AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November > 01
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Anxious to get started
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whoever said that a two-hour flight from Atlanta to Philly was a good time to catch up on some work and take care of other business on a laptop surely isn’t two honey-soaked biscuits shy of 240 pounds and sitting in seat 43A (the window seat) next to Lex Luger’s twin brother.
Because that’s where I was Wednesday morning. And Buddha knows I needed to get on my computer and take care of some business (this blog being one of the main priorities). But it never happened. My arms were folded like a couple of chicken wings and Luger was elbowing me (accidentally, of course) with every oversized man-mountain breath he took. Had I done the reasonable thing and checked in on-line from the house and made sure I snagged my usual, aisle seat in an exit row, none of this would be pertinent now.
But I was struggling this morning, and I mean 45 minutes later than my target departure from the house struggling. For this I blame the folks at TNT. They kicked off the NBA season Tuesday night with two games I had to see. I missed all but the final seconds of the first one. And too bad for the Miami Heat everyone didn’t miss that performance. A 42-point whopper on ring night? Unbelievable. I can’t imagine what Pat Riley’s practice was like today. It had to be ugly.
The second game, however, was exactly what I was looking for (and, in addition to the crazy fly Halloween carnival at our church, the reason Tuesday night ended on Wednesday morning for me). I watched the Lakers get down by 19 in the first quarter and just assumed it was business as usual for the Suns, who don’t ever seem to stop running and gunning. But the Lakers showed me some stuff. As statements go, they made a huge one rallying for a win without Kobe Bryant the way they did.
And before any of you remind me about my comments about Andrew Bynum from the summer, remember that I said he hadn’t shown anything yet. It’s just one game, but he showed me some goods last night. He’s physical and has a nice feel for the game. I can see why the Lakers are feeling pretty good about what they have in he and Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm.
All that said, the thing that really stood out to me from the game was Amare Stoudemire’s struggles. Early on I just assumed he was going to be up to his old tricks. He looked like had some bounce and was as aggressive as ever. But that was the highlight of his night. And it looks clear to me that the Suns are going to have the same problem they’ve had the past three years. When they face a team that’s bigger and stronger than they are on the frontline, they’re going to struggle. I don’t care if it’s one game or the first or second round of the playoffs. They’ll struggle. And it’s one of the reasons I didn’t pick them to come out of the Western Conference this season.
I know they’re the chic pick for some. And I totally understand why (I love the style they play, too). But I’m just not sure it’s going to win any championships just yet.
So, with last night’s warm up acts already in the can, I’m more than ready to see what the Hawks and 76ers have in store for us tonight. I’m expecting the back and forth between Allen Iverson and Speedy Claxton to be the most interesting individual match-up of the night. But the Bulls and Lakers set the tone last night, for me at least. That’s how you kick a season off. You better show people what you’re made of on opening night. Make a statement.