Tim Duncan, NBA Draft Notes and some baseball thoughts
The NBA Finals seemed to come and go faster than John Goodman works at the Sizzler buffet. Othe surface it appeared to be the most boring playoff series of our generation. Oh heck, it was the bost boring playoff series of our generation!!!! But buried beneath all of that dreary boredom is a player who has placed himself among the greatest to ever play the game and that player is Tim Duncan.
Tim Duncan IS the Spurs. He is the best player on 4 different championship teams. Yet, because he has the personality of a paper plate, it seems as though the media wants to give everyone around him more credit. Tony Parker is my first example. He is a good NBA player, not a great NBA player. He gets extra credit for the Spurs success because of two factors. Firstly, his status as Mr. Eva Longoria. Secondly, he exists in Duncan's wake. Replace Tony Parker with Leandro Barbosa and the Spurs still win the same amount.
Two much lesser examples are Manu Ginobili and Greg Popovich. Its tough to be critical of these two because they are both very good at what they do. Popovich is smart enough to know that his star shines as long as Duncan's does and he rides it. And the only real criticism you can make of Ginobili is his hygeine. But these two still would never have ascended to the pinnacle of the sport if they were not saddling up Tim Duncan.
At this stage of history the only NBA legends I would rank ahead of Duncan are Russell, Wilt, Jordan, Kareem, Bird, and Magic. Thats it. And you can't give me Shaq. Shaq is certainly a top 10 player in history, but he always had much more help than Duncan. Shaq won 3 titles with Kobe, and one with Dwyane Wade. The best player Duncan had next to him was an over the hill David Robinson. As much as I love Ginobili, he can't win a series single handedly like Kobe or Wade. Shaq could rest on offense for long stretches and Kobe and Wade made it very hard to double him. Duncan is the focal point of everything all the time and he's always double teamed. But he rarely makes a bad decision. The guy is a legend, even if it seems like no one really cares!!!
One of my favorite events of the year is the NBA Draft. Mostly because I generally believe that the majority of NBA general managers are woefully inept at their craft. With that said, here are some random thoughts about the draft.
Can't say i'm surprised about the Celtics moronic acquisition of Ray Allen for the first round pick and Delonte West. if Ainge's goal is to be the 6 seed in the East for two years before he drops back in the lottery, he's right on track.
I have dental floss with more bulk than Kevin Durant.
What are the Milwaukee Bucks doing? Yi Jianlian, the dude from China, declared he didn't want to go to Milwaukee because there are 6 Asians in the whole state. Then when you keep in mind that no one has ever seen him play against anybody, is he the right pick at #6 in one of the deepest drafts ever????
And while I'm at it, Sacramento butchered their first rounder as well. I guess because Brad Miller was out for much of the year that the fans missed having a big white stiff to boo. So the Kings leave two players on the board who go top 5 any other year (Julian Wright and Al Thornton) to fill their big white stiff quota with Spencer Hawes.
The Atlanta Hawks did very well. They got a developed high quality big player in Al Horford and a savvy NBA ready point guard in Acie Law. All they need is a decent head coach and this team could actually be interesting. Rick Carlisle would turn that program around.
The Charlotte Bobcats made a great trade. They didn't need another rookie, unless it was Oden, Durant, or maybe Horford. Jason Richardson is one of the more underrated players in the league. And you can't love Brandan Wright when he had effort issues as a freshman. You always trade a maybe for a sure thing. They also made a great pick at #22 in Jared Dudley.
The Knicks made a good trade. Channing Frye is a dog. He can't defend and he's a physically weak player. Zach Randolph may be nuts, but he can score and he really can rebound. The Knicks would be smart to install metal detectors at Randolph's home, their practice facility, and the Garden, you know, just in case.
And maybe just maybe, this trade is the pre-cursor to Isiah having a fleeting fit of sense and deciding to package Eddy "Shrek" Curry and get in the mix for Kevin Garnett, Kobe, or Jermaine O'Neal. Please read that last line again and note how stupid it sounds.
My favorite picks of the first round, besides Oden and Durant of course, are Jeff Green at 5 to Seattle via Boston, Joakim Noah at 9 to Chicago, Al Thornton at 14 to the Clippers, Jared Dudley to Charlotte @ 22, and the steal of the draft, University of Wisconsin's Alando Tucker to Phoenix @29. Reminds me of a late first rounder the Suns selected, also from Wisconsin, named Michael Finley.
My favorite picks of the 2nd round are Glen Davis to Boston via Seattle, Chris Richard to Minnesota, Derrick Byars to Philly via Portland, Taurean Green to Portland, and Demetrious Nichols to the Knicks via Portland.
And to close this evening, a few random baseball thoughts:
The Yankees are no where close to being done yet, with that said, Joe Torre looks like he's aged 8 years before the All-star break.
The Tigers are a better team this year than last. They loom as the scariest team to face in the playoffs.
When does Ozzie Guillen get blamed for the disaster the White Sox have become.? Lots of squandered talent normally translates into the need for a new voice in the dugout. But Guillen may skate because he's got himself a World Series ring.
The Seattle Mariners are the best team no one pays attention to. Imagine how yough they'd be if Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre played up to their contracts.
As a New York Met fan, I'm much more worried about having to face the Phillies in the playoffs than I am having them take over the division.
As bad as the NL Central looks, the Cardinals are still shot. The emotional hangover of the unlikely World Series victory combined with the death of Josh Hancock have given them the look of a team thats praying for the season to end and we're not even at the All-Star break.
No one is beating Milwaukee in the NL Central. They do the best job of beating up on their division weaklings, and that will be what enables them to hold off the Cubs.
The Dodgers have underachieved in the West. They clearly have the most talent, but the volume of older players could crush them in the end. They've already lost Jason Schmidt and they're counting on grey beards Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez, and Nomar Garciaparra to stay healthy. That and Juan Pierre looks like the worst free agent signing of the decade.
The team that has the best chance to win the NL West is the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have a young lineup thats getting better each day, a veteran pitching staff anchored by reigning Cy Young award winner Brandan Webb and a very good closer in Jose Valverde. Where the veteran squads of the Padres and Dodgers will try to hang on and stay healthy to finish the season, the Diamondbacks will only get stronger.
Giddyap.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Random Thoughts
This stream of consciousness rant I'm about to embark will be an occassional theme for this space.
Whats with all of the criticsm of the Sopranos finale? Isn't a little nervy to trash David Chase, who brought us the permanent piece of American culture, for ending HIS show in a way HE sees fit??
With all due respect to LeBron James and Tim Duncan, the most entertaining part of the NBA finals is the announcers. How much do you think it would cost to rent Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson for my living room? Those two are clearly the only watchable aspect of this final.
The best thing that could have happened to the Yankees is Giambi getting hurt. It opened up the DH which takes Johnny Damon out of the field. Melky Cabrera is a much better defensive outfielder and is a tough out. Damon is a player who counts on his legs and his legs look shot. And did I mention that the Yankees owe him $26 million in the two years after this year. But its okay because thats what Roger Clemens makes in a half season.
Don't try to argue with me about the Sopranos. I'm the only person you know who named their kid Meadow.
Has Billy Donovan explained to anyone why he pulled out of the Orlando job. Or more importantly, why he took it in the first place? The biggest beneficiary of Donovan's little 360?? The Orlando Magic and their fans. They're going to like Stan Van Gundy running their show. This team will be competitive faster with Stan than they ever would have been with Donovan.
If the Jaguars end up signing Daunte Culpepper, he'll get a chance to be the starting quarterback for his 3rd NFL team. Something tells me if he doesn't get it right this time, there will be no 4th job. With that said, Nick Saban did a lousy job rushing him back last year, then leaving him for dead.
If a team won the Stanley Cup and no one watched, did they really actually win it?
If Chase does a Sopranos movie, wouldn't Eric Mangini be perfect as Tony's consigliere?? You've got to admit he'd be better than Belichick, even if Paulie showed up with a truck filled with oversized hooded sweatshirts.
Speaking of Belichick, by a show of hands, who would laugh if Tom Brady went down with a season ending injury in the Patriots first game of the season?? My hand is currently in the air.
Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson. I bet the NFL is thrilled to have become a year round phenomenon.
So whcih brilliant NBA GM will be the first in this year's draft to pass on a sure thing to use a high pick on unknown Chinese center Yi Jianlian? My money is on Danny Ainge and the Celtics. Call it Pitino envy, if you will.
Does anyone have the phone number of Manny Ramirez' barber??
Is there a professional athlete with a nose as big as Nomar Garciaparra??
Isn't the U.S. Open a more entertaining event when the players are starts as oppossed to the golf course? With that said, its a little fun watching professionals hack it up like duffers on a municipal course.
Did anyone else notice that the girl who chased around John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever turned up in the Sopranos finale as Patsy's wife? It might have passed you by because she had striking resemblance to Ginny Sack.
Giddyap.
This stream of consciousness rant I'm about to embark will be an occassional theme for this space.
Whats with all of the criticsm of the Sopranos finale? Isn't a little nervy to trash David Chase, who brought us the permanent piece of American culture, for ending HIS show in a way HE sees fit??
With all due respect to LeBron James and Tim Duncan, the most entertaining part of the NBA finals is the announcers. How much do you think it would cost to rent Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson for my living room? Those two are clearly the only watchable aspect of this final.
The best thing that could have happened to the Yankees is Giambi getting hurt. It opened up the DH which takes Johnny Damon out of the field. Melky Cabrera is a much better defensive outfielder and is a tough out. Damon is a player who counts on his legs and his legs look shot. And did I mention that the Yankees owe him $26 million in the two years after this year. But its okay because thats what Roger Clemens makes in a half season.
