Drafted

We'll be talking about this draft straight thru next season when these rooks take to the court, some as studs, others as duds. I do like me a draft, but this year's was confusing to say the least. All the moves, shake downs, shake up, second round 2007 for 23rd pick, I mean seriously... I think GMs were a little upset they couldn't just snatch up high school players and hold on to them like they used to.


Old-fashioned stee-lo

Call me traditional, but I like it when teams make a pick and stand by it. I like Charlotte getting Morrison, he can stash it up next to Raymond Felton and a hopefully healthy Emeka Okafor...

The Hawks will probably stand by Shelden Williams who can play some inside game when Josh Smith is on one of his cold streaks.


"I was robbed, that little f**ker robbed me

I am still confused by the Foy/Roye deals involving the Blazers and the Celtics and the Bulls. I guess the Bulls might try to make a play for Kevin Garnett? Something tells me that the trades are not over for these teams. I don't like Sebastian Telfair, but apparently the Danny Ainge does. Makes sense since his has a history of ridiculously stupid moves (Antoine has a ring, wha!?!) Telfair is weak, small and too flashy and too related to Starbury. It seems like the Bulls are just playing around with their free #2 pick from the Stinkin' Knicks... Paxson has free money, and appears to have the ability to both rebuild and make the playoffs for two straight years... I think Tyrus Thomas is going to be a fun rookie.

J.J. Reddick on the Magic is great news. White boys love Orlando, or Orlando loves white boys... either way, the Magic are on the up and up. Ditching Steve Francis is the best thing a team can do these days and now the Magic can have J.J. and Darko on the bench, something tells me they are going to be close.


Shades of Darko??

There is too much to talk about, I'm just looking forward to next season. The only thing I like better than the playoffs is the regular season!

You think you wuz robbed J-Smoov?? Check this out!

Woo-Hoo!!

The time will come for a proper discussion of tonight's draft shenanigans, with its attendant bevy of trades. Wow. But meanwhile, let me be one of the first to welcome the Stro-Show himself, none other than Stromile Swift, *back* to the Grizzlies where he belongs. Ha! That is awesome! He stunk up the court something fierce last season with the Rockets -- so much so that he made Juwan Howard look good, for chrissakes -- but he was always one of my favorite Grizz kids. Maybe he'll remember how to play basketball again. Maybe he'll just tantalize us with his athleticism instead. In any case, at least the uniform and the look will be familiar.


Here I come, I come, I come, I come.....

NBA Draft 2006

The season might be over, but to those Serious Playas of whom we know they numbaz iz dwindling, we can look forward to another NBA filled weekend when the 06-07 Draft hits home.

I need to read up on my scouting reports, refresh my mind with the new class of rooks. I think it's going to be an exciting draft. Lots of trades on draft day are sure to switch things up. The Raptors are up at number #1 spot, but as usual I think the meat of the draft will be in the 3-11 spots a la Dwayne Wade.

I am looking forward to any insights from the group of serious playas as this will be the first time we have had a blog during the draft... so keep up the fight, keep the dream alive, do what you got to do and play one game at a time.

Credit to the Heat

Pat Riley is a genius? I don't think so, but he did bring something intangible to this Heat team... and something VERY tangible to Miami - a championship. Say what you will, but that team pulled off an amazing feat. They were toast in the 4th quarter of game 3... they were maybe just one more Gary Payton turnover or one more Antoine Walker missed shot from going down 3-0 and having NO shot at a title this year. But alas... the Heat had one thing that Dallas did not - DWade. A superstar is born... eat your heart out LeBron... What a playa!

Hooray for DWade! Hoorah for Shaq! Hooray for Alonzo and Payton ... who by-the-way can now lay their head on their pillows every night and sleep in peace... thanks be to Shaq for coming... and to Riley for drafting the kid Flash AND for motivating some old dudes to play a little defense (just enough).

