By MC
The L.A. Lakers have returned to the NBA Finals. It's the 30th time that half of the NBA Finals banner has been clad in purple and gold.
Meanwhile, out East, as this piece is being written, the Orlando Magic, who hold a 3-2 series lead over the Lebron-led Cleveland Cavaliers, are inching closer and closer to their 2nd ever NBA Finals appearance. A double digit margin currently seperates the Magic and the Cavs, with the former being in the lead. Dwight Howard's been unstoppable thus far in Game 6, and Orlando's 3-point shooting has been sensational.
Let's look ahead, shall we?
Assuming the Magic fend off King James and his court tonight, the Lakers will be meeting Orlando for the NBA crown for the first time. One would, in this case, typically assume the following things:
-Dwight Howard will not make his free throws. The Lakers should use the Hack-A-Dwight method extensively to neutralize his effectivity.
*Answer: Hey, Howard isn't Mark Price (nice pun there...Price was a Cavalier...hehe), but then, Dwight's made free throws, so far, when they've counted. So, before one assumes that Howard is the second coming of Ben Wallace (another Cavalier pun) at the 4.5 meter line, watch some game footage, then reset your strategy.
-Pau Gasol will be eaten alive inside by Dwight Howard.
*Answer: Not necessarily. Gasol does have the tendency to seem a bit disinterested at times, but when he's locked on to playing hard, and aggressive, Pau's a bonafide All-Star. Just ask the Denver Nuggets. The Spanish phenom's shake n' bake moves and timely midrange jumpers helped solidify the Lakers' dominance of the upstart Colorado kids.
-Orlando's 3 point shooting will kill the Lakers.
*Answer: To assume this would be foolhardy. LA is a formidable defensive team on the perimeter, with stoppers like Odom, Ariza, and Kobe leading the charge. If the Andrew Bynum that the Lakers believe Bynum can be shows up on defense to somehow quell Dwight Howard's effectivity, alongside having the Magic's perimeter personnel covered by the Lakers' wingmen, then Los Angeles will have a chance. Believe it.
-Kobe Bryant will have the whole world in his hands.
*Answer: Yes, but whether his team wins or loses ultimately depends on whether those around him play motivated or otherwise. The jury is still out on this one.
-An LA-Orlando series will be too close to call.
*Answer: Although it's no guarantee, I think that this will be a tight matchup. Orlando's youth and athleticism, when pitted against the Lakers' veteran savvy, should make for intriguing basketball. While there are vagaries that surround how the young Magic will handle NBA Finals-level pressure and whether the Lakers will find enough toughness as a unit to survive the grittier games, this series, I think, should draw the best out of both squads. They're both hungry, pretty evenly matched in all positions, and have deep benches. Prepare for a great hoops fiesta over the next 7 games, ballers.
-Marcin Gortat will hit someone with his patented, "Polish Hammer".
*Answer: Maybe once or twice, perhaps on Pau Gasol.
-Trevor Ariza will intercept a crucial pass or two.
*Answer: Nuggets, Nuggets, where art thou?
-Shaquille O'Neal will suddenly want to join his former team.
*Answer: You betcha. :)
(Update: The Magic have beaten Lebron and co. to earn their first trip to the finals since '95. Do Nick Anderson one better by not choking under pressure this time, okay? Congratulations, Orlando!)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
NBA Today- 5/10/2009
by Migs
Bad to worse, say I.
In Houston, the Rockets have lost all-star center Yao Ming to a hairline fracture in his right foot. For those who did not get to catch the tail end of the 3rd game of the Lakers and Rockets series, Yao persisted in playing through obvious pain in his foot in an effort to try and get to cut into the Lakers' lead. The big man grimaced each time down the court as Kobe and co. dismantled the home team towards taking a 2-1 series lead.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Texas, the Dallas Mavericks suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets, 106-105. Denver now leads the series, 3-0.
The catch here? The Mavericks felt that they were cheated, but then, had they managed to pull away, Carmelo Anthony's final 3 wouldn't have meant as much, but that's another story.
With a couple of seconds left, 'Melo drove to right cornercourt, while being bumped around by Dallas swingman Antoine Wright, and consequently, swished in a go-ahead trey. The Mavs had a foul to give at that juncture, a foul which the referees refused to call despite Wright's physical defense. With a second left, Dirk and the Mavericks got the ball back, with one final chance to take the lead. Desperation heave. Airball. Nuggets win.
