Monday Morning Mehta 5/15/06
Edition # 162
May 15, 2006
MMM has to send out an abbreviated version this morning due to some conflicts this morning. We'll possibly be back with the NBA and baseball later today or tomorrow. For now, read the "NHL" weekly....
EAST
Cleveland v Detroit - Pistons lead 2-1. The Cavaliers were able to ride the emotional boost of being without Larry Hughes to a game three victory. Maybe I should be giving Cleveland a little more of a chance here, but I'm not. Look for Detroit to win the next two games and breeze on into the Conference Finals.
There is something for Piston fans to be worried about though. In the last two games the Cavs have outscored Detroit 31-19 and 33-21 in the fourth quarter. That's a total of 64-40, and a disconcerting new trend. All season long the Pistons have managed to pull out numerous games where they have sleepwalked through the first three quarters only to turn it on in fourth. Which is exactly why this reversal of fortune needs to be watched closely.
Oh yeah, and LeBron James is awesome.
New Jersey v Miami - Heat lead 3-1. When Cliff Robinson was suspended for five games last Friday after violating the league's drug policy, the Nets were more or less finished. Uncle Cliffy's best days are certainly behind him, but that doesn't change the fact that he was NJ's sixth man and their most important bench player all year. Any team would struggle in the playoffs minus their sixth man, but it's more then just that. Much like the Denver situation with Kenyon Martin, the distraction itself is almost worse then the loss of production. To win in the post season you need everyone 100% focused on the task at hand. The Nets are only human so they had to lose their edge to some degree.
At this point Miami advancing is pretty much a forgone conclusion. However, it would not surprise me at all if it took them the full seven games to do so. I'm sure all the talk from the Heat players will be about finishing NJ off in South Beach and then resting up for Detroit. Actions always speak louder then words though, and if Miami isn't mentally prepared for the Nets' best effort tomorrow, there will be a game six in the Swamplands.
WEST
Dallas v San Antonio - Mavericks lead 2-1. Other then game two, this series has been competitive high quality NBA playoff basketball all around. Dallas has looked like the better club so far, but they still could have easily lost game three. The Mavs are not necessarily that much deeper then the Spurs, but Dallas' bench is younger and more athletic then SA's, and that is making a difference. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have looked like they are both slowed by their injuries to me, but maybe Dirk Nowitzki's freshly sprained right ankle will level the playing field in that regard.
When I look at the numbers in this series, the first thing that jumps out at me is that the Mavs have five players averaging double digit points, compared to only three for the Spurs. The rest of the statistics are pretty much even, except for a few. The biggest one in my mind is that Dallas is out rebounding SA by five per game (41.7 to 36.7 rpg). The next area to look at is free throw shooting. The Mavs are getting to the free throw line more (40.3 to 33 FTA) and making a higher percentage too (76.9% to 71.7%). What this adds up to is 7.3 more made free throws per game for Dallas. The Mavs are also shooting better from the 3-point line (36% to 27.8%), but neither team really depends on the long ball to carry them.
The Spurs can get more aggressive driving the ball to the hoop to balance out the difference in free throw attempts, but accuracy from the stripe has never been SA's strength. The rebound disparity is another matter all together though. In the past the Spurs have relied on guys like David Robinson, Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed to have Tim Duncan's back and do the dirty work. That has not been the case thus far in this series. Rasho has played 13 total minutes in two games, Nazr 15 in three and Fabricio Oberto 17 in two. It has become so bad that coach Gregg Popovich has resorted to starting Robert Horry in the middle. It would benefit SA big time if one of Nazr, Rasho or Oberto would step up and show some life.
I expect the rest of the games in this series to be close well fought affairs that are decided down the stretch. The more I watch, the more I think that Dallas finally has the Spurs' number. Then the game will tighten up, and suddenly the Mavs seem a little shaky to me. I still see this series going seven. Likewise, I still have to favor SA because the Spurs have proved time and again that they know how to win big games. No matter what ends up happening, it should be highly entertaining to watch.
Phoenix v Clippers - Tied 2-2. This series has featured competitive games, free flowing offense and has been my favorite to watch. There's no doubt in my mind that Los Angeles is the better team, but the Suns just do not have any quit in them. Elton Brand has been a monster so far averaging 29.3 points on 60.8% shooting. Phoenix has not shown the ability to stop Brand yet, so the Clips must be patient and get EB the ball in the spots where he likes it.
