Well it's finally over. The Celtics are your 2008 NBA Champions. When the game started I just knew that they were going to close this one out. There weren't any terrible calls that changed the game, there were some heated moments, but all in all a great game for the Celtics as all of them did their thing. Things I noticed:
Ray Allen - Jesus!!!! He really woke up. I think that move that he put on Vujacic at the end of Game 4 stayed in Sasha's mind, because Ray was getting away from him off screens and buried a NBA record 7 threes in the game. Those surgically repaired ankles never looked so good. Even after getting hit in the eye early in the 1st, he handled his business with 26 points.
Paul Pierce - Had a decent game, nothing spectacular from a points standpoint, but he was definitely a factor. He was actually ordinary during this game,......but I think he should definitely get the MVP. 17 and 10 on 4 of 13 shooting.
Kevin Garnett - I was having an argument with one of my guys where he was saying that KG is overrated and nothing but a high priced role player. I do recommend that his employer drug test him, but if that's all KG is, I'll take him. A guy that brings it every night and brought a Championship to Boston. His game 6 stats, 26 points, 14boards, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. I could use that on my team from a role player. He brought the intensity from the get go and the Celtics followed. Bill Russell told him, to keep playing and it'll happen,....how right he was,....#17 in the rafters. Nothing like watching the Big 3 run around like kids and KG screaming 'top of the world, top of the world' and talking to his mom over live TV.
Celtics Role players and Bench - Wow, they showed up. Everyone played well. Rondo with a Finals record for steals (he should have it even if they don't credit him with it). Perk gave it all he had, Posey played well, Powe, PJ Brown, Eddie House, Big Baby, Tony Allen,...everyone played a role in this one. Solid is all I can say.
Doc Rivers - Finally got one. All I have to say is that Doc got a Gatorade cooler emptied on him on a basketball court. I'm glad to see him get it and he out coached a HOFamer in Phil Jackson.
This is great. Ray Allen gets a ring, Paul Pierce gets a ring (and MVP), KG gets a ring, PJ Brown gets a ring. I'm good. This shows you that the hard work and faith can be rewarded if you just trust each other.
On the flip side:
Lamar Odom - Show me that heart and hustle and that you showed in the waning minutes of the game (when you're down 30) all game long and maybe you aren't in a sad locker room tonight. I've always liked Odom and no one can deny that he doesn't have the skill set, but he punked out at the end of this game by wanting to get pissed and wanting to instigate the Celtics.
Pau Gasol - You're kidding me right? I mean you have Paul Pierce guarding you in the post and you don't take it to the hole with authority? Don't know what to say. I guess Odom is the scarecrow, but who are you? 2 offensive rebounds for the entire game? You shoot 29% in the first half and get NONE?
Kobe - (muttering to himself) These bast****. They played like trash and I tried to lead them, but they won't follow. Part of me feels sorry for Kobe, because I know he WANTED to win, but he ran in to a a defensive TEAM. Kobe didn't show me the Jordan in him, because I doubt Mike would have let anyone beat them by 39. All of those MJ/Kobe comparisons should be put to bed after this outing. I bet you Kobe did try to hit someone in the locker room last night though.
Lakers Bench - Where were you? Luke Walton? Farmar? Turiaf? Vujacic? Forrest Gump? Andrew Bynum was sitting behind the bench smiling because he was like, they gotta pay me big money because we need a physical presence. Yeah!!!! Back up the truck baby.
Well it's all over. Nothing left to do but to close the doors at the Garden as the last person leaves for the night. Party in Boston for the next week.
Showing posts with label Celtics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celtics. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
3 Down, 1 To Go
All I can say is wow. My night started at the barbershop talking trash about the Lakers/Celtics series. The majority of the barbershop, although they are Chicago biased, had picked the Lakers because, well, Kobe. I have stated here on a few occasions that Kobe is the best player on the planet and I won't backtrack on that one. With that said, I've always felt that the Celtics were too good a team to lose this series. So, I got to talking (for those that know me, that is easy) and I made a bet with one of the barbers for a little bit of money. I told them how Odom has already checked out of this series and that he is done. We all know that Gasol is soft, yet he's a good big man with lots of skills. (Side note on Odom: I remember this guy at Rhode Island and how good he was. I mean he is 6'10" and has all the skills that a guard has. I thought that he was going to help turn the Clippers around and make them good, but I was wrong. I actually have his autograph from the night he got drafted. I've always thought he had the skills to dominate, but not the desire to do that.) So the game started at 8pm (CST).
The beginning of the game was terrible for the Celtics. All we heard was Odom's name being talked about as he had 13 points in the first quarter. The score was getting nasty (well it was already nasty) and the barbershop was all over me. I told them just wait, it's not over until the time on the clock is 0.0. T wanted to bet me how many times Mark Jackson would say 'Mama, there goes that man' about Odom (I declined). The Celtics found ways to miss shots, and then when they pulled Rondo and put in House, I thought here we go. House started missing wide open 3's. If he's not hitting those, he's useless. After I got my haircut, T (the barber I made a bet with) asked me if I wanted to leave my money with him now because it was the 2nd quarter and things looked bleak. So, I went into my coach speak with the 'You're a loser if you give up now. The game isn't over until the 0.0 on the clock. It's not over'. T told me it was basically over.
I turned the TV on in the truck and had the game on as it got to the 3rd quarter. What I saw was amazing. The Celtics seemed to just come out like gang busters and played D. The Lakers got tight and by the end of the 3rd, it was a 2 point game. Mrs. Inquisitive Mind was sleeping by this time but I was yelling and screaming on the inside for the Celtics. The 4th quarter turned even worse for the Lakers when Eddie House hit the shot to put the Celtics ahead for the first time and was caught by ABC running down the court screaming, 'I'm a d*** shooter, that's all day'. The Lakers couldn't seem to do anything right. Then KG hits an 8 footer over Gasol with a flash to a guy in the crowd (behind the basket) with that 'oh s***' look on his face. In the end, the Lakers lost this game and the Staples center looked like a funeral.
