Thursday, 28 April 2011

The #1 Pick Is: Cam Newton

Okay, quick analysis here.  The Carolina Panthers had the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft (ironically which will be for the 2012 season, but hey, who's counting?) and selected Heisman winner, the quarterback from Auburn, Cam Newton.

This doesn't come as too much of a surprise.  The Panthers were absolutely abysmal with their passing attack last year.  Granted, every aspect of the Panthers was terrible, but passing was notably bad.  Clearly the Panthers do not think that the answer to their problems is Jimmy Clausen, and since Andrew Luck decided to return for his senior year at Stanford, Newton was the obvious choice at number one.

But what should Carolina expect out of Newton?  The potential is certainly there for Newton to alter the quarterback position, but his closest comparison, Vince Young, also had that chance too.  Newton has better mechanics than Young when it comes to passing and other than that they are fairly comparable.  Young has had flashes of brilliance in the NFL, but for the most part he has been a major disappointment.

Carolina's hands were a little tied in this situation.  They had to take this risk on Newton, but the rewards could be immense.  Personally, I see too much of Vince Young in him to think he will experience major success.  But the potential is definitely there for him to help turn around the Panthers.

Do or Die Time

Portland squares off with Dallas tonight in a potentially series-deciding game six.  Fortunately, the Blazers play in the raucous Rose Garden where they took games three and four from the Mavericks.  And although the Blazers are one of the best home teams in the league, feeding off the energy of the crowd, after watching this series, a home game does not inspire much confidence in the black and red.

Portland should not have won game four.  Sure, the final score indicates they did, but it required a miracle performance from Brandon Roy, who returned to this universe with his five point performance on Monday.  He also posted a +/- of -18 in only twenty-six minutes total which is significantly more indicative of his abilities than the fourth quarter explosion needed to win game four.  The Blazers squeaked out two wins in Portland and have been manhandled in two out of three games in Dallas.  What do the Blazers HAVE to do in order to win game six then?

1. Rebound the basketball.  The Blazers cannot afford to give up 20 offensive rebounds to the Mavericks again.  I do not care if a player catches fire like Roy did, the Blazers will lose if this happens again.  Portland looked weak in every aspect on Monday, but their effort on the glass was putrid at best.  When you start Camby, Aldridge and Wallace against Chandler, Dirk and Marion, you should not be outrebounded by 12.

2. Stop settling for jump shots.  The Blazers are not a horrendous shooting team inside the three point line (that is another story), but a healthy balance between jump shots and attacking the basket keeps the Dallas defense honest.  Aldridge must establish himself early in this game in order to create open looks on the outside for the guards.  If the Blazers offense turns into a game of one-on-one's again, expect a repeat performance of game five.

3. Lead going into the 4th quarter.  The Blazers must make their lives a little easier for once and not be forced to mount a comeback in front of their home crowd.  If the Blazers actually lead at the start of the fourth, they won't have to exert quite as much energy trying to bite at Dallas' heels, conserving energy for a possible game seven.  Plus, I am not sure just how much fourth quarter magic the Blazers have left in their tank anyway.

4. Push the ball up the court.  Portland has seen flashes of brilliance this series when running the ball.  With Miller at the head, Batum and Wallce flanking, and Aldridge trailing, the Blazers can be a dangerous team on the break.  I know that it is not in Coach Nate's style to run the ball, preferring to slow it down and look for a quality shot, but now might be the time to take a chance on this.  The Blazers must prevent Dallas from becoming too comfortable on the defensive end.

I cannot say I am thrilled with the Blazers' chances tonight.  Dallas has performed better than most anticipated and Portland looks worse.  But the Blazers can no longer rely on the "playoff inexperience" card.  It is time for them to demonstrate their true character.  Win this game and the series is right where it started.  Lose game six on your home floor, though, and the Blazers will be forced to examine what their character really is.

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Shouldn't this Raise an Eyebrow?

Let's play a game.  All you have to do is point out what is egregiously wrong with this next sentence:

"Johnson was wrapping up two days of meetings with NBA relocation committee chairman and Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett and other league officials in Sacramento."
Okay, got your answer?  There is only one obvious thing wrong with this.  "Clay Bennett" and "NBA relocation committee chairman."  The same man who hijacked the Seattle Supersonics and mutated them into the Oklahoma City Thunder is in charge of relocating NBA teams?  HOW DOES NOBODY SEE AN ISSUE WITH THIS?

If you do not know what happened in the Seattle situation and you have a little bit of free time, I suggest that you check out SonicsGate to get an in-depth look at the theft of one of the better NBA franchises.  And if you do not have the free time to look at it, check out the abridged version on Wikipedia under "Relocation to Oklahoma City."

