ARE THESE NBA PLAYOFFS NOT THE BEST IN YEARS???????

Wow...I must say that I am truly enjoying these NBA playoffs...except of course the thorough thumping the Raptors are taking from VinceNETS! Let's take a look around the NBA 1st round and see what the deal is with some of the players and series.

1. Must see TV....Dallas Mavs vs. Golden State Warriors. Despite Chuck Barkley calling it a terrible area...the Bay Area is thriving and going nuts right now for it's Golden State Warriors squad who are up 3 games to 1 on the 67 win regular season powerhouse Mavs. What on earth is happening to tilt this series on it's axis? ATHLETICISM pure and simple...Golden State is giving Dallas shooters...especially MVP frontfunner Dirk Nowitzki fits. His shots are rushed and his timing and rhythm is totally off due to the swarming defence of Warriors. Make no mistake...a Dallas loss would be one of the greatest upsets in NBA history. Don Nelson is showing a thing or two to his PROTEGE Avery Johnson and it makes for great drama. Baron Davis is off the chains...wish he was always healthy. But don't sleep on Stephen "shottas" Jackson, Montae"Most Improved" Ellis, Matt"Born in UCLA" Barnes, Mikael "French guy" Pietrus, Al"Thank God I'm out of Indiana" Harrington, and Andris "worst free throw form ever" Biedrins This team has athletes and they tip all balls in vicinity...rendering Dallas' passing as very ordinary. EASILY THE BEST SERIES IN THE FIRST ROUND.

2. T-Mac is back! Tracy McGrady is ballin' folks...not injured...not icing or resting his back but leading his team to a 3-2 lead in the series. Hopefully T-Mac won't pronounce the series over like he did with Orlando when they were up on Detroit a few years ago...then lost. He has yet to get out of the first round...can you believe that. Karma is a bit*&! Remember when you lied and bolted Toronto Tracy well that's why you haven't advanced to the 2nd round yet. Now that you have Yao on your side...you finally may get there T-Smac. Gotta love Utah's passing. They dissect defenses better than that doctor diagnoses illnesses...what's his name..."HOUSE". They move without the ball better than those people on "Dancing with the Stars". Jerry Sloan sorry Sam I Am took your Coach of the Year award. Not sure if Sam deserves it right now.

3. Lakers are done. Kobe thanks for coming out. Too much offence and speed for the Lake show to compete with again. It's a pity Andrew Bynum hasn't developed yet but watch out people because the greatest center ever...Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is showing him the ropes inside and it's just a matter of time before the Lakers are back at the top of the West.
Is it possible to say that Kobe isn't shooting the rock enough?

4. The Heat sweep is just embarrassing. Are you telling me they couldn't take ONE GAME from the upstart Bulls?....Give me a break. Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning should have retired after the title win last year...but no...they were greedy and wanted more. Of course the odds would have been much better for Miami had the Wademeister not gotten hurt. But gut out one game and show some pride. What an awful way for the defending champs to go out. First time in 50 years the champs were swept in the 1st round. Not a way to end your careers GP and AM. Can't say I'm sorry for Mourning...Hate seeing him flex those stupid biceps after throwing an inbounds pass or something like that. All those people wearing white shirts for nothing. The silence was deafening in Miami at the buzzer...you almost felt sorry for them. Maybe Pat Riley will be forced now to develop and PLAY some of the young talent such as Dorell Wright or Wayne Simien. Mr Riley I know you've won x amount of titles and you are a Hall-of-Famer...but take a pointer...you need to mix in the youth with the veterans so they can get better and feel what it's like in the playoffs. Finally...IS SHAQ DONE? It sure looks like it.

5. Don't sleep on Detroit as the Pistons lie in wait for the Bulls. Is Scott Skiles team ready for the Motor City Madness? Ben Wallace back to DeeeeeTRROOIIITTT! Damn Stephen King couldn't have wrote a better book! This will be one tough series for both teams. Will the Pistons continue to dominate the Bulls or will the Bulls slay the Piston dragon? Can't wait to see this one.

6. Lebron makes the playoffs for the 1st time last season. This year he gives the Cavs their first playoff sweep...wow...even those teams with Mark Price, Hot Rod Williams, Brad Daugherty, and Craig Ehlo didn't take out the brooms for an opposing squad...pretty amazing. Are you a witness to Bron Bron's history making feats. This was probably the least publicized and watched series simply because the GILBERTairs were GILBERTless. Plus no Caron Butler...easy pickings for Cleveland. But the last 2 games were close...could have went either way...that's why I'm not sure if the Cavs are ready for that next step...the Eastern Conference Finals.

