The Best Rivalry You Don't Know or Care About

A  brief history of the Gaels/Zags rivalry; plus a breakdown of St. Mary's v. Gonzaga game from Moraga last night. 
Do you know that we play basketball on the West Coast? Yes, there are actual college basketball teams that play out here. And I'm not talking about an intramural league here, but real life Division One basketball squads reside out here. It's a true story. The teams have uniforms and everything. Another little tidbit- The WCC has the best basketball rivalry going behind North Carolina and Duke. Fact. 
With the Pac-12 having solid, albeit very forgettable teams in the only major conference out here, it leaves the west coast with an upstart UNLV squad, at number 12 in the polls, followed by San Diego St. and Gonzaga as the lone West Coast representatives that are ranked. The Aztecs and Rebels hook up in a showdown Saturday, in a game nobody is talking about, in what should prove to be a great game. For all the talent and high seeding that game comes with it is not a rivalry game. No, the best bang for your buck rivalry game that has been going on for the last four years hapens in small, sleepy gyms that you need google maps just to find. But everyone back East, which in sports talk is the entire nation, will dismiss the West Coast and this game, entirely. So when the Duke/Virginia game ends then most people will not turnover to ESPN2 to watch basketballs 2nd and most intriguing rivalry between St. Mary's and Gonzaga.
Now, everyone knows about Gonzaga and their program. But, St. Mary's is a sneaky (see the word-dangerous) team that if they get into the NCAA tournament. If St. Mary's makes the tourney this season they will play the role of the classic high seeded team nobody knows about, who will match up against a big time conference power that struggled during the season or down the stretch, but that everyone will pick because they are a big time program. I would watch out for that pick though because this St. Mary's team has that look, especially at guard, to catch fire from behind the arc and shake up the brackets to a sweet 16 trip. 
I digress, though.
 When I think of the St. Mary's/Gonzaga rivalry I always think to the philosophical question- If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it does it really make a sound? I apply that to this west coast rivalry that only people from each school and NCAA committee members, though I have my doubts they watch, take notice of. In the last few years St. Mary's has taken to not only chipping away at Gonzaga's stranglehold on the WCC title, but have taken brawny man type axe chops to bring down there foes from Spokane. In the last few years Gonzaga and St. Mary's have engaged in some great games, punctuated byeach winning on the other teams home court last season, with a mutual hatred for one another brewing.
This wasn't always the case as I spent one very hazy freshman year at Gonzaga back in 2000. At that time, the Zags were at the peak of their WCC dominance and perennial NCAA darling. St. Mary's was a fledgling program that had high hopes that one season and were suppose to challenge for the title and a NCAA bid. However, when the Zags visited Moraga in an early January game it was quickly shown that Gonzaga was light years ahead of St. Mary's. The Zags were up by 30 in the first half as I led the boo birds against St. Mary's. That's right, I booed my home school for their terrible play. My friends and I quickly left to make our freshman year a little more hazy.
Gonzaga is the team you all know about. The small school from Spokane came onto the scene with an improbable run in in 1999, capped off by an elite eight run. Ever since then the school has been to the tournament every year and has won the WCC title every year. They were not only the class of the WCC, but of the mid-majors. No major program was willing to play Gonzaga for fear of what they perceived as an upset, but in reality Gonzaga was a force to be reckoned with. The upper northwest talent came and was harnessed in Spokane. Mix tht talent with some international flavor and Gonzaga provided a blueprint for sustained levels of success as a small college team. There was no looking back into their rearview mirror with the death grip they had on the WCC. Yes, life is good for the Zags.
That is until now.
With the hiring of coach Randy Bennet and an influx of Australian imports, along with home grown talent the doormats of the WCC finally stepped up to the plate to challenge the power that be in the WCC. St. Mary's, slowly, started changing into a team that was going to challenge Gonzaga's reign. The rivalry was slow, but steady as St. Mary's goal was to enter into the pantheon of small school with sustained talent that Gonzaga continues to enjoy. The Gaels slowly chipped away by taking a page out of Gonzaga's playbook. St. Mary's will never compete with Kentucky or UNC for recruits so they have to get creative. That creativeness led them to an unusual place- Australia. Now I think Crocodile Dundee and kangaroos when I think of Australia, not basketball players. However, the Australian pipeline netted Bennett and the Gaels superb talent that changed he program. A list of players that include Patty Mills,  all-time leading scorer Daniel Kickert, and current guard Matthew Delavadova.The Aussies were a huge get for the Gaels that started and has sustained the momentum of a one fledgling program; one that has seen them move from the bottom of the standings to a place next to Gonzaga as they fight for WCC power.
All of this building and program/culture change culminated in a shared league championship last season with... you guessed it- their rivals from Spokane. That league title was still not enough to get St. Mary's into the big dance; a show of little respect for the WCC conference, program growth, or West Coast hoops. A clear slap in the face to a program that has built itself up with the likes of Gonzaga, its WCC foe, in creating a program of success. All this has done is fuel the rivalry between the two. Much like the Lakers and the Clippers, St. Mary's and Gonzaga have that same type of feeling where one program (St. Mary's) yearns to be in the same class in terms of success, tournament invites, and conference success; however, the other program (Gonzaga) is the big brother that dismisses their little brother at every turn, wanting nothing more than to keep St. Mary's on a lower tier. Resentment, hatred, and jealousy between two great programs. 
Now that is the ingredients for a great rivalry.
So we fast forward to last night as Gonzaga, winner of 3 in a row in Moraga, comes in red hot having won their last eight in a row, with their only losses coming to Illinois and top ranked Michigan St. Gonzaga, heading into this matchup, looked good defensively, holding opponents to 30% shooting, while offensively they have a good inside/outside mix of pg Kevin Pangos ( I think he should go just last name from now on) banging threes and the beefiness of Robert Sacre down low.
On the flip side, St. Mary's also come in winner of five in a row, their only two losses coming against Denver (Not the Nuggest, but the college. Terrible, terrible loss) and to the 4th ranked Baylor team in Las Vegas. St. Mary's is a team that you look at and will scratch your head saying, "This is the team we are playing? Seriously." They are the YMCA fat kid that can shoot or the short, stalky guy that is illogically quick. That is what you see with Matthew Dellavedova (From now on I will refer to him as MD) who is taking over the Micky McConnell role of last season as the teams go to guy and the ultimate tweener Rob Jones who can create matchup problems by with his inside/outside game. But nonetheless, this team makes it work with ball movement and perimeter shooting.
