Last night’s opening game of the 2012 NBA Finals provided some great theater and, as always with the Miami Heat, some Monday morning quarterback material as well. Here’s a fact though: if it wasn’t already clear, the Miami Heat are not the favorite in this series. That distinction is held by the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they erased what was a 13 point deficit in the 1st half to pull away in the 4th quarter and win by 11. The culture shock that Miami experienced in the 2nd half of last night’s game was somewhat predictable. OKC is younger, faster, and more explosive on offense than any of the teams the Heat faced from the more physical Eastern Conference. Whereas they were often better served to try to speed the game up against the likes of Indy and Boston, a more deliberate pace might improve their chances in this series. The Heat built a healthy-sized 1st half lead mostly due to the lights-out shooting of Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers. That’s going to have to be a constant in this series if Miami is going to have a chance. In the 2nd half those guys didn’t shoot nearly as well, and we all saw the result.
It’s still always interesting to see the fallout of any Heat loss on LeBron James though. From the opening tip, it was clear that James didn’t have his outside shooting touch on this particular night. Still, LeBron muscled his way to 30 points on 11 for 24 shooting over the course of 46 minutes. ESPN graded LeBron’s game as a B+, noting that he and Battier were the only 2 Heat players to really show up. And yet James got killed in some circles for “failing to deliver” in the 4th quarter again. It’s an easy (and some would say lazy) argument to make given that LBJ’s opposite number shined in the 4th. Durant notched 17 of his game-high 36 in the final period, while James went 2 for 6 from the floor for 7 “meaningless” points during the same stretch…nevermind that LeBron was the only thing keeping Miami from getting their doors blown off in the 3rd quarter, when he scored 9 of Miami’s 19 in that period…or that Wade and Bosh combined to shoot 11 for 30 for the game on mostly unassertive perimeter jumpers (completely negating the nice offensive games by Battier and Chalmers). But when this is brought up, haters will counter that these arguments are served only to give James a pass, and that James’ stat-stuffing numbers only mask his weakness in closing out games…superhuman, unstoppable, cyborg baller that he’s supposed to be and all. How quickly everyone forgot James’ last 2 games to close out Boston though.
Jeff Van Gundy has smartly pointed out that James continues to be held to an unattainable standard that no other player has ever had to live up to (even Jordan). This is partly James’ own doing, as he’s so talented that no matter what he does we always feel like he can do more. If you want to argue that KD outplayed LeBron in game 1, that’s fine…in fact, it’s true. If you’re killing LeBron, it makes me wonder whether or not you actually paid attention to the game at all. Most of Durant’s 36 points seemed to come so easy, as the Thunder’s offense seemed to get him open look after open look in the 2nd half…whereas every James bucket seemed to have to be some kind of tough, double-clutch shot in traffic. That’s not to take anything away from Durant, but just as it’s undeniable that KD got the better of LeBron in this game, it’s also undeniable that he was getting easier looks at the basket too.
It will be interesting to see what adjustments are made for game 2. The Thunder will likely continue to try to do what they did in the 2nd half: force Miami to shoot long jumpers, and collect a lot of long rebounds to start semi-fastbreak opportunities. There’s been talk of Chris Bosh being reinserted into the starting lineup and Miami’s need to try to get in the paint and get to the free line more often. This specifically pertains to Wade, especially when both teams go small, as that eliminates the Thunder’s shotblocking. Also, Miami may need to go a little deeper into its bench, but that’s a tricky proposition considering how the Heat’s subs compare to OKC’s. I also think Miami needs to play more straight-up man-to-man than they showed in game 1. The Heat’s gimmicky switch-all-screens defense when they play James, Wade, Haslem, and Battier together worked against the methodical Celtics, but Westbrook and Durant are too good of 1-on-1 players to have anyone but James (on KD) and Wade (on Westbrook) on them the majority of the time. Their switching led to far too many breakdowns off of Westbrook’s pick-and-roll play, bad matchups from cross-matching in transition, and easy baskets off of miscommunications on defensive rotations too. It’s easy to overreact and overanalyze 1 game, especially in the Finals, but the adjustments both teams make leading up to game 2 should be interesting.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Heat-Celtics, Game 7: Mirror Mirror On The Wall...
The swings of long playoff series are enough to make even me, a longstanding basher of this day and age’s overly reactive 24 hour news cycle, make some snap judgments from time to time. One minute, the Celtics looked like a dead team walking, and the Spurs appeared unstoppable. Only days later, the Heat looked as if they were ready to fold while Boston made 1 more playoff push, and the Thunder were sparking some dynasty talk regardless of who came out of the East. Now, “good” Miami has resurfaced again, and it looks like we have the makings of a pretty evenly matched Finals series.
Unfortunately, Krissy and I had promised weeks ago that we would go see Snow White and the Huntsman with Krissy’s Mom and Grandmom. Softies that we are, we couldn’t find it in our hearts to bail on them, and we actually wanted to see Snow White anyway. Through the magic of DVR we were able to pull off a night-night doubleheader though. The movie played at 7pm. By the time we drove our 2 kiddies home and made the 45 minute trek back to our apartment it was 11:15pm. Even fast-forwarding through the commercials, Krissy and I were starting to get heavy-eyed midway through the 4th quarter, but we made it to the end. On top of that, the movie wasn’t half bad. Yes, the acting left something to be desired…just as when she traipses around with vampires and werewolves, Kristen Stewart displayed the emotional range of a dust mop, and Charlize Theron spent the majority of her scenes screeching at people, but I still found this dark adaptation of an old story pretty entertaining. That’s saying a lot considering the above not-so-glowing reviews, and the fact that any 7 year old could tell you how the story of Snow White goes.
