We’ve already talked about the nice ending of the season the Bulls are turning in, but as I was looking at the last couple days of the NBA season, I saw how they set up the schedule. All the teams played on Friday; all the teams will play game #82 on Sunday. I think that’s kind of cool. Of course, when you have playoff spots/berths undetermined during these last two games of the season, it becomes very cool.
The Eastern Conference did NOT cooperate. After Friday’s games, their playoffs are set, well, besides the whole play-in results that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, but yeah, we know 1-6; it’s the usual suspects. Cavs at 1 are tough; the defending champion Celtics at 2… they are certainly the cream of the crop. I like the Knicks at 3 vs the Pistons at 6; I guess they’re not ALL usual suspects. The Pistons are back, and you know what, I’m not really that upset; they’ve won me a lot of money this year… haha. The Bad Boys of my days, pre-Bulls dynasty, are long gone, except for little blurbs you may hear from them here and there, trying to hate on MJ and all… haha. What else would you expect? But yeah, since we dispatched them and won 6 titles, they haven’t bothered me, although if you’ve been watching, they are trying to bring back the “bad” in Bad Boys… all kinds of stuff happening in their games… whatever. Seeing Knicks Pistons will bring me back in the day a bit, remember the two teams who tried to rough it up against us. The Pacers 4 and Bucks 5 should be interesting. Milwaukee has been playing well, but no Lillard… I think the Pacers may get it done. But anyways, this wasn’t supposed to be a playoff preview, but instead an appreciation of how the NBA setup things at the end. For the East to go until Game #81 to be finally decided… that wasn’t bad.
Out West, things are up in the air. OKC is 1, of course. Houston and Lakers had recently clinched 2 and 3 respectively; the Mavs and Kings clinched the last 2 play-in spots, but heading into Sunday, the other 5 spots are fluid. Denver, Golden State, the Clippers, Memphis, and the Timberwolves will be sorting their places out on Sunday; that’s pretty damn good. Of course, for all the other 25 teams, Sunday doesn’t matter. I think I saw something talking about all the players who will NOT be playing in the final game. Although I’m not in favor of load management by any means, and think this generation of players are weak, resting guys in a meaningless last game of the year is about the most you’ll get me to be OK with. Furthermore, I think this only applies to the playoff teams. For everybody else, get your last licks in for the year; you’ll have the whole offseason to F around. Anyways… I’m trying to say something positive about the NBA.
For everything I bitch about, I like how they mapped out the end of the season; it works out really nicely. With the playoffs around the corner, there is no more load management; everybody should be playing every game. THIS is how it should be. Let’s get it on!
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