Don't try to argue with me about the Sopranos. I'm the only person you know who named their kid Meadow.
Has Billy Donovan explained to anyone why he pulled out of the Orlando job. Or more importantly, why he took it in the first place? The biggest beneficiary of Donovan's little 360?? The Orlando Magic and their fans. They're going to like Stan Van Gundy running their show. This team will be competitive faster with Stan than they ever would have been with Donovan.
If the Jaguars end up signing Daunte Culpepper, he'll get a chance to be the starting quarterback for his 3rd NFL team. Something tells me if he doesn't get it right this time, there will be no 4th job. With that said, Nick Saban did a lousy job rushing him back last year, then leaving him for dead.
If a team won the Stanley Cup and no one watched, did they really actually win it?
If Chase does a Sopranos movie, wouldn't Eric Mangini be perfect as Tony's consigliere?? You've got to admit he'd be better than Belichick, even if Paulie showed up with a truck filled with oversized hooded sweatshirts.
Speaking of Belichick, by a show of hands, who would laugh if Tom Brady went down with a season ending injury in the Patriots first game of the season?? My hand is currently in the air.
Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson. I bet the NFL is thrilled to have become a year round phenomenon.
So whcih brilliant NBA GM will be the first in this year's draft to pass on a sure thing to use a high pick on unknown Chinese center Yi Jianlian? My money is on Danny Ainge and the Celtics. Call it Pitino envy, if you will.
Does anyone have the phone number of Manny Ramirez' barber??
Is there a professional athlete with a nose as big as Nomar Garciaparra??
Isn't the U.S. Open a more entertaining event when the players are starts as oppossed to the golf course? With that said, its a little fun watching professionals hack it up like duffers on a municipal course.
Did anyone else notice that the girl who chased around John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever turned up in the Sopranos finale as Patsy's wife? It might have passed you by because she had striking resemblance to Ginny Sack.
Giddyap.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
LeBron, Sweet Lou, and the Top 10 Sopranos Episodes
If you've been paying attention to these NBA playoffs, and believe me, plenty of people haven't been, you are getting to watch something special. No matter what happens in the upcoming NBA finals, this year's playoff will be known for the monumental performance of 22 year old LeBron James.
In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James scored 29 of his team final 30 points leading his team to a two point overtime victory. He got hot in a big spot in a fashion that we've only seen from all-time superstars with championship resumes. He led them to the finals with a supporting cast that resembles Police Academy 5. In these playoffs, he's shown a will to win and an enjoyment for the game that we have never seen from him. But probably the most underrated part of what James has done is who he did it against.
Since the Eastern Conference finals it has been en vogue to trash the Detroit Pistons. From the early stages of the season straight through to the first two games of the Eatern Conference Finals, it was the general consensus that the Pistons would cruise into the NBA finals. Obviously, LeBron James had other plans and executed them in grand fashion. There is a chance that this ends a 5 year run of virtual dominance in the Eastern Conference. When you look at the players that LeBron conquered, there are some pretty impressive track records. Tayshuan Prince is in his prime and he completely shut down Kobe Bryant in the 2004 finals. Richard Hamilton , if used correctly, is an extremely difficult player to contain. Rasheed Wallace is on the back nine of his career, but he still is a very valuable two way threat. And Chauncey Billups is a playoff tested championship point guard who has a knack for hitting big shots. The only significant weakness the Pistons have is that their head coach Flip Saunders seems to coach the playoffs with two hands wrapped around his own neck. Think about how many times Hamilton was run off screens the year they won the title with Larry Brown as coach. About the same amount of time that Saunders started Hamilton with the ball at mid court to beat his defender on his own, but I digress. Against the Cavs, Saunders' deficient coaching wasn't much of a disadvantage because Mike Brown doesn't outcoach anybody. The bottom line being is that any talk denigrating the Pistons is just diminishing a historical individual effort by LeBron James in addition to being a foolish dismissal of an excellent group of players.
Has anybody else noticed that the entire landscape of managerial post game press conferences has really changed for the positive in major league baseball. The sole reason for this is the return to the dugout Of Sweet Lou Piniella as manager of the Chicago Cubs. No manager in the history of baseball does a press conference like Lou. He yells at everyone about virtually anything. He is eminently entertaining, especially when he is at his angriest. But somehow, I don't think that Cubs management is as entertained with Lou as I am.
This past offseason, Cubs management made a major financial commitment to turn around the fortunes of Chicago's lovable losers. They invested $300 million in player contracts signing players such as Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly, and Jason Marquis in additon to retaining Aramis Ramirez. Piniella himself got a 3 year deal worth $10 million. The suits at the Tribune Co. , the company that owns the Cubs, cannot be too happy with a 27-32 record as a current return on their investment. And to add insult to injury, the Cubs appear to play better baseball without Lou Piniella.
Piniella is just completing a 4 game suspension for kicking dirt all over an umpire, then admitted in his post game press conference that the umpire made the right call and he " was getting kicked out fo the game no matter what." This Piniella tirade was preceded the day before by an ugly dugout brawl. Cubs ace ( and we use the term loosely these days) Carlos Zambrano and Cubs catcher Michael Barrett reenacted the Frazier-Ali thriller in Manilla in the dugout and clubhouse at Wrigley Field. These incidents highlighted the fact that the talented Cubs play tighter than Paris Hilton's hand cuffs ( hey now!). The point is especially underscored by the fact that the Cubs won 4 in a row without Piniella.
Now don't get me wrong. Lou is one of the best managers in the game. But he doesn't exactly have a stellar history of handling media and fan pressure, which is an unfortunate circumstance of being the Chicago Cubs manager. Cubs GM Jim Hendry and the Tribune Co have furnished Lou with a talented ballclub, despite the fact that their bullpen stinks. If Lou doesn't take his foot off the gas for a little while, the Cubs whole season could go up in smoke. History has taught us that Lou will handle it correctly. The Cubs are lucky enough to play in the worst division in baseball, so it would be an upset if they didn't hang around.
This Sunday is the last episode ever of HBO's hit mob drama, The Sopranos. The show was certainly one of the most unique viewing experiences to ever hit the small screen. I fancy myself as somewhat of a Sopranos afficionado which is a kind way to rationalize all the time I've spent rewatching episodes like a mental patient. So in the spirit of self indulgency, I've created a top ten list of the best Soprano episodes ever with an honorable mention list of 5. I figured it was easier and more fun than trying to read series creator David Chase's mind. So without further ado, here is my list.
Honorable Mention
Pine Barrens(Season 3 Episode 11)- Paulie and Christopher chasing the Russian in the woods. A very fun episode highlighting the tension between Paulie and Christopher but gave very little plot development and did not tell us anything we didn't know about these two characters.
Funhouse (Season 2 episode 13)- In this one, Tony, Slivio, and Paulie whack Pussy. Tony gets arrested for stolen airline tickets right after the murder. Very dramatic episode, but I always felt it was a stretch that Tony figured out that Pussy was a rat during a hallucinating dream.
Members Only (Season 6 Episode 1) - Gene Pontocorvo commits suicide after Tony and the Feds won't release him from the life and Junior shoots Tony in the gut during a delusion. A very dramatic episode that was powerful at the time, partly because it was the 1st episode off a 20 month hiatus. And watching Tony attempt to call 911 with a belly full of lead was one of the more riveting moments the show ever has had.
Stage 5 (Season 7 Episode 2) - Johnny Sack gets a terminal prognosis and quickly dies. Cleaver premieres as Carmela points out to Tony that the movie is Christopher's revenge fantasy. And Phil Leotardo lays down the law that he is taking no prisoners with one line, "No more of this Butchie. " This episode sets the stage for the events leading up to the finale. And the acting job done by Vince Curatola, who plays Johnny Sack, is the best performance you'll see from someone not named Gandolfini or Falco.
The Weight ( Season 4 Episode 4)- This is the Ginny Sack 90 pound mole episode. A unique combination of suspense and comedy. The tension of two hits being planned simultaneously keeps you guessing until the end. And watching the joke being explained to senior citizens Uncle Junior and Carmine is absolutely priceless.
And now the Top 10
10) I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano ( Season 1 Episode 13) In the season 1 finale, Tony learns that Uncle June and his mom plotted to have him killed. Tony pops Junior's whole crew, but Junior gets arrested before Tony gets to him. Tony forces Melfi into hiding for her own protection. And Tony is forced to admit to his crew that he sees a shrink. This episode stands up historically because when Chase wrote it, he didn't know he was going to get a second season.
9) Kaisha (Season 6 Episode 12) This episode was the beginning of the end for Christopher and Tony. Many say it was the killing of Adriana, but I disagree. This episode was the first time Tony realized that Christopher would readily lie to him. In this episode, Chrisopher has an affair with Tony's wannabe goomar, Julianna, brilliantly played by Julianna Margulies. Her and Chris met in Narcotics Anonymous and it doesn't take them long to start using together. So Chrissie has to let the cat out of the bag to keep Tony off the trail of him using, especially after Tony catches them talking. Also in this episode, Phil has a heart attack and him and Tony share their infamous "moment of friendship". Carmela also gets her spec house back becomes she is ready to hire a private detective to find out what happened to Adrianna. Another interesting footnote of this episode is Julianna being the first one to point out that the boss in Cleaver is intended to portray Tony. This episode makes this list because it accurately parralels the beginning stages of Tony's downward spiral with the deterioration of his relationship with Chris by highlighting a recurring series theme, Tony's hypocrisy.
