Book-browsing the other day, I came across the latest issue ofRolling Stone, their 40th Anniversary issue. Interesting in that it had 20 interviews with various VIPs and their recollections of 1967, The Summer Of Love.
Jimmy Carter, Patti Smith, George McGovern, Jane Fonda, Michael Moore, Paul McCartney...
... and not a single person of color.
Not a one.
Now, I know, it's Rolling Stone. Dedicated to keeping rock and roll alive, music that if you believe some is mostly white: The Beatles, Elvis, Buddy Holly, The Stones, Chicago, Led Zep, The Doors...you get the idea. Never mind the fact that R&R orgins are rooted in rhythm and blues, or the Chuck Berrys, Otis Reddings, Little Richards who helped shape the genre.
And I have no problem giving props where they are due - I have and play music from all of the above in my collection. But RS has always seemed to accept its roots with reluctance, preferring the "rock" in "rock and roll" - and that is not my reality.
Speaking of reality, quick: What were the two defining issues of 1967 - if not the decade? If you chose anything other than Civil Rights and Vietnam, kindly go back into hibernation.
And the faces of civil rights were...King, Ralph Abernathy, Stokley Carmichael, Huey Newton, Andy Young, Fannie Lou Hamer, and so on. (Notice a trend?) The most hated man in 1967 America?
Muhammad Ali, of course, refused induction ("I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong") and unjustly stripped of his title that June at the peak of his serious, serious game.
And Rolling Stone decided that out of 20 interviews they couldn't have ONE interview of an Ali, Andrew Young, Smokey Robinson or Carlos Santana? Was Bill Russell or Jim Brown busy? How about a close associate of the late, great, Ceasar Chavez?
What, all of their phones were disconnected?
Rolling Stone blew it. By design.
Then again, whitewashing history is so... 1967...
And that's why that issue stayed on the rack, unbought.
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In other news, the Spurs Robert Horry was ready and willing to compare his Spurs to the great teams of the 1980's.
"We would beat them," he boasted.
"No disrespect to the guys back in the 80's and the 70's, but the guys now are so much better than those guys," Horry said. "I don't care what they say. If you look at old films, guys only went right. They turned and kept it in their right hand. Look at the things LeBron (James) can do, Tim (Duncan) can do, Tony (Parker) can do, Manu (Ginobili) can do. Little (Daniel) Gibson over there. There's no way you can compare those guys. We watched what they did and expanded on that."
OK Big Shot Bob, are you telling me that everyone in today's NBA can go left? Please! You've been in the league since Mikan, and the next time I see you post twice in a row will be the first. I'll be the first to say that this league has more athletes than ever. I'll also say that basketball skills are still in shorter supply league-wide than common sense in the Paris Hilton household.
While I'm on this subject, Tim Duncan would have to play center, assuming that we use the 06-07 Spurs in this comparison. Honestly, does anyone really believe that Fabrico "Little Fabio" Oberto would last against Robert Parish, Kareem, or Moses Malone? I'm disqualfiying him on his hair alone. Nah, Timmy D, you're going to have to man up and be what you are - a center.
Now onto the comparison:
1985 Lakers vs 07 Spurs:
Backcourt:Magic v. Tony Parker. Parker would probably draw Bryon Scott, I suspect Magic would guard the offensively challenged Bruce Bowen or the solid, but aged Michael Finley. Scott would not only slow down Parker somewhat, but unlike Eric Snow, Bryon had a deadeye out to three point range. And who guards Magic? Ginobili would get posted more than a Gabrille Union pin-up. Bowen couldn't stop LeBron from posting - do you think he'd do better with Magic? Edge:Lakers, but not a huge one.
Frontcourt: Big Game vs Big Shot. James Worthy , A.C. Green and Kurt Rambis vs Bruce Bowen, Horry, and Oberto. I suspect that Bowen would start by guarding Magic, hence Horry would get the PT on James. For stretches, Horry would hold his own - after all, Worthy is the forefather of Horry - a tall (Worthy goes 6-9 to Horry's 6-10), "long" explosive 3 on the wing.
