Durant's Tattoos

Looks like Durant is aware of his clean cut image and is trying to protect/keep it.  You won't be able to see any of those tattoos when he is wearing his jersey.  It can also be pointed out it is definitely time Durant is introduced to the weight room.

James Harrison the Diplomat

James Harrison was interview by the Mens Journal and really showed his friendly likable side.  The issue comes out this Friday.  Here are some of the better quotes that have already been released.

On Commissioner Roger Goodell:

"If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it," Harrison told the magazine. "I hate him and will never respect him."  His other descriptions of the commissioner include an anti-gay slur, "stupid," "puppet" and "dictator."  If the Steelers had defeated the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, Harrison said, he would have whispered in Goodell's ear during the trophy ceremony: "Why don't you quit and do something else, like start your own league in flag football?"

On Ben Roethlisberger:

“Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain’t that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does.”

On Troy Polamalu:

“He’s the one guy in football I respect absolutely, ‘cause he’s spiritual and lives it like he talks it. You know, he gets more flags than anyone on our team but never gets fined for nothin’. He’s so polite and talks so softly that he could tell he could tell Goodell to kiss his ass, and Goodell would smile and say thank you.”

On Black vs. White QBs

“Clay Matthews, who’s all hype — he had a couple of three-sack games in the first four weeks and was never heard from again — I’m quite sure I saw him put his helmet on Michael Vick and never paid a dime. But if I hit Peyton Manning or Tom Brady high, they’d have f*cked around and kicked me out of the league.” And: “I slammed Vince Young on his head and paid five grand, but just touched Drew Brees and that was 20. You think black players don’t see this shit and lose all respect for Goodell?”

On 2004 season:

“I should have another ring. We were the best team in football in 2004, but the Patriots, who we beat during the regular season, stole our signals and picked up 90 percent of our blitzes [in the AFC title game]. They got busted for it later, but, hey, they’re Goodell’s boys, so he slapped ‘em $500,000 and burned the tapes. Was he going to rescind their Super Bowls? Man, hell no!”

On High Hits:

“I get dinged about three times a year and don’t know where I am for a little minute. But unless I’m asleep, you’re not getting me out of the game, and most guys feel the same way. If a guy has a choice of hitting me high or low, hit me in the head and I’ll pay your fine. Just don’t hit me in the knee, ‘cause that’s life-threatening. How’m I going to feed my family if I can’t run?”

Other random attacks:

Also on the receiving end of Harrison’s ether were other NFL execs, Patriots-turned-commentators Rodney Harrison ("dirtiest player ever, a steroid cheater") and Tedy Bruschi (an idiot, straight-up simple.), Houston’s Brian Cushing (”juiced out of his mind”),  and teammate Rashard Mendenhall ("a fumbling machine) .

How to stop Head Injuries:

Harrison believes the solution to prevent a head injury is to shorten the season to 14 games, delay the start time for offseason workouts and trim the length of training camp so “we’re not bangin’ heads so much in August; that’s where the brain trauma comes from.”

Okay, can't really say much about the last quote, he is probably right.  Mendenhall replied to the attack on twitter by linking rushing statistics from last year where he ranks fourth in carries with 324 and only fumbled twice.  (He did fumble twice in the playoffs.).

One random side note though, does his quote about Polamalu remind anyone else of this great commercial?

Passing on Ingram and Most Overrated position in Football

 Ever since the NFL Draft I have heard on the radio, internet, and everywhere else how the Pats messed up to pass on Ingram.  Having a great running back at this point should be almost last on every teams list of needs.  Before you get carried away, I am not saying a running game does not matter, but rather having ONE great running back is vastly overrated.  Ever since major rule changes started happening in early 00's, like Brady rule after his knee injury and Manning's rule after Pats DBs roughed up Colts WRs in a Pats playoff win, football has steadily tilted more and more towards a heavy passing and a high scoring game.  This is being even taken further with concussion rules and how the defense can and can not hit a 'defenseless' receiver.  The end result is higher scoring games where teams need to be able to pass the ball and put points on the board to really compete. 

To add on to this, which already devalued a RB greatly, there are less and less teams who haven't caught on to the back by committee approach.  By my count, there are only 10 teams left who go with a single back, ATL, STL, HOU, PIT, CIN, TEN, MIN, CLE, CHI, SF.  Only 3 of them made the playoffs last year.  It is easier on the team financially, and easier in general, to find a backs who can fit one specific need (Power, 3rd down, etc.) and have a them form a two or three headed monster in your backfield instead of overpaying or using high draft pick on top RBs.  Although there is no RB who will admit it, the committee approach is probably better for their career as well.  They might not get as much credit, money, or playing time as they want, but this approach will lengthen their careers, and maybe even their life.  This is taken from a ESPN article where it was looking at what Chris Johnson from Tennessee, one of the ten teams using single back approach, new contract would be worth on the open market. 

