OK, so I would hope that all the Chicago fans that blasted me a few years ago when I wrote about the Bulls making a mistake by signing Ben Wallace would please apologize. Everything has virtually come true about that article. Wallace did not fit in and Ben Gordon and Luol Deng overpriced themselves and passed up good deals because they were looking at the Wallace contract. Now the Bulls are back to rebuilding and Wallace moves on to a contender. Guess what? Now you will see Wallace play like the Wallace of old with a legitimate center in Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a great player in LeBron James.
Joe Smith will help also in the interior. He is smart and steady and will be a good influence in the locker room. But the real find is Wally Szczerbiak. LeBron now has a consistent shooter that is not afraid to take the big shot and will be extremely physical, which automatically makes the Cavaliers the most physical team in the league.
Does that translate into another trip to the Finals? I don’t think so and mainly because they still don’t match up defensively with Boston and Detroit. Larry Hughes, whom I also wrote about as a desperate signing by the Cavaliers a few years ago, was their best perimeter defender and now they will be hard pressed to guard a Paul Pierce and Ray Allen combo and a Chauncey Billups-Rip Hamilton duo as well.
The Bulls have now backpedaled to where they were when Michael Jordan retired. Patience should have been preached, but the Bulls seem to be back to square one after giving up on Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler a few years ago.
OTHER TRADES
The Sonics are moving out of Seattle and creating a new identity around Kevin Durant. I really like the way PJ Carlesimo helped out his former employer by shipping Kurt Thomas to the Spurs. Thomas will provide the Spurs with everything Robert Horry used to in terms of defense and a solid threat offensively.
The Hornets are fighting all naysayers who do not believe they can continue to hold up against teams in the Western Conference and if Bonzi Wells plays up to potential, their last trade could turn out to be a steal.
A few weeks ago I heard about a potential deal the Suns might be involved in, but I brushed it off because around this time of year we hear all kinds of rumors. Then when the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, my mind started to wonder and mainly because there are two teams that the Suns view as huge hurdles to the finals: the Lakers and the Spurs.
I again started to worry because it meant more Shawn Marion trade rumors and one more round of those rumors could really destroy any progress the Suns made since the Garnett discussions last summer with regards to the Matrix.
Well, here we are again and this time it’s a done deal.
Let’s get one thing straight before I talk about the value of this trade and give my five reasons why the Suns had to make a deal for Shaq and my five reasons why it could work… Shawn Marion is one the best people and players I have ever had the pleasure of watching and the Miami Heat will find out what working hard for 48 minutes is all about when the Matrix arrives in South Beach.
Marion leaves as one of the most consistent and popular Sun players ever and he will definitely be a candidate for the Suns Ring of Honor when he retires. Shawn is the best combination rebounder and defender in this league since Dennis Rodman and the Suns will have to find a combination of players to replace what Marion brought to the table every night in those hustle categories.
I also know Shawn well enough to say that he will indeed miss Phoenix, but he understands that being traded virtually head up for the most dominant player that has probably played is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Although the Matrix factor will be missed, the Suns had to do something. Yes, they have the best record in the Western Conference. But something was not right. The dominance that we were used to see was not there on a consistent basis. We did not see the blowout games or the 20 to 4 runs that this team has spoiled us with over the last three years. The games seemed to be a grind and it wore on the fans and critics and caused us to think that maybe the Suns were becoming vulnerable. That, combined with the improvement of the Hornets, Nuggets, Trail Blazers and Warriors at the bottom of the pack, made a trip to the Finals look hazy and difficult.
So we also must assume the Suns front office and coaching staff had some of the same anxiety because they are extremely giddy at having the opportunity to put Shaq in a Suns uniform.
Here are five reasons why the Suns had to make this move for Shaquille O’Neal:
Steve Nash’s window of opportunity is closing
As each year passes, the Suns cannot expect Nash to continue to create offensively for everyone. Pushing the ball on the fast break is one thing, but having to run the two-man game 40 possessions every night against physical defenses will eventually take its toll. Nash deserves a chance to add a title to his two MVP trophies.
Spurs have never won back-to-back championships
The last time this scenario came to bear, the Dallas Mavericks used a physical combination of Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop to wear down the Amare-less Suns to move on to the Finals against Shaq and the Heat. The Spurs have showed signs of wear and tear and the Suns do not want to miss out again on this opportunity.
Lakers add Pau Gasol factor
The Lakers could have said we traded for Pau Gasol on Halloween because it scared everyone in the Western Conference. I don’t even play anymore and it scared me. Imagine the frontline of Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Gasol. Then combine it with the athleticism and shooting of Kobe Bryant and it’s obvious how every team is saying, “Why is Phil Jackson so darn lucky and why can’t he suffer for long?”
Throw in Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher and Ronny Turiaf. The Lakers look like a championship team this year.
Suns are 2-6 against the top teams in the West
The Suns have beaten the Lakers without Bynum and they beat the Spurs early in the season. They are 0-2 against the Hornets, lost twice to the Lakers with Bynum and got beaten by the Mavericks. The major reason for the losses has been an inability to defend the paint and the lack of defensive rebounding. Proof lays in the stats of the teams interior players when they play the Suns. Bynum averages 21 and 12. Duncan averages 27 and 17. Chandler averages 15 and 15. All above their season averages. And if you want to look further, Al Jefferson, who plays on arguably the worst team in the league, averages 32 and 16 in two Timberwolves wins this season against the Suns.
Combine this with the foul trouble of the Suns best offensive player, Amare Stoudemire, and we see why the Suns chose to pursue Shaq.
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Greg Oden factor
The Blazers are the team of the future. If Greg Oden lives up to his promise and LaMarcus Aldridge and All-Star Brandon Roy continue to grow, the Suns will have another couple of big bodies to deal with over the next few years.
So now that I have given you why the Suns made the move, here are five reasons why it could work:
First let me say this… I have heard the comment about Shaq is a shell of himself so on and so forth. Give me a break. I predicted the Heat would struggle this year and it was not because of Shaq. It was because of the players Pat Riley surrounded him with. Riley basically signed and drafted players that can’t throw the ball into the post and most importantly did not strike fear in teams with their jump shooting ability. This can ruin any big man that is a threat to post up and be productive in this league, including one of the most dominant ever.
So it’s absurd to judge Shaq on what he has done this year. He deserves to be judged on what he can bring to the Suns.
Suns rise immediately to one of the most physical teams
Shaquille O’Neal is a wall. The most overhyped stat is blocked shot. What about deterrence and altering decisions with the ball? The Suns are at the top of the league in blocked shots, but are viewed as a weak defensive team. The reason they blocked shots is because they got a ton of opportunities. Now that statistic will go down, but the opposition’s in-the-paint scoring will too. That means teams will take more jump shots and the Suns are better at that game than anyone in the league and now they also have the interior scoring of Amare and Shaq to boot.
The Suns are the worst defensive rebounding team in the league because they could not command space. Shaq will allow Amare, Grant Hill, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, etcetera, to be better rebounders because he will eat up space and punish offensive rebounders with long outlet passes – thus allowing Nash and Leandro Barbosa to leak out.
