It might just be that the Boston Celtics knocking off the Golden State Warrior a few days ago was an omen of things to come.
Before that game, GS had been undefeated at home and were well on their way to catching and surpassing the all-time best regular season record of 72-10 set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
To Boston, and particularly GM Danny Ainge's credit, the Celtics are on their way back to being competitors again. No, they're not there yet, but headed in the right direction. Ainge and the franchise understood they had to "blow it all up" a few years ago and start over. Too many aging players making ridiculous salaries. He traded them away for future draft picks knowing full well the team would get a lot worse before it got better. The hiring of brilliant young coach Brad Stevens was a stroke of genius. They are now crawling their way back into contention. Look out for these guys in a couple years.
But they weren't supposed to beat Golden State this year. Especially with so much on the line for the Warriors. Yet the Beaners not only waltzed into GS's Oracle Arena, but beat the home-town team convincingly. An upset? Sure. Nobody expected that to happen. But an even bigger upset would occur a few days later.
After GS had dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers, the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves visited the Bay area and stuck another L on Golden State. Minnesota? Really? In other words, the Warriors have now lost 2 of their last 3 at home to teams they were supposed to defeat easily.
As was mentioned in this space several days ago, could it be Golden State is "gassed"?
Their home unbeaten streak now gone, GS has to win 3 of their last 4 to merely tie the Bulls of old. Two of those games are home and away versus not-so-good Memphis, but who knows what could happen? Good grief, not long ago the Warriors got thumped by the absolutely woeful LA Lakers.
And then there's the kicker. Their other two games are home and away against the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Pop down in Alamoland has been resting his starters down the stretch to get them ready for the grind of the playoffs. Gregg Popovich is on record saying he doesn't care about his OWN team's still perfect home record, though on some level it's probably a pretty safe bet his players want to become the first team in the history of the NBA to finish a regular season undefeated at home. He is much more concerned with his players still having gas in their tanks when the post-season begins in a couple weeks. Put another way, he's looking at the bigger picture and, after all, isn't a championship the only thing that really matters in the end?
Few would doubt Pop's wisdom/track record. In the last 17 years, his Spurs have been to the NBA finals 6 times, winning 5 of them. The last one, in 2014, shattered the dynasty dreams of the Miami Heat and likely precipitated Lebron James heading back to Cleveland. He didn't get the 3,4,5, whatever titles he once crowed about bringing to South Beach. He got two and then a thumping.
It remains to be seen whether Popovich will continue to rest his starters in the few regular season games left -- particularly the two match-ups against the Warriors.
Far more interesting is how the Warriors will react themselves during their last 4 games. Could they regroup and run the table? Maybe, but that game in San Antonio will be tough. Or maybe they win 3 out of 4 to tie the Bulls' old record.
But another not-so good possible scenario looms as well. After blitzing the field for most of the season, what if they really are running on fumes these days?
Could it be that the up and coming Boston Celtics drove a dagger into their splashy team morale by knocking them off at home? The dismantling of the Trail Blazers in the next game would suggest otherwise. But how to explain the hapless Timberwolves defeating them in the ensuing contest?
Their final four regular season games will be telling indeed. True, maybe all is well, and perhaps they'll roll to another title. Would you really dare to bet AGAINST these guys?
But if the wheels fall off -- it's possible -- particularly in the playoffs -- remember the Boston game as the one that loosened their lug nuts in the first place.
The game yours truly REALLY wants to see is the final regular season match pitting the Warriors against the Spurs in San Antonio. If the Spurs remain undefeated at home, would Coach Pop REALLY rest his starters for the playoffs when they have a chance to make history?
Can you imagine the heat he would take from the media if he did just that and the Spurs lost? It would be brutal. Though normally a master of controlling reporters, rather than the other way around, even the brilliant Gregg Popovich would be swarmed under. The talking heads and various social media networks would eat him alive as well. Did I mention toast on the internet?
But first things first. Let's see how things play out for both the Warriors and the Spurs in the few games they have left in the regular season.
Regardless, will it matter once the playoffs start? A definite maybe. One team has been the proverbial jackrabbit all year, while the other has paced itself like a marathon runner.
How it will all play out in the next several weeks in anybody's guess.
Speaking of first things first -- ah yes. The glorious Masters golf tournament is upon us again. Hoops can wait for a few days.....
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Breanna and Geno. What's next?
To absolutely nobody's surprise, the UConn Lady Huskies steam-rolled the Syracuse Orange to capture the national championship. 82-51, a 31 point thumping, was the last exclamation point of a season that featured UConn's total dominance over the field.
During the course of the six games they played in the NCAA tournament, against the "best" competition, Geno's Bambinos outscored their rivals 544-305, an average winning margin of a whopping 40 points.
Having won his 11th national title, Auriemma surpassed the late/great/legendary John Wooden's mark at UCLA. If he "hangs" for a few more years -- and there's no reason to think he won't -- the mini-Italian stallion will no doubt blow past Pat Summit's all-time win record mark while at Tennessee.
