Throwback Posterization: Kukoc Takes It To Zo

For those who don't know, Alonzo Mourning was my favorite player growing up. When he was traded there in 1995, I became a Miami Heat fan. Zo was regarded as one of the best shot blockers throughout the 90s, but as with any shot blocker, he got dunked on quite a bit too. For this week's Throwback Posterization, I present you Toni "The Croatian Sensation" Kukoc dunking on Mourning. Yeah, that really wasn't his nickname. This dunk is from the first round of the 1995 NBA Playoffs. The Bulls would go on to beat the Hornets three games to one, but would lose to the Orlando Magic in the following round. This was Jordan's first trip back to the playoffs since his infamous attempt at a baseball career.

Mourning hits a nice hook shot and as he's getting back on defense, he notices that Kukoc has an open lane to the basket. Larry "Grandmama" Johnson is in Zo's way as he's trying to defend Kukoc, so he shoves his own teammate out of the way. This moment is very likely indicative of the tension that grew between Mourning and Johnson. Mourning closes out too much on Kukoc, which opens up a small path to the rim. Kukoc makes a slight change of direction to get a step on Mourning and then takes it strong to the basket to dunk it over Zo's outstretched arm.

Let The Madness Begin

On Thursday, the four players pictured on the left won't be able to put down their phones for a second without a phone call or text coming through. LeBron's phone will probably explode at 12:01 am on the dot, followed by Bosh's phone, then Wade's, then Stoudemire's, and then maybe Joe Johnson's. Actually, Joe Johnson will probably be sitting by his phone like an 8th grader waiting for his big crush to call him back. That big crush will probably end up being the Knicks who are only calling him because James, Bosh, Wade, and Stoudemire wouldn't sign on to play with Danilo Gallinari and scrubs.

This free agency period has the potential to alter the NBA's landscape more than any other in the league's history. The last time such a huge shift occurred in free agency was when Shaq left Orlando for the Lakers in 1996, and that signing took until 2000 for a championship to be delivered. If the three biggest names of this year's star-studded class–LeBron, Wade, and Bosh–decide to join forces to form the NBA's new big three, there's a good chance they could immediately win a championship together.

So what are the chances of those three teaming up?

Who the fuck knows. Reports are coming out from all over the place about supposed "done deals" already in place. LeBron and Bosh to Chicago, LeBron and Bosh to New York, and the latest rumor of LeBron and Bosh joining Wade in Miami are just a few of the scenarios that have been tossed around. Anyone who acts like they know for sure what's going to go down is probably full of shit. Stephen A. Smith can yell at the top of his lungs that the big three free agents are joining forces in Miami, but I won't believe it until it actually happens. Regardless, it's going to be fun to watch the pieces fall in place.

Thursday Throwback Posterization: Pippen Over The Mailman

Apologies for missing last week's Throwback Posterization, but I'm back with another classic throwdown. This week's jam is from none other than Scottie Pippen, or as my dad liked to call him, Pottie Scippen. This dunk is from game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, which the Bulls would go onto win 90-88 to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The Bulls closed the series out in the next game in Chicago, winning their fifth title in seven years.

Pippen blows by Utah's Chris Morris, who apparently had been giving Scottie trouble on defense up until that point. No one comes to help after Pippen gets into the lane, which forces Malone to leave his man and contest the dunk. The Mailman's help defense was too little too late, as Pippen absorbs the contact and finishes strong at the rim. I love how Pippen is all business after the dunk, but I guess you have to be all business when you're trailing 14-25 on the road in a crucial game 5 of the Finals.

Playoff Picture: Bottom of the East

The Bucks hold the 5th seed in the East with a relatively comfortable three-game lead over the Heat. Picking up John Salmons at the trade deadline has proved to be a good move, as the Bucks have gone an impressive 16-2 since the trade. This run has included wins against the Cavs (sans LeBron), Celtics, Jazz, Nuggets, and Hawks. I expect the Bucks to win out the rest of their games in March except for the last one against Cleveland. To finish out the season, they'll play the Celtics and Hawks at home, and then the Celtics again in Boston. These games will be very important for Milwaukee, because they'll likely match up with either Boston or Atlanta in the playoffs.

Milwaukee's big turn around this season has been sparked by the inspired play of Australian center Andrew Bogut, dynamic rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, and John Salmons. They have also gotten a surprising amount of production out of Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova, who played in the Euroleague the past couple of seasons. Much credit is also due to head coach Scott Skiles, who's emphasis on defense has made the Bucks the 4th best defensive team in the league. Their defensive prowess makes them a scary first round opponent, especially because they've been on such a tear lately. You just have to wonder about their offense, which ranks 22nd in the league. I also wonder if Jennings can play consistently enough to win a seven-game series.

