Paying an NSF Check

Indiana Pacers star forward Paul George insinuated that the game officials cost his team a win in Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the three-time defending conference champion Miami Heat. The Heat appeared to outplay the Pacers from start-to-finish in Game 4. Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk. 

PAYING WHAT YOU OWE

George wrote a check with his mouth that he could not cash on time. Last night, in a season-saving, 93-90, Game 5 win at Indiana, George made good on that check. Still, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver slapped George with $25,000 in “NSF fees” for criticizing the officials. The series heads back to Miami for a pivotal Game 6. In my opinion, the team that wins this game wins the series. The Miami Heat will be that team.

George settled up with "The Bank" last night. 1

BUFFOONERY

Yesterday, we discussed the difference between great theater and sophomoric drama in the NBA playoffs. George’s redemption act was part of great theater. Lance Stephenson’s shenanigans during this series (and this season in general) have been downright childish.

Prior to Monday’s Game 4, Stephenson implied that he could get into Heat star forward LeBron James’ head. LeBron inconspicuously dropped 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 12 point Heat win. Last night, Stephenson thought that blowing in James’ ear during a stoppage in play was an effective defensive tactic.

Early foul trouble, limiting James to 24 minutes of play, appeared to be The King’s greatest impediment, not Tropical Breath Lance. Future Hall of Fame Heat guard Ray Allen described Stephenson’s continued silly antics as, “buffoonery.” Some people learn their lessons after burning a hand on the proverbial hot stove. Sir Lance A Little is not one of them.

Dude...seriously? 2

THE BANK IS STILL OPEN

If the two-time NBA champs were supposed to be in despair and desperation following a missed opportunity to close the series out and clinch their fourth consecutive Eastern Conference Championship, one could not tell from the demeanor of the players in the post-game press conference. In fact, without the benefit of the final score, I couldn't tell they lost.

Confidence is a hallmark of a champion. The Heat are the champs and they are justifiably confident. Against the Pacers, how could they not be? When one key player took a big step forward, another kept pulling them in the other direction. The bank closes tomorrow night.

Paul George may sign one more "check" but these ladies should be done signing anything for this year if the Heat take care of business in Miami in Game 6. 3

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The Pacers: Indiana’s Babies

Lance Stephenson is in LeBron James’ head? The Pacers beat the Heat in Game 4 if the refs don’t give it away, according to Paul George? Roy Hibbert would have scored more than zero points (again) if the game plan called for it?

Let’s try an exercise, fellow readers. Point your finger. Point it anywhere. Just one…. Now look at the other fingers on your hand. Old sayings become old because they are timeless and true: whenever you stop to point a finger, there are three more pointing right back at you.

George has 25,000 reasons to learn from his past mistakes. 1

THEATER vs DRAMA CLASS

I’ve always said that the NBA Playoffs make for the best theater of the major North American team sports. The NFL has the best action. MLB offers more unexpected twists. But the NBA delivers the best theater.
There is a difference, however, between adult delivering an athletic theatrical performance and people acting like they’re in a high school drama class. If you’ve followed the 2014 NBA Eastern Conference Finals and/or the Indiana Pacers for any stretch of this playoff run, you know where they fall. It would be funny if it weren’t so silly.


GREAT EXPECTATIONS

The Pacers were one game away from advancing to the 2013 NBA Finals. In 2014, they raced to the best record in the Eastern Conference. They split the four game regular season series with the three-time defending conference champion Miami Heat, with the home team winning every game. The Pacers set themselves up to dethrone the two-time NBA champions.

Indiana has a young team. Power forward David West is the only Pacers’ starter over the age of 28. He is one of only five players on the entire roster over the age of 30. He appears to be the only grown up in a Pacers’ uniform. In a game in which the most respected “talking” is done with one’s game on the court, too many of the players appear to have gotten that concept backwards.

The Pacers began to wilt near the end of the regular season. Conspicuously poor performances, a lack of accountability, attention grabbing headlines in the media, and an undertone of finger pointing threatened to derail the regular season goal of clinching home court in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Indiana started off with a 46-13 record. They limped to the end of the regular season with a 56-26 record, nipping the (coasting) Miami Heat by two games for the top seed in the conference.

Seeing zeros in Hibbert's box score is becoming less unusual with each occurrence. 2

HUH?

