NBA Finals

And the there were 2 (yeah I've been watching to much Seinfeld), we are finally down to the final two teams in the NBA Playoffs, that means it's NBA Finals time.

We've got the Miami Heat taking on the Dallas Mavericks, starting out Tuesday at 9PM ET on ABC



Both teams come in as hot a possible at predicting this will be a tough one, so lets break each team down to see who has a possible advantage at winning it all.

Dallas Mavericks

Without a doubt Dirk Nowitzki has been the player of these playoffs. No one has been more reliable, made bigger shots and carried the team on his shoulder. He has been a force in the paint, from mid-range and from behind the 3 point line, all in all averaging 28.4 points a game (2nd only to Kevin Durant). Oh and what can I say about his free throw shooting, he is 130 out of 140; that translates into a 92.9%. Just all in all a great player, and from what you hear in press conferences and interviews, a great team leader. He has been often regarded as a soft player due to his laid back attitude, I believe nothing is further from the truth and these 15 games have proven that

Along with Dirk's spectacular play, 38 year old Jason Kidd has played his part really well. While he doesn't have the speed he had 94 years ago he arrived at the NBA, he makes up with smarts and experience. He is averaging 7.7 assists per game and has averaged 2.2 steals per game; along with all the intangible he brings to the court.

To complement Kidd come Jason Terry and JJ Barea. Terry, the only other survivor along with Nowitzki from that 2006 team, we know about and know what he is capable off -great player off the bench, provides a spark, can run with the best of them, and when he gets hot he can take over a game -if not, ask the Lakers what happened after he was burning them up and ended the game 9 for 10 from behind the arc. Barea we, or casual fans, didn't know much about, but he has been an incredibly valuable asset; his speed and aggressive style provide a change of pace from what defenses see from J-Kidd and the JET, he has been a huge spark for the team and has really come into his own come playoff time -even with the huge cheap shot he took from Andrew Bynum-.

Inside the paint we've got Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion, both of whom haven't put great individual numbers but represent what the Mavs are all about, getting the best result for the team regardless of who scores the basket.

Dallas comes off beating Portland 4 games to 2, sweeping the Lakers 4-0 (the most dominant playoff series win in a long, long time), and finally ousting the OKC Thunder 4-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Miami Heat

There is no secret that I loathe the Heat, to me they are the furthest definition of what a team should be. They are just a gathering of All-Stars who have no idea on how to play as a team. I was convinced they wouldn't make it far due to this, yet they got to the final step of the way. Could it be enough or has their luck run out?

First and foremost they have Lebron James. Possibly one of the most gifted player since... nah I'm not going to compare him to a true legend. A great all around player who has only one thing on his agenda, himself. Just the other day I tweeted with my Beachbody coach (@katiechoudary, check her out even if you don't work out, she motivates the heck out of you to make every day count) and we were talking about players with class, she mentioned Derrick Rose and I was totally with her on the point that the kid shows class in every thing he does on and off the court; another example would be Ray Allen and Doc Rivers who showed the utmost class when the Heat were celebrating the win as if it was a Title, they stayed on the court to shake their hands and acknowledge they were beaten by the better team. On the other hand Lebron has no such attribute, from his infamous "The Decision" special, to his comments and all around attitute; they just scream out ASSHOLE. All that being said, there is no doubt he is on of the best players on the court today.

Along with James we've got D-Wade, who in my opinion is the most complete player there is in the world -there, I said it-. He plays every aspect of the game at a high lever, he may not be the best in all of them but when you put all the pieces together you get the most well rounded player there is. He is one of my favorites in and out of the arena and it's a shame that people boo him just because he is associated with Lebron.

Along with those 2 come Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Mike Bibby and a whole cast of players that will no doubt play a huge role on how the series will evolve.

