If you're looking for a stereotypical matchup breakdown for the NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, (Game One is tonight, 7 o'clock Mountain, ABC), you've come to the right place!
Center: Ben Wallace, Pistons vs. Nazr Mohammed, Spurs
Wallace might be the league's top defender, winning his third Defensive Player of the Year award this season and leading the Pistons in both blocks and steals. It's said he's an improved offensive player, but he still scores primarily on tips and wide-open dunks. "Big Ben" is horrific from the foul line, connecting on 42.8% this season. Also, his brother has taken on NBA players and can probably beat up Mohammed's brother.
Mohammed has been a good fit for the Spurs since being traded from the Knicks. It appears Isiah Thomas may have finally made his first mistake as general manager in New York, as Mohammed has started every Spurs' playoff game, averaging 8.1 points to go with a solid seven rebounds a night. He's serviceable in the low post, but the Pistons have a bevy of solid interior defenders who will neutralize his contributions. He's a starter in the sense that he's on the floor for tip-off, but Mohammed's average playing time, even in the postseason, is less than half of the game (23.1 minutes per night).
Edge: Pistons
Power Forward: Rasheed Wallace, Pistons vs. Tim Duncan, Spurs
'Sheed might not break technical records every year anymore, but he's more than capable of a hissy fit any time he's whistled for a violation. That said, he's one of the league's most versatile players, as he's capable of both low-post defense and offense out to the three-point line (a decent .348 from beyond the arc in the postseason).
Duncan is simply the best power forward of all-time, capable of dominating a game with his rebounding alone (even with Ben Wallace on the floor, Duncan might be the best board-man in the series). It's easy to stop Duncan from scoring-he's generally too disciplined a player to shoot when double-teamed. Unfortunately for opponents, he's more than willing to tear defenses apart with his passing. He doesn't rack up a lot of assists, but his passes often lead to another player's assist pass. His foul shooting can be a weakness, but so far he's hit on 73% of his playoff attempts. Despite injuries, he's upped his scoring to 24.9 points per game in the playoffs.
Edge: Spurs
Small Forward: Tayshaun Prince, Pistons vs. Bruce Bowen, Spurs
Prince is an outstanding perimeter defender who's skinny enough to stand out even among basketball players. He's solid offensively and will, occasionally, create his own opportunities from anywhere on the floor (.413 from three in the playoffs, up significantly from the regular season).
Bowen is a ferocious defensive player himself. He's a deadly spot-up shooter, but that's it. In the playoffs, Bowen is connecting on 42.1% of his three pointers and a church league-like 27.5% inside the arc. (That's not a misprint.)
Advantage: Pistons
Shooting Guard: Richard Hamilton, Pistons vs. The Amazing Manu Ginobili!, Spurs
Easily the best matchup of the series, but expect the small forwards to take on defensive responsibilities if either of these players gets hot.
Hamilton garnered a rep as the league's best-conditioned player in last year's playoffs, as though there's some way to determine this. He is averaging just under five minutes of rest a night in the postseason and is known best for his off-the-ball movement and mid-range shooting. He's seen as more one-dimensional than Ginobili, though this perception may be innaccurate. Has raised his playoff scoring numbers to 21.3 points per game on 48.1% shooting (from 18.7 and 44% in the regular season), but also contributes nearly five assists and four rebounds.
Ginobili has enjoyed a breakout season and has posted even better offensive numbers than Hamilton in this year's playoffs, scoring 21.8 per and connecting on an impressive 51 percent from the field. He has more range than Hamilton and is a legit three-point threat, but is most dangerous when he puts the ball on the floor and drives. Draws a ton of fouls and has taken nine free throws per game in the playoffs. Has taken over for Vlade Divac as reigning king of European flop artists. Oh, wait, I guess Argentina's not in Europe, whatever.
This is really close, and I hate when it's called "Edge: Even". I love Rip, but Ginobili is at the very top of his game.
Advantage: Spurs
Point Guard: Chauncey Billups, Pistons vs. Tony Parker, Spurs
Neither is what you'd call a prototypical point guard, yet each has led his team to a championship, showing how important that is.
Billups is the defending Finals MVP and can stick the deadly three-pointer. He's an assassin from the foul stripe. Will make the occasional poor decision, but then, so will Parker. Billups has more strength, but Parker has quickness and can get to the lane for a runner at just about any time. Both are just short of being called stars, but Billups' ceiling is probably a little bit higher.
