The Reorganization Of The Miami Heat’s Big 3
Showing posts with label chris bosh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chris bosh. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Friday, April 22, 2011
Leave Doug Collins Alone
After the Sixers got completely blown off the court by the Heat in game 2, Doug Collins gave an honest, candid assessment of the situation, saying that if Miami plays great, they're a better team.
To me, all Doug Collins was doing was stating the obvious and doing what we always ask of our sports personalities but rarely get, which is being honest. He didn't talk badly about his team or say his players were no good. He simply stated the undeniable fact that Miami won 58 games to Philadelphia's 41. Clearly they are the superior team. As a Sixers fan, I wasn't the least bit upset about that.
Then I tuned in to TNT's pregame show and had to listen to Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, two former players, say there is no way Doug Collins should have admitted that. (By the way, I'd like to personally thank TNT and DirecTV for not blacking out the TNT broadcast, mercifully allowing me to listen to Marv Albert and Steve Kerr instead of making my ears bleed with Marc Zumoff and especially the atrocity that is Eric Snow broadcasting a game.) Ernie Johnson tried to talk some sense into them, saying Collins was simply stating facts and being honest, not questioning his team. But Charles and Kenny had a different view.
Now, I completely understand what Charles and Kenny were saying. Barkley said he'd never want his best player or his coach to say something like that, because it makes players believe they can't win. And Kenny added that what separates pro athletes from everyone else is "delusions of grandeur," where every one of them honestly believes they are the best or capable of beating the best. I get that. I understand that. And I see where they're coming from. Barkley even went so far as to say he guarantees Monty Williams didn't tell Chris Paul and Hornets that, Lionel Hollins didn't tell the Grizzlies that and Nate McMillan didn't tell the Trail Blazers that. I get it.
But come on. Are we really going to try and use this against Doug Collins? The man has coached his ass off for the Sixers this season, giving this team a complete 180 in both production and attitude. He's motivated his players to get the most of their ability and found a way to make this team a legitimately competitive squad, albeit one that is far from competing for a championship. All he was doing was saying, look, if the Heat, with two of the best players on the planet and a third that has been an No. 1 option almost all of his life, play to the best of their ability, the Sixers can't match that. It's simply true, especially when Collins doesn't have the luxury of anyone like a Chris Paul, LaMarcus Aldridge or even a Zach Randolph, all of whom are all stars.
Doug Collins doesn't have those type of players. He doesn't even have an all star on his roster. Yes, Elton Brand has been an all star in the past, but he's no longer that player anymore. And the team's "franchise player" is averaging 6 points a game in this series. Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Maurice Cheeks are not walking through that door. So let's just drop this whole charade that what Collins said was controversial or betraying some unwritten code. He's been coaching up his team and getting maximum effort out them, and he did that again last night. But the Heat are simply better, and that's why they won by six points despite the Sixers giving it their all.
Maybe we should focus more on what we're getting out of the Sixers. They surprised a lot of people by hanging tough in game 1 and even fighting all the way back to make a game of it after falling behind by double digits in the third quarter. And after Monday's shellacking, the Sixers could have easily folded, resided to the fact that no matter what they had no shot in the series. In fact, that's exactly what Charles Barkley said would happen last night, saying the Sixers had no shot to make it competitive and were going to get killed. Guess what? That didn't happen.
The Sixers came out with everything they had in the first quarter, much like they did in game 1, putting up 29 points and going up 8 after 12 minutes of play. And even as the Heat slowly took control, the Sixers never faded. They hung in there all the way to end, fought tooth and nail to stay close. It didn't result in a win, and the season will probably be over on Easter Sunday, but it was just more proof that these guys lay it all on the line for Collins, no matter what he says. So leave the guy alone.
As for the game, what can you do when Dwyane Wade goes for 32, 10 and 8 with a steal, two blocks while connecting on 12-12 from the line? What can you do when LeBron effortlessly gets 24, 15 and 6? What can you do when Chris Bosh was practically unnoticeable and still finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds? The answer is not much.
Elton Brand played as well as Elton Brand can play, working his tail off on both ends of the court and leading the Sixers with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jrue Holiday showed he has the makings to be something special going for 20 points and 8 assists while connecting on 7-13 from the field and 4-5 from three. Spencer Hawes gave some spirited minutes, putting up 12 and 6 with two blocks.
