Tag Archives: Kevin Garnett

by | June 4, 2012 · 2:37 PM

Rajon Rondo is beyond this Earth

Boldly going

Doyle Rader: Rajon Rondo has been the most refreshing and entertaining player in the NBA during the playoffs. This no better illustrated than just before game four of the Eastern Conference Finals a friend, who doesn’t like basketball, called me up and asked who that player on the Celtics he should watch is. I told him it was Rondo. The Rondo Lore is growing by the minute.

Against the Heat, Rondo has been putting on a clinic with his passing, fakes, jukes, and even his jump shot. Though he does prefer to score at the rim as indicated by his Game 4 shot chart.

Game 4

He does it all for the Celtics without getting tired. He has played 681 minutes in the playoffs thus far, more than any other Celtic. Paul Pierce is second but is 20 minutes behind (fouling out doesn’t help).

All of these factors have helped grow the legend of Rondo, who before now was frequently mentioned in just about every trade rumor coming out of Boston. Trading Rondo is a silly notion as he is by far the most valuable asset the team has going forward, especially with the breaking up of the Pierce-Ray Allen-Kevin Garnett core looming on the horizon.

Rondo is the Celtics’ Garry Kasparov. Much as been made about his unpredictability being one of his greatest assets but to accept that is to ignore the fact that Rondo is entirely plodding and methodical in his approach to the game. He is one step, if not more, ahead of the competition directing his players like pieces on a board. Rondo vehemently waved off Pierce, who was looking for a transition three in Game 4, and directed him to cut to the bucket. The result was an easy lay-in. Rondo’s court vision has just been superb.

Travis Huse: Rondo’s a different breed of NBA player, but his is a style I envision taking over the league within the next few seasons. He’s like Fat Lever, but with Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd‘s triple-double capabilities, all hopped up on bath salts and Cap’n Crunch. But you’re positively on point with the Kasparov reference (Did you catch Ray Allen’s chess quote last night?), the little guy is so manipulative with his head-games.

Remember when he tried to sneak  into the Heat’s huddle last season? It was in the middle of a huge Celtics run in the 3rd quarter, both as a small display of bravado and as a way to keep the Heat thinking about him. What at the time seemed like a silly move to pester another team is now tactical warfare. Rondo had a triple-double that game, and the Celtics won by three.

DR: To quote the kids these days, “Rondo gives no fucks.” He is out there to play basketball and to win. A perfect example is what he said to Doris Burke at halftime when he flat called out the Heat for constantly bitching to the refs about calls. This is the type of mentality that every coach can appreciate when your team is battling for the right to the NBA Finals. Miami is Rondo’s enemy, why should he show them anything but contempt. He does not respect them right now, nor should he.

Also along the line of giving no fucks, have you seen what he has been wearing in the post game pressers? Not only is his game on some next level future shit, but is wardrobe fluctuates from the 1980s to the 24th century.

TH: He’s good for the league in his disdain. The “super-team” mentality of the Heat takes away from the real reason people love to watch sports: to hate another city with a burning passion. When players group together as players, marketing personal brands over team identity, the whole thing seems to matter less. It is much cheaper to watch a pick-up game down at the park if you’re looking for a good-natured buddy game of basketball.

Playing with fire, drive, and even hatred is what makes you a champion, and the sports culture in Boston thrives best under those conditions (I think Boston as a whole survives based on a constant undertone of street fighting, to be honest). The team has 17 trophies to show for it. Pat Riley exhibits this trait, but the rest of the Heat organization is lacking in that regard. Erik Spoelstra can’t really invoke that championship fire in this squad, and the squad itself isn’t built for it. I simply do not believe that they are playing for the sake of basketball. Rondo is, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win, and he will do it in ways never seen before.

DR: With Boston, it’s all about narrative. It’s who they are. They are never favorites and have been written off more than once. Their quest for recognition and glory is all that matters with their storied past. I for one am happy that Rondo is the protagonist of this particular chapter.

Leave a Comment

Filed under NBA at Large, Players, Playoffs

Tagged as , , ,

by | May 28, 2012 · 11:28 AM

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Eastern Conference Finals Preview

Intimidated yet?

Doyle Rader: We finally know who will compete in the Eastern Conference Finals, however, when Derrick Rose went down in the first round this match up was all but inevitable. The Boston Celtics finally defeated a Sixers team that Doc Rivers described as “a pain in the ass.” Now they will face the Miami Heat who, despite the loss of Chris Bosh in their series against the Indiana Pacers, look every bit as dominant as the team that moved on to the Finals last season. When it comes to this series, the regular season meetings mean nothing. Boston owned the regular season series between the two clubs for the last two years but has only mustered one win against the Heat in the playoffs during that time. What are the keys for both teams in this series?

