Dont' hold your breath for...

This are the thing you are not going to see happening this season:

1. I don't see the Celtics repeating. The hunger will be there but the health and those lucky bounces might not be there this year. And the chances of a team as soft as the Lakers getting out of the West are very poor.

2. The Knicks wining more than 34 games. There's going to be trades, lineup shuffling, mardbury complains,etc..just keeping the drama going.

3. Jermaine O'neal is not coming back to his old form pre-melee. I like the guy, he's a great post player and we don't much of those left and I just hope he plays enough time and there's enough game in him to open up the game a little for Chris Bosh

4. Corey Maggette celebrating a championship (I know cheap shot for selecting the Warriors over the Spurs)

5. The Suns getting out of the first round. They do have enough talent in there for a 55 win season but I don't care how much the slow down I can't see Amare , Nash and Shaq defeating the Spurs, Hornets or Jazz.

6. Lebron's first ring. Might be his MVP season ( if he doesn't start cruising 20 games in the season) but Mo Williams doesn't strike as the Scottie Pippen type of player and their shooters have never been that stone cold!

7. The Pistons holding their fourth O'brien Trophy. I think this guys' run ended in Lebron's 48 point game. They need to retool and pronto.

8. The Hornets having another season like last one. Something tells me this guys are going to take a step back, maybe Chandler or West but I'm see them as a 6th or 5th seed and get kick in their buts by the Lakers or Jazz at some point in the playoffs.

9. Bibby staying in Atlanta. Come on, seriously? What's that guy doing there?!

10. Michael Beasley competing and behaving. I just get a weird vibe from this guy. When the Heat are 8-20 and the Wolves just beat the crap out of them by 36 you are going to see the real Michael Beasley

11. Gilbert Arenas earning his money. But he can write a mean wicked blog!

12. The Nuggets in the playoffs unless the new Melo Carmelo has been talking about is actually Lebron James.

13. The Blazers reaching the 40 win plateau. I know they are the fashion team and everything but Oden still not ready, although 2 block shots per game is almost a guarantee. They need to trade somebody of their young guns and again just a gut feeling they may regrese a little bit on us.

Yes I'm alive

Somebody asked me back then when the Celtics where up 3-1 against the Lakers what does an NBA blogger does in the offseason? Start blogging about soccer or baseball? Well I had the most clever response 'cause I actually had a plan for this offseason. To huge ( i mean huge) proyects to take the Basketball Gods to the new level. Suddenly mine niner to fiver got a little needed so I had to stay there a couple of day for a cuople of weeks. After that I was too tired went to a vacation wrote one entry, and dissappear for the next 3 months. The proyects are still up, I'm still standing, hoping this next season brings us more competitiveness as the last season brought us.

Game on, Basketball Gods

Draft, Free Agency and Old Stuff

Finally I got dtoxed from all the NBA playoffs and finals posts. I missed posting about the entire draft and pretty much the enture free Agency. I have my reasons and they are not cool or fun so I'm not sharing them! I would share a couple of thoughts that had pop up in my head during this postless time:

• I love the beach
• My work is so boring!
• One can't really compare what Elton Brand did with what Boozer did like 3 year ago to Cleveland. It was brand option to opt out of his contract. He said thing that point to him returning to the Clippers. The signing of Baron Davis was partly because of him and coach Dunleay might got a little ahead of himself. Elton Brand just said the right things every important free agent have to say he was giving his own team a better chance to sign him but other team came with more money and a better oportunity (Think about it. The Clippers with Brand and Davis might be a 50 win team and be a 7th to 9th seed in the West. They'd be out in the first round. Philly now is a 47- 52 win team with home court advantage in a conference with 2 quality teams and Lebron James. Where is the best option?) Baron Davis is also a movie producer so I don't think he needed a lot of brain washing to get him in a LA team. This was just bad luck. Philly got the better of the Clippers.
• For a lot of people what Corey Maggete did was another example of what's wrong with sports. A young athlete going for the money instead of taking a better shot at a championship. I think this could go either way. Maggette opted out of his last contract year leaving 7 millions on the table. The Spurs where offering a contract starting with the 5,5 million middle exception. That's a lot of money for anybody. The Warrios offering him a 50 million contract for 5 years. That's more money that most of us would ever see. Maggette is about to turn 31 meaning he has 2 maybe 3 years at his current level this one just might be his last contract so it makes sense he went for the fatter one. In the other hand he is already a millionare and his married to Brandy so I don't think they are cutting cost anywhere and helping the Spurs squeeze another championship or two from Tim Duncan wouln't be that bad.
• I'm glad Chicago picked Rose. I don't really follow the NCAA tournament so whatI know is what DraftExpress and nbadraft.net told me. Beasly is the better offensive option a true weapon in the low post with good size and good hands. Rose is apparently the leader with the quickness and the outside shot. "A Jason Kidd with a shooting touch" somebody said that. Chicago has plenty of talented players with lost potential but due to Kirk Hinrich dissapearing act last season, Skiles firing and Big Ben trade they didn't have a voice to follow. Now the WILL have. I don't think Rose can do much this upcoming season speacially considering that Chicago's roster is going to change considerably and they might have two selfish and uncomfortable seasons (again) from Deng and Gordon. But in the long run I think Chicago made the right choice.
• Josh Childress went to Greece. Now that was a shocker I totally expected those rumors to be a bluff with Childress' agent but it wasn't. Americans might not give this a lot of importance but it is a big deal. European basketball is very competitive. They don't only have their local leagues but they have a yearly continental tournament wich level is very similar to NBA basketball. Now European team can offer better monetarial conditions to NBA players that for whatever reason can get true value in the NBA. So when Atlanta was just waiting to some team to offer Childress some crappy contract and then they could match it he went overseas. That wasn't an option before. When Mr Childress was packing his things Atlanta came with this 35 million contract but the harm was already done. See, I have to agree with Hollinger on this one you need to show some love to your free agent players it's not only about waiting and waiting and in the 11th hour throw some numbers at the guy. He might be in a plane to another continent before you know it.

Finals Overview

Man oh man. We were way wrong. The Boston Celtics performed a defensive clinic for most of the series, specially on Kobe, and just rough the series up taking Lamar and Gasol out of their games. The rest of the Lakers were just too young to know how to react and the leadership coming from Phil Jakcson never get through to those guys.

Ray Allen was a total surprise. He struggle in all first three rounds shooting like crap in all of them. Paul Pierce became a defensive stopper and maybe the most deserving champion we have had in a long, long time. He has being a Celtic for 10 years. He has seen everything. He was up, he was down, he was stabbed, he was in the comeback wins againts the Nets and the Lakers. His career belongs to the city of Boston. And know he comes with a ring.

What to say about KG. Perhaps to the most clutch player in the court at any time but he came through with that performance at game 6. You won't remember this series for KG's perfomance but you will because this was KG's first title, maybe the only one, but this guy has killed himself on the court for more than 10 years to reach this point. He needed lost of help, this is not tennis, this is a team sport and when KG is given a true team he comes through.

The Celtics' bench was terrific. Big shot after big shot.And they always entered the game with a poice the comes from someone that knows his role and knows he will do that job. Doc? I never talked trash about Doc - mainly because I never had a chance - but when you lost 18 straight games one might think their coach is a little predictable but after this series Mr Doc Rivers has prove himself to be a very good coach. I won't go as far as saying that he outcoached Phil Jackson, if Lamar Odom and the bench play with some balls the history would have different, but his team won. Game 4 and 6 were brilliantly coached from my humble perspective.

The Celtics won the championship with defense, hunger, great leadership and a helluva of a bench. LA lost the championship because their inside players were afraid of contact, their second team couldn't defend (outside Farmar) and thei top player got involve in a web of brilliant defensive schemes executed by a stronger and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay hungrier player and smarter team defenders.

