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.

 

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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 »

Following the Pistons’ win over the Cavs in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday, I came to LeBron James’ defense. He made a valiant effort to get his teammates involved because he knew he couldn’t beat the Pistons alone. Well, it turns out that he might be able to. LBJ scored 32 points in the Cavs’ win last night.

“You learn from mistakes, you learn from losses, but this game doesn’t put something on me where it’s, ‘Hey, I’ve finally done it,”‘ James said. “This was a big game. We won it and we have to move on.”

With all of the criticism pointed at James during the first two games of the series, he knew he had to be assertive. After all, he’s one of the game’s brightest talents and a player that’s capable of taking over any game he plays in. His 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists will quiet his critics. Instead of trying to involve his teammates early, James asserted himself early. He took the game into his own hands and got everyone else involved as a result.

Although I hate making the comparisons, LeBron looked rather…Jordanish…last night. Between the fade-away three and dunk on Rasheed Wallace, you simply got the feeling that he wasn’t going to let his team lose. That was Michael Jordan’s best trait, his will to win. If LBJ can show that trait again in game four, we could be heading back to Detroit tied at two games apiece.

With the weekend elimination of the Phoenix Suns from the playoffs and the inevitable demise of both the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, it appears as if NBA fans are destined for a train wreck of a match up as the Spurs and Pistons continue to prove that defense is actually what wins championships. Am I intrigued and interested to watch two defensive machines battle? Hell no.

Save me the time. Who the hell is thrilled to watch Tim Duncan be his usual Big Fundamental for another seven game series? Who’s interested in watching Chauncey Billups and Tony Parker struggle to drive to the hole on two dominant post defenses? Does anyone remember the travesty that was this finals match up in 2005? I felt like stabbing my eyes out after watching each team take turns kicking the ball around in games 1-4. 102-71 is not a final score of a game that I’m interested in watching. Neither is 97-76. And if Detroit hangs 69 points like they did in game one of that series, I’ll throw something at the TV.

Look, it’s not a secret that Detroit and San Antonio are two places that I don’t consider ideal locations to live. It’s no coincidence that these are also two teams that I have absolutely no interest in watching hoist an NBA championship trophy. Watching Tim Duncan play is about as exciting as watching paint dry. The only entertaining part about the Pistons is hoping Sheed will snap at a referee (he led the league in technical fouls this season, not a small accomplishment). Congratulations, they both play good defense. I couldn’t give a shit. After all the controversy surrounding the playoffs thus far including the elimination of two teams (Phoenix and Golden State) that could be considered fan favorites, a finals like this will undoubtedly hurt the NBA. When these two met in 2005, the finals received the lowest television ratings in the history of the NBA finals. This year, it’ll probably be worse. And while Detroit and San Antonio fans will be thrilled to make it to the finals, you can count most of the country, including myself, out.

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.