New York Knicks: Fading Dreams? [J. Mark English

This week the Knickerbockers had the opportunity to sign Allen Iverson, and add at least a little moxy to an otherwise futile squad. As they flounder in despair, waiting in earnest for next summers free agent jamboree, some writers offer up thoughts about why Knicks dreams of what may be, may not be:

Mike Lupica of the Daily News:

It doesn't matter in the end whether it was James L. Dolan who didn't want Allen Iverson, or Donnie Walsh, or Mike D'Antoni. Knicks fans wanted Iverson. But they don't matter and haven't for a long time.

When it was reported in the last 24 hours that the Knicks were backing away from Iverson, I got a call from my friend Brian Koppelman, who has been a Knicks' season ticketholder for 21 years, who sits a few rows behind where the great Red Holzman used to sit with his wife after he retired from coaching.

Koppeman's son is 14 now and so was too young to really enjoy the last time the Knicks were relevant in New York or in pro basketball, back when they were a hot ticket in the decade before this one. His son was four when the Knicks made the NBA Finals in 1999, coming from the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference to do that. Even the next year, the spring of 2000 they still had enough, even with half the team hurt, to make it all the way to Game 6 against the Pacers in the conference finals before Reggie Miller scored 17 in the fourth quarter and got them again.

So Brian Koppelman's son has really only known, and seen, what everybody has known about the Knicks and seen from them for a decade: The worst team in the league. One now completely unwatchable. And more irrelevant than it has ever been. The New York Expiring Contracts.

"If they sign Iverson," Koppelman said over the phone yesterday, "and he plays against the Celtics (at the Garden on Sunday afternoon), then we stand and cheer when he takes the floor. It would have been a moment for Knicks fans to get up on their feet for the Knicks this season, not for a player like LeBron on the other team."

Koppelman said, "There is no moment like it that I can foresee for us over the rest of the season."

There have been all the lines and jokes about how Iverson has been known as The Answer, and how one 34-year old gunner, past his prime, could not possibly be The Answer for these Knicks, not this season. But you know what? He would have made them a better ticket.

Iverson wouldn't have made it worth the money Knicks fans who still go and watch and care are paying, but he would have made them better than Chris Duhon or Toney Douglas.

Jeff Neuman of Real Clear Sports:

Wake up and smell the powder, New York. LeBron's not coming.

It's hard to blame Knicks fans for clinging to hope. The most sophisticated basketball clientele in America has been saddled with a team that's richly embarrassing. The toxic remnants from the Isiah era remain in the form of mismatched players, empty seats, and the stench that comes with a 2-10 record.

Donnie Walsh has performed a miracle in clearing enough cap space to have room for a big free agent in the coming offseason. Mike D'Antoni coaches a style players love, one that lets them run the floor and make plays without looking to the puppet-master on the sidelines.

Doesn't matter. LeBron's not coming.

Why would he? As much as any superstar we've ever seen, he understands that it's a team game, and he always has. He has nothing to prove individually; it's about winning championships.

Add LeBron to the Knicks, and you're still three years away from being any good. He'd make them respectable, but why would he take such a great leap backwards? From a basketball standpoint, the move makes no sense.

But what about the dollars? He'd be coming to New York! The Big Apple! The World's Most Famous Arena! Think of all the off-court benefits that flow from being a big star in The Big City.

The notion that playing in New York has any significant effect on an athlete's value is an utter myth. It's a holdover from the "Mad Men" era, a relic from the days when you only saw endorsement opportunities if your name was Gifford or Mantle or Namath.

To begin with, how many more commercials does LeBron have time for? It's not as though he's underexposed. If he wants to release his own songs, make a movie, put his name on a fragrance or design a line of nonstick cookware, he can do it tomorrow without setting foot outside Ohio. He's at that level of fame where the world comes to him. (Have you even noticed that his last name hasn't appeared in this column yet?)

Playing in Chicago didn't exactly limit Michael Jordan's income. Indianapolis hasn't prevented Peyton Manning from appearing in more commercials than the ShamWow! guy. Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken became endorsement juggernauts from their bases in Texas and Baltimore respectively. Tom Brady met Gisele Bündchen despite the handicap of being in New England. Brett Favre did okay playing in the smallest market in sports. (His one season in New York only hurt his reputation.)