[Let's be honest. Back in Coach Pat's hey-day, the competition wasn't nearly as tough as it is in modern times. Many universities didn't take lady's basketball seriously -- if they fielded a team at all. She got the cream of the crop prep stars every year because a lot of schools just didn't care enough to devote resources into a venture that would cost them a bunch of money while yielding little back in return.]
Breanna Stewart of UConn has found her own place in the record books. Four years, four national championships, and all four times being named the MVP of the tournament. That feat may or may not be equaled in the future by another phenom, but it can never be surpassed. It's like a hole-in-one in golf or a 300 game in bowling. It's possible to match, but it's unbeatable.
One thing is for sure. Ms. S has played her last game at UConn. After she and her coach/teammates are rightfully done celebrating another championship in Storrs, parade and all, one is left to ponder -- what's next?
Sure, Geno will reload. Five star prep recruits are standing in line drooling over a scholarship to play hoops at UConn. Success breeds more success. But what of Breanna?
She'll likely be the overall first pick in the WNBA draft which will come soon. And then she'll disappear to play on a bad pro team (likely the Seattle Storm -- currently the dregs of the WNBA) in front of mostly empty arenas. She's become used to winning everything while at UConn, It will come as quite the culture shock to not only relocate from the east coast to the far northwest, but also get used to losing -- probably a lot.
After graduating from college as the best player in the land, she's in for another rude awakening. The rookie salary cap in the WNBA is $35,000. People that pick up garbage, mow lawns, clean houses, and scan your grocery items -- among other decidedly non-skilled professions -- likely make a similar wage.
The "average" salary in the WNBA is $72,000, and the max just over $100,000, but a lady hoopster has to put in a few years of service to qualify for either. Seventy two grand ain't bad. It's certainly more than most reporters, teachers, cops, firefighters, nurses, auto workers, and anybody in the food service industry makes. Not too shabby for playing a game, though it pales in comparison to her male counterparts.
And if Bre can make it to the mountaintop of a hundred grand, she'll join some elite company. Trumpish? Hardly. But she'll be right up there with your average mid-level dope dealer or local crooked politician.
It's seems cruelly ironic that such a fine upstanding college student-athlete can finish at the pinnacle of success, only to find she'll be making far less all of next year than one of the above-mentioned politicians can make for giving a 20 minute speech -- that is mostly lies anyway.
At least Breanna Stewart was the real deal for her 4 years at UConn, and very much deserved all the accolades that were bestowed upon her.
Here's wishing Ms. S the best in whatever comes her way next.
But methinks it's going to be a lot rougher than it was in Storrs.......
During the course of the six games they played in the NCAA tournament, against the "best" competition, Geno's Bambinos outscored their rivals 544-305, an average winning margin of a whopping 40 points.
Having won his 11th national title, Auriemma surpassed the late/great/legendary John Wooden's mark at UCLA. If he "hangs" for a few more years -- and there's no reason to think he won't -- the mini-Italian stallion will no doubt blow past Pat Summit's all-time win record mark while at Tennessee.
[Let's be honest. Back in Coach Pat's hey-day, the competition wasn't nearly as tough as it is in modern times. Many universities didn't take lady's basketball seriously -- if they fielded a team at all. She got the cream of the crop prep stars every year because a lot of schools just didn't care enough to devote resources into a venture that would cost them a bunch of money while yielding little back in return.]
Breanna Stewart of UConn has found her own place in the record books. Four years, four national championships, and all four times being named the MVP of the tournament. That feat may or may not be equaled in the future by another phenom, but it can never be surpassed. It's like a hole-in-one in golf or a 300 game in bowling. It's possible to match, but it's unbeatable.
One thing is for sure. Ms. S has played her last game at UConn. After she and her coach/teammates are rightfully done celebrating another championship in Storrs, parade and all, one is left to ponder -- what's next?
Sure, Geno will reload. Five star prep recruits are standing in line drooling over a scholarship to play hoops at UConn. Success breeds more success. But what of Breanna?
She'll likely be the overall first pick in the WNBA draft which will come soon. And then she'll disappear to play on a bad pro team (likely the Seattle Storm -- currently the dregs of the WNBA) in front of mostly empty arenas. She's become used to winning everything while at UConn, It will come as quite the culture shock to not only relocate from the east coast to the far northwest, but also get used to losing -- probably a lot.
After graduating from college as the best player in the land, she's in for another rude awakening. The rookie salary cap in the WNBA is $35,000. People that pick up garbage, mow lawns, clean houses, and scan your grocery items -- among other decidedly non-skilled professions -- likely make a similar wage.
The "average" salary in the WNBA is $72,000, and the max just over $100,000, but a lady hoopster has to put in a few years of service to qualify for either. Seventy two grand ain't bad. It's certainly more than most reporters, teachers, cops, firefighters, nurses, auto workers, and anybody in the food service industry makes. Not too shabby for playing a game, though it pales in comparison to her male counterparts.
And if Bre can make it to the mountaintop of a hundred grand, she'll join some elite company. Trumpish? Hardly. But she'll be right up there with your average mid-level dope dealer or local crooked politician.
