Idiocy Reigns Supreme

I like most fans will cheer or egg on a fan who has run onto the baseball field because I know I won’t be the one going to the slammer right after his 15 seconds of fame. Most of the time the fan is tackled rather poorly by the rent-a-cops who are out of shape. Rarely will you get to see a guy get pummeled or even slammed by a mascot. Those are the best. I now have a new favorite. Tasered.

The genius pictured above, who shall remain nameless because he has gotten enough publicity, has caused a stir with him being tased by the police officer also pictured above. I love it. Simply from a fans and safety perspective. If you’re not drunk or just plain stupid, you will now think twice about jumping the fence and running onto the field. I could watch that video over and over again on youtube. I only wish the idiot had a funnier fall when he was zapped.

Unfortunately in this politically correct society right now, we have to worry about the idiots safety. My question is why? I’m not for beating the crap out of the guy, but those who cried brutality acted like he was shot or beaten with a night stick. That would be an extreme, but getting an electric shock is the same thing. Please. It is the safest thing for both the runner and the ones chasing. Who could argue against that?

Enter the everyone should have a right to do whatever they want whenever they want crowd. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is part of that crowd. For him to question the officer’s action is an insult. He’s protecting your fellow citizens Governor. The ball players. Why should we have fences? As a matter of fact why should we even have nets behind home plate? That’s as much sense as this makes to me.

Let me remind those who don’t want quick action to remove these rule breakers of a few incidents that definitely warranted at least a taser. Tennis star Monica Seles was stabbed on the court by a fan in 1993. Kansas City Royals first base coach at the time Tom Gamboa being beaten by a drunken father and son at Cellular Field in 2002. The Pacers-Pistons brawl at the Palace in 2004.

Every single one of those incidents warranted that kind of action seen in Philadelphia. Would tasing those people have stopped or even slowed them down? Probably not. All I’m saying is don’t yell and scream that it was wrong and don’t you dare say that he’s just a 17 year old learning a lesson. So what. If my son (don’t have one) calls and says I’m gonna go onto the baseball field. My response, “prepare to be tased and you can bail yourself out.” Harsh sure, but my son would know better. I hope this kid does. Too bad he learned it the hard way.

I’m Taking A Stand

I’ve gone on record before in saying that politics has no place in sports whatsoever. In rare occasions it does call for both to come together. Examples; Jackie Robinson’s number retired throughout baseball, Congress threatening action if MLB didn’t clean up the sport of PEDs, boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Russia. There are countless other examples, but when it comes to a state passing a law that a select few disapprove of, it has no reason to be injected into the sports realm.

Arizona over a week ago passed a law that they hope will help lessen the blow illegal immigration has done to their state. There is no doubt that it affects them and the other border states (California, New Mexico and Texas). And in many ways; Economic, Resources, Crime, Medical and on and on. I will go ahead and tell you what those who disagree loudly with the bill don’t want to discuss. The bill (which you can read here) doesn’t advocate a police officer to hunt down brown skinned people. When a police officer asks you for your license and registration when pulling you over for speeding or running a red light, you show him/her that license and registration. If you do not have it, you’re in trouble. American or not. It simply puts emphasis on an already existing federal law. That’s it.

I would like to ask point guard Steve Nash, Suns owner Robert Sarver and Suns GM Steve Kerr if they read the bill. If they had, they wouldn’t be making these statements:

“However intended, the result of passing the law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question and Arizona’s already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them.” – Robert Sarver

“I think the bill opens up the opportunity for racial profiling, racism. I think it puts the police in an incredibly difficult position that isn’t fair to them. It’s an infringement on our civil liberties to allow the possibility for inequality to arise in our community,” – Steve Nash

“It’s hard to imagine in this country that we have to produce papers. It rings up images of Nazi Germany” – Steve Kerr

Yeah, there are stupid politicians who should have dealt with this problem a long time ago, but now this issue is coming to the forefront in Arizona. Sarver has decided to promote the fact that the Phoenix Suns will be wearing their “Los Suns” jerseys tonight against the Spurs. That’s fine. You want to promote diversity and goodwill, that’s great. Don’t try to shove your view on the issue into it though. Keep it out.

