2011 NBA Finals: The Big Three vs. the Big German

May 31, 2011 4 Comments

Out of all the possibilities for the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat will face the Dallas Mavericks in what looks to be one of the greatest Finals rematches of all time. Much has changed since these two teams last met. For starters, the Miami Heat turned from a slightly above average team to a multi-year dynasty in waiting. Nearly every sports writer and media outlet has taken the easy way out, criticizing Lebron and the Heat for pursuing help to win championships. In fact, I think the only positive Heat articles came from yours truly…Stick’s Picks. Believe it or not, but this Heat team has actually been underrated all season long. In an era where social media dominates the sports industry, it is remarkable how the Heat managed to win 58 games and lock up the two seed in the East. Not to mention their dismantling of the Celtics and Bulls, where the Heat held a huge talent disparity in each series. And people thought Derrick Rose was the MVP!

The Heat’s Finals opponent…my Dallas Mavericks. In contrast to the Heat’s wide media coverage, the Mavericks seemed to fly under the radar the entire season. I’ll be the first to admit, this Maverick playoff run has caught me way off guard. First the Texas Rangers, now the Mavericks. Dallas sports are running at an all time high. What’s next, the Cowboys in the Super Bowl?

As mentioned in my midseason article (link), this is the best Mavericks team of all time. The 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks have finally put the “D” back in the Big D. Adding defensive centerpiece Tyson Chandler has done wonders for this Dallas team. What’s not to love about this Dallas team? A veteran-ridden lineup with two strong defensive presences down low, an array of elite perimeter defenders, a deep bench, plenty of sharpshooters, and quite possibly one of the best shooting big men of all time. Could this finally be the year Dirk and the Mavs breakthrough? I know Mark Cuban sure thinks so.

In what is the one-year anniversary of Stick’s Picks, there is not a more exciting story for me to cover. Having been driving the Heat bandwagon all season, I have finally met my match. If you haven’t figured out by now, I am very biased towards the Mavericks and would love nothing more than to see Dirk and Dallas finally win a title. As much as I would love to see Dallas win a title, the Lebron has been on a mission even since “The Decision.” With Game 1 beginning tonight, here is my preview and analysis in what looks to be an excellent Finals matchup.

First things first, the Miami Heat are the heavy favorite to win this series (as they should be, they only have two of the best players in the NBA). Dallas has won both season meetings between the two teams, but is this as relevant as it sounds? Both of these teams have vastly improved from their midseason form, and have fittingly been the two hottest playoff teams. This Maverick team has won 10 of their past 11 games including, embarrassing the two-time defending champs in four, and beating the younger, more athletic Thunder in only five games. Funny to think how after their massive collapse in Game 4 in the Portland series, that they would win 10 of their 11. The Miami Heat run has been no different, winning 9 of the past 11 games, it is tough to imagine a team that can hang with the “Big three” for a best-of-seven series. This looks like a well-matched series to me. Here is my complete position breakdown.

Point Guard: Interesting matchup. On one hand you have Mike Bibby who is years past his Sacramento days, but can still hit the three ball and is a playoff veteran. However, Jason Kidd has rejuvenated himself in his second stint in Dallas, and is sometimes the 2nd-best player on the team. If you are going into a playoff series, Kidd would be a unanimous pick to run point over Bibby. One of the greatest point guards to ever play the game gives Dallas the point guard edge. Edge: Dallas

Shooting guard: Dwyane Wade vs. Deshawn Stevenson? As much as I admire Stevenson’s tenacity and confidence (primarily on defense), Wade is the 2nd-best player in the NBA and don’t think I have forgotten about what he did in the 2006 Finals vs. Dallas. Edge: Miami

Small Forward: Don’t get me wrong, Marion has surprised me with his elite level of defense in both the Lakers and Thunder series. But (and this is a big BUT), Lebron James is the best talent this league has seen since Michael Jordan. Or in Scottie Pippen’s words, “Lebron may be better than Jordan.” Edge: Miami

Power Forward: Chris Bosh has had a great season. However, Bosh hasn’t really lived up to expectations ever since he threw his name into the formation of the Miami Big Three (It really should be the Big Two but that’s just me). As for Dirk’s playoff run thus far: 28.4 PPG, 51.7 FG%, 51.6 3-pt FG%, and 92.9 FT%. And the more amazing thing… those percentages are slightly down from last year’s playoffs. Edge: Dallas

Center: My how things have changed since Dallas has had the better Center, Tyson Chandler, in all three of their playoff series (and this series is no different). Miami Heat’s Joel Anthony has been a significant asset to this Heat team, but Dallas’ Tyson Chandler not only has improved the Mavs’ defense but has also given this team a new defensive identity. If you give Tyson a scoring power forward and great passing point guard…then watch him flourish (see 2008 New Orleans Hornets). The funny part about this is Dallas paid Brendan Haywood $55 million just last summer. I’d like to thank MJ for giving Chandler to Dallas in exchange for the Erick Dampier’s lazy carcass (If only he would have done it before Haywood’s massive contract). Edge: Dallas

