By the time it reaches the papers, the Internet or the fantasy football live updates, it's the quarterback's fault. He was really good in 2005 and now he's not good. His arm isn't strong anymore and he's not accurate anymore.
Carson Palmer has his issues. He's a really odd style of quarterback. He's not vocal or boisterous or even very excitable. He's also not mobile and has been hindered by an elbow injury and that well-publicized knee surgery. I am here to tell you that the Bengals' 2-6 record is not Carson Palmer's fault.
There was an article written recently that pointed out that Monday Night Football loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was the 200th loss by the Bengals under the ownership of Mike Brown. The loss that included Cincinnati fumbling the opening kickoff and allowing a blocked punt on their next possession. A loss that featured a throwback performance by Terrell Owens, both in numbers and weird antisocial behavior. A loss that featured an almost incredible comeback led by Carson Palmer eventually thwarted by a dropped pass on fourth down. Those things (and a semi-monthly freak-out game by Chad Ochocinco) have all become routine for Bengal fans for the past TWENTY years. The constant during those 20 years? Mike Brown.
There were rumors a couple years ago that Marvin Lewis was pushing for Mike Brown to hire a general manager and a few more scouts. I feel that I need to reiterate this point: a GM is the position in a team that makes decisions about player personnel like drafting and trading and free agency signings. The Bengals do not have this. They also cut costs at the expense of the scouting department. Did anyone see Dick Lebeau holding a binder that said "Steelers vs. Bengals" on it during the game on Monday? That binder contains an in-depth game plan for this specific game on this specific night. I would be willing to bet that the Bengals do not have one of those.
So what does this mean? It means what you see on the field. The Bengals draft dumb players who are then unprepared for the games in which they are playing. This is why you see the Bengals constantly lead the league in pre-snap penalties and see them run the same plays against every team regardless of what the other team's strengths and weaknesses are and seem completely caught off guard by trick plays and a endless trouble with staying home on misdirection plays. It's also why their special teams often looks like a vaudeville comedy sketch. If they are lucky enough to have any players with talent on the team, that talent has no direction.
The Bengals have some decent coaches. They've had two playoff seasons and a few more non-disaster seasons. All of these are under Marvin Lewis.
We've seen what Marvin Lewis tries to teach. They are the right things. Lewis and Palmer are fighting an uphill battle against the best run team in sports (the Steelers) and themselves. The Steelers are a family-run organization. I'm sure they are thrifty when they need to be. Thrift often comes with being smart but they are not the same thing. When the Bengals cut costs by is not having a GM or scouts or keep business within the family when your family is stupid, they are not running their business well.
Carson Palmer is not Peyton Manning and he's not Tom Brady and he's the complete opposite of Ben Roethlisberger. When you're the quarterback of the Steelers, you have solid offensive players, a great defense and a great coaching staff that is going to be stable throughout your career (you also have the benefit of every call by the refs). This is because you have a fantastic owner who is in bed with the commissioner. It's a pretty good time. You can play like absolute shit in the Super Bowl and still win.
When you're the quarterback of the Bengals, you have headcase Wide Receivers who you simply cannot trust to run their routes correctly. You have poor play calling and poor preparation by your lack of scouts. You also probably have one of the worst defenses in the league, the worst luck in the league and no respect from the refs. In your first playoff game, you tear your ACL on your first pass (a 60-yard completion) and when you finally get your team back to competence five years later, your deep threat DIES mid-season.
My point is, it's HARD to be the quarterback of the Bengals. You have no backbone. You're on your own out there.
It's hard to watch the Bengals. But if you do; when Carson throws an interception to a receiver who wasn't where he was supposed to be because he's not smart because he was drafted by a legacy of complete and dominating incompetence, you know who to blame.
Failure starts at the top.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
MLB Playoffs: NO WAY OUT!!!
The difference between the regular season and the playoffs is big in every sport but, in my opinion, the difference is the biggest in baseball.
I don't watch a ton of WWE wrestling, but I would compare it to the difference between a regular Monday Night RAW title match where the winner can lose by disqualification and still keep his belt and an actual fight to the death between the same two people.
There are almost limitless reasons to give up in the MLB regular season. You could have been eliminated from the playoffs early on and have 80 games to go. You could essentially have a playoff spot clinched and not really be too worried about dropping a game here or there. No matter what your situation, looking at your schedule and thinking, "We're facing David Price today? He throws like 97 mph!!! I mean, I guess we'll try to win but if we don't, there's two more games in the series so whatever." Don't think that baseball players don't think this way. Baseball is not like football where you're forced to be excited as hell just to survive the game.
That's the regular season.
Game 1 of the Rangers/Rays series, I watched in my hotel lobby while at work. One of the first camera shots was of Josh Hamilton staring at David Price from the dugout. It wasn't a death stare or a look of fear. I guess I would describe it as a look of acceptance. Hamilton, a left-handed hitter, was just watching this giant young flame-throwing lefty warm up and realizing, "I have to face this guy and there's no room for conceding defeat anymore." The look described, to me, what playoff baseball is about. Hamilton's Rangers ended up beating David Price twice on the road to win the series in five games.
Strange things happen in these playoffs. In the Cincinnati/Philadelphia series alone, we witnessed a no-hitter and two games that were decided by the Reds' inability to field the ball (they led the NL in defense this season). We've seen blown leads by the Twins and a series (the aforementioned Rays/Rangers series) have five straight games won by the road team (never happened before).
The reason these things happen is a thing called pressure. Pressure affects different people and different teams in different ways. Teams like the Yankees and Phillies in the first round, pressure has no effect. Those teams are used to this. If anything, a guy like Roy Halladay's concentration might go up, due to the fact that these games matter (as discussed before), but you won't see any nervousness from the Doc. Teams like the Rays, Rangers, Braves and Giants...those series are between evenly matched and evenly experienced teams. The Rangers and Giants won those series because they had the aces to calmly win any game they needed.
That brings us to the Reds.
Lets be honest, they weren't good enough to beat the Phillies this year. It's hard to compete with that 3-man rotation with that lineup backing it up. But, they could have pushed Philly to five. Game 2 was just a clear case of inexperience. It was sad yet inevitable. They found themselves up 4-0 in Philadelphia and got scared.
"What do we do now? Can the game be over??"
Even Scott Rolen freaked out. It was a complete team-wide break down that traveled with them to Cincinnati. The challenge for them and Dusty Baker is now to take the experience and use it rather than be haunted by it. This Reds team is good enough and young enough to be back in the same position next season, but will they do it? In 2007, I watched the Cleveland Indians blow a 3-1 lead in the ALCS (one game away from sweeping the shit out of an over matched Rockies team). The next season they were inexplicably not good. Now they're the worst team in the Majors. 2007 was not THAT long ago.
But that's what the MLB playoffs can do to you. Baseball is a difficult and precise sport and to succeed you really must balance alertness with calm and you have to learn to forget.
As we move further the teams get better and the pressure grows. It's really the only baseball that's any good to watch. At least I'll have something to do in the lobby.
I don't watch a ton of WWE wrestling, but I would compare it to the difference between a regular Monday Night RAW title match where the winner can lose by disqualification and still keep his belt and an actual fight to the death between the same two people.
There are almost limitless reasons to give up in the MLB regular season. You could have been eliminated from the playoffs early on and have 80 games to go. You could essentially have a playoff spot clinched and not really be too worried about dropping a game here or there. No matter what your situation, looking at your schedule and thinking, "We're facing David Price today? He throws like 97 mph!!! I mean, I guess we'll try to win but if we don't, there's two more games in the series so whatever." Don't think that baseball players don't think this way. Baseball is not like football where you're forced to be excited as hell just to survive the game.
That's the regular season.
Game 1 of the Rangers/Rays series, I watched in my hotel lobby while at work. One of the first camera shots was of Josh Hamilton staring at David Price from the dugout. It wasn't a death stare or a look of fear. I guess I would describe it as a look of acceptance. Hamilton, a left-handed hitter, was just watching this giant young flame-throwing lefty warm up and realizing, "I have to face this guy and there's no room for conceding defeat anymore." The look described, to me, what playoff baseball is about. Hamilton's Rangers ended up beating David Price twice on the road to win the series in five games.
Strange things happen in these playoffs. In the Cincinnati/Philadelphia series alone, we witnessed a no-hitter and two games that were decided by the Reds' inability to field the ball (they led the NL in defense this season). We've seen blown leads by the Twins and a series (the aforementioned Rays/Rangers series) have five straight games won by the road team (never happened before).
The reason these things happen is a thing called pressure. Pressure affects different people and different teams in different ways. Teams like the Yankees and Phillies in the first round, pressure has no effect. Those teams are used to this. If anything, a guy like Roy Halladay's concentration might go up, due to the fact that these games matter (as discussed before), but you won't see any nervousness from the Doc. Teams like the Rays, Rangers, Braves and Giants...those series are between evenly matched and evenly experienced teams. The Rangers and Giants won those series because they had the aces to calmly win any game they needed.
That brings us to the Reds.
Lets be honest, they weren't good enough to beat the Phillies this year. It's hard to compete with that 3-man rotation with that lineup backing it up. But, they could have pushed Philly to five. Game 2 was just a clear case of inexperience. It was sad yet inevitable. They found themselves up 4-0 in Philadelphia and got scared.
"What do we do now? Can the game be over??"
Even Scott Rolen freaked out. It was a complete team-wide break down that traveled with them to Cincinnati. The challenge for them and Dusty Baker is now to take the experience and use it rather than be haunted by it. This Reds team is good enough and young enough to be back in the same position next season, but will they do it? In 2007, I watched the Cleveland Indians blow a 3-1 lead in the ALCS (one game away from sweeping the shit out of an over matched Rockies team). The next season they were inexplicably not good. Now they're the worst team in the Majors. 2007 was not THAT long ago.
But that's what the MLB playoffs can do to you. Baseball is a difficult and precise sport and to succeed you really must balance alertness with calm and you have to learn to forget.
As we move further the teams get better and the pressure grows. It's really the only baseball that's any good to watch. At least I'll have something to do in the lobby.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Novelty
If anyone a. reads this and b. pays any attention, you know that I like to name my posts after semi-obscure songs I listen to. I've been waiting to find a parallel for this song for a long time...so long that it's possible I've already done one and forgot about it. Like always, the Bengals helped me out.
(Here is the song.)
I love this song not because it's depressing but because it tries to confront your deepest insecurities without being defeatist. Joy Division is not known for being easily heard lyrically so I'll help you out on that front.
Can't rest on your laurels now...when you got none.
There hasn't been a Bengals team in recent history that has responded well to success or praise. A lot of analysts (including myself) has pointed out the obvious talents that this team possesses and predicted great things for them. I still think the Bengals will make the playoffs.
This team has flaws. Obviously. I'm not sure there was a better team than the Patriots to put these flaws on display and I think that's positive for the first game.
You're on your own now, don't you think that it's a shame. 'Cause you're the only one responsible to take the blame.
I ask you this: Does anyone remember the 2006 season? The Bengals had a terrible defense but the offensive talent to be an easy playoff team. The first three games were two bad teams (Chiefs and Browns) and a squeaker win against the Steelers. They then started losing games in such odd ways...all the losses being explained away by bad luck until the team just fell apart and it took them three years to pick up the pieces.
