by WCT, The Ship of Fools
This year's NBA postseason was quite a learning experience for basketball fans. We learned that NBA refs fix games (well, this postseason let us further know that NBA refs fix games), and we learned that Boston has some douche-y sports fans. Hmm, maybe these playoffs didn't teach us that much new stuff after all. In any case, even if we knew most of the ancillary stuff that goes along with the NBA, we did learn a lot of actual basketball information. Lets take a quick recap of the on-the-court stuff we learned since the first-round series tipped off way back in February (it was February right? Or does it only seem like it has been that long?)
We can stop with the whole "Kobe=Michael" nonsense - Kobe deserved the MVP award, because it was a regular season award, and Kobe lifted the play of his teammates during the year in a way that no one thought he could. But if you think that Michael Jordan would ever, ever allow his team to be embarrassed by almost 40 points in a close-out game, you're crazy. If you think that Michael would ever, ever allow his team to blow a 20+ point lead in a pivotal Finals game (at home!) you're nuts. Kobe allowed both to take place. In the same series. These playoffs taught us that Kobe probably doesn't even compare to LeBron James. James, with an equally garbage supporting cast (if not worse) pushed the Celtics to 7 games in a hard-fought series. In fact, in the Cavs-Celts series, it took a missed gimme in the final seconds for the Celtics to win game 1, and an other-worldly performance by Paul Pierce for the Celtics to win game 7. Otherwise, that was a very close series. The Lakers, on the other hand, got their doors blown off in the Finals.
Kobe is a great, great player, and there is no shame in not being as good as Michael Jordan. In fact, it is probably unfair that MJ is the measuring stick for Kobe just because they play the same position, and have won a lot of titles under Phil Jackson. But the fact is, those comparisons should stop.
A lot of people were wrong in picking the winner in this series - The ease with which the Celts disposed of the Lakers was a surprise, but the actual outcome should not be. What should be surprising is the number of people that picked the Lakers before the Finals began. The Celtics were the best team in the NBA record-wise for the entire season, and beat LA in their only regular season meetings. Why is everyone so surprised? Most thought that the Celtics record was inflated due to a weak Eastern Conference, which segues perfectly into the next thing we learned...
The Eastern Conference is AT LEAST as good as the West, if not better - For years, conventional NBA wisdom has been, the West is better, the East is weak. All record and accomplishments in the East should come with a disclaimer, blah blah blah. No more my friends. The Lakers series was by far the easiest series the Celtics had to win this postseason. The goddamn Hawks provided more resistance than the Lakers did.
The eventual champs were pushed to 7 games against Atlanta, 7 games against Cleveland, and the 6 game series with Detroit included three single-digit Celtic wins. The Lakers waltzed through a pathetic Denver team, a very good Utah team, and an old-looking group of San Antonio Spurs. The Finals were never in doubt. The Lakers had a historic collapse in game 4, were very lucky to win games 3 & 5, and were absolutely destroyed in game 6. I'm sorry, you can no longer make the argument that the West is better.
The Lakers are soft - First of all, congratulations to the Celtics. They deserve all of the accolades for winning the championship this year, their 17th in the 62 years of their existence (27% of all championships awarded in that time. Not even the Yankees can claim that kind of dominance) and I do not want this rant to take anything away from them.
That said, the way the Celtics pushed the Lakers around inside was laughable. Pau Gasol's scoring went from 22 points per game against Denver, to 14 against Boston (including 11 in game 6), Vladimir Radmanovic is 6-10 and averaged fewer that 5 rebounds per game, Lamar Odom seemed to disappear in the fourth quarters of games, and the "defense" that Sasha Vujacic played on Ray Allen, in the closing seconds of game 4, when the Lakers absolutely positively needed a stop, was a disgrace. Without so much as a crossover dribble, Allen blew by Vujacic like he was nailed to the floor. The Celtics embarrassed the Lakers for the better part of the entire 6 game series.
