King James, Kobe, Zambrano, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---The Lakers cruised past the Nuggets in Game 6 to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals, and yes, I have to give Kobe some credit.

---I make no secret of my disdain for Bryant, an extraordinarily talented player with a horrible track record as a teammate. However, I have been very impressed with the unselfish way the Black Mamba has played in the last two games. Prior to Game 6, I can't remember the last time Kobe had double-digit assists. When Kobe gets his teammates involved, the Lakers are incredibly tough to beat.

---Still, make no mistake about it, LeBron James is the best player in the world. King James delivered yet another masterful performance in Game 5 to keep Cleveland's season alive. We have never seen a player with this type of sheer strength, skill, and athleticism.

---As great as James has been, however, the supporting cast needs to step up tonight in Orlando if the Cavs want to force a Game 7. I'm strongly rooting for the Cavs, but if Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas fail to make shots, Dwight Howard and the Magic are going to the Finals.

---Once again, I must give credit where credit is due: Stan Van Gundy, I know I've been hard on you, but I can't argue with success. Job well done.

---The Denver Nuggets ended their stellar season in embarrassing fashion last night, but this franchise made significant progress this year, and George Karl's team will be one of the elite teams in the league next season. Let's hope Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Nene, and Chris "Birdman" Anderson all make a healthy return next season, because when this Nuggets team is clicking, they are fun to watch.

---"Inside the NBA": Best. Show. Ever.

---The Philadelphia 76ers have hired former Wizards coach Eddie Jordan to be their next head coach. Solid hire. Jordan got a raw deal in Washington, where he was unfairly blamed for the poor play of a team with very little talent in the absence of Gilbert Arenas.

---Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies have fired manager Clint Hurdle. The Rockies downfall, from National League champs to cellar dweller in a span of only two years, has been startling. However, I don't think firing Clint Hurdle, an above-average manager, is the right answer. The reason the Rockies are losing isn't because of Hurdle, it's because of the declining play of players like shortstop Troy Tulowitzski and third baseman Garrett Atkins. Tulowitzski and Atkins were key members of the 2007 team that went to the World Series, but they are experiencing a Big Papi-like slump this season. And frankly, Jim Tracy is a step down from Clint Hurdle.

---Whoa, Carlos! Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano went all Bill O'Reilly on us this past week, unloading a frighteningly chaotic, wildly entertaining verbal tirade on home plate umpire Mark Carlson, an explosion of anger that earned Zambrano a six-game suspension. The Cubbies had been scuffling, and you always want your players to show passion, but Zambrano clearly crossed the line. Big Z is a great pitcher, but he must stop wearing so much emotion on his sleeve. I mean, my goodness, his meltdown made Lou Piniella look like a saint.

---Go Giants! The pitching is spectacular, and the hitting has been productive this past week. After Matt Cain led the Giants to victory over the Cardinals last night, Bruce Bochy's team has won four straight. Now if only the hated blue can start losing.

---And finally, enough with this Tom Brady nonsense. Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, that much is certain. But please, does he really need to be on the front cover of every magazine known to man just because he has recovered from an injury?

LeBron, Carmelo, Big Papi, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Kobe who? After LeBron's spectacular shot to win Game 2, one of the most clutch shots in playoff history, there is absolutely no debate: King James is far and away the best player on the planet.

---I can't wait to hear what LeBron-hater Skip Bayless has to say now.

---LeBron's buzzer-beater, made despite terrific defense by Hedo Turkoglu, saved the Cavs' season. If he missed that shot, Cleveland would be faced with an 0-2 deficit on their way to Orlando, giving the Magic enormous confidence and momentum.

---Cleveland has the momentum, but Orlando should still feel good about the way they played in the first two games. Stan Van Gundy's team did what they needed to do and earned a split in Cleveland. The Cavs are going to need to play much better basketball if they plan to win at Amway Arena. Ultimately, I think the Cavs will win the series, but the Magic will continue to give the Cavs all that they can handle.

---Memo to Dwight Howard: We know that you are a freakish athlete, but please, do you really find it necessary to where tank tops that are five sizes too small just to show off your physique?

---The Nuggets are in fantastic shape heading into tonight's Game 3 in Denver. After a heartbreaking loss in Game 1 in which the Nuggets collapsed down the stretch, they showed tremendous resiliency to win Game 2. Sorry Lakers nation, but your team is in trouble.

---I have always thought of Carmelo Anthony as an excellent player, but during these playoffs he has emerged as a star. Sorry Number 24, but the best scorer in this Nuggets-Lakers series is Melo.