Whose fault is it? Tom Thibaudeau. If all the talk is true. This guy is a effing genius.

NBA Finals Game 6

That was easy. The Celtics entered the game with determination and with that assasin mentality we have been praising Kobe for having. Plain and simple the Celtics never gave a chance to the Lakers in this game. The Lakers never gave themselves a chance. After a 10 -2 run in the middle of the second quater everybody but Gasol (probably because Big Baby was on him ) look defeatead.

After the first 3 minutes of the third quater and the lead was balloning Kobe and Co. called a night. The Celtics D was unbelievable. Really. Deflections, box outs, reading passing lines, taking balls straigh up from Lakers' hands. They did everything to win the game. The Lakers did nothing to win the game. The result: 131- 92.

I did the ref watch but outside a dubious call here and there, specially by Salvatore, there wasn't anything "fishy".

Just one final comment: Why on God's good earth was Lamar Odom pissed of in the final 5 minutes? Because the Celtics kept playing ? Because the Lakers never did? Because he wanted scare KG like KG has been scaring him all series long? Did he wanted to people to say: "Boy, did Lamar Odom played with passion tonight"? I don't know but Lamar, let me give you an advice, pushing and shoving is not your game. It's ok. There has been bunch of good players who are not too fond to contact and they have had great careers. Stick with what you got, ok? Thanks

Ref Watch

You need to read this.The refs for game 6 are: Benneth Salvatore, Eddie Rush and Joey Crawford.

It's pretty clear on Abbot's piece. Salvatore was the responsable for the "DWadre Free Throw Parade" and Crawford was the one that considered Fisher sit down on Barrys' shoulder didn't change his shot. I hope this game goes as smoothly -officiating wise - as game 5 was. I'll be on ref watch. I hate to do this. I don't want to think the league is going to fix this one to get the money from a game 7.

Let the Basketball Gods protect us all

State of the Finals

We are back to Boston. The Celtics achieve their goal stealing one in fron of Will Smith, Denzel and Jack. What can we expect for the rest of the series? The adjustements made by both coaches have worked for both of them. Jackson's decision to put Kobe on Rondo when he's on the floor and let him roam and screw Boston's offense has been the key to those opening huge leads. Last night he used Farmar to pressure House/Cassell when they are bringing up the ball. The result of that was Paul Pierce running the offense which takes a little bit more from their go to guy.

Rivers' adjustements aka Smallball has opened all kind of spaces for their big three. The diference last night: neither Allen nor Garnet sank those open jumpers they were going down in game 5. Specially Allen has we learned later that he have some family issues on his mind. (Good luck with that, Ray). House and Cassell were pretty effective last night.

The bad comes with the good. I think the Lakers failed to give a major role to Lamar Odom when he was guarded by Posey. I know he might be afraid of him but in the third quater - with KG in the bench - they went to him and good things happened for them. He's just to versatile to be roaming around without a north in the offense. What about Radmanovic's north? This guy can't defend nobody. He's a poor rebounder and his shot ain't falling. I know coaches can't start the game with their "adjustement line up" but playing him more than 5 minutes is just criminal. Mihm? Well, that was intersting. Who know, he could have been game 2's Leon Powe.

For my money, Rivers is playing Rondo too much.Unless he's driving to the basket at 250 mpg he's pretty much useless and apparently that ankle ain't allowing him that fifth gear. Again, I understand why he's seeing some minutes but when Kobe is running behind the ball like a 12 year old in a soccer match I think is time to put a shooter whose shot is not cheered by the Lakers. Another big issue that could have affected last night game: The Truth playing the entire game. I know this happens when you go down by 20 ( which happens when Kobe is everywhere where the ball is. Which happens when Rondo is in the game) but somehow u need to trust your bench and at least give him a minute off at the end of a quater or a couple of posetions after a TV time out.

This is also a players game. I've been saying all along that when Gasol and Odom stop shaking like little girls when KG is around them they can win any game (no matter state of the series) and that finally happened in game 5 (Actually it happened thanks to KG's foul trouble. By the time he got back to the game LO and PG where so pumped and their adrenaline were running so high that there was no fear ) Can they go back to that aggresiveness in Game 6? I really don't think but at least they saw what could happen when the play like big boys.

I can't believe I'm going to post this next paragrah: KG needs to cool down. Simmons wrote a piece some time ago about KG's lack of composure at crunch time. Totally truth. He has been playing subpar basketball this entire finals but somehow that lack of production hasn't directy affected any outcome so far.. until last night. He missed 3 free throws and two tip-ins inside two minutes to play with a 2 point game or 4 point game. He saids that he will play better but I ain't sure. For all the criticism that Gasol have received for being tissue soft he's not afraid of taking shots when the baskets matter the most. He came through last night (even when Kobe was looking in desbielf) . Sadly when can't expect that from Garnett. I can only hope and dream ( for history sake. I'm not cheering for the Celtics or the Lakers ) that KG comes with a huge 30 point, 17 rebound, 6 block game with the C's winning thanks to a KG's block shot or a couple of Garnett's free throws. Would that make 5 games of practically not showing up? Right away not. But in a couple of years the public will only remember that monster game . Take my word if happens but until it does I'm ashame to say that KG has become a reliability in crunch time.

Ps: What happend to Simmons' game 5 column? I hope his dad is ok. If something happened to his heart we should trial KG for murder.

NBA Finals Game 5

What set this two teams apart? It was another close game in which Boston came back to tie the game after letting LA getting a 19 and 14 point leads but this time couldn't get over the "hump". As Kobe said: "The series ain't over" and we are going back to Boston.

The diference for the Lakers this game was Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Easily. For the first time they were aggresive, they didn't back down to KG and they played like that -almost- the entire game. In the fourth quater the lack of poise of the Celtics cost them the game. I'm not taking anything here from the Lakers, they did a hell of a job going directly at Garnett and putting him in foul trouble early and often during the first half but when the game was on the line the Lakers didn't exactly went for the kill. They needed 2 missed put-backs and 3 missed free throws for KG to stay alive. There was also the Kobe "steal" as he reached from behind Pierce to poke the ball away but in that particualar point it should have been a tied game .

The Lakers again play like a desperate team. Like a team with nothing to loose and so far that mindset have worked for them twice at home. Can the bring the same intencity and desire outside to Boston? The question is not about the Lakers' psyque but about Odom and Gasol consistency because they might have found out that if they took it to the C's -without that fear of contact they have shown for most of the series- good things would happen. They know Kobe can't beat the C's by himself and they know they need to come through for their team. For all the talk about coaches and adjustements and strategy the major hole for the Lakers this Finals have been their inconsistency and lack for fire. This is the first series they need that ( Denver? Please. My dog has more fire when barking at fallen leaves. Utah? Outside DWill, Matt Harpring and Jerry Sloan they are softer than those fallen leaves my dog enjoys to roll over after awhile of barking at them mercylessly. The Spurs? They are not soft but they were more tired following the New Orleans series that my dog after a good half hour of rolling over a pile of fallen leaves). They don't need to magically create a defensive mindset. They just need some hustle.

This take us to the adjustement of the moment. The C's can't do anything if Gasol and Odom decide to be aggresive. They are not going to hack them every time they go to the rim that's just not Celtics' defense. The answer to that question might be scarier that most Celtics' fans think. The key is Mr Defensive Player of the Year. Garnett had another awful game and he - again - crumbled under pressure in the fourth quater. They are going to need a very smart and under control Garnett to control the paint ( specially if Perkins is out for the series) and keep both Odom and Gasol in check. He needs to make them pay for daring to attack him offensevely. He needs to make them work for every posetion without collecting fouls like the were trading cards. Despiste KG's offensive struggles the last couple of games he has gone more to his repertoire in the post. He needs to keep that trend but go up a notch or two or eleven and make them defend him and probably (given those two defensive "capabilites" ) put them in foul trouble.

