Flopping in the NBA

The topic of flopping has been coming up more and more.  Why? Because more and more players are falling down, acting injured and pretending to get hit. Is there some mysterious ghost in the stadiums that secretly attacks players?  I don’t think so. 

 It seems that everyone is doing it.  Matt Harpring, Derek Fisher, Ben Wallace, Manu Ginobili, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and the list goes on and on.  And the king of flop is (drum roll)… Kobe Bryant.  I can’t stand watching him fake.  The reason is because he gets all the calls.  How many times have you seen him flail his arms and kick out his feet and get a call.  At least he has been suspended a game because of it.  The NBA needs to do more to stop it. What is this World Cup Soccer?

 I agree with Jeff Van Gundy, it should be a technical to flop.  Trying to get a call is one thing, but why do you have to act like you just got hit by a sledge hammer and fall down to get a whistle?  Something needs to be changed. 

I have put together a Top Ten NBA Floppers list.  Go ahead and make any suggestions you think should be on it.

Jazz and Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs made it look easy agaisn’t the Jazz.  These were my thoughts from the games so far:

• Spurs defense dominated
• Jazz unable to score inside
• Rafael Araujo surprisingly played Tim Duncan quite well in game 1, why didn’t Sloan play him again?
• Tony Parker is just too fast
• How does Parker make those layups?
• Is Mehmet Okur going to hit a shot?
• The Spurs bench is way too good
• Oberto has killed the Jazz and I think has been the difference in the series
• Deron Williams is the man.  He is looking awesome.
• The referees are lopsided and favor the Spurs 

Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili and the Spurs are a bunch of fakers.  I’m not saying anyone else is.  The Jazz did it, Detroit does it.  It is just the Spurs get away with it.   Ginobili drives me nuts.  He is the kind of guy that if he is on your team you love him.  If he isn’t on your team you hate him.  I do have to say he gets the job done.  He’s tough.  He is more athletic than you think.  He’s clutch.  A sweet pickup for the last pick in the draft.  But he still drives me crazy.  Stop faking Manu!

Georgetown juniors going opposite directions

Georgetown juniors Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert are going opposite directions.  Jeff Green is entering the NBA draft and Roy Hibbert has withdrawn his name from the early entrants list.  He will return to Georgetown and play his senior season.  Hibbert was anticipated to be a lottery pick so we will see if this pays off as a wise decision. 

Charles Barkley picks the Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz limped into the playoffs and were quickly down 0-2 to the Rockets.  Everyone was counting them out.  ESPN sports analysts all picked Houston to win the series.  And yet the young Jazz team battled out of the hole and came back to win the series in seven games.  Game 7 in Houston none the less.  Impressive.

 Golden State shocks the world and knocks out Dallas in the first round.  They come to Utah and all but one ESPN analysts pick Golden State to win the series.  And yet the Jazz win 4 close games against a red hot Warriors team and win the series 4-1.  Impressive again. 

 No one picked the Utah Jazz to come this far.  Jerry Sloan has willed them one. At times Carlos Boozer takes over, other times it is Deron Williams.  Each of those two, the first time in the playoffs for both, have looked awesome.  This very young team has matured quickly. 

And now they are matched up with the San Antonio Spurs.  I picked the Spurs to win the championship even before the playoffs started.  The Spurs looked dominant against the Nuggets and Suns and in game 1 and 2 against the Jazz. 

Now when no one is picking the Jazz again – wait Charles Barkley picks the Jazz?  TNT analyst Charles Barkley liked the Jazz against the Warriors.  He says he likes them more each time he watches them.  And now he picks the Jazz over the dominating veteran Spurs? Wow.  The Jazz are down again.  Can they come out of this hole?  It would be an amazing feat and would be considered a miracle by most.  We will see.  Even though I picked the Spurs I will be routing for the young hard working Jazz from Utah.  Charles Barkley picks the Jazz, I don’t know if I am to that point but I will be cheering for them.

Portland TrailBlazers win the lottery

Wow!  Portland Trail Blazers jumped 5 spots to win the NBA lottery.  The Blazers had only a 5% chance of getting it. Every year it seems the worst teams never end up with the top pick in the draft.  This franchise miracle may equate to millions of dollars.  Not that Portand did anything. The ball just bounced their way. I’m not sure why they wouldn’t take Greg Oden. 

Seattle Super Sonics get the second pick and Atlanta third.  All I can say is I feel bad for Boston and Memphis.

NBA Draft Lottery

Tonight is the night that millions of dollars, success, fame, and failure all rides on a ping pong balls.  I’m not talking about the Chinese national ping pong championship.  This is the NBA.  Some of the best athletes in the world await the fate of the lottery.  Tonight we will see who will which selection to get the player they want. 

The consensus is either Greg Oden of Ohio State or Kevin Durant of Texas will be selected first.  If you watched the college national championship game between Florida and Ohio State, I don’t think there is any argument of who should go first.  Greg Oden simply dominated.  He is big, athletic, plays defensive, blocks shots and dunks with authority.

Here are the odds each time has of receiving the first pick in the 2007 NBA draft.

Team                    06-07 record    odds

1. Memphis Grizzlies    22-60    25%

2. Boston Celtics           24-58     19.9%

3. Milwaukee Bucks     28-54     15.6% 

4. Atlanta Hawks          30-52     11.9% (pick may go to Phoenix)

5. Seattle SuperSonics  31-51     8.8%

6. Portland Trailblazers 32-50   5.3%

7. Minnesota Timberwolves 32-50 5.3%

8. Charlotte Bobcats    33-49     1.9%

9. New York Knicks     33-49      1.9%

10. Sacramento Kings  33-49      1.8%

Tune in tonight and find out.  The NBA draft is always fun, especially for the bad teams.

2007 NBA Draft

Isn’t it strange.  Half way through the season I start getting excited for the NBA draft that comes in June.  Maybe because I know my team is already done for the season or because college hoops is just heating up.  The draft this year should be a huge year.  It is packed with talent and should be an awsome rookie class.  Take a look at my NBA draft predictions.

The draft lottery is Tuesday night May 22.  Even though the Memphis Grizzlies are desperatly hoping for the first pick – which they deserve – they probably won’t get it.  It always seems the 3rd or 4th spot team gets it.  We will see.

Is anyone else tired of the San Antonio Spurs?

The Spurs are so consistent.  They play defense, they make baskets, they work together, they are physical and they are boring.  They do things night in and night out.  That is why they are so good and going to win the NBA championsip again this year.  I don’t like playing agains’t them and don’t really care to watch them – even though I watch alot of ball- but they are just so dang consistent it gets a little boring. 

 They are good for the league though. They empashize defense, playing together as a team and working hard.  I like to see that and I think it helps the NBA and young players.

Detriot Pistons

Once again, for the 5th strait year the Detroit Pistons are in the Eastern Conference Finals.  They are so in control so causual about their game.  They never seemed hurried and never frantic.  That’s what is so cool about them – they don’t panic.

NBA MVP

Dirk Nowitzki won the 2007 NBA MVP.  And deservingly so.  During the course of the NBA season he was the most valuable player on the best team.  But then the playoffs is a different story.  They ran into the red hot Golden State Warriors and thought they would win like they had all season.  Too bad Dirk.

NBA season MVP: Dirk Nowitski

NBA playoffs first round MVP: Baron Davis.