Looking At The Second Round of the NBA Playoffs

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks
This will be the least interesting series of the second round, though it is not without its storylines. Kirk Hinrich, if he's healthy, will get a chance to take a shot at the team he spent 7 years on. But the Bulls are 20 years removed since the first championship of the Jordan era. The key for the Bulls is Carlos Boozer. The Bulls were fortunate that they won the previous series against the Pacers considering how poorly their prized free agent played. He will have to up his game against another long team in the Hawks. The key for the Hawks is Kirk Hinrich. They will need him to be healthy because I doubt that back-up Jeff Teague can cover Derrick Rose. Hinrich is a premier defensive point guard who can give Derrick Rose fits all series long. The key match-up will be Luol Deng/Keith Bogans/Ronnie Brewer vs. Joe Johnson/Jamal Crawford. Johnson and Crawford are elite shooters, but they will be going against very good perimeter defenders. Expect Bogans to cover Crawford and Deng and Brewer to split time against Johnson. Bulls win in 5.

#2 Miami Heat vs. #3 Boston Celtics
This is hands-down the most interesting series in the playoffs. This series may not determine the NBA champion, but it matches two very interesting teams. Will LeBron James finally conquer the Boston curse? Is Boston too old to win another championship? These questions and more will be answered in this series. The key for Miami is post scoring. If Shaq does not play, the Celtics will once again be vulnerable in the post. With Pierce on James and Rondo likely on Wade, expect a tight game on the perimeter. It will be up to Chris Bosh to attack inside against another great defender in Kevin Garnett. The key for Boston is Rajon Rondo. The Miami Heat seem to have an answer for everybody. The Celtics bring Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. The Heat bring Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. But the Celtics have All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, one of the best facilitators in the game. If he gets going early, the Celtics could take control of the series. The key matchup is LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce. I would like to cite Game 7 of the 2008 playoffs. It was watching two superstars trade blows. These are the game changers for each respective team. This will be a very tight series, but I say Celtics win in 7.

#8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #4 Oklahoma City Thunder
I hate to say that the Grizzlies win against the Spurs was a fluke, but I don't see this going well for the Grizzlies. The Thunder seem to be firing on all cylinders and Kevin Durant is reminding everyone why we all had him as the pre-season MVP. The key for the Grizzlies is Zach Randolph. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins are better younger defenders than Antonio McDyess and Tim Duncan, so Z-Bo won't have the same success. But the game for the Grizzlies must go through the post if they have any chance of upsetting the Thunder. The key for the Thunder is Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant is a superstar and he will get his shots. But Durant cannot win the series on his own. Westbrook needs to be a good second option for the Thunder, especially because Shane Battier can lock down on Durant. The key match-up is Kendrick Perkins/Serge Ibaka/Nazr Mohammed/Nick Collison vs. Zach Randolph. Zach Randolph is the MVP of the San Antonio and Memphis series, so in order for the Thunder to win, they will have to stop Randolph. I predict that the Thunder win in 6.

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #3 Dallas Mavericks
This is another interesting matchup. Both teams are very good and well matched. The size up front for the Mavericks can match Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, two intimidating 7 footers. But how do you deal with the Black Mamba? The key for the Lakers is Pau Gasol. Gasol is likely to be matched against Dirk Nowitzki, so it is crucial that he not only keeps Nowitzki from taking over the game, but that he does not get pushed around on offense. The key for the Mavericks is Jason Terry and Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd is one of the best playmakers in the game, so he will have to get his top guns in the game. Jason Terry has to be a big contributor off the bench. The Lakers have Lamar Odom, and in order to lessen the blow of his production, Terry has to play well. The key match-up is whomever guards Bryant (likely Shawn Marion) vs. Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant is at his best in the playoffs. In order to have any chance of thinking about winning the series, Bryant has to be limited. The Mavericks have to play him physically. But Kobe Bryant has to trust his teammates, especially Andrew Bynum, who can overpower Tyson Chandler. I predict Lakers in 7.

