Is it this easy for Miami?
The Miami Heat are such a lock to win it all for the second year in a row that their biggest challenge is not to get too bored leading up to the NBA Finals. Yet, that same boredom could be their worst enemy and help derail them before they reach the Finals. Still, the Heat are stout with star power from top to bottom. But if you’re going to beat the Heat, you must have a potent inside game and you must have the ability to feed the big men over and over again.
It’s Oklahoma City’s turn
The conspiracists out there believe the Oklahoma City Thunder will win it all this year because it’s their turn. Those same conspiracists believed it was Miami’s turn last year, which is why the Heat won it all in the Finals against OKC. The Thunder won Game 1 last year. But when they trailed by two points at home in Game 2 with 9.9 seconds left, LeBron James got away with fouling Kevin Durant not once, but twice, on the same play. Again, it was Miami’s turn.
Man-up time for the Spurs
It’s been awhile since the Spurs saddled up and won an NBA title. From 1999-2007, the Spurs won four titles during that nine-year span. But last year they were a top seed in the West, and then lost to OKC in the West Finals. And in 2011 they were the No. 1 seed out West, and then were upset by the No. 8-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. Tim Duncan will turn 37 on Thursday. He isn’t getting any younger, although he’s playing like he is.
Do the Clippers have staying power?
Forget about all those fancy lobs and all those times they’ve embarrassed opponents with memorable dunks. And forget about being the best team in Los Angeles. Do the Clippers have enough substance to be a major factor in the playoffs. Point guard Chris Paul is the NBA’s best point guard. But there likely will come a time in these playoffs when Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will be a hindrance to the Clippers’ success because they are poor free throw shooters.
The Knicks are over hyped
It’s the playoffs, and the New York Knicks are the No. 2 seed in the East. So naturally they’re going to win the whole thing, right? The over hyped Knicks do have sex appeal in Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, J.R. Smith, Amar’e Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert and Steve Novak. But this team is flawed, because they depend too much on the jump shot and don’t spend enough time working on their post game. If Jason Kidd were 25, the Knicks would win the East.
Sports, Pages 26 on 04/20/2013