7. Can Denver dump the Spurs? Melo and AI are trying their best to dethrone the guys with all the rings. Tim(Cookie Monster) Duncan will not let the Spurs go down without a fight. Did you see Ginobili's dunk the other day? I thought those slams were history for the Argentinian south paw. Is Steve Blake not the luckiest point guard in the NBA?

8. Dwight Howard...work on your 15 footer for next year...you will be unstoppable for it.

9. Is Bruce Willis sober today...what are the odds he's still intoxicated from the Nets/Raptors game yesterday? Will the latest Die Hard be a success? I saw a preview and I must say it looks BAD!(meaning good)

10. I saw Jessica Alba court side at the Warriors/ Mavs game on Sunday. She dating a guy named Cash Warren who coincidentally played on the same high school team as Baron Davis!

11. Who's a worse dresser Don Cherry or TNT's Craig Sager? Let the votes begin.

I really hope that the playoffs continue to sizzle...all the arenas except the Meadowlands are standing room only(can't wait for the move to Brooklyn). The fans have been treated to some high-quality basketball for the most part and the most of the star players have shone brightly this post season. Dirk Diggler where are you?

This FORD IS A LEMON!!!!!!! RAPTORS DEMOLISHED IN GAME 4!

the T.J. Ford Offense

As I sit here watching this Raptors/Nets game I am wondering if I have ever seen a worse playoff game in my entire existence on Earth. I mean...I've seen blowouts but this game has been over since the 1st qtr. No intensity from the get-go...just like in game 3...Too many threes for Jersey and way too many open shots for the home squad. Not to mention the Raptors were uncharacteristically careless with the ball...committing 10 turnovers in the 1st half alone.

T.J. Ford is NOT the point guard for the Toronto Raptors. Sorry Brian Colangelo...but he's not the one. I can't believe how careless he is with the ball. The announcers are saying this game is not typical of a TJ Ford game...PLEASE...spare me the team cheerleading routine. Can we say the truth?...TJ isn't ready to run a big-time team. He is Mike James squared. He over dribbles constantly and is out there on an island and sees no one open but himself. Jason Kidd is abusing him at every turn and it is embarrassing. At least use your speed to stay close to Kidd TJ. Take a charge...get a steal...do something to spark your team. In the 1st qtr...there were times when Chris Bosh would set the screen and TJ wouldn't even look for his All-Star forward on the roll. Jose "el Saviour" Calderon comes in and looks for Bosh...first with an alley-oop feed and then with a sweet bounce pass inside for a slam. The Raps also didn't establish Rasho Nesterovic or suprise starter Andrea Bargnani inside either. They just kept shooting from the outside...letting the Nets dictate the way they play offence. If Bargnani is in the game and he is guarded by Richard Jefferson...he has to bring him down low and make the Nets pay for the mismatch. Bargnani had that exact mismatch in the 2nd qtr but missed the bunny up close when the Raptors were making a run...and the Nets came back to score and the Raps never threatened again. Was the trade worth it?

Vince Carter came out playing aggressive in the first half...and in the 2nd half it is Richard Jefferson who is hitting every jumper he takes.
Again...go back to my post about this series. I warned of the coaching mismatch in this series. Lawrence Frank looks like the coach of the year while Mitchell's facial expressions and body language show a very BEATEN man. He knows the series is over and has no clue why.
Bosh is again taken out of the game...and I can't for the life of me figure out why. He seems rushed...and he seems intimidated out there. He's not aggressive and sure when he gets the ball...Instead of taking Jason Collins off the dribble he settles for the 18 foot jump shot early on. Another point...I've never seen a team be on the short end of the bounces like the Raptors have in this game.
Not sure if the move to start Bargnani was the right one either. It put alot of pressure on the rook and it seems he wasn't up to task! He was slow on defence and gave up some back door plays to Carter in the 1st half . If he was aware and in the correct position he would have been able to slap away the alley-oop tosses.
Sam I Am is coaching like his hands are tied in an episode of 24. Problem is...there is no Jack Bauer on the Raptors!
What can the Raptors do? J Kidd has willed his team to a 3-1 lead...and you know what as tough as losing this series is going to be for the fans especially...I think this Raptors squad will ultimately come out better and learn something about playoff basketball from this series. Losing to Carter will hurt...and it will hurt for the whole summer and pre-season. In fact it will feel like crap and it's going to be a long summer folks. But think of the future...in a couple years this Toronto team will be one of the best in the league...trust me. Garbo get ready quick please we need you.
Game 5 will no doubt be a barn burner in Toronto...can the Raps prolong the inevitable? maybe...maybe not...but it was still a successful season and I really enjoyed watching this young team grow. If I can say another thing. If the Raps have any chance at all to come back...they have to take it one game at a time...but it looks like their hearts have been ripped out after this game 4 loss.