But when push came to shove, the Heat simply have better players. Wade, LeBron and Bosh all were fantastic, while Andre Iguodala looked completely helpless out there, overpassing on every possession. Yes, he did manage a double-double, handing out 10 assists and getting 10 points, but I've never seen him so hesitant to shoot in my life. Normally, Sixers fans are begging Iggy to take less shots. Last night, he went to the other extreme. He came in averaging just 4.5 points in the first two contests, and that clearly had him psyched out. There were at least 5 times last night where he could have taken it to the rim and gone up strong, but instead made an unnecessary pass. And this is supposed to be your franchise player, a guy who only took 10 shots and made just three of them.
And the two biggest threats off the bench couldn't get much going either. Lou Williams did have 15 points, but he shot just 5-12. And Thad was invisible, going just 1-8 for 4 points. The Sixers simply don't have the horses to compete with Miami. That's why they're down 3-0, not because Doug Collins doesn't believe in his squad.
The only thing Collins is responsible for is this team's renewed energy and major turnaround. He's responsible for bringing life back into a previously lifeless franchise. He's the reason the Wells Fargo Center was packed last night. So please, just leave Doug Collins alone.
To me, all Doug Collins was doing was stating the obvious and doing what we always ask of our sports personalities but rarely get, which is being honest. He didn't talk badly about his team or say his players were no good. He simply stated the undeniable fact that Miami won 58 games to Philadelphia's 41. Clearly they are the superior team. As a Sixers fan, I wasn't the least bit upset about that.
Then I tuned in to TNT's pregame show and had to listen to Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, two former players, say there is no way Doug Collins should have admitted that. (By the way, I'd like to personally thank TNT and DirecTV for not blacking out the TNT broadcast, mercifully allowing me to listen to Marv Albert and Steve Kerr instead of making my ears bleed with Marc Zumoff and especially the atrocity that is Eric Snow broadcasting a game.) Ernie Johnson tried to talk some sense into them, saying Collins was simply stating facts and being honest, not questioning his team. But Charles and Kenny had a different view.
Now, I completely understand what Charles and Kenny were saying. Barkley said he'd never want his best player or his coach to say something like that, because it makes players believe they can't win. And Kenny added that what separates pro athletes from everyone else is "delusions of grandeur," where every one of them honestly believes they are the best or capable of beating the best. I get that. I understand that. And I see where they're coming from. Barkley even went so far as to say he guarantees Monty Williams didn't tell Chris Paul and Hornets that, Lionel Hollins didn't tell the Grizzlies that and Nate McMillan didn't tell the Trail Blazers that. I get it.
But come on. Are we really going to try and use this against Doug Collins? The man has coached his ass off for the Sixers this season, giving this team a complete 180 in both production and attitude. He's motivated his players to get the most of their ability and found a way to make this team a legitimately competitive squad, albeit one that is far from competing for a championship. All he was doing was saying, look, if the Heat, with two of the best players on the planet and a third that has been an No. 1 option almost all of his life, play to the best of their ability, the Sixers can't match that. It's simply true, especially when Collins doesn't have the luxury of anyone like a Chris Paul, LaMarcus Aldridge or even a Zach Randolph, all of whom are all stars.
Doug Collins doesn't have those type of players. He doesn't even have an all star on his roster. Yes, Elton Brand has been an all star in the past, but he's no longer that player anymore. And the team's "franchise player" is averaging 6 points a game in this series. Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Maurice Cheeks are not walking through that door. So let's just drop this whole charade that what Collins said was controversial or betraying some unwritten code. He's been coaching up his team and getting maximum effort out them, and he did that again last night. But the Heat are simply better, and that's why they won by six points despite the Sixers giving it their all.
Maybe we should focus more on what we're getting out of the Sixers. They surprised a lot of people by hanging tough in game 1 and even fighting all the way back to make a game of it after falling behind by double digits in the third quarter. And after Monday's shellacking, the Sixers could have easily folded, resided to the fact that no matter what they had no shot in the series. In fact, that's exactly what Charles Barkley said would happen last night, saying the Sixers had no shot to make it competitive and were going to get killed. Guess what? That didn't happen.
The Sixers came out with everything they had in the first quarter, much like they did in game 1, putting up 29 points and going up 8 after 12 minutes of play. And even as the Heat slowly took control, the Sixers never faded. They hung in there all the way to end, fought tooth and nail to stay close. It didn't result in a win, and the season will probably be over on Easter Sunday, but it was just more proof that these guys lay it all on the line for Collins, no matter what he says. So leave the guy alone.
