Everybody Flops
The Suns nearly pull off the home upset
The Suns tried, and they failed to win a game that was theirs for the taking. Cub will have the game report for you in a little while. Steve Nash could not make the big shot. Choker! (I kid) Shawn Marion had his dream first half, saving his team with superstar play, and then disappeared in the second. Huge shot by Bruce Bowen, big plays by Ginobili on offense and Duncan on defense. Other than one spurt in the first half when the fans were going crazy, the game was played at San Antonio’s pace. So the Suns are on the brink of elimination heading to San Antonio. Amare and Diaw will be fresh and rested, while the other Suns had to extend their minutes and we’ll see if that affects them.
The constant flopping on both sides of this series is really annoying. Even Kurt Thomas is taking charges and flying back 20 feet. If the players are obsessively falling to the ground and begging the refs for help, can we really blame the refs for making bad calls? Stop putting them in position to decide the game. Other than a pro-Phoenix bias for most of the first half, I thought the refs did a surprisingly competent job on a night when the home crowd could have swayed them. There were a few times when guys were baiting the refs by pretending they got hit, and the refs just ignored them, which is funny and embarrassing for the flopper.
What is wrong with Leandro Barbosa? Is it just a slump? Tony Parker seems a little off too.
The other game, oh boy. Have fun with that one Jake! Today I’m out of the office on a trip to the optometrist, more specifically his waiting room for 5 hours. That’s an experience more pleasurable than the fourth quarter of the Nets-Cavs game. Jersey extended their season.
I don’t have quite the same fire of justice as I have the past few days. It’s hard to keep up that level of intensity. The unfairness of the (NBA) world has somewhat dampened my spirit.
LOST was… solid. Above average, and definitely the calm before the storm of next week’s 2 hour doomsday. Alright, Cub and Jake have the game recaps today.
101 Responses to “Everybody Flops”
May.17 at 8:27 am
K22C says:
1st
May.17 at 8:27 am
Ryan Jones says:
Hi Sam.
May.17 at 8:27 am
Ryan Jones says:
This is war, K22C. I hope you know that.
May.17 at 8:30 am
K22C says:
You do not stand a chance man…. War is on.
May.17 at 8:31 am
K22C says:
May.17 at 8:34 am
K22C says:
that last comment isn’t showing up, please delete it. @Ryan do you play an internet gamer?
May.17 at 8:40 am
Rod Strickland says:
Hello, Newman.
May.17 at 8:46 am
Ryan Jones says:
Also, Jake left me a message last night to say that he was going to miss part of the Nets-Cavs game and ask if I could help with the game notes. Problem was, I didn’t get his message until this morning, and I missed part of the Nets-Cavs game, too. However, because Jake is my friend, and because we’re all in this together, I’m going to try to help. Here’s what I got:
-The Eastern Conference is annoying.
-That was the single worst-played fourth quarter in the history of history.
-Reggie Miller & Dick Stockton are the NBA equivalent of Hoffman and Cruise in Rain Man. I’m not exactly sure how this analogy works, but trust me on it. It cannot be wrong.
-Sasha Pavlovic committing the exact same sort of unnecessarily hard, motivation-fueling foul on Mikki Moore that Mikki Moore committed on him 48 hours earlier is the best possible nutshell explanation of how flawed these two teams are.
-These two teams are really flawed.
-Saying Donyell Marshall did not shoot very well last night is roughly equivalent to saying the Bush administration has been somewhat politically divisive.
-When people talk about momentum killers, they usually imply something Team A does to kill Team B’s momentum. But not enough is said about players who kill their OWN team’s momentum. A prime example of this would be Eric Snow, whose inability to make a wide-open 15-foot jumper — or even come close to making this shot — is the sort of thing my grandkids will tell their grandkids about. Remarkable.
-LeBron’s knee is fine. LeBron will play better in Game 6. I think the Cavs will win Game 6. But I won’t be surprised if they don’t.
-In the overall scope of these playoffs, this series will not matter at all.
-I have a lot of new friends in Kentucky.
Good day!
May.17 at 8:47 am
Ryan Jones says:
K22C: The only internet games I play take place on this website. If you haven’t already, please check out my latest Farmer Jones column to see what I mean.