In a nutshell, the Celtics started off chasing Snow White into the Dark Forest, where she kept on getting drugged by weird plants and throwing terrible passes right to Ray Allen. The evil queen, Ravenna, looked like she had this 1 wrapped up early, but LeBron kept the game close while his teammates finally figured out that the kingdom could be lost to the evil queen forever if they didn’t at least show up. Eventually, the Huntsman got it together in the 2nd half and started hitting tough 18 footers, and Chris Bosh proved to be a huge factor too, as he killed more of the evil queen’s henchmen in the final battle than he had in his entire career. In the end, Ravenna was just too old and worn out, and LeBron vanquished her to take his rightful place as queen of the land…I mean king…whatever. The point is that Snow White advanced to the Finals beating the Boston Ravennas in 7 games, where Kevin Durant and the OKC Twilights await. It was getting late though, so sue me if the details are slightly off.
The Heat took us on an emotional rollercoaster on the way to the NBA Finals.
Unfortunately, Krissy and I had promised weeks ago that we would go see Snow White and the Huntsman with Krissy’s Mom and Grandmom. Softies that we are, we couldn’t find it in our hearts to bail on them, and we actually wanted to see Snow White anyway. Through the magic of DVR we were able to pull off a night-night doubleheader though. The movie played at 7pm. By the time we drove our 2 kiddies home and made the 45 minute trek back to our apartment it was 11:15pm. Even fast-forwarding through the commercials, Krissy and I were starting to get heavy-eyed midway through the 4th quarter, but we made it to the end. On top of that, the movie wasn’t half bad. Yes, the acting left something to be desired…just as when she traipses around with vampires and werewolves, Kristen Stewart displayed the emotional range of a dust mop, and Charlize Theron spent the majority of her scenes screeching at people, but I still found this dark adaptation of an old story pretty entertaining. That’s saying a lot considering the above not-so-glowing reviews, and the fact that any 7 year old could tell you how the story of Snow White goes.
Wrap this thing up, guys...we've got a game to watch!
In a nutshell, the Celtics started off chasing Snow White into the Dark Forest, where she kept on getting drugged by weird plants and throwing terrible passes right to Ray Allen. The evil queen, Ravenna, looked like she had this 1 wrapped up early, but LeBron kept the game close while his teammates finally figured out that the kingdom could be lost to the evil queen forever if they didn’t at least show up. Eventually, the Huntsman got it together in the 2nd half and started hitting tough 18 footers, and Chris Bosh proved to be a huge factor too, as he killed more of the evil queen’s henchmen in the final battle than he had in his entire career. In the end, Ravenna was just too old and worn out, and LeBron vanquished her to take his rightful place as queen of the land…I mean king…whatever. The point is that Snow White advanced to the Finals beating the Boston Ravennas in 7 games, where Kevin Durant and the OKC Twilights await. It was getting late though, so sue me if the details are slightly off.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Heat-Celtics, Game 6: Living To Fight Another Day
Working on a 5 game win streak on ESPN’s “Streak For The Cash,” I picked Boston to beat my Miami last night and close out the Heat in 6 games. It was partially a way to emotionally hedge my bet seeing as how I would much rather see the Heat advance, but it was also an examination of the facts for me. The Celtics had really been the better team for the previous 4 games of this series, and the Heat have a history of playing just good enough to lose in these kinds of situations over the past 2 seasons. Unfortunately for my streak and the Celtics, LeBron James happened.
If only this was a TNT game, then we could have had Marv Albert’s signature call: “James working on Pierce. James…YES! LeBron James again!” Instead we were stuck with the weak sauce of play-by-play guys that is Mike Breen. (Albert and Jeff Van Gundy would be an announcing match made in heaven.) James netted 45 for the night on 19 for 26 shooting in 45 minutes (he pulled down 15 boards to boot). He had 30 by halftime, going 12 for 14 from the floor before recess. If the outcome of the game was still in doubt late, LeBron looked like he would have gone the full 48 in this 1 too. That Miami’s lead had grown to around 20 allowed James to pull his foot off the gas in the 4th…otherwise, it looked like he could easily have gone for 50-plus.
It wasn’t just the numbers though…it was the way James got them. Yes, he scored in a variety of ways, but he was decisive and efficient. It was, as Bill Simmons terms it, the “virtuoso” performance that I called for in my post following game 5. It was clear from the outset that James wasn’t going to wait for Wade and others to get themselves going early on. Wade had his customary slow start, going 1 for 5 from the field in the 1st half, but it didn’t matter much. What was particularly encouraging about James’ game was that there was no ball-stopping or wasted motion. Most of his scores were on isolation plays, but James didn’t jab-step or make ball fakes for 8 seconds before deciding what to do. Instead, it was catch the ball, and go to work.
There didn’t seem to be any stopping James and the Heat on this night, but there were a couple other factors that turned this from a Miami win to a Boston shellacking. Miami’s role players actually managed to hit some timely 3’s (Battier and Chalmers combined to shoot 5 for 8 from distance), and for the 1st time since game 1 of this series the Celtics looked old and tired…but it’s easy to look that way when the ball isn’t going in the basket. Paul Pierce suffered through a miserable night, going 4 for 18 while picking up 3 early 1st half fouls trying to deal with James. Rajon Rondo had another 20-10 game, but uncharacteristically coughed the ball up 7 times too. And KG only managed 5 rebounds in 30-plus minutes.