Travis Huse: The absence of Chris Bosh. The Heat is left with only two big names on their roster, and they need another offensive threat. Bosh’s outside game also would help to bring Kevin Garnett out of the middle, freeing up space for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. For Boston, they need some monster performances from Ray Allen, as LeBron’s defense can be otherworldly on Paul Pierce. Rajon Rondo‘s consistent ability to have triple-doubles in playoff games will be tested here, as well. I think it’s interesting that we have the two scariest defensive teams vying for the East, while in the West it’s a shoot-out.

DR: Missing Bosh could pose a problem but at the same time it could open up an emphasis on the transition game for Miami. When this team gets out running it the open court it is game over: Flying Death Machine.

As for Garnett, his defense will of course be a factor but his offense is what could hurt his team. He is a spot up midrange jump shooter off the pick and is effective at little else, especially if he has to put the ball on the floor. Yes, Garnett can still post up but is so predictable in the post, Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm pointed out that he posts up on the left block 60 percent of the time, goes to his right shoulder 40 percent of the time, and shoots a jumper 86 percent of the time from the block. That is the definition of predictability. However, it will be interesting to see who guards him. I imagine that the Heat will throw Udonis Haslem, Ronny Turiaf, Joel Anthony, and even Shane Battier, who could draw the bulk of the defensive assignment.

I’m just not sure that Jesus Shuttlesworth has anything left in the tank. He has looked terrible during playoffs and he has to still be hurt. If he can shake off the rust and put it together offensively he will have to contend with Dwyane Wade. Wade has been phenomenal on defense, as per usual, and will harass Allen all over the court.

In the postgame show after the Heat knocked out the Pacers, Jeff Van Gundy, who saved the program from its usual absurdist rhetoric, stated that this series will hinge on the play of Rondo and his ability to shutdown or limit Mario Chalmers and pace the Celtics. I have felt for two years now that this is Rondo’s team and this series will further fuel this idea. For the Celtics to find success if will be on the back of Rondo and let’s hope he keeps rocking those Nike Huarache Basketball 2012’s in the Volt colorway.

TH: This is definitely Rondo’s team, which makes the rest of the Celtics his weapons. His lack of a jump shot is rendered useless when he is able to work Brandon Bass into the equation. As a Mavs fan, you can’t look at Bass this postseason and grimace.

DR: Bass is playing strong and has played the fourth most minutes for the Celtics in the postseason thus far and is totaling 11.7 points per game. On a team that struggles to rebound the ball, Bass collects 5.1 boards. He is the fourth best player on the Celtics. If the Heat can neutralize him the Celtics will be in trouble.

Flash got style

What really hurts the Celtics is the loss of Avery Bradley. When he and Rondo were paired in the backcourt together their defensive numbers were amazing. In terms of slowing Wade, missing Bradley is huge. Keyon Dooling and Mickael Pietrus have their work cut out for them. Oh, or maybe they’ll make me happy and we’ll get to see a little Marquis Daniels on the floor.

TH: Well, as of now, they’re real thin at SG. That lends itself to more minutes for Daniels, so we’re probably in luck. He’s going to be stretched to the hilt against Wade, but we already know Doc Rivers has groomed him for this situation all year. That’s the kind of thing he does, socking away money in Staples Center. This team is so well coached that they can weather these injuries as well as any other NBA team. There are just so many variables on this Celtics team, and the outcome of each game defined by so many questionable players, it’s very hard to predict. The Heat is full of shaky players, as well, but the strength of Wade and James makes them so much more stable.

DR: Daniels usually plays the three, unless Don Nelson appears and tries to make him run point (ahh, the memories), but if Doc gets desperate Daniels could definitely get spot minutes against Wade. Indiana was a better team than the Celtics and they could not slow down the Wade and James tandem. Frank Vogel said it best, “Chris Bosh is a fantastic player, but when he goes down, that means more touches for LeBron and Wade.” Those touches ignited the Heat and propelled them to three consecutive wins. The Death Machine found its wings. However, we must wait to see if those wings are fashioned by Daedalus and whether the Heat chooses to fly too close to the sun.

That said, the Heat will win this series 4-2. Hopefully, they won’t imitate last season’s celebration when they win.

TH: After what I saw in the Heat-Pacers series, I’m going to go Celtics in 7. It goes against my head, but let me explain. The best way to beat Miami is to get them rattled, and if the Celtics manage to rattle one of the Heat’s two stars for three games, they have a chance. If there’s any team that hypes its strangeness, it’s Boston. These guys are WEIRDOS. I’m thinking the Eastern Conference Finals might strongly resemble when Will Smith smacked the reporter for kissing him. KG should probably kiss LeBron right before tip-off in game 1. I wouldn’t put it past him.

