Shorty and Basketball

Once again I seem to take 2 months to put together the words that come so easy but yet take so long to type!  It's now October and the NBA season is in full training camp mode.  You know its the time when the best part of watching NBA TV is seeing all of the new players your favorite team acquired over the summer actually wearing their jerseys.  In the case of one ridiculously loyal Lakers fan, I am loving seeing both Nash and Howard in the purple and gold.  Once again the Lakers find a way to stay not only relevant in the NBA landscape, but somehow steal 2 players who by themselves would change the fortunes of any other team with scrubs.  So with that lets dive into all things Lakers and see what happes.

We will start with my beloved Lakers and the rich talent that now suits up for them.  So to state the obvious, D12 and Steve fricken Nash automatically elevate the Lakers to contender status.  Not only is Steve fricken Nash one of my all time favorites, but he is the perfect compliment to Kobe Bryant.  I have read countless articles on ESPN with the majority of the experts questioning the effectiveness of Nash paired with Bryant for the next 2 seasons.  Kobe dominates the ball and he won't give that up.  Nash has to have the ball in his hands 75% of the time for him to be effective.  Kobe only thrives when he can isolate and face up defenders.  Kobe is not going to play second fiddle to Nash pick and rolling with Pau and D12.  All interesting points in there own right, and coming from experts to get paid to form opinions I can't really discount these thoughts.  But here's the thing about Kobe Bryant that nobody wants to talk about.  Name 1 All Star NBA point guard that Kobe Bryant has ever played with during his 17 year career?  Patiently waiting!  Still waiting!  Come on seriously I am still waiting!  Simple answer is there never was one.  You could argue Nick VanExel in his limited time playing with Kobe, but he was just a hired gunner.  Hey what about Ron Harper in their first run to the title in 2000?  Ron Harper was well past his prime and was more of a Phil Jackson lead guard who simply ran the Triangle.  So with that being said, Kobe Bryant if anything is a student of the game.  Kobe Bryant works harder on his game, conditioning, health, and mental strength than anyone in the game today.  And most importantly Kobe has 5 rings with a real chance to get to 7 when his contract runs out.

 ESPN rank Kobe at #6 in their player rankings this summer.  He jumped 1 spot from the summer before.  Kobe is still 1 of the best players in the game.  Kobe with Nash means he can now run in the post, catch and attack on the wing, or even still he can wait on the wing while Nash is pick and rolling with Pau who happens to be the best passing big man in the game.  Kobe's options just got ridiculously infinite and he knows this.  Then you throw in the fact that D12 is the best pick and roll big man in the game and can cover up the Lakers suspect defense by himself, and you have to think Mike Brown will come up with something that creates sheer havoc on every team in the league.  Did I mention Steve fricken Nash is still a %50 FG, %90 FT, and %40 3pt shooter?  Nash looks up and instantly has the most talent he has ever played with.  And oh by the way when the game gets tight and fans dread the expected Kobe on 2 or 3 defenders for the last shot, do you really think he won't throw it out to Steve fricken Nash who will be wide open.  Better yet, teams won't leave Nash open and will be reluctant to double off of D12 or Pau, and instantly Kobe has a one on one opportunity without having to be 2 or 3 guys.  Call me crazy but I don't see how teams are going to leave Nash, or D12 or Pau for that matter.  Defensively is where the Lakers will have the most needed improvement if they are to get to the finals.  With that being said I am willing to bet after the past 2 years that MWP will be coming into the season with a severe chip on his shoulders that will bring him back to Indiana Ron with the Defensive Player of the Year type intensity.  And oh yeah the bench which was terrible last year now has a 20ppg scorer in Jamison, a young shooter in Meeks, a rugged physical young guy in Jordan Hill, a developing athletic Ebanks, and solid if not spectacular Steve Blake.  All the bench has to do is score which they could not last year and now they have guys that can do that.  I really like Meeks coming in at the 2 which allows Kobe to stay in the 33 to 34 minutes per game range.  Meeks is a solid defender and stretches the floor well.  Jamison will see time with the starters and Mike Brown will utilize him in a similar way that Phil Jackson used Lamar Odom.

So what is the ceiling?  I believe the Lakers will get past OKC in the Conference Finals and will compete for the championship.  I believe the Miami Heat will be there waiting and like the series going 7 games with the winner decided by whomever has home court advantage.  Yes I know that is cheesy and I took the easy way out, but honestly Miami as much as it pains me to say this, is that good.  Lebron showed me something this past year and it was something that I had not seen from him thus far in his career.  He had a look about him that didn't come until midway through the series with the Pacers.  Indiana was physically beating down the Heat, Wade was not himself, Bosh was obviously out, and something turned on in Lebron' head.  As the great Bill Simmons would say, Lebron went into F... you mode.  He literally said there is not one guy that can stop me from doing what I am going to do, and I am going to destroy you.  After that point nobody knew what to do with him.  The Celtics valiantly tried to contain him as Garnett and Rondo were super human, but Lebron would not be undone.  By the time he rolled into the Finals against the NBA darlings from OKC, Kevin Durant had no chance.  And herein lies the biggest question of them all.  Why can't Lebron do what he did all the time?  As a Laker fan I hope he doesn't figure it out, but this year will be telling and I believe will mark what his career will be defined by. 

So there you have my simple and brief 2012/2013 finals prediction along with a little Laker analysis.  If you are reading this now shaking your head thinking this guy and his Lakers can he be serious?  My answer is simple, yes and hell yes!  More importantly being a Laker fan and a basketball junkie is what keeps me balanced.  As I have written in some earlier posts, it has been a tough year for me personally.  I continue to be amazed at how faith in God, and faith in what will be motivates me.  Basketball has always been my outlet to process and understand how life works.  This past week I lost someone that was a part of my entire life.  My grandfather Shorty passed away on September 28th, 2012 at the age of 95.  Shorty was literally an American hero and typified the life of a man who lived almost a 100 years.  He fought in WW2 as a tail gunner in a B-26 Marauder.  He put in 20 plus years for the Air Force, and retired from civil service and then again from Boeing.  He spent 64 years married to his beloved Hank until she passed away in 2008.  He helped raise 4 daughters who themselves had 8 children who have since had 10 children of their own.  I have grown up always being the one kid who had living grandparents.  And now I am the same kid whose grandparents are gone.  I spent the past week helping the family where I could, I spent the final day of Shorty's life by his bedside along with my mother and my aunt.  We prayed over him, we told stories, we shared very personal moments.  I found myself obligated to help my mother and aunt deal with the process by being strong and taking on the responsibility of finally pulling the plug when the time came.  I watched as life slowly left Shorty without pain, without movement, without fear.  Within 7 minutes Shorty was gone.  As I stood there hand in hand with my mother and aunt, I said a little prayer to myself.  I have never been that guy to pray, and more specifically don't think I ever knew how.  It didn't matter that day because all I had to say was what I was feeling.  I asked God to accept Shorty into Heaven knowing his flaws and the mistakes he made over his lifetime.  I asked for forgiveness for any pain Shorty may have inflicted.  I asked that Shorty be able to take his seat next to Hank and let him watch over Mary and Donna that day.  I then asked for the strength to continue on and be that support system for the family.  At the end I said Thank YOU!  I know right!  One of the more seriously confused times in my life and I say Thank You to God!  Like I said I never did really know how to pray!  And here is where it gets interesting.  I spent the rest of the day with my wife, mother and aunt.  We ate breakfast at 1pm at a local Pancake House.  We talked about all kinds of things, from kids to school, to when we can plan the funeral.  In that time while I was eating my corned beef and french toast, I could feel something inside me.  Something telling me that This to shall pass!  That phrase was something my grandmother use to tell me when I would have life struggles.  She was basically telling me we will all be okay, and it was now her turn to take care of Shorty. 