That's when chaos ensued.
Mark Cuban runs over to the scorers table and shares some expletives with NBA officials. Mavericks cagers exchange words with Nuggets players, and Lord knows fellows like Kenyon Martin won't back down once the chips are down in this case. Point is, Dallas lost a heartbreaker, and while Cuban will probably be fined and reviews will probably be done, the Nuggets will still be up, 3-0, with 4 to play.
One school of thought in this case would suggest that:
-Wright should have sold his foul better without it looking flagrant. He should have not stopped on the move until he heard a whistle blown.
-The Playoffs are the Playoffs. No ticky tack fouls here. As with baskets, fouls, too, must be earned- especially during the endgame.
Another perspective on the matter, meanwhile, would say:
-A foul is a foul. The referees could have given Carmelo Anthony the "superstar treatment" in this case.
-Rick Carlisle and Mark Cuban said it best: "Foul shooting should be a science, not an art."
"What could have been" is something which, in this case, can only be left to speculation, even if Joel Litvin, President of League and Basketball Operations, stated two hours after the Denver-Dallas tiff that, “At the end of the Dallas-Denver game this evening, the officials missed an intentional foul committed by Antoine Wright on Carmelo Anthony, just prior to Anthony’s three-point basket."
What good will that do anyone now? Maybe they could do a Miami-Atlanta and replay the last few seconds of regulation a few days from now.
Or not.
Speaking of the woebegone Hawks, Lebron James and the Cavaliers joined the Nuggets as members of the 3-0 series league club when the beat the said Hawks, 97-82 earlier today. Number 23 scored 47 points, grabbed 12 caroms, and dished out 8 dimes- giving out a performance worthy of legend. Atlanta kept it reasonably close early, but then, the Hawks' offensive anemia cost them. Tempers flared in the 3rd period, too, which led to the ejection of Zaza Pachulia. From that point forward, it was downhill for the Georgians who barely got into the 2nd round to begin with.
And oh, Josh Smith missed another dunk.
I suppose that based on what we've witnessed in the NBA world today, we can safely say that indeed, some things never do change.
**God bless Chuck Daly, the former Pistons and Team USA coach who passed away today due to pancreatic cancer. Yours truly has lost a relative to pancreatic cancer, and knows how traumatic an experience having such an ailment can be, an yours truly also knows how to appreciate basketball genius, ergo, it is only fitting that Mr. Daly be given ample tributes by his peers and fans alike. Thanks for being a good influence on the game, Chuck- even if you did give the NBA the "Bad Boys". Rest in peace.
+++
Bad to worse, say I.
In Houston, the Rockets have lost all-star center Yao Ming to a hairline fracture in his right foot. For those who did not get to catch the tail end of the 3rd game of the Lakers and Rockets series, Yao persisted in playing through obvious pain in his foot in an effort to try and get to cut into the Lakers' lead. The big man grimaced each time down the court as Kobe and co. dismantled the home team towards taking a 2-1 series lead.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Texas, the Dallas Mavericks suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets, 106-105. Denver now leads the series, 3-0.
The catch here? The Mavericks felt that they were cheated, but then, had they managed to pull away, Carmelo Anthony's final 3 wouldn't have meant as much, but that's another story.
With a couple of seconds left, 'Melo drove to right cornercourt, while being bumped around by Dallas swingman Antoine Wright, and consequently, swished in a go-ahead trey. The Mavs had a foul to give at that juncture, a foul which the referees refused to call despite Wright's physical defense. With a second left, Dirk and the Mavericks got the ball back, with one final chance to take the lead. Desperation heave. Airball. Nuggets win.
That's when chaos ensued.
Mark Cuban runs over to the scorers table and shares some expletives with NBA officials. Mavericks cagers exchange words with Nuggets players, and Lord knows fellows like Kenyon Martin won't back down once the chips are down in this case. Point is, Dallas lost a heartbreaker, and while Cuban will probably be fined and reviews will probably be done, the Nuggets will still be up, 3-0, with 4 to play.
One school of thought in this case would suggest that:
-Wright should have sold his foul better without it looking flagrant. He should have not stopped on the move until he heard a whistle blown.
-The Playoffs are the Playoffs. No ticky tack fouls here. As with baskets, fouls, too, must be earned- especially during the endgame.