Nash was an adamant voice against the War in Iraq by the United States. That’s fine too. I respect your right to protest. When you state your opinion when you’re about to play a game, you begin to delve into some rough territory. I could care less of celebrities opinions on certain issues, because frankly they won’t sway my decision. The same goes for athletes. No one cares, shut up and play.

Kerr’s came as a surprise. Trying to stem a problem instead of letting it get worse is considered being a Nazi. Hmmm. I have to say, this is probably the worst quote to come from an athlete/GM since Patrick Ewing’s “we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money” quote from the ’99 NBA lockout. You’ve lost my respect as a person Mr. Kerr. I and those who want to take action are now Nazi’s. Have fun trying to win a championship as an executive good sir.

Who are the morons that are protesting the Arizona Diamondbacks? Please go back to the cellars you came from. The team has nothing to do with a states policies. Yes, manager A.J. Hinch can’t stand the fact that he has 7 Latin players on his active roster. GM Josh Byrnes has his scouts avoid the entire Carribean Peninsula to find new talent. Punishing a team for a states decision is just plain stupid and it should be shunned more often.

Regardless of your political outlook, I for one am sick and tired of this. Trying to punish or boycott sports teams for politicians decisions is wrong. Loudly voicing your opinion without knowing or understanding both sides to the issue disturbs me even more. Just because you have a microphone in front of you doesn’t make you the all knowing power on the planet. What you spew will not be fact. I know that first hand. You must know what you’re going to say and be honest about it.

Please for the love of God, stop spewing crap out of your mouths. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about life, it’s that you have to know there are two answers to every question or problem. If we all knew that, maybe things can change for the better.

2010 Stanley Cup Semifinal Preview

My first preview was perfect in the Western Conference. Winners, not the exact outcome. In the Eastern Conference I would like to have a do-over. Alas I can’t. Who had the Canadiens winning in seven games? Who had the Flyers beating the Devils in five? Who said the Sabres would not get any scoring out of Derek Roy and Tim Connolly in rout to losing to the Bruins? The Penguins were a given, but honestly who saw the other three series ending that way? Hopefully I will do better in the semifinals and you will see some great hockey.

Eastern Conference

4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 8. Montreal Canadiens

I like many other Hockey fans would have loved to have seen the Capitals face off against the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. Too bad so sad. That’s what fans in Montreal are saying. I give them a lot of credit. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak is here to stay. He is proof once again that if your team has a hot goalie, you will go very far in the playoffs. Halak and his .939 save percentage will be a tough task for the Penguins to score against. The Habs had help on offense with Michael Cammalleri (5 G 5 A 10 P) and Tomas Plekanec (4 G 3 A 7 P). Their defense was sound with Hal Gill, Roman Hamrlik and Andrei Markov. Montreal will need a repeat performance from Halak and the defense helping him to see the shots coming his way.
The Penguins had great success from the usual suspects against the Senators. Sidney Crosby (5 G 9 A 14 P) was superb as was his line mate veteran Bill Guerin (2 G 4 A 6 P). Evgeni Malkin was great (4 G 4 A 8 P) not just on even strength, but was fantastic on the power play with 3 of his goals coming with a man advantage. The problem lies within the net for the defending champs. Marc-Andre Fleury and his .890 save percentage are not going to cut it the rest of the way. The Penguins could have gone down early, but Fleury bounced back and was good enough to get them into the semifinals. The defensemen for Pittsburgh, namely Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang have keep up the pace and give Fleury room to see what will be coming his way.
I would like to see this go six or seven games. Mainly for the entertainment factor, but Montreal stunned a great Washington team. They won’t do the same to a great Pittsburgh club. The Penguins are just too good. Pittsburgh in 5 games.