On paper it would seem Gonzaga has the edge in just about every category. Especially in the front court. The Zags seemed more battle tested and they are not afraid of going to St. Mary's, having won the last few match ups there. I even told my friend to use his ESPN Streak for the Zags. Why you ask? Because I have seen Gonzaga play, where as I have caught glimpses of the Gaels and I have to say that I am not an MD fan. He strikes me as a no conscious gunner that will try to be superman when his job is to run the point and pick his spots. I never thought in a million years, I still have reservations, that he would be a consistent go to guy. I thought this game would come down to the inside play, which I marked as a huge plus for Gonzaga, while timely shooting would also be in favor of Gonzaga in a close game.
And mark it zero for this guy, as the Gaels served notice on their home court with a 83-62 dismantling of the Bulldogs. What this game saw was MD, clearly focused and driven, hitting an array of shots from three's, to floaters, to drives for lay ups. MD was every bit Mickey McConnell and then some last night for the Gaels, providing the leadership and much needed scoring,especially with the clunker of a game from Rob Jones (1-6 from the field, but 11 boards to help on the glass). MD did have bouts of firing it up at will, but it wasn't chucking for chucking sakes, it was because it was much needed scoring that St. Mary's needed from its Senior leader.
The three keys to the game, behind MD's sensational play, go like this-
St. Mary's snub in last seasons NCCA tournament.
This club knows that it gets little to no respect from voters or the committee members. I am sure Coach Randy Bennett has engrained into his teams brain that the two and possibly three games it plays against the Zags are tournament interviews that they must perform well for, especially given that Denver loss. Having been blown out in the WCC tourney to the Zags and a couple questionable losses left the Gaels on the outside last season, equivalent to Boise State having to be perfect in football, that clearly left this team steaming mad. Winning by twenty, at home, definitely is a step in the right direction. It now must miss the land mines of the rest of the league and put up a strong showing against the Zags up in Spokane.
Gonzaga's Defense
Or lack thereof. St. Mary's did a good job of spacing the floor for MD drives and high screen. Mix in good ball movement and the appropriate extra pass and St. Mary's had a field day from behind the arc. Gonzaga was torched because it committed extra defenders on drives and not rotating quickly enough, allowing the Gaels their wide open looks or dump passes underneath the hoop for lay ups. The Zags were consistently a step slow or out of position all night against the high screen and roll/pops that gave them fits all night. Sophomore guard Stephen Holt was explosive, especially in the second half, constantly getting to the rim for lay ups as he ended up thirteen points, mainly on drives to the hoop. When the Zags needed a defensive stop they couldn't muster enough defensive rotation to stop the Gaels.
Frontcourt Play
The trio of Robert Sacre. Elias Harris, and Sam Dower I thought would be too much for the Gael's inside. Gonzaga did try to exploit their strength inside, but with the ref's allowing a very physical game the Zags big men were good in short bursts, specifically and only Harris who was good with 17 points and 11 boards, but bad for long stretches of play, Sacre was a non factor, as he struggled to a 1-7 performance and four more points than me. The surprising stats come from St. Mary's starting center Brad Waldo and backup center Mitchell Young. The two combined for 29 points and 16 boards, which was a huge boost for the Gaels team that saw their second leading scorer, Rob Jones, struggle with two points. Inside play was a huge factor, it is just surprising that it was St. Mary's big men that came out on top.
Clearly, these two teams are very evenly matched and know one another very well. I think this game illustrates that the WCC is no longer a scrimmage for the Zags and is now a two man race. The rematch, in Spokane, is a month away in what has become the biggest rivalry on the West Coast that will try to see St. Mary's rubber stamp their name on an NCAA birth and the Zags looking to bounce back to continue their string of WCC titles. The only question that remains is- Will anybody take notice.
Side Notes-
Did the Warriors Hack a Howard really work? ESPN Nation seems to think that was a good plan as the Warriors were hanging tough towards the end of the game. I disagree in so many ways. Yes, Howard missed 17 free throws last night that did help keep the Warriors in the game. However, the strength of the Warriors is tempo and the crowd. By fouling Howard all you did was cause fan boredom and took out a huge strength to your team, while never having any real momentum because it was stopped by constant whistles and standing around.
More importantly, with the loss of Kwame Brown the Warriors were thin and small upfront going against Howard. With Biedrins out of the game, the Warriors looked to David Lee to guard Howard. In the most significant play of the night occurred when the Warriors were down one and looking for a stop. Turkuglo, obviously unaware that Howard was being guarded by the undersized Lee, took an errant three that bricked. Howard though, easily elbowed, ala Shaq, Lee out of the way for the ball and made a layup that Lee stupidly fouled to make it a three point play. Game over.
The Warriors needed to speed up the game and run Howard ragged and let the crowd take over at the end. Using the fouls was smart to an extent, but in sacrificing who you are as a team is a clear white flag before the game even started.
Duke v. Virginia
God, I hate Duke. I really, really hate watching them play. Though thy won they have glaring weaknesses up front with the Plumlee's and Brian Kelly as their starters. In flashes the Plumlee's will make an athletic play. In huge doses Brian Kelly makes me question if Duke has the stranglehold on all oafish, white big men that have bad facial hair.
Austin Rivers has an amazing and lightening quick first move. What he doesn't have is a consistent jump shot or three point capability. Stop crowding Austin Rivers and make him prove he can shot jumpers. He got into the lane, with mixed results, and when he settled for a three it look worse than Brian Kelly's attempt at a man beard.
Virginia on the other hand could not sustain their first half momentum and all it took was one Duke run in the second half to do them in. After the initial and inevitable Duke spurt, the Cavs got the stops they needed, but could not get over the five point barrier until it was too late. I was impressed with Virginia forward Mike Scott who led the team with 23 points. I was not impressed with a disappearing act he had in the 2nd half. Credit to Duke for taking him away, but when your team is struggling and you have it going, you must get the ball any way you can. It is even more important when you have only one other player in double figures and your point guard is throwing up an 0-8. Just saying.  

