Game 1 Thoughts

Going into Game 1 of the NBA Finals, I predicted that the Oklahoma City Thunder would win in 6 games. That seemed to be the prevailing theme as I looked at Twitter and Facebook. Last night did nothing to sway me from that idea. In the spirit of not overreacting to one game, I'll keep my prediction the same, but won't be shocked if this one goes a little shorter. Here are a few of my thoughts from Game 1:

Cleveland South: Watching the Miami Heat play, I can't help but think LeBron has to be experiencing deja vu. Watching him play right now, is similar to watching him when he was in Cleveland. The guys around him will do pretty good, get some good looks in the first half. Come the fourth quarter, they are standing around waiting on him to do something, and it backfires. He definitely has a couple of great pieces around him, but with Chris Bosh being less than 100%, and Dwyane Wade playing like he knows he has a pass win or lose, LeBron seems to be a one man wolfpack. It is to the point that he'll have to score 45 for the Heat to be in the game. He honestly can't do much more, and I hope that after this series people are honest about that, and don't try to throw another Heat failure all on LeBron's back. 

Robert Horry Back: Is that Chris Bosh or Robert Horry coming off the bench for the Heat? It is a well-known fact that Bosh is a jump shooter. He has made a career of knocking down pick and pop shots from mid-range. However, after going 3-4 from the three point line against the Celtics in Game 7, he seems to think he's Big Shot Bob. The Heat are already devoid of consistent shooters for LeBron to kick it to when he drives, and kicking to Bosh in the mid-range was a great thing. With him venturing further and further out, he is making himself a non-factor. Spolestra needs to remind Chris Bosh, that he's Chris Bosh, and not Robert Horry, so he can get back to his sweet spots and knock down shots if the Heat want a chance in this series. 

Pass Me Not: Bottom line, Dwyane Wade has been less than spectacular during this Playoff run. In a previous blog, I gave him credit for the few big games he's had, but other than that, he's looked bad. I'm sure when the season is over we'll hear about a nagging injury that is slowing him down. However, his pass has to expire. The Heat last won a championship in 2006. Wade has been flying clear of criticism due to that. That has to stop. In order for the Heat to win, they need monster games from LeBron and Wade. Wade isn't holding up his end. Here's hoping that fans and media members begin to be honest in our assessment of Wade's play. 

Too Many Weapons: Any objective basketball fan knows that the Oklahoma City Thunder are the more complete team of the two in the Finals. They have a starting five with guys that can all contribute in some way. There isn't much of a drop off when they go to their bench either. People are asking what the Heat can do to combat that during the rest of this series. There isn't much they can do, unless David Stern gives them a special pardon to change the roster around the Big 3.

He's only 23?: When the commentators mentioned Kevin Durant's age during the game, my lady looked up from her homework and asked that question. When I told her yeah, she shook her head, said "that's not fair", and went back to her homework. This is coming from a casual fan that has seen Durant play a few times. I can only imagine what the NBA coaches, players, and front offices are saying. Barring any significant injuries, I believe Durant can lead the league in scoring for the next 5-7 years easily. His offensive game is beyond superlatives, and he isn't close to his prime yet. It is a joy to watch him play, and I hope that he is spared any major injury so we can enjoy his game for years to come.

Be Careful Russ: Russell Westbrook is one of the better point guards in the NBA. He had a great stat line last night with 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, there were moments where he reverted to I have to get a shot for myself mode. I don't mind his drives to the basket. A lot of those were good, and timely plays. My problem is when he takes a jumpshot, and Kevin Durant doesn't touch the ball on that trip down the floor. That had me yelling at the TV for him to get the ball to Durant. You have the best scorer in the world on your team, he can't go multiple trips in a row without at least a touch. This dynamic works for the Thunder, but it is something that could get them in trouble down the line. Freezing your big gun when he's hot is a dangerous thing. Good aggressiveness in the flow of the offense is good, but once you start forcing, it becomes a problem. Here's hoping Westbrook continues to produce well, but not at the expense of his team.