But in all seriousness, with a long series, Doc could seriously dismantle this squad. I’m probably going to lose this one, but that’s what I’m sticking with. Celtics in 7.

2 Comments

Filed under Playoffs

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 26, 2011 · 5:24 PM

NBA Christmas Wrap

Merry Christmas

With much fanfare and an obnoxious LMFAO ad that was played almost every commercial intermission, the NBA season kicked off in superb, albeit rusty, fashion. Yes, lockout legs could be seen throughout the five games that were aired but that is to be expected with abbreviated training camps. chemistry was also an issue as many teams have a number of new players to integrate into their rotations. Nonetheless, the NBA is back and fans and players are happy. A reaction:

Boston Celtics 104 – New York Knicks 106

Carmelo Anthony looked great in this game. His 17 points in the fourth quarter were the difference and why the Knicks thought it necessary to gut their team to acquire him. Throughout his time in the NBA, Anthony has proven he has a knack for performing in the clutch and he showed it on Sunday. However, the already shaky depth of the Knicks has grown even more unstable with a knee injury to rookie Iman Shumpert which will sideline him for at least a couple of weeks.

As for the Celtics, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Bass, who is finally free from the tyranny of Stan Van Gundy, were the offense with Paul Pierce missing the game. Rondo continually broke down New York’s defense and got to the rim. When Pierce comes back to the lineup the Celtics should be a more rounded offensive unit, until then this will be Rondo’s team.

Naughty: Kevin Garnett choking Bill Walker.

Nice: Carmelo Anthony’s clutch play.

Miami Heat 105 – Dallas Mavericks 94

The Mavericks raised their championship banner but that is all they had to celebrate on Sunday. Dallas came out looking flat and out of sync, in essence, they looked old. That should be no surprise because their entire core is over the age of 30. Rick Carlisle is integrating Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Delonte West, who played well, and Brandan Wright into the rotation while dealing with key losses across the board. Jason Terry was the only Maverick who showed up to this one.

Miami looked like they were just rolled off of a German assembly line. They were well oiled and fine tuned. What they did to the Mavericks was scary. Say what you will about all the exhibition games this summer but they seem to have kept LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in game shape, that and their complete desire to destroy everything in their path. This was a blowout, like a brand new Mercedes-Benz S-Class versus a Trabant. Not only were the Heat good but they will get better. Rookie Norris Cole turned some heads with his play in 24 minutes of action. If he continues to improve he could supplant Mario Chalmers as the starting point guard.

Naughty: The Mavs’ 37.8 percent field goal shooting.

Nice: LeBron James‘ box score: 37 points, 10 rebounds, six assists.

Chicago Bulls 88 – Los Angeles Lakers 87

Forget Showtime, these are the Slowtime Lakers. That is not a knock on them, however, not in the least bit. This Lakers squad proved to be as scrappy and gritty as any I have seen. Perhaps this is what Mike Brown brings to the team, perhaps this is what a bunch of blue-collar white guys bring to a team, or perhaps this is just what happens when you lose Odom and Andrew Bynum serving his suspension. Nonetheless, I like the Slowtime Lakers. Where they do need to improve is offensive player rotation. Too many times they reverted to Hawks-esque isolation with three players around the perimeter and one near the post.

Chicago played well throughout, with the exception being the third quarter. With the game close, Luol Deng stepped up and made the big plays. It was his defense against Kobe Bryant and his steal late in the game that allowed the Bulls to go on a 7-0 run, capped by Derrick Rose‘s floater in the lane, to win the game. Rip Hamilton started for the Bulls but did not contribute much due to foul trouble therefore his time was split with Ronnie Brewer. Brewer is a solid defender with good court vision and should see more minutes this season.

Naughty: Kobe’s last shot attempt.

Nice: Rose’s floater to win the game.

Orlando Magic 89 – Oklahoma City Thunder 97

Much like the Heat Mavericks game, the final score does not do justice to the thrashing that actually occurred. Like Miami, the Thunder look ready for the season. Very ready.  Oklahoma City pounced on Orlando early and never relented. Their team is largely the same as it was last year so their learning curve is near zero when it comes to knowing each other and how to execute plays…when they are not freewheeling. Speed and athleticism are the monikers of this team and they will serve them well out of the gate. If only they could improve their shot selections *cough* Westbrook *cough*.

Where the Thunder took plenty of questionable shots when they had built their sizable lead, the Magic took even more haphazard shots throughout the entire game. I have said it many times: the Magic’s offense is terrible. There is nothing more that can be said. It looked like they thought that there was a pit of lava inside the three-point line. Get Dwight Howard the ball in the post and let him work.

