2 Days & Counting

Until the best time of the year.

LeBron James has got to be loving life right about now. Yesterday around this time, he was looking at closing out the season and beginning the toughest road to the Finals. They would have to go through Miami and Detroit just to get to the ECF. Today, they are the #2 seed. Last year they beat Washington, this year they are beating up on Washington. Then they get either New Jersey or Toronto. One relies on three players and Mikki Moore and the other has no playoff experience. If they do not get to the ECF, it should be one of the most disappointing seasons ever.
Last night’s Clipper/Hornet game was just sad. First of all, Tom Tolbert was on the mic which is always sad. Also, Dunleavy wouldn’t let the score be flashed, so the players had no clue they had been eliminated in the 2nd quarter. I’m sure a few people in the crowd knew, but the teams didn’t. And Elton Brand is taking potential game-tying threes. Just sad.
Reasons #1-20 why Detroit won’t win the title are all Flip Saunders. For pete’s sake, the guy decided last night’s starting lineup by drawing straws. It’s a pretty simple equation, when you are the #1 seed and have nothing to play for…you don’t play your best players. Too much to lose and NOTHING to gain. Good move Flip.
I love this title; ‘If Bulls Can Contain Shaq, They’ll Get Past Heat’. I’m sure if this guy lived in Phoenix we would get a headline like; ‘If Kobe Averages 70, Lakers Beat Suns’.
You have to feel for Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and his seemingly imminent firing. I mean first off in Detroit, he leads them to back-to-back 50-32 seasons, wins Coach of the Year and gets fired because they wanted Larry Brown. He lands in Indiana and they go 61-21 only to lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to Detroit. It looked like it would only be a matter of time before they got their win and made it back to the Finals. The next year in 05…Artest & Co. goes wild, with haymakers they take Indiana from NBA Title contender to the lottery like that. Amazingly, Carlisle leads them to the playoffs (go look at the guys he had playing). It was all out of his control, plus management made a half retarded trade halfway through the season. Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson for Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy?? You can’t make that trade in NBA Live. With all that, Jermaine O’Neal gimping on one leg and Tinsley jacking up threes the Pacers eventually collapsed. Carlisle can only work so many miracles. Someone is getting a hell of a good coach next year.
Everyone talks about how the Bulls want the Heat, but no one is talking about how the Heat want the Bulls. You think they don’t have something to prove? There are going to be a lot of people doubting the Heat, fueling flames to their fire. Who wants to play against an angry Shaq? And remember..it was the Bulls who played the Heat the closest last year during the playoffs. It was Kirk Hinrich who “played D-Wade the toughest” and forced him into his worst playoff series. You think the Heat don’t remember that?
Clipper Nation; already depressed.
I can’t link to this one (I hate subscription sites), but it looks like the Kings won’t be bringing Eric Musselman back. I for one thought it was retarded for them to fire Adelman in the first place. Now I look like a genius. Good luck getting someone who wants to coach Artest.
Normally any team should shudder when they screwed their lottery changes thanks to Joe Smith and Andre Miller. But you have to appreciate what Mo Cheeks did in Philly. Without AI (starting from when they ‘barred’ him) the 76ers went 30-34. I wonder if Philly fans appreciate this, or hope that they had tanked. This might be classic case of false hope. But I’m a big Mo fan so it put a smile on my face.

(I can still remember the day he got fired. My dad called me during my free period in high school. I was devastated. That day was the beginning of the end of the ‘sports caring way too much’ period between me and the Blazers and my hatred of Kevin Pritchard. More on that later.)

This article talks about Adonal Foyle losing his ‘dubious distinction’ of playing forever and not making the playoffs. Last I checked, everyone and their mom thinks he’s one of the worst players in the league. That’s a pretty dubious distinction right there.
Can’t not love Chris Bosh getting some praise, can you?
Paul Pierce says the Celtics are going to the Playoffs next year. Actually he made a ‘vow’. Watch out…he’s going off next year. Guaranteed. No superstar just says that to say that. It’s not like Ruben Patterson who said that.

(Ruben is in my Top 5 of players who might just walk into the locker room after a game and bash everyone in the head with a steel chair. The rest, in no order; KG, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson,

To Atlanta fans; this is a lie. The real reason for the latest lost season is this; no point guards + no centers + 18 small forwards = disaster.
I highly doubt Phil Jackson ever looks at this Laker roster and smiles, like this article states he could.
So if I had told you three years ago, that the Warriors would make the playoffs and get 4,000 people at their arena to WATCH them do it…you would have laughed in my face. It happened. It makes me jealous…I hope I feel that way for the Blazers again.
Speaking of the Blazers; memories can give us hope right?
Vinsanity returns to Toronto…and apparently they are ready. As much as I love Bosh, I’m not so approving of this move

Why? Saying you ‘want’ another team is never smart…especially when a motivated Vince Carter is involved.

Also, it looks as if Kevin McHale is coming back…as is Randy Wittman. And apparently KG will continue his jail sentence in Minnesota. And yes that sound you hear is screaming from Minnesota fans. It will go away soon enough.

And apparently there are actually other sports than basketball. A-Rod did it again. Remember this article when A-Rod starts slumping and people start calling him out. I say he either enjoy it while it lasts, or just keeps killing. Anywho, back to the point; I still don’t buy it. Everyone has known A-Rod is good…he’s just good back to being good. That’s it. This is so early in the season it is ridiculous. I would compare this to Sh
aq going for 30 and 14 in the first five games of the season. It’s Shaq, he can still do that…but call me when he is taking over playoff games. Ditto for A-Rod, call me when he is doing it in October.

Plus…did anyone see that ‘celebration’. Clutch guys, number one guys, they’ll pump their fist, they shake their head, they know they are coming through in the clutch. Thus it is not a surprise. A-Rod was jumping around, hands in the air like ‘OH MY GOD I DID IT!!!’. Not impressive; he seemed far too relieved than sure of himself. Call me in August when he’s slumping people.