NBA Team of the Week: The Forced End of the Miami Heat

Why all the talk of the of the Heat's demise is boring and premature.

Front Running with the 2012 NBA Champions

 Matt Domino is a front runner for the Miami Heat and proud of it.

45-15-5

 Matt Domino weighs in on last night's game and Lebron's 45-15-5 performance.

The Puddles of Myself 2012 NBA Playoffs Predictions, Part 2

 Matt Domino continues with Part 2 of his 2012 NBA Playoffs predictions. 

World's Coolest Dude 1911-2011, (2001-2011)

Today we bring you the tenth and final installment of the World's Coolest Dude 1911-2011 list, which covers the years 2001-2011.

A Matter of Degrees

I’ve been feeling strange ever since the Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. I’ve been feeling strange because as the Playoffs and Finals went on, I realized how attached I had gotten to the 2011 Miami Heat.  When the Heat played, I found myself yelling and throwing things if they were behind; I sent frantic texts to friends and ignored their calls to rehash the game if the Heat lost. This is behavior that I usually reserve for the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, Rafael Nadal and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Each of those sports entities represent a sort of workingman’s or humble approach to their respective sport (the Tar Heels have been wildly successful over the years, but they retain some sort of farmhouse/schoolroom charm due to Dean Smith’s legacy). The Miami Heat are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. They are “hollywood,” as Joakim Noah said. Or so that is what we have been told over the past eleven months.

When the Mavericks beat the Heat, I tweeted that the Mavericks and Dirk winning were a feel good story, but that the Heat winning would have been much more culturally relevant. What does that mean exactly? It means we would have had to ask ourselves more questions about what we believe in and what is actually acceptable. If the Heat won, all sports fans would have had to look themselves in the mirror and ask, “Is this what it has come to? Is this what sports will be like from now on?” They would have had to accept the fact that three great talents (two especially transcendent talents) came together to win a championship with a cobbled together roster. They would have had to watch this video, nod their heads and say, “Welp, they were right.” However, that is not the reality we live in. Now sports pundits and former athletes can remain in their holier than thou stances and say, “I was right. I knew it wouldn’t work.” Now the world can take solace that there is an “order” to things and that there is a certain way things are done.

What baffles me is that normally I would love the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk is an all-time great with a ridiculous shot and secret training exercises that make his game so unique. He was hounded and tortured by the media for years and deserved a chance to prove how great he has been once and for all. Kidd is a Hall of Famer who deserves everything good (basketball-wise, how he is as a person is up for debate) to happen to him. Chandler started out as a young player who got a lot of money and hype during a bad time for the league, was given up on and who has now reinvented himself as a poor-man’s Kevin Garnett—which is a high compliment for anyone. And Shawn Marion is a likeable glue guy. This was a team of veterans who had seen all the in’s and outs of the NBA, played very well together and deserved a championship. Yet, I couldn’t embrace them. I even began to hate them as the Finals went on. There was just something in me that wanted to see the Heat win. If I hated the 2007 Patriots, then why did I love the 2011 Miami Heat?

For some reason this Miami Heat team represented something different to me than they did to the rest of the world. Even after the Decision, when Wade, LeBron and Bosh all came together, I thought, “This is great. These guys will have to figure out how to co-exist. They will have to find their roles and work together. Plus they’re taking less money. What an experiment! What a risk!” Of course I realized that the Decision itself was awful and that their welcome celebration was something straight out of the WWE (O, lost! O, WWF!) Perhaps it is some fault in my character, but those things didn’t matter to me. I took them at face value as stupid mistakes and moved on. I tend to do that in the world: take actions and situations as they are and try to move on. This may be some sort of coping mechanism that might lead to my undoing, but maybe not. To me, something happens and then something else happens and you react accordingly in a continuing succession proceeding on until death. So, I never dwelled in what the Miami Heat were perceived to be in a hyper-critical, hyper-informed and hyper-intelligent culture. I saw three guys playing together. Maybe they were scared of some kind of spotlight, but maybe they were truly concerned with winning championships and were very willing to figure out the right way to play in order to do that. I could be an optimist.

As the season wore on and the hatred against the Heat began to build to levels that had not been seen in years or perhaps ever, I was further drawn to them. I defended them against people I talked to; I defended them (in my head) against the pundits who were so eager to state the bottom line about the Heat at each stage of the season. I have always loved sports for the narrative, and to me the 2011 Miami Heat were the very definition of narrative. They were drama in its original form. There was a fall from grace; there was a journey to seek redemption; there was a search for some kind of truth, some essence and in this case it was basketball. How would they run offense? How would they use their athleticism to play excellent defense? Even though they didn’t have their entire healthy roster until the Playoffs, I still wondered how they would use the diversity of their roster to trot out a lineup that not many teams in NBA history had ever used: Wade, Miller, LeBron, Haslem, Bosh; a lineup with no point guard that they finally used in the Playoffs but only sparingly because Miller’s thumbs didn’t work. The Miami Heat and all of their questions made me pay much closer attention to basketball than I ever had. I ignored the hard stats, but paid attention to how frequently they ran lineups. I watched the game “off the ball” or the action away from the ball more than I ever had. I wanted these guys to figure it out, because if they could figure it out then there was a promise that the most beautiful basketball would be played—that the essence of basketball itself would be presented. The Mavericks played excellent offense in the Playoffs and the Finals. They moved the ball with precision and speed. They made extra passes and played off each other with ease. However, there was never the same promise that came with the Heat starting from nothing and slowly learning how to play the most beautiful basketball of all-time.  I never had a chance to watch the 1986 Celtics, widely considered the most fluent (in the language of basketball) and fluid basketball team of all-time. I saw the 1996 Bulls, but they were based more on the freakishness of Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Harper and their length (as well as the force of Jordan’s fire) than they were on an essence of basketball. The Heat held the promise of something spiritual.

My love of the Heat could have also stemmed from the fact that I am obsessed with roles. I am obsessed with the roles we fill in our lives and in the lives of others. We are objects that interact with each other and our position to and perception by another object creates a certain role that can be filled at anytime.  We are all capable of anything—history has taught us that, as Michael Corleone said—but there are only the certain few who can recognize a role forming and presenting itself and can play that role to its fullest (see Don Draper). Then there are the even more select few who can play multiple roles to their fullest degree (see Young Hal/Henry V and Bob Dylan). Something about this is tied to history and I’m going to keep trying to figure that out for the rest of my life. I love roles, which is why I love Mad Men since it is all about how we fit into our lives and the lives of others, not only at work but in our personal life. When do you have to admit that you are great at a certain job for a reason and that perhaps that is your role to play to its fullest? When do you give up a delusion for the role you were born to play? This holds true in the NBA. There have been plenty of cases where a great player is bogged down by his want to be something he is not. All it takes is being on the right team to figure out his role and to settle into being the player he was meant to be. It may not have been what he wanted to be, but it is what he was meant to be. Perhaps it was his want that was a delusion after all.

Now, one would say that the Mavericks were more role based than the Heat. There was a clear pecking order with Dirk as the go-to scorer and star, Chandler as the defensive presence, Kidd as the steady hand, Marion as the lanky wing defender and sneaky 15 point scorer, Stojakovic as the three point specialist and Terry and Barea as the bench sparkplugs. Earlier in each of these players’ careers there was a time when they either wanted to be more or had to be more than hey were capable of, but on the 2011 Mavericks, they could play a role that suited them and that contributed to the entire team. The identifying and playing roles is part of “The Secret” as Bill Simmons called it. And the Mavericks exemplified it to perfection. They were hard-working veterans who knew how to play a role and that’s what we want from our athletes and the world.

Yet, the Heat were more compelling. We had the endless debate over who would be the go-to guy, Wade or LeBron. There was the question of whether or not Bosh could demand the ball enough. Who would be the three point specialist, Chalmers, Miller or Jones? Who would do the rebounding work once Haslem was injured? Would Joel Anthony be able coordinate himself to play forceful and utilitarian basketball? Again, there was an element of going from nothing to everything that was inherent in the 2011 Miami Heat. They were under the microscope and had to create an entire world, an entire team existence with every discerning eye in the cultural world turned towards them.