All that being said, and this was only game 6. James exorcised some demons for 1 night, and Miami retook control of the series, but none of that means anything if Boston goes into Miami and steals game 7. Fair or not, last night only affords LeBron and Miami a 48 hour ceasefire of criticism. A Celtics win will put the Heat squarely back in the crosshairs of public scrutiny. LeBron would undoubtedly be deemed the goat, and the media will call for this Miami roster and coaching staff to be blown up once again. Such is life though for the Miami Heat…personally, I can’t wait for Saturday night.
If only this was a TNT game, then we could have had Marv Albert’s signature call: “James working on Pierce. James…YES! LeBron James again!” Instead we were stuck with the weak sauce of play-by-play guys that is Mike Breen. (Albert and Jeff Van Gundy would be an announcing match made in heaven.) James netted 45 for the night on 19 for 26 shooting in 45 minutes (he pulled down 15 boards to boot). He had 30 by halftime, going 12 for 14 from the floor before recess. If the outcome of the game was still in doubt late, LeBron looked like he would have gone the full 48 in this 1 too. That Miami’s lead had grown to around 20 allowed James to pull his foot off the gas in the 4th…otherwise, it looked like he could easily have gone for 50-plus.
It wasn’t just the numbers though…it was the way James got them. Yes, he scored in a variety of ways, but he was decisive and efficient. It was, as Bill Simmons terms it, the “virtuoso” performance that I called for in my post following game 5. It was clear from the outset that James wasn’t going to wait for Wade and others to get themselves going early on. Wade had his customary slow start, going 1 for 5 from the field in the 1st half, but it didn’t matter much. What was particularly encouraging about James’ game was that there was no ball-stopping or wasted motion. Most of his scores were on isolation plays, but James didn’t jab-step or make ball fakes for 8 seconds before deciding what to do. Instead, it was catch the ball, and go to work.
There didn’t seem to be any stopping James and the Heat on this night, but there were a couple other factors that turned this from a Miami win to a Boston shellacking. Miami’s role players actually managed to hit some timely 3’s (Battier and Chalmers combined to shoot 5 for 8 from distance), and for the 1st time since game 1 of this series the Celtics looked old and tired…but it’s easy to look that way when the ball isn’t going in the basket. Paul Pierce suffered through a miserable night, going 4 for 18 while picking up 3 early 1st half fouls trying to deal with James. Rajon Rondo had another 20-10 game, but uncharacteristically coughed the ball up 7 times too. And KG only managed 5 rebounds in 30-plus minutes.
All that being said, and this was only game 6. James exorcised some demons for 1 night, and Miami retook control of the series, but none of that means anything if Boston goes into Miami and steals game 7. Fair or not, last night only affords LeBron and Miami a 48 hour ceasefire of criticism. A Celtics win will put the Heat squarely back in the crosshairs of public scrutiny. LeBron would undoubtedly be deemed the goat, and the media will call for this Miami roster and coaching staff to be blown up once again. Such is life though for the Miami Heat…personally, I can’t wait for Saturday night.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Spurs-Thunder, Game 6: A Dynasty In The Making
Last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 in front of a raucous home crowd to dispatch the Spurs from the Western Conference Finals in 6 games. The fact that OKC won the game and the series is important, but not as important as what the historical significance may end up being. The same sentiment is no doubt being written in sports columns and blog posts all over the country, but it bears repeating: we might be witnessing the birth of a dynasty here.
OKC is the model franchise of the NBA right now. They boast the best group of young homegrown talent in the league, and their 2 biggest stars, Durant and Westbrook, are only 23…yet the Thunder locked them up to longterm contract extensions already, a rarity in today’s age of free agency (Durant is signed through the 2015-2016 season). The other 2 main cogs, Harden and Ibaka, are each only 22.
Considering their respective ages, OKC seems way ahead of schedule. The NBA is traditionally a veterans’ league. Simply put, young teams don’t win NBA championships. In the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons, the Thunder won 20 and then 23 games. The next year OKC won 50 games before getting bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs by the Lakers. Last year, they won 55 games and lost to Dallas in the Conference Finals. This year, they improved their winning percentage once again, and even if they don’t win it all they improved upon last season’s postseason finish already.
That trend suggests that the young Thunder will continue on an upward arc next season, as their core will presumably be intact, and Durant, Westbrook, and company will only continue to get better. Let’s repeat the ages of KD, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka again just to be clear: 23, 23, 22, and 22. The only 2 acquisitions of real consequence GM Sam Presti has made in the last 2 years have been Kendrick Perkins and Derek Fisher. They have given OKC toughness and veteran leadership, but let’s be fair here…the franchise’s future depends on the 4 young studs that I just mentioned.
Presti needs to continue to fill the roster with the right type of complimentary players the next few years, but his most pressing issues are in-house: extending Harden and Ibaka (and to a lesser extent Eric Maynor, who may have been the best backup point guard in the league prior to tearing his ACL this year…Maynor’s injury may have very well driven down his pricetag though, making it easier for the Thunder to resign him). Once thought as a nice complimentary scorer, this year Harden has shown that he might be 1 of the top 15-20 players in the whole league, and he would command major dinero on the open market. Similarly, Ibaka has gone from a player with potential to the type of guy who could see 8 digit per year salary offers as well. Win or lose this year, OKC’s brass will have some important decisions to make regarding Harden and Ibaka given that Durant and Westbrook have already signed contracts for big money. They simply might not be able to afford all of them.
