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Damn Heat

Posted by keithosaunders on June 1, 2011

What has annoyed me the most about the Miami Heat post-season, is the way they celebrated after the Boston series.  To look at the histrionics — the hugging, the carrying on, Lebron crying — you would have thought they had won it all, instead of a second round series against an aging, injury-rattled team.  I mean, act like you’ve been there before.

But that’s just it.  This team, outside of Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem, hasn’t been there before.  They are a made-for-TV, thrown together bunch, that just happens to have three of the best players in the game.  With each passing game their aura of inevitibility grows stronger, and I am having a hard time envisioning a scenario in which this series goes more than five games. 

It is possible, albeit just barely, to shut down Lebron or Wade, but then what do you do with Bosh?  After an up and down season, he has been close to unstoppable all playoffs long.  You forget what a powerful presence he is in the paint — there have been no easy shots in the lane for Heat opponents, and he has been able to control the offensive boards, as well as score at will.

I have to admit that the more the Heat win, the more my disdain grows to Yankee proportions.  It wasn’t just that Lebron decided to leave Cleveland.  It was the dog and pony show that accompanied it.  It was as if we, the NBA fans, were supposed to applaud the triumvirate of Bosh, James, and Wade, simply for deigning to play on the same court. 

There is something karmically wrong with this team.  I have a problem with a team being put together in a single offseason to instantly win a championship.  The Pistons of the early 90s played together for years before finally beating the Celtics and winning the title.  The Bulls, even with the mighty Jordan, had to pay their dues at the hands of said Pistons.  The Spurs of recent history had a core that played together for years, but they didn’t magically emerge from a hyped up cloud of free agent signings.

There’s only been one game; anything can happen.  Dallas is plenty good, but they will need more from their supporting cast — Jason Terry and Tyson Chandler, I’m looking at youse —  if they hope to make this a series. 

In the meantime, here’s hoping we will at least get a competitive six game series.  If there is any justice, the Heat will lose and the Cavaliers, with the 2nd and 4th pick in the draft, will become good and  take next year’s title. 

 Right.  a bridge to sell me?

 

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Give Kareem his damn statue

Posted by keithosaunders on May 19, 2011

This morning I came across an article in the Oakland Tribune about the hall of fame center, Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  Kareem is upset because he does not have a statue in front of the Staples Center, the home arena of the Lakers and Clippers.  There are statues of Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Chick Hearn, Wayne Gretzky, and Oscar De La Hoya,  (really…Oscar De La Hoya?) but none of the seven footer from New York City, who played most of his career on the Lakers.  (he began with the Milwaukee Bucks) 

At first you may think of Kareem as just another egotistical, spoiled athlete.  I disagree.  Kareem has every right to feel slighted.  The Lakers never would have won in the ’80s without Kareem.  He has scored more points than any player in history, won six NBA championships, and six regular season MVP awards.  Oh yeah…throw in three NCAA championships while he was at UCLA.

Kareem was an unselfish player who made those around him better.  He didn’t whine when Magic came into the league and garnered most of the spotlight.  He was the consummate team player.  There was not even a hint of a Kobe/Shaq-style fued back in those days.  And can you imagine Kareem pounding his chest, or pulling out his jersey as a way of drawing attention to himself?  He was self-effacing and humble.  

Not only that, he is a jazz fan.  I once saw hin in the Westwood Tower records in the jazz section.  I discretely stood next to him and found that I came up to his waist. 

So come on, you suits at Staples.  Give the man his due.  Give him his damn statue!

Posted in basketball | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

The classless Lakers

Posted by keithosaunders on May 10, 2011

What can you say about the cheap shots delivered by Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum during the fourth quarter of last night’s Lakers/Mavericks game?  They were both inexcusable, but Bynum’s was particularly vicious; he clotheslined Mav’s guard, JJ Barea, as he was driving towards the hoop.  Bynum easily could have put Barea in the hospital.  This was followed by an instant ejection, at which point Bynum took off his shirt, as if to underscore his toughness and defiance. 

The Lakers were swept by the Mavericks, the first sweep in coach Phil Jackson’s illustrious career.  In losing the way they did, the Lakers’ reputation is tarnished.  Theyhave long been thought of as a proud organization with a winning tradition, but for the foreseeable future, they will be considered a bully team. 

They are a team of thugs.  Even Kobe Bryant, great as he is, is a punk.  It is no secret that he could not get along with Shaq – there was too much ego for one court.  Those close to the team, however, believe that the problem stemmed from Kobe wanting more touches.  It’s a credit to Jackson that he was able to convince Kobe to play within a system.  How much of that was Jackson’s genius, or Kobe simply having thrived on being in the spotlight after Shaq’s departure to Miami? 

