We're almost two months into the season and two weeks away from all-star weekend. It's been awhile since the last post, but since I finally have time from the busy school schedule, why not talk about what's been going on in the lockout-shortened season.
10. Injuries Galore: It was a given that the players would be fatigued and some unprepared1 coming into the shortened 66-game season. With a shortened training camp, and limited exhibition schedule, there was no doubt that quality of play would be down and many of the players would be missing games in need of rest, especially with those back-to-back-to-backs. However, even I did not expect there to be this many injuries. The list of injuries include: Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Danillo Gallinari, Chauncey Billups, Zach Randolph, Andrew Bogut, Brook Lopez, Eric Gordon, Carmelo Anthony, and Manu Ginobili just to name a couple of pretty important guys.2 These injuries have cost players their season (Billups, possibly Horford & Bogut), put some guys on the shelf for an extended period (Eric Gordon, played 2 games all season, Ginobili out a month, Galinari out possibly a month), and will be reoccurring for the rest of the season (Rose's turf toe & back, Melo's groin). Although I didn't expect there to be this many injuries, it doesn't shock me either. We're only two months into the season and players are already worn down because the schedule has been too arduous. It just bothers me that the owners worried about earning extra revenue at the expense of their players' health and quality of play. As a fan, it's great that we get games every night, but it isn't rewarding when many teams can't even put out their best roster on a nightly basis because someone tore a pectoral muscle reaching in for a steal.3 
9. Golden State of Mediocrity.... Alright so the Warriors aren't really relevant whatsoever to this 2012 NBA season except for them being labeled now as the team that released Jeremy Lin, which I think is unfair but I'll get into that later. Besides that, I must talk about them a little bit.4 The team has great chemistry, the bench is excellent,5 and David Lee is playing his best basketball since his final season in NY. It's wonderful that we're starting to play great basketball, we're getting healthy, we've won five of our last seven, and we're currently 2 ½ games out of the playoffs, but... that still isn't good enough. Here is the reality of the situation, we better make sure we make the Playoffs and win at all costs6 or we better wake the fuck up and realize this team we have right now can't make the playoffs and if we aren't making a move, we better start tanking immediately. We're not better than the Northwest heavyweights, the Texas teams, the LA teams, or Memphis and even Minnesota, but we're much better than all the bottom-feeders of the East (7 teams) and the Hornets and Kings. This places us out of the playoffs and in the middle of the lottery resulting in no draft pick7 and a wasted season. Thanks to the greatness that was Robert Rowell and the old management regime,8 the Warriors now have exactly a month to figure out what they want to do, but it's a crapshoot, all or nothing. Brace yourselves Warrior faithful. 
8. Free Steve Nash: For a man whose career achievements read: 2-time MVP, 8-time all-star, 3-time All-NBA first team, and greatest living Canadian,9 it is only right that he gets a chance to play for a contender as his career is winding down. I understand he is a classy guy that won't demand a trade but dammit Robert Sarver stop being a cheapskate dumb owner and DO THE RIGHT THING! FREE STEPHEN JOHN NASH! The Suns are complete crap even in the midst of one of Nash's best seasons10 When the Suns second best player has been Marcin Gortat and playoff hopes are non-existent, why won't they begin rebuilding now? Why don't they get as much value possible from Nash now when they know he is leaving after the season. There are numerous teams that need Nash's services immediately...Lakers, Mavs, and there are teams who can use Nash to put them over the top...Pacers, Blazers, Heat. It would really be a shame to see him waste a year in Phoenix and not get recognition for a great season especially in...
6. The Team Game: You cannot find any professional sports league today that is more star-driven than the NBA. With that being said, the formula for success this year is not having the best superstar, but rather having the team with the most depth. Before the resurging Knicks and Linsanity took the NBA by storm, the top teams making headlines weren't the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers, or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Instead, it was the teams that have depended on their best player all the way down to their 12th man. The season opened with the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets as the surprise teams, then the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers, and now it's the San Antonio Spurs who are currently on a 9-game winning streak. The success of these five teams shouldn't come as a surprise though. With fatigue and injuries being a huge factor on the season, these are five teams that are built exactly for this.
The Blazers have dealt with injuries in the past and have constructed a bench of Jamal Crawford, Nic Batum, and Kurt Thomas to compliment their strong starting five. Along with the emergence of LaMarcus Aldridge as a premiere all-star they have already made great strides in moving past the Brandon Roy-era. The Nuggets since the Carmelo trade last year have been 12-deep and use it to their advantage. There is no definitive star, but they depend on everyone from Ty Lawson to Timofey Mozgov, yes the Mozgov,12 to wear teams out. They've been one of the best teams and one of their best plyaers, Wilson Chandler, won't even suit up for them until mid-March, adding to their depth.
