Not your Typical NBA Playoffs Preview

When it comes to big events in sports such as the NBA playoffs, every sportswriter in America wants to give their input of who will win but this year that doesn’t make sense. The NBA playoffs are the most open they have been in a long time which is a good thing; we could have a playoffs better than 1993. Since I don’t want to give you the obligatory Chicago Bulls- Los Angelos Lakers pick that every sports pundit in America will, I want to share a unique fact, matchup, or observation from each opening series that most people ignore or just don’t think is important. Let’s see if you do.

1 Chicago Bulls vs. 8 Indiana Pacers

Funny thing about Derrick Rose, the clear NBA MVP, is that he is terrified of clowns. Yes, the man who is devoid of emotion during his interviews; cringes in fear if he sees a round, red nose or a water-squirting flower. Apparently some Pacers fans heard about this and want to dress as clowns for Game 3 of the series, which if they do is can’t-miss TV. In fact, it’s the only reason why America will watch any of this series.

2 Miami Heat vs. 7 Philadelphia 76ers

Experts in running form from Miami decided to study the Miami Heat players and their individual running posture. They discovered that Dwayne Wade has the worst running form possible while his teammate Lebron James runs with perfect posture. When Wade runs, he extends his leg too far, landing directly on heels, all while locking his knee. Wade also has each exact physical problem that runners of this nature are predicted to have. It will probably have little outcome on this series but if he does injure himself, and the half-star Chris Bosh is having one of his “few” bad games, the Heat  could have an early exit in this playoffs.

3 Boston Celtics vs. 6 New York Knicks

The two teams that made significant trades at the trade deadline that have produced questionable outcomes. The Boston Celtics are the only team to be considered favorites in the playoffs before a trade and now are worried about escaping the first round. How do you make that Perkins trade? Especially for Nenad Kristic and Jeff Green, neither able to find a role in this team as of yet. There is no way that Kristic and Green were the best offers on the table when Kendrick Perkins was being shopped around. Danny Ainge: “Hey do you want a center who will radically change your team’s defensive identity, creating a toughness that is seriously lacking in this league?” Apparently not. The Knicks’ problem isn’t their players, it’s their coach. Mike D’Antoni coaches one style in the NBA, even when he receives one of the most dominant half court players in the game in Carmelo Anthony, he chooses wants to run his players up and down the court. Unless the Knicks magically advance to the Conference Finals, expect D’Antoni to be fired next season.

4 Orlando Magic vs. 5 Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks’ Jason Collins has been touted as the Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal killer because for reasons unknown, he really bothers those players. It will be the only time that a game may be decided by Jason Collins in his entire career but what I find more interesting is how much Shaq and Dwight love to associate with each other.

Shaq: “I’m Superman”

Dwight: “Did you see me wear that cape and dunk? I’m Superman!”

Shaq: “Yeah I believe the goatee gives me a different look. It gives me that intimidating look I was going for.”

 Dwight: “Don’t you love my half lip mustache. I almost cut my lip every morning shaving but I just look so good.”

 Dwight: “I don’t know why but Jason Collins really bothered me tonight, I will still own the matchup during the playoffs though.

Shaq: “Everyone says Jason Collins bothers Dwight, I hope I don’t have to play him, he could be a career killer.”

No Shaq, that would be Kazaam.

1 San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Let’s be honest, this has to be the least intriguing matchup in the first round. The Spurs have been playing the same team basketball in the least exciting way forever. For that reason Tim Duncan has been vastly underrated by most, generally not included in the top 10 players of the NBA even though he is an obvious choice. When you’re watching the Spurs sweep a team that lack any type of team identity, appreciate how consistent the Spurs have been, even if it is slightly boring.

2 Los Angelos Lakers vs. 7 New Orleans Hornets

An observation that most have ignored or refused to speak of is that Kobe Bryant has quietly been on the decline this season. The final regular season game was the perfect example: within the last four minutes of the game, the Sacramento Kings were mounting a comeback. Kobe attempted to put the team on his back and ended up missing five shots in a row as the Kings stole the lead from the Lakers. However, with five seconds left, Kobe shoots a ridiculous three and forces the game into overtime. He rides the momentum of his three in overtime to win the game and is touted as the hero, again. During highlights, ESPN forgets to mention Kobe’s cold streak and the American public never know that Kobe almost lost the game for the Lakers. Kobe is still the guy with the ball in his hand with a minute left, but don’t be shocked if he starts trending towards missing those clutch shots instead of making them.

