I'm a little sports crazy at the moment, but I promise I won't keep publishing 5-page essays about the NBA and the Hawks, who I know 90 percent of you guys out there couldn't care less about! Good set of playoff games today, with the road teams controlling things starting with the Bulls over the Celtics. Derrick Rose and his playoff record-tying 36 point debut was incredible; no one could stop him from getting to the basket, and his poise was chilling. The dude didn't even crack a smirk all game. He is a complete assassin, and will be an All-Star for a long time. Don't you think John Calipari at Memphis last year wishes Rose could have shot free throws like that back in the title game though?? Cavs toyed with the Pistons all game, and Lebron was his usual jaw-dropping self, which is becoming so routine it's hard to be amazed by what he does anymore. Dallas beating San Antonio in Game 1 was a minor upset considering the game was in the hostile Alamo City, but your boy here called it. The surprising sparks for Dallas were tiny fetus-like Jose Barea and strong man Brandon Bass, who provided good sparks off the bench that the Spurs didn't get from their own bench. Parker was great from what I saw, but Duncan looked average and their defense wasn't very good. I'm telling you, their time is coming! Finally, Houston absolutely throttled Portland on the road, surprising even a die-hard like myself. The Rose Garden is so loud, like a college arena, and I thought H-town would be a tad rattled, but no way. Yao Ming took over from the start and played amazing ball, going 9-9 in the 1st half for 24 points and 7 boards. He didn't even take a shot in the 2nd half because the Rockets were up by 30 the whole time! Portland is a great young team and they will fight back, but remember they are all young and probably had the adrenaline racing tonight. Aaron Brooks had 27, Scola 19, and Artest 17 in a fantastic, balanced effort where the defense was there and the shots were falling. Every night isn't going to be this easy, but getting so much rest for the starters was crucial. Game 2 on Tuesday.
Not much to note from the Iowa spring game, which isn't even an official game. More of a glorified practice, especially considering they played it on the practice fields with the Kinnick grass getting torn up for turf transportation. Defense dominated, as is procedure in these things, but Ricky Stanzi looked more than solid and redshirt freshman running back Jeff Brinson looked really impressive before going out with a minor ankle tweak. Everybody on defense looked stout, and look for Clayborn and Ballard to shift inside frequently to make up for the loss of Mitch King and Matt Kroul. These guys are definite leaders, as long as Adrian doesn't punch anymore cab drivers in the middle of the night. The offensive line was shuffled up a bit, but the main thing was seeing Dace Richardson back out there, which was amazing. Dace was a 5-star lineman out of Chicago, but his knee is so torn up he's basically running bone on bone. Kirk said last year it would be nearly impossible for him to return, so it's a great story to see him working his way back all the way into the starting rotation. One major disappointment on offense, which also reflects a major positive, is flashy playmaker DJK's current spot in the wideout doghouse. He was in and out of Kirk's trouble-zone last season, scolded for wearing shades and a hat during a postgame interview, but came on at the end of last season with a bevy of productive games. He is one of the most talented guys on our roster, but Kirk is apparently sending him more messages about his focus, placing him 2nd team on the depth chart. Not a pass was sent his way all day today, either. On the other end, converted QB Marvin McNutt, trying to work as a wideout, has worked hard enough and impressed so much with his natural ability that he earned the number 1 overall spot on the depth chart. He has an excellent work ethic and fantastic natural athletic ability, and it's obvious the coaches want to get him on the field as much as possible. Hopefully, this is more McNutt outworking DJK than DJK hurting himself. Finally, I'll leave you with this last little tidbit until August rolls around...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3WpoPagwkc
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