It speaks volumes about this team when Ron Artest – no stranger to thuggery – was the one to escort Bynum off the court.  You know your career is hitting the skids when Artest has to be the one to calm you down.

Posted in basketball | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Mellowing on Melo

Posted by keithosaunders on April 19, 2011

Back in February when the Knicks made the blockbuster deal with Denver, trading half of their squad for Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, and a cast of thousands, the sports punditry proclaimed, “When you have a chance to obtain someone of that caliber, you must make the move.”  I ask you, what caliber?  Where is the brilliance we were promised; the prodigious scoring, and the seven rebounds per game?

All I see is a player who chucks up threes with reckless abandon.  To be fair, that’s all any Knick, save for Amare Stoudemire, does.  Never mind that there isn’t a team in the history of the NBA that has won a championship by relying on the trey as their main line of attack.  Coach Mike D’antoni is committed to this style of play, and his team has bought into the system.

The Knicks should have won game one of their playoff series with Boston.  They let a 12 point lead evaporate by eschewing penetration while chucking up brick after brick from beyond the arc.

When you have a player with the reputation and the stature of an Anthony, I expect more than just a three-point shooter.  WIth four seconds remaining in the game, with his team down by two, Carmelo’s answer was to fire up yet another desperation three.  You would think, without a clear look at the basket, he would try to get to the line to tie the game and send it into overtime.  Not this player, and not on this team.

Posted in basketball | Tagged: , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Thank you, NCAA

Posted by keithosaunders on March 28, 2011

We’re home free.  Three more days — bink, blank, blunk — and it’s baseball season.  I can do that standing on my head.  The NCAA tournament did its job well this year.  It bridged the gap between unwatchable midseason hockey and basketball, and got us through to the other side to baseball season.

This years tournament was a honey.  The first Thursday was chock full of buzzer-beating game winners, and third round (really the second round)weekend gave us some compelling upsets and a generous dose of Jimmer Fredette. 

This past weekend, beginning with Friday night’s late games, saw a run of great endings, the likes of which I have never seen before.  Six taut, thrilling games in a row.  The Ohio State/Kentucky sweet 16 game,  a back and forth shoot out, featured a great ending that saw Ohio State tieing the game up with a three with 20 seconds to go, and Kentucky’s Brandon Knight immediately answering with a 20 footer.  

VCU won their sweet 16 game in overtime and two days later stared down Kansas to become just the third 11th seeded team to advance to the final four. 

What a run Butler has had these past two years!  They’ll be going to the final four as an eight seed after their sweet 16 victory over Wisconsin, followed by the overtime win against Florida two days later.

The two underdogs will play each other, ensuring there will be at least one cinderella team in the final, which will be played a week from Monday.  Kentucky and UConn will square off in the other game.  Me, I’m rooting for Butler to finish the job they started last year, but most of all I’m rooting for these next three days to be over with!    

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A different take on the Melo trade

Posted by keithosaunders on February 27, 2011

A few days ago I posted about the Carmelo Anthony trade, saying that the Knicks had mortgaged their future.  Shortly after posting I received a great rebuttal from Sherm, whose blog is called The Widening Geier. 

Mortgaged their future? I think you have it exactly backwards. This was about getting another bona fide scorer to build around in the future irrespective of the needs of this year’s team. True, this year’s team can’t rebound or play defense, but they’ll try to compliment Melo and Amar’e with guys who can over the next couple of years. Trading away young players and sacrificing cap space for guys who would fill the holes in this year’s team (rebounding and defense) would have been mortgaging the future. Clearly, the plan is to save cap space to add either Chris Paul or Deron Williams after next season and then get some cheap role players to defend and rebound. And lets not forget that Melo is a premier rebounding small forward as well.

The only player of any value they gave up was Gallinari. Chandler is a restricted FA at the end of the year and they were not going to waste cap space resigning him. Randolph has no offensive game at all. Mozgov was a project with terrible hands. Felton is a nice player, but a dime a dozen point guard and only under contract for one more year (same as Billips). They gave Felton two years knowing that Paul and Williams would be free agents after 2011-12 season.

Sherm makes a great point about Melo’s rebounding — in his Knicks debut he pulled down 10 boards versus the Bucks.  This to go along with his team-high 27 points.  Another great point is that after years of being saddled with salary-cap restrictions, the Knicks are finally in a position of having room to sign star players.  Clearly they will be able to augment this lineup in the offseason.

