A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
Welcome to Today’s Best by MSF. This is our daily rundown of links, laughs, and lovely ladies that will help you get through your work day.
In today’s edition, Anna Kournikova looks good while putting her house on the market, Bill Simmons breaks down Phil Jackson, an infographic breaks down why sitting is literally killing you, and a trip into the archive provides a hilarious high school drunk by Rajon Rondo. And a whole lot more.
The Los Angeles Lakers 2011 season is over, but in some ways this is only where it all begins.
With this loss comes tears, shattered dreams, and the possible end of an era that we as NBA fans have become accustomed to; an era that is used to watching the yellow & purple playing basketball in early June; an era that is accustomed to watching the Black Mamba hit buzzer-beaters, match up on Christmas with the King of the East, and bring more titles to the already title-filled Los Angeles. Whether it was the return of Boston vs Los Angeles, the battle with Superman, or Green vs Yellow part deux, the Lakers were always there.
Add the NBA’s greatest coach of all-time, an all-world NBA player, and one of the better supporting casts in the NBA, and you get three-straight Finals appearances. No matter how powerful the NBA’s Western Conference was, it was always the same story at the end of the day.
But with every good story comes an ending, and maybe not an ending most of us would have wanted.
The time has come once again my NBA friends!
The NBA playoffs are about to begin, and surely this is one of the most exciting playoffs I have seen in recent years. With new-look teams like Miami and New York on the prowl, we are sure to be in for a treat almost every night.
Then there are the young rising talents such as Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, guys who are ready to prove to the NBA world that they are ready for the big show.
And let’s not forget the usual contenders like Los Angeles, San Antonio, Boston and the many other powerful teams seeking a ring!
Yes, the time has come!
And what better way to start my favorite time of year than to write and analyze each series’ matchups, advantages, disadvantages, and who I think will ultimately take it to the next round. I previewed the Eastern Conference Playoffs earlier this week. Today, we look at each first round series in the Western Conference.
Fact: Phil Jackson has won 11 NBA Titles, and only one other coach in history has even won half as many.
Fact: Phil Jackson coached two of the three greatest guards and one of the five greatest big men of all time…at their peak.
Sounds like the perfect time to have a sports debate.
Kobe Bryant never really loses sleep because of another team.
Sure, he did mention that Miami will be a damn good team, and he does mention how the Spurs and Mavericks are forces to be reckoned with out West, but the thing Kobe usually doesn’t do is dwell on something for too long.
Well it might be time for Kobe to start thinking, and thinking pretty damn hard, and possibly even worrying.
His Lakers were handed a gift-wrapped spanking on Christmas evening, courtesy of LeBron’s triple-double, the firepower of Wade and Bosh, and some suffocating South Beach defense.
Not only did this show that the Heat are where we thought they would be, but it also shows that the Lakers can be beaten, and that Kobe and friends need to start doin’ work!
“It’s over. It’s over…it wasn’t pretty, but it’s over”
Words said by the great Phil Jackson himself, and yes, it is now officially over my friends.
The 2009-10 NBA season, playoffs, and Finals are now all over; but now, we know who is officially on top:
NBA Finals 2010 (Game 5): Lakers – 89/Celtics: 96
The pendulum is now in full swing for the Celtics’ side, as they took over in Game 5.
What is the reason the Celtics won the 2008 NBA Finals? Because of defense, defens,e and more defense.
To be honest, when Ray Allen was stroking it from three, and Garnett was faking you in the paint, and when Pierce was stepping back and wetting it, that is all a plus; but the Celtics are where they are because of defense, and it sure showed as the C’s held the Lakers to under 40% shooting in both FG% and three-point %.
Dazzling enough for you?
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If you watch sports like I do you have undoubtedly been inundated with commercials, like this one, promoting Gatorade’s new G Series. One of the buzzwords that they have tried to associated with the G Series is “evolve”.
I don’t know why, but for some reason this morning I decided to do a Google Image Search for Phil Jackson, formerly of my (then) beloved Chicago Bulls and now the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Not surprisingly, the one word that popped into my head while browsing through pictures of the Zen Master was evolve.