Naughty: Hedo Turkoglu clearly indulged his gluttonous side during the lockout. Dude is chunky.

Nice: Kevin Durant. Need I say more?

Los Angeles Clippers 105 – Golden State Warriors 86

If ESPN had their way, this would have been a documentary about Mark Jackson and the greatness of his coaching style. Nevermind the fact Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were on the court, this broadcast was about Mark Jackson, hands down (man down). They showed a clip of him quoting Shakespeare before the game. He was the only coach shown in the huddle, mostly saying cliché motivational shit like “execution” and “focus.” That is all fine and good, but he does have a decent team that the broadcast could have talked about. I think Jackson will be a good coach but that much attention is unwarranted, especially on a nationally televised game. His first coaching milestone was the hack-a-Jordan technique he used on DeAndre Jordan.

The final score is not indicative of how the Warriors remained close for much of the game. Clearly, the Wizards of Lob are the better team but last night they showed chinks in their armor. The aforementioned hack-a-Jordan technique stymied the Clippers offense and brought it to a halt. Luckily, the Clippers have Paul, Chauncey Billups, and Griffin. All played well as they were able to outlast the Warrior. The new look Clippers are a work in progress to say the least and last night they showed it.

Naughty: ESPN’s love affair with Mark “Momma, there goes that man” Jackson.

Nice: Caron Butler‘s circus shot.

Leave a Comment

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | July 7, 2011 · 9:59 AM

The Dysfunctional Wolf Pack

Waiting is the hardest part

The Minnesota Timberwolves are nothing if not perplexing. Coming off of a not-so-awe-inspiring 17 win season the team has done little to improve itself. Granted, it is hard to make any moves with the ongoing lockout but their decision-making process continues to stagnate. General manager David Kahn continues to keep head coach Kurt Rambis in a state of limbo concerning his future with the team.

It is obvious to all outside observers that Rambis’ tenure as the team’s head coach is done. How could it not be? The team won 17 games last season and he openly quarreled with the team’s best player, Kevin Love, at the beginning of the season. Rambis does have two years and $4 million remaining on his contract with the team so maybe this is a case of Kahn not wanting to pay up if he were to fire Rambis.

Therefore, Kahn, being the cunning and shrewd general manager that he is, has come up with a solution. According to Yahoo! Sports, Kahn believed that Rambis’ contract allowed for relocation within the organization and therefore he suggested that Rambis be moved into a front office position. This comes two weeks after Kahn formally removed Rambis as head coach but did not fire him. Clearly, there is little love lost between the two men and Timberwolves management has not even communicated with Rambis for several days.

If the Timberwolves hope to ever become relevant in the post Kevin Garnett era Kahn must begin to make rational decisions based on improving his organization. Rambis led Minnesota to a 32-132 record in his two years as head coach. He must go. Rambis knows his fate but Kahn simply will not act. This is nothing new, however. Kahn seems to work on a protracted schedule. It took him three years to get Ricky Rubio into the United States and now is lollygagging with his decision about Rambis.

Whereas Kahn is biding his time making decisions another member of the Timberwolves keeps making questionable decisions. Michael Beasley was cited for speeding and for possession of marijuana on June 26 the Star Tribune reports. Beasley was clocked at 84 miles per hour in a 65 mile-per-hour zone and had 16.2 grams of marijuana in his car according to an Associated Press article posted by NBC KARE 11.

Pot and Beasley are not odd bed fellows by any stretch of the imagination. He has gotten into trouble with it before. Honestly, this will likely be a continuing trend throughout his career. What is astounding, however, is how professional athletes keep finding themselves in these situations. Beasley has a lot of money, a nice house, and probably several nice cars. Hire a driver, do no speed at 3 a.m., and stay home and play Call of Duty if you want to get high. Stay out of the spotlight. Sometimes it is just hard to get through to a 22-year-old.

Leave a Comment

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | May 1, 2011 · 11:05 AM

Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions: Heat vs. Celtics

Point authority

Time for lunch.

2. Miami Heat vs. 3. Boston Celtics

What we know is that the Miami Heat wanted to see the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. They have wanted to meet them on this stage since the two teams squared off in the first game of the season. Well, now the Heat have their wish. This team, manufactured with All-Stars, will finally have a chance to prove to themselves and everyone else that they are indeed a worthy playoff contender capable of going head-to-head with the Celtics for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and potentially the NBA Finals.

Both of these teams posted outstanding defensive numbers during the regular season. Boston had the second best team defensive rating of 100.3 while the Heat were fifth with a rating of 103.5. This will lead to a grind it out series that both of these teams like to play. In the first round, Miami did not have an easy time with the Philadelphia 76ers, save for one game. They won that series by relying heavily on their defense and their ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. As for the Celtics, they swept the New York Knicks but had to contest and double-team a red-hot Carmelo Anthony who willed the Knicks through the series to make close despite the complete lack of defensive effort by his squad against Boston.

