(Start your playoff party right with some pizza! And we wonder why America is gaining crazy weight)
After a weekend of relatively exciting basketball, I am thoroughly pleased by the displays of awesomeness, finally, from the free agent class of 2010. By the way Lebron James played yesterday, you would thought he invented basketball the way Trey Songz invented sex. Either that or Chauncey Billups should renounce his crown as "Mr. Big Shot" by how Lebron makes three points shots as effortlessly as Andris Biedrins misses free throws.
Dwayne Wade finally became the super star that he was of last year and, basically, carried that team on his back last night. With all the dead weight on that team, Wade's got a lot to carry. I bet he does hella lunges.
So, which superstar will step up today? Will Stephen Jackson will his Bobcats to a victory while shooting 6-27? Or will Joe Johnson put the young Milwaukee Bucks in check tonight? Will Brandon Roy put his surgically repaired knee (and possibly his career) at more risk for one more win? Set your DVRs and order your pizzas in advance....
What time is it? GAME TIME!
Magic @ Bobcats, 5:00PM PST/8:00 EST
Hawks @ Bucks, 5:30 PM PST/8:30 EST
Blazers @ Suns, 7:30 PM PST/10:30 EST
(The Great Michael Jordan teaches Stephen Jackson the arts of throwing a tantrum)
Magic @ Bobcats
The Magic are up 3-0. As long as nobody makes the mistake Tracy McGrady made when he was up 3-1 to the Pistons, the Magic SHOULD be good for the second round (oops, I hope that didn't just jinx them). Stephen Jackson has 5 tantrums in a blowout loss at home. The Warriors nation rejoices.
(it has taken me about 20+ years to finally figure out where the Hawk is in this logo. I originally thought, what does this red pacman have anything to do with a Hawk?)
Hawks @ Bucks
The Bucks shouldn't be winning but John Salmons is becoming the perennial midseason pick-up that has any playoff bound team looking decent. He's providing that spark this season for the Bucks as he did last season for the Bulls. But does this also mean that he's going to be terrible come next season, thus becoming trade bait and then helping another low-seeded playoff team (maybe the Warriors?) stay competitive in a playoff series?
Something tells me that the Hawks just are NOT for reals. They're exciting to watch, put up great stats during the regular season, and have a few all-star/super stars. But the Hawks just don't look dominant come playoff time. I guess they're the Dallas Mavericks of the east, if I had to give them an official name. Joe Johnson is the east coast Dirk. Hey, I compared a black basketball player to a white basketball player! Isn't that purportedly sacrilegious to the laws of sports criticism?
(Is this a basketball players dream to be surrounded by basketballs?)
Blazers @ Suns
The Blazers should really be called the Portland Brandon Roys given how Roy is like the spiritual core of their team. I mean, his return pumped up LeMarcus Alderidge so much he actually looked more like Dwight Howard than Juwan Howard-lite, as I've dubbed him (lite in terms of his skills and lite in terms of his looks in comparison to Howard's ultra-sexiness). Roy's return made for a great drama in what looked to be an otherwise disappointing first round series. Everyone loves a great "return and rise" from tragedy ala Derek Fisher with the Jazz against the We Believe Warriors.
I don't think the Trailblazers have what it takes at this point against a veteran savvy group like the Suns. But then again, they may have fresh legs (if they can stay healthy) to outrun the Suns at their own game. Steve Nash is averaging 40 minutes per game and you wonder how many more near complete games he can play given that he hasn't logged this many minutes since 1999 maybe (I'm just slightly joking).
Who are you rooting for today?