Mizzo’s NBA Top Five: This Week Kev Dog is Right! The Lakers Are Tops
Yeah..uh…since my squad is landscaping their Arizona lawn in January, it’s time for a total NBA focus. Ryan Howard asking 18 million in arbitration? So what. Baseball smaseball….football forget all ya’ll. I’m ready for the rock!
(yeah I’m hatin’)
1. Los Angeles Lakers 32-8
I’m giving this to the Lakers by default since no one else seems to want the top spot. The Lakes have defeated both Boston and Cleveland at home recently but have also lost to New Orleans, the Spurs (road) and the Orlando Magic this month. 3-2 the last 5 of a murderous stretch. Statistically, Orlando should be here, but I just can’t do it.
2. Boston Celtics 34-9
Boston has won 5 straight. Yeah Toronto and New Jerz twice went down with the other win coming against Phoenix, but the C’s seem to be back on track after partying a tad much over the holiday. Look for the C’s to stay here for a while.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers 31-8
3-2 their last 5. 2 good wins via New Orleans and Boston but also 2 bad losses against the Lakers and Chicago–the latter with LBJ having his (at least statistically) worse game of the season. They continue their west coast swing tonight in Portland. Now we’ll see how good the Cavs really are runnin’ out west.
4. Orlando Magic 33-8
The Magic (5-0 this week, 7 straight overall) are 19-3 their last 22 and have the best record in the league. They really should be higher but I think it’ll take another week for me to figadeal if they’re real or really fake. Jameer is straight ballin’. Dwight Howard is Deboin‘ cats and Stan Van Gundy is still whinin’ on the sidelilne but winning like a champ. He is a very underrated coach though. Watching him up close on the sideline, there is a definitive respect he gets from his players. No one shoots the 3 better.
5. New Orleans Hornets 25-13
3-2 last five. By far the worse record on this list, but the Hornets are a big time team and will be there when the big boys get down get down. As long as they have Chris Paul, they are in ANY game. I don’t care who the opponent is. Dude is flirting with Dream and Alvin Robertson as the preeminent quad doub man. His fire and competitiveness is almost against the law. Don’t sleep on DWest either.
What’s worse? This?
This?
This?
Or this?
Got to give it this week to Orlando. They beat the Lakers twice and have the best record in the league. They can’t beat the Lakers in a series, but right nowm they deserve the spot.
As to the dunks. Kobe’s dunk on Howard was sick, but his dunk over Yao was epic. simply epic.
Man I can’t please you for shit! lol
KevDog is flirting with losing his LakerFan license…..
That’s twice he’s went against the grain of LA being the top team.
KevDog….what’s up with that, bruh?
Good to see you’re not giving in to the Magic hype. Three of the first four teams are from the East…nice. Also, the Spurs are much better than the Hornets this season. New Orleans would be lucky to make it out of the first round in the West.
I hear you Ryne, but this is the year the Spurs fall off. CP3 is hongry like wolf!
I like the Hornets down the stretch. They’re mixing new pieces this season and dealing with the disappointment of last season. They just need some time to clear cobwebs and get to know one another.
Sorry Mizzo.
Nogt trying to be disagreeable, just honest. The Magic are fundamentally soft and rely far too much on three point shooting to win a ring. But the Lakers play them like they don’t take them seriously and they lost twice to them because of it. I’ll give them the props their two wins deserve but they’re not coming out of the East. No way.
As to NO/SA. The Hornets can’t beat the Lakers nor can they beat the Spurs. They don’t play D well enough and they they don’t have anyone who can creat their own shot outside of C. Paul. And they don’t have any post game or perhaps more importantly post-defense. They are at best the third best team in the West.
I jest bruh. Just had to say it. I agree with you on the Magic, but not the Hornets. David West is an all star for the rest of his career. It’s time for Duncan to step aside.
KevDog:
I like the Hornets — but I don’t know what that means in terms of the playoffs. For them to make a deeper run than last year, they have to get something good from Peja, and they’ll need to pick up PJ Brown again, around May (right?). Peja’s not reliable, but Posey is a huge plus for them. I don’t know that he gets them out of the West, but I believe Paul and DW (90% FT’s — damn!) have another level.
I used to be a huge Laker fan. Phil Jackson killed it for me. Since I live in New York, I could live without the Lakers and Phil and Shaq. I’m not a Laker hater, but I’m definitely indifferent. I thought they would win the championship last year before Bynum was injured.
———–
MIZ
BTW, thanks for the pub in the thread title. I just realized it! My gratitude is real.
T3
Yeah, I feel you on Phil. Dude is a snake. I don’t like him one bit.
I won’t comment on whose tops, cause it’s not even the All Star break yet.
As for the dunks, KB24 on Superman…that’s disrespectful. NBA its faaaaaaaantastic
I just heard that Alonzo Mourning has officially retired. It is breaking news on msnbc.com, but there are no details as of yet.
There’s more details on nba.com:
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/01/22/mourning.retirement.20090122.ap/index.html
MIKE, I did not just read the words “it’s time for Duncan to step aside: coming from you did I? I think my eyes are bleeding. Are you insane?? What the he…….
Any time CP3 and The Most Underrated Player in the NBA David West are on a team, not to mention Peja who seems to have gotten his mojo back some, Tyson Chandler (San Bernardino REPRESENT!!!), Mo Pete, Posey, ya gotta like ‘em. I think they’re only gonna get stronger. I’m not ready to say Orlando isn’t ready yet, they’re playing some defense and I think SVG has them believing. But I’m always skeptical, like KevDiog of a team that relies so much on jump shooting. I don’t think they have enough weapons to beat Boston. They don’t have anyone other than Superman (and he only down low) who can really create. I still say watch out for Detroit and San Antone. People sleep on ‘em every year and every year they rope-a-dope it like Ali and then come April, WHERE Y’ALL BEEN….we’re ready for the playoffs and they’re at it. Anyway. Yeah, like Kev, if Orlando beats us on our floor this week, gotta give it to ‘em. Credit where credit’s due an’ all. Oh yeah, and fuck Boston.
Yeah, I said it. I was speaking strictly from a DWest is ready for the takeover perspective.
Um no.
We’ll see baby guuurrl. Remember this come June. As great as Tim Duncan has been, he’s getting way too much national attention in relation to David West. He’s become the default Brett Favre/Peyton Manning MVP pick. West hasn’t won anything yet, but that doesn’t preclude the media from disregarding what he has accomplished professionally.
I agree