The All Star Game is this weekend, and the playoff teams are starting to come into the picture. Miami is rebuilding a lead in the East, as San Antonio is starting to do out West. The teams in the middle are still fighting for position, which is extra important in order to avoid the hardest teams at the front of the conferences. So where does everyone stand at the All Star Break? Let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Thursday, February 14, before the day’s games: Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – NBA Week 15 »

There’s not much not to like about the season 14 weeks in, unless your team is well on its way to the #1 pick. San Antonio and Miami are still in the lead, and plenty of other teams are where they were last week, with some minor changes. Of course, that means many different teams are still quite close to each other, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Wednesday, February 6, before the day’s games: Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – NBA Week 14 »

On Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors acquired small forward Rudy Gay from the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team, six-player deal that also involved the Detroit Pistons. In the trade, the Raptors sent point guard José Calderón to the Pistons, and power forward Ed Davis and a second-round draft pick to Memphis. With the move, general manager Bryan Colangelo hopes to improve a team that has missed the playoffs the last four seasons.

At 17-30, the Raptors are currently in last place in the Atlantic Division and 6.5 games behind the currently eighth-seeded Celtics. To think that Gay can help the Raptors reach the postseason this year is naive. With Gay locked up for two more seasons, should the Celtics and the rest of the Atlantic be worried about the Raptors going forward?

Continue reading Welcome to the Atlantic Division, Rudy Gay »

Well, that couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start. Although many expect the Celtics to play well even without Rajon Rondo, tonight’s game was encouraging in many ways, as the Celtics polished off the Sacramento Kings, 99-81.

After their All-Star point guard was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Boston took the court tonight with Courtney Lee getting the start in Rondo’s customary lineup spot. Playing without a true point guard, the Celtics took the attack right at Sacramento from the tip, running out to an early 8-0 lead. Lee and Avery Bradley ran a two-man fast break for a couple of baskets, and Kevin Garnett showed no signs of fatigue after logging big minutes in the Celtics’ Sunday win over Miami. Garnett scored 13 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and went 4-for-4 in the early going while battling DeMarcus Cousins down low.

Continue reading Celtics Begin Their Post-Rondo Season By Trouncing Kings »

We’re now officially past the halfway point of the season, and things are still fairly close. It’s looking more and more like we’ll see the Heat and Celtics in the first round, but other than that, who knows? The top of the West remains volatile, as does a large swath of the East. Teams could jump all over the place, and even without the best seed, it’s not out of the questions to see some of those lesser teams pull off the win. Just about anything could still happen, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Wednesday, January 30 before the day’s games: Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – NBA Week 13 »

12 weeks into the season, we finally have two #1 teams remaining the same from the previous week. The Heat are creating a bit of space while the Thunder have some tough competition at the top. The West is also producing some additional teams fighting for the last playoff spots, while the East is pretty set for the moment, even with Boston’s struggles. What does all this mean for the teams in the playoff hunt? Let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Wednesday, January 23, before the day’s games: Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – NBA Week 12 »

In a game that they didn’t deserve to win, the Celtics still had multiple chances to do just that, dropping an overtime thriller to the Chicago Bulls, 100-99. Trailing for most of the game, the Celtics were outplayed by an undermanned Bulls squad in their second frustrating loss in a row.

They trailed for nearly the entirety of regulation, taking their first lead at the 4:37 mark of the 4th quarter on a Rajon Rondo free throw. Late in the 4th Quarter, the Celtics had an 88-86 lead, and the ball, with only 12.1 seconds remaining. Pierce got the inbounds pass, but was promptly swarmed by Bulls defenders, and Joakim Noah tied him up, resulting in a jump ball. Continue reading Celtics Lose Overtime Heartbreaker to Bulls »