Friday, May 04, 2007

More from the smothering heat of Pittsburgh

The humidity in this former industrial city wraps around your arms with each step, forcing sweat in the most stationary activities.

It's awful.

But still, the roundball world is spinning like the backspin on a Mark Price foul shot. And I'm eating an unbelievable meatball sandwich from Fuel and Fuddle.

One of the previous sentences was useless information. I write, you decide.

Anyway, the Warriors finished off the Mavericks last night in a shocking first-round upset in the NBA playoffs. And yes, it was shocking. Yes, it was a HUGE upset.

The big names on Golden State -- Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and Jason Richardson -- finally put together performances to get Golden State rolling. It started over the Warriors final 10-12 games or so, and has continued through the first round of the playoffs.

Most people probably think whoever wins the Jazz-Rockets series will cruise to the Western Conference Finals. And most people probably think whoever wins the Suns-Spurs series is headed to the NBA Finals.

Think again.

I like the Warriors against both the Jazz and the Rockets. Sure, both the Jazz and the Rockets play a significantly different style than the Warriors -- slow it down, pound it inside and beat the opponent up -- which is why that series is headed to the seventh game. But the Warriors, if effective enough in another long series, can shock and awe opponents with their quick-moving attack.

If anything, it won't be easy for the Jazz or Rockets to topple the Warriors. As if you needed me telling you that.

Nonetheless, I still like the high-octane offense of the Suns to take the West. I picked the Mavs to win it, for obvious reasons, but without them around, the Suns (hopefully, for the sake of the playoffs being interesting) will get past the Spurs.

In the East, the top three teams have already won their series. And I like the Bulls against the Pistons. I think the Bulls have what it takes to topple the World's Most Boring Team.

The Cavs will have trouble with the Nets or the Raptors. And frankly, I don't think it matters which of these three teams wins this Eastern Conference semifinal because the Bulls and Pistons are the top teams.

Sorry, Bron-Bron.

Theus headed to the NBA?
-- Reggie Theus interviewed for the Charlotte job. No, not the UNC-Charlotte job. The Charlotte Bobcats job. And he has the experience, according to ESPN's Andy Katz, to lead an NBA club.

Oh, and did I mention Sacramento and Indiana are interested in Theus, too?

As you know by now, Theus coaches New Mexico State. The Aggies made the 2007 NCAA Tournament as a 13 seed and finished 25-9. NM State pushed Texas in the first round.

Theus coached alongside Rick Pitino at Louisville for two seasons before taking the job at New Mexico State.

In his first season at New Mexico State, Theus turned the Aggies around: the season prior to Theus' hiring, NM State was 6-24. Theus coached his new team to a 16-14 finish, a 10-game turnaround.

After winning nine more games than his first season and making the Big Dance, Theus landed a five-star recruit in Aliquippa's own Herb Pope. That brings me to my next question: if Theus bolts for bucks, will Pope rethink his enrollment?

Move 'em out, move 'em back
The NCAA rules committee is moving the three-point line back to 20 feet, nine inches. But the committee decided not to expand the lane. Yet.

This is a good decision by the NCAA. I think 3-point shooting is starting to get a little ridiculous in college hoops. Don't get me wrong, I love the 3-pointer. As a player, all I was ever really capable of doing was hitting 3s. Needless to say I rarely hit any shots.

In fact, if I coached a team, I'd hope to stack my lineup with at least four or five guys who can shoot the 3. Not just occasionally step out and drop a trey. I mean my team would shoot 30-40 3s a game.

But that's not the point.

Studies have shown that the increased distance, which was tested at several preseason tournaments, has little effect on the shooting percentages from deep. So, what's the big deal? I just hope it discourages bumbling power forwards from trying to expand their game.

More on this when the Playing Rules Oversight Committee makes the final decision on May 25.

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