Let the Real Season Begin. . .

So the NBA's version of Armageddon: Part Deux will begin in just under three hours. For the first time in the last three Suns-Spurs playoff series, I actually like the Suns' chances. But, these are the playoffs, and the Suns' opponent is the Spurs. And I say bring 'em on.

This will be the year that the Suns do it. This will be the year that they exorcise the demons. Let's break down why.

Offense
Should there even be a question here? The Suns were third in the league in points per game at 110.1. The Spurs? Tied for 27th with a ho-hum 95.4 points per game. The Spurs' offense is based on Tony Parker driving, Manu Ginobili streak-shooting, or Tim Duncan getting low-post baskets. That's it. The Suns' offense is considerably more versatile: picks-and-rolls, fast breaks, three-point bombs, or Shaq or Amare in the low post. The Suns have a tremendous amount more weapons than the Spurs here. This makes it that much more surprising -- mind-boggling, even -- that 52.4% of the people who voted in ESPN's poll on the Suns-Spurs series said that the Spurs have the advantage on offense. (Um, HUH? Did I miss something here?)

Secondy, there's the problem for defenses of having Shaq and Amare on the floor at the same time. Duncan can slow one of them down, but not both. And having both Shaq and Amare in there means foul trouble for Duncan. Uh-oh, Spurs.

Finally, the Spurs recently have had some notoriously bad cold spells in the second half. This should be a cause for concern for Gregg Popovich's squad. In April 4's game against the Jazz, the Spurs scored a dismal 26 points in the second half en route to a 90-64 blowout loss. They scored 33 second-half points on April 6 against the Blazers, which was still good enough for a win, but is nothing to be happy about. In a loss to the Suns on April 9 they only scored 34 second-half points. When the Lakers embarrassed the Spurs on national television last Sunday, the Spurs only scored 32 second-half points. This is not a good sign for the Spurs, and it is a VERY good sign for the Suns.
Huge edge: Suns

Defense
This is the Spurs' specialty. Bruce Bowen -- as cheap as he is -- is a proven stopper. Of course, in the last Suns-Spurs matchup on April 9, we saw what happens when he actually gets CALLED for holding -- which he does on virtually every play -- but that is a different story altogether. Tim Duncan is a beast down low, which cuts down considerably on opponents' drive points.

There are also the stats: the Suns are 25th in the league at points allowed per game, with 105.0. The Spurs? Third, at 90.6.

The Suns' defense has improved considerably since Shaq's arrival, namely in the defensive rebound department. They also have allowed their opponents to drive to the hoop a lot less times. Raja Bell is still a great defender. But the Spurs definitely get the nod here.
Edge: Spurs

Bench
The Suns have effective substitutes in Leandro Barbosa -- easily the fastest player in the league, and a great slasher; Boris Diaw; Gordon Giricek; and Brian Skinner. The Spurs' bench consists of Manu Ginobili (who should be starting), Kurt Thomas (I am still mad at the Suns for trading him), Ime Udoka, Matt Bonner, Jacque Vaughn, Brent Barry, and Damon Stoudamire. While the Suns' bench is solid, the Spurs do have more depth.
Edge: Spurs

Clutch
Down the stretch, when the game is close, Manu Ginobili has another gear. He makes circus shots, he runs faster, and he steps up his acting about three notches, which gets him to the line more. Ginobili in the clutch is just plain ridiculous -- I would go so far as to compare him to Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan in the clutch.

Steve Nash can get it done in the clutch, also -- I have seen him will the Suns to a win on several occasions -- but his disappearance two Sundays ago versus the Mavericks greatly concerns me.

Furthermore, the Suns almost never get calls when it matters, and the Spurs do. This also is a great cause for concern.
Edge: Spurs

Free Throw Shooting
Nash is automatic from the line. Grant Hill practically is, and so is Stoudemire. So is Ginobili. Duncan is not, and neither is Shaq. For something like this, consult the numbers. They don't lie. Free throw percentages of each team's current roster?
Suns -- 78.7% (1459-1853)
Spurs -- 76.1% (1312-1724)
Slight Edge: Suns

Motivation
The chief knock against the claims that the Spurs are a dynasty is the fact that they haven't won any back-to-back titles. This will motivate them to get their fifth.

The Suns still have yet to win a championship. Shaq is the only Sun with a ring, and he has four of them. He's already stated his goals for his tenure with the Suns. Grant Hill, with the good career he's had, has not won a playoff series yet. Think he wants to change that? Nash is in the twilight of his career, and he has yet to appear in the Finals. Amare and Boris are still angry about getting suspended last year. Think they want revenge?

