Cuban hit in the face

From the AP, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was hit in the face during Game 3 of the Mavs-Blazers series. Mark Cuban owns Synergy Sports, which provides statistical analysis to teams around the league. Though the Elias Sports Bureau may disagree, and no doubt Abbott is kicking himself for not doing this himself, it's clear that, in playoff games against the Portland Trailblazers where Mark Cuban is hit in the face, the Mavericks lose.

In other news, Andre Miller lost his gum.

We Meet Again

For the 12th time in NBA history, the Lakers and Celtics will meet in the Finals. The Celtics have 17 titles in 21 trips to the Finals. The Lakers have 15 titles in 31 trips. The Celtics are 9-2 against the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Celtics embarrassed the Lakers in the most recent matchup in 2008, wrapping up the title with a Game 6 blowout. Will 2010 be any different? To answer that, we need to weigh the differences between these teams and this matchup in 2010 with the 2008 versions.

The biggest personnel differences are Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace, Nate Robinson, Ron Artest and a healthy(ish) Andrew Bynum. For Boston, the personnel changes are basically a wash, as they provide the same skill set as the players they replaced (with the notable exception of 'Sheed's 3-point shooting). For Los Angeles, Ron Artest should help shut down Paul Pierce, and Andrew Bynum's presence will mean a lot, even if he is slowed by his knee injury.

The series itself is different this time around, too, as the Lakers have home court advantage. In the Finals, this is much more important than in all previous rounds because of the 2-3-2 format. It's extremely difficult to win 3 games in a row in the NBA Playoffs. This puts the underdog at a severe disadvantage - instead of winning one game on the road, the Celtics will probably have to win two games on the road as it's very likely they will drop at least one game at home.

The themes of this series will be: Kobe vs. the Celtics' team defense; Rondo vs. the individual defender tasked to guard him (probably Kobe); Ron Artest's defense on Paul Pierce; the battle of the big men and whether Ray Allen can catch fire.

There are a ton of other things to discuss when looking at this matchup, and I'm not going to get into any of them. My status as a Laker fan precludes me from performing a rational, streamlined analysis. I am excited and nervous. This is going to be a great series.

I'm taking Lakers in 6.

Take this pink ribbon off my eyes

Thanks to my fellow J.B. Sports Chat blogger, Beau, for inviting everyone to watch Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals Saturday night. A sports bar sounds like a great place to go at 8:00 this Saturday. I wonder if there's anything else in the wide world of sports going on Saturday night. Anything else going on? Anything at all?

Sure, you can come out and watch Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Or you can watch game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This year is particularly exciting for me because it's the first time since 2007 that I won't have to pick between the Penguins and the Red Wings, two teams I love to hate. It's also the battle of the comebacks. Chicago has only seen the finals once since 1973. The last time the Flyers won the Cup was in 1975, although they have made several ill-fated appearances in the finals since then. Chicago and Philly both making it to the finals this year is the most surprising comeback since Mickey Rourke in the Wrestler.

I am vexed by the oversight on my fellow blogger's invitation and I was all set to make this into a snarky, faux-feminist rant about how I'm being oppressed as the only female blogger here at J.B. Sports Chat. At once I took the omission of my favorite sport as a personal insult. But the truth is, any exclusion against me probably has less to do with me being a chick, and more about me being a hockey fan. These guys will pick their bright orange bouncing ball over my three inches of vulcanized rubber any day, and they have a history of excluding hockey. What can I say? They love balls. I respect that.

Still, my favorite sport was left out of the original invite. Even though it has been fixed now (thank you Beau) I still feel there is a score that needs to be settled. So that's right, Saturday night is now Lakers vs. Suns, Blackhawks vs. Flyers, and Kathleen vs. Beau. I will seek to settle the score throughout the night by challenging Beau to random games of both skill and chance. This may or may not include drinking games, arm wrestling, and seeing who can walk longer in stiletto heels without falling down (Beau has totally got that one.) The smart money on Saturday night is on Lakers, Blackhawks, and Kathleen.

