Monday, May 21, 2007


SLEEPLESS IN NEW YORK CITY

For the past 20 days, I have not been waking up well. For what should take me 15 minutes to get ready for work, has taken me 35. Even to reverse my inside-out socks is a drag and a nuisance. The reason for my recent lack of sleep? It's not because I've been under stress or having nightmares or experiencing rapid-eye movement over-thinking about what I need to do the next day. No, all that is under control - at least for now.

What's really going on for me are 10:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time tip-offs. Yes, these NBA playoffs have taken over my post-work life with west coast games that end at roughly 1:30 a.m. But I'm not really in bed until I stay up for my late-night snack - a few post-game chuckles watching Charles Barkley on TNT's Inside The NBA.

Trust me, it hasn't been easy turning off the tube as the yawns trickle in. That's because the theme of the playoffs has been unexpected, from the Warriors upsetting the Mavericks in the first round to Derek Fisher's heroics in the semifinals to breaking news of the next intentional flop/fight as the conference finals loom. Overall, the 2007 NBA playoffs have been a whirlwind circus of high-flying and low-blowing performances that will only get testier as the referees, David Stern and the fans (some recently have turned away after the surprising Phoenix Suns' suspensions) call for "order on the court."


So, before the next 20 days deprive me of even more sleep and deplete the concentration I'll need to type my thoughts, let me share with you some restless reflections from the first half of the playoffs that carry over into my early morning hours:

1)
I know the NBA has become an entertainment spectacle, but the "flopping" effect produced by the league's actors needs to look more realistic. And the referees shouldn't be so quick to blow their whistles. When Steve Nash was sideswiped by Robert Horry a.k.a. "Cheap Shot Rob" in Game 4, Nash dropped to his knees and the momentum pushed him into the scorer's table. But then he fell backward and threw his arms out behind him, an exaggerated reaction to a hard foul in my opinion (nowhere near a normal flagrant foul called in the NBA). I can't remember a time when I've seen so many charges called in the league. I was recently watching a Michael Jordan YouTube clip that featured his mid-air moves, and he would jump over defenders a few feet from the basket and knock them down with his hang time. But he was not once called for a charging violation. Nowadays, the same spot where Jordan used to take off from is where the offensive foul stripe is located. It's definitely made scoring much more challenging because players now have to score around defenders with layups more often than trying to attack them head-on and utilizing their athletic ability to dunk.

2)
Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire should've been suspended for one game. And the rule that prevents NBA players on the bench from stepping onto the court during a fight shouldn't be changed. I'll tell you why. Have you ever seen a baseball fight? Usually it involves the pitcher and the batter because that's where the focus and main action is during the game. Nevertheless, the fight can be easily subdued by the players on the field, but whenever those from the dugout run onto the field and get involved, what happens? The fight always escalates. That's exactly why there's the rule in the NBA that if a player leaves the bench during an on-the-court fight, he will be suspended. The league doesn't want any fight to escalate more than it needs to, just like the Pacers/Pistons brawl a few years ago. The other day I was reading Bill Simmons's column addressing the suspensions, and I disagreed with a major point he was trying to make. He said that when you're on a playground court with your buddies and a fight breaks out, your human instinct is to help out. He said the same reasoning should be applied to the NBA, in that teammates should be able to back each other up no matter if they're in the game or on the bench. But here's why I differ. First of all, a pickup game is just that - a pickup game. It's not a professional game played in front of millions of people. And because a fight is usually the worst thing that happens in any sports venue, rules dealing with altercations should be the strictest. Second, in a professional work environment human instinct should not be your guide on how to conduct yourself and should not be equated with good sportsmanship. There is an overarching structure you have to follow. Of course, if the structure is getting in the way of your work, then that's not good. In Diaw and Stoudemire's case, the rule that's in question doesn't limit their overall skills and capabilities. All in all, it should be understood by players that when they're on the bench - just like the fans in their seats - they're not allowed onto the court until their name is called.

3)
I've been impressed with Inside The NBA's creative team working behind the scenes. During the playoffs, their "Gone Fishin'" photoshopped picture of the team's star players who just got eliminated is priceless. Much of the credit goes to Charles Barkley whose hilarious and no-nonsense personality has given the show a lot of leeway as to what it airs. But the TNT staff has continuously succeeded in keeping the on-set mood loose and the jokes coming, mostly directed at Chucksters and his over-the-top (and sometimes over-the-weight-scale) comments. The production crew is also stellar at doing research and being very well prepared. Last Monday when Shaquille O'Neal was a guest commentator, TNT introduced him by featuring a compilation of his comical interview clips. Then during the studio show, nearly every time something of the past was brought up about O'Neal or involving him and Barkley, TNT had a photo or video clip to illustrate the point.

