Smacchat NBA Basketball Blog

Off-season moves make LA not such a clear cut favorite to repeat

2009-07-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

The off-season deal making hit a fever pitch as the free-agent signing period gun went off on July 2nd and every contender has made big moves to position themselves to knock LA off their championship perch. Here’s who we think has made the biggest off-season improvements so far.

San Antonio – Amazing off season moves for a team that was supposed to be strapped. All key additions including a proven commodity in Richard Jefferson, veteran Antonio McDyess, mid-career pick-ups Malik Hairston and Marcus Haslip, lastly, a excellent pick in the draft of Dejuan Blair who could end up as another Paul Millsap. Mark my words, if the aging core of the Spurs can stay healthy, this team will take the Lakeshow right down to the wire in the West.

Boston – back to their ol’ tricks with the signing of ‘Sheed, a crafty vet who despite his public rep as a ‘cancer’ on a ball club is known throughout the NBA as a great teammate and has immense playoff experience, a ring, and most of all a victory over LA in the finals. However, the flip side to this coin is that the C’s will probably be losing Powe and Davis so they are pushing ‘all in’ for this next year.

Cavs – what can you say? Now they have a “combo” of their own, to rival that of Shaq/Kobe and DWade/Shaq. Now the other two ended up with jewelry at the end of the rainbow, will this one? It gives the Cavs a great starting line-up but it doesn’t address their weakness, which is their bench. This was poignantly obvious in the ECF as the team with the best record in the East was easily dismissed, and in a league that peredicates around matchups and runs, if you don’t make adjustments your results will not vary.

Lakers – The best did get better as the knock on LA has always been their soft underbelly which the Bostonians were able to expose in 08’ but where Howard didn’t have enough help in 09’. The Lakers have addressed that issue with one swift move with the addition of Ron Artest. His reputation speaks for itself as do his problems. Ariza is an up and comer there’s no doubt about that but he will never be a career 16 & 6 guy like Artest (Ariza is 4 & 6) but had the edge in athleticism. It’s a trade for the ‘now’ which put LA in the position to repeat in the eyes of many, but the key to this deal, AND team now is the signing of Lamar Odom, besides being “the impossible cover” he’s also a childhood friend of Artest and probably instrumental in keeping the potentially explosive Laker locker room benign. Who do you think made the biggest off-season movers? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

Is the day-to-day grind of the schedule going to be the Celtics undoing?

2009-11-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

The C’s have started the season in similar fashion to the way they did last year, dominating early on and building up a huge lead in Atlantic Division. Already with a 3 game lead early on they look like staying healthy may be their toughest competition. However part of staying healthy may be dealing with grind of back-to-back games. The Celtics were clearly a different club on the heals of their two previous back-to-back games against the Twolves and Nets, even though they won them both (Twolves was a 2 point win), but the aging legs of the Celtics will be a topic of discussion as the addition of Wallace actually added to their average age, and the health of the ‘Big-3’ remains their main concern. Fortunately, for Boston they only play 15 double headers this year compared to 40 for the Lakers, who play the most in the NBA. The Celtics do however play 41 games with 1 day rest in between, which can be just as grueling if it’s a travel day. It’s no secret that if the Celtics are going to hoist number 18 this is the year they have to do it as all bets are off after the free-agent free for all that will be 2010 and with another year of wear and tear on the tires. But exactly how much tred will be on the green rims come May? Boston fans hope enough to keep them on the road one more month after that. Can Boston stay healthy and keep the nucleus together for another championship run? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

Lakers take advantage of schedule to provide much needed rest to big men
The Lakes may be 5-1 an tied for the Pacific Division lead but clearly if they want to remain among the league’s elite they’ll need to get back to full strength, and that means the return of Pau Gasol and most recently, Andrew Bynum. Although Kobe has stepped up his game and averaged better than 30 points per game during the stretch, the Lakers upcoming stretch of games includes, Phoenix, with whom they share the division lead, Denver, last year’s conference runner up, Houston, Detroit, and Chicago. The Lakers didn’t push the return of the missing centers against the Hornets and still had a convincing 104-88 win. That game parlayed with a 3-day break in the schedule have provided for and additional 4.5 days of rest for the big men who hope to return to action when the Lakeshow host the Suns on Thursday night. It will be the first to two ‘statement games’, as the afore mentioned game with the Suns could establish an early stranglehold on the Pacific division, and the follow up with the Nuggets reinforces the fact that they are still the top team in the West and that a trip to the finals still goes through LA.

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Out of the gate it’s the same horses

2009-11-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

We realize the NBA season is only a week old but looking at the standings it reads exactly as the final standings did at season’s end. Although the league got stronger as a whole it appears the rich got richer as in the East the powerhouses simply reloaded and are immediately reaping the benefits. Boston made the additions of veteran Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels and have started the season in same fashion as they did in 08’, with a 6-0 start. Unfortunately they’re faced with the same questions they faced in 08’, “can they stay healthy?”, “how will they look on back-to-back games mid way through the season?”, and “how will the chemistry be when they face adversity?”. All good questions, and add the fact that the balance of power has dramatically tilted to the East it won’t be easy even if they do stay healthy to get back to the ECF.
On the other side of the fence are the LA Lakers who with the addition of Artest are the favorites in Vegas to hoist another banner but it won’t be easy as the Spurs and Nuggets are sure to challenge. Gasol is out with a bad hammy and it’s become painfully evident how much the Lakers need him to galvanize their triangle offense. They have started 4-1 but looked very shaky and VERY beatable in their first five games. We’re not sure what the NBA had in mind when they made the schedule but LA gets a double edge sword as 17 of their first 21 games are at home, thus making the NBA Christmas Day game against LeBron and Cleveland even larger as Kobe and the Lakers should roll into that game with a monster record of about 18-3, no attempt to boost ratings there. The blade does cut both ways for them however as 40 of their 82 games, almost half, are on back-to-back. In similar fashion, not quite sure what the NBA was thinking about when they made that as well. I think the hype of breaking the 72-win season are on the back burner right now as they need to first get healthy, get in sink, and get a hold of the Pacific division first, then we’ll talk about setting records. The biggest off season acquisition, both figuratively and literally, belonged to Cleveland with the addition of the Diesel, but that has not translated to wins, at least not at the beginning of the season. After shocking the hoop world by starting 0-2 they Cavs have won 3 straight and looking much better but seem out of rhythm and can’t seem to find the right combinations on the floor to take advantage of their weapons, and turn King James loose. With Shaq coming in people forget that Z was an all-star last year as he doesn’t look like the same player, and if these are all the minutes they’re going to get out of Shaq come playoff time, they may have overspent. Sleeping in the wings is a veteran Spurs team that with the addition of RJ and draft of Blair is a monster waiting to be reckoned with. Out of the blocks at 2-1 the Spurs, like the Celtics, will have to pace themselves if they want to be around with fresh legs come playoff time. The common denominator of all of the previous scenarios is that home court will make more this year than ever before. So don’t be surprised to see that last week of the season being viewed as the first week of 09’ playoffs, particularly after last year where Boston wouldn’t have survived that Chicago series had they not been in the friendly confines of the Gaaaden. The Nuggets are also looking like they want to get back to WCF as they feel they could easily have won that series 4-2 vs. LA last year rather than lose it, have re-signed the “Birdman” , and Ty Lawson has started better than anyone expected, as they’ve opened the year 5-0, with a margin of victory of 13pts per game. Unlike the Lakers, the Nuggets already look like they’re in mid-season form and intent on getting early separation in a slow Northwest division, and put the division race to bed early.Do you think the top 3 from the West LA/SA/Den will be back this year? Who will survive the East between Bos/Cle/Orl, or will a sleeper sneak in on either side? Let us know in the NBA game chat rooms, or in any of the quick links:

