Desparately Seeking Scottie

If last night's Game 5 of the Boston-Cleveland series taught us anything, it taught us that LeBron James needs a sidekick. Guys named Boobie, Wally, and Zee need not apply. Despite James' 23 points in the first half, the Cavs only led by 3 (after squandering a 14-point advantage minutes earlier) at the intermission. James ended with 35, but was essentially a non-factor in the second half. At this stage in his career, James is Michael Jordan (Kobe is the best player, but too old to take the role). James plays on a team of fourth and fifth scoring options. The Celtics were not too heartbroken when they had to part with Delonte West, who is an exceptional backup point guard. In their first three trips to the playoffs (1985-1987), Jordan's Bulls won one game (this stretch included two sweeps by the Mighty C's). In the 1987 NBA draft they added Scottie Pippen and immediately began winning in the playoffs, including a trip to the conference semis in 1988 and consecutive losses to the Bad Boys in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1989 and 1990. We know what happened next. The point is, Jordan needed help to get over the hump. The Bulls might have won a title had the Sonics not traded the rights to Scottie Pippen for the rights to Olden Polynice, but they would not have gone on to be the second most dominating team in NBA history (a distant second at that to the 1960s Celtics). It is here where the parallel to James is clearly exhibited. Not to take away from the Cavs and their superstar, but they have over-performed the past three seasons. While Jordan was playing the likes of Larry, McHale, and Parrish in the first round, LeBron has faced the Wizards, a franchise that passed out t-shirts celebrating their making the playoffs in consecutive seasons. While teams that made the playoffs in the Eastern Conference in the 1980s deserved to be there, one can question the credentials of the playoff teams from the Least over the past three seasons. The fact remains, the Cavs will not win the championship until they get LeBron a guy who can score, run the offense, and play shut-down defense when required. That might be asking too much, but how about just a decent player...

Good Homecooking

There is nothing better than a good home cooked meal. Spaghetti made by Mom tastes so much better than that prepared by lesser acquaintances. She knows that good spaghetti involves the inclusion of Italian sausage in the sauce and avoids serving sauce that is laden with nasty hunks of tomato. Others don't know this, so it is just not as enjoyable to eat their sausage-less chunky tomato paste at their house. But, sometimes you just have to do it. This is my advice to all the teams still playing in the NBA playoffs, especially the Mighty C's of Boston. The only home team to lose in the second round at home is the team that is no longer playing, the Orlando Magic. The Hornets kept the exemplary home play going last night by easily dismissing the champs and sending them into the ropes. This has been the most boring 3-2 series I have ever watched. Despite the much hyped anticipation here, every game of this series has not been intriguing after halftime. I will reluctantly stay with my prediction of Spurs in seven. The play of the Celtics on the road has been baffling. This team lost 10 road games during the regular season and have already lost five in five tries during the playoffs. While the defense has been very good, the offense has been awful. I am still waiting for LeBron to go off for 40, which he is due for. The good news is that they have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, but I do not want to assume they will just win every time they play in the state of Massachusetts. They will win tonight and hopefully get that first road win on Friday. The Lakers night be in trouble. If Kobe Bryant cannot shoot from outside the paint they will be extremely vulnerable to the very good team from the Mormon State.

For expert analysis, go here.

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My current projection-Celtics over Lakers

Do you believe in (the) Magic?

While each conference's respective top seed are making seemingly easy progress toward the conference finals, the other two series seem to be getting interesting:

• Boston/Cleveland-Defense and unselfish play on offense have been the story for the Mighty C's. After averaging 29.8 points on .483 shooting and less than 3 turnovers a game in round 1, King James is averaging a mere 16.5 points on .190 shooting with a ridiculous 8.5 turnovers a game. Who has filled the void offensively? Zydrunas Ilgauskas is the Cavs leading scorer at 20.5 per game. During the regular season he led the team in scoring 5 times and the team went 2-3 in those games. This team will not win a single game in this series if James does not get it together.
• Detroit/Orlando-In his first eight career playoff games, Dwight Howard is averaging 20.9 points, 16.1 rebounds, and 3.75 blocks a game. The fact that they were able to dominate the Pistons in Game 3 (and blowing an opportunity to win Game 2 in the waning moments) paired with the fact that Chauncey Billups might not be able to play in tomorrow's Game 4, the Magic might be able to work themselves back into the series. It is good for the psyche of young team to at least play well in a series they are supposed to get blown out in (see this year's first round performances by the Sixers and Hawks for examples). The future is bright for the Magic, even more so if they are able to push the Pistons to 6 or 7 games.
• Los Angeles/Utah-No one is playing better than the undefeated in the playoffs version of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant is playing like a man on a mission. He needs that ring without Shaq to shake the stigma. He is averaging a ridiculous 36/7/6.5 for the series. Deron Williams is not enough to topple this team, his 19.5/6/9.5 has been exceptional but not enough. The Jazz should manage a split at home, seeing how tough they are in the state of Utah, but this series will not be coming back to the state, so Jazz fans should enjoy.
• New Orleans/San Antonio-The Spurs looked old in the first two games of this series, getting dominated in the third quarter of both games. They bounced back last night, flexing their championship quality muscle in the the second half, outscoring the pesky Hornets 56-43. In his first eight career playoff games, Chris Paul has averaged 25.6 points, 11.8 assists, and 2 steals a game. But the most amazing stat is that he has 94 assists and only 10 turnovers. I still like the guys with all the hardware in seven in this series, but if New Orleans manages a win in Game 4...

My current projection-Celtics over Lakers

Diamond Dust: The Power Players Edition

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to play a brand of baseball that no one thought possible. Exceptional pitching and a solid offense has catapulted them into the league's elite through 36 games. Ryan Ludwick is the hottest player in the league, hitting .522 with 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, .538 OBP, and 1.087 SLG in the month of May thus far. This team's biggest problem right now is the right arm of Jason Isringhausen, who, despite leading the NL with 11 saves, currently has an ERA of 6.60 and four blown saves, which is somewhat unnerving. There are still several other teams playing either way above their expected level and many who are playing well below. The Devil Rays continue to keep their heads above .500, Minnesota and the Chi Sox are 1-2 in a terrible AL Central, the Oakland A's are eight games over .500, Florida leads the NL East, and no one thought the Diamondbacks were this good. As for the disappointing, the Pussy Cats from Detroit are playing like a Triple-A team, as are the new-look Seattle Mariners, who seem be just as terrible as last year's version. Both of these teams should be much better. The Indians are two games under .500 and the Yankees are playing .500 baseball. The Mets should not be in fourth place at any point, thus their slow start is a disappointment. And the Padres are 11 games below .500, two games behind the Giants. And now for the debut of power players, senseless rankings of pitchers and hitters done by yours truly:

Top 5 Pitchers:

1. Cliff Lee--6-0/.81 ERA/44.2 IP/2 BB
2. Edinson Volquez--5-1/1.06 ERA/42.1 IP/52 K
3. Brandon Webb--8-0/2.41 ERA/56 IP
4. Ervin Santana--6-0/2.02 ERA
5. Mariano Rivera--14 IP/0.00 ERA/12 K/5 H/2 BB

Top 5 Hitters:

1. Chipper Jones-Hornsby--.419/10 HR/29 RBI/.471 OBP/.718 SLG
2. Lance Berkman--.368/11 HR/33 RBI/.449 OBP/.752 SLG
3. Chase Utley--.345/13 HR/28 RBI//.423 OBP/.727 SLG
4. Xavier Nady--.349/5 HR/34 RBI/.411 OBP/.558 SLG
5. Geovany Soto--.345/6 HR/24 RBI/.447 OBP/.645 SLG
   

"The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations."-David Friedman

Since posting the names of 19 more Americans who have perished in this country's Middle Eastern misadventures last Tuesday, 13 more have been confirmed dead since. This brings the total of Americans to have died in the month of April to 56 (reported earlier as 47), the most since 74 died last September. The last week in the media has been choke-full-of Indiana and North Carolina. Who will win these uber-important primaries in a race that is essentially over (see here)? The media has already dubbed today's new make-or-break contests as Super Tuesday (again?). Jeremiah Wright is like Senator Clinton, no matter how bad we want her to go away, she won't. There are approximately 515 polls that all say something different. Lost in the primary shuffle has been the service of the following individuals:

1. Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Whitehead of Commerce, Georgia was 24 when he encountered a makeshift bomb in Iskandariyah on April 24.
2. Pfc. William T. Dix of Culver City, California was 32 when he died in a non-combat related incident in Kuwait on April 27.
3. Sgt. Mark A. Stone of Buchanan Darn, Texas, 22, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
4. Pfc. Adam L. Marion of Mount Airy, North Carolina, 26, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
5. Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes of Zephyrhills, Florida, 26, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
6. Spec. David P. McCormick of Fresno, Texas, 26, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
7. Staff Sgt. Bryan F. Bolander of Bakersfield, California, was 26 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 29.
8. Staff Sgt. Clay A. Craig of Mesquite, Texas, was 22 when he died in combat operations in Baghdad April 29.
9. Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell of Ramona, California, 30, died by small arms fire when his unit was attacked in Bastion, Afghanistan on April 29.
10. Spec. Ronald J. Tucker of Fountain, Colorado was 21 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 30.
11. Cpt. Andrew R. Pearson of Billings, Montana was 32 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 30.
12. Staff Sgt. Chad A. Caldwell of Spokane, Washington was 24 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 30.
13. Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence D. Ezell of Portland, Texas, 30, died in combat operations in Baghdad on April 30.

To date, 4,057 Americans have died in Iraq and another 489 in Afghanistan. That is 4,546 individuals who have died for what exactly?

Hillary Clinton Is Desparate

I saw this headline and was confused:

"Clinton attacks Obama on guns..."

Was Senator Obama not as tough as I had already thought? The esteemed senator from New York has always been a staunch gun control advocate, as has her opponent in the never-ending race for the Democratic nomination. Of course there was Pennsylvania, where Senator Clinton told stories about duck hunting and seemed be a bit more conservative on the gun issue. But that was a mere aberration, she was exaggerating to get a couple more votes, right? All politicians do this. The Clinton campaign apparently is now attacking Obama's stance on gun control. Apparently, the senator from Illinois has been pandering too much on the gun issue and the time has come for the experienced senator to call him on it. Her campaign has been distributing mailers in Indiana to this effect (see story here). The ad also reminds people that Obama called those who are downtrodden in Pennsylvania bitter. I think there are bitter people in Indiana, which will make this brilliant ad quite effective. Or maybe not. Senator Clinton's candidacy jumped the shark right after Super Tuesday I (apparently every time there is primary it is now called Super Tuesday) and continues to grow more and more annoying by the day. It is important to remember that there is no way the senator can win the nomination. She is too far behind in pledged delegates and the popular vote and her lead in the super annoying super delegates has been dwindling since Super Tuesday I (now 17, down from 20 at this time last week, see here). My theory about the viability of her candidacy has seemed to gain an air of credibility with the "experts," as now we hear people wondering if Senator Clinton is softening up Obama for John McCain. An Obama loss means that she will have the opportunity to run in 2012. In other political news that no one should care about, Senator Obama got a huge W in the Guam primary. Why should we care about this? We shouldn't.

It's About Time

The only thing better than a Game 7 is a Game 7 where your team wins. The only thing better than a Game 7 where your team wins is when your team blows out its opponent by 34. I actually felt sorry for the cagey Hawks in the second half as the Mighty C's poured it on the overachievers from Atlanta en route to a second round date with the Cleveland LeBron James'. Throughout the series, the Hawks seemed out of their element when not playing at home and today's game was no exception. Now the second round can actually begin (unless you play in San Antonio, New Orleans, Detroit, and Orlando, where it started yesterday). All match-ups are intriguing. Hopefully the second round has a bit more excitment than round one (except for the heart attack the Hawks nearly caused yors truly). All first round picks made here were correct (teams that advanced, not the number of games it took), so now for the second round:

• Celtics over LeBron James, 4-2: The Cavs win two games because of James and nothing more. It is scary to think of how good this team will be when they find him a sidekick or at least stock the roster with at least one other decent player.
• Detroit over Magic, 4-1: This will be the series that convinces everyone that Detroit is the team to beat in the East. They dominated the magic in yesterday's Game 1. It is hard to see them competing unless Howard can average 22 and 18 as he did in the first round.
• Lakers over Jazz, 4-2: This could be a great series. Kobe versus Deron Williams is Must-see TV, but the Jazz are terrible outside of the state of Utah and the Lakers are good.
• Spurs over Hornets: This is potentially the best series of the entire playoffs outside of Boston versus Los Angeles. The upstart Hornets taking on the veteran Spurs, is the penultimate battle of youth versus experience. I like experience when it has won four titles in the last 10 years, but the Spurs will have to defend David West better than they did in a bad Game 1 loss.

