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1. Chris Paul* is the best player in the NBA right now.
* when healthy
There are sooooo many ways to classify this distinction, but here's mine: Who do you want on your team with 5 minutes left in a tie game situation? My answer is Chris Paul. Over LeBron (who, obviously, I'd much rather have for an 82 game season), Kobe, Dirk, or Durant. He is simply magnificent with the ball in his hands. Smarter than any other star in the league, every move he makes on the court feels calculated. A complaint here, a dish there, it's all done with reason. The problem is that Paul struggles to remain healthy. He ripped through the Grizzlies up until he pulled a nut. He looked better in Game 7, but clearly still not 100%.
2. The Clippers will beat the Spurs in 6 games.*
* if Chris Paul is healthy
Yes, I hate the Spurs and am openly biased with my opinions of them. However, I also correctly picked them to lose to the Grizzlies last year. I honestly can't even watch the Spurs, so I don't really understand how they're so good this year, but apparently Tony Parker is dominant now. Eric Bledsoe (the unsung hero of yesterday's Game 7) might play a pivotal role in shutting down Mr. Longoria-Parker. Just remember, lockout seasons get crazy in the NBA (the Knicks made the Finals as an 8 seed in 1999). The first round was rather tame (aside from an 8 seed beating a 1 seed, although it hardly classified as an upset after D-Rose's injury). This second round could, might get crazy...
3. The Lakers will beat the Thunder in 7 games.
Lets acknowledge some facts. I'm still bitter about Kevin Durant's lucky game winning shot in the opener against the Mavs. I might cheer for the Lakers with the excuse that I want to see an all L.A. Western Conference Finals. The Thunder are extremely young (staggering that their best four players are all 23 or younger). The Lakers have been here before. End facts, cue opinions. I don't think the Thunder are ready. They're too jumpshotty. They're still wet behind the ears (whatever the fuck that means?). I expect Gasol and Bynum to beat them up inside. I think Shitface Artest will break the record for number of times bringing the opposing crowd to such a hostile level that people wonder aloud how good the security in Oklahoma City actually is (currently held by Ron Mudbutt).
4. Kobe Bryant was the 6th best player on the court in Saturday night's Game 7 victory.
Gasol, Bynum, Steve Blake (that game shall be known as "The Steve Blake Game"), Ty Lawson, and Al Harrington make up 1-5. And this is a compliment. Seriously. Old Kobe wouldn't have been able to accept the fact that the Lakers won or lost without him playing a significant role in the game (however, his insecure side still had to let the world know that he was double teamed the entire game. Oh, Kobe). But the Lakers are at their best when he is facilitating. Their strength is their size and their size is their strength. If Kobe figures this out, then the Lakers will the West.
5. Inside The NBA reached best show on TV status this week.
I've heard lots of disses on Shaq, but I don't get it. Sure, his opinions aren't as strong as Barkley's (or even Ernie's), but he brings some comedy to the table. His opinion on Kobe and the Lakers is always interesting. But the show is so open-ended that you never know what debates will spark up (and they're almost always interesting). It's must see TV from now until the Finals.
6. My favorite player to watch in Round 1 was Javale McGee.
This dude. Every play he makes is an adventure. He's like a Saturday morning cartoon on a basketball court. He plays hard, doesn't fully understand goaltending, shoots sky hooks, puts up 21 and 14 one night and 2 and 5 the next, and is watched real closely by his former WNBA playing mom who sits courtside.
7. My favorite player moving forward is Reggie Evans.
Yes, he of the Sea-dragon Hall of Fame. Evans is the thickest dude in the NBA. Maybe not physically, but anatomically. I watched Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol bounce off him without Evans even grabbing a ball. In that series, he eventually became more valuable to the Clippers than Blake Griffin because of Blake's injury and because of the size of Memphis. He shut down Z-Bo. Next up, Timmay.
8. My favorite moment of Round 1 was Kenyon Martin's stalker stumbling on to the court in Denver.
However, the best part was the continued coverage from the television team. Contrary to the NFL ignoring streakers and such, they showed multiple replays and even came out of halftime with the back story on the crazy bitch. She's well known in Denver, isn't allowed in the arena, and used to stalk Kenyon Martin, who no longer even plays for the Nuggets.
9. Blake Griffin may have figured his shit out in Game 7.
It was one of the best games I've watched him play, a game that he finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds. But he battled all game long. Those easy baskets that the Grizz were scoring on him weren't there in Game 7. On the offensive end, he kept his theatrics to a minimum. I believe he creates a frenzy around his team because he overreacts every time he gets touched, both in body flailing and in staring down the refs. Too often, the entire Clippers team comes away thinking they're being officiated unjustly. Somebody had to have said something to him before Game 7, and I'd put 100 bucks on it being Chris Paul. Jeff Van Gundy chronicled the whole situation beautifully throughout the game yesterday.
10. Jeff Van Gundy should become the next Commissioner of the NBA.
He is leading a one-man charge against the flopping pandemic (PANDEMIC!) in the NBA, even getting it brought up to Commissioner Stern in an interview during yesterday's Heat/Pacers game. Until the NBA responds to flopping with fines or suspensions, then it'll continue to remain a problem with the game (especially if the Clippers and Heat continue to advance).
11. Tie game with 24 seconds left, I'm not going to Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Carmelo, Durant, or even Dirk.
I'm putting the ball in Paul Pierce's hands, the most underrated player in all of sports. Pierce never gets his due. Never, ever, ever has he been mentioned among the game's elite, and yet there he is carrying his team to a playoff victory on the road sans Rondo and Ray Allen. There he is guarding the other team's best player. There he is waddling his fat ass to the elbow, stepping back, and hitting big shot after big shot, game after game.
12. The Celtics will beat the 76ers in 6 games.
And I probably won't watch more than one.
13. The Pacers will be lucky to win a game against the Heat.
They're already freaking out about the foul discrepancy in Game 1 (not even bad). They play no-star basketball (not an insult, watching the Pacers play is rather refreshing when compared to Lebron and Wade's dueling banjos routine). Their best player, Danny Granger, has been afraid of every big moment I've seen him in. They had a chance to steal Game 1 and couldn't get it done. They got owned in crunch time. Heat in 5.
14. The impending Heat/Celtics Eastern Conference Finals will be the best series of the Playoffs.
I give the Celtics the best chance of taking out the Heat this year. It takes a certain mental make up to beat the Heat, one that everybody was surprised the 2011 Mavs had. But they had it. And the Celtics have it. They (irrationally) believe that they would've taken the Heat down last year had Rajon Rondo not gotten hurt. That's both incorrect and admirable. They're rolling this year though. They beat the Heat up last two times they played. I think they fully realize that if they lose to the Heat this year then their run is over and done with. The Celtics will be all in, and when those warriors are all in, results usually follow. I cannot wait for this series. I kinda wish they'd cancel the semifinals and just let them play a 15 game series (could you imagine the home crowd for a Game 15 in Miami? They might even show up before the end of the first quarter).
15. After debating Mark Cuban's offseason decisions for 6 months, I still have no idea if he made the right decision or not.
Maybe you can help me. I'll lay out the arguments on each side of the debate. First off, the decision under discussion was to not resign Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea, and DeShawn Stephenson following last season's NBA title run.
Cuban was right - The team's money would all be spoken for right now. And the team would be old. The team would've struggled to match the hunger of last year's team. What happens if you bring everybody back and you lose in the first round? You're looking at starting over from scratch. With the cap room, Deron Williams more than likely joins the team this offseason, and the Mavs are back to being title contenders for the foreseeable future.