Alas, Horry may have been "The New", it doesn't mean he's "The Improved". Worthy is far more offensive-minded and can score inside or out, depending on the situation. A young Horry would have made this a really interesting confrontation with his defense and length. But over 7 games, if the series goes that long, Horry gets ground down, forcing Bowen or Finley to deal with number 42. A.C. Green/Rambis and Elston/Oberto would be a standstill.
But the special matchup would be The Hair of Oberto vs The Jehri Curl of Green. A.C.'s grease would give him a small edge inside, where he'd be harder to grab, but it would be hell on his shooting touch.
Edge: Lakers, Worthy being the difference.
Center: Kareem vs Duncan/Oberto/Elston - Possibly the two most fundamentally sound big men to ever play square off. The Skyhook v. The Bank Shot. The Old Stone Face versus... The Younger Stone Face. Duncan would get the edge running the floor on the 40-year-old "Cap", but the skyhook is money - and I'm talking Euros (have you seen the dollar lately?). Kareem basically took most of the regular season off from rebounding, but stepped it up in the playoffs. Duncan's D would make life difficult for Jabbar, and Elston would #### to make life painful and slow The Old Man down. I suspect Horry would even take a turn here. But Duncan isn't used to guarding prolific post men. He usually left the dirty work of guarding Shaq to Robinson or Malik Rose until the 4th period. He won't have that luxury against this team.
Edge: Draw.
The Bench: Spurs bring the 6th man of the year in Ginobili. Brent Barry would drop in some threes. Horry would be the swing man playing the 3-4-5 slots. But the Lakers would bring Michael Cooper, the Bruce Bowen of the 80s (minus the cheap shots) to lock down Parker or G-Nose (more likely), and to match Barry or Bowen on 3's. Mychal Thompson and Kurt Rambis would provide more scoring than Elson or Oberto, and could guard Duncan credibly. Thompson and Kareem at the 4 and 5 have a clear edge on any Duncan combo that the Spurs could throw out.
Edge: Lakers, slight.
Overall, I actually like the 85 Lakers more, with a younger Kareem, but their bench wasn't quite as deep (Silk Wilkes was getting up there in age, as was Bob McAdoo), and no A.C. Green.
And I'd like the Spurs to take a couple of games on guts, Parker, and a big game from Manu supporting Duncan. But the Lakers' superior depth and running game and Magic would be too much over the course of seven games. The Spurs would have to slow the tempo, and the great secret of the Showtime Lakers was that they could play it either way, much to the chagrin of the Spurs.
Quote of the Week: At dinner Sunday night, I mentioned that final episode of "The Sopranos" killed the Spurs and Cavs last week in the TV ratings "war".
A dinner companion said, "They needed to kill SOMETHING!"
All Hail The King.
Not you LeBron.
I'm talking the San Antonio Spurs... The Spurs have moved into dynasty status with their sweep of the Cavs.
But I am SO not feeling the capital "D" dynasty.
Why? Shouldn't a dynasty team go at least back-to-back once?
Don't blame them for being "boring" - that's a function of horrible Finals matchups as anything else. The 99 Knicks? Strike year. Ewing was hurt (which might have helped the Knicks that year), and the Knicks were outgunned. The '03 Nets? Offensively challenged, and I'll be nice and leave it there. The '05 Pistons were the most worthy competitor, but played as bland a band of basketball as the Spurs.
And you can read this entry to see what I thought of the Cavs, a team that made the '03 Nets look like the second coming of the Showtime Lakers.
It is not the Spurs fault that their stiffest competiton came within their conference, and they took care of business when they could. They have been the most consistent team of the decade, a tribute to their front office, coaching, and players. But their "dominance" hasn't been the type that inspires awe. The Lakers' pulled off a Thee-peat on Duncan's watch, as Kriegle misses that point.
Great organization.
Not a great dynasty.
But I'll be damned if I bet against them right now.
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Bud Selig just doesn't get it.
As any happily married couple will tell you, it never hurts to same "I'm sorry".
