Outside Oberlin

Shaquille and the Lakers Poised to Make Playoff Run

On principle, I am normally wary of "Outside Oberlin" columns in which one of the Review's staffers wastes the newspaper's space and the reader's time evangelizing about some issue in the far-off world of professional sports. The role of a college sports section, I once thought, was to report and comment on school sports.

After quite a bit of consideration, however, I realized the great worth of ruminations on the sports world beyond Oberlin's bounds. Without a strong connection to the world of national sports, I scarcely would have made it through four years at this place. The town of Oberlin has its charms - it's actually wonderful to be back here for a few days. But when one tires of all the collective wonders that the Feve, Mandarin, Noodle House, Java Zone, and the 'Sco have to offer, there is always SportsCenter. Come to think of it, many of my friendships at Oberlin were formed - and nurtured - around discussions about sports. Furthermore, I cannot conceive of how I would have made as many friends outside of my own racial group were it not for the basketball court - for pick-up games at noon every day, for March Madness pools to facilitate, for the NBA playoffs to dominate conversation right about....now. Indeed, the national sports world was instrumental in my Oberlin experience. That's quite a daunting thought - somewhat pathetic, I suppose, but also somewhat delightful. The truth hurts - not just occasionally, but often. And the sobering truth is that banter about sports enriched my Oberlin experience enormously. For better or worse, here are our picks for the NBA playoffs, which start on Saturday. -Jason Sokol

Eastern Conference

Indiana vs. Milwaukee: In a just world, the Bucks would not be in the playoffs. But, things being as they are, the Bucks outlasted the Orlando Magic. If Magic coach Doc Rivers were coaching Milwaukee, the Bucks would be our pick. Rivers made a .500 ball club out of the likes of British ex-pat John Amaechi, Chucky Atkins, Bo Outlaw, Monty Williams, and Michael Doleac.

This series features the battle of the Springfield, MA back-up point guards - Vinny Del Negro for the Bucks and Travis Best for the Pacers. Best, of course, would be the starter on numerous NBA clubs. Though the Bucks are on a short winning streak, the Pacers are a consistently excellent team enjoying their best season in recent memory. With their strong bench, battle-tested veterans like Reggie Miller, Dale Davis, Rik Smits, and Mark Jackson, and budding star Jalen Rose, the Pacers should win this one in a sweep. If Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson both get hot, Milwaukee could steal a game.

Charlotte vs. Philadelphia: Easily the most competitive first round match-up in the East, this features a battle of two of the league's top shooting guards, Allen Iverson for the Sixers and Eddie Jones for the Hornets. It also showcases two of the league's most under-rated point guards in the Hornets David Wesley and the Sixers Eric Snow. With strong interior defense and Toni Kukoc's settling presence, Sokol picks the Sixers in five. Eben is going with the Hornets in four because of their low turnover ratio, Mason's cocksure attitude and Baron Davis' explosive first step. Steve is going with the Hornets in five. Paul Silas' ability to carry the team through tragedy will carry them out of this toughest of series.

New York vs. Toronto: The Raptors have beaten the Knicks three out of four this season; Toronto's Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady seem to match up well with Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell; Charles Oakley muscles Marcus Camby into submission; and the Knicks' two-headed point guard of Charlie Ward and Chris Childs can barely hold a candle to the Raptors' tandem of 5'3" Muggsy Bogues and 6'6" Doug Christie. But the Knicks are a playoff team. Jeff Van Gundy will inspire his troops, Patrick Ewing will control the paint in one final chance to snag a championship ring. The Knicks will show their playoff mettle and rightfully rid the NBA playoffs of any Canadian presence in four.

Detroit vs. Miami: Though the teams split their regular season match-ups, Miami is playoff-tested. Detroit's offense is centered around Grant Hill and Jerry Stackhouse; their interior play is a liability, though Laettner has contributed at key moments. Hardaway is on crutches, but it would take Divine Intervention to keep him off the court in the playoffs. If Detroit can find a way to run on the Heat, they can surprise them. Carter has proven himself to be a competent back-up, and, considering Hardaway's health, his contributions could prove to be key. Jason is going with the Pistons in five, motivated primarily out of hatred for Pat Riley. Eben goes with the Heat in 4 on the strength of All-Star center Alonzo Mourning. Steve has a hard time going against his hometown team, but passion ultimately succumbs to reason, in five.