Lakers get stronger but so does the League – NBA Preview

2009-10-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

If there is an empire in the NBA over the past decade it’s the LA Lakers. Already with six appearances in nine years and four titles, the Lake Show is as close to dominant as you can get without wearing pinstripes. And much like their mirror image from MLB the Empire has gotten stronger, with the addition of Ron Artest, LA finally has some ‘stank’ to go with all of that fineness. However it’s not going to be easy for them as the rest of the league, particularly at the top, has gotten better as well. The Cavs have added the Diesel, Boston adds to its age (and championship experience) with Sheed, out West the Spurs get a much need spark in the paint in Richard Jefferson, and should be in jail for stealing Blair out of the draft, as he could be the Charles Barkley of the next decade. Don’t forget the defending Eastern Conference Champs that added Vincanity to a very well balanced lineup. So the trip back up the mountain will not be easy for LA, and some say they’re not going to repeat the feat of the “Combo Dynasty” of early Zeros, particularly because of the strength out of the East. It’s clear that we’ve seen a shift in the balance of power over the past five years as early on in the decade 4 of the top 5 teams played in the Pacific time zone, now it’s the reciprocal as the powerhouses are on the right coast which bodes the question: will the winner of the East have anything left to take on LA if they get there? Can Boston stay healthy enough to make it through 82 games? Will Shaq and LBJ run into the same problems as Shaq/Kobe? How much has Vince’s skills diminished, and can he take the Magic to the next level? Will Tracy ever complete a playoff season where the Rockets win a series? All good questions that will be answered over the next six months. Let us know your thoughts here and in the chat rooms as we have a chat room for every game on the schedule.

King James teams up with the Diesel to take down Superman

2009-06-25T01:57:00.000-07:00

It’s setting up like a DC comic strip as the Original Superman comes back from Krypton to take on the “New” Superman on the streets of the NBA. The Suns and Magic have agreed in principal on a deal that would send the former man of steel to the Cleveland Cavaliers and back to the Eastern Conference, for…get this, Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, 2nd round pick tomorrow and 500 large, that’s it! If Mitch Kuptchak is still a fugitive for the Lakers' steal of Pau Gasol, then the Cavs management better have their passports ready because they gave up nothing and may have just found the kryptonite necessary to silence the ‘new’ Superman and get back to the NBA Finals. Will this move be enough to get Cleveland over the hump? With a healthy KG, Superman, and the Diesel, the Power has definitely shifted to the East. David Stern can go off suicide watch as neither Puppets nor 2 hour ESPN specials could bring Kobe and LeBron together, but Shaq just might and I am going on the record now and stating if it is an LA/Cle final in 2010 it will be the biggest in the history of the NBA, surpassing Bird/Magic, and rate higher than the World Series. Let us know what you think here and in the NBA team pages and blogs.

2009 NBA First Round Draft Picks

2009-06-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

PICK TEAM NAME HT WT POS SCHOOL
1 LA Clippers Blake Griffin 6-10 248 PF Oklahoma
Obviously the best player in the draft who can come in and contribute right away but is he a franchise player? It’s a great 1-2 punch with Griff/Davis but they play in the shadows of the World Champions and the Clips have had more first round picks than any team in the NBA with the same tenure so it could be a question of how they’re going to screw this up.

2 Memphis Hasheem Thabeet 7-3 267 C Connecticut
I don't want to say I told you so, but ... Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley really wanted to improve their defense and Thabeet does that. He is the best defender in the draft and can solidify the d, but his offense is a work in progress and that work could take a long time.

3 Oklahoma City James Harden 6-5 222 SG Arizona State
We knew for months it was probably Harden or Rubio, and about 15 minutes before the draft we changed our mock draft to put Harden here. He's a great fit in the backcourt with Russell Westbrook and one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. I think in hindsight they'll look like prophets because this guy could be a 'lifer' who contributes every year, and a potential all-star.

4 Sacramento Tyreke Evans 6-5 220 SG Memphis
I thought the Kings ultimately would do the right thing and take Rubio, but instead they take Evans. He's not a point guard. But he's a physical combo guard who knows how to get to the rim. He can't shoot much and isn't super athletic, but he's big and strong and he'll make an impact right away. This was a short-term pick. It will look good early, but I wonder how it will look in five years.

5 Minnesota (from Washington) Ricky Rubio 6-5 180 PG Spain
The Wolves get their man at No. 5. Great pick for Minnesota. They are rebuilding and now they have the new face of the franchise in Rubio. He's going to get to play right away and he'll make some mistakes. But I think he'll be really good in two to three years -- good enough that the Kings may regret passing on him. UPDATE: OK, something is going on. Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn are both point guards. I don't think they'll play on the floor together. There is a trade, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if someone got to the Wolves to get Rubio or Flynn.

6 Minnesota Jonny Flynn 6-1 196 PG Syracuse
Flynn is a great leader, tough and a good defender. I know the Wolves liked both Flynn and Rubio, but I doubt they keep both of these guys. My gut says that Rubio will be the one who's moved and Flynn will stay. But we'll see.

7 Golden State Stephen Curry 6-3 181 PG Davidson
One note on this pick: The Suns and Warriors were talking about moving Amare Stoudemire for Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright and this pick. Could Curry be Steve Nash's replacement? But if Curry is staying with the Warriors, then so much for that alleged promise to Monta Ellis that they wouldn't draft a point guard. Then again, in Don Nelson's system, Curry can be a combo guard and a good fit with Ellis in the backcourt -- at least in theory. Ellis would be the slasher, and Curry would be the shooter. But they are both pretty small.

8 New York Jordan Hill 6-10 232 PF Arizona
The Knicks are relieved. They were praying that Flynn went in the top seven so that they could get either Curry or Hill. They wish that Curry had been there, but they liked Hill a lot, too. Mike D'Antoni compared him to a young Amare Stoudemire. I think that's a little much, but he'll be good in D'Antoni's up-tempo system and he's insurance if David Lee leaves via free agency. If Lee re-signs, Hill can play some center the same way Stoudemire did in Phoenix. Good pick.

9 Toronto DeMar DeRozan 6-6 211 SG USC
DeRozan has as much upside as anyone in the draft. He's long and athletic and he can be a spectacular scorer. He needs to get stronger and build his confidence, but the Raptors made this pick for the future. With Chris Bosh possibly leaving this summer or next, DeRozan can be part of a new core with Andrea Bargnani.

10 Milwaukee Brandon Jennings 6-2 165 PG Italy
The Bucks really started to fall in love with Jennings over the past few days. He has as much upside as any point guard in the draft. He's cat-quick and impossible to stay in front of, and if he fixes his shooting woes, he'll be a big-time scorer. In three or four years, this could be a home run for the Bucks. A risk, but in this draft, a good one.

11 New Jersey Terrence Williams 6-6 213 SG Louisville
With the Nets trading Vince Carter, they are starting over. Williams is one of the best athletes in the draft, has a ton of skills and can really defend. He's an eccentric dude and he doesn't always come to play, but when he does, wow. It will be fun to watch Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Williams, Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez grow up together. They'll lose a lot of games, but there's a lot of potential there.

12 Charlotte Gerald Henderson 6-5 215 SG Duke
Larry Brown loved Gerald Henderson from the first workout. He's a good athlete and excellent defender who could be the next Raja Bell. He's not a great shooter or a take-over offensive player, but I expect him to have a Raja-esque career.

