If I were Avery Johnson, I would not feel to secure in my position as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Last night's loss at the hands of Hornets meant that his teams have failed to make it out of the first round in consecutive seasons. No one really expected them to win this year, but is this an excuse for a team that won 67 games a year ago? I say no. This team should be better. Most picked them to contend in the super-loaded Western Conference and this team barely made the playoffs. Chris Paul continued to display why he is a top 3 player in the league (and deserving MVP for this season) with a triple double in last night's win (24/11/15). In his first 5 career playoff games, Paul is averaging 25 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals. The other disappointing team in the Western Conference would have to be the Phoenix Suns, who were a chic pick to win the conference this year and were eliminated in the first round by the Spurs last night. Like Dallas, this team should be better and should not have been in a position where they were playing the Spurs in the first round. This team should spend the entire offseason working on defending the pick and roll, as the combination of Duncan and Parker made these guys look like clowns defensively. Also, free throw shooting was a problem. The Suns did their best Memphis Tigers impersonation, missing 17 free throws. The biggest problem for this team as they move forward is age. Shaq looks and plays much slower. While he can still be effective in small doses, he is nowhere near the force he once was. Grant Hill missed this series, which was costly. Steve Nash looked old and played terribly in this series. He had four 4th quarter turnovers and had only 11 points and 4 assists in the team's most important game of the season. Were the critics right in their assessment of the O'Neil and Kidd acquisitions? Maybe. In other action, Tracy McGrady kept the Rockets' heads above water in blowout fashion and the Pistons finally asserted themselves on the Sixers. Three of four picks correct in yesterday's picks that are sure to wrong playoff close-out edition, as for tonight, the Mighty C's find their way back to the light at home in dominant fashion over the cagey Hawks and the Cavaliers close-out the Wizards.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
D Is For Disappointment
If I were Avery Johnson, I would not feel to secure in my position as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Last night's loss at the hands of Hornets meant that his teams have failed to make it out of the first round in consecutive seasons. No one really expected them to win this year, but is this an excuse for a team that won 67 games a year ago? I say no. This team should be better. Most picked them to contend in the super-loaded Western Conference and this team barely made the playoffs. Chris Paul continued to display why he is a top 3 player in the league (and deserving MVP for this season) with a triple double in last night's win (24/11/15). In his first 5 career playoff games, Paul is averaging 25 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals. The other disappointing team in the Western Conference would have to be the Phoenix Suns, who were a chic pick to win the conference this year and were eliminated in the first round by the Spurs last night. Like Dallas, this team should be better and should not have been in a position where they were playing the Spurs in the first round. This team should spend the entire offseason working on defending the pick and roll, as the combination of Duncan and Parker made these guys look like clowns defensively. Also, free throw shooting was a problem. The Suns did their best Memphis Tigers impersonation, missing 17 free throws. The biggest problem for this team as they move forward is age. Shaq looks and plays much slower. While he can still be effective in small doses, he is nowhere near the force he once was. Grant Hill missed this series, which was costly. Steve Nash looked old and played terribly in this series. He had four 4th quarter turnovers and had only 11 points and 4 assists in the team's most important game of the season. Were the critics right in their assessment of the O'Neil and Kidd acquisitions? Maybe. In other action, Tracy McGrady kept the Rockets' heads above water in blowout fashion and the Pistons finally asserted themselves on the Sixers. Three of four picks correct in yesterday's picks that are sure to wrong playoff close-out edition, as for tonight, the Mighty C's find their way back to the light at home in dominant fashion over the cagey Hawks and the Cavaliers close-out the Wizards.
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You turned out to be right in the worst kept secret in the NBA. Avery will be working soon.
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