Cuban was wrong - The Mavs didn't defend their title, they didn't even really try. The team was still decent, but the players (especially Jason Terry, the Mavs' emotional leader) could read the writing on the wall - This is your last year in Dallas. Meanwhile, the West was wide open and you could've made the Finals for a second straight year. You're sacrificing a year of Dirk's prime (which might have ended with the title as well). What do you do if Deron Williams doesn't come to Dallas? That's the worst case scenario and would be an absolute disaster for the Mavs.
Go Clipz,
His Dirkness
Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2012
Monday, May 9, 2011
Lakers Suck, Dirk Rules
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Alright Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can always tell a lot more about a man following a loss than you can after a win.
Congratulations Andrew Bynum, ya big dumb animal, you have now been reduced to a punchline for the rest of your existence (people may forget - I will remind them). In your effort to prove you're a tough guy, you took out the smallest guy on the court. Maybe you didn't see the elderly woman sitting courtside? Hopefully, there were some children in the locker room for him beat on to continue his hissy fit. Although, to be fair, I guess they didn't just get done abusing your backside to the point where the police had to be called (we've got a bleeder!). I am impressed that you were able to steal the goat label away from both L'Odom (who went after The Man) and Kobe Bryant (do your scowl Kobe!). I could attach any number of characterizations to your embarrassment, however I think the most obvious might be the most fitting - Bitch.
The best part about the Lakers meltdown was that it was such a glorious sight to take in that it effectively countered watching them win the past two NBA Championships. I feel like it's almost been negated in my mind now. Dejustified. Imagine how you'd feel if you were a true, die-hard Lakers fan (are there any?) right now. Not only did your team just take a beatdown of epic proportions, but they showed their true colors in the process. And you sit back and think to yourself, "This is the team I've been supporting this whole time...?!" I can't imagine how their true fans (there's gotta be some, right?) could go on supporting this current group of players. I guess it's a long offseason though.
The weirdest part of the whole thing was how surprised everybody was. I expected everything I saw in Game 4. Magic Johnson and Mike Wilbon were shocked that the Lakers came out with a weak effort in the first half, but I fully expected a Lakers lay down. This ain't Kobe's first time either. In fact, when he loses he usually goes down with a whimper in the Playoffs (2008 Finals anybody?). So maybe they just believed in Phil Jackson? Although, he had never been in a 3-0 hole before, and anybody that heard his pre-game taped interview could easily tell that he had moved on past this series. So once the game was in hand (around mid 2nd quarter), my thoughts immediately turned to what kind of Laker meltdown we were about to see. To my surprise, people weren't expecting this either. Why did people think the Lakers exude class? Because there were no qualms during their times of success? The best part of this series is how it verified everything I had previously thought about the Lakers.
Now on to the man...
Dirk Nowitzki - How ya like me now? Can this man finally get a break when being discussed as a current superstar and/or all time great? Does publicly undressing Kobe and spanking him in front of the entire fraternity of the NBA enough? I mean he had a few bad seriesi (although it was more his team than himself) and yet he gets brushed aside when compared to rest of the league's elite. Hell, Kobe has quit on his team 2-3 times throughout his career now, yet that barely gets a mention. It's as if quitting on your team carries more street cred than going all out but falling short. That's a sad, sad state of affairs, man.
But since this is the first time they've ever met in the NBA Playoffs, I have no problem now saying that Dirk Nowitzki owns Kobe. Whatcha'll say about that?
"Yea, but Kobe is on the tail end of his career, thus lessening Dirk's accomplishment." I almost bought into this argument myself, until one quick look at Wikipedia told me that DIRK IS OLDER than Kobe!
"Yea, but Kobe has 5 rings, while Dirk has none." Well, 3 of those rings belong to Shaq. Kobe played a big part in obtaining them, but now you're walking the slippery slope of putting the likes of Rick Fox ahead of Dirk (which wouldn't shock me to hear NBA folks do). 2 of the rings are rightly Kobe's, but he needed a star in Pau Gasol to get back to that level. Remember, he doesn't even have a single series victory without Shaq or Pau. So Laker fans (crickets) might wanna reconsider that whole blaming Pau thing.
"Yea, but this series wasn't about Kobe vs. Dirk. The Mavs are just better than the Lakers. Not Kobe's fault." Tell that to Dirk's reputation of the last 10 years. But, you are right, because Kobe's Lakers have the far superior team to the Mavs. As Sports Guy tweeted last night...
"Yea, but Kobe can just buy the Playoffs a 4 million dollar ring and it'll all go away." Now that one I cannot counter. Sometimes you just gotta tip your hat to a man that has it all figured out.
Enough about Kobe though. Like his teammates, I'm gonna give up on him. However, I remain very intrigued by what drives this perception of Dirk. As my buddy Cheebah Sheebah and I discussed the issue, we wondered if he will always remain perpetually underrated because he isn't flashy on or off the court. He rarely dunks the ball (although when he does it sounds something like this). He hardly even likes to shoot 3's anymore (even though he shot 70% for the series from deep). He DOES like to always make the right play (almost never see the Mavs take a bad shot, and that starts with Him), get all of his teammates involved (the most unselfish non-point guard in the NBA), and play smart. He's very comparable to Tim Duncan in these regards, but with one big difference: He's not boring as shit.
I'm just really glad to see Dirk rise up and make atleast one more (hopefully not last) run in the NBA Playoffs. I didn't (and never will) think that the NBA didn't intervene in the 2006 Finals, giving the Heat a hockey assist to the Championship (although I've never contended the Mavs are innocent in this injustice - I just think that title should be nullified altogether). I feel like if Dirk and I can keep feeding off the same seismic energy (huge bowling victory this week for Ze Dirkness), then he might just get his second chance.
Go Dirk, go Mavs.
His Dirkness
Alright Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can always tell a lot more about a man following a loss than you can after a win.
Congratulations Andrew Bynum, ya big dumb animal, you have now been reduced to a punchline for the rest of your existence (people may forget - I will remind them). In your effort to prove you're a tough guy, you took out the smallest guy on the court. Maybe you didn't see the elderly woman sitting courtside? Hopefully, there were some children in the locker room for him beat on to continue his hissy fit. Although, to be fair, I guess they didn't just get done abusing your backside to the point where the police had to be called (we've got a bleeder!). I am impressed that you were able to steal the goat label away from both L'Odom (who went after The Man) and Kobe Bryant (do your scowl Kobe!). I could attach any number of characterizations to your embarrassment, however I think the most obvious might be the most fitting - Bitch.
The best part about the Lakers meltdown was that it was such a glorious sight to take in that it effectively countered watching them win the past two NBA Championships. I feel like it's almost been negated in my mind now. Dejustified. Imagine how you'd feel if you were a true, die-hard Lakers fan (are there any?) right now. Not only did your team just take a beatdown of epic proportions, but they showed their true colors in the process. And you sit back and think to yourself, "This is the team I've been supporting this whole time...?!" I can't imagine how their true fans (there's gotta be some, right?) could go on supporting this current group of players. I guess it's a long offseason though.
The weirdest part of the whole thing was how surprised everybody was. I expected everything I saw in Game 4. Magic Johnson and Mike Wilbon were shocked that the Lakers came out with a weak effort in the first half, but I fully expected a Lakers lay down. This ain't Kobe's first time either. In fact, when he loses he usually goes down with a whimper in the Playoffs (2008 Finals anybody?). So maybe they just believed in Phil Jackson? Although, he had never been in a 3-0 hole before, and anybody that heard his pre-game taped interview could easily tell that he had moved on past this series. So once the game was in hand (around mid 2nd quarter), my thoughts immediately turned to what kind of Laker meltdown we were about to see. To my surprise, people weren't expecting this either. Why did people think the Lakers exude class? Because there were no qualms during their times of success? The best part of this series is how it verified everything I had previously thought about the Lakers.
