Cleveland Cavaliers 90
Orlando Magic 103
Orlando Wins Series 4-2
Not this year, Cleveland. A city so desperate for a championship after a 45-year drought will have to wait a little longer. This, of course, is in no way the fault of LeBron James. The King had another stellar performance, but once again, his team was unable to provide him with enough support to overcome another great effort by the Orlando Magic. So instead of the Kobe-LeBron dream Finals everyone thought was inevitable, Kobe's Lakers now get to deal with stopping Superman, Dwight Howard.
The Magic executed a flawless gameplan, going inside to Howard early and often, and he rang up 40 points on the night. When Howard wasn't scoring down low, he was either at the line (where he impressed again, hitting 12-of-16) or drawing double teams that left his shooters open (12 3-pointers). The Magic controlled the boards, outrebounding the Cavs by 13 and managed to stay in control all game. In fact, Cleveland did not lead at any point during the contest. So 14 years after being led to the Finals by a dominant center in Shaquille O'Neal, the Magic are going back on the shoulders of their new dominant big guy.
Cleveland has an interesting offseason ahead of them. Obviously, the focus will again be on giving LeBron James enough of a supporting cast to win it all. Everyone thought that's what they had this season, and this group helped LeBron win MVP and the Cavs to an NBA-best 66-16 record. On top of that, the Cavaliers rolled through the first two series of the playoffs (combined 8-0) before running into a confident Magic team that was playing its best basketball of the playoffs and just presented so many matchup problems for the Cavs. I don't think Cleveland should overreact. They have a good team with good role players that fit, they just didn't play well in this series. I think the Lakers had a lot of criticism about them after the Finals loss to Boston last year, but they didn't overhaul the roster. Granted, it helped to know that they would be getting Andrew Bynum back, but still, they resisted doing anything drastic. I think Cleveland should ignore the inevitable questions of how good the supporting cast is because obviously, it was good enough for 66 wins (plus 10 more in the playoffs), just underperformed at the wrong time.
Coming up on TSG, we will break down the upcoming NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Stay tuned!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Western Conference Finals - Game 6 Recap
Denver Nuggets 92
Los Angeles Lakers 119
Lakers Win Series 4-2
For the 30th time in franchise history, the Lakers are on their way to the NBA Finals and they played their best game of these playoffs to get there. Tasked with trying to knock out a feisty, talented Nuggets team on their home court, the Lakers put a silence to their critics who were waiting for them to display a killer instinct. The criticism has been well-warranted after the Lakers were blown out in three of their last four playoff road games and losing more than their share of big leads down the stretch of the regular season. But on this night, they put it all together and basically spent the entire second-half getting some reps in for the upcoming championship series.
Kobe Bryant was at his best (again), getting his teammates involved early and then stepping on the gas to open up the lead in the last few minutes of the first half. After playing facilitator early on, helping Trevor Ariza to tally 10 first quarter points, Kobe scored 11 points in a 21-7 run that helped the Lakers overcome the only deficit (1 point) they had all night and go into halftime with a 53-40 lead. Bryant finished with 35 points (12-of-20 shooting) to go along with 10 assists and 6 rebounds. By helping his teammates get going early, Kobe was far from the lone gun. After a quick start by Ariza, he finished with 17 points on just 9 shots, Lamar Odom had a second straight solid performance with 20 points, and Pau Gasol continued his stellar play with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. To illustrate just how complete a performance the Lakers gave, they shot 57% from the field, hit on 9-of-16 threes, and knocked down all 24 of their free throws. The Lakers also outrebounded the Nuggets by 11 and doubled the Denver's assist total (28-14).
As for the Nuggets, well they just didn't play well in the biggest game in the franchise's history. Now that's not really a criticism. The nuggets surprised a lot of people by tallying 54 wins and being one of the most impressive teams in the playoffs. They scored more than any other team this postseason and had an astounding 8 wins by 10 points or more. Yet for all the talent on this team, it still had a bit of an unpredictable personality. They still fell victim to some lapses in focus, getting some untimely technicals and committing some questionable fouls. Of course, everyone will also remember the botched inbounds plays in Games 1 and 3 and what those plays could have meant in this series had they turned out better. But this is still a relatively young team that was on the big stage of the Conference Finals for the first time. Denver will be returning most of its core group and their biggest free agent concern is bringing back defensive stopper and bench sparkplug Chris Andersen. So I look for the Nuggets to come back next year with a strong desire of getting back to this level.
Going forward, the Lakers are now awaiting their opponent for the NBA Finals. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers twice on the season (including snapping their season-opening 23-game home winning streak), and held LeBron James to a combined 14-for-45 shooting. On the other hand, they were beaten twice this season by the Magic, who have come on strong in the East Finals. If it's the Cavs, the Finals will start in Cleveland, but if the Magic close out the series tonight or in Game 7, the Lakers will have homecourt advantage.
Los Angeles Lakers 119
Lakers Win Series 4-2
For the 30th time in franchise history, the Lakers are on their way to the NBA Finals and they played their best game of these playoffs to get there. Tasked with trying to knock out a feisty, talented Nuggets team on their home court, the Lakers put a silence to their critics who were waiting for them to display a killer instinct. The criticism has been well-warranted after the Lakers were blown out in three of their last four playoff road games and losing more than their share of big leads down the stretch of the regular season. But on this night, they put it all together and basically spent the entire second-half getting some reps in for the upcoming championship series.
