Sunday, May 17, 2015

Rockets/Clips. Pomp and still an also ran

And there it was. The confetti rained down on the Toyota Center in Houston where the Rockets play. Head coach Kevin McHale walked off the court with his fists held high in triumph. The fans were delirious with excitement.

Yessirree, the Rockets had become only the ninth team in NBA history to storm back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the LA Clippers. They were now the undisputed champions of....

The second round of the western conference playoffs.

In other words, half way to a championship. Sure, everything is big in the Lone Star state -- they'll tell you so. (We won't mention anything about their egos fitting the same category). But what gives with all the premature pomp and confetti? The Rockets haven't won anything that matters yet. Next they'll square off against the #1 seed Golden State Warriors, and the boys from Oakland will enjoy home court advantage. In their four previous match-ups during the regular season, two at home for each team, the Warriors not only swept the Rockets, but clobbered them by an average of 15 points per game. Good luck with that Kevin.

You know who really hates this nonsense? The poor saps that have to clean up the whole arena in Houston. And BTW, what gives with a major venue in Houston being called the Toyota Center? Isn't this supposed to be the, you know, NATIONAL, as in the U S of A Basketball Association? And somewhere in Tokyo a CEO smiles. Stupid Americans will sell their souls if the price is right.

On the other side of the coin is one Chris Paul. He's a loser -- again. CP3 has the dubious honor of joining Dominique Wilkins as the all-time record holder for being an All-Star but never even making it to a conference final. Maybe he should spend a little less time making dopey insurance commercials with his twin brother and a little more time practicing how to play the game without all the dirty little tricks he constantly tries to get away with. Charles Barkley remains right. When the best player on your team is only 6 feet tall -- you're never going to win a championship. 

Idle thought: No sign of Steve Ballmer. You remember Steve. He shelled out a whopping $2 billion to buy the Clips, likely at least twice their market value. The Clips just crashed and burned again. And somewhere Donald Sterling probably chuckled. Maybe Sterling should send Ballmer a text. Only three words necessary, and they involve the immortal Connie Francis. Who's Sorry Now? Make that four words. Throw a LOL at the end. Perfect.

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