The Boston Celtics won the NBA title. I don't want to talk about it. Oh, but I guess I have to, don't I. I can't allow my prejudice for all things Celtics to interfere with my totally objective commentary, can I??? The Celts were the best team. Dallas counted too heavily on their new line up to make the difference, but they did get better physically, but their two pickups were not the offense they needed against the Celts. The Mavs needed Kyrie and Kyrie disappeared, poof, Totally intimidated by the |Boston fans. Why wasn't
't I surprised? Jrue Holiday made the final difference for the Celts' success. The Bucks' GM should be FIRED giving up a great two-way point guard for Damion Lillard, who couldn't guard my any determined NBA player. .
POST SEASON became a free agents derby. Again. So what's new these days? Paul George joined the 76ers, which makes Philly a contender IF he & Embid can stay healthy. The Sacramento Kings made a great addition by signing DeMar DeRozan. They'll miss Harrison Barnes, but the move make the Kings one of the hardest teams to defend. Barnes and Chris Paul will be on the Spurs next season and their vet presence will be just what the young Frenchman, Wembanyana, needs to grow his game.
Klay Thompson left the Warriors for the Mavs, Say it isn't so. But it was. The Splash Brothers Era is over. Klay's round ball days are not over. I won't be surprised if he makes a huge career comeback next season for a well deserved NA NA to the Dubs. But it is what it is. Klay moves on, so do the Warriors. The Warriors did sign three impressive free agents in Buddy Hield, "Slow Mo" Kyle Anderson & DeAnthony Melton. The three will solidify the Warriors' bench in a way it hasn't been for a long time. The three newcomers will not make the Warriors a championship team, but they will make them a contender for a deep playoff run. On the other hand, if the Warriors manage to sign another star like Lauri Markannen of the Jazz, then the Warriors could win one, maybe two more NBA titles. Curry is still Curry, Green is still Green - for better, not worse, Steve Kerr is still the coach. As the Bard said, Markannen is devoutly to be wished.
There are still a few players who are unsettled. What do the Warriors do with Andrew Wiggins? The mystery continues. Will Kevin Durant remain in Arizona? What will the Pelicans do with their wing three star Brandon Ingram, known fondly in this household as One-Punch Ingram? How about Zach Lavine, another great player with an injury history? Would the Warriors welcome KD back? You bet. Humm, Durant and Curry are playing together in the Olympics. Could there be some conversations going on between them? "Hey, Kevin, pass the fois gras. How would you like. . . ?" Could be happening. Bon appetit!
Speaking of the Olympics, Coach Kerr's team USA struggled during the practice games, damn near got beat by South Sudan. But yesterday morning on TV I watched our Red, White, and Blue men convincingly defeat a strong Serbian team lead by three time NBA Player of the Year, Nikola Jokic. We have too much firepower for the rest of the world. We can't get cocky and let our D down, but if stay focused, it's a Gold for the U.S. They will be invited to the White House by President Kamala Harris.
Speaking of our present V.P. candidate for President. Trump pulled out of the debates, afraid of going one-on-one with a woman. Trump is known as a bully and all bullies are known for being cowards. Representative Nancy Pelosi terrified him.
Back to the Olympics. Is anyone totally frustrated as I am with NBC's Prime Time Olympics' production? How many product commercials, personal stories, and Olympics ra- ra ads must we suffer before seeing an event? No complaints about daytime coverage. I loved the parade of boats and barges with the athletes in the openiing ceremony down the Seine heading for the Eiffeil Tower. Formidable! Merci for the creative chops.
Olympic controversy: Badminton gets to play in the state of the art basketball arena while the basketball team must play in Lille, a hundred miles from Paris in a retrofit football stadium? I wonder how many of the 8 thou seats badminton will fill? Me, I'm looking forward to the table tennis games.
The summer leagues is over and I am not very impressed with this years' class of players. But I'm not a big fan of summer leagues as a way of determining talent. There is so little time to prepare, that all the players look like those dog races, back and forth, back and forth, try frantically to get to the rim and if not try to kick to a three point shooter. BORING. The Chicago Bulls might have drafted a winner in Matas Buzelis Reed Sheppard looks like he has some point guard skills the Rockets could use. And Kel el Ware might make the fans in Atlanta glad. The Spurs could have found a future point guard in Stephon Castle. And Donovan Clingan might as well buy a home in Lake Oswego and start furnishing. He'll be in Portland for a long time. Getting Clingan gives the Blazers a great trading chip in Deandre Ayton, There are teams that could use a 7 footer who can score and not so worried about paint protection.
It's getting hardrand harder for me to stay with MJ as the GOAT instead of LeBron. LeBron is tres manifique. I guess I'll hang for another year with MJ, but if James has nother great season, I'll be forced to switch. What an amazing force James is. And, I do love his politics.
Off to watch the Olympics. See you on my Blog soon.
SIMONE
The horizontal bar
To do its best to upend her.
She didn’t say the words
They were in my head.
I held my breath
for the audacity of thought
knowing this was not
her favorite event,
that there should be one more
challenge left for her to master.
To leave the sport with a dare,
to me seemed fitting
to succeed or fail Irrelevant.
The dare is everything.
Tom Meschery
