The Moonball Blog

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The two Butlers

It's probably only me, but I'm getting really confused by Chauncey Billups in a Denver Nuggets costume this playoffs. Not because he should still be in Detroit, because that's weird too. No, it's because they're playing the Hornets - who have the other Butler -- Rasual.

As many of you know, when Mychal Thompson was calling games here for a year in Minny, he was almost Muhammad Ali-quick with poetic zingers throughout his commentary. He also wanted to nickname everything. My favorites were Wally Szczerbiak -- Vanilla Sky (because he kind of looked like Tom Cruise...never caught on...) and Chauncey Billups -- The Butler (because Chauncey is only a name a Butler would have). So when Chauncey would take it to the rack or hit a huge 3, it was always "The Butler, serving it up!" I loved that, but it also never caught on...then Thompson left for yellower pastures, to work for the Lakers.

Well now many years later, I am having a hard time working while listening to the game on TV without watching closely because Rasual Butler is having a helluva series. He's been an assassin for a young guy, scoring 17 in the Hornets win yesterday, and shooting 75% from 3-point land (9-12) over the first 3 games. Billups has been even more crazy, going 14-19 from 3. So everytime the announcers yell, "Butler for 3!" I always look up expecting to see Billups. It's very confusing.

The year the Wolves won the first round of the playoffs in Denver has permanently colored my view of the Nuggets as a bunch of punks. And everything that's happened since has been seen through that filter -- the Carmello sucker punch, etc. But Denver has put together a very interesting team and a deeper bench that will make them a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Obviously the trade for Billups tied it all together, but the additions of a healthy Nene and K-mart, a rejuvinated Birdman Chris Andersen, plus a still-streaky-but streaky-good J.R. Smith and solid backup A.C make this team formidable. Plus I like that Billups and Birdman are both from the Denver area, so the local pride angle is stronger...and they seem less like a hired gang of punks.

I'm still pulling for New Orleans in this one, I love Chris Paul and I loved how the New Orleans fans welcomed me last year in the Hornet's haven. But Denver has more guns than I had realized, and a number of people who can (and do) step up. Man for man they don't necessarily match up with the Lakers, and they lost their season series to them 1-3. But for once they might actually make some noise, especially if the Butler serves up a whole bunch of heaping helpings.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Champs being champs



Big win by a bigger margin. Nice to see. Pierce hits that free throw at the end of game 1, and we are talking sweep.

Rondo is my vote for Most Improved Player. Stone, cold dominator.

Here are the rest of my awards:

MVP LeBron James The King earns his crown
Rookie Derrick Rose Big time lead guard from the get
6th Man Jason Terry Little man fills it up
Defensive LeBron James Defense wins championships


All NBA Teams
First: Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul
Second: Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitski, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams
Third: Paul Gasol, Al Jefferson, Paul Pierce, Brandon Roy, Chauncey Billups

Rookie
Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, O.J. Mayo, Derrick Rose

Defensive
Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

1-1 and having fun



Amazing basketball game. The Return of Ray. Ben Jordan. The lead switching back and forth. Glen Davis gettin busy. Chicago swatting everything. Holy frickin Rondo goes for a Moonball delight.

The Bulls are fierce competition. Without KG and now Powe, Boston has very few answers for Chicago's attack. Things are gonna get nuts in the Windy City.

Speaking of great games, how about the Sixers catching up to the Magic?

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Hey Mike...



All this Cleveland talk seems really early.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Holy F! No KG (i mean, crap, i knew this months ago)

Is a dream a lie if it don't come true, or is it something worse?- The Boss

First off, glad Danny is feeling better. Nothing sounds mild about a heart attack.

Now, to the subject at hand: KG and his knee.

Me and monkey shoes were watching when Garnett's knee 'locked.' He had been playing like he was hurt for 3-4 weeks. Effective, but not explosive. KG's positioning is so exquisite that until he gathered to leap for that Rondo's alley oop (yeah, you know the one: The slip screen and dive to the rim. Poetry.) he was able to fake it. But somewhere during that leap, KG's knee called uncle.

Dave and I immediately got quiet. Non contact injury. Season ender. Championship dreams gone.

I mean, by all rights, this is Bron's year. He is the most wicked two way force in the game by a long shot. And he has a good mix of talent and experience around him. Even with KG, the order would have been tall. Without KG? Unimaginable. So, I tried these past few month to un-imagine what I knew to be reality.

I wanted to believe the whole 'he is rehabbing" line. Yet as a regular watcher of the C's broadcast team, it occurred to me more than once by the defending World Champs were actively talking up Garnett's return because they did not want to let on they were wounded. The news on KG was always rosy and non-specific. A reason not to despair.

Truth Don' Die - Femi Kuti

As much as the truth hurts, the Truth saves. Paul Pierce may not have had the season on the Kobe-Wade-LeBron level, but on a given night, he can ball with any of those luminaries. With arguably the best supporting cast of any of the super wing men, don't think for a second that Pauly P. isn't making plans for this year's Championship parade.