Advantage: Pistons
Bench
Detroit has used a very short bench in the playoffs, as only Antonio McDyess (noted talent waste) and Lindsey Hunter (who, years ago, used to hit the three) have appeared in every game. Detroit does have the league's most infamous bench player in Darko Milicic, the Human Victory Cigar. The Pistons' starters seem to handle the heavy load just fine, but foul trouble could become a factor.
San Antonio gets big minutes from Robert Horry and Brent Barry, both of whom compliment Duncan's inside dominace with deadly outside shooting. Horry can contribute defensively as well. Beno Udrih spells Parker for about a quarter per game, but he's not exactly a difference-maker. I suppose Glenn Robinson could, theoretically, make a difference at some point, but that's as likely as Isiah Thomas making another mistake.
Advantage: Spurs
Coaching: Larry Brown, Detroit vs. Gregg Popovich, Spurs
Brown is a coaching legend who specialized in rebuilding jobs but finally broke through and won a championship last season. Popovich is by far the league's most underrated coach and has won two titles in his nine years as an NBA head coach. Obviously, Tim Duncan had a lot to do with that, but I'm not really sure how to evaluate coaching separately from roster talent anyway, so I'll go against the grain and give Pop some dap, too.
Advantage: Spurs
Outlook: The Spurs won four of my seven categories so I guess the easy thing to do would be to give them the series in seven. As much love as the Pistons deserve as defending champions, though, I don't see them presenting quite that big of a challenge to San Antonio. Spurs in six.
47 comments:
alex,
hey moron - you should know that it takes more than one man in a shield of plexi-glass to defend a championship.
pugs and pug's girlfriend,
Hey moron(s)- that's why I said "and the rest of the Pistons." Besides, it's not my problem if you guys want to suck up to that dirty Frenchman, and that ugly playing South American. And if y'all are going to poke fun at Rip, maybe you should watch Manu play. He sure has a talent for faking fouls, and playing with no style and class.
alexi,
your normative breakdown of the intricate dynamics of basketball (ie, "dirty Frenchman, and that ugly playing South American") are truly first-rate rebuttals.
Keep up the pain-staking work that is piston apologetics.
What? Your heavy diction means nothing. You mean to tell me that "a shield of plexi-glass" isn't a first rate rebuttal? What does that have to do with how my man Rip plays? Oh -k- your normative breakdown of the intricate (I use big words) dynamics (Oh I'm so cool, i.e shield of plexi-glass) of basketball (a game I know nothing about) are truly first rate rebuttals. :) :) :) :0 :-+[
Oh, it looks like Pogs has a new girlfriend (jmgore). That's cute.
Ladies, ladies, could we? (The ladies being Pugs' fleet of girlfriends, the first time I've heard the ability to pick up women used as an insult.) Anyway, I think we've allowed our personal hatred for millionaires we'll never meet degenerate to the point that we've forgotten what brought us all here: the obvious knowledge that I have the best sports blog in America. Scratch that: the obvious knowledge that the Detroit Pistons will lose this series.
I don't know whether I'm thrilled or embarrassed that Detroit delivers the proverbial hole punch (see comment # 1), considering that office supplies are not, as a general rule, considered intimidating.
Also, I didn't suck up to any Frenchman; I'm pretty sure I gave Chauncey the edge on point guards, didn't I? (And not only because Billups went to the greatest university on the planet.)
Manu flops like a madman, I thought I mentioned that, too, I guess madmen don't really flop. As for plays with no class, I guess I get what you mean, but most NBA players seem to circumvent the rules in their own special way. Hey, circumvent, I used a big word. Anyway, I do think Rip is an exceptional 2-guard, and I meant to get that across when I said things like, "I love Rip".
More to the point, Alex, since I have no idea who you are, how'd you find this, anyway? I do appreciate your input, I'm just excited that my readership seems to have doubled.
alexis,
thus far, the only thing you've asserted about rip is that he's "your man" (twice). Ok. I get it. He's "your man."
So...other than being "your man" (what does that entail, by the way? Civil union, stalker-stalkee relationship?) What genuine insight in a coherent and persuasive structure can you form to supplant what mike has argued?
You've offered nothing, other than insinuating a conjugal relationship with R.est I.n P.eace Hamilton.