This is Doc Rivers' graduation. Game 6 is all about Celtic pride. They can not afford to go to a game 7 and deal with the possibility of a 50 point game from Kobe Bryant. Their passion and desire can't be lesser that the Lakers'. The championship is one win again and Mr Auerbach is watching.

NBA Finals Game 4

Dear God, what a game! It was a tale of those halves. Amazing first half for the Lakers as Kobe made sure everybody from Radmanovic to Farmar get involve in the offense. Lamar Odom has his best half in years where he look like the Miami Heat version of him ( remember him? ). Great shooting, great passing, great basketball played by the Lakers.c

The second half was a defensive exhibition by the C's. Once again the adjustement war was win by Doc Rivers as he used Eddie House and James Posey instead of Rondo and Perkins (who got injured). With those matchups the C's created tons of space to operate and finally KG took his game inside and took it right to Gasol. I was really impressed with Boston' D. Really

Couple of sidenotes:

1. Why Kobe never took over? Celtics' D? I mean, he's better than that and we all know that he can get 40 any time (although that doesn't mean the Lakers are going to win )

2. The contribution that nobody saw coming is being a really factor in this series. Look back: Leon Powe, Sasha Vujacic, James Posey.

3. If KG continues to play inside like he did in the fourth quater the C's are winning in 5. Nobody can defend him there, nobody. She shouldn't be taking 17 footers all night long. Take it inside, school this guys. I want to see that.

4. What's up with Kobe? Seriously.

5. Is Phil Jackson really getting outcoached? Is that even possible?

Donaghy: I'm back!

Talk about bad timing! After a game 2 where the refs where very more than friendly to the home team Mr Donaghy dropped the bomb telling that his not the only crooked ref. He also said game 6 of the 2002 Western Finals between the LA Lakers and the Sacramento Kings was fixed. Not really a surprise there. He also testified the NBA protects superstars by "advicing" the refs to not call technical fouls on them. Not really a surprise neither.

The importantance of this matter is that this is a legal document in an US federal investigation, you can't get more serious than that. This allegations are not coming from the regular fan or the pissed off Kings' fanbase, this is coming from one of their own. This is coming from inside. If this is true how is David Stern and the NBA defend themselves when Suns fans present their case. When Spurs fans present their case. When any fan of any team that felt or had felft that his or her team is being targeted by the refs. They just can't. I don't know how are the going to control this or if they can control it at all!

I want to record something here: Being a basketball referee must be pretty damn hard. For any of you who had played basketball at any level you know there's going to be contact all over the place. Some of this contact might not affect what you are doing (shooting, dribbling, passing, running, whatever) and that type of contact is not a foul. All contact can't be called unless you want to made of basketball a 6 hour event with no flow at all. There's another type of contact which actually prevents your action to be executed in a proper manner or in the manner you meant to. That is a foul. BUT (yeah..big BUT) you as a player might understand why the ref didn't called it. Maybe it was a slight push, or just a little snake bite in your shooting arm or a moving screen that didn't moved that much. Should be foul but the referees are human and we know that.

And there are the totally-obvious-in-the-middle-of-the-action-in-front-of-the-referee type of foul. This are the type of fouls that enraged fans and teams. Refs are trained to execute their jobs as efficient as possible, some of them have been doing it for over 20 o 30 years and still they miss calls like that. There must be a reason and maybe Donaghy is giving us that reason. The league saids that don't want the refs to decided the output of the game but if a player lands on top of other player in tha act of shooting or try to grab him went attempting a shot that no-call is not deciding the result of the game. I don't see the point.

As I said, the timing sucks big time. Everybody was calling out on the refs for sending the Celtics 38 times to the line in Game 2 and then in Game 3- just after Donaghy allegations went public - the Lakers had their own free throw parade in the first half. Everybody, from the true NBA fan to the ex NBA fan, is going to have an eye on the refs for the rest of the finals. Another no call at the end of games or another huge disparaty in the free throws is going to trigger the notion that this entire postseason has been fixed. Am I being a little overdramatic? I don't think so. There were rumors 0n the street since the start of the playoffs that the league would love a Lakers- C's final (Stern said it outloud but at the time of those remarks nobody thought LA could get to the finals ) maybe a little too much. They got their finals. They are getting their big ratings. Let's just hope merchandising doesn't decide this year champion.


Update: He's not alone

NBA Finals Game 3

It wasn't a pretty game , so if u missed it don't worry I'm sure your had better thing to do with your time. Good call. Anyway, the game was pretty boring, until the final 40 seconds any team had a chance. The key of that game was Vujacic as he scored 20 very efficient points and played great defense against Ray Allen - the only Celtic finding the bottom of the net - in the fourth quater.

The Celtics lost by 6 despite having no production from Garnett or Pierce. They lost by 6 despite Phil Jackson making the first adjustement that could swing the series to LA's side: Putting Kobe on Rondo the entire first half giving him the shot. Kobe roam defensevely and double team on KG or anybody on the post. Rondo never figured things out and then he twisted his ankle and his night pretty much was over.

The Lakers won despite no production from Odom or Pasol until the final minutes where Gasol had a couple of putbacks that were created by Odom drives against Garnett. LA won despite Kobe missing 7 free throws. LA still won without any production off the bench, outside Vujacic.

Neither team can feel happy after that game (Well, maybe LA 'cause they are not 0-3 ) neither team could get in a groove at any moment of the game. That little sequence when the Celtics were down 2 inside a minute to play and House missed a short jumper and Vujacic hit a three in the other end was the dager of the game. Kobe had those one on one against Ray Allen but one got the feeling Mr 81 was going to score even if a young Scottie Pippen was defending him.

Game 4 is going to have the same relevance that game 3 had. There is little diference between being down 0-3 and down 1-3. Now the ball is on Doc Rivers' side . Everybody said before the series began that Doc Rivers was going to get his butt seriously overcoached but through 3 games he has made all the right moves and if it wasn't for a bad night of KG/Pierce he might have the Celtics one win away from a swept.

NBA Finals Game 2

Adjustments are a thing of beauty, don't they? Phil Jackson did his thing and kinda work out until de refs started to call every single type of contact (I know that every type of contact is technically a foul but normally some contact is not called just because it is a contact sport). Both Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom started very aggresive and the Lakers made the effort to get in the key which resulted in 16 early inside points. The moment that Odom was called for his second foul his night was over. Gasol continued to attack the defense but never managed to have a dramatic effect in LA's offense.

The adjustments continued and after Radmanovic picked his own second personal ( This guy has nothing to do trying to defend Paul Pierce. I mean nothing. The Truth could raise an eyebrow and Radmanovic would go for the block shot) Ariza come into the game but wasn't really a factor on neither end. LA bench was awful. Vujacic did a better job chasing Ray Allen but that was about the only good thing I could say about them.

Doc Rivers continued with his thing and Perkins' foul trouble could have been Doc Rivers' greatest moment so far. That prompted him to put Leon Powe in and we all know what happened. Which takes me to the officiating. I have only saw three games where the referees took central stage: Game 5 of the Utah-LA series, in favor or LA. Game 3 of San Antonio - LA series, in favor of SA and now Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Neither of those game fall in the category of game 6 of the 2002 Western Finals between LA and Sacramento. (Which has been one of the worst refereed game I've ever seen)

Referees at those three game didn't giftwrapped no game to nobody but most of the close call and normall-no-calls went to the home team. That was what happened yesterday. The calls did get LA out of rhythm and indirectly forced them to take outside shots - which makes kinda hard to force the refs to blow their whistles - and cut some playing time of their main guys (specially Kobe and Odom in the first half). But I don't saw like the game was stolen from the Lakers. Follow me here:

1. Leon Powe. Totally and inexcusable lack of preparation here. Nobody know how to guard this guy. Walton, Turiaf, Ariza and Odom, they all fouled this guy while he was attacking the rim . He is no Tim Duncan. He is not Dwigth Howard. He's a strong guy with quick feet that can be hard to guard if given space. That's it
2. Kobe second foul was a foul. He did stick out his elbow against Ray Allen. Maybe a no call but still a foul.
3. Lots of reaching are going to produce that. The Lakers did reach a lot against Pierce and Allen.
4. The Celtics did look for this fouls. Pierce and Rondo drive to the heart of LA's defense any time they wanted it.
   