The other things I saw:
1) Lamar Odom - Can be great at times, but that 'mental toughness' is the question. Dude had 13 points in the 1st quarter and 19 for the game. Talk about pulling a David Copperfield on his team. A guy this talented shouldn't have to be egged on to perform.
2) Kobe - played a great 1st half, and didn't even score a bucket. He was getting everyone else the ball and they were producing. It's easy to shoot the rock when the you're up 10 or 15 or 24. The rest of the Lakers let Kobe down. When it was crunch time in the 3rd and 4th, those shots weren't falling for the Lakers.
3) The Lakers Bench - Where did you go? Why was Fisher on the bench when they need his veteran presence? I was listening to Bill Walton on the radio the other day and he was talking about how proud he was that Luke was in the Finals with a chance to win it all. I guess that's about all Luke is going to give his father because he hasn't done a thing for the Lakers in the Finals.
4) Paul Pierce - c'mon man, we didn't need another Willis Red moment so I am glad you got up after falling on a Lakers fast break. Other than that, it looked like Pierce and Kobe changed jerseys at halftime, because Pierce got in Kobe's grill and locked him down. I can say that I've thought Pierce is an adequate defender but he showed me something last night.
5) KG - Let them keep talking about how you don't want the ball in the stretch and how you're not clutch. Play that D young man, play that D. KG has proven that he can do it all. No he may not get you 37 or 40 in a game, but he's going to get you 20 - 25, 10 boards, and some assists, blocks, and steals. He led this team on the defensive end last night to get a 3 - 1 series advantage.
6) Doc - Now this one is almost amazing. Doc seems to be making all the right moves with his team and out coaching the Zen Master. If that's not worth a mention, I don't know what is.
7) Ray Allen - Did someone wake him up? I mean Ray has been the only constant for the Celtics in each game in the Finals. This looked like the Ray of old. You can tell he doesn't have the explosiveness that he had before but he does have his skills. He can still shoot and last night when he waived off KG on a pick to take Vujacic to the hole (with the lefty lay), that showed me that Ray is back. I remember earlier in the year when the Big 3 were doing an interview and the question was asked, the game is on the line which of you takes the final shot? Answers: Ray Allen - 'The open man', KG - 'Ray Allen', Paul Pierce - 'Ray Allen'. Maybe they knew something we didn't.
Hopefully the Celtics can close out on Father's Day, but I'm thinking that Kobe drops 50 that Sunday and the Celtics win in Boston. My original prognostication was Celtics in 7. I feel comfortable with that. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers and I'm off to get on the phone. You didn't think I was going to let the guys at the barbershop off the hook that easily, did you?
The beginning of the game was terrible for the Celtics. All we heard was Odom's name being talked about as he had 13 points in the first quarter. The score was getting nasty (well it was already nasty) and the barbershop was all over me. I told them just wait, it's not over until the time on the clock is 0.0. T wanted to bet me how many times Mark Jackson would say 'Mama, there goes that man' about Odom (I declined). The Celtics found ways to miss shots, and then when they pulled Rondo and put in House, I thought here we go. House started missing wide open 3's. If he's not hitting those, he's useless. After I got my haircut, T (the barber I made a bet with) asked me if I wanted to leave my money with him now because it was the 2nd quarter and things looked bleak. So, I went into my coach speak with the 'You're a loser if you give up now. The game isn't over until the 0.0 on the clock. It's not over'. T told me it was basically over.
I turned the TV on in the truck and had the game on as it got to the 3rd quarter. What I saw was amazing. The Celtics seemed to just come out like gang busters and played D. The Lakers got tight and by the end of the 3rd, it was a 2 point game. Mrs. Inquisitive Mind was sleeping by this time but I was yelling and screaming on the inside for the Celtics. The 4th quarter turned even worse for the Lakers when Eddie House hit the shot to put the Celtics ahead for the first time and was caught by ABC running down the court screaming, 'I'm a d*** shooter, that's all day'. The Lakers couldn't seem to do anything right. Then KG hits an 8 footer over Gasol with a flash to a guy in the crowd (behind the basket) with that 'oh s***' look on his face. In the end, the Lakers lost this game and the Staples center looked like a funeral.
The other things I saw:
1) Lamar Odom - Can be great at times, but that 'mental toughness' is the question. Dude had 13 points in the 1st quarter and 19 for the game. Talk about pulling a David Copperfield on his team. A guy this talented shouldn't have to be egged on to perform.
2) Kobe - played a great 1st half, and didn't even score a bucket. He was getting everyone else the ball and they were producing. It's easy to shoot the rock when the you're up 10 or 15 or 24. The rest of the Lakers let Kobe down. When it was crunch time in the 3rd and 4th, those shots weren't falling for the Lakers.
3) The Lakers Bench - Where did you go? Why was Fisher on the bench when they need his veteran presence? I was listening to Bill Walton on the radio the other day and he was talking about how proud he was that Luke was in the Finals with a chance to win it all. I guess that's about all Luke is going to give his father because he hasn't done a thing for the Lakers in the Finals.
4) Paul Pierce - c'mon man, we didn't need another Willis Red moment so I am glad you got up after falling on a Lakers fast break. Other than that, it looked like Pierce and Kobe changed jerseys at halftime, because Pierce got in Kobe's grill and locked him down. I can say that I've thought Pierce is an adequate defender but he showed me something last night.
5) KG - Let them keep talking about how you don't want the ball in the stretch and how you're not clutch. Play that D young man, play that D. KG has proven that he can do it all. No he may not get you 37 or 40 in a game, but he's going to get you 20 - 25, 10 boards, and some assists, blocks, and steals. He led this team on the defensive end last night to get a 3 - 1 series advantage.
