Heat-Spurs, Game 7: The Champ is Here (Again)

Extra bullets. No intros. No time…no f***ing time for that s***!

1. Not a bad encore for the Game 6 thriller. Tuesday night’s game will go down as an instant classic, and given that a letdown was somewhat expected last night. Game 7 was much sloppier and poorly played offensively (especially early on). The effort and intensity was there all night, and the level of play picked up as the game went on, but the physical and emotional toll of Game 6 was telling. Still, you would be hard-pressed to ask for a better ending to a truly epic series.

2. LeBron James saved his best for last. Having been dared by the Spurs to shoot the ball from the outside all series long, James finally truly obliged last night. He scored 37 points, including 5 3’s. The 3’s were huge, but to me the more crucial shots toLeBron’s game are those pull-up 16-18 footers, which he was burying last night as well…this included the last dagger midrange jumper with under 30 seconds to play, a shot that pretty much iced the game for good. James struggled for much of the series offensively, but if any questions still remained about his clutchness they should surely be answered now. His legacy also seems to be cemented now as well…but that is another blog post saved for another day in a summer where only baseball, tennis, and golf remain.

3. Oh, and Dwyane Wade wasn’t too shabby either. James actually started slowly on offense. The Spurs strategy against Wade was basically the same one they employed for James, but Wade was the one that started the game off drilling midrange jumpers whenever Spur defenders backed off. After some actually wondered aloud whether it would serve Miami better to bring Wade off the bench in Game 7, Wade delivered his typical D-Wade thanks for doubting me, f*** you performance. WhileLeBron had a line of 37 points and 12 rebounds, Wade had a double-double himself with 23 and 10. I still wonder how rapidly he will decline over the next couple of years, but he looked like vintage Flash for one more night at least when his team needed him the most.

4. Shane Battier made up for the Heat’s others. Let’s just say that Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, and Mike Miller earned their championship rings in Game 6. Game 7 saw them go a combined 0 for 14 with 5 turnovers. Bosh’s doughnut is slightly unfair because he had the unenviable task of guarding Tim Duncan 1-on-1 again, and I thought he got a couple of bogus foul calls that caused him not to get his usual minutes, but still…Battier’s 18 points on 6 for 8 shooting on 3’s couldn’t have come at a better time for Miami.

5. The Spurs were valiant in defeat. There were several instances in the 4th quarter where it looked like Miami dealt a knockout blow, stretching the lead to 5 or 6 after hitting a big shot…and San Antonio continued to answer with a big play of their own. I’m not sure if he’s the type of player you canactually build a team around, but Kawhi Leonard is very verygood, and Tim Duncan was a warrior again with 24 points and 12 rebounds…

6. …and yet, the Spurs have to be kicking themselves. They were down 1 heading into the 4th quarter. They were down 2 when Duncan missed the bunny and the put-back late in the game. They were still down only 4 when they turned the ball over with like 20 seconds left. And let’s not even bring up the sequence of events that led to them choking away Game 6…yeesh.

7. Tony Parker, Danny Green, and Gary Neal were non-factors. Green and Neal are still great shooters, but they had to regress back to the mean a little bit eventually, right? Especially after Miami shifted a more defensive attention their way in Games 6 and 7. But Parker seemed to be completely shut down once the Heat decided to put LeBron on him on a more regular basis. So much so that Gregg Popovich actually thought better to leave him on the bench for the critical play with 20 seconds left down only 4 referenced above.

8. Was Manu Ginobili on the take? Ok, that’s probably not fair. But after having his best game of the year in Game 5 he was awful in Game 6. He was slightly better in Game 7, but he had 3 crucial 4th quarter turnovers that could have been the difference in the series. You have to wonder what his plans are for the future, because as a big time player I would say he’s done.

