Final Thoughts on the Finals

I will give the Heat credit eventually, but first off holy crap did OKC blow this or what? Yes the Heat played good defense and all, but holy crap did Harden and Westbrook ruin this series or am I just totally off?  Harden regressed after blossoming into a great player through the rest of this season, shooting 20% in back-to-back games at one point, and Westbrook absolutely shit the bed in Game 5 with a mind-boggling 4-20 shooting performance. Fitting he was 4-20 since he certainly seemed stoned out there, at one point bricking a dunk for no reason.

And Westbrook made some bonehead plays at the end of Game 4 like his turnover and his intentional foul on Mario Chalmers. Yeah, Westbrook had 43 in that game, but bungling the game for your team in the clutch still ruins things. He was not the man. And I demand a tally on how many jump shots Serge Ibaka took this series, and how few he hit. Ibaka wasn't taking many shots per game, but he was taking an awful lot of jumpers from like 16-20 feet when he did get to shoot. Dude you were in the dunk contest and Miami is always criticized as being weak inside just go to the hole!

And how slow and bad is Kendrick Perkins? He is a great defender...if the person guarding him doesn't move. For a 28-year-old he looked like he was about 60 sometimes. He's there to lock down the paint.  Uhh yeah, he didn't.  OKC played like crap way too often this series, and Miami is a team you can't get sloppy against. The Thunder bungled big leads a few times and did not deserve to win the series.  The Heat out-worked them and out-hustled them.  Even in this Game 5 that just ended, OKC looked lifeless and weak.  Nobody was boxing out LeBron James on the offensive glass, when LBJ went to the hole nobody gave him a hard foul to let him know the paint is sacred, and when the Heat started rolling nobody other than Durant rose up for the challenge.

Durantula's theme. Was it too much to ask for Harden and Westbrook to not play so dumb so often?

I really promise I will praise the Heat, but seriously the Thunder screwed the pooch big time. Durant wasn't able to destroy everything in the 4th quarters of every game like people were thinking, but he was shooting over 50% for the series so it isn't like he was ruining it all. Westbrook shot 43%, down from 45.7 during the regular season and padded because of his 43 point game, and Harden shot 38, down from 49 during the season.  Along with the tally on Ibaka's bricked jumpers, I'd like one of how any times Harden and Westbrook waved off Durant as if to say "Nah man I got this," then either missed a jumper or had the ball stolen. It certainly seemed like it happened a lot when I wasn't falling asleep during these games. Durant's the best scorer in the game and was shooting well, those guys needed to help him out a little bit.

And for everybody complaining that the NBA is so rigged and the league got what they wanted, just shut up. I'm all about NBA conspiracies and whatnot, but really don't you think they would have wanted this series to go longer than 5 games? Come on, man. The Thunder had taken way more free throws than Miami early on until they just had no fight left in them. And that's all it was. Harden said last night they learned every possession counts. Duh.  They made stupid plays time and time again and let Miami take this series.  For lack of a better phrase, they fucked up.  OKC wasn't playing perfectly and just got screwed because of the league being corrupt.  They played like crap and they got broken apart by a better, more focused team.

Yes there were times when Miami got some bogus calls, or didn't get called for anything like when LeBron clearly threw the ball off of the back of the backboard and no whistle was blown for out of bounds, but the Thunder didn't play well.  OKC came out in Game 1 ready to destroy, then they got run ragged in the next four. Miami took a lot of free throws. They have three superstars and three of the games were at home so it makes sense and nobody should be surprised. Just because they're getting to the line it doesn't make them unbeatable. The Thunder had to kick some ass last night and Miami wanted it more and played way harder. It is that simple. OKC did not try hard enough to win. They let themselves get down big, they let the big three have a dance party all the way to the hoop, and the season is over because of it.

The NBA may rig a game now and again or favor superstars, but the league can't rig heart and determination. The Thunder showed none when everything was on the line, as shown by that lack of defense that allowed Miami to shoot 52% for the game.  Games 2-4 were still close.  OKC could have won them, but their youth and inexperience came blasting through and did more damage than any foul calls or non-calls could have.

As for Miami, they stepped their game up. The role players finally came to life and gave the superstars the help they desperately needed. Shane Battier was dropping threes, Mario Chalmers played big, and even Mike Miller showed he is in fact still a living human being with that nasty three point clinic last night. The role players finally played like they wanted to win and didn't seem like a bunch of veteran frontrunners who wanted to ride the coattails of LeBron's talent.  They all stepped up and gave a team effort and executed the way you need to when you're in the Finals.