Kobe Bryant was at his best (again), getting his teammates involved early and then stepping on the gas to open up the lead in the last few minutes of the first half. After playing facilitator early on, helping Trevor Ariza to tally 10 first quarter points, Kobe scored 11 points in a 21-7 run that helped the Lakers overcome the only deficit (1 point) they had all night and go into halftime with a 53-40 lead. Bryant finished with 35 points (12-of-20 shooting) to go along with 10 assists and 6 rebounds. By helping his teammates get going early, Kobe was far from the lone gun. After a quick start by Ariza, he finished with 17 points on just 9 shots, Lamar Odom had a second straight solid performance with 20 points, and Pau Gasol continued his stellar play with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. To illustrate just how complete a performance the Lakers gave, they shot 57% from the field, hit on 9-of-16 threes, and knocked down all 24 of their free throws. The Lakers also outrebounded the Nuggets by 11 and doubled the Denver's assist total (28-14).
As for the Nuggets, well they just didn't play well in the biggest game in the franchise's history. Now that's not really a criticism. The nuggets surprised a lot of people by tallying 54 wins and being one of the most impressive teams in the playoffs. They scored more than any other team this postseason and had an astounding 8 wins by 10 points or more. Yet for all the talent on this team, it still had a bit of an unpredictable personality. They still fell victim to some lapses in focus, getting some untimely technicals and committing some questionable fouls. Of course, everyone will also remember the botched inbounds plays in Games 1 and 3 and what those plays could have meant in this series had they turned out better. But this is still a relatively young team that was on the big stage of the Conference Finals for the first time. Denver will be returning most of its core group and their biggest free agent concern is bringing back defensive stopper and bench sparkplug Chris Andersen. So I look for the Nuggets to come back next year with a strong desire of getting back to this level.
Going forward, the Lakers are now awaiting their opponent for the NBA Finals. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers twice on the season (including snapping their season-opening 23-game home winning streak), and held LeBron James to a combined 14-for-45 shooting. On the other hand, they were beaten twice this season by the Magic, who have come on strong in the East Finals. If it's the Cavs, the Finals will start in Cleveland, but if the Magic close out the series tonight or in Game 7, the Lakers will have homecourt advantage.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Poll Results & Poll #2 Posted
So even though the first TSG poll didn't receive and overwhelming number of responses, due to the blog still being very young, it seems as though all are in consensus that the Clippers understand the best move they can make is to take the only sure thing in this year's draft in Blake Griffin. What happens from there is anyone's guess.
I tend to agree that while Griffin will be drafted by the Clippers, he will not play his entire career there. There are numerous scenarios as to which this would be the case, but I imagine that he will sign the first extension he is eligible for as a Clip and then go into free agency, much like LeBron and Chris Bosh are planning. Of course, even if he was determined to play his entire career for the Clippers, there is the high likelihood of Donald Sterling forcing him out for any number of bogus reasons, most likely money. Or he could play for a while, be a great player, know he'll never get a ring playing for this franchise, and force them to ship him elsewhere. Either way, I think our voters got it right.
On to Poll Question #2:
Obviously, much has been made about the fact that LeBron will be a free agent next offseason. Obviously, many teams will be inquiring about his services. Obviously, no one really knows LeBron's intentions. So I put it to the TSG readers, where do you think he will play?
There are strong sentiments that it is one of three likely teams: Cavs, Knicks, Nets. He can stay in Cleveland, where he grew up nearby and can try to build a dynasty, or he can headline every night at Madison Square Garden for the Knickerbockers, or he can team up with pal Jay-Z when the Nets hop over to Brooklyn. Or he could surprise everyone and sign with another NBA team, or do the unthinkable and take what would certainly be a RIDICULOUSLY, LUDICROUSLY rich offer from some European team to star over there (admittedly unlikely).
Check it out on the sidebar to the right and vote!
I tend to agree that while Griffin will be drafted by the Clippers, he will not play his entire career there. There are numerous scenarios as to which this would be the case, but I imagine that he will sign the first extension he is eligible for as a Clip and then go into free agency, much like LeBron and Chris Bosh are planning. Of course, even if he was determined to play his entire career for the Clippers, there is the high likelihood of Donald Sterling forcing him out for any number of bogus reasons, most likely money. Or he could play for a while, be a great player, know he'll never get a ring playing for this franchise, and force them to ship him elsewhere. Either way, I think our voters got it right.
On to Poll Question #2:
Obviously, much has been made about the fact that LeBron will be a free agent next offseason. Obviously, many teams will be inquiring about his services. Obviously, no one really knows LeBron's intentions. So I put it to the TSG readers, where do you think he will play?
There are strong sentiments that it is one of three likely teams: Cavs, Knicks, Nets. He can stay in Cleveland, where he grew up nearby and can try to build a dynasty, or he can headline every night at Madison Square Garden for the Knickerbockers, or he can team up with pal Jay-Z when the Nets hop over to Brooklyn. Or he could surprise everyone and sign with another NBA team, or do the unthinkable and take what would certainly be a RIDICULOUSLY, LUDICROUSLY rich offer from some European team to star over there (admittedly unlikely).
Check it out on the sidebar to the right and vote!
Eastern Conference Finals - Game 5 Recap
Orlando Magic 102
Cleveland Cavaliers 112
Orlando Leads Series 3-2
Let me just say this....that is not how you punch a ticket to the NBA Finals. It seems that if Orlando was just able to keep things close in the 1st quarter at Cleveland, they would have won this series already. But in each of the 3 games at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavs have jumped out to HUGE early leads. Now each time, Orlando has chipped away and gotten back in the game, but spending the rest of the game just trying to dig yourselves out of that hole takes a lot of energy. And despite coming back to take the lead in both Games 2 and 5, Orlando has taken a loss.
