Suns: Shoot the Spurs Lights Out

Western Conference Finals - 2005

Amare Stoudemire - 37 ppg 9.8 rpg

San Antonio Spurs - 4

Phoenix Suns - 1

San Antonio Spurs - 108 ppg, 47.8% FG

Phoenix Suns - 104 ppg, 49.4% FG

Mike D'Antoni says that the key to a series win for the Suns is the century mark. If the team scores that much, the Suns have a good chance of winning. The Spurs are 2-12 when opponents score over 100 points this season. One half of that win total was against Phoenix in an overtime game in November - Amare Stoudemire's first start of the season.

The Spurs are 33-4 when they score over 100 points. The Suns are 8-6 when they don't. It didn't start out that way, though. One loss came when Nash sat on the bench in street clothes nursing a wounded shoulder. Another came when Boris Diaw and Shawn Marion were inactive. A third came without the services of Kurt Thomas and Boris Diaw again. The Suns are 8-3 when scoring under 100 points with a full squad, and one of those losses happened on April 5 against the team's second round opponent.

I have to disagree with Coach somewhat on this one. If the Suns are going to have a chance in this series, they are going to have to play stellar defense, as well - the same kind of defense that held San Antonio to 40.8% shooting in the season series, despite two losses. The Suns averaged 98 points on 44.2% shooting in those three games, and that's where the magic 100 comes into play (even the tiniest increase in FG% nets them 100 in that series). Still, it's not really about the points. Rather, the Suns have to move the ball and find the best shot possible.

The Suns averaged a league best 25.9 assists per game this season, 11.6 coming from Steve Nash. Against the Spurs, that number plummeted all the way to 19.7 assists, 9.7 coming from Nash. I've written several times about the Suns' phenomenal assist rate, 62.3% this season. When the Suns move the ball and get open shots, they win. And they win handily, so to speak. But the key to the Suns' assist rate is not in the ball movement so much as it is the player movement. When the Suns move, the defense moves. When the defense moves, passing angles open. When passing angles open - catch, shoot, swish.

According to the numbers, the Spurs didn't allow the Suns to do that, as evidenced by their horrendously average 50.1% assist rate against San Antonio this season. The Spurs are masterful at packing in the defense and shutting down the lane. It's their thing; it's what they do. But they do it primarily with man-to-man coverage, so why are they so successful at it when the Suns are so good at breaking down man coverage?

Well, for starters, the Spurs are really adept at closing out three point shooters. They may hang within inches of the paint, but once the ball goes to the perimeter, there is a big defender jumping out to disrupt the shot. And once that perimeter player gets rid of the ball, that defender jumps back in, and the next one jumps out at the next potential shooter. It's actually pretty basic. They stay close enough to the perimeter to disrupt passing lanes and annoy the hell out of shooters, and they stay close enough to the paint to cut off the drive. It's the most anal defense in league history, tightening and releasing like the morning after Indian take out.

The goal in this series is to get off the pot and force the defense either to release or tighten. If it releases, all kinds of lanes for passing and driving open up, and the slower footed Spurs won't be able to collapse in time without fouling. If it tightens - bombs away, or at the very least, get the D-3 call against San Antonio. The key is to get Tim Duncan as far away from the basket as possible, and that means that Amare is going to have to make those mid-range jumpers he's worked so hard on. Kurt Thomas, too. The real X-factor is whether or not Boris Diaw will be effective in this series. If anyone can get that Spurs defense scrambling out of position, it's the deft post passer.

The shooters have to do their part, as well. Standing on the wings or in the corner isn't going to cut it against the Spurs because that's exactly what they want teams to do. It allows them to stay in that annoying defensive alignment that brings the entire game to a stand still. Raja Bell, James Jones, Leandro Barbosa, and Shawn Marion need to play in perpetual motion. The Spurs may not allow the Suns to run in the open court (they consistently release three players on every outside shot attempt to stop the break), but they will be hard pressed to stop the Suns from running in the half court motion offense that makes D'Antoni's style so beautifully chaotic.

If the Suns move, the ball moves. If the ball moves, it finds the open man - catch, shoot, swish. The assist rate goes up, and the Suns win - handily.

It sounds so simple, but Phoenix never seems to do it consistently against San Antonio. Not in the regular season, anyway. And not two years ago, when Leandro barely played, Joe Johnson's face was busted into a half dozen pieces, and Quentin Richardson was on again, off again...and off some more.

Shawn Marion was nowhere to be seen in that series on the offensive end, as well, but with all those lanes closed off for destruction, it's no wonder. His game is predicated on quick moves to the basket without the ball, and he just can't do that when no one is there to make the perimeter shots. He averaged 10.8 rebounds that series, so we know he was there on the defensive end, averaging 8.2 defensive rebounds in the five games.

So is it really just a matter of breaking the 100 point barrier against San Antonio?

Not when the Suns averaged 98 points per game versus the Spurs' 97.7 points this year. And not when the teams have played to a virtual draw on the backboards. The Suns can get out-rebounded and still win easily. It's just a matter of making their shots, thus reducing their chances (and the other teams' chances) for rebounds.

All the Suns really have to do to win this series is play their game. They shouldn't be talking or thinking about how many points they need to score. To be honest, I think that's just a rose colored fish, anyway. Mike D'Antoni said it himself when asked how he feels his team matches up with the Spurs:

I think you need to go ask them how they match up with us.

That is supreme confidence. That is a coach telling both his team and theirs, "We don't care what you do, we're playing our game." And that game is move, move, move - the players, the ball, the opposing defense. Make them all move, and the Suns get their open lanes, they get their open shots, and they get their date with a third straight Western Conference Finals.

*Update:

A lot has been made about match ups in this series. Don't believe it. This series is going to be loaded with mismatches, from Bowen on Nash to Marion on Parker, and even D'Antoni against Popovich.

Let's be realistic about this. The Spurs are the best at what they do, as well the Suns are the best at what they do. There is going to be little coaching involved in this series because the players know their coach's systems backwards and forwards. This is going to come down to which team executes. This, my friends, is a battle of style versus style.

Pundits and backyard coaches everywhere say that the Spurs are going to attack Nash due his defensive weaknesses. I don't recall Bruce Bowen being that much of an offensive threat, so I don't see how that philosophy is going to work. Spurs fans say that Tony Parker will eat Nash alive. How will he do that when Shawn Marion will be the one checking him on the perimeter? Ginobili? Meet Raja Bell. Manu used to tear the Suns up at a 20 point per game clip. Since Raja came on board, Ginobili is down to 16.6 points per game on 43% shooting.

Match ups? Forget them. They are out the window because nobody will be guarding somebody they should, when going by position. And when Nash and Barbosa are on the court together - then what? Bowen clones himself?

And that is what makes this series so intriguing. No one really knows what to expect because traditional match ups are not even part of the equation. This is bigger than who is guarding whom. This is all about whose style will prevail.

Not to draw too even a parallel, but we all witnessed what a free wheeling offense and adequate defense can do against a strong(ish) defensive team. When the Spurs' pentagonal defense runs up against the Suns' kaleidoscope offense, whose geometry will crack first?

I don't want to put the whammy on the Suns' title hopes, but I honestly believe that the Suns will take this series in six games.

Message Board

In light of azcentral's ultimate douchebaggery, I decided to set up a message board where everyone can gather and post (uncensored) if they so choose. I haven't done much to it, aside from keeping the Clockwork Orange and Purple theme, because I'm not sure how successful it might be. If everyone's on board with it, I'm open to suggestions on pretty much everything. You'll find the link on the right. Let me know what you think.

Irony Board

I really want to get back to writing about the Suns, but I still have two days before the Spurs come to town and a week's worth of Schadenfreude brewing in my system. I simply can't move on until it's unleashed en masse.

1. The Mavericks, after their infamous Finals meltdown 11 months ago, were supposed to be focused, determined, hungry, etc. to get back to the Finals this year, they bullied their way through the regular season to secure the best record and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. They assumed that, with the restructuring of the seeding system, they would have the easiest road back as long as they finished at the top of the league. Which segues nicely into...

2. No one complained louder about having to go through two elite teams (San Antonio and Phoenix) last year than the Dallas Mavericks. The league listened, and seeding was determined strictly based on record starting this year, so a second place division team could still be seeded higher than a division winner with a lower winning percentage. A lot of good that does them now.

3. The Mavericks were probably the luckiest team in the league this season, making it through without any significant player-games lost to injury. Every team (except maybe the Spurs) suffered key injuries that cost them in the column marked "W" in the standings. They also touted their depth as one of their major advantages over every other team. They were beaten by a Warriors team that lost one starter to Don Nelson's doghouse, and that had two players (Baron Davis, Matt Barnes) playing on broken wheels (hamstring injuries for both). In other words, the deepest and healthiest team of the season lost to an injured team with no depth.

4. Ostensibly playing it safe at the end of the regular season, Avery Johnson held out three of his starters for his team's final match up with the Warriors, instead of playing for a win that would have knocked Golden State out of the playoff picture altogether. The word at the time in some circles was that Avery didn't want to give Golden State a chance to improve its psychological advantage over the Mavericks in case his team lost, and he didn't want to tip his playoff hand to Don Nelson should his team win. My feeling is that he didn't want to risk his team's fragile psyche by subjecting them to yet another loss at the hands of the team that has basically owned them for two years. They handed themselves a first round elimination on a silver platter.

