San Antonio Slaughter

The four-time champion San Antonio Spurs were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs last night in shocking fashion, being swept 4-0 by the Phoenix Suns. The Suns were able to finally avenge the countless playoff series losses to the Spurs throughout the past decade, winning the last two series games in San Antonio. It would appear the Spurs are officially heading towards the rebuilding stage. Tony Parker definitely has productive years left in him and Ginobili should be able to play at a high level for a couple more years, barring injury. But Timmy D looks to be slowing down and is definitely not the dominate force he used to be. Oh yeah, it’s safe to say that the Richard Jefferson experiment did not work out. Look for the Spurs not to re-sign him when his contract is up. Just not a good fit for the Spurs.

Rage on Rondo!

Can anyone on the Cavs stop Rajon Rondo? So far this series, the answer is a resounding NO. The long-armed PG has by far been the best Celtic in this series, in the playoffs in general.  There is no longer a Big 3 in Boston, it is the Big One. He is putting up numbers in this series that your Create-A-Player would have in the old school NBA Live games. Triple doubles are pretty much expected at this point. If the Cavs don’t find a way to stop Rondo from running circles around their defense, they will continue to be relegated to the moniker of “Regular Season Champions”.  They must attack him on offense and seriously think about putting LBJ on him. Anthony Parker and Mo Williams ain’t the answer!!!

Someone’s Goin Fishin Soon

The Atlanta Hawks were destroyed in Game 3 by the Orlando Magic, who are 7-0 in the playoffs. And, there is absolutely no indication that this series will not be a sweep. The Hawks are clearly unmatched and have no fight in them. And, this for the team that wants to be considered to be one of the elites for the East. This for a team that had to go to Game 7 to beat a depleted Milwaukee Bucks team in the first round. Personally, I don’t think Mike Woodson is a good coach. He doesn’t seem to be able to motivate these guys. They just don’t respond to him. If the Hawks have any shot of beating the Magic in Game 4, Joe Johnson has to step up.

Where Did He Come From?

Although the Lakers have a commanding 3-0 lead over the Utah Jazz and will win this series, I have been impressed with undrafted free agent Wesley Matthews. Honestly, I never heard of him in college, but this guy works hard and can play ball. He seems like he loves the challenge of guarding Kobe, is active around the basket, and has a nice stroke on the perimeter. His approach to the game fits in well in Jerry Sloan’s system. I guarantee that come contract time, there will be other teams trying to pry him away from Salt Lake City.

Here are my thoughts for today. Check em’ out!

• Last night’s Game 5 home loss to the Bogut-less Bucks is a perfect example why the Hawks are not yet considered an elite NBA team. They got out-hussled in the last three minutes of the game and deserved to lose. Love the heart showed by the Bucks.
• Dwight Howard, be smarter. Don’t you realize anything you post on your blog is going to be read by many people, including the Commish? Any statement that begins with “I’m not looking to say anything to get myself in trouble with the league” should not be written. D Howard is $35,000 lighter today (which is probably nothing to him).
• Clevelanders have got to be concerned about Lebron’s right elbow.
• Miami management better be working their contacts to bring a star free-agent to Miami (e.g. Chris Bosh) or your boy D Wade is history. Flash deserves better than who he’s been playing with the past two seasons. Oh yeah, 2010-2011 is a make or break year for Michael Beasley and Jermaine O’Neal is finished.
• Although Denver pulled out a win at home last night, the series is over. Utah will win Game 6. Hell, the Nuggets couldn’t win in Utah with Nene’, so they definitely are going fishing with Nene’ most likely out for Game 6.
• I’m going with the Suns over the Blazers tonight.

That’s all I got for today. Holla!

I read an article about Syracuse junior forward Wes Johnson deciding to forego his senior season and declare for the NBA draft (Orange fans I hope you weren’t surprised by this decision). The 6-7 swingman had a breakout season and should be a lock for a lottery pick. However, as I scanned a list of early entrants on CNNSI.com as of April 13, 2010, I began to shake my head and wonder to myself, “Why are so many of these players declaring?”

The reality is that many of these players are either not ready to make the jump yet or are simply not NBA material. What motivates some of these players to make such a bad decision? Is there an unscrupulous agent buttering them up, telling them they’re the next big star? Maybe they have real life financial difficulties, as is the case with a number of college athletes, and see a NBA paycheck as relief from these challenges. Regardless of the motivation, I’m 100% positive that a number of players on this list will fall into the following categories:

1)      Will not get drafted at all and will end up on a NBA Summer League team, eventually getting cut.

