I like the Horns

Alabama barely beat Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee. I like Texas to win 17-10 and for Colt McCoy to have a big game. Texas had a couple of close calls as well and I know a lot of people in Austin even doubt the team. They're not a great team and not as good as the VY championship team. But Alabama is not great either and in the Battle of Macs, I'll go with the QB that has won more games than any in the modern history of college football.

Gil

Just before Christmas, as I was snaking my way along Sunset between Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica, I thought of Gilbert Arenas. Off to my right in the canyon below was Pali High (home of the Dolphins!) where we had conducted a photo shoot with Gil shortly after his last season with Golden State. Arenas had done some pretty crazy stuff his first two years in the league. Before he was actually given some decent burn he used to practice dunks jumping off the trampoline with the Golden State mascot (a feat he repeated at the 2007 All-Star Game weekend). He bought an Escalade for around 50 grand and then used another 50 Gs to trick it out even though he was the 31st pick in the 2001 Draft and making non-guranteed rookie money. During halftime of a game against San Antonio, Arenas was so upset with his play that he walked into the shower in full uniform and turned on the water. He supposedly played the second half in his wet uni.

The last exploit was the theme of our photo shoot. Gil stood in uniform on a Pali High handball court while the photographer's assistant threw bucket after bucket of lukewarm water on him. It was late afternoon and getting cool in the canyon, but Gil didn't care. He was a photographer's dream, putting up with being drenched for a good hour and a half. His girlfriend, Laura Govan was there as well.

Arenas' off-the-wall personality and his back story about growing up with his dad in LA and sleeping in the car when they first arrived from Florida made for a pretty good piece. And Gil was a good quote. When I interviewed him I went through the first round of the 2001 Draft naming all the guys who had been drafted before him. With the tape recorder running right in front of him he went off on several of the picks. He said a monkey could shoot better than Gerald Wallace and justifiably called Jeryl Sasser "terrible". He was especially miffed with the Celtics who had three first round picks and took Joe Johnson, Kendrick Brown and Joe Forte (ouch). "If I could pick one team to score 100 points against it would be Boston," he said.

The day the story went to print I got a phone call from Arenas while covering a tennis tourney in Indianapolis. Gil was pissed. He claimed that all the things he had said about the other players in his draft were off the record. Of course, he never said anything like during the interview and his girlfriend was there the entire time. He claimed that the next time he faced each player he dissed he was going to have to throw down with them. I tried to reason with him but he just wanted to vent and went off on what I thought was a very fair and positive story. The thing that really killed me was that he had just signed a 60 million dollar deal with the Wiz. He finally had all this respect. But as many people have said about Arenas, he's never trusted his success. As Mark Heisler suggested in his story on Arenas this past Sunday, Gil's always feared that everyone is going to discover that he's a fraud and abandon him just like his drug-addicted mom did when he was a little kid.

As Arenas went on to bigger and better things with Washington, became an All-Star and a cause celebre among the media (especially bloggers), I've always kept this idea of Gil in mind. Even now,in the wake of his gun trouble, I really don't think he's a bad guy. When I relayed my story to people who know him they said that Gil challenges everyone, even friends or teammates (look at his relationship with Deshawn Stevenson). He's got to know if you're on his side or not and even those that are in his court are perpetually tested. It's a matter of trust, is it not?

Occasionally people that have everything (fame, money, respect), if they want to go higher, they need to drum up controversy or sharpen their edge. That's what makes someone like Kobe so great. Maybe that's what MJ was looking to do with his HOF acceptance speech. Arenas isn't nearly the player those two are, but he's achieved some pretty big things in his NBA career and he's nobody's fool. While he does foolish things, deep down he's thinking 'Hey, it's just me, Gil, Hibachi, Agent Zero.' I'm not saying bringing guns to an NBA lockerroom was a totally calculated move, but on some level, how could it not be? His whole career, from his free throw routine to his use of the media, is defined by his ability to provoke and bewilder.