Bench: Lets see: does the Miami Heat have a bench? Answer: No. And, other than Udonis Haslem, I can’t name one other decent player on the Heat bench. The Mavericks have stacked themselves with scorers, rebounders, and defenders to have arguably the deepest bench in the league. Jason Terry and JJ. Barea are two guards capable of scoring 20+ any given night. Corey Brewer hasn’t been getting much playing time, but I expect that to change this series given his great defensive skill set. Last year’s Mavs starting center, Brendan Haywood, has provided great relief for Chandler and is still an above-average rebounder and shot-blocker. Last but not least, the Serbian Sharpshooter, Peja Stojakovic, was an absolute steal for the Mavericks. No wonder this Maverick’s bench tied the Lakers’ ENTIRE TEAM in the series-clinching game 4 (86 Mavs bench pts vs. Lakers 86 total pts). Edge: Dallas

Coach: As great of a job Eric Spoelstra has done this season in managing the Miami circus, Rick Carlisle has been slightly better. I’m not sure if you were watching the Lakers series, but Carlisle SEVERELY outcoached the great Zenmaster Phil Jackson (the same Phil Jackson who has 11 rings)! And was anyone more outcoached than Scotty Brooks in the Mavs-Thunder series? Edge: Dallas

Stick’s Pick: Part of me wishes it wasn’t these two teams squaring off because I would love for each team to win a title. But let’s be honest, Dallas and its fans deserve a title (Homer Alert)! However, the Miami Heat has the X-factor. Imagine if the Mavericks had another player the caliber of Dirk Nowitzki. The Miami Heat have two players of that caliber. I would love to see Dallas take home the trophy but Lebron and Wade just seem too talented for this Dallas team. Hopefully Dallas can prove me wrong once again, but until then… Stick’s Pick: Miami in seven

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The Best NBA Playoffs…EVER?

April 16, 2011 2 Comments

One of my favorite times of the year: baseball is underway and its playoff time in the NBA. Forgive me for taking a hiatus the past few weeks; I’ve been working with NBA Futurecast and the Austin Toros. My NBA playoff picks article has been a personal favorite of mine, so without further adieu…my picks:

First Round

Chicago vs. Indiana- Starting off with the best record vs. the worst record; I’m sure the windy city loves the fact that the Bulls once again have the best record in the NBA. D-Rose continues his MVP campaign peaking at the right time. This team has all the tools to succeed come playoff time: a plethora of rebounders and shot-blockers, low post scoring, and of course that one superstar capable of taking a game over. As for Indiana, NO TEAM should be allowed to make the playoffs with a sub .500 record (Indiana is eight games under .500 in fact.) When Chicago has four of the best five guys in a series, the result shouldn’t be close. Unlike the great 1990’s rivalry between these two teams (MJ vs. Reggie), Derrick Rose should have no problem taking care of this awful Pacers team.
Stick’s Pick: Chicago in four

Miami vs. Philadelphia- The quest for eight titles begins here. After all the publicity, all the expectations, all the criticisms…it is all erased come playoff time. Given how much I’ve heard about the Heat’s disappointing regular season, it is amazing that they still achieved 58 wins and a two seed in the East. Not to mention, there are no hotter teams right now than Miami and Chicago (more on this later.) Their opponent, Philadelphia, has been flying under the radar all season. Andre Iguodala has emerged as quite possibly the league’s best perimeter defender (which will come in very handy this series), and Doug Collins has rebuilt this team for the future. Despite this, Miami should be on cruise control throughout this series. Lebron and Wade both had remarkable regular seasons as usual, but these players enter another gear come playoff time.
Stick’s Pick: Miami in four

Boston vs. New York- From the 1990’s Bulls-Pacers rivalry to an even more storied matchup; whenever these two cities matchup in a sporting event, there is no love lost. Dating back to the Bill Russell-Willis Reed days, it is nice to once again have relevant basketball being played between these two teams. Boston surprised most last year, making yet another Finals run and coming within minutes of another NBA championship. And yet another season…players get older, the Eastern Conference gets better, and of course your GM trades away your starting center. It is unreal how unpopular this Perkins trade has been. From nearly every sportswriter, NBA analyst to even the Celtics players, I haven’t come across one person who truly believes this was a good deal for the Celtics (except Danny Ainge of course.) Sadly, I think this trade may have all but squandered this year’s title hopes for the Celtics. This series will be no cakewalk for Boston either. When the Knicks have arguably the two best players in the series, anything’s possible. However, in the playoffs, you MUST play defense. And as we all know, that concept doesn’t appear in Mike D’Antoni’s scheme. Boston might have a scare, but experience should pull through in the end.
Stick’s Pick: Boston in six

Orlando vs. Atlanta- A rematch of last year’s playoff beat down: in case you missed it, last year Atlanta was bounced out of the playoffs by none other than Orlando, losing in a sweep by an average of 25 POINTS PER GAME. So what’s changed? Not much. If anything, Orlando cut dead weight with Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis, and added Agent Zero (or agent nine in this case). Dwight Howard is having his best statistical season ever (some stat geeks believe he is this year’s true MVP, most notably ESPN’s own John Hollinger). What is stopping me from picking yet another sweep? That’s right, nothing.
Stick’s Pick: Orlando in four

San Antonio vs. Memphis- Wait, what? The Memphis Grizzlies tanked on purpose so they could be able to matchup with the playoff-veteran San Antonio Spurs? You can’t make this up. As if Gregg Poppovich and his four NBA championships needed any extra motivation come playoff time. As long as Tim Duncan is healthy and anchoring the offense and defense, pencil this Spurs into at least the second round. There is no better team than San Antonio at taking away what the other team does best, and quite frankly I’m not sure what Memphis does best. I guess double team Zach Randolph? Maybe this series would last longer if Rudy Gay wasn’t out, maybe not?
Stick’s Pick: Spurs in five