2)      Will get drafted in the 2^nd round, play on the Summer League team, and get cut before the season starts. Second round players rarely make season opening rosters.

Many in these categories will either end up on a D-League roster or ply their trade overseas, which can be financially rewarding if you end up in the right situation (See Trajan Langdon- CSKA Moscow).  Not only are these early entrants competing against a growing list of early entrants and graduating seniors, they’re battling for roster spots with seasoned and raw European players and domestic free agents still desperate for a chance. 

Players like John Wall, Evan Turner, and DeMarcus Cousins should be out shopping for a Park Avenue tailored suit because they are guaranteed to be on draft day “Green Room” status, shaking hands early with David Stern. But, the majority of these players will be watching from someone’s living room at home, just hoping to hear their name called by an NBA exec not named David Stern in the 2^nd round. 

The sad reality is that history repeats itself and they’re will be some early entrants declaring next year that have no business making that decision. I understand the NBA is any basketball player’s ultimate goal, and it should be. However, it’s important that these college players have people in their corner that are going to be honest with them and say “You’re not ready.” More importantly, I hope the player listens.

Why do we love the NCAA Tournament? Because, it’s so unpredictable. Every year, like many Americans, I print out a gazillion brackets and put on my Jay Bilas-esque analysis hat and start making my picks. I arbitrarily pick a handful of upsets in the first couple of rounds because it’s pretty much guaranteed there will be upsets; 13s shocking 4s, 12s beating 5s and so forth.

And, as expected, the 2010 Tourney has been no different, already ripe with a number of shockers, including Georgetown losing to Ohio, Vandy falling to Murray State, and relatively unknown St. Mary’s knocking off #2 seed Villanova in the second round. However, these upsets pale in comparison to Northern Iowa’s surprising victory over the #1 overall seed Kansas, a team many “experts” had picked to win it all.

Cinderella shows up every year to add suspense and excitement, fueling the “Madness”.  And, CBS gets a nice return on their multi-million network rights investment with high ratings from these fairy tale teams knocking off perennial basketball powers and making magical runs in the tournament.

People naturally root for the underdog, no matter what sport it is. We love to see David slay Goliath. The NCAA tournament is no different. For example, I fell in love with the George Mason team that beat storied programs Michigan State, North Carolina, and Connecticut en route to an improbable Final Four appearance in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. That simply was a great story.

However, I’m sure CBS doesn’t want the final rounds to be a big glass slipper affair, with a heavy dose of unknown, mid-major Cinderella teams. I commend these teams for their unlikely successes, but would you want to see a Northern Iowa vs. St. Mary’s championship game? Seriously, imagine if the Final Four was Cornell, St. Mary’s, Butler, and Northern Iowa. You couldn’t pay me to watch any of those matchups. I’m sure ratings would not be as high as they would if a Kentucky or Syracuse were one of the opponents.  David vs. David matchups are not as intriguing as David vs. Goliath matchups. There is no upset potential in these types of contests. So, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that at least a one or two seed makes it to Indianapolis.

Going forward, I’m excited to see what other surprises this 2010 version of March Madness has to offer. Parity is good for the game and it’s always fun to see some unexpected teams crash the party. However, if some of you Cinderellas decide to stay until the end, I hope at least one of your bigger, more known stepsisters shows up too. Otherwise, someone will have to spike the punch for me to hang around.

You had Magic and the Showtime Lakers, Larry Legend and the Celtics, the Bad Boy Pistons, and of course, his Airness and the UnbeataBULLS.

Taking a trip down memory lane, here are some of things I miss most about that golden age in NBA history.

NBA on NBC theme song

This song used to get me amped for weekend regular season and playoff games. Best pre-game theme music in sports history. I was happy when they brought it back for the 2008 Olympics Men’s basketball games.

Bill Cartwright’s awkward free-throw shooting form

Nothing was more awkward and ugly. He used to bring the ball from his waist to high above his head in a weird motion. But hey, he was a career 77% free throw shooter, which isn’t bad, especially for a center.

Jordan-era Chicago Bulls starting lineup music

No other home game intro struck more fear in opponents than that “Sirius” instrumental by the Alan Parsons Project. I can just here the public address announcer yelling, “And at guard, 6’6”, from North Carolina…”!

