No clear-cut favorite heading into playoffs
Q: What do Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James have in common with Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Phil Jackson?
A: The closest they’ll get to this year’s postseason is watching on TV.
After a season of chaos and change, the NBA playoffs will begin this weekend without a target team for everyone to take aim at.
The 2005 playoffs will unfold with several of the NBA’s superstars sitting on the sidelines wondering how they missed out on one of the most wide-open chances for a championship in decades.
Yes, decades. Because for the first time since the late 1970s, there is no clear-cut, gigantic obstacle needing to be overcome.
Recent playoffs always began with challengers knowing they might face the daunting prospect of facing O’Neal and Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers teammates since 1997 – and trying to outwit their coach, Phil Jackson, who accumulated nine titles over 12 years.
Anyone wanting a championship in the years prior to that had to go against Jordan, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson – superstars of their eras who went to the playoffs year after year as heavy favorites.
This season, there’s no marquee team and no superstar tandem to be toppled, making it a wide-open race for the title.
Cavaliers fire GM Paxson
Their shocking collapse complete, the Cleveland Cavaliers began to rebuild – from the top.
Jim Paxson was fired Thursday as the club’s general manager, dismissed by new owner Dan Gilbert one day after the Cavaliers’ chaotic season ended short of the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.
Expected for weeks, Paxson’s firing came exactly one month after coach Paul Silas was fired with 18 games left by Gilbert, the online mortgage banker who has had a rough introduction into operating a pro sports franchise.
Paxson’s tenure as Cleveland’s GM will be remembered for poor draft picks (Trajan Langdon, DeSagana Diop), a carousel of head coaching changes, James’ arrival and Carlos Boozer’s defection as a free agent.
But perhaps most important, the Cavs didn’t make the playoffs under Paxson. Cleveland went 185-307 in his six seasons.
Jefferson plans return to Nets
Injured All-Star forward Richard Jefferson plans to practice today as the New Jersey Nets get ready to take on the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Jefferson has missed almost four months with a torn ligament in his left wrist. Earlier this week, he said he would play if the Nets made the playoffs.
Nets coach Lawrence Frank said he would be better able to evaluate Jefferson’s status after seeing him practice.
“Richard can certainly help us,” Frank said. “There’s no question about that. But I just don’t know how much. I don’t think he knows how much.
“It would be unfair to place expectations on him. I know he’s the kind of guy that would do anything to help the team, but it’s kind of hard for me to tell what he can do.”