I respect David Stern as a business man.  I do not like him, but I think he has done a solid job as NBA commissioner.  But making Clay Bennett the head of NBA relocation makes me sick.  It is an absolute shame that Seattle lost the Sonics and this is just a stomp in the collective crotches of Sonics fans everywhere.

NBA Playoff Notes

Last night we saw a couple of pivotal games in the NBA playoffs and tonight has a couple of key games to examine.
  • Dallas absolutely beasted Portland last night.  Do not let the final score let you believe that this game was close at all.  The Mavericks manhandled the Blazers in every aspect.  They flat out wanted the ball more than the Blazers and it showed in the rebounding numbers.  The Mavs outrebounded the Blazers 49-37, damning to the Blazers cause of stealing a game in Dallas.  And if that were not bad enough, the Blazers gave up 20 offensive rebounds, and 13 to Tyson Chandler alone.  The last player to have that many offensive rebounds was Ben Wallace, with 11 in the 2004 ECF.  And go figure, the Blazers had their highest +/- when Chris Johnson and Marcus Camby were both on the floor.  Grabbing rebounds.  I rest my case.
  • Portland fans on the message boards and on Twitter were quick to point out the free throw differential in this game.  Well take a look at the shot chart and you will understand just why the Blazers took fewer free throws than the Mavs.  In the first half, the Blazers were aggressive and driving to the basket, racking up 28 points in the paint in the first half.  In the second half they only had 18, about eight of which came in the last two minutes when Wallace padded his stats.  The Blazers turned iso and jump shot happy once again, making life significantly easier on the defensive end for the Mavs.
  • Can Portland extend this series to seven games?  Definitely.  But a win in Portland is not a guarantee, far from it actually.  If the Blazers play the same game that they did last night on Thursday, I do not care how loud the Rose Garden is, they will get stomped.  And if they do extend it seven games, does it really matter?  Portland looks lost in Dallas and I am not sure that game seven's pressure would really change that.
  • Nothing much to say about the Denver-OKC series other than it looks like I overestimated the Nuggets (or underestimate the Thunder).  The Nuggets had to grab at least one game in this series, but this one is effectively in the books.  And with OKC slated to play the Grizzlies (more on that in the next bullet), their road to the WCF just got much easier.  It appears that OKC's championship window is open now, which is not good for the rest of the league.  Should the NBA just hand over the Larry O'Brian trophy for the next decade to Oklahoma City?  Good thing I am not anywhere near sharp objects because the thought of Kevin Durant holding that trophy and his MVP trophies pretty much sickens me as a Portland fan.
  • Well, I do not like to admit when I am wrong, but I was way wrong on San Antonio and Memphis.  The critics all called for a close eye on this series, but I figured there was no chance that the same San Antonio team that dominated the past decade would lose a series to Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies.  I mean, come on, Zach Randolph has never won a playoff series.  Tim Duncan has been winning them for a decade and a half.  But Memphis has throttled the Spurs in this series.  And the Spurs looked like they have accepted their fate already.  Last night's performance was pretty abysmal, showing the signs of a team that has given up on the series.  Buford better have some tricks up his sleeve for the offseason or things might turn bad in San Antonio.
  • I owe an apology to Chris Wallace.  I never thought the day would come when he would assemble a playoff team that actually resembled a real basketball team.  But credit him for extending his players at the right time, signing Tony Allen in the offseason, trading for Shane Battier and stealing Sam Young in the draft.  None of that cancels out the Pau Gasol trade, but he certainly doesn't appear to be the incompetent buffoon I always thought he was.
Tonight: Hawks close out the Magic and I look like an idiot again.  Although in my defense, the Magic are posting seemingly against-all-odds shooting numbers right now and providing absolutely no support for Dwight.  Is there any chance that he resigns in Orlando?  I don't think so.

Chris Paul almost doubled the second highest rebounder on the Hornets in game four (Okafor had seven).  He grabbed more rebounds than Gasol and Bynum combined.  He posted a 27-15-13 in easily the most impressive performance of the playoffs.  Wonder why his knees hurt?  Because he has to carry the weight of this entire team.  Without Chris Paul, that Hornets team doesn't win more than 30 games.  He is another candidate to bolt his team when free agency rolls around and at that point, the NBA may as well move basketball out of New Orleans.

Chicago beats Indiana to close out the series.  But unless Carlos Boozer starts playing like an NBA player instead of a WNBA player, the Bulls will not make it past the ECF.  They have had to rely far too heavily on Derrick Rose.  An incredible one-trick pony, but one trick none the less.  They will handle the Hawks with no problem, but will not beat the Heat or the Celtics without more support for Rose.