Friday, June 20, 2008
WHAT THESE NBA PLAYOFFS TAUGHT US
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
TOP 10 CONSOLATIONS FOR BOSTON HATERS
by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool
10. Despite the Celtics' win, Boston Fan still sees David Tyree in his nightmares
9. Admit it, you hated rooting for Kobe Bryant just like everyone else
8. Many, many people in the Commonwealth will be paying for this in the afterlife
7. Boston Fan did boo the hell out of Stuart Scott and David Stern even in their moment of triumph, which was kind of cool
6. Paul Pierce's knee woes means that there's no way the Celtics can repeat, since he's really, really, really hurt
5. Phil Jackon getting outcoached by Doc Rivers means you don't have to hear about what a genius he is anymore
4. It could always be worse -- you could (well, at least theoretically) be a Timberwolf fan
3. You don't have to see any more of those heavy rotation ads that have made you want to find and disembowel Mike Myers
2. There is a very real chance that Bill Simmons will spontaneously combust
1. Now that we all know there is no God, it opens up a lot of, shall we say, possibilities, for the rest of our lives
Monday, June 16, 2008
I WILL FEAST ON BLOOD
by Tracer Bullet, Staff Writer
I'm not much of one for the NBA. It's great that these freakishly tall would-be felons have a place to go instead of lounging around my neighborhood harassing schoolchildren, but really, who gives a crap? The refs are crooked, the fundamentals are abysmal and the whole thing hasn't been any fun since Sir Charles retired.
As such, I don't care at all about the (interminable) Finals. Normally I root for whichever team wins Game 1 because that's the only way I'll get a sweep and basketball will be over. At least until the next season starts in three months.
But (and you knew there was a "but" coming) not this year. Now that the Lakers have dragged their pitiful selves off the mat, I want blood.
I want the Lakers to crush them, to drive the Celtics before them, to hear the lamentations of their women.
Why? You ask? Because f*ck Boston. That's why.
Sure, KG deserves a ring after so many years in the wilderness and Ray Allen seems a decent chap. This isn't about them. This is about Boston. I hate Boston. I hate the Patriots. I hate the Red Sox. I hate the Celtics. If I cared, I'd even hate the Bruins.
I hate the beans. I hate the brown bread. I hate the Brahmins.
The only thing I don't hate about Boston is Bill Russell and he really hated Boston.
This fetid hole that imagines itself the Hub of the Universe and the grubby pig-men who populate its pestilence-ridden streets has had an undeserved run of athletic success lately. Three (stolen, shh) Super Bowls and two World Series this decade to go along with one of the most successful franchises in all of sports.
These subhumans call this the rubber match. They won a World Series and lost a Super Bowl (hee-hee) in the past 12 months, so the NBA is the tiebreaker. And I want it to break their hearts.
Oh, the poetic justice of a Boston team choking away a 3-1 lead. The streets will run as rivers with tears of unfathomable sadness. It can happen, Lakers. You must believe.
It's not enough that the Celtics lose. I want them to lose this series on the most ridiculous, insane, impossible-to-duplicate play known to man.
I want Bryant to get open on a no-call so egregious, so blatantly unfair that Red Auerbach slithers from the Neverending Pit of Despair where wraiths tear away chunks of his flesh and stabs David Stern in his eyes. I don't want Jordon on Ehlo, I want Bryant to put a Brazilian jiu-jujitsu move on Allen that leaves the Celtics guard in a twitching heap.
I want Washington vs. Tomjanovich up in this bitch.
I want Kobe Bryant to hit the most bizarre, 45-foot, falling away desperation heave to win Game 7. I want to hear nothing but the soft "twhip" of leather clearing nylon, followed by the unbearable anguish of millions.
This is my solemn vow: Kobe, if you make this happen, my wife's asshole is all yours.
TOP 10 NBA FINALS QUESTIONS
by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool
This, by the way, is Epic Carnival Post #3000, which means that TONIGHT, WE DINE IN HELL! (Oh, crap. That's for post 300? Well, screw me with Chris Mihm. Or Lakers Fan, for that matter...)
10. Given that the Celtics' glaring weakness is at point guard, why haven't the Lakers tried full court pressure?
9. Is there some rule that prevents any of the Laker bigs from dunking the ball in traffic?
8. Since the television timeouts are making a two hour game last three hours, why do both coaches feel compelled to play deep bench players?
7. Will the Laker fans ever stop chanting M-V-P, no matter how weakly Kobe Bryant plays in comparison to Paul Pierce?
6. What are the odds on anyone thinking, at any moment before the last week, that the absence of Kendrick Perkins would be a factor in an NBA Finals?