13 Indiana Tyler Hansbrough 6-10 234 PF North Carolina
Don't you think Hansbrough's going to be popular in Indiana? As we've seen during his college years, he's a tough, physical, blue-collar guy who Larry Bird compared to Dave Cowens. The Pacers needed some toughness in the paint and Hansbrough brings it. He won't be great, but the Pacers are trying to build a team and Hansbrough is a good fit.

14 Phoenix Earl Clark 6-10 226 SF Louisville
The Suns have clearly decided to rebuild, and with Clark, they get one of the five top talents of the draft. Clark can do everything -- he's long and athletic and he can play multiple positions, including point forward. His effort was inconsistent at Louisville, but he's got as much upside as anyone in the draft. If they trade away Amare Stoudemire to Golden State, they'll have a nice young core with Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, Clark, Robin Lopez and (if they got the 7th pick) Stephen Curry. If that happens, the Suns won't be all that great from the get-go, but they'll be fun. The question is, will Steve Nash stay around to lead them?

15 Detroit Austin Daye 6-11 192 SF Gonzaga
Austin Daye is a kid with a ton of upside. He's super skilled and he can shoot the lights out, like a 6-11 Stephen Curry. But he's really skinny and he doesn't have a killer instinct. Ultimately he could be a 4 if he gets stronger, but for now he'll back up Tayshaun Prince at the 3. Great upside pick for the Pistons.

16 Chicago James Johnson 6-8 257 PF Wake Forest
The Bulls have wanted Johnson for a while. He's a good athlete who can play the 3 and the 4 on both ends of the floor. His game needs to develop, but when he gets going, he's something. He reminds me a little of Chicago's Tyrus Thomas in one way -- he'll play great one minute and have his coach pulling his hair out the next. With Thomas on the trade block, Johnson may ultimately be his replacement.

17 Philadelphia Jrue Holiday 6-4 199 PG UCLA
Holiday can take a huge sigh of relief. He slipped a bit, not because of his talent, but because of some concerns about a shoulder injury that were just enough to scare some teams away, a la what happened to Danny Granger with mild concerns about his knee a few years ago. This is a great pick for Philly, which gets a lottery talent at 17 and has its point guard of the future.

18 Minnesota (from Miami) Ty Lawson 6-1 199 PG North Carolina
No, the Timberwolves aren't running a three-PG offense. They're moving Lawson to Denver for a future first-round pick. He'll be a really good backup for Chauncey Billups. He flies up and down the floor and is as steady as they come.

19 Atlanta Jeff Teague 6-2 175 PG Wake Forest
The Hawks have acquired Jamal Crawford but weren't done remaking their backcourt. Teague had the quickest first step in college basketball and is difficult to stop from getting in the paint. He's a great upside pick for Atlanta. Don't expect Mike Bibby back in Atlanta.

20 Utah Eric Maynor 6-3 164 PG VA Commonwealth
I thought they might go with Sam Young here, but I have to admit that I love this pick for the Jazz. They needed a backup for Deron Williams, and Maynor is perfect for Utah as one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. He has a high basketball IQ and great leadership qualities. The Jazz fill a need and get a guy who I think is the most underrated player in the draft.

21 New Orleans Darren Collison 6-2 166 PG UCLA
Collison is a bit of a surprise here. The Hornets had one tiny point guard in Chris Paul and now they have two. They had bigger needs than backup point guard, but I do believe he's going to be terrific in that role ... if Chris Paul ever leaves the floor, that is.

22 Portland (from Dallas) Victor Claver 6-11 217 SF Spain
We had the Blazers pegged to take Claver with the 31st pick. I knew they really liked DeJuan Blair but they must have been scared off by his bad knees. Claver will stay overseas for maybe three years, but he's got great potential. He's athletic, skilled and one of the best up-and-coming talents in Spain. But I wonder if Portland will regret passing on Blair.

23 Sacramento (from Houston) Omri Casspi 6-9 211 SF Israel
I travel to Israel and have seen him a number of times. He's a very tough, scrappy, slashing player. He's not a shooter yet and he'll need to put on some pounds, but clearly the Kings are trying to add some toughness. Congratulations to all the basketball fans in Israel. They love the NBA and have been waiting for a first-round pick for years. The Kings are a great fit and Andres Nocioni should be the perfect mentor for him.

24 Dallas (from Portland, traded to Oklahoma City for rights to R. Beaubois) B.J. Mullens 7-1 258 C Ohio State
The Mavs are trading this pick to the Thunder for No. 25 and a future second-round pick. The Thunder have been looking to get Mullens for weeks and tried to get up as high as No. 14 to get him. Clearly, Sam Presti sees something he likes. Mullens reminds me a lot of a young Darko Milicic, for both good and bad -- he's skilled and athletic, but he doesn't really know how to play.

25 Oklahoma City (from San Antonio, traded to Dallas for rights to B.J. Mullens) Rodrigue Beaubois 6-2 182 PG France
The Thunder are making this pick for the Mavs. Dallas wanted a point guard and fell in love with Beaubois' upside. He's very long, quick and explosive athletically. He doesn't have a great feel for the game, but he should develop that overseas in the next few years.

26 Chicago (from Denver through Oklahoma City) Taj Gibson 6-10 214 PF USC
Gibson is a good pick for the Bulls in that he's long and athletic and has some upside. But with so many young, skinny frontcourt players, I'm not sure how he fits exactly.

27 Memphis (from Orlando) DeMarre Carroll 6-8 207 PF Missouri
I love this pick for the Grizzlies. He's a great energy player who flies up and down the floor, can handle the ball and creates havoc on the defensive end. He's a more skilled version of Renaldo Balkman.

28 Minnesota (from Boston) Wayne Ellington 6-5 202 SG North Carolina
OK, the Wolves finally decided to draft something other than a point guard. Ellington is a terrific shooter, which the Wolves will need with Rubio and/or Flynn on the team. He diversified his game this year and might be a bit underrated. This is a nice pick this far down in the draft.

29 LA Lakers Toney Douglas 6-2 183 SG Florida State
The Knicks fell in love with Douglas after a workout and bought this pick to get him. Douglas is a bit of a poor man's Ben Gordon, a combo guard who can really light it up. He lets the 3s fly, and unlike Gordon, he's a terrific defender. This is a really good pick for New York this late.

30 Cleveland Christian Eyenga 6-5 210 G/F Congo
The second player to be selected from the Congo (BJ Enbenga LA Lakers) good athlete, small for a 4 but with Shaq, "side show Bob", and Z should fit fine for the Cavs. Is that a front line that can take them to the next level?

Magic losing directions on roadmap back to finals

2009-06-26T13:43:00.001-07:00

On the surface the trade for Vince Carter seems like the right medicine at the right time, as one of the problems the Magic couldn’t solve in the finals was that Kobe really didn’t have to work on defense and come 2nd half he didn’t have to sit down so he had plenty of gas come crunch time. Although this move will help address that need, concurrently it creates an entirely new one by making it nearly impossible to sign Turkoglu as you now have Carter’s 51 million over three years, Rashard Lewis’ 18 mill, and some guy named Howard. No offense but Orlando ain’t that great a city for everyone to take pay cuts to stay. The Magic had a young nucleus and with some experience, could have possibly taken the last big step, and don’t get me wrong their win some games and get back to the post season, but as Cleveland showed last year, it’s a different game with you get to the final four as all your weaknesses become a matter for public record. Unfortunately they may have played their last engagement on the big stage for a while.

