Well, the Celtics beat the Spurs today. That's right, Tim Duncan came to Boston and left with a loss for the first time since those ping-pong balls bounced the wrong way more than a decade ago. And it feels pretty damn good. Hell, they did it without Kevin Garnett! In what has been a season of disbelief for this C's fan, the green continue to entertain and surprise in equal measure. While the thought of challenging the Bull's all-time single-season mark is a distant memory, Boston continues to cement it's status as a true contender with each win, particularly those over the Western Conference. Raise your glasses in a toast to K.G., Pierce, Allen, Rondo, Posey, Big Baby, and co., and a few thoughts as the players head to New Orleans for the all-star break.
Chris Paul is my run-away pick for M.V.P., no small claim given the seasons submitted by Garnett, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, and especially Kobe Bryant, who I'm starting to fear will go down as the greatest player never to win one. But Paul's impact has been greatest, leading New Orleans to an astonishing 34-15 record, sitting atop the stacked Southwest division. Though I hate the cliche, Paul really is one of the rare players who makes his teammates better (You think it's a coincidence that David West is headed to the all-star game?). Averaging 20.4 points, 10.9 assists, & 2.57 steals per game, Paul has challenged Steve Nash's title as the league's top point guard.
Speaking of all-stars, the coaches did a relatively decent job picking the reserves this year. The biggest gripes among western stars belong to Manu Ginobili, Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, Josh Howard, and Deron Williams. But looking at the roster, it's hard to pinpoint who to take off the squad. In the East, Ray Allen's exclusion is the most troubling, given the Celtic's record and the fact that his numbers are comparable to Richard Hamilton and Joe Johnson who were both selected. While I believe the all-star game is more about honoring invididual players than the teams they play for, the coaches have often thought otherwise. In 2004 they honored 4 Detroit Pistons, at least 2 of whom had no business being there. Allen's case is stronger this year for a team that might be better than that one, especially given his selflessness and willingness to sacrifice shot attempts. (As I write this I've just learned that Garnett is skipping the game due to injury and Rasheed Wallace, not Allen, has been named his replacement. Pardon me while I vomit on myself).
The biggest surprise in the league has easily been the Portland Trailblazers, whom many expected to suck in the wake of Greg Oden's knee surgery. But at 28-22, they are contending for a playoff spot behind their talented young nucleus lead by Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. The most disappointing team in the league has to be the Miami Heat. While Chicago has underachieved, the Heat are the only team whose win total still resides in single digits, inexcusable for any franchise with one of the league's top 5 players. You have to feel for Dwayne Wade, who plays hurt while leading the team in most statisitcal categories. A squad of elderly JCC ballers would be an improvement over the supporting cast he's had to work with. But help may be on the way in the form of an ugly Voldemort look-a-like.
During the past couple of weeks, 2 monster trades stunned the NBA. First, the Lakers traded a bag of doritos and a pack of wrigley's winterfresh gum to Memphis in exchange for Pau Gasol. I don't fault Memphis too much though, since they have sucked with Pau. They can now clear tons of cap space and build around promising guards Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, with the hope of signing a big free agent next summer. But the Lakers are the big winners here. Gasol, while never an intimidator, is a versatile and talented big man who can score inside and out and no longer has to be the leader, a role he never seemed comfortable with. Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Gasol will combine to provide Kobe with the best front-court he's ever had. While I disagree with those who say L.A. is now the favorite to win the title, they will certainly contend with the Spurs, Suns, Jazz, and Mavericks come playoff time, and could possibly reach the finals with a few breaks here and there.
The second and more unexpected trade occurred last Wednesday, when disgruntled Phoenix forward Shawn Marion was sent to the Heat in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal. While not the preeminent force he once was, Shaq's name and iconic status loom larger than most others, matched in team sports by perhaps only Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning. Most who cover the NBA have jumped all over Steve Kerr for breaking up the Sun's main nucleus, accusing him of panicking over recent losses and the Gasol trade. Give the guy a little more credit than that. The slam-bang nucleus they are referring to failed to reach the finals even once. Marion was unhappy and wanted out. While they will miss his defense, rebounding, and ability to thrive on the fast break, they won't miss his pouting, contract, or hideous-looking jump shot. His absense will also free up more playing time for Boris Diaw, as well as Grant Hill, who plays the same position and is as valuable in crunch time. A change of scenery may be just what Marion needs and playing with Wade will only help. The 2 stars could very well lead Miami back toward respectability and perhaps even a playoff berth, assumming Pat Riley takes his head out of his ass (the grease in his hair should provide sufficient lubrication) and they make 1 or 2 additional trades before the league trading deadline.
What O'Neal will bring to the Suns is a presence in the middle that they've been lacking, assumming he's healthy. If I were Phoenix, I'd rest Shaq as much as needed for the remainder of the regular season, giving him roughly 20 minutes per game. The team can remain a top 4 seed without him, but a fresh Deisel come May could very well get the Suns to the finals. He can still score against teams that won't be able to double him with Amare Stoudemire flying to the rim on the weak side. Always a terrific passer, Shaq will find the Sun's 3-point shooters, at least one of whom should regularly be open. If Shaq can clog the middle on defense, alter a few shots, and help Amare control the glass, the Suns will be very tough. And don't think the Suns will give up the running game. Having O'Neal find Nash to kick-start the break will be a plus. Is Shaq overpaid at his age? Yes. But I think Kerr and company saw an opening, a chance to obtain 1 of the 4 or 5 legitmate game changing players of the past quarter-century. I don't blame them for rolling the dice.
