Stop Talking, Start Playing Ball...

For six months I've been hearing the same jawing from the same eight guys on ESPN. Heat. Wade. Shaq. Rings. They keep telling us that the Miami Heat are going to be there in June. Sure Shaq sat out 42 games, Dwyane Wade is playing hurt, four key guys are over the age of 35 and Pat Riley stopped caring in mid-November. So? They won a championship last year. That makes them a championship caliber team, doesn't it? Dwyane Wade is back from injury, that means they have a good chance at repeating,
doesn't it? No it doesn't.

Last year the Miami Heat were a group of old guys hoping to climb on Shaq's back and make their last ditch effort to win a ring. It worked, they won. After the game, the only thing more shocking than guys like Payton and Mourning actually thinking that they could do it again was all the media who jumped on that bandwagon with them. Even when they were 10th or 11th in the E.C., people kept saying, "They'll be there in June, watch out for the Heat". What are you talking about? It got even worse when they actually ended up winning their extremely weak division and experts gave Miami great odds at winning another Conference Championship.

Enter the Chicago Bulls, a team that's been sailing under the radar almost the entire season. Throughout the season they've been criticized for spending too much on Ben Wallace, for being too young, for losing close games, and for failing to hold on to the two seed on the last day of the season. Don't sleep on the Bulls though. They're extremely athletic and one of the best defensive teams in the league, not to mention a strong home team. Most importantly, they're a team packed with championship experience. Struggling teams take note: draft good players from championship teams. Chicago's top eight players are made up of five Final Four participants, an Olympic champion, an NBA champion, and a strong veteran leader in PJ Brown.

[Sidenote] Listen, I know drafting good players with championship experience and putting them on a team together seems easy enough, but nobody does it. This is why guys like Hasheem Thabeet and Spencer Hawes are going to get taken 10 spots too early in the draft this year. Guaranteed.

So now the Bulls are matched up with a team in Miami that could best be described as a talented but overrated team going through a bout with apathy. You can't count on that to win in a league where teams and players want rings this badly.

If none of this makes sense to you, then the best reason to put your money on Chicago is simple. Revenge. The Bulls and Heat have been locked in a 10 year rivalry that hit its peak last year when Chicago thought they were man handled and whistled out of a very competitive first round match up. Now, a better team, Chicago has something to prove. Not just to the Heat, but to the Pistons, the Cavs, and the NBA. These ain't Jordan's Bulls anymore, but if you watch carefully, they might just show you something.

The Heat? Not so much.

"The City" Fights On...

Sports writers are funny people. Two weeks ago, when the playoff picture was becoming a little clearer and they were all forced to make their post season predictions for the long run into the finals, most looked ready to hand the trophy over to the Mavs and call it a day. Now two weeks later, the stories are different. Sunday’s surprising upset sent them searching for their laptops to write what they thought was the story of the day.

“Can the Mavs recover? Do they even have a chance at beating the Warriors?”

What? How do you say that about the defending Western Conference Champions who are better this year than last? They have the MVP favorite in Dirk Nowitzki, the coach of the year in Avery Johnson, a very convincing Scottie Pippen look alike in Josh Howard, and one of the best supporting casts in basketball. The Warriors on the other hand look vaguely like a playground basketball team picking last. They have a number of good players and a lot of raw talent, but nothing outside of Stephen Jackson pulling a gun while driving the lane is going to scare your standard playoff team.

On Sunday I wanted to shout out “Yes, of course they can. Why would anyone be afraid of the Warriors?” On Monday though, I became a sportswriter.

Don’t get me wrong; I would be dumbfounded if the Mavs ended up losing but just like you can’t count them out of the series, your sure can’t count on them to win. Now more then ever, sports refuses to be black and white - the truth lies on a gray scale in between. You have to logically look at the stats, the teams, the history and the psychology if you want to pick your winner. As always, I do my best.

