Dr. Hoops

The Draft is Here!

2008-06-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Finally the NBA Draft is about to start. There has been so much hype and discussion that I feel like I've been waiting forever for it happen.

Notable Pre-Draft Trades

RJ to the Bucks for Bobby Simmons and The Chairman

Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors for TJ Ford, Nesterovic, and the 17th pick

In honor of one of the best days of the NBA season I will do another running diary. I expect to at least get through the lottery, maybe the entire 1st round. I will be doing a cliche counter at least including the cliches - upside and any variations (i.e - tremendous upside potential), long or length, ball-friendly (lol), blow-by ability, high motor etc.

4:o3 PM - The draft starts in about 30 minutes. The main analysts are Stuart Scott, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Jay Bilas. Should be entertaining. And of course Dick Vitale will be commenting from time to time. Did Bilas just call it a "diaper draft"? May the cliches begin

4:05 PM - Andy Katz reports the Bulls will take Derrick Rose - no big surpise there.

4:10 PM - All the analysts say Miami has to take Beasley (Bilas - His arms extend beyond normal limits) instead of Mayo or trade the pick

4:12 PM - Dick Vitale is unusually calm (for him) when talking about Beasley. He is worried about the temptation of South Beach but agrees he is a good fit in Miami. I hope he gets more excited when the draft starts.

4:14 PM - Journey to the Center of the Earth looks incredibly cheesy. A cell phone getting service? C'mon now. Looks like they are ruining a great book.

4:17 PM - Stephen A. Smith interviews Beasley and manages not to yell or get hype. What the hell is going on?

4:2o PM - Knick fans are booing Gallinari just when Stuart Scott is talking about him. I really hope the Knicks draft him, it could get very ugly.

4:24 PM - Colleen Dominguez reports that it looks unlikely the Sonics will trade the #4 pick

4:31 PM - David Stern is talking and the draft is finally starting. I really don't care what he has to say. Just start the damn draft! Bulls on the clock (5 mins max)

4:34 PM - All the analysts say the Bulls have to fit the team around Rose, not the other way around. The Bulls have a logjam at guard although none of them are all-star quality except Rose in the future

4:36 PM - Still don't understand the Del Negro hiring, probably never will

4:38 PM - Bulls take Rose as expected. Beasley has a fake smile on his face. Rose is nicknamed "Pooh". I'll avoid any corny joke. Heat on the clock. According to Bilas Rose "can dunk with his elbows" - sounds retarded but I know what he meant....I think

4:42 PM - Heat select Michael Beasley. Looks like they're not idiots after all. Mayo looks a little perplexed. I wonder if the Heat are still working on a trade to move Beasley.

4:45 PM - All the analysts are praising Michael Beastly. Somehow they are avoiding a lot of cliches but Bilas busted out his beyond normal limits line again

4:47 PM - Bulls GM Paxson is saying Rose is going to have to earn what he gets. He better start over Hinrich.

4:49 PM - T'Wolves select OJ Mayo. Not really surprising. He doesn't look that happy. I wouldn't be. Sonics on the clock. Mayo is wearing some wild outfit. Ugly shoes and it looks like a striped polo under his suit jacket and vest lol.

4:53 PM - Riley supposedly loves Beasley now. Don't know if he's just trying to increase his trade value or if they really were just BS'ing

4:55 PM - Sonics select Westbrook. 1st real surprise of the draft. This is higher than most people expected him to go. The Sonics were unsuccessful in trading down but I guess they just really wanted Westbrook

4:57 PM - Durant appears happy about the Westbrook pick

5:01 PM - Grizzlies want some Love in their club and select Kevin Love. I'm not that high on this pick but it wasn't unexpected. Bilas has a man-crush on him apparently.

5:03 PM - explosion ability? is that somehow different from explosiveness? they are attaching ability to anything and everything. That's going to be added to the cliche counter

5:07 PM - Let the booing commence. Knicks select Gallinari. He is booed instantly. My boy Gary wonders "if that translates into Italian". One of these days I gotta make it to the draft. Gallinari is supposedly solid but Knicks fans are just going to boo because of the Frederic Weis disaster (yes that Frederic Weis)

5:10 PM - SAS interviews Gallinari and he is still getting booed. And SAS keeps mentioning it. This is hilarious. ESPN SN fan grade of F for the pick.

5:12 PM - Clippers select Gordon over Bayless. Doesn't make much sense considering they need a PG and Gordon lacks handle. And who knows how good Livingston is going to be when he finally comes back.

5:14 PM - The analysts think this is a good pick even though the Clips need a PG and they can play Maggette/Mobley at the 2. Gordon looks like he has cut down on the cheeseburgers.

5:16 PM - Knicks GM Donnie Walsh is getting booed as he is being interviewed. I think it's safe to say the Knick fans don't like the pick

5:18 PM - Bucks select Joe Alexander. I know they were high on him but it seems unnecessary because they just traded for Jefferson today. Bilas really loves him. Mentioned his athleticism like 80 times in 3 seconds. Supposedly it's "freakish". Buck fans prepare to get freaked

5:24 PM - Jackson thinks the Bobcats are solid across the board. I have to disagree. They really need a 5. Bobcats select DJ Augustin! MJ screws up again. They needed a big man and they draft a PG who's going to be a back-up to Felton (unless they go super small or trade Wallace)

5:26 PM - Brook Lopez looks like he is about to cry. Man up homie

5:29 PM - All the analysts say the Nets MUST draft Lopez because they need a big man badly...and they do. Solid pick.

5:32 - Jackson is hilarious. He says that Vince Carter was the Nets' best post player last year and he's a perimeter player. lol

5:33 - The Lopez twins' voices crack me up. They sound so funny IMO. They are so goofy

5:35 - Pacers select Bayless. Not sure if they are going to start Bayless and Ford or Bayless and Tinsley or bring him off the bench. Bayless doesn't look happy. I wouldn't be either. He was rumored to go 4 to Seattle and now goes 11 to the Indy.

5:39 PM - Euro 2008 plug. Germany vs Spain for the final. Should be a great game

5:41 PM - The Kings select Jason Thompson?! He's not even at the draft. Bilas says he is just "solid, not spectacular". Called him solid about 50 times. I don't remember Thompson being rated this high. King fans give the pick a strong F. Mark Jackson says "it's very surprising they draft a big man out of Rider?!". My boy Sol -"SAC must know something we don't, like they are going to be folding in a few years"

5:47 PM - Blazers select Brandon Rush. Very solid pick for them. Perfect role player who can shoot and defend multiple swing positions. The Blazers are on their way back to getting beat by the Lakers in the playoffs like the good ol' times.

5:49 PM - Stuart Scott simply asks Katz "Why Thompson?" I'm wondering the same thing

5:51 PM - The W's select Anthony Randolph. He has TUP. He seems like a good fit because of the Warriors up-tempo style. Bilas says he is "painfully skinny" and "makes Brandan Wright look like Mr. America". The lottery is finished

5:54 PM - Randolph is very defiant and defensive about being painfully skinny. He is not lacking for confidence.

5:57 PM - The Suns select Robin Lopez. A little surprising but they do need a defensive big man. His hat does not fit at all on his sideshow Bob haircut.

5:59 PM - The Lopez twins' mother acts just as goofy as them.

6:03 PM - Sixers select Marreese Speights. Seems like a solid pick for them. They need a talented big man. No qualms from the analysts about the pick.

6:07 PM - Since the lottery is finished the draft is starting to get less interesting

6:08 PM - Raptors select Roy Hibbert for the Pacers. They need a center but I'm not sure Hibbert "The Big Stiff" is the answer.

6:13 PM - Wizards select JaVale McGee. Don't know much about him. Bilas says "his arms go forever"

6:15 PM - Breaking news. Blazers trade Rush (their new pick) and Jack to Indiana for Bayless and Ike Diogu. I really like the trade for the Blazers. Rush gets to play with his brother Kareem in Indy. Don't know if that's good or bad

6:20 PM - Jackson tells Arthur to get a new piece of gum and enjoy being the last person at the draft not to be drafted yet

6:21 PM - Cavs select JJ Hickson. He is strong, powerful, and explosive according to Bilas. I've seen him play I think and don't remember anything special but we are getting late into the 1st round.

6:25 PM - Bobcats select Alexis Ajinca. They needed a big man and they went international (France). He is lacking strength but is very long (7'8 wingspan). Fran Fraschilla - "He was unstoppable in those 1-on-0 workouts" haha. Is he another Yi?

6:29 PM - More news on the Pacers-Blazers trade. Josh McRoberts is also going to Indy. Bayless looks a lot happier to be going to the Blazers instead of the Pacers.

6:33 PM - Nets select Ryan Anderson. He was pretty solid in the Pac-10 (20 and 10). He's tall and can shoot. I think it's a good pick

6:38 PM - Magic select Courtney Lee. They could use another guard but this seems a little high. He is a "strong player with a strong build". JVG just bangs on his brother (coach of the Magic) talking about how he's at the buffet line.

6:42 PM - The Jazz need backcourt help according to the analysts. I agree

6:43 PM - But the Jazz apparently don't...they select Kosta Koufos. Bilas loves the pick even though Koufos has a lot of different things to improve on (according to him)

6:48 PM - Sonics select Serge Ibaka. The Sonics are back to drafting international big men. This is one of the those "stash away" pick.

6:52 PM - Stan Van Gundy says he wanted to eat so he doesn't even know who they picked lol.

6:54 PM - 25th pick. Bout to dip to go hoop. Hopefully the Rockets mess up this pick hahaha. Rockets select Nicolas Batum. He gets compared to Rudy Gay. They show a nice move where he dunks on someone.

10:00 PM - Had to dip but there was a big trade. Minnesota trades OJ Mayo, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric, and Greg Buckner to Memphis for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, and Brian Cardinal's terrible contract. Also, the cliche counter was a failure as the usual cliches were missing. Bilas had come classic lines but he even admitted that he went through the entire draft w/o saying long or upside.