All in all it has been one emotionally charged week.  I am still standing knowing that This to shall pass.  I am incredibly blessed with a loving and supportive wife that never lets me get too low.  I am even more blessed to have a beautiful daughter that reminds me every day how good life is.  Equally amazing my son that challenges me to be creative and loves so openly.  The hardest part was my son's relationship with Shorty.  See he was the only great grand child that actually wasn't intimidated by Shorty.  One of my favorite memories is continually watching Ryland walk right up to Shorty and give him a kiss right on the old man's lips without a concern in the world.  I could never write in words the amount of good times we had as a family with Shorty and Hank.  A part of me is gone now and I have accepted the course of life.  Shorty lived through history that our kids are learning about in school and that is one of the coolest things I will take with me. 

God bless you Shorty!  You helped to create a pretty darn awesome family and that sir is priceless! 

As always hit me with a comment or thought.  I know I tend to be inconsistent with my posts, but I always love to hear what you think about them anyway.

Merrill Shorty Noakes
April 25, 1917 to September 28, 2012

Summer from Home

Wow what a crazy summer thus far!  It's been a while since my last blog due to a summer well spent with water fights, trips to the zoo, and of course lots of basketball!  The crazy thing about the past 3 months is that it is the first summer since I was in 9th grade that I have not worked!  Being unemployed is quite the humbling experience.  It is ultimately the most trying time in my life and yet my family with all of their love and support continues to make me treasure every moment.  Much like basketball, it seems when you are surrounded by a team that cares for each other and is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, you somehow find a stronger will inside to move forward.

Let me take you back in time to get an appropriate starting point for this weeks blog!  September of 2005 I took a leap of faith and accepted a position in Silverdale, Washington.  I was tasked with overseeing a full service mid size hotel in the wake of severe mismanagement and with limited resources.  As only I can do, I took on the challenge with a focus that somehow tends to leave out the rest of the people in my life!  I would spend the next 6 plus years devoting my every moment to the hotel and growing and prospering despite the wonderfully depressing economy!  In January of 2012 I found myself on the outside looking in as I was dismissed from my position as the company was going in another direction.  The hotel would soon after sell to an outside buyer who has since removed all buy a handful of employees from my tenure. 

The initial shock of losing my job was hard enough, but upon my return home that cold, snowy morning, I thought allot about who I was as a person, and what I had done thus far in my adult life!  I thought about how much I had always loved working in the hotel industry specifically because of the opportunity to serve others and work great communities.  As I entered the front door and was greeted by my surprised wife and kids, I had this terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach!  That feeling that no matter what won't go away for a while.  My wife gave me a puzzled look and asked if everything was okay.  At that point I figured there wasn't any other way to explain so I just sheepishly informed her I had been let go.  She quickly came to my side with a hug and was softly supporting my emotions while my 7 year old daughter at the time Ella looked on.  The next words came from Ella and completely changed my mood for the day.  She so innocently says, "Daddy you got fired"?  As my wife and I both looked at each other I smiled and knew right then and there what I had been missing for the past 6 plus years.

My family has always been the one thing that has given me so much happiness and for the past 6 plus years I had put them behind my work goals, and efforts.  This was the wake up call I needed to understand what exactly I was supposed to be doing.  I've always found the game of basketball to help me process my emotions and thoughts!  It is very spiritual for me to step on a court and think the game as I am playing it.  For the past 7 months of my unemployment while worrying about how to pay my bills and how to keep my house, I have been able to find a great deal more clarity in my life.  It has started with being able to spend so much more time with my kids and wife than I ever had.  Whether it was going to the zoo, the mall, to beaches, or to my daughters basketball games, we seem to do everything together and it has been absolutely incredible.  The reality is for some reason whatever I end up doing for work it will take a back seat to what has really enhanced and changed the man I am today. 

And of course this always winds back to basketball somehow.  During this time of playing Mr. Mom at home, I have continued to build a better relationship with God and have a better understanding of what things in life are out there for me.  I have come to get closer with a good friend that I hadn't seen for more than 10 years, and now I am side by side with him and his wife in a new venture that involves a professional basketball team.  When Ashley asked me to coach this pro team I was not only honored but extremely excited to have an opportunity to do something that I have always dreamed of.  The Kitsap Admirals is the team that I am incredibly honored to be coaching and working with Ashley to build in our community.  The best part about the whole situation is that Ashley brought this venture to fruition by the word of God in him.  Everything Ashley does is about spreading his mission of God's love for all of us!  Not to long ago something like this would have scared me away and I would have gotten out quickly.  But with the before mentioned clarity I have gained, it is something that I am running at head on. 

Work will come hopefully and if not I will continue to keep the faith.  What this summer has brought me is that Home is truly where the heart is!  In 7 months I have experienced so much goodness from my wife and 2 children that I almost feel spoiled.  I have seen my son go from saying only a few mumbled words, to talking in sentence after sentence.  I have seen my daughter continue to grow into an amazingly beautiful little girl who has so much spirit it is almost hard to contain her.  I have seen my wife in such a different light that it humbles me to no end that she is still standing by me!  Most of all I have seen inside myself all of the fears of failure and angst.  I have seen all of the worries of what may come and what could come.  I have seen all the areas in me that for a long time I never saw and never cared to look.  Whatever comes in the future I will no longer hold my head low and try to avoid.  I have been given a great lease on life that for the first time I am truly ready to embrace!

Thank you Pam for coming on this journey with me!  Thank you for being my wife of 10 years.  Thank you for being my partner, my best friend, my soul mate!  Most of all thank you for not giving up on me when I was at my worst! 

