I've done a good bit of thinking (and sleeping) the past 64 hours or so since the Cavaliers were officially eliminated from the race for the 2010 NBA Championship by the Boston Celtics who I personally loathe with a passion in case anyone reading this hasn't seen my Facebook statuses over the past several months.
Several things have crisscrossed my mind during this time of mourning. A mourning that seems to have become an annual event about this time of year for me.
First, Bruce Hooley of Columbus' 97.1 FM The Fan, a sports talk radio station, made an interesting analogy regarding LeBron James' post game press conference after game 6.
Normally I disagree with his opinions or takes on everything sports. But this time around he seemed to nail it.
He said the interview felt like a conversation you have with your soon-to-be ex-girlfriend just before you break up or maybe that required first conversation after you have split.
It was real uncomfortable and it seemed like he just wanted to get it over with. He seemed to "say" all the right things but the mannerisms and the tone just reeked of "GET ME OUT Of HERE!"
This reminded me of a girl I was dating back in college. We never progressed to the point of a committed, exclusive relationship that one might compare to the love affair us Cavs' fans have had with LeBron James, but it was a very cool, enjoyable period of time in which we hung out a great bit and shared a ton of good times.
But suddenly things got real weird with her. Out of no where there was this disconnect without any real event to point to as a cause.
This is much how I felt throughout the Boston series with LeBron. He suddenly started acting weird with no real event that I was aware of as to why. He seemed to lose interest. He wasn't joking around with his teammates. He didn't seem to be trying or even caring. He wasn't even mad.
It felt very wrong.
Now that the series is over, our Cavs lost and they lost this way with these odd, bad feelings surrounding it, we enter the LeBron free agency summer in an extremely fragile state.
Why would he want to stay? $30 million?
He says he wants to play for a winner. He even went so far as to say he believes the Cavaliers are committed to winning which one would say is a positive sign.
But with two choke jobs in a row and little wiggle room with the cap (although don't quote me here, I haven't looked into the details so I am not so sure what they can or cannot do), the Cavs may be in trouble. The players they have are obviously not enough. They may not be able to acquire the kinds of players that can.
In addition, there is this sour feeling surrounding the team and city. I can easily see why James would want to leave for a fresh start. Even though the pressure to win in markets like New York are immense, they are also intensified in a championship starved city like Cleveland. So little or no benefit there.
This leads to my next series of thoughts.
How much better would the Cavs have done had they a better coach than Mike Brown. I hate to trash a man that has already been dragged through the mud. He seems like a good man. But I look at this lineup and there seems to be a ton of talent. And the super talent of a two time MVP.
Why couldn't they do better?
The rotations seemed so bad. There didn't seem to be the right players on the court at the right time.
The offense was BAD. There was little or no ball movement or reliable plays.
I never saw the kinds of adjustments I see from other teams and their coaches. In fact, it seemed like the opponents were always able to adjust in critical times in the past several postseasons while the Cavs could not.
Finally, opposing coaches that looked out coached in the past, somehow were able to coach well in their series against the Cavs. Did the light bulb suddenly go off for them?
No.
They were just coaching against a minor league coach.
Therefore, I ask myself why did the Cavs lose? Every year seemed to have a new excuse. This time there is no where else to look or blame than the coach or players themselves.
They had the MVP. They had home court advantage two years in a row. They had playoff experience. They had several all stars. They had size down low with Shaq and length and athleticism in Parker and Moon. They had outside shooting. Lastly, they had a strong defensive scheme...or so I thought up until the All Star break.
Every off season they made moves to shore up weaknesses, but here we are in the same place for the Finals. Home.
So would a new coach be able to get this same group to a championship? Would this be enough to convince James to stay?
I try to rate where this disappointment and fear of LeBron leaving ranks in the bad events of my life.
While it doesn't come close to sitting in the doctor's office hearing that my baby will die before its born or watching my daughter seize uncontrollably in the hospital with no answers as to why, it does match up with walking through Ohio Stadium where I cheered on so many people so many times in a moment where I would finally get cheered for and fulfill a dream I worked hard to accomplish just to see it wash away before my very eyes in the only Spring commencement at The Ohio State University to get cancelled due to weather.
Yep. Only one and it was mine.
To add insult to injury, the second I returned to the apartment for a family celebration, the sun shone through for a beautiful afternoon.
Yeah, this feeling regarding the Cavs relates well to that moment.
Its bad. Real bad.
The worst of it is that this realization of the impending departure of LeBron James has happened so many times before. We know what is coming:
Joe Carter heroically winning the World Series for the Blue Jays with a dramatic home run.
Art Modell taking our football team from us and winning a Super Bowl. Something our Browns STILL haven't done.
Bill Belichick going to New England to lead a dynasty.
Manny Ramirez and CC Sabathia signing with bigger markets out east to win World Series rings.
James will leave for greener pastures where he will win championship after championship while we sit here with nothing.
NO THING.
Showing posts with label Boston Celtics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston Celtics. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Saturday, October 17, 2009
2009-2010 Cleveland Cavaliers: No More Excuses
Before we go forward, we must look back.
