6 Thoughts
1) Look - we'll spend one thought on the game - why dwell on the negative - and then five thoughts on what we learned this season. Got it? Good...Here goes: The kids didn't show up on the road, Jermaine O'Neal out again - concussion - after his best three games of the year (aggravating - he's their second best player), Bennett Salvatore reffing (equally aggravating), not enough help for Wade (missing two starters too much), Josh Smith to the rim early, Hawks made shots, good series for the crafty shooter Bibby, Heat didn't make shots, great season for Miami, won 15 games last year, 43 this year, plus 3 playoff games...That should cover it.
Now, the five best things we learned this year:
1) Dwyane Wade is still one of the best 3 players in the league. It was a legitimate question before the season after an injury-riddled year and a half, but he erased all doubts that he could compete at the highest level. Led the league in scoring (30.2), finished in the top ten in assists, second in the league in steals, led the league in blocks by a guard. Made All-Defense first team Led the second youngest team in the league to the playoffs and a game 7. It probably isn't as satisfying to him as when he won the title, but it was no less an impressive season.
2) Beasley can play. He can score 20 in his sleep - even today, in a game where he was fairly awful, he shot 7-12, and had 17 points and 7 rebounds in only 34 minutes. He also seems like a bright kid - and reports are that he works on his game as hard as anyone. He is also hugely polarizing amongst the fan base. Half of them felt that he should have started and played 36 minutes a night (he averaged 24 off the bench), and that the Heat should have let him grow on the court, rather than in practice. It is a legitimate position to take, though I disagree in this instance. He spent much of the year behind Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion, and while those guys can't score with him, they are still arguably better players, and I think it was important for Wade and the franchise to get to the playoffs. Maybe they wouldn't have done that if Beasley had played more. But maybe they would have...Then, there is a certain segment of fans - I like to think of them as grouchy old, white Republican dudes, although I am sure there are also some grouchy old, Cuban Republican dudes in there - who think Mike has too many tattoos, is too silly in post-game interviews, and takes too many shots instead of rotating the ball to Chris Quinn. Those are all good points as well, if a little bit angrier, whiter, and more rigid than we at Dos ever get about life. Either way, Mike got better during the season, and as someone who just finished watching 86 Heat games this season, I thank him for being so enjoyable to watch.
3) This we just learned today: Udonis Haslem has a monster tattoo of the State of Florida on his back. Holy sweetness! He ripped off his shirt after being ejected late for lassoing ZaZa Pachulia (who, by the way, couldn't have played better in the series, and I love him for-it). There is a chance Udonis gets moved this offseason, to make room for El Beas, and while everybody's time comes, it would be heartbreaking to see him go. He bleeds Miami blood, and grew up in the worst parts of the city, worshipping the Heat. When Miami won the championship in 2006, it meant more to him than anyone else on the team. Further, he couldn't be more reliable or professional. I mean, you should see the way my face lights up when he comes into a game...I hope he's back - but if we move him, let's look for a small forward who knows how to dribble.
4) Finding something to say about 79 regular season games (3 missed games: 2 - tivo issues; 1 - severe head wound to child) and 7 playoff games is exhausting. We also put out an album, responded to approximately 600 blog-related emails, and slandered Sean Penn. At the risk of being gay-ish, though, it was really worthwhile. Somewhere between 50 and 100 people read most posts. Some liked the basketball stuff and thought the stories were not entertaining; some hated the basketball, and skipped to the stories. Two people - unrelated to each other - lived in Scotland - that was cool! Scotland is now my my second favorite country just behind Belize, and just ahead of the United States...Thanks to everyone who read the blog, and to many of the nice people (like my boy Tommy Wade - you killed it, Tommy!) who wrote this week to say that it added to their enjoyment of the season...Best of all was each morning when M.Minutos would read the blog and chuckle - most of it was written for her benefit. She also knows that much of the best material got left on the cutting room floor, mostly because it consisted of brutal personal attacks on people that we know. In any case, I hope everyone, and especially M.Minutos, enjoyed something about it - especially M.Minutos because - surprise! - this was your birthday gift!
5) It is fucking impossible to find a good bagpipe album.
Lloyd - see you around...maybe.
---------------------------------
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Game 6: Heat 98 Hawks 72 - Series tied 3-3
6 Thoughts
1) You know the Celtics-Bulls series, also tied 3-3, 4 overtime games, 7 overtime periods...so far? This Heat-Hawks series is just like that - except the exact opposite. How can you have 6 straight blowouts in a row? At no point during their 82 game schedule did the Heat play in 6 consecutive blowouts, one way or the other. I am going to guess the longest streak was 3. Tonight in Miami the Heat jumped out 30-15, led by 9 at half, and immediately mushroomed the lead to 23 to start the 3rd quarter - the outcome was never in doubt. It's great - this young Miami team deserves to play one more game, one big game 7, on the road - they have played their butts off all year, and they did it one more time tonight. But to fair, the Hawks mailed it in tonight. All the way in. By FedEx. Hawks coach Mike Woodson wore the approximate expression of a man suffering from a severe case of the swine flu. He wasn't thrilled with the effort.