Marquee Matchups:

Rajon Rondo vs. Miami’s backcourt

Rondo has been called the head of the snake, and for good reason. In the three wins that the Celtics had against the Heat during the regular season, Rondo had no less than 10 assists. Miami will be tasked with trying cut off that head if they are to have a chance at moving to the Eastern Conference Finals. Tasked with the main duties of guarding Rondo will be Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers. Neither of these players are ideal for duties before them. Chalmers, during the regular season, had a plus/minus of -10.7 when Rondo was on the floor. As for Bibby, well, he is not noted for his defense.

Due to this the Heat will likely employ a platoon defense against Rondo with Dwyane Wade, who averaged only 13 points per game against Boston, and even LeBron James at times. It will take a team effort to slow down or stop Rondo from dissecting Miami’s defense. What has to be disconcerting for Miami, though is that Rondo is averaging 12 assists in the playoffs so far and is averaging 19 points. Bringing a double-team to trap Rondo may be a good option to get the ball out of his hands but the Celtics could capitalize on such a scenario by getting an open look for Ray Allen.

Paul Pierce vs. LeBron James

James has the advantage in this matchup because of his size and strength. These advantages were apparent during their regular season meetings as Pierce’s number, per 36 minutes, were down across the board when James was on the floor. James limited the number of shots that Pierce took to 10.8 per game. His season average in field goal attempts was 13.3. Pierce’s field goal percentage also dips while James is on the floor from a season average of 50 percent to 42 percent when James is defending him.

James, however, does not see a considerable decline in any of his numbers when Pierce is on the floor with him. What is concerning is that James’ plus/minus, which was a 7.3 during the season, drops to a -1.1 with Pierce guarding him. When Pierce is not on the court, James’ plus/minus skyrockets to 34.8. Clearly, Pierce does something right but that discrepancy is also a testamate to the team defense of the Celtics’ starting five.

X-Factors:

Shaquille O’Neal will not play in game one. He is practicing with the team and could play during this series…maybe. Doc Rivers and the Celtics are not releasing much information on O’Neal’s condition. Because of the uncertainties surrounding the future Hall of Famer, Boston will need a larger contribution from Glen Davis than they did in the first round. Baby Davis, as Hubie Brown likes to call him, averaged just six points against the Knicks. Miami’s frontcourt is not offensively daunting outside of Chris Bosh, who will be checkmated by Kevin Garnett, but they are good rebounders. Boston will also need zombie Jermaine O’Neal to play well for them like he did in the first game against New York.

For the Heat, the broken record continues to skip. They need someone other than their big three to step up at times and knockdown shots when the team needs them. This will have to be either Chalmers or Bibby since Udonis Haslem will not play in the series.

Prediction:

This has the potential to be an extremely physical series but the Celtics have the Heat’s number. They proved it all season. When the Heat beat Boston in their last meeting during the regular season, the Celtics were coasting and the game could have meant less to them. However, it meant the world to the Heat. Miami knew they would have to go through Boston. They want to be great and the Celtics will be their trial by fire. One can never count out a hungry team with something to prove and Miami has everything to prove in this series. Celtics defeat the Heat 4-2.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Playoffs

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 15, 2011 · 10:54 AM

Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions: Celtics vs. Knicks

The Truth shall set you free.

A historic matchup of two of the most storied, and retooled, NBA franchises that will have superstars a-plenty but only one outcome.

3. Boston Celtics vs. 6. New York Knickerbockers

There was a time when the boys from Beantown were looked on as heavy favorites to win the East and return to the Finals. However, their recent skid since the team traded Kendrick Perkins is something to worry about. The New York Knicks also experienced a period of high expectations this season after acquiring the likes of Carmelo Anthony to play alongside Amar’e Stoudemire. It turns out though that the Knicks are not any better than they were before the Meloman came to town.

Boston is not a good rebounding team. They average only 38.8 rebounds per game and only collect 49.47 percent of the total available rebounds during a game which ranks them 20th in the league. Only two other playoff teams have a worse rebounding rate than the Celtics: the Atlanta Hawks and the Knicks. Luckily for the Celtics they consistently out-rebounded the Knicks in their four meetings this season in which Boston came out victorious in each with an average margin of 6.5 points. New York gave up an average of 45.3 rebounds per contest while collecting only 37.