4)
I can predict a team's offense with my eyes closed. It's constantly pick-and-roll, pick-and-roll. I realize it's a very effective play, but I would like to see point guards beat their defenders off the dribble more. Why? Because they easily can. They don't need the pick-and-roll all the time. The speed and strength of the NBA game has increased and nearly every position player can shoot now. That's probably why I enjoyed watching Baron Davis (pictured above) so much during these playoffs. His offensive repertoire is very diverse and instinctive, which confused the Mavericks. His dribble penetration allowed him to either look for his own shot or kick out to a teammate for an open look. Davis is one of the few guys in the league who "dances" with the ball effectively, and each of his moves makes you let out an, "Ooh!" The dunk he had over Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz in the conference semifinals was without a doubt the poster of the year. And the best part is that no one saw it coming, which is how B-Diddy competes. If only he were healthy consistently (and on TV more often). On the flip side, Steve Nash relies heavily on the pick-and-roll. If you watch him closely, he'll run the play with Amare Stoudemire and if Nash doesn't like what he sees, he'll pull the ball back out and execute it with Stoudemire all over again. It's sometimes boring to watch. Don't get me wrong, I think Nash is a superb shooter and a spot-on passer, but I don't think the MVP should be given to someone who relies on other players too much. And you wonder why John Stockton never won the award.

5)
I wish T-Mobile created several more commercials featuring Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley. I don't get why there’s only two spots - I mean, the playoffs are nearly two months long. Perhaps T-Mobile was planning to shoot another one if Wade and the Miami Heat advanced to the second round. But I love how the ads represent the true-to-life playful banter among friends who like to rib each other when competing in sports. What’s funny is that on Inside The NBA, Barkley always remarks, "Dwyane, keep the checks coming!" Speaking of NBA advertisers, I'm getting really annoyed at all the sponsored on-air content presented on TNT's broadcasts. Here are just a few examples: Toyota's "Looking Ahead," Jeep's "Halftime Report," T-Mobile's "Fave 5" and Gatorade's "Cooler Talk." It seems like every television graphic is sponsored by someone. I'm amazed how the play-by-play commentators can remember which advertiser is associated with what. That's extra training that can be so unnecessary at times. Which gets me thinking, Boy do I miss the NBA on NBC. If you're feeling retrospective like me right now, YouTube "NBA on NBC." Like Jordan, it’s artistry in motion.

6)
The Spurs and Pistons will face each other in the Finals because they both demonstrate what the other teams don't have: toughness. I don't understand why NBA General Managers build their rosters more on talent. I believe the days of simply buying All-Stars are over. Take the 2004 Lakers and the present-day Suns, for example. They could score 120 points on any given day, but when it came down to the most important point in the season - the playoffs - they lost to the Pistons and Spurs, respectively. Star players worry too much about their image and being "nice" and "silky smooth" (referred to those who have flashy moves). For a regular season, they can get away with that pretentious attitude. But not during the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki was held to just eight points in Game 6 of the Warriors first-round upset over the Mavericks. Nowitzki was simply rattled by a grittier toughness, and he failed to overcome the odds because he relied too much on his athleticism and natural talent instead of guts and wits. To me, talent underrides toughness. Why that doesn't hold true today is because we live in a sports culture where marketing precedes game play. Tim Duncan, the best power forward in the game, is hardly advertised. Tony Parker, an All-Star, has become more famous for being Eva Longoria's fiancé than a basketball player. As far as the Pistons go, the whole starting five should be featured in a commercial, but only Chauncey Billups is a major endorser. So, if I'm a GM looking ahead to the June NBA draft, I'm eyeing players like Al Horford and Corey Brewer. They are under-your-skin defensive players and can consistently knock down the perimeter jumpshot. That's why Bruce Bowen of the Spurs is so effective. He'll get in your head on defense and then knock down a big shot on the other end. My prediction is the Spurs in seven games because they will have home-court advantage and the Pistons are known for taking some games off (as we saw in the Bulls series).

So, with tired eyes and heavy fingers, I can only say that the past 20 sleepless nights has prepared me for future jet lag as I venture overseas to Prague for two weeks. Czech out my next column!