Exploring the Intriguing
Author: whodeanny
The sailor sets course for a new
Newly windswept shore tonight
With lights of human not celestial design
Serving as his beacons
He feels diminished though uncertain just why
That should be
As he burns the boots that have served so well
Smiling still the same
Because the howls that will awaken him tonight
Come from the child that bears his mother’s name
And eyes that look just like his
© Gayle Force Press 2008
A good friend has encouraged me to recognize that the Pacers have hit a giant iceberg. He might be right. My hope is that it's a daylight iceberg. Once seen, a course correction can ensue. Even though you may have to take the long way around, you can still arrive at the destination. That may be the best Pacer fans can hope for.
I’ve been thinking about why the Pacers are in such a state of crisis and the best I can come up with is pretty simple. This is only the second year the Pacers have been good. That’s not usually a bad thing but because of last season’s great playoff run, this year’s early season success and the faltering of the Bulls, Nets and Knicks, the Pacers have ascended to contender status a year too soon. They just weren’t ready for it.
This is supposed to be the growing pain season when teams figure out how to shift from being the hunter to being the hunted but it’s extremely hard to go through growing pains when also being under the championship microscope. Ask Miami. Their growing pains at the start of the Big 3 era were obvious and very public. The biggest differences between the two squads are critical. The Heat had two of the five best players in the world and starred three guys who were very accustomed to massive amounts of attention.
The Heat bumbled and stumbled to the NBA Finals three years ago despite never being a dominant team. They simply had enough talent to overcome the hurdle of outsized expectations. They couldn’t figure out a rotation or a pecking order but they managed to survive the East playoffs because LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were all top 20 players. When they figured out a pecking order, how to handle media scrutiny the next season and how to use their exceptional talent, they dominated.
The Pacers still want to play without a pecking order and have almost no experience with intense media attention. The pecking order will shake out in the playoffs when matchup advantages become obvious but amazingly, I’d guess that Lance Stephenson is the Pacer who has been a ‘high profile’ guy the longest. “Born Ready” got the Big Apple spotlight as a high school standout but none of the other Pacers had that kind of attention, even in college. Now that professional (and importantly, personal) foibles are being scrutinized intensely, everything changes. Paul George has an awesome new television commercial. That doesn’t mean he has a support network in place to help him navigate these new waters.
That goes for the Pacers as a whole. These championship waters are new and the Pacers probably shouldn’t be in them yet. They simply don't have the kind of exceptional talent Miami did when they went throught their growing pains. I think it's clear that this team dramatically overachieved in the first half of the season. That’s what led to the spoiling of the fan base I mentioned last week.
This season the Pacers have been Portland East in some respects. They overachieved so much so early that expectations were raised to surprising heights. Each team's player profile is also similar. Both teams have a marginal top 10 guy, a marginal top 25 guy and 2 marginal top 50 guys. Solid playoff teams to be sure. But that doesn’t sound like a champion’s profile does it?* Do any Pacers fans really anticipate that the Trail Blazers will make the Finals this year?
We shouldn’t realistically expect the pacers to be champs this year but lots of us do. My hope is that the Pacers use the next month to figure out where they need to fix the relationships and scoring issues that seem so obviously problematic.
Against the Spurs, they played timidly. As though they were afraid to shoot and hurt each other's feelings. Playing not to lose instead of playing to win. I’d guess that the media attention is an element of this; no one wants to be “selfish”. But part of that stems from the low pace, high efficiency offense Vogel prefers. One guy missing 3 shots in a quarter is a big deal when there are only 18 shots are taken in the whole quarter.
On the Evan Turner/Danny Granger issue, I think Vogel should experiment with ET starting at the 3 with Lance coming off the bench. That would give the Pacers a giant lineup capable of covering up some of ET’s defensive lapses. Turner would also have a chance to pick up some offensive scraps off double teams of the other guys. He just can't create offense without taking 8 dribbles. As a 5th option in the starting lineup, he won't need to. Then Lance can come in and be the primary catalyst for the 2nd unit. Bringing Lance in with 3 minutes left in the 1st quarter and halfway through the 3rd means the Pacers would never rely on Turner or CJ Watson or Donald Sloan to initiate their offense.
One last thing: Entering the playoffs as the second seed may be the best thing to happen to the Pacers. They don't know how to be front runners because they haven't done it before. In last year’s playoffs they had the element of surprise and that freed them up to play loosely. Now that advantage has gone out the window. I'd love to see them replace it with hunger.
Franklin Oliver
*The champions with a player profile closest to these Pacers has probably been the Spurs but we can all acknowledge that the Spurs have been an aberration in nearly every way.
