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I'm quite late in this post, as the series ended 4 days ago (although it seems like it ended much longer than that), but I'd be remissed if I didn't offer my thoughts on the result of the NBA Finals.
With my previous blog highly praising the OKC Thunder, it was clear who my favorite to win the championship was. OKC impressed me as a team, and most especially, impressed me the way they played against the whole Western Conference. They played fundamental team basketball, and got key contributions from all of their players.
That was far from the case when they played Miami in the Finals. Up until Game 4, Russel Westbrook didn't do what was expected of him and run the game like he was supposed to, and James Harden never really got into the series, which was a far cry compared to how they played in the rest of the playoffs.
To the Heat's credit, they were the exact opposite. They got huge contributions from role players such as Shane Battier, and Mike Miller. Miller hit 7 3-pointers in Game 5, to get them to pull away and take the series. Plus, having Bosh back in the lineup during the whole series also helped a lot, as his presence was clear in this series, compared to the previous series when he wasn't playing.
You also have to give credit where credit is due, and recognize LeBron James' outstanding play. In games 2, 3, 4,and 5 he was clutch. Game 5, he closed the series and got a triple double. He truly put the team on his back and carried them to the championship. He undoubtedly deserved the MVP.
Now, I will admit, I haven't always been the biggest LeBron fan, but not for the reasons that most people don't like him. But before I get into that, I want to say that I always respected his ability as an athlete, and is questionably, one of the greatest specimens the sport of basketball has ever seen. As far as his character goes, all most people criticize about him is what they see portrayed as in public or by the media, which is a self-absorbed, egotistical, self-entitled jerk. But, for all we know, he probably is a much better person than he is portrayed, so I don't judge him based on that either. But, the reason why I haven't always been a huge LeBron fan, is because, as a Wizards fan, he has continually broke our hearts in the playoffs. But, even then, after watching his performance in the playoffs, however you may feel about him, you have to give him his due. He deserves the championship.
But, now that he has his championship, all the comparisons to Michael Jordan has already started. Although I see why people have to make this comparison, I don't think it's fair, as they are two different types of players with different styles of play, from different eras, with different types of talent to work with. But, if asked the question "do you think Lebron will match MJ's win total, I will answer with a no, simply because in this era of free agency, where championship teams are easily broken up, and where players always go to the best situations, I can't see him winning 6 championships. (You have to remember that during the Jordan era, it was before the lockout shortened season of 1999 (?), so it's unfair to compare that).
With all that being said, congrats to the Heat. Seeing as they are in the same division as my Washington Wizards, I won't want to see them win too many more championships, as we have to get through them, to win the division, and ultimately the title. But, I will give credit where credit is due. This team was clearly the best, and they came to play when it mattered.
They deserve it.
#OBE
Showing posts with label nba playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nba playoffs. Show all posts
6/8/12
Why I'm ecstatic that OKC Thunder is in the NBA Finals
I mentioned this in my last entry from a couple of days ago, but now that it is official from Wednesday's win, I will briefly talk about why I'm stoked that the Oklahoma City Thunder is in the NBA Finals.
For obvious reasons, they are an exciting team playing fundamental team basketball. Add that to the fact, that they have one of the best players in the game today in Kevin Durant. If you have no horse currently in the playoff race, you would probably jump on the OKC bandwagon, just based on how this team was built from the ground up, the correct way, and is now, and looks to be, a force in the NBA for years to come.
For many who don't know, this team was practically built from scratch. When the Supersonics moved from Seattle to OKC, this team was in serious rebuild mode. They got lucky and was grateful to land Kevin Durant with the 2nd pick (apparently, not being able to bench 185 lbs, regardless of how good of a basketball player you are, will knock you down a spot), and this team traded or dumped a lot of veterans, and got a lot of young talent. During the years that followed, they drafted significant pieces such as Russel Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, and this young team grew together. A few trades and free agents later (such as Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefalosha), and this team got into contention, with playoff berths, series wins, losses (such as a tough one to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in 2011). After all this, they are in striking distance from an NBA championship. Their General Manager Sam Presti did an excellent job building this team. He's definitely a candidate for sports executive of the last decade, in my opinion.
