- Prediction: Luol Deng is going to be a star if not a superstar.
- Pat Riley says the Bulls are on the verge of greatness. Aren’t they there already? They’ve got the kind of balance in their starting five that the Pistons had 4 years ago.
- The Heat caught lightning in a bottle last year. I don’t think they’ll be doing the same with this team again. They should be in for some major reconstruction in the off-season.
- Playoff series which I mostly fast-forwarded through: Pistons/Magic, Nuggets/Spurs, Raptors/Nets, Jazz/Rockets, Cavaliers/Wizards
- I find myself feeling deeply satisfied watching Don Nelson’s Warriors thrash Mark Cuban’s whiny Mavericks.
- The Heat lost to the Bulls because they couldn’t stop their offense despite apparently good defensive effort by most of the players. So where does the blame lie? The coach, of course.
- Prediction: Shaq will win no more championships.
- The Bulls’ acquisition of Ben Wallace will likely be the key to their next championship.
- Prediction: Smush Parker’s days as a Laker are numbered.
- Leandro Barbosa has an uncanny knack for making layups regardless of the angle. He really makes a non-dunk layup beautiful.
- Make no mistake, the bottom half of the Eastern Conference bracket means little or nothing. The winner of the Detroit/Chicago series will win the East and play in the Finals.
- Boris Diaw needs to add the three point shot to his game. If he does that, he’ll be a complete offensive threat at any position. He’s got a long way to defensively, though.
- Diaw’s got great footwork in the lane but when you watch him, he’s so long that it seems like he’s moving in slow motion.
- Add Jon Barry to the list of my favorite broadcasters. I liked his game when he played, too.
- Reggie Miller, however, joins Magic Johnson in the great-players-who-suck-at-broadcasting category.
- Did Pat Riley mortgage Dwayne Wade’s future to get Shaquille O’Neal on the Heat? Wade will be in his prime in a few years and O’Neal will be gone. Lamar Odom and Caron Butler, on the other hand, will still be young players.
- If I were working for Suns management, I’d have Horace Grant call Shawn Marion to tell him the perils of moving out of the shadow of the two best and most popular players on a team. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
- Best fans in the playoffs so far? There can be no doubt – Golden State.
- Watching this Warriors team play feels like watching Don Nelson’s Warriors teams of years past: 2 or 3 stars and 6 guys you never heard of playing way above their heads. Will Don Nelson always be the underdog?
- Dirk Nowitzki as MVP of the NBA? If that happens, it will be a joke. In all likelihood, the Mavs won’t even be playing when it’s announced.
- Although coming back from being down 3-1 seems unlikely, the Mavericks/Warriors series is ripe for it to happen. The Warriors are on the edge all of the time.
- What a contrast between the demeanor of Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis in Game 2 vs. Game 4. Davis was all smiles the entire game.
- Mavericks at Warriors, Game 4 may go down as one of the most exciting playoff games ever played. The 8 seed was down for most of each quarter but then rallied to tie at the end of the quarter and then surged at precisely the right time to end the game.
- The swarming Warriors defense rattled even the unflappable Jerry Stackhouse at crucial moments of the game.
- My dream series for the Western Conference Finals: Warriors vs. Suns.
Playoff Notes
- Free throw shooting must be 80% or above
- Must have a credible three-point shot
- Must add a low post one-on-one game
- Must reduce the number of turnovers he has
Playoff Notes
- 1998: Traded the draft rights to Robert Traylor and Pat Garrity for the draft rights for Dirk Nowitzki.
- 1999: Acquired Steve Nash via trade
- 2000: Drafted Eduardo Najera
- 2003: Drafted Josh Howard
- 2003: Signed Marquis Daniels as a free agent
- 2003: Acquired Walker and Jameson in trades
- 2004: Drafted Devon Harris
- 2004: Traded Najera for Erick Dampier
- 2004: Traded Antawn Jameson for Jerry Stackhouse and the #5 draft pick (which ended up being Devon Harris).
- 2004: Traded Antoine Walker for Jason Terry after losing Steve Nash to free agency (effectively making lemonade out of lemons).
- 2005: Signed DeSagna Diop as a free agent.
Playoff Notes
- The NBA definitely has to do something about the bullshit flagrant foul calls. More often than not, it appears that whether a foul is flagrant is determined solely by how much of a spill the fouled player takes.
- The Heat definitely benefitted from the extra time off, especially Shaq who was extremely energetic in the minutes he played.
- Alonzo Mourning saw limited minutes in the two previous games, but he played extensively and productively tonight. He looks like he’s close to 100% back from the calf injury in March.
- I think I heard the Detroit announcer say “Deee-troit Basketbaaaaallll” about a hundred times during the Cavs series, but I only noticed it two or three times tonight.
- The Pistons likely have the best starting five in the NBA right now. So how fair is it that they can bring Antonio McDyess off the bench? I guess about as fair as being able to bring Mourning off the bench.
- And now Lindsay Hunter can shoot threes? What the hell? Why not three years ago when he was a Laker?