---George Karl is doing a great job, but I do have one complaint. Why in the hell does he start the thoroughly mediocre Dahntay Jones on Kobe Bryant? I sincerely hope that Jones proves me wrong in Game 3, but as of this writing, I am not a fan. Seriously, Larry King could have played better D on Kobe. After Gane 2, it is clear that Carmelo should guard Kobe.

---Unlike most people, I do not have a problem with Phil Jackson putting the ball in Derek Fisher's hands at the end of Game 2. Yes, Fisher was having a rough night, but he has been a brilliant clutch player throughout his career.

---These conference finals have been absolutely amazing. The games have been so exciting that even NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is watching the NBA instead of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

---David Ortiz finally hit his first home run of the year this past week, but Big Papi has not gotten out of the woods yet. He needs to perform at a consistent level before Terry Francona and the Red Sox get too excited.

---Big Papi's demise has been sad. David Ortiz is one of the most jovial, likable guys in all of sports. It's too bad that he is no longer an imposing hitter who makes pitchers quiver every time he steps to the plate. Ortiz was once a surefire Hall of Famer, but his Cooperstown fate is no longer secure. However, count me among those who is rooting hard for Ortiz to make a comeback. Unless you're a Yankee fan, you can't help but pull for Big Papi.

---Speaking of the Yankees, here they come. A-Rod is playing well, the pitching has improved, and Joe Girardi's team is finally playing with some swagger. With the way the Bronx Bombers are playing, fans would be flocking to Yankee Stadium to see the fighting pinstripes in action if only they could afford it. Yankees tickets are so expensive, Donald Trump is saving up enough cash so he can get a seat in the right field nosebleed section.

---I'll end this edition of Random Observations by making a desperate plea to my beloved San Francisco Giants: Please, SCORE SOME RUNS!!!!!!!!!!!

The NBA Strikes It Rich

Where will amazing happen this year? This has been the clever marketing ploy for the National Basketball Association over the last couple of years to drum up interest for the playoffs. However, the league does not need a campaign slogan to spark nationwide interest. With a dazzling array of young stars, the NBA is in spectacular shape. In the past two years, we have seen the two greatest first-round playoff series of all time (Celtics-Bulls, Spurs-Suns), a return to the Finals for two storied rivals (Celtics-Lakers), and the emergence of the best basketball player on the planet (LeBron James). The 2009 race to the finish is now down to four, and the two conference finals will make for must-see television.

In the West, you have the Nuggets and the Lakers. It will be fun to see the clash in personality between these two teams. The Lakers always maintain an arrogant calm, while the Nuggets carry a tough, edgy determination. Much like the Rockets, Denver will not put up with any lame attempts at intimidation by Los Angeles. Occasionally the Lakers suffer from horrid lapses of complacency, but despite my burning hatred for Phil Jackson's gang, I'd be lying if I said they didn't have championship talent. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are playing near-flawless basketball, and Chauncey Billups, Chris "Birdman" Andersen, and Carmelo Anthony are going to pose serious problems for the Lakers. I desperately hope that Denver trounces L.A. , and this time I think my dreams will come true. But no matter what happens, this will be a fascinating series, and a test case of which style produces the best results.

In the East, you have Cleveland and Orlando, a compelling matchup that features two of the most prominent faces of the NBA: LeBron James and Dwight Howard. James, of course, is the best player in the game, while Howard is the best center in the game. Both men possess remarkable charisma, as both play with a heedless sense of joy. One is a King and one is Superman, and their dual presence on the court should provide great drama. I fully expect Mike Brown's Cavaliers to advance, assuming that the supporting cast of Mo Williams, Delonte West, Wally Sczerbiak, Anderson Varajao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas continue to perform at a high level. But the Magic will undoubtedly give Cleveland their first real test of the postseason. With an excellent point guard in Rafer Alston, and two streaky sharpshooters in Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Redick, Orlando is always in the game, no matter the score. They will push the Cavs to at least six games, possibly even a seventh, and it will be interesting to see how the Cavs respond in the face of adversity.

Somewhere, David Stern is smiling. His league is thriving, and starting tomorrow night, his league will provide nightly playoff drama that will feature more excitement than a Stan Van Gundy rant, and that's saying something. Yes, the NBA playoffs are indeed amazing.

Howard, Cuban, Garnett, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---I love Dwight Howard, but he was wrong to publicly criticize his coach following a Game 5 loss to the Celtics in which the Magic once again choked down the stretch. Stan Van Gundy is a mediocre coach whose panicky personality prevents him from being a strong leader. However, Dwight Howard needs to take some responsibility. He needs to demand the basketball more often in crunch time. If he had demanded the ball last night, there is no way the Magic would have blown that lead.

---Also, calling out your coach in the midst of a hotly contested series is simply stupid, for it can only lead to added division and tension in the clubhouse. Howard should have kept quiet.