For the Mavericks it comes down to a few key factors. First, the Golden State Warriors are a team in the purest sense of the word. No stars, different guys making stand out plays every night, ball players. They score at will and pass as well as any team other than Phoenix. The Warriors force your defensive game to change every night because you can’t watch tape on a team that plays their style of jungle ball. They can drive if they want or they can kick and shoot. It makes it very difficult to guard their talent, size, and athleticism both inside and out.

It also doesn’t help that Warriors coach Don Nelson was the Mavericks coach and Avery Johnson’s mentor for years. He knows the team better than his own and Johnson as well as anyone. Why do you think Dirk was so ineffective on Sunday? Because Nelson taught him everything he knows. He has the weaknesses and strengths stored and can exploit them at will. Once again, this forces Dallas to change game plans, refocus the offense, and try something new. Not what you want to be doing in the 83rd game of the season.

Lastly, the Mavericks have no one to put on Baron Davis. On Sunday they switched the line up to start Devean George for a size advantage. Not only is this a defensive liability in itself since George runs like Dick Bavetta, but that limits the offense by leaving Devin Harris on the bench. No matter how they move the line up around, they’ll have holes in their defense and obvious mismatches all over the court. They’re once again forced to change an aspect of their championship game plan. You just shouldn’t have to do that when you’re the best team in the league.

I know, I know, “So why is Golden State an eight seed?” Not counting the fact that they were saddled with Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy, the Warriors are young and careless team and when they get down they get discouraged. They may play some of the most exciting basketball in the NBA, but when all is said and done, their immaturity is their biggest weakness. Much like Phoenix, their defense is their offense and that allows teams to get back into games quickly when the shooters go cold.

If you give them a solid big man and two years together playing like a team, you’ll be looking at a team that could and will terrify any of the West’s big three. For now though, you’re looking at a team that has a shot to do something special.

The NBA Playoffs... Thank God they're long...

The NBA... It's Fantastic!

I love the NBA. I do. I love it so much that I’ve spent the last six months trying to convince everyone I know that they should love it too. In some cases it has worked and I count that as a victory. Still, there are stories that while peaking the interest and imagination of anyone willing to listen have really dragged down the NBA this season. I’ve decided to take out the trash, nail off all the topics that are on the minds of ESPN and the like and help us all move on to the playoffs quickly before anyone notices in retrospective how bad this season really was. Here goes.

-Duncan vs. Crawford-
Stern spent the entire off-season talking about how referees were going to be harsher and that whistles were going to come faster. The refs were not to tolerate a lack of respect by players for their position. Joey Crawford goes out and does exactly what he is told to do. What does Stern do? He throws Crawford under the bus and suspends him to protect one of the league’s most important players and then, like many issues he has faced over the last couple years, refuses to talk candidly about it and instead deals with it politically.

Listen, I’m a Suns fan, so you can question my motives all you want, I won’t be offended. The fact of the matter is that Crawford was trying to do his job, he thought Tim Duncan was undermining his authority and he dealt with it the only way he could by throwing him out. I won’t pretend to know what exactly happened, but I will say this – if that was Rasheed Wallace and not Tim Duncan, this is a non-story. For that reason alone, the suspension was unacceptable.

The main argument to warrant a suspension from Stern is that Crawford asked Duncan for a fight. No one is mentioning that it’s possible the "Do you want to fight me?" line was taken out of context. Crawford more likely meant, "Do you want to test my authority?" I don’t assume that a 56-year-old man wanted to fight a 6’11” 260 pound professional athlete, but he’s feisty, so I could be wrong.

So now we’re going into the playoffs with angry referees out to prove their authority and players who feel like they’ve gotten their right to whine and complain back. Oh, and we’ll also be missing one of the best refs in the game and someone who has had a part of every finals since 1986. Goody.