Sunday, 24 April 2011

Boston Closes Out Knicks. Heat Not Far Behind.

The Boston Celtics completed a sweep of the New York Knicks, dominating the undermanned Knicks in games three and four in New York.  It was a little surprising to witness the effort that the Knicks played with in games one and two, in an especially tough Boston arena, and then see those same Knicks channel the effort of Eddy Curry's obese corpse and blow both games at home.  I cannot say that I am truly shocked though; Mike D'Antoni is, frankly, not a very good coach, contrary to popular belief.  The Knicks never truly stood a chance in this series and the Celtics definitely proved they are still a force in the East despite the questionable midseason trade.

The Miami Heat suffered a defeat today, albeit less surprisingly, at the hands of the 76ers.  I would go into the details on the game, but the Heat will absolutely close out this series in Miami in game five.  So that leaves fans with the enticing Miami Heat and Boston Celtics second round series.  The Celtics won the season series, 3-1, but the Heat are arguably the favorites in the series.

Closing out the regular season, the Heat tore through competition and rallied to capture the second seed in the East.  The Celtics limped into the playoffs, licking their wounds from the aforementioned trade.  But this Celtics team remains essentially the same as the 2008 champs and the finalists from last year.  Then who should fans place their money on in a seven game series?

My brain says the Heat, but my gut says...the Heat also.  It sickens me to even type that.  However, that does not mean that I believe the Celtics do not have a chance, so Celtics fans please put down your pitchforks and burning effigies and hear me out.

The key to this series will be the pace of the game.  There is not a single team more dangerous in the open floor than the Heat.  With the evidence of dozens of high-flying alley-oops between Wade and James, the Heat have proven that even if they do not have numbers, they are attacking the basket on the break.  The Heat shoot more free throws than any other team in the league (paging Mr. David Stern: care to explain that one?), so they will draw foul calls on these breaks.  And because of James and Wade's exemplary passing skills and constant need for a double team, even James Jones and Mike Miller's decrepit bodies can still hit open threes.  The Heat are scary good coming off a miss.  Interestingly, they rank only 20th in the league in pace of play.  Expect the Heat to run more against an older Celtics team that actually plays slower than them (22nd overall).

The Heat are about as terrifying in the half court as this puppy.  Yes, I am serious.  The Heat have yet to figure out an effective half court offense.  Boston, with the second highest defensive efficiency in the league, must play tight defense in the half court to keep pressure on Miami.  If the Celtics slow this game down, they play to their advantage.  Although Rondo is elite at running the break, he might be even better in a slowed down game. Keep the game in the half court and the Heat will start to sweat a little.

I think the key to this series will be Rondo.  And as the end of the regular season proved, as Rondo goes, the Celtics go.  Rondo will slice and dice the Heat's guards till all their ankles are in casts.  But will the Celtics see the Rondo who simply wants to rack up assists, or will they see the aggressive Rondo looking to create his own shot?  The more attention that he draws, the more open shots for the Big 3.  But the Heat are no scrubs on defense either.  They rank fifth in the league in defensive efficiency and will make Boston work for every single possession.  Thus far, Boston has taken advantage of every possession in the playoffs, posting an offensive efficiency of 110.5.  To conquer the Heat, the Celtics must continue this kind of offense.

As I said, my head says the Heat and my gut says the Heat.  My heart, though, is secretly hoping the NBA locks out before the series starts so the ad nauseum coverages ceases before it even starts.  But since that won't happen, I am picking the Heat in seven games.  But I am not sold on that pick.

The real question is: how many technicals will be called?  Over/under is 7.5

Friday, 22 April 2011

Enough Pump Faking and Jumping into the Defender

Alright, I am sure that people will read this and think, "did he really feel the need to write a column on this issue?"  And frankly, as I sit here and write it, I am thinking the same thing to myself.  But I just cannot take it anymore.

I cannot stand watching an NBA game and seeing this sequence: player X catches the ball 15 feet from the basket while player Y closes out.  X then pump fakes, causing Y to jump into the air.  Y, realizing that X is not about to shoot it, puts his arms down and directs his body out of the way.  X subsequently jumps sideways into the defender, demonstrating the worst resemblance of a shot, and flails arms as if he has been gunned down in a back alley.  The refs award X with two free throws, much to the chagrin of player Y and his coach.

Still don't know what I am talking about?  Here is an example, albeit not the best one.  Gasol does a poor job of lowering his arms, but the premise of the play is where my qualm lies.  I understand that by the books, the body contact is a foul.  But in the event that the defender does dodge the shooter and puts his arms down, he should not be penalized because the offensive player jumps into him at an angle where he'd never otherwise take that shot.

