I’ve really been trying to get into the NBA playoffs this year, and have enjoyed some of the games/series. This past round however should be called The NBA, Where Blowouts Happen. There’s been an amazing lack of drama that the NBA thrives on, which has had me hitting the snooze button on lots of games. And by snooze, I mean, change the channel for 10-15 minutes, and check back. Once I check back, and see its still a blowout, I’ll jump back to baseball or golf and not look back. It’s sad the playoffs have been losing out in the channel surfing rotation, because most years it doesn’t. It’s going to be tough, but Im going to try to pull together a few things that are intriguing me in the 2010 Playoffs.
Better take a few extra pictures, so the memories last!
After last nights game five in Cleveland, it left me feeling like there was a Lebron conspiracy. I love conspiracy theories and I’m wondering if Lebron pulled a Kobe style test on his team. Follow me here, he was nonchalant all night, and rarely attacked the basket. He barely touched the ball the first half, and while he didn’t shoot particularly well, he didn’t take a ton of shots either, mostly deferring to his teammates. He was passing the ball to wide open teammates that rarely connected for a bucket except for some Shaq dunks. I know I’ve seen Kobe play like this before, and play a game in the tone of teammates, what do you got? Was this his quick check to see if his teammates were any good when it mattered? It was the most important game in the series, and taking nothing away from Boston, he seemed to test his teammates when he is the only one man wrecking crew on that squad. Isn’t it more important for him to figure out if he has solid teammates before he sees what being a free agent is all about or signs to six years of losing in one city. I’m thinking he did this on purpose to see if his team was only successful because of him, which we already knew, but maybe he wasn’t so sure. Kobe does it in years past, and now has a team he can trust, because they can win without him. If Lebron didn’t already know, now he knows, the Cavs would be an 8 seed without him. My other theory is his elbow hurt, but that’s no fun!
If you don't respect this guy, you probably don't like Basketball.
You always know the playoffs have started as soon as you see Nash’s face bloodied up or you see a game decided by officials. The games haven’t been close enough for an official to completely blow a game, so our only indication was Nash’s one eyed show. I loved the Suns series against the Spurs. It had everything you could want out of a team that is playing “together”. Amare has sat out two fourth quarters when he wasn’t in foul trouble, and was the biggest cheerleader on the sideline, literally and figuratively. This is a team that probably hangs out before and after games just for fun. Who saw Goran Dragics’ game coming? If you did, I dont believe you. That was a serious WTF moment of the playoffs. I’ve seen him play well, but never seen him take over a game. It’s the equivalent of Brett Gardner leading the Yankees to the WS. Does that happen? Yes, in baseball, but not so much in basketball. Back to Nash, his Rocky moment in game four was more memorable than his bleeding nose that got the whole team ejected in 2006. His return to the court that night only showed his true Canadian Hockey attitude. I can’t think of many guys that get smacked in the eye, get six stitches, and come back out on the floor with one eye swollen shut, and then starts bombing threes to put the game away. I blame missed threes on the wind playing in an indoor gym! Their story has been Cindarella like, and I could see them beating the Lakers. I’m not overly confident, but I know their bench is better than the Lakers bench. If they can keep the Lakers bigs between the foul lines, and out of the lanes on both sides of the court for big chunks of time, they have a great chance of winning. If Kobe jacks up 30 shots a game and doesn’t force the ball down low, they could take the champs down. Should be a great series, I just hope I’m still this excited about it when next Monday rolls around.
