Pat Riley hopes Heat coaching obligations won’t distract his NCAA scouting efforts

March 26th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

It was a pleasant surprise seeing Pat Riley in the stands of the Indiana-Penn State game in Happy Valley earlier this month. I’m sure he no doubt found Eric Gordon to be a poor man’s version of Dwyane Wade, with the missed shots, turnovers and general lack of control. (Although, they both get fouled a lot.) We all know Riley has forgone some of his coaching duties to scout a few college games, including the first games of the tournament this past weekend. Warranted, I guess. The future is now.

But at this point, it’s sort of comical how little he cares about coaching the team.

“The games are getting bigger,” he said. “The ones that I like are starting to play against each other, which is good. If that happens, then that’s the matchup you want to see.”

That could mean more lost time on the bench for Riley, who holds the dual role of team president. He already has missed three games while scouting, including two over the weekend, and could miss Thursday’s game at Detroit and Sunday’s game at Boston that are scheduled head-to-head against the tournament.

“If I have to miss ‘em, I’ll miss ‘em,” he said. “I don’t want to. I will try to get back. I will try to squeeze everything in Friday and Saturday if I can.”

This was exactly the attitude I had with every class last year in college. I tried to be there, but sometimes my sleeping/drinking/general malaise towards sitting in a lecture hall sometimes made me miss ‘em. Pat, trust me, this is a good philosophy. I graduated with a GPA somewhere between Joel Anothy’s rebounds and points per game.

{HT: Sports Frog.}

All growed up

April 29th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Sorry, GP, but it’s not 1994 anymore.

Among the numerous taunting things that came out of my roommate and I’s mouths as the Bulls wore down - and swept - the Miami Heat today, that (my roommate’s comment) was perhaps the most poignant. Right when Tirico was introducing Payton as “The Glove,” an incredible defender with limitless tack, Ben Gordon zipped right past him and got to the hoop. Gordon scored on a floater, and Payton, who turned and screamed at himself, was obviously frustrated.

But who was he mad at? It’s not his fault he is getting older, just as it isn’t Alonzo Mourning’s fault that his knees don’t let him dominate defensively as he once used to, just as it isn’t Shaq’s fault that he can’t get any lift in the second half of games anymore, just as it isn’t Payton’s fault he can’t guard quicker perimeter defenders anymore. Like roommate No. 1 said - it ain’t 1994 anymore, and Shaq and Zo and GP and Toine and just learned: it’s 2007, and reputation is no match for well-drilled athleticism.

That’s really what the Bulls are all about, and why the team is so much fun to watch. They’re free-wheeling but execute in an incredibly defined manner. They have an air of nonchalance, but seem to hustle more than any other team in the NBA for offensive rebounds and second-chance points. They’re the type of team that makes you proud to be a fan, both for the way they play and for the way they try to play.

That style exposed the Heat. Veteran moxie isn’t enough to make up for an inability to guard off the dribble, and the Bulls worked the Heat in four straight games. How many open jumpers did they get? How many offensive tips led to second-attempt three pointers? If Dan Majerle taught us anything last week, it’s that you can’t give NBA players too many practice-quality shots, or they’re going to go down.

What the Bulls taught us this week is that they’re no longer babies. Don’t get me wrong; the Heat were bad. But a sweep, against the defending champions, who contain so many of yesterday’s stars (and one of today’s) … well, that’s nothing short of a coming of age. Not just for the Bulls, but for the New NBA.

Wanna make it a coronation? Bring on the Pistons.

Opening Association night

November 1st, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

Hey, since we’ve pretty much been all about self-indulgence this week, let’s stay with that theme, shall we?

Bulls wallop Heat of Miami. In cases such as this, we rejoice. It won’t be like this every night, but hey, we’ll take it. It felt as if we were watching the Bears on the hardwood.

Turn to the fabulous Blog-A-Bull for some happy words about last night’s game. You’ll find some sulking around these parts.

A Kobe-less (YouTube Chapelle on Kobe link) Los Angeles I’m Yours Lakers defeated the Suns last evening. Laker fans converse about their team in these parts. Suns fans get down girl, go head get down right huuur.

The old soul arises for another title run

August 23rd, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

After hemming, hawing, then hemming and hawing some more, Pat Riley officially announced his return as coach of the Heat today.

Which, I think, is nice.

What concerns me, though, is the dude’s health. He put off hip-replacement surgery this past season to coach the team and, I don’t know, he just sort of looks like he’s about to keel over and have a heart attack at any moment. And at 61, he isn’t getting any younger.

