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Conference Finals ramblings

June 1, 2007 @ 3:30 pm by Eddie Johnson · Filed under Anderson Varejao, Bruce Bowen, Emanuel Ginobili, Flopping, LeBron James, Playoffs, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, San Antonio Spurs, Tayshaun Prince, Tim Duncan

Emanuel Ginobili The San Antonio Spurs have proved again that good team play and extreme luck is the foundation to move to the NBA Finals. Last year with Tim Duncan hobbling on a bad foot, they were ousted by Dallas. But this season they were rewarded with an abundance of good fortune.

In Game 1 against the Suns, Steve Nash goes down with a cut nose with three minutes to go. Game 4 Robert Horry gets a flagrant on Steve Nash and thus forces a reaction from Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. They get suspended for Game 5.

In the Conference Finals, they draw Utah when they thought they would have to go through Phoenix and Dallas. Then Utah, after gaining momentum with a Game 3 victory, had to battle first a stomach virus from Deron Williams and then Williams sprains his foot and struggled in Game 5. To top it off, Derek Fisher did not show up until half time of Game 5 because he was in New York tending to his daughter, who is battling an eye disease.

San Antonio probably still could have won each series, but lady luck has sure been on their side this postseason.

WHINING AND FLOPPING

I am so tired of the flopping and complaining that has taken the NBA by storm. It seems like every time an official blows his whistle he has to explain himself or the cameras catch the facial expression of a player. When does a player commit a foul and then turn and get ready for the next play or better yet when does a player make a mistake and it’s his fault and he just points the finger at himself and play on?

NBA players promote how big and strong they are, but yet a little bit of contact and they fall. I like the added circle under the basket for deciding charging calls, but the players are now using it to get constant charging fouls. Also you have jump shooters falling and flailing every time they take a contested shot. That’s one reason why we don’t see a lot of three-point plays on jump shots any more – because players lose their concentration in trying to fake like they have been fouled.

Here are my top whiners and floppers left in the playoffs.

Whiners

Rasheed Wallace: If I was an official, I swear I would see a therapist before every game I officiated with Wallace playing. He not only complains about calls against him but teammates as well. Heck, I even saw him dispute a call against the other team one time! He is a wonderful person off the court and extremely courteous. But man, during a game he is never happy. In Game 6 he got the benefit of the doubt when he blatantly fouled LeBron late in the game, but went ballistic when Anderson Varejao contested his shot late in the second overtime.

Tim Duncan: I swear he is going to cry before his career is over during a game after a call on him. He grabs his head and folds his arms and reminds me of a little boy that just got caught but says, “I didn’t do it”. I understand why Joey Crawford tossed him earlier in the year for laughing on the bench. He got so used to him frowning and giving him a hard time on the court he couldn’t stand to see him enjoying himself on the bench.

Manu Ginobili: This guy really irks me. I have never seen a player that plays so physical on one end of the court and then turns around on the offensive end and acts like someone is doing cruel things to him. I am beginning to think that either he thinks Americans are not capable of analyzing a situation or that he is David Copperfield and creates illusions. He complains virtually on every call and just like most international players he looks to the coaches and fans as if to say, “Why is he picking on me?” I played in Europe and I saw this behavior from players every game.

Tayshaun Prince: I know some of you might think this is a surprise, but watch him. He has something to say after every call and his expression is equal to Duncan’s. He threw the ball away late in Game 5 along the baseline and complained like it was someone else’s fault. Heck, even after he scores a basket he has something to say to a teammate about something he didn’t or should do. They say he does not talk much off the court, but his expressions and verbal rants during games could be why.

Anderson Varejao: First let me say I love this guy. I thoroughly enjoy his energy and wild hair swinging all over the place, but he should never complain about any whistle called on him. “What did I do?” is his favorite response. Well, let me see… You grabbed his jersey, pulled him into you and fell like you where hit and run over by a train. He probably fouled Rasheed Wallace late in Game 5, but I think this guy fouls every time he guards someone.

Floppers

Manu Ginobili: Reminds me so much of Sarunas Marciulionis, who played for Golden State years ago. I used to go into a game against Sarunas saying that I would use two fouls on him and I made sure they hurt. He would play what I called “karate ball”. He would fly into you and flail his feet and arms, thus kicking you in the shin and slapping you in the face. I told him one time that every foul I commit on him was revenge. I look at Manu the same way. This guy just beats you up. Then falls. He is so lucky he did not play in the 80s. He would have looked like a boxer back then with the fouls guys would have put on him to justify his flopping.

Anderson Varejao: I played golf last week and we had biting flies in the area. This is what he reminds me of. Sometimes you get so mad you want to kill every fly you see. I believe before his career is over he will have fallen more than 30 players combined. Does he think officials are stupid? Sometimes I wonder because he falls like he got hit by a car doing 100 mph. Rasheed Wallace big shot in Game 2 was made easier because he bailed out on the play. Mike Brown I am sure has reminded him that officials in the NBA for the most part allow the players to win the game and flopping will not be rewarded.

Bruce Bowen: Bruce has a look that says “Why is everyone picking on me?” He guards you extremely close and reacts like he did not do anything when a player tries to remove him from inside his jersey. He reacts with the movements of someone who has been violated. The advantage I give Bowen is that he keeps the same facial expression. He is like “What? I am just doing my job and he is mad because of it, Mr. Official.”

Richard Hamilton: Rip has taken a page from Reggie Miller although Reggie never fell after jump shots as much as Hamilton. I know he tries to get everyone feeling sorry for him because he looks frail running around the court. Please, Hamilton is the best conditioned player on the floor and pound for pound extremely strong. He just gives you the look that someone is doing something to him and he also uses the mask as a crutch to show that his nose is vulnerable.

LEBRON’S NIGHT

Game 5 was the best performance I have seen in a long time. I have always said good offense will overcome good defense and last night was great offense. The key to it all was LeBron’s ability to knock down shots. It forced Detroit to extend their defense and that is when he is at his best. He was in a zone and 29 points later it was over. I have said this before and I will say it again: If he gets that jumper going on a more consistent basis (like he has in the last few games), he is virtually unguardable and only then is the league his kingdom. Last night, he was on the highest throne and the Pistons have their back up against a huge wall in Game 6. The Cavaliers remember last year. With Detroit having those old legs, I sense they will suffer the consequences and lose Game 6.

Permalink

91 Comments

Michael Bennett Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 4:05 pm

And, I think Detroit is older and more beat up then they let on. Why, after scoring 8 points early in the 1st Quarter, and not in foul trouble, did Rasheed Wallace go to the bench with 4:55 left in the Quarter? He’s ailing more than we all know. He can only go for short bursts, then has to rest. The Cavs need to take advantage of this in G6.

Webber is always seeemingly playing cautious. But, last night he (finally) exploded for 20 points in only 30 minutes of PT. Is he somewhat healthy again? I don’t think so. I think he knew that this might be his final chance at a ring, this was the most important game of the series, and he gave it everything he had. Too bad that because of that, he won’t be 100% for G6.

Eddie - What kind of game do you see LeBron having in Game 6? Repeat of last night with the same first 3 Quarters as usual than crazy scorer at the end? Or, balanced attack?

And, Eddie, do you think Detroit WILL change up their startegy against him (they WERE double teaming him at the end)?

Also, do you feel that Detroit has already somewhat given up because of their futile attempt to stop LeBron last night? Chauncey Billups admitted that he was in awe of LeBron. I always think that’s an indication of surrender ei the Suns in the 1993 Finals against the Bulls/MJ where he averaged over 40 ppg against them…

Fun ramblings… I enjoyed your take on Sheed and Varejao (the odd couple).
Eddie Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 4:57 pm

The double overtime will hurt Detroit more than cleveland for sure.

Webber is like Rasheed it’s up to those guards to get them the ball.

Lebron i believe will play well in game six, but he will need help. the Playoffs are about adjustments and the Pistons will make some against Lebron.
Carnell Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 5:07 pm

Eddie,

If you’re gonna call them out, you need to call the ones out on your team also. Amare is one of the biggest most arrogant whinners in the league. You got a few floppers on your team also. When I watch a Suns game I can swear at times the coaches teach your players, to fall and flop anytime there is contact. Don’t throw stones in a glass house my man.

As far as luck with the Spurs. They have 3 championships. I don’t think it’s luck. They may have caught some breaks, but it wasn’t luck. They are not a dirty team either, the playoffs have been hard fought and rough in all the series. Pistons / Cavs is a very good physical hard fought battle, but you don’t hear no one calling the other dirty do you!!!! This is coming from a guy who really don’t care for the Spurs, but I respect them and can tell you they are going to win it all regardless of who comes out of the East.