The Heat come into the Finals after beating Philadelphia 4-1 in the 1st round, the Celtics 4-1 in the 2nd, and finally the Bulls 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Final(s) Breakdown

• Both teams have a 12-3 record


• Dallas has the bigger series win (4-0) over the Lakers


• Dallas has a better scorer in the Playoffs with Dirk's 28.4 PPG compared to LeBron's 26.0 PPG


• Dallas has a better assist man in Jason Kidd with 7.7 APG during the playoffs


• As a team Dallas has been scoring 99.7 PPG to Miami's 92.9 (8.8 point difference)


• Miami has better team defense as they allow 88.3 PPG to the Mavs' 92.5 (4.2 PPG difference)


• Dallas still has the better difference between PPG scored vs PPG alloved with +7.2 to Miami's +4.6 (second place these playoffs, not a coincidence)


• Dallas has a better FG% 46.3% to the Heat's 44.3%


• Miami's Defensive FG% is better with 41.9% vs the 44.6% posted by Dallas


• 3PT FG% is owned by Dallas with 38.8% against Miami's 32.2%


• The arena noise, from what I've heard on TV (I've only been to the American Airlines Center in DFW  and it LOUD even in a mid-season game) is some much more of a factor in Dallas. I feel bad when the game starts in Miami as you see a ton of empty seats.

From the bullet points (not taking in account the crowd factor) Dallas has a 7-2 lead yet when it comes to picking a real winner it is so much harder that just these stats. The series opens in Miami and most betting sites have the Heat a 4.5 point favorite with a 187.5 point O/U. That is much bigger of a difference than what I expected. Also they are putting Miami as the favorite as you have to bet 17.5 dollars to win 10 while Dallas pays you $14.50 for every 10 you bet. That is so one sided.

Who you got? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this or any other topic in the comments section

With all that said, my final pick to win the 2011 NBA Title is:

Dallas Mavericks in 6 games.

P.S. If Dallas wins the 1st game I will say it's over right on the spot. Let's see how it goes and I'll post my thoughts on Game 1 tomorrow night or early Wednesday.

For now...

Mr Khakbaz out!!!

NBA Playoff picks

>Now that if finished my first round predictions I give you my playoff bracket where I pick put the teams I picked in the next round and so on and so forth until I predict my NBA Champion for the 2011 season.



For more detailed breakdown on every matchup check out My Eastern Conference blog and my Western Conference blog.

On next NBA blog I'll compare my predictions to what happened and lets see how it goes.

Who are your favorite teams to win it all in 2011???

For now...

Mr Khakbaz out!!!

NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference

The NBA season is finally over and it's time for the playoffs. For any NBA fan this is the best time of the year as we are down to the best teams of the year get to show their skills against the other best teams in games that actually mean something. I'll take a look at each Eastern Conference playoff series, the teams, players, injuries and what I expect the outcome to be. (to check out my Western Conference blog click here)

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #8 Indiana Pacers

So we have the best team in the East led by Derrick Rose taking on the Pacers who frankly have no players I know by name, still the must be doing something good enough to get to the playoffs -well not really because they ended the season 37-45 and to have a team with 8 more losses than wins have a chance to win the Title is bullsh*t, I'm all for a change in the NBA and reduce the number of playoff teams to 4 o 6 (a la NFL) but that is for another blog-. Chicago has been dominant all season led by Rose -my MVP pick- along with Noah, Boozer, Brewer and other guys and will easily take this matchup in 5 games, still I'm not totally sold on the being a championship team although I'm pushing so much for them because I enjoy watching them play and Chicago was so much overdue for a winning team.

#2 Miami Heat vs #7 Philadelphia 76ers

Miami taking their talents into the playoffs is no surprise, heck it was an obligation for a team with that much talent and all of the acquisitions they made. Philadelphia is another of those teams that makes the playoffs because of the system and really has no chance to win this series. LeBron, Wade -THE most important player for the Heat-, Bosh will prove to much even if they underachieve as they have done a good part of the season. I've got the Heat taking it in 5.

#3 Boston Celtics vs #6 New York Knicks 

This is the most intriguing match-up in the 1st round of the East. The Knicks (ever since the Carmelo Anthony trade) have been a tough riddle to decipher; some games they seem like a Title contender and other games they seem totally lost. A truth is that even in the game that they have won their defense is lackluster, heck even I think a could drop 25-30 on them any given night. On the other hand the Celtics have a ton of experience so they have an advantage in that aspect, my doubts start after the Perkins trade and their faith on a old and injured Shaq. Both teams have been inconsistent the last couple of months so picking a winner will be hard but I will take a risk and pick The Knicks in 6 games.