3 Dallas Mavericks vs. 6 Portland Trailblazers

When everyone predicts an upset is it even an upset anymore? The Dallas Mavericks are the most underachieving team in sports but nobody is even giving them a chance. It always seems when everyone jumps on an upset—see Butler in 2011 March Madness Final—the dominant team usually wins. It almost makes me nervous to not predict the Trailblazers upsetting the Mavericks. Almost. When every bottom seeded team in a conference wants to play your team in the first round of the playoffs, that’s a bad sign. The Trailblazers have too many bodies to throw at Dirk he won’t be as significant and the Trailblazers arguably have four of the top five players in this series, it’s a no brainer. Portland in 6.

4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 5 Denver Nuggets

I believe that the Thunder are going to win it all but I’m ok if they don’t and here’s why. If the Nuggets win the Finals (which won’t happen), Disney is  going to have to make a sports movie about them. It has the perfect set up. “A team falls short the year before because their coach had cancer and came back this year with high hopes. Their two star players left them so they could lose on a different team for more money. After their departure, the team banded together winning more games than with their stars. They fought through better teams throughout the postseason and proved that teamwork always comes first. Gold Rush: the true story of how a small team overcame so much.”

If only.

Jimmer Fredette’s Future: NBA Fame or Obscurity?

The magical run is over for my favorite college basketball player Jimmer Fredette, not even Gus Johnson could save Fredette’s immediate future in the NCAA tournament. How Fredette’s skill set will translate to the NBA remains to be seen but let’s speculate.  Fredette has been called “Mr. Clutch,” commended for his confidence in shooting 30-foot three pointers, and can take over most games when he wants. Sound familiar? Enter JJ Redick, who had every single one of these same accolades in a much more difficult conference, it’s a lot easier averaging 30+ a game against the Mountain West than the ACC. Redick was showing the nation the ridiculous threes Fredette is so often praised for years before but why do we forget about that? JJ Redick still holds the NCAA record for most 3-pointers in a college career (457) but what is the last significant basketball memory for Redick. Oh…

Or even better…

Redick was once regarded as the most dominant player in college basketball and now he can’t even guard players from lackluster sub-.500 teams. How can he fade from our memories so quickly? Sure, people always knocked JJ for his “lack of athletic ability” and subpar defensive skills but praised him for his “pure shooting capability.” This is starting to sound all too familiar. Jimmer has one of the best shots I’ve seen in college basketball, better than JJ’s, but a more fair comparison of Fredette to an NBA player would actually not be JJ Redick as so many people seem to think, it would actually be Redick’s Orlando Magic teammate Jameer Nelson. A scoring-first point guard who has to learn how to facilitate the ball, something Fredette, nor Nelson when he first entered the league, has never had to do but is it their fault?

People are crushing Jimmer for being a ballhog in the Florida game Thursday night but honestly who was he going to pass it to? His one good teammate was kicked off the team, let’s pass it to the guys who are shooting 33% versus the best player on the team. Admittedly, Jimmer was not having his best shooting night (38%) but that stat is inflated by the many shot he was forced to attempt to keep his team in the game. Florida would not allow Jimmer to shoot the three, he was only 3-15 in the game but you remove his three point field goals and attempts and Jimmer is a solid 57% shot for the game. Obviously, he took those shots and didn’t make them but it’s bombastic to think Jimmer was being a ballhog when there were really no other options.

All comparisons aside, Fredette will be good in the NBA, not great. He will never be Derrick Rose but with a superstar on his team, he can shine. My best description for Fredette in the NBA would be the “irrational confidence guy” on his team, the guy who thinks he’s a lot better than he is. Think John Starks on the Patrick Ewing New York Knicks, Stephon Marbury on basically every team he ever played, and Eddie House/Nate Robinson on last year’s Celtics team. He can be a game changer, but not all the time, just sometimes. But sometimes is good enough and I hope Jimmer will prove me wrong, but it’s not very likely. He’s this year’s Tim Tebow, never capable of leading a team to a championship, but with capable players surround him, he can make the difference, even if it’s only for a game.     

