Now that Tracy McGrady has carried the Orlando Magic (39-35) on his back to a near-certain playoff spot by averaging 36.3 points per game in March, the race for the eighth and final playoff seed seems to be between two teams, the Milwaukee Bucks (36-39) and Washington Wizards (34-39). But as the competition heats up, it seems as though neither team wants to make the playoffs.
According to ESPN.com, the Bucks have come to the realization that all they have to do to make the postseason is win all of their remaining games. That's very clever, but technically, that was true at the beginning of the season for the Los Angeles Clippers (23-50), as well. Really, isn't that all any team has to do to make the playoffs?
Of course, no sooner had the Bucks said this than they went out and lost to the Denver Nuggets (17-57) last Wednesday night. Amazingly, the Wizards did the same thing Sunday night, losing to the Nugs 88-72. When two Eastern Conference teams that are fighting tooth and nail for their playoff lives both lose to one of the worst teams in the west in a five day span, you realize just how weak the Eastern Conference really is.
The bet here is that the more talented team makes the playoffs, and in this case that team is Milwaukee. This would mean that Michael Jordan's team would miss the playoffs both seasons that he returned to play. Keeping this scenario in mind, Inside the NBA provides some analysis as to the pros and cons of his foray out of retirement.
At the risk of being labeled a maniacal heretic, I think MJ has done a disservice to the Washington Wizards by playing the last two years. One year, fine, understood. It can't hurt the players to get a chance to follow Jordan's example, nor hurt the Washington franchise to sell out all those seats, and it sure as heck can't hurt the NBA in the merchandise area.
But by year two, it's starting to hurt Kwame Brown and company. Brown, a second year player whom the Wizards used the league's first pick to draft straight out of high school last year, has received harsh criticism and limited playing time from coach MJ and his sidekick (and official coach) Doug Collins. Is Brown incredibly inconsistent? Yes! So were Kobe Bryant, T-Mac, and Jermaine O'Neal when they came straight out of high school. Memo to Wizards: If you don't want an inconsistent player, don't draft a 19-year old! It's not rocket science here; teenagers are inconsistent beings!
It's true in real life and it's true on the basketball court. One time down the court, Brown will pull off a beautiful spin move for a dunk; the next time down he'll dribble it off his foot. What did they expect; 20 points and 10 rebounds every night? He should be going to frat parties and learning how to do his own laundry. You drafted him; stop whining, play the kid, and give him time to develop.
MJ has also hurt Larry Hughes' development. Starting Tyronn Lue (who had to be mentioned in this week's article after I accidentally omitted him from my list of candidates for Ugliest Player in the League last week) over Hughes at point guard will make Hughes no better than he was four years ago when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers and I entertained wild notions of he and Allen Iverson becoming the next Jordan and Pippen (shows what I know). Despite this, Hughes is only 24, let him play.
It would be one thing if Jordan had taken these guys a couple of rounds into the playoffs, and shown them the mental toughness needed to win in the postseason, but this just hasn't happened. It seems as if Jordan has stunted the players' growth. It is hard playing with someone who is basically your boss, and will decide whether you'll be around next year or not.
Jordan needs to get back up in the front office where he belongs now, if not for his sake, for the sake of the Wizards franchise. This team needs to find an identity, and right now they're torn between trying to play out the string for MJ or rebuild around their young players.
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