9. Could we see a rematch in next season’s Finals? Possibly…you would have to think back-to-back rings would be enough for Pat Riley to bring the band back 1 more year. Yes, Chicago and Indiana will presumably be better after getting D-Rose and Granger back, but you would still have to look at Miami as the favorite in the East regardless. The West is a lotdicier to navigate. The Thunder will be back. Memphis will be there. What are the Clippers going to look like next season? Could Houston land Dwight Howard? Despite Kobe’s injury and all the Dwight-drama, you know the Lakers will always be up to stuff. However, Tim Duncan had his best season in 4 years, Tony Parker is still Tony Parker, and the Spurs have a habit of finding great surrounding pieces. Once again, it will mostlycome down to health though.

10. But this night was all about the Miami Heat. Watching the Heat was really interesting during the postgame festivities. After last year’s series clincher against OKC, you could sense the unbridled joy and relief from the whole team. The series with the Spurs was probably their toughest as a group to date, but whereas last year’s time looked like they finally got the chance to exhale, this year’s team exuded a quiet confidence…not the brash cockiness they exhibited when James and Bosh 1st teamed up with Wade, but a man that was hard, but we knew we had this look. That was definitely not the vibe you got from this team 2 years ago, but the completed transformation was something pretty cool to see.

Heat-Spurs, Game 6: A Game for the Ages

I think I should be allowed to say this without making it a bullet, but that was probably the most dramatic NBA Finals game I’ve ever seen. So tense was it that I basically forfeited all hope of sleep later that night and productivity today, as I turned to Krissy once the 1st overtime started and said, “I guess I’m going in late to work tomorrow.” To say the least, just a wild finish…

1. You could have written a novel about LeBron James’ night. Starting out an ugly 3 for 12 as Miami trailed by double digits entering the 4th quarter, the Heat surrounded James with 1 big and 3 shooters, and let him go to work. He still threw in a couple of turnovers and missed shots at the end of regulation for good measure, but the Heat wouldn’t have even been in that position to begin with without him. His block on Tim Duncan (his 3rd great block of the series) and his 3 to pull Miami within 2 with under a minute to play will be remembered as his signature plays of the night. Despite the shaky 1st half shooting, James still finished with a triple-double.

2. Let the headband fables begin! This is one of those things that people tend to get carried away with, but at some point in the 4th quarter James lost his trademark headband, and from that point on it was like release the Kraken! James gets a lot of flack because as his hairline has receded like a low tide over the years, his headband seems to travel farther and farther up his forehead. It was like the headband was part tribute to LeBron’s youthful exuberance, part vanity object…but did anyone else notice the huge gash on the back of James’ head that the headband also seems to serve to cover up? The mysterious scar was almost the most fascinating part for me. Anyway, I think it would be kind of cool if from hence forth LeBron ditched the headband and rocked his balding dome. Male pattern baldness or not, it’s a much more mature grown-up look (like when Melo ditched the cornrows…still sporting a headband and double arm sleeves, but I will pick my battles), but I suspect we will see the usual head accessory again come Thursday night.

3. Tim Duncan turned back the clock for one night at least. Miami was obviously tired of the barrage of Danny Green 3’s through the 1st 5 games of the series, and TD reaped the benefits, as whenever he got a post touch in the 1st half he was afforded ample time and space to operate. Personally, I don’t think Chris Bosh did a terrible job defending either (not great, but not terrible), but even a 37 year old Duncan is going to work over almost anyone on the low block if you don’t send help, and he abused Bosh in single coverage for much of the game.

4. Please don’t tell me anything about the refs. I don’t want to hear a word about how Bosh’s block at the end of the game or Ray Allen’s strip on Manu Ginobili should have been fouls. Did you watch the game (or any game this series for that matter)? Both teams are finesse teams that aren’t really interested in playing bully-ball anyway, but nothing was a foul last night…as in all night. So please, save your officiating complaints for somebody else…at the same time, if I don’t see Joey Crawford’s cueball head for a few months, that couldn’t come soon enough.

5. Can the Spurs recover in time for Game 7? They wasted a 30 point game from Duncan, a 10 point lead heading into the 4th quarter, and a 5 point lead with less than a minute to play. Now, they will be forced to turn around in less than 48 hours and win a Game 7 on the road. One might think that it all could be emotionally, physically, psychologically too much to overcome. And yet, if there’s any team professional and tough enough to do it, it’s the Spurs, and I have a feeling we are in for an almost equally wild game on Thursday night.