- Antoine Walker started off hot from the three point line but it proved to be a negative to his game. Instead of using it as a way to get some dribble penetration later on, he settled on throwing up more ugly threes – all misses.
- How weird was it that Riley went to the Hack-a-Shaq defense late in the fourth quarter? I remember when Mike Dunleavy did the same thing as the coach of the Blazers back in 2000. His team was ahead and totally in control of the flow of the game. The parade to the free throw line only served to disrupt that flow. Eventually, the Blazers went on to lose that series in seven games. I blame Dunleavy for going to the Hack-a-Shaq.
- I was disappointed to see Udonis Haslem shoot so poorly. He’s one of those role players that turns a good team into a great team.
- The Detroit starting five all shot less than 50% from the field. Except Ben Wallace who was 3 for 3 and a non-factor on offense.
- I don’t know if “under-rated” is the right word, but Tayshaun Prince is probably the best player in the NBA who isn’t considered to be elite. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone who can consistently guard him and his defense is amazing.
- Here’s the box score. Miami shot 56% and outrebounded Detroit by 10. Detroit shot 38% but it seemed much worse during the fourth quarter.
- No Detroit fan attacked a player tonight, but the series isn’t over tonight.
Playoff Notes
- Has there ever been a crowd more schizophrenic than in Miami? They booed their team throughout Game 1 and head for the exits early, but then when the Heat cut the lead to 10 with four minutes to play, they erupted. It was awe-inspiring. But booing your team in Game 1 of a playoff series? Not cool in my book.
- The TNT team didn’t mention anything about it, but it’s pretty significant that Riley went to Doleac when Shaq drew his fourth foul. One can only assume that Mourning wasn’t able to go.
- If the Nets can’t get Richard Jefferson back in the series, they are done. He and Carter provide such a great one-two scoring punch that it’s really difficult to guard both.
- Antoine Walker sucked per his usual. I booed him along with the crowd. For God’s sake, stop shooting threes, you fool, and rebound the ball!
- Walker can really turn on the jets at times, but he looks funny when he does it. His legs start pumping way faster than it seems he’s moving. I hope we get to see more of that.
- Gary Payton also needs to stop shooting the three. What is he, like 25% career from downtown?
- If I was Pat Riley, I’d give strict instructions to let Lamond Murray shoot whenever and however he likes. NBA basketball is all about picking your poison, and Murray is usually the least poisonous on the floor.
- Evidently Jason Collins is a bleeder.
- I love watching Carter shoot the three. He hits a few but you know he’s going to go on a missing streak at any time.
- There is no way that the Nets will score 38 points in a quarter against the Heat again in this series.
- Watching Steve Nash take it past three or four guys to get the hoop has got to be one of the most sublime basketball plays to watch because you now he’s not the quickest guy out there. He does it with basketball smarts, misdirection and change-of-pace. Better than a dunk, I think.
- You could say that the Suns were incredibly lucky to land Tim Thomas after the Bulls kicked him out of Chicago. You could also say that they were incredibly lucky that he has chosen to over-achieve since he arrived, rather than under-achieve as he has for his entire career prior. You could say that, but weren’t the Suns due for a little luck after seeing Stoudemire and then Kurt Thomas go down with season-ending injuries?
- Thomas is having the same kind of career breakout post-season that Brian Williams had for the Bulls during one of their championship runs. The Bulls couldn’t afford to bring him back the next year and afterwards he never approached the greatness he showed during that post-season. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing is true of Tim Thomas after this post-season.
- Chris Kaman has to be among the top ten ugliest players in the NBA.
- Speaking of ugly, Shawn Marion has the hands-down ugliest jump shot in the NBA.
- You gotta feel sorry for Shawn Marion. After getting eaten alive by Lamar Odom in the first round, it only gets worse as he attempts to guard Elton Brand. Should the Suns make it to the conference finals, who is waiting? Most likely Tim Duncan. Ouch.
Something else happened in L.A.
Did Kobe Bryant purposefully tank Game 7 against the Suns to make a point? That’s what Charles Barkley said during Inside The NBA after the game. It’s not a hard argument to make, either. He only took three shots (two were three point attempts) and scored one point on a technical foul free throw. In the waning days of Shaquille O’Neal‘s final season with the Lakers, some of Kobe’s teammates alleged the very same thing. Usually the rap against Kobe is that he takes too many shots so is it really fair to criticize him for taking too few?
Certainly, his “supporting cast” was definitely not up to the challenge. Although Lamar Odom dominated Shawn Marion for most of the series, on Saturday Odom blew layups, fumbled away the ball and was essentially a non-factor in the game. Smush Parker continued his poor showing and Kwame Brown disappeared as most had expected. So it’s their fault, right? Not Kobe’s?
No, it’s entirely Kobe’s fault. Instead of drawing the double-team on post-ups and passing his teammates, he just passed to his teammates, evidently expecting them to make something happen on their own. He could have attacked the basket and created opportunities for his teammates, but he chose to remain passive for the entire second half. His passivity continued into the after-game press conference as he subtely hinted that he had done his best by playing “team basketball” and that his teammates were simply not up to snuff. Essentially, he acted like a 6-year-old who says, “Oh if that’s the way you want it, that’s exactly what I will do.” He obeys the parent’s decree to the letter but not to the spirit.
