Okay,
time to face the music. I’ll start by saying the Celtics are
good, real good. They are certainly better than the over-matched
Los Angles Fakers. I missed this one by a mile, the Celtics
thoroughly embarrassed the Lakers on the NBA’s biggest stage.
Kobe looked like an average player with extremely poor shot
selection. He couldn’t get to the basket and settled for way too
many jump shots. Paul Pierce, Finals MVP, had Kobe all
discombobulated. Bryant’s performance has to be up there for the
biggest no show in sports history. For someone who is regarded
as the best player on the planet, he was a shell of what we’ve
seen. This is the Finals, time for prime time players to
step-up. It wasn’t his first appearance either, it’s actually
his 5th, so he should know what to expect. Instead he came out
chucking and was nowhere near his MVP status.
Many of Kobe’s troubles could be directly contributed to the
Celtics swarming defense, most notable Paul Pierce. He played
like an MVP on both ends of the floor, just ask Kobe. With the
star power the Celtics have, Pierce is clearly the best player
on the team. True, Kevin Garnett changed the culture in Boston
and Ray Allen is one of the best pure shooter the NBA has ever
seen, but Pierce just did anything and everything to lead his
team to the title and it started on the defensive end of the
court. With his post season performance, Pierce has put his name
up there with the all-time Celtic greats.
As you may know I was quite sure the Lakers would win this
series, I can’t deny that. I figured with Kobe, Phil Jackson (of
course I was under the impression that Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol
were planning on showing up, they didn’t) the Lakers couldn’t
lose. I guess I can’t go to crazy on Odom and Gasol, heck I also
thought Kobe would show up. Hey, when your wrong your wrong, it
just sucks when your wrong in print. At least I wasn’t the only
person to pick the Lakers, in fact other than true Celtic fans,
not too many people picked the Green and White and honestly
after watching the Finals, I really wonder what I was thinking.
Maybe the Eastern conference is a little better than we all gave
them credit for throughout the season. We knew the East was top
heavy with the Celtics and the Pistons, but all the rage was
about the depth in the West. Then LA preceded to breeze their
way to the Finals. At the same time, the Celtics played a couple
of
Game 7’s and appeared to really labor at times. All of that
added up to an easy pick in my mind, I guess my mind was playing
tricks on me.
One more thing about Kobe and his legacy…let’s just say it took
a bit of hit. To think there were people actually entertaining
the notion that Kobe may be creeping up on Michael Jordan and
his greatness, I wasn’t one of them. Those thoughts should have
been curtailed back in 2004 when the Lakers lost to the Pistons
in the Finals. Let’s not forget MJ and all of his six titles,
never once played in a Game 7 in the NBA Finals, he never let it
get to that. With that said, LeBron James can never be in the
discussion either, after his Cavs lost to the Spurs in last
years Finals. To be considered in the conversation you can’t
lose in the finals, period. It’s the same reason Tom Brady can
never be as good as Joe Montana, not only was Montana 4-4 in
Super Bowls, he never threw an interception. So for all the
Jordan detractors, it’s back to the drawing board.
Speaking of legacy’s, Phil Jackson was unable to surpass Red
Auerbach by capturing his 10th title as a coach. I can’t believe
I’m saying this, but he was actually out coached by Doc Rivers,
last year Doc was lucky to keep his job, now he is an NBA
Champion. What a difference a year makes. Many Boston fans
wondered aloud why on earth they were letting Rivers coach this
team, figuring he could only screw it up. But to his credit,
Danny Ainge stuck with Doc and it worked out pretty well.
Jackson on the other hand really looked disinterested at times.
He was very slow to make even the simple adjustments, I mean he
has coached against teams that use the pick-n-roll before, see
the 1997 and 1998 Finals, his Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz
in six games both years and they had a couple of guys that ran
the pick-n-roll pretty well, does John Stockton and Karl Malone
ring any bells. This series Jackson just seemed to give up and
let Kobe do what he
wanted, almost to prove to him he couldn’t win it by himself, if
that were the case, mission accomplished. So Jackson’s legacy
certainly didn’t take the hit that Kobe’s did, it’s a little
different for a coach, but I’m sure Red is lighting up somewhere
or another and Gino is getting his groove on.