Heat-Spurs, Game 5: A Manu Ginobili sighting

I’m falling asleep in my chair as I write this, so forgive me if something isn’t factually correct…like if I write that last night’s game hinged on the David Robinson-Alonzo Mourning matchup or something.

1. Manu Ginobili finally showed up. So much for the last bullet from my Game 4 post. I did give the caveat that while we shouldn’t expect more from Ginobili anymore at this stage of his career that it didn’t mean he didn’t have a 20 point game left in him. He was inserted into the starting lineup to match Miami’s small-ball unit and played the hero with 24 points and 10 assists.

Ginobili!!!

2. If the Finals ended today, Danny Green would be the series MVP…no, really. Green leads San Antonio in scoring through the 1st 5 games of the Finals, and he’s already set the Finals record for 3’s made with 2 potential games left to the play. Plus, he’s been responsible for at least 2 he’s shooting that from where comments a game (which are going in more often than not).

3. LeBron James continues to struggle in this series. It’s a far cry from the disappearing act he gave in the Finals 2 years ago, and he’s still putting up decent numbers (25 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals last night), but other than Game 4 he hasn’t dominated the way I expected either. And I don’t think it has anything to do with him being too passive or anything like that…it more seems to be a combination of him just not being able to put the ball in the basket, good individual defense being played against him, and the Spurs’ overall defensive strategy, which he just hasn’t been able to figure out.

4. I think Eric Spoelstra is a good coach, but he’s going up against a coaching mastermind in Gregg Popovich. Spoelstra was lauded for going small in Game 4, but Popovich gave a very effective counter (starting Ginobili) last night. This series has been back-and-forth, so it should be interesting to see what adjustments Miami comes out with in Game 5. Spoelstra has made some decisions that I don’t really understand though throughout the postseason. He loves Udonis Haslem, but other than 1 game against Indy, Haslem appears to not be able to play anymore. He’s an undersized big guy who also happens to be slow and extremely limited offensively. He’s got great heart and toughness, but loyalty aside you would think that if Miami was going to play this 1 big at a time scheme logic would dictate that Chris Anderson would be that 2nd big guy. However, he hasn’t so much as sniffed the court the past couple of games. Similarly, while Mike Miller has shot the lights out since getting more playing time, and Shane Battier has been in a severe slump this postseason, Battier is the much better defender of the 2. San Antonio constantly tried to get Miller on an island against either Parker or Ginobili in Game 5, and Miller often gets lost in defensive rotations as well.

5. Will the win-a-game/lose-a-game pattern continue in this series? That is the question going into Tuesday night. This is also the same position Miami found themselves in 2 years ago in the Finals against Dallas: down 3-2 and heading home. The Heat are not the same team as they were then, and it’s hard to imagine them at least not forcing a Game 7, but the situation is eerily similar.

Heat-Spurs, Game 4: And Back and Forth We Go

Do I need an introductory paragraph at this point? No, I didn't think so.

1. Before I get into anything about this game specifically, I'm tired of everyone's overreactions from game to game. After Game 1, everyone was on the Spurs' d***. After Game 2, people pronounced San Antonio dead even though the series was only tied at 1-1. After the Game 3 beatdown, the media was quick to throw dirt on Miami's grave. Now, after the Heat evened the series at 2-2, the talking heads are picking the Heat in 6. Really? It's embarrassing how quickly everyone flip-flops back and forth. I'm putting Sportscenter on mute whenever anything about this series comes up from now on.

2. If Miami's Big 3 plays like that, they are going to be almost impossible to beat. I don't need to go through all the stats, do I? They all individually had their best games of the series at the same time. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade got to the basket and got their midrange game going as well. Chris Bosh actually did some decent work in the paint. 85 combined points and swarming defense will do the trick.

3. Aside from that, turnovers killed the Spurs. They doubled up the Heat's number of cough-ups, 18-9. That's not going to get it done.

