Going into the All-Star break, the most anticipated NBA season in the last twenty years has not disappointed.Some teams have continued their pursuit of excellence, while other teams have bottomed out, continuing their pursuit for the top pick in this year’s draft.
Here are the top headlines for the first half of the 2011 season:
San Antonio Spurs (46-9) – The Spurs have the best record in the NBA and the team from the Alamo has shown if healthy, they are a concrete force to be reckoned with in the Wild Wild West.
Miami Heat (39-15) – Because of inconsistencies and health problems, we have yet to see if LeBron really made the right decision in taking his “talents” to Miami.
However, the Big 3 are heating up.
Cleveland Cavaliers (9-46) – Apparently, Ohio really did need LeBron’s talents huh???
Los Angeles Lakers (38-18) – Some nights the Lake Show look unstoppable, yet recently, the Lakers have been playing extremely lethargic.
The fact of the matter is, after winning back-to-back championships, it’s hard to get motivated for mid-season road games in February.
Look for the Lakers to continue the quest for a three-peat when playoffs come.
Boston Celtics (39-14) – Probably the most consistent team in the league. With the addition of Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal in the off-season, the Celtics are also the deepest team in the league. Lest we not forget, they are Eastern Conference champs until proven otherwise.
What happened in Utah? – The longest tenured coach in professional sports, Jerry Sloan, stepped down last Thursday. A decision that surprised basketball fans everywhere. Point Guard Derron Williams confirmed a verbal altercation ensued at halftime of a recent game. However, Williams ensures that the incident had nothing with his abrupt departure.
Where will Carmelo land? – While you are never sure of where a player is going until a trade actually happens, all trades talks have clearly taken a toll on him off the court. The question remains, what team would be better with Carmelo?