Hey you conspiracy theorists, how about this, the referees just suck, they are much like the players on the teams, who seemingly inexplicably go cold on the road, in the second half, etc... They suck just like me or you at any given moment...Here’s a question, have you guys ever actually played? Have you guys ever actually been playing, and hit like 6 straight shots, with guys in your face, not seeing the rim, and then all of a sudden, after halftime, you can't hit a shot and are blowing lay-ups? Do you realize, much like the players, the officials get caught in moments too? The real problem, is having people who are good at it, and want to take the #### you have to take, because let's face it, it is a thankless job, and the players, fans, coaches are many times berating you for CORRECT CALLS! These guys do have bad games; Benit Salvatore just made some horrendous calls, especially on that 3 pointer by Pierce. I mean hell; he may subconsciously be making these calls based upon so much speculation. Yes, these guys are human, but the calls tend to even out because mistakes are made and it IS so subjective inherently. I tend to let guys play more because I played a little rougher. You may tend to want to calls bumps that are inconsequential overall, but are technically fouls, way high out above the free throw line because you are so convicted. Either way, if I refed the NBA, you would have known 10 years ago the flops would not be getting called.
Bottom line is, the officials could actually stop the game more than they do, there is a lot of action going on, and you are dealing with angles. Much like where holding could be called every play in football pretty much, and when I played sometimes you would have to tell an official to watch a guy, that he is holding you, and then guess what, the next play a holding gets called, and the guy blocking me is like, "Hell I've been holding you the whole time!" Also, think about how many times the officials are correct when WE think they are wrong. Actually, more times than naught, the replays prove the officials to be correct! Much like the major league umps. There actual accuracy rate is astounding.
But yeah, overall, officials tend to suck most of the times to us, because we are biased, or we just want it to be perfect, but nothing really ever is, so appreciate it for what it is and the athletes and THEIR EFFORT!
The Celtics shook off the 'uneven' officiating, and overtook the Pistons; who are just "good enough", and in 2004 ran into the perfect Laker storm of lack of depth (Medvedenko anyone) and an injury, to an aging but integral superstar (Karl Malone's knee) and an aging Superstar one dimensional out of shape player (Shaq), and a reliance on Gary Payton, who never truly fit in to the Laker scheme, and was just out matched by the very similar and younger Chauncey Billups.
But the dream match up of THE BEST TWO TEAMS has arrived and at this point I am not too sure who to pick based on the regular season. Versatility, nerves, matchups, experience, homecourt, who knows? COACHING!!!!!???? Gasol was not there and the Lakers had not evolved yet. I think Ray will be ready though, and so will Pierce coming home to LA in game 3. It will be interesting as this is 6 days away and should be no more than 4. Anyway, let the excitement build! This is what the Celtics have been waiting for all season but their big three have never been there. The Lakers on the other hand, have the experience there, but whose big 3 or 4 or 7 or 10 deep will most effect and determine this series? Will it be an Eddie house who has toiled for years, or a Jordan Farmar who is young and quick? Will Vlade Radmonovic rain threes in a game or two and make his country proud, or will Sam I am bump and grind Sasha into frustration? Will the Lakers experience on the bench, as in the coaching championship experience make the difference? The days will go by and we will be there!
...I will refuse to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch...
How is Joey Crawford refereeing in the NBA playoffs, let alone in the NBA period? I will go out on a limb, and say it is IMPOSSIBLE for Kobe, while being guarded by Bruce (Edward Scissorhands) Bowen to not shoot one free-throw an entire game! Along with the blatant no call on the travel of Duncan toward the end of the first half, to the FOUL on THE FLOOR by Derek Fisher at the end of the game, I guess it all evens out? He (and many other officials) but Crawford most au####iously, makes blatant non calls and seemingly make-up calls during the course of the game. Laker Fan is obviously happy because of the blatant home cooking that was overcome tonight and which also seemed evident in the Utah Jazz series- at least in one game (but not as bad as tonight) much like the hacking and hand checking by the Spurs.
Oberto is terrible, Horry looks way worse than his last days in L.A, Ginobli is a every third or fourth game guy (I mean those 30+ pt games at least...), UM MEMO TO SKIP BAYLESS!!!!!! But with all that said, the Spurs can play at times, and sometimes play very well, but closely watched, they hand check and foul constantly and whine and complain consistently, when they don't get defensive fouls called in their favor, and this is made more annoying many times by the fact they should all be basically fouling out in half of the games...especially our boy Bowen!
The comparisons of Shaq to Kareem Abdul Jabbar are stunningly ignorant, seriously misguided and complete nonsense to anyone who ever watched these two great bigs play in their primes. The only similarities Shaq and Kareem truly have are that they played the same position, are 7 footers and both played for the Lakers.