LA Lakers vs. New Orleans- Do I need to say anything here? The Los Angeles Lakers are two-time defending NBA champions, and are on pace to make their fourth-consecutive trip to the NBA Finals (something two teams have done EVER). Unless Chris Paul channels his inner Isaiah for a majority of this series, it’s tough not picking a sweep here. Even with a healthy Davis West (currently out for the season), LA won all four meetings in the regular season. I don’t see much else to say here…moving on.
Stick’s Pick: Lakers in four

Dallas vs. Portland- I’ve done my research, listened to all the expert’s picks… and everybody is picking Portland. So how is Dallas favored to win this series? I haven’t come across one person who has picked the Mavericks to get past Portland (but Vegas still has Dallas as the odds-on favorite). I think there is something to be said when the media and everybody you know are calling an upset. I’m going to stray away from the norm and pick my Mavs to somehow get past Portland. As great as Portland’s frontcourt may be, I’m sure Coach Carlisle will have something planned. And last but not least, Dirk Nowitzki is one of the top ten basketball players ever in the playoffs. Don’t believe me? Look it up (top 10 in PPG, top 8 in PER). My first upset pick of the first round, if you can call it that.
Stick’s Pick: Dallas in seven

OKC vs. Denver- This series may turn out to be the most entertaining of the first round. The Nuggets sure look good for having lost their best player (tie it to the Ewing theory). This team finally has an identity with its run and gun style. Who would have thought losing Carmelo would make this team better? However, playoff basketball slows the game down and relies on superstars to carry teams through. This high-paced Denver team isn’t made for the playoffs. And of course, I love the Thunder as always. More on this later.
Stick’s Pick: Thunder in five

Second Round

Quick question, has the second round NBA playoffs ever set up to be this good? I don’t think so. D-rose’s Bulls vs. Howard’s Magic, the hated rivals Heat vs. Celtics, the up-and-coming Thunder vs. the grizzly veteran Spurs, and the first ever Dirk vs. Kobe in the playoffs. Sounds pretty intriguing to me.

Chicago vs. Orlando- As great of a season as Dwight Howard has had (23 PPG, 14 RPG, 2.4 BPG), I believe it ends here. The Bulls are one of the few teams who have enough big bodies to throw at Dwight, and there is no guard capable of slowing Derrick Rose. Orlando is going to need a strong series from their guards J-Rich and Jameer to have any hope in this series. I’m aware of the Magic’s strong playoff experience, but something doesn’t seem right about this year’s team. I can’t put my finger on it; I just know the Bulls will be too much for the Magic to overcome.
Stick’s Pick: Bulls in six

Miami vs. Boston- SPOILER ALERT: You heard it hear first, the winner of this series will not only go to the Finals; they will win the Finals. The Celtics have been the Heat’s Kryptonite all season long. That is, until recently. The Heat are heading into the playoffs having won 15 of the final 18 games. Most notably, an April 10th beat down of this Boston team 100-77. Yes, Boston had their way with Miami in the beginning of the season, but as we all know it takes time for a team to gel (especially a team with an entirely new roster like Miami). As much as the media has been criticizing Danny Ainge for trading Perkins for Jeff Green, this series is the reason. Ainge desperately needed a swingman to relieve Ray Allen and Paul Pierce from logging big minutes in a playoff series, and also adding another body to throw on Lebron or Wade (not like it would matter). This will be the first true test for the Super-team Miami Heat. If they pass it, LOOK OUT! It’s going to be close, but I love my chances with the two best players in the Eastern Conference on the SAME TEAM. At least this time, Lebron will finish the series (see 2010 Cavs-Celtics playoff series for more).
Stick’s Pick: Heat in seven

San Antonio vs. OKC- The cliché matchup of the young vs. the old. The Spurs shocked the world, nearly dominating the regular season. And, the young Thunder were many expert’s dark horse pick to represent the West in the NBA finals. So something’s gotta give. As I mentioned earlier, the Spurs and Poppovich have a knack for shutting down what their opponent does best. And simply put, if the Spurs shut down/contain Kevin Durant, the Thunder have no hope in this series. As surprising as it sounds, I think the Thunder matchup better vs. the Lakers than the Spurs. It is no coincidence that the Spurs swept the season series between these two teams. The Thunder are getting there, but I like the Spurs to make another run. Call me crazy, but until the Thunder can win a road playoff game, I’ll take 4-time champion Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.
Stick’s Pick: Spurs in six

Dallas vs. Los Angeles- Interesting stat I heard on Bill Simmons BS Report the other day: never has there been a playoff series between Dirk’s Mavs and Kobe’s Lakers. No time better than the present. I would love to see the Lakers get knocked out here, but I see no possible scenario for this to happen. No disrespect to my Mavs, but the Lakers have four of the best five players in this series (including the best player). In their most recent March 31st matchup, the Lakers manhandled the Mavs 110-82 despite Dirk notching one of his best all-around games of the season. That’s the 2010-11 Mavs in a nutshell: excellent effort by Dirk only resulting in a loss. I made the mistake by picking Dallas to beat LA last year, and this year I’m not nearly as confident. Ask me a few months ago and I would have Dallas in the NBA Finals. Now? Not so much.
Stick’s Pick: Lakers in six

Conference Finals

Not many upsets up to this point. Actually no upsets! In the NBA, picking chalk (all favorites) is always a safe bet. Two great matchups highlight the NBA Conference Finals.