For a quick wrap-up I just have to say I hope the Lakers win a few titles before the Blazers' youngcore (Roy, Oden, Aldridge, Bayless) enter their primes. But seriously I grade them as the winner of today. They're adding two lottery picks (yes Oden counts) to their already young and promising core. My boy says "pritchard [their GM] is a serial rapist"

The Draft

2008-06-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Fakers' embarrassing showing in the Finals will not be detailed. They were a joke and I expect a lot more from them next year.

Moving onto the draft....

This is shaping up as one of the more interesting drafts the NBA will have in recent years. There is a lot of talent available at the top of the draft (Beasley, Rose, Mayo, Bayless, Gordon, etc.) and even though the draft is Thursday it's still not clear who is going to land where.

Chad Ford on ESPN is up to his 6th! mock draft and Hollinger is back with his complicated statistical formulas and methods. He even has separate formulas for big men and perimeter players.

With so many teams talking about trading up or down I'm not even going to attempt to do a mock draft or anything like that.

Here are the 5 players I think will have the best pro careers

1. Beasley - he has so much talent and although he is a joker and a goofball from what I've seen he does work pretty hard. With giant post up big men in decline and the league becoming more up-tempo Beasley has the potential to be a dominant 4 in this league.

2. Rose - He has great size and athleticism for a point guard. He seems to have great court vision and his size and athletic ability also will allow him to be a capable defender at worst.

3. Bayless - He is quick and has great range. There are some questions about his size and his ability to the run the point but even with the rise of some great PG's it's not really necessary to be a "pure" point guard anymore. The ability to score is sometimes even more important than the ability to set other people up.

4. Mayo - He has an "NBA" body whatever that means haha. Seriously he does have good size and decent shooting ability. He didn't live up to the immense hype he had coming into college and at times he seemed turnover prone and unable or unwilling to take over when his team needed him to.

5. Gordon - He is really only placed here by default. I'm not that high on him but I don't see Love, Westbrook, Galinari (or however you spell that Italian dude's name) etc. being better. It does seem like he is a few cheeseburgers away from being out of shape. But he is a pretty good finisher due to his size and quickness and he basically has unlimited range.

Really the only things that seem sure about the draft are

- Rose or Beasley will go #1 to Chicago
- Miami will def take Rose if he falls to them. If Beasley falls they will take him or trade the pick
- Mayo will land somewhere in the top 5.

I'm excited for the draft and might do a running diary for the first part (I have a league bball game that night)

The Finals!

2008-06-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

So the Finals matchup that everyone (well not everyone) wanted is going to happen. The Los Angeles Lakers versus The Boston Celtics. I can't imagine how happy David Stern is right now. These two teams are the marquee NBA franchises as they have 30 of the 61 NBA titles - Boston with 16 and Los Angeles with 14. They have had some classic battles in the playoffs and boast some of the greatest players of all-time - Russell, Bird, Chamberlain, Magic, Kareem, West, McHale...the list could go on and on. But none of that history matters now. The only things that matter are how the teams have played so far in the playoffs and how they match up against each other.

Los Angeles Lakers (12-3 in the playoffs, +6.4 differential)

The Lakers have simply been dominant these playoffs. They have only lost 3 games in rolling through what was supposed to be one of the toughest Western Conferences ever. They swept Denver easily, took Utah's best shot and closed them out in 6, and finished off the defending champs in 5. They have won in many different fashions. They have come back from big early deficits, they have led wire-to-wire in solid victories, they have blown teams out, and they have held off teams. They have won the high-scoring up and down games and they have won the slow-down slug fests. Although they are a young team they do have veteran championship leadership and a coach with 9 rings. They also have the best player in basketball. Kobe is on a mission and playing some of the best basketball of his career. The Lakers have had the best and most diverse offense in the playoffs. And their large frontline and overall team length and quickness has allowed them to play solid defense. The only thing the team seems to be lacking is a physical 5 man who's job is to rebound and play defense (and no DJ Mbenga doesn't count).

Boston Celtics (12-8, +4.3)

The Boston Celtics have been an enigma these playoffs. They looked very vulnerable in their first two series - dragged to 7 games by both Atlanta and Cleveland. Then after they lost Game 2 at home to Detroit they looked very vulnerable because their home dominance had ended and they still had yet to win a game on the road. Then they went a played their best game of the playoffs and won Game 3 in Detroit and ended up winning Game 6 there as well to finish the series. They looked a lot better against Detroit than they did the first two series but I still think they have a lot of flaws. Simply put, they are an average offense at best. It is rare when the Big 3 click at the same time and they have some offensive droughts at time. Also, it seems that Doc still doesn't know what his best rotation said. All in all, they only need 4 more wins for a title and they have home-court advantage to try to do it.

Match-Ups

PG - Fisher vs Rondo

I think the old man gets the advantage over the young guy. Fisher has championship experience and is very smart. Rondo has an obvious quickness advantage but if Fish can do a decent job on Tony P I'm sure Rondo won't cause too many problems. Also, Rondo likes to roam on defense sometimes which can be problematic b/c Fisher can and will knock down open jumpers

Solid Edge - Lakers

SG - Kobe vs Ray Ray

Even with Ray Allen starting to come back to life this match-up still isn't close. Kobe is MVP and the best player in the league and Allen hasn't played at an all-star level in these playoffs. Allen is going to need a lot of help to guard him. As long as Kobe doesn't roam too much he should be able to do a decent job on Allen.

Significant Edge - Lakers

SF - Vlad Rad vs Pierce

Another easy match-up to call. Pierce is an all-star and Vlad wouldn't even be starting if the Lakers were healthy. Pierce has gone off at times in the playoffs but Vlad's length (6'10) and decent quickness should allow him to not get abused too badly as long as he has some help. If Pierce loses focus Vlad will knock down open shots.

Significant Edge - Celtics

PF - LO (Dey Know Dey Know) vs The Big Ticket

It's good that KG doesn't like to dominate down low a lot because I'm not sure if Odom could handle him down there consistently. Still KG is a fierce competitor who is a great defender and rebounder and he could cause some problems for Odom.

Significant Edge - Celtics

C - Pauuuu vs Perkins

Perkins has played better recently but it's clear he's no Gasol. This is another match-up that's not close. KG might have to switch onto Gasol because he might be too quick and long for KP. I'm not sure if Perkins is going to be able to handle all the things Gasol can do out of the high post. Perkins should able to have some decent rebounding games as he is more physical than Gasol.

Significant Edge - Lakers

Bench - Farmar, The Machine, Turiaf, Luuuuke vs Posey, PJ Brown, Eddie House, Sam I Am

The Lakers' superior depth is one of the primary reasons a lot of people are picking them over the Celtics. IMO their bench is significantly stronger. They have much better guards coming off the bench and they have comparable big men.

Significant Edge - Lakers

Coach - Phil vs Doc

9 rings versus 1st finals appearance. Calmness and strength vs not having a set playoff rotation. I don't think I need to delve into this match-up much.

Significant Edge - Lakers

Given that the Lakers have edges at 3 out of the 5 positions, the bench, and the coach I would be surprised if they didn't win this series. Given that they have the best player in the league in Kobe I would be surprised if this series went 7. Lakers in 6

Lakers Back to the Finals!

2008-05-29T21:46:00.001-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2004. They beat the Spurs 100-92 to win the series in 5 games. It was a pretty entertaining game with the Lakers coming back from a 17 point deficit in the 2nd quarter and pulling away from the Spurs late in the fourth quarter. Kobe was the hero of the game with 39 points including 17 in the 4th. He now has a chance to win a title as the unquestioned best player on the Lakers and to give the Lakers their 15th title in 29 finals appearances.

Their opponent has yet TBD as the Celtics lead the Pistons 3-2. I would much rather face the Celtics because of the history between the franchises but more importantly the matchup. The Celtics don't have anyone to slow down Kobe and don't have enough offensive weapons to keep up with the LakeShow. IMO the Pistons would pose more problems but the Lakers would still win.

Right now the opponent doesn't matter, it's a time for celebration for all fellow my laker fans.

Cardiac Arrest...

2008-05-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

That's what the Lakers almost gave Laker fans all over the country tonight. After racing out to a 22-8 lead early the Lakers managed to hold off the Spurs for a 93-91 victory to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

In case you missed the ending and haven't seen highlights here's what happened in the final minute.

- Lakers are up 93-86 and Pau Gasol grabs a rebound and gets fouled. Game seems basically over
- Gasol misses BOTH free throws
- Manu hits a 3 and cuts the lead to 93-89
- Kobe loses his mind momentarily and takes a rushed shot when the Lakers just needed to milk the clock and wait to be fouled and misses
- Spurs rebound and Parker gets out on the break and LO goaltends his lay-up attempt. 93-91
- With about a 5 second differential between the shot clock and the game clock the Spurs decide not to foul and Fisher and Kobe miss jumpers and the Spurs get the rebound with 2 secs left
- They inbound the ball to BRENT BARRY?! and he goes one-on-one against Fisher beyond the 3 point line. He pump fakes, gets Fisher to jump in the air and come down on him but dribbles to the side and takes a deep 3 that misses badly. Game Over

There's some controversy because Fisher looked like he fouled Barry. But Barry didn't sell the foul at all which is especially important at the end of games where refs swallow their whistles. Anyway Fisher's shot with 5 seconds left looked like it grazed the rim which would have reset the shot clock and led to the Spurs having to foul the Lakers and Kobe making free throws to ice the game. And when it comes down to it when you run the most important play of the season so far for Brent Barry you deserve to lose

Western Conference Finals

2008-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Lakers (4-2 over Jazz) vs San Antonio Spurs (4-3 over Hornets)

A Rivalry Renewed....

These two franchises have locked horns more than a few times in the playoffs over the past 10 years. The Spurs swept the Lakers before the Lakers went on their three-peat run where they beat the Spurs in their last two championship runs. The Spurs then ended the Lakers three-peat and then Lakers returned the favor and prevented the Spurs from repeating the following year. Although many of the faces have changed the teams still know each other very well and it should be a great great series. I get chills thinking about all the memorable moments between these teams

The Lakers have yet to be seriously challenged in the playoffs. They swept a Denver team who didn't really show up and then took Utah's best shot without being seriously challenged. I think the physicality and offensive precision of Utah will have the Lakers ready for the tough veteran Spurs.

