Friday, May 06, 2005

The Lakers Are Idiots

Before the Wizards actually won their playoff series with the Chicago Bulls, I was afraid to vocalize this rant for fear of jinxing the quite jinx-prone Washington squad. But now the Wizards are through to the second round to play the Miami Heat, and there is a peculiar aspect of the series that I want to bring to everyone's attention.

If we go through the 8-man rotation for these two teams, it's very interesting. At point, Gilbert Arenas and Dwayne Wade are very similar players, both scoring point guards with elite offensive weapons and middling defensive abilities. I probably give the edge to Wade very slightly, but you could make a case for either guy. A wash.

At the two, there's really no comparison to be made between Larry Hughes, a minor star, and Damon Jones, a three-point specialist role player. Jones is important to his team, but Hughes is a far, far better player. Big advantage Wizards.

At three, Eddie Jones and Antawn Jamison are both kind of the quintessential third-banana type guy, guys who take too many shots but are tolerated because they make just enough of them. Latrell Sprewell is the prototype for this kind of player. I give a slight edge to Jones due to experience, but of course there is a point in one's career where experience becomes just plain old age. Jones is definitely knocking on that door, if he isn't already inside chilling on that couch. Jamison is a lot more athletic at this point, but Jones is the better clutch player. I'll be generous and say slight advantage Heat here.

At four, we have another matchup of similar players in Jared Jefferies and Udonis Haslem, young guys who do some things but haven't fully developed their floor games yet in their young careers. Both have a lot of potential but neither is somebody you count on for consistent production. A wash.

On the bench, the Wizards have Etan Thomas, a bruising rebounder and post defender, Michael Ruffin, another rebounding specialist, and Juan Dixon, a good explosive scorer who can give you some great nights. The Heat actually use a 9-man rotation, which is kind of unusual for an elite team, so their bench is Christian Laettner, a limited hustle player and jump shooter, Alonzo Mourning, a mostly washed-up post defender rebounder, Keyon Dooling, a guard who was a career 40% shooter with the Clippers before landing a job as an energy player with the heat, and Shandon Anderson, who's old and untalented and basically there just to give ball handling minutes. Big advantage Wizards.

So on two key counts, the Wizards are clearly much better, with perhaps a slight Heat advantage on one count and a wash on two other counts. But there's one thing we haven't discussed, and that's Center. The Wizards have Brendan Haywood, a talented seven-footer with good potential who's really had some nice games recently for the Wizards and seems to be coming into his own.

The Heat have Shaq.

And thus, if the Heat don't sweep the Wizards, it will be a mild surprise. If the Wizards somehow find a way to push the series to a game 6 in Washington, it will be a huge upset. All because of Shaq.

The Lakers traded this man.

This was stupid. In fact, it may be the worst move in the history of sports. I know the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth. But at least at the time Ruth was at the beginning of what would only later become a massively awesome career. Shaq was actually in the prime of his massively awesome career when he was traded. And now he's off being massively awesome with some other team while the team he used to play for sits at home with their 34-48 record and their Center-by-committee tandem of Vlade "Methuselah" Divac and Chris "The Secret of" Mihm.

And don't even talk to me about Sam Bowie over Jordan. Nobody knew that was stupid at the time. Everybody knew trading Shaq was stupid except the people who did it, and Kobe.

I don't know what my point is. I don't even like the Lakers. I'm just outraged that someone with so much money could be so dumb as to trade Shaq. A pox on the Lakers, forever and ever.

I'm going to bed.

Nice work, Wizards.

6 comments:

RBP said...

Pretty astute observations there ape man. So this is the place to come for both politics and the NBA.

The seasons over for my beloved Grizzlies. For the second straight year they went four and out in the first round. But it could be worse. At least now we're at the point where nobody's satisfied with just making the play-offs. But next year's Griz won't look anything like this years. They won't excersise ther're option on Bonzi Wells. They will look to trade Jason Williams (probably) or Mike Miller (hopefully not). Part of our problem is we have no big man, no dominate player.

We have a lot of potential though. We got the GM: Jerry West
We got the coach: Mike Fratello
And we have Pau Gasol, the best player nobody knows about, and Shane Battier, a hard nosed defensive player and tough as nails. What we need is a big man. Getting one will prove tough for West, with only one late first round pick in the draft, and no second round pick. Which is why, Williams and Miller will be on the trading block. It will be interesting to say the least.

And I agree, a pox on the Lakers...

Any thoughts on the Kentucky Derby today?

Unknown said...

I can't discuss the Grizzlies objectively until they get rid of Battier, who is possibly my least favorite human. I will admit they have some po. But I will hate them profusely until they deal Shane the Brain. Don't take it personally. Unless, of course, you are Shane Battier.

In which case, I hope you eat shit and die.

As for the Derby, I have nothing intelligent to say. I'm glad Steinbrenner didn't win again.

RBP said...

Whoa! Is there something in Battier's past I don't know about? Did he shill for *W* last year? Or are you a North Carolina fan?

Does he own a sweat shop? What?

And for the record, no I am not Shane Battier.

Unknown said...

I'm a Maryland Terrapins fan. He was the key cog on the team that came back on us in the final 4. That game actually led indirectly to the end of a very close friendship. A very, very bad night to be a Terps fan.

It's not fair to Shane, who by all accounts is a really nice guy. But, you go to Duke, you have to pay the price. And the price is that I wish extreme ill on you.

RBP said...

Maryland would have been my next guess.

Well, he does SEEM like a nice guy. Whenever the team does any community outreach, visiting hospitals, cleaning parks, ect...Battier's there. He doesn't blow any of that stuff off, like some ot the bigger names.

Interesting today's paper; he's on the trading block as well. West hasn't ruled anything out, as far as trades go.

Unknown said...

Oh, nice, well if the Grizz deal him, I'm on the bandwagon for sure.