-Tanking Teams Reaching for Lottery Picks-
Houston tanking to win the first pick in 1984 might be the reason why the lottery was created, but the lottery has proven to solve nearly nothing. In probably the deepest draft since that same year every team is doing whatever it can to improve its draft status. Honestly, I would too. Kevin Durant could turn out to be one of the best pure scorers of his generation and Greg Oden has the ability to make the kind of difference right away that we’ve only seen in Shaq, Duncan, Olajuwon, Chamberlain, Russell and David Robinson. That’s a pretty good list to be on. So let’s stop crying foul for teams tanking. They’re not hurting anyone but themselves.

Honestly, I have more of a problem with teams mailing in games after locking up their spots and seeds in the NBA playoffs. Have the teams earned the right to rest their players? Of course they have. Should they? Of course they should. Is it bad for the game? YES. It's a disgrace to the integrity of the game. The Warriors and Clippers are still fighting it out for the eight spot in the West. The Clippers have to play two-time MVP Steve Nash and all the other starters on an elite Suns team. The Warriors have to play eight guys not named Dirk, Jason, or Josh. While this is smart, it’s not fair to the teams still competing or the fans that have spent good money to see a team like the Mavs come to town. Let’s vilify these guys instead.


-The Most Valuable Player Race-
I don’t know what more I can say on the subject. Instead, I’m just going to run a Bill Simmons quote and then fill in the gaps.

“Statistically, Nowitzki submitted superior seasons in 2005 and 2006, and his 2007 stats ranked behind Larry Bird's best nine seasons, Charles Barkley's best 10 seasons and Karl Malone's best 11 seasons. Nowitzki's shooting percentages were remarkable (50 percent on field goals, 90 percent on free throws, 42 percent on 3-pointers), but his relevant averages (24.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists) look like a peak season from Tom Chambers. He can't affect games unless he's scoring, doesn't make his teammates better and plays decent defense at best. If you're giving the MVP to someone because of his offense, he'd better be a killer offensive player. You can't say that about the 2007 Dirk Nowitzki.”

If you’re using the exact acronym then the MOST VALUABLE PLAYER is Steve Nash. Has to be. He’s worth over 50 points a night with his assists and points added up and his shooting percentages are actually better than Nowitzki’s above. He’s having the best season of his career and most importantly, he makes his teammates better. Nowitzki is awesome. He has been my number one pick in every Fantasy Draft I’ve been in and I’ve never regretted the decision. Still Simmons is right; he doesn’t make his teammates better. He also has a more complete supporting cast and his team has proven that they can win without him. The Suns don’t have the same luxury.

That’s it. Those are my opinions. I’m done with those topics. Tomorrow I’ll break down the potential NBA playoff match-ups for the Western Conference. Until then, enjoy the final games of the season.

The End of a Very Short Era...

“Screw all y’all. I’m gonna get mine”

These, while not quite being the actual words that Bob Huggins may have used nonetheless are the sentiment that he has recently sent to Kansas State, his former players, and especially his new recruits. Instead of making his way back to K-State for what seemed to be a promising second year and a chance to bring a once proud program back from obscurity, Huggins decided instead, to flee the Wildcats for his alma mater and take his chances with N.I.T. Champion West Virginia.

You would think that after 10 years of failed NCAA tournaments, a Cincinnati U team constantly on probation, a DUI and forced resignation as well as some unethical recruiting practices, Bob Huggins would be happy lay low and see what he can do with a 20-win team and the nation’s number one recruiting class. Not so. Instead he made a choice – a choice that, while affecting everyone at K-State, was made by thinking of no one but himself.

The smart move would have been to stay with the Wildcats, the team that gave him a second chance to rebuild a reputation tarnished over years of failure and the team most likely to break out of the cellar this next year. If K-State’s commitment to both the program and Huggins himself wasn’t enough to convince you, then try this. After hearing of West Virginia’s interest in Huggins, Kansas State AD Tim Weiser went into to Huggins’ office and simply said, “You tell us what your salary should be. Whatever West Virginia is offering, we will match it and then some. Same for the assistant coaches.”

