JJ Lanier
Home Grown
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When my wife and I moved to Glynn County back in 2003 we didn’t know much about the area at all.
Over the three years we spent in the “Marshes of Glynn” we learned all about Willie’s Wee-Nee Wagon and 25 cent oysters during Happy Hour over on St. Simon’s.
We also became very aware of the importance and pride among all the high school athletic programs; a knowledge, along with an immense amount of respect, that has only grown over the years.
Most counties the size of Glynn are lucky if they have one or two athletes that make it to the professional level.
As comparison, the county in I live in now has roughly half the population and the biggest athlete they’ve produced has been St. Louis Cardinals reliever, Greg Holland. Granted, being the hometown of a three time All-Star certainly isn’t anything to scoff at, but it pales in comparison to Glynn County.
The first athlete I was aware of was Davis Love III. I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing someone talk about him; he was like the human embodiment of Starbucks.
Next, was Kwame Brown. Now obviously, I knew of Brown beforehand, but I didn’t realize he was from Brunswick until moving. I know his career didn’t wind up exactly like the locals wanted it to but being the number one overall draft pick is impressive, nonetheless.
Now, most communities have their own version of the “white whale”. And by that, I mean there’s always an athlete that is just mediocre, but over time the stories have taken on a life of their own, to point where he or she is the greatest athlete to have ever been born.
During our time in Brunswick, Adam Wainwright was that guy. I heard stories of what a tremendous pitcher he was and that he was destined to be an All-Star; all stories that I believed to be told in an attempt to hype up a local legend.
It’s rare that someone can live up to the reputation, but Wainwright has done that and more. Being a 2-time World Series Champion, to go along with 3 All-Star appearances, has a way of showing people the light.
If that list of players isn’t impressive enough, I did a double take, Bugs Bunny style, while watching the Women’s World Cup a few years ago. As I’m watching I swear I hear that one of the women is from St. Simon’s.
So naturally. I hop online and take a look. Of course, that player was Morgan Brian. For my money what Brian has accomplished is the most impressive, when you consider she is playing for our country in the World Cup.
You’ll notice I haven’t even mentioned a player like Darius Slay Jr., someone whom if he came from 95 percent of the towns across the country would have a key to the city and his own holiday.
Unfortunately, for him he’s up against a #1 draft pick, an All-Star, and a World Cup participant. Oh, and the human version of Subway (seriously, I couldn’t go anywhere without Love’s name being brought up).
The point is, there are a lot of things to like about Glynn County and a lot the residents of that area should take pride in.
Sure, it’s not nearly as big as Atlanta, Miami, or those other big cities, but when it comes to big time athletes, they take a back seat to no one.
Life Without Matty Ice
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When Atlanta drafted Michael Vick with the number pick in 2001, most Falcons fans were convinced they had their franchise quarterback. And after multiple Pro Bowls and a playoff win at Lambeau Field, they had to feel like they were set at quarterback for the foreseeable future.
The sentiment was correct, it just wasn’t the player they thought it would be.
Matt Ryan has accomplished quite a bit since entering the NFL in 2008 and is well deserving of all the accolades and money that has been thrown his way.
Over the course of his career the most important thing he has achieved, or at least it should be in the mind of Falcons’ fans, is that he has kept the franchise from becoming the Miami Dolphins.
Since Dan Marino retired almost twenty years ago, the Dolphins have been mired in mediocrity, like quicksand; the more they struggle to get out, the deeper they get sucked in.
There are a few different reasons why that’s happened, but the main one is their lack of a franchise quarterback. Miami has had so many different quarterbacks since Marino I’m starting to believe they’re modeling their franchise after the Cleveland Browns.
The point is, with what happened to Vick and the dogfighting, Atlanta didn’t have a viable contingency plan in place for unexpectedly losing- up to that point- the best quarterback in franchise history.
(If you remember, Atlanta entered the 2007 season- or as I refer to it, the “season that explains why Bobby Petrino isn’t allowed in the state of Georgia”- with Joey Harrington at quarterback.)
It’s difficult enough to find one top tier quarterback in the draft, but to do it again seven years later is almost impossible.
Yet that was what Atlanta was tasked with doing. Had they missed on Ryan it could have set the franchise back 4-5 years; something that would’ve been almost unthinkable 12 months prior.
