Playoff Roundup
RANDOM MUSINGS
-Manu Ginobili didn't win the Sixth Man Award he so deserved, so I'm creating another one to give him for his unmatched efforts as an All-Star reserve. No player as good or talented as Ginobili is expected to take being a bench player kindly. Yet, Manu accepts the role every season, and when his reserve duty called mid-January he took things to another level. No bench player, not even Barbosa, was more effective or efficient than Ginobili during the season's last few months.
The Spurs owe their 58 win season and any chance of knocking off the Nuggets in the first round to Ginobili's energy off the bench.
The Suns owe Barbosa a lot less. The Brazilian Blur is the best regular reserve, but he wasn't asked to do anything special. The guy scores in waves, at lightning speed, and with the beautiful assist work of Steve Nash he did just that.
Manu put his star power aside and did what needed to be done to win games.
So, Manu, here's your "Most Unselfish Reserve of the Season" award. I'm handing it to you in spirit.
-The Lakers forced Phoenix into a halfcourt game for most of four quarters. The Suns were out of rhythm by their standards. They were held under 100 points.
Guess what? The Lakers still lost, making Phoenix look like a respectable defensive squad. I guess I was right on the money handing the Lakers the "how did you lose that one" award.
I predicted the series would go five games, but I may have to rescind that if Kobe receives little help in the next three games.
My suggestion: Kobe should start finding a mug shot of himself he'd be happy for the TNT guys to use on their "Gone Fishin'" segement.
The Lakers are jetting out of the playoffs just as quickly as they sucked their way in.
-Most casual basketball fans think defense is something fun you chant when your team doesn't have the ball.
In 10 playoff games thus far, only one team has reached the century mark. Thus proving there's A LOT more defense in the pros than in college.
Fans of solely high scoring affairs ought to become acquainted with real defense as I predict it will win another championship for a team this year.
-Someone asked me the other day which sport was more "thuggish"--the NFL or the NBA.
The NFL has created a rule for next season simply because two players can't stop getting themselves arrested. Four basketball players correctly used lackadaisical in a sentence today.
I rest my case.
-There's no playoffs like the NBA playoffs. Watch these die-hard fans go ballistic after key shots and find me a sport save international soccer where the noise level is that ridiculous for that long.
A 2-0 lead: Why The Rockets Won't Blow it This Time
Two years ago, the Rockets shocked the Dallas Mavericks by winning the first two games at the American Airlines Center. They didn't have home court advantage, but they had a healthy dose of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.
Nobody expected the Rockets to make anything of the series and their brief surprise was quelled when they blew that 2-0 lead and ended up losing the series in game 7 by a 40 point margin this year.
There are many logical reasons for Rockets' fans not to hit the panic button just yet. The Utah Jazz are not as good as the Dallas Mavericks were two years ago, at least not the way they're playing (stumbling) now.
The Rockets are way better than they were two years ago. Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier, Luther Head, Rafer Alston and Kirk Snyder were not on that fateful team.
The Rockets also no longer rely on the defensive talents (or lackthereof) of Ryan Bowen to keep them afloat (chuckle).
The jazz are a disciplined, tough and physical basketball team. But they have no answer for the T-Mac and Yao double punch. You have to wonder if any team does.
The Jazz haven't played to their full potential in either of these first two games, but the Rockets haven't either. I will dare to say the Jazz played better than the Rockets in the first two games. And they lost both.
If the Rockets can manage victories by shooting in the mid-30s, I like their chances of putting this young Utah team out of its misery in as few as five or six games.
FOR SPURS, MAVS REST AND CONFIDENCE ARE NOT LUXURIES.
Fans of the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs awaiting a rematch of last season's storied seven-game series shouldn't hold their breath just yet.
The 67 and 58 win teams are facing an 0-1 deficit against lower seeded ball clubs that seem to have their number.
Both Texas teams lost games in which their opponents, both of whom thrive on and require 100+ points to win, scored in the mid-90's.
It's fair to say no team could prepare for the one-two punch Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are packing. Analysts and coaches alike have questioned whether this dynamic pairing would work or lead to the decomposition of a shot jacking oasis.
It's clear now that both scorers have flushed out a serial killer attack.