5. The talk after game two was that the Warriors' star players (Davis and Stephen Jackson) lost their composure, and that would be their ultimate undoing. The Mavs, on the other hand, showed a great deal of poise by not letting questionable calls or physical play by the Warriors rattle them. When it was all said and done, it was the Mavericks who lost it and wilted under the pressure of living up to expectations that were set higher than they probably should have been. When they had a double digit lead, they couldn't withstand the storm of threes raining down from the Warriors' perimeter. And when they were down by double digits, regardless of the quarter, we could tell that the game was over by the lost gazes and "where am I?" body language of the Mavericks.

6. Dirk Nowitzki has been one of the league's golden boys this season, garnering MVP consideration from start to finish for his allegedly consistent play, supposedly improved leadership, and professionalism on the court. But it was the NBA's current resident bad boy bathroom smoker, Stephen Jackson, that set the standard of calm, businesslike composure in the Warriors' decisive game 6 victory. It was he of Palace Brawl infamy who showed that not all bad boys are all bad, and who was looked upon as the team's designated leader when Baron Davis could no longer shoulder the load. The Mavericks' leader? He shot 1-3 in the second half, when the Warriors opened up a can of Oak Town Funk on his team. As well, who was the undisputed MVP of that series and arguably the best player in the postseason so far? The oft-injured model of inconsistency himself, Baron Davis.

7. Anyone who has seen a Mavericks game on TV knows the drill. The fans sit placid in their seats, come raging storm or devastating earthquake. Up or down, running or being run out, the fans in Dallas have to be goaded by the arena's public address announcer into chants of "DEFENSE!" and "MVP!", or simply to "MAKE SOME NOISE!" An arrogant fan base who believes theirs to be the best team in the league, the one with the best home record, can't even muster up the sense to know when to stand up and cheer their own team on. Conversely, the Warriors play at Oracle Arena. (Thanks to my imaginary friend, Bill Simmons, for writing that brilliant piece on home crowds in the NBA.)

8. Remember how pundits and Dallas fans said all year that the Mavs were so good because "they can play any style" and can match up with any team?

But I think the most ironic thing is that I don't really care. Honestly, I have no sympathy for a team and fan base - so smug in their belief that the NBA loving world should genuflect and offer praise to the mighty Mavericks - that show absolutely no respect for other teams or their fans, and whose primary counterargument to anyone who criticizes their team with valid statistical analysis and observational research is "You're just biased against the Mavs!"

If they weren't so easy to despise, I just might feel sorry for them for another epic meltdown and disappointing season. How ironic.

I Told You So

Is this the line of an MVP in a do-or-die first round playoff game?

2-13 FG

0-6 3FG

4-4 FT

10 Rebounds

2 Assists

3 Turnovers

8 Points

How many times did I say during the regular season that Dirk Nowitzki is no MVP? A hundred? A million? A hundred million?

Yet "professional" writers and basketball "experts" stuck with their horse, even as it hobbled to the finish line on a broken ankle. One of these guys (Kelly Dwyer, if that is your real name!) actually came on my humble blog to defend himself, although it had less to do with his choice than his insecurities about his basketball knowledge. (For the record, I was slamming ALL media in that entry. He just happened to take my sweeping generalization quite personally.)

Well, look at your Thoroughbred now. On his way home after a very un-MVP performance in a game that could have been (and ultimately was) the Mavericks' last of the season. A 67 win season. A year after choking away a title after being up 2-0.

Weren't these guys on a mission? Weren't they more focused than ever, hungrier than any other team in the league after tasting a championship, only to have the waiter yank the plate away before the fork sank deeply into the meat?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming Dirk for losing that series. He had a lot of help from his teammates and coach in that matter. But the big German shooting guard was supposed to have learned, he was supposed to have toughened up, he was supposed to have become a leader.

Anyway. Congratulations go out to the Golden State Warriors for becoming the first 8 seed to knock off a number 1 seed in a best of seven first round series. And thank you for helping to prove what I've been saying since March 14 - the day I realized that Dirk was not even close to Steve Nash in terms of MVP status.

And one more thing...


I TOLD YOU SO!
(Glad I could finally get that off my chest.)

Suns-Lakers Round 1 Game 5

Pregame

The feeling in the air tonight - business. I don't feel the excitement and energy that I did prior to game 2, but I still feel a big win coming. It just feels like the Suns are going to take a professional attitude and get on with business tonight.

All this talk about "WE were able to come back for a 3-1 deficit" stills falls flat to me. They can't really believe that it could actually happen in this series. I don't. I think it's more a matter of not extending the series longer than it has already gone. Let's hope they get down to business, put the Lakers down early, and get on with this thing. We have bigger goals on our minds.

Congratulations are in order for the Irritant tonight. Nice work impregnating Cindy, Raja! We're proud of you, young man! And congratulations on the All Defense team selection. A well-deserved honor, and a long time coming. Not as long as it has been for Shawn Marion, but at least the team is finally getting recognized for what it has been doing for a while now. Just a bit of advice for Papa Bell - next time, get 'er dun right after the playoffs. We don't need to risk you being out due to something as silly as your wife's labor. PRIORITIZE, KID!!! Try for a title baby this time. That would bring him to life around March of next year.

Yes, we're all feeling Shawn's pain for him. He should just brush it off for now and focus on winning a title. Nothing says "You screwed me!" like bringing a championship to Phoenix with stellar defensive play.

If the Suns are the NBA version of the Justice League of America, who gets to be Wonderwoman?

GREAT fan poster by someone named Anthony. WHO'S YOUR DADDY?! Yes, the Raja jokes will be alive and kicking like a newborn all night. (Sorry...had to do my own.)

We're about ten minutes away now, and I'm hoping that I have the energy to make it through this one. It should be a nice, quick, up-tempo game, so my faculties shall be challenged. As long as the Suns win, I will make the sacrifice. Good thing I got a nap this afternoon.

Here's hoping that Boris integrates himself smoothly into the lineup tonight. We need him to play somewhere around 75% of last year's Boris for the rest of the playoffs. If he can give us 10-5-5 every game, the trophy is ours for the taking.

What should we expect tonight? Honestly, I'm expecting Kobe to come out with a vengeance. He'll probably try to get his teammates going, but I don't expect him or Phil to stay with it for very long if the rest of the Lakers don't step up. In that case, expect Kobe to start chucking. If he can't keep them in the game by the half, then we just may well see a repeat of last year's game 7. That would be nice for the Suns. Get this formality out of the way, and get geared up for the second round. No sense in letting the Lakers hang around, especially when it's fairly obvious that Kobe and Phil would rather not waste their time. The rest of that team doesn't deserve it.

OH MY GOD!!! DEATH DEATH DEATH!!!

Chuck is wearing an orange road jersey, and he wants to give the Suns some love tonight. He loves Phoenix. Odd...earlier he loved Oakland, and now he loves Phoenix. Rebuilding burned bridges, Chuck? If you come back to the Suns' side of the force, we may just welcome you back in the Valley. Be on your best behavior, and no bandwagon jumping in the second round.

Kenny Smith doesn't like "run-and-gun", but he likes "Hustle and Flow" in describing the Suns. Forget that Phil Jackson used that movie to motivate his team. Whatever. We all know the real name for the Suns...A Clockwork Orange. Looks like we're going against San Antonio this weekend. So much for the Nuggets being different than 2005.

Nothing to argue about regarding EJ's keys to the game. Killer instinct, defensive rebound, get the ball out of Kobe's hands. No confidence for this team...take their will from them as fast as we can.

1st Quarter

9:20 Tip goes to Los Angeles. Kobe loses it almost immediately on a dish off attempt in a crowded lane. And Jones opens the Suns scoring with a four point play! KEEP THAT UP!!! Kobe comes back for the score. Maybe one bad pass attempt was enough to set him off. Nice movement and the new daddy scores a three from the corner. WHO'S YOUR DADDY?! Odom somehow manages to move Amare out of the way without a hooking call. Daddy slashes an open lane and lays it in. Kobe isn't getting an easy night tonight. Raja's too pumped from the results of his pap juice flowing. Yikes. Bell is on fire already. Two threes and a layup. Must be that new baby smell.

8:48 Vader's kid got a boo boo as Amare picks up his first foul. Let's hope that's the last one this quarter. Marion says SCREW YOU to the coaches as he blocks Kobe from behind. Lakers recover, but we got a shot clock violation as Lakers lost sight of the countdown. Amare's off the mark, and Cab Door comes down with it. Phil ain't happy for reasons only a Zen master can fathom, and the rookie is the recipient of his elderly ire. Time out from the throne. 12-6 Suns.

5:53 Odom can't go against a sleighted Shawn, and the rebound slips off Kwame out of bounds. Nash makes him pay with an easy deuce. Why is Farmar trying to back down Nash? Amare's got the MVP's back, but he forgot to tell Steve. It's all good as they both have a silly little laugh over the miscommunication. Farmar makes them both. Well that was a friendly bounce for Kobe after Shawn misses the runner. Suddenly Kobe looks like he doesn't want to quit, yet, and suddenly the officials are deciding that the Suns aren't allowed to play defense. Shawn doesn't need to foul Luke. Bryant's shot off early. Let's hope that trend stays. Amare rips down a Kobe miss like Chuck after a donut. I don't like the Suns' tempo right now. Need to push it. Steve makes a nice inside pass to Amare who's covered immediately, but he gets it to Trix for a nice lay in and a Teflon shove in the back. 17-12 Suns.

