2011 NBA Pre-Playoffs Comments

As an early birthday present this year, my wonderful wife is getting us cable TV for the next few months so we (okay, mostly I) can watch the NBA playoffs.  How awesome is she?

And an awesome playoffs these look like they'll be.  After a vastly entertaining regular season with the Decision, Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook taking the next step, the Spurs coming back from the old folks' home, tons of player movement at the trade deadline, and several legit contenders getting on track, I'm really looking forward to the next few rounds of hoops before Junior Lin comes along for his own basketball indoctrination.

Most other people are making their picks NCAA tournament-style for the playoffs, but I'm just going to rank my rooting interests, along with reasons why.  The top few are teams I'll enjoy rooting for on some level, and the last few teams I'll actively be rooting against.

1) Spurs - I just realized I've been a Spurs fan for over 20 years, since David Robinson joined the team in 1989.  I know that they've already got 4 titles, but against all odds I'd like to see Duncan get that 5th against the toughest competition of his postseason career, matching Kobe and putting him firmly in the top 10 players of all time (he's probably borderline right now).

2) Thunder - A byproduct of being a Spurs fan is a soft spot for small market teams who build organizations and teams "the right way", and Spurs alum Sam Presti smartly did that with OKC (albeit with a ton of luck tossed in).  I'm honestly not a huge fan of Westbrook (shoot-first PGs tend to remind me, in a bad way, of the Marbury-Francis-Iverson days of the early 00's) but Durant and the Ibaka-Perkins front line are fun to watch.  As the Spurs further decline, I'll probably pick up OKC as a regular rooting interest over the next decade (since the Warriors aren't going anywhere) to see what they do against Miami and Chicago.

3) and 4) Magic/Mavericks - If my top two can't take it all, I'd like to see some players that I respect win it.  Dallas has Dirk and Kidd, and Orlando will probably lose Dwight Howard in a few years unless they pull off a miracle before he hits free agency.

5) Hornets - Similarly, I'd rather see CP3 stay and build a contender in Louisiana rather than taking his talents elsewhere.  Probably not going to happen this season and a longshot for it to ever happen.

6) Nuggets - A team spurned by its star and with a coach who survived cancer.  How can you not root for an underdog like that?  Not a fan of K-Mart and Birdman though.

7) Blazers - Franchise was hit by horrendously bad luck (Oden, Roy)... would like to see something good happen for them.

8) Bulls - Good young team that plays defense.  I dislike most of the other teams in the Eastern Conference, so I'll often be rooting for Chicago by default.  One reason they aren't higher on this list is because they already have 6 titles.

9) to 13) Everyone else - Don't really care about the other teams that much...

14) Heat - Humility is an important quality to learn.  Really don't want to see them validate their pre-season championship party without going through some failure first.

15) and 16) Lakers and Celtics - Both organizations have n-teen titles and appeal to me as a basketball nerd, but not as a fan.  I'll be honest, I'll root against the Lakers primarily because I'm envious (why can't the Warriors build a team like that?) and I'll root against the Celtics because they have quite a few jerks.

NBA thoughts

Couple of quick thoughts on the recent NBA draft and the upcoming free agency period...

• The Warriors make me sad.  Out of Udoh, Randolph, Wright, Biedrins, and Turiaf, considering a big man rotation is 3 guys playing big minutes and maybe one other backup, I definitely pick Turiaf (good contract, solid locker room guy, good defense).  I have no idea of who I pick out of the other four.
• Since the sale is taking so long, I think the W's will probably have to write off all hope of improving much this season.  If they can get the team sold and get a competent ownership/front office in place, then spend the season developing Curry and the other young talent, that's about as good as we can hope for.
• Warriors master plan: 
• Sell to Ellison
• Hire a younger, competent GM who apprenticed for other successful front offices like Presti or Morey
• Sign Lebron since he's buddies with Curry.  Okay, maybe that won't happen.
• I hope Lebron goes back to the Cavs.  From what I've read about his impact on the city, and the tortured psyche of Cleveland sports fans, it would be the best for the general level of happiness in the world, methinks.  The Cavs' beat writer made the good point that most of the current Cavs fans are young (teens to 30-somethings) who aren't old enough to remember the old frustrations of the Browns, Cavs, and Indians, so Lebron leaving would create a lot of embittered people.
• That being said, my head guesses that he'd most likely go to Chicago.  Too much talent, and they could pick up a PF too with the cap room available.
• I think Wade will entice Bosh or Amare to come to Miami.  Whoever doesn't goes to Chicago.
• I'm interested in seeing the Spurs make a run at Mike Miller, but they won't be able to do anything without moving Jefferson's contract, so not much will happen.

Quick thoughts on Lakers-Celtics game 7

A few quick thoughts...

• Player of the game = Ron Artest.  The Celts doubled Kobe and Pau aggressively, and Ron killed them, then gave a shout-out to his psychiatrist, which was awesome.
• Ugly game, but intense all the way through.  No big leads.
• Kobe was carried by his teammates in this game.  After stinking up the first half, I think he took a third as many shots in the second half, which was helpful because Fisher, Pau, Odom, and Artest all hit big shots that swung momentum.
• In the post-game congratulations, Magic said something like, "To the greatest fans in the world - Laker fans!" to which I muttered, "Maybe about a third of them at most would count in that upper tier of great fans.  The rest are front-runners."
• Follow-up to the last point - I'll have more respect for you as a Laker fan if you can name the starting lineup of the Laker team in the '00s that didn't make the playoffs, and much more respect if you can name most of the starting lineups in the early 90's before Shaq and Kobe arrived.
• That being said, all credit to LA - they beat a tough Boston team in a tough, tough game to win it all.  Congratulations to the franchise, and I'm happy for my friends who are indeed real fans.
• That being said, the Gasol trade is still a ridiculous rip-off.