Glee Review: Born This Way

So mega-sized Glee episode last night! It was a very good episode, especially compared with last weeks. So the storylines. Prom is coming up and that means prom king and queen battles are everywhere. You had the favorites Finn and Quinn, but Lauren Zizes and Santana both want to wrestle the crown from Quinn's grasp. Santana wanted to team with Karofsky (as each other's beards) and bring Kurt back to McKinley. Because nothing says prom king and queen than bringing back Kurt. Lauren, and her pageant past, wants to win also, and seems to have the vote of the average Joe/Joette. But then you have true evil and deceivery. Apparently the beautiful Quinn was once Lucy Caboosey, and Lauren let everybody know. Then you have Kurt's return to McKinley, which was inevitable. Finally a sighting of Burt Hummel, pumping up the anger vibes. We all know that Karofsky is not a changed man, but sure acted that way didn't he? After Finn hits Rachel in the nose while dancing (which in my opinion was also an inevitablity), Rachel realizes that she wants a nose job, which prompts the acceptance theme for the week. But Rachel asks Quinn to be her nose model, which is surprising considering Quinn's nose job. She is eventually persuaded by flash mob not to get a nose job. P.S. to Glee: No more flash mobs. It was great with Artie, but now it was just weird. Speaking about acceptance, Emma is still dealing with her cleanybug neat freak OCD, but Will somehow gets her to seek help with uncleaned fruit. Yay strawberries blueberries! Then she proceeds to spend 48 minutes to clean a chair. And Kathleen Quinlan killed as the therapist. Best song is "Somewhere Only We Know". It seems that the Warblers are the best group on Glee. Do you see a spinoff? Best line goes to Santana. She turned up the "bitch" factor this episode. "Legend has it after I was born, I called the nurse fat." Points for Mr. Schuester for using the board for actual intellectually correct words. No more math fiascoes for Glee. Also Glee, next time you steal a joke from Mean Girls, make it a more popular one. Loved the Lebanese reference because it totally sounds and looks like lesbian.

Is It Just Me or Is Joakim Noah's Grandfather Oddly Familiar?

I was watching the Bulls game (which we won, go Bulls!), and my friends and I could not forget a very memorable face. Joakim Noah's grandfather.

 I thought that he looked like George Clinton minus the freaky hair and the beard.

My friend Rob thought he looked like a black Mickey Rourke.

So who's right? You decide.

Mean Girls and Math

So you all know about Mean Girls. Cady Heron is a new girl at school and joins the Plastics and essentially wreaks havoc in her new high school. But at heart, she is a math nerd, like me. So before she heads to the dance, she is at a math competition. Before I complain that none of the math competitions were anything like the one in Mean Girls, I would like to complain that the final question was not that difficult.

So they have to find out the limit as x approaches 0 of the natural logarithm of (1-x) minus sine of x divided by sine of x quantity squared or 1 minus cosine of x quantity squared.This is not an easy problem, but for a math team, this should be child's play. It does require l'Hopital's Rule because the first limit is indeterminate (0 divided by 0, infinity divided by infinity). What I am shocked at is that the other person guessed -1. I haven't looked that much into it, but I did use WolframAlpha to look at the plot.

It does not approach -1 whatsoever. Maybe 1 or -5, but -1? Really Tina Fey? I guess I'm just nitpicking at math in movies, because I do love math and movies. But I was shocked at complete lack of thought put into that scene. I also would like to know how Cady Heron somehow managed to get the right answer. My first problem is that there was only one instance of them learning limits. I've taken calculus and for one semester, the bulk of the learning was covering limits. Next problem is that how did she know that the limit was an infinite limit? I guess that she could intuit it, but considering that she answered after Ms. Kraft (granted she was a tad distracted through her monologue) should say something about what she knew. So note to future movie writers, get your math right or else.