Also, it's always exciting to see a small market team to be in serious contention. (Too bad the Sacramento Kings during the Chris Webber years never got past this point, but I digress). The last time a "small market" team was this close to winning a championship, was the Utah Jazz, in 97 and 98. But, with Michael Jordan on the other side, it was kind of a hard sell that they were a "favorite" and would actually win, no matter how great they were, and despite having Stockton and Malone. But, in my opinion, this OKC team is different, because it looks to be that they will obviously be the clear favorite, no matter who comes out of the East. They've practically dominated the whole playoffs (with the exception of losing the first 2 games of the San Antonio series), and they've done it by beating the most dominant Western Conference teams in the last decade. It's funny, because since that Utah team in 98, the only teams who have made the NBA Finals since then were the 3 teams that they've beaten (Dallas, LA Lakers, and San Antonio).
But, another reason why I'm excited to see a small market team in the Finals, is because it shows and gives hope, that you don't have to be in a huge market to build a team right. With the era of free agency nowadays, it still shows that an organization that is built with strong team fundamentals, will still likely have an upper hand huge over a team over talented (yet over-hyped and over-priced) individuals. Now can you imagine the story lines if the Miami Heat ends up being the Thunder's opponent? With the way the NBA and David Stern seems to find a way for its best matchups of happening, I find it highly likely it will happen.
However, the most significant reason why I am highly excited the OKC Thunder is in the finals, is because the Washington Wizards are currently following this blueprint of building a team. I think I remembered Ted Leonsis saying himself, shortly after drafting John Wall in 2010, that they specifically are following a similar blueprint as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Build the team from the ground up by drafting the right young guys as cornerstones, suck for a few years (by design) if need be, and grow as a team. Since they blew up the team during the 2010 season by getting rid of their solid (some distracting) veterans, like Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and Antawn Jamison (just to name a few), they seemed to be heading in that direction. The Wizards should get another solid player from the draft this year, which could be a start of the team taking that next step. But that's another blog entry altogether.
I am excited to see what the OKC Thunder will do in the Finals. Like I said, I don't think they will lose in the Finals, no matter who is coming out of the East, even if it's the Miami Heat "dream team", but even if they don't win it this year, this team will be in contention for many years to come if they keep that core together.
No matter who OKC will be playing in the finals, it should be a fun matchup to watch. I am really looking forward to it, and will definitely be watching as much of it as I can. I'll likely occasionally blog about it too.
D4P...PD!!!
#OBE
For obvious reasons, they are an exciting team playing fundamental team basketball. Add that to the fact, that they have one of the best players in the game today in Kevin Durant. If you have no horse currently in the playoff race, you would probably jump on the OKC bandwagon, just based on how this team was built from the ground up, the correct way, and is now, and looks to be, a force in the NBA for years to come.
For many who don't know, this team was practically built from scratch. When the Supersonics moved from Seattle to OKC, this team was in serious rebuild mode. They got lucky and was grateful to land Kevin Durant with the 2nd pick (apparently, not being able to bench 185 lbs, regardless of how good of a basketball player you are, will knock you down a spot), and this team traded or dumped a lot of veterans, and got a lot of young talent. During the years that followed, they drafted significant pieces such as Russel Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, and this young team grew together. A few trades and free agents later (such as Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefalosha), and this team got into contention, with playoff berths, series wins, losses (such as a tough one to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in 2011). After all this, they are in striking distance from an NBA championship. Their General Manager Sam Presti did an excellent job building this team. He's definitely a candidate for sports executive of the last decade, in my opinion.
Also, it's always exciting to see a small market team to be in serious contention. (Too bad the Sacramento Kings during the Chris Webber years never got past this point, but I digress). The last time a "small market" team was this close to winning a championship, was the Utah Jazz, in 97 and 98. But, with Michael Jordan on the other side, it was kind of a hard sell that they were a "favorite" and would actually win, no matter how great they were, and despite having Stockton and Malone. But, in my opinion, this OKC team is different, because it looks to be that they will obviously be the clear favorite, no matter who comes out of the East. They've practically dominated the whole playoffs (with the exception of losing the first 2 games of the San Antonio series), and they've done it by beating the most dominant Western Conference teams in the last decade. It's funny, because since that Utah team in 98, the only teams who have made the NBA Finals since then were the 3 teams that they've beaten (Dallas, LA Lakers, and San Antonio).