Speaking of waiting for games, what really grinds my gears is all these days off between games. I hope that these three 4-0 series wins pushes the league to shorten the playoffs a little. I love that Stern and Co. probably lost millions of dollars from advertisers by not getting a few extra games last round. I already thought the scheduling was ridiculous with teams getting three days off for traveling, and are already only playing two to three times that week. These guys don’t get that many days off during the regular season more than three or four times a year, so why so much in the playoffs!?! It’s annoying having it drag out until June, it should end around the same time as the NHL, and if a team is banged up and can’t recover, tough. The Western Conference is set to kick off on Monday of next week. WTF! Eight days to wait! Terrible planning, and for the casual fan that follows the Lakers (most likely bandwagoners), they might think the playoffs are over with so much time between games. I hope they do. Why not just start the series this week? They could still give them the ridiculous three games of rest between each game to slow down the series, and have it not lap the Eastern Conference Finals.
I guess I can’t write this playoff rant without talking about the Magic. This team has been unstoppable so far, but is it them or was it their competition not even showing up? I’m not sure, and the sad part is that all of their games they’ve blown out the competition, and thus my snooze style with the remote has made me miss about 85-90% of all their games. I like what they are doing, but are they getting cocky? Have they been THAT dominant? Based on their record performance last round the answer would be yes. I think Boston and Cleveland have enough guys down low to bother Dwight a little, and get him off his game. I’m just wondering when fragile Vince will sprain a hangnail and sit out for a game. As weird as I feel about saying this I think the Celtics would have a better chance against the Magic. Rondo is playing out of his mind, and has shown he is a leader. Another thing he would do, if the Celtics win is give Jameer the kind of harassment he hasn’t seen yet. Rondo is an All-Defensive player, and will cause Jameer some fits compared to being guarded or not guarded (however you want to look at it) by Felton, Bibby, and Crawford. Will that kill the Magics offensive flow enough for them to lose? Doubtful, but I think the Celtics have the tools to do it, but they might need to hope those threes stop going in, because this whole team is on fire.
By
cali4dre
chappy81
dyslecix
mceezy
Doin Work 
May 12th, 2010 at 11:44 am
chappy 81
The emotion and the drama comes in the comedic value of witnessing fans such as the Cavaliers booing their own team while cheering on the opposition . And when the game is all but out of reach see them leave Quicken Loans Arena .
Don’t Believe The Hype ……
Since when did it become fashionable for players who are using illicit substance to start using female reproductive hormonal drugs as part of the regimen ? Thanks to Brian Cushing formerly of the USC Trojans and now the Houston Texans . It now has be questioning not only their prowess but also their emotional persona.
The fact that he’s been banned by the NFL for the mandatory four games should be the least of his team’s problems. Do they now make tampons available to him once a month ?
Alan Parkins
May 12th, 2010 at 11:50 am
It was pretty bizarre when they started booing them. It was a terrible performance, but at the same time they were booing in the third quarter before it was even out of hand! I hope this means that Lebron is packing his bags to head to another team.
I think Cushing should ask Manny where to get a sports bra!
May 12th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
chappy
Bizarre is not the word it was friggin’ unbelievable. But then again Cavs’ fans and many in the press thought this team would have a cake-walk to the NBA Finals . If Shaq fails to win a ring with LeBron does that mean he’ll start to cuss his teammates out ?
Especially if he starts with LeBron . Who can fail to forget his snipes at Kobe and sayin’ can Kobe smell his a_s. It’s not that clear cut they still remain friends to this day after their alleged truce.
As for Cushing this kid is an a_s and so too is Texans’ owner Bob McNair for saying that the punishment is too harsh . WTF ? This kid has character issues going back to his days at USC .
Griffey Jr says it’s all a lie ’bout him falling asleep in the Mariners’ clubhouse as he was merely resting his eyes. Who can blame him after seeing how badly the Mariners have been playing ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!! They can hit they can’t score and they surely can’t pitch worth a damn ! Can it get any worse ? Yes and it probably will !
Alan Parkins
May 12th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Haha, I doubt Shaq will get into a verbal spat with Lebron, but then again I’m not sure exactly how upset Shaq is with his performance during the playoffs…
Poor Griffey, I feel for the guy. I’d be bored as crap watching the Mariners play. He should’ve retired last year to spare himself!