Since the emergence of LeBron James to NBA royalty, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been trying to find the perfect recipe to mix with him for a title.
In 2007 LeBron put the team on his back and carried them to the NBA Finals. But they were easily disposed of by the experience and overwhelming talent of the San Antonio Spurs.
Ferry knew he needed to bring in more talent. He wanted to surround James with a better supporting cast. At the same time, he tried to maintain the integrity of the team and keep contract flexibility for the 2010 free agent class only a few years away at that time.
In a trading deadline blockbuster during the 2007-2008 season, he brought in Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith.
Unfortunately, a fourth seed in the postseason led the Cavs to playoff series without home court advantage. Many blamed this for the early exit in the second round to the eventual champions, Boston Celtics. It was said in some circles that the closely contested game seven of that series would have gone in the Cavs' favor if it was in Cleveland instead of Boston.
So last off season Ferry went out and acquired Mo Williams to guide the team and possibly be LeBron's number two man. In addition, the team committed themselves to "one goal," which meant they were gunning for home court advantage throughout the entire postseason and a title.
The team ripped off a franchise record 66 wins. They dominated the first two playoff series, sweeping Detroit and Atlanta.
They had the coveted home court advantage and several players were stepping up to give James the support every Cavs' fan had been begging for throughout his career.
But once again, they fell short as Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic created match up problems that Mike Brown and the Cavs could not overcome.
That brings us to the 2009 off season. There were more off season moves by Ferry to shore up the lineup and address those problems Orlando presented for the Cavs.
First, the "Shaquisition." Ferry worked a low risk trade with the Phoenix Suns to acquire Shaquille O'Neal for center/forward Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic as well as a draft pick.
Last season O'Neal averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game and appeared in his 15th All-Star Game.
In addition, Ferry signed Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.
Parker is a guard/forward who can start. Last season with the Toronto Raptors, he averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and career highs of 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.0 minutes per game. He will fit in well with the defensive minded Cavs and add some much needed offense as well.
Moon is a forward who plays the same position as James but will find a way into the lineup. He is a solid outside shooter who can rebound and play defense. He averaged 7.2 points per game last season and 4.6 rebounds.Overlooked in the midst of these three signings was the resigning of Andy Varejao who brings plenty of hustle and energy to the team. He gets in the head of opponents and takes charges like few in the NBA do. He has also developed a good relationship with LeBron on the court as the two feed off each other.
O'Neal should be able to guard anyone down low without the need for a double team which will alleviate some of the stress on the perimeter. Parker and Moon add athleticism and length on the perimeter so the undersized Delonte West won't be worn down guarding the Rashard Lewis' or Hedo Turkoglu's of the world.
That brings us to the current season.
There are no more excuses for the Cavaliers.
LeBron now has a legitimate number two in O'Neal and there are quality role players surrounding them. They have height, shooters and ball handlers. They have athleticism and a mix of youth and experience. There is depth at every position.
The team chemistry was well documented last year as they enjoyed their pregame rituals like the photograph poses.
The core of the team has been together for several seasons. Mo Williams has been through a post season as an integral part of the team. The coach has plenty of experience.
This year MUST be the year.
Get home court.
Beat the teams in front of you.
Bring home the title to a starving city bleeding wine and gold!
Monday, June 16, 2008
NBA Finals vs. U.S. Open
Sports fans: What have you been watching?
Did you find yourself captivated by the NBA's championship series between the most storied franchises in the sport? Were you awed by the opportunity to watch a reconnection with the old glory days of the NBA's yesteryear? Did you soak up the glamorous highlights of Magic v. Bird? Abdul-Jabbar v. Parrish? Worthy v. Mchale? Or even the earlier matchups between these rivals?
Or did you find it hard to pull away from Tiger prowling (as if that term hasn't overused for Eldrick Woods) the fairways and greens of Torrey Pines at the U.S. Open? Were you interested in seeing if he could return from knee surgery and win his first event back, a major event at that? Did you smile in amazement as he hit remarkable putt after remarkable putt to close in and ultimately take lead after the 3rd round setting up an epic battle Sunday and Monday?
While I consider myself a basketball fan I question the validity of that statement as my casual interest in golf took, not only a front seat to the NBA Finals, but destroyed any interest in it at all!
Granted, the Cavs loss to the Celtics in the second round knowing full well they could have won and would have won against the Pistons in the following series killed my NBA buzz. Throw in Donaghy's claims that my worst fears may be true and the NBA officials are "yes" men to the NBA administration tayloring the outcomes to best fit the NBA's greater interests (See Lakers v. Celtics this year through trades of Gasol and Garnett that were questionable in fairness at best) and I have even more reasons to switch my attention to Tiger and Rocco.
I will be the first to admit my fandom to pro basketball weighs heavily on the success of my hometown Cavaliers (childhood hometown). As a whole I prefer NCAA basketball over the NBA even when my alma mater Buckeyes aren't successful thanks in large part to the tournament. But never has it taken a back seat to golf; an old man's sport in my mind.
