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NBA PLAYOFF TALK

Did you ever think an airball from Kobe Bryant would be the difference in the Lakers’ Game 1 win over Houston in their opening-round playoff series?

It’s just another example of the magical season Bryant is having. Even when he’s bad, he plays a starring role in victory.

You’re probably tired of hearing about Bryant by now -- especially after his miraculous 3-pointers in the regular-season finale against Portland lifted L.A. to the Pacific Division title, and Western Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed.

Bryant has also been in the news for reasons I try not to mention in this newsletter, because this newsletter is about basketball, not allegations and court dates. Still, even this die-hard fan has to admit that allegations and court dates have to play a role in how Bryant performs as an athlete.

Anyway, back to Rockets game. The Lakers trailed by two points with 17 seconds left and the shot clock winding down. Bryant heaved up a questionable attempt -- something he’s been known to do from time to time -- and it fell way short. Again, you already know all this, but the entire reason I bring it up is because had Bryant’s shot even managed to draw iron, the Rockets probably would have grabbed the rebound, got fouled, and won the game.

Goodness knows, Shaquille O’Neal had terrible rebounding position on Bryant’s heave, as O’Neal was underneath the basket with 7-foot-5 Rockets center Yao Ming towering over him and waiting for the ball to bounce off the rim.

Instead, the ball ended up underneath the basket, exactly where Shaq was standing. Shaq simply caught it and dunked it home, and the only thing poor Yao could do was look perplexed and foul.

These reasons and more are why I expect the Lakers to win it all. When you have as much talent and playoff experience as they do … well, even airballs work in your favor.

Granted, I’m not exactly in the minority when it comes to picking the Lakers, but if you’ve read this newsletter regularly, then you know I’m what my wife refers to as a “foul-weathered fan.” In other words, I always root for the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Orlando Magics of the pro basketball world. Meanwhile, the Lakers are never the underdog, so it’s pretty tough for me to come out and say they’re the best.

Another reason why I’ve never cared for the current collection of Lakers is Bryant. I’ve never met Bryant, most likely never will, and don’t care either way. As a person, I am completely unqualified to evaluate him. As a player, though, I always thought Kobe was overrated. Too many bad shots, too big of a basketball ego, two few wins when Shaq is out of the lineup.

All of that changed this season, mainly after the All-Star break. Today, Bryant is starting to remind me a lot of You Know Who (hint: a former Bull with the first name of Michael), as he’s a superb natural athlete who absolutely LOVES playing the game. He can do anything from drive to the basket to pull up from 30 feet to rebound to even setting the occasional pick. Perhaps the thing that impresses me most about Bryant is his defense. He may not be as good as Ron Artest or Bruce Bowen, but he’s close. I mean, the man completely shut down Orlando’s Tracy McGrady for an entire quarter.

It’s hard to believe, but Bryant -- the same player I once insisted was so popular only because he played in a major market -- very well may be the most underrated defender in the league.

OK. I’m done rambling about Kobe and the Lakers. You have to forgive me, though. This is, after all, the playoffs.

MORE LAKERS STUFF

-- The Lakers appear to be headed for another second-round matchup with defending champ San Antonio in the second round, the only team that I think could possibly derail L.A. I say this because of Spurs 41-year old backup center Kevin Willis. I’m not kidding when I say Willis defends Shaq better than anyone since a young Hakeem Olajuwon. Willis isn’t intimidated by O’Neal reputation or size, and is excellent at getting position and moving Shaq away from the basket. Big men knew how to defend the post much more effectively when Willis was in his prime than they do today, and Willis himself is a shining example of that.

-- It might sound crazy, but I love watching the Rick Fox-Jimmy Jackson matchup in the Lakers-Rockets series. Fox and Jackson were both great college players at North Carolina and Ohio State, respectively, and I’ve been following them closely since their high school days. They are also very similar in that they’re both 30-something hustling small forwards who are often the unsung heroes of their teams.

-- Finally, if the Lakers don’t win it all, they have to be considered the most disappointing team of all time. Not to exaggerate or be nasty, but no team has ever entered the season with such high expectations. Think about it. They have Kobe, Shaq, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, magnificent role players and supposedly the best coach of his day in Phil Jackson. Imagine how good they might have been this season without all those injuries and personal issues.

MORE ROCKETS STUFF

-- NBA Hall-of-Famer and ESPN analyst Bill Walton said the Rockets’ biggest problem is “they’re a bunch of gunners who are trying to play team basketball in the playoffs,” and that won’t work. Walton also said the Rockets “don’t really run an offense -- they just go one-on-one.”

