A week in Yosemite was fun...but it's great to be back home in the City of Angels, but more importantly, in the Land of the Lake Show. I can't say I was completely disconnected from the NBA; after all, there were about 6 different newspapers delivered there with playoff coverage. Nonetheless, I didn't get to observe and analyze the games for my self which makes blogging a little difficult. In addition, my upset pick of New Orleans over Denver doesn't seem to be working out so well right now with NO losing 2-0. Bright spot: Denver hasn't played on the road yet and during the season they were practically .500 outside of the Rockies (21-20).
But this post isn't an extension of the last post or a recap of Yosemite (despite the title). As you've probably learned by now, Halftime Hype is all about self-opinions, with an emphasis on unique stories as opposed to the "big headlines." That's why I've decided to examine a particular Eastern Conference team which I believe has greatly increased its chances of winning next season.
There's no question that the Washington Wizards endured a tough season. After the off season, it appeared as though the D.C. boys would find a way to win and maybe get past the first round - if they weren't matched up with the Cavs of course. They resigned their franchise player, Arenas, to a blockbuster contract that set him on track to earn $111 million in 6 years. To further expand their chances of joining the elite, the Wizards resigned second-fiddle Antawn Jamison for $50 million in 4 years. The average fan, dare I say it, analyst, probably had an optimistic outlook on the future of the pro basketball team in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, Agent Zero practically missed the entire season (the Wiz lost about $18 mil from his ineffectiveness), lost their starting center, Brendan Haywood, for several months, fired Coach Eddie Jordan and brought in interim Ed Tapscott in the middle of the season, and to add to the pile of problems in our capital traded away a capable point guard in Antonio Daniels.
Why do I find this team full of inspiration and hope? Their new coach is Flip Saunders. I continue to wonder why Detroit's management would fire a coach who took them to the Eastern Conference Finals three consecutive years in a row, but they did. While some may argue that his offensive-minded tactics didn't fit Detroit's defensive system, Motown's finest stooped to 8th place and are losing 0-3 to the Cavs in the first round. Quite a drop from the Conference Finals. My opinion: Flip is a great catch for the Wizards. He will continue to help them develop a consistent offensive game and hopefully will instill more teamwork in a team mostly known for Gilbert Arenas. And if he was able to lead the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals three years in a row, I'm sure he has some defensive strategies that could better improve his new assignment.
The Verdict: I honestly believe that without any devastating injuries, Washington could very easily make the playoffs as a 5-8 seed. They definitely have better pieces than #5 Miami but they're not quite as threatening as #4 Atlanta.
But this post isn't an extension of the last post or a recap of Yosemite (despite the title). As you've probably learned by now, Halftime Hype is all about self-opinions, with an emphasis on unique stories as opposed to the "big headlines." That's why I've decided to examine a particular Eastern Conference team which I believe has greatly increased its chances of winning next season.
There's no question that the Washington Wizards endured a tough season. After the off season, it appeared as though the D.C. boys would find a way to win and maybe get past the first round - if they weren't matched up with the Cavs of course. They resigned their franchise player, Arenas, to a blockbuster contract that set him on track to earn $111 million in 6 years. To further expand their chances of joining the elite, the Wizards resigned second-fiddle Antawn Jamison for $50 million in 4 years. The average fan, dare I say it, analyst, probably had an optimistic outlook on the future of the pro basketball team in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, Agent Zero practically missed the entire season (the Wiz lost about $18 mil from his ineffectiveness), lost their starting center, Brendan Haywood, for several months, fired Coach Eddie Jordan and brought in interim Ed Tapscott in the middle of the season, and to add to the pile of problems in our capital traded away a capable point guard in Antonio Daniels.
Why do I find this team full of inspiration and hope? Their new coach is Flip Saunders. I continue to wonder why Detroit's management would fire a coach who took them to the Eastern Conference Finals three consecutive years in a row, but they did. While some may argue that his offensive-minded tactics didn't fit Detroit's defensive system, Motown's finest stooped to 8th place and are losing 0-3 to the Cavs in the first round. Quite a drop from the Conference Finals. My opinion: Flip is a great catch for the Wizards. He will continue to help them develop a consistent offensive game and hopefully will instill more teamwork in a team mostly known for Gilbert Arenas. And if he was able to lead the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals three years in a row, I'm sure he has some defensive strategies that could better improve his new assignment.
The Verdict: I honestly believe that without any devastating injuries, Washington could very easily make the playoffs as a 5-8 seed. They definitely have better pieces than #5 Miami but they're not quite as threatening as #4 Atlanta.
Book Hype
Instead of a dope jam today, I've decided to recommend a (sports) book to the knowledgeable readers of this blog. Since I've been away from my computer and can't really think of any new tunes at the moment, I suggest you enjoy this quick read: The Best Los Angeles Sports Arguements: The 100 Most Controversial, Debatable, Questions for Die-Hard Fans by J.A. Adande. Some of you may recognize the name from the ESPN show, Around the Horn. I became a fan of his during his 10-year tenure as a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He worked there for ten years and I read his Lakers columns, which really captured the enthusiasm or lack of it at all Lakers games, 82 games a season + playoffs. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who recognized his talent and he got promoted to ESPN. The book is about a couple of years old and is the perfect book for any fan of the Lakers, Dodgers, and/or Kings. Adande writes some impressive points (ex. Clippers announcer, Ralph Lawler, should have a jersey retired in his honor) while simultaneously mixing debate candidates from L.A. basketball, baseball, and hockey. Some of the debates include all 3 sports, but to ensure that each and every fan is satisfied, Adande also has seperate chapters for the sole die-hard fan of baskets, home runs, and goals. For me it was a very quick read because I focused more on the basketball-related arguements, but at 269 pages, it shouldn't take anyone long to finish. All in all, the book briefly touches on topics that have been constantly nagging the Los Angeles sports fan.
By the way, I meant to say this earlier but it's never too late - I hope you all enjoyed Jeremy's column on the iTunes top 10. He's probably among the most musically talented middle school pianists in Los Angeles and has an extremely high (music) IQ. He's now a phenom at Halftime Hype and will be blogging as often as he can so brace yourselves for some ill music reviews of what's dope.
0 comments:
Post a Comment