NBA ECF: 3-2 Cavs

i'll let choi discuss the game itself as i know nothing yet (haven't had a chance to read articles or anything), but i will say this: i am now disappointed i haven't watched the last three games of this series. and i will now make it a point to stay up until whatever hour it takes to watch game 6.

all i want to know is this: are you happy with lebron yet choi? ignore the fact that he has yet to close out the series, which i know means everything and we can revisit this question after the series ends, but to this point is lebron turning in the performance that you think he needed to in order to show that he's a dominate player in this league?

that's all on this end. perhaps another post coming later today wrapping up TMF v. Starace, P. round of 32 now, things start getting seriously. and i for one am not pleased to see wiley (guillermo canas) still lingering in fed's part of the draw. although secretly i do want TMF and wiley to meet up. mmmk... laterz.

jet lag much?

so yeah, being 7 hours away from my normal time zone has had multiple effects on me. the waking up everyday at 6am sucks, but what's worst is that sports are all played when i can't pay any attention to them. i know, i stayed up until 5am to watch TMF (the mighty fed) pound Roddick in Australia.. but that's TMF. I like LeBron and all, but he's not TMF. So as a result i have little to say about the NBA playoffs anymore, but i'll contribute what i can. So here goes:

(1) Eastern Conference Finals: the series is now tied. i am impressed. choi basically said all that need be said about game three. and game four, well i didn't see it but reading the stat sheet it looks like some pieces around lebron stepped up and helped carry the team. and then lebron responded by thanking them and dropping 13 in the fourth. all this without hughes playing mind you, so that's saying something.
For the pistons though, i guess one thing you can take away from the game is that billups heated up a bit. so maybe that helps as they return to the Palace.
If the Cavs find a way to win game 5... wow, i'd find a way to watch game 6.

(2) Major League Baseball: a few brief thoughts
- keep an eye on Tim Lincecum (thanks c-wod)... kid has pretty sick stuff and has lasted at least 7 innings in his last four starts. also was carrying a sub 1.00 ERA in the minors before his call up... fantasy baseballers, if he's available i say grab him.
- ryan freel... thank god he's okay, but that's why we call for the ball boys.
- the nl central: the only time anybody in the nl central will win a game for the rest of the season is when two nl central teams play each other mandating that someone win. i'm not sure you could amass a nl central all-star team that could compete with some of the other teams in baseball.

(3) French Open. This is obviously the one sports event to which i have been paying uber-close attention. Partly due to the fact that it actually happens while i'm awake, and partly due to the fact that the burger king near me shows the matches everyday... so i pay homage to the king and watch TMF (or sharapova this morning, somebody tell her that part pant, part dress, part jumpsuit outfit looks like hell). So without further delay, notes on TMF v. M. Russel:
- TMF was in control of this match the entire time. He was not broken at all and never looked in danger of having Russel break him. Some will say, 'why was the match so close? 6-4 in two sets?' these people should remember that: (1) its pretty tough to break serve. (2) M. Russel might be the best american clay player, despite his being relatively old. he was the last american to reach round 4 at the Roland Garros , mind. (3) TMF likes to 'work on things' in the earlier rounds of Grand Slam events so that he can get his game tweaked just the way he likes it for when he meets, oh say Rafa in the final.
- One thing i hope TMF is/was working on was serve returns. Granted Russel has a pretty big serve, but Fed sailed some returns and looked to be struggling a bit with serves hit right at his body.
- overall TMF looked good. the tony roche situation is no longer hanging over him, and he looks relaxed and ready to play tennis. his backhand is deadly too. but mentally, an aspect which is so important to the game, it appears he's ready to give that career grand slam a whole hearted shot.

alright, that does it from this side of the globe. i'll try to be more frequent in my updates now that i get to go somewhere with internet everyday for class. who knows though, maybe i'll end up in paris this weekend to watch my boy in person.

