A rather interesting day all around

So there I am, trying to show some couth and aplomb while chatting for 90 minutes or so with various general managers, assistant general managers, part-owners, chairmen and whoever else was in the big boardroom after the lottery was done and in the dark recesses of my mind, I’m thinking:

“Oooooh, some Irregulars are going to be miffed.”

Tee-hee.

Anyway …

-

Let the fun begin.

And by fun I mean five or six weeks of abject guesswork, much consternation and confusion and too’ing and fro’ing about the suitability of basketballers few of us have seen more than once or twice on TV and likely seldom in person.

Fun?

Wow!

Really, all that last night did was deepen the pool of possible draft picks and it’s going to create a lot more chatter among, well, among you folks between now and June 23.

And there’s lots to talk about.

Do they go with a point guard like Brandon Knight of Kentucky or do they roll the dice on Kemba Walker of Connecticut, if he’s there.

Do they go big?

Or, as one Irregular e-mailed seconds after I got to turn my machine on:

“I hope all the sports writers in town are good spellers because I feel a Euro big coming at No. 5.”

Let the fun begin.

-

So, what’s it like in there?

Mind-numbingly boring for the most part but kind of cool.

We’re shepherded into the room about 7 p.m., reps of the 14 teams, a handful of league officials, three very large security guards and five members of the media to act as witnesses, or hostages.

You walk in the boardroom and they want you’re blackberries or phones or whatever you have, as expected, although we could keep tape recorders if we wanted and could use laptops, as it turns out, because they had blocked any wireless access to the room.

But the speed with which it came together was stunning.

A dude from Ernst and Young walked everyone through the process, the balls were dropped one-by-one into the hopper (which looks like a toned-down version of any old lottery machine and was built specifically for the event) and then it started.

Three draws, each taking a minute and it was all over and done with by 7:23 p.m. if the chicken scratch in the notebook can be trusted.

Then? Then we stood around nibbling on cold cuts and cookies and drinking coffee and soda, chatting with the likes of Ernie Grunfeld and Billy McKinny, Marc Eversley and a handful of others.

Nice talks, very long wait while watching the whole process on TV like many of you were.

But you need to trust me on this: It so above-board and impossible to rig and witnessed by so many people with so much vested interest in the process that there’s no way it could be anything but legit.

I’m sure that won’t appease everyone but I really don’t care.

-

Oh, great.

Guy goes down the lobby about 6 a.m. to grab the first of many coffees of the day and the music’s playing and The Temptations are warbling My Girl and now it’s going be in my head all day.

“Even got the month of May, with my girl, my girl, my girl.”

You’re welcome.

-

Okay, David Kahn is a goof.

Really.

The Minnesota GM, who really hasn’t distinguished himself as, you know, particularly bright in his job and something of a collector of point guards, dropped this quote after the lottery last night:

“This league has a habit, and I am just going to say habit, of producing some pretty incredible story lines. Last year it was Abe Pollin’s widow and this year it was a 14-year-old boy. I told Kevin: ‘We’re toast. This is not happening for us.’ And I was right.”

Seriously?

I’m pretty sure David or one of his Henchmen are spinning the old “fine-o-meter wheel” right now.

I’m guessing $35,000, maybe $50,000.

-

Who should they take?

No clue, really.

The consensus of a couple of people I talked to through the night is that Cleveland takes Kyrie Irving without a doubt, Minnesota maybe picks Enes Kanter and Utah grabs up Derrick Williams, although those last two may flip.

Then? Who knows. One guy thought Cleveland might gamble on a project like Bismack Biyombo or Jonas Valanciunas.

That would leave the Raptors with a lot of choice but I will offer this warning for the first of many times:

Mock drafts are little more than guesswork, teams have a tendency to put out disinformation campaigns and nothing really is as it seems.

-

RIP Harmon Killebrew.

I never met the man, never wrote about him but everything tells me he was one of the great guys in the game.

And isn’t that one of the greatest names in sports history?

-

Let me get this straight.

Dirk had 48 points on 15 shots?

That’s one for the ages.

And I think he might have just fouled out Scott Brooks.

-

Oh yeah, Bryan got his deal done, right?

Two years and an option with incentives to make that option reachable seems to be fair and it’s really not a surprise at all that it got done.

Next?

Jay.

And while I fully expect Jay to be back on the final option year of his deal, Bryan didn’t go nearly as far last night endorsing him as he did at his end-of-season media thingy.

“In the coming days, we’re going to be very busy with the draft combine in Chicago (and) Jay and I will probably have a chance to meet. It won’t be the first time this off-season we’ve met but it will be the first time we’ve really met in earnest talking about the direction of the team, talking about de-briefing on what happened this season and where things are.

“I’m looking forward to those opportunities to sit down with him with what I could call more focus, better quality time together and we have a lot of business to take care of.”

I don’t see a lot of roadblocks in the way but the GM didn’t come right out and say the coach would be back for sure.

-

Man, this got long in a hurry today. Guess that’s what happens when stuff goes on.

Anyway, it leaves some stuff for later in the week and I’ll put the first call out now for mail. Click, write, send.

Oh, and we’ve got tonight off, too, right?

-

 

 

I'm going to know a secret

 

Moist day here in Secaucus.

And by moist I mean a hard rain, dark and gloomy and about as far from delightful as you can imagine. The thunder’s a nice touch, though.

Anyway …

-

Hey, another first.

The NBA’s asked me to be hang out in the actual room where they conduct the lottery tonight as some kind of unaffiliated witness or something like that.