Melo' and AI ate Bruce Bowen's stifling defense for a late game snack, combining for 61 points and some of the only respectable shooting the entire night.
Nothing the Spurs threw at the Nuggets' star combo seemed to dent their abaility to sink jumpshot after jumpshot and for Melo' two key three-pointers.
The Spurs couldn't make a layup in game one of their first round series and lost playing their game. Still, Denver says it didn't play well, either.
If the Spurs drop game 2, this hot tamale San Antonio team will be looking at an ice cold first-round exit.
The top seeded Mavericks don't have it any easier. Despite possessing home court advantage, the Mavs lack the same panacea they have all season against Don Nelson's squad.
Hmmm...lets see...how about an answer for the Warriors?
The Warriors may have limped into the postseason by 67 win standards, but winning 9 out of 10 cannot be overlooked.
Every other run-and-gun club is a milk version of Phoenix, but this one comes with an extra kick in the ass.
Steve Nash and company would hate to see this ballclub in the playoffs considering the lashing they received in late March at Oracle Arena.
The Warriors are dangerous because they have no expectations to exceed or disappoint but their own.
The Mavericks are fighting presumptions that any team winning 67 games in the regular season is an automatic champion.
Losing all three regular season matchups, Dallas has little answer for Baron Davis or Monta Ellis.
And when Dirk Nowitzki shoots four-of-16 from the field and Jerry Stackhouse doesn't score, that complicates matters even further.
Most would say Avery should stick with the same lineup that earned them the top seed.
But what happens when the Warriors run Dampier and DeSegana Diop back to the bench?
These Texas teams must win their games tonight or face quite possibly the two greatest upsets in playoff history.
NBA Awards Season...It's My Turn
With the curtain on this magnificent NBA season closed, it's time to generate some ballyhoo as to who will walk away with what hardware. There won't be any symphony music to cut off our esteemed winners should their speeches exceed a reasonable limit of time. Unlike the Grammys, Stevie Wonder will not be the surprise guest for the 500th time. And though there's little glitz and glam in the 82 game slamming these athletes have endured, don't count out an Oscar finish.
Without further ado, if I had a vote, these would be my selections. For most awards, I have listed multiple candidates.
COACH OF THE YEAR
It's a two-way tie, folks.
1. Jerry Sloan
Martin Scorsese finally received his trophy this year, so why shouldn't the admirable Sloan get his? The Utah Jazz are finishing the season on a pathetic, God-awful note, but hey, is The Departed really as good as Goodfellas or Raging Bull? Sloan is the only coach with 1,000 + victories to never receive a coach-of-the-year nod for his winning ways. The Jazz will not finish lower than 5th place in the talent-packed Western Conference. Following a 41-41 season with an almost 50 win one is not too shabby.
1. Sam Mitchell
Five months ago, Mitchell figured to have no hope of escaping a pink slip at the end of the year. When his contract expired at the end of this season, his tenure with the Toronto Raptors was supposed to go with it, in the most pathetic of ways. Instead, Mitchell led his Raptors to their first ever division title and an improbable third place finish in the Eastern Conference. I originally thought Toronto might be lucky to hang on to the 8th seed and get swept in the first round. Now, I'm not so sure this young ball club won't reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Reaching the NBA Finals may be out of the question for now, but Mitchell has given Raptors fans something to hope for and get genuinely excited about.
He also made the awful Atlantic Division a little prettier to look at. The Raptors are the only team in that bunch that will finish with at least a .500 record.
Close, but no cigar:
2. Avery Johnson
Despite leading the Mavericks to 67 wins, an incredible feat by any coach, Johnson is competing with Sloan and Mitchell. While this award celebrates winning, it should also recognize triumph over adversity. Sloan and Mitchell meet all three requirements and Johnson only meets one.
The Mavericks have the motivation of losing the Championship on their home court to drive them along. Neither the Jazz or Raptors made the playoffs last year, so they merely had the will of their coaches to guide them to the post season.