Last year, no NFL quarterback took more hits than Jay Cutler, who was hit 92 times, according to the league. So consider this: Chris Johnson ran 316 times and caught 44 passes. He was hit presumably four times as much as Cutler, and that's before he threw a block.


This is why the average NFL running back doesn't last three full seasons, the shortest average career of any position group. These are the basic facts from the NFL Players Association, with 2.57 years cited in a recent study.

While 2.57 years is extremely short, it should not be too surprising.  How many elite RB have we seen rise and fall since '00? Also, how many elite RB since '00 have have actually won a ring?  While it may not be fair to put that entirely on their shoulder, it is interesting to look at.  Here is my own list of the top RB since 2000.  All players listed had multiple seasons going over 1200 yards rushing.

Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Maurice Jones Drew, Chris Johnson, Curtis Martin, Ahmen Green, Tiki Barber, Thomas Jones, Ricky Williams, Clinton Portis, Preist Holmes, Jamal Lewis, Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James, Steven Jackson, Corey Dillon, Jamaal Charles, Marshall Faukl

Of the 18 top backs only 3 have rings.  Corey Dillon with the Pats, Jamal Lewis on the Ravens, and Marshall Faulk with the Rams.  Almost every back on that list has been on a losing team at some point in their prime.  So is it really worth using such a high pick or huge contracts on a player who, odds are, will have a short career and even if they do pan out to the best RB in the world, won't automatically make you a contender?  By comparison, every elite QB since '00 (Brady, Manning, Rivers, Rodgers, Brees, Favre, Big Ben, Warner) now has a ring, except for Phillip Rivers, and they all almost always were on a winning teams.

So for all the people who are mad the Pats passed on Ingram and let him slip to 28th, don't be.  Be mad Pats didn't get anybody for their pass rush and be happy Pats aren't overpaying or reaching for a RB, and would rather improve O-line and plug in right players to fill the needed roles in the backfield.

QB > Defense > O-line > WR/RB

KAAAHN!

Do the Timberwolves/David Kahn ever stop being hilarious?  I hope not.

"Just one player not in our Top 100 was drafted on Thursday. The Blazers took Targuy Ngombo for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night with the 57th pick in the draft. Ngombo plays in Qatar and was discovered by Timberwolves international scout Pete Philo at a tournament in Manila, Philippines, last year.

While Ngombo lists his age as 21 on his passport, a number of other sources, including Qatar's FIBA website, suggest he's actually 26. If proven to be true, that means he's ineligible for the draft and the Wolves will have to forfeit the pick per NBA rules. Considering Minnesota traded for the pick and paid the Blazers some compensation (as of Monday the two teams were still haggling over what the price would be given the revelation), I'm sure owner Glen Taylor isn't thrilled." -Chad Ford

NBA Trade Rumors

The Lakers are the ones putting trade calls out on Pau Gasol, according to FOX's Sam Amico.  Previous reports have made it sound like other teams were calling the Lakers about Gasol's availability. But according to Amico, it's the other way around.

Very interesting.  I have no idea what Lakers are expecting to get back for Gasol, but unless it is something of Dwight Howard caliber they will be on the losing end.  Also makes you wonder how much of a problem there is in the Laker's locker room right now.  This wouldn't be the first time Kobe has pushed someone out of LA.

According to Yahoo! Sports, the Atlanta Hawks are checking out what they can get for forward Josh Smith and reportedly Smith would not mind being traded.  Smith has not asked for a trade. but he would prefer being sent to Boston, Houston, New Jersey or Orlando, if he's dealt by the Hawks.

This is the first time I can ever remember a player in his prime being asked to be traded to Boston.  This is probably due to his friendship and connection with Rajon Rondo, with who he roomed with at prep school.  Josh Smith's talents are largely untapped and he could still be a star in this league, but he has his flaws.  Namely, taking too many low percentage jump shots instead of attacking the rim.  Doc Rivers, a veteran team, and Rondo, could have a chance of pushing him in the right direction though, and this would add much needed youth and athleticism into the Celts aging roster.  I am not sure what they would give up for him or how the line up would work.

Andre Iguodala "loves" the idea of playing for the Clippers, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.  Iguodala feels unappreciated by the fans in Philadelphia and played his college ball out west.

