The past two games have been two Pauly D’s standing next to each other, back to back blowouts. After three games it’s difficult to know what to make of these two teams, game one was tightly contested, but the last two have been laughers. The one constant throughout all three games is that the Spurs are not going to let Lebron attack the basket. Miami’s game two victory was earned by their role players not “the Decision”maker, and San Antonio can thank Kawhi Leaonard for making that happen. Leonard is playing superb defense on Lebron, not allowing him an ounce of penetration and forcing him to remain in distribution mode, Lebron’s least lethal of modes. Bosh and Wade are contributing at their now mid-level-NBA-player best, Miami simply isn’t going to get any more out of them. Bosh should be in the paint and Wade should be slashing, but after three games, they’re just not going to change. Had it not been for Mike Miller and his impeccable 5-5 three point shooting, game three would have been even uglier than it was, and Mike Miller knows a lot about ugly (Sorry Mike, it’s a cheapshot, but there is nothing acceptable about your current physical appearance, cut your hair, shave that thing you seem to think is some sort of beard.).

The Spurs again got almost nothing out of Ginobili, just 7 points and 6 assists off the bench. Manu seems to be off his rhythm, his normally above average outside shooting isn’t there for him. Many a player and analyst will tell you the only way out of a shooting slump is to shoot your way out of it, this is true, but sometimes it’s easier on your teammates if you just go to the rack. Ginobili is going to have to find his shot, but it might be easier if he gets himself going by attempting a couple of higher percentage shots rather than coming in throwing threes like he’s playing some back alley dice game in Buenos Aires. Tony Parker is another Spur that didn’t factor into game three, apparently he injured himself and given the score his services were not needed early in the game. He’s going to play game four and they will need him, at some point he is going to have to take over a game as he has done all season. Duncan was steady with 12 points and 14 rebounds, he is another Spur that is going to have to step up for game four. Kawhi Leaonard mirrored Duncan with 14 points and 12 rebounds, but as earlier mentioned it was his defense that dictated the game. Leonard’s production to this point is where it should be and he has been consistent with it.

But let’s be real, game three was really all about…

It’s NBA JAM and Danny Green and Gary Neal are on fire. 51 points combined on shooting that no team could have been prepared to defend. Danny Green finished with 27 points on 7-9 shooting from behind the three point line, sharp shooting that would make the Alamo’s finest proud. Gary Neal added 24 points while shooting 6-10 from behind the arc, outscoring everyone that played in game three, except for Green of course. There was no way Miami was prepared for this onslaught, and honestly there is no fault in that, no one expected Green and Neal to provide that scoring punch. There is little to analyze of their offense and the defense played, were they left open too often? Look no further than the final score for that answer, however, if two role players are going to do that amount of damage there’s nothing Miami can do to stop the Spurs. Luckily for the Heat, Green and Neal will not score like that again for the series, they were hot, they will cool off.

What does Miami do moving forward? They have to get Lebron involved early and often. In every game of these Finals, Miami’s first offensive plays have been through Wade and Bosh, they’ve had their chance, if he wants a ring, Lebron is going to have to score. Remember when Lebron first came in to the NBA and he was supposed to be the next Magic, he was going to play point guard and he was going to lead the league in assists. Didn’t last long. If Lebron is on your team your best chance at victory is him as your primary and secondary scorers. Tonight’s game is incredibly pivotal, if San Antonio wins it’s all but over, if Miami can pull it out, they’re right back in it. Although all three games have been very different, the one thing that’s certain is for the Heat to win, Lebron has to show up in scoring mode, his most lethal mode.

Knotted up at two games a piece is where the Spurs and Heat now find themselves as the scene shifts West to San Antonio. Unlike the tense, down-to-the-last-second nature of game one, game two in the end wasn’t even close. For the better part of three quarters this was anyone’s game, until Miami emphatically pulled away, preventing an extremely rare two losses in a row. The Finals are all about adjustments, when playing an opponent a potential seven games in a row, by the end of the series there isn’t much of anything new to throw out there. This series isn’t at that point yet, in game two adjustments were made that forced San Antonio into positions they were not prepared for. The Heat dropped below the screens on Tony Parker, forcing him to take contested jump shots or attempt to drive into a collapsing defense. This was the major change Miami made and it proved to be enough to disrupt the Spur’s offensive game plan.

Parker had an off night, with only 13 points and 5 assists, he was never able to get into his usual stellar offensive flow. Having Parker come off of screens without the ball could be a way to get him going early in game three, it will require an extra pass, but it could serve to throw off the Heat. The Spurs can not afford to have bad games from Parker and/or Duncan and last night they got them both. Duncan only chipped in with 9 points and 11 rebounds, this simply isn’t going to get it done. Tim Duncan needs to be utilized in the post, far to infrequently was he in position with his back to the basket last night, Miami can not defend him straight up and this must be taken advantage of. Manu Ginobili had an abysmal game, adding just 5 points, he looked sloppy every time he touched the ball and either turned it over or came just shy of doing so with every posession. Turnovers were the key to the Spurs downfall, after committing just four in game one, they turned the ball over 17 times in game two. Four is obviously on the low side, and seventeen is on the high side, their true turnover tendency lies somewhere in between, but they need to protect the ball much better than they did in game two.

Danny Green did have a good night, scoring 17 points and going 5-5 from three point land, on an ordinary night this would have pushed the Spurs over the top. With the limited production from Parker and Duncan, Green’s offense served as the only reason the game was ever close. Kawhi Leonard had a monster rebounding night pulling in 14 boards, but he needs to do more on the offensive end, nine points isn’t enough against Miami. Leonard is a superior athlete and needs to take advantage of his abilities, he must drive the lane and attack the basket.

All night Thiago Splitter looked slow, again he waited for the defense to collapse on him before making his move. He’s not the centerpiece of the Spurs offense, but he has to do something with the position he is achieving. Then this happened…

Ridiculous. There’s no real analysis involved with this play, it wasn’t a tide turner or momentum changer, it’s not the turning point of the series, but it was absolutely insane. Perfectly timed, perfectly executed, a perfect block. In the age of flopping and charge taking, a player should be applauded when he harkens back to the days of NBA past and actually contests a shot in the paint. Lebron was still in defer mode for this game, 17 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists are stats anyone would be proud of, but for Lebron more is expected. If he falls too far into his current role player mode, the Heat could be in trouble moving forward.

Wade and Bosh started out strong but phased out as the game progressed, at least this time Bosh shot mostly from within the three point line. On a different night 22 points combined from the Little Two, is not going to be enough. If their production does not increase Lebron will be forced to shoulder more of the offensive load, but with him in defer mode, it could cost them a game until adjustments are made.

Mario Chalmers and Ray Allen were the keys to Miami’s victory. Allen scored 13 points and went 3-5 from the three point line, he seems to have refound his stroke, which could be devastating for the Spurs. Chalmers scored 19 points and more and more appears to be the Heat’s second best player. Of course Chalmers benefits from being the point guard on a team of all stars, making his job easier and him appearing to be better than he is. If this were Mario Brothers, Mario Chalmers would be Luigi, but make no mistake about it, at this point in time he is Miami’s secondary offensive option after Lebron.

For the Spurs, a blowout is not going to get them down, they won’t crumble after this loss and come out with a loser’s mentality for game three. It was surprising to see them suffer such a loss, they are one of the best coached teams in the NBA, but it was just one game. Game three is going to be pivotal, look for the Spurs to really feed off of their crowd and Ginobili to have a breakout game. Would it surprise anyone if Lebron came out with a scorer’s mentality for game three? There’s a good chance Miami will need everything he has once they head into a hostile environment.

At least we don’t have to worry about an entire series without any interesting games. This Finals is anticipated to be a tightly contested affair and game one did not disappoint. The Spurs did what they needed to do and stole a game in Miami, I’m not going to go as far as to say they stole home court advantage because quite honestly I hate that term. When using the stolen home court theory, theoretically there could potentially be no end to the home courts stolen until game seven at which point Miami would have home court advantage. See what I mean? To assume that after one game we now know how this Finals will play out is a mistake. San Antonio was impressive and we learned a few things from game one, but rest assured this isn’t over by a long shot.

Dwyane Wade had a better game than expected, chipping in with 17 points. It’s kind of sad now that Wade putting up 17 is considered a good game for him, this is a player that has taken over entire Finals by himself, just ask Dallas. However, were it not for Wade, this game would not have been close. Sure Lebron probably would have stepped up more offensively, but against the Spurs the one man offense is not going to get it done. About that Lebron character, can you imagine putting up a tripple double with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in the Finals and that not being enough? If Lebron isn’t going to score 30 a night, the Heat will be done very quickly. It isn’t as if the Spurs defended him so well that he was forced to become a distributor, this seemed to be one of those games where he decided he was going to get his teammates involved and play an all around game. That’s great Lebron, everyone knows you can do that, but it’s the Finals, put the ball in the bucket. It’s not selfishness, great players truly believe that their teams best scoring opportunity is when they have the ball, if anything him attempting a higher number of field goals is him being the best teammate he can be. You don’t change what got you here, Lebron’s teammates are expecting him to carry the bulk of the scoring load because that’s what he usually does. Game one of the NBA Finals might not be the best time to switch it up and see what the other guys are all about. Which leads us to the Bosh.

