Just before Conference Finals began I declared the NBA season over. Well thankfully I was only half right.
The Western Conference finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz was incredibly painful featuring such lowlights as the Jazz fans overtaking the Pistons' fans as the worst in the NBA and the Spurs unable to even sell out their arena during this series. However the Eastern Conference Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons was an absolute thriller every night. I barely watched the snoozefest that was the 2007 Western Conference Finals (I think I discovered the cure for insomnia!), but I caught every 4th quarter of the Cavs-Pistons series. Man, talk about the right time to flip on the TV switch. Next to the Golden State Warriors' amazing 1st round upset of the Dallas Mavericks the Cavs-Pistons series was the best series of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.
A few random, unsorted thoughts on the Cavs winning the Eastern Conference crown:
- Lebron is 22 years old. 22!
Witness.
(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
- I'm still in utter shock that the Cavs outplayed the Pistons in every single game of this series. The Pistons are lucky they weren't swept. Great D by the Cavs.
- For as bad as Coach Mike Brown appears to be as an offensive coach he's equally great as a defensive coach. His "we're a no excuses team" after that close Game 2 loss was the line of a champion- well, at least a Leastern Conference one.
Props to Grimace!
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
- This Cavs team reminds me of the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers that won the East and stunned the Fakers in a memorable Game 1 NBA Finals (the Lakers won 4-1). The Allen Iverson, Eric Snow, Dikembe Mutombo, Raja Bell, Derrick Coleman, Tyrone Hill, Aaron McKie, Matt Geiger, Todd MacCulloch, Kevin Ollie, George Lynch, Jumain Jones, and Larry Brown Sixers were a great defensive team that handed off the offensive game to the superstar.
The 2007 version of the 2001 76ers.
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
- The Pistons' impressive 5 year streak to the Eastern Conference Finals probably isn't even over yet. The Leastern Conference is so bad, they should be able to pull a 1 or 2 seed for a few more seasons. I dig most of their players individually, but collectively in addition to their barbarian fans they're painful to watch or root for.
- I'd be pretty upset if I were Rasheed after getting an offensive foul call after another Sideshow Bob flop, but what was Sheed thinking kicking himself out of a possible Game 7?
What was Sheed thinking?
(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
- Spurs in 5 in the NBA Finals with Tim "never" Dunking taking home the honors. Sure Bruce Bowen is dirty and Flopboli is incredibly annoying to watch, but give these guys their due- they are the best team in the NBA right now. They are greater than the sum of their parts.
Congrats Cleveland, but I don't think you want to face the Spurs.
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
- The Spurs should unfortunately easily win the NBA Finals, but the big question remains: who will flop more- Manu Ginobili or Anderson Varejao?
Boobie for three... Boobie for three... Boobie for three... Boobie for three... Boobie for three...
Boobie in da house!
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
From around the web:
- Making his teammates better [Yahoo! Sports]
- City embraces its Cavaliers [ESPN]
- LeBron James is in the NBA Finals [YAYsports! NBA]
- Hello, Cleveland! [True Hoop]
- Name That Straggling Polymer [Free Darko]
- I can watch the NBA Finals now! [Bright Side Of The Sun]
- It's Over....Again [Need4Sheed]
- Like a fat kid to cake, destiny won’t be denied [HoopsAddict]
- Pistons’ run comes to an end [Gorilla Crouch]
- Boobielicious pulls a LeBron [100% Injury Rate]
- Cleveland Rocks [Our Book of Scrap]
- Cleveland Beats Detroit 98-82 Head To NBA Finals [Slam Dunk Central]
- King James Has Arrived! [Lakers4Life]
- Boobie Smooth [Dime]
- Cavaliers Class of the East [HOOPLAH.. NATION]
- Daniel Gibson's Uncanny Shooting Carries Cleveland to the NBA Finals [20 Second Time Out]
- The Basketball Diaries - Boobie's Everywhere [Foul Balls]
- Finals dreaming [Real and Fake Sports Musings]
- Usher Is Going to the Finals (And, I Guess, the Cavaliers) [NBA Basketball and Other Unrelatedness]
- It is Done: Cavs & Spurs Meet In Finals [Deuce of Davenport]
- Cavs Shock The World, Just Not Me... [Feat the Sword]
- The Cavs are Eastern Conference Champions [jbeaniesports]
- Q&A Session With LeBron James - 06/02 [Slam Dunk Central]
- "Robin" Gibson Comes Into The Rescue [Pabaon Sports]
- Playoffs Live Blogging: I’m Part of the Witness Protection Agency [HOOPLAH.. NATION]
- It's Only Fitting That LeBron Advance To The NBA Finals After Beating The Pistons [The Sports Oasis]
- Check out Ballhype for more links
Also check out djchuckdeez's diary congrats to the cavs.