The "Con" Artist

How Director Michael Hazanavicius’ movie The Artist correlates with LeBron James recent struggles.

The Artist is writer/director Michael Hazanavicius’ ode to Hollywood’s past that depicts the period of the silent movies as they transfer into the new world of talkies in the late Depression Era 1920’s. Hazanavicius main character, George Valentin, played by new to America Spanish star Jean Dujardin, is a legendary Hollywood silent movie star. George’s good looks, charm, and superb entertainment value makes him feel and seem larger than life to his many adoring fans. George is at the top of the entertainment world and nothing, in George’s eyes was going to change that fact. Not even the impending transformation from silent to talking pictures. George believed that fans came to see him mug for the camera and not for effects like sound. George was the ultimate star and when talkies began to come around George bristled at this “fad” and continued to make his own silent pictures. 

George completely underestimated the power that sound and speech would have on the power of film. No longer did orchestra’s have to play in the theater for sound, but rather the sound was incorporated into the movie. George’s silent movie days were over and so was his fame and fortune. See, it was George’s pride and ego that would not allow him to admit, both, defeat and failure. Instead of looking towards the future, George languished in his past, certain that the old days of his glory would somehow reprise themselves. And when the old days don’t come back it is a very bitter pill for George to swallow. 

Now, how does this character of mega superstar George Valentin manifest itself within the mega superstar LeBron James? Pride always comes before the fall.

Many people have watched James last two games, against the Warriors and Clippers, respectively, to see a superstar athlete going silent when the game matters most. The first night, against the Warriors, I called it an aberration; an anomaly of sorts that reared its head, but still had to be watched to see if it becomes a trend. Not one game makes a man, but two in a row I believe holds some weight. In the final quarter and overtime LeBron has been terrible with his shot selection, shooting under 25%, settling for jump shots and drives that he does not look to finish, but to draw contact and get to the free throw line. I would be all fine and good with LeBron attacking the rim to get free throws just if he wasn’t the one that had to shoot free throws. James missed 8 free throws in total and 4 of them were in crucial spot to either tie or take the lead. It even lead to my cousin texting me when LeBron got to the line, “Time to shit his pants.” Right on cue LeBron missed and kept on missing to another Heat loss. 

The maddening aspect of all of this extends past the game and to JBJ’s post game comments when he said, “The outcome the last two games were not good, but tonight the way we played we can hold our head up high after this loss.” No, no you can’t actually. LeBron, you stuff the stat sheets, you are a physical marvel, and are one of the top 5 players in the game right now. So when you dismiss this game and your performance it is alarming and concerning to people like me who want to see you succeed, not because I like you, but because with all your tools you should be a guy we tell our grandkids about the way we will talk about Jordan, Magic, and Michael. You should not be lumped together with Karl Malone who I will not speak of when I talk to my grandkids.Everyone, myself included, want to see greatness and even the people that hate you deep down want to see greatness from you, though they never will admit it, because as people we want to see and talk about greatness, not about failures. 

LeBron’s 4th quarter problems are a problem that reach back to his past. Much like George Valentin, LeBron looks to his past- his days ruling Cleveland, fans worshipping him for not being Kobe, and how he was going to supplant Jordan. LeBron was a mega, mega star that we all saw as this generations Jordan, the guy with a huge smile and child like playfullness to him that made it easy for us all to root for. We all wanted to see greatness. 