Chris Bosh played big. That's two years in a row he's come through in a big game for Miami. Last year when the Mavs were readying their championship parade, Bosh played the best of the big three. Last night he proved that he may be every bit as important, if not more so, than Dwyane Wade.  As the most ridiculed member of the big three it is nice to see him prove his worth in a few big moments these playoffs.  As a whole Miami played great team defense and they went out and played hard. OKC seemed lost and totally over-matched.

LeBron James finally has his ring. I have never taken away from the talents he took to South Beach two years ago, I just think he's a bastard. I will give him some respect for admitting he acted like a punk when he went to Miami.  He shut up and he went back to playing like he was on the Cavs. He was like the guy who scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points and made this writer go out and get a Witness shirt and a jersey and hang a poster of him dunking all over the Heat above his bed. Hating LeBron comes out of frustration that he has all of the tools to be the best but he says and does dumb things rather than just shutting up and doing what he does best. Every year we hear that LeBron is a new man and focused and ready to win. I was sick of hearing that and refused to believe it until we actually saw him do it, and these playoffs he did it.

I don't like how on NBA TV and ESPN they were saying since LeBron has his ring now you can't hate on him anymore. Well no, I'm not just going to become a fan of his again because he won a ring. I'm not a frontrunner.  I still think he's a dick and I don't like that he quit on Cleveland two years ago and faked that elbow injury because he wanted to play with his friends in Miami. I don't like his flopping and pretending like he got seriously hurt. I don't like his hairline. Depending on how he acts now I'll take my stand on his ego.

It was cool that LeBron said the right things last night about how he realized he had to change as a person after the Finals defeat last year. You'd never hear Kobe Bryant own up to acting like a dick or making a mistake. LeBron was a man and admitted he did the wrong things and he had to change. You learn a lot about people with how they celebrate winning a title. We saw how bad Michael Jordan had wanted to win and how much it meant to him, we saw that Kevin Garnett is really that intense all the time, and last night we saw LeBron be very humble.

When asked what went through his mind, LeBron laughed and said, "It's about damn time." He was very gracious and said he was humbled after the embarrassment of last season.  I'll hold off on my judgement of him until we see how he acts next year since he was arrogant as hell without a ring, so who knows how he'll be with one.  But he very well could be redeeming himself from being that punk kid who ruined Cleveland's front office and as Adrian Wojnaroski pointed out, wasn't wanted on the '08 Olympic team. Will we see a mature, respectful LeBron James who just shuts up and plays, or are we back to dancing and flexing and acting like the world belongs to him?

Don't forget this gem from last year.  The Heat won their second round playoff series against Boston and they celebrated like they won the title. Now with an actual title, are we back to this kind of ego and madness or will they just be a hard working, dedicated team?

Idiots.

So now the Heat are champions. At the moment it seems like LeBron has finally become the player everybody hoped he would be, but a lot can change in a little time. As for the actual series, it was pretty simple. Miami played harder and they won. As much as I may want to say the NBA helped them out, when it comes down to it OKC played way too sloppy to ever deserve to win. The Heat were the focused and composed team, and they are the NBA Champions because of it.

Scattered Thoughts on the NBA Finals

We have arrived at the NBA Finals! The fake analyst in me wants to say this is a great match-up between two hard-working teams and it will be a great series. The biased hack fan in me says this is just like last year’s Finals, in which a team that is all about the true team concept of putting five guys on the floor who can play well together plays against the Heat, a team of three superstars and a whole lotta front runners and ego. Either way you look at it, this will be a terrific series and it is going to define careers.

For Erik Spoelstra, this series means everything for his job. Pat Riley fired Stan Van Gundy when he failed to win a championship with Dwyane Wade and Shaq in their first year together, so why would Spoelsta be expected to keep his job if he fails two years in a row with the “Three Kings”? If Miami wins, Coach Spo suddenly becomes a master motivator on the level of Doc Rivers. People will forget they talked such trash about how inept and simplistic his style is and will instead say he was the right guy for this team all along. There will be no middle ground here. A tremendous amount of blame will be heaped upon Spoelstra is the Heatles fall short a second straight year, but a championship suddenly means he had control of this team all along and even through the struggles he had them right where he wanted them. That’s just how sports work. Look at how different the tune about LeBron James has become in just a few days.

