Oh Yeah, Basketball is a Sport

(BOD  - Kendra Wilkinson)

I had my second start last night and, after last week’s otherworldly pitching performance, I was due to come crashing back down to earth. I had what I like to define as a ‘Brandon Morrow’ start. It wasn’t epically bad, but it wasn’t great either. I couldn’t consistently throw strikes and my breaking stuff was non-existent.

I was also caught up in some hubris. I should have come out after six innings, but I had my mind set on throwing seven. This led to my downfall. I was running on fumes at that point and my entire body was just sore. Obviously, I need to rethink my Crossfit plans and taper my workouts more than I thought during the season.

Basically, it all means that I was up later than usual last night, which was a fortuitous stroke of luck for my inner sports fan. The NBA Conference Finals have just begun and, while I’m not a huge fan of the sport, I can appreciate anything played at a supremely high level.

Thus, I was able to watch the second half of the Phoenix Suns/Los Angeles Lakers game with a giant icepack on my arm trying to dull the pain in my throbbing arm and shoulder.

Initial thoughts: I really like playoff basketball. The pace of the game and the athleticism of the players involved makes for very entertaining television. I couldn’t care less about the Eastern Conference Final now that King James is at home waiting for whatever owner to back up the Brinks truck for him.

Truthfully, it doesn’t really matter who wins, the Celtics or the Magic, either team will get pumped by the victor of Suns/Lakers. Plus, there are just a lot more intriguing subplots in the West Final than in the East.

Can Steve Nash make his first NBA Finals appearance? Can Kobe win his fifth ring and catapult himself into the discussion of the top ten players of all time? Can Phil Jackson get his eleventh ring and leave all other coaches in his dust? Can Phoenix actually win a title with their run and gun offence?

The cast of characters just adds to the great basketball that will be played over the next ten days. Phil Jackson fired the opening salvo when, earlier this week, he accused Steve Nash of carrying the ball every time he runs down the court. Of course, Nash won’t let such a comment rattle him because he is a good Canadian boy, but Jackson is a master of the mental game and does whatever he can to gain an edge for his team.

The juxtaposition between Kobe the teammate and Kobe the lone wolf will be a major story as this series progresses. Will he sacrifice personal stats for the betterment of the team? Last night he scored 40 points, but he only took 23 shots. What happens if his scoring touch is a bit off and he ends up jacking up 30 shots to get his points? The Lakers could be in trouble.

Also, there were unsubstantiated rumours that Kobe didn’t practice all week and he had fluid drained from his right knee, although you wouldn’t have known it watching him crave up the Suns porous defence last night.

Kobe didn’t have to be a one man show because his supporting cast was terrific. Lamar Odon played like a man possessed in grabbing 19 rebounds to go along with 19 points.

However, it was just the first game and since it was played in Los Angeles, all it means is that the Lakers held serve. Don’t count Nash and the Suns out. They are much too dangerous and have the ability to score in bunches.

It’s going to be a hell of a series.