Well this one was a little light on basketball, but it has been a crazy 2012 thus far.  Don't worry though, as I have my summer recap of NBA happenings and of course the 2012 Dream Team in action in UK coming very soon!

As always I appreciate the feedback and thank you for those of you that have continued to read my ramblings.  Whether I have 5 readers or 5 million, the fact that anyone would take the time to read what I put out there is truly appreciated.

Lakers 2012 Champions!

Summer and Basketball

Okay so I went with my heart and took the Lakers to the Finals which didn't exactly turn out the way I had hoped.  On the flip side 3 of the 4 remaining teams in the NBA playoffs I did pick correctly.  So lets digest what has happened thus far in the Western Conference Finals as well as the Eastern Conference Finals.

San Antonio Spurs Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Upon further review the Sonics, I'm sorry the Thunder, are pretty darn good!  This series had all of the makings of a 7 game tilt from the start and I am not going to think otherwise despite a gritty game 5 victory for Durant and his crew!  As stated in this blogosphere many times, Greg Poppovich is the best coach in the NBA and I don't believe he should be underestimated going in to tonight's big game 6 on the road in OKC.  The most important aspect thus far of this series has been each teams ability to control and dominate the rebounding inside.  Ibaka and Perkins have been absolutely incredible from games 3 through 5.  Ibaka is young and growing as a player with fantastic potential still yet to develop, while Perkins is a rugged, in your face personality that has found some nice offensive touch the past few games.  I don't believe Perkins can continue his offensive support, and Ibaka is bound to start missing some of the 12 to 15 foot jumpers he has been draining automatically these past 3 games.  With that being said Pop will find a way to get the Spurs bigs not named Duncan more involved in the game and not necessarily with offensive touches.  The Spurs thrived in the first 2 games on succinct ball movement, and screen rolls from the top of the key with Parker and Duncan.  Games 3 through 5 they seemed completely disjointed as the Thunder switched Sefalosha onto Parker which has been the game changer thus far.  I think coming into Game 6 the Spurs feel a sense of urgency, but there big 3 are 4 time champions for a reason and I expect solid execution and a much more deliberate attempt to speed up the pace.  So far it is a testament to the young Thunder and their ability to move on from game to game without any remorse from poor play.  James Harden is becoming a superstar before our eyes, and almost has to have the ball at the end of games in his hands for the Thunder to be successful.  On the other side don't count out Manu and his veteran savvy as well as his ability to take over offensively for the Spurs.  Final thought:  Spurs win Game 6 in a tight fashion and then close out at home with a double digit win!


Boston Celtics Vs. Miami Heat

Well this series is actually going exactly as I thought it would go.  I promised myself I would not take this opportunity to kick the Heat while they are down based on last night's utter home collapse that pushed them to the brink of elimination.  That being said, what we are seeing before our eyes will carry some historic ramifications to the way in which organizations build teams in the future of the NBA.  It should be common knowledge that in the NBA there are 5 great coaches roaming the sidelines.  In no particular order there is Poppovich (Spurs), Rivers (Celtics), Carlisle (Mavericks), Karl (Nuggets), and Adelman (Timberwolves).  After those 5 there are about 20 good coaches, and 5 average to poor coaches.  See here is the crux of the super teams such as the Heat.  When you build teams as the Heat have done with the Super 3, you have to have a coach that commands respect without saying a word.  You have to have a coach that gets buy in without having to ask for it.  You have to have a coach that is willing to look your best player in the eye in front of the team and say I need more than what you are giving me!  I mean no disrespect to Erik Spoelstra, he is one of the 20 good coaches the NBA has.  He may be even a notch above many of those good coaches.  The real problem is he has not been through playoff battles and won in the trenches as the Heat offered him his first coaching gig.  He is young, a tireless worker, and has a great understanding of the mental makeup of his team.  And because he understands so well, it is extremely difficult to watch him in his post game interviews trying to deflect any blame onto his big 3!  Now some of the Heat's issues in games 3 through 5 were of coaching decisions, but by and large the Super 3 have not collectively utilized their abilities and physical gifts to their advantage.  And maybe I am in the minority here, but as I have said in my blogs many times, I don't think Lebron James has the mental makeup to completely dominate and take over when the stakes are at their highest peak.  Game 5 in South Beach should have seen the Heat roll over to the Celtics with Lebron and Wade pushing the pace and attacking defensively all night.  Instead after the Heat pushed the lead to 13 in the first half, Doc Rivers called a timeout and implored his guys to stay with it and get multiple stops on defense to allow their offense to get rolling.  He told his team they were playing exactly the way they needed to play on both ends of the court, but the shots were just not falling.  That was the understatement of the first half.  Boston shot just barely 30% from the field in the first half.  And sure enough after the Doc timeout the Celtics came roaring back with some gritty defense and just enough offense to get them within 2 points by the half.  The Celtics were never nervous, scared, or weary of the moment, they just continued to plug away.

This is where it gets interesting.  4th quarter time and Lebron starts off by hitting a big 3 at the top of the key to put the Heat up by 2 points with just under 9 minutes to go in the game.  He would shoot only 2 more times the rest of the game with 1 of those shots being blocked by Garnett and the other a layup with 9 seconds remaining.  Wade put in 14 points in the 4th quarter and did his best to try and keep the Heat in the game.  The rest of the Heat players did nothing save a 3 pointer by Chalmers that gave them a brief 1 point lead.  On the other side you had multiple guys hit big shots and make big plays for the Celtics.  Off of an incredible athletic block by Wade on Bass, Rajon Rondo made in my opinion the play of the year with a controlled rebound and simultaneous pass to a wide open Pietrus in the corner for a huge momentum swinging shot.  Then it was KG with a corner 18 footer off of a nice pass by Pierce.  Rondo got to the basket and missed, but with no Heat player grabbing the rebound the shortest guy on the court grabbed his own miss and put it back in.  Then the Pierce dagger 3 right in front of James with 52 seconds left and deflating the entire arena including James himself.  Here's the thing, I am by no means an NBA level defender, but I know basketball and I know NBA players.  At that specific moment as great as Pierce is and as many big shots he has made, you have to know he is shooting a long 3.  I mean that is the DNA of Pierce which is to completely rip your heart out and leave you with no chance of coming back.  Pierce knew one on one at that point he could not get by James, which left him with only rocking back and forth until the clock wound down and launching what he knew would be a tightly contested 3.  So why didn't James know that?  Why did James take a step back basically inviting Pierce to shoot the 3?  This is the mental make up I am speaking of when it comes to James.  At that point in the game you cannot give a great player that kind of shot. 