Another perspective on the matter, meanwhile, would say:
-A foul is a foul. The referees could have given Carmelo Anthony the "superstar treatment" in this case.
-Rick Carlisle and Mark Cuban said it best: "Foul shooting should be a science, not an art."
"What could have been" is something which, in this case, can only be left to speculation, even if Joel Litvin, President of League and Basketball Operations, stated two hours after the Denver-Dallas tiff that, “At the end of the Dallas-Denver game this evening, the officials missed an intentional foul committed by Antoine Wright on Carmelo Anthony, just prior to Anthony’s three-point basket."
What good will that do anyone now? Maybe they could do a Miami-Atlanta and replay the last few seconds of regulation a few days from now.
Or not.
Speaking of the woebegone Hawks, Lebron James and the Cavaliers joined the Nuggets as members of the 3-0 series league club when the beat the said Hawks, 97-82 earlier today. Number 23 scored 47 points, grabbed 12 caroms, and dished out 8 dimes- giving out a performance worthy of legend. Atlanta kept it reasonably close early, but then, the Hawks' offensive anemia cost them. Tempers flared in the 3rd period, too, which led to the ejection of Zaza Pachulia. From that point forward, it was downhill for the Georgians who barely got into the 2nd round to begin with.
And oh, Josh Smith missed another dunk.
I suppose that based on what we've witnessed in the NBA world today, we can safely say that indeed, some things never do change.
**God bless Chuck Daly, the former Pistons and Team USA coach who passed away today due to pancreatic cancer. Yours truly has lost a relative to pancreatic cancer, and knows how traumatic an experience having such an ailment can be, an yours truly also knows how to appreciate basketball genius, ergo, it is only fitting that Mr. Daly be given ample tributes by his peers and fans alike. Thanks for being a good influence on the game, Chuck- even if you did give the NBA the "Bad Boys". Rest in peace.
+++
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Pacman and Winter Wonderland.
(Photo from CBSSports.Com)
by Migs
Manny Pacquiao has won- again.
But no one expected things to be this easy- not even his trainer, Freddie Roach.
After all of the verbal jabs thrown by Pacquiao's camp to that of Hatton and vice-versa, one would have anticipated that behind that, one would have already studied the other's strategy thoroughly, so as to make for a fight that would last, say, 5-8 rounds. That wasn't the case here, evidently.
Hatton's always been known to be an "offense-first" fighter, and Manny, under the tutelage of Roach, has evolved into a thinking man's fighter- a far cry from the Pacquiao of the late nineties and of early this decade who would burst out of the box, guns blazing, each and every time, irregardless of the circumstances.
At the 2:59 mark of the second round, the fight was done. A left hook did the Brit in. Pacquiao, the native of General Santos City in the Philippines, was, humself "Surprised that the fight was so easy."
After watching replays from the fight, I was stunned at how open Hatton was at times, and why Floyd Mayweather, Sr. didn't see this coming. Hatton could have done a little more shaking-and-baking, could have moved his head more to create potential diversions, and could have thrown fewer errant punches which inevitably left him off balance. Maybe Mayweather did see this coming, but simply refused to believe it. Whatever the case, the more well-rounded pugilist won this battle, and with the final verse of "Winter Wonderland" came a swan song for the cocky Hatton.
When it snows, ain't it thrilling
Though your nose gets a chilling
We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way
Walking in a winter wonderland
Is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. next on Pacman's list? That remains to be seen, but for now, I think, pundits would be better served to redefine what can happen in a blink of an eye. Someone's nose got a "chilling" indeed, and at least for today, the English have to chew on that, as the those on the side of the adversaries of the "People's Champion" have had to do repeatedly over the last few years.
He's my kind of boxing champion, no question about it. Is he my kind of politician, though? That, kids, is a whole other issue which I'd rather not get into.
+++
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Celtic Pride.
By Migs
After seven death-defying contests, the defending champion Boston Celtics have prevailed over he pesky Chicago Bulls.
This victory couldn't have come a moment too soon for either team.
The Bulls' youth showed in Game 7. The Bulls failed to adjust during pick and roll situations which made bigs like Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins seem like Shaq and Duncan in their prime. Paul Pierce still managed to get to wherever he wanted, and instead of doing single coverage on him, the Bulls doubled him constantly, leaving then sizziling shooters like Ray Allen and Eddie House (who didn't miss a free throw or field goal) to shoot daggers into the hearts of the visitors from Chi-town. Derrick Rose and Brad Miller dribbled way too much, and Joakim Noah's energy worked against him, as evidenced by the number of ill-advised fouls he committed. All in all, Boston ran an offensive clinic aganist a Bulls team that, in truth, "got lucky".