This is the same argument that Michael Jordan used to give back in the day before he was universally acknowledged as the greatest of all time. When asked why he didn’t make his teammates better like Magic Johnson, Michael said that Magic played with James Worthy, Kareem and Byron Scott. All Michael had was Horace Grant, John Paxson and Scottie Pippen. I’m waiting for the day when Kobe says, “But Michael had greats like Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen on his team.”
Kobe and the Lakers got the two best players that the Miami Heat had when they traded away Shaq. That’s a fact. The Lakers traded away Caron Butler (who, BTW, had 20 rebounds in Washington’s loss to the Cavaliers on Friday) because Kobe couldn’t find a way to play with him. Now I wouldn’t be surprised to see Odom traded away if Kobe demands it this summer. Michael and Magic were great because they really did make their teammates better players. They did so by learning what was already great about them and using it. Kobe hasn’t learned to do that yet and, at this point, I’d be willing to bet that he never will.
Here’s a selection of what other bloggers are saying:
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And here’s a few relevant news stories:
Update: Out of curiousity and because I still had the game on my Tivo, I watched the second half of Game 7 again tonight, this time focusing only on Kobe. During the third quarter he never touched the ball inside the three point line. He was involved in some pick-and-roll plays out there, but he either hoisted a three pointer (twice – see above), or he passed it back to the screener. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, he posted up about four times, but only one of those resulted in him taking it to the hoop, when it appeared he intentionally threw it off the backboard and fouled Raja Bell trying to get to the rebound. Four minutes into the fourth quarter, Kobe again became passive and spent the rest of the game outside of the three point stripe.
Another factor which I didn’t really notice the first time I watched was Raja Bell. Bell totally worked over Kobe in the second half – torching him for at least twelve points and playing excellent defense on him. Perhaps Bell got into his head, partially explaining the inexplicable.
Update II: Skip Bayless says Kobe is a “spoiled brat” and TJ Simers theorizes that something was said at halftime that pissed Kobe off. I concur with both.
Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Thoughts I had during the game:
- Dwayne Wade is the fastest half-court player in the NBA. Some players have great fast break speed, but Wade has great baseline and in-the-paint speed. He takes tremendously long strides when he wants to blow by someone and seems to just tilt from one side to the other as he weaves his way to the basket. I really love his game.
- During the Laker’s first championship run, the thing that really surprised me about Shaq was what great, soft hands he has. He gathers in nearly every rebound or pass that is near him and it’s nearly impossible to dislodge the ball once he has two hands on it.
- I used to really dislike Alonzo Mourning, both as a Hornet and later when Riley traded to get him on the Heat. He always seemed to whine about foul calls more than anybody else. I also never accepted him as a true center – he’s not even a 7-footer. However, since his return to the Heat, the guy has been the definion of a sports “warrior.” He does what he’s asked to do and never complains about his minutes. He even waived off the postgame interview after his fourth quarter heroics.
- I can’t think of a better center tandem to have on a team than Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal. Even at this late stage of their careers, both are able to put in a great 15-25 minutes per game. I expect that if they stay together that they will be able to buoy each other’s careers tremendously over the years.
- Speaking of great tandems, Jason Williams and Gary Payton both seem to have adjusted to the Heat game. I didn’t see either of them shooting shots that were out of the flow of the offense. You definitely could not say that earlier in the season.
- I’m especially happy that Payton has worked out. I was really disappointed in his showing for the Lakers two years ago, but perhaps I was expecting too much from the old guy. He’s definitely playing fewer minutes now and is a long way from being the star he was in Seattle. I’m continually surprised at how few players that were great when they were young are able to mold themselves into great role players late in their careers. Ron Harper is an excellent example of that. Magic Johnson is not.
- I hear Antoine Walker is also getting better as the season progresses, but I have seen no evidence of that yet. He still shoots more three pointers than he should, he still mishandles rebounds and he still blows layups. He needs to sacrifice a little of his alleged finesse game and add a little power. At least Riley hasn’t replaced Haslon with Walker. That would be a travesty.
- I really doubted that the Heat would be able to mesh given all the changes that they made during the off-season, but it really seems like they are getting there. Posey was very sharp and even Shandon Anderson made a contribution in the game.
- When I first saw Wade playing in the playoffs 3 years ago, he reminded me very much of Michael Jordan – mostly because he’s a high flyer and clearly imposes his will on the game. Since then I’ve seen a certain grittiness that even MJ never displayed. He may soon replace Allen Iverson as the toughest player in the league. If he can add a credible three point shot to his game, he could be better than Mike.
- Check that – he would also need a good low-post game, too. No two or three has ever had the game that Michael had on the block. In fact, does anybody that’s not a center or a four have a low-post game these days?
Update: Shaq was not happy about sitting on the bench in the 4th quarter