Two extremely different basketball series decided the teams that will make up the 2010 NBA finals.
The Celtics vs. Magic was an overwhelmingly physical series, with plenty of technicals, flagrant fouls, and questionable calls. Dwight Howard started to establish himself as the physical dominator that he needs to be. I am all for having fun on the floor, and shooting half-court hook shots before the game. Once that tip happens though, Dwight Howard should be the meanest player on the floor. He has no reason not to be. He can jump the highest, has the biggest shoulders, and he is usually the tallest player on the court. What Dwight still does not have, is a legitimate post repertoire. Kendrick Perkins, Glenn Davis, and Rasheed Wallace were able to single team him, cutting off the three point shooting, and Dwight could do nothing about it. If Dwight is committed to winning a title, he should do nothing but work on his post game and free throws all summer. With the three point shooting mostly gone, Rajon Rondo and the Celtics were able to set the tempo of the series, allowing Pierce to go one on one, and have Rondo drive to the basket. There was certainly a lot of bad blood in the series, but as a basketball fan, it was a lot of fun to watch. Thankfully the Celtics avoided the collapse, and will be playing for the NBA Championship for the second time in three years, with a rematch of the 2008 Finals.
The Suns vs. Lakers, for anyone that enjoys defense, was a miserable series. Those who like fast paced entertainment however, were certainly pleased. The Suns did their best to use their zone defense and quickness to offset their size limitations against the much bigger Lakers. Unfortunately for them, Kobe took over the series. Kobe had one of his best individual series ever, dropping shot after shot against double teams, single teams, from out of bounds, fading away, and even dishing out thirteen assists when the Suns nearly triple teamed him. The combination of Bryant and Gasol are playing great right now, and stopping Gasol may be the key to success against their team. Kobe was extremely hungry to return to the Finals, and his will beat the lackluster defense of the Phoenix Suns. There was a great moment where Steve Nash was seen crying and Alvin Gentry was supporting his star. I felt bad seeing Nash that emotional, he is a great player, with a good team. Unfortunately, the Lakers came out on top this time.
Looking ahead: Celtics vs. Lakers
This series confirms the renewal of the Celtics vs. Lakers rivalry, with the teams having met in the finals just two years ago. There are a lot of interesting matchups to watch in the series, and if the Celtics can steal one in Los Angeles, I think the Celtics will win in 5 or 6. My official pick is in 6. Rondo is the x factor in this series, with Odom being the Lakers version.
Here are the matchups:
Perkins vs. Gasol: Gasol
Garnett vs. Odom: Garnett
Artest vs. Pierce: Pierce
Allen vs. Bryant: Bryant
FIsher vs. Rondo: Rondo
Bench: If Nate Robinson can continue to provide quality minutes, the Celtics have the edge here.
May 30, 2010
May 14, 2010
Thoughts: 2nd Round NBA Playoffs
Now that the only actual series in the second round is over, I can give my overarching thoughts on the semifinals. By series:
Lakers vs. Jazz
After the Jazz defeated my finals pick in the Nuggets, I was assuming they would put up a bigger fight than they did against the Lakers. It seems that after the Lakers were almost upset by the Thunder in the first round, they have now found their stride at just the right time. The Lakers size with Gasol and Bynum ruined the Jazz and specifically Carlos Boozer. Boozer, with the last game before he enters into the free agent class, needs to find his passion for the game again, because it has seemingly depleted with each year that he has been in Utah. Kobe and Gasol may be the hottest pair left in the playoffs at this point.
Up Next for the Lakers: The Suns - Matchups to exploit: Gasol vs. Lopez, Bryant vs. Richardson
Suns vs. Spurs
The Spurs were coming off of an impressive defeat of the Mavericks and were looking to be a very dangerous opponent for the Suns. The Suns had barely escaped the mostly Roy-less Blazers. Steve Nash however, was tired of the Spurs starting his summer early. Nash continues to climb the ranks of the all time best point guards, with his sharp shooting and precise passing. The Suns beat the slow and tired Spurs up and down the floor, and were even impressive defensively, something that was glaringly absent in the teams that the Spurs had upset. The Spurs need to have a good off season to get back to where they want to be. They need to find their Tim Duncan replacement, which is no easy task, and make sure to resign Manu Ginobili. George Hill should be a very helpful piece in their revamping.
Up Next for the Suns - The Lakers - Mathchups to exploit: Nash vs. Fisher, Stoudemire vs. Bynum
Magic vs. Hawks
What can one say about the biggest blow out series in the history of the NBA? When the Hawks talked about the Magic being able to win the championship after Game 3, it was officially over, and they should have just forgotten about Game Four. The Magic are the only team who have swept both of their opening series, and this could lead to them being untested, rusty, or rested and confident.