Other notes: Half-time interview by James Cybulski on TSN with Bruce Willis was a disgrace. Willis was obviously intoxicated...ranting with some kid that was sitting beside him. Cybulski asked him about his new Die Hard movie and he was rambling on about the fact that it's the best Die Hard...even better than the first. Then to conclude...Cybulski said thanks to Willis and the idiot Willis says "Yippee-Kayee motherf*&^*er"...a phrase from Die Hard.
Wow...what a shame when Stardom makes these stars make fools of themselves time and time again.
Raptors have not his 100 points once this series. That was never a problem for them this year...until now. The offence and ball movement has gone south for the winter!
At least the Raptors are not Dallas. The #1 seeded Mavs could go down to the #8 Warriors and as bad as the Raps loss would be...imagine being a Dallas fan. Last year the Finals...this year golfing in early May.

JASON IS LIKE AND ADULT PLAYING WITH HIS KIDDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just like Toronto Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell wondered...if Jason Kidd was hurt and dropped 16-16-19...points...assissts and rebounds respectively...what would happen if he weren't injured? Do you realize what it takes from the guard position to record at least 15 in each of those three categories in the regular season...never mind the playoffs? Obviously Kidd is a future first ballot Hall of Famer...but the game on Friday against a bewildered Raptors team has surely cemented Kidd as one of the best PLAYERS in the history of the NBA. With that Fantasy owner's dream game Kidd joined only Wilt Chamberlain(1967) and Fat Lever(1985) as the only players to record at least 15 points...15 assists and 15 rebounds in a single playoff game. Rafael Araujo couldn't accomplish that in a full season when he was in a Raptor uniform for Pete's sake. Short of taking Kidd out ala Nancy Kerrigan...how do the Raptors stop the best rebounding point guard since Oscar Robinson? He gets out in transition better than the cast of hit show "Prison Break"...and he seems to make the right plays and find the best available player shot-wise almost every time he touches the ball. His name is KIDD but he is treating the Raptor playoff neophytes like they are kids.
Toronto got off to a horrendous start on Friday trailing 9-0 with only 2 minutes and 9 seconds gone in the game. 3 of Jersey's buckets were in the paint and they killed Toronto in points in the paint simply because the Raptors refused to play any kind of defence. Remember Jerseys big men are Jason Collins and undrafted skinny big man Mikki "Mikey Dread" Moore...we're not talking about Shaquille O'Neal or Alonzo Mourning here. But it's not those two that are doing damage inside...it's the guard tandem of Kidd...Carter and Jefferson.
One thing that is apparent in this series is that the Raptors dearly miss Jorge Garbajosa's toughness and smarts in the paint. Plus the Spaniard's ability to step outside and drain 20 footers and 3 pointers would have helped to spread New Jersey's defence out and created room for Chris Bosh inside.Speaking of Bosh...where the hell is our 2-time All-Star? CB4 is averaging 12 points in the series...and scored only 11 in Friday's loss. When is he going to get decisive on the court? He needs to make up his mind quickly when he gets the ball. Either shoot...drive or pass...but he seems a step behind right now. Only if and when BOSH starts to play big will the Raptors have a chance to turn this series around. He'll need to score at least 30 today...no joking about that!
I said this before in previous posts. The Raptors have to realize what playoff basketball is about. Toughness and maximizing possessions. It also means NO LAYUPS and NO AND-1 LAYUPS! If the Raps are going to foul they must foul hard because the lack of toughness they have showed in this series is appalling. Bosh got a foul 50 seconds into the game and it seemed to set the tone for Toronto. They were passive from that point on and it was a layup line led by Vince Carter, RJ and Kidd the rest of the way. Mo Pete...who started the 2nd half in place of Joey "Lost in Space" Graham...tried to show some toughness late in the game as he took down Jefferson and was called for the flagrant...But that was way too late to help the Raps!
Carter...you knew coming in...was destined to break out in this series after flubbing his way through the 1st 2 games.
One more thing. TJ Ford...will you pass the rock. What's with your point guard scoring 27 points and taking 22 shots...2 more than Bosh and Anthony Parker combined? That is not the solution for winning in the playoffs if your Sam Mitchell. It seems that TJ doesn't make enough of an effort to get guys the ball in pick-and-rolls situations...I've seen him look off Bosh...and Bargnani several times this year...and it makes me sick to my stomach. We signed this guy to be a PASS FIRST point guard. The way he's playing now...he may as well be Mike James. They play the same game. Jose Calderon has been averaging one more assists than the so-called starter in this series and that is non-sense.
As for Kidd...I thought the whole injury thing before game three was a total PSYCHE job by the NETS. Deep down they know the Raptors are a better team than them...So in game one they throw Toronto off by wearing their alternate red jerseys...they lose game 2 and pull another trick out of the bag by claiming Kidd had a sore knee and according to head coach Lawrence Frank...was a "Game-time decision". Baloney. Kidd would play if one of his legs were falling off! "Injury gate totally took the Raptors mindset down a couple notches as even a thought of playing a team without their best player would have made any team overconfident and passive in the ballgame. The ploy worked and now it's up to Toronto to re-gain home court advantage. The Raptors will win tonight...I am confident in that...they are due for a "RAPTOR TYPE OF GAME"...because the first three games have been not even close to the way they can play....give alot of credit to Frank who I mentioned in a previous post "Be Careful What You Wish For" seems to make life difficult for opposing star big men like Bosh. A loss tonight and it is over for Toronto...so to say this is the biggest game of the season would be a severe understatement. A must win if there ever was is this game 4.