8) Whoever Did This (Season 4 Episode 9)- Ralphie's son ends up in a coma in a bow and arrow accident. And Tony consoles him by accusing him of killing their racehorse and then beats him to death when he won't admit it. The most relevant development of this episode is Tony catching Chris high on heroin while they're taking care of the body, but Tony can't say boo because he needs Chris to cover for him for killing Ralph. This episode has a great ending as Tony touches the picture of the stripper Ralphie killed in the dressing room at the Bada Bing. (see below)
7) University ( Season 3 Episode 6) - This is the episode where Ralphie beats to death his stripper girlfriend for mouthing off and gets a taboo ass kicking from Tony for his trouble.
The writing in this episode is tremendous. The episode focuses on Ralph's stripper goomar who happens to be the same age as Meadow as we see Meadow's life at Columbia University. I remember this episode as being the first that made me feel as if I was Tony as I watched his daughter's boyfrined have sex with her. A lot of people were appalled by the graphic nature of the stripper's death, but scenes like that are symptomatic of the message David Chase is delivering to us.
6) Irregular Around the Margins (Season 5 Episode 5) - This is the episode where Tony and Adriana are involved in a late night car accident and the rumor mill starts pumping that her and Tony were engaged in a sex act at the time of the crash. The tension in the scene while Tony pointed a gun at Christopher's was enormous. It also established a premise that Tony B was the only one who had the power to reason with Tony and Christopher. The acting and directing are tremedous in the sex tension scene with Tony and Adriana playing darts. They are not really a believable pairing yet it didn't seem far fetched as the secenes were acted out.
5) College ( Season 1 Episode 5) - The most critically acclaimed of all Sopranos episodes. Tony encounters an old associate who is currently in witness protection while visiting colleges in New England with Meadow. So Tony drops Meadow off for an interview at Bowdoin University, then finds and strangles his old associate. This is also the first episode where Tony explains his "business" to Meadow. An underrated portion of this episode is the establishment of Carmela as a hypocritical sinner as she attempts to seduce her priest after he gets stranded at her house during a rain storm.
4) Whitecaps ( Season 4 Episode 13)- This is the episode where Carmela and Tony separate. The arguing scenes between Carmela and Tony are some of the most well acted scenes any of us will ever see in our lifetime. Can never forget how Tony shoves his fist through the wall as Carmela taunts him about Furio. This episode also starts the decline of the Tony/Johnny Sack relationship when Tony calls off the hit on Carmine. This episode ranks as high as it does on nthis list because of the pleasure I got watching James Gandolfini and Edie Falco practicing their craft to perfection.
3) The Second Coming ( Season 7 Epsiode 7)- This is the AJ suicide attempt, which stands as the singuilarly most dramatic scene the show has ever produced. We also see Tony's ego get the best of him one too many times as he beats a made NY guy within an inch of his life for approaching Meadow. Tony can't make this one right with a peace offerring towards Phil and it eventually leads to dire conseuences for Bacala and Silvio in the next episode. This is also the episode where Melfi is made aware of the painful fact that Tony has been playing her all along. An amazing stroke of writing surfaces in this episode as AJ reveals that his dismal view on life came from comments Tony's mother made to AJ in a scene at her nursing home in Season 1.
2) Long Term Parking ( Season 5 Epsiode 12 )- This is the Adriana episode. The feds squeeze her to a point where the only choice she has is to recruit Christopher into witness protection. It almost seems to work until Christopher spots a poor schook with shoppoing bags tied to the top of his old Toyota while he's is filling his Hummer with gas. The drama in the Adriana death scene as Silvio pulls her from the car is nerve racking, mostly because Adriana was written brilliantly as a lovable idiot. Also in this episode, Tony and Carmela reconcile and Tony tells Johnny Sack to take a long walk off a short pier when John refuses to kill Tony B. quickly. As we end up seeing later, another example of Tony's ego interfering with business decisions.
1) The Knight in White Satin Armor ( Season 2 Episode 12 ) I picked this as the best episode because this episode shows us Tony exactly as we want to see him, a hero. He raises Carmela's ire by leaving in the middle of the night to go help his Russian goomar who tried to kill herself. He then rescues Janice after she put two slugs in Richie's chest as retribution for a punch in the face. He enlists Chris and Furio to dispose of Richie's body and he sends Janice back to Seattle.
This episode also shows us Uncle Junior at his best as he plays Tony and Richie off each other to see who could get support to lead the family. He chooses Tony and tips him off of Richie's plan to dispose of the "current leadership." Also, in this episode, we see Tony in his mother's presence for the first time in Season 2. It is the only time in the series we see Big Bad Tony Soprano intimidated by anybody as he falls down the steps running from his mother. And lastly, this episode contains three fo the best quotes in series history.
1) As Tony and Silvio ponder Richie's immediate demise Silvio utters, ' I don't think there's much to be gained by keeping him around. "
2) As Tony lectures Richie about not selling drugs on the garbage routes, Tony quite accurately tells him, "Those that want respect, give respect."
3) As Tony is putting Janice on a bus back to Seattle the morning after she offs Richie, " So all in all I'd say it was a pretty good visit. "
Just one man's opinion.
Giddyap
If you've been paying attention to these NBA playoffs, and believe me, plenty of people haven't been, you are getting to watch something special. No matter what happens in the upcoming NBA finals, this year's playoff will be known for the monumental performance of 22 year old LeBron James.
In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James scored 29 of his team final 30 points leading his team to a two point overtime victory. He got hot in a big spot in a fashion that we've only seen from all-time superstars with championship resumes. He led them to the finals with a supporting cast that resembles Police Academy 5. In these playoffs, he's shown a will to win and an enjoyment for the game that we have never seen from him. But probably the most underrated part of what James has done is who he did it against.
Since the Eastern Conference finals it has been en vogue to trash the Detroit Pistons. From the early stages of the season straight through to the first two games of the Eatern Conference Finals, it was the general consensus that the Pistons would cruise into the NBA finals. Obviously, LeBron James had other plans and executed them in grand fashion. There is a chance that this ends a 5 year run of virtual dominance in the Eastern Conference. When you look at the players that LeBron conquered, there are some pretty impressive track records. Tayshuan Prince is in his prime and he completely shut down Kobe Bryant in the 2004 finals. Richard Hamilton , if used correctly, is an extremely difficult player to contain. Rasheed Wallace is on the back nine of his career, but he still is a very valuable two way threat. And Chauncey Billups is a playoff tested championship point guard who has a knack for hitting big shots. The only significant weakness the Pistons have is that their head coach Flip Saunders seems to coach the playoffs with two hands wrapped around his own neck. Think about how many times Hamilton was run off screens the year they won the title with Larry Brown as coach. About the same amount of time that Saunders started Hamilton with the ball at mid court to beat his defender on his own, but I digress. Against the Cavs, Saunders' deficient coaching wasn't much of a disadvantage because Mike Brown doesn't outcoach anybody. The bottom line being is that any talk denigrating the Pistons is just diminishing a historical individual effort by LeBron James in addition to being a foolish dismissal of an excellent group of players.
Has anybody else noticed that the entire landscape of managerial post game press conferences has really changed for the positive in major league baseball. The sole reason for this is the return to the dugout Of Sweet Lou Piniella as manager of the Chicago Cubs. No manager in the history of baseball does a press conference like Lou. He yells at everyone about virtually anything. He is eminently entertaining, especially when he is at his angriest. But somehow, I don't think that Cubs management is as entertained with Lou as I am.
This past offseason, Cubs management made a major financial commitment to turn around the fortunes of Chicago's lovable losers. They invested $300 million in player contracts signing players such as Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly, and Jason Marquis in additon to retaining Aramis Ramirez. Piniella himself got a 3 year deal worth $10 million. The suits at the Tribune Co. , the company that owns the Cubs, cannot be too happy with a 27-32 record as a current return on their investment. And to add insult to injury, the Cubs appear to play better baseball without Lou Piniella.
Piniella is just completing a 4 game suspension for kicking dirt all over an umpire, then admitted in his post game press conference that the umpire made the right call and he " was getting kicked out fo the game no matter what." This Piniella tirade was preceded the day before by an ugly dugout brawl. Cubs ace ( and we use the term loosely these days) Carlos Zambrano and Cubs catcher Michael Barrett reenacted the Frazier-Ali thriller in Manilla in the dugout and clubhouse at Wrigley Field. These incidents highlighted the fact that the talented Cubs play tighter than Paris Hilton's hand cuffs ( hey now!). The point is especially underscored by the fact that the Cubs won 4 in a row without Piniella.
Now don't get me wrong. Lou is one of the best managers in the game. But he doesn't exactly have a stellar history of handling media and fan pressure, which is an unfortunate circumstance of being the Chicago Cubs manager. Cubs GM Jim Hendry and the Tribune Co have furnished Lou with a talented ballclub, despite the fact that their bullpen stinks. If Lou doesn't take his foot off the gas for a little while, the Cubs whole season could go up in smoke. History has taught us that Lou will handle it correctly. The Cubs are lucky enough to play in the worst division in baseball, so it would be an upset if they didn't hang around.
This Sunday is the last episode ever of HBO's hit mob drama, The Sopranos. The show was certainly one of the most unique viewing experiences to ever hit the small screen. I fancy myself as somewhat of a Sopranos afficionado which is a kind way to rationalize all the time I've spent rewatching episodes like a mental patient. So in the spirit of self indulgency, I've created a top ten list of the best Soprano episodes ever with an honorable mention list of 5. I figured it was easier and more fun than trying to read series creator David Chase's mind. So without further ado, here is my list.
