- Believe it or not, the once left-for-dead Phoenix Suns have turned it around and it's all because of Mike D'Antoni and his coaching staff. He has finally found a way to incorporate and involve The Big Diesel into the system. That high double-post set on offense is being utilized to perfection by Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and O'Neal. Kudos...
- While STAT's stats have gone up, Nash is still pick-n-rolling opponents to death and continues to find his three-point shooters within their new offensive set that still emphasizes ball movement, fluidity, but more importantly allows O'Neal to do his thing, whether it's attacking the offensive boards, finding the open man, or simply making his presence felt. And with Boris Diaw slowly starting to find his groove, the Suns actually have a legitimate shot of reaching the NBA FINALS...
- If Shaq doesn't get hurt and continues to average 15 and 10, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs will have to revise their game plan...
- Although he may not win MVP, Chris Paul is the best guard in the NBA pound for pound...
- A New Orleans Hornet deserves a regular season award this year. Byron Scott for Coach of the Year, because his team has maintained its position atop the West the entire season...
- Kobe Bryant deserves to be MVP while any other year Paul would win the award. Tim Duncan should win MVP every year and we all know it, but we have to make it fun for the fans so we use statistics as indicators instead. Kevin Garnett already won an MVP but this time around he has a much better supporting cast and he's missed some games so it ends there for KG. Lebron James has to wait his turn to be crowned King of the NBA, especially if the team he plays on won't even qualify for the playoffs in the West...
- Nice to see The Birdman out of his cuckoo's nest and flying again...
- If the Dallas Mavericks wind up playing the New Orleans Hornets in the first round, I would not be shocked if the Mavs do to the Hornets what the Warriors did to them last year...
- Everybody keeps talking about how Elton Brand would fit in perfectly with Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion in Miami. No one is talking about the possibility of Brand in a GoldenState Warriors uniform. Imagine a lineup of B-Diddy, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Andres Biedrins, and Brand. Scary to think of that team running up and down the court...
- The fact that Washington was minus-19 with Gilbert Arenas on the floor during the Wizards' loss in his first game back makes me realize that the uninspired, video game playing blogger known as Agent Zero would make a perfect Los Angeles Clipper. Welcome back to L.A., Gilbert. We already know you're coming...
- If the Atlanta Hawks started the season with Mike Bibby running the point, they would be ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoff race right now...
- Golden State will not make the playoffs this year because they play only one style of basketball. At least Denver and Dallas can go inside if they wanted to...
- The key to the recent surge by the Denver Nuggets to propel them back in the playoff hunt hasn't been Carmelo Anthony or Allen Iverson. It's been the player who's rediscovered his talents, Kenyon Martin...
- The Utah Jazz have the best home record in the NBA but is only 16-22 on the road. They will be the featured topic on the next episode of Unsolved Mysteries...
- The fact that the Los Angeles Lakers did not sign Chris Webber and chose to bring in D.J. Mbenga instead solidifies Mitch Kupchak for Executive of the Year. Many will say Danny Ainge, but the entire universe knows Kevin McHale was the one responsible for the revival in Boston. And guys like James Posey, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell decided to go green not because of Ainge but because of Garnett. Kupchak built his team from the ground up with his best player threatening to go elsewhere. Ainge used a former MVP to entice free agent veterans to come join the fray...
- For the first time since the 1980's, fans will hear "Beat L.A." chants more than ever in every city the Lakers will play in during the playoffs...
- I love how every contending playoff team's fans will chant "MVP! MVP! MVP!" for their star player even though they know he won't win the award. It goes to show how fans are once again loving this game...
- The regular season MVP Award is the most overrated award in all of professional sports. On paper, the Phoenix Suns should win it all because they have three MVP-type players in O'Neal, Stoudemire, and Nash. The Celtics have two in Paul Pierce and KG, the Rockets have Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, and the Nuggets have Melo and A.I. The funny thing is that neither of these teams will make it to the NBA Finals...
- The biggest mistake anyone can make in the postseason is to sleep on the Detroit Pistons. Like in 2004, they are at their best when flying under the radar. That was the same way in which the great Joe Dumars approached the game and it was what made him a legend in Motown...
