Archive for the ‘Basketball’ Category

All I kept hearing this week was that Memphis was the hottest team going into the tournament.  This half court shot by Marcus Denmon was kind of the exclamation point in Missouri’s 102-91 win over Memphis in their Sweet Sixteen matchup.  The reason I say kind of is because Memphis never quit and made quite a comeback, ultimately falling short in their frantic effort.    J. T. Tiller was the man for Missouri all night.  Tiller pumped in 23 points and always seemed to be the guy to flatten the momentum of Memphis throughout the game.  One more win for Missouri and they will be making their very first Final Four appearance.

Lebron James with a nice move and very strong acceleration to the hoop in this dunk versus New Jersey.  These were Lebrons first two points of the night, not a bad start!

In my ongoing argument to give Lebron James the 2008-09 NBA MVP award, enjoy the video as proof of what Kobe does not bring to the table.  There are some magnificent blocks on this video and nobody closes faster than Lebron on the break. 

Lebron James is clearly in the drivers seat toward the NBA MVP and I will supplement you with reasons why he will win the award rather than Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade.  Wade has really poured it on as of late to even be mentioned in this elite MVP argument.

• Don’t forget what Wade did last year when the Heat were eliminated.  He jogged, played hard sometimes, and basically packed it in by March.  Would either Kobe or Lebron mope the way D Wade did?  I think not.
• Lebron James has gotten pulled out of games and missed quarters and halves this year becuase Cleveland was already blowing a team out.  Neither Wade or Kobe has forfeited eligible playing time to avoid risking an injury, not the way Lebron has this year. 
• Remember when Kobe put up 60 at the Garden a little over a month ago?  The next game there Lebron went off too, getting robbed of a triple double ( a more complete stat than just counting points) when someone cried to the NBA to take his last rebound that he hustled for to be removed.  Best part of Lebrons triple double is that he put 50 points with it.  He still managed to find teammates at least ten times to pass.
• Lebron James is a much better defensive player than either D Wade or Kobe.  I have never seen so many beautiful blocked shots in one season.  Don’t believe me?  Go to Google and type Lebron James blocked shots and watch the show.
• If you ask Lebron, he says “Kobe“, and if you ask Kobe, he says “Lebron“.  Nobody is saying D Wade yet. and we are running out of season.
• Wait until the playoffs and finals are over, take an objective look at who meant more to their teams success before elimination, and then vote for the guy you think deserves the hardware. 

Having followed Lebron James since the Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary days, I can honestly say this is the most complete and well-rounded of a season he has ever had.  D Wade is having a remarkable second half but was just good in the first half of the season.  Kobe Bryant is awesome, a great offensive, and good defensive player.  For my money, nobody is better than King James, and we are all witnesses.

The Dayton Flyers are pumped about gaining an at-large bid to the big dance.  I don’t think just showing up is going to be good enough.  On Friday, March 20, the 11-seed takes on 6-seed West Virginia in Minneapolis.  This is UD’s first trip back to the tournament since 2004.  They had a great season beating Akron 56-50, beating Marquette 89-75, and defeating Xavier 71-58.  They are one of three Atlantic-10 schools in this years NCAA Tournament with the other two being Xavier and Temple.

Head Coach Brian Gregory has very balanced scoring, a group of quick players who steal and dunk with any team in the NCAA, and a young bunch with only one Senior.  Leading the charge is Marcus Johnson.  He is the Flyers biggest threat from 3-point range and averages 12.2 points per contest.  Chris Wright draws attention in the paint.  Wright finds ways to get to the free throw line and averaged 12.9 ppg, as well as blocking 39 shots this season.  Charles Little and Chris Johnson add to a very well-balanced offense where no single player averaged more than 13 points per game.  As a team, Dayton averaged 67.5 points per game.

If there is one thing I am afraid of with this team it is how they play on the road.  At home, the Flyers were 18-0.  On the road, however, they were 5-6.  Fortunately, this will be considered a neutral site game, and the Flyers are 3-1 in those contests.

My cousin Frank, a Dayton season ticket holder, warned me that they would be tough before the season started.  Frank was right.  College basketball fans everywhere will take notice when Dayton moves on and the program continues to gain notoriety over the next few seasons. 

Ohio State looks like they may be playing their best basketball at the right time.  The Buckeyes used 53% shooting from the floor and a red-hot Evan Turner to turn back Michigan State, 82-70.  Turner got hot in the second half after failing to score in the first half, ending up with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Jon Diebler added 17 points and was 5 of 10 from 3-point land.  Overall, The Buckeyes shot 23 of 29 from the free throw line and connected on 9 of 16 attempts from 3-point range.

Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with 17 points.  Michigan State could only knock down 3 of its 21 3-point attempts.  The Spartans went on long stretches of at least six minutes in both halves where they could only manage one or two baskets.

Ohio State will face Purdue for the Big-Ten Tournament Championship.  Both teams should make it into the tournament, but expect the winner to claim a 5 or 6 seed, whereas the loser can end up with a ten seed or worse.

This video is hilarious.  Paul Pierece coming out of the game after a great game goes and high fives the guys on the bench.  Five for Scalabrini, Five for Big Baby Davis, Five for the Injured Ticket, etc.  Then he goes through the first row of fans and skips right by a kid in a Lebron James shirt. 

Maybe the kid should have filled his hands with some baby powder and reminded Pierce who the “King” is.

 Hat Tip Goes To : Both Teams Played Hard

Funny footage of Lebron James taking his place on the Cavs bench and letting a little gas slip upon arrival.  Watching the thing in slow motion at the end of the video is more enjoyable, as you can see Anderson Varejao, aka Sideshow Bob, duck for cover. 