3:54 LB comes in to fix the tempo. Odom can't get anything to go because the Suns are swatting it left and right. Amare gets called for a foul for blocking the last attempt. He sits, unthrilled. I don't like THAT trend. Odom misses the first, then the second. Kurt's shot is straight and true, and it's about time that comes around. Odom is getting aggresiice now, shooting over Diaw. Boris shows toughness as he dunks the pass from KT. It's about time. LB!!! NICE anticipation on the steal! They're off to the races, and the officials call the turnover on the Suns instead of the foul. The crowd sees the replay and expresses its displeasure. Kwame can't do shizzle against Kurt, and gets popped for the frustration foul, his second.

2:15 Suddenly the shots aren't falling so easily. KT schools the rookie and draws the offensive foul. Nice work, old-timer. Too bad the Suns are shooting like crap. Well we haven't seen that in a while. Kurt passes up the jumper and drives. Amazingly, he succeeds. Someone missed their assignment, and Evans scores easily. Suns need to take care of the inbounds as farmar steals it and scores. KT right back atcha. 6 points for the Big Senior. Pretty move by Odom, and Boris picks up the foul. This is just getting stupid. Call it even, or don't call it at all. Suns by 5, 25-20.

The Suns are being aggressive enough, but not getting the benefit that LA is. Maybe I'm just not seeing it from my perch on the couch. Amazingly, the Suns are shooting 50%, but you'd never know it with some of the bricks sailing. KT is helping out a lot, as well as that hot start. We don't need any lulls. MOVE THE BALL! Don't forget game 3, please. No excitement, just business.

1:02 Odom makes them both. I notice that I'm typing his name a lot, and not much of Kobe. LB FOR THREE!!! Give that man the ball and let him run. That's the answer. How many steps does Odom get down low? No matter as he misses. That's the non-All Defense team member for you.

Bell weaves and ducks and kicks it to LB. He steps in and cans it. Gee...another foul on the Suns. KOBE SUCKS!!! Yeah, but he's a great scorer. He makes one of two. Great ball movement as the two-man game between LB and Boris results in another KT jumper. someone's stepping up! Marion's defense on Odom is nice, and KT alters the shot and gets the rebound. Not a bad first quarter, but I'd like to see more running. Hard to do with Amare sitting with two fouls and KT in his place. Might not be pretty, but it's working. Suns up 32-23.

2nd Quarter

Randy Johnson: In My Own Words this Friday. I'm looking forward to that.

11:06 LB shows no fear against Cook. He misses, but draws the foul. LB shoots like a crossbow. Straight, but deadly, he makes both freebies. Suns close down the lane nicely as Kobe tries to make something happen for his team. This just may be a defensive game, and Kobe just may be about to go off. Expect him to play a full 48. MEEP MEEP!!! LB blows by Shammond Williams, leaving him tripping over his own broken ankles. He makes it to the rim for the foul. 35-23 Suns.

9:16 Kobe scores, and the Lakers are double teaming everything. That won't get it done, until Junior misses the wide open three. Walton tries to get intimate with Leandro, and the refs say "THIS IS NOT A SWINGER'S CLUB!" Diaw drives all by himself! Then Kobe shoots a fall away. Darn. Ugh. Wasted passing by Amare as Shawn leaves the layup short. Diaw rebounds the Turiaf miss. 37-27 Suns.

7:56 LB fouls Kobe to make up for Junior's indecision on the other side. Turiaf scores anyway, but Amare comes right back for his first bucket. FEED THE BEAST! They're going to Turiaf...trying to draw Stat's third foul. Nice rebound by Diaw, and we get a score from a Marion tip in. Then Boris fouls Cook on the made jumper. OHHHH so frustrating sometimes. 41-33, free throws coming after we sit through subliminal messages from your local culturally conscious corporation.

I hate MacDonald's but this commercial speaks a social truth. I hate meeting people I barely know from work in a public place. I don't talk to you at work, why should I feel obligated to talk to you here?! I'm a star, yes, but don't pretend you know me!

7:40 All in all, a raggedy confusing game. The Suns make their pushes, but then some silly foul kills it. MVSteve comes in as Cook makes it a three point play. I like this new aggressive Diaw. Nice to see him stick with the inside play and draw the foul. Make 'em or miss 'em, it only helps the effort. His free throw worries are assuaged, and he makes them both. 43-34

6:42 I've said it before, I'll say it again. Teflon just came in and bowled over Nash for some reason. It's not rocket science. It's a foul. Quit playing like a moron, and you might have a career. OHHHH!!! Beautiful spin move by Amare, and he exorcizes the French demon, dunking hard on Turiaf. Hello rebounding? Remeber the keys to the game? NO OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS! It goes out of bounds to Phoenix.

6:09 BJ is getting aggressive. His killer instinct is kicking in, despite the foul worries. He goes in and draws the foul. To the aggressor goes the spoils? Indeedily doo. Both good. NICE break. Big team rebound makes its way to Leandro who rewards his big man. Marion scoops it in, and the Suns are putting the hammer down. 49-34 Suns.

Bud Light previewss Boston Rob's upcoming wedding. No midget, but a fast talking reverend to get those fellers to a nice cold Buuuud Light!

WE WANT STAT TO GET 25 REBOUNDS! KNOCK CHUCK OFF THE TOP OF THE LIST!

4:31 Bryant can't spin without drawing a foul. I didn't see it, but I'm just a homer. He makes the and one, and it's a 12 point Suns lead. Amare's jumper offline. Lakers are crowding the lane. Diaw needs to carve that up. Another rebound for Amare, and it pays off with a long two by Nash! Too bad Bryant answers right away. Walton doesn't carry after Amare's not fouled (could have been worse...he could have been called for the O-foul.) But it's Nash running the show as Marion breaks free for two foul shots. 53-39

2:58 Kobe just wants to shoot now. 18 points for the Mama, er, Mamba. Amare is getting upset with the noncalls as Odom slaps at him to break the up the pass. Smush is as retarded as Teflon as he makes the move on KT. Marion busts out the three baller! Amare can't get no love from the refs, and Turiaf gets away with hanging. Stay focused, Stat...the calls will come. See? Vader, Jr. shoves Amare on the rebound attempt. 56-43 Suns. Television takes us to a wonderful fantasy land of things we shall never own, but long to buy.

Congratulations Shawn! 1001 points for Marion's playoff career.

1:16 Nash gets the three for that long too, as the review shows the truth. Amare makes them both. Amare and Turiaf are battling, and Turiaf is pissing everyone off. Amare strong inside. Bryant chucks long and misses, but Turiaf is everywhere. He's getting under Amare's skin, not so much for his play, but the fact that the refs are letting a lot go, while he has two fouls. I'm sure he'd love to nail him, but he doesn't want to sit. He makes up for it with an ANGRY rebound off a Turiaf missed free throw. Kobe keeps missing, but Stat keeps working the glass. He gets fouled as Raja feeds him inside. 59-47 Suns.

The first is good. The second is even better. Lamar is battling, despite the big boo boos and dead baby. Uh oh. Nash guarding Kobe isn't good. But he gives it up, and the switch is on. Parker forgets that the game is still on, and Nash blows by. To make up for his indiscretion, Smush fouls him. But it's a good one, as Nash misses a rare one. Bender just cannot pronounce VOO ya CHICH. Nash makes the second. Lakers' plan works as Cook hits the three. WOW!!!! MATRIX!!! Weaving up court trying to beat the clock, and he gets it to go as the clock hits all zeros. Decent first half performance, but that's how you do business. Just attack when you can, defend without fouling, and play an all around efficient game. Suns are doing it, the Lakers are not. 64-52 halftime lead for the new Daddy and his gang of godfathers.

Halftime

Chuck attributes Phoenix's success to his sudden jumo on our bandwagon. Good thing we have big honkin' leaf springs on it, or else we'd be busting axels front and back. Lotsa Kobe hating going on at the Paseo. As much as I hate to say it, I respect Kobe's game. He's fighting hard, and this is the perfect situation for him. He likes to dominate the ball, and what better excuse than to have lousy teammates? Still, he's been a good boy after his elbowing suspension on Ginobili, and he's been playing nice with Raja. If Bell can forgive him, can't we? It's a lot easier when the Suns take him out in five games.

Suns are shooting well wnough at 48.9%, but it's down from the 51% they were shooting early in the second quarter. The Lakers are down to 45.8% for the game. It's a good, solid game so far, and TC reads my mind as he says that he expects to come out on fire in the second half. Play time is over, and it's time to put the pedal to the floor. The intensity should ramp up in the back end of this game because the only person who truly loves L.A. is Randy Newman. We don't want to go back there and give San Antonio two extra days to catch up on their Geritol supplements.

Suns only have four turnovers compared to 5 steals, 3 blocked shots, and 14 assists on 22 baskets. That's good for a 63.6% rate, which is how the Suns usually win. The Lakers slowed them down a bit for most of the first quarter, but the Suns picked it up as the half wore on. It's a slow curve, but it keeps rising. Do we need to be reminded again that it IS indeed possible to come back from a 1-3 hole? I don't. Let's leave that alone and just talk about the business of this game. Take care of it, move on, give Raja a day to spend with his new baby boy.

