The Mavs and Heat face off tonight on ABC for game 1 of the NBA Finals. Both teams are 12-3 up to this point and during the regular season, both teams were tied for the best road record in the league.
It's a matchup of stars vs. depth and at 9pm, we'll see who lands the first big punch. I expect to see Lebron play out of his mind tonight, so it's definitely going to be interesting.
Questions: Will Roddy Buckets play at all in this series? Caron? Will Mike Miller be able to refocus himself after the issues with his daughter? Will Haslem be able to contribute even more in this series? Who does the Matrix guard...?
The answer to these questions could determine the winner of this matchup.
Enjoy the game! Who do you think's going to win game 1?
Drop
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Scottie Pippen...
Ok sportsfans....let's be serious. Is it possible that Michael Jordan forgot to buy Scottie Pippen a christmas gift? Forgot his birthday? Beat him up?
Something bad had to happen between them for Scottie Pippen to compare MJ to LBJ this soon. Even going as far as saying that Lebron is a better player.
Now, don't get me wrong, Lebron is hands down the best player in basketball. However, he has a long way to go before he'll be better than his airness. The rings, the MVP's the Finals MVP's, a Defensive Player of The Year and numerous scoring titles...LBJ has a long way to go.
But...on the flipside, if LBJ stays healthy, he could play another 8-10 years at a high level. He definitely will win more MVP's than Jordan, he possibly will win a DPOY award he'll have plenty of opportunities to win championships. Let's make this comparison again in 10 years.
Until then, lets see if LBJ can do his part to make Scottie's comments a reality.
Drop
Something bad had to happen between them for Scottie Pippen to compare MJ to LBJ this soon. Even going as far as saying that Lebron is a better player.
Now, don't get me wrong, Lebron is hands down the best player in basketball. However, he has a long way to go before he'll be better than his airness. The rings, the MVP's the Finals MVP's, a Defensive Player of The Year and numerous scoring titles...LBJ has a long way to go.
But...on the flipside, if LBJ stays healthy, he could play another 8-10 years at a high level. He definitely will win more MVP's than Jordan, he possibly will win a DPOY award he'll have plenty of opportunities to win championships. Let's make this comparison again in 10 years.
Until then, lets see if LBJ can do his part to make Scottie's comments a reality.
Drop
New Rockets Coach
Kevin McHale has agreed to coach the Houston Rockets. The Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Aaron Brooks-less Houston Rockets.
So what's he have left on the Roster?
Wow...this is a bad roster. I like Kevin McHale as a coach and a leader but he's in for a hell of a time trying to compete in the Western Conference. The good thing about this team is that they're tough and young and they always fight in every game.
Maybe they sign a big man like Nene (via free agency) that McHale can groom him into a consistent All-Star...maybe they get Rudy Gay in a trade...lol, just wishful thinking...
The Rockets will need more than that to become a winner...
Good luck Kevin...
Drop
So what's he have left on the Roster?
| 10 | Chase Budinger | F | - Athletic, Shooter (Role Player) | ||||
| 50 | Marcus Cousin | F | - No Tic-Toc | ||||
| 3 | Goran Dragic | G | - Athletic, Combo Guard (mostly pg) | ||||
| 44 | Chuck Hayes | C | - Intangibles Guy | ||||
| 27 | Jordan Hill | C-F | - Athletic, Good rebounder/defender | ||||
| 5 | Courtney Lee | G | - Athletic, Good shooter, journeyman | ||||
| 7 | Kyle Lowry | G | - Good defender and passer...undersized | ||||
| 12 | Kevin Martin | G | - Great scorer, starting SG | ||||
| 52 | Brad Miller | C | - Veteran | ||||
| 54 | Patrick Patterson | F | - Was a rookie last year, decent role player, will get better | ||||
| 4 | Luis Scola | F | - Underrated player, Very good scorer..Starting PF | ||||
| 32 | Hasheem Thabeet | C | - Still a project, good rebounder and defender | ||||
| 1 | Terrence Williams | G-F | - Very athletic, head case, decent scorer | ||||
Maybe they sign a big man like Nene (via free agency) that McHale can groom him into a consistent All-Star...maybe they get Rudy Gay in a trade...lol, just wishful thinking...
The Rockets will need more than that to become a winner...
Good luck Kevin...
Drop
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Finals...
The series that no one expected...The new Miami Superteam vs. The old (but new) Mavericks.
Stars vs. Depth...Youth and Athleticism vs. Veteran Saavy and determination. This series is big for the NBA. You have to give credit to the Heat for overcoming their early struggles to find an identity and team chemistry. They beat two very good teams in the playoffs to make it to this point. They won every series in 5 games and the big three are starting to put it together at the perfect time.
The Mavericks have only lost one game since the first round and they've been on a fast track to get back to where it started in 2006.