Projected Record: 47 - 35

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Atlanta Hawks

The Heat hold the 6th seed in the East, but Toronto and Charlotte are both just a game behind. The Heat have a very light schedule to close out the season, but with the way they've played this year, I'd almost prefer them playing contenders instead of sub-.500 teams. They're toughest games are coming up this month against the Bucks and Raptors. In April, they'll exclusively play the worst of the worst in the NBA. Here's to hoping they can capitalize.

I've tried to maintain optimism with this Heat squad all year, but they're inconsistency has made it tough. They have been a streaky team to say the least. While their defense has been encouraging, ranking 8th in the NBA, their offense has been downright atrocious at times, ranking in at 19th out of 30 teams. Because they're one of the slowest paced teams, you would think that they have a moderately formidable half court offense. The truth is they can be painful to watch when trying to run an offense, as their ball movement is usually stagnant at best. I would like to see them get out and run more, for the sake of entertainment and potentially easier buckets. For the Heat to make it out of the first round, I think Quentin Richardson will have to be hitting the three-ball consistently and Jermaine O'Neal will have to be big on both ends of the court. If Michael Beasley can produce that would be an added bonus, but my confidence in the kid is quickly declining. Also, Dwyane Wade will have to be on Jordan-mode throughout the entire series.

Projected Record: 45 - 37

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Boston Celtics

The Raptors are tied with the Bobcats for the 7th seed, with the season series currently tied between the two teams. I expect the Bobcats to surpass the Raptors by the end of the season. Toronto's next two games will probably be losses, as they play the Nuggets and Jazz. After that, they have the Heat and Bobcats, which I also think will be losses. Their schedule in April is fairly light besides games against Cleveland, Boston, and Atlanta. This team has been so inconsistent that any game could be a loss, though.

While the Raptors have a high powered offense, good for 5th in the league, they are the absolute worst team on defense. While I haven't actually watched an entire Raptors game this season, I think it's pretty safe to say this team is going nowhere in the playoffs. The Hedo Turkoglu signing is turning out to be a mistake, as he will be making pretty big money for the next four years and his production will probably continue to decrease. Factor in Chris Bosh's possible departure in free agency, and you have a team that could be in shambles for years to come.

Projected Record: 41 - 41

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Orlando Magic

The Bobcats are tied with the Raptors for the 7th seed, but I think they'll pass them up. Their schedule in March is light with the Raptors being their toughest out. April is also pretty easy despite games against the Bucks and Hawks. They do have two games against the Bulls in April though, who are just two and a half games back and will be fighting for their chance to make the playoffs. Their games against the Hornets and Rockets are also far from guaranteed wins.

Much like the teams they're battling against for playoff positioning (Heat, Raptors, Bulls), the Bobcats have been very inconsistent this year. With Larry Brown at the helm, the Bobcats have become the second best defensive team in the league, but they rank 22nd offensively. The midseason trade for Stephen Jackson has given them a big boost on offense and has been one of the main reasons they've been able to get into playoff contention. Charlotte will probably end up facing the Cavs or Magic, so expect to see a lot of Michael Jordan sitting in the crowd frowning with his arms crossed. Even if they manage to get Boston in the first round, I just don't think they'll have the offense to win a seven-game series against them.

Projected Record: 43 - 39

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Cleveland Cavaliers

Icy Heat: Can Miami heat up on the road?

The pattern for the Miami Heat this season has been something like this: blow out the shitty teams, get blown out by the mediocre teams, and either squeeze out wins or come heartbreakingly close against the elite teams. And where does this find the Heat as we near the All-Star break? Playing .500 ball, tied with the Bulls for the 7th seed in the East, with the Bucks just two and a half games behind.

Ok, so I could be in a worse position. I could be a Wizards fan who bought into their preseason championship hype, and then watched them disappoint even prior to the whole guns-in-the-locker-room thing. Or I could be a Pistons fan who stood by as Joe Dumars transformed the team from a perennial playoff threat to a disjointed bottom feeder. And I could be a Nets fan, just hoping that my team doesn't post the worst record of all time.

It could be worse, I know. But it isn't good. And more often than not, it isn't pretty to watch. Of course, Dwyane Wade will provide at least a couple highlight reel plays every game, but is that really worth watching the excruciatingly painful lack of ball movement that has come to be expected this season? Further, is it worth watching Dwyane's awful T-Mobile ads with Charles Barkley every fucking commercial break?