May.17 at 9:00 am
K22C says:
@Ryan- No flopping
May.17 at 9:11 am
illydiva says:
Do the Cavs play on a raised floor and if so, how come I’ve never noticed this before? Do other teams do this? Seeing how LBJ got hurt last night, maybe this is not a good idea. Even though I work in the room 2 doors away from my bedroom, I cannot stay up and watch every late game of these playoffs and didn’t see the 2nd half of Spurs/Suns. Something told me Marion wouldn’t keep up his torrid pace in the 2nd half; but it looks like even with little help from Barbosa & Bell, the Suns could’ve pulled it out. Oh well.
May.17 at 9:12 am
peteb80 says:
I think flopping could be reduced significantly if they just give the ball back to the team on offense after a charge. They could still count the charge as a foul, so that guys won’t just storm into the zone with their head down, but there would be less motivation to just jump in front of a guy who’s going to the basket, which is the most consistently annoying thing in the NBA at the moment. Or maybe they should go with the possession arrow on charges.
May.17 at 9:19 am
Fred says:
Did someone already told to Drew Gooden that is haircut look like my ass!
May.17 at 9:30 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
I’m sorry for your ass, Fred.
May.17 at 9:49 am
Rod Strickland says:
Fred’s comment made me flop.
May.17 at 9:51 am
Malaise-filled EXPLOSIONS at YAYsports! NBA says:
[…] Sam at SLAM claims LOST was “solid” last night - we disagree. It was all set-up and completely unneccessary, unless you’re a massive Charlie fan. We agree they’re likely to blow us away in next week’s finale, and we’ll forget all about last night. […]
May.17 at 10:01 am
1hush D says:
effect Sam, effect. Not affect in the Suns case. Or are my grammar skills slipping? I did not realize Donyell Marshall had hit 9 three’s in a game before. I lost a wager in the bar the other night because I thought the total record in a game was 9. My confusion was due to recent history of Kobe and Latrell both making 9 without misses. 12 is the record….who holds that again? Hey, I was in a bar. Record for threes attempted without a make? Any guesses. Hint, he wants to shoot 4’s.
May.17 at 10:09 am
Sparker says:
toine
May.17 at 10:11 am
Rod Strickland says:
@1hush D HMMM…Mr.Shimmy!
May.17 at 10:22 am
K22C says:
Slam is quite right now and i am bored
May.17 at 10:23 am
K22C says:
quiet*
May.17 at 10:28 am
Nadav Mor says:
CHARLIE DOESNT DIE, HE FINDS NEW PEOPLE IN THE UNDERWATER STATION. VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!
May.17 at 10:45 am
white hot eboy says:
Don’t get use to seeing Charlie breathing for too much longer. And next weeks final scene is RIDICULOUS! (in a holy sh*t type of manner) Oh yeah, flopping sucks!
May.17 at 10:51 am
Rod Strickland says:
^^^^^^^How do you already know about the final scene?
May.17 at 10:54 am
Cheryl says:
Flopping does suck, LOST is tha BOMB (no pun intended), and Heroes has a lot of work to do to match the mind-numbing aspects of LOST. Is it just me or are these playoffs a bit of a letdown from last postseason. I practically O.D.’d on bball this time last year. And no, it does not have anything to do with the fact that Shaq and DWade are missing.
May.17 at 10:56 am
baller av undergang says:
SERIEN MELLOM CAVALIERS AV CLEVELAND OG GARNNE AV NEW JERSEY ER DA BORER SOM Å MELKE SAU. NOE INTERESSE I PLAYOFFS RESERVERER FOR DEN MEKTIG STEMPLER AV DETRIOT, SOM DRISTIG SKRIDER GJENNOM PLAYOFFS SOM EN GYLLEN HAUK.
May.17 at 10:57 am
white hot eboy says:
I’ve got a 1st cousin who is a Lost production designer whose never told me me sh*t (confidentiality, blah,blah,blah!!), but e-mailed me yesterday and said he couldn’t believe what they were doing for the finale.
May.17 at 10:58 am
Rod Strickland says:
^^^^^^^^^^How do you already know about next weeks final scene. Are you Desmond, brother?