Other playoff musings:
1. Just finished watching the Bulls dethrone the Heat...terrible performance by Miami...especially down the stretch...Wade had 7 turnovers in the game andShaq had 16 points. Key stat Ben Wallace wen 7-of-8 from the line including 6 straight makes from the stripe. WOW!
2. Golden State is for real...Still the best series so far in the playoffs.
3. Despite Kobe's 45 in game 3...the Lake show is going down in 5.
4. Spurs are still my pick to win the West...with the Suns right there.
5. Gilbert Arenas learn to be humble. who cares if you are on the cover of a video game...your team needs your support.
6. Utah/Rockets series is getting nice...both teams have won their home games...series tied at 2.
7. The empty seats at the Meadowlands is embarrassing for the league and shows why the Nets are moving to Brooklyn.
8. Pistons/Bulls should be an incredible series with Big Ben facing his former team. My pick...Bulls in 6.
9. Sam Mitchell needs to get the upperhand because Frank is outcoaching the Coach of the Year.
10. No more excuses...Toronto needs a game from Andrea Bargnani. He needs to BRING IT!!!!

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Drew

WHO'S YO DADDY...I MEAN WHO'S YOUR MVP?

A recent NBA General Managers poll suggested that Dirk Nowitzki be named MVP over his former teammate and drinking buddy Steve Nash. NBA.com's survey gave Nowitzki 109 points to 82 for the leader(Nash) of the fun in the Sun team(Phoenix). Now I come from what I call the "Golden Age" of basketball! What's the "Golden age" you ask? Well that was a time of Magic, Michael, Larry, Julius, Charles, Moses, Dominique, Isaiah, Dumars, Aguirre, Dantley, English, Pippen, Ewing, Olajuwon, Robinson, McHale, Parrish, Drexler, etc...etc...etc...You get the point. In the mid 80's to mid to late 90's the quality of basketball played was probably the best the NBA has seen in it's history. The SHOWTIME Lakers, The Detroit BAD BOYS, The JORDANAIRS, The BEANTOWN BALLERS were just some of the monikers that were given to the best teams in the most popular sports league at the time. The NBA was king then and the players were so good and the respect factor for each other was tremendous. All the ballers knew what each other could do on the court...but each team was determined to stop the other from doing what they did best. There were defensive stoppers such as Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumars, Dennis Johnson(passed away recently), Charles Oakley and Doc Rivers amongst others who made it a point to shut down opposing team's best player or players.
After the "Golden age" had passed...the NBA was desperate for "THE NEXT ONE" to come along...Specifically someone to re-place and carry the torch from Jordan...but that next wunderkind never came along....It was supposed to be Harold Miner(Baby Jordan), Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter, AI, but none of these de facto "MJ's" ever panned out.
Still unable to find that missing ingredient to bring the league's popularity back, the NBA decided to pressure the underclassmen in college to join the league(Michigan's Fab 5 come to mind)...and when that wasn't good enough they decided to pillage the high schools across America for talent...bringing in such names as Garnett, Bryant, O'Neal, McGrady, Harrington, Stoudamire, Chandler, Curry, Lewis, Miles, Livingston, Brown, Ellis, and of course James and Howard. The NBA has since required players to have at least one year of college experience before entering the NBA Draft...Hence Greg Oden and Kevin Durrant at Ohio State and Texas respectively. I still think the rule should have been 2 years in college...because that would have given the kids more time to develop physically, mentally, skills wise and fundamentally!