LeBron has been playing outstanding. Never expected him to step up like he has. His jumper is still suspect even though he’s hit it of late. True test is tomorrow for him, elimination games are hard to win, and I still think the Pistons are going to win this series. Tomorrow if LeBron doesn’t play like he has of late they have no chance at winning the series, especially if they don’t close out tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll find out if James is really King.
Drew Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 5:24 pm

Still cannot get over the last open letter to LeBron…
It spends the whole time comparing him to Kobe and MJ when clearly he is neither of the two. The closest comparison is obviously Magic, who was a CREATOR, and never had a consistent jumper. To compare LeBron to a couple of scorers doesnt do him any justice, when the greatest aspect of his game is his passing abilty.

We saw him take over the game last night and i saw very few mid-range jumpers Eddie. Truth be told, it certainly would help, but with his game and his abliity to get to the basket I’m not going to say failure is inevitable without a jumper. My gosh the kid has had 3 offseasons to work on his game and its astonishing at the improvements I’ve seen each year. He’s not going to be the perfect player this early in his career, but you can even see the progress he’s made on the defensive side of the ball. With his passing ability, at this point in his career and given the make-up of the team, i believe it is more important to get good shooters around him than for him to develop his own. Do you see how teams dont respect Eric Snow’s jumper? And Larry Hughes is no jump-shooter by any stretch of the imagination. A Michael Redd type shooter would open up the lane for LeBron every night and allow for plenty of highlight reel dunks and acrobatic lay-ups like we saw last night.

I would argue very few athletes have gone under the scrutiny he had to endure after those first two games (despite the Cavs actually outplaying the Pistons in both!!!). While I am happy to see him and the Cavs getting the credit they deserve, it upsets me to see everyone jump on the bandwagon so quickly. I think a lot of journalists and tv personalities have lost some credibility the last few days.
It's like I Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 5:27 pm

We’ll find out if he’s king in game 6? This is semantic garbage. Really. The masses came up with this ridiculously unrealistic moniker, so why debate it. “His coronation is tonight”…”until he takes the cavs to the next level, he’s a mere prince”….”yeah…king….like, whatever”….you know, the same drivel printed everyday. if by “king” it is meant the best player in the league, of course it would get tired very fast debating this after every game. but by using king, there are just has so many stupid ways to do it that people can’t resist themselves. Who cares. Why don’t we discuss whether he’s another LBJ? I guess we’ll have to wait to see if Detroit wins this series or the Cavs lose to the Spurs in the finals so we can say he lead his team into conflicts they have no place being involved in. Someone else can finish that story.
Jamie Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 5:46 pm

Carnell, in case you didn’t read the article. Eddie said he was naming the floppers that are still playing in the playoffs.

And maybe its just me, but I would consider catching a break rather lucky. The Spurs did get lucky, like Eddie said in the article that you may not have read thoroughly. They got lucky when Horry knocked Nash over and then Diaw and Stoudemire couldn’t contain themselves(and neither could the assistant coaches contain them) and had to rush out to the court. But I agree, I think the Spurs will beat whoever comes out of the East.

Eddie,

I was surprised when I found out that Steve Kerr will be the new GM of the Suns. He does sound very knowledgeable about the game while analyzing it for TNT, but I was thinking, if anyone should get that job, I figured it would’ve been you. Anyways, are you going to try to become a GM one day?
Eddie Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 5:58 pm

Thanks Jamie. I guess Carnell wants to harass me(-:

I would love to be a part of a front office in the future. I decided 7 years ago when i turned down a few assistant coaching jobs that i enjoyed being at home with the family and doing television.

I cant rule front office out in the future if the right opportunity came alone.
Eddie Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 6:11 pm

Guys get over it! the great ones all had their critics. The problem i am having with you bandwagon guys is that you comment after he does something. i guarantee i will not comment if Detroit wins game 6. I want Cleveland to win and i have always been one of Lebrons biggest fans. My comments about him came from a person that has played basketball his whole life. I think you guys tend to forget who you are talking too. I know more about offense than most players that ever played this game. Go look at my numbers.

Listen since my comments he has played great and guess what , it has been possible because he has opened things up by making shots. Regardless whether you think he read it or not. He is doing what i said he should do. Now is it with good mechanics? No. Will his shot go south again with those bad mechanics? sure will. i know from experience and not by watching at this level. Like i told you guys before, be happy that i even respond in my blogs.

Drew he is not Magic either. Magic led the fastbreak like nobody ever has. i didnt compare him to anyone. i simply said he needed to incorporate a mid-range game like those guys. again please READ THE Article for the 30th time. i now you guys are smarter than what i am seeing.
Casey Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 6:45 pm

Lebron whines ever times he does not get a call. More than Duncan watch him.
SHAARUUN KISMAAYO Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 6:47 pm

EDDIE, I DO AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT FLOPPERS AND AND THE NBA SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
craig beckerman Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 6:51 pm

eddie i dont understand why you insult your readers , do you think that this makes people want to read your articles more? most of them seem well written but you always say that people need to read the articles closer, do you think if theyre not reading what your saying closely enough maybe your failing as a writer to get your point across? i understand people will have theyre favorite teams and support them as you do and theyres nothing you can do to change theyre opinions but your articles seem to always be full of your opinions and HARDLY ever contain any facts. do you think you need to retitle your column eddie johnson former player pheonix suns fan? to be honest you would scare me in a front office position as your opinions seem to matter more to you then facts
KYle Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 7:04 pm

Eddie,

You sounded seriously offended in that last comment; I hope I don’t offend you. Anyway, as a life-long fan (dream to play.. but I”m only Div. 3 good) I am finding it hard to watch games.

You brought up the flopping, and that’s the most disgusting thing to enter the game since the “no touching the offensive player” rule change.

I just bought the DVDs for all 5 games of the ‘91 finals between the Bulls and the Lakers, and players today would not live back then. So much is allowed, and flopping is something that you don’t do.

It is really disgusting to see how often you can slide in front of an offensive player and get there so late that they can’t avoid you, and thus get a foul called on them. ‘Sheed is right, that needs to be a T. I’ve read a few articles (can’t think of the author, sorry if you read this) that talked about how often players are hurt from behaviors such as this. That’s so true. Each charge that I see taken is SO dangerous for the offensive player, I cringe each time I see it.

On top of that, I’m sick of a “touch” foul being called on the perimeter. I remember getting home from church in the late ’90s and watching the Bulls. A “touch” foul back then was a slap on the arm.. now a touch foul is literally when you touch someone.

These two problems, the touch foul and the charge, need to be omitted from the game. I don’t know how you can do that, but they are ruining the “product” that the league puts out. I guess they increase ratings, because people want to see records fall and high scoring games, but for a true fan, it’s a disgrace to the game.

Just my two sense, thanks for reading.
It's like I Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 7:52 pm

Hey Eddie, you tell em. I got your back guy. I’m way smaller than you but I got your back.
paininyourass Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 8:11 pm

C’mon eddie i see you more of a whinner than those people that is in your list tim duncan is a got o guy that is always been hack like any other superstar in the nba then why dont you all shaq or mj as a whinner or kobe i think your to bias the spurs just play hard nose basketball i think your just sour grapping coz your fave team sucks
Michael Bennett Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 8:21 pm

Flops aren’t so bad. The refs usually make the call (they DO have one of the toughest jobs in the world). I don’t understand the argument…

It’s obvious to fans and commentators alike that players like Anderson Varejao and Andres Nocioni flop a lot. They also lead the league in charges taken. I think the refs have a feel for whose flopping more than others and they call it accordingly.

But, I don’t blame the players one bit. Although your opinion might be against a flop, it’s a game of inches and advantages. I’m a Chicagoan - I love MJ more than anythingg. But, I realize that he used his hand to push off players for more separation so his shot is less challenged. He did that because it helped his game. Players like Varejao thrive on the scrappy play, and their bread and butter is creating turnovers off taking charges. They’re doing what they have to to win the game. I see no problem in that.

Players like Dennis Rodman would do all types of things for advantages - he wouldn’t shower so he’d smell and opposing players would not want to be close to him - he would put an arm bar on you and put his body between himself and the ref so the ref couldn’t see - he would grabs jerseys and wrists on the opposing player when they went up at the same time for a rebound - it’s all about advantages.

I bet if you asked Eddie Johnson who some of the dirtiest players he ever played against were, John Stockton would be on that list, especially from ‘85-’93 when Eddie was playing in the West and saw Stockton frequently. (Confirm that, Eddie, please). But, he was taking the advantages by dirty play that the refs never saw.

