Check back in November.
Duty calls.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Observations from Game #1 - Don't call it a rematch
If there is one thing to be learned from Game 1, it's that this series should never again be referred to as a 'rematch' of the 2008 Finals. With the addition of Ron Artest and a healthy (well, standing) Andrew Bynum, this Laker team is bigger and nastier than the 2008 incarnation, whilst this time around the Big 3 of the Celtics will only go as far as a 4th year point guard who barely averaged double figures two years ago can take them.
-In my Finals preview I discussed the importance of the Pierce-Artest matchup, and it took all of 20 seconds before Paul Pierce well and truly got the message that Vladimir Radmanovic was now in Oakland as Artest demonstrated the best takedown since Danny Zuko’s ill-fated attempt to make the school wrestling team in Grease. Pierce finished with an impressive line - 24pts, 9reb, 6-13 from the field - but 13 of his points came during the 4th quarter with the Laker win all but wrapped up, and he spent much of the game wearing a look of frustration and a suit made of Ron Artest. The Celtics simply don’t have the offensive firepower to outscore this Laker team 4 times out of 7 if Paul Pierce is kept relatively quiet, and if he can’t shake Artest and breakout as soon as Game 2, this series is over.
-There has probably never been an athlete in sports history so happy to see a teammate playing in pain than Pau Gasol, because the mere presence of Andrew Bynum in the paint renders Gasol essentially unguardable. In '08 Gasol was battered and bullied by Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and P.J. Brown, much to the delight of fans, commentators and bloggers the world over with an innate predilection for labeling white, European big men 'soft'. Back at his natural position of power forward and playing alongside a 7 foot behemoth with a silky smooth touch around the basket of his own, the Celtics had no answer for Gasol in Game 1, and it was Garnett who was made to look like a mere mortal. If Bynum can last the series, Gasol may even claim the MVP.
-What made the Laker’s convincing win all the more impressive was the fact that it was achieved without the aid of bench production. Neither Shannon Brown nor Jordan Farmer were called upon to hit the big 3s that have punctuated both player’s respective playoffs, and Odom had as many fouls as points (5) which means that next game he’ll probably have a 20/20 outing. The Celtics bench was equally ineffective, but there is little hope for Boston fans that it was merely an aberration. Big Baby Davis tried hard but is simply too short to challenge the Lakers length, Rasheed Wallace is big enough to challenge the Lakers length but hasn’t tried hard since the last Football World Cup, Tony Allen has a bad ankle and a worse jump-shot, and Nate Robinson plays the same position as the Celtic’s best player.
I know it's only one game, but I am having a hard time believing that Phil Jackson's 47-0 record after winning Game 1 is about to come to an end. Lakers in 6.
-In my Finals preview I discussed the importance of the Pierce-Artest matchup, and it took all of 20 seconds before Paul Pierce well and truly got the message that Vladimir Radmanovic was now in Oakland as Artest demonstrated the best takedown since Danny Zuko’s ill-fated attempt to make the school wrestling team in Grease. Pierce finished with an impressive line - 24pts, 9reb, 6-13 from the field - but 13 of his points came during the 4th quarter with the Laker win all but wrapped up, and he spent much of the game wearing a look of frustration and a suit made of Ron Artest. The Celtics simply don’t have the offensive firepower to outscore this Laker team 4 times out of 7 if Paul Pierce is kept relatively quiet, and if he can’t shake Artest and breakout as soon as Game 2, this series is over.
-There has probably never been an athlete in sports history so happy to see a teammate playing in pain than Pau Gasol, because the mere presence of Andrew Bynum in the paint renders Gasol essentially unguardable. In '08 Gasol was battered and bullied by Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and P.J. Brown, much to the delight of fans, commentators and bloggers the world over with an innate predilection for labeling white, European big men 'soft'. Back at his natural position of power forward and playing alongside a 7 foot behemoth with a silky smooth touch around the basket of his own, the Celtics had no answer for Gasol in Game 1, and it was Garnett who was made to look like a mere mortal. If Bynum can last the series, Gasol may even claim the MVP.
-What made the Laker’s convincing win all the more impressive was the fact that it was achieved without the aid of bench production. Neither Shannon Brown nor Jordan Farmer were called upon to hit the big 3s that have punctuated both player’s respective playoffs, and Odom had as many fouls as points (5) which means that next game he’ll probably have a 20/20 outing. The Celtics bench was equally ineffective, but there is little hope for Boston fans that it was merely an aberration. Big Baby Davis tried hard but is simply too short to challenge the Lakers length, Rasheed Wallace is big enough to challenge the Lakers length but hasn’t tried hard since the last Football World Cup, Tony Allen has a bad ankle and a worse jump-shot, and Nate Robinson plays the same position as the Celtic’s best player.
I know it's only one game, but I am having a hard time believing that Phil Jackson's 47-0 record after winning Game 1 is about to come to an end. Lakers in 6.
Monday, May 31, 2010
NBA Finals Fun-Size Preview #1
I'm not going to go into too much depth here, as I have a buttload of work to do and ESPN kind of have the market of Playoff analysis covered. Instead, I'll just offer a brief look at a couple of match-ups that should go a long way towards deciding this year's Finals.
Artest vs. Pierce
As ingratiating as Artest's last second heroics in Game 5 of the Confererence Finals were to Lakers fans, the move to bring him in for Trevor Ariza will be considered an abject failure if Artest can't prevent Pierce from killing LA the way he did '08. However, Artest has had a relatively cruisy Semi and Conference Finals on the defensive end, and given that his legacy is essentially on the line here, it's safe to assume that Pierce will be working harder than a prisoner of war to get his points.
What has been somewhat lost in the hoopla over Boston's terrific play of late is their struggles on the offensive end in the second half of games. In the Conference Finals against the Magic the Celts only averaged 17 points in the 4th quarter, and part of the reason is that even with Rondo's development into an elite PG, Pierce remains the only starter who can consistently create his own shot off the dribble. If Artest can do a decent job neutralizing Pierce, Doc Rivers may be forced to turn to Nate Robinson for offense, which will only benefit the Lakers as it will mean less minutes for Rondo.
Bynum vs. Perkins
The one caveat of the Celtics victory over the Lakers in '08 was the absence of Andrew Bynum, and whilst he is playing on one leg this time around, he is still a far better sidekick for Pau Gasol than Chris Mihm. During the first three rounds of the playoffs Bynum hasn't faced anything even resembling a dominant center, and the Lakers have managed to survive despite his sporadic contributions. However, against the Celtics the Lakers should go to Bynum in the first quarter in an attempt to not only get the big guy going offensively, but to hopefully get Kendrick Perkins in early foul trouble - especially since the mercurial Celtics center is only one boisterous obscenity away from a one-game suspension. Perkins has himself been invisible on offense so far this post-season, averaging less than 6 points a game, and the Celtics are probably going to need him to at least double those numbers if they are to have a chance this series, as it's unlikely that Big Baby Davis will be able to fill the offensive void against the length of the Lakers.
I'll be shocked if the series goes less than 6 games, and I'll be even more shocked if the Celtics win.
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