4. Miami's decision to go small in their starting lineup with Mike Miller forced San Antonio's hand. Not only that, Shane Battjer saw more time. Udonis Haslem's minutes were reduced. Chris Anderson didn't even enter the game. This forced the Spurs to matchup, and their complimentary bigs (Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw, and Matt Bonner) were rendered irrelevant.

5. Don't expect more from Many Ginobili. Many people are wondering what has happened to the Spurs' Big 3, but nothing's happened to it. There is no Big 3 there anymore. Anyone who has watched them play this year knows this. That doesn't mean he's still not a good player. It doesn't mean that he can't put a 20 point game together. But it's stupid to wait around for it. San Antonio's most likely going to have to get contributions from other people (such as the Game 3 heroes) to have a chance to win the series.

Ad Nauseum: Creepy Babies and State Farm is There

I’m getting my wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow, so if you don’t hear from me again I’m probably dead…if anyone has even died from a wisdom tooth extraction ever anyway. Ok, now I’m fighting the urge to Google has anyone ever died from getting a wisdom tooth pulled…good job, me.

In light of that, let’s have a double dose of Ad Nauseum today. 1st, what’s with these creepy looking TV commercial babies lately? Admittedly, I never paid babies much mind before, but I can say that since Krissy and I have had our 1st I take notice of them much more often now. I have never seen a real-life baby look like these babies before! Are they dolls? CGI? Are they wearing infant contact lenses? The worst part is that these spooky dead-eyed babies ruin (for me at least) 2 otherwise pretty funny commercials, by Samsung and Nissan, respectively.

2nd, I’m going to give some love to 2 not-so-new State Farm commercials that still tickle my funny bone. The 1st is their 1st installment of the “magic jingle” ads. Almost all of these induced at least some kind of chuckle from me, but the best part of this one in particular was obviously the line, “Can I get a hot tub?” Later on, Krissy and I became big fans of the NBC show “Revolution,” where a character on the show was played by non other than the can I get a hot tub guy. This of course caused us to blurt out in our best preacher-speaking-to-the-congregation voice, “Can I get a hot tub?” even in the most serious and heart-wrenching scenes of the show where he appeared. The 2nd State Farm ad here I found funny as well, but it didn’t truly catch on with me until “Bonjour” became somewhat of a catchphrase on “The Tony Kornheiser Show.” Bonjour, motherf***er!

Heat-Spurs, Game 3: Turnabout's Fair Play

We're pros at this by now. Let's get at it.

1. Danny Green and Gary Neal (my boy) were unconscious last night. So much for not being able to rely on Green for the kind of production he had in Game 2 every night, right? He and my fellow Snap Fitness alum took turns dropkicking Miami in the face, combining for 51 points on 13 for 19 shooting from 3-point territory, on the way to a NBA Finals team record of 16 made 3's. F***.

Like seriously, f***.

2. LeBron James played like dog s***. And in fact, outside of his Game 2 4th quarter, he's shot the ball like dog s*** for all 3 games of this series so far. Should I stop saying dog s***? Sorry, I'm just trying to emphasize the appropriate amount of dog s***tiness he's shot the ball with. Now, some credit deserves to be thrown Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs' D's way. They clearly are not going to let him waltz freely into the paint for layups and dunks, but for the most part James is just missing wide open, makeable shots. And at this stage of his career, James usually does an excellent job of not settling for jumpers, and instead picking his spots with his jumpshot. But at this point, you would like to see him get the ball and just go...not necessarily go to the basket, but don't catch the ball, turn, make a bunch of moves, pause, look for an open man, then shoot. Catch the ball in rhythm, get on balance, and shoot the ball...a la his playoff performance in Boston last season. He's getting so much cushion he almost has no choice but to operate this way, even if his shot isn't on because San Antonio's D is sagging so far into the lane that there isn't much room for him or anybody else to operate.

Now, that was ugly.

3. Oh by the way, Wade and Bosh stunk last night too. Wade started off strong, but couldn't throw the ball in the ocean in the 2nd half when things started to go south. Bosh at least contributed 10 rebounds, but they combined for 28 points and both shot under 50% as well.

