Boston Celtics
Boston continues to ride the motivation of losing that brutal Game 7 in L.A. last June. The litany of injuries, specifically to big men, have turned Doc Rivers’ lineup into a revolving door but the team’s depth has allowed them to maintain success while names like Garnett, Shaq, O’Neal and Rondo have all missed time. With a night-to-night change in who’s wearing street clothes and who’s wearing shorts, the constants for the Cs have been Ray Allen and the team’s captain Paul Pierce. Allen has been the model of efficiency and consistency, shooting %50 from the field and %45 from three-point range while playing the most minutes on the team. The team’s most valuable player has been “The Truth”, who continues to will the Celtics to victory with his leadership and toughness. When watching Boston play it is clear that Pierce is the heartbeat of the team – pacing his squad with his positive attitude, competitive nature and, of course, clutch buckets. The recent return of center Kendrick Perkins, who missed the first half of the season recovering from a knee injury suffered in last summer’s Finals, will further extend the league’s deepest rotation and strengthen the Celtics as the NBA schedule goes on.
- San Antonio Spurs
The team with the league’s best record resides in the Alamo city and Coach Greg Poppovich still doesn’t look happy. Discipline with a scowl has always been Pop’s style and no one can ever challenge it as San Antonio again has risen above reservations concerning their age and health to hold onto their position as one of the league’s elite. A poor showing on the road against streaking division rival New Orleans had to be perturbing for Poppovich who saw his team lose more games (3) in January than they did in any other month this season. Still, the Spurs have a championship formula with their balanced, efficient scoring and team defense. As the great Tim Duncan begins his decline into the league’s best role player, San Antonio’s backcourt of
Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have stepped up into their roles as the team’s primary options and are providing high scores with aplomb. The Spurs have also been buoyed by their bench; a motley crew of veterans and youngsters who play hard, led by the grizzled Antonio McDyess and Gary Neal, a 26 year old rookie guard from Baltimore whose knockdown three-point shooting has provided a spark for the team on many occasions. A well-structured, first place team that puts an emphasis on efficiency, defense and solidarity – San Antonio, same as it ever was.
- Los Angeles Lakers
Only the Lakers can have a record of 32-13, sit in second place in the Western Conference in the NBA standings and hear the word “panic” used when being discussed. Media and fans might be in distress over the Lakers’ disappointing losses to Miami, San Antonio, Dallas and the little brother Clippers but it’s simply business as usual for Kobe, Phil and the gang. Regular season lulls have become the norm for this edition of the Lakeshow and they are always followed by surges in the second half and postseason success. For a team that has already won two championships and is capable of winning most games without a complete lineup or effort, sometimes outside criticism and concern can be an inspirational kick in the pants. Example: After Lakers great Jerry West muttered to fans at a car dealership that the team’s age is hindering their defense and that archrival Boston is his choice to win the championship, the purple and gold laid a 29-point beat down on perennial conference pest Utah at home.
- Miami Heat
After reeling off a streak of 21 wins in 22 games beginning at the end of November, Miami dipped through an inevitable valley, losing 4 straight and suffering injuries to all three members of their star trio. LeBron James’ return to the lineup on Saturday as the lone member of Miami Thrice in uniform propelled the Heat to end the short slide and blow out the Toronto Raptors by 17 points. In that game Mike Miller, who was intended to be the team’s fourth scorer when he was signed in the offseason, finally found his shooting stroke, making six three pointers on the way to 32 points after scoring none in 3 games at home. The Three Masons are banged up but if Miller can consistently provide points and range shooting off the bench, Coach
Erik Spoelestra will be more than happy with January’s results. James will surely be in lone rock star form on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, where Miami will take on the New York Knicks minus Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. LeBron always puts on a show in the world’s most famous arena and a night without his band mates should free him to dominate the game individually like he did so often throughout six years as a Cleveland Cavalier. A win against a potential playoff team in New York should stave off doubters for another day and give the team confidence that it can weather the blizzard of midseason ailments.
- Chicago Bulls
With center Joakim Noah out with a thumb injury and power forward Carlos Boozer struggling through an ankle sprain, leading MVP-candidate Derrick Rose has kept the Bulls competitive by taking over games with regularity. Rose has been stupendous in the month of January, averaging 26 points and 7 assists while leading Chi town to a 10-4 record. Watching the point guard exercise his confident open court stride, gorgeous crossover and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon hops, it becomes clear that the Bulls will have a chance to beat anybody come spring time with the ball in Rose’s hands. Thouh the hometown hero receives the bulk of the press, forward Luol Deng has been integral to the success of Coach Tom Thibodeau’s squad. Thibodeau’s effective defensive system (Chicago is ranked third in the league in points allowed per game) is motorized by Deng’s ability to lock the opponent’s top perimeter scorer in the basement and his 17 points per game have been a helpful compliment to Rose’s offense.