When the Celtics took a 3-2 lead, LeBron wasn't doing enough and we were going to see LBJ fall flat yet again.  Then he went off for 45-15-5 in Game 6 and hit an unreal 30-foot three-pointer to seal up Game 7 and everybody is talking about how LeBron is in the best stretch of his career and he is finally ready to make the jump.  LeBron himself says he is a different man and is ready, but this is the same story every year and every year there is no ring for the king.  A loss in this series defines LeBron's legacy as the guy who fled his team to join up with the guy who had already carried Antoine Walker, old Gary Payton, and broken-down Shaq to a championship. LeBron was supposed to blow Jordan away, but yet Jordan never lost in the Finals and LeBron has already lost twice, and could lose a third.

If the Heat lose, the story of the East becomes that Derrick Rose got injured, Avery Bradley went down with shoulder injuries, Ray Allen may need surgery, Paul Pierce has a sprained knee, and Boston was old and used up.  LeBron joined Wade and Bosh tagged along because they thought it would be easy and they could run through the NBA, and a loss makes the Heat and LeBron look like a failure since even with an easier road to the title they couldn't get it done.  Losing this championship defines LeBron as a regular season wonder who could never get it done when it mattered most. It is all the difference between being Karl Malone or one of the true greats.

Of course a win changes everything. With one championship, all the criticism goes away.  Since Kobe Bryant won his MVP and then back-to-back championships, how many people talk about the dark days in Kobe's career? How often do you hear about the 2004 Lakers imploding because of the conflicts between Kobe and the rest of the team stemming from the rape accusations? What about Phil Jackson retiring and calling Kobe "uncoachable" in his book and LA trading Shaq away since they couldn't co-exist?  Not many. All you hear about is how Kobe is an amazing scorer and defender and the best player of the post-Jordan era. If the Heat win the championship then all the trash that has been spoken about LeBron for the last few years will vanish.  Winning that one title immediately makes LeBron the King and changes the narrative of his career from an amazing player that never reached his potential to a legend who vanquished all of his foes and became a champion.

For OKC, if Russell Westbrook has a bunch of games where he shoots poorly and the Thunder ultimately lose the championship, the talk of getting rid of him will once again pick up.  People have been praising Westbrook and Durant's ability to coexist, but all it takes is one loss in the Finals and it is right back to "Westbrook needs to go."  Of course Westbrook can be a problem and will take way too many shots when he should be deferring to Durantula.  Sometimes he needs to understand he is the Rosie to Durant's Sophia Grace and he just needs to stand there and give Durant confidence and do some cool moves.  If OKC drops games where Westbrook is shooting 30% then it will be seen as Westbrook's fault and people will want him traded.

It will also be interesting to see what happens with James Harden. He becomes a restricted free agent after next season, and with all the notoriety he is getting for his amazing play off the bench he could want a big pay day and sucker some team in to giving it to him.  If the Thunder don't win this year, maybe he starts thinking about leaving if they lose next year too.  Or maybe the Thunder win and Harden pulls a Trevor Ariza and goes and gets a big pay day after proving his worth on a championship team.  Scott Brooks had to give Harden the hard sell to make him buy into his sixth man role, and though Harden says he is fine with his role now money always changes things. Will he play his little heart out to try and get a fat contract with some other team in the future?

For Durant this is a chance to become the best in the world. He'll be going against a guy who is seen as one of the best, if not the best perimeter defender in the league.  He needs to be on his game for OKC to win.  He shot over 50% both times these two teams met during the regular season. Durant needs to do that a few more times and get to the line often.  He also needs to play good defense on LeBron and use his length to keep James from unleashing punishing drive after punishing drive and going off for monster games.  Durant has been the challenger to LeBron's throne since LBJ's second MVP season and if he can outplay LeBron on the biggest stage in all of basketball and lead the Thunder to a title then he becomes the king of the league, the MVP favorite for next season, and the Thunder are title favorites for years to come.

The perimeter defense of the Heat could give OKC some fits, but the post defense of OKC can also give Miami fits. The Thunder have better rebounders and shot blockers than Boston did so LeBron will have a tougher time bum rushing the hoop.  The keys here are if Westbrook can rip Mario Chalmers apart and still score when Dwyane Wade gets put on him, and if Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins can lock down the paint and exploit Miami's front court woes. However, a healthy Bosh, an attacking LeBron, and an active Wade could spell certain doom for OKC.