4. Despite those last 2 bullets about the Heat's putrid offense from their Big 3, there has been some great shooting in this series. See above for Green and Neal, but Mike Miller's ability to make shots was the only thing keeping Miami in the game for a while there. It seems like he hasn't missed a 3 this whole series, and he went 5 for 5 from that range again last night.

5. What's up with Tony Parker's hamstring? Just as the sky was raining Skittles for the Heat after Game 2, the Spurs should feel just as high following their Game 3 performance, but Parker seems to be a legitimate question mark for tomorrow night. They could afford to rest him most of the 2nd half last night because they ran Miami out of the gym, but if he can't go the Spurs will have to rely on some combo of Manu Ginobili, Neal, and Cory Joseph at the point, and as good as Neal has been that would certainly change the dynamic of this series.

Heat-Spurs, Game 2: Miami Block Party

You know the drill...5 (hopefully more brief than last time) observations about Game 2. Hammer time, y'all.

1. LeBron James' block on Tiago Splitter was one of the best I've ever seen. James was suffering through a miserable game for most of last night. Through the 1st 3 quarters, nothing would drop. He missed open shots. He got blocked from behind on a layup attempt. He even, in effect, got the chair pulled on him in transition that resulted in an almost-airball layup. But his pancake of Splitter's dunk attempt was so good it actually made me jump out of my seat, a rarity given how much basketball I've seen over the years. I'm not alone given how it seems to be all anyone talked about from last night's game as well. Despite the poor start, James still finished with a pedestrian 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.

2. The Spurs' Big 3 had an abysmal night...no, I mean they were really bad...like maybe one of the worst collective games I've ever seen them play. Tim Duncan seemed nonexistent. Manu Ginobili couldn't seem to either dribble or catch the basketball. And very early on it was clear the refs were not going to give Tony Parker any free throws on plays where he just wildly threw his body into the lane. Combined, they finished only 10 for 33 from the floor, and given the lopsided score Gregg Popovich decided to let them hit the showers early.

3. All of which wasted a great shooting night from Danny Green. Green has quietly developed into one of the league's best sharpshooters, but even he can't be relied on to be a perfect 6 for 6 from the field with 17 points every game.

4. If Miami shoots the ball and plays D like that, there is no answer. In Game 1, San Antonio forced the ball out of LeBron's hands in hopes that their other players would miss shots. At 1st, it looked like a recipe for disaster, but their patience with that plan paid off in the 2nd half. Last night they had no such luck, as Miami shot a blistering 10 for 19 from 3. The Spurs were just as white hot, going 10 for 20 from long range, but Miami turned them over 16 times, which offset that shooting percentage.

5. This appears to have the makings of a long series where homecourt advantage might not matter a whole lot. The Spurs have to feel encouraged getting a split in Miami, but both teams are so good, experienced, and evenly matched that you could envision the road team winning another 2 or 3 times before all is said and done.

Heat-Spurs, Game 1: The Anatomy of a Plot

If last night was any indication, we might be in for a doozy of a Finals series. Actually, even if the Spurs romp to their 5th title of the Tim Duncan era, the basketball world still might implode…because if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past 3-plus years, it’s that everything is a story with this Miami Heat team. I’ll hold out for a long tension-filled series though.

This blog seems to be all about numbered lists lately, so here are 5 observations from last night’s game.

1. Tony Parker’s ridiculous buzzer beater was the play of the game. No s***, right? Up 2, LeBron James draped all over you, spinning, stumbling, falling down, pivoting, double-clutching, narrowly avoiding LeBron’s arm, releasing the ball milliseconds prior to the shot clock expiring…yeah, I would say so. San Antonio’s MVP was at his best when it mattered, going 4 for 7 from the field for 10 points in the 4th quarter.

With the kiss!

