It's chippy with a side of chirpy

JACK DEMPSEY/AP

Bodies flying everywhere and it's great playoff basketball.

The Western Conference final, already a rather chippy and chirpy affair, is fully on now.

Best-of-three, teams starting to truly dislike each other, a whole bunch of guys battling a variety of injuries and illnesses, the rest of this one has a chance to be more a matter of survival more than anything else.

Great playoff basketball, in other words.

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About last night

Watch out, Nuggets

Dahntay Jones doesn’t strike me as a dumb fellow, just a guy who does dumb things every now and then.

Like the two-hand shove in the back he gave Kobe Bryant in Game 3 of the Nuggets-Laker series, a foul that was upgraded to a Flagrant 1 by the league, by the way; earning him a small fine.

Last night? Intentionally sticking out his foot to trip Bryant – and it sure looked intentional to me upon further review – was a tad silly.

It didn’t hurt his team too much last night but I guarantee you Kobe will remember it when he looks over at Jones before the tip to start Game 5 and I smell a 40-plus night coming. And I also smell Bryant telling Jones precisely what he’s going to do before he does it.

Remember Kobe screaming “he can’t guard me” at times about Shane Battier in the Houston series? Same thing coming, I bet. Only worse. And in a much, much more important game.

Better, I think, to let sleeping superstars lie.

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Welcome back

Okay, we’ll give Carmelo a pass for another so-so game because it’s obvious he ankle’s bothering him but the return of Chauncey Billups to form was one of the big deciding factors in that relatively easy Denver win last night.

Derrick Fisher, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar – whoever it was – didn’t stand a chance against the undisputed leader of the Nuggets and if they let Chauncey keep getting away from them like that, the wise old men who picked Denver in six might be proved correct.

Wouldn’t that be wild?

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Raptors news!

Ha ha. Fooled you.

There is none.

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Technically, it’s a mess

I know referees want to “control” the game but how come when they do it, they often ruin it for stretches.

Yes, there were some contentious minutes in Denver’s win over the Lakers but the incessant parade to the free throw line to shoot technicals really put a damper on the evening. A couple were probably deserved, a couple were probably not and it strikes me that the officials have thinner skin in the post-season than the probably should.

Emotions run high, players chirp a bit more because calls are more significant, I think the refs should take a bit more than they do in the regular season. I’m all for calming the night if it’s getting out of line physically but players need the chance to vent a bit more vociferously in the playoffs than they get in the regular season.

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A (bad) percentage increase

Okay, lots has been made about players accumulating technical fouls and facing suspension when they get to seven in the post-season. Kobe and Dwight Howard are both at five (although it would surprise me if the league rescinds the fifth that Howard got the other night in Game 3) and could be forced to sit out a game of the Finals, which would be a true travesty.

Look at it this way:

It takes seven to draw a suspension in the post-season, when the absolute greatest number of games a player will appear in is 28.

It takes 16 to draw a suspension in the regular season, when a player will – barring any strange trade – appear in no more than 82 games.

I’m no mathematician, but they it strikes me that the ratio is a bit skewed the wrong way. Shouldn’t there be more leeway in the playoffs, when those emotions are running higher and the stakes are greater?

I don’t’ know who came up with seven – maybe it’s Stu Jackson’s lucky number or something – but I would expect the governors to increase that to, oh, nine sounds arbitrary enough, before the 2010 playoffs begin.

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Schedule set

I know all of you were breathlessly waiting to know this for sure, what with in-game blog plans to solidify, but the Denver win means the NBA Finals begin for sure on June 4 and follow a Thursday-Sunday-Tuesday format until they end.

You’re welcome. Now set those nights aside.

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From the mail, a question of taste:

Q: Hi Doug, please help settle a friendly sibling argument. We've been subjected to the Score/TSN ads throughout the playoffs (over and over and over) and have a question about the Juicy Fruit ad featuring Bosh, the vending machine and the three supporting ballers. We agree it's completely BRUTAL, but our question is whether it's brutal on purpose to appeal to Bosh's sense of humour (my brother's opinion) or whether it's just plain BAD (mine).

Ellie W, Toronto

A: Oh, I’m with you all the way. I give them no marks for subtlety; the commercials just stink.