Thabo Sefolosha's defense on Wade will be a key to this series. Really OKC's team defense on Wade needs to take him out of the game since he may be more dangerous than LeBron in some respects.  If Wade is attacking and has it going then Miami is too tough to stop. How many games in the Boston series did Wade get shut down in the first half only to come and and start driving and get his shot going in the second, making the game wicked hard for the C's?  If OKC wants to win they needs to stop Wade from going off and they need Westbrook and Durant to play well. Also, on paper the Thunder hold a big edge on Miami in terms of the bench.  They need those bench guys to step up since one of Miami's biggest knocks is a lack of depth.

For Miami to win they need to shut down Russell Westbrook.  If he takes a ton of shots and misses a ton of shots, OKC is totally screwed. They also need to get the OKC bigs in foul trouble, which may not be that hard since the Heat are averaging 28 free throws per game these playoffs and if LeBron is driving then that opens everything up for his team and sends him to the line a lot. Miami has good defenders in James, Wade, Battier, and Haslem.  Durant and Westbrook are prone to turnovers and if you turn the ball over against Miami you're as good as dead.  Miami needs to use their great wing defending and get out and run in transition since that is where they break teams.

As for a prediction, my heart says OKC in six but my head says Miami in six. I would love for OKC to become this new dynasty and a superpower for years, but I think Miami has come too far to lose. You can blame it on NBA conspiracies, the Thunder's inexperience, or LeBron finally stepping up, but I think the Heat are going to win this series. I think LeBron and Wade are going to draw a lot of fouls and force too many turnovers. Westbrook is going to have two or three games where he takes way too many shots and costs the Thunder.  Miami may have had their struggles in the last two rounds, but for whatever reason I just can't picture them falling short here.  It would be pretty groovy if they lost though, but I don't find it likely.

The Boshtrich Must Come Back - Game 4 Thoughts

Please play along with me for a minute here. When trying to think of a way to sum up the Miami Heat’s situation right now, this video was the first thing that came to mind. Pretend in this instance that Commissioner Gordon is Erik Spoelstra, since Coach Spo is on his death bed right now.  If Miami loses Spo is fired or he's going to suddenly want to spend more time with his family and will step down as coach. When he says, "This evil rises," picture Kevin Garnett in this Gatorade Rain advertisement.  When he says, "Batman," just replace that with, "Boshtrich."  And since Gordon is talking to Bruce Wayne, just imagine that is Chris Bosh.  Let's go.



That about sums up Miami's predicament.  The big three were all in this together, then with one strange abdominal strain after a dunk, Chris Bosh was gone.  Now after a series with Indiana that was tough, the Boston Celtics are rising and have managed to outplay the Heat in three straight games.  If not for some officiating many thought was poor in Game 2, the Celtics could easily be up 3-1 right now.  The C's have built up double-digit leads in the last three games but lost them in Games 2 and 4, but they have held home court and go back to Miami with the series at 2-2 and a good shot at stealing the game they need on the road.

The biggest reason for this, much like the evil Bane rising in Gotham since Batman is gone, is because Chris Bosh has been out since the first game of the Pacers series.  It should be pretty obvious to everybody that Miami badly needs Bosh, but it is still worth explaining. There was a game in that series with Indiana where up until late only two people other than Dwyane Wade and LeBron James scored the ball.  You can't win a championship like that.  The Heat can get contributions from guys like Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and even the occasional Mike Miller quality appearance.  But in spite of the role players occasionally stepping up, it isn't enough.  Too much of Miami's offense is Wade or LeBron take the ball and everybody get back.  This was manageable against Indiana since their inexperience gave Miami something to capitalize on.  It isn't the same with Boston, and an All Star and proven 20 point per game scorer would help.

Dwyane Wade is struggling thanks to Boston's defense. He goes long stretches where he is ineffective.  Miami's offense is very much centered around the big three dominating so with Bosh out and Wade diminished, more pressure falls on LeBron James.  He has had a good series but much like Cleveland, LeBron playing well with some scrubs is not going to be enough to beat Boston.  If Miami had Chris Bosh this series would be different. It is hard to tell by how much as Boston's defense always keeps them in it and Rajon Rondo causes all sorts of problems, but the late game fails we saw from Miami would be less likely and LeBron and Wade would not have to do as much, and Boston's old legs would have to work harder on defense.

