It has finally come to an end. It was a great run by the Phoenix Suns in this year’s playoffs. Hats off to the team for exceeding expectations and helping the valley get through one of the worst stretches in pitching history. Looking back, I really should have stuck with my original thoughts going into the playoffs. Here were a few of my initial playoff thoughts (although undocumented, you should still believe me).
1. The Magic are not nearly as good as people think they are. I know, I know they swept the Bobcats and made the Hawks look like the 2004-05 version of the team. But, they looked horrendous in their first three games against Boston and no showed in game 6 too. Listen, I still think they are a good team, but when their two best players are two guys who aren’t even close to playing up to their potential, then you just aren’t going to win an NBA championship. We all know that Vince Carter hasn’t panned out to be the super-duper star that he could have been. He is every bit as talented as Kobe is, probably more. (As a matter of fact, there have been 15-20 guys in the league with Kobe’s physical talent in the last 15 years, but not one of those guys has come close to matching his mental effort and drive to be the best. He’s consumed by it. Even if that means doing that stupid thing with his lower jaw just so he has an answer to MJ’s tongue waggle. LeBron James is much more gifted physically, but probably won’t ever be the closer that Kobe is. He has other goals, like becoming a billionaire. We just have to take our hats off every now and again, when physical greatness and mental greatness meet.) Okay tangent over, now on to Dwight Howard. Question, and this isn’t just because I’m a Suns fan and possibly homer: Why is Amare ripped for not putting enough effort off the court on his defense, but Dwight Howard gets a free pass on his offensive game? The guy is not good. He’s a bigger, beastier Amare Stoudemire from 2003-04. When Amare came into the league all he could do was dunk. That’s it. He was a man-child, they said. Dwight Howard came into the league, bigger, stronger, and better defensive instincts. Newsflash, he’s still the same player. His free-throw shooting is terrible. His range is as far as his right arm can reach. He has as much polish as my sneakers. Until, the Magic can get a legitimate go-to guy in the fourth quarter, there is no way they are going to win an NBA championship. Sorry Orlando.
2. I might have mentioned this in an earlier post, but going into the playoffs, I didn’t think there was any way that the Suns could get past the Lakers. I wanted a consolation prize for having such a stellar and surprising season. I wanted that prize to be the San Antonio Spurs. Lo and behold, they fell right into the Suns’ laps. What did the Suns do? They embarrassed them. They finally sent them away with the empty feeling that we had felt so many times before. Everything turned out the way I had envisioned entering the playoffs. Now don’t get me wrong. After watching the Suns series with the Lakers, I definitely think they could have beaten the Lakers and should have in game 5. I felt that stomach-punch just as much as anyone else when Ron Artest of all people, threw in that prayerful put-back to beat the Suns in game 5. I just knew that the Lakers were more talented and the odds were in their favor. Mark it down. I’m picking the Lakers to win the series. How many games? I have no idea. I’ll say six.
There were a few other impressions that I had going into the playoffs, but they aren’t going to get the same attention as these two. I also thought the Cavaliers were the best team in the league and would handle anyone that got in their way. That was back when I thought that LeBron James was the best player in the league. Now, I’m on the fence. He was playing with a bunch of stooges, and it will definitely be interesting to see what he does this summer (Free Agency blog post coming soon after NBA Finals). I also had the Boston Celtics as overrated, over-the-hill over-achievers from 2008. I just didn’t see them as a very good team, with the way the limped down the stretch. Boy was I wrong. Although 2-4 isn’t so bad, eh?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Pet Peeves
Okay, so I really wanted to start some commentary on the Suns-Lakers series. However, I really don’t want to jinx anything, especially after the way game 3 turned out. So I’ve turned to a much more generic theme for this blog post, although still a passion-filled theme. It’s time to bust out azsportsmeister’s pet peeves of sports. In no particular order or rankings, here is the first cut:
1. Presence of Mind
What in the world is presence of mind?! Yes, I know what it means, but do we really need to hear it as often as announcers use it? For instance, if you have third baseman that dives for a ground ball, only to have it hit off his glove and roll a few feet away; is it really worth noting his presence of mind to hurry to the ball and throw it to first base? Or do we really need to praise the basketball IQ of a player who jumps for a ball going out of bounds to turn and throw it at a player close by? Is it just me, or should I be able to expect that a person playing basketball since his childhood would understand that he cannot land out of bounds with the ball in his hands? What about the football receiver that leaps for a pass going out of bounds that has the presence of mind to try and put both feet on the ground in bounds?