One of the must-follow Twitter accounts during this NBA season, and especially over the past few days, has been @CavsWITNESS. If you are a long-suffering Cavs fan (excuse the redundancy) he is a must follow because he is not only informed, but also eternally optimistic.
Well last night, in the aftermath of the Cavs’ Game 6 loss to the Celtics, during a time when Twitter vitriol for Mike Brown was predictably strong, @CavsWITNESS tweeted something that got the wheels spinning in my head:
It must be said, Mike Brown is a good man and good coach. He also must learn tough lessons of youth. Do recognize what has been done here. Brown’s time in Cleveland has passed. It is not, however, the deeply tragic story you are feeling right now. Time will show.
What really stuck out to me was line I bolded for effect: Do recognize what has been done here.
And it got me to wondering if any coach in NBA history (maybe even in sports history) had ever done so much while earning so little respect.
The link dump is getting posted early today, as I have some non-sports blogging stuff to attend to this afternoon. Still, if Brett Favre decides to retire after lunch, I promise I’ll be ready with a quick post.
And speaking of Brett Favre, want to know the top 10 differences between him and us? Click on through. You can also find more reasons, as if you needed them, for why Braylon Edwards is a self-serving tool.
Also, go find the Foot Locker link in the NBA section. It’ll take you to a badass online 3-point shooting contest that is sure to make your afternoon unproductive (at least in terms of, you know, work.)
Have a great Tuesday everyone.
Obviously my primary focus during the NBA conference finals will be on the Cavs-Magic series. I don’t particularly have one NBA team that I follow, and haven’t since Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls and they completely blew up the franchise.
But I do love the playoffs from the perspective of a fan who enjoys watching the best in the world giving their maximum effort and playing at the peak of their abilities. And it is hard not to be completely enthralled with everything that LeBron James does on a basketball court.
Yet, the beauty of the NBA Playoffs is that you do not have to choose which conference finals game you will watch. You can watch them all. The NBA Playoff schedule is staggered with the Eastern conference one day and the Western conference the next, meaning that for a full fortnight (if each series goes 7 games) we should get an outstanding, competitive, intense basketball game each night.
That’s exciting.
And so, since I will be watching the Lakers-Nuggets series, and since our very own KVB is a die-hard Lakers fan, I figured I’d get you all of the information you need to know for the Lakers-Nuggets Western Conference Finals series, including the TV schedule and even links for tickets should you choose to attend the games in-person. All of that information is below, plus some other interesting tidbits and a completely meaningless prediction from me.
(Side note: In the link above on the words “our very own KVB” look at the filename of the picture you are directed to upon clicking the link. It is a photo of Kurt Rambis hosted at The Sports Hernia and the filename is “kurt-rambis-ass-sorcerer.jpg.” You know, I’d never thought about Kurt Rambis in those terms, but I have to say that looking at him in the black specs, mustache, and floppy mullet-like hairstyle, “ass sorcerer” does seem to fit.)
Here are your tickets links and the the Lakers-Nuggets TV Schedule.
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StubHub Tickets: |
RazorGator Tickets: RazorGator is offering $15 off on purchases of $100 or more with code take15off. Western Conference Finals Tickets (Games in LA) |
TicketsNow.com: |
| Game | Matchup | Date | Time | Location | TV | Spread / Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #1 Lakers def. #2 Nuggets 105-103 | Tue, 5/19 | 9:00 ET | Los Angeles | ESPN | LA leads 1-0 |
| 2 | #2 Nuggets def. #1 Lakers 106-103 | Thu, 5/21 | 9:00 ET | Los Angeles | ESPN | Tied 1-1 |
| 3 | #1 Lakers def. #2 Nuggets 103-97 | Sat, 5/23 | 8:30 ET | Denver | ABC | LA leads 2-1 |
| 4 | #2 Nuggets def. #1 Lakers 120-101 | Mon, 5/25 | 9:00 ET | Denver | ESPN | Tied 2-2 |
| 5* | #1 Lakers def.#2 Nuggets 103-94 | Wed, 5/27 | 9:00 ET | Los Angeles | ESPN | LA leads 3-2 |
| 6* | #1 Lakers v #2 Nuggets | Fri, 5/29 | 9:00 ET | Denver | ESPN | |
| 7* | #1 Lakers v #2 Nuggets | Sun, 5/31 | 8:30 ET | Los Angeles | ABC | |
| * - if necessary |
And now, let’s take a look at some of the interesting news and notes regarding the LA-Denver Western Conference Finals matchup:
Okay, so there you have a few interesting news and notes. Now time to offer up a prediction for a series that should be pretty intense…
Coming into the playoffs, I assumed that the Lakers would roll into the NBA Finals, but I had not seen Denver play. After getting a close-up view of the Nuggets during their series with the Mavericks, I came away extraordinarily impressed.