May.17 at 10:59 am
kyle says:
Pitiful, what the NBA is turning into. As the international scene is breaking, the horrific has happened: every team is turning into a bunch of soccer players playing basketball. There’s a reason we don’t like soccer in this country, and part of it is the whining. It’s why I hated Karl Malone, and its why I hate Bruce Bowen. http://the-second-coming.blogspot.com
May.17 at 11:00 am
white hot eboy says:
Cheryl, you know the Sternbot is missing D-Wade and the Daddy as much as we are. And at this point, this year is setting up to be the most boring Finals in history. (never thought it could be worse than Det/SA, but who knows)
May.17 at 11:00 am
Decs says:
5 bucks on ryan winning that war.
May.17 at 11:00 am
Decs says:
thats aussie dollars
May.17 at 11:01 am
Rod Strickland says:
Yeah, I double posted.
May.17 at 11:03 am
Cub Buenning says:
Why all the hatred for SAS/DET? Are they not the two best TEAMS right about now? Define a boring series. Just because there are no “stars” (ie anyone who averages much over 20, anyone who is a super-athletic dunker, etc.) between the two TEAMS, does not make it boring. If you find the actual games boring, you aren’t really a fan of the GAME of baskeball.
LOST is boring. But that’s just me. SAS/PHX write-up just turned in! Should be up any minute.
May.17 at 11:04 am
whooo! says:
man, shawn marion… he actually went through his whole ’superstar’ and ‘just a role player’ version of himself in a single game. that’s gotta be frustrating for suns fans. as for flopping, i wish we could penalize a guy for diving like in soccer, but the refs are so inept that i don’t trust em to make these calls. or maybe guys should actually make the flopper earn it: bull through him to crush him, and see if he does it again.
May.17 at 11:05 am
Cub Buenning says:
Mr. Visser, “definitely two minutes until Spurs/Suns…..” That 4th qtr. was like a girls’ middle school game, minus the 300 jump-balls.
May.17 at 11:07 am
whooo! says:
thank you Cub! ppl bitching about “boring series” all the time n it makes no sense. watch lebron & the cavs vs kidd, carter, jefferson and the nets. tell me that game was exciting. it SUCKED cuz the teams aren’t good. that’s boring. detroit and san antonio would produce basketball at a MUCH higher level, and if that’s more boring than the 4th quarter atrocity in cleveland, you lost me.
May.17 at 11:08 am
white hot eboy says:
Cub, because walk it up basketball, play, after play, after play, after play, after play, after play,after play, after play, after play, after play, after play, after play, after play, after play, after play is really BORING! Just like this post. Yeah both teams are talented and deserve their respect and their championships but it still doesn’t make up for the fact that both their styles are non-fan friendly, especially for the casual fan.
May.17 at 11:11 am
baller av undergang says:
fLOPPING IS RUINING THE BASKETBALL. EVERYONE SHOULD BE MAN AND JUST PLAY BALL
May.17 at 11:12 am
white hot eboy says:
And Whooo, I’m sure no one here is expecting either the Cavs or the Nets to be in the Finals so let’s not even put them into the conversation. We know how horrible they are.
May.17 at 11:12 am
Kevin Wilson says:
Cub is making the same point that I’ve made again and again on the site. People always complain the NBA is a bunch of one-on-one and they don’t play defense, and then when two teams (SA and Detroit) play team ball and entertaining defense, they’re labeled “boring.” And I’m beginning to think flopping should be handled as a technical … not one that would get you tossed, but I think if you treated it like an illegal defense call (a free throw and a new 24 for an obvious acting job), you’d be a lot less likely to see guys undercutting each other for a cheap call.
May.17 at 11:16 am
Ryan Jones says:
Cub, the first three minutes of the third quarter last night were everything most of us hate about the Spurs in a nutshell: Duncan post-up, wait for the double, bull in for a layup or bankshot when the double-team doesn’t come, repeat. It’s incredibly efficient basketball, but I think you can agree it’s not all that much fun to watch. They CAN be fun to watch — usually when Ginobili gets going — but that’s the Spurs’ essence, and the efficiency of it, especially compared with the Suns’ style, is sort of soul-crushing.
May.17 at 11:17 am
Ryan Jones says:
The League SO needs to start using yellow and red cards. With all the foreigners raised on soccer, it just makes sense.
May.17 at 11:20 am
white hot eboy says:
Kevin Wilson, what is entertaining defense? The only player that ever entertained me while playing defense was The Worm and that’s because he was a mental case. Are you employed by the Pistons?
