Bleacher Report - Articles by Dallin Page

NBA Playoffs? I'll Take the Utah Jazz

Dallin Page — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:32:21 -0400

Just when I was starting to believe that I had it all figured out, that I had cracked the code to how the West would finish, the NBA's Western Conference took another bizarre turn of events.

It all started with the Jazz finding yet another way to play down to the level of their competition, losing a heartbreaking road game to the horrid Minnesota Timberwolves.

While sorting through the great and spacious building known to sport's fans as ESPN.com, I ran into quite the interesting little fact: The Utah Jazz are the only team in the league that can claim they lost to the Knicks, Heat, and T-Wolves (twice) this season.

Had they won those games, they would be grasping the West’s top seed right now. Instead, they are in fourth, but what really amounts to being fifth because they have not earned home court advantage yet.

And that’s not all folks.

I had presumably written off the Denver Nuggets of having any chance to come back and win the Northwest division, but after Denver’s win over Phoenix, Carmelo and co. lie just three games behind Utah, ready to pounce.

This is not the most ideal position an NBA franchise could ask for, especially when Utah has to play their perennial thorn in the side Spurs twice more before the season concludes. They better hope they don’t need their final game of the regular season because it is at the AT&T Center, a place the Jazz have never left with a win.

As a Jazz fan, I would love to just waltz around and proclaim my belief that the Jazz will turn things around, grab the number one seed, and march on toward a championship. There is just one problem with that.

Sadly, I cannot profess that that is my belief at this point. The NBA is so unpredictable right now that I am overwhelmed and don’t know what to believe.

But just because I don’t have any beliefs now doesn’t mean that I can’t make any predictions does it?

I sure hope not, cuz here is the Utah's path to the Finals.

First Round: Utah vs. Phoenix

Utah pulls this one out in six games. This will be a tough series, more so for the Jazz with the addition of "the big cactus," but the Jazz have what it takes to make it out of the first round against a Suns team that is still struggling to find its chemistry.

Second Round: Utah vs. San Antonio

Realistically speaking, I would say the Jazz don’t have a chance in this one, but that wouldn’t be any fun now would it. Jazz take it in seven based on the sheer determination of Deron Williams to take his team to the top.

Conference Finals: Utah vs. New Orleans

The showdown of the undisputed two best point guards in the league. This would be a very intriguing and fun matchup to see in the finals. Jazz take this one in six because from what we saw in the regular season, with the exception of one slip-up in New Orleans, the Jazz own this team.

NBA Finals: Utah vs. Boston

I think this has the potential to be one of the greatest series I have ever seen. The Boston three-party facing the reincarnation of Stockton to Malone. This would definitely be a lot of fun. Jazz take it because of depth and Boston’s lack thereof.

Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but if this is how things turned out, I wouldn’t be complaining at all. I guess all that’s left to say is, let the games begin!

BCS Busters: Here Comes BYU

Dallin Page — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:05:40 -0400

College football has been surrounded by controversy in recent years, mainly because of the Bowl Championship Series.

Many have complained saying that it is unfair and that it gives the so-called “mid-majors” no shot at claiming a national championship regardless of whether or not their team actually is the best in the country.

The one thing that I enjoy amid all this controversy is the drama that it creates. That and the fact that it separates the good from the great.

When a “mid-major” makes the BCS, along comes the task of proving whether or not they actually belonged there. Hawaii proved they didn’t, but Boise State and Utah clearly demonstrated that they were top teams in their respective years.

Which team is going to demonstrate this accomplishment this time around? The answer is of course: BYU?

This team is becoming more and more of a juggernaut every single year since Bronco Mendenhall stepped into the head coaching position. A team that under Coach Gary Crowton was under heavy scrutiny because of allegations of player rapes and mediocre at best on the field performance is now considered to be the top “mid-major” team in all the land.

Coach Mendenhall has led the team to back to back undefeated conference seasons, back to back 11-2 seasons, and back to back bowl wins. This year in all likely hood will be the year they bust through the walls the BCS has set in place.

Led by quarterback Max Hall and running back Harvey Unga, the Cougars return 10 of 11 starters on offense, with the lone graduating person being that of center Sete Aulai.

The defense is a bit more questionable with key role players such as Brian Kehl, Kelly Poppinga, and Ben Criddle all graduating. But with a strong recruiting class, and set of players that have been waiting in the wings for their chance, those spots should be filled with some good talent.

