I was up early last Friday morning when I first heard the news of a shooting at a movie theatre in Aurora, CO via Twitter. Soon I saw the news on CNN and MSNBC with more detail. To my horror the updates kept getting worse. There was the cell phone video footage from the scene showing people covered in blood. There was the news that the apartment of the...person...who did this being booby trapped with explosives. Those details and others disturbed me as I fell asleep.
It got worse when I woke up.
That's when some of the those that died from this massacre were identified.
Among the most prominent was a young woman named Jessica Ghawi, who was an aspiring journalist that loved the sport of hockey. Most people knew Ghawi as Jessica Redfield since she went by that name in her bylines and Twitter handle. It was learned that Ghawi wend by the moniker Redfield as a tribute to her grandmother who wanted to become a journalist but never got the chance.
The worst parts of Ghawi's death was her brother Jordan live-blog finding out about his sister's death and seeing her boyfriend, Jay Meloff, tweet his heart about.
Another prominent death was Veronica Moser, who is the youngest victim. She was only six years old. Her mother Ashley was also wounded in the massacre and has faded in and out of consciousness at the hospital she's in asking about her daughter. She found out about her Veronica's death Saturday.
Counting Ghawi and Moser, there are currently 12 casualties in this massacre. Three of those casualties hit home to me. The reason can be seen in this article's title.
I am a U.S. Navy veteran, an experience that I've come to appreciate more as the years go by.
The deaths of U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class John Larimer, U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Jesse Childress, and U.S. Navy veteran Jon Blunk all hurt the Armed Forces community in many ways.
We have a volunteer army in this country, meaning one has to choose to serve. Veterans and active duty personnel consciously know that they are giving up some civil liberties in exchange for wearing the nation's uniform. Subconsciously though, these two groups acknowledge two things when they take the oath to serve for the second time. Those two things are that they are willing to kill and are willing to be killed in the line of duty.
Even as we acknowledge this, those in the Armed Forces expect those things to happen in the battlefield. We don't expect them in our off time from duty known as 'liberty.' It's during liberty that we unwind a little and try to at least gain some normalcy of a civilian life. That's what these three men were doing that night. They, separately with their own groups, went to see the new Batman movie, one of the most anticipated pictures of the year. Instead they watched tear gas canisters being thrown in their theatre and this...person...begin to shoot innocent people. Luckily in this chaos these men proved to live up to the motto of the U.S. Navy, something that can be applied to all the branches of the Armed Forces.
HONOR, COURAGE, COMMITMENT.
These men didn't run away while they were shot at. They instinctively protected the ones they were with. In the cases of Latimer and Blunk, their girlfriends. In Childerss's case a work colleague. In doing so they sacrificed their lives.
Part of me is sad to hear this. Another part of me grew more angry as the details of how this...person...got the arsenal (a 12-gauge shotgun, two .40 caliber handguns, and an AR-15 assault rifle loaded with a 100-round drum) to commit this massacre. That part of me is still angry.
I'm angry that the National Rifle Association, whose leaders don't seem to listen to their members, have co-opted one major political party and have scared the other party into not even daring to discuss sensible gun control laws. (By the way, I do believe in the Second Amendment so don't come at me with the 'you want to ban all guns' bullshit.)
I'm angry that hack politicians are using this massacre for their purposes or are mocking it. Take for example Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who said that if more people were armed in that theatre this tragedy would have been stopped (Yea, let's have more people with guns in an environment where the instigator has already gained the tactical advantage of having a gas mask on while throwing tear gas canisters at his victims. That won't make the situation mare horrifying...) There is former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who said this massacre happened due to lack of religion in our schools. (Yea...) There is former Arizona state senator Russell Pearce, who wrote a Facebook post with similar sentiments as Rep. Gohmert.
One part that many people I know are angry about is how the media has and the public at large have reacted to the...person...who committed this massacre. It's no secret that the Black and Latino communities have felt that when one of their own commits similar acts to this massacre, the suspects are viewed differently than a White suspect. I will agree that there are indeed racial elements that bring their ugly heads up when something like this happens. However, now is not the time to address them. That will come later.
For now families and communities have to grieve. No one has been buried yet.
For the Armed Forces community, right now we have to mourn for our lost brethren.
May fair winds and calm seas bring you safely home Mr. Blunk, Mr. Childress, and Mr Latimer.
Rest in Peace
Monday, July 23, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
2012 NBA Free Agency aka. MADNESS!
Free agency, those two words can bring both pure joy and demoralizing agony to sports team front offices and their fans.
In the U.S. the free agency period of the four major team sports each have their own unique charms. However it is the free agency period of the National Basketball Association that is the best compared to the other sports. Here are the reasons why when comparing to the other sports:
In the National Football League free agent contracts are not guaranteed, meaning that teams can get out of a bad deal with only losing about half of the amount that the contract was worth (half being the usual amount teams guarantee.)
The National Hockey League is still recovering from losing a season due to a lockout. That leaves them in a position where signings of their biggest stars don't have a big ripple effect outside of die hard fans.
In Major League Baseball there really is no salary cap, meaning that the big spenders are usually the same teams (New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox) with a couple of surprises every few years. The Miami Marlins being that in 2011.
Now looking at these reason one can think the NFL has the best free agency since teams tend to have smaller risks of franchise-impacting mistakes. However, that doesn't take into account the very nature of both sports.
Unlike football, basketball is the one sport where one player can have the biggest impact on a team. This is particularly true in the NBA. When forward LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat, it turned the Cavs from having the best record in the NBA to a lottery team with the #1 draft pick.
It is also that very nature that causes NBA front offices to make grave mistakes when free agency comes up. Then there are the franchises that somehow turn nothing into gold during this time. Those are the reasons that make NBA free agency the best. This ongoing free agency period is a perfect example of this. Here are some of the more prominent free agency moves so far:
The Brooklyn Nets coming to terms with forward Gerald Wallace at $40 million over four years, pulling off a trade with the Atlanta Hawks that sent guard Joe Johnson to Brooklyn, and coming to terms with guard Deron Williams at $98+ million over five years.
The Houston Rockets reaching an agreement with restricted free agent center Omer Asik for $25.1 million over three years, and reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Jeremy Lin for $30 million over four years (the fourth year being a team option.)
The Portland Trail Blazers reaching an agreement with restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert for $58 million over four years.
The Phoenix Suns reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon for $58 million over four years, and coming to terms with guard Goran Dragic for $34 million over four years.
The Toronto Raptors reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Landry Fields for $20 million over three years, and acquiring guard Kyle Lowry from the Rockets via trade.
The Los Angeles Clippers coming to terms with guard Jamal Crawford for $25 million over four years, coming to terms with guard Chauncey Billups for $4.3 million over next season, and acquiring forward Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics coming to terms with guard Jason Terry for $15 million over three years, and coming to terms with forward Brandon Bass for an undisclosed amount over three years.
The New York Knicks coming to terms with guard Jason Kidd for $9 million over three years.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquiring guard Steve Nash via sign-&-trade at $27 million for three years.
Free agency only started on July 1 & there are still major moves to be made mainly involving the deals mentioned above.
The main dominoes mainly deal with the restricted free agents. Due to their restricted status these guys can agree to deals with other teams, but their current teams can match the deal. That has put some deals in limbo. The New Orleans Hornets have vowed to match any offer made to Gordon. The Knicks have said similar statements regarding Lin. The Pacers have to think before matching Hibbert's offer knowing they can acquire a cheaper option in center Chris Kaman. The Chicago Bulls have a tough choice when it comes to Asik whom they want to keep, but not in the deal that the Rockets made with him. The only restricted guy that most likely will be on the move will be Fields. The Raptors offered Fields their deal as a strategic move to get the Knicks off the Nash chase. With Nash now being a Laker the move doesn't look so bright.
Of course the Raptors haven't had as horrible of a free agency as the Mavs.
After winning the 2010-2011 NBA title Mavs owner Mark Cuban watched his team be dismantled via free agency by his own design. His plan was simple, free up as much cap space to after Williams and Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard. This was virtually a copy of how the Miami Heat landed their Big 3. Unfortunately for Cuban this plan has fallen apart. After Williams decided to stay with the Nets, He focused on Nash, and when that failed he focused of retaining Kidd. It looked like Kidd was going to stay until today when he decided to become a Knick
There are still some dominoes left to fall. Guard Ray Allen is now deciding on either returning to the Celtics or joining the Heat. He is currently meeting a Heat contingent for dinner as of 10 pm tonight. Then there is the cruel and unusual punishment that the Magic are going through with Howard. With his eyes set on the Nets, Howard has put the Magic in the position of both trying to get equal value for him and trying to get rid of forward Hedo Turkoglu's contract at the same time.
This free agency period has been a roller-coaster so far with it promising to get even wilder once the moratorium on signing contracts is lifted on July 11. Fans and journalists will love every minute of it.
Madness, pure madness.
In the U.S. the free agency period of the four major team sports each have their own unique charms. However it is the free agency period of the National Basketball Association that is the best compared to the other sports. Here are the reasons why when comparing to the other sports:
In the National Football League free agent contracts are not guaranteed, meaning that teams can get out of a bad deal with only losing about half of the amount that the contract was worth (half being the usual amount teams guarantee.)
The National Hockey League is still recovering from losing a season due to a lockout. That leaves them in a position where signings of their biggest stars don't have a big ripple effect outside of die hard fans.
In Major League Baseball there really is no salary cap, meaning that the big spenders are usually the same teams (New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox) with a couple of surprises every few years. The Miami Marlins being that in 2011.
Now looking at these reason one can think the NFL has the best free agency since teams tend to have smaller risks of franchise-impacting mistakes. However, that doesn't take into account the very nature of both sports.
Unlike football, basketball is the one sport where one player can have the biggest impact on a team. This is particularly true in the NBA. When forward LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat, it turned the Cavs from having the best record in the NBA to a lottery team with the #1 draft pick.
It is also that very nature that causes NBA front offices to make grave mistakes when free agency comes up. Then there are the franchises that somehow turn nothing into gold during this time. Those are the reasons that make NBA free agency the best. This ongoing free agency period is a perfect example of this. Here are some of the more prominent free agency moves so far:
The Brooklyn Nets coming to terms with forward Gerald Wallace at $40 million over four years, pulling off a trade with the Atlanta Hawks that sent guard Joe Johnson to Brooklyn, and coming to terms with guard Deron Williams at $98+ million over five years.
The Houston Rockets reaching an agreement with restricted free agent center Omer Asik for $25.1 million over three years, and reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Jeremy Lin for $30 million over four years (the fourth year being a team option.)
The Portland Trail Blazers reaching an agreement with restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert for $58 million over four years.
The Phoenix Suns reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon for $58 million over four years, and coming to terms with guard Goran Dragic for $34 million over four years.
The Toronto Raptors reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Landry Fields for $20 million over three years, and acquiring guard Kyle Lowry from the Rockets via trade.
The Los Angeles Clippers coming to terms with guard Jamal Crawford for $25 million over four years, coming to terms with guard Chauncey Billups for $4.3 million over next season, and acquiring forward Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics coming to terms with guard Jason Terry for $15 million over three years, and coming to terms with forward Brandon Bass for an undisclosed amount over three years.
The New York Knicks coming to terms with guard Jason Kidd for $9 million over three years.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquiring guard Steve Nash via sign-&-trade at $27 million for three years.
Free agency only started on July 1 & there are still major moves to be made mainly involving the deals mentioned above.
The main dominoes mainly deal with the restricted free agents. Due to their restricted status these guys can agree to deals with other teams, but their current teams can match the deal. That has put some deals in limbo. The New Orleans Hornets have vowed to match any offer made to Gordon. The Knicks have said similar statements regarding Lin. The Pacers have to think before matching Hibbert's offer knowing they can acquire a cheaper option in center Chris Kaman. The Chicago Bulls have a tough choice when it comes to Asik whom they want to keep, but not in the deal that the Rockets made with him. The only restricted guy that most likely will be on the move will be Fields. The Raptors offered Fields their deal as a strategic move to get the Knicks off the Nash chase. With Nash now being a Laker the move doesn't look so bright.
Of course the Raptors haven't had as horrible of a free agency as the Mavs.
After winning the 2010-2011 NBA title Mavs owner Mark Cuban watched his team be dismantled via free agency by his own design. His plan was simple, free up as much cap space to after Williams and Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard. This was virtually a copy of how the Miami Heat landed their Big 3. Unfortunately for Cuban this plan has fallen apart. After Williams decided to stay with the Nets, He focused on Nash, and when that failed he focused of retaining Kidd. It looked like Kidd was going to stay until today when he decided to become a Knick
There are still some dominoes left to fall. Guard Ray Allen is now deciding on either returning to the Celtics or joining the Heat. He is currently meeting a Heat contingent for dinner as of 10 pm tonight. Then there is the cruel and unusual punishment that the Magic are going through with Howard. With his eyes set on the Nets, Howard has put the Magic in the position of both trying to get equal value for him and trying to get rid of forward Hedo Turkoglu's contract at the same time.
This free agency period has been a roller-coaster so far with it promising to get even wilder once the moratorium on signing contracts is lifted on July 11. Fans and journalists will love every minute of it.
Madness, pure madness.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Where Sports Meets Porn: #TeamBJNBA
Sports and entertainment have blended for some time. Slowly however that blend has taken a stop once in a while towards the adult entertainment industry in recent years. There was the very public relationship between MMA fighter Tito Ortiz and former porn star Jenna Jameson (they have two children, twin boys.) More recently there was the incident where New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski spent his bye week last NFL season with porn star BiBi Jones (she also claims Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla among her sports conquests.) These events have been mainly found out through social media for the masses to enjoy and laugh about.
Then there are events like this.
On June 21 as Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder was less than an hour from starting Billy Corben, a well known Miami film director (his credits include ESPN's 'The U' and 'Cocaine Cowboys') tweeted a story from the website Busted Coverage. The story was about a promise made by two Miami porn stars (& noted Heat fans) Angelina Castro and Sara Jay. The two porn stars promised that if the Heat won the NBA championship they would provide 'oral services' to their combined Twitter followers, whose count stands at 328,758 as of June 23. They made the promise into a Twitter campaign under the hashtag #TeamBJNBA along with making an announcement video on Sara Jay's YouTube page (the video along with Sara's page have now been terminated by YouTube.) It is safe to say that as soon as Game 5 was over with the Heat clinching the title, the Twitter mentions of the two ladies regarding #TeamBJNBA exploded. Sara at one did complain about the mentions.
