AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2006 > April > 24
Monday, April 24, 2006
Thoughts from the grill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It should be against the law to be a shiftless as I was this weekend. But with two solid days of NBA playoff games to study, did you really think I would be anywhere but the sanctuary? You know how I like to do it.
So without further ado, let me go ahead and share some thoughts and observations on the playoffs from a delirious weekend of the tube, grilled burgers (I am still the man on the grill), Snapple (they were 10 for $10 at Kroger last week) and an assortment of interruptions from the fam (they’re already tired of me being around the house and wanted to know why the Hawks can’t just make the playoff so they can have some peace):
— Um, can I see LeBron James’ birth certificate please? Dude is certifiably ridiculous, complete with a chest full of taco meat at like 17 or 18 or whatever he is now. A triple-double in his playoff debut, as you know by now, qualifies him for Magic status, which for a kid from Michigan like me is pretty much as high as you can go. But what’s even more amazing to me is that just when you expect King James’ bubble to burst a little bit, he reminds you that in just about every way he is the exception to the rule. I have no doubt the Cavs will be playoff regulars as long as he’s in uniform. How far they go depends on what Danny Ferry does to build that team around him. I just hope the folks up there realize what they have and how lucky they are to have him. Because stars like LeBron are once in a lifetime. And if they’re lucky, he could put Cleveland on the map the way MJ did Chicago.
— In case anyone was wondering, the Spurs are ready for the rematch with the Pistons. They’re like the Western Conference, multi-national version of the Pistons in that they’re easily the best team in their conference and have basically no weaknesses. And since Tony Parker is faster than Reggie Bush, you can just tune in for the next few weeks to watch him run circles around the poor guys (can we call anyone in the NBA poor?) who have to try and guard him. Sure, Tim Duncan and the boys will be tested on their way to the Finals, but it won’t come from Ron-Ron Artest and the Kings. They’re just not the type of team that will be able to stay with the Spurs night after night. Not when the Spurs’ last big man (Fab Oberto) would command major minutes for the Kings. But give the fighting Maloofs this much, they’re not going to go away quietly. They’ll take more licks than Chris Byrd before going down.
— As for the one team I’m actually rooting for during this whole mess (the LA Clippers), wasn’t it interesting to see the reaction of that Staples Center crowd the other night? They weren’t sure how excited they were supposed to be and whether or not to just be glad they made the playoffs for the first time since “Who’s the Boss?” was on the air or if they were actually supposed to expect the home team to win. With Elton Brand playing like a man possessed and Sam Cassell doing his usual, I see the Clips advancing past 0-for-Melo. (Money went 0-for-8 from the floor in the fourth quarter, people, and to think a basketball mind I admire and respect tried to sell me on this cat as an MVP candidate.) The guy on the Clippers, though, that intrigues me more than any other is Shaun Livingston. Cassell is tutoring him right now. But I swear, if he’s not an All-Star in two years I’ll be stunned. He’s got the vision out there, hence all the no-he-didn’t, no-look passes. Young fella is going to be a superstar.
— The Heat and Bulls have played just one game and I’m already worn out by the Bulls’ defense. I hope Shaq and D-Wade can hold up over five or six games, where it looks like this series is headed if their supporting cast doesn’t bring it a little better than they did in the opener. I was expecting someone at American Airlines Arena to pass out a collection plate when I saw all those people wearing white shirts in the stands – and they might need to take up a collection for the fine Udonis Haslem is going to pay for tossing his mouthpiece at Joey Crawford. I’m still not buying the Heat beating the Pistons to make the NBA Finals (though I fully expect to get my fill of South Beach during the conference finals). I just don’t see how the Heat win four games against the Pistons if both teams are in decent health by then. They’d have to win at least once in Detroit and hold serve at home. And I can’t see this Heat squad putting it together like that.
— Before I yap about the Pistons I have a quick question that’s been nagging me for weeks now. Does anyone know if Andrew Bogut’s dying his hair already? He’s got this jet-black mane that matches those horrible tights he keep wearing. Thank goodness they’re outlawed next season. Well, he’s the only rookie starting in the playoffs and Rasheed Wallace gave him a nice welcome. The Pistons are beyond good; who else in the league could play as average as their guards did and still win by nearly 20? They’ve got so many weapons. And Antonio McDyess comes off that bench playing the perfect game to offset Ben Wallace’s lack of scoring ability in the starting unit. Their chemistry is fabulous and they’ve got the blueprint to the playoffs down. So I’ve already made reservations for the NBA Finals (and it’s going to Game 7 again, people - count on that.).
— I tuned into Sunday’s opener expecting to see the Vince Carter show but it was bumped by an episode of Pacers Gone Wild. If there’s any team in the playoff field that could muddy the waters, it’s the Hawks’ whipping boys from the Central Division. Jermaine O’Neal illustrated exactly what I was talking about in this space a few days back with his 11-point fourth quarter. Kid was going to the bucket with his left and finishing with dunks and finger rolls. Had he not been saddled with those touch fouls early, he might have really had his way with whichever Collins brother that is playing center for the Nets. And after Nenad Krstic worked the other Pacers inside while O’Neal was in foul trouble, when they needed to slow him down O’Neal played him late and forced Krstic into a rushed shot at the bucket that fell short at a crucial moment in the game. I’ve raised the issue here once before and I’ll do it again, if O’Neal becomes available this summer I’d be in the mix. He’s still a force.
— All that stuff about Kobe being selfish seems a bit off now after watching the way he played against the Suns Sunday. He let Lamar Odom, a player unfairly maligned for not being as dominant as he should, do his thing. And as much as the Lakers need Kobe to do his usual to have any chance for the upset, it’s Odom that has to shine in my opinion. Did you see the way he bullied Shawn Marion around the basket? The Lakers have no other way of slowing down the Suns’ most important player (Steve Nash), so making Marion work overtime on both ends of the floor will be key –- I know Phil Jackson figured it out a while back but it’s worth repeating here. I have to give it up to Boris Diaw, too. He was the same thorn in the side for the Lakers that he’s been against most teams this season. Honestly, I don’t remember seeing this level of confidence and ability in him during the time I covered him in a Hawks uniform. But I’ll give him credit for turning his career around with a simple change of scenery.
— So let me get this straight, Three Six Mafia has an Oscar and the Memphis Grizzlies still haven’t won a playoff game (they’re 0-for-9 and counting)? Life is really cruel, huh? Give the Grizz an A for effort. But they don’t have a chance in this series. Shane Battier plays great defense on Dirk Nowitzki and the big man still bombs him for 31. There’s absolutely no way this thing goes past five games. No way. That said, I still can’t picture this Dallas team getting past the Spurs. I see them giving the Spurs fits, though. And I will admit that I love the DeSagana Diop-Erick Dampier combo in the post. They’ll make Tim Duncan work for everything he gets. Speaking of Diop, why couldn’t this guy play in Cleveland? Much like Zaza Pachulia, he qualifies as one of the true steals of last summer. A 7-footer, who weighs in at around 280 pounds, blocks shots, rebounds and isn’t overly concerned with scoring (and since he has no post moves to speak of that’s a good thing). The Mavs are making up for it with Dampier’s outrageous $73 million deal, money they could have spent to keep Nash. But that’s fodder for another day.
