First and foremost, all credit is due to Lebron. That was a great performance. Steve covered that. Here’s some bits and pieces I would like to clear up. No links today, I just have alot on my mind.
- The underrated, pretty much never talked about story from last night, the complete lack of help defense on Lebron. I’m not trying to take away from Lebron, but how in heck does he keep getting to the basket nearly unchallenged. I’m looking at you Sheed. I don’t care if he embarrassed you with that monster throw down in Game 4, stop standing there while the guy gets to the rim over and over in the closing minutes of a close contest. If this was truly the “Lebron Rules” like so many reporters want to label it, somebody would have knocked Lebron on their ass and made him put in the free throws, where at that point he wasn’t having a great game. That might have been the single sequence where Detroit has missed Ben Wallace’s toughness all season. It was all so entirely unacceptable I was screaming at my tv in despair because it was such an atrocious display of defense.
- I can’t make the above point without mentioning that it was partly set up by that horrible Flagrant 2 call early in the game on Antonio McDyess. I know the league is trying to establish a clean image, but my heart wrenches when calls like that are made. Part of what I and I’m sure many of you love about sports in the deep, primal, competitive nature of it all. There are going to be hard fouls, stop skirting around this. I have a theory that goes by an inappropriate name but lets just say it sounds like the ‘Wussification of America.’ Blame it on soccer moms with to little to do but complain about our country. Blame it on religious activist groups taking mythological texts far too seriously. Blame it on metrosexuals and emo kids. Hell I don’t care, just keep it out of sports and stop watering down our heroes Mr. Commissioner.
- Marv Albert was a little premature when he declared that “one of the greatest playoff performances in history.” Only the future can define whether it truly becomes that or not, especially since the Cavs still have a good chance of choking, but I refuse to acknowledge something as a greatest-ever moment when the level of play is so low and both teams are going to be absolutely slaughtered by the Spurs.
- Yes, all the games have been close, but nobody can truly tell me either team is playing to their highest potential. This is still a battle of attrition.
- Can you remember a superstar performance like that being so innately unlikable? Does anything about Lebron strike you as courageous? Yes, there were moments at the end of last night’s game where I said “shit, Lebron is unstoppable,” but that was less due to Lebron and more due to the Piston’s sudden inability to play real defense.
- Steve said it, but a little part of my soul screams and withers everytime somebody makes a snap Jordan comparison.
- Can we stop targetin A-Rod? I can’t believe how up in arms all these “old-timers” are getting about this. He didn’t even touch anybody. It’s the same as yelling at somebody as they go up for a jumper. This isn’t golf. Get over it people.
- I have high hopes for Steve Kerr in Pheonix. The man just has an incredibly high basketball IQ that was sometimes hindered by the broadcasting booth. Hopefully guys like Portland’s Kevin Pritchard and Kerr start a new wave of suprisingly-more-than-competent GM’s. Naturally, this hinges on KP taking Oden.
- This is the simple, bare bones version of my Oden over Durant argument. What Durant offers on the court can be at least 95% (but hell, he hasn’t even played yet) by other dynamic scoring small fowards. If you’re going to argue clutch factor here or hard work, you can find that as well. Blazers have a couple guys like that already. In “today’s NBA” Oden is so unique for his combination of size coupled with offensive and defensive talents that he forces every single team, besides team’s like SA, to adapt and plan future moves around him and competing with him. You can plan defensively for Durant the same way you do for any number of star swingmen. Plus, Oden has Bill Walton’s endorsement, who, despite his over-the-top rants and speeches, knows alot about this game. “Greg Oden is one of the most underutilized talents I’ve ever seen. Granted, he had the wrist injury in college, but this guy is a real unearthed gem,” said Walton.
- The argument is still there. Iavaroni still went to Memphis. Some teams are just stuck in the last decade. It’s amazing how the Pacers refuse to admit their mediocrity.
- You know why I don’t give a crap about John Amaechi, who is leading Salt Lake City’s gay pride parade. Because his big announcements came hand in hand with his new autobiography. Jose Canseco is making money off the steroids scandal. George Foreman is making money off ridiculous statements that he was drugs 30-some years ago before the Rumble in the Jungle. And John Amaechi is making money off being gay. I really wish ESPN would stop catering to bullsnap like this.
- UPDATE: Simmons rips from us again, even calling today’s game a “wussified sport.” Good god.