Then LeBron had his Roy Hobbs in The Natural moment with “The Decision”- His Memo Paris- that cost him his bravado. To me “The Decision” was and forever will be the key moment in LeBron’s career and a reason why he has had such terrible play in the 4th quarter of big and little games. Much like George Valentin, LeBron thought that he was bigger than the game; the crowd, his fans, everyone came to see him- no matter where he played. That severe misjudgment cost him more than fans, it cost him his confidence. 

LeBron was so use to people loving him- from his circle of friends, to Cleveland, to the NBA world- that he felt invincible. His fourth quarter struggles were not an issue so much in Cleveland when he shouldered the load and carried a very subpar team. But when LeBron saw his name cast as the villain, with many of his fans turning on him, it took away some of that invincibility, some of that bravado. He thought time and his performance in Miami would heal all wounds, but of course it has not. The feeling of hatred and loathing for him have only intensified and grown exponentially, especially after his Final clunker. For the first time LeBron James was not the “wonderboy”, but rather he was branded a jerk, a traitor, and a terrible person for turning his back on his hometown team and leaving for Miami.  Now when LeBron is at the line with a crucial free throw it comes knowing that everyone in the building, watching at home, listening on the radio wants nothing more for you to miss. No matter how you slice it that tiny recognition will mess with your head. Just ask A-Rod.

So what does LeBron do to fix his confidence problem? How does he rectify a wrong that, I believe, is a thorn in his ever lowering confidence level? What most of us do- Deny, Deny, Deny, Counter accuse. When we hear James talk, when we see his body language on the court, when we see him smile it is not the same as the earlier days in that it is forced and contrived. It is like LeBron is trying to remember back to how he use to be and act like that. The results for that so far have not worked out. James looks and sounds like a person who knows he is at fault, but is too popular and famous and rich to face his most severe critics- His old fans. Those are the people that get into the head of an athlete that is use to and needs to be loved by just about everyone. And if he is not he lashes out to point the finger at any and everyone else. 

If I was Spoelstra and it was the fourth quarter how do you handle such a situation when your star player can’t get it done; not because he is not good, but because he feels his naysayers creeping to the forefront of every terrible jump shot and every missed free throw. You go Top Gun on him. When Goose died, Maverick (Tom Cruise) was so shaken at what happened that he lost his confidence. He couldn’t handle the pressure and the past of his friend’s passing. So what did his squad leader do? Did he pull him out of the plane and sit him down? Nope. He just kept sending Maverick up in an attempt to get him out of his funk. Spoelstra has to do the same thing for LeBron and he did last night by running two curl to the basket plays for LeBron to get to the hoop in the final possessions. The results were Leron getting to the line for his untimely choke job missing the free throws. The pointing being though, you have to get James mind and end of the game performance right before his terrible play takes on a life of its own. This habit of breaking LeBron starts at the top with Spoelstra and Wade, ending with anyone else in his inner circle to do something new with LeBron- challenge him. 

LeBron is a great, great player. What he is suffering from is what many of us suffer from time to time, which is allowing pride to get in the way. James needs to admit his wrongs from “The Decision” and whether he receives forgiveness or not he has to bury the past. The Heat, no doubt, will keep feeding him the ball and it is now up to LeBron to stop his slide before his career becomes Malone like- remembered for what you didn’t do, rather than all that you did do.

The time for talk is over LeBron. It is now time for you to silence your critics. 

And The Oracle Says...

Did last night’s game in Oakland really tell us anything?

Warriors 111 Heat 106. Looking at that score I still shake my head wondering if what I saw from last nights game really and truly happened. Did the 2-6 Warriors, losers of five in a row and injured riddled, really come back from a 17 point deficit, to not only send the game to OT, but also to win the game before a rowdy Oakland crowd? Yes, it happened and it has taken me all day to digest that very fact, even as I continually watched highlight after highlight after wonderful Nate Robinson highlight of what will go down as the biggest game at Oracle in this shortened season. But in this early, but truncated season, does this one game tell us anything at all about the two teams. Lets break it down and find out. 

LeBron James fourth quarter woes continue.

After an offseason that saw King James put under Bartman-esque fire by critics, fans, and the media for his shortcomings in the last years NBA Finals, it was his Majesty’s fourth quarter and overtime disappearing act that surely must be brought to attention. After an offseason of telling his critics and anyone that listened that he had learned from his previous failure and vowed to be more aggressive and in attack mode, James certainly looked like he reverted back to his old ways while looking very passive and disinterested in the late stages of the game. When the game was on the line it was teammate Dwayne Wade that took to attacking the rim to tie the game, while James settled for a awful step back three that clanked off the iron. For a beat up and smallish Warriors team to keep LeBron away from the hoop is a telling sign that for all his talents and talk of change, James is more Freddy Frontrunner than a Comeback King.