The Cougars start out with very manageable non-conference games at Washington and Utah State, then UCLA at home. They should use this to give them a boost heading into conference play, and continue the path towards landing themselves a BCS birth and maybe in a few years—a spot in the National championship game.

BYU has established themselves as one of the premier college football teams in the country and will continue to dominate the gridiron for years to come.

King James? Hold Your Horses, LeBron Fans...

Dallin Page — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:38:40 -0400

“He plays for USA basketball.”

“That’s awesome.”

“He took his team to the NBA finals.

“Even better.”

“He is one of the leading candidates for MVP this year.”

“Amazing!!!”

“He is the “heir apparent” to Michael Jordan!”

“WHAT?!?!?”

You probably know by now that I am talking about the one and only LeBron James. After all, all of the aforementioned attributes describe him don’t they? Well…all except one of these that is. Well, you are probably thinking about now, “I don’t understand. They all describe him. What are you talking about?”

What I am talking about is the belief that LeBron is the “heir apparent” to MJ, and the bull about us all being witnesses.

Skip Bayless from ESPN has it exactly right when he refers to LeBron as “Prince James.” LeBron will never, ever be on the same plain as Michael Jordan! It is utterly ridiculous to think such a thing!

Sure LeBron is putting up a staggering 30.8 points, 8.1 boards, 7.4 assists, two steals, and one block per game, but last time I checked the measure of greatness was about winning ballgames, and beyond that, especially beyond that, championships.

Don’t get me wrong, James is a superb player. He has a freakishly great ability to get to the hoop whenever he wants, but there is more to the game than showing off your ability to dunk on anyone at anytime. Fans love to see that, don’t get me wrong, but I’m pretty sure that if you were to offer a fan, or even LeBron himself for that matter, being remembered as the “guy who could dunk really well” or being known as the guy who won all of those championship’s, anyone in their right mind would take the latter.

Now I know that there is still time for him to do this and surpass Jordan, maybe even win seven or eight championships, but it seems kind of silly to me to deem someone as the next in line to become the greatest basketball player of all time until he has actually shown us something to merit that attention.

For one thing, LeBron needs to work on his shooting…a lot. A lot of you are probably thinking to yourselves right now, “But what about those couple games a week ago where he was almost automatic from three?”

Big whoop. Until he starts doing that on a much more consistent basis, I’m not convinced. Are you going to tell me that if Yao goes out and makes a couple of threes in a few consecutive games, that all of a sudden, we’ll just deem him a three-point shooter? I don’t think so.

So why don’t we hold off the awards ceremony until it has actually been earned? Go get it LeBron.

Oh, and another thing. Stop copying Kevin Garnett on the talc powder.

NBA Western Conference: How the West Will be Won

Dallin Page — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:09:08 -0500

This is probably the most interesting year of NBA basketball that I can remember. There have been a myriad of trades, injuries, and lead changes in each respective chase for a division title.

While there has been some flurries going on in the Eastern Conference, the vast majority of this activity has taken place out west.

This is shaping up for what could be one of the most competitive playoffs in a very, very long time.

Last year, when the eighth seeded Warriors upset the top-ranked Mavs, it was an upset of colossal proportions. This year, an upset in a similar situation is not that far-fetched, and frankly, wouldn’t be quite as surprising.

But before any of this playoff action even takes place, the regular season has to be played out and the seeding has to be determined. How will this all end up working out? I will throw in my take on how the Western Conference might look come April.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

With the recent acquisitions made by Mitch Kupchak, I just don’t see how this team will be stopped during the regular season. Come playoff time, that might be a different story, but with Gasol, Bryant, Bynum, and Fisher all poised and working together, the Lakers have gone from being mediocre to one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

2. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs can never be counted out of the hunt for a championship. Their great depth and amazing leadership from Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili has, and will continue to, make them a tough matchup for anyone.

This is a very close division race with New Orleans and Dallas, but look for the Spurs to pull it out for a couple of reasons. First, the Hornets finish with 10 of their last 15 on the road. I don’t care how great of a road team you are, that is going to be a tough stretch. With the race most likely coming down to those last few games, one loss could make or break you. Second, Dallas lost a lot of interior-post depth with the trade that they made for Jason Kidd. I don’t think that Erick Dampier can do it by himself.

3. New Orleans Hornets

The fact that they may not win their division won’t hurt them a whole lot. They will only drop down a seed or so—a very manageable position to be in. This is a fairly young team on the rise, and with Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, and David West in the lineup, they should be in good shape come playoff time.