6) Doc - Now this one is almost amazing. Doc seems to be making all the right moves with his team and out coaching the Zen Master. If that's not worth a mention, I don't know what is.
7) Ray Allen - Did someone wake him up? I mean Ray has been the only constant for the Celtics in each game in the Finals. This looked like the Ray of old. You can tell he doesn't have the explosiveness that he had before but he does have his skills. He can still shoot and last night when he waived off KG on a pick to take Vujacic to the hole (with the lefty lay), that showed me that Ray is back. I remember earlier in the year when the Big 3 were doing an interview and the question was asked, the game is on the line which of you takes the final shot? Answers: Ray Allen - 'The open man', KG - 'Ray Allen', Paul Pierce - 'Ray Allen'. Maybe they knew something we didn't.
Hopefully the Celtics can close out on Father's Day, but I'm thinking that Kobe drops 50 that Sunday and the Celtics win in Boston. My original prognostication was Celtics in 7. I feel comfortable with that. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers and I'm off to get on the phone. You didn't think I was going to let the guys at the barbershop off the hook that easily, did you?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
NBA Tidbits
- Chicago offers the head coaching job to Vinny DelNegro. Talk about a guy that I haven't heard about in a while who just lucked into a good job. I remember Vinny from his days at NC State where he used to play point guard and helped NC State win a conference championship in the late 80's. He wasn't fancy but he knew the game and after playing overseas and in the NBA for years, he gets his opportunity to coach the Bulls. I will say this, I'm glad that the Bulls didn't just recycle an old coach and bring them in, but at the same time, I'm not sure if Vinny is the man for the job. Don't get me wrong, the Bulls could have done worse, but at a measly (comparably) $2M/year, they got a good deal. If it doesn't work, Vinny had a chance, and the Bulls aren't out a lot of money. Let's see if he can take what he's learned from Phoenix and implement it in Chicago, he definitely has the pieces to make it work. Grade: B-
- Terry Porter accepts the head job in Phoenix. Talk about a surprise? Porter inherits an old Nash, an old Shaq, and a young Amare. This ought to be fun. I mean where else can you get those type of personalities and hope that they don't implode. Porter will definitely bring that defensive mindset to the Suns, but one hopes that he still allows Nash to dazzle in the open court and run a little. I know Big Shaw said that he would show up in shape for the beginning of the year, so this is my team to watch since their window is closing rapidly. Grade B
- Michael Curry takes over in Detroit. I really like this move. You get a guy who was a defensive minded guy as a player and someone whom seems to be more in touch with the Pistons bench. The players have to respect this guy from day 1 and I think that he knows about some people's weaknesses and strengths because he's actually played with some players on the roster. Now with that said, their roster may be different come the fall. There's smoke around Carmelo (bad fit in Detroit if you ask me) joining that team, but what will they give up to get that deal done. I expect that Rasheed will be moved (hear that Charlotte, get your ducks in a row) and maybe another small change here or there. Finally the Team of 5 gets broken up (well again since the departure of Big Ben), and they get some new faces. All I have to say is that Stuckey and Maxiell have to get more tick next year. Grade A-.
- The Lakers are down 0-2. It's not the end of the world. No I'm not a Lakers fan, but until the home team loses a game, it's not a series. The Lakers should win Game 3, just on adrenaline alone. I expect those shots to fall for the bench and specifically for Gasol and Odom. If the Lakers lose game 3 or 4, you can go ahead and count this one in the books. I expect to see Game 5 in LA with the Celtics winning that one and taking a trip back to Boston to win the series. Subplots from the series:
- You can't inject toughness. With all of the knocks on KG and some of the other Celtics, the one thing you can't deny is their toughness. They are a physical bunch with KG and Posey leading the way. With that said, yes, there is going to be a disparity in free throws taken when you are a jump shooting team (the Lakers) and your bigs aren't taking it to the rack. They need to take Turiaf and either stretch him until he's 7 feet or do a blood/heart/soul transfusion between him and Gasol. I picked Odom as the key for the Lakers,.....he's got to step up to give them a chance.
- Overrated. Is Kobe? Is he going to be the guy that can't win despite having all those records? I don't think he's overrated because he's the best on the planet. He's probably over analyzed more than anyone else because we expect him to be THE best. This homecoming will help him hit a few more shots,...and make the Lakers even after 4 games.
- Out coached? Now when you read this question you would expect the answer to be yes, and soundly out coached, but you'd probably would have said Phil Jackson was doing the better of the coaching. Doc Rivers seems to making the right calls at the right time. Getting the most out of his players and letting some of his bench do his work. Phil seems to be testing things out a little based on his results. For now, we can say that Doc is doing a good job, will it last?
- Again? Allan Houston is on the comeback trail again. he's 37, his knees haven't gotten any better, but he can still shoot. Does a reunion in NY with D'Antoni as coach make sense? I guess we'll see. Houston has been seen in Phoenix trying to find the fountain of youth that has seemed to help Shaq and Grant Hill continue to play.
- Terry Porter accepts the head job in Phoenix. Talk about a surprise? Porter inherits an old Nash, an old Shaq, and a young Amare. This ought to be fun. I mean where else can you get those type of personalities and hope that they don't implode. Porter will definitely bring that defensive mindset to the Suns, but one hopes that he still allows Nash to dazzle in the open court and run a little. I know Big Shaw said that he would show up in shape for the beginning of the year, so this is my team to watch since their window is closing rapidly. Grade B
- Michael Curry takes over in Detroit. I really like this move. You get a guy who was a defensive minded guy as a player and someone whom seems to be more in touch with the Pistons bench. The players have to respect this guy from day 1 and I think that he knows about some people's weaknesses and strengths because he's actually played with some players on the roster. Now with that said, their roster may be different come the fall. There's smoke around Carmelo (bad fit in Detroit if you ask me) joining that team, but what will they give up to get that deal done. I expect that Rasheed will be moved (hear that Charlotte, get your ducks in a row) and maybe another small change here or there. Finally the Team of 5 gets broken up (well again since the departure of Big Ben), and they get some new faces. All I have to say is that Stuckey and Maxiell have to get more tick next year. Grade A-.