The Heat’s On Switch

Yes, the Heat do have an On and Off switch that they enjoy playing with. After a slow first quarter that saw Monta Ellis get off to a quick start with 8 points, the Heat turned the switch On and for two quarters it was clear that the Heat were the better team as they attacked the hoop, got in passing lanes, and ran like the Miami Heat are designed to do with speed and pressure that dominated the Warriors to provide a 12 point lead going into the 4th. Then that On switch clearly was flipped off as they let Nate Robinson and Dorell Wright dominate the 4th quarter, awaking the beast that is the Warriors fans, and giving life to a team that clearly was not on the ropes, but rather they were staggering to get up off the mat after Miami’s third quarter outburst. Instead of moving the ball the Heat reverted to standing around and playing one on one in an uninspired bit of play. Rather than flying around in help on the defensive end the Heat looked slow and out of place in rotating as the Warriors began their improbable comeback by hitting open three's. Figuring they had the game wrapped up and VIP bottle service awaiting them when they touched down in LA in a few hours. Again, shades of last years Miami team coming back to haunt them as they failed to put away an opponent when the Heat clearly were the more superior team. Could this have been just an aberration for a east coast team playing out west in what is the first of a back to back that sees them looking ahead to a much more ballyhooed and more glamorous game against the Clippers; or was this a red herring for a team trying to shake off the failure of a year ago as its star player continues to hide at the wrong time. The message for most teams would seem to be to keep the game close and make James win the game. Or watch him crap his pants under the pressure. 

The Warriors Fans are Awesome

I am a Warriors fan and more than just watching the game I listen and watch the crowd. They are amazing in their loyalty and their love for this team; many would say to a fault, but these are hoops crazed fans that love the game and the crowd truly feels they can cheer the Warriors to victory if just given the chance. In the season of “We Believe” the Warriors fans showed just how loud and how crazy they can be when thrust into the NBA spotlight as they inspired and motivated guys like Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson to actually play hard. That is no small feat at all, but the point is that the Warriors crowds are electric. They inspire me when I sit at home and I get up on my feet during big plays as if I was at the game. It baffles me to no end that more players on opposing teams do not feel that same college type atmosphere of the crowd and want to play for this franchise. Oh yeah, its about money, not the fans. I almost forgot. The crowd had a huge hand in winning that game and you can’t tell me any differently. 

Nate Robinson is already a Fan Favorite

Nate Robinson by stature alone is already a fan favorite. Robinson follows a fine line of diminutive guards like Earl Boykins, Keith “Mr.” Jennings, “The Little General” Avery Johnson, and Mookie Blaylock to don the Warriors uniforms. Having only been with the team for a week it didn’t take long for Nate to adore himself to the Warriors faithful, which is easy when you personally begin a ballroom blitz of the Heat by netting 17 points in a quarter as the catalyst of a David versus Goliath moment. Robinson had been cast aside in his previous stints with the Knicks, the Celtics, and the the OK City Thunder before signing with the Warriors last week with the ankle injury sidelining Stephen Curry. With Robinson, the Warriors get an exciting and tough nosed guard, albeit as a streaky shooter who can murder a team with shot selection. However, last night the Warriors fan got the best of Robinson as he fed off the crowd to have a huge fourth quarter and propel them to the victory. If Robinson can continue to provide a spark off the bench for this Warriors team then not only will he be in line for a better pay day, but he will play himself into the small guard lore of the Warriors. 

The Warriors Offensive Struggles

I never thought I would type that and I am sure many of you never expected to read it. But last nights game marked the first time the Warriors topped the century mark this season. And that came in an overtime game. Yes, they have had injuries and no training camp, as they try to adjust to a new coach in Mark Jackson and his new defensive, accountability approach. Still this is the same team that routinely dropped over a hundred points a game last year with a coach, Keith Smart, that preached a more defensive approach. So, what is the deal this year? Terrible, terrible shooting. Before last night Dorell Wright had hit only five three pointers all season, a far cry from last seasons top marksman. Last night, Wright was able to nail six three pointers. With Curry out and rookie Klay Thompson a ways away from being a consistent long range threat, the Warriors will need Wright, Brandon Rush, and David Lee to consistently hit open jump shots to take some of the pressure off Monta Ellis. Ellis for his part has been attacking the rim, but success has been so-so. He needs to have confidence to kick out to Warriors shooters and last night may be a step in the right direction for this team to get back on track offensively. 

Maybe the Warriors just need to play the best of the East having bested the Knicks, the Bulls, and now the Heat at home. The Warriors seem to play a more aggressive game and have a different attitude when they play against the big boys of the league. They now have to urn that attitude to a nightly occurrence against all opponents and not just the occasional big games on the schedule. For the Heat they need to fix the LeBron problem and quickly. This did not seem to be a problem in Cleveland, as I can recall a handful of game winners, most notably a jumper against the Warriors in Oakland a few years back. Has LeBron hit a A-Rod type mental block that will forever shadow him in the big moments and provide Cheshire Cat shit grins for all of his naysayers and media pundits? Miami better hope not or make sure that they have a secure grasp on all leads so as not to put James in a position to fail and see his ever evaporating confidence fade faster than Lindsey Lohan behind the wheel.

Last night raised a lot more questions than answers for two teams that are going in opposite directions. And one game this early in the season may not be a great indicator of anything due to various factors attributed to the shortened season (Compacted schedule, no training camp, new players); especially given the plight of both organizations with one team fighting for a championship, while its counterpart is fighting for an identity and a modicum of respect. But for one night in Oakland one answer was clear- Warriors 111 Heat 106. 

Howling Loud in Minnesota

Can the Timberwolves make a surprise run at the playoffs.

“Playoffs?!?!?! Don’t talk to me about playoffs!!!” was my friend Kyle’s response (in his best Jim Mora voice. It was awful) when I asked if his hometown team could make the playoffs this year. But I was dead serious asking him that question after Minnesota narrowly lost to the Miami Heat in Minnesota right before the New Year.