6. Boston Bruins vs. 7. Philadelphia Flyers

The most amazing fact about the Bruins beating the Buffalo Sabres in 6 games was that they did it without anyone getting more than 5 points in the series. All that and without their best player Marc Savard. Veterans Mark Reechi and Miroslav Satan were pleasant surprises and Zdeno Chara was a beast on defense. Ultimately I and others underestimated goalie Tuukka Rask. He outplayed eventual Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller. That says a lot about your goalie if he is playing better than the other teams standout net minder. Savard will be returning in the semifinals and the Bruins hope that will give them more scoring against a better offensive team in Philadelphia.
The Flyers stunned New Jersey from start to finish in the quarterfinals. The Flyers were getting production from unexpected places. Claude Giroux chimed in with 4 goals and bruiser Daniel Carcillo added two of his own. The usual suspects of Mike Richards and Danny Briere were fantastic, but the big hero was goalie Brian Boucher. The third goalie the Flyers were using to get into the playoffs showed he still has life left in his skates. New Jersey had no answers for Boucher. It showed in the Game 5 clincher as Boucher shutout the Devils to advance. The Flyers will need a repeat performance from Boucher and more production from Simon Gagne and Kimmo Timonen to help stifle the Bruins defense which is one of the best in the NHL.
This is renewing a rivalry that goes back to the Bobby Orr and Bobby Clarke days. Ultimately it will come down to who has the better defense and goalie (go figure). I like what the Flyers have done, but Boston has showed tremendous grit and are getting Marc Savard back. Bruins in 6 games.

Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks vs. 5. Detroit Red Wings

No one really likes “Hockeytown” as Detroit has come to call itself, except fans of the Red Wings. Everyone wanted to see the Phoenix Coyotes continue their great run and lets face it, it was a great story. However, we learned something from Game 7 of that series. Detroit is still a great team. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are two of the best scorers in the game today. Valtteri Filppula is coming of age on the big stage. Johan Franzen and Nicklas Lidstrom haven’t had their best performances yet. It’s a scary thought. Goalie Jimmy Howard had an admirable series against the Coyotes. In some cases the defense let him down, but he held his own and was masterful in Game 7 against Phoenix.
San Jose was in a lose-lose situation. If Phoenix won, they would have to play against a division rival and face the pressure of not losing to a lesser team. Now that Detroit is their opponent and coming off a big margin of victory in Game 7, the Red Wings are seen as Stanley Cup contenders by almost everyone now. San Jose’s big three didn’t play up to par against Colorado. Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton seem to wilt under endless pressure this time of year. They got great production and it saved their season from Ryan Clowe, Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi. Pavelski and Setoguchi were scoring goals at will late in the series against Colorado. Clowe was setting up a lot of their scoring chances. San Jose will need more from Heatley, Marleau and Thornton to advance to a Conference Final.
Detroit is healthy and deep. San Jose is healthy and deep. Two teams that just don’t like each other and it will show throughout the series. The Sharks are the best team though. They have the right players and mix, but I just don’t trust their goalie Evgeni Nabokov in a big series. Red Wings in 6 games.

2. Chicago Blackhawks vs. 3. Vancouver Canucks

If you don’t remember what happened between these two in last years semifinals, then go to NHL.com and find out when your done reading. Chicago had a scare in the quarterfinals against the Nashville Predators, but Chicago is just too talented to let that happen. Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp came up with big goals in the entire series. Hossa had a big game winner in Game 5 that some say should not have counted due to a boarding penalty on Hossa. Chicago’s one fatal flaw showed its ugly head in the Nashville series. Goaltending and their defense was lackluster. Antti Niemi showed flashes of brilliance, but overall it was not a great showing. They will need to shore up the defense to make it to the Conference title.
Vancouver is a great team. Roberto Luongo is a great goalie and his performance in the last two games against Los Angeles was perfect. Daniel and Henrik Sedin were masterful and the signing of Mikael Samuelsson is now showing in the playoffs. Imagine if the Red Wings still had Samuelsson for their playoff run. The Cacucks defense did suffer for the first four games in the quarterfinals, but there is room for improvement as they have the best defensive unit in the Conference. Kevin Bieska must stay on the ice more and not in the penalty box against the Blackhawks.
I’m much more comfortable going with Luongo in net and with the Canucks attack on offense. However, Chicago can score just as easily as Vancouver and the Canucks penalty kill was awful against the Kings. The reason that series was that competitive was because of the Canucks lackluster defense on the power play. That doesn’t bode well against Chicago’s attack. Blackhawks in 6 games.