Not sure what it’ll be like but it’s got to be sort of cool and it means I’ll know before even Bryan how the Raptors have made out.

But I sure can’t tell you.

If I remember correctly, reading last year from someone who was in the room, there are no cellphones, no blackberrys, no I-anythings or tablets of any kind.

In fact, the word I got from the NBA guy was that we’ll be “sequestered” from about 7 p.m. until after airing of the lottery TV show.

But it will be kind of cool to see the reaction of the people in the room when the numbers pop up and the top three teams are picked. After that, I imagine there’ll be a lot of standing around and chatting and waiting to go interview people.

-

Think I’ve only been at one other lottery – it’s hardly a dream assignment – and all I can really remember is sitting there after in the tent they used as a dining area with Glen Grunwald and he’s holding a beer and looking downcast.

It was 2003. The LeBron draft.

-

Yesterday seemed to be one of those days we get this time of year with no games, no news, no nothing really and the guys I feel most sorry for are colleagues trying to drum up off-day stories or set-up stories that all seem to be the same.

It’s got to be especially hard in the Chicago-Miami series because they’ve got an extra day off between Games 1 and 2 and then two extra days between Games 2 and 3 and you can only write “the Heat have to rebound better” so many times.

But it is a TV-dominated world we live in and that’s got everything to do with the protracted start to the conference finals.

In a perfect world, every series would be like the West, a game every other night. A rhythm develops for players and coaches and fans and the media that travels to cover these things and all seems right in the world.

But, because both of the Eastern Conference semifinals finished early, and because they couldn’t play in Chicago on Monday night, we’ve got all this time to kill to start the series.

-

I, like Donald Trump, would like to announce I am not going to run for president of the United States.

Seriously, doesn’t the fact a self-absorbed clown like Donald Trump (and I mean that in the best possible terms) think even in his wildest dreams that he could be the president of the United States scare you at some level?

I half wish he’d run so someone could force him to prove he was born on Earth and not in some other galaxy where goofy hair is a symbol of something.

Anyway …

-

I wake up, turn on the TV to the usual Mike And Mike fare, as I do when I’m in the States, and the one Mike’s not there.

Who is?

Jalen!

Replete in a Kronk Gym sweatshirt.

The guy’s got style.

-

The one thing we should be looking for tonight when the West final gets going (and some of you will have to tell me about it, I’ll be writing lottery stories for most of it) is how the Thunder react to the circumstances.

That’s a young team there, playing in its biggest game ever (well, at least since it forsook Seattle) and Dallas can be one of the loudest and toughest places to play.

I guess the one thing the Thunder can draw on is its Game 7 experience and they handled that quite well, especially Durant and Westbrook, who have to be great if they’re going to win.

But it’s one thing to play well at home against a relatively-inferior opponent; it’s quite something else to play on the road against a veteran team well-rested.

-

This might be a fun update.

Q: Greetings Doug! So I caught some of the halftime hijinks during the Heat-Bulls game, and Sir Charles was asked what his TV theme music would be if he was walking. His response: the Miami Vice theme.

I figure you might want to have fun with this as you did promise last week to list your favourite TV theme songs. So what would be the theme for you walking? Dodging chores? Channel surfing?

My personal favourites are the themes to "The Sopranos" and "Night Court".

Cheers

 

 

Natalie M, Brampton

A: Ah, Natalie, I’m afraid we did this just a couple of months ago and I gave you, in no particular order, the Beverly Hillbillies, The Flintstones, Gilligan’s Island, Cheer (a cliché) and, my fave, Green Acres.

But if you’re looking for a second five …

How about The Addams Family, M*A*S*H*, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Sopranos, for sure, and Laverne and Shirley?

And in a couple of months, maybe we’ll do 11-15.

-

Hey, you know what they have down here?

Happy Hours!

Five dollar appetizers, sales on glasses of Yeungling and a night in Secaucus can be at least mildly passable.

No journey to the big city across the river, seemed to be a lot of work to get there from this tiny hotel and there was work to be done so it was nice to find a good spot down the road.

-

Now, where’s my bag of dry ice. Have to get ready for the lottery.

-

 

 

 

Stars emerge and the lottery approaches

I (heart) Porter and since I’d rather take a skiff to Newark than Air Canada, I’m kind of glad this morning’s flight to the lottery is all set to go off the island.

But, before that …

-

Oh yeah, we all knew that Taj Gibson and Chris Bosh would be the guys were remembered most from Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final, didn’t we?

But isn’t it always that way?

Some rather unheralded player – and Bosh may be heralded but he’s certainly not LeBron James or Dwyane Wade – comes out and puts his stamp on a game and we all go, ‘holy crap, where’d he come from?’

Well, with Bosh we know, he’s at least partially heralded.

The other guy?

Not so much but if there’ve been two more incredible dunks in the playoffs than the one on Wade and the putback in the final minute, I sure haven’t seen them.

And it underscores the one major advantage the Bulls have over the Heat and the one thing that could give them the series:

A much, much, much stronger bench.

In Game 1, it was as big a part about Chicago’s easy win as was the Bulls ability to defend Wade and James pretty much one-on-one all night and if the Bulls keep getting that kind of production, it might be the thing that tips the series.

The Heat are horribly thin, especially in the front court, and if they don’t find away to compete better on the boards, they’re toast.

I fully expect they will and this series is far from over but that was an emphatic beating administered by Chicago and it had to put some questions in the minds of the Miami players and coaches.