5. Why LA's defense allowed this? You don't need to reach of bang somebody to stop them . Front the guy, anticipate , footwork. You know what I'm saying? LA's one on one defense have sucked for two games right now (If you think about it they maybe had one good defensive game against the Spurs. The Spurs offensive crashed and burned more by itself than LA's defensive schemes) I could put here a list of guys just not playing defense at all (It would start with a name that rhymes with Rastamanovic) and when they see a guy in green passing them by their resort is to foul him and hope to not get caught.
6. Kendrick Perkins played 14 minutes.
7. There were some make up calls in the second half going LA's way. Mainly Odom bringing down PJ Brown and then hitting him with the ball in a effort to mainting posetion
   

Lakers fans need to keep something in mind. They are a young team. I know Kobe and Fisher are there, I know Phil is their coach but outside of those names they are an inexperience and young team. They get easily taken out of their game. All season long their bench have been turnover prone and that have been minimized by playing Kobe extended minutes, and after the Pau Gasol trade, having a scoring threat with them at all times.

The bottom line is the most close calls when to the Celtics at the start of the game but you can easily blame the Lakers for being discouraged by that and not forcing the refs to blow the whistle.

NBA Finals Game 1

Pretty good game 1 for my perspective - as me not being an ultra fan of neither team - just because it wasn't a blowout and the teams fought pretty hard.

You can better insight from at Forum Blue and Gold or at Celtics' 17. This is my insight:

• Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol looked so different compare on how the performed againt Utah and San Antonio. That extra step and seemingly endless lenght wasn't there.
  
• Andrew Bynum is being sorely missed right now
• KG missed what it looked for Celtics' fans like 20 straight shots. Why KG game is based on 15 - 15 fadeway and turnaround contested jumpers? It was the same question I asked myself every time I see -or saw - Derrick Coleman, Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber play. They have the post moves and the body to live in the paint but they choose not to just because at some point the develop and mid range shot (Wich is not bad if the used as a way to confuse the defense or just some mix it up kinda of thing. Not as a first - and most times only - resource) This is why I love Duncan's game so much. He's 7'0 feet tall and he plays with his back to the basket controlling the game and creating offense with his post moves
• Cassell had a nice couple of post ups agains Fisher but outside that he looked like he was working for Donaghy.
• Kobe wasn't as agressive as everybody imagined it. Something happened there maybe he's just pacing himself.
• Ray Allen looked quick. I've never seen this guy dribble the ball that quick and being that active and aggresive since 2002. Maybe for the first time in his career he didn't rely on this jump shot to get him going. Nice!
• Paul Pierce injury and consequent return was a thing of beauty. I just hope the injury is not that bad so it becames an issue in this series for the C's.
• Doc Rivers need to learn fast. Very very fast. He showed some hope in the last couple of games against the Pistons but this is Phil Jackson looking for this 10th ring.

NBA Finals: Celtics vs Lakers

1. Celtics (66-16) vs 1. Lakers (57-25)
Regular Season Series: BOS 2-0
Point Differencial: BOS +16.0


Rusty was right all along. Somehow. The dream match up for NBA' PR people is here. The Lakers take their 14 championships to the new garden where The Celtics are waiting along with their 16 championships.

Besides the obvious rivalry and the stuff there are a lot of side histories right here. Kobe look for his first championship withot Shaq meanwhile KG looks to take his picture while crying and holding the ol' O'brien trophy. There's the Allen vs Kobe feud (that nobody where it comes from and as Bill Simmons said "its 100% possible that it is about a woman). There's Paul Pierce scratching the surface to be considered one of the C's all time greats. There's Phil Jackson looking to tie Red Auerbach' all time titles record ( Just a side note here: The biggest advantage the Celtics have is Red Auerbach. If you think Red's ghost is going to allow Phil to break his record AGAINST the Celtics then you don't know nothing)

Now to the series itself. I've been saying all alone that playoff series are win more by matchups than adjustments (adjustments create missmatchups and so on) and the Lakers have the better matchups sans two positions (Garnett vs Odom and Rondo vs Fisher) and they have Kobe who have been anything less than Jordanesque. Pierce can also dominate his matchup agains Radmanovic and Vujacic but he's not the cold blooded killer Kobe is and this is the finals. Where cold blooded killer happens. Now there's the passion and the fire factor. Who wants it more? KG? Kobe? The Truth? Gasol? My money is on KG. We all know he wants it more I don't think he's going to get it just because Kobe, wanting it like 2 grams less, is going to take from his hands at some point maybe as soon as Game 1.


X Factor: At the end I'm debating myself between Kobe and Red's ghost. Which factor is going to weight heavier in this series? Red is right now waiting for the start of the game at the Basketball Olympus and he seems happy to see his team back in the last dance. He's happy they are there but I don't think they are going to allow him to burn Kobe's left eye with his cigar. Too bad it would be something to see.

Basketball Gods' Prediction: LAL 4-2

Overview: Celtics vs Pistons

I give up. I don't know what to think about the Celtics. I don't know, I truly don't. Rusty saids one thing I think another and then Bill Simmons saids another completely different thing.

During two games in this series (Game 3 and 6) the Celtics looked like they were supposed to look. Defensively dominant. Good ball handlers - as long as they don't get pressured full court or somebody dares to trap them - and specially they didn't collapse in the fourth quater, au contraire, they actually played their best basketball of the season during those two fourth quaters.

Another conference finals appearence, another playoff run ended. That has been the life for Detroit Pistons and Pistons fans since 2004. Billups wasn't at 100% and most games Prince and Sheed' didn't quite looked there. Maybe the latest was the doom for this guys because Stuckey played great. There weren't matchups problems, there weren't bad officiating or questionable calls. This was a very close series and the final "X factor" was Pierce. He showed the ability - first of controlling himself - and then to take over a game. (Here we need to factor the Pistons as a group lowering their quality of defense over Pierce. He didn't mutated into Kobe Bryant). At least we can say the best Celtic team showed, hence, the best team won

Whose fault is it? It could be 'Sheed. Besides possibly game 2 he never matched up with KG and Garnett didn't played that great

Overview: LA Lakers vs Spurs

For the first time after a series I think my poor -and wrong - attempt to predict a series could easily have been true. San Antonio should have win game 1 and game 4. I believe the Spurs have a better team this season than LA but the New Orleans' series took so much out of them that the good ol' Spurs didn't have the legs to keep with the more rested Lakers. If San Antonio had had a 6 game series againts Chris Paul and Co the history would have been different.

Kobe played great and he was played great as well the Bowen and the Spurs' defense. Every Laker went for every loose ball, ofensive/defensive rebound and never let a themselves loose control offensively (with the posible exception of the last 30 seconds of game 4. Or Sasha Vujacic any given moment). You have to give lots of credit to Kobe and Phil for installing this team culture in less than a year and performing it for 7 straight games during playoffs games.

Bynum was out. Manu was as good as out. Duncan look tired every game past half time. Horry and Finley never showed up. Fisher didn't play up to it. Gasol wasn't an offensive force. This wasn't the best sample to measure this two teams but the tam with the best conditions won


Whose fault is it? Chris Paul

NBA: When no calls happen

TrueHoop:

Laker Derek Fisher left his feet, and landed hard into Spur Brent Barry. The Spurs were down two and time was running out. That's a foul in my pickup game. That's a foul in high school. That's a foul in college.