Now on to the man...
Dirk Nowitzki - How ya like me now? Can this man finally get a break when being discussed as a current superstar and/or all time great? Does publicly undressing Kobe and spanking him in front of the entire fraternity of the NBA enough? I mean he had a few bad seriesi (although it was more his team than himself) and yet he gets brushed aside when compared to rest of the league's elite. Hell, Kobe has quit on his team 2-3 times throughout his career now, yet that barely gets a mention. It's as if quitting on your team carries more street cred than going all out but falling short. That's a sad, sad state of affairs, man.
But since this is the first time they've ever met in the NBA Playoffs, I have no problem now saying that Dirk Nowitzki owns Kobe. Whatcha'll say about that?
"Yea, but Kobe is on the tail end of his career, thus lessening Dirk's accomplishment." I almost bought into this argument myself, until one quick look at Wikipedia told me that DIRK IS OLDER than Kobe!
"Yea, but Kobe has 5 rings, while Dirk has none." Well, 3 of those rings belong to Shaq. Kobe played a big part in obtaining them, but now you're walking the slippery slope of putting the likes of Rick Fox ahead of Dirk (which wouldn't shock me to hear NBA folks do). 2 of the rings are rightly Kobe's, but he needed a star in Pau Gasol to get back to that level. Remember, he doesn't even have a single series victory without Shaq or Pau. So Laker fans (crickets) might wanna reconsider that whole blaming Pau thing.
"Yea, but this series wasn't about Kobe vs. Dirk. The Mavs are just better than the Lakers. Not Kobe's fault." Tell that to Dirk's reputation of the last 10 years. But, you are right, because Kobe's Lakers have the far superior team to the Mavs. As Sports Guy tweeted last night...
On paper, LA has 4 of the best 5 players in the series. Their 4th best player (Odom) would be #2 for Dallas.So that would mean that Dirk would have to severely outplay Kobe to give his Mavs a chance at this shocking upset right? A quick look at point totals doesn't give you that impression. However, a deeper look at games 1 & 3 reveal that Dirk made the plays down the stretch, while Kobe came up empty (or was the 2nd choice behind L'Odom). Best closer in the league? Nein.
"Yea, but Kobe can just buy the Playoffs a 4 million dollar ring and it'll all go away." Now that one I cannot counter. Sometimes you just gotta tip your hat to a man that has it all figured out.
Enough about Kobe though. Like his teammates, I'm gonna give up on him. However, I remain very intrigued by what drives this perception of Dirk. As my buddy Cheebah Sheebah and I discussed the issue, we wondered if he will always remain perpetually underrated because he isn't flashy on or off the court. He rarely dunks the ball (although when he does it sounds something like this). He hardly even likes to shoot 3's anymore (even though he shot 70% for the series from deep). He DOES like to always make the right play (almost never see the Mavs take a bad shot, and that starts with Him), get all of his teammates involved (the most unselfish non-point guard in the NBA), and play smart. He's very comparable to Tim Duncan in these regards, but with one big difference: He's not boring as shit.
I'm just really glad to see Dirk rise up and make atleast one more (hopefully not last) run in the NBA Playoffs. I didn't (and never will) think that the NBA didn't intervene in the 2006 Finals, giving the Heat a hockey assist to the Championship (although I've never contended the Mavs are innocent in this injustice - I just think that title should be nullified altogether). I feel like if Dirk and I can keep feeding off the same seismic energy (huge bowling victory this week for Ze Dirkness), then he might just get his second chance.
Go Dirk, go Mavs.
His Dirkness
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
NBA Finals Thoughts
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The Finals have been such an eclectic group of games, that I feel like there is no one way to properly analyze and sum up everything that is happening. Each game is vastly different than its predecessor, consisting of different players starring in each game. Game 1 was all about The Bearded Seal, King Kong Kung Pau (although I didn't watch, his numbers told the story). Ray Allen dominated Game 2 with an NBA Finals record eight three-pointers. Derek Fisher took over the 4th quarter of Game 3. Self-appointed "Shrek n' Donkey" (Big Slobby Davis and Lil' Mane Robinson) were the stars off the bench for Game 4, while Paul Pierce, The Troof, finally asserted himself in Game 5. You may notice a big name left off of that list, the Icon Impersonator himself (while John Hollinger of the Evil Empire wrote a shameful article suggesting Kobe should be the MVP, even in a losing effort). Will Game 6 be his game? He must do a better job of delegating the ball, as he took his teammates out of rhythm with his 3rd quarter raindrops, leaving them with nobody else to help contribute come 4th quarter, and wearing himself out in the process. Is new Kobe II back to old Kobe II or was there ever even a transformation? We should find out in Game 6 tonight.
If there was one defining angle to take away from the first five games, it would be that the Celtics are much tougher than the Lakers, perfectly evidenced by the extremely symbolic play that saw Paul Pierce outmuscle, outwill, and outheart the ball out of Kobe II's hands at the end of Game 5. This seemed to start at halftime of Game 4, when the Celtics emerged from the locker room with their season on the line ready to beat up what they perceive as a soft Lakers team, specifically their frontcourt, with a hobbled Gomorrah. If I had to guess, I'd say this stems directly from Kevin Garnett, who seems to be the tone setter for the Celtics. I think he is just a mean dude, and has rubbed off on to the mostly talentless Kendrick Perkins, creating a monster that is very effective on the boards and defensive end. These are two blokes I would not want to run into in a dark alley. It's strange because the Lakers obviously outclass the Celtics in talent, but can't measure up to their toughness, will, and resolve. And if you doubt them, then you'll get the Paul Pierce treatment, just like this referee did...
All this being said, I believe the series to be a complete toss-up right now. This is what the Finals should always come down to, the team with the last two home games needing to win both for the title. I expect some fishy, one-sided officiating for Game 6, but to what extent? And how many times will Cheezy Sheed Wallace whirling dervish his way down the court after a slaptacular foul call? I do believe the Celtics need to tone down the on-court whining, or atleast the spectacles they create about singletary calls. It doesn't help their cause. So with a gun pointed at my head right now, and my fate on the line based on the pick of this series, I think I'd go with the Celtics by a vuvuzuela.
So what are the keys to tonight's Game 6? Well, the Celtics' are obvious: Keep the inept Con Artest on the floor as much as possible. If I were Phil Jackson, I would severely limit his minutes, and would even consider playing The Abominable Snowman, Luke Walton, over him. Or they could just play The Unrealized Potential, L'Odom, more minutes. Anytime there is a player on the court that the other team openly roots for to shoot, and even cheer when he makes one because that means he's certain to shoot more, that's a bad sign. The Lakers' goals seem clear to me too: They have to get Kung Pau more involved in the game. If he remains intimidated by the Celtics frontcourt, which was the case in Game 5 and all of the 2008 Finals, than the Lakers will lose. I would aim to get The Bearded Seal 20 shots in Game 6 (shot totals so far: 14, 10, 11, 13, 12. Kobe II's shot totals: 22, 20, 29, 22, 27). The Dirkness guarantees that if Kung Pau takes more shots than Kobe II, then the Lakers will win the game. It's ironic that the reason they work so well together (Pau's passiveness and security in Beta-dog status) could end up being their tragic downfall.
Dirkness prediction for Game 6: Lakers 96-87, in an ethically questionable matter.
Go Celtics!