Now, one can look at this story and assume that #TeamBJNBA was just a publicity stunt by the two ladies to boost their follower count on Twitter. Logic would dictate that with Twitter being a global social media network there would be no way that what the two ladies promised would be dared to be attempted.
Surprise, the two ladies will ACTUALLY attempt to do this!
Both Angelina and Sara tweeted that they will keep their word and will fulfill their promise to their followers. On Tuesday they will announce the time and location where their followers can cash in on #TeamBJNBA.
This event is most likely going to be 1.) a social media bonanza, and 2.) a possible logistical nightmare. Either way the fact that the two ladies are going to do this is astounding. Can't really knock their hustle.
Just hope that they call the Guinness Book of World Records first.
UPDATE: The ladies have set a date for #TeamBJNBA along with a website stating the initial ground rules for the event. The website is www.teambjnba.com
UPDATE 2 (July 6): It looks like David Stern has caught up with #TeamBJNBA and is trying to stop it.
In a statement obtained by the website Black Sports Online the NBA has issued a cease-&-desist order claiming that Sara and Angelina have used the intellectual property of the league and violated their rights. The league points to the website www.teambjnba.com, the Twitter account @TeamBJNBA, and a photos shopped picture featuring the ladies donning Heat gear in front of the Heat Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh) as some of their evidence. The NBA has demanded that the website and Twitter account for #TeamBJNBA be taken down from the Internet and for ownership of both entities to be transferred to the league.
As of 3 pm today both the website and the Twitter account are still up.
The NBA is within its rights in doing this. They, like other major sports leagues, will do whatever is necessary to protect their image. The NBA is especially sensitive to this due to events such as the infamous Malice in The Palace and the referee scandal set off by Tim Donaghy. This is also happening as Stern is polishing up his immediate and long term legacy. Stern has stated in various interviews that he won't be NBA commissioner when the time comes for a new collective bargaining agreement to be negotiated. The current CBA is a ten year deal with the option that the players and owners can opt out of it in six years.
More likely than not the event will go on as planned. It will just require more legal gymnastics than expected.
Then there are events like this.
On June 21 as Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder was less than an hour from starting Billy Corben, a well known Miami film director (his credits include ESPN's 'The U' and 'Cocaine Cowboys') tweeted a story from the website Busted Coverage. The story was about a promise made by two Miami porn stars (& noted Heat fans) Angelina Castro and Sara Jay. The two porn stars promised that if the Heat won the NBA championship they would provide 'oral services' to their combined Twitter followers, whose count stands at 328,758 as of June 23. They made the promise into a Twitter campaign under the hashtag #TeamBJNBA along with making an announcement video on Sara Jay's YouTube page (the video along with Sara's page have now been terminated by YouTube.) It is safe to say that as soon as Game 5 was over with the Heat clinching the title, the Twitter mentions of the two ladies regarding #TeamBJNBA exploded. Sara at one did complain about the mentions.
Now, one can look at this story and assume that #TeamBJNBA was just a publicity stunt by the two ladies to boost their follower count on Twitter. Logic would dictate that with Twitter being a global social media network there would be no way that what the two ladies promised would be dared to be attempted.
Surprise, the two ladies will ACTUALLY attempt to do this!
Both Angelina and Sara tweeted that they will keep their word and will fulfill their promise to their followers. On Tuesday they will announce the time and location where their followers can cash in on #TeamBJNBA.
This event is most likely going to be 1.) a social media bonanza, and 2.) a possible logistical nightmare. Either way the fact that the two ladies are going to do this is astounding. Can't really knock their hustle.
Just hope that they call the Guinness Book of World Records first.
UPDATE: The ladies have set a date for #TeamBJNBA along with a website stating the initial ground rules for the event. The website is www.teambjnba.com
UPDATE 2 (July 6): It looks like David Stern has caught up with #TeamBJNBA and is trying to stop it.
In a statement obtained by the website Black Sports Online the NBA has issued a cease-&-desist order claiming that Sara and Angelina have used the intellectual property of the league and violated their rights. The league points to the website www.teambjnba.com, the Twitter account @TeamBJNBA, and a photos shopped picture featuring the ladies donning Heat gear in front of the Heat Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh) as some of their evidence. The NBA has demanded that the website and Twitter account for #TeamBJNBA be taken down from the Internet and for ownership of both entities to be transferred to the league.
As of 3 pm today both the website and the Twitter account are still up.
The NBA is within its rights in doing this. They, like other major sports leagues, will do whatever is necessary to protect their image. The NBA is especially sensitive to this due to events such as the infamous Malice in The Palace and the referee scandal set off by Tim Donaghy. This is also happening as Stern is polishing up his immediate and long term legacy. Stern has stated in various interviews that he won't be NBA commissioner when the time comes for a new collective bargaining agreement to be negotiated. The current CBA is a ten year deal with the option that the players and owners can opt out of it in six years.
More likely than not the event will go on as planned. It will just require more legal gymnastics than expected.
The Miami Heat: 2011-12 NBA Champions
It was almost surreal to see as the final seconds counted down in American Airlines Arena.
As soon as the clock read 0.00 an explosion of euphoria was unleashed in the city of Miami and throughout the country as the Miami Heat won the NBA championship in a blowout fashion against the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 to clinch the NBA Finals series 4-1. This is the second title for the Heat franchise, but the first of the Miami Big 3 era.
This championship is the vindication of the grand experiment that Heat president Pat Riley set out in 2007 when he prepared the team's salary cap for the vaunted free agent class of 2010. When the Summer of 2010 came Riley was able to pull off arguably the biggest coup in NBA history when he retained guard Dwyane Wade and lured forward Chris Bosh along with forward LeBron James. James was the crown jewel of the free agent class and had teams like the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks along with the Heat clamoring for him to sign with them. On July 8 in an ESPN special titled 'The Decision' James let the world know that he picked the Heat. The next night the Big 3 were unveiled to their fans in a party-type atmosphere that immediately made them and the Heat the most hated team in the NBA. The fact that the Big 3 signed for less than their allowed maximum allowed the Heat to retain forward Udonis Haslem, center Joel Anthony, and sign guard Mike Miller to five-year contracts. Filling the rest of the roster with minimum salary players, the Heat were a top-heavy team. Immediately the question of chemistry rose up and they got louder once the Heat lost on the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat retooled after the NBA lockout was lifted by signing forward Shane Battier. Still the chemistry questions were there, but with this title Riley's gamble has paid off.
For James, this championship is a critic silencer. Ever since he was a Junior in high school an NBA title was not only expected, but demanded of James. Those expectations rose as he became the #1 pick of the 2003 NBA draft for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. James led the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007 where he was swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Since then every playoff loss and exit without a title fed a narrative that James didn't have the killer instinct needed to become a champion. That narrative only grew when he decided to go to the Heat. The narrative was was that because he had no killer instinct, he had to join someone who did in Wade. The Finals loss to the Mavs sent the narrative to astronomical levels. James showed this postseason that this would not stand anymore. When the Heat were down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals James pulled a stat line not seen since 1961 in Game 4 to even the series and eventually win it in six games. Facing elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals against his long time tormentor in the Boston Celtics, James pushed the Heat to victory in Game 6 to force a Game 7 which the Heat won at home. In the Finals after losing Game 1 James led the Heat to four straight wins culminating in this championship. The monkey is now off his back.
For Wade, this championship finds him in role reversal. When the Heat won the NBA title in 2006 it was him taking the mantle of leadership from center Shaquille O'Neal. He was the Finals MVP after leading the Heat back from a 0-2 hole against the Mavs. Since then Wade has been the Man in Miami even as the Heat had a 15 win season in 2008. When the Summer of 2010 came and he resigned with the Heat along with James and Bosh it was viewed as them joining his team. This season though Wade saw that this was no longer his team. Instead of stubbornly fighting to be top dog, Wade gracefully turned the leadership mantle to James. That was especially important as the playoffs arrived and Wade was clearly playing injured. That was most evident in Game 3 of the Pacers series where he only scored five points, the lowest playoff total in his career. Wade seemed to be almost at peace knowing that he was the #2 option and playing more to win the title for James than for himself.
For Bosh, this championship is also a critic silencer. When he joined James and Wade on the Heat he was often viewed as the forgotten member of the Big 3. His demeanor was also the fodder of jokes and nicknames such as Bosh Spice. Quietly though, Bosh became the Heat's most important player because his presence set up both the offense and player rotations. This was not seen by many though thanks to the alley-oop theatrics of James and Wade. When the Heat struggled Bosh was seen as the obvious choice to move vie trade. His true value was finally seen when he went down to an abdominal strain in Game 1 of the Pacers series. With Bosh out the lineup the Pacers took advantage until James and Wade took over. In the Eastern Conference Finals Bosh's absence allowed forward Kevin Garnett along with guard Rajon Rondo to almost push the Heat to elimination. Once he came back, initially from the bench, the Heat got back on track. When he came back to the starting lineup in Game 2 of the Finals his presence cancelled out the benefits the Thunder enjoyed with forward Serge Ibaka. Bosh has now proven that he is worthy of the label superstar and the contract he signed with the Heat.
For the role players the Finals were a coming out party.
First it was Battier, who struggled offensively the whole season. In the Finals he suddenly found his shooting touch. In Games 1 and 2 he made nine out of 13 3-point shots. He also took some key charges that put Thunder forward Kevin Durant in foul trouble. Then came rookie guard Norris Cole who was ready for the moment even as he seldom played in the playoffs. Cole helped lead the Heat back from a 17 point Thunder lead in the first quarter of Game 4 with eight points, scoring twice from downtown. Then in the same game it was guard Mario Chalmers's turn. Known as the 'Little Brother' of the Heat Big 3, Chalmers was often the target of criticism from hi teammates when he would make a mistake. That didn't happen in Game 4 as Chalmers stepped up scoring 25 points, including the Heat's last five as James was on the bench battling cramps. Chalmesr's performance showed why he is a two-time high school state champion in Alaska and a national champion with the University of Kansas. The Heat needed every point considering Thunder guard Russell Westbrook had a historic game of his own. Then in Game 5 with the chance to clinch the title on home court it was Miller's turn. For the past two seasons Miller looked like he was being held together by bubble gum and duct tape, yet he gave it all he could on the court. In Game 5 Miller got into a shooting zone rarely seen as he scored 23 points including seven of eight from downtown, almost tying Celtics guard Ray Allen's record of made 3-pointers in a Finals game. It was the perceived common thinking that the Heat were not a deep team past the Big 3 coming into the Finals and the Thunder had the better bench. That was proven wrong.
Finally, for Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra, this championship was vindication for him as well. Spoelstra started out working in the video room for the Heat and gradually climbed up the ladder. He was an assistant coach when the Heat won their first title in 2006 and was tapped by Riley to take the reigns in 2008. Since then Spoelsta has not missed the playoffs. When the Big 3 were assembled Spoelstra's ability to coach three superstars who have been #1 options was immediately questioned. The rough 9-8 start of last season was blamed on Spoelstra and most thought it was a matter of time before Riley would come back down and take over. Spoelstra weathered the storm but questions rose again when the Heat lost in the 2011 Finals. In the playoffs those questions were slowly being put to rest. In the Indiana series Spoelstra made the adjustment of putting Battier on Pacer forward David West, allowing James to focus offensively. In the Boston series he made the adjustment of putting Chalmers on Allen so the more athletic Wade could focus on Celtics guard Rajon Rondo. In the Finals the adjustment was to put Bosh in the starting lineup and putting Haslem on the bench instead of Battier. This title as a head coach proves that Spoelstra, like his players, learned from last season and has become better for it.
The first championship the Heat won in 2006 was sweet as they were the underdogs. This championship is even sweeter in the sense that not only were the Heat the underdogs, but that very few outside of Miami (and Seattle) wanted them to win. They learned from the anguish of losing the Finals on their home court & now have won on that court.
As Mike Miller would say...LET IT FLY!
As soon as the clock read 0.00 an explosion of euphoria was unleashed in the city of Miami and throughout the country as the Miami Heat won the NBA championship in a blowout fashion against the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 to clinch the NBA Finals series 4-1. This is the second title for the Heat franchise, but the first of the Miami Big 3 era.
This championship is the vindication of the grand experiment that Heat president Pat Riley set out in 2007 when he prepared the team's salary cap for the vaunted free agent class of 2010. When the Summer of 2010 came Riley was able to pull off arguably the biggest coup in NBA history when he retained guard Dwyane Wade and lured forward Chris Bosh along with forward LeBron James. James was the crown jewel of the free agent class and had teams like the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks along with the Heat clamoring for him to sign with them. On July 8 in an ESPN special titled 'The Decision' James let the world know that he picked the Heat. The next night the Big 3 were unveiled to their fans in a party-type atmosphere that immediately made them and the Heat the most hated team in the NBA. The fact that the Big 3 signed for less than their allowed maximum allowed the Heat to retain forward Udonis Haslem, center Joel Anthony, and sign guard Mike Miller to five-year contracts. Filling the rest of the roster with minimum salary players, the Heat were a top-heavy team. Immediately the question of chemistry rose up and they got louder once the Heat lost on the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat retooled after the NBA lockout was lifted by signing forward Shane Battier. Still the chemistry questions were there, but with this title Riley's gamble has paid off.
For James, this championship is a critic silencer. Ever since he was a Junior in high school an NBA title was not only expected, but demanded of James. Those expectations rose as he became the #1 pick of the 2003 NBA draft for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. James led the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007 where he was swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Since then every playoff loss and exit without a title fed a narrative that James didn't have the killer instinct needed to become a champion. That narrative only grew when he decided to go to the Heat. The narrative was was that because he had no killer instinct, he had to join someone who did in Wade. The Finals loss to the Mavs sent the narrative to astronomical levels. James showed this postseason that this would not stand anymore. When the Heat were down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals James pulled a stat line not seen since 1961 in Game 4 to even the series and eventually win it in six games. Facing elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals against his long time tormentor in the Boston Celtics, James pushed the Heat to victory in Game 6 to force a Game 7 which the Heat won at home. In the Finals after losing Game 1 James led the Heat to four straight wins culminating in this championship. The monkey is now off his back.
For Wade, this championship finds him in role reversal. When the Heat won the NBA title in 2006 it was him taking the mantle of leadership from center Shaquille O'Neal. He was the Finals MVP after leading the Heat back from a 0-2 hole against the Mavs. Since then Wade has been the Man in Miami even as the Heat had a 15 win season in 2008. When the Summer of 2010 came and he resigned with the Heat along with James and Bosh it was viewed as them joining his team. This season though Wade saw that this was no longer his team. Instead of stubbornly fighting to be top dog, Wade gracefully turned the leadership mantle to James. That was especially important as the playoffs arrived and Wade was clearly playing injured. That was most evident in Game 3 of the Pacers series where he only scored five points, the lowest playoff total in his career. Wade seemed to be almost at peace knowing that he was the #2 option and playing more to win the title for James than for himself.