Who exactly has reaped the rewards of New York exposure? I don't recall Patrick Ewing getting a lot of endorsements. Mariano Rivera is considered the greatest closer ever, featured in loving closeup for dozens of hours of postseason television. What's it given him in off-field opportunities? Jason Giambi, C.C. Sabathia, even Alex Rodriguez - they came to New York, and didn't exactly set business hearts a-flutter.

Sports Writers Fix 7.15.09 [J. Mark English]

• Another year, another All Star game, and another win by the American League. Their dominance is starting to get a really old. Jayson Stark of ESPN opines about the 'ridiculousness' of the A.L.'s annual drubbing of the N.L.: It's a streak that includes 12 wins and Bud Selig's favorite All-Star tie (in 2002). And we don't care how superior you may believe the American League to be at any given moment. That's still totally ridiculous.
  

• STAN is the MAN (Joe Posnanski, Kansas City Star): The Man did not hit in 56 straight games. He did not hit .400. He did not hit 61 home runs in a season, and he did not hit 500 home runs in a career. Stan Musial did not play in 2,632 consecutive games, and he did not knock out 4,256 hits, and he did not hit three home runs in a World Series game. He did not say funny or clever things like “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” or “Nice guys finish last.” As far as I know, he did not have a candy bar named after him.....Then, there were a few other things Stan Musial did not do, other things that filled the mind on an emotional Tuesday night in St. Louis, All-Star night, as Musial rode in a small red car from right field while 46,000-strong applauded for him — few shrieks, few yells, just applause, like waves crashing on the beach....But no part of the night could touch that pregame scene of Musial, 88 years old now, riding in from the outfield, the St. Louis applause all around him like humidity. He held a bright white baseball. He smiled his famous smile. They say that Musial these days has good days and bad days. This, obviously, was one of the good ones.

• STAN's TRIBUTE a DUD (Bernie Miklasz, St. Louis Today): In 1994, PBS aired the documentary "Baseball," by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns. It was a terrific piece of work, but in St. Louis we remembered it for a regrettable reason: Stan Musial was largely overlooked....When the All-Star Game came to St. Louis in the summer of 2009, we thought all of that would change for Musial. Finally, he'd have the kind of showcase that would reopen the vault and display his collection of 3,630 hits, 475 homers, 1,951 RBIs, three MVPs, seven batting titles and 24 All-Star Games. And then it would be impossible for any baseball fan, young or old, to ignore the magnitude of his career....Except that it didn't happen, at least not the way it should have. Tuesday night, Busch Stadium was filled to capacity with 46,760 fans who couldn't wait to embrace The Man, and his moment. If you were there, you were probably ready to cry, to let it all out, to share a deeply sentimental experience with other Cardinals fans. You were probably hoping for a memory that would last a lifetime. Something truly special....Sadly, the moment fell flat. Musial was brought out in a golf cart, and it transported him slowly along the dirt path leading from the wagon gate in right field, past the first-base (National League) dugout, and toward home plate.

• Guess who's back? Greg Norman, and just in time for the British Open. Could he possibly compete for his first Majors victory? Greg Stoda of Cleveland.com reveals the latest: The unmistakable and giant-sized ego, so much a part of what makes Greg Norman who and what he is, has come bubbling to the surface once more....It's a terrific thing, in fact, as the British Open dawns Thursday on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, where Norman, in another life, won the Claret Jug in 1986. It was his first major championship victory, and was assumed to be a harbinger of many more. Norman instead won exactly one more of the biggies (the 1993 British Open), and the litany of his own failures - and majors stolen from him - has been well-documented.

• Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times breaks down possible tough times ahead for the NBA: Commissioner David Stern said Tuesday that less than half the N.B.A.’s teams turned a profit last season and that some owners had argued that a worst-case decrease in the salary cap of 5 percent might be too optimistic....The league’s board of governors convened here and will meet again Aug. 4 with the players union in hopes of jump-starting negotiations toward reaching a new collective bargaining agreement. The current one expires in June 2011....Last week, the league predicted that its salary cap could drop to between $50.4 million and $53.6 million in 2010-11, which would represent a loss between 2.5 percent and 5 percent in basketball-related revenue. On Tuesday, Stern added that teams could face at least a 10 percent drop in ticket revenue next season.