3. Jeff Van Gundy
He's made too many coaching mistakes to deserve this award. However, reaching the 52 win plateau with Yao Ming missing 32 games and T-Mac skipping 10, that is impressive. Had the Rockets won about 10 more games, he would get the nod. I won't waste time elaborating on what those mistakes have been. If Jeff wins the award, I don't picture myself crying. : )
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Marcus Camby and Shawn Marion have the individual numbers to qualify for this award, but defense isn't exactly synonomous with the Nuggets or Suns. I'm not rewarding a guy, no matter how good his numbers are, who plays for a team where defense is wishful thinking. When Ben Wallace nabbed the award, his defense was a huge part of the Pistons' 64 win finish. Camby's blocked shots and rebounding have nothing to do with how Denver wins games. Don't get me started on Phoenix.
1. Tim Duncan
He's averaging almost 2 blocks a game and is pulling down an average of 11 boards. His last line of defense style of play is a gigantic reason why the Spurs why the Suns' and Mavericks' seasons aren't that much more incredible, after all. Duncan? Why Not?
2. Shane Battier
His numbers aren't stunning, but the effort he exudes every night is. Watch a Rockets game this week and watch his hustle. Battier proves that statistics can be more irrelevant than Herman's Hermits attempting a comeback album.
3. Dikembe Mutombo
He only gets honorable mention for this award, but excluding him from the discussion would be a crime. With Yao Ming sidelined by a tibia injury, Mutombo sucked the fountain of youth dry and played like a 20-year-old. He also passed Kareem Abdul Jabar for second on the all-time blocked shots list. How's that for a stat?
Close but no cigar:
Emeka Okafor
The Bobcats may finish with 10 more victories than they had all of last year, but Oakfor's numbers aren't much better than Duncan's, and the Spurs will win about 35 more games.
Tyson Chandler
The Hornets barely missed a playoff berth this year. However, I would put him in the running for most improved. See below.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
This award is a no-brainer. I won't bother even listing other candidates.
1. Brandon Roy
If you think the Trail Blazers can't compete without star forward Zach Randolph, just ask the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz. Both playoff-bound teams were upset by the undermanned, lottery-hungry Blazers in consecutive games. The reason for those pathetic losses?
Some rookie named Brandon Roy gave them both fits they couldn't handle. After watching this rookie blossom with Randolph out, I'm convinced this kid is on his way to never seeing a shot he doesn't like. Just like a certain Kobe Bryant, who has been throwing up some monstrous 50 pointers in the last month and a half. We expected him to be good, but now, he's very good.
For this, he runs away with the award.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
This category is the toughest of them all because it seemed like an avalanche of players came out of nowhere. Since this is a one-time per player regular season award, my main criteria for selection was that the player had to far exceed expectations this season alone. For this reason, I am not including Sacramento's young supernova Kevin Martin, since he was already expected to succeed when the regular season commenced. He forced a key turnover in the final seconds that ensured the Kings would take the Spurs at least six games. I believe the four players below showed a much more drastic improvement arc than did Martin, who keyed the Kings run at the playoffs.
There's no clear winner, and I certainly wouldn't protest if voters selected Martin, so disregard the order.
1. Tyson Chandler
Who expected anticipated this Dominguez High School product would lead the NBA in FG percentage and come second only to Kevin Garnett in rebounding? I certainly didn't. Chandler's story is an interesting one because the All-American high schooler entered the draft early with high hopes he could be an instant impact player. He floated from his draftees the Clippers to the Bulls in the Elton Brand trade. His pairing with Eddy Curry turned out to be a disaster, as he was frequently plagued by back pains and foul trouble. After two teams and nearly six sub par seasons, Chandler finally has a fit with the New Orleans Hornets.
His surprising low post dominance mid-season kept the Hornets' playoff hopes alive while most of the starting lineup sat out with injuries. It's also been nice to see him quit feuding with players. Chicago still needs a low-post scorer? Aw shucks, they got rid of one at the end of last season.
2. Monta Ellis
Kevin Martin knew he would be a starting guard for the Kings this season, while Monta Ellis didn't know if Don Nelson would even let him suit up as a Golden State Warrior. The high school phenom had a dissapointing rookie season to say the least. But his athletic, hyperspeed legs and his swift finishing ability are a big reason why Warrior fans have been chanting "playoffs" legitimately for the first time in 13 years. Since Nelson inserted Ellis into the starting lineup, nearly every team has had a hiccup of a time stopping him. According to calculated stats, The Warrios had the toughest schedule at the end of the season, to which they went a snappy 16-5.