For Bosh, this championship is also a critic silencer. When he joined James and Wade on the Heat he was often viewed as the forgotten member of the Big 3. His demeanor was also the fodder of jokes and nicknames such as Bosh Spice. Quietly though, Bosh became the Heat's most important player because his presence set up both the offense and player rotations. This was not seen by many though thanks to the alley-oop theatrics of James and Wade. When the Heat struggled Bosh was seen as the obvious choice to move vie trade. His true value was finally seen when he went down to an abdominal strain in Game 1 of the Pacers series. With Bosh out the lineup the Pacers took advantage until James and Wade took over. In the Eastern Conference Finals Bosh's absence allowed forward Kevin Garnett along with guard Rajon Rondo to almost push the Heat to elimination. Once he came back, initially from the bench, the Heat got back on track. When he came back to the starting lineup in Game 2 of the Finals his presence cancelled out the benefits the Thunder enjoyed with forward Serge Ibaka. Bosh has now proven that he is worthy of the label superstar and the contract he signed with the Heat.
For the role players the Finals were a coming out party.
First it was Battier, who struggled offensively the whole season. In the Finals he suddenly found his shooting touch. In Games 1 and 2 he made nine out of 13 3-point shots. He also took some key charges that put Thunder forward Kevin Durant in foul trouble. Then came rookie guard Norris Cole who was ready for the moment even as he seldom played in the playoffs. Cole helped lead the Heat back from a 17 point Thunder lead in the first quarter of Game 4 with eight points, scoring twice from downtown. Then in the same game it was guard Mario Chalmers's turn. Known as the 'Little Brother' of the Heat Big 3, Chalmers was often the target of criticism from hi teammates when he would make a mistake. That didn't happen in Game 4 as Chalmers stepped up scoring 25 points, including the Heat's last five as James was on the bench battling cramps. Chalmesr's performance showed why he is a two-time high school state champion in Alaska and a national champion with the University of Kansas. The Heat needed every point considering Thunder guard Russell Westbrook had a historic game of his own. Then in Game 5 with the chance to clinch the title on home court it was Miller's turn. For the past two seasons Miller looked like he was being held together by bubble gum and duct tape, yet he gave it all he could on the court. In Game 5 Miller got into a shooting zone rarely seen as he scored 23 points including seven of eight from downtown, almost tying Celtics guard Ray Allen's record of made 3-pointers in a Finals game. It was the perceived common thinking that the Heat were not a deep team past the Big 3 coming into the Finals and the Thunder had the better bench. That was proven wrong.
Finally, for Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra, this championship was vindication for him as well. Spoelstra started out working in the video room for the Heat and gradually climbed up the ladder. He was an assistant coach when the Heat won their first title in 2006 and was tapped by Riley to take the reigns in 2008. Since then Spoelsta has not missed the playoffs. When the Big 3 were assembled Spoelstra's ability to coach three superstars who have been #1 options was immediately questioned. The rough 9-8 start of last season was blamed on Spoelstra and most thought it was a matter of time before Riley would come back down and take over. Spoelstra weathered the storm but questions rose again when the Heat lost in the 2011 Finals. In the playoffs those questions were slowly being put to rest. In the Indiana series Spoelstra made the adjustment of putting Battier on Pacer forward David West, allowing James to focus offensively. In the Boston series he made the adjustment of putting Chalmers on Allen so the more athletic Wade could focus on Celtics guard Rajon Rondo. In the Finals the adjustment was to put Bosh in the starting lineup and putting Haslem on the bench instead of Battier. This title as a head coach proves that Spoelstra, like his players, learned from last season and has become better for it.
The first championship the Heat won in 2006 was sweet as they were the underdogs. This championship is even sweeter in the sense that not only were the Heat the underdogs, but that very few outside of Miami (and Seattle) wanted them to win. They learned from the anguish of losing the Finals on their home court & now have won on that court.
As Mike Miller would say...LET IT FLY!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Heat-Thunder: NBA Finals Preview
This is the matchup the NBA universe wanted to see since the season was saved. Luckily, we got it.
Tonight the much anticipated NBA Finals series between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder will start at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in OKC at 9 PM Eastern. This has been the dream matchup for both NBA analysts and fans alike. The storylines in this series are very compelling. You have the battle between Heat forward and 2011-12 MVP LeBron James and the runner up in Thunder forward Kevin Durant. You have two differing philosophies on how to build an NBA champion going head to head. It's mainly though a matchup of the Heat's Big 3 of James, guard Dwyane Wade and forward Chris Bosh against the Thunder's Big 3 of Durant, guard Russell Westbrook, and guard James Harden.
Both teams had interesting paths to the Finals. Let's look back at how each team got here.
Miami Heat
The Heat went into the playoffs with the most pressure to win. The lackluster effort of last season's Finals was still fresh in the minds of many. The pressure was especially large for James as his toughness during big moments was still doubted.
In the first round the Heat faced the New York Knicks in what many saw as the sexiest matchup of the first round. It was also the first time both teams faced each other in the playoffs since 2000 in one of the most bitter rivalries of the 1990s. The Knicks were coming into a playoffs riding a stellar April by forward and franchise player Carmelo Anthony. That run was quickly ended by the Heat in a Game 1 beating. The Heat were also the unfortunate beneficiaries of a season-ending knee injury suffered by Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert in Game 1. Shumpert's absence took away the best defender the Knicks had against Wade. The injury bug kept hitting the Knicks as they lost guard Baron Davis to a knee injury and forward Amar'e Stoudemire to him punching a fire extinguisher. The Heat quickly took care of the Knicks in five games thanks to an outstanding performance by Anthony that prevented a sweep.
In the semifinals matchup the Heat faced the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers made some noise before the series by complaining of the Heat taking charges. In Game 1 the Heat won the game but lost Bosh in the first half to an abdominal strain injury. The Pacers front line of forward Davis West and center Roy Hibbert took advantage of Bosh's absence and had outstanding Games 2 and 3 to go up 2-1 in the series. With the prospect of going down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination James and Wade took matters into their own hands in Game 4 and began a tear not seen since the Kennedy administration. That tear continued into Games 5 and 6 as the Pacers simply didn't have an answer to James and Wade along with the supporting cast of forward Shane Battier and guard Mario Chalmers.
In the Eastern Conference Finals the Heat faced their modern nemesis in the Boston Celtics. The series looked like it was going to end quick due to the Celtics coming off a seven game series with the Philadelphia 76ers in which they lost rookie guard Avery Bradley to a shoulder injury. In Game 1 it looked like the Heat were just too much for the Celtics. In Game 2 the Celtics showed grit led by a historic performance from guard Rajon Rondo. It was not enough though as the Heat pulled out the victory in overtime. In Games 3 and 4 the Celtics showed veteran poise in their house thanks is part to the pick-&-roll between Rondo and center Kevin Garnett. These games were also where the absence of Bosh from the lineup showed most for the Heat. The Celtics won both games. In Game 5 the Heat had a chance to shift momentum their way but fell short as Celtics forward Paul Pierce made a late 3-point shot putting the game out of reach. Down in the series 3-2 with the possibility of being eliminated on the Celtics home court and the national media waiting for the Heat to fail, James responded with a historic performance in Game 6 to tie the series. In Game 7 at American Airlines Arena the Heat seized the moment after being down by as much as nine points to close out the Celtics. In the fourth quarter the Heat pulled away by scoring 28 points, all by their Big 3.
With that the Heat will make their second straight NBA Finals appearance.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder were coming into the playoffs with something to prove. They wanted to show that their appearance in last season's Western Conference Finals was no fluke and that were ready to take the next step towards being elite team.
In the first round the Thunder faced the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals. This wasn't the same Mavericks team that beat the Thunder though as key pieces like center Tyson Chandler, guard DeShawn Stevenson, and guard JJ Berea all left via free agency. The Mavericks also were missing what they hoped to be key pickup in forward Lamar Odom. Those changes were all the Thunder needed to overtake the Mavericks. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden proved to be too young, too quick, and too hungry for the Mavericks as they swept the series.
In the semifinals the Thunder faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder had the fresher legs as the Lakers were coming off a tough series against the Denver Nuggets. It was evident also that the Lakers, because of the age of franchise player Kobe Bryant and forward Pau Gasol, were ill-suited to face this Thunder team. It also didn't help that Lakers center Andrew Bynum wasn't completely in the series mentally. The Thunder took quick care of the Lakers in five games and almost swept save for a great performance by Bryant.
In the Western Conference Finals the Thunder faced the San Antonio Spurs, the team that surpassed them in the last month of the regular season for the top seed in the West. In Games 1 and 2 the Spurs looked like the faster team. the Spurs Big 3 of forward Tim Duncan, guard Tony Parker, and guard Manu Ginobili showed their championship mettle and looked to have the Thunder overmatched. That quickly changed once the series shifted to Oklahoma City. In Games 3 and 4 the Thunder showed that they could take a punch and give one right back. The adjustment of putting guard Thabo Sefalosia on Parker freed up Westbrook and that allowed the Thunder offense to get going. While the Spurs showed their mettle again in Games 5 and 6, the Thunder proved that their athleticism was just too much to overcome.
With that the Thunder make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1997 when they were the Seattle Supersonics.
There are many storylines in this Finals series and interesting matchups, but one will be the key to victory.
Chris Bosh vs Serge Ibaka:
Thunder forward Serge Ibaka has emerged this season as an elite shot blocker and was second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. That being said he is also known to get in foul trouble for being over aggressive. Bosh will have the task of pulling Ibaka away from the rim to free up the paint for James and Wade. Bosh has the offensive arsenal to do just that, especially if the 3-point shot becomes a steady part of that.
Prediction: Heat win series 4-3
The Thunder has the younger team along with almost the entire country pulling for them. However, championships are won by those who not only want it, but need it. The Heat, particularly James, meet those two criteria. The Heat have won playoff games this time around that they wouldn't have last year. That shows they have learned the lessons needed to claim the first title of the Heat Big 3 era.
Tonight the much anticipated NBA Finals series between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder will start at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in OKC at 9 PM Eastern. This has been the dream matchup for both NBA analysts and fans alike. The storylines in this series are very compelling. You have the battle between Heat forward and 2011-12 MVP LeBron James and the runner up in Thunder forward Kevin Durant. You have two differing philosophies on how to build an NBA champion going head to head. It's mainly though a matchup of the Heat's Big 3 of James, guard Dwyane Wade and forward Chris Bosh against the Thunder's Big 3 of Durant, guard Russell Westbrook, and guard James Harden.
Both teams had interesting paths to the Finals. Let's look back at how each team got here.
Miami Heat
The Heat went into the playoffs with the most pressure to win. The lackluster effort of last season's Finals was still fresh in the minds of many. The pressure was especially large for James as his toughness during big moments was still doubted.
In the first round the Heat faced the New York Knicks in what many saw as the sexiest matchup of the first round. It was also the first time both teams faced each other in the playoffs since 2000 in one of the most bitter rivalries of the 1990s. The Knicks were coming into a playoffs riding a stellar April by forward and franchise player Carmelo Anthony. That run was quickly ended by the Heat in a Game 1 beating. The Heat were also the unfortunate beneficiaries of a season-ending knee injury suffered by Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert in Game 1. Shumpert's absence took away the best defender the Knicks had against Wade. The injury bug kept hitting the Knicks as they lost guard Baron Davis to a knee injury and forward Amar'e Stoudemire to him punching a fire extinguisher. The Heat quickly took care of the Knicks in five games thanks to an outstanding performance by Anthony that prevented a sweep.
In the semifinals matchup the Heat faced the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers made some noise before the series by complaining of the Heat taking charges. In Game 1 the Heat won the game but lost Bosh in the first half to an abdominal strain injury. The Pacers front line of forward Davis West and center Roy Hibbert took advantage of Bosh's absence and had outstanding Games 2 and 3 to go up 2-1 in the series. With the prospect of going down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination James and Wade took matters into their own hands in Game 4 and began a tear not seen since the Kennedy administration. That tear continued into Games 5 and 6 as the Pacers simply didn't have an answer to James and Wade along with the supporting cast of forward Shane Battier and guard Mario Chalmers.
In the Eastern Conference Finals the Heat faced their modern nemesis in the Boston Celtics. The series looked like it was going to end quick due to the Celtics coming off a seven game series with the Philadelphia 76ers in which they lost rookie guard Avery Bradley to a shoulder injury. In Game 1 it looked like the Heat were just too much for the Celtics. In Game 2 the Celtics showed grit led by a historic performance from guard Rajon Rondo. It was not enough though as the Heat pulled out the victory in overtime. In Games 3 and 4 the Celtics showed veteran poise in their house thanks is part to the pick-&-roll between Rondo and center Kevin Garnett. These games were also where the absence of Bosh from the lineup showed most for the Heat. The Celtics won both games. In Game 5 the Heat had a chance to shift momentum their way but fell short as Celtics forward Paul Pierce made a late 3-point shot putting the game out of reach. Down in the series 3-2 with the possibility of being eliminated on the Celtics home court and the national media waiting for the Heat to fail, James responded with a historic performance in Game 6 to tie the series. In Game 7 at American Airlines Arena the Heat seized the moment after being down by as much as nine points to close out the Celtics. In the fourth quarter the Heat pulled away by scoring 28 points, all by their Big 3.
With that the Heat will make their second straight NBA Finals appearance.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder were coming into the playoffs with something to prove. They wanted to show that their appearance in last season's Western Conference Finals was no fluke and that were ready to take the next step towards being elite team.
In the first round the Thunder faced the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals. This wasn't the same Mavericks team that beat the Thunder though as key pieces like center Tyson Chandler, guard DeShawn Stevenson, and guard JJ Berea all left via free agency. The Mavericks also were missing what they hoped to be key pickup in forward Lamar Odom. Those changes were all the Thunder needed to overtake the Mavericks. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden proved to be too young, too quick, and too hungry for the Mavericks as they swept the series.
In the semifinals the Thunder faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder had the fresher legs as the Lakers were coming off a tough series against the Denver Nuggets. It was evident also that the Lakers, because of the age of franchise player Kobe Bryant and forward Pau Gasol, were ill-suited to face this Thunder team. It also didn't help that Lakers center Andrew Bynum wasn't completely in the series mentally. The Thunder took quick care of the Lakers in five games and almost swept save for a great performance by Bryant.
