Numbers Game

On paper it was already decided.  The Duke Blue Devils would be the 2010 NCAA Tournament Champions.  On paper.  Not because Duke was a #1 seed and Butler was a #5 seed.  Not because the undersized Butler did not match up well.  But because the numbers told me so.

That’s It?!?

A few weeks ago a pick-up game at Lebron James’ Nike summer basketball camp (actual name: Lebron James Skills Acadamey) sparked widespread media attention.  During a pick up game, Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford dunked on Lebron.  Or so they say.  From CBSSports.com:

It was a two-handed jam, the kind that would’ve circulated quickly on YouTube. But Nike officials eliminated that possibility shortly after the dunk happened by allegedly confiscating tapes from various cameramen.

Last night, video of the dunk was released.

Timeout, We Want the Ball Up There

The NBA Finals are set to begin on Thursday between the Los Angels Lakers and the Orlando Magic. Before it does, I want to vent my frustration over one of the rules the NBA has that is different from college basketball.

This is the rule where the team can advance the ball past half court to inbound the ball after a timeout is called. On numerous occasions this has saved teams this postseason. None more notorious than LeBron James’ 25 footer that came after Cleveland’s Mo Williams threw in the pass from past half court after taking a timeout. Hedo Turkoglu thought he had won the game for Orlando after he hit a two point jumper to put the Magic up two with one second to go in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals. But due to the rule Cleveland had one last desperation attempt and we all know what happened with that.

Some might argue that this rule makes the game more exciting, giving a team an extra chance to tie the game or win the game at the end. I can understand why they may feel this way, it does create some dramatics. To me the rule just makes the game longer in the closing minutes and is unfair to the team who gets the ball advanced on them like the Magic in this example.