Stumping for the NBA (and a little Bulls analysis too!)

The NBA—the forgotten major league. Yeah, everybody believes that the players are thugs. Just look to Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony and you have perfect examples of the thug look and mentality (the body art is amazing!). Not gonna deny that the NBA's image has definitely been tarnished over the last decade. Overpaid thugs playing not-so-amazing ball at times. I agree that the college ranks can put on a better show 9 nights out of 10 usually, but guess what? College ball is over and there is no football (oh, and baseball is in the first quarter of the season…). Why not watch a little NBA playoff action? If there is a year to do it…it's this year. Some of the big stories below and of course, a little Bulls blogging for good measure.

1. Dallas out in the first round. Who would have thunk it? But if you look back, Dallas has a horrendous record against the Warriors and Baron Davis finally was healthy. No one really saw this potential before the series (no one picks a #8 over a #1-especially the #1 of the whole league). But looking back, we should have given GS a bit more credit. Dallas was never able to breakdown the Warriors. Yes, Dallas has Dirk, the league MVP, but he was a no-show in this series. Sometimes match-ups matter more than records and having Nelson on the bench is always an asset. Kudos to the Warriors for one of the biggest stories of the post-season! And they continue, with a thumping last night against Utah. Can they upset again? A #8 in the Western conference finals?
2. To complement one 2006 finalist going down, why not mention (at least) the annihilation of the 2006 World Champion Miami Heat? Now, everyone knows that they are a bruised team…yes. But to go down in 4 to a bad road team? Also, a young team that has no paint presence outside of the offensively deficient Ben Wallace? The Bulls have to get some credit for taking them down in 4…not for winning…but how they won. All knew the Heat couldn't withstand a 7 game series (especially without home court), but the shutdown is what is remembered. Bye…bye…Heat.
3. New Jersey is my third story of the playoffs so far. Vince Carter played most of his career in Toronto, slogging away for a sub-standard expansion team. Yeah, they were always better than Vancouver and other expansions, but never playing with the big boys. He has been searching for playoff success for quite some time. The Nets, with Kidd and Carter, started to find some success last year, but finally losing to the eventual champs in the 2^nd round. This year's Toronto team was one of the Cinderella's of the regular season. They won the beleaguered Atlantic (worst division of all major league sports), having the 4^th best record in the East. Now, I admit, the East is soft, but for this expansion team, 4^th kicks ass. They really showed their chops this season. New Jersey hit their stride at the right time. Killing the Bulls in the last game of the season to move themselves up to 6^th and drop the Bulls to 5^th. They kept that momentum and moved right past this Cinderella. LeBron (aka the Cleveland Cavs) has dominated them early on their home court, but I don't expect Carter and Kidd to take it lying down in NJ. I expect a hard series from NJ.
4. I must comment on the Lakers and Kobe, just because of my biased hatred. No fight at all from what used to the World Champion Lakers. When Kobe imploded the team just a few seasons ago, he signed his own ticket to basketball mediocrity. Kobe may have had umpteen 40+ point games this season, but what did that get him? A first-round playoff embarrassment. What Kobe may or may not have done in now my backyard (yes, just down the highway from me…the infamous Eagle County Courthouse), whatever. What he did in LA by sending off his teammates so he could be the center of attention…a crime. I hope he gets to wallow in his pain for years to come.

My Bulls. I had such hope this season. I think I just got too excited and bought into the hype a bit too much. But they're my team…how could I not? Its been 9 long years since I saw a trophy hoisted on the shoulders of one of the great teams of all-time…I wanted to have that hope again. Instead, the nemesis of my youth is back again…mocking us. Detroit and Chicago are completely different teams than their last 80's teams, but that doesn't change the rivalry that is resurfacing. Back then it was the flop-meister Laimbeer, baby face Isiah, stoic Dumars, old man center Edwards, and future Bull Rodman. The Bad Boys. Now they have sickly looking Prince, spot on Billups, Sheed dominating inside, outside shooter Hamilton and surprise signer Webber. Completely different, but nonetheless deadly effective against my young Bulls. Their defense has been stifling…getting every loose ball and forcing massive internal bleeding by the Bulls in Detroit. Yes, some of the youthful brilliance of the Bulls showed on Thursday during the first half. It was salve to my soul to see them finally play the ball I know that they can play (if not inconsistently). But the Pistons took that away in the 3^rd, causing turnovers (most of the Bulls' 12 turnovers occurring in the 2^nd half), forcing the Bulls into horrible shots (10 of 41 in the 2^nd half), and forcing the Bulls to hang their heads, killing their spirit. I am hoping that the Bulls don't go down 0-4, but it definitely is a possibility with the way the Pistons are playing right now. I fault my Bulls for being young and a horrible road-team right now. But I credit the Pistons for stepping up and playing stifling playoff ball with uncanny precision. My hats off to my nemesis…