The Boston Celtics are Rolling

May 23rd, 2010 admin

Bet on the Celtics vs. Magic

Magic superstar center Dwight Howard found himself staring into space after the conclusion of Game 2. They were outsmarted, outhustled, not to mention out-defended by one of the oldest teams in the league. After winning eight straight in the playoffs, the team from the magical kingdom find themselves without answers. These Boston Celtics are cut from a different cloth that the teams from Atlanta and Charlotte. Atlanta barely made it out of the first round against a Milwaukee team without Andrew Bogut and Charlotte was making their first playoffs appearance. Add in Captain Jack’s penchant for chucking up 20 shots a game and the Bobcats were doomed from the beginning.

No, these Celtics have been there and done that. Only two years removed from a championship, critics were quick to dismiss Boston as too old. Who can blame them? The Celtics struggled during the season desperately trying to find the switch that would turn back time and remind us why the Celtics beat the LA Lakers in the Finals two years ago. After trashing the Cavs and dethroning self-proclaimed “King” LeBron James, the Celtics not only found the switch but took their gauge to another level.

If Game 2 was any indication, Boston was flying under the radar and the true team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Their lost last year to the Orlando Magic in seven games was a fluke. Kevin Garnett’s absence was sorely missing last year. When healthy, Garnett is still the league’s best team defender. Not to mention the player that drops the most F-bombs in a game. The intensity we can take but the F-bombs makes him a douche. With all the expletives out the way, Garnett has saved his intensity and energy for all the physical things needed to show on screens and help on defense when Howard catches the ball deep.

The Celtics captain Paul Pierce has more energy on offense now to expend. He is now asserting himself more and providing the Celtics with a consistent scorer. He was thought to be washed-up in their series against Cleveland. Turns out he was just exhausted trying to defend two-time MVP James. Of course, he now has to guard Vince Carter but come on. Just stay in front of Carter and make him shoot jump shots all day long. Problem solved.

Ray Allen has also located his stroke in the dumpsters of Seattle. His efficient shooting is opening up the lane for Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Rondo. The appointed Big One. This is his team now. Without him, Pierce, Garnett and Allen would be lost. He is also forcing Jameer Nelson into bad shooting nights.

Team defense is the key for the Celtics. They can think about scoring later. Boston has defended Orlando’s three-point threats like white on rice. Rashard Lewis is doing his best Mo Williams impression of disappearing in the playoffs. Carter, on the other hand, is doing his best Nick Anderson impression. And this is the guy that was supposed to replace Hedo Turkoglu? He missed two free throws with about 37 seconds left that could have brought the Magic within one. Career 80% free throw shooter, career choker in the clutch.

The Celtics are threatening for another title. If everyone stays healthy and focused (Attention: Rasheed Wallace) they’ll hand the Lakers their second Finals loss in three years.

The Magic need to make adjustments quick or else they’ll be the dust that gets swept up in Boston.

What happened to the Orlando Magic in Game 1?

May 19th, 2010 admin

Bet on the Celtics vs. Magic

Orlando’s 14 game winning streak – 8 in the playoffs and 6 during the season – was snapped by the aging but game Boston Celtics. Boston was up by as much as 20 points and dominated the rest of the way. The Magic desperately tried to make up for lost time in the fourth quarter but the Celtics beat them to every lose ball and rebound to preserve the win.

Heck, even the Celtics medical staff somehow revived Rasheed Wallace’s corpse. Wallace scored 13 points, including a buzzer beating three over Rashard Lewis which was a sign of things to come.

Boston played with the intensity, seriousness and physicality yet to be seen by the Magic in the playoffs. Not to mention a sense of urgency knowing that this may well be their last chance at a title before the trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen completely break down. Dwight Howard was dominating in the series against the Hawks but against the physical big men of the Celtics, “Superman” turned into Jimmy Olsen. The combination of Wallace, Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins took turns hammering Howard and keeping him out of the paint. Together that same trio combined for 12 fouls – they made sure that every foul counted and that Howard would definitely feel them.

Many wanted coach Doc Rivers to bury Wallace at the end of the bench during the regular season because of his penchant for launching ill-advised threes and slow-footed defense. Only now are the Celtics realizing his real value It’s clear that this year’s version of the Celtics was built not to beat the Cavs but to oust the Magic in the Eastern Conference.

