The last eighteen NBA championships have been won by eight NBA teams.
The Philadelphia 76ers won the title in 1983. The
Los Angeles
Lakers won the title five times in the 1980’s and three more times to
begin this decade. The Boston Celtics won the championship in 1981,
1984, and 1986. The Detroit Pistons won back-to-back championships
in 1988 and 1989 and again in 2004.
The Chicago
Bulls 3-peated twice — once from 1991 to 1993 — and again from 1996
to 1998. The Houston Rockets captured the two titles
between Chicago 3-peat’s.
Magic Johnson’s Lakers, Isiah Thomas’ Pistons, Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets, and
Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers won the NBA championship in consecutive seasons.
Larry Bird’s Celtics never did and neither have Tim
Duncan’s Spurs.
But with three NBA championships within a decade, both teams should be
considered dynasties. [Read]
The odds of a team coming back after trailing 0-2 in the NBA playoffs are
astronomical.
But just last season, the NBA had two teams come back from
such a deficit.
The Utah Jazz won four of the next five games versus the
Houston Rockets to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals and the
Cleveland Cavaliers came back to beat the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern
Conference Finals.
Facing the Boston Celtics in this year’s playoffs,
LeBron James and the Cavaliers were staring at their fourth 0-2 deficit in three
seasons.
In 2006, the Cavaliers lost the first two games to Detroit
before ultimately losing that series in seven games.
In 2007, Cleveland
won four straight games against Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals after
losing the first two games of that series.
The Cavs were swept by the
San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals.
Boston dominated Cleveland in
the Conference Semifinals’ first two games. They held Cleveland to 33% shooting
and forced LeBron into 8-of-42 from the field and 0-for-10 from the 3-point
line.
Despite leading the league in scoring this season, there are still
glaring weaknesses in LeBron’s game. Those weaknesses are being exposed versus
Boston, just as they were exposed against the San Antonio Spurs in last year’s
NBA Final. [Read]
Despite garnering 82 first place votes, there are still some NBA fans who believe Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, or LeBron James were more deserving of the 2008 MVP than Kobe Bryant was.
That's understandable.
All four players had phenomenal seasons.
LeBron dominated individually. KG led the Celtics to the largest singe-season turnaround in NBA history. Kobe led the Lakers to the #1 seed in the NBA's most competitive conference. Chris Paul became the first player ever to average 20 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals in a season.
But which player has been the MVP of the postseason thus far?
LeBron James
Cavaliers Regular Season Record: 45-37 Postseason Record: 4-3
LeBron's Regular Season Statistics: 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 48% from the field, 32% from the 3-point line, 71% from the free throw line.
LeBron's Postseason Statistics: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 44% from the field, 24% from the 3-point line, 71% from the free throw line.
Kobe Bryant
Lakers Regular Season Record: 57-25 Postseason Record: 6-0
Kobe's Regular Season Statistics: 28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 46 % from the field, 36% from the 3-point line, 84% from the free throw line.
Kobe's Postseason Statistics: 34 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 52% from the field, 35% from the 3-point line, 82% from the free throw line. Kevin Garnett
Boston's Regular Season Record: 66-16 Postseason Record: 5-3
Garnett's Regular Season Statistics: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 54% from the field, 0% from the 3-point line, 84% from the free throw line.
Garnett's Postseason Statistics: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 50% from the field, 100% from the 3-point line, 83% from the free throw line.
Chris Paul
Hornets Regular Season Record: 56-26 Postseason Record: 6-1
Paul's Regular Season Statistics: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 49% from the field, 37% from the 3-point line, 85% from the free throw line.
Paul's Postseason Statistics: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists, 50% from the field, 29% from the 3-point line, 78% from the free throw line.
The Celtics and
Cavaliers split their season series 2-2.
Both LeBron James and
Kevin Garnett missed one of those games to injury.
James averaged 32
points per game in the three contests he played in. The Cavaliers won two of
those three games.
