Your NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs

First, congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs for winning the NBA Championship. Regardless of the facts that they played one of the weakest Final teams in recent history and got a freebie against the Suns, the 2007 Spurs are one of the strongest team’s I’ve ever watched. In addition to that, Tim Duncan had one of the best playoff runs ever. In the final series, however, Tony Parker overshadowed him. Parker really stepped up in the final series, leading the Spurs in points and controlling the floor from the point. He deserved the MVP.

I don’t really want to think about this season or the playoffs any more than I already have. Instead of rehashing the best moments of a boring season, I’d rather look forward towards what lies ahead next season.

1) Greg Oden and Kevin Durant
I don’t want to buy into the hype too much, rookies rarely have a huge impact on a team. In spite of that, I’m really looking forward to what Kevin Durant can do at the highest level and how old Greg Oden looks next to Alonzo Mourning. They could probably pass for brothers. Greg being the older one, of course. Greg Oden is huge and could definitely do some damage as a rookie. Remember, his right hand will be all better by the time the season starts.

2) LeBron
It’s only going to get harder for LeBron as the comparisons to MJ pile up and he continues to fall short. Until LeBron can get out of Jordan’s shadow, which he easily never could do, LeBron will face the harshest criticism. It will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure. I really do hope he breaks out, the sooner the better. I just don’t see it happening any time soon. LeBron needs a shakeup like Steve Nash when he shaved his head after winning his first MVP and getting nothing to show for it.

3) Kobe
I am very interested to see what happens with Kobe. Wherever he ends up becomes and instant contender and a must-watch team. If the Lakers trade him and get a solid package in return, they could even stay watchable. Kobe is the best scorer in the league by a long shot, and any movement he makes significantly impacts the entire league.

4) The Western Conference
The West is so incredibly dominant compared to the East. The Mavs, Suns, Warriors, Rockets, Spurs, Blazers, Nuggets, and the Lakers/whatever team with Kobe are all incredible teams to watch. Each team has a legit star and a strong to solid supporting cast. There are even a few good teams that just miss the cut: the Hornets, T-Wolves, Sonics, and Jazz. They are all watchable teams and if any of them play eachother I’ll be tuning in. The east only has three good teams: the Bulls, Cavs, and Wizards/whatever team with Gilbert Arenas. If David Stern can figure out some way to make squeeze two West teams into the NBA Championship, he will truly be a genius in my book. Iverson and Melo together for a whole year should be exciting and T-Mac finally getting a point guard (Mike James) will finally be able to play to the best of his ability. Also, I want to see what happens with Leandro Barbosa. He has the speed to tear a team up for a full 40 mins.

As excited I am for Portland being a possible playoff team, I’m pretty disappointed that Oden and Durant are both going to the West. The East needed some young talent, and the league needs a little more parity. Not just that all teams need to be even, but the bad teams need to get better. A team of the Cavaliers’ caliber should be above average, not winning a conference.

I want to end this post by reminding everyone that the NBA can be fun. It was not that long ago. Here are a few youtubes to remind everyone just how amazing the NBA is.

Those are all great ones, moments like that do happen in the NBA and even if only half of the league has good teams, there are plenty of stars to count on for performances like that. Hopefully LeBron rises to his expectations and becomes one of those stars. I didn't enjoy the NBA Finals because the Spurs played down to the Cavalier's level and did enough to win by 10 points or so every night. In spite of the obvious lack of parity, I look forward to the next NBA season, looking forward to even better moments than the past has given me.

Two basketball commercials I wanted to post, I think they both sum up some of my most central basketball-related thoughts and feelings.:





Sorry I went kinda nuts with the videos, but it was all for good purpose.

The Day That Was: June 10, 2007

It was a long, stressful weekend for Hit Some Dingers. The NBA Finals continue to disappoint and Curlin didn't win the Belmont. At least this post added a little bit of joy. I'm sure it comes to no surprise that the Rocky series ranks close to tops on my all-time favorites list, so these first two headlines made me very happy... even if they are from the last two. Without further ado: The Day That Was June 10, 2007.

Antonio Tarver regains IBO light heavyweight title
Sylvester Stallone begins planning a Rocky spinoff.

Tommy 'Gunn' Morrison wins MMA debut with 1st round KO
After the fight his opponent John Stover was heard mumbling, "Hey Tommy, I ain't hear no bell."

Arenas to opt out of deal after next season
He wants a larger contract with medical, dental, and hyperbaric coverage.