Lakers-Celtics Game 6 Running Diary

Some running thoughts on game 6...


1st quarter
12:00 - Just realized that the Lakers gold/yellow and the Celtics green is the same color combination as at Sam/Sarah's wedding a few weeks ago.
10:38 - 2 possessions in and the Lakers' spacing is already worlds better than in game 5.  Ball is zipping around and no one looks scared.
8:04 - The Celts are still taking advantage of the offensive sets that put Allen right underneath the hoop for a quick catch and layup.  The Laker guards are too used to chasing Allen that they can't deal with him when he stops.  Since Kobe isn't playing up on Rondo, it's an easy lob pass.
5:24 - Perkins is down with a knee injury - those are never good, especially for burly guys coming down on fragile ligaments.

2nd quarter, Lakers up 10
10:00 - Looks like Robinson learned the "run into the guard after a rebound and fall down" flop from Pierce to draw fouls.
8:03 - Nice hustle play by Farmar to dive for the loose ball, ironically from Rondo, who did the same thing against Orlando and became a folk hero in Boston
7:19 - Better off-the-ball movement by the Lakers already - maybe Kobe won't need to score 50.
7:16 - One of the problems with being a celebrity hangout is that Laker crowds are just not going to be as insane as at other arenas.  The Boston crowd would have blown the roof off by now with this lead.  All the good Laker fans are priced out of being at the game.
5:33 - Farmar just dunked on the break before KG could chase him down.  The Laker bench plays superbly when the Lakers are ahead, not so much when they're down and scared.  Lakers up 18.
3:55 - You know it's the Lakers' half when Artest does his "dribbling across the entire key and shoots a 23 foot jumper" routine, there are no gasps of horror from the crowd before the shot goes up, and it goes in.
1:43 - Rondo blows a baseline dunk - this team can't make anything.  He makes up for it by forcing and winning the jump ball against odom though.
1:01 - Lakers doing a nice job of interior defense so far - Odom and Gasol are able to use their length, and the refs are letting them play.

Halftime 
- The Celts are seriously missing Perkins.  If he can't come back in the second half or in game 7, they'll be in serious trouble.

3rd quarter, Lakers up 20
8:47 - Big Baby just flew into a scrum going for an offensive rebound on a shot that actually went in.  The way he throws his bulk around, I'm afraid he'll land on someone and snap their spine.
7:05 - Tough drive by Kobe for the and-1, absorbing the bump from KG.  I was watching some youtube clips of Jordan in the finals against the Suns in 1993, and it struck me how most of his points were coming within 15 ft from drives, layups, jumpers, while Kobe can catch fire from outside but they all seem like harder shots.  Kobe is really working the boards, though.
1:09 - Despite some solid shooting by KG, the Celtics can't cut into the lead.  After Rondo hit Artest's forearm with his face, 3 by Vujacic to put them up 22 - this game might be over.
0:00 - 51 points by Boston through 3 quarters?

4th quarter, Lakers up by 25
10:46 - Starting the 4th quarter, all the Celts' Big 3 are out and Kobe/Pau are still in.
8:55 - Love how Gasol keeps the ball high on the offensive rebound and quick-dunks it back in.  Nate Robinson was skying for a potential block there, which he may have gotten on someone like Dwight Howard who likes bringing the ball all the way down before going back up again.
6:31 - Lead down to 21 after Allen's free throw on Kobe's technical.  Big 3 is back in.  How is this game not locked up yet?  Think it's about time to wrap things up early.

Post-Game Thoughts
Well, that wasn't competitive at all.  No real coaching adjustments made, the Lakers just went out and played far better on both ends of the court.  Game 7 it is.

On sports "hating" and the NBA Finals

In today's knee-jerk instant-judgment internet world, it's very easy to apply labels that ultimately stick because most people aren't going to take the time to really get to know someone and their interests.  So, if I root for the team playing against, say, the Lakers, I'm automatically a hater.  If I criticize someone's viewpoint or someone's performance, then I'm a hater.

In this ESPN article, the writer makes the point that because of the Lakers continued success over the last decade (making the finals 7 times since the year 2000!) they've become the most hated franchise in the NBA by anyone except for the Southern Cal region, LA expats, and bandwagon fans.  Even traditional hate-doms like Philly fans are pulling for the rival Celtics because they loathe LA.  Hate in sports, it seems, is primarily a function of "jealousy and the fatigue of losing."

As a diehard NBA fan, it makes watching this Finals series a bit tricky.  Frankly, I don't like either of these franchises, because on my human sports fan level, I am jealous of them and fatigued by all the losing on the Warriors' part (the Spurs are still decent but no longer contenders).  On top of that, the injustice of the Gasol trade, embarrassment of riches that each team's roster contains, and the general thuggish Celtics attitude rub me the wrong way constantly.

On the other hand, I can't say I'm rooting against either squad either.  I'm a big fan of Gasol's and Allen's games and professional, team-first demeanor.  As a basketball junkie, I love watching the triangle offense run to perfection, the double-high-pick and roll that the Celtics have been running, Allen's jumper, Gasol's spin moves and hooks with either hand, KG's help defense, Rondo's quickness to loose balls, Kobe's footwork.

So, I guess I'm just rooting for a series that goes 7 and leaves me with a load of snapshots of memorable basketball, like Allen's 7 3s in game 2, Fisher taking over the 4th quarter of game 3, etc.

In general, on hating, the last NBA team I truly hated were the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.  So much arrogance and thuggishness (Shaq and Fox) on one squad.  There have been plenty of other players I dislike for being general knuckleheads.

"Peace"

One of the reasons why these Olympics in particular are so fascinating is because of the diplomatic tensions that exist when two nation-states meet in sports competition (often used as an analogy for war) while their respective governments and armies may in fact be engaged in actual war. How can athletes from the former Soviet republic of Georgia compete against opponents from Russia while knowing of the invasion? What is going on in the minds of Israelis, Palestinians, Iraqis, Iranians, and Americans when they stare each other down across a swimming pool, ball field, or track? Will any big names come out in the press against the nations that are not doing anything about the genocide in Darfur?