Bosh is mocked constantly and the Heat have been called the big two and a half, but really Bosh is every bit as important to the team as the other guys and is a very good player.  Aside from helping double on Dwyane Wade occasionally and maybe picking up LeBron off a screen, Kevin Garnett doesn't have to do a whole lot in this series on the defensive end.  Chris Bosh being there instantly puts another offensive threat on the floor and KG has to do some real work.  Garnett is getting up there in age, has fought off nagging injuries for a while, and has to do so much on the offensive end.  If he had to guard Bosh it would wear him out.  Bosh's jump shooting ability helps stretch the floor and would open up more holes for Wade.  Bosh's offensive skill set would save Miami instantly since just having him out there opens the floor more and makes the Heat tougher to guard.  If Bosh were there, think of how different those poorly executed final possessions Miami had in the fourth quarter and overtime would have been last night.

To end the fourth, LeBron got the ball, drove into a crowd of three people, and smartly passed the ball.  Despite the title of this video, LeBron did not choke. If that were Bosh, a far more capable offensive player than Haslem, nobody could have a problem with that, but the Celtics just played good defense so the play was doomed.  On ESPN somebody was saying LeBron should have given it to Chalmers. How would he even see Chalmers? If anything Haslem could have tried to get it to Chalmers but whatever.  It was a bad play, and in overtime LeBron fouled out and the Heat's final possession was just as bad. Watch:



Aside from Chalmers trying to get open, there was no play other than something to the effect of "get back and let Dwyane shoot."  An iso for a star at the end of the game isn't always a bad move or anything, but that seems to be what Miami does every time and they fail miserably.  Two thoughts hit me while watching that play. First, if Bosh were there it is likely there would have been a much better design.  To finish out the discussion on the importance of the Boshtrich, Chris Bosh is a terrific offensive player and for a team that seems to have so many problems executing on offense at the end of games it would save their asses and make them far less predictable if he were out there.

Second, why was Mike Miller on the bench?  James Jones was out there so Miller should have been too so you'd have more three point shooters, but yet the play was pretty clearly "maybe get the ball to Mario Chalmers but if not screw it Dwyane will handle it."  The other guys weren't even moving on the floor as decoys.  That is Erik Spoelstra's fault.  Jon Barry said last night after the game this is a recurring problem with the Heat.  They can't execute at the end of games.  It isn't always that somebody is choking, Spoelstra needs to design better plays than "maybe set a screen here or there then just stand back and let Wade or LBJ go to work."  It has been two seasons and they still have problems executing at the end of games.  Bosh being there is another option, but the Heat still have fundamental problems in design.

After last night's loss, the Heat are now complaining about the referees due to LeBron fouling out.  Yes, the Heat are complaining about the referees. In Game 2, Miami took 47 free throws to Boston's 29. Boston has attempted more free throws than Miami in only one of the four games so far, taking 26 to Miami's 20 in Game 3.  In Game 2, the game many said was horribly officiated, Miami was called for 18 fouls while Boston was called for 33.  Miami hasn't exactly been dumped on by the refs or anything.

While LeBron fouling out was strange, Paul Pierce fouled out for the second time this series last night. It isn't like only Miami was being dumped on, but if you talk to former coach and current Heat president Pat Riley you'll hear a much different tale.

"It was a typical night in the Boston Garden," Riles was quoted in Mark Spears' piece on the Heat being upset about the refs.  Keep in mind, when Boston was miffed about the refs Miami had just taken 18 more free throws and had been called for 15 fewer fouls.  Last night Boston was called for 30 fouls to Miami's 28, and Boston took 20 free throws to Miami's 24.  LeBron James attempted the most free throws out of anybody in the game with 8.  The refs really must have had it out for Miami then.  Was it the refs being mean, or was it Miami getting flustered?



The Heat need to worry less about the refs and more about the fact that in three straight games Boston has built up leads of 15 or more through devastating execution.  Garnett continues to turn the clock back, averaging 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds this post-season. His career averages are 19.3 and 10.6. That is insane.  Even a good defender like Udonis Haslem hasn't been able to stop KG from getting his numbers and having a double-double in three of the four games so far.  Miami also needs to find a way to slow Rajon Rondo since he is shredding them. Rondo has been scoring well this series, and he has never been known for his ability to put the ball in the basket.  This is a Celtics team riddled with injuries, missing one of its best defensive guards, and thought far too old to compete.  But somehow they're pushing Miami around now.

