Playoff Madness
Hello sports fans! I know, I've been lagging behind on this, but my real job has been consuming of late. But anyway, here we are now... One quick note - my spell check is not working on this stupid program so please disregard silly spelling errors.
As we are in the heart of playoff season, where else could I start? Certainly the Spurs/Suns series seemed to be the most interesting until Chicago and New Jersey started showing in up in their respective series. Attention Detroit, it is now time to begin thinking about freaking out. Write this down - if Chicago wins game 6, the series is theirs. This next game is a must-win for the Pistons.
But back to the "big" story - the wonderful world of suspensions. Before this incident, the pissing and moaning about the so-called biased officiating was really getting old - in my opinion, that began to diminish the series long before the Big Hit Bob hip check. Specifically to the Suns - STOP WHINING!!! There's a reason San Antonio was playing so physical, they know you can't handle it. And clearly they were right.
With that said, I do think the league's handling of the suspensions was suspect at best. I know, I know, there are rules and the rules can't be bent for anyone. BUT, the rule was put in place 10 or so years ago when the melee between Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson broke out (Knicks vs. Heat). It was further enforced with the Brawl in the Palace (side note here, I do think the league probably took a more hard-lined stance after this incident, removing "consideration" from the decision process). And finally, the fight earlier this year with the Nuggets and I don't remember who.
Point is this - in each of those situations, players left the bench with one clear purpose - to join in the fracas. This situation with Suns/Spurs was clearly NOT an example of players joining a fight. Obviously none of us know what Amare's or Boris' intentions were, but after seeing the replays 5,000 times, it sure didn't look too bad to me. Was Horry wrong in what he did? You bet, he deserved his suspension, but it is ironic that he was the instigator and the Suns got pinged pretty good. Of course lack of depth on their team is no one's fault but their own, but nonetheless, they got hosed for an incident that was 100% initiated by a Spurs reserve. I would have liked to have seen the NBA look at this incident with a bit more consideration, but I also understand the "rules are rules" comment that so many Spurs fans have been chanting for the past 2 days leading up to last night (Another funny note here - had the situation been reversed, I guarantee you that 100% of Spurs fans would have been saying what 100% of Suns have been saying and vice versa). I guess at the end of the day when intentions are unknown, you have to side with the letter of the law. Oh and by the way, for those of you that may have suggested that it diminished the series - sounds like it was a pretty damn good game last night (I was asleep before the first quarter ended). And for the record, I never though Phoenix really stood a chance against San Antone in a 7 game series - a healthy Duncan is simply too much and when Ginobli decides to turn it on (I really don't like this guy - he's a soccer player who happens to play basketball), they are very tough to beat. I will be watching every second of game 6 though - can Phoenix nut up and pull a second-straight win in San Antonio - I don't think so. At the end of the day, Phoenix's biggest weakness is physical play.
As much as I enjoy watching Stoudamire play, he's a HUGE wuss - he and Yao Ming need to go to the Charles Oakley school of tough in the off season.
Speaking of tough - how about those Chicago Bulls???!! I think most people forgot this series was still going on. I don't know how Detroit got blown out like that at home the other night - oh wait, yes I do, Chicago shot about 75% from the field (for you non-basketball fans, that's unheard of). Look, when you live and die by the 3-point shot and you're on, you're unbeatable. When you're not, you have no chance. I just think Chicago got hot the last two games. And I'll say it again here, if they win this next game tonight, they will take the series. The Bulls seemed to have taken the Pistons out of their element and boys from motor city have no clue how to respond - and we all know from the Minnestoa days that Flip Saunders sure as hell doesn't know how to respond.
Other quick hits around the league:
- So I hear rumors that the Rockets are interested in speaking with Rick Adelman about their coaching job. Wait a minute? I thought the Rockets still had a head coach as of...all year??? Kidding, I know how this crazy business works. But seriously, I think this may be a lateral move. I like Adelman and he certainly has a more impressive record of taking teams to the playoffs (Blazers and Kings for the last decade and a half). The only reason he wasn't in at least 1 finals was that the Lakers had Kobe and Shaq. I just don't think Van Gundy is a tremendously likeable guy. Adelman is.
- So we finally got to see the reality that is the Golden State Warriors. It still makes me laugh how a few folks (who will remain unnamed for their own benefit) immediately told me that the Warriors were a shoe-in for the conference finals. Why? Because they beat a one-dimensional, regular season beauty in the Dallas Mavericks? I will say this, the Warriors have 2 primary issues: 1) they have zero inside game, and 2) they are arguably the most undisciplined team in the league. At the first sign of adversity they lose their cool. There are rumors of them making a big push for Garnett - that just may propel them to the upper echelon of the western conference teams - of course I'm praying my Lakers can pull that trade off first. Don Nelson's future is another huge question mark - if he leaves (and he decides on July 1), they will take 2 steps backwards.