This is a team loaded with talent with the likes of Kevin Love inside controlling the boards, yet again, with a 15 rpg average to go with 25 points. The Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio dishing out nearly 8 highlight and textbook assists a night to his young, athletic teammates like Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, Wesley Johnson, and first round pick Derrick Williams this is a very dangerous up and coming team.

The most significant acquisition for this young team may be the hiring of head coach Rick Adelman who has led teams to the playoffs 16 times over a 20-year coaching career. Adelman had successful stints with Portland, guiding them to NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1993, the early 2000 Sacramento Kings and most recently with the Rockets. It is Adelman’s offensive acumen that makes him perfect for this Timberwolves team that is loaded with swingmen and forwards that can move without the ball and run the floor- two of Adelman’s key components to an efficient offense. The T-Wolves hoped that the pairing of Adelman would finally lead to coaching stability it had sorely lacked over the last few years.

With the T-Wolves 3-5 record, their lack of recent success, and sitting in last place in a very tough Northwest division I could see why my friend would not respond well to my playoffs question. But in this truncated NBA season when it is a sprint to the playoffs instead of the grind of a full season wouldn’t the Wolves have a sneaky chance of catching fire and making a late season push for the playoffs? Yes, and here is why.

With the NBA lockout this young team did not have the standard time to learn a new offense and gel as a team that it normally would. This team will learn Adelman’s offense on the fly and with enough in game reps and practices you will see this young team start to space the floor and move without the ball in a more fluid and effective manner. With Adelman’s track record and his ability to produce offensively proficient teams, as evidenced by his prior teams, it will only be a matter of time before this team hits the ground and hits the ground running.

Ricky Rubio loves to pass the ball. Ricky Rubio loves to make his teammates better. Ricky Rubio will have the same polarizing affect as the season wears on as Tim Tebow. Okay, maybe not that high, but the media will, if they haven’t already, fall in love with this kid. He is Steve Nash 2.0 passing wise, not shooting wise, in that he can see the play before it is there and can make difficult, tough angle passes look quite simple. And his teammates love him for that. Passing and sharing the ball is contagious (Are you listening Sacramento) and that is why Rubio is a perfect fit for Adelman’s office in that he will get people the ball where they need it to be, when they need it to be there.

Kevin Love and his weight loss. The NBA lockout was kind to Kevin Love who took advantage of the down time to work on slimming down his body and getting in better shape. It is hard to believe that a guy who led the league in rebounds and was a double double machine last season would not feel his body of work (pun totally intended) needed an overhaul. It is that type of commitment and dedication that Minnesota sorely lacked and has not had since the departure of Kevin Garnett. That type of work ethic is what Bull’s teammates take note of with MVP Derrick Rose and fall in line with. I believe that Kevin Love’s work ethic will eventually rub off on these young wolves in the form of a hard charging playoff run.

It is early in the season, but the T-Wolves are already a must watch team with their young and exciting talent. If they can develop that young talent into wins over the next couple of months then the T-Wolves will be a very dangerous team, on par with last years Grizzlies, that will once again give the fans of Minnesota something to howl about.

This Sun is Setting

Why Phoenix should do the right thing and trade Steve Nash.

Steve Nash won’t demand or hold the team hostage in demanding a trade. You will not hear of any behind the scenes gripping or machinations from the former two-time MVP to get out of Phoenix. You certainly won’t see him mope or mail a game in before it starts.  Steve Nash will go out there day in and day out and play hard for the Phoenix Sun’s, committed to winning, even though the franchise is not.  All of which is why the Sun’s should trade Steve Nash.

Though his numbers are down across the board (minutes are down by nearly 5 minutes from the season before; assists down to 9.8 from 11.4; ppg down to 12 from 14.7 a year ago) Steve Nash still has something left in his 37 year old body as evidence from his 17 assist night against the Milwaukee Bucks.  His low early season statistics are more indicative of the shortened season and a coaching staff not wanting to put a lot of wear and tear on Nash’s are already ailing body. But a trade to a team that has a legitimate chance to win a title would breathe new life into Nash and give him that final opportunity to win a championship; a feat that will not happen with the current cast that comprise the Sun’s roster.

Nash came so close to title appearances only to be body checked by Robert Horry in 2007 or to run out of gas and be dumped by good pal Dirk Nowitzki in 2006. Those Sun’s teams that went far in the playoffs had talent around Nash in the form of Amare Stoudemire, an in shape Boris Diaw, Joe Johnson, and Shawn Marion.  Now Nash is surrounded by Martin Gortat, Channing Frye, and the ageless Grant Hill; not exactly a murderer’s row to strike fear or even a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Yet, as the years go by and Sun’s owner Robert Sarver’s pockets become tighter and tighter so do Nash’s opportunity for a ring. But Nash, the good soldier that he is just goes out there and plays basketball without a peep of how ownership wasted money on the likes of Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress, all while his talented former teammates went elsewhere. Like John Stockton at the end of his career, Nash will just continue to rack up assists, be a good teammate, and become just another guy you mention, much like Barkley, Malone, and Stockton, as great players who did not win a championship.  After seeing his best friend Dirk stand tall upon the NBA world last June, Nash must be seething inside for his one shot to win that elusive championship.