And for the record... my critique of your asinine comments aren't a rebuttal. See... a rebuttal is a statement made with the directive of refuting an argument. While it is tough to wrestle with such intricate and incisive shots like "dirty Frenchman, and that ugly playing South American." I wouldn't say that those constitute argument... rather, the ramblings of an mo-town simpleton.
keep up the good work
Man, I'm never gonna get any readers, huh.
mike,
sorry bro... me and your kin are good enough right?
Hey, you guys are great. I'm just surprised Alex hasn't shown up to give you and your mistresses a dose of what's-up after last night's Pistons victory. YEAH GO PISTONS BABY! RIP HAMILTON IS TEH BEST!
he knows better than to count his chickens before they've hatched...
don't you alexis?
Oh, I couldn't really care less what you say about Alex, what a weird thing to say! I do think he'd come back now, though, that the Pistons have won their last game of the series and it is now at the highest point it's going to be for him.
Have you ever seen a more boring 2-2 series in your life?
What a weird thing for him to say, I mean. That I'm a moron and that Detroit would repeat.
man, i thought for sure i'd see him here.
i guess he can't take the beratement... from both sides of the political spectrum, eh johnny?
post script...
i'm heading out to DC in august.
for permanent relocation.
Alf Pogs and jmWHORE,
Now you didn't really think I had left for good, did you? I just got back from a very elite business conference in New York City. (Something you fools know nothing about. My guess is you don't even have jobs. And if you do, you're just sucking the public welfare system!)And Pogs, it's good to hear about your permanent relocation, did you get a good deal on a cardboard box?
Anyways, I was not able to see game 5, but I'm told that even in your victory, you have reason to fear! If we're down late in game 6, we'll just foul little baby Timmy like there's no tomorrow. (Too bad the poor sap can't even make a free throw.)On top of that, senior citizen Robby will just have to be nailed to the ground a couple of times. That'll show him who's boss.
And if by some chance you guys manage to sleep with enough refs in the meantime to muster enough poor calls for your girlfriend, Manu, we'll still know that Detroit was the better team.
And you know what? I don't blame you for deleting your earlier comment, it just goes to show your ignorance in the matter.
Yours Truly!!
I'm gay
Wow, Alex, great points and it's good to have you back. Hope you enjoyed your Mary Kay convention. I guess you really can run an elite business out of your own home!
Even in victory, the Spurs have reason to fear? That made a lot of sense to me. When the Spurs beat Detroit Tuesday night, and win the series in six games-and it feels like I've read that somewhere before-well, moron, you owe me a job interview, because I'm sick of my current welfare job?!? (you really lost me there).
Who on the Pistons can knock Horry to the floor (Tayshaun? The intimidating Rip, who eats once a month whether he's hungry or not?), and why didn't they do it last night? I guess I'm not surprised that it would take those slow-witted thugs a few days to think of it, as Rasheed and the Pistons have yet to master fire, not unlike the big-business/building maintenance engineer crowd that supports them.
The Pistons' only hope would have been for another GED recipient to hit Duncan's mug with a Bud Light...sadly, game six is in Texas.
i'm a heterosexual male.
and i am definitely not a security guard at a local high school.
wow... this is so liberating
"pugs"
"I just got back from a very elite business conference in New York City."
There are copious amounts of comedy found in this piece, but i've narrowed it down to three.
1. the need for alexis to include this in his post, as if it adds some instant street-cred on an obscure sports blog.
2. the fact that it's a blatant lie
3. the fact that people who attend "elite business conferences" don't refer to them as such.
Alexis... for the record, your "magic the gathering" circle jerk parties do not constitute "elite business conferences"
Now... ad homonym attacks aside (a tough thing to do because they are just so rewarding) lets get down to the meat and potatoes of your latest splash of brilliance/aka sports break down.
Well... calling your sports commentary "meat and potatoes" is a great disservice, let's go with "entrails and grits"
"reason to fear"
yeah, i'd fear going back home where we demolished the pistons in the previous two games.
What a crappy spot to be in... up 3-2 in the series, and have two home games to finish of the series. You are right, the spurs are really behind the 8-ball.
"If we're down late in game 6, we'll just foul little baby Timmy like there's no tomorrow."
that's funny, because if they are down late... that means they are most likely going to lose, and you're right, there will be no tomorrow. Secondly... This is such a good sports stratagem, why haven't other brilliant brains of the game caught on to your tactic?
I'd suspect two reasons. 1. they didn't attend the same elite business conference that you did, so they missed the memo.
