These NBA Playoffs will be some fun

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I was diagnosed as Vitamin D deficient late last fall, so for the past three or four months, I’ve been making it a point to sit out in the sun whenever I can.

It’s worked.


I feel better, have more energy and for the first time in my life, I don’t look like a ghost. I actually have some semblance of a tan.

But over the next few months, all bets may be off, because I feel like I’m about to be glued to my couch until the month of June.

The NBA Playoffs begin this weekend and for a diehard basketball fan like me, this is truly the best time of the year.


Of course, this year’s postseason is doubly good for me because I’m a huge fan of the Houston Rockets and they have the best record in the NBA – the team with the best chance to challenge the Golden State Warriors for their crown.

How it all shakes out, I don’t know, but that’s the fun and the intrigue.

Here are the five storylines that I will be most closely following as the playoffs get set to rock and roll.


Happy Basketball, my friends! Happy Basketball!

STORYLINE 1: Let’s talk about the Pelicans

I will get this out of the way first so that we can talk about the actual contenders in the meat of the column. The Pelicans are in the playoff chase. As of press-time, it is not certain if the team will actually make the field, though if they win a bunch of late-season games and get a little luck, they can actually still earn a Top 4 seed. I am not a fan of the Pelicans and I think they’re an average basketball team at best. But they’re still the local team, so we have to mention them to do this column justice. I think the Pelicans can maybe beat the Jazz, Thunder or Timberwolves if that’s their first-round opponent – though I wouldn’t consider them a true favorite against anyone in the field. The most likely scenario is one round and out.


STORYLINE 2: Can anyone beat the Cavs?

I watch a lot of basketball – more than I’m proud to admit. This season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been a bit of a roller coaster – up one minute, then down the next. Despite the rocky road, the Cavs still have LeBron James and LeBron James has owned the NBA’s Eastern Conference over the past decade. Can someone dethrone Cleveland? The Raptors will be the No. 1 seed, but they’re choke artists. The Celtics are in the hunt, too, but they’re literally without their two best players in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. I saw look out for the sleepers. I think the 76ers and Wizards are the two Eastern Conference teams most likely to challenge the Cavs. The Wizards match up well and the 76ers just play with no fear.

STORYLINE 3: When will Steph come back?


Warriors coach Steve Kerr has said publicly that there is ‘no chance’ that Steph Curry plays in the first-round of the playoffs. I don’t buy that, but even if Kerr is telling the truth, it’s likely that the Warriors can survive even without their guard against the likes of the Pelicans/Wolves/Nuggets/Thunder. But can they survive for much longer? The NBA’s Western Conference is loaded and I definitely don’t think the Warriors can survive over the long haul without Curry. As it stands, I don’t think they can beat the Houston Rockets – even if full strength. But that’s another argument for another day.

STORYLINE 4: Conference Finals for Houston?

The Rockets have the best record in the NBA and they have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. In games where James Harden, Clint Capela and Chris Paul all play, Houston has a winning percentage over 90 – with net ratings through the roof on both the offensive and defensive side of the floor. But the average NBA fan isn’t buying it. Chris Paul has never been to the conference finals in his career and James Harden (wrongly) has a reputation for being a guy who comes up small in the postseason. The Rockets have the same odds as the Warriors in Vegas to win the NBA Championship, but among NBA fans, they’re still considered a bit of a long shot. I think Chris Paul gets the monkey off his back and gets past the second round of the playoffs this year. I don’t think the Rockets will face much adversity until they face the Warriors.


STORYLINE 5: Will the King plant some roots?

We already talked in this column about the dominance that LeBron James has held over the NBA’s Eastern Conference throughout his career. But solely making it to the NBA Finals alone has meant little to the NBA’s King, because while there, his teams have often been crushed. The Cavs have struggled this year and many fans (myself included) don’t think that they’re a real threat to win the NBA Championship. I think the Rockets, Warriors, Blazers and Thunder can all beat Cleveland in a series and I’d even favor the Spurs over them if Kawhi Leonard were to return from his injury. LeBron James is a free agent this offseason and it’s widely rumored that he will leave the Cavs again to chase more championships. Can Cleveland’s core do enough this postseason to prove to LeBron that it’s a fruitful place for his future? Or will they struggle and pave the way for his exit? I think they win the East and get crushed in the Finals, paving the way for his departure – again.

James HardenCOURTESY


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