Sports Talk with MC

by MC

We’ve finally reached the conference finals. Thank goodness. I was beginning to gnaw at my straw to the point that I had begun to push “beyond recognition” too far.

Ladies and gents, your final 4:

*Utah Jazz- Surprise. The Jazz are still alive. Steady play from slowly emerging star Deron Williams, along with power play from Mehment Okur and Carlos Boozer have made Salt Lake City folks buzz in May for the first time since 1998. Boozer and Williams could very well be the Stockton and Malone of the future, and veterans like Derek Fisher and Matt Harpring provide the grit and experience, two things that the team the Jazz beat in round 2, the Golden State Warriors, lacked when the heat was on. On a more personal note- I love Paul Millsap. He reminds me of a young, Robert Horry-type player. He brings boundless energy and hustle to the floor every time he’s plugged into the lineup. Can this group of upstarts beat San Antonio? I think not, but hey, this should be the first of many forays deep into the postseason for Booze and Williams. Things can only get better, should the philosophies in play stay intact.

*San Antonio Spurs- I really lost respect for the Spurs after the Nash incidents from the West semis. Bruce Bowen is an all-NBA defender, but because of the stunts he’s pulled over the years, he is also quite the thug, and I think he relishes the idea of him being a villain. Robert Horry pulled a Hannibal Lector on us all and took it to Steve Nash. That was uncalled for. A “playoff foul”, says Gregg Poppovich? Well, if that was a playoff foul, then perhaps we ought to ask guys like Pat Burke and Eric Piatowski to sick on Tim Duncan. Let’s see who ends up crying foul after that.

Despite their “ethical” issues, the Spurs are, probably, the toughest team to defeat in the quartet that remains in the 2007 NBA Playoffs. They have size upfront in Elson, Oberto, and Duncan, speed and savvy in the backcourt in Parker and Manu, and veterans like Jacque Vaughn and Michael Finley who play solid D. This is a team that can adjust to almost any defensive/offensive style, and possess something that their fellow flexible Texas brother, Dallas, did not have in these playoffs- the ability to churn out clutch plays down the stretch.

Is it safe to say that all roads lead to the Alamo when it comes to the Larry O’Brien trophy? Maybe so, but the Spurs getting their clammy hands on the gold won’t be a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination.

*Cleveland Cavaliers- These fellows took the relatively “easy” path to the Eastern Conference finals. They trounced a Washington Wizards team that had been sapped of its superstars. They busted a New Jersey team incapable of cranking it up on the offensive glass.

Easy or not, they are on the big stage now. The main query now is- can they survive?

I think that as good as Lebron James is, and as good as maybe Larry Hughes or Zydrunas Ilgauskas can be, they don’t seem worthy, or ready, to win it all just yet. The Cavs go on offensive droughts that could make George W. Bush answer everything that’s gone wrong with America in the last few years, and when that happens, the Cavs tend to lead too hard on their 22 year old phenom. Once James is pushed, he tries to do too much, and they falter.

After mustering a 10 point effort on just 10 shots (talk about denying a superstar the ball) in Game 1 of the Eastern Finals, it can be said that the Pistons seem to be on their way to making their mark on destiny at the expense of a very young (and overworked) King.

As a sidenote, I’d just like to say that Sasha Pavlovic has quite the bright future ahead of him. Keep your eyes on that guy.

*Detroit Pistons-Detroit is the East. It has been for the last 5 years. Yeah, Miami won the title last year, but it made it to the finals and won the big one because of one man and not, strictly, a team effort. Over the last 5 seasons, the Pistons have tweaked here and there, and have played a hard-nosed brand of ball that has gone unmatched, for the most part, in their conference.

Chauncey Billups is a hardwood surgeon, and coupled with Rip and Rasheed, he becomes a maestro of mayhem, whether it be via hitting big threes down the stretch or setting up his fellow star teammates for easy hoops. Then, there’s Tayshaun Prince, whose quiet effectiveness defines the Motor City squad- a group of guys that pride themselves on getting their hands dirty accomplishing feat after feat, and not resembling “the greatest show on Earth”, but winning zilch. Chris Webber’s inconspicuously turned out to be the biggest sleeper free agent off of the 2006-2007 regular campaign. He’s given the Pistons formidable offense upfront, along with great passing and playoff experience.

Epilogue:

*If the proverbial balls bounce as expected, then we should be in for a Pistons-Spurs final. Whoever wins that series will need to scrape their knees (maybe literally) on the way to the top.

It’s been an interesting playoff campaign, filled with stories of surprise (Dallas’ early exit, Golden State’s cinderella story, Utah’s emergence, etc.), disappointment (Nowitzki’s marred MVP win, TMac’s first round failure, etc.), and “conclusions” (Grant Hill’s fate, the firing of Jeff Van Gundy, Kobe Bryant’s call for moves, etc.). It hasn’t been the best postseason per se, but it has certainly had enough drama, controversy, and pride infused into it such that we, the fans, can remain enthralled.

Now if only Joey Crawford were allowed to referee games in the ‘07 playoffs. The Spurs would be gone for sure.

=)