Honorable Mention
Pine Barrens(Season 3 Episode 11)- Paulie and Christopher chasing the Russian in the woods. A very fun episode highlighting the tension between Paulie and Christopher but gave very little plot development and did not tell us anything we didn't know about these two characters.
Funhouse (Season 2 episode 13)- In this one, Tony, Slivio, and Paulie whack Pussy. Tony gets arrested for stolen airline tickets right after the murder. Very dramatic episode, but I always felt it was a stretch that Tony figured out that Pussy was a rat during a hallucinating dream.
Members Only (Season 6 Episode 1) - Gene Pontocorvo commits suicide after Tony and the Feds won't release him from the life and Junior shoots Tony in the gut during a delusion. A very dramatic episode that was powerful at the time, partly because it was the 1st episode off a 20 month hiatus. And watching Tony attempt to call 911 with a belly full of lead was one of the more riveting moments the show ever has had.
Stage 5 (Season 7 Episode 2) - Johnny Sack gets a terminal prognosis and quickly dies. Cleaver premieres as Carmela points out to Tony that the movie is Christopher's revenge fantasy. And Phil Leotardo lays down the law that he is taking no prisoners with one line, "No more of this Butchie. " This episode sets the stage for the events leading up to the finale. And the acting job done by Vince Curatola, who plays Johnny Sack, is the best performance you'll see from someone not named Gandolfini or Falco.
The Weight ( Season 4 Episode 4)- This is the Ginny Sack 90 pound mole episode. A unique combination of suspense and comedy. The tension of two hits being planned simultaneously keeps you guessing until the end. And watching the joke being explained to senior citizens Uncle Junior and Carmine is absolutely priceless.
And now the Top 10
10) I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano ( Season 1 Episode 13) In the season 1 finale, Tony learns that Uncle June and his mom plotted to have him killed. Tony pops Junior's whole crew, but Junior gets arrested before Tony gets to him. Tony forces Melfi into hiding for her own protection. And Tony is forced to admit to his crew that he sees a shrink. This episode stands up historically because when Chase wrote it, he didn't know he was going to get a second season.
9) Kaisha (Season 6 Episode 12) This episode was the beginning of the end for Christopher and Tony. Many say it was the killing of Adriana, but I disagree. This episode was the first time Tony realized that Christopher would readily lie to him. In this episode, Chrisopher has an affair with Tony's wannabe goomar, Julianna, brilliantly played by Julianna Margulies. Her and Chris met in Narcotics Anonymous and it doesn't take them long to start using together. So Chrissie has to let the cat out of the bag to keep Tony off the trail of him using, especially after Tony catches them talking. Also in this episode, Phil has a heart attack and him and Tony share their infamous "moment of friendship". Carmela also gets her spec house back becomes she is ready to hire a private detective to find out what happened to Adrianna. Another interesting footnote of this episode is Julianna being the first one to point out that the boss in Cleaver is intended to portray Tony. This episode makes this list because it accurately parralels the beginning stages of Tony's downward spiral with the deterioration of his relationship with Chris by highlighting a recurring series theme, Tony's hypocrisy.
8) Whoever Did This (Season 4 Episode 9)- Ralphie's son ends up in a coma in a bow and arrow accident. And Tony consoles him by accusing him of killing their racehorse and then beats him to death when he won't admit it. The most relevant development of this episode is Tony catching Chris high on heroin while they're taking care of the body, but Tony can't say boo because he needs Chris to cover for him for killing Ralph. This episode has a great ending as Tony touches the picture of the stripper Ralphie killed in the dressing room at the Bada Bing. (see below)
7) University ( Season 3 Episode 6) - This is the episode where Ralphie beats to death his stripper girlfriend for mouthing off and gets a taboo ass kicking from Tony for his trouble.
The writing in this episode is tremendous. The episode focuses on Ralph's stripper goomar who happens to be the same age as Meadow as we see Meadow's life at Columbia University. I remember this episode as being the first that made me feel as if I was Tony as I watched his daughter's boyfrined have sex with her. A lot of people were appalled by the graphic nature of the stripper's death, but scenes like that are symptomatic of the message David Chase is delivering to us.
6) Irregular Around the Margins (Season 5 Episode 5) - This is the episode where Tony and Adriana are involved in a late night car accident and the rumor mill starts pumping that her and Tony were engaged in a sex act at the time of the crash. The tension in the scene while Tony pointed a gun at Christopher's was enormous. It also established a premise that Tony B was the only one who had the power to reason with Tony and Christopher. The acting and directing are tremedous in the sex tension scene with Tony and Adriana playing darts. They are not really a believable pairing yet it didn't seem far fetched as the secenes were acted out.
5) College ( Season 1 Episode 5) - The most critically acclaimed of all Sopranos episodes. Tony encounters an old associate who is currently in witness protection while visiting colleges in New England with Meadow. So Tony drops Meadow off for an interview at Bowdoin University, then finds and strangles his old associate. This is also the first episode where Tony explains his "business" to Meadow. An underrated portion of this episode is the establishment of Carmela as a hypocritical sinner as she attempts to seduce her priest after he gets stranded at her house during a rain storm.
4) Whitecaps ( Season 4 Episode 13)- This is the episode where Carmela and Tony separate. The arguing scenes between Carmela and Tony are some of the most well acted scenes any of us will ever see in our lifetime. Can never forget how Tony shoves his fist through the wall as Carmela taunts him about Furio. This episode also starts the decline of the Tony/Johnny Sack relationship when Tony calls off the hit on Carmine. This episode ranks as high as it does on nthis list because of the pleasure I got watching James Gandolfini and Edie Falco practicing their craft to perfection.
3) The Second Coming ( Season 7 Epsiode 7)- This is the AJ suicide attempt, which stands as the singuilarly most dramatic scene the show has ever produced. We also see Tony's ego get the best of him one too many times as he beats a made NY guy within an inch of his life for approaching Meadow. Tony can't make this one right with a peace offerring towards Phil and it eventually leads to dire conseuences for Bacala and Silvio in the next episode. This is also the episode where Melfi is made aware of the painful fact that Tony has been playing her all along. An amazing stroke of writing surfaces in this episode as AJ reveals that his dismal view on life came from comments Tony's mother made to AJ in a scene at her nursing home in Season 1.
2) Long Term Parking ( Season 5 Epsiode 12 )- This is the Adriana episode. The feds squeeze her to a point where the only choice she has is to recruit Christopher into witness protection. It almost seems to work until Christopher spots a poor schook with shoppoing bags tied to the top of his old Toyota while he's is filling his Hummer with gas. The drama in the Adriana death scene as Silvio pulls her from the car is nerve racking, mostly because Adriana was written brilliantly as a lovable idiot. Also in this episode, Tony and Carmela reconcile and Tony tells Johnny Sack to take a long walk off a short pier when John refuses to kill Tony B. quickly. As we end up seeing later, another example of Tony's ego interfering with business decisions.
1) The Knight in White Satin Armor ( Season 2 Episode 12 ) I picked this as the best episode because this episode shows us Tony exactly as we want to see him, a hero. He raises Carmela's ire by leaving in the middle of the night to go help his Russian goomar who tried to kill herself. He then rescues Janice after she put two slugs in Richie's chest as retribution for a punch in the face. He enlists Chris and Furio to dispose of Richie's body and he sends Janice back to Seattle.
This episode also shows us Uncle Junior at his best as he plays Tony and Richie off each other to see who could get support to lead the family. He chooses Tony and tips him off of Richie's plan to dispose of the "current leadership." Also, in this episode, we see Tony in his mother's presence for the first time in Season 2. It is the only time in the series we see Big Bad Tony Soprano intimidated by anybody as he falls down the steps running from his mother. And lastly, this episode contains three fo the best quotes in series history.
1) As Tony and Silvio ponder Richie's immediate demise Silvio utters, ' I don't think there's much to be gained by keeping him around. "
2) As Tony lectures Richie about not selling drugs on the garbage routes, Tony quite accurately tells him, "Those that want respect, give respect."
3) As Tony is putting Janice on a bus back to Seattle the morning after she offs Richie, " So all in all I'd say it was a pretty good visit. "
Just one man's opinion.
Giddyap
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Lottery Leftovers and thoughts on Kobe Bryant and Baseball's commish
The Boston Celtics finished last season with the 2nd worst record in the NBA. They rightfully earned that status from management to coaching and straight down to the players. General Manager Danny Ainge traded a lottery pick that could have drafted impressive rookies Randy Foye or Rudy Gay. For his trouble, he acquired Sebastian Telfair. The best thing you could say about Telfair's only season as a Celtic was that he was an expert marksman. The worst thing you can say is that he was an alleged felon two times over.
Celtic head coach Doc Rivers disinguished himself by executing one the ugliest tanking jobs the league has ever seen, ranking right up there with Bill Fitch's 83-84 Rockets who mailed it in for the right to select the great Hakeem Olajuwon. And the players at time acted like they did not want to be in the gym, let alone on the floor playing the game. So, when the 38% chance they had "earned" to get one of the first two picks in this year's draft (i.e Oden or Durant) blew up in smoke at last year's draft lottery, logic would dictate that the organization got exactly what they deserved. Yet since last week, Celtic fans are acting like they got screwed out of their birthright.
One would think that 7 NBA championships spanning a 19 year period from 1967 to 1986 would be something that would satisfy a fan base for a lifetime. Yet, when you read the nation's foremost Celtic apologist, ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons, he is referring to this year's lottery as "the tragic events of 5/22. " The prevailing thought is that the Celtics got shafted 10 years ago when the Spurs won the right to select Tim Duncan. And that line of thinking is simply misguided idiotic naive nonsense.