What are you doing?

In case you forgot you are 6’11”. As Jalen Rose said, there’s a reason you are wide open. San Antonio would like nothing more than for Chris Bosh to take that wide open three. Much has been said of Bosh’s improved three point shooting, much was also said about the Lakers being a lock for a Finals appearance this year, meaning? It ain’t true. Bosh, for his career and through this season is a 28% three point shooter. That’s not a good three point shooter. Renowned chucker, who never saw a shot he didn’t like Antoine Walker is a career 32% three point shooter. Get in the paint Bosh. You are seven feet tall, your place is under the basket getting rebounds and posting up, yeah yeah yeah, I know that’s not your game, but if you want another ring perhaps it should be.

The Heat did play excellent perimeter defense in game one. They consistently forced the Spurs to pass the ball along outside of the three point line, thus initiating their offense late in the shot clock. If Duncan is able to not get into foul trouble, as he did early in game one, his post up play can negate this to a degree, Miami will have to adjust for this in game two.

As for the Spurs, did we expect any less? There was no sign whatsoever of rust after having remained in a holding pattern for over a week. They played a terrific game, but there were a few things that could use improving. Turnovers definitely was not one of them. Four turnovers for an entire game is down right silly. This is a true mark of a playoff experienced team that is ready to win a championship. Miami only had eight, which is a very low number as well, but compared to four it might as well be the number of days until David Stern retires (a day that can’t come soon enough). I’d like to see Thiago Splitter do something when he receives the ball deep in the paint other than waiting for the double team before taking a bad shot. Splitter is nowhere near that player that Bosh was/is, but he has to come up with a little more than nothing when posting up with such excellent positioning. Speaking of posting up, I would like to see the Spurs attempt to get Duncan posted up a tiny bit deeper in the paint, it will lead to quicker shot opportunities and the double team will be slow in arriving. there really is no one on the Heat that can defend Duncan in the post.

Which brings us to three point shooting once again, Miami had it going. Ray Allen hit a few key threes that where very timely for the Heat, he is going to have to continue this trend. Hitting key Playoff threes is literally the only reason Miami wanted him so bad last offseason. The Spurs, however, need to reel in their urge to launch from deep. There was a stretch in the second half where San Antonio missed 6 in a row in a very short period of time, maybe after you miss 4 or 5 it’s time to consider driving the lane perhaps? Danny Green did give them 12 points, all from three point land, but any coach would rather have Allen’s 3-4 over Green’s 4-9. Manu Ginobili is another Spur that is going to have to control his shot selection, he can be a hindrance as much as an asset. With Manu, the good usually outweighs the bad, particularly in the Playoffs, but I’d still like to see him attack more than launch.

In the end this game was about Duncan and Parker though, San Antonio’s best players did what they always do. Duncan put up 20 points and 14 rebounds, and had he not been in early foul trouble it is safe to assume those numbers would be even higher. Parker added 6 assists and 21 points, none larger than his shot clock beating bank shot coming with just 4 seconds on the clock. An amazing shot that sealed the Victory for Popovich and his squad. This is the thing with the Spurs, they’re not going to bail out the Heat the way other teams have by making mistakes. If the Heat are to beat the Spurs they are going to have to do it all by themselves (unless of course the refs get involved, which they have been known to do when it comes to Miami).

One final note, not about the game itself but rather the broadcast. It is so unfortunate that TNT does not cover the Finals. Jeff Van Gundy is a great color commentator, but other than him ESPN/ABC/Disney’s NBA team is terrible. Breen is a company yes man who says nothing original or opposite of what is called on the court, he brings absolutely nothing to the table. Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons are fine when it comes to podcasts and internet shorts, but they don’t have “it” when it comes to TV. Mike Wilbon doesn’t offer much other than a prepared, slowly spoken, delivered line that is supposed to call everything into question. It doesn’t. Magic is… Magic was an incredible point guard. Television is not the place for Magic, he’s simply not good. Sure Shaq kind of sucks on TNT, but he does have an occasional joke or statement that gets a reaction out of Sir Charles. Someone needs to pull Shaq aside and tell him that simply yelling, “Birdman, Birdman,” in some kind of voice isn’t really funny. The broadcast of the NBA Playoffs as a whole is like sitting down for what you are told is going to be the best meal of your life. The appetizers are amazing, probably the best you’ve ever had. Everyone keeps telling you how great the main course is and how the appetizers were just the beginning, then it comes and… It’s a lightly boiled Timberland boot (ABC).

A cool mist glides through the main thoroughfare, the usually bustling storefronts are devoid of their typical excitement, the villagers have all battened down the hatches as an erie silence is currently the lone inhabitant of their fine town. An odd stranger strides into town perplexed by the lack of activity, only after rapping upon a shop door is he greeted by an old man who tells him there will be a great battle today and the streets are no longer safe. Titan against titan, this will be a battle that will determine legacies and futures, the very make up of the Association is at stake. Everything you thought you knew about basketball may just depend on this battle.

A little hyperbolic? Nah, it’s the Finals! This is what everyone plays for. A mere seven games separates the Spurs and the Heat from reaching the basketball promised land. Too old, too selfish, too one dimensional, too small, too slow there are a plethora of reasons why both teams should lose and win. The number of adjustments that will be made throughout this series is a digit so astronomically high that right now Stephen Hawking is toiling away, attempting to create an equation the likes of which Will Hunting has never seen. Miami was the best team in the NBA by far this season, however, it isn’t until you play a great team in a seven game series that you realize your true mettle. Much is made of the fact that the Heat have lost such a small number of games this season, how can anyone beat them four games out of seven? This is where Playoff adjustments come in, no game in this series will be similar to the one before, it will be the familiarity with one another, that makes each other inevitably beatable no matter the regular season record.

Before we sit down for a heaping helping of Finals previews, we must first briefly recap the Eastern Conference Finals (rest assured I will keep it quick, we can’t let the main course get cold). Any time a series goes seven it’s safe to say it was a good one, and it was, except for the last game. Indiana’s inexperience reared it’s ugly head at the most inopportune time, Miami’s defense befuddled them and cost them dearly. Refusing to drive the OPEN lanes and attack the basket was their fatal flaw. Miami trapped them behind the three point line where they were all too willing to remain and shoot contested deep jump shots. The Pacers ineffective offense lead to transition opportunities for Miami, which is where they are their most dangerous. Give the Heat credit, this was clearly their game plan and Indiana gave them no reason to deviate from it. Lebron came through in the clutch, as he has recently done, and we even had a Dwyane Wade sighting. When Frank Vogel left Paul George and Roy Hibbert on the bench for an extended rest during the second quarter he all but cost his team their chance at appearing in the Finals, this was the major turning point in game seven. Vogel made a couple of major coaching errors that very much harmed his team, I wonder about his success rate moving forward. It is unfortunate that the Pacers lacked a veteran presence to pull Paul George and Hibbert aside and alert them to the magnitude of their situation, they clearly where both desperately in need of a wake up call. This is it, this is a chance at a championship, this is the moment where stars (who want to be paid a lot of money) take over games, neither of them did.

The Pacers moving forward have a couple of issues, clearly they must resign David West, he is an integral part of their roster, losing him will set them back years. However, their primary concern should be acquiring a true play making point guard, they clearly need a pace setter to dictate the tempo of the game. The million dollar question though is what to do with Danny Granger? You trade him for that point guard I just mentioned, that’s what you do. With George’s emergence, Granger has become redundant. Their best bet is to hope some team isn’t too put off by Granger’s knee injury and to try and swing him for a point guard and some veteran bench presence. Paul George has a ton of potential and he is an NBA star, Superstar though? Not so fast. That’s reserved for guys like Lebron, Durant and Kobe. He could get there though and hopefully this series will serve to motivate him moving forward.

The Finals
It’s no surprise that Miami made it to this stage, they’ve been the favorite to win it all since the first tip of the season, they’ve most certainly been my pick. The Spurs on the other hand are somewhat of a surprise. Of course Westbrook’s absence cleared the path, insuring blue Playoff skies without any chance of Thunder. Then there were the Grizzlies, who became cuddly little teddy bears when pitted against San Antonio, thus leaving the Spurs with a very lengthy layoff before the Finals. Occasionally too much of a rest can be detrimental, the rust needs to be knocked off and frequently a game one loss is the end result. This will not be the case with the Spurs. The rest will have done them nothing but good and this is the Spurs, the chances of them not being prepared for a Finals series are nil. Which begs the question, who will win? Woah, woah, woah. You’re jumping way too far ahead. Let’s look at a few of the contributing factors here shall we?