So what happens now? In the wake of Tiger mania, the press is quick to dole out advice and/or punishment. Jemele Hill thinks Arenas and Crittenton should be suspended for the season and that the Wiz can use this episode to void Arenas' hefty contract. I think he'll get a month suspension (Steven Jackson received 7 games for his gun going off in a nightclub). I doubt the Wiz can play a morality card with this and ax Arenas. I just don't see it happening. As Washington should have learned long ago, when ride with Gil you get the good and the bad.

Hurry Back Ron Artest

The Lakers knew that signing Ron Artest meant they'd encounter a few bumps and bruises along the way. They just never imagined it would be Ron Ron's own bumped head and a bruised elbow that would keep him out of the lineup for what has been four games now. For the most part, Artest has been a model Angelino. He's embraced the city, giving out his phone number on more than one occasion and keeping his tweeps well versed. He gets frustrated with opposing players from time to time, but he almost never has a problem with a referee. He even mixes in the old school raising of the hand when whistled for a foul.

As a player, he is still trying to find his role within the triangle. But if the last five games are any indication, the Lakers are lost without his defense. In the first of LA's four games in five nights, Artest had a so-so game against Cleveland and LeBron. LBJ had a solid all-around game (he missed a triple-double by one assist) and Artest fouled out, but James didn't dominate scoring-wise. Yeah, it's odd to say since he scored 26, but he mostly killed the Lakes as a facilitator. Overall, the Lakers D was terrible and they missed their own share of bunnies (see Gasol). Then Ron fell down some stairs and blacked out. The Lakers have struggled to wake up in his absence. In the four games Artest has missed, LA has given up 103, 118, 118, and 108 points.

Were it not for the heroics of the Kobester, they could be riding a five-game losing streak. Seriously. In the first game in Sacramento, they blew a six-point lead in the last three minutes and they were down by seven in the first OT. They were blown out in Phoenix and they followed that up by yielding 118 to a Golden State team playing the second of a back-to-back. The first game for the Warriors was a win over the Celtics! In fact, GS played Phoenix, Boston and LA in consecutive games (who made up that sked?) Joel and Stu kept marveling at how the Warriors were shooting close to 60 percent. "It's easy," I screamed at my TV, "when you give up layup after layup." Then, of course, last night the Lakers went down by 20 against the Kings at Staples and won on Kobe's third game-winner in a month.

Maybe that's an omen. Like I've said before, there's a tendency for decent teams who lose close games one year to come back and win a majority of those the next season (assuming most of the personnel is the same). The Lakers were great in close games last season. In fact, they were rarely blown out. So one wonders if the pendulum will swing the other way this season. For every blowout (Cleveland, Phoenix) which you think will serve as a wakeup call, recently there have been even more alarming near-catastrophes against GS and Sac-town. Will this team win 60 games? Are they good enough on defense to repeat? Heaven knows when they move the ball on O, they can be scary good.

I thought it was refreshing though to hear Artest say recently he thought that despite their record he felt the Lakers have played well as a unit in less than ten games this year. To repeat as champs, you need to generate hunger. To their advantage, the Lakes have not only the NBA's best player but the league's hungriest in Kobe. Even Artest is amazed by how much Kobe wants to win every night. But if this recent spell of poor play means anything it's that LA needs Artest. They need his shot, his hustle, his defense. Maybe, Trevor Ariza will end up having a better season stat-wise than Ron Ron, but Trevor can't guard guys like Carmelo or LBJ. It may be difficult to sum up just how much Artest means to this team. The past week has been a pretty good testament to his value, but ultimately it will be whether or not the Lakers are holding the trophy in June.

Donaghy

I was watching a replay of Game 6 of the 1991 Western Conference finals the other night, the game where Magic throws the ball away to try and drain the clock in the final seconds. Essentially, it was Magic’s last stand as Magic. Before HIV and the comebacks and the coaching. Sad, really when I think about it.

It was interesting though because late in the game, Portland’s Clyde Drexler is called for a couple of seriously cheap fouls. I had the sound down so I’m not sure, but I think Jake O’Donnell was one of the officials.