The Celtics fortunes were scarred for generations with the hiring of suppossed franchise savior at the time, Rick Pitino. A lot of Celtic fans would disagree wuth this, pointing to the tragic deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. But the reality is that the franchise was well positioned to return to prominence until Slick Rick came in and took over. His first order of business was to insist on the title of President of the team. But there was one problem. That title was already
taken by basketball icon Red Auerbach. Whether Auerbach was active in the personnel department was immaterial. He had earned that title for life with his championship resume. But Pitino's ego was so out of control before he ever won a game as Celtics' coach, he insisted on the title of President, his autonomous power and enormous contract not withstanding. This started the Celtics' luck of the irish on a downhill path.
Pitino's first year as Celtic Basketball Czar was 1997. In the 97 draft, the Celtics had the #3 and #6 picks. Despite the fact that the Tim Duncan ping pong ball eluded them, this still represented an enormous opportunity to upgrade the roster. With the #3 pick, Pitino selected Chauncey Billups, a point guard from the University Colorado. This turned out to be a great draft pick as Billups is the floor leader for a team that is currently making its 5th straight appearance in the Eastern Conference finals with one NBA title to their credit. For the Celtics, there is one major problem. Slick Rick traded Billups half way through his rookie year. He used the #6 pick on Ron Mercer. Mercer was a career journeyman who never actually stuck anywhere. His career highlights came while he was at the University of Kentucky came when his coach was none other than Rick Pitino. And the #9 pick in that same draft was Tracy McGrady. At that time, the rumors leading up to the draft had Pitino selecting McGrady. After the draft Pitino admitted that McGrady was a strong consideration, but he was looking for players who could make more of an immediate impact. Patience did not prove to be Slick Rick's strong suit.
In 1978, Red Auerbach used the #6 pick in the draft on a junior named Larry Bird, even though Bird was not going to play for the Celtics until the following season. Auerbach knew that when your goal is to build a champion, patience is an essential element. The Celtics fortunes haven't turned unlucky. Their fortunes changed when they sold out the greatest basketball executive in history for a good college coach who conned ownership out of millions.
And the current regime appears just as bad. So the good news for the Celtic fans on missing out on Oden and Durant is that they are virtually guaranteed to have plenty of ping pong balls in next year's lottery.
Kobe Bryant had a pretty busy week. In the last 7 days, Bryant has demanded the Lakers to "surround him with a better team.", demanded that Mitch Kupchak relinquish his job as general manager to Jerry West, (Kupchak and West are close friends), publicly blamed Laker owner Jerry Buss for the Shaquille O'Neal trade, demanded to be traded himself, and recanted said trade demand. He actually had a good idea sprinkled in there. Its time for the Lakers to cut bait and get out from under the nightmare that Bryant has morphed into.
Before I even address the on court problems Bryant has created, I feel the need to address what a disgusting ingrate Kobe is as a human being. This organization that he has publicly embarrassed on every management level is the same organization that stood by him while he went on trial for rape. They flew him back and forth from the trial in Colorado for practices and games. They did not require him to participate in all team meetings, practices, and activities, even when he wasn't in court. At no time did they hold him accountable for the irresponsible actions that put him in that tenuous legal position in the first place. When his contract expired they offerred him the maximum amount of money league regulations would allow. When he wanted Phil Jackson back as coach, they went and got him. And Kobe respects their loyalty by going on a public verbal assault. If you owned an NBA team, would you want this kind of guy as the face of your organization? I know I wouldn't.
The next issue he created here is how do you now go back into a locker room with your teammates. What he pretty much said here in not so many words is that the rest of these guys stink. And although the shoe fits in more than a few instances, there are also more than a few players that have a right to be mighty ticked off. In my humble opinion, Lamar Odom is one of the top 20 players in the NBA. He does everything well on the floor and he's 6'10". Odom's best attribute is his ability to pass. He is especially effective offensively when he plays with players that share the basketball. The reality is that the Lakers have their 2nd star. Kobe Bryant is too much of a selfish pig to play with him.
So now Kobe has placed himself and the Lakers in the unique position of Kobe actually having more value to the Lakers off their team as oppossed to on their team. It doesn't matter how much talent an individual player has. If that talent cannot be applied within the framework of a team concept, there is a ceiling on how much that talent translates to winning games. Combine Kobe's genral difficulty of working within a team concept and the significant fact that he just alienated every teammate he currently has, and you get an impossible environment for the Lakers to succeed.
Keeping in mind that the Lakers best stretch of the 2005-2006 season was the 20 game period Kobe was on the injured list, there are a few tremendous options for the Lakers to build around Odom. Kobe to the Houston Rockets for a Tracy McGrady package is one viable option. McGrady has become a much more mature player and in turn a much less selfish one. His skills translate very well into Phil Jackson's triangle offense. if the Lakers could grab a pick and/or more cap space as well in a deal like this, all the better. Kobe to the Chicago Bulls is another option. If the Lakers could get Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, it would completely reinvigorate their youth movement and make them great again much faster. Because if the Lakers keep going this way, greatness is not imminent anytime soon. Its starting to appear that any sentence that includes Kobe Bryant and the word greatness should include the name Shaquille O'Neal as well.
As baseball season swings toward summer, Barry Bonds inches closer and closer to baseball's most hallowed record, most career home runs. A record held by the great Hank Aaron. Under different circumstances, baseball would be celebrating this record with unprecedented fanfare. Instead, when broached on the issue, baseball's commissioner treats the issue like Tony Soprano treats a RICO investigation.
Selig has gone to lengths in the last few years to try to bring accountablility for the steroids epidemic. He's hired George Mitchell to head up a federal investigation and rumors are abound that Mitchell has gathered enough information to start naming names. So now that major league baseball is holding the offenders accountable, what about the people who condoned rampant steroid use. People like Bud Selig.
Selig has not yet announced that he will be in attendance the day that Barry Bonds is about to break the record. Yet, when McGwire and Sosa were breaking records in 98, Bud was everywhere. The point that appears to escape Commissioner Selig is that the steroids era happened on his watch. That makes him accountable. And since the players who are proven to be steroid users will presumably be subject to some sort of league discipline, shouldn't Selig be disciplined as well. He sold out the integrity of the record book in exchange for revenue growth. Maybe a worthwhile tradeoff in the end, maybe not. But if he starts doling out punishment, start in the mirror. And what better way for Bud to punish himself than to have to publicly congratulate Barry Bonds and his oversized head in person on the day he breaks the record. Thats what Selig gets for looking the other way.
One last note: I will refrain from commenting on LeBron James' tour de force Game 5 in the Eastern Conference finals until we see who actually wins the series.
Giddyap.
The Boston Celtics finished last season with the 2nd worst record in the NBA. They rightfully earned that status from management to coaching and straight down to the players. General Manager Danny Ainge traded a lottery pick that could have drafted impressive rookies Randy Foye or Rudy Gay. For his trouble, he acquired Sebastian Telfair. The best thing you could say about Telfair's only season as a Celtic was that he was an expert marksman. The worst thing you can say is that he was an alleged felon two times over.
Celtic head coach Doc Rivers disinguished himself by executing one the ugliest tanking jobs the league has ever seen, ranking right up there with Bill Fitch's 83-84 Rockets who mailed it in for the right to select the great Hakeem Olajuwon. And the players at time acted like they did not want to be in the gym, let alone on the floor playing the game. So, when the 38% chance they had "earned" to get one of the first two picks in this year's draft (i.e Oden or Durant) blew up in smoke at last year's draft lottery, logic would dictate that the organization got exactly what they deserved. Yet since last week, Celtic fans are acting like they got screwed out of their birthright.
One would think that 7 NBA championships spanning a 19 year period from 1967 to 1986 would be something that would satisfy a fan base for a lifetime. Yet, when you read the nation's foremost Celtic apologist, ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons, he is referring to this year's lottery as "the tragic events of 5/22. " The prevailing thought is that the Celtics got shafted 10 years ago when the Spurs won the right to select Tim Duncan. And that line of thinking is simply misguided idiotic naive nonsense.
The Celtics fortunes were scarred for generations with the hiring of suppossed franchise savior at the time, Rick Pitino. A lot of Celtic fans would disagree wuth this, pointing to the tragic deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. But the reality is that the franchise was well positioned to return to prominence until Slick Rick came in and took over. His first order of business was to insist on the title of President of the team. But there was one problem. That title was already
taken by basketball icon Red Auerbach. Whether Auerbach was active in the personnel department was immaterial. He had earned that title for life with his championship resume. But Pitino's ego was so out of control before he ever won a game as Celtics' coach, he insisted on the title of President, his autonomous power and enormous contract not withstanding. This started the Celtics' luck of the irish on a downhill path.
Pitino's first year as Celtic Basketball Czar was 1997. In the 97 draft, the Celtics had the #3 and #6 picks. Despite the fact that the Tim Duncan ping pong ball eluded them, this still represented an enormous opportunity to upgrade the roster. With the #3 pick, Pitino selected Chauncey Billups, a point guard from the University Colorado. This turned out to be a great draft pick as Billups is the floor leader for a team that is currently making its 5th straight appearance in the Eastern Conference finals with one NBA title to their credit. For the Celtics, there is one major problem. Slick Rick traded Billups half way through his rookie year. He used the #6 pick on Ron Mercer. Mercer was a career journeyman who never actually stuck anywhere. His career highlights came while he was at the University of Kentucky came when his coach was none other than Rick Pitino. And the #9 pick in that same draft was Tracy McGrady. At that time, the rumors leading up to the draft had Pitino selecting McGrady. After the draft Pitino admitted that McGrady was a strong consideration, but he was looking for players who could make more of an immediate impact. Patience did not prove to be Slick Rick's strong suit.