After the great shot we had KG, and Ray Allen both hitting clutch free throws to cap off an inspiring Celtic win and a disappointing Heat loss that left Lebron wondering exactly what happened when he decided to take his talents to South Beach?

So what now?  Well the Heat cannot come back from the Game 5 loss, and the Celtics close them out in Game 6 in convincing fashion.  Summer comes and Pat Riley will blow up the Heat from coaching staff to players!

I hate to say this as a die hard Laker fan, but I have enjoyed watching the Celtics play true team basketball in the Eastern Conference Finals.  I have enjoyed watching past their prime superstars who have collectively done whatever Coach has asked of them to win at all costs.  I have learned alot about Doc Rivers as a person and as a Coach in how he has handled all of this journey with great humility and a strong sense of pride in the team he leads.  After all shouldn't this be how we all live our working lives?  Wouldn't you love to work for a person like a Doc Rivers in your job!  Someone to is compassionate, yet demanding.  Someone who will tell you he loves you, but at the same time tell you your not doing good enough.  Someone who implores you to believe in the team around you as he believes in you.  Someone who at the end of the day makes no excuses and continues to trust in his team and in his own abilities.

My daughter has been watching these playoffs with me this year with much more interest than in years past.  She has been asking me all kinds of questions during the games which have brought secret smiles to my face.  The other night during the Celtics/Heat game 4, she asked me something very interesting.  She said:"  Dad how come that guy looks sad".  That guy was Lebron James and it was the 4th quarter of the game in which the Heat ultimately lost in overtime.  My daughter is 8 now and the that is the telling part of her question.  At 8 she can see Lebron just doesn't look comfortable in the spotlight.  For all his talent and ability he struggles to grind it out when it matters most.  Hopefully he figures it out as he is still relatively young and eventually can jump that hurdle, but unfortunately I don't see it happening with his current team and its roster. 

So I guess that means I will have picked the Celtics correctly while missing the Lakers it will be the Spurs.  And if not I still have lots of fun writing about who I think will get there and ultimately win the abbreviated Lock out shortened season!  Again I live to hear your comments and hope you enjoyed reading about my ramblings.  Shoot me a comment on whether you agree, disagree or completely thing I am crazy!  Final thought of the day is what is with all of these players wearing glasses without lenses?  Is it a cool look, or just downright ridiculous?  Let me know!

Don't trade Pau please Mr. Buss!

Final Western Conference Predictions

Wow is it me or are the injuries in the First Round of the NBA playoffs almost as intriguing as the actual teams playing?  Here are some random thoughts on these terrible season and possibly career altering injuries:  Baron Davis literally made me squirm and feel sick to my stomach with his gruesome and utterly disturbing injury for the Knicks.  I haven't seen anything like that in the NBA since Shaun Livingston tore up his knee a few years back for the Clippers.  The worst part is Livingston was young at the time and has made it back to be a respectable rotation player who continues to be solid and improving with his game.  With Baron the future is not so bright as his age (33 years old) and poor health over the past few years make it a long road ahead for the veteran to even get back on the floor.  In completely shredding his knee to the tune of a partially torn patella, complete tear of his MCL, and ACL, it will be a minimum of 12 months of rehab just to get back.  That means missing the entire 2012/2013 season in which he wont even have a team to call home as he is a free agent for the Knicks this season.  As a fellow Aries whom I share the same birth day as, Baron has always been an enigma of sorts.  Huge athletic ability coming out of UCLA, with the rare combo guard ability that wasn't as prevalent earlier in the decade as it is today with guys like Derrick Rose, Russel Westbrook, Deron Williams and others.  Davis career has been constant peeks and valley's, but when motivated he has been absolutely dominant at the point guard position.  I won't discount his ability to work tirelessly to get back, but if anything has taught us the immense wear and tear of this lockout shortened season, its that veterans who came in out of shape learned how hard it is to get to the place they needed to be and be able to stay there without getting hurt!  My thoughts and prayers go out to Baron and his family for a speedy recovery and return to the NBA!

Alright on to the Western Conference predictions!  So the Spurs took note of my earlier post and decided to not only dominate Utah as I had written, but not drop a game!  The Spurs are scary efficient right now and even more disturbing or every other Western Conference Team, they are doing it with 10 guys deep.  Duncan, Parker and Ginobli barely worked up a sweat in the 1st round and are seemingly the most healthy they have been at this time of the year since there last title in 2007.  What's even more impressive is that Poppovich has gotten Boris Diaw to look like an actual NBA player in a relatively short period of time!  The Spurs are awaiting the winner of the Grizzlies/Clippers series which is heading back to L.A. for game 6 on Friday.  I picked the Grizzlies and am sticking with them despite the fact that Chris Paul is an absolute monster and has beaten twice by himself.  With Paul and Griffin getting injured in Game 5, as well as Caron Butler playing with a broken hand, the Grizzlies are going to be very lucky to get out of the first round.  With that said the physical nature of the first round series against the Clippers, will ultimately take its toll on the Grizzlies as the Spurs are playing to good right now to lose 2 years in a row to the ultimate sleeper team!  Spurs win in 6 games over the Grizzlies, forcing them to make a decision on finally trading OJ Mayo in the off season and looking for some perimeter shooting and a more dependable back up point guard.

The other second round series is going to be simply the most watched in the playoffs!  Although the Lakers are still playing the Nuggets I had them winning in 6 games, and I still believe that will hold with them going into Denver and dismissing any notion that the young Nuggets had a chance to get past them.  By the way as a Laker fan who absolutely is dismayed by Andrew Bynum's mouth and inconsistent play, along with Pau Gasol continually not figuring out how to dominate significantly smaller defenders, how incredible was that 4th quarter of game 5 with Kobe showing that he is still capable of destroying anybody.  32 shots causes fans to come up in arms and argue Gasol and Bynum should have had more touches.  32 shots causes analysts and experts to point out the low offensive efficiency numbers of the team.  32 shots causes fans to question Kobe's selfishness and ability to play the game the "right way".  32 shots means everyone is watching and not fully engaged!  The problem is Bynum was a non factor from the start and continually got embarrassed by Javale McGee not to mention seemingly quitting on numerous plays.  Pau Gasol though played with urgency was a step slow, and had not killer instinct to take it to the basket while he was continually guarded by smaller guys who had no business containing him.  Ramon Sessions is playing in his first playoff series!  Matt Barnes is not healthy and has lost touch with his jumper!  Steve Blake hit a few threes but continually got abused by Andre Miller which negated his 4th quarter threes!  Jordan Hill rebounded, blocked a shot, and played tough defense but was a non factor on the offensive glass.  So add all that up and the easy conclusion is Kobe should have shot 40 times and maybe the Lakers close it out!  As a fan when Kobe is in a zone as he was in the last 4 minutes of the 4th quarter, you come to believe in him and that no matter the score he is somehow going to will his team to the victory!  I don't know of a single player in the playoffs that can do what Kobe does on a consistent basis.  Lebron James has the ability, talent, and athleticism, but he just can't do it night in and night out in these types of games for whatever reason.  No matter the criticism thrown Kobe's way there is not a single coach in the NBA that does not fear him for these exact situations!  The man hits shots that no other player will even attempt, which again creates negative conversation about the selfishness of Kobe.  He will never be MJ, but no matter what anyone feels about him, he is to be forever linked as the closest comparison and may eventually end up with more titles.  If anything the 4th quarter of Game 5 showed me it was that Kobe is on a mission to get his 6th ring and that was a prelude to the rest of the playoffs.