No orange hot pants, but I'm sure that Butler is loving the close up of the Suns dancers on HD. He wouldn't be a man if he didn't.

EJ expects Kobe to come out aggressive, but I'm not so sure. Turiaf is hanging tough, and Lamar is aggressive. He might defer a little to them, still, but he'll certainly try and take over soonish.

3rd Quarter

9:46 Suns start by turning it over. Let's keep that to a minimum. The Cab runs over the MVP. Not a good way to start a quarter when your team is down by 12. How did Odom get so free for a Farmar lob? Suns are sloppy already, but Marion picks his pocket. Kobe's yelling at the official, but he's a superstar. Nash wheels and deals and lays it in nicely. Amare steals Odom's pass to Teflon in the post. Why do they keep trying to post him?! Does Phil see something that we don't, or are they TRYING to lose the game? Nash drives and gets the basket after the foul. Makes the free toss. The theme of the day...Nash's expression is all business. Amare is a beast on the board with his 9th off a Marion missed three. 69-54 Suns.

8:12 Junior fouls Odom, but Lamar's shoulder is killing his free throw percentage. Maybe he should have had surgery earlier? Nah. The playoff paycheck helps ease the pain. Kobe airs it out, and just wishes for a foul call. Shawn is the man on the scene this game with 16 points. Whaty a shock...Teflon can't score over Amare. Amare has to step out and stop Cab door from going inside. 72-59 Suns

7:08 Amare gets his third foul as Teflon flops like a queer dick at the Mustang Ranch. Amare is playing pissed, as he finally draws a foul underneath. I'd hate to see that glare in a dark alley in a bad neighborhood. No three point play, though. Too many whistles blowing on weak fouls, and not enough on the hard ones. EJ doesn't like how close the Lakers are, and neither do I. Still, I'm not worried because the Suns aren't going to stand for this much longer. See? Nash hits a two on his own.

6:46 Teflon gets another benefit as Jones gets position outside the circle. He lets it get to him as he lets the pass slip through his fingers on the other end. Wasted steal by Raja. This is getting ridiculous. Odom gets bailed out as Raja gets position on him. What a joke. The foul chart shows that it goes both ways.

4:43 Junior erases his earlier gaffe with a corner three. Can we see more of that please? Amazingly, Walton gets busted for a loose ball foul that benefits Amare. I disagree with EJ. I don't like all the whistles. Yes, they're both ways, but it kills the rhythm. Let the players decide this game. Now it's getting sloppy as Nash's pass to Stat is deflected to the Lakers. Oh look, it's Odom again. Another missed jumper, and NOW I agree with EJ. Another foul on Phoenix, which gives L.A. a chance to get it to single digits. Time to take a breath, refocus, and get back to it. It's game seven, and our playoff lives are on the line. 78-68 Suns.

3:39 Walton and Odom have four fouls each. It's time to take advantage of it. Odom should not be this aggressive with that many fouls this early. Alley opp to Marion is no good, and now it's a seven point game. Until Boris follows another Nash miss. Geez! Odom has 24? Suns not playing their game on either side, and Nash turns it over. What gives? Why are they letting the Lakers play their game? Is this not our home court? Is this not OUR series to take? Let's get aggressive and foul these guys out. Kobe makes his free throws and it's a 5 point game. Ugh.

3:05 11-2 run over the last 3:00 for the Lakers, but Nash gets inside to Marion to stop it. But Walton follows his own shot. Bender needs to shut up with the negativity. Yeah, it's uncomfortable, but let's try to send good vibes.

2:09 Stat makes his free throws, and it's back to 7. What the hell? Why are they passing up open shots for the half court set? Nash makes a bad pass underneath, and Marion has a chance to corral it, but doesn't. FINALLY Odom gets his fifth foul. That should make for a nice turning point in this game, as he heads for the bench. Yes, I'm testy now. Not nervous...just peeved that the Suns are playing like the Warriors did the last three minutes last night. 84-79 Suns.

1:11 *rolls eyes* Stat misses the first free throw. Could he be distracted? He makes the second. Get the act together. Kobe's back and attacking, and he makes it a four point game. Marion clanks a three, and this is getting uglier by the play. Stat picks up his fourth by pushing Teflon in the back. 2 point game. Amare gets aggressive again, and he's rewarded. This isn't the Suns' game, though, but I'll take it as long as he makes his free throws.

Kobe hits, and it's back to two. Amare goes at Teflon and scores. Yay. Now if the rest of the team would pick it up. Amazingly Kobe gets called for the offensive foul as he loses control and bowls into Diaw. Of course, he whines about it, which gives LB some motivation to score on the other end. The crowd is now awake, as they chant for that vaunted Suns defense. Suns battle for the rebound on the Williams miss, and it's about damn time. It's a good way to end the quarter, but it shouldn't take a Laker run to get the fire lit.

4th Quarter

10:00 Did I hear that right? 50 points in the paint for L.A.? That's not cool. Come one, Amare. Let loose. Wow. Kobe left it short, and Stat grabs it. LB makes it a 5 point turn around. But Kobe gets bumped by Marion on his way inside. He makes them both for the 94-87 Suns lead. Diaw loses his aggressiveness inside, and Marion misses the runner. Not good basketball. Why they were leaving Kobe to double cook earlier, I'll never know. Ball moves everywhere and hits all Suns, and ends in an LB bomb.

8:52 LB gets fouled on the loose ball, and Nash reenters. They're feeding Amare in the post, which might work to open things up for the shooters. Amare is possessed. Marion lobs it to a little too high. Lots of contact results in a miss, but he fights for it hard and eventually draws the foul. Suns inbound. Bell fights Evans for the LB miss and gets it to Nash at the top. He drives, but it's blocked out of bounds. Another round of commercials, and I could sure use a trip to the can. But the timeouts aren't long enough for the amount of Pepsi in my bladder, even with the national coverage. So I'll just sit here and think of waterfalls and rainy days. 99-91 Suns.

8:15 Shooting percentages have flip flopped after a big third quarter for the Lakers. Suns aren't crashing the glass nearly hard enough. Amare gets whacked on the arm on the dunk attempt. Suns have only 7 assists on their last 13 baskets. BALL MOVEMENT! HELLO?! Stat has 15 rebounds, but Marion only has 7. Late whistle as Amare pushes off on Turiaf. Play smart, young man. 100-91

6:46 LB is a pest as he forces the turnover, but Nash is not playing like an MVP as his pass goes out of bounds again. Turiaf goes over Bell's back, but it goes out of bounds. KT sat too long, as his shot is off. Marion swipes the ball from Kobe's hands, and some Globetrotter passing at the offensive end results in a Marion basket. Nice! Now that Amare is out, Marion is going after every miss. He tips it to Nash who leads Leandro out on the break for the lay up. The Throne is unhappy, and he beats the show producers to the timeout call. 104-91 Suns. Must...keep...pushing.

So it seems that, although Amare's been attacking the glass, his frustration is denying Shawn some opportunities underneath. With him sitting out with his fifth foul, we should be getting another double-double out of the Matrix. No sense in letting Stat's bad attitude cost the team the game. Keep him sitting until he calms down.

5:36 Kobe got a technical during the timeout, and Nash gets the freebie. He's not happy. BUT MATRIX IS!!! Nice alley oop to Trix for the one handed throw down over Turiaf and Odom! Odom scores, and it's a replay of the Matrix dunk as Nash finds him inside again on the break. That makes 10 assists for Nash, which is what we've been asking for the last 16 minutes. Marion fouls Turiaf on the other end. 109-94 Suns.

4:33 Marion sits for Diaw. He's earned it with a 14 point lead as Turiaf gets the second free throw. Raja's a tired new papa, as he hasn't scored since the first. Odom is left alone outside and makes a three. Nash can't affect that shot, so why bother trying. Ball goes off LB, and it's getting silly again. Kurt wisely fouls Turiaf underneath to prevent the easy two and to get Amare back in. 109-98 Suns.

4:13 Turiaf has a double-double, making both free ones. Nash sets to break down Kobe, then passes inside to Stat in traffic. He doesn't get the basket, but he gets the foul...Walton's 6th. Hit the road, Luke. 109-100 Suns.

2:58 Amare's smiling after that foul, and it's about time. Coach sat him in the corner until he learned to play well with others, and it's worked as both free throws are good. Kobe's tired. His shot is flat, and he's getting no elevation. Then again...that's a three, and we have an 8 point game. LB's answers, but it's the wrong question. I spoke too soon about Kobe. he just hit his second three to close the Suns' lead to 5. 111-106 Suns.

Maybe it's that I haven't slept much lately, but I'm kind of annoyed with this. The Suns are supposed to be closing this Lakers team out, and they just allowed another big run, 13-2. I'm telling you, Amare needs to sit, and Shawn needs to play. He's the key to this game because he doesn't succomb to physical play. He just snakes his way around and kills the slow-footed Lakers.

1:44 Nice two man game in the corner between Steve and Shawn. He scores on a baby hook, and Nash skies for the Lakers' missed three. between three ugly jerseys, too. Nash drives, delivers the pizza to Amare, and he doesn't get the 15% tip. But he does go to the line and promptly misses the first. Not the second, and it pushes it back to an 8 point game. They double Kobe 30 feet away and let Odom have the inside two. 114-108 Suns. BEAT LA!!!