The Spurs dispatched the Suns rather easily in the 1st round and then were dragged to the limit by the pesky young Hornets. The Spurs have showed they can win high-scoring or low-scoring games which the Lakers have not shown yet. The Hornets' quickness and athleticism will prepare them for the Lakers.

Key Questions
- will Kobe continue to trust his teammates after they go through some struggles against a good defensive team? Bowen and Udoka are solid individual defenders and Duncan is still a great help defender. Kobe has to play very smart this series. He has had a great playoff run so far but he can't get stubborn especially if his back flares up

- will the Lakers be able to rebound better? The Jazz pushed around the Lakers a little bit but they were able to overcome that because of great offense and solid defense. They shouldn't count on the same happening against the Spurs if they don't rebound better

- will the Spurs be able to score enough points? The Spurs are not a great offensive team especially if you can run them off the 3 point line. The Lakers are not a great defensive team but they are quick and long which can cause the Spurs problems. Vlad, Odom, and Gasol is a very long frontline. Also if the Spurs let the Lakers speed it up at all then this will be a quick series

Prediction
This should be a wonderful and entertaining series. With what has happened the first two rounds I think everyone would agree these are the two best teams in the West. The Spurs may have the pedigree and experience but I think the Lakers will ultimately take this series because they are more versatile offensively, they have the MVP and most talented player in the league, and a better bench. Kobe is so determined to show he can win without Shaq and now that he has legit weapons around him he is nearly unstoppable. Lakers in 7

Eastern Conference Finals

2008-05-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Boston Celtics (4-3 over Cleveland) vs Detroit Pistons (4-1 over Orlando)

This is the Eastern conference final everyone expected at the beginning of the playoffs and although both teams had some bumps on the road (Boston more than Detroit) they both made it for what should be a showdown series. Boston has the Big 2 and Ray Allen's expiring contract and the Pistons still have one of the strongest starting 5's in the league.

The Pistons played around with the Sixers in the 1st round but once they became serious they rolled and won in six. The Pistons knew the Magic were a bigger threat and took them serious from the get-go and won the series in 5 even with Billups missing most of Game 3 and all of Games 4 and 5. The Pistons are rolling right now and they will thrive in their underdog role against the Celtics.

The Celtics faced a minor scare against the Hawks in round 1. Although they were dragged to 7 games they were never challenged at home and won Game 7 by 34. Against Cleveland they were really tested and could have easily lost Games 1, 5, and 7 at home. They survived LeBron in a classic Game 7 but now look very vulnerable. And they still haven't won a road game.

I believe there a few reasons why the Pistons will win this series.

- Ray Allen is simply terrible and with his decline the Pistons have clear advantages at PG and SG and a decent advantage at C (Maxiell over Perkins).

- Although KG and Paul Pierce are better overall players than Sheed and Tayshaun both of those players have the ability and experience to keep those matchups relatively even

- Boston hasn't shown they can win on the road in the postseason and they were very vulnerable at home against Cleveland

Those 3 points along with my overall disappointment with Boston's performance during these playoffs lead me to believe Pistons in 6

Tonight's Game 7 prediction - My heart says the Hornets (because I hate the Spurs and I think the Hornets are a better matchup for the LakeShow) but my head says the defending champs will find a way to prevail. The Hornets are the better overall team but the Spurs' Big 3 is great and stars win Game 7's. Tonight should be great though.

after the game 5's

2008-05-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Eastern Conference

Pistons beat Magic 4-1

The Pistons won another close game against the Magic. The Pistons made the plays down the stretch and the Magic simply didn't. The Magic put up good fights in Games 2-5 but they simply weren't good enough to take advantage of Billups missing most of Game 3 and all of Games 4 and 5. If the Magic make some tweaks to their roster they will be a force for years to come.

Celtics lead Cavs 3-2

Nothing too surprising happened in Game 5 if you consider the regular season but if you consider what happened in the 1st four games then a lot of crazy things happened - LeBron dropped 23 in the 1st half and 35 for the game, KG had a beast game with 26 and 16 and actually showed up in the 4th qtr, Doc pulled the plug on Sam I Am early and Rondo flourished (20 and 13 dimes). I was glad to see a relatively well played game. With their continued road struggles I don't think the Celtics will win in Cleveland but they will handle them at home in Game 7.

Western Conference

Lakers lead Jazz 3-2

This has been the most entertaining series of the 2nd round so far and that continued in Game 5. This game was highly entertaining with Utah continually tying the score but never being able to take the lead. They were within 1 point in the final minute but couldn't make enough plays to win. As Barkley said on Inside the NBA, the Lakers might have the real big 3 - Kobe (26, 6, and 7), Pauuuu (21, 6, and 8) and LO (22, 11, and 1). The Lakers will be hard pressed to win Game 6 in Utah but if the players around Kobe step up on the road like they do at home then they will have a very good chance to close the series out. Because Kobe's back is hurting I give Utah the edge at home and expect the Lakers to take the series in 7 like originally predicted.

Hornets lead Spurs 3-2

Nothing changed in Game 5. The home team is down at halftime but the home team dominates the 3rd quarter and ends up winning by double digits. David West had a career game (36 and 14) and if the Spurs want to avoid putting Duncan on him then he is going to keep beasting (at least in NO) and the Hornets will win this series. I'm very surprised that a veteran team like the Spurs repeatedly gives up leads but maybe NO is just slightly better. The Spurs will win Game 6 but I will be watching it closely to see HOW they win Game 6. I still think they can win in NO and if they dominate Game 6 from the start that will only increase that belief.

after all the game 4's

2008-05-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 4. Utah Jazz - tied 2-2

This series has gone pretty much to form so far. Many experts predicted a long series and this series is now guaranteed to go 6 games. The Lakers weren't really threatened in the 1st 2 games and the Jazz held off the Lakers in their 2 home games. The Lakers really should be up 3-1 but Kobe's injury and bad execution hurt them in Game 4. The Lakers may have some pressure on them to win Game 5 but the Jazz really haven't showed that they can win on the road in LA. Kobe says his back is fine and he has an extra day of rest before Game 5. I still see the Lakers winning this series.

2. New Orleans Hornets vs. 3. San Antonio Spurs - tied 2-2

This series has been filled with double digit victories. New Orleans looked unstoppable at home in Games 1 and 2 and then the Spurs looked unstoppable at home in Games 3 and 4. Duncan looked better Games 3 and 4 and maybe the fever was the primary cause of his struggles in the first two games. The Spurs have decided to let Chris Paul get his and try to stop the other Hornets. Bowen is now guarding Peja instead of CP3 and it is slowing Peja down. The Hornets were unable to run in San Antonio. I think the Hornets bounce back in Game 5 but the Spurs may win in 7.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics vs 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - tied 2-2

Man what an ugly series. Boston hasn't cracked 90 points in any game and Cleveland has only once. LeBron James is shooting 25% in the series but the Cavs are somehow tied with the Celtics...and that is because the Celtics apparently cannot win on the road (0-5 in the playoffs). If I was a Celtics fan I would be a little worried. The Cavs almost stole Game 1 in Boston and they've obviously showed they can win at home with ease. Boston's supposed Big 3 isn't playing that well and I would worry about KG (0 pts!) and Ray Ray disappearing in the fourth quarter in Game 4. I still give Boston the edge because of how they play at home but they need to stop messing around.

2. Detroit Pistons vs. 3. Orlando Magic - Pistons lead 3-1

The Magic have to really be kicking themselves. They didn't execute at the end of Game 2 and they were screwed at the end of the third quarter during that game. They blew a 15 pt lead and again didn't execute at the end of Game 4 even though the Pistons were missing Chauncey Billups. Now, Jameer Nelson is guaranteeing a Game 5 victory in Detroit which makes no sense since they just lost to them at home. Pistons win Game 5. This series is over.

Celtics-Cavs Prediction

2008-05-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

1. Boston Celtics (4-3 vs Hawks) vs. 4. Cleveland Cavs (4-2 vs Wizards)

On paper this should be a mismatch. Boston was 66-16 with a +10.3 point differential while Cleveland was 45-37 with a -0.4 point differential. In reality, this series should be competitive. Boston was taken to a Game 7 by Atlanta which no one expected. Cleveland handled a injury-riddled Washington team in 6 games after playing mediocre to end the season.

Key points IMO

- Cleveland is not as nearly as athletic as Atlanta is. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, and Josh Childress are all good or great athletes and they caused problems for Boston. LeBron is probably the best athlete in the league but the Cavs don't have many other athletes.

- Boston plays great team defense and they are a much better defensive team than Washington. The '07 Cavs (who were a better team then this year) got swept by a great defensive team in the Spurs in the finals.

- Some people are doubting the Celtics because they didn't win a road game against a 37 win team and they had trouble closing games. Since they have home-court advantage they don't have to win a road game especially since they've been untouchable at home. I think Boston will be ready for close games now that they've been woken up by Atlanta.

I have a hard time believing Cleveland can win in Boston and I think Boston can and will win a road game in this series. They were great on the road during the season (31-10). I don't feel great going against LeBron but the Celtics are simply too dominant.Lebron will cause problems in close games but I don't think most of the games will be close. Boston in 6

Celtics-Hawks

2008-05-04T09:33:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of potentially the greatest upset in NBA history and the only Game 7 of the 1st round and inspired by Bill Simmons I decided to do a running diary of Game 7 of the Celtics vs Hawks.

9:38 AM - I am watching the pre-game show and really hoping for a close game. It would be great if the Hawks win but I also want to see how the Celtics perform under ultimate pressure.

9:40 AM - They showed a quick highlight of Bird vs Dominique in '88. I'm not expecting anything of that nature today but it would be GREAT if anything close to that happened

9:43 AM - ABC brought out the big guns of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson for the game. I'm glad that I won't have to listen to some whack announcers.

9:48 AM - Experience and history are on the Celtics side but once the tip off happens none of that matters.