Once again, LeBron did his thing. Only this time, he got enough help from his supporting cast to be in control most of the way. Mo Williams finally found his shot and hit six 3-pointers on his way to a series-best 24 points. In fact, Williams' Game 5 performance was the first time in this series anyone on the Cavs roster outside of LeBron reached the 20-point plateau in a game. Zydrunas Ilgauskas tallied 16, Delonte West had 13, and Daniel Gibson, an afterthought for most of this series, came off the bench to score 11.
The Magic on the other hand, just fell behind and when they got back into the game, couldn't come up with a finishing burst to put away the Cavs. They shot 46% for the game, but that number included a woeful 1-for-10 from Rafer Alston (1-for-7 from 3-point) and 4-for-13 from Rashard Lewis. The Magic didn't help themselves by missing 13 free throws. But what they can do is focus on the parts of the game where they did thoroughly outplay the Cavs, and take that gameplan back to Orlando to try and finish the series in Game 6. Back at home, the Magic have been able to prevent the fast starts the Cavs have gotten in Cleveland, and if they do, I like them to close it out.
If not, the Magic are going to be in an incredibly difficult situation of trying to take a Game 7 from LeBron and the Cavs on their home floor.
Cleveland Cavaliers 112
Orlando Leads Series 3-2
Let me just say this....that is not how you punch a ticket to the NBA Finals. It seems that if Orlando was just able to keep things close in the 1st quarter at Cleveland, they would have won this series already. But in each of the 3 games at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavs have jumped out to HUGE early leads. Now each time, Orlando has chipped away and gotten back in the game, but spending the rest of the game just trying to dig yourselves out of that hole takes a lot of energy. And despite coming back to take the lead in both Games 2 and 5, Orlando has taken a loss.
Once again, LeBron did his thing. Only this time, he got enough help from his supporting cast to be in control most of the way. Mo Williams finally found his shot and hit six 3-pointers on his way to a series-best 24 points. In fact, Williams' Game 5 performance was the first time in this series anyone on the Cavs roster outside of LeBron reached the 20-point plateau in a game. Zydrunas Ilgauskas tallied 16, Delonte West had 13, and Daniel Gibson, an afterthought for most of this series, came off the bench to score 11.
The Magic on the other hand, just fell behind and when they got back into the game, couldn't come up with a finishing burst to put away the Cavs. They shot 46% for the game, but that number included a woeful 1-for-10 from Rafer Alston (1-for-7 from 3-point) and 4-for-13 from Rashard Lewis. The Magic didn't help themselves by missing 13 free throws. But what they can do is focus on the parts of the game where they did thoroughly outplay the Cavs, and take that gameplan back to Orlando to try and finish the series in Game 6. Back at home, the Magic have been able to prevent the fast starts the Cavs have gotten in Cleveland, and if they do, I like them to close it out.
If not, the Magic are going to be in an incredibly difficult situation of trying to take a Game 7 from LeBron and the Cavs on their home floor.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Western Conference Finals - Game 5 Recap
Denver Nuggets 94
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Lakers Lead Series 3-2
To say that the Lakers won this game in the 4th quarter is an understatement. Game 5 between the Lakers and Nuggets was tied after the first, again the second, and again after the third. With neither team able to get much separation, the Lakers took the first real run of the game and didn't let go after that. Trailing 73-66 late in the third, the Lakers tore off on a 21-3 run that was sparked by Shannon Brown's big fast break dunk over Chris "Birdman" Andersen. The Nuggets went 6:32 without a point between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, missing 11 straight shots during that stretch. This helped the Lakers score the first 11 points in the fourth and the Nuggets didn't get closer than 4 the rest of the way.
What's interesting is that I felt like the teams almost switched roles in this game. The Lakers were definitely much more aggressive than they had been in this series, which probably comes as a result of Kobe's concerted effort to be more of a facilitator in this one. The Nuggets hoisted 24 threes and were not drawing the fouls they were in Game 4 when they attacked the rim. To the Lakers credit, their often maligned defense was superb in the second half. They held the Nuggets to 39% shooting for the game and only surrendered 38 points in the final two quarters. Not known for their interior defense, the Lakers blocked 12 shots (including 5 by Pau Gasol) and contrary to what George Karl said in his postgame news conference, most of them were clean blocks on replay. During their second half struggles, the Nuggets really got away from what had been working for them so far in the series. They finished with only 17 assists, stopped attacking, and deferred too often to Carmelo Anthony, who finished just 9-of-23 from the field.
The Lakers bench has also gotten quite a bit of grief for their lack of contributing quality minutes in support of the starters. In particular, Lamar Odom and the backup point guards have taken most of the heat. Not so in this game. Odom showed off just how good he can be when he puts it all together, finishing with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks. He was all over the boards, had active hands on defense, and was constantly getting great position in the key on offense. After Derek Fisher finally found his shot, Jordan Farmar provided a few good minutes off the bench in the first half. According to ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke, Farmar was poised to check in for Fisher again late in the third coming out of a timeout, but only if Anthony Carter was coming in for Chauncey Billups. Of his backup PGs, Phil Jackson prefers Shannon Brown as a defender on Billups and when Billups stayed in the game, Jackson sent in Brown for his first minutes of the game. What a boost he provided. Brown had the aforementioned dunk on Andersen, but also hit a big shot at the shot clock buzzer to cap the 21-3 run, and played some stellar defense on Billups. In his 14 minutes, Brown finished with a +/- rating of +13. The Lakers and Phil Jackson can't ask for much more from their bench. Combine that effort with Kobe's efficient 22 points on 6-for-13 shooting, along with 8 assists and 5 rebounds, and another double-double from Pau Gasol, the Lakers proved just how they won the West by 11 games in the regular season.
