Last night Eleven began running in circles chasing her tail on the bed. I thought of the "Heat" and the "Cavaliers".
I only follow the "Heat". I only paid attention to Cleveland because of their horrible loss to us and now this. It doesn't seem to me that this is a league-wide problem at this time of year but I don't know. I don't know what close observers in L.A. are saying about the "Clippers", or what those in Phoenix are saying about the "Suns." Why has Brooklyn been so bad this season? I don't know, but it clearly is not Crazy Time in Manhattan. Or in Boston. Or Minnesota or Oklahoma City. Nor even in Orlando. The "Lakers" are playing inspired ball after going through a real rough patch. But Miami and Cleveland are just pancaking.
Injuries are part of it, sure. According to Spotrac Miami has lost the fifth-most games this season to injury, Cleveland seventh-most. Phoenix is eighth; Brooklyn is ninth. But Charlotte is third and they just beat the "Cavs". LAL is sixth, right between Miami and Cle. and they're not going through this, at least not at this time. OKC is the least affected by injury, they're third in the West; MN is in the bottom quintile, they're second out there; Boston City is eighth and they're the top team in the whole league. There appears to be a rough correlation between injuries and the standings.
The "Heat" were eighth most-injured last season, not as bad as this season. They won 44 games; they're on track to win 44 with the fifth most-injured team this season. Cle. was 23rd in games lost to injury last season. They won 51 games. This season with the seventh most-injured team they project to 49 wins. So I don't know. I don't know what it is.