world this is lebron james, lebron world

Apparently, Lebron stated that game 3 was the "biggest game of his life". Which, makes his performance after those words, that much baller. That 50-15-12 performance that I waited for, happened and truthfully I wasn't surprised. Now, I picked the Pistons in six and they went out and won the first two games. But I have a feeling this is a totally different series. Many reasons...
1. Simply put, the Pistons held serve. It wasn't as if Cavs were expected to win a game at the Palace, If they did, it would have been a huge steal.
2. In my previous post, I believed the matchup between Chauncey Billups and the patchwork/platoon point guard of the Cavs, would be a mismatch for the Pistons. However, I was unaware of the history of Mike Brown of OWNING Billups. I have to apologize for criticizing Brown on his coaching acumen. His gameplan has bothered Billups ever since he was a Piston. That, compounded with the fact that Daniel Gibson's quick hands and Larry Hughes' length, is visibly bothering Billups.
3. Riles, you want an ESPY-esque dunk? Well you got it. http://youtube.com/watch?v=mFl-66WrF_o
If that dunk doesn't light a fire for Lebron, then there is nothing that will. Scary thing is, more than the dunk is that he now knows how to attack this vaunted Pistons-D with his ever present athleticism along with his off and on jumper that is now on, added to his arsenal.
4. I am a realist though. For all I know, Lebron could take over this series like last year and finish the Pistons by himself. On the other hand, Lebron still has not found a right hand man that can consistently keep the Pistons honest. Billups may struggle throughout the series but that still leaves out Rip Hamilton who was awful in games 2 and 3. The Cavs can't expect those struggles continue.
5. Funny thing for Lebron is, every game from this point on is his "biggest game" with the precedent he set. How many players past or present can take three guys and make the last guy a 6'11" defensive stalwart a mere poster? Then afterwards take a defensive wing specialist out on the three point line and promptly demoralize him with a fadeaway?
6. I know its cliche, but I sincerely believe if this series is going seven games, the Cavs have to win game 4. If this series goes 3-1 Pistons, then it undoubtedly go Pistons the rest of the way. Game 4 is a must win out of must wins.
7. Lebron, one criticism. Stop phoning in the third quarter. Play with energy for all four. I can't imagine what stats he would have put up had he scored more than one point in the third.
8. Finally French Open........eh who cares?

across the pond

greetings from london's beloved heathrow airport. i really have no sports new to blog about at this point as i've missed the last few days of everything due to my travels. all i know is:
(1) Roland Garros starts this weekend. I will be blogging about this extensively and watching everyone of R-Fed's matches in whatever dirty pub i can find in vienna.
(2) lebron and the cavs are down 2-0. Apparently some people think he was fouled... i haven't the slightest idea. Choi what are your thoughts?
(3) the nhl exists... i haven't cared since Sid the Kid was knocked out.
(4) the redbirds just swept the pirates... i have again established my dominance over beaver!
(5) did i mention that Roland Garros starts this weekend?

a real blog post will follow once i've set up shop in my flat in wien (read: vienna for the english speakers).

go roger.

That was convenient

WSBT reports:

Notre Dame Quarterback Arrested

Demetrius Jones was picked up in LaPorte County May 17th on a marijuana possession charge. He bonded out of jail that night.

The LaPorte County prosecutor's office says he has been charged with a misdemeanor possession charge. A university spokesman says Jones remain enrolled, and to his knowledge, is currently in good standing.

Edit: Charges were dropped. Phew.

You've got to be kidding me!

Alright, I've gotten over the initial ecstasy of the fact that the Supersonics will draft Kevin Durant. Sadly, this probably is one of the top moments in my life as a sports fan. But seriously Seattle was due. After the old days of Gary Payton being an all world point guard and Shawn Kemp not having 6534706 illegitimate children, I was pretty disillusioned with the basketball in Seattle. This was only made worse by the fact that the Sonics have taken Robert Swift, Mohammad Sene, and John Petro in three previous drafts. Cereally?

But I seriously think this begins a new era in basketball, I really do. Now, I'm a big fan of the national sports scene, but that also may be because I haven't really had a team perennially contend for championships. That is why I HAVE to talk about this. I am by no means saying that the Sonics are now going to turn into the 90s Bulls. But at worst, this is going to be one entertaining team to watch.

Think about it, the potential starting five for the Sonics next year.
PG Luke Ridnour - Doesn't play a lick of defense but neither does Steve Nash. His game is definitely suited for the run and gun style.
SG Ray Allen - Age is only a number to him. One of the few players that I have watched that played hard AFTER a new contract. Still has it.
SF Rashard Lewis - Resign him. He's a 6-10 with a consistent three point shot. Pretty rare.
PF Kevin Durant - Definitely not strong enough to play in the post yet. But can do just about everything else.
C Chris Wilcox - Granted his offensive game is limited to put backs and dunks. However, at worst, he will be a poor man's version of Amare.