- The Lakers are down 0-2. It's not the end of the world. No I'm not a Lakers fan, but until the home team loses a game, it's not a series. The Lakers should win Game 3, just on adrenaline alone. I expect those shots to fall for the bench and specifically for Gasol and Odom. If the Lakers lose game 3 or 4, you can go ahead and count this one in the books. I expect to see Game 5 in LA with the Celtics winning that one and taking a trip back to Boston to win the series. Subplots from the series:
- You can't inject toughness. With all of the knocks on KG and some of the other Celtics, the one thing you can't deny is their toughness. They are a physical bunch with KG and Posey leading the way. With that said, yes, there is going to be a disparity in free throws taken when you are a jump shooting team (the Lakers) and your bigs aren't taking it to the rack. They need to take Turiaf and either stretch him until he's 7 feet or do a blood/heart/soul transfusion between him and Gasol. I picked Odom as the key for the Lakers,.....he's got to step up to give them a chance.
- Overrated. Is Kobe? Is he going to be the guy that can't win despite having all those records? I don't think he's overrated because he's the best on the planet. He's probably over analyzed more than anyone else because we expect him to be THE best. This homecoming will help him hit a few more shots,...and make the Lakers even after 4 games.
- Out coached? Now when you read this question you would expect the answer to be yes, and soundly out coached, but you'd probably would have said Phil Jackson was doing the better of the coaching. Doc Rivers seems to making the right calls at the right time. Getting the most out of his players and letting some of his bench do his work. Phil seems to be testing things out a little based on his results. For now, we can say that Doc is doing a good job, will it last?
- Again? Allan Houston is on the comeback trail again. he's 37, his knees haven't gotten any better, but he can still shoot. Does a reunion in NY with D'Antoni as coach make sense? I guess we'll see. Houston has been seen in Phoenix trying to find the fountain of youth that has seemed to help Shaq and Grant Hill continue to play.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
1 Down, 3 to Go
That noise you heard was every Boston fan dropping their drink/hot dog/chowder after Paul Pierce went down in the 3rd quarter. With his Willis Reed like entrance from the locker room to the floor in the 3rd, he helped the Celtics surprise the Lakers.
So now we have gone through Game 1. What happened, many of you might ask. Well, the Celtics played some pretty good defense in the 2nd half of the game. Garnett came out and carried the team in the 1st half, but the Celtics allowed the Lakers to shoot 51% (I think) in the 1st half. You're not going to win games like that.
Kobe - He played badly, but part of that the Celtics helped him play badly. He tried to get his teammates involved early (like he has been doing in the playoffs) and he tried to pick his spots, but the Celtics made him hit tough shots. They didn't let Kobe get into the lane and break down their defense. The few times that he was able to get to the middle, he had to pass the ball out for a 3 or a deep jumper.
KG - Talk about showing up. It looked as though KG was able to focus his intensity and score. I am upset with the Celtics a little because he was on, and they stopped going to him. I mean KG was really stroking the ball, but Doc didn't call his number more often. You're supposed to dance with the girl you brung, and they went away. In the 2nd half, either he was tired or his nerves got to him. You could tell because he started short arming his shots and at one point missed 9 in a row. Doc, when KG is hot like this, ride him,.......
Ray Allen - I love it,.....Kobe still gets Ray excited to play. Ray came out and played well. Hit his shots, put the ball on the floor to create for other people, just wonderful. I'm almost going to say that Ray can play some point to extend his career. Now he did dribble the ball off his foot on a 3 on 2 fast break and Odom ended up taking it the other way, but I liked Ray's energy.
Perkins - That was ugly. I mean real ugly. 1 point, and 4 fouls. I picked Perk as the player that can help the Celtics turn this series in their favor. He's got to get in there and rebound and get some put backs. His fouls were silly fouls, reaching in on Gasol when he already has his back to the basket, don't go for the steal,...play Gasol straight up. He got a dunk blocked, but again,...maybe the sprained ankle will slow him down a little and let him play the game. Perk is still my pick to do damage against the Lakers.
Celtics Bench - They showed up. First Cassell off the bench lighting it up, then Leon Powe showed up and hustled and made some plays, then you have the old vet, PJ Brown. PJ didn't fill the stat sheet but his hustle and some of the plays he made were critical to the Celtics winning.
Paul Pierce - 'Willis Reed'. It's gotta feel special to go down and then come back and hit those two back to back 3's. The building was crazy when he did that. He gave his team a lift and he didn't look like his knee was hurting him that bad. The big question is, what happens tonight when he gets home and that knee tightens up? Will he be ready for Sunday? I might even be crazy, but even with a hampered Pierce, I see them winning this all in 7 games.
Go Celtics!!!!!!
So now we have gone through Game 1. What happened, many of you might ask. Well, the Celtics played some pretty good defense in the 2nd half of the game. Garnett came out and carried the team in the 1st half, but the Celtics allowed the Lakers to shoot 51% (I think) in the 1st half. You're not going to win games like that.
Kobe - He played badly, but part of that the Celtics helped him play badly. He tried to get his teammates involved early (like he has been doing in the playoffs) and he tried to pick his spots, but the Celtics made him hit tough shots. They didn't let Kobe get into the lane and break down their defense. The few times that he was able to get to the middle, he had to pass the ball out for a 3 or a deep jumper.