The Pacers fell behind the 8th seeded Atlanta Hawks, 3 games to 2. The Hawks had a sub-.500 record in the regular season. Nonetheless, with center Roy Hibbert becoming an offensive black hole and players looking disconnected, the Pacers went into Atlanta for Game 6 facing elimination.

The Pacers are vastly superior to the Hawks in talent. They couldn’t drop a best-of-seven to the Hawks if they tried (though it appeared they were at times). The Pacers cleaned up the glaring messed a Forrest-Gumped their way into the second round against the Washington Wizards, offering more of the same underwhelming basketball in Game 1 of that Eastern Conference Semifinals series.

The Pacers appeared to return to their pre-meltdown form in Game 2, with small forward Paul George and Roy Hibbert having breakout playoff performances. After beating the Heat in Game 1 of the Conference Finals, the NBA appeared to have the showdown that it expected between these two teams for much of the regular season.

Yes, David West. It's like that. 3

THE CREAM RISES TO THE TOP

Miami is leading in this series three games to one. In each of Miami’s three wins, they appear to get better and beating Indiana and Indiana seems to get better at beating itself. For all of the talk that the Pacers have done leading up to and during this series, all they have to show for it is a trip home for Game 5 facing elimination and Paul George’s pockets being $25,000 lighter after criticizing the officials following a Game 4 romp by Miami, 102-90, that was never as close in the 4th quarter as the final score may indicate.

Here are the cold, hard facts, Pacers Fan: The Heat are a better NBA basketball team. The Pacers have a better, younger collection of basketball players. NBA championships are won by teams. They are led by their starts, but the titles are won by teams. The Pacers appear to be drowning in their own immaturity and searching for a key to beating a two-time champion with three or four future Hall of Famers on the roster. They will never find that key until they tune out the superficial and trivial and focus on beating their opponent in every possession, every quarter, and in each game.

The Pacers are not going to sniff the Finals until they stop reading their own headlines and, instead, write the headlines that they wish to see themselves. Thirty-three year old All-Star David West is the team’s veteran leader and an example the younger players should follow. Much like one can only lead a horse to water, West can only show his younger counterparts how (and how not) to carry themselves deep in the post season. The Pacers will never drink the refreshment of a conference championship until they grow up and focus. It is not a coincidence that the key players of the two front runners in each conference, the Heat and San Antonio Spurs, are either near or over the age of 30. It shows.  

Don't pack up for the summer yet! The Heat cheerleaders have a few more games on their schedules this season. 4

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Must See Sports – Second Weekend of May 2014

Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 8-3
Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, in series: 4-0
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record, excluding series: 39-32
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record (series only): 4-1

If you can’t get your fill of sports this week, then you’re just plain greedy.

Thursday, May 8

NFL

2014 NFL Draft, 1^st Round – New York, NY – 7:00pm CDT

What will the Texans do with the #1 overall pick? Will Jadeveon Clowney go first overall? Where is Johnny Football headed? Those are the headlines but just the tip of the iceberg of questions whose answers will be delivered to us starting tonight.

1

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat, Game 2 (Heat lead series 1-0)

I don’t expect Miami to coast to a 21 point win like they did in Game 1. I don’t expect them to hand over home court advantage tonight, either.

Advantages: Game – Heat, Series – Heat

Portland Trailblazers at San Antonio Spurs (Spurs lead series 1-0)

Game 7 of the first round against the Dallas Mavericks appears to have awaken a sleeping giant in the defending Western Conference champion Spurs. San Antonio handed out a complete, top-to-bottom beat down in Game 1. I don’t see the Blazers finding the confidence to win a road game against this Spurs team in Game 2.

Advantage: Game – Spurs, Series – Spurs

This series is loaded with future Hall of Famers. 2

Friday, May 9

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards, Game 3 (series tied 1-1)

The Pacers are like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. This team goes from dysfunctional and incompetent to looking like the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference that they are overnight. Roy Hibbert had completely vanished in the postseason until last night and then he emerged like Seabuscuit with 28 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in the series-tying Game 2 at Indiana. Now the series shifts to D.C.. I don’t trust the Pacers but I do trust how home court can tip the scales in the playoffs.

Advantage: Game – Wizards, Series – Pacers

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers, Game 3 (series tied 1-1)

Another sleeping giant, actually two – MVP Kevin Durant and point guard Russell Westbrook of the Thunder – awoke in last night’s Game 2 as the Thunder hammered the Clippers. The series shifts back to the Staples Center in L.A., however and that move is a potential momentum-shifter.