Thunder and Lakers in the 2nd round OMG!  Okay so my guess is knowing that the Lakers tend to play down towards lesser teams, they also inherently play way up to the elite teams or the ones that everyone else thinks they will lose to!  OKC features 2 primetime players and 1 young superstar along with a great supporting cast.  They have only 1 strong weakness which is turning the ball over which prevents there aggressiveness to get out and run.  Other than that they posses all of the tools needed to win in the NBA.  Durant is there closer and star, with Westbrook as the ever evolving star on the rise, and then you have the glue for the team in James Harden.  In this series with the Lakers I believe Harden is the key for OKC if they want to move to the next level.  Will he be effected by Metta World Peaces return to the Lakers for Game 1 of the series?  If he checks Kobe for the majority of the games will he tire out on the offensive end where he is needed the most?  On the other side, can Bynum and Gasol dominate together at the same time against a formidable front line featuring toughness (Perkins) and shot blocking (Ibaka)?  When it is all said and done I believe the series will come down to 2 areas.  Rebounding is the most important part of this series with the winner of this category sure to move on to the next round.  The second most important part of the series will be how the stars play.  Simply put, as Kobe goes so do the Lakers.  And as Durant goes so do the Thunder.  With Mike Brown's defensive schemes against the Thunder being solid, and the return of World Peace, I am taking the Lakers in 7 games closing out the OKC guys on their home floor.  Yes I understand everyone has the Thunder going to the Finals, and yes they are younger, more athletic and more pleasing to watch.  The problem is they are just not there yet, and I believe the veteran Lakers have their number in the playoffs.  Oh yeah and as I said earlier, I don't see Kobe being denied a 6th ring this year!

That leaves us with a thrilling Western Conference Finals match up pitting the old against the old!  Popovich against one of his former assistants and close friends in Brown.  Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker against Kobe, Gasol and Bynum.  Captain Jack against Ron Ron.  Seriously can we ask for anything more?  I believe this will be the series where we see the true competitiveness of Kobe Bean Bryant and it will be his stage to show the world he is still the greatest player currently in the NBA.  The ultimate key to the series will be point guard play.  As it is always, the Lakers struggle against quick, scoring point guards.  And of course the Spurs employ one of the best in the league in Tony Parker.  Though Ramon Sessions is an upgrade over Derek Fisher with speed and athleticism, the Lakers will miss Fishers toughness, big shot making, and veteran savvy for this series.  This series will go 7 games and come down to the final possession in the game on the the Spurs home floor.  Lakers will come through with a trip to the finals on the line, and Kobe will demonstrate why his shot making is so crucial at the most important time of the game!

So there you have it!  Combined with my Eastern Conference predictions I am setting you up for another installment of Lakers and Celtics in the finals.  Will it happen?  I hope so.  Can it happen?  I believe so.  Who will win?  You will have to wait and see in my next Finals installment coming to you at the conclusion of the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Finals.  As always whether you loved it, hated it, or just couldn't wait to read it, let me know your thoughts or even send questions my way. 

As a side note my daughter's team played a fantastic game last night with her leading the way with 12 points (6 baskets).  This now makes 3 games in a row in which she has scored at least 10 points.  The amazing thing is that for the 1st/2nd grade games there usually isn't a lot of scoring.  Our team has averaged 26 points over that stretch.  I would love to say it must be my coaching, but a funny thing happens to all of us when competing in any sport.  When you have kids between 6 and 8 years old, and specifically girls, they truly want to play better and actually listen to instruction.  I don't know of a more defining bond for a father and daughter than being able to do something that they both love together.  She could decide tomorrow she never wants to play basketball again and I would be fine because of the past year in a half I did get to share with her the game I love.  Late in the game last night my daughter was bringing the ball up and noticed the other teams defense was completely shifted to the other side and on her own figured out to drive to the left all the way to the basket and lay up a beautiful shot off the backboard.  On her way back down she looks at me and says "That was easy"!  Enough said!

I would love to hear about your story with your kids in sports so send it to me as writing about those moments brings back the joy to a level that makes you the proudest parents on the block!

 

Western Conference 1st round Playoff Predictions Part 2

Well it didn't exactly come the next day but those pesky Western Conference teams couldn't figure out their seeding until the last night of the regular season.  By the way speaking of the NBA's abbreviated season and the final night of regular unimportant games, what a completely passionless night of basketball it was.  I mean you had the Michael Jordan led Bobcats finish the season with an uninspiring 20 point loss to the Knicks C team.  You had the Bulls without D-Rose demolish the horrible shooting Cavs.  You had the Wizards (yes that team) hammer the Heat's D-league affiliate by 34 points.  And lets not forget the New Jersey Nets getting ushered out of town by Governor Chistie without so much as a good luck pat, and preceding to get destroyed by the Raptors with nothing but 10 day contract guys to the tune of 31 points.  So if you are a paying customer on the final night of the NBA regular season do you get some type of say in what goes on during the game?  I mean how great would it be for fans to get the chance to draw up and out of bounds play, or create a lineup purely made up of the bottom 5 guys on the team roster.  Heck why not have a lucky fan win an opportunity to suit up during the game.  This is what we have come to as with teams having nothing to play for, and better yet the bad teams approaching the concepts of the dreaded thought of "Tanking", why not put some life into it.  Put it this way, there were 13 games on the schedule last night consisting of 26 teams.  This means 13 arena's for moderately full to the tune of 65% of seats sold.  Let's take a very big leap and say each arena brought in roughly $100k in gate receipts for these games.  As a fan would you like the fact that you were able to carve out a couple floor seats to watch the Mavericks and Hawks play for a mere $250 bucks only to get treated to a dismal, boring game in which one team destroyed the other team all the while getting an up close chance to watch the likes of Brandon Wright, Dominique Jones, Eric Dampier and yes the Tar Heel who just wont seem to retire, Jerry Stackhouse?  I mean something has to be done about the final 2 weeks of the NBA season to justify all this money fans are spending right?  I digress, and moving on here we go with my Western Conference Playoff Predictions!