• Has Lebron James image waned recently? Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald states bodly, yes!: Please, let this be an act of brilliant, on-the-spot viral advertisement (or nonadvertisement) by Nike....It's the only way LeBron James can come out of this hidden-video fiasco without looking like the most childish, egomaniacal, embarrassingly self-absorbed superstar athlete ever....It's disturbing enough that it can shift the public opinion of an athlete seemingly on the verge of solely dominating the sports landscape. If the decision was strictly made to avoid any public embarrassment, an embarrassment that would have been mild and lasted about two seconds -- the equivalent of tripping over your feet while walking down the street and looking around to notice who saw it happen -- then James would be viewed as one of the most misguided athletes of our time. He would be the guy who tries too hard to be liked. The guy whose image is more important than his accomplishments. The guy whose own teammates would mock him behind his back and would be a lot more fun to defeat than to run with.

Video: Ariel Investments CEO John Rogers Schools Michael Jordan [J. Mark English]

If Nike won't let us see Lebron James being posterized, then we can at least see Michael Jordan getting taken to the cleaners by a CEO.

NBA Offseason Off to Blazing Start [David Stefanini]

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2009-2010 NBA basketball season is officially over before it even begins...more on this later. Sure LeBron James got a new sidekick, but at this point J. Mark English is a better center than Shaq (maybe a little overstated there). Point is Shaq is not going to bring a title to Cleveland. He can't guard the likes of Kevin Garnett or Dwight Howard.

Speaking of KG and the new Superman, they both acquired big name stars to add onto the team. Rasheed Wallace has reportedly agreed to terms with the Boston Celtics. But does this really get anyone excited? 'Sheed has had his better days already pass and in this NBA a big man who can hit outside shots is not all that uncommon. Dwight Howard got a new teammate in Vince Carter which in my opinion is a better addition than 'Sheed. With Jameer Nelson coming back and the addition of Vince Carter this Orlando Magic team may be the only one who has a shot at dethroning the Lakers.

Now onto the Lakers who I believe have already won next years championship. To deal with the loss of Trevor Ariza the Lakers go out and sign someone who is a better shooter, a better defender, and a bigger body, Ron Artest. How are you going to beat the Lakers now? With Andrew Bynum continuing to grow, Pau Gasol playing at his best, and that guy named Kobe how can this team be beaten? Their bench can't possibly play any worse than they did this past season, so they have to improve a little bit.

Most of you are probably saying but KG is healthy and the Celtics will be there in the end. Maybe your right, but the Lakers are clearly the class of the league right now and unless Kobe misses the season due to an injury there is no one that is going to stop him from title number 5.

LeBron Wins It For Cavs [David Stefanini]

For a quick recap: The game was amazing. The Cavs had a huge lead which the Magic cut into with their ability to make three pointers. Magic take a 2 point lead with 1 second left only to have LeBron hit a game winning three pointer at the buzzer.

What else can you say other than its what LeBron does best? He is amazing and continues his climb to the top of the league.

At the beginning of these playoffs I stated to my friends that the Magic are going to defeat the Lakers for the NBA Championship and nothing has happened to change my mind. The Magic already took the home court advantage away from the Cavs and it took a miraculous shot from LeBron James to avoid a 2-0 series lead for the Magic. Anyone else out there having deja vu? Remember a few years ago when the underdog Detroit Pistons went into the Staples Center and won Game 1 against the Lakers? In Game 2, Kobe Bryant hit a miraculous three pointer to avoid a 2-0 hole. The Pistons said, they accomplished what they wanted to and winning Game 2 wasn't that important. I get the same feeling with this Magic team. The Cavs don't match up well with the Magic and there is no reason why this series should go longer than 5 or 6 games. (Magic winning).

With that said every night I'm praying for hours that I get to see the 'Dream Match-up'. LeBron vs Kobe in the NBA Finals. The NBA has had questionable things happen in the past that has led to a belief of games and drafts being fixed. If there was ever a time to fix anything it is this. David Stern, PLEASE make it that we all get to see the Lakers vs the Cavs in the Finals. It's only fitting. These Conference Finals, as good as they have been, are merely an appetizer to the main course.