Lebron
Much like every other team on the planet the Spurs will have no answer for him. When faced with a superstar the likes of James often times the best direction to take is to just let him go off. If he scores fifty, great, but you better believe the Spurs will be more focused on limiting Lebron’s teammates scoring opportunities.

Tony Parker
The Heat struggle majorly with a elite point guards and they are about to delve into a seven game series with perhaps the most elite of them all. Will Lebron defend Parker? Guaranteed at least once in this series. Make no mistake about it, Parker is going to humiliate Mario Chalmers, how long will Miami allow it to continue is the question.

Gregg Popovich
No coach is going to remove Lebron from a series, but the best coach in the NBA is probably going to be the one to give him the most headaches. Popovich will be a major asset to the Spurs, he will be more successful than all of his peers when it comes to game planning for the Heat. Do not believe the recent hype about Erik Spoelstra, the NBA Finals are commonly as much a coaching battle as anything else, unfortunately in this battle the Heat are unarmed.

Tim Duncan
Timmy will be a very different low post presence than the Heat recently faced in Roy Hibbert. Duncan is not the defensive stalwart that Hibbert is but he offers much more on the offensive end and is a terrific rebounder. Minutes will be a concern, Duncan is going to need his rest during stretches, but then again this is the Finals, do we see his playing time extended?

The Big 0.5  AKA  Wade and Bosh
Inconsistency is a bit of an understatement when describing this pair’s play. Recently the only thing they have excelled at is placing a massive amount of pressure firmly on Lebron’s back. They’ll both have a game or two where they’ll be effective, but a strong Finals performance is not likely. Wade is simply an injury prone player at this stage of his career, what you are seeing from him is what he is now. He can turn it on for a game here or there but he can not be counted on night in and night out. Bosh is a perimeter shooter and nothing more now, he has settled into this role a little too willingly for my taste.

Bench
San Antonio has the edge here, they have size and frankly more talented players at their disposal. It is intriguing to imagine where the Heat would be had they not signed Chris Andersen, most likely not the Finals. Norris Cole is going to have to be an option off the bench for Miami to have any real support.

Crowd
Miami has the home court advantage, they also have maybe the worst crowd in the NBA (the Lakers are their only challenger). They arrive late, it’s a scene not a fan base and worst of all they have this thing at their games. San Antonio will feed off of their fans more than the Heat.

These are a few of the interesting aspects of this series, but I know what you want to know. Who’s gonna win?
Miami Heat in 7

This is going to be a great Finals and a Spurs victory is very possible. San Antonio has everything on paper to beat Miami, but Miami has Lebron. Gone are the days of Lebron shying away from the glow of Playoff lights. Lebron has single handedly won big games for the Heat before, there’s no reason for him to stop now. Perhaps Reggie Miller said it best, in the Eastern Conference finals when referring to Lebron James and his teammates he said, and I am paraphrasing, “You have to get your weapons going. But you can’t forget about the nuclear weapon you have on your bench.” A tad hyperbolic? Perhaps, but hey, it’s the Finals.

 

Of the thirty teams in the NBA only three remain, one is already resting up for the Finals, the other two are locked in what is shaping up to be a terrific series. Let’s pretend we’re NBA refs reviewing a play and spend way to long over analyzing everything we’ve seen.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies
That took a surprisingly short amount of time. Are the Spurs that good or did the Grizzlies choke that bad? There’s no question that the Spurs are the better team, but are they four-game-sweep better? Memphis sure thinks so. Disappointment is an understated emotion that many Memphis fans may be feeling after seeing their team crumble in the spot light. San Antonio is playoff tested and in all reality a very good team, the rest they will have before the Finals will be invaluable, they just might be a favorite to win it all. The Grizzlies moving forward will be fine, they’re going to have to resign Tony Allen, and they will, after that not much will change in the offseason. However, Memphis is a franchise that has long valued money over competitiveness, see Rudy Gay, should they decide to not retain Allen this is the furthest this iteration of the Grizzlies will have made it.

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat
The Spurs wrap up was the aperitif, this is the main course. When we think of Conference Finals past we think of heavy weight slugfests, full of twists and turns accompanied by feats of basketball heroism. This series has that. In the interest of full disclosure, I suppose I should admit my true feelings about this match up. I so want Miami to lose. Don’t we all? On one side you have the Pacers, a solid team with a traditional lineup that doesn’t have a true star and gets by with size and defense. On the other side you have the petulant one and a bunch of jump shooters. Was that an exaggeration, you better believe it, but it isn’t that far from what Miami has devolved into. Wade, though injured (HE’S ALWAYS INJURED!), is capable of creating his own shot and taking it to the basket, but so often now he isn’t “B” to Lebron’s “A”, he’s actually more of a “C.” He isn’t Westbrook to Durant, he’s Kevin Martin. Bosh has become little more than a perimeter shooter, once in a while he’ll venture into the paint, but Roy Hibbert’s there and Boshasaurs don’t like Roy Hibberts. Speaking of Roy Hibbert, there are few things I appreciate more than a big man that plays like one. You can have your Bosh, Bargnani, Gallinari, if you’re a big man, post up and get in there and rebound, you’re team will be better for it. Just a reminder Frank Vogel you were indeed wrong leaving Hibbert on the bench in the end of game one’s overtime. This series should be at 3-1, advantage Pacers, but Vogel outsmarted himself and chose to play Miami’s game rather than forcing them to play his. Much like the #1 seeded Mavericks outthought themselves against the #8 seeded Warriors in 2007, when you have size and the other team doesn’t, you use it to your advantage, you don’t play small ball.

Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier should be on their 12th and 13th respective mortgages due to the massive debt accrued by countless flopping fines. Shane in particular has become embarrassing, flopping is cheating and should be treated as such, it is not part of the game, period. Battier has reached that odd point in a player’s career when his role becomes three point shooter/flopper, he is not a defensive specialist anymore. Now to Miami’s sixth, seventh and eighth men, the referees. Let’s get one thing clear, most NBA referees are embarrassingly bad on a nightly basis, regardless of the teams they are officiating, however, when Miami is playing they really get involved. Miami has the best player in the NBA, they don’t need any more help, and side note, he actually does commit fouls. All that having been said, Lebron is a monster. When he is on the court, it is always  a matter of time before he takes over the game. Now that he has improved his low post game he is a near unstoppable offensive player, add that to his stellar on the ball and help defense and he is impossible to deal with. If Indiana is to beat the Heat, they are going to have to play two near perfect games, Lebron will not be eliminated by anything less than the best. Paul George must play consistently good basketball, he can not be an afterthought, he must be a nightly contributor. Hibbert and West must continue their great play and the Pacers must continue to kill Miami on the glass. If Indiana can do these things, they can beat the Heat.
Pacers in 7

We are officially deep into the playoffs now, the challengers have been whittled down to just four (really just one, teams that don’t have Lebron can’t realistically be considered championship challengers). Enough with the pleasantries, let’s make like Chris Paul and dive on in.

Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
That sure was fun. This series was one that seemed closer than it actually ever was. The Bulls have a ton of heart (excluding Derrick Rose) and play true team basketball. It’s unfortunate that we may never see this team at full strength as there are sure to be changes in the offseason. Boozer will most likely be gone as has been rumored for years and Nate Robinson is sure to depart for greener pastures, it is not coincidental that green is the color of cash. Miami is going strong, sure Wade is injured and not producing at his normal level but at least he’s looking really stupid doing it! This is Lebron’s team and no one is going to stop him from winning a championship.

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks
Good series, but more or less played out as expected. The Pacers have a ton of size and are a very balanced team, the Knicks conversely are a textbook example of a top heavy team. Carmelo is a monster offensively, but once you get past Baltimore’s native son there is a huge drop off. JR Smith is and always has been a streak player, when he’s on you’re in trouble, when he’s off he will lose you games. The Knicks are in trouble moving forward, they are well over the cap for a couple more years with a team that just isn’t a legitimate contender. Even if they are able to somehow deal Stoudemire they won’t get close to fair value in a trade. Unfortunately for ATLANTA native Shelton Lee (some people know him as “Spike”), this season was the peak of this iteration of the Knickerbockers.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Grizzlies agree with R. Kelly in reverse order, they don’t see anything wrong with grindin’ you and bumpin’ you out of the playoffs. If the Grizzlies were a player at your local court they would be the guy that no one wants to play against because win or lose he is going to put you through the ringer. They also happen to be good at basketball. The belief that Kevin Durant is the second best player in the NBA is shared by many an NBA fan, however, in this series we saw just how large the gulf is between numbers one and two. Try as he might Durant was incapable of putting his team on his back and carrying them into the promised land of the Western Conference Finals. Something tells me this series may have played out differently if Mr. Harden was still playing in OKC, but alas we will never know what could have been. As for the future of the Thunder, they’ll be fine… As long as Westbrook is able to return sooner rather than later and playing at his superlative level. They’d better perform, I hear Seattle is looking for a team…

San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors
It got interesting there for a minute, then the Spurs remembered who they are and what they are capable of. This is a team that will not be caught off guard, they will not be tricked into playing a style of basketball that is not up to their usual level of execution. The clock is officially turned back and the Spurs are here for the Playoff long haul. Golden State has to now be everyone’s second favorite team. They are a ridiculously fun team to watch with the best crowd in the NBA. If you’re a Warriors fan, there isn’t much to worry about. If David Lee comes back early and healthy, the Warriors are going to be a force very soon. The backcourt is strong as is the front court, young players on good contracts who just got some playoff experience. Look out after next season when all their bad contracts come off the books and they will have a ton of money to spend on free agents. Golden State is going to be a title contender in the coming years.

Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers
I want this to be a good series. It could be a good series. It won’t be. Everything is there on paper as to why the Pacers will be a competitive opponent for the Big 1 (yep, I’m subtracting Wade and Bosh, they’re no longer the Big 3), but they won’t be, Lebron is that much of a force. Sure the Pacers are going to kill the Heat on the boards but in the end the crab dribbler will just be too much for them. I’ll come out and say it, nothing would be more interesting for these Playoffs than for the Heat to lose, I just don’t see it happening. Lebron will carry the bulk of the offensive load and the perimeter shooters will do their job. If Norris Cole is able to continue his hot shooting, it’ll be over that much sooner. If Indiana had a true number one option I might feel differently, faith in Paul George’s ability to take over the Eastern Conference Finals, I do not have.
Miami in 6

San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m a game late, shoot me (unless you’re Gilbert Arenas). This is going to be one great series. These are two very evenly matched teams that play terrific team defense and have loads of players to throw at each other. When it’s all over though, Tony, Tim, Manu and Gregg will stand victorious, they just have that championship pedigree. Memphis will push them to the brink but the Spurs will not be denied their return to the Finals. I love what both of these teams do and it’s unfortunate that they both can’t advance, both teams have size, great point guards and grind out styles, this is a Finals worthy series. There is no one particular reason why the Spurs will win, but hey one team has to win four out of seven.
San Antonio in 7

It’s been a bumpy road but we’re almost there, the Finals are in sight. Check back and see what happens as the games unfold.

 

Right now you’re probably reading this dismissing all of my basketball opinions. That’s fine, but hear me out. Lebron James is hands down the best basketball player in the NBA, at least since Brian Scalabrine retired. Alas, the poor “White Mamba,” he never got a chance, it was all politics that kept him down. If you were redrafting the entire NBA, Lebron would unquestionably be that #1 pick. But wait, I’m sorry, the award is for the most valuable player, not best player. Of course the argument can be made, and judging by the MVP voting it obviously was, that the best player is by default the most valuable. Sometimes this is indeed the case, but not this year. Unlike a situation where British Petroleum steps up and sponsors the “BP” award for best player, the MVP selection requires a little more than pointing a finger at the best player and proclaiming him the leagues most valuable player. Much was made of the fact that Lebron’s MVP title fell one vote short of unanimity (it would have been the first time ever), almost as if it was a slight upon James himself. Such blasphemy to place different values on player’s merits and to choose for yourself rather than to hop aboard the hype train as it pulls away from the station (it’s a one way ride from Cleveland to Miami).

It’s important to remember that the best player in the NBA has not alway won the MVP award. Karl Malone and Charles Barkley both won the award ahead of Michael Jordan when in the primes of their careers, a time when Jordan was clearly the best player in the league. When Steve Nash won the award in back to back seasons, no one would debate that he was a better player than Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and a long line of players. He was, however, the most valuable player in the NBA, he made the Suns what they were and he was invaluable to them. Such is the case with Carmelo, he drives the Knicks, he is their offensive cornerstone. Sure his defense isn’t exactly at a Charles Oakley level, let’s be honest it might not even be at a one armed Charles Oakley level, but that’s not his role. Carmelo is an extremely one dimension player, but this season he mastered that one dimension and carried his team to win the Atlantic division and a #2 seed in the playoffs.

A good measuring stick for MVP potential is to imagine the candidate’s team without him, how would they fair? The Knicks have some nice players, Chandler, Shumpert are good, solid pieces, but how good is the rest of the team really? Raymond Felton had a breakout year, but how many of his baskets were a result of help defense being played on Carmelo opening up driving lanes? JR Smith, the very well deserved sixth man of the year, a purely offensive player albeit a good one. By the very definition of Smith’s award though, he is literally the best player not good enough to start an NBA game. This may be simplifying it a bit, but there is some truth to this notion. Stoudemire, this might be the one time that a team is actually better without a star player, his stagnant, lane clogging offense is a fly in the ointment of the Knicks current game plan. Prigioni and Kidd benefit greatly from Carmelo’s presence, if not for him these two would most likely be on a bench or out of the league. Without Carmelo the Knicks do not make the Playoffs, that is a valuable player.

If you were to remove Lebron from the Heat, they still have a 20 point per game scorer in Dwyane Wade, a 17 point per game scorer in Chris Bosh and a very solid roll player in Ray Allen. Without Lebron the Miami Heat are a shell of their current selves, but they’re still a pretty good team. Sure Miami went on a 27 game win streak (which is absolutely insane), but unfortunately that’s a stat that will be lost through the years. Coming in second place is never memorable no matter how much we think it will be. It’s not a scoring title and it’s not a championship, it’s a statistic and you don’t get trophies for stats, at least you shouldn’t.

When Derrick Rose won the MVP award ahead of Lebron in 2011 he was a great player, not better than Lebron though. In 2011 Derrick Rose had a breakout season and made the Bulls a contender, sounds like someone else I know… Perhaps the most disturbing trend developing along side of Lebron’s dominance, is the notion that to not deem him fit for the trophy is to deny him some unalienable right. He’s the best player in the NBA, he is most likely going to win his second championship in a row, we don’t have to bow down and default to his greatness whenever possible.

The first round is over and only eight teams remain, seven have fallen (the Bucks don’t count) and are now faced with a plethora of decisions in the off season. Let’s take a look at the teams in order of ranking.

Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Did they even play in the first round? Their series was over before it started. Three of the four games were televised on NBATV and not on the big stations making it seem as if this series was being played in North Korea and we were not welcome to view it. Those of us that did see them play saw a team that is going to win back to back championships. The Heat were already an easy pick to win it all, couple that with the glut of injuries effecting the NBA and it’s almost unfair how easy their road is going to be.

The Bucks have a very unfavorable situation awaiting them this summer. Of course Jennings and Ellis will make the most money by remaining in Milwaukee, however, that requires them to remain in Milwaukee. Who in their right mind purposely plays for the Milwaukee Bucks? Whomever the Bucks hire to be their new GM had better hope that Ellis and Jennings are unaware that there are actually 29 other teams in the NBA. The Bucks are going to lose at least on of the two and continue to mire in NBA obscurity. But hey they have Ersan Ilyasova and he is easily the most underrated player in the NBA.

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
They did it, they finally got out of the first round. Got interesting for a minute though didn’t it? Give the Knicks their credit, it got real interesting in the fourth quarter of game six, but they held off the Celtics and Carmelo came through in the clutch. Carmelo and JR Smith get all the attention, but Iman Shumpert was the key to New Yorks advancement into round two. His defense was stellar and he came up with multiple key shots to keep the Knicks out of touch.

The Celtics have perhaps the most interesting situation facing them of any team in the NBA this offseason. What do they do with KG and Pierce? Are they too old to compete? The Celtics have multiple players who are worth more to their franchise than to other teams around the NBA. They will never receive fair value in a trade and therefore their best bet is to retain the services of their aging players and go at it again with a healthy Rondo. It’s disappointing the fourth quarter Celtics didn’t show up for more games, I’m looking at you Avery Bradley. Reports of the Celtics demise have been greatly exaggerated, as long as they are able to cut back KG and Pierce’s minutes and get them some serious rebounding help that is.

Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Pacers did their job, it took them a couple of hiccups in Atlanta to realize they are the vastly superior team, but in the end the cream rose to the top. The Pacers are probably the closest thing to a sleeper team in the playoffs. They lack a true star, but have a number of players that can contribute on any given day that ends in “y”.

The Hawks have a few decisions to make this off season, but I think, much like Jason Kidd after a long night of drinking, they will be in the driver’s seat. Devin Harris will be back if the Hawks want him, there will not be a long line of suitors for his point guard services. Josh Smith is where it gets interesting, much was made at the trade deadline of his shaky status with the Hawks, yet he remained in Atlanta. I don’t see a lot of teams that will be willing to offer Smith a max contract, and that is what he has said he is seeking. Who wouldn’t offer a player with above average but not star-level stats, who is not your man in the clutch and has proven time and time again an inability to take over a game let alone a series, a max contract? Did I mention that he suffers from a deep rooted delusion that he is a good three point shooter?

Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls
Man the Bulls have heart. Forget healthy, does anyone on that team have a recognizable pulse? Just when you thought they couldn’t withstand any more injuries, here comes mister flu walkin’ through that door. Yet they still managed to beat the Nets on their home court in a game seven, this is not a team to take lightly.

The Nets are stuck as is. They currently have almost 90 million dollars locked up in guaranteed contracts for this next season, and over 60 million of that is locked up in bad contracts (Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, and Joe Johnson are all overpaid). They may be able to move the expiring contract of Humphries at the deadline, but other than that I don’t see a lot of movement with this squad.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets
OKC got the job done without their star point guard, Kevin Durant is just that good. They played their game and other than losing Westbrook, this one went pretty much by the books, aside from a few scares here and there of course. Kevin Martin stepped up and proved his worth, I still think the deeper into the playoffs they go, the more they are going to miss James Harden. OKC is a fun team with likable players, the fact that the team was stolen from Seattle, and it was, is the only thing preventing them from being everyone’s second favorite team.

The future is bright for the Houston Rockets. Don’t be surprised if Dwight Howard heads south this summer, the Rockets have a lot more ahead of them than the Lakers do. I am not a fan of offering Dwight max money but that is what he is going to get. Houston is one of the few places that I think he would work out, his ego and personality really are that much of a problem. Even if Houston stands pat, I am confident Daryl Morey will swindle a legitimate piece from some unsuspecting GM in return for a pair of Hakeem Olajuwon’s game worn Etonics.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Spurs are a basketball machine, put games in, victories come out. They have to now be the favorite to come out of the west. The Lakers were not much of a test for Timmy and his boys and the rest is going to hep them quite a bit.

The Lakers, oh the Lakers. Hope you’re ready for the Dwightmare part 2 Lakers fans! The entire immediate future of the Lakers hinges upon whether they will be able to resign Dwight or not. I’d put it at 50/50 if Dwight stays or heads to Houston. Forget all this nonsense about amnestying Kobe, it will never happen, don’t be surprised at all if Bryant comes back way earlier than expected as well. I’m sure every second he isn’t playing Kobe is seething, knowing his is losing games from his storied career.

Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors sure do love them some upsets. You have to love this team. They even wheeled out David Lee for a game for nothing more than to give their crowd something to cheer for and inspire the team. Inspire them it did. Curry is turning into a star as we speak, and that is hands down the best crowd in the NBA.

Denver will have an interesting off season. They are another team in the driver’s seat, they have so many good movable contracts. The question is, will they move them? If LA falls back and the Spurs age (they inevitably will), that potentially moves the Nuggets up to the #2 spot in the west if healthy. They’re going to have a lot of decisions to make.

Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
I’m getting tired of saying the Heat are going to win a championship. That doesn’t keep it from being true though. Chicago will win a game, maybe two, in this series, but it will never be close. The Bulls are the Heat’s foil (when it’s not the Celtics), they broke the streak, they play tough and have never been intimidated by them. Oh those injuries… It’s likely to assume that the Bulls will be missing at least one player in each game this series, not even including Rose, who does need to get up off the bench and man up.
Miami in 5

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
The Knicks showed toughness (and remarkable immaturity) in their first series and Carmelo’s ability to be clutch, but Indiana will be too much. They have very differing styles, however, I believe the Pacers are capable of playing multiple game plans, the Knicks have one, default to Carmelo, shoot threes. Rebounding will be the key to this series in that it will become much more difficult for the Knicks. Indiana has size and an actual point guard, two things the Knicks didn’t face against Boston. It will be up to New York to adjust quickly and hope to outscore the Pacers, which they will do at least once.
Pacers in 6

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies
OKC just barely got game one under their belts, but I do not like their chances moving forward. Durant is a monster, but much like King Kong he will fall when facing numerous individually weaker opponents. The Grizzlies are going to throw too much at the Thunder, they have the size and they have the grittiness. It will not be easy, but the Grizzlies will advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Grizzlies in 7

San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors sure are a plucky group of underdogs, capable of anything right? Not if anything includes beating the Spurs in a seven game series. Every game of this series will be interesting, until the fourth quarter, that’s when the grind sets in. The Nuggets don’t have the pedigree and coaching that the Spurs have. San Antonio will not be caught off guard and they will not fall to a lesser team.
Spurs in 5

Well you are all set for the playoffs past, present and future. Check back as things change, and if the playoffs up until now are any example, they’re going to change more than Dennis Rodman at a bridal dress sale.

 

Here we are a week into the playoffs, two teams have already bowed out and a few are very close to it. Some of the series have had quite a few surprises, while others have been as predictable as a Manu GInobili flop when breathed upon by a newborn child. Let’s take a look at the series one at a time and see how my predictions panned out.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook. What a loss. The Thunder were a major favorite to make it all the way to the finals, and potentially win it all (they wouldn’t have). Now, they are in a bit of a scramble. I predicted they would win the series in 5 games, and that still looks like it will hold true, but those deep playoff chances are now in as much trouble as a backboard during a Dwight Howard free throw. In all likelihood Kevin Durant will carry his team to the conference finals, anything beyond that will be a bonus, Westbrook’s loss changes the team that much. It wont be just his stats that will be missing, but the Thunder will be forced to play a different style than they are normally comfortable with.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers
That didn’t take long. Once Kobe went down we knew the Lakers were on borrowed time. Apparently we didn’t know just how short lived their playoff experience would be. The Spurs are a very good team and I can not profess my respect for Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan enough. They simply know how to win and as we’ve seen, they know how to close out a series. I predicted five games, they only needed four. Note to GMs everywhere, Dwight’s not worth the money. He wants a max contract but can’t win a single playoff game, no thanks.

Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors
David Lee, David Lee, we don’t need no stinkin’ David Lee. Chicken, beef, goat, even vegetable, all good forms of curry, but right now, that Steph Curry is as good as it gets. We are watching a future superstar in the making. How does Denver respond? I predicted the Nuggets to win in six and I can clearly say now, I was wrong. Denver wins game five, Warriors close it in six with that insane crowd behind them every step of the way. The Nuggets depth has always been their strength, are we now seeing that they lack that one player who can take over a game, methinks perhaps so.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
It’s getting tight in here… LA came out strong and did their job at home, barely. Once the series shifted to Memphis it started to get interesting. I predicted the Grizzlies in six and I am standing by it like Ray Allen does the three point line. The Grizzlies are a… grizzly team. They’re tough, the Clippers aren’t, that’s what this series is going to come down to.

Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Varsity against Junior Varsity.

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
Ok, this is the one I was a bit off on. I kind of picked the Celtics to win in seven games. Doesn’t look like that ones going to happen. The Celtics look lost on offense to put in nicely, the loss of Rondo is so clear in this series and it has cost the Celtics dearly. I expect  the Knicks to win at home in game five and end the series, once JR Smith and his elbow (who showed a major lack of intelligence in game 4) comes back, the Knicks will most likely have too much offense for the Celtics to handle. However, if the Celtics somehow are able to muster a victory at MSG, they’re going to win in seven. So that’s kind of a half change of mind. I expected more from the Celtics, and hate hearing from every broadcaster everywhere that KG and Pierce are done, it’s just silly. A victory or loss in ONE game can not determine the entire future of your franchise. The Knicks have been very impressive this series, if Carmelo keeps playing like this and they keep hitting their threes, they’re going to go far. Far being until they play Miami.

Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks
Who are these guys and what have you done with the Atlanta Hawks? I predicted the Pacers in five, and much like Shaq shooting a decent looking free throw, it ain’t happening. I thought the Pacers size and the emergence of Paul George would be far more than the Hawks could handle, that does not appear to be the case. I still think the Pacers will pull this one out, but it may go seven.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls
This one is ending Thursday. The Bulls are a gritty team with a great coach, add that to the performance they are getting out of Nate Robinson and the Nets don’t stand a chance in game six in Chicago. I predicted the Bulls in six and that’s what is going to happen. Don’t be surprised if tomorrow night’s game is not a close one. The Nets have to many “are they” players. Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez are all good players, but “are they” stars? Are they top 5 players at their position? Lopez probably, but he won’t be enough to get it done. Now the Bulls as presently constituted dont even have “are they” players, they have “are not” players, but they are a dictionary example of the sum being greater than the parts.
Bonus**** Just to do you a favor, I’ll kill the suspense, Rose isn’t coming back this year.

This is the current state of the playoffs and it is ever changing, check back and see what happens next.

