Wizards vs Cavaliers - Playoff Series Preview

The Wizards defeated the Piston's reserves last night, so they clinched the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference, which means that we'll be facing off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. This looks to be an exciting series, and so, like any fledgling sports blogger, I wanted to post my thoughts about the upcoming series (before Frank has the opportunity to upstage me).

My 10 Reasons why I think the Wiz will win!

1.) Season Series - Wiz 3, Cavs 1 - The only win the Cavs have over the Wiz came early on, while Washington was working out some chemistry issues (this was before Caron Butler was starting). Since their slow beginning, the Wizards have picked things up in the second half of the season, despite a 5 game losing streak near the end of the season, where Caron Butler was out. This brings me to point 2....

2.) Caron Butler - Frank's Blog the other day hit the nail on the head; We need Caron Butler to win. He brings the hustle and intensity, and 3rd scoring threat that Washington completely lacks without him.

3.) Lebron James - is completely untested. At times during the year, he's been terrible down the stretch (totally not clutch). When the playoff pressure is on, do you think he will be able to stand the test? Who knows? Let me just say though, he is probably one of the five best players right now. So, he could destroy us single handedly....but do you think he will? NEITHER DO I!

4.) Larry Hughes - Instead of staying with the team that he grew into an All-Star with(I know Larry Hughes has not been an All Star, but just go with me on this one), he took the money and ran to Cleveland. Do you think it is purely coincidental that his first playoff game for the Cavaliers is against his former team? NEITHER DO I!!

5.) Gilbertology 101 - Being known and loved as one of the quirkiest NBA stars today, Gilbert makes me proud to be a Wizards fan. Sure, he's a scoring point guard, which is semi-out-of-fashion these days...But I still love him. Reasons: He throws his jerseys out to kids in the stands after every game; he's 4th in the league is scoring; he rescued our franchise by getting us to the playoffs 2 years in a row (something that the greatest basketball player to ever live couldn't do); he plays online poker at half time to stay sharp and competitive; he adopted a 10 year old kid who lost both of his parents in a fire; He's really good! I mean, the list probably goes on. My favorite thing is when he goes like a whole game without shooting because a teammate had called him selfish the night before. He'll get like 18 assists and the Wiz typically wins those games! Do you think that is purely coincidental? NEITHER DO I!!!!!

6.) The Cavs - The pieces don't fit. They have chemistry issues! Z is a slow, bulking center who thrives in the halfcourt game. Lebron James should be their point guard, and he thrives in a fast paced, up and down game. Larry Hughes, Up and Down game...Donyell Marshall, Half court game; Damon Jones, the only reason anyone thought he was good was because he played a year with Shaq, getting to shoot all of his 3 pointers completely uncontested; ...You see, there are issues. Do you think it is purely coincidental that they are having these chemistry issues? NEITHER DO I!

7.) The Wizards are better coached. Who is the Cavs' coach anyway? Mike Brown? Isn't he like their 3rd coach in 3 years? That's not good. The Wiz are coached by Eddie Jordan, who took over the year after the failed Michael Jordan experiment. Do you think it is purely coincidental that Eddie, who has enjoyed 2 years of success, and Michael, who suffered through 2 years of failure, both have the SAME LAST NAME!!! JORDAN!!! NEITHER DO I!!!!!!!

8.) Experience - The Wiz were there last year, and had success, the Cavs weren't and didn't. Coincidence? NO SIR!!!!

9.) The Curse of Wes Unseld - During James's senior year of High School, he was suspended for a few games for receiving free a Wes Unseld Bullet's Jersey. Do you think it is purely coincidental that his first playoff games will be against the team that Unseld used to play for? NEITHER DO I!!!

10.) The B and O Railroad - The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia and Parkersburg, West Virginia. It was built to connect the Baltimore Harbor to a suitable port on the Ohio River. Now, the Washington Wizards used to be the Washington Bullets, who used to be the Baltimore Bullets. Do you see where I'm going with this? No...OK, I'll explain...You see, the B and O Railroad never went through Cleveland. It only went to West Vriginia! NO ONE REMEMBERS THIS! So, what I'm saying is, that railroad DID go through Baltimore, and Washington DC, the 2 cities in which the Wizards Franchise has resided, but despite having OHIO in its name, has NEVER gone through Cleveland, where the Cavs reside. There wouldn't even BE A CLEVENLAND, if not for Washinton DC leading the way! DO you think this is all PURELY COINCIDENTAL? NEITHER DO I!!!!!!!!

Wiz in 6!