One more performance like that and they will be making a return trip to the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Lakers Lead Series 3-2
To say that the Lakers won this game in the 4th quarter is an understatement. Game 5 between the Lakers and Nuggets was tied after the first, again the second, and again after the third. With neither team able to get much separation, the Lakers took the first real run of the game and didn't let go after that. Trailing 73-66 late in the third, the Lakers tore off on a 21-3 run that was sparked by Shannon Brown's big fast break dunk over Chris "Birdman" Andersen. The Nuggets went 6:32 without a point between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, missing 11 straight shots during that stretch. This helped the Lakers score the first 11 points in the fourth and the Nuggets didn't get closer than 4 the rest of the way.
What's interesting is that I felt like the teams almost switched roles in this game. The Lakers were definitely much more aggressive than they had been in this series, which probably comes as a result of Kobe's concerted effort to be more of a facilitator in this one. The Nuggets hoisted 24 threes and were not drawing the fouls they were in Game 4 when they attacked the rim. To the Lakers credit, their often maligned defense was superb in the second half. They held the Nuggets to 39% shooting for the game and only surrendered 38 points in the final two quarters. Not known for their interior defense, the Lakers blocked 12 shots (including 5 by Pau Gasol) and contrary to what George Karl said in his postgame news conference, most of them were clean blocks on replay. During their second half struggles, the Nuggets really got away from what had been working for them so far in the series. They finished with only 17 assists, stopped attacking, and deferred too often to Carmelo Anthony, who finished just 9-of-23 from the field.
The Lakers bench has also gotten quite a bit of grief for their lack of contributing quality minutes in support of the starters. In particular, Lamar Odom and the backup point guards have taken most of the heat. Not so in this game. Odom showed off just how good he can be when he puts it all together, finishing with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks. He was all over the boards, had active hands on defense, and was constantly getting great position in the key on offense. After Derek Fisher finally found his shot, Jordan Farmar provided a few good minutes off the bench in the first half. According to ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke, Farmar was poised to check in for Fisher again late in the third coming out of a timeout, but only if Anthony Carter was coming in for Chauncey Billups. Of his backup PGs, Phil Jackson prefers Shannon Brown as a defender on Billups and when Billups stayed in the game, Jackson sent in Brown for his first minutes of the game. What a boost he provided. Brown had the aforementioned dunk on Andersen, but also hit a big shot at the shot clock buzzer to cap the 21-3 run, and played some stellar defense on Billups. In his 14 minutes, Brown finished with a +/- rating of +13. The Lakers and Phil Jackson can't ask for much more from their bench. Combine that effort with Kobe's efficient 22 points on 6-for-13 shooting, along with 8 assists and 5 rebounds, and another double-double from Pau Gasol, the Lakers proved just how they won the West by 11 games in the regular season.
One more performance like that and they will be making a return trip to the NBA Finals.
Coach of the Year Being Outcoached?
In what has to be the oddest of occurrences, are we really seeing the NBA Coach of the Year allowing himself to be outcoached by a man that has been incessantly criticized by both the media as well as current and former players for his fiery demeanor and causing his team to wilt under pressure? Yes. Is that same Stan Van Gundy now one win away from the NBA Finals, having built a commanding 3-1 lead in the East Finals over the presumptive title favorites? Yes.
Say what you will about his antics, words, involvement with Shaq (or Ben Wallace), or anything else, but SVG is pushing all the right buttons in this series. He is force-feeding Dwight Howard in the post against a Cleveland front line that has absolutely no answer. Even though his big man has gotten into foul trouble, Van Gundy is not hesitant to go right back into him as soon as he reenters the game. Running the offense through Howard has opened up the floor for the shooters that the Magic surround Superman with. In case you haven't heard the Magic like to hoist threes, and when open, they're pretty darn good at knocking them down, including 17 in Game 4 alone. But the real achievment is SVG channeling his inner Phil Jackson and maybe using some old-fashioned reverse psychology on his counterpart.
This man openly admitted that he had NO ANSWER for stopping LeBron James. And you know what? That's exactly what he wants James to think. Because as we are seeing, LeBron cannot do this by himself. He put up 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists last night, but the Cavs couldn't get the win. He ALMOST got them that win (and bailed them out in Game 2) but playing this way, his team is one loss from elimination. Van Gundy knows they can't contain LeBron, but knows that LeBron going off is Plan A versus a Plan B that includes James getting all of his teammates involved and getting that Cavalier offensive machine that was so in tune in the first 2 rounds rolling again. So SVG is publicly admiring LeBron's freakishly good game, but privately glowing about how the rest of his team is locking down Mo Williams, Delonte West and the rest of the James Gang. LeBron is being forced to do EVERYTHING and it doesn't always end well. For that ridiculous stat line shown above, he also had 8 turnovers, 3 in OT alone. So while Van Gundy may be walking a tightrope by having LeBron put up such great stats, he's also survived that tightrope trot 3 times out of 4, with them being one incredible shot away from a sweep. If the Magic win Game 5, this could replace the 2004 NBA Finals as the "5-Game Sweep."
