If there’s one thing an NBA championship team needs when defending their crown, it’s some cameos from unlikely sources. Norris Cole has certainly provided that ingredient throughout these playoffs so far and this dunk during Game 5 against Chicago was a perfect example.
Can anyone stop the Miami Heat? I don’t think so…
It’s been a little while between updates but there is absolutely no need to fear. We are back now with two stone cold facts to get us started on this review of the NBA Playoffs so far.
Fact #1 – The Los Angeles Lakers suck
Whether it be attributed to under-performing players, mass injury concerns, an ill-minded coach, a selfish future franchise cornerstone, an insane owner or just pure bad luck the Los Angeles Lakers were two things and two things only this season… dysfunctional and hard to watch. The devastating Achilles injury to Kobe Bryant was the rotten cherry on the year-old sundae for a season gone wrong while injuries to Steve Blake, Steve Nash and Jodie Meeks in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs was simply salt in the already gangrenous wound.
Los Angeles were swept by the Spurs and joined the Milwaukee Bucks as the first teams to exit the 2013 postseason. For the Lakers specifically, it was the first time they had been swept in the first round since 1967. Now that’s a deep burn.
Fact #2 – The Miami Heat are going to win the 2013 NBA title
The Miami Heat are the team that not only obliterated the Bucks 4-0 and by an average of over 14 points, they’re also the team that is the polar opposite to the Lakers in terms of injuries, form, coaching stability and well, everything really. As you will see shortly, the road to the NBA Finals is going to be a pretty safe one for the Heaters and when they finally reach a Western Conference opponent for the title, it’s unlikely to be OKC.
All in all, everything is going perfectly for the Heat and barring a catastrophic turn for the worst, they should repeat as champs come June.
Series Reviews – Eastern Conference
1 – Miami vs. 8 – Milwaukee (Miami wins series 4-0)
<insert chalk outline of a deer here>
4 – Brooklyn vs. 5 – Chicago (Chicago leads series 3-2)
Both teams fighting gallantly to the (almost) death to see who gets nut-punched in the next round by Miami. That’s how 95% of the NBA world sees this series and while a triple OT thriller in Game 4 distracted us all momentarily, there’s no reason to believe it isn’t true.
Even with a potential Derrick Rose return to face Miami, neither of these teams take a game off the Heat unless Miami simply loses interest.
3 – Indiana vs. 6 – Atlanta (Indiana leads series 3-2)
If there’s one thing you can count on come the post season, it’s that the Atlanta Hawks will pollute your TV screen for longer than necessary. The good ol’ Hawks are arguably the most boring team in the playoffs to watch and pose very little threat of kidnapping the Larry O’Brien trophy. Conversely, the Indiana Pacers are built to challenge the Miami Heat and after leading this series 2-0 it looked like they were on track to do so again.
Judging by their past two losses however (by an average of 16 points) the Pacers looked far from organised even when they regained control of this series in Game 5. If this team is struggling against the Hawks, again without sounding like a broken record it’s hard to see them match up with the Miami Heat.
2 – New York vs. 7 – Boston (New York leads series 3-2)
While some are writing hopeful columns on the Celtics’ chances to do the impossible, it seems only a matter of time (ie. one more game) before they join their rival Lakers on the sidelines. Boston, and more specifically Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett looked old, slow and defeated after three games. It’s safe to assume they’ll look the same, in a more literal sense after Game 6 but who knows? Some people still believe.
Series Reviews – Western Conference
1 – Oklahoma City vs. 8 – Houston (Oklahoma City leads series 3-1)
WTF… James Harden is awesome… Durant went scoreless for a quarter… all hell is breaking loose… OKC in six.
4 – LA Clippers vs. 5 – Memphis (Memphis leads series 3-2)
Whoops…
It seems the Los Angeles Clippers may have screwed the pooch by dropping an all-important Game 5 in LA. The Memphis Grizz now have it all to play for in Game 6 at home.