Are they a tough, rough, hard-nosed team that borders on dirty? Absolutely. Does that style of basketball succeed in the playoffs? Absolutely.
The Nuggets play with incredible energy, especially at home, and after watching the Lakers get waxed twice at Houston when the Rockets were without McGrady and Yao Ming, I don’t think the Lakers stand a chance of beating the Nuggets in Denver. Seriously.
So that just leaves the Nuggets needing to win one out of four in LA. I think they can do it, and I think they’ll do it in Game 1 or Game 2.
I know that with Kobe the Lakers are capable of playing superb basketball on any given night, but they do not seem to be able to consistently bring energy. Kobe alone is good for two wins in this series, but I think that’s all LA will get. Unless the Lakers step up their intensity and focus, this Nuggets team will run and pound them into submission by the sixth game. At their best, all else being equal, I think the Lakers are a better team. But I think the Nuggets play to their potential more consistently than LA.
I’m picking the Nuggets, and picking them in six games. Now let’s hear KVB’s rebuttal for why Kobe and the Ass Sorcerers can beat Denver and advance to the NBA Finals to be LeBron’s sacrificial lamb.
What do you think?
Who will win the Western Conference Finals?
- LA Lakers (45%, 5 Votes)
- Denver Nuggets (55%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 11
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I have spent an inordinate amount of time daydreaming over the past few weeks about how awesome it would be to have Mike Tomlin as a the coach of the Cleveland Browns. This is not meant as a knock on Eric Mangini — this was, however — but moreso as an absolute testament to what Mike Tomlin has displayed during his short but wildly successful tenure as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And go ahead Steelers fans, get your shots in. Call me a jealous Browns fan who is pining over another one of your coaches after a season spent wishing we could get Bill Cowher. My response is: you’re damn right. The Steelers have six Super Bowl titles and two this decade. The Browns won a grand total of four games the entire 2008 season. Why the hell wouldn’t any Browns fan be jealous of that? We can hate your guts all we want — but it does not mean that we wouldn’t love to have your leadership in Berea in a heartbeat.
With that said, I am willing to be open-minded about the Kokinis-Magini era. And I am very hopeful that these two intelligent, no-nonsense football guys can bring respect back to Cleveland and make us competitive again. But neither has proven he can be consistently successful in his current position, so the jury is still way, way out. We will have to wait and see; and in the meantime, I will continue daydreaming about Mike Tomlin on the sidelines of Cleveland Stadium.
Which brings me to the purpose of this post: who is the best coach in sports right now?
The first task that must be completed before answering this question is to devise the set of criteria by which judgments and rankings can be made. You could look at historical accomplishments, pedigree, statistics, etc, etc. I figured I’d keep it simple and make my judgments based on one simple question: If a new sport were created today, call it footsketball (because, as you may have realized, I only really care about and follow football, basketball, and baseball), and I was the owner of a franchise preparing for an initial head coach draft, what would my draft board look like? And for the purposes of this list, I am only considering coaches who are currently employed by a team as a head coach or manager.
