Dave Smith

When the playoffs began, the series which looked like an upset lock was San Antonio/Dallas. Sure, most people picked the Mavs, but I loved the Spurs for the following reasons:

1) San Antonio is finally healthy. When they have all their players, this team is capable of winning thier 5th World Championship since 1999.

2) Dallas has a history of early exits, in my opinion because Dirk Nowitzki is their best player. Much like Pau Gasol, Dirk is a great complimentary player who needs a superstar to win a title. Nowitzki is soft, doesn’t play defense and will never win a championship if he’s the lead guy.

In the Spurs closeout 97-87 win last night, Dirk shot the ball well, scored 33 points and didn’t get a lot of help from his teammates….

But he only had five rebounds and didn’t carry his team to victory….

The great ones dig in on defense, get to the free throw line, do the dirty work and find a way to win. Typical of Nowitzki, most of his points came from the outside and he only got to the free throw line six times….

I know Mark Cuban will blast the officiating and point out that his team shot only 15 free throws, compared to 31 for the opposition. Also, 27 fouls were called on the Mavericks and only 17 on the Spurs….

But that’s the type of team the Mavs are; soft, bad defensively and lots of jump shots….

Led by their leader, who is as soft as tissue paper and the #2 option on a championship team….

After the game, Dirk pondered his future and hinted he may opt of the final year of his contract, which pays him $21M. That might not be a bad idea, with the strike coming after next season and the owners determined to drastically cut salaries….

Sure, giving up $21M sounds crazy, but if he can get a five year deal for big money, he should do it….

The 2011 strike is going to be ugly and unless the players cave and accept a bad deal, the owners will be more than willing to lock them out for the entire season….

The owners are talking about a hard cap, meaning the elimination of the Bird rule and a 50% reduction in salaries. And they’re not going to give in….

In 1999 the players talked a good game about solidarity, but as soon as a few paychecks were missed they came crawling back and signed what Nick Van Exel called “a horses*** deal.”….

Unlike the baseball, NBA players have a history of being undisciplined, spending too much money, partying, supporting possees and knocking up women….

So when the paychecks stop coming, they’re facing bankruptcy and panic….

It will be fascinating to see how strong they are after next season, when they will either accept dramatic change or not get paid for at least a year….

With the TrailBlazers on the verge of elimination against the Suns, I thought about three years ago; when I was doing a national show at Sporting News Radio….

The NBA draft was approaching and I had Kevin Pritchard, Portland’s GM, on as a guest. After extolling the virtues of Kevin Durant, I asked the GM if the Blazers were going to make the same colossal blunder they made in 1984; when they selected Sam Bowie ahead of Michael Jordan….

He said all the right things about Durant and claimed the organization had not made a decision between him and Greg Oden, but I could tell by his answers that Portland was leaning toward Oden….

I then told Pritchard it would be a franchise killer to take Oden, because Durant was going to be a superstar and Hall-of-Famer. I pointed out that Oden, much like Bowie, was already injury-prone and he would be crazy not to learn from the 1984 disaster….

Yes, the Blazers were pretty good during the Jordan era, making the Finals in 1990 and 1992; but if they’d taken Michael they would have won the six championships he won in Chicago….

Hell, they might have won more, because the Blazers were much better in 1984 than the Bulls….

It was painful for Blazers fans to watch Jordan become the greatest player of all time, but nearly 25 years later they had a chance to erase that memory and select a player that had Michael-like ability….

After begging Pritchard not to draft for need and take the best player available, the interview ended and I was convinced I hadn’t gotten through to him….

Every day for the next two weeks I begged Portland to select Durant, because not doing so would result in another 15 years of Blazers fans watching history repeat itself….

As painful as it was to watch MJ blossom into a superstar, another draft day mistake might drive Blazers fans to hockey….

Sadly, Portland management learned nothing from history and incredibly turned the 2007 draft into Bowie-Jordan II….

To pass on Michael Jordan was inexcuseable, but to do it again is beyond comprehension. Evidently they pass out stupid pills in Portland and it’s been a 25-year supply….

Once again, the Blazers are a good team, led by Brandon Roy, but they are never going to win a championship. For the next 10 years they’ll be a team that makes the playoffs and loses early. Had they drafted Durant, however, they would be blocking the streets every June for the championship parade….

The parallels to Jordan and Durant are scary….

In 1984, Portland went with Bowie because Stu Inman, the GM, infamously stated “we need a center.” Since they already had Clyde Drexler at the two guard, the thinking was the 7’1″ Bowie was the right call….

Yeah, right. Obviously Clyde and Michael never could have played together….

Hit the laugh track….

