Hosts: Sonny, Rich, Kevin and Ryan

In this episode, we toured the NBA’s Central Division and broke down each team’s shot at the postseason. The Detroit Pistons bring back their core for another run at glory, but will they still have enough to hold off the Cavs? The Cleveland Cavaliers have a new point guard, but much of the same problems: No help for King James. We also talked about the young, promising teams in Chicago, Indiana and Milwaukee.

 

 Standard Podcast [20:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Joakim Noah has always said he was “goin’ to do it big” one day. Noah also isn’t shy about letting you know either. Last Sunday, the Bulls rookie was spotted on a sidewalk in Gainsville, Florida with a plastic cup of beer. That’s not all though. Upon arriving at the police station, officers found some marijuana in his pockets. One would like to think Noah would have some type of intelligence after graduating from Florida, but I guess roaming around the university with a beer and a gram are more important.

As the NBA Playoffs continue towards the finals, the Mitchell and Ness Nostalgia Company has unleashed a few NBA Throwback jackets that capture the good ‘ole days. Currently, Mitchell and Ness have only created back four jackets. But with the quality of the apparel and design, the company might have to chalk up more jackets for fans of other teams.

My favorite jacket of all four is the Chicago Bulls throwback. Even though the colors gray and ash have nothing to do with the Bulls logo, the jacket has a charcoal colored tone that looks awesome. The jacket is trimmed with a three inch thick black lining that includes two pockets. The Bulls logo is placed on the right side of the jacket and the team name appears on the back in the standard “Bulls” font.

The next jacket that caught my eye was the New Jersey Nets throwback. The bottom half of the jacket is blue with a thick red line that runs through the middle, finished off by white in the top half of the jacket. The jacket reminds me of the 1986 Hardwood Classic worn by the Nets. The away uni from that year was also very similar. I think the best part of the jacket is the multi-color look with the Nets font on the front. Plus, you have to dig the red, white, and blue sleeves. Read the rest of this entry »

The valiant effort by the Chicago Bulls made the Eastern Conference Semifinals a little more competitive but in the end, it wasn’t enough. The Pistons, despite hearing criticism after suffering two straight defeats, took care of business last night, eliminating the Bulls with a 95-85 win.

The Bulls had a real chance to win this one but it wasn’t meant to be. But this is a young team that’s getting better every season. Chicago swept the defending NBA champs out of the playoffs and refused to quit after dropping three straight against the Pistons. However, the Bulls’ window of opportunity is just beginning to open for a team that’s loaded with young talent. Another likely top ten pick (thanks Isiah!) will allow the Bulls to add another player to throw into a real promising lineup.

As for the Pistons, what more can you say about them? They’re returning to the Eastern Conference Finals for the 5th straight season and in all likelihood, will be playing in their 3rd NBA Finals in the last four seasons. While everybody focused on the Mavs and Suns this season, the Pistons quietly rolled through the Eastern Conference and achieved the top seed again.

It’s worth noting that Chris Webber, notable crunch time failure, put in a disappearing act during the series that would make Alex Rodriguez green with envy. Webber scored an average of about seven points in the series, including two phenomenal zero point efforts. The Pistons will likely return to the NBA Finals but it won’t be on C-Webb’s back.

Chicago Bulls 108, Detroit Pistons 92: Sure, you know the fact. No team in NBA history has ever come back from the seemingly insurmountable 3-0 deficit. But nobody can say the Bulls have gone out without a fight. After gaining confidence in their game four win, the Bulls went into Detroit and beat some ass. It’s taken a few games but the Bulls are rolling again. Ben Gordon led all scorers with 28 points while his backcourt mate Kirk Hinrich scored 17 points with 13 assists. If you caught any of the game, you saw even more of the tantalizing potential that rookie Tyrus Thomas has. Thomas scored 10 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 5 steals in the win. He’s a bit raw but he’s already one of the most athletic players in the league. Losing one game is one thing. But losing at home and sending this series back to Chicago is not what the Pistons had in mind. Game six is Thursday in Chicago. The Fat Lady ain’t singing yet.

Utah Jazz 100, Golden State Warriors 87: The Warriors had the feel-good story, the athleticism, and the best homecourt advantage we’ve seen in some time. But they didn’t have Carlos Boozer or Derek Fisher. The Jazz wrapped up the series in five games in a game that was far closer than the final score indicated. Boozer scored 21 and D-Fish scored 20, including several three pointers in the final quarter. With the Warriors now out of the playoffs, it’s tough to find a real good story in these playoffs. There’s LeBron James and a Suns team that’s been victim of some solid cheap shots from the Spurs. The Jazz now move on to the Western Conference Finals, while the Warriors exit as the most popular #8 seed ever.

Millions of kids want to be “like Mike” and with good reason. He’s a sports icon, one of the most marketed people in history, and after all these years, a swingin’ bachelor. But he’s no Allan Houston. Remember him? The sweet-shooting Knicks star who, two years after retiring, is still the 2nd highest paid player in the NBA. Houston sat on his ass and made $20.7 million. Beat that MJ.

Other hilarious entires on the report of NBA Salaries include Brian Grant, who retired in October and still made $17.3 million. An honorable mention goes to Jalen Rose, who made $16 million and was on the court for 246 minutes all season. Topping the list of the highest paid player is Kevin Garnett. Despite his years of bitching, it’s still hard to sympathize with a guy who made $21 million for the Timberwolves this season.

A look at the highest team payrolls leads to a familiar discussion. Once again, the Knicks got a terrible return on their investment. Their team payroll is $139 million, which leads the NBA by nearly $50 million. In Jalen Rose numbers, that’s more than 12 hours of basketball! The Knicks won 33, meaning they spent more than $4 million for each win. The 76ers and their $88 million payroll won 35 games this year.

Go ahead and take a look at the bottom of the team payroll list. These are teams that have built the right way. The Toronto Raptors’ payroll was a paltry $53 million and they won 47 games. Even more shocking, the Chicago Bulls’ payroll was also $53 million. All they’ve done is build the youngest core of talent in the NBA and swept the Miami Heat. Need a philosophy on running an NBA franchise? It’s all in the numbers.