Sunday, June 15, 2008
It Ain't Over Yet...
Down 3-1, game 5 in Los Angeles tonight, morale low, the Lakers are in a win or go home situation. After a demoralizing loss at home to Boston in game 4, the Lakers need to decide whether they want to begin their summer, or show how good they truly are. If they choose option one, well, there is always next year, but why wait, when they still can this year. However, if they choose option two, they will have to decide if they want to play intense and productive for 48 minutes. They need to do whatever they can to put game 4's loss out of their minds, so they can focus on winning these next three games. Whether it be drinking till they drop, smoking Coach Phil's peace pipe and sining kumbaya, or watching "300", they need to do something to get fired up and blow Boston away tonight. In the 6 games Boston and Los Angeles have played this year, the Lakers have seen everything Boston has to offer, while Boston hasn't seen any of the Lakers weapons all on their A game. If Pau can just play as half as intense as KG has been playing the Lakers will win tonight. If Kobe explodes for the best game he's had since his 49 point outburst against Denver in game 2 of the playoffs. If Lamar can play great for a full game. If the Lakers bench can play like they have all season long. If the Lakers play defense. If the Lakers can do one or two of those things, Boston will not see what's coming tonight. That's all they have to do, and this series, which seems to be locked up by Boston, will be a real series again. Although the chips are down, and their backs are against the wall, NEVER, count out a team with Kobe Bryant on it. The Lakes have a shot, it's going to be tough, it's going to defy all odds, but it's possible. Good luck my Lakers, and please, PUH-LEASE, try and make the beginning of my summer something to be happy about!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Celtics Only Win Half the Battle
Down 22 with 7:40 left to go in the game, most teams would have given up, most coaches would have pulled their stars, most fans would have gone to bed mad already, however, that cannot be said for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. To the Lakers, 7:40 is just as good as a full quarter. Despite the inexcusable reffing during tonight's match, the Lakers played hard, scored baskets, and a decent number of important stops. Although they didn't get the win, they won half that battle, by stealing the momentum from Boston. Boston may think they have the momentum, being up 2-0, and keeping the Lakers from winning what would have been a heart-breaker for the Celtics, however, the fact that the Lakers were able to overcome the reffing and cut they Celtics 22 point, 4th quarter lead, down to 2 with a minute or so remaining, shows how great this team is, and it gives them the fire, the momentum, to make this series one to remember. Remember folks, L.A. is the only undefeated team at home in the playoffs thus far. With the momentum the Lakes received from their comeback tonight, and their toughness inside Staples Center, they should have no problem going up 3-2 on the Celtics. KG and PP34, get ready to dance.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Breakdown of the Lakers and Celtics; Position by Position
With the NBA Finals just a few days away (exactly 66 hours and 28 minutes away, not that I'm counting), the debate continues, who is truly the better team. Well we will not know until 4 games have been one by a single team, but what we can figure out, based on statistics, my ridiculous knowledge for the NBA, and some opinions, we can figure out who has the better team, position by position. Giving us something to think about, and debate over, while those fans like me, sit and do absolutely nothing until Thursday night at around 6pm...
Point Guard: Derek Fisher or Rajon Rondo: Right now, Rondo is the better player. At 6-1 in shoes, Rondo averages 4.2 rebounds per game, and shoots an outstanding percentage from the field (49.2%), although that is primarily due to the fact that he has no jump shot. However, his athleticism and defensive play make him the better of the two point guards in this series. I know, as a Laker fan, Derek Fisher has been great for us in all his years here. However, Fisher is 33, and although he's still playing some of the best basketball of his career, once a player hits 30, they tend to lose a step. Rondo is simply too athletic for fisher, and will cause problems, not major ones, but problems nonetheless that could impact the way Phil uses his guard rotation.
Edge: Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant or Ray Allen: I'm not even going to waste time explaining this one. So the edge goes to the MVP, that's all that needs to be said here.
Small Forward: Vladamir Radmonovic or Paul Pierce: PP is the obvious choice here, but if Radmonovic devotes this entire series to just playing good D on Pierce (which he can do), I have a feeling that Pierce and the Celtics nation might be surprised of the series they get from their longtime star. Although I give the edge to Pierce here, Radmonovic's D on Paul could be a key factor to the Lakers winning this series.
