Observations of the NBA Playoffs

I have followed the NBA Playoffs pretty closely this year and I was watching the Cavs/Magic game last night and I had a few thoughts come to mind, so I thought I would share...

...this is the worst playoff officiating I have seen in any major sport playoffs, including college. I don't know what the NBA has done to these refs, but they have just been bad. No one team can complain that they lost a game because of an official, because they have been equally bad for every game. It isn't that they are making awful calls, it is that they are extremely inconsistent. They let the big guys kill each other underneath and then they call weenie reaching calls out front. Nobody out there can figure out how to play. One minute they are letting the guys play and the next everything is a foul. They really need to shape up before they truly cost someone a game and a shot at the championship.

...nobody can win one alone, not now, not ever. Okay, so some would say that Jordan won alone, but that is garbage. Pippen is a HOFer and Paxton and Kerr were the ultimate role players. Jordan was the closest to winning one alone, but other take him out of the equation and no other superstar has even come close. Kobe won with Shaq, Duncan had Robinson and then Parker, Shaw had Kobe and Wade, Garrnet had Peirce and Allen, Magic had Kareem and company, Bird had Parrish and company, and the Pistons have always been a team effort. So this does not bode well for LeBron and Kobe. Kobe at least has some help, but where have those guys been and LeBron is just out there on a mountain by himself.

...speaking of LeBron, I think that this is probably it for him in Cleveland. He will be there next year, but I don't think that he will stay after that unless they help him out a little. There is no reason that he shouldn't be winning championship after championship expect he doesn't have any help. I hope that he doesn't go after the money and put himself in the same situation, because the money will be there, but he goes somewhere to win.

...no disrespect to the best coach of all time, but Phil Jackson has done his worst coaching job ever in these playoffs. I believe that Phil has done his best coaching job over the last two season, but something is not clicking right for him in these playoffs. He changes schemes every game and for some reason refuses to let guys play when they have the hot hand. It just seems like he is lost over there and that is really not like him. I hope he figures it out before it is too late.

...speaking of bad coaching, Mike Brown gets the award for the worst of the playoffs. What was Brown thinking putting Ben Wallace on Rashard Lewis at the end of regulation. Ben Wallace. They guy can't even move out there and Brown puts him on the best score on the Magic. What could he have been thinking. Brown gets credit for that loss.

...speaking of that loss, I learned last night that LeBron isn't ready yet. He is probably the best player in the game and is the most physically gifted player of all time, but he isn't quite ready yet. If you want your name mentioned with Jodran, Magic, Bird, West, Kobe, etc then you cannot miss two big free throws in the fourth quarter and you certainly cannot have six turnovers in the fourth and overtime. Put the ball in your hands and win the game. Now I know he doesn't have much help and that is all the reason more to put the ball in your hands. When he does he is amazing, but he has to take over and not make those mistakes. Also, again with all respect to LeBron, and it could have just been last night, but he doesn't seem to have that drive or determination that Jordan and company had. Nobody wanted to win more than Jordan and I just don't see that on LeBron. He is still the best player, but if the game is on the line, and I don't mean last shot, I mean closing the game out, he needs to shape up.

...if you follow the comments on this blog you will see that there was a comment made in disrespect to Robert Horry. There is no doubt that if I had a gun held to my head and my life depended on one shot that I would pick up the phone and call Big Shot Bob. No doubt. If the game is on the line, Horry could not have played for three weeks straight, pick up the ball and nail a three. So please, if you don't like what I say fine, but don't show any disrespect to Big Shot Bob, the man is a living legend.

...finally, I want the NBA executives that read my blog to imagine something for me, and the rest of you can join in. It is Game Six of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic. The Lakers are up three games to two. There are three minutes left in the game and the Magic are up by four. Kobe has decided to take over and pull the Lakers back into the game. Kobe steals the ball from Lewis and heads toward the basket. Not wanting to give Kobe and easy two points, Dwight Howard steps in and knocks Kobe down. The two guys get up and exchange words in a very tense situation. To ease the situation, the refs hit them with a double technical. No big deal, no free throws are taken. Kobe does all he can, but the Magic pull it out and they are headed to Game Seven. Game Seven is getting ready to start and everyone in the Staples Center is pumped. Jack is there along with Spike Lee, Tom Cruise, Andy Garcia, etc. This is what the NBA is wanting, and it will be the highest ratings game of the year. The tip is thrown up and the epic battle begins.

...oh wait, did I forget to mention that Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard were both wearing suits and ties because they were suspended for Game Seven because of the NBA's rule for seven technicals in the playoffs. Give me a break. Something inside of me, though I am a Lakers fan, really wants this to happen to the NBA. They deserve something like this for creating such a stupid ass rule. I think that if this happens that the NBA executives should all line up and Jack and Spike Lee get to punch them all in the groin before the game starts. Of course, it never would happen, because I am sure the NBA would rescind the technicals and let Kobe and Howard play, which would make them look even worse. Would they do the same for Luke Walton and Rafer Alson? I am completely feed up with the NBA and all of there stupid rules. These guys are idiots. Let the players play and what happens happens. Stop with all of the silly rules that make you feel like you have some control over your league. (UPDATE: 3:50 pm--The NBA just rescinded Howard's technical from last night. I agree with the decision, but it isn't one that they should even have to make. What a pitful disgrace)