You can count the teams capable of preventing Lakers-Celtics II on one hand: Cleveland, Orlando, Houston, New Orleans – who knows, maybe Portland or Utah? (Disclaimer: The Spurs still have Tim Duncan.)
To keep us occupied until then, you only need three fingers to count the teams capable of joining Phil Jackson’s 1995-96 Bulls in the 70-win stratosphere. Well, one, if you ask Jackson.
“I don’t think there’s any chance that we’re going to get anywhere close to 70 wins,” Jackson said Wednesday night, before the Lakers improved to 15-2 with a 114-102 victory over the 76ers. “I’m not going to say that we can’t win 60, but I don’t think there’s a chance [at 70] – and that’s if everything goes well health-wise. Traveling in the West is just too difficult. With the changing time zones, it just makes it very difficult to be consistent, night in and night out, on the road.”
Kobe Bryant, always looking for another record to shatter, said he and Jackson had this very discussion a few years ago about the 72-10 Bulls.
“Chicago is smack dab in the middle, so the travel time isn’t as big as going from the West Coast all the way to the East Coast,” Bryant said. “It would be extremely difficult for any team to do that now, especially a team on the West Coast.” By that logic, only the strategically located Cavs (15-3) have a shot. The Celtics (18-2) are off to the best start, but they don't qualify under the Jackson rule -- too far from the middle of the country. I say none of them can do it. No sense expending your energy for a regular season goal when it’s so obvious that Boston, L.A., and Cleveland have something more important in mind.
The rest of your Morning Shoot:
* Bryan Colangelo decided to pull the rug out from under Sam Mitchell on Wednesday, in part, because of something that could happen a year and a half from now. Colangelo's swift decision on Mitchell -- who was hardly in Eddie Jordan's or P.J. Carlesimo's shoes at 8-9 -- was a sure sign that the Raptors' GM is getting nervous about losing Chris Bosh as a free agent in 2010 and needs the team to win now. Like, RIGHT NOW. There were whispers on Toronto's West Coast trip -- which Colangelo conspiciously attended -- that Mitchell wasn't using some of the Raptors' personnel to Colangelo's satisfaction. Most people around the league think Bosh is gone anyway in 2010, but Colangelo feels he has to do everything he can to protect his investment.
* Sad, crushing news about former NBA veteran Rodney Rogers. His college coach, Dave Odom, told the Raleigh News & Observer that Rogers is paralyzed from the shoulders down after an all-terrain vehicle crash last week in North Carolina. "Say a prayer for Rodney and his family," Odom told the paper. Rogers, 37, has been transferred to the Shepherd Center, a hospital and rehab center specializing in catastrophic injuries in Atlanta. I'm familiar with it. I went there a few years back to do a story on former Jets defensive back Jamie Henderson, whose promising NFL career was cut short by brain injuries suffered in a motorcycle wreck.
* Brian Windhorst, who has covered the Cavs for six years, can't say enough about the team's unity and chemistry. Typically, news about grown men drinking beer together in the shower would fall into the TMI category. But these Cavs really do seem to have it together. (Thanks to TrueHoop for the link.)
* Remember the outcry about American players (Josh Childress, Brandon Jennings) going to Europe? Seems to have been a bad career move for Jennings, who signed with a team in Italy after eligibility issues clouded his college future. InsideHoops.com points out a Washington Times article that says Jennings is the fourth guard in the rotation with Lottomatica Roma. Maybe it's time to play Lotto instead. Or hire Stephon Marbury's agent. (Oh, right, he doesn't have one.)
* Couple of interesting games out West tonight: Phoenix-Dallas and San Antonio-Denver. Gotta watch the Blazers -- winners of six in a row, including three on the road -- getting the ultimate test when they visit the Celtics Friday night. It's a matchup Brandon Roy is looking forward to, as well.