Glee Review: A Night Of Neglect

So Glee is back! But I'll be honest. It seemed to have underachieved. I was very excited for this episode because it was the return of many new faces (Sunshine! Dustin Goolsby!) and a couple of older ones (Sandy! Terri!), and Holly Holliday was back for yet another episode. But today was just a bad episode. First off, the Academic Team side-story was interesting as a fellow nerd, and their handshake was simply hilarious. But the story was another non sequitur in the season, which did not make sense. I never took Artie as smart, and the fact that Brittany was on the team, shows some real luck to even be considering nationals. Then you have the storyline of Mercedes as a diva, which was played out so badly, it essentially turned into a caricature of divas like J-Lo, Mariah Carey, and others. Though the concept was horrible, the emotional pull between the two Glee divas (Rachel and Mercedes) was amazing, and it actually gave Mercedes a real storyline. There was also the Legion/League of Evil that consists of Dustin Goolsby, Terri, Sandy, and Sue. Though the nicknames were nice (my personal favorite was the Pink Dagger, and the gusto to which Sandy accepted his nickname), Sue used to be a great character. Now she is just annoying. Then you have the entire idea of a Night of Neglect. How do you determine a neglected artist? It gave some great numbers like Mike Chang's dance-only number, but the episode was pretty devoid of superb performances. The best performance was Mercedes' rendition of "Ain't No Way", which further helps the concept that Mercedes is one of the best vocal performers in Glee. The best line goes to Will Schuester, who can't multiply. "5000 x .25 = 20000." For an episode that revolved around an academic competition, this horrible miscalculation has to be the most ironic quote in Glee. Ever. And no Beiste sightings. And Will and Emma are back on. And Will and Holly are done. I just don't understand what Glee is doing right now.

Yet Another Yahoo Contribution

So this is an interesting story of how I got to be where I am today, which is the University of Chicago. Read my story here.

A Great Pick Up Line For (Mac) Nerds

Why don't you act like Windows and crash at my place?

Have a good laugh!

NBA Playoff Predictions

So the NBA playoffs start tomorrow, so I'm going to do a series by series coverage of whom I think will win, key factors in each game, and how long the series will last.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #8 Indiana Pacers
The Chicago Bulls have this series in the bag. The Indiana Pacers are not a good enough defensive team to contain Derrick Rose. The Bulls have the advantage on offense, defense, bench play, coaching, and intangibles. The Bulls' success will likely hinge on if the Bulls can contain the offensively minded Pacers, which they have done in the past. The Pacers' success will hinge on whether they can injure Derrick Rose without incurring the wrath of the entirety of Chicago. The key match up will be between Danny Granger and Luol Deng. Granger can be one of the best scorers in the NBA, but Deng is one of the best defensive players on the Bulls. Watch for him, and Ronnie Brewer (another superb one-on-one defender), to contain Granger. Bulls win in 4.

#2 Miami Heat vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers
The Miami Heat are also clear favorites in the match up on star power alone. But the 76ers are a good defensive team with a stronger bench than the Heat. Andre Igoudala can match up defensively against either Dwyane Wade or LeBron James, and the pair of Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young should be interesting for the Miami Heat. But James, Wade, and Chris Bosh will be too much. The key for Miami will be bench play, as it typically is. The key for Philadelphia is containing the Big Three. The key match up is Iguodala and James/Wade. Iguodala is a great defender, but Wade and James both can put up monster stats against even the best of teams. Miami wins in 5.

#3 Boston Celtics vs. #6 New York Knicks
People have been down on Boston as of late and up on the Knicks because of recent play. Boston is looking their age while the Knicks seem to have finally integrated Carmelo Anthony into their offense. Boston is the favorite in this match up based on sheer experience, though the Knicks do have battle-tested guard Chauncey Billups on their side. The key for the Celtics is health. The Celtics need either of the O'Neals (Jermaine or Shaq) to be healthy in order to really put a strain on the very offensive-minded Knicks. The key for the Knicks is defense. The Knicks are all about offense, a trademark of Mike D'Antoni's coaching style. But with the defense that the Celtics have, the Knicks will need to toughen up on that side. The key match up is Kevin Garnett and Amare Stoudemire. If Stoudemire can get hot, he can start opening up outside play from players like Toney Douglas and Landry Fields. But the offense must run through Stoudemire, not Anthony, for the Knicks to have success. But he will be guarded by Kevin Garnett, one of the stingiest and best defenders in the league not named Howard. Celtics win in 5.

