My “Second Favorite” Team. Who’s Yours?

Posted by Zach Lowe on Aug 21, 2009 309819 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2009%2F08%2F21%2Fmy-second-favorite-team%2FMy+%22Second+Favorite%22+Team.+Who%27s+Yours%3F+2009-08-21+15%3A43%3A11Zach+Lowehttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D3098

Kevin and Henry at TrueHoop are doing their best to get us through the dreary part of the off-season. One idea they suggested: Every blog in the TrueHoop Network should come clean and pick a team they consider their “second favorite” NBA team. There was no set criteria. It could be a team you genuinely root for, a team with a star you like or a team you simply enjoy watching on League Pass. It was a combination of the latter two reasons for me, as you’ll see. I don’t have a true “second favorite” team in a fandom sense. It’s Celtics, Celtics and Celtics.

The ESPN guys wanted 200-250 words, and they’ve collected the responses here. Here’s my bit:

My second favorite team rotates every few seasons depending on players and style, with the ironclad rule that it can never be the Lakers or Knicks. Right now it’s the New Orleans Hornets, and I suspect it will remain the Hornets as long as Chris Paul plays there and the team is at least decent. Chris Paul is John Stockton if John Stockton had to lead his team in scoring along with controlling every second of every offensive possession. He is simultaneously super quick and amazingly patient. I love that moment when he turns the corner on a pick-and-roll and just stops right above the foul line, keeps his dribble, feels the defender on his back and surveys the court. The contrast between that pause and the explosion toward the rim that sometimes follows–I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bigger contrast in the same player within a second or two. Toss in an all-time great dead-eye shooter who sports a permanent three-day stubble (Peja Stojakovic) and a post player with a set of moves that is a deadly combination of awkward and athletic (David West), and the Hornets are one of my go-to League Pass teams.

Remember, we were limited to 200-250 words, so I didn’t have much room to elaborate. But I’m curious what other teams C’s fans enjoy watching or half-heartedly cheering for, or if the idea of having a “second-favorite” team is unacceptable to C’s fans.