#4 Orlando Magic vs #5 Atlanta Hawks

 

This is another tough series to predict. For me the Magic is a team with lots of problems, it basically consists of Dwight Howard and 4 other midgets; while the Hawks are just a team I'm not sold on in any way. But both teams have done something right to earn a spot at 4 & 5. Not to interested in this series as I don't see any these teams going past the next round, for blog sakes I'll take Atlanta in 6.

Who are your favorite teams to win it all in 2011???

For now...

Mr Khakbaz out!!!

San Antonio trip, day 3 – LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs San Antonio Spurs

So after a Saturday of walking around and shopping in San Antonio - boy, I love this place- bought a couple of books, some clothes and a kick ass #24 Lakers jersey/tshirt (for you noobs, #24 is future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant). All in all a great day, but Sunday was the reason for this trip.

So early Sunday I catch some SportsCenter to get up date on everything sports, there is a ton of hype for the Lakers-Spurs game. At 12:30 I'm off to the AT&T Center which is about 5 minutes from the hotel and get my 8 dollar parking, pretty far but the cheapest you can get inside the Crappy Cellphone Carrier Center.

I was accustomed to arenas opening their doors about an hour and a half before game time but they make us wait for a while and open just an hour before tip-off. Waiting time was fun as there were a lot of Laker fans and had some great talks with people around me, even got invited to a party in Austin.

So finally I'm in the arena at 1:30 and a huge "Beat LA" chant starts so us Lakers fans start a "Let's go Lakers!" which was a good way to start gameday. It got even better just a minute later as Spurs cheerleaders were out signing autographs. -didn't care for the signing but looking at those hot women was something nice.

I get my butt up to my seat with a nice hot dog and a cold Bud Light. Again lots of LA fans around me which is always nice... you form this quick bond with fans when you are rooting for the visiting team, kinda like a brotherhood during and after the game.

We get lots of cheers during the player introductions. Kobe gets huge cheers and huge boos (nothing like LeBron on Friday who got booed like crazy as people don't like him nor respect him, unlike Kobe who is hated for being on the opposing team, but is respected for the kind of player he is), Manu gets the most cheers for the local team. That was about the last time the crowd was as hot.

Right from the get-go this on was in cruise-control for LA. Well not exactly as SA started out winning 2-0 but the next 11 minutes and 45 seconds was all Lakers who ended leading the 1st Q 34-13 thus opening a 21 point lead. We get more of the same in the 2Q and the LakeShow go up 28 at halftime.

Time for another beer and more of the same as the LA gets the lead up to 30 points and we see lots of bench players for both squads and the Lakers end up winning 99-83.

Final thoughts

• All in all the Lakers played a near-perfect game and San Antonio had an off night, well overdue after 22 straight home wins.


• Kobe had a nice game ending with 26 points leaving him 12 points behind Moses Malone in the all-time points scoring list (27409 to Kobe's 27397).


• A great experience as I had last seen the Lakers live about 12-14 years ago (they still played at the Forum) and I had never seen them as a visitor.


• I think I'm unbeaten when traveling to see a sporting event. SAN DIEGO @ Dallas (NFL), Charlotte @ DALLAS (NBA), Orlando @ SPURS (NBA), Nets @ MAVS, SAN DIEGO @ Houston (NFL), Charlotte @ HOUSTON (NBA), Heat @ SPURS (NBA), LAKERS @ Spurs (NBA)


• The crowd at the AT&T Center is one of the best in the NBA. Rowdy like crazy in the Miami game; against the Lakers not so much (being down 30 doesn't help) but still had a playoff atmosphere.


• Spurs still have the best record but Lakers are still the team to beat.


• Heat are so overrated.


• Will be back in San Antonio for the Playoffs when, here comes my prediction, my Lakers take on the Spurs in the Conference final. Come to think about it I'll be in San Antonio for Raw in May so maybe I'll make that trip a 2 for 1.

Pictures will be up tomorrow.

MrKhakbaz out

San Antonio trip, day 1 – Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs

I’ll start off saying that this game is somewhat of a bonus as the main reason of the trip was to see my Lakers taking on the Spurs… that being on Sunday, I thought I’d make the trip a couple of days early and enjoy the Spurs putting a whooping on the Heat (or at least that is what I hoped for).