This is why I think that selection is the most important football decision the franchise has ever made and while you can argue there have been better players, I don’t think there’s been a more vital one than Ryan.
The Falcons were about to dive head first into six inches of water but the addition of Ryan changed their trajectory.
I realize with his new 5 year/$150 million contract to go along with the amount of talent on Atlanta’s roster, there is a lot of pressure for Ryan to bring home a Lombardi Trophy to the “Dirty South”; and there should be.
I just don’t think whatever winds up happening over his remaining years that it should diminish what he has meant to the Falcons organization and the city of Atlanta.
All I’m saying is that 10 years ago Atlanta was coming off the most difficult 12 months in their franchise’s history. Vick, Petrino, 4-12 season; they could have easily bottomed out. But they didn’t and a big reason is because of Matt Ryan.
Like I said, Atlanta always planned to go through with a franchise changing quarterback. The only difference is the name on the back jersey.
In a weird way, they can thank Michael Vick for that.
Keep Your Hands To Yourself
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you’re the number one draft pick, especially at quarterback, there is a lot riding on your shoulders. Obviously, you have the pressure of performing on the field, but you also have some off the field expectations you must live up to.
In the past those obligations would include you being a spokesperson and philanthropist within your community, as well as being a role model for the younger generation.
Not saying that always has happened, but those were general guidelines. Nowadays the organizations are asking for the minimum requirement of basically “don’t embarrass us“.
Jameis Winston has a decent, albeit inconsistent job, with his on the field performance. It’s his off the field actions that aren’t holding up their end of the bargain.
By now I’m sure you’re aware he is danger of being suspended for at least 3 games this season, which games and ultimately how many will depend on if he appeals or not, for allegedly groping an Uber driver back in 2016. (The charges are officially filed in November, 2017.)
Over the next few months, while this whole thing plays out, there will be people much more intelligent and articulate than I am, writing about its implications, both within the framework of the NFL as well as socially. So, for now, I’ll take the juvenile approach and focus on Winston’s story of what took place that night.
According to Jameis there were three men in the Uber. Winston, Ronald Darby, and an unnamed third man whom according to Winston and Darby is the actual person who groped the 26-year-old female driver.
Here is why I don’t buy that story. We’ve all seen enough movies, Netflix Documentaries, and episodes of “Entourage” to know there is a pecking order when it comes to friendships.
You have the main guy who is bringing in the money. No matter what he gets himself into, he can’t take the fall.
Then you have the second in the command, normally the brains of the operation, who is in charge of trying to keep the main guy out of trouble.
Lastly, you have the fall guy. He’s the guy that could literally be passed out in the backseat, but if the main guy gets pulled over for doing 120 in a 35 his butt’s getting yanked from the backseat up to the front before the cop can get to the window.
Yet in Jameis’ situation, that’s not really what’s taking place. I mean yeah, he’s blaming it on the fall guy, but if he’s not willing to name who that third guy actually is, then essentially Winston has become that guy.
And look, I know there’s a bro code and it’s not cool to be a narc; I get all that. But, if I am the number one draft pick; the franchise quarterback; I have been accused of sexual assault in the past; and I am truly innocent, you’re damn right I’m going to attach a name to that third person.
And if that makes me a bad friend, too bad; you should’ve kept your hands to yourself in the first place.
The only way I’m buying this story is if the unnamed person happens to be Dirk Koetter.
Truth is, this is a serious accusation. And if found to be true, should have significant repercussions. If Winston truly is innocent, as he claims, he needs to start acting like it. So far, he’s spending his time trying to be good friend, instead of a better person.
My First Game
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve been fortunate over my lifetime to see a number of collegiate and professional games. Out of all the ones I’ve seen- including tickets 13 rows up at the ‘94 Orange Bowl where FSU defeated Nebraska to become first time champions- there are two that stand out.
The first one was a routine summer baseball game back in 1990 between the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants. I was a Giants fan because the Braves were horrible and Kevin Mitchell had hit 49 home runs during the previous season.
So, for my 10th birthday my family made the 4-hour trek from Asheville to Atlanta and my Dad and I went to the game. I can remember almost every detail of that weekend because it was my first professional game.
I remember the anticipation I had on the ride down and being nervous that there wouldn’t be any tickets available. Not only did we get tickets, but they were $3 for the upper deck.