The two biggest culprits of this are Paul Pierce (the master) and Dirk Nowitzki.  But every team has a player that commits the act.  And after watching Andre Miller draw a foul call in this fashion, and Dirk in an even more egregious fashion, I have decided I just cannot take it anymore.

Perhaps this really is a small issue and I am just acting melodramatic.  But defenders should no longer be punished if they are out of the way of the offensive player and they jump into the defender.  It just does not make sense to call a foul there.  Just as refs do not award shooting fouls when players throw the ball up from beyond half court, they should not award shooting fouls when a player jumps sideways to hit a defender.

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Random Musings from Game 2

First off, let me just say that the Blazers did not play like they wanted to win that game last night.  There was a distinct difference between their effort on Saturday and yesterday.  Saturday can be chalked up to questionable officiating, but that's to should be expected; Dirk frequently gets the benefit of the doubt and he has earned it.  But last night?  The Blazers laid an absolute egg in the second half.  And unless they want to lose this series in five games, they need to make some adjustments.  Fast.

  • Way too many isolation possessions last night.  Yes, we had mismatches.  Yes, Wesley Matthews is much bigger than Jason Kidd.  No, Matthews does not have any post moves and even though there is a height difference, that is probably not the best matchup to try and exploit.  I would rather have Aldridge take it at Haywood or Chandler than Matthews or Batum on Kidd.  The biggest difference between the offense in the first and second half was exactly that.  A Blazers possession consisted of coming down, clearing out one side, feeding a one on one post mathcup, generally resulting in a miss.  In the first half, the Blazers looked sharp.  They made their cuts, hit their passes and got easy buckets.  Hence the two point lead at the half.  The Blazers cannot afford to go stagnant again like that.
  • If the Blazers do want to try and exploit isolation matchups, it must be exclusively through Aldridge.  Create a high-low game and keep the shooters moving around the outside.  Aldridge is the most dangerous Blazer on the floor by far, requiring a double team in the low post.  If the Mavs bring that double team, swing the ball around the perimeter and get an open shot.  If they don't, Aldridge has been feasting on single teams in the low post.  Keep feeding the beast and keep the shooters moving.  Don't let anyone stand still.
  • I have never seen a team run worse pick and roll defense than the Blazers.  And that has been the case ever since Nate has been the head coach.  If you are going to have your guards try to climb over the top of picks (which I agree should be done), make sure that the big man hedges the screen, giving the guard a chance pick his man back up.  How hard is that?  But the Blazers seem incapable of doing this.  If they go over the screen, the big man stays down and Kidd and Peja rain threes on us.  If the big man comes up, we switch the screen and Drik destroys Miller or Matthews.  Isn't defending the pick and roll one of the first things people learn in elementary basketball?
  • Make free throws.  18-27 just will not cut it.  The Blazers shoot a little less than 80% from the line on the year.   Until the last two minutes, the Blazers hovered around a deficit of four to seven points.  Assuming they shoot closer to their percentage and make 21-27, that lead is significantly more surmountable.  But, miss those free throws and that lead is just a little bigger, creating a little more urgency.
  •  Patty Mills should not see the court in a playoff series.  I would rather see Miller play 40 minutes a game than see him running the point.  Give his extra minutes to Rudy.  But don't let Mills lead this charge.
Unless the Mavs channel their 2006 spirit, Blazers in six won't happen.  The Blazers need to come out and win handily to capture some of the momentum.  If they don't, Dallas could steal a game in Portland and then have two chances to close out the series in Dallas.  Not that they would need it.  But right now it looks like this will be the 7th straight first round exit the Blazers see.

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

The NBA Playoffs

The NBA playoffs have treated fans to an incredible opening weekend.  Without a doubt, this was some of the best and most interesting basketball I have watched in a while.  L.A. and San Antonio stumbled out west to the David West-less Hornets and Rudy Gay-less Grizzlies respectively.  Rough way to start out the series.  The Lakers will be fine and I suspect that they will pummel the Hornets in game two.  San Antonio, on the other hand, has turned this into an interesting series.  I suspected that if they could get through Memphis in game one without Ginobli, then they would cruise to the second round with no problem.  But Memphis came in, stole home court from the Spurs and absolutely put the number one seed in the west on their heels.  I stand by my pick of the Spurs to win this series, but it will be a hell of a lot closer than before.