9:52 AM - None of the analysts want to go out on a limb and pick the Hawks. I wouldn't either because the Celtics are going to win. They are the better team and they are playing at home. I don't think the Hawks will be able to keep it close. They've been blown out in the 3 games up there.

9:56 AM - The intros to NBA games are terrible now. We don't want to hear rock music, we want to great theme songs like the NBA on NBC.

10:00 AM - Why are the Celtics coming out to the instrumental of Ayo Technology? That can't be a good sign

10:04 AM - Tip Off. Let's go Let's go! JJ bangs home a 3 for the first bucket. Good sign for the Hawks

10:06 AM - Mike Bibby is still getting booed for calling Celtics fans bandwagon fans

10:09 AM - 10-5 Boston. The Celtics have come out with a lot of energy and the crowd is hype. Timeout ATL. They need to get better shots (2-8)

10:10 AM - The new LeBron Vitamin Water commercial is stupid and def not as funny as some of the others

10:13 AM - Wild miss by Marvin Williams. I can't tell how injured he is. Josh Childress is going to have to be big off the bench.

10:16 AM - 16-8 Boston. The Celtics look like the hungry young team. They are dominating the boards and getting all the loose balls. Not looking good early for Hotlanta

10:19 AM - Bibby w/ a nice drive to the basket. The Hawks need the old Bibby who used to kill the Lakers to show up today.

10:20 AM - Zaza Pachulia might be the most hated person in Boston outside of Hank Steinbrenner

10:21 AM - 20-10 Boston. Kendrick Perkins is playing like he's Andrew Bynum. This game could be over early.

10:24 AM - Coors Light has so many different gimmicks to get people to drink their beer. Why don't they just make their beer taste good and stop trying to trick people into drinking it?

10:27 AM - JJ is on fire. He's going to have to drop at least 30 for them to have a chance

10:28 AM - End of 1st quarter. 27-16 Boston. Looks like Perkins is trying to be the X-factor. He's all over the place

10:31 AM - Game 7...those two words make me feel OK about drinking beer in the morning

10:32 AM - ABC needs to look into replacing Michelle Tafoya with Stephanie Ready from NBA-TV and TNT

10:35 AM - Atlanta looks bad right now. They need to get it going before this lead gets too big. 30-16 BOS

10:38 AM - Man that IHOP commercial made me hungry. I need a girl to make me some pancakes lol

10:39 AM - I wonder how much money that "Can you hear me now?" guy makes. He's everywhere

10:42 AM - PJ Brown is playing like it's 1999. Very surprising contribution off the bench. If the Hawks can get hot at all they could get back in this game. 34-20 BOS

10:44 AM - The new Adam Sandler movie looks absolutely ridiculous. People are really running out of ideas. Although the parody of the NBA's split screen ads with Sandler and Baron Davis is pretty funny

10:47 AM - JVG just called Mark Jackson laterally challenged. These dudes are hilarious

10:51 AM - This is starting to get ugly. The Hawks can't get anything going offensively while Boston is being very patient on the offensive end. Atlanta looks like a 37 win team. 40-23 BOS

10:54 AM - Josh Smith is playing terrible right now. Just airballed a jumper. The Hawks need Smith and JJ to play well to have any chance. The Celtics are doing a pretty good of trapping and doubling JJ to make him pass. The Hawks can't finish at the rim or make jumpers right now.

10:59 AM - The Hawks need to keep this manageable at halftime. If the lead gets to 20 or more they will be in a lot of trouble.

11:00 AM - As it looks pretty certain that the Celtics are going to win, I have started to think about how they match up with the Cavs. First thoughts are that if they struggle guarding JJ, LeBron is going to have a field day.

11:02 AM - JJ reminds me of Kobe last year against the Suns. No help and the team looks completely overwhelmed.

11:03 AM - Halftime. Boston 44 Atlanta 26. The Hawks are really struggling to score (shooting 26%). This game is just about over. Hopefully some entertaining things happen in the 2nd half

11:06 AM - I wanna go to Beer Heaven....as long as there are better beers there than Miller Lite

11:09 AM - Deep analysis from Jon Barry. "Why isn't Atlanta playing well?" "They're not in Atlanta!"

11:11 AM - These T-mobile commercials with Wade and Barkley have had surprising staying power. They are usually funny. On the topic of Wade, why is he hanging out with Star Jones? Seems very questionable since she is recently divorced. If you're going to kick it with a cougar make it a tight one like Stacy Dash or Vanessa Williams

11:14 AM - Mike Tirico is a midget. And Deron Williams doesn't sound scared of the Lakers but he doesn't sound supremely confident either. Fear the Pauuuuuu

11:18 AM - Insider access on LeBron. Nice interaction between him and Duncan after the '07 Finals. LeBron's girl looks better than what I remembered (not tight or anything but somewhat decent lol). It's good to see LeBron handling his responsibilities as a father unlike people like Shawn Kemp or Karl Malone.

11:22 AM - Regis Philbin is still alive?

11:23 AM - If the Hawks don't make a run early in this quarter I might have to end the diary early and go make some food.

11:24 AM - 3 pointer by Pierce to open up the half. 21 pt Boston lead

11:27 AM - Boston looks ready to step on Atlanta's throat. They've maintained the energy the had in the 1st half

11:29 AM - WOW! Marvin Williams just tried to decapitate Rondo. Just grabbed his head and neck and threw him to ground. Very dangerous play. He received a flagrant 2 and was ejected. Time for Josh to step it up forreal forreal.

11:32 AM - Ray Allen just hit a 3 to give Boston a 28 pt lead. They have now doubled up the Hawks. GAME OVERRE. I might return after I cook. I'm not getting paid for this so I can leave whenever I want haha

11:58 AM - Nothing like a breakfast bowl with a blowout. End of third quarter. Boston is up 36! 79-43. Countdown to Lakers-Jazz officially begins

12:02 PM - I don't understand why Pierce and Rondo are still in the game. Bust out the human victory cigar Brian Scalabrine

12:05 PM - It would be nice to see Atlanta compete in the 4th. They shocked the world just by getting to Game 7 and they need to build on this experience for next year

12:10 PM - Early thoughts on Celtics-Cavs: The Cavs do not have the overall athleticism of the Hawks but they do have LeBron. The Celtics are going to double LeBron a lot and I don't know if the other Cavs can step up enough. My early prediction is Celtics in 6 but I'll have to think about it

12:13 PM - Man Al Horford is struggling. Good learning experience for the rookie. The NBA playoffs ain't March Madness

12:15 PM - 89-54 Boston. 6 mins left. Can't wait for this game to end

12:18 PM - These new Yukon Denali commercials are bootleg. Get a real NBA player that you can actually show and not some mystery random person

12:19 PM - Everyone should go see Iron Man. Well-done and very entertaining

12:22 PM - The Celtics are clowning. Big Baby Davis is shooting 3's

12:30 PM - Michelle Tafoya is interviewing the Commish. I wish she would have grilled him about the debacle of the Sonics leaving Seattle for Oklahoma City

12:32 PM - Game is final. 99-65 Boston. What a blowout. At least this was a good practice for future Game 7 running diaries.

Onto the 2nd Round

2008-05-03T02:42:00.000-07:00

It's funny that out all of the supposed competitive series the NBA had in the 1st round that the only one that is going 7 is the Celtics and Hawks. Can the Hawks pull off the biggest upset ever? I don't think so but hey I didn't think they would win a game. The last conference semifinal prediction will come Sunday or Monday after that Game 7.

I believe the 2nd round this year is due for some memorable moments like the one above (Fisher 0.4). Onto the predictions.

Eastern Semifinals

1st round performance in parenthesis
2. Detroit Pistons (4-2 over Sixers) vs 3. Orlando Magic (4-1 over Raptors)

This is a very interesting series. Detroit seemed to wake up during halftime of Game 4 and completely dominated the Sixers from that point on. The Magic handled the Raptors with ease even though they didn't shoot the three well besides the 1st quarter of Game 1. The Magic are clearly a lot better than Philly but Philly only caused problems when the Pistons were sleeping. I think the Pistons will be more mentally prepared this series. Dwight Howard is going to cause a lot of problems for the Pistons especially if they don't double him. But the only two Magic players really having a good series are Howard and whoever Prince doesn't guard between Turkoglu and Lewis. The Pistons don't like the double and they will prevent the Magic from getting a lot of open 3's. I believe the Pistons' offensive versatility will be the key. If Billups gets everyone involved and the team moves the ball I don't believe the Magic can stop them defensively. The Magic also don't have someone like LeBron who can completely dominate from the perimeter inward and expose the Pistons' unwillingness to double team. The Pistons' arrogance could cost them a game or two but not the series. Pistons in 6

Western Semifinals

1. Los Angeles Lakers (4-0 over Nuggets) vs 4. Utah Jazz (4-2 over Rockets)

This could possibly the best series of the entire playoffs. Both teams have a lot of offensive firepower with some questions on the defensive end. Both teams run their offenses very efficiently. Utah has clear advantages at PG and PF with Deron and Boozer. Los Angeles has clear advantages at SG and C with The MVP and Gasol. SF could go either way as Kirilenko is known for his defense and Vlad Rad is known for his shooting. I believe the benches could be very important. Both teams bring scorers and bangers off the bench.

I believe there are a few keys to this series. Can the Lakers contain Deron Williams? They can't allow him to score at will and get others involved. They must guard the pick n roll well. Can Utah slow Kobe down at all? Kobe has torched them during the regular season even though they have some good defenders like Brewer and AK-47. Kobe is going to get his regardless but if they let him do it very efficiently then they are in trouble. I'll believe the Lakers having the best player in the series and homecourt advantage will lead to victory. Lakers in 7

2. New Orleans Hornets (4-1 over Mavs) vs 3. San Antonio Spurs (4-1 over Suns)

Both teams easily handled their first round opponents who had made major trades during the season. The Hornets simply outclassed the Mavs while the Spurs simply outexecuted the Suns. The Hornets showed that talent can trump playoff experience while the Spurs showed that you have to TAKE out the champs instead of expecting them to go away quietly. Although the Spurs have not repeated following a championship they have lost to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers in '04 and the Mavericks (who should have won the title) in 7 games in '06. In '00 Duncan missed their 1st round loss with an injury. It's safe to say that they will not go away quietly. I do believe the Hornets have the talent to take it away from them. I do not believe they are mentally ready to do so. I believe teams must experience tough playoff games along with some heartbreak before they are ready to defeat a great veteran team.