Very ironic that this is same matchup from 5 years ago. However the teams are completely different and it's truly a toss up series that could go seven games.
Matchups:
Chandler/Anthony - Chandler should have the advantage in this matchup...Rebounding will be key in this series.
Dirk Nowitzki vs. Chris Bosh - Advantage Dirk...Dirk played pretty decent defense against Gasol and Ibaka...I think he does the same here.
Shawn Marion vs. Lebron James - Advantage LBJ. Marion is the Mavs best perimeter defender. He will have a tough matchup this series.
Deshawn Stevenson vs. Dwayne Wade - Should be a huge Advantage for D-Wade after having an average series against the Bulls.
Jason Kidd vs. Mike Bibby - Advantage J.Kidd..he won't have to chase Bibby around like he did against the PGs in OKC.
The Heat have the overall advantage in the starting lineup. They have 3 stars vs. Dirk and some good vets. The role players will be key for the Mavs.
Bench: Terry, Peja, Barea, Haywood vs. Haslem, Miller, Chalmers, Jones
Verdict - The Mavs have a size and scoring advantage off of the bench. It will be interesting to see what happens if the Heat get in foul trouble.
Dallas swept the Heat during the regular season. Caron Butler played in both of those games so it's a little skewed but it had to be mentioned.
So there you have it...Can the Dallas Mavericks avenge their 2006 loss and solidify Dirk's legacy or will the Heat win the chip and become the next NBA Dynasty? It could go either way.
Prediction: I'm going with the Mavs in six. What you think?
Regardless, I can't wait for Tuesday night, It's gonna be a hell of a series.
Drop
Stars vs. Depth...Youth and Athleticism vs. Veteran Saavy and determination. This series is big for the NBA. You have to give credit to the Heat for overcoming their early struggles to find an identity and team chemistry. They beat two very good teams in the playoffs to make it to this point. They won every series in 5 games and the big three are starting to put it together at the perfect time.
The Mavericks have only lost one game since the first round and they've been on a fast track to get back to where it started in 2006.
Very ironic that this is same matchup from 5 years ago. However the teams are completely different and it's truly a toss up series that could go seven games.
Matchups:
Chandler/Anthony - Chandler should have the advantage in this matchup...Rebounding will be key in this series.
Dirk Nowitzki vs. Chris Bosh - Advantage Dirk...Dirk played pretty decent defense against Gasol and Ibaka...I think he does the same here.
Shawn Marion vs. Lebron James - Advantage LBJ. Marion is the Mavs best perimeter defender. He will have a tough matchup this series.
Deshawn Stevenson vs. Dwayne Wade - Should be a huge Advantage for D-Wade after having an average series against the Bulls.
Jason Kidd vs. Mike Bibby - Advantage J.Kidd..he won't have to chase Bibby around like he did against the PGs in OKC.
The Heat have the overall advantage in the starting lineup. They have 3 stars vs. Dirk and some good vets. The role players will be key for the Mavs.
Bench: Terry, Peja, Barea, Haywood vs. Haslem, Miller, Chalmers, Jones
Verdict - The Mavs have a size and scoring advantage off of the bench. It will be interesting to see what happens if the Heat get in foul trouble.
Dallas swept the Heat during the regular season. Caron Butler played in both of those games so it's a little skewed but it had to be mentioned.
So there you have it...Can the Dallas Mavericks avenge their 2006 loss and solidify Dirk's legacy or will the Heat win the chip and become the next NBA Dynasty? It could go either way.
Prediction: I'm going with the Mavs in six. What you think?
Regardless, I can't wait for Tuesday night, It's gonna be a hell of a series.
Drop
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Mavericks are better than we thought...
First off, congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks for coming out of the West. Almost nobody expected this to happen (especially the way it has happened) with Dallas only losing three games in the playoffs so far...Playing against Portland, LA and OKC has given them three very different looks and learning experiences as they prepare for the winner of the Bulls/Heat series.
Dirk Nowitzki has been the MVP of the playoffs and with a group of veterans around him that all have something to prove, it will be hard to pick against them no matter what team they play against.
A lot of Dallas Maverick fans have been asking for the Heat because of the 2006 collapse and righfully so...it would be the perfect ending to the 2011 season if the Mavs could beat the team that won four straight against them in the Finals after being down 2-0.
So now, they wait...Game 5 of the East Finals is tonight and many expect Miami to close out the series. I don't. But we'll all see tonight.
Drop
Dirk Nowitzki has been the MVP of the playoffs and with a group of veterans around him that all have something to prove, it will be hard to pick against them no matter what team they play against.
A lot of Dallas Maverick fans have been asking for the Heat because of the 2006 collapse and righfully so...it would be the perfect ending to the 2011 season if the Mavs could beat the team that won four straight against them in the Finals after being down 2-0.
