It's a Good Time to be a Basketball Fan

I just wanted to take the time to let you know I still think college basketball is better than the NBA. Except for one discernible difference, and that is down the stretch of the regular season. Before the conference tournaments, and even during the conference tournaments teams play with a sense of urgency, but they can't see where they fit into the scheme of the playoffs. Their fate is figuratively in their own hands, but in reality their fate is held by a bunch of grumpy old men from the NCAA.

But the NBA? Down the stretch, especially this season and especially in the Western Conference, it seems like every night of the week another huge game is going on with playoff implications on the line. Last night we had 2, the Mavericks sealed a playoff berth with their 97-94 victory over the Jazz, and Golden State continued their not-so-fun streak of losing every important game since the end of March when they got drubbed by the Nuggets last night 115-104.

In both of these games the teams played with a sense of urgency, and the playoff atmosphere (especially in Dallas) was palpable. Aside from the playoffs, which were awesome to watch last year as well, the home stretch of the regular season is the best time for the NBA because Baron Davis, and Dirk Nowitski, and David Stern, and Dennis Rodman, and my grandmother can all see how everything is going to shake out, and what exactly each team needs to do...its f*%&ing exhilarating!

First, in the most exciting game of the night in Dallas. Dirk may have finally shaken some of the demons that have been haunting him since he won that MVP award last season. He used to be feared in crunch time because of his ability to hit the big shot. But this season it seems like every big shot he has tried to take he has missed, and the pundits and fans alike have reamed him for it.

Now, since his injury, it seems like Dirk is playing with a chip on his shoulder. He is back to being that sweaty mess who yells and yanks on his jersey after every key bucket, and I like it. Last night he played like a man possessed. It seemed as if every defender who Utah stuck on him was getting abused by Dirk's various array of trick shots.

They needed every single one of those buckets too because Josh Howard left early in the second half when he re-aggravated his bruised knee. With the third scoring option out of the lineup in the second half, Utah closed the gap and were only down one at the end of the third quarter. But Dirk combined with Jason Terry to score 25 of the team's 30 4th quarter points, in an insane display of shooting prowess.

But the real issue was Utah, after watching Deron Williams' miracle bank shot go in to tie the game, the rest of the Jazz stood and half-celebrated, but certainly didn't get back and play any defense. Instead they let Jason Terry surreptitiously take the inbounds pass, fly past a few weak swipes at the ball, and hit Dirk open to the left for an open 3-pointer. I understand they got caught up in the moment, and most likely I would have stood there and basked in the ridiculousness of Williams' shot, but knowing there was over 6 seconds on the clock they should have been aware of the situation.

The Nuggets, on the other hand, didn't earn the win as much as the Warriors handed it to them. There of course is the obligatory remarks regarding the Warriors pathetic attempt at defense. But that is not the real reason the Warriors have choked in every meaningful game in the past week. Johnny Ludden wrote an article for Yahoo today about the dangers of the Warrios playing the style that they do, but he really under-stated just how dangerous that style can be.

For example, last week, when the Warriors dropped a game to the Mavericks 86-111, the team shot 4-16 from behind the arc, not the worst number in the world, but for a team that makes it's living lobbing grenades at the rim, you would certainly hope for a better number. Just 4 nights later, in a battle against the West-leading New Orleans Hornets, the Warriors didn't bother to show up, shooting an egregious 3-29 from behind the arc. Then again last night, they were marginally better, shooting 6-27 from behind the three-point line.

For a team that everyone, including themselves, knows cannot play any defense, maybe a little more time selecting their shots would be wise because frankly Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson are just plain rash in their decision-making, and it leads to poor shooting percentages. As much as I love the lovable cast of characters on the Warriors, and as fun as watching them hurl it up from everywhere on the court is, this team is not built for the playoffs, and they continue to prove it with their play down the stretch.