In 1978, Red Auerbach used the #6 pick in the draft on a junior named Larry Bird, even though Bird was not going to play for the Celtics until the following season. Auerbach knew that when your goal is to build a champion, patience is an essential element. The Celtics fortunes haven't turned unlucky. Their fortunes changed when they sold out the greatest basketball executive in history for a good college coach who conned ownership out of millions.
And the current regime appears just as bad. So the good news for the Celtic fans on missing out on Oden and Durant is that they are virtually guaranteed to have plenty of ping pong balls in next year's lottery.
Kobe Bryant had a pretty busy week. In the last 7 days, Bryant has demanded the Lakers to "surround him with a better team.", demanded that Mitch Kupchak relinquish his job as general manager to Jerry West, (Kupchak and West are close friends), publicly blamed Laker owner Jerry Buss for the Shaquille O'Neal trade, demanded to be traded himself, and recanted said trade demand. He actually had a good idea sprinkled in there. Its time for the Lakers to cut bait and get out from under the nightmare that Bryant has morphed into.
Before I even address the on court problems Bryant has created, I feel the need to address what a disgusting ingrate Kobe is as a human being. This organization that he has publicly embarrassed on every management level is the same organization that stood by him while he went on trial for rape. They flew him back and forth from the trial in Colorado for practices and games. They did not require him to participate in all team meetings, practices, and activities, even when he wasn't in court. At no time did they hold him accountable for the irresponsible actions that put him in that tenuous legal position in the first place. When his contract expired they offerred him the maximum amount of money league regulations would allow. When he wanted Phil Jackson back as coach, they went and got him. And Kobe respects their loyalty by going on a public verbal assault. If you owned an NBA team, would you want this kind of guy as the face of your organization? I know I wouldn't.
The next issue he created here is how do you now go back into a locker room with your teammates. What he pretty much said here in not so many words is that the rest of these guys stink. And although the shoe fits in more than a few instances, there are also more than a few players that have a right to be mighty ticked off. In my humble opinion, Lamar Odom is one of the top 20 players in the NBA. He does everything well on the floor and he's 6'10". Odom's best attribute is his ability to pass. He is especially effective offensively when he plays with players that share the basketball. The reality is that the Lakers have their 2nd star. Kobe Bryant is too much of a selfish pig to play with him.
So now Kobe has placed himself and the Lakers in the unique position of Kobe actually having more value to the Lakers off their team as oppossed to on their team. It doesn't matter how much talent an individual player has. If that talent cannot be applied within the framework of a team concept, there is a ceiling on how much that talent translates to winning games. Combine Kobe's genral difficulty of working within a team concept and the significant fact that he just alienated every teammate he currently has, and you get an impossible environment for the Lakers to succeed.
Keeping in mind that the Lakers best stretch of the 2005-2006 season was the 20 game period Kobe was on the injured list, there are a few tremendous options for the Lakers to build around Odom. Kobe to the Houston Rockets for a Tracy McGrady package is one viable option. McGrady has become a much more mature player and in turn a much less selfish one. His skills translate very well into Phil Jackson's triangle offense. if the Lakers could grab a pick and/or more cap space as well in a deal like this, all the better. Kobe to the Chicago Bulls is another option. If the Lakers could get Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, it would completely reinvigorate their youth movement and make them great again much faster. Because if the Lakers keep going this way, greatness is not imminent anytime soon. Its starting to appear that any sentence that includes Kobe Bryant and the word greatness should include the name Shaquille O'Neal as well.
As baseball season swings toward summer, Barry Bonds inches closer and closer to baseball's most hallowed record, most career home runs. A record held by the great Hank Aaron. Under different circumstances, baseball would be celebrating this record with unprecedented fanfare. Instead, when broached on the issue, baseball's commissioner treats the issue like Tony Soprano treats a RICO investigation.
Selig has gone to lengths in the last few years to try to bring accountablility for the steroids epidemic. He's hired George Mitchell to head up a federal investigation and rumors are abound that Mitchell has gathered enough information to start naming names. So now that major league baseball is holding the offenders accountable, what about the people who condoned rampant steroid use. People like Bud Selig.
Selig has not yet announced that he will be in attendance the day that Barry Bonds is about to break the record. Yet, when McGwire and Sosa were breaking records in 98, Bud was everywhere. The point that appears to escape Commissioner Selig is that the steroids era happened on his watch. That makes him accountable. And since the players who are proven to be steroid users will presumably be subject to some sort of league discipline, shouldn't Selig be disciplined as well. He sold out the integrity of the record book in exchange for revenue growth. Maybe a worthwhile tradeoff in the end, maybe not. But if he starts doling out punishment, start in the mirror. And what better way for Bud to punish himself than to have to publicly congratulate Barry Bonds and his oversized head in person on the day he breaks the record. Thats what Selig gets for looking the other way.
One last note: I will refrain from commenting on LeBron James' tour de force Game 5 in the Eastern Conference finals until we see who actually wins the series.
Giddyap.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thoughts about the NBA Lottery, LeBron James, and the New York Yankees
So earlier this week, the most relevant NBA lottery in this decade took place, solely because of the presence of potential superstars Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. And it certainly seems as though these two players will play big roles in attempting to turn around two once proud franchises in Portland and Seattle. But there are two other things that jumped out at me in the time before, during, and after the lottery.
The Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns are two playoff teams who are both close to being title contenders next season. Yet, when we looked up last Tuesday night at 8:3o, there they both were in the mix for lottery picks. The Bulls even had a small chance at Oden or Durant. How does this happen you ask? In the words of Forrest Gump, " Stupid is as stupid does."
The Suns procured their potential lottery pick through the trade of Joe Johnson to the Atlanta Hawks. Joe Johnson is a very good NBA player who is extremely hard to defend at three positions. It certainly would not be a stretch to consider him an All-Star. And since the Hawks had cap space ansd the Suns were up against the luxury tax, a deal made sense. So the Hawks, who were bidding against no one, give up Boris Diaw and 1st round draft pick. Not only did Diaw fit on the Suns much better than Johnson, now the Suns would have an opportunity to add a young impact player. The only good news is that Hawks GM Billy Knight made the pick top 3 protected, which took the Suns out of the mix for Oden or Durant. And since the Hawks got the 3rd pick in the lottery, the Suns have to wait unitl next year's draft to reload. This deal was so bad that one of part owners of the Hawks took the other part owners to court to have it overturned. But the again, this is the same general manager who passed on two of the best 5 point guards in the NBA in Deron Williams and Chris Paul, to select Marvin Williams when he drafted two guys the year before who play the same small forward position in Josh Childress and Josh Smith. And then to bring us full circle, Joe Johnson's strongest position??? Small forward. Billy Knight has established himself as the NBA's version of Matt Millen. A lucky version at that, with 2 lottery picks whne he only deserved 1.
The Bulls unprotected lottery pick came about through a slightly different route. Their young center Eddy Curry was diagnosed with a heart issue. The Bulls felt he wasn't fit to play professional basketball. Curry and his agent felt differently. So the stage was set for Curry to be dealt. Enter the Basketball Czar of the New York Knicks, Isiah Thomas. Thomas was able to acquire Curry and Antonio Davis for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas and two #1 draft picks after the Knicks had already invested 30 million over 5 years in Jerome James after he had one good playoff series in a creere spanning 4 seasons. At the time, Isiah vitually broke his arm patting himself on the back lauding the trade as a steal. He felt like it was the type of deal that would turn around the franchise. The main reason is that Isiah never figured the two first rounders would be lottery picks. His oversized ego got the best of him on this one and the New York Knicks organization paid a dear price.
Now don't get me wrong. Curry is a nice big player. He has a very good post game and is a decent rebounder when he wants to be. But he has lead feet and generally doesn't miss a meal. And defensively, referring to him as a liability is probably being a bit kind. What compounds this is that the year before Thomas makes the trade, he drafts Channing Frye, a polished offensive player with slow feet who needs to double up on a couple of meals, And defensively, Rerun from Whats Happening would be a tough matchup. Does any of this sound familiar? The closest thing to chemistry that Curry and Frye have with one another in the frontcourt is their physical resemblance to the number 10. Common sense in building a basketball team generally dictates the if the power forward or center needs the ball to be effective, the other one shouldn't. So the Knicks lose a chance at Tyrus Thomas last year and the chance at Joakim Noah or Jeff Green this year for an overweight one dimensional center with a heart condition. Maybe Knick fans will get lucky and Dolan will hijack Billy Knight from the Hawks.
LeBron James has received a lot of heat this week for his failure to generate game winning shots for his team with the game on the line twice this week in the Eastern Conference finals versus the Detroit Pistons. In Game 1, LeBron committed the cardinal sin of actually passing to an open teammate as oppossed to taking a shot closer to the rim with a defender breathing down on him. And then in Game 2, LeBron got into the paint, and missed a leaner as he unsuccessfully tried to draw a foul on Rip Hamilton.
Every national radio or TV sports show that covers the NBA has had a talking head of some sort has had some so called expert criticize LeBron for not making the right decisions. Jeff Van Gundy has it right when he says that critics look at the result and work back from there. If Donyell Marshall hits the jump shot in Game 1, LeBron is an unselfish winner. But because Marshall misses the wide open 3, LeBron is a guy who can't win in the playoffs. Here's the thing. He's only a 22 year old kid. Watch in the huddle late in games. He's chomping his fingernails like a 16 year old taking the SATs. And on top of that, he's surrounded with over the hill veterans like Eric Snow, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Damon Jones. Larry Hughes plays like he's jealous of LeBron. Its almost like the two of them are playing parralel basketball. Drew Gooden is useless in a big spot. In these first two games, Rasheed Wallace absolutley dominated Gooden in crunch time. The only guys on this team he's capable of leading are Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejao, and Sasha Pavlovic. And I have to believe the primary reason for the latter two is probably the language barrier. With all this said, maybe someone should give the kid a little credit for carrying this motley team into the Eastern Conference finals.