In the Western Conference Finals the Thunder faced the San Antonio Spurs, the team that surpassed them in the last month of the regular season for the top seed in the West. In Games 1 and 2 the Spurs looked like the faster team. the Spurs Big 3 of forward Tim Duncan, guard Tony Parker, and guard Manu Ginobili showed their championship mettle and looked to have the Thunder overmatched. That quickly changed once the series shifted to Oklahoma City. In Games 3 and 4 the Thunder showed that they could take a punch and give one right back. The adjustment of putting guard Thabo Sefalosia on Parker freed up Westbrook and that allowed the Thunder offense to get going. While the Spurs showed their mettle again in Games 5 and 6, the Thunder proved that their athleticism was just too much to overcome.
With that the Thunder make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1997 when they were the Seattle Supersonics.
There are many storylines in this Finals series and interesting matchups, but one will be the key to victory.
Chris Bosh vs Serge Ibaka:
Thunder forward Serge Ibaka has emerged this season as an elite shot blocker and was second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. That being said he is also known to get in foul trouble for being over aggressive. Bosh will have the task of pulling Ibaka away from the rim to free up the paint for James and Wade. Bosh has the offensive arsenal to do just that, especially if the 3-point shot becomes a steady part of that.
Prediction: Heat win series 4-3
The Thunder has the younger team along with almost the entire country pulling for them. However, championships are won by those who not only want it, but need it. The Heat, particularly James, meet those two criteria. The Heat have won playoff games this time around that they wouldn't have last year. That shows they have learned the lessons needed to claim the first title of the Heat Big 3 era.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Pacquiao-Bradley: How The Sport of Boxing is Being Killed by The Business of Boxing
The spectre of controversy seems to be always be around in Sin City on fight night. Last night that spectre made its' presence known loud and clear.
Last night at the MGM Grand Manny Pacquiao, one of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, lost his WBO Welterweight title to Timothy Bradley in a very controversial split decision. The words 'very controversial' are the kindest that can be used to describe the decision.
Judge Jerry Roth had the fight 115-113 for Pacquiao. Judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford had the fight 115-113 for Bradley. Personally I had the fight 117-111 for Pacquiao.
It was evident from the beginning of the bout that Pacquiao was the superior fighter. He was faster, landed more punches, and timed his punches beautifully. It was also evident that Pacquiao's punches had more power to them compared to Bradley. Give credit to Bradley though, he was hurt both by Pacquiao's punches and by injuries to both his feet during the fight, but he was never knocked down and fought to win the whole time. Bradley didn't try to boast either after the fight. He even told HBO analyst Max Kellerman that he was going to watch the fight on film to see if he actually won it.
The questions that have arisen from this mess are what's disturbing. First there are the betting odds shifting as the fight date got closer. Then there was the revelation that ESPN's Teddy Atlas stated about Pacquiao's business relationship with his promoter Bob Arum. Atlas stated that Pacquiao's contract with Arum's Top Rank Promotions is almost up and that there are rumblings of Pacquiao not resigning with Arum. In Atlas's own words when situations like this arise in boxing "funny things happen."
Funny things seem to be happening a lot lately when it comes to Bob Arum.
This decision is the second major robbery that I can think of at the top of my head this year involving an Arum promoted fighter.
The first one involved 'undefeated' lightweight fighter Brandon Rios April 14. Rios fought Richard Abril that night for the vacated WBA Lightweight title. Rios held the belt until he was stripped of it due to not making weight before his fight with John Murray. Rios again failed to make weight for this fight so the title could only be won by Abril. Throughout the fight it was evident that Abril was dominating Rios with his defense and his reach advantage. By the end of the fight nearly every boxing analyst including the broadcasters had the fight easily for Abril.
Rios was instead awarded the split decision.
Almost immediately after the initial disgust left everyone it was suspected that decision was part of a plan to keep a potential fight between Rios and Juan Manuel Marquez alive. That fight would bring Top Rank and by extension Arum a lot of money.
Now that spectre has risen again with this fight. This fight made Top Rank a lot of money and Arum wins either way since he promotes both Pacquiao and Bradley. Despite the LOUD outcry about a possible boycott of a rematch, that fight will make a lot of money too.
The most disturbing part of the aftermath is that there is a rematch clause with a locked in date of November 10 in the contract. Judging from what both fighters said, they would take that rematch.Even as Arum has feigned outrage at the decision and 'demanded' an investigation into the scoring of the fight from the Nevada Attorney General, the rematch will happen. That would mean that the dream fight boxing fans want between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather would not happen this year.
The dream Mayweather-Pacquiao fight has been in negotiations for years with little progress. Many view Arum as the main roadblock to that fight. It is believed that Arum's bitterness towards Mayweather after he left Top Rank (along with Mayweather's insistence that he have the lion's share of the potential purse) are the only issues stopping one of the biggest paydays in boxing history from happening.
Arum has been viewed for a long time by boxing fans the same way they view promoter Don King. King has long been accused of killing the heavyweight division along with ripping off boxers like the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez. To boxing fans, Arum is only concerned with making money from fights and last night's fight did nothing to change that perception.
This is what is truly killing boxing. It isn't the quality of the fights, but the money interests and the politics of the sports that is pushing fair weather fans away and is causing die hard fans to grow even more cynical.
There is time to fix this. Many are now looking at Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions to become the saviors of the sport.
I hope they can be.
Last night at the MGM Grand Manny Pacquiao, one of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, lost his WBO Welterweight title to Timothy Bradley in a very controversial split decision. The words 'very controversial' are the kindest that can be used to describe the decision.
Judge Jerry Roth had the fight 115-113 for Pacquiao. Judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford had the fight 115-113 for Bradley. Personally I had the fight 117-111 for Pacquiao.
It was evident from the beginning of the bout that Pacquiao was the superior fighter. He was faster, landed more punches, and timed his punches beautifully. It was also evident that Pacquiao's punches had more power to them compared to Bradley. Give credit to Bradley though, he was hurt both by Pacquiao's punches and by injuries to both his feet during the fight, but he was never knocked down and fought to win the whole time. Bradley didn't try to boast either after the fight. He even told HBO analyst Max Kellerman that he was going to watch the fight on film to see if he actually won it.
The questions that have arisen from this mess are what's disturbing. First there are the betting odds shifting as the fight date got closer. Then there was the revelation that ESPN's Teddy Atlas stated about Pacquiao's business relationship with his promoter Bob Arum. Atlas stated that Pacquiao's contract with Arum's Top Rank Promotions is almost up and that there are rumblings of Pacquiao not resigning with Arum. In Atlas's own words when situations like this arise in boxing "funny things happen."
Funny things seem to be happening a lot lately when it comes to Bob Arum.
This decision is the second major robbery that I can think of at the top of my head this year involving an Arum promoted fighter.
The first one involved 'undefeated' lightweight fighter Brandon Rios April 14. Rios fought Richard Abril that night for the vacated WBA Lightweight title. Rios held the belt until he was stripped of it due to not making weight before his fight with John Murray. Rios again failed to make weight for this fight so the title could only be won by Abril. Throughout the fight it was evident that Abril was dominating Rios with his defense and his reach advantage. By the end of the fight nearly every boxing analyst including the broadcasters had the fight easily for Abril.
Rios was instead awarded the split decision.
Almost immediately after the initial disgust left everyone it was suspected that decision was part of a plan to keep a potential fight between Rios and Juan Manuel Marquez alive. That fight would bring Top Rank and by extension Arum a lot of money.
Now that spectre has risen again with this fight. This fight made Top Rank a lot of money and Arum wins either way since he promotes both Pacquiao and Bradley. Despite the LOUD outcry about a possible boycott of a rematch, that fight will make a lot of money too.
The most disturbing part of the aftermath is that there is a rematch clause with a locked in date of November 10 in the contract. Judging from what both fighters said, they would take that rematch.Even as Arum has feigned outrage at the decision and 'demanded' an investigation into the scoring of the fight from the Nevada Attorney General, the rematch will happen. That would mean that the dream fight boxing fans want between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather would not happen this year.
The dream Mayweather-Pacquiao fight has been in negotiations for years with little progress. Many view Arum as the main roadblock to that fight. It is believed that Arum's bitterness towards Mayweather after he left Top Rank (along with Mayweather's insistence that he have the lion's share of the potential purse) are the only issues stopping one of the biggest paydays in boxing history from happening.
Arum has been viewed for a long time by boxing fans the same way they view promoter Don King. King has long been accused of killing the heavyweight division along with ripping off boxers like the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez. To boxing fans, Arum is only concerned with making money from fights and last night's fight did nothing to change that perception.
This is what is truly killing boxing. It isn't the quality of the fights, but the money interests and the politics of the sports that is pushing fair weather fans away and is causing die hard fans to grow even more cynical.
There is time to fix this. Many are now looking at Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions to become the saviors of the sport.
I hope they can be.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Paul Williams Tragedy Adds to A Controversial Year in Boxing
No one likes to hear a worst-case scenario in an accident, whether it's a close loved one or simply someone that is known by their trade. Today is no different.
On Monday boxing manager George Peterson confirmed reports that one of his fighters, Paul 'Punisher' Williams, was involved in a motorcycle accident on Sunday in an Atlanta suburb. He also told Ring.tv that doctors have said that Williams in now paralyzed from the waist down and will never walk again.
Williams was scheduled to challenge rising Mexican star and WBC Junior Middleweight Champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 15.
The apparent end of Williams' career just adds a sad chapter to what has been a controversial year in boxing so far both inside and outside the ring.
Inside the ring two fights stand out so far this year for controversy.
The first fight was on April 14 in Las Vegas, NV as Brandon Rios fought Richard Abril in a match between two top 10 fighters in the lightweight division. Abril was a replacement fighter for Rios as he was originally scheduled to go against Yuriorkis Gamboa, who pulled out of the fight due to unhappiness about his $1.1 million purse. Rios failed to make the 135 lb. weight requirement for the second fight in a row and went into the fight at 139 lbs. Abril came into the fight as a 5/1 underdog. After a good first round by both fighters Abril began to set the tone of the fight. Rios looked sluggish as the fight progressed and didn't seem to have an answer to Abril's defense. Nearly every boxing analyst had Abril winning the fight, but the judges gave Rios a split decision victory. To say that people were not amused would be an understatement. ESPN boxing reporter Dan Rafael called the decision "absolutely disgusting." Freelance reporter Mike Rosenthal said that "No way Rios won that fight." Promoter Lou DiBella said that the decision is why 'We (boxing) suck as a legit sport."
The second fight happened three weeks earlier on March 24 in Houston, TX as James Kirkland fought Carlos Molina in a junior middleweight bout. Kirkland was making his second comeback in the division after suffering setbacks in the ring (a shocking loss to Nobuhiro Ishida) and out (two prison stints for armed robbery and weapons possession by a felon.) The fight was going Molina's way through the first nine rounds as he was hitting Kirkland more accurately throughout. Kirkland looked out of his element as he was trying to out-box Molina even though he's a natural brawler. That started to change in the tenth round as Kirkland started letting his hands go and hurt Molina. Almost exactly at the bell rang to end the round Kirkland scored a knockdown. The rules of the fight stated that a referee has to administer a ten count to a fighter even if he was knocked down at the end of a round. The ringing of the bell caused some confusion in Molina's corner as one member came into the ring thinking that the round was over as the referee was administering the ten count. That caused the referee to disqualify Molina after a short pause. While the referee's decision was technically the correct one, it was panned by analysts. The blame was mainly aimed at the Texas Boxing Commission for their corner inspectors not stopping the man in Molina's corner from stepping in the ring during the ten count. It was later revealed that Kirkland suffered a shoulder injury during the fight.
Outside the ring controversy has stopped two rematches from happening.
The first instance happened on May 9 when a title fight rematch scheduled for May 19 between junior welterweights Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson was cancelled as Peterson tested positive for a banned substance in both his 'A' and 'B' samples. That substance turned out to be synthetic testosterone. Peterson admitted that he did take the substance, but said that he is taking it for medical reasons. It was also revealed that Peterson started taking testosterone in October 2011, which was before his first bout with Khan where he won the IBF and WBA Junior Welterweight belts in a split decision. Khan's main promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, has now asked for the result of the first fight to be changed to a 'no contest' thus giving the titles Khan lost back to him.
Khan and Golden Boy Promotions have now scheduled a fight with Danny Garcia on July 14 in Las Vegas for Garcia's WBC Junior Welterweight title.
The second instance happened only nine days removed from the first. On May 18 it was revealed that Andre Berto tested positive for norandrosterone, a version of the anabolic steroid Nandrolone. That caused his June 23 welterweight fight against Victor Ortiz, a rematch of Ring Magazine's 2011 Fight of the Year, to be cancelled. That fight produced Berto's only loss in his career. While Berto has denied taking the substance, his claims are on shallow water as Victor Conte of BALCO infamy is in his training camp. Unlike the Peterson situation where it was weeks between the 'A' and 'B' sample being tested, Berto's camp informed Golden Boy Promotions (Ortiz's promoter) of the positive 'A' immediately. That allowed Golden Boy time to quickly test the 'B' sample and to find a replacement for Berto to face Ortiz without moving the date of the fight.
Ortiz is now scheduled to face Josesito Lopez on the same scheduled date as the Berto fight in Los Angeles.
Three potentially great fights set for this year lost, two by controversy and one by tragedy.
Luckily it looks like all three fighters that lost opponents to these events won't be stalled by them.
Khan has a chance to retake his spot at the top of the junior welterweight division. Ortiz will get to regain steam after losing his last fight against the world's best pound-for-pound fighter in Floyd Mayweather Jr. Alvarez is now finalizing talks to make a mandatory WBC Junior Middleweight title defense against Kirkland.
It's only been half a year and boxing has been hit hard. There is still time to turn it around though. Khan-Garcia, Ortiz-Lopez, and (potentially) Alvarez-Kirkland all can be good fights. There is also still talks that the dream fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao can still happen this year.
The sweet science can still get up to fight again.
On Monday boxing manager George Peterson confirmed reports that one of his fighters, Paul 'Punisher' Williams, was involved in a motorcycle accident on Sunday in an Atlanta suburb. He also told Ring.tv that doctors have said that Williams in now paralyzed from the waist down and will never walk again.
Williams was scheduled to challenge rising Mexican star and WBC Junior Middleweight Champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 15.
The apparent end of Williams' career just adds a sad chapter to what has been a controversial year in boxing so far both inside and outside the ring.
Inside the ring two fights stand out so far this year for controversy.