And, as far as these players playing in the 80s… A player like LeBron James (6′8″, 245 lbs.) would break off Kevin McHale’s arm when he dunked over him… Lifting weights in the NBA is something that hasn’t been around forever. It started with players like Michael Jordan who came in the league at 200 pounds, but wanted an advantage over other players at his position, so he put on 15 pounds of muscle. Just compare pictures of him from the 80s and the 90s.

I don’t like to hear supposed NBA fans complain a lot about the rules and regulations of the NBA. I like to take the Bill Walton approach… I love the game, it WILL change, and I’ll keep on loving it.
Eddie Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 8:55 pm

i am never offended go to my site and read my blog bio. http://www.jumpshotclub.com and you will see that i am having fun and some of you guys will be placed on that page soon. Keep it coming. My blogs are different. I like to argue and go at it. Nothing i say is personal unless someone gets personal with me. that should not count. it’s almost like at the game when fan’s think they can say anything to players while knowing the players can’t come in the stands. You have no idea the type of personal e-mail i get from some readers on this blog, buts thats cool im a big boy(-:
Carnell Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 9:08 pm

Eddie,

I’ll admit in front of everyone, I didn’t read thoroughly, but I’m not trying to harass you. I agree mostly with what you said. The whinning has to stop. I thought the rule where they are giving techs for excessive complaining is good, but as the season has went on, the refs started letting a lot more go than they
did at the beginning of the season.

Flopping…..I truly hate it. I think it is messing up the integrity of the game. Especially, when a player is rewarded for doing it. A rule needs to go in affect, but it’s going to be hard to enforce it. What do you suggest as a rule? How do you enforce it? What’s the penalty?

As I said before, LeBron has really stepped it up lately and has been outstanding. I’m really impressed because he’s made an impact with his weakness (knocking down outside shots). That’s what super stars do. I had thought all along this series will be a repeat of last years. We’ll see if
I’m right tomorrow. I feel it is imperitive that the Cavs win tomorrow, cause if they don’t, they will not advance. Pistons won’t lose game 7 at home. So when I said we’ll see if James is really King tomorrow, I meant we’ll find out if King is just a label or does he deserve the title King James. We’ll find out tomorrow.
Mark Brown Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 9:13 pm

Eddie, you took the world out of my mouth…. Great article, specially the one piece about Ginobili… That’s what the NBA gets when they bring these pigs from Argentina to play ball in the u.s.

SHAME ON YOU GINOBILI, OBERTO E CO.
SKY Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 9:18 pm

Eddie, wouldn’t you love to have any of the whiners and floppers to play of the Suns?

I’ll be honest, those guys really piss me off when the flop against the Suns but I would love to have some of them play of us. In fact, I would be cheering if Ginobili played for us and flopped against opposing teams, or have Varejao complain everytime his flops don’t get called etc.
Eric Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 10:14 pm

Eddie, you seem to enjoy calling out the spurs evrytime.Why?? Because they beat the suns TWICE in the last 3 years??And to attempt to discredit them by saying that LUCK was on their side???I guess Barkley was right, the suns do have the biggest homers in the NBA. BTW the Mark Brown guy who made some comment about Ginobili being a pig from Argentina….I cant believe such blatant racism is allowed round here…Oh well its not like its the first time ppl display un warranted hostility towards foriegners, hell sometimes eddie i think u urself dont like foriegners.BTW eddie if u wanna try to be fair, call out some suns players who whine bout calls as well, someone like AMARE, or RAJA BELL who FLOPPS just as much if not more than any of the guys u mentioned.And btw, stop reminding ppl that ur like the top scorer without ever being an all star. I think ppl know already, stop using that fact to discredit other posters.
elephant Said,

June 1, 2007 @ 11:19 pm

You said it, SKY. Flopping drives me batty and Ginobili pisses me off.

But man…

…he’s one of those guys you would love on your own team.
live Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 12:20 am

Eddie as someone who truly understands the technique and training required to shoot well, do you look at Lebron and just think “if i could coach him for 6 months he could rule this league”?
Eddie Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 1:51 am

Eric

come on man. you know Ginobili and Duncan are the biggest complainers in the league. I love both of their games are you kidding me. i don’t hate the Spurs, Bruce Bowen is one of my favorite players and i happen to know him. I can’t control what people say and i agree that was out of line. I know Raja Flops and you can’t stand him right. Well my article was about players left in the playoffs. Manu is the worst flopper ever, but he can play and yes i would love to have him on the Suns.
Eric Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 4:04 am

Thanx Eddie for taking time to reply to my post, even thought most of it was criticizing your article. Btw if Lebron can keep his J…….it’s over for the pistons.
vasilis Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 5:55 am

eddie:
man, i learned basketball from guys like sarunas because we wouldn’t get nba games in greek tv in the 80s But you know what, I still cannot root for Manu.. I used to, but I cannot anymore, he’s just really sneaky (read:cheating). I may be wrong but I think he wouldn’t be able to pull off some of these moves even in euroleague play! I don’t know, maybe it is because NBA refs are not used to them.. What do you think? You’ve been there..Bowen does some of the same stuff on defense. I think next year they’ll be more prepared for it..
And Eddie, I think you are right, some times I think people in this blog do not know who they are talking to.. Guys, Eddie isn’t some mediocre ex player here, we’re talking about the purest shooter in the last 20+ years in the NBA!Man, I still have chills from some of your games in Greece (and I was a PAOK fan which meant that I hated your team).
Hey, I guess I haven’t said it yet: thanks for the memories mate!
Franz Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 7:42 am

Seems that while everyone is having a whinge about the Spurs players complaining, flopping or lamenting their good luck, they are methodically slicing through the playoffs. For goodness sake can’t they catch a break and be credited for taking advantage of the situations that has been handed to them, as a championship team ought to do? As a Spurs fan I can understand the urge of its players to win a championship in the face of critics and haters. I hope San Antonio win their 4th ring in the most boring and methodical fashion to torture the haters.
howard Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 10:03 am

I agree with most of the comments Eddie made. It’s refreshing to read comments of a writer who doesn’t pull his punches. Whiners and floppers irritate me equally. Tim Duncan’s wide-eyed facial expressions after he is called for a foul irks me as much as a Ginobili flop. And did you see Tayshaun Prince’s reaction after the ref called a foul on him late in Game 5 of the Cleveland-Detroit series. He looked like he was going to melt. These players are too good for these kind of reactions. It is annoying. But let’s give these players their due. Duncan is a great player, probably the best all around power forward in the history of the game (although I will always be a big Elvin Hayes fan. He and Wes Unseld were a powerful combo) and Ginobili is one of the most explosive, big time players in recent memory. He has been remarkable doing one of the hardest jobs in the NBA, coming off the bench and providing instant production. It’s not easy to come in and get into a rhythm so quickly. Few players have ever truly excelled at it. Earlier this season the Spurs were struggling. It wasn’t until Pop have Ginobili come off the bench did the Spur’s season turn around. Ginobili is clearly one of the 2 or 3 best players on his team, yet he not only has accepted his role, he has embraced it. I think he has to be admired for that. I want Ginobili on my team. It’s just a shame he has to whine and flop so much.

Rasheed Wallace is a big time player too but I think he plays out of his head sometimes. Sometimes he let’s his emotions get the best to him and I think it could cost his team down the line. This playoff season he really seems to be skirting on the edge.

The NBA should do something about the whining and flopping because it’s starting to catch on. The Phoenix Suns really started to whine at the end of their series with the Spurs–not that some of their gripes weren’t warrented. They did get more than their share of bad calls. During the playoffs I’ve found myself pulling for the players who go about their business and don’t overly complain when a call goes against them. I used to not care that much for Oberto but he has been growing on me lately. I think my favorite player in terms of clean play has been Devon Williams from Utah. He just competes.
yowiz Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 10:24 am

How can forget to mention Raja Bell, the worst flopper of them all, is it a Phoenix bias? Shame on you!
Eric Ginsberg Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 10:44 am

Eddie, I’m glad you say what most of us are thinking. Someone had commented that the NBA should do something about all the floppers and whiners. I don’t know if people remember that David Stern made it a priority at the start of this year for the referees to give technical fouls to whiners. It didn’t work well. No one stopped whining. They all got technicals. Everyone starting complaining about it and the NBA gave in. I think if the NBA would have held their ground, the players would have had to adapt. It’s no different than any other rule change. Good players adapt to any rule.
Michael Bennett Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 11:03 am

About whiners…

I just watched Game 4 of the 1993 NBA Finals (Bulls vs. Suns), and it was a different league then, but complaining was still there. Charles Barkley was all over the refs on every iffy call. At one point, John Paxson took a charge, but the ref called it a block, and Paxson called the ref a “motherfucker”… and got away with it.

