WATERCOOLER CHAT: NBA PLAYOFFS APPROACHING
BASKETBALL
In the NBA, the Chicago Bulls took on the Boston Celtics. The regular season may be ending, but the Bulls need every win they can get to make the playoffs. Well the Bulls came to play against the Celtics. Derrick Rose had an amazing night with 39 points and proved that he could be in the league’s Top 5 in the next few seasons. With the win, the Bulls should make the playoffs in the #8 spot. For the Celtics, however, this loss locks them into the #4 seed, meaning they would most likely play a very tough Miami Heat team in the first round. More importantly, if they get by the Heat they would face LeBron and the Cavs in the semi-finals, which is pretty much a guaranteed exit for the Celtics. This probably isn’t their year. Chicago 101, Boston 93.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the winner of Rookie Of The Year is approaching. This year’s Top 3 candidates are Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans (#4 pick overall), Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings (#10 pick overall), and Stephen Curry (#7 pick overall). Well, Stephen Curry’s father, former NBA athlete Dell Curry, is on the voting committee. But the NBA won’t be giving him a vote this year. They’re concerned about the nepotism, and have opted to not allow Curry to vote for his son. Not a big deal, really, but an interesting precedent in this voting process.
Finally in the NBA, Don Nelson, coach of the Golden State Warriors, says he will return to coaching next year. Here’s why this is a big deal: He’s almost 70 years old. Ironically, this old man basically invented the up-tempo form of basketball the Warriors play. It’s called Nelly-ball, and is based on running down the court quickly and getting a shot off in 7 seconds or less. The strategy is to outscore the other team, as opposed to playing strong defense. Don Nelson’s return is quite exciting because the Warriors, injury-plagued this season, are poised to be fantastic next season. They should definitely make the playoffs, and Don Nelson will mastermind this effort.