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About tonight

Seriously, I think if you asked 100 fans who’ve watched the entire series, a shocking majority would say Orlando’s a heavy favourite in Game 4.

They’ve confused the Cavs all series with good enough defence on everyone not named LeBron and their offence has come alive whenever they’ve needed it.

In fact, I think a case can be made that Orlando really hasn’t played a great offensive game for 48 minutes (Hedo’s struggles early are Exhibit No. 1) and if they do, there’s a chance the game won’t be close.

It’s a strange thing to say, but the team that won 66 regular season games is, to many, now the decided underdog.

Which, of course, means Cleveland could win by 15.

But I don’t’ think so.

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All right, I have be on the tee about 8:30 up in Streetsville to start this marathon of double-bogeys so I’ve got to jet.

Wish me nothing but gentle fades, power draws and downhill sliders that cut right to the heart of the hole.

But it does mean I could be a tad tardy in getting to comments today; I’ll get to ‘em when I can.

And it also means I’m going to need to take tonight off from the in-game blog stuff to recuperate so we’ll see you all back here tomorrow morning.

Comments

[Dan H]

Hey Doug

Those tech ratios do actually allow the players more leeway in the playoffs. In the regular season, they are allowed roughly one tech for every five games, and in the postseason, its 1 in 4. That's 25% more techs they are allowed in the postseason.

Based on the numbers you gave above, of course.

[Boko]

Doug,
If the same ratio is used in the playoffs as in the season, the limit of Ts would be 5 or 6. so 7 is already giving them a break. I'd like to see more warnings given the player and his coach. Then let the ref count to 3. If the player & his coach control themselves for the count of 10 afterwards, reset and start all over again. The limit does not need to go up. The players and their coaches have to know where the line is, and honour it. If society can restrain themselves on a daily basis, they can, too. They just need to grow up some. All of them. End of rant ... from one who knew that any gesture or word in the refs direction was an automatic T, no matter who you were, period.

[pete]

Hey Doug, I thought Melo was sick as well, he threw up during the game and had an IV drip after the game

[Nick]

Nice new picture of you.

[Thane]

Uhhh Doug? I think you need to give that abacus another shake.

There is more leeway for emotion in technicals in the playoffs. Currently in the playoffs, a player is allowed to get one technical every 4 games before getting a suspension (and as many as nearly 1 in every 2 if they sweep all four series). In the regular season, they need to keep their technicals down to one in every five games.

If the regular season ratio was the same as the playoff ratio, they'd be allowed as many as 20 before a suspension. Clearly there already is more leeway in the playoffs.

[luis]

my comment is...

Ha ha. Fooled you.

There is none.

(by the way, loved that. made me smile. thanks)

[Josh]

Doug, the officiating is absolutely draining my enjoyment of the playoffs. Combined free throws, LA/Denver, Games 1 thru 4: 59, 72, 76, 84. Cleveland/Orlando, 1 thru 3: 31, 51, 86(!). Watching the "world's best athletes" standing around, shooting free throws is nothing but yawn-inducing...

[Kadz]

Why do you subject that old body of yours to such an arduous task? As if doing this blog is not hard enough.

I keed, i keed.

Great job on the blog, and good luck on the tees!

Magic in 7 indeed.

[LeeZ]

Doug, Doug, Doug. What were they THINKING! "They" being your bosses when they decided you need a new photo. This pic simply won't do. You're a grungy, rumpled beat grunt, not some man-about-town or Hollywood personality. The photo is far too devil-may-care bon-vivant. And it's already had an impact on your blogging. Would the old, irrascible and crotchety Doug Smith as immortalized in his previous dour photo say things like: "Ha ha, fooled you"? No, of course he wouldn't. So here's what I propose: for the next in-game blog, the poll question should be: which photo do you prefer, the old one or the new one? And let your legion of "fans" (ahem) decide the issue.

[Dana G]

Doug, your basketball commentary is great, but it is clear, as you say, that you're no mathematician.

16 T-fouls against 82 regular season games means players need to average no more than a technical foul every 5.1 games.

7 technicals against 16-28 post-season games means players need to average no more than a technical foul every 2.3-4.0 games.

Clearly, then, there IS more leeway in the post-season.