Whining has been going on for a while now. It’s nothing new. Yes, maybe Bill Russell and the class acts from the 50s and 60s didn’t whine… we also didn’t have civil rights until then, so…

My advice is to get used to it. It’s funny, because the people that are saying that they hate the whiners on the court, are, in fact, whining on this message board. But, this whining comes in a paragraph form with horrible grammar.

SO YOU STOP YOUR WHINING ABOUT THE WHINERS!!!
Casey Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 12:10 pm

Eddie,

Duncan gives you the eyes when he thinks he is fouled. Lebron James gives the refs the mouth. He argues every time he thinks he is fouled. He gets a scowl on his face every time. I do not think you will admit this because the popularity of Lebron. Lebron is so popular that nobody will mention it.

Yes Manu flops when he is fouled. He exagerates the call. Rarely does he flop when he is untouched. Raja does not exagerate the foul, There is no foul. He flopped in the end of game 5 against the Spurs and almost cost the Spurs the game. It was with about 1:30 left in the game. Eddie you are Pro SUNS all the way. That is ok I know you played there. Hey I enjoyed watching your team. I am originally from Utah area and I would always pull for you and KJ to beat the Jazz. Loved your team. Dan was awesome. The old Suns have a lot more class then these Suns. I think everybody is slipping on the court from all the crying.

Thanks,
Eddie Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 12:35 pm

Casey

there are plenty of more complainers then i mentioned. Those few just stand out.
Eric T. Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 12:50 pm

Great read Eddie and as always, very insightful. ” Manu Ginobili: Reminds me so much of Sarunas Marciulionis, who played for Golden State years ago. I used to go into a game against Sarunas saying that I would use two fouls on him and I made sure they hurt. ” Classic. If I don’t learn anything else about you Eddie, I’ve learned enough from that quote to respect you even more (always respected you and your game). BTW, that’s how i play the game of basketball also.

I play basketball at the gym and the parks regularly and it really irritates me that some of these younger kids are complaining about getting fouled when they drive to the basket or take a jumper and receive minimal contact. That is why I foul hard (not to the point of intentionally hurting someone) and often seeing as unlike the NBA, I have an unlimited numbers of fouls. More times than not, these kids are a reflection of the current stars in the NBA. Eddie, do you see a possible remedy for this constant whining and flopping?
Mr.P.i.G Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 2:12 pm

does that mean that the spurs will flopp and whin all the way to the finals and luck can win you championship hey eddie why does steve nash isnt in your list i think he is a better flopper than bruce bowen and ohhhh the guy from L.A that wears no 24 dont you think he should be called the best big mouth in the nba history and how about charles barkley hmmmm?
Shane Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 2:58 pm

How come when the Suns win, Eddie says it’s great basketball or a hard earned victory. When others win it’s because of whinning and flopping? You are the worst analyst I’ve ever come across. Why do they pay you to write this crap?

Steve Nash proved that along with being extremely tough and gritty, he’s a huge whinner and flopper in his own right. Stop bitching about your Suns and try something they call “objective journalism”. Isn’t that what you owe to people who read your blogs?
Omid Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 4:26 pm

I agree with your flopping and complaining disappointments. I think the league really needs to figure something out, either bring back a little bit of contact or start making calls tougher. I think this no contact thing is really ruining the game because I don’t care how good of a defender you are you really can’t stop today’s athletes without a little bit of contact. Also, I think the league needs to look at the floppers and those who are found flopping “exessively” like the Ginobili’s of the world should be either fined or suspended. It really makes it a pain to watch.

As for the Spurs luck, I am not a big fan of the Spurs, but I am a fan of basketball and I think they play really well. That being said I 100% believe your last article on “Big Shot Bob” he literally took the Spurs to the finals with that hit on Nash. Now mind you they might have made it there without that, but they would’ve taken Phoenix to 7 and had less energy for Utah and might be really exhausted come the finals, but right now for a team that came out of the west they’re probably less beat up than most might have thought anyone coming out of the west would be.

As for LJ, he’s a freak…in the nicest way possible…but you also have to admit, if he didn’t have such an easy time dunking on the Piston’s late in the game then the outcome might have been different?? What was that?? Not even a curtasy push?? I mean come on…it’s not like it was the 1st quarter and the team was in foul trouble…I do think LJ is one year away from the finals…how amazing is it going to be to see LJ and Kobe going head to head in the next year or two in the finals? We’re going to have the old MJ-Magic — MJ- Drexler — MJ-Barkley match ups…. I can’t wait!! For now I would love to see the Spurs- Pistons match up although I think if the Pistons get out of the east they’ve put themselves at a disadvantage going to 7….Didn’t they learn anything from last year??

I love the articles EJ mainly cause I’m a Phoenix fan and ur topics are right up my alley….
Noah Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 4:43 pm

“Oh for the great old days of the NBA where players never complained and there was no flopping!!!” Eddie’s nostalgia is for an era that never existed, at least not during my lifetime and Eddie’s career. Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley: constant grumblers who never stopped yammering at officials. Kevin McHale: a 6′10″ big man whose flopping made Manu look like the leader of the anti-flopping movement.

What about beloved “tough guy” Isiah Thomas? There’s a guy who flew out of control all over the floor, never stopped whining about getting hit, and would punch guys in the gut and below the belt on defense.

Take whatever position you want about whether this type of behavior should be tolerated. (Personally, I’m of the opinion that, at least with respect to the whining, officials and fans should get a thicker skin and stop whining about the whining.) Whatever position you take, realize that the behavior hasn’t changed much, if any. There are just more cameras on the floor and more games on TV to capture the complaining and the flopping. Or, I don’t know, maybe I’m totally wrong about this. But there’s certainly been no study to indicate that the conventional wisdom that these are new problems is anything but total puffery.
Anthony Seguin Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 5:13 pm

I guess it is only natural for someone who has been with an organization for some years to express their opinions on matters that would affect their team/organization. For all those who complain on how flopping and whining seem to have become a part of professional basketball, they are not looking back far enough. I am seeing a lot of Spurs bashing by saying the Spurs are a “dirty” team, that Duncan “whines,” and that Genobli “flops.” All a person has to do is just look back to the Karl Malone/John Stockon era, when Karl Malone would go up for a basket he would first clear some room for himself by swinging his elbow around, “inadvertently” elbowing defenders under the basket. He would follow this by going up leading with his knee, also catching defenders in the chest unaware. Most times, he would get away with these types of tactics until he knocked David Robinson out with an elbow, in full view of the cameras. If I remember correctly, he was NOT ejected from the game but he was called for the foul. Many of you remember that. For quite a while he would employ those tactics and he wasn’t being called a “dirty’ player. It was called “aggressive play.” And remember, too, the Detroit Pistons of the 70’s and early 80’s with guys like Bill Lambier (spelling?) who were known for their flagrant fouling and “aggressive” play. Detroit was well known in the league for being an extremely aggressive team. “The Bad Boys of Detroit” as this and other colorful labels of Detroit players were given to them. As for flopping, I remember when John Stockton had the reputation of being the best “flopper” in the NBA. He would change the tide of the game into Utah’ favor by drawing charges and then over-exaggerating the contact by “flopping.” You Spurs haters remember those guys, don’t you? And as far as the issue of “whining & complaining?” Remember Danny Ainge, formerly of the Phoenix Suns who not only had a face that seemed to convey the look of a chronic whiner, but also, actually lived up to the look. I remember him yelling and screaming to the refs and to the camera when he felt that he was fouled. Talk about your “Bitchy Pants” “Whiny-Baby” complainer. This talk of the Spurs being a bunch of “dirty players” just because of one or two uncalled for fouls. Are you kidding me? Other teams have been constantly roughhouse Spurs players for years and hardly anyone would raise such a big stink against these other teams. OHH!!! BUT LET THE SPURS DO IT ONCE OR TWICE AND NOW THEY’RE DIRTY PLAYERS?!? GIVE ME A FREAKIN’ BREAK!!! And Oh My God, they’re being called LOW CLASS?!? Whose teams’ fans were throwing bottles, cups, and other items at Spurs’ players when the media was trying to interview them? And you haters called the Spurs, LOW CLASS?!? Talk about the “pot calling the kettle black?” And yes, I AM Spurs fan, but I believe in fairness and responsibility being spread evenly. So when I see Spurs’ players get called for foolish fouls, I agree that they should be called and penalized. But the same should be done towards players from other teams who foul. All this Spur’s bashing from so many haters irks the hell out of me! There have been so many other players from so many other teams over so many years have been doing all these practices and often are not labeled as “dirty.” That certain Spurs’ players are the ONLY ones that have been whining, complaining, and flopping, is just plain childish, immature, and extremely narrow-minded. And I won’t forget to mention the more important issue of HYPOCRISY!!! What HYPOCRISY!!! If certain Spurs’ players are doing these things, then it is in imitation of them seeing players from other teams profiting from these same tactics. “What Goes Around, Come Around.” Life in the NBA and in the playoffs have come full circle. Now, it is the Spurs who are the most dominant teams in the NBA. So many people can’t accept the fact that a team from a humble city like San Antonio has gotten to be such a dominant force in professional basketball through some lucky drafting and some smart strategic trades, that many have to resort to name-calling and putting labels on Spurs players. It is plainly and purely hypocritical that Spurs’ haters and bashers don’t look at the behavior of their own team’s players. “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” Life has come full circle. So let the nay Sayers have their say. So what if San Antonio doesn’t get the respect and credit that they deserve and have worked hard for and have sacrificed for so many years? They just keep on winning. That’s really the bottom line for ALL champions, past, present, and future, whether they be the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, or the San Antonio Spurs.
eddiesucks Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 5:16 pm

how biased is eddie right here? The Spurs are lucky. TD, manu, and bowen are in his list, and he attacks them there. Wow. I’ve never smelt so much bias from an “analyst” before.