But, another reason why I'm excited to see a small market team in the Finals, is because it shows and gives hope, that you don't have to be in a huge market to build a team right. With the era of free agency nowadays, it still shows that an organization that is built with strong team fundamentals, will still likely have an upper hand huge over a team over talented (yet over-hyped and over-priced) individuals. Now can you imagine the story lines if the Miami Heat ends up being the Thunder's opponent? With the way the NBA and David Stern seems to find a way for its best matchups of happening, I find it highly likely it will happen.
However, the most significant reason why I am highly excited the OKC Thunder is in the finals, is because the Washington Wizards are currently following this blueprint of building a team. I think I remembered Ted Leonsis saying himself, shortly after drafting John Wall in 2010, that they specifically are following a similar blueprint as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Build the team from the ground up by drafting the right young guys as cornerstones, suck for a few years (by design) if need be, and grow as a team. Since they blew up the team during the 2010 season by getting rid of their solid (some distracting) veterans, like Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and Antawn Jamison (just to name a few), they seemed to be heading in that direction. The Wizards should get another solid player from the draft this year, which could be a start of the team taking that next step. But that's another blog entry altogether.
I am excited to see what the OKC Thunder will do in the Finals. Like I said, I don't think they will lose in the Finals, no matter who is coming out of the East, even if it's the Miami Heat "dream team", but even if they don't win it this year, this team will be in contention for many years to come if they keep that core together.
No matter who OKC will be playing in the finals, it should be a fun matchup to watch. I am really looking forward to it, and will definitely be watching as much of it as I can. I'll likely occasionally blog about it too.
D4P...PD!!!
#OBE
6/6/12
Something you wouldn't expect a lifelong basketball fan to say...
I have been a basketball fan for a LONG time. I remembered as far back as my days in Valley View Elementary school, that I enjoyed playing in the hardtop courts with my friends Brendan, Troy, and Barry (just to name a few). I've understood the basics of the game, and the rules aren't overly hard to understand nor are they very complicated. Too bad though, that as soon as I got into middle school, I sucked because I was short, nor was I too good of an athlete. I was in 3rd grade when Michael Jordan (my favorite player of all time), won his first NBA championship. I even wrote a biographical report about Michael Jordan in 5th grade. That's how much I loved basketball.
With that being said, I'm about to say something that you wouldn't from someone who has followed basketball for so long. As far as the NBA playoffs are concerned, the NHL hockey playoffs totally OWNS it!
In my opinion, here are the reasons why... I don't think you really have to understand the game of hockey fully, to truly appreciate it. It is so fast paced, that if you over think every strategy, you may get lost. Honestly, I haven't gotten into hockey until probably the late 90's. When the Caps made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 1998, and there was some championship buzz in this area, that's when I really paid attention to it. There's a lot of action, with tons of hits, and physicality. Action never seems to stop in the NHL playoffs, and it's always going 110 mph.
The best part about the hockey playoffs is overtime. Overtime playoff hockey, is the best playoffs there is. It's not even close. You live and die (sometimes literally) with the hockey playoffs. I can't recall how many times my blood pressure seemed to have gone up with every "almost goals" I've experienced in the hockey playoffs.
The reason why I say all this, is that they hockey playoffs (in all likelihood) will end tonight. The Los Angeles Kings are currently playing the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals as I am typing this, and it's likely the Kings will end this series tonight with a sweep (they have been dominant). But the NHL playoffs have been exciting these past couple of months, with so much hockey overtime (including the first 2 games of this series). If you've never seen a minute of the hockey playoffs this year, you've done yourself a huge disservice. So your last chance is to catch it tonight.
Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE the NBA playoffs. If the OKC Thunder end up closing out the series tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, I will be ecstatic (as Kevin Durant is one of my favorite current players in the NBA, as he's a local guy). And, the Celtics vs Heat ECF series has been surprising and unexpected (with the Celtics being up 3-2). But even after all that, as a whole, the NHL Playoffs OWNED the NBA Playoffs this year.
The only playoff in sports, in my opinion, is better than the NHL Playoffs, is March Madness. I'll even put it slightly ahead of the NFL Playoffs. The so-called college football BCS is the absolute worst. However, since I do understand basketball more, I could still appreciate the NBA playoffs a lot. If both the Caps and the Wizards are in the playoffs and they are on the same night, it's going to be tough as to decide where my attention will go.
But whatever playoffs you'll be watching, try to enjoy it. But, still, try to catch the Stanley Cup Final game tonight. Like I said, it may be the last game of the season.
D4P...PD!!!
#OBE
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