Dirkness
The Finals have been such an eclectic group of games, that I feel like there is no one way to properly analyze and sum up everything that is happening. Each game is vastly different than its predecessor, consisting of different players starring in each game. Game 1 was all about The Bearded Seal, King Kong Kung Pau (although I didn't watch, his numbers told the story). Ray Allen dominated Game 2 with an NBA Finals record eight three-pointers. Derek Fisher took over the 4th quarter of Game 3. Self-appointed "Shrek n' Donkey" (Big Slobby Davis and Lil' Mane Robinson) were the stars off the bench for Game 4, while Paul Pierce, The Troof, finally asserted himself in Game 5. You may notice a big name left off of that list, the Icon Impersonator himself (while John Hollinger of the Evil Empire wrote a shameful article suggesting Kobe should be the MVP, even in a losing effort). Will Game 6 be his game? He must do a better job of delegating the ball, as he took his teammates out of rhythm with his 3rd quarter raindrops, leaving them with nobody else to help contribute come 4th quarter, and wearing himself out in the process. Is new Kobe II back to old Kobe II or was there ever even a transformation? We should find out in Game 6 tonight.
If there was one defining angle to take away from the first five games, it would be that the Celtics are much tougher than the Lakers, perfectly evidenced by the extremely symbolic play that saw Paul Pierce outmuscle, outwill, and outheart the ball out of Kobe II's hands at the end of Game 5. This seemed to start at halftime of Game 4, when the Celtics emerged from the locker room with their season on the line ready to beat up what they perceive as a soft Lakers team, specifically their frontcourt, with a hobbled Gomorrah. If I had to guess, I'd say this stems directly from Kevin Garnett, who seems to be the tone setter for the Celtics. I think he is just a mean dude, and has rubbed off on to the mostly talentless Kendrick Perkins, creating a monster that is very effective on the boards and defensive end. These are two blokes I would not want to run into in a dark alley. It's strange because the Lakers obviously outclass the Celtics in talent, but can't measure up to their toughness, will, and resolve. And if you doubt them, then you'll get the Paul Pierce treatment, just like this referee did...
All this being said, I believe the series to be a complete toss-up right now. This is what the Finals should always come down to, the team with the last two home games needing to win both for the title. I expect some fishy, one-sided officiating for Game 6, but to what extent? And how many times will Cheezy Sheed Wallace whirling dervish his way down the court after a slaptacular foul call? I do believe the Celtics need to tone down the on-court whining, or atleast the spectacles they create about singletary calls. It doesn't help their cause. So with a gun pointed at my head right now, and my fate on the line based on the pick of this series, I think I'd go with the Celtics by a vuvuzuela.
So what are the keys to tonight's Game 6? Well, the Celtics' are obvious: Keep the inept Con Artest on the floor as much as possible. If I were Phil Jackson, I would severely limit his minutes, and would even consider playing The Abominable Snowman, Luke Walton, over him. Or they could just play The Unrealized Potential, L'Odom, more minutes. Anytime there is a player on the court that the other team openly roots for to shoot, and even cheer when he makes one because that means he's certain to shoot more, that's a bad sign. The Lakers' goals seem clear to me too: They have to get Kung Pau more involved in the game. If he remains intimidated by the Celtics frontcourt, which was the case in Game 5 and all of the 2008 Finals, than the Lakers will lose. I would aim to get The Bearded Seal 20 shots in Game 6 (shot totals so far: 14, 10, 11, 13, 12. Kobe II's shot totals: 22, 20, 29, 22, 27). The Dirkness guarantees that if Kung Pau takes more shots than Kobe II, then the Lakers will win the game. It's ironic that the reason they work so well together (Pau's passiveness and security in Beta-dog status) could end up being their tragic downfall.
Dirkness prediction for Game 6: Lakers 96-87, in an ethically questionable matter.
Go Celtics!
Dirkness
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Lakers vs. Celtics Game 3
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I feel there is no direct angle to go with after the Lakers' Game 3 victory (and don't want to create one on my own to thrust out an "intriguing" article), other than it was poorly played (Lakers bad, Celtics worse), poorly officiated (might want to review this), and poorly affected the Celtics' chance at winning the series. This was a contest that went from the Lakers inability to put the game away when they had the opportunity, to the Lakers allowing the Celtics to crawl back into it with incredibly bad shot selection and arrogance of The Icon Impersonator, to the Celtics relying on ice-cold (the bad variety) Ray Allen down the stretch, to a near complete and utter embarrassment for the league and the sport of basketball if the Celtics would've unjustifiably come back in the last two minutes.
The Celtics lost home-court advantage (suddenly more important in Hockey) on a night that saw their most underperforming player (KG) score the first six points of the game to the delight of a raucous crowd. However, it quickly became evident that the Celtics couldn't put together anything resembling an offense without Garnett in the post or Rondo in transition. I cannot comprehend why Doc Rivers played Crazy Eyes Baby down the stretch as opposed to Cheesy 'Sheed or Krazy Kendrick (how many loose screws amongst those three? And that doesn't even include Ron-Con Artest). He (back to Big Baby) provided nothing on the offensive end, was too slow to guard L'Odom, and too small to guard Kung Pau. Much the same, Doc was too slow to reinsert players from the bench, and too small minded to keep riding Garnett down the stretch instead of a shooter that couldn't hit a jail yard from a basketball arena (think Jesus). The ironic part of the series is how Ray Allen has now won the Celtics a game, and lost them a game, which I suppose makes him the most important player in the series up this point.
I feel I must address the Celtics semi-possible "comeback" at the end of the game, sponsored by the refs, that included three reviews on out of bounds calls (first I've heard of this rule), and which led to every player complaining after every shot and the announcers scrambling for ways to stay hush-hush (Beard n' Stache wouldn't have masqueraded this) about the NBAtrocity that the officiating has become. Lets face it, the Celtics and Lakers got to the Finals based on how they've played, but also by how well each veteran-laden team is able to work the refs during games (led by Derek Bitcher). How can this continue to be such a problem for a professional sport? You might respond with the argument of how hard it is to govern the game of basketball, to which I reply College Basketball does just fine with it. Blame falls equally on the refs (phantom call on Pierce's And-1 to keep things interesting) and players (Kung Pau flopping around like a bearded seal) in present terms, but collectively on David Stern ("The best Commissioner in sports"), who deserves his own sentence. The review implementation didn't seem like a bad idea up until they're reviewing a play containing a foul that can't be called, leaving the refs no choice but to switch the call and reward the fouling team with the ball. This is a case of the letter of the law overriding the intent of the law, a situation that should remain absent from professional sports, yet present in Stern's nightmares. Nobody will be upset about this because it hasn't gravely affected the outcome of a game. Yet.
The worst part of the game was that the Celtics had the Lakers right where they wanted them. Kobe started to panic and was returning to his former Pop-A-Shot self (He drew backboard before iron unintentionally on atleast three fourth quarter shots). Kung Pau wasn't touching the ball nearly enough and was cowering into his KG-induced imaginative shell, ala the 2008 NBA Finals. It will be hard to overcome a home loss and find a way to grind out another victory in Los Angeles. Since 1985, when the NBA introduced the 2-3-2 Finals format, the team winning Game 3 in a series tied 1-1 has gone on to win the series every time (I got that stat from Linda Cohn's Facebook!!!). My prediction may come to fruition, to the dismay of many, especially those that sat through Derek Fisher's post-game waterworks.
I would like to encourage further Laker-bashing on the comments of this post. Come with all nicknames, anecdotes, and rants. Bring your creativity, immaturities, passion, emotional backlash, and irrationalities to the party. All is welcome no matter how short, unfunny, or illogical it may be. Trust me, it'll make you feel better and probably enjoy the rest of the Finals even more.