Then again, Harden and Ibaka may follow the lead of Durant (the league’s most unassuming superstar) and Westbrook by choosing to sign with OKC early on. I don’t put it past anyone to simply pick whatever team is offering them the most cash. Money still talks after all…but the guys on this Thunder team genuinely seem to like each other, and maybe for once the chance to make history will outweigh dollars and cents. There is less parody in the NBA than any other league. 5 NBA franchises (Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, Bulls, and Spurs) have won nearly every NBA championships since the inception of the league. If the Thunder win this year and can keep those 4 guys together, they just might add themselves to the list.
OKC is the model franchise of the NBA right now. They boast the best group of young homegrown talent in the league, and their 2 biggest stars, Durant and Westbrook, are only 23…yet the Thunder locked them up to longterm contract extensions already, a rarity in today’s age of free agency (Durant is signed through the 2015-2016 season). The other 2 main cogs, Harden and Ibaka, are each only 22.
Hey NBA, get used to this scene.
Considering their respective ages, OKC seems way ahead of schedule. The NBA is traditionally a veterans’ league. Simply put, young teams don’t win NBA championships. In the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons, the Thunder won 20 and then 23 games. The next year OKC won 50 games before getting bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs by the Lakers. Last year, they won 55 games and lost to Dallas in the Conference Finals. This year, they improved their winning percentage once again, and even if they don’t win it all they improved upon last season’s postseason finish already.
That trend suggests that the young Thunder will continue on an upward arc next season, as their core will presumably be intact, and Durant, Westbrook, and company will only continue to get better. Let’s repeat the ages of KD, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka again just to be clear: 23, 23, 22, and 22. The only 2 acquisitions of real consequence GM Sam Presti has made in the last 2 years have been Kendrick Perkins and Derek Fisher. They have given OKC toughness and veteran leadership, but let’s be fair here…the franchise’s future depends on the 4 young studs that I just mentioned.
Presti needs to continue to fill the roster with the right type of complimentary players the next few years, but his most pressing issues are in-house: extending Harden and Ibaka (and to a lesser extent Eric Maynor, who may have been the best backup point guard in the league prior to tearing his ACL this year…Maynor’s injury may have very well driven down his pricetag though, making it easier for the Thunder to resign him). Once thought as a nice complimentary scorer, this year Harden has shown that he might be 1 of the top 15-20 players in the whole league, and he would command major dinero on the open market. Similarly, Ibaka has gone from a player with potential to the type of guy who could see 8 digit per year salary offers as well. Win or lose this year, OKC’s brass will have some important decisions to make regarding Harden and Ibaka given that Durant and Westbrook have already signed contracts for big money. They simply might not be able to afford all of them.
Then again, Harden and Ibaka may follow the lead of Durant (the league’s most unassuming superstar) and Westbrook by choosing to sign with OKC early on. I don’t put it past anyone to simply pick whatever team is offering them the most cash. Money still talks after all…but the guys on this Thunder team genuinely seem to like each other, and maybe for once the chance to make history will outweigh dollars and cents. There is less parody in the NBA than any other league. 5 NBA franchises (Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, Bulls, and Spurs) have won nearly every NBA championships since the inception of the league. If the Thunder win this year and can keep those 4 guys together, they just might add themselves to the list.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Heat-Celtics, Game 5: A Standing 8 Count For Miami
As I got out of the shower this morning, I was somewhat caught off guard by the 1st thing out of my wife’s mouth. “I’m still mad that the Heat lost last night,” she said. Half-awake as I was, the only thing I could think to mumble back was, “Yea, I know…Boston was just better.” It’s said that there is a lot of truth said in jest, and alcohol is sometimes referred to as “truth serum” as well, but maybe there’s something to a groggy sleep-deprived state removing the filter on your brain/mouth too.
8 days ago, I (and just about everyone else who was paying attention) had left the Celtics for dead. They were down 0-2 to Miami, and their own big 3 looked old, tired, and slow. Not even a herculean effort by Rajon Rondo in game 2 could rescue the C’s. After reeling off 3 straight W’s though, the Celtics look to be in complete control of the series, and Miami (who earlier looked as if they might wrap up this series in a tidy 5 or 6 games) looks like it has no answers.
It’s not really a secret that I have been pulling for the Heat in this series and throughout this postseason. Somewhere along the way, I grew tired of all the hate directed at Miami. Much of the criticism that has followed them the past 2 seasons is a result of their own doing, but they are so overly scrutinized that I have found myself rooting for them to shut everybody up. I also would like to see them advance simply because I would like to continue watching LeBron James (as he would say) “play the game of basketball.” Pick him apart if you want to, but I can’t think of anyone else who can do as many things on the court as LeBron can. Add to that the fact that I have grown tired of the Celtics’ act – KG’s demeanor, Rondo’s antics, and their holier-than-though view of themselves as some kind of greater good fighting against the big, bad anti-Christ of basketball that is the Heat – and I can’t deny that I would like to see Boston go down, and go down hard.
But at this point, that doesn’t seem likely. Watching these games play out, it doesn’t appear that Boston has figured out any magic formula for beating the Heat either. Just as I said to Krissy in my not quite fully functional state this morning, the Celtics just seem to be the better team at the moment. This seems impossible given that Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett all have looked like statues for large portions of this season, that Boston’s top 3 players off the bench this series have been Mickael Pietrus, Greg Stiemsma, and Keyon Dooling, and that the 8th seeded Sixers pushed the Celtics to a game 7 the series before.
