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| Ben's Takes | |
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Friday, June 07, 2002
Stern & NBA win 96% of the time  By Ben Maller At one point does a lucky streak not turn into just a lucky streak anymore? Its in the best interest of the NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL if only major market teams win, everyone knows this. No league has had more "luck" at making it happen then the NBA. At least one team in the NBA Finals has come from one of the nation's four largest cities in 22 of the past 23 years. The numbers speak for themseleves. Teams from Sacramento, Milwaukee, Seattle, Memphis & Toronto can try and try again but the odds and possibly other things are working against them. 1.) 16.5 million people live in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Houston, more than all the people combined who live within the city limits of the 24 other cities that are home to an NBA team. 2.) A team from one of those four cities normally reaches the NBA Finals, that has helped build the league's popularity since 1980. 3.) The NBA has their best ratings when either the Lakers or Chicago Bulls have won championships. The probability (96 percent) over the past 23 years that a large-market team reaches the NBA Finals is remarkable when considering that the percentages in the NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball aren't even close. Baseball has had eight World Series (38 percent) since 1980 that included at least one team from the top four markets. The NHL, without a team in Houston, has had eight (35 percent) Stanley Cups since 1980 involving New York, Chicago or L.A. The NFL, its hard salary cap now encouraging parity, has had a Super Bowl involving a large-market teams only five times (22 percent).  Looking at these numbers how can an objective person not think that somthing funny is going on. I don't know for sure that the NBA rigs its games but something sure dosen't look kosher to me. Could it be that the Lakers and other big market teams get the benefit of the doubt? The NBA has a salary cap and the Draft lottery but why do the same teams keep winning? The owners and players have an enormous incentive for large markets to get into the Finals and win thats why! It makes you think that David Stern and Vince McMahan have alot of the same qualities. Source: ESPN.com/AP permalink
Big Ben's NBA Final Notes:   New Jersey Nets at Los Angeles Lakers Game 2 * In Game 1, the Nets fell behind, 29-14, in the first quarter, but they outscored the Lakers, 80-70, over the final three quarters. The Lakers outrebounded the Nets, 31-19, in the first half, although the Nets had a 26-19 rebounding edge in the second half. * Even though the Nets return to the Meadowlands for Games 3, 4 and 5, no home team has ever won all three of those games since the 2-3-2 NBA Finals format was adopted in 1985. * In Game 1, New Jersey’s Jason Kidd recorded the first triple-double in the NBA Finals since Charles Barkley in 1993 with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. * In Game 1 the Nets missed 11 of 26 free throw attempts and shot 39 percent from the floor (37-for-94). * Jackson has won all previous 33 playoff series in which his team has captured the opener. * A win in Game 2 for the Lakers would make six consecutive Finals victories, tying them for the most with the Houston Rockets, who won Games 6 and 7 against the Knicks in 1994 and then swept the Magic in 1995 for back-to-back championships. * In Game1, Shaquille O'Neal had 36 points and 16 rebounds while making 12-of-22 shots and 12-of-21 free throws. Shaq has made 36 of his last 53 free throws. * Phil Jackson has won all previous 33 playoff series in which his team has captured the opener. * The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant is shooting 41.6 percent from the field in the playoffs (157-for- 377) -- more than five percent lower than his regular-season output. Source: Stats Inc. permalink Wednesday, June 05, 2002
Big Ben's NBA Final Notes: New Jersey Nets at Los Angeles Lakers Game 1 * The teams split their 2 games this season, each winning at home. Shaq did not play in the game at the Meadowlands, while Kenyon Martin did not play in the contest at Staples Center. * The Nets are in the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history (its the Lakers' 21st appearance). They are the third former American Basketball Association team to make the Finals since joining the league for the 1976-77 season. The others were the victorious San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and the Indiana Pacers in 2000, who lost to the Lakers in 6. Only the Denver Nuggets have failed to make the Finals of the former ABA teams. Ironically, the Nets were the ABA's final champion in 1976 (also winning the title in 1974), but sold Julius Erving to Philadelphia on Oct. 20, 1976, on the eve of their first NBA campaign. * The Nets came into this season after winning only 26 games in 2001 and having made the playoffs just once since 1994. * The Lakers are looking for their second 3-Peat in franchise history and 14th title overall (9th since moving to Los Angeles in 1960). They won 3 straight while in Minneapolis from 1952-54. * Lakers coach Phil Jackson has won a NBA-record 23 straight playoff series (including 11 with Lakers) dating to 1995 (ironically the last loss came in the Eastern Conference Finals against Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando Magic). If the Lakers win the title, he will have 9 championships as a head coach (6 with Chicago Bulls, 3 with Lakers) to tie Red Auerbach's record and 156 postseason victories - 1 more than all-time leader Pat Riley. * The Nets are the first team since Seattle in 1978 to reach the