Chicago vs. Miami- Great matchup on paper! Miami’s big three (Lebron, Wade, Bosh) vs. Chicago’s big four (Rose, Boozer, Noah, Deng). Chicago has won all season meetings, but I like Miami in this series. I know Derrick Rose is having a fantastic season, but by the numbers, Lebron is more valuable to his team. Whenever Lebron can silently put up numbers like 27 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7 APG, and 51% shooting, something’s wrong. Are these the stats we have come to expect from the great King James? Quite frankly, yes! So why all the hoopla about Derrick Rose being a near consensus MVP pick? I guess the media is tired of Lebron after spending all summer analyzing and breaking down “The Decision.” Don’t think for one second, Lebron wasn’t playing for another MVP trophy, and he is going to take out his frustrations on this inexperienced Bulls team. Can you sense my Lebron bias yet?
Stick’s Pick: Heat in seven

San Antonio vs. Los Angeles- This matchup never seems to get old. Let me put this into perspective, nine of the past twelve seasons, one of these teams has won the NBA Finals. That’s absolutely remarkable! These teams split the season series, and this matchup is as close as they come. This Lakers team has become rejuvenated since the All Star Break, notching a 19-6 record. And five of those losses came in a recent losing streak, where Phil was resting his team for the playoffs. It’s not going to be easy for either team, but the way the Spurs have been coasting down the stretch, I have my doubts they can beat the two-time defending champion Lakers. I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Tony Parker Sr. (Tony Parker’s dad) in my Sports Law class, and I asked him one question: Who do you have? Spurs or Lakers in the Finals? Of course he was for Tony and the Spurs but I think there is merit in Kobe Bryant (and the refs) being too much to overcome.
Stick’s Pick: Lakers in six

NBA Finals

Miami vs. Los Angeles- Finally! The matchup we have all been waiting for! In one corner, the two-time defending champion Lakers, and in the other corner, the NBA’s villains…the Miami Heat. In order for the Lakers to continue their quest for a three-peat, they must get past Miami’s big three. Both of these teams are heavy Vegas favorites to reach the NBA finals (Miami at 8 to 5, and Los Angeles as 1 to 1). Here’s a stat nugget for you: the Lakers fourth straight trip to the NBA finals would put them in elite company. Only Russell’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers are the only two teams to accomplish the feat (something not even Jordan’s Bulls or Shaq’s Lakers accomplished). As I mentioned earlier, Lakers came out of the All Star break winning 16 of their next 17 games. And that one loss was to… that’s right, you guessed it, the Miami Heat. In fact, Miami has emerged victorious in both of these team meetings this year. David Stern and the NBA would absolutely love this Finals matchup .This is a tough one so lets break down the matchups:
Point Guard: Bibby vs. Fisher               Edge: even
Shooting Guard: Kobe vs.Wade           Edge: even (YES, I said it!)
Small forward: Lebron vs. Artest         Edge: Heat
Power Forward: Bosh vs. Gasol           Edge: slightly Lakers
Center: Bynum vs. some Heat center  Edge: Lakers
I believe the Heat’s time is now, and honestly nobody wants to see the Lakers win again.
Stick’s Picks: Heat in seven

If my instincts are correct, then this could be one of the best NBA postseasons ever. Until then!

Let me hear your feedback and/or comments.

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It’s Maverick Season

December 23, 2010 7 Comments

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a big Dallas sports fan. I’ve spent 13 years of my life growing up in Dallas, and have always been there to support and argue for my teams. Could this be the year a Dallas team wins a title? I think so. The Rangers were close, how about the Mavericks? The 23-5 Mavericks have been on cruise control this season knocking off team after team, and may have their most talented roster to date.

Growing up in Dallas, I have been accustomed to the Cowboys controlling the media spotlight with the Rangers and Mavericks playing second fiddle. Recently, Dallas sports have undergone a significant power shift. The Rangers were American League Champions this year, and the Mavericks may well be on their way to become Western Conference champions. The Cowboys…not so much (cut to Jerry Jones shaking his head). The Dallas Mavericks have come back from the league’s doormat in the 1990′s to one of the most successful sports franchises in the past decade. (Thank you, Mark Cuban).

However, when it comes to the Mavericks, a great regular season comes as no surprise to me, because lets face it, I have been spoiled over the years. I am not an NBA fan who is simply satisfied by making the playoffs every year (more than half the league does anyway). The Dallas Mavericks have accomplished the remarkable feat of making the playoffs ten straight seasons with at least 50 plus wins each year. The only downfall: no titles to show for it. Maybe after the first two or three playoff seasons, I might be satisfied… but 10 IN A ROW? At this point, I need to see rings (Yes, I’m spoiled).

I remember vividly where I was when the 67-win Mavericks suffered their monumental upset to Golden State in 2007 and dropped four games in a row the previous season to the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals. Subsequently the same years, I saw the Cowboys also make two quick first round playoff exits. These years were quite possibly the biggest letdowns in Dallas’ professional sports. So you can understand why I might be skeptical of a great Maverick’s regular season.

With all this said, I’m forced to admit that this 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks team could be the best Mavericks team EVER! This accolade is still pending, but I have an unusually good feeling about this NBA season. With Miami showing signs of weakness, the Lakers getting blown out by Milwaukee, and Boston aging another year, this may just be the Mavericks year.