-

I would hope that at some time in the future, news stories like this one about Phoenix president Rick Welts and the fact he’s gay wouldn’t cause such a ripple.

But they do, and that stinks.

I can’t pretend to know what went into the decision to make this public at this point in time and not a decade ago but I’m glad he did and glad he felt comfortable enough that he could.

Gays in male pro sports – on courts, rinks, diamonds, in front offices – is still something of a taboo topic and the more we realize it’s part of life, the better we’ll be as a society of sports fans.

The level of tolerance still isn’t there, and I don’t know it’ll ever get to where it should be, but the more people understand there are those among us who chose to live a different lifestyle and the quicker we accept them, the better off we’ll be a whole.

In the decade and a half that I’ve been covering the NBA, I am sure I’ve deal with all kinds of athletes, executives, scouts, whatever, who are gay and haven’t felt comfortable enough to live and open lifestyle.

Too bad.

Not that it would have caused me, or any of my right-minded colleagues, to act any differently but if it would have helped one kid struggling with sexual identity to feel more comfortable, it would be a good thing.

-

So, off to the lottery I go.

And that means by this time Wednesday morning we’ll know who is picking where and who’s all in the NBA draft and it’ll be ‘whoop-dee-doo, who are they going to pick’ time all over the world.

Can’t wait.

But here’s the thing: I think, so far, the top three in the draft have been clearly identified – Duke guard Kyrie Irving, Arizona small forward Derrick Wiilliams and Enes Kanter, the Turkish big man who sat out the last NCAA season because of eligibility issues.

Hmm.

A guard, a wing and a big on a team that could use a wing, a centre and a guard.

Let the debate rage.

Can’t wait.

-

My man KC says “the Thibodeau brainwash is in full effect” after the Bulls were talking about cleaning up some mistakes and that they could play better after the Game 1 clinic.

Don’t you love it when a coach gets so far in the heads of his players that even when they do exactly that he wants, they think they can be better?

And maybe that’s why Derrick Rose, who usually leads that chorus, is really the MVP of the league.

It’s always tough for a first year coach – especially a true rookie head coach who isn’t a former player and who doesn’t have the most magnetic of personalities – to get his team to buy into his theories, especially the best player on that team, and that Rose has do so willingly has given every reason for his teammates to follow him and made the Bulls what they are.

Maybe that’s why he’s the most valuable player in the league.

-

So, people far smarter than I remind me that the doofuses up in Ottawa (and I use that term in the most complimentary of ways) wants to know all about us, and how many of us there are.

I reminded a few of you of the importance of voting and how it was a responsibility you shouldn’t shirk so here’s a mention of the census and you should fill it out.

I think maybe the deadline’s past but if you fill it out, send it off and blame the delay on Canada Post, that’s an entirely plausible explanation.

Do it today, if you haven’t already.

-

How sick is Jose Bautista?

Really.

What’d he have? Four homers in five at-bats?

Yikes.

Makes one proud to cheer for the TOD. Almost time to drag the sorry carcass down to the ball yard and see what the fuss is all about.

Now, as long as they don’t go into Detroit and lay an egg, we’ll be quite happy.

I presume there aren’t a lot of fine dining joints to spend a Monday night at in Secaucus, N.J., but there has to be a sports bar with a satellite and a corner TV to get the Jays, right?

-

By the way, rib steaks on the Napolean work quite well, too. I’ve stored the rib recipes and tips for later, with stuff to write about the West and the IGBT to do, Sunday kind of got away from me.

Next time. Promise.

-

You’ve all seen the Dallas in six prediction, haven’t you, (it’s here) but I do expect the Western Conference final to be at least as compelling as the East.

It may not have the overall star power – Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki are one thing; James, Wade and Rose are quite another – but for evenly matched? This one should be good.

I do think the Mavs are too deep and too experienced and should prevail but I’m expecting a good one.

And because it’s all about me – as perhaps I’ve mentioned – having an NBA Finals where I can blow off a couple of off-day stories on Peja and Marion can’t hurt.

-

 

 

 

The Goods On The Game, Heat at Bulls, Game 1

Hey there.

Everyone well?

Well, let's get this thing started.

A typically mixed bag of mail

Well done, again, Irregulars.

Some serious stuff, some chances at snark and cynicism and enough non-basketball to keep me truly entertained.

Anyway, have at it and don’t forget to be back here at 8 p.m. for Game 1 of the Bulls-Heat.

See you then.

-

Q: Not much do ask about Raps cause future is so wide open (BC? Jay? Trade a point guard or big? draft position? Oh yeah, is there going to be a season?)

So here is a question about you, since you have started the internet love-fest, and have admitted to being a grump at times, are there times in IGBT (or weekly questions or afternoon Q&A,) that you went "Oops, perhaps I am being a little hard on the buggers or have maybe I am reading it the wrong way"?

 

 

Bruce M, Winnipeg

A: Nah, no regrets.

Well, maybe a few when you consider you miss nuance in the written word and sometimes misconstrue things but, in some ways, I guess it’s part of my charm.

(I keed, I keed).

But yes, sometimes I have and have had a twinge or regret and then someone says something terribly nice or horribly bad that’s impossible to misunderstand and I shake my head and think, “yeah, it takes all kinds.’

-

Q: Hey Doug, would you agree with me that the best series/the most exciting series to watch so far is the OKC and Memphis series?

Thanks

 

 

Ray F, Toronto

A: Sure, since it’s the only one to go seven games, has had some compelling individual performances, close games and that triple-OT gem.