Finally, Shaq will protect Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire from physical play. Players are physically afraid of him and he will punish you if you take shots at his teammates. I would love to see Robert Horry throw Nash to the floor with Shaq around to punish Parker or Duncan.
Three players that command serious defensive attention
Shaq, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire will cause teams to change their defensive philosophy during the course of the game, which is extremely difficult to do.
Case in point. How will teams defend the Suns when they run the high pick-and-roll with Amare? Normally teams will rotate the weak side big defender over to challenge him. Well, if that occurs you have Shaq on the weak block flashing in for a pass from Nash or a guard trying to block him out. If teams get silly enough to rotate a small player to Amare, then they allow Raja Bell or Leandro Barbosa to have wide open three-point shots on the weak side.
Mike D’Antoni can use his full playbook now with the back-to-the-basket dominance of Shaq.
Improve the running game
The biggest fallacy about the Suns and their running game is that Shaq will slow them down. I believe it will speed them up and give them more opportunities to run. I have already talked about possessions and the physicality Shaq brings to the Suns.
Now couple that with better confidence with your defensive rebounding – thus allowing Nash, Barbosa, Hill and Bell to run out earlier. The Suns could be even more potent. Also throw in Amare running more because of not having to fight and box out big centers.
I never saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar running the lanes for the Lakers, but I did see him igniting it with rebounding and long outlet passes, and then coming down on the block with commanding presence.
Amare will become more dominant
Because of the matchup nightmare Shaq would bring, Amare Stoudemire will benefit the most.
Foul trouble should decrease and scoring and rebounding should go up. Also watch for his weak side defense to produce more blocked shots and steals. We have never seen what Shaq could do with a young dominant power forward beside him and he has one of the best in Stoudemire, who should be ecstatic at the chance to stop battling centers every night.
Nash can play without dominating ball
This might be the most important cause of the Shaq trade and here is why.
D’Antoni would love to keep Nash on the floor and use him off the ball, but he knows the offense would stall. The addition of Shaq and his great passing out of the post will allow the NBA’s best three-point shooter to spot up for periods during the game and punish defenses for doubling.
Case in point. Grant Hill throws it in to Shaq with Nash and either Barbosa or Bell on the weak side and Amare on the elbow waiting for the short jumpshot or the run to the basket if they double off of him.
This will destroy any defense and if Shaq stays healthy the Suns will be the team to beat come playoff time.
We are just over a month into the season and one thing is for certain, there are a number of leaderless teams in the league and a few I will identify are extremely surprising.
A coach wears a number of hats besides coaching his team. Father figure, policeman and fireman come to mind. He would much rather tell you he wants to coach and have a parental quality when needed, but he will be happy if he can place the responsibility of policeman and part-time fireman on one or, if he is lucky, a few of his players.
People ask me all the time why I have not gone into coaching. My normal response is that I have always been afraid that I might be too much of a disciplinarian and that method would be hard-pressed to accomplish if I were not coaching experienced and committed players who actually get it when it comes to the word Team.
Take for example some great coaches like Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Rudy Tomjanovich, Chuck Daly, Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich. These coaches would not have been successful if it wasn’t for the leadership qualities of the great players that played for them. None of these coaches would have won multiple championships if they didn’t have players accepting and wearing one of those hats for them so they could concentrate on coaching and preparing the team more effectively.
Imagine what a coach has to police in relation to players during an 82-game season. They have to make sure they show up to practice on time, work hard in practice, play together as a team, professionalism on and off the court, etcetera. So imagine how ecstatic a coach would be if he had players that took on that responsibility and allowed him more time to focus on team and strategy. Although a coach knows he will have to extinguish some personal and emotional fires during the season – players not getting along or unhappy about playing time and their role on the team – but he will have fewer fires to deal with because of the ability of his leaders to keep players focused and on a common goal.
Could you imagine a player getting out of line on the great Boston Celtic teams while Bill Russell was playing? I could not imagine someone on the Bulls getting out of control with Michael Jordan practicing and playing harder than anyone each and every game. What about a teammate not running the floor hard when Magic Johnson was pushing the ball up the floor or not being focused on his extreme passing ability? Magic once told me that he would hit teammates in the head with the ball on purpose because they took their eye off of him.
I wonder… Was it Rudy Tomjanovich who demanded the ball should go to Hakeem Olajuwon every time down the court during the Houston Rockets back-to-back championships or was it Hakeem, who led by example with supreme effort on both ends of the court?
When I look at some teams that are playing well or underachieving with talented players, you really need to look no further than the leaders among players before you blame the coach and general manager.
TEAMS WITH GREAT LEADERSHIP
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are the ultimate role team. They are anchored by one the greatest players to ever play in Tim Duncan. No player steps out of his role because Popovich demands it and Duncan will not allow it to happen because of his unselfish nature and the fact that he allows Popovich to chastise him when he is not playing well, which sends a great message to the players who battle with him every night. Also don’t discount the secondary roles of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli. David Robinson, who established this method of unselfishness by taking a secondary role to Duncan at the end of his career, should receive a tremendous amount of the credit for the togetherness of the Spurs.
Phoenix Suns
Steve Nash is not only the best point guard in the NBA, but he is the most unselfish players since Magic Johnson. When you watch Nash play you can honestly say he plays no favorites when he passes the ball. If you are open you get the ball. Who in their right mind would not want to play with him? If you watch him closely during games he never chastises teammates openly and he encourages them with high-fives when they accomplish something on the court or makes a mistake and he never wavers. When you play with someone like this you will always accept his leadership and the Suns follow his every lead. Throw in the perseverance of Grant Hill and this team has a level of class that allows them to enjoy the game the way it should be played and fans around the league appreciate it!
Dallas Mavericks
Avery Johnson has force-fed Dirk Nowitzki on the importance of leadership and it culminated into an MVP season in 2006, Dirk has learned not only to involve and appreciate his teammates but also to give them credit publicly. Jason Terry supplies the energy and enthusiasm to go along with the no non-sense style of Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhouse is legendary around the league for straightening up a teammate verbally and physically if they step out of line. Every coach needs a physical presence able to intimidate some players into following rules and regulations.
Utah Jazz
I didn’t mention Jerry Sloan among the great coaches because he has not won a championship, but he belongs there and it will be a shame if he does not win a title before he retires. I mention Sloan because he might be the best coach ever at designating leadership among his players. He demands it with his unwavering demands in practice and games. Sloan, I hear, will fine a player if his jersey is not tucked in for practice. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams share the leadership on this team and it has showed the last few years. Leadership has nothing to do with age or experience and these two players exude it with great effort for 48 minutes. Their teammates have followed. When you mention the word Team, the Utah Jazz have defined that example for the last 15 years despite not winning a championship.