Suddenly during game 6 of these finals I found myself rooting for Miami. I realized that the only reason I was rooting for Dallas was that I had picked them to win... and I like to be right. But let's face it... despite a few Heat-ish calls by the refs, Dallas blew their shot. They were almost tasting the champagne two weeks ago with 6 minutes to go in game 3... and now they are tasting bitter dissapointment over what could have (should have) been. They just played like shit from game 4 on.

Yes, this series was a triumph for all the old men down in Miami, but it was equally as much a collosal meltdown for the Cuban Mavs. To bad too because these chances don't just come along every year. It'll only get tougher for Dallas to even make it back to the finals. That's OK though 'cause they had their shots... and they threw up a 4 bricks in a row. It's gonna be a long hot summer in big D.

Credit to Miami!

shaman

Cuban changes his song

"The NBA couldn't rig the games if it wanted to. And it doesn't want to. It's that simple."

Cuban says he didn't yell at Stern after Game 5

Apparently The Miami Herald is reporting I screamed at the NBA commissioner after the game the other night," Cuban wrote Tuesday. "Didn't happen. Didn't say a word to the man. Not a single word. And that was absolutely by intention."

"Apparently this 'reporter' [writer Greg Cote] has written he has several 'sources.' Well they must be the same sources the tabloids use to find two-headed babys and aliens, because it didn't happen."

Smoking Cuban

"Cuban then turned to Stern and other NBA officials who were seated at the scorer's table and was overheard to shout venomously in the jubilant din, ``[Bleep] you! [Bleep] you! Your league is rigged!''
Official coverup?...

Tonight is going to be triple-K-razy.

More Cuban cussing here

...Miguel are you down for free pizzas and popcorn and 3$ Labatts?? Anyone in NYC should come on out to BKLYN & watch the krucialest game 6 this year @ Redd's Tavern where if you score 200 or more on skee-ball you get a free beer.


the secret is to bank it

The Mad Maverick

Well, it appears that Dwyane found his gonads in time to teabag the Mavs en masse with his enormous chocolate ballz. Funny how those freakish testes could go missing in the first place, but I digress... How many consecutive shots did Wade hit at the close of regulation in last night's game, anyway? 4? 5?? 6??? I lost count, but it seemed he was the only member of the Heat touching the ball in the last 3 or so minutes. Funny thing, I don't think he was doubled much. WTF was that about, Avery?

uh oh....



Avery: Uh.... y-you tell me. What was *your* impression?

Me: uh, (nervous laugh), unfortunately nobody cares about my impression....

Avery: Naw, you tell everybody here, y'know... You tell us. What was your impression?

Me: My impression is that you weren't doubling him much.

Avery: No, that's.... All right. That's a political answer. So, let me ask you the question again: what was your impression of that?

Me: (silence)

Avery: We're waiting...

Me: No double team?

Avery: I'm asking you the question, what was your impression?

Me: I don't know what to say. What do you want me to say?

Avery: Naw, I want you to give all, uh, everybody an hon'ast answer. We got people from Israel, and um, Minnesota, Chicago... all over. Dallas, y'know... Germany....

Me: I'll follow up with another question if that's all right.

Avery: Yeah well... go ahead.

Me: Th-th-th......

Avery: Don't stutter!

Avery Johnson Gets Pissed


Dangerous stuff going toe-to-toe with Avery "go tell it on the mountain" Johnson. But what can I say: aside from the weirdness of not doubling Wade when it counts in regulation, I fully sympathize with the hokey-dokey calls (and non-calls) that, in addition to Wade's masterful performance, gave the Heat advantage in the Finals series. I expect, however, that the basketball gods will make amends and grant the Mavs "deuce!" Dirk and company have earned the right, anyway, having eliminated the defending champions on their homecourt in a game 7. A game 7 in this series is virtually assured. It was my fervent hope to see a game 7, wringing every last bit of basketball from the postseason, and it appears we're well on our way.