Cool nicknames

In today’s NBA there are nicknames like “King James”, “CP3”, ”Superman”, and “Melo”. These are boring!  Back in the day, you had cool names like “The Microwave”, “Hot Rod”, “X-Man”, “Reign Man”, “The Glove”, “The Mailman”, “The Glide”, “Spiderman”, “The Plastic Man”, and “Chief”.

Hard Fouls

Eastern conference teams like the Knicks, Heat, and Pistons mastered the art of the hard foul, leading to altercations, bruised bodies, and ridiculously low scoring games like 67-63. Many of the fouls committed by maulers like Bill Laimbeer, Anthony Mason, and Rick Mahorn would easily be flagrant two fouls in today’s game. Current players like Tony Parker and Allen Iverson wouldn’t have lasted more than two seasons without the league crackdown of these type of offenses.

Battle of the Bigs

The 80s and early 90s featured great centers and the game revolved around them. Some of the era’s bests were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Robert Parrish, Brad Daugherty, and powerhouses Benoit Benjamin and Alton Lister! Lol…

The Larry Johnson Part

Grandma Ma set a hair-style trend, shifting the typical location of the hair part from its normal location to directly down the middle. I remember guys in school used to sport that cut until the fad flamed out, along with Larry Johnson’s career.

Michael Cage’s Jheri Curl

At a time when players like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning were sporting the hip and trendy high-top fade look, Michael Cage said NO! He stood by his greasy jheri curl and showed his independence.

What were some of your favorite memories of this time period?

A number of trades were executed prior to the NBA trading deadline. Antawn Jamison joined the Cavs. Caron Butler added scoring and toughness to the Mavs roster in a trade that saw the much-maligned Josh Howard moved to the woeful Wizards. Perhaps the biggest trade involved a three-team deal between the Kings, Rockets, and Knicks that saw Kevin Martin move to the Rockets, Carl Landry and Larry Hughes go to the Kings, and Tracy McGrady and his valuable expiring contract head to the Knicks. There were other players and picks involved in all of the deals I just mentioned.

But, there was an underlying theme for the majority of these mid-season moves: GET LEBRON JAMES! It’s no secret that King James is the most coveted free agent in the upcoming offseason, probably in NBA history.

General Managers are maneuvering in order to have enough paper to give the reigning league MVP a max contract. Some of the teams who have expressed interest include the Knicks, Nets, Mavs, and his current team, the Cavs. So, if I was LeBron, I would take advantage of being the hot commodity and make some requests of my salivating suitors. Here are some suggested requests (To make this fun, the requests are as ridiculous as possible and are pretty much things I would like to see).

Dallas

• A box suite at Cowboys Stadium
• All African-American players on the Mavs must wear a Rolando “Blackman” jersey
• Bring back Roy Tarpley as an assistant coach
• Have the guy that played J.R. Ewing from the show “Dallas” hand LeBron his powder before the King does the pre-game “Powder Shower” at home games

New Jersey

• Move the Nets to Brooklyn earlier and name the court “King James Court”
• Bring back Lucious Harris as SG (I just like his name).
• Have a throne installed in front of James’ locker
• Rename the Nets the “Bucktowners” when the team moves to Brooklyn and have Brooklyn emcees such as Mos Def and Lil’ Fame from MOP perform the National Anthem

New York

• A fly crib in each of the five boroughs
• Every player must sport a 90’s era Patrick Ewing high-top fade and an orange pair of Ewings
• A box suite at Yankees Stadium
• Bring back Isiah Thomas and name him team “Ethics Manager”

Cleveland

• Have Bone Thugs N’ Harmony serve as James’ escorting theme music group to every home game
• Allow LeBron to attend practice via videoconference at his in-home basketball gym
• Retire LeBron’s #23 jersey now
• Hire Wolfgang Puck to be Lebron’s traveling chef on road games

So LeBron, these are my suggested requests for you. Do I expect you to make them, not a chance. But, it doesn’t hurt to imagine!

Here are my predictions of who will win the various NBA All-Star events. What are your opinions?

Shooting Stars- Team Dallas (Dirk Nowitzki, Becky Hammon, Kenny Smith)

In all honesty, does anyone really care about this competition? But, since it’s a part of All-Star Weekend, I’ll offer my expert opinion! Looking at the teams, how can you go against the excellent shooting trio of Hammon, the Jet, and Dirk? I’m biased because Kenny Smith played for my hometown Rockets during the championship years. Plus, Dirk is the best shooting big in NBA history hands down. Becky Hammon got game too.