Deadspin:

But, in the end, the guiltiest parties may have been Joey Crawford, Joe Forte and Mark Wunderlich...the three wise(guy) monkeys who apparently could see no evil, hear no evil, and certainly couldn't call any evil.

Forum blue and gold

...barry draws all kinds of contact from fisher (brain lock) but the officials don’t bail barry out. If they call that foul barry would be at the line for three throws with his team down two. I’ll gladly admit that that was a foul and Barry should have been
shooting three free throws

FanHouse:

Do you really think that Fisher's crowding of Barry and incidental contact before Barry chucked the ball at the rim 30 feet from the basket would have warranted a whistle? No way

NBA Basketball and other unrealtedness

Sure it might have been a foul, and Duncan might’ve travelled so let’s just say the NBA officiating is what it is

Update:

NBA Office:

The league office on Wednesday reviewed the final play of the San Antonio Spurs' 93-91 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals and acknowledged that a two-shot foul should have been called on Derek Fisher for impeding Brent Barry.

Chris Broussard, ESPN:

So there's not a fiber in my being that believes there was an ulterior motive at work when the referees held their whistles when Derek Fisher landed on -- and clearly fouled -- Brent Barry on the final play of the Lakers' 93-91 Game 4 victory over San Antonio.

NBA Playoffs Day 38. West Conference Finals Game 4

Bill Simmons once wrote "neve post while you are angry" I had to containg myselft last night 'cause that game was even difficult to swallow than game 1. After Sasha Vujacic 4 point play to end the third quater -that gave LA a 7 point cushion - I knew San Antonio still had a chance. They were right there without Manu making a single field goal. They were in striking distance despite being outhustled to the offensive rebound. In the other hand I was surprised LA had that lead while getting almost nill from Odom and Fisher. Kobe had 0 free throws. Neither LA o San Antonio had made enough to "deserve" a lead.

And then the fourth quater began. The Spurs went on their now characteristic offensive droughts. LA wasn't shooting the lights out neither but they were making just the necessary plays. Manu continued to struggle. Duncan looked tired all the way. Robert Horry and Udoka were still in the court while being scoreless and not offering suficient defensive resisten. I was getting angry because despite all that the game was right there. The Spurs needed just a explosion for Ginobili or a Robert Horry three to gain momentum and finish the game. Nothing of that happened. Kobe got his break and entered the game as fresh as 29 year old could be. Odom came to life and every Laker started to make the right play. Offensive rebounds, block shots, deflections, you name it. The Lakers where finally deserving to win the game

And then the final 60 seconds began. The Lakers got a brand new shinny offensive rebound and two free throws from Odom to make it a 7 poing game. A Manu's three and a Odom's goaltending - which was somehow fuzzy - on a Parker layup made it 2 point game with 28 seconds remaining. After the Lakers run the clock Fisher was forced to his left into a tough fadding away jumper that kissed the rim, hit Horry's knee and went out of bounds. The refs called that the ball never touched the rim so LA had 2 seconds on the 24 to make a shot. Kobe
verly airballed it. Duncan got the rebound.

And then the final play began. Their had two options: Manu and Barry. You got to trust your stars but Popovich went to the hot hand. Barry got the ball somewhere between half court and the the three point line, Fisher rushed and jump over Barry. Bumped him. Barry missed it. No call. Game over. As Duncan said

"You're not going to get that call. They're not going to make that call."

Why I was angry:

• They should have been up 2-1. Not down 2-1.

• Manu is clearly hurt. But he left his agresiveness somewhere in game 3

• Popovich never gave rest to Duncan. He had a chance around 8 minutes to play. Duncan really look exhausted.

• For more than 6 and a half minutes the Spurs scored 4 points ( a runner by Barry and a jumper by Manu)

• The Spurs made 9 total field goals in the fourth quater.Three of those where Barry's ( 8 points in that quater ).
  

• The Lakers only had 6 field goals - with 4 free throws by Odom - that pissed me off even more.
  

• As the game ended and the final play took place I yelled "WHAT?". Once my head cooled off I made peace just becuase that foul was not going to be called. Not against the Lakers. Not Joey Crawford. Not to Brent Barry.
  

At the end of day I was pissed off not because the final play or even any of those things I just wrote. I am angry because the Spurs are a better team but right now at this point the Lakers just had an extra step, an extra bounce and that cost the Spurs two games, a 1-3 hole and their season as the defending champions.

NBA Playoffs Day 37

Welcome Back, Mr Big Shot. Again Billups didn't played that good but he put the nail in the coufin and now the Pistons are back on track. Just remember that I called a game 5 victory for the Pistons..just remember it.

Since game 2 of the Western Conference Finals every game is a "critical" game for the Spurs. They need both games at San Antonio to make this a competitive series after blowing away game 1. They need as much as Manu as the can get. If the Spurs eventually can win this series they would have comeback twice from a 0- 2 hole. I know that obvious right now but what If this guys pull it of. This Spurs. I mean everybody is burrying this guys and handing them a cane in the first chance they have. How many experts had the Spurs in the Finals. How many experts have the Spurs in Conference Finals. That's why I love this 2008 Spurs. They just keep coming at you
(I know, I know that myself give up on them in the New Orleans Hornets but I read too much Hollinger. My mind is weak. Sorry).

Pd: If you add those two paragraphs together you'll realized that I'm also rooting for a Pistons - Spurs Finals.

NBA Playoffs Weekend 6

Celtics - Pistons

It is so cool to finally see KG playing and being a factor in a playoff game that I' ve renewed my seasong long desire of witnessing KG holding the Larry O'Brien trophy. I still believe the Pistons are going to take this series just 'cause the have a thicker skin. Unless you are John Hollinger you have to give some importance to experience. About the only thing that could derrail the Pistons - besides a KG going all MJ on them - is that little issue with Chauncey's hamstring, Stuckey did a marvellous job running the offense against the Magic but this Celtics team - with this Celtics' KG - is a different beast. Now, do you prefer Billups' leadership although he ain't 100% healthy or Stuckeys' energy and risk a turnover here and there that could cost them another home game. I'd ride Billups as long as I could, if he's hurting my team I'll pull him off. But you don't leave a guy like Billups off the game if he can't play. This is the Conference Finals, there's no tomorrow.

Spurs- Lakers

Let me get this straight. If Manu plays as he can play, the Spurs win. If Manu shoots 3/13 they lost. This is nothing new we already have know the effect that Manu's bad games have on Spurs' offense. They just can't generate enough offense without him. Plain and simple. The need him to be at least at threat -which he hasn't been the first two games - for the Spurs to have a "fluid" offense. That game 1 is REALLY REALLY going to hurt, the blew a golden oportunitie and they should have been up 2 -1 right now. This Lakers ain't the Hornets. They need tons and tons of Manu

Western Finals: Lakers vs Spurs

1. Lakers (57-25) vs 3. Spurs (56-26)
Regular Season Series: TIE 2-2
Point Differencial: LAL +0.2

It have to suck for the Spurs that the Lakers have rebuild so quickly and they have to face them again now in this stage of the Duncan era.

It have to suck for the Lakers that know that they have rebuilt Tim Duncan and the Spurs are still the champions and still around.

The Lakers and the Spurs come from very differente backgrounds to reach this stage. We all know what happened with Kobe this summer and it's a such a surprise to see the Lakers click the way they did after that. Bynum went down and then they stole Gasol. That's a pretty amazing change of panarama in a gap of 6 months. In the other street the defending champions are still standing. After facing two very demanding series (If you don't think the Phoenix series was demanding just because it took only 5 games you don't understand it. Stop reading right now. Get out of my blog) (Just kidding. We love you here. ) and a western playoff race that give no time to rest the starters in the final games. And they are still here.

