How the lockout affects the NBA fan: An editorial

Shaq is a lot taller than Earl Boykins and I miss him already.

This isn't so much as how it affects every NBA fan, but maybe more so how it affects me. I'm a fairly young man and so when I started watching the NBA, certain things and players became commonplace. It's interesting to me to see an era of basketball slowly closing. For me, it started with the retiring of Shaquille O'Neal.

For as long as I can remember, "The Diesel," "Shaq Fu," "The Big Aristotle," "Superman," or whatever you want to call him has been moving up and down the floor, being one of the most dominant big men in the history of the game. He was certainly the most dominant of his era. It struck me as he clowned his way through his retirement ceremony that a lot of my sports icons were sure to be following in his path.

It made me a little sad realizing that iconic players who have been capturing my imagination like Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan are getting older and won't be playing much longer. It truly is as I mentioned before the end of an era. These athletes will go down into the annals of time and many of them will be discussed as some of the greatest to ever do what they do, and even though they've battled the odds, each other and even gravity they can't battle time, at least not forever.

That's why to me and fans like me, this lock out is turning into one of the largest injustices to sports fans that I can remember in quite some time. As I write this, owners and players still have not met on an agreement which means, according to Commissioner David Stern; games are going to be cancelled. With the entire season in jeopardy it makes it a possibility that the fans won't get to see these tremendous athletes play at all this year, a year that could push many players past their abilities and won't be the players we remembered them being the last time they picked up a basketball.

The effects of this are far reaching, especially with current champion the Dallas Mavericks. Jason Kidd was the heart, soul and behind Dirk Nowitzki the leader of the team. Well, if the season starts the way it's supposed to the Mavericks come back looking to repeat with largely the same squad with which they won the title. After another year though? A year without game speed competition, but most importantly another year. Do I personally think that Kidd can come back and play like he did in the playoffs after missing an entire year of basketball? Not really, but I've been wrong before. I was wrong about the Dallas team that won it all.

So maybe I'm wrong about this. Maybe a year off, a year of rest letting Garnett and Duncan rest their knees could help them in the long run to extend their already sparkling careers. It could be just what the doctor ordered to keep these players in the league. Yet, the inverse is also possible. Maybe apathy sets in and they get out of shape. We certainly see it with Baron Davis every year. These players return as a shell of their former selves and realize that they have to hang it up sooner than they thought. This is all pure speculation of course. There are few athletes with the competitive drive that Kevin Garnett displays, but you have to wonder as he approaches the twilight of his career if his window is closing.

I don't know. Maybe a new era in the NBA would be a good thing. Once the old guard is retired, young promising stars like Kevin Love, John Wall, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Brandon Jennings will get their day in the sun. Maybe it's for the best. All I know is I want basketball.

Miami Uses Late Run to Burn Celtics

Mario Chalmers scored only three points against Boston Tuesday night, but they may have been the most important three points of the game. Boston had started the fourth on a 13-6 run to tie the game and looked to swing the momentum their way until Chalmers connected from deep to stop the run.

Wade rises for a jumper of Paul Pierce. Wade scored 28 in Miami's win Tuesday night.
(Photo Credit : Issac Baldizon)

Miami never looked back. Chalmers ignited a 14-0 run which put the competitive contest into the win column for the home town Heat. Jermaine O'Neal came close to stopping the run but his slam dunk attempt was partially blocked by Joel Anthony leading to a long jumper from LeBron James. Boston quickly called a timeout but the damage had already been done. The Celtics got no closer than 8 and now must return home to TD Ameritrade Garden with a 2-0 deficit, the first the squad has faced since Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett joined Paul Pierce. In the storied history of Boston basketball, this marks only the ninth time the Celtics have fallen behind 2-0. The only time Boston has come back to win was in 1969 when Bill Russel lead them to the title against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Both teams feature a trio of all stars but the production discrepancy has been staggering. In two games, Miami Thrice has outscored the Boston Three Party 80-36 and are shooting 49.1 from the field compared to 39.5 for the visitors. For Boston to contend in this series they are going to have to get more production from their big 3. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen combined for only 20 points before each of them left with injuries; a strained left Achilles and a bruised chest cavity, respectively.

Miami seems to be peaking at just the right time and are looking to be the aggressors in the series while Boston has never quite been the same team since Kendrick Perkins was traded to Oklahoma City. Perkins provided a staunch inside presence that seems to be missing as the Heat continue to attack the basket and get to the free throw line.

Still, Allen isn't worried, "Being down 2-0 doesn't scare any of us, doesn't make us nervous," Allen said. "It's just an opportunity to come out shining." Frankly, he's right. There isn't a more seasoned and battle tested team in the Eastern conference and playing at home they have the opportunity to claw their way back into the series. Still, it will be an arduous task for Boston, needing to win 4 out of their next 5 to advance. They accomplished that same task twice last year, but neither of those teams were this year's Miami Heat.

Allen's sense of urgency isn't lost on coach Doc Rivers who stated "We've got a third game and we've got to take care of that. Whatever the past is, it is. They've won two games at home. But we can't allow them to play like this, or it's going to be tough at our place." The Celtics are in a must win situation Saturday night whether they want to view it as such or not. The Celtics were 33-8 at home this last season and the friendly confines yield them 3 in a row. Boston should be rocking as they welcome their team and try to shift the momentum back their way.