"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward ... Steroids and all that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it." -Jason Giambi
Speaking truth to power can get you in trouble. Speaking truth to no one in particular can get you suspended in MLB. Jason nailed it, and his reward?
Speak to George Mitchell - or get suspended.
If I was Jason, I'd tell Bud to stick it. The man shows a conscience, and THIS is what he gets? Barry Bonds looks smarter every day.
(And that's the last time I'm bringing her fine behind - or face - up in this conversation.)
The only drama left in this finals is whether LeBron finds his inner Kobe and goes 1 on 5 against the Spurs. The only way Cleveland can win even one game is if LBJ goes for at least 40. Forget this "Make your teammates better" ####.
Who is it easier to make better anyhow: Manu Ginobilli or Drew Gooden?
The Cavs scored 33 and 35 points in the first half of the first two games. I'm willing to bet a Happy Meal that the Browns - yes, the Browns with Brady Quinn - will score 30 points in a half this year.
The real remaining pressure is on David Stern. This has not been a good year for the comish, who could not have mishandled the New Ball Fiasco any worse than Phil Leotardo handled his meeting with Tony Soprano.
(And there is your obligatory Sopranos mention.)
Back to The David: The NBF was bad - the NBA playoffs were worse:
First, a 67-win Dallas Mavs team folded like wet origami to the one team that matched up with them (and don't kid yourselves - the Spurs had few answers for Dallas - Coach Pop should do the class thing and send fruit baskets and mixtapes to Oakland in gratitude).
Third, because of the above, we got a painfully boring Spurs-Jazz conference final.
Fourth, the NBA Draft lotto totally bombed, as the three worst teams in the league were locked out of the three top picks. With the two best college players in long time going to the Pacific Northwest, the Eastern Conference pretty much ensured themselves a few more years of June beatdowns.
Fifth - For the fourth time this decade, the Finals isn't an anti-climax - it is freakin' irrelevant. 2001-03, the Lakers and Spurs dispatched the Nets and Sixers, surprising absolutely no one. At least the Sixers had AI's Game 1 to hang their hats on. 2004 featured a Pistons upset, but not a watchable series, and the following year was even more boring. Now in '07, the common perception is that NBA champ was decided in the conference semifinals. And they are right.
Let's face it, the NBA Finals isn't the Super Bowl. As Tim Keown points out, it isn't even the BCS Championship game, and you know you're in trouble when the BCS gives the world a better product.
What are you to do Mr. Stern?
For starters, here are a few ideas:
Re-weigh the lottery so that the worst team has at least a 40% chance instead of 25%. Make sure that the worst team can finish no worst than 3rd in the lottery. If a Portland gets lucky - fine. But we shouldn't have THREE Portland's getting over on the system.
Forget this re-seeding the playoffs that always comes up, that just kills the whole concept of having a conference. I'd go one further:
Move San Antonio to the Eastern Conference. Or Dallas perhaps? Swap the Bucks and Hornets for good measure. Look, if the Baltimore Colts could spend 20 years in the NFL Western Division, and the Atlanta Falcons could spend 30 years in the NFC West, why not put a Texas team back in the Eastern Conference? Think the Rockets or Mavs wouldn't be a huge threat in the East?
Mr. Stern, the next time you hear someone call you the "Greatest Comissioner In Sports", RUN LIKE HELL. Far away. I can make a case that you've read too many of your press clippings, because...
...it's about the game sir. Once you get past the bling, the slick marketing, it always comes back to the game. You waited too long to get rid of all of the excessive physicality. Too many 86-77 games killed your committed fan base. But the game is cleaner now. Now widen the court and lengthen it. Go from 94x50 to 100x55. Half-court sets in the NBA remind me of pickup games at the Y, when we play 5 on 5 half court. Crowded.
Take some of those games back from ABC. Last year, some of the best and/or most exciting basketball (Cavs-Wizards and Suns-Clips come to mind) was never watched because it was on cable. And it was on LATE. Same with these Finals. You don't need a MJ or Bird to sell the Finals. But you do need to sell the league. And you can't do it all on cable. What's next - Pay Per View?