It's even become difficult to appreciate the games that they blow their opponents out because it's often flat out boring and I can already sense that they'll be blown out in their following game. A little consistency would be nice as their next 8 of 9 games will be on the road. The first two are back to back in Boston and Cleveland, with both nationally televised on ESPN and TNT, respectively. They've played these two teams well throughout the season, but have come up short twice against both teams.

Here's to hoping the Heat can start playing some inspired basketball and give the free agent class of 2010 a reason to consider South Florida. Chris Bosh, I'm looking at you.

Chris Paul sidelined 6-8 weeks for knee surgery

It's been a disappointing couple of seasons for the New Orleans Hornets after they had seemingly turned a corner in the 2008 playoffs. Unfortunately, things are probably about to get even more disappointing. The only consistent force on the team, Chris Paul, is likely to be out 6-8 weeks to undergo knee surgery (welcome to the Western Conference All-Stars, Chauncey Billups). Paul had twisted his left knee in a game against the Warriors and then reaggravated it after having to save an awful inbounds pass by David West in the waning moments of regulation in the Bulls game Friday night. Paul collided with a camera man after saving the ball, which led to a basket by the Bulls to tie the game and send it to OT. A hobbled CP3 attempted to play in OT before eventually sitting, and the Hornets would go on to lose the game, literally adding insult to injury. Paul was visually frustrated with his team's uneven play.

This injury has folks on the internet imploring that the NBA finally move cameramen back to create some more space behind the basket. This has always been a contentious debate, and maybe an injury to a true elite player will finally give them a reason to create more room to play the game. Fast breaks would be more exciting as players would be inclined to run the court with reckless abandon and there would be a lot more entertaining dives for loose balls headed out of bounds on the baseline.

I know Dennis Rodman would have appreciated it:

Best play of the season thus far? (Dank Game's 100th Post!)

Unfortunately my NBA League Pass Broadband wouldn't load last night, so I was unable to watch the Heat remain undefeated at 3-0 after beating the Bulls 95-87. Thanks to youtube, I was at least able to watch what was arguably the best play of the season thus far. Wade single handedly cuts through the entire Bulls' defense, hardly even being touched on his way to the hoop. Notice that it only takes him one dribble from the three-point line to get to the rim. Words really can't do this move justice.

Dank Game has officially reached 100 posts. Thanks to everyone who's contributed and anyone who's ever read or is still reading.

'Melo's 41 topples Blazers, Bulls surprise Spurs

Nuggets 97, Blazers 94

After watching the Nuggets first two games against Western Conference threats the Jazz and Blazers, this team seems poised for a big season. The division rival Trail Blazers nearly closed the game out, but Carmelo Anthony's offensive attack proved to be too much as he scored 19 of his 41 points in the 4th quarter. 'Melo was excellent, consistently banging bodies in the paint for points. Chauncey Billups had another strong game with 22 points and 6 assists. I do have to question Chauncey's shot selection, who shot just 5-14 from the field. He has proven in the past to be one of the best pull-up jump shooters in transition, but he wasted several possessions on quick shots. Rookie point guard Ty Lawson saw less action tonight, as he struggled on defense against Rudy Fernandez, which landed him on the bench. No one else had big games for the Nuggets, but everyone showed up when needed, particularly Nenê who had a huge play in the closing moments. After getting an offensive board, he put up a miss, hustled after his own rebound, and made a nice hook shot over Greg Oden. But it was ultimately 'Melo, who got them the W on the road. One last thought before I move on to the Blazers. It will be big for Denver when J.R. Smith returns from his suspension, so that George Karl can stop playing two point guards at the same time. Plus, J.R. Smith = buckets… sometimes.

The Blazers struggled from the field, shooting just 34%. Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez was the only Blazer to have an all-around good game posting 22 points on 6-9 shooting. He was also perfect from the line on all 8 shots. Brandon Roy managed to score 30 points by getting to the line 18 times. Despite poor shooting, Roy did have some great plays including a buzzer beating three-point bank shot to close the 3rd quarter. Martel Webster started out strong with some big plays, but would finish with only 10 points. Portland's going to need their young big men Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge to step up if they want to take that next step into the Western Conference elite. I still think they're a few years and possibly a few roster adjustments away from being true contenders.

Bulls 92, Spurs 85

I hardly watched any of this game, but this block on Richard Jefferson by Derrick Rose is worth a look. This kid has serious ups. Rose had a highlight worthy offensive play too, but it hasn't made it's way to youtube yet.