Hat Tip Goes To:  Epic Carnival

There are many differences seeing the Cavs play in Cleveland last night as compared to twenty years ago.  The obvious changes are in place, changes like player and coaching differnces.  Add a marquee name like Lebron James into the mix and it seems everything factors differently.

The first difference I can point out is the venue.  Cleveland now plays its home games at Quicken Loans Arena.  The scoreboard is huge!  The lights change frequently, there is music playing even while the game is going on.  Twenty years ago, Richfield Coloseum was home to the Cavs.  It was little bigger, but less flashy.  It was where a purist would rather had seen the Cavs play.  The scoreboard there was about a third of the size compared to the electricity eater at the Q.

The prices of everything have risen.  This is a given.  Despite the fact that people are paying much more for food and drink, there is so much more to choose from.  Last night in the Club Lounge, you could choose from several beers, mixed drinks, wine, whiskey, or water.  An unreal display of beverages!  At Richfield, the most you could do was select between a Budweiser or a Miller High Life.  There was no Quaker Steak and Lube, Pizza Hut, Specialized Deli Kiosks, or many other choices.  The biggest decision was whether to have a regular hot dog or a footlong for the extra buck.

The most disturbing thing that has changed, to me,  is activity during the timeouts.  When the play on the court stops, five other things start immediately.  The girls danced at both venues, but in Richfield, I believe the Cavs dancers only showed up at halftime and maybe between quarters wearing the same outfit for , get this, the whole game!  Last night at the Cleveland – Milwaukee game, the dancers were there every single time play stopped in a different skimpy outfit.  Clowns and dogs are throwing up shots backwards from half court.  People are doing layups at both ends of the court, stacking Timwe Warner Boxes to win a prize package.  A timeout announcer is urging people to make noise while some old school steel garbage can shoots plastic Taco Bell balls into screaming fans.  Boobie Gibson is on the scoreboard playing a small Casio synthesizer while two fans try to name the tune he is playing.  Last nights choice was Heart And Soul, the contestants incorrectly guessed Chopsticks.  Too much going on at once!  You don’t see all of this on television.  I popped my friend Dave a short elbow to point out to him that the entire Cavs bench other than Coach Mike Brown and the two starters I could see, were watching the festivities at this three ring circus called an NBA timeout.  Z, JJ Hickson, and Wally Szerbiak were zoned on watching Boobie do Billy Joel instead of paying attention.  The entire assistant coaching staff was staring at the closest cheerleader.  The rest of the bench was pretty well split between the animals at half court, the Time Warner challenge, and the dancers.  Delonte West was just staring into the crowd that whole timeout like Rocky looking for Adrian. 

The differences were obvious.  The game has turned into a spectacle, an E ticket ride at Disneyland, every timeout.  20 years ago, the game was still the spectacle and you didn’t need the smoke, mirrors, and dry ice to make a fan happy.  Hopefully we can see a bit of a reverse trend over the next 20 years to put the focus back on the game.

Lebron James is doing many things right this year.  Last night he showed why he, and not D Wade or Kobe, should be the 2009 MVP.  I have a good argument on Lebron’s behalf and hope you will read it objectively before agreeing or disagreeing with me.  Here are at 10 reasons why Lebron will win the MVP.

1. The Cavs cannot win without him on offense or defense.  Lebron has really taken a step to contest every shot this year.  he has some pretty special blocks as a result. 
2. He has the least to work with.  Getting Mo Williams helps, but Z is aging, Anderson Varajeo still flops too much and plays with no control, and Ben Wallace was never a factor on offense.  He has maximized his teammates potential all year.
3. He has finally matured into the leader everyone thought he could be.  Cavs fans knew this would take a couple of seasons, but he seems poised to lead the Cavs with a clearer agenda than in years past.
4. He is comfortable in Cleveland.  It is close to home.  Ignore what you hear about New York.  The Cavs basically let him pick his own coach and teammates.  He is an institution that the Cavs would be stupid to ever let go of.
5. He is playing better under pressure this year.  Seems like when the spotlight was on him in regular season games last year, he was not a factor the way he has been this year.
6. He is embracing his stardom.  The ads here in the near Cleveland market are growing excruciating.  His face is everywhere and his image is automatic revenue.  He never had the commercial and media exposure he is currently enjoying.
7. Cleveland fans are just rowdier than LA fans. Jack Nicholson doesn’t go nuts when Kobe hits a three.  Cavs fan go nuts when Lebron gets a rebound.  The laid back atmosphere of Los Angeles fans can actually hurt Kobe because Lebron’s louder crowd reactions can be an illusion that he is doing more.
8. Because the Most Valuable Player of the NBA must help his team more than other superstars do.  It’s obvious this season.  He starts the fourth quarter on the bench but encourages his teammates to play hard, waives his towel when they do well, and shows concern when they struggle.  His impact when on the floor is the greatest in the NBA this season, making him the leagues most valuable player.
9. Let the fans vote, you might be suprised.  I don’t think for a minute that the NBA MVP should be a popularity contest.  I also have little faith in NBA fans (didn’t they just vote Iverson in as an All-Star starter?).  However, drawing from the greatest reflection there is, an organized poll would clearly show Lebron James as the most popular player in the NBA.
10. Have Lebron and Kobe swirtch teams for a week.  What would happen?  Phil Jackson would still look half-loaded at the end of the bench without his team missing a beat.  Kobe, on the other hand, would fail miserably without Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and recent acquisition Adam Morrison.  He would then cry, as we have seen Kobe do in the past, until he gets his way.

Those are my top ten reasons why I feel Lebron James is already the 2008-09 NBA MVP.