After this game, all of the Bengals' mistakes are on one game film. I think that Mike Zimmer is a good coach. If this defense is capable of learning, it will be better next week. No part of this game can be chalked up to bad luck or a bad long snapper or bad referees. They lost because of how they played (and how the Patriots played).
What I'm not sure about is whether or not they are figuring out where T.O. fits in their circle. The idea that T.O. and Chad are "Batman and Robin" is insane and the idea that T.O. would be Batman in that scenario is even more insane. Ochocinco is still the main man as far as receivers go on this team and running and defense are more important the wide receivers AAAAND...Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham are SIGNIFICANT options when T-Ocho isn't open.
I know those two space cadets are happy to be together, but the question for them and the entire Bengals team is...take it away, Ian Curtis!!
Whatch'ya gonna do when the novelty is gone?
(Here is the song.)
I love this song not because it's depressing but because it tries to confront your deepest insecurities without being defeatist. Joy Division is not known for being easily heard lyrically so I'll help you out on that front.
Can't rest on your laurels now...when you got none.
There hasn't been a Bengals team in recent history that has responded well to success or praise. A lot of analysts (including myself) has pointed out the obvious talents that this team possesses and predicted great things for them. I still think the Bengals will make the playoffs.
This team has flaws. Obviously. I'm not sure there was a better team than the Patriots to put these flaws on display and I think that's positive for the first game.
You're on your own now, don't you think that it's a shame. 'Cause you're the only one responsible to take the blame.
I ask you this: Does anyone remember the 2006 season? The Bengals had a terrible defense but the offensive talent to be an easy playoff team. The first three games were two bad teams (Chiefs and Browns) and a squeaker win against the Steelers. They then started losing games in such odd ways...all the losses being explained away by bad luck until the team just fell apart and it took them three years to pick up the pieces.
After this game, all of the Bengals' mistakes are on one game film. I think that Mike Zimmer is a good coach. If this defense is capable of learning, it will be better next week. No part of this game can be chalked up to bad luck or a bad long snapper or bad referees. They lost because of how they played (and how the Patriots played).
What I'm not sure about is whether or not they are figuring out where T.O. fits in their circle. The idea that T.O. and Chad are "Batman and Robin" is insane and the idea that T.O. would be Batman in that scenario is even more insane. Ochocinco is still the main man as far as receivers go on this team and running and defense are more important the wide receivers AAAAND...Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham are SIGNIFICANT options when T-Ocho isn't open.
I know those two space cadets are happy to be together, but the question for them and the entire Bengals team is...take it away, Ian Curtis!!
Whatch'ya gonna do when the novelty is gone?
Monday, September 6, 2010
Welcome Back, NFL
The best sport ever invented by man will return soon so instead of enjoying it let me make some predictions that I will later regret.
AFC North
The AFC North (formerly the AFC Central) is slowly returning to it's glory of some tough mid western teams, all good, who just beat the shit out of each other. Even the Bengals are tough these days. In today's AFC North, the most finesse type team is actually the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are a passing team, they run trick plays, they don't have a good offensive line. Even Troy Polamalu, who does hit hard, is one of the trickiest defensive players ever. Maybe I'm just too close to this situation but like everything in the mid west, there are a lot of national misconceptions in my opinion.
1. The Steelers are a blue-collar hard-nosed football team.
This just hasn't been true for years. It really hasn't been true since they got Ben Roethlisberger.
2. The Browns are horrible.
Bad? Sure. But horrible? I'm not sure.
The defense is pretty mediocre and most of the "skill positions" are pretty bad and Jake Delhomme has his problems. But Delhomme is not an idiot and he did go to a Super Bowl and, most importantly, their offensive line is well above average. They'll win a few.
3. Joe Flacco is really good.
Joe Flacco is just about exactly average as a quarterback and he is certainly not as good as Carson Palmer. I still don't think he's as good as Troy Smith. I have never seen him make a play that I was impressed by and, in a cold-weather playoff game against a good defense, do you have any faith he can pick up a 3rd and 9? I know that I don't.
4. The Ravens have a great defense.
They don't.
This whole division is based on misconceptions. Even though the Bengals have the most talent of any team, most people have them behind the Ravens and even with the Steelers. For obvious reasons, we instinctively trust the Steelers and don't trust the Bengals even though the Steelers blew game after game last year to miss the playoffs and their quarterback is essentially a rapist.
The Bengals seem chaotic because of all the ex-convicts they employ and because of Chad Ochocinco and T.O. Quietly, none of those guys are captains. Carson Palmer and Bobbie Williams are the offensive captains, not Chad. Yes, this team has characters, but Carson Palmer, Mike Zimmer and Cedric Benson are great stabilizers. All I am saying is give peace a chance...I mean the Bengals a chance.
Prediction:
1. Bengals (Playoffs)
2. Ravens
3. Steelers
4. Browns
AFC East
Another good division with one sad situation.
I like to pick against the team with the most hype but I think they're the best team.
Prediction:
1. Jets (Playoffs)
2. Dolphins (Playoffs)
3. Patriots
4. Bills
AFC South
I don't like this division. Little gay.
1. Colts (Playoffs)
2. Titans (Playoffs)
3. Texans
4. Jaguars
AFC West
Ouch.
1. Chargers (Playoffs)
2. Raiders
3. Broncos
4. Chiefs
NFC North
I'm so annoyed by the Aaron Rodgers love fest I could puke. It's extra annoying because I liked him anyway (he once had a mustache) but he's not as good as Brett Favre after two years and zero playoffs wins. Being a great quarterback doesn't really have that much to do with your quarterback rating. That's all I'm going to say.
Prediction:
1. Packers (Playoffs)
2. Vikings (Playoffs)
3. Bears
4. Lions
NFC East
Kevin Kolb is not good until he wins games. Looking good in the preseason (which I don't think he did anyway) isn't incredibly important. He will absolutely be a downgrade from Donovan McNabb, write it down.
Tony Romo sucks.
Prediction:
1. Giants (Playoffs)
2. Eagles
3. Redskins
4. Cowboys
NFC South
The Saints had one of the luckiest seasons I've ever seen in my life last year (even though the onside kick in the Super Bowl deserves a tip of such a large cap it probably would crush the person wearing it). 400 interceptions for touchdowns cannot happen twice in a row (did anyone watch the Bengals in 2006?).
Prediction:
1. Falcons (Playoffs)
2. Saints (Playoffs)
3. Buccanears
4. Panthers
NFC West
Gross.
Prediction:
1. 49ers (Playoffs)
2. Cardinals
3. Rams
4. Seahawks
In closing: Go Bengals!!!
AFC North
The AFC North (formerly the AFC Central) is slowly returning to it's glory of some tough mid western teams, all good, who just beat the shit out of each other. Even the Bengals are tough these days. In today's AFC North, the most finesse type team is actually the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are a passing team, they run trick plays, they don't have a good offensive line. Even Troy Polamalu, who does hit hard, is one of the trickiest defensive players ever. Maybe I'm just too close to this situation but like everything in the mid west, there are a lot of national misconceptions in my opinion.
1. The Steelers are a blue-collar hard-nosed football team.
This just hasn't been true for years. It really hasn't been true since they got Ben Roethlisberger.
2. The Browns are horrible.
Bad? Sure. But horrible? I'm not sure.
The defense is pretty mediocre and most of the "skill positions" are pretty bad and Jake Delhomme has his problems. But Delhomme is not an idiot and he did go to a Super Bowl and, most importantly, their offensive line is well above average. They'll win a few.
3. Joe Flacco is really good.
Joe Flacco is just about exactly average as a quarterback and he is certainly not as good as Carson Palmer. I still don't think he's as good as Troy Smith. I have never seen him make a play that I was impressed by and, in a cold-weather playoff game against a good defense, do you have any faith he can pick up a 3rd and 9? I know that I don't.
4. The Ravens have a great defense.
They don't.
This whole division is based on misconceptions. Even though the Bengals have the most talent of any team, most people have them behind the Ravens and even with the Steelers. For obvious reasons, we instinctively trust the Steelers and don't trust the Bengals even though the Steelers blew game after game last year to miss the playoffs and their quarterback is essentially a rapist.
The Bengals seem chaotic because of all the ex-convicts they employ and because of Chad Ochocinco and T.O. Quietly, none of those guys are captains. Carson Palmer and Bobbie Williams are the offensive captains, not Chad. Yes, this team has characters, but Carson Palmer, Mike Zimmer and Cedric Benson are great stabilizers. All I am saying is give peace a chance...I mean the Bengals a chance.
Prediction:
1. Bengals (Playoffs)
2. Ravens
3. Steelers
4. Browns
AFC East
Another good division with one sad situation.
I like to pick against the team with the most hype but I think they're the best team.
Prediction:
1. Jets (Playoffs)
2. Dolphins (Playoffs)
3. Patriots
4. Bills
AFC South
I don't like this division. Little gay.
1. Colts (Playoffs)
2. Titans (Playoffs)
3. Texans
4. Jaguars
AFC West
Ouch.
1. Chargers (Playoffs)
2. Raiders
3. Broncos
4. Chiefs
NFC North
I'm so annoyed by the Aaron Rodgers love fest I could puke. It's extra annoying because I liked him anyway (he once had a mustache) but he's not as good as Brett Favre after two years and zero playoffs wins. Being a great quarterback doesn't really have that much to do with your quarterback rating. That's all I'm going to say.
Prediction:
1. Packers (Playoffs)
2. Vikings (Playoffs)
3. Bears
4. Lions
NFC East
Kevin Kolb is not good until he wins games. Looking good in the preseason (which I don't think he did anyway) isn't incredibly important. He will absolutely be a downgrade from Donovan McNabb, write it down.
Tony Romo sucks.
Prediction:
1. Giants (Playoffs)
2. Eagles
3. Redskins
4. Cowboys
NFC South
The Saints had one of the luckiest seasons I've ever seen in my life last year (even though the onside kick in the Super Bowl deserves a tip of such a large cap it probably would crush the person wearing it). 400 interceptions for touchdowns cannot happen twice in a row (did anyone watch the Bengals in 2006?).
Prediction:
1. Falcons (Playoffs)
2. Saints (Playoffs)
3. Buccanears
4. Panthers
NFC West
Gross.
Prediction:
1. 49ers (Playoffs)
2. Cardinals
3. Rams
4. Seahawks
In closing: Go Bengals!!!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Back in the Saddle
The LeBron James exit in my sports existence was similar to eating a meal and, out of nowhere, getting a forkful of actual shit. It really takes awhile to shake that off and start eating again.
That, combined with the fact that a Psychology degree qualifies me to be essentially nothing has amounted a a large gap between posts. I guess I'll have to go back to school before I can work in a warehouse or be a janitor.
Anyway, I'm back and I'm pretty behind. Let's talk about a few things.
LeBron James
I've heard a lot of things since the initial backlash to what he did. A lot of people who carry a card that says "intellectual sports viewer" have given him a pass or even praise for doing what he wants to do, making a big splash, not wanting to be "the man," etc.
