Thoughts running through my head as the Magic lose another game...
Alright, I've had it. If the Magic don't get their act together, I'm
becoming an Atlanta Hawks fan. You read
that right.
Think about it. If you backed a team like the Hawks who you just know isn't
going anywhere, it saves you all of the heartache, and you don't feel disappointed
when the team crashes head first into the trees.
With a team like Atlanta, I could watch the game for just what it is; a
match up of two teams, and when the night's over, I know that Hawks losing is due
to their lack of talent. No high hopes. No disappointments.
I have run the gamut of emotions watching the Magic play night in and night
out. I was happy and excited when they first took the court; then I was a little
worried when they never went on that six game winning streak. Now, I'm just sitting
at home waiting for them to implode.
It's like a father with a rebel son. He's just sitting by the phone,
waiting for it to ring with bad news.
I can't even turn the channel. I've never seen a team self destruct in
person before. I might even write a book about it someday.
The game against New Jersey had it all. Bad passes, bad defense, and a few
altercations. Heck, even a sports writer got doused with lotion in the locker room.
Quentin Tarantino couldn't write a better script (ok, that's lie).
So now they head out West. No distractions, no excuses. It's just 12 players
and 6 coaches. If they can't come together as a team by the end of the trip, then
we can just forget about this season.
Might as well become a Hawks fan.
Let's take a look around the NBA.
-- Don't look now, but Shaq has done it again. He's taken a mediocre team,
and made them contenders. He really must be a Jeannie. KAZZAM!
-- If you're waiting for the
Phoenix Suns to return back to Earth,
you'll be waiting a long time; might as well grab yourself a sandwich or something.
-- How about the
Houston Rockets? They just had one of
the biggest stretches in franchise history. In the span of about 10 days, the
Rockets beat Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, Sacramento, and Golden State. T-Mac and Yao
Ming are working on all cylinders, and the role players are stepping up their game.
Don't fall asleep on this team. They could beat any team not named San Antonio.
-- At this point, neither Los Angeles, Minnesota, nor Denver deserve to make
the playoffs. All have been major disappointments. In Minnesota's case, they should
be forced to dismantle after this season's ego driven meltdown.
-- Other than the Spurs (acquiring Nazr Mohammad), it's obvious that the
Boston Celtics made the best move
before the trade deadline. They acquired former All-Star Antoine Walker (again) for
basically nothing, and after trading their starting point guard to get, were able
to get him back after he cleared waivers. Suddenly they are the team to beat in the
woeful Atlantic division.
-- Conversely, the
Philadelphia 76ers appear to have
made the worst move. Granted, getting All-Star Chris Webber looks good on paper,
but if championships were handed out based on paper, the Lakers would have won last
season. Webber is in the Charles Oakley stage of his career. He can't jump. He
barely rebounds. And the only thing keeping him on the floor is his passing and mid
range jump shot. The Sixers didn't give up much to get him, but they sacrificed
depth up front and on the bench. The team wasn't going anywhere before the trade,
and if Webber doesn't regain his All-Star form, they won't be going anywhere after it.
-- You've got to love the
Golden State Warriors. It's so easy to
forecast their season. They start the season strong winning seven of their first ten
games, and suddenly they lose focus toward the end of December. They make a head
scratching trade just before the deadline, and stay in their daze until around the
last 30 games of the season where they start winning games and become that team no
playoff bubble team wants to play. Fans start getting excited about the next season,
and believe they have a chance. They make a few changes in the offseason (basically
giving an undeserving player loads of money), and the cycle starts all over again.
Well, at least that doesn't happen in Atlanta. Fans know they stink, and
management isn't going to do anything to change that.