Out East, Chicago and Miami both suffered scares in their opening round games, but fought back and took the first two games of each series.  And while Miami rolled in their second game against Philly, Chicago founds themselves struggling again with Indiana.  It took another out-of-this-world performance from Derrick Rose to keep the number one overall seed from dropping one of these games.  But can Derrick Rose carry that much weight through the whole playoffs?  Keep an eye on his minutes and how if the other Bulls players step up to see how Chicago holds up in the playoffs.  Rose is incredible, but he can't do it all every single game.

On Sunday night, Boston/New York and Denver/OKC provided two nail-biters as well.  New York horrifically blew that game through poor coaching, worse shot selection and even worse defense.  But I guess that isn't any different than how most of their games have gone this year.  Denver was robbed of a game that could give OKC the momentum it needs to pull out that series.  These two teams are so evenly matched that I believe that game one was absolutely pivotal to set the tone for the rest of the series.

As for the Dallas and Portland series, as a Blazers fan, I could just direct you to the box score and let you figure out why the Blazers lost that game.  Free throws and threes.  But one of the things that I feel like the analysts are overlooking is the play of Gerald Wallace.  Whether it was playoff jitters or Shawn Marion's defense, Crash never settled in at any point.  The Blazers absolutely need him to play better than he did in game one, or they will not stand a chance of winning this series.  Expect the Blazers to get him more involved tonight than they did on Saturday.  A big game from him and Aldridge are absolute musts.

Bill Simmons called this season in the NBA one of the greatest ever.  And while I like to disagree with him most of the time, I would find it tough to craft an argument against it.  The start of these playoffs sure make it tougher still.  Great storylines and some of the best league competition in years.  It's NBA playoff time.

Friday, 15 April 2011

The Beginning of the End: NBA Playoffs

As excited as I am for the NBA playoffs, Phil Jackson and the Lakers' recent $75,000 dollar fines are a painful reminder that this is the last basketball that I will get to watch for a while.  Sure, nothing is etched in stone...yet.  But the writing is on the wall and I suspect that Jackson's comments will be the first of many to slip about the current CBA discussions.  The beginning of the NBA playoffs simultaneously commences its demise.

But enough dreariness, fans have been treated to one of the most memorable seasons in the recent years.  Wednesday night, every single NBA team played their final game, the first time in history that that has happened.  And with only one seed securely locked in the west, San Antonio, there was a chance for some major reshuffling of those teams.  The Lakers saved themselves from falling out of the two seed, preventing the Mavericks and the Thunder from capitalizing on their poor performances leading up to that final game against the Kings.  Portland secured its destiny on Tuesday night by beating the Grizzlies and were forced to wait for Wednesday's results to see who their first round opponent is.

The East was a little more secure, except for the big news of Chicago thieving the overall number one seed in the playoffs from the Spurs, and the Heat squeezing by the Celtics to grab the number two seed.  Now that the playoffs are set, let's take a look at the first round matchups and make some predictions.

#1 Chicago vs. #8 Indiana
Frank Vogel did a pretty good job rallying this team after Jim O'Brien was fired, keeping them above .500 in his tenure.  Tom Thibodeau, on the other hand, took a defensively anemic Bulls team, transformed them into the number one defensive efficiency team in the league and helped Rose take that last step to MVP candidate status.  I commend Frank Vogel, but this one will be a sweep.
4-0 Bulls

#2 Miami vs. #7 Philadelphia
A couple of weeks ago, if you had asked me about this series, I would've said that the 76ers would make a competition out of it.  But Miami kicked it into high gear to close out the season.  Sure, Philly has the athleticism and the length to make life difficult for Lebron and Wade.  But at the end of the day, they are still two of the best players in the league and will ultimately run over, around, and through the 76ers.
4-1 Miami

#3 Boston vs. #6 New York
The interesting thing about this series is that if Amar'e and Melo get hot, fans could really watch an interesting series.  But that hasn't really happened yet as the Knicks offense has turned pedestrian (relatively speaking) since Melo's arrival.  Too much iso and not enough off the ball movement to compete with the staunch Boston defense.  Don't let the hype of New York's big two confuse you; they're paper tigers at best.
4-1 Boston

#4 Orlando vs. #5 Atlanta
The analysts want you to believe that the Hawks could turn this into a real series.  I just don't buy it, not when Joe Johnson is in the midst of the worst season of his career (sorry, when you sign a 6 year, $126 million dollar contract extension, you perform better than that).  Sure, the Hawks defenders will make life difficult for Dwight, but they will just slow him down, not stop him.  The only way Orlando loses this season is if they get three-happy and ignore the most dominant big man in the league.  Wait, who am I kidding, I've seen that happen dozens of times this season.  Maybe this will be a better series than I think...
4-2 Orlando

