All-Star Break 2005

The All-Star break. The showcase weekend for the NBA, the traditional half way point of the season. A time to rest. A time to reflect on the season and a time to ponder what the 2nd half will bring.
Lets look at the standings shall we.
The Eastern Conference Division leaders; Atlantic - Celtics, Central - Pistons, SouthEast - The Heat. The Heat have won 40 games so far. Shaq appears primed to bring at least a conference championship to Florida. I still think the team is a bit overrated, but you can't fault a team for beating the opponents the eastern conference as put in front of them. No surprise here. The Atlantic division was anybodies guess. So the Celtics are as good as any pick. I would have to say that the Wizards are a mild surprise.
In the Western Conference the division leaders are; NorthWest - the Sonics, Pacific - Pheonix, SouthWest - San Antonio. Surprises abound in the west. I think it's the result of a mixture of events. Primarily the demise of the Lakers and the reshuffling of the divisions. Storied franchises on the decline and small markets on the rise. It's a good story for the NBA, but without the rivalry between dominant teams its not a salacious story for the media.

AI makes this weekend his 6th straight appearance in the All-Star game as a starter. Allen is performing at a higher level than his MVP season. On one of those basketball talking head shows on ESPN someone made note of that. They declared that AI deserved the MVP, but had no shot because of the supporting cast. That remains to be seen, but the veteran guard has been the consummate professional this year. And he does something that other teams relish. He puts fannies in the seats. His 60 point game this year had playoff electricity. There have many exciting games this year. There have also been many forgettable ones as well.

Looking at the Sixers report card thus far, I would have to rate Coach O'Brien a C+. He's considered a high priced coach and I think he should have a winning record. 26 up and 27 down is encouraging, but not much to boast about. AI A+. Lil' AI B+. Iggy is arguable one of the best rookie in the league, but there is not much to trumpet this year's crop. He's a solid pick. That is one of the few compliments I can give the GM. Billy King has been less visible this year. The Big Dog debacle has to be part of it. I give Billy a C- (and I am being kind). Korver gets a B- for stepping up his game in many ways, but I still see him as a liability in the closing moments. The rest of the crew gets an E for effort. They have the rest to the season to make the grade (yes that was a pun).