It’s Over ………It’s Over Pt 2 …………..

It’s Over ………It’s Over Pt 2 …………..

Well if you’ve been following the NBA Playoffs this postseason , so far there has been very little controversy concerning the officiating . But what has come as a surprise to many of us is the way that many of these series have unfolded . There have been a number of surprises as alluded to . But at the same time a number of these series have in essence panned out as envisaged . Click on the link provided to view my original comments on the Western Conference playoff scenario. It’s Over ……..It’s Over

In the Eastern Conference things seem to be taking something of a sedentary turn as the teams expected to make their way their to the conference semi-finals are expected to do so with some ease . But there are have been a few contests that are proving to be have piqued the fan’s interests.

The playoffs within the conference will essentially come down to who is prepared to challenge the dominance of the LeBron James’ led Cleveland Cavaliers . The Cavaliers at present lead the Chicago Bulls 3-1 in the conference quarter finals . And thus far the team has made somewhat light work of the Bulls . The series now merely awaits the Cavaliers’ clinical disposal of the Bulls.

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And though the Vinny Del Negro coached team has made a spirited display against the Cavaliers . The inevitable writing appears to be have been already etched on the wall. James is on a mission, that he’s determined to fulfill that destiny , come what may . It’s now or never for LeBron James to cast his legacy and have his name etched amongst the greats of the game. He may well have been anointed King James but where’s the kingdom that he allegedly reigns over ? He’s not yet an NBA champion and the only hardware he has to his name is that of an NBA League MVP award and an Olympic gold medal. If his legacy is to be fulfilled then the winning of that elusive first NBA title has to be overcome. As to whether or not James and his teammates can fulfill that dream remains to be seen.

While I’m not denying Dwight Howard hasn’t made his presence felt in the playoffs against the Charlotte Bobcats . The number 2 seeds in this series have made easy work of the Larry Brown coached team .

However , what my buddy Sportschump seems to have taken for granted concerning Howard’s performances in the series , has been the player’s utter naivete shown in getting himself into foul trouble repeatedly , throughout the series. Is there anyone who’s of the belief that thinks that Howard can get away with this against the likes of the Boston Celtics , Cleveland Cavaliers or the Atlanta Hawks and not harm the chances of his team ? Call me naive but either Sportschump is under the misapprehension that the Orlando Magic can withstand Howard’s histrionics and seemingly think that they will come out on the winning end. Or he may well feel that even without Dwight Howard in the pivotal part of the game the Magic are still good enough to take down the likes of the triumvirate mentioned. I know that Sports’ like his booze but he better lay off the bottle if he knows what’s good for him and start to think more clearly when it comes to the Magic and in particular with regard to Dwight Howard.

If things should take a turn for the worse then expect to see a much more animated Stan Van Gundy looking to rip a new orifice in a certain part of Howard’s anatomy. Without Dwight’s presence on the floor this team is nowhere as good as they can be. And that’s something that my buddy seems to be forgetting when he’s analyzed Dwight Howard and what he actually means to this team.

Having swept the Bobcats 4-0 in the series the Magic now awaits the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks versus Atlanta Hawks series . Tied at 2-2 it’d take more than of a betting man to say who will ultimately prevail in this particular series . If anything the momentum may well have swayed the Bucks’ way. Their raucous home crowd has been more akin to the boisterous fans of a soccer match than they could ever be compared to the normal NBA fan. And much of that can be put down to the fact that the team’s injured center Andrew Bogut has led the fans in boisterous cheers of ” Aussie, Aussie , Aussie , oi , oi, oi” !

With the Antipodean , Bogut orchestrating the cheers , it seems to have given a lease of life to the Bucks as they’ve essentially played the Hawks at their own game. And it appears that the main beneficiary of this all has been the Bucks young rookie phenom Brandon Jennings . Any thoughts that Tyreke Evans “was a lock” to win the “NBA Rookie Of The Year” award may well have bitten the dust at this juncture. Jennings along with teammate John Salmons have now placed the Milwaukee Bucks a mere two games away from an appearance in the conference semi finals. The Grim Reaper awaits whomever falls afoul in this series, as they’re bound to be taken to a very dark place where they don’t feel that they belong.

If you’re Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat .Do you continue to play your heart out, knowing full well it’s a lost cause ? Because with his team now down 3-1 in the series against the Boston Celtics . It’s not as if Wade’s teammates had any damn pride to begin with anyway ! They have been about as good a supporting cast as the Jackson brothers were to Michael before he decided to pursue a solo career. And as we all know “Whacko Jacko” went on to “become one of the biggest selling recording artists of alltime . As for the rest of the Jackson brothers they’re now seeking renew what mere acclaim that they can attain with a rather odious behind the scenes look at their rather boring and monotonous lives with a tv reality show. Any chance we can see a bare breasted Janet Jackson during their show ? Now that’d give me something to get excited about !

I don’t know whether or not to sympathize with Wade or merely call out GM & Team President Pat Riley for being such an ass_ole in assembling “such a pi_s poor roster” around a player , who deserves far more than he’s said to be getting from the Miami Heat organization . Maxed out contract or not the future looks bleak down in Miami at present ! If Michael Beasley is said to be one of the lynch pins and fulcrum that the Heat front office and coaching staff thinks that they can build around to turn this team into a contender. Then they’d better start to rethink that whole option through once again. Beasley’s contributions at best have been negligible at best ! Pis_ing into a lake and watching the ripples created would be deemed far more productive than anything we’ve seen from the player in this series and then some !

Well these have been my observations on the NBA Playoffs within the Eastern Conference. What surprises if any have had you posing a question ? Most certainly the officiating thus far doesn’t seem to have been contentious. But at the same time it’s still early days as of yet and I’m sure that David Stern is keeping almost as watchful an eye on his zebras (officials), as he has been on the antics of the players. Being hit for $35,000 in your pocket , ain’t no laughing matter in the postseason at all !

Alan Parkins aka tophatal ……………………..

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Houston native , Brenique Reed .