I really cannot think of many scenarios where presence of mind becomes useful insight into a game. Perhaps Chris Webber could have used some presence of mind when he called a non-existent time out that cost his Michigan Wolverines the national championship, but that is about it. I mean, come on, do you ever hear someone longing for more presence of mind from his team, “Man, I sure wish our guys had more presence of mind out there. They just keep stepping on that out of bounds line.” My all-time favorite is Reggie Miller knocking down two threes to tie the Knicks in waning moments of a playoff game in 1995. He makes one three, steals the in-bounds pass and retreats to the three point line. Why? Because of his superior presence of mind. Remember, you cannot expect every player to remember how many points their teams is down, let alone calculate that kind of math in their head like Reggie did after making that first three point shot. Please, next time you are announcing a sporting event, take it easy on the presence of mind commentary.
2. Eric Byrnes
Need I say more?
Maybe…
Okay I will. Eric Byrneses happen all over professional sports. He is just our example here in the desert. Eric Byrnes is the antithesis of what we, as fans, hate about professional sports. He is the poster child of the athlete that gets his payday and shuts it down. After he signed a three-year $30 million extension with the Diamondbacks, his production soon plummeted, and was eventually cut before he could finish the third and final year. I know what some of you are thinking. “He suffered some heart breaking injuries that derailed him after he signed his big contract.” He got injured there is no doubt about that, but suffering there was none. Eric Byrnes didn’t suffer; he was getting his paycheck and didn’t have to travel with the team. He was free to shoot new episodes of “The Eric Byrnes Show,” and dabble in the fashion industry. Newsflash Eric, faded jeans and surfer t-shirts have already been done. The Diamondbacks certainly didn’t suffer either. A.J. Hinch no longer felt the pressure to try and fit this .200 hitter into the lineup to appease the front office because they were paying him $10 mil for the year. He was recently just cut by the Seattle Mariners. Now, he’s sitting at home in California, playing city-league softball, drinking Coors. Oh yeah, and still getting paid the $10 million by the Diamondbacks to do it. He just recently said on a national radio program that he hasn’t had this much fun in four years. Awesome, I wouldn't mind getting canned at the workplace to earn myself ten million dollars so I can sit around and drink beverages.
3. Whining and Flopping
I recently watched an NBA Finals game from 1986 on ESPN Classic. There were a couple of things that stuck out to me. There were a number of things missing from this game between the Celtics and the Rockets. Except for a few exceptions, the players did not complain. Rarely did I see a player react like his girlfriend just dumped him for his best friend when he was called for a foul. Tim Duncan, by the way, is the ultimate-I can’t believe you just called that, I haven’t come near the guy all game-face, followed closely by Derek Fisher. Almost every single foul call in the NBA leads to a player or coach barking at the ref or a guy giving the said Duncan-face. That just didn’t happen in the olden days. Now, I’m not one to harp on the old, glory days, but some things really do need restored to order. Giving officials crap for an entire game, so his team can get a foul call should not be a hall of fame characteristic by a coach. If anyone has that responsibility it’s the fans (more on this to come). I just want to see the players play, and get back on defense. You were not fouled just because someone sneezed on you.