On the other side, Mike Brown just looks clueless, like he usually does. I still believe he was a terrible choice for COY, as detailed in this comment on Who Lurks back in early May. But he is openly admitting that he's just gonna ride LeBron, instead of trying to figure out a new way to play against the Oralndo Magic. Newsflash, Coach Brown: You've lost 10 of 14 to this team over the past 3 seasons. TRY SOMETHING ELSE! Otherwise, this season and maybe the best opportunity to keep LeBron in a Cavs uniform for his entire career, could be gone in an instant. On defense, maybe try a page from Van Gundy's book and force Dwight Howard to really be Superman. Sure, he may put up some ridiculous numbers against your soft, undersized front line, but Dwight's overall offensive repertoire is limited. Obviously, half-assing your double teams is still allowing Dwight to go for his share, while opening up enough shots for the Magic to hit 42 threes in 4 games.
If this series doesn't do an immediate 180, we will be seeing a Van Gundy coaching in the finals one season after Doc Rivers, and that would seriously be a shocker.
Say what you will about his antics, words, involvement with Shaq (or Ben Wallace), or anything else, but SVG is pushing all the right buttons in this series. He is force-feeding Dwight Howard in the post against a Cleveland front line that has absolutely no answer. Even though his big man has gotten into foul trouble, Van Gundy is not hesitant to go right back into him as soon as he reenters the game. Running the offense through Howard has opened up the floor for the shooters that the Magic surround Superman with. In case you haven't heard the Magic like to hoist threes, and when open, they're pretty darn good at knocking them down, including 17 in Game 4 alone. But the real achievment is SVG channeling his inner Phil Jackson and maybe using some old-fashioned reverse psychology on his counterpart.
This man openly admitted that he had NO ANSWER for stopping LeBron James. And you know what? That's exactly what he wants James to think. Because as we are seeing, LeBron cannot do this by himself. He put up 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists last night, but the Cavs couldn't get the win. He ALMOST got them that win (and bailed them out in Game 2) but playing this way, his team is one loss from elimination. Van Gundy knows they can't contain LeBron, but knows that LeBron going off is Plan A versus a Plan B that includes James getting all of his teammates involved and getting that Cavalier offensive machine that was so in tune in the first 2 rounds rolling again. So SVG is publicly admiring LeBron's freakishly good game, but privately glowing about how the rest of his team is locking down Mo Williams, Delonte West and the rest of the James Gang. LeBron is being forced to do EVERYTHING and it doesn't always end well. For that ridiculous stat line shown above, he also had 8 turnovers, 3 in OT alone. So while Van Gundy may be walking a tightrope by having LeBron put up such great stats, he's also survived that tightrope trot 3 times out of 4, with them being one incredible shot away from a sweep. If the Magic win Game 5, this could replace the 2004 NBA Finals as the "5-Game Sweep."
On the other side, Mike Brown just looks clueless, like he usually does. I still believe he was a terrible choice for COY, as detailed in this comment on Who Lurks back in early May. But he is openly admitting that he's just gonna ride LeBron, instead of trying to figure out a new way to play against the Oralndo Magic. Newsflash, Coach Brown: You've lost 10 of 14 to this team over the past 3 seasons. TRY SOMETHING ELSE! Otherwise, this season and maybe the best opportunity to keep LeBron in a Cavs uniform for his entire career, could be gone in an instant. On defense, maybe try a page from Van Gundy's book and force Dwight Howard to really be Superman. Sure, he may put up some ridiculous numbers against your soft, undersized front line, but Dwight's overall offensive repertoire is limited. Obviously, half-assing your double teams is still allowing Dwight to go for his share, while opening up enough shots for the Magic to hit 42 threes in 4 games.
If this series doesn't do an immediate 180, we will be seeing a Van Gundy coaching in the finals one season after Doc Rivers, and that would seriously be a shocker.
Eastern Conference Finals - Game 4 Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 114
Orlando Magic 116
Orlando Leads Series 3-1
Talk about two of the game's best doing all they can to will their team to a crucial win. Last night, both Dwight Howard and LeBron James were hellbent on getting the W in an all-important Game 4. In the end, Dwight's brawn and supporting cast were enough to squeak by King James and the Cavs (again), and the Magic head back to Cleveland with the opportunity to close out this series in Game 5.
After a back-and-forth ending to regulation that saw Rashard Lewis hit another huge 3-pointer, LeBron hit the two biggest free throws of his life with .5 seconds remaining to force the extra period. In OT, Howard absolutely bullied Anderson Varejao. Twice, Howard got position on the block, took the pass, and just backed Varejao underneath the rim before throwing down a rim-rattling dunk. Of course, Cleveland wasn't throwing a much-needed second defender at Superman because they were staying home on the Orlando sharp-shooters that hit a franchise playoff-record 17 treys.
But LeBron answered Howard's thunder with some lightning of his own, erasing a six-point Magic lead with 7 points of his own, including a ridiculous 3 while falling out of bounds to keep the Cavs within one possession in the waning seconds. However, the Cavs were ultimately undone by the fact that LeBron once again received little help from his teammates. James didn't help matters any by committing 8 turnovers, including 3 in the OT, to go along with his otherwise sparkling stat line of 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Now the Cavs are faced with trying to become only the 9th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series. Just for perspective, for the 8 that have succeeded, 182 teams have closed the door on a comeback. This franchise knows that it can't be put in a better situation than they have this season if they want to win an NBA Championship before LeBron hits free agency next summer. If they can't come up with a comeback for the ages, they could seriously be looking at just one more season in which The King could deliver a title to a championship-starved Cleveland.