More and more reports are coming out about Iguodala going to the Clippers for Kaman.  Bodog currently has 2/5 odd on Iguodala not being traded before the end of the draft on Thursday and 17/10 odds he will, meaning Vegas thinks he will be out of Philly.  Iguodala, like Loul Deng, continues to be one of the more underrated players in the NBA due to being overpaid (Not his fault GM offered him the contract), public not appreciating defense, and not boasting a high PPG.  I would imagine Clippers would have to offer more then injury prone Kaman (avg 48 games played in last 4 seasons), but if they do pull this off the Clippers starting line up would be scary.  Though they would need more depth and Blake Griffin committing to playing both side of the floor, they have the youth and talent to build off of and be a real force in a year or two.  For the 76ers this would open the door for Thadeus Young to take over, but still would be a significant downgrade due to Iguodala being one of the best defensive wing players in the league his ability to play point-forward.

Kenny Britt's Path to Retirement

For some people the off-season is looked at as a time to get better at things you struggle in, get over injuries, get in shape, and work towards really reaching your potential.  Kenny Britt is not one of those people.  He has showed his talent on the field and could consistently be a top receiver in the league year in and year out, but seems like if you give the guy a weekend off he will find trouble.  After his latest mishap, one of the smaller ones, I thought it would be nice to look at a what he has done to get better this prolonged offseason.

• February 22nd: Britt has to go to court in NJ for 'theft-by-deception' charge in which he  promised to pay $12,500 bail for childhood friend and rapper Albert "Albee Al" Robinson.  Charges were eventually lowered to a misdemeanor.  Albee Al was later arrested, while out on bail, for murder.  Police allege he threw a shot teenager into the Hudson River where he drowned to death.
• April 12th: Got into a car chase in NJ with police and was arrested for evading and lying to police.  A couple miles into the car chase Britt tried to stop the car and walk away as if he was a passenger.  Didn't work.  Charges were reduced and he ended up only paying $478 and being charged with 'careless driving' . 
• He does not show up to players only workouts in Tennessee and chooses to stay at his home in NJ. 
• June 8th: Arrested by New Jersey narcotic officers and charged with two counts of of resisting arrest.  He is accused of pushing police and not submitting to handcuffs after they found him smoking marijuana.  All charges were downgraded to 'disorderly persons' offense.
• June 13th: Britt becomes a wanted man in Nashville for outstanding misdemeanor warrants.  Britt had two arrest warrants out in the city via the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Police claim Britt made "inaccurate statements" on driver's license applications, and he is now expected to turn himself in.
• June 20th: Posts "Retiring from NFL.  F*** You Goddell" on his facebook page.  He later recanted and said someone hacked his page and it was a mistake... With his track record, any reason not to believe him?

Since the Titans have drafted Britt '09 he has been arrested six times and a wanted man once.  What is it about Wide Receivers that seems to bring in all the idiots, egomaniacs, and every type of stupidity to that position?  Also, I hate reality TV shows, but could anyone think of a better one then having Kenny Britt, Dez Bryant, and Legarrette Blount  spend their off season together and record what happens?

It is being reported that Britt will probably only be seeing a game or two suspension.  He should consider himself lucky (and also a great sleeper pick in fantasy).

2011 Stanley Cup Winners

I am the furthest thing from a hockey fan you can find, but when the Bruins are in the finals I will watch.  When they win the stanley cup, I will post.  So here you go.  Congrats to the Boston Bruins for completing a decade of dominance for Boston sports.  Since '01 Patriots have won three times, Red Sox twice, Celtics once, and now Bruins once. 

The most I can add to the conversation about the actual hockey being played in the finals is that this series reminded me so much of the first round match up in '08 between the Celtics and Hawks.  Celtics won the series in 7.  They won every home game and lost every away game.  What really struck me is how much Celtics and Bruins dominated their opponents at home but kept losing close games away.  The Celtics average margin of defeat in wins (all home games) was 25.25 points while the average margin of defeat in losses (all away games) was 5.66.  Besides game 7, in which Bruins just won 4-0, every game in Vancouver was decided by 1 point and two of the three ended 1-0.  On the other side of the border Bruins destroyed the Canucks and beat them 17-3 in the three games that were played in Boston with the closest game being decided by 3 goals.

