Cleveland Cavaliers
Strengths: The Best Player in the World, Health
LeBron James in the best player on the planet. There is no second place. When he’s aggressive, which he almost always is, he makes his team the favorite every time they take the floor. They have their full arsenal and Shaq could actually sit until then need him to push Dwight Howard around a bit.
Weaknesses: Slow and aging big men
Shaq and Ziggy would make a great name of a Saturday morning cartoon, but if a team can get them in sprinting situations, the Cavs will be leaning on Varejo quite a bit.
Opportunities: Home court advantage throughout
It all goes through Cleveland as long as they’re alive.
Threats: The Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic
The Bulls won’t beat Cleveland. But they are a young, energetic, physical team that can annoy the Cavs long enough to delay their next series. And if they get past the conference semis, they should face the Orlando Magic—who they haven’t proven they can beat. They split with them this season, but there was only one game where both teams were at full strength. The Magic won 101-95 in Orlando.
Orlando Magic
Strengths: Dwight Howard, Ability to score, Depth
Dwight Howard is a beast inside. He allows the perimeter defenders to be aggressive and grabs every rebounder that comes close to him. The Magic can fill it up from behind the arc and have a variety of looks to throw at any team.
Weaknesses: Dwight Howard, Ability to score, Depth
Dwight Howard can’t dominate a game just by throwing it into him and reacting to the defense. He’s limited in the post, which is why Orlando can’t lean on him late in games. They will, however, lean on the 3-ball…which can desert you at any time. Their depth is weird. Van Gundy seems to have weapons, but which one to use at what point in the game still isn’t clear.
Opportunities: Easier road to Finals
The Magic get the Bobcats. I just don’t like Charlotte. The last time I thought they were good, they have Grandmama and were called the Hornets. If all favored teams advance, Orlando gets the Hawks, who I just don’t think are as good as Boston and Joe Johnson isn’t automatically worth 1 win like Dwyane Wade is. The only time they beat Orlando was on a freak play – a game-winning tip dunk in Atlanta.
Threats: Cleveland Cavaliers, Vince Carter
The Magic are confident they can beat Cleveland, but can’t be convinced. Not since the addition of Jamison. Vince Carter gives Orlando something that almost championship team has had since 1994: a wing player who can score almost at will (the Pistons being the lone exception). Why is he a threat and not a strength? He has to show he can be that guy under playoff lights because Dwight Howard won’t be the one to close out games.
Atlanta Hawks
Strengths: Athleticism, Experienced Youth
The Hawks have athletes. They have speed. They have youth. They have veteran leadership.
Weaknesses: Still doesn’t look like a contender, missing a piece
What they don’t have is an identity. I don’t know what they’re missing, but it’s something.
Opportunities: Playing Bucks without Andrew Bogut
The luckiest team in the playoffs. Playing Milwaukee without Bogut is like getting into an argument with a Nothing to see here, folks.
Threats: Home court advantage doesn’t matter in an empty building
I don’t think the Bucks have a chance without the Aussie. If Atlanta played any other playoff team, I’d pick the other team. The Hawks play in a library 30-35 times a year. Will that change in the playoffs?
Boston Celtics
Strengths: Experience
They’ve been there, done that, seen it all. They know playoff basketball and when the game is on the line Paul Pierce should still make you worry if you’re not wearing green.
Weaknesses: Age, Inconsistency
How many times can I say “old”? That’s led to health issues and what seems like no nights when all of the old guys were playing well at the same time.
Opportunities: They still have some mental edge
They’re old, but they still have some mystique about them. You just have this feeling that, at any point, the old guys can flip a switch and they’ll think it’s 2004.
Threats: Rajon Rondo becoming their best player
If Rondo becomes the Celtics MVP, they’re doomed. He’s often praised for his growth and development, but I think it comes at the detriment of his team. And he’s be afforded the opportunity by their declining stars. If Rondo becomes 1 or 1A, you have to 86 Boston from the conversation.
Miami Heat
Strengths: Dwyane Wade, Road Warriors
This just in: Dwyane Wade is great. He’s worth at least one playoff win. The Heat also excel on the road, where their 23-18 record was only one game worse than their 24-14 record at the Michelin Man arena. Playing in Boston shouldn’t be too tough, but they haven’t beat the Celtics this season.
