Miami, Charlotte, and Alonzo Mourning: A tale of two expansion teams

The Miami Heat and Charlotte Bobcats are scheduled to face off in game 2 of the NBA Playoffs on Wednesday night. This also marks the 25th anniversary for both teams, as the cities of Miami and Charlotte were awarded expansion franchises in 1988. Today's fan may look at that and say..."Wow...but the Heat are so good, and Charlotte is well....Charlotte."

And that's a fair assessment.

Since entering the league in 1888, the Miami Heat have amassed 3 World Titles, 4 Conference Titles, and 11 Division Titles. Not only has Charlotte never won an NBA Title, they have never won their own division....in 25 years!

What's really mind boggling about those stats? Any of us old enough to remember when they both entered the league would have bet the farm that Charlotte would have those titles today...not Miami.

And for good reason.

The Charlotte (Hornets) rose from expansion team to playoff prominence faster than any team that I can remember...past or present. They struck gold with back to back first round picks..Larry Johnson (#1 overall pick in 91) and Alonzo Mourning (2nd overall pick in 92)....and were off to the races. They made the playoffs that same year, and even scored a playoff series victory over the Boston Celtics. We all thought that Charlotte would be the team (and franchise) of the future.

Meanwhile in South Beach.....

Miami was a struggling  franchise...with few victories and fewer fans in the stands. They only made the playoffs twice in their first 8 years...and they failed to advance both times. Miami routinely struck out on draft picks....(see Ronie Seikaly and Harold Minor)...and seemed to be stuck in expansion mode for the first near decade.

Then it happened....the trade.

In 1995, new Miami President of Basketball Operations Pat Riley acquired Alonzo Mourning from Charlotte....and the fork in the road was planted.

Miami went on to become a consistent playoff contender through the late 90's. And in 2003, they draft Dwayne Wade in the first round...then comes Shaq...then Bosh...then King James himself?

Stop playin!

Meanwhile in Charlotte....

In that same time span...The Hornets managed to trade away Larry Johnson the following year, and the rights to some kid name Kobe Bryant for...get this...Vlade Divac.

I wish I was making this up.

So it's no surprise that the team would pack up and move to New Orleans in 2002. Seriously though, I am happy that Charlotte has a team again in the Bobcats...and that the city can embrace playoff basketball again. Miami is likely to beat Charlotte and advance, and the MVP should still be....Alonzo Mourning.

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Grizzlies: New ownership gets last laugh...for now

On October 25, 2012, Robert Pera took over as the new owner of the Memphis Grizzlies. The team's post Pau Gasol rebuilding era was finally over, after reaching the playoffs in back to back seasons for the first time since his trade to the Lakers five years ago. New stars had emerged in Rudy Gay, Zach (Z-Bo) Randolph, and Pau's younger brother...Marc Gasol. The Grizzlies had a new identity (Grit & Grind), and there was genuine optimism in Memphis.

Then Pera started shaking things up.

It started on January 30, 2013, with the then shocking trade of fan favorite and leading scorer Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors. Everyone, including myself, was upset that the trade would happen in the middle of the season....in the middle of a competitive playoff race. Head coach Lionel Hollins was vocal in his displeasure...coining the now infamous quote that Memphis had "champagne taste with a beer budget" in a post game interview after the trade was completed.

We'll get back to coach Hollins in a minute.

In the trade for Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies acquired aging veteran Tayshaun Prince from the Detroit Pistons. That part of the trade also infuriated Grizzlies fans...who...including myself...believed that we just gave away a Ferrari for a station wagon.

Then the playoffs came.

The Grizzlies not only made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history, the trade of Gay allowed point guard Mike Conley to flourish, along with Z-Bo and Gasol. With all due respect to Rudy, he is a phenomenal scorer but a ball hog. The offense opened up with Conley running the show, and the defense improved tremendously with Prince on the floor. Rudy Gay has since been traded again and no one in Memphis seemed to have noticed.

Now back to coach Hollins.

After three consecutive playoff appearances, a Western Conference Finals appearance, and an improved regular season record the past three years, head coach Lionel Hollins was essentially fired by management. This also infuriated Grizzlies fans, who saw it as yet another cost cutting move that would ultimately undo all of the hard work Hollins put into rebuilding this team. Assistant head coach Dave Joerger was given the job, and fans shook their head. After all....Joerger has no head coaching experience, and why mess up a good thing anyway?