My problem with this team continues to be the coach — Mike D’antoni –  who is content to live and die by the three-point shot.  No matter how many great shooting forwards or point guards that the Knicks add, I cannot see them winning more than one round of playoffs playing the level of D that we have grown accustomed to under D’antoni.

Posted in basketball | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Clyde

Posted by keithosaunders on January 13, 2011

Those of you not lucky enough to live in the New York area have probably not heard the greatest color commentator in the NBA.  I am speaking, of course, of one-time Knicks guard Walt Frazier.  One the things I miss most about living in New York is not getting to hear him on a regular basis.

As a star point guard he quarterbacked the Knicks to their only two championships in 1970 and 1973.  At one point he held Knick records for assists, points, free throws, field goals made, and free throws made.  Most of these records would later be eclipsed by Patrick Ewing but his assist record stands to this day.

As an announcer there is no one like him.  Not only does he have a mellifluous voice but his cadence is extremely rhythmical.  There is something musical, not only about the words he chooses, but how he delivers them. 

He has a way of working rhymes into his analysis.  Some people find this corny — I think it’s great.  

The Knicks are dishin’ and swishin; Ewing is dupin’ and hoopin. 

He has a great vocabulary and he uses words in interesting ways and his metaphors are vibrant.  You can tell that Frazier would have been a great jazz musician; he is improvising with words.   

It’s not just the rhymes, it’s the delivery and the timing.  When you listen to Clyde you feel as if you are stepping into a time machine and emerging in the early 1970s.  He’s got an aura of flash and cool about him.  It’s as if you can hear the mohair suit and the mutton chops!

“He [Raymond Felton] diligently works on denying his man the ball.  He’s become the catalyst for the team’s improved defense.  Then the other teams’ big guys have to try to orchestrate, but then they’re in disarray and turn the ball over.”

Recently I’ve stumbled upon a Clyde impersonater on twitter.  You can tell that this guy has immersed himself in Frazier-isms and his feed is a loving tribute.  Here are a few samples.  His name is ‘notwaltfrazier’ and if you are on twitter he is worth following.

Just saw the #Lakers-#Cavs score! This embarassin’ has little comparison’!
 
Came back from the bathroom to see Mike Breen messin’ with my chair. Not trustin’ his adjustin’!
 
Amar’e and Nor’easter. Partners in creatin’ random punctuatin’!
 
What’s with Portland turnin’ your knee into debris? Playin’ for the Blazers is riskin’ your meniscin’!
 
Carmelo’s lookin yellow with all this talkin’ and balkin’!
 
Got me thinkin’ about Willis in Game 7. His limpin’ was pimpin’!
 
Skippin’ breakfast got me stumblin’ and grumblin’! Appeasin’ with ham ‘n cheesin’!
 
Mike Breen is still mad I re-scheduled his wake-up call for 4am LOL. My prankin’ got him crankin’!
 
 Finally I direct-tweeted him this:
 
Keith:  Clyde, your tweets are delightable and recitable!
 
 And he responded
 
notwaltfrazier:  C for grammar, A for glamour!  

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Where are the good announcers of the NBA?

Posted by keithosaunders on December 26, 2010

I was watching a little of the Magic/Celtics game this afternoon on ABC and Hubie Brown was doing the color commentary.  When I moved to New York back in 1984 he was the coach of the Knicks.  His first two years he coached them into the playoffs but the next two, which led to his firing, were awful 24 and 23 win seasons.  These were the Knicks of Rory Sparrow, Michael Ray Richardson, and Trent Tucker.  I remember going to the Garden,sitting in the upper deck, and being able to hear Brown yelling at his players, exhorting them at the top of his lungs to pick and roll, foul, and play defense. 

Maybe he was a good coach but he is a terrible announcer.  Simply put he doesn’t shut up.  He fills every single second of dead air with his nasally, raspy, drone of a voice.  There is no such concept as ‘letting the game breathe’ when Brown is behind the mic.  He has a didactic way of intoning, as if he’s talking down to us. 

Outside of Marv Albert I cannot think of one good basketball announcer.  I used to love Walt Frazier who does color commentary for the Knicks.  There must be some other good local announcers that I am unaware of, but nationally they are either grating, like Brown, or generically bland. 

In baseball and football I can name several announcers that I enjoy listening to.  I am not a big hockey fan but I have watched enough games to know that they have a much higher caliber announcer than basketball does. 

So I ask you:  Who are they, and where are they?

 

Hubie Brown

Posted in basketball | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Aloha

Posted by keithosaunders on December 24, 2010

I’m in Hawaii for Christmas.  Wasn’t there an Elvis song, Blue Hawaii?  Well that’s me this year; just me and The King.  I’m not going to waste your time describing what it’s like — you know the drill — tropical climate, the Leis, the Hulas, the Luaus, the one-armed, double-jointed stewardess.  Wait, did I go one too many?