Ladies and Gentlemen with the Cavs win tonight the Magic Number to the perfect NBA Finals is down to 6. Three wins by the Lakers and three from the Cavs and we get The Great One vs The Chosen One.

Tomorrow look for the Lakers to bounce back from their disappointing loss in Game 2. Kobe was not hitting his jump shots and unless Jesus Christ himself is in the arena to prevent it you can guarantee that Kobe will find his jumper in Denver. Lakers win a close one to move 2-1 up.

Cleveland Loves LeBron, LeBron Loves the Yanks [David Stefanini]

Tiger Beats LeBron for Who's Now Title [David Stefanini]

For the past few weeks, if you have watched Sportscenter, you know they have been doing this 'Who's Now' tournament. Its like the NCAA Championship, with four regions.

The championship came down to the #1 seed, Tiger Woods, another #1 seed LeBron James.

Tiger Woods defeated LeBron in the final matchup 65.1 percent to 34.9 percent. The fans have spoken and it is clear that they love Tiger.

Throughout the entire tournament, Tiger Woods won ever matchup in blowout fashion. He received at least 60% of the vote ever single time. One match, he got an amazing 90%. It just goes to show that Tiger is the most recognizable athlete in the world today.

Spurs Dominate, Lead Series 2-0 [David Stefanini]

For those of you who were reading my live blogging during the game know how I feel. The game was absolutely pathetic. I take nothing out of this game other than Tony Parker has a hot wife.

Speaking of Tony Parker, he was unstoppable tonight. He is to fast for anyone of the Cavs to handle. And how about Robert Horry? He has always been one of my favorite players. In the biggest of situations he always comes up. He has been non existent this entire season, but in the NBA Finals he comes up huge as usual.

The Spurs showed throughout this game that they were the superior team. The only thing the Cavs can look at is this: they were down 0-2 to the Pistons and came back and won that series. So the question is, is it possible for the Cavs to win 4 out of 6 against the Spurs? The answer, no. This series is as good as over. Everyone not named Daniel Gibson has played horrible basketball for the Cavs. Even LeBron James has been stinking up the court. I have no idea how to fix the problems the Cavs face. They can only hope the entire Spurs starting lineup comes down with a really bad case of the flu. If that happens they may be able to win a game or 2, but other than that, this series is not headed back to San Antonio.

NBA Finals: Game 2 Preview [David Stefanini]

Well where do we begin with Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Oh I know, START DANIEL GIBSON! Why is Gibson not starting, the kid is on fire and is playing with a huge amount of confidence. He is explosive, can shoot the three, and may have enough speed to stay with Tony Parker. He needs to see more playing time.

Secondly, Bruce Bowen is amazing. I never give him enough credit, but after shutting down Steve Nash and stopping LeBron in Game 1, he deserves some credit. LeBron was completely out of his comfort zone, he couldn't buy a shot, and wasn't making sharp crisp passes.

Now lets look at the real thing the Cavs have to do to win this game, stop Tim Duncan. Naturally stopping Tim Duncan is far easier said than done, but they have to try. In Game 1 it looked as if Timmy D could do anything he wanted to. He was scoring off the glass, blocking shots, and controlling the game. Yes, Tony Parker controlled the game, but it was Duncan who dominated it. The Cavs need to find a way to slow down Duncan. They are going to need to switch to a zone defense. That will allow them to double Duncan, while protecting against the 3 point threat of Ginobili, and the speed of Parker.

This is not a must win game for the Cavs. They fell down 2-0 to the Pistons and won that series. But this is not the Pistons, these are the Spurs. If the Cavs lose tonight they are going to need to win 3 in a row then steal a game in San Antonio. It is possible to come back from 2-0, so it is not a must win, but this is a game they are going to want really bad.

I would expect a much closer game in the fourth quarter, but for the Spurs to once again prevail: 87-83. Hopefully, the score is 87-83 in favor of the Cavs instead of the Spurs. Only time will tell, we are only 2 and a half hours away from the tip. Go Cavs!

