One Round Down

I had to wait to post another blog until after the first round of the NBA playoffs finally finished. With Atlanta's blowout win over Miami, we finally get to move to round two and I couldn't be more happy. Don't get me wrong, the first round had some amazing series. Take the Celtics-Bulls series. We were one fight short of it being the most exciting series ever, and it was in the first round. If after Noah dunked all over Pierce's face in game six, he would have paraded in front of the Celtic's bench, Kendrick Perkins and the hobbled Kevin Garnett would have broken him in two that would have pushed it to the greatest sports even ever. What was better about Noah's dunk, was the look on Doc Rivers' face after it happened. His superstar just got dunked on in a critical juncture of a close out game, picked up his sixth foul, and ensured his overaged team was going to have to play in a vicious game 7 that would ensure they would be too exhausted to repeat this year. He figured all of this out about the same time and could do nothing but put his hands on his knees and look like he was going to cry. I loved it. The NBA, where grown men always look like they are going to burst into tears happens.

Speaking of crying, has this year's playoffs had more "verbal flopping" than anytime in the league's history. A verbal flop is when a player goes to the hoop (Paul Pierce) and just screams as loud as he can as he throws the ball at the hoop. The scream, if loud enough, sometimes draws a foul call because it takes the ref by surprise. The aforementioned Pierce has been the most noticeable verbal flopper so far. He hasn't taken a shot without screaming yet this year. Another player who has gotten pretty bad during playoff time is Chauncey Billups. Normally, Chauncey just goes to the hoop, takes his shot and falls to the floor. But now the playoffs have come around and his flopping A-game is out. Watch closely in round two and you will notice just how bad this has become. David Stern needs to do something about it, or else make it so the fans watching on TV can't hear it. That may help the NBA gain a better fan base.

In other news, Lebron averaged 32, 11, and 7 in his first round domination over the Pistons. Look at those numbers again, I'll wait. No one took notice of this because the Cavs swept the Pistons so easily. The Bulls-Celtics series took over everyone's attention, and one of the most historic playoff performances ever went under the radar. Has America just finally gotten used to Lebron throwing up such video game like numbers that we forget that what he is doing is historic? Not very often in sports does this complacency set in. I think it happens with Tiger sometimes, and I'm sure we all got used to Jordan tearing up the NBA; but this is something we should be enjoying.

Speaking of the Cavs, Joe Johnson and the upstart Atlanta Hawks are going to be rolling into town to try and steal a game from the nearly unbeatable at home Cavs. I love to watch Joe Johnson play, and if anyone out there does not know who Joe Johnson is, take in this series. Basically run out of Phoenix, Johnson signed with the Hawks who had won 13 games the previous year. THIRTEEN! Since then, he's become a three time all-star; been invited to join the Jordan team; and led the Hawks to a 47 win season this year. Don't get me wrong, he's been surrounded with much better players since he moved to Atlanta, and it isn't like he is single-handedly pushing them to the playoffs like Dwayne Wade, but Johnson is a quiet superstar who comes up huge in the biggest moments for his team and no one even notices. In the series with the Heat, Johnson was in a huge slump for the first six games. In game seven he hit a three to open the game up to a seven point game early in the second quarter. The next trip down he fired a thirty footer in Wade's grill, and splashed it. (He was also fouled on the shot by Wade which made it that much more impressive but the announcers failed to mention that) He just got up, and walked down the court looking for his man to guard. Two plays later he hit another out-of-this-zipcode three and forced the Heat to call timeout. Now I love the NBA, but at this moment most superstars would be playing up to the crowd, or pounding their chest, or hip bumping the excited 12th man. Johnson wiped the sweat off his forehead and walked quietly to the bench while his teammates mauled him. That is what makes Joe Johnson such a special player, he's happy to be there and doesn't need to show up anyone else becaues he lets his play speak for him. If you don't believe me; watch this series which has Joe's teammates Josh Smith and Mike Bibby, Lebron, and pretty much the whole Cavs team celebrating after every made basket. There is nothing wrong with having fun and doing everything the Cavs and Lebron do with celebrations, in fact it makes the game more fun to watch for fans, but the humbleness and quietness of Johnson's superstardom is special.