May.17 at 11:22 am
Cub Buenning says:
At this point in the postseason, both Det and SAS are in the top half (of 16 teams) in points scored/game.
May.17 at 11:28 am
Cub Buenning says:
Ryan, I am a fan of the up-and-down, run-and-gun style of play (think Anderson Hunt, LJ, Moses Scurry etc.) but i also have an affinity for the game. Soul-crushing? Maybe, but i’d always choose watching that over the crap going on out east.
The Red and yellow card idea is brilliant, although playing “a man-up” in hoops would be a bit bizarre to witness.
May.17 at 11:28 am
white hot eboy says:
Here’s a novel thought, who, besides me, had more fun watching one Warriors game this postseason than watching a single Pistons game. Use that comparison with the Spurs as well. Nobody thought the Warriors were winning sh*t, but it sure was compelling to watch a team of misfits play their asses off for a series.
May.17 at 12:00 pm
Shotcaller says:
I agree with you, Cub and Kevin. That is great basketball. I don’t know why people complain about that DET/SA series, those were great teams. (There was way too much flopping in that series though) Which brings me to another topice - SAM, you mentioned the flopping in the PHO/SA games, have you watched the Bulls at all? Mainly Hinrich??? The guy has probably taken over Ginobli’s spot as the #1 flopper in the league. Now you got me started on the reffing…and there’s not enough space on this page.
May.17 at 12:08 pm
whooo! says:
if manu is the best flopper on offense, can we give the title of best defensive flopper to raja bell? i’ve never seen a man run into a pick and explode back like he’d been shot.
May.17 at 12:11 pm
peteb80 says:
Maybe the people who actually PLAY basketball enjoy the Spurs or Pistons, while the people who just WATCH basketball like the Warriors. Yes, I also appreciated those storylines about them not having been to the playoffs for 13 years and Nellie vs. Dallas, but apart from Baron Davis (who’s fantastic) I was pretty bored with their play. Watching 4 guys shoot 35 threes is not exciting, watching Duncan bank it in over the double-team absolutely is.
May.17 at 12:43 pm
The Bro Report says:
I call the spurs the “foreign horde” bill the butcher from gangs of NY voice. I hate them the way Bill the Butcher hated the Irish
May.17 at 12:51 pm
soyboy says:
And brotha…when you get inside the station…don’t make your presence known! desmond musta forgot that bit of useful information. heh heh.
May.17 at 12:57 pm
deestarbuckz the Notorious H.A.T.E. says:
I am very disappointed. I don’t even have the words. I was hoping the Cavs would show some growth and see the importance of a close-out game, especially at home. Instead both teams were “hot defensively!” *Holding my head in shame…* I need a moment! At least I have season finales of Lost and 24 to look forward to.
May.17 at 1:00 pm
white hot eboy says:
peteb80, you are WAY off on your assessment of who likes who regarding styles of ball. I am a baller, been a baller for the better part of 20 years and play ball year round with many pro, retired pros, semi-pro, international players and submitted a letter of intent to play ball at Seton Hall in 1989 when life gave me a swerve and my dad became terminally ill with cancer which changed my stance on leaving home. And I would much rather watch a run and gun game than boring ass Pistons/Spurs basketball but that doesn’t mean I don’t know which style is winning these days.
May.17 at 1:06 pm
Joe_X says:
@1hush D, the proper word is “affect.” You should check your grammar before ripping on someone who gets paid to write for a living.
May.17 at 1:07 pm
Rod Strickland says:
This time ya have ta die, Charlie!
May.17 at 1:12 pm
Chris says:
The spurs suck
May.17 at 1:16 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
The fourth quarter of Nets/Cavs was worse than any quarter played by any Pistons or Spurs team ever in the history of this or any other universe. I welcome a Pistons/Spurs Finals. This is chess, not checkers!
May.17 at 1:23 pm
Joe_X says:
I’d rather have my eyes gouged out Gloucester-style than watch another minute of that horrid Nets/Cavs series. How can such exciting players make my TV suck so much?
May.17 at 1:24 pm
peteb80 says:
So how do you like watching your Heat eboy? That’s a boring team, even by your definition.
May.17 at 1:24 pm
peteb80 says:
or especially…
May.17 at 1:35 pm
Danny W UK says:
Did ‘The Worm’ really touch ‘The Mailman’s johnson in the paint on a regular basis?