5. Since when did Paul Pierce decide to be better than both LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and why have both of those players decided to be OK with that?
4. Why does every analyst seem to think that Kobe Bryant needs more help, if he's the best player in the world?
3. What idiot devised the travel schedule that dictates that there was two days between Games 1 and 2 in Boston, and two days between Game 5 in Los Angeles and Game 6 in Boston?
2. How is it that the coach with nine rings (the Lakers' Phil Jackson) has the team that can't come out of the halftime break without (usually) getting owned?
1. If the Celtics somehow gag up this series, will that be an even bigger disappointment to Boston Fan than Eighteen And One Very Big One?
Saturday, June 14, 2008
TWO VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE SAME BALLHYPE GROUP
by Ethanator1088, NESW Sports
Most people that love basketball and love Ballhype, played the Ballhype 2008 NBA Playoff Pick'em Game. I did and I am getting spanked! That shows what I know. I had Kobe and his crew to choke in the first round. It looks like I chose the wrong round, but I did pick the Celtics to win it all. That shows what I know.
This post is about two very different people from the Ballhype group Golden State of Mind. It is one of the bigger groups sitting at 146 members. The two members are Juicewu and Invinceible. The links on their names do not go to their profiles. They go to their 2008 NBA Playoff Pick'em brackets. Check them out. Yep, they both have perfect brackets up to this point. The only difference is the winner they have chosen.
Besides choosing a new way to spell invincible, Invinceible went the rout of the homer. He was literally in the Golden State of Mind. I am not picking on him. I completely understand. If there was an NBA team from Alabama, I would most likely pick them as well. :-) My misspellings are also well documented.
This is just a little early congratulatory post for Juicewu. Thanks for not being a homer. Thanks for seeing that 3 of the best players in the NBA can beat Kobe. Kobe tried to take over the game. He did not involve Pau and Lamar and they let him do it. Those two guys are great, but they do not display a killer instinct.
Garnett, Allen, and Pierce all have that killer instinct, but they choose to let others shine. Sometimes they let Perkins or Rondo shine. If Perkins and Rondo played with the Lakers, they would be very small pieces to the Kobe puzzle. It is a very different team and team concept.
It looks like Juicewu is going to end with a 5 player tie for 1st place.
One of them, or all of them will win an 8 gigabyte iPod touch. That is pretty cool. Thanks Jason and Erin!
Monday, June 9, 2008
TOP 12 REASONS WHY THE CELTICS SHOT 28 MORE FREE THROWS THAN THE LAKERS IN GAME TWO
by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool
12. It's all the get-even for that Jon Barry no-call against the Spurs
11. Paul Pierce keeps telling them about how much his knee hurts, and they are feeling really sorry for him
10. Leon Powe always gets the calls at home
9. Kobe Bryant's MVP Card was lost in the mail, and the referees aren't taking the award on faith
8. Doc Rivers, as expected, is getting more run from the zebras than Phil Jackson
7. The Lakers have too many white guys, and white guys never get the benefit of any doubt
6. It's hard to put Kobe on the line when he's shown less interest in driving the lane than in driving on underaged hotel workers
5. Commissioner Stern has let it be known that he's looking for a nice, long ratings-friendly series
4. Every time the refs think about calling a foul on Boston, Kevin Garnett does that crazy man screaming thing
3. Refs just want to be sure that something nice finally happens for Boston Fan
2. It's hard to call fouls on the home team, because then the fans boo you and do that "bull sh*t" chant, and that just makes all referees cry
1. Lakers have forgotten that when you can't play defense, you really need to start flopping
Friday, June 6, 2008
DEAR MR. STERN
by Simon, SimonOnSports
Dear Mr. Stern,
Hi Mr. Stern my name is Jimmy O'Hurley, but you can call me typical shit bag little Boston fan, I've got older f'n brothers so ya I fackin swear, deal with it my parents encourage me. Like yesterday I told my teacher she must be related to Rusty Kuntz cause I can here her gears grindin every time she fackin walks to the chalk board. Any way back to the fackin point.
