It was a great weekend.
There were basketball games to watch around the clock, the Clippers won their first playoff game in nine years and media darling LeBron James racked up a triple-double in his first career playoff appearance. Since it was such an exciting couple of days, I thought I'd take this space to talk about some of the stories already emerging from this year's postseason.
First of all, the Spurs are still the Spurs. This shouldn't be news, except that apparently it has been trendy for analysts and sportswriters of late to argue that San Antonio will have more trouble with Sacramento than most people think. In his most recent column, ESPN Page 2 columnist wrote: "Bibby has been a much better playoff performer over the years than Parker. Artest could single-handedly take Ginobili out of the series. There isn't anyone on the Kings for Bruce Bowen to shut down. Brad Miller is twice as good as any Spurs center. They have three power forwards to throw at Duncan, who's playing on one leg to begin with."
This all makes total sense on paper. But here's what people have been neglecting: The playoffs can't be predicted on paper. They're not about statistics or who has done what in the regular season. They're a whole new ballgame - one that the Spurs know how to win.
The Spurs are the defending champs. They have the most consistent superstar in the game. They have a bench full of veterans who migrated to San Antonio in the sole pursuit of rings. They have one of the best-constructed teams in the league, one of the most well-respected coaches in the game and the experience of winning three championships in the last seven years.
In case there was any question that the Spurs are still for real, they totally smoked the Kings in game one, posting an unbelievable 73 points in the first half. These guys are hardly invincible, but they deserve a lot of respect - they had the best record in the Western Conference this year, and no matter how much Tim Duncan's feet hurt, he's still Tim Duncan. The Spurs are not going away in the first round, regardless of what Ron Artest guarantees, and they constitute a force to be reckoned with for every team who will face them this postseason.
And if all else fails, they still have Robert Horry.
On a lighter note, apparently Gilbert Arenas plays Texas Hold 'Em on his laptop during halftime of big games because it helps him relax. I don't have much witty commentary to insert here; this just seems like one of those things that everyone should know.
Next, I guess I have to talk about LeBron. In his playoff debut, the Cleveland star sprung for 32 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds as he led his team to victory. A triple-double is impressive under any circumstances, but even more so in the playoffs, and so LeBron certainly deserves a pat on the back here. But let's not go crazy - his performance was not the weekend's best.
Dwyane Wade also led his team to victory by amassing 30 points, 11 assists and four boards. Wade had three steals and two blocks while LeBron laid eggs in these categories, and Wade scored 14 points in the fourth quarter of his game - while playing through a painful leg cramp and dealing with the ejection of his starting power forward.
The other thing we need to remember before bowing down before the King is that this is his third season. Of course it's still his first time in the playoffs, but need I remind you what Dwyane Wade did in his playoff debut as an NBA rookie? He only won Game One at the buzzer by nailing a last second long-range jumper against the Hornets. He did it again in Game Five, hitting a clutch three-point shot to break an 80-80 tie and secure the lead for the Heat. Then, two days later, he set a franchise rookie playoff record by scoring 27 points, and in the second round against Indiana's tough defense, averaged 21 points and six assists while shooting 49 percent.
My point is this: Let's not go overboard with LeBron fever. Keep in mind that he is both a forward and running his team's offense, a combination that encourages him to rack up points, rebounds and assists. Of course, few could capitalize on this opportunity like he has, and he deserves praise for putting up great numbers and carrying his team. But talk about him being the best, regardless of a triple double over the Wizards, is premature and overzealous.
Media and fans that overlook his competition do themselves a disservice because they don't fully appreciate guys like Wade. I love watching Wade play, and I'd put him on my team before LeBron any day. His numbers are just about as good and his defense is substantially better. If you think I'm crazy, watch the Heat play. I guarantee it will be time well-spent.
The last thing I'll mention is the Mavericks' solid play on Sunday night against Memphis. Dallas defended so well that the Grizz only gathered six rebounds during the entire first half of the game. Six! Erick Dampier posted an improbable 12 and 12 while playing tremendous low-post defense and catching all the passes thrown at him, as a welcome change from his usual routine of letting them slip through his hands and out of bounds. Dirk was Dirk, scoring 31 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
And Darrell Armstrong inspired the most enthusiastic bench I've seen this season. When Memphis called timeout in response to an impressive Daniels lay-up early in the fourth quarter, DA, Josh Howard and Devin Harris all ran onto the court and nearly toppled Marquis. The team's excitement is palpable because they believe they're poised for a championship run.
I agree, and I think you should too.
