The ReBirth of Dirk: Back to the Finals

June 24, 1998;

The soon-to-be-vacated GM Place in Vancouver played host to the NBA Draft; one that would produce a multitude of success stories such as Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and of course, Michael Olowokandi. Somewhat buried in the annals of franchise-altering horrible trades was one that went down that day; the Milwaukee Bucks snagged German 7-foot prospect Dirk Nowitzki with the 9th pick, and shipped him to the Dallas Mavericks with Pat Garrity for 6th pick Robert Traylor. The Bucks took the loser's end hard, as Traylor's career buckled before it ever took off, while Dallas rode Nowtizki's revolutionary play to a decade's worth of playoff appearances. The tragic part about Dirk's success was that it never seemed to come when it mattered most, and the Mavs flamed out in the playoffs, year after year.

A tragedy of a much greater magnitude took form on May 11th, when Traylor - who had been plagued by conditioning issues throughout his career - suffered a fatal heart attack at his Puerto Rico apartment. Around the same time, the Diggler - who had been plagued by playoff invisibility issues throughout his career - began an all-out assault on opposing defences that's forced even the most jaded Dirk hater (me, in case you're wondering) to admit that he's playing the best basketball in the NBA right now, leading an emphatic charge into the Finals.

Now, by no means am I trying to claim that some preordained supernatural bullshit is connecting these two incidents. Nor am I even suggesting that Traylor's passing made a light go off in Dirk's head that produced this devastating blitzkrieg. But the irony of this timing can't be ignored, because Nowitzki is suddenly playing playoff basketball with a sense of something he's never grasped before: urgency. He's 32, and been in the NBA for 12 years; he saw the window closing and knew this was the time to go all-out with the best team he's ever played on. Dirk spent years listlessly drifting through the playoffs; sure he scored in bunches, but he hardly ever served his opponents with the vicious killer instinct he's displayed these past few weeks. The kind of mentality that evokes not only respect, but fear.

The Mavs now roll into the Finals, looking to avenge the collapse that has marred their last decade's success, against the (well, not really) same team that buried them. While they have depth and experience on Miami for days, the Heat just beasted the team that was probably best equipped to defend them in the NBA and are looking very serious. Miami (obviously) owns the edge at 2 & 3, and although that's about all they have going for them, stopping Lebron & Wade (I'm not going to mention Bosh because as impressive as he was against the Bulls, Boozer was a bum, and Nowitzki is going to destroy him, like confidence-shattering ownage) - by anyone's measuring stick, two of the top five players in the league - when they're this close to a title is going to be very f***ing difficult, especially for a team with only two serviceable defenders to throw at them.

The key to this series figures to be the ability of Dallas' offensive secondary to offset the LeWyane Effect. If guys like Barea and Terry, and Marion can overcome what's sure to be a stifling defensive effort from James and Wade, and provide Dirk with consistent scoring support, then Dallas will be tough to beat. But what I can't get out of my head is how the Western Finals were essentially decided by OKC repeatedly shooting themselves in the face down the stretch of close games, while the Heat closed out several games with crippling 4th quarters, forcing silence upon all those that criticized their clutch factor this season. Which is what's forcing me to believe that despite Dirk's emancipation, the Mavs are, once again, about to come up short. I really hate saying this (even if it validates my preseason prediction): Heat in 6. It's a shame the title celebration won't look this stupid.

For All The Marbles: Game 7

In what's been a nothing-short-of ridiculous postseason so far, we've somehow managed to claw within hours of the Conference Finals without getting to check out a Game 7. Something had to be done, and stepping up to answer the call, as they did when we needed someone to force a triple-overtime thriller, and humiliate the Spurs in the first round before that, ladies and gentlemen; The Memphis Grizzlies.

It's Win or Go Home for both them and the Thunder, and Banter's crack team of resident hoops junkies have assembled to break down (and make fun of) the action. For this afternoon's Game Notes, I'll be joined by my boys The General; Official Thunder Bandwagon Captain, Streeze; Isaiah Rider enthusiast and Blue Chips extra, and Goodie; ruthless high-post assassin, and the subject of a $900 swing dependent on this game's outcome (let's say he's not rooting for the underdogs). The stakes (among other things) are high at Banter HQ, but nowhere higher than Oklahoma City Arena (...Really? That's the best name you could come up with?). Someone's going to end a season today, let's see who's got it in them:

The General: I'm expecting a big game from Kevin Durant...(If Westbrook passes him the ball)

- Meanwhile, Z-Bo's rocking a scowl in the shootaround like he just got told his contract's been voided. Kendrick better watch out.

- Kush in the air, time for tipoff. Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (seriously) back in the starting lineup.

General: (on OKC's first possession) This is a good sign, Westbrook's touched it twice, and passed it twice

- Apparently, I'm the only one of us cheering for the Grizz, who've beasted their way to an early 10-8 lead. Gasol = The perfect center for a team named after a bear.

