The May long has started on a bit of a downer for us hoops-happy hosers.Smitch not ditched: The endgame in Game 6 of the playoff loss in New Jersey where the Raptors couldn't even get off a last-second shot seemed like it would be a pretty fitting valedictory for Sam Mitchell's Toronto tenure, but so it goes. The upshot is that Smitch isn't dumb and will probably figure out a way to keep his public persona as the fire-breathin', butt-blistering' coach while duly acting like the best-dressed middle-management guy this side of Michael Scott. Bryan Colangelo, et al., wouldn't bring him back without some strict rules about how to portion out the floor time and whatnot. Mitchell either goes along and keeps his job, or becomes the NBA's answer to Grady Little, who screwed up a World Series berth for the 2003 Red Sox since he ignored what the smartest guys in the room had told him.
Suns go down: It was already over but the crying for the Steve Nash's crew last night after those Game 5 suspensions to Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire (and still almost winning). Even down 20 points in the fourth quarter, they were never done, and Nash led a near-comeback that had the game in doubt until the final 20 seconds. Leandro Barbosa , who shot something like 0-for-11 on threes across the final four games, bricking an open look that would have cut the margin to six with about 3:05 left. That was too much in the time/score equation for the Suns to maintain even a faint hope.It needs not be said that if Shawn Marion leaves the Suns this summer, mark this down as the best chance Nash had to win a championship during his prime years. With the way his back bothered during him the playoffs, it's doubtful he would play for Canada in the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifier in Las Vegas in August, but Nash has earned a summer of R&R.
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