New Orleans Hornets
No surprise this team has good leadership. Byron Scott has been as successful a coach as any in the league. This should not surprise you since he falls from the Pat Riley and Magic Johnson tree. Scott has been taught by the best at establishing what Team really means and now he has one of the best young leaders in the game in Chris Paul. Paul is quickly becoming the next Steve Nash and the Hornets will reap the benefits for many years to come. Paul’s ability to get players like Peja Stojakovic and others to play above their ability is proof of what a leader can do for the success of your team.
Orlando Magic
Dwight Howard is the most imposing force I have seen since Shaquille O’Neal and what’s scary is that he could put up better stats before his career is finished. What’s so scary about Howard is how quickly he has shaken his mechanical offensive nature into a fluid Human Terminator on the court. But what I really like about Howard is his friendly nature and pleasant smile. I don’t know if he realizes it yet, but that goes a very long way with teammates and their acceptance towards him. They now try every way they can to force-feed him the ball. I also like the tough no non-sense manner of Jameer Nelson, who has seen plenty of hardships already in his young life and still exudes tremendous confidence and determination – which travels far with his teammates.
Detroit Pistons
Detroit might have the best collection of leaders in the league and that is why despite their age they will still compete for a championship the next few years. When you watch Detroit play, I immediately think of the Celtics when Bird, Parish and McHale had gotten older but still competed with a savvy desire to fundamentally make you look bad although athletically you were a much better team. Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, Rip Hamilton and the young but old Tayshaun Prince give the Pistons self policing and a no non-sense attitude, which every coach loves. The reason we hear more grumbling in Detroit than most places is because most of these guys have a fierce desire to lead. And yes, it can cause headaches for Flip Saunders, but he will take the headaches knowing that when these guys hit the floor they will give everything they have to win the game.
Boston Celtics
I love Kevin Garnett. I didn’t love him enough to support giving up Amare Stoudemire last summer. But let me say this again, I love Kevin Garnett. I think he is the second best leader in the game next to Steve Nash. I criticized him in Minnesota because I thought he was too unselfish and never took over like he should have, but as we see now in Boston with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, he is in the perfect environment and I am so happy for him. He has a respect for the game and his teammates that drips off of him when you watch the Celtics play. The Celtics right now are the class of the Eastern Conference and, with all due respect to the talents of Pierce and Allen, Garnett is the driving force with his unselfishness to just try and win the game anyway he can. If any player deserves a championship, it’s Garnett. This scenario is the perfect example when I mentioned all the great coaches. Doc Rivers will go from being a lame duck coach to quite possibly grabbing his second Coach of the Year award. Now whose league is this again? It’s a players’ league and don’t forget it!
TEAMS WITH NO LEADERSHIP
New York Knicks
I have taken a lot of heat for this comment, but I will say it again. The Knicks have some of the best collection of talent in the league. But one important piece of the pie is missing and that has created the inconsistency we see from night to night in the Knicks. Who should I point the finger at? Most of you want to say the coach and general manager Isiah Thomas, but didn’t I just give you the example of Doc Rivers, who had a terrible record last year but is looked at pretty favorably now that he has Garnett and his great leadership?
It’s easy to point the finger at Stephon Marbury, but Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph and Quentin Richardson are all capable to lead and have not visually stepped up to the plate. The Knicks are so ripe to lead that Bo Outlaw could be acquired and become the best leader the first day he arrives and he would probably not play. That comment should embarrass every Knick player on that team. No way would any of the teams listed above have allowed Stephon Marbury to compromise the togetherness of the team by leaving them to battle the Phoenix Suns because the coach asked him to become a better leader on the floor and play better defense. Where was the fireman Isiah needed to talk to Marbury before he got on a plane and went back to New York?
Leadership comes from any position and it is not necessarily the point guard position, but if you want to take a high percentage of the shots and get all the accolades then you have to take pride in making it easy on your teammates to care for you and accept your dominance of the ball. Hopefully Marbury, who has had some major hardships this season off the floor, will take notice at the way the Knicks have bonded lately in his absence to play more like a team with their talent should play.
Chicago Bulls
It’s hard for me to come down too hard on the Bulls players about leadership, because I personally think everyone of them would be a role player on any of the teams listed above. If you look at the Bulls roster, I don’t think any of these players were the top guys on their college team when they got drafted. I believe they are still growing and sooner or later one of them will evolve into a powerful leader. But right now they have to do it by committee and they have failed miserably. The obvious choice is Ben Wallace because that’s what the Bulls thought they were getting, but they forget the reason Detroit did not cry too much when he left town. It was because Wallace was becoming a complainer of minutes and strategy and not privately but at times publicly of Flip Saunders. So now you have a hard-working talented team that has no big-time player leadership and because of it Scott Skiles has to wear the hat and that’s when players start to get tired of the coach.
Kirk Hinrich has to pick his head up and play like the guard everyone was thinking he would become after a solid first two seasons. He seems to be worried too much about missing shots than becoming a leader like Nash and Chris Paul. That will undoubtedly sink the Bulls further in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
Miami Heat
I never thought a team coached by Pat Riley struggle with leadership – especially when you have Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade on the roster. I said it last year in an article and I will repeat it again… This team put every ounce of energy into a title two years ago and they are done. Riley should have blown it up and traded everyone except Wade and Shaq after that season. The Heat won with a veteran-laden team two years ago and the energy level took a major hit. Shaquille is not a spring chicken and he needs youth around him to keep him fresh and inspired. I listed Miami because they are struggling, but I really do believe they have players that want to lead. But they are a tired group – other than Wade – and it seems that he better grab the bull by the horns or the Miami Heat will make yours truly look like a good prognosticator because I was the only one who predicted before the season that they would not make the playoffs this season.
Memphis Grizzlies
Pau Gasol needs to play up to his potential and stop trying to jump ship. That attitude will not allow him to lead the team, where he is presumably the best player. The Grizzlies have very good young talent, but like the Bulls will need to find a leader that can allow Marc Iavaroni to have a solid year evaluating his team and at least get them close to the potential he expects.
I never once in my 17-year professional career thought officials were purposely affecting a game for their own benefit. Now don’t get me wrong, I did have my favorite officials and I had others I did not want to see at game time because in my competitive athletic mind I did not think they liked me. Or maybe the sight of them brought back bad memories from previous games.
I have to say what Tim Donaghy has done is extremely disappointing. I know how hard it is to train and bond as a team and to now know that an official was purposely affecting games really hurts.
I have always believed that an official could affect a basketball game much better than a player could. The reason I say this is because an official can control everyone. A player can’t. An official can send players to the bench with foul trouble and they can send players to the free throw line for free points. That is supreme power and that is why I am so mad about what Tim Donaghy has done.
Sports in our society right now are taking a major hit. From the Barry Bonds accusations of steroids to the multiple arrests of athletes in all sports to Tim Donaghy. I even heard an assumption that golf should drug test. Hmmm, I wonder why? Is it because a certain minority individual is flat out dominating a game that did not allow minorities for years? So there must be an advantage!
Do you see where we are going?
As a society, we have mixed the good with the bad because we are at a point where we trust nothing. We need to stick with the obvious and continue to follow the laws of our country, which say innocent till proven guilty.
