Mistakes abound and that's the story of the day

Sorry about the tardiness but at the intersection of work and life, work had the big yield sign this morning.

But it’s worth the wait, maybe.

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GARY W. GREEN/AP

Don't blame the ball, Dwight. Blame Nick Anderson.

When these Finals end – and, sadly for many reasons I believe that will be Tuesday night in Los Angeles – there will be two enduring symbols to me. And neither has to do with the team that won the championship.

The first is going to be the look on Dwight Howard’s face when he went all Nick Anderson on the Magic last night, bricking those two free throws with 11.6 seconds left.

I know Howard’s not an accomplished free throw shooter but with nothing less than the season on the line, making one of two to seal the game is, um, big. And after, walking back to the huddle, didn’t he look bewildered?

And for all you fans of curses out there, do you think Orlando rues the moment it decided to use Anderson to fire up the crowd before the game. The same guy who missed four free throws in the final minute of Game 1 of the 1985 1995 final before the Magic were swept by Houston being trotted out the next time Orlando plays for a championship?

That, my friends, is tempting fate.

The second symbol? It’s got to be Jameer Nelson backing up, backing up, backing up in those final 11 seconds before realizing, “hey, we’re up three, who cares about a layup, I probably would be smart to guard Derek Fisher a tad more closely.”

Duh!

I can sort of forgive Howard, he is what he is at the free throw line; it’s stunning to me that Nelson, who seems a bright player, would not be in Fisher’s chest the second the Laker guard crossed the midcourt line

It’s not like Fisher was going to find a sudden burst of speed and get by Nelson, is it? The dude’s like 63 years old.

I know Nelson made some big plays in the fourth quarter – and I would have loved to have been able to read Rafer’s mind when he was doing it – but that’s just a dumbass play by a guard who should know better.

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Speaking of the Raptors, this is how things go for NBA teams around now heading into the draft.

A whole raft of Raptors types – I believe Bryan and almost all his henchmen – are off to New Jersey today to see a workout.

When I asked one of the travelling party who they were checking out, he rolled his eyes and said

 “Don’t know, we’ll find out when we get there.”

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Now, riddle me this, too.

Why didn’t the Magic foul Fisher? Or someone.

Well, this is what Stan said:

“I thought it was too early at 11, though when they took it full court, I'll have to go back and look at that. That one will haunt me forever, but we could have played that play a lot better.”

Um, yeah, they could have.

The foul isn’t given at 11 seconds when they inbound the ball, the foul’s taken with six seconds left when they’ve got it in the front court. It’s a debate about coaching styles that will go on forever but I think we’ve seen a few times in these playoffs, fouling probably is the way to go.

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Speaking of Stan, he’s the same coach who was lauded a genius for that last-second play for Courtney Lee at the end of Game 2 and I presume he’s being killed today for not fouling.

Such is life as a coach, eh?

Brilliant on Sunday. A dummy on Thursday.

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Oh, how proud David Stern must be.

All season long, we’ve heard what a great kid Derrick Rose is, takes responsibility for his actions, carries himself in a professional manner, the Rookie Of The Year is an excellent role model for youngsters growing up.

Well, since that epic seven-game series with Boston (and doesn’t that seem like it happened about two years ago?), Rose has found himself in the middle of an SAT controversy about his test scores going into his one year in college and is now defending himself over a picture that shows him flashing an alleged gang sign, as this Chicago Tribune story details.

What’s it all mean? Maybe it just means a kid made an honest mistake – although anyone, if a kid like Rose, has to know that everything he does will eventually be found out; maybe it means he’s got some serious character flaws – although folks around the Bulls will tell you that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

What it tells me is that we are often far to fast to judge people, especially young people and to lionize a teenager is a silly thing to do.

Derrick Rose will probably go on to have a long and illustrious NBA career, he could become a man of whom all fans and friends can be proud. But right now, he’s a young kid who made at least one serious mistake – the concrete proof on the SAT thing isn’t out there yet – and I don’t think we should be surprised.

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Speaking of the intersection of work and life, I’m sure you’re all dying to know that Super Son made his career pitching debut last night, threw two Maddux-like innings of strikes on the corners and deceptive quickness as The Mighty Yankees got back to winning.

And if you weren’t dying to know, well, tough noogies.

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Why will it end in six, you ask?

Because I picked Orlando in seven and because I will have to watch Game 5 on Sunday not knowing until like 11 p.m. whether I have to wake up and fly to L.A. on Monday and you know that whatever will inconvenience me the most will definitely occur.

(Okay, truth be told, I wrote that with the hope of some kind of reverse-curse or something; if I say it, I’ll be wrong and I’ll be home all next week)

But, regardless, for the tens and tens of you who missed the in-game bloggy thingy last night (and you know who I’m talking about), we will be back in the usual spot on Sunday night if you care to stop by.

Comments

[Casey]

That was probably the 95 final the magic played, rather then the 85 final.