The history between O’Donnell and Drexler is well known. O’Donnell’s quick, two-tech hook of Clyde in a 1995 Western Conference final game pretty much cost him his job. He never worked another game. O’Donnell was also thought to hold a grudge with Buck Williams, one of Drexler’s teammates in both 1991 and 1995.

Many NBA fans assume referees have biases and hold grudges toward certain players. When I was younger, I would cringe when I heard Mike Mathis or Steve Fucking Javie (as my friends and I called him) was assigned a Laker playoff game. After New Jersey’s 1984 playoff series with Philadelphia, we referred to Jess Kersey, Kess Jersey because we felt he was favoring the Nets. Referee bias, whether it means superstars like Dwyane Wade getting all the calls or players like Allen Iverson getting none, has always been acknowledged as part of the game. Just ask the 1994 Chicago Bulls about Hue Hollins or Tim Duncan about Joey Crawford.

Over the past several days, former NBA ref Tim Donaghy has adamantly denied fixing games, saying he bet, for the most part, according to referee tendencies. The folks at TrueHoop and economist Joe Price have done a great job in debunking some of Donaghy’s claims (Price runs into the problem that which of three refs makes a call in a game is not quantifiable. Not even watching the game on tape can always reveal that.) But what exactly is the point in doing this? Is it to establish Donaghy as a liar? Is it to call into question whether or not he fixed games? Maybe, as Price postulates, Donaghy’s claim that betting on blowouts when Dick Bavetta is calling a game, does not make for a winning formula. Although to be clear, one can fix a game by not making calls as well. That's something I haven't heard anyone bring up, probably because it's nearly impossible to quantify non-calls.

But refuting Donaghy’s claims how he won money doesn’t erase the fact that he won. This has been established not just by Donaghy, but by his money source, James Battista. According to Battista and Donaghy, they won between 70-80 percent of the time. This, of course, is an incredible number for any professional gambler. And they weren’t the only ones. In a piece by ESPN’s Wayne Drehs, R.J. Bell, the president of Pregame.com, a sports betting info site, cited 10 straight games in 2007 that Donaghy refereed where the line moved by 1.5 points or more, a clear tipoff that a lot of money was being bet, and conceivably won.

The example of Donaghy is not necessarily proof that referee bias does exist, but the fact that he and Battista won money seems to prove the former did indeed fix games. Battista won't come out and say it. But he doesn't have to. When Battista states he won money only on the games Donaghy called and not as a result of Donaghy's theories on various refs, one can only draw one conclusion: The fix was in.

Quick thoughts

So I think Kevin Harlen was sick tonight? He sounded like his dog had just died.

Another loss from the Spurs. I'm sorry, I don't see them going on some big run. I know they have a ton of injuries. No TP or Manu (I think) again tonight. But they are old. Like Celtic old.

Things are looking better and better for the Lakes with Gasol back. It's early, but Cleveland and Boston have both looked a lot more vunerable than last year. I'll say it now without any inside info. This is LBJ's last year in the wine and gold. It' not going to end well.

I like it

Just got home and have read the news as final. The Lakes are landing Artest and Ariza is gone. I'm sad in a sense. Trevor brought a lot to the team. He was athletic. He hit big threes. He gave LA something they didn't have in other players. The Lakers have the personnel to play half court with anyone. Ariza was often a wild card for them with his hustle plays. That said, Trevor has gone from a journeyman to a key contributor on a championship team. But he is nowhere near as good as Ron Artest. In a way, TA is a victim of the economy. But the Lakers also played him in his free agency. Can he really improve to the level of Artest? I doubt it. And I doubt he'll be able to prove it in Houston which sports a similar player in Shane Battier. Artest brings toughness, rebounding, and defense. He's not a great shooter, but he's as good as TA and with fewer attempts I see his percentage improving. Moreover, Artest gives Kobe protection in the way Mo Lucas did for Bill Walton or Rodman did for Jordan. It might just extend KB's career. Yes, Ron Ron is nuts. He may well cost the Lakers a few games and lose some more to suspension. But PJ loves him and thinks he can coach him ala Rodman or Brian Williams. It would have been great to bag both RA and TA and the Lakers need to get more athletic (maybe Shannon Brown is resigned now?), but Mitch K has just assembled the best frontline in the league especially if Odom returns. Pau, Artest, Bynum, LO and throw in Kobe if you want at small forward. Wow, that's a lot of talent, a lot of rebounds, and a ton of versatility. If the Lakers can somehow shore up their PG situation I think they're hands on faves to return to the Finals. They need to get younger in spots but Mitch just made a power play to try and repeat next year and contend for a few more. If there's another GM who has made better moves in the last two years I don't know his name. The Ariza deal was a steal. Pau, ditto to the nth. I didn't like the three-point ability the Lakes gave up in the Vlad Rad deal but it brought them Shannon Brown and whatever AMO ends up being worth (throwaway expiring contract or reclamation project). Last night I couldn't sleep thinking TA was gone. He ends up signing for more years and more overall money, but in the end it might be just like Turiaf to the Warriors; a better paycheck but not necessarily a better career move. Tonight, I can't wait for next season. Win or lose it's going to be wild ride with Ron but one I think might end up being a marriage made in heaven.