Anyone who has been exposed to New York talk radio the last couple of weeks has had overexposure to the ridiculous media created issue, " Are the Yankees finished this year?"
Now I completely understand that it is quite uncommon to see the Yankees 3 games below .500 towards the end of May. And 9 1/2 games out of first place is a whole lot. But someone please find me a team that is more capable of winning 20 games a month for the next 3 months. Last time I checked, they still had a pitching staff with Cy Young runner up Chien-Mien Wang, Andy Pettite and his 2.66 ERA, with the imminent return of Roger Clemens.
Don't get me wrong, there still are problems. But some will be solved. The odds are in favor of Mussina turning it around. Abreu is not going to hit like this all season. Rivera may not go back to being dominant, but he will find his way towards effective. Cano will hit. He's got too much talent. The only real long term problems are Damon and the bullpen. Damon's best asset is his legs, and they're starting to break down on him. And the Yankees are commintted to two more years at 13 million per year AFTER this year. The bullpen mess will be solved the way the Yankees solve all of their problems. Steinbrenner will throw some money at it.
Now if Giambi will just shut his big fat piehole...........
Giddyap!
So earlier this week, the most relevant NBA lottery in this decade took place, solely because of the presence of potential superstars Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. And it certainly seems as though these two players will play big roles in attempting to turn around two once proud franchises in Portland and Seattle. But there are two other things that jumped out at me in the time before, during, and after the lottery.
The Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns are two playoff teams who are both close to being title contenders next season. Yet, when we looked up last Tuesday night at 8:3o, there they both were in the mix for lottery picks. The Bulls even had a small chance at Oden or Durant. How does this happen you ask? In the words of Forrest Gump, " Stupid is as stupid does."
The Suns procured their potential lottery pick through the trade of Joe Johnson to the Atlanta Hawks. Joe Johnson is a very good NBA player who is extremely hard to defend at three positions. It certainly would not be a stretch to consider him an All-Star. And since the Hawks had cap space ansd the Suns were up against the luxury tax, a deal made sense. So the Hawks, who were bidding against no one, give up Boris Diaw and 1st round draft pick. Not only did Diaw fit on the Suns much better than Johnson, now the Suns would have an opportunity to add a young impact player. The only good news is that Hawks GM Billy Knight made the pick top 3 protected, which took the Suns out of the mix for Oden or Durant. And since the Hawks got the 3rd pick in the lottery, the Suns have to wait unitl next year's draft to reload. This deal was so bad that one of part owners of the Hawks took the other part owners to court to have it overturned. But the again, this is the same general manager who passed on two of the best 5 point guards in the NBA in Deron Williams and Chris Paul, to select Marvin Williams when he drafted two guys the year before who play the same small forward position in Josh Childress and Josh Smith. And then to bring us full circle, Joe Johnson's strongest position??? Small forward. Billy Knight has established himself as the NBA's version of Matt Millen. A lucky version at that, with 2 lottery picks whne he only deserved 1.
The Bulls unprotected lottery pick came about through a slightly different route. Their young center Eddy Curry was diagnosed with a heart issue. The Bulls felt he wasn't fit to play professional basketball. Curry and his agent felt differently. So the stage was set for Curry to be dealt. Enter the Basketball Czar of the New York Knicks, Isiah Thomas. Thomas was able to acquire Curry and Antonio Davis for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas and two #1 draft picks after the Knicks had already invested 30 million over 5 years in Jerome James after he had one good playoff series in a creere spanning 4 seasons. At the time, Isiah vitually broke his arm patting himself on the back lauding the trade as a steal. He felt like it was the type of deal that would turn around the franchise. The main reason is that Isiah never figured the two first rounders would be lottery picks. His oversized ego got the best of him on this one and the New York Knicks organization paid a dear price.
Now don't get me wrong. Curry is a nice big player. He has a very good post game and is a decent rebounder when he wants to be. But he has lead feet and generally doesn't miss a meal. And defensively, referring to him as a liability is probably being a bit kind. What compounds this is that the year before Thomas makes the trade, he drafts Channing Frye, a polished offensive player with slow feet who needs to double up on a couple of meals, And defensively, Rerun from Whats Happening would be a tough matchup. Does any of this sound familiar? The closest thing to chemistry that Curry and Frye have with one another in the frontcourt is their physical resemblance to the number 10. Common sense in building a basketball team generally dictates the if the power forward or center needs the ball to be effective, the other one shouldn't. So the Knicks lose a chance at Tyrus Thomas last year and the chance at Joakim Noah or Jeff Green this year for an overweight one dimensional center with a heart condition. Maybe Knick fans will get lucky and Dolan will hijack Billy Knight from the Hawks.
LeBron James has received a lot of heat this week for his failure to generate game winning shots for his team with the game on the line twice this week in the Eastern Conference finals versus the Detroit Pistons. In Game 1, LeBron committed the cardinal sin of actually passing to an open teammate as oppossed to taking a shot closer to the rim with a defender breathing down on him. And then in Game 2, LeBron got into the paint, and missed a leaner as he unsuccessfully tried to draw a foul on Rip Hamilton.
Every national radio or TV sports show that covers the NBA has had a talking head of some sort has had some so called expert criticize LeBron for not making the right decisions. Jeff Van Gundy has it right when he says that critics look at the result and work back from there. If Donyell Marshall hits the jump shot in Game 1, LeBron is an unselfish winner. But because Marshall misses the wide open 3, LeBron is a guy who can't win in the playoffs. Here's the thing. He's only a 22 year old kid. Watch in the huddle late in games. He's chomping his fingernails like a 16 year old taking the SATs. And on top of that, he's surrounded with over the hill veterans like Eric Snow, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Damon Jones. Larry Hughes plays like he's jealous of LeBron. Its almost like the two of them are playing parralel basketball. Drew Gooden is useless in a big spot. In these first two games, Rasheed Wallace absolutley dominated Gooden in crunch time. The only guys on this team he's capable of leading are Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejao, and Sasha Pavlovic. And I have to believe the primary reason for the latter two is probably the language barrier. With all this said, maybe someone should give the kid a little credit for carrying this motley team into the Eastern Conference finals.
Anyone who has been exposed to New York talk radio the last couple of weeks has had overexposure to the ridiculous media created issue, " Are the Yankees finished this year?"
Now I completely understand that it is quite uncommon to see the Yankees 3 games below .500 towards the end of May. And 9 1/2 games out of first place is a whole lot. But someone please find me a team that is more capable of winning 20 games a month for the next 3 months. Last time I checked, they still had a pitching staff with Cy Young runner up Chien-Mien Wang, Andy Pettite and his 2.66 ERA, with the imminent return of Roger Clemens.
Don't get me wrong, there still are problems. But some will be solved. The odds are in favor of Mussina turning it around. Abreu is not going to hit like this all season. Rivera may not go back to being dominant, but he will find his way towards effective. Cano will hit. He's got too much talent. The only real long term problems are Damon and the bullpen. Damon's best asset is his legs, and they're starting to break down on him. And the Yankees are commintted to two more years at 13 million per year AFTER this year. The bullpen mess will be solved the way the Yankees solve all of their problems. Steinbrenner will throw some money at it.
Now if Giambi will just shut his big fat piehole...........
Giddyap!
Friday, May 18, 2007
I'm back after a long, but effective hiatus. On to business.
Before I get to the on court business of the NBA in May of 2007, let me discuss some off court activity that has transpired, namely, The Traveling Van Gundy Brothers.
The lead NBA headline today was the firing of one of the better coaches in the world in Jeff Van Gundy. On one hand it appears totally logical. He never won a playoff series in 3 playoff appearences within 4 years. He had 3 years with two of the league's Top 15 players in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming and achieved zero success. However those that spent a little time watching the Houston Rockets know the understand the deck that Jeff had stacked against him.
His first year, he was saddled with the Artist Formerly Known as Steve Francis, who believed he was a superstar. The two problems were that he never was a superstar and by the time Jeff got there Stevie's game was in steep decline. The following 2 years he had Yao, McGrady and a glorified CBA roster. Only this past season did they add Shane Battier and give him a player who plays Jeff's way. They won 52 games and got beat in Game 7 in a 4-5 series in a deep, difficult Western conference. His franchise player, McGrady, publicly campaigns for his return. It looks like they're ready to turn the corner, right? Not for owner Les Alexander.
Essentially, Jeff had to fall on his own sword. They told him he could keep his job if he switched his coaching style to "up-tempo." I guess no one reminded ole Les that you need a Steve Nash or Jason Kidd type of point guard to play that style successfully. One thing Jeff knows is that it ain't happening with Rafer Alston as his point guard. So he tells management, I coach my way. If you want up-tempo, hire another coach. So Van Gundy gets canned pride in tact.
Even though it appears that Jeff is prepared to spend a significant amount of time in the broadcast booth, I believe that there is a currently occupied head coaching job that would fit him perfectly. That job is the New Jersey Nets. Lawrence Frank is an OK coach. H certainly has a decent feel for defense. But his halfcourt offense is abysmal. With no big post presence, Frank has a unique opportunityto post up his three big perimeter players, Kidd Carter, and Jefferson. Every night, at least one of them has a size mismatch. Yet the majority of their field goal attempts are perimeter jump shots.