3. Deron Williams
It's tough to watch the flourishing Williams stumble through his current shooting slump, especially when he's crafted such a fine season. He averaged 10 points in his rookie year and make the all-rookie team with Chris Paul, both laudable accomplishments. However, it's been this year and this alone where Williams has entered the discussions as one of the five best point guards in the NBA. To be put in the same company as Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Jason Terry and Sam Cassell in your second professional season is hot stuff.
The Houston Rockets are eyeing this speedy youngster, gritting their teeth and bracing for a tough first round series.
4. Jason Kapono
To put it kindly, the four-year strong shooting guard, who was sent to Miami as a decent scrap player, murdered Dirk Nowitzki and Gilbert "Hibachi" Arenas in the All Star Saturday Night Three Point Contest. He's been inflicting similar pain on teams in the regular season, too, leading all players in 3 point shooting percentage. Like Chandler, Kapono needed several changes of scenery before he would lock with a franchise. Though he was on the roster for Miami's championship team, he didn't emerge as a dynamite professional shooter until the beginning of this season.
SIXTH MAN
Manu Ginobili
Like you didn't see this argument coming. I admit I'm more predictable a Creed CD, but hear me out.
Most analysts seem to dismiss Ginobili from the discussion because he is a bona-fide All-Star starter who merely comes of the bench because he is asked to do so. These purists won't reward someone who's started more than 45 percent of their games.
This argument is the exact reason why Manu should edge out Brazilian blur Leandro Barbosa for best bench player honors. I can name few All-Stars, especially ones can that claim they are the best players in an entire country (Argentina), who would shrug off being told to forfeit a starting role and continue being one of the best competitors in the NBA. Ginobili may not be better than the player(s) who start in his place, but that doesn't matter. What should count is that coach Pops has asked Gino to come off the bench for at least a segment of time in all of his seasons as a Spur. This spring, his contributions as a reserve took on more importance than ever before. Without Manu's bench play, Spurs fan can kiss that 13-game winning streak goodbye. The thrilling chase to catch Phoenix for 2nd place in the West? A more than respectable 58 win season? A true title contender?
You could have kissed all of that goodbye had Ginonili not been the best 6th man this season. Imagine telling Vince Carter or Kobe Bryant to be a reserve in more than 40 games and you can imagine hefty fines, suspensions and bickering with management.
As usual, Manu just shrugs and plays the game. He does it because it's what his team needs to pull out key victories. How can you not reward that?
Close, but no cigar ...
Leandro Barbosa
If he wins this award, I wish luck to the poor soul who has to catch up with him to hand him the award. There's fast and then there's the Brazilian Blur. He arrives at the basket before you have time to even say the word. He's averaged 18 points as the Suns top reserve.
However, he wasn't a more efficient reserve or scorer than Ginobili.
Jerry Stackhouse
An 11 points per game average says nothing about how much #42 means to the league leading Dallas Mavericks. I also have to throw him a line for asking officials if he could wear Robinson on the back of his jersey to commemorate the black baseball great.
Luther Head
No other player shoots a better 3 point percentage in the fourth quarter, when those deep shots matter the most. Considering he's been the Rockets only bench scoring in many games, seems he should be considered.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Few voters can agree on what winning the Maurice Podoloff Trophy signifies about its recipient. I can say emphatically that it doesn't champion the most talented or gifted players. If that was the case, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant would have a two-man race every season. No player has more composite and complete skills than Garnett and yet there's something dissettling about awarding a player whose team misses the playoffs so badly you're making Titanic comparisons.
Kobe may be the most dynamic scorer in modern professional sports, easily notching 10 50-point games, but after his Lakers nearly sucked their way out of the postseason, he's definitely not the MVP. Even though KB24 might be on a small scoring island sipping cognac with Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan, he can't like his teams chances of escaping the Phoenix "we should be scored in scientific notation" Suns in the first round.
Even though basketball fans bicker about what the award qualifications should be, there do seem to be a few constant requirements:
1) Team has one of the top two or three records in the league.
2) Best player on that team.
3) Makes other players around them better and in the case of Steve Nash is the only reason people know who they are.
4) Displays an air-tight work ethic that doesn't crack when the pressure is really applied.
5) Multi-dimensional in at least one aspect of the game.