May.17 at 1:43 pm
white hot eboy says:
We’ll for the last few years I have been highly entertained by the greatness of D-Wade, the impossibly bad play of Antoine Walker, the ferosicty of Zo (and his stupid flexing), the wacked out play of James Posey, the hoping beyond hope that Shaq can make a couple of free throws from game to game, the indecision of Pat Riley, watching Jason Williams evolve from a wild, three point shooting, behind the back passing fool into a “pure” NBA point guard, an entire NBA arena turning white on the inside to support a team (starting a trend several teams copied this year)and the team getting a ring. All in all, I haven’t been bored at all.
May.17 at 1:45 pm
Co Co says:
I like to refer to the Nets/Cavs series as nap time. I can’t seem to stay awake while it’s on.
May.17 at 1:48 pm
jdy07 says:
Anyone know if NBA Live ‘08 in keeping with the whole “if it’s in the game” thing is going to have a flopping button next year?
May.17 at 1:53 pm
Simmy Sosa says:
The Horse
May.17 at 1:54 pm
Joel O's says:
Honestly, the last time the playoffs and finals were actually good was the supposedly boring Spurs-Pistons finals where the Spurs very deservingly won. Back then, we all thought “oh great how boring can it get” since everyone was hoping for a Suns-Heat final, which woulda been amazing. HOWEVER. On hindsight, look at what has transpired since. The last two years have been tainted. Last year’s NBA Finals became The Dwayne Wade Free Throw Show. The Spurs-Suns rivalry is the modern version of the early-2000’s Lakers-Kings rivalry: the “real” NBA finals; the winner of which would most definitely beat everyone else and win the Finals. This series has tainted the playoffs; if the Spurs win the championship they really would win it without honour, and it isn’t even their fault, but the league’s.
May.17 at 1:59 pm
Steve O says:
Maybe the word boring isn’t an apt description but could we settle on less entertaining? I think most of us can agree DET/SAS will not have nearly the same entertainment value as a PHX/Any other team on the planet series. If the finals are SAS/DET I will watch because I love basketball but not because SAS/DET is a great game to watch.
May.17 at 2:00 pm
Joel O's says:
hey “white hot eboy”: I’m sorry to dis your namesake Jason Williams, but he was dynamic - albeit inconsistent - as a three point chuckin’ streetball PG. He still was dynamic when he toned down the flair in Memphis. But he’s just mediocre now. With the talent and savvy that he has (had?), there’s no way he should let himself be reduced to such a pedestrian role on the Heat.
May.17 at 2:01 pm
peteb80 says:
Okay, I guess we can agree that it doesn’t matter at all what style the team you’re rooting for plays. Me personally, I’ve been highly annoyed by Wade buying his own hype, I enjoy Antoine missing shot after shot, I laugh at Zo flexing in the first quarter of some random regular season game and I really hate to see great Shaq totally oblivious to his decline. I agree with you on Posey and Williams. That turning white thing was lame and I won’t even get started on that “championship”. Also, do you think the Heat will make the playoffs another time before Shaq retires?
May.17 at 2:02 pm
Joel O's says:
…then again a big part of me admittedly wants to see the return of Jason Williams’ crazy spinning assists and his magnetism that made everyone buy his jersey. Maybe the Heat just really disappointed me this year - particularly with Riley’s backstabbiness, half the roster out of shape, the injuries… sheesh.
May.17 at 2:07 pm
Joel O's says:
YEAH. Agreed, Steve O. I don’t care if it’s “boring”. I just wanna watch NBA-ers play ball. Let them decide the games. Not Stern or his refs, like they have over the last two years. From last year’s Dwayne Wade Free Throw Show to this week’s suspensions, the biggest feeling as a lifelong NBA fan is just one of dulling, melancholy sadness and frustration.
May.17 at 2:09 pm
Joel O's says:
Is it any wonder why *cough cough* certain SLAMONLINE columnists *cough cough* would rather write about superhuman brain-sucking serial killers, Wolverine-esque cheerleaders and time-travelling Japanese specky guys? Yatta!!!
May.17 at 2:17 pm
white hot eboy says:
peteb80, well the Heat grabbed the 4 seed this year and they barely tried to resemble a team, so yeah I think next year, with a good roster overhaul, they are a top 4 team in the East again. Chicago, Detroit maybe Toronto and Cleveland will still be the better half of the final 8.