More so than any player in the League, Paul is LeBron's truest rival. Sure the King and Kobster are the hype twins, but they play different positions and rarely guard one another. Same with Wade. Pierce and Bron are both true quick forwards. They guard each other for the majority of the Cavs-C's games. Both are built like tractors and move like ballerinas. In fact, I have always thought that the secret reason that Paul Pierce spit at LeBron's feet when the first meet during the King's rookie pre-season: What Pierce saw in Brony was a bigger, better, stronger version of his unstoppable self. The spitting was some 'there can be only one' sh*t.

So, now Paul (and Rondo, Ray, Perk, Baby, Powe, House and Marbury) get a chance for historic run as defending Champion under-dogs. Beating Cleveland would be crazyville. But the NBA is were crazyville happens.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Everybody Goes Home Bummed

Sorry all, when the dust settles and the smoke clears this year, no regular reader of this space will be happy.

The Wolves? Home. The Knicks? Home. Arguably there's been some progress in each situation, but neither will be serious any time soon.

Philly? Out in the first round.

The Bulls? Could knock off the Magic, but even then will get quickly bounced in Round 2 Will feel the Celtics wrath and get bounced early.

Detroit? Oh my goodness, how quickly the mighty can fall. My overall disappointment was made worse by the stylistic drop off. Adding the Answer and subtracting the Butler made them much less of a team and far harder to watch. I basically haven't tuned in to them in months. They aren't even an appetizer for the Cavs, more like an amuse bouche. How depressing.

The Blazers? Very impressive season, but the Lakers will run 'em out if someone else doesn't get them earlier in the wacky west.

The Celtics? I agree slightly with Weedie, that people are writing them off a bit too soon but I still say the Cavs take them out and with relative ease--LeBron is on a mission and his team is better than last year, when they pushed the C's to the limit. And the Celtics are worse. Even if they get something from Steph, KG hasn't been right for months. Yes, he'll return, but he won't be the KG of last year and his effectiveness may be very limited. Big Baby and Powe will do well in spurts but aren't ready to play with the consistency required of a champion. Sorry, but not really.

The Cavs? Does anyone reading this root for them? Jason, if KG can't go, will you return to your old allegiances and throw in with the Cavs bandwagon? They'll get to the finals but sadly, there they'll run into...

The Lakers. I hate writing this, but they are the class of the West and they match up very well against the Cavs. Come June, we'll have to stomach the fact that Kobe will join a different stratosphere of champions. And Phil will surpass Red as the all-time championship king, making it extra-bitter in Beantown.

F that - C's are taking another


Yeah, yeah. The Cavs kicked their ass.

(and I will concede that all of the basketball history that I know tells me the King can no longer be denied)

(and I am assuming that KG can play at 80% or better for the Playoffs)

But the team gains in experience and cohesion among the supporting players during the injured riddled final third of the season are not to be so easily dismissed. All the mumbo jumbo about the Celtics coming into the Playoffs on a down note is redonk. Check the scoreboard: 10 of 12 against mostly playoff teams.

Pierce, Allen, Rondo and Perk are good to go for number 18. Even if KG can only play in limited role, the rest of the team is up for the down stroke. Glen Davis can freakin play. Outstanding team defender. Versatile on the offensive end. Great hands. Leon Powe is beast. Mr. Mikki Moore gives some depth, length and 18 footer.

We all know about Eddie House. He is a micky frickin shooter. And check this: I have watched all but handful Celtics' games since Marbury arrived, and I am very sure he is going to make some significant contributions in the post season. He is surely mad, but dude can still dribble any where he wants on the court.

The Cavs are the obstacle. Winning in Cleveland at least once is the deal. The early rounds will go easy this year.

With this crew, needing one win, I am sorta glad Cleveland blew Boston out Sunday. C's are taking Game 1 in Cav's land and winning in 6. LeBron must wait. Kobe is not of consequence.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

50 wins, in glorious fashion



Holy crap. The verdict is clear and the future is now. Portland's comeback win in San Antonio tonight was the greatest win yet of the NBA's second youngest roster. In San Antonio, with the money on the line. BAM! Gimme 50. Have some geritol, sucker Spurs.

Portland is peaking at just the right time.

What is most amazing about tonight's win was how systematically Portland rallied back from 19 points down. Nothing special. Just playing their game. The Blazers have a style that is consistent and that is clear. They have the budding superstar in Brandon Roy, an emerging monster in LaMarcus Aldridge (act like you know), athletes out the wazoo (Outlaw, Fernandez, Batum), size, strength, scoring, and a TEAM philosophy that should scare the crap outta any coach that draws P-Town in the Playoffs.

Whoever Portland beats in the first round, I cannot wait to see them tangle with the charmin soft Lakers in the 2nd. Can't you imagine the Blazers running a double digit comeback on the glass-chinned Fakers? Makes me happy.

I am not saying Portland is winning it all, but they are about to get loose on the best of the West.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Deja Vu


MJ's competitiveness is legend. He loved to win. He also loved to be there as the other guy lost. Mike was always mindful of his opponents.