After coaching the 1984 Olympic team, Bobby Knight called Jordan “head and shoulders the greatest ever to play this game.” Since The General was never one to throw around compliments, this was a stunning statement….

In a now infamous phone call, Knight urged Inman to take Jordan. “But we need a center” was Inman’s response. “Then play Michael at center,” said Knight….

We all know what happened next; the dumb asses in Portland took Bowie….

In 2007, the Blazers repeated the same idiotic statement, “We need a center.” On the air, I said “Then play Durant at center.”….

Of course Portland already had Roy, so obviously Brandon and Kevin couldn’t play together….

Hit the laugh track….

I’ve always been a believer in taking the best player available, no matter the make-up of my roster. I don’t care if I already had 12 All-Star shooting guards, I’m still taking Jordan….

And if I had Roy, Larry Bird, Dr. J, Rick Barry and James Worthy, I’m still taking Durant….

As 1984 proved, when you draft for need you make franchise-destroying mistakes….

Miraculously, a quarter century later, Portland had a player in their grasp who could lead them to multiple championships and erase the memory of the Jordan fiasco….

Instead, those dopes did it again….

It’s hard to feel sorry for them….

Another loss for the Lakers, this one a blowout, which was the direct result of not getting the ball inside to their post players….

On Friday, I pointed out that Phil Jackson needs to address this problem ASAP, but evidently the message was not delivered….

And if this 110-89 embarrassment doesn’t wake up the coach, it’s going to be an early vacation….

I read in the Los Angeles Times that the Lakers did a better job of feeding the post, which is nonsense….

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum took only 10 shots each, which is not enough to win a tough playoff game on the road….

I know Ron Artest is shooting horribly and getting ripped in the local press, but he’s doing a very good job guarding Kevin Durant….

On the season, Kevin led the NBA in scoring at 30ppg, shot 48% and 37% on his threes….

In this series, Durant is shooting only 38%, a miserable 25% on his threes and averaging 27ppg. As you can see, his numbers are way down and he’s struggling to score….

He’s having to work hard for every point he gets and Ron-Ron is doing an excellent job defending him….

It’s not suprising he’s not making any shots, because Artest is expending so much energy defensively….

The guy who should be getting ripped is Derek Fisher, but for some reason he’s become a sacred cow in Los Angeles and immune to criticism….

If you want to pinpoint why the Lakers are so bad defensively and the Thunder are shooting so many free throws, look no further than #2….

He is getting destroyed by Russell Westbrook, who gets past him any time he wants and breaks down the Lakers defense….

With everyone scrambling to cover Fisher’s ass, the defense is a step behind and out of position….

On the season, Westbrook averaged 16 points, shot 42% and only 22% from behind the arc….

In this series, however, Westbrook is scoring 22ppg, shooting 55% and is 2-2 from thre-point range; which by my high school math is 100%….

So you tell me why Artest is getting the brunt of the criticism in this series….

The numbers clearly show it’s Fisher who is killing the Lakers and the biggest reason they lost both games in Oklahoma City….

Derek is also shooting too much, especially early in the shot clock, which renders the Lakers size advantage useless and leads to Thunder fast break baskets….

Yet not a single media member in this city will speak the truth….

Yes, Fisher is a class guy and has gone through a tough time with his daughter’s illness; but that should not matter when he’s wearing an NBA uniform. The press should report honestly about his poor performance, because he’s a player just like everyone else….

As a boxing fan, I’ve been watching this “Super Six” tournament going on to decide the new Super Middleweight champion of the world….

Saturday night was a good scrap. with Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler winning a close decision over Britain’s Carl Froch in front of a sell out crowd in Copenhagen….

Under the Super Six format, however, both fighters are still alive….

In this system, all participants must fight at least three times, all face each other and win points for wins….

This will all result in an undisputed champion next year, which is what should happen in all weight classes….

But I have two problems with it:

1) Super Middleweight is a made up division and means nothing. Boxing needs to get back to the original eight weight classes, not encourage more super and junior divisions.

2) As soon as we do get one title holder, politics will play into it and the alphabet soup organizations will begin recognizing their own champions again; which will put the division right back to where it was two years ago.

But I do like the attempt to unify a title; I just wish it was in a real division and the new champion could only lose his belt in the ring….

Speaking of boxing, we have an excellent matchup in a real division Saturday night, with Shane Mosley facing Floyd Mayweather….

Yes, Shane is bigger and stronger than anyone Mayweather has faced and many believe Mosley will win….

But I’m not one of them….

Sugar Shane has faced two excellent boxers in his career, Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright, and is 0-4 against them….

Floyd is going to move, get in and out and win a unanimous decision….

Mosley has trouble with boxers and there are none better than the Pretty Boy….