Dean's List: Monday, 8 June 2015

Get Dean's take on the NBA Finals and Tiger Woods' struggles. <br/>

Monday, June 8th 2015, 6:33 pm



ROAD WARRIORS WILL GET BACK ON TRACK IN GAME 3

Let's not get carried away with the upset the Cavs pulled off last night in Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Oakland.

Kudos deserved. But I'm not flinching on taking Golden State. In up to what I expect to be four more games, I'm taking Kerr out-coaching LeBron (and his sidekick, David Blatt); Steph over Matthew Della-About-to-be-Run-Over; ten cagers in yellow over seven-point-five in red; and fatigue over LeBron.

LBJ logged fifty minutes with banging and clanging aplenty -- or about ten more than his yes-man Blatt had intended. Prone already to deferring in crunch time to excessive step-back 24-foot fadeaway jumpers, the expectation from this pulpit is for more of those low-percentage hoists as exhaustion and cramps take up residence and less of the more pragmatic mano-y-mano dribble drive to the hole for an easier basket, foul or assist.

Homecourt is an overrated element of championship basketball and I fully expect the Road Warriors to win Game 3 tomorrow as a rare underdog. Undermanned, understaffed and under-talented, Cleveland's best hope will be in Game 4 – not a bounce back game that will have received laser focus from Kerr and Kompany.

Like all basketball junkies, I'm rooting for seven games. But despite last night's yeoman's effort from the Clevelanders, I'd give better odds that the series ends early in a 4-1 Golden State title than it extending to a winner-take-all in what would be an NBA Seventh Heaven.

TIGER TALES

On Sunday night's Play the Percentages during the Blitz, John and I were asked to put a number on the “chances Tiger Woods never wins another PGA Tour event.” I went with 95% explaining that it would be the most sensational collapse of a sports icon in history if Tiger didn't win again. The only reason I didn't go with 100% was that I left out 5% for injury.

Although Tiger is healthy now, we all know he's a swing away from another WD because of a body part breaking down. The body looks fine but will be tested if he follows through on his plans to play six of the next ten events.

I'm not expecting Woods to pass Jack Nicklaus by winning five more majors. But to go from the most dominant golfer in history (as late as his Player of the Year 2013 season) to not winning again would be the most unimaginable reversal in my memory.

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