My Dream Championship Match: Suns-Bulls

Shaggy and Nocioni, any comparisons?

If it were up to me I’d like to see the Suns face the Bulls in the 2007 NBA finals. It would make a great series.

The Suns, with their high octane offense, have always been an exciting team to watch but, why do I want to see them match up with the Bulls? Is it because I’m a Bulls fan? It’s partly because of that and mainly because those two teams are the best that’s ever happened to the NBA since the Bird-Magic rivalry.

The Suns, with their high octane offense is just so good to watch. They’re hard working and athletic. Also, Shawn Marion, in my opinion, is the only superstar I’ve seen that plays like a compliment player but in reality is way better than the team’s primary offensive threat (Stoudamire). Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to see a team run the break. They’re just so good to look at—too bad they can’t play good defense.

The Bulls in some way are the same. They too are hard workers, quick, athletic and very exciting to watch. The only difference is that their quick as a half-court team and are, obviously, way better defenders. Come to think of it, one of the Bulls’ steady hard workers, Nocioni, looks like Shaggy…

It would be a great match up. Everything good in basketball could potentially be seen in that dream series. Imagine the dynamic play executions, the great kickout and drop-off passes, the scoring barrage, the great defensive scrambles from the Bulls’ part and the highlight plays by the Suns. It would be an incredible series and it would be teaching people what basketball really is—a team sport.

These two teams throw out the classic notion of the superstar out the window every time they play. They all live for the team and die for the team. What makes their game are crisp ball movements, finding the open man and great team defense. There are no room for egos, no primadonnas. Now, if only Kobe could realize that the Lakers wouldn’t suck as much…NAH!

On the Side Tracks: NBA is Better than the NCAA

Since the Bulls-Heat series don't carry on up until Saturday here in the Philippines (Friday in the U.S.), I thought I might as well post a link to this article by Brian McCormick on why the NBA is better than the NCAA.

"People love the pageantry and amateurism of college basketball, while they detest the multi-millionaire, spoiled brats of the NBA. They envision college players working hard, going to class and being part of the college campus; they picture the star shooting guard as the kid across the street. They figure NBA players spend all night at strip clubs and roll into the arena, throw on a jersey and jack up shots; for most people, they have a hard time imagining someone they know playing in the NBA."

Personally, I agree with what Brian McCormick is saying. The NBA's reputation has been tarnished in the past years by some of its players behaving like thugs. From the now defunct Jail Blazers, to the Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson-led Pacers, to the recent Sebastian Telfair gun incident.

Still, one could not deny the fact that NBA games are waaaayyy more fun and exciting to watch. The talent level and the understanding for the game of NBA players is just in a totally different league than their collegiate counterparts. NCAA games are dubious for so many things: long non-scoring stretches, lack of good post-up action, lack of highlight plays, tedious ball-handling, etc. Watching an NCAA game is like listening to Radiohead's first album--it's okay but, if you compare it to the band's later releases, it's way behind in quality. This is because, whatever other people might think, the NCAA is an amateur league. The caliber of play is just not that high. Even with slightly varying hand-check rules, Greg Oden's post moves are sub-par compared to that of an average NBA post talent's, like Kaman or Ilgauskus. But do not fear, when Oden gets picked up by an NBA team this summer, he's going to get better. Why, you ask? Because they're going to prep him, train him, hone him into becoming an outstanding NBA post player. And, most true of all, he's got years more to improve on his game in the NBA.

The bottom line is that Basketball has always been a spectator sport and, when it comes to spectator sports, entertainment is always what comes first before anything else. That's the edge the NBA enjoys over NCAA basketball.