A Case of Weeding Out: The 2014 Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

Unlike the Western Conference, the first eight teams of the East are considered a surprise, since there is a huge gap between each other in terms of games behind. But this does not mean that things are not going to get excited, because with the East, one ought to be ready for surprises.

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks

The Pacers In: Coach Frank Vogel and the rest of the Pacers should be able to breathe a sigh of relief after having reached number 1 despite a late season slump. But despite this decline, it still doesn't change the fact that they are one of the teams with the best personnel. They have quality post presence in Roy Hibbert and David West, a formidable playmaking/scoring combo in Paul George and Lance Stephenson, and reliable role players in Evan Turner (although one could put a huge question mark on him) and George Hill. The bottom line here is that we should not even be debating whether the Pacers are going past the first and second rounds. The more important question here is: can they build enough confidence to beat Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals?

The Hawks In: Another season passes for the Hawks, another disappearance for center Al Horford. It's a good thing, though, that for this season, the Hawks are prepared by having former Utah Jazz Paul Millsap at their side. However, despite this, Coach Mike Budenholzer still prefers work from the outside, that is, rely heavily on three-point specialist Kyle Korver to bomb opponents and Jeff Teague to slide in and out. But would this work against a playoff powerhouse that can cover all bases? This perhaps is Budenholzer's moment, as we see how he adjust against an elite team.

What could be: There's even no question here, and there should not be. Pacers in 5.

(4) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Washington Wizards

The Bulls In: It must have been difficult for the Bulls to move on without Derrick Rose for the second straight season, and Coach Tom Thibodeau deserves another round of praise and applause for making plan B work. As of now, the Bulls heavily rely on Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Oh, and did we mention that Luol Deng is out of the team? The Bulls settled for Jimmy Butler and Mike Dunleavy, and miraculously, they managed to survive. Hopefully, this set up won't be here for the next playoff series, but at least Bulls fans can bank on the confidence of their players and Thib's strategy. But the question here is, up to when will this last?

The Wizards In: Gilbert Arenas. As far as everyone can remember, he is the team's star when the Wizards last entered the playoffs. Thanks to a few maneuvres here and there (which, by the way, doesn't guarantee something any better in the near future), the Wizards are now in the playoffs courtesy of Nene, Marcin Gortat, Martell Webster, and of course John Wall. Certainly, it was Wall who made it possible with his all-star performance, and at least for this season, he got the help that he needed in these three, plus a few contributions here and there by Trevor Ariza (who seems to be back in his old form after having avoided injuries), and young gun Bradley Beal (now in the process of showing that he's not just for show). However, despite this upgrade, it will be difficult to duplicate the success of Arenas' squad before, and its success depends on Wall playing better than what everyone sees right now

What could be: In a loose sense, both of these are recovery projects. However, only one of them can succeed, and the Bulls can nail this one in six games.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats

The Heat In: My, my, Miami. At the beginning of the season, the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, are ready for title defense. Unfortunately, due to the rise of the teams who are out to get their backs, as well as a few injuries at some points in the season, they suffered a little setback. This playoffs is a first in their title defense, as it is expected that they lose their homecourt advantage by the Eastern Conference Finals, and it does not sound so good because they will be doing so only against the Indiana Pacers, with whom they needed a game seven to advance to the Finals. Perhaps coming at this point, one thing that the Heat can do is relax and prepare themselves for whatever comes in the playoffs, for, having a bigger target at them, teams can pull outrageous but surprising tricks that could leave them packing for good.

The 'Cats In: Isn't it fitting for the last season of the Bobcats to at least have a playoff spot, considering that they were denied countless times, with the last time being Gerald Wallace's own work? Now, it seems that Al Jefferson's transfer to the Bobcats had its effects. For the first time in Bobcats history since Emeka Okafor, the team had a legitimate post presence that makes it easier for the offense to slide smooth and tougher for the defense. But will this be effective against the Miami Heat when, besides this, all it has is lots of skill coupled with inexperience in Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller. Let's hope that Gerald Henderson, together with Jefferson, can hold this team up.

What could be: A legitimate question with a legitimate answer: the Heat is going to sweep this one.