With the big men of the Celtics, Howard found himself always on single coverage. Not an extra Celtic defender collapsing on him. Suddenly, Howard had no clear pass to open teammates. Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, JJ Redick, Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus didn’t even have enough air around them to clearly see the rim from the perimeter. The Magic shot a miserable 23% (5 of 22) from beyond the arc.

Boston looked like the younger and hungrier team in Game 1. They definitely wiped the smile off Dwight Howard’s face with their constant slapping, tugging and pushing.

Pierce came alive in Game 1 and played his best game so far in the playoffs. He made six of his eight attempts en route to 22 points.

If the Magic are going to win this series they have to play with urgency and desperation like the Celtics. Smiling and dancing around won’t help their cause, just ask LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers Series Preview

May 17th, 2010 admin

Suns and Lakers Preview

The LA Lakers are still stinging from the two straight years the Suns eliminated them from the playoffs. Of course this was all before the Lakers acquired big man Pau Gasol. In the two years the Lakers were eliminated by the Suns, the Purple and Gold had no one to provide Kobe Bryant with consistent help. It’s all a whole different ball game with Gasol’s presence.

The Lakers aren’t the only team that has experienced changes. Phoenix acquired Channing Frye during the offseason. His three point shooting will spread the floor for the Suns and pull either Andrew Bynum or Gasol away from the basket. The lane will be wide open for Steve Nash to unleash his bag of creativity and deception. Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley are also key players for the Suns.

Don’t assume in any way that Kobe has forgotten what the Suns did to them during the post-Shaq, pre-Gasol era. He’ll be motivated to settle the score and avenge their past playoff failures against the Suns.

Match-ups:

Steve Nash/Goran Dragic vs Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar

Two-time MVP Steve Nash will run circles around Derek Fisher, but Fisher’s consistent outside shooting will also keep Nash on the defensive. The best chance the Lakers have defending Nash is Shannon Brown. His athleticism and length are the right weapons to bother Nash. Not to mention the mind games Phil Jackson has already unleashed against Nash. Dragic is capable of catching fire at the right time – just ask the San Antonio Spurs. What Dragic needs to work on is his consistency instead of suddenly exploding for a single night.

Advantage: Suns

Jason Richardson/Leandro Barbosa vs. Kobe Bryant/Shannon Brown

Kobe is locked in and you know how he is when he is determined. Richardson and Barbosa will get their turns against Bryant. One of the most fun match-ups is seeing Brown chase Barbosa around on fast breaks. Barbosa has yet to have a big game and I figure he is due for one against the Lakers.

Richardson is the x-factor for the Suns. If he plays like he did against Portland in Games 2, 3 and 6, the Suns may actually steal this series. It may be difficult to do against Ron Artest.

Advantage: Lakers

Grant Hill/Jared Dudley vs. Ron Artest/Luke Walton

Hill will be spending his time trying to slow down Bryant while Artest will try and keep Richardson from having a big game. Dudley is one of the biggest surprises in these playoffs. His energy and defense are just what the Suns need. He is a younger and fresher version of Raja Bell. Artest’s outside shooting remains erratic.

Advantage: Draw

Amar’e Stoudemire/Lou Amundson vs. Pau Gasol/Lamar Odom

Gasol is a tough customer down low and Amundson’s overeagerness on defense will lead to more baskets for the Spaniard. Gasol will only be ineffective if the Lakers’ guards forget to feed him the ball. Odom’s been playing great defense as of late and seems to have found the passion to rebound again. Besides Bryant, he too remembers the elimination games handed to them by the Suns.

Stoudemire is in a contract year, so expect him to play at his highest potential. Nothing motivates a player like impending free agency. STAT has finally learned that defense is needed to win in the playoffs. He will not be guarding Gasol the entire game to keep him from getting in foul trouble.

Advantage: Lakers because Odom brings more to the table than Amundson.

Robin Lopez/Channing Frye vs. Andrew Bynum/DJ Mbenga/Josh Powell

With Bynum’s knee worsening, the Lakers will have a hard time clogging the lane and preventing those twisting Nash layups. Frye’s outside shooting also assure the Suns of wide open driving lanes. Lopez will be one of the defenders to try and slow down Gasol.

Advantage: Suns

This is Nash’s best chance of making it to the Finals. It’s now or never for him.