So now, they wait...Game 5 of the East Finals is tonight and many expect Miami to close out the series. I don't. But we'll all see tonight.
Drop
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Mike Brown???
As you all know, the Lakers are in need of a coach after Phil Jackson's exit.
It's looking like Mike Brown is gonna be the next head coach...if so, then the Lakers are doomed. If you watched him coach Cleveland for 5 years, you'd know he's a fan of a coach and he's never really been good at drawing up plays.
Positives- Young, player's coach...will bring more energy and less zen. He's a defensive minded coach from the years of working for Coach Popovich...problem is but the Lakers don't have a big defensive problem...they've fallen off of their high horse and they need a change in philosophy, some youth and athleticism and a coach that the veterans can respect and depend on.
In the words of Jay-Z "When you're use to Filet-Mignon it's kinda hard to go back to Hamburger Helper."
That's what this is. You can't replace a legend with a novice. How is Mike Brown suppose to motivate these players? Unless a major trade happens this would be a disaster. He should coach a young team that needs discipline and direction like the Kings, Warriors or Pacers. Those teams would respond well to him and probably even make a playoff appearance or two.
The Lakers want greatness again. They just got swept by a veteran Mavs team and got embarassed. Kobe called it a "wasted year", I'm sure he'll be even more excited about next year when he reads the LA Times tomorrow and sees Mike Brown on the cover..
Guess we'll have to wait and see.
Good luck LA! Get ready for 3-5 years of being a little bit above fair.
***I take all of this back if they trade for Dwight Howard...I'm just sayin
It's looking like Mike Brown is gonna be the next head coach...if so, then the Lakers are doomed. If you watched him coach Cleveland for 5 years, you'd know he's a fan of a coach and he's never really been good at drawing up plays.
Positives- Young, player's coach...will bring more energy and less zen. He's a defensive minded coach from the years of working for Coach Popovich...problem is but the Lakers don't have a big defensive problem...they've fallen off of their high horse and they need a change in philosophy, some youth and athleticism and a coach that the veterans can respect and depend on.
In the words of Jay-Z "When you're use to Filet-Mignon it's kinda hard to go back to Hamburger Helper."
That's what this is. You can't replace a legend with a novice. How is Mike Brown suppose to motivate these players? Unless a major trade happens this would be a disaster. He should coach a young team that needs discipline and direction like the Kings, Warriors or Pacers. Those teams would respond well to him and probably even make a playoff appearance or two.
The Lakers want greatness again. They just got swept by a veteran Mavs team and got embarassed. Kobe called it a "wasted year", I'm sure he'll be even more excited about next year when he reads the LA Times tomorrow and sees Mike Brown on the cover..
Guess we'll have to wait and see.
Good luck LA! Get ready for 3-5 years of being a little bit above fair.
***I take all of this back if they trade for Dwight Howard...I'm just sayin
Deja Vu...?
The MVP of the league on a team with the best record in basketball, The Coach of the Year known for his defense, an overachieving team of role players without a true #2 option.
These are the 2011 Chicago Bulls.
Sound familiar?
That's because these were also the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers.
That year the Cavs went 66-16. They had the Coach of The Year, MVP and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. They got beat in the Eastern Conference Finals by a better team. (Orlando)
Look at the starting lineups:
Bulls Cavs
Noah Illgauskas
Boozer Varejao
Deng James
Bogans West
Rose Williams
Noah/Varejao - energetic, intagible guys who rebound and defend. Sure, Noah is better than Varejao but they're cut from the same cloth.
Boozer/Illgauskas - I would of given a heavy argument for Boozer - but after watching him play in the playoffs this year, It's close.
2008-2009 Playoffs: Illgauskas 11pts/8boards
2010-2011 Playoffs: Boozer 13pts/10boards
Bogans/D. West - Same player, shoots open jumpers, scrappy defender, undersized...
Mo Williams/Rose - No need for a comparison. Rose is an MVP and a superstar.
LBJ/Deng - No need for a comparison. Lebron was an MVP that year and he's been a superstar.
Both of these teams lacked another consistent scorer/shooter to get their teams over the hump.
Lebron was a better player then than Rose is now, however the results are and will still the same.
Hopefully, the Bulls give Rose another star or at least a very good scorer over the next couple years to compete for the chip. If not, don't be surprised if you see the current MVP to take his talents elsewhere.
Drop
These are the 2011 Chicago Bulls.
Sound familiar?
That's because these were also the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers.
That year the Cavs went 66-16. They had the Coach of The Year, MVP and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. They got beat in the Eastern Conference Finals by a better team. (Orlando)
Look at the starting lineups:
Bulls Cavs
Noah Illgauskas
Boozer Varejao
Deng James
Bogans West
Rose Williams
Noah/Varejao - energetic, intagible guys who rebound and defend. Sure, Noah is better than Varejao but they're cut from the same cloth.