2. the strategy doesn't work. If the spurs were a one gun team, maybe it would slow their production, but to get to the finals you have to be more than a one horse show. So... alexis... back to the grindstone.
"sleep with enough refs in the meantime to muster enough poor calls for your girlfriend, Manu, we'll still know that Detroit was the better team."
wow, the ole' in-bed with the refs barb. That's a tough one to refute, but i'm going to try. How about - "lamest ref critique ever."
Actually, i'd like to address "we'll still know that detroit was a better team."
Hmm... interesting considering when san antonio wins, they'll be crowned NBA champs, and everyone will say that they were the best team in the league. Guess what, larry brown, rip van winkle, chauncy, big ben... they will all, graciously... admit that san antonio was the better team.
Keep up the good work alexis.
oh, the deleted comment thing was an accident. You should know all about that alexis... rather, your parents should.
ha ha... you poor sucker. It's too easy. All you can come up with is a string of improbable alibis and how we must be unemployed.
and then the cardboard box comment... wow, you should get "jokester of the year" award.
please, keep posting. it's like shooting fish in a barrel.
keep talkin pugs, see where it gets ya, man! I'm sorry if I'm a bit intense regarding the subject, but I really don't like how no one is giving the Pistons a chance. I suppose nothing more needs to be said.
Nevertheless, I also miss the good days when the NBA stars were actually American and didn't steal our ladies. If you are American, you're just contributing to the problem by rooting for the Spurs. You should be ashamed of yourself! My father was a blue collar worker in Detroit. It's people like him that made the NBA what it is. And for what? Some Frenchman and South American?
And I got news for you son, I know nothing of your problem with deleting a comment-that never happens to me. And I can assure you- you don't know my momma or my pops. >>>> Infact, my mother passed away 6 years ago from breast cancer, and my father died when I was only 17 years old.
*note-the high school security guard-I can only assume--is my brother Howard, who originally told me of said blog. I on the other hand, made something out of my life.
*And I was at a business conference this weekend--I don't need your assurance, to know that that's the truth.
alexis,
as a broncos fan, i can appreciate your frustration with no one giving the pistons a chance. Such was a similar situation when the broncos went up against the heavily favored packers in the '98 superbowl.
that being said... there's a difference between frustration as a result of one sided bias, and quite another to being able to articulate your frustration in a manner other than coming off racist/ethnocentric:
"Some Frenchman and South American"
as if nationality has anything to do with the integrity of the game.
"My father was a blue collar worker in Detroit. It's people like him that made the NBA what it is."
while i'm sure your father was a loyal fan, i'm having a hard time seeing how his socio-economic class has anything to do with the integrity of the game of basketball, or any other professional sport.
What is "american" anyways? Unless of course you are referring to native americans, the true americans... we are all immigrants in one form or another. So enlighten me, how athletes with heritage specific to continental untited states ancestry really make the game great?
Damn that steve nash, freaking Canucks taking over our sport. And while we are at it... david ortiz, pedro martinez, sammy sosa, dirk nowitzki, nene, albert pujols... all of 'em... a cancer on their respective sports. Are you a member of the aryan nation?
Let's not even get started on baseball, a game quickly reminding us that the best players in the world come just as often from outside the US borders... without the advantage of economic stability and an environment conducive to leisure pursuits.
Think it's easy to thrive in the dominican republic, argentina, venezuela, etc in a sport where there are more pressing issues at hand for your family, namely... how are we going to eat tonight?
as for your parents... their untimely demise doesn't generate sympathy from someone who's lost more than you can even imagine... so don't look for sympathy from me.
I'd consider yourself beaten, and choose another topic.
Rooting for the Spurs contributes to the problem? Assuming there is a problem, aren't the Pistons the team that drafted Darko over Carmelo Anthony, who starred for the junior national team?
mike,
it's not that they drafted him over melo, it's that they drafted a "international player."
darko is ruining the integrity of the game... with his serbian roots and accent.
* Actually, I'm an African American. And YOUR Aryan race brought me here, so don't lecture me on history.
And I wasn't looking for your sympathy, I don't need it. I was simply trying to rid you of your ignorance. I don't appreciate you making references to my parents, when you don't even know them.
alexis,
ok... black/white... security guard/elite business conference attender
whatever your identity, you have a real problem with xenophobia. *slowly walk away... pick up the dictionary..
"rid you of your ignorance" - yeah that's classic. your entire series of posts have been a case study on ignorance. oh sweet irony.