It's seems cruelly ironic that such a fine upstanding college student-athlete can finish at the pinnacle of success, only to find she'll be making far less all of next year than one of the above-mentioned politicians can make for giving a 20 minute speech -- that is mostly lies anyway.
At least Breanna Stewart was the real deal for her 4 years at UConn, and very much deserved all the accolades that were bestowed upon her.
Here's wishing Ms. S the best in whatever comes her way next.
But methinks it's going to be a lot rougher than it was in Storrs.......
Monday, April 4, 2016
The East rules
First, congrats to the Villanova Wildcats, 2016 National college men's hoop champions. The Cats beat the Tar Heels fair and square. Go back one game to the semi-finals and Villanova had absolutely blistered Oklahoma. The Sooners were the last team left from west of the Mississippi.
Meanwhile, North Carolina had dispatched Syracuse -- both most definitely in the eastern reaches of the USA.
On the women's side, Syracuse had trashed Washington and UConn had steam-rolled Oregon State. Two west coast teams up, and two west coast teams got taken to the woodshed by beasts from the East.
Though Carolina was slightly favored against Nova (2-3 points), it wasn't exactly a huge upset the Cats were able to defeat them. But maybe there's another reason....
Villanova's from Philly, which is even more east than Chapel Hill, home of the Heels.
Conversely, it WOULD be considered a mammoth upset if the Syracuse ladies somehow found a way to derail the mighty Geno Bambino express that is UConn on Tuesday night.
That's likely not going to happen for two reasons.
Number one, UConn is a 3-time defending champion, and is not only undefeated this year, but won all their games by double digits. Many of them were just absolute blow-outs to the tune of 30-40 points.
Good grief, in the Sweet Sixteen, they hammered a #5 Miss St. team 98-38. SIXTY POINTS!! Next up was a #2 Texas. A 21 point beat down. In the semi-finals it was another #2 Oregon State. 29 points. And this is while mercifully emptying their bench in the fourth quarter, else those scores would have been even MORE lop-sided.
Now comes Syracuse in the national title game. The Orange is merely a #4 seed, and surprised many by getting this far.
Nevertheless, in the minds of most UConn remains a vastly superior team and is expected to romp once again. Which brings me to the second reason....
Geography. Syracuse may be in the eastern time zone, but it's located in upstate New York, quite some distance from the Atlantic coast.
Obviously being from Connecticut, the Lady Huskies' home base in much further east. Being the small state it is, EVERYTHING in Connecticut is little more than a drive and a five iron from the ocean.
In the latter stages of the NCAA tourney this year, it seems the further right on the map the team comes from has been the deciding factor in their favor.
We've all heard the phrase "beast of the east" in the past regarding teams in different sports, but perhaps a new one should be coined given how the tourney has played out.
How about....... "Yeast of the east"? The closer to the Atlantic, the higher they seem to rise.
Yeah, I know. Groan.
Sorry.
Meanwhile, North Carolina had dispatched Syracuse -- both most definitely in the eastern reaches of the USA.
On the women's side, Syracuse had trashed Washington and UConn had steam-rolled Oregon State. Two west coast teams up, and two west coast teams got taken to the woodshed by beasts from the East.
Though Carolina was slightly favored against Nova (2-3 points), it wasn't exactly a huge upset the Cats were able to defeat them. But maybe there's another reason....
Villanova's from Philly, which is even more east than Chapel Hill, home of the Heels.
Conversely, it WOULD be considered a mammoth upset if the Syracuse ladies somehow found a way to derail the mighty Geno Bambino express that is UConn on Tuesday night.
That's likely not going to happen for two reasons.
Number one, UConn is a 3-time defending champion, and is not only undefeated this year, but won all their games by double digits. Many of them were just absolute blow-outs to the tune of 30-40 points.
Good grief, in the Sweet Sixteen, they hammered a #5 Miss St. team 98-38. SIXTY POINTS!! Next up was a #2 Texas. A 21 point beat down. In the semi-finals it was another #2 Oregon State. 29 points. And this is while mercifully emptying their bench in the fourth quarter, else those scores would have been even MORE lop-sided.
Now comes Syracuse in the national title game. The Orange is merely a #4 seed, and surprised many by getting this far.
Nevertheless, in the minds of most UConn remains a vastly superior team and is expected to romp once again. Which brings me to the second reason....
Geography. Syracuse may be in the eastern time zone, but it's located in upstate New York, quite some distance from the Atlantic coast.
Obviously being from Connecticut, the Lady Huskies' home base in much further east. Being the small state it is, EVERYTHING in Connecticut is little more than a drive and a five iron from the ocean.
In the latter stages of the NCAA tourney this year, it seems the further right on the map the team comes from has been the deciding factor in their favor.
We've all heard the phrase "beast of the east" in the past regarding teams in different sports, but perhaps a new one should be coined given how the tourney has played out.
How about....... "Yeast of the east"? The closer to the Atlantic, the higher they seem to rise.
Yeah, I know. Groan.
Sorry.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Fat rants and a shut up
Yours truly has never been politically correct and never will be. In my opinion, that's a pseudo language for the wimpy people that are afraid to face the literal truth. But to do that, one must also be able to apply it to them self.