Ever since Don Nelson became the coach of the Mavericks in the late 90’s, Dallas’ defense was a joke. Insert Popovich-protégé Avery Johnson and Dallas’ defense had gone from allowing 100.8 PPG (in 2003) to 92.8 PPG (in 2006). After two of the most disappointing playoff exits in NBA history, Dallas got tired of Avery’s squeaky voice and sought a new leader for this veteran team. In 2008, Dallas hired former Pacers and Pistons coach Rick Carlisle to propel this team back to the NBA Finals.

Then last year, Dallas found something it had been missing since it’s inception in 1980… a strong defensive center. Last February, the Mavericks acquired center Brendan Haywood (along with Caron Butler and Deshawn Stevenson) for a banged up Josh Howard and aging Drew Gooden. This past offseason, Dallas then sent Erick Dampier’s corpse to Charlotte for the rebounding-and-block machine Tyson Chandler. (Quick side note: Dampier was immediately waived by Charlotte only to fail workouts with Miami and Houston. He eventually signed with Miami after the Heat lost their 97th big man to injury. Desperate sign? I think so.)

Adding two physical, interior 7-footers may not guarantee a title but it will at least improve Dallas’ chances against the Lakers for the Western Conference crown. Let’s be honest, you can’t win titles if you don’t have size (and LOTS of it). When you can rotate Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum at the forward and center spots, it is only logical that opposing players would struggle in the paint. So if you are going to knock the Lakers off the pedestal, you are going to have to slow down their big men. Insert Haywood, Chandler, and Nowitzki and you just may have a chance. Why else would Boston have added a 38-yr old Shaq, and an injury-prone Jermaine O’Neal?

Mark my words: The 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks can eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game playoff series. Still don’t believe me? Some quick stats on the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks:

Offense: Top 7 in rebounds, Top 3 in FG%, Top 5 in assists
Defense: Top 6 in Def PPG, Top 3 in Def FG%, and a Top 5 winning point differential.

As I mentioned, Dallas is 5th in the NBA in assists/per game and it shows. Dirk Nowitzki is averaging his lowest shot total in nine years, Jason Kidd’s lowest shot total of his career, and nearly every other Maverick has seen their shots decrease in 2010. As mentioned in Bill Simmons’ “The Book of Basketball” (recommended read), an NBA team must adopt “the secret” (sacrificing stats for wins) in order to succeed in the NBA. Dallas is doing just that. Dallas has four players averaging double-figures in points, with seven players averaging better than 7.4 PPG.

But like every team, you can share the ball all you want but in the end, somebody has to pay the check. Dirk Nowitzki is more than happy to oblige. Arguably the best European-born NBA player ever, the Big German is having one of the most efficient seasons of his brilliant career. His consistent 25 pts and 8 rebounds per game might seem human, but the key stat here is Dirk’s shooting percentages. Twenty-eight games into this NBA season, Dirk is shooting a career high 55% from the field (not to mention 40% from three, and 88% free throw shooting). This may come as no shock to some, but we all know Dirk is a six-footer stuck in a seven footer’s body. He doesn’t post up often, he doesn’t drive often. In fact he takes some of the toughest shots in the NBA (link). According to 82games.com, Dirk’s shots have been jumpers 87% of the time. Still believe he plays like a seven footer? In a league where shooting 50% is considered MVP- worthy, 55% is just inhuman. It is tough to compare this jaw-dropping statistic, but any time a jump shooter can hit 55% of his shots, (and stands 84 inches tall), that makes him nearly un-guardable.

Dallas isn’t just beating up on the weaker teams either. In this short season, Dallas has already beaten the likes of Miami (twice), Boston, San Antonio, Orlando, Utah (twice), Denver, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta. Just the other night, Dallas completed the season sweep of the Miami Heat, while in the process ending the Heat’s 12-game winning streak. The Dallas “Streak-Killer” Mavericks strike again! In addition to snapping Miami’s streak, Dallas has ended New Orleans season-starting win streak of eight, Utah’s seven-game win streak, and San Antonio and Boston’s five game winning streaks.

No matter how hot a team may be, when they face Dallas, they better bring it! This Mavericks team will force you to play a tough, physical game. Yes, I mentioned tough and physical in the same sentence as the Dallas Mavericks. I WANT MY MAVS BACK! Ok, maybe not, I guess I’ll settle for a defensive-minded team (now I know how Spurs fans felt all these years.) Dallas is holding their opponents to an astounding 93.7 PPG this season (99.3 PPG in 2009) and are a whopping 18-0 when scoring 100 points or more. In fact, the Mavericks have lost all five of their games by a TOTAL of 23 points (losing by an average of only 4.6 pts if you are keeping score). Additionally, the Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of having won 16 of their past 17 games, and are showing no signs of fatigue. The D is back in Dallas! Wish I could say the same about my Cowboys.

I said it before and I’ll say it again: This is the best Dallas Mavericks team EVER!

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A Heated season: Stick’s NBA Preview

October 26, 2010 3 Comments

We are entering the week that all sports fanatics have marked on their calendar. This “sports week” takes place in the heart of the NFL football season, the beginning of the World Series (Go Rangers!), and the start of the NBA later today. So whether you are a die-hard football fan, baseball fan, or basketball fan, there will be something to watch. And for those true sports fans that admire all of these sports, I would recommend clearing your schedule (I know I have). Not to mention we are rapidly approaching Halloween weekend and I have still yet to decide on a costume (suggestions?).