---With this being said, if the Magic lose this series, which is becoming more and more likely as the Celtics are beginning to flex their championship muscles, Stan Van Gundy's job will be in serious jeopardy. In light of the recent comments by Marcin Gortat and now Dwight Howard, it is apparent that Van Gundy lacks the respect of his players.

---But in sports a person's fate can change in the blink of an eye. If the Magic find a way to win this series, all will be forgiven, and Stan Van Gundy's job will be secure.

---After getting embarassed by the Yao-less Rockets in Game 4, the Lakers came out on fire in Game 5 and crushed Houston by forty. The Lakers will probably finish the deal in Game 6, but I desperately hope Houston can pull off a miraculous comeback and win the series, because this Lakers team is incredibly arrogant.

---Obviously, great teams must play with swagger and confidence. The Cavs have swagger. The Celtics have swagger. Michael Jordan's Bulls had swagger. Larry Bird's Celtics had swagger. However, the Lakers push swagger to the point at which they don't even play hard. In Game 4, Kobe's crew came out and went through the motions with a total lack of effort, playing under the assumption that they were inherently superior to a Rockets team without Yao Ming. Sure, they played hard in Game 5, but Game 4 showed their true colors.

---For more on this issue, I urge you to read Tim Keown's terrific article on ESPN.com that discusses Kobe Bryant's obnoxious habit of taunting his opponents after every made shot.

---Speaking of taunting, does Kevin Garnett really find it necessary to growl at the opposing bench after nearly every Celtics basket. KG, I'm a fan, but stop the theatrics. After all, you are not even playing.

---Quick thought on the Mark Cuban controversy: Cuban should not have treated Kenyon Martin's mother with such disrespect, nor should he have shoved the cameraman after the refs missed an obvious intentional foul by Antoine Wright that helped the Nuggets win Game 3. However, I am still a big fan of Mark Cuban. Do I excuse all of his behavior? Absolutely not. Do I love his passion? Absolutely. The bottom line is that he is one of the most devoted owners in all of sports.

---Look for the Nuggets to finish off the Mavs tonight in Denver.

---The Warriors have relieved Chris Mullin of his duties, which is simply a nice way of saying that Mullin was fired. As a Warriors fan, I disagree with the decision, but I'm glad that we have reached closure on an issue that has served as a major distraction for quite some time.

---Pablo Sandoval! Go Giants!

---The Zack Greinke-Joe Saunders pitching duel over the weekend was baseball at its finest. Fairweather baseball fans complain when home runs are not being hit, but true baseball fans appreciate the beauty of two pitchers dueling to the finish.

---Don't get me wrong: Ryan Zimmerman's hit streak (which, as of this writing, sits at thirty games) is immensely impressive, but I think it is safe to say that Joe DiMaggio's streak will live on.

---Think AL East, and you think Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays. The Blue Jays are flying under the radar. But this team has a lot of talent in the likes of Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, and Roy Halladay, and while I do not think they'll be able to maintain their current standing atop the division, I do think Toronto has enough to stay in the race until mid-August.

---And finally, the Dodgers are struggling without Manny, and I'm loving it.

Manny, A-Rod, Kobe, and other random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Manny Ramirez is out for fifty games for violating baseball's drug policy. Manny says that he accidentally took the drug as part of a medical subscription from his doctor. Sure Manny, that's about as believable as Brett Favre saying he's retired.

---Unlike most people, I don't get all worked up over the steroid era. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of the game was on the juice during the era, and it is time to move on. If people are so disgusted by the steroid era that they choose to abandon the sport of baseball, it's their loss. The game is simply too great to walk away from.

---As a diehard Giants fan, I take a twisted sense of delight from this whole situation. First and foremost, Manny's absence gives the Giants a tremendous opportunity to pick up some ground on the hated blue. Secondly, Giants fans everywhere are enjoying the hell out of the hypocrisy of the Dodger faithful. They ridiculed us for supporting Barry Bonds, yet the bandwagon frontrunners will continue to support Manny. Oh, the irony.

---Speaking of stars in the midst of scandal, Alex Rodriguez belted a three-run home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat of the year last night in Baltimore. Deep down he must have been thinking, "Take that, Selena Roberts!"

---The Magic and Lakers moved one step closer to a conference finals birth last night with impressive wins over the Celtics and Rockets, respectively. However, look for Boston and Houston to rebound on Sunday.

---The suspension of Derek Fisher was undoubtedly warranted. Fisher is a clutch player, and he seems like a nice guy, but his body check to Luis Scola in Game 2 was far and way the most vicious foul of the postseason. The suspension of Rafer Alston, on the other hand, was not warranted. Yes, Alston slapped Eddie House on the back of the head, but the play was innocent and mild in comparison to Fisher's. Alston's slap had no malicious intent; it just resembled the emotion of playoff basketball.