DerMarr Johnson tased and arrested
Allen "Jewels" Iverson quickly signed him to a four-album deal.

Curtis Martin reworks contract
It includes a team option for his retirement in the upcoming season.

Nadal wins 3rd straight French Open
Federer vows to emulate Nadal more in the future to win on clay: deeper lobs, more topspin, and wearing capris.

Lewis Hamilton becomes first black driver to win F1 race
You see, white people drive like this, but black people drive like this.

Reuben Patterson fined for not registering as a sex offender

He was charged in 2005 after a reportedly non-consensual interaction with Kobe Bryant in a Colorado hotel room.

Spurs win game 2
Amazingly enough, between the Finals, the Sopranos finale, and the Tonys, we'd all have been better off with a little musical theater.

Bruce Bowen has a baby
Jealous for his wife's attention, Bowen stepped on the back of the child's ankle.

We Couldn't Have Said It Better:

"I'm expecting. Well, I'm not. That would be kind of weird."

- LeBron James on his soon-to-be-born son (and on winning an NBA Championship this year).

2007 Cavaliers vs. 2001 Sixers

I've been asked to justify my comment that this year's Cavs are surprisingly similar to the 2001 Sixers team that went to the finals and lost to the Lakers in 5, so here you go.

Both teams are comprised of one star player with one third-tier offensive sidekick and an old, but still solid big man. Iverson had Aaron McKie as that lame offensive right-hand man, Dikembe Mutombo was his aging center who teamed up with Tyrone Hill in the front court. LeBron has Daniel Gibson and Big Zundy Illgauskas with partner in crime Drew "Patches" Gooden.
An aside: Did Gooden lose a bet to Damon Jones? I don't get it.

Aaron McKie was a huge part of the Sixers playoff run. He played 40 mins per game and (gasp!) he shot 27/64 from behind the arc in the playoffs. That is pretty close to Danny Gibson's 23/50. I'm no mathemagician, but I think that makes the percentages 42% for McKie compared to 46% for Boobie. McKie stepped up when Iverson needed a breather and knocked down clutch shots, just like Boobie is proving he can do. Neither is an offensive superpower, but they provide necessary help to the star player.

Tyrone Hill was slightly worse than Gooden, he averaged 0.4 less points per game but 4 less rebounds. Mutombo, on the other hand, was still effective in his old age just like Big Z can be. He averaged almost 14 points and 14 boards a game. Just to total all that up, the Sixers front court averaged 21 ppg and 21 rpg compared to the Cavs front court which averages 24 ppg and 17 ppg. Additionally, both pairs of guys play in similar fashion. Z and Mutombo were paint players who tried to contest all the shots they could on defense (Mutombo was much more effective than Z is now) and Drew Gooden and Ty Hill aka The Big Ugly were sub-par offensive players who could step out of the paint and knock down the occassional mid-range jumper.

I mentioned Eric Snow was on both teams, but the more important part of that is he fills the role George Lynch played for the Sixers. Mike Brown can bring in Baby Face Snow for late-game offense/defense runs the same way Larry Brown used Lynch to cover Kobe for a possession then sub him right back out for McKie or Jumaine Jones. Both of these two teams were defensive-minded, and that was why they could survive with below-average offenses.

Finally, the big guns. Iverson vs. LeBron is the biggest difference between the two teams. Both are major stars, but only Iverson backed up that reputation. Iverson had 14 games in the playoffs with 30+ points. Those games include nights with 45, 54, 52, 46, 44, and 48 points in game 1 against the Lakers. Also, he didnt score less than 15 once. Not once. Especially not in the Finals. LeBron has only had 6 games with 30+ and the only 40+ game was that one spectacular night against Detroit when he dropped 48. Everyone crosses their fingers and hopes LeBron evolves into the next Jordan, but that's only because everyone is dying to see another MJ- someone who rises above the game and to the top of pop culture, someone who compells everyone to tune in to see what amazing feat he will do next rather than if he will perform an amazing feat. I was one of those people, but it finally hit me last night. MJ would NEVER, not as long as he had a breath in his body, get held to 14 points in an NBA Finals game. Iverson had a little of that, and that's why the Sixers won a game from the much better, much more complete Lakers. When I made my prediction, I was subconsciously hoping LeBron had that too, but it's becoming increasingly clear that he doesn't- at least not yet.

The Cavaliers didn't cover the spread, and they only got the score to single-digits with some open shots in the last 90 seconds of the game when the Spurs took their foot off the gas.

