One of the things that's been hard to do in Seattle is keep up with the Cavs. Unless you pay for NBA League Pass or whatever, the games just aren't on TV enough. Now that the playoffs have begun, it's like seeing them for the first time.
My impression so far is that this is the deepest talent pool they've had yet, and certainly this is the best chance they've had in a long time at the title. It's a chance for Shaq to have one last hurrah, and for Z to have one at all. I can see that intensity in the team in a way I haven't before. The trades have all been top notch. The players that have been around a few years are making their best showings ever. They're really, really fun to watch.
The Bulls series wasn't all that interesting, and I'm surprised that they dropped one. Not to take anything away from Chicago, but they lack cohesion and they're incredibly inconsistent at both ends. The distractions with their coach drama probably didn't help.
But Boston, wow, that's a tight team. Their bench isn't as deep, but the starters are beyond solid. I've really enjoyed watching them for a couple of years now. They earned their lead in game 1, and I feel like it was theirs to lose in the first half. They brought out the problem that has been nagging at the Cavs for years, that inconsistency that got them bounced last year. What a turnover fest.
I think what ultimately brings them some balance is Jamison and Mo. These guys have been so consistent in shooting, and that relieves some of the burden on the MVP. They still can't have these shit streaks of turnovers (read: stupid passes), but the shooting is so much better than last year.
Speaking of Lebron, yeah, I get it, his elbow hurts. Does he have to be so dramatic about it? He said post-game that he doesn't make excuses, but he's still a drama queen. Come on man, even Andy has reduced the drama (and flops). Suck it up and earn that paycheck!
I'm no basketball expert, but I like what I see. I think if we can get through Boston, getting to the finals should be relatively easy. On the other side, I'd love to see some freakish thing happen like the Spurs win the conference, and kick Kobe's ass, but that's probably a dream. If it ends up being Cavs-Lakers, the Lakers do not impress. I mean, the Sonics, er, Thunder, handed their ass to them once.