Advantages: Game – Clippers, Series – Thunder

NFL

2014 NFL Draft, 2^nd and 3^rd rounds – New York, NY – 6:00pm CDT

Will Johnny Manziel still be on the board? Not probable…but not impossible.

Will any of these guys be available on Day 2? Stranger things have happened. 3

Saturday, May 10

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets, Game 3

This is the Nets’ best chance to steal a game in this series. First game headed back to Brooklyn coming off of a travel day…. Enjoy the shot at a win, Nets fan! It may be your last.

Advantage: Nets

San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trailblazers, Game 3

That trip to Portland is not a short one. The crowd will be jacked. The Spurs’ 30-something bodies will not respond as well to a travel day as they once did. Jet lag is real. By the way, so are the Trailblazers, Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, in particular.

Advantage: Trailblazers

The Blazers deserve a welcome home...for a great season. 4

Sunday, May 11

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers, Game 4

I think this series is going the distance and I don’t expect the Thunder to return home down three games to one. This game is pivotal. It is in Los Angeles and it is very winnable for the Clippers. I simply expect the back-and-forth nature of a seven game series between two similarly talented teams, which these teams are, to send them back to OKC even after four games.

Advantage: Thunder

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards, Game 4

Who knows? I think the Pacers will win four games in this series but their inconsistency makes it difficult to guess which four. Roy Hibbert appears to be back on the Focused Wagon, so I think the Pacers can return the series to Indianapolis tied a 2-2.

Advantage: Pacers

Roy Hibbert must have readjusted his monocle. 5

NFL

2014 NFL Draft, rounds four through seven – New York, NY – 11:00am CDT

If the NFL Draft has taught us anything, it is that there are an abundance of hidden treasures in the late rounds.

Monday, May 12

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets, Game 4

Cue the late “Dandy” Don Meredith for the Nets: ♫ “Turn out the liiiii-ghts! The par-ty’s ooo-ver! They say that all-lll…good things must ennn-nd!” ♪

Advantage: Heat

San Antonio Spurs at  Portland Trailblazers, Game 4

This is a pivotal game. If Portland has any realistic chance of beating the Spurs, they need to sweep the remaining games they have at home.  I don’t think that is going to happen as experience and coaching will catch up to the up-and-coming Blazers.

Advantage: Spurs

Tuesday, May 13

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Finals

Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers, Game 5

Don’t put any money on any game in this series. I’m simply deferring to the home court advantage for Game 5. The winner of this game will take the series in my opinion.

Advantage: Pacers

Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder, Game 5

Copy what I said for the Wizards and Pacers. The Game 5 winner will eventually advance to the Conference Finals. Being back in Oklahoma City, I expect the crowd and the home court to carry them over the finish line in the event that this game is close.

Advantage: Thunder

Durant and Westbrook we unstoppable in Game 2. 6

Wednesday, May 14

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat, Game 5 (if necessary)

Game…set…match.

Advantage: Heat

Portland Trailblazers at San Antonio Spurs, Game 5 (if necessary)

The trail stops being blazed here. I expect Game 5 to be competitive and close because the Spurs will be facing a test of endurance after the seven game first round series and four games of the Conference Semis. But I’ll throw my lot in with Gregg Popovich to close this one out should the Spurs enter the game with a 3-1 series lead.

Advantage: Spurs

Popovich sometimes has a like that it's so easy that he's bored. 7

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Seven, Seven, Seven, Seven, and Seven

The most competitive, exciting and drama-filled first round of the NBA playoffs came to an end this past weekend. Five first round series concluded with a deciding Game 7, with a record three Game 7’s taking place on one day. The road team won the majority of the games played in the round. Only one series ended in a sweep with the two-time defending champion Miami Heat disposing of the Charlotte Bobcats in four games.  Six of the eight first round series required at least six games to decide the series. This all took place with the back drop of a potentially explosive controversy involving the racist remarks of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. It was a first round that will be a tough act to follow.

There were unexpected curves in the road through the NBA Playoffs. 1

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FOR AN ENCORE?

In the Eastern Conference, the top seeded Indiana Pacers and fifth seeded Washington Wizards will play for the right to advance to the Conference Finals against the winner of the series between the second seeded Heat and the sixth seeded Brooklyn Nets. In the Western Conference, the survivors of the four tightly contested first round series were the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and Portland Trailblazers. The winner of the Spurs and Blazers will advance to play the winner of the Clippers-Thunder series. Like in the first round, expect the series in the Western Conference to be decided by the slimmest of margins.