So with those few rules out of the way and Steven Spielberg ready to open the envelope, let's get it on.
And...the winner is...
Dirk Nowitzki
Undeniably, Dirk is the best player on the best team. Just let that sentence soak in; best player on the best team. It's hard not to vote for a 7' footer who has literally led his franchise to its finest season ever and one of the 10 best since basketball became a professional sport.
The Mavericks may sport dangerous depth, but without Nowitzki's undefendable mid-range game, they would barely be a 50-win team with little hope of squeaking past the first round.
With a healthy dose of German engineering, instead the Mavericks will surprise and shock many if they don't surge back to defend the championship they let slip in last season's Finals.
He's a classy player with a stern work-ethic. He doesn't know how to leave the practice court. Also this season, he's become less of a defensive liability and a greater vocal leader, both of which are qualities the Mavs have lacked in coming up short of a title.
Close, but no cigar...
Steve Nash
To say Steve makes the players around him better would be the understatement of the century. Would the casual basketball fan have heard of Leandro Barbosa, Shawn Marion or Boris Diaw if they didn't have the reigning, two-time MVP to thread them ridiculous passes that make their highlight-reel finishes look effortless? Probably not.
Nash is one of the worst defenders in the history of the game. I wouldn't bet on him in a head to head Bubba Wells matchup.
On the offensive end, however, Steve is an enigmatic offensive force that few players can slow down. Tim Duncan has cooly averaged a meaty 20-10 this season, but Nash has a 20-10 of his own. 10-11 assists per game.
Phoenix lost 2 of 4 when Nash was injured because he is their motor. If offense somehow squelches defense to win a title, this man will be the sole reason.
He doesn't win the award for two reasons.
1) Despite better numbers, he failed to lead his team past the conference finals twice. Putting him a category so exclusive that 2 six-time NBA champions don't belong is a bit ridiculous. He may be amazing watch, but let's not be absurd with the Larry Bird comparisons.
2) Dirk is the best player on the best team. The Suns finished second to the Mavs by a six-game margin. The MVP award covers the entire regular season, not just two games.
I INVENTED SOME AWARDS OF MY OWN.
These awards have only one recipient. I mean these in the funnest of ways, so try not to take offense if I insult one of your favorite teams or players.
YOU KNOW THE OPPOSING COACH THINKS YOU'RE SCREWED, WHEN _____ CHECKS IN.
I lied, this one is a two-way tie.
Beno Udrih, San Antonio Spurs
Vassilis Spanoulis, Houston Rockets
Gregg Popovich and Jeff Van Gundy have reportedly destroyed these respective players' confidences so badly, they are now on the same level as that of a dead tree frog.
Apparently, Spanoulis has shown himself so badly that he wasn't good enough to check in when the Rockets were slaughtering the Sixers by 50 points.
In all fairness, both international players sport incredible potential, but they are turnover prone and cause more faces to be suffocated by hands than any other reserves.
If you see one of these two players on the court, there's a pretty good chance Pops or Van Gundy thinks a schizophrenic house fly has a better chance of winning than you do.
Lesson: make sure these guys don't have a reason to check in.
P.S. Spanoulis and Udrih are favorites of mine. I intend this award in the silliest of ways.
HOW DID YOU LOSE THAT ONE?
Could anybody else but the 2006-2007 Los Angeles Lakers win this one?
Kobe easily racks up a 50-pointer and a 17-point lead against the in-city rival Clippers seems comfortable as can be at halftime. But wait, Luke Walton and the boys aren't done finding a way to blow this one.
The Lakers can find a way to lose any game. Guaranteed. Playing against a depleted D-League team? That group of amateurs doesn't have a prayer of losing.
They're the most talented losers in all of professional sports. Give them that at least.
MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM
I lied again, another two-way tie.
New Jersey Nets
Los Angeles Clippers
The poor season records these two teams unhappily advertise speak for themselves. Many people predicted the Nets could win the East.
After the best season in franchise history, the Clippers were expected to do a lot more than not make the playoffs.
NICEST SURPRISE
Toronto Raptors
Chris Bosh anchors a sturdy plethora of youthful gems. I'm beginning to think maybe Pat Riley wasn't off his rocker when he said he had hoped to draft Bosh over Dwyane Wade. Going from a last place in the division prediction to a possible finals berth - now that's a surprise worth hooting about.