"i don't appreciate you making references to my parents"
hmm... the man who calls other people gay, womanly... now has a soft vulnerable inner-core.
not only a xenophobe, but a sexist too.
At least be consistent... if you don't want it to get personal, you shouldn't have gone there in the first place.
It's obvious that your sports knowledge and passion are completely myopic.
I wonder what you get out of this aside from a constant verbal spanking.
must be a sadist.
Well, that was what I was saying, Pugs, if Detroit can take a foreign-born player over someone like Carmelo, who must be about as patriotic as basketball players get, I think they contribute to the "problem" of international players taking over America's game.
I can't wait for tonight's game.
mike,
agreed... detroit is a part of the problem, importing all of these europeans. What, with their olympic winning ways. Who do they think they are.
I'm excited for tonight.
perhaps well see a defense of the tigers and red wings next. i hope so
Pugs,
I never said I was white, and I never said I was a security guard. Infact, I'm not either one!! (And I don't know why you thought that.)
Then again, I shouldn't be too surprised, it's not the first time you've been wrong or misinformed about something. Oh sweet irony!!
And jmgore, the limitations of one's intellect? Perhaps you forgot of this thing they call the Atlantic slave trade. It's kind of hard for a group of "heathens" to immediately jump into the "elite" of the developed world. Especially after hundreds of years on the cotton fields. My father did the best he could given these circumstances.
And you owe us too, had it not been for slavery, America would never be on the economic forefront of the global stage. Furthermore, we've given you people jazz, rap, and countless other priceless contributions. You sound like the one that's afraid of us.
So maybe you should sit down with a textbook, read it, and come back to this little conversation when you know what you're talking about.
Pugs,
"What genuine insight in a coherent and persuasive structure can you form to supplant what mike has argued?"
>>>Sorry I didn't notice this earlier, but half of what you write, isn't worth reading.
>>>How about the fact that this series will take 7 games, and not 6? Win or lose, I'm sure game 7 will be close, and I feel that Mike underestimated the Pistons greatly in his assesment.
First of all, coaching. At first I thought it was a joke that you gave Popovich the edge here. Larry Brown has had 23 years of experience in coaching, and Gregg Popovich has had 9. You can't tell me that all those extra years of coaching can't help. In defeat, there is strength. Brown has probably learned more as a coach from years of defeat, than Popovich has without it. Furthermore, Popovich was simply at the right place at the right time to get the head coaching job in San Antonio. Mike, you say you don't know how to evaluate coaching separately from roster talent? Then consider this: during Popovich's first year, regardless of it being an entire season, he won only 17 games, and lost 47. That was without Tim Duncan or David Robinson. And from that tenure we can see the real Gregg Popovich. The real Gregg Popovich is a man that can't win without dominating players surrounding him.
Next, I wish to comment some what on the shooting guard position. I realize that Ginobli is an amazing player, no doubt about it. I agree with you when you say it was a very close call. Simply put, I don't feel that if you give one of these players the edge, that that means their team will win an extra game. But granted, it is a close call.
Next, the bench. Between Hunter, McDyess, Barry, and Horry; McDyess is averaging the most points. He's proven that despite the major setbacks, he's the most valuable player on either teams bench. Yes, Horry came up clutch in game 5, but he's still averaging slightly less than McDyess, which means he hasn't been much of a factor besides that. Still, Hunter out does Barry when it comes to points, rebounds, and most importantly for a guard, assists.
Still, I have to agree with you on your decision regarding the power forward.
Yeah, I obviously did underestimate the Pistons a little, or, actually, I just overdid it on Duncan. The Pistons have waited until the last possible minute of every series to show up, and I just figured it would catch up with them this time.
My point with the coaches is, no coach can win with awful players! Larry Brown's career record is more impressive than I gave him credit for, but he's also had a 21-61 season in there. And I don't think it's because he forgot how to coach that year. Now granted he hasn't had a really bad season in a while, but part of that is aided by his willingness to jump ship whenever the going gets tough.
As for Popovich, yes, he's been really good with Duncan and was bad the year he didn't have him, which was also his first year on the job. And if in defeat, there is strength, perhaps he improved a lot after that year. My real point is that we can't be certain how good Popovich is because he never really got an opportunity until he hired himself, but with two championships in nine seasons, I think he's performed at a very high level, and there's a chance he's an outstanding coach. Aside from which I think it's unfair to say he's good because of Duncan, and then to say before Game 6 that the Spurs would lose because Duncan chokes at the foul line.