Did I mention the NBA starts tonight? It feels like just yesterday when Kobe shot 6-24 in the clinching win of the NBA Finals. With the addition of the two-month playoff period, the NBA now barely has an off-season. It sure feels like the NBA was a year round sport with all the crazy off-season moves and media coverage. Did you know that Lebron James now plays in Miami? Ever since “The Decision” (here), Lebron hasn’t caught a break. Cleveland this, Cleveland that. In the words of PTI co-host Michael Wilbon, “Get over it Cleveland. Its over.”

The formation of the Three Kings in Miami has led to the year of the Super Team, and quite possibly the most anticipated and best NBA season ever. I could take the simple route and preview every NBA team and make my playoff predictions but that’s rather…boring. Right? I can write forever about all 16 potential playoff teams, but at what point is it too much? 16 playoff teams out of 30 teams total? Reminds me of little league baseball, when no matter how bad or good your team was, you always received a trophy. Rather than discussing every single team, I’ve decided to give an NBA preview unlike the traditional.

The Rematch- Beginning with the Finals teams from last season, Lakers and Celtics. Dating back to the Magic-Bird days in the 80′s, Boston or LA won the title eight times in a nine-year span. Pretty ridiculous! Like any other sport, teams are like a roller coaster. They will have their ups and downs throughout the years. The question is: For how long? The Lakers are coming off their second consecutive championship, but the question remains, “Has Kobe and Artest lost a step?” I wasn’t impressed with their performance in the Finals and would be relatively shocked if they three-peat. As for the Celtics, Boston has all the pieces set to make another title run. But at what cost? I remember saying back in 2007, “This team is too old, I guess they just want to win now.” Well folks, that was three years ago. Do you think they have aged since then? Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are simply spot up shooters now, KG can score occasionally and play good post defense, but he still wasn’t half the KG of 2007. Do I need to mention the signing of the two O’Neal’s? A question I have for Jermaine O’Neal, “Haven’t you retired yet?” I’m not going to comment on the acquisition of Shaq Diesel (the man can do what he wants). This is the ABSOLUTE last year for this Boston lineup. I guess it’s up to Rondo to run this nursing home.

The Perennials- Every season, there are always those teams that fly under the radar and make the playoffs every year. For example, the two Texas teams, Dallas and San Antonio. STAT ALERT: The Mavericks and Spurs have made the playoffs 10 straight years while having 50+ wins each year. The Spurs remind me of the Indianapolis Colts. Battling injuries every year, Tim Duncan (like Peyton Manning) always keeps them in the hunt. As for the Mavericks (homer alert), this team seems to slightly improve each year, but no matter what, they somehow fail to pull through in the playoffs. Playing in the same conference as the Lakers, Dallas has a tough road to the Finals every year, but it’s still possible. The Texas Rangers beat the Yankees, did they not?

Other perennial playoff teams include the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, and the Orlando Magic. The Jazz let Carlos Boozer go for Al Jefferson (love this move) as the Hawks and Magic seemed to stand their ground. Adding big-bodied Al Jefferson, Utah should improve upon their 53-win season last year. 6’9 Carlos Boozer just wasn’t cutting it in the “Big Man” western conference. The Hawks will do what they always do… have a decent season and choke in the playoffs. Message to Hawks fans: Mike Woodson isn’t the problem; Joe Johnson’s 6 year/$125 million contract is the problem (can’t help but think of a potential Gilbert Arenas bust.) And finally, Dwight Howard’s Orlando Magic. A lot was made about Hakeem mentoring Howard over the summer (maybe he can finally develop a low post game). But as the East Elite got stronger, the Magic stayed put. Orlando is built to be a top seed every year (great defensive team that shoots threes well) but they are still unable to matchup with the elites of the NBA.

The Up-and-Comers- Starting with the obvious, the Oklahoma City Thunder. I don’t know if many of you watched the 2010 FIBA World Championships this summer, but it might as well have been the Thunder starting lineup. Westbrook emerged as one of the best guards in the game (and he’s only 21) and teammate Jeff Green made great strides as well. But we all know the story of the summer (other than Lebron) was Kevin Durant’s transformation into a NBA superstar. Not just any superstar, a top three player in the NBA. When we got word that Lebron, Howard, Kobe, Wade, Melo, and Paul weren’t participating on the USA World team, my expectations for gold were out the window. Kevin Durant (also only 21) proved me wrong. He took it upon himself to become the “Michael Jordan” of this team and lift them to gold once again. This put a smile on my face. It seems like just yesterday, I was moving into San Jacinto dorm my freshmen summer only to be a few doors down from the “Durantula.” Little did I know, in only four years he would be drawing comparisons to Kobe Bryant and Lebron James.

The Thunder isn’t the only team with young explosive talent. To all NBA fans: Derrick Rose is here and he’s here to stay. I’ve always been quick to write off the Bulls (simply because they have never been the same without Jordan). This past off-season (adding Boozer, Brewer, and Korver) they seem determined to challenge the powers of the East (maybe even finish as high as 2nd seed, who knows?)

One more team to watch: the Portland Trailblazers. I can sum up this team in only one sentence: Portland won 50 games last year having lost both starting centers (Pryzbilla and Oden) for the year, while their two best players (Roy and Aldridge) played through injury the entire season. Needless to say, this team is good and if healthy could be a top four seed in the West.

