ball me

2006-07 NBA Season

What, there's still an NBA??

Forgive me, the NFL is just too riveting to take my focus off. Not to mention the TV shows and movies I keep downloading and barely watch. And the comicbooks I download but barely read. And the podcasts that I can barely keep up with. And the magazines that come through the mail. Plus there's this thing called work ...

So anyway, with the new season kicking off ominously with the passing of basketball and Boston legend Red Auerbach, I resolve to try to check scores and skim articles here and there through the year. With so much information overload (gone are the days of Basketball Digest and Slam), its hard to find stories about the league that make good reading, or at least find them in consistent places, and the time to enjoy them. Also, the frenetic pace of the games doesn't allow me to digest each game like I would football (its own weekly pace is already too fast, too furious). Last year, I think I sleepwalked through the NBA regular season and paid attention only when the playoffs rolled around. At least two of my picks went to the Finals (but I was rooting for Dallas).

The season started last night, and the New York Knicks, now coached by Isiah "What, Me Worry?" Thomas, promptly blew a 19-point lead and managed to win by 1 in 3 OTs. I guess that already made the bottom line for owner James Dolan, and that means fans will have to endure another season of Thomas (that leech) If by chance he saves his job by having this mediocre team overachieve and make the playoffs (just like he did in Indiana), woe to the suffering masses (including me, since I may be "forced" to watch a game at MSG at some point). Thomas will not win a championship with the Knicks.

So, once again, for the next 6 to 8 months, if I remember to, I'd be rooting for (in no particular order) ...

EAST:
New Jersey Nets - N,E,T,S, Nets, Nets, Nets!
Miami Heat - DWade just keeps winning people over.
Indiana Pacers - here we go again?
Chicago Bulls - overpaid Big Ben, but should get them far.
Cleveland Cavs - anybody seen The LeBrons commercials?
Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard is a monster; here's hoping Grant Hill is injury-free.

WEST:
Phoenix Suns - Nash+Amare+Matrix+Diaw=Finals?
Utah Jazz - trade Boozer, please.
Houston Rockets - TMac+Yao+Battier=improvement? Health is question mark.
Dallas Mavericks - please, Mark Cuban, sit down and shut up.
L.A. Clippers - I like EB and anything to spite Kobe.
Minnesota Timberwolves - here's hoping KG doesn't retire without a ring.

i'll say it again ... yeah, yeah, I like a lot of teams, so what? :-P

All the men I've seen with mohawks (especially the spiky version) are 99% gay, so when African-American athletes sport it as well, it just seems ... weird.


Prodigal Pacer Al Harrington vs Bengal WR Chad Johnson (a.k.a. Ocho Cinco)

(oh, and by the way, there's a new ball. would the old balls go for half-price at KMart or fetch a fortune on eBay?)