That's fine. If LeBron James is a sports nihilist and is concerned with nothing but number of rings, weather, and easy situations, that's very interesting. The problem is that he had always and continues to preach about leadership and loyalty. Whether or not you care about the city of Cleveland or being loyal to anything, LeBron is at the very least extremely disingenuous. I will not discuss this guy anymore until he starts playing again.
That, combined with the fact that a Psychology degree qualifies me to be essentially nothing has amounted a a large gap between posts. I guess I'll have to go back to school before I can work in a warehouse or be a janitor.
Anyway, I'm back and I'm pretty behind. Let's talk about a few things.
LeBron James
I've heard a lot of things since the initial backlash to what he did. A lot of people who carry a card that says "intellectual sports viewer" have given him a pass or even praise for doing what he wants to do, making a big splash, not wanting to be "the man," etc.
That's fine. If LeBron James is a sports nihilist and is concerned with nothing but number of rings, weather, and easy situations, that's very interesting. The problem is that he had always and continues to preach about leadership and loyalty. Whether or not you care about the city of Cleveland or being loyal to anything, LeBron is at the very least extremely disingenuous. I will not discuss this guy anymore until he starts playing again.
Terrell Owens
There are a lot of different ways you can get a bad reputation in professional sports. They all end up being pretty similar if you're the guy with the rep looking for a contract but in the douchebag directory written in the heart and mind of yours truly the reasons for your reputation matter a lot.
To make a long story short, what T.O. has done throughout his career is on the short list of things that I have never really been conflicted about disliking. He truly is an all time great wide receiver and has crazy longevity (which is ironically probably due to the fact that he DOESN'T drink or do drugs or get in trouble off the field) but he is such an annoying subversive asshole in the locker room that only the Bengals want him.
And that's really the thing. He's not dumb. If he was just a belligerent moron, he could just be tuned out by his teammates. It's harder to ignore a locker room cancer that is one of your best players and also has some intelligence and charisma. It's doubly frustrating that those tools he has aren't used for the good of the team.
So now, he's on my favorite team. And just like when one of your friends marries some horrible lady, you give her another chance just because you have to.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
New Deal
I had to change the title because the old title was too vulgar according to my "advisors." I named it the same thing as my last post. I'd ask you guys for opinions but nobody who reads this would ever post anything helpful so nevermind.
Friday, July 9, 2010
No Mercy
People often like to handicap themselves. You say, "Oh, I'm an idiot," or, "I have really bad ADD," or, "I wish I were...(something)." We do this because we don't want the responsibility of being great. On this blog, I joke about nobody reading it and myself having no credibility all the time. The truth is, I believe this blog is better than most of what you read on the internet or see on TV about sports, but even by just making that statement I open myself up for criticism and ridicule. One could ask why I am so lazy about proofreading, updating, picture-including, promoting, etc. All valid points. I would respond, "I'm just lazy," or, "I don't really care." Both of those things might be somewhat true, but the real reason is that once I commit to that, if I fail, it becomes a revelation of mediocrity which would be hard for me to take. I'm just like everyone else.
LeBron James never seemed to do this. Was he an egomaniac? Absolutely. But his arrogance was almost endearing because of how well he played and how he appeared to be the hero of the depressed city of Cleveland. And Cleveland needed nothing short of a true hero, make no mistake about it. He was a local kid who came from the projects of Akron, Ohio with no visible father. These are not only humble, but unremarkable beginnings. The "Witness" marketing campaign made so much sense. The label of "savior" was no hyperbole. These expectations were thrust upon him and he accepted them like a true hero. A man.
His decision to leave was his own to make. We all want to play with our friends, we all want to live in Miami and we all want to win. Some even argue going to Miami was an unselfish choice. That being all about winning is the right side. I, personally, don't believe that sports ethics apply to free agency. Winning is the most important thing on the court and going to join two other all-stars as opposed to staying home is most definitely selfish, but that is your choice when your contract runs out.
A player does not owe his hometown or the the team that drafted him anything, necessarily. The grass really is greener in Miami and he will probably win more there than in Cleveland. It's hard to play for Cleveland just like it's hard to be Cleveland, which is why it's hard for me to call LeBron a coward or a traitor for leaving.
No, LeBron James is a great player. He's not a coward and he's not a traitor. But he's also not a hero and that makes me sad.
LeBron James never seemed to do this. Was he an egomaniac? Absolutely. But his arrogance was almost endearing because of how well he played and how he appeared to be the hero of the depressed city of Cleveland. And Cleveland needed nothing short of a true hero, make no mistake about it. He was a local kid who came from the projects of Akron, Ohio with no visible father. These are not only humble, but unremarkable beginnings. The "Witness" marketing campaign made so much sense. The label of "savior" was no hyperbole. These expectations were thrust upon him and he accepted them like a true hero. A man.
His decision to leave was his own to make. We all want to play with our friends, we all want to live in Miami and we all want to win. Some even argue going to Miami was an unselfish choice. That being all about winning is the right side. I, personally, don't believe that sports ethics apply to free agency. Winning is the most important thing on the court and going to join two other all-stars as opposed to staying home is most definitely selfish, but that is your choice when your contract runs out.
A player does not owe his hometown or the the team that drafted him anything, necessarily. The grass really is greener in Miami and he will probably win more there than in Cleveland. It's hard to play for Cleveland just like it's hard to be Cleveland, which is why it's hard for me to call LeBron a coward or a traitor for leaving.
No, LeBron James is a great player. He's not a coward and he's not a traitor. But he's also not a hero and that makes me sad.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
No Defense: Both Kobe and LeBron Supporters Should Keep Quiet For Now
There is an argument between NBA fans hammed up by ESPN that is a big moneymaker for the league, most likely. Of all the great players in the league two of them, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have formed what can only be referred to as cults. Both of them, always seeming to be in direct competition, ironically, almost never are. The LeBron camp points to statistics, unselfishness and hope for the future while the Kobe disciples preach rings and so-called "clutch" play. It's a debate that cannot end because debating individual players in a team sport is a doomed discussion from the beginning, especially when the individual statistics vs. team success results do not point to the same player.
Anyone reading this blog knows which camp I sympathize with. I've been writing mostly about LeBron and his team for years now. But the most common NBA discussion I'm constantly forced into having puts me in a position of trying to diminish Kobe Bryant. Though an all-time great player, Bryant and his fans have always done their respective jobs in a supremely distasteful way. Kobe Bryant, with his four (possibly soon-to-be five) titles, has gunned for a 40-point game against Orlando (his first in the finals), hogged shots from Odom and Gasol in 2008 in the second half, en-route to blowing a 20-point lead at home, shot in the mid 30% against Detroit in 2004 (while teammate Shaquille O'neal shot close to 70%) and took a lot more shots than his Center, and even this year he took 27 shots in Game 5 when the whole world knows the Lakers' greatest advantage against Boston is in the paint. He scored 38 points and hurt his team doing it, and I think he knows this.
The problem with him is that he knows his team is better. He scores 38 points and loses. He knows the media will say "Kobe needs help," without afterthought of how ridiculous that statement is, given the fact that this team, without Kobe, is the biggest and most skilled team in the league with the best coach in the league. When a shooting guard takes 27 shots in an NBA game, he is refusing to be helped. Kobe however, will be deified once again if the Lakers win this series and made into a martyr if they lose. He plays as if the game is a reality show where he is the star. If he didn't do that, this series would be over by now and he'd be on his way to his eighth title. He trades winning for credit, the definition of selfish.
The conflict comes when he has a game like Game 6 where he takes 19 shots and, begrudgingly, allows his teammates to dominate. That is what a leader should do and much more often than he does it. The response to a game like Game 6 is usually an extrapolation that he is the best player in the world. This reaction comes from the media and most of America who relate to his insecurities that cause him to play the way he does. In truth, I relate to these insecurities but I do not endorse the way he deals with them.
And for the first time in years I haven't been able to point to LeBron James as the ideal way to operate and the contradiction to everything that is Kobe Bryant.
In the last two years, LeBron's lack of commitment to Cleveland and the Cavaliers have cost him and his team the opportunity to add Trevor Ariza and possibly to be coached by Tom Izzo, all the while preaching leadership, loyalty and winning. These losses are especially hurtful considering his end to the season without giving an explanation for his uninspired play. At some point, "toughing it out" and pretending you aren't hurt when you really are is no longer the prudent move.
I had never given the claims that LeBron's perceived lack of commitment was hurting the Cavs because it had never showed on the court or seemed to be weighing on the team and, given his track record, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But it's all happening now. LeBron is missing out on his great coaches and good young talent to play with because of...well, because of him. Though I would never operate like LeBron, nor could I, I've always been able to understand where he was coming from. But now, LeBron's decisions seem purely selfish to me and I can't defend that.
There is the argument that LeBron has earned this opportunity to act for himself given everything he's done for the Cavaliers, and that argument has some legitimacy, but I don't work in the business side of professional sports. What LeBron is doing does not meet the ethical standards to which I would like to hold him.
Kobe Bryant is a selfish player. He lies to himself, to his teammates, to the media and fans. Given his talent, skill and the situations in which he has been put, his mentality has actually cost himself titles rather than earned them. But with the onslaught of praise for Kobe from the blind masses, LeBron's actions, at least for the time being, have left the rest of us with no place to turn.
Anyone reading this blog knows which camp I sympathize with. I've been writing mostly about LeBron and his team for years now. But the most common NBA discussion I'm constantly forced into having puts me in a position of trying to diminish Kobe Bryant. Though an all-time great player, Bryant and his fans have always done their respective jobs in a supremely distasteful way. Kobe Bryant, with his four (possibly soon-to-be five) titles, has gunned for a 40-point game against Orlando (his first in the finals), hogged shots from Odom and Gasol in 2008 in the second half, en-route to blowing a 20-point lead at home, shot in the mid 30% against Detroit in 2004 (while teammate Shaquille O'neal shot close to 70%) and took a lot more shots than his Center, and even this year he took 27 shots in Game 5 when the whole world knows the Lakers' greatest advantage against Boston is in the paint. He scored 38 points and hurt his team doing it, and I think he knows this.
The problem with him is that he knows his team is better. He scores 38 points and loses. He knows the media will say "Kobe needs help," without afterthought of how ridiculous that statement is, given the fact that this team, without Kobe, is the biggest and most skilled team in the league with the best coach in the league. When a shooting guard takes 27 shots in an NBA game, he is refusing to be helped. Kobe however, will be deified once again if the Lakers win this series and made into a martyr if they lose. He plays as if the game is a reality show where he is the star. If he didn't do that, this series would be over by now and he'd be on his way to his eighth title. He trades winning for credit, the definition of selfish.
The conflict comes when he has a game like Game 6 where he takes 19 shots and, begrudgingly, allows his teammates to dominate. That is what a leader should do and much more often than he does it. The response to a game like Game 6 is usually an extrapolation that he is the best player in the world. This reaction comes from the media and most of America who relate to his insecurities that cause him to play the way he does. In truth, I relate to these insecurities but I do not endorse the way he deals with them.
And for the first time in years I haven't been able to point to LeBron James as the ideal way to operate and the contradiction to everything that is Kobe Bryant.