#1 San Antonio vs. #8 Memphis
The NBA: where the #8 seed in the West would be the #5 seed in the East.  Gotta love the playoff system!  But seriously, this Memphis team will give San Antonio some trouble.  They beat them three out of four times this season and have the size to match up adequately.  But San Antonio has done the playoff song and dance too many times to be caught off guard.
4-1 San Antonio

#2 Los Angeles vs. #7 New Orleans
I have to be honest, I do not think that New Orleans can win a game in this series.  They did an impressive job to avoid falling out of the playoffs entirely after David West went down with a torn ACL.  But come on, in a seven game series (which will only last four games), Phil Jackson will coach circles around Monty Williams.  Don't let the five game slip by the Lakers fool you; they're still the team to beat.
4-0 Los Angeles

#3 Dallas vs. #6 Portland
Alright, I will attempt to set my personal biases aside on this one.  However, from an objective standpoint, Portland will win this series.  Dallas is a one trick pony in Dirk, which normally haunted the Blazers in the past.  But now they have a plethora of defenders to throw Dirk's way.  Nate has the Blazers playing at an extraordinary level and I suspect that they will continue this strong play and win their first playoff series since 2000.
4-2 Portland

#4 Oklahoma City vs. #5 Denver
Without a doubt, this is the series I am most excited for.  Denver, 19-5 after the Carmelo trade, is led by my coach of the year, George Karl.  The man deserves every vote in my opinion for having to deal with the Carmelo drama and then cohesively weaving a new roster into the team that nobody wants to play in the first round.  Athletes galore dominate this series and I expect it to be an absolute battle.  The lack of a crunch time scorer scares me about Denver, seeing as OKC has two in Westbrook and Durant.  But the number of offensive weapons they have, and the mismatches they exploit should create an entertaining series.  It comes down to a coin flip in my book, but I think OKC prevails in the only series to go seven games.
4-3 Oklahoma City

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Villanueva vs. Hollins: Round One

I don't really like to offer up advice to NBA players on how they should act.  I wouldn't want some random person telling me how to do my job or what I needed to change to improve either.  But maybe someone should tell Charlie Villanueva that there is a pretty clear line of appropriate behavior on the court that he egregiously crossed.

Look, I understand, Charlie.  I really do.  I wouldn't want to play in Detroit either.  It is a franchise that has made mistake after mistake (including the contract that they signed you to) and has effectively killed the next three years of their existence.  You're 23 games under .500.  The Pistons organization is undergoing an enormous facelift right now with a change in ownership.  You have to play with an over-the-hill Richard Hamilton who probably just sits at his locker and laughs as he counts his stacks of bills.  You're coached by John Kuester, a neurotic control-freak who looks like he should be coaching the old Detroit Shock, not the Pistons.  And to top it off, the most relevance you have had as an NBA player was running to your social media army when Kevin Garnett exchanged words with you.

All of that is enough to make me want to start a fight with the second worst team in the league too.  Especially over a pretty clean attempt to get through a screen.  You know what, you're right, Charlie.  I'm sorry.  I shouldn't blame you for Hollins trying to work through a screen.  Doesn't he know how tough you are?

"I will kill that dude," Villanueva screamed.  Seems rational to me.  Equally rational: attempting to chase down Hollins in the tunnel room AND on the loading dock after the game.  Over a screen that Villanueva himself set.

What will it take to get incidents like this to stop in the NBA?  Yes, they are amusing and give sportswriters plenty to discuss.  But the NBA has a perpetual image crisis, which over the past decade they've fought hard to combat.  And as they make strides towards improving their image in the public's eyes, league executives are forced to address incidents such as this every season.

All you can do is shake your head at a player like Villanueva.  But just make sure you don't bump into him when you do; otherwise he might threaten to kill you too.

Friday, 8 April 2011

A Battle for East Supremacy

Last night, the top two seeds in the East faced off, the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics.  As the Celtics find themselves jockeying for the second seed with Miami, Chicago has established themselves firmly as the number one seed and, in my opinion, the favorites for the NBA championship.  Not bad for a team that finished 41-41 the past two years in a row.

Though the Bulls own this game handily, 97-81, I anticipate these two teams squaring off in the Eastern Conference Finals and likely a seven game series.  And even though I have no vested interest in either of these teams and couldn't really care what happens, I would clear my schedule to tune in to every game.