LeBron and company are all rested up thanks to the fight that owner Michael Jordan's Bobcats did not put up. 2

WHAT THE FIRST ROUND TOLD US

In spite of the intense competition and high drama, the first round of the first round, we know, roughly, what we knew going into the playoffs. The Heat are the team to beat. The Bulls were an easy out without Derrick Rose or any other potent scoring threat. The Pacers may be the most dysfunctional and inconsistent top seeded team in the history of the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets are beatable, but have so much talent and experience that they are capable of beating anyone (including the Heat) in spite of the obstacles in their path. The narrative in the East is the same has it has been for months.

In the West, there are three teams that appear to be similarly capable of winning the West – the defending conference champion Spurs, the 2012 conference champion Thunder, and the Clippers, notwithstanding their ownership crisis. The Portland Trailblazers started this season as the hottest team in the NBA and their play against the Rockets in the first round resembles their play in November and December, when they appeared to be poised to run away with the Northwest Division. Expect those two series to be heated, physical, and long.

Liftoff of the 2014 NBA Playoffs is successful. If the first round is any indication, the return from orbit could be bumpy.  If so, the fans (and television networks) will be the big winners between now and mid-June.

The Nets advanced in a Game 7 at Toronto by the tips of Paul Pierce's fingers. It won't be the last time this season we see exciting conclusions like this one. 3

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Tarnished Sterling

TMZ released an audio recording purportedly of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist statements while arguing with his then-girlfriend, V. Stiviano. Some of the sentiments expressed on the recording include Sterling, who is white, allegedly telling Stiviano not to bring any black people to Clippers game, including Basketball Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Magic Johnson. He also expressed wishes for Stiviano not to "broadcast" pictures of herself with black people on Instagram.

The nine-and-a-half minute recording can be heard in its entirety in the YouTube upload of this past Saturday's Louisiana All American Sports radio show at the 39:00 mark. Sterling, allegedly, is heard repeatedly asking Stiviano to not associate with minorities. He cites his "culture". He then goes into a disorganized, almost nonsensical sociology monologue about Blacks and Latinos and how "things have always been". Stiviano is half Black and half Mexican.

Maybe Sterling really doesn't see color. Psst! Donny boy. You're girlfriend is (half) black (gasp)! 1

NOT SO SURPRISING

I received a text early Saturday morning from my Internet and radio broadcast partner, Perry Daniels, about the Sterling story. As soon as I saw Sterling's name in the hyperlink to the story, before even reading it, I thought, "What did this known a-hole do this time?" I wasn't quite prepared for the bombshell that followed, but I was not exactly in a state of disbelief, either.

Sterling has been sued and settled out of court for a record payoff, just short of $3 million, in a housing discrimination suit. Basketball Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor,  a former Clippers executive under Sterling, sued Sterling for withheld pay and also alleged racial biases in the Clippers' workplace tied to Sterling. In short, this isn't the first time with Sterling.

Sterling is possibly one of the least liked owners in the NBA by all accounts. His team was a laughing stock for decades before acquiring current Head Coach Doc Rivers and All-Stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. His reputation for penny pinching to the detriment of his NBA organization preceded him. Since this story broke, a story was reported on sports radio that the other NBA owners tied to rid themselves of Sterling in the past by "encouraging" him to sell.

This type of black eye on the league via Donald Sterling was a long time coming.

Adam Silver didn't start it, but, taking him at his word, he's going to finish it. 2

NOW WHAT?

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver vowed to respond swiftly and aggressively to this image crisis. Clippers players have already made symbolic statements like wearing black socks and wristbands and wearing their warm-up tee shirts inside-out before Sunday's Game 4 of their first round matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Doc Rivers has acknowledged the distraction that this is become but also said, "We have a job to do." Rivers, a former NBA player, by all accounts is very respected by his players and the Clippers players appear to be following Coach Rivers' lead.

Given the highly competitive nature of Western Conference basketball and the razor-thin gaps in talent from top-to-bottom between teams, this distraction could be enough to tip the scales on the court and preclude the Clippers from winning an NBA Championship (possibly preclude them from advancing past the Warriors in the first round). The possibility of the players union filing a grievance and asking for players to have the power to opt out of their contracts should Sterling retain ownership is not far fetched. The Clippers have, overnight, become the least attractive free agency destination in the NBA. This would make offseason player personnel improvements very difficult, particularly in a league in which roughly 80% of its players are Black.

