Chat Blog

The three guys will write this blog chat style while watching game 2 of the finals. Format differs here, no standard questions, just wherever the chat goes it goes.

Evan - What is your reaction to the Mike Brown hire? Were you put off by me undervaluing Phil Jackson?

Derek - You are a fool, Phil Jackson is the man. There are many different types of coaches, Phil coaches winners. He would do awful trying to rebuild a team, just like Scott Brooks won’t be the man to push the Thunder over the top. He is a great coach for a good/great team.

Geoff - First I understand Evan’s point with Phil Jackson, it is hard to know because we have only seen him in certain situations. Based on his resume it is hard not to call him a excellent coach, given different situations.

Evan - He can’t rebuild a team? Can he then really be called a great coach, if he can’t work with what he’s got. (Evan laughs at Doris Burke sporting Dirk’s splint.)

Derek - So a coach has to be good at every part of coaching to be considered a great coach? For me evaluating a coach I am going to look at wins and titles before “marked improvements” and “team progress from year to year.”

Evan - Agree to disagree

Derek - Never!

Lebron takes 5 steps while lining up a three. Thanks refs.

Evan - How do you feel about Lebron faking the “eye injury” against the Bulls, how do feel about his acting and the refs buying it?

Derek - (Steaming)

Geoff - For the type of player he is trying to be, he is trying to be the “best basketball player in the world”, be a man, suck it up. He is a huge man, you are not skin and bones like Reggie Miller, you are a big boy, act like one. He is selling himself short of what he wants to and should become. Jordan got a lot of calls, but he didn’t fake to get them.

Evan - We are all aware of the superstar treatment, a guy like Dirk doesn’t ‘try’ to get a lot of calls, the refs give him a lot of calls. When he stops getting those calls he whines about them, but he isn’t acting to get them in the first place.

Derek - I wish the playoffs at the very least could be more reminiscent of the 80’s-90’s playoffs, if a guy is a wuss you should be able to send out Bill Lambeer and close line a sucker.

Geoff - Knicks/Pacers, if you went into the lane you were going to end up on your ass. We should go back to that. Let men be men.

No surprise Bibby misses a three, but Lebron cleans up with authority.

Geoff - That man should not be diving when he gets bumped.

Haywood makes a basket! Evan and Geoff laugh about his missed dunk from last game. Sad sad moment for his life. He follows that up by getting stuffed.

Evan - What are your thoughts on Tyson Chandler

Geoff - I don’t mind him as a center. He is athletic, but maybe not mobile enough on the defensive end to keep up with elite PF’s and C’s. He also has a complete lack of a jump shot, that is not helping his stock.

Derek - I like him, he does a few things really well, set great picks, throws down hard off pick and rolls, and he is big enough to be better than descent on the defensive end. He is not good at a wide range of things, but he is better than average at some key area’s.

1st quarter end - Score tied at 28.

Derek - Rubio is coming, apparently, is this significant at all?

Evan - I don’t know enough about it to say anything of authority. But he is headed to the basketball vortex so that doesn’t bode well for him.

Geoff - Same as Evan, I don’t know much about him. If they get Williams at #2 in the draft, it will be good for him to pass to someone decent. It will help him dramatically if there are players around him that can help him somewhat.

Derek - I am skeptical, I am ready to love him, but I will not be surprised if he is a complete bust. The european league can bury guys on the bench and stunt growth rather than encourage it. If his european career (which isn’t great) hasn’t crushed him by now then he could turn out alright.

Geoff - If he doesn’t do amazing, then he will just fit in with the rest of the roster that is full of underachievers.

Wade gets away with an obvious offensive goaltending, refs must have all been blinking at the same time.

Derek - Have you been working on your tiger dunk? (Go to youtube now and type in Blake Griffin tiger dunk)

Geoff - I am adding that one to my repertoire right now.

Evan - Is Dirk a good passer? I am not sure

Derek - When he is posting up like a power forward he passes well, when he moves like a guard he does not pass well like a guard should.

Geoff - He is good at finding the open man when he is double teamed, sometimes he finds the guy all the way across the court for an open three. So that is good for something.

Geoff - For free agents this summer, is there anyone decent?

Derek starts researching

Decent names on the unrestricted free agent list - J.J. Barea, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, T-Mac, Tayshaun Prince, Yao, Shane Battier, 80% of the Miami Heat, Michael Redd, Carl Landry, Jason Richardson, Greg Oden (restricted), Kirilenko, Jamal Crawford.

Derek - So of these players, who are the big gets?

