The Boston Celtics are the 2008 NBA champions. Congratulations to the Celtics and their fans.
I didn't pick the Celtics to win the NBA championship. I picked the
Lakers over the Celtics in 6 games. But I did pick Boston to advance
out of the Eastern Conference before the season began. I broke down
the teams I considered to be championship contenders two months ago yesterday.
My concerns with the Lakers (inside scoring, defense) came to the forefront versus the Celtics. Pau Gasol wilted under the pressure and Paul Pierce TORCHED Radmonovich and Walton. When Pierce and Allen penetrated the defense, there was no one to protect the basket.
My only concern with the Celtics was their coaching staff. I wasn't convinced
that Doc Rivers was capable of making the in-game adjustments that
would be necessary to win the NBA championship.
I was wrong.
Doc Rivers was more than capable. Not only did he make perfect
adjustments but he outcoached Phil Jackson -- a championship strategist with 9 rings. Rivers was inspirational.
He implored his team to "never stop believing" and to "never give up."
The Celtics were an extension of him. They followed his lead in
fighting back from a 24-point deficit in Game 4. Looking back, the
Celtics won the NBA championship that night.
In total, I missed four picks in the 2008 NBA playoffs. I picked the
Wizards to beat the Cavaliers, the Mavericks to beat the Hornets, the
Magic to beat the Pistons, and the Lakers to beat the Celtics.
But the only pick I regret making was the Mavs over the Hornets.
Honestly, I hadn't watched the Hornets as much during the regular
season as I probably should have. New Orleans was a great team and
would have matched up well against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tyson Chandler and David West would have been
a nightmare matchup for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Especially
considering Gasol and Odom's struggles versus Kendrick Perkins and
Kevin Garnett.
The Cleveland Cavaliers struggled towards the end of the season before
being awoken by the mindless trash-talk of DeShawn Stevenson and
Gilbert Arenas. Arenas' injury didn't help the Wizards cause either.
Match-ups (the Pistons and Cavaliers were better defensively than the
Lakes) played a part in Boston's early round struggles. But the Celtics simply weren't as good in the opening rounds as the team that won 66 regular season games. To their credit, they got stronger as the playoffs progressed -- and they learned to win on the road in the process.
The Celtics won the
first two rounds with only 2/3 of their 'Big 3'. Ray Allen struggled
mightily versus the Hawks, Cavs, and through the first five games versus the Pistons but increased his shooting
percentage in each round. Allen shot 50% from the field and 52% from
the 3-point line versus LA.
Ray was every bit as deserving of MVP as Paul Pierce.
All in all, it was a fitting ending to a season for the ages. With no
games scheduled for tonight, I'm already getting the basketball withdrawals. Thankfully, the Olympics are right around the corner!
good picks Hoff.
next year should be very interesting...with the return of Andrew Bynum, i'll wait and watch to see what, if any, moves the Lakers make.
the New Orleans Hornets are still one piece away from making it to the conference finals...but they became one of my favorite teams to watch. Chris Paul and David West have bright futures ahead.
i don't know what will become of LBJ in Cleveland, but i think that Danny Ferry has done his best, yet still come up short. he should be gone.
Finally, I'm happy for doc Rivers, KG and Ray Allen...but as a fan who grew up with a total dislike for the celtics (and red sox and patriots)...i can not bring myself to be happy for the franchise.
Artest is a player I've coveted for years. But LA's best chance to nab him is for Ron-Ron to remain with the Kings and become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
I like Lamar but LA would be making a mistake in extending his contract after his NBA Finals performance.
Great season and well deserved title for the Celtics. The Lakers hopefully come away from this seeing the age old saying of "Offense wins games....DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS" has some weight to it.
LA lost because they don't defend well enough...period!!!! Boston very simply had an easier time scoring than LA did. They dared the other Lakers to beat them and they couldn't. But if you control the defensive end of the floor, you control the tempo and dictate to the other team. The Lakers were dictated to in this series for the most part. I do wonder what may have happened had they not had that meltdown in game 4. I could have seen them going back to Boston up 3-2, but still losing because they have defensive inconsistency.
Wholesale changes are not in order here...a minor tweek or 2 wouldn't hurt, but the nucleus is there and with Bynum back they have to be the favorites in the West and maybe the favorites to win it all.
Sometimes a loss helps you see the areas you need to improve on and makes you adjust your agenda.
I agree. Wholesale changes aren't necessary. I like LA's bench. I think they need to get more experience and there's no shortcut for that.
My biggest question is the shooting forward position. If Lamar moves to SF then the Lakers have 4 players at that position. Someone will need to be moved.
hoff,
That was a great unbiased recap. Too many people put their feelings ahead of actuality. Glad you can separate them. I always enjoy reading your stuff.
"the TV ratings for game 6 were the highest since the 2000 finals.
everyone saw that debacle.
celtics pull off a huge upset and cap it with the biggest blowout EVER in a series ending finals game.
what does it mean for KOBE!!'s legacy?"
It's not good. Kobe played poorly in Game 6. You know I believe the Kobe/Jordan comparisons to be valid but Jordan wouldn't allow that to happen. Not in an elimination game. That's not to say he would have won but he wouldn't have lost in that fashion.
This year's Celtics were the best defensive team I've ever seen. But MJ went through some very tough Detroit and New York defenses. And the thing about Mike was that he NEVER stopped attacking. NEVER.
He would get hammered at the basket and he'd come back for more. He'd draw an offensive foul and make an adjustment the next time down the floor. He found ways to score.
Kobe AND LeBron settled for too many jumpshots against Boston. The Celtics did a fantastic job of closing the gaps but they were there. It just takes perseverance.
Good stuff Hoff. Definately not a time for panic, no wholesale changes like many just ready to sink the LA ship would suggest. Looking at this series from an objective point of view would suggest a couple of tweaks here and there, approaching next season with a more defensive mentality and taking care of the boards. You just can't let the other team shoot 3, 4, or 5 times in a row. They're eventually gonna make one. As far as KB/MJ comparisons, who cares? Maybe valid, maybe not. Both are great players and that's good enough for me. Speculation will forever be that; speculation.
I love basketball. While many basketball fans enjoy the month of March, I prefer the months of April, May, and June. I look forward to productive chats, heated debates, and honest opinions.