That patch on the back of my head doesn't represent a follicly challenged gene I inherited from my father. It's a bald spot.
I'm not in my twilight or golden years. I'm getting old. Considering all the stupid things I did over the years, it's probably a miracle I lived this long. Many of my smarter friends weren't so fortunate.
There's a reason why this author is about 20 pounds overweight. It's called too much food and not enough exercise. Forget all the magical diet solutions over the years that shysters have made millions from by preying on the lazy people. That's what it's always boiled down to. Which brings me to.....
The NCAA women's hoops game between Washington and Syracuse. There was WAY too much fat going on.
Did you see that girl on the Washington team? She went way beyond "Huskie" -- and more resembled a tank rumbling up and down the floor. Might have weighed about the same too. Whatever it is she's been eating needs to come in much smaller portions. You could time her in the 40 with a sundial. The poor thing couldn't even jump. Most tanks can't. That raises a question. How in the world did such a Washington team make it to the Final Four? They were terrible and rightly got drubbed by 29 points against what looked to be a slightly better than average Syracuse team.
Oh my. Check out the size of that breathless on-court reporter catching a quickie interview with a coach or player during the game. No wonder she was breathless. We're talking some serious fat here. This is the kind of person that strikes terror in the hearts of all-you-can-eat restaurants if they can manage to squeeze through the front door and start chowing down once their girthness has found a seating arrangement that can accommodate them.
Hey, I don't want to hear about "altitudinally challenged" people. They're short. Forget "sightless". It's blind. And spare me the whiny lecture regarding those that are ever-so-slightly consciously impaired. Bull. There ain't no fixing stupid any more than there is getting politicians to put their self-serving partisanship aside and work for the greater good of the American people. It just is what it is.
On another note, one Scottie Pippen needs to shut up. We remember Scottie as being on the Chicago Bulls' teams that won so many championships back in the 90s. Now the Pipster has come out and said his former Bulls team would sweep the current Golden State Warriors that are challenging their all-time best regular season record. Maybe. Or maybe it would go the other way.
That's the way it seems to be with retired jocks. They always think their old-time version of whatever game they played was the best. But they couldn't be more wrong. Every generation of players is better than the last, let alone those from decades ago. Tiger was better than Jack -- just for not as long. Novac Djokovic would obliterate Bjorn Borg, much less Rod Laver in their primes. Lebron's a far superior player than Jordan ever was. How do you think Chris Evert would have fared against Serena Williams? Hockey legend Gordie Howe likely wouldn't even make it onto an NHL roster these days. Too slow. Big time boxers of yesteryear would get carved up like Thanksgiving turkeys in the ring in modern times by vastly superior pugilists. Once upon a time an NFL player weighing over 300 pounds was a rarity. Nowadays, it's almost a minimum requirement for any offensive lineman. And many of these guys can run faster than running backs could in days long past.
Bigger, stronger, faster, and with much more sophisticated training and coaching regimens than in the past. They're just better. And the next generation will be better yet.
So Scottie needs to give us a break and shut up. Like Tiger Woods, he and the Bulls had their years of dominance, but it's irrelevant today. It's over. The current Warriors (and Spurs) would take his best team(s) from the past, chew them up and spit them out like a purebred dog would a rancid milk bone. It's not even a close call. He sounds like a little mouse that gnawed on sour grapes and is belly-aching accordingly. Dare we call him a -- Pip-squeak?
And BTW, in case I was a bit vague in the examples mentioned above -- fat always was and will be exactly that.
Fat.
Period.
That patch on the back of my head doesn't represent a follicly challenged gene I inherited from my father. It's a bald spot.
I'm not in my twilight or golden years. I'm getting old. Considering all the stupid things I did over the years, it's probably a miracle I lived this long. Many of my smarter friends weren't so fortunate.
There's a reason why this author is about 20 pounds overweight. It's called too much food and not enough exercise. Forget all the magical diet solutions over the years that shysters have made millions from by preying on the lazy people. That's what it's always boiled down to. Which brings me to.....
The NCAA women's hoops game between Washington and Syracuse. There was WAY too much fat going on.
Did you see that girl on the Washington team? She went way beyond "Huskie" -- and more resembled a tank rumbling up and down the floor. Might have weighed about the same too. Whatever it is she's been eating needs to come in much smaller portions. You could time her in the 40 with a sundial. The poor thing couldn't even jump. Most tanks can't. That raises a question. How in the world did such a Washington team make it to the Final Four? They were terrible and rightly got drubbed by 29 points against what looked to be a slightly better than average Syracuse team.
Oh my. Check out the size of that breathless on-court reporter catching a quickie interview with a coach or player during the game. No wonder she was breathless. We're talking some serious fat here. This is the kind of person that strikes terror in the hearts of all-you-can-eat restaurants if they can manage to squeeze through the front door and start chowing down once their girthness has found a seating arrangement that can accommodate them.
Hey, I don't want to hear about "altitudinally challenged" people. They're short. Forget "sightless". It's blind. And spare me the whiny lecture regarding those that are ever-so-slightly consciously impaired. Bull. There ain't no fixing stupid any more than there is getting politicians to put their self-serving partisanship aside and work for the greater good of the American people. It just is what it is.