4. Utah Jazz

I see a very slim chance of Denver catching Utah for the division title, so Utah gets the nod in this one. The Jazz are a re-energized team since the acquisition of Kyle Korver. They seem to have a new breath of life following a horrid December in which they went 5-11 after a great start to the season.

The one thing that this team may miss during the playoffs is a shot-blocking big man down in the paint. Andrei Kirilenko can’t play all the D by himself. But the leadership of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer make them a very formidable matchup.

5. Dallas Mavericks

It may take a couple more games to fully integrate Kidd into the lineup, but at the present moment, this is looking like it may have been a smart move by Mark Cuban. The past few games Kidd has played quite well, but there is still room for improvement, and that will only come with time and developing a chemistry with his new teammates. This should be an excellent playoff team.

6. Phoenix Suns

Sorry Suns fans, but I really think that Phoenix is going to pay for the Shaq trade. It hasn’t looked good so far...decent, but not good. The trade was a move that calls for a complete makeup of how the team is run and what style of basketball they play.

The one thing I think the Suns gained out of this move was the fact that it opens up the door for Amare Stoudemire to once again be the dominating force we all remember. Amare was playing out of position. Having Shaq in the lineup allows him to play his natural power forward spot. Shaq also commands the defenses attention. He may not be the old Shaq, but he still commands it. This also opens up room for Amare. This is still a very dangerous team in the playoffs with the leadership of Nash though.

7. Denver Nuggets

Though the Nuggets won’t win their division, they will do enough to pass the Warriors and move into the seventh seed. Their starting five is stacked with AI, Carmello, and Marcus Camby, but they are still missing a true point guard. If they can get that they will be a team to be reckoned with every time they step on the floor.

8. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors run and gun style along with the stellar play of Baron Davis will be enough to get them into the playoffs, albeit not by much. They still have to contend with the likes of Portland and Houston for this one, but the fact is, at this point in time the Warriors are just the superior team. They will make the playoffs and set themselves up for another possible first-round upset.

Snubs:

Houston Rockets

The fact of the matter is that with the loss of Yao Ming for the season, this team just doesn't have what it takes to get it done anymore.

Portland Trailblazers

There just isn’t enough experience on this team yet to compete with the aforementioned teams. Give it another year or two Portland fans, your time will come.

All-Star Chris Paul? I'll Take Deron Williams

Dallin Page — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:15:07 -0500

Chris Paul is the best young point guard in the league, and quite possibly one of the best ever.

At least, this is the cry of enthused NBA fans heard around the nation.

They rant and rave about Paul’s success and the numbers he has enjoyed this season and in seasons passed. They name him as a top contender for the MVP, alongside LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

But what these fans are not taking into consideration is the fact that Deron Williams completely owns Chris Paul.

Many readers will probably question this claim emphatically, "What?!?!" But the statistics cannot be ignored.

Though their season stats are almost identical—with Paul having a very slight edge in a few categories—every time the two have competed, Williams (drafted just a spot ahead of his rival) has taken him to school.

Williams has proved to be the superior player and is 6-2 in head to head matchups against Paul.

Anyway, last time I checked the most important measurement of a player’s worth was judged by how often and how well he led his team to victory. For those who would argue that Paul has produced better stats in these games, this is simply not true.

Now I am not saying that Chris Paul is not an excellent player, because he is, and he has done a great job with his team.

This is just a matter of getting the respect for a more than deserving player, a player who has been overshadowed by others inferior to him.

Paul is a fine player, but I think that his problem is his size. He is only six feet tall, quite small by today's standards. It is very hard for him to keep up with larger guards such as Deron Williams (who is six foot three), even with his blazing speed and quickness.

I truly believe that height is what gives Williams the advantage. Just look at players like Yao Ming. Ten years ago you never would have heard of a seven foot six inch tall player. Nowadays, the standard of height is ever increasing.

There are currently some very tall athletes playing college ball, just waiting in the wings for their NBA time to come along. For one, Hasheem Thabeet of UConn is seven foot three.

But the true monster? Kenny George from UNC-Asheville. This player is seven foot seven and 360 pounds! No one in the league is going to be able to stop this monster.

I have no doubt that Paul will continue his career as an excellent player. And, rightfully, he will garner many accolades for his success.

But can we also show a little respect for a man who has actually led his team to the playoffs? Who led his team to the Western Conference Finals in 2007? Who plays for our country's Olympic team?

How about we show some respect for the guy who beat Chris Paul in the Skills Competition and set a new record for time completed in on the way? Or do you still not get it?