As for the game, what can you do when Dwyane Wade goes for 32, 10 and 8 with a steal, two blocks while connecting on 12-12 from the line? What can you do when LeBron effortlessly gets 24, 15 and 6? What can you do when Chris Bosh was practically unnoticeable and still finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds? The answer is not much.
Elton Brand played as well as Elton Brand can play, working his tail off on both ends of the court and leading the Sixers with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jrue Holiday showed he has the makings to be something special going for 20 points and 8 assists while connecting on 7-13 from the field and 4-5 from three. Spencer Hawes gave some spirited minutes, putting up 12 and 6 with two blocks.
But when push came to shove, the Heat simply have better players. Wade, LeBron and Bosh all were fantastic, while Andre Iguodala looked completely helpless out there, overpassing on every possession. Yes, he did manage a double-double, handing out 10 assists and getting 10 points, but I've never seen him so hesitant to shoot in my life. Normally, Sixers fans are begging Iggy to take less shots. Last night, he went to the other extreme. He came in averaging just 4.5 points in the first two contests, and that clearly had him psyched out. There were at least 5 times last night where he could have taken it to the rim and gone up strong, but instead made an unnecessary pass. And this is supposed to be your franchise player, a guy who only took 10 shots and made just three of them.
And the two biggest threats off the bench couldn't get much going either. Lou Williams did have 15 points, but he shot just 5-12. And Thad was invisible, going just 1-8 for 4 points. The Sixers simply don't have the horses to compete with Miami. That's why they're down 3-0, not because Doug Collins doesn't believe in his squad.
The only thing Collins is responsible for is this team's renewed energy and major turnaround. He's responsible for bringing life back into a previously lifeless franchise. He's the reason the Wells Fargo Center was packed last night. So please, just leave Doug Collins alone.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
When a Playoff Win is More Painful than a Playoff Loss
After a weekend in which the Sixers came back from a double-digit second-half deficit much to my surprise – thanks largely to excellent play by Thaddeus Young and Jrue Holiday – to make it a game against the Heat and the Flyers outlasted the Sabres in a wild, terribly officiated game (on both sides) to even the series, I was all set to what each team had in store last night.
While the Flyers had yet to play their best game, they were the better team in both game 1 and game 2, and they had the best player through the first two games in James van Riemsdyk. I expected nothing less in game 3, perhaps even thinking the Flyers would put together a more complete game. That did not happen.
Things started out well, sure. The Flyers came out and applied some nice pressure early, earned themselves a power play and somehow, some way, miraculously tallied a power-play goal on a gorgeous shot by Jeff Carter.
Carter, who had played pretty poorly in the first two games, kept finding the puck on his stick in that first period, and he made no mistake on that laser of a wrist shot to beat Ryan Miller. But after that goal, the complexion of the period completely changed. As has been the case ever since the Flyers got in their late-season funk, they took the gas off the pedal once they got the lead.
The Sabres outworked the Fleyrs in every single aspect of the game, outshooting, outhitting, outchancing and out-faceoffing the Flyers. It was only a matter of time before Buffalo scored, and it came on the power play. What started out as a promising period devolved into complete domination by the Sabres. They outshot the Flyers 16-6 in the opening period, and for the first time all series, Buffalo looked like the better team.
Luckily Brian Boucher was up to the challenge the way Miller was in game 1, and the Flyers escaped tied at 1. Then they reversed roles in the second, with the Flyers outshooting Buffalo 15-10 and scoring twice to take a two-goal lead. One came on an awful turnover by the Sabres on a faceoff win. Scott Hartnell gave a little nudge, took the gift and hit Briere for an easy goal.
That goal gave the Flyers the jump-start they needed. From there, they began to play much better hockey, keeping most of the play in Buffalo’s end and asserting themselves. And with just over three minutes later, the much maligned Richards line broke through. Kris Versteeg made an awesome play to get the puck, found Mike Richards who waited patiently for the defense to come to him, then hit Nikolay Zherdev for the slam-dunk goal. It was a beautiful tic-tac-toe play, the type of thing we’ve been waiting for out of this line for months. In his first playoff game as a Flyer, Zherdev lit the lamp, giving all the people begging for him to get in the lineup even more ammunition.