So I guess it will be a steady diet of crow for a while, a few
weeks ago picking the Lakers seemed like a home run, can’t miss
pick. Little did I know just how good Boston was and that is a
bad job by me. They dominated the Fakers it every facet of the
game and pushed Kobe back to the pack. The big question now is
what will the off-season bring for the Lakers? It can’t be worse
that last years, but you have to wonder if Kobe will want to try
again with this group of disappearing acts. And we all know he
calls the shots in LA, so stay tuned.
THE BETTER TEAM
June
11, 2008
We’re
three games in and the home team has done a good job protecting
their court. The Celtics took the first two in Boston and
appeared to be in control of the series, then they boarded the
plane, flew across the country and were reminded how important
playing at home is during the playoffs. Boston was a great road
team during the regular season (31-10), the playoffs have been a
different story all together, with the loss in Game 3, they fell
to 2-8 in the postseason. With the 2-3-2 format for the Finals,
Game 4 becomes an extremely important game for the Celts. Doc
Rivers is on record saying he’s not too fond of the format.
Citing the two important Game 5’s the Celtics played in Boston
against the Hawks and the Cavs. One would have to think the
Lakers are feeling a little more pressure these days, having to
win three straight in LA to avoid having to return to Boston
down 3-2. But momentum is at a premium and no team wants to lose
three straight whether they are heading home or not. So Look for
the Celtics to come out “guns a blazin’” in Game’s 4 & 5.
The series thus far really have been a tale of two cities. The
Lakers were a mere shadow of the team that ran through the
Western Conference on the way to the Finals. Boston’s
aggressiveness and suffocating defense really stymied the Lakers
vaunted offensive attack. They forced Kobe to try and do it all
himself, forcing one tough shot after another, even lashing out
at his teammates on the bench during the 4th quarter of Game
2…hey, whatever works. I’m not going to rip for Kobe for letting
out a little frustration on his side kicks, he’s hardly the
first player to do so, it happens and when it’s followed by a
win, it works for me.
Bryant played a great all around, not forcing anything and
holding Paul Pierce to a woeful 2-14 from the field. He stayed
patient and let the game come to him. He was certainly helped by
sharp shooting Sasha Vujacic, who was unconscious 7-10 from the
field (3-5 from three) including a huge 3 with 1:53 left giving
the Lakers a 81-76 lead. What was impressive about this shot is
that he had the onions to take it. He missed an ill advised 3
early in the shot clock just 33 seconds earlier. A shot that
Kobe was not thrilled with and he let Sasha know it. But, having
the shooter mentality, Vujacic was sure the next one was going
in and he was right.
A big concern for LA has to be the disappearing act from Lamar
Odom and Pau Gasol. The fact they were able to win with their
two big men going a combined 5-18 for just 13 points, has to be
somewhat encouraging to Phil Jackson. They did manage to haul in
21 rebounds and Gasol had a decent second half, but for the
Lakers to have a chance, Odom and Gasol have to come up bigger
than that. Luckily in Game 3 Kevin Garnett (6-21) and Pierce
couldn’t find their stroke from the field either.
All in all, I’m still quite confident in my pick, maybe not in 6
games, but the Lakers will win the series because they are the
better team. It’s obvious the home court means the world in this
series and these playoff for that matter, so as long as the
Lakers take care of theirs I’m confident they can get one in
Boston.