2) Injuries aplenty tonight. Hawks center Al Horford: out, sprained ankle. Heat center Jermaino O'Neal: out, concussion resulting from a ZaZa Pachulia elbow. Hawks small forward Marvin Williams: out again, sore wrist. Heat small forward Jamario Moon: out for rest of season, sports hernia. As opposed to the arts-and-crafts hernia. That's 4 missing starters. Miami started Joel Anthony. That means they started a second year center, a rookie point guard, and the first two guys off the bench are a rookie and second year guy. That is yo-ung. Crazy. But the kids brought it: First Team All-Rookie Beasley dropped 22 and 15; Second Team All-Rookie Mario Chalmers had 5 steals to go with 9 points and 8 assists, and one quick kidney punch on Mike Bibby after Bibby kicked him in the calf - resulting in a technical for each. The two of them have going at each other with a series of pokes, flops, and slaps for six games now: it's hardly a feud, more of a bicker-fest. Joel Anthony was also solid - 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, 3 for 3 from the floor. Sure, the Hawks played with all the intensity of a parked car, but the kids were all right.
3) Just when you think he has done just about everything, Dwyane Wade does one more thing. He clearly still couldn't run or jump freely, but crafted a 41 point masterpiece. Put a late dunk on ZaZa, and a ridiculous block on Ronald "Spliff Star" Murray. He had the game face on. Maybe he will drag this team (and his back) to a win Sunday, maybe he won't. It can't diminish his year either way. He has been a joy to watch. If you love basketball, it is absolute privilege to spend 88 games with the guy, with one more to come.
4) The first round of the playoffs is always televised on both national and local television. Of course, at Casa Dos, we always opt for locals Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino, because they keep it so, so real. Pre-game Tony: "They gotta get it done tonight, and there's no tomorrow." So true...However - game 7s are different, they are national tv (ABC) only. Or, as I like to call it, The Doomsday Scenario. You ride with your boys for 82 regular season games, and 6 playoff games, and then have to switch it up at the last second for the biggest game of the season ? That is wrong, so wrong. This was always happening to us in the 90s against the Knicks. It's not good, but as Tony might say, "it is what it is, Eric." I love those two. They may be dorky, but they are our dorky. See you next fall, boys...
5) At the game - Superpumpkinheadantoinewalker! Looking trim, and resplendent in violet! Head-a-shinin', face-a-smilin'!!! Hey-hey, it's Antoine!
6) So after the last couple of posts, I have received a lot of questions about my wife, and her writing. Again, most of the answers can be found at africafine.com.
The most common question has been: What is her new book, Save Me, available everywhere this July, about?
I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but the basic plot is thus:
This young girl living in rural South Florida, like Immokalee, is wandering in the sugar cane fields near her house one day when she runs across this guy who escaped from the federal prison out there. In her innocence, she befriends him, brings him some food, etc. The guy ultimately gets picked up by the Feds, though, and is sent back to prison.
Meanwhile, the girl grows up and has this guy friend who lives over on Star Island, a super-rich guy. He doesn’t like her, but every so often he will booty-call her. She places him on way too high on a pedestal, though, and kind of wants to be his girlfriend, pining away for him, even though he never gives any indication that he feels the same way.
The girl is poor, but she gets this scholarship to go to college. She always assumes that the rich guy’s family hooked it up for her. She goes on to become a successful attorney working in Roy Black’s office. The rich guy owns a club on South Beach, and he is always dating mid-level models, and still doesn’t consider the girl “girlfriend material,” although she still dreams of marrying him.
One day, out of the blue, the convict from the sugar cane field shows back up. Turns out that after he got out of prison, he went on to have a successful career as a hip hop producer, and he had always remembered the girl’s kindness, and he had hooked up the scholarship for her. This somewhat horrifies the girl, and she treats him like a low life. He respects her desire not to have a relationship with him, although his feelings are hurt.
It goes on from there for a while – basically, the girl learns the lesson that you should accept the kindness of others with grace, and pursue meaningful relationships with those who really care about you, rather than those people with whom you imagine you would like to be with. I think it is a valuable lesson for all of us, and makes for a great book. I am not telling you what to do, but you should definitely buy it...