For all the good games we’ve seen in the post-season, I think in a lot of ways the series have been a bit ho-hum.

-

Q: Doug. Did you hear Lebron's apology to Cleveland... Your thoughts?

 

Jeff M, Saint John

A: How’s a day late and a dollar short sound?

I think we all know why he did what he did and in some ways it’s entirely understandable; the issue was always how he did it and he’ll never be able to apologize enough for the narcissist lunacy that was The Decision.

-

Q: Hi Doug. I know about you and pucks, but I was wondering what your take was on the Twitter controversy with Sean Avery supporting gay marriage and a sportscaster seemingly getting fired for opposing it. I'm not asking your opinion on gay marriage (none of my business) but just what you thought of the whole situation.

On a side note, do you think situations like this will be addressed in the NBA's negotiations this summer? I know that most (if not all) NBA players have good behaviour type clauses in their contracts (even though it sure doesn't seem they are enforced). I was wondering if someone as image conscious as David Stern would want to strengthen these types of provisions in the new agreement.

 

 

Sohail G, Collingwood

A: I think the situation was, in many ways, sad. I may not agree with what you say but don’t I have to defend to my death your right to say it? (I can’t remember who I stole it from but it’s not a bad quote).

Anyway, I’ll tell you right off I support same-sex marriage, always have always will, but I will also respect those whose opinions differ. I think Irregulars will know that I’m quite capable of agreeing to disagree.

But, I also think that every athlete, coach, writer, broadcaster, whatever, should probably read my man Cathal’s piece here because I can’t say it any better. And it’s funny, like his stuff generally is.

Oh, the NBA already organizes media training sessions for its players that deal with social media and its dangers and there are rules in place about when players can’t “tweet” during games. I think that’s doing enough, now it’s up to players, coaches and executives to use their brains.

-

Q: Hello Doug! So, while you're still riding that musical wave begun by Super Son and his schoolmates' performances, here's a question that's rooted in the inspiration music can provide - like the one before the Memphis game. Now, the performance of national anthems can become almost embarrassing if not devoid of meaning when they're performed to an almost empty arena; perfunctory and routine. Like the trip to the washroom after a long drive before the game begins. But sometimes, we get what happened Friday night where, what Al Green started with his stirring performance, the Grizz and their fans seemed able to grab hold of and use some of that energy or emotion or both to get an unexpected win. So, finally the question: for the teams remaining in the playoffs, (Miami, Chicago, Dallas and do Oklahoma, too, please since Memphis has 'been done'!) imagine a deciding game situation and choose a performer with a connection to that city whose stirring performance of the national anthem would elevate team and fans to victory! (And if you would be so kind, for an absolute fantasy for Raptors' fans, in a Game 7 NBA Finals at ACC (say, in 2014) who would you have sing the Canadian national anthem? Yeah, somehow they got homecourt advantage, too!!!)

Thank you.

 

 

Lorie P, London

A: Wow, this one sent me into a tizzy. I’m not all that knowledgeable on hometowns so it required some searching.

But, search I did and I’d be fine with:

Dallas

Well, I know people who are going to be entirely miffed if I don’t say the Dixie Chicks so …

Actually, I’m having a hard time coming up with someone else and given their war thing, why not tweak ‘em just a bit. Maybe Dubya will be at the game? Of course, Stevie Ray Vaughan would have been No. 1.

Chicago

We’re not getting Muddy Waters or Mahalia Jackson, are we? Or the Blues Brothers? I’ve got nothing else, I’m afraid. I’m also sure an Irregular or two can help out?

Miami?

Hmm. Has to be Gloria Estafan, no?

Oklahoma City?

Someone told me I had to go with The Flaming Lips. I wouldn’t know them if they were playing on the front porch but what the heck.

Toronto?

If they didn’t put Neil Young at centre court on a stool in a spotlight, I’d be ticked.

-

Q: Doug, issues of effort aside, do you think the physical abilities that make a great offensive player necessarily translate to making that person a great defensive player, or are there some abilities that are unique to one end of the court? For example, if Charles Barkley or Adrian Dantley (to choose two all-time great scorers with "non-standard" physical characteristics) had decided to basically ignore offense and dedicate 100% of their effort to D, I'm sure they would have been better defenders than their peers but could they have been all-time great defenders?

 

Mike D, Parts Unknown

A: I knew a wrestler from your town once. Evil guy.

I think talent transfers and if players like the ones you mentioned focused as much attention on the other end of the court as they did on offence, they would have been just as dominant that way.

And it is only the true greats who are able to do it at both ends because the effort, intensity and attention to detail necessary to be a great offensive and defensive player at the same time is tough to muster.

-

Q: Hey Rockie. Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat. Oops wrong hat. Wrong Rockie, I know.

If you could pull any rabbits out of your hat, what might they be? Besides something lightly charred, what would it be?

A point guard who passes?

A forward who rebounds?

A GM with more that 4 weeks left on his contract?

A teachers pension fund manager who knew basketball?

 

 

Bob E, Kanata

A: I’ve checked with the neighbours Boris and Natasha and we’ve come up with this, in order of least important to most:

Someone other than a dude with a singular fiduciary interest in a sports conglomerate.

A new point guard.

A 3 with myriad skils.

An undistracted general manager.

Poor decisions and great games

Oh, yeah.

Memphis is so going down in Game 6, it’s not even funny.

Youngish team, no experience, blown out in Game 5, they’ve got no chance, right?