Of course Miami isn't the only team that needs to figure things out.  Boston has blown big leads in two games now, dropping Game 2 because of this. Boston's offense can be downright dreadful on many possessions, and after great execution in the first half they find themselves struggling in the second. Boston also needs to play smarter.  Paul Pierce fouled out last night after two plays involving Shane Battier.  Battier took a charge on a fast break to give him five fouls.  The Heat led the league in taking charges during the season and Pierce was running slow on the break so he should have seen this coming.  Then he steamrolled Battier a few minutes later, shoving him in the back and getting called for the foul.  It was really bad. Almost as bad as Ray Allen foolishly trying to put up a lay up over Dwyane Wade the other night and getting stuffed.  Boston needs to slow down and execute like the Spurs of old since if they want to speed things up Miami will run wild on them. This is how they blow leads and get made to look like silly old men.

But despite the blown leads and silly mistakes, what seemed like the obvious end of the Celtics has now become an intense series.  Despite their age and having to battle nagging injuries, the C's have been outplaying Miami and seem ready to fight for the series lead in Game 5.  Bosh may return for that game, and if he does it will be interesting to see if he's close to full strength.  If he isn't healthy then he will most likely be ineffective and nothing much changes for Boston.  If he is healthy then the Celtics have to re-work their entire defensive scheme.  If not then it may be more of the same, with Boston putting Miami on the ropes.

Is Dwyane Wade a Dirty Player? Does the NBA Care?

Whenever blood gets boiling in the NBA, one player will try to insult another by insinuating they are a dirty player.  Last year, after the intense Pacers-Bulls match up in the playoffs, Danny Granger of the Pacers said Chicago center Joakim Noah is a dirty player.  This was a ridiculous accusation made out of frustration since Noah is a high-energy player and hustles, and the Pacers were the only team doling out hard fouls and physical play in that series.  But still, when hit with the anger of getting eliminated in the playoffs Granger resorted to the accusation that somebody bends and/or breaks the rules.  Amare Stoudemire did this in 2007 against the Spurs when the Suns were down as well.  Those types of accusations come out a lot when players or fans are upset and many times there is nothing to it, but other times it is worth investigating.

Dirty players are like what Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen would be if they were on the basketball court. They throw out cheap shots oftentimes which could legitimately injure somebody then throw their hands up and walk away like they did nothing.  Sometimes they are subtle plays, sometimes not so much and you get hit with a flagrant.  If it is subtle then it is like a wrestling manager distracting the ref, slipping their wrestler a pair of brass knuckles, the wrestler hitting his opponent with them, then the ref suddenly turning around to see the opponent down as the other wrestler acts like nothing happened.  There are all sorts of guys like that in the league these days.  You hear it mentioned most with Kevin Garnett.

Garnett is a psycho on the court.  His once unbelievable play has declined with age, and up until recently when he's been able to back up his trash talk with stellar performances, he resorted to cheap shots and dirty play to get his message across.  Remember KG undercutting Channing Frye while hitting him in the nuts?  Garnett's bark had become much bigger than his bite (his game) so there was a while there where he just changed his bite to be cheap shots and bully tactics.  He still throws elbows after the whistle and stuff.

Ron Artest/Metta World Peace's elbow on James Harden is the prime example of a dirty play since he nearly killed Harden then acted like he was just flexing.

Kobe Bryant is a dirty player.  This isn't because I love Michael Jordan.  Kobe is a dirty player.  Remember he got suspended twice in the 2006-07 season for first punching Manu Ginobili after a shot, then doing it again to Marko Jaric?  His teammate Derek Fisher is also dirty.  Here's a neat clip of their dirty antics in the playoffs against Houston a few years back.  Somehow Ron Artest got ejected for Kobe elbowing him in the throat and pretending like he did no such thing.  Kobe has all sorts of cheap little elbow and knee plays.  You don't agree? Watch:



Of course the dirtiest of all players is Bruce Bowen.  He used to undercut people all the time, throw drop kicks, knee people in the balls, etc.  You didn't know? Watch:



But now we have an entirely new issue here.  Is Dwyane Wade a dirty player?  Does the NBA's superstar-pampering system enable this?  In my last post I touched on this briefly.  After last night's Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Celtics I feel the need to address it again. And no, this is not just because Wade is on Miami.  The first basketball player whose jersey and shoes I ever owned was Wade.  I have always respected him and been a fan, but I've seen enough in the last year to turn sour on him and think his little slap on Rondo and kick at Kevin Garnett were not just heat of battle coincidences.