I remember the two players I desperately wanted to see, Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark; both took the game off. Any disappointment I had was quickly erased after a Robby Thompson home run in the 2nd inning put the Giants up for good. San Francisco went on to win 2-0.
I even remember my Dad driving back to the hotel and going the wrong way down a one-way street after the game. And no, he wasn’t drinking; we were just so caught up in talking about my first experience at a professional baseball game, we kind of lost track of where we were.
I’ve been to a few baseball games since, but I honestly could not tell you anything about them outside of who the home team was.
The second game took place on New Year’s Eve of 2014 when my daughter- roughly the same age I was during the Atlanta trip- and I went to Cameron Indoor Stadium to see Duke play Wofford.
Much like the Braves/Giants game, there wasn’t really anything on the line, but she was as excited as I had been 28 years ago. I imagine I felt like my Dad did all those years ago, too.
We talked about the game for the whole 3-hour ride back to our house and even though I didn’t go the wrong way on a one-way street, I did get a little turned around in a McDonald’s parking lot. (I promise these two incidents are not indicative of my family’s sense of direction.)
Normally at this point in the story is where you get the big emotional reveal, but that’s not the case.
My Dad is a 63-year-old triathlete that is better shape now than I’ve ever been at any point in my life. And while my daughter is 13 and has this growth at the end of her arm that resembles an iPhone, she still enjoys hanging out with her old man.
Musical Chairs
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After what amounted to a pretty exciting playoff, the NBA season finished just as most of us expected; with Golden State defeating Cleveland in the finals.
It was kind of like being lactose intolerant and eating ice cream; you enjoy consuming it, but you ultimately know what the end result will be.
With a regular season that has become somewhat mundane and a predictable postseason, you can argue that the best time of the NBA season is upon us; the NBA offseason.
As much as fans complain that “Super Teams” are ruining the NBA product, just the possibility that any player is willing to change teams- even if they happen to be one of the best players in league- has turned it into the most intriguing offseason of either of the three major sports.
The NFL Draft, with all of its’ uncertainty and build up, is better than the NBA Draft, but it’s free agency period falls well short of its basketball counterpart.
Yes, the NFL has its share of player movement in the offseason but the caliber of player involved in those moves doesn’t compare to that of the NBA. The decisions (no pun intended) LeBron (Cleveland-Miami-Cleveland-who the hell knows) and Durant (Oklahoma City- Golden State) have made would be like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers leaving their respective teams, which just doesn’t happen very often in the NFL.
Well, if I’m going to spout about how the NBA’s downtime is superior to everyone else’s because of their free agency, I should probably mention some of the possible movement to look out for this summer.
The two big names are the two I just mentioned; LeBron James and Kevin Durant. It’s pretty common knowledge that Durant will stay in Golden State. In fact, I think he may have even stated that. As for James, I feel more comfortable trying to predict the end to Game of Thrones than I do trying to figure it where LeBron will wind up.
Besides those two, there are some other big name players on the free agent market.
Paul George, Chris Paul, and Demarcus Cousins, are the next tier of players, which is still pretty impressive when you consider two of those three could very well be with new teams next year.
I don’t think Paul is going anywhere. Houston could very well have been playing in the Finals had he not missed the last two conference final games and the Rockets have as good a chance as anyone to land LeBron. Kind of hard to walk away from that.
Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins, on the other hand, are different stories.
George is going to end up with either the Lakers or Thunder. He seems to have enjoyed his time in OKC and playing with Russell Westbrook. The allure of playing in LA, George’s hometown, may too much, especially in LeBron decides to head out west.
I have no idea about Cousins. I wouldn’t be surprised if he signs to play in Beijing because he likes Chinese food, he’s just that type of guy.
Then you have players like Aaron Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, and Jabari Parker, who could all opt for free agency.
The point is, even if you’re only an occasional fan of the NBA during the season it’s ok, the best part of the league is about to start.
I’m not sure exactly what that means for the NBA, but I know I’m as interested as anyone to see how the dominoes fall.
Diamond Dominance
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When it comes to sports in this country football is the top dog. The NFL is the most popular league and the only thing more fanatical than a college football fan is a southerner when asked “Ford or Chevy?”
