Mar 07 2009
Power Struggles West and East
The Lakers are the first team to reach 50 wins, but the engines aren’t running so smoothly without Andrew Bynum. Sure, they’re still winning far more than they’re losing, yes; but look at the toll it’s taking. Lamar Odom had to play to near god-mode grabbing 17,18,19, and 20 rebounds on consecutive nights (in that order, as if he’s toying with the stat keeper). Now that Odom has returned to earth, we see that Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant have averaged a hundred minutes a game, and generally everyone works harder to achieve the same results with Bynum in the lineup. For all those people questioning Bynum’s worth, you gotta look at the big picture.
Denver, who has been hot and not lately fall to a scorching Utah Jazz, winning their 10th consecutive. Denver slowly falling down the standings, while Utah wins 10 in a row. Houston and New Orleans are starting to make a push as well, both winning 8 of their last 10 games.
Boston beats handily Cleveland without Garnett, sending a strong statement to the rest of the league. If they take down Orlando coming up, people will take notice. No teams in the east really surging, but Detroit has won 4 straight without AI. Have you seen their games? The spacing is better, they communicate better on defense, and don’t seem as confused about their identity. That being said, AI could help them if only the two could find some mix of chemistry that is comfortable for the team as a whole. Also, Charlotte has won their last 5, but seriously, we won’t be seeing them in the playoffs. And if we do, you might see Michael Jordan with a stupid expression on his face, such as this:
High? Yes, High on Life.