Three Days of Agony

Now I’m not one of these fans who goes to the local bar sporting his favorite players jersey from over a decade ago. Showing up with other similar fans who think their team is going to draft the next big thing. As from my last post on the NFL Draft entitled “The Lions Guide to the NFL Draft” you can see that you’re not guaranteed anything, but a bust in the draft. This time around I’m going about this in a different way. I’ve noticed that there are some great players and there are some potential headaches in this years class. Some with a lot to lose and some with a lot to gain. Three to be exact. We’ll finish this on a positive note so I will start with the ones to lose.

1. DT Ndamukong Suh Nebraska
He is a great player. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting him here because of his talent, do you know where he will end up? The Detroit Lions are projected by everyone to pick Suh. I get why. He is a one of a kind player who has tremendous strength on the line and can hold his own against anyone. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz was the defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans before he became the head coach in Detroit. He’s seen what a premier defensive tackle can do for a team (Albert Haynesworth). Suh I think will be a better pro than Haynesworth although he is still one of the better defensive lineman around. The problem here is the history of busts in Detroit. Things could be changing though. Five of the Lions ten picks last year played significant time for them. Four of them were their first four picks. They are picking smart and will make another smart decision taking Suh, but how will it pan out in D-Town?

2. CB Joe Haden Florida
Again it has nothing to do with his potential or talent as a player in the NFL. He is stuck in a situation that has him going from a sure top 10 pick to a middle to late first round pick. Why? It’s simple. There are too many potential shut down corners in this years draft. That means other teams in need of one can go after another position and then draft their shutdown corner in the second or third rounds. Plus history tells us that Haden’s position hardly ever gets selected in the top ten. In the past decade, only six cornerbacks were taken in the top 10. The last being in 2005. If Jets CB Darrelle Revis can’t be selected in the top 10, you know their is a problem. But with all that said, I’m sure Haden will great in the NFL. He’s too good not to be.

3. RB C.J. Spiller Clemson
Like with Haden, Spiller is in the same class. Great player, but his position doesn’t warrant spending a top pick on. Time and time again teams can find a great running back in the second, third even seventh rounds nowadays. C.J. is kind of in the mold of Darren McFadden when he was drafted out of Arkansas. A big, fast back who can be a great returner and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Look where McFadden is now since being the fourth pick overall in the ’08 draft. That’s not his fault, but the Raiders didn’t have to draft him. Unfortunately for McFadden he was the best player available and his speed did him in with Al Davis. That won’t be the case with Spiller because he isn’t that every down back that some teams want. Actually does anyone have a every down back? He’s the best running back in this years crop, but he won’t go any higher than 13.

Finish on a positive note

1. QB Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame
He is gonna luck out no matter what. He played in a pro-style system with Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. He showed great efficiency in his last year there (28 TD to 4 INT). There are at least five teams in the top 15 that would take him. One with two picks. He is in a win-win situation. I wouldn’t suggest that whoever take him throw him right away, but the learning curve should be pretty short. There are still bumps in the road as far as his health (toe), but his mechanics are right up there with Sam Bradford who will most likely end up being the number one pick. Clausen unlike other quarterbacks the last few drafts i.e Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn won’t have to wait around too long before his name is called in New York. Being a hot commodity is always a good thing.

2. WR Dez Bryant Oklahoma State
I was one of the first people to defend Bryant when he was suspended the rest of the ’09 season for lying to NCAA investigators about his visit to Deion Sanders house. However, if there was nothing to hide, why did you lie? That’s the only flaw I saw in that incident. But when the interview and workout process began there was talk of him possibly becoming a prima donna and a cancer in the locker room. Umm, isn’t that the case with almost every wide receiver now? Bryant is taking the high and will use this as motivation. Kind of like what Randy Moss did to the rest of the league when he burst on to the scene in 1998 when he dropped to the 21st pick. Bryant won’t have those kind of numbers, but he will make an impact where ever he ends up. If he drops to the 25th pick where Baltimore sits, look out. Dez being paired with Anquan Boldin is a scary thought. How can drafting this guy be a bad thing if you need a playmaker now?