Spurs Win Game 1: 85-76 [David Stefanini]

Well here is something I didn't expect to say; the Cavs played well, but LeBron did not. I can not understand how badly LeBron played. He was terribly off, missing shots, and making bad decisions.

The only good thing that can come out of this game for the Cavs is this; LeBron will play better. When LeBron plays better the Cavs will have a chance to win the game.

Let me not take away credit from the Spurs. They played great basketball and looked unstoppable like they always do. One last thing I want to mention. Love or hate Bruce Bowen, but man that guy can play defense.

**End of the 3rd Quarter**

And the game is over... unless LeBron can turn it on. The Spurs finally played like the champions they are, and the Cavs had a rude wake up call.

I have said this throughout, the Cavs have zero chance of winning any game this series unless LeBron James can play unbelievable basketball. Also where has Daniel Gibson gone? He was all over the place in the first half, but now he is nowhere to be found.

I am calling this game over. Time of death: 11:02 pm.

**End of 1st Half**

Well the Spurs are still rolling and LeBron is still not playing. And the Cavs are only down by 5 points. If the Spurs don't turn on the jets soon the Cavs are going to leap in front of them.

LeBron is going to have to turn it around if the Cavs have any chance to win. It is nice that they are still in the game, but it is due to poor playing on part of the Spurs. After a while this Spurs team will get going and the only hope for Cleveland is to LeBron to play out of his mind.

**End of the 1st quarter**

Well the Spurs are playing unbelievable basketball, and the Cavs can not get LeBron going. But here is the interesting stats, the Cavs are only down by 5.

If you were to tell Mike Brown, coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, that LeBron James would be held to zero field goals, 2 points, and the Spurs were to play near perfect basketball and you were only down by 5, Brown would have been over joyed.

I am not worried about this game yet, the only thing I am worried about is this; Larry Hughes looks horrible. There is no way he can stay with Tony Parker. Hughes looks to injured, and they now need to count on a rookie in Daniel Gibson.

Tale of the Tape: Spurs, Cavs [David Stefanini]

Lets go position by position and see who has a better lineup.

PG: Larry Hughes vs Tony Parker. The experience obviously goes to Parker, as it will to every Spurs player in this series. Tony Parker is fast, explosive, and can hit that running jump shot like no one else can in the league. It will be hard for Hughes to keep up. On the other hand, Hughes is much bigger and more physical than Parker. I feel the Cavs should come out and look to get Parker in early foul trouble. Advantage: Parkers (Spurs)

SG: Sasha Pavlovic vs Michael Finley: Finley has been in big game situations before, whereas Pavlovic says, "My defense is my offense." Both can shoot the three, Pavlovic is better at driving, but Finley has the experience and defense. This one is a tie, but for sake of explosiveness I would take Pavlovic. Advantage: Pavlovic (Cavs)

SF: LeBron James vs Bruce Bowen. Unless Jesus Christ Himself was playing defense on LeBron, I would give the advantage to LeBron. Advantage: The King (Cavs)

PF: Drew Gooden vs Tim "Future Hall of Famer" Duncan. Wow this is a hard one. Duncan has multiple MVP, Finals MVP, and All-NBA awards. Drew Gooden has, well he has his collegiate career. Advantage: Duncan (Spurs)

C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs Fabricio Oberto. The fact that I can't spell either one of their names or pronounce, will play the same role these two will have in the series. Fabricio is a no name center who will be there to use fouls on LeBron. Ilgauskas can shoot the jump shot, but can't do anything else. Advantage: Ilgauskas (Cavs)

That makes the final count 3 - 2 in favor of the Cavs. However, the Spurs have a deeper bench and a proven coach. Not to mention the two positions that the Spurs have an advantage, they have two all-stars. And seeing how Michael picked the Cavs to win it in 6, I will say the Spurs will win it in 6.... just don't forget my heart is with LeBron and the Cavs.

NHL and NBA Ratings [J. Mark English]

Oh where, oh where are the NHL fans? Will a real NHL fan please stand up? Please stand up and grab a remote and turn on your TV before the NHL is never on national TV again?