Not much defense but it is going to be one athletic show of three pointers and dunks.

Now I've heard rumors that we're going after a coach like Paul Silas. NO. Do not go old school on me now.

Three of those guys can put it on the floor, four have range out to the three point line, and the bigs can run the floor like gazelles. Sounds like Suns basketball or Nellieball to me. Being that the NBA, like the NFL, is a copycat league, the Sonics shouldn't be ashamed to emulate. I don't really care that the front office is a mess, the Sonics could hire you, Riles, and you will look like a genius for drafting Kevin Durant. All I ask is that they stay in Seattle and hire either a D'antoni or Don Nelson disciple and run teams out of KeyArena. Sometime when the draft becomes closer, I'll probably do a Big Board/Mock Draft but right now I really don't care where anyone else goes.

One last point, Portland is in between a rock and a hard place, but nonetheless great position. Draft Greg Oden and its telling Lamarcus Aldridge that you've essentially given up on him. Also they do have Zach Randolph, making for a talented but crowded front court. But imagine passing on Greg Oden. This guy played with one wrist and was Big-10 player of the year, not to mention, putting an impressive stand against two other lottery picks, Joakim Noah and Al Horford in the championship game. And his potential?! One play just keeps going through my head, the block against Tennessee, where he COMPLETELY denied the lay-up. I see two possibilities.

1. They draft Greg Oden, and make Zach Randolph expendable for some idiot GM like Kevin McHale, Billy King, or Isiah to throw a huge contract towards. Randolph has too many character issues for my liking anyway. Portland would have quite the young and talented nucleus with Brandon Roy, last year's Rookie of the Year, teamed with Oden, not to mention past lottery picks, Martell Webster and LaMarcus Aldridge.

2. They trade the pick. This pick is probably the most coveted pick since the 2003 draft, maybe even more because the class of '03 had four perennial all stars. This year may have the equivalent talent but more wild cards as well. A team like Boston, who may be one Greg Oden away from the top tier of the Eastern Conference may be willing to throw down the house for this guy. But what house? Paul Pierce is the only worthwhile chip on the team. Al Jefferson is part of that rebuilding process in Boston, so trading him would defeat the purpose of getting Oden. I, at this point, don't really see any other teams going hard for this pick.

I guess as I reasoned through it, Portland will take Oden. But I will not be surprised with some ridiculous deal for Oden because he is that type of player. Post players win championships.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I got what I wanted didn't I? Kevin Durant will be a Supersonic!!!!!!! (granted, we're not sold first).

Shot or No Shot?

Just briefly:
Even though I'm not the biggest Lebron fan, I can't really criticize for him what transpired. Riles, like you said, if Donyell hits that shot, not only the surface is it a huge momentum swing but had the Cavs gone on to win the series, that play would have beenat least considered with the likes of Jordan's dish to Kerr that clinched the '97 Finals. But as a future request Lebron, as the so-called second coming, take the ball and score. Bottom line. Oh yeah, and Riles, I have no idea why you think that dunk was a "Pontiac Game Changing Performance" caliber play.

Safe Travels

Pistons-Cavs -- Game 1

So yeah... game one pistons. i agree with choi's points about the outcome in his earlier comment on the post below, so i won't go in to detail about that.

however, i do want to discuss the last shot (or lack thereof) by Bron-Bron. If i'm a cavs fan, i want the ball in the hands of my superstar at the end of a game. when watching the bulls in the playoffs in the 90s, you wanted mj to have the ball with the game on the line. and by the same token now when watching the lakers, you want the ball in kobe's hands. now, i appreciate that lebron is a team player and i guess i understand the "go for the win on the road and for the tie at home" philosophy (although i only know that from football, not sure if it carries into the nba); however, i say lebron should have shot. especially given that i didn't know donyell marshall existed until tonight. so it's not like he's a stone cold three point shooter who has a rep for making huge shots (he in fact was a 35% 3pt shooter this year and has the same career average -- putting him outside the top 50 3pt shooters on the year). So yeah, lebron shoot next time. (granted, had donyell made that shot i'd be praising lebron, so i guess it's not really fair to criticize him too much).

so yeah, one game down. the series looks about how i expected it to look thus far. not very exciting to watch other than the fact that its the playoffs. i expect more of the same in game two... with the same outcome.

note

just a note to any of our readers (should they even exist) i'll be using the comment feature to reply to some of choi's posts just to keep things under control and what not. so please check the comments.

also, please post your own comments so that we can address them and add another dimension to our banter.

go cavs.