Trip started off well as I made only an hour and a half from Monterrey to Laredo, the border crossing was only 25 minutes which is awesome, but then came the I-94 permit and its brutal 2 hour wait and 15 minute line to pay 6 freaking dollars. I’ll go on the record and say: “a 2.5 hour wait for a permit is BULL-FUCKING-SHIT… the fuck, I’m coming to spend money, to have a good time, NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.

2 hour trip and I get to San Antonio and straight to the hotel (cheap Red Roof, yet never disappoints, best bang for the buck). Quick trip to the Riverwalk and off to the AT&T Center.

Parked pretty far but not too bad for 8 bucks, at this point it’s about 6:45pm (a bit less than 2 hours from tipoff), hoped they opened the doors 2 hours but nope. More standing around (that has been a trending thing today). So lots of standing around while I listened to a ton of “Lebron sucks” and “overrated” chants which I loved --- I think Lebron is one of the best players but a total asshole, more on that later---. This drums band starts playing and makes the wait a bit better, then comes a Spurs cheering squad and they start throwing t-shirts and I get one (day starts getting better). At 7:30 -1 hour before tipoff- doors open and we are in.

A quick tour around AT&T which is a pretty nice arena with a great atmosphere although the halls are not that big and are really crowded. Made my way up to my seat and picked up some buffalo wings and a coke (damn good combination). Got to my seat and munched my wings down.

The atmosphere was electric with tons of Lebron comments and chants. As soon as he steps on the floor the crowd is all over him. Out come Los Spurs (it was Latino night in the San Antonio, so we had El Heat and Los Spurs jerseys, along with a lot of Latin Music) and we get a huge pop by the sold out crowd. I can’t put into words the energy that was felt around the building. I found it quite funny that the song played right before the Heat introductions was one by Pitbull, it’s funny since he is from Miami (yeah weird me, but also weird they played a song that made the visiting team seem like the home team).

As always Manu Ginobili gets the biggest ovation during introductions, although the return of TP9 was well received. I can’t stress enough that the return of Parker is huge for the Spurs, although he did not look like himself from time to time he is a huge part of the team.

 The crowd was hot from the tip off and quick basket from Manu and the Spurs got the crowd hotter –If possible- going 8 for 11 from 3 point land in the 1^st quarter. So it we end the first 12 minutes with the Spurs up 36-12. The second quarter was a bit more balanced, mostly due to the Spurs lowering the intensity.

Side note:  how is it possible that in the AT&T Center my cellphone has no reception??? I guess all those bad comments about their service is true.

It ‘s not even worth the time to talk about the disaster the Heat are. For their talent level I expected so much more but you can see that they are horrible on defense: they rotation is brutal, lack of effort, poor coaching in general. On the offensive side you have 3 great players in Lebron, D-Wade and Bosh but they have no idea how to play as a team; individual talent will only take you so far but in order to win you must play as a team and have a good coach. I found it interesting that most Heat players talk to the assistants during time outs instead of Coach Spolestra, if they listen at all; most of the time the just wandered around, which I see as a sign of poor coaching, poor integration, lack of interest.

The game ended in a 30 point blowout by the Spurs, they hit 17 3 pointers (which is a team record, a nice thing to be part of live) and they handed the Heat their worst defeat of the season (which also was nice to see).

All in all it was a great day. Made it safely to beautiful San Antonio, had some great wings, some beer, saw on the greatest players ever (although I hate him off the court), got the chance to boo the hell out of him, and got to see the Spurs win big in what –in my opinion- was the hottest crowd I’ve ever been a part of.

Hope to see a Spanish edition of SportsCenter to hear the hosts say ESTA LEBRON or I WADE… a play on their names to make them sound like cursing. Funny if you speak Spanish, although I doubt they will show any good plays by El Heat –or maybe they will show that awesome And-1 play by Lebron with the 360 layup. (pics coming later)

After tonight’s game I can say: “Lebron take your talents, turn them sideways, shine them up real good, and stick them straight up your candy-ass” (Quote The Rock nevermore).

So tomorrow I got an off day -so to speak- so it’s off to shop, eat good food and enjoy San Antonio. Sunday I’m back to AT&T to watch my Lakers, this time showing no love for the home team (which I have a ton of respect as an organization and enjoy watching them) hoping to see another great game and a Lakers W.

MrKhakbaz out!!!