- I don't think Utah has much of a chance against either San Antonio or Phoenix. They got the luck of the draw when it comes to opponents in this year's playoffs.
- I'd like to see New Jersey come back and take the series from Cleveland. And are you kidding me with Jason Kidd's performance these days??? Just when you think this guy is past his prime, he goes and averages a triple-double in the playoffs. Very impressive.
- Have I mentioned how much I really don't like Manu Ginobli?? He and Duncan are two peas in a pod - here's a newsflash, you both commit fouls, stop holding your hands up like it's absurd that YOU could ever be called for a foul. Go back to soccer with that crap, Manu.
- I'm not saying that the foul wasn't hard because it was pretty hard, but when you watch the replay (and don't pretend like you haven't seen it dozens of times) of the Horry/Nash foul, Nash makes a blatant move to add a little "flop" at the end of it by flailing his arms. Go check it out, it's there. Too bad he didn't need to do it, the foul was hard enough, but the fact that he did do it is the epitome of what this series has become. Too bad because without all of this other BS, it's a great matchup.
Well, unfortunately I don't have a whole lot else from the sports world to discuss so I'll go into my usual tirades on 24 and American Idol.
So now that I'm caught up on 24 I'm reiterating my stance that this season may do this show in for good. It's beyond ridiculous (for true 24 fans, you know what I mean - to others it may have always seemed ridiculous). The only word I can use to describe it is lame. We've got the 2-hour season finale coming up on Monday and I think I have a pretty good idea on how it ends. But the question is where do they go from here?
For those other fellow Idol fans who I've been debating this with over the last couple of weeks - I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. About 6 or 7 weeks ago I declared Blake would win it. About 3 or 4 weeks ago I conceded that Jordin could win it. During that same time I declared Melinda could not/would not win it. Melinda went home last night and we're left with Blake and Jordin in our finale. The good news for those 3 is that no matter what, they will have record contracts. Here's my take on those last 3:
Melinda - Literally a perfect voice; flawless. But nothing else. Not a good entertainer at all. She'll dominate on broadway or as a recording artist.
Blake - The only true artist of the bunch. He's also the only one who is truly unique. He may make a few albums, but I think he'll produce a lot of them. I'm still sticking with him to take the prize next week.
Jordin - Definitely the only one with super star potential. If she doesn't win, she'll be the most "popular" in terms of mainstream fans - records, tours, etc. - she'll have the whole package. Oh yea, and she's only 17.
I'm ready for football season.
As we are in the heart of playoff season, where else could I start? Certainly the Spurs/Suns series seemed to be the most interesting until Chicago and New Jersey started showing in up in their respective series. Attention Detroit, it is now time to begin thinking about freaking out. Write this down - if Chicago wins game 6, the series is theirs. This next game is a must-win for the Pistons.
But back to the "big" story - the wonderful world of suspensions. Before this incident, the pissing and moaning about the so-called biased officiating was really getting old - in my opinion, that began to diminish the series long before the Big Hit Bob hip check. Specifically to the Suns - STOP WHINING!!! There's a reason San Antonio was playing so physical, they know you can't handle it. And clearly they were right.
With that said, I do think the league's handling of the suspensions was suspect at best. I know, I know, there are rules and the rules can't be bent for anyone. BUT, the rule was put in place 10 or so years ago when the melee between Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson broke out (Knicks vs. Heat). It was further enforced with the Brawl in the Palace (side note here, I do think the league probably took a more hard-lined stance after this incident, removing "consideration" from the decision process). And finally, the fight earlier this year with the Nuggets and I don't remember who.
Point is this - in each of those situations, players left the bench with one clear purpose - to join in the fracas. This situation with Suns/Spurs was clearly NOT an example of players joining a fight. Obviously none of us know what Amare's or Boris' intentions were, but after seeing the replays 5,000 times, it sure didn't look too bad to me. Was Horry wrong in what he did? You bet, he deserved his suspension, but it is ironic that he was the instigator and the Suns got pinged pretty good. Of course lack of depth on their team is no one's fault but their own, but nonetheless, they got hosed for an incident that was 100% initiated by a Spurs reserve. I would have liked to have seen the NBA look at this incident with a bit more consideration, but I also understand the "rules are rules" comment that so many Spurs fans have been chanting for the past 2 days leading up to last night (Another funny note here - had the situation been reversed, I guarantee you that 100% of Spurs fans would have been saying what 100% of Suns have been saying and vice versa). I guess at the end of the day when intentions are unknown, you have to side with the letter of the law. Oh and by the way, for those of you that may have suggested that it diminished the series - sounds like it was a pretty damn good game last night (I was asleep before the first quarter ended). And for the record, I never though Phoenix really stood a chance against San Antone in a 7 game series - a healthy Duncan is simply too much and when Ginobli decides to turn it on (I really don't like this guy - he's a soccer player who happens to play basketball), they are very tough to beat. I will be watching every second of game 6 though - can Phoenix nut up and pull a second-straight win in San Antonio - I don't think so. At the end of the day, Phoenix's biggest weakness is physical play.
