How Good Were The ’08-09 Lakers?

Cover Your Face When Kobe's Around

As I watched the Lakers stroll through the NBA Finals I couldn’t help but wonder if they were actually all that good.  I couldn’t shake the feeling during the playoffs that the Lakers were a product of an injured Celtics team, a weak Western Conference, and LeBron James having a supporting cast comparable to that on ALF.  My gut feeling says they weren’t that good – the litmus test?  Comparing them to previous NBA champs.

2008 Boston Celtics – They beat pretty much the same Lakers team in 6 games.  If you want to say that Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown would have made the difference please go ahead – I won’t be listening.  Celtics win in 6. 

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NBA Nightcap – See You Next Year Edition

We’ve had some good times haven’t we old friend? I romanced you – you gave in, I wrote stuff – you say you read it. Now like any good high school relationship I feel it’s time we go our separate ways for the summer. Sure I’ll write you from time to time and maybe we can talk on the phone for a few minutes here and there but I think it’s best that we both see other people. Don’t cry baby – we’ll be together again soon.

D.J. Mbenga Finally Captures His Elusive First Ring

Lakers 99 Magicians 86 – Kobe now has his first ring without Shaq, Phil has ring number ten, the Lakers have their 15th as a franchise, and city of front-runners is wondering why Robert Horry didn’t get more minutes in the series.

The Magic actually led the game by 2 after 1 quarter – but a 16-0 push in the 2nd put the Lakers up 10 before halftime – a lead they would never surrender. The Lakers did nothing in the game at a particularly outstanding level but they were consistent where the Magic were not. Orlando continued its season long trend of living and dying by the three – this time dying as they shot just 8 of 27 from long range.

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16th Anniversary of Suns-Bulls Triple OT Affair

I Hope Their Talking About How They Were Both Selected After Sam Bowie

The title says it all – 16 years ago today the Suns and Bulls played one of the greatest games in NBA Finals history.  The game was only the 2nd triple overtime game in Finals history – matching Game 5 of the 1976 Finals which also featured the Suns – then playing the Celtics.  Interestingly enough Suns (and current Kings) head coach Paul Westphal was a Suns player during the ’76 game and is the only man to be a part of both games.

The Bulls had taken both Games 1 and 2 from the Suns in Phoenix and the prevailing sentiment was that with 3 consecutive contests in Chicago the Bulls would sail to their first three-peat.  Fortunately the Suns had other ideas and battled the Bulls for three overtimes before Phoenix prevailed to take their first game in the series. 

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NBA Nightcap – June 11th Edition

You know why you should never be allowed to access your eBay account while drunk on your birthday? Because you end up winning Kurt Warner signed mini-helmets for fifty bucks when you just think you’re making a bid that will probably be beaten. Yes I know that this seems like a very specific situation but I assure you that this has NEVER happened to me. Never.

 

I'm Floored Hulk Was Available for a Shameless Public Appearance

Lakers 99 Magicians 91 – When the Rockets won back to back championships in the mid-90’s someone (I assume it was themselves) gave Houston the name “Clutch City” – I think this is an appropriate time to give Orlando the nickname “Choke City.” The Magic held an 87-84 lead with just 11.1 seconds left in the 4th quarter and Dwight Howard at the line – what could possibly go wrong? Oh, I guess everything could go wrong – and it did as Howard missed both free throws, Derek Fisher hit a game tying three pointer over Jameer Nelson, and the Lakers took the game to overtime where they dominated.

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A List That Makes Me Think Jonathan Brandis Had the Right Idea

Zim and I have been furiously debating John Hollinger’s NBA Franchise Rankings for most of the day and we should both be able to add our two cents later tonight or tomorrow (let’s just say I’m not entirely certain the Career Sgt. has ever watched an Orlando Magic game that isn’t in the NBA Finals) – but I just wanted to make one Suns related comment.

Cue the Violins

The Suns ranked 5th on Hollinger’s list in which he cited their 18 50-win seasons in the last 33, consistently entertaining teams, and talented stars. He also added the moniker “Best Team to Never to Win a Championship” and suggested whether Phoenix was the NBA’s version of the Cubs.   This is the part where I’d like to have something cute and witty to say – you know something that would show how cool and detached I am – but instead I can only sigh.  As Hollinger appears to be mostly correct I can only say – Reality is a cruel mistress.