It’s time to introduce a new feature to Off Court Issues named, “Calling Glass.” Anyone who has ever played basketball knows what the term “Calling Glass” means and is very familiar with how and when to use it. It all has to do with the bank shot. If you don’t know what a bank shot is then perhaps you are here by mistake (hint, hint, this is a basketball blog). OK, OK, fine, somehow you may not know what it is, so I’ll let Mr. Duncan show you how it’s done. Now Tim visits the bank quite often and always intentionally, many other players… not so much. The vast majority of the time you see a bank shot in NBA basketball, or really any basketball for that matter, it was accidental. This is where “Calling Glass” comes in. No matter who you are playing with, if you intend to shoot a bank shot, as the ball is leaving your hands, you must say, “Glass.” If you do not say, “Glass,” well then your shot was suspect and presumed accidental. Your entire life will subsequently be called into question, as it should be. Save yourself the trouble, call “Glass” or just admit you got lucky. For the purpose of blogging I am now using the term to announce a prediction(s). So it’s time to call “Glass” and predict the first round of the NBA playoffs.

#1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #8 Houston Rockets
This series could be very interesting in that there are a few subplots going on. Of course the major subplot is James Harden facing his former team. Houston is a really fun team to watch with a very bright future, multiple high scoring games are expected from the bearded one, and I expect emotions to be high in this series. However, the Thunder are going to trounce the Rockets. Durant and Westbrook will run rampant, as they often do. This series will never be in doubt, although I do expect the Rockets to win at least one game. Put the brooms away, there will be no sweep.

Winner: 5 games

 

#2 San Antonio Spurs vs. #7 Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe’s out, their backs are against the wall, they’re playing like scrappy underdogs, will the rejuvenated Lakers continue their emotional journey without their fearless leader? No. Man, this series would have been monumentally more interesting if Kobe was involved. His loss will be too great, Dwight folds in the spotlight time and time again, Nash is injured (although at this point Blake might be the better option anyways), oh yeah, and the Spurs are really good. A playoff tested Spurs with the best coach in the NBA will prove to be insurmountable for the Lake Show. Spurs in 5.

Winner: 5 games

 

#3 Denver Nuggets vs. #6 Golden State Warriors

This series will be fun to watch, in fact it will most likely be the most exciting series of the first round. In the end Denver will prove to be too deep, but Steph Curry and the Warriors will not go down easily. Just remember kids to set your VCR’s for these games, make sure your VHS cassettes are set to Extended Play and your tracking is adjusted, it’s gonna be fun. This is also the series I see as most likely to go the distance.

Winner: 6 games

 

 

#4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #5 Memphis Grizzlies
A believer in the Clippers I am not. Chris Paul is a great player and has the grittiness to grind out a playoff series, but the rest of his team will fade when the going gets tough, and against the Grizzlies it will get tough. I picture Blake Griffin having a very bad playoff experience once he realizes he can’t dunk his way into the next round, the Grizzlies will play better defense than your run of the mill Kia. Sorry “Lob City,” Memphis has two seven footers in the paint.

Winner: 6 games

 

 

#1 Miami Heat vs. #8 Milwaukee Bucks
Four blowouts in a row.

Winner: 4 games (maybe less)

 

 

 

#2 New York Knicks vs. #7 Boston Celtics
The Knicks are hot. Carmelo is smoldering. The Celtics are old and the Knicks have home court, you do the math. There are a multitude of reasons why the Knicks are going to win their first playoff series in over a decade. The Celtics are going to win. I know what your’re thinking right now, there’s no way this could happen and you are reading the words of a lunatic. This is my playoffs upset and I’m sticking to it. The Celtics will grind out seven games and will tighten up on defense, the Knicks rely to heavily on one player and three point shooting. These are two things that typically fade in the playoffs. Everything is pointing to the Knicks advancing, but they wont because the Celtics might be the best seventh seed ever.

Winner: 7 games

 

 

#3 Indiana Pacers vs. #6 Atlanta Hawks
The Pacers have fallen back a little as the season has progressed and aren’t quite as good as initially thought. They’re still good enough to beat the Hawks. George, West and Hibbert will carry Indy to the next round and it probably won’t be too hard for them.

Winner: 5 games

 

 

#4 Brooklyn Nets vs. #5 Chicago Bulls
Brooklyn’s going to get some playoff games in their inaugural season, it’s not often that happens. Unfortunately for them, they won’t be hosting playoff games in the second round. Words can not express how impressed I am with the Chicago Bulls. Allow me to point out again that DERRICK ROSE HAS NOT PLAYED ALL SEASON. Despite his absence they still made it to the postseason. A great coach and tough defense will carry the Bulls to the next round. The Nets just don’t have, for lack of a better term, it. Brooklyn will be the team most unprepared for the raised intensity level of the postseason and it will indeed cost them their playoff lives.

Winner: 6 games

 

 

These are the predictions of Off Court Issues and they are final. If you disagree, I’d love to hear why. These playoffs should be pretty interesting, other than Miami there is no clear runaway top team. They’re going to win it all again but leading up to that day should be pretty interesting.

Much has been written about the 2012-2013 Lakers and let’s face it, there’s a lot to talk about. The team made a few blockbuster movies during the offseason when they acquired Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, but so far they have yet to live up to the standards that so many placed upon them. I must commend them for their removal of Mike Brown, albeit it may not have been the most cordial of dismissals. Five games is a fairly small sample to use as your timetable when considering the termination of your head coach. However, it was the right decision. Mike Brown is not a good coach. While in Cleveland, he celebrated a much overrated tenure under the stewardship of a guy named Lebron James. Now, those Cleveland teams weren’t what a lot of NBA pundits would have you believe they were. They were not deep teams, and for the most part were not comprised of good players surrounding Lebron. I mean come on, remember when Mo Williams was an allstar simply by being associated with Lebron? I digress, back to the Lakers, Mike Brown was an extremely bad decision in the first place, which was later rectified by his removal. When faced with the decision of whom to choose as Brown’s replacement there were really only two primary candidates. The first, was none other than Phil Jackson, 13 year coach of the Lakers and 11 time overall NBA championship coach. The other guy was Mike D’Antoni.

The Lakers chose D’Antoni.

Unfortunately, for the rest of this article it’s going to seem as if I think everyone involved with the Lakers’ current situation is overrated, but hey, such is the case. Phil Jackson is overrated. Let me repeat that. Phil Jackson is overrated. Has Jackson ever had any ounce of success with a team that wasn’t absolutely stocked with the NBA’s best players? Of course you can say, “Well who has?” Look at Popovich’s Spurs right now. Do they have any business being as good as they are? Look at how Doc Rivers has held his Celtics together time and time again. Look at the Bulls, THEY HAVEN”T HAD DERRICK ROSE ALL SEASON! Yet Tom Thibodeau has them at the 5th seed in the East. When Phil’s teams aren’t absolutely stacked, he’s a pretty mediocre coach. Having said that, the Lakers were absolutely foolish not to put him in the driver’s seat once Brown was dismissed. Jackson just works with the Lakers and almost more importantly, he works with Kobe. Too much importance is often placed on chemistry, but not in this case. The Lakers have a lot of egos, none larger than Mr. Bryant’s, this is Phil’s craft, managing personalities. He may not be an X’s and O’s mastermind, but Phil will keep the ship afloat. The idea that the Lakers passed on Phil Jackson to this day perplexes me.

Mike D’Antoni is supremely overrated. Mike D’Antoni’s Suns teams were a lot of fun to watch. They had a ridiculously fun style to behold, with a group of likable players, none more so than his point guard Steve Nash. For three years they won their division and twice made it to the Western Conference Finals, D’Antoni was also coach of the year for the 2004-2005 season. I forget though, how many championships did they win? How many finals appearances did they have? Oh yeah, none. Sure championships aren’t the only measure of success, unless of course you’re talking about the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA franchise with the second most banners, 11 in all (That’s right 11, not 16, sorry Lakers fans you don’t get to count the championships in Minneapolis, the team made the poor decision not to change the name clearly centered around the Great Lakes region in Minnesota, you don’t get points for lack of creativity. How many banners do the Thunder have, none, but Seattle has one and that’s where the team came from. Game. Set. Match). Let’s not even discuss the mess that was his tenure with the Knicks, who needs defense anyways right?

The recent Lakers teams have been so successful due to their huge height advantage over their opponents. That guy named Kobe didn’t hurt either. What does D’Antoni decide to do, play Pau Gasol very limited minutes, at points almost benching him. Great thinking Mike! D’Antoni has since changed his stance and Gasol is getting on the court when healthy, but these are the kind of mistakes that cost games. These are adjustments Jackson would have known not to make, thus placing the Lakers in a more favorable playoff seed. D’Antoni is in love with Steve Nash and so were many NBA fans… 5 or 6 years ago. Nash is not going to be the wheel and deal point guard of old and running the offense through him is a mistake. Nash is still a great shooter though, and this should be his most used asset.

Kobe’s gonna Kobe. Let him do what he does. Forget all the nonsense of him playing point guard, defending point guards, all of it, he’s a 2 guard and one of the best players in the NBA. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Which brings us to this guy…

He only gets the little clown nose because, although a distraction, he is still putting up decent numbers, not superstar numbers by any means, but solid. Anyone surprised by Dwight’s near bipolar mood swings and withering in big moments, should be ashamed of themselves. He want’s the glory and the fame but will never do what it takes to earn it. Yet still, Dwight is not the main issue here.