Then the season started.

Credit coach Joerger for keeping his team together through the rough 10-15 start, the loss of Gasol for 23 games, Tony Allen for 27 games, and a host of other injuries along the way. He did a masterful job of tweaking the lineups in their absence. The Grizzlies finished 40-17 to claw their way back (pun intended) into the playoffs for a record fourth straight season. Nice job by you, Mr. Pera.

But now comes the playoffs.

The Grizzlies narrowly avoided a dreaded first round encounter with the San Antonio Spurs, and optimism is once again running high in the Bluff City. But should the Grizzlies get bounced out of the first round in unspectacular fashion by the OKC Thunder, then you can expect everything I just wrote to be thrown out of the window. Such is life in a basketball town, Mr. Pera.

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Pacers looking eerily similar to 90's Knicks, 2000's Kings

The Indiana Pacers came within a game of dethroning King James and the World Champion Miami Heat in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Two years prior, the Pacers lost to the Heat in six tough, hard fought, physical games. Last year's series was also brutal, putting the stamp on the league's most bitter rivalry. Indiana's obsession with beating Miami was evident from the onset of the season. Everyone from the head coach to the team mascot proclaimed the only thing needed to beat Miami was to have home court advantage throughout this year's Eastern Conference playoffs.

Translation... Indiana was obsessed with having a better record than Miami this year. 

If the Pacers are not careful, they will turn into the New York Knicks of the early 90's....or the Sacramento Kings of the early 2000's.

Or have they already?

The New York Knicks of the early 90's were in a bitter rivalry with Michael Jordan...and his Chicago Bulls. MJ knocked off the Knicks in 2 physical playoff series on his way to his first two championships. The second title run included a game seven victory over New York. The game was in Chicago. I remember then head coach Pat Riley stating that New York would have won if that game seven was in Madison Square Garden, and vowed to ensure that was the case should the teams meet again.

Well...they did meet again the following playoffs, and as promised, the New York Knicks had home court advantage. After taking the first two at home (see John Starks infamous poster dunk), MJ and his Bulls took the next four on his way to the first of two 3-Peats.

In 1999, a young upstart Sacramento Kings squad took the Shaq-Kobe led L.A. Lakers to five first round games (the first round was only five games then). Prior to tip off, Sacramento burned a Lakers jersey at mid court at both their home games (3&4). Both were wins. A disrespected Lakers team dominated in game 5, and the rivalry was on. L.A. won the title that year. The following season, the two teams met in the semifinal round, and the Lakers swept the Kings on their way to back to back titles. Shaq threw a parting shot that year by calling them the Sacramento Queens.

But I digress.

Needless to say, an embarrassed...but highly talented Kings squad set out to earn home court advantage throughout the playoffs the following year.

Translation....Sacramento was obsessed with having a better record than L.A. Anyone see a trend here?

Well as fate would have it, the two teams met yet again the following playoffs. This time in the Western Conference Finals. And this time...Sacramento had the number one seed. After being up 3-1, the Kings lost in heartbreaking overtime fashion in game seven. And that game was in Sacramento, not L.A. Kings fans are still screaming foul for the game six officiating, and Lakers fans are still screaming 3-PEAT!!!!

What do all three of these teams have in common? They all put the rivalry above the ring. The Knicks, Kings, and now the Pacers, have put all of their resources into beating just one team, and not every team like champions should. The danger with placing your energy entirely into the emotion of the rivalry, is that you cannot sustain that level of emotion for seven games. Notice the Knicks and Kings held series leads before being eliminated. The Pacers also led the Heat before being ousted two years ago.

In a desperate attempt to jump start things, the Pacers benched all five of their starters against the lowly Bucks Wednesday night, in anticipation of knocking off the Heat on Friday night in a battle for the number one seed. Well...the rested Pacers starters were steamrolled by the World Champs.

Maybe conceding the number one seed could help reverse the curse for Indiana. Then again...after watching them play over the last month...maybe not.