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NBA Nightcap – June 9th Edition

If you haven’t seen the epic Mark-Paul Gosselaar/ Jimmy Fallon interview – in which MPG portrays his Saved by the Bell character Zack Morris – consider yourself as owing ol’ Scott Howard a favor. I have immense respect for anyone with the balls to revisit an old and beloved character. If you grew up with Saved by the Bell please watch all 9 minutes of what is sure to be an all-time classic. When you wake up in the morning and the alarm gives out a warning it means just one thing – Nightcap.

 

First Porn Star to Coach a Team to an NBA Finals Win

Magicians 108 Lakers 104 – Hey Orlando – welcome to the NBA Finals! After losing six straight games in their 2 Finals appearances the Magicians finally got into the win column – and all it took was the greatest shooting performance in Finals history. The Magic shot 62.5% for the game and 75% in the first half – both records – and avoided falling into the depths of a 0-3 hole.

I bet you’ll never guess what the difference was in this game. OK I’ll tell you – the Magic shot the basketball really really well (I believe that’s called hard-hitting basketball analysis). After shooting just 29.9% in Game 1 and 42% in Game 2 – Orlando got acquainted with basket making. One of the main reasons for this change was likely Stan Van Gundy opting to ride the horses that got him to the Finals in the first place.

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NBA Nightcap – Birthday Edition

I’ll save a summary for a later date – but on Saturday night, most of the SoD gang hit the town to celebrate the birth of yours truly. I think we all learned a few lessons about ourselves but most of all we learned all about “Friend-jection.” What is Friend-jection you may ask? Stay tuned.

The Nick Anderson of Lay-ups

Lakers 101 Magicians 96 – Courtney Lee meet Nick Anderson – may the two of you live eternally in Orlando Magic lore. Lee missed a potential game winning alley-oop layup off the inbounds pass with .6 seconds remaining in regulation and Orlando’s chances of winning the game – and the series – went poof. Lee’s miss sent the game to overtime – an overtime the Lakers controlled to take a 2-0 series lead.

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NBA Nightcap – June 4th Edition

Like an oasis in the desert – the Nightcap is back. I missed you. I really did. Now bring that sweet ass up to my place…

Is That Supposed to Be A Game Face?

Lakers 100 Magicians 75 – In their first Finals appearance since their 1995 sweep at the hands of the Rockets, the Magic started about as well as they finished. Joe “Jellybean” Bryant’s son scored 40 to lead the Lakers as LA cruised to a 25 point Game 1 win.

It all started so promisingly for the Magic – All-Star guard Jameer Nelson was appearing in his first game since February, the Magic were 2-0 against the Lakers in the regular season, and they even had a 33-28 2nd quarter lead. (Cue E! True Hollywood Story Music)…then it all went awry. The Lakers closed the first half on a 25-10 run, and controlled the third quarter to run away with the biggest Game 1 NBA Finals blowout since the Bulls 33-point Game 1 win over the Blazers in 1992. If this is going to be what the rest of the Finals are like, I may as well quit writing the Nightcap.

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Exploring the Shaq Trade Rumors

Shaq Asking Kobe How A Certain Part of his Body Tastes

I love the NBA off-season. Whether it’s the draft, free agency, trade rumors, or summer league – I love it all. In fact last summer I made it a habit of watching games from the Orlando Summer League on my computer. I’m not sure what level of pathetic it is when you are watching Pacers-Heat at 2 in the afternoon on a Wednesday but I think it’s somewhere between creepy cat lady and Sgt. Zim’s dating life.

This off-season one of the more interesting subplots (particularly on a local level) is whether the Suns will dump salary, stay the course with the current roster, or try and make tweaks for one last decent playoff run before Steve Nash rots in the cold ground. I’m hoping Steve Kerr has the good sense to realize that trading a 26-year old All-Star Power Forward with limitless offensive potential is stupid and that Nash has far more value to the Suns than he would in any trade (these are both big hopes) – which leaves Shaquille O’Neal as the prime trade target.

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Happy Anniversary Oklahoma City Thunder!

1979 NBA Champs

In lieu of the Nightcap I’d like to pay tribute to a very special team celebrating a very special anniversary – that team is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

30 years ago today (June 1st), the Thunder (I believe then known as the Seattle Supersonics or something like that) won their first and only NBA Championship in franchise history – defeating the Washington Bullets

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