On another note, one Scottie Pippen needs to shut up. We remember Scottie as being on the Chicago Bulls' teams that won so many championships back in the 90s. Now the Pipster has come out and said his former Bulls team would sweep the current Golden State Warriors that are challenging their all-time best regular season record. Maybe. Or maybe it would go the other way.
That's the way it seems to be with retired jocks. They always think their old-time version of whatever game they played was the best. But they couldn't be more wrong. Every generation of players is better than the last, let alone those from decades ago. Tiger was better than Jack -- just for not as long. Novac Djokovic would obliterate Bjorn Borg, much less Rod Laver in their primes. Lebron's a far superior player than Jordan ever was. How do you think Chris Evert would have fared against Serena Williams? Hockey legend Gordie Howe likely wouldn't even make it onto an NHL roster these days. Too slow. Big time boxers of yesteryear would get carved up like Thanksgiving turkeys in the ring in modern times by vastly superior pugilists. Once upon a time an NFL player weighing over 300 pounds was a rarity. Nowadays, it's almost a minimum requirement for any offensive lineman. And many of these guys can run faster than running backs could in days long past.
Bigger, stronger, faster, and with much more sophisticated training and coaching regimens than in the past. They're just better. And the next generation will be better yet.
So Scottie needs to give us a break and shut up. Like Tiger Woods, he and the Bulls had their years of dominance, but it's irrelevant today. It's over. The current Warriors (and Spurs) would take his best team(s) from the past, chew them up and spit them out like a purebred dog would a rancid milk bone. It's not even a close call. He sounds like a little mouse that gnawed on sour grapes and is belly-aching accordingly. Dare we call him a -- Pip-squeak?
And BTW, in case I was a bit vague in the examples mentioned above -- fat always was and will be exactly that.
Fat.
Period.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Okla and Buddy. Exposed
It's no great surprise Villanova defeated Oklahoma in a national semi-final game. They were actually slightly favored (2 points) going in. And both were #2 seeds in their regions.
What WAS surprising was the margin of victory. Villanova beat the stuffing out of Oklahoma to the tune of 95-51. A forty-four point romp goes beyond "blowout". It was a slaughter. A humiliating beat-down with countless millions of people watching. The Wildcats turned the Sooners into Laters. FORTY FOUR POINTS? Really???? Few could have anticipated such a result. As Popeye the sailor man might have said, "how embarassking". And somewhere the ghost of Mickey Mantle likely moaned.
True, in the whole scheme of things Oklahoma has nothing to hang their heads about. They had a successful season and just reaching the Final Four was an accomplishment in itself. But the thrashing they took at the hands of Villanova might change a couple dynamics. Not the least of which would be...
The future of Buddy Hield. The Bahamian native has enjoyed great success throughout his basketball life to date. He was tabbed a "phenom" when just a little tyke, and continued to tear it up through prep school and his time at Oklahoma. Hield won a variety of personal awards. He was most "this" and All "that". Suffice it to say, he's got his fair share of "iron" and plaques somewhere in a trophy case.
Also, Chavano Hield was the seemingly rare male college hoops star these days to actually -- gasp -- graduate as a senior. No doubt, he was high on NBA draft boards. Yet the shutdown that 'Nova put on Hield and his teammates certainly didn't go unnoticed by the gurus in NBA offices around the country.
Look at it this way --- in the biggest game on the biggest stage he had played in his life so far -- the normally high-scoring Hield was held to a mere 9 points. By a college team. True, Villanova's pretty damn good and will likely give North Carolina a run for their money on Monday night with the NCAA championship at stake.
Yet still --- if he can be neutralized by a good team at the collegiate level -- that may not speak well of how he might fare in the NBA. In a long, grueling season, Hield would be going up against professionals that are bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter than anything he saw during his glory days at Oklahoma.
Perhaps it's an unfair comparison. After all, a 44 point drubbing can hardly be laid at the feet of just one player. It was a TEAM woodshed moment.
But the possibility remains that Chavano "Buddy" Hield was "exposed" in this one game. Call it what you want. The glass ceiling, the Peter Principle, whatever. The list is long of jocks that were studs in "regular" games, but crashed and burned when they finally made it to the big stage, with all the pressure that goes with it.
Buddy Hield and the Sooners most definitely crashed and burned against Villanova. A 44 point pummeling is hardly a fluke.
What remains to be seen is what effect -- if any -- this will have on his draft status. Will the pro scouts and GMs blow it off as just one bad game? Or might they see it otherwise and Hield wind up sitting in the "green room" for a while before his name finally gets called as he slides down the board?
One thing for sure. Whatever happens to Hield has got to be better than sitting in the Bahamas waiting on the next hurricane to roll through.
Here's wishing him the best, and we'll see....
What WAS surprising was the margin of victory. Villanova beat the stuffing out of Oklahoma to the tune of 95-51. A forty-four point romp goes beyond "blowout". It was a slaughter. A humiliating beat-down with countless millions of people watching. The Wildcats turned the Sooners into Laters. FORTY FOUR POINTS? Really???? Few could have anticipated such a result. As Popeye the sailor man might have said, "how embarassking". And somewhere the ghost of Mickey Mantle likely moaned.