Thanks to Tiger Woods that kind of thinking is old fashioned and neanderthal. Over the past few years my interest in golf has increased from Sunday afternoons of majors to common tournaments to all four rounds of majors. I love to root for Tiger which contradicts my usual preference of the underdog. Why is that? Could it be, as my friend has stated, that it is cool to see him beat up on old, rich white guys who have literally owned this sport for so many decades "at their own game"? Another topic for another post, but Tiger has singlehandledly pulled me and many other fellow sports fans of my generation into golf. I may have still gained interest in the sport as I entered the age where a round of golf is commonplace as recreation. And I may have discovered it in an effort to fill boring summer weekends with something other than reality tv or trashy crap. But Tiger makes it fun.
Sunday I rooted for Tiger to tie Rocco despite my usual practice of rooting hard for the underdog...I am from Cleveland after all. Well, the "Cleveland" area anyway. I loved each and every pressure packed shot he made. I was thrilled by the emotion he showed and amazing shots he made. But Monday I quickly returned to my normal state and pulled for Rocco, a guy who is hard not to like as you watch him play and interview. I really wanted him to beat the mighty Goliath dressed in red. He almost did just that making 19, or hell, all 91 holes of golf as entertaining as any of the games between Boston and L.A. For the record, I have not watched more than 5 minutes total of the NBA Finals and don't plan to watch any more.
And I can't play basketball with my Dad like I can play a round of golf.
Did you find yourself captivated by the NBA's championship series between the most storied franchises in the sport? Were you awed by the opportunity to watch a reconnection with the old glory days of the NBA's yesteryear? Did you soak up the glamorous highlights of Magic v. Bird? Abdul-Jabbar v. Parrish? Worthy v. Mchale? Or even the earlier matchups between these rivals?
Or did you find it hard to pull away from Tiger prowling (as if that term hasn't overused for Eldrick Woods) the fairways and greens of Torrey Pines at the U.S. Open? Were you interested in seeing if he could return from knee surgery and win his first event back, a major event at that? Did you smile in amazement as he hit remarkable putt after remarkable putt to close in and ultimately take lead after the 3rd round setting up an epic battle Sunday and Monday?
While I consider myself a basketball fan I question the validity of that statement as my casual interest in golf took, not only a front seat to the NBA Finals, but destroyed any interest in it at all!
Granted, the Cavs loss to the Celtics in the second round knowing full well they could have won and would have won against the Pistons in the following series killed my NBA buzz. Throw in Donaghy's claims that my worst fears may be true and the NBA officials are "yes" men to the NBA administration tayloring the outcomes to best fit the NBA's greater interests (See Lakers v. Celtics this year through trades of Gasol and Garnett that were questionable in fairness at best) and I have even more reasons to switch my attention to Tiger and Rocco.
I will be the first to admit my fandom to pro basketball weighs heavily on the success of my hometown Cavaliers (childhood hometown). As a whole I prefer NCAA basketball over the NBA even when my alma mater Buckeyes aren't successful thanks in large part to the tournament. But never has it taken a back seat to golf; an old man's sport in my mind.
Thanks to Tiger Woods that kind of thinking is old fashioned and neanderthal. Over the past few years my interest in golf has increased from Sunday afternoons of majors to common tournaments to all four rounds of majors. I love to root for Tiger which contradicts my usual preference of the underdog. Why is that? Could it be, as my friend has stated, that it is cool to see him beat up on old, rich white guys who have literally owned this sport for so many decades "at their own game"? Another topic for another post, but Tiger has singlehandledly pulled me and many other fellow sports fans of my generation into golf. I may have still gained interest in the sport as I entered the age where a round of golf is commonplace as recreation. And I may have discovered it in an effort to fill boring summer weekends with something other than reality tv or trashy crap. But Tiger makes it fun.
Sunday I rooted for Tiger to tie Rocco despite my usual practice of rooting hard for the underdog...I am from Cleveland after all. Well, the "Cleveland" area anyway. I loved each and every pressure packed shot he made. I was thrilled by the emotion he showed and amazing shots he made. But Monday I quickly returned to my normal state and pulled for Rocco, a guy who is hard not to like as you watch him play and interview. I really wanted him to beat the mighty Goliath dressed in red. He almost did just that making 19, or hell, all 91 holes of golf as entertaining as any of the games between Boston and L.A. For the record, I have not watched more than 5 minutes total of the NBA Finals and don't plan to watch any more.
And I can't play basketball with my Dad like I can play a round of golf.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
In my opinion....
I have stayed away from politics for the most part on this blog because I am quite ignorant about them. But I obviously have an opinion on many hot button issues of today so I am taking this opportunity to share with you my stance on some things and look forward to reading some comments that may support or disagree with my positions.
First of all, let me begin by stating that overall, I am rather moderate in my views I would think. I fall on the left on a number of issues but on the right on others. Many times my views have changed as I have grown up, entered different stages of life or experienced things to see them differently.
2008 Election:
I voted for Barack Obama in the Ohio primary. I am not a 100% backer of Obama though. I like Hillary Clinton as well. In fact, I even fell into that category of people that may lean democrat but liked McCain. I still prefer McCain over any of the other Republican candidates. But I as I have read more about McCain, I have become less comfortable with him.