We will go in order here for the sake of counting from 1 to 8!  Those pesky San Antonio Spurs continue to amaze, surprise, and confound me.  Here is the not so little secret in NBA circles and around the most supportive fans;  Greg Poppovich is the best coach currently in Basketball and it isn't even close!  As you know I am a Laker guy and by that nature supposed to hate the spurs, which as a fan I completely do!  But as a pure basketball fan and historian, there is nothing to shake my belief in Pop as the man amongst boys.  First of all the guy is a total average Joe by his persona, relationship with media, and his mannerisms.  I can't think of a better guy I would want speaking to a group of reporters when one goofy, young, journalist to be asks a completely ridiculous question.  I envision something like this;  "Coach it seemed Duncan seem to be step slow out there tonight are you worried about his health or is there something else going on with him"?  Popovich;  "I am sorry who said that?  Let's see how old is Timmy these days?  Yeah if it's not is age, or his health I'm wondering if maybe Tony hurt his feelings at the shoot around?  Then again he is old, and we won by 30, but maybe I need to find out as the Coach what really is going on"!

Okay I know get on with it!  So the Spurs won 50 or more games for a record breaking 13 consecutive seasons.  Sprinkle in a few championships here and there and with the same core group of guys and you see why Pop is amazing!  At any rate they are the #1 seed and get the chance to redeem themselves from an ugly first round exit last year to the dark horse Memphis Grizzlies.  The Spurs get the Utah Jazz in the first round who made an impressive run just to get into the playoffs with Al Jefferson putting the team on his back over the final 4 weeks of the season.  Unfortunately for big Al I don't see much with the Jazz to be convinced they can do anything more than win 1 game at home.  I got Spurs in 5 with none of the games being close and Pop doing a masterful job of keeping his big 3 under 30 minutes a game for the 1st round.

Now we get to the very interesting part of the playoff bracket!  The #2 seed Oklahoma Sonics, sorry Thunder my bad, playing against the defending Champion Mavericks as the #7 seed.  Call me crazy, which most people do, but I see this as a 7 game 1st round series without question.  I know the Mavericks have struggled all year to be consistent, I know Mark Cuban was a fool to let go of Tyson Chandler (see NY Knicks success) and Barea, I know Lamar Odom completely imploded the locker room, and I know Dirk seemed a step slower this year with age starting to creep up.  With all that said, I believe whole heartily in the idea that Championship teams that are seemingly down for a long period of time somehow know how to get back up at just the right time.  There isn't an expert out there or anyone on ESPN who thinks the Thunder aren't going to steamroll the Mavs.  I think the Thunder win, but  I think they do so during Game 7 on their home court and by a slim margin.  The Mavs are to well coached, have a great match up nightmare in Dirk, and still play really good team defense.  If Harden is not completely healthy and ready to assume his normal role for the Thunder, the Mavs could even win the series.  Final thought on this series is this;  As silky smooth and efficient as Kevin Durant plays the game, I just haven't seen him rise to the occasion when everything is going against him, or when a really physical defender is taking away his path to the lane.  When teams force him to shoot jumpers all game, the Thunder become stagnant and start losing their ball movement.  Harden is the key for them moving deep into the playoffs!

My beloved Lakers check in at the #3 seed and will be squaring off against a tough and very loose Denver Nuggets squad sans any superstar in their lineup.  Okay so this is where the majority of the Lakers detractors will point to a great match up in which the Nuggets somehow know how to hold Kobe Bryant in check by listing the statistics from the past few seasons against the Nuggets in the regular season.  Yes I know Kobe shot 6 for 28 in the Nuggets lone win against them this year and the other 2 games were decided by less than 10 points.  I also know that the Nuggets like to play at a frenetic pace and keep the tempo of the game consistently fast.  That being said I don't see this series being all that close, but with the Lakers coming in without their best perimeter defender (Metta World Elbow) and Matt Barnes ailing with ankle issues, this looks like a series that goes to the Lakers in six.  The Nuggets have a terrific blend of solid NBA players with a couple of potential All Star caliber players in Lawson and Gallinari.  Of course everyone knows the problem with the make up of this team is exposed in the playoffs.  In crunch time who do the Nuggets go to for confidence in an ability to get a bucket.  For stretches during the season Ty Lawson has been the guy to make the decisions, but at the same time he defers to Andre Miller who is also on the floor during crunch time.  By trading away Nene and his albatross of a contract, the Nuggets were financially wise and kept their flexibility.  The problem is they sacrificed their only true low post threat in Nene.  As great as Kenneth Faried has been this season with his energy and overall willingness to do anything on the floor, he is not a go to guy on the block with an assortment of posts moves.  He is a garbage man who picks up any lose balls, offensive rebounds and can put them back with thundering authority.  From there you go to Javale McGee, Mozgov, Birdman Anderson, Koufos and the perimeter only shooting stretch 4 Al Harrington.  Not one of these guys is putting any sort of fear into Gasol, or Bynum.  And that is where the series will be decided as Bynum and Gasol will dominate on both ends while also allowing for Kobe to get at least 2 or 3 games with 30 or more.  The paint will decide the series and Lakers will forcibly throw the ball into their 7 footers with constant authority.

