2001 NBA Finals, Game 1

Over the weekend on ESPN Classic they showed some good NBA Finals games. There was some interesting stuff, so I put a few of them on the DVR to watch because I thought it would be interesting to see all of these guys when they were younger. Other games I taped include the 1998 Bulls vs. Jazz Game 6 (MJ's last shot for Chicago), and a couple of Rockets games so I could watch some tape of Olajuwon in his prime.

But the first game I watched was Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals between the LA Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, which the Sixers won 107-103 in OT. I figured I'd write about that game here because it was a lot more interesting than Game 2 of the 2007 NBA Finals, even if I did know what happened.

Also to note my biases, the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers might be my favorite team ever. I loved watching them play and that's a big reason I am a 76ers fan today. Some thoughts on the game:

- Here was the 76ers starting lineup: Allen Iverson, Aaron McKie, Jumaine Jones, Tyrone Hill, Dikembe Mutombo. Seriously, that was the starting lineup of an NBA Finals team (maybe why they lost 4-1). But that alone should give you an indication of just how great Allen Iverson was and is. Every night the defense had to know exactly who was getting the ball and who was getting the majority of the shots for Philly, and Iverson was still the MVP and led them to the Finals.

- By the way, Allen Iverson had 48 points in this game, including 7 in a row late in OT to clinch the game.

- Looking at the 76ers team, I got the feeling that this is the exact type of team that Kobe Bryant would like to play on today. Everyone was defensive minded and didn't care if they got shots... heck, Iverson shot 30+ times many times and everyone else just continued to play good defense and never force anything on offense.

- Watching Shaq play then, I don't think he gets enough credit for how athletic he is. People see him as the big, powerful guy on the post, and he is that, but in his prime he could get up and down the floor as well as any big man in the NBA. He was also a very solid passer and ballhandler.

- And for the record, Shaq had 44 points and 20 rebounds in this game against Dikembe Mutombo (more on him later). In that year's playoffs he averaged over 30 points and 15 rebounds per game. Wow.

- Interesting matchup of Raja Bell (who got his start in Philly) guarding Kobe Bryant whenever he was in the game. I forgot their history went back that far. And for the record, Bell did a very good job on Bryant even back then.

- About Dikembe Mutombo, there is no doubt that he was one of the most intimidating defenders at the rim ever. He was 35 years old at this time and past his prime, but one play stuck out to me. On one Lakers possession Horace Grant caught a pass and looked like he had an open layup. Instead, he paused, looked around for Mutombo (who was far under the hoop), but this pause was enough time for Mutombo to get over and block the shot. It was awesome.

- It was interesting watching Rick Fox play... he just seemed so very unathletic, but he was still a very effective player because he knew what his role was and he was always in the right position.

- Another reason I enjoyed this game... their was no flopping. That was refreshing.

- This has been said over and over, but the NBA on NBC was fantastic. Great music, great commentary (Marv Albert and Doug Collins), great camera work, great everything.

So the Lakers did go on to win the next 4 (and finish their 15-1 romp through the 2001 playoffs), but for one night at least Philly was king. What a game. If you're interested, the last minutes of it are on Youtube.

Do you remember this series at all?

NBA Playoffs, Day 2

Some impressions from Day 2 of the playoffs, a day which featured some good upsets and some good well-played games:

- As good as Kobe and the Lakers were for 3 quarters, they were just atrocious in the 4th. The offense just totally bogged down, because they passed to Kobe and everyone else just stood around. So this led to Kobe forcing shots (because there was no one else doing anything and because he just doesn't trust his teammates). He jacked up shots, they didn't go down, and the Lakers got 10 points in the 4th quarter.

- Leandro Barbosa was the Suns MVP in Game 1. He was awesome.

- Allen Iverson is maybe 6'0'' 160 lbs., and has taken 11 years worth of beating in the NBA... and he's still as good as he's ever been. It's just amazing. And yet he never had any help the last few years in Philly. Thanks Billy King.

- I think the Spurs will be just fine (as 2/3 of the Big 3 did not really play that well), but if AI and Carmelo combine to shoot 21/40 throughout the series, then they'll be in trouble.

- Baron Davis was awesome, but the real reason for Golden State winning was that Dallas just didn't make shots. They only shot 35%, and held Dirk to 4/16 shooting. I doubt that will continue, but it's not like the Warriors winning should be a huge shock.

- I agreed with what Sir Charles said... the Mavs should make Golden State play their game rather than vice versa. That's a big key to the series.

All series Game 1's are in the books... what do you think so far?