As much as I enjoy watching Stoudamire play, he's a HUGE wuss - he and Yao Ming need to go to the Charles Oakley school of tough in the off season.
Speaking of tough - how about those Chicago Bulls???!! I think most people forgot this series was still going on. I don't know how Detroit got blown out like that at home the other night - oh wait, yes I do, Chicago shot about 75% from the field (for you non-basketball fans, that's unheard of). Look, when you live and die by the 3-point shot and you're on, you're unbeatable. When you're not, you have no chance. I just think Chicago got hot the last two games. And I'll say it again here, if they win this next game tonight, they will take the series. The Bulls seemed to have taken the Pistons out of their element and boys from motor city have no clue how to respond - and we all know from the Minnestoa days that Flip Saunders sure as hell doesn't know how to respond.
Other quick hits around the league:
- So I hear rumors that the Rockets are interested in speaking with Rick Adelman about their coaching job. Wait a minute? I thought the Rockets still had a head coach as of...all year??? Kidding, I know how this crazy business works. But seriously, I think this may be a lateral move. I like Adelman and he certainly has a more impressive record of taking teams to the playoffs (Blazers and Kings for the last decade and a half). The only reason he wasn't in at least 1 finals was that the Lakers had Kobe and Shaq. I just don't think Van Gundy is a tremendously likeable guy. Adelman is.
- So we finally got to see the reality that is the Golden State Warriors. It still makes me laugh how a few folks (who will remain unnamed for their own benefit) immediately told me that the Warriors were a shoe-in for the conference finals. Why? Because they beat a one-dimensional, regular season beauty in the Dallas Mavericks? I will say this, the Warriors have 2 primary issues: 1) they have zero inside game, and 2) they are arguably the most undisciplined team in the league. At the first sign of adversity they lose their cool. There are rumors of them making a big push for Garnett - that just may propel them to the upper echelon of the western conference teams - of course I'm praying my Lakers can pull that trade off first. Don Nelson's future is another huge question mark - if he leaves (and he decides on July 1), they will take 2 steps backwards.
- I don't think Utah has much of a chance against either San Antonio or Phoenix. They got the luck of the draw when it comes to opponents in this year's playoffs.
- I'd like to see New Jersey come back and take the series from Cleveland. And are you kidding me with Jason Kidd's performance these days??? Just when you think this guy is past his prime, he goes and averages a triple-double in the playoffs. Very impressive.
- Have I mentioned how much I really don't like Manu Ginobli?? He and Duncan are two peas in a pod - here's a newsflash, you both commit fouls, stop holding your hands up like it's absurd that YOU could ever be called for a foul. Go back to soccer with that crap, Manu.
- I'm not saying that the foul wasn't hard because it was pretty hard, but when you watch the replay (and don't pretend like you haven't seen it dozens of times) of the Horry/Nash foul, Nash makes a blatant move to add a little "flop" at the end of it by flailing his arms. Go check it out, it's there. Too bad he didn't need to do it, the foul was hard enough, but the fact that he did do it is the epitome of what this series has become. Too bad because without all of this other BS, it's a great matchup.
Well, unfortunately I don't have a whole lot else from the sports world to discuss so I'll go into my usual tirades on 24 and American Idol.
So now that I'm caught up on 24 I'm reiterating my stance that this season may do this show in for good. It's beyond ridiculous (for true 24 fans, you know what I mean - to others it may have always seemed ridiculous). The only word I can use to describe it is lame. We've got the 2-hour season finale coming up on Monday and I think I have a pretty good idea on how it ends. But the question is where do they go from here?
For those other fellow Idol fans who I've been debating this with over the last couple of weeks - I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. About 6 or 7 weeks ago I declared Blake would win it. About 3 or 4 weeks ago I conceded that Jordin could win it. During that same time I declared Melinda could not/would not win it. Melinda went home last night and we're left with Blake and Jordin in our finale. The good news for those 3 is that no matter what, they will have record contracts. Here's my take on those last 3:
Melinda - Literally a perfect voice; flawless. But nothing else. Not a good entertainer at all. She'll dominate on broadway or as a recording artist.
Blake - The only true artist of the bunch. He's also the only one who is truly unique. He may make a few albums, but I think he'll produce a lot of them. I'm still sticking with him to take the prize next week.
Jordin - Definitely the only one with super star potential. If she doesn't win, she'll be the most "popular" in terms of mainstream fans - records, tours, etc. - she'll have the whole package. Oh yea, and she's only 17.
I'm ready for football season.
posted by The Bearden Wonder at 8:38 AM
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