Next in line is basketball. Even if you don’t watch any NBA regular season games, I imagine you’ve tuned into at least one playoff game this year, if not more. And is there a sporting event anywhere here that garners more attention and attraction from random people than March Madness?
After football and basketball comes baseball, of course. Major League Baseball may have seen a decline in overall ratings as it becomes a more “regional” sport, so they say, but I still watch every October regardless of who is playing.
Which leads me to college baseball; the one sport that is oftentimes ignored- especially compared to all the others I just mentioned- but where the SEC and ACC have seen even more success than, dare I say, football and basketball, respectively.
Over the past ten years an ACC or SEC school has won the College World Series six times. Ok, full disclosure, that’s a little misleading because five of those championships belong to the SEC. Over that same 10 year span, a team from either conference has made it to the finals in 9 of those years. The one time neither did was in 2015, when Coastal Carolina won the whole thing.
The dominance between both conferences is no different this year. Out of the 64 teams that made the regionals, 16 of those teams are from the ACC or SEC.
Out of the 16 site hosts for those regionals, half of them have been hosted by a team from either conference. (The split between the number of teams hosting their regional is actually four and four, just so you know that both conferences are carrying their weight equally.)
It probably goes without saying, but just in case you’re wondering, all eight of those teams finished the regular season in the Top 10. We haven’t seen this type of dominance since Joey Chestnut was introduced to hotdogs.
There are some great storylines among these teams, too. Can Florida, the overall number one seed, repeat as CWS champions for the first time since South Carolina repeated in 2010 and 2011?
You have Georgia, trying to get back to the CWS for the first time in a decade. And how about North Carolina, who is tied with Northern Colorado for the most World Series appearances (10) without a championship. Will this finally be the year?
Then there’s Duke, who hadn’t won a College World Series playoff game since what felt like the invention of baseball, until they defeated Campbell.
That doesn’t include teams like South Carolina or LSU, who have a long history of success.
Look, I get it; with all the other things going on in our daily lives it’s nearly impossible to keep up with every single sporting taking place. Up until a couple of days ago I couldn’t have told you anything about college baseball this year, not even the name of a single player on a single team. I wouldn’t have even known the playoffs had begun if someone hadn’t told me.
And shame on me, because as much as I love watching football and basketball, there may not be a sport our area dominates more than NCAA baseball. I mean, when was the last time a Coastal Carolina won a championship in either football or basketball.
New Dawgs, Old Tricks
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s been a good start to the Kirby Smart regime. I’d be lying if I said I saw his early success coming this soon, but I have a feeling Georgia fans won’t mind me being a little off with my prediction.
While I understand the excitement, and if you’re a UGA fan you have every right to be, I would caution getting too overzealous. If you’re experiencing a bit of Deja vu, it’s because you’ve seen this movie before.
Kirby Smart and Mark Richt will be forever linked for the obvious reason that Smart succeeded Richt, after the latter was relieved of his head coaching duties. However, it’s some of the similarities concerning each coaches’ first couple years in Athens that I want to talk about; their records in particular.
For one, they both arrived as first-time head coaches. Sure, that’s not necessarily life changing or anything, but neither had any other head coaching experience prior to UGA, which does play a part when assessing their early years.
And going by the first two years for each at Georgia, those seasons are almost identical.
Smart finished his inaugural season 8-5, ending up just outside the Top 25. Richt finished 8-4, ranked 25th at season’s end.
Kirby then followed that up with a second season consisting of a 13-2 record, the school’s first conference championship in over a decade, a berth in the playoffs, and a number two ranking in the final polls. That’s a sophomore slump anyone would sign up for.
What about Mark Rich’s second season? How about a 13-1 record, a conference championship for the first time in 20 years, a third-place finish in the season ending polls, and a Sugar Bowl win. Had the college playoffs actually existed during the 2002 season, Georgia would have been one of those four teams, without a doubt.
I know it’s purely coincidental, but to have two first time head coaches with almost identical seasons to start their career at the same school, is still pretty interesting.
I do have to say that Smart has done a better job on the recruiting trail, specifically with local talent. Richt did a good job with Top 10 recruiting classes those first few years, but I don’t remember him ever having a number one class, like Smart has for this upcoming season.