Why Brackets are Great (and Terrible)

March Madness creates great pandemonium for sports fans and journalists; Gus Johnson, buzzer beaters, and brackets are madness defined for sports (mostly Gus Johnson). The true secret to why people watch the tournament with such great fervor is those silly little brackets. Everyone knows it. Why do you think ESPN will have Doug Gottlieb and every other college basketball analyst talk Bracketology for fifteen minutes on Sportscenter? They know it’s what you want. Whose Richmond and what are their upsets of an upset? Can San Diego State go all the way? There are standards for filling out brackets. There’s always a 12-5 upset. Don’t have all 1’s in the Final Four (People loved that one last year). Try not to pick against your family members’ alma maters until forced to. People will fill multiple brackets with differing determinations and enter them into the same office pool in the hopes of winning a little extra cash. It is insane. And I absolutely love it.

I have only recently asked “The Madness” her hand in marriage. It began when my uncle, a Gonzaga alum, was watching those Bracketology shows, filling his bracket with hopes (Got to give the man credit, he won his office pool the year Florida won.) and wondered why I wasn’t doing the same. I explained how I had never been able to get into college basketball; I was more a Pro fan. However, I was curious to try my luck with this whole bracket deal. I watched a bit of the show with him, and mustering every ounce of college basketball knowledge I had, which was none, to fill out that silly, little bracket.  I suddenly became an intense viewer, watching more college basketball than I previously knew was possible. I remember being so proud of picking San Diego State as a 12 seed to upset whichever 5 seed they were playing. I also remember being absolutely crushed when they lost their next game, but here’s the secret: I didn’t even have them winning the next game. I had become so attached to a team that I didn’t know existed prior to being handed a blank bracket because they won me a small victory in the first round that didn’t have a true impact on the tournament. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s the same reason after bragging to my uncle about my previous genius in picking that upset, I erased a previous pick and changed it, all so I could proclaim my greatness some more. Of course in the end, he kicked my ass but I still had that one small upset.

Does no one else see how brackets cause such great madness in our country? I rooted for Michigan State last night more than I have ever cheered for my Florida State Seminoles before. I was more upset that the refs called traveling against Kalin Lucas than when Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins kicked wide right against the North Carolina Tar heels to win the game. I even had UNC players taunting us fans in the stands yelling, “This is our house now, baby! Our house!” Hell, I’m still upset about that traveling call even when multiple replays confirm the call.

Whoever originally thought of giving fans brackets to fill, should be praised and cursed at the same time. It’s a terrible curse but I wouldn’t want “The Madness” any other way. 

By the way, my Final Four is Ohio State, Kansas, San Diego State, and St. John's (I had hope) with San Diego State winning it all.

The Fair Scrutiny of The Miami Heat

America loves drama. We love the spectacle of last minute heroics. Think of great sports’ moments and events like The Catch, any of Michael Jordan’s game winners, and even Landon Donovan’s stoppage time goal to beat Algeria last summer will come to mind. Reggie Miller became famous because of his ability to nail the shot in winning time (ESPN 30 for 30 pun intended) virtually against one team. Analysts will argue Ben Roethlisberger is a better quarterback than Dan Marino because of his crunch time performances. So when the Miami Heat can’t perform under the clutch, their team is going to become scrutinized by the media, but only because they want all the attention on themselves.   

Of course they’re going too far in saying the Miami Heat aren’t viable in the 2011 playoffs because everyone knows they are one of the best teams in basketball. However, it is a problem when your team has the worst field goal percentage (1-16) in the last 10 seconds of a game to either win or tie. Some Heat fans may argue that it’s only the regular season so it’s not indicative of the production in the postseason, but hitting a shot with 10 seconds left has nothing to do with regular season vs. postseason effort. It shouldn’t require any more effort or a presence of the moment for a player to do something he is paid millions of dollars to do and something he’s been doing for his entire life. Maybe it’s a problem that Michael Jordan was so good at claiming last second victories.  There’s now an unfair expectation for every self-proclaimed superstar to perform under the pressure; if they don’t, they’re seen as less of a player. That being said, the NBA has rapidly become a win-in-the-last minute league and if a team can’t keep pace, then they will fall from the top. Maybe a little unfair but what, are you going to go cry about it. Oh wait…

Crygate or better known as the media’s inability to name controversies without adding gate to the end of it. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had one of the ultimate sports faux pas and told the media that “a couple of guys were crying after in the locker room after tonight’s loss.”

