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Lions and Lambs, Part One

© Gregory Broome

As the playoffs approach, we explore which teams enter the season of rebirth with genuine hope in their hearts, and which will remain inanimate for another year. In the first of a four-part series, we nuzzle the fuzzy wool of the Eastern lambs.

Atlanta Hawks

In my last article, I detailed Atlanta's wrongheaded vision for the future. Unfortunately, nothing has transpired since to inspire any optimism. Even ignoring the Rasheed Wallace spectacle, the Hawks' outright release of quality center Michael Doleac proves that the only thing Atlanta wants to win is the draft lottery. Don't be surprised to see front office types tying sneakers together during timeouts.

Boston Celtics

Imagine your boss telling you that he would rather the big sale you're working on collapse, or that you sleep through your presentation to the CEO. Tony Robbins disciple Danny Ainge recently tossed such a brick of motivational gold to his team, opining that it would probably be beneficial to the franchise if the team missed the playoffs. After trading popular team leaders and setting a coach adrift mid-season, Ainge's buffoonery will have Boston fans wistfully recalling the Rick Pitino era.

Chicago Bulls

Having already released serviceable big man Corie Blount, the Bulls are now considering cutting forward Marcus Fizer. The reasoning: Fizer and Blount are not part of the team's future, and the team would rather take a look at a minor-league or free-agent prospect for the rest of the year. Think what you will about that logic, but I'm sure we can agree that only a truly terrible team would even consider such a scheme.

Miami Heat

Ben Wallace. Jermaine O'Neal. Kenyon Martin. Carlos Boozer. Kurt Thomas. PJ Brown. That intimidating list comprises the players Lamar Odom might match up with at power forward should the Heat qualify for the playoffs. Miami's small lineup is a reasonably successful regular season house of cards, and any of the above playoff brutes will be glad to shake the table.

Milwaukee Bucks

You would think a year of inspiring team play, the emergence of Michael Redd as an All-Star, an impressive debut by TJ Ford, and a masterful job by new coach Terry Porter would be enough to convince me that the Bucks are for real. And to an extent, one would be right. However, I reserve judgement of Milwaukee's for-realness until they win a playoff series with Keith Van Horn sinking into his socks.

Orlando Magic

From the moment they tipped off the season with nobody Britton Johnsen in the starting lineup, it was apparent that the Magic had gotten their hands on a bad spellbook and conjured demons they could not banish. Further, they have provoked the wrath of their own Tracy McGrady, who now talks as openly of leaving Orlando as he does of his teammates' inadequacies. The uncompensated loss of McGrady would turn a team merely dabbling in the black arts into an H.P. Lovecraft story.

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