NBA

A few thoughts from NBA All-Star weekend:

Dwight Howard was robbed. He should have at least made the finals. His sticker dunk was one of the most creative and athletic I’ve ever seen. That’s not taking away anything from Gerald Green. He was flying through the air. It also gives the Celtics something to be happy about in the midst of an abysmal season.

Kobe vs. D Wade in the finals of the skills competition was great. I really hope the Heat and the Lakers play for the finals this year. LA was up on Phoenix 3-1 last year before self-destructing – the same Phoenix team that almost beat Dallas in the conference finals. Who wants to play Kobe and the Lakers in a seven game playoff series?

Jason Kapono proved once again that Dirk Nowitzki can’t handle pressure. When Kapono set the 3-point contest finals record out of the gate, I knew Dirk was toast. Dallas will never win a championship if he is their #1 guy. He’s too soft. He’s like the A-Rod of basketball.

The players need some incentive to try in the actual game itself. What that is exactly, I’m not sure. I don’t like the “winner gets home court in the finals” approach like baseball does, but I’m sure there is something. It appeared that most of the players were exhausted and hung over during the game, which they most likely were. The game was in Vegas for goodness sake. The Sports Guy calls All-Star weekend the “Hip-Hop Woodstock” and I couldn’t agree more.

And now, onto more basketball:

As a die-hard Laker fan, it should come as no surprise that the Lakers are my pick to win the west. The only team that worries me is San Antonio and that is because of Tim Duncan and Pop. Why not Dallas? See above. Why not Phoenix? Phoenix got rid of Tim Thomas, the guy who single handedly beat the Lakers last year in the playoffs with his clutch three pointers. Who can do that for them this year? Plus, you think Kobe’s forgotten about Raja Bell and his clothesline? I don’t think so. Other teams in the west that might scare me? Maybe Houston, but only if McGrady and Yao are both healthy and develop some good chemistry over the next few months. And that is only because Yao is almost 8 feet tall. Speaking of Houston, whatever happened to Rudy T? That’s about it.

What about the East? Besides trying to lower the bar of the worst conference in the history of professional sports, the East has two teams that could legitimately compete. The Pistons and the Heat. Both of these teams could beat any team that comes out of the West. The Pistons won’t get it done because of Flip Saunders. The Heat will get it done because of Pat Riley, Shaq, and D Wade. The Heat will make the finals again.

Heat vs. Lakers in the NBA finals? That’s a ratings dream come true. You’ve got Shaq vs. Kobe, Kobe vs. D Wade, Pat Riley vs. Lakers, Phil Jackson vs. Pat Riley and I’m sure a few others if I thought about it more. That would be fun. Plus, media members would be more than happy about splitting their time between LA and Miami. I hope it happens. If not, at least LA will get another shot at the Pistons.