And The Beat Goes On (The Spurs Just Win)

The Spurs are like the old men at the Venice Beach courts. You might think you can beat them but somehow, you look up wondering how you lost so bad. One way or another, you fall prey to their mastery.

Better yet, they're like The Whispers and their 1980 classic single "And the Beat Goes On". An old, successful group infused with the production of a young Leon Sylvers that they rode that wave to even greater heights.

The Spurs are back on top. Back in the Finals for the first time in six years. Like they never left. All due to a mix of young folks, old vets, and a proven system led by a coaching genius who plays chess on the court.

A Crazy Thought: Indiana-Miami Will Be Great

Call me crazy but I think Miami-Indiana is going to be a great Eastern Conference Final. Just based off how surprising the Pacers were last year against the Heat and how much better they look now.

Then again, I haven't been able to look at the Pacers the same way since the Lakers beat them on the road minus Kobe during the regular season. If there's a team remaining that has more fool's gold, I'm not sure who it is.

At the same time, the Pacers' ugly style (which led to them having the No. 1 defense in the league) has started to look better. Roy Hibbert is a legit center who can cause problems in the paint. Lance Stephenson is starting to fulfill the promise he had as a NYC hoops legend. Paul George is validating why he's an All-Star as the team's leader and an emerging go-to scorer (in spots).

Let them Wait!! (A Few Words on Derrick Rose)

This week's video tackles a topic I've had on my mind for a while. Folks trying to rush Derrick Rose off the bench and into the Bulls' starting lineup and questioning his manhood, toughness and commitment. Not even 2 years after he won the MVP.

It exposes a few things. 1) Fans are naturally selfish, 2) Football recoveries and modern medicine have made them numb to the mental recovery from an injury, 3) Rose's opinion of his body - which should matter more than a doctor - is meaningless to many who are jumping on the train of following this story.

To the Chicago Bulls' credit, they aren't putting any pressure on him. Neither should we.  To the fans who disagree, I give you the words of King Jaffe from "Coming to America."

Let's focus on how the Bulls who are playing will do against the rested Miami Heat. My prediction: Heat in a hard-fought 5-game series.

Joakim Noah also has some words for everybody regarding his teammate.

Kobe's Tweets and My Game 2 Thoughts

Apologies for the brief hiatus. I left my computer cord at a school this weekend and I'm waiting to get it back. Til then, I've been borrowing charges from friends when I can. On to the thoughts.

I guess I'm in a minority of thought that seeing Kobe Bryant tweet his thoughts during Game 1 of the Lakers-Spurs series wasn't a problem. NFL players do it often during the playoffs and I've seen Jordan Hill tweet during Lakers games in the season. But since it's the playoffs, every little thing gets magnified.

Since my comp was down, I barely noticed the tweets except for ABC mentioning them. Did I care what Kobe was tweeting? Not really because I know he'd be saying it on the sidelines. This is a guy who lives and breathes hoops. His IQ is sharp and his insight should be valued. Especially since Kobe has been so guarded with his thoughts/methods.

Alas, it became a bigger story than it should have. Mike D'Antoni was stupidly asked that question by the media (like he has time to check Twitter during a game) and he bristled at it. For once, I side with the coach I love to needle. He has every right to feel that way and I think it's a stupid, gossipy type of question.