man you suns fans are bitter… and crazy! better luck next year. lol.
Michael Bennett Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 5:21 pm

Anthony Sequin - INDENT!!! NEW PARAGRAPHS!!! Then, people might have the patience to read your novel. Boy, oh, boy.
Drew Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 5:41 pm

If you guys didnt see, Eddie did say, “San Antonio probably still could have won each series, but lady luck has sure been on their side this postseason.”

He is right in the sense that teams have to be lucky to win a championship. Just ask the Washington Wizards, who although were probably not contenders, were reduced to a sure fire sweep as a 7 seed due to their 2 best players being knocked out. I agree that the Spurs play excellent team basketball. Duncan is amazing, Ginobli relentless, and Parker is one of the better point guards around.

With that said, fair or not, they are the poster-children for anti-floppers. I tend to agree that Manu flops a lot and Duncan’s whining after every play grows very old, very fast. But if you read the article, Eddie didnt just single out these 2 guys. In my opinon the Spurs are a damn good team and I am under the impression that great D beats great offense (Hence the reason the Suns are looking to either deal Amare or get him to concentrate on using his athleticsm to his advantage on the defensive end next year).

The NBA made an effort to clean up all the whining at the start of the season (I remember a very contentious first few weeks of the season) by making it a point of emphasis for officials. I dont see this as something thats ever going to stop though unless the league begins to T up players during the playoffs as well - something that would draw a lot of criticsm league wide. Bickering with officials is not limited to basketball, just look at baseball where players get thrown out of hte game nightly.

Diving and flopping can be stopped. In soccer when a player flops, the officials call a foul on the flopping player. Something like that might work in the NBA as well. Whining however I think is ultimately something we’re just going to have to get used to like it or not.
John Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 6:12 pm

Loved the blog Eddie! It’s about sometime someone started writing about these whiners and floppers. I am a Hoosier and I love basketball in its purest form which does not include those you wrote about. People mistaken me for a San Antonio fan because I love a team who works together and plays their roles but I let them know that they are the team I like the least for exactly the reasons you wrote about. Amercian basketball is turning in to European soccer and I don’t like it one bit!
Michael Bennett Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 11:05 pm

Is there any question now that LeBron is better than Kobe Bryant? How could you make an argument otherwise?

The fact is the LeBron is THE best player in the NBA. And, he will win the NBA Finals at age 22 in six games. You heard it here first.

And, Eddie - Your article might have done a little something, but LeBron being LeBron was the reason that the Cavs are the Eastern Conference Champions. LeBron James must be considered a top 20 player of all-time because of this. His team is horrible (exemplified by the horrible play by the other 4 starters) but he’s playing for a ring now.

How right have I been since I’ve started posting? (The answer is 99%)
Jimmy G Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 11:10 pm

Notice Eddie didn’t mention a whiny coach named Mike D’Antoni or a flopper named Raja Bell. Also its funny that this whole column comes off as whiny.

Eddie there’s a reason why the Spurs are going for their 4th title in 9 years and Phoenix don’t have 1 in their 39 year history. Its called defense. You’d think by now your organization would figure this out by now.

Eddie you have good columns, but be more balanced. A list of whiners that doesn’t include anybody from Phoenix is pure bs.
Anthony Seguin Said,

June 2, 2007 @ 11:41 pm

Michael Bennett:
I didn’t know that you were the ‘official’ grammar police for this blog. And I didn’t know that there was a set format for posting on this blog.
Judging from the other responses, it seems that others, including yourself, read my “novel” and responded quite well after it. However,I will pay a little more attention to my grammatical and syntax on future posts.
I hopes it meets to your liking.
John Smith Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 12:37 am

Eddie, you really come across as a sore loser in that article. Let me guess, not a Spurs fan?
Mr.P.i.G Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 2:21 am

The fact is the LeBron is THE best player in the NBA. And, he will win the NBA Finals at age 22 in six games. You heard it here first.

lol dream on…it will be a massacre the spurs are not the pistons and they are not a rookie team in the final
Gummi Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 7:56 am

You’re so biased, it’s not even funny. Go cry me a river Eddie “Suns fan” Johnson. Why don’t you post a “I hate the Spurs” blog next time. Don’t be sad that your Suns were defeated by the Spurs, they still play nicely during the regular season.

You talked about floppers and whiners and yet you missed some players that you should include on that list. Raja Bell and Steve Nash should top the floppers list.

And whiners, well the whole Suns team and franchise should top that list.
david Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 8:33 am

Eddie,
The reason that the Suns lost was immaturity. Amare had to come out after game 1 with the “dirty” comment. Barbosa continued to show that he has talent along with bad decisions — how many times did he take a 3 point shot with 2 people in his face at the end of a period and give the ball back to the SPurs with plent of time for the last shot (3, including Game 6). The guys leaving the bench was unfortunate, and yes, immature. D’Anotni whines more than any Spur (yes, you called the whiners, but why don’t you do an article about who whines AFTER the game — it won’t bet he Spurs).
By the way, where was Jalen Rose, esp during the “shorthanded” game? 16 M a year and he never got off the bench.
Yeah, the Spurs got lucky, just as they were unlucky with Manu’s phantom foul in game 7 last year, and Fisher’s .4 shot 3 years ago (did no one ever hear of the Trent Tucker rule?)

Did you hear Le Bron in the huddle on TV ? It was all about their defense.
Richard Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 8:53 am

Rasheed,

What in the world got into him. I know it was soon to come but what struck me was the after game interview with him. It was almost like another person. He was way calmer than I was expecting from him and far less calmer than I’ve ever seen him. He came across like he didn’t remember gettting tossed or being angry. Leads me to believe he knew what he was boiling about wasn’t worth. I expected him to say how the refs wanted LeBron to win or something. I just didn’t get his overall demeanor. Talk about a guy who should be a franchise player, I’ve defended him for years but last night was too weird for me.
Richard Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 9:06 am

By the way, I’m a Spus’ fan and I in no way feel Eddie is a Spur hater. I found it pretty easy to figure that the only players mentioned above wereonly the one remaining in the playoffs. Yes, Tim does complain alot much as Magic & Jordan did but neither of those guys play the game at the NBA level anymore so in “Rambling” I totally understood where he was coming from, like it or not. If you watch any of the games you know it’s the truth.
howard Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 10:35 am

I’ve been a Spur’s fan ever since the days of the Ice Man. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are two of my favorite players because they both put team ahead of individual stats. I think they are both fantastic basketball players–Tim Duncan in particular is arguably one of the top 10 greats in the history of the game. Ginobili’s stats aren’t spectacular, but he is a winner, a player who gives 100% effort and usually shows up big when it counts the most.

With that said, I think Eddie’s criticisms are more than fair. I think he’s just stating the obvious. I think it is important to remember that it’s not the whole story. For example, Varejou was a beast on the boards last night.

A question for Eddie or anyone else. What would give Cleveland the best chance to beat San Antonio? The Spurs are getting old, do you think Cleveland should try to outrun them? The only way I think Cleveland can beat the Spurs is if James and Gibson or somebody else plays great, and the team continues to play tough defense. I don’t think Cleveland has enough to beat the Spurs.

One last thought. I knew Rasheed was going to go over the edge. You could see that coming. I agree with Sir Charles and I think Detroit should get rid of him. You can’t help your team if you’re not on the floor.
Anthony Seguin Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 11:19 am

It is truly amazing how some team that comes out with a marquee player and all of a sudden, that team and player WILL WIN IT ALL! The Spurs are in it a 4th time because of talent, experience, and the ability to play in very high pressure game, when everything is on the line.