And now what I think will be one of the most exciting series of the first round featuring the #4 seed Clippers against the #5 seed Grizzlies.  Now despite the Clippers being listed as the #4 seed, Memphis actually has home court advantage due to Del Negro inexplicably deciding to mail in their final game against the Knicks by sitting CP3.  When you are a young team who happens to walk into a franchise changing #1 pick in Blake Griffin, and then happen to steal away from your Staples co-tenant, a franchise point guard and top 10 player in Chris Paul, you don't sacrifice an opportunity to start your first playoffs together by having the home court.  I get that teams want to rest their stars for a long playoff run and I know CP3 has been a little banged up, but home court in the first round is the single most important thing you can get with young players.  Outside of CP3 and for the time being Coach Billups, only Kenyon Martin, Caron Butler, and Mo Williams have significant experience in the post season.  The Clippers for all of the excitement of the season with Lob City, and Blake posterizing one team after another, are still a flawed team with no sense of offense outside of Chris Paul's brilliance.  Caron Butler is pretty much not utilized at all, and is not the type of player to stand in corners and catch and shoot.  Kenyon Martin is obviously on his down slope, but the one thing I thought he would bring to the Clippers was toughness and a nasty edge that frankly hasn't been there as witnessed by teams constantly taking Blake Griffin down with hard fouls!  Mo Williams has been told basically to come off the bench and fire away which I am sure he doesn't mind, but also remember he was the starting point guard averaging nearly 40 minutes a game for a Cavaliers team with a certain MVP for 3 years playing deep into the playoffs.  And then of course you have Billups out with the Achilles injury in nice suits helping on sidelines and being the veteran voice to the team.  The Clippers just don't have any type of rhythm to their game and a team like the Grizzlies will exploit that to death.  Speaking of the Grizzlies, you can't tell me there isn't a single team in the Western Conference that wants to play them.  They are sneaky good, with a front line as good if not better than the vaunted 7 footers of the Lakers.  They are athletic with Gay, Mayo, Allen on the wings, and smart with Conley and yes Mr. Hibachi Gilbert Arenas at he point.  They get after you on the defensive side of the ball and force you into their shot blockers and to take jump shots.  The key for Grizzlies to improve on last years out of know where success, is the health of Zach Randolph.  Z-Bo was the best player in both the 1st and 2nd round of last years Western Conference Playoffs.  In order for the Grizzlies to move on he will once again have to be his teams best player, or at least 2nd best behind Rudy Gay who didn't even play in last years playoffs.  With that said  I got Grizzlies in 6 games possibly even 5.  The key X-factor for the Grizz will be OJ Mayo who has been playing out of his mind this past month and no one has even noticed.  There is a reason why Mayo has closed games for the Grizz instead of their best perimeter defender Tony Allen, and it is not because of Mayo's offensive game.  Mayo has become a very good defender in his own right and has forced Lionel Hollins to give him more time at the end of games.  This is my key player for this series and unfortunately for the Clippers their fantastic season goes out in the 1st round as the summer brings all kinds of attention for them and whether or not they lock up Chris Paul with a long term deal!

So here we go with the 2nd round!  We have the Spurs going up against the Grizzlies (Oh my goodness) and the Thunder elbowing it out with the Lakers!  Couldn't ask for a better 2nd round than this folks!  But you will have to wait another day for the 2nd round predictions as well as my conference final predictions.  I need to keep everyone enticed and cannot lay all of my thoughts out in one blog!  And besides this is already one long read, so with that I leave you with one thought for the day:

Why is it that in the National Hockey League fans praise and even cheer for violent physical attacks even more so in the playoffs?  I mean it is win or go home but in some cases fans don't care they just want to see fights!  I would love feedback on my random hockey thought so let me know what you think about these NHL playoffs and the excessive violence that is causing for calls of sweeping change in the league!  Follow my blog and leave me comments on my hockey thought, and any other comments on by blog whether you liked it, hated it, or were extremely tired of reading such as long post

Playoff Predictions Part 1 Eastern Conference

Alright hoop fans I am back for part 1 of my NBA playoff predictions in the Eastern Conference!  The Western Conference Playoff Predictions will be out tomorrow.  This week's blog will clearly give you at least one guys perspective of who is shining the brightest at the right time.  And with all due respect to the wonderful writing and statistical breakdowns of ESPN's very own John Hollinger, I am not basing my playoff predictions on any advanced metrics or PER numbers.  I will give you my very own take based on my observation of the teams and how they are playing currently.  And on we go!

We will start off in the Eastern Conference.  As of today here is a look at the current playoff seedings in order from 1st to 8th:  Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Knicks.  Interesting to note is that the 4 through the 6 seeds are all currently tied which means with between 8 and 10 games left those seeds could completely flip flop.  More interesting to note is that we are set up with the current seedings for at least 2 great first round series.  The Knicks and their now defunct Linsanity, will move up to the 7th seed for an extremely interesting first round date wit the love able and huggable fellows from Miami.  This actually bodes well for the 76ers who I believe have a better chance at being competitive with the Bulls in the first round then they do with the Heat.  Outside of the switch between the 7th and 8th seeds I see the rest of the teams staying where they are.  This means we get a great first round treat in the Pacers and Magic squaring off in which could be SVG's playoff swan song!  And finally we have the Hawks and Celtics paired up in the incredibly unentertaining first round snooze fest!

Alright so here is how I think the first round shapes up.  The Bulls riding a continued stretch of poor health and limited team chemistry, beat the 76ers in a grueling 6 game series with Derick Rose struggling mightily throughout the series and Lou Williams of the 76ers making a name for himself while becoming the best player in the series.  The Heat and Knicks will turn their first round series into the most entertaining first rounds in many years.  Lebron will dominate as the Knicks will have no answer for him, and Carmelo will show the unforgiving NY fans why they are somehow blessed and yet stuck with him for better or for worse! Heat win in 6 games all decided by 5 points or less!  Carmelo wins 2 games with sheer offensive domination, while Tyson Chandler shows everyone why the Heat cannot win in the Finals without a center!  The Pacers and Magic will be another great first round series if anything just to see if SVG or Dwight Howard get fired during an actual game!  Here is the thing about the Howard/SVG spat, it doesn't matter which side you sit on in terms of employee and employer relations.  Really what it boils down to his a coach in a professional sport is the boss of the players tasked with playing that sport.  Pick a sport and I can point out at least 1 coach who is completely over is head and has no business keeping his job and the players know it.  The funny thing is that SVG is not that coach.  He is one of the better coaches in the NBA despite what Mr. Shaq will say about him!  I don't know another coach that could take the collection of players he has been given and still be in a position to play deep in the playoffs each year!  What is really sad is that players egos, specifically superstar or perceived superstar players, always eventually drive them to acts of insanity!  Forget one moment if you will for all of the talk of Howard signing or not signing a contract extension, and aside from all of the facts or myths coming out of the media, why wouldn't Howard at his level of stature be the leader of the team and do anything necessary to not only publicly support his coach, but also internally support him until the season is over?  Moving on Magic get by the Pacers in the only 7 game series of the playoffs riding Dwight Howard who dominates on both ends and shows you the potential he has when he puts his head down and plays!  Finally the snooze fest that will see the Celtics roll the Hawks in 5 games.  The dominating efficiency in the Celtics dismantling of the Hawks will be a sign of things to come down the road!  

This leaves with some very interesting 2nd round match ups in which I believe will not bear out like everyone else thinks.  We will have the Bulls squaring off against the Celtics while the Heat will play the Magic.  What strikes me as extremely important to look at is the play of the Bulls without their best player, as well as the play of the Heat without Dwayne Wade.  The Bulls are an incredible 17 and 7 without Rose while playing and beating top teams such as the Heat during this stretch.  The Heat are 9 and 0 without Wade during which time Lebronblogosphere here but I believe the Celtics will beat the Bulls culminating with a game 7 win on the Bull's home court!  My simple basis for this is that Derrick Rose is not healthy and has not been healthy for some time.  The addition of Rip Hamilton to the Bulls back court was a great move but his health has kept him out.  Add this up and there is not enough chemistry for the Bulls starting unit to get past the absolute team chemistry in Boston.  The Celtics are playing extremely well heading into the playoffs and they are masters at managing their bodies to be able to operate at full strength for the stretch run.  That and Doc Rivers is the 2nd best coach in the NBA right now and just a shade behind the best in Greg Poppovich.  There is your shocker of the Eastern Conference!