Bruins Bets

2-0 +37.50

Date placed: Jun 10, 2011 4:10p Date settled: Jun 15, 2011 10:50p	Single #216284134 (Placed by Web) Hockey - Futures (Game) Moneyline NHL STANLEY CUP SERIES PRICE Best of Seven (2-2-1-1-1) Series is tied 2-2 (6911) Boston Bruins (Series Prices) +155 Fri@8:05p Final Scores Boston Bruins (Series Prices) 4 Vancouver Canucks (Series Prices) 3	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 15.50

Date placed: Jun 12, 2011 6:40p Date settled: Jun 13, 2011 11:08p	Single #216479613 (Placed by Web) Hockey - NHL (Game) Canadian Line NHL - STANLEY CUP FINAL - Game #6 Best of Seven (2-2-1-1-1) Vancouver leads Series 3-2 (12) Boston Bruins -1½ (+220) Mon@8:05p Final Scores Vancouver Canucks 2 Boston Bruins 5	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 22.00

Lebron James' Postgame Comments

Lebron's response when asked if he was bothered by people rooting for him failing:

"All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. So they can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they got to get back to the real world at some point."

Wow.  Where are Lebron Jame's PR people?  Does he realize he is not just talking to his 'haters', and is addressing every single sports fan out there?  Win or lose, every fan is going to go back to doing what they do.  Lebron might as well of said, "F the world, I am rich and you aren't."  For someone who's main goal is become a billionaire he sure knows how to get fans and support.   Ever since losing to the Celtics in the playoffs last year and saying, "I spoil a lot of people with my play", he has continually stuck his foot in his mouth and seems to miss the point.  A couple hours later he then tweeted:

The Greater Man upstairs know when it's my time. Right now isn't the time.

I can not say I am positive, but I think Lebron showing no signs of life, aggression, or desperation for the second year in a row in do-or-die games had more to do with him losing then the 'Greater Man Upstairs'.  There is no excuse for the best player in the league to average just 15 shots (almost 1/3 of them were 3 pointers) per a game in the finals and differ every 4th quarter to far less talented players.  38 year old Juwan Howard is not going to bail you out.

More on the finals coming up later.

Deshawn Stevenson's Lebron Shirt

He might be tatted up and doesn't like sitting on internet or typing, but that doesn't mean he can't get great custom shirts.

Hey Lebron!  Hows my Dirk taste

Finals Prop Bets Results

7-3 118.08

Date placed: May 29, 2011 5:49p	Single #215611726 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Moneyline 2011 NBA Finals- Dirk Nowitzki - Shooting Percentage in the Series Must Play in Game #1 for action. NBA.com is used for grading purposes. (1555) Under 48.5% -120 Tue@9:00p Competitor:(1554) Over 48.5% Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.33	win

Date placed: May 28, 2011 8:20a	Single #215496947 (Placed by Web) NBA Team Props (Prop) Moneyline Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks - Where will the Series be decided? (1020) American Airlines Arena, Miami -150 Thu@9:00p Competitor:(1021) American Airlines Center, Dallas Risk US$ 20.00 to win US$ 13.33	win
Date placed: May 28, 2011 8:19a	Single #215496937 (Placed by Web) NBA Team Props (Prop) Moneyline Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks - Exact Series Result (1006) Dallas Mavericks 4-2 29/4 Thu@9:00p Competitor:(1000) Miami Heat 4-0 Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 72.50	Win
Date placed: May 28, 2011 8:19a	Single #215496936 (Placed by Web) NBA Team Props (Prop) Moneyline Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks - Exact Series Result (1007) Dallas Mavericks 4-3 6/1 Thu@9:00p Competitor:(1000) Miami Heat 4-0 Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 60.00	lose
Date placed: May 28, 2011 8:16a	Single #215496852 (Placed by Web) NBA Team Props (Prop) Total Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks - Total Games in Series (1008) Over vs. (1009) Under Over 5½ (-225) Thu@9:00p Risk US$ 20.00 to win US$ 8.89	win
Date placed: May 28, 2011 8:11a	Single #215496799 (Placed by Web) NBA Team Props (Prop) Total Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks - How Manny games in the series will go to overtime? (1022) Over vs. (1023) Under Over ½ (+215) Thu@9:00p Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 21.50	lose
Date placed: May 28, 2011 8:05a	Single #215496723 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total 2011 NBA Finals- Dirk Nowitzki - Average Points per Game in the Series Must Play in Game #1 for action. NBA.com is used for grading purposes. (1550) Over vs. (1551) Under Over 25½ (-115) Thu@9:00p Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70	win
Date placed: May 28, 2011 8:05a	Single #215496705 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total 2011 NBA Finals- Chris Bosh - Average rebounds per game in series Must Play in Game #1 for action. NBA.com is used for grading purposes. (1546) Over vs. (1547) Under Under 8½ (-120) Thu@9:00p Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.33	win
Date placed: May 23, 2011 10:29a	Single #215201123 (Placed by Web) Basketball - Futures (Game) Moneyline Odds to win 2011 NBA Championship All wagers have action. (1052) Dallas Mavericks +200 Mon@9:00p Competitor:(1051) Chicago Bulls Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 20.00	win
Date placed: Apr 15, 2011 10:58a	Single #212073383 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Moneyline Odds to Win the 2011 NBA Finals MVP (The Bill Russell Trophy) All Wagers Have Action (1524) Field (Any Other Player) 35/1 Sat@1:00p Competitor:(1500) Amare Stoudemire (NYK) Risk US$ 2.00 to win US$ 70.00