The Pacers and Sixers have played excellent team basketball this year and are two teams that are considerable threats to the Bulls and Heat for Eastern Conference supremacy.13 The Pacers have lost five straight, but I'm positive they'll pick up the pace (no pun intended) and get back on track eventually. They have a very good starting five and a solid sixth man in George Hill along with the scrappiest crew of dudes to come off a bench.14 I've been high on them for this season and so far they haven't disappointed. As for the Sixers, I did not expect this from them, but they are one of the teams that have so many guys that can beat you on any given night. Jrue Holiday has been wonderful and so has Andre Iguodala. Surprisingly Elton Brand hasn't sucked and whoever they start at center has worked. Not to mention their bench has three guys who could start on any team in the league.15 Doug Collins deserves a lot of credit for having these guys play tremendous basketball and he is a strong candidate for coach of the year.Lastly the San Antonio Spurs. Every year that grinch of a coach Gregg Popovich finds a way to squeeze the most out of his team especially in the regular season without hurting the team's record and keeping his players rested. The way he's done it this year is even more impressive especially with Manu Ginobili being out with the broken hand. That was actually a blessing in disguise because Tony Parker has picked up the slack and returned to that Road Runner playing style that made him unguardable in the mid-2000s. Richard Jefferson finally understands the offense. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green have found their way into the rotation as replacements for Ginobili and Gary Neal remains a sharp-shooter. Then they have Old Reliable, Tim Duncan. He might not be an all-star, but he can still drop a 20-10 when needed. Tiago Splitter is starting to live up to expectations and has identical numbers with DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner hits five threes every game.16 The Spurs have been the model team the last decade in building a roster of guys that can all contribute and for this season, their recipe for success is the reason they have a realistic chance at winning the West and the teams that have followed their footsteps are those winning.
If you're wondering where the hell is Jeremy Lin's headline, don't worry I didn't forget about him, check back tomorrow for my Linsight and part 2. Thanks for reading.
Footnotes:
1 Lamar Odom, Dirk Nowitzki, oh the entire Dallas Mavericsks team. It’s not a big deal either because they’re only the defending champs so who cares about a title defense…
2 Did I forget KWAME BROWN? How could I?
3 That’s a football injury! It never happens in the NBA, never.
4 Since I slighted you an entire preview of their season, I insist I make up for it. On behalf of Josh I apologize. He's a busy boy being a star-varsity basketball player and breaking girls hearts.
5 Brandon Rush is Dorell Wright of last season. He leads the league in three point shooting and he’s a hell of a defender, which Dorell is not. Klay really makes Monta expendable in the future if he continues to develop, especially if we need a big or Rudy Gay. I still want Rudy really bad. Kryptonate is the ultimate glue guy and was a huge jolt for our chemistry, I love the signing, and Nightmare isn’t Greg Monroe, but his defense makes up for Andris Biedrins being a pussy so I can deal with it.
6 Meaning steal Chris Kaman from the Hornets with Andris Biedrins and Charles Jenkins and turn Dorrell Wright into more depth up front or get Rudy Gay. Ok i'll stop with the Rudy Gay trade.
7 We're top 7 projected so we must finish at best the 5th worst team in the league to guarantee us a lottery pick. Something like that, but simply we either get that 8th seed in the West or lose like the Bobcats.
8 This is why I will hate Robert Rowell and Chris Cohan even if we ever win a championship with this new management. First it begins with the Baron Davis free agency in 2007. There were two things that Robert Rowell messed up on. The first was re-signing Baron. Baron was committed to 3 years and $36 million, but Rowell convinced Cohan to not agree, and Baron left for the Clippers and watched his career go down the drain. Second there was the possibility of getting Kevin Garnett that same summer. Cohan and Rowell were unwilling to give up Biedrins and Monta, along with draft picks to acquire a hungry KG who would eventually lead the C’s to a title. I would’ve traded J-Rich to the Suns that offseason for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw (Diaw in his prime, not big-boobied fat Diaw) as well and you’re looking at a starting 5 with Baron, Raja, Captain Jack, Big Al, and KG, with Diaw, Pietrus, Buike, and Matt Barnes off the bench. Most of these guys are washed up now, but remember them in 2007. This team could have been a problem in the West. Oh and of course this season we remember Cohan trading this pick for Marcus Williams, thanks but no thanks. Fuck Robert Rowell and Chris Cohan. I would trade the last five seasons for one championship run.
9 Sorry Gretzky, hockey isn't popular in America, Justin Bieber and Ryan Gosling, you're beautiful, but not cooler than Steve, and Drizzy Drake? A close second.
10 Don't let the numbers fool you. He's been superb all year, he's shooting 56% from the field! and can still put up 30 if he wants and he's 38!!
11 Comeback PG Award: Tony Parker. Most impressive: Kyle Lowry. Favorite up & comers: Rubio, Jennings, Irving, Holiday & Lawson. Biggest disappointment: John Wall
12 The dude can actually play and so can Danilo Gallinari, Al Harrington, Rudy Fernandez, Arron Afflalo, Corey Brewer, Andre Miller, etc. They have a ton of guys that can play.
13 Who am I kidding? As long as Rose is healthy and the Heat have their three, no one is stopping those two teams from playing each other in the Conference Finals. Just opening up to possibilities...
14 Dahntay Jones, Jeff Foster, Louis Amundson, and Psycho-T, I don’t think anyone wants to get in a fight with these guys.
15Sweet baby Lou Williams is the sixth man of the year and in the words of many NBA analysts "Jamal Crawford 2.0" which is 100% accurate, He's been so good, he was considered by many as the guy that should represent the Sixers at the all-star game and he has also become their closer. Then there's Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner, two guys that have great versatility and can play multiple positions that could be starting. Their three-headed monster center, LaSpencala Alhawcevic has been great too.
16Not really, but this man torched me in the 3-category a couple weeks ago in fantasy, I hate the Red Rocket.
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