Saturday Night Special

The Suns just beat the Lakers in what was just a sloppy effort by everyone on the Lakers not named Kobe Bryant. Derek Fisher deserves some serious blame for this one after some late game mistakes. And really, zone defense? Come on, it's just not that good. The Lakers are good enough to pick apart the zone with a couple of passes and a drive. The triangle offense isn't something that only works against man to man D. It works against all defenses; that's its beauty. But, it relies on the offense reading the defense and reacting. That just didn't happen appropriately last night. And these Lakers should be killing these Suns. Sure, the Suns have a fantastic offense, a deep bench (yet woefully inconsistent in this series), and Steve Nash's broken face, but the Lakers have Pau Gasol. If Pau erupts for 38 instead of Kobe, the Lakers win easy when the Phoenix defense collapses too much to keep Ron Artest and Kobe from sniping threes all night. But now, this suddenly best of 3 series is going to 6, at least.

In honor of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, we're having a viewing party at Cleveland Park Bar & Grill in Washington, DC. The game starts at 8:30 pm. We'll be there around 8:00 to talk basketball. Just so you know, very few of the contributors on this here blog actually live in DC. Our main Lakers guy is in L.A. and therefore won't be joining us. But that shouldn't stop some basketball fans from getting together and talking trash.

Hope to see you there.

The NBA's Final Four

We're getting closer. Today I'm going to rank the last four teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs based on the best chance to win it all.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are playing inspired basketball since the Game 4 blowout in OKC. I did predict that Kobe would go off in the Jazz series, but what I really get a kick out of is how every blog and media outlet is now proclaiming that Kobe is back to his old form. Well, I disagree (somewhat). Kobe obviously played better against the Jazz than against the Thunder, but a large part of that was the game plan and the opposing player guarding him. Thabo Sefalosha is one of the best defensive wing players in the NBA. Wesley Matthews is not. That is the main reason Kobe went off in the Jazz series. It's not because he's all of a sudden "back".

But I digress. The Lakers are operating on all cylinders, and a nice tune-up against a poor defensive team like the Utah Jazz combined with a one-week break to rest Bynum's knee and Kobe's finger/ankle/knee should prove to be invaluable to this team. Add to that the motivation to exorcise Phoenix demons and we should see Los Angeles advance to its third NBA Finals in as many years. They are the favorite to win it all.

1a. Orlando Magic

Of course, the Orlando Magic are absolutely crushing it this postseason. They are 8-0 and have been sitting at home watching the LeBron embarassment (hey LeBron - great players win championships) for nearly a week. Best team defense in the league, best defensive player in the league, a marquee point guard and a shooting guard who can pour it in when he's motivated enough to do so. The Magic are primed and ready to advance to their second NBA Finals in as many years. I just hope nobody sleeps on this team next year like they did this year. The only reason the Magic are #1a and not #1 is because beating Charlotte and Atlanta is not that impressive. They were clearly two of the weakest teams in the weaker conference's playoffs.

3. Boston Celtics

With their dismantling of the Cavaliers, the Celtics showed the world why you can never dismiss a championship team in future playoffs. This team is tough. This team is talented. And this team does not give up. Rondo is having a coming out party and their team defense is doing what it's so good at doing - shutting the other team down completely. Meanwhile, it looks like Paul Pierce is struggling. It will be hard for the Celtics to get past the Magic in the East Finals, but if Pierce can find his groove, it is entirely possible for the Celtics to advance.

4. Los Suns de Phoenix

The chemistry team. Steve Kerr was on the Dan Patrick show this morning and said that he could tell in training camp that this team just likes each other. That's a far cry from the usual distractions and prima donna personalities that the Suns have become known for over the past few years (hello, Amar'e Stoudemire). The resurgence of Grant Hill, the solid play of the Phoenix big men, the scoring of Jason Richardson and the masterful orchestration of the offense by Steve Nash have all combined to get the Suns to the West Finals. Unfortunately they (like almost everyone else) don't have the size to match up with the Lakers. But they do have the personnel to dictate the pace of the game, and they run the pick-and-roll as well as anyone in the league (which is the Lakers' main defensive weakness). If they can get past the Lakers, I could see them matching up well with the Magic and the Celtics. But they have to get there first.

