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reports have stated that ratings for the playoffs have gone up 30%...
ReplyDeletethis is the first finals since 1998 that won't feature kobe, shaq or duncan...
memphis and okc have showed that small market teams can hold their weight and their fans kick ass...
if mark cuban wins a title, the gates of hell will open up...
Yo Dave! Cubes has been eerily quiet so far. He never got into pissing match with Phil during the Lakers series, hes not poking Stern about officiating, he's just letting Dirk do the talking.
ReplyDeleteYour second and third points may be the reason for the first. New young blood is taking over the NBA and its creating a buzz outside of the sports junkies. My mom asks me about LeBron. My girlfriend loves the Thunder.
The NBA is so rich in talent and storylines that people have to notice. I hear less and less the old saying "psh you only need to watch the last 2 minutes of the game." That's fine. Watch the last 2 minutes and you'll miss Blake Griffin jumping over 7 footers for alley-oops or John Wall going coast to coast for a layup in 3 seconds flat or Derrick Rose contorting his body in the air in some ungodly position to get the and 1. The game is fun to watch from the opening tip.
All that being said, the ratings are probably up cuz LeBron's was an asshole last summer and everyone wants to see him lose.
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteSaw your thread on Reddit! Who do you think will advance to the finals, and who will ultimately win?
It's so tough. I mean after watching the Heat last night, they looked like a complete team with Udonis Haslem back in the fold. Steve Kerr said something interesting after the game. He said that when coming back after a long layoff from injury, it's not the first game a player should worry about because the adrenaline will carry them through the initial game. It's the second game. How will he respond to to the aches and pains from 25 minutes of playoff basketball? I think that's key for the Heat. Haslem gives them soemthing Bosh can't - legitimate NBA-respected toughness. Bosh can scream after a dunk all he wants, Like Pau, he won’t be able to shake that “soft” label. But Haslem is pure heart and toughness and the league knows this. I gotta go with the Heat as long as Haslem and Miller are healthy.
ReplyDeleteIn the West, I mean how can you not say the Mavs right? I love the Thunder. But i just think the Mavs are a team of destiny right now. They are just riding Dirk to the promised land. Now, the Mavs played a flawless game in game 1 and still barely held off the Thunder. So the Thunder can easily come back and win a few games. Like the Bulls in Game 2, the Mavs may fall back down to earth.
Still, right now, no one is hotter than Dirk, and until i see otherwise...I gotta go with the Mavs.
The finals - oh man 2006 rematch! Dirks Redemption! That's a finals with storylines right there. It's tough to pick, but assuming no injuries occur on either side, I'm picking the Mavs. Dirk sold me. He's stuck in attack mode.
Hope this satisfies. I'm sure I'll dig deeper into why I chose the Mavs as the playoffs progress. Keep reading!
Moose,
ReplyDeleteWith the Lakers making it public that they are interested in either Vangundy, Adelman, Shaw, or Dunleavy to fill the shoes of Phil who do you think fits best...
The next Lakers Coach not only has pressure to suceed and keep the sucess going, but has to deal with keeping Kobe happy, control Artest and Barnes and ultimately run an offense to best utilize all the offensive power and miss matches they have..
Should they go after the more defensive minded coach?
If you were the GM who would you pick and would you run it by 24?
These are good questions from Questionman PAIN.
ReplyDeleteIf you are looking for just straight continuity then i think Shaw is the answer. But they have given him permission to explore other coaching opportunities.
If Mike Dunleavy becomes head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after his massively horrendous stint with the Clippers, then there will be a mutiny in LA. This runs into my next point. Yes, you do consult Kobe on who should be the next coach. You dont have to necessarily listen to him, but you have to keep in contact with him. In that regard, I feel like Kobe would quickly veto Dumbleavy...see what i did there.
I dont see Jeff Van Gundy leaving the booth. I just think he likes his job too much. I'm watching him talk about the top ten fundamental plays of the playoffs with Mark Jackson...too funny. I can't see him leaving.
Rick Adelman is interesting. He's coached Artest in Houston when Artest would routinely carry the offensive load. He, like Van Gundy before him, just couldn't shake the softness out of McGrady or Ming in Houston. Obviously, they can't control injuries but the fact remains, they couldn’t win with quality talent. Adelman is an Andy Reid type. He can get you to the big game…but that’s it.
Here's the name KMan. You ready? Mike Budenholzer. That's the guy right there. You know who he is? Mike Budenholzer is Gregg Popovich's right hand man. His lead assistant. He played basketball at Pamona College in southern California. Most insiders have him pegged as the coach in waiting for the Spurs whenever Pop decided to call it quits and he has turned down jobs in the past. But LA is not a job you turn down and for this Cali guy, word is he wouldn't. The Warriors and Rockets were both rumored to be interested in him. Remember the name Mike Budenholzer.