My current projection-Celtics over Lakers

Mission Accomplished??

It was five years ago today that President Bush exclaimed that the mission had been accomplished in Iraq aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. According to the White House website, which houses all of the president's addresses and their related press releases, "President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended" (see here). The White House addressed this paradox yesterday with White House Press Secretary Dana Perino inanely uttering:

"President Bush is well aware that the banner should have been much more specific and said 'mission accomplished' for these sailors who are on this ship on their mission. And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner. And I recognize that the media is going to play this up again tomorrow, as they do every single year."

Is that English because I do not understand. All signs seem to indicate that combat operations are still ongoing (see my chronicle of this fact here) and have been for five years. The number of U.S. troops that died in Iraq in the month of April was 47, the highest casualty rate in seven months. So much for decreased violence. I will argue that Dana Perino was right in saying that "we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner," but not for the same reason as the press secretary. She is of course talking about the political fallout related to the placing of that utterly moronic sign on a U.S. aircraft carrier while U.S. troops were still fighting and dying in two Middle Eastern countries (Pfc. Jesse A. Givens was killed in Iraq on the same day the president was taking a joyride in an S-3 in front of the cameras). We the people have lost 4,308 of our fellows citizens since this PR stunt. Imagine how many it might be if combat operations had not come to an end.

Diamond Dust: Cardinals, Chipper, and Cliff Edition

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to impress, weathering last week's stretch of bad baseball by winning three out of four and reclaiming a share of first place in the NL Central. Pujols is still the best player on the planet, but the play of Skip Schumaker, Adam Kennedy (yes, the same Kennedy who was good 5 years ago), and Ryan Ludwick at the plate have given this team a lift. The pitching of these Cardinals continues to defy the odds. What should have been one of the worst rotations in the last 25 years, has been lights-out:

• Adam Wainwright--3-1/2.79 ERA
• Kyle Lohse--3-0/2.36 ERA
• Joel Pineiro--2-2/3.75 ERA
• Braden Looper--3-1/4.05 ERA
• Todd Wellemeyer--2-1/4.14 ERA

Currently, the Cardinals rank third in all of baseball with a team ERA of 3.46. Other baseball-related observations not related to the Not-So Crappy Cardinals are:

• Many surprises continue at the top of many divisions. The Orioles continue to torment its fan base by playing well. I am setting the over-under for days before the birds start their collapse and end up in the cellar at 20. The White Sox are still on top and the Tigers are still at the bottom of the AL Central, but the latter is still working on closing the gap. How is Oakland tied for first with the ALs best record? A league best, 3.11 team ERA helps. The Marlins still lead the NL East despite ranking 21st in team ERA, 18th in runs scored, and 29th in team fielding percentage. What does this team do well? Win.
• Chipper Jones is doing his best 1925 Rogers Hornsby. In 1925, Hornsby hit .404 with 39 home runs and 143 RBIs for the Cardinals. Chipper is currently hitting .432 with 8 home runs and 21 RBIs. Can he stay healthy?
• While Cliff Lee has been nothing short of sensational, as chronicled here, Brandon Webb is trying to be the NL version of Cliff Lee, sexy 0.28 ERA not included. In 6 starts, Webb is 6-0 with an ERA of 1.98 (Cliff Lee scoffs at an ERA that high) and 34 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched.
• Hitters to watch not named Chipper--Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, Derrick Lee, Rafael Furcal, Manny Ramirez, and Josh Hamilton
• Pitchers to watch not named Cliff and Brandon--Edinson Volquez (who?), Ben Sheets, Tim Lincecum, and Zack Greinke

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.

