Resting Easy

It seems like every year the San Antonio Spurs have a decent regular season and then "turn it on" come playoff time. I'm here to tell you that's not the case. The Spurs don't just glide through the regular season and then play ridiculously harder when the playoffs start. At least, no more than any other team would. Obviously, people play harder come playoff time than they would in game 13 of an 82 game season. But that isn't why the Spurs have so much playoff success. There is another reason altogether, one that is so obvious I am amazed no "experts" have looked into it. Here it is...

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the older teams in the league, both in actual age and in style of play. They also rely on two players in Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker who's style of play involves them throwing their bodies around, leading to smaller injuries that can be annoying over the course of an 82 game season. All this leads to one thing. The NBA playoffs take an extremely long time, and that is because there is always a break in between games. During the regular season the Spurs may be forced to play 5+ games in a row, and that is when the small injuries and overall age show up. Give these guys a couple days off between each and every game and they are able to play at their highest level night in and night out.

It's really a simple idea. Anyone that has played some level of basketball in their lives knows that there are small injuries and aches all the time. If you are forced to play multiple days in a row those injuries don't have time to rest, and it affects the way you play. If it's a shoulder injury your shot is off, if it's a sore ankle your lateral movement is off, if it's a knee everything is off. These small aches and pains aren't overly serious though, and given a day to heal, especially with all the modern technology NBA trainers have, these small injuries can go away pretty quickly. That is the real reason the Spurs have playoff success, not the "turning it on" factor.

By the way, don't say no one predicted the Hawks couldn't win in the playoffs...just look right here and you'll see I did exactly that. For what it's worth, I've been on the Hornets bandwagon all year as well, as you probably know by reading one of my many posts on them. I'm sticking with them all the way, and picked them to win it all in the end. Probably in the minority here, but I'll be looking pretty smart when I'm right.

~Aaron Jackson

The Road to the Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are coming up, and there are going to be a few teams on the outside looking in. I've decided to take an in depth look at each conference and break down which teams will and will not be making the playoffs. I'll do the Western Conference breakdowns for the first four seeds now, with the remainder to come later in the week. Next week, I'll break down how I think the Eastern Conference will pan out.

1. New Orleans Hornets: (final projection 57-25) The Hornets have been my favorite team to watch all season, and despite the fact that I am rooting for the Denver Nuggets because of Iverson, I can't help but root for the Hornets as well. They have won 8 of the last 10, and are absolutely ready to compete for a title now despite what many "experts" say. They have the true center that can score and is great defensively in Tyson Chandler, they have the shooter who stretches the court in Peja Stojakovic, they have the low post scoring option in David West, and they have the superstar guard that makes everyone significantly better in Chris Paul. They also have two very talented swingmen in Bonzi Wells and Morris Peterson, and have a game changing guard in Janeero Pargo that comes in off the bench.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: (final projection 56-26) This is the team that is probably considered the favorite to win the west at this point, but I think they will finish second to end the regular season. Obviously, Kobe is one of the greatest players in the game, but they also now have a great supporting cast around him with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar. I don't think they beat out the Hornets for the top spot because Gasol is injured and is probably going to rest a lot for the remainder of the regular season, and Bynum has yet to play since before the all star break. This team probably is less concerned with it's overall seeding as it is it's playoff performance, but home court advantage throughout would certainly be a big help. I definitely think that they have the best shot of winning it all out of the west right now.

3. Phoenix Suns: (final projection 55-27) I said when the Suns traded for Shaq it would take awhile to see how it would work out, and it certainly did. They looked horrible for a while, but have now won 7 of their last 10, and are really starting to come on late. They have been major players in the playoff picture for a few years running, and with Shaq on board they certainly think this it the year they get over the hump. One thing is certain for them; they need to win now, and anything less than a championship is considered a disappointment for them. They won't be able to get a seed higher than 4th because I don't have them winning their division, but I still think they have the third best record in the west.

4. Utah Jazz: (final projection 53-29) If there is one team that needs home court advantage to excel in the playoffs it is the Jazz. They are 30-4 at home, and 16-21 on the road. If they don't have home court advantage in the playoffs they probably won't go very far. They have the division pretty well locked up however, and with that they ensure at least home court in the first round. After that though they may have a struggle making it far in the playoffs despite the talent they clearly have.

~Aaron Jackson

"Bits O' Info"

There is too much going on in the sports world right now to simply bore people with one topic, so I decided to cover a few topics in my first ever "Bits O' Info" post. Yes, I partially stole the name from the little piece of candy Bit O' Honey, but does anyone really like that thing anyway? Come on, you know the first thing you did as a kid on Halloween after trick or treating is sort out your candy and get rid of those things. Don't deny it. Here we go:

Johan Santana to the Mets is absolutely huge for them. They needed him more than any other team in the running for him. That being said, the Twins are dumb for taking that package. It has been shown time and time again in baseball that quality over quantity is the way to go. Both the Yankees and Red Sox packages offered better quality. As a Red Sox fan I am disappointed Theo didn't do a little bit more to get it done for multiple reasons. I agree with most of what Sterling said in his post, no need to state those points again.

Erik Bedard to the Mariners, while still not being finalized, is a great deal for the Mariners. They have a team built to win now, and adding him allows them to finally get over the hump that is the Angels in my opinion. They need a big bat in that lineup, but there really isn't one out there to get, they might as well upgrade where they can. On the Orioles side, Peter Angelos continues to show exactly why the Orioles organization will never compete with the elite teams in the AL. They need to get rid of him as part of the rebuilding process.

Chris Webber signed today with the Golden State Warriors. I think this is a horrible deal for them. They acquire a player who is the opposite of their team philosophy. He is a set offense guy who needs the ball to contribute, and they are a fast break team that is controlled by Baron Davis. Sure, they can say they needed the size, but in their system they need guys that can run the floor, and he can't. They should have just played Brandan Wright more, he is perfect for their system if he can get out of Don Nelson's dog house.

The best team in the NBA as far as I'm concerned? Look no further than the New Orleans Hornets. They are playing amazingly well right now, and have the right mix of talent to go deep into the playoffs. The Celtics may have the best record, but their age and lack of depth is starting to show. The Hornets have legit stars in Chris Paul and David West, a true center who is great defensively in Tyson Chandler, a great shooter in Peja Stojakovic, and a great mix of veterans and young guys as a supporting cast. But don't take my word for it. You can listen live to every Hornets game for free right off NBA.com. Just click that link, go to listen live on the left side of the page, and click on the Hornets. It does require an NBA.com account, but it's free.

Some interesting things going on before the Superbowl. The Giant's seem a little over confident, but I like it. There is no reason to think they can't win this game the way they have played recently, and I am fine with them wanting to say that. That being said, the Patriots will still beat them. They have the better team, and the better team wins most of the time in the end. They have put a jinx on themselves however by allowing people to pre-order the book "19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England's Unbeatable Patriots". They had it on Amazon.com for a short while, and although it is taken down now that can not be good karma.

And finally, how about the "Cameron Crazies" at Cameron Indoor Stadium last night? With ten seconds to go on the shot clock the entire crowd yelled a countdown from 3 to 0, confusing Tennessee women's basketball player Angie Bjorklund, a freshman, into taking a ill advised three. The result? She nails it, and the Duke Blue Devils end up losing by that same margin, 67-64. I looked for the video but couldn't find it, if someone does add the link in the comments. As a North Carolina fan nothing makes me prouder than seeing Duke lose because of their ridiculously obnoxious home crowd and home court advantage.

~Aaron Jackson