Marquee Matchups:

Paul Pierce vs. Carmelo Anthony

Watching these players defend each other should be a treat for fans who do not care for the who “defense” thing. Luckily for them Mike D’Antoni is coaching in this series. For Piece, it will be key to get cut to the rim or make a false dive cut and then take his shot. Where Piece, and the Celtics in general will get into trouble against the Knicks is if they take too many spot up jumpers. They are not very good in this category as they average .912 points per possession when they opt to take a spot up jump shot. As for Anthony, he needs to isolate Pierce as best he can. This, however, will not be a beneficial as it may appear at first. Boston has one of the better Isolation defenses in the league because of the help that each player on the court will provide. Anthony works best in Isolation situations as he has yet to full grasp D’Antoni’s offensive schemes. He will get his points but it will be at the cost of many shot attempts.

Kevin Garnett vs. Amar’e Stoudemire

Stoudemire outscored Garnett in all but on meeting this season. This is because, at the time, Stoudemire was forced into the role of the Knicks’ center because of D’Antoni’s mistrust of Timofey Mozgov and the injuries that plagues Ronny Turiaf. For this series the two should square off against each other quite a bit depending on the lineups and schemes that D’Antoni runs in an attempt to break the Celtics’ defense. Garnett must be willing to play away from the rim to guard Stoudemire, who works in Isolations situations around the top of the key regularly. As for Garnett, he needs to move effectively off the ball so that when a slasher (Pierce, Rajon Rondo) enters the lane he can step into an open location and knock down a shot when his defender collapses to protect the paint.

X-Factors:

What is Chauncey Billups‘ role on the Knicks? Yes, he is their starting point guard but his shot selection, especially over the last few weeks of the regular season, has been abysmal. Mr. Big Shot has been anything but that. What he does bring to the Knicks is plenty of playoff experience. Other than Turiaf, he is the only player on the roster to have won a championship. New York is completely out-classed by Boston in this series. For them to have any shot at pulling off an upset, Billups must return to form and play like the player he was on the 2004 Detroit Pistons.

The cries from Boston keep imploring fans to wait for the return of Shaquille O’neal. To them, he is the difference maker on the team. There is a case to be made for this as well since the Celtics are 28-9 when the big fella is in the rotation. But what of his injury? Will he be healthy enough to give Boston what they need to sustain a long playoff run?

Prediction:

Despite Boston’s woeful second half they should still have enough depth and talent to dismiss New York. What they have going for them is a willingness to play defense which is something that D’Antoni has yet to instill in any of the team he has coached for. The loss of Perkins will become palpable later on in the playoffs for the Celtics but not in this series as their depth will prove to be key. Celtics defeat the Knicks 4-1.

1 Comment

Filed under Playoffs

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

by | February 16, 2011 · 11:37 AM

Mike Miller Injured Again

Injuries are constantly stalking Miller

Mike Miller cannot seem to catch a break. In the matter of less than a week, Miller’s head has become the target of some serious blows. The most recent one occurred last night against the Indiana Pacers.

Miller took an elbow from Jeff Foster just above his eye in the third quarter. He was taken out of the arena via wheelchair on route to an Indianapolis hospital. Team officials later described the injury as a contusion.

He will miss the next game with the Miami Heat against the Toronto Raptors and did not even travel with the team to Toronto.

Injuries are nothing new to Miller this season, yet, it is likely that they have become a serious nuisance to him. He has already missed much of the season after sustaining a thumb injury in October. This latest incident comes after taking a hard pick from Kevin Garnett (has he ever set a soft one?) in their game on Sunday. That pick came after Miller suffered a concussion against the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

Rough week.

Good thing the Heat really do not need him. Oh sure, having tertiary player is all fine and good but this team was not built around them. Case and point: Miami’s win over the Pacers despite Miller’s contusion.

In that contest, the big three for Miami scored 90 of the team’s 110 total points. (The Pacers almost pulled off a remarkable comeback, though.) They have this whole scoring thing down. The bench is just there to grab a few extra rebounds and then get the ball into the hands of one of the three. It is that simple.

Sorry, Mike Miller, it does not matter if you are healthy or hurt. You are nothing more than an after thought on this team. However, if you could stay healthy you might just find a nice little niche in the rotation. But that is a big “if.” Especially with all those bad tattoos.

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, Players

Tagged as , , , ,

by | February 4, 2011 · 11:28 AM

NBA All Star Reserves 2011

Yesterday, even before the national announcement during TNT’s Thursday night lineup, the reserves for the All Star Game were leaked. This is not that surprising. In a world of constant communication it is near immpossible to keep something secret forever. Yet, out of the goodness of their hearts, Yahoo! waited until a few hours before the official announcement to release the names of those who would join the All Star Teams.

Eastern Conference Reserves:

Rajon Rondo

Jesus Shuttlesworth aka Ray Allen

Joe “Iso” Johnson

Paul Pierce

Chris “Fake Tough Guy” Bosh

Kevin Garnett

Al Horford (He deserves it.)