I know this may come across as me antagonizing the UGA fan base- like I’ve been sitting around all day, drinking beer with Skip Bayless and Danny Kanell, scheming of ways to get under your skin- but I promise it’s not like that at all. Even though it’s been 12 years since I lived in Georgia, I was a resident there long enough and remain friends with enough people, to know expectations are at an all-time high.
I’m not trying to knock Smart, or anything he has accomplished; bringing him in was obviously the right call. Bulldog fans have every reason to be excited and should be. This is the greatest amount of promise their team has had since, well, Mark Richt’s first two years.
I will say this though; if you’re a Georgia fan, finishing this upcoming season at 11-3, with a SEC East Division title, to go along with a loss in the SEC Championship game, may not be the outcome you’re looking for, for one particular reason.
As different as Smart and Richt may be in certain areas, so far, they’ve been pretty similar in the one area that counts.
Hawks Flight Direction
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, you’ve got to start somewhere. And having four picks, three in the first round, in the upcoming NBA Draft is a pretty good starting point if you’re the Atlanta Hawks.
Owning the 3rd, 19th, and 30th pick gives Atlanta a few different avenues they could go down, if they decide to do so.
The first is to package the number 3 pick with one of the other two to either move up to the number one pick, like Philadelphia did last year, or trade for an actual player.
DeAndre Ayton seems to be the consensus number one pick, so if Atlanta is all on board the Ayton train they’ve got the assets to make the move. I like Ayton a lot, and he’s going to be a very good pro, but I don’t think he warrants that type of offer, especially when you look at how deep this draft is.
I have no idea what player they could trade for using those two picks as collateral, but if a team is willing to part with an Andrew Wiggins type player, it may be worth a look.
Personally, if I was general manager Travis Schlenk and new head coach Lloyd Pierce, I’d stay right where I was at.
With the news that Luka Dancic is considering staying overseas for another year- basically he’s doing his best Elway/Manning impersonation because he doesn’t want to play for Sacramento- there’s a good possibility he’ll be around when Atlanta is on the clock.
If Dancic isn’t available, there will be three front court players, Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr, Mohamed Bamba, all waiting to be selected.
I’m a little biased, but out of those three I’d go with Bagley. Having watched almost every one of his games this past season, the kid is going to be something special.
Jackson has the skills but is inconsistent.
Bamba has ridiculous size and length, which is why he’ll be able to make an immediate on the defensive end. But, it’s going to take a while for him to come around, offensively. He reminds me a little too much of Nerlens Noel, to be completely honest.
Looking at the draft board, I imagine a lot of frontcourt players will be going in the lottery, which may benefit Atlanta in the long run. Outside of Dennis Schröder, the Hawks need some help in their backcourt. It’s impossible to predict who exactly will be available by the time the 19th pick rolls around, but there should be plenty of guards available that could make an impact.
At 30, they’re just going to take whoever the best player available is, or at least they should.
I get that you don’t finish a season 24-58 because you have a plethora of talent on your team. The Hawks obviously want to address areas of need, but the most important thing is getting players that can contribute within Pierce’s philosophy, even if they happen to play a similar position.
With the exception of a few seasons, the Hawks have hovered right around mediocrity for most of the franchise’s history. More than likely the playoffs are still a few seasons away, but things are at least lining up with the rebuilding process.
Now it’s up Atlanta’s front office and coaching staff to take advantage and make the right selections. That’s something easier said than done; just ask Sacramento.
Smart Extension?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Before I get too deep into this, just let me say that I like Kirby Smart. As someone who thought Georgia could have gotten a better coach after they fired Mark Richt two years ago, Smart has proven me wrong, so far.
The job that he and his coaching staff did past season was one of the better coaching jobs in college football. His recruiting, which I had no expectations about, have been even more impressive.
That said, the timing and amount of Smart’s recent extension- which runs through 2024 at roughly $7 million annually- is a bit of a head scratcher to me.
I get this is the way things are generally done within college football now, overpaying to lock up the young coach, but it still seems a bit rushed.
Georgia feels like that kid we all new in high school; the one that was never allowed to go out and have a good time, so after a semester at college he comes home with blue hair, pierced nipples, and his tattoo artist girlfriend, Viper, whose free spirited ways really understands him at his core.
Basically, UGA’s fan base and administration have been yearning for national relevance for so long that when they finally achieved it their Facebook relationship status with Smart just went from “it’s complicated” to “married” after roughly the second date.