(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

The Raptors In: Another celebration ought to be in place for the Raptors, who for the first time secured a legitimate playoff spot since the departure of one Chris Bosh. However, one should note that this isn't a powerhouse team that promises to go deep into the playoffs. If the Raptors have a big problem, it is something that definitely concerns efficiency. DeMar DeRozan isn't exactly the efficient kind, taking 20 or more shots and making only less than half of them. Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson aren't the types to bang bodies with in the course of the seven games. Perhaps the only bright light in this team is Kyle Lowry, who has fully flourished from becoming a backup role to a star point guard for a team that has flashes of brilliance despite being a subpar division leader. Does this mean that they don't deserve the playoff spot, given that the curve of wins in the East is just very low? Let them play and prove something that they have not reached so far.

The Nets In: After acquiring Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry, as well as hiring Jason Kidd as a coach, the Nets have become a running joke from the first part of the season. Fortunately, they were able to turn the tables, transforming themselves into an underrated playoff team, ending up at sixth and probably without any home court advantages to enjoy. But who needs these, when everyone's clicking? Paul Pierce is back in his old Celtics form, and so is Garnett despite age. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are hitting it. The reserves are playing well (case in point, Plums). Everyone makes Jason Kidd look good. And most of all, they have the bragging rights against the defending champions. It's fun to watch the Nets these times, eh?

What could be: Let's not kid(d) ourselves here. Brooklyn can take this in 5 games.

The Purple & Gold Midterm Report

The All-Star break has already gone by, and as usual, the weekend would not be complete without any highlight from the Lakers stars, especially Kobe Bryant who, along with All-Star MVP Chris Paul, to lead the West to their third straight victory. But after all the fun and games, the Lakers have to go back to business and face the hard times that are ahead of them. Just how did they perform during their past 44 games which led them to this miserable (as the fans put it) position?

To answer this question, presenting:

THE PURPLE AND GOLD REPORT CARD

I. Player Development

-Kobe Bryant declared before the start of the season that the team is his for leading, that he is going to be the one to lead the Lakers to another appearance and consequently to another championship, as Lakers fans have looked forward to after the big offseason acquisition. However, when he says such, it might not mean that he is going to be the one to take the shots and chuck it up to his teammates, or so he says just when the Lakers have dug themselves up a hole as the year 2013 came. The misery that the Lakers have faced has forced him to shift his role from primary scorer (which isn't really effective) to a passer and a facilitator. And surprisingly, things have been relatively better for the Lakers. Sure, the team has not yet gotten a fairly good win streak, but they continue to chase for the eighth spot of the Western Conference, and is now closer to crossing the .500 mark.

-Dwight Howard has been the receiving end of praises and hopes for the team, with even Kobe and GM Mitch Kupchak declaring him to be the next big thing for the Lakers. However, as with the Lakers' win record, things didn't turn out so well for the young center. Still on the verge of recovering from his back injury last season, he injured his right shoulder, aggravated in multiple instances, which gravely affected his performance. Worse, it seems that he's only a shadow of his former self, as he was having difficulty adjusting to coach Mike D'Antoni's system and with Bryant's way of dealing with the game, less with the on-court than with the off-court. He's expected to initiate the perfect screen and roll plays, but so far he has done not so much. And even worse than that, he's still not willing to commit to the Lakers until the end of the regular season, which suggests that, knowing his value, he might take his talents somewhere, and rumors have been spreading around that during the All-Star Weekend, he's been telling everyone around that he's interested to join the Brooklyn Nets. With no assurance to hang on to, the Lakers and its fans are certainly treading on a dark road downhill, not even a trace of the light at the end of the tunnel insofar as Howard is concerned.

-Steve Nash has also stopped being Steve Nash, as his assist figures have dipped significantly compared to his performance with the Suns. In Mike D'Antoni's days with the Suns, Steve Nash has been the one who was holding the ball for most of the time, waiting for the perfect moment to dish out a perfect pass. But with Bryant sharing the ball with him, he became more of a spot-up shooter in the early days of January. However, it seems that Nash has been back on track during the past few games before the All-Star Break. 

-Earl Clark has been compared to Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown in such a way that he emerges as the surprise chip who can contribute a lot to the team. Placed in the starting lineup during mid-January, he has exceeded the expectations not just of the Lakers fans but even of Mike D'Antoni. He is a perfect fit in the system insofar as he is able to swish in those wing jumpers when opponents clog the post, receive passes from Kobe for quick dunks, and finish fastbreak plays, despite being a defensive liability. Given the space and the opportunity, he can grow and be an offensive weapon, but what is of more importance is his ability to defend one-on-one and help Howard guard the post. 

-Metta World Peace, to say the least, has improved offensively this season, as he has been on the receiving end of three-pointers which he can calmly sink even with a defender in front of him.However, what is asked of him is to bring back the grit that won him Defensive Player of the Year honors almost a decade ago. Plus, consistency in shooting (and even selecting the right spots to shoot) has been an issue these past 46 games or so, and thus the need to work on that, too.