Blogger's note: Got it. Thanks. Typo

[Matthieu]

Blogger's note: 1995 Finals (and not 1985)
Thanks for all the good stuff, as usual

Blogger's note: Ooops. Typo. Thanks

[Matthieu]

No problem. Sorry to have abused the term "blogger's note". I thought it was to make a comment on the technical part of the blog (typo and else).........
For the sake of it, let's just mention that the NBA 1985 finals were won in 6 by the Lakers (against the Celtics)

Blogger's note: My patent on "Blogger's note" hasn't come through yet, no problem at all

[Eric]

The worst thing about the Nick Anderson misses wasn't the misses, it was the legacy. People don't forget them in Orlando....... so much so that when Dwight misses two in Game 4, we immediate recall Nick Anderson and call it a curse on the team. Heck, we WAIT for it to happen so that we can bring Nick up again! We totally ignore the fact that people miss free throws all the time- especially big ones! But the fact that Nick missed on the big stage 14 years ago causes us to write about the chance that it'll happen again, and probably has an effect on Dwight Howard's subconscious when he's put in the same position. It's a distraction.

The Raptors have one like that- the "I don't want to play in Toronto" fear. It started with Tracy, and that caused every soon-to-be-free-agent to be bombarded with questions from the media years in advance, to the point that those questions themselves tempt fate to occur again ("Why are you asking me the same question a million times? I'm guess I WILL go somewhere else").

In these cities with 'curses', people keep talking about them to the point that they become self-fulfilling prophecies. That's the worst thing about it. Only leadership can pull you out of that rut.

[rob]

Hey Doug,
I just wanted to know your opinion about the NBA 's CBA and luxury tax rule.. I think with all its flaws it still beats the fiasco they call eropean soccer( I m as big a soccer fan as I am a basketball fan)... what are your thoughts of real madrid signing the best two players in the world for around 200 million dollars... now imagine if an nba team say Lakers was able to sign lebron and kobe and make a run for wade and bosh (like madrid is doing now). how boring and unfair would the league be that the team with most money will almost certainly win every year,,,, it becomes a corporate battle rather than a battle for us to watch on the court.
thanx again for your time.

Blogger's note: I think the NBA's cap-tax system is the best in pro sports; it does allow for some movement but not too much, it makes it easier for small-market teams to keep their best players if they want.

[N]

According to the article, the picture was not dated yet, probably from a college party back in the day. Flashing a gang sign in a party is hardly something to rip a person's character on. NBA players are far from role models.. maybe on the court yeah, but off the court, everyone has issues.

[PEMAC]

Great blog Doug,

Heartbreaking end of the Magic's best season ever. One made free-throw and one made wide-open (nonetheless difficult) lay-up and they're up 3-1. Are you as angry as I am with Memphis for giving up such a valuable (and still young-ish!) piece in Pau Gasol for his younger brother and potato-chips, or have you moved on? How many championships do the Lakers win consecutively before that anger comes back?

[Rob.V]

Wow!! Shocking ending to that game last night, just shocking!!

As they say - So close... yet so far!!!

If Lee makes that basket at the end of game 2 and the Magic simply play out the final 45 seconds (as they should have) last night... they are up 3-1 and looking to close out the series on Sunday... SHAME!!!

From my view, the point guard play (and managing of the Orlando point guards) has cost them the series. What's odd about this is that knowing you would have Jameer at your disposal you would think that this was the one position Orlando would have a clear advantage going in... but maybe that BELIEF was the problem??.

Is it realistic to think I guy can return from a 4 month absence and be ready to go, not only physically.. but MENTALLY?. We see it all the time, players go out for a couple of months... and are not fit to play at a regular seasons pace, let alone in the FINALS!.

The thought of Jameer returning may have been the sexy, "story book ending" the Magic were hoping for: HEADLINE - All Star point guard returns after for months off and lifts Magic to their first title... but that's where it ends. The lure of this scenario playing out was unfortunatley the demise of the Magic... completely unrealiastic thinking.

This is not to take anything away from Derek Fisher, he's a WINNER.. and has proven this on numerous occasions in the past however the Magic coaching staff appear to have handed the Lakers the championship.

Hindsight is 20-20 however it says here Orlando shouldnt have changed their allocation of point guard minutes that drastically (not the time of year to "tinker").

Anthony Johnson may not be spectacular however after fighting through the first 3 rounds he at least had shown his HEAD was always in the game.

Prior to this series the Magic point guard play was much more stable (and at times better than average) with Rafer and AJ off the bench.

Doug, why would Stan leave Jameer in the game for so long (as with game 1 I believe) without going back to Rafer. That was the SECOND time Stan made that same mistake and it appears to have cost them the series. Did anyone ask Stan why he didn’t go back to Rafer?

Blogger's note: Yes, and according the transcript I just saw, he said they had played a "very, very bad" third quarter and while Nelson wasn't doing anything spectacular, he wasn't hurting the team and the unit on the floor was playing well

[Ben]

To be fair, Rose released a statement that was very apologetic and professional, saying that his gang sign was a stupid joke, and that he is staunchly anti-gang, drugs and violence, has never been a part of a gang, and that he encouraged all of his fans, especially younger ones, to be the same way.

With the criminal behavior other athletes and celebrities do, I wouldn't exactly say that a then-17 year old flashing a 'gang sign' as a stupid joke at a party with friends a 'serious mistake'.