A great offer, but apparently nothing was going to keep this former Mountaineer player from his dream job. Not even his integrity.

So, in lieu of Huggins shortsighted stay in Kansas, what happens to a top recruiting class that includes BMOC and McDonald’s All-American MVP Michael Beasley? Answer: nothing short of a yard sale. Even after Weiser refused to release the players from their letters of intent and promoted Beasley’s AAU coach, Dalonte Hill, to “Associate Head Coach”, the word is still out on whether Beasley and his packaged deal players will stay in Kansas. In fact, Beasley has already started speaking to Memphis, NC State, and Florida State; all three headed by strong former NBA coaches who he hopes could propel his game to the next level. Sounds like a smart kid looking out for his future.

While you definitely can’t count out K-State as Beasley’s final destination, it sure doesn’t help that Weiser ended up naming Huggins’ assistant Frank Martin as Head Coach over Hill. Martin’s lack of pedigree and coaching experience is only bested by his own unethical recruiting practices. He was expelled from coaching at high schools in Miami after recruiting and paying off now NBA players Steve Blake and Udonis Haslem – the worst of all crimes perpetrated by a coach. Even that has somehow left him unfazed.

Seems like the perfect replacement for Huggins to me.

Don't Mess with Texas. Seriously...

When Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash suit up and play in front of their thousands of fans, its as if they’re playing on a slanted driveway on a hot summer day. A hoop hanging over the garage and two best friends playing one-on-one. Scratching and clawing for rebounds, driving hard and fouling harder. Yelling and taunting up and down the blazing concrete. A winner and a loser, but no love lost. A rivalry based not on hate, but respect. It may never be Bird and Magic, but its close - and its what that the L needs again. Two men who act like men and who play like men. Two great players. Two fierce competitors. Two MVPS.

As for the teams, they’re almost perfect equals. Boasting both inside and outside talent, Stoudemire, Nash, and Marion might as well be Nowitzki, Terry, and Howard. While the Suns run a quicker offense, the Mavs counter with a superior defense. In a game like this, all that matters is whose specialty falters first and whose bench shows up to play. With the Mavs deadheading to 70 wins and boasting the probable MVP, it seems like they have to do less and less for the same result… wins.

Unlike the Mavs, the Suns had gone 4-4 since the emotional rollercoaster and all out war with Dallas that left them spent. San Antonio had crept within two games and the Suns final 10 game schedule rivaled that of Germany near the end of World War II. It seemed as if the Suns had won their championship that March night in Dallas and were content with stumbling through the rest of the season, making a quick stop in the playoffs and then getting some much needed rest by starting the off-season early. After 38 years of a disappointing end to the season, the Suns had squandered what might have been their best shot at winning a title since Chuck and KJ.

Then the Suns did the unthinkable. They played their best game in years and sent Dallas packing for the second time in 18 days. This time, the game wasn’t a war or a dogfight. They weren’t left wounded in victory. Instead, the Suns broke the Dirty Dallas D in inspiring fashion, shooting 65% and winning by 22 points. Their big home victory was coupled with even better news, the Spurs fell to a plummeting Indiana team on a last second lay-up. A punishing blow that ended a 6 game streak that had them hot on Phoenix’s heels.

Breathing room.

Now the Suns have the confidence to know that they can bring that same game to the court any night of the year. They don’t have to worry about meeting up with Dallas in the playoffs anymore; instead, they can just say, “Bring it.” While it might have been better for Phoenix’s record to lose earlier this month in Dallas, nothing can take away the attitude going into the last string of regular season games. Now they need a two seed and an easy first round. Its still a tough road facing seven Western playoff teams in their final nine games, but they're Phoenix and even two time MVP Steve Nash knows that its all about the name on the front. Screw the name on the back. Keep your eyes on the prize.

9 games to go. The NBA… Brian Scalabrine makes 3 million dollars!