Quote of the day

Madeline: I'm sorry, who are you again?
Fletch: I'm Frieda's boss.
Madeline: Who's Frieda?
Fletch: My secretary.
- Fletch

Heat - Suns Game 6 Review

Stunned I am. What happened to the Mavs run and gun? What happened to the great Dirk Nowitzki - the 7 Footer who can shoot threes and drive to the basket (and who's skillset and height should make him the best player around). Was it the Heat defense backed by Riley coaching or the Mavs inexperience? Why does Dampiere deserve $60mm? (didn't i hear that was his contract size from the telecast)

As for those Mavs fans and viewers who didn't like the fouls on Wade at the end of the last two games, I say get over it. The Mavs had their chance to close this series in Game 3 and blew it. The Mavs had emotion at their back after losing 3 in a row (previously almost unthinkable) and coming to their home crowd with Stackhouse back. They had a 14 point lead and blew it.

I was all ready to write how the NBA's defensive rules on hand checking and others that have quickened the pace of the game so much that there is no defense and just track meet basketball ala Dallas vs. the Suns. But scrap that email...a slower hard hitting team just took the championship. Is it ironic that 2 questioned fouls in 2 separate games got so much attention when increasing the fouls on defense in general by league rule changes is one of the reasons the Mavs style is so potent!

There might be some who will be quick to annoint Dwyane Wade the king of the world and dismiss Shaq as riding the Wade wave. I am not so quick to do so. Wade has shown he is a big time player rising to the occasion that I previously commented that there is such lack of in the NBA. But let's not lose sight of the importance of Shaq. Without Shaq, Kobe got how far? Impressively to the 2nd round, but not to the finals like so many years prior. Without Shaq, Lebron got how far? 2nd round, but not to the finals. Single great players cannot win on their own. Even Michael Jordan had a constant Scottie Pippen and at the time fans truly appreciated the value of Scottie Pippen (as he was one of the ones chosen to be on the NBA top 50 of all time category, and the US olymplic dream team).

I am happy for the Heat, because I now like Shaq. I didn't always feel that way; I used to just believe he was a big body. But Shaq "gets it" and he wants to win. At least when he speaks, he speaks about the team and respect for Wade. He could be cocky and talk about how he is the one who got doubled teamed so much of the time to free up other players, but he doesn't. Overall I think Shaq was an underdog this year and proved he's still got something left. Though I can't have this discussion with out mentioning my disgust with his free throws. I don't understand how someone can have a bad free-throw percentage. It is the exact same shot in the exact same place every time. It should be automatic. In fact I think every GM is a FOOL for not including a salary penalty for low free throw percentages. They are free points that you have to take advantage of.

Lastly on the much talked about Mark Cuban...I am not sure I care enough to write about it, but this espn writer makes some interesting points in the second to last paragraph of his piece with the Iverson analogy. The ESPN Article

What's on the Radio?

For those of you who enjoy an electic wide variety of music, actually for anyone who enjoys music in general...you must try the yahoo radio. For free, you can create your "own" station and get only the songs you want played. If you have the time, you can rate specific songs, either "i love it" or "don't play again"...over time you get the most perfectly tuned radio station with any kind of music you want played. It's like an Ipod on the internet. But no downloading...just select your ratings right over the internet. Like one song by one artist but not all the rest of his stuff...no problem - just rate that one song. (ie. Rock me like a hurricane by the Scorpions)

Separately, Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 is simply a fantastic song.
Check out this contribution from TSA http://www.break.com/movies/sundaybush.html

Code Monkey has alerted me to a simply amazing website...all the 80's videos! and they stream very easily.

Heat - Suns Game 5 Review

Wow! That is why they play the game.

This playoff season has been one of the most interesting and fun to watch in a long time. I believe there have been a record number of overtime games and we just saw one in the NBA Finals.

The Heat pull through in what I previously declared a must win game for the Heat in order to have a shot at the title, given the ridiculously unfair 2-3-2 format. We'll never know what Stackhouse there might have done, but I think it is a moot point because Howard and Harris both played extremely well. Defense on Dirk continues to be excellent.