KG - Talk about showing up. It looked as though KG was able to focus his intensity and score. I am upset with the Celtics a little because he was on, and they stopped going to him. I mean KG was really stroking the ball, but Doc didn't call his number more often. You're supposed to dance with the girl you brung, and they went away. In the 2nd half, either he was tired or his nerves got to him. You could tell because he started short arming his shots and at one point missed 9 in a row. Doc, when KG is hot like this, ride him,.......
Ray Allen - I love it,.....Kobe still gets Ray excited to play. Ray came out and played well. Hit his shots, put the ball on the floor to create for other people, just wonderful. I'm almost going to say that Ray can play some point to extend his career. Now he did dribble the ball off his foot on a 3 on 2 fast break and Odom ended up taking it the other way, but I liked Ray's energy.
Perkins - That was ugly. I mean real ugly. 1 point, and 4 fouls. I picked Perk as the player that can help the Celtics turn this series in their favor. He's got to get in there and rebound and get some put backs. His fouls were silly fouls, reaching in on Gasol when he already has his back to the basket, don't go for the steal,...play Gasol straight up. He got a dunk blocked, but again,...maybe the sprained ankle will slow him down a little and let him play the game. Perk is still my pick to do damage against the Lakers.
Celtics Bench - They showed up. First Cassell off the bench lighting it up, then Leon Powe showed up and hustled and made some plays, then you have the old vet, PJ Brown. PJ didn't fill the stat sheet but his hustle and some of the plays he made were critical to the Celtics winning.
Paul Pierce - 'Willis Reed'. It's gotta feel special to go down and then come back and hit those two back to back 3's. The building was crazy when he did that. He gave his team a lift and he didn't look like his knee was hurting him that bad. The big question is, what happens tonight when he gets home and that knee tightens up? Will he be ready for Sunday? I might even be crazy, but even with a hampered Pierce, I see them winning this all in 7 games.
Go Celtics!!!!!!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Finals Matchups
With so much on the line, this is my take on how the matchups will work during the Finals. Feel free to agree or disagree.
Matchups:
Point Guard: Derek Fisher vs. Rajon Rondo
Derek Fisher is playing in his umpteenth playoff series and he has done it against the quick, the strong, and the best. He’s seasoned and plays well off of Kobe. The difference between the he and Rondo is that Fisher doesn’t have to be a traditional point guard that gets them in each set, he gets to pick and choose his spots because of the offense (the triangle) that the Lakers run.
Rondo is playing about as well as you can expect a 2nd year point guard to play. He has his good games and then those, why is this dude playing games. He’s long, athletic, and can make that high arcing jumper go in the basket on occasion. He plays good D, but Fisher should be able to bang him around a little (Fisher looks to be about Emmitt Smith’s size on the basketball court, wide).
Edge: Look for Fisher to play off Rondo, or better yet for the Lakers, look for Kobe to play Rondo as the Mamba tries to cut the head off of the Celtics team. Edge goes to Lakers.
Shooting Guard: Kobe vs. Ray Allen
Kobe – League MVP, Western Conference MVP (if there was such a thing), Lakers MVP, Best player on the planet right now.
Ray Allen is playing on a part time basis. Are we going to get the Ray Allen that couldn’t hit the ocean or the Ray Allen that heated up for the Celtics against the Pistons? Then add to that, there’s something that gets him going against Kobe. Not sure what it is, but I think they had issues with each other in the past that may rear it’s ugly head in this series.
Edge: Unless the Celtics can find a time machine and go and get the healthy version of Ray Allen from Seattle when he was dropping 25 a game, advantage Lakers.
Small Forward: Lamar Odom vs. Paul Pierce
Lamar Odom has been great in the playoffs, well about as great as I expect from him since he doesn’t have that ‘type A’ personality. I remember when he got drafted (I was there and even have my NBA Draft booklet that he signed that night) and I was like the Clippers have found the answer to their prayers. It’s taken him a while, but I think that he’s finally blossomed.
Paul Pierce has played great and has been the ‘Closer’ that the Celtics need. He’s living up to his nickname and he is proving that he can be considered part of that upper echelon of NBA Stars. He has the skills to take you off the dribble, play inside, outside, just a jack of all trades. As long as he doesn’t fall in love with that jumper, he should definitely rep his city when they visit Staples.
Edge: Paul Pierce gets it because Odom can’t guard him on the wing. P2 will have to play Odom on D, but he can handle that. Edge to Boston.
Power Forward: Vlad Radmanovic vs. KG
Vlad has quietly taken to the needling that Phil has given him and has started playing well. In the Utah series, for stretches, he was the best player out there not named Kobe. He loves the deep ball but has shown a penchant for putting the ball on the floor and making something good happen.
KG is the heart of the Celtics. If you could bottle up that energy, you’d put Gatorade and Vitamin Water out of business. He has a complete game and should be able to get his points on O and help on D.
Edge: If KG doesn’t average 20 a game with Radman guarding him, I may puke. The Lakers don’t have anyone that matches up well against KG and they’ll need to give lots of help to get it done. Edge to Boston.
Center: Paul Gasol vs. Kendrick Perkins
Pau Gasol was a godsend for the Lakers after Bynum went down. He not only meshed well with the team but he provided more scoring and passing in the post for the Lakers which is a deadly combination since they are already one of the best passing teams in the league. He’s surprised me with his defense and a little swagger when needed.
Kendrick Perkins has shown that he can be a factor for Boston. He has a few post moves, but his best strength is the Laker’s weakness, and that is strength. Perkins has been that bull in a china shop for the Celtics on the boards and I think that he’ll continue that trend going against a softer Gasol.
Edge: I think this matchup could quietly decide the series. If Perkins is able to dominate on the boards and get easy buckets for the Celtics, it’s over. Gasol has a wider variety of skills, but I have to say that this matchup is a push.