So, maybe in the end it becomes a game of degrees (no pun intended). With the Heat, the degree to which they had to decide their roles was far more interesting to me than the Mavericks falling into line with an established tradition of roles falling into place over time. Instead, the Heat and their stars voluntarily sped-up the process of role-finding and role-playing. They did it in the interest of winning championships. I can appreciate the Mavericks. I know why they are a good team and why they deserved to win a championship. With the Miami Heat, I still don’t know why I am completely fascinated by them and I think when many people look past their initial, unreasoned hate (besides Cleveland fans), they will find the same confusion. Even if the Heat had won the championship this year, we still would have not seen them play their best basketball, which would have been a scary and yet still fascinating thing. We would’ve (hopefully there’s no lockout) headed into the 2011-2012 season with a hated team that won the championship without playing their best. They would have been even more hated as the champions and we would still be wondering what made them tick and what they were possible of. We would’ve wondered why we cared and if perhaps we were merely slaves to an established history of acceptable success. We would’ve continued to question roles, including our own roles as observers of sports and culture.

I suppose we still have some of that, but we don’t have it all.  We have another nice story to add to our collection. But, like I said, I’m a man of degrees. And a deserving Dirk winning a championship took a few degrees of questioning and meaning away. It was a nice story, but there was something more lurking. And perhaps that’s why we have history.

2011 NBA Playoffs

The 2011 NBA Playoffs officially started on Saturday, April 16, but I was in the final moments of my vacation (aka a delayed flight to Dallas, missing a connection in Dallas to LaGuardia, re-routing to Newark, having the flight delayed because of torrential weather in New York, having take-off delayed because of a sick passenger, sitting while a passenger had a heart attack or some other issue on the plane and an oxygen tank was wheeled out and then having a delayed exit due to having to wait for paramedics to arrive to take care of the fallen passenger). And since I was on vacation for the entire week I couldn’t properly prepare an NBA Playoffs Preview before the Playoffs got under way. So, now that all the series have one game in the books (*as of the writing of this post) it seems like a much better time to actually gauge what to look for and expect out of these series. Does that make any sense? Maybe not, but we are going to roll with it because the Playoffs are going to be great, I need to put my two-cents in about all the teams and after today you’ll get plenty of music and other rambling, existential posts to feast on.

Let’s dive right in shall we?

Eastern Conference:

First Round:

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 8. Indiana Pacers

The Bulls have in many ways overachieved this season due to the fantastic play of Derrick Rose. A lot of people expected them to be good, but no one expected them to be the number one seed in the East and also the favorite to represent the East in the Finals heading into the Playoffs. All of this has occurred while the team has not truly been healthy with all their parts until the last two months, when they have really picked up steam. Rose is playing out of his mind this year and is clearly the MVP as his clutch performance in Game 1 to steal the upset from the Pacers perfectly exhibited. The Pacers are a very likeable team with some good pieces. Tyler Hansbrough is a great effort guy who has improved his shot; Daren Collison is a quick and improving point guard; Roy Hibbert is a mediocre to above average center who can give you solid numbers and a big game from here to there; Danny Granger is a solid player; Jeff Foster is tough; Brandon Rush can give you minutes and points; Posey has championship experience; Josh McRoberts can also give some minutes off the bench and play a few positions; Paul George is a young, raw talent that has upside and this playoff run can only help him learn. All that is nice and makes for a compelling watch, but they don’t have a truly go-to player (Granger is certainly not that piece). They still lack a cohesion that a dominant presence would help provide.  Because of that, they can’t match Rose and the way pieces like Deng, Boozer, Noah, Gibson and Korver fit nicely into place on the Bulls.

Prediction: Bulls in 5.

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Philadelphia 76ers

For me this is tough because I have a natural allegiance with the Sixers, but out of all the Philadelphia teams, I have the least connection with them. I’ve always been a Wade fan and I tend to appreciate the bad guy, so I route for the Heat. The Heat have been playing well over the past month and are starting to utilize more diverse and solid portions of their offense like the varied potentials off the Wade and LeBron pick n’ roll, which has opened things up for them. The 76ers are a young team with a lot of talent. As Bill Simmons pointed out, their best player Andre Iguodala realized that he wasn’t their best player and has settled into a Scottie Pippen-esque roll of playing great perimeter defense. The only problem is, he can’t shoot like Scottie and there is no dominant player to compliment. They have nice pieces like Jrue Holliday, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner, as well as good role players like Lou Williams and the glorified Elton Brand. That will certainly not hold up against the Heat.

Prediction: Heat in 4

3. Boston Celtics vs. 6. New York Knicks

You can’t argue with this series. Two classic franchises and two “Garden” arenas. Its great to add an historical element to the Playoffs as well as two of the best home crowds in not only the NBA, but all of sports (that Boston explosion when Ray Allen hits a three—like he did in Game 1—is maybe the best current crowd reaction in sports). The atmosphere of each of these games alone will make it worth watching even if there’s a sweep. But there won’t be a sweep because the Celtics are struggling into the postseason like they did last year. However, whereas last year’s team was a run down car that could still run perfectly if the owner would let the right person drive it (i.e. the Big Three realizing that Rondo was the key to the offense) this year’s team has new features and gears and that right driver (Rondo) is experiencing a loss in confidence. Meanwhile, the Knicks have plenty of offensive firepower but are lacking in size and defense, though the defense has been improving as Game 1 showed. The Knicks fans are excited about the team being in the Playoffs and expect a lot, but I think this hard fought series is going to bring out the competitive fire in the Celtics and key them to a cohesion they’ve been lacking.

Prediction: Celtics in 6

4. Magic vs. 5. Hawks

The Hawks are one of the more boring teams in the NBA. Each year they entice you with a good collection of talent who just never seem to care how to learn how to actually play well or with heart. Yet, they get to the 5 seed each year because of the talent they have. They are still boring this year, but they have a certain toughness that they lacked last year, even if they still don’t have great effort. They are also matching up against a Magic team that has not been able to develop chemistry all year and as also taken a step back defensively. For example, in Game 1, Dwight Howard dropped 46 points and grabbed 19 rebounds and the Magic lost. He was dominant and the Magic still lost. However, despite their struggles, I still think they will win the series, even though it will be the worst series out of the entire Playoffs.

Prediction: Magic in 7

Semifinals:

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 4. Orlando Magic

This matchup actually favors the Magic because they don’t have anyone that can truly stop Dwight. Boozer can’t match his strength, quickness or length. Noah can bother his shot but not his size. Asik has the size and good defense but is too inexperienced. However, the Magic have no one to really match Rose and their team defense has slipped so they will have trouble slowing him down when he decides to take over a game like he just did in Game 1 against the Pacers. They have no one who can really make him a jump shooter for even short stretches. Dwight can alter his shot, but that won’t be enough to help them win the series.

Prediction: Chicago in 6

2. Miami Heat vs. 3. Boston Celtics

The Heat lost the season series to the Celtics, but each game was close. The Heat managed to win the last matchup of the season against a Celtics team that was (and still is) struggling with their chemistry. By this round I expect the Celtics to have their chemistry back after having to strong-arm the Knicks out of the Playoffs. So, what will make this series different from the regular season? The first thing is that the Heat have been playing better over the past month. The second is that because it’s the Playoffs, Spolestra can play LeBron, Wade and Bosh more minutes than he would have been inclined to during the regular season. You tie that into the fact that you give great players like LeBron and Wade that small taste of beating the Celtics at the end of the season, of knowing that they can, and that changes things. Doc Rivers will have his own wrinkles and plays to draw up, but it still feels like the Heat are holding back some of their Wade/LeBron offense and I think they unveil a lot of the tricks here.