I are smrt.

But a couple of things did leap out when I watched the final three quarters of that one kind of closely and they could very well have an impact on who wins Sunday afternoon.

There is no question that Kevin Durant is a special player, a gifted scorer, long and athletic, can beat you in a lot of ways and a pretty good defender, too.

But if he’s going to take that many threes – and I mean extra crazy deep catch-and-shoot threes – he’s not going to have nearly the impact on the game as he should.

Now, some of it is the Memphis defence but Durant’s seen every conceivable scheme and beaten most of them. Not sure what got into him Friday but he looked too passive and passive isn’t going to win.

And don’t you think at some point, the Thunder might want to send a second guy more quickly to deal with Zach Randolph when he catches the ball down low? You know, the dude isn’t Magic Johnson, he’s not going to shred you with pinpoint passes or catch his teammates with his peripheral vision. He’s going to catch the ball, think about scoring and if you can harass him with a second guy, maybe your chances of him trying to too much increase.

Anyway, I still think the Thunder win and that comes from a guy who had Boston in six and the Lakers in seven so, as I said, I are smrt.

-

IGBT?

Sunday night for the opener of Miami-Chicago?

Why not.

If you’re interested, I’ll be here around 8 p.m. and we’ll have some fun.

Sound ok?

-

I’ll tell you, Super Son and 370 of his Cawthra Croonies crooning Danny Boy at the end of an excellent Springfest concert ripe with outstanding performances.

It isn’t, though, Jack Armstrong and me on stools at the end of the night.

Just sayin’.

-

As mentioned, tomorrow’s the first Game 7 of the playoffs and there’s really nothing like that drama, is there?

So, list time?

I haven’t done an awful lot of post-season basketball (it’s got something to do with the team I cover and the attention we’ve paid to early post-season series of late) but there has been some.

As I recall, though, only three that I’ve seen in person and here’s how I’d rank ‘em from third to first:

2005 NBA Final

San Antonio 81, Detroit 74

Kind of a grind-it-out game, as you’d expect with such large stakes.

Best moment:

Fourth-quarter timeout, game’s close, building’s crazy (even the sickly looking Spurs Chicken seems animated) and Larry Brown’s on a chair in front of Pistons about to impart some strategy.

Or not.

He looks at them, shakes his head says, “I love you guys.”

I think Rasheed did a spit-take, I’m not sure.

2001 Eastern Conference semifinals

Philadelphia 88, Toronto 87

Maybe it’s because I was so wrapped up in writing, and wondering what I’d do about the hotels I had reserved in Milwaukee the next morning, but it can’t be first.

Best moment of the day might have been when Ty Hill paid Oak some money owed him; worst moment of the day had to be trying to find some Philly established open near where we were staying to slake our thirst.

Oh, and a guy missed a shot or something.

2002 Western Conference final

Los Angeles Lakers 112, Sacramento 106

We were out there because the final was going to start out west regardless and we had a chance to pick up some extra coverage; a wise boss move if one was ever made.

Peja short-arms an airballed corner three-pointer in the OT, Doug Christie’s playing a bit scared and Kings cough up a game they should have won.

But it was in Arco Arena at the absolute height of the Kings heyday and outside of world championship games, it might have been the most electric basketball atmosphere I can remember.

Oh, and the fix was in.

-

You people are amazing.

I can probably do a different style of ribs every week for the summer and shop at a different butcher shop for a month.

Thanks.

Now I’ve got to look around Casa Doug and see what else we need.

-

The Romero kid throws 8 2-3 innings of three-hitter?

That makes him Pitcher of the Year so far, right?

And, you know, give me a nice tidy 2-0 game any old day and I’d be quite happy.

-

Bulls-Heat?

Still not sure.

But since my bosses are going to want something to fill space in the paper tomorrow, and because we’re right up against the start of the series, guess I know what my morning’s going to entail.

Breaking down matchups.

One quick thought that might resonate here: Remember how effective Joakim Noah’s been on Chris Bosh?

-

Seriously, folks.

I just glanced at the in-box real quickly and I can’t see more than a dozen or so legit questions.

Come on, people.

Click. Do your part.

Don’t force me to watch the pucks tonight.

Please.

-

Al Green sang the national anthem before Game 6 in Memphis?

No wonder the Grizzlies won.

And no wonder it took them to the second half to do it, they were probably humming songs until then.

-

Before Wednesday, there were all kinds of questions about whether Doc Rivers would stick around to coach the Celtics next season.

He’d turned down a new deal, he had expressed desire to spend more time with his family, his boys have possible NBA careers ahead of them and it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if he’d walked away.

So the five-year deal announced yesterday caught some by surprise, even though Doc had said after Game 5 that he’d probably be back. One year, sure. Two, maybe. Three, a possibility.

But five? At more than $6 million a year, they say?

That’s big.

Wonder if the people who wanted him fired in Orlando or those who wanted him out the door early in his tenure in Boston might have been jumping the gun.

But it goes to what I’ve said for years:

Talent makes coaches. Doc’s no better or worse a coach today, I don’t think, than he was when he was on thin ice. And perhaps we shouldn’t be so hasty to toss guys away when things get rough?

-

 

 

Good bigs and good news for Canada

Let’s start with a list, shall we?

This is totally unfair and not something I generally enjoy doing but what the heck.

It’s a relatively slow morning so let’s see if we can’t get some chatter started.

If, like me, you think we’ve seen the last of Shaquille O’Neal in the NBA, where does he rank?