This brings me to my next pet peeve: flopping. I know this has been covered a lot over the years, but the extent it has gotten to makes me want to put on some tube socks, throw on some butt-huggers and really throw an elbow at a guy. That will give him a reason to drop to the floor. This is oft credited to the influx of European, soccer-style players into the NBA. This very well may be true, but it certainly isn’t limited to just these players today. Derek Fisher gets the double play today for also being one of the most skilled actors in the game today. As much as I love it when one of my players draws a charge, or an offensive foul, I just can’t stand to watch players like Fisher and Ginobili flailing their arms around when they go through a screen in an effort to try and deceive the officials. That’s not basketball.
4. Must Win
This one has really crept up on me recently. I don’t think I can listen to another talking head tell me why a game 2 is a “must win” for a team. Game 2 is a must win? Really? Because I’m pretty sure there are potentially five more games left. I don’t care what kind of statistics you can rattle off to me about the coach’s playoff record when he wins games 1 and 2 of a conference semi-final when his team has home-court advantage. I don’t care what momentum a team has going into a series (Ask Orlando how all that momentum worked out for them). I really don’t care about a team’s fragile psyche after losing game 1. I can understand not wanting to go down in a series 3-0, but that game 3 still isn’t a “must win.” Sure, going down 2-0 or 3-1 is a tough hole to get out of, but teams still do it.
Please spare me these things, and my life will be so much more pleasant.
1. Presence of Mind
What in the world is presence of mind?! Yes, I know what it means, but do we really need to hear it as often as announcers use it? For instance, if you have third baseman that dives for a ground ball, only to have it hit off his glove and roll a few feet away; is it really worth noting his presence of mind to hurry to the ball and throw it to first base? Or do we really need to praise the basketball IQ of a player who jumps for a ball going out of bounds to turn and throw it at a player close by? Is it just me, or should I be able to expect that a person playing basketball since his childhood would understand that he cannot land out of bounds with the ball in his hands? What about the football receiver that leaps for a pass going out of bounds that has the presence of mind to try and put both feet on the ground in bounds?
I really cannot think of many scenarios where presence of mind becomes useful insight into a game. Perhaps Chris Webber could have used some presence of mind when he called a non-existent time out that cost his Michigan Wolverines the national championship, but that is about it. I mean, come on, do you ever hear someone longing for more presence of mind from his team, “Man, I sure wish our guys had more presence of mind out there. They just keep stepping on that out of bounds line.” My all-time favorite is Reggie Miller knocking down two threes to tie the Knicks in waning moments of a playoff game in 1995. He makes one three, steals the in-bounds pass and retreats to the three point line. Why? Because of his superior presence of mind. Remember, you cannot expect every player to remember how many points their teams is down, let alone calculate that kind of math in their head like Reggie did after making that first three point shot. Please, next time you are announcing a sporting event, take it easy on the presence of mind commentary.
2. Eric Byrnes
Need I say more?
Maybe…
Okay I will. Eric Byrneses happen all over professional sports. He is just our example here in the desert. Eric Byrnes is the antithesis of what we, as fans, hate about professional sports. He is the poster child of the athlete that gets his payday and shuts it down. After he signed a three-year $30 million extension with the Diamondbacks, his production soon plummeted, and was eventually cut before he could finish the third and final year. I know what some of you are thinking. “He suffered some heart breaking injuries that derailed him after he signed his big contract.” He got injured there is no doubt about that, but suffering there was none. Eric Byrnes didn’t suffer; he was getting his paycheck and didn’t have to travel with the team. He was free to shoot new episodes of “The Eric Byrnes Show,” and dabble in the fashion industry. Newsflash Eric, faded jeans and surfer t-shirts have already been done. The Diamondbacks certainly didn’t suffer either. A.J. Hinch no longer felt the pressure to try and fit this .200 hitter into the lineup to appease the front office because they were paying him $10 mil for the year. He was recently just cut by the Seattle Mariners. Now, he’s sitting at home in California, playing city-league softball, drinking Coors. Oh yeah, and still getting paid the $10 million by the Diamondbacks to do it. He just recently said on a national radio program that he hasn’t had this much fun in four years. Awesome, I wouldn't mind getting canned at the workplace to earn myself ten million dollars so I can sit around and drink beverages.