This is how mine would look:
1 — Bill Belichick
No one has been more successful as a coach this decade than Bill Belichick. And while the Patriots did not make the playoffs last season, many have said that it was one of Belichick’s best coaching jobs ever. He lost the NFL’s reigning MVP and record-setter Tom Brady, yet still captained the Patriots ship to 11 wins. The Patriots were one of the six best teams in the AFC, but the playoffs just didn’t shake out in a way that allowed them to keep playing. He has 3 Super Bowl titles in 4 appearances, an undefeated regular season, and the reputation for being a cerebral, game-planning genius with a keen eye for talent and an ability to maintain complete control over his locker room. If I’m starting a team, I want Bill Belichick to be the architect of the organization. I may not like his personality, but my dislike for losing would be far stronger. No one in sports has lost less recently than Bill Belichick, and one 11-win, no-playoff season has done nothing to diminish my respect for his ability.
2 — Mike Tomlin
Yes, he is young. Yes, he stepped into a great organization that was already set up to be successful with or without him. And yes, the recency of the Steelers’ Super Bowl win may be leading to hyperbole about his abilities as a coach. But is there anyone out there who is not legitimately impressed and enamored with this guy right now? His legendary interview with the Rooney family, in which he apparently went from longshot to head coach by “blowing them away”, seemed overblown initially. But 25 wins, 11 losses, 2 AFC North crowns, a Super Bowl later, and we can see exactly what the Rooneys saw in Mike Tomlin.
And it is no coincidence that two football coaches are #s 1 and 2 on this list. If I am starting a team, I want toughness and togetherness to be the two most defining qualities of my team. I think that successful football coaches are better at instilling these two traits in a team than coaches in other sports — by necessity; and I cannot think of another coach that exudes these two traits more than Mike Tomlin. Plus, his 
youth is a huge plus. He was hired at the age of 34 and look at what he has already accomplished. The only factor giving Belichick an edge in my mind is that he is better at Xs and Os. Tomlin probably needs to be surrounded by solid coordinators to manage the intricate game-planning aspects of competition. But a head coach’s most important job is to set the tone and lead men. Mike Tomlin does this as well as anyone in sports right now. And I’d be confident that for the first 15-20 years of my team’s existence we would always have an advantage because of the leadership ability of Mike Tomlin.
3 — Jeff Fisher
Yes, another football coach. And a guy who I have always thought is severely underrated. Jeff Fisher’s teams are built around the fundamentals of the game, and win with toughness and defense. I don’t care what sport you are playing, toughness and defense win. Fisher may not always have teams that are competing for championships, like Belichick seems to; but he leads an organization that is consistent and seems to maximize the potential of its players. Combine Jeff Fisher with an excellent personnel guy and Fisher can effectively lead the troops.
4 — Tony LaRussa
Tony LaRussa’s name always seem to be controversial on lists like these. Some people swear by him and think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Others think he is overrated and too much of an egomaniac. I don’t get it. The guy has the history of results and championships to back up his abilities, and always seems to maximize the potential of his team. He led an 83-win team to a World Series and also led dominant, star-laden teams in Oakland to titles. He is an innovator and, like Belichick, supremely intelligent while being miles ahead of most of his peers from a strategy standpoint.
5 — Phil Jackson
I love Phil Jackson. As a die-hard Bulls fan growing up, it was impossible not to love and have great respect for Phil Jackson’s coaching ability. And when he went to LA and repeated his Bulls success, that respect level grew even more. But there is a caveat with Phil Jackson: he needs to have great players. And I guess that’s a caveat that could be made with any coach, because no one can succeed without talent. But for the purposes of this list, based on starting a team from scratch in a new sport, Jackson is a wild card. If m
y team was star-laden and championship-ready, then Phil Jackson would be #1. And I realize that Jackson has shown patience and aptitude in rebuilding the Lakers from their fall in the aftermath of Shaq leaving, but he has still had the best player in the sport over this decade. No one is better at leading stars than Phil Jackson. But without knowing the make-up of my team, I can’t say I would rather have Jackson than the four guys listed above.