Lakers Bench vs. Celtics Bench
The Lakers bring a bevy of players who have played out of their minds for most of the playoffs: Farmar (ok, he took one series off), Vujacic, Turiaf, Walton, Ariza, Mbenga. Out of all of these, Farmar, Vujacic and Walton have the opportunity to make this a special playoffs for Kobe. If they hit their shots and play unselfishly as they can, this bench is great. When they hold the ball, they really don’t have a one on one player off the bench and it makes them very easy to guard. I expect the Lakers bench to show up and play well.
The Celtics bench is a reason for concern. Most in part to Doc Rivers NOT playing some of them for a while. The Celtics bring Posey, House, Powe, Davis, Brown, Cassell (who has done nothing), and Tony Allen. Normally the bigs off the bench provide a spark of sorts and you’re not sure which one will on any given night. The backcourt help off the bench is spotty. Cassell needs to play like the clutch guy they paid him to be and I think in this series, you’ll need someone like Tony Allen or Big Baby to make a positive impact to help the Celtics.
Edge: When it’s all said and done, I gotta go with,….well push. I think each bench has pluses, but they also have some minus. Yes, a game can be determined by your bench but I expect both benches to play well and this series will come down to the best players playing well (the starters).
So, as you already know I have the Celtics in 7. Who ya got?
How we got here
Ok, the NBA Finals start on Thursday night and it’s going to be a wild one. With everything that has happened for both teams over the past year, you gotta expect that the fireworks are going to continue. You have the Lakers and the Celtics for the title and several other interesting subplots:
KG’s career - Will he ever win one? Can he be clutch when it really matters? Can he lead a team to the promised land?
Kobe’s career - Is he the closest thing to MJ? Can he will his team to the title by being THE man?
Paul Pierce’s career – Can he finally become a Celtic that wins a title and not the Celtic with the most playoffs wins without a title?
Phil Jackson – Does he get the championship that puts him past Red Auerbach, while beating Red’s old team?
A few months ago you had Kobe going on blast to every media outlet available about him wanting to be traded and how it made no sense to keep a young Bynum when they could have gotten Jason Kidd in a trade with NJ. You had the Celtics who tanked in order to win the Greg Oden sweepstakes (see how that went), but during the offseason Danny Ainge made some deals to pull in Ray Allen and KG (a coup at best). With the Lakers, Kobe decided to shut up (thank goodness) for a while and just play basketball. While ever other GM in the business sat around and salivated about how they could put a package together to get Kobe, Mitch Kupchak was sitting around with rosary beads, some magic fairy dust, and about 12 rabbits feet (sorry PETA). We thought that he would have jumped out of a window when Bynum went down with a knee injury, but somewhere in Memphis we heard a heart break. Jerry West, decided that in his last few months of working with the Grizz that he’d give the franchise that he helped create (on the court and off) one last assist. The Grizz gave up Pau Gasol (the face of the franchise) for Kwame Brown (nothing bad left to say), Javaris Crittendon (who in my estimation will end up being a decent guard), and basically a ham sandwich, a bag of chips (not the cheap ones), and a soda. Wasn’t it really awkward during the presentation of the West Conference Championship that West was presenting the trophy to the Lakers? The Lakers should have been presenting the trophy to West with a check attached to it. He’s the reason that they were able to pull this off (yes the players played, but man, what an assist). The whole time West was speaking, Kobe was grinning like a little kid that found out the secret to getting ice cream or something.
The Celtics on the other hand, pieced together their current team with an assist from ‘within’ also. Again, every other GM in the NBA cringed as they saw the package that Minny took for KG. Yes, Boston gave up Al Jefferson (a decent big who can score in the West), Gerald Green (if basketball was just all dunking), Theo Ratliff (who was on Detroit's playoff roster), Ryan Gomes (go ahead and look him up to see who he is), Sebastian Telfair (his claim to fame is being Marbury’s cousin) and some picks, but you have to look at that deal and imagine the conversation that occurred:
Ainge: (on the phone with McHale)…Kevin, I’m trying to win man. I’ve got Paul Pierce, I took a shaky Ray Allen from Seattle, and now I need a big to finish out the team,….
McHale: Win? Man, I’m just trying to make our team interesting during the winter, there’s nothing else to do here in Minny, but when the summer comes I don’t want to have to work anymore. Don’t tell anyone that,…..
Ainge: We have to win here, it’s the Celtics for gosh sakes. Don’t you remember all of the good times we had here during our heyday? What about KG? Is he available? You guys haven’t done much with his talent yet?
McHale: Yeah, he’s available, but right now, everyone wants him. But I need to somehow keep this team in mediocrity, yet still keep my job. Well, I’m not worrying about the job so much, I have pictures on people here. What kind of deal were you thinking about? And don’t think about including Paul Pierce in a deal, he’s too good.
There you have it, the background that provides us with the Lakers vs. Celtics for the NBA Championship. May the best team win (Go Celtics).
Friday, May 30, 2008
Finally!!
Well, the Celtics closed out the Pistons and setup the Celtics vs. Lakers Finals. This was a good game from the tip. My take on the game is as follows:
1) Be You - See, this whole getting on Rasheed about him being cordial and a good sportsman with the Celtics was stupid. Since his teammates got on him, Rasheed didn't give KG any love prior to the tip. Now, to me,....you have to let Sheed be Sheed. If you have an issue with him having respect, then YOU have the issue. I understand that Lindsey Hunter and Rip Hamilton are the two that came out and talked to Sheed after Game 5. I'm not saying that this threw Sheed off his game, but Sheed didn't play well in Game 6. Should have left him alone.
2) Chauncey Billups - Where have you been? I guess that hammy is ok. Billups put it all on the line and did what he could to help his team win. Flip Saunders should have ordered a lot more pick and roll because the Celtics couldn't play that very well.