- Fans are always looking for storylines when it comes to the NBA Finals. We all want to revive the battles between the Lakers and the Celtics. We all want to see Kobe vs. Lebron in the Finals, which would be the new version of Bird vs. Magic. We all wish that Phoenix played in the East so we'd have a chance to see Kobe vs. Shaq in the Finals. But it almost always seems to never work out as we expect it to be. Who would have thought that Cleveland would make it to the big dance last year? That's why in 2008, it will be...
- Lakers over the Pistons in the 2008 NBA Finals. Just like Mike versus the Bad Boys in the late eighties, Kobe finally gets past Detroit when it counts most.
- And finally: If you don't love this game, check yourself. 'Til next time...
Have you noticed the Suns have taken to running a lot of triangle sets lately?
I'd take Deron Williams over Chris Paul. I don't know why but I don't think Paul will shine in the playoffs.
Quick story about the Birdman:
I attended a Nuggets/Bucks scrimmage in 2003. It was actually Carmelo's first NBA game/scrimmage whatever you want to call it. Some of the Nuggets stayed around afterwards and signed autographs. Camby and The Birdman stayed the longest. I made small talk with Anderson and he was a good guy. Very friendly.
I was sad when I heard he had been suspended but I'm glad he's back in the league.
Sometimes good people do bad things.
Unless New Orleans meets Houston, I don't see them getting out of the 1st round.
I think the Wizards might be better off without Arenas.
I agree, Kenyon has been key for Denver.
I don't see how anyone can beat Utah in the first round when they'll have homecourt. It's so imperative that the Lakers stay atop the Pacific Division.
RAMOGRIFF: Thanks for the comment. Everyone should love this game, for the simple fact you don't ever hear anything about cheaters and steroid allegations. It's as pure as it can get.
HOFFMAN: Alas, thank you.
I have noticed the Suns running a variation of the triangle, thanks to Shaquille's capability of being a player-coach if you will.
Do you feel the way you do about Deron because of his playing in big games in college? We will see how solid Paul is next month when the games really count. It's a close match between these two great guards.
I hope Anderson brings it next year. Good story, it's nice to hear that Anderson has an awesome personality with the fans.
It sure seems Arenas is in it for the money, not the hardware.
If Phoenix plays Utah in the first round, the Suns would win even if the Jazz had homecourt advantage. Shaq is the difference maker.
If Boston comes out of the East, they will have a better chance to beat a West opponent than the Pistons.
Actually, Arenas said he would take a pay cut in order to keep Jamison and the rest of the team together...who knows what his real motives are though. I think the Wizards can be a scary team if they stay healthy and add one more piece to the puzzle.
Great article, I hope to see the lakers in the finals too.
Nice read:
“ Lakers over the Pistons in the 2008 NBA Finals. Just like Mike versus the Bad Boys in the late eighties, Kobe finally gets past Detroit when it counts most. “
But we wanted to see the storylines of the battles between the Lakers and the Celtics when it comes to the NBA Finals.
I like D. Williams for a number of reasons. He's a better shooter, defender, and yes, I've seen him bring it in big games. He was huge in the playoffs last season.
Glad you enjoyed the Birdman story. Jon Barry was also a member of the Nuggets at the time. He seems like a great guy when he's announcing games and maybe he is but he didn't even acknowledge the fans. He was literally 10 feet from us and he had little kids asking him to sign stuff and he didn't even look up from the nachos he was snacking on.
That always stuck with me.
I don't think the Suns can beat Utah if the Jazz has homecourt. I have serious doubts they can get past the Jazz with homecourt too.
The C's are on a mission. Their defense is stifling.
I'd like to see, Cavs/Wizards in the first round too.
I've been telling Clippers fans that Agent Zero is coming for this entire season now. He's perfect for the squad, and the squad is perfect for him. He'll finally give the Clips some personality that not even EB has been able to give them, despite the way the Clips tried marketing him after that one successful season.
I'm not even surprised about the C-Webb move, the Lakers management never ceases to amaze me with their ability to consistantly put a great product out on the floor.