Two defensive teams. Two teams featuring top notch perimeter scorers, post players and shooters. Behind all that what is going to give this team the victory is defense. San Antonio needs to stop LA's ball movement by closing in all the shooters - pretty much like they did against the Hornets after game 3 - and give Kobe as many dosis of Bowen and Udoka as possible. The Lakers need to stop the Spurs' pick and roll -like they did against Utah in their wins - and make Duncan work his butt off defending Gasol and Odom and wear him down with Turiaf. I think I've coming a lover of what people call boring stuff because I looking forward to this series just to see defense by played and witness the Jackson - Popovich mind games.

Basketball Gods' Prediction: SAS 4-2

Overview: Hornets vs Spurs

Everything I was expecting from the Spurs - Suns series I got it from this series. By a mile the best series so far this year. Despite of the Spurs improbable victory in game 7 at New Orleans the lasting image for which we are going to remember this series is the arrival of Chris Paul to the mainstream media. I know he already was a MVP candidate a the average NBA fan kinda know he was pretty good. For now on Chris Paul is a household name and next season tons of kids are going to follow him and trying be like him at that, ladies and gentleman, is one of the best it could happen to us. (Pretty corny, right?)

The Hornets pushed the champs to the max. David West and Tyson Chandler played spectacular the game they did win. The same tren was followed by San Antonio' big three. The onyl thing that separated this teams was game 7. Experience. Poise. The good ol' know-how-to was the defining qualities that game this series to San Antonio (Memo to John Hollinger: Dude, this things matter. Just 'cause it can't be measured by some formula it doesn't mean they don't affect the course of a series)

The Spurs continue to be "a hated" team. People call them floppers, dirty team, boring, lucky. As long as they keep winning more people are going to hate them. Maybe that's a requirement to be champions. Get to be hated in at least 5 cities.

Whose fault is it? Probably the low point of the Hornets were their bench. A little production for the likes of Bonzi and Pargo and they'd be facing the Lakers in a couple of hours.

Eastern Finals: Celtics vs Pistons

1. Celtics (66-16) vs 2. Pistons (59-23)
Regular Season Series: DET 2-1
Point Differencial: BOS +5.7

Here we are. The matchup everybody was expecting. I can't say everybody was waiting for this one unless you enjoy defensive basketball. We are going to see games under 80 points per team. Easily. If you are a fan of fast, athletic, run and gun basketball you might wanna look away I get back around november when the Warriors are playing again. Let's get back to the subject here.

The Celtics comes from two hard series that they weren't supposed to be that hard. Boston has shown holes offensevely and defensevely. Those are all fixable whith their due work but their lack of focus and possible desire through out streches of games ( specially on the road) is what might doom them at the end of this series. Which is ironic given that KG plays of them and they are allegably the hungriest team of the league.

Are this guys overrated? Ray Allen is a joke (12.7 ppg). Garnett haven't dominated anything when given the chance and their bench, not including Posey, is looking thinner by the minute. Cassell looks like 50 and Doc Rivers is about to get seriously outcoached. The talent ain't that strong if you take a good look at this team. Everybody outside Pierce ow us something


Is funny in this series performs the biggest dissapointment and the biggest surprise for me in this playoffs. I have come to enjoy Deeetroiiit Baaasketball. This guys are focus and determined to get back to the Finals .This is about their legacy as they need to prove that they were not a one hit wonder. Everybody is on the same page, their bench is doing a lot of harm and their big guys just shut down Howard.

Questions for you here. It would be harder to stop KG? How long it would take Pistons' D to read right throught Boston's offensive sets? Are we going to heard the laughing and clapping of Sheed when they take a 3 - 2 in Boston?

Basketball Gods' Prediction: DET 4-2. Just for the sake of watching KG in the Finals I'm hoping I'm wrong.

Overview: Celtics vs Cavs

Yeah I know I never wrote my seldom read prediction but for whatever ti worths I thought Boston was going to take it ni 5 games. See, at that point I still had some faith on KG and the rest of the guys in green. I wrongly imagined that they were going to get serious and deny any chance of momentum to Lebron. I thought KG was going to take over that series going head to head with the King. Nothing of that happened and the Cavs forced a game 7 where they were a couple of Paul Pierce contested jump shots of getting a rematch against Detroit.

Boston have issues and everybody knows it and they have got lucky so far. So far.

Believe me that the young Lebron learned something this May. His abilities and physical gifts can take him so far and he and his team have reached that point. That point to be clear is: "Contenders in the best basketball league of the world". Which is pretty amazing if you think about it. He knows this is when and where you need a Pippen, a Mchale, a Dumars to get you pass that point. Another thing I'm sure Lebron just learned: Big Ben ain't Scottie Pippen.

Whose fault is it? If Boston had lost this one, I already had picked the guilty guy: Doc Rivers. As Cleveland lost I don't know who to pick. Let's take on the entire Cavaliers organization.

Overview: Pistons vs Magic

After a very doubtful first round survival agains the Sixers the Pistons are now rolling. I have two points of concern here regarding the Pistons:

1. They got outplayed the first three games by a younger less experience team
2. Chauncey Billups have been regular at best. For his own standards that's it.

Slowly but surely all those concerns are now history. Orlando was a team with the same youth going on for them but with a lot more of firepower and a inside monster that just went Wilt Chamberlain against Chris Bosh and the Raptors. All that just went puff against the Pistons' D and so far in these playoffs they are the only team that have shut down a quality oponent. I've said it before, I'll say it again. The Pistons are the team to beat. Orlando got a pride win but this series was clear from the get go. They never had a chance not with Howard being underSupermanesque.

Whose fault is it? You could argue that Jameer Nelson that a chance of taking control of the series when Chauncey went down. For those who knows Stuckey they were never worried about that whole situation.

Overview: Lakers vs Jazz

Finally the Lakers met some resistance. They needed a tought matchup after the sunny days against the Nuggets. They couldn't get to the conference finals whithout sweeting it a little bit. Kobe continues his great postseason number wise (33.3 ppg, 6.4 apg, 6.8 rpg) and leadership wise. Odom is now pretty much excelling in his role in the triangle (finally! I know is a hard offensive scheme, but come on.. three years??) and Gasol had a decent series. The Jazz in the order hand got as far as Deron Williams could get them (21.6 ppg, 10.0 apg, 50% from three) without Boozer 'cause I know that guy being outplayed by Odom wasn't Boozer. We can't say that Boozer can't play in the offseason, that he crumbles under pressure or that he just don't want to show up when his teams needs him the most ( It will be so demoralizing for this franchise that Boozer follows Malone's trail so closely...). No, we can't say anything like that because Boozer played great last year, he was the reason why Utah got to the conference finals. I don't know what happened here.

At the end of the day the more experience, hungrier team won. The better team won


Whose fault is it? Wanna guess? Boozer. Next time, kid. Please show up.

NBA Playoffs Days 23 to 29

Shit load of things went down in a week.

#1: The Magic is gone.

#2: Boston came as close as they have been this postseason to win a road game but I think the referees went the other way. I'm going to be as clear as possible here. This is the first game of this playoffs that I have seen the refs truly affecting the outcome of the game. As the Lakers and the Celtics have put together the best records in their respective conference there has been a lot of talk about the league fixing an publicist dream finals matchup between them. I didn't quite believe it just because Lebron was in the Celtics so I they wanted and real money generating finals they could have a Lebron - Kobe matchup. But that's just me.

Does the league want to squeeze a last game out of Lebron before sendind the Celtics to the finals? Or they want to squeeze a final game out of the Celtics before shipping Lebron to face Kobe? I guess we'll have the answer to that this afternoon.