David Stern's Wizard of Oz-like grip on the fates of these games notwithstanding, I still like the Mavs in 7.

...

2-2

Things certainly can change in the NBA can't they,...
we got a series afterall. Miami deserves their props, they looks pretty good last night (but the Mavs looked even worse)


My names is James, for those keeping score at home...

and I am a happy guy

Game 2

Has anyone seen my balls? Seriously, they are missing

If you are like me, you watched Game 2 last night in the comfort of your favorite chair with a cold one and some curry chicken salad with peanuts. And what you saw was one basketball team literally demolish another. I am not sure if demolish is the right word. Dismantle? Destruct? Detangle? Detonate? Defribulate.... that's what Shaq look like he needed... 5 pts. 6 rbdns. Shack Attack. How about Dwayne "I can't believe I'm not that good after all" Wade's 6-19 shooting? With Shaq playing on death's door and Wade getting double teamed on defense.... the Miami Heat are about as good as the Milwaukee Bucks. However take away Dirk and Jason Terry and you still have Devon "not Marquis Daniels" Harris getting loco on your ass and Josh "so handsome" Howard bringing that all 'round game. The difference in depth shows how Avery Johnson is just a way better coach than Riley. Avery Johnson might as well host a television show called "Pat Riley can't coach a toilet to flush." Nah, I am joking... Avery has got love for all of god's creatures.


Dirk, I love you, but you got stop looking so confused, you are good, you can do it. J-Terr, I love your socks.

I love Avery Johnson right back, I want to go to his house and eat up all his food. Oh man, Jerry Stackhouse's 19 pts off the bench??? Somewhere Michael Finley has Stackhouse's portrait on a dartboard (right next to the Tim Duncan one). Stack has been all over the place in these first two games. If they had 6th man award for the finals, he gets it.

As far as this series goes it looks like a finely tuned team playing a bunch of losers waiting for there teams stars to turn it on and Antoine Walker. Can someone tell Gary Payton to stop playing basketball already? What's that? They are already did... Oh, okay, that makes sense. 27 minutes on the court and the Glove ices 2 pts. Nice. The second half last night was ridiculous. When your team is set back by an injury to Udonis Haslem, you probably don't have what it takes to win a championship. And PS. Udonis did that to himself with that crazy out of control shot block attempt. What about James 'wrong place at the wrong time' Posey... he fouled out for god's sakes and he is the defensive stopper? He was outplayed in every situation he was in. I can't believe Riley has to talk to Posey and Payton and send them back out there again... Like a sheep to slaughter. And seriously, why isn't Doleac on the court? Is he hurt? I want to see Doleac and Van Horn duke it out for biggest dork of an ex-Knick.

If the Mavs take one game at Miami (which you know they will) then they have two chances to win in game 6 + 7 back in Dalls. This means Miami is done. Miami never got started. I demand Riley give the coaching job back to Stan Van Gundy. Stan Van would have more going on than Riley... Stan would play Doleac. Oh, if only it were Stan Van vs. Avery 'loving you' Johnson, that would be a series.


The only people that like me are out of touch old white men.

"F*ck you Spurs, F*ck you Pistons"

No rematch.

Post game

Rachel Nichols: "Shaq have you ever been blocked like that? How many guys in the league can do that to you?"

Shaq: "That was a foul young lady. Don't ask dumb questions."








THAT WAS ALL BALL, YOU BIG BABY!