MOST HILARIOUS MOMENT
Every Rasheed Wallace technical foul accrued this and every NBA season.
The ball don't lie Rasheed and you get T'd up every time it tells the truth.
As the playoffs unravel, I will be handing out more of these fake, unorthodox awards.
Until then, thanks for reading.
Enjoy the postseason of the greatest sport in the history of mankind! I know I will.
A Not So "Meaningless" Game
I knew Avery Johnson was lying through his teeth when he vowed to play no starter more than 26 minutes.
That's the competitive, authoritative and crafty mind Johnson has, the one I learned so much about when he was in a Spurs uniform. When the Spurs decided to rumble with a playoff intensity, I'm sure the reigning coach-of-the-year had a slight change of heart.
In the final six minutes, the Mavs returned to playoff-ready form, while the Spurs took a mental vacation. The Spurs had done all they needed to do for three quarters to seal the game, and then like they have done all too much this season, they dropped all their momentum out of the bag and stepped on it. They smothered it. They extinguished it.
For the Mavs, winning a 66th game seemed like more of a procedural goal. The Spurs needed this game much more, to keep their toe to toe battle with the Phoenix Suns for the second seed alive. Also, to tie the season series and gather confidence should these two teams meet again in the postseason.
But, without the lanky and monstrous arms of Tim Duncan at their services, the Spurs turned a once "meaningless" game into a meaningful loss.
The Spurs don't lose games like this because they're outmatched or inferior, they lose these because their air-tight focus starts leaking profusely.
If Johnson can be inspired to steal a victory based on such a mediocre effort from the crowd, imagine what could happen the next time these two teams tango in San Antonio.
DUNCAN EJECTION
I will contend again that officiating does not decide games. It most certainly did not decide the one this afternoon. However, Joey Crawford will not escape this blog post without a grand reaming.
You deserve to be accosted when you eject a player for possibly laughing at a call that should never have been whistled in the first place.
Duncan says he kept his mouth shut during the ordeal. Crawford said Duncan called him a "piece of shit."
Since Duncan has only been ejected one other time in his 10 years as a professional player--and the only other ejection also came at the hands of Crawford--I'm giving Timmy the benefit of the doubt.
More players than just Rasheed Wallace feel this geezer has it out for them. As much as I respect Joey Crawford's seniority and experience, he made three bone-head calls. They were bad enough that David Stern and Stu Jackson need to evaluate which games, if any, Crawford should officiate in the post season.
Timmy didn't receive a whistle that should have gone his way. The contact on the play would have warranted a foul in most situations, but Duncan has to know that sometimes you don't get calls. He sat down, still upset that Crawford missed the contact.
Ginobili then was called for a bogus reach-in foul. The replay clearly showed Gino had a CLEAN steal. When Terry missed his first free throw, Duncan let out a laugh. He said nothing and every replay I saw supports that claim. Crawford T'd him up for laughing. Apparently, he thought Duncan was pulling a Rasheed Wallace "ball don't lie" insult.
Of course, he didn't say "ball don't lie." He just laughed, something that is perfectly legal in all 51 states in the Union.
Then Fabricio Oberto was called for a blocking foul on Howard. At first, the call seemed fairly legit, but after a replay, I saw what the Spurs should have been complaining about.
Oberto was standing outside the paint, just standing. Then Howard runs at him full speed like Joe Nameth or some other fucking football star and it's a blocking foul??!!
Next time I play a pick up game, I'll just ram into somebody and when they try to call a foul on me, I'll reference this call by the great Joey Crawford.
Duncan laughed briefly again, but from what I could see, said nothing. Crawford T'd him up a second time.
I doubt Tim Duncan called Crawford a "piece of shit" to his face, but he should have. My dog could crap out a better foul call than that.
Teams don't lose because of poor officiating, there's always some other reason. But when the calls are this bad, what the fuck are fair-minded people supposed to do? Should I send Crawford some flowers and a fruit basket?
I think not.
SPURS WILL REMEMBER NEEDLESS DEFEATS
When the Spurs sulk about not catching the Phoenix Suns for the second seed, they won't be thanking Steve Nash or Dirk Nowitzki for such a denial.