Boozer/Illgauskas - I would of given a heavy argument for Boozer - but after watching him play in the playoffs this year, It's close.
2008-2009 Playoffs: Illgauskas 11pts/8boards
2010-2011 Playoffs: Boozer 13pts/10boards
Bogans/D. West - Same player, shoots open jumpers, scrappy defender, undersized...
Mo Williams/Rose - No need for a comparison. Rose is an MVP and a superstar.
LBJ/Deng - No need for a comparison. Lebron was an MVP that year and he's been a superstar.
Both of these teams lacked another consistent scorer/shooter to get their teams over the hump.
Lebron was a better player then than Rose is now, however the results are and will still the same.
Hopefully, the Bulls give Rose another star or at least a very good scorer over the next couple years to compete for the chip. If not, don't be surprised if you see the current MVP to take his talents elsewhere.
Drop
Monday, May 23, 2011
The New NBA...
As you all know, the Conference Finals are going on in the NBA and three out of the four teams left are some of the youngest teams in the league. It got me thinking...If you're a fan of an older team like I am (Mavericks) it might be long time before you see the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks compete for championship again. Sure, they'll all be playoff teams, but they will get beat by the younger, more athletic super teams that are starting forming across the league. For example:
Top Tier
Miami - LBJ & Wade + Bosh...nuff said
OKC - Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka + Role Players
Chicago - Rose + Great defense
Mid Tier
Teams that are one player away from competing...
Knicks - Melo, Amare (possibly CP3 or D-Williams in 2012) IMO the next super team
Orlando - Howard (no real help)
Atlanta - Joe Johnson (no real leader)
Portland - Aldridge (Roy probably will never be the same)
Then you have the veteran teams trying to hold it together...
Spurs - Very good team...Timmy D is old and Manu is injury prone
Lakers - Very good team...old PG, washed up SF and aging Kobe Bryant
Celtics - Old as dirt - Rondo still can't score and bench is lacking
Mavericks - Dirk's still great but they need a PG and SG bad...plus Chandler is a free agent after the playoffs.
With the exception of the Mavericks...the other three veteran teams above have won 10 championships since Jordan retired from the Bulls after the 98-99 season. The other two (Detroit and Miami) were veteran ball clubs that won a chip.
That's over now. Young teams like the Grizzlies, Clippers, Kings, Pacers, 76ers, Suns and the Rockets will follow suit and continue to get younger and more athletic. Veteran teams will make trades and sign free agents to extend their runs but eventually those old legs will tire out.
It's a new NBA. If you're a fan of an old team like the Lakers you better pray they trade for Dwight. Otherwise they're wrapped. Just like the rest of them.
Top Tier
Miami - LBJ & Wade + Bosh...nuff said
OKC - Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka + Role Players
Chicago - Rose + Great defense
Mid Tier
Teams that are one player away from competing...
Knicks - Melo, Amare (possibly CP3 or D-Williams in 2012) IMO the next super team
Orlando - Howard (no real help)
Atlanta - Joe Johnson (no real leader)
Portland - Aldridge (Roy probably will never be the same)
Then you have the veteran teams trying to hold it together...
Spurs - Very good team...Timmy D is old and Manu is injury prone
Lakers - Very good team...old PG, washed up SF and aging Kobe Bryant
Celtics - Old as dirt - Rondo still can't score and bench is lacking
Mavericks - Dirk's still great but they need a PG and SG bad...plus Chandler is a free agent after the playoffs.
With the exception of the Mavericks...the other three veteran teams above have won 10 championships since Jordan retired from the Bulls after the 98-99 season. The other two (Detroit and Miami) were veteran ball clubs that won a chip.
That's over now. Young teams like the Grizzlies, Clippers, Kings, Pacers, 76ers, Suns and the Rockets will follow suit and continue to get younger and more athletic. Veteran teams will make trades and sign free agents to extend their runs but eventually those old legs will tire out.
It's a new NBA. If you're a fan of an old team like the Lakers you better pray they trade for Dwight. Otherwise they're wrapped. Just like the rest of them.
Welcome
This is a blog for the true sports fan...Over here, I don't care about how much money athletes make, their criminal records or what kind of people they're dating. I just care about what they do on the field, court, etc. I created this blog for the people that love sports, collect stats and love to talk about it with their friends and family. From the barbershops to the corner offices to the fight parties...this is sports. Real, unbiased and over the top. You gotta love it. If you don't...in the words of Jay-Z - "It costs you nothing, pay me no mind."
Now that that's settled...Let's get started.
Now that that's settled...Let's get started.
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