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UM's Jordan Morgan: The road to redemption

Imagine being Jordan Morgan. It's 2012 and you're the starting center for the Michigan Wolverines. This season you have talented sophomores in Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr returning, and three talented incoming  freshmen in Nick Stauskus, Glen Robinson III, and Mitch McGary. This is by far the most talent you've ever had around you at Michigan...and things get off to a great start.

Then it happens.

At the start of the 2012-13 NCAA tournament, Morgan was replaced by the highly touted freshman Mitch McGary. To his credit, McGary did not disappoint. In fact, he was down right spectacular in his six tournament games. So much so, most believe that he, and not Trey Burke, would have been the MVP of that tournament had the Wolverines pulled it out. Michigan lost in the title game.

Back to Morgan.

As happy as he may have been for the team, it had to have bothered Morgan to not have been a contributor during that magical tournament run. After all, he was there through coach Beilein's lean years...before the big name recruits started rolling in. So when Morgan said that he would return for his final year of eligibility, folks in Ann Arbor were surprised. Myself included. After all, Morgan had just earned his degree, and seemed to have no shot of reclaiming his old job. Not only was McGary now a pre season All American heading into the 2013-14 campaign, Jon Horford would also steal what little minutes remained at that position. There were absolutely no guarantees for Morgan.

Then it happened.

In a twist of fate, McGary was lost for the season...early in the season. Morgan was thrust back into the lineup, and once again must have felt slighted when the Wolverines' stocked dropped in the eyes of most national pundits as a result.

Morgan went on to have an outstanding season, upping his game in points, rebounds, and assists. He also helped lead Michigan to it's first outright Big Ten Title since...well...since he's been alive.

28 years to be exact.

Morgan also delivered in this year's Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, often making the crucial play late in the game to either earn the win...or save the win. He played with confidence, and a physicality that I've never witnessed from him...and I've literally watched every game that he's played in.

I guess sometimes you have to roll the dice...and bet on yourself. Morgan did, and as a result, he got to walk off the court for the last time from mid court...and not the bench.

Good job by you Mr. Morgan.

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Don't let Madness "upsets" upset you

The NCAA's Championship Week has been must see TV, delivering several nail biters...and even more upsets. In the last two days alone, 8 of the top 25 (#3 Villanova, #10 Kansas, #11 Syracuse, #13 Cincinnati, #15 North Carolina, #18 Memphis, #19 St. Louis, and #25 SMU) were all bounced out of their conference tournaments by lower seeds. #7 Duke, #8 Michigan, and #24 Ohio State should have all lost yesterday as well, but managed to survive by the skin of their collective teeth.

For the casual fan...with rankings in hand, channel surfing the various games and observing all these upsets...I know it must be maddening.

No pun intended.

After all, your office pool tournament bracket is due by Wednesday...and you had every intention on playing it safe (advancing the higher seeds throughout your tournament bracket...selecting very few upsets along the way). Now you're all confused, and wondering if you should blow up that strategy.....

Don't.

If you are tempted to bounce one of the above mentioned teams out of the first round of this year's national tournament, based on what you saw the last few days, hold your horses. There are factors involved in what you just witnessed.

For one, desperation, and a lack thereof. All of the teams in the top 25 came into their conference tournament knowing they were in the field of 68. Most already knew that a conference tourney championship could not catapult them to a number 1 seed. On the other end, they are facing a team that is either on the bubble...needing a quality win to increase their chances, or a completely desperate team that needs to win the whole thing to make it in.

That in itself can lead to a disparity in effort, leading to some of the upsets you've been witnessing. Most of those ranked teams, right or wrong, are looking forward to Selection Sunday, their destination, and their opening round opponent.

Now...Villanova and Michigan still have everything to play for, so they have no excuse for their performance.

What does all of this mean to your bracket casual fan? It means that, of course, there will be upsets every year, but you should be fine using your "play it safe" strategy. The next time the above mentioned schools suit up, it will be for a shot at a national title...so match ups should trump any thought of that team's conference tournament results.

But don't be so quick to jump to Sunday young grasshopper. Championship week has been outstanding so far, and the dust is starting to settle...leaving us with Big Boy match ups leading into the Selection Show. Do yourself a favor, and check out a game or two.