Skills Challenge- Steve Nash

This is a tough one. I was leaning towards Jennings or Rose because they are the quickest out of the four. But, I’m going with the best shooter and passer out of the group, Steve Nash, to take the title. Plus, he’s still got some speed in those veteran legs.

Rookie Challenge- Rookies

I’m going to go with quickness over size and experience with this one. The sophomore squad is laden with improved Bigs such as Marc Gasol and Brook Lopez. But, I expect this to be a high-scoring, fast-paced game, which favors the Rooks. They are guard-heavy, featuring quick guards in Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, and Stephen Curry. I predict the score to be 135-121 and the Rooks will break the seven year losing streak. Side point: How did Ty Lawson not make the Rookie squad?

Three-Point Shootout – Stephen Curry

I’m going to go with a first-time participant on this one. Curry has the highest 3-pt FG% of the six participants and has a quick release. Also, I don’t think he’ll be nervous under the bright lights. Unfortunately for him, he has to return to the black hole that is the Golden State Warriors after the weekend. Sheesh! I put reigning champ Daequan Cook at second. Paul Pierce doesn’t seem to have a quick enough shooting style for this competition. We’ll see.

Slam Dunk Competition- Shannon Brown

I have a feeling Shannon Brown may take off from the free throw line with something sick. He’s extremely athletic and a quick leaper. Besides, I think people, including myself, are tired of Nate Robinson. I’m picking DeMar DeRozan to win the dunk-in and wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the Finals against Brown.  I personally would love to have seen Terrence Williams from the Nets in this competition and first-time All-Star Derrick Rose. Have you seen some of the dunks these two have done in games this season?! Rose’s cocked-back two hand dunk against the Suns is easily Top 5 this season.

All-Star Game- East Team

Although the competition in the Eastern conference continues to pale in comparison to that of the West, you can’t bet against a starting lineup that includes LBJ, D-Wade, and Superman. Plus, West squad All-Stars, such as Brandon Roy and Chris Paul, are dropping out day by day from injuries. Now there’s news that Kobe may not play. I’ll give the East a slight edge, 128-121. The West has the better bench with Durant, Nowitzki, and D. Williams, which will keep it a close affair.

Peyton Manning attempted to mount a comeback in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, but it was too late and the former laughing stock of the NFL, the New Orleans Saints, claimed a 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV.

For all of the bandwagon fans rooting for the Black and Gold, especially with all that the Big Easy has been through since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc back in 2005, most believed, including me, that the NFL MVP-led Colts would be victorious. I mean, how could you doubt Peyton Manning, especially with how he dissected the NFL’s top defense in the AFC Championship game?  So when the Saints took a 24-17 lead with over five minutes remaining in regulation, I was 100% positive that the Colts would tie the game and probably set up the first overtime game in Super Bowl history (I guarantee the NFL did not want that to happen). And, like clockwork, they began to march down the field.

A pass to wide receiver Pierre Garcon for 17 yards.  A few plays later, a 12-yard pass to wide receiver Reggie Wayne.  In a matter of a few minutes, the Colts had made it to the Saints’ 31-yard line. I’m sure that New Orleanians around the French Quarter were probably nervously sipping their Hurricanes at this point. But, a few plays later, it happened.

On 3^rd and 5, defensive back Tracy Porter broke on a pass intended for Reggie Wayne and intercepted it, taking it to the house for a championship-sealing touchdown. Replays demonstrate that Porter knew exactly where Peyton Manning wanted to throw the ball and quite simply beat Wayne to the spot. The rest was history. A dejected Manning walked off the field, a look of anguish in his eyes. I think even he knew at that point that it was over. Defeated by his hometown team; the team his father quarterbacked for over 10 years.

As I write this article, I’m sure the streets of New Orleans are still buzzing with joy and excitement. And, I’m pretty sure that many residents called-in to work today. The Colts were outplayed and outcoached by the Saints. Coach Sean Payton made gutsy calls, such as the on-side kick to start the second half, and Super Bowl MVP and future key-to-the-city holder Drew Brees methodically beat the Colts’ defense time and time again.  As for Peyton Manning and the Colts, a long offseason ensues.