I'm an 8 year old from Framingham, MA and I am so super fackin pumped that the Celtics who have sucked dick my whole life are in the finals against those cock smoking lakers and that douche bag Kobe (what a filthy rapist bitch). I only like winners winners winners. So I've hated the Celtics for the past few years but I'm happy that you told Kevin he had to trade KG to the Celtics to make them good. But I've got an issue with you.
See despite my parents encouraging me to tell my teachers to go to hell and to name myself little shit bag Boston fan they're fackin tools and give me a f'n bed time. I know it's bullshit I'm fackin 8. I can't buy porn but I fackin look at it on the internet all the time. Why the bed time? Who knows maybe they think I'll be rowdy if I don't get sleep. I think its bull shit and thats why I punched my moms in the face last night. But ya they shackled me down so I missed the end of the game.
So, Mr. Stern how about we start the game a little fackin earlier. My mom can only take so many punches before I knock out a tooth. Who the fack cares about the west coast? Fack them. East Coast Bias all the way. Boston is the center of the Universe. We know this. How about we start the game at 8? We got a deal?
We better have a deal. I'm gonna kick your fackin ass if we don't.
Stop Bein a Douche,
Jimmy from Framingham
Thursday, June 5, 2008
STUPID SPORTS SH!T: WTF IS THAT ON KG'S FINGER?!?!
by Chris Richardson, Intentional Foul
While most blogs are talking about Magic and Bird, Russell and Wilt, I thought I'd take a look at what's really important about the NBA Finals, which, of course, starts tonight. Instead of worrying about silly things like NBA history and who is going to win, I thought I'd ask this question about the second most recognizable face playing:
WTF is that on Kevin Garnett's finger?
I mean really. Is that some kind of overkill or did he hurt his knuckle so bad, he needs almost two inches of cushioning to protect it when he grabs rebounds and dunks?
Maybe he hurt his right ring finger when he was pounding his chest...
The first thing I thought is, "did he go to the Barry Bonds school of extremity protection?" It's not like he's been wearing that thing on his finger all season either.
So WTF, folks? I know what finger splints are as I am aware of finger sleeves, but I've never seen anything like this used for basketball player. In all honesty, it looks like it would hinder his shooting touch, although, all that excess padding does seem to stay over the top of his finger.
I'd hate to see what Garnett's shot would look like if the protective body kit for his finger rotated around to the palm-side of his hand. Maybe it would look something like this:
Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels the need to ask this question, although, I disagree with Yahoo Answers when it says the issue is resolved because the "finger sleeve" answer is not good enough.
If that is merely a finger sleeve on Garnett's hand, it's the freaking Super-Sized version. I'm wondering if someone grabbed it and pulled it off during a game, would his entire ring finger come off with it? If anyone has an explanation that goes beyond, "oh, it's only a finger sleeve," please let me know.
This is NOT just a finger sleeve:
THE NEW DARK KNIGHT TRAILER WITH KOBE AND KG
by DCScrap, on 205th magazine
Guess which one is Batman and which one is The Joker. And be sure to catch Phil Jax as Alfred.
Thanks to superawesome reader Shane for the vid.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
TOP 10 AIR-TIGHT, DEAD SOLID CERTAIN PREDICTIONS FOR THE NBA FINALS
by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool
10. At some point, you will wonder if the referees are "pulling a Donaghy" to ensure a longer, more advertising lucrative series
9. Some talking head will expound on the importance of "closing out quarters" without any shred of statistical evidence that those minutes are more important than any other
8. Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen or Pau Gasol will get their third or fourth foul, which will lead to very concerned noises from the announcing team, like a superstar has ever fouled out of an NBA playoff game
7. There will be many of those never tiresome "Gosh, Celebrities and Athletes From Other Sports Go To These Games And Sit In Remarkably Better Seats Than Everyone Else" montages
6. The telecast will show you just enough cheerleader footage to let you know they are there, but not enough to work up a good wank (that is what they are there for, right?)
