If the Lakers win the NBA title it will be because the refs gave it to them

The Lakers get the most favorable calls I have ever seen. Just watching how the refs changed the game in game 5 vs the Jazz was ridiculous. Kobe and company get so many questionable calls it is unbelievable. Harpring and Millsap for the Jazz get every touch called as a foul (not saying they don't foul, just saying they get called more than they probably should). Every time Kobe blinks he gets a foul called. Last night Odom's dunk, Vujacic kicking the ball and getting a foul, Walton over Harpring in the corner, Gasol's travel (when 2 had previously been called on the Jazz). It was quite shocking the questionable calls that were made. The Lakers are good, but they are getting help from the refs.

Top Ten NBA Floppers

The top ten best or should we say worst floppers in the NBA. Make sure to check out the King of Flop. Flopping is not an art form, it looks ridiculous and is a disease taking over the NBA. This isn't European Soccer. Quit Flopping!


(This list does not mean these players are bad. For example, I love Matt Harpring and the way he plays. No one is tougher. But, he flops and fakes sometimes. That's all I'm saying)


10. Vlade Divac (even though he retired I put him on the list because I still have nightmares about his flops)

9. Vince Carter

8. Matt Harpring

7. Raja Bell

6. Derek Fisher

5. Shane Battier

4. Bruce Bowen

3. Anderson Verajao

2. Manu Ginobili

And the King of Flop is...

1. Kobe Bryant


If you have any thoughts let me know and I will continue to adjust this list. This is tough to determine because practically everyone in the NBA flops.

Players also getting votes are: Richard Hamilton, Dwayne Wade, Fabricio Oberto, Tracy McGrady, Andrei Kirilenko, Luis Scola,

Lakers, Spurs, Celtics and Pistons are all beatable

The second round of the NBA playoffs (and the 1st round for Boston) have shown the top 4 NBA teams are all beatable. The Spurs and Lakers looked awesome in the first round. But they have struggled in the 2nd round. The Jazz and Hornets are both tied with the two top West teams and 2 games a piece. For the East Boston and Detroit were head and shoulders above the other teams during the regular season but the playoffs have shown maybe things are closer than we previously thought.

I think this is the case of the opponents, Jazz, Hornets, Cavs, and Magic are all really good teams. These series are all tight and besides one defensive lapse by the Magic would all be tied up series.

Major trades dissapoint in NBA playoffs

So far the only 1 blockbuster NBA trade has paid off - Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Even though this trade was more like a freebie it has clearly been the best trade of the year. Gasol has had a huge impact on the dominant looking Lakers. The shaggy caveman is playing awesome. Kyle Korver to the Jazz is probably the second most valuable trade so far.

Jason Kidd has not turned the Mavericks around as anticipated and Shaq to the Suns is turning out to not be so great of a plan after all. The Suns brought him to Phoenix to help beat the Spurs. He is slowing down Tim Duncan so maybe his is doing what they wanted but I think they gave up too much in Shawn Marion to make that trade worth it.

Even though these trades are definitely not busts in my mind since the West is so competitive but it does put major question marks as to the direction for next season for the teams that pulled the trigger.

Excuses for the Rockets

The Rockets are done. The Jazz have defeated them twice, in Houston . Its going back to Utah for 2 games and they aren't going to make it back to Houston . Their only ammo left is excuses. Yao is gone, Rafer Alston is gone, Kirilenko flopped… blah, blah, blah.

I will give them the first excuse. Yao Ming is arguably their best player. He is sorely missed. This series would be very different with him in the middle; however, Utah would still win. He might mean a couple of wins in the series, but without him the Rockets will be done in 4 games.

Excuse number 2. The way the Rockets have talked about Rafer Alston the past few days you would think he is on the NBA 50 greatest players list. He will make an impact but that will mean nothing to the outcome of the game.

Kirilenko did over exaggerate, okay even flop, but that wasn't even close to the worse flop in the game. Not only was it not even a level 4 flop on the 5 point flop scale (5 being extreme fake), but Jackson took that shot a couple seconds after the call. Play was stopping. And besides that play did not cost the game for the Rockets. Not even close.

Keep the excuses coming Rockets because that's all you got left.

NBA Playoffs

The West is crazy. Never before have the playoff teams been so close together. The top 9 teams in the West all could have over 50 wins this season. I believe the record is 6 teams with 50 wins. It is really amazing how tough the West is. In reality any of the top 8 teams could be ranked 1st or 8th.
Today the New Orleans Hornets were the first Western Conference team to secure a playoff spot - and with only 5 games left to play. Unheard of. That is crazy. Already 7 Eastern Conference teams have secured a spot. Each day the positions and potential match ups change. It will really come down to the last day of the season until everything is set in stone. And then starts the real madness. Never before has a playoff been so close where a any team has a legitimate chance of winning the Western Conference. Crazy.
I feel bad for the 9th team who will be left out. Right now it is between Dallas, Denver and Golden State. Chances are it will be Golden State sitting at home which is ridiculous considering they would be the 4th best team in the East. How can a 31-44 Indiana team still be alive for a playoff spot in one conference and a 46-30 Golden State struggling to make the playoff in another conference?
The NBA should take the top 16 teams and line them up for the playoffs. Regardless of the conference. That would be fairest.

