Pippen's Blog

to quote my mom, "oh, vomit!"

http://www.nba.com/blog/blog30.html

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No. 33 Is Checking In
Hello out there in cyber land. I want to thank NBA.com for making me a proud member of the NBA Blog Squad where I'll be checking in periodically with my thoughts and analysis on the league as we enter the home stretch of the season with less than 30 games remaining.

First off, many of you may be wondering what I have been up to since I retired from the NBA several months ago. Well, for the first time in some 20-plus odd years, I've been able to enjoy the winter months. I've been doing some traveling but mainly have been spending some quality time with my family.

One of my post-playing career goals is to break into the broadcasting field. I am now regularly appearing on NBA Matchup, which is shown on ESPN Sunday mornings. I've been enjoying the work and learning a lot. When you're on that side of the camera, it's important to get your thoughts across as accurately and as fast as you can. I'm hoping this experience will set me up for a career in broadcasting games down the road plus some live studio work as well.

Being an NBA fan and now with my role on NBA Matchup, I obviously follow the league closely. Here are some post-trading deadline observations:

Philly: The acquisition of Chris Webber not only makes Philly a better team but now allows them to match up better against teams possessing a strong inside game. Webber gives the Sixers another viable offensive threat and even though A.I. is still the man there, it's been a long time since he's had a teammate that is a threat to score 25-plus points on any given night

Spurs: A move that didn't grab nearly the amount of headlines as the Webber deal but falls along the line of a sleeper deal is the pick up of Nazr Mohammed in San Antonio. It's a great fit for him. Mohammed is a very solid player, he's not going to hurt you plus he understands his role. Look at his track record, he's been able to fit in with every team he's played on.

What I also like about the move is that not only can he play alongside Duncan but he can also spell T.D. as well. Not only does Nazr help the Spurs in their championship pursuit this season but in the long haul as well. Ever since Tim has entered the league, he has played heavy minutes -- nearly 40 a night. The team can't expect MVP kind of production on a nightly basis down the road if they continue to play him that much. Nazr will help give him a breather.

Nets: No, they didn't make a blockbuster deal on draft day. Their major move happened well before that but it's worth highlighting again, given how well Vince Carter is playing. He's rejuvenated his career in Jersey. He's now on a team where he isn't expected to be the leader, a role that I don't know if he ever was comfortable with in Toronto. He's a very talented player and I think the Nets have the capability of making some noise come playoff time, even without Richard Jefferson. When R.J. does come back, they'll be even more exciting to watch.

East musings: As we enter the homestretch of the season, you have to give the edge to the Pistons to return to the Finals Why? They have so much in their favor: Familiarity, championship experience and they're now playing with a purpose. Miami is a team that really came out hot with Shaq but I think the honeymoon period has ended in South Beach a little bit. The Heat aren't as far ahead of other teams as you once thought, especially after their great start. It's up to Miami to put pressure on the Pistons to knock them off.

East sleeper: Forget East sleeper -- I think the Bulls are the sleeper team in the NBA. When you look at some of the teams out West such as the Phoenix and San Antonio who are playing well, other than Tuesday's loss to Houston, Chicago is playing some of the best basketball in the NBA plus they are playing four rookies as well.

Give Scott Skiles and his coaching staff a lot of credit. They're playing well on the offensive end but they're playing great on the defensive end. You're talking about the No. 1 defensive team in the league in terms of limiting teams to one shot. That's a pretty good stat for a young team. A team that probably doesn't really understand how much that has played in their success of where they are right now compared to the first month of the season when they started out with an 0-9 record. If they can hold on to No. 6 seed, they can certainly advance past the first round and if they do, it's their defense that will take them there.

West musings: A lot of people are in love with Phoenix and their exciting style of play but it's not the type of play that wins championships. Unless, of course, they can prove everyone wrong. Amare Stoudemire is one of my favorite players to watch. He plays both ends of the floor, rebounds and has made huge strides in his game this season. He's now emerging as the Baby Shaq of the West and the league for that matter. There is nothing this kid is lacking other than piling some years of experience in this league. I'm just not sure that at this stage of his career, he is quite mature enough to lead and elevate the play of his teammates in the postseason. Because he'll need to do that if this team wants to be successful come playoff time.

Well, I had fun. I could talk about the league all day. Thanks for hearing me out. Catch you soon.