Oh yes. Last year. I almost forgot. Here's some more motivation for the Suns:





Need I say more?
Huge edge: Suns

Intangibles
The Suns are hungry. They still have a chip on their shoulders from last year and are hungrier than ever for a title. Yes, the Spurs will probably get more love from the officials, but the Suns have learned some lessons from last year. The Suns also are out to prove that the Shaq trade was worth it.
Edge: Suns

Overall edge: Suns, 4-3

Prediction for series: Suns in six. Bring it on.

Thank God for Brandon Webb

On Wednesday, the Diamondbacks beat the Giants 4-1 behind the strong pitching of Brandon Webb, improving their team record to 11-4 and Webb's record on the season to 4-0.

Webb also picked up 2 RBIs as an added bonus.

Am I surprised? Not in the least bit. Brandon Webb, at the age 29, is only in the very beginning stages of his prime. And he is one of the two most dominant pitchers in baseball, along with Johan Santana.

He is the latest in a line of superb pitchers that the Diamondbacks have become known for possessing in their 10-year history. How dominant is he? Let me count the ways . . .

• Since the beginning of the 2006 season, he has induced a mind-boggling 51 ground-ball double plays.

• Last year he logged an insane 42 1/3 scoreless innings streak, good enough for the fifth-longest in the majors in 1940.

• Since the beginning of the 2006 season, his record in the regular season is 38-18, with an ERA of 2.99.

• During the same time span, he has only given up 28 home runs.

• During the same time span, he only walked 130 batters and hit only 11 batters.

• Between September 16th and October 23rd, 2007, the Colorado Rockies lost a grand total of ONE game. Who was the winning pitcher in the Rockies' one loss? Brandon Webb.

Just how dominant is Brandon Webb? Think 1999 Pedro Martinez. Think 1960s Sandy Koufax. It's reached the point where if Brandon Webb is pitching, I'm more than confident that the Diamondbacks will win. It's also reaching the point where I will have to watch the game if he is pitching. I'm afraid of missing greatness.

Since the beginning of the Diamondbacks franchise, I have been privileged to watch some great pitchers. Andy Benes was the lone bright spot in the 1998 pitching staff. Todd Stottlemyre was as fierce a competitor as they come, but due to disappointing shoulder injuries didn't pan out like expected. Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson brought us a World Series title amidst lights-out starts. And Brandon Webb is beginning to do the same. The best part? He's only 29. The message to D-Backs GM Josh Byrnes? Hang on to this guy.

The journey begins...

Where to start. . . I love sports. I love watching them; I love playing them -- even though my athletic talents are about equal to the GM talents of Billy King, Kevin McHale, or Isiah Thomas.
I have watched sports almost religiously since 1988. I have followed my teams so fervently that I've been accused of being crazy on many different occasions. If someone tells me "it's just a game," oh man. Think The Incredible Hulk.

Through all this, there have been two major championships won by my favorite teams. Here they are:

• Arizona Wildcats Men's Basketball, March 31, 1997 -- Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 (OT) -- When this game reached overtime, my mom had to get me a paper bag to breathe into. Yes, I was hyperventilating. When the game ended and Bennett Davison messed up Coach O's hair, I was running laps around the inside of my house yelling, "We won! We won! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Then I e-mailed everyone in my address book to tell them what they probably already knew -- The Cats were the champs. I now have two large posters of the moment they won, and they are framed.

• Arizona Diamondbacks, November 4, 2001 -- D-Backs 3, That evil New York team 2 -- What a game. What a night. And to make it even more special for my family, they won it on my grandparents' 59th wedding anniversary. I remember that evening vividly. I'll detail that in a later post. When this game ended, I was sitting on the floor watching the game with my mom and dad. My dad was fighting cancer, and he got to see his favorite team win before he died. That was GREAT. My reaction was something like this: "Yes! YES! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" While I hollered "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" I was lying on my back kicking the air.

Two championships. That's all. Bostonians have celebrated that in the span of a year recently (2004). Granted, the Red Sox championship counted as about 20 for them, but still.

Now this year, I really REALLY want to see a third. And I want it to come from my beloved Phoenix Suns. They have played 40 seasons now. They have the fourth-best NBA regular season winning percentage of all time. And they have exactly ZERO titles.

I cried myself to sleep in 1993 after John Paxson broke all our hearts with that dagger of a three-pointer. (How was he open? How?) I was disgusted after NBA Commissioner Vince McMahon -- er, I mean, David Stern -- made sure that his favorite team (The San Antonio Spurs) survived the Western Conference semifinals last year with those grossly unfair suspensions. I felt like I was kicked in the stomach after I heard that NBA referee Tim Donaghy -- who did a lot to help foul up Game 3 last year -- had been betting on games. If any team deserves it this year, it's the Suns.

The playoff journey begins. Here's hoping that they break the Curse of the Coin Flip and win it all. Go Suns!