I'm Just Saying... The mumblings of a sane mind...
by: DrMidnight
NBA Flow: The G-Report - Quarterfinals Part 1
May 17, 2006 | 12:51PM | report this

Welcome back to the latest installment of the G-Report. A great Game 5 by an incredibly resilient Suns team, and the unexpected elimination of the Nets are causing more fluctuations than expected. The Mavs have the Spurs on the brink of elimination, and Mark Cuban is ready to breakdance. Remember my grading scale, 50 represents an average flow for the owner of the score. Latest score is the first one…

Miami

  • Pat Riley (75, up from 65, Hold) –  This will be the most volatile stock on the G-Index. I mean Riles is still The Man Who Shanked Stan. In the first round the Heat looked slow and unable to defend in the backcourt. After a Game 1 beatdown by the Nets, the supporting cast of Miami stepped up. If Walker and Payton can deliver in the post-season, maybe Riley looks good with his moves. Maybe.
  • Shaq (80/80, Buy alternating games, Sell the rest of the time) Capable of the 30 and 20 in clincher of Bulls series. Also too slow to stay out of foul trouble on a regular basis. Quick elimination of Nets gives The Big Baby Huey major rest.
  • Antoine Walker (50/40/Buy) – Twon played two strong games in a row. Now can he match up against Rasheed and Tashawn over a seven game series? I doubt it. Yet make no mistake - if he can shot 45% and average 17-20 a game, the Heat may actually get to the Finals.
  • Gary Payton (35/25, Sell) – GP is 37. Jason Kidd isn’t as quick as he once was, so I’m not sure if that was a fair test for The Isotoner. Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups? Now we’re talking…
  • Alonzo Mourning (85/75, Buy!) – Despite getting posterized by Vince Carter, Zo is the defensive intimidator that Miami will need to win. Imagine. A guy with one kidney and on a 25 minute per night limit is a better post defender than Shaq. Shame on you Shaq.

Dallas Mavs

  • Avery Johnson (100/90/BUY!) – My vote for Coach O’Da Year went to Mike D’Antoni. But I understand why Avery got the award. Moving Devin Harris into the lineup was genius. Mavs have too many offensive threats for Spurs to lock down, and they are closing games STRONG.
  • Devin Harris (60/35/BUY) – People forget that this guy was a lottery pick, an outstanding player who was supposed to ultimately replace Steve Nash in Dallas. He’s finally stepped up on a national stage. You thought Tony Parker was the only hyper-quick guard in this series? Recognize…
  •     
  • Jerry Stackhouse (80/70/HOLD) – Even if he doesn’t score 20, he makes Coach Pop sweat who to assign  to Bruce Bowen. Manu Ginobili can’t guard Stack if Stack decides to get to the hole consistently.
  • Eric Dampier (65/45/Buy) – He gets boards and puts a body on people. Eric D. may not be Shaq, but he’s no Shawn Bradley. Give the man props for playing tough defense at the end of Game 4 and forcing the miss from Duncan to get the game to OT.
  • Dirk Diggler Nowikski (100/90/Buy) – Playing on a bad ankle, balling tough at crunch time, and going to the paint when needed. One more win, and those smart-alecks who are quick to hang the "soft” label can get gone and stay gone.

San Antonio

  • Tony Parker (90/85/Buy) – T.P. is playing great offensive ball, but was he ready for Devin Harris? Uh, no. No shame dude. We weren't either.
  • Manu Ginobili (70/80/Hold) – Manu, you can’t be on the bench at crunch time. Here’s an idea: If you are in deep foul trouble, concede the layup! Bounced back nicely in Game 5.
  • Tim Duncan (110/100/Do you have to ask?) Spurs have wasted some great games in this series from Tim. Not handling officiating calls at the game very well. Can we blame him? Game 5 Update: Hit his first 12 shots. Responded like a champ. 
  • Coach Pop (90/100/Buy) - The Spurs have been outgutted in consecutive games. They have not found an answer for Devin Harris. No one in their right mind will bury this team. I have to see a stake in the heart, in broad daylight, and a decapitation before I concede the demise of the champs. Yet in the Popavich Era, the Spurs have gone 1-7 in elimination games.
  • NBA Refs (20/25/Sell) - I don't think they have it in for The Defending Champions. But the calls late have been a shade past awful.