Would you bet against Chris Paul though? Genuinely a 50/50 in the next contest…
3 – Denver vs 6 – Golden State (Golden State leads series 3-2)
If this can be replicated at Oracle Arena for Game 6… it’s lights out for Denver.
Serious props to the big Aussie for completely tearing Game 4 a new seat. The Warriors need that every night though for them to competitive, in this round and potentially next.
2 – San Antonio vs 7 – Los Angeles Lakers (San Antonio wins series 4-0)
Nope, not even talking about this one.
Shoutout to Aussies Patty Mills and Aron Baynes though… keep killin’ it balas.
We’re only up to Day 3 of the NBA Playoffs and there’s already drama galore as two first round match-ups moved into Game 2 mode today.
4 – Brooklyn vs. 5 – Chicago (Chicago wins 90-82 to tie series 1-1)
I did say the Bulls would struggle without Noah, right? Well, the big fella played and notched a very handy double-double (11p, 10r) in Chicago’s cheeky Game 2 victory today at Barclays Center. If this series somehow goes seven games, I’m not sure what it will speak to more…
Coach Thibs’ ability to get something out of very little, or Brooklyn’s ability to get so little out of what they have.
The landscape can change very quickly in the playoffs and as good as Deron Williams and Co. looked just two days ago, they somehow managed to “Space Jam” their way to ineptitude in this one, giving up home court advantage. Nets’ leaders Williams, Gerald Wallace and Joe Johnson combined to shoot 8/34 from the field, hardly shooting any lights out and seemingly embracing their blackout theme from Game 1.
An artist’s impression of one of the prettier Brooklyn offensive sets from Game 2.
In simple terms, the Brooklyn Nets gave up home court advantage, failed to nut-punch an inferior opponent’s collective will, allowed a one-legged man to secure a double-double and left arena management wondering whether or not to re-apply the three-point arc for Game 5. (Brooklyn shot 4/21 from downtown)
With renewed hope in Chicago and a packed United Center crowd waiting, this one could now go anywhere.
4 – LA Clippers vs. 5 – Memphis (LA Clippers win 93-91 and lead series 2-0)
Behold the all-conquering Chris Paul.
The final play of this game is pure point guard mastery. The way CP3 creates separation on the final drive is pure perfection as he welcomes the physicality from Tony Allen and then uses it to deliver the winning basket with no time remaining for Memphis to counter.
Some will say Paul pushed off illegally, which will happen right before I tell them that they are also delusional.
The Grizzlies won’t be too concerned with this loss as their performance was much improved from Game 1 and they missed a lot of free throws in this one. They will be confident in holding serve for their two games at home however there’s no denying the cloud of urgency that now hangs over Game 3.
Will the Grizzlies reclaim some series momentum or will the Clippers step on the throat of the bear and take a 3-0 lead?
Playoffs, good times.
The 2013 NBA playoffs have arrived and the first day of action brought what all the fans had been waiting for… fireworks and epic failures! Let’s take a look at each matchup from the opening day of action with a few thoughts on what each series has to offer after just one game.
2 – New York vs. 7 – Boston (New York wins 85-78)
Things are bad enough in Boston at the moment without their storied franchise only managing a pathetic eight points for the final period.
Carmelo Anthony proved that scoring nearly half of his teams points doesn’t mean a lot as he still somehow registered just -3 on his +/- stats. It is still mind-boggling to me that anyone really takes any notice of that stat as Melo was still obviously influential. That being said, I’ve gone ahead and mentioned it so I’m technically breaking my own rule. Whatever, I needed to fill space and this game was pretty ordinary (like both of these teams). If the Knicks can’t win this in five games, why would we want to keep watching them anyway?
For what it’s worth, the Celtics stuck around longer than I thought they would before an ultra-efficient Melo put them away in the fourth. Anyone with delusions of a New York championship this year may want to take note that this shouldn’t have been remotely this close.