Mike D’Antoni, I’m surprised he has lasted as long as he has. I’ve said before, and I still say that the Lakers will make the playoffs. They could even potentially give the spurs a little trouble, not the Thunder, but make no mistake about it, they will lose that first round series.  That’s when the fun begins for Lakers fans. Phil Jackson will be available and you better believe he will let that be known to Mitch Kupchak. The Lakers made the mistake of giving D’Antoni a 3 year deal, however, money has never been a concern for the Lakers. Will they cut their losses on the deal, sign Phil and make one more run before Kobe fades off into NBA history? Only time will tell, but I can’t lie I really hope they do, it’s just more interesting that way.

The Chicago Bulls did Wednesday what the Miami Heat’s opponents had failed to do for their last 27 games, they won, and in my opinion the world is a better place for it. Are the Miami Heat the best team in the NBA? The answer is an indisputable yes. Is Lebron James the best player in the NBA and now one of the best players of all time. This answer is also an indisputable yes. The reason for my belief is had they won 34 games in a row, we all would have been subjected to countless invalid comparisons to most likely every team and player in NBA history. Let’s be realistic, when the Lakers went on their streak in 1971-72, the NBA was a much different place. Most important to point out is that there were only 17 teams in the NBA at that time, does this alone discredit the Heat’s accomplishments? Of course not, but it does serve to put them into prospective. The NBA is in a down cycle right now. The talent pool is watered down resulting in numerous teams that, for Miami, are no form of obstacle. The number of true superstars is very low, I mean real game-changers, franchise-builders, the kind of guys that can and will carry a team to victory when called on to do so. Who are they? James, Durant… now who? Kobe, although fighting father time off with a bat, IS getting older, Wade is a second fiddle, Rose has been out for 12 seasons straight now, or at least it seems like it, Dwight is who I always knew he was, more trouble than he’s worth, and Carmelo is a scorer and nothing else. Sure there’s Chris Paul, Russel Westbrook, James Harden and other guys playing at a high caliber, but are they superstars? No.

We should also never forget the colluding that James-Wade-Bosh did during the 2010 offseason to ensure that they would be teammates, that must be taken into consideration when comparing them to other teams. Never has a team been more player manufactured, it’s hard to allow that and then put them against the 1986 Celtics or the 1996 Bulls. Now that we’re finished with the negatives, a few positives. No matter the competition, if you win 27 games in a row, you are doing something very right. Lebron James is an absolute freak and a future hall of famer. It’s also interesting to note that Miami is able to win so frequently with very little size and rebounding. The only way they can win is forcing you to play their style and their opponents are helpless but do so. That’s not to say that there weren’t more than a few games during their streak that were a little bit suspect, which brings us to Lebron’s quote after their first loss in 27 games.

“I believe and I know that a lot of my fouls are not basketball plays. First of all, Kirk Hinrich in the first quarter basically grabbed me with two hands and brought me to the ground. The last one, Taj Gibson was able to collar me around my shoulder and bring me to the ground. Those are not defensive & those are not basketball plays.”

Wow. This guy is going to complain about fouls? There has never been a star in the NBA more unaware of himself and of the fans perception of him. If Lebron James were to have more fouls called in his favor, everyone would have to walk off the court while he shoots free throws for 48 straight minutes. He is such a good player but he makes it so impossible to not despise him. It’s the same thing as when Shaq used to whine about the refs, you immediately wonder to yourself, did this guy just say what I think he said? NBA reporters, analysts and commentators are all saying the same thing now that they did then. “This player is so big and so strong that they are so hard to officiate.” No, they aren’t. They foul a lot. Fouls are called for them a lot.

Cetlics GM Danny Ainge was recently interviewed and asked about Lebron’s dislike of his recent officiating, to which Ainge said, “I think that it’s almost embarrassing that Lebron would complain about officiating.” Now we all know there is no love lost between the Celtics and the Heat and Ainge may not possess the most unbiased opinion but that does not make it untrue. The most impressive streak of the year is not the Miami Heat’s 27 game unbeaten streak. The most impressive streak of the year is Lebron’s 5 game foul free streak. That is insane. Insanely impossible. It is impossible for a player that plays with his level of aggression and physicality on offense and defense to go a single game without fouling let alone 5. It’s hard to look at that stat and say he isn’t playing with a separate set of rules. Lebron James fouls, travels, turns the ball over very often, just like every other player, let’s stop pretending he doesn’t.

Now the streak isn’t all about Lebron, there’s Dwyawyayeane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and some good role players that have all contributed to their team’s dominance this season. But… Let’s be honest it’s always all about Lebron. It’s probably good for them that they were able to have their streak extinguished before the playoffs started and they began their title defense. Hadn’t it happened, it would have been a major distraction. However, not enough of a distraction that they wouldn’t have been able to win it all this year and oh yes NBA fans, they are going to win it all again.

 

It’s not enough to just make it to the NBA and play basketball at the highest level there is, you have to be memorable. You have to give the fans something they can cling to, something they can personalize about you to relate to you. Nicknames, of which there are no shortage of in the NBA, serve to further cement a basketball legacy. There are players that, had it not been for their nickname, would have long faded into NBA obscurity as if they were a used VHS copy of “Blue Chips” sitting in the back room of a soon-to-be-Chipotle, Blockbuster Video store. Then there are others, whose nicknames are but the cherry on top of their illustrious careers, and also the in-betweeners, players who had or are having serviceable careers and just have that “it” factor, any who, enough with the chit chat let’s get to that list.

10. Gary Payton – The Glove

The reference is simple, your offense is the hand, his defense is the glove, good luck! Gary Payton’s on the ball defense was so intense that he left behind a mile long wake of recently rockless point guards. He was the scourge of the Puget Sound and later Lake Michigan. Point guards everywhere beware, your handle is suspect when the Glove is d’ing you up and it won’t be long before he reaches into your cookie jar and exposes you and your inability to cross half court with him in your path.

 

9. Vinnie Johnson – The Microwave
Vinnie Johnson, by all rights a good player, not a superstar by any means but one of the above mentioned serviceable players. His nickname, however, fits his playing style to a T. Nestle recommends that Hot Pockets be microwaved for 2 minutes or 3.5 minutes for two. In 3.5 minutes Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson could  change the face of the game. He was the guy off the bench that could heat up so quickly on offense that it his opponents, both NBA players and chicken nuggets, were left reeling.

 

8. Pete Maravich – Pistol Pete
The Pistol, Pistol Pete, either one, it doesn’t matter that’s what Pete Maravich was known as. No one in the history of known humanity has referred to him as “Pete Maravich,” that name will eternally be preceded by the word Pistol. When he was born his mother called him Pistol. Wikipedia will tell you that he was given the nickname Pistol because of his shooting motion being similar to a gunslinger’s drawing motion, in that both begin at the hip. Nope, sorry internet, I’m going with the theory that he was born “Pistol Pete Maravich.”

 

7. Dennis Rodman – The Worm
Younger readers of Offcourtissues will recognize Rodman for his more recent diplomatic work but believe it or not this ambassador used to play in the NBA. The Worm, it really is a ridiculous nickname, but somehow it fits Rodman so well. Rodman’s mother gave him the nickname because he wriggled around while playing pinball as a child. Fair enough. Who knows how or why this nickname followed the Worm to the NBA but it did and we are all greater for it.

 

6. Tyrone Bogues – Muggsy Bogues
Admit it, you thought his name really was Muggsy. Tyrone Bogues sells you a used car. Muggsy Bogues locks you up on D and shreds you on offense, all while barely reaching your belt buckle. Nicknamed Muggsy because his defense was so tight it was as if he was mugging you, Bogues played the bulk of his career with the Charlotte Hornets. I can not 100% confirm this, but I do believe that as part of some sort of cross promotional stunt, during the 1991-92 season Muggsy rode an actual hornet onto the court for short around.

 

5. Larry Bird – Larry Legend/The Hick from French Lick
 It’s almost unfair, Larry Bird is the proud owner of two nicknames that both deserve to be on this list. He also deserves some form of extra credit for somehow avoiding an avian based nickname, I mean his last name IS Bird, and honestly the dude kind of looks… well bird-like. As far as his actual nickname(s), anytime you have Legend as or part of your nickname, well that’s just awesome. As for the Hick from French Lick, well that’s just hilarious. Not only does Larry look bird-like, but he kind of looks hick-like, and who honestly names their town French Lick? It has the word Lick in it!!