When you do get some of those games on free TV, give them to Fox or NBC if ABC won't promote them properly. And when you do, make sure you get Kenny Smith, Sir Charles and Ernie Johnson to provide analysis. They are the most fun since Cosell and Meredith had their A-game. They are an asset to the league.
Get rid of the best of 7 first rounds. Go back to best of 5, and end the silly layoffs. You're doing it for ratings, and the ratings suck anyway because the games have no interest. And it would be nice to see the season end before the fourth of July. Besides, a shorter season means more time to rest for the players. That means they'll be healthier for the following season.
Time to do the counter-inutitive. Like, right now.
But I’m sorry, the Cleveland Cavailers will not win this series. Cleveland taking this series to six games will be an upset. LeBron stands a better chance of eloping with Eva Longoria. Paris Hilton has a better shot starring in "Penitentiary 3".
Yes, I said this even before that hideous Game 1 performance “won” by the Spurs 89-71.
There is this part of my brain that wants to make it so. And almost every time I went with that atrophied slice of my head, I lost. Badly.
I could give you a deep analysis, such as that famed stat geek John Hollinger, but I have a peeve about belaboring the obvious. Sometimes, Occam’s (Ultra Close) Razor is better than any stat. For those of you that missed “Contact”, Occam’s Razor goes like this:
When in doubt, pick the better team.
Fact: Cleveland isn’t that good, and the NBA Finals never cut severely flawed teams a break.
Fact: The best team almost always wins. You’d have to go back to 1975 when the Warriors led by Rick Barry swept the heavily favored Washington Bullets with Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes. And I can make a case that the Warriors were seriously underrated (their roster included Keith (Jamal) Wilkes, Phil Smith, All-Defensive center Clifford Ray (think Ben Wallace with better hair) and Gus Williams), not to mention a weird format that year with a 1-1-1-1 format instead of 2-2-1-1-1 working against the Bullets.
What about 2004 you say? Lakers-Pistons? The Lakers may have had more pure talent, but Karl Malone was hurt, and the atmosphere with Shaq and Kobe had reached toxic levels. And the Pistons proved to be a far better team than we knew. Throw an asterisk on that baby.
Every other time, the clearly superior team won, and usually easily.
Fact: In the history of the NBA Finals, the seven game playoff series goes to the better team - barring major injury or internal strife. Every damn time.
You can claim all you want that LeBron James makes his teammates better than Kobe as the misguided Mark Kriegal did. The truth is, the biggest difference between the two is that LBJ and his teammates play in the pathetic Eastern Conference. Yeah, LeBron loves his teammates. As any single person past 25 will tell you, love ain’t enough. In the Western Conference, the Cavs win 45 games - maybe.
Yes, Cleveland plays solid defense. Teams that can’t score had better. If Charlie Rosen even deigns to read this, he’ll hate this, but it has to be said: Some teams try to outscore their opponents to offset any defensive shortcomings, and some teams grind it out because they can’t score. Guess which box the Cavs go in?
Eric Snow – Can’t score 20 in an empty gym. He’s a nice defender – he’d better be. He can’t shoot.
Larry Hughes – A creative scorer when healthy. Note, I didn’t say a good shooter. A scorer. Note, I said “when healthy”. He isn’t.
Damon Hughes – Looks better in a suit (assuming you are watching him with a welder’s mask on) than in an NBA uniform. Lord love him for cashing in on that one big season with Shaq.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas - The slowest big man to make an All-Star team since George Mikan. Nice shot, but did I mention that he is slow?
Drew Gooden – He’s big. He scores a bit. Sort of like a poor man’s Carlos Boozer. Ouch.
Daniel Gibson – I forgive the fact that he went to Texas, since he’s a Houston kid. Then again, he went to Jones High School – I went to Yates. What a loser. Oh yeah, he’s got a streaky shot, and since Game 6, the bar has been raised. To about 6 inches. And he’s still small enough to walk under it without ducking.