© Gayle Force Press 2014
My sisters don’t look like me
They are sharper
With brighter, yellowed skin
Both look strong and solidly
Inside their bodies
With large brown eyes
Serving to illuminate their clear
Beautiful faces
I run together
Dark skin
Nothing hidden
With densely thick hair
Nearly black eyes bridging
The narrow gap in it
And my face scarcely shines
As my brooding manifests itself
In the weary sag of eyes,
Face, back, hips and knees
Atlas’ burden pressing upon me
My sisters love joy
They relish and seek it out
Once sought, it loves to be found
For me it’s too much to ask
Which is fine
Because joy doesn’t fit on my face
© Gayle Force Press 2003
Ok Pacers fans, I think we need to do three things:
Hold on. Relax. Stop Whining.
Better already, right?
Here’s the reality check lots of us need. This Pacers squad has spoiled us. They started spoiling us in the playoffs when they did better than they should have until Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals when Miami kicked them in the teeth. That game demonstrated the gulf between the two squads was far greater than we wanted to believe.
They spoiled us much more in the fall. They began the regular season with impressive urgency and success. They believed that they needed home court advantage in the playoffs and took the regular season more seriously than anybody else in the East. That meant their record was fattened on cupcakes and they were very competitive against the best teams in the league too.
Then Paul George took The Leap! and looked like one of the best players in the world. Between his early season prominence and the Pacers record, MVP talk started up. So did the notion that the Pacers should be a title favorite this year. Everyone should remember how silly that notion seemed in the summer when the Bulls, Knicks, Nets and Heat were all in that conversation.
In September, how many of you would have bet money that the Pacers would own the best record in the East? Stop lying. It was me, Jeff McClure and about 12 other diehards. Everyone else got spoiled by the hot start, the national buzz, everyone else’s injuries and how much we like this team.
That’s an underrated factor in all this. Pacer fans finally warmed up to this group after too much hesitation and now we feel let down because this awesome collection of guys might not be the ’85 Lakers after all. Whoops. I mean, ’86 Celtics. I forgot where I live for a moment there. My bad.
All I’m asking is that we stop shouting ICEBERG!! long enough to recognize that this team is way ahead of schedule. The Pacers are also one of the 5 best bets to hoist the Larry O’Brien in June. (I’ll write about how silly NBA trophy names are soon. Easy, awesome fixes.)
For now, let’s enjoy all 82. This is a team that works hard on D, shares the ball on O (sometimes to a fault) and is on course to do legitimately special things. As Pacers fans, we should help them try to spoil us a little more.
Go Pacers!
– Franklin Oliver
I suppose that I missed the train by a few minutes
It likely had already flung itself into interstate cruising speed
When I parked the Buick at the end of the row
I walked the interchange of rail and street
Hoping to feel the train’s last evidence beneath my feet
Cursing myself while staring at raised crossbars
Some passengers were sleeping I’m sure
Dreaming of the journey they were on
Misremembering the Wichita skyline
Others would have been tense and restless
Annoyed that catching a cross country train at night
Means sitting where you can, not where you want
I knew she was still awake though
Wondering when I would forgive
Her parting words, ‘For better or for worse’
© Gayle Force Press 2007
by Franklin Oliver
If you missed last week, hop on board…
Miami must be convinced that every team in the League fancies the Heat as a rival. Repeat NBA titles and three straight Eastern Conference championships develops that kind of profile. While you will be hard pressed to find members of the Heat acknowledging anyone as a legitimate rival, Chicago comes very close.
Tension from this rivalry has many sources: the Bulls ending Miami’s astonishing win streak last year; the Bulls use of the ‘Jordan Rules’ on LeBron James; the Bulls’ absurd penny pinching contrasted with Miami’s apparently endless supply of low salaried veteran additions; Miami winning two 5 game playoff series with these core groups intact; Derrick Rose interrupting James’ MVP streak in an already embarrassing vote; even Chicago’s failure to land LeBron James, Chris Bosh or South Sider Dwyane Wade during their last free agency period.
The Heat are still the kings of the NBA mountain and the Bulls believe they are destined to replace them there. By force if necessary.
Even before the Bulls gave the Pacers their first loss of the season, this was shaping up to be one of the best rivalries in the League. These teams have both failed to defeat Miami in fiercely competitive playoff series. Both squads fancy themselves the Heat’s top challenger and heir apparent. Indiana and Chicago are also convinced that they have the best team defense and rising star in basketball. The problem is that there can be only one!
Part of the scarcity problem these teams experience means that they need to prove something with every meeting. Each game between the two plays out like a grudge match. The preseason game between the two last month was more physical than some regular season matchups will be. Add in the geographic proximity and disdain between the fan bases and Pacers/Bulls has one of the fullest rivalry profiles in sports right now.
The last of the Eastern Conference rivalries I’ll consider is the only one that’s largely driven by personal animosity. It’s simple, really. Brooklyn’s leaders are the former Celtics, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. Those guys were at the top of the mountain before the Heat replaced Boston’s Big Three with a newer, flashier, more successful version.