4 – Brooklyn vs. 5 – Chicago (Brooklyn wins 106-89)
Say what you want about the Chicago Bulls and their perseverance through Derrick Rose’s absence but without half of Joakim Noah’s legs working, they are done. Noah limped through Game 1 as he battled plantar fasciitis in his left foot. While Brooklyn were predictably psyched for their first hoops playoff game in close to 60 years, the Bulls laid a Barclays Center-sized egg in this one.
Nate Robinson’s numbers looked nice for Chicago yet he obtained nearly all of them once the game was decided. Carlos Boozer battled hard but was the Lone Ranger when it came to offense for the Bulls. On a day when League Pass was showing an abnormal amount of old Chicago highlights during commercial breaks, the Bulls couldn’t have looked worse.
A total of six players scored in double-figures for Brooklyn, who were led by everyone’s sixth favourite point guard Deron Williams. As a team Brooklyn had more rebounds, assists and steals than the Bulls and led this game by 25 at the half. Yawn.
Chicago fans all over Twitter slowly unraveled during this display, turning on their coach, players and even superstar Derrick Rose. Quite an interesting sub-plot to this series will be watching Bulls fans slowly set fire to themselves and everything around them if their team gets swept. It’s completely possible if Noah’s foot doesn’t improve so keep an eye on our friend social media.
3 – Denver vs. 6 – Golden State (Denver wins 97-95)
When it was possible that Denver would face either Memphis or the LA Clippers in the first round, I stated that this Nugget team could go down as one of the best first-round-exit teams in NBA history. This doesn’t look as likely now as they face the injury-depleted Golden State Warriors.
While the Warriors put up a great fight in Game 1, news was recently released that forward David Lee is done for the remainder of the season with a hip injury. This will put significant pressure on Andrew Bogut as the anchor of both the Golden State defense and now also their inside game at the offensive end. Bogut performed extremely well in Game 1 collecting 19 points and nine assists as well as the attention of his opposing coach George Karl who made mention of Bogut’s performance in his post-game address.
Golden State’s rotation is already “playoff shortened” so it will be interesting to see where Lee’s minutes are distributed. Needless to say it’s going to be tough for the Warriors to climb out of an 0-2 hole so the next contest becomes huge for them.
If there’s one thing Golden State can concentrate on for Game 2, it’s to not be beaten in the final seconds by an 85 year old point guard named Andre. There’s two Andre’s in Denver and this one should not be ending your season for you.
4 – LA Clippers vs. 5 – Memphis (LA Clippers win 112-91)
This will forever be known as the game League Pass destroyed for me. While I admire the NBA’s marketing protocol of giving out free trials, the correlation between streaming issues and free trials just grinds my gears.
In protest of my frustrating experience I will simply state the following…
Eric Bledsoe hit 7/7 from the field and nut-punched the Grizzlies chances to steal a Game 1 victory in the fourth quarter.
Luckily for the NBA, I was only mad at them for one afternoon and have resumed loving them and everything they stand for, unconditionally.
Day 1 in the books… good times.
Adidas have fired up the marketing engines in this latest advertisement featuring “The Return” of Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.
In an inspirational look at what it takes to get back to the top of your game, Rose calmly declares himself “all in”.
Here’s hoping all that hard work pays off and the former league MVP can make a healthy and successful comeback at some stage next season.
The eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers have eliminated the number one seeded Chicago Bulls in six games with a dramatic 79-78 victory at the Wells Fargo Center last night. It may not have been pretty but the Sixers are playing some inspired basketball right now whereas the Bulls simply ran out of tricks… and luck.
With both teams shooting just under 40% from the field, this game was far from a free-flowing display of offense. As with all playoff games, the pace had slowed right down and these two teams weren’t exactly offensive Juggernauts to begin with.