#4 Orlando Magic vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks own the regular season record over the Magic, but I still favor the Magic in this match up, though neither team is really superb. The Magic are still working out a chemistry between their new players, though Jason Richardson has been great as of late. It is primarily Gilbert Arenas who draws concern because of his inconsistency on the court. The Hawks are just trying to make it to a seventh game, having digressed a lot since the last year. The key for the Magic is to hit their 3-point shots. This team shoots a lot of 3-point shots despite having the best center in the league. So if they are going to shoot the 3, they better make it. The key for the Hawks is getting your scorers involved. After signing a huge contract, Joe Johnson has underachieved and will need a brilliant postseason to redeem himself. The key match up is Dwight Howard versus whomever the Hawks put on him. If Derrick Rose is MVP, Howard is a very close second. He changes the game on both ends of the court, as long as he is not on the stripe. If the Hawks contain Howard, they will win the series. But if they let Howard run free, Orlando will have its way. Magic in 7.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 San Antonio Spurs vs. #8 Memphis Grizzlies
This is not as outmatched as a typical #1 v. #8 match-up. The Grizzlies have been very good against the Spurs, but the Grizzlies are without Rudy Gay. The Spurs will also be without Manu Ginobili. The key for the Spurs is coaching. Gregg Poppovich is one of the best coaches ever, and with an aging team with waning talent, he will have to outcoach Lionel Hollins, which is no short task. The key for the Grizzlies is regaining the scoring lost from Gay's injury. Sam Young has been good as of late, and O.J. Mayo adds some very good scoring off the bench. But will it be good enough for the strong Spurs defense? The key match up is Zach Randolph versus Tim Duncan. Randolph is the younger and more talented of the two, but there are few power forwards as seasoned in the playoffs as Tim Duncan. Duncan is also a proven winner, while Randolph is still growing into his new mature role on a team. Spurs win in 6.

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #7 New Orleans Hornets
As good as Chris Paul is, he is not nearly good enough to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Bulls v. Pacers game is the most uneven, this comes in second. The Hornets will not have their best post presence in David West, and even with West, they were a weak playoff team. Chris Paul is a game changer, but he is having a career low season. The Lakers are trying to defend their crown, so they will be playing with extreme tenacity. Also add the playoff experience of Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher, and Kobe Bryant, and you have a recipe for success. The key for the Lakers is perimeter defense. Without West commanding the middle, the Hornets will look for more opportunities from the perimeter, which can be made through Paul. The key for the Hornets is to establish a post presence. No perimeter game succeeds without a significant post presence, so Emeka Okafor will be important to the success of the Hornets. The key match up is between Okafor and Pau Gasol. If Gasol can keep Okafor in check, the Lakers can shut down the interior game, forcing them to go outside, where their defense can thus take over. Lakers win in 4.

#3 Dallas Mavericks vs. #6 Portland Trail Blazers
The Mavericks are underachievers in the playoffs and the Trail Blazers are a young team looking for some momentum to build upon next year. This is very blunt and flawed, but it covers the teams very well. The Mavericks are an amazing team, but always seem to have problems in the playoffs (see: Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat). But with Nowitzki playing some of his best basketball, that all may change. But the Trail Blazers also are playing amazingly well behind some great play by LaMarcus Aldridge. The key for the Mavericks is Jason Kidd. Kidd is one of the best point guards to play the game. They should let him lead, but allow the offense to run through Nowitzki. The key for the Trail Blazers is their wing players. Brandon Roy is a game changer when healthy, but they have other strong players like Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, and newly acquired Gerald Wallace. If they can get those wing men slashing and grinding, they can get Aldridge better looks at the basket. The key match up is Tyson Chandler/Marcus Camby versus LaMarcus Aldridge/Dirk Nowitzki. They both have great defensive centers who will most likely be matched against their opponent's starting power forward. Both players can post up and hit the long jumper, though Aldridge is stronger and Nowitzki is more accurate. This dynamic will be key throughout the series. Trail Blazers win in 7.

#4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #5 Denver Nuggets
This will be the most interesting match up of the first round, essentially pinning two very equally matched teams against each other. The center match up is going to be interesting, pegging Nene, a great post player, against Kendrick Perkins, one of the best post defenders in the game. The key for the Thunder is Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant will find ways to score, but to beat a versatile Nuggets team, Westbrook will have to be Durant's second fiddle. The key for the Nuggets is sharing the ball. They have been winning because they have so many good weapons. Wilson Chandler, Kenyon Martin, Nene Hilario, Danilo Gallinari, Ty Lawton, and Raymond Felton are all great players who can make good contributions. The key match up is Kevin Durant versus whomever Denver throws his way. Arron Afflalo is one of their better defenders, but he is a tad undersized. Chris Andersen would be another good defender, but he does not play as well on the perimeter. Finding the right guard for Durant will be difficult and may determine the outcome of the series. Thunder win in 6.