Orlando Magic 116
Orlando Leads Series 3-1
Talk about two of the game's best doing all they can to will their team to a crucial win. Last night, both Dwight Howard and LeBron James were hellbent on getting the W in an all-important Game 4. In the end, Dwight's brawn and supporting cast were enough to squeak by King James and the Cavs (again), and the Magic head back to Cleveland with the opportunity to close out this series in Game 5.
After a back-and-forth ending to regulation that saw Rashard Lewis hit another huge 3-pointer, LeBron hit the two biggest free throws of his life with .5 seconds remaining to force the extra period. In OT, Howard absolutely bullied Anderson Varejao. Twice, Howard got position on the block, took the pass, and just backed Varejao underneath the rim before throwing down a rim-rattling dunk. Of course, Cleveland wasn't throwing a much-needed second defender at Superman because they were staying home on the Orlando sharp-shooters that hit a franchise playoff-record 17 treys.
But LeBron answered Howard's thunder with some lightning of his own, erasing a six-point Magic lead with 7 points of his own, including a ridiculous 3 while falling out of bounds to keep the Cavs within one possession in the waning seconds. However, the Cavs were ultimately undone by the fact that LeBron once again received little help from his teammates. James didn't help matters any by committing 8 turnovers, including 3 in the OT, to go along with his otherwise sparkling stat line of 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Now the Cavs are faced with trying to become only the 9th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series. Just for perspective, for the 8 that have succeeded, 182 teams have closed the door on a comeback. This franchise knows that it can't be put in a better situation than they have this season if they want to win an NBA Championship before LeBron hits free agency next summer. If they can't come up with a comeback for the ages, they could seriously be looking at just one more season in which The King could deliver a title to a championship-starved Cleveland.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Mo Williams Guarantee: Why Does Anyone Care?
By Ben Azar
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Ben is a very old friend of mine who is (almost) as big a sports fan as I am. Ben graduated from UCLA where he was Sports Editor for the Daily Bruin newspaper, covered several sports for the publication, and had a weekly sports talk radio show for a little while on the Bruin student radio station, which I was luckily enough to be a part of a few times and spurred me into getting one at SDSU. Ben then worked for ESPN back in Bristol for a few months as a statistics guy, and is getting ready to attend Law School at UC Davis. In the future, look for Ben to discuss the NBA draft profiles for Bruin players Jrue Holiday and Darren Collison and be part of many great NBA debates here on The Sports Grind.]
With the Cavs down 2-1, being thoroughly outplayed by Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic, Mo Williams has put it ALL ON THE LINE. Will his words inspire the Cavaliers to win the series or will they backfire and make the Magic pour it on? Either way, the series is of course going to be decided solely because of what Williams said.
Honestly why is this a story? I mean, it's not like his team is a huge underdog. They are EXPECTED to win the series. What is he supposed to say if a reporter asks if he is willing to guarantee a victory? "Well, I wouldn't go that far...I don't have THAT much confidence in this team."
Why does anyone care about this? The Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are two entities that certainly don't. There are far more important storylines to follow in this series for this to even become something worth batting an eye about.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Ben is a very old friend of mine who is (almost) as big a sports fan as I am. Ben graduated from UCLA where he was Sports Editor for the Daily Bruin newspaper, covered several sports for the publication, and had a weekly sports talk radio show for a little while on the Bruin student radio station, which I was luckily enough to be a part of a few times and spurred me into getting one at SDSU. Ben then worked for ESPN back in Bristol for a few months as a statistics guy, and is getting ready to attend Law School at UC Davis. In the future, look for Ben to discuss the NBA draft profiles for Bruin players Jrue Holiday and Darren Collison and be part of many great NBA debates here on The Sports Grind.]
With the Cavs down 2-1, being thoroughly outplayed by Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic, Mo Williams has put it ALL ON THE LINE. Will his words inspire the Cavaliers to win the series or will they backfire and make the Magic pour it on? Either way, the series is of course going to be decided solely because of what Williams said.
Honestly why is this a story? I mean, it's not like his team is a huge underdog. They are EXPECTED to win the series. What is he supposed to say if a reporter asks if he is willing to guarantee a victory? "Well, I wouldn't go that far...I don't have THAT much confidence in this team."
Why does anyone care about this? The Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are two entities that certainly don't. There are far more important storylines to follow in this series for this to even become something worth batting an eye about.
Western Conference Finals - Game 4 Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 101
Denver Nuggets 120
Series Tied 2-2
When one team in a game is able to get into the paint as attack the rim as often as the Denver Nuggets did Monday night, while the other is content swinging the ball and taking jumpers, it's only a matter of time before the aggressor blows it open and pulls away. The Lakers did enough to stay within earshot of the Nuggets, but unlike Games 1 and 3, they were never really close enough for Kobe to assume his "closer" role.
The Nuggets were stuffing the paint on both ends, attacking on offense and collapsing on defense. Their D made it down right murderous for Kobe to get into the lane and attack and the fact that his teammates were off from the perimeter did nothing to help open it up as the game progressed. More and more, this is turning into the Kobe-and-Pau show for the Lakers, who are clearly at their best when their offense is well-rounded and the big 2 get help. Some nights (like Game 3) the shear greatness of two premier offensive talents is enough. But more often than not, those two will not be able to do it alone.