I have to admit, it is nice having the play-making and finishing of Zherdev in the lineup, especially with the way this team has struggled to score goals heading in to the playoffs. But if you watched Zherdev closely last night, you can see why he’s in Peter Laviolette’s doghouse. Defensively, he was appallingly bad, rarely ever skating hard to back-check, often skating away from Sabres in the defensive zone and generally looking disinterested defensively. That’s why he has trouble staying in the lineup. He is a brilliant offensive player. He really is. And right now, the Flyers need that. But his defense is beyond terrible.
Speaking of terrible, I pretty much laid into Kris Versteeg after game 1.
Beyond his two-goal game against the Maple Leafs, he’s been so underwhelming since coming to Philadelphia and has dragged Mike Richards down with him. But last night, Versteeg was really good. He made very few bad decisions, kept it simple and worked extremely hard. His play to set up Zherdev’s goal was outstanding, and he had far more of those types of plays last night than the lazy, terrible and downright stupid ones he’s made a habit of. Last night, he was the player I thought the Flyers were getting, and that’s an extremely encouraging sign.
What was discouraging was that after a strong period in which they took a two-goal lead, the Flyers gave up a back-breaking goal less than a minute and half later. With less than two minutes remaining in the period, Brian Boucher completely boxed an easy shot to stop from far out. Of course it landed right on that little gnat Nathan Gerbe’s stick, who beat Boosh and completely changed the momentum of the game.
The Flyers did head into the third with the lead, but that goal took the wind out of their sails and gave Buffalo life. That led to a third period that was a lot like the first. Yes, the Flyers escaped with a 4-2 win on the empty-netter by Kimmo Timonen, but they weren’t the better team last night. The Sabres outshot the Flyers 11-4 in the 3rd, forced the Flyers to take a ton of penalties and ended with a 37-25 shot advantage.
Honestly, it was a painful game to watch, and it didn’t exactly instill a ton of confidence. Yes, they won, but the Sabres worked harder, looked hungrier and played better. Ville Leino was a nonfactor yet again, playing pretty poorly. The defense coughed the puck up way too much, with Braydon Coburn making two glaring giveaways in the 3rd. They failed to play well with the lead yet again. Richards, despite the great feed on Zherdev’s goal, still didn’t look right.
But a win is a win, especially in the playoffs. And despite being outplayed, there were plenty of good things to take away as well. The Flyers killed off a crucial 5-on-3 and a 4-minute double minor on Scott Hartnell. The work that Darroll Powe and Blair Betts do on the penalty kill is simply remarkable to watch. Without those two last night, no way the Flyers win that game.
JVR was once again the best player on the ice. He may not have shown up on the scoresheet, but he was everywhere once again. The guy is turning into a certified beast. He just won’t be denied. I can’t believe how far he’s come since last postseason. Riemer has been a lot better than anyone else on the ice in this series thus far, and I’m incredibly excited to see what he turns into. Versteeg had his best game in a long time, perhaps his best since becoming a Flyer. Timonen and O’Donnell played very well on the back end. And Boucher, despite boxing that one to lead to Buffalo’s second goal, was outstanding, stopping 35 shots and really stealing the victory.
You can say what you want about Boosh, but the guy shows up in the playoffs, evident by the fact that he has the fifth best goals against averages in his playoff career among active netminders. Great game by Boucher last night.
Having said that, the Flyers absolutely have to play better tomorrow night if they want to prevent the Sabres from evening this series up. In the first two games, the Flyers looked like the better team. The same cannot be said for last night’s game. Thank goodness for Brian Boucher.
As for the Sixers, their game turned out exactly as I expected. Game 1 was a wakeup call for the Heat. I’m sure Miami was just as surprised as I was that the Sixers didn’t fade after going down pretty big in the second half on Saturday, but they weren’t going to be caught off-guard again.
Miami played absolutely suffocating defense, limiting the Sixers to just 31 freakin points at half and winning going away 94-73. It was never even a contest and not a single Sixer besides Evan Turner of all people looked remotely competent offensively. This was the type of game you expect a team like the Heat to have. Miami’s third best player is so far superior than Philadelphia’s best, which is why I had and have no delusions that the Sixers might take a game. They did have a shot in game 1, but now they have none.
LeBron was a beast, scoring a game-high 29 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Oh yeah, and he did this:
Dwyane Wade wasn’t spectacular stats-wise, but he looked like his migraines were not an issue at all.
And Chris Bosh had his second straight double-double, putting up 21 and 11. The Sixers simply have no one who can even remotely match up with Bosh. Andre Iguodala, who has been awful offensively, can bother LeBron defensively. The Sixers can have guys funnel Dwyane Wade to help. But there is no one who can contain Bosh, and he’s been taking advantage.