Up Next for the Magic: The Celtics - Matchups to exploit: Howard vs. Perkins
Celtics vs. Cavs
The team with the best record and seemingly best team all season has been ousted by the old and tired Celtics. Coming out of the series, the Celtics are as scary as any time, playing lockdown defense, and shutting down the league's best player enough for it to be the talk of the sports world for the last week. Kevin Garnett is healthy, which will make the series different than last year's series between the Magic and Celtics because Rashard Lewis will be guarded by someone who is as long as he is. This series should be extremely competitive and exciting for everyone involved.
Up Next for the Celtics: The Magic - Matchups to exploit: Rondo vs. Nelson, Wallace vs. Gortat
Predictions: Lakers in 6, Celtics in 6
Lakers vs. Jazz
After the Jazz defeated my finals pick in the Nuggets, I was assuming they would put up a bigger fight than they did against the Lakers. It seems that after the Lakers were almost upset by the Thunder in the first round, they have now found their stride at just the right time. The Lakers size with Gasol and Bynum ruined the Jazz and specifically Carlos Boozer. Boozer, with the last game before he enters into the free agent class, needs to find his passion for the game again, because it has seemingly depleted with each year that he has been in Utah. Kobe and Gasol may be the hottest pair left in the playoffs at this point.
Up Next for the Lakers: The Suns - Matchups to exploit: Gasol vs. Lopez, Bryant vs. Richardson
Suns vs. Spurs
The Spurs were coming off of an impressive defeat of the Mavericks and were looking to be a very dangerous opponent for the Suns. The Suns had barely escaped the mostly Roy-less Blazers. Steve Nash however, was tired of the Spurs starting his summer early. Nash continues to climb the ranks of the all time best point guards, with his sharp shooting and precise passing. The Suns beat the slow and tired Spurs up and down the floor, and were even impressive defensively, something that was glaringly absent in the teams that the Spurs had upset. The Spurs need to have a good off season to get back to where they want to be. They need to find their Tim Duncan replacement, which is no easy task, and make sure to resign Manu Ginobili. George Hill should be a very helpful piece in their revamping.
Up Next for the Suns - The Lakers - Mathchups to exploit: Nash vs. Fisher, Stoudemire vs. Bynum
Magic vs. Hawks
What can one say about the biggest blow out series in the history of the NBA? When the Hawks talked about the Magic being able to win the championship after Game 3, it was officially over, and they should have just forgotten about Game Four. The Magic are the only team who have swept both of their opening series, and this could lead to them being untested, rusty, or rested and confident.
Up Next for the Magic: The Celtics - Matchups to exploit: Howard vs. Perkins
Celtics vs. Cavs
The team with the best record and seemingly best team all season has been ousted by the old and tired Celtics. Coming out of the series, the Celtics are as scary as any time, playing lockdown defense, and shutting down the league's best player enough for it to be the talk of the sports world for the last week. Kevin Garnett is healthy, which will make the series different than last year's series between the Magic and Celtics because Rashard Lewis will be guarded by someone who is as long as he is. This series should be extremely competitive and exciting for everyone involved.
Up Next for the Celtics: The Magic - Matchups to exploit: Rondo vs. Nelson, Wallace vs. Gortat
Predictions: Lakers in 6, Celtics in 6
May 7, 2010
1st Round Thoughts: NBA
I know we are decently into Round 2 now, but I have been meaning to write this for a while. The NBA Playoffs started their far too long, but very exciting chase for the championship and there were some great series to watch in Round 1. By series:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Celtics vs. Heat:
The Celtics, after an up and down regular season, looked completely rejuvenated in this series. While most analysts picked them to win, the impressive fashion in which they did so definitely surprised people. Ray Allen was great, hitting most of his shots, and Rondo was again the catalyst for the Celtics. Regardless of who you were rooting for however, you found yourself cheering for Dwayne Wade. His god-like performance in Game 4 where he single handedly beat the Celtics was incredible to watch. His lack of a supporting cast however lead the Heat to an early summer, and everyone will be watching Wade to see if he stays in South Beach. Next up for the Celtics: The Cavaliers - Match-ups to exploit: Rondo vs. Williams, Allen vs. Parker
Cavaliers vs. Bulls
This series went exactly as everyone predicted, with the Cavs winning the series without too much difficulty. LeBron was fantastic as usual, and he carried the Cavs to a five game series win. The Bulls fought hard with Joaquim Noah and Derrick Rose being the main headaches for the Cavs defense. Interesting to note: Noah and Anderson Varejao have been compared many times in their careers as talented energy big-men, but Noah completely dominated Varejao and hopefully the comparisons end there. Next up for the Cavaliers: The Celtics - Match-ups to exploit: James vs. Pierce, Bench depth
Magic vs. Bobcats
This series was very strange because even though the Magic were the only teams to sweep their opponent, they played the least like themselves. Dwight Howard was abysmal, filling up his stat sheets with fouls instead of points. Vince Carter did not hit a three until Game Four, but he shot them at a rate that would have made people think he was on fire. The series came down to the youth and inexperience of the Bobcats, making mistakes, while the experienced Magic made the big plays at the right time, and having huge games from Jameer Nelson. Next up for the Magic: The Hawks - Match-ups to exploit: Howard vs. Horford, Carter vs. Williams.