MAMBA TIME
June
3, 2008
Okay
the Finals are set and it's not going to be the Lakers/Pistons,
rather that Lakers and the Celtics, I was half right. I guess
it's a good thing I'm not a vegetarian due to all the crow I've
been forced to eat. I didn't think the Celts had it in them to
win in Detroit (Game 6) and with that said, I figured they had
no shot to win another Game 7 even if it was in Boston. Well,
they took the Pistons best shot completely shut down Rasheed
Wallace and came away with the win and a trip to the Grand Daddy
of them all, the NBA Finals. By the way, did you see the shot of
Wallace after he picked up his 5th foul early in the 4th
quarter? Priceless, not only did ESPN have a camera right in
front of him, but someone thought it would be a good idea to
open up the microphone, well I guess it was. Let's just say,
what Wallace uttered was not fit for TV, but it made me glad I
have a DVR.
I really have to give the Celtics credit, they took it to the
Pistons plain and simple. I figured Detroit's playoff experience
and Boston's lack of would be the difference, it wasn't. The
Pistons blew it, they led by six going into the 4th only to be
outscored 29-13 in the quarter, so much for experience. Kevin
Garnett, who had 16 points and 8 rebounds, frustrated Wallace to
no end, he finished a miserable 2-12 from the field and was
never a factor. The Celts can obviously defend as good as any
team in the league, maybe better and they'll have to if they
want to have any shot against Los Angeles.
I don't think they can defend well enough to stop the offense
juggernaut that is the Lakers, led by the "Mamba" that is Kobe
Bryant. I don't see any way that Kobe gets this close and lets
the opportunity slip through his fingers. He wants so bad to get
a title without Shaq, those counting at home, if he does win
another that will be a total of four rings. It's not just that,
he has a very good team around him. From top to bottom they are
better than the Celtics if you just compare rosters.
There is no sense breaking down who is going to guard Kobe, how
much will he be doubled, it really doesn't matter, Kobe will get
his and his will get some for others as well. But, the match up
to keep an eye on will be KG and Lamar Odom. Odom has always
been a matchup nightmare for opponents, but facing the Celtics
reverses that a bit. Garnett is a superstar that does not have
to score to dominate a game. His lack of scoring down the
stretch has been well documented throughout his career, but so
has his defense. That defensive prowess won him the NBA's
Defensive Player of the Year. His tenacity is contagious and he
is the reason the Celtics defend so well as a team. They defend
better than anyone the Lakers have played this postseason, so LA
will be tested.
How much of a test the Celts will provide is a little cloudy
right now, they won the season series 2-0, but that was prior to
Pau Gasol joining the Purple and Gold and you don't even have to
be an NBA fan to know what a difference he has made. It's quite
remarkable, the chemistry that has developed between Kobe and
Gasol in such a short period of time. It's like Gasol has been
playing in the triangle offense his whole life, he hasn't. I'm
not going to give Mitch Kupchick credit for seeing that when he
made the trade, when someone offers you a player of Gasol's
caliber and you don't have to give up anyone from your rotation,
you do it and work out the rest later. In this case, the rest
worked itself out.
One big concern the Lakers do have is their lack of rebounding.
If the Lakers don't hit the boards it could lead to their
demise, but I don't think that is going to happen. There will be
no crow eating after this series. That much is certain. Lakers
in six.
BOSTON OR DETROIT?
May
30, 2008
The
Lakers are in and it certainly appears that the Celtics will
join them...ahh the NBA big wigs can let out a collective sigh
of relief. Not so fast.I picked the Pistons to play the Lakers
in the Finals before the playoffs began and I'm sticking to it.
I realize they have an uphill battle in store, but mind you that
battle starts in the Palace at Auburn Hills where the Pistons
are quite comfortable, 6-2 in the postseason.
The injury bug has struck the Pistons as of late, if they take
the court at all, Billups and Hamilton are far from 100%,
Rasheed Wallace is a technical away from missing some
significant time, it's all significant this time of year. The
Celtics on the other hand are playing with a full deck and to
their credit, hold a 3-1 Eastern Conference Finals lead. The
last thing they want is to play another Game 7, even if it is in
Boston, especially with the Lakers resting and waiting. The core
of this Pistons team has been through the battles and now what
it takes to win a Championship. The Celtics are still learning
and really getting their money's worth, having already played in
two series that have gone the distance, so if they don't close
out Detroit in Game 6, winning a third Game 7 may be too much to
ask. And I don't think they'll (Celts) win Game 6 so look out
Bean Town, question is will the third time be a charm?? In my
opinion it doesn't matter who wins the East, because the Lakers
are clearly the best team in the NBA. They continue to show it
every time they take the court. Spurs fans complain all they
want about the officiating in the Western Conference Finals, but
the Lakers are the better team.
