Saturday, June 25, 2005

Final On The Finals

I know the NBA Finals ended Thursday night, but I have been gone on business and am just now getting an opportunity to express my opinion. There really isn't much more that I can say that hasn't already been said, but I will say that I was wrong! I really thought the Pistons would be able to come up with some match-ups in their favor, but the Spurs were the one's who took advantage of the Pistons. I still can't believe Horry was left wide open for that three point shot at the end of O.T. in game five. In my opinion that is where the Spurs won the championship.

As for the series it's self, if games 1-4 were as good as games 5-7 this would have been the best ever. Game 5 was a classic, but it was really the only game where you turned off the T.V. thinking, "Wow, what a game!"

Congrats to the Spurs and their fans. I was 12-3 with my play-off series picks. All three series that I missed involved the San Antonio Spurs, go figure.

As the NBA moves into the off-season here are 5 questions to ponder.

1. Who will be the #1 pick in the draft? Many people are saying Andrew Bogut, which would make Utah the first school to produce the #1 pick in the NFL and NBA draft in the same season, but don't count out Marvin Williams.

2. What will Larry Brown do? Stay or go? Pistons or Cavs? Coach or office? My thought is that he is gone. Brown has always been a grass is greener on the other side kind of guy. It will be interesting to see what he can do in the front office.

3. Can Phil and Kobe find the love? You really have to wonder what was going through Jackson's head. He didn't need the money so it has to be the challenge, and it will be a challenge. The Lakers are going to have to make some moves over the summer in order to become a contender again, which means Jackson will have the opportunity to do something he has never done before, build a championship team. Oh yeah, and he has to find a way to kiss and make up with Kobe. It had to be for the challenge!

4. Who is the favorite to win the championship next season? You have to start with the defending champions. The Spurs have a great nucleus and should be strong again. Also in the West are the Suns who are actively trying to find a defense. My preseason favorite is going to be the Miami Heat.

5. Will there be a lock out? I guess we will find out July 1st, but I hope not. You would think that the NBA would look at the NHL and the low ratings of the finals and make a rational decision, but this is pro sports.