Di Shirkness
I feel there is no direct angle to go with after the Lakers' Game 3 victory (and don't want to create one on my own to thrust out an "intriguing" article), other than it was poorly played (Lakers bad, Celtics worse), poorly officiated (might want to review this), and poorly affected the Celtics' chance at winning the series. This was a contest that went from the Lakers inability to put the game away when they had the opportunity, to the Lakers allowing the Celtics to crawl back into it with incredibly bad shot selection and arrogance of The Icon Impersonator, to the Celtics relying on ice-cold (the bad variety) Ray Allen down the stretch, to a near complete and utter embarrassment for the league and the sport of basketball if the Celtics would've unjustifiably come back in the last two minutes.
The Celtics lost home-court advantage (suddenly more important in Hockey) on a night that saw their most underperforming player (KG) score the first six points of the game to the delight of a raucous crowd. However, it quickly became evident that the Celtics couldn't put together anything resembling an offense without Garnett in the post or Rondo in transition. I cannot comprehend why Doc Rivers played Crazy Eyes Baby down the stretch as opposed to Cheesy 'Sheed or Krazy Kendrick (how many loose screws amongst those three? And that doesn't even include Ron-Con Artest). He (back to Big Baby) provided nothing on the offensive end, was too slow to guard L'Odom, and too small to guard Kung Pau. Much the same, Doc was too slow to reinsert players from the bench, and too small minded to keep riding Garnett down the stretch instead of a shooter that couldn't hit a jail yard from a basketball arena (think Jesus). The ironic part of the series is how Ray Allen has now won the Celtics a game, and lost them a game, which I suppose makes him the most important player in the series up this point.
I feel I must address the Celtics semi-possible "comeback" at the end of the game, sponsored by the refs, that included three reviews on out of bounds calls (first I've heard of this rule), and which led to every player complaining after every shot and the announcers scrambling for ways to stay hush-hush (Beard n' Stache wouldn't have masqueraded this) about the NBAtrocity that the officiating has become. Lets face it, the Celtics and Lakers got to the Finals based on how they've played, but also by how well each veteran-laden team is able to work the refs during games (led by Derek Bitcher). How can this continue to be such a problem for a professional sport? You might respond with the argument of how hard it is to govern the game of basketball, to which I reply College Basketball does just fine with it. Blame falls equally on the refs (phantom call on Pierce's And-1 to keep things interesting) and players (Kung Pau flopping around like a bearded seal) in present terms, but collectively on David Stern ("The best Commissioner in sports"), who deserves his own sentence. The review implementation didn't seem like a bad idea up until they're reviewing a play containing a foul that can't be called, leaving the refs no choice but to switch the call and reward the fouling team with the ball. This is a case of the letter of the law overriding the intent of the law, a situation that should remain absent from professional sports, yet present in Stern's nightmares. Nobody will be upset about this because it hasn't gravely affected the outcome of a game. Yet.
The worst part of the game was that the Celtics had the Lakers right where they wanted them. Kobe started to panic and was returning to his former Pop-A-Shot self (He drew backboard before iron unintentionally on atleast three fourth quarter shots). Kung Pau wasn't touching the ball nearly enough and was cowering into his KG-induced imaginative shell, ala the 2008 NBA Finals. It will be hard to overcome a home loss and find a way to grind out another victory in Los Angeles. Since 1985, when the NBA introduced the 2-3-2 Finals format, the team winning Game 3 in a series tied 1-1 has gone on to win the series every time (I got that stat from Linda Cohn's Facebook!!!). My prediction may come to fruition, to the dismay of many, especially those that sat through Derek Fisher's post-game waterworks.
I would like to encourage further Laker-bashing on the comments of this post. Come with all nicknames, anecdotes, and rants. Bring your creativity, immaturities, passion, emotional backlash, and irrationalities to the party. All is welcome no matter how short, unfunny, or illogical it may be. Trust me, it'll make you feel better and probably enjoy the rest of the Finals even more.
Di Shirkness
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Revolution 2-3
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Wouldn't it be ironic if the Phoenix Suns, who we all thought were going to revolutionize the game with their patented "7 seconds or chuck" offensive strategy, instead do so on the opposite end of the court, with the first successful use of zone defense in the NBA Playoffs known to man. It has worked for two games so far. If it's effective for two more games in supplanting legends Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, and the Triangle Offense, then it will surely spawn followers and possibly even usher in a new era into the NBA.
In order for this to happen, the zone must find a way to lead the Suns to a victory on the road at The Staples Center. Is this possible? I think so. People overreacted to the blowout from Game 1, while the Suns were in Game 2 until the very end. It is possible that the Lakers let all the talk of the series being over (and it was overwhelming) get their heads big. The time could be right for a home letdown. At this point in the Lakers-Thunder series (2-2), all the talk was that the series was up for grabs, while few people think that the Suns even have that chance in this series. This plays to the Suns favor. In order for a big upset to occur, you want a special blend between keeping your confidence high while having as few people as possible on your bandwagon.
So what has made the Suns use of the zone so effective? Well, in essence, the rare usage of it has confused the seasoned Lakers team. They just plain aren't used to seeing it. Suddenly, isolation plays called for Kobe are double covered, and Kung Pau's chicken isn't so spicy. This has led to the wrong people shooting the ball. The Lakers shot 27 more three pointers in the two road losses than in their two home wins, making precisely one more out of those 27. You must work the ball out of Kobe and Kung Pau's hands to find success against the Lakers, they are too good. Every shot Ron Artest or Lamar Odom takes is a win for the Suns defense. The problem with this strategy, is that role players always play better at home than on the road (aside from The Road Warrior, Derek Fisher). The other way a zone defense can backfire is offensive rebounding on the weak side. Penetration will draw a big man over, leaving a smaller player (or even worse, Amare Q'wang-Zilla) to block out a big guy. In fact, I'll go ahead and make that the key stat for Game 5 tonight, with my guess being that will be the Lakers adjustment.
The NBA should be ready to fully embrace this revolution. Don't they know it's gonna be....alright? These playoffs, even with The LeBron Game, have been a humongous disappointment. People don't care anymore. I am friends with an eclectic group of sports fans, and mostly I hear about how they wish they were more into it, but just aren't interested. Look, we all want to change the world, but shouldn't we be hanging on every last dribble with such a wide variety of superstars playing such a popular game? I'm not saying the Suns winning changes anything in actuality, but the NBA does need new blood injected into its veins. The last 26 years have seen only seven different teams win championships. People are bored with it. Look at the NFL, where 15 different teams have won the Super Bowl in the last 26 years. People like parity.
And if you are still unsure, just watch this...
You say you want a revolution? Well, you know...Go Suns!
Dirkness
Wouldn't it be ironic if the Phoenix Suns, who we all thought were going to revolutionize the game with their patented "7 seconds or chuck" offensive strategy, instead do so on the opposite end of the court, with the first successful use of zone defense in the NBA Playoffs known to man. It has worked for two games so far. If it's effective for two more games in supplanting legends Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, and the Triangle Offense, then it will surely spawn followers and possibly even usher in a new era into the NBA.
In order for this to happen, the zone must find a way to lead the Suns to a victory on the road at The Staples Center. Is this possible? I think so. People overreacted to the blowout from Game 1, while the Suns were in Game 2 until the very end. It is possible that the Lakers let all the talk of the series being over (and it was overwhelming) get their heads big. The time could be right for a home letdown. At this point in the Lakers-Thunder series (2-2), all the talk was that the series was up for grabs, while few people think that the Suns even have that chance in this series. This plays to the Suns favor. In order for a big upset to occur, you want a special blend between keeping your confidence high while having as few people as possible on your bandwagon.