#3: The Spurs face the third game 7 of the Duncan era. It just one game, anything could happen. This game could be the biggest of this playoffs because it could mean the end of the Spurs era. More of this coming up. Stay tuned.

Tied 2-2

Right now we have three series tied 2-2 with each team collapsing on the road like little girlies. Every time everybody says that the momentum has change and the "pressure is on them". The momentum thing is right in all this cases just because some team just won 2 straight games, in the case of the Spurs by double digits -after getting beatten by double digits themselves - but I've never understand the pressure is on them thing and here's why (I'll be so Hollywood if I started singing and dancing in a manly and virtuosos way after saying that) :

In Spurs-Hornets series after Paul lead the Hornets to an easy 2-0 lead the pressure was on the Spurs. After the Spurs won easily their 2 home games the pressure is now back to the Hornets just 'cause the Hornets apparently can only beat San Antonio at home. But isn't San Antonio a little bit pressured to win this game and go home to rap it up. They don't want a game 7 in New Orleans. The need this game more than the Pauleners


Same history with the Lakers and Jazz. LA dominated at home and then struggled to execute in the strech run at Utah. Now what? Whose pressure? LA? They know the can win easily there and they have played 82 games to have this home court advantage and also know they could win at Utah. What about the DWillers? They pretty much squeeze two wins at their home floor but trust me on this one they don't believe they are unbeatable at home they need a win at LA if they are going to get back at the Western Finals and should be easier to win a game 5 than a game 7, right? A game 6 win is no way a given for this guys.



Taking things to the East the Lebrons and the Big Three are also tied tow games apiece. Following common knowledge the pressure should be in the Celtics side. They have now lost two straight games and all but they have proven being unbeatable at home, just ask the Hawks, they don't need road wins to be the new champs. I have expressed by concerns about the Celtics almost on weekly basis for the last four weeks and I don't think they can defeat Detroit or whoever comes out of the West in a 7 game series playing like that on the road but they are facing Cleveland know, here it might male the trick. The Lebrons NEED this games more than Utah or San Antonio , this is a must win. They could use those two chances to take out the Celts if they win game 5 because a winning game 7 in Boston is almost an mission impossible, just ask the Hawks.



True be told. It's game 5. The pressure is on everybody.

NBA Playoffs Weekend 4

It's good to be at home, right?

My worries about the Celts are getting stronger and stronger after each passing road game. I can't believe how much a team can change their defensive intensity just because the crowd is not behind them. I know all the Western teams are in the same bagon but not quite. I'll get to that in a second, be patient. The game was ugly for the Celts and let me tell you something if they are thinking they can give Lebron confidence and some dagger back after winning 2 straight games and/or pulling for a game 7, then you are wrong. Lebron will eat you alive now that he knows he can. Don't say I didn't warn you.

You know Utah wasn't that dominant at home as you might expected from a 37-4 home team. But Deron Williams and the rest of the "Jazzers" showed something that I didn't think they had (Is possible they got it in this series) and that's poise and patient. They are different things if you look at them in a different way. The point is that Utah didn't freaked and actually controlled the final plays of the last two games. Yes, the leave Derek Fisher to bring the Lakers back but OT the court was theirs. The fact that Kobe was looking like Larry Bird helped the cause but give as much credit as possible to the Jazz.

Look , the Champs are alive. This was the game that give me some hope. It wasn't because of the 20 point differencial but because Duncan finally woke up and the Hornets looked defeated. I'm rooting for the Spurs just because, don't get me wrong I love to see Paul play and I want to see Paul play as much as I can but I'm biassed here. Sorry.


The Magic blew it. They had them but they let them go. Howard blew it. And now I'm here to pronounce, in behalf of the Basketball Gods, that the Pistons are the team to be beat... in the East.

NBA Playoffs Day 20

Finally the Spurs won a game. This was a weird game . The Spurs forgot the idea of stopping Chris Paul and focus on defending the three point line. The didn't close the lane for Paul instead they close the passing lines to West and Chandler. MoPete and Peja had awful games, West still had a good game and Chandler wasn't much of a factor and still the Hornets were only down by 5 entering the fourth quater. This approach worked for a game but I'm wondering if this is the right scheme to defeat the Hornets. Letting Paul have a field day. I don't know. I hope Pop does.

The one thing for me was the offense. Both Parker and Manu never stop attacking the defense and Parker stop being so hesitant when running the offense. Finley and Bowen had a nice shooting touch for three. I'm also a Spurs fan but I see this Hornets taking it on 6


Man, what's the deal with this Celtics? They are shutting down Lebron but they couldn't shut down Joe Johnson or Al Hortford. Is Lebron going for 50 in Cleveland? The image of Atlanta overplaying the Celtics still haunts me in my sleep.

NBA Playoffs Day 17, 18 and 19

Yeah I Know, I've falle a little behind but that doesn't mean I have something to say...


Everybody is talking about that Billups 3 at the end of the third quater in the Pistons - Magic game 2. Whatever is legal or not there was only a 2 point game after it and the Magic actually held the lead at some point of the fourth quater. Simly put the Pistons were the better closer.

San Antonio got pounded again in game 2. Yeap the Spurs stink so far.

The first Celtics-Cavs game sucked. I didn't even saw it. Good Lord, Lebron 2 for 18. Those are Larry Hughes numbers

And yesterday...

Finally Orlando defeated Detroit but they needed an Billups' injury and a career game from Rashard Lewis. I've heard that the cause of Detroit' past playoffs dissapointments was Chauncey. That his numbers always come down this team of year. I love the guy Detroit play basketball but I don't like the Pistons' attitude. They normally come out with public statements that make them look way too cocky and just looking down to their opponent. Is it mind games? It it team policies? Whatever it is I think they need to show some respect to the game and the other team no matter how unexperience or crappy they are.

And then... Kobe got his MVP and Boozer stayed home. LAL 2 - 0.

NBA Playoffs Weekend 3

Boston got to the second round. Easily. I'm still questioning this team mental thoughness 'cause their road loasses where just lack of exectution they weren't victims of some conspiracy

The Spurs got beatten in the last couple of minutes by the Hornets. The Hornets' defense was "stingy" and the Spurs didn't help themselves by entering one of those "no offense time for us" type of groove they developed in the last month or so of the regular season. Not only they didn't contain Paul (his numbers may don't amaze you but he controlled that game) but they let West get 30 points and do whatever he wanted with the Spurs' defense. So, no defense and bad offense means 0-1 hole for the Spurs. Expect a better game for those guys today

The Pistons controlled Howard and the Magic shooters went 2 from 15. This is when Howard needs to prove that he really wants this. For me Howard and Lebron have the same problem: this game comes so easily for them, their bodies and abilities gives them so a clear advantage that most time they don't even need to try in order to have a big night and perhaps winning the game. Last year Lebron cruised for the entire first half and the Cavs still win 50 games.

Now Howard needs to get in another gear (like Lebron this year or last year conference finals) to defeat an highly superior team. Can he manhandle the Pistons like Lebron did last year? He has the potential but until he do it we'll leave it like that in "potential".


After building a 19 point lead the Lakers found themselves in a 4 point game with like 5 minutes to go. Utah never got closer because the didn't have Boozer (he fauled out somewhere around half way into the fourth quater) and the fould Kobe like 1 google times. I know Utah fouls a lot of people a lot of times (2468 times in the regular season. Numero uno in the league) but this Lakers team is a very good free throw shooting team (10th in the league) and having Boozer playing like a poor man's Antawn Jamison is not a good idea to give up so many points from the charity line.