3. Whining and Flopping
I recently watched an NBA Finals game from 1986 on ESPN Classic. There were a couple of things that stuck out to me. There were a number of things missing from this game between the Celtics and the Rockets. Except for a few exceptions, the players did not complain. Rarely did I see a player react like his girlfriend just dumped him for his best friend when he was called for a foul. Tim Duncan, by the way, is the ultimate-I can’t believe you just called that, I haven’t come near the guy all game-face, followed closely by Derek Fisher. Almost every single foul call in the NBA leads to a player or coach barking at the ref or a guy giving the said Duncan-face. That just didn’t happen in the olden days. Now, I’m not one to harp on the old, glory days, but some things really do need restored to order. Giving officials crap for an entire game, so his team can get a foul call should not be a hall of fame characteristic by a coach. If anyone has that responsibility it’s the fans (more on this to come). I just want to see the players play, and get back on defense. You were not fouled just because someone sneezed on you.
This brings me to my next pet peeve: flopping. I know this has been covered a lot over the years, but the extent it has gotten to makes me want to put on some tube socks, throw on some butt-huggers and really throw an elbow at a guy. That will give him a reason to drop to the floor. This is oft credited to the influx of European, soccer-style players into the NBA. This very well may be true, but it certainly isn’t limited to just these players today. Derek Fisher gets the double play today for also being one of the most skilled actors in the game today. As much as I love it when one of my players draws a charge, or an offensive foul, I just can’t stand to watch players like Fisher and Ginobili flailing their arms around when they go through a screen in an effort to try and deceive the officials. That’s not basketball.
4. Must Win
This one has really crept up on me recently. I don’t think I can listen to another talking head tell me why a game 2 is a “must win” for a team. Game 2 is a must win? Really? Because I’m pretty sure there are potentially five more games left. I don’t care what kind of statistics you can rattle off to me about the coach’s playoff record when he wins games 1 and 2 of a conference semi-final when his team has home-court advantage. I don’t care what momentum a team has going into a series (Ask Orlando how all that momentum worked out for them). I really don’t care about a team’s fragile psyche after losing game 1. I can understand not wanting to go down in a series 3-0, but that game 3 still isn’t a “must win.” Sure, going down 2-0 or 3-1 is a tough hole to get out of, but teams still do it.
Please spare me these things, and my life will be so much more pleasant.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Summer's Best Show
The best show of the summer isn’t going to be Robin Hood or Ironman 2. No, no; this summer’s best show is your Arizona Diamondbacks. Now, if you’ve watched any games at all this season, you understand that this year’s version of our team hasn’t performed as well as expected. They have been pretty sub-par actually…correction: the bullpen has been pretty sub-par this season. I’m sure you’ve heard the statistics so far about this bunch of wannabes: worst bullpen ERA at 7.49 (note: second worst is Milwaukee at 5.68), most blown saves in the majors, most home runs, .291 batting average against – worst in majors. This group is on pace to be the single worst collection of relief pitchers in Major League history.
This is just my point. Where else are you going to get this type of drama night after night? This is the best ticket in baseball. You are almost guaranteed a close, late-inning finish. I am not quite certain where Josh Byrnes wrangled up this bunch of rag tag arms, but these guys remind me of the Cleveland Indians in the movie, Major League. I know all of the similarities aren’t there, but really, where did this pitching staff come from? Half of these guys are bargain basement pick-ups that no one really expected to do anything again in the big leagues.
