5. Washington Wizards
The Wiz-Kids are atrocious this year, and not even in a way that's entertaining. Whereas a lot of awful teams with young players are interesting to watch in an up-and-coming way (see:#3), I have never found Nick Young to be exciting in any way. Dominic McGuire is just a guy, and Andray Blatche should be the type of inconsistent young player who shows occasional flashes of athletic brilliance, but instead is the type of inconsistent young player who shows occasional flashes of basic, fundamental low-post basketball. Still, I cling to them as my hometown team, and 'Tawn's standard double-double is the most consistent contribution to the BP squad.
4. Boston Celtics
Actually, I hate the Celtics. Garnett's whole act is played (so... played); Pierce's hard-luck story is virtually the same as every other player in the Association, but with better publicity; Ray Allen manages to be personality-less in a game whose entertainment value (for me) is driven by personality; and Doc Rivers is just kind of retarded. So why do they make my top 15, much less my top 5? Because Rondo is to BP what Michael Turner was to Egon Spengler. I fucking love Rondo. And since the C's are defending champs, and since they talk so loud and so much, every team steps up to play them, which makes for some entertaining basketball.
3. Charlotte Bobcats
As my parents have moved further and further South, my athletic inclinations have followed, first with Eric Maynard and the VCU squad that rocked the tourney a few years ago, and now with the Bobcats. Gerald Wallace is a fucking badass. Raymond Felton is rad and a Tarheel (I have a UNC softness). DJ Augustin was briefly a Black Prez. Emeka Okafor has a huge forehead. Juwan Howard is on this squad! And getting minutes! I gotta get down to the Queen City and catch a game.
2. Denver Nuggets
Until I traded away Nene, BP featured three Nugs. Even though we're down to two (JR Smith and Kenyon Martin), the Nuggets are still the team whose hopes are most entwined with my own. I know I'm gonna get crazy scoring from Danny Granger. I know I'm gonna get some crazy-ass line out of Rondo. I know I'm gonna get a double-double (or close to it) from Jamison. But I never really know what I'm going to get from my Nuggets, thus tying my success to theirs. When they give me nights like they did Tuesday (K-Mart for 12 pts, 10 rebs, 4 asts, 5 stls, 3 blks; JR for 3 threes, 20 pts, 2 blks), they make my week.
1. Portland Trail Blazers
Not a single fantasy player on the roster, but these are my boys. My NBA love took flight back in the Grant/Pippen/Sabonis/'Sheed era, and after a long dark spell (Damon Stoudamire, Zach Randolph, ugh) they're back to being the sort of team I love. There isn't a player on this team I don't like. Even Stevie Blake.
I completely agree about the blazers. When the lakers came back and beat them in the semi's it hurt me (2000?). That blazer team was my favorite team to play with on NBA2k dreamcast at souts's place. Well, I also liked to play with the nets. I could start ghitza alongside Jayson Williams (the murdering one). I even like blake, even though he went to maryland. I hope it's not just because he's white and I'm a closet racist. Good to have you back, Sovic. I look forward to reading this daily while I'm supposed to be teaching.
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