Second Round: Lakers vs Jazz

1. Lakers (57-25) vs 4. Jazz (54-28)
Regular Season Series: LAL 3-1
Point Differencial: LAL +2.7

Two very different teams coming from tow different series. The Lakers coming from the only swept of the first round where they found very little resistent. They had to run but their half court execution gave them the series. In the other side, Utah is coming from a physical, tough 6 game series against T-Mac and the Rockets.Deron Williams was key for the Jazz in that series as he has been all season long.

The Lakers was the most impressive team in the first round, not only becuase of the swept but for their team defense, their ball movement, their bench play and the play of their two best players. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were brilliant all series long. They executed the triangle offense as crispy as I have seen since 2002. They made the extra pass and always found their spots where they could be effective at getting their offense going. The Lakers are going to need every bit of that execution to defeat a very ordened and disciplined Jazz team.


Utah plays a far more direct and effective offense (Only Okur shot less than 40% against Houston). They base the¡r offense on pick and rolls and screens to get their shooters open. Most of their players have the ability of creating their own shots so they can collapse the defense without breaking their offensive scheme. This is a very well coached team. They have a tought time getting rid of the Rockets because defensively they gave a lot of opportunities for easy shots. They need to improve that. They need to control both ends of the floor. It won't be easy against a team like the Lakers as they can generate offense from both outside and inside.

The defense of Kobe Bryant on Deron Williams is going to be one of the most important bullet points of this series. Deron Williams can shred any defense with his size and court vision. He can dominate either in transition basketball or in half court sets. Kobe defense have to deny him the open shot and the Lakers team defense need to try deny him the pick and roll. Not an easy task. Kirilenko will defend Kobe. His main reason to live and breath fron now on is avoid to Kobe take control in the fourth quater. Utah has the firepower to sustain and 40 or 50 point explosion of Kobe - as long as Gasol and the other Lakers are held in check - but no team in this league can survive a 20 point fourth quater from Kobe

The production matchup of Boozer and Gasol is also key (they are not going to defend themselves directly) as both teams need inside production to free up their outside players. Defense must respect them both.

X Factor: Utah shooters. If they are hitting their shots Deron Williams can easily dominate the entire series. He would have too many option to generate offense.

Basketball Gods' Prediction: LAL 4-2

Overview: Cavs vs Wizards

What did I thought the Wizards were going to win the series? The main reason was Cleveland's big trade hadn't pay off and they had not have enough time to quite mesh. Another reason was that the Wizards' big three were almost healthy, with the exception of Arenas. And finally I felt a complete -almost complete- Wizards team was better than a meshing Cleveland team.

What went wrong? Well, I was right about some of the new cavs ( Wally World: 10.8 ppg, 35% 3FG. Ben Wallace 7.2 rpg. Joe Smith 19.5 mpg, 5.5 ppg) . Delonte West was the bright spot as he shoot 50% from downtown ( including the dagger in game 4) and did a great job running the offense.

The Wizards big three weren't quite there. Arenas was a non factor as he missed almost three games and Butler showed up for only the last three games. But the decisive issue factor with this series was that I it never crossed my mind that the Wizards' agenda was: 1) Foul Lebron, 2) Talk trash and 3) Foul Lebron. They arrived to this series ready to make a circus out of it instead of playing their possible best game.

I'm not ignoring Lebron's brilliance but we all were expecting that.


Whose fault is it? Stevenson, Haywood, Songalia. Everybody that tried to kill Lebron instead of playing him.

Second Round: Pistons vs Magic

2. Pistons (59-23) vs 3. Magic (52-30)
Regular Season Series: TIED 2-2
Point Differencial: DET +3.0


If the Pistons want to to prove their "we are better when our backs are against the wall" theory one more time in this series the new Superman and the rest of the Magic might push you through that wall. Once again the Pistons face a team that likes to run and not to fond to defense. Not exactly a recipe for playoffs success but they have a monster for a center who comes from having a monster series (22.6 ppg, 18.2 rpg) and he can easily dominate any matchup.

This Pistons encarnation is a lot more deep that last year's. They can now throw a more mature Maxiell and a fresh Ratliff -joining Rasheed Wallace and Antonio Mcdyess - at Howard direction. Their defense is not going to anything but sweet (If you defend somebody sweetly you have issues. Look at yourselft in the mirror). Take this to the bank: Howard is going to spend a ton of time in the free throw line. He didn't played well in the regular season facing this guys (17.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and in some of those games Ratliff wasn't even there.

The last couple of games Detroit showed some revitalization of their offense. Rip Hamilton and Prince found their groove on those games and Billups had his moments. All their numbers are very close - that's the Pistons way - but Billups really look like he was missing a step or two and he wasn't defending no Chris Paul, he was guarding 32 year old Andre Miller.

This teams matchup pretty well and Detriot's team defense, home court advantage and experience gives them them the upper hand as long as they are focus and show up to the games.

Orlando's offense doesn't go through Howard, he still not that polished. Lewis, Turkoglu and Nelson need to be effective and efficient. Nelson averaged 4 TO per game (and 4.8 apg) against a poor defensive team if he doesn't take better care of the ball the Pistons will eat him alive. Two of their 2 main shooters were money in the regular season but struggle in the first round. (Both Hedo and Lewis had made over 40% of their three point attemps. Against Toronto Hedo shot for 11% and Lewis for 25%). They need to wake up 'cause Howard is not going to have the same freedom he had against Bosh and Toronto "team defense".


X Factor: Somebody in the Hedo/Lewis combo won't be defended by Prince. He needs to exploit that matchup against either Mcdayess or Maxiell. That Magic needs to find his shooting touch and some fire on his belly if Orlando wants to continue

Basketball Gods' Prediction: DET 4-2.

Ps: I'd put them in five but I'm giving them a "night off

Second Round: Hornets vs Spurs

2. Hornets (56-26) vs 3.Spurs (55-27)
Regular Season Series: TIED 2-2
Point Differencial: NOH +7.0

The new pups against the old savyy dog. Despite the age and experience diference this are two teams relatively similar. Their are lead by their point guards, they have great power forwards and a deep bench. Naturally each of these matchups are going to be key in this series.

Even though considering the fact that Phoenix never put much defensive resistente, both Duncan and Parker were unstoppable against them and they look as hungry and they have look in years. They executed the pick and roll prefectly and Parker was hitting the jump shot becoming unguardable for the Suns. Finley, Oberto and Ginobili had their moments but they were pretty unregular. They need more from them. They need a lot more from Ginobili. Lots of experts predicted that San Antonio were going to win the last series thanks to the Ginobili factor but he was held in check (by his standards) and the Spurs still won the series but this is a thougher more solid team and Manu needs to prove right here right now that he can be as clutch and valueable (hint) as a Kobe or a Paul. The athleticism of New Orleans front court could put Duncan and Thomas in foul trouble so their bench needs to play good and play smart.


This Hornets are a treat to watch. Paul plays with a passion that is very rare to see in such a young player and they are highly efficent. They can drain the three like free throws (.389%, 3rd in the league) and their offensive rating is 5th in league. Their defensive numbers are good (7th in the league in defensive rating) because they control the tempo of the game and the although they can run, they prefer to run the pick and roll and find open shooters in half court schemes. They are young but they are not dumb.

Duncan vs West, Parker vs Paul, Bowen vs Peja. This are going to be matchups were are going to enjoy and you can almost expect good series from those guys. This is going to be a more defensive series than the previous one both teams had. In this one the bench players are going to be THE KEY (yeap capital letters) . Mainly Manu Ginobili. The Hornets doesn't have an answer for him, a few teams do (actually Raja Bell defends manu amanzinly and this year wasn't the exception) he needs to explode the matchup and go right to Tyson Chandler. At some point defense most collapse but before that he needs to make his jump shots which he wasn't doing it against Phoenix. The Hornets must rely on their team defense. That defensive discipline and Paul have take them this long and could easily take them farther.

X Factor: Manu.

Basketball Gods' prediction: SAS 4-2