First, because I have not watched any television yet today, I am wondering:
Is it still baseball season?
Ah, well, in that case I will be taking in a few minutes of the
NBA playoffs
later today, especially the match-up between the Pistons and the Cavaliers.
Historically, I have been indifferent about first round series. But the
Pistons-Cavs matchup interests me because it seems the Pistons have almost no
chance whatsoever. Granted, I am a long-time Pistons fan, and I have
enjoyed their streak of success over the past several seasons (what, something
like five consecutive Eastern Conference Finals?). But this season’s
Allenex Iversperiment was an utter bust, and, thus, Detroit is down an
all-star guard. Also, this series reminds me ever so slightly of the late 1980s matchups between a fading Detroit team and the Jordan-led up-start Bulls.
I’d bet a dollar we hear that comparison during today’s telecast.
With all of that said, I’m still not quite a believer that this is the banner year for
the Cavaliers. If Lebron can be guarded, if he can be shielded, if he can be frustrated, if he can slip into a slump from behind the three-point line, then maybe, just maybe the Cavs
will falter. Might not happen versus the Pistons, but one can hope. Or, at
the very least, one can watch a few minutes of each of the first two games of
the series thinking defense.
And just in case Detroit exits the playoffs and does not win a championship
this year, my fan-affinity shifts next to Denver and then Chicago and then
Orlando, mostly because I like certain players on each of those teams.