Prediction: Tough, classic series. Heat in 7

Eastern Conference Finals:

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 2. Miami Heat

The key to this series is the fact that the Heat can and will stick both LeBron and Wade on Derrick Rose. Rose will certainly make his crazy floaters and layups as well as take a game or two by himself, but having that luxury of switching the bigger and just as fast Lebron or the craftier, better defensively, Wade on Rose is something that most teams don’t have. They can also buy minutes by sticking Chalmers on Rose, who should be able to at least rough him up. Bibby becomes a key to this series because if he can make threes like he has been, then the Heat can stretch the tight Chicago defense and open up the lanes for LeBron and Wade. If those two can also work their two man game into the flow of the offense then that leaves room for the Heat to work the ball down to Bosh as the series goes on because the Bulls will have to decide which aspect of the offense to focus on. Bosh needs to be aggressive against Boozer and the Heat need Anthony to match Noah’s energy. The key is that if the Bulls get cold and can’t generate offense, how much will they be able to lean on Rose this far into the playoffs, especially if he is getting hounded by LeBron and Wade for the entire series. I think that catches up to the Bulls and the experience and overall greatness of Wade and LeBron win out.

Prediction: Heat in 7

Western Conference:

First Rounds:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have a tough team as Game 1 exhibited. The Spurs went on one of their spine-crushing runs at the end of the game when Bonner hit two clutch three-pointers, but the Grizzlies were able to bounce back and win thanks to Shane Battier’s three-pointer. The Spurs of old would have won that game and crushed the morale of this young Memphis team, but Memphis has a lot of really good pieces like Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, O.J. Mayo, Sam Young, Dorrell Arthur and Battier. They have size and experience to bother the Spurs who are very young besides Duncan, Parker, Ginobli and McDyess.  I think Ginobli will come back and the Spurs will pull out one of their moral crushing wins along the way. It will not be easy, but the Spurs will win.

Prediction: Spurs in 7

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul has been nursing his recovering knee all season. He has shown flashes of his old speed and brilliance but has also looked slow and washed up. In Game 1, he looked like his old self and even better. He turned in what is already being considered a masterful point guard performance—I watched it, it was. Paul’s greatness alone (even though his role players, like Carl Landry are tough competitors) can’t carry this team. This is the kind of series that the Lakers use to wake themselves up and get rid of their overconfidence. The Hornets will make some of these games close, but I see the Lakers pulling away in the end.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

3. Dallas Mavericks vs. 6. Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers have a very long, versatile team. They can trot out a frontcourt of Nic Batum, Lamarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace or they can mix it up and insert Camby with Lamarcus Aldridge and Wallace or put Batum in with Wallace and Camby for a shut down defensive unit. They also have Andre Miller to guide the offense and Brandon Roy coming off the bench for control and whatever intangibles he can still add with his terrible knees. The Mavericks basically have Dirk. Kidd is just a three-point shooter, Terry is streaky, Marion is over the hill and Chandler will be neutralized by the Blazers’ frontcourt. I just don’t know who the Mavericks go to besides Dirk. It’s going to be a tough and very close series, but I see the Blazers pulling it out in the end.

Prediction: Blazers in 7

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 5. Denver Nuggets

This was perhaps the most intriguing series of the entire Playoffs on paper and after watching Game 1 last night, I still feel that way. The Nuggets are so deep and have so many good, likeable and hard working players like Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson, Aaron Afflalo, Nene, Danilo Galinari, Wilson Chandler, Kenyon Martin, Chris Anderson.  They are a tough team but they have no true go-to player. Lawson and Felton can give Westbrook, Harden and Maynor problems in the backcourt with their speed, especially when they play together. The only issue is that they have no one player who can go basket for basket with either Durant or Westbrook. The Thunder have greater size, but the Nuggets can send tough defensive players at Perkins and Ibaka. The post-Carmelo Nuggets like each other and are playing much more freely now that they have the weight of Carmelo off their back, but the Thunder are the true team of the future and I can’t help but see them make progress off of last year.

Prediction: Thunder in 6

Semifinals:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a “changing of the guard series.” The GM of the Thunder is Sam Presti who has ties to the San Antonio Spurs organization and the sound way they built their franchise around a low-key, super competitive and smart super-star. The Spurs are on their way out as a truly dominant franchise, despite their great record this season. The Thunder are on the rise with stars like Durant and Westbrook and now Ibaka and Perkins down low as their anchors. With Perkins being a tough defensive presence down low, Ibaka is now able to roam and make more athletic plays at his natural position of power forward rather than playing center. Parker and Ginobli don’t have a true advantage over Westbrook and Durant and I think the Thunder take this series from the Spurs.

Prediction: Thunder in 6

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers’ depth and their length can definitely bother the Lakers. You can go to war against Odom, Bynum, Gasol and Artest with Batum, Aldridge, Wallace and Camby, hell the Blazers frontline this year may even be better than that Lakers frontline now that I look at the names. Miller and Fischer are both crafty veterans at the point guard and they play to a draw with their clutch ability and playmaking. Batum is certainly capable of slowing down Kobe, but can he stop him? I’m not sure. This year he may have a chance, but with Kobe there are always those intangibles. Even when the Lakers lost to the Hornets on Sunday, Kobe just started having that look, that M.J. look where you just feel like all the tough shots are going to go in. That is something you earn over time and I don’t know where that strange, spiritual element of the game appears on the Blazers. It will be a good series and the Blazers should be in almost every game, but this just seems like the Lakers will prevail.

Prediction: Lakers in 6

Western Conference Finals:

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 4. Oklahoma City Thunder

This is Durant and company’s chance to get revenge on last year; however, this still seems like one year too early. Perkins will definitely help them against Gasol, Bynum and Odom as will the newly freed and improved Ibaka. However, I still believe the Lakers are bigger and more experienced. Artest can play Durant tough and the Lakers can use Kobe at key spots to slow down Durant. The Lakers may just make Westbrook and Durant beat them, which will make the series close but won’t make them lose it. I think the Thunder come to the brink, but the Lakers prevail in one those crazy endings like they did against the Suns last year.

Prediction: Lakers in 7

2011 NBA Finals

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 2. Miami Heat

This is not an original prediction but it is the NBA Finals that I believe that most people want to see and it may be the NBA Finals that saves the league from a momentum-killing lockout. The NBA is riding such a high right now and will be throughout these playoffs that I have to hope that this series happens. The amount of stars will be legendary and nearly unparalleled. The Heat will need Dampier and his size to come up big and for some reason I feel like if the Heat make it this far, Haslem will come back from his injury and contribute one great, gritty intangible moment that shifts the series. In the end I believe that the Lakers will be too tired and that LeBron and Wade will carry the Heat to the title. The other key factor will be the fact that Bosh and Gasol sort of mirror each other and it seems like Bosh actually feels like he’s tougher than Gasol, which helps his mentality throughout the series. The Heat can wear down and annoy Bynum with Dampier’s size and Anthony’s energy and they can throw Ilgauskus in there for spots to pull Bynum away. The Heat match up with the Lakers better than any team in the East and if they get to the Finals, they will prevail even though we will see some great heroics from Kobe and Odom and a few shots of LeBron and Artest going face to face and Kobe and Wade trading steals and dives along the court. Just those images are giving me goose bumps and making me feel slightly better at not picking the Celtics and Lakers rubber match as great as that would be—and it is just some level of Celtics confidence and swagger away from happening. It’s all up for grabs, but this is what I’m predicting.

Prediction: Heat in 7

Back to Business AKA Deadlines

The Free Forest City Redemption Project is over, my Puddlers, and now you’re back to following my sensitive, nostalgic and ignorant musings while also enjoying the brief respite of thoughtful commentary from guest columnists.  We will have another Mark Jack column on Friday as well as a new guest columnist’s debut tomorrow. I’ll introduce that columnist tomorrow and hopefully he will be contributing another weekly column that will add its own dynamic to the narrative of this site. Later this week I’ll post another one of my long, epic columns where I discuss the greatness of the new Strokes album Angles and the Woody Allen movie, Manhattan.

However, today I have to catch all of you sports fans up on the current events in the NBA (I’ve also been watching A LOT of college basketball, but I’ll spare you those thoughts this year since I don’t want to anger any basketball gods due to the fact that my Tar Heels are a fragile but very talented young bunch who have a chance to do something in the NCAA tournament). Over the course of the past three weeks, the NBA has gone through such a huge mid-season upheaval on multiple levels. I want to break down those changes and stories by talking about a few of the teams that went through the most major changes and that will lead us into the league-wide stories at large.