There are some great matchups. Cp3 is the best point guard in the game while Tony Parker might be the quickest. Neither is a great on the ball defender so I can see them both having ridiculous numbers. Duncan might the best power forward of all time but I can see Chandler and West doing a decent job on him. They also will not allow the pick and roll with Parker and Duncan to work as well as it did against the Suns. If I'm a Hornets fan I worry a lot about Ginobili. Neither Peterson nor Peja can guard him and I think he will be the X-factor. The Hornets have impressed me a lot this season but the Spurs are most definitely not the Mavs. Spurs in 6

BOOM!

2008-04-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

That's the sound of the Jason Kidd and Shaquille O'Neal trades blowing up in the faces of the Mavs and the Suns. Although both teams lost in the first round in 5 games, I see the situations quite differently. I'm going to use a blackjack analogy.

The Mavs before the Kidd trade were not contenders to win the West so in a desperation move to compete they traded for an big name player. I see this as having 16 when the dealer is showing a 10. If you stay you are very likely to lose and if you hit you are very likely to lose. But Dallas did neither, they doubled down (by losing key depth and messing up their salary cap) and busted and lost more money than they had to. Avery Johnson is very likely to be fired and that team needs a lot of changes.

The Suns before the Shaq trade were fringe contenders to the win the West so in a less-desperate move they traded for a big center to compete with the Spurs and the Pau Lakers. I see this as having a 12 while the dealer is showing an 7. You should hit (very unlikely to win if you stay but possible) but there's a good chance you can bust. Well the Suns swung for the fences and doubled down and busted. Shaq is old and is owed a lot of money and Grant Hill is back to his injury prone ways. Not looking good for them but Amare is very young and still has a lot of potential.

In the other two games.....

The Rockets did what they had to do at home and blasted the Jazz. This has been a very even series since Rafer Alston came back in Game 3. I hope the Rockets force a Game 7 because Game 7's are GREAT.

The Pistons finally played up to their potential and dominated the Sixers from the start. I have a strong feeling they will win Game 6. They're just a lot better than Philly.

In tomorrow's games, I see the Cavs closing out the Wizards and the Celtics taking a 3-2 lead over the Hawks.

My first thoughts on the 2nd round matchup of Hornets vs Spurs are that it should be a great series. One of the best pg's in the game vs one of the quickest. Quite possibly the best power forward of all-time vs an up and coming all star power forward. Full breakdown and prediction will come before the series starts Saturday.

Hell Yeah!

2008-04-28T22:25:00.001-07:00

The Lakers ended their postseason drought with their 1st series victory since 2004. Denver fought hard in Game 4 but they still got swept aside. Even with Boston and Detroit playing supposed pushovers Atlanta and Philly, the Lakers will be the only team to sweep a team this 1st round. Very impressive performance from the Lakers this series and Kobe showed why he's a MVP candidate. He shrugged off missed FT's and some silly fouls to completely take over the end of Game 4.

In the other games....

The Celtics lost again to Atlanta. I assumed after what happened at the end of Game 3, that the Celtics would come out and handle Atlanta. Instead they let Joe Johnson torch them for 20 pts in the 4th quarter and now the series is 2-2. I am really surprised by these turn of events. I'm glad to see fans go crazy in Atlanta even if they might be bandwagoners. Boston seems bothered by the Hawks' athleticism.

The Magic ended the NBA-TV invitational (3 of the 5 games have been on that channel) in 5 games. Dwight Howard is a beast. Had his 3rd 20-20 game of the series which hasn't been done since 1971 by Wilt Chamberlain. I underestimated the Magic and they look to be a formidable foe for Detroit (they will beat Philly) in the 2nd round.

In non-playoff news...

Pat Riley stepped down as the Miami Heat coach and was replaced by assistant Erik Spolestra. He remains the team's President.

Larry Brown is back coaching as the coach of Charlotte Bobcats. He should be able to get that team to the playoffs in a weak Eastern conference.

The Celtics Lost?!

2008-04-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

That phrase almost started a riot in the bathrooms at BeerFest. While waiting in line I checked my phone and was amazed. I started to taunt my friend who was a Celtics fan and somehow started pandemonium in the bathroom with almost everyone chanting and cheering that the Celtics lost.

Safe to say I was very surprised by the Hawks' victory. I am happy for them and I hope they can make it an interesting series. It would be hilarious if the Suns, who a lot of people saw as a title contender, got swept and the Hawks didn't.

In the other games -

the Jazz handled their business at home and took a 3-1 lead over the Rockets. T-Mac had another good game but another quiet 4th qtr. Hopefully they can stretch the series to 6 or 7 games because...

the LakeShow took a commanding a 3-0 lead over the Nuggets with another relatively easy victory. Kobe had a solid all around game and many of his Laker teammates played solidly as well. Melo and AI were terrible and Denver was undisciplined like usual. Hopefully the Lakers can close it out Monday and get some rest.

in the NBA-TV invitational, the Magic pulled away from the Raptors late and took a 3-1 lead and I suspect that they'll close it out on Monday (on NBA-TV of course). Chris Bosh played well but no one else really showed up for the Raptors. I'm starting to think Andrea Bargnani is Italian for Kwame Brown.

thoughts after all the game 2's

2008-04-24T01:17:00.000-07:00

Although the playoffs have been exciting so far, only one of the 8 1st round series (Philly-Det) is tied 1-1. Detroit is going to handle Philly but I could see Philly winning one more game. Here are my thoughts on the other 7

Series I think are just about over

Celtics 2 Hawks 0

This series was over before it started and the Hawks only made it worse by talking.

Jazz 2 Rockets 0

The Rockets aren't going to come back from losing both games at home especially without Yao and Utah being so good at home

Cavs 2 Wizards 0

The Wizards looked horrible in Game 2. LeBron outscored the Big 3 by himself. They don't have a way to slow down LeBron and Arenas isn't healthy.

Series I think aren't over yet but not looking good for the teams down

Lakers 2 Nuggets 0
The Nuggets just can't guard anyone. Game 1 it's Gasol dropping 36, 16, and 8 and Game 2 it's Kobe dropping 49 and 10. Denver could stretch it to 5 or 6 but that's it.

Hornets 2 Mavs 0
The Mavs can't do anything to slow down CP3. He's running wild and completely dominating. They don't have the players on their roster anymore (Devin Harris) to even slow him down. They look swagless like they did last year against the W's.

Spurs 2 Suns 0

The Suns blew Game 1 and got dominated in the 2nd half of Game 2. Their late game execution is shaky and they are unable to keep Tony P or Manu out of the paint. I can't imagine them winning 4 in a row or winning 4 of 5 and Game 7 in San Antonio.

Magic 2 Raptors 0

Dwight Howard has been beasting and that will continue throughout the series. With that said, Toronto had a chance to steal one in Orlando and blew it by not running a better play at the end of the game. They've showed they can hang with Orlando (after the 1st qtr) but they haven't shown they can beat them yet.

I know it's early but...

2008-04-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Two of the 1st round series already look finished.

Houston just doesn't have enough firepower to compete with Utah and it would be foolish to think they can win 4 of 5 against the Jazz with 3 of the games being in Utah. This is really looking like a sweep now.

The Wizards can talk the talk but they obviously can't walk the walk. I understand why Arenas is struggling but not Jamison or Butler (Wally is guarding him!). I think they show some heart in Washington but I'll be surprised if the series lasts more than 5.

quick thoughts after the game 1's

2008-04-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Lakers 128 Nuggets 114

Lakers win easily even though Kobe doesn't play particularly well. Denver played zero defense and I don't see any indication that they'll start.

Celtics 104 Hawks 81

No surprises here. The Hawks are simply outmatched and outclassed.

Sixers 90 Pistons 86

The Pistons had control of the game but then they got complacent and arrogant and gave the Sixers' confidence. Could be a longer series than I thought

Magic 114 Raptors 100

The Raptors looked asleep in the 1st quarter but they eventually made it a game in the 4th. Dwight Howard looks ready to dominate and make me look like an idiot.

I didn't see the Saturday games (was in Napa, story not really appropriate for a family friendly blog) but I saw highlights and read recaps.

Spurs 117 Suns 115 2 OT

It doesn't really surprise me that the Spurs out-executed the Suns in the clutch. Shaq has to stay out of foul trouble so he can guard Duncan. Looks like the series might live up to the hype.

Cavs 93 Wizards 86

Close game and LeBron takes over at the end. Very similar to their series two years ago. Looks to be another series filled with very close games.

Jazz 93 Rockets 82

Not a good start for the Rockets. Without Yao, they can't expect to win with T-Mac going 7 for 21. This could be a shorter series than I thought.

Hornets 104 Mavs 92

Chris Paul just went crazy in the 2nd half and the Mavs are going to have do something to slow him down or they have no chance. Talent >>>>> experience

entire playoffs predictions

2008-04-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

Who will be holding the trophy like the man above? Detailed analysis will come before these series start. I just want to get my predictions on record.

Conference Semis

EAST

1. Celtics vs 4. Cavs

I expect a highly entertaining series but the Celts are too dominant. Celtics in 6

2. Pistons vs 6. Raptors

The Raptors ain't ready for the big boys. Pistons win easily. Pistons in 5

WEST

1. Lakers vs 4. Jazz

Should be a high scoring well played series. The Lakers are better so they win lol. Lakers in 7

6. Suns vs 7. Mavs

Another great match-up. No way the Mavs can handle Shaq and STAT. Suns in 6

Conference Finals

1. Celtics vs 2. Pistons
The Eastern showdown everyone has been waiting for. This is a tough call for me but Celtics in 6

1. Lakers vs 6. Suns
Kobe vs Shaq! Kobe vs Shaq! Kobe vs Shaq! MOST HYPED CONFERENCE FINALS EVER! Kobe vs Shaq! lol Lakers in 7

Finals
1. Celtics vs 1. Lakers
The two most storied NBA franchises face off in the finals for the first time in over 20 years. Does KG finally win a ring? Does Kobe win a ring without Shaq? As much as it pains me to say Celtics in 6

The Playoffs are Here!