Now, every sports league is laughing at the Miami Heat and Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are attempting to defend their coach. It’s a joke. No crying in the regular season. Possibly if there’s a last second improbable loss in Game 7 of the NBA Finals but that’s it. The only man on the Heat team being genuine about their recent losing streak is Dwayne Wade in saying, “I don’t expect any sympathy from anyone. Media, fans, players…”

How can he? How can a team (read two and a half superstars) hold a pep rally with fireworks, a marching band, and dancers and proclaim they are going to win“five, six, seven, eight championships” and not expect other teams to play them hard each game? Why brag about selling out every away game and then question why the respective teams’ fans are taking shots at the Miami Heat any chance they get? What is there to gain when you call for “The Decision” to build media hype but only have that same media scrutinize every move, every game you play? The Heat wanted all of this, remember?

How about instead of dealing with the extracurricular activities that come with playing in the NBA, the Heat address the problems they are having on the court? Like, James’ and Wade’s inability to drive to the net against good teams because they ensure their defense forces James and Wade to beat them with their jump shot outside the paint. Teams recognize how uncomfortable James and Wade are with their jump shot, especially outside the three point range considering they are both below average three point shooters, so they use it to their advantage. Maybe they should consider their obvious lack of a big man down low, and how teams can focus more defenders forcing the outside shots by James and Wade. Is Chris Bosh the answer? Only if he receives the ball inside the paint, instead of expecting him to post up every time outside the paint which has generally resulted in him shooting an awkward fade away shot. Their supposed sharpshooters (Mike Miller, Eddie House, James Jones) that were key players on their previous teams can’t make a single shot but how can they provide any significant contribution when they play less than 10 minutes a game, if at all. Eddie House didn’t even play against the Portland Trail Blazers last night based on Erik Spoelstra’s decision.

The biggest question of all, is why the best shooters on the Heat are consistently on the bench when they need three point shots the most. Eddie House hit the three that won the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in late January. Why is he not even playing? Because Mike Miller missed an open three against the Lakers last month, is he not capable of handling the big moment? Is Chris Bosh really the right guy to shoot the three against the Orlando Magic? I don’t know, these are questions that Head Coach Erik Spoelstra has to answer. Maybe he believes that the Big Three are the only ones capable of handling the drama of late game heroics. Because really that’s all sports boils down to sometimes, drama. Be it comments, crying, Winning Time, clutch time performers; sports is fed by the drama of the moment. That’s why we watch, not for the intricate defenses or the blowout wins, but for living in the drama of the moment only sports can provide.

The Trade Carousel Keeps Going and Going and...

  There were some many trades this weekend that any sportswriter could write 10 pages on the trades themselves but we're going to skip the fancy introduction this week and jump right into digesting this week of crazy trades.

 Carmelo Anthony. The first domino that fell causing a multitude of trades to form after his departure from Denver. Over All-Star weekend, rumors were flying about Melodrama: "is he meeting with Jay-Z and that weird Russian dude," "is he going to actually stay in Denver," "are the Knicks giving up?" There were so many false reports that I eventually tuned out and enjoy the defenseless game on screen (am I the only one who thought Blake Griffin shouldn't have won, dunking two balls at once is way more impressive). Anyways, Melo is a Knick as I thought he would be all along and I think the East distances itself from the West significantly in terms of contenders. What the Lakers, Spurs, and Maverick are doing is impressive but who else is there after that? The Thunder? Yeah we all are infatuated with Durantula and Westbrook but they are still a very young team that needs another year to develop. Where in the East, Melo adds to the Knicks' philosophy of scoring as many points as possible while hoping their defense won't give up too many points. They have become the Indianapolis Colts of basketball. What's going to be so interesting to watch is exactly how Anthony will fit into this puzzle considering how run and gun Mike D'Antoni's offense seems to operate. Carmelo functions best in the paint and mid range jump shots so he gives the Knicks a guy who can create his own shot, something nonexistent in New York for so long, so it will be interesting to see what role Mike D'Antoni fits Anthony into. That being said, they instantly become a contender with Melo and finally can compete with the gauntlet atop the East, all I can say its going to be a fun playoffs this year.