6 — Greg Popovich
Another guy who seems relatively underrated considering his consistent success. Popovich is a master of understanding his players and of having them ready to play in the biggest moments. He also has an uncanny ability to lead stars while also developing role players and making sure everyone understands the part they will play in the team’s success. The Spurs have had great success over the last decade or so while Pop has been at the helm, and he always seems to be at his best come playoff time.
7 — Brad Childress
Just kidding.
7 — Wade Phillips.
No really, I’m kidding.
7 — Tom Coughlin
I said before that I want toughness and defense to be the staples of my team, and Tom Coughlin has proven the ability to do this. He also proven that he has the ability to shape his roster in his own image in a market that encourages players to be self-promotional and self-centered. Sure, the Giants fell apart somewhat this year, but that is balanced by the extraordinary way in which they came together last year after being left for dead early in the season. And Coughlin proved that he can make subtle adjustments to his style while not compromising his intense attention to detail. Plus, remember what he did at his first NFL stop with the expansion Jaguars? Coughlin would clearly be a good choice for a brand new team.
8 — Ozzie Guillen
I know that people are going to take exception to this one. And I will state right now, for the record, that I fully appreciate the fact that my love for the Chicago White Sox could be influencing my vote here. But Ozzie did a great job last year of leading a White Sox team that no one thought would do anything into the playoffs. And, of course, he brought a World Series title home to Chicago for the first time in a century. And you have to understand, I grew up a Bob Knight guy — so Ozzie’s outburts and inappropriateness do not bother me as much as it bothers other people. (I also happen to think he there is a very real method to his madness a lot of times, but that’s a debate for another day.)
I was worried coming into last season that Ozzie may have lost the clubhouse after 2007, but the team proved last year that they still respect their manager and play hard for him. Toughness, fight, and will are never going to be a problem for an Ozzie Guillen-led team. I can understand arguments to the contrary, but this is my list for my team, and I’ll take Ozzie any day of the week. Plus, with Ozzie around I would never have to worry about Jay Mariotti coming into the locker room. That’s a huge plus right there.
9 — Bobby Cox
Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. I know the Braves have been down recently, but that does not erase the incredible consistency that Bobby Cox has shown as a manager. His greatest strength is being the leader of a very professional, winning organization that can weather storms and still win games and compete. I don’t doubt that he will have the Braves competing in the NL East again soon, and he is the type of leader that you can build a consistent winner around. Sure, his age is a problem if you’re looking long-term. But to get a franchise off the ground and on the right track, Bobby Cox is a great choice.
10 — Mike Singletary
I am going out on a limb with this one. But if my top criteria is toughness and defense, how can I leave Mike Singletary off? And I don’t know if most people realize this, but the 49ers finished the 2008 season winning 4 out of 5 games. This, of course, came in the aftermath of Singletary’s infamous pants-dropping incident and his sideline rebuke of Vernon Davis. Singletary is another guy, like Tomlin, who I think needs to be surrounded by solid Xs and Os assistants to be successful; but as a leader of men and as an organizational tone-setter, Mike Singletary is going to be very successful. I am actually thinking I should have moved him up on this list, but his limited experience is somewhat concerning. Still, if I was starting a new team in a new sport with Mike Singletary, I would feel very confident in my team’s direction.
Honorable mention: Jerry Sloan, Mike Scioscia, Ron Gardenhire, Andy Reid, Joe Torre, Terry Francona
For the record, when I started this list I was fully anticipating including college coaches. But each time I considered adding one, I came up against the caveat of whether or not recruiting is involved. There is no great way to compare college and pro coaches because such a huge part of college coaching is the ability to recruit. I would have loved to include guys like Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Roy Williams, but so much of their success hinges on bringing in the best recruiting classes each and every year. And my original thought was the my new footsketball franchise would be a pro team. And we all know how college coaches moving to the pros works out…
Obviously this list is just my opinion, and I open up the comments section for anyone and everyone to provide their our own. If you were starting a team in a new sport and you had the first pick in a head coach draft, who would you take?
Okay, I need to go hit “Publish” right now, otherwise I may go up and switch Mike Tomlin to #1…
