What, you expected some kind of coaching announcement? Here are some general thoughts while the Laker front office treads water.
• That was a really entertaining game 7 between the Heat and Pistons — maybe not the up-and-down play that David Stern wants (and Phoenix delivers) but filled with drama. For my money it was the best game of the playoffs so far, and may be the best overall this post season when said and done.
• Here’s an interesting note from that game from PopcornMachine.net and its game flow — the Piston with the best +/- in that game was Eldon Campbell (+7), the Heat player with the worst +/- was Zo (-11). No Piston was in the red for the entire game — while their bench has been maligned it was a key difference in that game. The Pistons are still pretty deep with good players.
• Tim Duncan sat watching that game and I bet all he was thinking was, “Man, my ankle feels so much better after a week off.â€
• Let thee mainstream media howling begin — “This series is going to be unwatchable with two defensive-minded teams†— but the best team from each conference made it to the last dance.
• I’ll still take the Spurs, let’s say in six.
• If the Lakers really are close to announcing Phil Jackson as coach, I think they would have loved to have done it while Shaq was playing in the NBA Finals, just to pull the spotlight off him and make him answer Laker questions.
• Here’s the new information out there on the Laker coaching situation:
• No, that last blurb was not a typo.
• More interesting stuff on the “Nash is MVP?†debate up at Hoopsanalyst.