That is all I have for Game 1. I'm looking forward to seeing if the Heat can make adjustments in Game 2. In a game where James Harden only scored 5, and barely played in the second half, they still lost by 11. Harden won't play that bad, or that few minutes the rest of the series, that among other reasons lead me to believe the Heat are in big trouble. I hope you enjoyed the read, and please make sure to follow me on twitter @jimmylwilsonjr.

I'm Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message 

The People vs. Joe Dumars

Opening Statement:Ladies and Gentleman of the Jury: There are 30 teams in the National Basketball Association. Since 2009 only six of those teams have not made the Playoffs. They are the Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, and the Detroit Pistons. We are here today to discuss the last team on that list, and present a case that it is time for Joe Dumars to go as General Manager of that team. I understand that this is an unpopular opinion, but after our case is offered, we believe that the jury will be compelled to agree. Our evidence will include a look at Joe Dumars personnel decisions and handling of coaches.  We hope that the jury listens with an open mind, and puts all emotional attachments aside. The facts are the facts, and it is time for the defendant, Mr. Joe Dumars to vacate.

Exhibit A-Drafting Darko: The roots of this case were planted back in 2003. The Pistons had the 2nd pick in the NBA Draft. A draft in which LeBron James was the top pick, and also included Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. What did the defendant do? He drafted a youtube sensation named Darko Milicic. Think back on the names I said were in this draft. Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. All of these guys have become perennial All-Stars, Olympians, and are potential Hall-of-Famers. Meanwhile Darko was traded after 2 1/2 unproductive years, and is currently toiling on the fifth team of his career, the Minnesota Timberwolves. It is the prosecutions belief that drafting either Anthony, Wade, or Bosh would have prevented the precipitous fall that the Pistons are currently enduring.


Exhibit B-Trading Chauncey: Despite the horrible drafting of Darko, the Pistons were able to maintain a high level of success for five years. The main catalyst of that was Chauncey Billups. After years of being a journeyman in the League, he came to Detroit and turned it around. He became Mr. Big Shot, and won an NBA Finals MVP. The Pistons were coming off of another failed trip to the Conference Finals in the 07-08 season. After they lost, the defendant spent the entire summer promising changes. So on November 4, 2008, just two games into the season, he traded Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson. The trade was made under the guise of opening up salary cap space for the upcoming free agent class following that season. We will definitely touch on that shortly. The trade created a cluster of players that played basically the same type of game. Iverson was at that point a shorter version of Rip Hamilton. This trade would have been good if the defendant would have been able to use that salary cap space to get a big-name free agent. However, as you'll see in Exhibit C, that didn't happen.

Exhibit C-Free Agent Signings: After trading Chauncey Billups was released, and a few other moves made by the Defendant, the Pistons were needed to land a big name player. After striking out on the more prominent free agents, the defendant threw a combined $155 million at Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva. These were moves that even the defendant's strongest supporters couldn't argue. Moves that made trading away Chauncey Billups absolutely pointless, and set the organization back even further than keeping him would have.

Exhibit D-Coaching Carousel: Imagine for a moment that you're the owner of a major company. The HR director has hired and fired six directors of operations in the an eight year span. At what point do you begin to look at the HR director and blame him/her for continuous mistakes in hiring practices?? I believe we are at that point with the defendant now. He has had veteran coaches, and coaches who weren't ready to be head coaches on his watch. They have all ended up leaving and most of them with hard feelings towards the defendant. So, again I ask, at what point does it begin to fall on him??

Closing Argument: What is the statute of limitations and goodwill afforded due to winning a championship? That is the question that the jury has to figure out. That is the only thing keeping the defendant in his position. The defense is going to argue that the players are the reason that the coaches left. They will argue that the defendant was put in an awkward position due to ownership issues. They will also argue that the team is on the rise. However, all of that is just hiding the fact that they have an emotional attachment to the defendant. All of his years of service as a player for the team, in addition to the fact that he led them to a championship in the front office, is not, I repeat, not enough to acquit him on the issues presented today. Had the defendant been someone other than Joe Dumars, we wouldn't be here today. He would have already been fired and replaced. So, please sir, please ma'am, look at the facts while deliberating. Leave your emotion at the door, and you will see things our way.

The prosecution rests.

I'm Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message.