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A QUOTE FROM HOOPS HEAVEN

Before we get started, I dug up a copy of the 1980-81 Sports Illustrated Pro Basketball Preview issue, and stumbled upon a wonderful quote from former Milwaukee Bucks all-star forward Marques Johnson. I hope every player, coach, fan … basically anyone who cares about the game will cut it out and post it on the refrigerator.

Here is what Marques said:

“It’s the sport that I love, not the business. The business end messes everything up. I almost wish there was no money in it, then we could all go out and enjoy playing like we did when were kids. I’d still play if there was no money, because it’s the best game there is, and you can play all the time if you want. Anybody who’s ever been in to it, pro or playground, knows what I’m talking about.

“When I’m playing ball, it’s like I’m not even part of the earth -- like I belong to a different universe.”

That last line actually gave me chills, because I too have always felt that way about basketball. I just never knew how to put it into words. It’s why the first thing I do each weekday morning, even at my middle age, is lace up the sneakers, head down to the YMCA, and shoot jump shot after jump shot, work on ballhandling drills, then shoot and shoot some more. Part of me is afraid that if I decide to stop doing it, I’ll die. Seriously.

Marques Johnson was among the lucky ones. Someone paid him to play. You and I, however, can relate to the other part of his comment. We’re the ones who love to play anyway.

Now, on to today’s NBA …

MAVERICKS IN SIX, OR SEVEN

The Dallas Mavericks will win their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings.

There, I said it -- and I said it with the Mavericks trailing two games to one.

I’m not exactly sure why I feel that way. I just do.

Perhaps it’s because the Mavericks played the Kings pretty close in Game 2 at Sacramento, and might have won had guard Michael Finley been able to hold onto the ball in the final moments with his team down by two points. Instead, Finley went up for a shot and the ball somehow slipped away … and you know the rest of the story from there.

As Mavericks coach Don Nelson said, “The good news is, we’re going back home, where we’ve been outstanding all year.”

As TNT analyst Charles Barkley said, “Game 5 is the most important game of the series.”

So, assuming the Mavs win both at home, I think they’ll steal Game 5 in Sacramento and win the series in six. Or, they’ll win Game 7 at Sacramento.

The two biggest reasons I believe all of this: Steve Nash, and Dirk Nowitzki.

Let’s start with Nash. The man simply cannot be guarded -- by anyone. He stays too low to the ground and is too crafty with the ball to be stopped. He throws up junk, and it goes in. He draws fouls and doesn’t miss free throws. When you take away his scoring, he is better at anyone in the league at finding the open man and creating shots for his teammates. Last season, no less than Michael Jordan said, “I sure wish he was on our team.”

Nowitzki, on the other hand, CAN be defended. Just not by Kings forward Peja Stojakovic -- who happens to be the guy guarding Nowitzki in this series.

One other thing about Dirk: He made one of the most difficult shots I’ve seen this season in Game 2 against the Kings. He was 15 feet from the basket, on the right wing, dribbling the ball with his back to the defense. In one motion, Nowitzki turned to face the hoop, brought the ball over his head, let a shot fly in Peja’s face, and it rattled in. It would never qualify for the SportsCenter highlights, because in reality, the shot was just an everyday turnaround jumper. But it was more difficult than any dunk I’ve ever seen (sans a handful from Doctor J and Jordan).

Anyway, throw in Finley, Antoine Walker -- who is still capable of scoring 15 points in about six seconds -- and the NBA’s best sixth man, Antawn Jamison, and eventually, the Mavericks will find a way to simply outscore the defensively-challenged Kings.

It’s gonna happen, and you read it here first.

MORE ON THE MAVS

-- I have a hard time envisioning Walker returning to Dallas. He just doesn’t fit in. That’s not necessarily his fault, as Dallas never expected rookie forwards Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels to contribute as much as they have. So here’s some free advice for the Mavs: Use Walker as trade bait to bring in a center who will block shots, rebound, grit his teeth, and be tough (think Danny Fortson, only taller).

-- As for Marquis Daniels, where did this guy come from, and how can you not LOVE watching him play? That goes for Howard, too. Both are extremely versatile on offense and challenge everything on defense. And just think, they didn’t even leap from high school straight to the pros. Instead, they stayed in college all four years, developed some relevant skills, and are two of the league’s top five or six rookies.

-- Then there’s Mavs forward Eduardo Najera, the most underrated player in the NBA. Najera is a 6-foot-7 ball of muscle who is simply relentless, the type of player you HATE to play against, as he’s constantly grabbing, pushing, elbowing -- yet playing clean and fair.

-- By the way, isn’t it interesting how Don Nelson’s old Milwaukee Bucks teams were known for their dominating defense (Sidney Moncrief, Paul Pressey, Junior Bridgeman, Alvin Robertson, etc.), while these Mavs are known for anything but? Just a thought.

