That was fast. No real drama in the first round as the usual suspects passed to the second round.
Atlanta had to sweat a little bit and Denver fall apart without Coach Karl. Here is a quick recap of each series in case you didn't bother to watch basketball the last couple of weeks
Lakers vs Thunder.
Lakers won in 6
It did go to 6 games but i wasn't expected the Thunder to be this competitive. They were right there in 5 of the 6 games and the reason they lost the series was Durant poor shooting performances. Lakers D and Artest bullying him cause fatigue in the poor guy. He missed a lot of easy open shots he normally makes specially in game 6. This is an extremely young Thunder team that we can only hope they have the chance to grow together. The Lakers are hoping they don't. After game 4 everybody started to freak, the very same Lakers asked reporters around " What is wrong with u? Its just 2-2" After 2 convincing games in Oklahoma City and a very close win in game 2 all the issues the Lakers had in the regular reason came to the surface ( Kobe injuries, lack of focus, depth, Derek Fisher, etc) but after they gave an old fashioned ass kicking to the the Thunder and they escaped game 6 with a series clinching win now everybody is happy. The Lakers are vincible, more than a year ago. Is going to take an very defensive team to take them down. Lakers D is one of the best in the league, their offense in the other hand has holes all over the place. They go away from Gasol/Bynum way to often, Kobe is picking his spots more than ever and their bench is terrible. If Odom doesn't comes out like a marry man possessed they are getting nothing from their bench.
Mavs vs Spurs
Spurs won in 6
I gave too much credit to Jason Kidd. That was the only reason I picked Dallas over San Antonio. Look I know about all the lack of balls Dallas has shown in recent playoff trips, I also know Dallas had a real chance of knocking Denver last year with a worst team that his year incarnation. We all knew that the Spurs were going to rough the Mavs up and make this a very physical series. This is where I thought Kidd was going to step up, not hitting Parker like he was Joumana but injecting some calm into the Mavs when they were about to melt down. It never happen. As kid was outplayed by Parker and Hill he completely check out of the series. There is something wrong in the core of this Mavs team. I don't know if it was the result of the 2006 Finals or the ass kicking they got my Don Nelson and Baron Davis the next year. Maybe they just take the Cuban's beat and whine instead of playing through bad times. I have nothing against Mark Cuban. He is a personal hero, he is the best owner in this league but that constant pickering on the league and the refs set the tone of the entire franchise. I can bet you that if he takes just a small step back and stop trying to show off the league they would be in a better place. Just saying
San Antonio, man oh man, what can I say about this team. They just wont go away. What amazes me is that right now they are finding new ways to win. They are not longer the defensive juggernaut they used to be. They don't have the size of the experience to play like that. Offensively and defensively they are getting contributions from some many places night in and night out. That speaks tons of Popovich and Buford. The question here is: Can they sustain that for 3 more rounds of playoffs? Can they keep winning without being excellent at neither end. They can beat Phoenix. Nash still their toughest player and I think they are going to fold under pressure, again. The Lakers are an excellent defensive team. So are the Cavs and the Magic. The Lakers have more options on offense that the Spurs can contain. Nobody in a Spurs uniform ( in the league for that matter) can stop Lebron. They are not athletic enough to close Orlando's shooters. The odds are against them but one thing I've learn the past couple of years is that they don't give a fuck about their odds. They just win.
Suns vs Blazers
Suns won in 6
Well not surprise here. As i watch this series unfold I started asking myself if we overestimated the potential of the Blazers. This summer I had Portland as a 3 seed. Worst case. I know injuries really did a number on them... AGAIN... this is like the third straight year we say this. The are a group that just can't stay healthy ( and now they just inked Camby for two more years. Are you kidding me?) Their big investments are Roy and Aldridge. Brandon is a top 5 or top 7 wing player in this league. Every penny he earns he worths it. LaMarcus in the other hand has shown flashes, an of those when it matter the most. He is just 24. He has plenty of time. Worst case scenario he is a 18-8 guy. Can you win a ring with Roy as your best player and LaMarcus as your second banana? Forget about Oden. Two years for a 35 year old injury prone Camby should tell you what Portland management is thinking about Oden. As young as they are I don't see them becoming real contenders as they are built right now.
I still don't buy Phoenix and this is why:
- JRich is not this good. How long before he comes back to Earth? I don't think he has 3 more rounds like this against San Antonio, Lakers, Cavs/Magic defense. He is not Joe Johnson ( sorry Suns fans.Too easy). As easily as
- Amare can dominate the inside he can shy away from contact and start taking 15 footers all game long. Plain and simple he's playing for his next contract. Can you go against real defensive schemes just thinking " I need to get notice. I need to people think I care" I don't know. I think if he puts a couple of 30/15 games against the Spurs or the Lakers on national TV is going to be satisfied.
- Nash is taking halves off. Not because he is bad person. Because he can't do it for entire games anymore. Now you tell me what happens when Blair or Bynum put him on his butt twice in the first quarter. His back can't take that. A jump shooting Nash that lets Richardson or Hill run the team is a formula for disaster for Phoenix.
Jazz vs Nuggets
Jazz won in 6
The Nuggets confuse me. They really do. On paper and in many night they look like true contenders. A decent defensive team, well coached , star player, second banana, nice rotation. Not deep enough and probably not good enough. Those things you can improve. Other nights they look in such a disarray, specially offensively, the look lost beyond Melo. They loose their composure way too easily. One can't wait for them to grow up and take the next step. Can they take it with Melo as their best player? Of course they can. What's holding them back? No idea. I hope this guys can help. If we talk about this series you can blame Melo's supporting cast. Besides Billups, nobody step up consistently. No Kmart. No J.R. No Birdman. As it was three years ago , it was Melo all by himself.
How good in DWill? Seriously if you are outside Utah, did you know Williams was this good? My God the Hawks GM who skipped him and Paul most be stoned to dead. Anyhow Utah showed lost of courage going against Denver and Melo without their best defender ( Kirilenko) and one key piece of their offense ( Okur ). They ran the offense perfectly when it mattered. Deron Williams just ate the Nuggets alive. I'm still amazed. No kidding. The Lakers are next and that's it. For all DWill brilliance and their efficient offensive execution they are not a good defensive team. They are not long enough to keep up with the Lakers' bigs. I don't even see a ray of hope here. When the summer comes I'm rooting for them. I want them to get a really good shooting guard in exchange for Boozer. Somebody who can shoot and defend. That's it . They don't need the next MJ.
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