-- As usual, Ol’ Bill was a little over the top, but part of me agrees. You can’t be fickle during the regular season then expect everything to magically come together when it means the most. That especially applies to Rockets guards Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley, who had never been to the postseason before.

-- This isn’t meant to bury Francis or Mobley, as Francis has the ability to take over a game and keep the Rockets competitive all by himself. And when motivated, Mobley is one of the most all-around underrated players in the league. It just seems like the Rockets should be further along with such a talented cast. Then again, stick them in the East and they’d have a great shot at reaching the Finals.

TALKIN’ ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

-- Reader Matt Paul (Hagerstown, Md.) wrote: “How come you never hand out end-of-the-season NBA awards in the newsletter? I would like to know who your pick is for rookie of the year.”

-- Dear David, I never give out awards because of a theory I have that goes like this: All you need to know about awards is that Milli Vanilli once won a Grammy. In other words, awards are dumb. I could say Shaquille O’Neal is MVP, you could say it’s Kevin Garnett, and neither of us would be right, or wrong. And if you’re the best rookie in the league, you don’t need a plaque or trophy to prove it to me.

-- That said, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony deserved co-rookie of the year honors. They’ll be the top two players in the league within three years, as each has brought fundamentals and a winning mentality to a pro game in desperate need of both.

-- Fine. You’re insisting I choose SOMEBODY, so I’ll go with Anthony. His team made the playoffs in a much tougher conference, and he is the biggest reason why. Also, Anthony is the first rookie to lead a playoff team in scoring since the Spurs’ David Robinson did it in 1990.

TALKIN’ LeBRON

-- Here are some of the things I wrote about James before the season: “LeBron will average between 10-12 points per game and wear down after the All-Star break.” … “No way will the Cavaliers make the playoffs if LeBron is their best player; if that’s the scenario, they won’t even come close.” … “No high school player will come into the league and lead his team in scoring as a rookie. It just doesn’t happen.”

-- You can send e-mails making fun of me for the above comments to amicoreport@hotmail.com.

-- Insightful Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal reporter Brian Windhorst offered the following numbers to give you some REAL perspective on the impact of James and his team-leading 20.9 points per game: “Local television ratings were up 300 percent; 16 (Cavs) games were on national TV, more than the previous 10 years combined. Merchandise sales at Gund Arena and on clevelandcavaliers.com rose 500 percent. … The Cavaliers played in front of more than 1.5 million fans -- home and road -- this season, the most in team history.”

RANDOM STUFF

-- I know I haven’t written much about Indiana, New Jersey, Detroit, or San Antonio, but their time is coming. I expect all to get out of the first round rather easily.

-- The series I’m following most closely is the one between Dallas and Sacramento. I absolutely love how both teams move the ball for the best possible shot, not to mention shoot so well once they are open. This is the way playoff basketball is supposed to be. It’s also how playoff basketball always was before the defensive-minded Bad Boy Pistons of the late 1980s came along.

-- Hold the angry e-mails, Pistons fans. I liked how Detroit played when Chuck Daly was the coach and Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars were the stars. The difference is, those Pistons could actually play offense, they just CHOSE to win with defense. A lot of teams today are forced into using ultra-physical defensive tactics as a last resort.

-- Back to the modern-day Mavericks. Forward Antawn Jamison is slowly becoming my favorite player. I can’t get enough of watching the man, as he can float in a shot from anywhere, and mostly, how completely unselfish he is. The guy gave up being an All-Star when Dallas coach Don Nelson decided to bring him off the bench, but Jamison hasn’t said a negative word. More young players should use him as their role model, both on and off the court.

-- The best series no one but me will watch: Miami vs. New Orleans. There may not be two more similar teams in the playoffs. But I will admit that neither will get past the second round.

-- Finally, this will be the first of TWO newsletters this week. If you fell off the mailing list and are now back on, no need to thank me. My computer glitches are worked out, and now we can celebrate the world’s greatest game together again. So, enjoy the playoffs and send me some thoughts.

-- By the way, in minor-league news … the United States Basketball League season tipped off this past weekend, and the American Basketball Association has expanded by 15 teams. Among the new ABA cities: Pittsburgh, Portland, Detroit, Minot, N.D., and yes, Vancouver, B.C. I’ll be providing updates on the USBL later in the week.

CONTACT ME

You can e-mail your thoughts to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. You must include your full name to be considered for publication. Also, please include your hometown, as I love to see where the e-mails are coming from.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!