Last year. Playoffs. Heat-Celtics. Boston is up 10. Wade loses the ball and drags Rajon Rondo down, dislocating Rondo's elbow and sabotaging the series for the C's:



This year. All Star Game (!!!??!?!). Wade smacks Kobe in the face, breaking his nose and giving him a concussion. A flagrant foul in the ASG? Are you kidding me? Nope:



This year. Regular season against the Bulls. Wade shoves Rip Hamilton for no real reason, gets called for a flagrant:



This year. Playoffs. Heat-Knicks. Wade throws Mike Bibby's shoe into the front row. Not quite as bad as his fouls, but still a dick move:



This year. Playoffs. Heat-Pacers. Wade gets upset he didn't get a foul call so he hockey checks Darren Collison, gets called for a flagrant:



Now this brings us to last night.  The Celtics were trying to even their series with Miami in Game 2, but they blew a big lead and couldn't play defense in the third quarter.  Even though Miami went to the foul line a ton - LeBron almost as many times as the entire Celtics team - Boston could have won that game but they couldn't execute.  Of course it didn't help Wade got dirty in overtime.

First up is Wade's defense against Rondo which somehow resulted in no foul call:



After the flagrant on Kobe in the All Star game and the other cheap fouls Wade has resorted to in recent history I tend to believe this wasn't an accident and he was trying to smack Rondo in the face.  I'm sorry but after you jacked up the guy's arm a year ago and have been building a history of bad fouls lately I don't find it coincidence that you smacked a guy who was lighting up your team right in the face.

Then he came down and had this dagger and-one over Kevin Garnett.  But he was also throwing a dropkick:



Wade leads with the leg right into KG's knee. When they show the replay again at about the 1:35 mark in that video Jeff Van Gundy even comments that could have been an offensive foul. Yeah buddy.  Wade has started to develop a nice little list of questionable play lately.  An All Star game flagrant, the flagrant on Rip, the flagrant on Collison, and the other cheap plays.  Yet he hasn't faced any kind of real punishment for this stuff.

Kobe was suspended for those shots at Manu and Jaric, but that is the most I've ever heard about a superstar being punished for dirty play.  Garnett has never faced any repercussions for his nonsense, and with Wade being on the marketing juggernaut of Miami he damn sure won't face any sort of punishment.  The NBA protects the superstars no matter what, and we're seeing clear evidence of it now.

Robert Horry was suspended for his check on Steve Nash.  Wade only received a flagrant 1 for his check on Collison.  A flagrant 2 is an automatic ejection and you get suspended.  Horry's check on Nash was harder, but still look at the rule.  Wade's check was unsportsmanlike, unnecessary, and excessive.  That was clearly a flagrant 2.  Tyson Chandler's illegal screen on LeBron was originally deemed a flagrant 2 but then lowered to a flagrant 1.  A flagrant 2 is insane since that was a clear flop from LBJ, but a flagrant 1 still isn't right since it was nothing more than an illegal screen.  Wade could have really hurt Collison, it wasn't even remotely a play on the ball or anything, but still it was on the level of the Chandler play?  That does not seem right.  Even his shove on Hamilton was totally uncalled for and could be seen as a flagrant 2.

Why bother calling Wade for smacking Rondo in the face or kicking Garnett? The league will get more money out of the Heat being in the Finals anyways.  Wade is a superstar, unlike Horry and Chandler, so he would never be suspended for that shot on Collison and he would never be reprimanded for his cheap plays in overtime.  This goes for all superstars of course as Kobe's suspensions were an aberration when it comes to how the NBA treats the money makers.

Accusing somebody of playing dirty is pretty serious and oftentimes makes you seem like a crybaby, but it is worth pointing out Dwyane Wade has found himself in some questionable situations in the last year, starting with Rondo's injury.  The legend has been growing since then, and last night on nearly back-to-back possessions Wade added to it big time.  For some reason people keep getting hit when they are around him.  And since it is widely known the NBA coddles superstars, it is no surprise they haven't hit Wade with a flagrant 2 or a suspension for anything he's done.