5. A color analyst will praise a coach for taking a timeout, as if this was a spectacular stratagem, evidence of genius, or act that has more than a 0.01% chance of actually impacting the outcome of the game
4. There will be enough '60s and '80s footage to convince you that nothing of importance has happened in the Association since the last time these teams met in the Finals, and that the Association only has fans of these teams
3. Regardless of the quality of play and score, all on-air analysis will celebrate how great of a game it was
2. No one with an on-camera microphone will mention the impact of extra commercials
1. A flagrant foul will be called on a play where a large player fouls a small player, where the same foul against a large player won't be called
Monday, June 2, 2008
TOP 11 REASONS WHY THE NBA NEEDED SIX DAYS OFF BEFORE THE FINALS
by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool
11. Media needs time to work out Rambis-McHale, Bryant-Allen, Auerbach-Jackson and Douchebag Fan - Douchebag Fan rivalries
10. No one could have forseen the Conference Finals ending in five and six games, even though that's what usually happens
9. Gives national advertisers more time to try to make the audience forget about Kobe Bryant's (alleged) wacky anal raping shenanigans
8. Doc Rivers requested the time to figure out just how he's going to outsmart Phil Jackson
7. Most NBA fans still in "House of Payne / The Closer / Saving Grace / Bill Engvald" detox
6. Many fans of the Lakers and Celtics longtime rivals (Spurs, Pistons, Sixers, Rockets, etc.) need time to be educated about how all of their playoffs against either team were meaningless in comparison to this rivalry
5. Timberwolf and Grizzly fans haven't had enough time for the salt to sit in the wounds over the Garnett and Gasol "trades"
4. The longer they wait, the less time that the country will have only baseball to distract it from the start of football season
3. Don't think of it as six days between games -- think of it as just the first of many, many, many commercial breaks
2. David Stern requires this time to go to each and every Seattle Supersonics fan's house to deliver a flaming bag of feces
1. Just want to make sure that both teams are rusty as hell for Game One, and that bench depth matters not at all
Friday, May 30, 2008
SEAL THE DEAL! KEEP THE EVIL OUT!
by Sterling Gould, Staff Writer
Game 6. Tonight. In the PAH-PAH-PAH-PALACE (or however that wanna-be And 1 Basketball tour announcer dude says it). Last night, the Lakers ended David Stern's wet dream of another San Antonio/Detroit NBA Finals match up. Much thanks to Kobe's 39 points and Pau Gasol's 12 and 19 night. San Antonio fans, otherwise known as "Al Qaeda Supporters" amongst myself and an esteemed group of NBA followers, will have to wait another time for an attempt at a "repeat" in order to cement their so-called "dynasty". I won't be subjected to Tim Duncan's boring ass 8 foot jumper off of the glass, Manu's Italian Soccer-esque like mid-court flops, Tony Parker's pick and roll layups to the dish (granted, he does have a sick spin move), and Gregg Popovich's always contorting face (the scar tissue is alive!). And does anyone else agree that Bruce Bowen is one of the contributors to the ever-rising epidemic of "Bro Rape"?
Stern's Soldier's have been put to rest. All this crap about "fundamental basketball" and "group of professionals" is being put away, and is instead being replaced by a veteran superstar, his new gigantic counterpart, and a cast of scrappy, young players. Now, we can witness Boston give the basketball nation... nay, the basketball world into orgasm by shutting down the Pistons tonight. For a team I used to like (not like, followed them as a fan, but admitted I had no harsh feelings against them), the Pistons have become pretty boring and predictable. Right down to the very offense they run, which seems to require Rip Hamilton rolling off of some screen for a 15-18 foot jumper... incessantly. Chauncy Billups' has been more like Chauncy Fucksups, begging the question should I even call him "The Horse" anymore (just see how he looks in this lighting). Tayshaun Prince is quiet and is waiting for the mothership to return him to his home planet any day now (his parents watch him from their home on Saturn, thanks to ESPN's space broadcasts), Antonio Mcdyess is a whiny bitch, and 'Sheed just isn't funny anymore. Oh, and Flip Saunder's has some nice fucking ties. What's this all about really? Just kind of a reminder for all of us out there that enjoy the playoffs:
KEEP BORING SHIT OUT OF THE FINALS.
I want pizazz and sparks for my climax. Not that feeling of dissatisfaction and loneliness, which seems to follow after every sexual encounter for me nowadays. Stern, don't have any of your officiating flunkies give the Pistons the game tonight because of questionable calls Wednesday night. For once, be consistent with giving one team the screw job and the other the glory. BUT FOR THE COOL TEAM.
