The Laker's PDA (pathetic displays of aggravation)

There is little that can be said about the performance of the LA Lakers against the Mavericks in Game 4 of the series.  Did fans actually think that they would bounce back and win it all?  I agree that there’s a first time for everything, I just think now was not that time.  But NBA fans all around expected more than a 4 game sweep and we certainly could not have been prepared for the on-court antics of the Lakers.

Yes I admit I tend to be more sensitive than most. I gasp when a player goes down hard or avert my eyes when they replay moments of major injuries (I refuse to watch Rondo dislocate his elbow).  Perhaps the only time I have been rendered speechless is when I witness a major crash in a NASCAR race where it’s a miracle that the driver walks out of the car of his own accord. 

I’m not going to say that all professional athletes should keep their emotions in check.  The Lakers were losing and losing badly.  It is expected that play inside the paint may have become more aggressive and there would be more pushing around than usual.  I’ll even go so far as to say a foul such as the one committed by Odom against Nowitsky could be expected.  These are grown men playing in a highly competitive environment.  That amount of testosterone and anger is apt to boil over at some point. 

 But few (if any) excuses can be made of the behavior of Andrew Bynum.  When I saw J.J. Barea hit the ground in the manner he did, I clasped my hand over my mouth in shock. (I really suggest you watch the recaps to see what I mean).  Bynum is lucky that Barea didn’t suffer a major injury.  And then, as a child throwing a tantrum, Bynum rips off his jersey in the middle of the court (not that I’m complaining) and storms off.  To add to the humiliation, Bynum leveled the smallest guy on the court (Bynum= 7ft tall… Barea is under 6)… I was half expecting him to pound his chest and emit some random grunts… Taking out the little guy… so easy a caveman can do it.  It will be interesting to see what punishment the league deems appropriate.

What makes the end of the story even more depressing it that supposedly this game represents Phil Jackson’s last.  I saw supposedly because it seems that certain coaches just can’t retire… coaching is in their blood.  But as of now, Jackson is said to be retiring.  Though I am not suggesting this in any way will taint Jackson’s overall career… he more NBA titles than any other coach in the league, 5 with the Lakers, it is a game that will be talked about for some time… and I think (and hope) that it means some major changes for the franchise.  Because this team, divided against itself, has proven it cannot stand.   

The Lost Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be in some serious trouble… too bad I don’t care!  Just kidding… but truth be told I am not nor ever have been a Lakers fan (I’m a Celtics fan… and Lakers vs Celtics is considered one of the great rivalries in sports).  However the story of their struggles is compelling and has been a source of debate throughout the sports world.

No matter your spectrum of sports knowledge or expertise, you have to have heard of the Los Angeles Lakers and perhaps even the name Kobe Bryant is somewhat familiar to you.  Ladies (yes I’m making a generalization), if reality TV is your thing then Lamar Odom should also ring a bell.  The Los Angeles Lakes are one of the most recognizable franchises in the NBA, having won 5 NBA titles since 2000 and having recruited some of the best players in the league.  So why am I calling them the Lost Angeles Lakers?

Let me say one thing before I get into the apparent identity crisis the Lakers are going through: the Dallas Mavericks are a good team and I don’t want to take anything away from their wins.  It wouldn’t matter what team the Lakers lost to; the reason it’s making headlines is that the Lakers don’t lose the first two games in the series… AT HOME!!  These losses coupled with having one of their players (Pau Gasol) comment that the team has “trust issues” has the fans reeling.  Trust issues? Really? 

Yes, like any good relationship, things that might happen off the court and lack of trust in abilities on the courts will lead to foul play.  Despite being professionals, off court drama happens and it affects how they perform.  Even a slight hesitation on a pass can bring a turnover or cause players to miss uncontested (open) shots. The Lakers have been in the spotlight at time during the regular season, bearing criticism for their mid season “slump.”  Yet, they still made it to the play-offs, just like the Celtics and the Heat who faced similar situations.  They also have one of the winningest coaches in NBA history in Phil Jackson… this man has more NBA championship rings than fingers to wear them on (11). 

But getting out of a 0-2 start in their 7 game series is going to take more than a great coach.  The Lakers are going to have to man-up and confront whatever the drama it is that ails them.  Additionally, flagrant, unnecessary fouls such as the one committed by Ron Artest have to stop. Perhaps essentially clothes lining a player with about 24 seconds to go may be a physical manifestation of just how frustrated the Lakers really are, but now Artest has managed to put additional pressure on the other players to perform as he has been suspended in game 3.    

Who knows, maybe the Lakers thrive on this kind of drama and the “come from behind” scenario?  And  if the Lakers can manage to win this series against the Maverick, the title of my next blog could be “Lost and Found.”

Until next time….

Onto the Next One....

Let's take an NFL/draft/lockout  break and focus some attention on the NBA.

I grew up in an NBA loving household, watching the "greats" of my time which of course include Michael Jordan and the Bulls team of old... Pippen, Rodman, Kerr... *sigh*

Then something happened... I believe it was college, and I lost sight of the NBA, except to note that it had a bad reputation for being a place where guys just out of high school could go, show up to games dressed like "thugs" and taint the once classy style of the NBA.

In recent years the NBA has gone through yet another transformation.  When the players arrive at the arenas for a game, it's more like a runway show in Milan than anything else.  These guys are dressed to the nines!  And although sometimes what happens on the court is not exactly classy (ie Koby using the word fag and a whole lot of profanity), these are men playing sports in a competitive environment: do we expect any different?

So I've been drawn back into the NBA... not just because of the fashion :) but also because the players have once again become interesting.  The teams competing in the playoffs have a lot to prove.... During the regular season the Spurs seemed unbeatable... yet they didn't make it past the first round... perhaps showing some signs of their aging team.  The Celtics just suffered a loss to the Heat, despite the decisive sweep of their series with the NY Knicks.  And of course the Lakers have to continue to prove that they are still a viable team, yet are struggling to do so due in large part to their over reliance on Kobe Bryant. 

But the team with the biggest chip on their shoulder is the Miami Heat and the chip's name is LeBron James.

Now this may come as a shock to you, but there are perhaps thousands of articles you can read all about James and his journey from Cleveland to Miami... and though I am not from Cleveland nor do I have any allegiance to the state of Ohio, I find the whole process James went though, all the pomp and circumstance, the prime time news conference etc... to be completely distasteful... no... let me rephrase that... I think James should be ashamed of himself for the ego he displayed. 

But that's show biz right?  Anyways, so Miami has it's Big 3: James, Wade and Bosh... and big things were expected of them.  Truth be told, despite my hatred, right now they are meeting those expectations.  For all the grumbling and doubt during the regular season and their occasional lack of cohesion as a unit, the Heat are in playoffs and have a real chance to make it all the way. 

Whether or not you are a fan of the NBA, the playoffs format in the NBA is definitely fun to watch, especially because the matchups in this round promise to keep us on the edge of our seats, perhaps even taking us to a game 7 in multiple matchups (for those of you who don't know, they play a 7 game series... first to 4 games wins). 

More to come as we make our way through the second round.

This is Valentina signing off....