Tim Donaghy has admitted guilt and I hope he is punished for committing a terrible act.
I live in Phoenix and work for the Phoenix Suns and I can’t stop thinking if Donaghy affected an extremely close Game 3 of the Spurs-Suns semifinal series.
This is what we have to deal with as Donaghy goes through his due process. And Spurs fans who already are dealing with winning a championship during a lockout-shortened season in 1999 and this year catching flack for the Robert Horry flagrant foul that led to Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw being suspended for Game 5 will now have to hear about Donaghy’s last career game and how he called a foul 3 to 4 seconds after a shot was missed by Manu Ginobili.
Is this fair to San Antonio? Not at all. They did not know what advantage they had in reference to Donaghy. If he indeed was affecting Game 3, I guarantee no Spur player said, “Wow, that ref is trying to help us win.” They played the game hard as usual and accepted the calls as they came about and won a close game. The Suns moved on as well and accepted the loss. That’s what you do in sports – you move on. And that is exactly what the NBA will do.
I hurt for the rest of the officials right now, because they will catch the brunt of what Donaghy leaves behind and all I ask is for the fans to not throw stones.
I once heard a quote from an important person in my life – my pastor.
He said people who are “perfect” and have led exemplary lives can throw stones. He asked those people to stand up in a place of 2,000. No one stood up.
His point was this… The only difference between people who have gotten caught doing something they did wrong and you, regardless of the severity of the act, is they got caught and you didn’t. At least not yet.
Tim Donaghy got caught and he will eventually receive his punishment. The other officials in the league have not been accused of anything and they should not be the object of anger from fans because of one man’s greed and selfishness.
We must move on from this and accept Donaghy no differently than the crooked investment firm that stole hard-earned money or the crooked doctor that charged double and did a terrible job to boot or the teacher that gave you a bad grade because she or he did not like you. Why? Because we still need these important facets of society and so we have to trust the next one. Donaghy is no different. He was a bad apple in the bunch. The NBA will move on – as will the NFL. MLB, NHL and the PGA – and will continue to provide us with what we long for every time we turn on the television or attend an sporting event – fairness, excitement and entertainment.
The San Antonio Spurs have won their fourth title in nine years. I can’t say that is a dynasty, but they are definitely a true team and organization in every sense of the word.
The Game 4 sweep went as expected. Although the Cavaliers made a nice run in the fourth quarter, it was obvious based on their inept shooting that it was just a matter of time before the Cavaliers came back to earth. This was the ugliest Finals I have ever seen. We experienced no great plays to talk about, no unbelievable performances from individual players, no physical confrontations that you should see when a title is on the line, no complaining about the officiating and jockeying from game to game. Just plain boring. The only fans in the country that thought this series lived up to Finals were probably Spur fans.
The shooting in this series was the worse I have ever seen in any series, not just the Finals. Tony Parker won the MVP, but his performance was not the star quality that we expect on the biggest stage. I marvel at how consistent and smart the Spurs play year after year. But if you just focus on their leader, Tim Duncan, I think you learn to realize why they are so consistent. He has given the Spurs a foundation that has sprouted players like Parker and Manu Ginobili and there is no reason to think it will not continue.
During this playoff run, the Spurs were like a runner going up hill starting with Denver and Phoenix and then they just cruised down hill against Utah and Cleveland. I thought that should be the other way around. But when Dallas got upset and Detroit underachieved against Cleveland, the clean easy road was laid out for them and they took advantage just like great teams do.
I do applaud the Cavaliers and what they accomplished this year as a team. I don’t care what conference you are in, you have to have total team effort to get to the Finals and they did. The Cavaliers will learn from this loss and hopefully continue to grow because they have perhaps the best basketball specimen that has ever played the game, but the challenge for LeBron James and the Cavaliers is to get better both individually and as a team.
COACHES
Gregg Popovich simply outcoached his pupil Mike Brown in every facet of the game. I don’t think one time in this series did the Spurs have to make an adjustment to what Mike Brown did with his strategy. Popovich has the respect of his players to the point they should call him surrogate dad. I have never heard or seen a dispute among Popovich and his players since he has been coach and that in itself is unbelievable. Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan and Popovich are the three best coaches in the league and any player should want to play for them.
Mike Brown did not fight enough for his team, in my estimation. He praised his former employer too much in this series. He respected Duncan, Ginobili and Parker too much as well. The reason I make that characterization is because I never saw him complain and ride the officials from game to game, especially about how they were manhandling LeBron, or anything the Spurs did whether it was wrong or not. I would have complained big time about the foul attempt by Bowen on LeBron in Game 3. He looked intimidated and it was obvious to anyone that Brown’s friendship with the Spurs brass hindered him. I still applaud him for what he accomplished this season and he definitely has the ability to bring them back. I am pretty sure he hopes the opponent is not the Spurs.
PLAYERS
Tony Parker proved that he is fast becoming one the most unstoppable point guards ever at getting to the basket. He has a toughness that equals Isiah Thomas and that right there is the best company he could ever be in. He took over this series from the start and had his imprint on it until the sweep was complete. He also has become Duncan’s equal in terms of leadership and that should make David Robinson proud of Duncan in that the transfer of leadership that he started when TD was drafted has continued.
Tim Duncan is a model for any young basketball player wanting to emulate an NBA player. He is the consummate pro, although he has a minor flaw of complaining too much with officials. But it does not even amount to a visible dent in Duncan’s armor. His footwork and ability to create any shot off the post is so far ahead of most players that it is not even comparable. Add his unselfishness and you have a coach’s dream. I rate Duncan and Karl Malone as the greatest power forwards ever and Duncan gets the edge because of four championships to Malone’s zero.
Bruce Bowen is the most important player on the Spurs regardless of the Big Three. He guarded Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Deron Williams and LeBron James during the playoffs and still found time to concentrate and knock down open jump shots consistently. Bowen gets a lot of attention for his defensive tactics, but he is one the classiest players in the league and is well respected off and on the court. The Spurs would have been beaten if they did not have Bruce Bowen before they got to Cleveland.
LeBron James is without a doubt the future of the NBA, but only if he continues to work at the feverish pace his predecessors did. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and now Kobe Bryant had and have a tremendous desire to be the best. James can be them and more with continued hard work. I have never seen a player with his size and speed ever in an NBA uniform. He can become virtually unguardable, but as I have said during these playoffs, James has to work on his mid-range game. He has serious mechanical issues that can be corrected, but only if he is committed to getting it done. The memory of shooting 10 for 30 in Game 4 and not making a mid-range shot until after 60 attempts in the series is reason enough for James to seek help and change his bad habits. When he learns to shoot the ball, watch out NBA!
Zydrunas Ilgauskas looked very old in this series. His ability to jump is gone and foot problems over the years obviously are the culprit, but Z did not have enough fight for me – especially when he guarded Duncan. He had one good game with 18 rebounds, but his shooting went south and that’s something the Cavaliers needed in this series.
