Day 13: Blazers-Mavericks (Game 6)

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is finally over and consequently, so is my Daily NBA Blog series. I know what you're thinking: "Who cares? I didn't really read any of them anyway, well, maybe the Bulls ones, and I skimmed over a few points in the others. I figured you'd be regurgitating the same old, tired story lines and didn't really feel like rereading them from a less reputable source."

Well, imaginary reader, you're not entirely wrong. But why such harsh judgement? Just because I've been known to come up short a time or two hundred doesn't mean I can't trump history and come through in the clutch. With the Dallas Mavericks as my witness, I'm asserting myself and shattering the preconceived notions that define me.

The Blazers were the popular upset pick (I picked them in six!) in the first round. Portland seemed to have put it all together, fully incorporating Gerald Wallace into their plans. They also put the clamps on Dallas in the last week of the season. Add to the equation Dallas' fair reputation as Playoff choke-artists and the ingredients for an upset seemed to be layed out in a straight line on the kitchen counter.

The most fascinating thing about this series is that, save for the last five minutes of Game 6, it went according to "plan." Dallas and Portland each took their first two home games. Dallas started Game 5 sluggish, slowly recovered, and blew Portland out in the second half. It was the type of "false-confidence" game Dallas has so willfully provided over the last five years. Just when you think they're destined for something great, they uphold your expectations and drop them at the pace of a JJ Barea floater.

Let's head to the the 44 second mark of the third quarter in Game 6. Jason Terry hits a long jumper to put the Mavericks up 75-58, the largest lead they would have all game. All the better. They have built up a lead perfectly suited to make Dallas fans think they're in control, and just close enough to make NBA fans feel like the Mavs can fuck this up. Portland follows with a LaMarcus Aldridge layup and two Gerald Wallace free throws to close out the quarter. 75-62. The seeds of a collapse have been planted.

The fourth quarter also begins according to "plan." Portland gets off to a 9-2 run and Dallas' 17-point lead from four minutes ago has suddenly dwindled to six with just under ten minutes remaining. Then Dirk Nowitzki happened. Dallas starts pounding the ball in the post to Nowitzki and he makes three straight shots, including his patented, one-legged fadeaway that I can't even convert regularly on my mini-hoop. Aldridge matched Nowitzki's brilliance and the game seemed to be heading towards a battle of bests. Give the ball to your best player, get the hell out of the way, and hope he can outscore the other team's best player.

A Gerald Wallace dunk with five and a half minutes left put the Blazers within one. The Blazers seemed poised to take over the game but didn't convert a field goal attempt for five minutes. The Mavericks inexplicably went away from Nowitzki but Terry, Marion, and Kidd put Portland away with a number of clutch shots of their own.  Nowitzki closed the game out with eight straight free throws.

Portland's future of contending for a Championship rests on Greg Oden's knees; not an enviable position. Meanwhile, Dallas reversed the choke narrative that had been written for them and we can finally see the Kobe-Dirk match up that somehow has alluded us all these years. With the NBA as their witness, the Dallas Mavericks asserted themselves and broke from the preconceived notions that defined them. But can they do it again? And again, and again....

Since it went so well the first time (semi-sarcasm) here are my second round picks:

EAST

(1) Bulls vs. (5) Hawks ---> Bulls in 5

(2) Heat vs. (3) Celtics ---> Heat in 7

WEST

(8) Grizzlies vs. (4) Thunder --->  Thunder in 6

(2) Lakers vs. (3) Mavericks ---> Lakers in 6  

Shout out to the Grizzlies, whose Game 6 victory I only caught parts of. Hence, I won't be writing about it. Zach Randolph is the best story of the Playoffs so far.

Those Dreaded Bandwagoners

"No bandwagon fans!" Say it with me. "No bandwagon fans! We remember everyone. From Eddy Curry, to Eddie Robinson, to James F'n Edwards. You don't belong in the same seats as we do. What high school did Derrick Rose go to? And what is his favorite mid-afternoon treat? I betcha can't answer me those simple questions with your bandwagon-hoppin' ass."