Game 7 - Sunday in Atlanta: High Noon (Central)- 1pm here on the East Coast
-------------------------------------
1) You know the Celtics-Bulls series, also tied 3-3, 4 overtime games, 7 overtime periods...so far? This Heat-Hawks series is just like that - except the exact opposite. How can you have 6 straight blowouts in a row? At no point during their 82 game schedule did the Heat play in 6 consecutive blowouts, one way or the other. I am going to guess the longest streak was 3. Tonight in Miami the Heat jumped out 30-15, led by 9 at half, and immediately mushroomed the lead to 23 to start the 3rd quarter - the outcome was never in doubt. It's great - this young Miami team deserves to play one more game, one big game 7, on the road - they have played their butts off all year, and they did it one more time tonight. But to fair, the Hawks mailed it in tonight. All the way in. By FedEx. Hawks coach Mike Woodson wore the approximate expression of a man suffering from a severe case of the swine flu. He wasn't thrilled with the effort.
2) Injuries aplenty tonight. Hawks center Al Horford: out, sprained ankle. Heat center Jermaino O'Neal: out, concussion resulting from a ZaZa Pachulia elbow. Hawks small forward Marvin Williams: out again, sore wrist. Heat small forward Jamario Moon: out for rest of season, sports hernia. As opposed to the arts-and-crafts hernia. That's 4 missing starters. Miami started Joel Anthony. That means they started a second year center, a rookie point guard, and the first two guys off the bench are a rookie and second year guy. That is yo-ung. Crazy. But the kids brought it: First Team All-Rookie Beasley dropped 22 and 15; Second Team All-Rookie Mario Chalmers had 5 steals to go with 9 points and 8 assists, and one quick kidney punch on Mike Bibby after Bibby kicked him in the calf - resulting in a technical for each. The two of them have going at each other with a series of pokes, flops, and slaps for six games now: it's hardly a feud, more of a bicker-fest. Joel Anthony was also solid - 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, 3 for 3 from the floor. Sure, the Hawks played with all the intensity of a parked car, but the kids were all right.
3) Just when you think he has done just about everything, Dwyane Wade does one more thing. He clearly still couldn't run or jump freely, but crafted a 41 point masterpiece. Put a late dunk on ZaZa, and a ridiculous block on Ronald "Spliff Star" Murray. He had the game face on. Maybe he will drag this team (and his back) to a win Sunday, maybe he won't. It can't diminish his year either way. He has been a joy to watch. If you love basketball, it is absolute privilege to spend 88 games with the guy, with one more to come.
4) The first round of the playoffs is always televised on both national and local television. Of course, at Casa Dos, we always opt for locals Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino, because they keep it so, so real. Pre-game Tony: "They gotta get it done tonight, and there's no tomorrow." So true...However - game 7s are different, they are national tv (ABC) only. Or, as I like to call it, The Doomsday Scenario. You ride with your boys for 82 regular season games, and 6 playoff games, and then have to switch it up at the last second for the biggest game of the season ? That is wrong, so wrong. This was always happening to us in the 90s against the Knicks. It's not good, but as Tony might say, "it is what it is, Eric." I love those two. They may be dorky, but they are our dorky. See you next fall, boys...
5) At the game - Superpumpkinheadantoinewalker! Looking trim, and resplendent in violet! Head-a-shinin', face-a-smilin'!!! Hey-hey, it's Antoine!
6) So after the last couple of posts, I have received a lot of questions about my wife, and her writing. Again, most of the answers can be found at africafine.com.
The most common question has been: What is her new book, Save Me, available everywhere this July, about?
I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but the basic plot is thus:
This young girl living in rural South Florida, like Immokalee, is wandering in the sugar cane fields near her house one day when she runs across this guy who escaped from the federal prison out there. In her innocence, she befriends him, brings him some food, etc. The guy ultimately gets picked up by the Feds, though, and is sent back to prison.
Meanwhile, the girl grows up and has this guy friend who lives over on Star Island, a super-rich guy. He doesn’t like her, but every so often he will booty-call her. She places him on way too high on a pedestal, though, and kind of wants to be his girlfriend, pining away for him, even though he never gives any indication that he feels the same way.
The girl is poor, but she gets this scholarship to go to college. She always assumes that the rich guy’s family hooked it up for her. She goes on to become a successful attorney working in Roy Black’s office. The rich guy owns a club on South Beach, and he is always dating mid-level models, and still doesn’t consider the girl “girlfriend material,” although she still dreams of marrying him.
One day, out of the blue, the convict from the sugar cane field shows back up. Turns out that after he got out of prison, he went on to have a successful career as a hip hop producer, and he had always remembered the girl’s kindness, and he had hooked up the scholarship for her. This somewhat horrifies the girl, and she treats him like a low life. He respects her desire not to have a relationship with him, although his feelings are hurt.
It goes on from there for a while – basically, the girl learns the lesson that you should accept the kindness of others with grace, and pursue meaningful relationships with those who really care about you, rather than those people with whom you imagine you would like to be with. I think it is a valuable lesson for all of us, and makes for a great book. I am not telling you what to do, but you should definitely buy it...
Game 7 - Sunday in Atlanta: High Noon (Central)- 1pm here on the East Coast
-------------------------------------
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)