Larry Hughes was hurt most of the series, but he struggled this year even before the injury. I wrote when they signed Hughes that it was a mistake because Hughes needs the ball and that will not happen with LeBron. They will try and shop Hughes this offseason, but foot problems and contract will not allow Cleveland to get rid of him.
FUTURE
Look for the San Antonio Spurs to go after Grant Hill and a backup point guard to bring more versatility to their team. They are the oldest team in the league and it will surely start to show next year. Robert Horry wants to come back and I surmise they will allow him to, but only out of respect because Horry was not a factor during this championship run other than starting the confrontation against the Suns that led to Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw being suspended. The Spurs realize it will be extremely hard next year with Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, Utah, Golden State and Denver around, but they are the champs and everyone wants what they have consistently gotten over the last nine years.
Cleveland should have one mandate and one only. Go find shooters. Heck, I honestly thought about flying to Cleveland and hanging around the locker room after the first three games. James will become a magnet for shooters now that he has shown an ability to carry a team to the Finals. The Cavaliers have all the other ingredients except that ability to make open shots. I think Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic will continue to grow, but the Cavaliers should not invest all their stock in those players just yet. I look for Cleveland to win 50-plus games and make another run next year and James hopefully will have at least improved that mid-range jumper, thus becoming the most unguardable player in the league.
The San Antonio Spurs gift-wrapped a game last night to the Cleveland Cavaliers and they could not even accept it. I equate that to playing my young nephew Jacob a game of one-on-one, when I do everything possible to let him score even lifting him towards the basket. I thought I was in the twilight zone last night. Game 3 took basketball back to when the basketball had no air and there was a peach basket. The Cavaliers are starting to look like the worst Finals team in history. The Pistons will be remembered more for losing to the Cavaliers than the Cavaliers will for being plain bad in this series.
There were 101 missed shots in this game including free throws (57-147 combined shooting from the field for both teams). I am sure all these basketball geniuses will say we saw great defense. Give me a break! I saw more wide-open bricks than contested shots. If the Spurs had played Phoenix, Utah, Golden State or even Memphis last night they would have lost by 10-plus points.
The Spurs’ Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Emanuel Ginobili was 13-41 and the Cavaliers still could not take advantage.
The Cavaliers are one of the worst shooting teams I have ever seen make it to the Finals. That does tell you a little about how mentally tough they are and that’s a good thing, I guess. The Cavaliers had a chance to blow this game wide open when Duncan picked up his third foul, but turnovers, defensive breakdowns and inept shooting cost them an eight-point lead late in the second quarter and that was the turning point in the game.
They could never seem to hit the big basket that would have propelled them to victory in the final minutes and now the broom has just entered the building.
COACHES
Gregg Popovich again found a way to secure a victory. He realized the Big Three was struggling and gave solid minutes to Brent Barry. He produced with three shots from beyond the arc. I have not seen much stress on his face the entire series. He did not panic late in the game when LeBron got Cleveland within 2 by calling a time-out. And because of it Tony Parker hit a huge three-point shot. His biggest challenge now will be keeping his team focused and not allowing Cleveland to stretch this series to a fifth game.
Mike Brown coached his best game last night. He did not get the production from Daniel Gibson that he was expecting, but I applaud him for making the change. He probably should have taken Drew Gooden out of the game with five fouls because that would have been him with the ball late instead of Anderson Varejao. I know he tried to call a time-out on that last possession, but the official should have been alerted to look at the bench before the possession. He must now convince his team to take one game at a time and not look at the big picture of being down 0-3.
PLAYERS
Tony Parker did not have his usual dominant game, but still was a huge factor with key baskets when the Spurs needed them. That last three he hit to put the Spurs up by 5 was the final nail to him being MVP in the series if the Spurs win the championship.
Manu Ginobili proved to me again last night why I can never put him in any star category. He has far too many games where he just disappears. To Cleveland’s credit they have kept him on the perimeter, but he basically took the night off.
Tim Duncan was effective early, but foul trouble knocked him off stride and could not regain any kind of rhythm offensively. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and company did their best defensive job on Duncan and still could not get a win.
Brent Barry was huge. He hit a big three before the half to stop a big Cleveland run and he knocked down a few more to keep them at arms length in the second half.
Bruce Bowen was the hero of the game for the Spurs. His scoring outburst in the first half kept the Spurs close and his rebounding and defense were the difference in the Spurs’ Game 3 win. Although hated by 29 teams, Bowen would be welcome anywhere in the league. His shooting during the playoffs behind the arc has been incredible.
LeBron James made a cardinal sin at the end of Game 3 and this is why at 22 he has a long way to go if he wants to be compared to Michael Jordan. MJ or any other great offensive player would have never given up their dribble and passed the ball to Varejao, a player that has no clue what he is going to do with the ball in that situation. He had a mid-range shot to tie the game. Bowen was playing loose defense, but James’ confidence level is at rock bottom when it comes to taking that mid-range shot. Why? Because he has not made a single mid-range shot in the entire series (0-18) and worst yet James has made only two jump shots in the series out of 60 field-goal attempts and both of those shots were three-point shots late in Game 1. So bottom line, pretty much every basket James has scored has been a layup. He will have to soften that defense like he did in Game 5 of the Pistons series if the Cavaliers have any chance of extending this series. And right now, I think we can surmise he is due big time.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas finally joined the party and played very well. 12 points and 18 rebounds were very impressive, but you like to see him get to the free throw more than once. The Cavaliers will need this same effort again in Game 4, especially on the defensive end.
Drew Gooden has to stay out of foul trouble. The Cavaliers need him on the floor in crunch time, because he might be their most confident player shooting the ball other than Gibson. 12 points and 13 rebounds were huge, but silly fouls in the third quarter cost him a chance to be a hero.
Donyell Marshall, will you please give the Cavaliers something? It is not fair that so much pressure is being placed on the rookie Gibson and you are not giving them anything. Marshall looks old and slow when he is not taking and making shots, but all of sudden gets younger with energy when he makes a couple. Marshall could be the difference in Game 4 if he does not base his performance on making a three-point shot.
GAME 4
The Spurs smell blood and will play the first quarter like they are down 0-3. We saw the same look in Game 5 of the Utah series and they took them apart. Popovich will let them know that lady luck will not continue to shine on them if they get lackadaisical in Game 4. The series can change quickly if Cleveland somehow gets back in rhythm. Duncan will be the focal point again, but Popovich knows very well Ginobili can’t have another meltdown as he sometimes does.
The Cavaliers simply have to make some outside shots to open up driving lanes for LeBron. It’s amazing he has been able to score what he has without making a jumper, but he has not been the only one. The Cavaliers were 7 for 28 from mid-range in Game 3 and did worse from behind the three-point arc: 3 for 19. If the Cavaliers are making shots, they are due to win a game. They have given the Spurs all they can handle in the paint and being at home should allow this trend to continue. They were a plus-8 on offensive rebounds and if they can somehow get the rebound and then actually put it in the basket, they might have a chance to send this series to a Game 5.