And it’s not just the bullpen that is providing record setting numbers. Mark Reynolds has set a single season major league record for strikeouts in two consecutive seasons. The team is currently leading the majors in strikeouts. These guys are fun to watch. Think about it. Pay for a ticket, and you can watch quality, exciting baseball for about seven innings, granted with a few strikeouts, but with a nice load of homers added in. Whether the home team is cruising, or even if they are getting killed, it doesn’t matter with this bullpen. If they have a big lead, it’s not safe. No lead is safe, and that has never been truer than for this team. They will make things interesting, and there will be some exciting baseball. Even if they are already getting plastered (in other words, Edwin Jackson started) the bullpen can come in, make things exponentially worse and then a position player can come in to pitch. Who doesn’t love seeing a position player pitch? Honestly, who can forget Mark Grace making a relief appearance and giving us the Mike Fetters impersonation?
There are quite a few positives with this team. I know I know the goal is to win a championship. But there was no way this team was winning anything without a healthy Brandon Webb this season anyway. This is the next best alternative. The young guys are continuing to develop. They are getting plenty of late-inning, pressure at-bats. The young starters that are pitching well, namely Ian Kennedy, aren’t going to get the same type of attention and money that they would normally get because wins and losses are still the biggest factor in contract negotiations. Thank you to the old, crusty baseball writers who continue to shun sabermetrics. As long as you know what you’re getting into, this can be a highly entertaining team to watch this summer.
This is just my point. Where else are you going to get this type of drama night after night? This is the best ticket in baseball. You are almost guaranteed a close, late-inning finish. I am not quite certain where Josh Byrnes wrangled up this bunch of rag tag arms, but these guys remind me of the Cleveland Indians in the movie, Major League. I know all of the similarities aren’t there, but really, where did this pitching staff come from? Half of these guys are bargain basement pick-ups that no one really expected to do anything again in the big leagues.
And it’s not just the bullpen that is providing record setting numbers. Mark Reynolds has set a single season major league record for strikeouts in two consecutive seasons. The team is currently leading the majors in strikeouts. These guys are fun to watch. Think about it. Pay for a ticket, and you can watch quality, exciting baseball for about seven innings, granted with a few strikeouts, but with a nice load of homers added in. Whether the home team is cruising, or even if they are getting killed, it doesn’t matter with this bullpen. If they have a big lead, it’s not safe. No lead is safe, and that has never been truer than for this team. They will make things interesting, and there will be some exciting baseball. Even if they are already getting plastered (in other words, Edwin Jackson started) the bullpen can come in, make things exponentially worse and then a position player can come in to pitch. Who doesn’t love seeing a position player pitch? Honestly, who can forget Mark Grace making a relief appearance and giving us the Mike Fetters impersonation?
There are quite a few positives with this team. I know I know the goal is to win a championship. But there was no way this team was winning anything without a healthy Brandon Webb this season anyway. This is the next best alternative. The young guys are continuing to develop. They are getting plenty of late-inning, pressure at-bats. The young starters that are pitching well, namely Ian Kennedy, aren’t going to get the same type of attention and money that they would normally get because wins and losses are still the biggest factor in contract negotiations. Thank you to the old, crusty baseball writers who continue to shun sabermetrics. As long as you know what you’re getting into, this can be a highly entertaining team to watch this summer.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Keys to Victory
Every single telecast or radio program throws out their keys to the game. Well, in my efforts to go mainstream (Really, I just want to have a way to get media credentials and get into Suns and D-Backs games. Cool? I think so; plausible, no not really.) I think I need to offer my keys to a series victory for the Phoenix Suns.
Let’s begin:
1. The Bench
Obviously, the bench needs to play great. The Lakers just don’t have the fire power to compete with Frye, Dudley, Barbosa and Dragic when they are on. Really, only two of these guys need to really be on and the rest just need to play solid defense and not turn the ball over. I know Lamar Odom comes off the bench and can really light it up offensively, but he plays a lot with the starters and can’t be a one man show. He just doesn’t have the mentality.