So as of now, I would love to see a Obama/Clinton ticket. Here's why: I am a proponent of change and I think they will bring it. Things are really bad right now and have been for awhile. I can't tell you why or whose fault it is, but it's somebody's. So fresh blood needs to be infused.
I like the fact that they are really pumping changes in Healthcare. I am not knowledgeable enough regarding their ideas or how well they will go over in Congress and much of that, but something needs to be done and I feel there is a better chance something will be done to help the middle and lower class if they are elected. That is pretty much the running theme for me in most other issues: Which candidates will help the middle class most? I highly doubt Republican John McCain will.
Gay Marriage
I strongly have a problem with people's basic civil liberties being taken from them. I was under the impression that this country was founded on freedom. We obviously had issues with this for over a century and still do in terms of race. But it seems like we have been at least trying to move in the right direction over the past 50 years. It seemed like progress has been made with the feminist movement, civil rights and so on. So why take such a step backwards?
Also, I was under the impression that this country was founded on the freedom of religion and separation of church and state. I will respect a religion's view that homosexuality is wrong. While I disagree and will choose not to practice that religion, I will continue to respect that belief system unless it gets to the point of promoting the harming of gays as a result. These religions should therefore have the right to not recognize the union of same sex couples. But the government should not be making this decisions based on these religion's particular beliefs either. I understand many people like to use religion to drive morality but it gets very scary the more you do this. Religion has been used to oppress many people many times throughout history currently with the lack of gay rights and even in the before the civil war to justify slavery.
In a democracy it should be up to the people. And as it has been, the people of this hillbilly state have voted same sex unions down. So I can't say much except that my vote and opinion is for the freedom of same sex couples to be united and sharing in the benefits of traditional couples. Love is love. Both parties are able to aknowledge it and honor it, so I support it.
Welfare
I feel as though there are people in our country that need assistance and the government should be responsible in part to provide them with it. As fellow citizens, we should chip in.
Even if we have a problem with giving our hard earned money to other people we have no "connection" with, it benefits us in the end as the overall quality of life will be better. I don't feel good when I see or hear about people living on the streets or unable to get medicine especially children. I don't like driving around run down areas. I don't like being a victim of crime because someone is desperate for money.
While I realize this can never be completely fixed and people get themselves in these predictaments much of the time and should get themselves out, there are legitimate situations where honest people need help. I, too, have a problem with people living off the system. I understand welfare, obviously, won't fix it. And I worry the system promotes laziness and feelings of self-entitlement, but we can eradicate this without ridding our fellow citizens of welfare all together. We just need to rethink it and do it right.
Death Penalty
Simply put: I am for it. I know it isn't a reliable deterent. I know it costs alot. I am also afraid of killing someone who didn't commit the crime. But when it comes to serial killers, rapists, mass murders and major criminals, they need to be removed from our society completely. They did it, so they should suffer the same consequences.
Abortion
Toughest one for me. In my heart I am pro life. And in my life I choose to do everything I can to handle my situations in a prolife manner. But I see the other side clearly. The woman's body is the woman's body. There are situations when abortion unfortunately needs to happen. I think if we asked God what the correct stance on this one is, it would say something both sides would not want to hear. (Kathryn M. Huey circa 2005)
In my mind, the focus of both sides should be more on finding a way to prevent the reasons for abortion as much as we can in the first place. For example, wising up and providing birth control in schools. It won't promote more sex. New flash: Kids are already doing it. They have been for decades now. No sex until you are responsible enough to handle it is ideal and should be emphasized but let's be real, kids will aren't going to listen so prepare a back up plan.
If all the time in energy we spend fighting about what is right was spent on how we can avoid unwanted, unprepared pregnancies in the first place I think we could get so much closer to not needing abortions (except EXTREME conditions).
Education
NCLB stinks. Holding teachers accountable is a good idea but this not the way to do it. Penalizing instead of rewarding isn't a successful tactic in this case. Education 101 could teach you that. Funding for schools in Ohio, at the very least, has been ruled uncontitutional several times and nothing is being done about it. More and more pressure is put on the teachers with less and less support. The students need people. Teachers need people. We are spinning our wheels in the mud changing the ways we teach every couple years and keep missing the point. The problems are coming in with the kids from the streets or homes. Teachers then have to deal with them directly or indirectly before they even start to teach. How do we solve this? PEOPLE! Resources IN THE SHOOLS. Social workers, nurses all day everyday, assistant principals, classroom aides beyond kindergarden and security.
Then as we teach, please let us teach fundamentals in the lower grades. Middle schools and high schools can teach the higher level conceptual stuff. They need the basics first and we are so worried about teaching higher level conepts in 2nd grade that they go to middle school without knowing math facts or parts of speech. We need to go back to the old school of contructivism.
My Solution to MANY of the issues and problems we have today
In addition to the issues I grazed over above, there are many other problems. I have a solution to most if not all of them. Birth control in the water. We can then control the population better. We are not taking the right to have children away at all. Adults with an income and steady job history, insurance, passing parenthood exam score and classes passed and no more than 3-5 children already in the household can apply for a parenting liscense each time they want a child. Then they can obtain the shot required to neutralize the birth control and have their child.