Now let’s get serious folks, Shaq’s offensive skills have always been 'limited' at best. I have alluded to this fact many times and it just seems that sometimes people are watching a totally different game than I am. Even when Shaq was a Laker (or in Orlando), it was excruciating watching him miss chippies, then bowl a guy over for the rebound and dunk on a fool! Now all that did throughout Shaq’s career, is cover up the fact that he is a TERRIBLE “basketball” player. He is huge, but if a man cannot even attempt an elbow jump shot, than what type of player is he? David Robinson lived off of the free throw line jumper and elbow jumper the last few years of his career. P. Ewing, much more of an expanded game. The Dream?!!!!! Do I even have to go there? Alonzo, could spot up, Big Z in Cleveland is more skilled than Shaq. And the greatest of all time, Kareem, with the skyhook, the grace, the face up game, the little set-shots/jumpers and the skill. While true Kareem was not leading the break, Kareem also had a much more versatile game that did not rely on dunks and running people over.
It was truly sad to see Gasol beat Shaq down the floor at least twice in the deciding moments of Phoenix’s game last week versus the Lakers. Again on Sunday, Shaq’s inability, or lack of desire to get back on defense cost the Suns dearly. And since when did Shaq become a defensive force. He has never been the league leader in blocks or rebounds and this is in an era he dominated? I am shocked that Steve Kerr was this misguided in acquiring an over the hill center whose best shot is a DUNK. The free throws and (the opponents) constant fouling of Shaq will not only slow the Suns and their overall games down, but will slowly demoralize the team. And this is a team that does not have a player with the will of a Kobe or a Dwayne Wade. Does anyone understand, no matter how “cool” Shaq is and funny he is that he is almost Kwame Brown like with his bricks from two feet away and the missed free throws. Playing with a guy like that who then calls out teammates for missing 3 pointers is ludicrous and that is why Kobe tired of Shaq’s antics.
When Shaq was young as I alluded to earlier, he could brick some chippies, get up quick and dunk the rebound before he got fouled. Now, if he does get his own rebound, he is fouled many more times before he can get back up to put it through. The refs have also gotten the point where they have to call Shaq for the offensive fouls he has so richly deserved most of his career. If you saw the one highlight of Shaq’s hook shot over Gasol, in that you see how he should play, but cannot consistently because of his limited range. He went straight up and shot it, no leaning in, no elbow to Gasol’s chest, just a straight up jump hook (and it was ugly).
So in conclusion, I love Shaq the person overall (but please quit calling out teammates for missing jump shots which you will not even attempt and saying ignorant things like throwing all of your other ex-teammates under the bus-I thought D-Wade was the greatest?), I’ve personally hated his overall game for years, but enjoy it when he was dunking for the Lakers, but it is most excruciating when he is on the foul line (have fun with that Phoenix fan). Another note, Pau Gasol practiced once for the Lakers and scored over 20 in his debut. No more excuses for the Big Shactus. Results. And what I see now, isn’t pretty.
The Celtic's are the number one team in the east by a VERY large margin. Detroit can definitely hang, but as long as KG and his crew keep moving the ball and are healthy at the end, I suspect they will be in the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit is definitely #2, but without the clear definitive leader, they will always lack the overall talent, (except for 2004 vs. a Malone-less Lakers team that had peaked too early amid the Kobe DRAMA et. all) , Orlando has had some GOOD wins and some close calls but they are slipping and not quite seeming ‘Elite’ at this point, BUT now with a Varejo and a healthy Larry Hughes, the Cavs are #3(t) with a Bulllet in the East …
That takes us to the West…
The Number one team is now the Dallas Mavericks. The Trail Blazers with their youth and long win streak against many sub standard teams (but they have been winning most of them with ‘relative’ completeness and ease) are actually the number three team. The number two team after last night is now the LA Lakers. While the Trailblazers play the true team game, the Lakers always have a go to guy- much like the Cavs that is too potent at crucial times, just too much at times. And they too have the youth Factor, along with, the experience factor (ummm...just check out Kobe, Phil, Shaw, Rambis' and D-Fish's Jewelry...) They have also learned a lot by their defeats to the Boston Celtics and are on the rise (quickly) along with Portland.
With that said, the season is long and maybe we will get more midseason reports…
Notes: San Antonio is getting old and Oberto, Elson, Finley and Bonner? = stiffs many a night …watch them closely…Suns= getting older, and keep mixing the chemistry too much (a trade a year 4 a “starter dam near”)…Bell looks lost with Hill, Utah-misses Fisher…slow 3 point shooting centers (See Okur) get stopped too often…GS, Houston…too inconsistent and their main players do not have good match up’s or are too one dimensional to go too far, or are always injured (see T-Mac)…The Nuggets have too many “good” players and shoot first guys…The Hornets, too many “shooters and not enough strong Defenders, plus Chandler needs to be a back up to a better Center…
The East has some excellent teams that must be mentioned if not for the entertaining games! Toronto and Bosh, The Bucks and Redd and Yi, and the while the Nets flounder at times, Kidd is great even if he is turning the Ball over more…
A little bit about me. Ex sports guy. Football in College. Played everything in highschool etc. Above average, and I love to study the players reactions and faces to situations. Like this for example, was Chris Webbers ill fated timeout call just a mistake by a young kid, or indicative of behaviour. I say the latter if you remember tha Sac times and he had his hands on the ball during the clutch. Watch OUT! That ball is not going in the hoop. I will say this about C-Webb, he never quit at it and got better during the end of his time in Sacto. MY NBA PASS IS ON EVERYNIGHT! I hope you love all sports because I do!