Both of these series are going to be outstanding. I'll take Celtics in 7 and Lakers in 6 for a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals.

NY, NJ, or CHI?

Some people tell me that The Chosen One is a closer. I have yet to see the evidence.

The question now is, after losing for a second consecutive year before reaching the NBA Finals, despite having the best regular season record, what is LBJ going to do in the offseason?

The popular thinking is that, not being able to win with Cleveland, he's going to take his free agency and get the hell out of there. Only three teams really have the space under their cap to afford him: the NY Knicks, the NJ[Brooklyn] Nets, and the Chicago Bulls.

Safe money is on the Knicks, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that between Jay-Z and the new multibillionaire Russian owner of the Nets, and the promise of a Brooklyn franchise, it may be NJ/Brooklyn at the end of the day.

Thoughts?

Was this a hoax?

What were the Celtics doing during the regular season? A 4 seed should not be giving the best team in the NBA (by record) a lesson in smart play. Boston finished the season 50-32. That's good enough for 6th through 8th in the Western Conference. They have just dominated Cleveland at home for the second time in this series to gain a 3-2 lead. Is this a LeBron collapse? His injury surely has been played up enough. The truth seems to be somewhere along the lines of Boston wants it more and Mike Brown cannot coach.

Phoenix to wear 'Los Suns' Jerseys in Game 2, on Cinco de Mayo

From Good Blog:

The Phoenix Suns will wear "Los Suns" on their jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, owner Robert Sarver said, "to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation."

The decision to wear the jerseys on the Cinco de Mayo holiday stems from a law passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer that has drawn widespread criticism from Latino organizations and civil rights groups that say it could lead to racial profiling of Hispanics.

The "Los Suns" jerseys were designed and made as part of the NBA's "Noche Latina" promotional night, a recognition that 15% of the league's fan base is of Latino heritage, as are 18 of its players. Other participating teams are Los Lakers, Nueva York, and El Heat. 'Los Spurs' did not participate in Noche Latina, and thus will not be wearing the Latino-themed jerseys, despite Gregg Popovich's envy.

Magic-Hawks Preview

This series confuses me.

Orlando did exactly what was expected of them in sweeping Charlotte, despite not getting much scoring from Dwight Howard [Note: I do not believe that Howard played poorly - the man had 20 blocks in four games]. Atlanta struggled against an undermanned and less talented Bucks team, needing a full seven games to advance. Granted, the Bucks were better than the Bobcats. Regardless, based on first round results, Orlando should beat Atlanta easily.

But then I remember, as always, that the NBA Playoffs are all about the matchups. On paper, this is a very close series. Horford is big and athletic enough to handle Dwight's limited offensive game. Joe Johnson should be able to lock down Vince Carter. Josh Smith can take Rashard Lewis. Mike Bibby is old, but still effective. And Jamal Crawford is the well-deserved Sixth Man of the Year.

So we take into account all of the available information. Doing that, I'm going to have to say Orlando in 6.

[Predictions Recap: Lakers in 6, Spurs in 6, Cavaliers in 7 and Magic in 6.]

Lakers vs. Jazz

The Lakers and Jazz couldn't have closed out their respective first round series in a more dichotomous way. While the Lakers secured a series-clinching victory with a last-second tip-in by Pau Gasol (off a Kobe Bryant isolation miss), the Jazz had the clock run out on a nearly double-digit lead while Deron Williams injured his elbow (although it looked like his wrist) on a screen by The Birdman.

While the Lakers are rolling into Game 1 at Staples on a high, the Jazz just hope Deron Williams can play (he is apparently a game-time decision). Luckily for the Jazz, this is not the NFL. It's a long, seven game series (with a notable 3-day break between Games 2 and 3).

This series comes down to whether any wing player on the Jazz is able to defend Kobe Bryant (doubtful), whether Deron Williams can be stopped or even slowed by anyone on the Lakers (doubtful/questionable), and whether the Jazz front line can hold serve against the Lakers' front line (questionable).