In Full Bloom: How Derrick Rose (And Others) Brought The Bulls Back

"Why can't I be MVP?" The question the started the Bulls' magical season. Derrick Rose asked why he can't win MVP. With all of the talk about LeBron James and his "Decision" and Kevin Durant emerging as one of the new faces of US basketball, Derrick Rose asked why he can't be MVP. The Bulls were not supposed to be number 1 in the league. Tom Thibodeau was supposed to show why he was only an assistant never the head. Derrick Rose was supposed to swallow his words. Then amazing happened.

In the offseason, the Bulls were the favorites to win LeBron James, and though Derrick Rose was reluctant to add someone who could break the chemistry of the team, he asked James about his interest in Chicago. James was rather interested in joining Chicago after meeting with the team. But long before the Decision ever came out, most people knew that he would take his talents to South Beach. But the question everyone was asking was why? James would have joined a great team with a good bench, a good center, and an amazing point guard. But the Bulls instead added Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Keith Bogans, Kurt Thomas, C.J. Watson, Omer Asik, and of course, Brian Scalabrine. So with 8 new players, a rookie head coach, and a brand new defensive system, it seemed as if the Bulls were going to limp into the playoffs yet again.

But there was something different about this story. Rather than taking a long time to get accustomed to the system, the Bulls bought into it, primarily because of Derrick Rose. The main storyline was on Rajon Rondo and his work with the Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs and their success, and the Miami Heat and their lack thereof. Chicago went under the radar until the All-Star break when Derrick Rose was named starting point guard, first Chicago starter since Michael Jordan. And though Derrick Rose was talked about as an MVP candidate, he was always behind perennial favorites like LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Kobe Bryant. Then, after the All-Star break, the Bulls went on a complete tear.The Chicago Bulls complete demolished teams down the stretch, using strong defense to win games. They won games against every single team in the league. They kept battling for first until Miami and Boston hit slides. The Bulls never felt a slide like that, never losing more than 3 in a row. They finished strong to gather the number 1 overall seed.

They were clearly the surprise of the season. They had two starters, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, miss significant amounts of time, forcing them to start another seasoned veteran in Kurt Thomas. They had a new system, after the overly simplistic system under Vinny Del Negro disappeared. They had a rookie coach. But they did it. They did it with the best defense in the league, anchored by their "glue" Luol Deng and Ronnie Brewer. They did it with the best defensive rotations in the league (which are Asik, Brewer, Watson, Deng and Gibson followed by Asik, Brewer, Rose, Deng, and Gibson). They did it with a new perimeter game (led by Derrick Rose, who could take home Most Improved Player after his renaissance in the offseason, and Ashton Kutcher Kyle Korver). They did it under the leadership of 22-year-old Derrick Rose, who at one point in his career seemed too meek to talk for interviews. Stacey King is right to say that Derrick Rose is too strong, too fast, too good. But the same goes with the Bulls. They have played well and they have won. That is why Derrick Rose is MVP. That is why the Bulls are number 1. That is why the Bulls are championship contenders. That is why the Bulls are back.

Going Off The Deep End: How The Spurs Turned It Around

The San Antonio Spurs were written off in the offseason. They are too old to do anything, especially against a good LA Lakers team. But the Spurs now have the top seed in the West, even though they are getting career lows in production from Tim Duncan, and limiting the roles of aging players like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. This is where depth comes into play. It is true that Gregg Poppovich greatly changed this team in the offseason. They abuse the 3-point line to a great extent, and they have a great offense to complement their typically stout defense. But he has just found role players who fit in perfectly with his system. His biggest find is probably Gary Neal. He gained fame early in the season for air daps, then further recognition as the dunk victim of the season. But he has done a great job coming off the bench and filling in for Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Really everyone on the bench is great, especially George Hill and Matt Bonner. The Spurs are so great because they don't have to rely on any one person to get the job done, because of their immense depth.