- We start of course with the Miami Heat. Obviously there has never been a more scrutinized team in NBA history or perhaps sports history than the 2010-2011 Miami Heat. Much of the scrutiny is due to the fact that Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade made such a spectacle of their union. However, what truly separates this team and their attention from any other team in history is the fact that their union as a team coincides with media (especially sports media) reaching its most fervent and crazed pitch. Take for instance this past period of insanity where sports news was focused squarely on the fact that the Heat took an important, playoff-caliber game against the Chicago Bulls so seriously that some of the players might have cried after they lost. There argument can certainly be made that a team that expects to win the title should not be crying after an NBA regular season game in March. I understand that argument, but the media had been so consumed with the following narrative: The Heat act as if they are entitled to a championship and expect the league to just hand it over to them so they don’t care about the games, they don’t put in their full effort. Here you had superstars who didn’t fully understand the pressure and the antagonism they would face in this new world where any event that goes wrong (see 2011 Oscars) is dissected in minutia by pundits on Twitter or Facebook in moment by moment increments. The 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls were the last professional team in any sport to garner this much attention. However, 1995-1996 is a completely different landscape technologically than 2010-2011. Our culture is drastically different as well. In that time, we still wanted our heroes to fail just as much as we wanted them to succeed, but we didn’t have the means to totally reflect or exploit this desire in ourselves as much as we do now.  How often do people use Twitter or Facebook or their favorite blog to complain, insult or poke fun at someone or something? I know that I do it. I use these mediums to poke fun at my friends, sports figures and celebrities almost as much as I use them to poke fun at myself and the actual digital or online presence I am engaging in and creating. We do not exist in the world of Michael Jordan. The world of Michael Jordan was a world where we could plausibly believe that there was a person that could be universally adored or admired for sheer will and success.  Now, we live in the time of the Miami Heat. That is to say, we live in a time perhaps of a true reality—a time where there is no one person, one thing or entity that is sacred. We adore nothing and only wish for things to fail so that we can anoint a new successor.  Perhaps through some level of success, the Miami Heat will be able to generate a bit of adoration, some modicum of appreciation for effort and the public admission to experiment with the game of basketball that will unite people.  After the Heat hit rock bottom with a five game losing streak, they have won consecutive games against the Lakers, Grizzlies and Spurs who are all playoff bound teams. There is an aspect of hope for them as they make a run to the playoffs. Yet, the problem with the Miami Heat is that they were never meant to play a game of basketball, they were only meant to make us wonder. So, in that sense, we actually live in a time that values less than reality, not hyper-reality or actual reality.

- The team that made the most controversial trade in the NBA was the Boston Celtics. The Celtics traded their defensive enforcer and one of their fan-favorite players in Kendrick Perkins (along with disappointing Nate Robinson) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for underachieving Jeff Green and solid offensively but not great defensively Nenad Kristic. This trade came as a shock to even league insiders.  The main reason being that the Celtics claimed they lost the 2010 Finals to the Lakers because Perkins was injured in Game 6 and they couldn’t get a rebound down the stretch in Game 7 when they truly needed it. The Celtics based the 2010-2011 season on the fact that they were getting Perkins back, they were deeper on the front line, they all liked each other and they were going to march their way to the Finals to avenge their heartbreaking loss. The Perkins Trade basically annihilated the company line. It also marked the end of one of my favorite teams to watch over the past four years. The Celtics with Perkins had everything: the mercurial point guard in Rondo; the gutty defensive leader and veteran in Garnett; the lights out classy shooter in Ray Allen; the dangerous, savvy, tough, clutch swingman in Pierce; and the rebounding enforcer in Perkins. After they figured out their new dynamic last year, when Rondo became the orchestrator on offense, they became extremely fun to watch. Everyone knew his role. They all knew where the other would be on the floor on both offense and defense. The crowd loved them and they learned to love each other. It was a great win for the NBA to have a Celtics team that mattered and who the Boston fans genuinely loved. However, Danny Ainge had to be a businessman and realized that Perkins was 26, had one bad knee and a second one that might be damaged. He saw a guy that could put up 10 and 10 for a season but never did and probably never would. He saw a window closing that he could help prop open in hopes of repairing for some day in the future.  Bill Simmons best explained the reaction of the Celtics to the trade in his column from a few weeks ago. The Celtics were devastated. They loved each other. Perkins cried his eyes out and Rondo was catatonic because his best friend had been traded. Its stories and reactions like the Celtics’ reaction to the Perkins Trade that make us love sports—it shows us a few guys genuinely caring about each other because of the time they spend with each other, the trials and tribulations that they go through, those are actions that require you to give up a bit of your soul, that is why retired players cry when they think about old teams that they enjoyed playing on: they gave something of themselves away and it belongs to that time and team.  Are the Celtics better because of this trade? I have been talked into believing that they are. Jeff Green is a good player who needed a fresh start and I think he will adapt to the team and gain a level of toughness that Garnett, Pierce, Allen and Rondo can teach him. He’ll change and expand on the looks that the Celtics can throw at other teams in the Playoffs. Kristic will have to adapt defensively or face Garnett. He gives them size and more offense than Perkins. Doc Rivers can get a rotation of Shaq, Jermaine O’Neal and Kristic to provide fouls and size inside to work. However, you still do wonder if they will miss Perkins’ gargoyle scowl and sharp elbows when push comes to shove—literally.

- The Lakers made no trades but they have received perhaps the second-greatest level of scrutiny this season. There have been times during this season where people have written them off as being too old, of not caring enough and as simply lost. Yet, here we are in the April and the Lakers have won ten of their last eleven games and are starting to round into postseason shape once again. This is nothing new. The same thing happened to the Lakers last year and it usually happens to most good championship teams. They go through the season and figure out the best ways to use their energy, they find out what dynamic will work for them this year, what balance of old tricks and fundamentals mixed with new wrinkles.  What’s fascinating about this Lakers team is really how much the Kobe Bryant narrative has changed. I’ve been thinking more and more about this lately due to the Young Michael Jordan Essay in Free Darko’s Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History. That essay focuses on how the legend of Michael Jordan was re-written while it was in progress. When Michael entered the league, he was seen as an extremely talented, selfish and dangerous object of change. It was only later through his failures and his lessons about teamwork that he became the greatest player of all time and perhaps the greatest athlete of all-time. Kobe was once seen as the villain of the NBA. He was a cocky upstart, an alleged rapist, a selfish player who ran two legends out of Los Angeles.  However, Kobe then went through his phase of loss. He had to admit he needed Phil Jackson. He had to admit that he couldn’t win the title without at least a little bit of help (Pau Gasol). He had to go through a non-playoff season and a loss in the Finals to the Celtics before he was able to re-write his narrative by winning two more championships and perhaps on the verge of winning his sixth total.  Instead of being The Guy Who Wants to Imitate Michael Jordan So Badly Its Painful, he has entered the discussion as being the best player since Michael Jordan. A guy who might not be as transcendental or great as Jordan, but who could conceivably win as many championships and have perhaps a more productive career (though he never willingly walked away from the game in his prime like Michael did—arguably twice). It is this kind of story-telling, this kind of history manifesting itself that makes this NBA season so terrific. We have a slate of great games each week filled with talented and focused players as well as certain players writing themselves into history and myth with each passing weak. It’s a shame if the league loses its momentum by going into a lockout during the summer.

- What has also made this season compelling was the insanity that was the Trade Deadline. Never before has the league had such activity when at the Trade Deadline. If you don’t believe me, just look at all the trades that were made.  The two or three days prior to Thursday, February 24, 2011 were extraordinarily fascinating to a basketball fan. You had all these teams posturing and positioning themselves in case there is a lockout. Players were traded without any rumors being spread. Players you thought were untouchable or untradeable were all of a sudden gone. Even the smallest cash-saving trade became fascinating. Each trade reflected the mindset of that team and its ownership in relation to the lockout. Some (Nets) were confident that the lockout would not be a huge ordeal and that any new CBA would allow them to keep a high-profile star and build around. Other teams (Celtics) were nervous and wanted to make their changes and save their money NOW.  Usually, the Trade Deadline passes, teams don’t make a move and NBA fans groan and wonder at “what if.” 2011 was a completely different story.