Of this series, for me, Jason Terry is the surprise. That guy can play....drives to the basket and makes outside shots with a high shooting percentage. (I may be late in realizing this by not paying enough attention in the regular season)

As for the timeout that Josh Howard called...I am reminded of the Chris Webber ill fated timeout called that he didn't have during the NCAA Championship during the Fab 5 era. Alas since Webber's pro career has been mixed and uninspiring, the timeout will never be forgotten. But it turns out as I have read today that Josh Howard has had this problem before though in a just a regular season ACC game...can't compare to the NCAA championship or the NBA Finals game. (from epsn.com In college, on Feb. 24, 2002, Howard was with Wake Forest when he called a timeout he didn't have with 1.3 seconds left against Maryland. That's a technical foul, and Juan Dixon made 1-of-2 free throws to win the game)

After Game 2 when the Mavs were up 2-0, tradesports.com listed the mavs as 68% likely to win the championship. Now the market stands at even. And I agree. I think you have to give Game 6 to the Mavs coming off 3 loses in a row and returning home. Game 7, for the title, and I don't know who will win.

Heat - Suns Game 4 Review

"Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated." - Tom Sawyer

With 8 minutes left from effective elimination 2 games ago, Wade and the Heat have gone from thinking about fishing in the summer to trying to win a championship. Did the Heat play a great game on Thursday. Unclear. Or was it the emotionally defeated Mavericks after the previous game's loss that couldn't bring it. Either way we have a legitimate series and remember it took Dallas 7 games against San Antonio with an overtime, and 6 to get through the Suns...so they do not have a history of closing out big opponents in short order.

Though not an elimination game, the key and deciding game will be game 5. It is Miami's last opportunity at home and they have to win it before they go back to Dallas. (let's not get started on the 2-3-2 format - which i think is decidely unfair for the lower ranked team).

Heat - Suns Game 3 Review

Wow...Was i wrong on many counts.

I again turned off the Game at the start of the 4th qtr. I confidently proclaimed the Heat done for the game and I therefore confidently claimed that the NBA finals were over and no longer worth watching and time to focus solely on the World Cup. Was I wrong.

Was I wrong about my previous comments that few have shown the ability to show up with the will to carry a team and defy defeat? Wade showed up to play!

Now we must watch on at least for one more home miami game. We have to give credit to the morale lift they are going to receive. Afterall when they were down 12 in the 4th qtr, the look in their eyes told me they were done. That look has to be gone now and that is 1/2 the battle.

My analysis of the Heat demise will have to wait at least one more game.

Heat - Suns Game 2 Review

I must admit...i couldn't bear to watch passed the 3rd qtr and I apparently I didn't need to.

While it would be very easy to say that Shaq was an unmitigated disaster in Game 2...I think further analysis points to more. Wade? Did he even show up this game? Shaq was held to only 5 points in the game, but Shaq was doubled teamed the entire game. You try playing 2 on 1 and tell me how well you do. But in theory this means there is a man open for Miami, yet no open man was able to convert. I believe this lies in the hands of Wade to create. If the rest of the Heat can't win at 4 on 3, then they have no business in the NBA finals.

Antoine Walker? I keep hearing how he was this great starter for the Celtics and big scorer and how he took this role change. He doesn't look like a star to me. The only positive I have to say for Miami is Haslem. He has shown he can contain Dirk (at least up until now) and that is no small feat...which makes Miami's struggles even greater than they would appear (ie these beats would have been even worse without Haslem's defense).

Watching this series and this playoffs had me thinking of the times of Michael Jordan. It is I think so easy to see how great he was, even more so in retrospect. The guy refused to lose and had the ability to carry his team and will it to win (no matter how many people guarded him). I definitely don't see that in Shaq (ever- historically or in the future). Lebron James shows glimpses of that every so often...but i will not be in line to be claiming him the next Michael Jordan, despite what Nike will have you believe with their blatant #23.

Heat - Suns Game 1 Review

Game 1 was lost on 1 issue…missed free throws from both shaq and wade. With fouls to give, if shaq can’t make free throws he is nullified as a serious threat to the mavs no matter how big he is.

Shaq and Wade are clearly the better players vs. Nowitzki and Terry. But what the Heat can’t match is the SPEED. The Mavs are just too fast. The transition offense leads to easy baskets. The heat could win if the game was played on half a court, but running the distance they are no match. Nowitzki will not be a dud in Game 2.