Chris Kaman is having an MRI today on his injured right shoulder. Kaman could not even lift his right arm yesterday, so I'm guessing the news won't be good. Losing Chris is a blow to LA, but it would hurt them much more if they were playing a conventional team. The Clips have enough depth that coach Mike Dunleavy can actually match up better with the Suns minus Kaman. To that end LA's x-factor has been Shaun Livingston. His numbers (8 points, 4.8 rebounds & 4.3 assists in 29 minutes) don't jump off the page at you, but his versatility filling in for the always gimpy Sam Cassell has given the Clips another dimension both offensively and defensively.
The story is the same as ever for Phoenix to advance. They need to run, run and run some more in order to be successful. The Suns are very tough to beat when they are dictating the tempo and making their 3-pointers, but they would give themselves a better chance when shots aren't falling for them if they improved in two areas. First, Phoenix has to try and at least stay respectable on the glass. The Suns have been getting out rebounded by 13.7 a game (49.5 to 35.8 rpg) so far in this series. I can understand them not emphasizing the boards, but it's hard to win consistently with that kind of deficiency. Next, Phoenix has to ratchet up their defensive intensity a notch or two. I'm not expecting them to become the Chicago Bulls overnight, but LA is shooting 51.2% from the field for the series (compared to 45.7% for the Suns). All Phoenix needs to do is focus on getting a hand up and contesting shots a little better and that should be enough.
The Clips should have no problem moving on as long as they control the tempo. They have shown a tendency to get caught up and play at the pace the Suns prefer for stretches in all four games, and that has got to stop. LA is the superior defensive team, so as long as the Clips play the kind of D they are capable of, while playing smart on offense, they should be fine.
NHL Week In Review By : Ed Wasser
- The best sports talk radio show in this country, in my egotistical opinion, is "Mike and The Mad Dog" on WFAN in New York City. Seldom do I disagree with them but on Tuesday they were discussing something that I disagreed with vehemently. This week the Stanley Cup was on the soap opera "The Guiding Light", the show "Meet The Press", and on "Regis and Kelly" and next week more PR stops are planned. Russo and Francesa were making the point that the Cup should be more like the shroud of Turin, only to be brought out once a year. The idea being that there should be an air of mystery regarding the Cup. No way. I say the Cup should be brought all over the world and shown every chance possible to as many people as possible. For most people it's the only thing they know about the NHL and it's an essential part of the marketing. (Cliché Alert!!) It's a trophy that belongs to the people.
- The three major questions for this week are 1.) Who the hell takes those ridiculous "workshops" that are featured on the HBO show "Real Sex"? 2.) Who was that reanimated cadaver that people were calling Priscilla Presley on "American Idol" last Tuesday? And 3.) Who would have ever thought that the Mighty Ducks would capture lightning in a bottle with a blazing hot goalie again? A few years ago it was JS Giguere and this year the kid's name is Ilya Brygalov and he's playing unbelievably. He single handedly won the series against the Lanche and could possibly lead the Mighty Ducks to another Stanley Cup final.- Peter Forsberg is out until January 2007 while he recovers from duel foot surgery. That's what you get with Peter Forsberg. When he's playing he's a monster but he is brittle and you just have to dance with that devil when you take him on. - Gotta feel bad for the Sens. They've been loaded with more talent then Scores on a Saturday night but they've always had goalie issues. They thought they had that solved with the edition of Dominick Hasek who promptly got hurt and they were stuck with Ray Emery. Emery played well in the first round but he played like crap against the Sabres. So the Sabres advance to the eastern conference finals. The Sabres are just on fire right now. And now they face....
- The Canes finally dispatched the Devils and will face the Sabres in a series that should be an up and down offensive show. The Canes are well constructed team with role players that all contribute and contribute often. And I love that coach Peter Laviolette is having such a phenomenal season after the Islanders unceremoniously fired his butt and pretty much blamed him for all their woes. I credit Doris Barksdale for all of Carolina's success. She's the Canes motivational consultant. That's not a joke, the Canes have a motivational consultant, I saw it on their website. The Canes best game was game 4, an overtime win in which they scored 2 goals in about 20 seconds. I missed most of the game because I was sucked into that damn David Blaine crap. I couldn't help it, it was like a pop culture black hole. Damn you David Blaine, DAMN YOU TO HELL!!! Anyway, I feel sorry for the NHL because they're stuck with either the Canes, Sabres, Ducks, San Jose, or Edmonton in the Stanley Cup Finals. Not exactly ratings grabbers.