The Jazz have the advantage at PG (D-Will over Fish).

The Lakers have the advantage at SG (Kobe over Wes Matthews) and C (Bynum over Fesenko).

SF (Artest/CJ Miles), PF (Gasol/Boozer), Bench (Millsap, Price, Korver, Kirilenko/Odom, Farmar, Brown, Walton) and Coaching (Phil and Jerry) are a wash.

This series will be similar to the Lakers' first round series against the Thunder, with the major difference being that the Jazz do not have a premiere wing player for Artest to guard. I would not be surprised to see Artest guard D-Will for extended periods of time, if he proves that he won't get beat off the dribble. We all know Fisher has no chance, and Kobe might not be up to the challenge for a full 7 games.

I would also expect to see a lot more Kobe scoring in this series. The Jazz literally have no one who can stop him, so he's going to be taking a lot of shots, getting to the line a ton, and putting up some gaudy numbers. The Jazz front line is also deeper and more physical than the Thunder front line, so Pau and Bynum will not have the same advantage as they did against OKC.

Utah is a tough place to play and a very good team, but I don't see them getting past the Lakers.

Lakers in 6.

Spurs vs. Suns - A Preview

I love this matchup. I loved it in the past, with all the referee controversy, and I am very excited for it this year. Hard-nosed defense and laser-precise execution (the Spurs) versus free-wheeling offense and big-time playmaking (the Suns).

The Spurs are possibly the best 7-seed I can remember. Duncan is playing well, Ginobili is Ginobili (with or without a giant breathe-right strip on his broken nose), and Tony Parker is as good as ever. George Hill's first round home games were a revelation, and Richard Jefferson wasn't completely useless. DeJuan Blair is a big boy who can rebound and play in the low post with the best of them.

On the other side of the ball, Steve Nash is still one of the most dangerous players in the Association, but he's limited by his sore back. Luckily, Dragic has been able to step in and be effective when Nash is resting. Jason Richardson was hitting threes "with no regard for human life!!" against the Blazers in the first round. And Grant Hill has played like a 26-year-old with no injury history (that is, amazingly). Leandro Barbosa doesn't seem as effective as I remember him, though, and Amar'e Stoudemire still can't play defense at all (neither can Nash, for that matter). The Suns go about 10 deep, though, which helps maintain the run-and-gun style throughout the game.

Ultimately, as it has been the last few years, Spurs vs. Suns is about grinding it out versus running until you can't run no more. But, as we all know, defense wins championships. The Suns can't compete on that front, and the Spurs should simply continue to get better as this series goes on.

Spurs in 6.

Playoffs? Playoffs? Well we ain't talking about practice

I've been quiet over the past few days even with the basketball world heading toward its most commercial and most competitive portion. I went to the Wizards finale against the Pacers. What a disaster. I'd analyze that game, but doing so is utterly worthless. Neither team was in playoff contention. The Wizards continued their auditions for next year and the Pacers continued to wallow in mediocrity. Pacers fans must like some of what they've seen over April, but it's too little, too late.

Now that playoffs have begun, I'll give my better late than never take, which, I'd like to think is better than our newest contributor's.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Chicago Bulls (8)
Chicago is scrappy enough to win a game if the Cavs lose focus, but in all likelihood, a couple of big wins by Cleveland will sap Chicago's energy (even Joakim Noah's). This will be over in four with a distinct lack of Ben Gordon heroics.

Orlando Magic (2) v. Charlotte Bobcats (7)
If these teams were better matched in talent, this series would be a fantastic coaching clinic. As it is, the Bobcats were heading toward another poor season until they traded an injured defensive expert Raja Bell for Stephen Jackson. Before the season began, the Bobcats swapped Emeka Okafor with Tyson Chandler. Mid-season, they acquired Jackson and, at the deadline, Tyrus Thomas. Chandler didn't help all that much by spending 31 games on the bench. Nazr Mohammed stepped in and Larry Brown's defense clicked. If the Bobcats can force double coverage on Gerald Wallace and get Dwight Howard in trouble, they can pull off more than a win in this series. The worst thing Larry Brown could do is to try to get Vince Carter in trouble. Vince Carter can lose this series (and any) for Orlando and at this point in his career, he is more likely to lose a game for his team than win a game. Either way, seeing the league's two best defenses make rotations that make you swear they each are playing a 6th man on D will be worth it.