The Wild Cards- The Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, the New Orleans Hornets, and the Denver Nuggets. These teams have the ability to finish as high as a top four seed in the West or miss the playoffs altogether. Beginning with the Rockets and the Hornets. Both of these teams had their best player injured for the season (Chris Paul and Yao Ming), and both have acquired new talent. The past few seasons, the Rockets have shown that with a healthy Yao Ming, they are a shoe-in for a 50-win season. Disclaimer: that is a 100% healthy Yao Ming. I’m not even sure Yao himself knows if he is fully recovered. Just another reason to watch the upcoming NBA season. Across the gulf, New Orleans welcomes the return of NBA first-teamer Chris Paul to the roster. Like Yao, the Hornets with a healthy Chris Paul are a 50+-win team and a force to be reckoned with in the West (just ask Jason Kidd).

Two other wild cards are the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets. Yes, Phoenix lost All-star forward Amare Stoudemire to the Empire State, but they retained their true captain… Steve Nash. Those who know me are aware that I am a huge Nash fan ever since his days as a Maverick in the early 2000s. I believe that Nash can carry any team to the playoffs no matter the supporting cast… he is that good. So when the Suns signed Turkoglu, Warrick, and Josh Childress, this told me one thing: the Suns are sticking to their guns. This team doesn’t need a low post scorer to slow the game down. They were three seed in the West last year without any defense whatsoever. Head coach Alvin Gentry has not been shy about the Sun’s fast break lifestyle, and with the acquisition of 50 small forwards, it just might be crazy enough to work. The Nuggets however, don’t have near the upside as any of the previous playoff teams in the West. This team is great on paper and all, but they are one incident away from blowing up like Wylie Coyote. If you have been living under a rock this summer, let me refresh your memory. Carmelo Anthony recently married MTV host LaLa Vasquez and has requested a trade to a more prominent media market (given LaLa’s entertainment career). Watching the Heat form a super team didn’t help Denver’s chances either. This story has become so out of control, that Vegas now has odds on Carmelo Anthony’s chances to land as a Knick by the end of the season (2.5 to 1 to be exact). If Denver is somehow able to hold onto Carmelo for one more season, they will be a playoff team; if not… the wheels will begin to fall off.

“Really, this is your team?” I’m not going to waste my time breaking down the NBA lottery teams but here’s a list of teams that could lose 60 games this year without blinking twice: Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nets and 76ers are on the rise so I will give them a pass for now. The Minnesota Timberwolves are Vegas’ prediction to finish dead last in the NBA. David Kahn’s decision to give $20 million to Darko Milicic can’t be helping either. To quote Bill Simmons, “KAHNNNNNNN!” The most pathetic team award might have to go to the team across the border, the Toronto Raptors. As of now, here is their likely starting lineup: Jose Calderon, Demar DeRozan, Linas Kleiza, Reggie Evans, and Andrea Bargnani. Wow, that’s awful. Chris Bosh owes Toronto fans a nice care package to make up for this garbage. Cleveland can empathize with Toronto, being publicly humiliated in a one-hour special on ESPN. Much like the Raptors, I wouldn’t take my chances with Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison as the go-to scorers. But hey, (like 2003) at least you can get another high draft pick. I love my statistics so I could only imagine how the loss of Lebron James could leave the Cavs struggling to win 30 games. Speaking of Lebron…

The Chosen Team- The team you either love or hate: the Miami Heat. Starting with “The Decision” (here) Pat Riley pulled off the impossible. Despite all odds again, Miami managed to fill out their roster with decent role players to surround the big three of Lebron, Wade, and Bosh. Lebron sacrificed his beloved role of media darling in choosing winning over all else. On Lebron’s twitter he exclaimed, “Don’t think for one minute that I haven’t been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me this summer. And I mean everyone!” This is a new Lebron. This isn’t the Lebron who is going to go up by 20 points and then just mess around. Lebron is all business this year. He is going to beat teams and beat teams down. Expect upwards of 27 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 9.5 apg from Lebron this season. Not quite a triple double, but can you argue with those stats? If Lebron has any Jordan like-DNA then he will embrace this challenge and emerge better than ever before. ESPN has already began comparisons between the 2010 Miami Heat and the 1996 Chicago Bulls. Like Jordan did in 1996, 72-10 isn’t going to be easy. On that note, never have I seen a Vegas over/under of wins any higher that Miami’s 64.5. But make no mistake about it; I will be taking the over. Unlike other athletes with media disasters, Lebron lost none of his endorsements. In fact, Lebron may have increased his sponsors, given his great sudden awareness among the American public. Nike saw something in this kid at the tender age of 18, offering Lebron a $100 million contract and having never played an NBA game. Nike has marketed Lebron James better than any other, and like most big companies, they love a challenge. I will conclude with Nike’s new commercial I stumbled upon yesterday. Nike continues to do it well.

Filed under Basketball Tagged with , , , , , , ,

The Guys in Charge

June 29, 2010 2 Comments

So, I’m not going to sugarcoat it, there isn’t much going on in sports right now. With the US out of the World Cup, the NBA Finals over, the Americans out of Wimbledon, and baseball nearing the midseason break, Sportscenter is having a tough time filling a full show. Then again, this is around the time of the Make-a-Wish program (or perhaps maybe even another Mt Rushmore of Sports). I, for one, enjoyed their promotion of who’s more now? I wasn’t sure what this meant, but it was pretty much a popularity contest. Nevertheless, I am very intrigued what ESPN will do in this summer’s promotion.