2008-04-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

I'll save the best for last so I'll start with the East

1. Boston Celtics (66-16, +10.3) vs 8. Atlanta Hawks (37-45, -1.8)
season series: 3-0 Boston

I know the 1-8 upsets are possible (as evidenced by the Warriors last year) but the Hawks absolutely have no chance. The Celtics won the season series 3-0 with all victories coming by double digits. The Celtics play the best defense in the league and while the Hawks have been better offensively since the trade for Bibby, they are still not an elite offensive team. The Celtics have the two best players in the series in KG and Paul "The Truth" Pierce but there is an outside chance Joe Johnson, Bibby, Josh Smith and of course Josh Childress could steal a game but I don't think so. Celtics in 4

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37, -0.4) vs 5. Washington Wizards (43-39, -0.3)
season series: tied 2-2

This is easily the most interesting Eastern Conference 1st round series. The Cavs have knocked out the Wizards in the first round the past two years. Two years ago in 6 games when the Wizards were healthy but couldn't guard LeBron and last year in 4 games when Arenas and Caron were hurt. The Wizards have been integrating Hibachi back into the lineup pretty well and the Cavs have been middling since the trade for Big Ben, Wally, and Delonte West. This is a very tough call. On paper the Wizards look better but I still don't trust their defense (19th in OPP FG%) and LeBron is simply a step (maybe even two) above Gilbert, Caron, or Jamison. I also don't think it was wise for Deshawn Stevenson to call LeBron overrated or for Gilbert to call out the entire Cavs team. Homecourt advantage is crucial and LeBron averages at least 30, 8, and 8 in this series. Cavs in 7.

2. Detroit Pistons (59-23, +7.4) vs 7. Philadelphia 76ers (40-42, +0.4)
season series: tied 2-2

This series is not interesting at all to me. Philly is a nice little story as most people expected them to be in the lottery this year but they're still not very good. If I can cross up Dalembert (true story) imagine what Billups and Co. are going to do hahaha. But seriously the Pistons are clearly the better team in every conceivable way. The Zoo Crew (their young players they bring off the bench) has been killin' recently so their starters are going to be rested too. Philly will be competitive in some of the games and I think they might be able to steal one. Pistons in 5

3. Orlando Magic (52-30, +5.5) vs 6. Toronto Raptors (41-41, +2.9)
season series: Orlando 2-1

This series has the potential to be very entertaining. Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh are some of the best big men the East has to offer. Both teams can score a lot of points by going inside to their big men and also outside to their shooters. Although Toronto hasn't played great down the stretch I believe momentum going into the playoffs is overrated. Toronto clearly has the better point guards - Ford and Calderon vs Nelson, Arroyo, and Dooling. That along with Howard's inability to create his own shot consistently will be the downfall of the Magic. The Magic are not a great home team so I expect Toronto have some success in Orlando. Raptors in 6

THE WEST

The Western teams are more evenly matched and will require some deeper analysis - brace yourself haha

1. Los Angeles Lakers (57-25, +7.3) vs 8. Denver Nuggets (50-32, +3.7)
season series: Los Angeles 3-0

Even if I wasn't a Laker fan this would be the easiest Western series to pick. The Lakers are clearly the better team. Although the Nuggets average more PPG, the Lakers are arguably the better offensive team because they have a higher FG%, higher 3FG%, and higher efficiency. The defense is not even up for discussion. Lakers are 20th in PPG allowed and Denver is 29th. Lakers are 6th in FG defense and Denver is 14th. Although Denver probably has the 2nd and 3rd best players in the series (AI and Melo after Kobe of course), the Lakers are more diverse offensively, better defensively, and have the best player on the planet. Denver doesn't seem disciplined or mature enough to overcome those things. Because Denver is great at home and AI has a lot of heart (even though he hates practice) - Lakers in 5

4. Utah Jazz (54-28, +6.9) vs 5. Houston Rockets (55-27, +4.7)
season series: Utah 2-1

This is a rematch of last year's 1st round series. Just like last year Utah is the 4 and Houston is the 5 but with homecourt advantage. But Houston is missing Yao even though they have had a record streak this year. Utah is better than what it was last year with the addition of Ashton Kutcher, uhh I mean Kyle Korver. Houston w/o Yao is better defensively (because Yao is slower than molasses on D) but significantly worse offensively. Players like Scola and Landry have been stepping up but Houston is still 21st in PPG and 20th in FG%. I don't think they have enough offense to match Utah (5th in PPG and 2nd in FG%). Utah has been terrible on the road this year (17-24) so that gives Houston a solid chance but I don't think they have enough weapons to keep up. Boozer, Deron, Okur, AK-47, etc. will be too much for T-mac to overcome without Yao. T-mac gets screwed once again. Jazz in 6

2. New Orleans Hornets (56-26, +5.3) vs 7. Dallas Mavericks (51-31, +4.5)
season series: tied 2-2

Usually the 2-7 matchup is a mismatch (see Detroit-Philly above). This however is a different story. The teams split their four meetings and are pretty similar in W-L record and point differential. Also they are similar in PPG and FG%. Dallas has the slightly better FG% defense and New Orleans shoots the three better. Because the teams are so evenly matched on paper a lot is going to be decided by matchups and intangibles. Kidd can't guard Chris Paul but in their game tonight, the Mavs found a way to get the ball out of his hands. The Hornets essentially have no playoff experience outside of Peja and they are a young team compared to the Mavs. The Mavs have seemed to regain their swagger with their trade for Jason Kidd. CP3 (legitimate MVP candidate) and David West (all-star) are sure to get theirs but I'm not sure who else is going to step up for the Hornets (Peja is not really known to be clutch). The Mavs' offensive versatility, veteran leadership, and regained "huevos grandes" lead them to victory. Mavs in 7

3. San Antonio Spurs (56-26, +4.8) vs 6. Phoenix Suns (55-27, +5.0)
season series: Suns 3-1

Saving the best for last. Talk about a ridiculous 3-6 matchup. The teams combined for 111 wins and although San Antonio has the better seed, Phoenix has the better differential. If Ali-Foreman was dubbed the Rumble in the Jungle I'm going to call this the Slugfest in the Southwest. Hopefully Horry doesn't go all Ronnie Lott again and ruin the integrity of the series. Thankfully, Tim Donaghy won't be on the sidelines for this one. I don't want to see players ejected and/or suspended but it would be cool for Steve Nash to be bloodied again. Ok enough with the side stories based off last year. There are two big changes. The Suns traded Marion and Banks for the Big Catcus aka The Real Superman aka Diesel aka the Big Aristotle aka Shaquille O'neal. Many people (including myself) ripped the trade when it happened but Shaq has seemed to find the Fountain of Youth (or Balco) in the desert. The Suns look a lot more prepared to do damage in the postseason than ever before. The other big change is that the Spurs simply haven't been as dominant as last year (highest pt differential in the league). Their veteran role players like Finley, Horry, and Barry have lost a step and are banged up. Duncan is still Duncan but he has fallen off some this year. Shaq has always bothered Duncan in the past and the Suns are 2-0 against the Spurs with Shaq. I do worry about how the Suns are going to matchup with both Parker and Manu w/o Marion but then again the Spurs can't match up with both Shaq and Amare. I can't see Phoenix winning game 7 in San Antonio so Suns in 6

If you don't agree with my predictions, remember I'm a doctor (at least a future one) so listen to what I say haha

Dr. Hoops

Quick Predictions for Tonight's Important Games

2008-04-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Dallas over New Orleans
Denver over Memphis
Utah over San Antonio
Houston over LA CLippers
Phoenix over Portland

LakeShow!

2008-04-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Lakers already have clinched the Pacific Division and with tonight's victory over the Queens they have clinched #1 in the West and homecourt advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs with a 57-25 record. It's their first division title in the Post-Shaq era and their first #1 seed since the 1999-2000 season. Their 1st round opponent and possible second round opponents have yet to be determined. Needless to say things are looking good for the Lakers but the West is going to be very very tough.

Can't wait for the playoffs

2008-04-15T00:51:00.001-07:00

With every NBA team only having 1 or 2 games left the playoff picture is starting to become clear (at least in the East).

All the matchups are set in the East

1) Boston vs 8) Atlanta
4) Cleveland vs 5)Washington
2) Detroit vs 7) Philadelphia
3) Orlando vs 6) Toronto

The West has cleared up some but figuring out all the potential playoff pairings will still give you headaches.

The Lakers have clinched a top two seed and will clinch the top seed with a victory against the Kings Tuesday or a loss by the Hornets in one of their final two games (Clippers, @ Mavs)

The Hornets are in 2nd but can drop to 3rd if they lose their final two games and the Spurs beat the Jazz at home on Wednesday.

After that stuff gets really messy. If the Jazz beat the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday (which they haven't done in about a million years) there is a possibility of a 4 team tie between the Jazz, Spurs, Rockets, and Suns all at 55-27. This would happen if the Rockets and Suns won on Wednesday. Based on complicated tiebreakers the Jazz would be 3rd, Suns 4th, Rockets 5th, and Spurs 6th.

Given the opponents of the Rockets (Clippers) and Suns (Blazers) and the recent struggles of the Spurs this crazy scenario doesn't seem too far fetched. I say it happens.

For the 7 and 8 spots it's simple. If Dallas wins against New Orleans or Denver loses against Memphis then Dallas is 7th. If Dallas loses and Denver wins then Denver is 7th.

My predicted matchups

1) Lakers vs 8) Mavericks
4) Suns vs 5) Rockets
2) Hornets vs 7) Nuggets
3) Jazz vs 6) Spurs

playoff predictions to come when the matchups are set in both conferences

Dr. Hoops

Quick Condolences...