Monday, May 19, 2008
DOC RIVERS DEFEATS MIKE BROWN IN BATTLE OF WHO CAN SCREW UP LESS
by HP, Hardwood Paroxysm
Watching the Cavs-Celtics Eastern Conference Semifinal was pretty painful. They were all low scoring affairs that featured disappointing performances from the superstars involved until Game 7. There were few signature moments outside of the "no regard for human life" dunk, and it continued a trend of the Celtics being generally "meh" for these entire playoffs. It also proved beyond a doubt that the big blockbuster trade at the deadline that sent Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak to Cleveland was nothing more than rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
Most importantly, though, it became an epic battle between who would do a worst job at coaching their team, Doc Rivers or Mike Brown.
Bear in mind that these two coaches have always been doubted regarding their acumen being up to snuff. Rivers, especially, was on the hot seat for the better part of two seasons, before Kevin Garnett landed in his lap. Brown is considered a terrific defensive coach, but struggles with offense, and it shows. There was a lot of talk about Rivers having improved though. I mean, after all, he coached the biggest turnaround in NBA history! He's got to be pretty good, right? Wrong.
Throughout this series, Rivers showcased his trademark herk-a-jerk rotation stylings, seemingly arbitrarily inserting and yanking low post defenders with no regard as to how they were performing, foul trouble, or adjusting to the other team. He kept his shooters on short leashes and would have to reinsert the starters for long stretches. That's the real secret to Rivers' success this season. Danny Ainge (read: Kevin McHale) equipped him with a core of superstars so good that he didn't have to adjust his rotation. He didn't have to balance playing time. He just let the starters play until they got tired and had beaten the crap out of the other team, then put in some subs. He gave different stretches to different low post guys, and since none of them possess a complete identity, it worked. Combine that with the talent of the big three and the leadership of Garnett and you've got yourself a turnaround. But in this series, and most importantly, in the next series, Rivers has to be able to allow players to develop a rhythm. He has to find lineups that aren't just the starters that can be effective for more than two minutes at at a time. And he's failed to demonstrate that.
In the back court, Rivers managed the opposite problem. Instead of using a variety of complementary guards to support Garnett and Pierce, he left Ray Allen in as long as possible and threw Rajon Rondo to the wolves repeatedly, even when Rondo was clearly struggling. He also left Sam Cassell in for long stretches, hoping he would suddenly come to save the day like he'd been paid to, even though it was evident he didn't have the legs to handle the Cavs' backcourt. It was like Brown managed to fail on both ends of the spectrum simultaneously. That's impressive. Throw in his mismanagement of timeouts and how he blamed the referees after Game 6 instead of admitting his own failure to get the offense in gear, and you have one awesome crappy coaching job.
In the end, though, Mike Brown's inability to do anything effectively won the day in the "Who's the worse coach" matchup. Brown actually did a semi-reasonable job for the majority of the series, balancing Delonte West with Daniel Gibson when he was healthy, and keeping a light rotation of Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Ben Wallace, and Anderson Varejao. He managed to keep Garnett under wraps, shut down Ray Allen, and exhaust Paul Pierce by running him through about a million and a half screens.
Unfortunately, Brown lacks any sens of imagination or problem solving skills on offense. First, he turned the entire offense into the LeBron show. Why not, right? He's the bes player on the team, the second best player in the league, and he did it to Detroit! Unfortunately, just because something can work, doesn't mean you should do it. The Celtics brought a low post defender to double and made sure anything James did required more work than anything else. Instead of adjusting, having West run point, and having James curl off off-the-ball screens, Brown stuck with the same plan. Give LeBron the ball and everyone get out of the way. You can't stand on the tracks when the train is coming through, but you can go up to it and divert the tracks before it gets started.
Worse though, was the last 7 minutes of Game 7. After Sasha Pavlovic had failed to impress in this series after coming back from injury, Brown left him in the entire fourth quarter. What's worse, is that in a game that actually broke out of the offensive doldrums and featured players hitting shots on both sides, Brown left Ben Wallace in for 9 of the final 12 minutes. Wallace, who was the player constantly abandoned on the defensive end by the Celtics because they know he couldn't score. When LeBron actually found Wallace on the pick and roll, Wallace didn't know what to do, and just pitched it back to LeBron. Brown left him in, not Anderson Varejao, who had played great defense on Garnett in this series and can actually shoot and drive, albeit not well. It was those decisions that ended the Cavaliers' season.
