Six Gutsy Predictions for the NBA Playoffs

Thanks to the exactly two NBA games I've watched this year (one of them was courtside), I can proudly claim expert status when it comes to predicting the outcome of the playoffs. The NBA playoffs are a wild ride, fans, but don't worry: you're safe with me and the following predictions:

1. The playoffs will drag on far longer than any of us thought imaginable. The regular season is 82 games. The NBA finalists could play an additional 28 games -- 34% of the season -- before this is all over. To give that some additional context, the MLB playoffs last a maximum of 19 games for a single team, or 12% of the regular season. Tell me this isn't about money.

2. Kobe Bryant will score a gazillion points but the Lakers will still lose to the Suns in the first round. Debate all you'd like about what makes an MVP, but I'll vote for Steve Nash over Bryant 10 times out of 10.

3. Mark Cuban will throw at least one fit related to officiating and the Mavericks will not reach the NBA finals. Let me know what happens in the game, because I'm going to be watching Cuban. The Mavs should reach the Western Conference Finals, but I'd take my chances with the Suns or the Spurs.

4. The media will make a really big deal about Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets facing Toronto. After all, it's the media's job to make a big deal about things. I just have a hard time getting excited about that matchup.

5. LeBron James will airball at least one game-winning shot attempt and the Cavs won't escape the first round. Incidentally, one of the two games I watched was Cleveland against Washington -- I think it was the second day of the season. I'm not claiming credibility on this basis, but my gut tells me (or maybe that's my double-shot, no-whip hazelnut mocha...) that James still isn't ready to carry a team.

6. And last but least, some team will win the NBA finals without my watching it, and I will somehow manage to care even less than I did last year. Basketball just isn't catching my attention the way it used to.

This could turn into a debate about the lack of true superstars or basketball icons, and if you want to, we'll talk about that. Bryant, James, Carter, Dwyane Wade and others are truly great players. But for me, they lack that certain X factor, that thing that makes me want -- even need -- to watch.

For better or worse, the playoffs are here. Do your best to enjoy them.

Lincecum's Acomin'

Giants prospect Tim Lincecum has perfect pitching mechanics (YouTube video).

At 5-foot-10 and 160 lbs., he must, because he throws 99 m.p.h. I can say that with confidence because I saw it happen last night at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.

As I wrote in my game story for The Olympian, Lincecum is destined for greatness. But to look at him in the locker room, you wonder how a guy with his build got here.

After the game I saw Lincecum without a shirt on, and -- no exaggeration here -- he looked like a junior in high school. Small biceps, no pecs, a generally scrawny frame. But the kid can throw, and I'm excited to watch him as he continues to improve.

Lincecum's line for the night: 6.2 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 11 Ks. How's that for dominant?

No... You're Outta Here!

He's short, bald, and has a major chip on his shoulder.

Joey Crawford has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA for his actions toward Tim Duncan. Crawford gave Duncan a technical foul for mouthing off about a call, something Duncan denies doing it.

Shortly thereafter, with Duncan laughing on the bench, Crawford heads in his direction and tosses him. Duncan says Crawford challenged him to a fight, while Crawford says that Duncan called him an expletive. Apparently, the NBA is siding with Duncan.

There's some history between Duncan and Crawford, but I think the biggest issue at stake is respect. NBA referees, while shorter and considerably less physically gifted than the players, work hard too.

But they make a lot less.

Players whine at them, cuss them out, and put their sweaty arms around their shoulders to try to convince them to change a call. Refs also take a lot of heat from the fans and as we've seen with the Kobe Bryant incidents this season, their calls are under scrutiny by the NBA, too. In short, being a referee can be thankless.

Just like everyone else, though, Crawford signed up for this job. No one's making him do it. So when you get reinstated, Joey, try to call the game without making it a personal vendetta. After all, the fans aren't there to watch you.

Remembering Jackie Robinson: Has the Barrier Been Rebuilt?

There's a lot of fanfare today surrounding the courageous career of Jackie Robinson. ESPN has a whole page of coverage, and they should. He did an amazing thing in breaking the color barrier, and I'm glad we take a day to remember that.

Sixty years after Robinson entered the major leagues, I'm hearing a lot about the minimal number of blacks (or African Americans?) in the MLB, and what a shame it is, and how Jackie might feel about the "state of the game" today.

I think of Robinson's legacy as overcoming racial barriers in this country, and being bigger than the hate that lingered some 80 years after the Civil War. But as I think about it, if Robinson were a young man today, there would be a whole new set of barriers that he would have to overcome.

As I said in a recent post about comments made by C.C. Sabathia, the barriers that exist today don't have to do with race. Rather, socioeconomic opportunity, or lack thereof, has become the greatest obstacle to success in many sports.

Robinson broke the color barrier, but the growing socioeconomic gap means that many youngsters -- black, white and hispanic alike -- won't have the opportunities to attend camps, clinics and participate in summer leagues that their rich counterparts think nothing of. As a result, baseball (and to a greater degree other sports like golf, tennis, hockey and soccer) have emerged as rich men's games.

Thanks to Jackie, I believe black players are more than welcome in the MLB these days. I just wonder if many of them have the money it takes to make it there.