So what has made the Suns use of the zone so effective? Well, in essence, the rare usage of it has confused the seasoned Lakers team. They just plain aren't used to seeing it. Suddenly, isolation plays called for Kobe are double covered, and Kung Pau's chicken isn't so spicy. This has led to the wrong people shooting the ball. The Lakers shot 27 more three pointers in the two road losses than in their two home wins, making precisely one more out of those 27. You must work the ball out of Kobe and Kung Pau's hands to find success against the Lakers, they are too good. Every shot Ron Artest or Lamar Odom takes is a win for the Suns defense. The problem with this strategy, is that role players always play better at home than on the road (aside from The Road Warrior, Derek Fisher). The other way a zone defense can backfire is offensive rebounding on the weak side. Penetration will draw a big man over, leaving a smaller player (or even worse, Amare Q'wang-Zilla) to block out a big guy. In fact, I'll go ahead and make that the key stat for Game 5 tonight, with my guess being that will be the Lakers adjustment.
The NBA should be ready to fully embrace this revolution. Don't they know it's gonna be....alright? These playoffs, even with The LeBron Game, have been a humongous disappointment. People don't care anymore. I am friends with an eclectic group of sports fans, and mostly I hear about how they wish they were more into it, but just aren't interested. Look, we all want to change the world, but shouldn't we be hanging on every last dribble with such a wide variety of superstars playing such a popular game? I'm not saying the Suns winning changes anything in actuality, but the NBA does need new blood injected into its veins. The last 26 years have seen only seven different teams win championships. People are bored with it. Look at the NFL, where 15 different teams have won the Super Bowl in the last 26 years. People like parity.
And if you are still unsure, just watch this...
You say you want a revolution? Well, you know...Go Suns!
Dirkness
Thursday, April 15, 2010
2010 NBA Playoff First Round Predictions
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The Dirkness is back after a prolonged absence caused by a post-KU depression, the increasingly nice weather outside, and a sudden lack of creativity (causes unknown). So, before I dive in head first to the Draft next week, I thought I'd throw down some predictions on the REAL NBA season, you know the one where they actually try, most of the time anyways. The playoffs always go down the same way: I start out really excited, then I see a few games that the refs ruin and a few others that the refs decide the outcome, I debate whether the whole thing is fixed, and I end up half-heartedly watching the Finals. The over/under for the date that I question the legitimacy is May 11th, so place your bets now. I'll be breaking down each series with a few interesting tidbits including my rooting interest, my favorite player in the series, who the NBA wants to win, and a prediction that is guaranteed to be correct.
On to the picks...
Lets start in the East (which in this case is least):
Cleveland Cavaliers~Chicago Bulls: If LeBron really wants to win an NBA Title he should refrain from shooting any 3-pointers. Or just grow an afro.
Favorite Player: Joakim Noah- Rebounds like the big woman he looks like.
Rooting Interest: Da Bulls. I like D-Rose too (funny how a missed free throw is the difference between love and hatred for him).
NBA's pick: The LeBrons- Quick and painless.
Prediction: Cavs in 5.
Boston Celtics~Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade vs. Paul Pierce.
Favorite Player: Paul Pierce- The most underrated crunch time scorer in the NBA.
Rooting Interest: Celtics- Can't and won't ever get over the Heat's lame white-outs.
NBA's pick: Celtics- Deep into the series and filled with D-Wade free throws.
Prediction: Heat in 6. I'll take a Top 3 player over a team filled with grandpas.
Atlanta Hawks~Milwaukee Bucks: The most hotly contested first round series.
Favorite Player: Would be Andrew Bogut for his creation of a crazy section of fans that is free to them as long as they stand and cheer all game, but he is hurt. Lets go Brandon Jennings, first time I'll get to see him.
Rooting interest: The Milwaukee Bucks- Favorite team in the East while they last.
NBA's pick: To look the other way...
Prediction: Hawks in 7. My sleeper team in the East.
Orlando Magic~Charlotte Bobcats: The Magic's quest to validate choosing Vince Carter over Hedo Turkoglu (while everybody knows they were wrong).
Favorite Player: Mickael Pietrus- Can't stop the black frenchmen, although this Gerald Wallace character intrigues me.
Rooting interest: The Hornets, er, wait...the Bobcats? What?!?!
NBA's pick: Magic.
Prediction: Magic in 5.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Los Angeles Lakers~Oklahoma City Thunder: These playoffs will be defined by one thing and one thing only to me, if the Lakers win the title or not.
Favorite Player: The Durantula- The best player I have ever seen live. Immediately stated that he would be the best NBA player in 5 years...he still has two years left.
Rooting Interest: The oKC Thunder x 1000. If you cheer for the Lakers then I don't like you.
NBA's Pick: They want the Lakers to win, but they want to establish Durant as a star.
Prediction: Lakers in 6. Durant outplays Kobe.
Denver Nuggets~Utah Jazz: The Nugs don't have their mother bud. The Jazz won't have their AK47 or possibly even their Booze.
Favorite Player: Carlos Boozer- Exactly how I'd play if I were a 6'9 black man.
Rooting Interest: Whoever has the better chance of beating the Lakers, I'll say the Jazz.
NBA's pick: Kobe vs. Carmelo would whet their whistle.
Prediction: Jazz in 7. Nuggets haven't been the same since George Karl's been out with a cancer.
Phoenix Suns~Portland Trailblazers: The Blazers' unfortunate string of events continue with Brandon Roy missing this series.
Favorite Player: I love Roy's game but I'll go with Steve Nash- I have a feeling this might be his year, as long as they can avoid the Spurs, who own them.
Rooting Interest: Suns- I like the Blazers a lot, but would rather see a threat to the Lakers emerge.
NBA's pick: Close series.
Prediction: Suns in 5. Sleeper team in the West. I really see either a Cavs-Suns or a Lakers-Hawks Finals matchup.
Dallas Mavericks~San Antonio Spurs: They seemingly meet every postseason with the Mavs owning them ever since Dirk's And-1 Game 7 winner in 2006.
Favorite Player: Like you have to ask...Dirk fact- He is 27th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. If he averages 20 points a game and 80 games a season for the next five years, he will find himself in the Top 5. Bing, bang, boom.
Rooting Interest: The Dirks. He has fallen under the radar with the huge Free Agent class coming this offseason, but it'll be interesting to see if Cuban parts ways with Dirk if they fall short yet again. I want a Dirk-Nash reunion in New York. With LeBron as the third option.
NBA's pick: Should be for the Mavs. They owe them a title. Dirk Fact- Nowitzki's crunch-time performance this season, according to 82games.com (46.7 points per 48 minutes, 45.2% FG, 14.0 FTM, +98) was more efficient than anyone except LeBron (66.1 points per 48, 48.8 FG%, 21.0 FTM, +116). Yep, he's not clutch...
Prediction: Mavericks in 7. I think The Big Fundamental is 'Done'can. The Mavericks have much improved since the trade for Butler, Haywood, and DeShawn. I feel like they have a run in them, but also wouldn't be shocked to see them go down here due to the Spurs incredibly boring effectiveness.
Go Dirks!
The Dirkness is back after a prolonged absence caused by a post-KU depression, the increasingly nice weather outside, and a sudden lack of creativity (causes unknown). So, before I dive in head first to the Draft next week, I thought I'd throw down some predictions on the REAL NBA season, you know the one where they actually try, most of the time anyways. The playoffs always go down the same way: I start out really excited, then I see a few games that the refs ruin and a few others that the refs decide the outcome, I debate whether the whole thing is fixed, and I end up half-heartedly watching the Finals. The over/under for the date that I question the legitimacy is May 11th, so place your bets now. I'll be breaking down each series with a few interesting tidbits including my rooting interest, my favorite player in the series, who the NBA wants to win, and a prediction that is guaranteed to be correct.
On to the picks...
Lets start in the East (which in this case is least):
Cleveland Cavaliers~Chicago Bulls: If LeBron really wants to win an NBA Title he should refrain from shooting any 3-pointers. Or just grow an afro.