In Boston's lone
regular season victory over the James led Cavaliers, the Cetlics held LeBron to
26 points on 7-for-26 shooting. The Celtics won that game 92-87 on
February 27th.
Keys for Boston
1. Stop LeBron
James
The San Antonio Spurs
held LeBron to 22 points per game and 36% from the field in their NBA Finals
sweep over James' Cavaliers last season.
How did they do
it?
By making him a
jumpshooter.
Bruce Bowen and Co.
kept him out of the paint and shut down Daniel Gibson's catch-and-shoot 3-point
opportunities.
The Celtics had the
best defense in the league this season. Boston led the NBA in virtually every
defensive category and were second in the league in points allowed. Even
more impressive is the fact that they accomplished all of that without the
luxury of a lock-down defender on the perimeter.
That may came back to
haunt them versus LeBron.
James led the league
in scoring this season by averaging 30 points per game. LeBron also led in 4th
quarter scoring (9.1 pts) and the Cavs had seventeen 4th quarter comebacks.
The Celtics don't have
anyone on the perimeter to defend him one-on-one.
But they do
have Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett.
If I was Doc Rivers, I
would place KG on LeBron for key stretches in this series. Garnett doesn't have
LeBron's explosiveness but he can afford to play a step off because James won't
beat the Celtics with his jumpshot.
James outweighes
Garnett by twenty pounds but gives up 3 inches to the 9-time All-NBA
defender.
KG's long arms and
great hands could disrupt many of James' forays into the paint.
Is this strategy
uncoventional?
Of course.
And KG might be better
suited to roam the paint and contest LeBron's penetration from the weakside.
It's not as if he'll have to worry about Anderson Varejao or Ben Wallace scoring
a ton of points off of LeBron's drive-and-dish skills.
But if LeBron starts
to takeover like he did against Detroit in last year's playoffs, why not place
the best defensive player in the game on the "chosen one?"
Stopping LeBron James
is key to Boston's chances of advancing out of the second round, it's the only key.
No one expected this series to go 7 games but the Hawks proved to be a resilient bunch.
Atlanta did most of their damage by pushing the basketball and getting buckets in transition. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith led in Atlanta's three home victories. Johnson averaged 20 per game and Smith put up 16 points a game in the series.
With Johnson, Smith, newly acquired Mike Bibby, and Rookie of the Year runner-up Al Horford, the Hawks have a promising future.
Even more intriguing is the success that Johnson and Smith had in attacking the Celtics defense.
Up next is a matchup with the NBA's leading scorer this season -- LeBron James.
(4) Cleveland vs. (5) Washington
Prediction: Washington Wizards Result: Cavaliers in 6
I picked the Wizards under the assumption that Gilbert Arenas would be at full strength.
He wasn't and it may not have mattered if he had been.
LeBron James led the way for the Cavaliers in averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in this first round series. The Wizards and Cavs exchanged plenty of words in this one but Washington's talking amounted to a lot of bark, no bite. Aside from a few physical fouls, LeBron did virtually whatever he wanted on the court.
That's a testament to his perseverance and the porous Wizards defense.
King James' continued development will be tested in the next round when he faces the Boston Celtics defense. The C's led the league in virtually ever defensive category and were second in points allowed.
(3) Orlando vs. (6) Toronto
Prediction: Orlando Magic Result: Orlando in 6
Dwight Howard absolutely annihilated the Toronto Raptors in this series.
Howard averaged 20 points, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks, and shot 61% from the field.
Hedo Turkuglu and Rashard Lewis paced the Magic with averaged of 19 and 18 points respectively.
The Raptors have some key roster decisions to make over the off-season.
Do you they build around T.J. Ford or Jose Calderon? Both are starting point guards in the NBA and Ford hasn't shown a willingness to split minutes with Jose.
(2) Detroit vs. (7) Philadelphia
Prediction: Detroit Pistons Result: Pistons in 6
Detroit did what they always do. They played lackadaisically over the course of the series until the media and their fans lit a match under their backsides.
We'll see if they're able to sleepwalk their way into their 6th conference finals appearance against the Magic.
