Game 3 was an instant classic, a back-and-forth duel of offensive greatness — with Parker and Paul both going nuts — played at a run-and-gun pace with both teams making difficult shot after difficult shot.
Uh, does that really sound like a formula for Spurs’ success? I’m still worried that this Hornets team is flat-out better than this Spurs team (until at least next year, when we retool with youth). We’re like Boston: if our defense isn’t winning the game for us, we’re in serious trouble.
Anyways, to take the edge off, here’s Charles Barkley calling himself a dumbass.
Tim Kawakami looks at the payroll if Bay Area favorite J-Rich were still around:
Add in a moderate new Ellis deal and the draft pick, and the Warriors’ commitment goes somewhere near $76M for 11 players. Renounce all you want, but the Warriors would still over the luxury tax–and bleeding talent thanks to the renouncing.
—Big conclusion: If the Warriors still had Richardson, they would be looking at a mini-New York Knicks-level problem.
As it is now, they’re under the cap with room to sign Monta and Biedrins, and they have a huge, $10 million trade exception to use on draft day.
A guy named Adam Lauridsen writes a fan blog that is thorough in addressing why the Hornets PG-dominated offense works better than the Warriors PG-dominated offense. Really, one of the more level-headed and smart things I’ve read from an NBA blogger in a while.
Hawks coach Mike Woodson on Kevin Durant’s no-brainer as rookie of the year:
“It’s a travesty and it’s not right. He should have shared it, if not gotten it outright. … It’s what this kid has done for this team. … We haven’t had a power forward/center come in our league and do what he’s done [average a double-double] in I don’t know how many years,” Woodson said. “I mean, come on, man.”
Um, Mike, how many years ago would be 3. Emeka Okafor averaged 15 and 11 when he won ROY in 2004-05.
Hey, Horford’s great and had a great year, but I still don’t understand the ROY campaign for a role player (for now) playing alongside two All-Stars (Johnson, Bibby) and one future All-Star (Smith).
Anyways, he has been a blast to watch, and the way this Celtics team has (A) buckled under pressure, (B) gotten 95% of all 50/50 calls the last couple games, (C) still had the gall to whine and complain when exactly one call went against them, and (D) acted like they’re tough shit while trying (unsuccessfully) to bully a team with 30 wins less than them — well, screw those guys, even KG. I hope the Cavs or Magic make the finals.
BONUS: I can’t talk overreaction without linking to this guy’s video comparing the Pacman Jones trade to McCarthyism.
I feel like I’m the only one among my Spurs-fans friends worried about this series with New Orleans. S.A. hangs their hat on defense but they struggle to match up with Chris Paul and David West. That’s why you have Bowen pulling that B.S. where he kneed Paul for no reason — a classic Bowen move when he’s a step slow. And David West’s numbers in four regular season games aren’t a fluke: 23 ppg on 58% shooting. Like another quick, face-up PF, Brandon Bass, West gives Duncan fits.
All that said, Pop will have something up his sleeve, and the Hornets somehow have to account for Ginobili. Should be good, but I think it’ll go longer than a lot of my friends expect.
POSTSCRIPT: For what it’s worth, I also think Utah beats the Lakers just because they’ll make Gasol post up one on one, where he’s terrible. No one seems to notice it, but whenever he has to work in the post on his own, he scores on like one out of every four possessions. No way Utah ever allows him to get uncontested dunks like Denver did.
Simmons’ year-by-year account chronicling the decline of The Suns into plodding first-round losers is exactly the kind of column I would love to write if it were my job to write a few thousand words on sports every three or four days. Great stuff.
One thing to add: It would take a separate column to address, but the personalities of Suns’ players and officials played a huge role in how this decline.
Simmons equates the Spurs’ success in part to roster consistency. Since 2003, they’ve built around Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, which the Suns could have done with Nash, Stoudemire, Marion, and Joe Johnson. Too bad only Nash has the same win-first mentality that defines the Spurs. Tony could’ve bolted like Johnson after the Spurs pursued Kidd, Manu could’ve taken more money, and Tim could’ve demanded to score 25 a game, but those weren’t their priorities. That mindset never united the Suns, making the long-haul approach in PHX much, much more difficult than it looks on paper.
Even this week, after four years and no Finals appearances, here’s Amare throwing D’Antoni under the bus after Game 5:
Amare Stoudemire offered no words of support for D’Antoni — “That’s not my focus at all,” Stoudemire said — and was much more willing to expound on the need for the Suns to find a plan and stick with it, most importantly establishing who is going to be The Man on this team. Not surprisingly, he nominated himself.
Not the stuff of champions. And we won’t even get into the Sarver-Colangelo and D’Antoni-Kerr feuds…
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