In the last two years, LeBron's lack of commitment to Cleveland and the Cavaliers have cost him and his team the opportunity to add Trevor Ariza and possibly to be coached by Tom Izzo, all the while preaching leadership, loyalty and winning. These losses are especially hurtful considering his end to the season without giving an explanation for his uninspired play. At some point, "toughing it out" and pretending you aren't hurt when you really are is no longer the prudent move.
I had never given the claims that LeBron's perceived lack of commitment was hurting the Cavs because it had never showed on the court or seemed to be weighing on the team and, given his track record, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But it's all happening now. LeBron is missing out on his great coaches and good young talent to play with because of...well, because of him. Though I would never operate like LeBron, nor could I, I've always been able to understand where he was coming from. But now, LeBron's decisions seem purely selfish to me and I can't defend that.
There is the argument that LeBron has earned this opportunity to act for himself given everything he's done for the Cavaliers, and that argument has some legitimacy, but I don't work in the business side of professional sports. What LeBron is doing does not meet the ethical standards to which I would like to hold him.
Kobe Bryant is a selfish player. He lies to himself, to his teammates, to the media and fans. Given his talent, skill and the situations in which he has been put, his mentality has actually cost himself titles rather than earned them. But with the onslaught of praise for Kobe from the blind masses, LeBron's actions, at least for the time being, have left the rest of us with no place to turn.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Cavs Post Mortem/Finals Preview
As much as the Cavs' end to the season seems like such a great mystery, I don't believe it. Here are the reasons I believe it ended the way it did.
1. LeBron was hurt.
First of all, WE KNOW he was hurt. He admitted it...there was an MRI and everything. Even with the description, nobody really knows what it meant or how it feels to play with it. However, we did see LeBron James play with it, so that might give us a good idea. Here is why this makes sense with how he played in game 5 and game 6.
LeBron couldn't shoot or dribble. When have we ever really seen him just lose the ball dribbling? When have we seen him pass up shots (unless prudent)? The things he is usually criticized for is shooting too many heat-check jumpers and over-dribbling. And now, in the playoffs, he's so afraid to dribble that he passes up 1-on-1 opportunities in the open court to let Anthony Parker run the break? That would make sense if LeBron either had no playoff history or a history of choking in the playoffs but he has neither. Even when he fails, he does it aggressively. He said it himself when asked about his elbow. He said, "I'll be a productive player." That's how he was playing in game 5...like he was trying to just contribute. Obviously, the way that team is constructed, LeBron can't play that way against the Celtics and win. He needs to be all out aggressive and enthusiastic about it. He wasn't. They lost.
The other rumor I've heard discussed is that LeBron was somehow paid off or motivated to play poorly and lose to the Celtics. If that were the case, why try so hard in other playoff series? Why play so well in the regular season? And, most importantly, why go all out in game 6 to get a career playoff high 19 rebounds? LeBron did not play all that well in game 6, but his effort was not lacking. I watched it, don't try to convince me otherwise.
2. Mike Brown
Mike Brown is a great guy and a really good coach but he failed with this team. It would take a great coaching job to have won the title with this team, but it was possible and truthfully, every title team has a great coach. That's just what it takes and, at the end of the day, Mike Brown didn't deliver.
Specifically, this Cleveland team was unusually deep and versatile, has the best player in the league, but was not all that top-heavy with it's supporting stars. What Mike Brown was lacking was the clout to look a 38-year-old Shaq in the face and say, "Big fella, you're not starting against the Celtics, it's a bad match up...same with you Antawn...that's just the way our team is constructed and I cannot sacrifice potentially losing a series just to make sure our stars' egos are fed." Instead, the Cavs started Jamison on Garnett, which was a disaster, and when Anderson Varejao, a player who CAN guard Garnett, came in...Garnett subbed out. The way those two were rotated in and out rendered both of them useless. The two best non-LeBron forwards for the Cavs did not help them in any real way in this series that they lost to the likely eventual champions in six games.
LeBron normally can make up for this lack of quick thinking adjustments from Mike Brown because he is so good. But, with this elbow that hindered his ball handling, shooting and finishing with any strength, he could only be a really great player, not a fix-all. This, I believe, led to LeBron getting frustrated with Brown to the point that there was visible tension between the two. I don't know if LeBron was interested in the adjustments that I think should have been made, but he disagreed over some substitutions for sure. The effect this had was the death of the good vibes this team had on which it was uniquely based.With no good vibes, no crafty or creative rotation adjustments and LeBron injured just enough to not be able to perform his heroics, they were doomed.
3. No Continuity.
As old as the Celtics seemed in the regular season, apparently there is a lot to be said for having the same starting five three years in a row. People seem to forget that Shaq and Jamison had essentially never started together. It's hard enough to create enough chemistry to win a title in one season let alone one first round playoff series. This is why I would not be opposed to the exact same team returning. I'm convinced this Cleveland team had the guns to win it all and an extra year together couldn't hurt.
4. The pressure of LeBron potentially leaving.
I never subscribed to this theory during the regular season but it was noticeable in the playoffs. When LeBron started to get moody, everyone could sense it could be the end. This includes the crowd and the players. I'm sure Mike Brown knew he was fired after game 5. You just can't play free and easy under those circumstances, especially against a team like Boston, a great and tough team that I continue to have a growing respect for as they expose one playoff pretender after another on their way to another potential title. When Boston smells blood, it's tough to hold them off. They're well-coached, smart, tough and good. That's just the way it is.
Which brings us to the Finals.
I hate to keep beating this drum, but I keep hearing about how, after beating the Suns and playing so very well in all the games, Kobe has somehow changed history and passed Jordan as the greatest ever or even LeBron as the greatest currently.
Kobe Bryant averaged 34-8-7 against the suns...a great stat line, no doubt. That's 4 points more than LeBron averaged during the season...but apparently it's historic for Kobe to do that in a series being guarded by...oh wait...they played a zone. THEY PLAYED A ZONE IN AN NBA PLAYOFF SERIES. Essentially the Suns admitted they had nobody to guard Kobe or really anybody else on the Lakers for that matter. I'm impressed with how well Kobe played but the world has to realize how many point LeBron could have averaged against this Suns team in the playoffs if he were at full strength. Anybody who has ever been any good at playing shooting guard knows the feeling when a team can't guard him and that's what it was like in this Suns series. The Celtics have proven they can guard him and the Finals will be a different story. All I'm really saying that after a series against one of the worst defensive teams in history is not the right time to anoint anyone of anything.
To conclude this long-awaited (???) post, I'd just like to say that I have no idea what's going to happen...in either thing. Is LeBron gonna stay? I don't know. Where's he gonna go if he leaves? No idea. Who is going to win the Finals? Ya know what...not really sure.
Gun to the head though, I'm taking Cleveland for the first two and Boston for the second. Is there really a chance I'm still a wild-eyed optimist at this point? It seems hard to believe.
1. LeBron was hurt.
First of all, WE KNOW he was hurt. He admitted it...there was an MRI and everything. Even with the description, nobody really knows what it meant or how it feels to play with it. However, we did see LeBron James play with it, so that might give us a good idea. Here is why this makes sense with how he played in game 5 and game 6.
LeBron couldn't shoot or dribble. When have we ever really seen him just lose the ball dribbling? When have we seen him pass up shots (unless prudent)? The things he is usually criticized for is shooting too many heat-check jumpers and over-dribbling. And now, in the playoffs, he's so afraid to dribble that he passes up 1-on-1 opportunities in the open court to let Anthony Parker run the break? That would make sense if LeBron either had no playoff history or a history of choking in the playoffs but he has neither. Even when he fails, he does it aggressively. He said it himself when asked about his elbow. He said, "I'll be a productive player." That's how he was playing in game 5...like he was trying to just contribute. Obviously, the way that team is constructed, LeBron can't play that way against the Celtics and win. He needs to be all out aggressive and enthusiastic about it. He wasn't. They lost.
The other rumor I've heard discussed is that LeBron was somehow paid off or motivated to play poorly and lose to the Celtics. If that were the case, why try so hard in other playoff series? Why play so well in the regular season? And, most importantly, why go all out in game 6 to get a career playoff high 19 rebounds? LeBron did not play all that well in game 6, but his effort was not lacking. I watched it, don't try to convince me otherwise.
2. Mike Brown
Mike Brown is a great guy and a really good coach but he failed with this team. It would take a great coaching job to have won the title with this team, but it was possible and truthfully, every title team has a great coach. That's just what it takes and, at the end of the day, Mike Brown didn't deliver.
Specifically, this Cleveland team was unusually deep and versatile, has the best player in the league, but was not all that top-heavy with it's supporting stars. What Mike Brown was lacking was the clout to look a 38-year-old Shaq in the face and say, "Big fella, you're not starting against the Celtics, it's a bad match up...same with you Antawn...that's just the way our team is constructed and I cannot sacrifice potentially losing a series just to make sure our stars' egos are fed." Instead, the Cavs started Jamison on Garnett, which was a disaster, and when Anderson Varejao, a player who CAN guard Garnett, came in...Garnett subbed out. The way those two were rotated in and out rendered both of them useless. The two best non-LeBron forwards for the Cavs did not help them in any real way in this series that they lost to the likely eventual champions in six games.
LeBron normally can make up for this lack of quick thinking adjustments from Mike Brown because he is so good. But, with this elbow that hindered his ball handling, shooting and finishing with any strength, he could only be a really great player, not a fix-all. This, I believe, led to LeBron getting frustrated with Brown to the point that there was visible tension between the two. I don't know if LeBron was interested in the adjustments that I think should have been made, but he disagreed over some substitutions for sure. The effect this had was the death of the good vibes this team had on which it was uniquely based.With no good vibes, no crafty or creative rotation adjustments and LeBron injured just enough to not be able to perform his heroics, they were doomed.
3. No Continuity.
As old as the Celtics seemed in the regular season, apparently there is a lot to be said for having the same starting five three years in a row. People seem to forget that Shaq and Jamison had essentially never started together. It's hard enough to create enough chemistry to win a title in one season let alone one first round playoff series. This is why I would not be opposed to the exact same team returning. I'm convinced this Cleveland team had the guns to win it all and an extra year together couldn't hurt.
4. The pressure of LeBron potentially leaving.
I never subscribed to this theory during the regular season but it was noticeable in the playoffs. When LeBron started to get moody, everyone could sense it could be the end. This includes the crowd and the players. I'm sure Mike Brown knew he was fired after game 5. You just can't play free and easy under those circumstances, especially against a team like Boston, a great and tough team that I continue to have a growing respect for as they expose one playoff pretender after another on their way to another potential title. When Boston smells blood, it's tough to hold them off. They're well-coached, smart, tough and good. That's just the way it is.
Which brings us to the Finals.
I hate to keep beating this drum, but I keep hearing about how, after beating the Suns and playing so very well in all the games, Kobe has somehow changed history and passed Jordan as the greatest ever or even LeBron as the greatest currently.
Kobe Bryant averaged 34-8-7 against the suns...a great stat line, no doubt. That's 4 points more than LeBron averaged during the season...but apparently it's historic for Kobe to do that in a series being guarded by...oh wait...they played a zone. THEY PLAYED A ZONE IN AN NBA PLAYOFF SERIES. Essentially the Suns admitted they had nobody to guard Kobe or really anybody else on the Lakers for that matter. I'm impressed with how well Kobe played but the world has to realize how many point LeBron could have averaged against this Suns team in the playoffs if he were at full strength. Anybody who has ever been any good at playing shooting guard knows the feeling when a team can't guard him and that's what it was like in this Suns series. The Celtics have proven they can guard him and the Finals will be a different story. All I'm really saying that after a series against one of the worst defensive teams in history is not the right time to anoint anyone of anything.