[WA]

I agree with Doug - the NBA's tax & cap system is the best in the world, has been and hopefully always will be. Doug pointed out that it helps keep stars developed in smaller markets and that comes via the use of the "home-team" clause in the CBA that allows the home team to re-sign their own player for an additional year than the other 29 and offer a larger annual raise.

Did anyone check out Shaq's tweets from last night? Oh man, they still have me cracking up this morning. Especially when he called Hedo Shaq-a-glue or something like that.

[Ben]

And it case it wasn't obvious, your statement that we as a society are way to quick to judge people in the spotlight such as Rose, is very well said Doug.

[Tony]

I watched Howard hit two underhand shots from over half court in warmups with this sheepish bravado grin on his face. I couldn't help but laugh at him, as opposed to with him, as i thought before the game. Yeah, but you can't hit a simple foul shot to save your life if you had to. Sure enough he went under 50% from the free throw line and could't hit the clincher with two tries at the end of regulation. Series OVER!

[T i]

Doug, I'll have to respectively disagree that the luxury tax system is the best in pro sports. In my opinion, the NFL has the best cap system in sports. The reason being is that like the NBA, there isn't MUCH movement but movement can be done. Small market teams can be extremely competitive (and are). Look at Indianapolis... they are technically a small market football team that has over the last 8 or so years increased their national support significantly and are contenders every year. How??? Through fantastic drafting - they rarely sign any free agents other than their own and are successful at this method. On the other hand a team like the New England Patriots draft pretty good but they constantly sign seasoned veteran free agents to fill in gaps and are also always contenders - there are many ways to win. The best part of the NFL cap is that a player can be cut though. Thus, the Marcus Banks of the world doesn't get to sit on his ridiculous salary while warming the pine - he'd get cut.. On the other hand, you have to be careful when you cut someone because they still take a hit on your cap if you cut them - I think the system is brilliant. The cutting of a player aspect takes it over the edge in comparison to the NBA luxury tax system in my opinion. Like the NBA, the NFL salary cap also can go up or down on a year to year basis, keeping GMs honest. MLB definitely has the worst system in sports (or lack thereof) in sports.

[Jamie]

i could name liek 10 people i went to highschool with who were 'A' students who regularily got their marks bumped up because they were "good students and didnt want to hurt their college goals"...It used to happen in london ontario all the time and for no other reason then the student had a good relationship with their VP...so if Rose getting bumped from a D to C is a surprise to anyone, they need a reality check...the gang sign thing is a non-issue to me...has anyone bothered to actually look at some of the tattoos on these guys?

[GM]

Oh man, I hate the Lakers. But what I hate more is teams that can't hit free throws. Well, not more than the Lakers, but you get the idea. I find it so hard to cheer for teams that don't make timely free throws, which is why I'm so hard on Anthony Parker and couldn't cheer for the Spurs a couple seasons ago. How does Turkoglu miss three of four foul shots in the last couple of minutes? And then big Dwight missing two? Brutal. Also, Rafer should have been playing more in the 4th. He at least would have scored a couple baskets probably.

[Marc in Burlington]

Doug,

Doug

It's so hard to watch this...

Ariza's white shoe clearly in the black paint out of bounds on the baseline, for the much needed save in the dying 30 seconds. Kobe smashes Nelson in the face with an elbow and surprise, surprise there's no call on either play. I wish I could say I was shocked...

Ya might as well put a ribbon on the gift.

[dan]

Doug, just curious what you thought about Pietrus' flagrant at the end of the game? He gave him a hard double-fist to the back. It was a thuggish move, and a dangerous one.

Do you think the league will look at that? To me, it was completely uncalled for.

Blogger's note: I presume we'll hear about a fine today. It was an absolute cheap shot.

[C]

To the reader who whined about the calls down the stretch:

Funny I dont hear you mentioning the entire Laker frontcourt being in foul trouble the entire game, or the free throw differential. I love when people like you blame the refs when things dont go in your favour and I REALLY love it when you fail to acknowledge that it happens on the other end.

[Jonathan]

T i:

Wait, could you go over the difference between cutting a player in the NFL and cutting one in the NBA? I'm not sure I see the difference (unless NFL teams aren't responsible for money owed or something like that).

[LH]

Tony, you make some good points about the NFL cap. But it doesn't prevent the larger market teams from outbidding the smaller market teams for star players. For example Lebron James could go to the highest bidder in the NFL while in the NBA - Cleveland is the highest bidder. The 2 teams you referenced (Indy and New England) are also probably 2 of the best run franchises in the league. Its a credit to their entire front office staff that they maintain a high level for an extended period. In the NBA you have small market teams like Utah and San Antonio who have been good for a long period of time. Draft well and are able to keep their top players because of the cap.

[jk]

Pietrus's foul was uncalled for but gasol shouldn't have scored that bucket. There was less than 24 seconds left on the clock and it was a lack of sportsmanship to dunk the ball and hang on the rim. What are your thoughts Doug?

Blogger's note: Regardless of what Gasol did or didn't do, it was a bush league foul.