Listen, I know. This is far fetched and scary. I get that. I am bordering on fascism if not already there. But think about it. Think of how things would be.
Celtics or Lakers
Neither. Can't stand either of them. KG ticks me off. Kobe is a premadonna and lying cheat to his wife. Boston fan is the most annoying sports fan EVAAAAAAAAAA!! Forget them both!
So what would you call me? Liberal? Conservative? I never can tell.
First of all, let me begin by stating that overall, I am rather moderate in my views I would think. I fall on the left on a number of issues but on the right on others. Many times my views have changed as I have grown up, entered different stages of life or experienced things to see them differently.
2008 Election:
I voted for Barack Obama in the Ohio primary. I am not a 100% backer of Obama though. I like Hillary Clinton as well. In fact, I even fell into that category of people that may lean democrat but liked McCain. I still prefer McCain over any of the other Republican candidates. But I as I have read more about McCain, I have become less comfortable with him.
So as of now, I would love to see a Obama/Clinton ticket. Here's why: I am a proponent of change and I think they will bring it. Things are really bad right now and have been for awhile. I can't tell you why or whose fault it is, but it's somebody's. So fresh blood needs to be infused.
I like the fact that they are really pumping changes in Healthcare. I am not knowledgeable enough regarding their ideas or how well they will go over in Congress and much of that, but something needs to be done and I feel there is a better chance something will be done to help the middle and lower class if they are elected. That is pretty much the running theme for me in most other issues: Which candidates will help the middle class most? I highly doubt Republican John McCain will.
Gay Marriage
I strongly have a problem with people's basic civil liberties being taken from them. I was under the impression that this country was founded on freedom. We obviously had issues with this for over a century and still do in terms of race. But it seems like we have been at least trying to move in the right direction over the past 50 years. It seemed like progress has been made with the feminist movement, civil rights and so on. So why take such a step backwards?
Also, I was under the impression that this country was founded on the freedom of religion and separation of church and state. I will respect a religion's view that homosexuality is wrong. While I disagree and will choose not to practice that religion, I will continue to respect that belief system unless it gets to the point of promoting the harming of gays as a result. These religions should therefore have the right to not recognize the union of same sex couples. But the government should not be making this decisions based on these religion's particular beliefs either. I understand many people like to use religion to drive morality but it gets very scary the more you do this. Religion has been used to oppress many people many times throughout history currently with the lack of gay rights and even in the before the civil war to justify slavery.
In a democracy it should be up to the people. And as it has been, the people of this hillbilly state have voted same sex unions down. So I can't say much except that my vote and opinion is for the freedom of same sex couples to be united and sharing in the benefits of traditional couples. Love is love. Both parties are able to aknowledge it and honor it, so I support it.
Welfare
I feel as though there are people in our country that need assistance and the government should be responsible in part to provide them with it. As fellow citizens, we should chip in.
Even if we have a problem with giving our hard earned money to other people we have no "connection" with, it benefits us in the end as the overall quality of life will be better. I don't feel good when I see or hear about people living on the streets or unable to get medicine especially children. I don't like driving around run down areas. I don't like being a victim of crime because someone is desperate for money.
While I realize this can never be completely fixed and people get themselves in these predictaments much of the time and should get themselves out, there are legitimate situations where honest people need help. I, too, have a problem with people living off the system. I understand welfare, obviously, won't fix it. And I worry the system promotes laziness and feelings of self-entitlement, but we can eradicate this without ridding our fellow citizens of welfare all together. We just need to rethink it and do it right.
Death Penalty
Simply put: I am for it. I know it isn't a reliable deterent. I know it costs alot. I am also afraid of killing someone who didn't commit the crime. But when it comes to serial killers, rapists, mass murders and major criminals, they need to be removed from our society completely. They did it, so they should suffer the same consequences.
Abortion
Toughest one for me. In my heart I am pro life. And in my life I choose to do everything I can to handle my situations in a prolife manner. But I see the other side clearly. The woman's body is the woman's body. There are situations when abortion unfortunately needs to happen. I think if we asked God what the correct stance on this one is, it would say something both sides would not want to hear. (Kathryn M. Huey circa 2005)
In my mind, the focus of both sides should be more on finding a way to prevent the reasons for abortion as much as we can in the first place. For example, wising up and providing birth control in schools. It won't promote more sex. New flash: Kids are already doing it. They have been for decades now. No sex until you are responsible enough to handle it is ideal and should be emphasized but let's be real, kids will aren't going to listen so prepare a back up plan.
If all the time in energy we spend fighting about what is right was spent on how we can avoid unwanted, unprepared pregnancies in the first place I think we could get so much closer to not needing abortions (except EXTREME conditions).