For Chicago it was Luol Deng who again contributed well with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Playing the role of Robin to Deng’s Batman was Rip Hamilton who scored 19 points of his own and pulled down eight rebounds. The Bulls’ offense for the most part was disorganised to say the least. Carlos Boozer, who was benched in the fourth quarter finished the game with only three points on 1-11 shooting. Boozer did pull down 13 rebounds but as has been the tone for most of this series, he didn’t have much of an influence at all.
Luol Deng tried hard in Game 6 but the Bulls just didn't have what it takes to beat this Sixer team.
Chicago had their chance to steal this game, leading in the final stages. In an effort to put the game away, CJ Watson made a pass to Omer Asik when perhaps he should have held onto the ball. Watson, a career 80% free throw shooter could have held the ball and waited for the inevitable foul that would send him to the line. The Bulls were up by one point at this stage with just over seven seconds remaining.
Instead, having drawn the defender and seeing Asik moving towards the basket, Watson made the pass. Asik took the ball and attempted a layup only to be fouled hard by Philadelphia’s Spencer Hawes. It was a hard foul that saw Hawes make contact above Asik’s shoulders. The Sixers were fortunate enough not to receive a flagrant foul and Asik went on to miss both free throws.
Andre Iguodala rebounded the second miss and without stopping to call for time, pushed the ball up the floor. Iguodala beat everyone but Asik to the basket and was fouled trying to make a layup. “Iggy” as he is affectionately known, made both (clutch) free throws and Chicago was left with no timeouts, just over two seconds remaining and barely a prayer to survive.
The Bulls inbounded the ball to CJ Watson, who almost redeemed himself with a miraculous double-pump half court heave that hit the back of the iron. Game over, season over for Chicago.
Sixers’ fans rejoiced as their players, staff and coach Doug Collins stood victorious. Andre Iguodala leaped onto the scorer’s table, saluting the crowd with both hands raised to the ceiling.
The Bulls left the court very quickly, with seemingly only a couple of players (Rip Hamilton included) staying on court to exchange handshakes and hugs.
Next up for Philadelphia is the old, decrepit and highly performing Boston Celtics. Age has not wearied this team and Philadelphia will need to be at their best to defeat them.
The Chicago Bulls and more specifically Luol Deng finally gave their loyal fans what they wanted to see, a win and subsequent survival in their first round series against Philadelphia. In a game that featured some of the ugliest offense seen this season, the Bulls squeezed out a 77-69 win at the United Center to now trail Philadelphia three games to two.
Deng came up big for the Bulls (24 points, 8 rebounds and 4-5 from downtown) on a night where neither team could score to save themselves. Chicago persevered though and kept Philly at arm’s distance throughout. Deng, (who is carrying a wrist injury) has been quiet all series but found the hoop in this game when the Bulls needed it most. Carlos Boozer also contributed well with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
Without Luol Deng's performance, Chicago were in trouble. Pretty much like games 2-4 of this series.
For Philadelphia it was hard to select a “highlight” player, as the team shot a combined .321 from the field and .182 from the arc. Spencer Hawes was solid again with 11 points, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots while Iguodala and Holiday were busy shooting 9-36 from the field and 2-8 from downtown.
Philadelphia will re-group now as they head back to the Wells Fargo Center for Game 6 on Thursday US time. One would have to assume the Sixers won’t shoot as poorly in their next game, so the Bulls’ (remaining) big names will need to step up again. If Chicago can somehow win Game 6 they will return home for Game 7 and have 48 minutes to salvage their season.
It’s important to note that the Bulls, who were already missing Rose (knee) and recently injured Joakim Noah (ankle) experienced yet another dose of bad luck as Taj Gibson also went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter. Gibson has declared that he will play in Game 6 and Chicago’s Carlos Boozer was quoted as saying “We feel like we can go to Philadelphia and get one great road win”.
Only time will tell, can the Philadelphia 76ers close the door on Chicago’s season? Or will the Bulls make a miraculous recovery?
