How does your favorite NBA Team look right now? Are they playoff bound this weekend? Or are they headed to the draft board to see how high they can finish in the NBA Draft Lottery? I know this lottery to determine the top selections in this summer’s NBA Draft for teams who not in the post season, will be televised during one of the later playoff games at halftime. At least this has been the pattern for the last several years. It probably helps to draw-in a bigger audience, since you have two NBA team’s fans watching this basketball lottery and their team obviously is not in it. Teams do trade draft picks in the NBA and some playoff teams could own another team’s lottery ball and get a chance in the lottery. I have spent a lot of years watching those lottery balls (even though the actual lottery is not shown live or even on TV for that manner). I’m glad this is a playoff year for us, just like I was last year, and the year before that too. Making the playoffs 3 straight years in a row is something we are proud of and gives us something to hang our hat on.

Now the electricity in the NBA Arenas for playoff basketball is unreal. Everything slows down in the playoffs and each possession is so important for each team. You know your competition has some game or they wouldn’t be matched up against you in the NBA post season. A team turning the ball over and wasting these valuable possessions; may not have lasting memories of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. A champion has to start somewhere and for me, I hope its my NBA team that starts that path this weekend. First goal all NBA playoff teams have is to win Game 1. You got to find a way to get the first punch in and it gets so much easier with each additional win.

My local NBA team; which is my favorite NBA team does have all the pieces to win the Championship. They just haven’t figured out how to play team basketball and winning all the small battles that take place within a NBA game. They are coached to win games in the 4th quarter and winning the game is all they strive for. True champions don’t get made this way. It’s a effort that starts from day 1 or from the previous seasons. Winning that next game is not important. In fact, it’s the last thing in the world you should worry about. Learning to play a style of championship basketball takes practice, hard work, and never taking your foot off of the gas pedal. I mean never! When you do stop to take a break or decide your going to take this night off. There is someone out there that didn’t rest that night. This person just gained ground on you or if they were already pass you, then they just went ahead further. My NBA team has been horrible for a decade and in all of these years to build it up, they had a chance to create this winning formula. The current coach had his chance to mold the most talented team in the league and he has failed to do it. His lack of vision to see beyond the next game on the schedule and deciding to pre award players with minutes on a nightly basis is the reason we will not win the championship this year.

I know my team will lose in the 2010 basketball playoffs. Maybe they can make it to the Conference Championship Game or perhaps even to the NBA Finals, but at some point they will fall. They’re not mentally strong on the court. Something goes wrong for most of them, they get upset and complain. They begin to pout and the frustrations just keep building. What makes it even worse, the coach is right beside them and he will complain and starting pouting just like the players. But what could you expect from a coach that gives evil looks and pouts when his own players mess up on the court. He never has tried to be a motivator in a losing effort. He just saves the motivational speeches and pep talks for close games and the ones they win. He won’t even stand up on the sidelines, if the score is too far in favor of the opponent. He’s only after winning that game he sees today. He refuses to use the time now to prepare for the games of tomorrow and this is the reason why my NBA team has no hope for tomorrow.