That was what you call a good old-fashioned ass-whooping, and I’d honestly be surprised if either of the next two games in Philadelphia (I’ll be at game 3 on Easter Sunday, by the way) are remotely close. The Heat look like the team everyone thought they’d be when Wade, LeBron and Bosh united. And that’s a frightening thought.
Though as badly as the Heat beat in the Sixers’ brains last night, I didn’t find myself overly upset. The Heat are simply way better than the Sixers. But watching the Flyers get out-worked and outplayed in a victory was incredibly painful. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but watching that Flyers’ win was way worse than watching the Sixers’ blowout loss.
As for the Phillies, GM Carson said it best:
why is Kendrick in the bullpen and what the hell is the purpose of Michael Martinez. Rosters spots could be better spent.
The same thing goes for Danys Baez. Way to make me stay up for that loss, jerks.
While the Flyers had yet to play their best game, they were the better team in both game 1 and game 2, and they had the best player through the first two games in James van Riemsdyk. I expected nothing less in game 3, perhaps even thinking the Flyers would put together a more complete game. That did not happen.
Things started out well, sure. The Flyers came out and applied some nice pressure early, earned themselves a power play and somehow, some way, miraculously tallied a power-play goal on a gorgeous shot by Jeff Carter.
Carter, who had played pretty poorly in the first two games, kept finding the puck on his stick in that first period, and he made no mistake on that laser of a wrist shot to beat Ryan Miller. But after that goal, the complexion of the period completely changed. As has been the case ever since the Flyers got in their late-season funk, they took the gas off the pedal once they got the lead.
The Sabres outworked the Fleyrs in every single aspect of the game, outshooting, outhitting, outchancing and out-faceoffing the Flyers. It was only a matter of time before Buffalo scored, and it came on the power play. What started out as a promising period devolved into complete domination by the Sabres. They outshot the Flyers 16-6 in the opening period, and for the first time all series, Buffalo looked like the better team.
Luckily Brian Boucher was up to the challenge the way Miller was in game 1, and the Flyers escaped tied at 1. Then they reversed roles in the second, with the Flyers outshooting Buffalo 15-10 and scoring twice to take a two-goal lead. One came on an awful turnover by the Sabres on a faceoff win. Scott Hartnell gave a little nudge, took the gift and hit Briere for an easy goal.
That goal gave the Flyers the jump-start they needed. From there, they began to play much better hockey, keeping most of the play in Buffalo’s end and asserting themselves. And with just over three minutes later, the much maligned Richards line broke through. Kris Versteeg made an awesome play to get the puck, found Mike Richards who waited patiently for the defense to come to him, then hit Nikolay Zherdev for the slam-dunk goal. It was a beautiful tic-tac-toe play, the type of thing we’ve been waiting for out of this line for months. In his first playoff game as a Flyer, Zherdev lit the lamp, giving all the people begging for him to get in the lineup even more ammunition.
I have to admit, it is nice having the play-making and finishing of Zherdev in the lineup, especially with the way this team has struggled to score goals heading in to the playoffs. But if you watched Zherdev closely last night, you can see why he’s in Peter Laviolette’s doghouse. Defensively, he was appallingly bad, rarely ever skating hard to back-check, often skating away from Sabres in the defensive zone and generally looking disinterested defensively. That’s why he has trouble staying in the lineup. He is a brilliant offensive player. He really is. And right now, the Flyers need that. But his defense is beyond terrible.
Speaking of terrible, I pretty much laid into Kris Versteeg after game 1.
Beyond his two-goal game against the Maple Leafs, he’s been so underwhelming since coming to Philadelphia and has dragged Mike Richards down with him. But last night, Versteeg was really good. He made very few bad decisions, kept it simple and worked extremely hard. His play to set up Zherdev’s goal was outstanding, and he had far more of those types of plays last night than the lazy, terrible and downright stupid ones he’s made a habit of. Last night, he was the player I thought the Flyers were getting, and that’s an extremely encouraging sign.
What was discouraging was that after a strong period in which they took a two-goal lead, the Flyers gave up a back-breaking goal less than a minute and half later. With less than two minutes remaining in the period, Brian Boucher completely boxed an easy shot to stop from far out. Of course it landed right on that little gnat Nathan Gerbe’s stick, who beat Boosh and completely changed the momentum of the game.