(Did Bowen foul James? Yes and he did it twice, but I applaud James for not complaining about it following the game. That’s why we want to see him succeed. His maturity level is that of a 10-year veteran).
The nation was split between watching the Spurs-Cavaliers Game 2 and the last episode of The Sopranos. Well, quite honestly both were boring but at least the Spurs victory had a better ending. I am trying to give the Cavaliers the benefit of the doubt after the first two games because they did lose the first two of the Conference Finals against Detroit and came back.
The Spurs are treating the Cavaliers like a JV team and the Cavaliers are showing too much respect for a team that is laughing its way to victory. I hope when the Cavaliers sit down and watch film of Game 2 that they get really mad at the sight of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker laughing up a storm on the bench in the third quarter when they were embarrassing the Cavaliers by 25.
When things are not going well, you grasp for anything that will get you even more motivated than what you are. The Cavaliers need a boost of adrenaline and it’s up to them to find a way to generate more effective energy at home.
Cleveland showed some pride in the fourth quarter with an exciting comeback. LeBron James had a chance to make it a 6-point ball game with three minutes left, but missed a driving layup. Had the Cavaliers not missed 10 free throws, the game would have been closer with that run they made.
Hopefully players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Donyell Marshall, Eric Snow and Damon Jones can add what Daniel Gibson is providing when the series shifts to Cleveland.
COACHING
Gregg Popovich admitted his substitution patterns were not the best in Game 2. But heck, when it seemed like every shot was going in and every hustle play was going the Spurs way he is allowed that mistake. Although up 2-0 in the series and his team looking dominant, Popovich has to worried about the contribution of shooting the ball from everyone not named Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili. Those role players shot 10 for 30 and he knows that the Spurs will need someone to make shots. Despite that glitch, the Spurs are riding a wave of confidence that should make them feel at home even when they toss it up in Cleveland for Game 3. They say Popovich wants everything perfect. Well, except for the fourth quarter letdowns the Spurs have followed his game plan perfectly.
Mike Brown faced a dilemma when LeBron picked up his second foul early in the first quarter. He decided to take him out and things went haywire shortly after the Cavaliers got to within three points early in the second quarter. He should have left him in and taken the chance, because without him they have nothing to count on in terms of offensive execution and production. I am still baffled why he refuses to attack Parker with a double team as soon as he crosses half court. Yes, he will split it at times and make it look foolish. But to now back off and allow him to float around and give him wide open jumphots and wide open passing lanes is suicidal. Parker will then get it to the players the Spurs need to have the ball and that’s Duncan and Ginobili. Brown needs to force someone other than Parker to make plays. This will usually turn into jump shots and the Spurs role players are not making those right now. Also, he needs to start Gibson and sit Hughes down. He is not better than Damon Jones, Ira Newble or any other Cavalier that has two healthy feet. What is he there for, Brown? He can’t shoot and Parker is destroying him. Stop being so stubborn and sit him down for the rest of the series or until he can be healthy enough to give the team something.
PLAYERS
Duncan was one rebound and one assist away from a triple double and didn’t look like he broke a sweat the whole game. He is not facing any kind of physicality at all in this series. I would like to hear who Duncan thinks made him work the hardest in this series. He will probably say his wife has with the honey do’s at home.
Tony Parker can flat out score. He is not a pure point guard in the Steve Nash sense, but he puts more pressure on the defense than anyone I have seen in a long time. He made about three shots last night that were unbelievable. That shot he made in the fourth quarter when the Cavaliers made that run was classic. I said this before and I will say it again… This guy is tough as they come and he will take your heart and laugh at you. The only guard for his size that was tougher was Isiah Thomas and he in my estimation has moved up into that class. The Cavaliers decided to back off of him to cut down on his layups and he still got seven layups while scoring 30 points.
Manu Ginobili was huge all night long. The five baskets he scored didn’t hurt the Cavaliers as much as the 11 free throws he knocked down and the four-point play to silence the Cavalier run to end the game. The Cavaliers have defended Ginobili well in both games by keeping him out of the paint. He had only one basket in the paint, but they are falling for his head fakes and sending him to the line for free points.
Robert Horry played his best game in three months. He has a knack for stepping forward when needed and he did last night with his hustle plays for rebounds (9) and blocks (5). I thought he was difference for the Spurs every time Duncan went to the bench defensively.
LeBron James came out aggressive offensively, but picked up a quick second foul that cost him. When he is aggressive, like he was especially in the second half, the Cavaliers become the team we expected to at least battle the Spurs. James energy almost got the Cavaliers back in the game, but 10 missed free-throws with 4 by James (including an air ball) stopped that miracle from happening. I am still looking for apologies from all those Cavalier fans that attacked me because I said James would never get to Kobe’s and Michael Jordan’s level until he developed a mid-range game. Just so you know, he missed every shot he took in Game 2 outside the paint. He made nine layups and went 0 for 6 from outside the paint. James total in both games from mid-range is 0-11. He will get better with proper training and work, but right now the Spurs are daring him to shoot and his confidence is extremely low. I look for James to be ultra-aggressive in these next two games in Cleveland.
Daniel Gibson is the second best player on the Cavaliers and even if Larry Hughes was healthy I would still make that statement. Gibson has performed in these playoffs better than any young rookie I have seen in a long time. He exudes tremendous confidence and swagger and Mike Brown needs to give him all those minutes he is giving Hughes. He has been their best offensive threat in the first two games. He is 13 for 21 in the series and improving every minute he is on the floor.
Larry Hughes needs to just shut it down. He could not shoot before the injury and now he is taking shots away from players like Gibson, Marshall and Damon Jones who are much better shooters. He was 0 for 5 in Game 2 and I didn’t think any shot he took was going in. No one wants to see a player injured, but it’s a part of the game and Hughes right now is not helping the Cavaliers on one foot.
Anderson Varejao is probably one the hardest workers around, but also one of the most false hustle guys I have also seen in the same instance. Let me explain he will push and prod and defend like the dickens and then when you beat him, he bails out every time instead of holding his ground at least 50 percent of the time. He allowed Duncan a dunk late in the game without being able to foul because he was trying to flop. The Cavaliers need more fight from him on Duncan instead of the flopping.
Damon Jones forced Mike Brown to look for him more in Game 3 with the huge threes he knocked down in the fourth quarter.
GAME 3
It should be exciting because the energy and confidence from the Cavaliers should match what the Spurs bring every night. This is the game the Cavaliers can win and if the do they will have a chance to send it back to San Antonio. I have no clue what changes Mike Brown will make, but he better get the ball out of Parkers hands and forces someone else to make plays. I would not be surprised to see him go extremely small with Damon Jones, Daniel Gibson, Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic on the floor with LeBron. This will force Duncan to have to guard the perimeter because of Marshall’s three-point shooting.
The Spurs will try and silence the fans early with methodical possessions. They will milk the clock and get Duncan established early instead of Parker. They also will employ a zone at times if LeBron and company are getting to the rim. They just have not needed to use it much in the first two games. Michael Finley, Brent Barry or Horry will have to make shots to help the Spurs get Game 3 on the road.