While it’s clear that the South Beach version is not enamored with the older trio, most of the animosity here rests with the old lions. They hate Miami. That hate reached absurd proportions last year when Ray Allen refused to stay with Boston (after their attempted to trade him blew up in Danny Ainge’s face) and the returning Celtics publicly snubbed him. It hasn’t dissipated at all. This is the kind of animosity rarely seen in contemporary sports. It’s strong enough to automatically put the Heat and Nets on this list.
This may be my favorite current rivalry because it’s focused on the court. And, how…
Each of the last two years, the Grizzlies and Clippers fought an intense, highly competitive first round playoff series. The teams have split the series and won fans across the country. Unlike some of the other rivalries here that feature teams who have attempted to model themselves after each other, the Clippers and Grizzlies have substantially different team personalities and rosters. Los Angeles’ primary attributes are a high octane offense, great shooters, the most athletic post combination in the league, a legendary point guard who seems ordained to be a Hall of Famer and a championship winning coach
Memphis has an exceptional defense, hilariously bad 3 point shooting, highly skilled but deeply unathletic 4 and 5, a point guard whose father is a legend and a coach in his first year as the head man. It’s these contrasts that have made the matchups so intriguing to watch.
Just this week, tensions might have mounted between the teams as Memphis’ defensive ace Tony Allen kicked Chris Paul in the head while attempting to defend Paul and another player simultaneously. But Allen and Paul respect each other so much that Paul immediately recognized the accidental nature of the incident. Would all rivalries live on such an elevated plane!
This is a weird rivalry because it’s so metaphysical. The idea of a rivalry is much greater than the actuality of that rivalry. The national media and the Clippers themselves seem desperate to make the Hallway Rivalry a big deal. The most recent furor has come from Doc Rivers’ attempt to create a distinctive Clipper home court advantage by covering up the Lakers’ championship banners.
A perfect example of how clearly the ‘little brother’ the Clippers are comes from Jalen Rose’s newest NBA feature. Another is the one sidedness of the rivalry. Last year was the first time the Clippers ever won the season series. Ever. So maybe this one is on the way to being one of the top 5 rivalries in the league.
Brooklyn-New York: Big city. Big names. Big hype.
Atlanta-Milwaukee: Wacky offseason intrigues will make this a confusing rivalry at the bottom of the East playoff race.
Miami-Oklahoma City: 5 of the top 25 basketball players in the world. Only one crown to be worn.
The last train from Overbrook is leaving today
I suppose it’s about time
But this has come to feel like home to me
My tiny windows give me just enough light
To see the stream across the bridge;
This really is a gorgeous view
I know that Dr. Baylor was right, now
Rest and some down time made the difference
Thankfully everything is fine
This winter will be wonderful
I already can sense it, now that I’m well
The snowy days will be peaceful
With laughing kids reminding me of my own childhood
Not like last year’s taunting jeers
And Christmas, wow,
I can’t wait for Christmas
Even though I won’t buy any presents
It will still be thrilling
Maybe I’ll go out some night
Just looking at the store windows and houses
Decked out so lavishly
My apartment will be nice
With so many little things that I like
Some books, my pipe
Maybe a couple pictures too
Not the sad kind that make me feel lonely
But happy laughing photos
Filling frames and space
Some with people I used to know
The last train from Overbrook is leaving today
I know it’s just about time
Even though it’s home for me
© Gayle Force Press 2007
Here's the first of a weekly series of blog posts focused on my favorite sport, NBA basketball. I'll be happy to hear what you think about it.
So far, the NBA season can still be summed up in this one word: anticipation.
I’m anticipating the rise of the superpower in Miami.
I’m anticipating magical duos in Oklahoma and Houston and LA and New Orleans
I’m anticipating beautiful ball movement and versatility in Minny and Oakland.
I’m anticipating fierce D from the Pacers and Bulls. And the Grizz and Spurs.
I’m anticipating the last gasps of my wife’s favorite player. And those of one of the twenty best of all-time.
I’m anticipating four or five guys who deserve to be first-team All NBA guards.
I’m anticipating All-Star rosters that has more guys under 25 than over 30.
I’m anticipating Kingly things from LeBron James.
I’m anticipating Kevin Durant to continue being this generation’s Alydar.
I’m anticipating missing David Stern just a little bit come June.
I’m anticipating one of the best seasons ever.
The leaves have begun their steady
Cascading down
In the brilliant parade of color
That celebrates autumn
In the Midwest
I sit drinking the last of the morning
Coffee
Almost hoping
That an early snow will arrive
To give cushion
And a shimmering
Crystal white backdrop
To the leaves that will fall tomorrow
© Gayle Force Press 2003
There are angels all around us
In innumerable guises
Wearing masks we fail to recognize
Like Baucis and Philemon
Dumb to the divinities
Asking for our help
There is stardust all around us
In everything you see
All we are or do
Or can ever become
Wholly filled
With the essence
Of Heaven itself
There are angels all around us
There is stardust all around us
© Gayle Force Press 2003
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