World Champions struggle to keep the core together

2009-07-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Update: Deals in stone, Artest to LA, Ariza to Houston

Only two days into the free-agent singing period our question was answered if the defending champs were going to be able to keep the club together for one more title run. The quick answer is no, but the retort might be “are the Lakers even better now?” LA traded youth and the future for the present as 24 yr old Trevor Ariza, LA native, UCLA product, and local favorite is swapped with the ever unpredictable Ron Artest 29. The Lakers' decision to go with Artest instead of younger Ariza shows they're putting everything into these next three years and not worrying too much about the future. Ariza would have wanted a five-year contract; Artest was willing to come for three. The end of Artest's contract coincides with the reported opt-out clause for Bryant. We don't know whether Kobe will choose to leave in 2012, but we do know this: He'll be 33 that summer and either way the clouds will be clearing in the West and the Purple Reign will be ending.

As soon as the parade was over, well actually during the parade, the questions were swarming if the Lakers were going to be able to keep their championship team in tact. Mainly free agents Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Shannon Brown. The feeling in LA is that they have the components to make another trip back (and win) a second consecutive NBA title. After Kobe stated that he would not opt out of his extension it appeared that the off season in La-La Land would be as beautiful as the weather. Unfortunately there are some flaws in the planning of the “Purple Reign” sequel. Firstly, the Lakers need to get their house in order as they appear to be unclear on the Odom (10 million) deal and even further away from Ariza (5.6 vs. 8million) that his agent was looking for, and the Shannon Brown talks have yet to get off the ground. Even if LA can miraculously come to terms with all three that doesn’t ensure their ticket for a return engagement as the rest of the league has made additions in the draft the Lakers felt they had enough in the cubborad to stand pat, a major mistake. The move that may come back to haunt them is passing on the Pittsburgh twins (Blair and Young) who could have immediately helped their one blaring deficiency, getting out “physicaled” on the boards. They got plenty of firepower on offense what they need is an enforcer (aka Rick Fox, Coach Rambis). Although not complacent, perhaps too confident that their current hand will be good enough to withstand another flop, and even though they may be playing with house money as the last team to repeat, if the chips don’t fall into place USC can feel comfortable re-painting the Coliseum Cardinal and Gold again. Are the Lakers the team to beat again in 2010? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team pages.

Lakers’ season has a familiar ring to it

2009-06-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

The final series total of 4 games to one will look like most of the pundits predicted and a few years from now no one will remember how competitive this series really was. If a couple of balls (or tips) go the Magic’s way they could have been even or perhaps up at one point. Of course, you still can’t tell a Detroit Piston fan that if the Lakers All-Star back court of Magic Johnson and Byron Scott would not have gotten injured they would have one banner less, even though LA was 11-0 going into that series. Keep in mind they don’t show who you beat on the ring, or the score, just a bunch of diamonds and your slice of immortality. With that said the Lakers did dominate this season from start to finish and deserve all of the kudos and accolades that come their way. Firstly, they won 65 games by any normal standards and sick record winning nearly 8 of every 10 games played. They were only behind one time and in one series, the Rockets, who proved to be their toughest competition of the entire post season. They had a winning record against every team in the playoffs except the Magic, the eventual runner-up. Oh yes, and they have the best player in the world right now in Kobe Bryant (who finally has his ring without Shaq and can ask him how that taste), and the best coach of all time in Phil Jackson. Quite the turnaround for Mitch who was scheduled for ex-communication just three years ago, now is revered as on of the best in the business. There is a dark GREEN cloud that still looms as they are still down 2 in the “millennium standings” but with a young nucleus and money to spend, they may be around for a while. So, while everyone has now officially ‘gone fishin’’ the chess match of negotiations begins, as teams position for 2010 which will be the most talked about free-agent signing period of all time. Where does this place the Lakers/Phil/Kobe in the all time rankings? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

After the fruits of victory some sour grapes emerge

2009-06-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

Now that the NBA has crowned it’s new champion all of the “what if’s” and “woulda coulda shoulda’s” are sprouting up from around the county, and the general census is that the Lakers are not a dominating champion and perhaps are not the best team in the NBA as opposed to the “Combo Dynasty”. In the days after LA’s three-peat earlier in the decade, local papers were obsessed with what they could do during the off season to de-rail the Laker Express, this week writers have been stating a myriad of reasons why they should have had a parade in their city this week. Of course, first in line was the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy’s who commented “Please. Do they actually think they would have won this year if Kevin Garnett had been healthy?” and “Very nice. But we all know that if the route went through Causeway Street things might have been different. See you next year”. Of course there have been too many quotes in the Orlando Sentinel to post them here, but needless to say they believe it was the Magic who should have had the 3-1 lead and not LA. Lastly, comes Houston who still hole heartedly believes they are the “peoples champion” because they played the Lakers the toughest of everyone and still ALMOST beat them without their two best players. This is the only argument with an iota of merit as the Rockets played the Lakers tougher than anyone else in the playoffs. So where do you start about the sour grapes? Well, with the most bitter, in Boston as they seemed to have lost the most with the change in guard. So let me turn on the light bulb for you, firstly Phil is a better coach than Red period. Deal with it. For all the reasons that are poignantly clear. It is more difficult to do it now with salary cap, free agency, and more teams. Yes, he always has had talent but so did Red with at least 3 HOF members on each of his winning teams. Secondly, to talk about how you “supposedly” would have handled LA if you had Garnett opens up Pandora’s box to arguments that the Celtics wouldn’t have the ring from last year if Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza would have been healthy, which many believe. As to the Orlando Sentinel, absolutely true, a couple of balls bounce your way and things are different but name me a series that isn’t the case.
I’ll nip that one in the bud by simply stating that you need to recognize that experience does indeed matter as it was the mental mistakes that cost you a 3-1 lead and possible parade. Makes some throws, foul when you need to, and create an offense that doesn’t depend on you shooting 45% from three, and your chances will improve dramatically. Lastly to the Houston Chronicle, your team record was actually better without T-Mac and when Yao was out of the game vs. LA the Rockets actually outscored the Lakers. Obviously close but perhaps knowing what cards you had before the series started would have yielded an even better outcome. The bottom line in these or any other arguments is that all of these reasons/excuses will not be remembered in seven months and the truth is that this was not a number 4 seed that came out of nowhere, the best team did win, 65 wins during the regular season, and the best player on the planet, and the numbers 15, 10, and 4, which no excuses and answer for.

2009 NBA Mock Draft

2009-06-24T00:47:00.000-07:00

1. L.A. Clippers. Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma. This one has been a no-brainer since the night of the lottery.

2. Memphis. Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut. Now, Thabeet is here with a caveat -- it’s a slim chance that the Grizzlies keep this pick. If they do, Thabeet’s their man. But a more likely scenario has someone (Sacramento or New York, perhaps) trading up to take Ricky Rubio, and the Grizzlies gambling that they can get Thabeet, Jordan Hill or Tyreke Evans later.

3. Oklahoma City. Stephen Curry, G, Davidson. The consensus seems to be that the Thunder will take SG James Harden. But the Thunder almost never do what the consensus indicates. Curry would give OKC a sweet-shooting combo guard to pair with PG Russell Westbrook. They could try for Thabeet or Rubio here, too. There’s been talk about Hill, but Hill has not worked out here.

4. Sacramento. Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain. All signs indicate that the Kings want Rubio, and that Rubio wants the Kings. They might have to grab Memphis’ pick to get him, though.

5. Washington. James Harden, SG, Arizona State. There’s very little chance that Harden will actually play for the Wizards -- they do like DeShawn Stevenson and Nick Young. But Harden would make good trade bait. Evans and Hill are candidates here, too.