Education
NCLB stinks. Holding teachers accountable is a good idea but this not the way to do it. Penalizing instead of rewarding isn't a successful tactic in this case. Education 101 could teach you that. Funding for schools in Ohio, at the very least, has been ruled uncontitutional several times and nothing is being done about it. More and more pressure is put on the teachers with less and less support. The students need people. Teachers need people. We are spinning our wheels in the mud changing the ways we teach every couple years and keep missing the point. The problems are coming in with the kids from the streets or homes. Teachers then have to deal with them directly or indirectly before they even start to teach. How do we solve this? PEOPLE! Resources IN THE SHOOLS. Social workers, nurses all day everyday, assistant principals, classroom aides beyond kindergarden and security.
Then as we teach, please let us teach fundamentals in the lower grades. Middle schools and high schools can teach the higher level conceptual stuff. They need the basics first and we are so worried about teaching higher level conepts in 2nd grade that they go to middle school without knowing math facts or parts of speech. We need to go back to the old school of contructivism.
My Solution to MANY of the issues and problems we have today
In addition to the issues I grazed over above, there are many other problems. I have a solution to most if not all of them. Birth control in the water. We can then control the population better. We are not taking the right to have children away at all. Adults with an income and steady job history, insurance, passing parenthood exam score and classes passed and no more than 3-5 children already in the household can apply for a parenting liscense each time they want a child. Then they can obtain the shot required to neutralize the birth control and have their child.
Listen, I know. This is far fetched and scary. I get that. I am bordering on fascism if not already there. But think about it. Think of how things would be.
Celtics or Lakers
Neither. Can't stand either of them. KG ticks me off. Kobe is a premadonna and lying cheat to his wife. Boston fan is the most annoying sports fan EVAAAAAAAAAA!! Forget them both!
So what would you call me? Liberal? Conservative? I never can tell.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Cavs Wrap Up
Ok. It has been a couple of days. I think I can do this. Here are some of my random thoughts regarding the Cavs' 07-08 season and the current state of the team.
Season in Review
My knee jerk reaction has been that the season was a failure. Even objectively one can say that it was a disappointment since the only way to match or improve on last season would be to win it all since they made it to the Finals. They did not do that. So it should be deemed a failure.
But let's examine the season a bit closer. This year they ran into a Celtic team that was "supposed" to win. They had three bonafide all stars. The Cavs were right there in the end. One could argue they looked better in their losses than Boston looked in theirs. But that is splitting hairs and meaningless really. They lost.
There were more important factors.
First, they had a 10 day trip to China in the preseason. That may not sound like a lot but it affects you. I believe their slow start was due, in part, to the adjustment that needed to be made following the trip.
Second, the holdouts of Pavlovic and Andy were detrimental had a negative impact as well. They both played large roles in the prior season's success. Missing them hurt in general as well as in setting the rotation for the season and building chemistry and rhythm. It was a domino effect that lasted longer than it should have.
Also, there were injuries to important pieces at critical times and for long periods of time. These injuries did not allow for the rotation to be set, chemistry to be built or any kind of rhythm to be set. And obviously injuries keep key contributors from contributing.
Finally, the big trade midseason was also a tough obstacle. The new players coming in needed to gel and learn their roles on this team. The remaining players needed to adjust to new roles. The coaching staff and team as a whole had to figure out how to replace the skill sets of the departed players with the skill sets of the new players and remaining players. And once again, chemistry, rhythm and a rotation needed to be reset.....halfway through the season in time for the playoffs.
So the Cavs had so much to deal with not to mention the lack of any offensive (AGAIN) plan by their defensive head coach.
Taking all of this into account one can say this season was not that bad. But honestly, I just don't feel as good about where we stand as a team right now as I did last summer.
State of the Cavs
I am unclear how this offseason will go. I keep hearing how expiring contracts are gold and we have a bunch. Therefore, supposedly, we have a number of tradeable players. I just don't see it. I don't know what Ferry can do this offseason. If he can eleviate the team of the contracts of Wally, Smith, Jones and Snow then we may be in business. Personally I would like to see Joe Smith stay. I like the idea of keeping West and resigning Gibson. Both have too much potential. West really showed me something as became more aggressive and comfortable. He finally learned James wants him to take shots and not defer to the King all the time.
I was very negative at first, but now I wonder what would have happened if this team played a full season together. What if they knew their roles? What if they could enter a season together and stay together? Could they have won more games and get a higher seed earning home court and winning the Boston series? You know Boston wasn't gonna win a game seven in Cleveland. Then again, I doubt they would have won more than Boston's 66 games to get homecourt against them. But maybe Detroit. Maybe a Conference Final berth against the Celtics. Hmmm. Is this the key? A better regular season? Better post season position? Isn't what got them to the Finals last year the easy road through the playoffs? Of course, Detroit wasn't easy. Being down 0-2 to Detroit even harder. But they won in six. I still like to call that the 6 game sweep.
All in all, I do not feel as bad as I did earlier in the week. But as the weather in Ohio, that could change before I finish this sentence. I don't feel good either though. If Ferry blows up this team, I may not have a problem. As long as the moves make sense. Unlike the know-nothing-about-the-NBA local sports radio guys here in Columbus, I believe in Ferry. I like what he has done. I am going to trust him.
So let's see what he does. And drafting Koufos (Ohio State) at #19 is NOT a good idea. I called it first.
Go Cavs!