While I won’t address the NBA free agency question until next week, there has been one thing that has overshadowed sports: Officiating. If you call yourself a sports fan, you have probably had an issue with the referees lately. Whether it is in the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and most notably the World Cup, the referees have failed to make themselves invisible.

I would like to start by explaining how one becomes an official in sports. Most begin as a volunteer ref and have to work their way up. As you become better and more experienced you can become a high school referee. From there, you must get promoted to the college level. If you do very well at the college level, you may have an opportunity to ref at the pro level as well. Many doors have to open for one to make it to the pros. In fact, in some cases becoming a professional referee may be as tough as becoming a professional athlete. So with all this in mind, it just doesn’t make sense why an official would want to go through all this training only to be scrutinized. Because lets face it, you aren’t going to be recognized for calling a good game.

It all began in Detroit about a month ago. It was none other than the infamous call of Jim Joyce, ruining the perfect game of Armando Galarraga that forever altered baseball history. In a sport where MLB umpires make 99.9% of their calls correctly, leave it to the media to blow this one incident out of proportion. For those who have watched any of the College World Series, there is no question how much greater MLB umpires are than at any other level. Unlike other sports, MLB umpires have been very quick to admit their mistakes. In a recent poll conducted by ESPN The Magazine, Major League Baseball players voted Jim Joyce the best big league umpire. Quite odd, given Joyce’s recent bad publicity. So I could not help but sympathize with Joyce when he missed one of the biggest calls in sports history. However, he immediately apologized for his human error, and was later greeted to a standing ovation at the same stadium that booed him off the field the day before. This is America, after all. America is one of the most forgiving countries in the world, and Baseball is America.

As if the Tigers hadn’t gone through enough with the umps, the recent Johnny Damon call was no help. The Tigers had the bases loaded in the 9th with two outs down by 1, when Damon was rung up on strikes to end the game. Later on, the home plate umpire apologized for calling the last pitch a strike when it was clearly out of the zone. For those casual baseball fans, two blown calls in the past month may make one think that this kind of stuff always happens. I would respond by challenging you to think of another blown call in the past ten years of baseball. If I can’t think of another one, then chances are there haven’t been many. So before you make a quick judgment on MLB umpires, you must realize the number of games they call each season. The numbers are on their side.

This leads me to a new joke I just heard: “World Cup referees.” Yes, that is the punch line. The referee’s flaws were most notable in the US-Slovenia game, and the errors keep coming. It is no surprise to most that refs have a strong bias against the US, after all so does most of America. So when the US team overcame mysterious offsides and foul calls to win their group, it felt like we were the team of destiny. So when England was robbed of their first goal of the Cup, I couldn’t help but laugh. Welcome to our world. The English were quick to blame their loss on the ref’s even though they lost by THREE goals. Same goes with Mexico, too. When you lose by more than one goal, your credibility greatly decreases when you blame it on the refs. I can’t seem to recall the US players calling out the refs after their games: Do you? Unlike the MLB, you aren’t going to see FIFA admitting to these bad calls. Instead, FIFA has decided to censor all replays at the cup. At least this will postpone the riots another 90 minutes. FIFA surely doesn’t need bad publicity like this. If you’re wondering if referees with botched calls are still refereeing in South Africa, think again. FIFA is the Michael Corleone of the sporting world. There is no wiggle room for mistakes, mess up once and you’re out. No excuses. Good luck to the surviving ref’s in the matches to come.

And don’t forget the NBA. The dream Finals matchup between the Lakers-Celtics was overshadowed by a touch foul being called every 20 seconds. This is the league that can’t afford to have bad officiating, remember… Tim Donaghy. It was concluded that Donaghy didn’t fix games, but bet on games that were “essentially” fixed.  Meaning, he bet on teams/games when there was a biased official calling the game. And, I am sure the Maverick’s fans remember the 2006 Finals where Dwyane Wade averaged more free throws than the Mavericks team combined. I am surprised Danny Crawford is still allowed to call Mavs games at this point. An awful statistic is how the Mavs are 1-17 in PLAYOFF games when Crawford refs, and 4-14 against the spread. In the critical game 6 of the ’06 Finals where the Heat could clinch the series up 3-2, the Heat managed to sneak by in the end. To a casual NBA fan, this seems like it was an excellent game, coming down to the final possession but looking at the box score, not so much. In fact, the Mavs finished the game hitting 19-23 free throws, while the Heat finished 23-37 on free throws. To add to my point, Wade finished the game with 16-21 free throws BY HIMSELF, nearly equal to the Mavericks TEAM free throw total. As Tim Donaghy said in an interview, “Danny Crawford is proud of Dallas losses.” So maybe Cuban’s temper is justified after all. If Crawford fails to rid himself of this bias, I see a nice job at Foot Locker in his future.

I, for one am surprised to hear the media endorse instant replay in sports. Without bad calls, there is nothing to argue about, and when there is nothing to argue about, there is nothing to write about. So I’m not sure why the media endorses replay use but who knows. I will be the first to say that I am not a proponent of instant replay in sports. The NFL was the first of the major sports to allow challenges and replays in sports, but still have the occasional botched call. After all, if it wasn’t for Tom Brady’s “tuck rule” in 2002, you still may yet to see replay in sports. It just kills the integrity of the game. If we have replays after every bad call in sport, you might as well hire robots to officiate games, and save the officials the time and embarrassment.

/end rant

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