Lakers in 7.

The Cavs bow out to the Celtics

May 16th, 2010 admin

Celtics are moving on

LeBron James was miles away better in Game 6 than Game 5. It still didn’t matter because it yielded the same result. The Celtics beat the Cavs 94-85 in Boston to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. The Orlando Magic await them.

James chalked up a triple double – his fifth in his young playoff career – 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists but made only 8 of 21 shots. The soon to be New York Knick, if he decides to opt out and leave Cleveland, was much more determined and forceful than his lackluster performance in Game 5.

Kevin Garnett turned back time and played like his days in Minnesota making 11 of his 19 attempts from the field for 22 points. He also grabbed 12 rebounds. Point guard Rajon Rondo, who was the series changer, scored 21 points and dished out 12 assists.

The Celtics built a 76 – 67 lead after three quarters. James hit back to back threes to bring the Celtic lead down to four points early in the fourth – that was the closest the Cavs would get. Rondo hit a layup, Pierce knocked down a three, Wallace knocked down a three and Garnett’s dunk pushed the lead to 14 points with a little under six minutes left in the game.

Mo Williams scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half. His disappearance in the second half played a huge role in the Celtics victory. Boston knew that James would come out and play is heart out, so they concentrated on containing James’ supporting cast. Shaquille O’Neal scored 11 points for Cleveland. He’ll likely retire after the season.

The Cavs struggled as a team shooting a horrendous 29 percent from beyond the arc and 38 percent from the field. Boston didn’t fare any better, 44 percent from the field and 29 percent from three, but made shots when it mattered – down the stretch.

Paul Pierce had a terrible shooting night scoring only 13 points on 4-13 shooting. Ray Allen also had an off night attempting five threes and making none. He finished with eight points. Their performance went unnoticed since in the playoffs it’s defense that matters. Both Pierce and Allen played great defense.

Undoubtedly, the player of the series was Rondo. He turned the tide of the series with his epic 29-point, 13-assist and 18-rebound performance in Game 4.

LeBron James has a long summer ahead of him. His decision will likely affect the Cleveland franchise and the franchise he decides to play for. Cavs coach Mike Brown is on the hot seat after failing to lead his team to the Finals for the third straight year.

Are the Boston Celtics back to championship form?

May 13th, 2010 admin

Celtics-Cavaliers 5-13 8:00 PM
A couple of years ago there was no team in the NBA better than the Boston Celtics. In just a single season, the Celtics had gone from arguably the worst team in the league to the cream of the crop in the NBA after they acquired both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to play alongside Paul Pierce.

The combination of Garnett, Allen and Pierce was a deadly one to say the least, but to make things even more difficult for Boston’s opponents, the Celtics had drafted one of the most promising young point guard in Rajon Rondo.

With four out the five starters for the Celtics being All-Star caliber players and amongst the best in the league at their positions, there seemed to be no stopping Boston as they made it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2008 to face off against an old rival in the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite the Lakers really coming into their own that season, due to the addition of All-Star forward Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and company were not able to hold off the reeling Celtics from winning an NBA title.

In 2009, the Celtics had high hopes of repeating as NBA champs, but started to feel their age during their title defense as injuries became a common thing, especially for forward Kevin Garnett. Even though KG’s body was able to hold up for the majority of the season, he was a no-go for the playoffs and the Boston Celtics were ultimately knocked out much earlier than anticipated.

This season the Boston Celtics were thought to have one more chance, with their Big Three (Garnett, Allen and Pierce) still intact, in order to compete for an NBA title. Throughout the regular season the Celtics played extremely well, a bit streaky at times, but nonetheless a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference once again.

Along with having relatively the same roster intact, the Boston Celtics were able to sign a welcome addition to the team in All-Star caliber forward and NBA champion Rasheed Wallace. The versatile veteran was thought to be huge upgrade to the Celtics frontcourt that could spread the defense and another big body to throw at the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard if they should meet in the playoffs down the road.

Unfortunately, even though Wallace has been solid at times, the signing of the versatile forward has been somewhat of a bust as he hasn’t been the player Boston expected to get off the bench.

Needless to say, the Boston Celtics have been able to mount another charge into the playoffs once again with their aging superstars and veterans, but now face a serious uphill battle against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.

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