Power Forward: Lamar Odom or Kevin Garnett: This match up will easily be the most entertaining out of the 5 possible match ups. Both players are extremely long and athletic. Although KG plays with more intensity than any one in the league (yes, even my MVP, Kobe Bryant), if Odom can match even half of Garnett's intensity (which is quite hard to do since KG plays like his kid's lives are at stake), the Lake Show win the series. Odom has shown this year and during the playoffs, that he can be the great player he was always suppose to be. If he gets 17/12/4 for the series, it's pretty much over. However, advantage here goes to KG and his defensive player of the year trophy.
Center: Pau Gasol or Kendrick Perkins: Great offense meets great defense. It's like the Patriots playing themselves. Gasol's finesse and offensive game are top notch, however, he sometimes plays too soft, which makes me worry about this series the most. If Pau plays to soft, and KG plays like KG, the Lakers will have a hard time winning this series. Pau needs to play tough and be a dominate post presence for the Lakers to win. If he averages about 18/11/5, and plays semi-acceptable defense, the Lakers will be en route to their 15th championship (and yes Bill Simmons, I count the Minneapolis days! http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=20902) Perkins is great on defense, and is extremely strong, but Pau's offensive game is to advanced for him, and he will have trouble stopping Pau's quick offensive move set.
Bench: Okay, the Lakers have a bench of 4 solid players (Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, and Ronny Turiaf. You could say 5 if you count Trevor Ariza) that all play consistent rotation minutes, and impact the outcomes of Laker games greatly. Whereas Boston has about 2 bench players they play consistently (James Posey and PJ Brown) who have any effect on their wins. However, when Doc Rivers plays guys like Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Eddie House, the Celtics play much better. Sam Cassell is garbage now, and should retire to the sidelines, so I know he won't help them. But, the Lakers bench is great all around, and if they play like they have all season, the Lakers should win the series easily.
Edge: Lakers Bench
Head Coach: Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers: Easy one here, 8 rings in 9 finals apperances, or 0 rings in 0 finals appearances? I'm going to go out on a VERY thin limb and say, I'd much rather have the 8 than the 0, but that's just me. Phil, in my opinion is the second best coach in the league (behind Gregg Poppovich, whom I believe is one of the top 3 greatest coaches of all time), and he knows how to win. The Detroit series, wasn't entirely his fault. The Lakers were outplayed, and the injury bug that caught Karl Malone (god did he look terrible in a Lakers uni), didn't help their cause either. Overall, Phil is hands down the winner in this match up, and unless Red Auerbach comes back from the dead, the Lakers have the clear cut advantage here.
So based on the match ups, it looks like the winner goes to, THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS! And trust me, this was not a homer pick. I gave the Celts advantages in their rightfully deserving spots. What do you want me to say that Kendrick Perkins is a better player than Pau, umm, no thank you, I'd rather not. But the facts are there. By match ups, the Lakers win this series. Hopefully it plays out the way the match ups say they will, and not the way WhatIfSports predicts it will. (http://www.whatifsports.com/beyondtheboxscore/default.asp?article=20080531)
Point Guard: Derek Fisher or Rajon Rondo: Right now, Rondo is the better player. At 6-1 in shoes, Rondo averages 4.2 rebounds per game, and shoots an outstanding percentage from the field (49.2%), although that is primarily due to the fact that he has no jump shot. However, his athleticism and defensive play make him the better of the two point guards in this series. I know, as a Laker fan, Derek Fisher has been great for us in all his years here. However, Fisher is 33, and although he's still playing some of the best basketball of his career, once a player hits 30, they tend to lose a step. Rondo is simply too athletic for fisher, and will cause problems, not major ones, but problems nonetheless that could impact the way Phil uses his guard rotation.
Edge: Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant or Ray Allen: I'm not even going to waste time explaining this one. So the edge goes to the MVP, that's all that needs to be said here.
Small Forward: Vladamir Radmonovic or Paul Pierce: PP is the obvious choice here, but if Radmonovic devotes this entire series to just playing good D on Pierce (which he can do), I have a feeling that Pierce and the Celtics nation might be surprised of the series they get from their longtime star. Although I give the edge to Pierce here, Radmonovic's D on Paul could be a key factor to the Lakers winning this series.
Power Forward: Lamar Odom or Kevin Garnett: This match up will easily be the most entertaining out of the 5 possible match ups. Both players are extremely long and athletic. Although KG plays with more intensity than any one in the league (yes, even my MVP, Kobe Bryant), if Odom can match even half of Garnett's intensity (which is quite hard to do since KG plays like his kid's lives are at stake), the Lake Show win the series. Odom has shown this year and during the playoffs, that he can be the great player he was always suppose to be. If he gets 17/12/4 for the series, it's pretty much over. However, advantage here goes to KG and his defensive player of the year trophy.