Bench Presses: Where A Big 3 Does Not Make A Team

The Miami Heat stacked up in the offseason adding two of the best players in the NBA and Chris Bosh. But with all that money spent, they had to make a bench out of multitudes of oft-injured players and really old veterans (like Juwan Howard). The Big Three (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Bosh) combined averaged 70.9 points, which is absolutely sick. But this shows that the bench really is not providing much of a lift for the team. In fact, one of the biggest flaws with this team is not the chemistry between the Big Three, which they had started after serving on the US team together. It was the bench. There is no true star off the bench, unless you really think that Mike Bibby is that great right now. When James, Wade and/or Bosh is in the game, this team looks amazing. But their bench has some work to do.

Another Contribution To Yahoo

I went to the Bulls v. Celtics game (where the Bulls won 97-81), and I got to see the unveiling of Scottie Pippen's statue. If anyone's interested, here's the article.

Enter the Black Mamba: Where Having Kobe Bryant Matters

Does anyone really doubt that the LA Lakers can win the NBA championship? No. Actually, despite their recent troubles, they still are the favorites. Why? Well one of them is on the bench, while the other is on the floor. Phil Jackson is arguably (and nearly unanimously) the best coach to ever coach the game. And he seems to lift his ability in the playoffs. But he has always had someone on his team who could carry the team in a way he couldn't. With Chicago, he had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and plenty of other greats. With LA, he had Robert Horry, Shaq, Pau Gasol, and of course Kobe Bryant. Kobe is nowhere near Michael Jordan (and anyone who says otherwise does not see the impact that MJ had on the game), but Kobe is the best playoff performer in this millennium other than a certain Big Shot Rob. Kobe can take over games and he has produced on the biggest of stages. So why does everyone like the Lakers in the playoffs? The answer is the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant.

The Old and the Rested: Do the Boston Celtics Have Enough in the Tank?

The Boston Celtics were definitely favored to take the East, but they have not looked anything like champions as of late. History says that this is just a phase that the Celtics have before they enter the playoffs, but this may be different. I don't want to beat a broken drum, but trading Kendrick Perkins was very harmful in hindsight. If either of the O'Neils (preferably Shaq) were healthy, Perkins is expendable. But Shaq is injured and Jermaine O'Neil is nowhere near as big of a presence as Shaq. But of course I neglect to mention the other cogs of the team. But Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett all look tired, while Rajon Rondo just looks out of it. It could be a phase, but with a very good Philadelphia star-studded New York Knicks team waiting for them in the playoffs, the Celtics should bust out of this funk sometime soon, or else they may send a couple of people to a very early retirement.

Surviving the Blitzkrieg: The Impact of Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki may be having the best season of his career, and though Dallas is several seasons removed from the 67 win season, Dirk has carried Dallas. Just look at what happened without him for Dallas. They played incredibly subpar basketball. Nowitzki is necessary for the Mavericks' success. He is a force inside because of his height and power. He can crash the boards and has improved his defense. But his biggest strength is that he stretches the defense with his ability to shoot the three-point shot. So forget about Jason Kidd or Jason Terry. Forget about even Tyson Chandler who is playing the best basketball of his career. In order to win in Dallas, they're gonna need Nowitzki, playing his best.

The Calm Before The Storm: Why Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder Can Make Some Noise in May

The Thunder were the number 8 seed last year, and they took the future champion LA Lakers to 6 games. Now the Thunder are in the running for a #2, #3, or #4 seed in the West. Regardless of their draw, they can make noise in the playoffs, by virtue of having certain players. The obvious one is Kevin Durant, a potent scorer who can hurt you inside and outside. Then you have Russell Westbrook, another one of the new breed of point guards who beats you with both his playmaking and his athleticism. Then you have role players. Defensive dynamos Thabo Sefolosha, Serge Ibaka, and Kendrick Perkins assert dominance both inside and on the perimeter. There are bench players like Nick Collison and James Harden who add a necessary boost off the bench. This team is deep and has a good core in Westbrook and Durant. Will they win the NBA championship? Better judgment (and my own personal bias) says no. But will they be dangerous in the playoffs? Without question.

Waiting For Superman's Sidekick: Why You Always Need a Second Option

Dwight Howard is clearly the star for the Orlando Magic. He is currently the best center in the league and a deserving MVP candidate. But despite being surrounded by plenty of great shooters, he has no second man. This is basically the biggest reason why Howard should be MVP (even though Derrick Rose is just as, and even more, deserving). Howard is doing this by himself. Adding guys like Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Gilbert Arenas is supposed to help Howard, but Howard has no sidekick. Maybe this is why he is Superman. He is a high-flyer. He is the most dominant center in the league. And he has no sidekick. And that is his, and the Orlando Magic's, kryptonite.