To conclude this long-awaited (???) post, I'd just like to say that I have no idea what's going to happen...in either thing. Is LeBron gonna stay? I don't know. Where's he gonna go if he leaves? No idea. Who is going to win the Finals? Ya know what...not really sure.
Gun to the head though, I'm taking Cleveland for the first two and Boston for the second. Is there really a chance I'm still a wild-eyed optimist at this point? It seems hard to believe.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Most Important Written Words on LeBron James and Life. Ever.
Editor's note: This is guest blogger and Buddies roommate John Glenn. The opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of Buddies himself. In fact, Buddies has not even proofread this in any way which is customary to what he does with his own posts. Enjoy.
WTF ‘Bron?
WTF ‘Bron?
This is the most important moment in the career of the most important athlete of my sports life. I believe in sports and sports alone. I’m deeply affected by the LeBacle.
“That’s why they play the games.” You play the games to know facts rather than guess. I don’t know anything anymore. My beliefs are shaken.
A wise man once screamed “THEY WERE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!” I have screamed to myself the exact opposite sentiment countless times this series. I thought the Cavs were good. I thought they would play with energy, especially on the defensive end. I thought they were happy. I thought the Celtics were old. I thought they loved to crumble too early. I thought their horribly annoying attitude would make them look foolish against a vastly superior opponent.
Wrong. Wrong, Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I’m shocked by everything that has occurred in this series. I’m scrambling to make up answers to questions I now have.
This is somebody’s fault. WHO DO I BLAME?
Boston? Boston’s good?
This is not true.
Mike Brown?
I feel bad for Mike Brown. I was always under the impression that he was there to develop an elite defensive scheme and stay out of LeBron’s way. Considering his only tasks, I don’t blame Mike Brown.
Motivation is not MB’s job. Motivation is in the job description for the projects Scott Skiles and Larry Brown undertake. Mike Brown coaches under the assumption that title contention is motivation enough. His schemes and rotations are designed under the assumption that effort is greater than zombie level. Until Stern allows 7 defenders, there isn’t a defensive plan that would work given the effort the Cavs have put forth so far these playoffs.
The guy is going to lose his sweet job through no fault of his own. He’s not brilliant, but he’s not there to be brilliant for that entails getting in LeBron’s way. For reasons unknown, the necessary effort is not present. Without effort, coaching is irrelevant.
Supporting Cast?
I don’t have great reasons for not blaming the supporting cast. My expectations are low for this bunch. They feed off LeBron. Their job is to convert open shots on defenses desperately adjusting to the best player in the league. I could be getting cause-and-effect wrong, but I doubt it. If they were botching LeBron-created opportunities, I would quickly blame them. There are no opportunities to botch.
Cleveland?
This is my favorite possible culprit. Cleveland has a few jobs: buy everything for a lot of money(especially Quicken Loans), rock the Q, and believe in this lovable team. I’m assuming Cleveland sucks at buying things because it looks better for my argument if they’re bad at all three jobs.
Daily Dime Poll: Who will win Game 6, Boston or Cleveland?
Nation Results
Boston 66%
Cleveland 34%
Massachusetts Results
Boston 91%
Cleveland 9%
Ohio Results
Boston 38%
Cleveland 62%
How good is Cleveland at believing? Zero. At least 90% of Ohio should click the Cleveland button for this poll. Even if you’re worried, just click the button! This isn’t actually about what you think. The nation can see these results. Mo Williams can see these results. Mo’s sad. Show your support with that click of your mouse!
Boos started fairly early in the 3rd quarter of Game 5. In Game 1, they waited for the Mo Dunk to get color back in their faces and get back into the game. In basketball, fans have to power to create energy and affect the game. Cleveland doesn’t do this on the biggest stages. It’s understandable, but not excusable. The city deserves to suffer their sports failures if they continue to be Negative Nancies. They can’t be upset about results unless they do their part. Hate and fear are not productive. Karma is real.
LeBron?
LeBron is 99% to blame. If he were playing the way we know him to play, the series would be over. That statement alone makes this all his fault.
So it’s ‘Bron’s fault. ¡¿Que pasa con LeBron?!
Start Spreadin’ the News…
LeBron is already mentally in New York. He’s checked out. If he knows he’s leaving, he can’t get emotionally up to the level necessary to succeed in the playoffs.
I don’t buy any part of this theory. This is not in LeBron’s best interest. He cares about his legacy. Bowing out like this is stupid. Even if he hated the city of Cleveland and every soul in it, he still wouldn’t do this.
Elbow
This is an injury unlike any other LeBron has played with and he doesn’t know how to adjust his game or routines. The injury sounds torturously mysterious. As an athlete, injuries are a bummer. Athletes learn to cope with injuries that make sense. I hurt X body part and it will take X weeks/months to heal after X treatment/surgery/rehab. Tell an athlete these things and they’re bummed but ultimately they can handle it. Tell an athlete you have no idea what’s wrong and what it will take to heal? That’s really not OK.
The elbow is an issue. LeBron improved his jumper to punish defenses like the Celtics’ from working consistently. Without confidence in his jumper, LeBron is a shell of an MVP. If it were the elbow alone, he would just revert to younger LeBron and barrel into the paint. This version of LeBron was solid enough to beat these Celtics. This explanation isn’t complete.
Lebron Needs a Hug
Weird to think about, right? A thought that is probably even more preposterous to LeBron than it is for us humans. I can’t help but remember when the Monstars stole Patrick Ewing’s talent. This led to many doctor’s visits including a trip to a therapist.
Imagine you’re LeBron James. You’re a supreme being from the start. Your talent, physical gifts, and intelligence set you up for unparalleled success at every point in your life/career. Your dick is 22 inches long. You’re the youngest and best to do everything. When you fail, it’s the fault of somebody else, or you get a pass because you’re young. Adversity doesn’t exist in your life.
Too old for that excuse. You have enough players around you. MJ won in his 7th year. Most important free-agency in the history of the universe looming. The pressure is greater than ever. This alone is not a problem. You’re LeBron and you’re going to approach this like everything else: with confidence. Until you get this unpredictable, unfamiliar elbow injury, screwing up the whole LeBron approach.
I obviously don’t know how likely this is or how common it is in professional sports or what measures teams take to combat mental illness. I see a guy who looks out of sorts. He’s not himself. Isn’t it at least fathomable that the combination of intense pressure and an uncertain injury have wreaked havoc on the man’s mind? So many questions come to my mind. Am I the only person to suspect this? Does anybody approach him about it? Isn’t the stigma against depression about as great as possible if you’re LeBron freaking James? How likely is that guy to take medication or talk to a therapist?
Somebody give that guy a hug and a bro2bro!
Bronball Can’t Win?
I love LeBron. I love the way he operates. LeBron and his teams have an essence that I’ve never known in sports. I don’t know how much of this is calculated by LeBron or how much is simply an inevitable result of his personality. This doesn’t even matter to me. I love him equally either way.
I like to think of sports as a mirror of life. It’s corny but I truly believe it. Preparation, hard work, teamwork, competition, bad luck. Any idea that you must embrace in the field of sports, you encounter in life in some capacity.
If I were to live my life and treat those around me like a superstar basketball player of the past 30 years, I would choose LeBron in a landslide decision. LeBron’s conduct is most similar to that which leads to happiness.
MJ? Shaq? Kobe? Larry Bird? Magic Johnson? Tim Duncan? Charles Barkley? Allen Iverson? David Robinson? Steve Nash?
Has anyone won prolifically while treating their teammates the way we should all treat people in our lives? Does LeBron’s positive, happy, inclusive, light-hearted attitude only work in low pressure situations? Are his teams doomed to hit road blocks and fall apart?
I don’t want to believe this. I want to believe there is a chink in Bronball with this Cavs team. They aren’t doing enough loving somewhere in the chain. LeBron doesn’t have the wrong attitude. He needs to do even more of what he knows he should do.
Is it time to jump in the lake?
No. LeBron will dominate Game 6. I still believe in LeBron. Blowing a 3-2 lead at home is exactly how this Boston Celtics era will end.
If this doesn’t happen, my world will explode. I’ll be done with sports. I’m going to start reading news and voting.
Final notes
Ice Cube’s 30 for 30 doc is by far the worst of the series. Is anybody shocked by this?
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is looking good on Kimmel right now
Monday, May 10, 2010
Games 3 and 4: Varying Levels of Focus
In a span of three days, the Cavs have given the public strong arguments as to why they are championship contenders and why they are not.
In Game 3, notably after an embarrassing loss by the Cavs at home, Cleveland couldn't miss and Boston couldn't breathe. It was a dominant performance in a game the Celtics had every reason to want to win. Then, during LeBron's likely normal nap time, the Cavs forgot to wake up on a Sunday afternoon game and refused to choke the life out of the wobbly Celtics. That is the one step Cleveland has yet to take in becoming a title contending team. They beat the Celtics in a game Boston WANTED but they haven't yet beaten Boston in a "must-win" game for THEM. There's a difference.
I'll spare you the actual adjustments that could be made because they're only medium important. I'm coming at this series, and whole playoffs for that matter, with a wait and see attitude.
So far, these playoffs have been unpleasant to watch...especially when compared to last years' first two round turbo sweeps (which Orlando perfected this year). Last year's team started LeBron James and Mo Williams, one and a half All Stars. The rest of the starters were Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. I've said this a million times and I'll say it again, that lineup isn't really that good. That team was stealing games with hustle and defense (and LeBron) and covering up for their lack of real talent off the bench. They played such a fun brand of basketball because they knew they couldn't coast but they had such a unique player in LeBron that when his good vibes were flowing, they blew teams out of the water. Once Orlando figured out that they matched up perfectly with the Cavs and that they could win games with LeBron playing almost flawless games, it was basically over. Once a super talented team realizes it doesn't have to scramble to stop LeBron, they can just play. The Cavs couldn't make the Magic panic last year no matter what they did.
So, back to the psychology...
This is the culminating year of the perceived preordained championships LeBron is supposed to win. They've been waiting for the Orlando/L.A. back-to-back series for a while now. When analysts say about veteran teams that the regular season bores them, I usually say, "Ahhh shut up, they're old and they suck."
Well now I'm coming back to that. This Cavs team has no beef with the Celtics anymore. If they did, don't you think they would try in the playoffs? In the playoffs so far, the Cavs have given full effort for one game in each series and they won by almost 30 in both. Nobody likes watching a team that isn't trying and it seems distasteful.
I don't know if this lack of effort is concerning or a problem...I don't even really know why it's happening. I've never been that good at anything or in the position that the Cavs are in right now. That's why all I can do is wait. I can argue with poor substitutions or strategies but it's hard for me to be critical of effort for some reason. Ultimately, it's their team and they can do what they want. I don't know what is going on with this team so all I can do is trust that they know what they are doing. I personally believe that Cleveland has the best team and will eventually show it consistently.