It is a character flaw but my favorite part of his induction into the Hall of Fame today was seeing Sloan and Stockton's names, right there with the guy who made sure they never won it all.


I imagine Karl Malone slamming his truck radio in lifelong frustration.

Friday, April 03, 2009

Loving the Glass with Mr. Clean


I told you before that I wasn't gonna post more on the Wolves, but since y'all apparently don't have NBA teams anymore, I'm gonna have to say a piece. No doubt there is nothing to see here.....well, almost nothing. A religious follower of this team, I no longer know what day games are, unless I am working. But within the futility, a bright spot can sometimes catch your eye, then get washed away again in an overflowing river of shit.

The Wolves just released a website and video plugging Kevin Love for Rookie of the Year. Although his chances are slim, the site makes a very good case -- and it shows how illumination by sheer will and determination has been achieved by a man who has wiped the literal glass from the lamp to let the light shine through. It's not just the Big Al injury folks. Kevin Love is for real.

In the first preseason game in which Love appeared vs. Chicago, I was so very, very disappointed. SO disappointed. The big lug seemed barely able to jump more than a couple inches. Against the Joakim Noah's and Tyrus Thomases of the league, I could see that his leaping ability coupled with his height -- plus a propensity for putting on weight -- this was gonna be another draft bust.....another good-in-the-tourney/bad-in-the-big-leagues transition. Derrick Rose was already so very good in that game. By contrast, watching the painted area after every missed shot, it seemed like Love was eating 4 armpits.

With the weight of the draft-day trade, this was not gonna be pretty, and we were gonna have Mayo smeared all over the sports pages for years to come as another McFail indictment.

Even in my disappointment, however, I had the perspective to realize that it was a long season, while some local sportswriters were already overreacting. I decided that it was just one game, so give the kid a chance to....outlet pass or whatever it is he was supposed to be good at.

In the final preseason game 24 hours later vs. Milwaukee, Love was coming back strong with lots of rebounds and putbacks. But of course Mayo was having an even better start to the season. While Love went to the bench quickly a few games into the season in favor of the quiet talent of Ryan Gomes, Mayo was already starring for the hapless Griz.

But Love was quietly overcoming hate in his bench minutes, and the Minnesota fans began to realize that in the winter of our discontent, it was starting to feel like the summer of '67. Big Al was still the man, but Love was at least a capable cape-man for the Al Star.

Despite his height-weight-leaping limitations, Love wants the ball. His smarts and desire allow him to get the boards...and I think in the end he probably does more to help a team than Mayo does. Is he redundant next to Big Al? Maybe. And if the Wolves somehow get Blake Griffin, maybe that would be a good problem to have times 3. However Mayo seemed redundant with the Foye/McCants/Jaric team of guards also -- so in a league where size matters, the little Big is a better fit now than the bigtime Little, and I'm still very glad Minnesota made the trade. How did we do? Brook Lopez has been good too, for a stiff. Russell Westbrook may have filled an even bigger gap on this Wolves team, in retrospect....and in my book either he or Rose should be ROY. But there is a case to be made for Love. And the Wolves are doing it. However, making a case for Love is not why I am posting at you today.



The Love Shammy
It seems like every NBA team has to come up with gimmicks to promote their all-star and MVP candidates these days, like the famous Brandon Roy and Al Jefferson iPods and GPS systems that came out the past couple years. And rookie of the year is no exception. So the Wolves have made a website and infomercial that makes a case for Love....and is funny too. I am proud to say that I work with the fine folks responsible for the infomercial video, and they did a great job. Love reads his lines just like every athlete in a commercial, but in an infomercial context the forced enthusiasm sets a perfect tone. Interviews with Brian Cardinal the Custodian and J.B. Bickerstaff round out the testimonials.

But the best part about it for me was the Love Shammy featured on the website. We recently acquired a Sham-Wow as a stocking stuffer for a Christmas from my parents-in-law. Despite the emotional attachment you get having something given to you by a loved-one....I would much rather have a Love Shammy. Think of it! Hello! It would be great around the house, in the car, on a camping trip, or as a wedding gift. I still posess a Howl Towel from the pinnacle of the Wolves success, game 7 over the Sacramento Kings in the semifinals. But a Love Shammy, even from the Wolves' darkest hour, would somehow be even better.

I don't really buy tickets for Wolves games anymore, but hear me Wolves ticket sales department: I would buy an entire section to get my hands on some Love Shammys. So, last night at midnight after watching the Love-o-mercial, I instant-messaged my Target Center broadcast supervisor to find out if there was a Love Shammy promotion in the works. He was awake, and I got the bad news immediately. Sadly, even on Fan Appreciation Night, there seem to be no plans for a Love Shammy give-away.

Like television, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, kids. There is no such thing as a Love Shammy, except what you see on the screen. A prop might not even exist. It's probably just a plain white towel that's been Photoshopped. Sigh. But the idea of the Love Shammy lives on...and maybe will live again. And I gotta admit, the Wolves marketing staff did their jobs. Every time I dry my car, I will forever remember how well Kevin Love cleans the boards.