- The most notable trade was the Denver Nuggets trading Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks for Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danillo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov. This trade was six months in the making and after months of posturing and countless news stories and rumors, Carmelo wound up in New York, which is where he wanted to play all along.  Now, Carmelo Anthony is a great player. He is one of the best scorers in the league and one of the most reliable players in crunch-time. However, he is not a great defender and he has not exactly shown great flashes of leadership. Despite that, he is productive and the Knicks had to make the move. I don’t know how his partnership with Amare will pan out for the Knicks. Together they provide a great core of leadership, but they are going to have to become more accountable on defense in order to make a huge impact on this team.  I think it is fascinating, though, that Amare shouldered the load of New York for the first half of the season. Amare made the city excited about basketball again. He talked big and the Knicks backed it up for much of the early part of the season playing energetic, up-tempo basketball and showing a scrappiness (see Fields and Felton) that made the team endearing to the crowd.  It seemed that Amare’s confidence and success spread and rubbed off on St. John’s as well which has made the Garden the center of the basketball universe once again. Then, Carmelo pushed everything over the top. I have heard that the Garden is back to its early 90’s level again and then some. Even the Big East Tournament was phenomenal with Kemba Walker, a New York City kid, stealing the spotlight with buzzer beaters and gutsy play. Every New Yorker wanted the trade to happen so badly that they are now throwing all of their energy into the team. And why not? The Knicks have two of the ten starting All-Stars from the 2011 NBA All-Star Game—that’s pretty impressive when you break it down. However, I’m not sure where it will all lead. I have no doubts about Carmelo and Amare playing well together—their games compliment each other well. I am just curious about what they will accomplish. Perhaps it doesn’t actually matter what they accomplish. Maybe all that matters is that New York remembered that it is a basketball town over any other sport. Yet, knowing New York, even remembering that elemental fact is going to get old at some point.

- I just want to give a shout-out to Kevin Love and his double-double streak.  Seriously, if you do not know who Kevin Love is or how good of a player he is, you really need to look him up.

- The other major trade was the Utah Jazz sending Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets. This trade was an absolute shocker, even Deron didn’t know about it. However, the Jazz saw the writing on the wall: Deron had run the out-dated but successful Jerry Sloan out of Salt Lake City; he was going to be a free agent in 2012 and would have held them hostage next year just like Carmelo did to Denver this year; they were not going to lose him for nothing like the Cavaliers and Raptors did with LeBron and Bosh. So, Utah beat Deron to the punch and traded him without warning.  Now the speculation begins as to whether or not Deron stays in New Jersey. The most recent rumor is that Williams has bought into Prokorhov’s plan and wants to be the centerpiece of the team going forward. I went to a Nets game last Friday when they played Blake Griffin and the Clippers (yes, Blake had a dunk that was the ESPN Top Play). The Nets and that arena and Newark are in a sad state. It seems like the set from a movie about a fictional professional sports team. It is truly a bizarro world. I think if they move to Brooklyn it will change the dynamic of the crowd.  Most New Yorkers are obviously Knicks fans and that dynamic won’t change. However, I imagine that most Nets fans are either from New York City or Long Island and those people will come to the games. Also, with the arena so prominently located in Brooklyn with access to the LIRR and most subways (better subway access than MSG actually) when a player like Blake Griffin comes to town, the arena will generate a greater crowd than what I saw in Newark on Friday. Above all, New Yorkers love basketball and even if the Nets aren’t great for the next year or two, each home game they will get to see Deron Williams (a better overall player than Carmelo Anthony and a Top Three point guard) play against some of the greatest superstars in the league. The fact that they won’t have to take the Path Train or NJ Transit after work to do so only makes the deal sweeter. I, unlike a lot of people, think that the Nets in Brooklyn is a no-brainer. It certainly hinges on Deron staying on the team (and from his recent performances while injured and his belief they can steal the eighth seed in the East, I think he is staying), but either way I think it works and that Brooklyn natives and New Yorkers in general will come.

- Finally, a shout-out to my man Tyler Hansbrough from the University of North Carolina. They said you wouldn't do anything in the pros. Hey, you’re not a superstar, but you’re better than people thought—and in a league full of superstars in an era that is perhaps the best ever, that’s saying something. God must have been a Tar Heel fan because he made the sky Carolina Blue.

Garden Party

I’m a huge basketball fan.

Oh, you already knew that.  Well, in case you didn’t then let me briefly explain.  I’ve had a love affair with the NBA and the game of basketball since I was about seven years old.  I’ve followed NCAA basketball and NBA basketball each year since 1993.  I have memorized players’ names, their stats and most importantly their stories—what colleges they went to, who coached them, how they developed their style and game, how they were known in the locker room among their teammates.  Basketball is a more dynamic sport than baseball and doesn’t rely completely on statistics to tell a story or to keep interest.  It is not as in-your-face masculine as football, but still retains an element of swagger and testosterone style.  Basketball players are put right in front of you on a stage, on the basketball court.  There are no helmets; there is no large outfield. Basketball is ten players, ten abnormally tall and strong players, on a shiny wooden court beneath spotlights.  There is a drama and an excellence to it that strike me as being very important at all times and it is perhaps the best sport to watch live. 

My love affair is particularly strong with the NBA.  I know the histories of all the teams so well that I have grown to love each franchise in its own way.  When you add the fact that this year has been the best basketball season since perhaps 1986-1987 season or the 1991-1992 season, you have to appreciate the fact that I could watch any team, any game on any particular night and be entertained by a game of professional basketball.

So, when the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat played in Boston this past Sunday in their third matchup of the season, my friend Jeff (an equal appreciator of basketball) and I had to go to the game.  The fact that the game was for first-place in the Eastern Conference standings made it even better. As did the fact that the Heat had already lost two games to the Celtics earlier in the season. The fact that the Heat had lost those two contests when they hadn’t yet attained the chemistry they had since gained made it all the more fascinating.

I’m going to save some more of the meaningful stuff regarding friends and sports contests and time for another post. Instead, here I will post some of my observations from a Sunday at the New Boston Garden.

- The New Garden is a classic bit of Boston architecture.  It sort of just blends in with the rest of the buildings around it.  That is to say, it looks weird, but still seems to mesh with that insanely dated architecture and those spiraling staircases of the Lindemann Mental Health Center. That being said, its in a pretty convenient and awesome location right on the water. Its not in the heart of the city like Madison Square Garden, but still pretty good.

- Inside, the arena is so intimate.  When the crowd stands at the beginning of the game it seems like people will spill out onto the court. It really adds a great look to the game environment.  Definitely two thumbs up.

- The most frequently worn jersey at the game wasn’t a Garnett jersey, a Pierce jersey, an Allen jersey or even a vintage Bird jersey (though I did see someone rocking a Bird, Indiana State Sycamores jersey), it was shockingly enough a Rondo jersey.  Now, I love Rondo and I knew that the Boston fans appreciated him, but I didn’t realize how popular he actually was. He deserves it of course, but it was just surprising.

- On the subject of Rondo, he is a freak of nature.  His hustle is insane when going after loose balls.  Jeff and I had seats along the baseline and we got to watch up close when Rondo guarded LeBron in the fourth quarter. Although Rondo is undersized, it was amazing to see his weird sinewy strength and his length give LeBron some problems.  Also, when he flicks a layup with those huge hands, it’s really just something special.

- The Celtics pass really well. It’s fantastic to watch in person.

- You know when you watch a Celtics game on TV and Ray Allen hits a huge three pointer and the crowd just explodes? Yeah, when that happens in person it is very, very loud. The crowd literally roars.  Plus, there is nothing like seeing a smooth Ray Allen three pointer in person. The crowd gets about this loud:

- LeBron in person is a spectacle. He is so large and when he muscles his way through the lane to the basket, you sort of have to take pity on whomever he’s hitting into.  I’ve never really seen anything like it.  I mean we all know that LeBron is an alien and freakishly talented, but to see him in action is something completely different.

- Bosh has a very smooth shot. I don’t know who’s shot is smoother, his or Garnett’s.

- Wade is so sneaky getting to the basket.  He had an off game because he missed a few tip-ins and layups, but the way he figures out how to dart through the lane and along the baseline and get close to the basket is pretty much unparalleled in the game today.  It’s a sort of rare talent that I haven’t been able to place the origins of. Its sort of Barkleyesque in its sneakiness, but Wade obviously lacks the force and the atypical body type that Barkley had.  I’ll think about it some more.