One other thing, that will almost insure a 4th Spurs’ NBA championship trophy, is above all else, their UNSELFISH committment to the whole team. When dishing out assists, if any Spurs’ player is driving the lane for a shot and they see a teammate who has a more uncontested shot at the basket, they pass it off to that player. Unselfish team play along with talent and experience plus a damn good coach will usually win you championships just about every time.

Yes, Lebron James is shaping up to be one of the great NBA superstars, ranking right up there with Jordon, Bird, Chamberlain, Johnson, and a host of other NBA greats. But to say, that the Cavs will beat the Spurs in 6 is purely speculative. He will make this series a truly memorable series, but in the final outcome, the Spurs will prevail. Within a year or two, Lebron mature enough to the point that he will help his team to the Finals next season and will win it all.

Lebron is maturing very quickly and he will probably surpass Jordon, Johnson, Chamberlain, Bird, and Duncan. It’s only a matter of time.
I forsee future monster confrontations: Cavs vs. Spurs, Cavs vs. Mavs, Cavs vs. Suns, with an occasionl entry of Detroit, Miami, maybe the Nets, but I see a Cavalier dynasty in the early stages.

The Western Conference will still be a dominant force in NBA Championships, but the East will rise with Lebron. It will be that way for some time unless West teams like San Antonio hurry up and start making strategic trades and drafts getting extraordinary young talent in the near future.

Young Lebron will rule the roost for a while. For now, it is the West that rules, and San Antonio rules the West. The future of the NBA looks promising. Speaking as a Spurs’ supporter, I hope that they start rebuilding very, very soon.
Michael Bennett Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 12:34 pm

Seguin - You count out LeBron too quickly. You are in the same group of people that thought Detroit would win after the series tied 2-2 because they have “maturity and experience”. Don’t forget, the Pistons took San Antonio to 7 games two years ago. It was hard fought, every play.

So, don’t discount the Cavs so early. You have the right to think the Spurs will win. But, to say that picking the Cavs is “purely speculative” is wrong. I base my pick on seeing what I saw in the last month and a half of Playoffs (which is Cavs going 12-4 in the Playoffs, LeBron playing like a King, youthful energy winning).

I think it’s a new NBA… because of LeBron James. He so good that he wills his team to win. He finds a way. Did you hear what he said? He said, after they won the Conference Finals, that “this is the best feeling I’ve ever had.” He’s now chasing that feeling. That hunger creates a drive to win and succeed on a championship level.

And, you say simple things like “Unselfish team play along with talent and experience plus a damn good coach win you championships just about every time.” Da… Ya think. But, the young team, the team that’s never won, has to win sometimes.

You’re the guy who picked the Lakers over the Bulls in the 1991 Finals because they had “experience”.

You’re the guy who picked the Lakers over the Pistons in 2004 because they had “experience”.

I’m the guy who’s picking the Cavs in the 2007 Finals because they have LeBron James. And, we’ll see who’s correct…
Eddie Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 12:44 pm

Tuesday i will break down this Final Series. watch out! i may have a surprise.
Michael Bennett Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 1:22 pm

By the way…

I think we can all officially agree that LeBron has elevated his defensive game (and he did it without anyone calling attention to it). Here’s how Tayshaun Prince did against LeBron:

16-66 (24% FG), 8.7 ppg

Eddie - I’m very excited for your Finals preview on Tuesday. It’s like a mini-Christmas in June.
Scott Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 2:43 pm

I could not agree more. The NBA has to do something about the floping. How about calling a technical on a fake charge and ejecting the player on the 2nd one. It is detroying (may have already destroyed) the game. Bring back the hand check.
MH Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 3:21 pm

Spurs in 5, I love Lebron and what he’s done with that franchise, but let’s be real, the spurs will dominate cleveland, they’re playing at the top of their game now. N don’t get bring the post season record into play when you think of who the cavs had to go through. Cmon, the wizards who were missing 2 all stars, and the nets?? I’ll give them alot of credit for beating Detroit, who have been the conference bully’s. But still, Detroit had alot of issues internally, besides Billups, Rip, and Tayshaun, everyone else is washed up, Cwebb can’t run, Antonio isn’t really a threat, Dale Davis, Nazir Mohammed?? And Sheed is the biggest headcase in the league.

Compared to the spurs who are the oldest team in the league, but have gone through some serious competition pretty easily, 4-1 denver, 4-2 suns, and 4-1 jazz, all teams who are really hitting their stride as nba franchises. The spurs are well coached and are the mentally strongest team in the league. They’ll probably just stick bruce on lebron and he’ll probably average 30, but Daniel as happy as I am for him, knowing how good of a college player he was in texas, won’t have an affect on this series, that’s just how the spurs play, they’ll put their best defender on your all-star w/ no doubles, and if you have a 30, 40+ night so be it, they’re not gonna let others have big nights and make a differnence in the game.

So spurs in 5 if not a sweep.
Coach T Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 3:22 pm

Sounds like Eddie Johnson needs has some serious Spurs envy!!! Wow! Dude, get some therapy because you are sounding like a Phoenix Sun’s clone who whines about all the success that the Spurs have and the talent they continually display. You made no comments about floppers or whiners in Phoenix? No wonder you see things so one-sided against the Spurs Eddie! The Spurs are the one team that the the Suns have no chance of beating, so you choose to attack them for whining and flopping when the Suns do more of each of those things. Watch D”Antoni for once! That coach is the biggest cry baby in the league and it has funneled down to each of his players. You choosing to sigle out the Spurs the most shows your open jealousy of them. No wonder, they are working on their 4th title while the Suns have never tasted one! Biggest flopper? Raja Bell, no contest. Dirtiest player? Raja Bell, no contest. Biggest cry baby? Mike D’Antoni, no contest. Biggest Whiner? Rasheed Wallace, no contest. Most scrutinized team for every little thing? San Antonio Spurs, no contest. Most likely to succeed? Spurs, once again. Every team has lucky breaks and the Suns had plenty this year (how about Crawford handing the Suns home court advantage on a silver platter when he ejected Duncan for laughing on the bench, which was a first ever in NBA history). The problem was that the Spurs were good enough to take advantage of their breaks while other teams had no chance of beating the Spurs regardless of how many breaks they were handed. Two small things to remember Eddie….The best team ALWAYS wins a best of 7 series and great defense ALWAYS trumps great offense. To anyone with basic basketball knowledge, the Spurs winning the west is no surprise at all. The Spurs are simply better. Your excuses and whining will never change that.
Bond Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 4:00 pm

All the players you call whiners and floppers are all proven winners. A winner is one thing you were never in the NBA(good offensive player) and by the article I understand that. You were porbably not ready to do things to win like Bowen and Ginobili.
david Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 4:38 pm

Huge Spurs fan here with some coments : YEs, the Spurs had some breaks this season. About time. Last year, no break for Manu’s phantom foul in game 7. 3 years ago, no break for Fisher’s .4 shot (whatever happened to the Trent Tucker .7 rule??)
The Spurs beat Denver (and Camby said afterward that the Nuggets were still the better team…right!).
The Suns had some bad breaks, mostly their own doing. Nash ran into Tony. AMare had to mouth off about a “dirty” team. Yes, Horry made a hard foul on Nash, still looked like about 70/30 Horry’s hit to Nash’s flop. Whatever happend to Jalen 16M per year Rose. And Barbosa took way too many ill advised (read stupid) shots. D’Antoni said at the end of the season the team he did not want to face was the Spurs

And Utah was there by way of Dallas losing to Golden State, and they knew it. They are an up and coming team…going from no playoffs in 8 years to the conference finals was a fluke.

Here’s what to remember: Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships. That’s what Mike Brown learned from his stay in San Antonio (hear Le Bron in the huddle last night?). Hopefully that’s what Steve Kerr will bring to the Suns. Until then, they’ll never win the big one.
Yes (Eddie) you need guys to put it in the hole. But you need more than that guys who can “stop” the other team. Aren’t baskets in transition the easiest? Doesn’t that come from defense?
Michael Bennett Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 5:12 pm

MH - Don’t pretend to know what’s going on “internally” in Detroit’s organization. To make excuses for that incredible team is to negate everything that Cleveland did to win the series. So, stop pretending you know what they feel and how the inner workings of an team work. And, the Nets, although their record this year doesn’t reflect it, are a very good team. Anytime you have Jason Kidd at point, it’s a tough contest.