finals the season after missing the playoffs. They are trying to become the first team since the Portland Trailblazers in 1977 to win the title after missing the playoffs the previous year. * The Nets have won 11 games this postseason. Before this season, New Jersey had only won only 9 NBA playoff games in team history. * Jason Kidd became the first player since Magic Johnson in 1991 to average a triple-double in a best-of-7 series with 17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists against the Celtics. * Shaq averaged 38 points and 15 rebounds and hit 24-of-32 free throws (75 percent) over the last 2 games vs. Sacramento. * For the second straight season Kobe Bryant is scoring better in the postseason than the regular season. Last season it was 29.4 in the postseason to 28.5 during the regular season. This season it's 26.6 to 25.2. Over Games 6 and 7 against the Kings he averaged 30.5 points. * New Jersey C Todd MacCulloch was the backup to Dikembe Mutombo in Philadelphia during last year's Finals vs. the Lakers. * Several Nets have Los Angeles connections. Head coach Byron Scott was born in Inglewood near the Forum and spent 11 of 14 NBA seasons with the Lakers, including title teams in 1985, '87 and '88). Starting forward Keith Van Horn and reserves Lucious Harris, Jason Collins, Richard Jefferson and Brian Scalabrine all were born in Southern California. New Jersey assistant coach Eddie Jordan also owns a championship ring as a member of the 1982 Lakers. Source: Stats Inc. permalink Tuesday, June 04, 2002
Stanley Cup Finals   Carolina Hurricanes at Detroit Red Wings (GAME 1) * This is Carolina’s first trip to the Finals. Detroit has won 9 Stanley Cups, most recently in 1997 and 1998 (after not having won since 1955). * Detroit beat Carolina twice during the regular season - 5-2 at Carolina and 4-3 in Detroit. * The Hurricanes/Whalers are a dismal 0-10-0-1 in their last 11 games in Detroit dating to Nov. 14, 1989. Detroit is also 16-3-0-1 overall against Carolina during the past 10 years. * During the regular season, the Red Wings finished with 16 more victories and 25 more points than the Hurricanes. * The Red Wings completed the 2001-02 regular season with 34 more goals scored and 30 fewer goals allowed than the Southeast Division champion Hurricanes. * Sergei Fedorov has 4 goals and 8 points in the last 5 meetings between the clubs. He almost became a Hurricane in 1998 when the club offered him an offer-sheet as a restricted free agent that Detroit matched. * The Red Wings have scored twice as many goals (58) in the playoffs as the Hurricanes have allowed (29). Both have played 18 postseason games. * The Hurricanes, who played the most regular-season overtime games, have won 6 of 7 when sent into extra sessions during this postseason. * Each of the last 3 Red Wings' Stanley Cup finals has ended in a sweep (loss to New Jersey in 1995, wins over Philadelphia in 1997 and Washington in ’98). * With Carolina’s Arturs Irbe and Detroit’s Dominik Hasek between the pipes, its the first time two non-North American-trained goalies have met in the Stanley Cup finals. * Hasek has consecutive shutouts and a record 5 in the playoffs. * Irbe brings a postseason-best .947 save percentage and a stingy 1.41 goals-against average into the series. He was the goaltender for the San Jose Sharks' upset first-round playoff win over the Wings in 1994. * Carolina coach Paul Maurice is the youngest coach (35 years old) in the NHL, but is the only coach the Hurricanes have had since moving from Hartford (7 seasons). He trails only Detroit’s Scotty Bowman (9 years with Red Wings) for longest tenure with the same club in the NHL. * The Red Wings are trying to become the second consecutive Presidents' Trophy winner, as the NHL's top regular-season team (116 points), to win the Stanley Cup, matching Colorado of a year ago. * Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch and Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos have a rivalry of sorts. When Karmanos moved his team to North Carolina in 1997, citing financial losses in Hartford, he openly talked about the possibility of moving it to The Palace of Auburn Hills, which is about 30 miles north of Detroit. The 2 owners sponsor youth hockey leagues in the Detroit area. Karmanos’ Compuware Corp. is headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich. Source: Stats Inc. permalink Monday, June 03, 2002
Webber Gives Lakers the West
 By Ben Maller The Lakers have Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant and little else. The Sacramento Kings have Mike Bibby and nothing else. In game seven of the Western Conference finals Bibby stepped up and challenged the Lakers while all the other Kings played scared. Chris Webber did his best David Blane impersonation, he disappeared with the game on the line. Webber signed a seven-year contract worth the maximum allowable for a player of his experience - $122,718,750. All that money is nice but it can't buy heart. Sacramento will never have a better chance to reach the NBA Finals. Yet with the home crowd on hand and the game on the line Webber looked like a deer caught on some train tracks with the 5pm express heading down the tracks. In the second half and overtime combined Webber was 3-of-10 from the floor. If Webber even plays at an average level and gives the Kings another option other than Mike Bibby than Sacramento plays New Jersey in the NBA Finals. Kobe, Shaq and Phil should send Webber a big bottle of wine because he deserves it after choking yet again in another big game. Until he proves otherwise Webber falls into the Kevin Garnett, Big Game, Big Choke category. The Lakers will beat the Nets in five games to win the NBA Title. permalink |
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