Instead, they'll be mailing thank you cards to Charlotte, Indiana, Boston, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Minessota, Orlando and the other teams that had no business beating them.
Until losing to Dallas, the Spurs' only losses had come to teams with mere lottery hopes that they had no chance of facing in the postseason. These pitiful performances kept the Spurs from taking some of Dallas' glory. If the Spurs had won at least six more games, nobody would be whining about what a great season the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks have had.
The Spurs have no one to blame for this but themselves.
Durant Declares for NBA Draft
After slashing multiple school records and nabbing seven player of the year awards, Texas Longhorns' forward Kevin Durant will forego three more years of college eligibility to enter the NBA draft, he said Tuesday.
Durant tallied conference highs in scoring and rebouding, setting records never before captured by a 19-year-old freshman. Analysts project Durant will be a top 3 pick in the upcoming draft, predicted to be one of the meatiest in professional basketball history. He led a squad of youngsters to a second round defeat in the NCAA tournament - remarkable considering the starters that propelled last season's Horns to the Sweet 16 were all gone.
His declaration for the draft shouldn't surprise anyone, particularly Boston Celtics General Manager Denny Ainge, who was fined for excessive contact with Durant's mother. Ainge, a GM trying to keep his tanking team afloat to avoid an all-out embarrasing season, is sipping cognac right now, pissing on that $30,000 fine NBA officials slapped on him in March.
And thus, the Texas Longhorns will begin searching again, to see if another freshman can step out of the woodwork and lead a young, inexperienced team to another tournament berth.
Doubt it.
Rockets Steal 4th Seed From Jazz, at Least for Now
Who knew you could play this badly and still pass a team that was two games ahead of you one week ago for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs?
The Rockets managed to temporarily grab the Western Conference's 4th playoff seed by a half game after escaping a spirited effort from the pathetic Supersonics. As poorly and lethargically as the Rockets have played in the last week, Utah has been one step worse.
Utah has lost 4 of its last 5 games, the only win an 86-83 victory over the Rockets that seemed to deflate any chances of catching them for the four spot. Since then, both teams have stumbled into an ugly race to see which team can play less badly.
Both clubs managed to make the depleted, lottery-bound Portland Trail Blazers look like a playoff team in consecutive losses.
The Jazz have dropped games to the Supersonics, Blazers and Kings. The Warriors pistolwhipped them by 24 points Monday evening, 126-102, in a game where the final score was hardly that close.
After dropping three in a row, two of which should have been blowouts in the Rockets' favor (Golden State and Portland), Houston barely skirted by two ball clubs whose hopes include little more than landing a decent lottery pick in the June draft.
Barely beating the embarrasing Sonics by five points in a hot seated race would most assuredly not be enough in most playoff races. But the Jazz's play of late has been so decrepit, it defies the classification of the negative adjectives "bad" and "ugly."
Yao registered 31 points and T-Mac dropped 27, but this one is on the shortlist of games not to remember when the postseason rolls around in a few weeks.
Lucky for the lackadaisical Rockets, the Jazz keep turning in performances that are even worse. For now, it's just enough for the Rockets to rest their pinkies on the coveted 4th playoff seed.
Are the Rockets Ready for the Playoffs?
With the Rockets' 86-83 home loss to the Utah Jazz and hopes of catching them mostly squandered in the books, it's time to examine the question that really matters: is this team ready for the playoffs?
SUNDAY'S GAME OFFERS SOME CLUES
I sure hope Scott Wall, and Steve Javie for that matter, are on a beach somewhere during the playoffs. These blind idiots have no business officiating important games. Javie has earned my chagrin in previous contests. Wall made up for lost time in Sunday's game. With less than 2 minutes to go, Wall whistled Shane Battier for a blocking foul that gave Carlos Boozer an 'and 1' opportunity. This play, that allowed Utah to take its first and lasting lead of the 4th quarter, was clearly a charge. Battier had himself planted outside of the circle when he saw Boozer trouncing down the lane. It was a horrible call that fit an evening full of even more horrible calls. I subscribe to the notion that foul calls should never decide the outcomes of games, and more than Wall's ineptness cost the Rockets a must-win, but Sunday was ridiculous.