Remember, it’s totally and utterly unfair to compare eras in my opinion, stuff that worked in, say, the 50s won’t work today; stuff that guys are doing today was unheard-of in some cases even a decade ago.

But because it’s always good to sit on stools or around a dinner table and debate, let’s:

Here’s how I rank the top five, in descending order:

Hakeem Olajuwon

I could watch the Dream Shake forever; forget what he was like here, go back and check out those championship years in Houston. He was, really, a dream.

Shaquille O’Neal

I could actually be convinced to switch him and Hakeem if someone could make the compelling case. Anyway, for pure power and bulk – and he had some finesse in him and you can’t deny all those titles – he was an immovable object.

Wilt Chamberlain

This is where it gets dicey, I think. Wilt put up some incredible, unbeatable numbers. And he even scored points and got rebounds, too. Anyway, if he’d won more, he’d be higher but, really, I think that has to count for something.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I’ve come around on this, actually, and probably would have him third, a best, recently. But if you talk about winning, he’s a champ; and the Sky Hook was such an unstoppable offensive move they ought to find some way to honour it. Seriously, as the game has evolved, no one has come even close to matching that signature move as their own.

Bill Russell

All those championships, all those blocked shots, all those times he started the most lethal fast-break ever (and, yes I’m putting Seven Seconds or Less in there). Oh, and all the rest of the crap he had to deal with in Boston.

-

So I’m looking at this barbecue and feeling quite carnivorous and wondering since the weekend’s rapidly approaching, what kind of hunk of red meat I should cook up.

I’m thinking big gigantic beef ribs if I can find some out here in Hazelville and am accepting any and all recipe ideas.

Thanks.

-

Bulls-Miami?

Haven’t given a whole lot of thought – I turned off that wretched game and called it a night kind of early – but I guess it’s only fitting the top two teams meet in the conference final.

I do know that of the cities that were possibilities, I’m in favour of it.

Am not a big Atlanta fan at all – the city or the team – and Boston would have been nice …

Anyway, I think the plan is to go out and staff the final part of it, after heading to the lottery the first of the week and next weekend in Miami might not be bad.

As for who’ll win? Will have to figure that out today.

-

I need a ruling, folks.

No specific dates need be known but …

Does Birth Week end on the day of one’s birth or begin on that day?

-

So I heard the rather vague details on this new Canadian basketball league they announced down in Halifax yesterday.

In case you missed it, the basics are that there are three teams – Halifax, Saint John and Quebec – ready to go in October. They want to assure two spots on each team for Canadian players but, past that, the whole thing was a tad low on specifics.

They say they have commitments from groups in Kingston, London and Barrie and some interest in Oshawa, Windsor, Kitchener, Moncton and Fredericton.

Now, I hope they have great success and that there’s finally a place for Canadian kids to stay home and play; it can do nothing but enhance the profile of the sport.

They seem to have picked the right size city, and many with excellent basketball tradition and support, which makes entire sense. There’s really no reason to go to big markets where little teams will be lost.

I have no idea if this will take off in time to start next fall, I hope it does; and I hope it thrives.

Having seen so many others come and go – remember the Under 6-5 league from years ago – it’d be nice to see one work.

-

Things I’m entirely bored of?

Charlie Sheen and Two And A Half Men.

-

Given the incessant chatter about the matter, there’s this:

Q: Hi Doug. As the season has unfolded and the playoffs progressed, there seems to be a common theme of the modern day basketball dynasties coming to an end and the ushering in of the new. Which teams do you feel will become the next dynasties over the next decade?

Andy F, Aberdeen, Scotland

A: I honestly don’t see one.

With player movement and the sheer depth of talent, I cannot imagine any franchise emerging as a “dynasty” ever again, actually.

And I don’t have a problem with that. I guess I can see the logic behind having one franchise everyone hates or wants to take a run at but having a transition year to year of “best” teams makes it a lot more fun.

I know the presence of the Heat in the conference final will rankle some but, really, doesn’t having four new teams from last year make it a bit more interesting?

Does to me.

-

Yes, Andrea Bargnani got two votes for the all-NBA teams. No, one did not come from this ballot.

-

Mail? Please. Any and all. Right here.

-

You know the thing about Cinderellas?

Eventually, the slipper doesn’t fit, right?

(Or is my fairy tale memory a bit off-kilter)

Anyway, the point is: I smell the end of the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. I know they’ve been a good story so far, and provided the momentary revitalization of a franchise that everyone hopes for but, eventually, talent wins out.

And I hope it sets us up for a fun Sunday of conference finals action.

But, I tell you, the NBA is doing its best to imitate the NHL and drag things out.

Because of TV demands and moving up of the East final, we’ve got Chicago and Miami starting Sunday-Wednesday in Chicago before moving to Miami for the following Sunday-Tuesday and, if the Thunder win tonight, the West will go Sunday-Tuesday before taking a break until a week Saturday.

-

Hmm.

Next list might have to be an updated one of best TV show intro songs because I’m about to watch episode 3 of this season’s Treme and that’s got to be one of the best tunes ever.

You should go give it a listen.

Oh, and Melissa Leo (who I’ve had a crush on since Homicide) is so hooking up with the dude who used to be on St. Elsewhere.

-

 

 

 

 

Of eras and seats, movie and soaps. We've got it all

Sometime in our dotage, we’ll be sitting around before a dinner, nibbling on Gouda and sipping on a robust red, and we’ll harken back to last night as the end of an era, I’m sure.