The Philadelphia 76ers are one game away from eliminating the free-falling Chicago Bulls after a thrilling 89-82 victory on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Chicago cannot find a late game closer and look destined to exit these playoffs in the first round.
As we all know, the headline after Chicago’s Game 1 victory was “Derrick Rose does ACL” rather than “Chicago take 1-0 lead”. Since that time the Bulls have looked like a spider with only three legs, fumbling their way around with next to no cohesiveness whatsoever. There is a considerable lack of fluency on offense and to put it plainly, a team with Carlos Boozer as it’s “go-to guy” on offense is destined to fail.
The much-maligned Power Forward can score but is unable to carry a team and now with thanks to injuries, the Bulls are relying on Boozer and CJ Watson to take close to 50% of their shots. (No disrespect intended to CJ, he’s our guy!)
With Joakim Noah sitting out with an ankle injury suffered in Game 3, the Bulls could be forgiven for losing the rebounding battle with the Sixers. Not surprisingly however, Taj Gibson stepped up with a double-double recording 14 points and 12 rebounds to go with his four blocks. With this individual effort on the boards, the Bulls actually won the rebounding battle 48-46.
Has the entire season now fallen apart for Chicago? It's looking like it.
Amazingly this isn’t the only stat category the Bulls won, edging the Sixers in assists (21-16) also. The problem for Chicago was the foul count (23-18 resulting in 17 more free throws for Philly) and more prominently turnovers where the Bulls committed 14 to Philadelphia’s eight.
For Philly it was an awkwardly titled “Holiday Hawes” party as the two Sixers contributed a combined 42 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. Awkward headlines aside, these two were running the show while only Andre Iguodala reached double-figures in points with 14. “Iggy” also contributed 12 rebounds and three steals.
Chicago got serviceable efforts from Boozer and Gibson, while CJ watson toiled away scoring 17 on 5-18 shooting. Names like Hamilton, Asik, Korver and most importantly Deng did not feature prominently when describing what Chicago did right in this game.
The Philadelphia 76ers are now completely topped up on confidence and ready to take out the number one seed in the East. Game 5 will be played at Chicago’s United Center on Tuesday US time and it can’t come quick enough for Doug Collins’ crew.
The Chicago Bulls are in complete disarray and while some can understand their plight considering the injuries, one has to wonder how these guys are struggling so hard to win games without Rose. The reigning NBA MVP sat out a significant chunk of the lockout-shortened schedule, meaning this is not akin to say, the Clippers losing Chris Paul.
The Bulls are still alive and do return to “Sweet Home Chicago” for Game 5 but without a closer, the look destined to leave this year’s playoff race in five or six games.
The Philadelphia 76ers have taken a 2-1 series lead over a banged up Chicago Bulls outfit with an inspiring 79-74 victory on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
With this series already producing headlines for all the wrong reasons due to Derrick Rose’s injury, the Chicago Bulls needed to respond. Philadelphia were fresh off a surprising Game 2 victory in Chicago and the Philadelphia fans embraced Game 3, looking to make it their own.
With Rose sidelined indefinitely with a torn ACL, the eighth seeded Sixers can smell blood in the water. It wasn’t all smooth sailing though, as Chicago led this game by double digits early in the fourth quarter before completely and utterly drying up on offense. The shot selection for Chicago in the fourth quarter resembled something straight out of an X-Games compilation, with Bulls players seemingly trying to out-do each other with poorly timed, contested, difficult shots.
To Philadelphia’s credit, their late game execution of offense was sensational, and it was their hustle on defense that forced Chicago to go searching for a closer and leader that wasn’t there. It’s hard to overstate how big of a collapse this was for the Bulls, as both teams appeared to swap seeding in the late stages.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has got a tough road ahead of him in this series, let alone the remainder of the playoffs.
