Quick take on the NBA Finals coming up...
- People are fickle. Everyone complains that the NBA is full of gangsters and thugs and high schoolers who don't know how to play the game. So when two teams of solid, mature people and smart, well-coached basketball players make it to the pinnacle of the sport, what do people say? "Borrrrrrring!" Make up your mind!
- For my money, this should be a great series to watch on both sides of the ball. Offensive and defensive coaching strategy will play a big part. Changing tempo, changing matchups, everything will have a great impact because the players themselves are so consistently effective at executing what they're supposed to do.
- Detroit makes me nervous. In my opinion, they seem more consistent than the Spurs. This could be colored by my unfortunate track record of watching every bad performance by SA. They also have the depth to counter the Spurs' big 3. I'd have preferred a matchup with the Heat, since the matchups would have been better.
- Check out the year-long stats here. The near-identicalness of almost every stat is stunning, down to a .2 difference in average assists per game. This'll be a tight series.
- I think the Spurs' chances will depend on their role players' ability to step up. Horry will need to hit big shots and play big on defense. Barry needs to hit open shots and create a few more. Fortunately, they have home court advantage.
- I'm excited. This is the series every basketball "expert" predicted before the season began, before the surprise emergence of Miami and Phoenix as elite teams. These are two quality organizations with great people and a minimum of extracurricular drama.
- I can't stand Rasheed.
- One of the things I like best about Duncan - his unassuming nature, as illustrated in this quote from a feature article: "Think about it: He's one of the best, if not the best, player in the NBA, he's winning championships, he's getting paid like a Sultan and he's playing for the best organization in the league. What is another $10 million in endorsements going to do for his life? How are more screaming fans going to make him happier? Why in the world would he want to be a superstar, if what we really mean by that -- and by 'we' I mean the media and the fans -- is a marketable superstar? It may seem unlikely in celebrity-saturated America, but Duncan is opting out of the culture of idolatry. And, in spite of his superior skills, that may be the most remarkable thing about him." - Chris Ballard, Sports Illustrated
- Finally, you know that I'll be doing my best to send some good luck the Spurs' way. The DVR has already been set and I'll have a HS graduation to go to so I'm not distracted!
- People are fickle. Everyone complains that the NBA is full of gangsters and thugs and high schoolers who don't know how to play the game. So when two teams of solid, mature people and smart, well-coached basketball players make it to the pinnacle of the sport, what do people say? "Borrrrrrring!" Make up your mind!
- For my money, this should be a great series to watch on both sides of the ball. Offensive and defensive coaching strategy will play a big part. Changing tempo, changing matchups, everything will have a great impact because the players themselves are so consistently effective at executing what they're supposed to do.
- Detroit makes me nervous. In my opinion, they seem more consistent than the Spurs. This could be colored by my unfortunate track record of watching every bad performance by SA. They also have the depth to counter the Spurs' big 3. I'd have preferred a matchup with the Heat, since the matchups would have been better.
- Check out the year-long stats here. The near-identicalness of almost every stat is stunning, down to a .2 difference in average assists per game. This'll be a tight series.
- I think the Spurs' chances will depend on their role players' ability to step up. Horry will need to hit big shots and play big on defense. Barry needs to hit open shots and create a few more. Fortunately, they have home court advantage.
- I'm excited. This is the series every basketball "expert" predicted before the season began, before the surprise emergence of Miami and Phoenix as elite teams. These are two quality organizations with great people and a minimum of extracurricular drama.
- I can't stand Rasheed.
- One of the things I like best about Duncan - his unassuming nature, as illustrated in this quote from a feature article: "Think about it: He's one of the best, if not the best, player in the NBA, he's winning championships, he's getting paid like a Sultan and he's playing for the best organization in the league. What is another $10 million in endorsements going to do for his life? How are more screaming fans going to make him happier? Why in the world would he want to be a superstar, if what we really mean by that -- and by 'we' I mean the media and the fans -- is a marketable superstar? It may seem unlikely in celebrity-saturated America, but Duncan is opting out of the culture of idolatry. And, in spite of his superior skills, that may be the most remarkable thing about him." - Chris Ballard, Sports Illustrated
- Finally, you know that I'll be doing my best to send some good luck the Spurs' way. The DVR has already been set and I'll have a HS graduation to go to so I'm not distracted!
posted by Bob at
11:48 PM
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