A short era – four years is hardly a Ming Dynasty – but for all the talk about the Celtics wanting to come back and take one more run, with Doc Rivers surprising many with his unequivocal (for now) desire to return, that team in that form has to be done.

It was amazing, and in some parts sad, to watch them fumble and stumble down the stretch of the last two games, throwing the ball away, missing shots, giving up easy ones and looking like a team that had never been there before rather than one with a championship to its credit and another appearance in the final under its belt.

Give the Heat full credit for performing when it most mattered, that finish by LeBron last night was one for ages, just as Dwyane Wade’s first half was.

But that series was as much about Boston as it was Miami and it was stunning how poorly they finished. I don’t know if it was solely age catching up to them, or Rondo being a shadow of himself or their lack of depth finally being an issue but from the time they started playing Game 1, I don’t think there were many who felt secure that the Celtics had what it would take. Turned out they didn’t.

Now, I can see them having another good regular season – those veterans know how to play and Doc knows how to get the most out of them over the long grind – but as legitimate title contenders? Unless they find some youth and big men and athleticism, they are going to go farther downhill more quickly.

I would think that what has transpired since 2007 will have been worth it to the team’s fans and the franchise’s bottom line but I wonder how people will feel if a championship drought kicks in.

-

Know what made me laugh?

When I was listening to the live steam of the post-game stuff from Miami and I heard Chris lauding the fans for being great and thanking the city for being into the game.

Hope he wasn’t addressing the many, many empty seats we all saw at the start.

I know they mostly got filled and the audience was loud in the final couple of minutes but I guarantee that nowhere else – okay, perhaps Atlanta – would fans be that late getting to games.

Not sure how many of you remember or experienced, but there’s a greater “buzz” around an arena in the minute leading up to a basketball playoff game than there is for almost any other court.

It’s probably the size of the playing surface and proximity of the fans who stand around and watch warm-ups but it’s just more exciting than, say, hockey or baseball, the two other sports I have first-hand experience at.

-

Okay, confession time, don’t tell anyone.

Was glancing at the front page of our website sometime yesterday afternoon and in he “must reads” part this story about the daytime Emmys was featured prominently.

Now, these days my white-noise-afternoon-TV tends to focus on Criminal Minds (highly recommended) and CSI (highly over-acted in the Miami end of things) but there was a day way back in another universe that …

Well, let’s just say I wonder if the Dastardly and Dysfunctional Quartermains are still around and I don’t know that Kate and whatshisname have much on Luke and Laura when it comes to weddings.

-

So, they did the all-rookie teams yesterday (the official release is here) and I guess the coaches got it right.

I do know this, though: Ed Davis will use it for fuel someone.

He’s always been about the snub, somehow driven by slights real and perceived, and I bet when he gets wind of the fact he was left off even the second team, it’ll make that day’s workout just a little bit more intense.

Can’t imagine it’ll mean much once the season starts but it’ll bug him now.

-

Okay, if this works and you see what you want me to see, I’ve made giant strides figuring out this interweb thingy and who knows where we go from here.

I don’t do a lot of movies, this one I probably will.

-

Here’s one from the mail:

Q: Hi Dent is oug. Some high finance here. Just wanted to ask: when a team suspends a player, I assume it's to their discretion whether it is with or without pay, and in that case they would likely pocket the money (there's a whole rant here about why they don't suspend players like Alonzo Mourning who refuse to show up... but that's for another mail). But what happens when the league suspends a player? I know that fines go towards charity, but will Bynum's close to $700K that he will forego in salary be "savings” for the Lake-show or does it get paid out to the same league charity fund?

Cheers!

David T, Ottawa

A: Oh, no. The Lakers still have to fork out the money (it, like all fine money goes into a pot for charity administered by the league and the union) and it counts against all cap and tax calculations. They just write a cheque to a different spot.

-

Oh yeah, night off tonight; there are other pursuits to be taken care of here. Not sure about tomorrow, think that might be dead, too, but we’re on board for most, if not all, of the Eastern Conference final since I think I may actually be live in arenas.

Have a nice peaceful evening.

-

Is that it for the Grizzlies, who gave us a pretty good story for a round and a couple of games? (And, yes, the eyes were open for the entirety, although no real reason they were).

I think so.

I know they were tired after the triple-overtime Game 4 and they didn’t get the boost of energy from the home crowd that the Thunder did but I think we’re seeing what we thought all along: The team with the better talent is going to win.

I like the Thunder a lot, they defend, they’re great in transition, Kevin Durant can score in myriad ways if Russell Westbrook remembers he’s on the same team and I’m not sure even the Memphis crowd can make a difference on Friday night.

Zach Randolph (and I believe they stopped construction of the statue they were going to put up next to Elvis’s) looked old and beaten down last night, Marc Gasol was lumbering and labouring and I believe that one’s over.

-

RIP Robert Traylor.

Never knew him but people I know who did spoke well of him and no one should die at such a young age.

I guess the threat of heart issues goes hand-in-hand with the sheer enormity of these men and those who tend to let the weight go late in their careers or after they’re done would seemingly be more susceptible and it’s a very sad tale we hear too often.

-

 

 

The Goods On The Game, Celtics at Heat, Game 5

Hey folks.

Ready for the demise of the Celtics?

Maybe we're in for it.

High finance, sporting heroics and a wee bit of basketball

Okay, I fully admit I have no clue when it comes to financial matters.

None.

If I put a card in a machine, hit some buttons and money comes out, I figure I’ve mastered the world.

