The NBA Playoffs are upon us….. And I can honestly say that I haven’t felt the hype around the playoffs like this since the Chicago Jordans ran the 90s.
All of the talk has been about the Lakers and Cavaliers and rightfully so. But what is with all the talk of the Heat, and Celtics competing East and the Spurs and Nuggets being sleepers in the West. There are two teams that will have fairly high seeds going into the playoffs that are getting no recognition. I have heard no one mention them outside of their local fan base. No one is giving them a chance outside of their regional markets.
Yes, I’m talking about the Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks.
Both have now locked in a #3 seed in their respective conferences and are claiming over 30 wins at home during the regular season. Each has seen the emergence of big time players in Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson. Amare is playing as if he is worth max contract money going into the off-season. He is a man possessed and his game has elevated to a level that has not been seen in the valley of the sun for years. He is has seen his productivity rise since the addition of Robin Lopez down low. Joe Johnson is simply being Joe. Taking over games in the 4th quarter and supplying Al Horford and Josh Smith with the touches they need to keep defenses honest. Rumors of Joe not returning to
Amare speaking about posterizing the opposition
Joe Johnson and Josh Smith going off
I'm not "stat cruncher guy" looking for different numbers to support my case. I simply see what these guys are doing on the court and I don't think anyone wants to match up with them on their way to the championship.
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