Kobe is playing at the highest level of his career and that is
saying something, considering he is a three time NBA Champion.
This is undoubtly his team, it looks like the Lakers made the
right decision opting to build around Kobe rather than Shaq.
Kobe has a cast of teammates he trusts and for good reason.
Obviously getting Pau Gasol was a turning point for the Purple
and Gold, but so was losing Andrew Bynum. Would they be where
they are had Bynum not gone down and they had never obtained
Gasol, well we'll never know for sure. But one thing is for
sure, this team is stacked, top to bottom. We could throw up a
list of names - Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Vladimir
Radmanovic, Jordan Farmar, Vladimir Radmanovic - but one of the
unsung hero of this squad has been Derek Fisher.
He has had an interesting journey back to Los Angles for sure.
After playing a big role for the Utah Jazz last year, Fisher
asked to be let go by the Jazz so he could get his daughter the
best medical care he could, the Jazz obliged. He ended up back
in LA, which worked out well for the Lakers indeed. It allowed
Farmar to play behind an experienced veteran with championship
experience. The problem I have with this is the Utah fans that
booed Fisher every chance they got this year. Here is a guy who
had no choice but to seek the best medical attention available,
that journey took him back to LA. A man has a right to make a
living for crying out loud. Utah fans should be ashamed of
themselves and I hope they are still booing while they watch the
games from their homes, I'm sure they are quite horse by now.
A Lakers - Celtics Finals would be everything the NBA hoped for,
heck it's the title of Electronic Arts first basketball video
game, it was actually called "Lakers vs. Celtics and the rest of
the NBA playoffs" Of course the company is now simply known as
EA and the basketball series is called NBA Live and it's great
by the way (for Play Station 3). With a 3-1 lead they may just
get their wish, but I think the Pistons will play spoiler. If
they don't, I will eat crow, but I have to stick with my gut. It
doesn't hurt either that my editor is a big Celtics fan, so
let's see if he prints this.
THE "IT" FACTOR
May
8, 2008
The
Celtics make a statement in Game 7 against Atlanta and survive
to take a 1-0 lead against LeBron and the Cavs. LeBron had a
dreadful game, going just 2-18 from the field and turning the
ball over 10 times. Kind of reminds you of Michael Jordan
huh?!?! Enough with the comparisons to MJ, James isn't even
close to having what Jordan had. Sure he's big, 6-8 250lbs. and
has unusual athleticism for a man his size, for a man any size
for that matter. But let's not forget what we saw when MJ took
the court, for my money he is the best athlete to ever walk the
planet in any sport.
I think it boils down to having this guy shoved in our face
since he was 14 years old and billed as the next Jordan then.
And why is everyone compared to MJ right away, why not compare
these up and comers to Kobe first. He does have three titles
remember. And let's not just dismiss Kobe's three rings because
he won them with Shaq. We judge players based on their
Championship rings or lack thereof, just ask Charles Barkley,
Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing. With that said, we can't just
forget about Kobe's because he won them with the Big Fella, that
is just ridiculous. Kobe was just as big a part of those titles
as Shaq and Phil Jackson. Maybe when Kobe gets his fourth ring
this year, people will appreciate him a little more. The Jazz
are a good team, but they can't match-up with the Lakers.
Back to the LeBron case, he has been exposed a bit this year. I
really don't think he wants to take that last shot, he looks
scared. He passes up to many open looks in big moments, not
necessarily at the end of the game, but throughout. As strange
as this may sound, I think he tries too hard to do the "right"
thing. He is a lot like Alex Rodriguez is many ways, they are
both thought of as the best in their respective sports, but yet
there are many guys you'd rather have in a big spot. Talent wise
they are both unparalleled, yet they don't seem to have that
"it" factor and that is something you can't teach, if they don't
have it now, they never will.