Game 1 did not turn out the way the Cavaliers expected. Not because they lost the game, but because of the way they lost the game. I was watching the game Thursday night saying to myself, “What did the Cavaliers do with all of those extra days to study film and work on taking away the strengths of the Spurs?”
I was flabbergasted to see how Tony Parker just waltzed into the lane with not one hard foul. The Cavaliers defense looked like it would on a regular-season game in the first quarter. They played a basic defense by just doubling down on Tim Duncan and rotating out. The Spurs had to be surprised that not one wrinkle was employed to at least thwart their offense and force them to go to a second and third option.
Now this is only the first game, so I will not be extremely hard on the Cavaliers. This series is far from over, but the effort exerted in the first quarter by the Cavaliers was atrocious on the defensive end. The experience and the talent of Parker and Duncan were too much to overcome in Game 1. This can’t continue or this series will be over real fast. I will give a summary of each game in the series focusing on coaching, individual key players and what to expect in the next game.
COACHING
Gregg Popovich had to be smiling inside when to start the game the Cavaliers came out in a traditional double-down defense on Duncan. He basically ran the two-man game all night and kept his shooters spaced. And although the Spurs did not shoot the ball well outside the paint (12-28), they made up for it with by getting 34 attempts in the paint and making 22 shots. He also won the battle with his defensive scheme on LeBron James. I said it in my last article… If the Cavaliers run their offense through James at the top of the circle, he will struggle. The Spurs might be the best ever when all five players can see and load up on who they want to stop on defensive end of the court. They ran two and three players at James all night, but they are able to do it because Bruce Bowen is pressuring James to turn away from the defense and that split second sends a second and third defender to force James to pass to a three-point shooter and not a post player because Duncan is stationed in the paint. Popovich is fast becoming the next Phil Jackson in terms of the mental domination he exerts over opposing coaches.
Mike Brown has to be willing to take chances and last night he stayed basic and paid a price with the Game 1 loss. The Spurs were ripe to be beaten last night, but Brown’s lack of creativity on defense allowed the Spurs to gain confidence and get rhythm with 22 layups. Duncan mentioned after the game how surprised and thankful he was to get such easy opportunities early in the contest. Going into this series, even Brown said Tony Parker would be a major issue – especially with the injury to Larry Hughes – and yet he did nothing creative to at least to make him think.
I assume you might ask, “What you can do against the best player in the league at scoring in the paint off the dribble?” Well, let me think. Mike Brown, have you seen anything lately that you could try that might force Parker to give up the ball and force Finley, Ginobili and Horry to feed Duncan. Double-team him, take the ball out of his hands, do the same thing to him that you have seen done to LeBron James throughout the entire playoffs. Mike, you have no one on your roster that can guard him. Who cares if Bruce Bowen and company get wide-open three-point shots? That group shot a combined 12 for 35 that you might be worried about if you force Parker to give up the ball and thus not get into the lane for 9 layups. Parker meanwhile shot 3 for 9 outside the paint, in case you are worried about his outside game. Brown needs to realize he must take chances on his defensive philosophy because basic is what the Spurs are – and the Cavaliers will lose that game every time. Also, Brown has to give Daniel Gibson more minutes over Hughes because he is on fire. Who cares about his defensive liabilities with the bigger Spur guards? What about plus-minus? Gibson matched Ginobili’s 16 points in the same 28 minutes while Hughes had 2 points in 23 minutes.
PLAYERS
Tim Duncan is so boring and good that it is beyond description. I had Duncan No. 2 behind Karl Malone for best power forward ever, but he has moved past him with his dominance in this year’s playoffs. He took 17 shots and 13 were in the paint. Parker made life extremely easy for him offensively, but defensively he is the main reason LeBron struggled. LeBron can take Bowen off the dribble, but he couldn’t elevate in time to overcome Duncan’s defense.
Tony Parker is right now the best penetrating point guard I have ever seen for his height and weight. It’s one thing to get in the paint, but this guy can finish and not just on players his size but against taller players as well. I know his stature sometimes fool you, but he is fearless and will cut your heart out. That’s what he did Thursday night especially in the first quarter. Parker finished the game shooting 12 for 23, but when you look deeper you see the beauty of Parker. He shot 9 of 14 in the paint and 3 of 9 outside the paint. Parker can brag about his improved jump shot all he wants to, but the bottom line is he knows he must get layups to be successful and he almost wills himself to get to the rim. The Cavaliers have to finally start treating Parker like the Spurs treat LeBron because if they don’t, he will dominate the entire series.
Manu Ginobili was controlled for the most part, but he did hit two huge three-point shots that kept the Cavaliers at arms length at key moments of Game 1. The Cavaliers, we would assume, will try and negate Parker and Duncan in Game 2 thus allowing Ginobili to prosper. He really helped the Spurs attacking the defensive glass and grabbing 8 rebounds.
LeBron James must stop this process of getting everyone else involved in the game early and then deciding to jump in. He must be aggressive and score from the start because he will not get a ton of opportunities. He passed up at least five chances to attack early because he was deferring to teammates. I wrote an article about LeBron a few weeks ago and the King James worshippers attacked me with a vengeance. I wonder, “Are those same people starting to see what I was talking about?” LeBron should face facts in this series and that is he will not get many layups and I ask why? Because the Spurs do not think he will make a consistent jump shot to force them to extend their defense. Yes, he got hot one game against Detroit and it paid dividends. But in order to convince defenses to change, you have to be consistent and confident with that mid-range jumper. What’s a mid-range shot? It’s every shot outside the paint but inside the three-point line. James was 0 for 6 at that range. He made two layups and two three-point shots. That is exactly what Lebron can’t do in this series or the Cavaliers have no chance to win. He did do his usual good job on the glass, but that Spur defense forced 6 turnovers with only 4 assists.
Daniel Gibson is the real deal. You don’t perform on the stage he has in the last few weeks and regress. He has the confidence of a 10-year veteran right now and Mike Brown is the only one playing defense on him by still limiting his minutes. Gibson matched Ginobili’s numbers (16 points) in the same amount of minutes. He shot 7 for 9 and a number of them were created off the dribble.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas shot 1 for 8 and I will go on board and say 7 of those shots normally go in. Z just has to play more concentrated aggressive defense to allow Brown to keep him on the floor. He is the only big player other than Drew Gooden that can occupy Duncan defensively, so he will not focus solely on James. I said he must score 15 to 20 for the Cavaliers to have a chance in this series.
Sasha Pavlovic was active on both ends. I thought he did a very good job. He shot well and defended Ginobli, keeping him on the perimeter and only allowing the one layup in the half-court offense. I think he will play a huge role in the series as we move to Game 2.
GAME 2 STRATEGY
Look for the Spurs to try and get Michael Finley involved more offensively. Finley is their wildcard when one of the Big Three isre not having the usual good offensive game. He was 0 for 7 after making the first shot of the game. The Spurs also know the Cavaliers will do a better job of taking away layups and so they will have to shoot better from the perimeter- The Spurs were 12 for 28 outside the paint in Game 1 and that has to give the Cavaliers hope for Game 2.