Basically, I have no predictions. We're in uncharted waters here. Most of the time, when a team wins the title, it doesn't come without a period of doubt. Here's to hoping this is that period.
In Game 3, notably after an embarrassing loss by the Cavs at home, Cleveland couldn't miss and Boston couldn't breathe. It was a dominant performance in a game the Celtics had every reason to want to win. Then, during LeBron's likely normal nap time, the Cavs forgot to wake up on a Sunday afternoon game and refused to choke the life out of the wobbly Celtics. That is the one step Cleveland has yet to take in becoming a title contending team. They beat the Celtics in a game Boston WANTED but they haven't yet beaten Boston in a "must-win" game for THEM. There's a difference.
I'll spare you the actual adjustments that could be made because they're only medium important. I'm coming at this series, and whole playoffs for that matter, with a wait and see attitude.
So far, these playoffs have been unpleasant to watch...especially when compared to last years' first two round turbo sweeps (which Orlando perfected this year). Last year's team started LeBron James and Mo Williams, one and a half All Stars. The rest of the starters were Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. I've said this a million times and I'll say it again, that lineup isn't really that good. That team was stealing games with hustle and defense (and LeBron) and covering up for their lack of real talent off the bench. They played such a fun brand of basketball because they knew they couldn't coast but they had such a unique player in LeBron that when his good vibes were flowing, they blew teams out of the water. Once Orlando figured out that they matched up perfectly with the Cavs and that they could win games with LeBron playing almost flawless games, it was basically over. Once a super talented team realizes it doesn't have to scramble to stop LeBron, they can just play. The Cavs couldn't make the Magic panic last year no matter what they did.
So, back to the psychology...
This is the culminating year of the perceived preordained championships LeBron is supposed to win. They've been waiting for the Orlando/L.A. back-to-back series for a while now. When analysts say about veteran teams that the regular season bores them, I usually say, "Ahhh shut up, they're old and they suck."
Well now I'm coming back to that. This Cavs team has no beef with the Celtics anymore. If they did, don't you think they would try in the playoffs? In the playoffs so far, the Cavs have given full effort for one game in each series and they won by almost 30 in both. Nobody likes watching a team that isn't trying and it seems distasteful.
I don't know if this lack of effort is concerning or a problem...I don't even really know why it's happening. I've never been that good at anything or in the position that the Cavs are in right now. That's why all I can do is wait. I can argue with poor substitutions or strategies but it's hard for me to be critical of effort for some reason. Ultimately, it's their team and they can do what they want. I don't know what is going on with this team so all I can do is trust that they know what they are doing. I personally believe that Cleveland has the best team and will eventually show it consistently.
Basically, I have no predictions. We're in uncharted waters here. Most of the time, when a team wins the title, it doesn't come without a period of doubt. Here's to hoping this is that period.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Game 2: Embarrassment of Riches
For our sanity's sake, let's start with the "riches."
The team with the best record in the first half of the season and no distinct disadvantage against any elite team traded for Antawn Jamison, an occasional All Star and prolific scorer. Through most of this, the starting and back up centers were hurt and gone, respectively. Then, right before the playoffs, everybody came back relinquishing the starting power forward for almost the entire season not only to the bench, but damn near out of the rotation. This is all without mentioning that the starting shooting guard is coming off the bench and the starting point guard from the team that went to the finals not even sniffing playing time. The guys in suits: trade throw-in but early round draft pick (Telfair), rookie Danny Green and champion backup power forward Leon Powe. When the Cavs went on their longest winning streak of the season, former All Star Mo Williams and back up point guard Delonte West was as well. This is a testament to how incredibly deep this team is.
Now, for the embarrassment.
I'm not even sure what any of this means, really. It was clear on Monday night that the Cavs were not at full effort and concentration. That's always annoying, frankly. Most fans can't imagine not being interested in playing in any NBA game but in the middle of such a long season, it's understandable however irritating. With that said, playing in the second round of the playoffs against a team that is owed a such a beat down and being as sluggish as the Cavs were in Game 2 is pretty hard to fathom.
Let's go back to that winning streak in the middle of the season with Boobie Gibson at point guard. It seemed as though the Cavs were constantly threatened by everyone. They assumed every team was out to get them because they seemed vulnerable. Every player stepped up like they had something to prove. Is that still there with everyone healthy? Does this team need someone to get hurt before they start playing well again? Mike Brown uncharacteristically criticized him team after that game. Maybe that's good. Maybe someone just needs to insult this team.
Now for the elephant in the room: Is LeBron OK?
Never have I seen LeBron play the way he has played in these first two games. When he says in response to questions about his elbow, "I'll be a productive player." For this team, that isn't good enough. The Cavs are based off of LeBron being constantly aggressive. Sometimes you'll get heat check threes and overshooting and turnovers...I'll take that over this passive James we've seen in this series. The supporting cast thrives off of the assertion of his dominance. He has at least one of those plays in most games. He's not even attempting them so far. If he's hurt or trying to prove something, I don't know. If there is something physically wrong with him that's causing him to play this way and it cannot be fixed, the Cavs cannot win. LeBron can't blend in.
I guess we'll see what's really going on with him and if the Cavs can overcome their own depth in the games to come.
The team with the best record in the first half of the season and no distinct disadvantage against any elite team traded for Antawn Jamison, an occasional All Star and prolific scorer. Through most of this, the starting and back up centers were hurt and gone, respectively. Then, right before the playoffs, everybody came back relinquishing the starting power forward for almost the entire season not only to the bench, but damn near out of the rotation. This is all without mentioning that the starting shooting guard is coming off the bench and the starting point guard from the team that went to the finals not even sniffing playing time. The guys in suits: trade throw-in but early round draft pick (Telfair), rookie Danny Green and champion backup power forward Leon Powe. When the Cavs went on their longest winning streak of the season, former All Star Mo Williams and back up point guard Delonte West was as well. This is a testament to how incredibly deep this team is.
Now, for the embarrassment.
I'm not even sure what any of this means, really. It was clear on Monday night that the Cavs were not at full effort and concentration. That's always annoying, frankly. Most fans can't imagine not being interested in playing in any NBA game but in the middle of such a long season, it's understandable however irritating. With that said, playing in the second round of the playoffs against a team that is owed a such a beat down and being as sluggish as the Cavs were in Game 2 is pretty hard to fathom.
Let's go back to that winning streak in the middle of the season with Boobie Gibson at point guard. It seemed as though the Cavs were constantly threatened by everyone. They assumed every team was out to get them because they seemed vulnerable. Every player stepped up like they had something to prove. Is that still there with everyone healthy? Does this team need someone to get hurt before they start playing well again? Mike Brown uncharacteristically criticized him team after that game. Maybe that's good. Maybe someone just needs to insult this team.
Now for the elephant in the room: Is LeBron OK?
Never have I seen LeBron play the way he has played in these first two games. When he says in response to questions about his elbow, "I'll be a productive player." For this team, that isn't good enough. The Cavs are based off of LeBron being constantly aggressive. Sometimes you'll get heat check threes and overshooting and turnovers...I'll take that over this passive James we've seen in this series. The supporting cast thrives off of the assertion of his dominance. He has at least one of those plays in most games. He's not even attempting them so far. If he's hurt or trying to prove something, I don't know. If there is something physically wrong with him that's causing him to play this way and it cannot be fixed, the Cavs cannot win. LeBron can't blend in.
I guess we'll see what's really going on with him and if the Cavs can overcome their own depth in the games to come.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Game 1: Let's Review...Shall We?
Although I can't find it on NBA.com (and therefore, gave up), I saw a glimpse of the Doc Rivers post game presser on the Inside the NBA post game show and he said something like, "It's about us." This quote, of course, insinuating that if the Celtics play the best they will win and it's up to them to do so. Ironically, what we have in this series is the exact opposite situation...one of many confounding things about this game.
The first half for the Cavs was grotesquely low energy. Down 11 without the Celtics doing anything remotely spectacular, several missed layups and LeBron playing like he really does have a dead right arm. This, unlike what the Doc would lead you to believe, is the only type of game the Celtics can win against the Cavs. Boston has to somehow lull the Cavs into playing a slow and low energy game and sneak up on them and win at the end. This, by the way, is the reason the Celtics can't win this series. If they win a few games, the Cavs will turn up the heat and eviscerate this over-the-hill team. There's just no way you can close out a team if, once you get the other team's attention, you have no chance.
This can be a problem for the Cavs though. As we saw in the first half, the Cavs play timid and without interest sometimes. Eventually, LeBron usually makes such an amazing play that the rest of the team gets fired up and goes on an unstoppable run to win the game. The problem on Saturday was that LeBron was playing as timid as I've ever seen him play and wasn't able to bring the spark. It had to be delivered by someone else.
The spark came from the most unlikely source, Mo Williams. Not unlikely because he isn't any good, unlikely because he looks the most frightened in the playoffs of any player on the roster. After he stole the ball and dunked on Paul Pierce, his second dunk of his NBA career, he was unable to miss for the rest of the 3rd quarter. This play slapped the whole team back into reality and LeBron and Shaq were able to close it out. This time, Mo picked up LeBron.
The way LeBron and Shaq finished the game was interesting too. After a first half that was shockingly low-effort for a rivalry home playoff game, LeBron and Shaq had two or three baskets between them that were purely effort and guts. This was a great thing to see, especially from Shaq. Being able to keep him on the floor the entire fourth quarter (while feeding his ego) is fantastic.
In the end, I know old man analysts like to pick the Celtics out of respect, but I couldn't see it happening and nothing in Game 1 led me to change my mind. The Celtics played pretty well. Their one mismatch (Rajon Rondo) certainly filled that role and yet when the Cavs went on their single run of the game, there was no resistance. As my brother and I discussed, the Celtics are like a boxer trying to win a match with no right hook. All he can do is jab, jab, jab. Boston jabbed all game, and they'll continue to, but the Cavs won this match with only throwing one punch and that can't be a good sign for Boston.
The first half for the Cavs was grotesquely low energy. Down 11 without the Celtics doing anything remotely spectacular, several missed layups and LeBron playing like he really does have a dead right arm. This, unlike what the Doc would lead you to believe, is the only type of game the Celtics can win against the Cavs. Boston has to somehow lull the Cavs into playing a slow and low energy game and sneak up on them and win at the end. This, by the way, is the reason the Celtics can't win this series. If they win a few games, the Cavs will turn up the heat and eviscerate this over-the-hill team. There's just no way you can close out a team if, once you get the other team's attention, you have no chance.
This can be a problem for the Cavs though. As we saw in the first half, the Cavs play timid and without interest sometimes. Eventually, LeBron usually makes such an amazing play that the rest of the team gets fired up and goes on an unstoppable run to win the game. The problem on Saturday was that LeBron was playing as timid as I've ever seen him play and wasn't able to bring the spark. It had to be delivered by someone else.
The spark came from the most unlikely source, Mo Williams. Not unlikely because he isn't any good, unlikely because he looks the most frightened in the playoffs of any player on the roster. After he stole the ball and dunked on Paul Pierce, his second dunk of his NBA career, he was unable to miss for the rest of the 3rd quarter. This play slapped the whole team back into reality and LeBron and Shaq were able to close it out. This time, Mo picked up LeBron.