A quote from the above article:

The Beijing Olympics have morphed into the anxiety games. Beneath the veneer of architectural miracles and omnipresent smiles and the "one world, one dream" slogan, there is unease, exacerbated by a secretive Communist regime that rations information. No info, no closure. There are 100,000 Chinese security troops patrolling Beijing, all standing as still as scarecrows, many with the young, porcelain faces of toy soldiers. They are stationed on every street corner, ubiquitous under newly planted trees that line the sidewalks. They are numerically impressive but not especially comforting.

I think this further illustrates the difference between what the world defines as peace, and what the God of the Bible defines as peace.

The former declares that peace exists as long as no shots are being fired. The absence of conflict. We smile awkwardly at each other, dampening down anxiety repeatedly while little glimpses of the resentment and uneasiness simmering underneath will peek through during times of stress. This happens in sports, it happens in workplaces, in marriages, in churches.

God desires peace to be so much more than the absence of conflict, but rather the presence of justice, wholeness, and acceptance. "Blessed are the peacemakers" - peace is something that needs to be worked at, not just achieved by having no conflict.

As a person who is non-confrontational by nature, it's often easy for me to settle for the first kind of peace - as long as there's no conflict, between Shally and myself, in church, in leadership, at work, at home, then things are "cool." However, I've been learning that it's not enough to just avoid confrontation - I need to actively work for wholeness, with heavy doses of grace, in order to bring all of my relationships into the kind of peace God has his heart set on for his people.

Thoughts on the Olympic Opening Ceremony

Observations, bullet-style:

• The sheer number of people involved powering all of the spectacles in the "history of China" is awe-inspiring. Who needs fancy technology when you can train people to supply your power?
• It's kind of neat to be reminded of the scope of China's ancient history and all the contributions to the world in the areas of culture, technology, etc.
  
• There are a lot of countries that I don't even recognize in the parade...
• "Chinese Taipei"?
• Yao walking in with the little boy who not only survived the Szechuan earthquake but saved the lives of a few of his classmates... that's a heartwarming story. If an athlete can be a significant public figure to drive change or be a symbol in a nation (like Muhammad Ali in the US), I think Yao is a good candidate for China.
• These fireworks probably aren't going to help the air quality...
• That was a pretty inventive torch lighting. Although, the whole way I was thinking for the guy, "Don't drop the torch... don't drop the torch..."

China in the Olympics

The upcoming Olympic games hosted by China will give the rest of the world perhaps its first "in-depth" look into life there. It'll be interesting to see whether the unseemlier parts of China will get brought to the fore in the international media, like the smog (check out the pics here and here).

Yes, it would look really bad if athletes wear masks to compete outside, and some teams have apparently contemplated doing so over the objections from Chinese officials... but at some point a person's health takes priority over losing face, right? Maybe not in a nation that doesn't put a high value on individual human rights.

Apparently China also hasn't done well at following through on its promises that won them the Games in the first place - rather than cleaning things up from the root level, they've instead spent money on gorgeous new sporting facilities and giving behavior booklets to the locals.

I'm wondering whether China will attempt to censor any type of unflattering news that gets broadcast out of the country, and whether the worldwide media will comply. Should be a fascinating month.

Pre-Olympics Team USA thoughts

Aside: In case you didn't notice, dear reader, that my August output for posts is already an infinite multiple more than July with 0, I am trying an exercise for this month where I try to post once per day, or at least one post for each day. So, I should have at least 31 posts by the end of August. I can't promise that every, or any, will be that entertaining

Couple of short thoughts from watching Team USA take on a few other countries in exhibition games:

• Deron Williams may be the most effective player out there. He seems to make the right pass, right cut, right drive to the hoop, right decision nearly every possession - plus he is physically capable of going anywhere he wants to on the floor.
• While Chris Paul impressed me greatly in the NBA playoffs, he hasn't been able to do much in international play because he is getting bumped a lot more (refs are allowing more contact)
• The team already has problems rebounding - several teams, in and of themselves not that talented, have been able to get several extra possessions simply by stationing 2-3 big men in the paint and batting the ball up in the air. Leaving Tyson Chandler behind in favor of Boozer may end up biting the team in the butt.
• LeBron and Carmelo are not able to defend the PF position - not that they are that much smaller or less physically imposing than the guys they guard, but they're not smart enough to know when to reach, when to body up, and most problematically, when to slide over to provide help defense when a guard gets beat off the dribble.
• Given the short three-point line, it is imperative that the guards put in extra effort to prevent penetration because a kick-out results in a mid-range jumper for 3.
• What's with the weird pattern on the back of the jerseys?
• The coaching staff has clearly put the team through some drills on breaking the zone defense - sliding a forward to the free throw line in the middle of the zone, and having a big man lurking on the baseline for a dumpoff pass.
• Michael Redd is still the only deadeye shooter. Here's hoping 2-3 other guys will get hot each game.
• AK47 is a lot more versatile/crafty/aggressive when he's leading the Russia team than when he's playing 3rd/4th banana to Deron, Boozer, and Okur.
• So begins Lebron's quest to be the first basketball billionaire - by taking over China.

Other Olympics thoughts...
Did anyone see the news item a few weeks ago that China was trying to restrict the Olympic teams from bringing their own food items in order to stimulate traffic to local restaurants? Can you imagine being a world-class athlete deprived of your Gatorade and Powerbars in exchange for local food that might give you the runs?
Also, Bill sent me a link to an amusing article about how China has been legislating behavior and hygiene "improvements" for local residents - things like learning how to stand in line, no public spitting, no bare chests or rolling up pant legs, all for the purpose of presenting the best public image to the world.