Part of the problem for Miami is that their supporting cast is nothing to write home about either though. Wade and LeBron pushed through a subpar shooting night (a combined 21 for 47 from the floor) to score 57 points…the 7 other Miami players that saw court action shot a combined 11 for 35 (31%). The “others” for the Heat were even worse on 3-point attempts (4 for 17), many of which were wide open. A telling stat for Miami this series: James is only averaging 4 assists per game. That partially has to do with Boston’s ability to rotate defensively and close off passing lanes, but it also speaks to a lack of shot making. Also, Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen have been marveling at LeBron James’ ability to play and defend all 5 positions during this series. The fact that he has to do that should say something about Miami’s roster overall though.
However, on a night when Rondo, Allen, and Pierce couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean for much of the game (a combined 11 for 43…Pierce did however step up when it mattered and hit the shot of the game), the Celtics were still able to keep the game close before winning it at the end. Brandon Bass and Pietrus notched 10 and 13 points, respectively, and KG shrugged off a slow start to finish with 26 points on 11 for 20 shooting.
Despite how old the Celtics have looked at times, how thin their bench is, and what their regular season record was, they are still Miami’s nightmare matchup though. I doubt the Heat would have had significant problems dispatching anyone else in the East (including a full Chicago Bulls squad). For example, that same Philly team that gave Boston a scare a round earlier matches up terribly with Miami, but the Celtics have 2 players (Rondo and KG) that the Heat simply don’t have an answer for. If Miami switches Wade or LeBron onto 1 (or both) of them, that’s when Pierce and Allen go to work. With Chalmers and Haslem guarding those 2, Boston worked KG and Rondo in pick-and-rolls on what seemed like 10 straight possessions in the 4th quarter last night, and it was virtually unstoppable.
You could argue that Chris Bosh’s absence would have hurt Miami against any other team, but against Boston I’m not so sure. Yes, he’s a big body that needs to actually be guarded (unlike Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf), but his game is too finesse to give KG problems, and he just always seems a step slow in playing the pick-and-roll or in defensive rotations. His mistakes on that end of the floor aren’t egregious, but they are just enough for a well oiled Celtics team to pick apart. (I don’t want to put too much stock in Bosh’s performance last night, as he played spot duty in his 1st game back from an abdominal strain, but he had a game worst +/- of -12.)
All this may add up to disaster for Miami. The Celtics smell blood, and Boston’s home crowd will be as amped-up as humanly possible for game 6 on Thursday. For Miami to force a game 7, it’s probably going to take another superman effort from James like he had in game 4 against Indy (44 points, 18 boards, and 9 dimes), 2 good halves from Dwyane Wade, and some timely 3’s from the likes of Battier, Chalmers, and Miller. Otherwise, say goodnight, South Beach…the Celtics will be going to the Finals.
"Wut...?"
8 days ago, I (and just about everyone else who was paying attention) had left the Celtics for dead. They were down 0-2 to Miami, and their own big 3 looked old, tired, and slow. Not even a herculean effort by Rajon Rondo in game 2 could rescue the C’s. After reeling off 3 straight W’s though, the Celtics look to be in complete control of the series, and Miami (who earlier looked as if they might wrap up this series in a tidy 5 or 6 games) looks like it has no answers.
It’s not really a secret that I have been pulling for the Heat in this series and throughout this postseason. Somewhere along the way, I grew tired of all the hate directed at Miami. Much of the criticism that has followed them the past 2 seasons is a result of their own doing, but they are so overly scrutinized that I have found myself rooting for them to shut everybody up. I also would like to see them advance simply because I would like to continue watching LeBron James (as he would say) “play the game of basketball.” Pick him apart if you want to, but I can’t think of anyone else who can do as many things on the court as LeBron can. Add to that the fact that I have grown tired of the Celtics’ act – KG’s demeanor, Rondo’s antics, and their holier-than-though view of themselves as some kind of greater good fighting against the big, bad anti-Christ of basketball that is the Heat – and I can’t deny that I would like to see Boston go down, and go down hard.
But at this point, that doesn’t seem likely. Watching these games play out, it doesn’t appear that Boston has figured out any magic formula for beating the Heat either. Just as I said to Krissy in my not quite fully functional state this morning, the Celtics just seem to be the better team at the moment. This seems impossible given that Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett all have looked like statues for large portions of this season, that Boston’s top 3 players off the bench this series have been Mickael Pietrus, Greg Stiemsma, and Keyon Dooling, and that the 8th seeded Sixers pushed the Celtics to a game 7 the series before.
Part of the problem for Miami is that their supporting cast is nothing to write home about either though. Wade and LeBron pushed through a subpar shooting night (a combined 21 for 47 from the floor) to score 57 points…the 7 other Miami players that saw court action shot a combined 11 for 35 (31%). The “others” for the Heat were even worse on 3-point attempts (4 for 17), many of which were wide open. A telling stat for Miami this series: James is only averaging 4 assists per game. That partially has to do with Boston’s ability to rotate defensively and close off passing lanes, but it also speaks to a lack of shot making. Also, Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen have been marveling at LeBron James’ ability to play and defend all 5 positions during this series. The fact that he has to do that should say something about Miami’s roster overall though.
However, on a night when Rondo, Allen, and Pierce couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean for much of the game (a combined 11 for 43…Pierce did however step up when it mattered and hit the shot of the game), the Celtics were still able to keep the game close before winning it at the end. Brandon Bass and Pietrus notched 10 and 13 points, respectively, and KG shrugged off a slow start to finish with 26 points on 11 for 20 shooting.