The way LeBron and Shaq finished the game was interesting too. After a first half that was shockingly low-effort for a rivalry home playoff game, LeBron and Shaq had two or three baskets between them that were purely effort and guts. This was a great thing to see, especially from Shaq. Being able to keep him on the floor the entire fourth quarter (while feeding his ego) is fantastic.
In the end, I know old man analysts like to pick the Celtics out of respect, but I couldn't see it happening and nothing in Game 1 led me to change my mind. The Celtics played pretty well. Their one mismatch (Rajon Rondo) certainly filled that role and yet when the Cavs went on their single run of the game, there was no resistance. As my brother and I discussed, the Celtics are like a boxer trying to win a match with no right hook. All he can do is jab, jab, jab. Boston jabbed all game, and they'll continue to, but the Cavs won this match with only throwing one punch and that can't be a good sign for Boston.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Traversing the Playoff Landscape
Nuggets vs. Jazz (Jazz up 3-1)
I am losing a pita on this series and I'm not that happy about it.
I watched some of Rick Reilly's piece on ESPN where he came to poor George Karl's house and watched a Nuggets playoff game with him. I never like watching those stupid things that aren't really about sports and are just trying to make me feel bad for not having cancer, but this one was interesting for the personality of the Denver Nuggets.
You picture a coach as a guy who is either like the Zen-master/Brad Stevens type where the coach stays composed and tries to bring stability to a stressful situation or maybe a yeller/screamer type who is consistent but consistently angry to keep you on your toes. Think Mike Ditka or Bob Knight.
Karl reminds me of Bob Huggins. They treat their players like their pet dogs and they acquire players who like/need that treatment. George Karl is wildly emotional just like he were a player. He deeply loves his misfit players and is emotionally devastated when his team plays poorly. The point is, this team is not mentally tough or mentally weak, they're just...well they're what I just said.
The point is, the Nuggets are not winning this series and probably aren't going to win another game in it. Give the Jazz credit, I guess...they're probably on their way to the Western Conference Finals.
Magic vs. Bobcats (Magic won 4-0)
This series was a little sad to me. The Magic never got past first gear, I don't think. Dwight Howard started the series getting into way to much foul trouble which everybody pointed out as a "major" issue, he NEVER adjusted...and it didn't matter. At all. Vince Carter shot horribly the whole series. He improved a little in the last game, but it never mattered anyway. The Bobcats try really hard but it just doesn't matter. They can't score enough. The Magic are so tough but they still have weird mental issues that got 'em against the Lakers and I swear to God must come up to bite them in this playoffs. We'll have way too much time to talk about the Magic soon enough so let's get off this.
Mavericks vs. Spurs (Spurs lead 3-1)
Oddly enough, this series isn't over. Both teams are really really old. The Spurs have been getting by on smoke and mirrors for a while now and it's frankly pathetic that the Mavericks are letting them. The Mavericks like to play junk ball (which is a stupid "strategy" if you want to win in the playoffs) and the Spurs are the perfect team to look at the match up and say, "Well...let's not let them do that."
The Spurs, like the Patriots were in the NFL for the past few years, are simply a hurdle. They are going to play the best basketball. Do you have enough talent and composure to beat them? No? Ok, get outta here.
Sometimes playing that way is good enough to win a title, sometimes it's not. This is Tim Duncan's career.
Hawks vs. Bucks (series tied 2-2)
I don't know what to say about this. The Hawks are really not impressing anyone by splitting the first two games with a team that gets large contributions from Jerry Stackhouse and Kurt Thomas. Tip o' the cap to the Bucks for doing what they're doing and Brandon Jennings is simply a pleasure, but this is a race to be slaughtered by the Magic. It really makes you feel bad for the Bucks, wondering what they could do if Andrew Bogut weren't hurt. Then again, who cares? There's a reason this series is on NBA TV.
Suns vs. Trail Blazers (Suns lead 3-2)
Suns/Blazers is somewhat entertaining.
The Blazers are a bad match up for the Suns, honestly, but not without Roy (at his best) and not without the rest of their size (Oden and Przybilla). What's the outcome? A solid beating by the better team, but confusing wins from the underdog from time to time. I sincerely hope this series ends as soon as possible because I'm worried about all of Brandon Roy's body parts.
Celtics vs. Heat (Celtics lead 3-1)
It's hard to watch Dwyane Wade try to drag his team to wherever it's supposed to be going. Miami had better bring in a hell of a lot of talent to keep him after what they've done to the team during poor Wade's prime years. Dangerous.
I have no idea how good this series is telling me the Celtics are. Their wins haven't been that impressive and the Heat are really not a very good team. I'm not that worried about Boston right now, but I know that old guys really love to say the Celtics are going to beat the Cavs in the 2nd round. It's really gross. Newsflash: it's not good to be old.
Speaking of that, I saw a magazine on the floor of my mom's bathroom that had a picture of Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the cover with the headline, "Hotter at 49 than 29!"
I couldn't be more furious about that insinuation. Nobody is hotter at 49 than 29...NOBODY. Maybe some dude who used to be 400 thousand pounds at 29 and lost it by 49...or something like that. Sure, Julia is still pretty cute for being almost 50, but are you telling me that Elaine Benes wasn't cute? What a horrible insult to 29 year-old JL-D.
Lakers vs. Thunder (series tied 2-2)
The question was posed to a panel of ESPN NBA analysts, "Is Kobe selfish?"
Yes, yes and uhhhhmmmmmmm yes.
Kobe prepares harder than anyone...or as hard...I really have no idea. But he has an array of moves more vast than any perimeter player in the league. The fact that he has developed these moves is an unselfish act because playing at the highest level for your team is unselfish. And that is it.
The reason why Kobe is selfish is because he knows the right way to play and chooses to do whatever it is that he does. His teammates can only have a certain type of enabling personality or they can't coexist. Anyone strong-willed won't stand for a Kobe-dominated regime. This current team is Kobe's world. He had to choose between winning more titles or winning fewer titles with more credit and chose the latter.
Now that he's hurt and not even good anymore, it's just sad. Actually, you know what? It's not sad because it's his fault. He chose not to fix his finger and he chose not to rest. He didn't have to play for the Olympic team. All of those actions were selfish. Taking time off would help the All-Star team he plays for get more comfortable being themselves and they STILL would have the number 1 seed in the West both this season AND last season. Kobe would rather be known as an iron man and have losses blamed on his teammates when they come. He's an asshole.
The Thunder are a delight. They still probably won't win this series...but the COULD. Let's watch!!!!
Cavaliers vs. Bulls (Cavs lead 3-1)
Brian Windhorst, as always, summed it up best in a post-game interview after game 4. He said, and I concur, that after all the discussion about whether to go big or small or to have JJ Hickson or Shaq play more, the only thing that made the difference was the Cavs started trying. This is a series the Cavs will win even if LeBron got hurt (KNOCK ON EVERYTHING!!!!!). I don't know if it will happen tonight, but it will happen, don't worry.
I am losing a pita on this series and I'm not that happy about it.
I watched some of Rick Reilly's piece on ESPN where he came to poor George Karl's house and watched a Nuggets playoff game with him. I never like watching those stupid things that aren't really about sports and are just trying to make me feel bad for not having cancer, but this one was interesting for the personality of the Denver Nuggets.
You picture a coach as a guy who is either like the Zen-master/Brad Stevens type where the coach stays composed and tries to bring stability to a stressful situation or maybe a yeller/screamer type who is consistent but consistently angry to keep you on your toes. Think Mike Ditka or Bob Knight.
Karl reminds me of Bob Huggins. They treat their players like their pet dogs and they acquire players who like/need that treatment. George Karl is wildly emotional just like he were a player. He deeply loves his misfit players and is emotionally devastated when his team plays poorly. The point is, this team is not mentally tough or mentally weak, they're just...well they're what I just said.
The point is, the Nuggets are not winning this series and probably aren't going to win another game in it. Give the Jazz credit, I guess...they're probably on their way to the Western Conference Finals.
Magic vs. Bobcats (Magic won 4-0)
This series was a little sad to me. The Magic never got past first gear, I don't think. Dwight Howard started the series getting into way to much foul trouble which everybody pointed out as a "major" issue, he NEVER adjusted...and it didn't matter. At all. Vince Carter shot horribly the whole series. He improved a little in the last game, but it never mattered anyway. The Bobcats try really hard but it just doesn't matter. They can't score enough. The Magic are so tough but they still have weird mental issues that got 'em against the Lakers and I swear to God must come up to bite them in this playoffs. We'll have way too much time to talk about the Magic soon enough so let's get off this.
Mavericks vs. Spurs (Spurs lead 3-1)
Oddly enough, this series isn't over. Both teams are really really old. The Spurs have been getting by on smoke and mirrors for a while now and it's frankly pathetic that the Mavericks are letting them. The Mavericks like to play junk ball (which is a stupid "strategy" if you want to win in the playoffs) and the Spurs are the perfect team to look at the match up and say, "Well...let's not let them do that."
The Spurs, like the Patriots were in the NFL for the past few years, are simply a hurdle. They are going to play the best basketball. Do you have enough talent and composure to beat them? No? Ok, get outta here.
Sometimes playing that way is good enough to win a title, sometimes it's not. This is Tim Duncan's career.
Hawks vs. Bucks (series tied 2-2)
I don't know what to say about this. The Hawks are really not impressing anyone by splitting the first two games with a team that gets large contributions from Jerry Stackhouse and Kurt Thomas. Tip o' the cap to the Bucks for doing what they're doing and Brandon Jennings is simply a pleasure, but this is a race to be slaughtered by the Magic. It really makes you feel bad for the Bucks, wondering what they could do if Andrew Bogut weren't hurt. Then again, who cares? There's a reason this series is on NBA TV.
Suns vs. Trail Blazers (Suns lead 3-2)
Suns/Blazers is somewhat entertaining.
The Blazers are a bad match up for the Suns, honestly, but not without Roy (at his best) and not without the rest of their size (Oden and Przybilla). What's the outcome? A solid beating by the better team, but confusing wins from the underdog from time to time. I sincerely hope this series ends as soon as possible because I'm worried about all of Brandon Roy's body parts.
Celtics vs. Heat (Celtics lead 3-1)
It's hard to watch Dwyane Wade try to drag his team to wherever it's supposed to be going. Miami had better bring in a hell of a lot of talent to keep him after what they've done to the team during poor Wade's prime years. Dangerous.
I have no idea how good this series is telling me the Celtics are. Their wins haven't been that impressive and the Heat are really not a very good team. I'm not that worried about Boston right now, but I know that old guys really love to say the Celtics are going to beat the Cavs in the 2nd round. It's really gross. Newsflash: it's not good to be old.
Speaking of that, I saw a magazine on the floor of my mom's bathroom that had a picture of Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the cover with the headline, "Hotter at 49 than 29!"
I couldn't be more furious about that insinuation. Nobody is hotter at 49 than 29...NOBODY. Maybe some dude who used to be 400 thousand pounds at 29 and lost it by 49...or something like that. Sure, Julia is still pretty cute for being almost 50, but are you telling me that Elaine Benes wasn't cute? What a horrible insult to 29 year-old JL-D.