(1) LA Lakers vs. (8) Denver
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers Result: Lakers in 4
I rarely get overly excited about my team but I'm very excited about the Lakers championship prospects over the next 6-7 seasons.
This team has a chance to be SPECIAL. I'm talking Jordan's Bulls in the 90's special.
As for the Nuggets, they were better off with Andre Miller.
Allen Iverson just doesn't get 'it' and unfortunately, it doesn't look as if he ever will.
(4) Utah vs. (5) Houston
Prediction: Utah Jazz Result: Jazz in 6
Of all the Western Conference matchups, I thought this one was most likely to result in a sweep.
With Yao Ming out, I didn't think Tracy McGrady would be enough to win even one game but the Rockets managed to get two victories.
Barring injury, which is a big 'if' since T-Mac and Ming are extremely injury prone, the Rockets will be legitimate NBA championship contenders next season.
Five years from now, what will people remember most about the 2007-2008 NBA season, that the Rockets won 22-games in a row, or that team "x" won the NBA championship?
I know what I'll remember...
(3) San Antonio vs. (6) Phoenix
Prediction: San Antonio Spurs Result: Spurs in 5
Even I was surprised at the relative ease in which the Spurs dispatched the Suns.
I'll always believe that the Shaquille O'Neal trade was made under false pretenses. The belief that he would improve their interior defense was absurd and was sliced to shreds by Tim Duncan's scoring and Tony Parker's penetration in round one.
Bottom line: the Suns, while always mediocre defensively, were better on that end with Shawn Marion and no statistical "proof" will persuade me otherwise.
(2) New Orleans vs. (7) Dallas
Prediction: Dallas Mavericks Result : Hornets in 5
I'll admit, I've been a Chris Paul skeptic for much of the season.
But the kid is making me a believer.
I love the way he manages his team. Chris plays with a maturity far beyond his 23 years of age and eons beyond his two years in the league.
He'll need every ounce of that maturity to get past the NBA's oldest team (average age 31) and winner of four of the last ten NBA championships.
Will the Pistons "flip the switch" in this series or will they revert back to their nonchalant play?
Will it matter?
Will this be the year that the championship window that has seemingly been open for the past four seasons slams shut?
I think so.
Keys for Orlando
1. Force feed Dwight Howard.
Rasheed Wallace can't stop him. Neither can Jason Maxiell or Antonio McDyess.
Howard led the NBA in rebounds, double-doubles, was 5th in blocks, and 3rd in field goal percentage this season in establishing himself as the best center in the game.
Detroit doesn't have the kryptonite for 'Superman'.
2. Let Rasheed fire up all the 3-pointers his heart desires
Which shouldn't be too difficult because unfortunately, Sheed prefers to play behind the arc anyways.
With Dwight Howard down low, can you blame him?
Aside from LeBron James, Wallace is the most talented player in the NBA. As he goes, so do the Pistons.
No wonder they suffer from so many mental lapses. 3. Exploit their mismatches
Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton have difficulty defending swingmen with size (LeBron James anyone?). Orlando has two of the most versatile guard/forwards in the league in Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu.
Turkoglu has been a reliable playoff performer since his days with the Kings and I expect him to be a HUGE factor in this series.
The Magic have an advantage in three of the five starting positions (Howard, Hedo, & Lewis).
The Pistons have an advantage at point guard and a deeper bench but Big Shot Billups won't be enough to propel Detroit to a 6th straight conference finals appearance.
Few people expected the Hornets to make the playoffs this season, much less contend for the Western Conference's #1 seed.
But Chris Paul led the Hornets to a surprising 56-26 record and the second seed.
Paul and the Hornets made quick work of Jason Kidd and the Mavericks but face a different task altogether with the battle tested Spurs.
I'll take the Spurs in six.
Keys for San Antonio
1. Unleash Bruce Bowen
Bruce still doesn't receive the respect he deserves. Does he cross the line from time to time? Yes, but there isn't a finer perimeter defender in the league.
