WHERE IS GRIFFIN?

You may have noticed the lack of Adrian Griffin's minutes in the Spurs/Mavs series. So far in four games, he's played 24 minutes and 20 of those were in a game one loss. Since the first game, Griffin has played four minutes and hasn't stepped on the floor in the last two ball games. This point raises some questions: is Griffin mad about this? why isn't he being utilized? shouldn't he be rewarded for his role in the first round? The answers to these questions are: no, he doesn't match up, and yes.

Griffin was instrumental in the Mavs winning 60 games this year. His hustle, defensive rebounding and quick hands don't show up in the box score but make winning easier. Griff played 100 minutes in the first round Memphis sweep averaging 5.25 points and five rebounds, but his role was much greater than those numbers suggest.

His replacement in the Spurs series? Devin Harris. The second year point guard was just recovering from an injury when the post-season started. He only averaged six minutes and 1.25 points in the opening round. But since Avery Johnson implemented him in the starting lineup for the Semi-Finals' second game, Harris has been the difference: 31.5 minutes in four games, 16.25 points per, four rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Don't worry about Griffin. He's waiting patiently, like the good role player he is, and will be a factor in the Western Conference Finals. If the Suns make it past the Clippers, Griffin would be a great matchup with Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Shawn Marion or Kurt Thomas. A Los Angeles win and Griffin could make life very difficult for Elton Brand.

This move just shows the brilliance of Johnson's game planning. If the Spurs were going to find a solution to Harris, they would have done it by now. Instead, he'll continue to slice through San Antonio's defense like a hot knife through melted butter, and Griffin will get much-needed rest for the coming games. Johnson hasn't forgotten about Griff; he knows exactly what he's doing.

The Mavericks are championship contenders because even while winning three of four games from the Spurs, they still have players on the bench waiting to match up with opponents down the road. Waiting...and rested. And rest will go a long way in the NBA playoffs.

BONDS TAKES A LOT OF HEAT

Before we continue, let me say this: I am in NO way, shape or form a Barry Bonds fan. I think he's bad for the sport, and his demeanor and attitude drive me crazy. I hope he goes 0-189 from this point and then retires. BUT in his defense....

Bonds plays baseball in a very interesting time period. He is performing in a time when the media can say whatever it wants, whenever it wants and hardly ever faces consequences for false or erroneous reporting. We, as baseball fans, know everything about every player in the game. We know about players personal lives, if they're womanizers or abuse their children. We can open up any sports page across America and read about professional athletes and all the stupid decisions they make: drugs they try to smuggle in and out of airports, speed limits they ignore, driving under the influence and if they're bad family men.

In 1920 that was not the case. Reporters and players were friends. If a reporter wrote something controversial or something the team didn't want printed, they were outcast. Chicago Bears owner/coach and co-founder of the NFL George Halas sent many reporters to different beats when he didn't like what they wrote. That was the norm. Reporters followed players to training camp and stayed with them throughout the year. They traveled with the team, spent many hours in the clubhouse and were seen socially with the players. If a reporter printed a story about a crazy night of a player he was covering, that player would simply shut the reporter out.

The relationship was very different between professional athlete and reporter back then than it is today. Had Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb played today, they would be seen very differently than they are in a historical concept. DiMaggio was in contract disputes nearly every off-season with the Yankees. Ruth spent countless hours on the road away from the team hotel doing whatever it was Ruth did. You can speculate on the specifics. Cobb was a ruthless, vicious competitor who found a way around rules and constantly lashed out in violent episodes on and off the field. Yet we remember these players and other players from the past with fondness and selectivity. With the much more limited coverage of yesteryear, history remembers what history wants to remember.

So, in Barry Bonds defense, he's in the wrong place at the wrong time to break the Babe's record. Ruth is remembered as a hero, and I'm not saying he shouldn't be, but Bonds will always be remembered for his attitude, steroids and cold relationship with the media. I'm not a Bonds fan, but I think many of us need to reconsider how we feel about him and his chase for history. Only time will really tell how history will remember him. The next few weeks will play a large role in the story. Soak it in. Sports fans will remember this time (good or bad) for the rest of their lives.

Give Me Three More

Flawless. Beautiful. A masterpiece. The most perfect and admirable work of art I've ever seen. The kind of thing you want your daughter to marry. Game Two of the Western Conference Semi-Finals between the Mavs and Spurs.

Anyway way you want to describe it, the truth rings out. The Mavs' performance in Game Two on Tuesday night was the perfect basketball game. Who cares if Avery Johnson says they could still find things wrong. Who cares that we didn't shoot 100% from the field and free throw line. Who cares that people say nothing is perfect.

I'll love that game as long as I live. I'll think about it when I go to sleep at night (after I kiss my wife of course). When I'm old, dying and can only utter one more thing out of my decaying, chapped lips I'll say, "Remember game two....." Then I'll die, with a half-smirk on my face, a Mavericks flag in my hand and a Josh Howard dunk in my heart (that's no longer beating).

OK, back down to earth. The Mavs dominated game two, but lets not get carried away. The Spurs are good. We split in San Antonio, but we're playing the Spurs, not the Grizzlies. I do, however, like what I see in Robert Horry, Nick Van Exel, Michael Finley, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Brent Barry: a lost step. Every one of those guys is either hurt or old. Tim Duncan is hurt, but he doesn't make that list because he can still take over a game with only one good wheel.

All we have to do the rest of the series is run circles around our I-35 rival. If we continue to out score the defending champs in the fast break, bench, and second chance columns, I will guarantee a win. And with a series win over our arch-nemesis, the Mavs will ride the confidence boost and mental edge all the way to the franchise's first NBA championship. So just give me three more wins against those dang Spurs, then I can really die happy.
mr

Who do we root for?

I've thought long and hard about this decision. At night I lay awake, staring at the ceiling pondering which road I will take. I forgot to feed my dog and left wet clothes in the dryer yesterday. My mind is occupied. My brain can't stop asking the same question over and over and over: Who should the Mavericks root for, Spurs....or Kings?

The initial answer is obvious: Sacramento, of course, they're the eight seed. BUT, the Kings won 20 games after the All-Star Break. Dallas won 19, the Spurs 23. They've been as good as anybody over the last half of the regular season to this point. It's a hard decision because in the last five seasons, Sacramento or San Antonio has ended the Mavs' season prematurely four times. The Spurs are the team that won't ever let Dallas win the division. The Kings are the team we've met three times in the post-season since 2001.

Who should Dallas root for? After hours of deliberation and one hungry dog that's mad at me I have made a decision. Bring on the Kings.

The disadvangates of a Sacramento/Dallas Western Conference Semi-Final match-up are many. If we win the championship, there will always be an asterik in the record book because we "avoided" the defending champs. Bonzi Wells has been a Maverick killer since he played for Portland. Mike Bibby is known for his playoff performances against Dallas. And, last but not least, Ron Artest. The Dennis Rodman of this era, Artest is one of the most dangerous players in the game. He can handle the ball like a point guard, score in the post and is one of the best, most tenacious defenders in the NBA. The Kings are a tough mathcup.

But one advantage rings out above all the disadvantages. Home court advantage. Dallas has been one of the best home teams in the league the last few years. That fact coupled with Sacramento's long, drawn out first round series and long road trips on short rest will work in the Mavs favor. Dallas will have had over a week's rest. And rest always spells success in the playoffs.

So bring on the Kings. They'll be beat up. We'll take care of them in six games, then it's on to the Conference Finals. So who do we root for? L.A. or L.A.? Let's cross that bridge when we get there.
mr