Get Up Eight Times

(Posted this originally on Yardbarker Backyard)

How often do athletes bring out the best in each other?

It’s an interesting question to ponder after Rafael Nadal took Wimbeldon away from Roger Federer in the fading English light. It was one of those titanic clashes you never forget watching. It was the equivalent of watching Beethoven and Mozart compose a piano concert together, with clashing styles of power and grace coming together, hitting the wrong notes every now and then, but ultimately combining for a product greater than what the two might put together individually.

Of course we know Beethoven and Mozart never worked together, but if there was a tennis equivalent, this might’ve been it. And in sports, we rarely get the opportunity to see two players, two teams bring out the best in one another. Sports aren’t often a matchup of the ideal–they happen rarely, even in a world where the number of sports we watch borders on the infinite.

In football it’s rare to see two great teams bring out the best in one another because they’re too busy knocking the hell out of one another to appreciate the game of the other. This year’s Super Bowl brought out the worst in the Patriots (doing just enough to stay ahead) and the best in the Giants. Baseball suffers from the same problem; it is more dependent around the surrounding historical context (the Yankees trying to win their fourth straight under the specter of 9/11, the Red Sox battling against their own history) to have added resonance with the viewer.

Hockey and soccer is full of plenty of great finishes, but in between the drama and goals is plenty of interlude, defense, and penalties. In basketball the instances where both teams are playing at their best have been minimal–you could argue that during the 2008 NBA Finals, neither team played great basketball at the same time. We want to see teams giving each other their best shots, but it doesn’t happen often. You could probably name games where both teams were playing well at the same time on your fingers.

Ultimately, it’s harder for both teams to play at the same level at the same time because it requires a group to succeed collectively. It nevertheless doesn’t make. People have pined for Tiger and Phil, but they have never played their best golf at the same time. Even when Woods has won his fights, he has never seemed vulnerable. He was fighting the course and his swing more than anyone else. Even his great win was more of an endurance of will than upping the ante with Rocco Mediate. We still haven’t seen anything like Nicklaus and Palmer and Player to develop–Tiger has stood on his own. Everyone else falls.

To delve even further into the individual sports, only in the one-on-one sports have we ever seen intense personal rivalry develop. It was Schmeling and Louis, Ali and Frazier, Leonard and Hearns which connected boxers to the masses, and provides it with its color; mixed martial arts is beginning to realize that too. But the individuals were at the center, not the game. Fighting by its very nature brings out the most primal in each and every one of us, and even though it’s compelling, it’s by no means bringing out the best in each other.

No sport has needed more elevation of rivlary than tennis, which has depended on Borg, McEnroe and Connors, Sampras and Agassi, and the Williams sisters. Now in step Federer and Nadal, who barely let each other be broken during Sunday’s match. Nadal dictated pace and power, yet didn’t look ready to take it away from the defending champion. Federer didn’t look dominant, but everytime it seemed he was about to fall over he came right back, taking 0-30 defecits and eviscerating them ace by ace. Everytime he looked down he came back. He didn’t give away Wimbledon. Nadal simply outlasted him.

Of course these guys are comparable to Ali and Frazier only when they step into the arena; their dynamic force on the field of play does not translate into real-life chraisma. Federer maintains all the ferocity of a cuddly teddy bear, while Nadal’s chewing habits will probably earn him great admiration from the beaver folk. They’re tennis robots, which is to be expected of the current generation of great personalities.

They don’t need to be colorful off the field. They let their games speak for themselves. And last night they delivered what could be their magnum opus.

Discussion for the readers: When have you seen athletes bring out the best in each other?

Charles Barkley says it often: “A series don’t start until you lose on the other team’s floor.” Well, the San Antonio Spurs just throttled the Phoenix Suns, one of the most dominant road wins I’ve seen. That was a dynasty win, a win that great teams get. Take a look at all the other teams that lost Game 3 up 2-0, and you’ll know why the Spurs are still the class of the NBA. They’ve turned the most intriguing series of the first round into a laugher so far, and it’s all by playing smart.

Steve Kerr made the Shaq trade to focus in on stopping Tim Duncan. Shaq’s done nothing wrong. He’s played pretty good defense on Duncan when the Spurs ran the post game in the first two games. But Gregg Popovich is the master of adjustment, and so far Mike D’Antoni has not made the necessary counteradjustments.