$106 a Day

Seeing as how many of my friends are avid Food Network watchers, many have seen Rachael Ray's popular "$40 a Day" show where she explores the sights and food of a different city without going over a self-imposed budget of 2 $20 bills. While it's fun to see the different local hole-in-the-wall places she'll visit in each show, the frugal Asian in each of us invariably grumbles that $40 is an awful lot of money to drop on food in a day when we're good at finding $4 breakfast pastries, $7 sandwich lunches, and maybe $15 entrees - at most! - for dinner while on vacation. Heck, when not on vacation, I personally try to set a guideline of approximately $5 a meal while trying to eat relatively healthy, so many of my lunches during the week are a $2.33 (including tax) self-assembled salad, a small handful of chips (brought from home), and a grapefruit juice (free from the company).

A while ago I came across a few articles talking about the heady per diem given to NBA players during the season when the team is on a road trip. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players' union and the league provides - get this - $106 a day for food and other knicknacks while on the road. $106!

Here's what one former NBA player does with that much money:

We get per diem. At the beginning of each road trip we receive an envelope containing our per diem—a cash allotment meant to cover the cost of our meals on the road. I LOVE PER DIEM. By some formula detailed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement we get $99 dollars per diem (each day) on the road. It is wonderfully ridiculous. It is true that I COULD spend a hundred dollars a day on food, but it would take quite an appetite. Especially considering that I have adopted Subway as my restaurant of choice on the road. Unable to eat 20 foot-long subs each day on the road, I invariably end up with some extra cash in my pocket—which mysteriously migrates to my wife’s wallet as soon as I get home! During my first year in the league, I actually paid my RENT with my per diem.

Another excerpt from a different article:

Players can use the money as they choose. They can order room service at a ritzy hotel, which could set them back more than $80 for a meal...

"Man, we gamble away that money right away on the plane," said Nuggets guard DerMarr Johnson, referring to high-stakes card games. "We put it right into the gambling pot."

Nuggets forward Reggie Evans recently dropped $85 for a room service afternoon steak at the swank Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco.

Portland Trail Blazers center Jamaal Magloire spent more than $80 last week for a room service steak at The Westin Tabor Center.

Considering so many NBA players love the Cheesecake Factory, you can get quite a lot of salmon with teriyaki rice plates with the per diem.

What would you do with that much money for food every day?

On sports fandom

As we shared about how our respective fandoms were causing personal emotional stress, Byron brought up the question: Why do we invest so much time and emotions into being fans of sports teams when we have no influence on their winning and losing (and subsequently our levels of utter despair or blissful euphoria)? In a sense it's almost like gambling - pick a color, whether it be silver and black or purple and gold, and put your emotional chips on the square and see if you win. Granted, some squares may have greater odds of winning, but ultimately we don't have a say. Right?

While writing this, though, I realized that there is a difference between being a TV/internet fan and a live fan. Pastors like to teach that your mind is shaped by what you put into it, so watching sports on TV and following it online will in fact increase your understanding of the game and the team. I can now watch the Lakers and explain the triangle offense, I've read interviews that say Chris Paul is the nicest guy off the court but one mean SOB on it. Reading about and watching the NBA playoffs helps me become a better basketball fan. However, this is also where we can fall into irrationality and futility with our emotions being dictated by events that we can only analyze, but can't influence.

The flip side is being a fan who actually goes to games. I will never forget game 4 of the Mavs-Warriors in 2007, where the crowd was not passively and analytically observing the action on the floor. We lifted our team. We willed them to the win in that game. Being in the stands, it did not feel like gambling with my emotions, because in some small way I could influence what happened on the floor.

Conclusion? I don't really like me when I get overly upset over bad games when I watch the Spurs and Warriors. Just recently my parents and Shally were able to witness my temper tantrum ("... and pouting" - Shally) after game 2 of the Hornets and Spurs 2nd round series on TNT. I figure that as I get older, unless I decide to spring for Warriors season tickets, I'll eventually evolve into more of a basketball fan rather than having my emotions virtually tied to the ups and downs of a single team via the chains of media. The brief moments of euphoria are too fleeting compared to the disappointment that will happen for every team except for one, every year.

On a related note, what's your NBA 2008 playoff nickname? Mine's "Rat Phunk." I also got "The Hydrant," "The Human Doormat," and "The Ostrich." Hm, not very flattering.

Quick round 2 thoughts

Hornets-Spurs

Back at the beginning of the year, I picked out the Hornets-Warriors game for Shally and me to go to as our first Oracle Arena experience of the '07-'08 season. When I bought the tickets, my reasoning went something like this:

- the Hornets ought to be one of the teams battling the Warriors for the last playoff spot (based on their out-of-the-playoffs finish in '06-'07), so it should be competitive
- good PG play and passing is always fun to watch, even for the casual fan

Little did I know that the Hornets squad would springboard off that win to go 35-15 in 2008 and turn into one of the elite teams in the West.

Watching Chris Paul last year, he clearly had talent, but you could play off of him to force him to take an inconsistent jumper, and you could go at him on defense. To his credit, he's put in the work on his outside shot to make it competent and turn him into an unstoppable offensive weapon.

Not only that, the Hornets' fun style of play (offensive efficiency and defensive scrambling) has even turned Shally into a fan... so while I'm kicking chairs and muttering under my breath as they dismantle the Spurs, I guess there's two edges of silver lining:
1) these playoffs may help turn my gf into a basketball fan
2) once the emotions die down, the Hornets are extremely fun to watch

Incidentally, for you guy sports fans, if you could only choose one, would you rather your significant other enjoy watching sports with you, or enjoy doing some other typically guy-centric activity (like video games) with you?

