I am under the impression that you are already familiar with our own expert picks for the NBA Finals. If you feel confused, don't be too hard on yourself, everyone's feeling that way.
But don't lose hope as yet, because I am here to take you out of the misery of confusion as our experts are now pitted against each other.
Suss pitched whitewash of Dallas Mavericks. In a wishy-washy way, I agree with the spirit, although I will never know what led him to predict Heat a 4-0 favorite instead of a more conservative 4-2. Though I can think of possibilities, I would rather leave it to the comments section for you to come up with your own. Still, I like the way he came out aggressive.
If numbers are any indication, our own numerologist David Barbour has the number of Mark Cuban in his pocket. His clinically analyzed conclusion points towards Cuban's point of no return to sanity. Stern bless.
Unless you are from Miami or Dallas, in which case you've already made up your mind, the rest of us need to make a decision before we watch the finals with our companion grasshoppers. The call of the moment is to make up our floating minds, unlike the floaters in Florida, and it better be quick because the finals begin today. You don't want to go to a pub with your relevant body parts rooting for different teams, it hurts.
Suss is Hollywood. He's all glitz and glamor. He thinks the cast of Pat Riley's Twelve has enough star-power to take the Heat to the land of glory. David is cut and dry, more numeric and less turmeric, sheer powered by Gatorade-driven numbers.
Suss is eyeing the showtime with wrinkles, Pat Riley, whose last ring is now an antique commodity. David is all over Avery Johnson, the new generation coach, the coach who fits better in the value added world than the world of tabloids. Think of a quick tabloid heading for Avery if you can, I dare you.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
I probably wont' be right but I wouldn't be shocked if it was a sweep. Thinking back to the '05 World Series, that was supposed to be close. And it was -- all four games were close, but Chicago won 'em all.
Plus, nobody ever calls a sweep in the Finals anymore. But it's happened a couple times in the last 12 years. Among those swept in the Finals? Pat Riley.
2 - Q Bit
Suss:
Yes, Riley holds this unique record of getting swept in the finals twice in his career -- all came during the showtime era (sixers 83, Pistons 89).
It's a bit of shock because in the past 23 years it has happened only 4 times, and only 7 times in the history of NBA.
Among the players, I believe Shaq is the only one who who has seen both ends of the sweep-stick. (lost in 95 as a Magic, won in 2002 as a Laker)
3 - Matthew T. Sussman
Could be, I only compared the last four to each other and found nothing. But I did see Robert Horry be on the right side of a sweep twice ('94 Rockets, '02 Lakers)
4 - Q Bit
That's a neat observation. I was trying to think about an active player who's been on the right (or wrong) side of a sweep twice when I wrote my prev comment, but couldn't come up with any name.
The greats like Magic, kareem, James Worthy are on the wrong side of a sweep twice, playing for the Lakers - it's quite surprising.
5 - RJ Elliott
Mavs up 1-0... :)
6 - Q Bit
Heat gave it away -- an opportunity lost -- might come back and haunt them later.
7 - RJ Elliott
Mavs up 2-0! :)
8 - SDhglva
You and Sussman are insane. Everybody I know is calling a maverick sweep.
9 - Q Bit
umm .. do you know RJ Elliott? He's our resident promoter of maverick sweepstake.
And Suss is the editor, I never doubt anything that's said about him :-)
10 - SDhglva
My remarks were aimed at Sussman and Q bit alone for your finals predictions.
11 - El Bicho
"The greats like Magic, kareem, James Worthy are on the wrong side of a sweep twice, playing for the Lakers - it's quite surprising."
To be fair, Magic got hurt in game 1 of '89 and never came back. There would have been no sweep and I doubt a Piston win if it hadn't been for Magic's injury.
12 - Corey
The HEAT????!!! HAHAHAHAHA! I'm calling it. Sweep. Go home Miami.
13 - Q Bit
EB: True, but the Lakers got swept in 83 with Magic. Perhaps Magic could have prevented the Pistons sweep in 89 or perhaps not, you never know.
And the 89 Pistons would have won it anyway, they were a better team.
14 - El Bicho
Q, I made no comment about 83, so I'm not clear why you are bringing it up other than an effort to reinfoce your conjecture.
I saw plenty of the Showtime Lakers. I do know that with a healthy Magic they would not have been swept.
15 - Q Bit
EB: I never said the 89 Pistons would have swept the series with a healthy Magic playing for the Lakers. I left it as a possibility.