Favorite Player: Joakim Noah- Rebounds like the big woman he looks like.
Rooting Interest: Da Bulls. I like D-Rose too (funny how a missed free throw is the difference between love and hatred for him).
NBA's pick: The LeBrons- Quick and painless.
Prediction: Cavs in 5.
Boston Celtics~Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade vs. Paul Pierce.
Favorite Player: Paul Pierce- The most underrated crunch time scorer in the NBA.
Rooting Interest: Celtics- Can't and won't ever get over the Heat's lame white-outs.
NBA's pick: Celtics- Deep into the series and filled with D-Wade free throws.
Prediction: Heat in 6. I'll take a Top 3 player over a team filled with grandpas.
Atlanta Hawks~Milwaukee Bucks: The most hotly contested first round series.
Favorite Player: Would be Andrew Bogut for his creation of a crazy section of fans that is free to them as long as they stand and cheer all game, but he is hurt. Lets go Brandon Jennings, first time I'll get to see him.
Rooting interest: The Milwaukee Bucks- Favorite team in the East while they last.
NBA's pick: To look the other way...
Prediction: Hawks in 7. My sleeper team in the East.
Orlando Magic~Charlotte Bobcats: The Magic's quest to validate choosing Vince Carter over Hedo Turkoglu (while everybody knows they were wrong).
Favorite Player: Mickael Pietrus- Can't stop the black frenchmen, although this Gerald Wallace character intrigues me.
Rooting interest: The Hornets, er, wait...the Bobcats? What?!?!
NBA's pick: Magic.
Prediction: Magic in 5.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Los Angeles Lakers~Oklahoma City Thunder: These playoffs will be defined by one thing and one thing only to me, if the Lakers win the title or not.
Favorite Player: The Durantula- The best player I have ever seen live. Immediately stated that he would be the best NBA player in 5 years...he still has two years left.
Rooting Interest: The oKC Thunder x 1000. If you cheer for the Lakers then I don't like you.
NBA's Pick: They want the Lakers to win, but they want to establish Durant as a star.
Prediction: Lakers in 6. Durant outplays Kobe.
Denver Nuggets~Utah Jazz: The Nugs don't have their mother bud. The Jazz won't have their AK47 or possibly even their Booze.
Favorite Player: Carlos Boozer- Exactly how I'd play if I were a 6'9 black man.
Rooting Interest: Whoever has the better chance of beating the Lakers, I'll say the Jazz.
NBA's pick: Kobe vs. Carmelo would whet their whistle.
Prediction: Jazz in 7. Nuggets haven't been the same since George Karl's been out with a cancer.
Phoenix Suns~Portland Trailblazers: The Blazers' unfortunate string of events continue with Brandon Roy missing this series.
Favorite Player: I love Roy's game but I'll go with Steve Nash- I have a feeling this might be his year, as long as they can avoid the Spurs, who own them.
Rooting Interest: Suns- I like the Blazers a lot, but would rather see a threat to the Lakers emerge.
NBA's pick: Close series.
Prediction: Suns in 5. Sleeper team in the West. I really see either a Cavs-Suns or a Lakers-Hawks Finals matchup.
Dallas Mavericks~San Antonio Spurs: They seemingly meet every postseason with the Mavs owning them ever since Dirk's And-1 Game 7 winner in 2006.
Favorite Player: Like you have to ask...Dirk fact- He is 27th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. If he averages 20 points a game and 80 games a season for the next five years, he will find himself in the Top 5. Bing, bang, boom.
Rooting Interest: The Dirks. He has fallen under the radar with the huge Free Agent class coming this offseason, but it'll be interesting to see if Cuban parts ways with Dirk if they fall short yet again. I want a Dirk-Nash reunion in New York. With LeBron as the third option.
NBA's pick: Should be for the Mavs. They owe them a title. Dirk Fact- Nowitzki's crunch-time performance this season, according to 82games.com (46.7 points per 48 minutes, 45.2% FG, 14.0 FTM, +98) was more efficient than anyone except LeBron (66.1 points per 48, 48.8 FG%, 21.0 FTM, +116). Yep, he's not clutch...
Prediction: Mavericks in 7. I think The Big Fundamental is 'Done'can. The Mavericks have much improved since the trade for Butler, Haywood, and DeShawn. I feel like they have a run in them, but also wouldn't be shocked to see them go down here due to the Spurs incredibly boring effectiveness.
Go Dirks!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
2010 NBA Midseason Thoughts
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I thought I'd throw some 'ledge your way about the NBA, a sport that I have watched maybe a handful of games of so far this season. Does this make me qualified to write about the sport? I say yes, as long as the regular season remains as long and pointless as is. I do always enjoy the playoffs though, and expect this year to be no exception. I even enjoy the debate of which atrocity of play is more costly to the game, the lack of calling a clearly defined rule like traveling, or the flopping that makes it impossible to referee about half of the games. But, I'll appreciate it for what it is, a flawed game of skill that is being played at a really high level right now, forcing an incredible nucleus of young superstars to square off with great pressure to perform each night for their team to emerge victorious.
Let's take a look at some teams making noise in my head...
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Cleveland Cavaliers- This could be the biggest postseason, with the most ramifications riding on it, that we've seen from a team in my lifetime. I believe LeBaron's fate may very well rest on the shoulders of a championship. Think about it, something will be blamed for their loss, and it won't be him. He then contemplates that reason while trying to make his decision, and considers taking his chances elsewhere. And I don't think they will win it all. If you give me the choices of the Cavs, Lakers, or the field, I'm putting my money on the Lakers or the field over the Cavaliers. That means that I think, at the most, they have a 33% chance of winning it all. Which means I think there is at least a 67% chances that The LeBrontosaurus considers leaving. If they win the title he is staying.
New York Knicks- This might mean good news for the Knickerbockers. I think they have the best chance of catching LeBronchitis, aside from Cleveland. There's a good chance that Steve Nash will leave Phoenix and look at rejoining Mike D'Antoni in New York. They could get by giving him the special veteran exemption. They would still have room to sign two more players at or near the max level, let's say they get Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson. Throw in Steve Nash as well as Tracy McGrady, who is just glad to be playing the game and willing to play cheaply fresh off a max deal. That's a pretty good team there. I'd say things are looking up for the Knicks. And the outside shots of LeBronx, Nash, McGrady, and Wade are always fun. Or Dirk reuniting with Nash. Something crazy will happen though, mark my words, and the Knicks will be the most exciting team to watch next season.
Boston Celtics- Too old. They make me think of this Happy Gilmore quote, "But she's an old lady. I mean, look at her. She's old. You can't just take her stuff. She's too old." They just lost to the New Jersey Nets. That marks the end of a season. This leaves only the Magic and Hawks as challengers to Cleveland's conquest to keep LeBronco Nagurski.
Orlando Magic- Exchanged out Hedu Turkoglu (their best player in last year's playoffs) for Vince Carter. Some people saw this as an improvement, but I think they completely downgraded. However, I would support his revivalist party, if it comes to that, because I like players that can prove people wrong (including me). Also, I remain totally underwhelmed with Dwight Howard, who I'm convinced is too happy of a person to truly dominate. He should be evolving into Shaq, but I don't see it happening.
Atlanta Hawks- I predict them to be joining the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. I like how all five of their starters all contribute pretty evenly and compliment each other's skills well. Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford (only missed one start amongst all five). Their style reminds me of KU's Championship team, which immediately became my favorite style of a team after they won it all.