True, in the whole scheme of things Oklahoma has nothing to hang their heads about. They had a successful season and just reaching the Final Four was an accomplishment in itself. But the thrashing they took at the hands of Villanova might change a couple dynamics. Not the least of which would be...
The future of Buddy Hield. The Bahamian native has enjoyed great success throughout his basketball life to date. He was tabbed a "phenom" when just a little tyke, and continued to tear it up through prep school and his time at Oklahoma. Hield won a variety of personal awards. He was most "this" and All "that". Suffice it to say, he's got his fair share of "iron" and plaques somewhere in a trophy case.
Also, Chavano Hield was the seemingly rare male college hoops star these days to actually -- gasp -- graduate as a senior. No doubt, he was high on NBA draft boards. Yet the shutdown that 'Nova put on Hield and his teammates certainly didn't go unnoticed by the gurus in NBA offices around the country.
Look at it this way --- in the biggest game on the biggest stage he had played in his life so far -- the normally high-scoring Hield was held to a mere 9 points. By a college team. True, Villanova's pretty damn good and will likely give North Carolina a run for their money on Monday night with the NCAA championship at stake.
Yet still --- if he can be neutralized by a good team at the collegiate level -- that may not speak well of how he might fare in the NBA. In a long, grueling season, Hield would be going up against professionals that are bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter than anything he saw during his glory days at Oklahoma.
Perhaps it's an unfair comparison. After all, a 44 point drubbing can hardly be laid at the feet of just one player. It was a TEAM woodshed moment.
But the possibility remains that Chavano "Buddy" Hield was "exposed" in this one game. Call it what you want. The glass ceiling, the Peter Principle, whatever. The list is long of jocks that were studs in "regular" games, but crashed and burned when they finally made it to the big stage, with all the pressure that goes with it.
Buddy Hield and the Sooners most definitely crashed and burned against Villanova. A 44 point pummeling is hardly a fluke.
What remains to be seen is what effect -- if any -- this will have on his draft status. Will the pro scouts and GMs blow it off as just one bad game? Or might they see it otherwise and Hield wind up sitting in the "green room" for a while before his name finally gets called as he slides down the board?
One thing for sure. Whatever happens to Hield has got to be better than sitting in the Bahamas waiting on the next hurricane to roll through.
Here's wishing him the best, and we'll see....
Friday, April 1, 2016
Golden State Warriors. Gassed?
One possible record just went down. The Golden State Warriors got beat at home by the Boston Celtics. No team in NBA history has even gone a full regular season without being defeated at home.
The only team left that can possibly run the regular-season home-turf table is the San Antonio Spurs. But their coach Gregg Popovich has already gone on record saying he doesn't care about that. He's looking into the future of the playoffs and trying to get his team ready for the grind that comes next. Smart? Probably. And given his track record over the years, would anybody seriously question the wisdom of Coach Pop?
The Warriors still have a shot at another record -- that being surpassing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls 72-10 regular season mark. With six games left to go, they need to win 4 of them to tie, and 5 to break it. Will it happen? Maybe.
Thing is -- the Warriors look gassed. In recent games against "inferior" competition, they have struggled. True, they typically find a way to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat and escape with a win, but they're no longer rolling over other teams like they did earlier in the season.
All due credit to Boston and their young head coach Brad Stevens. They had a game plan against the Warriors, stuck to it, and came away with a well-deserved victory. This was no fluke by any means. Yet the irony was somewhat delicious that the splash monsters finally went down at home on April Fools day.
Idle thought: We all remember the Andy Griffith show, with Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, Floyd the barber, and Otis the town drunk. So why was it called the Andy Griffith show when he went by the name Andy Taylor on the program?
While it's tough to find fault with a 68-8 record, could it be the GS Warriors have overplayed their hand and might be ripe to get knocked off in the playoffs?
It's not like other teams don't have scouting reports and watch a lot of film. In recent times, the Warriors seemed to have been "solved" somewhat. Opponents know GS pretty much lives and dies by the three point shot. When they're going in, they're pretty much unbeatable.
But the Celtics exposed something else. Dog Stephen Curry all over the court, make him work for every little thing, and good things just might happen as the game wears on and he gets tired. Further, the once crisp no-look cross-court and bounce passes the Warriors have used for such great success are now being anticipated and intercepted. In short, the unpredictable has come to be expected.
Curry himself remains a pillar of -- something. There's a difference between confidence and being smug/arrogant. The former is a good thing in the world of sports, while the latter often leads to spectacular failures. Notables like Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson, and more recently Conor McGregor/Ronda Rousey found that out the hard way. Among others over the years, they got to the point where they thought their it-shay no longer unk-stay. Down they went.