Although #18 is a lock for Canton and will arguably go down as one of the top two QBs ever, he will relive that fateful attempted pass to Wayne in his nightmares all summer long. The supreme architect and perfectionist, Manning was not able to muster up the 4^th-quarter comeback that has become his trademark. But, he’ll be back and more prepared than ever.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Up to this point in his career, Lebron James has exceeded the unbelievably high expectations and hype levied on him coming out St. Vincent St. Mary’s Prep Academy in Akron, Ohio. Night in and night out, the 6’8” human bulldozer terrorizes opposing defenses with indefensible drives to the basket, innate passing and playmaking ability, and a vastly improved jump shot. Most of the time, he is simply unguardable. Not only does he have the size and strength of an NFL linebacker, his end-to-end speed makes him impossible to stop in the open court. Would you take a charge from that man? I think not.

Quite simply the NBA, better yet the sports world in general, has never witnessed such an athletic specimen. In addition to his physical gifts, Lebron James has an extremely high basketball IQ and a natural unselfishness that is rare with superstars. He understands the value of getting his teammates involved and does so willingly. For all the praise heaped upon the 25-yr-old reigning NBA MVP, is it possible that he has yet to reach his peak? I’m sure opposing NBA GMs and coaches pray the answer to this question is yes.

Although already a dominant force and on course to being the best small forward ever, there are still some holes in the King’s game. Lebron James has worked tirelessly over the past few off-seasons to improve his shooting touch and now is a legitimate perimeter threat. However, he has the tendency to fall in love with the “J”. He’ll knock down a few jumpers early and will continue taking the lower percentage shot and go away from his strength, which is driving to the basket. The man is a virtually automatic “And-1” when he goes to the rim and should not stray away from this. Besides, his perimeter game is not quite on Kobe’s level…yet.

Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian

Secondly, he tends to lose concentration when defending his man in half-court sets. Now, many will scream “Are you crazy? He made the 2009 NBA All-Defensive Team!” Indeed, Lebron demonstrated a commitment to playing hard on the defensive end last season and continues to make plays on that side of the ball this season. He has made multiple Sportscenter “Top Plays” lists by chasing down unsuspecting players for volleyball spike-like blocked shots. But, I’ve noticed that he will take his eye off the player he’s guarding, focusing more on helping on defense. This allows his man to break open for wide open shots.

Honestly, that’s the only so-called flaws he has in his game. I expect Lebron James to win at least three titles before his career over and he’ll definitely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is a transcendent player and personality that, like Jordan, forces you to stop everything your doing just to watch him play. I’ve yet to see him play in person. But, when I do, best believe I’ll have my camera out, ready to capture the pre-game King James powder shower spectacle. That is, of course, if I can afford to sit close enough!

If the NBA Playoffs started today, how would the teams match up in the first round? The Spechater takes a look at the Western Conference pairings based on today’s standings.

L.A. Lakers (1) vs. Portland (8)

A depleted Portland post presence spells doom for the young Blazers. Camby was a great addition to fill in for the losses of Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden, but the Blazers are simply not big enough to handle the trio of Gasol, Bynum, and Odom. Oh yeah, there’s this guy named Kobe Bryant to worry about too. Lakers in 5.

X-Factors: Ron Artest – L.A., Marcus Camby- Portland

Dallas(2) vs. San Antonio (7)

A classic Lone Star State and Southwest division matchup, this should be a great series. As much as I respect the Spurs’ championship experience, I give the Mavs the edge in this one. Dirk has been on fire all season and the new additions of Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood have added much needed depth to the once-struggling Mavs and have made them a legitimate threat to the Lakers. Mavs in 6.

X-Factors: Caron Butler- Dallas, Manu Ginobili- San Antonio

Denver (3) vs. Oklahoma City (6)

The world will get to witness the playoff coming out party for Kevin Durant and his surprise OKC teammates. This team will be one to reckon with…just not this season. Denver reached the Western Conference Finals last year and have a former NBA Finals MVP in Chauncey Billups to lead the show. Plus, Denver is probably the most physical team in the league (Cleveland is probably 1A) and will force their will on the young Thunder. However, the Carmelo Anthony vs. Kevin Durant matchup will be fun to watch. Denver in 6.

X-Factors: J.R. Smith- Denver, Jeff Green- Oklahoma City

Utah (4) vs. Phoenix (5)

This matchup features two great PGs in Steve Nash and Deron Williams and two opposing styles. Phoenix favors an uptempo style with Utah preferring a slower, half-court offensive style. Which team will be able to impose its style on the other? I’m going with Utah in 7, giving the Jazz the series purely based on home-court advantage because Energy Solutions Arena is one of the toughest places to play in.

X-Factors: Paul Millsap- Utah, Robin Lopez- Phoenix