Did Trump Cause Knicks Loss?

Stephen A. Smith seems to think the New York Knickerbockers lost game 3 of the NBA finals because of Trump. 

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/critics-hammer-trump-jinxing-knicks-045430894.html

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith seemed to forecast the reaction to Trump’s attendance at the game if the Knicks didn’t bring home the win.

“If they lose tonight, I’m looking right at him,” Smith said. “I’m saying it, it’s just me. I’m blaming him. I’m blaming the president of the United States of America if the New York Knicks lose this tonight.”

Phoenix Suns through to 2021 NBA Finals

The Phoenix Suns have defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 and are through to the 2021 NBA Finals. Maybe feel a little but sorry for Steve Balmer who paid $2 billion for the Clippers. They've never made an NBA Finals. Probably, they never will. Hmm...nah, no sympathy from me.

Toronto Raptors Win NBA Championship

The Raptors have pulled off a massive upset, beating the Golden State Warriors 4-2 in the series. Game 6 was even tighter than the close score suggests. For the losers, Klay Thompson stood out, when he dislocated his knee he had the presence of mind to crawl back onto the court to ensure he was down while fully in the field of play, then when carried from the area he returned to make his free throws. Now that is tough. I hope he's all right. And for the winners, what a great team effort, with Kawhi Leonard the man who can do anything.

Drake a Lucky Charm?

The Toronto Raptors have beaten the Golden State Warriors in game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Is this a Drake factor? Popular rapper Drake has been winding up opposition teams throughout the playoffs. Have Drake's antics on the sideline had a tangible effect? You've got to laugh though, only in the game of basketball could it be true.

NBA Playoffs 2019

Looking at the brackets for the NBA Playoffs in 2019; in the west the surprise packages could be Houston and Portland. In the east things look pretty even, and less daunting than the west. It looks to be a western conference march to the championship once again, whoever wins the west, wins the prize.

Matt Barnes - NBA Champion

Yay, my favourite player has just won his first NBA championship ring. Matt Barnes, often traded, never lucky, finally he gets some luck after a long career.

2017 NBA Finals

I'm picking the Cavaliers to take the series 4-2. I like their talent and hunger. The Cavs coasted for part of the season, hence their poorer regular season but they're much better than that. Meanwhile the Warriors only have Kevin Durant as an extra and in the past he's proven to be Mr Absent when it matters. What do you think?

This is how I think the finals will go (famous last words I know):

Game 1 Cavs [Wrong: Warriors 113 - Cavs 91]
Game 2 Warriors [Right]
Game 3 Cavs [Uh oh, Cavs at risk of going out]
Game 4 Cavs [Only the second time I've been right]
Game 5 Warriors [And congrats to the Warriors]



Cavs 4 Warriors 2 [Got this completely wrong]

NBA Regular Season

Following on from what I said earlier, that NBA players are given too many easy looks, watching games as the regular season moves into the critical stage, I notice play is now much more competitive. Not so many easy looks, teams that are trying to make the playoffs are definitely contesting and getting up on shooters to put them off.

The pattern I observed earlier I put down to professionalism. In order to survive so many regular season games, teams do not play so competitively. Now the season is at the do or die stage, the intensity has lifted.

I've always admired the play of Matt Barnes. He looks the complete player to me, but he's been something of a Nomad. But he finally got lucky and is now with the Golden State Warriors after being waived by the Sacramento Kings. The Kings must have pulled off one of the worst trade deals of all time in trading away DeMarcus Cousins, and then getting rid of Barnes to make room for the three players they acquired. Barnes may have the last laugh if the Warriors win the title. This is possible now Andrew Bogut has broken his leg and the Cavaliers don't have his muscle on the inside.

NBA: LeBron James Hunting Back-to-Back Titles in Cleveland

I noticed Andrew Bogut signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Cleveland are looking for a big man to rough up the Golden State Warriors on the inside, and what better player to do that than the big Aussie who won a title with the Warriors.

Also note the Cavs added Kyle Korver for his three point accuracy, and Derrick Williams for more thuggery (I mean that politely of course, I admire such things, bring back the biff I say).

It's yet to be seen if this strategy will work. I'm watching carefully, there are aspects to their formula I agree with. What's my formula?

Three things needed to win titles:

1. An intense hatred of losing. Not a joy of winning, or just don't like losing. The type of players needed hate losing so much they throw up after the game. How to find these players is more interesting, I look for players that are an attitude problem. This has only backfired once when one player I recruited needed to be waived as he was going to be killed by his teammates.

2. A heightened sense of personal accountability. Players that do it the right way and if they foul up they put it right - immediately. I call this having a turbo up their arse.

3. Luck. A certain amount of luck, Think Napoleon noting there were two types of general, good generals and lucky generals and of the two he preferred lucky generals. Lucky players have the knack of looking at the ref and getting the call their way.

NBA Finals Game 6

I've got to start being consistent. I said at the start that the Cavaliers looked to have the better team and that's the way it looks now they're going to game 7.  Maybe the Warriors have internal strife as Thompson was seen to leave the arena before the hooter. That's totally unacceptable in my book, not a good look and it does nothing for team unity. Right now you'd have to put your money on the Cavs even though they're playing away from home.

NBA Finals Game 5

Being without the suspended Draymond Green the Warriors didn't look complete. On top of that the Warriors shots weren't dropping while James and Irving were playing superbly for the Cavs. This is turning into a gripping series, at this rate it will go the full seven games.

NBA Finals Game 4

Okay, so back to the usual settings, the Warriors are the better team. Is there disunity within the Cavaliers?

NBA Finals Game 2

Is this series going to be a classic contest of a great team against a team of great players? It looks like it as the Warriors go 2-0 up on a blow out 33 point margin of victory. Looking at the scoring, the Warriors bench averaged 5 points each with only two not scoring at all. What a great team effort from the Warriors.