2. Jarron Collins
That’s right; Jarron Collins is a key to a Suns series victory. I’m sure you’ve heard that Robin Lopez is gaining strength and will probably play in the series, but Jarron Collins needs to start game 1. Why? You ask. I want him in the game the first time Kobe drives to the basket. The first time he goes into the lane, Jarron Collins needs to plant him on his keister, Raja Bell style. If he gets suspended, who cares? Lopez is back and healthy enough to fill in for Collins’ 15-20 minutes a night. Even if Lopez isn’t quite at full strength yet, he can’t be any worse than having a Collins out there just run up and down the court. It’s almost like the Suns start the game 4 on 5 since Lopez went out. Plus, this will guarantee more minutes for Lopez, and the Suns need his size and length against this team. Trust me this will work. We need to get inside Kobe’s head.
3. Outscore the Lakers
Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention. But seriously, people actually use this as a real key to a victory! I never thought that simply repeating the definition to winning would actually be a key insight into a game. (Editor's note: my nine-year-old brother proof read this post and upon reading the third key responded "No dur.")
4. Steve Nash vs. Derek Fisher
Breaking news: Derek Fisher is still starting in the NBA. He’s not only starting, he’s starting for the favorite to win the NBA championship. This means bad news for the Lakers. Steve Nash has the ability to tear him apart. Fisher just can’t guard him. I certainly don’t believe that Phil Jackson will be dumb enough to let anyone go one-on-one with Nash like Popovich did, but once he drives by Fisher and the Lakers’ bigs collapse to help, the three-point shooters will be open all day.
5. Ron Artest
Oh yeah, Ron Ron is definitely a key to the Suns’ success. I know he can be a pesky defender and can get under players’ skin, but his three-point shooting is awful. I mean, terrible. Artest is shooting 23% in the playoffs. That means good news for J-Rich. He will be free to roam and close in on Gasol and Bynum for double teams. We can only hope that Gasol can’t help but kick it out to a wide open Ron Artest for three.
Let’s begin:
1. The Bench
Obviously, the bench needs to play great. The Lakers just don’t have the fire power to compete with Frye, Dudley, Barbosa and Dragic when they are on. Really, only two of these guys need to really be on and the rest just need to play solid defense and not turn the ball over. I know Lamar Odom comes off the bench and can really light it up offensively, but he plays a lot with the starters and can’t be a one man show. He just doesn’t have the mentality.
2. Jarron Collins
That’s right; Jarron Collins is a key to a Suns series victory. I’m sure you’ve heard that Robin Lopez is gaining strength and will probably play in the series, but Jarron Collins needs to start game 1. Why? You ask. I want him in the game the first time Kobe drives to the basket. The first time he goes into the lane, Jarron Collins needs to plant him on his keister, Raja Bell style. If he gets suspended, who cares? Lopez is back and healthy enough to fill in for Collins’ 15-20 minutes a night. Even if Lopez isn’t quite at full strength yet, he can’t be any worse than having a Collins out there just run up and down the court. It’s almost like the Suns start the game 4 on 5 since Lopez went out. Plus, this will guarantee more minutes for Lopez, and the Suns need his size and length against this team. Trust me this will work. We need to get inside Kobe’s head.
3. Outscore the Lakers
Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention. But seriously, people actually use this as a real key to a victory! I never thought that simply repeating the definition to winning would actually be a key insight into a game. (Editor's note: my nine-year-old brother proof read this post and upon reading the third key responded "No dur.")
4. Steve Nash vs. Derek Fisher
Breaking news: Derek Fisher is still starting in the NBA. He’s not only starting, he’s starting for the favorite to win the NBA championship. This means bad news for the Lakers. Steve Nash has the ability to tear him apart. Fisher just can’t guard him. I certainly don’t believe that Phil Jackson will be dumb enough to let anyone go one-on-one with Nash like Popovich did, but once he drives by Fisher and the Lakers’ bigs collapse to help, the three-point shooters will be open all day.
5. Ron Artest
Oh yeah, Ron Ron is definitely a key to the Suns’ success. I know he can be a pesky defender and can get under players’ skin, but his three-point shooting is awful. I mean, terrible. Artest is shooting 23% in the playoffs. That means good news for J-Rich. He will be free to roam and close in on Gasol and Bynum for double teams. We can only hope that Gasol can’t help but kick it out to a wide open Ron Artest for three.