Bowen will be assigned the unenviable task of slowing down Chris Paul in this series. Bruce has done a fantastic job against Nash the previous two seasons. Expect more of the same in this series.
2. Close out on the Hornets sharpshooters
The Spurs are the smartest team in the league. Their rotations are flawless and they follow Popovich's game plans to a 'T'.
Look for San Antonio to dare Chris Paul to beat them by himself through the opening quarters of the series by staying home on Peja, Pargo, and Mo Pete when Paul gets into the paint. Eliminating the catch and shoot opportunities those players thrive upon.
The Spurs are masters at letting one guy get off for a few quarters and then putting the clamps on him in the 4th quarter. By the time that guy is forced to involve his teammates, they're out of sync and rarely deliver.
4. Stop the Paul-to-Chandler alley-oop
Again, I don't think this will be a problem. Duncan and Kurt Thomas don't have Chandler's athleticism but they're smart enough to put a body on him before he can roll to the basket.
I picked the Mavericks to beat the Hornets because I thought J. Kidd would get the better end of his matchup with Chris Paul. I was wrong. Paul did whatever he wanted against the Mavs.
But the Spurs aren't the Mavs. Instead of playing opposite an over-the-hill Kidd, Paul will be facing off against All-NBA defender Bruce Bowen and asked to defend lighting quick Tony Parker on the other end.
Paul will have to have a monster series for New Orleans to advance.
San Antonio didn't let LeBron James beat them last year.
When it comes to coaching changes, NBA General Managers recycle
enough to make Al Gore proud.
Larry Brown: introduced by Michael
Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats as their new head coach two days ago after a
disastrous stint with the Knicks. This will be “Next Town Brown’s” 9th head
coaching job in the NBA. Hopefully it will be his last.
Avery Johnson: canned after
winning Coach of the Year in 2006. Owns a 23-24 mark in the playoffs. He was
most responsible for the Mavs collapse in the 2006 NBA Finals —
choosing to double and triple team Shaq at every opportunity — daring Dwyane
Wade to beat them. We all know how that turned out.
Mike D’Antoni: D’Antoni is
reportedly on the hot seat after the Suns were eliminated by the Spurs 4-1 in
the first round. This coming after he led Phoenix to four straight 50 win
seasons and changed the status quo by masterminding the Suns run n’ gun attack.
An attack that multiple teams have since tried to imitate.
D’Antoni’s critics point to his failure to develop
his bench and the Suns deficiencies on defense. Mike deserves blame for his
rotation decisions but the Suns simply do not have the personnel to be a good
defensive team.
Bottom line: he shouldn’t be made the scapegoat for
the disastrous trade that brought Shaq to the Valley of the Sun.
George Karl: Nuggets fans have
been pointing fingers at George Karl all season. He has been blamed for the
Nuggets defensive woes and their lack of discipline on and off the court.
I doubt a sideline of Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach,
and the Pope could get through to Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and J.R.
Smith.
Vacancies
Chicago: Avery Johnson and Mike
D’Antoni are rumored to be the frontrunners.
Cleveland: Mike Brown is an
excellent defensive coach but the Cavs run a rudimentary offense. I think Jeff
Van Gundy would be an excellent replacement. He’s a hard nosed defensive coach
and he knows the X’s and O’s of the game.
Detroit: The Pistons have
regressed since Saunders became the head coach.
Special thanks to Pat Riley for ending his
de####able charade in Miami. Good riddance. We can only hope that Erik
Spoelstra’s tenure doesn’t end in the same manner Stan Van Gundy’s did.
The Boston Celtics marched through the regular season with an NBA best 66 regular season wins.
After beating the Atlanta Hawks by an average of 21 points in Game’s 1 and 2, most people had them penciled in for their first NBA Finals appearance since 1987.
But the Hawks aren’t going down without a fight.
After shooting 38 percent in the first two games of the series, Atlanta has shot 47 percent in the last two games.
How have they managed to get back into the series?
By playing fast perimeter oriented basketball and getting down the floor before the Celtics can set up their defense. [Read]
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.
