Thursday, May 26, 2011

Post Eastern & Western Championship Analysis

Since it's in the past, this will be the last time I reference the fact that I called virtually all the games for both the Eastern and Western NBA Championships.  A true VISIONARY will never gloat.

However, this may be a point where the heretics start listening.  After all, we've reached the NBA Finals.

First of all, with the NFL being the king of revenue and viewers, the NBA needed something special this postseason.  After all, you are not competing with the NFL, if all your Playoff games are aired on CABLE television.  While all NFL Playoffs as well as, the Superbowl are always aired on NETWORK television (FOX, NBC, CBS or ABC).  Yes, you can watch the NFL playoffs and superbowl if you own a working TV and Bunny Ears.  NBA...no luck.

OK!  I agree.  This has nothing to do with the upcoming NBA Finals between the Lakers and Heat.  CRAP!!  Sorry, I mean the Mavericks and Heat.  All is well, because I believe this matchup will be entertaining to an average BASKETBALL fan.

But, will this be entertaining to the less than average basketball fan?  The same folks who were conditioned by the media, since the beginning of the NBA season, to expect a Lakers/Heat Finals?  The same people who the sports media, had dedicate a late summer evening to wait in anticipation to find out where LeBron was going to play this season? 

Well, the NBA got half of what they wished for.  Holding true, the night LeBron sat in a Boys and Girls Club somewhere in middle America, and announced that he'd be joining Wade and Bosh with the Heat, was the NBA's ticket to some kind of positive income.  With that, it would be safe to say that the NBA was probably BANKING on the Heat making the Finals.

The Mavs, in my opinion, got to the Finals in a more traditional way.  The ultimate favorites coming out of the west, were obviously the Lakers, defending NBA Champs.  To keep pace with the Lakers, they made mid season personell moves to improve their team.  Although they didn't have the best record, end of season, their new team was able to make it's way through the playoffs, and into the Finals.

Now, hopefully, the NBA Finals matchup between the NBA's favorite, and a blue collar, no expectations team, turns into a matchup for the ages.  I hope so, especially when it is reality that the NBA is struggling to keep pace with the popularity of the NFL.

There are rumors that the NBA is in for a change this offseason.  Free agent superstars, such as Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, look to join other existing championship contenders like Kobe, Gasol and the Lakers.  Is this the direction the NBA wants?  Only a few teams with power? Is the NBA going to turn into a handful of teams, acting as the Harlem Globetrotters, while the rest of the league, acts as the Washington Generals?  Is this entertainment?  At least the Globetrotters allow the fans to have fun!

If the NBA, and their Me, Myself and I attitude continue, I see the league reducing itself to nothing but a novelty.  Therefore, I suggest that NBA fans prepare themselves for such events as the Lakers vs Heat PPV, Lakers vs Heat on Ice PPV, Lakers vs Heat with UFC XXX PPV, Lakers vs Heat with Wrestlemania 82, Lakers vs Heat IF Pacquiao doesn't KO Mayweather before 6 round PPV, etc.

Blah blah blah...the Oracle shall talk about Game 1 NBA Finals, when he feel like it!!

-LOGO

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Mavs/Thunder Game 3 Post Analysis

Ok!  So I didn't call the game PERFECT.  I did call the EXACT point total the Thunder scored (87).  However, I did think the Mavs would score more than 93.

I feel like Freddy Roach predicting Manny to KO Hatton in the 3rd, while Pacman threw the the most demolishing left hook in boxing history, and KO'd Ricky in the 2nd.  ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO PUNISH ME???

Like I said, PACE is the key in this series.  I referenced Horse Racing before, and I'll do it again.  The favorite of the Preakness today, Animal Kingdom, failed to acurately gauge the pace, and failed in his attempt to win the triple crown.  To the good fortune of the Mavs, they were able to gauge the PACE correctly.  Therefore winning the contest in the homestretch.

Moving forward, I see the that the Mavs know the pace they should play.  Strong, physical defense.  Going to the zone when needed.  Running the offense through Dirk.  Let the game, on the offensive end, come to them.  Pretty simple, and I think the Mavs have the Cliffnotes.

I still think that the Thunder have the mentality of a young, well bred racehorse, with no training.  They have all the tools, but not the adequate training.  They want to poke their noses in front, often and early, but that will not earn them the win.  With that said, I don't believe that OKC has the ingenuity to adjust.  And even though Westbrook scored 30pts tonight, in a game where he needed to prove himself, a majority of the wind has been taken out of his sails, since they lost.  In fact, I still haven't gotten out of the habit of thinking off the ultimate NFL failure, Michael Westbrook, ever time they say Westbrook, during this NBA playoff series.

I don't see this getting prettier for OKC.  The fact they were let back into the game, might have been because David Stern, and the NBA brass, made a call to Carslile to make the game more of a contest.  Especially since the NBA's cash cows (Lakers and Celtics) aren't in the equation right now.  A non-climactic, non-Reality TV style finish, would end up in bad ratings come game 4.

Assuming the Mavs don't get any calls to throw a game, or at least shave points, from the NBA brass, I presume they will move on after winning the next two games.  My full, pre-game analysis will follow, as we grow closer to the game.  At that time, I hope to get BOTH teams scores correctly.

-LOGO

Friday, May 20, 2011

Mavs/Thunder Game 2 Post Analysis

Keyword???  DELIBERATE.

From my analysis, it looks as if the Mavs intentionally tried something different, and stuck to it.  Despite the fact they knew they might lose.  Unlike Game 1, the Mavs didn't feed Dirk early and often.  When they did feed Dirk, he played hot potato, and got rid of the rock to others.  Much to their dismay, "the others" weren't as scene stealing as Ferrell and Wahlberg were, in the movie of the same name.

Despite their contrarian gameplan, the Mavs didn't account for the freakish performance of the OKC bench.  And the OKC bench octopule handidly  won this game.  I would have never though that OKC had a chance with Durant scoring only 24 points.  Watching the 1st half pace, I thought that OKC was going to punch themselves out, ala Ivan Drago.  Instead, they benched their starters, except Durant, and won the game handily.

Moving forward, I see the Mavs slowing things down, and feeding Dirk early and often, in Game 3.  Just as they did in Game 1.  I look for the Mavs to play more zone defense, taking Durant and their perimeter shooters out of the equation.  I don't think Harden and Cook will be able to have open, uncontested 3's, in a zone situation.

It doesn't take Einstein to see that this matchup is a good ole fashioned battle between youth and experience.  I see the Mavs taking their experience to DELIBERATELY have OKC play a pace like Game 1.  When I look at OKC, I see a young colt, ready to bust out the gate, giving their all to the finish line.  But an experienced horse handicapper knows, you need to know pace to win a Stakes Race.  I see Game 2 as the Mavs, an experienced and savvy racehorse, allowing a young colt in OKC, to run themselves out, and leave the finish line to the experience.

GAME 3 PREDICTIONS: Now that the Mavs see that they can't win at OKC's pace, they will DELIBERATELY slow things down, and make it more about DIRK.

Mavs 102 - Thunder 87

-LOGO