I have a few points to make about this series that does not intrigue me at all. On the other hand, I have almost completely converted you into somewhat of an NBA fan. Just think about it, would you have dreamed six months ago that you would be breaking down the Eastern Conference Finals with me? Anyway here goes:

1. This series is essentially Lebron vs. the Pistons. 5 vs. 1? That is why this series should go no further than six games.
2. The matchups do not favor the Cavs whatsoever. Besides that matchups you mentioned, the size AND speed of the Pistons should make this series no problem. On the Pistons, Flip Saunders has a power forward in Rasheed Wallace who has range out to the three point line. Also, Chris Webber has range to the free point line, and no matter how maligned he is, he's probably a top five passing big man in the league right now. The Cavs have the lumbering Ilgauskas who does not have a chance on any pick and roll the Pistons choose to run, Drew Gooden, and Anderson Varejao. Out of that group, the only big that has any form of athleticism is Drew Gooden with Varejao just being an energy type guy off the bench. However, Rasheed and C-Webb also have solid post play. That way when Gooden and Varejao are on the floor, they can go down low and when Ilgauskas is on the floor, they can stretch him out and let Billups and Rip Hamilton do the work in the paint.
3. The only possible way Detroit can even make this series interesting is if they do what they did for two games against the Bulls; beat themselves. I guess the true battle is, is Detroit gonna phone in more games than Lebron? Wow, I love Eastern Conference Basketball.
4. All of these games are going to be low scoring which would favor the more defensive minded Pistons.

I don't know, I really don't care for this series nor (gasp!) the NBA playoffs anymore. The four teams remaining are the Spurs, Jazz, Pistons, Cavs: all predominantly half court teams that really don't get up and down the floor. Whether viewers disliked the lack of fundamentals the Warriors showed, they were sure fun to watch. With the Suns, they were even better to watch because they were the less turnover version of the Warriors. I guess if not watching pure athleticism at its highest level (besides Lebron) is your thing, then the 2007 NBA Playoffs are as well.

In other news:
The NBA Lottery. YES!!!!! Oden vs. Durant. A topic of EPIC proportions. But for later. It could also be moot, if the team that wins the Lottery desperately needs a big. But if the team is in that "in-between" area, Sportscenter and I will explode. In all fairness, David Stern probably has it rigged and somehow the Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, or Bulls will land the first two picks so the two will not be relegated to places such as Toronto and Memphis.

Riles, you better be able to blog in Amsterdam or wherever you're going. Also, you better know what you're talking about too because no internet access is not an excuse.

Eastern Conference Finals Preview

So i'm taking a much needed break from preparing for europe and i thought i'd throw out some thoughts on the Pistons-Cavs series which begins tonight at 8pm EST.

First, i will just get this out there: i don't see how the Cavs can win this series unless LeBron has the performance choi demands of him (50-15-12) every night. the Cavs are simply over-matched here in my view. why you ask? here's why:
(1) Chauncey Billups v Larry Hughes. this matchup seems extremely lopsided to me, and that's coming from a st. louis native who probably over-estimates the talent of Hughes. i feel like the veteran experience and power of billups and the overly gambling defense of Hughes will mesh to create a hugely favorable matchup for the Pistons here. And should the Cavs try to use the defensive edge that Eric Snow provides, the offensive production drop off will offset the defensive benefits.
(2) LeBron's willingness to (as choi would say) "phone in" games. i respect LeBron as a competitor and believe he will come out determined to lead the Cavs to victory early in this series. however, should the Cavs fall into a quick 2-0 or even 3-0 hole, i believe that LeBron may indeed phone it in. also regarding LeBron, i feel like the matchup against Prince may irritate him. Prince is long enough and moves his feet quick enough, while still being a pretty physical defender, that he may well bug LeBron.
(3) the wizards and the nets: the cavs really have not had to beat a true competitor yet. apologies to vince carter and the nets, but i feel like that team had some definite flaws and the cavs should have been able to put them away easily. the pistons on the other hand had to face choi's pick to win the east, the bulls - which i still think was a solid choice, and after a little two game slide they took care of business against the only really competitor either of the two teams has had to face. (the wizards and the magic really shouldn't have even shown up).