1:28 Nash misses the inside fall away, but Marion was waiting under the basket for the back tap ro Bell. Good heads up play...followed by another great play by Raja, who streaks under the basket after an Amare miss and secures the rebound. He calls timeout before the officials call the time out. Good call, since we can't trust refs to make the right call along the out of bounds line with three Lakers surrounding a lone Suns player.

34.4 I'm thinking that the waterfall idea wasn't so good. I have a minute and a half of game time to hold it all in. Problem is, the teams have a combined SEVEN timeouts remaining. TAKE THAT, AVERY JOHNSON! Nash does his best Bob Cousy impression, and he's fouled. Lakers are over the penalty. Duh...with all the fouls called on both sides, I'm surprised that didn't start an hour ago. Another Laker three, and it's back to six. Stat gets molested like a 4 year old niece on his spin move, and it's back to the line we go. One of two, and it's a Laker time out. Suns lead is 117-110. Well...it's KIND OF a blow out. Considering how slow the game was, it's as good as we can expect. I'll say again...it went both ways.

One foul out, three players with five fouls, two players with four fouls, and a boat load of three-foulers.

25.0 Bryant misses the three, and the Suns force the ball off the Lakers and out of bounds. Coach D'Antoni wants to have a gloating session on the court, perhaps to find out who wants what on their post-game pizza. Or maybe he just wants to advance the ball and get a play going that gets the ball into Steve's hands for the expected foul. The PA announcer incites the crowd to chant BEAT LA!!! But it seems pointless now. Odom fouls out as he gets Nash in the back court on the inbounds, and his season is over. I gotta hand it to Lamar, he played a great series considering the bangs and bruises that have plagued him all season. He was the most aggressive Laker outside of Kobe, and he deserves a lot of credit for battling.

Farmar misses from outside, Marion secures the rebound, and this one is in the books. Thank, god. Not as professional as I had hoped, but they got it done. At the same time, it was more indicative of the Suns and Lakers season series. Hard fought, guys getting under each others' skin, and no win coming easily. Games 2 and 4 were aberrations in this one.

Nature calls! FINALLY I CAN ANSWER!!! Post game coming soon.

Postgame

Screw the postgame. The game is over, the series is over, let's move on and get ready for an epic battle. Suns versus Spurs analysis and forecast coming soon to A Clockwork Orange near you.

Why Golden State Lost Game 5

Much ado has been made about the Mavericks' (namely Dirk Nowitzki) performance at the end of game five in Dallas last night.

"Dirk shows MVP form!"

"Dirk comes through in the clutch!"

Superficial prattle of the like doesn't even begin to describe what happened over the last three minutes of that game, nor does it accurately convey the performance of the Mavericks and Warriors. I'll state it plainly for the whole NBA loving world to see...

The Mavericks did not win game five so much as the Warriors lost it.

Sure, Dirk and Devin Harris suddenly found themselves the aggressors in those three minutes. But why the sudden turn of events after 19 3/4 quarters of basketball? Did they finally find that spark they had supposedly carried with them throughout the regular season? Was the coffee in their pot burning?

No and no.

The Mavericks simply took advantage of an opening left by the inexperienced Warriors that began with two minutes and fifty seconds left in the game. Up by nine points, Golden State had a relatively comfortable margin to play with. A lead that big in the closing minutes dictates that the leading team should burn the clock and slow the pace to give the opposition less time to work with, making a comeback all the more improbable. That's what veteran playoff teams do, and they generally do it well.

Therein lies the problem. Golden State is not a veteran playoff team. After the Orlando Magic, they were the youngest team in the playoffs. They have no idea how to run the clock down in the closing minutes of a hotly contested game. That comes with experience.

I've been all over various message boards and blogs today getting a read on people's thoughts about the game. The Maverick fans say pretty much the same thing - that the Warriors choked under pressure and passed up open shots, and the Mavs showed poise and made clutch plays. But those are only two half-truths that don't add up to a whole.

True, the Warriors didn't perform well under pressure. But it wasn't the pressure that cost them their game composure. This is the free-wheeling, high flying, three-ball chucking, no-conscience Warriors who, for all intents and purposes, aren't even supposed to be here. What pressure could they possibly feel? Certainly none that came from a subdued Dallas crowd that couldn't muster the zeal to chant "MVP!" until the last 18 seconds, when the game was already well in hand. And certainly not from any defensive schemes that Avery Johnson pulled out of his Popovich hat.

The Warriors simply do not know how to play out the clock. The whole point of burning time at the end of a game is to get a good shot with as little of the 24 seconds remaining. It does not mean waiting until the last 3 seconds to chuck up a shot and hope it either goes in or the rebound comes back. It's to wait out between 10 and 14 seconds, then go into the offense. Once the shot goes up, at least three players need to haul ass back on defense to prevent any fast break opportunity.

What did the Warriors do? They tried to take as much time off the clock as possible. They passed up open shots, not because they wilted, but because they wanted to let more time run off. By the time they got open again, they were tossing up desperation heaves that barely found the rim. And instead of getting back on defense, they tried to go for the ball and get another chance.

And what did the Mavericks do? They sent players into the back court, while the rest secured the rebound and pushed the tempo. By the time the Warriors got back, they were scrambling after the ball instead of matching up to give the Mavs as difficult a shot as possible.

I don't normally agree with Skip Bayless on anything, but he made a very good point this morning on Cold Pizza. It's no secret that Dirk and the Mavs have difficulty keeping their composure under pressure (evidenced by Dirk's no show to that point, Jerry Stackhouse's half time technical after blowing a 21 point lead, and Jason Terry's take down of Baron Davis in front of an official).

But down by nine points and on the verge of elimination, all the pressure was off. Suddenly it didn't matter what they did, because they were about to lose anyway. That's when Dirk's shot started falling. That's when Devin Harris started driving. That's when the Mavs got to the foul line. When shots fall and free throws are aplenty, confidence sky rockets.

Sure, the Mavericks showed composure when Dirk finally hit some shots. And sure, the Warriors defense became nonexistent in the closing minutes. But let's look at a few crucial points before those who championed Dirk for MVP breathe a sigh of relief.

1. The Warriors blew seven (7) layups in the first half alone.

2. Dirk made his shots without defensive pressure from the Warriors.

3. Dirk did nothing more in those last three minutes than his teammates had been doing all series long.

4. The Warriors are the eighth seed.

The Mavericks have been given more credit than they deserve over the last 21 hours or so. They won a game that they were SUPPOSED to win. They were at home, down 3 games to 1 against the lowest seeded team in the conference. That game should have been a Dallas blowout, yet it took the mistakes of an inexperienced team to pull out the win. That does not bode well for tomorrow's trip to the bay area.

If Don Nelson finds his team in that position again, don't count on him burning time. The Warriors will be the same Warriors they were for the first 45 minutes of game 5, which is what they should have done those last three minutes. Had they just remembered who they are, Dirk would be on a long flight back to Germany right now, and he'd be accepting his MVP trophy via satellite Emmy's style.

Mr. Stoudemire

And here's to you, Mr. Stoudemire
Black Jesus wills the Suns to bring it home
Woah, woah, woah
God bless you, please, Mr. Stoudemire
Phoenix Suns are going all the way
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.

Microfracture worried us all, now you're feeling fine
We're glad to see you work to prove yourself
Now you're healthy and you've got all our eyes on the prize
Patrol the paint, rebound, and bring that title home

And here's to you, Mr. Stoudemire
Black Jesus wills the Suns to bring it home
Woah, woah, woah
God bless you, please, Mr. Stoudemire
Phoenix Suns are going all the way
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.

Hand it off to Marion, he'll take it to the hole
Clear the lane for Stevie and Leandro
Don't forget to kick it out to Raja for a three
Throw it down, you've got to dominate the paint

Koo-koo-ka-choo, Mr. Stoudemire
Black Jesus wills the Suns to bring it home
Woah, woah, woah
God bless you, please, Mr. Stoudemire
Phoenix Suns are going all the way
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.

Sitting on the training table in the locker room
Gonna play tonight and dominate
Let it all out, psyche yourself out
Now it's time to cruise
Everyone in Phoenix knows the Suns will never lose

Where have you gone, Jerry Colangelo
Phoenix wants to share in this with you
Woo woo woo
What's that you say, Mr. Stoudemire
Jerry's son has left and gone away
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.

A Golden State of Mind

Back to business...

One of the happiest moments of my life occurred when I was 12 years old. Two years earlier, my parents went through a bitterly ugly divorce (as if there's any other kind for a kid), so it was a rough stretch in what would become a rather a difficult life of tumult and disappointment. Prepubescence is a crucial time in a person's development, and here I was going through the kind of stress that drives greater men mad -- and I was only a boy. That stress ultimately resulted in a stunted emotional and cognitive development that haunts me to this day.

I was slow to mature, and I found stability in a fantasy life provided by cartoons and toys. Being a kid was all I knew, and I didn't have anyone to guide me into adolescence. I was stuck in neutral at a time that I should have been popping the clutch and shifting into second gear.

My favorite cartoon when I was 10 years old was Voltron. I loved both versions for different reasons, but Lion Force is the one that started it all. (Actually, Vehicle Force was on for a week first, then channel 45 suddenly jumped to the other. It took some adjustment, but I managed.) After the Lion episodes were finished, the station switched back to the Vehicles. There were fifteen of them each with distinct environs as their key strengths - air, land, and water.