- I must be the biggest mush since Frankie Coffeecake. Last week I was all over the Sharks, even saying they had a shot at winning the Cup, and they promptly lost 3 games in a row to the Oilers and currently trail the series. Their offense disappeared, stupid penalties, it's a complete breakdown. Granted game 4 was a 3 overtime affair but even that game ended on a bad defensive turnover. I predict that my predictions will be wrong so I'll lay off.
Editor's Note: If you didn't watch the Sopranos last night and are planning on watching it sometime this week, don't worry, the below summary doesn't give away much detail from this weeks episode. Read on...
- "I love you Johnny Cakes". That pretty much sums up "The Sopranos" this season. Don't get me wrong, they've had some OK moments this season but for the most part this season has been a disappointment. You have to remember that this is the TV show that set the standard for all other TV shows. If this was a season of "Law and Order" it would probably be pretty good but not for "The Sopranos". Dream sequences, Ben Kingsley, AJ (if there is a worse actor in Screen Actors Guild then Robert Iler I haven't seen him. Mr. T would be more believable in that role), Dr. Melfi, Janice, the whole gay stuff, and not enough grit and drama. What made "The Sopranos" great was that it focused on the day to day drama of the mafia and how they made a living. Now it meanders and the reason is David Chase. Chase created "The Sopranos" and he writes almost every word of the series and because of that it makes the series stale sometimes. I know "The Sopranos" is Chase's baby but imagine how good it would be if they had a room full of writers hammering out stories under Chase's supervision. I give last nights episode a B-. I liked the Johnny Sac stuff, I thought Meadow confiding in her father about her boyfriend and him not knowing what to say was great, but the whole gay stuff and the fire fighter stuff is silly. And how many people can get shot and survive? Again...this is "The Sopranos" we're talking about, not "Everybody Loves Raymond", this is the show that produced the episode were Ralphie killed the stripper with his bare hands which was the best hour of television I've ever witnessed, regardless of series. So we'll see were this goes, this is a show that can go from 0 to 60 in one episode, in one scene sometimes. My hopes are still high.
May 15, 2006
MMM has to send out an abbreviated version this morning due to some conflicts this morning. We'll possibly be back with the NBA and baseball later today or tomorrow. For now, read the "NHL" weekly....
EAST
Cleveland v Detroit - Pistons lead 2-1. The Cavaliers were able to ride the emotional boost of being without Larry Hughes to a game three victory. Maybe I should be giving Cleveland a little more of a chance here, but I'm not. Look for Detroit to win the next two games and breeze on into the Conference Finals.
There is something for Piston fans to be worried about though. In the last two games the Cavs have outscored Detroit 31-19 and 33-21 in the fourth quarter. That's a total of 64-40, and a disconcerting new trend. All season long the Pistons have managed to pull out numerous games where they have sleepwalked through the first three quarters only to turn it on in fourth. Which is exactly why this reversal of fortune needs to be watched closely.
Oh yeah, and LeBron James is awesome.
New Jersey v Miami - Heat lead 3-1. When Cliff Robinson was suspended for five games last Friday after violating the league's drug policy, the Nets were more or less finished. Uncle Cliffy's best days are certainly behind him, but that doesn't change the fact that he was NJ's sixth man and their most important bench player all year. Any team would struggle in the playoffs minus their sixth man, but it's more then just that. Much like the Denver situation with Kenyon Martin, the distraction itself is almost worse then the loss of production. To win in the post season you need everyone 100% focused on the task at hand. The Nets are only human so they had to lose their edge to some degree.
At this point Miami advancing is pretty much a forgone conclusion. However, it would not surprise me at all if it took them the full seven games to do so. I'm sure all the talk from the Heat players will be about finishing NJ off in South Beach and then resting up for Detroit. Actions always speak louder then words though, and if Miami isn't mentally prepared for the Nets' best effort tomorrow, there will be a game six in the Swamplands.
WEST
Dallas v San Antonio - Mavericks lead 2-1. Other then game two, this series has been competitive high quality NBA playoff basketball all around. Dallas has looked like the better club so far, but they still could have easily lost game three. The Mavs are not necessarily that much deeper then the Spurs, but Dallas' bench is younger and more athletic then SA's, and that is making a difference. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have looked like they are both slowed by their injuries to me, but maybe Dirk Nowitzki's freshly sprained right ankle will level the playing field in that regard.