2. The Heat had a curious lineup to start the 4th quarter. James and Dwayne Wade opened the 1st 3 minutes of the quarter on the bench, and Coach Erik Spoelstra opted to go with Chris Bosh, Chris Anderson, Ray Allen, Mike Miller, and Norris Cole…a lineup that I don’t think I had seen the Heat feature all season, much less crunch time of a Finals game. Miami has done some other lineup shuffling the last few games of the postseason, basically benching a slumping Shane Battier for Miller, who has been MIA since last year’s finals. Regardless, it’s a rarity for neither James or Wade to be on the court at any one time, and while Miami maintained a 3 point lead by the time James re-entered the game, Miami’s offense seemed so disjointed in those 3 minutes that I thought you could feel San Antonio gaining a little bit of momentum for the game’s final push. Maybe James and Wade were feeling worn down after their grueling 7 game series with Indiana, but that didn’t seem like the time to give both of them a blow, and it makes you wonder whether Coach Spo is up to the task of matching wits with Gregg Popovich. Which brings us to…

3. I loved San Antonio’s defensive strategy in Game 1. The Pacers’ allowed James to have 1-on-1 coverage most of the time while choosing to lock down Bosh, Wade, and all the Heat’s shooters. This was very effective at times, but the Spurs actually did the opposite, doubling and even tripling James. James played out of the doubleteams well by swinging the ball out to open teammates to the tune of 10 assists, but it’s as if Popovich was daring anybody but James to beat them after watching Miami clang jumpers all throughout the Indy series. The strategy seemed to backfire in the 1st half, as the Heat blistered out to a 5 for 10 start from 3…but they shot a collective 3 for 15 from long range in the 2nd half. James finished with a triple-double, but it was almost by design for the Spurs.

LeBron found littler room to operate in Game 1.

4. Unfortunately for Miami, Chris Bosh has fallen in love with the 3-pointer. When you look at Bosh, he really has the skill-set of a small forward in a 6-11 body. He is a gifted offensive player, and his shooting is necessary for Miami to space the floor, so it would only seem natural for him to stretch his range from 18 feet to the 3-point line. The 1st time he really showed off that range was last postseason, when he hit some big corner 3’s against both Boston and OKC. But now he’s starting to shoot longer 3’s from the top of the key and elbow as well, and he’s usually, well, missing them. After suffering through a terrible series against Indiana, one might consider Bosh’s 13 points last night a productive game, but he took 16 shots to get there (including 0 for 4 from deep)…might want to take a step or 2 in from now on.

5. That sure was a San Antonio Spurs type game, wasn’t it? It seemed like the Heat were just cruising the whole 1st half…getting out in transition, hitting 3’s, etc. Even the halftime crew made it seem like they thought Miami was about to run away with the game. And yet, San Antonio only trailed by 3 at the break. In the 2nd half, the just kept doing San Antonio Spur-ish things until they finally were able to take the lead in the 4th, actually pushing it to a 7 point margin before the wild finish.

Ad Nauseum: The Wacky World of Dueling Satellite Dish Companies

Hello, boys and girls, and welcome back to the fastest growing TV commercial blog on the Internets, Ad Nauseum. PS: there's no way that some other far more important medium than this one doesn't do a TV ad commentary in some form with the name "Ad Nauseum" already. And whatever it is, I didn't pilfer the name...and if for some reason there isn't an "Ad Nauseum" already out there, well, I'm sitting on a gold mine, Trebek.

DirecTV has been pumping out weirdly funny commercials for several years now. How can we forget the opulent Russian billionaire with the mini-giraffe (I jump in it)? Or the series of cause-and-effect ads that end with warnings like, don't wake up in a roadside ditch? And what about the series of cranky husband and wife spots advertising the DirecTV "Genie," where DVR warning messages seem to follow the couple through their every move? Their latest cable's more annoying/worse than [blank] series of commercials definitely keeps up with the tradition.

Dish Network doesn't have nearly the stroke, as Jeff Jarrett used to say back in the ol' WCW days, as DirecTV, and as result I think they felt it necessary to go even a bit weirder in advertising their own better recording system than cable, "The Hopper." Unfortunately, while DirecTV usually hits a home run in terms of balancing being off-the-wall and humorous, Dish Network probably is more analogous with a broken-bat single in that respect. There's something about the oddball family of the real-life Peter Griffin and the crotchety grandfather that does make me crack a smile, but mostly it just strikes me as weirdness for weirdness' sake. Regardless, I think I'll stick with cable for now, guys.