Goodie: (on OJ Mayo's real name) Was the " J' " really necessary? Like, "Anthony" is a real name...

Streeze: (on Zach Randolph's recent contract) God he makes so much money...Outside of basketball....Moving drugs.

- Memphis is bringing it early on the road; Conley buries a nice reverse lay-in to put them up 13-8 at the first break.

- Question of the day: What to do with Rudy Gay? (what do you say?)

- Doris Burke is wearing a totally horrifying outfit. It's like she realized Craig sager was stepping his suit game up a bit and saw a niche opportunity. Seriously, Don Cherry looked better last night.

- Kendrick Perkins is being completely overwhelmed by Gasol on both ends.

Streeze: The way he runs, no lumbers, makes me think he won't be around in ten years.

- Durant's doing his thing at the line (go with what works...), OKC up 21-17 as the 1st closes. Memphis and OKC are 7 and 8 for 22 from the field, respectively.

Streeze: How much do you think the people sweeping the floors get paid? I'd probably pay them to do that and get those seats.

- "Running Down A Dream" plays during the pre-break highlight reel. Streeze: Nobody on these teams listens to Tom Petty. Except maybe Nick Collison.

- Daequan Cook, welcome to the Mike Miller Club of wide-open jumpshooters who can't hit wide-open jumpshots. Goodie: When all you do is shoot how can you not just master the dribble-release?

General: Eric Maynor or Steve Blake?

Streeze: Blake was garbage this year... He just put on a headband and missed threes.

Streeze lightens up the commercial break: Which white player in the NBA do you think gets the most ass? General (immediately): Birdman...But Jimmer's gonna get the most handjobs.

Goodie (10 seconds before Westbrook sprints through Memphis on the break and hits KD for three): They're such a better team when Westbrook can get loose in transition

- OKC up 10 halfway into the 2nd; Memphis leads playoff teams with 3 wins after trailing by doubles in the 2nd half, so the Thunder had best not get lazy, or things are going to get unpleasant for me.

Perkins turns the ball over and blows a gasket;

Streeze: God, When you run out of milk, and you're Kendrick Perkins' wife... you're terrified

- As Westbrook careens out of control into Shane Battier, we get curious and find out that GRANT HILL of all people, at 38, after injuries robbed him of a first-ballot Hall of Fame career, put his body on the line to draw the charge more than anyone in the league this year. Way to go.

- Durant makes icy 30-footers look way too casual. 40-29 OKC, 2 left. "Goodie's paying for a stripper if OKC wins". Just a casual Sunday afternoon.

- Durant with 18 in the first half, leading OKC to a 42-34 edge. The Westbrook Factor's been minimal: 7 assists/8 shot attempts = series high.

- From Twitter: "At 3 AM, in a dimly lit bar, Tony Allen's jumper would still go home alone"

- Ovinton kicks off the third by getting under Westbrook's skin and drawing a T, then burying an icy jumper; 42-38. Goodie (on his beard): Harden's grandfathering you.

- Goodie's financial implications are now visibly wearing on his tone when he sincerely asks Russell Westbrook to "please, stop dribbling".

General: I heard they're trading Cold Aldrich and Daequan Cook for Dwight Howard

- Memphis, after a 3-assist first half, is getting back to what won them games and moving the ball well for an open Conley 3; 52-49 OKC

- Durant buries a bomb from 3 to put the Thunder up 8. Streeze: He's got swag for sale today

- Memphis keeps trying to hit home runs from 3. They need more doubles.

- Durant buries another bomb from 3, after Harden beats the shot clock with one, and the place goes buck as a 14-point hole forces a Grizzlies timeout. Westbrook's a bucket away from a triple double.

- James Harden is the most popular guy in this room as he keeps Memphis in their 14-point grave going into the 4th.

- OKC's bench holds serve to open the 4th, keeping the lead at 14 and sending Randolph to the bench lookin' like Charles Barkley after a Pizza Hut buffet.

- The crowd enthusiasm from the Thunder is amazing; They're all on their feet chanting "O-K-C!" with 8:30 left. Say what you want about how they got them (and there's plenty to be said), but these fans deserve this team.

- Russell Westbrook just notched the first Game 7 triple-double since Pippen in '92. #wow

- Memphis gets bailed out by a rare case of good officiating after a faulty shot-clock violation, but OKC's stellar post defense turns them away again. Still down 15 with 6 to go.

- If there was any doubt left, James Harden just killed it. Up 19 with 2:32 left, the Grizz are Thunderstruck.

- Durant leaves to a standing O; why not, he just killed the biggest game of his career on the heels of one of his worst.

- Book the win; 105-90. Durant = The Man. Westbrook = The Unsung Hero. Goodie's Wallet = swole.

Before we get onto the Conference Finals, a quick requiem for the Memphis Grizzlies; a team that wasn't supposed to do anything this year, was home to a midseason-card-game-brawl, lost one of its best players, and oh, only beat the best team in the West and came within a game of doing the impossible yet again. Enjoy your summer boys, if anyone's earned it, you guys have.