-The Bench:

So far, only four people from the bench have been significant contributors for the Lakers this season. Pau Gasol has been largely inconsistent this season, but his move from the bench has made him play better, find the spots where he is comfortable, and dominate the paint... until he tore his plantar fascia which will keep him out for six weeks or so. Both Jodie Meeks and Antawn Jamison have proven themselves to be viable replacements when the big four plus one need some rest, but they are largely inconsistent and would need to establish themselves as legitimate offensive threats.Steve Blake, on the other hand, earns his minutes mainly due to necessity, because he knows all too well how to play with Kobe and Metta, but more importantly, he is a better option that either Chris Duhon or Darius Morris, who has not done anything significant as of the moment. 

II.Coaching and Team Chemistry

Despite the abundance of stars and offensive options in the team, it seems that Coach Mike D'Antoni has not yet found the perfect formulae for a playoff appearance. Up until the first half, the former Phoenix Suns coach who made the Seven-Seconds-Or-Less offense famous have been struggling to fit players into his system, rather than the other way around. He experimented with three-guard combos (Nash-Morris-Bryant), put World Peace at the four, and benched Pau Gasol because he cannot co-exist with Howard in the system. Perhaps it was by chance that he found Earl Clark as a valid starting four, and things seem to have gotten a bit better, considering the new roles Bryant, Nash, and Howard have put up for themselves. However, looking at the big picture, it looks like the Lakers have their players finding ways to survive by embracing their new roles, veering away from the rigid system that former Coach Phil Jackson has established and Coach Mike Brown has continued. Things took a drastic turnaround for the Lakers, but so far, nothing's still working.

III.Best and Worst Matches

Best Win: After being crushed twice by the Western Conference champions, the new-look Lakers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-95, with Kobe dishing out 14 big assists.

Worst win: The first match against the Charlotte Bobcats should be easy, but it still took a crucial block from Dwight Howard during the Bobcats' last possession for the Lakers to win the game, 101-100.

Best loss: After firing Coach Mike Brown, Bernie Bickerstaff was named interim coach before the arrival of Mike D'Antoni, and one of their biggest matches during that period was against the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers held on to a slim lead until the fourth quarter, but they were not able to seal the game as Danny Green shot a big three over Kobe Bryant to seal the game in the Spurs' favor, 82-84.

Worst loss: The Lakers began their Grammy road trip with a match against Steve Nash's former team, the Phoenix Suns. The Purple and Gold led by as much as 18 points, but broke down during the fourth quarter. Thanks to reserve Michael Beasley, the Suns won this game, 92-86, and broke the Lakers' hopes of actually getting a long winning streak to put them above Utah and Houston, two teams that are in the 7th and 8th places respectively in the Western Conference. Worse, Dwight Howard aggravated his shoulder injury, leaving Gasol to man the post for the rest of the game.

MIDSEASON Grade: C

Points for Improvement and Recommendations:

• There will only aspect of the game which the Lakers have to take seriously: their chemistry. There is no doubt that the individuals of the team are great, even when we speak outside of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Dwight Howard, who are perfect one-on-one players. However, the problem remains the same all season long: the pieces cannot mold themselves into cohesive unit. There could have been improvements when Bryant decided to distribute the ball more, but almost everyone has still not found the perfect spots and areas where they can be a threat to opponents. This is precisely what the Lakers need to improve on, before everything will be too late and we'll see the most important pieces, Dwight Howard especially, leaving the team.

•  Perhaps, another thing to take note of is the fact that the Lakers actually can win should be the collective and individual mentality of everyone concerned; however, what is of utmost importance here is also the imperative to play seriously as if each game is the last. Bryant, now in the last two years of the career, certainly feels this urgency, and so is Nash, but Howard seems to not be in sync with these two. The problem with Dwight Howard is not that he's been gravely disturbed by the injuries that he is recovering from; rather, it's that he seems to not have adjusted to the way the Los Angeles Lakers have been dealing with basketball in all its 60-plus years of existence: serious on-court business. Perhaps he has to accept that he is in a team that always pressures itself to win the championship, not just by his teammates, but the whole community and fanbase of the Lakers, from the blogger to the departed Dr. Jerry Buss himself. Once he accepts that he has a crucial role and there is no time for the  inessential, then it would only be then where he would be, in the most real sense of the word, a Laker.