Bucks vs. Hawks
I believe this was the most surprising series in the East during the first round. The Bucks, despite losing their best player and Center Bogut to a horrific shoulder injury, fought against the more experienced and healthy hawks. The Hawks were clearly caught off guard by the amount of fight in the Bucks. They became stagnant, and ran a half-court offense. When they did run, they blew the Bucks out, which is what occurred in Game Seven. The Hawks fans can sigh now, although they have the much better Magic coming up next. Next up for the Hawks: The Magic - Match-ups to exploit: Smith vs. Lewis, Speed vs. Power
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Spurs vs. Mavericks
Many people that I talked to believed that this year would be the year where the Mavericks stop choking, and actually do some damage in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it was much of the same. The Mavericks played the much more experienced and intelligent Spurs, and got out played, out coached, and out hustled. The emergence of George Hill for the Spurs was huge, and he gave the Spurs young legs, and a replacement for the miserable Richard Jefferson. Mark Cuban was a poor sport as usual, and eventually had all of America cheering for the Spurs. Next up for the Spurs: The Suns - Match-ups to exploit: Duncan vs. Collins, Parker vs. bench PG
Lakers vs. Thunder
Ladies and Gentleman, Kevin Durant is a beast and he is here to stay. Durant, along with Westbrook and Green, gave the Lakers a clinic on what passionate basketball looks like and feels like. Unfortunately for them, the Lakers remembered a little too soon. The size of Gasol and Bynum eventually caught up with the Thunder, who became America's sweethearts in the first round. The best part of the series as a fan to watch was when the Thunder lost, and the Oklahoma City crowd immediately gave them a standing ovation, and the Lakers paid homage to the players. Best show of sportsmanship I have seen in professional sports in a long time. Next up for the Lakers: The Jazz - Match-ups to exploit: Gasol vs. Fresenko, Bryant vs. Matthews
Jazz vs. Nuggets
The Nuggets were who I picked to reach the finals in the Western Conference, especially with how injured and depleted the Jazz looked coming into the series. Apparently I didn't know just how good Derron Williams is. Williams absolutely torched the Nuggets, and everybody but Carmelo played horrendous leading to the Nuggets being eliminated in the first round. Williams tooled around on the veteran Chauncey Billups, which took me by surprise. I still believe the depleted state of the Jazz will catch up to them at some point, and it will probably come at the hands of the Lakers. Next up for the Jazz: The Lakers - Match-ups to exploit - Williams vs. Fisher, Millsap vs. Odom
Suns vs. Trailblazers
Brandon Roy's triumphant return to the Trailblazers, which rejuvenated them for a little while, unfortunately fell short in their quest to beat the Suns. Jason Richardson lead the way for the Suns as he, Nash, and Stoudemire eventually wore down Aldridge and Roy for the Blazers. When this series swung south for the Suns, there was a brief chance that every higher seed in the Western Conference was going to lose in the first round, which would have been incredible to see. Alas, this did not come to fruition and the 1st Round ended about how everyone expected. Next up for the Suns: The Spurs - Match-ups to exploit-Stoudemire vs. McDyess, Nash vs. Hill
Lots more to come from the NBA Playoffs! Next up, thoughts on Round 2, Go Celtics!
