Black Ball Sports

I’m typically a defense first kind of guy.  But the NBA needs to open up a bit more.  Let’s face it, scoring is exciting.  Guys running full speed up and down the court opens the game up for more exciting plays.

A defense first coach, Terry Porter gets fired, and replaced by Alvin Gentry who immediately reinstituts the shoot within 7 seconds rule from Mike D’Antoni days and the Suns score 140+ in back to back games against the Clippers.  Most people would argue that having Shaq on the roster dictates a slower, more methodical pace.  Sure, if you want or need him to be your leading scorer.  But let’s face it he’s old now, but there are two primary ways to get an offense running, turnovers and quick outlet passes.

Shaq can still rebound and he’s always been a pretty good passer.  Him being there should actually make it fairly easy for them to run.  And really, if they get it out fast, there is no need for him to even cross mid court, saving his knees a bit.

More teams in the league need to adopt this philosophy.  Why?  Because it is far more likely for teams to be able to find fast, athletic 6′6″ guys then 7 foot unstoppable inside players.  Most of the younger players entering the league are better in the open court then in half court.  They are only average at best shooters, but insanely athletic and skilled with the ball.  Many have street and pick-up game like experience, where there aren’t designed plays as much as instinctual movement.

The question always is though, can this type of play win championships.  Probably not, unless either one of these teams is truly special or leaguewide the best teams play this way.  But remember something, the main reason defense works for championships, is that many NBA teams are flawed enough that they can’t play consistent offense.  So when a good defense steps up and pushes the offense around it sputters, through in the pressure of a NBA finals fourth quarter, and bingo a collapse.

Last year, during the NBA Finals when the Celtics made that remarkable 20+ point comeback?  Two reasons it happened, they pushed hard to score quick and the Lakers started worrying more about the clock then scoring themselves.  Would the Lakers have held on if they pressed the offense?  Maybe not, but they certainly would have made it hard for the Celtics to chip away at the lead.

Actually, part of me thinks defense would improve.  Not in the scoring sense, but in the excitement sense.  More teams would play pressure defenses, knowing that their opponent has less time to run set plays.  The NBA will probably never see full court, game long pressure, because the players are a bit too skilled for that, but perhaps some more front court trapping, and tighter coverage on players without the ball.  This could lead to high turnover numbers, which would lead to more scoring.

The NBA shouldn’t be a defensive league.  Who wants to see half-court offense?  Not me, I’m far more intrigued by the 3 on 2 break, the Amare Stoudemire 6-10 freaks running in the open.  I want to see Lebron average 35 points and 12 assists.  I want Kobe to hitup teams for 60 once or twice a month.  I want to see CP3 throw half-court alley oops to Tyson Chandler.

Drop the clock and bring on the scoring.

The day we wait for year after year is here.  Tonight either Ben Rothelisberger or Kurt Warner is going to be the leader of a Superbowl Champion again.

It is still hard to imagine that after years on the scrapheap Warner has turned around his career to once again be the QB of a championship level team.  And Big Ben at 26 could be a two time winner as well.  The Cardinals versus the Steelers; the worst franchise in NFL history against one of the best.  Five Superbowls versus zero.

Picks:

Kali: I have been wrong on Arizona these whole playoffs.  I picked against them in all their games and only thought they had a chance against Atlanta.  I have like everyone else been impressed with Larry Fitzgerald.  But quite honestly I’ve been more disappointed in the defensive coordinators that they’ve faced.  How do the Panthers give him one on one coverage with Boldin hurt?  How do the Eagles let him catch 3 touchdowns in the first half?  They finally make the adjustments at the half but by then it is too late.  This goes back to my problem with coaches.  Too many want to do what they do and never adjust based on their talent or the team their facing.  It doesn’t make sense if your a man to man team to not shade the safety over the top against Fitzgerald.  That’s you wanting to be right and not doing what’s best for your team.  I don’t see the Steelers making the same mistake.

The Cardinals defense in the last couple of weeks has played out of their minds.  But the one thing they haven’t faced is a team like Pittsburgh that will stick to the run.  Atlanta and Carolina both got behind early and became pass happy.  Pittsburgh gets down 28 points in the 4th quarter with 2 minutes to go and they stick to the run.  And they also have a healthy Willie Parker who is also fresh.  And that will lead to great play action passing opportunities for Big Ben.
Pick:  Pittsburgh

Antonio: I picked Pittsburgh to be here at the beginning of the season.  Yet, at the midway point I doubted them because I thought they couldn’t protect Rothelisberger.  They still haven’t. He’s taken quite a beating, but has remained tall.  More importantly the defense has been dominate.  The Cardinals will no doubt put the defense to the test.  Warner and Larry Fitzgerald are very close to being a rarity in the NFL, a QB-WR duo which all but singlehandedly wins a championship.  The Cards defense has been getting a lot of credit, but to be honest, they’ve been very lucky.  They had people wide open all day, if not for an errant McNabb in the first half, they should have put up 42 on the board.  The one thing they’ve done very well, is cause turnovers.  The funny thing about that is you can’t predicate it.  There’s no planning for an interception off a deflection.  If they don’t get those things today, how exactly are they going to keep the Steelers to less than 24 points.  That is the number for the game.  If the Cardinals can somehow hold the Steelers to less than 24, then I can believe they’ll have a chance in the 4th quarter.

I think this game could come down to Santonio Holmes and Anquan Boldin.  The focus defensively for the Steelers has to be Fitzgerald, while the Cardinals have to stop the Steelers running game.  One of these two players is going to find himself singled often, and is going to make a deciding play.  Look for it early.  The Superbowl often goes to the team which gets the first jump, and puts all the pressure on the other team.  I have a very odd feeling, call it deja vu.
Pick: Cardinals