I think it’s a solid move for Miami, (although as president and coach, it wasn’t so much them coming after him, it was him making the decision on his own) keeping around a proven veteran coach with five NBA titles to his name.

So yes, this is a nice and all for D. Wade and crew as long as Riles doesn’t go into cardiac arrest out on the court.

(Oh, and, how sweet is that photo? Never played that game for Genesis, but now I really want to.)

Weekend Fun = Soccer + Basketball

June 16th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

So, staying with their current theme, the World Cup will be rolling out three games a day this weekend. Check the full television schedule here. You know, it would be nice if the U.S. could at least show up against Italy. That’s all we ask, really. (I believe they’re calling this one a ‘must win’ for the Americans.)

We got some NBA Final action on Sunday night. Why E keeps picking the Mavs to win out is beyond my comprehension, because he originally picked Cuban’s gang to take the title in seven games. Both his prediction and mine (Mavs in six) are still looking good. That is unless D. Wade keeps lighting it up.

And what will we be up to this weekend?

I’ll be trying to avoid the 90 degree heat wave that has just begun to invade Chicago. And E? He’ll be up in Michigan at some journalist conference. Dork.

And please for the love of God, DON’T go see Nacho Libre this weekend. Thanks.

Postmen Postgame: Mavs hold first serve

June 8th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

Well, it wasn’t exactly the prettiest game we’ve seen in the playoffs, but it was, for all intents and purposes, a fair start to what we hope will be a series full of entertaining basketball.

The story of this 90-80 Mavs win was Jason Terry, who just seemed to be everywhere at once - coming up with loose balls, sprinting off screens and hitting shots, flying at Miami defenders in the open court. It was a complete game from Terry, who could use this series as a springboard to true league-wide star status.

Dirk was okay, but not great; he checked out in the fourth (figuratively), but the game was relatively out of Miami’s reach by then.

Wade showed up with 28 despite having fitness problems earlier in the week, but Shaq was held to 17 and ‘Toine had way too much of the ball in his hands in the second half. For Miami, too much ‘Toine is probably going to spell disaster every game.

So Shaq was largely missed and Dirk wasn’t all there. But the most noticable absence from my television throughout the game? David Hasselhoff. What, we’re past that story? Ok, fine. But if Dirk continues to have poor games, Mark Cuban better round up the private jet fleet and go grab David from…wherever it is that he hangs out these days.

We got the Heat; we got the Heat, yeaaah!

May 17th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

The Heat locked up their spot in the Eastern Conference finals last night, beating the Nets 106-105. We’re glad, because well, the Nets don’t really do it for us the way D. Wade and big daddy Shaq do.

What could have been a thrilling finish ended rather anticlimactic as Jason Kidd’s inbounds pass with about a second to go was knocked away from Vince Carter by Dwyane Wade, killing any hope of a buzzer beater by the Nets to win the game. (Yeah, that was a really long sentence, sorry.)

Shaq said during the Heat’s series with the Bulls that Antoine Walker and his shooting was the key for this Heat team in the playoffs. When Shaq hit the bench with foul trouble in the second quarter, Walker stepped up big. He and Gary Payton combined on 8-11 shooting in the second quarter and he finished the game with 23 points.

One side note, after skimming through the AP wrap for this game, I came across this sentence.

It’s a level Wade and his mates handled with aplomb in the last four games.

I am not familiar with this word aplomb. After looking it up, I have discovered the definition is ‘self-confident assurance; poise.’ Am I alone on this? Should I know what this word means? Have I put myself out there to be ridiculed on the internet? And aren’t journalists supposed to write for like a fifth grade reading level or something like that?

Anywho, the Pistons and Cavs square off tonight in Detroit. Will we get a LeBron vs. D. Wade showdown in the Eastern Conference finals?

Most likely not. But a man can dream, can’t he?

Bye-bye Bullies

May 5th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

Last night, our beloved Bulls were dropped by the Heat 113-96, ending their season in the first round of the playoffs. Shaquille O’Neal (remember this guy?) showed he could still dominate a game by scoring 30 points and grabbing 20 boards in the contest.

Really, we aren’t too disappointed. The Bulls weren’t a playoff team until they put on a late season surge and sealed up a seven seed. The Heat are a far superior team talent-wise and we think the hard-nosed play of the Bulls gave them a run for their money. This team just needs one star player to push them from a mediocre club to having a chance at making a deep run in the playoffs.

And thanks to the Knicks being downright terrible this season and the Bulls getting their pick in the draft this year, we’re hoping they can score a star in the draft (even though there isn’t quite a jaw-dropping player coming out of college.) Maybe they should trade the pick to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett?

Either way, we have faith in John Paxson and Scott Skiles.