LaMarcus Aldridge: A Love Story

I remember when the Bulls drafted LaMarcus Aldridge. I initially thought that we would keep him because he would have been a good power forward and post presence, though he was clearly not as athletic as Tyrus Thomas. But Aldridge has really culminated into a great player since that draft. The Portland Trailblazers were always known as Brandon Roy's team and Aldridge was just a sidekick. But Roy dealt with injuries while Aldridge continued to improve and develop. Now he should be considered one of the top power forwards in the league. Bet you didn't see that one coming, huh?

Making It In Mile High City: Where You Lose Your Melo and Get Your Groove

I have been against the Knicks move to get Carmelo Anthony. People touted it as a superstar player joining another superstar to create a duo that can soon rival the Heatles. But that is saying that Carmelo Anthony is even close to playing like LeBron James or Dwyane Wade, which would be a huge exaggeration. Losing Anthony may have been one of the best things for the Nuggets. Anthony is a limited player, but a high scoring one. So they lost a prime scorer, but they gained many pieces that can help a rebuilding franchise. It has helped so much that the Nuggets have actually been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They lost their star, but found a constellation, if you pardon my astronomical pun. The Knicks are in a freefall, because they lost all of their depth, getting a primarily one-dimensional player. The winner in this scenario: the Nuggets, who've just struck gold, pun entirely intended.

Moving Forward With Horford: The True Star of the Atlanta Hawks

Money-wise, Joe Johnson is the star. His contract makes him seem like Dwyane Wade. But he is not the star. Is it Jamal Crawford? Not a chance. How about Josh Smith? People renowned solely as high-flyers aren't always the best centerpiece. But speaking about centers, how about Al Horford? A double-double machine. Check. A strong post presence. Check. Game-changing ability. Check. You want your star Atlanta? You've got it. It's Al Horford.

South By Southwest: Where Chris Paul Can't Save This Team

The New Orleans Hornets have dealt with a lot this year. They dealt with a decline in production by All Star point guard Chris Paul. They have dealt with the new ownership by the NBA. But they have recently been dealt their biggest blow. Chris Paul is a great passer and makes everyone around him better, but all great players need a wingman. That is what David West was for Chris Paul. West was already on his way out, so they were hoping to make a run at the championship now. But West is injured, so all they have to go now is south.

Bearer of Bad News: The Problem With Rudy Gay's Contract

Rudy Gay is a great player. He is a scorer and a decent defender. But this summer, the Grizzlies made a poor move in investing a lot of money in this kid. I don't doubt his abilities, but for 5 years and $85 million for a player who should be a second option, it does not seem like a smart move. Especially given his injury. So I think that he was overpaid, but I don't take away from his abilities. He will be a good player for the Grizzlies, but not as good as he is made out to be.

P.S. It used to be the Vancouver Grizzlies and then Canada happened.

The Twilight Zone: Where Former All-Stars Come to Retire

It's a joke that Florida is where everyone goes to retire. I feel that all of these aging players also have a place like Florida. I like to call that place Phoenix. So many great players have some sort of lineage to Phoenix. It may not be all great players. There are guys like Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kobe Bryant who look to stay on one team forever. But just looking at the players that have been on Phoenix, they all seem to be great players who are in the twilight of their career.

I'm just going to name players at this point. You have Steve Nash, 2-time MVP winner. There are other point guards like Jason Kidd and Stephon Marbury who have all played for the Suns. Shaquille O'Neal, arguably the best center of the last 20 years, had played for the Suns. A lot of great scorers have played for the Suns. There is Jason Richardson, famous for his high-flying abilities and his scoring for the Golden State Warriors. There is also Grant Hill, one of the great players from the 1990s. There is also Vince Carter, another high-flyer and high scorer for both the Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets.

So this was more of a fun analysis for a team that looks like it is on the decline. I don't see them making the playoffs and if the NBA does lockout next season, I don't see many of these players coming back. Then retiring players will have to find a new team to flock to. But for now, Phoenix is where players come to retire. It is the Florida of NBA teams.