6. Minnesota. Brandon Jennings, PG, United States. Assuming the Wolves don't trade this pick for a more established player, Jennings fits their need for a point man.

7. Golden State. Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona. The Warriors have not promised Hill anything, which is why he is working out with the Bucks on Friday. But they do like him, and picking him would keep the simmering situation with PG Monta Ellis quiet.

8. New York. Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis. Evans is big and versatile, the exact kind of guard Mike D’Antoni wants.

9. Toronto. DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC. Rumors that DeRozan’s stock has slipped are a bit overdone. The Raptors like his potential.

10. Milwaukee. Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse. If Flynn is still around, he’ll be a Buck.

11. New Jersey. Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA. The Nets have Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling, but could be looking to add a big combo guard to play with Harris in the future.

12. Charlotte. Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke. Larry Brown wants perimeter defense, even if it means taking a Duke guy. G/F Terrence Williams will get strong consideration here, though.

13. Indiana. DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh. The Pacers need to toughen up inside, and there’s some sentiment that Blair is the way to go.

14. Phoenix. Earl Clark, F, Louisville. Word is this will be either Clark or Austin Daye.

15. Detroit. Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga. Depending on which player goes to Phoenix -- Clark or Daye -- the Pistons are a good bet to take the other.

16. Chicago. B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State. A Twitter post, attributed to Mullens, saying that the Bulls promised they'd take him with this pick caused a stir. And, indeed, he has been working out for teams with picks higher than the Bulls.

17. Philadelphia. Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest. With the trade for SF Jason Kapono, the Sixers are locked in on point guards, even if they re-sign PG Andre Miller. Teague has been proving he can run the point in workouts. The Sixers canceled a workout with G/F Chase Budinger, indicating they’re no longer searching for shooters.

18. Minnesota. James Johnson, F, Wake Forest. The Wolves are looking to bolster the small forward spot, and a combo guy like Johnson is a steal at 18.

19. Atlanta. Chase Budinger, G/F, Arizona. Versatility and shooting off the bench is a must, and Budinger would be ideal.

20. Utah. Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina. Hansbrough has most certainly assured that he is a first-rounder, and probably will be top 20.

21. New Orleans. Darren Collison, PG. The Hornets would like to bolster their shooting corps, but adding a backup to Chris Paul is also a priority, and the team likes Collison’s experience and toughness.

22. Dallas. Eric Maynor, PG, VCU. The Mavericks like Terrence Williams, but they do want a point guard if one is available. If Maynor and Ty Lawson are here, they’d pick one.

23. Sacramento. Terrence Williams, G/F Louisville. The Kings need depth and wouldn’t pass up on Williams’ versatility and defense.

24. Portland. Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina. The Blazers might seek to address the point guard spot with a trade, but chances are, they can get a productive player with this pick.

25. Oklahoma City. Derrick Brown, SF, Xavier. Brown could go as high as No. 15 to the Pistons, or as low as the bottom of the first round. His athleticism has long been on display, but he boosted his shooting last year, too.

26. Chicago. Marcus Thornton, SG, LSU. Thornton’s shooting ability has made a big impression in workouts -- he’s an ideal bench scorer.

27. Memphis. Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina. The Grizzlies are looking to add depth across the board.

28. Minnesota. Nick Calathes, G, Florida. Calathes won’t play in the NBA next year (he'll play in Greece), and if you’re the Timberwolves, with three picks, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

29. L.A. Lakers. Sam Young, SF, Pittsburgh. Young is mature -- he’s already 24 -- which works against him in this draft. But for a good team looking for cheap, floor-ready players, Young makes sense.

30. Cleveland. Danny Green, SF, North Carolina. Feels like whichever team gets Green will wind up with a steal.

The Magic pull a trick of their own

2009-06-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

If the Magic feel as though they were a missed layup away from leaving LA even at one game a piece, then the Lakers have to feel like they should be up 3-0 and shipping the champagne to Orlando. After staving off record shooting by the Magic and five missed Kobe Bryant free throws (normally an 85% shooter), LA found itself only down by 2, with the ball with :47 seconds to play, with two of the final 3 possessions. They then persisted to turn the ball over when Kobe tried to split a double-team, gave an intentional foul, and missed 3 three-point shots to end the game. Last year’s MVP blames himself, perhaps fatigue is starting to rear its ugly head, or perhaps its something the Magic are doing defensively, either way they’re 48 minutes from changing the minds of every prognosticator in the country. The Magic saved their best trick (shooting 62% an NBA finals record) for the biggest game in their franchise history. Ironically, mostly from inside the 3-point line is where the damage was done. Now on the eve of game 4, will it take another record setting performance to eek out a 4-point win, or was it the Magic who took the Lakers’ best punch? Hold off on the UPS shipments just yet. Let us know what you think here, and in the NBA Finals chat rooms and team rooms.

Derek may have just sent the Magic fishin’

2009-06-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

In a similar fashion to the 2008 finals, game 4 will be looked at as the pivotal game of the series however this year much more fondly for the LA Lakers. Last year at this time they were contemplating how they could blow a 24-point lead in the third quarter with a chance to tie the series at 2 and finally put some pressure back on the Celtics (please see last year’s blog history). This year had just as much drama for them but a different outcome. It was the Lakers who faced the deficit, not nearly as daunting at 12 points but in a series where (game 1 omitted) the largest lead was paltry 7 points, a sizeable margin. Moreover they were in massive foul trouble and not getting to the foul line themselves. Oh yes, and their starting point guard had not seen the bottom of the net since they were made of baskets. Then something turned. Right out of the locker room to start the half LA started making up the deficit, outscored the Magic by 16 and by the end of the period they were up by 4. We followed was one of the best 4th quarters and OTs in NBA finals history as the Magic turned the tables on LA and had a 5 point lead with 11 seconds to go only to have Superman miss two foul shots then an 0-5 Derek Fisher drained a 3 with 4.6 to play, another in OT and with the second, may have sent the Magic on vacation, fishin’ as The Jet calls it. When the NBA season is over there will be plenty of time to contemplate decisions and there are several SVG will be spending his time on. First and foremost how do you not foul in the final seconds to ENSURE anyone, not just Kobe gets even the smell of a 3?? Why run with Nelson the entire 4th and OT when Rafer Alston had been giving LA fits since the start of game 2?? Lastly, you still had 4.6 to play in regulation why not use every time out you had to get the ball where you needed it? One question that will not fall on the feet of Stan was the free-throw shooting of the Magic. It wasn’t just Howard who let them down (and he was quick to point it out during the press conference). Just the same, the correct answers to the questions seem clear as day the next morning but even giving Stan the man the benefit of the doubt it does appear he has earned is “MOP” nickname again, despite comments about experience not having anything to do with the outcome. Well, if it wasn’t the players lack of experience then the lion’s share of the blame has to go to the person making the decisions. Only this time he’ll have to live with it all summer. Did SVG panic? Would you have stayed with Alston in the 4th? What about free throw shooting? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

Magic now must deal with the odds as well as the bounces

2009-06-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Orlando Magic now face the first of three consecutive “must win” games after dropping a heartbreaking game two loss in LA. On the up side the Magic seemed to solve most of their issues from game 1, ie; poor shooting(they had twice as many 3’s as LA), Howard not being a part of the offense, and keeping a check on Kobe. The game was as close as it could be with the largest lead never getting above two possessions. Unfortunately for the Magic when the value of possessions are at a premium so are the cost of a turnover, and the “invisible hand” of the Lakers forced 20 and that was the difference between coming home 1-1 with a chance to close out at home and being down 0-2 needing to win 4 out of 5 against a team that has more talent top to bottom. It’s quite clear take away the turnovers and you’ve got more than enough wiggle room to cover, let’s say, an arrant alley-oop pass as time expires but all we’re hearing is about a possibly missed Goal Tending call. The trump card is the “it’s only one possession argument” and you still had 5 minutes of overtime but let’s save that for last. The first outrage is that Superman literally stuck his ENTIRE ARM through the basket in the first half and didn’t get it called on him, so this is no different than how you call the activity in the paint where a fore arm to hold position is not a foul in the first then it’s not a foul with less than a minute remaining. Personally they both should/could have been called but then you’re still in overtime and the result would still be the same. Deal with it and get over it or Home Depot will be sold out of a certain garden supply by the weekend.