Andy Varejao – He’s taken the flop to new heights – or is that depths? Nice energy guy. Translation: Annoying enough to be effective for short periods. Limited enough that he’s one of your seven best players, you aren’t winning many titles.
By the way, is it just me, or does Mike Brown looks a LOT like “Smart Brother” from the movie "Undercover Brother"? Or is he Al Roker’s taller, younger twin?
The Spurs are boring - and look even more unwatchable against a team like the Cavs. They whine far too much. They got a big assist from Golden State (being the worst possible matchup for Dallas), and from David Stu Jackson-Stern in the Phoenix series to get to the finals.
They also have Tim Duncan, one of the best 15 centers ever (he’s a power forward in name only), and please don’t waste my time telling me different). They have Tony Parker torching whomever the Cavs put in front of him. Parker has Eva Longoria. Spurs bring Manu “The Nose that Roared”, and Michael Finley.
Better team? The Spurs.
Hotter team? The Spurs – who finished the regular season 37-7. Both of the Cavs wins came before that run. This series goes five games. My only consolation is David Stern squirming over the lowest TV ratings since the Magic Era began.
Today's travesty of an NBA ruling had me thinking of Charles Dickens, the OG NBA fan.
Why? Because he put these famous words in the mouth of aptly-named (and Doug Christie-style whipped) Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist. When facing jail time for his wife's misdeeds, he said, "If the law supposes [that a man is responsible for the crimes of the wife] the law is an ####, an ####...and a bachelor."
If David Stern truly believes that justice was handed out yesterday, because "Rules are rules" (as his puppet Stu Jackson said), then the rule is an ####, an ####, and conceived by a man who never played a competitive sport in his life.
Give it up to Cheap Shot Rob - he came through huge for the Spurs. he did it again for his team. The Spurs lose an over the hill scrub, the Suns lose 40% of their starting lineup. All with malice aforethought.
We shouldn't be surprised by any of this. Stern's constant attempts to alternatively paint himself as in total control of "his" players and "his" league have brought us to this point.
The ridiculous "zero tolerance" attempt at banning back talk to referees brought a flood of silly technicals.
The aforementioned zero tolerance experiement allowed Joey Crawford to go out of control at Tim Duncan's expense.
A lack of consistency and fairness has produced a product where Kobe Bryant can get suspended for throwing his arm out while shooting, but Baron Davis' drive-by on Mehmet Okur, and Bruce Bowen's multiple transgressions go unpunished.
And Stu Jackson, Designated Puppet got off the signature line to this mess: "It's not a matter of fairness; It's a matter of correctness."
OK I get David Stern. He's never played a game of competitive anything in his life. Only a man who has never been in the heat of any athletic competition can have the arrogance to tell Dan Patrick, "When will they learn to obey?"
Stern lives in fear of another Kermit Washington punch, and as a result we have a comissioner ruling by fear - his own. And now we have a man trying to turn the league into neat rows of automations.
Safe, harmless, emotionless (unless league-sanctioned), and of course well-dressed.
Don't argue with authority boy.
Don't leave the bench kids.
You know the rules. Why? Because I said so.
The saddest part of all of this? I wasn't surprised. You shouldn't be either. The league knows the ruling is wrong. They KNOW the rule is thoughtless, unflexible, and is in need of an overhaul. But they wouldn't change it because that would be an admission that David Stern was wrong, and we can't have The Infallible One admitting to being wrong can we?
I mean we hit our lifetime quota with The New Ball. When a man who has never played the game has the gall to tell the experts in their field to use the tools that HE feels are better, are you really surprised?
The real surprise is that hiding behind the letter of the law isn't working here. The fans and a previously slavish media is stepping up to finally call Stern to account.
Too late for Phoenix.
Somebody let me know how the game turns out. I might just skip it.
Update from Dallas: Stu Jackson, NBA watchdog against acts of random violence (mostly because no sane team will let him coach), suspends Jason Terry for a half punch thrown while on his back in a pileup that a TV camera half-caught. Jason felt that getting his head pushed into the floor by Michael Finley demanded action. Of course, Finley got a pass.
