Kleeman's Last Word

Stacked Southwest Division typifies NBA's problem

Those privvy to arguments about pro basketball in Texas have likely heard this one ad nauseum.
"You may have the rings San Antonio but we have the I-35."
This proclomation, eschewed by delusional Dallas Mavericks fans, is the disease ailing the NBA. Tom Donaghy sucked for certain, but this paradox could be far more damaging to this great game.
You see, anxious Mavs fans, the I-35 is decided by championships, not one playoff series win or a blowout regular season win. The Spurs win that category easily 4-0. Herein lies the problem: does anything in the regular season matter anymore?
Most NBA fans and aficionados already agree the preseason is a useless jokefest. Many teams took it about as seriously this year as Rob Schneider's Oscar chances. Translation: they laughed it off and figured they'd throw it together over the 82-game season.
But as pressure mounts for two teams in the Southwest Division, it's becoming increasingly clear that few give a rats ass about winning or losing in the regular season.
After trouncing, outplaying and mangling the defending champs 105-92 Thursday night in Dallas, the Mavs seemed to understand how meaningless the win was.
After all, great regular season performances from the North Texas boys the last two years have been nullified by two of the greatest playoff collapses in NBA history.
The only way the Mavs will topple the Spurs is by beating them in a playoff series and winning a championship. Dirk and co. took care of the first item two years ago with a tough overtime road win in San Antonio but forgot to close out Miami. The Mavs authored 67 wins the next season, 6th most in NBA history, including three against the Spurs, but -- well, you know.
Only when the Mavs hoist a Larry O' Brien trophy will they be able to claim superiority over Central Texas's pride and joy.

The same can be said for the Houston Rockets, who have yet to prove their lethal scoring combination of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming can win them a playoff series.
McGrady is 0-6 in the first round and Yao is 0-3. The Rockets have ended their last two playoff appearances with game 7 losses in the first round--one a 40 point loss in Dallas and the other single-digit affair to the Jazz in Houston. In both series, Houston squandered a 2-0 lead.
Newly selected General Manager Daryl Morey contracted a flurry of offseason moves. He nabbed bruising Argentine power forward Luis Scola in a deal with the Spurs, lured guard Mike James back from Minnesota, rescued Steve Francis from his flailing career with the Knicks, made two solid draft pick choices with Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks and seemingly has the improved services of Bonzi Wells.
The Rockets' slogan this year, "It's Time," implores fans to believe this team is ready to win the big one.
It's all wonderful talk, but that's just what it is - talk.
No amount of regular season wins against the Spurs, Mavs, Suns or Jazz will change the expectations for this team. No one can judge this team's greatness until it lands a playoff series win. T-Mac torched the Jazz a few weeks ago in Utah with a 47-point performance that spurred a victory.
The players said afterward that the win served as somewhat of a game 8 victory. Here's hoping no Rocket player is that clueless.
The only way to erase a playoff collapse is to win in the playoffs, which leads me back to the all-important question: does the regular season matter?

LeBron's James's Cleveland Cavaliers look dreadful in the early going, the Chicago Bulls are stinking it up and the Miami Heat can't even keep a game against the young Seattle Sonics close.
The horrid starts these teams have managed may have shocked some of you. I loosely picked the Bulls to win the Eastern Conference. Jokes on me or is it?
Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Andres Nocioni anchor a deep, athletic Chicago team that many expected to rush out of the gates. The above question is applicable here.
If the Bulls land at least a top 5 spot in the conference and arrive at the Eastern Conference Finals, their 1-6 start will mean nothing.
The Cavs are the defending conference champs, and as such, will be the best team in the East until someone knocks them out of the playoffs.
When the Heat had a healthy Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O' Neal they overcame a 2-0 deficit to steal away the championship from the Mavs.

And can anybody call the Boston Celtics a surefire conference champion when they haven't proven the top three players can stay healthy the entire season. If Pierce, Garnett or Allen goes down for an extended period, it's over for Boston.
The Orlando Magic added Rashard Lewis's scoring to an already talented core of Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Carlos Arroyo and J.J. Reddick. But South Florida's other team suffered a first round sweep at the hands of the experienced Detroit Pistons and will be judged only by how far the amped up core can take them in May.

The Pistons have reached the conference finals five straight times, but lost the last two bids to reach the NBA Finals. Only the playoffs will reveal whether this veteran team gives a flip (this time, pun intended Coach Saunders).

The regular season matters in that wins decide playoff seeding. Sure. Wins against elite teams build character and toughness for tomorrow's hopeful. Indeed. Great teams use the regular season to prepare for May and June. Of course.

But beyond that, does the 82-game season matter?

Though it will be mesmerizing to watch and an entertaining spectacle, there are two Texas teams who would tell you probably not.

posted by Robert Kleeman @ 8:02 AM