 

Western Conference Reserves:

Russell Westbrook

Deron Williams

Manu Ginobili

Blake Griffin (He made it!)

Pau Gasol

Dirk Nowitzki

Tim Duncan (This has to be a selection based on pure respect rather than numbers this season)

There will also be another player, selected by Emperor Stern, to replace Yao Ming in the starting lineup for the Western Conference All Stars because Yao is out for the season with yet another foot injury.

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | February 2, 2011 · 10:59 AM

DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings Fall Short Against Celtics

Knocked to the court but not a whistle to be heard

Last night the Sacramento Kings showed that they are finally coming together as a team. After impressive wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Hornets they gave the Boston Celtics more than they could handle for almost three full quarters. Unfortunately, a standard NBA game lasts 48 minutes over the course of four quarters. The Kings came up short as the Celtics squeaked by with a 95-90 win.

This did not look like the same Celtics team that demolished the Lakers both physically and mentally on Sunday afternoon as the Kings were able to out-pace them for much of the contest. However, they were able to outlast the younger Kings in the fourth quarter despite Sacramento keeping it close.

Kevin Garnett seemed more possessed than usual during the game. He was constantly muttering to himself, likely in tongues, and to the ball while he frequently cradled it is some form of disturbing manner. It was an odd sight to witness. Garnett is known for leaving it all on the court but he was particularly perplexing for the majority of the game until the Celtics began to pull away on a couple of Paul Pierce buckets late in the third quarter.

Perhaps Garnett was mad at himself for letting DeMarcus Cousins out-play him at both ends of the court all the while giving no credence to Garnett’s mind games and physical style of play. Cousins simply out-powered Garnett on route to 20 points for the evening, on 50 percent shooting, with KG frequently matching up on the Kings go-to offensive player.

Cousins was physical all around as he and Rajon Rondo shoved each other on the sideline after Garnett dove out-of-bounds for a loose ball. Apparently, having the same alma mater does not mean an extension of kindness to one another on the basketball court. Rondo received a technical foul for initiation the altercation. Cousins said of the incident after the game, “It was all in the game and it wasn’t nothing personal or dislike. That was the Celtics, and I was standing my ground. But it was really nothing.”

During the first half of the game, when the Kings were firing on all cylinders, Cousins was taking his game right to Shaquille O’Neal. Yes, O’Neal is no longer the presence he once was on the court but to have a rookie show no fear and go at a future Hall of Famer is something that is not witnessed on a regular basis.

Cousins showed little emotion on the court as the emotional reputation that some have pegged him with was nowhere to be seen. He was calm and collected, simply executing this game to the best of his abilities. However, when he was left wide open at the three-point line he drained one from deep and proceeded back down the court flapping his arms in a slightly hunched position. He was feeling it.

The Kings missed 15 of their 29 shot attempts from inside the paint and went to the free throw line 27 times during the course of the game. However, that number should have been much higher. Sacramento players were being fouled by Boston’s players constantly. Frequently, Garnett or his teammates would commit multiple fouls on a single opponent as they attacked the rim without a single whistle being blown or only being sounded when the foul was so egregious that it could not be ignored. Boston has established that this is the tone at which they play defense but to have so many blatant missed calls is quite unacceptable as it lends to the notion of favoritism and that the officiating league-wide  is still an issue.

To fault the Celtics for playing an aggressive style of defense is to miss the point. They cannot be faulted for it. It is their entire identity. One must call into question their over aggression, however, and that is the job of the officials on the court. Garnett seemed as though he was going to start frothing at the mouth for much of the game and his overly tenacious defense reflected that. Bill Walton, who was calling the game for Boston television, even commented on how, when Garnett was arguing one of the two personal fouls called against him, was blatantly at least four fouls followed by Garnett completely grabbing the player.

It is up to the league to find consistence in its referees. The majority of the time they do a remarkable job calling games. Yet, with the new “respect the game” mentality that the league has introduced this season it is a wonder that games like last night’s between the Celtics and Kings can get so out of hands. Letting the players play is one thing but letting them foul ad nauseam is another.

The Celtics were lucky to escape Arco Arena with a win. perhaps they listened to a track off of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band after the victory. Or maybe they prefer the Joe Cocker version. Nonetheless, a win is a win as Boston just went 3-1 on their road trip. Their bully pulpit seems to be gaining momentum.

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | November 12, 2010 · 1:39 PM

Beef Stew: Nuggets of hope and a hot Boston team

Beefy

It was a pretty busy evening in the NBA last night with two marquee teams taking the stage against worthy conference opponents.  Sounds like the perfect ingredients for some Beef Stew.