May.17 at 2:28 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Um, not to change the topic or anything, but roster overhaul how? I can’t imagine anyone really wanting what they have to offer, and Shaq’s $20 million number clogs the cap even better than he clogs the paint. And with Wade scheduled to miss the first part of the season, I think it’s gonna be a battle for them to even make the playoffs.
May.17 at 2:30 pm
Ron says:
The NBA needs to do something about flopping this summer. A real charge doesn’t even happen once a game on average since most real charging fouls occur within the circle under the rim and are automatically called defensive fouls. The league made the rules easy for a player driving the lane to draw a foul call on a defender so defensive players found a way even the playing field by flopping. Let’s see if the NBA can fix this now that it’s gotten out of hand.
Also they need to borrow two things from the NHL, one is reseeding the playoffs. Utah doesn’t stand a chance in the WCF. And the league needs to allow for some oncourt drama. Sports fans like to see the release of aggression. It’s good for ratings. Why do you think UFC is so popular these days. Blood=Ratings. The glory years of modern basketball was in the 80s and 90s. A guy like Dennis Rodman or Charles Oakley wouldn’t last 2 seasons in the league as it is today. I want my glory days back!
May.17 at 2:31 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Hey Joel, you should really get that cough checked out. You sound terrible.
May.17 at 2:38 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
What the NBA needs is a penalty box. Techs and ejections aren’t precise enough. Making someone miss 40 minutes for ARGUING A CALL is absurd. Making them take a seat for five minutes of game time, or the remainder of a quarter—that’s fair. Ditto for flops. Call the personal foul, by all means. But also make ‘em sit out for the next five minutes of game time.
May.17 at 2:39 pm
peteb80 says:
I see Miami on the way down, New Jersey and Indiana also, while Washington and Orlando should be better next year and the bottom five of the conference will also improve depending on who gets whom in the draft. The Heat won’t be near the Pistons,Bulls, Raptors or Cavs. And they’re not gonna get rid of Shaq. Maybe they can sign Vince for the midlevel and Shaq will pay him another 5-7 mil. out of his own pocket.
May.17 at 2:43 pm
white hot eboy says:
Russ, don’t hate. It was a few short posts ago that you stated “I welcome a Pistons/Spurs Finals”. How a bout a Bulls/Jazz redo? Have you conceded already? The Bulls finally looke dgood in Game 5. Kind of the same as they looked beating up on the Heat. Anyway, if the Heat don’t make the playoffs next year, I’ll cancel my SLAM subscription and not post here anymore. (Not that it would matter to anyone, just couldn’t think of another form of punishment.)
May.17 at 2:48 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Oh, I’m still rooting for the Bulls. Til I DIE. I think they’re gonna win Game Six tonight and set up an awfully interesting Game Seven. My dream Final remains Bulls/Suns. But I’m just tired of everyone dismissing a potential Pistons/Spurs series as boring. I think it would be a GREAT series. And what I’m even MORE tired of is the term “hater.” If I could magically strike one word from the English language, that would be it. Instead of resorting to name-calling, please tell me how you think the Heat will be able to overhaul that roster?
May.17 at 2:51 pm
Joel O's says:
Aagh! I’m choking like the Cavs in the fourth!
May.17 at 2:57 pm
Joel O's says:
Scary but legit thought: the Heat might actually NOT make the playoffs next year. Think about it. They aren’t improving, and their over-reliance on veterans may be their undoing. They are fading, like peteb80 said. Moreover, there isn’t any way but up for the Celtics and the Sixers, who, may get the upgrade from “sucking” to “mediocre” with the luck of the draft. Don’t forget the Knicks too, with another year to *gasp* gel. Charlotte?
May.17 at 3:02 pm
Joel O's says:
To Russ: true. From a business standpoint, the Heat have a collection of assets that are nearly wholly amortized to… nothingness. There’s not much salvage value to a retiring gimpy guy who can’t play anymore. And what assets they DO have are underperforming (J-Dub, Posey) or fat (Walker). It’s gonna get depressing real fast there. Not cool.