The Flyers did head into the third with the lead, but that goal took the wind out of their sails and gave Buffalo life. That led to a third period that was a lot like the first. Yes, the Flyers escaped with a 4-2 win on the empty-netter by Kimmo Timonen, but they weren’t the better team last night. The Sabres outshot the Flyers 11-4 in the 3rd, forced the Flyers to take a ton of penalties and ended with a 37-25 shot advantage.
Honestly, it was a painful game to watch, and it didn’t exactly instill a ton of confidence. Yes, they won, but the Sabres worked harder, looked hungrier and played better. Ville Leino was a nonfactor yet again, playing pretty poorly. The defense coughed the puck up way too much, with Braydon Coburn making two glaring giveaways in the 3rd. They failed to play well with the lead yet again. Richards, despite the great feed on Zherdev’s goal, still didn’t look right.
But a win is a win, especially in the playoffs. And despite being outplayed, there were plenty of good things to take away as well. The Flyers killed off a crucial 5-on-3 and a 4-minute double minor on Scott Hartnell. The work that Darroll Powe and Blair Betts do on the penalty kill is simply remarkable to watch. Without those two last night, no way the Flyers win that game.
JVR was once again the best player on the ice. He may not have shown up on the scoresheet, but he was everywhere once again. The guy is turning into a certified beast. He just won’t be denied. I can’t believe how far he’s come since last postseason. Riemer has been a lot better than anyone else on the ice in this series thus far, and I’m incredibly excited to see what he turns into. Versteeg had his best game in a long time, perhaps his best since becoming a Flyer. Timonen and O’Donnell played very well on the back end. And Boucher, despite boxing that one to lead to Buffalo’s second goal, was outstanding, stopping 35 shots and really stealing the victory.
You can say what you want about Boosh, but the guy shows up in the playoffs, evident by the fact that he has the fifth best goals against averages in his playoff career among active netminders. Great game by Boucher last night.
Having said that, the Flyers absolutely have to play better tomorrow night if they want to prevent the Sabres from evening this series up. In the first two games, the Flyers looked like the better team. The same cannot be said for last night’s game. Thank goodness for Brian Boucher.
As for the Sixers, their game turned out exactly as I expected. Game 1 was a wakeup call for the Heat. I’m sure Miami was just as surprised as I was that the Sixers didn’t fade after going down pretty big in the second half on Saturday, but they weren’t going to be caught off-guard again.
Miami played absolutely suffocating defense, limiting the Sixers to just 31 freakin points at half and winning going away 94-73. It was never even a contest and not a single Sixer besides Evan Turner of all people looked remotely competent offensively. This was the type of game you expect a team like the Heat to have. Miami’s third best player is so far superior than Philadelphia’s best, which is why I had and have no delusions that the Sixers might take a game. They did have a shot in game 1, but now they have none.
LeBron was a beast, scoring a game-high 29 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Oh yeah, and he did this:
Dwyane Wade wasn’t spectacular stats-wise, but he looked like his migraines were not an issue at all.
And Chris Bosh had his second straight double-double, putting up 21 and 11. The Sixers simply have no one who can even remotely match up with Bosh. Andre Iguodala, who has been awful offensively, can bother LeBron defensively. The Sixers can have guys funnel Dwyane Wade to help. But there is no one who can contain Bosh, and he’s been taking advantage.
That was what you call a good old-fashioned ass-whooping, and I’d honestly be surprised if either of the next two games in Philadelphia (I’ll be at game 3 on Easter Sunday, by the way) are remotely close. The Heat look like the team everyone thought they’d be when Wade, LeBron and Bosh united. And that’s a frightening thought.
Though as badly as the Heat beat in the Sixers’ brains last night, I didn’t find myself overly upset. The Heat are simply way better than the Sixers. But watching the Flyers get out-worked and outplayed in a victory was incredibly painful. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but watching that Flyers’ win was way worse than watching the Sixers’ blowout loss.
As for the Phillies, GM Carson said it best:
why is Kendrick in the bullpen and what the hell is the purpose of Michael Martinez. Rosters spots could be better spent.
The same thing goes for Danys Baez. Way to make me stay up for that loss, jerks.
Friday, November 19, 2010
It's Friday, Time to Dance
Last night's Flyers game was the stupid hockey game I've ever watched in my entire life. Anyone who thinks an 8-7 game is entertaining is an idiot. That was just awful, awful hockey, made even more awful by the fact the Flyers lost.