Champs!

I thought the Lakers would win in six but I had a feeling about yesterday's game. They played so well in Game 1 that I figured they were due to play another good one. The fact that the Magic didn't capitalize on chances to win Games 2 and 4 obviously didn't bode well for them. Since Orlando is always fairly erratic they were equally due for a similar performance to Game 1. And that's what we got.

As I've said before, one great thing about the Lakers is they hardly ever get blown out. That's why the Rockets series was such a puzzlement. PJ admits that it puzzled him as well. The point is that even when they don't play great, they're still close in most games. This, and the fact they have the greatest player on the planet, allowed them to steal games like 2 and 4 and to almost win Game 3. Many people, including a reader, feel that the Lakers won only because Denver and Orlando played poorly. There's some truth to that. But no matter how bad LA plays they almost always in the hunt. This team maybe didn't dominate the way that the Shaq-Kobe Lakers did but, in the end, they knew how to win. Good or bad, playing to the level of your opponent means you play a lot of close games. The Lakers did this year and that, I think, turned out to be a huge help because by Game 5 of the Denver series, you could sense they were getting on a roll. There were some shaky moments but after that win their confidence remained pretty high.

As for the Magic, I think they probably went as far as they could. Even with Jameer Nelson at a hundred percent (and he was far from that in the series), this is a very flawed team. They live and die(d) with the jump shot and a young post player who needs to work on his game. (BTW, one of the funniest moments of the Finals was when Breen said his free throw form is good. Huh? You mean cus he keeps his elbow in or something. The guy has zero touch. He puts way too much spin on the ball without following through with his arm. He just kinda flings the thing up there with his wrist.)

But what might have cost the Magic the most was SVG. The fact that JVG hardly ever criticized him was a travesty. SVG made some huge coaching blunders in the playoffs. Talk all you want about how PJ wins because he has great players. How many times have you seen him fail on his inbounds pass coverage? Or not have the right guys on the floor? True, some of his early second quarter lineups left me scratching my head, but he didn't screw up his point guards by playing the backup at the expense of losing his starter's confidence. In fact, Phil rode Fish to the end and eventually (many Aaron Brooks layups later), it paid off big.

I like Van Gundy and I think his opinions are a breath of fresh air. When he was asked about a possible 20-year-old age requirement to play in the L, he ripped the NCAA as one of the worst organizations out there. Bravo. But his in-game coaching left a lot to be desired. Look at how many times the Magic lost at or near the buzzer. Once to Philly. Once to Boston (in Orlando). Once to Cleveland. And once to LA. That's four possible wins they left on the table and it wasn't all about execution. It was also about putting the right guys in the right place. As a coach, you can live with Paul Pierce giving up the rock and Big Baby beating you. But giving Iguodala and LBJ the chance to beat you is not good. Add to the fact that he didn't foul up three against the Lakes in Game 4 and he has just as much to answer for as the bone-headed plays Hedo and Howard made from time to time. But because the press likes him you might not hear much about it.

That being said, congratulations to the Lakers. I've had Chick Hearn's voice in my head all week. "The Lakers are the World Champions!"