3. QB Tim Tebow Florida
I know I’m gonna hear it for this one, but hear me out first. Never has there been so much talk about a guy who might go in the first round, but end up being a fourth round pick. Try to tell me of someone else getting this kind of publicity. I look at it this way. Any kind of publicity is good publicity. Especially in Tebow’s case. He is getting his name and face out there and gradually more teams began to look at him closer as draft day approached. He was a system quarterback at Florida. No doubt. However, if he ends up in the right situation and is given time to develop, I think he can be a decent player. It’s too much of a risk to take him in the first or second round, but a team who has an established quarterback and has two-three years to help Tebow along, it will be perfect for both sides. New England, Indianapolis, Minnesota, just to name a few teams. Why not? What do they have to lose? Tebow can thank his luck star if he ends up in that kind of a gig, because he does not want the pressure so many other high drafted quarterbacks have had. You know who they are by now. Tebow I don’t think will be one of them as long as he keeps thinking positive and lands in the right place.

2010 NBA Playoff Preview

Eastern Conference

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8. Chicago Bulls

The deepest team in the East goes up against the weakest. Cleveland has within its arsenal LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams. Not bad when you consider that James sets all of them up with his tremendous court vision. We all know it starts and ends with LeBron, but it will ultimately come down to Jamison and Williams. They have to hit their open shots and play up to par on the defensive side. They don’t have to score 20 points a game, but they must be able to hold the Bulls from having big scoring nights. Cleveland is a scrappy club that many believe is the best in the league. This will be the test for the rest of the Conference to study up and find their weaknesses, if any, while they’re playing the Bulls.
Chicago does have an okay team, but with the distraction of whether they will have Vinny Del Negro as their coach when the series is over will loom in the back of their minds. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah (if healthy) are their best players. Kirk Hinrich is a good table setter, but isn’t what Ben Gordon was for the Bulls last year. Luol Deng and rookie Taj Gibson are good players, but Gibson is playing in his first playoff series and Deng just isn’t the same player at this time a year. The Bulls will have an up hill battle, but it will be a fun series nonetheless. It’s not Jordan & Pippen vs. Price & Daugherty, but it’s good to see these two go at it in the playoffs.

Cavaliers in 5 games

4. Boston Celtics vs. 5. Miami Heat

I would like to say this series is going to be close, but I just don’t see it. The Celtics still have a deep team, but it is an old team. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are playing together probably for the last time. Garnett has lost a few steps. Pierce looks sluggish at times and uninterested. Allen seems to have been forgotten on the offensive side. It all boils down to Rajon Rondo. The distributor of the ball and the one that will try to keep everyone happy. When Rondo is on, the Celtics have it in them to run the table. Boston can’t possibly think of winning a title unless they are clicking on both sides of the court.
The Heat are the fifth seed, but I don’t see how they got this high of a seed with just Dwayne Wade. Wade is truly a one of a kind player and it shows with the group around him. Michael Beasley and Jermaine O’Neal are the only viable offensive options for Miami after Wade. If Wade can have a great game in Boston they might have a chance of sneaking a win for themselves going back to south beach. However, they can’t expect to get anymore than that with just Dwayne Wade. It might work against Atlanta, but not Boston.

Celtics in 5 games

3. Atlanta Hawks vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks

This is potentially the most exciting series of the first round. It would’ve been had Andrew Bogut been healthy for the Bucks. Alas they do have a good core. John Salmons was a great trade deadline acquisition from the Bulls. He has taken on the scoring load down the stretch and with veteran Jerry Stackhouse coming off the bench, the Bucks have some playoff experience. However, with a rookie point guard in Brandon Jennings leading the way, there isn’t much hope for this talented, but young team. Milwaukee is a different team at home and could make things interesting. They will sorely miss Bogut in the paint though.
The Hawks have a great core with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford and Marvin Williams provide excellent support to the star cast. Johnson is the superstar that no ones knows about. Not afraid to take the big shot when needed and is an excellent court general. Smith will get consideration for Defensive Player of the Year for the rest of his career. He’s now emerged as an offensive threat for Atlanta. Horford will have a chance to be the man in the paint with Bogut out. Look for Horford to have a big series. Williams is a defensive guy, but can give you 15 points a game. Bibby and Crawford provide a deadly combo of outside shooting for the inside game of Horford.