But Kobe Bryant gets a pass for belting Raja Bell twice in the head with an elbow. Reggie Evans get his hand under Chris Kaman's shorts and checks him for possible genital deformities. He gets a fine.
Got to love Stu's logic, "Certainly one clear difference is in the case of Reggie Evans we didn't have a clear view exactly what happened," Stu Jackson, the NBA vice president who handles such punishments, said Thursday. "We understand he reached underneath the player, but you couldn't see the end result. It's really an apple and an orange."
First Stu, it's more like apples and er, walnuts. Secondly, no one had a clear view, but the Spurs found a camera with the right angle and rushed it to the league in record time. Thirdly, when even Greg Popavich looked guilty at this Xmas present, just maybe you and Comissioner Stern (rumor has it Stu's mouth only moves when The David's hand is in his back) should take a good hard look at this "policy".
When training as a referee, I was always told one thing: don’t decide the outcome of games if you can avoid it. Let the players decide the game. Now league officials have taken on that role. I think our leaders in Washington have proven that the whole ‘resolute’ thing has not worked, so show some flexibility. I admit I’m rooting for Dallas tonight.
And if Phoenix can win a Game 6 without Raja Bell - on the road no less - don't think that Dallas will fold.
I think Antonio McDyess is still sitting on the Piston bench in deep shock.
It won’t be too long until I see a headline titled “BUSTED!” with Rasheed Wallace’s mug on it.
I’m not going to lie – I saw this as a 5 game series for the Pistons. Of course, so did Rasheed Wallace. Three games later, the Cavs have a chance to close at home in what would be the biggest playoff upset…ever? The only thing that comes close would be the Rockets taking down the Lakers in the dearly departed mini-series back in 1981.
LeBron James has been all that – as expected. The unexpected was Donyell Marshall dropping 14 and 13 in Game 5.
What was unexpected was the poise of the Cavs, who rallied and took a valuable life lesson from the loss of Larry Hughes who lost his younger brother last week. Said James, "We're all grown men, and this is just basketball," James said. "It's not life and death, and it's not like they're the big bad wolf and we're the three little pigs. We all lace our shoes up the same way."
Much props goes to LeBron for staying true to himself. He dished for the winning basket last nigh, a sweet feed to Drew Gooden after LBJ drew three men to him. You know damn well if Gooden blows the bunny layup, how many haters would be ripping James for not taking the big shot?
(Aside: the win takes Eric Snow off the hook for the unbelievably brain dead pass he threw with 5 seconds left, expecting to run out the clock. Lindsey Hunter ran it down and got the Pistons one more chance with 1.9 seconds remaining. What in the name of Fred Brown and Brett Favre was he thinking?)
And most unexpected? The loss of poise from the Pistons. Why wasn’t Tayshawn Prince dropping the glove on LeBron (or at least trying to slow him) from the opening tip? What was Chauncey Billups thinking when he committed a 6th foul on a
breakaway with a minute remaining? Why did Flip Saunders have Rasheed Wallace on the bench and Ben Wallace on the floor in an offensive situation on the Pistons last two possessions, and why why WHY was Prince taking the big shot with 6 seconds remaining when Rip Hamilton and McDyess (who was red hot in the 4th period) ready and waiting?
Unreal.
Flip Saunders got out of the first round once in eight years in Minnesota. If the Pistons blow a 2-0 lead, home court, and lose to an inferior Cavs squad…well, Larry Brown might want to take that buyout after all and head West…
Speaking of coaches under the gun, what in the hell was Mike Dunleavy thinking in Games 1-5?
Game 1 – Suns win, go on crucial run with Elton Brand on the bench (while racking up career-high numbers) taking a breather. Shawn Livingston is on the floor while Sam Cassell is riding pine. Sam is more clutch than Indiana Jones in The Temple Of Doom – AND HE'S RIDING PINE?! Livingston commits a pair of pressure turnovers.
Game 3 – Cassell spends all but 35 seconds of the 4th period on the bench. Livingston runs out of gas and big plays. SEE GAME 1! I'M TIRED OF REPEATING MYSELF! Suns pull out a late win.