The "truth" is that the Celts still have Miami's number.
Despite how old the Celtics have looked at times, how thin their bench is, and what their regular season record was, they are still Miami’s nightmare matchup though. I doubt the Heat would have had significant problems dispatching anyone else in the East (including a full Chicago Bulls squad). For example, that same Philly team that gave Boston a scare a round earlier matches up terribly with Miami, but the Celtics have 2 players (Rondo and KG) that the Heat simply don’t have an answer for. If Miami switches Wade or LeBron onto 1 (or both) of them, that’s when Pierce and Allen go to work. With Chalmers and Haslem guarding those 2, Boston worked KG and Rondo in pick-and-rolls on what seemed like 10 straight possessions in the 4th quarter last night, and it was virtually unstoppable.
You could argue that Chris Bosh’s absence would have hurt Miami against any other team, but against Boston I’m not so sure. Yes, he’s a big body that needs to actually be guarded (unlike Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf), but his game is too finesse to give KG problems, and he just always seems a step slow in playing the pick-and-roll or in defensive rotations. His mistakes on that end of the floor aren’t egregious, but they are just enough for a well oiled Celtics team to pick apart. (I don’t want to put too much stock in Bosh’s performance last night, as he played spot duty in his 1st game back from an abdominal strain, but he had a game worst +/- of -12.)
All this may add up to disaster for Miami. The Celtics smell blood, and Boston’s home crowd will be as amped-up as humanly possible for game 6 on Thursday. For Miami to force a game 7, it’s probably going to take another superman effort from James like he had in game 4 against Indy (44 points, 18 boards, and 9 dimes), 2 good halves from Dwyane Wade, and some timely 3’s from the likes of Battier, Chalmers, and Miller. Otherwise, say goodnight, South Beach…the Celtics will be going to the Finals.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Spurs-Thunder, Game 5: Mr. Sandman, Bring Me A Dream
Damn you, NBA Playoffs. Despite having earlier start times, 2 of the last 3 Eastern Conference Finals games (both of which went into OT) have ended almost as late as the games out West. With that being said, it’s hard to turn off the TV and go to bed when you just watched an entire game that has somehow not reached its conclusion yet. What’s a 5 minute extra period anyway? But much to my chagrin, game 5 of the Western Conference Finals ended with me passed out on the couch. It’s funny how the brain works in those situations. When it’s 11:15pm and overtime is starting, it seems like the game is flying by. When it’s 10:15pm and it’s only halftime, resistance against those heavy eyelids seems futile. So, pardon me if I don’t wax as poetically or passionately about the Spurs-Thunder games compared to those of the Heat-Celtics series, but Mr. Sandman came a calling early last night.
From what I can piece together from the parts of the last few games I did watch (and Sportscenter), a couple of things seem perfectly clear though. There’s a reason that despite the long winning streak, the demolition of the Jazz and Clippers, and the impeccable overall play I thought the Spurs were potentially vulnerable against any Western Conference team (and wasn’t counting the Thunder out when they went down 0-2 either). The Spurs share the ball incredibly well, but their offense is still predicated on Manu and Tony Parker getting into the paint. OKC took my advice of showing hard on every pick-and-roll (as if they were actually listening to me…the strategy seemed pretty obvious to a lot of people actually), and this has allowed the Thunder to do a better job of staying home on their individual defensive assignments. What San Antonio wants you to do is help out on Ginobili and Parker’s penetration, leaving shooters open on the perimeter to swing the ball to. OKC’s pick-and-roll defense has kept those 2 out of the lane over the last 3 games for the most part, and the Spurs offense, vaunted as 1 of the greatest of all time only a few days ago, has bogged down. The Thunder will continue to welcome low post isolation plays with Tim Duncan even if he plays as efficiently as game 5 (7 for 10 from the floor for 18 points) because more shots for him means less for everybody else.
Aside from that, OKC’s talent and athleticism has really shown through in their 3 straight wins. As I said before as well, San Antonio plays sound team defense, but this Spurs team doesn’t possess the individual “stoppers” that past Spurs teams have had, and the Thunder are starting to assert their athletic advantage by playing over the top of San Antonio (conversely, the Spurs were a favorite of Steve Smith’s “Under The Rim” plays of the week all year long). Durant and Harden seem to be able to get whatever they want on offense at all times. And even though Russell Westbrook has shot poorly this entire series (under 40% from the field in all 5 games), he has done a better job of getting his teammates involved of late (8.7 assists per game in the last 3 games vs. 6.5 a game in the 1st 2). I wouldn’t put it past the Spurs to force a game 7, but they somehow need to figure out more creative ways to beat the Thunder’s pick-and-roll D. If not, the Thunder will be awaiting the winner of the Miami-Boston series by Wednesday night.
From what I can piece together from the parts of the last few games I did watch (and Sportscenter), a couple of things seem perfectly clear though. There’s a reason that despite the long winning streak, the demolition of the Jazz and Clippers, and the impeccable overall play I thought the Spurs were potentially vulnerable against any Western Conference team (and wasn’t counting the Thunder out when they went down 0-2 either). The Spurs share the ball incredibly well, but their offense is still predicated on Manu and Tony Parker getting into the paint. OKC took my advice of showing hard on every pick-and-roll (as if they were actually listening to me…the strategy seemed pretty obvious to a lot of people actually), and this has allowed the Thunder to do a better job of staying home on their individual defensive assignments. What San Antonio wants you to do is help out on Ginobili and Parker’s penetration, leaving shooters open on the perimeter to swing the ball to. OKC’s pick-and-roll defense has kept those 2 out of the lane over the last 3 games for the most part, and the Spurs offense, vaunted as 1 of the greatest of all time only a few days ago, has bogged down. The Thunder will continue to welcome low post isolation plays with Tim Duncan even if he plays as efficiently as game 5 (7 for 10 from the floor for 18 points) because more shots for him means less for everybody else.