Milwaukee Bucks- Just wanted to talk about how cool it is what Andrew Bogut is doing for Milwaukee. He bought one hundred court side seats for every home game of the season and gave them away to wild and crazy fans to enhance the atmosphere for home games. He literally had auditions for the tickets and people lose their seats if they miss games or don't stand and cheer from start to finish. This is such a great idea that I would support Bogut on just about any venture in life now. My first move as a sports owner would be to create a grading system of fans, and have the best fans sit closer for each game, and have only the best for the biggest games.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas Mavericks- Back to contendership with the acquisitions of Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler, and my bearded mate, DeShawn Stevenson. Plus, the added bonus of addition by subtraction of Josh Howard. They have not lost since the trade, going 8-0, with wins over the Lakers and Hawks). Suddenly have a top 7 of Dirk, J-Kidd,
Caron, Shawn Marion, Haywood, Jet Terry, and DeShawn (not to mention Lil' J.J. Barea). Mark Cuban remains the best owner in sports in terms of wanting to win (which is what I want out of an owner). I think we see the Mavericks take on the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, dependant on Dirk's choice of hairstyle come playoff time. Don't let me down. Random Dirk fact of the post: He now ranks 32nd on the all-time scoring list. Who saw that coming from this guy...
Los Angeles Lakers- In my eyes, the overwhelming favorite, which pains me to say. With a title this year, it suddenly seems very possible for Kobe to equal and possibly even surpass Jordan's six. I don't see any way he could surpass him in my mind though, due to Kobe gaining extra years by coming straight from high school, and Jordan exiting the league for two years while in his prime (obviously because he was suspended for gambling). Kobe will have way better stats when it is all said and done though, and he took away the easiest evidence for Kobe haters to use by winning a title without Shaq.
OKC Thunder- Probably my second favorite team in the league right now, despite their obvious error in choice of colors (Thunder= Black and Yellow). After seeing Kevin Durant in college, I thought that he would be the best player in the NBA in five years. We are 2 years away from that. I think he will win an NBA title before LeBronius. The Thunda have the best young nucleus in the league, beginning with the Durantula (21!!!!!!!), swinging towards Russell Westbrook (21) and Jeff Green (23), and finishing with James Harden (20) and Serge Ibaka (20). I envision them to be competing for a title come 2010-11.
Predictions
Eastern: Hawks over LeBronze
Western: Lakers over Dirks
Finals: Lakers over Hawks
Dirkness
I thought I'd throw some 'ledge your way about the NBA, a sport that I have watched maybe a handful of games of so far this season. Does this make me qualified to write about the sport? I say yes, as long as the regular season remains as long and pointless as is. I do always enjoy the playoffs though, and expect this year to be no exception. I even enjoy the debate of which atrocity of play is more costly to the game, the lack of calling a clearly defined rule like traveling, or the flopping that makes it impossible to referee about half of the games. But, I'll appreciate it for what it is, a flawed game of skill that is being played at a really high level right now, forcing an incredible nucleus of young superstars to square off with great pressure to perform each night for their team to emerge victorious.
Let's take a look at some teams making noise in my head...
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Cleveland Cavaliers- This could be the biggest postseason, with the most ramifications riding on it, that we've seen from a team in my lifetime. I believe LeBaron's fate may very well rest on the shoulders of a championship. Think about it, something will be blamed for their loss, and it won't be him. He then contemplates that reason while trying to make his decision, and considers taking his chances elsewhere. And I don't think they will win it all. If you give me the choices of the Cavs, Lakers, or the field, I'm putting my money on the Lakers or the field over the Cavaliers. That means that I think, at the most, they have a 33% chance of winning it all. Which means I think there is at least a 67% chances that The LeBrontosaurus considers leaving. If they win the title he is staying.
New York Knicks- This might mean good news for the Knickerbockers. I think they have the best chance of catching LeBronchitis, aside from Cleveland. There's a good chance that Steve Nash will leave Phoenix and look at rejoining Mike D'Antoni in New York. They could get by giving him the special veteran exemption. They would still have room to sign two more players at or near the max level, let's say they get Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson. Throw in Steve Nash as well as Tracy McGrady, who is just glad to be playing the game and willing to play cheaply fresh off a max deal. That's a pretty good team there. I'd say things are looking up for the Knicks. And the outside shots of LeBronx, Nash, McGrady, and Wade are always fun. Or Dirk reuniting with Nash. Something crazy will happen though, mark my words, and the Knicks will be the most exciting team to watch next season.
Boston Celtics- Too old. They make me think of this Happy Gilmore quote, "But she's an old lady. I mean, look at her. She's old. You can't just take her stuff. She's too old." They just lost to the New Jersey Nets. That marks the end of a season. This leaves only the Magic and Hawks as challengers to Cleveland's conquest to keep LeBronco Nagurski.
Orlando Magic- Exchanged out Hedu Turkoglu (their best player in last year's playoffs) for Vince Carter. Some people saw this as an improvement, but I think they completely downgraded. However, I would support his revivalist party, if it comes to that, because I like players that can prove people wrong (including me). Also, I remain totally underwhelmed with Dwight Howard, who I'm convinced is too happy of a person to truly dominate. He should be evolving into Shaq, but I don't see it happening.
Atlanta Hawks- I predict them to be joining the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. I like how all five of their starters all contribute pretty evenly and compliment each other's skills well. Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford (only missed one start amongst all five). Their style reminds me of KU's Championship team, which immediately became my favorite style of a team after they won it all.
Milwaukee Bucks- Just wanted to talk about how cool it is what Andrew Bogut is doing for Milwaukee. He bought one hundred court side seats for every home game of the season and gave them away to wild and crazy fans to enhance the atmosphere for home games. He literally had auditions for the tickets and people lose their seats if they miss games or don't stand and cheer from start to finish. This is such a great idea that I would support Bogut on just about any venture in life now. My first move as a sports owner would be to create a grading system of fans, and have the best fans sit closer for each game, and have only the best for the biggest games.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas Mavericks- Back to contendership with the acquisitions of Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler, and my bearded mate, DeShawn Stevenson. Plus, the added bonus of addition by subtraction of Josh Howard. They have not lost since the trade, going 8-0, with wins over the Lakers and Hawks). Suddenly have a top 7 of Dirk, J-Kidd,
Caron, Shawn Marion, Haywood, Jet Terry, and DeShawn (not to mention Lil' J.J. Barea). Mark Cuban remains the best owner in sports in terms of wanting to win (which is what I want out of an owner). I think we see the Mavericks take on the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, dependant on Dirk's choice of hairstyle come playoff time. Don't let me down. Random Dirk fact of the post: He now ranks 32nd on the all-time scoring list. Who saw that coming from this guy...Los Angeles Lakers- In my eyes, the overwhelming favorite, which pains me to say. With a title this year, it suddenly seems very possible for Kobe to equal and possibly even surpass Jordan's six. I don't see any way he could surpass him in my mind though, due to Kobe gaining extra years by coming straight from high school, and Jordan exiting the league for two years while in his prime (obviously because he was suspended for gambling). Kobe will have way better stats when it is all said and done though, and he took away the easiest evidence for Kobe haters to use by winning a title without Shaq.
OKC Thunder- Probably my second favorite team in the league right now, despite their obvious error in choice of colors (Thunder= Black and Yellow). After seeing Kevin Durant in college, I thought that he would be the best player in the NBA in five years. We are 2 years away from that. I think he will win an NBA title before LeBronius. The Thunda have the best young nucleus in the league, beginning with the Durantula (21!!!!!!!), swinging towards Russell Westbrook (21) and Jeff Green (23), and finishing with James Harden (20) and Serge Ibaka (20). I envision them to be competing for a title come 2010-11.
Predictions
Eastern: Hawks over LeBronze
Western: Lakers over Dirks
Finals: Lakers over Hawks
Dirkness
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