Dave Sez

A Tough Lesson

In my head, I was getting ready to write an article on the Spurs-Lakers series. I was all set to write about the triumph of team over individuals, how the Spurs represented much of what is good in sports and the Lakers the bad.

Guess not.

Instead, I was reminded of one of sports' toughest lessons. Talent wins. Not always, but usually. Call it sports' version of Darwinism.

Many times a team made up of lesser talents can triumph though a combination of effort, chemistry, teamwork and smarts. That's what happened last year, when the Spurs knocked out the woefully underachieving Lakers. That Lakers team was coming off of three straight titles, and still had Shaq and Kobe, possibly the two best players in the game. They coasted all year though, finishing well out of first, seemingly convinced that they could just turn it on in the playoffs and cruise to another title. Instead they got bounced by a team of lesser players. I rejoiced, not because I don't like the Lakers, but because I hated the example they might have set.

This year, things fell back to their more brutal order. Even when teams don't get along, when the players are selfish, when they seem more interested in life off the court, they can win. If they start four sure-thing Hall of Famers, they can win.

The Spurs tried hard, but they just couldn't overcome LA's sudden surge of interest. Shaq actually seemed to try hard in the last few games of that series, and when he does that, they usually win. In Kobe's defense (insert "will the defendant please rise" joke here), while he may be immature and aloof, he does always seem to bring top effort to playoff games. So, when the two of them are on their game, they need little extra help from the other Lakers. With Karl Malone and Gary Payton, two aging stars, they have more than enough to go all the way.

So, there you have it kids. You can practice and work on team play all you want. But, if you really want to win most of the time, make sure you're on the team with the best players.

NBA Notes
I think we can officially declare Mike Bibby as the best playoff performer in the league. The way that guy steps up his play in big games is amazing. And remember, he did it in college too, leading a 4 seed to the NCAA championship as a freshman. If only Peja and Chris Webber didn't have the exact opposite reaction to big games.

The NBA should create a rule where if a role player on one team punches the other team's star player, that role player gets suspended for a looong time. Something like 10-20 games. Call it the Jerry Sichting rule. I think Anthony Peeler should be out for the rest of the playoffs (or the first month of next season, if the Kings lose game 7) for that crap he threw at Kevin Garnett last night.