Best of luck to Gerald Green this weekend as he aims for his second consecutive slam dunk championship, with high hopes of becoming his generation's Harold Miner.
Reel Opinions on Movies
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Super Bowl Reality Check
To quote Sidney Deane, "The sun even shines on a dog's ass some days. Anybody can win the lottery." I wish it were that simple. If it was, the widespread disappointment resulting from Sunday's upset wouldn't sting nearly as badly. But this wasn't merely a matter of luck. The Giants played a better football game than the Patriots, and that is why New England finished 18-1 instead of the undefeated 19-0 most fans across the country were expecting. Losing is not something Pats fans have been accustomed to in recent times, especially this season, which saw them set numerous offensive records en route to becoming the first team to run the table in the regular season since the famed '72 Dolphins.
Fans could be forgiven for expecting a Patriot's championship. So could the commentators, sportswriters, odds-makers, player relatives, and food vendors. But the coaches and players needed to be held to a higher standard, which isn't to say they played with a lack of urgency because of personal expectations. But they did seem lackluster in Arizona, especially compared to the Giants, who played as if they were the ones on the verge of history. This is not the reputation of the Patriot players or Bill Belichick, who is often credited for being the most prepared and disciplined coach in the league. Having faced New York in week 17 and beaten the Giants, who gave arguably their strongest performance to that point, many (myself included) didn't think the Super Bowl would be all that close. The Pats had been exposed to everything NY could throw at them already, and had those interminable 2 weeks of preparation that NFL schedule makers dictated. For the record, there is no less exciting time in sports than the week after the league championship series, when there is basically nothing to talk about that won't get repeated 894 times more before kick-off on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Giants offense did not play a great game. If we knew ahead of time that they would only score 17 points, everyone would've picked the Pats to win. But I tip my hat to the Giant's defense. They overpowered New England's offensive line time and time again, rushing Tom Brady into poor throws and knocking him on his ass. While not accustomed to this type of pressue, one wonders if Brady's physical condition was worse than the Pats let on. He looked angry and somewhat rattled for much of evening, missing receivers on more than 1 occassion.
Truthfully, Eli Manning didn't play a great game either, and could've been picked off repeatedly during the Giant's final drive. You often hear post-game questions such as, "Did the losing team lose the game, or did the winning team win it." Both were in evidence on Sunday, and Pats fans have been left pondering a series of what-ifs. What if Belichick settled for a field goal on 4th and 13? What if Assante Samuel picked Eli? What if Manning went down when the blitz had him seemingly covered in all directions? What if David Tyree hadn't made the miraculous catch of the season, pinning the ball against his helmet? Yes, all these things could've happened, and yes, the Pats defense could've ended the game at least 5 times on the final New York drive. But they didn't. They gave the game away, while the Giants took it away at the same time. Manning to Tyree instantly became one of the 5 greatest plays in Super Bowl history, though it all would've been for nothing if Manning didn't find Plaxico Burress in the end zone with 35 seconds left. If he hadn't, then we'd be talking about Brady leading another game winning drive in the Super Bowl. Al Pacino said it best in Any Given Sunday; "Life is just a game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half step too late or too early, you don't quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast, you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch." (I'm getting goose-bumps just typing that speech). Unfortunately, I can't help feeling that the Giants were a little bit hungrier and fought just a little bit harder for that inch on Sunday.
Which leaves us pondering the Patriot's place in history. Let's put one thing to rest immediately. Ignore the morons who now proclaim the 2007 Patriots were no better than the 43rd best team in N.F.L. history. You don't fall from an inarguable 1st place to 43rd because of 2 minutes of missed opportunities. You just don't. I suspect there are New England players, participants in all 4 recent Pats Superbowls, who if asked which team was the best would indeed pick this one. Not now of course, but maybe in 5 years, which is the time it seemingly takes to heal many fans. Remember, this Patriots team was truly dominant. This was the team that scored more points in a season than any other. This was the team that gained more offensive yards than any other. This was the team that saw it's star QB and wideout (Randy Moss) sets records at their positions. And this was the team that went 18-0 prior to the final seconds of the final game of the season.
The party where I watched the game evaporated just seconds after Brady's final heave on 4th down. I feared the host might jump off his 10th story balcony. The T-ride home was so quiet that a visitor could've been forgiven for assumming our public transportation system was still in it's testing stage, not yet ready for the general public to use. I suspect this was the prevailing mood throughout the area. Personally, I was disappointed, but it wasn't the worst I've felt following a sporting event, as many WEEI callers have claimed this to be. I have more or less recovered from the Giant's upset days after the fact, whereas I still feel in my bones what it was like when Aaron Boone hit that towering shot of Tim Wakefield in game 7 in 2003. I'm not as angry with Belichick for going for it on 4th and 13 as I was with Grady Little for sticking with Pedro Martinez in the 8th inning. That was almost 5 years ago.