This rounding up of all the North American talent has forced a real drain in quality ballers still left in college and so March Madness no longer feels the same, looks the same or plays the same.
So where is the NBA now in terms of talent? Well the talent is there but the skills are lacking.
Solution: bring over more Europeans because they know how "to play the game". Euro ballers are all the rage in the NBA these days because all the talent has been "sucked" out of the North American System. So guys like Nowitzki, Stojakovic, Bargnani, Garbajosa, Parker, Pavlovic, Nachbar, Nocioni, Ginobili, Parker, Thefalosha, and many more have become and are starting to
be a force in the League. So where is this argument going u ask and what does this have to do with Nash vs. Nowitzki for MVP? Well Nash isn't European but he is not known for his foot speed and Lateral quickness...I think we can all agree there. He plays pretty good team defence though. Due to the influx of shall I say "slower-footed" European players and "less skilled and fundamentally lacking" North American ballers...the NBA has changed it's overall policy on "Hand-checking" and has added zone defences to improve scoring. Hand checking is the art and skill of the defender being able to use his hands and forearm in the open court to guide his opponent one way or keep him from getting to the paint. If you're a guard now...you have free reign to get to the basket because if the defender so much as breathes on you(slight exaggeration)...the refs call a foul. That's where Nash comes in. Make no mistake...I love Captain Canada...and I think he is one of the best point guards in the game...not sure where he ranks all-time. But just remember this...Jordan played in the era of hand checking and no zones and averaged 30-plus while being manhandled on the outside and inside the paint. Ask yourself this question...In this era of "no hand checking" what would Jordan average per game...40...45 points. There would be no way to stop him outside of tackling him to the ground. Back to Nash and Nowitzki for that matter...Both can get to the hoop at will with limited foot speed and lack of jumping ability because the rule changes have allowed for less athletic and less fleet-footed players to flourish. Having said that. Steve Nash has won 2 consecutive MVP awards. Jordan won it twice in a row as well. The only players to win the Maurice Podoloff trophy three times were the great Bill Russell and the amazing Larry Bird. So...you tell me...by giving the MVP to Nash...are u saying that he is on the same level or higher than Russell, Larry Legend, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan(2 in a row), Magic Johnson(2 in a row), Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar(2 in a row) and even Tim Duncan(2 in a row)? As good as Nash is...I don't think he should be put on that pedestal yet...and remember all those players won NBA titles. Nash is close but not that close.
Dirk had a tremendous year...his team won 67 games...best in the League and is one of the favorites to win the NBA title. Politics will come into play amongst the voters and that's why
Dirk will win the MVP this year...not so much because he was that much better than Nash...but because by giving Nash a 3rd consecutive MVP...the voters would be ultimately saying that he was better than the player who most consider to be the best of all time...MICHAEL JORDAN...and I'm not sure if the League is ready to go down that road because if the playing field was level and the rules the same for those in the "Golden age" and players now there wouldn't even be an argument to ponder.

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Drew

RAPS win one for the GIPPER...actually they get one for SAM!

