NBA Finals Preview

Tonight marks the start of the NBA Finals, after what seems to have been a year since we last saw the Spurs play, and 6 months since the Lebrons finished off the Pistons. This is an intriguing match up due to the 2-0 record Cleveland put up on the Spurs during the regular season. Now remember people say it doesn't matter about the regular season and make up other excuses; but look no further than Golden State-Dallas as proof that the 82 games they play from November to mid-April matters. With all that being said, I feel that the San Antonio is going to beat the Cleveland in...6 games. Spurs are going to win 3 at home and 1 on the road, game 4, Cleveland will win games 3 and 5. Overall the Spurs have more talent, depth and better coaching; One Game James will be the best player on the floor throughout the series. However with the many different looks the Spurs will throw at him and the fact that San Antonio may be ok to let him score 50 and get 0 assists. This was the Spurs plan with Amare and Nash in the Phoenix series, they let Nash and Amare score all they wanted to for the most part, but they refused to let anyone else on the court get good looks or get into a groove. In the 2 games San Antonio lost in that series, they let the other 3 beat them. I look for the Spurs to let Lebron score as much as he wants, but refuse to let the others help him making it a 1 on 5. SPURS in 6 Games.

Other Thoughts:
Michelle Wie is now officially the most over hyped athlete in the past 20 years. Anytime you quit an event after participating in over 80% of it and say its because of an injury, you lose all my respect. She quit because she realized that had she finished she wouldve been banned for a year under rule-88 of the LPGA. I don't care if she turns out to be the Tiger Woods of womens golf, you don't do that, its not right and the LPGA should kick her out for at least 6 months. To often in sports we allow young stars to get away with things that are terribly wrong in the sport. For once I want to see a League, Association whatever; discipline these youngsters so that they know whats right and wrong. If things don't turn around quickly for Michelle Wie, she will become the Anna Kournikova of Woman's Golf, great potential...no wins.


Small Ball area, I kind of agree with the post my boy skoal made about the small ball disadvantage. However more recent teams are playing in what may be the greatest offensive era in baseball history, those early teams didn't have power hitters like we do now, and they didn't have to face as many quality opposing hitters as pitchers do now, at least in the American League. The DH is a key factor for any early team in the AL compared to modern teams, take the DH out of the AL and the ERA average may have a drop as big as 1 run per game. I am not saying that those pitchers weren't great, however had they thrown 150 pitches and stayed in for practically the whole game; guys like David Ortiz or Travis Hafner would get to face the same pitcher 4 times, instead of an opposing pitcher who may hit .230. I agree that they are at some kind of disadvantage, but I can't say I agree that its just completely one sided.