LA looses the perfection

The Lakers walked into Denver last night with an 8-0 record.  They had been playing a very heightened level of basketball to start the season with their newly acquired players adding depth and their starters showing their teeth.

Denver had other plans though last night.

The battered Nuggets, down 93-85 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, turned up the heat and began shooting lights out.  J.R. Smith hit a 3-pointer with just 4:12 left in the game that sparked an 11-0 run that inevitably handed the Lakers their first loss of the season.

Pau Gasol is showing that not all Spaniards are soft.

A shootout pursued throughout the fourth but Denver landed more shots with Smith’s causing both an end to the tiebreak but also sparking life in their defense.  Carmelo Anthony finished the game with 32 points but had a block over Pau Gasol late in the game that really got the home crowd into the game.  A series of poor shot choices is eventually what killed the Lakers as well.

Denver is a scary team that is about to get better.  Nene is finally back and had a good game with 18 points and five rebounds.  He played the entire fourth quarter with five personal fouls but did not get that sixth.  Ty Lawson and Smith led the bench with a combined 30 points.

However, Denver is far from healthy with both Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin out.  When they return, Sheldon Williams will return to the bench but not after receiving a lot of valuable playing time to start this season off.  Their return will add to the depth that is already present in Denver.  In addition, they will allow George Karl to throw a lot more at opponents from all angles of the court.  It could be very scary.

The Lakers shouldn’t be worried about this loss and knowing Phil Jackson, they aren’t.  They came in and matched their season average in points and got production from their stars.  It’s going to be a long season for LA and a lot of teams are going to learn how to beat them.  They weren’t going to stay perfect and a loss will help Jackson work out the kinks in his rotation.  Remember, this team was retooled with two new players in Steve Blake and Matt Barnes.  In addition, Shannon Brown is looking like he could earn a solid role in this rotation.  Before last night, they had only played two teams that even made the playoffs last season (Phoenix and Portland).

Anytime Denver and LA meet it’s a fun game.  Last night did not break from the trend.  The Nuggets are going to be dangerous when they are all healthy.  LA is going to be good but still experience some losses that they will learn from.

Can Miami contend?

The Boston Celtics are officially the fire extinguisher of the NBA with their achievement of being the first team to beat the Three Amigos of South Beach twice.  Actually, it’s really not looking like much of an achievement at all.

Miami came into last night’s game with only one win over a team that finished last season over .500 and that was Orlando which has its own set of problems.  Now, they are looking at back-to-back losses to Utah and now Boston.

Again, there are two storylines.

Boston is a good basketball team.  They were last season, they were the season before that and just because LA won the title and Miami loaded up doesn’t mean that they are just going to fade.  Their blue-collar style of ball is built for a long NBA season and the players are figuring out their rolls.  Doc Rivers has let Kevin Garnett that he is to defend, Ray Allen is to decrease his shots and that it is Rajon Rondo’s team to run.  He is no longer the player with searching puppy eyes looking for Rivers to tell him what plays to run.  He is playing with veteran confidence and racking up nearly 15 assists per game (last night he had 16).

Looks like Boston can stand the Heat

In addition, the Celtics will have the opportunity to retool when Kendrick Perkins returns and they no longer have to rely on Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal for big minutes.  When they rotate to positions off of the bench, Rivers will be able to put them both up against opposing second rotations.  Most teams don’t have the kind of depth that they have at the center position and it will allow them to grind and wear down their opponents.

Then it’s the Heat.

Where to begin in Miami?  First, it’s three players surrounded by garbage.  They need not to look further than Boston to see how a championship team is born.  It needs to have a mix of All Stars and workhorses.  There are no gritty players in Miami that are willing to take the charge.  Instead, they are relying on a limited amount of players to show up big and carry the rest of the team.

Carlos Arroyo started at the point last night.  He didn’t have one assist.  Joel Anthony started at center and he didn’t have a single rebound.  Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James combined for 58 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists.  Outside of Udonis Haslem’s 21 points and 10 rebounds, no one else really showed up for the game.  The big three will not be working on all cylinders every game and with essentially no one else on the team worth sneezing at, they wont win.

The other problem is LeBron.  He hustles and plays well but does not have a knack for making those around him better.   He simply takes too many shots and doesn’t seem to trust the players around him at all to lead them to victory.  When those players around you are Bosh and Wade, it could spell out problems now and later.

We all saw what he had to work with in Cleveland and right now it really isn’t much better.  In fact, last season’s Cavs team was put together a lot better than this Heat team and actually played together very well.  The chemistry just isn’t there in Miami and we have yet to see if it forms.  As of now, it looks like they are the exception to the load-up affect that worked in LA and Boston.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,