The ratings are in from game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals that was on NBC:

Ottawa's 5-3 victory over Anaheim in Game 3 Saturday night received a 1.1 national rating and a 2 share, the network said Tuesday. That matched a rerun of "The West Wing" on July 23, 2005, which also drew a 1.1 rating.

Saturday's rating was down 31 percent from last year's Game 3 between Edmonton and Carolina, which had a 1.6/3.

The national ratings for Monday night's Game 4 declined less sharply from last year. The Ducks' 3-2 victory received a 1.9/3, down 5 percent from the 2.0/3 for Game 4 in 2006.

This translates into "women and children" first as far as the state of the ship of the NHL is concerned. I can't imagine that NBC will stick with the NHL much longer if the ratings continue. Spelling bees on ESPN probably get higher ratings. College softball on ESPN must get higher ratings. (There are probably some sexist reasons why guys enjoy watching college softball...guys, check it out, you'll see what I mean)

Anyway, I apologize ahead of time for that comment.

To be fair though, the ratings for the NHL in Canada have gone up...a nudge...but at least thats something right?

How about the NBA though? David Stern and the TV execs at TNT should be sending LeBron James lots of wonderful presents after what he did for their ratings.

TNT will finish at the top of the rating charts among cable stations for the month of May. This according to Mediaweek:

TNT will wrap up the month of May as the top ad-supported cable network in prime time, averaging 2.6 million total viewers and 1.35 million adults 18-49, thanks in large part to its coverage of the National Basketball Association's playoffs.

Hail to the King [David Stefanini]

I can not believe it; LeBron James has single handily carried a team to the NBA Finals. Sure, Daniel Gibson had a career game, but it was and always has been, about LeBron.

David Stern and the rest of the top executives in the NBA were praying for this to happen. Sure, they are going to get blown out by the Spurs, but the point is LeBron has made it. Now the world can see LeBron on the biggest stage and judge his performances first hand.

Upon his arrival in the NBA I was instantly convinced he was going to live up to all the hype (I didn't expect him to pass the expectations like he has) and one day lead his team to a Finals appearance. I did not think it would be this soon with a supporting cast of, *COUGH* no one *COUGH*.

Over the next several days you and I are going to hear all sorts of talk about how he is great and how he is the best player in the league. I will be one of the people praising LeBron to no end. However, it is important for us to not get carried away. Sure he lead his team to the Finals, but he did it in the Eastern Conference. There are at least 4 teams in the West, who are already eliminated, that would kill the Cavs in a seven game series: Jazz, Mavericks, Suns, Rockets. I am not taking abything away from the Cavs, I am just pointing out the fact they are in the Eastern Conference. It is a lot easier to get to the Finals playing in the East. With all that said, there is no denying the fact that a 22 year old kid has become the face of the NBA. He is an amazing talent that can do anything on the court. The only thing wrong is his free-throw shooting, and his inconsistency with the jump shot. He is 22 and will surely cure those problems with age. We should all sit back and enjoy the next decade, because we are going to have the privilege of watching one of the single most talented individuals to ever play in the NBA.

Now for one note on the upcoming Finals. Personally, I hate the Spurs, and I am warning the readers of this blog, do not expect me to say anything nice about them unless they win the title. After every game I am going to write about what the Cavs did and how they can improve. They are appealing to watch, they have LeBron, and they are from the East.

LETS GO CAVS!!!

LeBron Shows Why he is the King [David Stefanini]

What an amazing basketball game! LeBron James just put in one of the greatest performances in NBA playoff history. Just get these stats:

He scored the last 25 points over the last 3 quarters (4th, and 2 OTs), 29 of the last 30, including the final 11 field goals for his team.

Watching this game, I saw LeBron grow up into a winner. He decided he was not going to lose the game. J. Mark English and myself were watching this game, debating whether LeBron was more like Mike or Magic. Then it occurred to both of us; it is now time to say LeBron James is LeBron James. We have to throw out the notion that he is going to be one of those two players. LeBron is going to go down not as the second Magic or the second Jordan, but he is going to be the first LeBron.

Time after time, he would come down the court and run the ball right down the Piston's throat. Then, late in the game he would hit big time shots, layups, dunks, and free throws. It was one of the greatest performances I have ever witnessed. I now understand the Nike 'witness' commerical; we are witnesses.