When I look at the numbers in this series, the first thing that jumps out at me is that the Mavs have five players averaging double digit points, compared to only three for the Spurs. The rest of the statistics are pretty much even, except for a few. The biggest one in my mind is that Dallas is out rebounding SA by five per game (41.7 to 36.7 rpg). The next area to look at is free throw shooting. The Mavs are getting to the free throw line more (40.3 to 33 FTA) and making a higher percentage too (76.9% to 71.7%). What this adds up to is 7.3 more made free throws per game for Dallas. The Mavs are also shooting better from the 3-point line (36% to 27.8%), but neither team really depends on the long ball to carry them.
The Spurs can get more aggressive driving the ball to the hoop to balance out the difference in free throw attempts, but accuracy from the stripe has never been SA's strength. The rebound disparity is another matter all together though. In the past the Spurs have relied on guys like David Robinson, Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed to have Tim Duncan's back and do the dirty work. That has not been the case thus far in this series. Rasho has played 13 total minutes in two games, Nazr 15 in three and Fabricio Oberto 17 in two. It has become so bad that coach Gregg Popovich has resorted to starting Robert Horry in the middle. It would benefit SA big time if one of Nazr, Rasho or Oberto would step up and show some life.
I expect the rest of the games in this series to be close well fought affairs that are decided down the stretch. The more I watch, the more I think that Dallas finally has the Spurs' number. Then the game will tighten up, and suddenly the Mavs seem a little shaky to me. I still see this series going seven. Likewise, I still have to favor SA because the Spurs have proved time and again that they know how to win big games. No matter what ends up happening, it should be highly entertaining to watch.
Phoenix v Clippers - Tied 2-2. This series has featured competitive games, free flowing offense and has been my favorite to watch. There's no doubt in my mind that Los Angeles is the better team, but the Suns just do not have any quit in them. Elton Brand has been a monster so far averaging 29.3 points on 60.8% shooting. Phoenix has not shown the ability to stop Brand yet, so the Clips must be patient and get EB the ball in the spots where he likes it.
Chris Kaman is having an MRI today on his injured right shoulder. Kaman could not even lift his right arm yesterday, so I'm guessing the news won't be good. Losing Chris is a blow to LA, but it would hurt them much more if they were playing a conventional team. The Clips have enough depth that coach Mike Dunleavy can actually match up better with the Suns minus Kaman. To that end LA's x-factor has been Shaun Livingston. His numbers (8 points, 4.8 rebounds & 4.3 assists in 29 minutes) don't jump off the page at you, but his versatility filling in for the always gimpy Sam Cassell has given the Clips another dimension both offensively and defensively.
The story is the same as ever for Phoenix to advance. They need to run, run and run some more in order to be successful. The Suns are very tough to beat when they are dictating the tempo and making their 3-pointers, but they would give themselves a better chance when shots aren't falling for them if they improved in two areas. First, Phoenix has to try and at least stay respectable on the glass. The Suns have been getting out rebounded by 13.7 a game (49.5 to 35.8 rpg) so far in this series. I can understand them not emphasizing the boards, but it's hard to win consistently with that kind of deficiency. Next, Phoenix has to ratchet up their defensive intensity a notch or two. I'm not expecting them to become the Chicago Bulls overnight, but LA is shooting 51.2% from the field for the series (compared to 45.7% for the Suns). All Phoenix needs to do is focus on getting a hand up and contesting shots a little better and that should be enough.
The Clips should have no problem moving on as long as they control the tempo. They have shown a tendency to get caught up and play at the pace the Suns prefer for stretches in all four games, and that has got to stop. LA is the superior defensive team, so as long as the Clips play the kind of D they are capable of, while playing smart on offense, they should be fine.
NHL Week In Review By : Ed Wasser
- The best sports talk radio show in this country, in my egotistical opinion, is "Mike and The Mad Dog" on WFAN in New York City. Seldom do I disagree with them but on Tuesday they were discussing something that I disagreed with vehemently. This week the Stanley Cup was on the soap opera "The Guiding Light", the show "Meet The Press", and on "Regis and Kelly" and next week more PR stops are planned. Russo and Francesa were making the point that the Cup should be more like the shroud of Turin, only to be brought out once a year. The idea being that there should be an air of mystery regarding the Cup. No way. I say the Cup should be brought all over the world and shown every chance possible to as many people as possible. For most people it's the only thing they know about the NHL and it's an essential part of the marketing. (Cliché Alert!!) It's a trophy that belongs to the people.