The Return of the Training Update Post: 5 Fitness Goals for the Rest of 2013

In the past few months, I’ve written fewer and fewer personal posts, opting instead to provide my usually inane and useless commentary on the world around me. The last posts about me were here and here, where I delved into the fascinating world of colitis and colonoscopies. The last time I did a post about training, working out, or personal fitness goals? Let’s just say that I refuse to take the time to look that far back through the B-Court All-Star archives to find one.

But since Krissy asked me to state my workout goals a few days ago, I figured I should write them down somewhere. People say that it’s always easier to hold yourself accountable to a goal if you write it down. Who are these people exactly? I don’t know…but I’m going to give it a shot regardless. Here’s 5 fitness goals I’d like to hit before 2014.

1. Combined 700 lb. 1 rep max…Just writing that makes me sound like some kind of powerlifting bada**, and I did get the idea from one of those muscle mags, but when you actually realize what it means, it’s not overly impressive. Basically, I want to be able to have 1 rep maxes for the bench press, squat, and deadlift that total 700 lb. or more. If I had to guess, a combination of 1,000 lb. would be considered pretty strong…I’m talking 300 lb. less than that. And I might actually be able to do it now. The most I’ve ever benched is 225. The most I’ve ever squatted is like 260-265. I’ve only just started to incorporate deadlifts into my routine, and I’ve never tried to max-out, but based on those numbers I would only need to deadlift 210 lb., which is probably doable. The only thing is that I’m just beginning to get my strength back from my pre-colitis, pre-when-Krissy-got-pregnant days, and my combined bench-squat that I’ve actually done in the past month or so is probably only around 400 lb…so, it may be a goal that is already reachable, but it might also take a good amount of work as well.

Workout ball not necessary.

2. Bench 225 lb…Also, a lofty goal since I just said that the most I’ve ever benched is 225, but that was about a year ago, and my 1 rep max as of last night was 215. 2 or 3 months ago it probably would have only been 200-205, so it's gone back up, but it still ain't what it was. I’m giving myself some wiggle room on this because truly I would like to be able to rep 225 lb. 5 or 6 times. We shall see.

225 lb. the hard way.

3. Run a sub-7:30 mile…Another thing that I know is within my reach because I’ve actually done it before in my lifetime. Sense a theme here? However, the last time I did this was many, many moons ago…like, probably 10 years worth of moons. Believe or not, back in high school I could run close to a 6 minute mile. That was during my high school soccer/basketball days though. In college, I could probably still do a 7 minute mile just because of all the basketball I played, but I don’t remember ever getting up one day and saying, I think I’m going to run the f***ing mile today. Since then, I’ve timed myself in the mile several times, and I’ve never quite been able to crack that 7:30 barrier. It’s got to be in there somewhere, right?

Is this oak?

4. Have 8% body fat…Really, anyone can get stronger. Can you get stronger without looking like a beached whale though? There was probably a time (high school and college again) where I was that lean just by virtue of playing sports so much. Many years later and 30-40 lb. heavier, that goal is much more challenging. Using our trainer friend’s calipers, I think I measured somewhere in the 10-12% range 2 or 3 years ago. Decent, but at the same time I think I can do better.

And here we observe the rare Speedo whale in it's natural habitat.

5. Dunk a basketball…Do I need to specify that this means dunk a men’s basketball on a regulation 10 ft. hoop? Like the 1st 4 goals, this is something that I was able to do at least once during my lifetime that I’d like to be able to do again. This goal might be the toughest to accomplish of all though. And at least 3 of those other 4 goals may play a role in accomplishing this one. To be able to get up that high, I do need to strengthen my legs, and I probably need to lean-out too, which will take more running and better eating habits. It also would help to play more basketball again, which would get my legs in better basketball shape. The problem is that there are some things that can’t be undone, like lingering knee and lower leg injuries, but I’m hopeful that some additional strength and a lighter load will go a long way. After all, it was only a year ago that I was still relatively close to throwing it down (more like barely creeping the ball over the rim, but still), and I can still graze the rim with 2 hands on a good day now. Still, I've got my work cut out for me. But what are goals without making them challenging? Ta ta for now.