Weaknesses: No clear second-best player
Michael Beasley? Jermaine O’Neal? Quentin Richardson? It’s like a triumvirate of mediocrity. I could argue that Carlos Arroyo is the second-most important player on the roster, but it would take a lot of Stellas for me to even think the conversation is worth an argument.
Opportunities: May get to dismiss aging Celtics
The Heat are 9-1 in their last 10. The Celtics are 3-7. There are only two times momentum is important: when you’re in a recalled Toyota you haven’t had fixed yet, and sports. The Celtics, as a team, are ripe for the dismantling. If they lose in the first round, you have to tear it down.
Threats: Coaching
I don’t trust Erik Spoelstra to make the right in-game adjustments. Doc Rivers isn’t exactly Greg Popovich or Jerry Sloan, but he has a ring.
Milwaukee Bucks
Strengths: Defense
The Bucks have the 7th best defense in the league and Scott Skiles gets the most out of his players.
Weaknesses: 2 of 3 best players are out and the last is a rookie
Name 5 Milwaukee Bucks. Go ahead, I'll wait. If you can, I'm sorry that you're stuck living in Minneapolis. If you can't, welcome to the majority. Brandon Jennings is going into his first playoff series with John Salmons as his best teammate. Without the Aussie, the Bucks lack punch. They'll fold quickly.
Opportunities: Drew lesser of top teams
If there is a chance, it rests on the fact that they're facing the Atlanta Hawks. Every season has one series that no one wants to watch. If you're looking for this season's...whoop, here it is. I just aged myself. On to the next one...(that was redeeming, right?)
Threats: On the road again
The Bucks were 28-13 at home. Playing at the Bradley Center would have helped. Then again, having a peaking, skilled 7-footer in the mix would have helped, too. As would having a marksman with a hair-trigger release, but Michael Redd hasn't played since Barack Obama had a mini-fro. Speaking of which...
Charlotte Bobcats
Strengths: Defense
Charlotte holds their opponents to 93.8 points per game, tops in the league. In the playoffs, that’s worth something.
Weaknesses: No superstar
Thumb through the Bobcats pre-game program and the first superstar you find will be on the ownership page. And it’s the only superstar you’ll find. They’re basically a college team – a lot of rented parts and a marquee coach responsible for putting them together.
Opportunities: Larry Brown, Won in Orlando
Larry Brown, as much as I detest watching his teams play, can coach basketball. I would seriously rather watch a Charles Barkley/Martha Stewart sex tape than watch a Brown-coached team. Brownball was good enough to win a game in Orlando this season, so they know they can steal one. I just don’t expect them to.
Threats: Stephen Jackson combustible
If they have a star, and I don’t think they do, but if they do, it’s Stephen Jackson. I’m biased. I think he’s one of the true thugs in the NBA. Knuckleheads don’t lead successful teams. That’s why Chauncey Billups changed the Denver Nuggets. SJax could implode at any moment.
Chicago Bulls
Strengths: Derrick Rose, Play hard
Rose is a star. He’s the next Chauncey Billups, but better. With Noah and Brad Miller in the frontcourt, the Bulls can be a brutal match-up. They’ll always play tough, hard-nosed basketball which makes them a nightmare for a team so favored to win the title. The Cavs should just want to get out of this series in one piece.
Weaknesses: Same old storyline
The above description could have been used for any of the Bulls teams the past three seasons. The fact is, they’ve never proven to be anything more than a slight scare.
Opportunities: Playoffs started a week ago
Chicago is the only team that had to play its way into the postseason. Every game was basically a must-win, so their locker room has had a playoff atmosphere for at least a week. The Cavs have rested and now have to flip a switch. The Bulls’ switch has been on since April Fool’s.
Threats: Off-the-court drama
Del Negro vs. Paxson. The Throwdown in Chi-town. The Windy City Rumble. Couldn’t they have settled it with a three-point shootout? Just get mad and say “shoot for it”. That’s the way we handle it in the hood, unless Tyrell is there…he fights. But Tyrell doesn’t lead a young team. The story about the skirmish between coach and GM couldn’t have broken at a worse time. With some focus, it won’t matter. But it will linger.
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