Player matchups for finals discussed at press conference, the Smacchat breakdown

2009-06-02T13:23:00.001-07:00

Howard vs. Bynum – Even when Bynum was healthy Howard dominated this matchup. In their first meeting in Orlando Superman got Bynum in foul trouble early as the kid didn’t know how to deal with size, strength, or atheism. Obviously this is the key to the series for the Magic, if Howard goes for 25+ per night (Vegas line is 28) then the Magic have more than a good chance to take the series. The caveat is that the Lakers will use all of Bynum’s fouls, bring Obenga (a banger) off the bench and use his 6 as well, particularly in the 4th qtr of close games, rest assured Superman will not get any dunks, he’ll have to get his points from the line and the jury is out how he will perform on the big stage. Huge edge to the Magic.

Tukoglu vs. Ariza – This is a tough call because the Lakers really don’t need Ariza to score, more just put the clamps on Turk particularly in the 4th quarter. Hedo will have to work on the defensive end as well, as Ariza, always a slasher, has become an outside threat shooting as well, with a higher percentage (52%) than any Magic outside shooter from three. Turk has a tendency to disappear during games sometimes, showing up in the 4th quarter just in time to hit some big shots. He’ll have to do more if the Magic are going to win this series. Because of what Ariza brings to the defensive end we’ll call this a push.

Lewis vs. Gasol – The consensus has been that the Ariza/Turk matchup was the most pivotal of the series, but we couldn’t disagree more. The winner of this matchup wins the series. A gutsy call on the Zen Master’s part as Lewis, even at 6-10, is much quicker than Pau and should be able to run off picks to get open looks. It’s a huge question if Pau can battle through in time to alter Lewis’ shots. If he can it totally changes the pick-n-roll offense of the Magic that simply killed the Cavs. Conversely, what is Lewis going to do on the block against Pau who can score with either hand and as an arsenal of pivot moves? This is another key point, as Pau should score at will and perhaps get Lewis in foul trouble if Orlando has to make an adjustment, it will through off their offensive rhythm, if the Lakers do, they can always go to 6-10 Lamar Odom. Advantage Lakers

Alston vs. Fisher – Neither are shooting 3’s well right now and hardly are offensive threats. What Fisher does bring is the experience of three rings and how to effectively run a championship offense. Defensively he is always a threat to take a charge on the break and does hit the occasional shot. Alston doesn’t have the ‘big stage’ experience and is somewhat of a liability on d when playing a big guard but that won’t be a problem in this series. What decides this matchup is who turns the ball over less and who can hit the big shot when call upon, all of which is up the air. Call this a push as well.

Pietrus vs. Kobe – The 124k question (winner’s bonus) is how much, if at all, can the MP contain the Mamba? If Kobe channels all the energy, anger of last year, and desire to prove he can win without Shaq, into offensive anger this series is over. He’ll drop 30 a night on him, and if he gets into foul trouble the Magic have no answer. On the other hand MP played some of the best D on King James all post season but LBJ doesn’t have the hammer Kobe does (we don’t want to start that argument again). Not a question of if, but how much. Huge edge to Lakers.

Magic vs. Lakers – well as far as the starters go we have an even matchup so that leaves us with coaching and the bench which although the MOP has proven his mettle to this point, it’s a different story on the grand stage where the Zen Master has nine rings so that is not a fair comparison. The bench easily goes to LA if the sugar daddy comes to play every night. If Odom brings a double-double to the table each night this is a 4-1 series. If he doesn’t show up it will go deep into the series at which point you look to home court advantage as the deciding factor. We don’t think it will get that far, there will be some tense moments, as there always is with the Lake Show, but the Lakers avenge their dismal showing last year by returning to glory with a 4-2 series win.

Who do you think will win this series and why? Let us know here, or chat live with fans from each team in the NBA chat rooms.

Magic have the Lakers right where they want em’

2009-06-06T17:25:00.001-07:00

After game one of the NBA finals both teams can take something into game 2. Obviously the Lakers coming off a 25 point beat down know they have all the ‘zen numerology’ in their favor (Phil Jackson is 43-0 in series when winning game 1, LA is 16-0), but the Magic have been behind in their first series only to come back and win, including a game 7 in the Boston Garden (breaking the C’s 40 game streak in game 7’s), so they know they have the capabilities to turn the tide. What may not be a good sign is their 30% shooting for the game. One could argue that there’s a good chance the Magic won’t shoot that bad again, however an equally compelling argument is that LA poses some serious matchup problems that caused that poor shooting. No secret LA is taller and longer at almost every position where the Magic could spot and set over the smaller Cleveland guards. The Lakers are also not allowing the Magic to spot up and shoot, but making them shoot off the dribble witch Lewis, Turk, and Frenchy are not used doing. They did get spot looks but they were very few, and the ones they got they didn’t knock down. Like every NBA game/series, this will be about matchup and runs, and who can enforce their style and you know the Magic will have their day where they shoot 40+%, and that usually comes when they can work to Howard and then go out to the shooters but that’s a tough plan to execute for an entire game let alone a series. The line for game two is LA -7 (more than game 1) so obviously the odds makers aren’t optimistic that the dry board in the Magic locker room will have correct formula for the antidote to a black mamba bite.

Kobe & Lakers win pivotal game 5, LBJ and Cavs stay alive

2009-05-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Lakers had their most balanced attack of the Western Conference Finals when they needed it in game 5 to take a 3-2 lead into game 6 at Denver. Kobe was efficient going 6-13/9-10 for 22 points but finally got help from ‘Sleepy’ Odom (19 and 14) providing the third scoring punch LA needed. In one of the most competitive games of the 09’ playoffs, the score was tied after each of the first 3 quarters but a 21-3 run was what made the difference as the Lakers opened up a 11 point lead in the fourth, and now LA is one win away from returning to the NBA Finals. After the game it was more jockeying with the referees, this time George Karl stepped up to the mic to pick up his fine. As Martin, Melo, and Karl all got their parting shots in before heading back to the Rockies. After being the beneficiaries of flagrant fouls that were not called by the refs, but by the league thus saving them precious points and possessions in a critical game, Denver turned on the officials in game 5. To an observer it appeared that LA simply stopped contesting the Nuggets on penetration and force them to actually attempt to make the shot rather than throwing bodies into bodies, looking for contact (and a whistle), and if the shot hit the rim or backboard for that matter, that was a bonus. The result was a lot of whining and the reality of being one game away from elimination. The message for both teams going into game 6 is forget about the zebras and play the game it was supposed to be played. There are way too many great players on both teams to have the officiating take away from what will be known as one of the classic WCF in over a decade. With that said, if LA gets anything resembling the play of the supporting cast from game 5, then Kobe will have to put off Cabo for another two weeks or so. Are the Nuggets done? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