May 12th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Doin Work. Doin Work said: Random playoff thoughts https://doin-work.com/2010/05/12/the-nba-playoffs-where-is-the-drama/ […]
May 12th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
chappy
If Shaq chooses to cuss out LeBron and the rest of the Cavs then it won’t be anything new at all. The way I look at it Shaq is like “TO” but at least in Shaq’s case he’s won 4 rings whereas “TO” hasn’t won a damn thing !
I’d fall asleep watching the Mariners as they’re that damn bad at present.
Alan Parkins
May 12th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
chappy
It’s been estimated that the Cavs could lose as much as $20 – $30 million should they fail to make the NBA Finals . That’s an almighty hit in Dan Gilbert’s and the Cavs’ front office pocketbook when it’s all said and done.
Alan Parkins
May 13th, 2010 at 9:31 am
I saw that! I actually was reading that their franchise value could drop up to $100M if Lebron leaves. Nowonder Gilbert was so pissed when they lost Tuesday!
May 13th, 2010 at 9:42 am
chappy
Not only has Gilbert got to be worried by this all but he’s also got to be worried about the Chinese investors who bought 35% into the franchise in the hope that LeBron’s continued presence on the team and his “undoubted popularity” in China would mean something.
He leaves now and that whole shebang is dead in the water !
Alan Parkins
May 13th, 2010 at 12:37 am
I couldn’t agree more with this post, the first two rounds have been lack luster to say the least. I have a feeling that the conference finals will more than make up for it. Go Suns.
May 13th, 2010 at 7:40 am
If I weren’t an Orlando Magic fan, I’d agree that these playoffs have been anti-climactic. As soon as Denver and Dallas got bounced, two teams I felt would have had the best chance to knock off L.A. I knew the Lakers would have a clear path to the Finals.
I also felt Orlando-Cleveland would be a helluva series but I’ll take Boston-Orlando either way.
That’s okay. Despite the early sweeps, the Finals match-up should definitely be must see t.v.
May 13th, 2010 at 8:39 am
Yeah, I’m sure if I truly had a team to root for, I’d probably be a little more fired up! I hope the Suns give the Lakers a run for thier money, literally, and since I didn’t see them manhandling the Spurs, I guess they could beat L.A.
I think your Magic are the team to beat at this juncture, but that seems to change from game to game, and they might finally get tested in the confrence finals! Or not, maybe they are just that good!
May 13th, 2010 at 9:28 am
chappy
Everyone is under the impression that the Suns will be a “soft touch” for the Lakers merely because of the upfront presence of Bynum , Gasol and Ms Kardashian-Odom . What people seem to be forgetting is that the Lakers don’t like playing a team that plays an uptempo style and who’s far more athletic than they are. The only reason that they overcame the Thunder was due to that team’s youth and postseason inexperience.
That’s not the case with this Suns’ team . Jackson and his coaching staff would do well not to underestimate this team or its coaching staff .
This Lakers vs Suns’ series should be a really intriguing one to say the least.
LeBron intends to take lessons from Tiger Woods on how to be humble . Word is however he also wants to know what it’ll take for him to nail some skanks along the way while learning from Woods.
Alan Parkins
Alan Parkins
May 13th, 2010 at 9:52 am
chappy
This just in Stern says that the officiating will be fair and impartial during both conference finals . No word as of yet however if any of the officials have been seen in Vegas or at any OTB sites.
Alan Parkins
May 13th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Haha, I hope he’s right, but I’ll take whoever he is betting on! If the Lakers get a ton of calls that help them take the Suns out, I might somehow hate the Lakers even more than I already do! Let’s just hope it isn’t as obvious as 2002!
May 13th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
chappy
I’ve implicit faith in the zebras the same way Stern did and the moment the Donaghy incident busted things wide open.
There’s no truth to the rumor that Betty White wants to have sex with LeBron. She’s so into Jay-Z that it LBJ doesn’t stand a chance of gettin’ any from Betty not even if he offered her Snickers’ bar .