NBA Playoff Predictions

With the long, grinding season over, we've finally reached the NBA playoffs. To be honest, I found this NBA regular season to be pretty dull for the most part, but we've got a lot of great playoff matchups. Here's my picks:

EAST

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Orlando Magic
The Magic just aren't playing very good basketball right now. They've got some good parts, but I think Detroit is just too talented and too experienced. Magic might steal 1, but Detroit is number 1 seed for a reason. PISTONS IN 5.

(4) Miami Heat vs. (5) Chicago Bulls
I think Dwyane Wade is great, but I don't really like this matchup for Miami. The Bulls basically gave Miami everything they wanted last year in the first round, and now the Bulls are better and the Heat are worse than they were. If Wade was at full strength, maybe. But as it is, I think the Bulls will be too strong, especially defensively, against the Heat. BULLS IN 6.

(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) New Jersey Nets
Everyone seems to be picking the Nets here, but I'm not so sure. I think the Raptors are the better defensive team, and they're a little more balanced. Plus, the Nets bench it just so bad. Either way, it will definitely be a tight series, and if I were a Raptors fan, I would boo Vince Carter mercilessly. RAPTORS IN 7.

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Washington Wizards
I feel robbed. Instead of LeBron vs. Wade in round 1, we get this. I can just about guarantee it won't be as exciting as the series last year between these 2 teams. CAVS IN 4.


WEST

(1) Dallas Mavericks vs. (8) Golden State Warriors
Interesting matchup here for obvious reasons... Golden State has performed very well against Dallas this year, and the Warriors coach is Don Nelson, who is pretty familiar with this Mavs team. Still, let's not get carried away. There's a reason the Mavs won 67 games. MAVS IN 5.

(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz
Jazz have a very solid starting lineup with the potential to cause problems for Houston. Deron Williams is going to be really tough to guard, and Mehmet Okur can pull Yao Ming away from the basket. But this is a really good Houston team... they have the two stars, tons of great role players, and they just do what it takes to win. As I've said many times, the Rockets actually remind me a lot of the Heat last year as a team. ROCKETS IN 6.

(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Denver Nuggets
Obviously the Nuggets star power is enough to cause anyone problems, but this is San Antonio we're talking about. They're great defensively, and I think they should be able to slow down a good but slightly predictable Denver attack. I think Bowen will frustrate Carmelo some, and the duo of Parker/Ginobili will be able to stay with AI enough to not let him take over enough games to win the series. This should be very entertaining, but the Spurs are a little too good. SPURS IN 6.

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers
This was probably the best first round series last year, but I don't think we'll see a repeat of that. For one, Phoenix is better. They've got some guy named Amare Stoudemire that should be able to dominate down low. That's even bigger because the Lakers are not as good inside as they were last year. The series should still be entertaining because of the Kobe vs. the Suns aspect, but I don't think it will be as good as last year. SUNS IN 5.

Disagreements?

My Favorite NBA Players to Watch

Yesterday I looked at my favorite college basketball players to watch, and today, it's time to turn to the NBA. Once again, in no particular order, the players I most enjoy watching:

Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix) - I mentioned this in my Midseason Awards, but I just think his game is so unique and so fun to watch, especially in Phoenix, the perfect system for his skills. He's an excellent 3-point shooter with a quick release. But he's also one of the fastest players in the NBA on the fast break, one of the quickest on his first step to the basket, and a very good finisher at the hoop.

LeBron James (Cleveland) - He hasn't quite progressed this year as much as everyone hoped and expected, but he's still the guy that will get me to watch a game more than anyone else. More than any other player, you're never really quite sure what you might see from LeBron, or what he might do out on the court. He's the most athletically gifted player ever, and he makes plays that just shouldn't be made. He needs to be a little more consistent and continue to develop the jumper, but he's still great to watch.

Gilbert Arenas (Washington) - Gotta love watching Agent Zero simply because he's liable to pretty much shoot from anywhere at anytime. 25 footer with 20 seconds left on the shot clock in a tight game? He'll do it. Plus, he's got a great blog on NBA.com, and that's got to count for something, right?

Kyle Korver (Philadelphia) - Just a fantastic shooter. He's got an unbelievably quick release and his range starts right about when he steps into the arena. The rest of his game is not so great, but watching him shoot makes up for that.

Kevin Garnett (Minnesota) - You just have to like a guy toiling in relative anonymity in Minnesota (well, anonymity compared to other superstars), but he just goes out there every night, plays hard, and puts up great numbers for a perpetually mediocre organization under Kevin McHale. He's one of the best rebounders of the modern era, he's consistent offensively, a great defensive player, good passer, and he gives 100% every night. Hopefully the TWolves trade him to a contender.