Denver kept the pressure up on offense despite a poor night from an ineffective/sick Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets absolutely dominated on the boards on both ends, grabbing 18 more rebounds than LA, including a 20-9 edge on the offensive glass. The Nuggets played an excellent, well-rounded game. In addition to the aforementioned rebound advantage, they also had an 18-point edge on point in the paint, a 42-24 advantage off the bench, outscored the Lakers by 10 on the fast break and only committed 6 turnovers in the game. All in all I think this game was even more impressive than their 58-point drubbing of the Hornets in Round 1, which is saying something.
The trick will be going to LA and beating a Lakers team that knows they got the win in Denver they needed to be able to win this series at home. Obviously, this is a Laker team with, as Phil Jackson put it, a little "Jekyll and Hyde" in them. But it's a huge confidence boost to know that they have the home court advantage in what's now become a 3 game series. But Denver has proven it can win at Staples once in this series, so let's see who comes out the aggressor in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Denver Nuggets 120
Series Tied 2-2
When one team in a game is able to get into the paint as attack the rim as often as the Denver Nuggets did Monday night, while the other is content swinging the ball and taking jumpers, it's only a matter of time before the aggressor blows it open and pulls away. The Lakers did enough to stay within earshot of the Nuggets, but unlike Games 1 and 3, they were never really close enough for Kobe to assume his "closer" role.
The Nuggets were stuffing the paint on both ends, attacking on offense and collapsing on defense. Their D made it down right murderous for Kobe to get into the lane and attack and the fact that his teammates were off from the perimeter did nothing to help open it up as the game progressed. More and more, this is turning into the Kobe-and-Pau show for the Lakers, who are clearly at their best when their offense is well-rounded and the big 2 get help. Some nights (like Game 3) the shear greatness of two premier offensive talents is enough. But more often than not, those two will not be able to do it alone.
Denver kept the pressure up on offense despite a poor night from an ineffective/sick Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets absolutely dominated on the boards on both ends, grabbing 18 more rebounds than LA, including a 20-9 edge on the offensive glass. The Nuggets played an excellent, well-rounded game. In addition to the aforementioned rebound advantage, they also had an 18-point edge on point in the paint, a 42-24 advantage off the bench, outscored the Lakers by 10 on the fast break and only committed 6 turnovers in the game. All in all I think this game was even more impressive than their 58-point drubbing of the Hornets in Round 1, which is saying something.
The trick will be going to LA and beating a Lakers team that knows they got the win in Denver they needed to be able to win this series at home. Obviously, this is a Laker team with, as Phil Jackson put it, a little "Jekyll and Hyde" in them. But it's a huge confidence boost to know that they have the home court advantage in what's now become a 3 game series. But Denver has proven it can win at Staples once in this series, so let's see who comes out the aggressor in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Eastern Conference Finals - Game 3 Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 89
Orlando Magic 99
Orlando Leads Series 2-1
Was it really just a week ago that people were debating whether the Cavs would lose a game before the NBA Finals? Amazing what a couple days and some tough matchup problems will do. The Magic are one amazing LeBron three from being up a commanding 3-0 in this series.
The Magic did exactly what I thought they needed to after Game 2. They got off to a much better start and didn't have to spend most of the game trying to chip away at a Cleveland lead. Instead, they were able to play with the lead for most of the game, and kept doing just enough to keep the Cavs about 5-6 points back all game. They kept attacking and got to the free throw line a whopping 51 times (making 39). The Magic didn't shoot the ball particularly well from the field (42%) but they held the Cavs to a postseason-low 37%, including just an 11-for-28 (1-for-8 3pt) night from King James. But LeBron got virtually no help and the Cavs bench contributed all of 4 points.
Meanwhile, Dwight Howard is staying out of foul trouble just long enough to get the Cleveland big men in even worse foul trouble. Howard has been able to dominate down low when he's in there, which is huge for the spacing it creates for guys like Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Mikael Pietrus and Courtney Lee. This creates driving lanes and open looks if the Cavs are forced to throw a double team at Dwight. Unfortunately, Howard has had his own foul problems, but at least he did enough work in 28 minutes to earn his stripes: 24 points, 9 rebs, 14-for-19 at the line. Even more importantly, the Cavs big men (Big Z, Varejao, Ben Wallace, and Joe Smith) combined for 21 points and 18 fouls.
The Cavaliers have a big test at their hands in Game 4 because Orlando now has their confidence regained after Game 2's crushing defeat, the home crowd, and the knowledge that they can play from ahead against this team.
Orlando Magic 99
Orlando Leads Series 2-1
Was it really just a week ago that people were debating whether the Cavs would lose a game before the NBA Finals? Amazing what a couple days and some tough matchup problems will do. The Magic are one amazing LeBron three from being up a commanding 3-0 in this series.
The Magic did exactly what I thought they needed to after Game 2. They got off to a much better start and didn't have to spend most of the game trying to chip away at a Cleveland lead. Instead, they were able to play with the lead for most of the game, and kept doing just enough to keep the Cavs about 5-6 points back all game. They kept attacking and got to the free throw line a whopping 51 times (making 39). The Magic didn't shoot the ball particularly well from the field (42%) but they held the Cavs to a postseason-low 37%, including just an 11-for-28 (1-for-8 3pt) night from King James. But LeBron got virtually no help and the Cavs bench contributed all of 4 points.