The first fight was on April 14 in Las Vegas, NV as Brandon Rios fought Richard Abril in a match between two top 10 fighters in the lightweight division. Abril was a replacement fighter for Rios as he was originally scheduled to go against Yuriorkis Gamboa, who pulled out of the fight due to unhappiness about his $1.1 million purse. Rios failed to make the 135 lb. weight requirement for the second fight in a row and went into the fight at 139 lbs. Abril came into the fight as a 5/1 underdog. After a good first round by both fighters Abril began to set the tone of the fight. Rios looked sluggish as the fight progressed and didn't seem to have an answer to Abril's defense. Nearly every boxing analyst had Abril winning the fight, but the judges gave Rios a split decision victory. To say that people were not amused would be an understatement. ESPN boxing reporter Dan Rafael called the decision "absolutely disgusting." Freelance reporter Mike Rosenthal said that "No way Rios won that fight." Promoter Lou DiBella said that the decision is why 'We (boxing) suck as a legit sport."
The second fight happened three weeks earlier on March 24 in Houston, TX as James Kirkland fought Carlos Molina in a junior middleweight bout. Kirkland was making his second comeback in the division after suffering setbacks in the ring (a shocking loss to Nobuhiro Ishida) and out (two prison stints for armed robbery and weapons possession by a felon.) The fight was going Molina's way through the first nine rounds as he was hitting Kirkland more accurately throughout. Kirkland looked out of his element as he was trying to out-box Molina even though he's a natural brawler. That started to change in the tenth round as Kirkland started letting his hands go and hurt Molina. Almost exactly at the bell rang to end the round Kirkland scored a knockdown. The rules of the fight stated that a referee has to administer a ten count to a fighter even if he was knocked down at the end of a round. The ringing of the bell caused some confusion in Molina's corner as one member came into the ring thinking that the round was over as the referee was administering the ten count. That caused the referee to disqualify Molina after a short pause. While the referee's decision was technically the correct one, it was panned by analysts. The blame was mainly aimed at the Texas Boxing Commission for their corner inspectors not stopping the man in Molina's corner from stepping in the ring during the ten count. It was later revealed that Kirkland suffered a shoulder injury during the fight.
Outside the ring controversy has stopped two rematches from happening.
The first instance happened on May 9 when a title fight rematch scheduled for May 19 between junior welterweights Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson was cancelled as Peterson tested positive for a banned substance in both his 'A' and 'B' samples. That substance turned out to be synthetic testosterone. Peterson admitted that he did take the substance, but said that he is taking it for medical reasons. It was also revealed that Peterson started taking testosterone in October 2011, which was before his first bout with Khan where he won the IBF and WBA Junior Welterweight belts in a split decision. Khan's main promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, has now asked for the result of the first fight to be changed to a 'no contest' thus giving the titles Khan lost back to him.
Khan and Golden Boy Promotions have now scheduled a fight with Danny Garcia on July 14 in Las Vegas for Garcia's WBC Junior Welterweight title.
The second instance happened only nine days removed from the first. On May 18 it was revealed that Andre Berto tested positive for norandrosterone, a version of the anabolic steroid Nandrolone. That caused his June 23 welterweight fight against Victor Ortiz, a rematch of Ring Magazine's 2011 Fight of the Year, to be cancelled. That fight produced Berto's only loss in his career. While Berto has denied taking the substance, his claims are on shallow water as Victor Conte of BALCO infamy is in his training camp. Unlike the Peterson situation where it was weeks between the 'A' and 'B' sample being tested, Berto's camp informed Golden Boy Promotions (Ortiz's promoter) of the positive 'A' immediately. That allowed Golden Boy time to quickly test the 'B' sample and to find a replacement for Berto to face Ortiz without moving the date of the fight.
Ortiz is now scheduled to face Josesito Lopez on the same scheduled date as the Berto fight in Los Angeles.
Three potentially great fights set for this year lost, two by controversy and one by tragedy.
Luckily it looks like all three fighters that lost opponents to these events won't be stalled by them.
Khan has a chance to retake his spot at the top of the junior welterweight division. Ortiz will get to regain steam after losing his last fight against the world's best pound-for-pound fighter in Floyd Mayweather Jr. Alvarez is now finalizing talks to make a mandatory WBC Junior Middleweight title defense against Kirkland.
It's only been half a year and boxing has been hit hard. There is still time to turn it around though. Khan-Garcia, Ortiz-Lopez, and (potentially) Alvarez-Kirkland all can be good fights. There is also still talks that the dream fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao can still happen this year.
The sweet science can still get up to fight again.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Heat-Celtics: Eastern Conference Finals Preview
It's almost pre-ordained in a way. An old, battle tested team making possibly their last run together facing a younger team built for facing them.
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are facing each other for the second time since Heat forwards LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined guard Dwyane Wade in Miami. Both teams are coming off two semifinal rounds where their mettle was greatly tested. The Heat are coming into this series still missing Bosh due to an abdominal strain. The Celtics are coming into this series having lost rookie guard Avery Bradley for the rest of the playoffs to a shoulder injury.
Here is how each team got to this point:
Miami Heat
One word can be used to describe the Heat's mindset coming into season: redemption. After falling short in last year's NBA Finals the Heat have been on a championship-or-bust mode. James in particular has been on a personal mission to get back to the Finals and erase the perception of him falling apart at big moments. In a season that earned him his third Most Valuable Player award in four years, James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Wade missed 17 games due to injuries and finished the season averaging 22.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Forward Udonis Haslem had a down season offensively after coming back from injury in last year's Eastern Conference Finals averaging 6.1 points per game.
In the playoffs the Heat had both an easy and tough matchup. In the first round they faced the New York Knicks in what many hoped would be the sexy series of the playoffs. Instead it became an almost Heat sweep due to Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony having an outstanding Game 4. In the semifinals the faced the Indiana Pacers in a tough, physical matchup. It was in this series that the Heat lost Bosh to injury in Game 1. After that the Pacers seized on their size advantage in Games 2 and 3. James and Wade responded in kind afterwards with almost unstoppable performances in Games 4, 5, and 6. James in particular had a historic Game 4 with 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, a stat line not seen in the playoffs since 1961.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics came into the season with the possibility of it being the last of the Big 3 era. Forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, along with guard Ray Allen were not getting any younger and the franchise was dealt a blow when forward Jeff Green (whom they traded center Kendrick Perkins for) was lost for the season due to an aortic aneurysm. The team also made some moves like acquiring forward Brandon Bass in a sign-&-trade deal involving forward Glen Davis. Pierce finished the season averaging 19.4 points and 5.2 rebounds and was the healthiest of the Celtic Big 3 only missing four games. The same couldn't be said for Allen as he missed 20 games and finished the season averaging 14.2 points and 3.1 rebounds. At one point Allen was almost traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard OJ Mayo. Garnett, after looking sluggish early on, picked it up late averaging 15.8 points and 8.1 rebounds at season's end.
In the playoffs the Celtics had two unexpectedly tough matchups. In the first round they faced the Atlanta Hawks and lost Game 1 along with guard Rajon Rondo to a one game suspension for bumping a referee. While the Celtics did win the next three games it wasn't an easy task. The series went to six games, almost all of them tough. Garnett ad some of his best play in this series averaging 18.7 points and 10.5 rebounds. The semifinals found the Celtics not facing the expected foe in the Chicago Bulls, but the Philadelphia 76ers. This series was...not pretty to say the least. Each team seemed to bring out the worst in each other basketball-wise. This series is also where Bradley was lost to the shoulder injury.
With this matchup both teams have problems. The Heat don't have a complete answer in trying to stop Rondo from penetrating. The overall health of the Celtics may be exposed by the Heat's transition offense. Bosh being out frees up Garnett to get his game going. Bradley being out frees up Wade to continue his recent tear. One matchup though will be a key for each team.
LeBron James vs Paul Pierce:
It is no secret that the Celtics have caused James problems in the playoffs during his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last year's playoffs helped James overcome this stigma. Unfortunately his NBA Finals performance brought the questions of toughness back. Now he is facing the Celtics once again. Pierce is a good defender has been known for clutch performances in the playoffs. Pierce is not healthy coming into this series though. With James putting up jaw dropping games lately it will take a gargantuan effort from Pierce for Boston to have a chance.
Prediction: Heat win series 4-1
The Heat are on a mission of redemption, and the series with the Pacers may have woken up a sleeping giant. Bosh being out has made role players like guard Mario Chalmers, guard Mike Miller, and forward Shane Battier step up. Couple that with Haslem finding his jumper and the recent play of James and Wade and it will be too much for a Celtics team that is limping their way ti this series.
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are facing each other for the second time since Heat forwards LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined guard Dwyane Wade in Miami. Both teams are coming off two semifinal rounds where their mettle was greatly tested. The Heat are coming into this series still missing Bosh due to an abdominal strain. The Celtics are coming into this series having lost rookie guard Avery Bradley for the rest of the playoffs to a shoulder injury.
Here is how each team got to this point:
Miami Heat
One word can be used to describe the Heat's mindset coming into season: redemption. After falling short in last year's NBA Finals the Heat have been on a championship-or-bust mode. James in particular has been on a personal mission to get back to the Finals and erase the perception of him falling apart at big moments. In a season that earned him his third Most Valuable Player award in four years, James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Wade missed 17 games due to injuries and finished the season averaging 22.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Forward Udonis Haslem had a down season offensively after coming back from injury in last year's Eastern Conference Finals averaging 6.1 points per game.
In the playoffs the Heat had both an easy and tough matchup. In the first round they faced the New York Knicks in what many hoped would be the sexy series of the playoffs. Instead it became an almost Heat sweep due to Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony having an outstanding Game 4. In the semifinals the faced the Indiana Pacers in a tough, physical matchup. It was in this series that the Heat lost Bosh to injury in Game 1. After that the Pacers seized on their size advantage in Games 2 and 3. James and Wade responded in kind afterwards with almost unstoppable performances in Games 4, 5, and 6. James in particular had a historic Game 4 with 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, a stat line not seen in the playoffs since 1961.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics came into the season with the possibility of it being the last of the Big 3 era. Forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, along with guard Ray Allen were not getting any younger and the franchise was dealt a blow when forward Jeff Green (whom they traded center Kendrick Perkins for) was lost for the season due to an aortic aneurysm. The team also made some moves like acquiring forward Brandon Bass in a sign-&-trade deal involving forward Glen Davis. Pierce finished the season averaging 19.4 points and 5.2 rebounds and was the healthiest of the Celtic Big 3 only missing four games. The same couldn't be said for Allen as he missed 20 games and finished the season averaging 14.2 points and 3.1 rebounds. At one point Allen was almost traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard OJ Mayo. Garnett, after looking sluggish early on, picked it up late averaging 15.8 points and 8.1 rebounds at season's end.
In the playoffs the Celtics had two unexpectedly tough matchups. In the first round they faced the Atlanta Hawks and lost Game 1 along with guard Rajon Rondo to a one game suspension for bumping a referee. While the Celtics did win the next three games it wasn't an easy task. The series went to six games, almost all of them tough. Garnett ad some of his best play in this series averaging 18.7 points and 10.5 rebounds. The semifinals found the Celtics not facing the expected foe in the Chicago Bulls, but the Philadelphia 76ers. This series was...not pretty to say the least. Each team seemed to bring out the worst in each other basketball-wise. This series is also where Bradley was lost to the shoulder injury.
With this matchup both teams have problems. The Heat don't have a complete answer in trying to stop Rondo from penetrating. The overall health of the Celtics may be exposed by the Heat's transition offense. Bosh being out frees up Garnett to get his game going. Bradley being out frees up Wade to continue his recent tear. One matchup though will be a key for each team.
LeBron James vs Paul Pierce:
It is no secret that the Celtics have caused James problems in the playoffs during his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last year's playoffs helped James overcome this stigma. Unfortunately his NBA Finals performance brought the questions of toughness back. Now he is facing the Celtics once again. Pierce is a good defender has been known for clutch performances in the playoffs. Pierce is not healthy coming into this series though. With James putting up jaw dropping games lately it will take a gargantuan effort from Pierce for Boston to have a chance.
Prediction: Heat win series 4-1
The Heat are on a mission of redemption, and the series with the Pacers may have woken up a sleeping giant. Bosh being out has made role players like guard Mario Chalmers, guard Mike Miller, and forward Shane Battier step up. Couple that with Haslem finding his jumper and the recent play of James and Wade and it will be too much for a Celtics team that is limping their way ti this series.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Spurs-Thunder: Western Conference Finals Preview
This is the series everyone wanted in the West.
It has the great old vs new storyline that sports pundits dream about. It's become more compelling given the teams that the Oklahoma City Thunder has faced in these playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs have transformed themselves almost to directly compete with their only foe standing between them and the NBA Finals.
Here is how each team got to this point:
San Antonio Spurs
Before this season no one thought of an offensive giant when the Spurs came up. What people did think of is sound, fundamental basketball coupled with great defense. This year though, Spurs head coach Greg Popovich has changed his philosophy along with his roster mixing the championship pedigree of forward Tim Duncan and guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili with young players like forward Kwahi Leonard and guard Daniel Green. This move, along with earning Popovich Coach of the Year honors, can almost be seen as a direct response that the Thunder present with their athleticism. Turning the Spurs into an offensive juggernaut has surprised everyone, especially in the last month of the season when they snatched the top seed in the Western Conference from the Thunder.
In the playoffs the Spurs have been unstoppable with both their first round and semifinal series ending in sweeps of theire respective opponents (Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers). Duncan has seen a ressurection averaging 17.6 points, nine rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game this season. Parker is leading the Spurs in scoring averaging 19.1 points along with 7.1 assists. Ginobili has been his usual self coming off the bench averaging 11.3 points and 4.5 assists.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder went into the season hoping to prove that their appearance in last season's Western Conference Finals was not a fluke, and they have succeeded. Led by their own Big 3 of forward Kevin Durant along with guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the Thunder have led the West almost the entire season. The defensive growth of forward Serge Ibaka has made the Thunder front line of him and center Kendrick Perkins one of the toughest in the NBA. The Thunder have also gained some championship pedigree in their roster as they signed guard Derek Fisher after losing guard Eric Maynor for the season due to injury.
In the playoffs the Thunder have literally gone on a journey facing the Old Guard of the West. In the first round they faced the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and swept them. In the second round they faced the Los Angeles Lakers and almost swept them. Durant has led the way averaging 26.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Westbrook has not been far behing averaging 24.1 points and 4.4 assists per game. Harden, the almost unanimous (but should have been) Sixth Man of the Year award winner this season has stepped up as well averaging 17 points and two steals per game.