Spencer Hawes came up big for the Sixers recording 21 points, nine rebounds and the game-sealing jumper late in the game. While Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand had unusually quiet games, Evan Turner (16p & 9r) and Jrue Holiday (17p, 6r & 6a) stepped up for Philly.
For Chicago, it was more bad news as Center Joakim Noah had to leave the game with a nasty sprained left ankle. To Noah’s credit he returned initially, (I have no idea how!) but then with limited ability to move, had to leave the game for good. He was seen exiting the arena post-game on crutches and would have to be doubtful for Game 4.
See below for footage of the incident:
The Sixers now believe they can win this series, while Chicago must still be shell-shocked at how quickly everything can fall apart. The Bulls have gone from assumed Eastern Conference Finalists to first round “backs against the wall” role players in the space of a week.
It’s hard to see where Chicago is going to get a response from as Carlos Boozer continues to play about $10m below his salary and Rip Hamilton is the last guy to lead a team at this stage of his career. Luol Deng is nowhere to be seen and Noah will potentially miss Game 4 with the ankle, so it’s not looking pretty for Chicago.
Game 4 will be played at Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday afternoon US time. The Sixers will continue to try and push Chicago to the brink of a previously unlikely first round exit.
Derrick Rose’s Knee, Derrick Rose’s Knee, Derrick Rose’s Knee, Derrick Rose’s Knee. That is all anyone is talking about after Chicago’s 103-91 home win against Philadelphia in Game One of their first round match-up. Rose is done for the season and likely for 12 months at least as an MRI post-game revealed a torn ACL. Let’s come back to Rose later though and discuss what we found out about both teams in this first game.
Philadelphia
First of all, the Sixers were able to keep this game close even when their offense was simply stagnant. Ball movement was almost non-existent during the middle stages of the game and the Sixers continually relied on jump shots. Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala had a hard time keeping up with Luol Deng, as the Bulls small forward did what he wanted for long stretches of this game. Even with all this against them, Philly were never “blown out” as such but only managed to get the deficit back to half a dozen, rather than take control.
Sixers guard Jrue Holiday did not look ready for this game at all in the first half and started the second half on the bench in favour of Chicago-native Evan Turner. Having already pissed off the Chicago fans by revealing that Philly “preferred” to face the Bulls rather than the Heat, Turner took to the constant booing with intent and put together some nice scoring plays of his own. He finished the game with a handy line of 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes.
Elton Brand was a beast and looked more like Elton Brand circa 2006 compiling 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for the Sixers. Often a lone hand on the defensive end, Brand’s +/- of -13 is more so an indication of defensive isolation than bad play on his part. For stretches of the game Brand was the only player to hit a shot in the half court for Philadelphia, thus keeping them (relatively) close to the Bulls throughout the game.
Chicago
I have to lead off with the Derrick Rose injury but what’s sadder for Bulls fans is the seemingly flawless chemistry on display between Rose and Hamilton in this game. Having not played a lot of games together this season, the two starting guards for Chicago looked to be really in sync on the offensive end. Lost in the injury-haze of this game is the play of Hamilton, who scored 19 points on just seven shots and looked very comfortable.
Rose will be out for the remainder of the playoffs and this shifts Chicago’s plan back to what they’ve been running for a third of the season. Noah and Deng were very solid for Chicago on both ends of the floor, while Kyle Korver’s instant offense was again beautifully timed and executed.
Carlos Boozer was really disappointing for mine and while it’s fashionable to sledge him in the media, he just doesn’t seem to make an impact.
All in all, an empty win for the Chicago Bulls but all part of the ultimate goal. This season-ending injury gives others such as CJ Watson and Jon Lucas III a chance to shine. Game two will be played on Tuesday night US time.
In 2010 LeBron James made a “decision” that the basketball world seemed captivated by. Where would he go? When would we know? Then he told us and 99% of the world’s Basketball community hated him, they even burned his jersey in Cleveland which looking back now was probably more entertaining than his actual “decision”.