Which is why the Sun’s owe it to their two-time MVP to give him one final shot elsewhere to capture glory on the biggest stage. Like I mentioned before, Nash would breath a new life not only into himself, but also into the franchise he is traded to.  Teams like the Knicks, the Hawks, San Antonio, and Portland would all be great destination spots for Nash to end up because those teams have point guard issues that Nash could settle for the next couple of years. The Suns should not be contemplating a trade, but actively looking to make a trade in their effort to begin rebuilding. The Suns, not heading into any real direction, unless mediocrity and cheapness is called a direction, should look to obtain expiring contracts and draft picks to begin the post-Nash era. If not then you are stuck with a mediocre team without even one selling or appealing piece once Nash is no longer there.  The Sun’s best bet is to trade Nash as debt to his valuable time in the desert and, in the meantime, begin to find a new cornerstone(s) to rebuild this franchise around.

Nash deserves that one last attempt to go out a winner before its too late. He will never, admirably, ask out, so it is on the front office of the Suns to know what is best, not only for a great employee, but for their own franchise. They need to do this before the sun sets on all of them. 

The Kings Held Ransom

How DeMarcus Cousins will be the final blow to basketball in Sacramento.

DeMarcus Cousins’ has already won one battle, as Sacramento team ownership sided with their enigmatic and surly young center by firing head coach Paul Westphal- the NBA equivalent of allowing the inmates to run the asylum. Will Cousins’ now provide the final blow to Sacramento’s chances of keeping its beloved basketball franchise? Looking into the Spalding Magic 8 Ball the answer would come up as- Yes.

Cousins, for all of his talent, is a frustrating player that has all the potential and skills to succeed, but may need Ron Artest’s, excuse me- Metta World Peace, shrink to tap into the young center’s fragile and volatile psyche.  Cousins’ personality was a red flag coming out of the draft, but something Sacramento thought it could deal with by teaming him with a young, dynamic guard Tyreke Evans and head coach Paul Westphal. (Notice how I did not call Tyreke a Point Guard? Just because you dribble up the court with the ball does not make you a Point Guard. Especially when you are averaging fewer than 4 assists on a team full of scorers. Just saying.)  But that combination has not lead to wins or inspired a lot of confidence in the Sacramento community that is trying to save this much-maligned franchise.

Rather, the Kings have been an early season disappointment, headlined by the Cousins fiasco that may or may not have had him demanding a trade, depending on whom you believe, and ultimately led to the ouster of its head coach, probably to Westphal’s relief.  The city of Sacramento enjoyed an early season victory on opening night over the hated Lakers that had many Cow Bell fans believing this young nucleus was ready to make a run at a weak Pacific Division crown.  Instead, they were met with three dismal performances and lackluster play that was highlighted by the immaturity of their young center in demanding trade.

This is a city that enjoyed team and playoff success in the early part of the century with the trio of Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, and the flopping Vlade Divac. So why would King fans not be excited about the young nucleus of Tyreke Evans, Cousins, and rookie phenom The Jimmer in duplicating that same magic they had previously enjoyed? The reason being that team had an important tangible called chemistry. Webber, Bibby, and Vlade enjoyed passing the ball to one another for scores. This trio of young Kings takes a pass on passing, settling to create their own offense rather than sharing the ball.  No one is more guilty of this lack of team sharing than Cousins, who is averaging less than an assist a game for the season, which exhibits his “me first attitude”.

This style of play will surely doom the Kings, not only as a team, but as a franchise because there is nothing worse to fans than ball hogging, complaining, young talent that has opted to gripe about his role instead of trying to save a franchise. The great Sacramento crowd that wants nothing more than to keep its team will slowly and sadly, for the city, turn on the team by not showing up; those fans deserve better than to have to root on its star center that cares more about himself and his offensive touches than being a key contributor to what should be an inspired to win and save basketball in Sacramento team. 

Now I know that trading Cousins away would have been terrible business because the franchise would have gotten a bad return in terms of value of players and draft picks. That type of move has happened before with negative effects that have hurt franchises in the long haul (i.e. Golden State trading away Chris Webber. A move that still haunts that franchise) But, what are you telling your fans is that the actions of this one player are acceptable or at least condoned. If Cousins can get away with his behavior now what is to say he will not do it again- and by the way he will- is that you are sacrificing the present for a possibility for the future. But will that future be in Sacramento?

This Sacramento franchise has chosen to keep their young yet embattled center within a franchise that is teetering on the brink of leaving. In doing so they may have just delivered the final blow to the hopes of the Sacramento community that had high hopes to ride a magical season into a long and prosperous NBA future. That future may happen. It just might be headed south. 

A Grey Matter

The light turned red as I stopped at the light. As I looked into the rearview mirror the music blazed through the streets. The bass thumped in spectacular fashion as adjustments to the fader and the tremble were set to create the perfect balance of sound that would make everyone turn to look. The lyrics were not audible, drowned out by a massive beat, something, no doubt from the new Kanye/Jay-Z or Drake cd that all the kids wanted to show off; there badge of honor that carried with itmore weight than the system he had in the back of his car. Noise pollution to some, but for a young kid that is the essence of being hard. The essence of being cool.