Now the Thunder face the last of the Old Guard in the Spurs, who has appeared to have prepared themselves with them in mind. There are matchups galore in this series but one will be the key to this series:
James Harden vs Manu Ginobili:
They both come off the bench, both can penetrate to the paint, and both can take over a game at any moment. Watching Harden and Ginobili play individually can be salivating as their games are almost mirror images of each other. Now they will most likely face each other for majority of the time they are on the floor together. Ginobili will have to use his experience to offset the youth Harden brings to the table. Harden will have to be sore savvy in order to not get in foul trouble against a known flopper in Ginobili.
Prediction: Thunder win series 4-3
Like I said before, the Thunder have been going on a journey against the Old Guard of the West. Now they are facing their biggest test against a Spurs team that seems prepared specifically for them. While the Spurs have been playing excellent in these playoffs the Thunder may just be athletic enough to slow them down. This series will go the distance with great play throughout, but the Thunder will just have enough to get to their first NBA Finals since the franchise's Seattle days.
It has the great old vs new storyline that sports pundits dream about. It's become more compelling given the teams that the Oklahoma City Thunder has faced in these playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs have transformed themselves almost to directly compete with their only foe standing between them and the NBA Finals.
Here is how each team got to this point:
San Antonio Spurs
Before this season no one thought of an offensive giant when the Spurs came up. What people did think of is sound, fundamental basketball coupled with great defense. This year though, Spurs head coach Greg Popovich has changed his philosophy along with his roster mixing the championship pedigree of forward Tim Duncan and guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili with young players like forward Kwahi Leonard and guard Daniel Green. This move, along with earning Popovich Coach of the Year honors, can almost be seen as a direct response that the Thunder present with their athleticism. Turning the Spurs into an offensive juggernaut has surprised everyone, especially in the last month of the season when they snatched the top seed in the Western Conference from the Thunder.
In the playoffs the Spurs have been unstoppable with both their first round and semifinal series ending in sweeps of theire respective opponents (Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers). Duncan has seen a ressurection averaging 17.6 points, nine rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game this season. Parker is leading the Spurs in scoring averaging 19.1 points along with 7.1 assists. Ginobili has been his usual self coming off the bench averaging 11.3 points and 4.5 assists.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder went into the season hoping to prove that their appearance in last season's Western Conference Finals was not a fluke, and they have succeeded. Led by their own Big 3 of forward Kevin Durant along with guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the Thunder have led the West almost the entire season. The defensive growth of forward Serge Ibaka has made the Thunder front line of him and center Kendrick Perkins one of the toughest in the NBA. The Thunder have also gained some championship pedigree in their roster as they signed guard Derek Fisher after losing guard Eric Maynor for the season due to injury.
In the playoffs the Thunder have literally gone on a journey facing the Old Guard of the West. In the first round they faced the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and swept them. In the second round they faced the Los Angeles Lakers and almost swept them. Durant has led the way averaging 26.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Westbrook has not been far behing averaging 24.1 points and 4.4 assists per game. Harden, the almost unanimous (but should have been) Sixth Man of the Year award winner this season has stepped up as well averaging 17 points and two steals per game.
Now the Thunder face the last of the Old Guard in the Spurs, who has appeared to have prepared themselves with them in mind. There are matchups galore in this series but one will be the key to this series:
James Harden vs Manu Ginobili:
They both come off the bench, both can penetrate to the paint, and both can take over a game at any moment. Watching Harden and Ginobili play individually can be salivating as their games are almost mirror images of each other. Now they will most likely face each other for majority of the time they are on the floor together. Ginobili will have to use his experience to offset the youth Harden brings to the table. Harden will have to be sore savvy in order to not get in foul trouble against a known flopper in Ginobili.
Prediction: Thunder win series 4-3
Like I said before, the Thunder have been going on a journey against the Old Guard of the West. Now they are facing their biggest test against a Spurs team that seems prepared specifically for them. While the Spurs have been playing excellent in these playoffs the Thunder may just be athletic enough to slow them down. This series will go the distance with great play throughout, but the Thunder will just have enough to get to their first NBA Finals since the franchise's Seattle days.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Heat-Pacers Game 5: The Good, Bad, and Ugly
The Miami Heat maintained the same domination from their Game 4 second half against the Indiana Pacers as they won Game 5 in blowout fashion 115-83 Tuesday night. That victory gives the Heat a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal match up. The game also carried over the physical, sometimes chippy play from throughout the series in a big fashion with three flagrant fouls.
Let's take a look back back at the good, the , and the ugly from both sides.
Miami Heat
The Good: Forward LeBron James and guard Dwyane Wade didn't have to combine for 70 points like they did in Game 4. Instead They combined for 58 points in a balanced effort from start to finish in Game 5. Forward Shane Battier had his best game in a Heat uniform so far by scoring early with two 3-point shots and frustrating Pacers forward David West on the defensive end. Center Ronnie Turiaf and guard Mario Chalmers along with Battier scored the first 10 points for the Heat and continued their contributions throughout the game. Chalmers, while having some head scratching moments, finished the game with eight points and 11 rebounds, one less than Pacers center Roy Hibbert. Even guard Mike Miller, while not scoring a point, contributed in his own way by at one point playing defense with one shoe.
The Bad: Despite never trailing in the game, the Heat allowed the Pacers energy lineup of guard Darren Collison, forward Tyler Hansbrough, and guard Leandro Barbosa to keep the game close in the second quarter. At one point the Pacers only trailed by two points before they bailed the Heat out with some bad possessions. The Heat also weren't able to get Hibbert and West in foul trouble like in Game 4, something they need to do.
The Ugly: While the Heat took care of business at home, the main stories after the game were the two flagrant fouls committed by forward Udonis Haslem and center Dexter Pittman. The foul by Haslem on Hansbrough is seen by many as retaliation for Hansbrough's flagrant foul on Wade. Some called the foul dirty, others called it Eastern Conference playoff basketball. Haslem doesn't have a history of dirty play so a possible suspension doesn't come to mind...until Pittman committed his flagrant foul. Pittman, a seldom used center, took it upon himself to retaliate against Pacers guard Lance Stephenson in garbage time by elbowing him in the neck. Stephenson made himself known in the series by giving the choking signal from the bench in Game 3 as James missed two free throws. If the NBA wanted to follow their own precedent set just this season, then after looking at the play (something the league does automatically when it comes to flagrant fouls) they would've suspended Pittman the same amount of games as Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace when he had his elbow incident. Instead Pittman will only sit out three games.
Indiana Pacers
The Good: The Pacers made the right adjustments to make sure Hibbert and West didn't find themselves in foul trouble like in Game 4. Forward Danny Granger started to get hot early in the game and the energy lineup of Barbosa, Collison, and Hansbrough kept the game close in the second quarter.
The Bad: Unfortunately the other adjustment the Pacers needed to make after Game 4 didn't happen. Hibbert and West weren't able to establish themselves in the paint to take advantage of not being in foul trouble. West was particularly bothered due to the defense of Battier and missed his first five shots finishing the night with 10 points. Hibbert, who is the biggest size advantage for the Pacers, wasn't able to score big despite grabbing four offensive rebounds en route to getting 12 for the night. His biggest highlight was him making a 3-point shot as the shot clock was expiring, something he hasn't done sine April of 2010. The energy lineup, after cutting the Heat lead to tow points in the second quarter, for some reason decided to play hero ball in trying to take the lead. The Pacers had possessions late in the quarter where they shot the ball too quickly in order to shift the game momentum. That bailed out the Heat and opened the door they needed to begin the blowout.
The Ugly: A major factor that turned the game into a blowout were the injuries that Granger and West. Granger sprained his left ankle late in the second quarter by landing it on the foot of James who was defending him following a missed 3-point attempt. He was listed as questionable to return but chose to start the second half after getting the ankle re-taped. He aggravated the injury again in the third quarter while fouling James to avoid an easy transition basket. West sprained his left knee near the end of the third quarter. While he was capable of returning for the fourth quarter the game's outcome was already evident and the Pacers chose to exercise caution. West is note expected to miss Game 6, Granger may be a different story. Had he chosen to stay out of the game Granger would have healed quicker from the injury and at least be available to come from the bench. If his actions in the third quarter lead to him missing Game 6 it will likely be the end for the Pacers. Just as Heat forward Chris Bosh's abdominal strain injury changed the series dynamics in favor of the Pacers, Granger's possible absence will to the same as he is the Pacers' main offensive threat. To add insult to injury Pacers team president Larry Bird, one of the toughest players in NBA history, told the Indianapolis Star flat out that he felt the team has become soft.
Now the series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 6 where an environment not seen since the days of Reggie Miller and Spike Lee might await. It will also present a game that is almost certain to be more scrutinized by the referees. It's become a classic Eastern Conference playoff series.
On to Nap Town.
Let's take a look back back at the good, the , and the ugly from both sides.
Miami Heat
The Good: Forward LeBron James and guard Dwyane Wade didn't have to combine for 70 points like they did in Game 4. Instead They combined for 58 points in a balanced effort from start to finish in Game 5. Forward Shane Battier had his best game in a Heat uniform so far by scoring early with two 3-point shots and frustrating Pacers forward David West on the defensive end. Center Ronnie Turiaf and guard Mario Chalmers along with Battier scored the first 10 points for the Heat and continued their contributions throughout the game. Chalmers, while having some head scratching moments, finished the game with eight points and 11 rebounds, one less than Pacers center Roy Hibbert. Even guard Mike Miller, while not scoring a point, contributed in his own way by at one point playing defense with one shoe.
The Bad: Despite never trailing in the game, the Heat allowed the Pacers energy lineup of guard Darren Collison, forward Tyler Hansbrough, and guard Leandro Barbosa to keep the game close in the second quarter. At one point the Pacers only trailed by two points before they bailed the Heat out with some bad possessions. The Heat also weren't able to get Hibbert and West in foul trouble like in Game 4, something they need to do.
The Ugly: While the Heat took care of business at home, the main stories after the game were the two flagrant fouls committed by forward Udonis Haslem and center Dexter Pittman. The foul by Haslem on Hansbrough is seen by many as retaliation for Hansbrough's flagrant foul on Wade. Some called the foul dirty, others called it Eastern Conference playoff basketball. Haslem doesn't have a history of dirty play so a possible suspension doesn't come to mind...until Pittman committed his flagrant foul. Pittman, a seldom used center, took it upon himself to retaliate against Pacers guard Lance Stephenson in garbage time by elbowing him in the neck. Stephenson made himself known in the series by giving the choking signal from the bench in Game 3 as James missed two free throws. If the NBA wanted to follow their own precedent set just this season, then after looking at the play (something the league does automatically when it comes to flagrant fouls) they would've suspended Pittman the same amount of games as Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace when he had his elbow incident. Instead Pittman will only sit out three games.
Indiana Pacers
The Good: The Pacers made the right adjustments to make sure Hibbert and West didn't find themselves in foul trouble like in Game 4. Forward Danny Granger started to get hot early in the game and the energy lineup of Barbosa, Collison, and Hansbrough kept the game close in the second quarter.
The Bad: Unfortunately the other adjustment the Pacers needed to make after Game 4 didn't happen. Hibbert and West weren't able to establish themselves in the paint to take advantage of not being in foul trouble. West was particularly bothered due to the defense of Battier and missed his first five shots finishing the night with 10 points. Hibbert, who is the biggest size advantage for the Pacers, wasn't able to score big despite grabbing four offensive rebounds en route to getting 12 for the night. His biggest highlight was him making a 3-point shot as the shot clock was expiring, something he hasn't done sine April of 2010. The energy lineup, after cutting the Heat lead to tow points in the second quarter, for some reason decided to play hero ball in trying to take the lead. The Pacers had possessions late in the quarter where they shot the ball too quickly in order to shift the game momentum. That bailed out the Heat and opened the door they needed to begin the blowout.
The Ugly: A major factor that turned the game into a blowout were the injuries that Granger and West. Granger sprained his left ankle late in the second quarter by landing it on the foot of James who was defending him following a missed 3-point attempt. He was listed as questionable to return but chose to start the second half after getting the ankle re-taped. He aggravated the injury again in the third quarter while fouling James to avoid an easy transition basket. West sprained his left knee near the end of the third quarter. While he was capable of returning for the fourth quarter the game's outcome was already evident and the Pacers chose to exercise caution. West is note expected to miss Game 6, Granger may be a different story. Had he chosen to stay out of the game Granger would have healed quicker from the injury and at least be available to come from the bench. If his actions in the third quarter lead to him missing Game 6 it will likely be the end for the Pacers. Just as Heat forward Chris Bosh's abdominal strain injury changed the series dynamics in favor of the Pacers, Granger's possible absence will to the same as he is the Pacers' main offensive threat. To add insult to injury Pacers team president Larry Bird, one of the toughest players in NBA history, told the Indianapolis Star flat out that he felt the team has become soft.
Now the series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 6 where an environment not seen since the days of Reggie Miller and Spike Lee might await. It will also present a game that is almost certain to be more scrutinized by the referees. It's become a classic Eastern Conference playoff series.
On to Nap Town.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Heat-Pacers: A Duel of Individual Talent vs Team Strenght
Little more than a week ago the Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers had a particular storyline set up for it. A match up between a team with great individual talent (Heat) and a team with no superstar talent but great team chemistry (Pacers).
Little has changed since to change that narrative. The abdominal strain that Heat forward Chris Bosh suffered in the first half of the team's 95-86 Game 1 victory only reinforced it.
The Heat were already at a size disadvantage coming into this series facing the Pacers front line of forward David West and center Roy Hibbert. Losing Bosh for the series to an injury made this advantage greater for Indiana and it showed in their 78-75 and 94-75 victories in Games 2 and 3. It also helps that one of the Heat's Big 3 still standing (guard Dwyane Wade) wasn't playing like himself in Game 3 with only five points in 37 minutes of play.
What Bosh's absence has done is being felt more than just on statistics. Bosh as it turns out, while sacrificing the most in individual achievements when he chose to come to Miami, has become the team's most important player. His presence is what allowed Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to set up the pick and roll plays in a half court offense as well as his bench rotation, something a coach shouldn't be tinkering so much with in the playoffs. In fact, Spoelstra has used a different starting lineup for each game. One of those lineups featured starting second year center Dexter Pittman in Game 3. Pittman didn't play for three weeks prior to Game 3 and the experiment only lasted a little more than three minutes.
This has put the pressure on Wade and forward LeBron James. They are the two best players in the series and have to play as such for the Heat to win. With Bosh out weakening the Heat bench Wade and James have to force their individual talents to overwhelm the Pacers. However, they also need another player to step up and contribute. In Game 3 one those things happened with guard Mario Chalmers having one of the best games of his career finishing with 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists. That performance was overshadowed by Wade's lackluster effort.