NBA Finals Game 6 Results

2-3 -12.97

Date placed: Jun 12, 2011 9:33p Date settled: Jun 12, 2011 11:25p	Bodog Live #216495528 (Placed by Web) Which player will record more assists in the Second Half? Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat (3rd Quarter 12:00) "[#6] L. James +0.5" -115 Sun@12:00a	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 12, 2011 6:38p Date settled: Jun 12, 2011 11:14p	Single #216479451 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total (DAL vs MIA) - Tyson Chandler - Total Points and Rebounds Must Play for Action. (5942) Over vs. (5943) Under Over 19½ (-115) Sun@8:00p Final Scores Over 0 Under 13	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 12, 2011 6:34p Date settled: Jun 12, 2011 11:14p	Single #216479140 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total (DAL vs MIA) - Shawn Marion - Total Points Must Play for Action. (5940) Over vs. (5941) Under Over 13½ (-105) Sun@8:00p Final Scores Over 0 Under 12	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 9.52

Date placed: Jun 10, 2011 4:11p Date settled: Jun 12, 2011 10:44p	Single #216284183 (Placed by Web) Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Total NBA PLAYOFFS - CHAMPIONSHIP - Game #6 Best of Seven (2-3-2) Dallas leads the series 3-2 (711) Dallas Mavericks vs. (712) Miami Heat Under 187 Sun@8:00p Final Scores Dallas Mavericks 105 Miami Heat 95	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 9.09
Date placed: Jun 10, 2011 4:11p Date settled: Jun 12, 2011 10:44p	Single #216284182 (Placed by Web) Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Point Spread NBA PLAYOFFS - CHAMPIONSHIP - Game #6 Best of Seven (2-3-2) Dallas leads the series 3-2 (711) Dallas Mavericks +6 (-120) Sun@8:00p Bought 0.5 points Final Scores Dallas Mavericks 105 Miami Heat 95	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.33

Internet Thuggin'

When asked about dissing Lebron James on facebook Deshawn Stevenson responded,

 "There’s like 37 people that are acting like me on Facebook.  I mean, if you look at me and look at all these tattoos, do you think I’d be sitting on the Internet and typing?" 

I don't even know why reporters would ask him this question.  Isn't it common knowledge everyone who is tatted up doesnt do nerdy stuff like sit on internet and type?

Really?

There is people who will hate Lebron no matter what he does, like Yahoos' Wojnarowski, but things like this do not help.  Wrong place and time... Especially when you still have the mysterious elbow injury in the not too distant past and have not been playing up to par in last two games.  Wade doing this is even worse.  He might have the most excuses/flops/complaints in the league, and not a couple hours after this he had a mysterious injury that led to him leaving the game.. twice.

NBA FInals Game 5 Results

3-3 -.06

Date placed: Jun 09, 2011 10:45p Date settled: Jun 10, 2011 12:00a	Bodog Live #216260384 (Placed by Web) Live Over/Under (208) Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (3rd Quarter 5:59) "Over 208" -120 Thu@12:00a	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 15.00 to win US$ 12.54
Date placed: Jun 09, 2011 10:25p Date settled: Jun 09, 2011 11:55p	Bodog Live #216259292 (Placed by Web) Which player will record more assists in the Second Half? Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (3rd Quarter 12:00) "[#6] L. James +0.5" -115 Thu@12:00a	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 09, 2011 4:54p Date settled: Jun 09, 2011 11:48p	Single #216227686 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total (MIA vs DAL) - Dirk Nowitzki - Total Blocks Must Play for Action. (5876) Over vs. (5877) Under Over ½ (-120) Thu@9:00p Final Scores Over 0 Under 0	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.33
Date placed: Jun 09, 2011 4:53p Date settled: Jun 09, 2011 11:48p	Single #216227655 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total (MIA vs DAL) - Shawn Marion - Total Points Must Play for Action. (5886) Over vs. (5887) Under Over 13½ (-115) Thu@9:00p Final Scores Over 0 Under 8	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 09, 2011 4:53p Date settled: Jun 09, 2011 11:48p	Single #216227654 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total (MIA vs DAL) - Tyson Chandler - Total Points and Rebounds Must Play for Action. (5888) Over vs. (5889) Under Over 19½ (-115) Thu@9:00p Final Scores Over 20 Under 0	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 08, 2011 3:28p Date settled: Jun 09, 2011 11:46p	Single #216172459 (Placed by Web) Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Total NBA PLAYOFFS - CHAMPIONSHIP - Game #5 Best of Seven (2-3-2) Series is tied 2-2 (709) Miami Heat vs. (710) Dallas Mavericks Under 185 (-115) Thu@9:00p Final Scores Miami Heat 103 Dallas Mavericks 112	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70