Lakers-Jazz

As a Bay Area guy, I'm trying really hard to despise the Lakers. I really am. I can remember the early part of this decade when Shaq, Rick Fox, and Floppin' Fisher would would raise my ire just thinking about their obvious disdain and lack of respect for other teams in the league (rather similar to what the Pistons have become, actually).

Thing is... this Lakers team is really fun to watch.

Their interior passing is exquisite. Gasol is tailor-made for the triangle offense (thanks again to Lakers GM Chris Wallace... yup, you heard me), Odom looks rejuvenated when he doesn't have to pull up for 15-foot bricks and can just focus on rebounding, passing, and driving to the hoop, and Kobe has clearly matured into a guy who knows when to elevate his teammates and when to take over.

The Jazz, despite their knocking off the Warriors last year, is another enjoyably efficient team to watch. Honestly, as a basketball fan, I'd be pretty pleased with any of the Western Conference squads repping the West in the Finals.

Eastern Conference

Compared to the West, offensive execution has been awfully lacking so far. Go Magic. Go Celts. That is all.

NBA Playoffs round 1 - Eastern Conference

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Celtics vs. #8 Hawks
What I'm looking for:
Matchups will determine whether the Hawks can win 1 game in this series. If I were Woodson, I'd consider putting Josh Smith on Perkins (not really an offensive threat) to allow him to roam and block shots, since straight up man defense is a weakness. Joe Johnson and Allen should cancel each other out, but the Celts have demonstrated advantages at SF and PF.

I have to admit, I've enjoyed watching the Celts this year. I've always maintained the Warriors should have drafted Pierce the year they swapped Vince for Jamison (interesting that Jamison has turned out to be the better player after all), and he's been playing within the system without devolving into too much 1-1 play. KG has elevated the entire defense, and while I wish he'd play in the low post more to take advantage of his ridiculous athleticism and length, he seems to have found the perfect fit for his skill set.

Plus, you just know that Cassell is going to have at least one monster clutch performance this offseason.

On the Hawks, Horford is a beast, but still has a lot of growing up and learning to do.

Favorite plays
Celtics: They have a beautiful set play where KG flashes to the high post, receives the entry pass from Rondo, draws the attention of both post players, and then slips a dump off pass to Perkins for the dunk.
Hawks: Haven't watched them much, so I'll just say any time Josh Smith is on the run in the open floor, either chasing down a breakway for a block or swooping in for his own monster dunk.

Who I'm rooting for:
Celtics. They have Leon Powe. Go Bears!

#2 Pistons vs. #7 Sixers
What I'm looking for:
I should like the Pistons. I rooted for them against the Shaq-Kobe-Karl-Payton Lakers. They play solid, fundamental, smart basketball, with good defensive rotations and a versatile offensive system featuring Rip running off multiple screens. Plus, Tayshaun is one of my favorite players to watch. Their bench is deeper than it's ever been (Maxiell's block of a Chandler alley-oop a few weeks ago is one of the best blocks I've ever seen). So why do I root against the Pistons?

Arrogance.

It feels like their whole attitude the past few seasons has been that they were obviously the best team, they just "beat themselves." Refusing to give credit to the teams that beat them, is highly irritating. This primarily comes from Sheed (he who has never committed a foul, in his mind). So, while I want to see the Pistons take on the Celts, Cavs, Wizards, or Magic, I won't really be rooting for them that hard against these Sixers... who, by the way, looked really awful when we went to see them against the Warriors.

Favorite plays
Pistons: He might not get much of a chance in this series with Igoudala (a decent defender) on him, but I enjoy watching Tayshaun in the post - his baby hook looks like a praying mantis reaching out and grabbing its prey.
Sixers: I can't think of anything, so I'll just look for some growth from the other AI on this big stage.

Who I'm rooting for:
Pistons. I'd like to see them advance to get taken down by the Celts, Cavs, or Magic (maybe the Wizards if they get by Cleveland).

#3 Magic vs. #6 Raptors
What I'm looking for:
The Raptors don't excite me that much. Bosh was severely unimpressive in national team play. I am interested to see how Calderon plays since I haven't gotten that much of a chance to watch him.

The thing with the Magic is that when you watch, you can't help but be drawn to the huge muscleman in the middle. You never know when he's going to do something spectacular. I'm looking forward to the battles he'll have with Yao and Oden over the next 10 years.

Favorite plays
Magic: Hedo to Superman for the alley-oop. Dwight's height, strength, and leaping ability almost makes it unfair.

Raptors: Can't think of anything here either, but I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised by Calderon.

Who I'm rooting for:
Magic.

#4 Cavs vs. #5 Wizards
What I'm looking for:
Two seasons ago, this was one of the most entertaining playoff series. Agent Zero and Lebron took it to an HNL ('hole 'notha level - thanks to youth group's Sam Chen) in their mano-a-mano duel, with Lebron winning out with what may have been a travel. This year, Gilbert isn't fully healthy and will come off the bench, Lebron is also hurting. Plus, Caron has became a full-fledged superstar (I'm sure Laker fans aren't nearly as pissed now since it they eventually swapped Shaq for Gasol and Odom, which ain't a bad return at all) and Jamison has turned out to be better than I thought.

With Lebron hurting, the Cavs need someone else to step up on offense. Former Warrior #1 Joe Smith (grrrr), Wally Sza;adlfjwer, Boobie, Bond villain Zydrunas, whoever it might be. The Wizards might have too many weapons otherwise.

Favorite plays
Cavs: With Lebron hurting, hopefully Coach Brown can find some ways to get him easy buckets on the break or catching the ball in the half court going towards the hoop rather than starting from a standstill each time, requiring him to bulldoze through the entire Wiz D.

Wiz: There's something aesthetically amusing about the Jamison flip shot now that he's not on the Warriors anymore.

Who I'm rooting for:
Cavs. Even though the Wizards might be on a better roll right now, it'd be fun to see Lebron potentially single-handedly destroy one of the other East title hopefuls.