Ben Gordon scored 33 points for the Bulls, but only shot 7-23 from the floor, with 4-12 coming from behind the arc. While Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose scored 18 on 9-18 shooting, his lack of consistency made it hard for Chicago establish a good offensive flow. The Celtics amped up their defense in this game, too, forcing the young Bulls to take way too many jumpshots.
To me, the real X-Factors in this 7th game for the defending champions were Perkins and Davis, who combined for 29 points and 15 boards on 50% shooting. I realize that such sounds like a Dwight Howard statline, but with Kevin Garnett out, and with most eyes being on Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo, the contributions of the Celtics' "big trees" proved to be invaluable in securing a ticket to the Eastern Conference semis.
The Bulls enter an offseason, still, defined by promise. Tyrus Thomas has developed himself into a more than serviceable energy player off the bench, and his newly-found 17 foot jumper has made him that much more dangerous. Joakim Noah- assuming he finds a way to mellow down when he has to- will become an even better player than the one we see today. Ben Gordon will be a free agent, and whether or not the Bulls re-sign him or not, Chicago's savvy top brass, led by GM John Paxson, should be able to bring someone back who can match- or surpass- Gordon's scoring prowess. John Salmons has proven himself to be one of the top pickups of the season, and with a little more playoff seasoning, he could potentially blossom into a Josh Howard-ish type of cager. Derrick Rose is star, and with more experience, he should help continue to redefine the point guard position for this generation- and the next.
7 games, a lot of extra TV time, and a whole lot of close calls later, we'd expect that we'd have time to catch our breath. Not so.
Things should only get more thrilling from hereon in.
After seven death-defying contests, the defending champion Boston Celtics have prevailed over he pesky Chicago Bulls.
This victory couldn't have come a moment too soon for either team.
The Bulls' youth showed in Game 7. The Bulls failed to adjust during pick and roll situations which made bigs like Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins seem like Shaq and Duncan in their prime. Paul Pierce still managed to get to wherever he wanted, and instead of doing single coverage on him, the Bulls doubled him constantly, leaving then sizziling shooters like Ray Allen and Eddie House (who didn't miss a free throw or field goal) to shoot daggers into the hearts of the visitors from Chi-town. Derrick Rose and Brad Miller dribbled way too much, and Joakim Noah's energy worked against him, as evidenced by the number of ill-advised fouls he committed. All in all, Boston ran an offensive clinic aganist a Bulls team that, in truth, "got lucky".
Ben Gordon scored 33 points for the Bulls, but only shot 7-23 from the floor, with 4-12 coming from behind the arc. While Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose scored 18 on 9-18 shooting, his lack of consistency made it hard for Chicago establish a good offensive flow. The Celtics amped up their defense in this game, too, forcing the young Bulls to take way too many jumpshots.
To me, the real X-Factors in this 7th game for the defending champions were Perkins and Davis, who combined for 29 points and 15 boards on 50% shooting. I realize that such sounds like a Dwight Howard statline, but with Kevin Garnett out, and with most eyes being on Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo, the contributions of the Celtics' "big trees" proved to be invaluable in securing a ticket to the Eastern Conference semis.
The Bulls enter an offseason, still, defined by promise. Tyrus Thomas has developed himself into a more than serviceable energy player off the bench, and his newly-found 17 foot jumper has made him that much more dangerous. Joakim Noah- assuming he finds a way to mellow down when he has to- will become an even better player than the one we see today. Ben Gordon will be a free agent, and whether or not the Bulls re-sign him or not, Chicago's savvy top brass, led by GM John Paxson, should be able to bring someone back who can match- or surpass- Gordon's scoring prowess. John Salmons has proven himself to be one of the top pickups of the season, and with a little more playoff seasoning, he could potentially blossom into a Josh Howard-ish type of cager. Derrick Rose is star, and with more experience, he should help continue to redefine the point guard position for this generation- and the next.
7 games, a lot of extra TV time, and a whole lot of close calls later, we'd expect that we'd have time to catch our breath. Not so.
Things should only get more thrilling from hereon in.
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