New Jersey Nets

  • Jason Kidd (85/85/Buy) – Still a fine point guard. But how he was selected to the first team all-NBA Defensive Team is beyond me.
  • Microfracture Surgery (-10/0/SELL! GIVE IT AWAY!) Look at the evidence: Jason Kidd can't slow down D-Wade. Anthony Johnson hung 40 on him in Game 6 of the previous series. Amare misses most of the year for the Suns. Chris Webber can't defend ME anymore - and I'm 5'9" and can't go left. If I'm a pro athlete, if it comes down to microfracture surgery or amputation, I'm flipping a coin.
  • Nenad Kristic (65/80/Hold) – Great first series, was not consistent against the Heat. Four turnovers, two boards in Game 5. I thought he was ready to break out against The Heat. My bad.
  • Vince Carter (90/85/Buy!) – All too often forgot to take it to the hole against Miami. After wrecking the Heat in the regular season, got taken out of the game far too much in the postseason. has the physical gifts to be a lockdown defender, but isn't a good one. Work on it VC…
  • Richard Jefferson (80/85/Hold) - RJ was not a factor when not in the open floor. Rich, by definition, you aren't complete as a player until you do.
  •        
  • Lawrence Frank (70/80/Sell) – Sorry, but Lawrence, explain to me why Vince or Richard Jefferson wasn’t guarding D-Wade? Instead it's a gimpy Jason Kidd? What in the heck was Frank thinking about? Not enough pick and roll on Shaq either. The old master, Pat Riley schooled the kid.
7 Comments | Add a comment   categories: NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Playoffs, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons
 
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tophatal
May 17, 2006
1:10 PM
Nice take on the NBA and the prevailing characters of the moment. Will you be doing the same thing covering the conference finals? I might follow your picks the same way I sometimes follow "The Sage of Omaha"...Warren Buffett. He's got a great eye for the right stocks of the moment. The likes of The Cavs and Nets are the airline stocks you wouldn't want to touch at the moment. The Heat and Pistons are the real high flyers that you know will prevail whatever the market conditions. Out in the West, it's not a problem that can be so easily confined to market ebbs and flows. So what's your take and picks on these particular stocks? An avid investor awaits your comments. This isn't what one would consider insider trading, is it?

edclinchsaint
May 17, 2006
5:38 PM
Thanks for blogging.
Want an interesting homage to baseball ? Check out my blog--OK, What? A 1000 HR Hitter?---
You may not regret it!
Then again, maybe it will not suit your fancy...Let me know!

hiney
May 17, 2006
10:13 PM
why is it whenever tim duncan touches the ball there is a foul called on one of the maverics. i guess avery needs to whine more like the spurs do inorder for it to change.

ShooterB
May 18, 2006
7:49 AM
I'd buy Dallas Mavericks stock...

The Pistons and Spurs may be going out...at least one of them will. We won't be seeing the final teams that we expected.

Avery Johnson is doing a great job coaching. Even in a loss last night...he's giving his team a great chance to knock off the champs.

DrMidnight
May 18, 2006
8:29 AM
I had wanted the Mavs to win, but expected the Spurs to take it in 7 games. So I ma happily suprised, and so is the NBA. No one wanted another Sominex Finals between Detroit and San Antonio.

The Pistons on the other hand, they've gone from nearly unbeatable to "take-able" in a week. Wow!

tophatal
May 18, 2006
12:54 PM
DrMidnight, I've got to take that one back about The Cavs being airline stock you wouldn't want to touch. They're proving me wrong...thank God I hadn't sunk a bundle on them otherwise I'd be homeless right now. Where'd you see this series going? Like I said things out West are too close to call. Margins on the play between The Mavs and Spurs? Hedge with The Clippers as The Suns might slip up?

edhardiman
May 19, 2006
3:11 AM
great ticker, I hope my man Napolean Dynamite Kaman is a strong buy on the Clippers pulling down double-doubles in a row...

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DrMidnight
G.H. Brooks (aka "Dr. Midnight" to his loyal fan base) is a 2-time Next Great Sportswriter (NGS) Finalist. One would think that bringing game like that would net me *something* - a cool icon to mark my site, some love from Fox Sports, cash, but noooo... :-) I'm broadcasting live from New York City after a hiatus from the blogging scene, takes on life, sports, and whatever passing thoughts are shooting through my head. The good and bad ..passionate,
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