In the spirit of labeling teams I've decided to hand out some awards/titles for the teams in the early part of the NBA season. While we've got plenty more basketball before all the good teams reveal themselves and the flops rear their ugly heads, I think the beginning of the season has been fairly interesting.
Surprise Team of the Year:
Los Angeles Clippers
If you thought the Clippers would lead the Pacific Division please raise your hand. If you're raising your hand use it to slap yourself now because you're a liar! Granted a few die-hard Clips fans really thought "this is the year" but haven't they been thinking that ever year for the last, well forever! Everyone thought Sam Cassell was being traded to the Clippers to continue to smoulder in defeat and then quietly move from team to team until retirement. Suddenly, the Clippers are the elite team in LA and the Clippers are looking, if not good, at least not so bad.
In the running: New Jersy Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves
Biggest Bust Team of the Year:
New York Knicks
I had trouble with this one. The Kings were supposed to be at least as good as they were last year and still one of the best teams in the West (they're not). Then I almost selected Indiana because they finally get themselves into some real championship talk and then one player goes and ruins their chances (apparently). This seems to be a pattern and I think they'll be better without Artest. But I think the Knicks take the cake. The Knicks, while not supposed to be the second coming of the Bulls or anything, were supposed to be one of the better teams of the season. Maybe, we were giving Larry Brown too much credit (the Pistons are doing better without him) or maybe the Knicks just aren't as talented as they appear on paper. At any rate I expected a lot more from the new New York Knicks.
In the running: Sacremento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets
In Your Face Experts! Team of the Year:
Pheonix Suns
When Amare Stoudemire went down the league's leading mouths preached doom and gloom for the Suns. Even those that felt the Suns had a chance said they would struggle to stay at .500. They said the Suns would have to hope they could remain either at .500 or just below it when Amare got back. Well, I belive the Suns are above .500 now. I also believe they're playing some pretty good ball with out they're most dynamic player. The Suns have proven while they're not terribly deep they're certainly deeper than one player.
In the running: Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers
We're Gonna Crash! Team of the Year:
Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers
They do every year. They start strong with AI leading the charge. Then he gets hurt and the team plummets. Why? Because they're so used to Iverson controling the ball when he's not there their chemistry is so off they can't rebound (figuratively speaking). They struggle scoring and somehow there's a mental block whenever Iverson isn't in the game. This isn't a knock on Iverson, he actually has quite a few assists in addition to his points (though I still think he tries to create too much for himself). Just like always this team will wear out and may slip out of the playoff hunt.
In the running: Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Seattle Sonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, NOklahoma City Hornets
Championship Team of the Year:
Dallas Mavericks
Mainly because I'm a Mavs fan. But beyond that the Mavericks have actually developed a fairly stingy defense. They've beaten the best of the East (Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers) and have the second best record in the league. They were winning convincingly without Jerry Stackhouse. While he's not neccessarily a differnece maker he adds even more depth to the Mavs bench which is oh so important come playoff time. The Mavs finally look like they may have the right combination of Offense and Defense. It would be a great all around series between the Pistons and Mavs as both teams have improved on their "weaknesses" and appear as solid all around teams.
In the running: San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat
So there you have it! My fake, completely biased yet strangely supported awards/titles what have you. Agree, disagree? Have a category I should have had or want to know why some of the "In the running" teams are there? Well, just leave a comment and I'll get back to ya.
how can you argue with the knicks being a bust. everything isiah does is wrong. the raptors the pacers, the cba... sigh when will he learn.... and what was larry thinking?!!!!!!!
by the way the pistons would wreck the mavs in the playoffs that one loss earlier was a fluky game... i know even as a mavs fan you would agree.... the pistons can play offense but better defense.
I think saying they'd "wreck" the Mavs is over stating it. I do fear the Pistons but since it's my blog and it's still really early I chose to place them in the top slot. As the season progresses I may change my mind but for now I'm keeping 'em there.
The Mavs stingy defense sure stung Kobe when he out scored the whole Dallas team in three quarters. The Mavs are good yes, but when we say championship team, who have to put it in a playoff perspective...And the fact is, I doubt the Mavs could beat the Pistons in a 7 game series..and the same goes for the Spurs as well. Dirk has had an MVP type season, but who is the designated 2nd scorer on that Mavs team?...it changes game by game.
The Mavericks helped the Pacers to a season low scoring total and the Pistons didn't exactly produce offensively. Could the Mavericks beat the Pistons in seven games? I don't know but they dominated them in one. Besides I think it would be a great series to watch. If we can say that loss was a fluke by the Pistons then giving up so many points to Kobe was a fluke also. Who's their second scorer? I don't know, changing from game to game is a strength in my book. Thanks for the comment!
Gotta argue with you on your bust team of the year: You need good expectations to be considered a bust. Only a fool would have thought the Knicks mismatched roster would have been anything other than they are now. Gotta go with the Kings on that one.
As far as your Championship team, love the hometown love, but you still have to figure that it is going to be another seven game Spurs-Piston series when it's all said and done. This year Parker has finally developed into an All-Star.
I am a FOX sports blogger because I like to talk and have opinions about pretty much anything and everything. I like pretty much any sport but I love football (basketball's a close second). The NFL is the only major sport I watch all season but I watch the others sporadically. My favorite teams are the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Red Wings, Atlanta Braves, and Boston Red Sox.
