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 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 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.

Bill Simmons for Bucks' GM

I'm fully supporting this campaing. Bill Simmons must the next Bucks' GM. Why? I don't know I love the guy's writting, but that ain't nothing to do with basketball. But you know what, that book of " behind-the-scenes book about being an NBA GM" will be priceless

I will use all my media power to make this happen. The Basketball Gods' are behind you Simmons.

CWebb

As Bill Simmons said, CWebb career will be remember for what it could be. Webber won't be remember as one of the all time greats, he had all the tools to be but he isn't. Webber was a special talent with a great pair of soft hands, excellente passing skills and good basketball IQ, that's it.

What did affect this guy, what keep this guy from becoming one of the great one.

You could say that Webber was everything but a clutch player, actually you could see him running away from the ball in the clutch on those Kings-Lakers series. He looked scared at some points of those series, not quite what you want from your team leader.

Webber was so athletic in his early days and he always had those amazing passing skills. Later he developed a smooth elbow jumper but he never was a true back to the basket type of player, he didn't had much of a post up game, and that take away a lot from what he could do in the basketball court once he got old and injured

But the main reason of how we remember CWebb is because he never wanted it enough. He never took his game or his attitude to the next step where he said "I'm going to win this game no matter what" . You look to the eyes of MJ, Kobe, Iverson, Duncan in any playoff game and you can see the determination, the hunger. You didn't see that in CWebb.

No Games no News makes Morgan go crazy

It's been like a lot of days since the betting ref thing and there's absolutely nothing new on the news front. There ain't anything new to say about the crooked zebra, and nothing I can write would be better than this writting from Bill Simmmons, be sure to chech this article too.

USA Basketball have a broadcasted scrimmage yesterday, apparently it was pretty awesome; it was filled with stars and actually everybody played at full throttle, including Lebron. Kobe and Kidd ruled the court showing all the multimillionare kids how it's done, that's not really a shocker, but I liked the "Kidd hint" thrown by Kobe and Lebron to their respective teams and their "anything but happy trigger" GM's

Lebron:

"This is a treat, I don't have that luxury on my team back in Cleveland. It's like a dream of mine."

Kobe:

"It's scary actually, what he sees on the floor. I learned a lot just playing with him and talking with him the last couple days, being that we're the two old dogs on the team -- he's actually the old dog by a long shot,"

Here's a video posted by a Kobe fan

I don't know if I feel worst for Boobie Gibson and Jason Farmar, or for Kupchak and Danny Ferry. Actually, after reading what I just wrote about Boobie Gibson and Jason Farmar... What the hell!!. I might give Boobie some slack, but if we believe the rumors; Lebron should be playing with Bibby and Kobe with Kidd himself. Why this trades didn't happen? Poor GMs? Owners Saving Money? Why people in this game doesn't just roll the dice and see what happen, maybe you get lucky and create a championship team, worst case scenario, your rich boss lost a couple of millions and you team doesn't win the championship, they never do this. EDIT: A'right, they might get fired, but it's all for the good of the sport! :D

The NBA is in the shape that it is no only due to the Artest Melee or whatever stupid act , this is happening beacuse of bad referees (and crooked referees ) and the lack of balls showed by most of the GMs in the league. Both issues are fixable, the officiating took a major hit, but it's still fixable, but it's going to be a long process. The second one, could be faster and it's running in the veins of guys like Sam Presti and John Paxton, young and smart GM's who although their bosses, whoever thery are in Presti case, may no be big spenders, we only can hope this GMs MIGHT give us some hope, so far they have been doing a more than decent job.

I think I haven't write anything about the Marbury to Venice story, I didn't gave it too much relevance, because he's STARBURY the best point guard in the game, he can play in Pluto with Kobe if he wants (SARCASM SARCASM I cannot stress how much SARCASM you must read here!), but the friends at KnicksClicks are pretty shocked by the Italians sweeping their point guard of his feet, and this post of YAYSports is one of the funniest thing I have ever seen (Hail to the YAY!)