Lakers vs. Thunder (series tied 2-2)
The question was posed to a panel of ESPN NBA analysts, "Is Kobe selfish?"
Yes, yes and uhhhhmmmmmmm yes.
Kobe prepares harder than anyone...or as hard...I really have no idea. But he has an array of moves more vast than any perimeter player in the league. The fact that he has developed these moves is an unselfish act because playing at the highest level for your team is unselfish. And that is it.
The reason why Kobe is selfish is because he knows the right way to play and chooses to do whatever it is that he does. His teammates can only have a certain type of enabling personality or they can't coexist. Anyone strong-willed won't stand for a Kobe-dominated regime. This current team is Kobe's world. He had to choose between winning more titles or winning fewer titles with more credit and chose the latter.
Now that he's hurt and not even good anymore, it's just sad. Actually, you know what? It's not sad because it's his fault. He chose not to fix his finger and he chose not to rest. He didn't have to play for the Olympic team. All of those actions were selfish. Taking time off would help the All-Star team he plays for get more comfortable being themselves and they STILL would have the number 1 seed in the West both this season AND last season. Kobe would rather be known as an iron man and have losses blamed on his teammates when they come. He's an asshole.
The Thunder are a delight. They still probably won't win this series...but the COULD. Let's watch!!!!
Cavaliers vs. Bulls (Cavs lead 3-1)
Brian Windhorst, as always, summed it up best in a post-game interview after game 4. He said, and I concur, that after all the discussion about whether to go big or small or to have JJ Hickson or Shaq play more, the only thing that made the difference was the Cavs started trying. This is a series the Cavs will win even if LeBron got hurt (KNOCK ON EVERYTHING!!!!!). I don't know if it will happen tonight, but it will happen, don't worry.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Who Can You Trust?
The old playoff saying goes, "You play nine and trust eight (I think those numbers are right)." Or, as Brian Windhorst described the Cavs' experience last season, you play seven and trust four.
The playoffs are a different animal and sometimes it's hard to know who can be trusted and who cannot. Well, I'm here to tell you.
100% Trustworthy
Shaq has always been a big game Center. The one criticism of him is that he often doesn't try in games that aren't huge but the reason he even needs an explanation is because sometimes, when you get old, you don't do anything well that you used to. Shaq still has it. Not physically all the time anymore, but he might actually have it together upstairs more than he used to, and I know we all like to think everyone gets smarter as they age, it's not really true.
As for Delonte and Varejao...does anything ever affect them? They both might be so crazy already that they don't even understand pressure. They have a history of playing the same or better when the pressure is on. I'll stake my reputation on all of these guys without blinking.
Boobie and Powe actually have a record of success in big games but they might both be in suits most of the time. What're ya gonna do?
I THINK They're Trustworthy
I have no doubt Z will just do what he does no matter what the situation. The only reason he's not in the first group is because I don't trust his body. I can see missed 1-footers and dunk attempts on LeBron spoon feeds. It won't necessarily happen, but I've seen it happen. He's frail, but I love 'im.
John Glenn literally 2 hours ago just told me that he can picture Jamison getting really tight in the playoffs and missing everything. I see where he's coming from. Jamison is cut from the Chris Webber/Kevin Garnett cloth of handsome finesse big men with good jump shots and generally likable personalities. I think Jamison has two things over both of those guys.
1. He's not as good as they are.
2. He knows it.
All this means is that he doesn't have nearly as much pressure on him as either of those other guys and he's smarter than they are. Smart enough to realize the situation he's in and adjust. I believe in him but I'm not 100%.
The other three? I trust them enough but I simply don't know them well enough. Jamario won't be put in any position of pressure and neither will Jawad most likely, but Parker could. I'm worried simply about him not being very good. That is his Achilles heel...not being good. He's better than Wally though so I'm not complaining.
Don't Bet On 'em
Here's my picks for the first round:
East
1-Cavs over 8-Bulls in 4
2-Magic over 7-Bobcats in 5
3-Hawks over 6-Bucks in 5
4-Celtics over 5-Heat in 7
West
1-Lakers over 8-Thunder in 6
2-Mavericks over 7-Spurs in 6
3-Suns over 6-Blazers in 5
5-Nuggets over 4-Jazz in 6
The playoffs are a different animal and sometimes it's hard to know who can be trusted and who cannot. Well, I'm here to tell you.
100% Trustworthy
- LeBron James
- Shaq'uille O'neal
- Delonte West
- Daniel Gibson
- Leon Powe
- Anderson Varejao
Shaq has always been a big game Center. The one criticism of him is that he often doesn't try in games that aren't huge but the reason he even needs an explanation is because sometimes, when you get old, you don't do anything well that you used to. Shaq still has it. Not physically all the time anymore, but he might actually have it together upstairs more than he used to, and I know we all like to think everyone gets smarter as they age, it's not really true.
As for Delonte and Varejao...does anything ever affect them? They both might be so crazy already that they don't even understand pressure. They have a history of playing the same or better when the pressure is on. I'll stake my reputation on all of these guys without blinking.
Boobie and Powe actually have a record of success in big games but they might both be in suits most of the time. What're ya gonna do?
I THINK They're Trustworthy
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas
- Antawn Jamison
- Jamario Moon
- Anthony Parker
- Jawad Williams
I have no doubt Z will just do what he does no matter what the situation. The only reason he's not in the first group is because I don't trust his body. I can see missed 1-footers and dunk attempts on LeBron spoon feeds. It won't necessarily happen, but I've seen it happen. He's frail, but I love 'im.
John Glenn literally 2 hours ago just told me that he can picture Jamison getting really tight in the playoffs and missing everything. I see where he's coming from. Jamison is cut from the Chris Webber/Kevin Garnett cloth of handsome finesse big men with good jump shots and generally likable personalities. I think Jamison has two things over both of those guys.
1. He's not as good as they are.
2. He knows it.
All this means is that he doesn't have nearly as much pressure on him as either of those other guys and he's smarter than they are. Smart enough to realize the situation he's in and adjust. I believe in him but I'm not 100%.
The other three? I trust them enough but I simply don't know them well enough. Jamario won't be put in any position of pressure and neither will Jawad most likely, but Parker could. I'm worried simply about him not being very good. That is his Achilles heel...not being good. He's better than Wally though so I'm not complaining.
Don't Bet On 'em
- Mo Williams
- JJ Hickson
Here's my picks for the first round:
East
1-Cavs over 8-Bulls in 4
2-Magic over 7-Bobcats in 5
3-Hawks over 6-Bucks in 5
4-Celtics over 5-Heat in 7
West
1-Lakers over 8-Thunder in 6
2-Mavericks over 7-Spurs in 6
3-Suns over 6-Blazers in 5
5-Nuggets over 4-Jazz in 6
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Throwin' the Hamma Down!
I wish I could make "Eye of the Tiger" play for this intro. Just hum it.
I can’t believe you all made it an entire year without me guest-blogging without riots in the streets or falling into a collective coma. Well, I’m glad you all survived, but more than a little hurt that you didn’t leave hate comments on Kevin’s blog or his twitter begging for more of my blog entries. Here's how I initially reacted. But I got over it and wrote a kick-ass blog.
Comments should go in the comments section or www.twitter.com/mean_gracie or www.twitter.com/buddiesbullshit.
For those of you who didn’t read last year’s (i.e. if you just got out of prison or actually did just wake up from a coma) here’s how it works:
At the beginning of the playoffs, I rank every player on the Cavs' roster in order of who I want to marry most. Number 15 I would marry if there was some kind of nuclear holocaust, and number 1 I would marry tomorrow no questions asked. Well, I might as one or two questions (i.e. “Do you like cheese?”), but basically a wedding would immediately follow the initial meeting.
LET’S DO IT!
15.) Sebastian Telfair. No surprise here. First of all, he was kind of a confusing addition in mid-February in our big Antawn move. But now I understand: we were planning on resting everyone awesome on our team for the last four games, and needed SOMEONE to be on the court. The good news here is, he makes the top 5 for “Most Awesome Names on the Cavs”. He probably doesn’t even know it’s from Shakespeare.
14.) Jawad Williams. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Jawad is not a name. It’s not even mashing two named together. What would those names be? Jason and…Wad? The point is, I would never say, “Have you met my husband, Jawad?”
13.) Anthony Parker. He’s getting old. Now, I know some people are higher than him on the list that are older than him, but to be fair: they are much, much better than him, AND they are much, much more often answers on Sporcle, which, as we all know, is the true measure of success. He does already have a kid, which is a selling point. But…that kid is 8. The cuteness to age ratio is notoriously high (i.e. one year old/100 cuteness), so I mean, that kid is pushing it. Even if he is black.
12.) Leon Powe. I’m going to be honest here. Leon was going to be number 14. Then I read about his life and remembered that ESPN special from like two years ago, and honestly, his life is shitty enough without coming in that low on my list. Imagine every terrible thing that could happen to you in your life. All of those things happened to Powe before middle school. So, Leon Powe, congratulations, you made the top 80%. Chin up, kid.
11.) Danny Green. Well, listen, Danny was pretty good on Cavaliers Family Feud, but nowhere near the most hilarious. His Feud skills got him this high, but the fact that his dad had 400-something pounds of cocaine in his possession is not okay. I want my kid to call their grandpa “Pappy” not “Who’s that man not wearing any pants?” I also don’t need any kind of cocaine-baby powder mix-up. I just don’t.
10.) Jamario Moon. It may seem a little surprising that Jamario is this high. Most of it is that when Bron didn’t play these last few games, Jamario did the chalk toss AND threw the hammer down. In the immortal words of Austin Carr, “If at first you don’t succeed, you throw the hammer down.”
9.) Anderson Varajao. Slipping down one spot from last year. Mostly because I still don’t believe his hair is clean and it has to have gotten dirtier in a year.
8.) Antawn Jamison. Okay, new addition to the team, vital to the championship bid. Also, hilarious that it was a typo that led his name to being “Antawn”.
7.) Daniel Gibson. I know, I know, Boobie fell a significant three spots. The thing is, he just had a baby with Keshia Cole, and I’m pretty sure that girl can take me. I mean, I’m scrappy, but why fight when I can have someone whose playing time wasn’t cut by like, a million percent? Still adorbs though.
6.) Zydrunas Ilgauskus. Z. Moving up four spots. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” TRUTH.
5.) J.J. Hickson. I’m still confused about his name being JJ, but JJ not being his initials. However, he was on the winning team on the Feud, did great in fast money (minus saying “Rogaine” for a profession) and I almost had a heart attack when he was on the trading block. Sheesh.
4.) Delonte West. Delonte just keeps moving up. Holding a toothbrush during the Feud? Classic. We can be OCD together. I know he had a rough year/life with all the guns, etc, but, all I can say is (and, LITERALLY, all he can say is), “get the money”.
3.) Mo Williams. Mo, sliding down one spot. This is not because I love him any less. Love the Godfather theme song. Love Mo, but…
2.) Shaquille O’Neal. I mean, c’mon…KAZAAM. Movie star and basketball star?! Bring it. Bring. It.
1.) LeBron James. Who else could it possibly be? Adorable little kids, awesome sneakers…and, oh yeah, the best player in the world. I bet he will let me wear his gold medal.
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