Who Would You Rather Face In The Championship? [Michael Vinciguerra]

While props deserve to be given to the Jazz and their future talent, the Spurs unquestionably dominated the Jazz in every aspect. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer showed up to play, while the rest of the Jazz did not. Now, the Spurs will either face the Cavs or Pistons in the NBA Championship and the question is which team would the Spurs rather face?

The Pistons, who are currently struggling against the Cavs, clearly do not have the same team chemistry of previous years. With the loss of Ben Wallace and a lack of leadership from Chauncy Billups and Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons appear lost and confused on the court and it would seem likely that the Spurs would be able to take control. Now the Cavs, however, are a different story. Watching Lebron James play basketball, especially in games three and four against the Pistons, is like discovering the meaning of life. He's that good and there is simply no way to defend him. He can cross over and drive the lane against three defenders or take a fade away jumper and make it while falling on his behind. Now place Lebron James in the NBA Finals and give him the chance to win a championship. If Lebron has been described as becoming the next Michael Jordan, then he must win many championships....and that starts now. Now, if only he had better players to work around him.......

Anyway, the bottom line is if the Spurs face the Pistons, the Spurs will win. However, if the Spurs face the Cavs, its Lebron's time to shine. If I was Tim Duncan and the Cavs beat the Pistons, I'd be seeking some prozac.

Detroit in Deep Trouble [David Stefanini]

If I was rooting for the Detroit Pistons, which I would never do, I would be extremely worried about the Eastern Conference Finals. They are going home with the series tied at 2 games a piece. They are extremely lucky to be in this series at this point. The Cleveland Cavaliers should have at least a 3-1 lead in this series.

LeBron James was dominant in the 4th quarter. He put his team on his back and carried them to victory. Now he has to go into Detroit and put the pressure on the refs to blow the whistle, like he did in Game 2. The scrutiny the refs had to undergo for the no-call will inevitably force them to blow the whistle next time. If James can realize this and do nothing but attack, attack, attack, for Game 5; the LeBron James was simply amazing in the 4th quarter tonight. He put his team on his back and carried them to victory. He now has to go into Detroit and do it again. He has to realize in the 4thCavs have a great shot at stealing a game.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the series, this has been an amazing series. I want to take time to give credit to the NBA Playoffs. Haven't they been amazing this year? We had the great games played in Baron's house. And who could forget the excellent series the Jazz and Rockets played or the Cavs, Nets series? Then we had Deron vs Baron, in what was an epic showdown of two great point guards. Now we get the pleasure of watching Cavs take on the Pistons in what is shaping up to be a classic seven game series. Michael Jordan had to overcome the obstacle that was the Pistons. It has been a great year to watch playoff basketball and it should only get better.

The only thing that can kill these playoffs is if we have to be tortured with the Pistons going against the Spurs in the Finals. I will now go to bed and pray that I get to watch LeBron in the Finals instead of the defensive orientated Pistons.

P.S... Can I recast my vote for Rookie of the Year? Daniel Gibson all the way!

Late Night Reflection [David Stefanini]

Today was a very busy day in the world of sports.

First, we take a look at the Mets and Yanks. It was a well played game that was closely contested. Andy Pettitte pitched a great game once again for the Yanks, but once again they could not give him the run support he needed. Oliver Perez didn't need much run support, as he only threw one mistake. The Mets outplayed the Yanks in the game the Yanks desperately needed. With Boston being postponed, the Yanks are now 10 games back. It if the first time under Joe Torre they have ever been this far behind. As for the Mets they just keep on rolling. They're exciting and their pitching staff continues to come up big.

Now lets move on to the world of basketball. The Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs advanced to their respected Conference Championship Rounds tonight. The Spurs man-handled an inferior Suns team, which furthers my point: The Phoenix Suns are very overrated and have been for a long time. When you can not play defense I don't care if you score 150 points a game, you will never win a championship (see the Colts and Peyton Manning).

In the Eastern Conference the Cavs kicked the Nets out of the playoffs. The Nets simply went cold in the first half and had to expend all their energy in the 3rd quarter to make it close. They just ran out of gas in the 4th.

