Almost time to get this thing started

Yeah, another day of some digressions since it’s been about eleventy weeks since there’s been basketball news.

But don’t worry, it’s coming.

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I’m wondering how long it’s going to take Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to stop playing possum.

You know, and I know, and the Mavs should know, that he wants to use LeBron James to cover Dirk Nowitzki a lot in this series, just like he wanted James on Derrick Rose in the last one.

That’s going to be a very intriguing matchup because Nowitzki seems entirely non-plussed unaffected ho guards him and with that lethal fadeaway he’s got, even James isn’t going to be able to disrupt it very much.

That’s got to be the most interesting matchup of a Finals full of them and I hope we get to see it a lot. Don’t imagine we will because it strikes me as something the Heat would like to do as a bit of a surprise or tempo changing tactic

The other ones that will make a difference in the outcome?

I would think Jason Kidd should be able to scorch whichever of the two Miami point guards that are on the floor and I would at sometime Dwyane Wade’s going to move over onto Kidd and either Bibby or Chalmers will cover Stevenson.

And how about Peja-Mike Miller off the bench? Who might have the upper hand in that battle of one-dimensional backups?

This, in a lot of ways, is one of the most interesting Finals matchups we’ve had in a while and as I head into the Mother Star office to break it down for the paper, there’s lots to think about.

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I can’t believe I missed this for so long.

If this is summer, it must be international basketball time and, sure enough, the Canadian senior women are already playing.

It’s a bit of a screwed up schedule for them because their Olympic qualifier isn’t until September but in order to get much-needed games in, they had to head to Europe now to play; the European qualifier is in late June in Poland.

The Canadians lost a couple of tough ones on the weekend, to Cuba and Spain, but it’s early in the season for them.

We’ll catch up with them more later on, as we will the men when they get started, but with an NBA lockout looming, I’m hoping we get to do more than the usual amount of national team stuff.

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Okay, not sure many of you would have seen this because I presume many of you have lives and weren’t sitting around watching a bit of the Twins-Angels after Tigers-Red Sox were rained out.

Anyway, I was and when it came time for the seventh-inning stretch, they show a guy billboarded on the broadcast as Jim Grant singing an emotional version of It’s A Wonderful World at a ceremony for Harmon Killebrew.

It was really good and it took me about five minutes – and I might have even had a hint from the broadcasters – to realize it was Mudcat Grant!

One of the great nicknames of all time and the guy can croon.

Check it out here (if I can make video magically appear). Not sure why this one stuck with me, but it did.

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Can we get back to basketball for a minute?

Am trying to get a handle on which team captures the imagination of the casual fan more: Heat or Mavs.

I know people who follow the game intently are, for the most part, hoping Miami falls in its collective faces because of the way the roster was constructed but how about the people who only tune in at this time of year?

A brief canvass of a handful of my friends yields about an even split, which I find a bit surprising. A lot of it is “oh, I don’t really want Miami to win but they sure look good right now” but there is more support for them than I thought.

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So, Mighty Rockies get a couple of hours of work in on Sunday morning, first time I’ve been able to see ‘em in a couple of weeks thanks to travel and I have to tell you, we’re not bad.

Don’t even think I can screw it up tonight when we put the 1-0 record on the line.

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I see the Memorial Cup’s over?

And it was here in Hazelville?

Nice.

Anyway, I know the round-robin thing makes sense and has been around for a long time but I think I lost interest in the Memorial Cup right after lying around the house listening to the Niagara Falls Flyers play the Estevan Bruins way back in the day.

(And if any of you remember best-of-seven series that were actually eight-point series, give yourselves a pat on the back.).

Oh, and even back in those days, and we’re talking a very long time ago kids, the dude who did the play-by-play on CJRN had some pipes.

Maybe you’ve heard of him?

Guy named Jeanneret?

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Okay, so here’s the sked: Dave’s heading to Miami to do Games 1 and 2; I’ll pick the series up on the weekend in Dallas but, if there’s an appetite for it, we can do an IGBT for Game 1?

So mark it on your calendar, we’ll be here, or somewhere, tomorrow night.

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Comments

[Kelsey]

@John....What are you talking about, I dont think you have been watching Bosh game at least in the Chicago series he wasnt scoring because Lebron and Wade were getting double teamed!!, he was scoring in pick and roll shots and up fakes drives to the basket...The final game he had 4 blks and 10 rebounds as well!!!
(I dont know who would of stayed with Raptors if they had a chance to create a lethal title contending team, stop being such homers and use your head!!!) This is a business!!! I Raptors fan #1 a fan!!! but again business is different!!

Why do people still mention Bargnani and Dirk in one sentence.STOP IT, its crazy they are so far apart in talent its not funny. Dirk can REBOUND AND HAS A MOTOR!!! Bargnani doesnt, Dirk is a guy who can lead his team Bargnani can not and will never...There just both 7ft and European thats as close a they get!!!!!!!

I want Miami to win so bad, so all of you could write long hate response on this blog!!!! ooh I cant wait till Dirk and Mavericks choke again!!!!!!!

[Tim H.]

Thanks, Doug, for the Mudcat video (you truly are becoming a technical geek!) - it was indeed moving - as several of the people shown in the crowd indicated. It's things like this that make the blog so great - I've never met you, but I feel that your blog is a personal conversation with me. Thanks!

[Angela]

@elwyn jennings and Doug fyi

I looked a little further into the meaning of non-plussed and here's what I found in the Oxford English dictionary. It should clear things up, depending on who you ask ;)

"adjective
1 so surprised and confused that one is unsure how to react:Henry looked completely nonplussed
2 North American informal not disconcerted; unperturbed.

Usage

In standard use nonplussed means ‘surprised and confused’, as in she was nonplussed at his eagerness to help out.

In North American English a new use has developed in recent years, meaning ‘unperturbed’ — more or less the opposite of its traditional meaning — as in he was clearly trying to appear nonplussed. This new use probably arose on the assumption that non- was the normal negative prefix and must therefore have a negative meaning. It is not considered part of standard English "

[ro]

From oxford dictionaries online:
In standard use nonplussed means‘ surprised and confused’, as in she was nonplussed at his eagerness to help out. In North American English a new use has developed in recent years, meaning ‘unperturbed’ — more or less the opposite of its traditional meaning — as in he was clearly trying to appear nonplussed. This new use probably arose on the assumption that non- was the normal negative prefix and must therefore have a negative meaning. It is not considered part of standard English

It could go either way

[Profitable Ebay Businesses]

maverick is an awesome team,but miami heat really did a great job.and they hit up into three times on them on defensei think Dwyane Wade will get it no doubt.and miami plays lockdown defense.thanks for sharing this.

[Pregnancy Pointers]

The defense of the mavs is unlike any other team. Sure the heat has three all stars but the team isn’t as complete as the mavs just look they whooped everybody’s ass this year in the play offs. and their offence is on point. jj barea is is as quick as any one on the heat, dirk be hittin them threes like it aint nun n marion n terry gone be dunking n jones gone be getting in that ass too not to mention kidd and stojakovic with the jump shot accuracy.

[Home Inspector Training]

This is one of the much awaited rematch since 2006. I’m so excited to watch this game. This gonna be a an interesting game of the day.

[Home Inspector Marketing]

Erik Spoelstra strategy plus Lebron, Dwyane, and the rest of the Heat is the finest combination this season. I just hope that it is enough to beat Mavericks, cause they’re quite tough too.