Now the Heat and Magic are where it gets very interesting as well.  I believe if his back issues are not as big a deal as feared, that Dwight Howard will have the kind of playoffs that propels him into the superstar stratosphere without any perceptions of negativity.  Howard will average 30 and 15 against the Heat and will his team to a 7th game on the road in Miami.  Ultimately Lebron James will show everyone what he is capable of when he assumes the role of the unquestioned best player in the world at the most optimal moment.  Oh and after the Magic lose in game 7 all the kudos will go to Dwight Howard for his amazing playoff run in which he will state he is bitter about losing and will not stand for anything less than a championship for the next season.  Shortly after that SVG will be fired in addition to Otis Smith and the Orlando Magic will sell their soul to Dwight Howard the unbridled king of the Magic Kingdom!

And to that we come to the Eastern Conference Finals in which the veteran Boston Celtics will take on the hated and loved all at the same time Miami Heat!  This will be the best series thus far and no one will be disappointed from the East Coast to the West Coast!  When it comes to the art of controlling a game thoroughly and concisely, Rajon Rondo is in a league of his own.  I think he is the difference maker in the series.  With Avery Bradley the newest Doc Rivers sleeper playing the rabid one on one defense against Wade, and Garnett cancelling out Bosh, it comes down to Rondo and Pierce against Lebron.  I think Lebron will redeem himself and have a wonderful series that will go 7 games.  But, and I cannot believe I am saying this as a Laker lifer, I think Boston shocks the NBA and defeats the Heat in Miami for game 7.  This is the moment where everyone stops reading this blog and says "this guy is nuts"!  Maybe so, but there is something about this abbreviated season and my nostalgia for the Celtics going out with one last hurrah!  Of course you will have to wait for my next blog to see the Western Conference predictions and my further nostalgic picks!  Whether you loved my blog or hated it, I am desperate for your comments! 

P.S.  I am feeling really good about basketball now as I have the pleasure of coaching my daughters 2nd grade team.  Here is the fun part!  My daughter has now played 3 seasons of basketball and she is constantly asking me what she needs to work on.  She handles the rock like me in my prime, and has this uncanny desire to guard the best player on the other team.  Her heart is as huge if not bigger than mine and it makes me smile just thinking about how lucky I am to have the opportunity to share with my daughter a love and passion that continues on in my life! 

Until part 2 I bid you all a farewell on my 36th birthday!  I am getting old!

And I'm Back

For those few of you who have taken the time to read my 1 and only blog I appreciate your support and patience as I am back for another.  What a crazy 9 months it has been since my last post.  It is now Spring and I find myself unemployed and desperately trying to get someone to interview me.  It's quite ironic how things can change so suddenly.  I have always paid attention from a safe distance to the challenges many people have faced over the past few years of our country's difficult recession.  Like most people I never thought for 1 minute that I could ever lose my job nor that it would be difficult to get a new job if faced with that scenario.  Well I was wrong on both accounts!  So with that being said I have turned my attention to once again talking about basketball, life and everything in between!  Let's recap the state of NBA basketball while I was out:  The Miami Heat destroy all teams on their way to a title!  Wait they didn't win the title you say!  Oh that's right the Dallas Mavericks showed everyone what a team looks like and what rising to the challenge on the biggest stage means!  Before continuing on let me just say that Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are 2 of the most dynamic, physically gifted athletes of our generation.  Lebron has the pathway to become the greatest individual player that the NBA has ever seen and may ever see for years to come.  Dwayne Wade has the killer instinct that Lebron lacks and therefore makes them the perfect combination.  Or does it?  I couldn't help noticing that during the 2011 Finals both of them seemed confused during crunch time when the games were up for grabs.  As if they didn't know how or where they could attack the Mavericks.  Yes Dallas and specifically Rick Carlisle were masterful with their team defense as well as their team execution.  But let's not kid ourselves the athletic abilitites and skill sure seemed to favor the Heat.  In the end Dallas won out with an incredible will to win!  Remember that phrase "will to win"!  Magic Johnson has spoken about a will to win on numerous occasions.  Michael Jordan embodied a will to win, heck even Phil Jackson just did a commercial about his Airness's will to win!  I'm just not sure that Lebron nor Dwayne will ever reach that will to win no matter the circumstances or how high the stakes are!  Moving on after the finals was a fantastic off season of, thinking.......  Oh yeah that's right millionaires, and multi millionaires and even billionaires fighting through a lockout over what amounts to 6% of the now famous BRI!  Aren't we all smarter fans now that we understand the complex world of BRI and how teams and players get to split all of the millions of dollars that we as fans give to them!  I would love to give you reasons why the 5 and 1/2 months of the lockout was actually good for the game and good for the long term solvency of the league, but I just don't got none!  Here is what I have taken from the lockout now that we are roughly 17 games away from the 2012 NBA Playoffs!  The same good teams are still good, the same bad teams are still bad, the same superstars are still demanding trades to big market cities, and the same small market teams are still dumping salaries through trades that make no sense for the on the floor product.  This is why I would never make it as a General Manager, because you have to be a salary cap expert and a contractual wizard.  How many of the 30 NBA teams do you think employ decision makers in the GM or President of Basketball Operations capacity that are actual basketball people?  Guys that can look at a product on the court and say to themselves we need better spacing, more dynamic post play, better shooters, better rebounding from our 4 man, or a more cohesive team game plan?  Thinking.......  Maybe a handful at best.  See the NBA is a business that is in the business of making a million dollars out of a dime!  I love the movie Hoosiers and believe it is one of greatest films of all time and has many hidden messages that all of us should pay deep attention to.  Gene Hackman's character is as complicated as any you will find on the big screen, and yet he is also one of the most simplest.  You see he believes his guys can do the unthinkable together with everyone playing a role in the success.  He believes in them so much that he invests in them personally for the greater good of the team.  At one point in the locker room before a big game he is giving his speech and pauses for great cinematic effect to proclaim to the quiet room "I love you guys"!  Enough said!  You want to know what NBA needs, passion, belief in one anther, loyalty and of course a little Norman Dale!  Whether you like it or hate it I would love any response!  Thanks for reading!