Thoughts on NBA Finals

It’s been a while since I posted an entry here in my site.  The NBA Finals already rolled out and the L.A. Lakers are already up by one game against the Orlando Magic.  Since I already missed covering the playoffs, I guessed I’ll just try my best to write about the Finals as much as I could, though I doubt it because of my internet connection difficulties.  But since I might have a thing or two to say about the Finals, I’ll try my best to post something at least until the Finals is over.

First, Jameer Nelson’s back in the game and I think this can bring some pros and cons with the current play of the Magic.  Nelson missed the latter part of the season leading to the playoffs due to a shoulder injury.  To make up for his supposedly “season-ending” injury, Orlando acquired Rafer Alston.  Without Nelson, Alston made use of the time allotted for him and helped the Magic pile up wins in the post-season, including the ousting of Lebron James and the Cavaliers.  Now that the Magic are deep in the playoffs, (actually in the Finals), Nelson announces his return and puts Magic coach, Stan Van Gundy in a very tricky situation.

There are two situations that can happen once Nelson settles in the lineup and gets into the rotation.  Nelson can either put Magic’s chemistry out of sync, or he can be a spark plug where his team can get an extra boost.

Depending on how Van Gundy handles the situation, Nelson’s return can either make or break Magic’s run for the NBA title.

Second point, I believe Kobe Bryant let it all out on the first game and tallied 40 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.  Kobe will always be Kobe, most especially in the Finals.  Orlando should realize that.  Providing coverage for Kobe should be a main concern for Orlando.  Courtney Lee showed some on-court savvy, but the rookie is clearly no-match against Bryant.  I expect to see more of Mickael Pietrus in the rotation to provide coverage for Bryant.  Dwight Howard might be able to hold the fort in the middle against Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, but once Kobe unleashes hell from the outside, that’s a different story.  Providing as much defense against Kobe should be the main concern for Magic if they intend to win in the series.

That’s about it for now.  I’ll try to come up with something sometime this week.  I have been looking to write something about the Boston Celtics since their playoff exit, but I still haven’t found the time.  One of these days I’ll come up with it, I hope.

Looking forward to a great championship series.  Cheers to all Lakers fans for the game 1 win.

-fouledout

NBA Glory Back In Beantown

The Boston Celtics are once again the NBA World Champions. After going through an intense playoff battles all the way back from the first round, the Celtics finally captured their gold. Truth to be told, I’m not really a fan of Celtics and I was rooting for the L.A. Lakers to win it all. I’m not a Lakers fan at heart, but I wanted them to win because I didn’t believe in the Celtics. I didn’t want to buy the idea that they are a championship caliber team because of their Big 3. Through the playoffs, Lakers looked poised to win it all while the Celtics struggled to win away from home. But after the grueling 26 playoff games, the Green Machine eventually emerged as the champs.

After watching game 6, I thought the Celts deserved to win. They showed heart, courage and determination. They were in the zone while the Lakers looked dazed and confused. The Green Machine was well oiled and every cog was running smoothly. Everybody in the team wanted to win the gold and everyone contributed something. Lakers, on the other hand, lacked the intensity and aggressiveness which eventually cost them the Larry O’Brien trophy.

After the game, I checked the stats of the game and it showed why the Celtics finished on top. Here are the stats for game 6:

Rebounds

Lakers 29 (2 offensive)

Celtics 48 (14 offensive)

Assists

Lakers 16

Celtics 33

Steals

Lakers 4

Celtics 18

Blocks

Lakers 0

Celtics 4

Turnovers

Lakers 19

Celtics 7

With those numbers posted on the box score, it wasn’t really surprising to see the Celtics finish on top. The Lakers were totally dominated by the Celtics in the game considering the fact that they are supposed to be more experienced, especially Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson. The Celtics just showed more hunger and determination than the Lakers to win the gold and they eventually got their prize. Props to the both teams for reaching the NBA finals and much respect for the Boston Celtics. Cheers!

-fouledout

Celtics, Clueless at Road Game Woes

The Celtics played in Beantown today and naturally, they won against Cleveland Cavaliers 96-89. The series heads back to Cleveland for game 6 and we all know how the Celts play on the road. The Celtics, 66-16 in the regular season, won an NBA-best 31 road games this season but so far, in the playoffs, they are 0-5 on the road. From the start of the season, I’ve have been doubting this Celtics team. I just don’t think they are a championship material team. Sure they are a playoff material team, but I just don’t think they have enough to compete for the title. For a team to be a championship contender, they must have poise in and out of their comfort zones. Of course, a team must always take advantage of the home-court court, but you must also find ways to win on the road especially deep in the playoffs.

When asked why they keep on losing road games in the playoffs, the Celts were plain clueless:

“If I knew that, man, I don’t think we’d be having these conversations or these problems on the road.” -Kevin Garnett

“I wish I could really answer that.” -James Posey

“It’s hard to say. I have no answer for it. I have no answer.” -Ray Allen

The Celts are up 3-2 in the series against the Cavs and I’m thinking this will go all the way to game 7 because the Celtics will probably lose again in Cleveland.

-fouledout