Game 5 – Clips rally from 19 down to win in OT. Sam I Am actually is on the court at the end, but Livingston throws away a crucial inbounds pass (I’ve lost track of the number of pressure TOs Shawn has complied in the series). For some reason unknown to anyone but himself, Mike D. brings in Daniel Ewing, who hasn’t played since gas was under 2.50 a gallon. Even though the Clips had a foul to give, Ewing doesn’t foul, and Raja Bell nails a 3 with 1.9 seconds left to force OT.
All through the series, in pressure situations, I look in Dunleavy’s eyes and see a little Peyton Manning.
Twice in Portland, he was good enough to coach his team to the Finals, only to get seriously outcoached by Chuck Daly and Phil Jackson. There are worse guys to fall to, but you wonder if he’s learned anything?
Sam Cassell has two more rings than his coach. His entire career, he takes the big shots, he MAKES the big shots. If you've seen that “Major League 2” celebration of his, you know he has, um...cajones grande?
Repeat afterme: EVERY crunch time possession should go through Sam and Elton Brand.
Every damn possession.
In three different games - all Clipper losses - Cassell and/or Brand have been out of the mix. And that’s on the coach. Period.
I believe that one day, Shawn Livingston will be an All-Star. Today, the Clips are Sam Cassell’s team. In Cleveland, LeBron is going to see the ball every time down the stretch. Number 13 will have it in his hands for the Suns. Imagine Kobe NOT committing an assault on the court if he was bypassed for a big shot. Get the pattern?
Game 6 – Nothing unexpected here. The Suns are, as they say down South, “tie-ed”, as in “Lawd, my feet is tie-ed from walking all day. The Suns are the best conditioned team in the league, but a hard 7 game series with the Lakers, a short bench, and now another way with the Clippers, and is it any wonder that shots are going flat?
On to the G-Report.
Phoenix Suns - BUY!
Steve Nash (98/105/Buy!) – The last few games have the Nash haters coming out of the woodwork. The guy has dead legs, as does almost everyone in the Suns top 7 except for Tim Thomas. Not playing until Monday might give his legs the juice they need.
Tim Thomas (70/75/Buy!) – Watched the game last night at The Grand Lux in The Beverly Center. Good viewing (and not just of the game). Good food. Made a new friend. Homeboy (a Philly native) had the best line of the night, “Who stopped feeding Tim the Ny-Quil? He never balled like that in Philly!” I’m inclined to give him the bennie on Game 6. Look for him to man up on Brand in Game 7 and do something that 17 previous teams and 30 former coaches have never seen before – deliver.
Boris Diaw (85/85/Buy) – Not a great game, but the Suns point center still came up with 14, 9 and 7 dimes. Better yet were the two sick up-and-under moves on Kaman and Elton Brand straight out of the Kevin McHale low post Handbook. Daym. He’ll have to play much better to get the Suns out of Game 7 with a win.
Leandro Barbosa (90/87/Buy) – He’s 6’3”, but did you know that he has a 7 foot wingspan. No wonder he’s so dangerous in traffic.
Brian Grant (0/2/DUMP!) – This is a series that was SCREAMING for his talents. Tell me that Grant could not have ####ed on a body or two down low. Either he really set off D’Antoni, Marcus Allen-Al Davis style (unlikely), or this great undersized warrior is truly done. Which is sad.
Mike D’Antoni (95/100/Hold) – Game Six was a throwaway, as far as I’m concerned. Bad news was that this game stayed close. A blowout could have gotten him to clear the bench. He’s made the counter-adjustments whenever needed. Expect the same on Monday.
Clippers (Buy with caution)
Chris Kaman (70/80/Hold) – One day, I’m just waiting for Geico to run a commercial that states “Our insurance is so easy, even a Kaman can use it.” I am a marketing genius.