My Words Taste...Bitter

I ate my own words last night.

It was really uncomfortable.

Not only was I tied up and force-fed, but they went down about as smoothly as a day-old donair and rested twice as bad in my stomach. I felt like throwing up all night and hardly slept.

The Dallas Mavericks, and in particular Dirk Nowitzki, did what I couldn't have fathomed last night; sweeping homecourt from the Lakers with a decisive win that left the two-time champs reeling. Disco (and unlikely sidekick JJ Barea) buried LA down the stretch with a series of cold-hearted daggers; Kobe was beside himself, Pau was (predictably) helpless, hell Jack Nicholson was losing his cool. Boos rained down from the Staples center while the "favorites" put themselves in a crippling hole against, of all teams, the one with the most troubling past of playoff collapses.

Game 2 forced us all to wake up to the reality that these are indeed a new Dallas Mavericks; now fortified by likely the best defender they've had in the past decade, they've started to adjust and be able to win games without consistent scoring depth. They still have a decent corps of guns that can punish a sleeping defense (see: last night), but these Mavs have adopted a defensive toughness unseen in the past, and it's made them a completely different team in the playoffs. Their history was so deep that their playoff success was one of those "see it to believe it" type phenomena. Well...Believe.

The odds and momentum are heavily in their favor. We've seen this movie before, but there's likely a plot twist or two in store.

Fight For Your Right! Sacramento and the US Get Theirs

What a glorious Monday!

I say that somewhat facetiously because a) it's Monday, b) it's really shitty outside, and c) I just had a week in Vegas get thwarted (the post from the Bellagio sports book would've been something else...). But last night marked the culmination of the most epic wild goose chase of all time; the US finally tracked down Osama Bin Laden, and gave him what was hopefully the slowest death possible. Any day marking the end of the most heinous terrorist alive is one worth celebrating, and although this completes the prime objective of the vague and much-sidetracked "War on Terror", it hardly eliminates the threat that looms worldwide. We can only pray that the images of 9/11 remain horrifying memories that are never re-lived, and that those who have to live in constant fear of violence can be liberated by this endeavor.

On a much smaller scale, but still importantly, today also marks a massive victory for small-market NBA teams, as the Maloof brothers have agreed to keep the Kings in Sacramento for at least the next year while All-Star turned Mayor Kevin Johnson tries to cobble together the cash to keep the team around. The Maloofs say they were swayed by fan support and enthusiasm from several local wallets, but the Commish could have also -to a certain degree- finally put his foot down against owners being idiots with their money and shipping a franchise to the most attractive market to stop the bleeding, leaving a city of pissed-off fans and making everybody look bad. In either case, what was once the Association's most rabid fanbase can attempt to hold onto their only major sports team (hell, even their WNBA team folded) and find a new arena.

Aside from being a nice moral plus to a league that's never long on good PR, the non-move sets a valid precedent for owners, fans and local authorities. Hats off to KJ and his band of local businessmen. It's the closest save in recent memory, and proof that the right combination of enthusiasm and money can save a team from stupidity and greed. Well, unless this happens.

Back on the court, the 2nd Round got underway yesterday, with the Heat and Grizzlies pulling out impressive wins, with slight assists from some bad officiating and worse crunch-time decision making from Russell Westbrook;

Becoming the first 8-seed to first strike blood in Round 2 solidified Memphis as a threat. They frustrated the Thunder on D, moved the ball extremely well, and got a truly scary performance from their post duo. I immediately regret saying what I did about this series being a walk, but I also seriously doubt OKC will play worse than they did in Game 1 for the rest of this series. Westbrook was simply atrocious down the stretch, turning the ball over whenever he wasn't forcing bad shots and freezing out KD, who you know, only went on a personal 14-4 run to win their last game. No biggie.

Boston looked gassed against a Heat team that came out with too much intensity, and too much Dwyane Wade. A lot was made of Wade's regular-season struggles against the Celts (and his consequent 3-hour pregame shootaround), but he completely torched them yesterday, and harassed Ray Allen on every cut. The Celtics' D keyed in on him too much, leaving James Jones open for the easiest 25 points of his life. The story of this game was of course Pierce's questionable ejection, which punctuated a scrappy game and set the tone for serious rivalry. Furthermore, it highlights a league-wide crackdown on players' emotions that's, honestly, pretty f***ing stupid. Stupid, not only because of situations like this where a team's go-to scorer sat out the final minutes of a playoff game on a bad call, but because NBA basketball, especially in the playoffs, is an emotional contest that thrives off of players being 100% invested in the game. Putting the players on such a short leash, under constant scrutiny for getting into it with each other, can't be a healthy trend for a league facing a lockout.

But all complaints aside, today's about something bigger than basketball. Justice and a purpose were served in high order when Bin Laden took the Big L. Hopefully it's not the last step towards eradicating the type of hatred that continues to breed conflict.