Meanwhile, Dwight Howard is staying out of foul trouble just long enough to get the Cleveland big men in even worse foul trouble. Howard has been able to dominate down low when he's in there, which is huge for the spacing it creates for guys like Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Mikael Pietrus and Courtney Lee. This creates driving lanes and open looks if the Cavs are forced to throw a double team at Dwight. Unfortunately, Howard has had his own foul problems, but at least he did enough work in 28 minutes to earn his stripes: 24 points, 9 rebs, 14-for-19 at the line. Even more importantly, the Cavs big men (Big Z, Varejao, Ben Wallace, and Joe Smith) combined for 21 points and 18 fouls.
The Cavaliers have a big test at their hands in Game 4 because Orlando now has their confidence regained after Game 2's crushing defeat, the home crowd, and the knowledge that they can play from ahead against this team.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Western Conference Finals - Game 3 Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Denver Nuggets 97
Lakers Lead Series 2-1
Say what you will about NBA basketball, but these Conference Finals series cannot be considered to be dull by any standards. 5 games played to this point and this game is the first one to be decided by more than 3 points....and even then, it still wasn't decided until the final 15-20 seconds.
What has to be disheartening for the Nuggets was the fact that they really could not have played a whole lot better for most of the game while the Lakers really never seemed to be in sync, but the Lakers were able to stick around into the 4th. And as George Karl has witnessed and acknowledged, the Lakers have the game's best closer so letting the Lakers stay within striking distance gave Kobe Bryant the chance to push the Lakers to a 2-1 series lead. He scored 13 points in the final quarter, and finished with 41 on an efficient 12-of-24 shooting. Kobe was able to attack the basket and draw fouls, helping him get to the line 17 times (making 15), and he added 6 rebounds and 5 assists against just 1 turnover. Kobe got help from Pau Gasol (20/11; 6th straight playoff double-double) and Trevor Ariza (16 points; 2nd big late-game steal). And despite their mostly maligned defense, the Lakers held the Nuggets to 39% shooting and just 5-for-27 from behind the arc.
The key for the Nuggets is having at least one of their perimeter guns (Melo, Chauncey, or JR Smith) going off because this team doesn't have a consistent low-post scoring option that can create shots and provide some offensive balance. At first glance, you see that Nene and Chris Andersen combined for 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting. But neither of those players is a true score-for-themselves players and usually need the floor to be spaced and the Nuggets guards to attack the basket to create scoring opportunities. So when those three perimeter guys are a combined 13-for-43 from the field, it's hard to dump the ball into the post and be able to get consistent offense.
Carmelo has been fantastic in this series but he scored just 3 of his 21 points in the second half. In fact, Carmelo took just 4 shots after halftime, without a make. What I can't understand is how George Karl and Chauncey Billups aren't force-feeding Melo the ball. Here's a guy that averaged 36.5 points in the first two games in LA, and was on that pace with 18 points in the first half. But 4 shots in the entire second half of a close game the Nuggets really needed? Unbelievable. George Karl has taken some flack for the steal that occurred in Game 1 but I don't really fault him this time. Instead of Anthony Carter, this time he used the 6-foot-9 Kenyon Martin. Martin had Melo flashing open before Ariza could close, but just threw a horrible pass. So I don't see Karl being at fault there, but I do for the fact that Carmelo got 13 shots for the game.
Denver Nuggets 97
Lakers Lead Series 2-1
Say what you will about NBA basketball, but these Conference Finals series cannot be considered to be dull by any standards. 5 games played to this point and this game is the first one to be decided by more than 3 points....and even then, it still wasn't decided until the final 15-20 seconds.
What has to be disheartening for the Nuggets was the fact that they really could not have played a whole lot better for most of the game while the Lakers really never seemed to be in sync, but the Lakers were able to stick around into the 4th. And as George Karl has witnessed and acknowledged, the Lakers have the game's best closer so letting the Lakers stay within striking distance gave Kobe Bryant the chance to push the Lakers to a 2-1 series lead. He scored 13 points in the final quarter, and finished with 41 on an efficient 12-of-24 shooting. Kobe was able to attack the basket and draw fouls, helping him get to the line 17 times (making 15), and he added 6 rebounds and 5 assists against just 1 turnover. Kobe got help from Pau Gasol (20/11; 6th straight playoff double-double) and Trevor Ariza (16 points; 2nd big late-game steal). And despite their mostly maligned defense, the Lakers held the Nuggets to 39% shooting and just 5-for-27 from behind the arc.
The key for the Nuggets is having at least one of their perimeter guns (Melo, Chauncey, or JR Smith) going off because this team doesn't have a consistent low-post scoring option that can create shots and provide some offensive balance. At first glance, you see that Nene and Chris Andersen combined for 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting. But neither of those players is a true score-for-themselves players and usually need the floor to be spaced and the Nuggets guards to attack the basket to create scoring opportunities. So when those three perimeter guys are a combined 13-for-43 from the field, it's hard to dump the ball into the post and be able to get consistent offense.
Carmelo has been fantastic in this series but he scored just 3 of his 21 points in the second half. In fact, Carmelo took just 4 shots after halftime, without a make. What I can't understand is how George Karl and Chauncey Billups aren't force-feeding Melo the ball. Here's a guy that averaged 36.5 points in the first two games in LA, and was on that pace with 18 points in the first half. But 4 shots in the entire second half of a close game the Nuggets really needed? Unbelievable. George Karl has taken some flack for the steal that occurred in Game 1 but I don't really fault him this time. Instead of Anthony Carter, this time he used the 6-foot-9 Kenyon Martin. Martin had Melo flashing open before Ariza could close, but just threw a horrible pass. So I don't see Karl being at fault there, but I do for the fact that Carmelo got 13 shots for the game.
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