[Philip West]

Doug,

You certainly are not a mathematician, 7/28 = 1/4 (aka 1 techinical for every four games played) and 16/82 = 1/5.125 (aka 1 technical for every 5 1/8 games played). So yes, there is more leverage in the playoffs, especially when you consider that most teams will not play the full 28 games.

[Spott]

In fact 7 technical fouls for 28 games allows you to have 1 technical foul each 4 games (That is 0.25 per game) while 16 in 82 games allows to have 1 each 5.125 games (0.195 per game) so the rule is harder in the regular season.

[Dan]

Doug, you've got it wrong on techs. By allowing 7 in the playoffs, players are allowed one every fourth game (or even less, assuming they don't play all 28 possible games), while 16 during the regular season allows a technical only every fifth game (approximately). So there is actually more leeway in the playoffs. Still, I agree with you that 7 is too low and arbitrary a number.

[Phil]

Doug,

So if you get 16 techs in 82 games, that means you get one in about 19.5% of games. If you get 7 techs in the playoffs, you have gotten a tech in at least 25% of your games. So there is more leeway (maybe still not enough, but the percentage increase goes the right way).

[bballer]

the biggest difference in the two series have been the play of pietrus and jr smith. having a player who can come off the bench and break down an offence or shoot 3 pointers has been invaluable. pavlovic, vujacic and odom are coming up empty for their respective teams' benches. i hope most gm's are watching. having a solid scorer off the bench is necessary.

la's big men are coming up way too soft. gasol tries to avoid physical contact on defense and bynum doesn't seem interested at all. both lack the mental toughness to exceed at this point. if at least one of them plays well, the lakers will have a chance.

[Pharaoh]

Watch out Nuggets indeed. Not only have they made an enemy of Kobe, Phil and the Lakers, but it seems also that Vince McMahon is laying a smackdown on Denver as well. Gotta love it!

[George]

Regarding the technical fouls.

Doug, there is definitely more leeway in the playoffs. Here's how the calculations work. 16 Techs in 82 games is 1 tech every 5.125 games. In the playoffs the maximum is 28 games and 7 techs. So that works out to 1 tech every 4 games. So supposing more realistically they play 24 games, then the they are actually allowing a tech every 3.4 games. So the numbers do work they you are suggesting they should.

[sean]

Doug: Do you see Jonny Flynn as a fit for the Raps? Thx.

Blogger's note: Doubt it; they have other holes to fill

[Alex H]

I'm sure this won't be the first comment you get about this, but there is more leeway for technical fouls in the playoffs. You're allowed 1 every 5 games in the regular season and 1 in every 4 (though realistically less, since it's unlikely that all series would go to 7) playoff games.

[aditya]

i think clevelands wins tonight....my gut says it...thats all

[Phil A]

Mo Williams needs to step his game up. I believe he is only hitting a third of his shots this series and that has to change.

[Paul]

Doug, I hope you'll give us a debriefing on the golf marathon?

[Jamie]

I think the ratio of technical fouls is fine. In the regular season, you are only allowed one technical foul every 5.125 games (82/16) but in the playoffs, you can get a technical every 4 games (28/7) and still not miss a game. And that assumes that a player plays 28 playoff games, which is unlikely.

[Lorie]

Totally agree that a re-examination needs to be undertaken with respect to the number of technicals that lead to game suspensions in the post season. And whether number is revised up to 9, 11 or even more, it would at least acknowledge the difference in the stakes being played for at this time of year. And the numerous fouls called late in last night's game between LA and Denver reduced the tempo of the game to that of a dirge. There has got to be a middle ground that allows for responsibly controlling the play while allowing play to take place! Looking forward to tonight's game between the Magic and Cav's. In my opinion the Cav's have a good chance of taking this one, but the key to the game(!)will be whether or not LBJ gets some support offensively and some offensive creativity from players like Williams, West, Ilgauskas...oh really anyone at all will do! So hope you were able to squeeze in the odd birdie, and, hey, why not...perhaps even an albatross to go with those double and (God forbid) triple bogies today!

[Kevin Huang]

Doug, Im not digging the new profile picture
Do you think Cleveland stands a chance against Orlando??
I mean, if it wasn't for LeBron's magical shot,
They would be down 0-3!