- Watching Wade, Bosh and LeBron communicate with each other after a timeout is so fascinating.  You know that their basketball IQ is so high and that they are speaking at a level above so many of the players on the court that you are just drawn in whenever they are close to each other.  You want to know what exactly they are figuring out as they make hand motions and point to certain spots on the floor.  Probably one of my favorite parts of watching this game and being so close.

- As J.A. Adande pointed out on his Twitter feed, the Heat definitely had an element of cool during the game and it cost them.  They could have taken that game and made a definite statement, but it seemed like they had the approach of, “We’re better now than we were in November. We know we’re better. We don’t have to try too hard to win this game. We’re going to win it because we’re better than we were.” But, they didn’t fight for everything and they lost a game that was very winnable. I’m hoping that was just a “regular season game right before All-Star break” syndrome, but that was a big game and they should have felt the urgency and playoff intensity that was needed. I know the Boston crowd felt it.

- Once again, the Boston crowd is great and the environment is definitely special. I’m glad the Celtics are good and relevant. I will miss this current team when the window closes and I’m very happy that I have now seen them.

Jingle Ball

Being a sports fan is a funny thing.  Your life is dictated by the schedules of games on certain nights of the week.  You get frustrated if a great game is going to be on a Friday or Saturday night when you have some kind of social obligation to partake in. This is mostly because you feel like you’ll be missing out on a legendary game and, in order to prevent that from completely happening, you’ll be checking your phone every five minutes.  Also, if the game doesn’t go your way you know that you ultimately end up turning drunk and surly.  Then there are those Sundays when you swear you are going to do productive reading and writing or that you are going to enjoy a leisurely walk around the city or organize the paperwork accumulating in your life.  The only problem is that there are two to three must see football games on and you can’t pull yourself away from the TV no matter how much you want to.  “I’ll be able to get everything done once football season is over,” you say.  But once that happens the playoff races for basketball and hockey are heating up and baseball season is just beginning.

When you are a sports fan, you keep track of time by the events that happen during certain sports seasons and you distinguish different eras of your life by the prominent players or teams from those particular years.  In general, you rely on the success of strangers as well as their ability to be great in order to bring a certain modicum of happiness and fulfillment to your life.  In short, it is a bizarre phenomenon.

Recently, I have been thinking about my own sports fandom.  The reason I have been thinking about it is because I have been enjoying this NBA season so much.  I’ve enjoyed it so much, but it is odd because I don’t have any true vested interest in any one NBA team over another – I simply love the league as a whole.  And yesterday, while I was watching the Eagles play the Giants in the NFL, I thought about how that might reveal some sort of weakness in my sports fan character. You see, guys that cover the NBA for a living have to be impartial.  They have to enjoy the league as a whole, report on a variety of teams and stories and deliver the news as quickly and without bias as humanly possible.  However, many times these analysts of the game can ruin the passion and absurdity of loving a particular team or player by overanalyzing elements of the game or looking at stories too objectively. No matter how much they love a team or player, their job requires them to be unbiased.  Perhaps this is just the division of one’s job versus one’s personal opinions and enthusiasm, but to me and the joy that sports can bring it is an important distinction. 

On Sunday as I was watching a classic Eagles vs. Giants game and screaming at every Eagles miscalculation, I cursed myself because this season I had vowed not to raise my voice at all.  When I could no longer control myself, I decided to turn the game off, retreat to my room and try to read to calm down. “I’m getting too old for this shit,” I muttered to myself.  While reading, I kept the online game tracker up on my computer, which is set up on my desk at the foot of my bed.  I noticed that the Eagles were creeping back into the game.  So I put down my book (Nicole Krauss’ excellent new novel Great House), and returned to the TV.  I watched the game a little further before another Eagles miscue.  After a small scream, I returned to my room, deciding that the Eagles would do better off without me watching.  My superstition seemed to be accurate, as the Eagles got closer. So, once more, I returned to the TV only to be disappointed by an Eagles drive that stalled out.  It seemed like the game was over, so I went back to my room to read. “If they win, they win.” I said to myself.  Well, as I was reading, I noticed that the Eagles had come back from twenty-one points down and tied the game at 31 in the fourth quarter. “Fuck it,” I said. “Even if me not watching has been helping them win, I have to see how this ends.”  So, I went back to the couch and turned on the TV.  What unfolded was one of the most amazing comebacks and ends to the game in perhaps NFL history, as Desean Jackson returned a punt 65-yards (after fumbling the catch) for a touchdown as time expired.  I got up and screamed, “FUCK YEAH! FUCK YOU, FUCKING GIANTS! FUCK YOU!”  Then, I settled down, turned off the TV, checked on the chicken I was cooking and returned to reading.

Obviously, I love the NBA way more than I love the NFL.  However, my devotion to the Philadelphia Eagles as a franchise is what differentiates the love I have for the NFL and the love I have for the NBA.  My love for the Eagles is blind passion.  I don’t care who they are playing because no matter who it is, I will automatically hate that team.  Their quarterback could be fantastic, but to me he sucks no matter what.  Their players could be stand-up guys, guys that play the game it was meant to be played, who don’t show boat and who do community service, but to me they are smug assholes who deserve their comeuppance because they suck. In basketball, I have no team that makes me feel that way.  When I was younger, I felt that way about the Chicago Bulls because Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen represented something good, something about excellence and achievement and never wanting to lose.  However, I had no personal ties to Chicago or the Bulls franchise and as the Jordan era came to an end, I found myself attempting to latch on to some kind of team connection.  I loved Allen Iverson, but the Sixers had always been so terrible that it was still hard to blindly root for them as he revived the franchise into relevancy.  So, I started paying attention to all the players as I had more or less done when I was a little kid and the Bulls were ruling the NBA.  I learned how to appreciate Jason Kidd and what he did with his Nets teams in the early 2000’s; I loved Iverson’s toughness and electricity; Chris Weber’s passing ability. I saw the weakness in Vince Carter’s defense despite his incendiary offense; I marveled at how complete of a player Rasheed Wallace was even though most of the time he was flustered by the referees; I even tried to see the beauty in Shaq’s game even though I hated him so much.  However, my full devotion to the NBA didn’t arrive until Dwyane Wade entered the league.  He was the first player that reminded me of what Michael Jordan stood for. I didn’t look to him as the “next Jordan,” but something about him made me think of goodness, effort and striving for excellence.  There was a toughness and grace about Dwyane Wade that I appreciated and it signaled a new era in the NBA. 

Flash-forward about six or seven years and a new era of the NBA has certainly dawned.  There is now more talent in the NBA than possibly at any time ever.  The only region where there may have been as much talent was in the 1986-1988 range.  However, I am beginning to think that even then there may not have been as many great players as there are now.  You have the prolonged careers of 13+ year veterans like Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash.  You also have the peak years of veterans such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony.  There is even a subset of players from that generation who are good but not as great as those guys (Rudy Gay, Raymond Felton, Big Baby Davis, Danny Granger, Tayshaun Prince, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson).  Then, you have the young generation with players like Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, John Wall, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Brook Lopez, Al Horford and Joakim Noah.  The league is literally stacked with talent no matter which way you look.  And that has been the story of this season so far.  The great teams are actually becoming deeper and more talented than they were last year, such as the Celtics and the Lakers.  There is an uber-team that everyone talks about in the Miami Heat. Orlando just made some huge trades over the weekend to get even deeper and perhaps better and the Knicks are looking to land Carmelo Anthony in order to become another powerhouse in the East.  And I didn’t even mention the Bulls or the Thunder, which are two of the more exciting young teams in the league.  So for me, when I feel as though I have been lackluster as a true blindly passionate sports fan when it comes to the NBA, I take a look around and remember how I take each team into consideration.  How I appreciate the players league wide; how I pay close attention to what each team is trying to do, which teams are trying to make a run, which teams play hard, which players are head cases and who doesn’t deserve the honor of being in the NBA. I take all of that into account and realize I am one damn great fan of the NBA and perhaps that is the mature way to appreciate a sport, maybe all that screaming is something I have to grow out of – perhaps its just something I should keep relegated to one team. Well, maybe two if you count the Phillies once the baseball season gets a little bit more serious in late August and September, or college basketball when UNC throws players out on the court that actually have a pulse.