Center: Pau Gasol or Kendrick Perkins: Great offense meets great defense. It's like the Patriots playing themselves. Gasol's finesse and offensive game are top notch, however, he sometimes plays too soft, which makes me worry about this series the most. If Pau plays to soft, and KG plays like KG, the Lakers will have a hard time winning this series. Pau needs to play tough and be a dominate post presence for the Lakers to win. If he averages about 18/11/5, and plays semi-acceptable defense, the Lakers will be en route to their 15th championship (and yes Bill Simmons, I count the Minneapolis days! http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=20902) Perkins is great on defense, and is extremely strong, but Pau's offensive game is to advanced for him, and he will have trouble stopping Pau's quick offensive move set.
Bench: Okay, the Lakers have a bench of 4 solid players (Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, and Ronny Turiaf. You could say 5 if you count Trevor Ariza) that all play consistent rotation minutes, and impact the outcomes of Laker games greatly. Whereas Boston has about 2 bench players they play consistently (James Posey and PJ Brown) who have any effect on their wins. However, when Doc Rivers plays guys like Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Eddie House, the Celtics play much better. Sam Cassell is garbage now, and should retire to the sidelines, so I know he won't help them. But, the Lakers bench is great all around, and if they play like they have all season, the Lakers should win the series easily.
Edge: Lakers Bench
Head Coach: Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers: Easy one here, 8 rings in 9 finals apperances, or 0 rings in 0 finals appearances? I'm going to go out on a VERY thin limb and say, I'd much rather have the 8 than the 0, but that's just me. Phil, in my opinion is the second best coach in the league (behind Gregg Poppovich, whom I believe is one of the top 3 greatest coaches of all time), and he knows how to win. The Detroit series, wasn't entirely his fault. The Lakers were outplayed, and the injury bug that caught Karl Malone (god did he look terrible in a Lakers uni), didn't help their cause either. Overall, Phil is hands down the winner in this match up, and unless Red Auerbach comes back from the dead, the Lakers have the clear cut advantage here.
So based on the match ups, it looks like the winner goes to, THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS! And trust me, this was not a homer pick. I gave the Celts advantages in their rightfully deserving spots. What do you want me to say that Kendrick Perkins is a better player than Pau, umm, no thank you, I'd rather not. But the facts are there. By match ups, the Lakers win this series. Hopefully it plays out the way the match ups say they will, and not the way WhatIfSports predicts it will. (http://www.whatifsports.com/beyondtheboxscore/default.asp?article=20080531)
Sunday, June 1, 2008
The Big Dance: It's Finally Here
It's been eight long, exciting, surprising months, but the dance is finally here, and it's better than ever. We've got renewed rivalries, a new MVP, a battle to prove doubters wrong, a fight to the end. Whatever happens, it we be great. It's the NBA Finals, where truly amazing happens. Kobe Bryant is searching for his first ring without Shaq, and Kevin Garnett is going for his first. Both teams have improved drastically over the past year, and if anyone told me during May of last year that Boston and the Lakers would be in the finals come June, I would check them into the Betty Ford Clinic, because they would have to of been doing some serious drugs to think that. However, roster renovations and major player improvement fueled these teams throughout 82 games, and 3 rounds of playoff series, and now they are here, on the biggest stage in the world, to show who is the world's champions. Will it be MVP Kobe Bryant (GOD I LOVE SAYING THAT) and his new and improved Lake Show Squad? Or will it be KG and co.? Only time will tell. We have at least 4 games ahead of us, and either team is good enough to win 4, but only one team will come out on top, and be crowned number one. It's the NBA Finals, where champions happen.
Upcoming!
Look for post game analysis for every finals game.
Also, once I can get one down I'm happy with, a mock draft version 1.0 will be posted. I would think after doing mock drafts since November, I would come up with one I like, but it seems every day, with every draft camp rumor that comes about, my picks seem to change. Hopefully I can get the mock draft up by this coming weekend.
Upcoming!
Look for post game analysis for every finals game.
Also, once I can get one down I'm happy with, a mock draft version 1.0 will be posted. I would think after doing mock drafts since November, I would come up with one I like, but it seems every day, with every draft camp rumor that comes about, my picks seem to change. Hopefully I can get the mock draft up by this coming weekend.
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