Monday, April 18, 2011
Some Jayhawks still have a shot for a championship this year.
Albeit, they are former Kansas players playing in the NBA, but it could be a nice consolation for losing to Virginia Commonwealth in the NCAA tournament.
Out of the 16 playoff teams in the NBA this season, six contain Jayhawks on their rosters. There are eight players in total, but only six of them play relevant minutes.
Unfortunately for KU fans, top teams such as the Bulls, Spurs and Lakers are void of any Kansas players. Only a handful of these players stands a reasonable chance of even reaching the finals.
-Brandon Rush, Indiana Pacers. Chance to make finals: Not going to happen.
The Pacers played a memorable game against the Bulls, leading for most of the contest until Derrick Rose took over. That was good enough to show the Pacers they didn’t belong. Rush played 18 minutes and scored seven points, but the Bulls were just too good.
-Kirk Hinrich, Atlanta Hawks. Chance to make finals: Nope.
Hinrich is only one of two Jayhawks on this list who starts. He scored 13 points with five rebounds in the victory against Orlando, which is the second-best performance on this list. But the Magic and Hawks looked messy. If Hinrich does advance, he will most likely go up against his former Bulls, and there isn’t any way he’s getting past them.
-Darrell Arthur and Xavier Henry, Memphis Grizzlies. Chance to make finals: Try again.
They beat the top-seeded Spurs in Game 1, but San Antonio was without Manu Ginobili. Arthur scored five points and had five fouls in 15 minutes, and it will be hard for him to see the floor with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol playing so well. Henry is out for the playoffs because of a knee injury.
-Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich, Oklahoma City Thunder. Chance to make finals: Getting warmer.
The Thunder has its hands full with a sprightly Nuggets team in the first round. They might win the series, but that may be all they can do. The Thunder are a popular team for many Kansas residents, but they are still too young to deal with the Spurs, Lakers and Mavericks. They have loads of talent, though, and maybe this is their breakout playoff season. Collison contributed little in 26 minutes Sunday night, whereas Aldrich didn’t even play. The team called him back up from his third D-League stint after Aldrich took the Tulsa 66ers to the semifinals of the D-League Finals.
-Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat. Chance to make finals: Very possible.
This team is the biggest wild card in the playoffs. It should easily bypass the 76ers, but how it will fare against the Celtics, Magic or Bulls is the key to the Eastern Conference. This team has immense potential, but the Heat has had trouble reaching it at times. Chalmers doesn’t have the role he used to have on the team now that Mike Bibby is on the roster. Chalmers was limited to six points in 21 minutes Saturday against the 76ers. But his team has a solid shot at a championship run.
-Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics. Chance to make finals: Favorite to win the East.
He’s the best former Kansas player and he plays on the best team out of all of them. The Celtics squeaked past the Knicks in Game 1, while Pierce had his steady 18-point contribution. The Bulls are young, the Heat are a mystery, and the Magic are just a mess. Although the Celtics can lose to any one of those teams, they have the best shot because they have been there before. Pierce could get another ring before Boston’s window of opportunity is shut.
— Edited by Jacque Weber
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Comments
Thibodeaux: NBA Finals still in reach for some former Jayhawks
Do you realize how stupid you sound when you talk in absolutes like this??
Just makes you look stupid.. Figure it out...
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