Again, I’m not saying Smart isn’t the right guy for UGA, but why that amount, now?
To me, if you’re giving a coach that type of extension, it’s for one of two reasons: He or she is entertaining offers from other schools. You are approaching the end of a contract and that coach has shown, either over a sustained period of time or with a championship, they are worth the money.
I can’t imagine there was serious consideration that Smart was looking for greener pastures, especially at this time of year. He’s a Georgia guy through and through and for as much as like to give UGA fans a hard time, there aren’t many coaching jobs better than the one in Athens.
As for the second reason, yes Smart led last year’s team to arguably the most exciting season Georgia has had in recent memory, but how many times have you seen a new head coach inject some much needed life into a program early on, only to fall back to the pack a couple years later. (I feel like this is a good time to mention how similar Smart and Richt’s first two seasons in Athens were, including it being their first head coaching job.)
As an outsider looking in, it just feels like a bit of a risk to do this now, as opposed to after this upcoming season. You’d not only have another year to evaluate Smart, but you can see how he handles being the coach of a team that has the bullseye on their back.
Plus, unless I’m wrong and Smart was actually looking elsewhere, you could probably afford to wait another year without fear of losing him.
But look, it’s not my money and as long as the administration, alumni, and fans feel good about it, God bless them and I hope it works out. I certainly don’t ever resent a coach or player for getting paid.
I will say this, if Kirby Smart ever wavered on what the expectations in Athens have been, it’s crystal clear now; you pay a coach $7 million a year to win National Championships, not just conference titles.
Breaking The Circle
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Watching the NBA Playoffs recently has reminded me a lot of the “Twilight” movies; you sit through an awful lot of predictable scenarios and boredom, just praying that the end will justify the means.
The last three years haven’t felt much like the playoffs as much as a long, drawn out coronation to the inevitable; a Cleveland/Golden State finals. This year, for a variety reasons, has been different.
For one, a Cavs/Warriors finals matchup for the fourth year in a row seems about as likely as Bella ever choosing Jacob over Edward.
Golden State has looked great so far but with Houston waiting in the wings, the Warriors are anything but a sure thing to make it to the finals.
Meanwhile, Eastern Conference is completely wide open and out of the four remaining teams, Cleveland is probably the least likely team to win the conference.
Not only has the open field added a little more excitement to the playoffs, but there are a plethora of storylines that are just as intriguing as the next.
You have a young Philadelphia team, that may have the most talent remaining in the East, and they are enjoyable to watch, both on and off the court. For the love of God, I think they’ve even made JJ Redick….likeable.
There’s Brad Stevens and the job he’s doing with Boston. He has the Celtics winning with Al Horford and bunch of talented players that aren’t old enough to rent a car. Stevens is showing not only is he one of the best young coaches in the league, but he’s one of the best, period. (On a side note, I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited about a second round matchup than I am about this Boston/Philadelphia one.)
The Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell is putting up numbers for a rookie that literally have not been seen in 30 years. This is a guy who just last year was told by his college coach, Rick Pitino, that he wasn’t ready for the NBA. I guess Pitino didn’t like that Mitchell was more of a Nike guy? I don’t know.
Oklahoma City, Utah’s first round opponent, was even fun to watch, but for a completely different reason.
Then, of course, you have LeBron playing some of the best basketball of his career. People joke around about how far LeBron could make it in the playoffs if it was just him and four guys from the local YMCA. I had no idea Cleveland would take it to heart and actually see what would happen.
And don’t forget whether or not Toronto can overcome the mental hurdle of getting past Cleveland, or if Houston’s style of play can sustain itself throughout the course of the playoffs.
Like I said, it’s one great storyline after another.
Then again, all the great headlines and Finals possibilities don’t mean a thing if the games aren’t good. Up to this point, most of the games have been extremely compelling. Even the ones that haven’t necessarily been great have at least had something else happen that added a little extra excitement to the night.
If you haven’t watched the NBA playoffs for the past few years, I don’t blame you. However, if you haven’t been watching them this year, you need to. They’ve been everything the NBA could possibly have hoped they would be.
Basically, they’ve been the equivalent of “Twilight”, you know, if they took out everything but the Anna Kendrick scenes.