Sam Cassell (90/90/Buy) – The Alien lives for Game 7’s. Last time he was in one, versus the Lakers in 2004, Sam was too hurt to be a real factor and the Lakers buried the T-Wolves. He’ll be ready…
Corey Maggette (90/85/Buy!) – 25 and 8 ballboards, while missing only one shot. That was the X-factor that the Suns had no answer for. That was the Corey we were expecting in the playoffs!
Shawn Livingston (60/55/Hold) – Just one turnover in 19 minutes last night. Can’t see that happening again. Not wishing ill on the Stick Man, just wondering how Game 7 will affect him...
Elton Brand (100/100/Buy!) – He went to Duke, but I like him anyhow. Game 7 will give this hammer the due he’s been denied for too long. If you lived on the West Coast, you knew how good he was. Now the rest of the US knows…
Quinton Ross (60/40/Hold) – One shot told you all you needed to know about Ross last night. Last play of the first half, Ross catches a pass with his hands all wrong, between his legs, hoists the ball up and shoots in one motion. ####. No hating on Ross, but brotherman had pixie dust on him last night. Buy his lockdown defense, sell on his offense.
And now for the really fun part of the G-report:
Scottie Pippen (5/20/SELL!) – Talk about guzzling hater-ade. Last night, he ripped Nash, saying that he’s been “exposed” in the playoffs.
Look, I didn’t vote Nash for MVP, my vote went to LeBron. Kobe and Nash were fighting for runner-up. Kobe got plain shafted by some writers. But to sit around here and say in effect that Nash is overrated and getting “exposed”, well, that is textbook hating from Scottie. The Suns have played every other day for almost a month. The wonder is that the team has kept their legs this long. It’s amazing how Greg Anthony and Pippen come out the woodwork after a Suns loss. If the Suns make it to a Game 7, will it be another fluke?
Detroit Pistons (Hold)
Chauncey Billups (80/90/Buy) – The single worst mistake he made was his 6th foul in Game 5. He’s the man who has to steady his team at Crunch Time. He’s the man who takes – and makes – the big shots.
Ben Wallace (70/85/Buy!) – heard a rumor that Shaq saw Ben’s 0-7 ‘performance’ from the line the other night, and offered him some advice for end of game situations. “Be seated”.
Flip Saunders (70/85/Hold) – He’s taking heat. He deserves it. But the players were tired of Larry getting all the love. Now it’s time to step up and prove the naysayers wrong. But Flip, why did Tayshawn take the last shot?
Tayshawn Prince (65/75/Hold) – I like most of his game, but why again, why in the hell was he taking the last shot? And why wasn’t he locking down LeBron from the getgo?
Cleveland (Buy!)
LeBron James (100/100/Buy!) – I may not think he’s perfect yet, but judging by that 4-step travel before the game-winner against the Clippers, the refs have already anointed him the next Jordan. Just what the NBA needs, another overprotected superstar.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (65/55/But – with caution.) I’ve seen Z-Man in a slasher flick, damned if I can remember which one. It took five games for Z to remember he actually made an All-Star team.
Anderson Varejao (70/50/BUY!) – Sideshow Bob hair, and a Master’s degree from the Vlade Divac school of flopping. What is there not to like?
Damon Jones (20/20/Hold) – I’d rate him a 40, except for the wardrobe.
Larry Hughes (70/40/Buy!) – He’s supposed to return for Game 6. I expect an inspired player that his teammates will feed off.
Coach Mike Brown (60/50/Buy) – OK. He looks strangely like Smart Brother from “Undercover Brother. The last three games, he’s been coaching like it. But can he teach his team to close the deal?
The G-Report looks at his plasma screen crystal ball:
Mavs upset the Spurs tonight.Josh Howard and Devin Harris will rise up in a big way. Why do I think Mark Cuban is going to hand out 20,000 "Remember The Terry" Towels with "31" emblazoned on them? Because I would?
I love Mike Finley, and I hear he's a nice guy and class act. But he'd better make a quick exit out of Dallas, win or lose tonight.
Pistons survive in a close one tonight to force Game 7.
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
PatRiley (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.
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, logical, and on point.
It's a G Thing.... you can look me up at newjack1@eart hlink.net