See, the problem with Phoenix was never that they couldn’t stop Tim Duncan–it’s that they could NEVER EVER stop Tony Parker. Now Parker is reaching the prime of his career, and he’s weaving through five defenders and running the pick and roll to perfection. Along with Ginobili, the Spurs backcourt has picked an aging Suns team apart, and they’re one win away from an amazing sweep.

You have to admire the great coaching by Pops. Duncan was rarely set up once in the post, neutralizing Shaq’s defensive importance altogether. They ran pick and roll after pick and roll after pick and roll, switching Shaq onto Ginobili and Parker about three dozen times, and they took him to the basket or had wide open jumpers. Phoenix went to the zone to stop the pick and roll, Parker went right to the basket and knocked it out to Bowen, Thomas and Finley for their few field goals.

The Spurs (especially Parker) got into their rhythm early. The Suns never got into theirs until it was way too late.

Duncan doesn’t give a crap if he scores 10 or 30, and he’s been playing smart basketball. As have all the Spurs.

Now, is the situation salvageable for the Suns? Yes. They’re just going to have to adjust to the situation, something their coach and players have as yet appeared unwilling to do.

1) Full court press on Parker. It’s time. Stop reacting to him and make him work on both ends. I don’t care if you make Raja Bell drive to the basket five to ten times. Make Parker use up energy on the defensive end. He’s juat the little TGV that could if he’s only working offensively.

2) Forget about Duncan. Let him score 40. Hell, let him score 50. Just don’t let Parker and Ginobili get theirs. Duncan has a terrible record if he’s the only one scoring.

3) Take Steve Nash off of Parker, put him on the slowest player on the court. It’s ghastly to see him try and guard Tony; his legs are almost shot at this point.

4) Nash and Stoudemire should be pick and rolling right back at the Spurs. That was their bread and butter move in Game 1, and now they’re just dribbling and setting up some funky looking jumpers. My goodness.

5) I know this is going to sound ridiculous, considering what Phoenix gave up to get to this point. But I’m going to throw it out there anyway:

Shaq’s role has to be minimized on the defensive end.

At this point in his career, O’Neal is useless in the pick and roll. He can’t rotate, he can’t switch off. He’s only good at defending big men. Put him on Kurt Thomas or Oberto, but put Stoudemire back on Duncan. It doesn’t matter what Duncan gets, but at least Stoudemire has the ability to guard Parker or Ginobili on the switch better than Shaq.

Or set him up on the defensive end selectively. I’d think you’d put him on Duncan if they go into the post, but if Tim goes out to set a pick, put Stoudemire on him. It’s amazing that D’Antoni hasn’t tried this ONCE with O’Neal and Stoudemire both in the game.

These are just some suggestions, but anything works better than getting burned on the pick and roll for the thousandth time. Phoenix may have the greater talent, but they’re getting outcoached in circles. And that’s why they’re on the verge of getting swept.

I was doing this for the Play in California earlier today. Here’s the record of the liveblog.

Again, this post was originally at the Play in CA.

Did this at the Play in CA here, saving it here to make sure I remember doing it.

As college basketball wrapped up last night, I’m impressed by how tense the game was from start to finish. It was crisp, it was quick, it was fast. But it also reminded me flawed the NBA game is right now, and I think it’s a good time to present some of the issues.

Let’s look at how the NBA has always done this wrong–full timeouts at the end of games. I’m fine with full timeouts early in quarters, but when there are two minutes left in a game the flow gets interrupted with timeout after timeout. First of all, full timeouts make the casual fan impatient with say, a five-six point lead with fifteen seconds left. I’ll see people stream out of the stands and to their cars, and I’ll start paying attention to other things, like YouTube videos or what not at home. In other words, the end of the game feel stilted compared to the 47 minutes preceding its finish. Is it like this in any other sport? Anti-climactic is the word we’re looking for.

But there is a little tinkering we can do. If teams can’t have say, a two timeout limit, let’s convert all full timeouts after two minutes left into 20-second timeouts. This makes it easier for fans at home, because they don’t have to sit through all the stupid TV commercials they’ve already seen five to six times (do you really think I’ll visit AutoTrader.com the SEVENTH time around?). It makes it easier for fans at the game who have enjoyed great flow for two hours and twenty-five minutes only to watch it to grind to a halt in the final five. More importantly, players who are hot are likely to stay hot if there is less interruption at the end of the game.

