Ever since the Warriors and Suns got knocked out of the playoffs, I haven't watched much of the NBA playoffs because none of the teams and matchups were of much interest to me. I know I'm not the only one. Many people tuned out once the teams with high interest were bounced. The Spurs and Jazz series, I watched a couple quarters. Pistons vs Cavs? I watched a few minutes. Except for LeBron's crazy ending to Game 5, I don't feel I missed a whole lot of entertainment.
But things have changed...slightly.
I'm still not overly excited to watch the NBA Finals. It's definitely not must see tv. If the Pistons had taken the series, I know I wouldn't watch a minute of the games unless I had nothing better to do. But the Cavs won the series and LeBron has made basketball interesting again. He's piqued my interest just enough that I'm actually considering watching the NBA Finals. The problem is that I see the Spurs winning in 5, possibly 4 games. That's not an exciting series. I think I'd rather watch Andris Biedrins shoot free throws than watch the Spurs win easily. The only way I watch is if Cleveland steals Game 1 or 2. If that happens, things get mighty interesting.
So I started thinking about what things would have to happen for me to truly enjoy watching the 2007 NBA Finals. Here's my top 3:
1. High Scoring Affairs
This will be highly unlikely given the teams playing, but I'll watch if the scores are in triple digits. It's not that I don't like great defense, it's just that offense is more entertaining. I'm so used to watching the Warriors let their athletes be athletes and allow them to do amazing things, that watching these two teams slow the game down is just a buzzkill. Imagine LeBron on the break multiple times a game with a chance to dunk, dish, or shoot from deep. That's a lot more fun to watch than a Cavs PG walk the ball up the court every possession. The Spurs are a fundamental team and should be able to run the break with precision. Let Parker, Ginobili, and co get out on the break and run. You'll see crisp passes, guys filling the lanes properly and again yes, athletes will be athletes. More scoring = more entertainment, like this...
2. No Flopping League (NFL)
David Stern needs to institute a change in the rulebooks effective immediately. Make this the No Flopping League. Anybody else tired of these guys flopping all over the place? I know they're taking advantage of the rules, but flopping is not in the spirit of the game. Flopping this year has taken on an all-time high and the games are just getting ugly. Guys are stepping in at the last second, not trying to make a play on the ball. It's becoming ridiculous because that kind of "defense" gets rewarded. If I ever see Shaq take a charge from Earl Boykins, I will lose all respect for the league. For these Finals, I'm talking about Manu Flopobili. He flails his arms and falls on the floor to get the attention of the refs. Some are fouls, many are not. He should get a Grammy for some of his acts. Even his backcourt mate Tony Parker flops like crazy. I bet he gets acting lessons from his ball and chain, Eva Longoria. If the refs clean up the game and don't allow these flop artists to ruin the spirit of the Finals, I'll tune in.
3. Will we all be Witnesses?
Lastly, like I wrote above, I'm watching if Cleveland steals a game in San Antonio thereby swinging home court advantage over to Cleveland. It could just be LeBron's year to win it all, just like DWade did last year. Quite a draft class it would turn out to be, not just because they're great players, but because they would have the rings to prove it. If Cleveland wins it all, I want to say I watched LeBron win his first championship. It will be one of the biggest upsets in NBA history (yes Warrior fans, bigger than GS over Dallas in round 1).
VOTE!
Are you going to be watching? If not, what things would have to happen to get you to watch?
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