Bob Delaney Wants Bad Ratings

"I Hate Superstars"


The Cavs were not robbed of victory last night. LeBron had a small chance of bringing it into overtime in which the Spurs would have, most likely, woken up and decided to beat Cleveland. Even LeBron said to the media after the game, “Incidental contact. It didn't affect my shot. I had a good look at it and I missed”. But with this said, that was a totally bogus call.
The refs were pretty terrible all game, giving Bron his 3rd off of an obvious flop by Bruce Bowen and Duncan his 3rd after not fouling Zydrunas. Even if they were close calls (which they weren’t) in the Finals you have to let your superstars play, especially with ratings the way they are.
The refs inaptitude came to be defined during the last play of the game. As LeBron came to the top of the key to tie the game with a three-pointer, Bowen intentionally grabbed him as he was going into the shot. This wasn’t a dumb decision, as two foul shots from a poor shooter while up three would probably seal victory, but he accidentally fouled him while shooting and there was no call. Despite LeBron’s comments to the media, he looked pretty mad after the game and there’s no doubt he would have liked those foul shots. He was definitely mad at Bob Delaney (not actually quoted above as saying he called lame fouls because he hates superstars, but you get the idea).
The Cavs are getting no help in this series and now they have to perform a miracle if they want to win this series. Maybe they can at least make it more interesting.

If LeBron Wants to Win, He WILL Read This Post

As I’m sure the blogging universe has already made you aware (or maybe you actually watched some of the irksome, tedious action of game 1) the Spurs dominated the Cavaliers. You already know that San Antonio double or triple-teamed LeBron and kept him to 4-16 shooting. You know that the Cavs were out rebounded, out hustled and out everythinged on both ends of the floor, but you also know that they only lost by 9.
Maybe it is my love for such a great David vs. Goliath story, or maybe it is my hatred but secret jealousy for Tony Parker, but I still believe that the Cavs will win, maybe even in 6.
LeBron had an unfortunate “not being able to score when someone is playing defense” problem last night. He relied on a fade jump shot and it clearly wasn’t effective. His sheer athleticism led to plenty of wins (and posters) throughout the season, but this is the finals Bron Bron, and you’re gonna have to step your game up. As I’m not a basketball coach, I don’t have a very well thought out game plan, but LBJ must go back to the fundamentals of scoring. Coming off picks, stepping into a set shot and some really good post moves are all that will be effective against the defense-oriented Spurs.
Of course, there is a down side to San Antonio’s plan of swarming LeBron. It leaves his sometimes less-than-competent teammates open. Gibson supplied the most relief for LeBron on offense and Pavlovic and Gooden really helped when their defenders left for the double-team, getting 13 and 14 points respectively. Zydrunas and Verajoa failed to take advantage of the absence of Tim Duncan on said double-team situations and if they step up it should either free LeBron or lead to some easy buckets.
Hopefully, with his teammates rising to the occasion and some new scoring strategies, LeBron will make this a more exciting series and maybe even leave with a trophy.

Amare's Crying Game

There are only a few mistakes a team can make in the playoffs that will hurt them more than it would in the regular season. When the Mavs changed their game up in preparation for the Warriors, it gave Golden State a psychological edge. The change let the Warriors know that Dallas was at least a little concerned about the series. Rasheed Wallace’s comments last year gave the Heat a reason to hate the Pistons. And now, Amare has just fueled the Spurs.
Stoudemire said that the Spurs as a team are dirty, and continued to name Manu and Bruce Bowen specifically as dirty players. Regardless of whether or not the allegations are true, Stoudemire just put a target on each and every one of his teammates’ heads in the eyes of the Spurs.
Mike D’Antoni, a revolutionary NBA coach, understands the importance of proper etiquette during the playoffs and acted as if nothing in the world mattered less. "I have no idea what Bruce Bowen does. I don't really care. I don't want to get into it because it's so minimal that it's no big deal. It really isn't." This is the best possible response to Amare’s comments because it gives no more reason for the Spurs to hate the Suns.
It might seem like an insignificant comment and considering Bowen’s reputation it is probably true (and I've got some video evidence), but this is the type of thing you save until after you win the series. Amare should know that the last thing you want to do is give San Antonio another reason to beat you. This is a rookie mistake and I would have liked to see better from a player with NBA First Team talent. And don’t expect Bruce to clean up his D any, Amare.




To be fair, I would be concerned about injuries if I was out all of last year too, and nobody respects Bowen’s scrappy defense, but to make a public statement like that is asking for heated competition in a huge playoff series.