Season in Review
My knee jerk reaction has been that the season was a failure. Even objectively one can say that it was a disappointment since the only way to match or improve on last season would be to win it all since they made it to the Finals. They did not do that. So it should be deemed a failure.
But let's examine the season a bit closer. This year they ran into a Celtic team that was "supposed" to win. They had three bonafide all stars. The Cavs were right there in the end. One could argue they looked better in their losses than Boston looked in theirs. But that is splitting hairs and meaningless really. They lost.
There were more important factors.
First, they had a 10 day trip to China in the preseason. That may not sound like a lot but it affects you. I believe their slow start was due, in part, to the adjustment that needed to be made following the trip.
Second, the holdouts of Pavlovic and Andy were detrimental had a negative impact as well. They both played large roles in the prior season's success. Missing them hurt in general as well as in setting the rotation for the season and building chemistry and rhythm. It was a domino effect that lasted longer than it should have.
Also, there were injuries to important pieces at critical times and for long periods of time. These injuries did not allow for the rotation to be set, chemistry to be built or any kind of rhythm to be set. And obviously injuries keep key contributors from contributing.
Finally, the big trade midseason was also a tough obstacle. The new players coming in needed to gel and learn their roles on this team. The remaining players needed to adjust to new roles. The coaching staff and team as a whole had to figure out how to replace the skill sets of the departed players with the skill sets of the new players and remaining players. And once again, chemistry, rhythm and a rotation needed to be reset.....halfway through the season in time for the playoffs.
So the Cavs had so much to deal with not to mention the lack of any offensive (AGAIN) plan by their defensive head coach.
Taking all of this into account one can say this season was not that bad. But honestly, I just don't feel as good about where we stand as a team right now as I did last summer.
State of the Cavs
I am unclear how this offseason will go. I keep hearing how expiring contracts are gold and we have a bunch. Therefore, supposedly, we have a number of tradeable players. I just don't see it. I don't know what Ferry can do this offseason. If he can eleviate the team of the contracts of Wally, Smith, Jones and Snow then we may be in business. Personally I would like to see Joe Smith stay. I like the idea of keeping West and resigning Gibson. Both have too much potential. West really showed me something as became more aggressive and comfortable. He finally learned James wants him to take shots and not defer to the King all the time.
I was very negative at first, but now I wonder what would have happened if this team played a full season together. What if they knew their roles? What if they could enter a season together and stay together? Could they have won more games and get a higher seed earning home court and winning the Boston series? You know Boston wasn't gonna win a game seven in Cleveland. Then again, I doubt they would have won more than Boston's 66 games to get homecourt against them. But maybe Detroit. Maybe a Conference Final berth against the Celtics. Hmmm. Is this the key? A better regular season? Better post season position? Isn't what got them to the Finals last year the easy road through the playoffs? Of course, Detroit wasn't easy. Being down 0-2 to Detroit even harder. But they won in six. I still like to call that the 6 game sweep.
All in all, I do not feel as bad as I did earlier in the week. But as the weather in Ohio, that could change before I finish this sentence. I don't feel good either though. If Ferry blows up this team, I may not have a problem. As long as the moves make sense. Unlike the know-nothing-about-the-NBA local sports radio guys here in Columbus, I believe in Ferry. I like what he has done. I am going to trust him.
So let's see what he does. And drafting Koufos (Ohio State) at #19 is NOT a good idea. I called it first.
Go Cavs!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Get past LeBron...PLEASE!!!
I have a number of things in my head regarding my Cleveland Cavaliers and their second round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. As of this post they are down 2-0 and James is STRUGGLING. I can't cap it enough! Boston has found a way to not only stop him but shut him down. Their defense is much like San Antonio's last year in the Finals. They double him and slide a zone in his direction taking away the easy lanes for layups or dunks and forcing him to make jumpers. He hasn't. You have to hand it to the Celtics and their coaching staff. If only "The Squint" Mike Brown could coach like that.........
Here are my thoughts:
**If LeBron isn't hitting his outside shot and the Celt's are taking away the ability to drive aggressively, why not post him up? We all know you need to drive to the hoop if your shot doesn't go. Brown and James know that too. You can see LeBron trying to drive. You can hear Brown reference it in his interviews. Unfortunately in the same breath that Brown says driving to the rim is the right thing to do, he also states LeBron should still shoot and if he misses five in a row not to hesitate the sixth time to shoot the open jumper. (The Plain Dealer) I understand not messing with the confidence of your most important player, especially in this situation where he is so way off with his shot that it is most likely in his head and you need to avoid making that worse. But after 5 misses in a row keep shooting anyway? That scares me. Hopefully LeBron knows better.
So why can't LeBron set up in the block and post up Pierce or whoever is guarding him? Try it with a smaller lineup. Maybe Boobie, Wally, West and Z with James. For the record: feel free to switch Wally out of that for another guard type player. But keep it small to give room down low. Z will gladly fade out of James' way. This way things won't be clogged for James when he posts up. Of course you don't want Z roaming too far out because if LeBron can so much as get it on the rim Ilgauskas can tip a miss back in. Z lives off that and I'm fine with it. Can James post up even if he passes out of the post once they double team him? Is that the problem? Is passing our of the block too difficult for LeBron? Could be. He is big, but not 7 feet. I'd like to see it though. At least mix it up and hopefully open some things up with some variety. I am tired of this awful, middle school offense.
