duncan228
06-10-2007, 10:09 AM
Stuff to read to pass the time.
http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/131981.html
It's clearly too early to crown King James
By RANDY GALLOWAY
Star-Telegram staff writer
Under the glare of the NBA's biggest spotlight, the league's new "savior" crumbled like a hard-shell taco at a River Walk Tex-Mex joint.
LeBron was LeDirk.
Except Dirk received no free rides for his postseason failures of last June, or against Golden State this spring. Nor did he deserve a freebie.
But after Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night in San Antonio, the national media reaction generally trended toward giving a mulligan to young LeBron (King) James.
There were plenty of "hold off just yet on the coronation" comments, and certainly the silliness of making Michael Jordan comparisons abruptly ended.
LeBron had an awful evening in that Game 1, but before totally trashing him, Dirk-style, let's watch some more, like Game 2 tonight, and beyond.
Go back a year ago, and no one figured after the first two games of those Finals that Dwyane Wade was about to become the NBA's new poster child and top five phone-mate for Charles Barkley.
Whatever happened to Dwyane Wade anyway? A year and an injury later, and he's suddenly just another good player who probably hasn't received a call from Barkley in weeks.
The Mavericks and the referees made Wade the most super of the league's superstars, at least temporarily.
Frankly, I was predicting more of the same kind of friendly whistles in these Finals for LeBron, just because the NBA is always good for a grassy knoll theory when it comes to "arranging" things. And even Michael Jordan himself said last week the league desperately needed another one of him, although not exactly in those words.
LeBron, however, was so bad in Game 1 it was impossible for the refs to bail him out even if that's the plan. And certainly the ever-present Spurs have plans of their own.
LeBron or no LeBron, his Cleveland club faces a huge mismatch in attempting to overcome the Spurs, who are heavily favored to win their fourth title in nine years. If LeBron can save his team from the LeBroom (I stole that from Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News), it will be a moral victory.
The "problem" with the Spurs is the national yawn factor.
See, nobody hates this Coach Pop creation, outside of local precincts and the Phoenix area. Certainly there is also no national love or appreciation for a decade of greatness, but worst yet, nobody loves to hate the Spurs.
It's like, "Oh no, not them again."
But as LeBron discovered quickly, Bruce Bowen is always going to be there, defensively, mucking it up, and kicking ankles or kicking anywhere else he can land a sneaker. And Tim Duncan never goes away, and Tony Parker is quick, quick, quick, and Manu is always one flop away from more cheap free throws.
LeBron, prematurely anointed as this new savior for the NBA, has been given the heavy chore of saving the league from the Spurs. Good luck, son.
And while nothing nice has been said about the Mavericks since the regular season ended, it will continue to go unnoticed that the one positive accomplishment for our local lads is they finally emerged as the one team that can handle the Spurs.
We saw that in an epic playoff session a year ago. We saw it again in the regular season. We also might have seen Phoenix do the same thing this spring, until the stupidity of commissioner David Stern took over.
But for the Mavs, it took years, and it took a maturing Dirk, before they finally could match up evenly with San Antonio. Dirk is currently the NBA's favorite whipping boy, but some of his best moments of late have come against the Spurs.
Consider that LeBron is being asked, even expected by some, to figure it all out in the next week or so. Good luck, again, son.
For television ratings, and national revival, the NBA certainly dreaded the thought of a Pistons-Spurs borefest in these Finals. LeBron and the Cavs saved us all from that.
But Game 1 was about as sleepy a 2 1/2 hours of basketball as we will see. The Spurs didn't even play well, and LeBron was pathetic. It was horrible TV.
Here's hoping for much more in the way of entertainment tonight. And by the time these Finals are over, here's hoping LeBron's reputation doesn't get LeDirked.
http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/131981.html
It's clearly too early to crown King James
By RANDY GALLOWAY
Star-Telegram staff writer
Under the glare of the NBA's biggest spotlight, the league's new "savior" crumbled like a hard-shell taco at a River Walk Tex-Mex joint.
LeBron was LeDirk.
Except Dirk received no free rides for his postseason failures of last June, or against Golden State this spring. Nor did he deserve a freebie.
But after Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night in San Antonio, the national media reaction generally trended toward giving a mulligan to young LeBron (King) James.
There were plenty of "hold off just yet on the coronation" comments, and certainly the silliness of making Michael Jordan comparisons abruptly ended.
LeBron had an awful evening in that Game 1, but before totally trashing him, Dirk-style, let's watch some more, like Game 2 tonight, and beyond.
Go back a year ago, and no one figured after the first two games of those Finals that Dwyane Wade was about to become the NBA's new poster child and top five phone-mate for Charles Barkley.
Whatever happened to Dwyane Wade anyway? A year and an injury later, and he's suddenly just another good player who probably hasn't received a call from Barkley in weeks.
The Mavericks and the referees made Wade the most super of the league's superstars, at least temporarily.
Frankly, I was predicting more of the same kind of friendly whistles in these Finals for LeBron, just because the NBA is always good for a grassy knoll theory when it comes to "arranging" things. And even Michael Jordan himself said last week the league desperately needed another one of him, although not exactly in those words.
LeBron, however, was so bad in Game 1 it was impossible for the refs to bail him out even if that's the plan. And certainly the ever-present Spurs have plans of their own.
LeBron or no LeBron, his Cleveland club faces a huge mismatch in attempting to overcome the Spurs, who are heavily favored to win their fourth title in nine years. If LeBron can save his team from the LeBroom (I stole that from Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News), it will be a moral victory.
The "problem" with the Spurs is the national yawn factor.
See, nobody hates this Coach Pop creation, outside of local precincts and the Phoenix area. Certainly there is also no national love or appreciation for a decade of greatness, but worst yet, nobody loves to hate the Spurs.
It's like, "Oh no, not them again."
But as LeBron discovered quickly, Bruce Bowen is always going to be there, defensively, mucking it up, and kicking ankles or kicking anywhere else he can land a sneaker. And Tim Duncan never goes away, and Tony Parker is quick, quick, quick, and Manu is always one flop away from more cheap free throws.
LeBron, prematurely anointed as this new savior for the NBA, has been given the heavy chore of saving the league from the Spurs. Good luck, son.
And while nothing nice has been said about the Mavericks since the regular season ended, it will continue to go unnoticed that the one positive accomplishment for our local lads is they finally emerged as the one team that can handle the Spurs.
We saw that in an epic playoff session a year ago. We saw it again in the regular season. We also might have seen Phoenix do the same thing this spring, until the stupidity of commissioner David Stern took over.
But for the Mavs, it took years, and it took a maturing Dirk, before they finally could match up evenly with San Antonio. Dirk is currently the NBA's favorite whipping boy, but some of his best moments of late have come against the Spurs.
Consider that LeBron is being asked, even expected by some, to figure it all out in the next week or so. Good luck, again, son.
For television ratings, and national revival, the NBA certainly dreaded the thought of a Pistons-Spurs borefest in these Finals. LeBron and the Cavs saved us all from that.
But Game 1 was about as sleepy a 2 1/2 hours of basketball as we will see. The Spurs didn't even play well, and LeBron was pathetic. It was horrible TV.
Here's hoping for much more in the way of entertainment tonight. And by the time these Finals are over, here's hoping LeBron's reputation doesn't get LeDirked.