Meanwhile King James took a lesson from Kobe the night before and intentionally started slowly in order to get his teammates involved in the offense, also to save some energy for the fourth quarter. The strategy worked great for the first quarter as the Cavs built a 22 point lead. Unfortunately the more things changed the more things stayed the same and it was down to one point at half, Cleveland was down six after the first two minutes of the break, but spare the suspense in the 4th qtr, LBJ took over and the Cavs pulled away. Sounds like a Laker script. Very close but the difference is that LA is up 3-2 and the Cavs are the reciprocal while each goes on the road for game 6, the Cavs will be in Pyramid Scheme Arena needing a win to stay alive. This series has exposed some flaws in the team with the best record in the NBA, and the Magic pose many match up problems for Cleveland that they do not seem to have the personnel to solve and we should expect to see more of the same for what’s left of the series. What would be an area of concern for the Magic faithful is the “live by the sword, die by the sword” lifestyle of their 3-point shooting. All it takes is one off game, or for them to tighten up in the face of a must win game (because face it game 6 is a must win), and everything changes. You still have to like their chances, but I’m just sayin’…..Do you think the Magic will close the Cavs out in game 6? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

Nuggets out muscle LA on the boards, even series, and fly to LA on their own power

2009-05-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

In the course of totally outworking the Lakers on the boards (+18) the Nuggets have evened the best-of-seven at two game a piece. The physicality of this series has been at the forefront of the discussion as there has been flagrant fouls in each of the four games thus far ( they have added one to Jones for the trip on Kobe), and one has to believe it will get even worse as the series is not the best two out of three. The Nuggets went to the line 45 times as their offense more resembles blacktop ball than NBA. Drive to the hoop as hard as you can, throw yourself into the defender, backboard, ref, anything tangible, scream, and hope for a whistle. You’ve got to hand it to Denver however, if there was a style that would get the “finesse style” of the Lakers out of rhythm, that would be it. Pau “secret” Gasol(strong enough for a man…), and Lamar “sleepy” Odom, have been turned into curtains for the Denver front line show. I love Chris Anderson’s effort as much as any fan but how does this guy score? The only aspect of his game is following up missed shots, yet LA can not seem to find anyone to put a body on him. If you would have thought that Melo would go 0-for-life the way he has in games 3 and 4, you would have laid 20-1 that LA would be going back home up 3-1 but that’s not the case as now Denver has the mo’ going back to Hollywood and is feeling pretty good knowing the Lakers are facing their second must win.

As a side note, here are the simulation odds for the finals before the playoffs started. Even with all of the possible scenarios David Stern’s dream matchup of an LA/Cle aka Kobe/LeBron match up still had over an 18% chance of coming to fruition. Unlike a one game playoff system as in the NCAA tournament, upsets are harder to come by and D-Stern must have been counting his money as the playoffs began but as we mentioned in last week’s blog, a funny thing happened on the way to Utopia, the Nuggets and Magic decided not to be “witnesses” and have both Conference Champs on their heels. Denver has evened up their series with LA and the worst Orlando can do is find themselves in the same position. Last series the Magic beat the Celtics 6 games to 3 as they threw 2 games away before taking game 7 in the Boston Garden, they have already let one game slip away due to horrible ‘inbound’ defense (why does that sound familiar?) and rest assured this series will not be as forgiving, but if the Magic can hold serve one time the computers and D-Stern will have to go in for a checkup.

Most common Finals matchups and results
Pairing..............% of sims.% won by East team
Cleveland-L.A..........18.1.....54.5
Cleveland-Portland..... 1.5.....55.6
Orlando-L.A............10.0.....41.8
Orlando-Portland....... 6.5.....50.5
Cleveland-Denver....... 6.4.....70.4
Cleveland-San Antonio.. 4.2.....79.0
Cleveland-Houston...... 4.1.....66.8
Orlando-Denver......... 3.9.....68.4
Boston-L.A............. 3.3.....31.3

Funny thing happened on the way to the Kobe/LeBron showdown

2009-05-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

David Stern took a deep sigh of relief, and shot of scotch, as Trevor Ariza stole the inbound pass sealing the Lakers game 1 victory vs. Denver but had to break out the bottle again as the Magic went into Cleveland and shocked the previously undefeated, top-seeded Cavaliers. This game meant more than a 1-0 series lead, even home court in the Conference Finals, Cleveland was enforcing their will, getting where they wanted to, King James was going off by blocking shots and dunking on people, the Cavs were throwing in ¾ court shots, and lead by 15 half. Done and Done. Cavs win their 9th in a row en route to a sweep and roll into the NBA Finals. Unfortunately this is the third time the Magic have been buried in less than a week, and “they ain’t stayin’ dead”. How could anyone thing they would be? This team beat Boston 6 games to 3, letting two games get away but still rising from the dead (again) to take game 7 in Boston. Now they have the audacity to roll into Cleveland like they are on a mission to ruin Stern’s sequel to “Magic vs. Michael”. There has never been a game where so much Mo’ was going one direction then got turned around. The odds in Vegas for a Cavs first half lead and Magic win was over 50/1. The Magic just presented too many matchup problems for the Cavs and answered every call down the stretch including the game winner with .14 to play. Even with that was riding on game 1, the worst could still be yet come for the Cavs who appear to have serious match up problems as Z just looks way to slow causing defensive rotation problems that lead to open 3’s. The result is a team that was left for dead after Big Baby his a 21 foot jumper as time expired a week ago, and now just needs three more wins at home to advance to the NBA Finals. Will the Cavs bounce back? Can they win a game in Orlando? Let us know here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

Celtics stand the Lakers up for second date as Magic take game 7

2009-05-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

From the very outset it didn’t appear there were any ghost floating in the rafters of the new Gaaden, other that the ghost of Hedo Turkoglu who had been exorcized for the first six games of the series only to rear his head and scorch the Celtic D for 25points/12 dimes. HT hit a couple of big 3’s early to set the stage as the Magic dropped 4 of their first 5 to jump out the an early lead and take the crowd out of the game just like the manual says. From there the Magic used good D, keeping the Celtics “Big 2” in check, but what shocked the 18,624 in attendance and any would be ghost lurking in the rafters, is how the Magic not only held off the Celtic surge when it was a 5 point game at the end of the 3rd, but proceeded to bury the defending World Champions with a 13-1 run to start the fourth. Historically that has been the Celtics time, the Celtics quarter, but midway through that same quarter the ghost had all left the building along with most of the Celtic “faithful”. Now following in the footsteps of the Shaq led Miami Heat, the 08’ Celtics are the newest “one hit wonders” to land on the charts. What made the difference for them last year was have the home court for two Game 7’s, next year with another year of tread on tires the “big 3” will not be nearly as effective, as was the case in this year’s playoffs, they must recover from injuries, not to mention having weather to re-sign Davis or lose a key component. The bottom line is that Boston will never hit the high’s they did in 08’ only slowly reach lower peaks and when the shelf life expires on the Big Ticket in two years they could find themselves in the cellar once again. That deal with the devil is looking worse as time goes on. Are the Celtics done? Let us know your thoughts here and in the NBA chat rooms and team rooms.