Of course, in the states, those cartoons were nothing more than a marketing vehicle (pardon the pun) for toy manufacturers. And of course, I wanted those toys. I had my heart set on the Lions, but there were only five of those. My imagination was bigger than that, and I wanted the fifteen vehicles.

But the divorce brought to light a harsh reality - my family was poor. I never knew that because my dad always found a way - by hook or by crook, I'll never really know - to make sure my siblings and I got as much as we could for Christmas. But now that my parents were separated, things got downright sad over the holidays.

The first year I got a shirt, some drawing paper, and colored pencils. The night before I saw the silhouette of Santa Claus sneaking passed my bedroom window. I even heard the sleigh bells and reindeer hooves prancing on the ground outside. (The roof was a wreck, and it would have been disaster to land a small petting zoo up there.) When I woke up, there were more packages under the tree than when I went to bed, so I was happy with what I got. Maybe I was just too excited at what I had witnessed earlier in the night to be disappointed. Besides, my sister and I got a package from my dad (who was in California at the time living with a stripper) a couple months later as a make up. He sent me the "battle damage" X-Wing fighter that year and some Star Wars action figures, so you can imagine how stoked I was.

The next year, it was more of the same. Well, less, actually. It was the year we didn't actually have a Christmas...not even a tree to decorate. That was the most miserable year. My dad was living in Phoenix at the time, and he promised that he'd get me the complete Lion Force Voltron set, but it never came. It has to be the worst feeling ever for a kid to wake up on Christmas morning to find only the single present one of my siblings picked out at K-Mart. My sister got me the cheap little plastic knock off version, and there were no moving parts. My dad had let me down.

Still, I never lost faith. Every year there were promises made, and every year they were broken. When I was 12, my sister and I visited my dad for Christmas Eve. He was living in a trailer park in Phoenix (across Priest where Arizona Mills Mall now stands) with a Christian family, and they wanted to make sure we had a good Christmas. My dad got me a metallic version of the Lion Voltron, but the pieces didn't separate. It was just a 12 inch action figure with jointed shoulders and hips. I thought I was getting the real deal, but he didn't know any better. Again, disappointment. This was getting hard to take.

That night, my sister and I packed our stuff up, and we went home to sleep in our own beds. That was the arrangement, and I wasn't too disappointed about going home. I know that he tried, but my dad just didn't have the means to help us through the trying times. I just didn't want him to see me cry.

I woke up on Christmas morning, and there were loads of presents under the tree. I was shocked, and I didn't think any of them were for me. It was unexpected to say the least. I tried not to get my hopes up because another downer would have sent me into a tizzy, and I probably would have just hid under my bed for the rest of my life. It was getting so hard to take.

This was different, though. My oldest sister was there. She had been out on her own for a few years by that time, and even though it was a special occasion, it was unusual that she was there so early in the morning. We started opening presents rabidly, trying our bests to savor the moment because we never knew if this opportunity would present itself again. I got a shirt, a knit snow cap (in Arizona? Yes), and a pair of leopard fuzzy morning slippers from my sister. Unusual gifts, but I loved them just the same. It was SOMETHING. I also got a battery operated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe pinball game (another cartoon favorite, although I had already moved on from that one).

And there was one more gift, standing in the corner behind the tree, wrapped tightly as if extra care had been taken. It was a fair size rectangular box, and I had no idea what it could have been. So I opened it, already forgetting the previous night's disappointment. It was Christmas again.

I tore through the paper slowly. I didn't want to know what it was until I got all the wrapping off. The corner of the box was dark blue, or maybe black. I couldn't take it anymore, so I ripped as much off as I could, exposing the front. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was stunning. It was miraculous. There in my hands lay the Holy Grail that I had been longing for -- two long and painful years. It was the Vehicle Force Voltron, and it was the complete set. All fifteen vehicles, shiny and new, heavy with plastic and metal parts (back when toys still had steel parts). I didn't scream or yell or lose my head. My jaw just dropped as the biggest smile I've ever felt stretched across my face. I didn't know what to say or who to thank. I was happy again.

It was the same disbelieving stunned smile I wore last night, as the Golden State Warriors came roaring back from a 21 point first half deficit against the Dallas Mavericks. I'm not sure why the two events elicited such parallel emotional responses, but that stunned excitement of watching the hated Mavs getting it handed to them by the upstart Warriors was more than I could have hoped for. It didn't matter that they blew the game in the end. I'm not even a Golden State fan, but I despise Dallas that much.

I guess thoughts of a Phoenix versus Golden State, no-holds-barred, run-and-gun shoot 'em up Western Conference Finals were dancing through my head at the time. For the first time, I felt like the Mavericks would truly be exposed as a paper lion...a false champion. The only problem was that Don Nelson had his team run out clock in the last few minutes, which is death for a running team. They have to make shots eventually or risk turning the ball over and giving the opposition a free shot at coming back. When they finally did jack up their shots, they were out of rhythm and off line. I thought for sure that 9 points would be enough of a cushion, but it depended on the team pushing the ball, even as the game clock wore down.

It doesn't matter, though. No one really expected the Warriors to win again in Dallas. The big turn around was just a beautiful surprise that left the Mavericks feeling uneasy about winning the next game in Oakland. And that makes me smile, too. Who knows? If the Warriors win at home on Thursday night, it just might be Christmas all over again.

More on Kelly Dwyer

Just because I have nothing better to write at the moment, I'm going to do one of my e-famous point by point deconstructions of young Mr. Dwyer's comments on my MVP entry. It's been a fan favorite in other circles, so I hope you all enjoy it, as well. Should be fun.

KD: Dirk played better than any player in basketball, consistently, from the first week of November until the end of the season.

J: It's funny that this was the first thing you said. It was followed later by...

KD: The type of swoon Nash had following his Feb. return from injury was exactly the funk I was talking about. Dirk didn't come through with that until the season's final two weeks.

J: So which is it? He either went through a lull or he didn't. Make up your mind. More on that first part later.

KD: If you want to hand the MVP to someone because of the first round of the playoffs, then I'll be right there, covering the ceremony with Luol Deng.

J: I don't know if I ever suggested anything of the sort, but if I did, I'll see you in Oakland.

KD: Unless you're pissed at the All-D votes, which coaches vote on. Not writers.

J: See...now this is where reading plays a key role in understanding. My memory may be failing, but I'm thinking that my exact words on that subject were along the lines of, "The hype around these other players is so bad that even the >>coaches in the league<< have been sucked into the void of intellectual atrophy provided by the sports media. " Something like that. Correct me if I'm wrong.

KD: By the way, the whole "makes his teammates better" BS shows nothing but disrespect toward the players on your favorite team

J: Is that so? Is that why they always laud him for making their jobs easier? Maybe you just misunderstand the phrase "makes his teammates better". My understanding of that phrase is that it means that they are more effective with him on the court, which they are.

For example... Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire are shooting over 52% since Nash joined the team. Raja Bell is shooting a career best 42.7% three pointers since joining Nash. Leandro Barbosa is also shooting career high percentages with a better assist rate and lower turnovers under Nash's tutelage. (Yes, he is a young player, but he does attribute a lot of his growth to Steve Nash, as well as Dan D'Antoni.)

Of course Steve didn't teach them how to shoot. But they sure do get better looks because of his presence and pinpoint passing. That makes them TA DA!!! BETTER! Does that improve their individual skill sets? No. But it certainly makes them even less guardable than before. (Conversely, Nash credits his teammates for making him better by being so good.) Maybe you're disrespecting the Mavs by attributing their success to his great season.

KD: So the March 14th game invalidates the other two contests where Dirk was brilliant in leading his team to victory?

J: Yes. That is exactly what I said, verbatim. Thank you for clarifying for everyone what I meant by this... "One game should never determine who the MVP should be. It's not fair to the guys who play the other 81 games of the year (or most of them). What that game did, though, was highlight exactly why Dirk should never be voted for the award."

KD: Did you watch basketball before the Kobe vs. Shaq game?

J: Nope. Didn't have time because I was wallowing in self pity regarding my lack of employment as a paid hack. I'll try to remember to keep up next season, though. Thanks for reminding me.

KD: The type of swoon Nash had following his Feb. return from injury was exactly the funk I was talking about.

J: So let me get this straight. Steve Nash should be punished for being injured for two weeks, then working himself back into game shape simply because Dirk missed all of two games? That's interesting, as it was Nash's absence in the 04-05 season that sealed his first MVP. It isn't as if his performance suffered from boredom or lack of focus. He couldn't shoot straight due to a bum shoulder. HAND THE MVP TO DIRK, FOLKS!

KD: Dirk didn't come through with that until the season's final two weeks. Duncan had his in January. Kobe had his in November.

J: Kobe was coming back from knee surgery. Duncan played his best when it mattered...going into the playoffs. Steve played his best all year, and was sidetracked by an injury. Dirk bombed, as you said, the last two weeks of the season. Isn't that the time that MVPs start gathering momentum for the playoffs? If its a full regular season award, why are you giving him a pass on the last two weeks when it has so obviously affected him in the first round? Sounds rather specious to me.

KD: How is Steve making his teammates "better" if they're already able to do the things he allows them to do?