From dominant to doomed: the last 3 games have Coach Popovich searching for answers.
Aside from that, OKC’s talent and athleticism has really shown through in their 3 straight wins. As I said before as well, San Antonio plays sound team defense, but this Spurs team doesn’t possess the individual “stoppers” that past Spurs teams have had, and the Thunder are starting to assert their athletic advantage by playing over the top of San Antonio (conversely, the Spurs were a favorite of Steve Smith’s “Under The Rim” plays of the week all year long). Durant and Harden seem to be able to get whatever they want on offense at all times. And even though Russell Westbrook has shot poorly this entire series (under 40% from the field in all 5 games), he has done a better job of getting his teammates involved of late (8.7 assists per game in the last 3 games vs. 6.5 a game in the 1st 2). I wouldn’t put it past the Spurs to force a game 7, but they somehow need to figure out more creative ways to beat the Thunder’s pick-and-roll D. If not, the Thunder will be awaiting the winner of the Miami-Boston series by Wednesday night.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Heat-Celtics, Game 4: The Obnoxiousness of Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo grows more and more tiresome every time I watch him. Such is the problem with the Celtics in general. If I was a Boston fan, I probably love these guys to death. On a lot of levels, they go right up to that proverbial “line” without actually crossing it. KG’s oversized intensity and constant yapping at opposing players…Pierce’s gyrations, flops, and yelps anytime he goes into the lane…Ray Allen’s, well, I’m not sure. Allen is probably the most squeaky-clean of all the C’s. The worst thing you could probably say about him in terms of annoyance is that he carries himself with a certain sense of superiority, like the stud player from some big fancy private school with their fancy shoes and just-a-little-too-fresh team warm-ups…think the college era JJ Redick persona. In fact, maybe it’s just a kind of swagger that all great sharpshooters have. And I will even allow Allen all this given that, oh I don’t know, he’s only the greatest 3-point shooter of all time. Also, you can find these or similarly annoying traits on players from every other team in the league, so it’s not as if the Celtics are the only guilty party. (Just look at their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals, who is maybe the most hated team of all time.)
But on the court, Rondo comes off as something different altogether. I don’t even know how describe it exactly. Oh wait, I know: a douchebaggery! Numerous reports have surfaced out of Boston over the years that his personality is “difficult” to deal with at times. Why else would Boston have shopped a 26 year old stud point guard for a trade numerous times already? Questions about whether he is emotionally fragile have surfaced a few times over the last couple seasons as well. Things like the Kendrick Perkins trade (who was by all accounts Rondo’s best friend on the team at the time) and President Barack Obama’s jab at his shooting seemed to send Rondo’s play on the court into a tailspin in years past. He’s also shown a penchant for childlike behavior every now and again. Whether it’s chestbumping or throwing a ball at a ref, sneaking into opposing teams’ huddles, or trying to kick someone after he just drew a charge on him, Rondo sometimes resembles a bratty child. After bowling over Shane Battier last night and the subsequent kick attempt at Battier, Rondo chided to referee Joey Crawford after he T-ed him up, “He tripped me!” There was no trip attempt by Battier, and it was clearly just a case of Rondo’s frustrations boiling over, but Rondo looked like a kid lying to his mom about being hit by his big brother 1st when he had just gotten caught red-handed trying to slug said sibling in the face.
On top of all that, Rondo has adopted the KG approach of getting away with any little foul that he can. Garnett is infamous for moving screens and little elbows on every other play that just aren’t quite egregious enough to draw a whistle. I don’t think it should be construed as dirty, but again it’s right on the line. Similarly, Rondo will push off, tug a jersey, or hook with his off arm any chance he has that the refs can’t see. None of that is probably over the line of what’s dirty either, but if someone just hauls-off and decks Rondo during a game 1 day, it’s safe to say he deserves it. I also can’t describe whether or not Rondo would actually be fun to play with. On the 1 hand, he is a superb passer who gets everyone the ball in the spots they like…on the other, he orders teammates around on the court like he’s Peyton Manning. When Rondo is directing traffic, Pierce, Allen, and KG must say to themselves, “Oh my word, just shut the f*** up and pass the ball,” at least 5 times a game…and yet he almost always delivers the ball to the right place on time, so how mad could they possibly get? It’s almost gotten to the point where I have to mute the TV when Boston’s on offense though for fear of hearing Rondo’s pipsqueaky voice calling out audibiles for 20 seconds.