So yeah, the edge is definitely with the Pistons. i'm going to go ahead and say Pistons in six because i do believe LeBron will come up with two games where he carries the Cavs on his back to victory. However, i don't think he can do it four times. So yeah Pistons in six.

Choi what's your prediction?

"If I have to lose to someone he's the man, no?"

Well said Rafa.

As i mentioned earlier, Federer defeated Nadal today 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 to capture his first title in five tournaments, win his first clay court title in two years, and break Rafa's 81 match clay winning streak. Needless to say, I'm quite pleased.
As for how this might affect the French, i think it might have two effects for Roger. First, it gives Roger the confidence that he can win on clay and that he can beat his "nemesis." and given that success in tennis is heavily reliant on one's confidence, that's huge. at the same time though, i think this defeat will light a fire under Nadal. While the two appear to be buds (which i know choi hates), they are both fierce competitors. Therefore, Rafa will certainly want to win another major and now has more reason to stop R-Fed from doing it. All i can say in conclusion is that i am super excited for the French. if the tennis gods bless us with a Fed - Nadal showdown it will spectacular. and good lord willing if Roger wins, we may very well see a grand slam for the first time in a long time. maybe i will trip to paris from vienna after all for the final weekend...

as for other things/responses to choi:
(1) the cardinals are indeed awful. and believe it or not, i am pleased. despite our grossly inflated payroll (which only looks big because of pujols, edmonds, rolen and isringhausen) our ownership group refuses to spend money. after winning a world series, building a new stadium, and getting the all-star game... we spent nothing this offseason on what would obviously be a weakness. when you lose 4 of your 5 starting pitchers to free agency and replace them with basically nothing, success is likely to be hard to come by. and when you have corner outfielders who hit like middle infielders, you are also in trouble. unfortunately i believe that this season is a lost cause for my boys, and i recommend that the front office switch to sell mode. trade isringhausen and even rolen and in doing so free up payroll. why you ask? because a month ago miguel cabrera said he wanted to play in st. louis with albert pujols... if you have the opportunity to have that 3-4 in your lineup, it is absolutely inexcusable to not find a way to make it happen.

other baseball thoughts:
- yes, chipper interleague play is not fair. but deal with it, the fans love it. ticket sales go up, as do tv audiences. and while it isn't fair that you have to face the al east while the al central gets the dismal nl central, that's scheduling. it's tough luck that you drew the bo-sox and the yanks this year, but you won't have them next year as a result. as far as i'm concerned, the benefits of seeing the subway series, the windy city showdown, and the highway 70 series (cardinals-royals, and i'm just kidding, it's dismal) definitely outweigh the unfairness. plus allowing people in colorado to get a chance to see the yankee pinstripes once every few years seems like a great thing to me.
- the yankees are awful and not surprisingly. you need pitching in baseball believe it or not, and as of yet they do not have it.
- king felix... yes, he lost but he is back and may have the most disgusting stuff in baseball. there are very few reasons to care about the mariners (or the whole al west for that matter) but king felix is at the top of the list of why you should.

(2) nba playoffs... i thought i would have more thoughts, but seeing as i really haven't seen much of them lately (with the passport business and all) i can't say much. i will say that now that the suns-spurs series is over my intrigue is waning. that series was awesome... all that it lacked was the brawl i expected in game six. i do agree with choi that the nba made a revenue killing mistake by suspending amare, a suspension which i really don't feel was justified. i mean we're talkin bout the playoffs... not practice, the playoffs.
as for lebron, yeah he hasn't proven anything. i actually do agree with you here choi in all seriousness. i think he has shown us that he is a superb player with huge amounts of talent, but does that mean he's the next mj? of course not. not until he carries his team to a championship does he deserve a pedestal in the same room is mj, let alone next to him. so let's see how he does in this series against the pistons and then we'll talk.
as for the pistons being a dynasty... also no. i just said it to get a reaction out of choi. yes, they are a very solid team that is very consistent. but to be a dynasty i want to see 90s bulls results (or 90s cowboys, 00s patriots).

(3) uefa championship: yes, i am an idiot. in my exhausted state last night i said i would wrap up a game that will not be played until wednesday. applause for me.

that's all for now.
-m.riley

According to Sports Illustrated, there are rumors circulating that Ryan Martin's Iggles are shopping his boy Donovan to Notre Dame's beloved Chicago Bears because of the selection of the second coming, Kevin Kolb out of THE Houston University. Serially?

