NBA Playoffs: 10 Things That Make Us Grumpy

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April 23, 2010STEINMETZ ARCHIVENBA PAGENBA SCOREBOARD

Nothing beats the NBA postseason: Games virtually every night, intensity from tip-off to buzzer and the kind of pressure that separates the men from the boys.

Still, as great as the playoffs are, they could be betterwith just a little bit of tinkering. So, playing the role of hoops curmudgeon, here are 10 things I dont like about the 2009-10 playoffs:

Injuries: There are too many of them. Andrew Bogut, Andrei Kirilenko, Greg Oden, Mehmet Okur, Brandon Roy, etc. Yes, its the cost of an 82-game schedule, but it just stinks that some teams are playing their most meaningful game without their key players.

Real life: Bottom line is that, unfortunately, life gets in the way of the postseason. Too many games to watch with things like a job and family.

Stoppages: There are too many timeouts, and theyre too long to begin with.

Missing teams: The 16 best teams arent in the tourney. After watching some of Miami, Chicago and Charlotte, its obvious the league needs to change the format. Houston, Memphis and New Orleans should be in there.

Not enough Van Gundy: Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy is terrific, absolutely terrific as an analyst. Too bad he can only do one game per day.

No George Karl: Its just not the same seeing the Denver Nuggets without George Karl on the sidelines. Get well soon.

First-round formality: Theres just not enough opening-round intrigue, what with teams such as Chicago, Miami and Milwaukee, just to name a few, having no chance to win.

Enduring Kobe Bryant hate: Look you dont have to like him, but at least appreciate him as a player. Hes one of the greatest of all-time, no matter how many times you say he stinks.

No Steve Javie: Hes one of the NBAs best officials, and hes been out since December with a leg injury. This time of year, the league needs the best refs it can get.

The charge: Doesnt matter if its preseason, regular season or playoffs, too many charges are being called and it detracts from athleticism and quality. Lets quit rewarding non-athletes who slide under.

-- Matt Steinmetz

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