Maybe more than anything though, Rondo just seems a little too sure of himself for my liking, as if he is the greater good fighting opposite the evil empire from South Beach (or whoever else). What Rondo fails to see is that he’s not exactly a beacon of basketball purity himself. After a loss to Miami earlier in the series, he talked about Boston needing to send some of the Heat players to the deck once in a while when they went to the basket. That’s all well and good, but all I could think was wouldn’t it be nice if Udonis Haslem or Shane Battier “sent Rondo to the deck” a couple of times too? After all, it’s not as if Rondo himself is going to be the 1 laying the wood to LeBron or Wade. Before heading into the locker room for halftime last night, Rondo told sideline reporter Doris Burke that the Celtics were capitalizing off of Miami’s “crying about calls” by scoring in transition. Again, Rondo’s candor is somewhat refreshing in this day and age where every question is answered by “we just need to be more aggressive” and “both teams played hard, my man,” and what he said was factually accurate as well, but it was an interesting comment coming from Rondo, who seems to whine about calls as much as anybody. Just go back to game 2 of this series, where during overtime a Dwyane Wade face-chop to Rondo was not called, but Rondo failed to get back down court due to him milking the contact. That resulted in what turned out to be a crucial Haslem dunk in Miami’s overtime win.
All of this is complicated by the fact that Rondo is a once-in-a-generation type player. No, his jumper isn’t going to wow you on most nights like it did during game 2 in Miami, but he is an elite defender, passer, and team orchestrator. He doesn’t have Rose’s or Russell Westbrook’s explosiveness, but he as that same kind of slithery ability when working his way to the basket that those 2 have as well. He is the type of talent that makes you draw a blank when trying to think of someone else like him. His 15 and 15 game last night in Boston’s series tying 93-91 victory over Miami speaks for itself. All of that is true, and yet so is this: he’s a punk.
But on the court, Rondo comes off as something different altogether. I don’t even know how describe it exactly. Oh wait, I know: a douchebaggery! Numerous reports have surfaced out of Boston over the years that his personality is “difficult” to deal with at times. Why else would Boston have shopped a 26 year old stud point guard for a trade numerous times already? Questions about whether he is emotionally fragile have surfaced a few times over the last couple seasons as well. Things like the Kendrick Perkins trade (who was by all accounts Rondo’s best friend on the team at the time) and President Barack Obama’s jab at his shooting seemed to send Rondo’s play on the court into a tailspin in years past. He’s also shown a penchant for childlike behavior every now and again. Whether it’s chestbumping or throwing a ball at a ref, sneaking into opposing teams’ huddles, or trying to kick someone after he just drew a charge on him, Rondo sometimes resembles a bratty child. After bowling over Shane Battier last night and the subsequent kick attempt at Battier, Rondo chided to referee Joey Crawford after he T-ed him up, “He tripped me!” There was no trip attempt by Battier, and it was clearly just a case of Rondo’s frustrations boiling over, but Rondo looked like a kid lying to his mom about being hit by his big brother 1st when he had just gotten caught red-handed trying to slug said sibling in the face.
"He hit me 1st, Mommy! I swear!"
On top of all that, Rondo has adopted the KG approach of getting away with any little foul that he can. Garnett is infamous for moving screens and little elbows on every other play that just aren’t quite egregious enough to draw a whistle. I don’t think it should be construed as dirty, but again it’s right on the line. Similarly, Rondo will push off, tug a jersey, or hook with his off arm any chance he has that the refs can’t see. None of that is probably over the line of what’s dirty either, but if someone just hauls-off and decks Rondo during a game 1 day, it’s safe to say he deserves it. I also can’t describe whether or not Rondo would actually be fun to play with. On the 1 hand, he is a superb passer who gets everyone the ball in the spots they like…on the other, he orders teammates around on the court like he’s Peyton Manning. When Rondo is directing traffic, Pierce, Allen, and KG must say to themselves, “Oh my word, just shut the f*** up and pass the ball,” at least 5 times a game…and yet he almost always delivers the ball to the right place on time, so how mad could they possibly get? It’s almost gotten to the point where I have to mute the TV when Boston’s on offense though for fear of hearing Rondo’s pipsqueaky voice calling out audibiles for 20 seconds.
Maybe more than anything though, Rondo just seems a little too sure of himself for my liking, as if he is the greater good fighting opposite the evil empire from South Beach (or whoever else). What Rondo fails to see is that he’s not exactly a beacon of basketball purity himself. After a loss to Miami earlier in the series, he talked about Boston needing to send some of the Heat players to the deck once in a while when they went to the basket. That’s all well and good, but all I could think was wouldn’t it be nice if Udonis Haslem or Shane Battier “sent Rondo to the deck” a couple of times too? After all, it’s not as if Rondo himself is going to be the 1 laying the wood to LeBron or Wade. Before heading into the locker room for halftime last night, Rondo told sideline reporter Doris Burke that the Celtics were capitalizing off of Miami’s “crying about calls” by scoring in transition. Again, Rondo’s candor is somewhat refreshing in this day and age where every question is answered by “we just need to be more aggressive” and “both teams played hard, my man,” and what he said was factually accurate as well, but it was an interesting comment coming from Rondo, who seems to whine about calls as much as anybody. Just go back to game 2 of this series, where during overtime a Dwyane Wade face-chop to Rondo was not called, but Rondo failed to get back down court due to him milking the contact. That resulted in what turned out to be a crucial Haslem dunk in Miami’s overtime win.
Rondo's greatness is only outweighed by his obnoxiousness.
All of this is complicated by the fact that Rondo is a once-in-a-generation type player. No, his jumper isn’t going to wow you on most nights like it did during game 2 in Miami, but he is an elite defender, passer, and team orchestrator. He doesn’t have Rose’s or Russell Westbrook’s explosiveness, but he as that same kind of slithery ability when working his way to the basket that those 2 have as well. He is the type of talent that makes you draw a blank when trying to think of someone else like him. His 15 and 15 game last night in Boston’s series tying 93-91 victory over Miami speaks for itself. All of that is true, and yet so is this: he’s a punk.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)