Oh boy.

Heat Do Enough to Advance (Finally)...Dream Matchup with Spurs Awaits

Ahhh, June...when a young man's fancy turns to the NBA Finals...and so did the Miami Heat's as well last night, as they finally dispatched the Indiana Pacers 99-76 in a not-really-one-for-the-ages Game 7.

For most of this series, Indiana was content to allow LeBron James to do his thing while shutting down Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Miami's attack from the 3-point line. This strategy allowed the Pacers to control the majority of the games, but last night while LeBron had his usual quiet 32 points, the Heat got decent enough games from Wade and Allen that the Pacers didn't have an answer.

Bosh suffered through another miserable shooting night, scoring a meager 9 points on 3 of 13 shooting. But he at least was able to chip in 8 boards, and he made himself enough of a threat offensively that it allowed Miami to space the floor the way they are more accustomed to. Much is being made of Wade's night, but if a 21 point outburst on sub-50% shooting is a great game for him, that in and of itself is telling. And the Heat shot a very average 6 for 16 from 3 for the game, but a trio of Allen 3's sparked Miami's knockout blow of a 2nd quarter.

Their offense still wasn't the thing of beauty we had become accustomed to seeing throughout this season. A lot of that had to do with Indy's D, but Miami at least looked determined to take the ball to the basket and get to the free throw line last night instead of settling for jumpers. Roy Hibbert and the Pacers were still able to contest a lot of shots without fouling, but even with the "plane of verticality" we had heard so much about through these playoffs, the law of averages states that if James and Wade throw their bodies into the paint enough times they are going to wind up on the free throw line even if they don't get every call.

Miami also made a few defensive adjustments such as blitzing the f*** out of every pick-and-roll and sending double teams to the post instead of allowing Hibbert and David West to bludgeon them to death every play. I'm not sure why it took so long for the Heat to employ this strategy, as it not only forced Indiana's guards to make shots, but it plays to the strengths of Miami's D - scrambling, rotating, switching, and getting deflections - as well. The combination of those things was just too much for a young Pacers team (who had probably overachieved to make it this far) to overcome.

Now, this sets up the series that most people have been waiting for all season long. While they are a far superior team to the Pacers, the Spurs are probably a better matchup for the Heat. San Antonio is still a solid defensive team, but they are no longer the dominant defensive unit they were over the last decade or so. Like Miami, they are more of a finesse team that relies on speed, floor spacing, and shot making.

The pairing makes for some great individual matchups as well. While Hibbert could only dream of being in Tim Duncan’s class, Bosh would seem to match up much more favorably against him than Indy’s front line. Similarly, the Spurs won’t be able to ground-and-pound Shane Battier (or if Game 7 was any indication, Mike Miller possibly) with Tiago Splitter, and I would actually favor Miami over the Spurs’ Matt Bonner and Boris Diaw in a matchup of stretch-4’s. The matchup of an aging Manu Ginobili and Dwyane Wade could be a wash as well as the Danny Green-Allen one in the sniper role. To me, the Spurs best chance of winning the series is if Tony Parker makes the point guard matchup so one-sided that Miami can’t counteract it.

But still, none of that takes into account the best player on the planet at this moment. Kawhi Leonard is a very good young defender, and he was acquired specifically to go up against big athletic wing players, but James is a different kind of animal. What’s worse is that beyond Leonard, the Spurs have absolutely no one that can contend with him, so managing Leonard's fouls and minutes will be key. Green on LeBron? No thank you. Ginobili? I don’t think so. Diaw? Absolutely not. Tracy McGrady? Ain’t nobody got time for that! Yes, you could argue that the individual matchups across the board might be a draw or even favor San Antonio, but Miami has the ultimate chess piece. And his mathchup as well as the open style of play that the Spurs employ could lead to a monster series from James. My predictions have been somewhere between a** and very a** this postseason, but it’s hard not to like Miami in 6 games at the most. See you later, f***ers.