In any event, here are year-end NBA thoughts has we have finished over one quarter of the season.  These thoughts may all be shaken up after the huge slate of Christmas Day games that we are about to see, namely Heat vs. Lakers.

1. The main thing that everyone probably wants to hear me weigh in on is the Miami Heat. I was as disappointed and confused by the Heat’s slow start as anyone.  I was blinded by the talent of Bosh, Wade and James and figured they had played enough with each other in Beijing and in the offseason when they were hanging out that they would become acclimated very quickly.  I didn’t realize how severe the drop-off in talent between them and the role players would be early on and I really didn’t think that Wade and LeBron would have an issue integrating the rhythms of their games.  However, what we have learned very quickly is what it takes to make an actual team in the NBA.  The early season games between the Heat and the Celtics made that perfectly clear.  The Celtics play as a cohesive unit and have exhibited some extremely graceful and fluid team passing early on in the season.  Rondo orchestrates that team like a maestro and their pieces fall into place perfectly.  They have a deep bench with high energy guys and Doc Rivers understands the psyches of his players, their ups and downs – he knows how to push their buttons at the right times.  The Heat were a totally different beast. Spoelestra had no player rotations down; he thought James should handle the ball and initiate the offense (I thought this too because I, like most people wanted LeBron to be like Magic, when even though he may resemble Magic in body size and stature, he plays basketball like LeBron James and no one else); the team played a lot of half court offense even though their best two players are arguably the two best players of all time in the open court; Wade and LeBron didn’t really move without the ball because they were used to handling the ball so much when they were carrying their own teams; Bosh just seemed lost trying to figure out when to initiate the offense and attack and when to just let LeBron and Wade take control.  The team also had to deal with Mike Miller’s injury and then Udonis Haslem’s.  They had no true rebounder.  However, over the past near month that they have been on their twelve game win streak all of that has changed.  Haslem’s injury actually opened the door for Wade to expand his game and add another purpose, which was to account for the rebounds the team would miss without Haslem. Wade is averaging the highest rebound rate of his career.  The team also added Erick Dampier who has fit in a nice role as a big, tough, body rebounder in the middle to go along with Zydrunas Ilgauskus’ ability to shoot the open jumper and Joel Anthony’s uncoordinated but appreciated effort.  With those three different looks in the middle the Heat have been able to improve their rebound rate drastically. Juan Howard has also found a niche and been able to provide a few points as well as rebound help and toughness off the bench.  With each week Bosh is learning his role.  He was especially terrific in attacking the basket against the Knicks as well as helping to defend Amare.  His rebound rate has improved as well.  The big difference has been the fact that the Heat are now looking to push the ball at every instance, which makes sense because when you have LeBron James or Dwyane Wade getting a good portion of your rebounds, you should always be looking to run and move the ball ahead because chances are one or the other will be streaking upcourt.  Also, Spoelestra has Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers handling the ball as true point guards and letting LeBron operate from the wing.  He and Wade are now moving much better off the ball with Wade finding his go to movement on the baseline where LeBron can find him for quick layups or short jump shots.  I also believe they should run Wade in modified screen sets like the Celtics do with Ray Allen. Instead of Wade’s routes taking him to the outside where Allen splashes all those dagger threes, Wade should curl in the 16-18 foot range where he can catch the ball and either continue his drive into the lane for a layup, dunk, foul or kick out, or stop and hit a jump shot in his range. In either way, it keeps the defense off guard and gives the Heat another look. What has also been big is the solidification of the rotations. Now, Spoelestra lets James lead his own unit at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter and also for the beginnings of many of the second quarters.   That allows Bosh and Wade to rest and for LeBron to keep his confidence and pride up by carrying the second unit.  What is so fascinating about this team is that they are still learning what actually works for them and it is already becoming a little scary. On any given night you know that either LeBron or Wade is going to go off and on some nights both of them do.  What is becoming apparent and what may actually be the key for this team is that Bosh is becoming reliable every night for about 16 to 20 points and about eight to ten rebounds. If he does that almost every night then he will very much be the glue that keeps the team together.  For me, that is one of the many fascinating stories to keep track of with this team. There has literally never been something like this team before. Every game has its own new point of interest and every game is just another experiment in the lab of basketball where each tweak is magnified and you find yourself paying attention to and noticing things you never did before. This is all good stuff right? These guys are selling out arenas, driving up national TV ratings and blowing out teams almost regularly now that they have established an initial chemistry with each other.  All of this has happened in just fewer than thirty games and Wade only played three minutes in the preseason. I and everyone else in America completely overreacted – another unfortunate side effect of being a modern sports fan.

2. The Knicks.  Being a Bulls fan in the 90’s meant I hated the Knicks.  I never liked Patrick Ewing. John Starks and Derek Harper annoyed the hell out of me. Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley and Xavier Daniels were all dirty players who couldn’t keep up with Jordan and Pippen so they had to try and slow them down with hard fouls.  The only times the Knicks were able to do anything was when Jordan was out of the league.  However, now that that era of the game is over, I realize how much I appreciated those players. But what I really appreciated was basketball being relevant in New York and Madison Square Garden being the most electric sports venue in the world.  There really is nothing like it.  Last Wednesday, when the Knicks and the Celtics played perhaps one of the best regular season games in the last decade, the Garden was absolutely on fire. Amare and KG were going head to head. Spike Lee was in the front row waving his arms and being completely obnoxious. Ray Allen hit a dagger three and Spike Lee had to shake his head at his own creation, Jesus Shuttlesworth, silencing the New York crowd.  You had Danilo Gallinari showing why he is a coveted wing player.  Landry Fields showcasing the fact that he was one of the most slept on rookies in a long time.  Raymond Felton was taking the ball at a hobbled Rondo but despite his big numbers was still not able to out play him.  And of course you had Paul Pierce hitting his patented herky-jerky step back jumper from about sixteen feet to win the game.  Then there was the added bonus of Amare draining the game winning three as time expired only to have the shot called off, which prompted Paul Pierce to come to center court and bow to the crowd.  All of this happened at a Knicks game? On a Wednesday night? In the middle of December?  You better believe that basketball is back at the Mecca.  Now, the Knicks are not an elite team and they are on a three game slide as I write this, but they are a team that plays hard and will be in the playoffs.  To me, it’s debatable that they add Carmelo Anthony.  He is a unique superstar who is nearly unstoppable on the wing.  However, he doesn’t play defense and Amare is already a nearly unstoppable offensive force that doesn’t play defense.  In my opinion, they just need to solidify the backup point guard spot so they can spell Felton (like D’Antoni never could in Phoenix for Nash).  They need an athletic shutdown wing defender (like Iguodala from Philly who won’t need to score as much with Amare in the middle) and they need a tough inside presence who can play the true five spot and move Amare to the four spot he prefers to play (not sure how they land that piece).  I think Carmelo upsets the dynamic of this team, which is that Amare is the man and COMPLETELY believes that he is the best player on the court on any night and the rest of the team feeds off that energy.  If you add Carmelo to that mix, I’m not sure what the identity of the team is.  Amare and Carmelo are not Wade and LeBron. Sure, their positions are much different, but they are not as flexible in being able to adapt, as I believe Wade and LeBron are.  It’s all up in the air and I could be completely wrong about Carmelo and Amare playing together. If they did, that team would be some offensive powerhouse running in the D’Antoni system.  However, right now they have a lot of nice pieces, they are a fun, hard working team to watch and they have people in New York thrilled and excited about basketball.  The thrill may wear off when the natural cynicism of New Yorkers slowly seeps back into this initial euphoria, but right now we are witnessing a pure joy that is not often seen in New York sports.  You should all enjoy it because this town is buzzing again about the Knicks and that buzz will always be better and more electric than any buzz about the Yankees, Giants, Jets, Rangers or Mets.  There’s just something different about New York and basketball, I don’t care how many championships the Yankees have one – all 27 of those are stored up in the Bronx.  The Knicks’ championships and banners are in the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden and those halls run right in Midtown Manhattan. That’s a big difference.