Evan - Who would you rather have, J.R. Smith or Jamal Crawford? I think it depends on the team, similar players but they could be big additions for the right team. I don’t think Smith is a great fit for the Spurs, but they need some energy guys bad.

(Note - Evan is a huge Spurs homer, you have been warned)

Derek - No franchise shifting players, but some great puzzle piece players, if some of them were to land on the right team they could push them over the top. Then some big question mark players, like Oden and Yao, anyone want to take a risk on them? The payoff would be huge if you guess right, and if wrong then you look really bad.

Evan - Could Oden turn out like Camby, start his career injured and enjoy good basketball later in his career? He might miss his prime, but be a solid NBA center for 8 years or so.

Geoff - If he is willing to sign for less money than I would jump on that as a team. But I would not be willing to pay a significant amount of money on him.

Derek - But Portland will sign him if he will take less money, I think he likes the city and the people. Neither side really wants to part, but it might be good for him to get a fresh start in a new city.

Evan - The Raptors suck, how can they start to rebuild? My theory, load up the front line, play Bargnani at the 3 and play a zone defense with three big guys. Ed Davis is showing potential and hopefully Reggie Evans can stay healthy for a year. Most importantly, get rid of Calderon!

Geoff looks up potential draft picks.

Derek - May I remind you how crappy this draft is, don’t count on this draft to be beneficial in any way.

Geoff - Maybe not this year, but draft a guy with potential and have patience while he improves (fingers crossed).

Evan - Can we find highlights on this Kanter guy? Does such a thing exist? Is this man a ghost?

Geoff - I think Derozan is more of a 3 than a shooting guard, his shot is so weak and they need a legitimate SG who can actually hit a three and be respected as such. Derozen is more of a Iguodala who needs to attack the rim and to be in position to do so at all times.

Derek - They are a lost cause, check back with me in 5 years.

Geoff - Bargnani looks more excited to eat Primo pasta than he is to play basketball.

Derek - Going back to Mike Brown, here is my prediction. Lakers get off to a rough start, rumors will start to swirl, they will get rid of him at All-Star break for Brian Shaw (who they should have hired), the players will rally around him go on a winning streak and sneak into a first round home court playoff series poised to make some noise.

Geoff - So do I need to remind you how much I hate both Dallas and Miami?

Derek - Ya this series is hard to watch, I find myself cheering for the Mavs. I was cheering for a Dallas team bus crash last series and now I am cheering for them to win the title? I am crying inside. Can the Thunder please play the Bulls for the title next year and everything good about this league can be restored again.

Geoff - This series was paid for, both teams in their own way just bought their way into this positions acquiring players like trading cards. How do you feel about players dictating where they want to play?

Evan - If a player means enough to a team, he is going to know it. If that player wants out, the team is going to know it. The power is in the players hands, rather than the teams who is employing him.

Derek - I don’t love when a team can hold a player captive, and a great player can rot inside a horribly run organization (Steve Nash). But I hate it when Carmelo just decides he doesn’t like the Denver air anymore and lets the world knows he would rather be living in New York. There needs to be balance, I am not sure what that balance should look like but Steve Nash needs to be on a contender and Carmelo should be punched in the face for being a whiny baby.

Geoff - How is Shawn Marion Dallas’ best player right now?

Evan - He is working hard for these points, he goes to the hoop, he is attacking.

Geoff - He makes quick decisions and doesn’t wait for things to go stale before making up his mind.

Dallas is poised to make a comeback after pulling it to 90-86 with just over 3 min left. Lets see who has cohonies. All of us just cheered for a Dirk mid range jumper, a little bit of each one of us collectively died.

Just a reminder to Mark Cuban, you did not make that last basket.

Geoff - I just bought a car, I don’t think I can buy an NBA team. Otherwise I would give Cuban a run for his money as far a owner antics go.

All of us are thoroughly enjoying watching the Heat completely fall apart right now, this is making cheering for the Mavs worth it.

Derek - I want a framed picture of when Chris Bosh cries at the end of this game.

Game over - Heat choke - We are happy.

Closing thoughts.

Evan - Never thought this game would end this way, glad to witness the minor miracle it took for Dallas to escape with this game. Glad to see Chris Bosh get lit up on the last play. Perfect ending.

Geoff - Miami has been really bad at wrapping games up all season, this is the norm for them. I think everyone has forgotten how bad they were in these situations, and they were just showing their true colors. Shawn Marion wins, I am happy.

Derek - Just excited for Rubio to lead the T-Wolves to the promised land next year. Like everyone else it is always an enjoyable night when the Heat choke the game away. Is there any way that both teams can lose and next years championship can just count for two? Just an idea.