Speaking of the "it" factor, how about Chris Paul and the New
Orleans Hornets? They have held home court and appear to have
the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on the ropes. Paul has
made Tony Parker, who has never been much of a defender, look
lost. Gregg Popovich said this of Paul, "He runs an organized
playground." Hey, whatever works. The Spurs have found
themselves in a must win game in San Antonio for Game 3. No one
is counting them out yet, but the chips are certainly stacked
against them. The Fact they had leads at halftime in both Games
1 & 2 and were blown out in the second half, has to be alarming
to Popovich. The Spurs have suddenly looked old on the court,
Duncan has yet to get going, Manu Ginobili has been average and
Parker has been humbled by CP3. We all know the series doesn't
really begin until the home team loses, the Hornets took the
first two in New Orleans so it's the Spurs turn to protect the
Alamo. There may be a new sheriff in town and I think you know
his name.CP3.
The Magic got a win, albeit it took Chauncey Billups straining
his right hamstring to assure it, but in the playoffs you take
it anyway you get it. Billups will be reevaluated and his status
is uncertain for Game 4 and without him, the Pistons might
be in trouble. Orlando's big three have been big this post
season. Rashard Lewis dropped 33 in Game 3, Dwight "Super Man"
Howard and Hedo Turkoglu have both been a model of consistency .
I'm sure Jameer Nelson is eagerly anticipating whether or not
Billups will return. Rookie Rodney Stuckey filled in nicely, but
Chauncey Billups is the Pistons quarterback, they can't afford
for him to miss any more time. Orlando has played well this post
season and maybe deserved a little break like this, they
certainly took advantage of it, blowing the Pistons out of the
gym, outscoring them 38-17 in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Even
if Billups does come back, this may have instilled just enough
confidence in the Magic to get another win or two or maybe even
three.
THE WIDE-OPEN EASTERN
CONFERENCE
April 30, 2008
The
playoffs are off and running and with all the hype surrounding
the parity of the West and the top heavy East, let's just say,
that's why they play the games. All year we've heard how the
Celtics and the Pistons just may be the best two teams in the
NBA, let alone the East. Now they are both locked into to first
round dogfights.
The Lakers made quick work of the defenseless Nuggets. Just
seven games separated these two teams in the regular season. The
playoffs are a different beast. The Nuggets became the first
50-win team to be swept in the opening round. I'm not sure what
to make of that. I guess it means the Lakers are real good. I'm
sure I'm the first to write that. That is what you get here,
original content.
The Spurs are pretty good also. They took care of the Suns in
five games, although this series was a lot closer than the 4-1
final may appear. The Shaq experiment didn't go all that well,
but let's be honest, the Spurs were just better. The future is
looking a little cloudy for Phoenix these days. Steve Kerr put a
lot of eggs in that Shaq basket. I'm not sure it was a total
failure though. I don't see Shawn Marion getting the Suns past
the Spurs. If Mike D'Antoni is out, I'm sure he could expect a
call from Donnie Walsh, the Knicks have a vacancy you know and
so do the Bulls. You have to wonder if a team will ever win in
the NBA with that run and gun style? But heck, what do the
Knicks have to lose?
The free fall is complete. Marc Cuban has officially made a mess
of the Mavs. I'm not sure this is what he had in mind when he
acquired Jason Kidd. I'm assuming another first-round departure
was not it. Getting removed as the head coach was certainly not
what Avery Johnson had in mind. The Mavs were lost in this
series and I was surprised they won a game. In Game 3 Dirk
imposed his will and reminded us he still is a great player, 32
points and 19 rebounds will do that to a memory. This Hornets
team has a shot to make some more noise. Chris Paul's greatness
has been well documented, but let's look a little deeper. David
West is turning into a star and Peja Stojaovic has had a
reawaking, but how about sixth man extraordinaire Jannero Pargo.