Luckily in Game 4 both those things happened.
James, playing the Magic Johnson role, got Wade going in the second half after only making one field goal in the first. That effort by James led to Wade to at one point make 11 straight field goals in a row. Wade finished the game with 30 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. James, while doing his best to help his teammates, also went on to have a historic performance. James finished the game with 40 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists. That type of stat line hasn't been achieved in a playoff game since Elgin Baylor did it in 1961.
In other words, what James did in Game 4 hasn't been done since the early days of the John F. Kennedy administration.
It didn't stop there for the Heat. Forward Udonis Haslem, who is having a down season, stepped up with a 14 point performance that included shots late in the fourth quarter that stemmed several pushes by the Pacers to take back cpntrol of the game. He also received a cut above his right eye during the game that required nine stitches afterwards. Haslem is the player that can most replicate what Bosh does for the Heat and Game 4 might get him back in a good groove offensively.
So now with the series tied at 2-2 it has become a best-of-three event with two of those games being held in Miami's American Airlines Arena. The Pacers will try to make the adjustments needed to keep Hibbert and West out of the foul trouble they found themselves in Game 4 and to reinsert their size advantage. The Heat will try to make the adjustments needed to exploit their athleticism like in Game 4 and find ways to negate the size they are giving up in this series.
The narrative is still the same in this series, and that is what will determine the winner in the end.
On to South Beach for Game 5.
Little has changed since to change that narrative. The abdominal strain that Heat forward Chris Bosh suffered in the first half of the team's 95-86 Game 1 victory only reinforced it.
The Heat were already at a size disadvantage coming into this series facing the Pacers front line of forward David West and center Roy Hibbert. Losing Bosh for the series to an injury made this advantage greater for Indiana and it showed in their 78-75 and 94-75 victories in Games 2 and 3. It also helps that one of the Heat's Big 3 still standing (guard Dwyane Wade) wasn't playing like himself in Game 3 with only five points in 37 minutes of play.
What Bosh's absence has done is being felt more than just on statistics. Bosh as it turns out, while sacrificing the most in individual achievements when he chose to come to Miami, has become the team's most important player. His presence is what allowed Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to set up the pick and roll plays in a half court offense as well as his bench rotation, something a coach shouldn't be tinkering so much with in the playoffs. In fact, Spoelstra has used a different starting lineup for each game. One of those lineups featured starting second year center Dexter Pittman in Game 3. Pittman didn't play for three weeks prior to Game 3 and the experiment only lasted a little more than three minutes.
This has put the pressure on Wade and forward LeBron James. They are the two best players in the series and have to play as such for the Heat to win. With Bosh out weakening the Heat bench Wade and James have to force their individual talents to overwhelm the Pacers. However, they also need another player to step up and contribute. In Game 3 one those things happened with guard Mario Chalmers having one of the best games of his career finishing with 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists. That performance was overshadowed by Wade's lackluster effort.
Luckily in Game 4 both those things happened.
James, playing the Magic Johnson role, got Wade going in the second half after only making one field goal in the first. That effort by James led to Wade to at one point make 11 straight field goals in a row. Wade finished the game with 30 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. James, while doing his best to help his teammates, also went on to have a historic performance. James finished the game with 40 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists. That type of stat line hasn't been achieved in a playoff game since Elgin Baylor did it in 1961.
In other words, what James did in Game 4 hasn't been done since the early days of the John F. Kennedy administration.
It didn't stop there for the Heat. Forward Udonis Haslem, who is having a down season, stepped up with a 14 point performance that included shots late in the fourth quarter that stemmed several pushes by the Pacers to take back cpntrol of the game. He also received a cut above his right eye during the game that required nine stitches afterwards. Haslem is the player that can most replicate what Bosh does for the Heat and Game 4 might get him back in a good groove offensively.
So now with the series tied at 2-2 it has become a best-of-three event with two of those games being held in Miami's American Airlines Arena. The Pacers will try to make the adjustments needed to keep Hibbert and West out of the foul trouble they found themselves in Game 4 and to reinsert their size advantage. The Heat will try to make the adjustments needed to exploit their athleticism like in Game 4 and find ways to negate the size they are giving up in this series.
The narrative is still the same in this series, and that is what will determine the winner in the end.
On to South Beach for Game 5.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
NBA Playoff Preview (Western Conference)
It's finally here folks, NBA playoff time! Here is how I view the West:
NBA Playoffs (First
Round)
WESTERN
CONFERENCE
#1 San Antonio Spurs VS #8 Utah Jazz (Regular
Season: 3-1 Spurs)
Series Preview:
For the second straight season the San Antonio Spurs have the top seed in the
West and for the second straight season draw an opponent that could potentially
give them problems.
For the Spurs the main goal in this series is to not
have a repeat of last year’s playoffs where they got bounced out of the first
round by the Memphis Grizzlies. Their main advantages in this series are their playoff
experience and the matchup in the guard positions. Point guard Tony Parker is
coming into this series after finishing the season as a dark horse MVP
candidate in which he averages 18.3 points and 7.47 assists a game. Shooting guard
Manu Ginobili continues to be the catalyst for the Spurs offense despite
missing 32 games this season either by injury of rest. Another factor in favor
of the Spurs is that they are better rested coming into the playoffs than last
season.
For the Utah Jazz, this is a surprise playoff berth
after seeming to be in a rebuilding mode. While looking as almost a certain
lottery team throughout the season they had a furious 11-4 April stretch after
starting the month at 27-26. After saying goodbye to the Deron Williams era
last season they have built a new core around power forward Paul Milsap,
forward/center Derrick Favors, center Al Jefferson, and shooting guard Gordon
Hayward. Of these four Jefferson has emerged leading the team with 19.2 points
and 9.6 rebounds a game. Point guard Devin Harris has had a bounce back year in
which he averaged 11.3 points and 5 assists a game. The young Jazz front line of
Jefferson, Milsap, and Favors may force the Spurs to insert center Tiago Splitter
into the starting lineup.
Impact Player
of the Series: Paul Milsap
They don’t call him Mr. Big Shot in Utah for
nothing. Milsap has provided plenty of heroics for the Jazz on his way to
averaging 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds this season, both career highs. He needs
to make his presence felt in this series to balance out the experience gap that
the Spurs enjoy with center and future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan in their front
line.
Prediction:
Spurs win series 4-1
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich learned the lesson
of keeping his Big 3 rested in time for the playoffs after their surprise exit
last year. The Spurs look ready to make what could possibly be Duncan’s last
playoff run.
While the Jazz did win their last meeting, it was in
a game where the Spurs Big 3 had the night off. The team in tough and show
plenty of heart, but they are just too young and inexperienced to overtake a
Spurs team with championship pedigree.
#2 Oklahoma City Thunder VS #7 Dallas Mavericks
(Regular Season: 3-1 Thunder)
Series
Preview: The Oklahoma City Thunder look to
exorcise demons of playoff past in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference
Finals against the defending World Champion Dallas Mavericks.
For the Thunder this is the first playoffs where
they aren’t simply a good story. They are now a team with championship expectations.
Small forward Kevin Durant finished the season winning the scoring title for
the third year in a row. Durant averaged 28 points, 3.5 assists, and 8 rebounds,
in a MVP-caliber season. Point guard Russell Westbrook is also coming a season
with a career high 23.6 points average while having 5.5 assists a game, 1.3
below his career average. Power forward Serge Ibaka made his case for Defensive
Player of the Year averaging 3.7 blocks a game and finishing with a season
total of 241 blocks, 109 more than Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee who came
in second. Guard James Harden is having his best season coming off the bench
averaging 16.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, all career highs
for Harden.
For the Mavericks it has been an up-&-down
season as defending champions. In letting key pieces to their title winning
team (center Tyson Chandler, point guard JJ Berea, and forward DeShawn
Stevenson) leave in free agency the Mavs made a move to focus cap space for the
future. Replacing these pieces with shooting guard Vince Carter, shooting guard
Delonte West, and power forward Brendan Wright, while having good stretches,
has produced inconsistent results. Power forward and franchise player Dirk
Nowitzski had to carry the team on his back for much of the season while
averaging 21.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game, all below his
career average. Point guard Jason Kidd is showing signs of age this season
averaging 6.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. This is also the
first season in his career where he failed to average a triple double.
Impact Player
of the Series: Russell Westbrook
Westbrook has the athleticism to lead the Thunder to
victory on any given night. Unfortunately he also has the ability to shoot his
team out of a game on any given night as well. The way that he approaches this
series will dictate the flow of the series on both ends of the floor including
a key matchup between Mavs small forward Shawn Marion and Durant.
Prediction:
Thunder wins series 4-2
A lot has changed since their last playoff match;
almost all of the changes have been in favor of the Thunder. Last year’s playoffs
tested their mettle and now they the chance to prove why many analysts have
them coming out of the West.
The Mavs on the other hand may be looking past this season
already. In freeing up so much cap space they have possibly sacrificed hopes of
repeating as champions to go after native Texan Deron Williams.
#3 Los Angeles Lakers VS #6 Denver Nuggets (Regular
Season: 3-1 Lakers)
Season Preview:
The Los Angeles Lakers, without Metta World Peace,
looks to make a dark-horse title run against an athletic Denver Nuggets team looking
to make their own surprise run.
For the Lakers it has been a season of changes. New
head coach Mike Brown implementing his own offense, trading key player Lamar
Odom to Dallas for a bag of magic beans, and even having their stranglehold on
the LA fan base be legitimately challenged by the Clippers for the first time.
One thing that hasn’t changed though is the production of shooting guard and
franchise player Kobe Bryant. In a season where many expected for his body to
show signs of fatigue Bryant has played to his career numbers averaging 27.9
points, 4.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. The twin towers of power
forward Pau Gasol and center Andrew Bynum have also played well. Bynum in
particular has had a career year averaging 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds and
1.9 blocks per game and finally starting to live up to the hype that made the
Lakers draft him out of high school.
For the Nuggets, this is their first full season in
the post-Carmelo Anthony era. They made changes to their roster in trading
point guard Raymond Felton to Portland in exchange for point guard Andre
Miller, trading for shooting guard Rudy Fernandez, and even trading center Nene
to Washington in exchange for center JaVale McGee at the trade deadline. While
all this was happening the team proved to be the highest scoring one in the
league averaging 104.1 points per game. Small forward Danilo Gallinari, their
main acquisition from trading Carmelo last season, has played well this season
averaging 14.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Point guard Ty
Lawson is having a career year averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.7
rebounds per game. The big surprise though has been rookie forward Kenneth
Faried. After not initially getting playing time at the start of the season
Faried has played his way to the starting lineup averaging 10.2 points and 7.7
rebounds with an intensity that earned him the nickname ‘Manimal’ and made him
a fan favorite.
Impact Player
of the Series: Ty Lawson
The Nuggets put a lot of pressure on Lawson in
giving him the keys to their offense after sending Chauncey Billups to New York
as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade last season. He has lived up to their
expectations. If Lawson can aggressively attack the basket he can help exploit
the gap left by the suspension of Lakers forward Metta World Peace. Lawson can
also use his playoff experience in his matchup with his Lakers counterpart Ramon
Sessions.
Prediction:
Lakers win series 4-2
The Lakers will miss the defense and production of
World Peace. However with Bryant focused on tying his idol Michael Jordan along
with the unique problems that Bynum and Gasol present it will prove to be too
much.
This is where the Nuggets will miss Nene’s size in
the middle. McGee is still trying to fully integrate himself to their offense.
Couple that with the size he gives up to Bynum and the reluctance of head coach
George Karl to use center Timofey Mozgov and the result will be a Lakers
victory.
#4 Memphis Grizzlies VS #5 Los Angeles Clippers
(Regular Season: 2-1 Clippers)
Series
Preview: The Memphis Grizzlies look to prove last
year’s playoff run was no fluke against a Los Angeles Clippers team looking to
make their own run for the championship and for LA’s soul.
For the Grizzlies this season was one long test to
prove that were as good as they looked in last year’s playoffs. That test
proved longer when power forward Zach Randolph went down to injury. They held
steady though thanks to having small forward Rudy Gay back in the lineup
averaging 19 points, 2.3 assists, and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. Center
Marc Gasol continued to improve his game averaging 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds,
and 1.9 blocks per game, earning him an All-Star spot ahead of his brother Pau.
The late addition of point guard Gilbert Arenas proved to be a welcome addition
to the team and helped stabilize the position for the team.
For the Clippers this is the first time that they
have flirted with playoff and championship relevancy. The team had a young core
built around power forward Blake Griffin, yet felt like other Clipper cores not
meant to last. That changed the moment they traded for point guard Chris Paul
and claimed shooting guard Chauncey Billups from the amnesty waiver wires.
Those moves made them instant playoff contenders. Paul finished an MVP-type season
averaging 19.8 points, 9.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Griffin
continued to posterize unsuspecting defenders while averaging 20.7 points, 10.9
rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game. Small forward Caron Butler, a free agent
signing, has had an up-&-down season coming off of knee surgery and has
posted career lows.
Impact Player
of the Series: Zach Randolph
If you saw his performance against the Orlando Magic
in the regular season finale for the Grizzlies, you saw a man that feels he has
something to prove. Randolph will need that intensity as he’s matched up
against Griffin in this series. If he can contain Griffin and produce
offensively in what looks like a close series that frees up Gay and Gasol to
play inside.
Prediction:
Grizzlies win series 4-3
This series is technically a toss-up, but the
Grizzlies have home court and that may be what decides this. Now that they are
at full strength with Randolph likely to return to the starting lineup the
Grizzlies could out grind the Clippers.
Like I said before though, this series is
technically a toss-up, so it would be no surprise if the Clippers pull it off.
Paul almost beat the Lakers by himself last year with a New Orleans Hornets
team that had far less talent than the Clippers.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
How Ozzie Guillen's Castro Comment Expose Miami's Latino Divide
In a packed press room inside Marlins Stadium that had the coverage frenzy worthy of a presidential scandal at 10:30 a.m. on April 10 Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen stepped into the firing line.
Moments after the Marlins announced via press release that they were suspending Guillen for five games Guillen held a press conference to address comments he made in a Time Magazine interview that showed praise to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
To people in and from Miami, FL the saga unfolded in an expected fashion. Outside the stadium located in the Little Havana neighborhood there were protesters calling for Guillen's firing. Some local politicians including the chair of the Hispanic Caucus in the Florida Senate joined in those calls. It just seemed to be normal. Person makes Castro comments, Cuban community reacts.