This series has everything that a NBA fan could ask for.  Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo, two of the best point guards in the league, once again lock horns, and not in the buddy-buddy style fans are accustomed to seeing from players.  These guys hate each other.  Imagine business partners working together, two of the best and brightest in their class, only to have one extremely outperform the other, leading the outcast to leave the business in a huff and swear revenge on his former partner.  That's basically what happened this summer at Team USA's camp before the World Championships.  Rose handled Rondo so badly that Rondo voluntarily withdrew from the camp rather than get cut or ride the pine during the tournament.  Look no further than last night with each guard ferociously attacking the other on offense.  Nothing like a little bad blood to spice up a series.

Second, Kevin Garnett and Joakim Noah epitomize the title of "guys that you absolutely hate but if they were on your team you would worship them."  KG, less so than earlier in his career, and Noah play every game like it is game seven of the NBA Finals.  They love to mess with opponents head: KG blocking shots after the whistle and Noah's screams that somewhat resemble a banshee.  To each of these guys, making the correct defensive plays is their primary duty.  The results show it: Boston ranks number two and Chicago number one in defensive efficiency, a full point and a half ahead of number three Orlando.

Third, there is the perennially clutch Paul Pierce and the perpetually underachieving Luol "Remember When I'm The Reason We Didn't Trade For Kobe" Deng.  Arguably the least interesting matchups of the series, but I am just always fascinated watching Deng and thinking that this guy was the reason that the entire landscape of the NBA wasn't reshaped with a Kobe trade back in '06.  Unbelievable.

Lastly, Tom Thibodeau and Doc Rivers attempt to out strategize the other from the sidelines.  Thibodeau had always been touted as the brains of the Celtics operations when they won the title in '08.  Credited for his defensive schemes, Thibodeau is quickly proving that he belongs in the upper-tier of coaches currently in the NBA for his work with Chicago.  Rivers, on the other side, is renowned for his motivational abilities and less so his actual in-game tactics.  With four future hall of famers on your roster, it makes coaching a little easier.  But will Doc be able to keep up with his former protege?

Great matchups, cities that truly care about basketball, teams with long legacies of success in the playoffs.  What more could a fan ask for?  When the war is over and the damaged assessed, I'm picking Chicago in seven.  I don't see how it could NOT go to seven games.  But from what I have seen from Rose since July of last year, it would behoove me to pick him and his team.

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Blazers Clinch Their Third Straight Playoff Birth

As a lifelong Blazer fan, I have seen some dark times.  I won't bother to go into detail, but will just a cite a few of the obvious incidents: 2000 Western Conference Finals, the entire Jail Blazers era, Greg Oden's four years, and the recent revelation that Brandon Roy, once one of the best shooting guards in the league, is now a mediocre bench player with zero explosiveness and little chance of his athleticism returning.

Oh and add on the fact that we haven't won a championship since '77 and one can understand why being a Blazers fan might be a little tough.

But through all the tough times, we seem to be turning a corner.  Three straight years in the playoffs now, after missing the previous five years and probably our best chance at winning a playoff series in that time sits on the doorstep.  Assuming the Blazers finish 6th in the West (a bit of a bold assumption given their paltry play last night against Golden State), they'll face the Mavs in the first round.

Dallas, with their championship window currently slamming shut, is limping into the playoffs right now.  The biggest problem for the Blazers had always been trying to find a defender to put on Dirk, as he constantly torched us from inside and out.  With the addition of Gerald Wallace, and the inspired play of Aldridge since Roy's spotlight turned off, the Blazers have the length and size to throw at the Mavs that they'd always needed.

As long as the Blazers do not get three-happy, they stand a good chance of beating the Mavs in a seven game series.  This is all assuming that the Mavs finish in third and the Blazers hold the six seed, which are no guarantees.  But I have found that hoping for the best, at least as of recently, has paid off and maybe the Blazers can avoid a first round series with the Lakers.

If this playoff matchup comes to fruition, I pick the Blazers in seven.  Who knows, maybe the Blazers, despite the injury woes of the past couple of years, will make some noise in the playoffs after all.

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Are We Sure That Wasn't High School Basketball?

Last night's national championship game had all the makings of a memorable night: the overachieving underdog searching for redemption from last year's almost-victory, arguably one of the greatest runs college basketball has seen beginning with the Big East Championship and riding that momentum to the national championship game, a player of the year candidate in Kemba Walker, the rising star coach in Brad Stevens battling the gritty, weathered Jim Calhoun for supremacy.  How could fans be disappointed in the matchup?

While the matchup didn't fail them, the expectations of the game certainly did.  I believe I owe Butler and UConn a thank you for reminding me why I cannot stand watching college basketball.  That was, without a doubt, one of the worst college basketball games that I have ever watched.  Believe me, I have a fairly large basis for comparison too.