I'm curious about the second round of the playoffs because nothing that surprising has happened yet. The Cavs and Lakers caked walked their respective series, and the other teams that were supposed to win did. Before everyone jumps out of their seats about the Bulls-Celtics series remember that the Celtics won; it was a great series but the team that was supposed to win did. I think this round when Boston beats the Magic in five or six games we'll see just how good that Bulls team really was. Watch out for them next year. If they can resign Kirk Heinrich and maybe trade Ben Gordon who at times seemed to force up shots like he was your created player on a video game; the Bulls could be dangerous. I've gotten into arguments about this because Gordon hit so many big shots in clutch moments this series. But he was also the only one allowed to take them. Him grabbing himself and parading down the floor just shows he's not ready to be thrust into the spotlight of being a clutch player. Watch Ray Allen when he hits a big shot, he gets a look on his face that lets everyone in the arena know he knew it was going in then runs the the sideline to tell everyone that he knew it was going in. Ray Allen is a clutch player because he knows how to celebrate after hitting those big shots. Ben Gordon grabbing his crotch and hopping around like he took an unfortunate shot in a dodgeball game makes me wonder if he is really as irreplaceable as people think. Could John Salmon's have hit those shots if he would've dribbled around determined to fire away? I don't know, we all don't. But because of his play in the playoffs people are going to want Ben Gordon, and the Bulls should use that to their advantage. Derrick Rose is going to be the guy to take those big shots next year; so get what you can for Gordon and build the team around Rose.

My predictions for the second round are like this. I'm taking the Lakers to beat the Rockets because Kobe hates Ron Artest more than most people (and that's saying something). The Rockets will win one game in Houston before Kobe goes off in game 5 because Artest will say something to make him mad. Denver is going to beat Dallas, but I think it goes seven. Although I'm disappointed in this because I think Dallas is better built to wear out the Lakers for the Cavs, Denver is on a different level than they have ever been on as a team. However, they are still kind of inconsistant and they will tinker around for awhile before finishing them off. On the Eastern side I don't see the Hawks beating the Cavs, but the Atlanta crowd is great for the Hawks and anything can happen with as much athleticism as the Hawks have. Lebron is still Lebron and they Cavs are well rested. Five if Joe Johnson has a thirty-plus game. Four if not. The Boston-Orlando series isn't going to be near as entertaining as we could hope. Both teams are beat up and fatigued. It'll be a sloppy series, but I think Boston pulls it out in no more than six. Although Dwight Howard gives Boston some trouble down low because the Celtics don't have a big man that can play with him, no one can guard Rondo and Ray Allen will have a clutch 30-plus game to finish the Magic off.

SHOUT OUT FOR THE DAY: Vinny Del Negro. The coach of the Bulls blew the chance to let his young team thwart the defending champs on a number of occasions during the great first round series. Although he won one of the games (because he was lucky enough to have it go to overtime) he ran out of timeouts in both of the first two games. How that happens in the NBA playoffs twice baffles me. If the Bulls could have kept one of their 20 second timeouts in the first game they could have used it to advance the ball after the made shot and draw up a play from the sideline. Instead they were forced into a desperation heave. Then in game 5 when Brad Miller was assaulted by Rondo, Del Negro should have insisted that the refs come look at Miller's bleeding face before judging Rondo's foul wasn't intentional. If that didn't work; Del Negro has to take the ball out of Miller's hands and take the chance that the player Doc Rivers chooses to shoot the free throws makes the big shots. It was obvious Miller was going to miss the free throws, the fans could actually see the stars around his head. I mean, he couldn't even miss the second one intentionally right. Bulls fans, thank Del Negro for the loss. He gets my shout out.