Pop Quiz, Hot Shot

What would you do if you were an NBA player and found yourself in the following situation:

You're heading into the last game of the regular season and your team has solidified a playoff berth in the Western Conference. HowEVA (as Steven A. would say), your playoff seeding is still to be decided by this last game. Conventional wisdom would tell you that if you win this game, your seeding would be higher and your playoff chances would be greater. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom has no place in the NBA playoff system, leaving you with quite a conundrum. You see, if you win this game, you will earn the 5 seed and will be matched up in a road series against the 4 seed. But the 4 seed, in this case, is a team with the second best record in your conference, and is at least 12 games better than you in the standings. The reason they are the 4 seed is because they were beat out by 2 games in their own division by the reigning NBA champs and the team with the best record in the West. And if you win tonight's game, you get to play this powerhouse team in a road series that just missed out being the 1 seed. Fun.

Now, God forbid, if you lose tonight's game, you drop to the 6 seed. You will play the 3 seed, who is the division leading team with the worst record of the 3 divisions. But, this particular 3 seed actually has a worse record than your team by at least 2 games. Since they won their division, though, they are "rewarded" with a 3 seed. HowEVA (again, Steven A.), since you have a better record than them, the NBA says you get HOME COURT ADVANTAGE if you match up with them in the playoffs.

So to recap: you have a choice between playing the second best team in the West with a record that crushes yours, who almost earned the top seed in the West, and you will play them in a road series OR you can play a team with a worse record than you and you have HOME COURT ADVANTAGE. If you win tonight, you get choice A. If you lose, God forbid, you get choice B.
In the immortal words of Dennis Hopper, "What do you do....what do you do...?"

This was the scenario that BOTH the Grizzlies and the Clippers faced last night. The winner of their game gets choice A in the Dallas Mavs, and the loser gets choice B in the Denver Nuggets. This ridiculous mess is a product of the NBA's playoff system, where the 3 divisions winners get the top 3 seeds, but if they play someone with a better record, they give up home court advantage. It makes sense on paper, but practically, it's not well thought out and, in my opinion, is a disgrace. It leads to these types of scenarios which comprimise the competitive spirit of the game, and it's not the players' fault, it's the NBA. Basically, the NBA makes it possible to come as close to point shaving as possible withough getting in trouble for it. I think it is a huge issue that isn't talked about except on Around the Horn, and something NEEDS to be done.

So if I were player X or coach Y on the Grizzlies or Clippers, I would, in the least obvious way possible (for the kids), do everything to completely TANK this game and get the 6 seed. And there is one reason and only one reason I would use to justify this. It is the best chance for my team to win the championship. Period. I would, without a doubt, rather play the Nuggets and then have to face the Mavs or Spurs, if I make it to the 3rd round, after they beat up on each other, than face the Mavs in the first round who will be fresh and ready to rock. I want my road to the champioship to be, perceivably, as easy as possible, just like you would in the NCAA Final Four. The same goes for poker, where you want to put all your chips on the table with the best hand possible before the flop. The Nuggets in the first round is the best hand possible, giving me a more the 50/50 chance, where the Mavs would be like facing pocket Aces.

So, as I had hoped, the Grizzlies and Clippers benched their good players with phantom injuries and let the backups decide their fate. But you and I know, that even though they looked down, Sam Cassell and the Clips were smiling inside when they lost that game.

So I ask you, to tank or not to tank...that is the question....
and my answer, along with any NBA player or coach should be YES! At least in today's NBA.
What would you do?

The Butler Factor

Phew. For a second there, I though the Wizards were orchestrating one of the all-time great collapses. They were comfortably the 5th seed a week ago and downshifting before the playoff surge. The downshift, however, fizzled into a stall out. A hurt Caron Butler, a scrappy Bucks team, and an unconscious Ben Gordon left the Wizards in a five-game funk and leaving us fans with flashbacks to Rod Strickland the Wizards of the 90's.

But these are not our Wizards of the 90's. Not only did they clinch a playoff birth yesterday by handily beating LeBron and Cavs, they show me that they are going to be something to be reckoned with in the playoffs. And not just because of Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. There's a new face in town: Caron Butler. The Bully. The Brat. The Byron Mouton. He's what the Wizards need to combat the powers of the East. He's got the toughness and swagger that Larry Hughes couldn't exhibit if he worked for the Smithsonian. It was a painfully obvious sign that the 5-game losing streak directly coincided with Butler's 5-game injury absence. And remember who we gave up for him? Kwame, the last of the Michael Jordan project. Don't worry, Lakers. I made the same mistake 7 years ago when, in my first fantasy basketball season ever, I inexplicably was talked into trading Kevin Garnett for Doug Christie, Shawn Bradley, and Tom Gugliotta. You can be talked into anything, if you don't know what you're doing.

So, I expect the Wizards to beat the Bucks at home on Tuesday, as do the Wizards. Then, they'll go on to Detroit and beat their backups to lock up the 5th seed. Then on to Cleveland, where I see a more experienced, deeper team to come out victorious. That team will be the Wizards, spoiling LeBrons inaugural playoff appearance. And then come a team we've already beat twice this year, the Pistons. Thank God it won't be Miami.