Look for the Cavaliers to change their defense on Parker and maybe blitz and double team him every time the Spurs try and run a two-man game, especially with Duncan. The Cavaliers also have to work harder to free LeBron. Look for LeBron to play off the ball early in Game 2 to allow him to catch and go before the Spurs can load up their defense. The Cavaliers will also be extremely physical with whoever drives the lane in Game 2, thus elevating the tension of the series.
The San Antonio Spurs are the overwhelming favorites against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Spurs have a ton of experience and the best low-post player in the league in Tim Duncan. This series on paper should be over quickly, which is not something the league would like to see happen for a number of reasons. The Spurs will try and take advantage of the Cavaliers early with physical play and a defense that will force LeBron James to encounter Duncan and a maze of Spur defenders waiting to either draw a charge or force a bad shot or errant pass. The Spurs are the best team in the league at taking away the three-point shot and Daniel Gibson will not see daylight.
Remember I am making this statement even though the Cavaliers beat the Spurs twice this season and statistically had a sincere advantage as well. So now should I start to waver a little? Should I dig deeper and see if the two Cavalier victories are a sign of consistency and not luck?
Hmmm, let me see. Hold up for a second, let me make sure I say the right things and get my facts right. I am not a favorite in Spur Land and the diehards have taken offense to my article on Robert “Body Block” Horry during the Suns series. So I will take my time and make sure I don’t ruffle any feathers down in Texas.
…
OK, I am back from my two-mile run and I did a lot of thinking back and forth. I had a lot of time to think because unlike when I was in pristine shape, I only worry about finishing the two miles and not the time it took me to run it.
Here it goes.
The Cavaliers have a sincere chance to win this series. The two games in which they beat San Antonio were done on the defensive end. They held the Spurs to 40 percent field goal shooting and beat them by a plus 9 on the boards. They also got to the free-throw line 10 more times as well. These are the things the Spurs excel in, but still the Cavaliers were the dominant team in these categories.
Factor in the improved play of Daniel Gibson and his ability to get to the free-throw line. Those numbers on paper look better. So why should we think the Spurs will waltz through the Finals? We look at the inexperience of the Cavaliers and say, “Well, that’s enough.” But isn’t that what we heard in the Pistons series? What did the Cavaliers do to that experience? They basically outplayed the Pistons in every game. I am not convinced the Cavaliers will win, but I am not convinced the Spurs can’t be beaten either.
Defensively, if I am Cavalier head coach Mike Brown I would be studying tape of the Detroit series and devising a way to treat Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili like Detroit treated LeBron. The Cavaliers have no one on their roster that can guard Parker and Ginobili head-up and negate their forays to the basket. So you trap both and make them give it up. Yes, they will escape at times. But they will run into some extremely physical defenders that can take charges and change shots.
The Cavaliers need to take a page from the Suns and guard Duncan without doubling down. Anderson Varejao and Drew Gooden with Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the weak side for rebounding will have to accept the challenge. The Cavaliers will use Scot Pollard for fouls as well.
This will force Michael Finley, Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry to beat them with perimeter shooting. Can it backfire? Of course. Just go ask Detroit. But this will be their only chance to win this series.
Gregg Popovich is not excited about playing someone that knows his players’ weaknesses and vulnerabilities and that is why it will be harder for San Antonio to prepare for Cavaliers more so than the other way around.
Offensively, the Cavaliers will have to run LeBron off down screens, back screens and two-man games to free him up for quick scoring attempts before the Spurs can set their defense to load up against him. The Cavaliers will struggle if Brown allows LeBron to consistently start with the ball behind the three-point line. The Spurs might be the best ever at loading up on an offensive player when all five defenders have two eyes on him. Also, Ilgauskas will have to be a factor against Francisco Elson and Fabricio Oberto. He has to score 15 to 20 points for the Cavaliers to have a chance.
Drew Gooden, Daniel Gibson, Larry Hughes, Damon Jones… Two of those players will have to score in double figures.
Cleveland beat Detroit with a stifling physical defense so the Spurs will not intimidate the Cavaliers because Detroit arguably had a better offensive arsenal than what they will face with the Spurs.
With all that said and done, I think the Spurs will win in six. But Cleveland will not go away quietly. Get ready for a very good series.
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.
OK, so I would hope that all the Chicago fans that blasted me a few years ago when I wrote about the Bulls making a mistake by signing Ben Wallace would please apologize. Everything has virtually come true about that article. Wallace did not fit in and Ben Gordon and Luol Deng overpriced themselves and passed up good deals because they were looking at the Wallace contract. Now the Bulls are back to rebuilding and Wallace moves on to a contender. Guess what? Now you will see Wallace play like the Wallace of old with a legitimate center in Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a great player in LeBron James.
A few weeks ago I heard about a potential deal the Suns might be involved in, but I brushed it off because around this time of year we hear all kinds of rumors. Then when the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, my mind started to wonder and mainly because there are two teams that the Suns view as huge hurdles to the finals: the Lakers and the Spurs.
We are just over a month into the season and one thing is for certain, there are a number of leaderless teams in the league and a few I will identify are extremely surprising.
I never once in my 17-year professional career thought officials were purposely affecting a game for their own benefit. Now don’t get me wrong, I did have my favorite officials and I had others I did not want to see at game time because in my competitive athletic mind I did not think they liked me. Or maybe the sight of them brought back bad memories from previous games.
The San Antonio Spurs have won their fourth title in nine years. I can’t say that is a dynasty, but they are definitely a true team and organization in every sense of the word.
The San Antonio Spurs gift-wrapped a game last night to the Cleveland Cavaliers and they could not even accept it. I equate that to playing my young nephew Jacob a game of one-on-one, when I do everything possible to let him score even lifting him towards the basket. I thought I was in the twilight zone last night. Game 3 took basketball back to when the basketball had no air and there was a peach basket. The Cavaliers are starting to look like the worst Finals team in history. The Pistons will be remembered more for losing to the Cavaliers than the Cavaliers will for being plain bad in this series.
The nation was split between watching the Spurs-Cavaliers Game 2 and the last episode of 
Game 1 did not turn out the way the Cavaliers expected. Not because they lost the game, but because of the way they lost the game. I was watching the game Thursday night saying to myself, “What did the Cavaliers do with all of those extra days to study film and work on taking away the strengths of the Spurs?”
The San Antonio Spurs are the overwhelming favorites against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Spurs have a ton of experience and the best low-post player in the league in Tim Duncan. This series on paper should be over quickly, which is not something the league would like to see happen for a number of reasons. The Spurs will try and take advantage of the Cavaliers early with physical play and a defense that will force LeBron James to encounter Duncan and a maze of Spur defenders waiting to either draw a charge or force a bad shot or errant pass. The Spurs are the best team in the league at taking away the three-point shot and Daniel Gibson will not see daylight.
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.