Not long after this the Chicago Bulls started announcing some signings of their own. It started with Carlos Boozer, then slowly they started adding other pieces to surround their core group of Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Derrick Rose. It was a great question for the Bulls of who they could find that would be fast enough, smart enough and good enough to back up the man who ended up being this year’s league MVP.
The answer was CJ Watson, and here is Hoop Diary’s interview with him. (more…)
Handicapping the field for the Conference Finals
These have been the most exciting opening rounds in many a year (hat tip to the Celtics/Bulls stoush of 2009) but all things must end and so we come to the Conference Finals.
Let’s take a look at how those may play out.
Western Conference
Dallas may be playing the best of anyone remaining in the Playoffs. Or they may have faced an imploding Lakers squad and are exactly the team we expected them to be coming into the second season. We won’t know until Game 1 of the Conference Finals against either Oklahoma City or Memphis. Let’s break down their chances against those two opponents.
vs. OKC
The more likely matchup, given the impressive result win in Game 5, and the least favorable for Dallas. Oklahoma City has the defensive horses to stay with any lineup that Dallas trots out. Nowitzkii s going to get his numbers, and he is going to be dangerous in the clutch. That is as sure as death and taxes, so there isn’t much point in going on about how ideal Serge Ibaka is for him, because in the end, it’s irrelevant. Nowitzki does what he wants when he wants. Stopping the other players is the real key to containing Dallas. They has been able to befuddle opponents with their three guard front of Kidd, Terry and Barea, but that is mostly nullified with a lineup of Westbrook, Harden and Sefolosha, and that doesn’t take into account the fact that OKC’s bigs are able to effectively switch on pick and rolls with Ibaka and Kevin Durant. Perkins is another beast entirely, but he’ll patrol the paint and try to keep Tyson Chandlers energy at bay.
In short, all the individual matchups in this series (except notably at PF) tilt dramatically to OKC. The wise heads will win a few games on guile and experience, but this series goes to the young bucks, 4-2.
vs. Memphis
An unlikely matchup, but given the tightly fought nature of the second round, not completely out of the question. This might be a series where Zach Randolph could threaten Wilt’s 100 point game, but in the same way, Nowitzki is completely unfettered from any level of defense. Randolph or Marc Gasol’s defensive prowess are essentially nullified by Nowitzki’s mobility and range, and unlike with Kevin Durant, they will be unable to put 6’4″ Tony Allen on him, since Jason Kidd is much more able to get the ball to his superstar than Russell Westbrook can with Durant. In short, the matchups for a Dallas vs. Memphis series are so horrendous that this is likely to be the second sweep in a row the Mavericks.
Eastern Conference
Sorry Hawks fans, I’m not going to discuss the Hawks here, as while I strongly think they will win today’s game in Atlanta, there is no way they win a Game 7 in Chicago. The smart money is on Chicago vs. Miami in the Conference Finals, and the question that many are asking (should this marquee matchup occur) is can Miami find an answer for Derrick Rose. The problem with that is that it has already been answered, as they basically did in the regular season. Rose didn’t outperform his season averages in either of the three games (all Chicago victories by margins of 3, 4 and 1 point). Let’s take a look at the particulars.
Rose’s average against Miami: 29 points, 6 assists, 44% shooting
Rose’s average against everyone else: 25 points, 7.7 assists, 45% shooting
Given these numbers, it’s hard to see that Miami had any particular issue with Rose. In fact, the larger issue for Miami during the regular season was Miami, specifically the much discussed issues with winning close games during the regular season, and the alpha dog battle of who was going to take over down the stretch. Not only has that question been answered during the Playoffs, it’s become a legitimate strength. Miami turned ice cold killers against the team most endorsed as being ice cold killers, the Boston Celtics. That the Celtics were out hustled and out played by the Heat wasn’t a surprise, but that they were out executed sure was.