Bring on the playoffs!

NBA Playoffs round 1 - Western Conference

The playoffs start tomorrow! Basketball on almost every night for the next 1.5 months... I'm stoked. Here are some thoughts on the individual series...

Since there are plenty of other sites with better breakdowns, analysis, and predictions of each matchup, I'll write from the perspective of things I'm looking for (strategy, matchups, favorite plays and players) and who I'm rooting for in each series.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Lakers vs. #8 Warriors
Wait... doh. It was a pretty good season overall, nonetheless.

#1 Lakers vs. #8 Nuggets
What I'm looking for:
Fisher can't stick with AI. Neither Walton nor Odom can guard Carmelo either, so coach Phil will have to be selective on who to guard when he sics Kobe in critical defensive situations, depending on whether AI or Melo is hot at the time.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets are horrible on D - "getting bailed out by a help shot blocker" in Camby does not qualify as even passable effort. I expect high scores throughout this series, and for the Lakers to put on a passing clinic that will be aesthetically pleasing. Odom/Kobe should be able to penetrate into the lane and dish short to Gasol for jumpers and layups, or to Fisher/Walton/Farmar/Vujacic for open 3s.

Favorite plays
Lakers: The triangle offense when it's being executed efficiently (and it will be in this series, considering the Nuggets D).
Nuggets: Carmelo going one-on-one from the wing against any defender - he has the best arsenal of weapons from the triple threat position: jab step, up fakes, step-backs, and an explosive first step.

Who I'm rooting for:
Lakers. The Nuggets have often ranked among my least favorite teams because of their tendency to play only 1-1 on offense, not playing any defense, and generally having an overall arrogant, individualistic attitude epitomized by Kenyon. Plus, the Nuggets beat out the Warriors, and I'm feeling just a bit petty.

#2 Hornets vs. #7 Mavericks
What I'm looking for:
Chris Paul is one of my favorite players to watch in the league. Shally (who thinks he looks like Carlton from Fresh Prince) and I had the chance to see him carve up the Warriors when they came to Oracle in February and he was positively textbook in his decision-making on the offensive end, doing an OK job on defense against Monta, and coming up with clutch plays on both ends in the 4th quarter. He gets into the lane so easily because of his quickness and handle, and when he does, it's fascinating to see him make snap judgments whether to fade away, shoot a floater, find Chandler underneath for an alley-oop, or to spin in mid-air and toss a pin-point pass to Stojakovic or West for the jumper.

Kidd's lost a step and will need help guarding Paul in this series, but the Mavs have looked better as he's gotten more comfortable. Nowitzki no longer has to create for himself or for others every trip down the floor, and has wide open 17-ftrs (read: layups) quite often now.

I'm hoping for USA Basketball to take this series' PGs to Beijing this summer.

Favorite plays
Hornets: Chris Paul doing anything, but in particular the short alleyoops to Chandler after drawing two or more defenders in the lane.
Mavericks: Pick and roll with Kidd and Nowitzki in order to get a shorter defender switched onto Dirk, who can then back in or shoot over the top unimpeded.

Who I'm rooting for:
I can go either way on this one. The Mavericks might be a tougher/more intriguing matching up later in the playoffs, but the Hornets are more fun to watch. I'll pick the Hornets here.

#3 Spurs vs. #6 Suns
What I'm looking for:
For all those that vilify Manu for flopping... he primarily flops on offense in attempts to get foul calls. Raja Bell? He is a defensive flopper (a la Fisher, who robbed the Warriors of a chance at a win a few weeks ago by pulling Monta down and getting the foul called on Monta), and defensive flopping is far more irritating to me than offensive flopper.

Anyway, this is clearly the most evenly-matched and highest-quality first round matchup. Even though they have the home court advantage, I see the Spurs as the underdog in this one due to their injury problems and the fact that they've been playing pretty bad the last few weeks.

Favorite plays
Spurs: Since Shaq is most comfortable defending a back-to-the-basket post player, I'd expect the Spurs to bring Duncan out to set screens for Parker and Ginobili more often to force Shaq away from the lane. I'm curious to see whether Duncan matches up with Shaq or Amare most of the time.

Suns: The set offense starting with the Amare-Nash pick and roll is one of the most devastating yet simple basketball plays to watch, all centered on Nash's decision-making ability - drop to the roller, drive it in, kick it to a shooter, or take the shot himself?

Who I'm rooting for:
If you know me... you should know the answer to this one.

#4 Jazz vs. #5 Rockets
What I'm looking for:
Deron Williams is another one of my favorite players to watch in the league - his systematic dismantling of the Warriors and then the Spurs in last year's playoffs left quite the impression on me. He, Boozer, Okur, AK47, and Korver will still have to execute perfectly to score against the super-solid Rockets D. I expect Battier to spend much of his time matched up with Deron since AK47 isn't as much of an offensive threat. I'm also curious to see whether Adelman will trot out Mutombo or Hayes to match up with Boozer, since the other will need to chase Okur around the perimeter. One possibility is to play Mutombo (matched up with Boozer) and have Scola chase Okur around, providing more of an offensive weapon on the other side of the court.

Favorite plays
Rockets: Will T-Mac be disciplined enough to test AK47 off the dribble rather than settling for long jump shots that are easily contested? If so the Jazz don't have any other shot blockers once he gets to the rim.

Jazz: Since everyone knows about the Deron-Boozer pick and roll, I'll want to see some sets featuring AK47 as the decision-maker to force T-Mac to play some defense as well.

Who I'm rooting for:
Jazz. They're more fun to watch and have a textbook offensive system to study.

Eastern Conference in my next post...

It's FAN-tastic

What a great time to be an NBA fan. Let me count a few ways...

5) TNT and NBA TV in HD. In 2007, Comcast didn't give us these channels in HD, but all of a sudden in 2008, we do. Now we can watch NBA games either on Tivo (to speed through commercials and free throws) or in glorious high def.