These days, Stephen Curry thinks he's all THAT. He'll no doubt continue to jack up long three point shots, constantly smirk, and maintain his loathsome habit of chewing on the corner of his toothguard every chance he gets. The latter is no more in the "cool" category than would be a major league baseball hitter stepping out of the batter's box after ever pitch to unfasten and refasten his batting glove. What's that? THEY do it too? Well then. Never mind, but it doesn't make either any more palatable. Would you want to see a star defensive tackle in the NFL adjusting his cup after every play? Me neither. Same sort of thing.
The Boston game exposed Curry on another level. See his passes anticipated and intercepted. See the Celtics trap him and cause him to commit a whopping 15 turnovers. They "picked his pocket" off the dribble, shut him down when he tried to drive to the basket, and had him otherwise befuddled throughout. FIFTEEN turnovers? All by himself? Really? And when's the last time you saw an NBA player whistled for an "over and back" violation? It happened to Steph at the hands of the Celtics.
He was totally discombobulated. And don't think for a second other teams didn't take note of what Brad Stevens and the Beantowners accomplished against Curry and the heretofore high-flying Warriors.
Especially that guy with the scraggly white beard in San Antonio that runs the Spurs.
The only team left that can possibly run the regular-season home-turf table is the San Antonio Spurs. But their coach Gregg Popovich has already gone on record saying he doesn't care about that. He's looking into the future of the playoffs and trying to get his team ready for the grind that comes next. Smart? Probably. And given his track record over the years, would anybody seriously question the wisdom of Coach Pop?
The Warriors still have a shot at another record -- that being surpassing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls 72-10 regular season mark. With six games left to go, they need to win 4 of them to tie, and 5 to break it. Will it happen? Maybe.
Thing is -- the Warriors look gassed. In recent games against "inferior" competition, they have struggled. True, they typically find a way to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat and escape with a win, but they're no longer rolling over other teams like they did earlier in the season.
All due credit to Boston and their young head coach Brad Stevens. They had a game plan against the Warriors, stuck to it, and came away with a well-deserved victory. This was no fluke by any means. Yet the irony was somewhat delicious that the splash monsters finally went down at home on April Fools day.
Idle thought: We all remember the Andy Griffith show, with Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, Floyd the barber, and Otis the town drunk. So why was it called the Andy Griffith show when he went by the name Andy Taylor on the program?
While it's tough to find fault with a 68-8 record, could it be the GS Warriors have overplayed their hand and might be ripe to get knocked off in the playoffs?
It's not like other teams don't have scouting reports and watch a lot of film. In recent times, the Warriors seemed to have been "solved" somewhat. Opponents know GS pretty much lives and dies by the three point shot. When they're going in, they're pretty much unbeatable.
But the Celtics exposed something else. Dog Stephen Curry all over the court, make him work for every little thing, and good things just might happen as the game wears on and he gets tired. Further, the once crisp no-look cross-court and bounce passes the Warriors have used for such great success are now being anticipated and intercepted. In short, the unpredictable has come to be expected.
Curry himself remains a pillar of -- something. There's a difference between confidence and being smug/arrogant. The former is a good thing in the world of sports, while the latter often leads to spectacular failures. Notables like Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson, and more recently Conor McGregor/Ronda Rousey found that out the hard way. Among others over the years, they got to the point where they thought their it-shay no longer unk-stay. Down they went.
These days, Stephen Curry thinks he's all THAT. He'll no doubt continue to jack up long three point shots, constantly smirk, and maintain his loathsome habit of chewing on the corner of his toothguard every chance he gets. The latter is no more in the "cool" category than would be a major league baseball hitter stepping out of the batter's box after ever pitch to unfasten and refasten his batting glove. What's that? THEY do it too? Well then. Never mind, but it doesn't make either any more palatable. Would you want to see a star defensive tackle in the NFL adjusting his cup after every play? Me neither. Same sort of thing.
The Boston game exposed Curry on another level. See his passes anticipated and intercepted. See the Celtics trap him and cause him to commit a whopping 15 turnovers. They "picked his pocket" off the dribble, shut him down when he tried to drive to the basket, and had him otherwise befuddled throughout. FIFTEEN turnovers? All by himself? Really? And when's the last time you saw an NBA player whistled for an "over and back" violation? It happened to Steph at the hands of the Celtics.
He was totally discombobulated. And don't think for a second other teams didn't take note of what Brad Stevens and the Beantowners accomplished against Curry and the heretofore high-flying Warriors.
Especially that guy with the scraggly white beard in San Antonio that runs the Spurs.
Golden State/San Antonio strategies
A whole lot of sub-plots continue to be in play regarding the best two teams in the NBA. Here's a few.....
The San Antonio Spurs remain undefeated at home and have become the first team in NBA history to have won their first 38 such games in a regular season.
Similarly, the Golden State Warrior remain perfect in their own backyard. They're not far behind at 36-0 at home, only because the season schedule to date has played out that way. Both teams have played 75 games, which means they both have 7 remaining.
GS has 5 out of the last 7 at home. Conversely, SA has 4 out of their last 7 on the road.
Gregg Popovich and the Spurs long ago realized they'd never catch the high flying Warriors to become the top seed in the West. With seven games to go and being behind by five, that's pretty much a done deal.
But that's where it gets interesting.