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Celtics vs. Heat:
The Celtics, after an up and down regular season, looked completely rejuvenated in this series. While most analysts picked them to win, the impressive fashion in which they did so definitely surprised people. Ray Allen was great, hitting most of his shots, and Rondo was again the catalyst for the Celtics. Regardless of who you were rooting for however, you found yourself cheering for Dwayne Wade. His god-like performance in Game 4 where he single handedly beat the Celtics was incredible to watch. His lack of a supporting cast however lead the Heat to an early summer, and everyone will be watching Wade to see if he stays in South Beach. Next up for the Celtics: The Cavaliers - Match-ups to exploit: Rondo vs. Williams, Allen vs. Parker
Cavaliers vs. Bulls
This series went exactly as everyone predicted, with the Cavs winning the series without too much difficulty. LeBron was fantastic as usual, and he carried the Cavs to a five game series win. The Bulls fought hard with Joaquim Noah and Derrick Rose being the main headaches for the Cavs defense. Interesting to note: Noah and Anderson Varejao have been compared many times in their careers as talented energy big-men, but Noah completely dominated Varejao and hopefully the comparisons end there. Next up for the Cavaliers: The Celtics - Match-ups to exploit: James vs. Pierce, Bench depth
Magic vs. Bobcats
This series was very strange because even though the Magic were the only teams to sweep their opponent, they played the least like themselves. Dwight Howard was abysmal, filling up his stat sheets with fouls instead of points. Vince Carter did not hit a three until Game Four, but he shot them at a rate that would have made people think he was on fire. The series came down to the youth and inexperience of the Bobcats, making mistakes, while the experienced Magic made the big plays at the right time, and having huge games from Jameer Nelson. Next up for the Magic: The Hawks - Match-ups to exploit: Howard vs. Horford, Carter vs. Williams.
Bucks vs. Hawks
I believe this was the most surprising series in the East during the first round. The Bucks, despite losing their best player and Center Bogut to a horrific shoulder injury, fought against the more experienced and healthy hawks. The Hawks were clearly caught off guard by the amount of fight in the Bucks. They became stagnant, and ran a half-court offense. When they did run, they blew the Bucks out, which is what occurred in Game Seven. The Hawks fans can sigh now, although they have the much better Magic coming up next. Next up for the Hawks: The Magic - Match-ups to exploit: Smith vs. Lewis, Speed vs. Power
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Spurs vs. Mavericks
Many people that I talked to believed that this year would be the year where the Mavericks stop choking, and actually do some damage in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it was much of the same. The Mavericks played the much more experienced and intelligent Spurs, and got out played, out coached, and out hustled. The emergence of George Hill for the Spurs was huge, and he gave the Spurs young legs, and a replacement for the miserable Richard Jefferson. Mark Cuban was a poor sport as usual, and eventually had all of America cheering for the Spurs. Next up for the Spurs: The Suns - Match-ups to exploit: Duncan vs. Collins, Parker vs. bench PG
Lakers vs. Thunder
Ladies and Gentleman, Kevin Durant is a beast and he is here to stay. Durant, along with Westbrook and Green, gave the Lakers a clinic on what passionate basketball looks like and feels like. Unfortunately for them, the Lakers remembered a little too soon. The size of Gasol and Bynum eventually caught up with the Thunder, who became America's sweethearts in the first round. The best part of the series as a fan to watch was when the Thunder lost, and the Oklahoma City crowd immediately gave them a standing ovation, and the Lakers paid homage to the players. Best show of sportsmanship I have seen in professional sports in a long time. Next up for the Lakers: The Jazz - Match-ups to exploit: Gasol vs. Fresenko, Bryant vs. Matthews
Jazz vs. Nuggets
The Nuggets were who I picked to reach the finals in the Western Conference, especially with how injured and depleted the Jazz looked coming into the series. Apparently I didn't know just how good Derron Williams is. Williams absolutely torched the Nuggets, and everybody but Carmelo played horrendous leading to the Nuggets being eliminated in the first round. Williams tooled around on the veteran Chauncey Billups, which took me by surprise. I still believe the depleted state of the Jazz will catch up to them at some point, and it will probably come at the hands of the Lakers. Next up for the Jazz: The Lakers - Match-ups to exploit - Williams vs. Fisher, Millsap vs. Odom
Suns vs. Trailblazers
Brandon Roy's triumphant return to the Trailblazers, which rejuvenated them for a little while, unfortunately fell short in their quest to beat the Suns. Jason Richardson lead the way for the Suns as he, Nash, and Stoudemire eventually wore down Aldridge and Roy for the Blazers. When this series swung south for the Suns, there was a brief chance that every higher seed in the Western Conference was going to lose in the first round, which would have been incredible to see. Alas, this did not come to fruition and the 1st Round ended about how everyone expected. Next up for the Suns: The Spurs - Match-ups to exploit-Stoudemire vs. McDyess, Nash vs. Hill
Lots more to come from the NBA Playoffs! Next up, thoughts on Round 2, Go Celtics!
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