.

another play on the word 'bell'

Ding Dong

lifeline

Don't leave me hangin' guys... if we lose, I'm out of a job. Damn that Pat Riley.

west is best

this west final 4 is amazing... i can see any of these four teams advancing to the finals... and I will root for whomever comes out of the west... why is that?... perhaps the western way of ballin' is just a better brand of basketball (nod to Elton)?... or maybe there is just a higher level of play?... more balanced teams?... whatever the case, the west is just more fun to watch (for me... obviously)...




as much as I like Pop, Timmy, Manu, and the boys, I picked Dallas to win the west... but I now have my doubts (after Jason Terry lost his head and cost his team dearly) since game 7 is in San Antonio... Dallas is tough and ready to break through... but the Spurs are tough and primed to get the win... I am leaning towards the Spurs now... Ginobili!



as for Raja Bell and the Suns... it's loooking good (see previous game 7 against the "other" LA team)... will the shots continue to fall?.... with fresh legs, I say they do and my Suns move on (again) sans Amare... to face a beast from Texas in the western finals... however, if those shots are not fallin' for PHX, the Clippers will win... and give Texas all it can handle in the semis... we shall see...

shaman

Historical James

Three game 7s in 36 hours! What more could a serious fan want? How about a first game 7 between the mighty Pistons and LeBron and the James Gang... featuring the the greatest 21 year old athlete of our age -LeBron James (sorry Tiger) - with his first chance at making Serious history. The world is watching.

What an opportunity for LeBron! If he leads this Cavs bunch past the Pistons - his legend, his hype, his confidence just grows... as well it should because these other Cavs just ain't good enough to compete with Detroit... but they got LeBron... and that is something that no other team can say. If I was on that team, I would believe. All they have to do is go out and play their role... defend... rebound... like there is no tomorrow... hit some open shots... LeBron will give them their opportunities. He has given them this historic one. Now what will they do with it?

What will HE do with it?

I am not betting against him (but I can't put my money in the hands of the James Gang). Larry Hughes anyone?

shaman

Censorship Scandal!!

Hey, where the hell is that fine picture of Chris Kaman icing that pesky right shoulder of his, which ran with words of his responding to an unappreciative shaman, who an entry or so earlier was cutting the big man down to size?? I believe the Flowing Mane said something to the effect that he had played his heart out for shaman, some of the best basketball of his career, and that he has his sights set on the Western Conference Finals, and that shaman should quit that nasty man-crush he has on Shawn Marion. It seems that the powers don't want the Flowing Mane to be heard! Scandalous!

I suppose this picture will have to suffice, as a representation of what was lost in the discourse.....

LeBron to World: "We ain't pigs."

Asked where the Cavs' poise was coming from, and why they weren't showing any fear or intimidation, James wondered aloud whether the questioner was serious. His team had taken a detour to St. Louis between Games 4 and 5 to attend the funeral of Larry Hughes' younger brother, and the experience of sharing in the mourning with their teammate had given them a new perspective on what's important. A tough time is not an 0-2 deficit, a tough time is watching a teammate try to comfort his mother as she buried a son who spent only 20 years on this Earth.

"We're all grown men, and this is just basketball," James said. "It's not life and death, and it's not like they're the big bad wolf and we're the three little pigs. We all lace our shoes up the same way."

Raja!

For Whom the Bell Tolls

comment to come... after this amazing double OT game...

Is It All Just a Dream? (Neon Flame Ignite!)

After a solid run that will stand as one of the most memorable in the storied history of the New York Knickerbockers franchise, it looks like it's over for Larry Brown. What was it he said back in his last days with the Pistons? That it would be a "dream job" to coach the Knicks? The dream was all ours, Larry, what a dreamy season it was -- worth the $40 million buyout. (Don't spend it all in one place!) With dreams like this, who needs cable television? Thanks for teaching the kids the game, Lar, and installing a solid system with sound fundamentals and defensive principles. The team you leave behind bears the mark of a master, a true sensei. Don't sweat the record, bro....


Thank god New Yorkers have Isiah "Man with the Plan" Thomas! If anyone can turn this struggling franchise around, its Zeke. The time has come to remake the Knicks in your image, Isiah, and finish the urgent job of making the Knicks the most intimidatingly deplorable franchise on the face of the earth. You are a godsend, my man! The day that hordes of Knicks fans seize the Garden and burn it violently to the ground is nigh.

When it comes, I want Jim Dolan's spleen on a plate.