And, I’d expect most people will pick the Spurs. That’s the obvious choice. Anyone who barely watches basketball could predict that. But, if you watched every minute of every Playoff game for both San Antonio and Cleveland, then you realize that San Antonio has plenty of weaknesses, and, more importantly, LeBron can single handedly win a game. Knowing that, the Cavs chances of winning are pretty good. So, stop being so predictable.

LeBron is even better than what any of us give him credit for. When you have a player like that, anything can happen. And, what will happen is Cavs winning their first NBA Finals and LeBron gets his first Finals MVP trophy by averaging 29 pts, 8 rbs, 6 asts, and 2 stls.
Steven K Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 6:11 pm

i don’t see what the big deal about flopping is… i think its pretty obvious when a player blatantly flops. The officials should be good enough to tell the difference from a flop and a true foul. Most of the time just because a player flops doesn’t mean there wasn’t a foul. they’re just trying to make it noticed.
Everyone is so quick to count the Cavs out but never under estimate the will of a true “Super Star”. I think it’s pretty obvious that LeBron is up there with the greats (magic/jordan/bird ect.) from a skill set standpoint. I think the question now is his mental toughness. He showed signs of greatness in game 5. If he can pull that off against San Antonio he’ll truly be the “King”.
david Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 6:13 pm

there’s flopping and there’s jumping in front of a player already commited to his move, then falling down and drawing the offensive “charge”.
King here is Raja. Manu is just a prince.
jg2gbaby Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 10:25 pm

congrats to the cavs ,1 more to go ,i would like to see more coverage on the cavs a real blue collar team , keep in mind lebron does not have any one to defer to every other team does and you heard it here first the cavs will take the spurs this year they dont have an answer for lebron , we have to keep duncan at work , hughes and snow will eliminate parker and ginobilli same as the piston series . z has played the best ball I have ever seen him play . it might not be what everyone wants to see but we have not had much to cheer about in cle in the last 40yrs. 40yrs so we r overdue for this one. eddie you were a great shooter and lebron needs that insight just imagine the results if you were a special assistant in cleveland , if lebron had 1 bonafide shooter or finisher with his passing you would see the future of basketball sorry i rambled alot but we are overdue in cleveland
jg2gbaby Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 10:41 pm

lebron needed to pull it off in game 5 / the cavs actually will take the spurs just watch
mh Said,

June 3, 2007 @ 11:11 pm

Michael Bennet, anyone who “barely” watches basketball?? lol I don’t just sit at home and “watch” homie, I actually play the sport too, but thats besides the fact. It is what it is I’m only predicting what’s obvious, I mean I’m giving Lebron credit where it’s due, you act like I hate the guy and pray that they lose, well I don’t, I’m just so much of a fan of his than your are, the difference is, you have a part of him in your mouth that has you really believing that they have a chance of beating the spurs. How does # 23 taste?

Nets, a good team??? Jkidd okay, but he’s not carrying that team, that’s awhole nother subject. Anyway I’ll keep my mouth shut until the end of the championship series, hope to see you on here. Until then, enjoy the finals bruh! And remember Lebron doesn’t know you, so you don’t need to back him up and take it personal, I mean I gave the whole team credit and just stated my opinion, which is a obvious choice yeah, if you knew basketball you would pick them too, but yet you turn it around and get butt hurt about it, live with it, everyone has an opinion and I’m just stating mine. lol Don’t take it personal homie ease up on the juice haha.
L-Daddy Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 8:10 am

On the whinner list, u forgot to mention KOBE BRYANT. He’s a big whinner, a crying baby when he doesn’t get calls and they’re loosing (something they’ve been doing often since he got rid of ‘DIESEL’).

BTW, instead of watching old JORDAN’s tape, KOBE should be watching LEBRON JAMES plays, on a consistant basis (not just the tape of Game 5 vs Detroit). He’ll realize that “there’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team’, no ‘I’ and ‘Keep Playing’, but there’s ‘I’ in ‘Scoring Champ’, and in ‘Gone Fishing’.

LEBRON doesn’t only get better with criticism, but he makes the people around him better. In fact, he even gets criticized for trying too much to make his teammates better, by forgoing shots and creating wide open ones for others after drawing the attention of the whole defense. And you wonder how DANIEL GIBSON made open 3 pointers in Game 6!

On top of that, LBJ makes sure that everyone stays confident, either by words of encouragement or by taps on the back and stuff. Because he believes in them and he understands that he ‘needs’ them more than they need him to win it all.

KOBE, make room for the KING, because he’s the ‘Chosen One’ and not you.
Michael Bennett Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 9:48 am

MH - You sound like this is the first time you’ve ever commented about sports… right, ‘homie’? Reality is you end up sounding like a two bit Stephen A. Smith. And, your opinion is automatically retracted and no one takes you seriously when you start acting like a sixth grader…

Nice… You really know how to break down the series and evaluate who’s better and why. You know how to pick apart the game and make predictions based off that. You know how to commentate based on stats and facts from what you see. Oh, wait. You don’t know shit, ‘bruh’.

Oh, and tell your teammates on your park district team that LeBron tastes like a championship…
cyberpygmy Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 10:06 am

Is l. James another ESPN creation like V. Carter to keep the money machine going? San Antonio will provide him with all the competition he can handle. Barring injury, the Spurs in 6.
Arthur Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 10:37 am

Great article Eddie. Well said, the flopping has gotten out of control and the whining is pretty damn insane.
Michael Bennett Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 11:10 am

Yeah, cyberpygmy - It’s all a conspiracy… Just like the phone companies and the election. Nevermind the dumb shit people who voted for the guy, it’s a conspiracy… Boy, oh, boy. Off the deep end, huh?
mh Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 11:51 am

Michael Bennett, like I said, I hope your still on here when the cavs lose in 4 or 5. Your really the only moron on these blogs lol. Get off LBJ’s “D”, he has a girlfriend, a kid, and another on the way, and I don’t think he gets down like that. Glad to know your infatuated by the way he taste lol, sick. Don’t forgot to wipe your mouth.
Michael Bennett Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 12:12 pm

MH stands for MeatHead, the same dipshit in college that drank more beers than anyone else and always talks about gay sex (because he doesn’t get any from men or women). MH - Stick to doing what you know best, which is jerking off, bars on Friday nights, and your middle-class life in the corporate obscurity of America. Seriously. Let the experts talk about basketball.
cyberpygmy Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 12:20 pm

CLEVELAND CADAVRE fans will be disappointed when Le bron and his teamates exit the NBA finals in 5. They will be exposed as a team that is not good enough to take the big stage. The suffocating Spur defense will frustrate him, and i predict, his teamates will not show up. Let’s be prudent and not get caught in the ESPN spin meisters hype, he could be next coming of the great dunkzilla VINCE CARTER.
Mr.P.i.G Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 12:24 pm

Michael Bennett i think your crazy dude with those side comments you have you are obviously in love with the cavaliers and omfg your comparing mj to lbj your fucking insane men and i just hope that its thursday already so we will see whos gonna be whinning
Michael Bennett Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 12:38 pm

Mr. P.i.G. - I never compared LeBron to MJ. Never. Get your facts straight… Oh, wait. You don’t look at facts. You’d rather act like a moron and post without punctuation so no one can really understand what you’re saying. My side comments? I’m responding to lunatic MH… or, your alter-ego, it looks like.

Cavs might not win Thursday, but they will win the series.

This message board has officially turned into a personal spat (even though no one actually knows anyone). But, I guess that happen when I stump you in basketball related topics, so you hav to resort to low blows and name calling.

Don’t post unless it’s basketball related OR you have to rid the blog of punks.
cyberpygmy Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 12:56 pm

Cadavre’s will die of aphyxiation from San Antonio Spurs suffocating defense. The lack of oxygen supply to the brain will cause them to make SMUSH PARKER like momentum changing turnovers that will eventually break their spirit and evetually give up. Spurs in 5!
Pepe Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 5:03 pm

Just one remark - I absolutely agree on the Spurs and especially M. Ginobili. I’m white, I’m an European but hey, I can’t help myself, I just HATE that guy. I even stopped watching Spurs games coz the players on team actually have something in common, they all seem to play with no style whatsoever, they just suck. Watching them play sometimes feels like a basketball irony, probably only with the exception of M. Finley and maybe T. Parker. They somehow manage to be effective though, no doubt about that. Unfortunately everybody allows that jerk Ginobili to score that many points each night, that just kills me. Duncan and Horry are the masters of the funniest body gestures in the NBA, especially on scoring, man, I can’t take that. These two can’t even dunk with a little grace, they actually look more like some of those funky long white players. I was hoping so much they won’t get this far, now let’s just hope that the Cavs produce one more upset, although I know it’s highly unrealistic…
D Murr Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 6:40 pm

Nobody “forced a reaction” from Amare and Boris. It was their own immaturity and lack of discipline that got them suspended, just as it was Amare’s lack of discipline that got him in repeated foul trouble. You’re writing an article about whining and all you are doing is whining yourself. Your Suns bias is ridiculous and childish. Ginobili plays his butt off every game and plays smart– this is why he has two NBA titles, a Euro league title and an Olympic gold medal. It’s not chance or luck– it’s hard work. If Amare wants to win a title, he can start by playing defense once in a while. This is the NBA, not the And 1 tour. In the past, everyone criticised the spurs as the boring “milk & cookies” gang, but now you want me to believe that they are dirty, evil whiners?! Whining is saying that you know Amare broke the rules but an exception should be made just for him. Crying and sour grapes. Three titles going on four is not “luck.”
RiseUp Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 7:46 pm

Hi Eddie,

I had two things to add about the floppers and complainers.