Of course it's hard to top Javie calling Michael Finley for a foul in the Dallas-San Antonio series when Finley was standing by himself at the top of the key. I wonder if these two refs have some hidden infatuation with Halloween, given all the phantom fouls they call.
But beyond the poor whistling, the embarrasing shooting by both clubs also tells a tale. Sure, Utah had four layups in the final minutes that helped the Rockets 77-70 lead evaporate. Even with that, Utah shot one percentage point less than the Rockets and still won by 3 points. Utah is a come from behind team; they make tough wins a habit.
Utah made 8 more free throws than the Rockets because they shot 12 more overall. A 3 point loss under these circumstances is not the end of the world, nor does it mean that Utah has a better team or an advantage in the playoffs.
If a 7 point lead in a competitive game was safe, the NBA wouldn't be worth the plastic drink coaster you set your beer on when you're watching it.
REFUTING SOME RIDICULOUS ARGUMENTS
1) Yao is not a superstar.
Nobody can stop Yao from dominating the paint, except Yao. Yao misssed a few point-blank shots in the 4th quarter, but what the hell else do you expect the guy to do? 35 points, 16 rebounds (that's 16!!!!) and 4 blocks. How these numbers not disgust you in that MVP sort of way? When you have a 7'6" center who is a great foul shooter, it would be stupid, even foolish not to exploit the size advantage he has over every NBA player. It's the same reason, players often end games hugging Dwyane Wade. If you don't foul the guy, he finishes a layup or dunks the ball. Yao should be regarded no differently.
At times on Sunday, he was the only player keeping us in the game. And it's not like Utah was lighting up the scoreboard either.
2) T-Mac is not competitive and should be traded
McGrady may have leaked a quitters attitude more than a few times with all of his back spasm troubles, but getting rid of him is the dumbest idea I have ever heard of.
No scorer, except maybe Kobe Bryant, can make the kind of shots that T-Mac cha-chings in clutch games. He can't make shots in the clutch?
Hmmm... I seem to remember a 115-111 overtime victory in Sacramento that McGrady had a little something to do with. I also seem to remember a few clutch shots that allowed the Rockets to be the only Texas team to win both regular season games against the Chicago Bulls.
McGrady has won me back with his play this season. Most scorers of his blood don't shoot the lights out with their FG %, but that's not the point.
In both playoff series' that McGrady has surrendered he had nowhere close to the kind of team he has with the Rockets now.
3) Yao and T-Mac will never work.
You may remember a 40-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks two seasons ago. Yep, the one that pained you for weeks after it happened. The one where you almost got beaten up by a Dallas Fan, where Dallasites chanted "Houston sucks" and had a good reason for doing so. T-Mac and Yao scored a combined 66 points in that game. The scoring tandem doesn't seem to be the problem there. The rest of the team, which only scored 12 points, might have been the issue - just maybe.
No other professional sports team has the kind of scoring duo that the Rockets have. And we're talking NFL, MLB, NCAA, NHL and especially the NBA. They may have trouble staying on the court together, but what they provide when they are is worth every game they're not.
4) We should trade "X" player(s) for Kevin Garnett
Every team that is not the Dallas Mavericks has some fan who believes KG will solve all of his/her team's woes. Garnett is a double-double machine. It's virtually a lock that you'll get a 20-10 night every time he plays. While that may be a hell of a guarantee for any team, it doesn't solve anything for the Rockets.
The Rockets aren't lacking in the talent department. They have it in spades. KG coming to the Rockets still doesn't work unless every player decides to show some heart, some championship poise.
If Rafer Alston was really keen on winning a title, that last 3-point attempt would never have missed. Teams that truly want to win titles don't lose important games. They win in whatever way they have to. That's why the Dallas Mavericks are 63-12.
They lost to Phoenix yesterday, in a game that meant relatively nothing toward the playoffs. They have the #1 seed locked up and have won the Southwest division. They could lose their remaining 9 games and still have had the best season in franchise history.
The Spurs will be hungry to tie up the season series when they play the Mavs for the final time this season. The Mavs losing that game will mean relatively nothing, either.
Which superstar(s) are helming the Rockets won't matter unless every player can find some motivational fuel. That, not talent, is the only way these Rockets will ever beat a team like Utah and a coach like Jerry Sloan in the playoffs.