4) The recent trades. While it bugs me that the Lakers got a legit All-Star big man (of which there might be only 10 or so in the entire league) for absolutely nothing, I have to admit that a league with good teams in LA and Boston is more interesting just because of the history and the fanbases. Sure, it means that there will be more irritating bandwagon fans hopping on (especially the Lakers bandwagon), and as a Warriors and Spurs fan it's frustrating that my teams could very well even fall out of the playoffs, but just as a basketball fan it's fascinating to see how LA, Dallas, and Phoenix are integrating their newest acquisitions. TrueHoop had a good article on this topic last week, about the differences between the effects of good social cohesion (a good locker room environment) and good task cohesion (teams that might not like each other in the locker room but work together well on the court).

3) The proliferation of web analysis and highlights on the league. Sites like TrueHoop, ESPN NBA Highlights, and Coaching Better Bball have all entered my daily reading. In particular, the latter site (a recent discovery) has been quite enjoyable to see video clips of plays, offensive sets, drills, and insights that I wouldn't be able to pick up on my own.

2) The ridiculously competitive Western conference. Every win or loss, even in the regular season, has daily implications for the playoff seedings. What does this translate into? Regular season games with the intensity of playoff games. While I'm concerned that this will drain the West teams prematurely in the playoffs prior to meeting up with Boston, Detroit, or Cleveland in the Finals, it does mean that every week there are great games on TV.

1) One year ago today, with the Warriors mired in a 6 game losing streak, they beat Detroit 111-93 to begin a 16-5 run to end the season and sneak into the playoffs. I still can't quite believe just how things have changed in the atmosphere here in the Bay Area with this team since then - I was at the 76ers game last Friday, and we were expecting to win against a decent East team that upset Phoenix the very next night. The W's didn't disappoint, going up by double digits early and never letting us feel the familiar tension from years past of "how are they going to blow the game this time?"

While the team doesn't appear to have the talent necessary to be a true contender for the title now or in the future (today's core of Baron/Jax and tomorrow's of Monta/Biedrins/Wright), the fact that basketball is fun to watch in the Bay is the greatest reason to be an NBA fan right now.

2007 recap - entertainment

Some faves from the past year...

MUSIC (2007 Music Journal)
Favorite albums I listened to for the first time in 2007 (not necessarily released in 2007)...

"Accelerate", Testimony A Capella - Shally and I got some free tickets to a local concert where this Stanfurd a capella group performed. I wasn't expecting much, but afterwards I ended up purchasing the album - their harmonies were on point and they had someone to do beatbox percussion.

"In Between Dreams", Jack Johnson - one of the most relaxing albums that I own.

"Glo", Delirious - I didn't get into this band aside from their modern worship stuff until I took a chance on this album. They've done a great job continuing to grow their sound into modern atmospheric rock a la U2.

"Recollection", Nichole Nordeman - her debut Wide-Eyed is one of my favorite albums. This best-of collection has a pretty good cross-section of the rest of her catalog.

"Rodrigo y Gabriela", Rodrigo y Gabriela - unique, Latin/flamenco/metal inspired acoustic rock. It's like nothing else I've ever heard.

"Better Questions", Todd Agnew - surprisingly smart songwriting from this musician, best known for his single "Grace Like Rain" that had success on Christian radio. This album didn't have anything as radio-ready as that CCM hit, but did a pretty good job posing questions to God that many Christians face.

"Mute Math", Mute Math
"Cities", Anberlin
- straight up modern rock

BOOKS (2007 Book Journal)
Favorite books...

Pleasure reading:
Various books, Lee Child - Mike L introduced me to this thriller/action writer and I ended up devouring 4-5 of his novels about his hero, Jack Reacher, over the course of 2007.

Various books, Bill Watterson - I also had the chance to re-discover my love and enjoyment of the Calvin and Hobbes comic book series. Shally was cool enough to check out from the library a few of the compilations I hadn't read before, and now I have the full compilation on my bookshelf as a Christmas gift from her!

Christian stuff:
"Practicing God's Presence", Brother Lawrence - this was a theme for myself and many folks in the church for much of this year - being able to experience God in day-to-day life and not just in "church" stuff. The text of this classic can be found here.

"Authentic Christianity, Ray Stedman" - I also got turned on this year to the teaching of the late Pastor Ray Stedman from PBC. I find his stuff a good combination of practical, relatable teaching and theological complexity. This online book provided several insights into living an authentic faith in words that I hadn't necessarily considered before.

"Leading Congregational Change", Jim Herrington
"Communicating for a Change", Andy Stanley
- reading for church leadership purposes

Personal development and other non-fiction:
"Tipping Point", Malcolm Gladwell - fun read about how trends begin and are sustained

"Now Discover Your Strengths", Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton - learned a lot this year about how people are wired and uniquely created by God - strengths, weaknesses, personality, spiritual gifts, etc. This was a good handbook on the idea of unique strengths and helped me discover and clarify some of my own.

FILMS (2007 Film Journal)
Favorite films first viewed in 2007 (not necessarily released in 2007)...

"Ratatouille" (theater, DVD) - takes the top spot. I ended up watching this 3 times.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" (theater) - storyline and script was better than the first two. Much easier to follow.

"The Simpsons Movie" (theater) - Spider-pig, spider-pig...

"Amazing Grace" (DVD)
"Blood Diamond" (DVD)
- watched the two of these within the space of 3 days... both were surprisingly moving, not just for the story they told but also for the social justice causes that formed the backdrop for each movie - the English slave trade and diamond mining/child warfare in Africa.

"Serenity" (DVD) - bring back Firefly!