Hyperbole? Maybe. But those who know me know that to be kind of true.

So this whole story about the Teachers buying up more of MLSEL (read our story right here) perplexes me a little bit.

But in my mind, it’s got to make it easier for them to sell, no? Wouldn’t a buyer want to have fewer “partners” when it makes a purchase? And since that’s one of the great money-making conglomerates in the country – and perhaps in the entire world of sport-entertainment-condos-and-nightclubs-being-disguised-as-sports-bars – wouldn’t you want as much of it as you can get?

I would.

So I don’t know how big a deal it is but I do think it sends a signal that maybe things are moving behind the scenes to get something done.

I, like you, await more news. I’d love to find some out but the people I talk to over there are far removed from that level it’s silly. Or at least they aren’t sharing what they know.

-

I’m wondering if Russell Westbrook watched Derrick Rose last night and went, ‘duh!’

I know Rose got up a fair number of shots but I don’t recall too many of them being what you’d call bad shots and whenever he had to share the ball more effectively to make his team better, he did.

I’m done trying to figure that series out – the Hawks could very well play out of their minds and get it all back to Chicago for a Game 7 on Sunday – but the way the Bulls played at both ends of the floor last night was impressive.

-

Think it might be time to take post-season award voting rights away from those zany NBA front office types.

They came up with their Executive of the Year yesterday and it turned out to be a tie between Pat Riley of the Heat and Chicago’s Gar Forman.

Now, I can see some resentment towards Riley and how the whole thing came together costing him some votes (and that’s entirely understandable) but it’s the other part that gets me.

Seems Forman, the Chicago GM, got the same 11 first-place votes as Riley but the crazy execs also gave three third-place votes to Chicago’s John Paxson.

Not sure if a few of them didn’t know who was in charge in Chicago or if the people in Chicago were splitting duties but shouldn’t Chicago have actually won?

Guess It’s not just the media that goofs up these things.

Oh, and, no, nary a vote for Toronto.

-

Finally, a break.

Larry Bird’s going to stay in Indiana, the Pacers told us yesterday.

And it means no “Can the Raptors get Larry Bird? After all, he’s the executive that wanted Roy Hibbert and if that doesn’t tell you how smart he is, I don’t know what does” questions.

-

How the heck did they get to the semifinals of DTWS and nobody told me?

Romeo’s gone? Too bad, kinda liked that kid and there’s the whole Master P-DeMar DeRozan connection.

But I’m all for Kirstie Alley being alive, she’s been a favourite since the season-opener.

I will say this, though:

Of all the stuff she’s done, she’s been a better barmaid than a dancer and both of them were better than he work as a pitch-woman for weight loss.

But that’s a helluva work trilogy, no?

-

I’m told by someone who knows that the Raptors are trying to piece together some kind of workout schedule for draft-eligible kids that can be finalized after next week’s lottery.

I sure hope they don’t inundate us with kids who have no chance of being drafted here, as they have in the past.

The trouble is, though, getting enough kids in enough days to make the workouts even remotely competitive. It’s all well and good to see guys jump and run and stuff like that, what you want to see is them in some kind of competitive two-on-two or three-on-three situation and getting players who don’t mind legitimate competition in workouts is difficult to do.

It stinks, and it leaves the power in the hands of players and agents who can duck guys who might expose them but whaddya gonna do?

-

TOD in extras over the Sox?

In the past, that’d be an issue; today it’s glorious and I’m looking forward to the sweep.

But I must say, I don’t look at standings too often, at least not before the magical Fourth of July time when you’re supposed to, but it pains me to see them below .500.

-

List time? Sure, thanks to the mail and maybe it jogs some memory of great sporting accomplishments of your own.

Q: Hi Doug - if you could finish off a big, championship game in any sport, which would be your dream scenario? Hitting that jumper (or dunk) with time expiring? Throwing (or catching) the game-winning touchdown? Knocking one out of the park in the bottom of the 9th? I assume putting a one-timer past the goalie wouldn't make the list...

Andrew S, Toronto

A: You have to realize that as I go through this, I’ve never actually done any of it, right? I do remember botching a suicide squeeze in an OBA playoff game in Stoney Creek about a hundred years ago, though.

Anyway, in order? With the best last?

Throwing a perfect 50-yard spiral to a guy perfectly in stride just over his inside shoulder down the field.

A 165-yard, gently drawing 8-iron for eagle to win the Masters by one.

A diving catch down the right field line to preserve a 1-0 no-hitter with a guy on first in the top of the ninth. Has to be top so we’re at home and the fans can go berserk.

A catch-and-shoot three-pointer at the buzzer.

And, yes, I want that squeeze back. The runner breaks, pitcher sees it, throws at my body like he’s supposed to and I get the ball down anyway. He scores, we win and the mental scar of that Stoney Creek failure is gone.

You?

-

Andrew Bynum gets five games and a $25,000 fine and while it’s all well and good that the league acted quickly, I don’t think they went far enough.

I’d say eight to 10 games would have been more appropriate but I guess that’s just me.

Whacking an airborne guy with an elbow with no provocation except that he was beating them senseless with his play is, as Charles would say, turrible.

-

Okay, if you’ve got a minute today, send some mail here.

-

And if you’ve got a minute tonight, show up at 7 for an IGBT as we say bye-bye to the Celtics. And, yes, I fully plan to load myself up on coffee and caffeine so I can see what the Thunder and Grizzlies have in store for us.

-