In the end, this was akin to watching two blind walruses trying to hump a derelict jeep. It was ugly to watch and didn't really make any sense. Both coaches failed on so many levels it's startling. The best part? This was the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Celtics-Cavs. Celtics win, everyone loses.
NO RAY, NO WAY
by E. Spencer Kyte, Bugs and Cranks
Ray Allen's face appeared on a Boston Area milk carton this morning.
Those with Celtic Pride are wondering where in the hell Jesus Shuttlesworth has gone.
The Big 3 is down to being a Dynamic Duo and after being extended to 7 against Atlanta and Cleveland, P-Double, KG and everyone else who longs for success in Boston should be really, really nervous right about now.
Let's backtrack a little to start.
Boston went to seven games in Round One... with Atlanta.
The Atlanta Fucking Hawks!
You know, that team that has been perpetually putrid for the last decade?
Those guys took Boston to a seventh game.
Then came LeBron.
Not LeBron and the Cavs.
LeBron.
Alone.
Sans assistance.
The King took Boston to a seventh game, one in which he poured in half of his team's points and nearly single-handedly led his team to victory.
Thankfully for the C's, the guy who has been there all along stepped up to match LeBron shot for shot and cemented a second seventh game win in this year's playoffs with the ugliest foul shot this side of Shaq. CLANK!
Now comes a rested and tested Detroit team.
The search for The Real Ray Allen needs to move double time, because if the Celtics think that the Dynamic Duo and those other guys are going to get them beyond Bad Boys Version 2.0, they're dead wrong.
Balanced scoring.
Pesky defense.
A viable bench.
Six straight Eastern Conference Finals.
That is what Boston has staring them in the face.
They also have a six-game road losing streak serving as the elephant in the room.
Yes, they have home court over the Pistons. But these aren't the unproven Hawks or LeBron and Four Walking Stiffs coming into the Whateverthehellit'scallednow Bank Gardens.
These are the Detroit Pistons.
This is Deeeeeeeeeetroit Bas-ket-ball!
Winning on the road might not be needed, but production from Ray Allen will be.
Too bad he's missing.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
TOP 10 SIGNS THAT LEBRON JAMES WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH HELP TO WIN GAME 7
by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool
10. The Cavaliers started Wally Szczerbiak, who contributed all of 1 rebound more than a dead man in 15 minutes to the cause
9. He was able to get a luxuriant one minute and twelve seconds of rest in Game 7
8. His coach is so dumb (to give just one example, LeBron and his 73% FT percentage shoots the technicals, rather than Delonte West's 86%, Szczerbiak's 93%, Aleksandar Pavlovic's 80%, or Sydrunas Ilgauskas's 80%), he made Doc Rivers a tactical advantage
7. The Cavs' only offensive play seemed to be "run away from LeBron and hope he scores"
6. The next best Cavalier (West) had less than a third of his points and three times his turnovers
5. He had the only Cavalier uniform that didn't smell of flop sweat, nervous wetting and failure
4. By the second quarter, Celtics Fan was already calling him "Dominique"
3. Any time he didn't take the shot felt like a Celtics win
2. The only thing that kept James from leading his team in every positive offensive category was a single rebound and blocked shot
1. He plays for Cleveland
Monday, May 5, 2008
CALLING YOU OUT! - THE ATLANTA HAWKS
by WCT, The Ship of Fools
“Calling You Out!” is a periodic segment where WCT takes people to task for irresponsible journalism, foolhardy activities, or just general douchebaggery. Nothing is sacred, no one is spared, watch your ass mister! You could be next!
Today - The sports equivalent of a cock-tease
As a sports fan, I do not think I have ever looked forward to a NBA playoff game (that didn't involve my hometown team) more than I looked forward to yesterday's Atlanta-Boston game 7. By that same token, I don't think that I have ever been more dissappointed by the outcome of a game 7, in any playoff series, in any sport, ever.
For the first time, seemingly ever, the NBA had an NCAA-style Cinderella story. For a split second, we thought that maybe a 37-win team that most most casual fans couldn't name three players on, could eliminate a team that flirted with a 70-win season. It looked like a scrappy young team that was playing on all emotion, could knock off the most storied franchise in bask
4 comment(s):
Post a Comment