A few points of interest are worth noting and then we’ll forget this ever happened.  After arriving at Kona Airport my sons and I drove one of the rental cars while my wife, ex-neighbor, and daughter took the other one.  Naturally, being guys, the  first thing we did was to check out the local radio stations.   First station,  reggae; second station, reggae; third station, smooth jazz; fourth station, reggae.  We even heard Christmas reggae music. 

“We wish you a reggae Christmas and a reggae New Year!” 

It’s a little too much, if you ask me.  There’s no jazz here, only of the smooth variety, and that’s not jazz, but Muzak to my ears. 

I don’t know how real sports fans live here.  Besides the fact that there are no pro local teams, with the earlier time zone the basketball and hockey games all begin at 2PM and are over with with by 9PM.  What do you do after that…listen to reggae? 

There is one perc, however.  This Sunday the Giants play a huge game in Green Bay against the Packers.  The game begins at 8AM Hawaiian time.  The way things are playing out I’ll be able to watch the entire game without disrupting my families’ plans.  I am da winnah.

Posted in basketball, football, life, music | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

The NBA has some juice!

Posted by keithosaunders on December 19, 2010

This post’s subject contains words I thought I would never say, at least in this order.  For the first time in several years I am excited about the NBA —   regular season NBA!  In the past it would sometimes take me until the second round of the playoffs for me to become interested.  I’ve long thought of the NBA as something to watch after that Early May Mets/Brewers game.  For that reason I have watched a lot of the Western Conference playoffs.  The eastern playoffs were usually not as compelling, consisting of power forwards from Detroit and Boston banging and smashing each other into the double bonus. 

This year there is a lot to be excited about, and since I find myself in a new city bereft of steady gigs I have more time than ever to devote to ESPN, TNT, or whatever network happens to be showing a game.  (there are quite a few of them)  For starters, the Knicks got good again.  Well, they’re better.  They recently rattled off a startling 12 of 13 wins sending me into a frenzy of whining.  ["Why did I have to move this year?!"]  I was all excited that this week’s games–  ESPN was broadcasted Knicks home games versus the Celtics and the Heat on Wednesday and Friday respectively.  The Celtics game, which was decided on a Paul Pierce 13 footer with .04 seconds remaining, was tremendous, but two days the later the Knicks would be destroyed by the star-laden Heat.  For the moment they have been exposed as a sharp-shooting team that plays little defense.  But damn, they are fun to watch, and are at last relevant.  They should make the playoffs and are a team on the rise.

The kid on the Clippers, Blake Griffin, is a lot of fun to watch and should be a force for years to come.  If only the Clippers could ever have two or three good drafts in a row; they are the most hapless of organizations.  It would be great for the league to have both them and the Lakers good at the same time.  Do you remember, about 15 years ago, when the Clippers had all of these overweight players and were known as “The Phat Farm?”  Good times…

Blake Griffin

Oklahoma, with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is a good young team that should be a force for years to come.  They’re probably not ready to challenge the Spurs or Lakers quite yet but they’re close.

The Spurs are amazing.  Manu Ginobili, at 35, is having his best season, and Tim Duncan, although he is not quite the player he once was, is still plenty good.  Throw in Tony Parker and Reggie Jefferson, and a great supporting cast and you have the team with the best record in the NBA.  I never liked the Spurs that much but that’s probably more to do with the fact that I’m an idiot than anything else.  They have been an unselfish team that has maintained a standard of excellence over the decades that few teams can rival.  Since they drafted David Robinson, over 20 years ago, there haven’t been many down seasons for this organization. 

The Celtics are another team that refuses to get old.  I have to give it up to Kevin Garnett, who is having a bounce-back season, as well as Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.  Rajon Rondo, if he stays healthy, is one of the best point guards in the league. 

Then there is the Orlando Magic, who with todays trades with Phoenix and Washington, may have catapulted themselves, at the very least, into the conference finals.  They traded Rashard Lewis to Washington for Gilbert Arenas and acquired Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu from the Phoenix Suns for Vince Carter.  Arenas, who was already having a comeback year with the Wizards, should be rejuvenated now that he is playing on a contending team.  Throw in Dwight Howard who is one of the most exciting players in the game, and away you go!

All of these watchable teams bodes extremely well for me in the upcoming dark period between the Super Bowl and opening day of baseball.  I’ve always dreaded this six-week trudge through the NBA and NHL midseason.  This year is different.  Bring it on!

Gilbert Arenas

Posted in basketball | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

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