Shane Battier (Houston) - A guy that just does all of the little things. He's a great 3-point shooter, he plays great defense (on the ball and off the ball) and he's completely unselfish on the court.

Andrew Bynum (Los Angeles) - While its fun to watch him mature more and more, what I like about watching Bynum is his passing ability. It hasn't quite shown up a lot in the stats, but he's been very good in the triangle at just taking what is there and making some solid passes to open teammates. Very impressive for a young guy.

Allen Iverson (Denver) - And last but not least, Allen Iverson, still one of the most exciting players in the NBA, with one of the most unique styles of play ever in the NBA. I mean, just think, he's 6 feet tall, 160 pounds, has never had a great jumper, and will still wind up as one of the most prolific scorers ever. Just fun to watch him compete.

Who do you enjoy watching?

Andre Iguodala

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Andre Iguodala. Sure, you know about him from the Dunk Contest last year, but that's just a small part. Don't look now, but he's been downright studly ever since the trade of Allen Iverson.

I'll go into depth in a minute, but first this video from last year's dunk contest, along with a quote from Charles Barkley that summed up Iguodala's first 2 years in the NBA:



To recap the video, here's the conversation that took place:

Kenny: I never understood this... why would you use Allen Iverson to pass you the ball in a dunk contest?
Charles: It's a subliminal message... like when I gave Kenny those Altoids.

Allen Iverson is my favorite player in the NBA, but let's be honest, with him and Webber in the mix, Iguodala didn't have that many opportunities to create and score on his own, and that may have hampered his growth and potential as a young player a little bit. So in his young days he was just the best defensive player on the team from the moment he was drafted, a good finisher and good passer, but he didn't have the ball enough to score a lot of points.

Well, now he appears to be making up for lost time. In last night's game, Iguodala was the star for the Sixers in beating the Bobcats, with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals.

Of course, this is becoming a pretty common thing for AI2. He has scored 19 or more points in his last 9 games, and has averaged 23.4 PPG over that span. After averaging just about 14 PPG in November (before the shakeup in Philly), he averaged 18.9 PPG in December, 18.2 in January, and 25 PPG so far in February. But it's not like scoring is all he's been doing.

In December and January combined he averaged around 5 RPG, about 5.5 APG, and over 2 SPG. So in addition to being a high percentage scorer and being able to get to the line, he also is a contributor on the glass, a very good passer, and the best defensive player on the team.

So have a look folks at a rising star, a supremely athletic player that is just learning how to really play on the offensive end, and so far with excellent results. Andre Iguodala, one of the most underrated players in the NBA.

NBA Rundown

With the NFL playoffs, college football bowls, and everything else, I haven't written about the NBA very much this year. Which is a shame. So to rectify that, let's take a brief look at how each division race is going so far this year:

Atlantic Division
For a short while when the Nets were 20-20 the division leader was at least .500, which was nice for a change. They lost now to drop to 20-21, but they hold the slim division lead. I thought the Celtics would be able to challenge for the division crown, but the injury of Paul Pierce ended that. They've gone 2-14 with him out the lineup, and believe it or not, that's not good enough to win the Atlantic. Elsewhere, Philly is awful and the Knicks are the Knicks, so it's looks like this race is between the Nets and Raptors... don't sound so excited.

Central Division
Hey, a division in the East with more than 2 teams over .500! Washington is obviously playing well, but I think there's an extremely good chance that the 3 best teams in the East reside in the Central division. The Pistons are up top and they are the best offensive team in the division, the Cavs are in 2nd, and they have this guy named LeBron James on their team, which helps (though the key is the supporting cast). The Bulls are in 3rd, but they have the best defense in the division. Put it all together, any of them can win the division and I would bet that the Eastern Conference winner will be among these three teams. Unless DWade pulls off a miracle like last year, I don't see what other team will beat them in the playoffs.

Southeast Division
The Wizards are playing well, but they have the same problems they've had in the past. They're not getting any inside scoring and they can't play any defense whatsoever. That's generally a bad combination in the playoffs. The other competitors are Miami and Orlando... Orlando started strong but has cooled off, and Miami is being carried by Dwyane Wade. Seriously, without Shaq and Wade this would be the WORST team in the NBA... so it's vital that Shaq can come back and give them something. Anything.

Northwest Division
Utah has the 5 game division lead over Denver right now, but with AI and Carmelo playing together, I think the Nuggets could have a few tricks up their sleeve, especially if Camby can stay healthy for once. After 2 games together things seem to be going just fine with those two, though the defense could stand to be a little better.The TWolves are in 3rd place and .500 right now, but they just fired their coach. I thought that was a pretty awful move, but I'll just quote John Hollinger, because he explained my thoughts pretty clearly today:

Can anyone remember the last time a coach took a team that was expected to be lottery-bound, had them at .500 and in line for a playoff spot at the halfway point of the season in a very tough conference, and got fired anyway?