May.17 at 3:26 pm
white hot eboy says:
Russ, I don’t think I called you a name. (Wow, it’s like 3rd grade). As long as I remember, a Shaq team is a playoff lock every year. Orlando isn’t going anywhere just yet. Washington can’t beat Miami (20 losses out of last 21 does not lie) and Charlotte is still a year away (although they are the dark horse in the division). Wade and Shaq will still get them in the playoffs (and probably another division title) and I think everyone else is overlooking the fact that Riley will get something done this offseason since he stood pat last year and he saw where that got them. They’re already making inroads about making a move for Andre Miller so don’t sleep on them yet.
May.17 at 3:31 pm
Omar says:
Yeah, floppin is some bitch shit. These birds need to start playing in skirts or kilts. Who was the king of floppin? Reggie The Knick Killer Miller. Not only did is he the poster child for this bitch trend, but he is theee worst commentator in the history of the game. “He ate that ball!” You bum!
May.17 at 3:50 pm
allenp says:
Why is everybody on this crazy tilt that last year’s finals was tainted? Did anybody notice that the Mavs had the same amount of trouble guarding a big guard that attacks the rim that they had last year? That Baron Davis was always in the lane either getting fouled or passing to open teammates? Am I the only won who noticed this?
May.17 at 3:53 pm
Surya says:
If the Suns lose, I think Nash goes Zidane on Bowen. I’ve had fun blogging this year but watching over 200 basketball games has convinced me that Stern is trying to turn the NBA into soccer. What league with competant officials would use a painted line to determine a foul based on contact?
May.17 at 3:57 pm
Simmy Sosa says:
Snitch-bitch…
May.17 at 4:00 pm
Shiz says:
Get em, O!!
May.17 at 4:13 pm
white hot eboy says:
allenp, you’re not the only one. Thank you for being insightful.
May.17 at 4:37 pm
Ron says:
Allenp: The difference between the 2 is that Baron didn’t shoot half as many free throws as D Wade did last year.
May.17 at 4:53 pm
Steve O says:
Overhaul the Heat? Not possible, no one will take Shaq’s bill and both JWill and Tione are due 9 mil a piece. No one will take those contracts let alone those players. The Heat are spiraling downward and fast.
May.17 at 6:13 pm
Surya says:
Steve Kerr pointed out that Baron Davis/Dwyane Wade comparion on air one night . (He might be the best color guy on TV btw). I agree that Wade got some generous calls but how many times was Miami in the penalty because the Mavericks insisted on fouling Shaq. Wade hit a lot of shots too. This season has really sucked though. I think if we ended up with a great finals matchup like Phoenix/Detroit something stupid would happen or some key player would get hurt.
May.17 at 6:20 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
whit, I’m just tired of being called a hater anytime I disagree with someone or take an unpopular position. That’s all I was referring to. Who comes off the books for the Heat this year? Most guys are still under contract for a while, no?
May.17 at 8:43 pm
Steve O says:
Posey is gone after this year. Doleac would come off this year but he has a player option for next year worth 3 mil which I would assume he’ll take unless someone can bribe him to retire.
May.18 at 3:26 am
Holiday says:
It’s funny when I read peolpe write “the Jazz have no chance in the WCF” cause it kinda sound like when everybody said they wouldn’t make the playoffs, yet they get the 4th spot in the WCF, and nobody gave them a chance against the Rockets yet they passed them, and the the Warriors (Who by everybodys opinion wouldn’t beat Dallas) and now they wait for either a banged up Suns team or a banged up Spurs team! I think they’ll take there chance’s regardless of what you think!
May.18 at 4:44 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
The Jazz have no chance in the WCF.
May.18 at 10:00 am
K22C says:
-@Russ- I agree the heat wont be good again for awhile not with the 29 year age average and Shaq. the best thing the heat could possibly do to save their team. Retire the following: Payton, Mourning and Walker. Then make a huge trade and move Shaq to (probably memphis) for the number 1 pick, and pick up greg oden. Starting five: williams, wade, kapono, haslem, and oden. Unless they can pull some strings and get a kidd or jermaine. but yea this would never happen, but it would be a start.
May.18 at 10:01 am
K22C says:
-@SlobodanChutzpah- Jazz have a HUGE chance.
May.19 at 3:30 pm
Story says:
Ino they’re the number 8 seeds and all, but I getting sik of hearing the whole upset thing with Golden State. In case you didn’t notice, they already went 3-0 against the Mavs in the regular season, so I could see the upset coming, was fun tho, Dirk still got MVP, I’m fine with that cos he’s a great player