Your Weekly Spartans in the NBA Report

 

 

The Lakers continue to steamroll the competition, and have the best record in the NBA since the All-Star break. The Lakers stellar play has placed them in a position to challenge the San Antonio Spurs for the top spot in the Western Conference. What once seemed like an insurmountable 8 game lead, has now dwindled to two in a half. Shannon Brown continues to contribute off the bench. His shooting percentage has been low, but he still manages to contribute points. Brown averaged about 6 points per game in 4 outings this week, and was ejected during the Dallas Mavericks game for pushing a player on the opposing team. The Lakers improved their record to 55-21, and are in second place in the Western Conference standings.

 

The Orlando Magic looked anything but magical this past week when they lost three games against less than stellar opponents. This team is a real disappointment. Once you think that they’ve gotten it together they disappoint. Jason Richardson had a decent week. He scored 24 points against the Knicks, but struggled against the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks. Jason’s struggles this week are directly related to his 3-point shooting. When he shoots the ball well from 3-point land, he usually scores in double digits. When he doesn’t, he usually struggles. Orlando’s reliance on the 3-point shot is going to be problematic come playoff time. It will be interesting to see how their season plays out. The Magic improved their record to 48-29, and are 4th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

 

The Memphis Grizzlies are a pleasure to watch. Its refreshing to watch the unity that team sports often bring. The Grizzlies were “nobodies” last year, and now they stand at the precipice of making the playoffs for the first time in years. While there is no “I” in team, individual contributions must not be forgotten. For all of you who haven’t been watching, Zach Randolph is a monster. He’s a beast plain and simple. He’s an automatic double-double, which is rare considering he is only 6’9. Zach is a tremendous part of the Grizzlies success. They won all four games this week while Randolph averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds. The Grizzlies improved their record to 44-33 and hold the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.

 

Charlie Bell did not play this week. He hasn’t played since February 22.

 

Morris Peterson has not signed with a team since being waived by Charlotte.

 

Drew Naymick continues to play in the D-League. Hes upped his point production to 8.6 per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game. The Bakersfield Jam are the fourth seed in the Western Conference D-League playoff picture. They have a 29-21 record.