Where did this guy come from? He's made his rounds in the
league, was a Laker, a Bull, a Raptor and now a Hornet. He only
averaged 8.1 points a game this year, up to 14.6 in the
playoffs. He's been instant offense off the bench for the
surging Hornets and a bargain at $2 million a year. If the
Hornets are to continue to move on, Pargo will be play a big
role.
The Magic ousted the Raptors in five games and I have to say
this one surprised me. I actually thought the Raptors would win
this series, but Dwight Howard was just too much to handle. He
averaged 22.6 points 18.2 rebounds and 3.8 blocks for the series
(all numbers are up from the regular season) including three
games of 20+ points and rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu lived up to his
Most Improved Player award by being a worthy side kick to both
Howard and Rashard Lewis. Or maybe Lewis is a sidekick to
Turkoglu and Howard? I guess it doesn't matter. Either way the
Magic advance, thanks to all three. Almost like a big three.
Almost.
Speaking of a Big Three, how about those upstart Atlanta Hawks?
No one saw this coming, including Hawks management. They are too
busy fighting amongst themselves. But their play on the court
has the Celtics and their Big 3, fighting for the playoff lives.
You could almost see Atlanta getting Game 3, I didn't, but some
may have. But Game 4, c'mon, they were trailing by 10 points
going into the fourth quarter. 60 win teams are not supposed to
lose these games in the playoffs. The Celtics look scared. Maybe
I'm getting ahead of myself here, but would a first round exit
for the Celts be worse than the Patriots finishing 18-1? Not
sure that we'll find that out, but it makes ya' think. With that
said, I think this one is going seven and then all bets are off.
Joe Johnson's (pictured above) 4th quarter performance in Game 4
(20 points, while the Celtics had 17 as a team) was the stuff
that legends are made of. Now let's see if he can repeat it in
Boston.
The Pistons appear to have taken back control of their series
with the 76ers. It's not over yet and I put nothing past this
Sixers team and as talented as he is, Rasheed Wallace could
change the series with a untimely blowup. Watching these games
Detroit just doesn't look in sync. For a team with all of their
playoff experience, they appear to have that deer in the
headlights look first time playoff teams tend to have. These are
the big bad Pistons though, I think Flip Saunders days are
numbered if this team doesn't at least make it to the Conference
Finals. The big question is, who will be there to play them? The
top heavy East is all shook up.
LeBron and his Cavs appear to be on the verge of knocking out
the Wizards for the third year in a row. What can you say? I
don't think Cleveland is that good, so by that math, the Wizards
must be worse. Does that even make sense? Anyway, Washington
appears to be heading for rebuilding. Antawn Jamison is heading
for free agency and will have many suiters. With the top dogs
(Celts and Pistons) showing vulnerability the Cavs could come
out of the East again. I'm not knocking LeBron here, well I
guess I am, but he seems more concerned with being liked by
everyone than winning games. He is ultra talented and he wins
games with that, but I personally think he lacks that killer
drive that it will take to carry this Cavalier team to a
championship. I think he will get a ring before he's done, but
it's gonna take a while.
And finally it's the forgotten series between the Jazz and the
Rockets. Without Yao, the Rockets have no chance in the West.
The Jazz, on the other hand, have a legitimate shot of winning
it all. They play in Utah, so let's just say they fly under the
radar a bit. The rest of the league is aware though, that is for
sure. They are a complete team, Boozer is a stud, Mehmet Okur is
a player, Andrei Kirilenko does it all, Kyle Korver can stretch
a defense and Deron Williams is right there with Nash, Paul and
Tony Parker. Jerry Sloan knows how to get a team ready to play,
he's been doing it for many years. The Rockets have hung tough
winning two games, one of them coming in Utah, where the Jazz
lost just four games all season. So it looks a little bleak for
Houston.