Well he certainly looks happy.

  The other "superstar" trade this week was Deron Williams and I'm still trying to digest this move. At first, it struck me as a desperation move by the New Jersey Nets after being unable to conclude the Melo trade but after some thought I realized its not. A team like the Nets that has acquired a decent amount of young talent but no superstar needs someone who can facilitate the ball and push the team. Well now they fill both roles by trading for Williams because now they have a superstar and a one of the top three points guards in the league right now. This trade may not seem as interesting as the Melo trade because it doesn't equal any instant success but the long term improvement of this team is what makes it such a necessary and great trade.

  One more trade that is going to have a huge impact on the league for the rest of this season is the Celtics-Thunder trade. Sending Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder in exchange for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, and a 1st round pick is questionable to say the least. Doc Rivers will try to sell this claiming that when they won the NBA Finals, they played small with Posey at the 4 position at times, but even he can't sell this one to any Celtics fan. The truth is they're doing it because they realize their team is getting old and they want to rebuild and not have to endure a significant drop off. Its smart but it poses what I consider the ultimate GM question in any sports franchise: compete for the title now or be patient and put the franchise in a position to win championships down the road. It was obvious that the one advantage they had over the top teams in the league was their size advantage but unless Shaq goes all Kazaam for the Celtics, the East is completely wide open for anyone to seize.

Kendrick Perkins' reaction to getting traded

  There were more trades in the league but those were the most significant ones and will have noticeable impact on the league for the rest of the season. All that being said, the game everyone should watch this weekend? The New York Knicks at the Miami Heat this Sunday at 8pm on ESPN. Let's see if Carmelo Anthony was worth it.

Welcome to the Gauntlet.

Hypocrite Owners Lead to a Hypocritical League

   No doubt most of you have heard some rumblings about the pending NFL labor negotiations but as time goes on, we seem more and more headed to a lockout. Although these owners have ridiculous amounts of money and don't really stand to lose much if there is a lockout because of lucrative TV deals (which is why they hold the upper hand), they still want more money. They also want more games, even though they try to claim that they are merely changing two preseason to two regular season, don't let it fool you, they're adding two games to the season. How can the league preach a league of practicing safety and reducing head trauma but add games and decrease salaries AND not provide health benefits for retired players? Do the owners not realize that the NFL is made of the very players they mock, that they are the reason for the exorbitant amount of money they make or are they so caught up in this one moment that they simply forget? When people think NFL, they don't think Robert Kraft, or the Rooney family, or even the tyrant Jerry Richardson who insists on being the bully in these negotiations when he can't even construct a winning team, how is he going to construct a winning NFL?

 Then these owners (and Roger Goodell is included when I say owners) talk about reducing concussions and reduced head trauma when they simply look at the short term effects and refuse to examine the long term effects of these injuries. Their solution is to pad the helmet more and more thinking its going to protect the head on collisions with other players. They're right, its not going to hurt at the moment. However, if I put on one of those helmets and bang my head on the wall everyday, sure my head isn't going to hurt then, but what are the long term effects of me continually hitting my head against the wall? Couple this with scientific reports that not only multiple concussions will cause long term emotional and physical instability but the fact that multiple subconcussive injuries, meaning head collisions that cause damage but not strong enough to produce a concussion, will produce a near same effect as multiple concussions would. Maybe there is a reason that old school NFL player wore small, leather helmets without a face mask, so they wouldn't lead with the helmet. If the NFL wanted to be radical and see a significant drop off in concussion and concussion like symptoms, they would remove the face mask on helmets. Players would certainly be more scared to lead with their helmets because who want to mess up their own face? But they won't. That would reduce big hits, and even if they don't want to admit it, the NFL is built upon big hits. I love big hits. However, I hate hypocrisy like the hypocrisy that oozes from anything that the NFL owners say.