The light turned from red to green as I looked to the right at the young kid passing me by, lost within the body of the music, coolly zipping down the street; taking with him his own private sound as it fades away into the distance. The sound of the AM talk radio show I was listening to now returns to my ears. I turn up my radio a little, while I stare at myself in the rearview mirror reflecting a much older man. At 30, I now am getting the first signs of old age- Grey Hair. My, how the young have gotten so old. My days of one shade of hair and blasting rap music out of my Camry are now over. Replaced by older gentleman wax intellectual about the day in sports as I, reluctantly, begin the aging process. 

I remember a time when I enjoyed those funky, eclectic beats, much like that kid in the car, which came from the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac. I remember how much I loved to listen to rap music- taping songs off the radio, memorizing verses to impress your friends, finding underground rap bands that were not yet discovered. Baggy jeans, loose fitting clothes, jewelry- all part of the hip hop community that me and a million other suburban white kids tried to play a part of. Our generation even had the distinct honor of repping and fighting for the West Coast during the East Coast/West Coast Rap feud of the 90's. If you wanted to be thought of as hard and not some lame, white kid you had to know the music that was blazing across the Untied States like wildfire- Hip Hop. 

Now, I don't find the same pleasure I did in the music that defined our generation in terms of clothing, behavior, attitude, and vernacular. I find myself listening more to classic rock and alternative bands. The allure of rap music, with its signature flare mixed with a cool and unmatched style, was what it was all about when I was growing up. It was not Polo shirts, dockers, and product in your hair. No, it was about flipping the bird to society like you just didn't care about anything. As kids, we wanted to go as far away from where society was directing us, more towards the level of pushing the envelope towards brash and boldness. That was rap music.

But then it all changed. I began to dress more conservatively, listened to new music of my parents’ generation and new alternative rock, and toned down the derivative bravado I saw from so many music videos. It all changed so suddenly and I began to ask myself what the hell happened. Then I looked in the rearview mirror one day to find a new person looking back at me. That is when I asked myself- is my changing hair color the reason for my new tastes? Yes, yes it is.

See, when you are young you want to fit in, you want to rebel, you want to be like your friends. You don't want to be the conformist, preppy kid with no edge to his style. Every generation of young people have that defining movement or trend that they back- 60's Woodstock, rock, Vietnam. The 70's had the punk counterculture. The 80's were represented by capitalistic greed and teenage angst that left a decade full of boring and conformist businessmen (Those are our Senator's folks- blame the 80's). Leaving the 90's to suburban white kids to find their place in rap music, where they listened to the lyrical tale that emblazons the image of the daily struggle of the inner city due to poverty, drugs, and the police; a struggle suburban white kids, for some reason, wanted not only to take part in, but imagined themselves to be part of. All of that hostility and anger set to larger than life beats, which eventually would lead to fast cars, money, and women. Drinking forties, smoking blunts, and spitting game to girls had such an unusual appeal- How could anyone not get behind that life?

As kids, we tried to live in that world. Living hard and fast like a beat. Every party we went to rap music blasted, while a crowd of kids would eventually begin to battle or flow with one another in a competition to see who lived more of the hip hop life. None of us were, but hi hop had such a heavy influence on us that we convinced ourselves of what we never were going to be. Fueled even more so with the arrival of Eminem, a clear declaration that white society can be every bit as hard and as urban as anyone in hip hop, the equivalent of Tiger Woods making it big in golf. However, years and years of trying to be part of that world finally gave way, much like the new color of my hair sprouting out of my scalp, to a new world order- Adulthood.  

After a decade long love affair with rap music it just lost its luster. The creativeness and urban story no longer caught my attention, not because I didn't believe their accounts, but because rap music changed to a more breezy and showy formula. No longer did artists tap into the culture of the city and the problems that plagued urban dwellers, both socially and economically, rather the artists biggest concern was promoting the artist. Artists promoted a lifestyle of popping champagne, living in mansions, getting grills with diamonds, and rims. The music became a vehicle for the artist to promote themselves in an effort to achieve their goals of landing in Hollywood, getting endorsements, and everything else that music could put them. The music had lost its edge. 

I started tuning out. And my hair continued to gray.

However, it wasn’t only the artists that changed, but I was slowly changing, too.  Listening to classic rock, old jazz music, alternative rock was something I would never thought I would be listening to when I was 16 or 17. I thought rap music and my love for it had staying power. But nothing has that kind of staying power except for your family and your friends, and even those sometimes drift away. So it is inevitable that the music of our youth will change and evolve into something that we no longer care for because we are no longer the same person. I figured that living the lifestyle of rap music is a young person’s game. No more baggy clothes, indifferent attitude, or street mentality, rather I opted for a cleaner look of designer jeans, button up dress shirts, and nice shoes from Aldo’s. If my younger self saw my style now there is no doubt he would utter the Happy Gilmore line, “If I wore that I would kick my own ass.”

The grey hair is a sign, but in reality you have already started the process of self-identification a long time before that. It is when the things of your youth that mean the most to you- music, movies, style, and trends are replaced by a more sophisticated and less nearsighted view of the world. It is the natural progression from child, to teenager, to an adult; that simple, but arduous progression from an idea to the final result; where one single note (child) can turn into a pattern (teenager) that will eventually end up a finished and polished melody (adulthood).

Finding within ourselves our true harmonious nature means learning of our unique ability to become one from the village and dance to the beat of our own drum.

And if that ain’t cool, I don’t know what is. Even if you do have gray hair.