The last team that I saw overachieve from posting up big guards was the 1999 New York Knicks who went to an NBA final with a halfcourt offense primarily composed of posting up big guards Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell . The coach of those 1999 Knicks??? Jeff Van Gundy. Playoff basketball hasn't changed. It still is and will always be a half court game.
It has been reported that Jeff's older brother Stan has interviewed for the openings in Charlotte, Indiana, and Sacramento. You remember Stan, don't you? He's the coach that took over the Miami Heat when Pat Riley decided there wasn't enough talent to win. So Stan developed his young talent, (Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Charles Barkley's love child, Dwyane Wade), got them into the 2nd round of the playoffs in his 2nd year, and set them up to make the Shaq trade. And right about the time the Heat are ready to compete for a championship, he steps down to "spend more time with his family." And who takes over, but Pat Riley. They can spin that one any way they want but Riles is coaching that team with blood stains on his hands.
So now Stan is in the mix for another well deserved chance. If you're reading Stan, don't touch that Indiana job. They are a mess. Anchored by an unhappy superstar in Jermaine O'Neal, and no supporting cast, the Pacers are going no where fast. By the way, special credit for this mess goes to Larry Bird, proving by the shadow of a doubt that he was a much better player, and even a better coach than he is a basketball executive. That organization is yet to recover from his brutal mishandling of the enigma known as Ron Artest, who is the NBA';s version of Tony Soprano.
Back to Stan. Stan, if they offer you the Charlotte job, take it. You've got a good young point guard in Ray Felton. A legit defensive big man in Emeka Okafor if you can keep him on the court. They will have a high lottery pick in this year's very deep draft. And they've got cap space galore. It represents a chance to mold something in his own image without the Riley shadow. Which is really all a Traveling Van Gundy brother could ever want.
This year's NBA playoffs have been drmatically unremarkable. But there are still a few things going on that warrant mentioning.
Firstly, I can't figure out for the life of me how a role player like Bruce Bowen can get away with being the dirtiest player in this league in the last 15 years. The knee he implanted in Steve Nash's genitals was one of the nastiest, unnecessary acts I've ever seen on a basketball court. Which begs the question, does Bowen have pictures of David Stern or Stu Jackson at a bachelor party? They suspended Kobe Bryant twice this year for landing hiis arm on a defender's head while taking a jump shot, but Bowen can mutilate Nash family jewels with impunity??
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the Stoudemire and Diaw suspensions. Those rules about leaving the bench are necessary an important, especially in the playoffs. Remember, Steven Jackson played in 2 rounds this year. Any league that employs Steven Jackson always runs the risk of him starting a riot in any game he plays in. But I digress. Bowen gets away with murder. And in a league that employs rules that suspend guys for doing a lot less, it has to be time that Bowen has outlasted any benefit of the doubt he's afforded.
With that said, there is a great story going on that not enough people are paying attention to, the Utah Jazz. Their general manager, Kevin O'Connor has put together a brilliant mix of young players and sprinkled in veterans nicely. 3 years ago, he invested his enormous cap space in Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur to man the center and power forward positions. While at the time, these two appeared grossly overpaid, their pairing has been a stroke of pure genius. they completely compliment each other on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Boozer plays in the post and Okur hangs on the perimeter firing (and making) threes. Defensively, Okur takes the tough inside matchup and Boozer helps out and cleans up the glass. The Jazz also sprt the best point guard no one ever pays attention to in Deron Williams. This guy looks like a young version of Jason Kidd, yet he rarely turns it over, and he can shoot. I would also be remiss if I did mot mention their outstanding coach, Jerry Sloan. The Jazz play hard, smart disciplined, and unselfishly. Everyone seems to know their role. They are as well coached a basketball team as you will see in the league. The Spurs will get all they can handle.
More to come soon. Thanks for reading.
Before I get to the on court business of the NBA in May of 2007, let me discuss some off court activity that has transpired, namely, The Traveling Van Gundy Brothers.
The lead NBA headline today was the firing of one of the better coaches in the world in Jeff Van Gundy. On one hand it appears totally logical. He never won a playoff series in 3 playoff appearences within 4 years. He had 3 years with two of the league's Top 15 players in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming and achieved zero success. However those that spent a little time watching the Houston Rockets know the understand the deck that Jeff had stacked against him.
His first year, he was saddled with the Artist Formerly Known as Steve Francis, who believed he was a superstar. The two problems were that he never was a superstar and by the time Jeff got there Stevie's game was in steep decline. The following 2 years he had Yao, McGrady and a glorified CBA roster. Only this past season did they add Shane Battier and give him a player who plays Jeff's way. They won 52 games and got beat in Game 7 in a 4-5 series in a deep, difficult Western conference. His franchise player, McGrady, publicly campaigns for his return. It looks like they're ready to turn the corner, right? Not for owner Les Alexander.
Essentially, Jeff had to fall on his own sword. They told him he could keep his job if he switched his coaching style to "up-tempo." I guess no one reminded ole Les that you need a Steve Nash or Jason Kidd type of point guard to play that style successfully. One thing Jeff knows is that it ain't happening with Rafer Alston as his point guard. So he tells management, I coach my way. If you want up-tempo, hire another coach. So Van Gundy gets canned pride in tact.
Even though it appears that Jeff is prepared to spend a significant amount of time in the broadcast booth, I believe that there is a currently occupied head coaching job that would fit him perfectly. That job is the New Jersey Nets. Lawrence Frank is an OK coach. H certainly has a decent feel for defense. But his halfcourt offense is abysmal. With no big post presence, Frank has a unique opportunityto post up his three big perimeter players, Kidd Carter, and Jefferson. Every night, at least one of them has a size mismatch. Yet the majority of their field goal attempts are perimeter jump shots.
The last team that I saw overachieve from posting up big guards was the 1999 New York Knicks who went to an NBA final with a halfcourt offense primarily composed of posting up big guards Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell . The coach of those 1999 Knicks??? Jeff Van Gundy. Playoff basketball hasn't changed. It still is and will always be a half court game.
It has been reported that Jeff's older brother Stan has interviewed for the openings in Charlotte, Indiana, and Sacramento. You remember Stan, don't you? He's the coach that took over the Miami Heat when Pat Riley decided there wasn't enough talent to win. So Stan developed his young talent, (Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Charles Barkley's love child, Dwyane Wade), got them into the 2nd round of the playoffs in his 2nd year, and set them up to make the Shaq trade. And right about the time the Heat are ready to compete for a championship, he steps down to "spend more time with his family." And who takes over, but Pat Riley. They can spin that one any way they want but Riles is coaching that team with blood stains on his hands.
So now Stan is in the mix for another well deserved chance. If you're reading Stan, don't touch that Indiana job. They are a mess. Anchored by an unhappy superstar in Jermaine O'Neal, and no supporting cast, the Pacers are going no where fast. By the way, special credit for this mess goes to Larry Bird, proving by the shadow of a doubt that he was a much better player, and even a better coach than he is a basketball executive. That organization is yet to recover from his brutal mishandling of the enigma known as Ron Artest, who is the NBA';s version of Tony Soprano.
Back to Stan. Stan, if they offer you the Charlotte job, take it. You've got a good young point guard in Ray Felton. A legit defensive big man in Emeka Okafor if you can keep him on the court. They will have a high lottery pick in this year's very deep draft. And they've got cap space galore. It represents a chance to mold something in his own image without the Riley shadow. Which is really all a Traveling Van Gundy brother could ever want.
This year's NBA playoffs have been drmatically unremarkable. But there are still a few things going on that warrant mentioning.
Firstly, I can't figure out for the life of me how a role player like Bruce Bowen can get away with being the dirtiest player in this league in the last 15 years. The knee he implanted in Steve Nash's genitals was one of the nastiest, unnecessary acts I've ever seen on a basketball court. Which begs the question, does Bowen have pictures of David Stern or Stu Jackson at a bachelor party? They suspended Kobe Bryant twice this year for landing hiis arm on a defender's head while taking a jump shot, but Bowen can mutilate Nash family jewels with impunity??
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the Stoudemire and Diaw suspensions. Those rules about leaving the bench are necessary an important, especially in the playoffs. Remember, Steven Jackson played in 2 rounds this year. Any league that employs Steven Jackson always runs the risk of him starting a riot in any game he plays in. But I digress. Bowen gets away with murder. And in a league that employs rules that suspend guys for doing a lot less, it has to be time that Bowen has outlasted any benefit of the doubt he's afforded.
With that said, there is a great story going on that not enough people are paying attention to, the Utah Jazz. Their general manager, Kevin O'Connor has put together a brilliant mix of young players and sprinkled in veterans nicely. 3 years ago, he invested his enormous cap space in Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur to man the center and power forward positions. While at the time, these two appeared grossly overpaid, their pairing has been a stroke of pure genius. they completely compliment each other on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Boozer plays in the post and Okur hangs on the perimeter firing (and making) threes. Defensively, Okur takes the tough inside matchup and Boozer helps out and cleans up the glass. The Jazz also sprt the best point guard no one ever pays attention to in Deron Williams. This guy looks like a young version of Jason Kidd, yet he rarely turns it over, and he can shoot. I would also be remiss if I did mot mention their outstanding coach, Jerry Sloan. The Jazz play hard, smart disciplined, and unselfishly. Everyone seems to know their role. They are as well coached a basketball team as you will see in the league. The Spurs will get all they can handle.
More to come soon. Thanks for reading.
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