J: Couldn't think of anything new to say, eh? Couldn't, oh, I don't know, addressed the valid points I made?

KD: He may allow them to do those things nine times a game, whereas Howard Eisley allowed them to pull it off once a game a few years back

J: Howard Eisley is also not an MVP candidate, nor has he ever been. That is a good reason why. Seriously...you've reduced yourself to comparing a two time MVP to a career back up point guard who only became a starter after the Suns shipped Marbury off to New York? Here comes that word again...specious.

KD: Michael Jordan didn't teach Steve Kerr how to hit a jump shot.

J: He sure didn't. But he allowed Steve Kerr to play a HUGE roll in three straight championships, didn't he? Double teams will do that. And who gets double teamed so much that a simple jump shooter can win a championship for you? An MVP. That's who.

KD: If somebody thought you could bring readers to their forum, they'd have found you, and paid you.

J: I hadn't realized that major news networks and professional sports teams were scouring the web for random bloggers to hijack. Thanks for the heads up. I'll be keeping a lookout posted 24/7.

KD: And before you type the "that's not the type of person I want to be, having to hack it up for cash" twaddle, consider that you already think yourself worthy for a job -- that's why you brought the pay bit up in the first place.

J: One of my biggest pet peeves is people trying to speak for me. Knocking down a man of straw you built with your own hands does not constitute a valid argument. I bought up the "paid" thing in the first place because (if you had bothered to read other entries) it is something I say when I find that professional journalists aren't living up to standards of excellence that I and other readers set for them. I'm a good writer, and I don't even get paid. What's your excuse?

KD: Don't try to have it either way.

J: Who made YOU God? Who are you to say that I can't have either of two choices set before me? (What you meant to say was, "Don't try to have it BOTH ways.") Still, it's your own fault for trying to back me into a corner with the imaginary argument you came here with. If I ever get paid for writing, it will be a small miracle. But if it meant having to compromise my own standards of artistic integrity, I'll be more than happy to continue doing it for free.

KD: The great lot of NBA blogdom offers analysis and insight that somehow manages to rise above subjectivity and teach people new things.

J: And yours accomplishes neither.

KD: The worst is when the fans willingly ignore things they know will hurt their argument (November 9th, 2006; December 28th, 2006)

J: I didn't ignore anything. I used a specific example to demonstrate a lack of quality by a player compared to another in the same game at the same time. Fourth quarter of the March 14 game illustrated beautifully the differences between the two players. But since we're on that subject...I find it amusingly ironic that you would accuse me of ignoring the two games earlier in the year, while you simultaneously try to brush the last two games under the rug. So why are you ignoring more critical games? Is it because those two games just happen to destroy your argument that Dirk is the MVP...that he was outplayed in every way by Steve Nash?

KD: when objective scribes who have been around all year are also around and know better.

J: Number one: I never claimed to be completely objective. I even state in my profile that I come off as a homer, yet I do my best to remain as objective as possible. The whole point of being a "fan" is to support the home team.

Number two: I sure as hell hope that you're not counting yourself as someone who knows better. For your information, I said for a long time that even I cannot choose between Nash or Nowitzki as MVP. They were both having great years, and I said on azcentral for all my fellow Suns fans to see that I wouldn't be bothered in the least if Dirk won it. Then March 14 happened. Then April 1 happened. Then I noticed Tim Duncan. Nash and Duncan are my top two because of their big game performances and all around great play, but I still choose Nash because Duncan is a San Antonio Spur.

KD: Pick on the idiots who want to give Dirk an MVP because of the "best player on the best team" tripe.

J: I'd rather pick on the idiots who think that Dirk has been the most consistent player all year, the ones who can't admit that he has said and done things on and off the court that point to his ultimate ineptness as the best player and leader of a team.

KD: Pick on Dirk's pathetic first round in a vacuum, especially when you know it's a regular
season award.

J: You mean...especially when I STATED CLEARLY that it's a regular season award.

KD: Celebrate the play of what could be the NBA's finest player to ever play the position

J: I am. That's why I say that Steve Nash should be the MVP, and not a seven foot off guard who plays at the four even though he has the size and lateral movement of a center.

KD: don't instead choose to waste your time denigrating others with specious reasoning.

J: Waste my time? On the Internet? On an amateur sports blog? Are you joking? How would you have me waste my time...by working? I'll denigrate whoever the hell I want, especially when that person uses specious reasoning to counteract his own dissonance to the fact that he backed the wrong horse. Speaking of specious...aren't you the genius who stated as part of his reasoning for choosing Dirk that he is "the NBA's probable leader in passes that lead to the assist"?

The Gretzky pass isn't even a measurable statistic, and you're trying to use it as reasoning for choosing Dirk? Moreover, a quality that Nash excels at better than anyone in the league? Are you shittin' me? Dallas was 24th in the league in assists, and you're saying that Dirk Nowitzki is probably the league leader in a statistical category that doesn't exist that, if it did exist, is directly proportional to the amount of assists a team has. And you say that I use specious reasoning?

KD: It just makes you look, at any age, desperate.

J: I'm sorry...you were saying? My age (33 for those who haven't looked) has what to do with anything? But since you decided to open that door...who in their right minds is going to listen to a 26 year old kid talk about the nuances of basketball when he isn't even old enough to remember Kareem's sky hook? Only a kid would lack the foresight it takes to make that statement. Now can we get back to the meat of the debate?

KD: Hard to do that with someone who's entire argument consists of hyperbole.

J: You want hyperbole? Try this on for size... "Nowitzki is a consistently devastating scorer, one of the league's best (and most underrated) help defenders, the NBA's probable leader in passes that lead to the assist and a spacing creator nonpareil. "

Don't make accusations about things of which you are guilty. It makes you look like you didn't think this whole thing through. Then again, so do all of your half-ass replies to my entry.

KD: You could have said "Kelly Dwyer, who disagrees with me as to Steve Nash's relative merits as an all-around basketball player when in comparison to Dirk Nowitzki;"

J: Conversely, I also could have said, "Kelly Dwyer's a fucking illiterate retard without the base sense back away from a loose cliff edge. Can you believe this jackass won't concede that Nowitzki has given voters reason to doubt their decision to make him this year's MVP? What an asshole!"

But I didn't.

KB: Virtue and skill should be their own reward.

J: That must be why you're getting paid.

Kelly Dwyer: My New BFF

For those who only made a cursory glance of my latest entry, I have been graced by the presence of a spectacular sports writer with all the professionalism one would expect from someone I hold in such high esteem. Yes, Kelly Dwyer of si.com felt the urge to defend himself after I called his journalistic integrity into question regarding his choice for the league MVP. Is it really him? I can't say for certainty, but all signs point to authenticity.

Now, I don't blame him for going on the defensive about the whole thing. After all, I would do the same thing if I had the nuggets to Google my own name and find out if anyone is talking about me. I may not be a professional writer, but I do hold myself to a certain ethical standard that I believe is defensible under such circumstances. But Kelly Dwyer isn't me.

So in light of the fact that he has been all over my sack today, I would like to make a few things clear.

1. I am a fan of good writing, regardless of the level of objectivity. All I ask is that - if he decides to remain on the homer side of subjective - he is honest with it, and manages to make a compelling argument for his beliefs.

2. My comments about my lack of paid status have been a running gag since January, when I called out the Arizona writers for their unoriginality, and the national writers' perpetuation of certain myths regarding the Suns - namely their supposed lack of defense. I wrote about that subject (among others) at the time, only to find similar stories in "reputable" news sources five days later. The joke began as, "If I'm writing about this stuff before these guys, why am I not getting paid?" Get over it, Kelly. It has nothing to do with any insecurities or lack of talent on my part.

3. This is a blog dedicated to the Phoenix Suns. It is written from the perspective of a Suns fan who happens to have a good understanding of the professional game. I do my best not to go overboard with my fanship, instead making every attempt to remain as objective as humanly possible. I support my arguments regarding the Suns with statistical analysis and in-game comparisons, and any disagreement is welcome. All I ask is that I be given the same respect that I show others by supplying the pertinent information. If you make a counterclaim, you had better damn well back it up with good, solid information...not simple opinion.

4. My educational background varies widely from the human sciences to statistics to physical education to media studies. I am also well-versed in the nuances of the English language, and my use of tools such as irony and satire often go unnoticed due to the subtlety with which I employ them. Be assured that my opinions, however biased they may seem, are grounded in an understanding of all relevant aspects of sports culture, and I know exactly what I am saying. Don't try to twist my words or ignore valid points in order to better suit your own argument.

5. If you can't take the heat, get out of the valley.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's get dirty, shall we?

In my earlier entry, I stated clearly that the March 14 game between Phoenix and Dallas should in no way decide who the MVP of the league is. I also stated that it is a regular season award, and Dirk's performance in the first round series with the Warriors has absolutely no bearing on his projected MVP status.

My point was that, "What that game did, though, was highlight exactly why Dirk should never be voted for the award." I went on to explain why that was the case, using performances from that game alone because it was a crucial late season game with playoff seeding implications. (Honestly, did November 9 and December 28 carry that pressure? I think not.) The Suns closed the gap to two games with that win. It was rendered meaningless, though, as they failed to show up for the following two games against tough playoff teams.

But the Suns' performance after that game does not change the fact that Dirk failed miserably in crunch time of that important game. No one really expected the Suns to take a three day vacation after that win, so there was no reason for Nowitzki not to show up at the end of that particular game.