To people that aren't from Miami or have never stepped foot in the city, this looked like a three-ring circus. While the national media coverage seemed over the top, it served one purpose. With interview after interview with local media figures, this incident showed the Cuban community as a united group.
That to say the least is a complete lie.
What this latest episode in Miami's sports and political history has done is expose a divide that exists between the Cuban community and the rest of the Latino community in the city as well as a divide within the Cuban community itself.
First, a look into the Cuban community.
There are three main groups within the Cuban community. There is the first major wave of exiles that came to the city after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the second major wave of exiles that came in the Mariel boat lifts in 1980, and the descendants of these groups. Deep within the underbelly of these groups there is mainly a generational divide as well as one in the terms of nationalism. The children and grandchildren of the first two groups don't have the same outlook as their elders since they were born here, which is making them a wild card in terms of how the community is evolving. The reason that this fact is not well known outside of South Florida is that the older generation has such a dominant public voice it can silence dissent within its ranks fairly efficiently. This is causing the community to be seen in a distorted view both inside and outside Miami.
Now, to the rest of the Latino community.
Miami not only has largest concentration of Cubans in the United States, but also the largest concentration of Nicaraguans. It also has large concentrations of people from almost every country in Latin America. The vast majority of this community came to this country under completely different circumstances compared to the Cubans in both economic standing when arriving here and in the politics of their homelands. Like the Cubans though, this community is facing a generational gap where the children of the initial immigrants, whether born here or coming at an early age, see themselves more as Americans.
It may seem like the communities have a good relationship, but it's more of an uneasy truce. The uneasiness mainly stems from economic disparity and political representation.
Most of the first wave of Cuban exiles that came here were part of the middle to upper class in Cuban society and brought their wealth with them. That is not the case with the most of the rest of the Latino community. This has caused a form of classism to emerge in the Latino community as a whole in the city.
When it comes to politics, the issue gets a little hairy. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are among the strongest Democratic counties in the state of Florida as far as federal elections go except in one area, the regime-like hold Cuban Republicans have in sending people to Congress. Thanks to redistricting efforts by the Republican Party in the Florida Legislature, the congressional maps in Miami-Dade County give the GOP a clear advantage in neighborhoods with large Cuban populations.
I grew up in Miami so I've seen these things first hand. It's an environment where the rules are different when dealing with just one group, especially since that group is the biggest block of the community. Public figures have to know the rules about this community when making even the most casual statements.
Now, having lived outside of Miami for most of my adult life I have seen how the rest of the country views events like this and the Miami community. It's seen as as a circus with the Cuban community serving as the ringleaders. Even with this particular incident the main reaction I got from my friends was "So what, it's just Ozzie being Ozzie." or "Why are these Miami people so damn sensitive?"
Luckily, this incident has allowed for that question to be answered properly.
It's also shown for possibly the first time in this digital age some open dissent from the within the Cuban community.
In a video piece done by SBNation.com reporter Amy K. Nelson, former Miami mayor Joe Carollo called out the hypocrisy of the protesters wanting Guillen fired while keeping quiet about other situations:
Miami Herald columnist, WAXI 790 AM radio host and ESPN2 show host Dan Le Batard on April 10 openly called for the Cuban community to calm down on the radio. He also said that he felt that events such as the Elian Gonzales saga and MLB commissioner Bud Selig bringing American baseball to Cuba in 1999 (and shaking Castro's hand on video) were much worse crimes against the Cuban community.
What Guillen did was stupid in this situation considering the city he works in. The reaction to what he did was either understood or overblown depeniding on where you grew up. What this did do that can bwe seen as a genuine good is shed light into the labrynth that is Miami Latino relations.
If that's the fallout of this situation, then it served its purpose.
Moments after the Marlins announced via press release that they were suspending Guillen for five games Guillen held a press conference to address comments he made in a Time Magazine interview that showed praise to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
To people in and from Miami, FL the saga unfolded in an expected fashion. Outside the stadium located in the Little Havana neighborhood there were protesters calling for Guillen's firing. Some local politicians including the chair of the Hispanic Caucus in the Florida Senate joined in those calls. It just seemed to be normal. Person makes Castro comments, Cuban community reacts.
To people that aren't from Miami or have never stepped foot in the city, this looked like a three-ring circus. While the national media coverage seemed over the top, it served one purpose. With interview after interview with local media figures, this incident showed the Cuban community as a united group.
That to say the least is a complete lie.
What this latest episode in Miami's sports and political history has done is expose a divide that exists between the Cuban community and the rest of the Latino community in the city as well as a divide within the Cuban community itself.
First, a look into the Cuban community.
There are three main groups within the Cuban community. There is the first major wave of exiles that came to the city after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the second major wave of exiles that came in the Mariel boat lifts in 1980, and the descendants of these groups. Deep within the underbelly of these groups there is mainly a generational divide as well as one in the terms of nationalism. The children and grandchildren of the first two groups don't have the same outlook as their elders since they were born here, which is making them a wild card in terms of how the community is evolving. The reason that this fact is not well known outside of South Florida is that the older generation has such a dominant public voice it can silence dissent within its ranks fairly efficiently. This is causing the community to be seen in a distorted view both inside and outside Miami.
Now, to the rest of the Latino community.
Miami not only has largest concentration of Cubans in the United States, but also the largest concentration of Nicaraguans. It also has large concentrations of people from almost every country in Latin America. The vast majority of this community came to this country under completely different circumstances compared to the Cubans in both economic standing when arriving here and in the politics of their homelands. Like the Cubans though, this community is facing a generational gap where the children of the initial immigrants, whether born here or coming at an early age, see themselves more as Americans.
It may seem like the communities have a good relationship, but it's more of an uneasy truce. The uneasiness mainly stems from economic disparity and political representation.
Most of the first wave of Cuban exiles that came here were part of the middle to upper class in Cuban society and brought their wealth with them. That is not the case with the most of the rest of the Latino community. This has caused a form of classism to emerge in the Latino community as a whole in the city.
When it comes to politics, the issue gets a little hairy. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are among the strongest Democratic counties in the state of Florida as far as federal elections go except in one area, the regime-like hold Cuban Republicans have in sending people to Congress. Thanks to redistricting efforts by the Republican Party in the Florida Legislature, the congressional maps in Miami-Dade County give the GOP a clear advantage in neighborhoods with large Cuban populations.
I grew up in Miami so I've seen these things first hand. It's an environment where the rules are different when dealing with just one group, especially since that group is the biggest block of the community. Public figures have to know the rules about this community when making even the most casual statements.
Now, having lived outside of Miami for most of my adult life I have seen how the rest of the country views events like this and the Miami community. It's seen as as a circus with the Cuban community serving as the ringleaders. Even with this particular incident the main reaction I got from my friends was "So what, it's just Ozzie being Ozzie." or "Why are these Miami people so damn sensitive?"
Luckily, this incident has allowed for that question to be answered properly.
It's also shown for possibly the first time in this digital age some open dissent from the within the Cuban community.
In a video piece done by SBNation.com reporter Amy K. Nelson, former Miami mayor Joe Carollo called out the hypocrisy of the protesters wanting Guillen fired while keeping quiet about other situations:
Miami Herald columnist, WAXI 790 AM radio host and ESPN2 show host Dan Le Batard on April 10 openly called for the Cuban community to calm down on the radio. He also said that he felt that events such as the Elian Gonzales saga and MLB commissioner Bud Selig bringing American baseball to Cuba in 1999 (and shaking Castro's hand on video) were much worse crimes against the Cuban community.
What Guillen did was stupid in this situation considering the city he works in. The reaction to what he did was either understood or overblown depeniding on where you grew up. What this did do that can bwe seen as a genuine good is shed light into the labrynth that is Miami Latino relations.
If that's the fallout of this situation, then it served its purpose.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
A Study in Making a Bad Situation Worse: Dwight Howard
There is a reason why LeBron James's 'The Decision' is synonymous with infamy.
It wasn't the actual act of joining the Miami Heat on the one hour ESPN special in the Summer of 2010 that was the infamous event. It was the show itself that was infamous. Despite generating millions of dollars for the Boys & Girls Club, 'The Decision' only made James look like a selfish and arrogant person. Its' effect of turning James from one of the most beloved to one of the most despised players in the NBA has been turned into a lesson on what not to do when it comes to maintaining player popularity.
That lesson apparently hasn't been learned by Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
The journey that Howard, arguably the best center in the league, has had this season is similar to the one that Carmelo Anthony had last before he was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks.The main differences between the two is that Anthony didn't make his situation worse with every move he made before the trade. Howard on the other hand, by either purpose or accident, has done exactly that.
Since the beginning of the NBA season the main speculation among front offices, media, and fans has been whether the Magic would adhere to the trade request Howard gave them. As the drama has unfolded there have been small incidents along the way.
There was Howard's battle with the Orlando Sentinel over their coverage of him. There was the rumor that his Adidas contract was the reason he didn't include the Chicago Bulls on his list of trade destinations. There was the rumor around the March 15 trade deadline of a rift with Kobe Bryant that pushed the Los Angeles Lakers from his trade list. These incidents didn't affect Howard as much as it affected the Magic.
During this time the Magic were faced with the nightmare scenario of a 'Shaq incident', in which their franchise center leaves them in free agency, happening again unless they traded Howard. Up until near the trade deadline the spotlight, both good and bad, was squarely on the franchise.
Then Howard decided to change that.
Amid reports around the trade deadline that Magic ownership was willing to give Howard the power to decide the fate of general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy, he told the media that the Magic should 'roll the dice' on the prospect of him resigning with the team long-term. No one actually bought that statement. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports exposed Howard's real intentions of signing with the New Jersey Nets during the off season so they wouldn't have to give up assets in a trade with the Magic.
Once that cat was let out of the bag Howard scrambled to find a way to avoid the infamy of LeBron. Ultimately Howard decided right at the trade deadline to waive the opt-out clause in his contract which would've made him a free agent this summer. That followed a week of him waffling back and forth about the choice. It also had his agent refuse to sign the proper paperwork to make the decision official with the league, but it was approved anyway.
Then on Thursday came the reports that Howard has asked the Magic on several occasions to have Van Gundy fired. In the press briefing Van Gundy had during the Magic's shoot around before their game against the Knicks he confirmed those reports citing people in management that told him of Howard's requests. That produced what is arguably the most awkward moment of the season when Howard joined Van Gundy in the briefing:
This incident has shown how much of a circus the Magic and Howard had let this become.
Howard's known desire to be liked, be the main superstar on a team, and his dislike of confrontation may have exposed his real character for all to see.
The Magic ownership have let their desire to keep Howard and not see him walk away like Shaquille O'Neal did hinder their front office's efforts to get reasonable assets via trade. Even as reports are coming out that the Magic forced Howard into waiving his opt-out clause by threatening a trade to the Lakers, the team only did so knowing Howard doesn't want to be a Laker.
The drama that Howard and the Magic have created was even analyzed by the very man that left the team in shambles and got Van Gundy to step down as coach of the Miami Heat, Shaq himself:
Howard will have to live with the circus he has become the ringmaster of. While trying to avoid the backlash similar to what 'The Decision' earned LeBron, he may have warranted worse for himself. Sadly, Howard won't get as much backlash as LeBron has gotten and still gets.
Even though Howard probably deserves more.
It wasn't the actual act of joining the Miami Heat on the one hour ESPN special in the Summer of 2010 that was the infamous event. It was the show itself that was infamous. Despite generating millions of dollars for the Boys & Girls Club, 'The Decision' only made James look like a selfish and arrogant person. Its' effect of turning James from one of the most beloved to one of the most despised players in the NBA has been turned into a lesson on what not to do when it comes to maintaining player popularity.
That lesson apparently hasn't been learned by Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
The journey that Howard, arguably the best center in the league, has had this season is similar to the one that Carmelo Anthony had last before he was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks.The main differences between the two is that Anthony didn't make his situation worse with every move he made before the trade. Howard on the other hand, by either purpose or accident, has done exactly that.
Since the beginning of the NBA season the main speculation among front offices, media, and fans has been whether the Magic would adhere to the trade request Howard gave them. As the drama has unfolded there have been small incidents along the way.
There was Howard's battle with the Orlando Sentinel over their coverage of him. There was the rumor that his Adidas contract was the reason he didn't include the Chicago Bulls on his list of trade destinations. There was the rumor around the March 15 trade deadline of a rift with Kobe Bryant that pushed the Los Angeles Lakers from his trade list. These incidents didn't affect Howard as much as it affected the Magic.
During this time the Magic were faced with the nightmare scenario of a 'Shaq incident', in which their franchise center leaves them in free agency, happening again unless they traded Howard. Up until near the trade deadline the spotlight, both good and bad, was squarely on the franchise.
Then Howard decided to change that.
Amid reports around the trade deadline that Magic ownership was willing to give Howard the power to decide the fate of general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy, he told the media that the Magic should 'roll the dice' on the prospect of him resigning with the team long-term. No one actually bought that statement. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports exposed Howard's real intentions of signing with the New Jersey Nets during the off season so they wouldn't have to give up assets in a trade with the Magic.
Once that cat was let out of the bag Howard scrambled to find a way to avoid the infamy of LeBron. Ultimately Howard decided right at the trade deadline to waive the opt-out clause in his contract which would've made him a free agent this summer. That followed a week of him waffling back and forth about the choice. It also had his agent refuse to sign the proper paperwork to make the decision official with the league, but it was approved anyway.
Then on Thursday came the reports that Howard has asked the Magic on several occasions to have Van Gundy fired. In the press briefing Van Gundy had during the Magic's shoot around before their game against the Knicks he confirmed those reports citing people in management that told him of Howard's requests. That produced what is arguably the most awkward moment of the season when Howard joined Van Gundy in the briefing:
This incident has shown how much of a circus the Magic and Howard had let this become.
Howard's known desire to be liked, be the main superstar on a team, and his dislike of confrontation may have exposed his real character for all to see.
The Magic ownership have let their desire to keep Howard and not see him walk away like Shaquille O'Neal did hinder their front office's efforts to get reasonable assets via trade. Even as reports are coming out that the Magic forced Howard into waiving his opt-out clause by threatening a trade to the Lakers, the team only did so knowing Howard doesn't want to be a Laker.
The drama that Howard and the Magic have created was even analyzed by the very man that left the team in shambles and got Van Gundy to step down as coach of the Miami Heat, Shaq himself:
Howard will have to live with the circus he has become the ringmaster of. While trying to avoid the backlash similar to what 'The Decision' earned LeBron, he may have warranted worse for himself. Sadly, Howard won't get as much backlash as LeBron has gotten and still gets.
Even though Howard probably deserves more.
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