May 30, 2007

  • <The FINAL dilemma>

    As I have said earlier, Spurs will beat the Jazz (and whichever team in the Western Conference. My poor Suns lost by 4-2) and enter the NBA Finals. Jazz is good, but i am not that naive to think it could come back from a 1-3 deficit. Duncan remains so Duncan and boring. In MW dictionary, the picture next to the word “Bore” “Boredom” “Boring” Bored” “Fucking boring” “Boring to death” will be Duncan. He is amazingly boring.

    The Eastern Conference is relatively more interesting, though in absolute terms, it is still very boring : it’s simply the Pistons versus LeBron James.  In case you don’t believe in my conjecture, just take a look on the NBA top 5 in the May 29 Game 4 in youtube (and also the one on June 1 Game 5 in youtube).  King James simply is the main actor of all TOP 5 plays.  Dishing, scoring, rebounding, everything you name it.

    I don’t know. Probably Pistons are the better TEAM, but i have the feeling that LeBron James could single-handedly destroy the Pistons. The cost of Ben Wallace’s departure becomes obvious in this series for Piston (and so is the benefit to LeBron James). James could just attack the rim as much as he could. Prince is a good defender, but he really has problem defending quick players with strong first step like James. So the presence of a defensive centre who can block is really important. This is not something we can expect Piston, Weber or Maxiell can give now.

    Of course I admit that Pistons versus Spurs is a boring disaster tragedy catastrophe for NBA fans and David Stern (NBA Commissioner) next to nothing. I couldn’t find or even think of anything in the history of mankind that can have a chance of matching the degree of boredom brought by Pistons vs Spurs. I don’t know. Maybe it is my classmate in science stream that 考第一 for seven straight years in high school (and probably in his kindergarden-hood, primary school and even university and the rest of his life). Maybe it is the standard rubbish said by our Govt officials. Maybe it is sucking soap drama like 同事三分親 / 高朋滿座. Maybe it is my job. Maybe it is myself. But once i think of Spurs versus Pistons, I sweat like in hell (i haven’t been there) and have a nightmare at noon (you know how terrible it is? having nightmare at NOON!).

    So, from a fan’s point of view, I opt for Cavs vs Spurs. I want to see if Bruce Bowen can shut down James, or if James could punish Bowen and slam on Duncan’s face again (which he did during the regular season).

    I think since the time Jordan retired (for the second time) and it is doomed that no one could probably “replace” him in the future (Look at Hardaway, G Hill, V Carter etc.), the NBA has successfully back to what basketball should be – teamwork and a game that 5 players from each side have to play.  You can’t rely on one single star anymore, although we must admit that none of the star in the post-Jordan era is as talent, competent and unbelievable as Jordan.  Three of four conference finals teams are teamwork first. They are featured with All Stars (Boozer, Duncan, Billups, Wallace), but when i say “featured” i mean “featured”. Suns, Nets, Bulls, you name it, are all teams stressing on teamworks rather than individual efforts. Basketball finally goes back to the teamwork era. You must have stars, but to succeed, you must have very very good supporting cast as well.  I believe that’s why Rockets sucked.

    That’s also why Knicks can’t get into Playoff anymore, since good single individuals do not equal to a good team.  I can recall when the season just started, people in ESPN forecast that Knicks will be the biggest surprise in NBA this season simply by MAKING PLAYOFF! I can’t stop laughing. When did the Knicks stink so much that making playoff becomes a Surprise for not only New York people but the NBA as a whole? And I laughed also because i don’t think Knicks could enter the playoff again until both Marbury and Nate Robinson are gone. Selfish individuals can’t win ball game in NBA anymore.

    And teamwork is important not only for NBA.  In the past couple of years, the Amercian Team kept on losing and losing to Argentina, and any national team you name it in international matches. Why? Not because Kobe, T-Mac, O’neal etc. are not playing. Just that these teams have teamwork but NBA superstars, unfortunately, are still looking for individual performances. Three cheers for Teamwork~~~ HIP HIP HURLAY~~~ x 3

    So, if James win the Eastern Finals, this could set a bad precedent and send a wrong signal to other teams that single individual still matters and you can still have good results for grooming one superstar. This has long-lasting negative impact, which i think is even worse than a final series of Pistons versus Spurs, which AT MOST lasts for 7 games.

    By the way, I have post a youtube highlight featuring LeBron James in my 剪貼簿. Really amazing. To make Pistons/ Cavs versus Spurs series more amazing, I think the NBA should start 4 point FGs…

    My final prediction : 1-4 for Cavs – Spurs; 2-4 for Pistons – Spurs.

    So… Duncan will go to DC during the summer to donate some boredom to G. Bush…

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