It was a sloppy game with absolutely no defense. Chris Pronger was terrible, pretty much just standing around all night. And the Flyers' power play was an embarrassment, and that's in a game with 15 goals scored. I hated that game and I hate all of you. Dance time.
Clearly, Chris Bosh got pissed about this and went off for 35 points on Wednesday.
That's one catchy song right there.
And in honor of Chad Pennington's career finally coming to an end, enjoy his awkward whiteness while listening to Eminem.
Sixers-Bucks tonight. I'll be there. Eagles-Giants on Sunday night. I'll be there too. And a bunch of stuff in between. Enjoy the weekend.
Work sucks.
It was a sloppy game with absolutely no defense. Chris Pronger was terrible, pretty much just standing around all night. And the Flyers' power play was an embarrassment, and that's in a game with 15 goals scored. I hated that game and I hate all of you. Dance time.
Clearly, Chris Bosh got pissed about this and went off for 35 points on Wednesday.
That's one catchy song right there.
And in honor of Chad Pennington's career finally coming to an end, enjoy his awkward whiteness while listening to Eminem.
Sixers-Bucks tonight. I'll be there. Eagles-Giants on Sunday night. I'll be there too. And a bunch of stuff in between. Enjoy the weekend.
Work sucks.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Party Like It's (the) 2003-04 (Rookie-Sophomore Game)
In the 2003 NBA draft, everyone knew there was going to be something special about that class, headlined by high school phenom LeBron James and the freshman from Syracuse who had one of the most transcendent seasons in college basketball history, leading the Orange to the National Championship.
Then there was the highly touted foreigner Darko Milic, the kid from Marquette who had just exploded onto the seen in his junior season to lead the Golden Eagles to the Final Four and a talented one-and-done power forward from Georgia Tech.
Fast-forward to the 2010 NBA All-Star game, and your top four scorers on the night are none other than the MVP of the game, Dwyane Wade (28 points), Carmelo Anthony (27), LeBron James (25) and Chris Bosh (23), also know as the No. 5, No. 3, No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the 2003 NBA draft, respectively. And the sixth pick that season, Chris Kaman, also suited up for the West last night. I'd say that class is doing pretty well for itself.
I do have to admit that even though the game was close throughout, the first three quarters bored me pretty bad, with the exception of the occasional great play here and there. But as always, the intensity went up a notch in the 4th, and no one stood out more than Wade.
Don't get me wrong, LeBron James is the best player in the world right now, but I've reached the point where I'd almost rather see him in the dunk contest and not even play in the All-Star game itself, because in my eyes, he never seems to stand out, always seems to play subpar in these things. Basically, the complete opposite of Allen Iverson, who has always thrived in the All-Star game.
Yes, LeBron scored 25 points last night, but he needed 22 shots to get there, shooting 10-22, and most of his buckets came early, not late in crunch time. He also went just 1-6 from three and grabbed just 5 rebounds despite playing over 32 minutes. Basically, he didn't stand out among his peers, and he didn't look sharp. At least by LeBron standards.
But Wade, well, he was absolutely the MVP of the game. Even had the East lost, he probably still deserved it, though it most assuredly would have went to Dirk, and understandably so. The big German playing in front of his home crowd had 22 points himself. Though he was nowhere near as awesome as Wade last night. No one was. Dwyane scored his 28 points on a ridiculous 12-16 shooting, he dished out 11 assists, nabbed six boards and swiped five steals, several down the stretch that really propelled the East to the 141-139 win. Every time the East needed something, a bucket, a great pass, a defensive stop, Wade was there to provide it. He was the epitome of great last night, reminding the world to not forget about him. After all, he is former Finals MVP.
Chris Bosh had a phenomenal game himself, posting a double double of 23 and 10, and Melo was by far the most aggressive Western Conference player, getting his 27 points on 13-22 shooting and joining Bosh in double-double land with 10 boards himself. And when push came to shove and the final 12 minutes loomed large, Bosh joined Wade with some clutch plays himself, including the game-winning free throws.
I thought that fourth quarter was one of the better ones we've seen in a little while, even if Deron Williams committed a boneheaded foul. George Karl, despite openly admitting and clearly displaying his bias toward his guys (Melo and Chauncey), did the right thing and cool thing by drawing up a three-pointer for Dirk with less than 10 seconds remaining and the West down by two. Though at the end, he probably could have gone to Dirk again instead of having Melo throw up a pretty bad look to lose. But still, classy move by Karl on that play where Howard fouled Dirk. And Dirk rewarded him by tying the game up, though he probably should have threw up a three and gotten three shots at the line instead of two, but still.
