#NerdsUnite: Play on playa! (Breaking down the world of sports so you don't have to!)
<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Derek - I met him when I was professor for a day at CSUF. Really rad dude, and he wants to come on board to help explain to us nerdy folk the wild world of sports. Smart dude, and knows his shizzy shiznat. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT DEREK!!! </editorsnote>
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @DerekJ_AllDay
As time moves on and we approach the end of February, I would just like to wish all of you a happy beginning to the 2nd half of the NBA season. Over the weekend was the All-Star break which includes the all star game, dunk contest, rookie/sophomore game, celebrity game and many other festivities. Most of the time the game passes by and most don't blink an eye, but this year I actually found it interesting. My main focus in today's post is going to be the All Star game weekend and also the start of the second-half of the NBA season including a breakdown of what we have to look forward to.
I am not sure if all of you have the same opinion that I do, but I really didn't care about the dunk contest. I am not sure why, I guess I am a sucker for the headliner names and this year there weren't many. The real interest for me came from the all star game itself. Returning readers know that I am a Laker's fan, and Kobe Bryant was once again in the headline this weekend. After Kobe scored 27 points on the night, he officially became the all-time all star game points leader. He broke Michael Jordan's previous record of 262 points, and also passed legend Oscar Robertson who has 246 points. This cements Kobe's position in the hall of fame even more securely and is another note to add to his resume.
It probably doesn't surprise many of you that Kobe is leading something in points, we get it he scores a lot. (pun intended) What shared the headline with Kobe's record was his nose. After a hard foul from Dwayne Wade in the third quarter, Kobe went to the bench and got his bleeding nose fixed up. X-rays later revealed that his nose was indeed broken. This really puts a damper on an already difficult season for the Lakers. I know a broken nose isn't a disaster, but after their not so impressive start one isn't too inclined to think things will get better after Kobe broke something. The beginning of their season appeared promising, but after reading my previous posts return readers should once again know that LA isn't prepared to win this year. Although a trade could be imminent, and that is always a game changer. Potential trade prospects are Dwight Howard from Orlando and Deron Williams from the Nets. Anything is possible, but many other teams are looking much more promising when it comes to their title hopes this year.
In the NBA the playoffs are decided by splitting the league up into two conferences (East and West), and the top eight in the standings from each conference make it to the playoffs. In reality, only the top four from each league have a realistic chance at winning the championship. In the East the top four are currently Miami, Chicago, Indiana and Philadelphia; in the West the top four are Oklahoma City, San Antonio, LA Clippers and Dallas. If you ask most people they would probably say that these are the main contenders, along with some others close in the standing such as the Lakers (5th in conference), Magic (5th), Hawks (6th) and Knicks (7th).
Miami lead by Lebron Jame and Dwayne wade, and Chicago lead by Derrick Rose are both having championship seasons and there is no doubt that these two juggernauts are headed to the playoffs. The surprises from the East are Indiana and Philadelphia. Although there is a lot of competition (listed above) those two previous losers are now winner and look like they have a good shot to stay in the top four. In the West there is a lot of the same with one new contender. Nobody is surprised to see a maturing Oklahoma City team at the top, Kevin Durant is the best player right now and Russell Westbrook works well with him at point guard. They were young, but now that they are gaining experience they look like they are ready to bring OKC it's first title. San Antonio with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker, along with the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks are also not surprises in the standings. The real shocker is the LA Clippers. This team is the epitome of terrible, and even a Clipper's fan would tell you that is true. This team hasn't won a damn thing since they entered the NBA, but now that they made a trade to acquire Chris Paul and have him compliment Blake Griffin they are currently third in the West. I don't think there is much doubt anymore that they are officially title contenders, even though most would probably say that they need to keep that team together longer to have a real chance. All in all both conferences have endless drama as teams compete to move into and up the top eight, and the playoffs will once again be filled with drama and excitement.
I hope you all had a good all star weekend, and if you have any comments tweet them to me @DerekJ_AllDay. Talk to you next week!