1) The Cavs used to be one of the worst complainers in the league. LBJ was the worst. After every play, when he was 21, he would talk to the refs, often during a fast break going the other way. Now unless it is at the very end he generally doesn’t show up the refs. He might have a quick reaction, but lets it go. Mike Brown deserves all kinds of credit for this. His ‘No excuse team’ idea has benefited the Cavs greatly. He learned that by 22 - Amazing. Then he is the leader so the rest - even veteran Z has followed and stopped complaining.

2) Flooping on offense is never mentioned. To me it is worst. I hate when they force the refs to make a call or fake contact entirely. Billups is the worst at this. 82games.com did a Dwayne Wade study on players who get a disproportionate share of the calls. They considered play style amoung others. Wade, whom I think is an incredible player, was third. Billups was by far the leader. Maggatte was two.
Mh Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 8:12 pm

Michael Bennett lol, your really a freakin moron, let me ask you, if your a so called basketball expert, and seem to know everything except the obvious, why aren’t you an expert analyst on espn, fox sports, or any tv station that has a sports digest?? And trust me, this is FAR from personal, I mean really, you have your opinions on what I do, how I live my life, etc. Which isn’t even close that’s why this is so funny. No hard feelings at all. You’ve taken it personal, lol read your last comment on me, your sooooo pissed off, your really just making yourself look like the loser you are, you try to pinpoint what I do for a living and how I went through college, then in the next paragraph, you said nobody knows anyone, you really just made yourself look like an ass hahaha. All this just cause I put you on blast for being all over Lebron’s “D” in which you’ve proven you are, and act like an expert, which your not lol. You get all bitter. You can’t just watch basketball daily and act like you know everything lol, I highly doubt that your even a ball player, your just a HUGE fan of Lebron, who like I said is a great bball player, but don’t get all butt hurt just cause I said they’re not winning the series lol! Your really actin like an online Rasheed Wallace lol. Seriously, your a character. Enjoy the rest of the evening.
Eddie Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 9:07 pm

D-murr

do you need a hug? wow you seem pretty irate. why? Board did i say Manu Ginobili couldn’t play? did i say i would not want him on my team? lastly did i say he does not work hard? i surmise i did not say any of those things D-Murr.

But i did say this. He is a flopper deluxe and a whiner to the extreme. I am not hating i am just stating an opinion. heck when i played players said i grabbed and clawed all the time.–guess what D-Murr? i didnt get mad. Every player and team has a description. The SPURS description is a very ,very good team, but flop, whine and teter on the edge of dirty. Why do you think most of the country will be rooting against your team? thats just how it is and i could really care less.
Eddie Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 9:13 pm

D-murr

in basketball terms Steve Nash is a nurturer. Well who nurtured you and all of us? Thats right mom. Now let’s transfer this to the basketball court. Steve Nash spoon feeds every player on the Suns, now you said no one forced a reaction from Amare and Boris. Oh Really.

I tell you what D-Murr- Attack anyones mom and see what happens.

They were immature because a soft player took out his physicality on a little player and wanted to come kick his butt, but he turned and headed back to the bench where help was. You are funny.
howard Said,

June 4, 2007 @ 11:32 pm

Great comments RiseUp. Flopping is widespread; it’s not just one or two players.
Some of the best players and coaches in the league are floppers and complainers.
A lot of people seem to be singling out Ginobili and Bell as floppers. They are not alone.

There is something I’ve heard a lot of people say about Ginobili that irks me. They say last year that if it wasn’t for Ginobili’s foul on Nowitzki in the final minute of game 7 of the Dallas series that the Spurs would probably be going for their 5th series. That’s so bogus. It was a knucklehead play on Ginobili’s part, but it’s assuming a lot to say the Spurs would probably have won it all last year. It’s assuming he Spurs would have gone on to beat Dallas and then roll over Phoenix and Miami. There were about 23 seconds left when that foul was called–23 seconds!, which is a long time in an NBA game. It wasn’t like Dallas was going to let the clock run out if they were one point behind. What people also forget is, Ginobili had a huge game 6 and huge 4th quarter in game 7 to even make the series competitive. Before that, Dallas was dominating San Antonio with their team speed. One other thing, Duncan was clearly fouled on the last play of that game but the refs didn’t want the game to end on a foul. I can understand that but it really cost the Spurs as there was less than a second left in the game when Duncan was fouled. I just watched a replay of the game. Talk about luck.

Everyone is talking about LeBron, don’t overlook Cleveland’s defense, which I think will keep them close in most of the games of the upcoming series. They could pull an upset, especially if they can take one of the first two games in San Antonio. Still, I think San Antonio will win. Nobody has stopped Duncan yet, and I don’t think Cleveland will either. Parker and Ginobili both can explode in short bursts and don’t overlook Big Shot Bob and the Fin Man. I’m picking the Spurs in 6. I think Big Shot Bob, Finley, or Bowen is going to knock down a big one in the final seconds to win a close game. Get your cameras ready. It will soon be time for Duncan to hoist the championship and series MVP trophies again.
D Murr Said,

June 5, 2007 @ 11:13 am

So your defense of Amare– a grown man being paid millions of dollars to play basketball– is that Horry hurt his “mommy”, Steve Nash?! You are a great sports
writer except when you talk about the Suns– there you lose every ounce of objectivity. The Suns lost because they don’t play enough defense ane lack maturity. It’s as simple as that.
Eddie Said,

June 5, 2007 @ 11:57 am

Just an analogy. Nash is the leader. if you hurt the leader you get an reaction. Next time you see a swarm of bees go bother them. They will attack with a vengeance. why ? because the queen is being threatened.

Look bottom line and i am done with the Nash-Horry stuff. Horry did not do it to Amare, Kurt Thomas or Raja Bell. You know why ? because he knew it would be on. He did what he did and it worked in the Spurs favor. I personally think it was a good move if you were a Spur. I should have done that to Kevin Johnson in the 1993 Western Conference Finals when i was with Seattle. Maybe Charles would have come off the bench and we would have beaten them. LOL
Eddie Said,

June 5, 2007 @ 12:09 pm

The one thing you guys will find out on my blogs is that i am honest. Always have been. Yes i can act like i don’t have a favorite and stay in the middle but what fun is that. i do have favorites and there are some players i like and some i don’t. I am a true sports fan, but i do love the Suns, Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson, Venus and Serena Williams, Alex Rodriquez, Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez. I favor those just like everyone has their favorites. i am a true sports fan first not a writer. I don’t care about feelings never have never will. Just go ask some of teammates. I have always told it like it is. I don’t expect you to like it ,so fire away at me i can take it. Honesty has always been the best policy to an extent. I know how to balance the positive with the negative without showing my hand. thats why i frustrate guys like D-Murr and thats why some of you guys want to smack michael bennett upside the head. LoL
LBJ Said,

June 6, 2007 @ 2:37 pm

The flopping needs to be controlled. The problem is that charges and blocking are both judgement calls that are already tough. Now refs will have to decide if a guy was hit or if he just flopped. Some guys are really good at selling a hit. If it’s not obvious the refs are in a tough spot.
mtaigne1588 Said,

June 9, 2007 @ 11:54 am

I wonder how Steve Nash would feel about being referred to as the “mom” and “queen bee” of the Suns….. this is pretty funny stuff. To follow up on the analogy, I’d say the reason why most people Don’t mess with a swarm of bees is because they are smarter than that and know better. Using your analogy, we have to conclude that Amare and Boris saw the “swarming bees” (the melee on the court) and decided to run up and get a closer look (not a smart move!) and subsequently got “stung” by Stu Jackson and David Stern.
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January 17, 2008 @ 2:29 pm

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HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Eddie Johnson

Conference Finals ramblings

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