3) The Truth - This was a big game for PP. I guess he channeled as much of Kobe as he could. The Celtics put on a big 4th quarter to finish this game out. He is the only Celtic that can put the ball on the floor and create his shot or shots for others. Along with his free throws, the Truth and the Celtics showed some poise down the stretch to close out the Pistons. 29-11 run in the 4th says it all.
4) Flip Saunders - It was nice coaching the Pistons, good luck finding your next job. I'm pretty sure that Flip will be unemployed in the next few weeks. Avery Johnson, aren't you out of a job?
5) Maxiell and Stuckey - Can Joe Dumars get some love for drafting players that can play? Yes, he did draft Darko, but he kind of had to because Melo isn't going to play D. But Maxiell hit some tough shots in the clutch and Stuckey, wow, I'm amazed at his poise. He didn't seem to be nervous and he was taking shots when it mattered.
So, we have the Finals settled and the two most storied NBA Franchises (30 NBA titles out of the 61). You have Kobe and Lakers going against the new (for the younger generation) Big 3 in Boston. After watching the Lakers dismantle the Spurs the other night I felt that no one would be able to beat the Lakers. After watching the Celtics close out the Pistons in Detroit, along with overcoming being down in the 4th, I am giving the Celtics a boxer's chance. So, I'm going to step up and make my prediction now, while I'm on my high from the Celtics winning the East. With that said, I gotta say the NBA Champion will be the................L....o......s.......A......n,....aw hell to the naw. The NBA Champion will be wearing GREEN and WHITE. I got the Celtics in 7. Who you got?
1) Be You - See, this whole getting on Rasheed about him being cordial and a good sportsman with the Celtics was stupid. Since his teammates got on him, Rasheed didn't give KG any love prior to the tip. Now, to me,....you have to let Sheed be Sheed. If you have an issue with him having respect, then YOU have the issue. I understand that Lindsey Hunter and Rip Hamilton are the two that came out and talked to Sheed after Game 5. I'm not saying that this threw Sheed off his game, but Sheed didn't play well in Game 6. Should have left him alone.
2) Chauncey Billups - Where have you been? I guess that hammy is ok. Billups put it all on the line and did what he could to help his team win. Flip Saunders should have ordered a lot more pick and roll because the Celtics couldn't play that very well.
3) The Truth - This was a big game for PP. I guess he channeled as much of Kobe as he could. The Celtics put on a big 4th quarter to finish this game out. He is the only Celtic that can put the ball on the floor and create his shot or shots for others. Along with his free throws, the Truth and the Celtics showed some poise down the stretch to close out the Pistons. 29-11 run in the 4th says it all.
4) Flip Saunders - It was nice coaching the Pistons, good luck finding your next job. I'm pretty sure that Flip will be unemployed in the next few weeks. Avery Johnson, aren't you out of a job?
5) Maxiell and Stuckey - Can Joe Dumars get some love for drafting players that can play? Yes, he did draft Darko, but he kind of had to because Melo isn't going to play D. But Maxiell hit some tough shots in the clutch and Stuckey, wow, I'm amazed at his poise. He didn't seem to be nervous and he was taking shots when it mattered.
So, we have the Finals settled and the two most storied NBA Franchises (30 NBA titles out of the 61). You have Kobe and Lakers going against the new (for the younger generation) Big 3 in Boston. After watching the Lakers dismantle the Spurs the other night I felt that no one would be able to beat the Lakers. After watching the Celtics close out the Pistons in Detroit, along with overcoming being down in the 4th, I am giving the Celtics a boxer's chance. So, I'm going to step up and make my prediction now, while I'm on my high from the Celtics winning the East. With that said, I gotta say the NBA Champion will be the................L....o......s.......A......n,....aw hell to the naw. The NBA Champion will be wearing GREEN and WHITE. I got the Celtics in 7. Who you got?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
My Picks for the NBA Conference Finals
Yeah,..I know I'm a little late, but you know this isn't my day job. So we have two conference finals that seem to be shaping up to be great. Possibly 2 7 game series. Let's start in the East:
Boston - Wow, they finally won a road game. I think they should be given the East Conference Championship just for that. KG has been solid, The Truth has been decent, and we even saw that Ray Allen is still alive (well atleast in one game). My issues with Boston start at the top. Doc, you've played your bench all year and now you're going to tighten your rotation? I know, I know, it's the playoffs,...that's what coaches do. BUT, you have guys in Powe, Davis, Allen, House, and Cassell that can produce, although I probably won't blame you for not playing Cassell as much (he hasn't been the clutch guy they thought they were going to get). Last night the Celtics just got blown out of the water in Detroit and still had opportunities to win the game at the end. Doc, loosen the reigns and let the guys play. If you can get Ray Allen to show up for 3 more games, you guys can go on to the NBA Finals.
Detroit - Did anyone realize how important one hamstring really is? Well, it's worth a lot when he's attached to the body who happens to be the head of the Pistons team. Chauncey is picking his spots, but as we can see, his shot is off right now. We all know his hammy is hurting, but Stuckey is filling in when needed. Has anyone shown more poise on the Detroit team than Stuckey and Maxiell? McDyess is the good guy that the team wants to win a ring for, and he showed up big last night. I'm not sure he's put up a 20+ points and 15+ rebound effort in a while (probably not since his rookie season, I'll get my stat guy to check. Yes, I may be low budget right now, but I have a stat guy). The Pistons seem to be on a mission to make this happen against the Celtics.