What to Watch For in Game 5

It will be very interesting what changes the coaches and players will make going into game 5.  The most obvious thing to watch for is how Lebron rebounds after scoring just 8 points in game 4. 
The other not so obvious changes I am looking forward to seeing is how much playing time Bibby gets, he has been atrocious on both ends of the floor.  He is not hitting open shots, the one thing that is really asked of him, and, as expected, Barea and any other Mav he is guarding is blowing by him easily.  Chalmers has severely outplayed him in every aspect of the game, and the Heat also have no problem having Lebron handle the 1 and have no point on the floor at all.  I think this is actually when they are at their best.  Wade/Lebron/Miller/Haslem/Bosh spreads the floor and provides great defense.

The second change I expect to see is Miami attack the rim and Tyson Chandler much more.  Chandler has been huge for the Mavs on both ends of the floor.  He is eating up offensive boards, averaging 6.6 in the last 3 games, his defensive presence is huge as he makes scoring at the basket in half court sets extremely hard, and he can make the other team pay on offense when his man lags off him.  This was enough reason to get him in foul trouble, something he has always been prone to doing his whole career, but with Haywood out the Heat need to add even more emphasis to this strategy.  The only person Mavs have now to back up Chandler is Mahinmi, who is not close to ready to play at this stage.  Every minute Mahinmi is forced to play is great for the Heat.  In the last 83 minutes Chandler only has 5 total fouls.  This needs to change for the Heats sake.  Lebron, whether he is making the basket or not, needs to be more aggressive and attack the body of Chandler and force the refs to blow the whistle.  

Nowtizki's Flu Game

While it wasn't exactly Jordan's Flu Game, this was another memorable game in what is turning into a historic playoffs for Dirk Nowtizki. It should never again be said that Dirk does not show up in big games or that he chokes in big situations (I have been guilty of this in the past, though my brother has not). Here are some random notes from game 4:

• Nowtizki missed a free throw. And yes, that is worth a bullet point. He is now 163/174 in the playoffs and 33/34 in the finals.
• Only six Dallas players scored last night. Funny that going into the series the main reason that people did pick Dallas was because they are so deep and have so many players who can put the ball in the basket.
• On the topic of teams being deep, all four of the Miami bench players who saw the floor finished with + in +/- and all five starters finished with -. What a big difference a semi-healthy Haslem and Mike Miller are. They went from having by far the worst bench in of all playoff teams to now having one of the deeper squads.
• Outside of Dwayne Wade, Mario Chalmers looked like the 2nd best Heat player on the floor yesterday. He was aggressive with the ball and attacked the paint instead of playing the perimeter, played great D and caused turnovers, and made good decisions which led to 6 assists in just 29 minutes. Since hitting the game tying 3 pointer with Kansas in the NCAA championship game, Chalmers has looked like he relishes the spotlight and big games. While I do love players like this and it is great to always have one on the the team, this leads to my next point.
• Chalmers will undoubtedly get the X-factor tag placed on his name and be overpaid this off season. I can't wait to see the contract offers he gets. We could name these type of contracts after James Posey.
• Lebron James had his lowest point total in a playoff game in his career. He ended up going 3/11 for 8 points. Yes, he had a very bad game and has not been playing amazing in the finals, but no, this is not proof of him choking and not performing in the clutch. Did we already forget how they got to the Finals? Besides this game Lebron has not played a bad Finals. Sorry he is not forcing shots when his teammate Dwayne Wade is being covered by the likes of Jason Terry and Jason Kidd. Last time I checked averaging 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and being an absolute menace on defense is a pretty good thing.
• The MVP of last nights game was Dallas's zone defense. Carlisle implemented it perfectly as he waited until the end of the game to use it. The Heat's offense looked lost and did not know how to respond. They were left taking contested jumpers with little time left on the shot clock and got no easy baskets at the rim. They went 1/9 in the final 7:23, and in a stretch of one minute between 5:16 and 4:18 left in the game had 3 of their 13 total turnovers. Also, wasn't it great when the Heat took a timeout and Dallas went back to man-man? This almost assuredly messed up the play that Spoelstra had just drawn up. Dallas went right back to the zone after that possession.
• Another part of the game Carlisle did a great job of controlling last night was only playing a 7 man rotation, but still getting players rest. Only Chandler was forced to play over 40 minutes as Haywood was obviously not up to the task.
• This can not entirely be Haywoods fault, but it is not too often you can see a player be on the court for just 3 minutes but have a -10 in +/-.
• I realize this oversimplifies basketball, but it really consists of three things: offense, defense, and rebounding. Please, do no confuse rebounding with defense. Kevin Love and Al Jefferson are perfect examples of players who excel at rebounding but are absolutely terrible at defense. It is hard to find examples of players who excel at defense but are horrible at rebounding, but as a team, that is just what Dallas is doing (the Celtics did this all the time). They are forcing Miami into hard shots and then turning to looking at the ball instead of finding somebody to box out. The only one who had an excuse last night was Nowitzki, who looked like he could hardly move and had to box out the extra athletic Joel Anthony. Dirk still ended up with 11 rebounds. If Dallas boxed out and kept Miami off the offensive boards it would not of been a close game. Wade, who led all guards in the regular season in offensive boards with 1.6 a game, is killing Dallas with easy put back dunks. He has gotten 3 a game so far in the Finals.
• I have to agree with Van Gundy, something NEEDS to be done about the flopping in the NBA. They need to start penalizing players and suspending them when they flop. Lebron James' flop in the first half, when he acted as if a NFL player had just hit him, led to 3 easy points via a tech on a Mavs coach and the two free throws. When the total difference in the last 3 games is 7 points, every point matters. You can't fault the players (except when Lebron is winking after flopping); at this point it is whatever it takes to win. If the ref is going to make the call, are you really not going to flop for the integrity of the game? The NBA needs to come down hard on this.
• What did Corey Brewer do to Carlisle? As Wade continues to abuse the Mavs, averaging 29.8 points while shooting .588 shooting, why not throw your best wing defender at him? I realize Carlisle wants to spread the floor, but at what cost? Especially when Barea is not hitting open 3s anyway. They could easily put Terry and Brewer in the back court at the same time. They could hide Terry, who Wade has been abusing, on whoever is playing point for the Heat and have Brewer cover Wade.

Finals Game 4 Results

5-2-1 +32.20

Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 10:31p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 11:52p	Bodog Live #216148390 (Placed by Web) Which player will record more rebounds in the Second Half? Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (3rd Quarter 12:00) "[#6] T. Chandler -1.5 Reb" -125 Tue@12:00a	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.03
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 10:30p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 11:52p	Bodog Live #216148352 (Placed by Web) Which player will score the most points in the Second half? Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (3rd Quarter 12:00) "[#3] D. Wade" +235 Tue@12:00a	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 5.00 to win US$ 11.75
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 10:28p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 11:52p	Bodog Live #216148217 (Placed by Web) Which player will record more assists in the Second Half? Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (3rd Quarter 12:00) "[#6] L. James +0.5" -106 Tue@12:00a	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 22.00 to win US$ 20.72
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 8:40p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 10:18p	Bodog Live #216140645 (Placed by Web) Which player will score the most points in the First half? Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (1st Quarter 12:00) "[#3] D. Wade" +239 Tue@12:00a	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 5.00 to win US$ 11.96
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 8:40p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 10:18p	Bodog Live #216140644 (Placed by Web) Which player will record more assists in the First Half? Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (1st Quarter 12:00) "[#2] J. Kidd -0.5" -135 Tue@12:00a	Outcome: Loss
Risk US$ 20.00 to win US$ 14.81
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 2:29p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 11:46p	Single #216108656 (Placed by Web) Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Point Spread NBA PLAYOFFS - CHAMPIONSHIP - Game #4 Best of Seven (2-3-2) Miami leads 2-1 (707) Miami Heat +3 (-115) Tue@9:00p Final Scores Miami Heat 83 Dallas Mavericks 86	Outcome: Push
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 2:29p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 11:46p	Single #216108608 (Placed by Web) Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Total NBA PLAYOFFS - CHAMPIONSHIP - Game #4 Best of Seven (2-3-2) Miami leads 2-1 (707) Miami Heat vs. (708) Dallas Mavericks Under 187 (-115) Tue@9:00p Final Scores Miami Heat 83 Dallas Mavericks 86	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 2:25p Date settled: Jun 07, 2011 11:54p	Single #216108392 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total (MIA vs DAL) - Shawn Marion - Total Points Must Play for Action. (5812) Over vs. (5813) Under Over 12½ (-125) Tue@9:00p Final Scores Over 16 Under 0	Outcome: Win
Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.00