Atlanta Hawks (3) v. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
Somehow, magically, Scott Skiles has taken the Bucks and made them fantastic. Unfortunately, a big part of this renaissance has been due to one Andrew Bogut. Bogut suffered a season ending injury so the Bucks lack their offensive big and will rely on John Salmons and rookie Brandon Jennings. This won't be enough unless the Hawks make some serious defensive mistakes. The Hawks are prone to defensive mistakes, though. The Hawks win this by scoring in the paint. Brandon Jennings will put on an amazing set of performances along with one of the coldest shooting nights in playoff history. This series has the chance to be the most entertaining, pitting defensive stalwarts against a highly efficient offense. Atlanta in 5 with Atlanta already leading 1-0.

Boston Celtics (4) v. Miami Heat (5)
Miami is again a five seed but facing Boston, who beat them three times this year. This series will prove what everyone already knows: Miami is Dwayne Wade and if Wade is off, Miami is out in 4. But, Wade won't be off by much and Miami will play solid defense. The problem for Miami is that Boston plays pretty damn solid defense as well. This series could go either way, but somehow, Doc Rivers will outcoach Spoelstra while Wade continues to not have the sidekick he needs in Jermaine O'Neal. This series could go to 7, but I'll say Boston in 6 with two instances of Paul Pierce returning from injury to help with a win. The first game in this series had one such instance as well as a Kevin Garnett ejection (not 'Sheed!). During Boston's championship season and last season, KG appeared to be an assistant coach as much as a defensive linchpin. This year, however, he's limped through as a shell of himself - not only has his quickness not come back, his ability to control teammates and opponents is lacking.


Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Oklahoma City Thunder (8)
Voila, courtesy of Bobby.

Dallas Mavericks (2) v. San Antonio Spurs (7)
This division rivalry will be fun to watch, but with five games separating them during the regular season, near identical paces, near identical offensive and defensive efficiencies, and a dearth of injuries, I just can't see this not being a seven game series. The problem is that I have no idea who wins this. Manu Ginobili will erupt. Dirk Nowitzki will erupt. I hate to think that the Spurs' decade of greatness is over, but it probably is. And if the Mavs don't win it all, will Cuban blow up the team? Dallas in 7.

Phoenix Suns (3) v. Portland Trailblazers (6)
This series is bad for basketball fans. The Blazers have been absolutely killed by injuries to key players this year. Now, their star is out for the series. Brandon Roy had arthroscopic surgery the other day. If Portland advances, Roy may play again this season. Portland has been Cool Hand Luke getting up every time they're knocked down by Dragline. Every single time. It's getting hard to watch, let alone comprehend. I just don't see a hero in waiting for the Blazers against these Suns - not Marcus Camby, not LaMarcus Aldridge, not Andre Miller, and not Jerryd Bayless. The luck and hunger needed for that just isn't going to happen. Plus, Phoenix could win it all this year. They're peaking at the right time and despite losing Robin Lopez, the Suns will win this in 6.

Denver Nuggets (4) v. Utah Jazz (5)
The feel good story is that George Karl comes back from cancer treatment in the second round and coaches the Nuggets all the way to victory in the Finals over Carmelo's friend LeBron. Of course, that would be much more likely if the Nuggets weren't going against the tenacious and physical Jazz. Jerry Sloan's team is banged up, but so are the Nuggets. This series could go to 7 games or interim head coach Adrian Dantley could implode and the Jazz win in 6. A key to this series is whether Chauncey Billups takes each game as his to win or shares the ball with people not necessarily named Carmelo Anthony.



I love the second season that is the NBA Playoffs, but wow do I hate the commercials that aren't related to Old Spice.