Brown is at least very, very good, but he has one title in his 22 NBA seasons, which is why I gave the edge to Popovich. But like I said, I don't think there's a way to know absolutely.
As for Ginobili, what I meant to say in the article was that it would be easy since the edges went 4-3 Spurs to pick the series that way, but I chose not to, meaning I didn't really believe in that system. Though of course now I wish I had.
McDyess is scoring more than Horry, with a 10.2 average that barely beats Horry's 9.8. That's tiny, and more to the point, I think Horry has clearly had a greater impact on the series. If he hadn't taken over the Spurs' offense in game five, then the Pistons might have won the series last night. I guess what I'm saying is that while he's been inconsistent, his contributions led pretty directly to a victory, which I don't think you can say for Dice.
And the other point that I wanted to make about coaching was that it's not like Gregg Popovich wasn't coaching his whole life, he just didn't do it in the NBA. So if anything he has more experience coaching bad players and I assume he'd be better at it.
His 17-47 record is unimpressive that year, but it was obviously a fluke, both for himself and San Antonio. I mean, the entire team was built around the Admiral and then they lost him for nearly the whole season.
Building around an elite big man means you can do things differently. If the Spurs had lost Duncan this year, they would have been in a horrible spot. Take Bruce Bowen, for example. He's terrible on offense, just awful. If he wasn't playing with an All-Star who gets him open shots, he'd be completely useless on one end of the floor. So not only would they be in trouble at power forward, they'd need a different small forward to be successful. (Because no matter how well he defends, the Spurs can't go 4-on-5 on offense for too long. And of course this applies to other players as well.)
However, Popovich's fundamental ability to coach would not change. So I don't think it would prove anything, just like I don't think that season years ago proved anything, unless he coaches for five years after Duncan retires and can never make the playoffs, or something like that.
Being under the age of 50, I couldn't care less about jazz, but I do listen to a lot of rap, or at least to rap a lot, so that's cool. However, while a discussion of world economic history is slightly outside of my area of expertise, I do know that one thing you could never correctly say about jmgore is that he's afraid of anyone.
sorry i couldn't get back sooner... you know the drill, yup, elite business conference.
funny use of adjectives to add credibility. Hilarious. Could've just said "out of town."
Regardless... alexi, you can teach me next to nothing about history, politics, society, race-relations, or essentially anything that falls under the social sciences umbrella.
not that i'm the ultimate fount of wisdom (far from it), but i'm so positive that you know nothing, that you can save your impromptu diatribes for the elite business conferences and academic summit's you'll be key-noting.
in fact, all you've done is mimic my critiques amidst your retort.
"oh sweet irony" ring a bell?
however.. i'm glad you finally stuck your neck out there and put some sports opinion on the blog.
thanks for your contribution.
yeah, and perhaps the one thing larger than my intellectual ego.. is that of jmgore's. He's certainly not scared of you alexi. Really.
in other news...
its tough to deny the momentum garnered by the boys from mo-town after game 6... i wouldn't be surprised to see them nab this one.
If jmgore's not afraid of me, then why does he need you guys to fight his battles?
well lexi...
if you may recall, you seem to go on these knee-jerk irrational tirades where you denigrate everyone on here.
remember that game on sesame street "one of these things does not belong?"
So it's kind of obvious that when you come out swinging blindly... that any one of us is going to take a shot. at you... and consequently side with anyone but you.
make sense?
Aside from which, if jmgore says, "I'm not afraid of you", well, everyone's gonna say that, especially on the Internet. Whereas we can vouch for him personally, geez! And I don't even know what the battle is!
check mate...
i think i heard the sound of a resentful king being laid to rest on his side.
better luck next year alexis
I normally can't stand Mark Kiszla, Denver Post sports columnist, but in the context here I think he said it best in today's paper:
"Ginobili is the latest foreign import for which the Motor City has no answer."
Oh, and one last point. Every single player I gave the edge to in my preview-including the San Antonio bench-outscored his/their counterpart in Game 7. Word!
Though I never felt worse about a championship series than I did when I pointed out that Darko could have won his second championship last night.
mike - well done on the prediction
john - i'd like to attribute your genius less to genetics and more to the phenomenal pulbic education we got via frau freeman and ms. bess.
*public
Yeah, I couldn't tell, Cap'n, were you complimenting me or you?
it was pretty much a blanket compliment to any graduate of laredo/smoky
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