- The three major questions for this week are 1.) Who the hell takes those ridiculous "workshops" that are featured on the HBO show "Real Sex"? 2.) Who was that reanimated cadaver that people were calling Priscilla Presley on "American Idol" last Tuesday? And 3.) Who would have ever thought that the Mighty Ducks would capture lightning in a bottle with a blazing hot goalie again? A few years ago it was JS Giguere and this year the kid's name is Ilya Brygalov and he's playing unbelievably. He single handedly won the series against the Lanche and could possibly lead the Mighty Ducks to another Stanley Cup final.- Peter Forsberg is out until January 2007 while he recovers from duel foot surgery. That's what you get with Peter Forsberg. When he's playing he's a monster but he is brittle and you just have to dance with that devil when you take him on. - Gotta feel bad for the Sens. They've been loaded with more talent then Scores on a Saturday night but they've always had goalie issues. They thought they had that solved with the edition of Dominick Hasek who promptly got hurt and they were stuck with Ray Emery. Emery played well in the first round but he played like crap against the Sabres. So the Sabres advance to the eastern conference finals. The Sabres are just on fire right now. And now they face....
- The Canes finally dispatched the Devils and will face the Sabres in a series that should be an up and down offensive show. The Canes are well constructed team with role players that all contribute and contribute often. And I love that coach Peter Laviolette is having such a phenomenal season after the Islanders unceremoniously fired his butt and pretty much blamed him for all their woes. I credit Doris Barksdale for all of Carolina's success. She's the Canes motivational consultant. That's not a joke, the Canes have a motivational consultant, I saw it on their website. The Canes best game was game 4, an overtime win in which they scored 2 goals in about 20 seconds. I missed most of the game because I was sucked into that damn David Blaine crap. I couldn't help it, it was like a pop culture black hole. Damn you David Blaine, DAMN YOU TO HELL!!! Anyway, I feel sorry for the NHL because they're stuck with either the Canes, Sabres, Ducks, San Jose, or Edmonton in the Stanley Cup Finals. Not exactly ratings grabbers.
- I must be the biggest mush since Frankie Coffeecake. Last week I was all over the Sharks, even saying they had a shot at winning the Cup, and they promptly lost 3 games in a row to the Oilers and currently trail the series. Their offense disappeared, stupid penalties, it's a complete breakdown. Granted game 4 was a 3 overtime affair but even that game ended on a bad defensive turnover. I predict that my predictions will be wrong so I'll lay off.
Editor's Note: If you didn't watch the Sopranos last night and are planning on watching it sometime this week, don't worry, the below summary doesn't give away much detail from this weeks episode. Read on...
- "I love you Johnny Cakes". That pretty much sums up "The Sopranos" this season. Don't get me wrong, they've had some OK moments this season but for the most part this season has been a disappointment. You have to remember that this is the TV show that set the standard for all other TV shows. If this was a season of "Law and Order" it would probably be pretty good but not for "The Sopranos". Dream sequences, Ben Kingsley, AJ (if there is a worse actor in Screen Actors Guild then Robert Iler I haven't seen him. Mr. T would be more believable in that role), Dr. Melfi, Janice, the whole gay stuff, and not enough grit and drama. What made "The Sopranos" great was that it focused on the day to day drama of the mafia and how they made a living. Now it meanders and the reason is David Chase. Chase created "The Sopranos" and he writes almost every word of the series and because of that it makes the series stale sometimes. I know "The Sopranos" is Chase's baby but imagine how good it would be if they had a room full of writers hammering out stories under Chase's supervision. I give last nights episode a B-. I liked the Johnny Sac stuff, I thought Meadow confiding in her father about her boyfriend and him not knowing what to say was great, but the whole gay stuff and the fire fighter stuff is silly. And how many people can get shot and survive? Again...this is "The Sopranos" we're talking about, not "Everybody Loves Raymond", this is the show that produced the episode were Ralphie killed the stripper with his bare hands which was the best hour of television I've ever witnessed, regardless of series. So we'll see were this goes, this is a show that can go from 0 to 60 in one episode, in one scene sometimes. My hopes are still high.
posted by Monday Morning Mehta at 7:16 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home