Coach Pop has rested some of his aging starters down the home stretch while Coach Kerr and the Warriors continue in full speed ahead mode.
There is no doubt the Warriors want to surpass the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls all-time regular season record of 72-10. Further, it goes without saying they wish to remain undefeated at home. Chances are fairly good they might do both. If so, they would end the regular season with a couple records in their pocket.
Yet conversely, the Spurs are taking a totally different approach. Popovich himself has openly stated he couldn't care less about his team remaining undefeated at home and possibly sharing a co-record with the Warriors. His eyes are looking down the road to the playoffs.
To bolster that argument, star point guard Tony Parker is also on record as saying he expects himself and other SA starters to be "sat down", even if otherwise fully healthy, during the last handful of games. What is truly interesting is TWO of those last seven games are against the Warriors.
They've met twice earlier in the season. In Oakland, GS steamrolled SA. In the rematch in Alamoland, the Spurs came away with a win.
Are we to believe Coach Pop would send in his B-Team on both occasions to face the shock troops of GS? Just so his starters could rest up a bit so late in the regular season?
Don't be surprised if he does exactly that. As he is certainly aware of -- the Spurs will be the #2 seed in the West regardless of what happens in the remaining seven regular season games. They'll need to get through two playoff rounds before likely facing the Warriors in the conference finals. Likewise, Golden State will have to hold serve themselves.
If it plays out that way, the Spurs would have to win at least one game at Golden State to get to the championship round against whoever came out of the East. A playoff series between GS and SA would be hard fought indeed.
The difference in strategy between the two teams is worth noting. Sure, Golden State is the defending champs, and for the most part a younger team than San Antonio. The Warriors are chasing a whole lot of things. They want to win every game, every thing, and remain in balls to the wall mode. And it just might work. Who would bet against these guys?
But Popovich is gambling that when the REALLY important crunch time comes, the rest he will have given his A-Teamers will pay off. After all, when the playoffs begin, who cares about the regular season? It means nothing other than the fact a team won enough games to qualify for the post-season. And if a coach has gassed his team getting there -- it's a long grueling season -- might they wilt when the pressure and level of play is cranked up against good teams in the playoffs?
Two different teams (both outstanding) and two different philosophies on how to proceed from here.
It will be interesting indeed to see how it plays out......
The San Antonio Spurs remain undefeated at home and have become the first team in NBA history to have won their first 38 such games in a regular season.
Similarly, the Golden State Warrior remain perfect in their own backyard. They're not far behind at 36-0 at home, only because the season schedule to date has played out that way. Both teams have played 75 games, which means they both have 7 remaining.
GS has 5 out of the last 7 at home. Conversely, SA has 4 out of their last 7 on the road.
Gregg Popovich and the Spurs long ago realized they'd never catch the high flying Warriors to become the top seed in the West. With seven games to go and being behind by five, that's pretty much a done deal.
But that's where it gets interesting.
Coach Pop has rested some of his aging starters down the home stretch while Coach Kerr and the Warriors continue in full speed ahead mode.
There is no doubt the Warriors want to surpass the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls all-time regular season record of 72-10. Further, it goes without saying they wish to remain undefeated at home. Chances are fairly good they might do both. If so, they would end the regular season with a couple records in their pocket.
Yet conversely, the Spurs are taking a totally different approach. Popovich himself has openly stated he couldn't care less about his team remaining undefeated at home and possibly sharing a co-record with the Warriors. His eyes are looking down the road to the playoffs.
To bolster that argument, star point guard Tony Parker is also on record as saying he expects himself and other SA starters to be "sat down", even if otherwise fully healthy, during the last handful of games. What is truly interesting is TWO of those last seven games are against the Warriors.
They've met twice earlier in the season. In Oakland, GS steamrolled SA. In the rematch in Alamoland, the Spurs came away with a win.
Are we to believe Coach Pop would send in his B-Team on both occasions to face the shock troops of GS? Just so his starters could rest up a bit so late in the regular season?
Don't be surprised if he does exactly that. As he is certainly aware of -- the Spurs will be the #2 seed in the West regardless of what happens in the remaining seven regular season games. They'll need to get through two playoff rounds before likely facing the Warriors in the conference finals. Likewise, Golden State will have to hold serve themselves.
If it plays out that way, the Spurs would have to win at least one game at Golden State to get to the championship round against whoever came out of the East. A playoff series between GS and SA would be hard fought indeed.
The difference in strategy between the two teams is worth noting. Sure, Golden State is the defending champs, and for the most part a younger team than San Antonio. The Warriors are chasing a whole lot of things. They want to win every game, every thing, and remain in balls to the wall mode. And it just might work. Who would bet against these guys?
But Popovich is gambling that when the REALLY important crunch time comes, the rest he will have given his A-Teamers will pay off. After all, when the playoffs begin, who cares about the regular season? It means nothing other than the fact a team won enough games to qualify for the post-season. And if a coach has gassed his team getting there -- it's a long grueling season -- might they wilt when the pressure and level of play is cranked up against good teams in the playoffs?
Two different teams (both outstanding) and two different philosophies on how to proceed from here.
It will be interesting indeed to see how it plays out......
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