Western Conference

Lakers vs. Sacramento: Seamlessly weaving together basketball, Buddha, and books, Phil Jackson has proved himself a master of Zen, egos, and the hardwood. The Lakers look invincible: Shaquille O'Neal is clearly the league's top player, melding his indomitable offensive power with a new-found embrace of team concepts like defense, rebounding, and most importantly, passing. This team features Ron Harper, founder and member of Athletes for Abstinence A.C. Green, and John Salley - three grandfathers of the modern game. Kobe Bryant has shown himself to be spectacular, Robert Horry has undergone a rebirth, and Glen Rice's jumper is still silk. We love the Kings. Chris Webber has announced his arrival among the NBA's elite, and Jason Williams is capable of anything. Predrag Stojakovic and and Vlade Divac form the league's most imposing (albeit sole) Serbian tandem, and the Kings possess arguably the NBA's most potent bench. But, in the end, Jack Nicholson and the Staples Center 'faithful' will have the last laugh. Lakers in a sweep.

San Antonio vs. Phoenix: Repeat? Looks bleak. San Antonio, last year's champ, dropped to fourth in the West. An aging roster, an injured Tim Duncan, and a new kidney in small forward Sean Elliott should be sufficient reason to pick the Spurs to make an early exit. But let's not jump the gun. Duncan should be back by the second game, Antonio Daniels has improved steadily, and Avery Johnson has maintained his consistent play. The Suns are entering the playoffs without the services of All-Star Jason Kidd and starting power forward Tom Gugliotta. They have benefited immensely from the improvement in sixth man Rodney Rogers and the sporadically brilliant play of Penny Hardaway, but neither can carry them to victory over the Spurs. Look for close games, but the Spurs will walk away after four.

Portland vs. Minnesota: If Charlotte vs. Philadelphia is the first round's most competitive matchup, then this is surely the most compelling. The T-Wolves have played Portland tough all year, and they are one of the few teams who might be able to keep up with Portland's up-tempo multi-pronged attack. Kevin Garnett has fast been thrust into the limelight as one of the game's most exciting young stars, and Terrell Brandon steadies the T-Wolves offense while assuring rookie Wally Szczerbiak of many open looks. Portland, however, has just too much firepower. They start with Scottie Pippen and Rasheed Wallace (the league leader in technical fouls) at forward, and bring in Brian Grant and Detlef Schrempf as backups. Arvydas Sabonis, the NBA's top 7'4" lead-footed Lithuanian, is surprisingly agile, and the vaunted backcourt of Damon Stoudamire and Steve Smith is not even the team's primary option. Look for a tough series, but Portland will blow Minnesota out in game five.

Utah vs. Seattle: Every basketball fan who thinks of himself as "old-school" has a soft spot for the Jazz. Everyone in the league knows what Utah will do, but Karl Malone and John Stockton have picked-and-rolled their way to 55 victories nonetheless. Add a few off-balance jumpers off the glass from defending 2-Ball and three-point champ Jeff Hornacek, and his annoying kids might have reason to jump for joy yet again when this series is over. Gary Payton, "The Glove," is perhaps the league's best defensive player, and a triple-double waiting to happen. Here's hoping that we will be able to see him feed 1997 slam-dunk champ Brent Barry more alley-oops in the coming weeks. Seattle may outrun the Jazz for a victory with young guns like Rashard Lewis and Ruben Patterson, but they won't get any more.

Championship Picks

Eben Askins:

Lakers over Knicks, 4-2

Steve Manthe:

Lakers over Knicks, 4-2

Jason Sokol:

Lakers over Knicks, 4-1

Jason Sokol OC '99 is a writer whose work has appeared in The Nation, Feed, TomPaine, and The Oberlin Review.