Also, get rid of this “advance the ball to halfcourt” rule, one of the most retarded ideas ever. Halfcourt sets are more crowded, less frenetic, and less likely to produce a meaningful result. You’re likely to see someone like Kobe, LeBron, Dirk, Wade, spot up, try to be like Mike, hold the ball for five-six seconds, and see a ridiculous fadeaway shot. I hate this. This isn’t real basketball. Play full court and run a real play. Ball movement, set up something in the post, or run a screen and roll. A halfcourt set is more likely to produce a static result.

In college, while there are full timeouts, they’re a little bit shorter than NBA full timeouts. And there is no advancing into the frontcourt. So the flow isn’t interrupted that much. The NBA needs to adapt to make their game more palatable. I don’t know what the stats are, but I RARELY see a team come back to win anyway. In college basketball, you don’t have anyone advancing the ball. So speed the pace up and let the game keep flowing the way it does.

Continuing from the 3rd quarter.

Cut shot to Phil Jackson wearing Jordan Nikes. Sweet.

Speed lineup in for the Pistons, with Thomas, Salley and Rodman and Laimbeer all in. MJ driving to the hole guarded by Rodman…ends up getting blocked out by Salley. Here are the Bad Boys.

Pippen with a nice block, but no one’s boxing out for Chicago. Two putbacks by Laimbeer and Thomas.

Scottie can’t buy a jumper, and he leaves Rodman alone in the paint for a layup. Chicago only has a two point lead now.

Another offensive board for Detroit. Someone might think of putting Bill Cartwright back in.

Salley missing two dunk opportunities, but Detroit gets another rebound and the Microwave ties the game. You’ve got to love Doug Collins coached teams–they blew leads like no one’s buisness.

MJ goes into triple coverage and make a layup. This does not bode well for Chicago if that’s their fallback strategy. Read the rest of this entry »

Continued from the 2nd quarter.

Horace Grant picks up his 4th. More Dave Corzine baby, who closeup looks like an athletic version of Alex Trebek.

Four team fouls picked up by Chicago. This third quarter’s going to be a dandy to watch if this keeps up.

Paxson with an excellent strip of Isiah. I can’t believe I’ve gone two quarters without mentioning Isiah. You know Detroit is in trouble if I go more than three sentences without mentioning Isiah. I’m not sure if he’s scored.

Here come the Pistons, with five points by Laimbeer and a fast break by Isiah and layup by Mahorn…55-46. Detroit tightened up on the pick and roll defense.
Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing on from the first quarter…

Corzine and Davis get two more layups, followed by Isiah going into triple coverage and then travelling. Did I accidentally key up the 1991 Conference Finals? It’s 39-17. They’re making Dave Corzine look like Tim Duncan.

With John Salley and Dennis Rodman now on the floor, immediately you see blocking, cutting and dunking. Took long enough.

Pistons applying more press, and the Bulls have to run down that shot clock a little more than they’d like. Hasn’t made a dent in that lead though, because the Pistons can’t do anything right. Bill Laimbeer can’t help but “accidentally” blindside MJ after he turns over the ball.

Charles Davis decides to go one-on-one on Rodman. That’s always a dumb idea.

Chicago going fast, Detroit going slow. That’s a fantastic strategy when you’re down by 24. Let’s just take that 20 foot jumper the rest of the night, alright Bill?

You can tell Grant and Pippen are still young. Pippen isn’t in his famous defensive stance and Horace isn’t wearing goggles.
Read the rest of this entry »

We’re going into the vault for some old school basketball. Jordan v. Bad Boys, 1989.

Brent Musburger (Musburger looks happy that Jordan here) and Bill Raftery commentate. This is going to be awesome. Lesley Visser looks like a darling here.

Starting lineups:
Pippen, Grant, Cartwright, Jordan, Hodges (HODGES?)
Aguirre, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Thomas, Dumars

Mahorn on an offensive rebound, 2-0.

MJ takes a long jumper, then forces a pass on a turnover. Not a promising start.

Bill Davidson looks older here than he did when he won the ‘04 title.

Pippen clanks an open jumper. Highly unScottie like.

Lot of gambling by Cartwright on Mahorn, which makes little sense since you want Mahorn in front of you.

Hodges throws into traffic in the fullcourt. Not a terribly focused effort so far for Chicago, but then again, Hodges is the point guard… Read the rest of this entry »