---A few more quick thoughts on the officiating during the second round of these NBA playoffs: Kobe Bryant is a punk, and he gets away with elbows all the time.....I don't know how the refs ejected Ron Artest in Game 2 when he was the one who got elbowed in the throat by Kobe......Speaking of Artest, he is getting unfairly punished simply because of his overblown reputation, as evidenced by another undeserved ejection in Game 3. The refs may think he is a dirty player, but Ron Artest is one of my five favorite players in the league.......And finally, let's hope Stu Jackson resists the temptation to suspend Kendrick Perkins after his Game 3 elbow to the neck of Dwight Howard. It was a flagrant foul, but not a suspendable offense.

---Nuggets-Mavs and Cavs-Hawks change scenery tonight for Game 3's. Dallas and Atlanta are clearly overmatched, but I think they both find a way to win at home tonight. I expect big games from Joe Johnson and Dirk Nowitzki.

---TNT has a spectacular array of broadcasting talent for its basketball coverage. Marv Albert, Kevin Harlan, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Mike Fratello, Ernie Johnson, Craig Sager, David Aldridge, Reggie Miller, Doug Collins, Cheryl Miller, Dick Stockton, Chris Webber...........the list goes on and on. However, one broadcast team just does not do it for me: Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlisimo. Devlin calls each play with the same annoyingly bland inflection, and Carlisimo also lacks energy and enthusiam.

---I'll finish with my thoughts on Brett Favre's possible return: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Random Observations on the Wonderful World of Sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Before I discuss the second round of the NBA playoffs, let me take a moment to reflect on the epic battle between Boston and Chicago: Best first round series ever, and one of the five best playoff series of all time. Ray Allen's clutch shooting and Joakim Noah's fearsome intensity will be remembered for years to come.

---The Celtics have to be mentally and physically exhausted, but they have no time to rest as their series against the Magic commences tonight at TD Banknorth Garden. This too will be a tremendous series, and the key will be the matchup at center between Dwight Howard and Kendrick Perkins. Perkins is a terrific player, but in the end there will be too much Superman. Orlando in 7.

---Rockets-Lakers also tips off tonight. Okay, so I won't go crazy again and pick against the Lakers, but I desperately hope that the Rockets find a way to pull off the upset. Their chances lie squarely on the performance of Ron Artest. Artest is a lockdown defender, and nobody does a better job of guarding Kobe. If Artest limits Kobe's production, Houston has a shot.

---The Nuggets picked up a Game 1 victory yesterday against Dallas, thanks to another stellar performance from the Birdman and an astonishing eight turnovers from the usually sure handed Jason Kidd. Dirk and company are in for a tough series. Denver in 5.

---The second Eastern Conference semifinal pits the top-seeded Cavs against the Hawks, who are coming off one of the strangest, most lopsided seven-game series in NBA history in which they defeated D-Wade and the Heat. I actually think that Atlanta is capable of winning a couple of games in the party atmosphere of Phillips Arena, especially if Josh Smith capitalizes on some rim-rattling dunks to get the crowd on its feet. But Cleveland is just too good. The Cavs will win in 6, moving one step closer to an NBA title.

---Speaking of the Cavs, LeBron James won the first Most Valuable Player award of his career. Well-deserved. King James is far and away the best player in basketball, and he is the closest thing to His Airness the league has ever seen.

---While we're on the subject of Michael Jordan, why don't we mention his flamboyant yellow-striped suit, which he sported at Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Jordan is the only person who can look good in a suit like that, so please Craig Sager, don't get any ideas.

---Most people have to bet on horse racing in order to enjoy the sport. Not me. Call me crazy, but I love every second of it. Mine That Bird's incredible upset win at the Derby was a spectacular sports moment, made even greater by the euphoric reaction of jockey Calvin Borel.

---The Rays have gotten off to a rocky start, but they have had Boston's number. Fresh off defeating the Red Sox in last year's ALCS, Tampa is 5-2 against the Sox this year, taking 3 of 4 from Boston over the weekend. Watch for the Rays to start winning more consistently, and watch for Carl Crawford to set more records on the basepaths this season.

---More A-Rod drama. Sigh. Is A-Rod an attention-craving diva? Of course, but some of the accusations leveled against the Yankees slugger by Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts in her new book are petty and trivial. Bad tipper? Really, Selena, that's the best you could do?

---Boomer Wells has joined TBS' baseball coverage. He made his debut on Sunday while wearing a tank top, smoking a cigarette, and chugging cans of beer.

---Upon hearing of Wells' addition to the TBS team, CBS announced that they have added John Daly to their golf coverage.