The Cavs didn't look like they cared

As I sat and watched the sad ending to the NBA finals I wondered... is this the NBA finals? Why did it seem like there was no intensity? The Spurs played tough as usual but there was a lack of desire and urgency on their side as well. It was probably because they knew they were a much better team and no matter what the Cavs threw at them they could handle it. Maybe because they knew this was series wrapped up in a bag at tip off of game 1. I have no problem with how the Spurs played. They won easily and without being pushed to a higher level of play. They did what they needed to do to sweep Cleveland out of the finals. They probably could have done it blind folded.

My question is why did Cleveland play like they didn't care? Was it enough to make it to the finals in the first time in 40 years or whatever it was? I don't know. But, this is the NBA finals. Wake up and play like you care. Show some hustle, show some intensity. There was no fire in the team, no desperation in any game, especially game 4 at home, down 0-3. You would have never seen such a lack of emotion in a NCAA tournament game. I was rather disappointed in the Cavs.

Is any one else sick of seeing Eva Longoria?

Is any one else sick of seeing Eva Longoria. Look its Eva taking pictures, Eva talking to her friend, Eva cheering for her man Tony, Eva picking her nose. I am watching the NBA finals, so quit showing her. Each game she was shown at least 10 times. That's more than they showed coach Mike Brown. Nothing against her. I'm not watching some housewives show, I want to watch basketball.

It kind of reminds me of watching a Laker game. This drives me nuts... several times during the game they do a celeb star search of the crowd and show all the famous actors and actresses in the arena watching the game. Do I care if Jack Nichols0n is watching the game too? Not really.

I know Tony Parker and Eva Longoria are getting married but let's just watch the game. One or two camera shots is plenty.

2007 NBA Playoff Awards

The 2007 NBA playoffs are finally over. The Spurs won their fourth title in nine years. Although not the most exciting playoffs this year did teach us new things like, team-ball is back in style with the Spurs, the Jazz and the Pistons all made it to the final four team. No run-n-gun and no superstar-centered teams made late runs except for the Cavs. Here is the playoff hardware:

Best Team - San Antonio Spurs

Playoff MVP - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

Most Improved - Deron Williams, Utah Jazz

Rookie of the Year - Daniel Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers

Best Play - Baron Davis dunk over Andrei Kirilenko. Sorry AK.

Best Performance - LeBron James puts up 48 over Detroit in game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. He scores 25 in a row and 29 of the Cavs final 30 points.

Best Moment - The Golden State Warriors shock the 67 regular season win Dallas Mavericks and upset them in the first round.

Most Memorable Event - Derek Fisher enters the Utah arena half way through the 3rd quarter to a standing ovation and immediately is sent into the game by Jerry Sloan. He flew home from serious eye surgery of his daughter.

The Spurs win titles in odd years

The Spurs win championships in odd years. 1999, 2003, 2005 and now soon to be 2007. They won it in the shortened season 1999. The Lakers won the next 3 titles. In 2003 the Spurs were back and won the title again. The Lakers again beat the Spurs in 2004 to stop a repeat for the second time, but only to be beat by Detroit in the finals. Spurs did it again 2005 and now are on the doorstep again in 2007. Take a break next year and we will see you again in 2009. Yeah right.

Did LeBron James airball a free throw?

Did you see what I think I saw? Did LeBron really air ball a free throw? How embarrassing. I hate that. I remember the one time I air balled a free throw it goes clear back to the Junior High School team. It was at home and it went silent in the crowd. There was no way I was going to miss the second one. I hit it, but did not make up for the air ball embarrassment. That's what LeBron did as well, hit his next one and made an impressive dunk the next time down to get a little feeling back.

Tony Parker for MVP

Tony Parker deserves the Finals MVP. He has been the most outstanding Spur during the playoffs. Time and time again he is killing teams with the final dagger. His outside shot has been on. He is lightning quick. How he makes some of those layups, I don't know. Duncan has been good, but not dominant. Parker deserves the award.

NBA Finals - game 3

It is all but over. Cleveland has shown come back ability against Detroit down 0-2, and last year against Detroit. But being down 0-3 is practically impossible, especially to the Spurs. The Cavs will be lucky to get one game. The Spurs are too good. The San Antonio crowd will not see another game.