Let's recap the weekend, shall we.
NBA: I find it hard to remember a foursome still standing in the conference finals that was this intriguing. In the East, it truly is a showcase of brass versus brawn. Miami is flashy. They have two new pieces that are really, really shiny. Unfortunately the rest of the pieces have a lot of dull spots. In Chicago there's one elite but hard nosed player, surrounded by union workers. With the exception of Boozer, this Bulls team has had a few years to gel. They play strong team ball, are big enough to give Miami plenty of problems as seen last night, and have the benefit of a much better bench. The biggest piece to this puzzle though was the addition of Tom Thibedeaux patrolling the sideline. His defensive teachings and schemes are ultimately what really pushed them to the next level this year. That said though, Miami still has Lebron and Wade. While they still need help from the other ten guys on the floor, they have proven they can carry the load as seen in the Celtics series. If you think Thibedeaux wont let that happen, just remember that the Celtics still run his exact same defense and with far better talent. While last summer's "Decision" may not mean a championship in South Beach every year, it does mean that you can never count them down and out. In the West, you may have to fit your couch with seat belts for this series. As seen in the Lakers series the Mavs love shooting the three and have four guys that are better than average at it. The Thunder show up every night with one goal in mind -- to run you out of the gym. I think the big turning point in this series though is Kendrick Perkins. A perfect fit for this team that gives them size and enough athleticism to not slow down the offense. If he is able to establish himself as the proven championship center that he is, Dallas may have a lot of trouble in this series assuming they actually miss a shot this time around.
NHL: What is it about South Florida teams that they have a knack for coming from nowhere to win championships. Have you ever seen a Florida Marlins game on TV? There are a hundred people there and that includes the players and the grounds crew. They also have two titles in the last fifteen years. Similarly, everyone seems to question why there's hockey in Florida in the first place. Tampa Bay has a title within the last decade though, and blew the doors off game one against Boston. I still think Boston is the better team and would be my pick to move on, but it's still uncanny. In the West, at some point I guess you have to feel bad for the Sharks. Since 2004 they have been at or near the top of the West, but just cant seem to get over the hump, similar to the Washington Capitols. This time around though I think they are just completely over matched. The Canucks are physical and savvy enough to not let San Jose make the game a track meet and use their athleticism. They were the best team by far in the regular season, so that coupled with home ice should get them through to the finals.
Finally, proof that it is still not appropriate to be talking serious baseball. At the beginning of the season everyone was losing their mind, waiting for the Red Sox to win a game. A month later they are 20 - 20, are coming off a sweep of the Yankees in New York, and right in the thick of the race in the AL East. It's a looooooong 162 game season so writing off a team after ten games is not just foolish but stupid too.
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