But to each his own. While I admit the Pats are 3rd in my heart when it comes to local sport's teams (with the Celtics a run-away top-choice and the Red Sox a strong 2nd), I fully understand and sympathize with fans who can't let this one go. For what it's worth, the Patriots could very well be as great in 2008 as they were in 2007. A return to the SuperBowl is well within their reach. Hopefully, they'll lose once of twice before the big game though, just to remind us that anything is possible.
Fans could be forgiven for expecting a Patriot's championship. So could the commentators, sportswriters, odds-makers, player relatives, and food vendors. But the coaches and players needed to be held to a higher standard, which isn't to say they played with a lack of urgency because of personal expectations. But they did seem lackluster in Arizona, especially compared to the Giants, who played as if they were the ones on the verge of history. This is not the reputation of the Patriot players or Bill Belichick, who is often credited for being the most prepared and disciplined coach in the league. Having faced New York in week 17 and beaten the Giants, who gave arguably their strongest performance to that point, many (myself included) didn't think the Super Bowl would be all that close. The Pats had been exposed to everything NY could throw at them already, and had those interminable 2 weeks of preparation that NFL schedule makers dictated. For the record, there is no less exciting time in sports than the week after the league championship series, when there is basically nothing to talk about that won't get repeated 894 times more before kick-off on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Giants offense did not play a great game. If we knew ahead of time that they would only score 17 points, everyone would've picked the Pats to win. But I tip my hat to the Giant's defense. They overpowered New England's offensive line time and time again, rushing Tom Brady into poor throws and knocking him on his ass. While not accustomed to this type of pressue, one wonders if Brady's physical condition was worse than the Pats let on. He looked angry and somewhat rattled for much of evening, missing receivers on more than 1 occassion.
Truthfully, Eli Manning didn't play a great game either, and could've been picked off repeatedly during the Giant's final drive. You often hear post-game questions such as, "Did the losing team lose the game, or did the winning team win it." Both were in evidence on Sunday, and Pats fans have been left pondering a series of what-ifs. What if Belichick settled for a field goal on 4th and 13? What if Assante Samuel picked Eli? What if Manning went down when the blitz had him seemingly covered in all directions? What if David Tyree hadn't made the miraculous catch of the season, pinning the ball against his helmet? Yes, all these things could've happened, and yes, the Pats defense could've ended the game at least 5 times on the final New York drive. But they didn't. They gave the game away, while the Giants took it away at the same time. Manning to Tyree instantly became one of the 5 greatest plays in Super Bowl history, though it all would've been for nothing if Manning didn't find Plaxico Burress in the end zone with 35 seconds left. If he hadn't, then we'd be talking about Brady leading another game winning drive in the Super Bowl. Al Pacino said it best in Any Given Sunday; "Life is just a game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half step too late or too early, you don't quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast, you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch." (I'm getting goose-bumps just typing that speech). Unfortunately, I can't help feeling that the Giants were a little bit hungrier and fought just a little bit harder for that inch on Sunday.
Which leaves us pondering the Patriot's place in history. Let's put one thing to rest immediately. Ignore the morons who now proclaim the 2007 Patriots were no better than the 43rd best team in N.F.L. history. You don't fall from an inarguable 1st place to 43rd because of 2 minutes of missed opportunities. You just don't. I suspect there are New England players, participants in all 4 recent Pats Superbowls, who if asked which team was the best would indeed pick this one. Not now of course, but maybe in 5 years, which is the time it seemingly takes to heal many fans. Remember, this Patriots team was truly dominant. This was the team that scored more points in a season than any other. This was the team that gained more offensive yards than any other. This was the team that saw it's star QB and wideout (Randy Moss) sets records at their positions. And this was the team that went 18-0 prior to the final seconds of the final game of the season.
The party where I watched the game evaporated just seconds after Brady's final heave on 4th down. I feared the host might jump off his 10th story balcony. The T-ride home was so quiet that a visitor could've been forgiven for assumming our public transportation system was still in it's testing stage, not yet ready for the general public to use. I suspect this was the prevailing mood throughout the area. Personally, I was disappointed, but it wasn't the worst I've felt following a sporting event, as many WEEI callers have claimed this to be. I have more or less recovered from the Giant's upset days after the fact, whereas I still feel in my bones what it was like when Aaron Boone hit that towering shot of Tim Wakefield in game 7 in 2003. I'm not as angry with Belichick for going for it on 4th and 13 as I was with Grady Little for sticking with Pedro Martinez in the 8th inning. That was almost 5 years ago.
But to each his own. While I admit the Pats are 3rd in my heart when it comes to local sport's teams (with the Celtics a run-away top-choice and the Red Sox a strong 2nd), I fully understand and sympathize with fans who can't let this one go. For what it's worth, the Patriots could very well be as great in 2008 as they were in 2007. A return to the SuperBowl is well within their reach. Hopefully, they'll lose once of twice before the big game though, just to remind us that anything is possible.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)