My Pick - Celtics in 7. Yes, I'm going against the Pistons. This may be more heart than head, because I want KG to win a ring. This might even make up for Barkley not getting one, but KG deserves a ring (can you feel the emotion?). The Celtics have some work to do but this can happen for them. They need some production from the bench and they need Ray Allen to get more points that shot attempts and they should advance to the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles - Well, nothing more to say really, Kobe was/is the MVP of the league. They have a bomb squad with Gasol, Odom, Walton, Radmanovic, Fisher, Vujacic, Turiaf, Farmar, and all of them are under contract (plus big Bynum is back next year). I think on talent alone the Lakers should win this series. They have the best player in the game in Kobe and he has that 'killer' in him that will not let his team lose. They have played well together and seem to have the chemistry that they have lacked in the past years. Farmar and Vujacic need to stay on their games and Odom has got to dominate his match-up, because the Spurs don't have anyone that can stop him.
San Antonio - You ever been to the Riverwalk? Nice area, good food, good fun,....and that's it. I'm not going to hide it, I don't like the Spurs. Hoped that the Hornets could have gotten them out of the way last series but it wasn't in the cards. Tim Duncan is exactly what he was 5 years ago, minus the athleticism that he's lost, a technically sound big man. If you have a post move that everyone in the gym knows you're going to use and you still use it and get the results, you are good (doesn't hurt that his basketball IQ was grown in ACC country). Tony Parker, is still the same guy that isn't the best shooter, but he seems to effortlessly get to the basket against anyone. The one person on the Spurs that gets that team going is (in my best Charles Barkley voice) Gi-n-o-b-i-l-i!!!!! He stirs the pot right now with his shooting, drives to the hole, and timely passing. Ginobili always seems to be in the middle of a Spurs run. They have a veteran-laden bench that can come in and maintain, but they often don't put up lots of numbers to get their team back into a game.
My Pick - Lakers in 7. Yes, I want to see the Lakers get to the Finals. I probably want to see the Spurs get beaten more than anything. The Lakers have all of the pieces, and we'll see what happens. The Lakers have to stop Ginobili so I expect to see the Mamba on him for the rest of the series. Odom is the key to the series, he's got to abuse whomever he turns to see when he has the ball.
Well, with all of that said,....I reserve the right to make changes to my picks, but until then I'll stick with these. It's great to be me, eh?
Boston - Wow, they finally won a road game. I think they should be given the East Conference Championship just for that. KG has been solid, The Truth has been decent, and we even saw that Ray Allen is still alive (well atleast in one game). My issues with Boston start at the top. Doc, you've played your bench all year and now you're going to tighten your rotation? I know, I know, it's the playoffs,...that's what coaches do. BUT, you have guys in Powe, Davis, Allen, House, and Cassell that can produce, although I probably won't blame you for not playing Cassell as much (he hasn't been the clutch guy they thought they were going to get). Last night the Celtics just got blown out of the water in Detroit and still had opportunities to win the game at the end. Doc, loosen the reigns and let the guys play. If you can get Ray Allen to show up for 3 more games, you guys can go on to the NBA Finals.
Detroit - Did anyone realize how important one hamstring really is? Well, it's worth a lot when he's attached to the body who happens to be the head of the Pistons team. Chauncey is picking his spots, but as we can see, his shot is off right now. We all know his hammy is hurting, but Stuckey is filling in when needed. Has anyone shown more poise on the Detroit team than Stuckey and Maxiell? McDyess is the good guy that the team wants to win a ring for, and he showed up big last night. I'm not sure he's put up a 20+ points and 15+ rebound effort in a while (probably not since his rookie season, I'll get my stat guy to check. Yes, I may be low budget right now, but I have a stat guy). The Pistons seem to be on a mission to make this happen against the Celtics.
My Pick - Celtics in 7. Yes, I'm going against the Pistons. This may be more heart than head, because I want KG to win a ring. This might even make up for Barkley not getting one, but KG deserves a ring (can you feel the emotion?). The Celtics have some work to do but this can happen for them. They need some production from the bench and they need Ray Allen to get more points that shot attempts and they should advance to the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles - Well, nothing more to say really, Kobe was/is the MVP of the league. They have a bomb squad with Gasol, Odom, Walton, Radmanovic, Fisher, Vujacic, Turiaf, Farmar, and all of them are under contract (plus big Bynum is back next year). I think on talent alone the Lakers should win this series. They have the best player in the game in Kobe and he has that 'killer' in him that will not let his team lose. They have played well together and seem to have the chemistry that they have lacked in the past years. Farmar and Vujacic need to stay on their games and Odom has got to dominate his match-up, because the Spurs don't have anyone that can stop him.
San Antonio - You ever been to the Riverwalk? Nice area, good food, good fun,....and that's it. I'm not going to hide it, I don't like the Spurs. Hoped that the Hornets could have gotten them out of the way last series but it wasn't in the cards. Tim Duncan is exactly what he was 5 years ago, minus the athleticism that he's lost, a technically sound big man. If you have a post move that everyone in the gym knows you're going to use and you still use it and get the results, you are good (doesn't hurt that his basketball IQ was grown in ACC country). Tony Parker, is still the same guy that isn't the best shooter, but he seems to effortlessly get to the basket against anyone. The one person on the Spurs that gets that team going is (in my best Charles Barkley voice) Gi-n-o-b-i-l-i!!!!! He stirs the pot right now with his shooting, drives to the hole, and timely passing. Ginobili always seems to be in the middle of a Spurs run. They have a veteran-laden bench that can come in and maintain, but they often don't put up lots of numbers to get their team back into a game.
My Pick - Lakers in 7. Yes, I want to see the Lakers get to the Finals. I probably want to see the Spurs get beaten more than anything. The Lakers have all of the pieces, and we'll see what happens. The Lakers have to stop Ginobili so I expect to see the Mamba on him for the rest of the series. Odom is the key to the series, he's got to abuse whomever he turns to see when he has the ball.
Well, with all of that said,....I reserve the right to make changes to my picks, but until then I'll stick with these. It's great to be me, eh?
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