Chicks Dig The Long Ball ……….. Guys Who Are Fans of The Game Drink Beer And Love The Chicks Who Dig The Long Ball
Alan Parkins
May 14th, 2010 at 6:35 am
chappy
Stop the laughing ’cause now you’ve had your drama with the Cavs’ meltdown last night. Once again LeBron much like the US Postal service fails to deliver and he’s not even being asked to deliver on time . LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
All That Glitters Isn’t Necessarily Gold ………… Why The WNBA Might Be Now More Pertinent In The City Of Cleveland ……..
Alan Parkins
May 14th, 2010 at 11:26 am
chappy
I think it’s pretty safe to say that once you’re ready to leave high school upon graduation that is it wouldn’t you say ? Here’s a twist on that.
I trust this kid or should I say adult has no other issues that we need to know of ?
Alan Parkins
May 15th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
The drama looks like its off the court to me…especially with Kobe:
http://msofficer.com/2010/05/14/queen-kobe/
http://twitter.com/msofficer
May 16th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
chappy
More drama for you the Magic get upended on their home turf in game one (92-88) of the Eastern Conference Finals. Not a good start for the alleged favorites.
The Fallout
Alan Parkins
May 17th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Yeah, I actually wasn’t as surprised as I thought I would be! Boston flat outplayed them. The Magic need to build off that 4th quarter comeback in game 2 or this series could be over quick!
May 17th, 2010 at 10:24 am
chappy
Watching Dwight Howard at times can be so frustrating. We may well agree or disagree as to how good his game is. But after his five plus years in this league his game is still severely one dimensional. Throw bodies at him and he becomes as docile as a church mouse. That’s why I can never put him there alongside Hakeem Olajuwon as a truly great center that had it all !
As for the complaints about the poor officiating. What the hell did anyone expect ? It’s the NBA Playoffs and when do you expect there not to be so much controversy concerning the refs ? It’s part and parcel of the NBA postseason when it comes the irregularities of the officiating. As far as Stern is concerned his officials can do no wrong.
Alan Parkins
May 17th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Yeah, I never will put Dwight in the greatest ever conversation until he improves his offensive game. He does disappear a little too much for my liking! If I were the Sportschump, I’d be worried. Losing game 1 at home isn’t a way for a champion to defend their home court!
I love it when people complain about the refs, they have as much infulence in a series as the players LOL!
May 17th, 2010 at 10:47 am
chappy
I know Chris aka sportschump isn’t worried yet but if they’re down 0-2 then look for him to take a leap off the Gandy Bridge that separates St Pete and Tampa . I hear that the water is still very cool this time of year even without globules of oil coming up to the surface . LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
Alan Parkins
May 17th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
chappy
The only difference between the NBA regular season and that of the postseason is the mere fact that refs interject themselves even more into a game or series. It’s continually been that way ever since I first started watching the game if not longer. And I’ve only been living here in the US since ’92.
Alan Parkins
May 17th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
A Well Worn Pair Shoes After A While Needs To Be Thrown Out …………….
If Chris jumps I’ll call emergency services and that’s it ! He should know better than to put his blind faith in Dwight Howard. That’s like being told you’ve got a chance to have sex with Sharon Osbourne but you’re then being told that her daughter wants join in and Ozzy wants to watch ? Stranger things are known to have happen and will continue to happen in this NBA postseason .
Alan Parkins
May 17th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I am worried, Chap.
May 17th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Chris Humpherys
Don’t worry Oprah has heard of your plight and she’s got Dr Phil on speed dial to provide you with any assistance that you might need.
Alan Parkins
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:46 pm
[…] 23, 2010 by chappy81 Leave a Comment A couple weeks ago, I wrote how the playoffs have been a snoozefest, and was hoping the Conference Finals would bring a little drama. So far, not so much. After […]