2008-04-15T00:39:00.001-07:00

for the Warriors who will end the season with 48 or 49 wins yet miss the playoffs. The highest win total in over 30 years not to make it. They can't blame anyone but themselves though. If they would have played some defense tonight or last Thursday against the Nuggets they might have made the playoffs. I'm upset I won't be able to go to a Laker playoff game up here in the bay. Oh well, bring on the Mavs or Nuggets.

Dr. Hoops

The Finals

2007-06-07T12:13:00.001-07:00

Very interesting matchup but it really comes down to is LeBron (along with his teammates) really that good or was the East that bad? The LeBrons didn't face too much of a challenge in the East as the Wizards were depleted, the Nets underachieved all year (and Vince has no heart), and the Pistons were overconfident yet flawed (look at Billups' comments after game 6). I really don't see them better than 4 or 5 teams in the West (Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Jazz, Rockets at least).

The Cavs are a great defensive and rebounding team and thats why they will be competitive and not get swept like some people are suggesting. But it comes down to that the Spurs are much more efficient on offense (they actually run an offense) and they're a little bit better on defense. Execution and experience will trump LeBron's skill and although this might seem like a similar situation to the Heat vs Mavs ...the Spurs have more heart and a better defense than the Mavs. I can't see LeBron doing what he did to Pistons to the Spurs. Spurs in 6

The Lottery

2007-05-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Wow was my 1st reaction. Who could have predicted Oden and Durant going to the Pacific Northwest. I guess nobody can really claim that the draft is rigged anymore. I would say I feel bad for Memphis, Boston, and Milwaukee except Memphis was a playoff team in 05-06 but Gasol got hurt, Boston has the most championships so I can never feel bad for them and Milwaukee just had the #1 pick recently and they had numerous injuries too.

It's going to be very interesting to see what happens in the draft and the off-season. Portland will most likely take Oden but are they going to trade Zach Randolph (head-case and they have Aldridge too) to get someone like Rashard Lewis or Jason Kidd? Seattle has to take Durant if Oden goes 1st but he plays the same position as Rashard so will they trade Rashard? Will Atlanta finally take a PG and draft Conley?

All I know is that the Lakers better do something because the West is getting tougher

Lock playoff teams in the West (based on current make-up of teams and projected draft picks)

1. Dallas
2. Phoenix
3. San Antonio
4. Houston
5. Utah
6. Denver

Contenders - Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Hornets, Blazers, and maybe Sonics

Obviously things will clear up some with trades (KG? Billups? Lewis? VC? J Kidd?)

Conference Finals

2007-05-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

Spurs vs Jazz

Teams play similar styles but I think Spurs are just a little better at most of the positions and they have the experience. The Jazz only have a chance if Deron and Boozer match or even outplay Tony and Timmy and AK-47 shuts down Ginobili. All of the games should be evenly matched but I say Spurs in 6.

Pistons vs Cavs

The quintessential team versus the one-man band. LeBron is easily the physically most gifted and talented player in this series but I trust Billups, Rasheed, and even Tayshaun to make the big plays down the stretch more than King James. The Pistons will re-enact the Jordan Rules and LeBron doesn't have enough help and simply isn't ready. Pistons don't play well with a series lead so they'll blow a couple games. Pistons in 6

Last 2nd round prediction

2007-05-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

Jazz vs Warriors

I really don't know what to think of this series. The Warriors are hot and supremely confident but they won't have the same advantages that they did against Dallas. I don't think they're going to be able to guard Boozer with Stephen Jackson or J-Rich like they did against Dirk. The Warriors are still more athletic but the advantage is not as much. The Jazz are also confident unlike the Mavericks. I don't see Golden State losing at home because of the energy of the hyphy crowd but I can't see them winning a game 7 in Utah with their crazy out of control style especially down the stretch. I am rooting for them though.

Jazz in 7

Nets-Cavs

2007-05-05T01:13:00.000-07:00

This series is tough to call. I don't even remember my original prediction but I think the Cavs will win in 7. LeBron is a beast and I don't see anyone on Jersey stopping him. The Cavs are well rested and although Kidd may dominate, I don't see Carter or Jefferson having as much success as they did against the Raptors. Should be an interesting series though

Quick thoughts on Round 2

2007-05-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to get my predictions out there for the two conference semifinal series that start this weekend.

Detroit over Chicago in 7

Detroit has more offensive options than Miami, is healthy, and matches up pretty well with Chicago. Should be a very close series but experience and homecourt will be the difference. I don't see Deng and Gordon going off as much this series because Detroit has people like Prince and Billups who match up well.

San Antonio over Phoenix in 6

This should be a very interesting series. Amare dominated with 38 PPG 2 years ago but the Suns still lost in 5. The Suns are healthy and it should make the series closer than it was two years ago. But the Spurs are still the most solid defensive team and they can slow down the Suns' break and run a little bit when they need to themselves. Tim Duncan is still a dominant big man and I doubt Amare averages 38 again.

PS - Round 1 recap will come when the round is complete. I think the Nets finish off the Raps tonight and Houston protects its home court once again tomorrow night.

Playoffs!

2007-04-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Don't feel like writing too much right now..detailed analysis to come sometime before Saturday

West 1st Round

(1)Mavs over (8)Warriors in 5

Warriors have been playing really well and they have recently owned the Mavs but they still play no defense and there's a reason the Mavs have 25 more wins

(5) Rockets over (4)Jazz in 6

The Rockets have the two best players in the series and homecourt advantage

(2) Suns over (7) Lakers in 7

The Lakers have simply been too inconsistent (especially on the defensive end) to beat a good team like the Suns. Kobe may power them to 2 or 3 wins but the talent just isn't there

(3) Spurs over (6) Nuggets in 5

AI and Melo are nice but the Nuggets' D still isn't there and the Spurs are too solid. Easy call here

East 1st round

(1) Pistons over (8) Magic in 4

The Pistons are simply much more talented than the Magic and have way more playoff experience.

(5) Bulls over (4) Heat in 7

The Heat have the two best players arguably but Wade isn't 100% and the Bulls have a lot of weapons. It's really a hard call here but I say Bulls because of Wade's shoulder

(2) Cavs over Wizards in 3 (uhh I mean 4)

Cavs beat them last year in 6 and without Arenas or Butler the Wizards have no chance.

(6) Nets over Raptors in (7)

The Nets have come on lately and have much more playoff experience. I don't think the Raptors have anyone to stop Carter and Kidd is still a lot better than TJ Ford

MVP?

2007-04-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

The MVP race is really interesting. I believe it all comes down to your philosophy of what the MVP means. If you think it needs to go to the best player on the best team then it can really on go to Dirk, Nash, or Timmy as they have clearly been the class of the league. If you believe it should go to the best player that is doing the best they can without too much help then it would have to go to someone like Kobe, T-Mac, or LeBron. Those teams would clearly suffer without those players. Obviously all of the players I mentioned are excellent and the teams would be hurt by their absence. Some people make the argument that Nash (Marion and Amare), Duncan (Parker and Ginobili) and to a lesser extent Dirk (Howard, Terry, and Stackhouse) have too much help to be the most valuable but using that argument would eliminate any of Jordan's MVP's with Pippen.

I think the choice boils down to Dirk or Kobe. The Mavs have done things no other NBA team has done and Dirk is having a great year (2nd in PER). Kobe is very valuable and many people (coaches and other players included) say that he is the best player in the league and he is having another great year (3rd in PER). Nash is great and he does make his teammates better but he also gets a lot of help from being surrounded by great finishers and great shooters. Imagine if Kobe played on the Suns, the pick and roll would be unstoppable with Amare and you would pay for doubling Kobe. Nash does make his teammates better but its also the system he plays in and his supporting cast. Its not a coincidence that when he went to Phoenix his assists went up - he played with better finishers. John Hollinger also made a good point - "there is a good reason why no one was saying Nash was the best player on the Mavs"

All in all the award must go to Dirk or Kobe followed by Duncan/Nash and LeBron

Kobe!

2007-03-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

I don't care who the games were against - 65, 50, and 60 is simply a ridiculous 3 game stretch and most importantly they all came in victories that were much needed after the Lakers dropped 3 straight. Only 3 other players in NBA history have scored 50 in 3 straight games - Wilt, MJ, and Elgin Baylor. That's pretty impressive company.

I hope the Lakers get the Suns in round one. I know they wouldn't have much of a shot but it would be interesting to see if Kobe could get 300 pts in a 7 game series. The Lakers don't play enough defense to be even a super sleeper darkhorse for the finals so the least they could do is continue the rivalry with Phoenix and Kobe could posterize Nash again.

Damn Lakers!

2007-03-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

These fools will find any way to lose. Kobe drops 40, 13, and 8 and they still lose. Up 6 with 2 minutes left and they find a way to lose. Mark Blount had 5 3's on the season until he hit 3 in a row in the last 2 minutes. Ridiculous. Kobe doesn't get the ball in the most important situations. Give him the damn ball like he's Keyshawn damnit. The Lakers might be the most infuriating team in sports to cheer for right now.

Hibachi?

2007-02-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

I guess he should have never been mentioned in the MVP debate. He can't carry his team at all recently. 14 for 61 in his last 3 games and he's only made 19 of his last 101 3's! Only shooting 41.7% from the field and takes 8 3's a game although he only makes 34.7%.

Damn Lakers

2007-02-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

That's four losses in a row with the latest being a home loss to the Knicks....They went from contending to a top 3 seed to only being one game ahead in the loss column of Denver for the 6th seed. They need to get their shit together. Losing at home to teams like the Knicks and Bobcats are bad enough when we were beating the good teams and now it's completely inexcusable because we need wins bad now.

And how does Kobe not touch the ball on the last play? I understand Kobe can be used as an effective decoy but there was enough time for Kobe to get the ball and then get double teamed and create something for a teammate a la the OT game in Sactown where he found Smush for the lay-up.