As much as I'd enjoy engaging in luminous "discussions" such as the one above, I just can't. The notion of a bandwagon fan, and even more so, the hate directed towards them is puzzling. The Bulls have surpassed 60 wins for the first time since the 1998 Championship year. They've clinched the number one overall seed through out the playoffs. Derrick Rose is going to be this year's MVP. These type of accomplishments get a team noticed. With notoriety comes the dreaded bandwagon fans.

Let's first recognize the player/fan distinction. Rose, like MVP's who pull off at least one highlight-reel moment per game, has added some fans to an already extensive list. Basketball fans all over the country tune in to Bulls games to watch Rose play. They could care less about the team's success, although things get a bit murky because a superstar's individual success usually correlates with his team's success. I went through a similar infatuation period with Allen Iverson during his peak years in Philadelphia. I was an Iverson fan, thrust into rooting for the 76ers by default.  I wanted to see more A.I., and that meant the Sixers had to win.

These type of fans get lumped in with bandwagoners. Ironic in the sense that players don't truly build MVP cases until fans, analysts, and writers outside of their market start to embrace them. The Bulls fans who didn't want Rose/non-Bulls fans to sit at their table were the same one's claiming he got no respect from the media. I think that was a proper example of irony. If not, I give up.

Fans living in a state other than the one where their team is located are often categorized as bandwagoners. This can be true, but ignores the reality that people move away from home and take their fan allegiances with them. There are Bulls fan in California, New York, Texas, Florida, even across Europe and Africa. Some are from Chicago and others aren't.

But what about those who aren't from Chicago? Let's say for example they began rooting for the Bulls during the 1990s and have continued ever since. They didn't previously have ties the city or the organization but have since remained loyal to the franchise. We wouldn't call them bandwagoners--but at one point they were. They were originally attracted to the Bulls because they were winning/had star power, and whether they stuck by them or not, were on the dreaded bandwagon at one point.

Somewhere in Iowa little Timothy saw Derrick Rose on SportsCenter and pretends to be him when he plays outside in the front yard. He watches the Bulls from time to time, whenever they're on national TV, and notices they're really good. The state of Iowa doesn't have a NBA team, so the Bulls become his team. Little Timothy could have just as easily picked the Timberwolves, but they're not on national TV and don't have a player that makes the plays Derrick Rose does. Some Bulls fans want nothing to do with Timothy. They say he isn't a real fan because he didn't watch any of their games last year. He didn't have to suffer through Vinny Del Negro. He doesn't even know that we traded LaMarcus Aldridge for the God-awful Tyrus Thomas on Draft Night. He wasn't even alive to see the six Championships and would have been too young to remember the fallout of those teams.

Timothy will remain a Bulls fan for the rest of his life. 2011 happened to be the perfect storm of style, substance, and W's to lure him in. Timothy is a fictional character made up for the purpose of this post. But there are thousands of Timothys from all over the world. They're the new generation of Bulls fans and they had to start somewhere. Don't deny them. You're no more of a fan than they are. A 40-year old isn't smarter than a 20 year-old because they've lived 20 years longer.

An important element of the sports fan's experience is the communal bond. It's fun to interact with fellow fans on the Internet. Live games are much better when the venue is packed. Wearing the same colors, jerseys, and hats make us feel like we're part of something. But ultimately, being a fan is a singular experience. A team's successes, failures, and players over the years will mean something different to each person. Bulls fans who live to drop names like Ron Mercer and Khalid El-Amin are going to have a different perspective and understanding of this team's success than someone who began watching this year.

That singular perspective is why I'm surprised so many people care about bandwagon fans. What does this team mean to you? Why does it matter how anyone else chooses to enjoy this team? The Bulls gained some lifetime fans this year. They also gained some passing fans who will move on to the next team eventually. Like it or not, we're all in this together. I long for the day when fans realize they're not in competition with each other. Until then, enjoy these Michael Ruffin Spanish League highlights.