Friday, May 7, 2010
The Perfect Remedy
There are not many things that can cure a case of bad test taking, let alone a case of bad finals. However, I think I may have found the perfect remedy. His name is the Goran Dragic, the Slovenian Dragon. I spent most of today getting ready for some finals. They didn’t turn out too well. As a matter of fact, I think bombed might be an appropriate word. But you know what? I don’t really care right now. The Suns just took a 3-0 lead on the “Evil Empire” San Antonio Spurs. Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot.
Remember, how I wrote a little while ago that I didn’t want to play the Spurs. Well, I didn’t at the time, but I had no idea Greg Popovich was going start coaching with his eyes closed. I think Bill Simmons summed it up nicely with this tweet, “Mike Dunleavy is wearing a Gregg Popovich mask and running the Spurs into the ground right now. There's no other explanation.” I don’t see any other reason why he made no adjustments on the pick and roll. He switched every time down the stretch and let San Antonio’s bigs try and guard the Suns’ guards. Goran Dragic disemboweled them to the tune of 23 points in the fourth quarter. Dragic definitely deserves most of the credit for that win, but with a nod to Alvin Gentry for keeping him in the game for as long as he did. It can’t be easy to keep your two-time MVP on the bench in the most important game of the season so far, while a second-year, second round draft pick runs the team, regardless of how he is playing. Kudos to Gentry. Kudos to Dragic. Kudos to Steve Kerr. Kudos to this entire Suns team. Even if they aren’t scoring 120 a night, these guys are just as fun to watch because of their team chemistry and big-hearted bench.
If anything is fair and right in this world, the Lakers wouldn’t stand a chance of eliminating this team. Not with a psychotic Ron Artest, a cocky-as-can-be coach and a star guard who just had one of the creepiest photo shoots I’ve ever seen. (Really, if you haven’t seen Kobe’s fashion shoot pictures, google them, but do so at your own risk. There is something eerily Johnny Depp-Tim Burton-ish about them.) It’s cliché and everyone uses it, but I might just have to drop the D-word…but not yet. We will just have to wait and see how the Suns finish out this series and start the next. Then we can start to discuss this team’s des…Ha, not yet.
Remember, how I wrote a little while ago that I didn’t want to play the Spurs. Well, I didn’t at the time, but I had no idea Greg Popovich was going start coaching with his eyes closed. I think Bill Simmons summed it up nicely with this tweet, “Mike Dunleavy is wearing a Gregg Popovich mask and running the Spurs into the ground right now. There's no other explanation.” I don’t see any other reason why he made no adjustments on the pick and roll. He switched every time down the stretch and let San Antonio’s bigs try and guard the Suns’ guards. Goran Dragic disemboweled them to the tune of 23 points in the fourth quarter. Dragic definitely deserves most of the credit for that win, but with a nod to Alvin Gentry for keeping him in the game for as long as he did. It can’t be easy to keep your two-time MVP on the bench in the most important game of the season so far, while a second-year, second round draft pick runs the team, regardless of how he is playing. Kudos to Gentry. Kudos to Dragic. Kudos to Steve Kerr. Kudos to this entire Suns team. Even if they aren’t scoring 120 a night, these guys are just as fun to watch because of their team chemistry and big-hearted bench.
If anything is fair and right in this world, the Lakers wouldn’t stand a chance of eliminating this team. Not with a psychotic Ron Artest, a cocky-as-can-be coach and a star guard who just had one of the creepiest photo shoots I’ve ever seen. (Really, if you haven’t seen Kobe’s fashion shoot pictures, google them, but do so at your own risk. There is something eerily Johnny Depp-Tim Burton-ish about them.) It’s cliché and everyone uses it, but I might just have to drop the D-word…but not yet. We will just have to wait and see how the Suns finish out this series and start the next. Then we can start to discuss this team’s des…Ha, not yet.
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