Despite only getting 14 from Kobe in a game 7, the Lake Show easily disposed of the “Yao-less” Rockets by 19, returning the favor to Houston by getting out 8-0 to start the game, a 20-point lead by half, and never letting their foot of their throats. After getting ripped in the press for their lack of effort in three series losses, the question is weather LA has peaked too early, is too inconsistent, soft, and lack the intensity to win the title. However one could argue that the in addition to holding a 3-1 season edge on the Nuggets during the season, Denver wasn’t the most intense themselves when it came to defense as both Dallas and New Orleans rang up huge totals. That kind of defense against the highest scoring team in the league is a recipe for disaster. Add the fact that the Nuggets competition has been the weakest in the playoffs next to Cleveland’s, and it sends a message for the pundits not to get too crazy with the upset theory. Oh and they still don’t have anyone to stop Kobe just like last year! Three days rest for LA who doesn’t even have to leave town and the layoff is overrated. Don’t buy the hype, this is fool’s gold, Lakers in 6.

Lakers and Celtics not as impressive as both are pushed to game 7

2009-05-15T00:59:00.001-07:00

The representatives of last year’s NBA Finals are not finding the road back to be a smooth one as both failed to failed to closed out a 3-2 series on the road. The Lakers for the second consecutive time got blown out in the first 12 minutes and never recovered. Down 21-3 at one point, closed to two points at 54-52 then Kobe turned the ball over the Rockets hit a 3 to push the lead to 5 and never looked back. The favorite to take the West since the pre-season began, the Lakers do not look like they have the stones to finish this out, as look tired and fading down the home stretch. Conversely, the Nuggets look like they are peaking at the right time, playing their best ball of the year, and poised to upset the defending West champs. On the right coast the defending World Champs also failed to close out a series in grand fashion as they were the ones to let the 4th quarter lead get away this time as the Magic came back from 5 down in the final 2 plus minutes to force a game 7 at the Gaaden. At least the Celtics have somewhat of an excuse playing without KG but the Lakers can’t dispose of a wounded Rockets club with it’s two best players. Rumor has it if the Lakers don’t bring home the hardware this year then Phil is going to ride off into the sunset and pick berries, while the rest of Jack’s favorites are dismantled. It may not happen Sunday but perhaps they should reserve the dump trucks now because they way they’re playing now, they may be the fourth best team in the league, meanwhile the Nuggets and Cavs sit on ice, and iced down, waiting for their next victim. Is this the end of the Lakers/Celtics brief revival?Let us know here and on the Team pages and chat rooms.

Celtics and Lakers both impressive, but for different reasons

2009-05-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Each of the defending conference champions won critical game 5’s on Tuesday putting them both in position to advance to their respective Conference Semis and were impressive for their own reasons. The Celtics were impressive in showing the intestinal fortitude of a champion being down 11 points inside five minutes and coming back to win the game. It wasn’t just the come back but the way it was done, with key defensive stops when they needed them, shutting down the oppositions best player, and their key guys hitting clutch shots, because that’s what champions do. Outplayed for 3.5 quarters the C’s ‘manned up’ an took care of biz-nis leaving the Magic in a must win situation and in inter-team turmoil. The topic on the minds of the Magic faithful is it disarray over the fact that Superman only took 10 shots in the game 5 loss and now Van Gundy, coach of the candidate, is on the hot seat after Howard channeled some of the blame his way. Meanwhile the Celtic nemesis also looked impressive but in a totally different way as the Lakers sent a serious message to the Rockets with a 40-point blowout. There was also an Andrew Bynum sighting among the stars present at Staples Center, as Bynum scored the Lakers’ first six points of the game and finished 5/6 for 14 points and 6 boards in only 19 minutes. This may have been the most positive news among all of the favorable print in Los Angeles this morning, after being ripped to shreds the two previous days. Now the question remains, what Laker team will show up for Game 5? Have they finally realized that with no Yao down low that Gasol and Bynum will have free ‘reign’ or will this be a repeat of the 04’ finals? However, in both cases, does either club have what it takes to reach the Finals this year? Let us know here and on the Team pages and chat rooms.

Cavs look dominant while Celtics and Lakers struggle at 2-2

2009-05-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

Cleveland is well on their way to a sweep of the hopeless Hawks and then gets to wait for the survivor of the Celtics/Magic series that now looks like it will go seven games after Big Baby came of age hitting the last of his 21 points as time expired in Orlando, evening the series, taking back home court advantage, as well as the momentum of the series with one shot. The Magic managed to shut down Pierce, keeping Allen from even getting a touch but left Davis wide open from 21 feet. All things being equal, if you’re the magic and had to roll the dice it’s a bet you’d make again. Since when does Davis knock that down? You had to figure Orlando was ready to run into the locker room to chants of “we want King James”, instead it’s back to Beantown and the mire that will surely encompass game 5. What do you make of the Lakers? I’ll tell you their lack of killer instinct is what cost them game 5 in the finals last year as Boston came back from 20 down to win and eventually take the series, and now the ghost of softness past is rearing it’s ugly head again. Without the services of Yao Ming the Rockets out hustled, muscled, and worked LA in a game 4 win that was not nearly as close as the final score. The Lakers are not looking or playing like a team that will be dismantled if they aren’t fitted for rings come June, every game you keep waiting for them to kick it into a gear that never comes. The question remains, will it come in time to save this series and this franchise?? Who wins the East and West Semi’s? Let us know here and in the NBA playoff chat rooms and team rooms.

LeBron Wins 2009 MVP

2009-05-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

The balloting is over and the debates can begin as LeBron James has been named the 2009 NBA MVP taking a 90.1% of the first place votes and it shouldn’t have been that close. LBJ truly separated himself this year from the rest of the league and the Cavs going 39-2 at home en route to the league’s best record, even addresses the “best player on best team” arguments. On top of that he finished in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting almost netting the ‘daily double’. Kobe (1.7% first place votes 698 total) and DWade (5.8% 680 total) we more in the office cooler competition than in contention to win the actual vote, but when you think about it Kobe did have the best supporting cast in the NBA and the Lakers would not only be a playoff team but a top four seed with out him. DWade can make an argument that he was more “valuable” to his team as the Magic are back in the lottery w/out him. Where there is a huge argument is how can you vote before the whole thing is over? A true veteran knows when to turn it on and when to save energy. If Kobe takes his game to another level over the last two rounds on the West and LA wins the Finals you may want to start counting hanging chads because at the end of the day, it should be the best player on the best team right? Who should be league MVP? Let us know here and in the NBA Team Rooms and chat rooms.

Best first round series ever? Let the debate begin

2009-05-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Four overtime games, including the first triple OT since Gar Heard and the Suns played at the old “Baasten’ Gardin”, throw out game three and all the games have been decided by one possession, and more 3-point shots as time expires to fill an episode of SportsCenter. I couldn’t believe that the TNT crew didn’t give this Bulls/Celtics series any love last night when the comparisons we drawn to some of the all-time greats. To have ANY chance at being called an all-time great you have to have the big names. Chicago/Boston so you can check that box. Next you need big players, ok, right now all the names are wearing green, Pierce, Allen, and Garnett in spirit, but what if the baby Bulls fulfill their promise and get a ring down the road? How big will Rose’s name be, Gordon’s? Tyrus? Go ahead and check that box too. Next, dramatic finishes please see the afore mentions stat on the closeness of every game, check. Gotta go to a game 7, check. Lastly, drama, and this series has had enough to cover all of the 4-0, 4-1, and 4-2 series in the first round. Flagrant fouls, controversial calls, crucial mistakes but bigger shots. Even if you’re Celtic hater or can’t watch the Bulls without seeing someone wearing 23, you gotta give it up that every game in this series has been a pleasure to watch, and if you catch yourself, you’ll probably see that your screaming at the tube almost as much as when your club is on the court. That’s the mark of an all time great, so give it some love, and the best part is that it ain’t done yet. Talk about the game here and in the NBA chat rooms and team pages.