The next round is going to be very interesting. The Cavs and Jazz are going to be heavy underdogs going into the next round, but both teams have the talent to pull off the upsets. The Cavs have the best player left in the playoffs and the Jazz have (should be) All-Stars Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams.

I expect the Spurs to make it past the Jazz in 5 whereas the Pistons will make it past the Cavs in 7.

Nets Looking to Force Game 7 [David Stefanini]

The New Jersey Nets are going to playing at home tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers looking to extend the series to a deciding Game 7. After losing Game 4 and falling down 3 games to 1 in the series, things looked very bad for the Nets. They had to go into Cleveland and beat LeBron and co. which nobody had done this postseason. But that's exactly what they did. Now they have the momentum in the series and are going to be playing playing on their home court.

The Cavs must be having visions of last years collapse against the Detroit Pistons in their minds. Last season they were up 3-2 playing at home with a chance to eliminate the Pistons. They could not close the deal and eventually lost the series in 7 games. The situation was similar in this years playoffs. They had a chance to close out the series at home but could not do it. Hopefully this trend will continue for the Cavs this season.

The Nets were my pre-season pick to go to the NBA Finals. I will admit it does not look like they are going to be able to get there, but it is not impossible. The Nets should come out very loose and firing; all the pressure is going to be on the Cavs to close this series out. They should be able to beat the Cavs at home and anything can happen in a Game 7. This should be a closely contested game, but I would look for the veteran Nets to find a way to pull off the upset at home.

Greg Oden Shows he is #1 Draft Choice [David Stefanini]

What an amazing performance from Greg Oden. Going into this game I was one of the hardest critics of Oden. I didn't feel he was good enough for all the hype surrounding him. After the final whistle was blown, he made a believer out of me.

I watched a far superior Florida team run up and down the court on the Buckeyes, but there was one man, one 7-foot center who would not let this game get out of hand. Oden stayed out of foul trouble, dominated the paint on both ends of the floor, and was demanding the ball in the low post. It seemed there was a stretch in the second half where Ohio brought it up court, Oden demanded the ball, he got it, turned and dunked on whoever and whatever was standing in his way. It was not how many points and rebounds he grabbed; 25 and 12 respectively, but it was how he got those points and rebounds. He connected on 10 of 15 field goal attempts, 66%. Most of his buckets came in timely situations where Florida was threatening to blow the game wide open.

The biggest thing I saw from Oden was his heart and will to win. As the commentators said throughout the game, you would have to go back nearly 4 years before you could find the last time Oden lost any kind of postseason game; now the world knows why. Oden refuses to lose. That is something no-one can teach you, nor something you can learn how to do; it's something you are either born with or not. LeBron James, as great as he is, is not born with it. Jordan has it, Kobe has it, Magic Johnson has it, and now I see it in Greg Oden.

Whoever has the #1 pick in this years draft is going to get Oden, if he comes out of school. I am not to sure that is going to happen. The money is great, the stardom is great, everything about being the #1 pick is great however; Oden loves college and you can tell he wants a National Championship. If he comes back next season I would imagine Ohio State will start the year as the #1 team in the country and ride that through to the end. Oden's freshman year was amazing, but to start it was plagued by injury. He should come back and show what kind of player he is and show the kind of heart he has to do it one more year. He will be the #1 pick in next years draft or the year after. The NBA will be there whenever he decides to come out and go pro. Why not give the fans of college basketball another chance to see how great he is and play in the NCAA Tournament.

With all that said about how nice it would be, I do not expect Oden to play in another college basketball game.

LeBron to Co-Host the ESPY Awards [David Stefanini]

LeBron James is going to co-host the ESPY Awards wit Jimmy Kimmel this year. What is left for LeBron to do; other than win the title.

He has come straight out of high school with unimaginable hype surrounding him; and he surpassed the hype. Each year the expectations on LeBron grow, and every year he seems to surpass the expectations. I do not feel he is the best player in the league, that belongs to Kobe, but the things he is accomplishing at such a young age is unbelievable.

We already could say he is one of the elite players in the league, and we an say he is a host of one of the top sporting events of the year.