NBA

NBA Playoff Scenarios – 7 Days Until Season End

Only seven (7) days left until the NBA playoffs. What will the seeds be? Here are the possibilities (ranked in order of likelihood):

East

1. Cleveland Cavaliers OR Boston Celtics
2. Boston Celtics OR Orlando Magic
3. Orlando Magic OR Boston Celtics
4. Atlanta Hawks OR Miami Heat OR Philadelphia 76ers
5. Miami Heat OR Philadelphia 76ers OR Atlanta Hawks OR Detroit Pistons
6. Philadelphia 76ers OR Miami Heat OR Chicago Bulls OR Detroit Pistons OR Atlanta Hawks
7. Detroit Pistons OR Chicago Bulls OR Miami Heat OR Philadelphia 76ers
8. Chicago Bulls OR Detroit Pistons OR Miami Heat OR Philadelphia 76ers OR Charlotte Bobcats

West

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Denver Nuggets OR Houston Rockets OR San Antonio Spurs OR Portland Trailblazers
3. Houston Rockets OR Denver Nuggets OR San Antonio Spurs OR Portland Trailblazers OR Utah Jazz OR New Orleans Hornets OR Dallas Mavericks
4. San Antonio Spurs OR Houston Rockets OR Portland Trailblazers OR Denver Nuggets OR Utah Jazz OR New Orleans Hornets OR Dallas Mavericks
5. Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs OR Portland Trailblazers OR Houston Rockets OR Utah Jazz OR New Orleans Hornets OR Denver Nuggets OR Dallas Mavericks
6. New Orleans Hornets OR Dallas Mavericks OR Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs OR Utah Jazz OR Houston Rockets
7. Utah Jazz OR Dallas Mavericks OR New Orleans Hornets OR Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs OR Houston Rockets
8. Dallas Mavericks OR New Orleans Hornets OR Utah Jazz OR Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs OR Houston Rockets

NBA Games Tonight with Playoff Implications:

• Philadephia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls
• Houston Rockets @ Sacramento Kings
• Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers

Stay tuned!

2009 NBA All-Stars Announced

The 2009 NBA All-Star reserves have been announced. The level of talent in the NBA right now is extraordinary, and several deserving players were on the outside looking in. First, though, here’s the full rosters:

EAST STARTING 5

• Dwight Howard
• Kevin Garnett
• LeBron James
• Allen Iverson
• Dwyane Wade

EAST RESERVES

• Chris Bosh
• Danny Granger
• Rashard Lewis
• Paul Pierce
• Joe Johnson
• Jameer Nelson
• Devin Harris

WEST STARTING 5

• Yao Ming
• Tim Duncan
• Amare Stoudemire
• Kobe Bryant
• Chris Paul

WEST RESERVES

• Shaquille O’Neal
• Pau Gasol
• Dirk Nowitzki
• David West
• Tony Parker
• Chauncey Billups
• Brandon Roy

If I were to make a couple of switches, I would have Ray Allen instead of Joe Johnson; otherwise the East looks good (with Rajon Rondo getting consideration). In the West, I would have Al Jefferson instead of Shaquille O’Neal, and I would have considered Carmelo Anthony or Paul Millsap ahead of David West. In the end, I probably would have left him in. He’s definitely underrated.

Devin Harris, Danny Granger and Jameer Nelson are making their first All-Star appearances. Nobody in the West is a first-timer. As well, nobody on either team is currently injured. Give it time …