Speaking of the Celtics brings us to the next most significant advantage that the Heat have in any series against Chicago. Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau’s defense has been outstanding at stopping isolations for years, with noteworthy postseason success against both Wade and James. Why is this an advantage for Miami? Because they have spent the last five games overcoming that exact defense, so they know almost exactly what they are getting heading into the next series. These games are the ideal preparation, and now they have rest, time to watch film and familiarise themselves with what worked against that same scheme.
My pick – Miami in five games.
So it’s looking like a Dallas-Miami final rematch. That series was a corker, and this one will be too. I’m not in a hurry to get there however, as there is still a hell of a lot of exciting Basketball to be played.
You can follow me on Twitter at @HD_RyanB
This 2010/11 Chicago Bulls team have been a fantastic story, significantly outperforming pre-season expectations and going on to claim the best record in the Eastern Conference. The key stories for this year were supposed to be the stampede of the Miami Heat to prominence given LeBron James and Chris Bosh forming like Voltron with Dwyane Wade, and the Boston Celtics protecting their supremacy of the Eastern Conference like a tired old lion. Both were, at times, pushed to the side as we were forced to re-evaluate the Baby Bulls and their über-athletic leader, Derrick Rose.
All of the focus on the Chicago Bulls during this awards season has had me thinking about who the Bulls most historically resemble, and the answer is pretty clear; The Answer and his 2000/01 76ers Finals team. Let’s break it down with some evaluation. (more…)
After what was probably the most entertaining Regular season of all time, filled with plot lines, interesting characters, trades, chatter and a sense of urgency forced by the impending lockout, the Playoffs have dissolved into a slow-paced, humdrum of mediocrity. Let’s us sit down and have a close look at some of the changes.
The top two teams Regular season teams (Chicago and the Spurs) are been punked in their first round match ups. Number one seeds should not have this much difficulty with their first round opponents if Misters Nowitski or Mutumbo aren’t involved, and as such, it casts serious light on their validity at being contenders. If they both can’t make it out of the second round (which is looking VERY likely) it will make a mockery of the likely MVP (Rose) and coaching award wanner (either Gregg Popovich or Tom Thibodeau).
The Lakers look mediocre and unfocused after mostly finishing the season on a tear. The same thing happened last year, but that was caused by injury to the Black Mamba. No excuse this year, they just look lethargic. Even Shannon Brown has seemly stopped hustling, and all poor Shannon has is energy. Ron Artest has been okay for them, but you have to wonder if they wouldn’t rather have Trevor Ariza’s energy night after night to help cure what ails them.
Question Marks
The Bulls
Speaking of the Bulls, as game four showed, if Rose doesn’t fire, they are barely Playoff worthy. The good news is he almost always plays well and has shown he can rise to the occasion. But never in the playoffs against a good defense who is scheming against him. It’s a big asterisk. A big one.
The Magic
If any children are reading this, I urge you to look away now. Are they gone? Good. Dwight Howard isn’t really Superman. A shock to some perhaps, but perhaps, just maybe if he can keep this insane play up over such unprecidented minutes (47 minutes per game) where the opponent is doing everything possible short of a chainsaw to bring him down, we may need to get him tested to see if he really is made of steel. We already know he can fly.
The Celtics
Can a team rebuild its chemistry and find its heart in a few short weeks after they gave theirs away to the Oklahoma City Thunder? (Also, how lazy were the town naming committee for Oklahoma City? Was it one vote away from being known as “Unnamed”?). Beyond the heart and soul question is the significant questions about if they have the size to defend the teams they will need to go through.
The Heat
As we’ve discussed previously, the Heat vacillate between powerhouse and pauper, and it’s hard to know which team will turn up. It’s not correlated to home court or injuries, but simply energy. The only plus for Miami is that energy tends to provide itself the further you go into the post-season. Will that be enough? I don’t know, but I’m not willing to count out a team with three primary scoring threats and a strong defense.