...From the lofty contract extensions they've handed out to even their most mediocre players, to the way they've axed both Flip Saunders (in February 2005) and now Casey rather than admitting the serial imperfections of the roster, to their current refusal to trade Garnett before his value declines, Minnesota's front office has existed in an alternate state of reality for some time now.

Pacific Division
This is the Suns division and no one has any real chance of winning it besides them. The Suns are 33-8, scoring 112 PPG, playing really solid defense, and [ohbytheway] have won 14 straight games. I try not to get into too much hyperbole, but they have a chance to be one of the best teams ever. Their talent is that good, their coaching is that good, and they play that well together. They started the year 1-5 and have gone 32-3 since. They have 30 of their last 32 games. They own this division and there's no need to discuss anyone else.

Southwest Division
Once again the best division in the NBA and it features [in my opinion] 3 of the 5 best teams in the Conference. Dallas might even be better than Phoenix, the Spurs are still an excellent team, and Houston with a healthy McGrady and Yao can beat anyone in the NBA in a short series. All 3 teams are real good, and along with the Suns, Lakers, and Jazz are the reason that I am really, really looking forward to this year's playoffs.

So who's the best team in the NBA? Mavs or Suns?

Billy King: No Level of Incompetence that won't be tolerated

As I mentioned earlier and you almost certainly have heard many times, Allen Iverson was traded. The official deal is Allen Iverson and Ivan McFarlin for Andre Miller, Joe Smith (and his expiring contract), and two first-round draft picks.

Allen Iverson was the reason I first became a Sixers fan, so it's tough to see him go, especially when he's still playing great basketball. He's incredibly quick, a great finisher, gets to the line, and will give you all he's got each and every game. Maybe he's not big on practice, but I think that's forgivable considering the beating he takes game in and game out.

So about the trade. I don't really like it much. Certainly it's not an awful deal, but in many ways I don't see the point. Andre Miller is a nice PG, and a good distributor. But like Iverson he's 31 years old and his deal runs for 2 more years after this one. Honestly, all I can see Miller doing is improving the Sixers just enough to lessen their shot at the #1 pick. I wouldn't really be surprised if the Sixers turned around and traded Miller.

Then there's Joe Smith, who is simply in it for the expiring contract. OK.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, are 2 first-round picks. These are obviously nice, but they'll be late first rounders sometime in the 20s. It's a deep draft, which is good, but what do you normally get from picks in the 20s? Based on my unscientific research, generally role players or occasional starters. Every once in a while there's a guy like Josh Howard, but then there's also the guys that never make it. And that is what they got for Allen Iverson, who by the time he's done with be one of the top 50 (certainly) players ever to play the game, and who's still playing at a very high level.

It's increasingly evident that the problem in Philadelphia was not Allen Iverson, it's Billy King. Seriously, look at this Philly team right now.

- Andre Iguodala - ok, no complaints here. He's a nice up-and-coming player on both ends of the court.
- Kyle Korver - great shooter, no defense. Solid role player.
- Chris Webber - basically on one leg, limited mobility, and with an albatross contract. An awful defensively player and poor fit for Philly's personnel.
- Samuel Dalembert - an athletic post with no real offensive skills and seems to be the same player he was 2 years ago.
- Rodney Carney - promising young player who's nowhere near ready yet.

That's about it. Kevin Ollie starts, but he sucks. Louis Williams could be good someday, but he's not yet. Stephen Hunter is a decent big man off the bench. The starting lineup is below average, and there is no depth. This was the team surrounding around Allen Iverson.

At the end of the day, Allen Iverson is a Denver Nugget, and they become my 2nd favorite team. But the problems for the 76ers run a lot deeper than Allen Iverson, and they start in the front office with Billy King. The man with seemingly no plan, and from the looks of it no real clue on how to piece together a team.

Here's a great post at The 700 Level, and I'll quote a part I really like:

I'll remember the crossover on Jordan, the high arching kiss off the glass, the step over Tyronne Lue, the cupped hand to the ear, the sleeve, the tattoos, the MVP. I'm not talkin' bout practice, I'm talkin' bout the warrior.

Allen Iverson had his flaws. Philadelphia loved him anyway. Thanks for the memories.

Indeed. Thanks AI, you'll be missed by this 76ers fan.

Bye Bye Bubba Chuck

It's official, Allen Iverson is officially a member of the Denver Nuggets.

As a Sixers fan, it will be hard to watch AI play in another uniform. More analysis later, but I don't feel up to it right now.