 

4. Bryant Reeves – Big Country
Bryant Reeves isn’t necessarily the player on this list with the most storied NBA career, but c’mon, Big Country! How fitting of a nickname is that? Reeves was given the nickname because of his… WHO CARES, BIG COUNTRY!!! To look at Bryant Reeves is to look into the soul of America’s heartland. Look into his eyes and see wild mustangs roaming beautiful pastures, grazing on lush green grass as the sun sets upon a majestic ridge line. The heart of a bear, the soul of a mountain and the spirit of an oak tree, that is Big Country.

 

3. Kobe Bryant – Black Mamba
Kobe Bryant is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA today, if you’re a Lakers’ fan, you love him, if you’re not, chances are you aren’t to fond of him. Even his most steadfast of detractors in their heart of hearts can not question his game though, and his nickname is as strong as his jump shot. The Black Mamba, such a rarely used nickname but definitely top of the list when it comes to coolness. Bryant falls back a few notches because this nickname was self-given, which let’s be honest is kind of lame, but hey we’re all letting him get away with it. Black Mamba, definitely the best nickname playing today.

 

2. Darryl Dawkins – Chocolate Thunder
Remember when everyone wanted to see somebody dunk so hard that they broke a backboard? What were we thinking? Sure it’s cool for a few seconds but then reality sets in, as does the delay of equipment managers scrambling to find a replacement basket. Forget that second part, stick to the first, breaking backboards is awesome and Chocolate Thunder was the pioneer. We also can’t forget that Dawkins was given his nickname from none other than Stevie Wonder which has to be good for something right?

 

1. Earvin Johnson – Magic Johnson
Could it really be anyone else? When your nickname stops being your nickname and starts being your actual name, well you my friend have been branded. Magic Johnson was born with a lot of gifts, height, athletic build, unsurpassed court vision, but a non-vomit-inducing first name was not one of them. Seriously, who names their poor child Earvin (sorry all you Earvins out there)? Magic was, for lack of a better term, a magician on the basketball court, capable of creating plays where they had no business existing. The name Magic is so fitting of Magic that it’s impossible to have him anywhere on this list but number one.

 

The top ten NBA nicknames, I have given them to you. Sure there are a few debates to be had and trust me there were some very difficult omissions but I have my reasons. There are some very iconic nicknames that everyone knows but just don’t have a lot behind them like Dr. J, Iceman etc. Then there are those that are just plain hilarious like What Mamba, but that’s just trying to hard. That’s the thing about lists, they’re made to spark debate so have at it.

 

Michael Jordan just turned 50. Whenever a sports legend reaches an age divisible by 10 it seems like most sports writers are required to compare him to some current phenom. However, has the current case of Jordan vs. Lebron ever been more relevant? It seems that quite a few NBA fans and reporters want desperately for Lebron to surpass his airness and usher in an era of basketball supremacy, to rule over the courts of the world with an unrelenting, merciless iron jump shot. Perhaps it’s simply a case of whatever’s current is the best and everything that came before it is simply outdated and doesn’t compare. Methinks this is what is happening, honestly it’s ESPN’s entire business plan. Then there’s also the risk of running full speed ahead into the older-legend-is-always-better trap. If that’s the case then what is poor Lebron to do? Bite his lip and suck it up, that’s what, because deep down he knows that he’s the Tinman compared to Jordan and his ruthless heart and drive.

Let’s begin with the popular notion that all things being equal skill wise, Lebron is bigger so he wins. Both were and are absolute physical freaks, hands down the best athletes of their respective generations. Keep in mind though they play different positions, Jordan was a shooting guard, and Lebron is a small/power forward. The debate is who is the better player not who would have the greater advantage in a game of one on one. If it ever did come down to Jordan in his prime vs. Lebron in a fantasy game of one on one, my money is on the man with Gatorade coursing through his veins. One on one can be very physically and mentally draining and if we’re comparing the mental strengths of these two titans of basketball, Lebron goes home crying to Gloria and Delonte every time.

Lebron is taller and most likely stronger, this is fairly obvious, how will Jordan handle the physicality difference. Simple, Lebron is Superman, Jordan is Batman. The common comic logic is that Batman, a mortal man with no super powers will find a way (he is the master detective afterall) to defeat Superman. Superman, while nigh invincible, for all his strength and might can not match Batman’s cunning and will. Lebron could overpower Jordan up to the brink of Jordan’s basketball destruction but at some point he will show a weakness, one small flaw that no one else sees. This will be his demise. Jordan will not just exploit this flaw, he will punish Lebron for his very possession of it, he will humiliate him in the name of all those that have brought forth such a foolish comparison.

When it comes down to actual basketball skills the two are not as equal as most NBA fans seem to think. It’s not that the scales are particularly tipped in one player’s favor but rather that their respective specialties vary more than we think.

Jumpshot: Jordan’s jumpshot is so wet that Lebron will be gracing the next cover of Girls Gone Wild “Miami Wet T Shirt Contest, Platinum Crab Dribbler’s Edition.” Lebron may have stepped up his shooting game over the past few seasons, but he still has a tendency to become a bit of a chucker at times. The guy is a very good shooter but there’s just something about his shot that isn’t as smooth and pure as Jordan’s.

Ballhandling: It is impressive that a player the size of Lebron is able to dribble with such relative ease, but this isn’t a talent show, when it comes to breaking someone down off the dribble Jordan wins. Jordan would cross Lebron up so bad he would be asking him if he knew the answer to 13 down, a six letter word for player not as good as me. Too much of Lebron’s dribbling to the basket is based off of lowering his shoulder and trucking to the rim, something that usually is called offensive fouling.

Rebounding: Jordan is a great rebounding shooting guard but this is where Lebron feasts on him like a fat kid at Chuck E. Cheese. Lebron is 6 foot 10, that’s almost seven feet tall, that’s typical center height, not to mention that he jumps out of the building. Add in his muscular build, wide shoulders and overall mass and it’s gonna be a rough day on the glass for MJ.

Defense: This is where it gets interesting. Both players are terrific defenders, each being one of the best in the league during their respective tenures. There is, however, a split with Jordan being the better on the ball defender and Lebron being the better help defender. Jordan’s cruelty towards his opposition earns him the nod on the ball, but God help you if you think you have an open layup with Lebron chasing you down. To put it simply, these two make up perhaps the most deadly double team ever, Jordan and Lebron couldn’t score on Jordan and Lebron.

Passing: Lebron wins this one hands down because Jordan is not going to pass the ball unless you are John Paxson in the 1993 finals.

As you can see we’re pretty even. Skill for skill these guys are two of the best to ever do it. There are a few more things to keep in mind though. Unfortunately even the most uninfluenced observer is still clouded by both the hype and the teams surrounding these two. The Jordan hype was insane, the Lebron hype is down right embarrassing, I’m looking directly at you Kevin “Lebron James with no regard for human life” Harlan. It’s pretty safe to say that both of these player’s egos are so huge that they are capable of supporting multiple orbiting moons, one of wich contains a microscopic hydrogen based life form yet to be discovered by man, but when it is whoah look out biology textbooks. Long story short, Jordan never teamed up with the two best free agents during the offseason and colluded to join forces. Jordan didn’t spend hours at night in his footy pajamas on the phone with Charles Barkley and Isaiah Thomas discussing girls that they liked and how awesome it would be if they played together. Jordan wanted to beat them, Lebron wanted to join them. When Lebron teamed up with Dirty Dwyane and the Boshasaurus he removed himself from greatest of all time discussion.

Then of course there’s the secret category where Jordan blows Lebron out of the water. I call it…

Heart/drive/will/spirit/toughmindedness/bloodlust/overallmeanness PER: Lebron desperately wants to be loved, he needs you to love him. He doesn’t understand why he’s the villian and he hates being it. Jordan did everything he possibly could to make you hate him, yet we all wanna be like Mike. This really cuts to the core of the two. When the president calls in to some alternate dimension battlefield and orders sniper Lebron to take that shot on Robo-Saddam, Lebron is the one that hesitates, the one that looks into those deep brown cybernetic optics and feels pity. Jordan is the one who, disgusted by his fellow soldier, picks up a crowbar and dispatches of Robo-Saddam freeing the People’s Republic of Greenland. When the chips are down and only one player is going to be the top dog, there’s no way Jordan allows it to not be him. Lebron would relish the opportunity to release the pressure of being the “Chosen One.” He wants the title, but if Jordan is in his way there’s no way he does what it takes to achieve it. When he quit on his team in the 2010 playoffs against the Celtics (and yes he did quit), I’ve never seen a player want out of a situation more. The stakes were raised and he folded.

So there you have it, undeniable proof that Jordan>Lebron. I have given you scientific, comic, and fantastical evidence that leaves no shadow of a doubt. To be honest, they are both magnificent players and any team is clearly blessed to have them. If we’re doing the all time draft that everyone loves to speculate on, Jordan goes before Lebron. As for if Jordan goes #1 well that’s a separate debate, there’s a few guys named Bill, Wilt, Oscar, Kareem, Larry, Magic and even Kobe (to a much lesser degree) that might have something to say about that.