Doc Rivers is not a miracle worker, but he'll have to come close to it to salvage his team's playoff run. 3

LONG TERM

Should the TMZ recording be authenticated, which I suspect it will, in the absence of a really good explanation, Sterling has to go, immediately. The NBA probably cannot force Sterling to sell his team (I am not familiar with the NBA's bylaws) but they can compel him to do so by creating an environment in which continued ownership of the Clippers is not desirable to Sterling.

There is no room in pro sports, especially in a league like the NBA that has an image of earning an A+ in diversity over the years. The more swift, decisive, and appropriate a resolution is reaching in this incident, the faster the crisis will be behind the league and its players, coaches, and owners. It is my hope that Adam Silver backs up his bold and unequivocal proclamation over the weekend to respond to these events with action.

Ironic? The league wants to get rid of Donald Sterling, independent of this scandal. Another  Los Angeles franchise turned its public image around overnight with a change in ownership. That same ownership group has D..E..E..P pockets and is rumored to want to get his foot into the door of the NBA. Cue Alanis Morissette. Just sayin'.... 4

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Must See Sports – Fourth Weekend of April 2014

Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 3-4
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record, excluding series: 31-29
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record (series only): 0-1

It’s playoff time in the NBA. Get your dose of what to watch from The Daily Hat Trick.

Thursday, April 24

NBA Playoffs – First Round

Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies, Game 3 (series tied at 1-1)

Memphis is a matchup problem of OKC; they always have been. I’m not convinced that Russell Westbrook is 100% healthy, either, in spite of an impressive Game 2 stat line. The Thunder have had trouble in the postseason in Memphis before and the Grizzlies have momentum returning to the FedEx Forum.

Advantages: Game – Grizzlies, Series – Thunder

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, Game 3 (series tied at 1-1)

This series is tough to predict. The Clippers responded to a close Game 1 loss by absolutely hammering the Warriors in Game 2. The series shifts to Northern California, but I don’t know if the Warriors confidence isn’t a bit shaken after the 40 massacre in Game 2.

Advantages: Game – Clippers, Series – Clippers

Zach Randolph bringing it to the Durantula. The Thunder are going to have to do more than clap to get out of the first round. 1

Friday, April 25

NBA Playoffs – First Round

Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets, Game 3 (series tied at 1-1)

The Atlantic Division champion Raptors, by far, have the greatest talent-to-name-recognition ratio in the NBA. This is a young, physical, deep team with a shooter in DeMar DeRozan at the 2 spot who will become a household name among basketball fans before this series is over. Still, Brooklyn has demonstrated that they have gelled and have saved their fuel for the stretch run in the playoffs. With this series returning south of the Canadian border, I like the Nets in this game.

Advantages: Game – Nets, Series – Nets

If you don't know Kyle Lowry, left, and DeMar DeRozan, right, you'd better recognize! 3

Saturday, April 26

NBA Playoffs – First Round

San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks, Game 3 (series tied at 1-1)

The Mavs demonstrated that they are a smart, deep group of veterans who can beat anyone when they play well together and get hot. Mavs Head Coach Rick Carlisle showed that he will go as far as it takes, like the entire length of his bench, to outsmart Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Still, outcoaching Popovich doesn’t happen often and the Spurs have Tony Parker while the Mavs have no answer for him. Look for the Spurs to adjust and win in Game 3.

Advantages: Game – Spurs, Series – Spurs

Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies, Game 4

The Thunder are not returning to OKC down 3-1; period.

Advantage: Thunder

In a German accent: "Whaaat do they mean we're old?" 4

Sunday, April 27

NBA Playoffs – First Round

Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets, Game 4

The young Raptors may be awe struck at what perennial All-Stars and future Hall of Famers can do in the postseason, age notwithstanding.

Advantage: Nets

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, Game 4

I don’t expect the high-scoring Warriors to be swept in their homestand.

Advantage: Warriors

Not everything is cold in Canada. 2

Monday, April 28

NBA Playoffs – First Round

San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks, Game 4

The Spurs crush the peasant revolt here.

Advantage: Spurs

Tuesday, April 28

NBA Playoffs – First Round

Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers, Game 5

I personally expect this series to go the distance and I expect L.A. to return to the Staples Center to deliver a win to their fans.

Advantage: Clippers

Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder, Game 5

This game is almost a coin toss, considering how I expect the momentum of the series to be by then. But I will defer to the home court advantage.