Hawks in 6 games

2. Orlando Magic vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats

They are division rivals, but in no way is this going to be a close series. The Magic will once again be relying on their outside shooting to get them back to the Finals. Dwight Howard will be the setup by his presence in the post. With him planted underneath the basket he will be a pain in the butt for the Bobcats. Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter will be patrolling the three point line waiting for their opportunity to strike. Orlando should have an easier time getting back to the Conference Finals with a healthy Jameer Nelson.
Charlotte does have the frontcourt depth to deal with Dwight Howard, but not nearly enough playmakers to offset Orlando’s. Gerald Wallace is a great player that does everything for them. His only help comes from the often hot headed Stephen Jackson who can be great and costly for his team. Raymond Felton is a good trend setter at the point, but Charlotte doesn’t possess the will to beat the defending conference champs. They could win one game at home, but Michael Jordan isn’t walking through that door in a uniform.

Magic in 5 games

Western Conference

1. LA Lakers vs. 8. Oklahoma City Thunder

At one point Oklahoma was going to possibly host a playoff series. Now they are stuck with playing the defending champion Lakers. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum are banged up, but will play. To avoid this series from being longer than it needs to be, Kobe must be his old self and Bynum must be more involved. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom will do their part, but for the Lakers to get back on track, Kobe and Bynum have to be healthy and in sync.
Kevin Durant will finally be seen if hasn’t been already. He will score big, but it will be the only positive for them in the series. Russell Westbrook will be the key for the Thunder. He is an emerging star. He is the best point guard in this series and will be counted on to help lighten the scoring load for Durant. Jeff Green is another good up and coming player that will have his moment in the spotlight in this series. Oklahoma could give the Lakers a series, but it will be tough to get it to seven games.

Lakers in 6 games

4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Utah Jazz

This will be a true test of will for the Nuggets. Can they win a playoff series without their coach George Karl? Clearly this is his team and right now his team sputtered into the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony will need to have a big series to get Denver into the semifinals. Chauncey Billups will also need to have a better showing. He’s been banged up all year, but this is his time to shine. Denver has a good trio of post defenders in Kenyon Martin, Nene and Chris Anderson, but neither is a threat offensively. It will be up to J.R. Smith to provide that extra spark off the bench.
Utah has a great point guard in Deron Williams who actually is a mismatch for Billups. Denver doesn’t have anyone who can keep up with him and Utah knows it. Carlos Boozer will need to have a great series for the Jazz. I’m talking 20 points and 15 rebounds a game for them. Mehmet Okur will need to give them a boost, but must be a presence in the paint and not sit around the three point line. The Jazz will miss Andrei Kirilenko who is out with a calf injury. He was the only one who could defend Carmelo Anthony. The Jazz will make it a great series, but Denver is too good to go down this early.

Nuggets in 7 games

3. Phoenix Suns vs. 6. Portland Trail Blazers

Phoenix has caught fire at the right time. They are playing to their strengths and it shows. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire are clicking on all cylinders and it’s hard to say that Portland will be able to stop them. Jason Richardson and Grant Hill will be counted on to lessen the pressure on Nash and Stoudemire. All in all the Suns have a favorable matchup that they would be wise not let drag on longer than it needs to be.
Portland was fortunate to avoid the Mavericks and Lakers, but they have run into the hottest team going into the playoffs. They will be without their best player Brandon Roy with a knee injury. LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Miller are dubbed the captains who must salvage what is left. Injuries have plagued them all year long and they haven’t used that as an excuse which is a credit to their coach Nate McMillan. Marcus Camby was a great addition and he has them playing defense against some of the best offensive teams. They will need it against the Suns.

Suns in 6 games

2. Dallas Mavericks vs. 7. San Antonio Spurs

These two have a long history in the playoffs and it will play out again. This time in unfamiliar territory in the first round. Dirk Nowitzki has two new running mates this time in Caron Butler and Shawn Marion who are great complements to what Head Coach Rick Carlisle has instilled in Dallas. Jason Kidd will need to have a big series. Not every game, but at least two where he puts up his Jason Kidd like numbers. Nowitzki and the Mavs haven’t had this much of an advantage against their state rival.
The Spurs are healthy and rested, but find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. They have some new faces, primarily Richard Jefferson who has been a disappointment for San Antonio. Tim Duncan will need to have a fantastic series for the Spurs to have a chance at getting past the Mavericks. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker who is back from injury will be their usual selves, but they will need Duncan to have his MVP type performance to get the Spurs into contention this time around.

Mavericks in 6 games