Wait a second…if LeBron gets knocked out, will the league try even harder to ensure Kobe makes the Finals?
All right, class, what kind of things do we look for in an NBA draftee? A player who's proven, or one with oodles of upside? A guy coming off a spectacular college career, or one coming off the bench for his Serbian club team? A player who's shown constant improvement, or one who mysteriously fared worse as a senior than a junior? No, Kiki, put your hand down, it's the first answer to each of these questions, not the second. Yesterday the Nuggets picked 20th in the first round, selecting Julius Hodge, shooting guard/small forward, out of North Carolina State. College fans will immediately recognize his name, as Hodge was the ACC Player of the Year as a junior. Unfortunately, he just finished his senior year, which was marked mostly by a dip in his scoring numbers (he developed a sudden inability to hit free throws or threes) and a punch to the groin by Wake Forest guard Chris Paul. Hodge is mostly a mid-range and slashing-type scorer, kind of like the more-than-sufficient s...
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I think the Magic are for real. They play solid D, and force other teams to pack it in against Howard and then can kick it out to excellent jump shooters like Rashard and Hedo.
Of course Orlando is legit. I didn't see the game yesterday but they're closer than anyone to the championship. They certainly don't play like most title-winning teams but they've won too many playoff games not to be taken seriously. And while LeBron's getting his points, they have managed to keep him somewhat in check, which no one else has done. Their shooters have to keep knocking down shots down the stretch, of course, and the chance that they won't do that is probably what makes them look like they're less dangerous than they really are.
I think the series goes to show that the Cavs are basically LeBron and the 11 Dwarfs. He is scoring a ton of points, but the team is still losing because no one else is coming through. All of which leads me to think that he will be bolting Cleveland for NYC at the first possible opportunity . . .