Advantage: Thunder

Andre Iguodala, left, is stepping his game up for Blake Griffin, getting dunked on, right, and Lob City. 5

Wednesday, April 30

NBA Playoffs – First Round

Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors, Game 5

Returning the series north of the border, I think the Raptors stave off the inevitable in Game 5.

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

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Retweet of the Day - April 17, 2014

As Holy Week nears its conclusion, much of the nation prepares for a weekend of family, friends, and celebration. Also, this weekend marks the beginning of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. It's a weekend full of something for everyone!

Not lost on those in the Twittersphere is that Easter Sunday falls on April 20th. Abbreviated, it's on 4/20...yes...as in that "420", the pot smokers' Christmas, New Year's, and Fourth of July rolled into one (pun intended). Today's retweet is from Based Dandy (‏@NeezGod):

"420, NBA Playoffs, and Easter on the same day doesnt get any better"

I'll bet Blake Griffin is chiefin' right now!

Image from www.twitter.com

And They're Off!

The 2014 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans went off without a hitch (and without defense). The entertaining offensive spectacle featuring the best players in the league unofficially kicks off the home stretch of the NBA regular season. The playoffs showcase the best of the Eastern Conference and the Best of the Western Conference to decide the participants in the NBA Finals. One side of the equation is all but decided. The other side is up for grabs.

THE FRONT RUNNERS

The Eastern Conference is a two team race and has been for quite some time. Barring a catastrophic and unprecedented rash of injuries, either the Miami Heat or Indiana Pacers will represent the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA Finals. The only undecided piece of the puzzle is which team will secure home court throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. As of this morning, the Pacers have a 2-1/2 game lead on the Heat.

The Western Conference is a horse of another color. The Western Conference champions of 2012 and 2013, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, sit atop the conference but neither team is necessarily assured of the top seed...yet. OKC holds a healthy four game advantage over the Spurs. Just six games back, however, are the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Thunder's division rival, the Portland Trailblazers. The Thunder are in the driver's seat, but a funk by the Thunder combined with a hot streak by their pursuers could put some drama into the Western Conference race come April.

The Pacers took the Heat to the brink without Danny Granger. Could Granger, who has been used sparingly in the regular season, be the X-factor in the playoffs? 1

CANNON FODDER

Of course, there are 16 teams that will reach the NBA Playoffs. Like every season, several teams enter the postseason tournament without a prayer of winning a conference championship. This season, I would say "the majority" of playoff teams don't have a shot.

Can anyone name the Atlantic Division leader right now? No peeking! It is the Toronto Raptors at 28-24. Yet they aren't even the hottest team in their division. That honor would belong to the Brooklyn Nets, who have caught fire since the start of the new year under rookie head coach Jason Kidd after a disastrous start to the season. The red hot Nets have a losing record and would hold the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs if the season ended today.

Chicago Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau deserves a solid gold medal for having the Bulls in second place in the Central Division without former MVP Derrick Rose for a second straight season. They may actually slip out of the first round of the playoffs, depending on how the seeding falls. Finally, to illustrate just how terrible the Eastern Conference is in 2014, if the season ended today, the hapless Charlotte Bobcats would make the playoffs with the eighth seed at 23-30 with the comic-tragic Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers giving chase.

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, 50, may have to activate himself if his team is to have a prayer of not being swept out of the playoffs. 2

BRIDESMAIDS
 
The sixth through eighth seeds in the West are longshots to reach the NBA Finals. However, they all have the potential to pull of an upset in the first round. The long-in-the-tooth but quietly dangerous Dallas Mavericks are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference. The back-from-the-dead Phoenix Suns are in seventh place. And the offensive juggernaut Golden State Warriors are currently in eighth place. Any one of these teams are capable of pulling off a first round upset should the stars of the hardwood line up properly. The same applies to the 9th place Memphis Grizzlies, no stranger to playoff upsets. Memphis is only a game-and-a-half back of Golden State.

The Phoenix Suns dancers might earn some extra playoff money...for once. 3

ONE FOR THE MONEY...TWO FOR THE SHOW 

There are 25-30 games remaining in the regular season. Much like a NASCAR race, the first 50 games have decided the pole positions. The beginning of the "real" race starts on Tuesday. Drivers, start your engines!

LeBron fired the starter's pistol to the second half race last week at Golden State.

1) Image from www.blacksportsonline.com
2) Image from www.undergroundsoles.com
3) Image http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com