I really hope the rumored trade of a package involving Kwame Brown, some draft picks and McKie's expiring contract for J Kidd is true. Kidd may have lost a step but he is still a great passer and rebounder and a good defender and 10000000 times better than sorry ass Smush Parker. Kobe only has 3 or 4 years left in his prime and the Lakers need to not waste these years. As one of the greatest franchises in professional sports (14 titles and 28 finals appearances) especially of the last 30 years (8 titles and 13 finals appearances) anything less is unacceptable.

3 point participants announced

2007-02-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Dirk Diggler(last years winner), Jason Kapono, Mike Miller, Hibachi, Damon Jones (the self-proclaimed best shooter in the NBA) and Jason "The Jet" Terry

For 3 point shooting contests I put my money on the best spot up shooters so I think either Kapono or Damon Jones is going to win. Dirk is a great shooter but you could argue Kapono is slighty better. Arenas could get hot and win but evidenced by some of his games (3 for 15 on 3's against the Lakers) he's not the best shooter and he also shoots more off the dribble.

I say Kapono in a mild upset (Gotta rep for the local product - went to Artesia High School which is 10 15 min away from my house)

Dunk Contest participants announced

2007-02-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Sadly the NBA still has not forced the top players in the game to participate - We need a contest with Vince, Kobe, T-Mac, and LeBron.

This year's participants are last year's winner Nate Robinson, Dwight Howard, Gerald Green, and Tyrus Thomas.

Nate Robinson probably has the most hops and he is the fan favorite because he's only 5'8. Big men never win so I'm already counting out Dwight Howard and Tyrus Thomas. Gerald Green is one of the few dunkers I see get their heads to rim level consistently.

I say Gerald Green should win but if the judges are dumb like last year then Robinson will repeat.

Special Super Bowl XLI Post

2007-02-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

So as everybody knows the big game is tomorrow and as almost everybody knows the Colts are going to win right?

Wrong Wrong Wrong

I never believed in the Bears until they handled the Saints like they did when everyone was doubting them. Because of Rex everyone has been doubting them and overlooking the fact that they have a clearly better defense and a better running game than Indy. Running the ball and defense wins championships. There hasn't been a Super Bowl winner ranked outside the top 10 in defense in about 10 or 15 years and Indy is in the 20's.

Indy looks like they peaked in the 2nd half against the Pats and no one is giving Chicago a chance which is just going to fuel them.

Chicago 31 Indy 28

So I'm not the only one

2007-02-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

From a chat on ESPN

Oliver ( NY): Isn't it great to be able to make 9 FG and get 41 PTS? I LOVE THIS GAME!!! I wish Kobe would get even half the calls Wade gets. MJ's greatness was aided by "superstar" calls or no calls, sorry, but Kobe gets half the treatment of a wade or Lebron, why ?

Chris Sheridan: (12:40 PM ET ) You're preaching to the choir here, Oliver. every single night D-Wade gets three gift whistles (which even LeBron and Kobe don't get) at a minimum, and one or two late whistles, too. He's treated as preferrentially as Jordan was at the peak of his game, and it is infuriating to watch (unless you;re a Heat fan). And I say all that being one of the biggest D-Wade guys around, a Marquette grad even. But it's just plain unfair to see one guy get such special treatment. It takes away from the game.

THANK YOU CHRIS SHERIDAN!

All Star Reserves announced

2007-02-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

East - Billups, Caron Butler, Rip, Vinsanity, Dwight Howard, Jermaine O'Neal, and Jason Kidd

I like the Eastern choices. They're rewarding the top teams with 2 players (Wizards and Pistons). Interesting that the Bulls don't have an all-star as they're one of the top East teams but they're so balanced they don't have a true all-star.

West - Boozer (hurt), AI, Nash, Dirk, Matrix, Stoudemire, Tony Parker

Notice anybody missing? Where's Melo at? He's the leading scorer in the league! I don't care that he missed 15 games. I don't know how many AI missed but he missed a good amount too. Fortunately for Melo, Yao and Boozer are hurt so Melo should get one of those spots. For the 2nd replacement injury spot I would rate it Elton Brand, Josh Howard, Ray Ray then Zach Randolph (quietly having a great year on a surprisingly competitive Blazers team)

I know it was against the Celtics...

2007-01-31T19:03:00.000-08:00

But Kobe returned from his bullshit one game suspension to drop 43, 8, and 8 on the Celtics. Was a very efficient 13 for 25 and only had 2 TO's. Kobe has started to figure out the balance between setting up teammates and taking over. The Lakers may be only 28-18 and currently in the 6th spot in the West but I guarantee you nobody wants to see us in the playoffs. 24/7 (Kobe and Odom) have the Lakers primed to be a sleeper finals pick.

WTF?

2007-01-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

The NBA has supsended Kobe for an accidental elbow to Ginobili at the end of regulation in the game on Sunday. I have never heard of anyone getting suspended for an accidental elbow before. KG throws the ball at McDyess and takes a swing at him (albeit a weak one) and he gets one game. Kobe elbows Manu accidentally in the process of shooting and he gets one game? Makes no sense, didn't get a tech or even a foul for the play so why is he getting suspended? It's not like the refs didn't see it happen since it was a tie game and Kobe was shooting to win the game. This is bullshit

Nike vs Adidas

2007-01-29T16:01:00.000-08:00

Nike has that new the commercial that has everybody in it and Adidas has been doing the it takes 5 ad campaign for a minute. I got to thinking that it would be real tight if the two teams played against each other.

Nike - Nash, Kobe, LeBron, Stoudemire, and Jermaine O'neal

Versus

Adidas - Billups, Arenas, T-Mac, KG, and Duncan

I would have to put my money on Nike cuz they have Kobe and LeBron but I think Adidas could win cuz I don't see how Nash could guard Billups and KG and Duncan would eat up Amare and Jermaine. I say Nike by 10.

NBA Finals chances

2007-01-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

This was prompted by a Bill Simmons' column about the Suns

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070117

I think he's a little too hyped about the Suns but he does make some valid and interesting points. And as much as I dislike Phoenix because of the new rivalry with the Lakers, they are still entertaining to watch. I watched their game against Memphis on Monday and it was ridiculous. 76-72 at half, 110-98 at the end of the 3rd and 137-122 final. If Memphis would have stayed close they could have easily dropped 150 in regulation. You simply cannot run with them.

With all that said, it's still hard for me to see them winning the championship this year for a couple of reasons.

1) Their top 6 is the best in the league but they absolutely have no depth beyond that and that's going to kill them in the playoffs. After their top 6 they have James Jones, Jumaine Jones, Kurt Thomas, Pat Burke, Marcus Banks, Jalen Rose, Eric Piatkowksi, Sean Marks - simply atrocious.

2) Their defense has improved but I still don't see how they're stopping the Spurs or the Mavs in the playoffs. I still see the Spurs and Mavs shredding their defense. 2 years ago the Spurs dismantled the Suns with Amare at 100% and averaging something crazy like 37 in the series.

3) Nash is clearly the best point guard in the game right now and Amare, Marion, etc. are very nice. But I don't think they have a player who is unguardable one-on-one and can completely take over a series a la Duncan, Nowitzki, Kobe, Wade, LeBron. Until I see Nash do it I won't believe it and I still think Amare is too raw.

My title contenders

1) Spurs - weren't healthy last year and still almost beat the Mavs

2) Mavs - made it to the finals last year and made some key off-season additions in terms of role players

3) Suns - best top 6 in the NBA, best point guard, best offense

4) Pistons - When Billups is healthy they are still very solid, when they trade Nazr Mohammed for some perimeter help they should win the east

5) Lakers - Best player in the NBA, best passing team in the NBA according to George Karl, pretty deep when everyone is healthy, Odom was having career year before he got hurt

6) Rockets - Yao and T-mac are the best duo in the NBA...when healthy

7) Heat - Wade cannot be stopped one-on-one but Shaq is falling apart and the veterans are one year older

all star starters announced

2007-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

Starters

East - Arenas, Wade, LeBron, Shaq, and Bosh

West - Kobe, T-Mac, KG, Duncan, and Yao

My choices for Reserves

East

Centers - Dwight Howard
Forwards - Caron Butler, Jermaine O'neal, Emeka Okafor
Guards - Vinsanity, Kidd, Billups

West

Centers - Stoudemire (injury replacement for Yao), Camby
Forwards - Dirk, Melo, Matrix, Josh Howard
Guards - AI, Nash

Midseason NBA MVP

2007-01-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

My thoughts on the NBA MVP race

1) Dirk - Best player on best team and I would argue he has less help than Nash - Marion and Stoudemire have been all-stars and will likely be again this year while Josh Howard has not and will be hard pressed to make it this year. You can't ignore the best record and Dirk has become a better all around player. They are 34-4 since starting 0-4 and have beaten all of the top teams.

2) Nash - They have won 30 of 32 games and he's putting up the best numbers in his career. Has a chance to average 20 pts and 11 dimes which has only be done by a few players. They have had 2 15 game win streaks in the same season before the all star break which has never been done before. If I looked at the schedule right game 33 in the streak would be against the Lakers. It will be very fitting for the Suns to try to tie the longest win streak against the franchise that has it.

3) Kobe - Most talented player in the league and has the Lakers' with the 5th best record in the league while missing Odom for a long stretch, Kwame for a little bit, and Mihm for the entire season. Has become a better leader (assists have gone up every month and shooting a career high percentage) and has the Lakers on a 50 win pace. He still knows when to take over (52 against Utah while dropping 30 in the 3rd quarter to take control) If Dallas and Phoenix weren't so ridiculous this year I would argue he's #1. If they pass San Antonio for the 3 seed and end up with 55+ victories he would have a great chance. That would be at least a 10 victory improvement from last year with essentially the same team

4) Hibachi - Arenas has mastered the art of the unnecessary buzzer beating 3 to win games. Averaging over 30 and has dropped 60 Besides Butler and Jamison (who I think is overrated) the Wiz are garbage yet he has them leading the East. I would have him higher if he shot a higher percentage and the Wiz had a better record. If they can somehow get to 50 victories and win the east he might have an outside shot.