TV

24 - disappointing season 6. Was hoping for a bounceback season 7, but looks like that won't be happening any time soon.
Lost - boring 1st half, awesome 2nd half. The first 8 eps of this season should help sway public opinion to the side of the screenwriters in the strike.
Top Chef - my bro turned me on to this reality show, which was surprisingly fun to watch as much for the personalities of the chefs as the mouth-watering culinary creations.

Sports
2007 marked a wonderful turnaround for one of my teams and the cementing of a legacy for another.

For the Warriors, the revamp of the team from the lovable-yet-frustrating losers of the last decade to the tough, fun, still-occasionally-frustrating team of today was immensely gratifying to watch. Warriors fans are perhaps the best in the NBA - enthusiastic and knowledgeable even for midseason games. SJax provides toughness and surprising versatility. Biedrins has grown into a surprisingly effective inside player, Monta can score from anywhere, and Baron holds everything together. Man, it feels good to be respectable.

For the Spurs... I guess the 2007 championship is kind of like business as usual for one of the classiest and most successful organizations in sports.

Video Games
Edited this post to add this section... figured I might as well highlight all the gaming I did in 2007. The following games got a lot of play in Chris' XBox360, my PS2, and just in my general social circle:

Guitar Hero II (PS2) - my bro gave me his old copy, I bought a second guitar off Amazon, and ever since Shally and I have been enjoying rocking out.

Lego Star Wars I and II (PS2) - two bastions of my childhood combine to form a surprisingly entertaining game that I played through with both Shally and Chris.

Gears of War (XBox360) - this dominated evenings after community group in the first half of 2007. Ladies were especially put off by the "chainsawing bad guys in half" sound effect. Being able to play co-op and using cover made for more interesting gameplay than typical first-person shooters.

Rainbow Six: Vegas (XBox360) - IMO, a better game than Gears, but it didn't quite catch on outside of the Kittoe household. Still has a lot of replay value. Nothing more satisfying than ducking out of cover into heavy fire, sniping a terrorist, and sliding back into cover.

Rock Band - Drums, guitars, and vocals may dominate the next year or so. Talk about a cool drum learning tool!

My bad...

I was not asleep during the game. I'll take responsibility for this one.

See this for reference to what I'm talking about.

Rhythm and basketball

I'm a big fan of layered drum beats and rhythms. I'm also a basketball diehard. So just for fun, here's a couple of videos that combine the two:

Nike's groundbreaking TV commercial that had everyone talking


An extended version of the commercial above


"Stomp Out Loud"



The layered mix of rhythm, with different people "playing" different beats, reminds me of this innovative Beck video from SNL:

The end of summer

The weather is getting cooler, the sun is setting earlier, the NFL is in week 4, and NBA training camps have begun. That can mean only one thing... the long lazy days of summer are drawing to a close, giving way to the brisk activity of fall.

Since 24 and Lost aren't coming back until February (late winter/early spring), that means that my entertainment time is mostly being taken up with fantasy football, getting ready for the beginning of the NBA season, and occasional episodes of Top Chef (Bravo, which is finishing up this week) and Human Weapon (History Channel). Tivo also enables us to record old Simpsons episodes again... the "24 Minutes" spoof of "24" was a hoot.

Also, having inherited Guitar Hero 2 last week from my bro, Shally and I have gotten into trading off riffs. Talking to a friend from work, it sounds like the better technique to develop is to use the index for both the green and red buttons (first 2) in order to prepare for the fingering on hard. I'm now working on the first few songs on hard mode. Once the second guitar I ordered comes in this week (thanks to Hanlin for the gift certificate to purchase it) we'll be able to do bass and guitar parts.

On to fantasy sports... after a thrilling, personal best 170-158 win in week 3 against the league favorite, my team bombed this week with only 55 points and 0 from Westbrook. McNabb is killing me. On the hoops front, after doing fantasy basketball for several years, I'll be taking a break this year... since I follow it so closely anyway, might as well free up some of the mental energy needed for the two leagues I'm usually commissioner for.

On the Warriors... it's weird having an overall sense of enthusiasm about the upcoming season. A year ago, the hopelessness of having Dunleavy and Murphy still overshadowed Nellie's return. Now, just about every bad contract has been shed from the roster (JRich, while a fan favorite, was never one of mine due to a lack of well-roundedness) and there's a good mix of veterans and young talent. Sure, injuries and lack of size are still a concern, but how great is it that everyone on the time actually likes each other?

With great power comes great responsibility

[04:19 PM] Danny: SIIIIIIIIIIIGH
[04:19 PM] Bob: problem?
[04:19 PM] Danny: the cal game
[04:19 PM] Danny: do you know what happened?
[04:20 PM] Bob: 31-24
[04:20 PM] Bob: so is that a sigh of relief?
[04:20 PM] Danny: yes
[04:20 PM] Bob: or a sigh of "why can't we do better"
[04:20 PM] Bob: we won b/c I didn't watch :)
[04:20 PM] Danny: haha
[04:21 PM] Bob: seriously
[04:21 PM] Bob: I got home at 12:40
[04:21 PM] Bob: right before kickoff
[04:21 PM] Bob: my roommate had it on
[04:21 PM] Bob: I watched them set up
[04:21 PM] Bob: and said
[04:21 PM] Bob: "since i'm watching, we're gonna fumble the kickoff"
[04:21 PM] Bob: the guy dropped the kickoff but then fell on it
[04:21 PM] Bob: my roomie looked at me and said, "that's uncanny"
[04:21 PM] Bob: I then locked myself in my room
[04:21 PM] Bob: and Tivo'ed the game
[04:22 PM] Danny: haha
[04:22 PM] Danny: that's so sad
[04:22 PM] Danny: you cant' watch any games

Box score

EDIT ADD: I realized yesterday that I took a nap from 3 pm to 4 pm on Saturday, roughly during the 4th quarter of the game when Cal took control by scoring 3 touchdowns. So now, not only do I have to ignore the game, I must be unconscious.