lefty whose skills proved too much for any Spurs defender to corral.
Is this the end of the Spurs’ reign?
With Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson all signed to the 2011-2012 season, you can never count the team from the San Antonio Spurs out. But their window of opportunity is closing rather swiftly. The West is getting better with young teams such as the Thunder, Clippers and Blazers on the rise. Either way it goes, the Spurs need to get their act together rather soon.
Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
Many people think that the winner of this series will be the eventual champ of the East, but that will be easier said than done. The Heat beat the Sixers in the first round to advance to the second round. The Celtics swept the Knicks to advance. Miami is playing terrific team defense, holding the Celtics to 42 percent in Game 1. However, one thing has started becoming very evident: South Beach is still “Wade” County even though a new “prince” is in town. The Celtics will have to play practically flawless basketball to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
Will the REAL Lakers, please stand up?
The award to the most inconsistent team in the NBA goes to, you guessed it, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lake Show had a difficult time containing Chris Paul in the first round and is now having the same problems finding somebody to defend Dirk. In Game 1, Nowitzki went 11 for 23 with 28 points. The Lakers never seem worried and always seem to turn on “the switch” when it counts. However, they can’t keep depending on Kobe to see it through. Gasol & Odom need to be more consistent with their offensive play,
Chicago Bullied?
Although the Chicago Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, the Bulls offense got exposed on many fronts. If it was not for D. Rose pulling miraculous plays in the waning moments, that series could have a different outcome. The Hawks are a similar team to the Bulls when it comes to athleticism, so Rose will have to start making jump shots in the fourth quarter to get out of this round and in the rounds to come.