Quickly:
- I'm not going to say anything until you say what you gotta say about your love affair with Lebron James.
- if I were a betting man, Roger will have his oh so coveted grand slam by the time we're back at school (or whenever the US Open ends)
- your Redbirds are AWFUL and my Yankees prediction now looks idiotic
- Felix lost (but at least he's back), Dice-K has been rolling the past few starts
- it doesn't matter that a team dominates the Eastern Conference (I'm pretty sure Florida could gone as a 6 seed in that conference)

Finally, tonight in the season finale of Family Guy, Quagmire finds the "4th hole" behind Meg's leg. Absolutely ridiculous.

YES!!

goodbye clay streak, hello french open. 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 (that last one is my particular favorite).

that's all i have to say.

God bless the government

just wanted to take a brief moment to reply to choi's posts... only to say that i just returned from the big easy and as such cannot reply to anything sports related as i just spent 21 of the last 25 hours of my life driving to and from New Orleans and have had zero contact with the sports world. (the passport agency is the least efficient thing in the world...)

so i have not seen the grey's or the office finales. i did not see the conclusions of any of the nba series. i didn't even find out about r-fed's match up with nadal in the hamburg final until five minutes ago. that being said, after i catch up on sleep (only 6 hours in the last 60) i will have a much more in-depth post later today addressing the following:

(1) first weekend of mlb interleague play: Various notes and a brief discussion of Chipper Jones' claim that it is unfair.
(2) nba playoff thoughts: did LeBron prove himself? was the Suns-Spurs series the championship? are the Pistons a dynasty?
(3) UEFA championship wrap-up
(4) ...and of course, Fed v. Rafa (part II). Can Roger end the longest winning streak ever on a single surface? And what are the implications of this match for the French Open (if any)?

go roger,
m. riley.

Initial reaction to the end of the Spurs-Suns series, just frustration. I mean what series do I really want to watch now. The Spurs were the perfect villain with their cheap shot tactics of Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry. But wow, they are good, very good. That's why they're such a great villain. You can't really hate a team that's mediocre. People hated the Cowboys in the mid 90s, the Yankees back in the day, and now the Patriots. I can't take away what Tim Duncan did in this series. Riles, remember the time Adam posed the question about which player I would take to start my franchise and I flipped out saying why isn't Duncan on this list. Do I have to say anymore? He set a record for most blocks in a playoff game and nearly recorded a triple double. He was UNSTOPPABLE this series. But the thing was, so was Amare and for the most part Nash. I'm not gonna get into THE hip check in game 4 that completely unraveled the series and cost the NBA revenue (btw you wanna talk about Lebron raking in money, this series would have trumped anything he could have done). This was basketball that was played with a grittiness that people from the Eastern conference can appreciate but also had a good dose of helter skelter Nellie ball. I mean look at the final score, 114-106. With the Spurs, defense is always emphasized yet the final score was a Suns type of game. And now with this series over, Cavs vs. Pistons? Pleeease. I wouldn't pay to watch Lebron phone in the 2 to next 5 games, even though its the Eastern Conference Finals. Lebron better drop triple doubles every single game to get me to watch. He IS the franchise player of the Cavs but I guess by default. All Mike Brown does during crunch time is say to his team, "alright clear out to isolate Lebron on the wing so he run into the paint like a running back and put something up" but forgetting that with Detroit, they actually play defense unlike anyone Lebron's faced these playoffs. The thing is Jazz-Spurs series is rather anti-climatic after the Suns-Spurs, but I think its a dark horse in terms of watchability. The Jazz have always been an effective half court team but showed in the previous series they can run up and down the court with the best of 'em. Not to mention, the Jazz have the most momentum in these playoffs and match up for the most part player to player with the Spurs. I'm not going to break down each match up but I have to say the maturation of Carlos Boozer as the most unknown superstar could come full circle if he stands up to Tim Duncan. I think these games at least have the potential to go into the upper 90s. There's no way I'm wasting my time watching Lebron vs. the Detroit Pistons. Tell me when he drops 50-15-and 12. Then we'll start talking about your NBA cash cow.

This ain't a game -- it's a blog

Welcome to banter -- we talkin' bout banter. steve and my blog to discuss all things sport. Or should we say steve's place to respond to my "ridiculous" assertions such as roger federer is the greatest athlete in sports right now. (that one should be good enough to get steve blogging immediately).

...and so it begins.