Old School Champs

The Pistons are old school. In the new, sporadic, offense oriented NBA; Detroit has found success keeping it classic with tenacious D (without Big Ben) and high percentage shots. I expect them to bring glory back to blue-collar basketball when they teach the favored West something about timeless ball.
Dominating the less than impressive Eastern Conference the Pistons haven’t been pitted against the Mavs or Suns enough for me to tell what kind of game it’ll be, but what I do know is that defense wins championships, and Detroit got D.
The Suns will find it impossible to run on Detroit as the likes of Hamilton and Prince always get back and Sheed and Webber pull down the boards as the Suns saw in their 105-83 loss. As for Dallas, they might be as deep as the Eastern Conference leaders but they let Murray get 18 and 6 in the regular season… embarrassing. Now, that might not mean that Dallas will lose if these teams ever meet, but it does indicate that they are unable to cover every one of the versatile Pistons, while Detroit has the defense to cover all of the multitalented Mavericks.
So that’s the name of the game, defense and versatility. Something the Pistons have over the Mavs and Suns, and let’s not forget that the Pistons can score too, with all five starters scoring double digits and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. Only the Bulls really present a threat in the East, but more than likely the Pistons will meat one of the previously presented West coast powerhouses, and if this is the case, they have a true shot at some rings (assuming Sheed doesn't kill anybody between now and then)

All Grown Up

Some consider the Bulls to be going through a series of “transition seasons”. Of course after losing one of the best basketball dynasties ever, the only thing the team could be going through is a rebuilding stage. Unfortunately the team will never again achieve success like it had with Mike, but they are far from needing any reconstruction. The “Baby Bulls” are all grown up and this season, and many seasons to come, they are going to prove it.
The most incredible thing about the Bulls these days is while they can still be considered babies in age, they have the ability to beat almost any team on any given night. Without a doubt the acquisition of Big Ben is the coming of age ceremony for this club. The starters are the five reasons why the Bulls can’t be considered babies anymore.
Hinrich is an overlooked member of the infamous ’03 draft, but he’s certainly the purest PG from the class. Averaging about 7 dishes a night, this kid isn’t afraid to draw the foul. True, he sort of looks like a prepubescent child, but he’s man enough to go toe to toe with full-grown men.
Ben Gordon certainly can’t be considered a child. It’s simply a matter of time before this guy gets his all-star dues. He’s been a leader ever since he hoisted the trophy with UCONN in ’04 where he led the tournament with 21 points per. He was sixth man of the year as a rookie and the Bulls look to him in clutch situations. Only a man could step up like he has.
Andres Nocioni may not seem like a huge part of the Bulls lineup, but that’s exactly why he transcends the “Baby” label. He puts in as much work as anyone and he is probably the quietest player on the squad. He is willing to step out of the spotlight and become a role player, backing up Wallace on the boards and is willing to do all the blue-collar posting up for the team.
Loul Deng is the youngest player in the starting lineup, but he is far from juvenile. He throws down like only a grown man can, and he is the most balanced player on the club. He gets nearly 19-7-3 every night and he is the piece of the puzzle that bring everything on this offense together. Coming from Sudan can’t be easy and there’s no way you can consider Deng anything less than grown.
Which brings us to Ben Wallace. He embodies the full-fledged, diesel, hard-working, big man in the NBA. Undrafted, Wallace found his spot as a defensive superstar and now the 32-year-old is making $60 million in Chicago. Grown man muscles, grown man swagger (mostly the afro) and a grown man salary makes this acquisition the perfect move for a team that’s looking to win ASAP.
You can’t make the playoffs in this league without having a certain presence of mind and maturity. It’s not a fluke with the Bulls as this is their second year in a row. Nobody expects a new dynasty from these players, but you can’t call the babies anymore. This is a grown mans game and the success these players have found can only mean one thing; their not the “Baby Bulls” anymore.

West Coast Killers

As this is one long post feel free to just watch the clip and you'll see what I'm trying to say.
For the hardcore fans:
As I’m sure you know, the Golden State Warriors have made the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, ending the longest drought in the League today. These days, the Warriors are one of the most exciting clubs to watch because of their incredible offensive personalities. These four are the reason that the series against Dallas will be more interesting than you think. (As if beating the Mav’s three times in the regular season isn’t enough to show they can do it).
The leader and most important part of this dynamic offensive is found in point guard Baron Davis. He’s a leader who will probably never be a hall-of-famer but is finally getting some well-deserved post-season games. Averaging around 20 points and 8 dimes, he’s truly their ringleader.
Jason Richardson becomes an important scorer and the former slam-dunk champ can still throw it down. His finishes cap off some of the most exciting plays this club makes.
The trade with the Pacers led to two more reason why the Warriors will give Dallas a run for their money, no Jackson isn’t the other reason, it’s getting rid of Dunleavy that also helped them. Al Harrington is an important addition as he will occasionally start as Center for Golden State but isn’t limited to rebounding and posting up. He can run fast breaks, play D on any position and can shoot the outside shot (he leads the team in 3PT percentage and not for lack of shooting as he makes about 2 tres a game).
Monta Ellis is the other dynamic player that completes this team. First off, he got hops, and he’s one of the best young players in the league. He has made some of the most exciting clips on Sports Center this season and he can provide some serious energy to this already hyper offensive force. Oh yeah, Biedrins, Barnes and Pietrus can't hurt.
Don’t take my word for it, check the clip.



I’m not bold enough to say these guys can beat Dallas, but this series may go longer than many of you think.