Why would owners think more games would benefit the NFL in any way except their wallets. The games would be diluted and more players would be injured, things I don't think any fan would enjoy. The truth is the players are dependent on these owners and may have to submit to the owners' demands if a deal is not completed by March 3rd and with owners storming out over some of the less complex issues in the CBA, its looking more likely they will. Fans should be worried because its looking like we might finally see "The Replacements" play out in real life, something no fan should want to see.

Its A Great Day to be Great, Baby!

Let's skip all the crap about commercials, the Black Eyed Peas showing us how to (read: not to) use autotune (although I loved the Where is the Love? freestyle), and our great food selections. The Super Bowl is about football, something sometimes lost within the context of the event, and this game proved the old adages of football: defense wins championships, turnovers can be a team's downfall, and a new age adage, your quarterback has to be great.

Aaron Rodgers played beautifully in the Super Bowl, like he had to for his team to win (what we're they going to do? hand the ball off to James Starks?), but what's so impressive about Rodgers is the throws he doesn't make. Rodgers is the answer that Packers fans needed post-Favre because Rodgers has the arm of Favre but the mind of Manning. Meaning what exactly? Rodgers isn't going to throw the ball into a place he can't fit it because he believes he can "will it" in there, much like Favre does. However, Rodgers is no Captain Checkdown especially judging from some of his throws on Sunday Night, he was scary accurate all night that his incompletions hit his receivers' hands, how often does that happen? I was amazed that some of the voters legitimized in their heads that Rodgers wasn't the MVP. For those of you who didn't know the breakdown was: Rodgers 17.5 votes, Jordy Nelson 2.0, and Clay Matthews .5. A final thought on Aaron Rodgers, I believe with that win he has entered the upper echelon of the quarterback hierarchy, the VIP room. Whose in my VIP room? Brady, Manning, Roethlisberger, Brees, and now undoubtedly Rodgers. I have been doubtful about Rodgers throughout this season and postseason but I can no longer question his greatness.

The Champions

The deciding moment of the game went to the defensive side of the ball for the Packers when Clay Matthews did his best "Remember the Titans" impersonation, the Green Bay LBs coach approaching Matthews before he forced the fumble and simply telling him, "its time. Its time."

The Steelers' turnovers were their ultimate downfall in the game, caused by their lack of an offensive line. However, credit goes to the Packers for taking advantage of it where the Jets or the Ravens could not. The game looked to be over when it was 21-3 but Roethlisberger, as he so often has, tried to lead another Super Bowl comeback. The Packer defense's flaw of being unable to put a team away almost cost them the game much like it almost did in the opening round Wild Card when Eagles QB Michael Vick was able to lead a similar comeback but the Packers bend, not break, and rose to the occasion once again when needed to despite their multiple injuries during the game. Also people, please stop with Ben Rapelisberger and that crap. Its dumb and although Ben may have a poor judgment of character issue, it reflects more poorly on you for the trite comments. Do you think people should approach you at your job discussing your poor decisions on who you've slept with? No, didn't think so. All that being said, in no way do I think that this game tarnishes Big Ben's reputation and would still choose him for a game winning drive out of the multitude of quarterbacks in the league. He was the only reason the Steelers remained in that game, so no it wasn't his fault.

The Packers rose above in a year where parity was the norm and no team could be called "great." The Packers win was a product of getting hot at the right time and having all of the components necessary to win in this day, much like the Steelers of 2005 when they defeated the Seahawks in the Super Bowl and the Giants two years later defeating the Patriots with some star heroics by Eli Manning and David Tyree. Maybe now, in this new era of NFL football, bye weeks don't mean as much, maybe they make you soft and the harshest road is the best. Maybe home field advantage doesn't matter and neither do winning all of your games. That's why the NFL playoffs are great, you truly don't know who will win and David has as much chance as Goliath. What's important is getting hot at that right time and having players that have the ability to make plays when it matters like Rodgers, Jennings, Matthews, and even Jordy Nelson. That's how the Packers won the Super Bowl, who'll be next?