3. The Boston Celtics are an absolutely fantastic basketball team to watch.  They are on a revenge tour through the NBA this year after their heartbreaking loss to Los Angeles in Los Angeles in Game 7 of the Finals.  They want that championship badly and you can actually feel it.  Rajon Rondo has a legitimate shot to break John Stockton’s average assist record. Kevin Garnett seems to be back from the dead and is playing with an intensity that has been missing (mainly due to his injured knee) since the 2007-2008 championship season.  There is a great chance that Garnett could win the Defensive Player of the Year Award and he can also finish dunks again.  Ray Allen never seems to age and seems to make three pointers whenever it counts (I think he is on a mission after his disappearance in the second half of the Finals series).  Pierce is just simply being Paul Pierce as usual and giving this team a championship swagger that was missing the past two years. Shaq has been solid and is doing everything they need him to do (when he’s on the court). Big Baby has improved his game and has become nearly automatic on his 16-18 foot jumpers and is one of the best around the rim finishers in the league right now (playing below the rim).  Nate Robinson has gained a modicum of maturity and has settled into a nice role on the team.  They are even deeper now with Delonte West (when he comes back from injury), Jermaine O’Neal (if he ever plays) and Semih Erden (who has been a pleasant surprise).  Plus they have a fantastic team chemistry that is probably only rivaled by the Thunder and Bulls (though the Heat are making a strong run now).  All of this has happened without Perkins joining the lineup.  I watched the Celtics handle the Hawks on Thursday night without Rondo. Now, this was the night after their emotional win in a packed out and pumped up Madison Square Garden.  As I was watching the game, I was thinking about how good the Celtics were and how their one weakness was rebounding even though their interior defense has been terrific.  Then I realized that Perkins hasn’t even played a minute this whole year.  This team is going to be a beast when the playoffs roll around and I just hope all you casual followers of the NBA realize that this Celtics teams is very similar to all of those vintage NBA teams that we have nostalgia for. This team is deep, it has memorable players, they all play well together and you should appreciate what they do on almost a nightly basis.  Plus I’m pretty sure that Rondo is some kind of alien who was ordered to exhibit the future of basketball at least twice every game.

4. The Los Angeles Lakers are not going to roll over and let anyone take the championship from them. They started off hot, cooled off and are now on a five game winning streak.  They are going to walk away with their division, but the West overall is much more competitive at the top with the Spurs and Mavericks looking pretty tough to beat.  Kobe seems to have lost another step, but still has the best footwork in the NBA and is the number one killer. You know he wants to tie Jordan’s championship tally and this just may be his last chance to do it.  Pau Gasol has actually gotten better and is without a doubt the best post player in the NBA this year (one more year of progress and Dwight may be knocking on that door).  Lamar Odom gained a new level of poise and confidence after being the elder statesman on the FIBA Gold Medal team this summer and is playing with motivation and leadership.  Shannon Brown has made a leap as a player. Steve Blake is an upgrade at backup point guard over Jordan Farmar and Matt Barnes gives them depth, toughness and scoring off the bench.  Oh, and Artest is on this team and is a wild card to go off for points or shut down defense on any given night.  Also that and making the funniest statements known to man.  He actually reminds me of the real life Pedro Cerrano in Major League II this year.  Artest won the championship and is all about charity much like Cerrano was all about Buddhism and peace.  Maybe the Lakers need to get a Japanese player to infuriate Artest into inspired play just like the Indians did.  And, the Lakers, like the Celtics, have been playing much of this season without a key player – Andrew Bynum.  Once they ease Bynum back to his regular minutes and spot in the starting lineup, then the Lakers can bring Odom off the bench and their team takes on a totally different look and returns to their dynamic of the previous two championships.  They are going to be scary and have a legitimate shot at a three peat.  Let’s just hope that doesn’t happen.

5.  Blake Griffin.  If you haven’t watched any of his highlights or if you don’t know what kind of experience it has been to watch this kid play basketball this year, you have some serious catching up to do. Absolutely unreal. He’s like Shawn Kemp and Dominique Wilkens.  Maybe that’s hyperbole but who knows how long this freak is going to be around.  YouTube him NOW!

6.  The intriguing Orlando Magic team.  Look, I have not been a fan of Dwight Howard at all.  I thought he was a “non-killer” in the same vein as LeBron for most of his career. However, this summer he spent time with Hakeem Olajuwon and he has come back with some legitimate post moves that are looking better and better as the year goes on.  He put in his time like the old school NBA players and came back with a new wrinkle and I respect that.  The only thing is that his team has gotten stale. Vince Carter is pretty much washed up and Rashard Lewis is actually dead in some states I believe (those reports aren’t completely accurate).  So, this weekend the Magic made two ballsy moves and shipped Vince to Phoenix with Marcin Gortat and Mikael Pietrus (playing terribly) in exchange for Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson and sent Lewis to the Wizards for the troubled Gilbert Arenas.  I actually like these moves. Hedo only played well on the Magic and created matchup problems when they went to the Finals so he may play inspired ball alongside Dwight. Richardson is a very good three-point shooter and is definitely an upgrade over Vince at the shooting guard spot. And Arenas can lead the second unit for the Magic and be a top sixth man in order to gain some respect and good graces throughout the league to try and get one more contract. I think the Magic needed to shake up their team and this was a good way to do it.  If they can add another, cheap, low post player that can spell Dwight when he gets into foul trouble that would certainly help, but it isn’t a perfect world. We’ll see how the experiment goes because this team can’t afford to waste too many more of Dwight’s prime dominant years, though with these new post moves that period may be longer than we originally thought.  In any case, I always appreciate ballsy trades and the Magic did that this weekend.  Certainly makes their team much more interesting to watch.

7. Kevin Love becoming the best player you never really knew about. He put up a 30 and 30.  That is literally insane.  He and Beasley make the Timberwolves interesting.  They lose a lot of games, but they always play to win, which is definitely an upgrade.

8.  The Bulls and Thunder and their budding rivalry. Rose, Westbrook and Durant were the young leaders of the FIBA Gold Medal team and now they play on two teams filled with young talent who could both go deep into the playoffs. Their teams have already played twice this year and both games have been supremely entertaining.  Both the Bulls and the Thunder have fantastic chemistry throughout their roster and whenever they are on TV you should always make sure to check out their games. You literally can’t wrong watching a basketball game that features Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green.  Hell, I’ll throw Serge Ibaka of Oklahoma City in there too just because he is such a hard working and great player to watch.  These two teams could very well be the two that stand in the way of Miami dominating the league for the next six or seven years. So, get on board now and say that you saw greatness coming years before it came – courtesy of Matt Domino and Puddles of Myself of course.

9.  Chris Paul and Brandon Roy and their injuries.  Paul’s may just be a case of him coping with a knee injury and that can take time for a dominant player like him to get back to the level he was used to playing at. And I believe Paul will get back to his transcendent Isiah Thomas level of basketball soon.  However, Brandon Roy’s knees are basically non-existent and he was one of the best and most likable young players in the league.  Poor Portland.

10.  I’ve already written five thousand words and I could possibly go for another five thousand to expound on how great this NBA season has been so far and how great it could potentially be.  We are only in December and most teams haven’t even played thirty games yet and there are endless fascinating points and storylines to follow.  I may be a huge NBA fan and perhaps some of this stuff is over the heads of a lot of casual fans, but I think 70% of what I have covered is interesting to even the casual NBA fan.  And if you are not interested now, we’ll get you there. I’ll allow you just tuning in next June when the Celtics and Lakers are engaging in the rubber match of their most recent Finals battles.  Then, I’ll get your ear and make you really listen and understand.

The bottom line is that the NBA is well into a new golden age and you should start learning the teams and names now so that you can get on board and then get nostalgic years later while I am trying to pump you up about the next generation.  What can I say? I’m a visionary.  I’m a visionary even if I don’t have an irrational passion for one NBA team. Perhaps I can just leave the irrational passion for a far lest interesting and worthy sport – the NFL. I’ll just leave my irrational, tunnel vision passion for the Philadelphia Eagles. Well, that team and basically everything else in my personal life.  However, those misguided passions will be the topic of a best-selling memoir to come much, much later.