It's interesting to note some of the things that have been going on around the NBA lately. Not the least of which is the typical media hype over certain star players. The talking heads need their heroes even more than the fans.
While terrific players are, duh, necessary to a team's success, a media created superstar doesn't necessarily translate to playoff success, much less winning a championship. Let's look at a few.
Just last night, Russell Westbrook of the Okla City Thunder poured in a whopping 54 points. His team would lose by 12 to the lowly Indiana Pacers. Granted, teammate "superstar" Kevin Durant is on the shelf again with another injury. KD seems to have a little Murphyish Tiger Woods in him. For a guy in such terrific shape, if something can go physically wrong, it probably will. But even if Durant was still there, the chances of OKC reaching the NBA Finals were slim or none. That's because a while back they made the incredibly bone-headed mistake of letting a key player get away in free agency.
Enter James Harden, the younger clone of Grady from the Sanford and Son comedy series of old. Like Westbrook, Harden's been lighting it up on the court with his scoring. See him drill 3 pointers. See him dribble his way through four defenders like Curly Neal of the Harlem Globetrotters for improbable baskets. See him neck and neck with Westbrook for the scoring title and MVP consideration. See him and his Houston Rockets likely make an early exit from the playoffs. When one guy's hoisting up 40-some shots per game, it doesn't say a whole lot about his supporting cast.
There's Batman and Robin, sometimes known as the Splash Brothers, for Golden State. When it comes to pure shooting, few would doubt the tandem of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are a dynamic duo indeed. Perhaps the best ever. It should also be noted the Warriors have the best record in the entire NBA and will enjoy home court advantage throughout the playoffs. But when the defenses start tightening the screws in the playoffs -- does anybody really think these guys can run the formidable gauntlet of the West? Not I. Steph and Klay might well get splashed out of the post-season in the first couple rounds of play.
Notice we haven't heard much about Chris Paul and the Clippers lately. Maybe that's because dear Chris is still recuperating from having his ankles broken by the above-mentioned Curry in a recent game. Ouch. And mercifully, those moronic insurance TV ads Chris did with his twin brother Cliff seem to finally have run their course. Yes, the Clips are pretty good, what with the likes of Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan prowling the court. But Sir Charles Barkley hit it on the nose when he said, "If your best player is only 6 feet tall, you're not going to win a championship". Anybody that swings a golf club like Chuck gets my attention, though some of his stupid commercials can go away any time now -- please. Nevertheless, let's scratch the Clips from serious consideration to go far.
The Atlanta Hawks won the East by a wide margin and will enjoy home court advantage as well. Conversely, they don't feature any "superstars" and have relied on team basketball to get them in the position they're in. But again, does anybody really think they'll make it through to the Finals, let alone win it? Count yours truly as highly skeptical.
So when push comes to shove with the big boys and the refs start swallowing their whistles in the playoffs, who can we look to see still playing in June?
The likely possibilities might surprise you, because they've been flying under the radar all year long while the yappy heads have been ranting about superstar players and their individual accomplishments. But when one really thinks about it, such an outcome wouldn't be surprising at all.
On to the real deal, next time. Working.....
No comments:
Post a Comment