Basketball is Good....and stuff

I just couldn't do it. I tried to come up with a decent title for this post and ended up with nothing.......titles under consideration included: "Roundball Roundup" (too hokey) "The NBA is Back" (that one is only half true, thanks to the Eastern Conference) and "Oh What a Night" (beyond gay - not that there's anything wrong with that). So this is where we are at - I apologize, I'll eat my veggies and try and do better the next time.

Now, if you spent last night watching American Idol or worse yet, hockey (sorry Boss) you missed some great basketball, so I'll try help you catch up.

* The game everyone was anticipating, the Suns v. the Lakers actually lived up to the hype, with LA winning 130-124. All the personalities and hype aside, it was basketball the way the game is supposed to be played, with two great teams, stocked with great athletes, in an electric atmosphere running up and down the floor and scoring all over each other. Champ - start watching Western Conference games in the NBA again, it will take you back to the 1980s, you won't regret it. For me, the oddest thing about the game was watching two Europeans on the Lakers - Pau Gasol and Sasha Vujacic awkwardly hugging in the fourth quarter, it was like a big sweaty, greasy, hairy mess. It didn't exactly conjure up images of James Worthy and Byron Scott - but the bottom line is that the Lakers are back and let's be honest, it will be fun to root against LA again.

* Chris Paul was about 9 when Jason Kidd made his NBA debut, and last night he made Kidd look like Keith Van Horn as the Hornets beat the Mavericks. Kidd will get better as he settles in with his new teammates, but at this point, it's hard to argue with this assessment of Paul - who incidentally is the guy Jonny Flynn is trying to model his game after.

* If you like the Sixers as I do, or hate the Knicks, their game last night was enjoyable. Dead serious question - what does Isiah Thomas have to do to get fired? If he walked into Dolan's office, whipped it out and took a leak on the floor, would that get it done? Of would Dolan just tell him to clean it up?

* Chris Bosh is REALLY GOOD, yet he plays in Toronto, so no one knows about him. Toronto is like the NBA's version of the witness protection program - in other words it's perfect for Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson.....David Stern should make sure those guys get traded to the Raptors because it's only a matter of time before Pacman Jones sings with the Argonauts - and then we're talking internation incidents - and who doesn't love those?

* I've never been a big fan of defense, as anyone who's ever played a game of basketball with me will attest, and if I was good enough to have played in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors would be been my dream team - last night they won another shoot out, this time against the Celtics. I would have been perfect for Nellie, I don't guard anyone, take a lot of bad shots and love to jack 3s on the break.....it's too bad I'm a 5'11" white guy with marginal athletic ability - stupid genetics.

In College Hoops

* The mighty Puke Blue Devils lost their second in row - this needs no additional commentary, just smile.

* In mid-major news, my alma mater, the University at Albany Great Danes suffered a tough loss at home, however they sent the game into overtime in dramatic fashion with Brian Lillis making a 3 pointer with .3 seconds left, after a catching a length of the court pass. It was Christian Laettner-esque (except for the fact that no one cares). Lillis had a great dunk last week too, while the Danes have been up and down this year, Lillis is one hell of a player. He gets a golf clap from this idiot.

* One thing WASN'T exciting was the St. John's - Marquette game. I honestly tried to watch part of this and it was just awful. Can anyone explain what the Hell Norm Roberts is doing? You've got a school with a storied history in a city that produces basketball players like Hollywood produces rehab patients, and yet the Johnnies don't get any better, and play a BRUTAL brand of basketball. If you're a basketball fan and live in NYC, this hasn't been your decade....

* And finally, the coach of our beloved NJIT Highlanders, Jim Casciano resigned yesterday, effective at the end of the season. Well done coach Casciano, T3I think it's a brilliant motivational technique that may inspire your team to get its first win of the season......(Greg Robinson, start taking notes).