Overall, it was good to see just how far the highly hyped draft class of 2003 has come. Last night was their all-star game — no Kobe, no Iverson, no Shaq, and very little time for some mainstays like Garnett, Pierce, Kidd, Duncan and even Nash. It was a changing of the guard so to speak, one that's been going on for a little while, and they did not disappoint. LeBron, Melo, Wade, Bosh all put on a show, just as they did some six years ago in the rookie-sophomore game, foreshadowing what was to come.
It also reaffirms that Joe Dumars is nowhere near as good of a GM as everyone proclaims him to be. Free Darko.
Then there was the highly touted foreigner Darko Milic, the kid from Marquette who had just exploded onto the seen in his junior season to lead the Golden Eagles to the Final Four and a talented one-and-done power forward from Georgia Tech.
Fast-forward to the 2010 NBA All-Star game, and your top four scorers on the night are none other than the MVP of the game, Dwyane Wade (28 points), Carmelo Anthony (27), LeBron James (25) and Chris Bosh (23), also know as the No. 5, No. 3, No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the 2003 NBA draft, respectively. And the sixth pick that season, Chris Kaman, also suited up for the West last night. I'd say that class is doing pretty well for itself.
I do have to admit that even though the game was close throughout, the first three quarters bored me pretty bad, with the exception of the occasional great play here and there. But as always, the intensity went up a notch in the 4th, and no one stood out more than Wade.
Don't get me wrong, LeBron James is the best player in the world right now, but I've reached the point where I'd almost rather see him in the dunk contest and not even play in the All-Star game itself, because in my eyes, he never seems to stand out, always seems to play subpar in these things. Basically, the complete opposite of Allen Iverson, who has always thrived in the All-Star game.
Yes, LeBron scored 25 points last night, but he needed 22 shots to get there, shooting 10-22, and most of his buckets came early, not late in crunch time. He also went just 1-6 from three and grabbed just 5 rebounds despite playing over 32 minutes. Basically, he didn't stand out among his peers, and he didn't look sharp. At least by LeBron standards.
But Wade, well, he was absolutely the MVP of the game. Even had the East lost, he probably still deserved it, though it most assuredly would have went to Dirk, and understandably so. The big German playing in front of his home crowd had 22 points himself. Though he was nowhere near as awesome as Wade last night. No one was. Dwyane scored his 28 points on a ridiculous 12-16 shooting, he dished out 11 assists, nabbed six boards and swiped five steals, several down the stretch that really propelled the East to the 141-139 win. Every time the East needed something, a bucket, a great pass, a defensive stop, Wade was there to provide it. He was the epitome of great last night, reminding the world to not forget about him. After all, he is former Finals MVP.
Chris Bosh had a phenomenal game himself, posting a double double of 23 and 10, and Melo was by far the most aggressive Western Conference player, getting his 27 points on 13-22 shooting and joining Bosh in double-double land with 10 boards himself. And when push came to shove and the final 12 minutes loomed large, Bosh joined Wade with some clutch plays himself, including the game-winning free throws.
I thought that fourth quarter was one of the better ones we've seen in a little while, even if Deron Williams committed a boneheaded foul. George Karl, despite openly admitting and clearly displaying his bias toward his guys (Melo and Chauncey), did the right thing and cool thing by drawing up a three-pointer for Dirk with less than 10 seconds remaining and the West down by two. Though at the end, he probably could have gone to Dirk again instead of having Melo throw up a pretty bad look to lose. But still, classy move by Karl on that play where Howard fouled Dirk. And Dirk rewarded him by tying the game up, though he probably should have threw up a three and gotten three shots at the line instead of two, but still.
Overall, it was good to see just how far the highly hyped draft class of 2003 has come. Last night was their all-star game — no Kobe, no Iverson, no Shaq, and very little time for some mainstays like Garnett, Pierce, Kidd, Duncan and even Nash. It was a changing of the guard so to speak, one that's been going on for a little while, and they did not disappoint. LeBron, Melo, Wade, Bosh all put on a show, just as they did some six years ago in the rookie-sophomore game, foreshadowing what was to come.
It also reaffirms that Joe Dumars is nowhere near as good of a GM as everyone proclaims him to be. Free Darko.
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