NBA FInals Game 4 Bets

Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 2:29p	Single #216108656 (Placed by Web) Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Point Spread NBA PLAYOFFS - CHAMPIONSHIP - Game #4 Best of Seven (2-3-2) Miami leads 2-1 (707) Miami Heat +3 (-115) Tue@9:00p Competitor:(708) Dallas Mavericks Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 2:29p	Single #216108608 (Placed by Web) Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Total NBA PLAYOFFS - CHAMPIONSHIP - Game #4 Best of Seven (2-3-2) Miami leads 2-1 (707) Miami Heat vs. (708) Dallas Mavericks Under 187 (-115) Tue@9:00p Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.70
Date placed: Jun 07, 2011 2:25p	Single #216108392 (Placed by Web) NBA Player Props (Prop) Total (MIA vs DAL) - Shawn Marion - Total Points Must Play for Action. (5812) Over vs. (5813) Under Over 12½ (-125) Tue@9:00p Risk US$ 10.00 to win US$ 8.00

The Media's Idiocy Regarding LeBron, the Need for Brewer to Get Peja's Minutes, and Other Assorted Thoughts

Three games in and it's Miami 2, Dallas 1. Outside of Dallas' torrid stretch at the end of the fourth quarter in Game 2, Miami's defense has been the story. Some thoughts going forward:

• John Hollinger has a an interesting article regarding some moves that he believes the Mavs need to make. First, he recommends starting Jason Terry. I really don't care either way about this one--who starts doesn't matter all that much, as long as Terry gets his minutes. Second, however, he makes a very timely statement regarding the need to "shake up Dirk's minutes." Hollinger points out: "Dallas has played only 20 minutes without Dirk in the series, but in that time the Mavs are a staggering minus-31. At that rate, Dallas would lose a 48-minute game by 74 points. Basically, the Mavs are outplaying the Heat as long as Nowitzki plays, but they're getting killed in his few minutes of rest." The primary culprit for these terrible numbers? Peja Stojakovic. He's not hitting shots and getting absolutely toasted when he attempts to play something resembling defense. Like Hollinger, I believe Carlisle needs to show Peja the bench and give his minutes to Corey Brewer. In fact, Brewer should be getting run in the late minutes as well if Dallas is able to substitute offense/defense, as he's much better equipped than Jason Kidd to cover Dwayne Wade.
• I do like Carlisle's strategy of giving DeShawn Stevenson a quick hook at the beginning of the first and third quarters and replacing him with J. J. Barea. Doing so allows Barea to get his minutes against Mike Bibby.
• Speaking of which, Mike Bibby should probably start getting about 10 minutes a game. Much like Peja, he really isn't bringing anything to the table.
  
• The LeBron negativity emanating from the Skip Bayless wing of the journalism world is, put plainly, stupid. First of all, it ignores the first three rounds of the playoffs, in which LeBron's clutch shooting reached historic levels. Second, it ignores matchups. Jason Kidd cannot cover Dwyane Wade. He gives Wade about five feet of room all the way to the free throw line, allowing for easy and uncontested jumpers. And Wade dominates him on the block. Also, Tyson Chandler doesn't care to cover Chris Bosh; he would much rather stay around the rim. Therefore, Bosh can get an open jumper nearly whenever he wants. Third, it ignores LeBron's passing--he's had great assist numbers during Finals' fourth quarters. And fourth, it ignores defense. LeBron has continued to show that he is arguably the best perimeter defender in the NBA (it's between him, Andre Iguodala, and Tony Allen) by shutting down Jason Terry to such an extent that Dirk is calling JET out for his lack of clutch scoring. Apparently, when it comes to the media, little has changed in the last three months.
• The Mavs have shored up their defensive rebounding quite a bit since the first game, with Dirk in particular greatly improving his box outs.
• Udonis Haslem's jumper has been an effective weapon throughout his career. But man, is it ugly.
  
• Assuming Brendan Haywood is out, Chandler's play in light of an increased workload bears watching. Ian Mahinmi reminds me of Shelden Williams in last years' Finals--clearly not ready. If Chandler begins to struggle due to playing nearly 40 minutes a night, or if he gets in foul trouble and forces Mahinmi onto the floor, the Mavs will be in trouble.
• The Mavs have a tough road ahead, but the series is not over. Dallas needs to win the next two and then hope to steal one in Miami. Difficult, but quite possible.

• On a non-Finals note, there has been talk of a Monta Ellis for Andre Iguodola swap. If this deal happens, it would be a great day for Golden State, and a slide away from the playoffs for the 76ers.