Bye-Bye Sonics; Adios Zeke; Playoffs Are Here!

This just in: On Apr. 18, the NBA owners, by a 28-2 vote, approved the relocation of the Seattle Super Sonics franchise to Oklahoma City. The only stipulation is that the team settle its lawsuit with the city of Seattle and is able to get out of the remaining two years on its lease with the KeyArena.

Dallas owner Mark Cuban and Portland owner Paul Allen were the two who voted against the move. Cuban cited his concerns over the size of the Oklahoma City market as the reason he voted 'nay' while Allen offered no reason for his vote.

Who cares? Why should any professional sports franchise need the approval of its competitors to relocate the place where it does business? If McDonalds wants to shut down one of its restaurants and open another in a neighboring city, does Ronald McDonald need to get permission from Burger King, Wendy's, Carl's Jr., and Jack In The Box?

Every sports franchise should be able to what it wants and deems is necessary to survive. Requiring a poll of 30 filthy rich owners is silly. Each of these owners know how to succeed in businesses other than professional sports. Each would have been severely limited in that success if they had been required to seek permission from a group of peers to do what is in the best interest of their business.

It speaks loudly of Cuban's and Allen's arrogance to think they could actually stop the Sonics from relocating.

What??? Arrogance in professional sports? Surely I jest!

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Isaiah Thomas was fired by the Knicks on Friday, Apr. 18. Thomas, who won two NBA titles as a player with the Detroit Pistons, was hired by the Knicks as the team president on Dec. 22, 2003. His management and eventual return to coaching in 2006 steadily led the team on a downward spiral, culminating in last summer's sexual harrassment case and this season's dismal 23-59 campaign.

Thomas has a 187-223 NBA coaching record with three NBA teams (Toronto, Indiana, and New York). Thomas also purchased the financially-strapped CBA in 1998 for $5 million and played a key role in the league's eventual collapse. A late-hour offer from the NBA to purchase the league as its own minor league system fell on deaf ears with Thomas and the league officially ceased to exist in 2000.

So...what took so long? Why didn't the Knicks get rid of Thomas the minute things started going south (which was sometime not long after he arrived)? It's no surprise he didn't do well with the Knicks; he hasn't been successful at much since he retired from the Pistons in 1994.

Sure, he's been employed, making more money than I'll ever see, but success at one's chosen profession goes deeper than bank. Most of his coaching success came in Indiana when he replaced Larry Bird and was able to ride the team Bird built into the playoffs for the three seasons he was there.

A member of the Pistons' "Bad Boy" teams of the late '80s and early '90s, Thomas displayed little class and much arrogance and disdain along with his impressive playing skills. He's in the NBA Hall of Fame as a player, but don't look for him to make it there as a coach or front office guy.

Respect and success on the court or field are how most professional sports personnel are judged and Thomas had little of either. I wonder which team Thomas will next be able to run into the ground.

Dr. Buss...do not answer the phone when Zeke calls.

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The NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday, Apr. 19. Here's a quick look at the first round matchups and my take on them:

"Least"ern Conference
#8 Atlanta vs. #1 Boston: C'mon. Are you serious? I'll be surprised if the Hawks win one game. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen have waited much too long to let their first real shot at an NBA title go down the tubes in the first round. Yeah, I know K.G. almost made it in Minnesota, but c'mon, they were playing the Lakers!
Bottom line: Celtics in four

#7 Philadelphia vs. #2 Detroit: Philadelphia had a strong second half of the season and I think they might surprise some folks against the Pistons. If the Pistons can hang on to the momentum they gained by going 8-2 to close out the season, they could be the team to beat in the East.
Bottom line: Pistons in six

#6 Toronto vs. #3 Orlando: Every time I see the Magic play on TV, my thoughts return to the All-Star weekend and the sight of Dwight Howard stealing the show at the slam dunk competition. His Superman dunk could be a portent for the Raptors' playoff hopes.
Bottom line: Magic in five

#5 Washington vs. #4 Cleveland: This is the third straight season these teams will meet in the post season. The Cavs swept the Wizards in '07 and beat them in six in '06. Gilbert Arenas, who recently returned from a nearly season-long injury, will come off the bench for the Wizards. Lebron James is...well, Lebron James. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the Cavs are...Lebron James. Sorry L.J., your one-man show won't cut it this year.
Bottom line: Wizards in six

"Best"ern Conference
#8 Denver vs. #1 L.A. Lakers: I'll try not to let my heart rule in this one. Okay, I'll let my heart say one thing: go Lakers!!! That aside, the West is wide open this year. A mere three games separated the top six teams in the West and only seven separated the Lakers and Nuggets. Carmelo and A.I. are a formidable threat to the Lakers who are a split second away from seeing their season go up in flames with Kobe's swollen and surgery-destined pinky. A.I. has been to the NBA Finals before, but I don't think his experience (a loss to the Lakers in '01) will be enough to guide the Nuggets there.
Bottom line: Lakers in five

#7 Dallas vs. #2 New Orleans: Head coach Byron Scott has had a lot of coaching success, guiding New Jersey to the Finals in '02 and '03 and steadily turning the Hornets around since he took over in '04. The Hornets have improved in wins in each of Scott's seasons at the helm. The Hornets defense lapsed during the final stretch of the regular season, losing four of six. Dallas is steadily declining. The team has gone from a Finals appearance in '06 to a top seed and a subsequent first-round collapse against Golden State in '07 to a seven seed in '08. Look for the upstart to continue upstarting.
Bottom line: Hornets in six

#6 Phoenix vs. #3 San Antonio: This is the best matchup of the first round. With the addition of Shaq, look for Phoenix to try to exploit the Spurs inside. If Duncan can take his game outside the key, Shaq and the Suns will be a sunken ship. It's hard to choose against Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamaire, though. Tony Parker has been plagued by injuries this season, so don't look for him to be as much of a factor in this series as he has been in the past. The winner of this series, if not burned out, could be on the inside track to the Finals.
Bottom line: Spurs in seven

#4 Utah vs. #5 Houston: The Rockets have the home court advantage in this series because they have a better record than the Jazz. Living in the Jazz' back yard, I am privvy to the rantings and ravings of a fan base that will forever lament their beloved Jazz blowing its only shots at the NBA title in '97 and '98. The Jazz have improved in each of the past two seasons, but they still aren't the caliber of the Stockton and Malone squads of yesteryear. Carlos Boozer, Mehmot Okur, Ronnie Brewer, and Deron Williams are solid players and are probably enough to overpower the Yao Ming-less Rockets. The Jazz were one step away from reaching the Finals last season, but don't look for them to repeat that feat this season. Tracy McGrady, like L.J., is pretty much a one man team.
Bottom line: Jazz in six