***Do we really have to buy into this "LeBron and the rest of the team" mentality? Do we really have to believe LeBron doesn't have a "pippen" or anything? I think the team is now believing it. I think they are buying into the media's insistent message that this team is nothing beyond James. They very well might be. I am not going to argue that point one bit. This isn't my point. My point is: Does the team have to believe it right or wrong, true or not?
Regardless of whether this is the Cleveland LeBronaliers or not, the team can't think that way. They must believe they are legit players. And they can justify it. Gibson showed last year he can shoot, drive and make free throws as well as get hustle plays and timely steals. Z has more than proven over ten plus years than he can score. He can be a legit threat as long as he is out of foul trouble. Devin Brown gets hard work buckets. Delonte West does well when he stays aggressive. Sasha and Wally are hit and miss but one of them can get hot. Joe Smith is gritty and has a nice baseline, mid range jumper. Andy should never touch the ball unless passing to someone or rebounding misses. AND WHERE THE HECK IS DAMON JONES?!!!!
The Cavs must think in their heads they are more than LeBron. They cannot sit there and expect him to make it happen and wait for him to pass them the ball. They can't rely on him to find his shot again or wait for him to find it. Let's just assume he is never going to shoot well again and figure out how to win despite that.
****AND WHERE THE BLEEP IS DAMON JONES?! I know he has issues. I know his defense is lacking and the Cavs have actually played decent defense this first two games. That has been lost in this mess with James. They have held the Big Three to under 90 points both games. But with no offense you can't win these games. So.....get some offense! Amon Jones has found his J this year. In past years I would have been thrilled to see Amon trapped at the end of the bench, but now that he can shoot again and we need something, anything......get him out there!!!!
*****I still love my Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here are my thoughts:
**If LeBron isn't hitting his outside shot and the Celt's are taking away the ability to drive aggressively, why not post him up? We all know you need to drive to the hoop if your shot doesn't go. Brown and James know that too. You can see LeBron trying to drive. You can hear Brown reference it in his interviews. Unfortunately in the same breath that Brown says driving to the rim is the right thing to do, he also states LeBron should still shoot and if he misses five in a row not to hesitate the sixth time to shoot the open jumper. (The Plain Dealer) I understand not messing with the confidence of your most important player, especially in this situation where he is so way off with his shot that it is most likely in his head and you need to avoid making that worse. But after 5 misses in a row keep shooting anyway? That scares me. Hopefully LeBron knows better.
So why can't LeBron set up in the block and post up Pierce or whoever is guarding him? Try it with a smaller lineup. Maybe Boobie, Wally, West and Z with James. For the record: feel free to switch Wally out of that for another guard type player. But keep it small to give room down low. Z will gladly fade out of James' way. This way things won't be clogged for James when he posts up. Of course you don't want Z roaming too far out because if LeBron can so much as get it on the rim Ilgauskas can tip a miss back in. Z lives off that and I'm fine with it. Can James post up even if he passes out of the post once they double team him? Is that the problem? Is passing our of the block too difficult for LeBron? Could be. He is big, but not 7 feet. I'd like to see it though. At least mix it up and hopefully open some things up with some variety. I am tired of this awful, middle school offense.
***Do we really have to buy into this "LeBron and the rest of the team" mentality? Do we really have to believe LeBron doesn't have a "pippen" or anything? I think the team is now believing it. I think they are buying into the media's insistent message that this team is nothing beyond James. They very well might be. I am not going to argue that point one bit. This isn't my point. My point is: Does the team have to believe it right or wrong, true or not?
Regardless of whether this is the Cleveland LeBronaliers or not, the team can't think that way. They must believe they are legit players. And they can justify it. Gibson showed last year he can shoot, drive and make free throws as well as get hustle plays and timely steals. Z has more than proven over ten plus years than he can score. He can be a legit threat as long as he is out of foul trouble. Devin Brown gets hard work buckets. Delonte West does well when he stays aggressive. Sasha and Wally are hit and miss but one of them can get hot. Joe Smith is gritty and has a nice baseline, mid range jumper. Andy should never touch the ball unless passing to someone or rebounding misses. AND WHERE THE HECK IS DAMON JONES?!!!!
The Cavs must think in their heads they are more than LeBron. They cannot sit there and expect him to make it happen and wait for him to pass them the ball. They can't rely on him to find his shot again or wait for him to find it. Let's just assume he is never going to shoot well again and figure out how to win despite that.
****AND WHERE THE BLEEP IS DAMON JONES?! I know he has issues. I know his defense is lacking and the Cavs have actually played decent defense this first two games. That has been lost in this mess with James. They have held the Big Three to under 90 points both games. But with no offense you can't win these games. So.....get some offense! Amon Jones has found his J this year. In past years I would have been thrilled to see Amon trapped at the end of the bench, but now that he can shoot again and we need something, anything......get him out there!!!!
*****I still love my Cleveland Cavaliers.
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