I subsequently hammered the point home (that the voters got it wrong) by referencing the Golden State series. It was reason for voters to question their decisions. Is this how an MVP performs under pressure? Does an MVP declare the season over when his team is down 2-1?

You may not like my argument, Kelly, and you obviously don't agree with it. You don't have to. All you have to do is acknowledge that, as a professional writer, you may have been wrong about this guy. There is more integrity in that, in thoroughly reading an entry and getting to the crux of the argument and finding the validity, than there is in making comments about my age, my unpaid status, or my homerism.

Seriously...you get paid for that?

This is Your M.V.P.?

My disdain for the sports media fraternity is well-documented. From Charley Rosen slamming Amare Stoudemire after a Suns win in New York, to Marc Stein's blatant homerism in his advocacy of Dirk Nowitzki for MVP, to Kelly Dwyer's complete misunderstanding of the game of basketball, I have been less impressed with these hacks as the years have gone on. (Don't even get me started on the Arizona Republic's own Paul Coro.)

When I was honing my writing craft in high school, I got some excellent advice from a teacher, and I have held onto it to this very day. Write what you know. If you can't do that...lie. (I may have heard it on television - I can never keep the two straight.) The implication of the second part of that axiom is that the lie has to be convincing. If you're going to lie to me, make me believe in the lie.

The problem with sports media has gotten so bad that the Unnamed Sports Programming Network lists among its NBA experts - a full-fledged homer (the aforementioned Stein), a statistician (John Hollinger, whose mathematical formulas are, to borrow a line from Phil Jackson, dubious at best), and a Joe Schmo blogger (lifelong Blazer fan, Henry Abbott).

Are they kidding me? I'm all three of those, and I don't even get paid! And I certainly would never proclaim myself - or allow anyone else to do so on my behalf - an expert of any kind. I'm just a guy who pays a lot of attention to detail, and hopes that the hammer doesn't strike too far from the head of the nail.

But this is the state of journalism today, and not just in sports. One need look no further than Fox News Channel (faux News, for the E-literati amongst us), where I actually witnessed a female anchor defend Simon Cowell's assertions that Ryan Seacrest is gay by saying that "he's so busy. He doesn't have time!" Dead serious. If I had a copy of the video, I'd show you. The fact that a national news network was spending prime air time talking about American Idol banter is bad enough, but to denounce Seacrest's questionable sexuality by claiming that his job keeps him away from the Blue Oyster bar? (Insert tired John Amaechi joke here.)

All digressions aside, my point is that journalists of all stripes have next to zero credibility anymore. They have all gone Hollywood -- looking for the sexy angle, the controversy, the new blood. They all seem to write and talk like they're auditioning for that big break on Inside Edition.

I guess that explains why Shawn Marion only received seven (7) first place votes for Defensive Player of the Year, making a grand total of 43 ballots for 93 voter points. He built a head of steam in the middle of the season, but it seems to be a case of "too little, too early" as Camby, Duncan, and Bowen skyrocketed to the top of the conversation when it was clear that the Spurs and Nuggets would meet in the first round. That's right boys (and girl) - let's all promote our Golden Boy playoff series as much as possible. They had to, of course, since nobody on either the Mavericks or Warriors would be mistaken for a defender in the league (despite Josh Howard's sudden comparisons to Scottie Pippen).

The hype around these other players is so bad that even the coaches in the league have been sucked into the void of intellectual atrophy provided by the sports media. Marion didn't even make the All Defense team, and there are TWO! I guess they just don't listen to bloggers anymore. Unless, of course, they have been hired by the Unnamed Sports Programming Network to provide fresh meat to the nationally biased circle jerk that is the fraternity.

As you can see, I am none too thrilled about Marion's perennial snub, predictable though it might be.

But I've done my stories on Shawn, and quite frankly, I am tired of repeating myself. I am not a parrot, which might also explain why I never seem to say the same things as "those guys".

What I would really love to do is give a great big I TOLD YOU SO to the schmucks who voted Dirk Nowitzki as this year's MVP. It has become apparent, with nary a journalist shying away from predicting Dirk as this year's recipient of the award, that Nash will be screwed out of it (not that he even cares).

And to be perfectly honest, I don't care that Nash will not threepeat as the league MVP. Everyone knows how great he is, especially after completely dismantling the Laker defense in three of four games in the postseason, let alone his domination of crunch time in Dallas on March 14.

Experts like Marc Stein (former Mavs beat writer, yes) were quick to point out that voters shouldn't judge their preference based on a single game. After all, it is a season long award, and the season was already four and a half months old at the time with another month left to play. If Dirk's play prior to that game wasn't enough for voters to maintain their confidence, then surely his play afterward would redeem him.

As it turns out, they were right on that point. One game should never determine who the MVP should be. It's not fair to the guys who play the other 81 games of the year (or most of them). What that game did, though, was highlight exactly why Dirk should never be voted for the award.

Great statistical season and convoluted PER aside, Nowitzki failed to perform when it mattered - in crunch time of a big game against the reigning MVP with playoff seeding in the balance. Dirk failed miserably, as he bricked three straight free throws, opening the door for Shawn Marion's rebound, Raja Bell's shooter screen, and Steve Nash's miracle three pointer to send the crucial game into overtime.

THAT, my friends, is the epitome of an MVP. He makes his team mates better, they do everything in their power to get him the ball for that last shot, and he MAKES IT.

Even Jason Terry outperformed Dirk in that game, as he made his own clutch three to force a second overtime. And how did that game end? Shawn Marion was face guarding Dirk Nowitzki on the left wing, forcing Dirk to take a fall away 17 footer. And despite Shawn's best efforts and his game savvy not to go forward on the pump fake, Nowitzki could have easily hit that shot. He made one earlier in the overtime, why not this one? Because instead of acting like an MVP and going for the score come hell or high water, he went for the foul.

He pump faked to get Shawn in the air, and instead of jumping into his defender, he fell away, hoping the referee would actually bail him out on the play. He tried so hard to get that foul call that he actually hit the floor ass first. The thing is, an MVP will even tell you that an experienced big game official won't make that call with the game on the line.

And who skied above every Maverick around the basket for that final rebound? Steve Nash. An MVP knows that the play isn't over until the buzzer sounds, and he wasn't going to let Josh Howard get the put back on that basket.

The entire final 22 minutes of that game defined the essence of Most Valuable Player. He wills him team back from the depths, overcoming a 7 point deficit in the final minute by scoring 10 straight points, hitting a clutch three to send the game into overtime. And when he misses the first one, he trusts his team mates to get him the ball and the open space to try again. He makes his free throws when they matter the most. He keeps his composure, and imposes that MVP will on those four players in the same uniform.

He is a leader.

And now, those facts are no more apparent than now, as Dirk's Mavericks are on the verge of being knocked out of the first round by the eight seed Golden State Warriors. It's bad enough that his team is in the hole, but his response after the game 3 loss should have these "experts" second guessing themselves all the way to the unemployment line.

If we lose the next game, our season is pretty much over.

I don't recall Steve Nash ever saying anything even similar to that when the Suns found themselves in their own 1-3 hole last year. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard an NBA player say ANYTHING like that after ANY game.

And this is the guy that experts have been lifting onto a pedestal all season long. This is the guy that Marc Stein said had the same leadership qualities as Nash. This is a guy who just made a lot of people in the sports media business look like complete buffoons.

I may not be an expert, and I may not make any money doing this writing thing, but I have one thing that these professionals don't - the right to say "I told you so."

First of the Worst

So I haven't slept at all. I was going to write an entry last night, but I got caught doing the video below. It was a rockin' pain in the ass because I don't have a new graphics card, yet, so all I have to work with is that damn Windows Movie Maker. Worst editing program ever.

Before I even got to it, I had to wait two hours for the video to convert to a usable status. Then I had to wait another half hour for WMM to import it. The sickest part about that program is that it splices the video arbitrarily - no rhyme or reason. One clip could be 1.5 seconds, the next could be over a minute. And most of the highlight plays were cut into two or three parts.

I still had to do a ton of fancy cutting as I went through two hours worth of game video. I got more highlights than I could use, thank God. Still, that took me about three and a half hours. Then the "fun" part began.

The stupid thing stalled incessantly whenever I tried to perform even the simplest action - such as pressing PLAY. It took around 30 seconds to recover every time it froze, so you can imagine how long it took to cut 450 clips, then splice various ones together in linear fashion (another of the worst parts of WMM...no nonlinear editing). To make a long story short, it took fraggin' forever. Including conversion time, around 10 hours for a three minute fifty second reel.

Due to the difficulties with freezing, you will see that about a third of the way through, I stopped using effects and just stuck with cross fades. For the most part, it's not half bad. Not up to my standards, but what can ya do when working with shit? Well, this is what...

Ladies and gentlemen - I present "Seven Starter Army".



*Update: By the way, they don't have local broadcasts on nba.com, so I got stuck with TNT, espn, and Yes (for the NJ game). And the Dallas game has that stupid score ticker on the bottom of the screen the whole time. Espn sucks balls. Sorry. No extra looks from a Suns' prespective. And No Dan Majerle or Al McCoy calls.

This is just a short one I made messing around with the NJ classic. I'll probably lengthen it...make it more serious. For now, I was just being somewhat humorous.