"In war, there are no unwounded soldiers."-José Narosky

Since April 9, the news media's continual obsession with all things Clinton and Obama has not waned. The all-important Pennsylvania primary, which is part of the great year long distraction that is the 2008 presidential campaign, finally took place last week. What did it settle? Nothing, Senator Clinton gained a mere 10 delegates. The developments in the Jeremiah Wright saga are captivating the minds of everyone. So much so, that we cannot possibly talk about anything or anybody else. Also, since April 9, 17 Americans have died in the only story, if it were a story, that is more frustrating than the presidential election, the Iraq War. Another bit of news that might shock those who think that Afghanistan is a desert oasis of democracy, two Americans have died in that war during this same period. To date, 4,528 Americans have perished in these wars with no objective and no end in sight. If the media cannot spare a mere moment of the latest thing Jeremiah Wright said to talk about those that die in this senseless war, I will continue to do it here:

1. Spec. William E. Allmon of Ardmore, Oklahoma was 25 years old when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 12.
2. Lance Cpl. Dean D. Opicka of Waukesha, Wisconsin was 29 years old when he was killed in combat in Anbar province on April 14.
3. Cpl. Richard J. Nelson of Racine, Wisconsin was 23 years old when he was killed in combat in Anbar province on April 14.
4. Sgt. Joseph A. Richard, III of Lafayette, Louisiana was 27 years old when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 14.
5. Spec. Arturo Huerta-Cruz of Clearwater, Florida was 23 years old when he died in an IED attack in Tuz on April 14.
6. Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks of Rogers, Arkansas was 24 years old when he died in combat operations in Kandahar province, Afghanistan on April 15.
7. 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante of Athens, Georgia was 35 years old when he died in combat operations in Kandahar province, Afghanistan on April 15.
8. Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown of Mangolia, Texas was 29 years old when he died after his unit was attacked in Sama Village on April 17.
9. Spec. Benjamin K. Brosh of Colorado Springs, Colorado was 22 years old when he died on April 18 from wounds suffered in an IED attack in Paliwoda.
10. Spec. Lance O. Eaks of Apex, North Carolina was 25 years old when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 18.
11. Petty Officer 1st Class Cherie L. Morton of Bakersfield, California was 40 years old when she died in Iraq on April 20. The cause of her death is currently under investigation.
12. Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas of Perryville, Missouri was 26 years old when he died in an IED attack in Bayji on April 21.
13. Spec. Steven J. Christofferson of Cudahy, Wisconsin was 20 years old he died in an IED attack in Bayji on April 21.
14. 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandergrift of Littleton, Colorado was 28 years old when he died in combat operations in Basra on April 21.
15. Airman Apprentice Adrian Compos of El Paso, Texas was 22 years old when he was found dead in Dubai due to a non-combat related incident on APril 21.
16. Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale of Burkeville, Virginia was 21 years old when he died in combat operation in Anbar province on April 22.
17. Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter of Sag Harbor, New York was only 19 years old when he died in combat operations in Anbar province on April 22.
18. Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison of Morris Plains, New Jersey was 25 years old when he died of a non-combat related injury on April 22.
19. Pfc. John T. Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan was 22 years old when he died in a vehicle incident in Golden Hills on April 23.
    

This Was Not Supposed To Happen...

The scrappy Atlanta Hawks will not go away. Last night, behind 35 by Joe Johnson and 28 by Josh Smith, the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference drew even with the Mighty C's. It is hard to imagine this continues into Wedensday's Game 5, but we all thought there was no way the Warriors could dismantle the 67-win Dallas Mavericks a year ago at this time. In other action, the heartless Denver Nuggets were swept by the Lakers, which could not have surprised anyone who watched five minutes of that series. Why this franchise is bringing back George Karl as head coach is inexplicable. This team has two of the top four scorers in the league and arguably the league's best defensive player and this is the best they can do? Also, in the NBA TV Invitational, the Magic finished off the Raptors in a series watched by seven people. It is not clear why the NBA thinks that people would not want to see these games (only one game was not on NBA TV). Dwight Howard had his third 20-20 game of the series, making him the first player to do that since Wilt Chamberlain. Yes, Wilt Chamberlain. Tonight will be close out night in New Orleans, San Antonio, and Utah with the Pistons finally taking a series lead in Detroit over the surprising Sixers. Hopefully the second round will be a bit more intriguing than the first.

My current projection-Celtics over Lakers