So yea, the fact that I'm a Sixers fan helped me realize the comparison, but the numbers don't lie. The 2001 Sixers and 2007 Cavaliers have many of the same traits, and thus many of the same faults. Neither team could deal with a dominating big man (Shaq or Duncan), and neither team was as complete as their opponent, in addition to their own individual blemishes. The Spurs will leave Bron Bron biting his nails on the sideline, wondering what it will take to not get swept.

NBA Finals Prediction

The Spurs are a 7.5 point favorite for game 1 of the NBA Finals, and that isn’t nearly high enough. We love LeBron James here at Hit Some Dingers, but there is just no way he can carry the 3,111 lbs. of deadweight that comprise the Cavaliers roster to anything more than one victory in this series. I don’t mean to make incredibly bold statements, but Spurs in 5. And to be honest, it will be really, really hard for the Cavs to get that one.

This time next year, Hollinger will have to update his megalist of “THE 30 GREATEST TEAMS EVER” to include these 2007 Spurs. I really think they’re the best non-Bulls or Lakers team I have ever watched. This team is stacked from bottom to (almost) top.

Tony Parker is a star point guard in this league and the glue of the Spurs offense. In spite of his terrible ideas (rap cd) and off-court issues that make us dislike him (giving his testicles to Eva Longoria as an engagement present), the Spurs need Parker. He gets the ball to the guy who is in the best position to score. He touches the ball more than any other PG in the playoffs. Also, he’s finally getting to the basket and putting it in himself, which is huge for the half-court style the Spurs play.

The two-headed monster of Michael Finley and Manu Ginobili is one of the most dangerous at the position. When Ginobili is on, he is nearly unstoppable. Only the Kobes and LeBrons of the league have better body control. Pairing him with Michael Finley and his deadly three-point shot (46% in the post-season) is a solid one-two punch. I know it’s easy to forget, but it wasn’t so long ago that Finley was an all-star in back-to-back seasons.

I hate Bruce Bowen. He is a dirty player and he is going to really hurt someone. I really hope that person is not LeBron James, and I wouldn’t put it past him at all to go out to game 3 (first one in Cleveland) and just try to take Bron Bron out. Somehow he got his 3-point percentage up to 46% in spite of his 38% regular season shooting. He doesn’t force shots or turn the ball over and he’s one of those cogs that every great team needs. He is a great defensive player and is the toughest matchup King James has had, but he will not shut down LeBron; he isn’t fast or agile enough.

I don’t even have to comment on Tim Duncan. TD is the best basketball player of the era. He’s consistent, composed, reliable, and every other positive adjective you would apply to any athlete. He is dominant on the post and anchors the Spurs defense like no one else in the league. I thank the basketball gods every chance I get that he isn’t a Celtic.

Fabricio Oberto… I said bottom to (almost) top.

Now, for the Cavaliers:

I only have 2 guys to comment on

Boobie Gibson is the Cavs’ second-best option. That is absurd for an NBA Championship team. Gibson is LeBron’s go-to guy, and that could prove to be The King’s greatest downfall. Unless the Spurs pay such close (and unnecessary) attention to him and open up space for LeBron, it’s going to be a short and disappointing series for Cleveland.

Ilgauskas is a shell of his former self. He’s shooting over 50%, but he’s also missing entirely too many open shots. Big Z is slow on help defense and he can’t rack up blocks like he used to. Z is hobbled by injuries and doesn’t have what it takes to work the inside of the San Antonio defense.

The Cavaliers remind me a lot of my 2001 Sixers. That team was Allen Iverson surrounded by mediocrity. He had an old, past-his-prime Dikembe Mutombo, Tyrone Hill who was very ugly like Drew Gooden and had a similar skill set, Eric Snow was on that team also, Aaron McKie was his Daniel Gibson- second in scoring, which was disappointing on its own. As everyone knows, that team didn’t perform too well. They stole one game from the Lakers, but that was only because the Lakers took them lightly in game 1. The Spurs are smarter and more experienced than that team was, and they will not get shell-shocked tonight. The Spurs will continue the trend of West-coast dominance we’ve seen all season and handle the Cavaliers easily.

The Sixers were killed by a great big man that year, and the Cavs will suffer the same fate. No one on that team can stop Tim Duncan, no one in the league can, and he will tear them up from the inside out. I do enjoy watching the Spurs, between Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker with Finley on the outside they are actually fun to watch. I just hope that the Cavs can keep the games remotely close and occasional flashes of greatness from LeBron James.