MORE ON THE KINGS

-- Jay Morgan (San Francisco) wrote: “You were one of the few people who said Chris Webber’s return might have a negative impact on the Kings’ chemistry. Seeing as how they went from being the team with the league’s best record to a disorganized mess, do you feel you’re right?”

-- Dear Jay, yes and no. Obviously, the Kings haven’t been the same since Webber came back from a knee injury, so you have to question his return and whether or not we’ve all overrated his abilities. How can’t you? But part of me thinks the Kings might have fallen apart anyway, that perhaps they peaked too soon, and Webber’s return just happened to coincide with the inevitable.

-- I would love to hear your thoughts on Webber, and if you think he’s had a negative impact on the Kings this season. Let me know (amicoreport@hotmail.com).

-- Personally, I’m not exactly sure what Webber has ever done. And don’t talk to me about numbers, because just about everyone who is good enough to make the NBA is good enough to compile numbers. I’m not trying to trash Webber here, but I am more impressed with wins -- and I mean BIG wins -- than 20 points and 10 rebounds in another season of underachieving.

YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE LAKERS

Earlier in the week I wrote about Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and how I thought they’d win it all. Here is your feedback:

From Norman Davis (Taos, N.M.): “Sorry pal, but I think you're dead wrong on picking the Lakers to win it all. Yeah, it's true they have the strongest guy in the league, but other than that, and a sometimes fantastic, sometimes mediocre Kobe, they have nothing. Malone is a has-been who averages, what, 10 points a game? Payton could be great, but he never gets to shoot that much with Kobe and Shaq hogging the ball most of the time. The Lakers are about as interesting as a truck dump. They're completely predictable, and arrogant enough to think they can always pull out a game, no matter how lousy they played the first 40 minutes. They just lucked out or they would have lost Game One to a mediocre Houston team. And 71 big points! Boy, that's some offense.”

From David Thoeny (Pleasanton, Calif.): “Have you ever seen one of those all-star rock concerts with seven lead guitarists on stage, all playing a feverish solo to a combined sound of indistinguishable white noise? The 2004 Lakers are that all-star rock band; the harder they play, the more ineffective the team becomes. EVERYONE on the 1980's Lakers was a role player -- even the future Hall-of-Famers. That's why they dominated. A strong ‘team’ like the Spurs or Pacers will trump a collection of talented players every time. The Lakers aren't going far in the playoffs. Sorry to disagree with you.”

From Bob Woods (Akron, Ohio): “The Lakers will be making a big mistake if they let Bryant get away and I believe there is a good chance he will leave, because he is not appreciated. When he shoots, everyone says he shoots too much and when he doesn't shoot and passes to open teammates, everyone complains. Kobe is in a no-win situation in L.A. … Let me ad that Kobe has made mistakes off the court. He should have never put himself in position to be in the legal mess that he’s in, and I always told my kids what a good guy he was, no tattoos, no night clubbing, etc. Then he went and got tattoos, etc. Could this be because all of the crap he heard about not having any street credibility, and the smaller shoe deals he was offered because of that fact? To me, it was a good thing that he did not have street credibility. I will continue to support Kobe, because I think he is the best player in the game today. I love his work ethic and his competitiveness. I think he is truly a good person and hopefully he can put his legal troubles behind him. I am a huge Lakers fan and have been since I was a kid. However, wherever Kobe goes, I go!”

FINAL THOUGHTS

-- I never thought I’d be writing this, but the Atlanta Hawks should bring back Terry Stotts as coach. For the final two months of the season, the Hawks were an extremely overachieving and exciting bunch of no-names. After the All-Star break, the Hawks looked like one of those old ABA teams, scoring 120 or 130 points a night and keeping every game close. And they did it with Stephen Jackson, Jason Terry, and bunch of guys no one else wanted (Bob Sura, Jason Collier, Michael Bradley, etc.). I know the Hawks have new owners, but I seriously think this group of coaches and players should be given another chance. It’s funny what can happen when you don’t have any true superstars.

-- Bernie Masters (Tallahassee, Fla.) wrote: “What was the best NBA game you watched this year?” Dear Bernie, without a doubt, Game 4 of the 1987 Finals between L.A. and Boston on ESPN Classic. The double-overtime thriller between the Lakers and Portland in the final game of this season was a distant second.

-- 1,000 Reasons I Love This Game: Because Denver forward Voshon Lenard wears a light blue headband. On what other court in America could you get away with THAT?

-- I really do plan to write extensively about what’s going on in the USBL, but I ran out of time today. I promise to catch you up next week.

-- I’m happy to announce that I’ll be writing a regular column for Basketball Times again, beginning with the June issue. Basketball Times is the bible of college basketball, and no, my column won’t be about the NBA. It will be about anything that has to do with basketball, from NAIA men to Division I women to everything in between. Real experts like Dick Vitale, Dick Weiss, and Bob Ryan also write for the publication. You can subscribe to Basketball Times by calling 910-295-5559 or sending an e-mail to hoopgroup@aol.com.

-- As usual, thanks for reading and enjoy the playoffs. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on the greatest game ever invented.

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!