TAKING YOUR LUNCH MONEY
April 22, 2008
The post season has begun and not a moment too soon. The 2008
playoffs may be the most anticipated of all time. With just
seven games separating first and eighth in the West and the
resurgence of the Boston Celtics in the East, this should be an
enjoyable ride. Early on some questions have already been
answered, Chris Paul is ready for prime time, the Lakers are
good and the Pistons better wake up.
The Mavericks have been free falling since there first round
collapse last year against the Warriors. They traded for Jason
Kidd and preceded to limp into the playoffs with a seven seed.
If Game 1 was any indicator, they may have been better suited to
hang onto Devin Harris. I'm certain he could have played matador
defense on Chris Paul, who thoroughly embarrassed Kidd to the
tune of 35 points 10 assists 4 steals and just 1, yes 1
turnover. He seems to really enjoy taking Kidd's lunch money.
It's no secret the role Kidd played in getting Byron Scott fired
as the New Jersey Nets coach after consecutive Finals
appearances. Be careful what you wish for. I realize it's only
Game 1, but I think the writing is on the wall for this one.
All in all, maybe I'm being a little hard on Kidd, Chris Paul is
playing on another level. I'm not sure anyone could slow
him down. I'm sure the Mavs will try, I'm assuming they didn't
try in Game 1, but it will ultimately be for naught. Other
than Kobe Bryant (this years MVP, Paul is a close second) no one
is playing better that the aforementioned Mr. Paul.
On to the Lakers, who are as good as advertised. Pau Gasol had a
pretty impressive playoff debut himself. Coming just two assists
shy of a triple double with 36 points 16 boards and 4 blocks.
Kobe was just being Kobe scoring 18 of his 32 in the final eight
minutes of the Lakers 128-114 win over the Nuggets. Let's just
say it, Denver plays NO defense, I know it's cliché, but we
should refer to them as the Enver Nuggets (that was just too
easy).
They may steal a game in Denver if they can get Melo and A.I.
going, but I doubt it. Los Angles is just too deep and lets not
forget the lynch pin of the whole team, Lamar Odom. At 6-10, he
is a nightmare to match-up with, Kenyon Martin has no shot.
George Karl's team looked unprepared, which could lead to him
looking for another job. The Lakers look well on their way, but
I'm sure the Spurs will be prepared if that match-up comes to
fruition. Stay tuned.
The biggest surprise thus far has certainly been the 76ers going
into the Palace and taking Game 1 against the Pistons.
Detroit blew a 15 point 3rd quarter lead and got out scored
27-16 in the 4th. That is certainly very un-Piston like. This
is a veteran squad that should be able to rebound from a home
loss in Game 1, but you never know. The Pistons are a team that
has plenty of playoff experience, 678 games compared to just 95
from the Sixers roster, so you have to wonder how this happened?
Game 2 has turned into a must win for the Pistons, the Sixers
had a great second half to the season and are certainly playing
with house money now and that makes them very dangerous. Look
out Detroit.
As expected the Celtics took care of business against the Hawks
and the Spurs won an overtime thriller against the Suns.
Orlando got 25 points and 22 rebounds from young stud Dwight
Howard as the Magic won quite easily over the Raptors. Despite
the return of "Agent 0" the Wizards find themselves trailing the
Cavs 2-0 heading back to Washington and the Jazz will head home
to the comfy confines of Utah leading the Rockets 2-0.
Okay,
time to face the music. I’ll start by saying the Celtics are
good, real good. They are certainly better than the over-matched
Los Angles Fakers. I missed this one by a mile, the Celtics
thoroughly embarrassed the Lakers on the NBA’s biggest stage.
Kobe looked like an average player with extremely poor shot
selection. He couldn’t get to the basket and settled for way too
many jump shots. Paul Pierce, Finals MVP, had Kobe all
discombobulated. Bryant’s performance has to be up there for the
biggest no show in sports history. For someone who is regarded
as the best player on the planet, he was a shell of what we’ve
seen. This is the Finals, time for prime time players to
step-up. It wasn’t his first appearance either, it’s actually
his 5th, so he should know what to expect. Instead he came out
chucking and was nowhere near his MVP status. 