Oh, and good luck with your bracket!    follow @plcolter

The NBA has it's own Final Four brewing

March is here ladies and gentlemen! That can only mean one thing for sports fans...the annual bonanza known as March Madness is rapidly approaching. As the NCAA college basketball regular season comes to a close this weekend, casual fans will start to check out the conference tournaments...in hopes of getting a head start on this year's tourney bracket. Which...by the way...I can't wait for.

But in between tournament games, keep an eye on the NBA's Western Conference playoff race...specifically the final four teams looking to grab the last three spots in this year's playoffs.

Golden State (6th), Phoenix (7th), Dallas (8th), and Memphis (9th) are all within three games of each other with approximately 20 games to go. The race for the final two spots in even tighter, with one game separating the Suns, Mavs, and Grizzlies. A quick look at the current standings.

Golden State  39-24
Phoenix          36-25
Dallas              37-26
Memphis        35-26

What's so great about this playoff race, is that all four teams are playing lights out...and show no signs of conceding a thing. In the last week or so...Golden State went into Indiana and won, Phoenix beat OKC, Dallas beat Portland, and Memphis beat the Clippers...all of those teams have all but secured playoff births.

Since Marc Gasol's return in mid January, the Memphis Grizzlies have the second best record in the entire league...and have still been unable to leapfrog the Warriors, Suns, or Mavs. That's how strong the West is...again. Case in point, a good friend of mine sent me a text during the Grizz Bulls game last night...telling me that Memphis (currently 9th at 35-26) would be the 3rd seed in the East. I shook my head...and as a Grizz fan I should move on in a hurry.

So I digress.

With no one giving an inch...head to head match ups coming down the stretch could determine this year's playoff participants. Some notable upcoming games....

March 9th:   Phoenix at Golden State
March 11th: Dallas at Golden State
March 28th  Memphis at Golden State

Two things we should know by the time this playoff race is over.

1.One of the best 16 teams in the league will not be in this year's playoffs.
2. Whoever takes those last three slots would have played their way in...translation..the top 3 seeds in the West are officially on upset alert.

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GR III: Great moment...crowning achievement?

Wednesday was a great day to be Glen Robinson III. Michigan's sophomore forward sank six of his last eight shots, including a game winning kiss off the glass in overtime to beat Purdue. GR III, an Indiana native, not only balled out and won the game, he did it at the Mackey Arena. You know, the place that his father...Glen "Big Dog" Robinson built as a Boilermaker in the early 90's? The number one overall pick in the NBA draft. The one that was in attendance...looking as proud as can be. It must have seemed like a fairy tale as his peers sprang from the bench to mob him on the court....in his home state...with his family in attendance.

But folks in Ann Arbor are quietly asking....is this the best moment we'll ever see from GR III?

There's no question that Glen Robinson III is talented. He is naturally gifted and can do things on the court with so much ease...it almost looks as if he's not trying. Sometimes that same demeanor comes across on the court during games. To say that he lacks passion is unfair, but it is fair to suggest that he seems uninterested on the court at times, and at other times can look completely dominant. GR III has to understand the high expectations that are placed on him, whether it's the name he carries..or the tools that he brings to the table...or both. He also must understand how fans can become frustrated when he seems ok with being a ghost on the court. Fair or unfair, that's life in B1G big time basketball.

GR III's inconsistencies have gone largely unnoticed by the masses...and that's because Michigan continues to find a way to get it done. Let's not forget, with the departure of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr, coupled with the season ending injury to pre season All American Mitch McGary, Robinson III was expected to lead this young and inexperienced team this year.

Instead, we've watched the emergence of Nick Stauskus and Caris LaVert. Those two have primarily carried the team offensively this year. Folks in Ann Arbor have been screaming for GR III to use his athleticism and become more aggressive. To slash to the paint and get easy points from the line. And that's just it...he can do it every game..just like this last one...he just doesn't...for some reason.

The most optimistic Wolverine fan will see this as a coming out party for GR III. I'm sure the team hopes that it was. For others that decide to take a wait and see approach, their stance is valid as well.

We won't have to wait long to find out. Michigan's next game is in the prime time Saturday evening slot. And all eyes will be on GR III. Will he use this new found fame as an opportunity to re-write his legacy? Or was Wednesday night GR III's legacy moment?

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