Turnovers, poor shot selection, missed open shots.  You name whatever horrendous outcome could happen on a possession and I guarantee you that it occurred at least once.  18.8% and 34.5% from the field?  Is that a joke?

Announcers were quick to praise the defensive efforts of both teams, especially UConn, but it doesn't exactly take stellar defense to get a team to take an open three with 25 seconds left on the shot clock.  UConn's "lockdown" defense wasn't exactly causing Butler to miss every one of their three point attempts.  How many baskets inside of five feet did Howard and Smith miss?  Well they were a combined 3-16 from inside the three point line, so that should give you an idea.

Six assists for UConn and five for Butler.  None for Kemba, the one player with more discernible talent than anyone else on that court.  I swear to you, strip the names of the colleges from their jerseys and place them in a small gym and nobody in their right mind would think that those were the two best college teams in the country.  I doubt that most would even think they were watching a college game, let alone the national championship.

I don't care what the tournament says; those were not the two best teams in the nation.  Were they the best over the five games that they had to be?  Clearly they were, but it would take a massive stretch in logic to conclude that that abysmal performance represented the best that college basketball had to offer its fans.

So thank you, Butler and UConn, for guiding me back to my rightful domain: caring and following the NBA.  A slap in the face reminder like this is exactly what I needed.

Monday, 4 April 2011

Cut It Down and They Will Come

Baseball has an interesting way of polarizing sports fans.  On one hand, there exists the devout followers who will vehemently defend the game and its long-standing history in American sports.  In the other corner, there are those who think baseball is boring and too slow for this fast-paced lifestyle.  I believe that each side presents a credible argument.

Baseball helped keep this country together through the tough times of the Depression and the World Wars of the early century.  The carry over effects of this still show as practically every youth tries out baseball when they are young.  But, baseball was designed for a slower time period, and despite the changes that they've made in recent years, the game isn't speeding up fast enough for the short attention span society that we've become.

I straddle the fence on this argument: still able to enjoy the game and its merits, but wishing it would expedite games and the season.  What should be done then?

I propose a cut of at least forty games in the regular season.  A 162 game season?  What hasn't been decided at game 120 that is decided by 162 (with an exception to the 2009 Mets, sorry guys)?  A season that is almost double the length of basketball and hockey, it should come as no surprise that interest in baseball fades during the middle of the year as they reach games into the low 100's.

A shorter season would certainly regain interest from casual fans.  Imagine if they had to keep track of 25% fewer games and results throughout the season, can anyone truly argue that this shorter season wouldn't help with the negatives of baseball?  Each game would become instantly more valuable, preventing players from ever taking a game or two off just because they didn't feel like playing.

Fewer games, greater competition and a renewed interest?  This sounds like the type of remodel that baseball needs.  And no, I am not just saying all this because I have to watch the Seattle Mariners for 162 games a year, but could anyone blame me if that were the reason?

Friday, 1 April 2011

The Sport Court: What It All Means

Alright, so some of you may have noticed that the name of my blog changed from "Going Greek" to "The Sport Court."  Then again, some may have not noticed at all, and me mentioning it here is the first exposure to it.  Either way, there's a story behind the change and I'd like to share it.

Aside from the incredible obvious point that I am no longer studying abroad in Greece, the blog needed a new name.  Seeing as I primarily write about sports, the obvious choice is a sports-related title.  I spent a good amount of time trying to come up with something, but everything sounded corny or didn't make sense.

Then I got to thinking about my childhood and how sports were involved in it.  Catching lightning in a bottle, it hit me: The Sport Court.  But why?  Growing up, I lived a few blocks down from my cousins who owned a half sport court in their back yard.  And nowhere else fostered the growth of my love for sports greater than that 18x18 plot of land.

Starting to play when I was ten, I've played thousands (yes, you read that right) of games on the sport court.  Older, younger, faster, better, stronger, weaker players have seen that court in these past eleven years.  Hundreds of different matchups, games that were blowouts, nail-biters, and all those in between.  Broken teeth, bloody noses, sport court scrapes, broken fingers.  Basketballs lost in the forest behind by accident, basketballs lost in the forest on purpose after a loss in a game.

The sport court created my identity as a basketball player.  Every point counts and doing the small things consistently produces good results.  Grab rebounds, fight for loose balls like your life depended on it.

And as I thought about it, I realized that the love I have for the sport court resembles the love and passion that I have for sports as a whole.  Everything that I learned watching and loving sports comes to fruition on that court.  The sport court is the embodiment of my fanaticism.

To those who helped create this love of sports on that sacred ground, thank you.  And to those who consistently read my posts and those who just poke their heads in once in a while, thank you as well.  Here's to hoping that the games on the sport court continue into older ages.