Oh the Raptors needed that win badly...you know why...they needed to win the game for their coach Mr. Sam Mitchell. They couldn't let Sam accept his coach of the year accolade...call them up to center court to share in the award and then lose! That wouldn't have followed the wonderful script that has become this most wonderful of Raptor seasons. By winning game 2...the Toronto Raptors... and we can no longer call them the Craptors like in year's past...have assured the faithful fans of at least one more home game. There are 3 guaranteed things in life...death...taxes and another home playoff tilt. Ah....life is grand!!!
Now let me tell you...the game was uuuuuugggglllllyyyy in the first half...no one could get on track and the score(36-33) at the break was indicative of EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF BASKETBALL. The refs don't call as many fouls and they let the players battle in out in the trenches...Bosh said it after Game 1...It's a war in there! It's mainly the physicality that is ramped up a few notches come playoff time! They say Football and Hockey are physical games...but let me tell you they have nothing on Basketball when it comes to the playoffs.Now in the west you got the Suns racking up 126 points last night...and even the other Eastern conference team that won last night...the Bulls...they scored 107 on the Heat...The Heat look done by the way. Too much Gordon...Deng and Hinrich!
You would think that the Raptors...who averaged 99 points a game would at least sniff the mid 90's a couple times in the series...we will wait to see. If this Raptor team can get in sync offensively they will be able to release themselves from the shackles that the NETS defence has on them. But one thing from last night's game is that I think the Raptors know how GRITTY and DIRTY you have to get to win in the postseason. I liked the ANGER Jose"El Saviour" Calderon showed towards Jason Kidd when he was hacked after the whistle was blown and Jose was trying to finish the play. Tempers were heightened but cooler heads prevailed. That's the kind of toughness the Raps must bring for however long their playoff run lasts. The lessons learned in this playoffs will ultimately make this team stronger and trust me...the Raps will be a title contender within 2 years...especially if B.C.(Bryan Colangelo) can pick up a key slasher or a legitimate rebounder. Just in case you didn't think Bosh learned something about toughness after his less than spectacular outing in game 1...check the replay of the block on Richard Jefferson in the 3rd qtr...He sent the ball straight downwards(see pic above)...it was like a wrestling move...call it the BOSH PILEDRIVER. You knew the The 6-11 Texan and Raptors franchise player was going to bounce back after game one...His 44 plus minutes were just what Toronto needed as Jersey had to double him several times and change their coverage...thus leaving Anthony Parker(brilliant all-round game) and Mo Pete outside to jack up threes. Ironically it was T.J.'s three with 2:45 left that turned the tide for Toronto. Coupled with the 7 freebies he and Parker buried in the last minute which allowed the Raps to take the game. But the end was not without one more scare...because had Bostjan Nachbar drained the corner three with 9 seconds left to tie it...who knows how the game may have turned out. That guy Nachbar has game folks...He would look oh so nice in a Raptor jersey! Damn...he's dunked more than Vince in this series...and who's a former slam dunk Champion again?
Speaking of "his babyness". Mr. Carter continues to jack up outside shots at an alarming rate! He hasn't realized yet that he needs to be aggressive and get to the hole. Lets hope he continues to shoot at a 30% clip(13-for-43 shooting) for the rest of the series.
One more key for the Raps...a friend of mine mentioned that Sam should have went with Rasho Nesterovic more...He played only 23 minutes but his presence inside was felt and he hauled down 8 rebounds from the center spot...just what the Raptors needed!
Joey Graham...still not ready for Prime time folks. Joey please WAKE UP!
It is clearly evident that both teams have still not played their best basketball...shooting in the low 40's does not mean the offences are flowing...but one of these teams are due for a break out and game 3 in Jersey may be the time. Who knows how many people will be at the Continental Airlines arena...Team spokespeople say it will be a full house...despite it not being sold out yet. A playoff game between Vince Carter and his old team should be a must-see event...but the Jerseyites have better things on their minds...I hope for the Raptors sake that the arena is not sold out because taking at least one of those games will put the Raptors in the drivers seat after losing home court advantage in the first game.

Some playoff musings...
1. Saw Phil Jackson frantically scribbling on his clipboard diagramming a play on it last night with his team down 20 plus and Kobe on the bench...Phil my man...drop the clipboard and sit back and watch as your team gets pummelled by Nash and the FAST BREAK CREW...It's futile for the Lakers because the Suns are dialed in! Both he and Kobe gotta miss Shaq tons and I don't think either of them will win a title again as long as they stay in LA!
2. Bulls take the series in 5. Wade not the Wade of old...Wallace 3 blocks in the game. Luol Deng WILL BE an All-Star in 08!
3. Can Denver drop the Spurs again to go 2-up on Timmy and Tony?
4. Warriors are playing like Warriors...but Dallas will make adjustments and bounce back to take game 2. If not...this series is done. But it is MUST SEE TV! Don't miss it.
5. Bob Hill fired from the Sonics after a terrible injury plagued season. Not his fault that Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis were out for significant stretches...but I don't think Hill fits the team.
6. Sebastian Telfair may be dropped by the Celts for another gun possession incident. When will the knuckle heads learn? Who speeds around New Yawk with a loaded gun in their car while driving with an expired Florida license plate? Telfair does.
7. Leandro Barbosa is very good. The "Roadrunner" or "Brazilian Blur" or "One Man Fast break" dropped 26 points again last night. I really think he deserved that 6th man award. Don't you?

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Drew