I'm not sure about the Pistons. I think if they meet Lebron, they're gonna go down again.
The Hornets would work the Mavs in 6 or less.
CP3 IS the best PG in the league, you're right about that.
I still like the Lakers over the Suns, with or without a healthy Bynum.
I agree that the Suns have utilized Shaq better than expected, but D'Antoni hasn't learned to use more than 8 players, which will overtire the team in the playoffs AGAIN...
Jazz are the only Western conference team to win at Boston Garden. That convinced me they are a legit contender in spite of losing so much to the lesser teams on the road. They just might surprise this year.
Finally, I say you're wrong on the Pistons over the Celts. Celts D and Pistons' Flip will be the difference.
POLYCADDY65: Sometimes its hard to figure out Gilbert Arenas. At one moment he's the best clutch shooter in the league and then all of a sudden he seems uninspired.
The Wizards are your typical fifth-seventh seeded team. Great talent, average coaching, lacking in size and depth, and still missing one or two players that could be difference makers.
UNDERAGE: I, too, want it to be Lakers-Celtics this year. Imagine all the old-timers like Magic, Bird, Byron, Worthy, Kareem, Parish, McHale, etc sitting in the stands during the Finals. That would be a sight to behold.
But I have this feeling about the Detroit Pistons. That team has a lot of pride and frankly, they're not yet ready to bow down.
HOFFMAN: I'd also like to share with you a similar story that stuck with me.
Back in 1996, I was in Richmond, B.C. and I was shooting hoops at the Vancouver Grizzlies practice facility.
While I was practicing jump shots on one court, the Grizzlies were wrapping up practice in a nearby court next to the court I was on. All of a sudden Gerald Wilkins and Bryant "Big Country" Reeves walk onto the "side courts" beside me and start practicing free throws by themselves.
After a while I start chatting with Wilkins and he was really cool and engaging. We spoke for about 10 minutes before he went into the locker room to call it a day.
Reeves kept shooting free throws for another 45 minutes while I kept shooting on the other end of the court. I was waiting patiently for Reeves to finish because I wanted to talk to him. At the time, he had just been drafted from Oklahoma State and he was regarded as one of the best big men to come out of college.
When he finished, I approached him to congratulate him on a successful college career and he told me that he had no time to chat with me because he had a lot on his mind. What an excuse!
I simply wanted to wish him well in the pros and he shut me off. That stuck with me for a longtime and as I continued to follow his pro career, I was glad that he ended up being a bust in the NBA. The guy had no personality and no class whatsoever.
So after he told me to basically go away, I dribbled my basketball a couple of times and swished a three-pointer on the basket he was shooting free throws on, grabbed my own rebound, and left the facility.
I then saw Wilkins walking to his car (a Mercedes Benz SL500) and wished him luck during the season. He told me to take care and said, "Hey maybe I'll see you again over here someday." Cool guy. And I'm glad his son is doing rather well for the Sonics.
BLEEDPRPL&GLD: Thank you. I concur. Lakers in June every year 'til 2010.
LAKERSFAN19: I will have to disagree with you regarding Cavs vs. Pistons in the playoffs. Especially after Cleveland's poor effort in their home loss to the Magic today, I am not convinced that Lebron has what it takes to lead his team and beat a tough Detroit squad in seven games.
Contrary to what most people think, Detroit is much improved this year compared to last year. They're deeper, they have more balance, their veterans are well rested, and they have their own version of the Bench Mob. The acquisitions of Jarvis Hayes and Juan Dixon will help them tremendously in the playoffs, as will energy providers Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell.
Do you think if Gilbert Arenas signed with the Clippers and they managed to keep Brand as well, that the Clips would make the postseason next year?
NBAISTHEWORST: I'm not sold on the Jazz. They surprised everyone last year by getting super close to the Finals but I don't think they will surprise anyone this year.
The Celtics D is exceptional. That I agree with. But so is the Pistons'. And keep in mind that as a coach, Flip Saunders has a better track record in the playoffs than Doc Rivers.
And wouldn't it be nice if it were still called BOSTON GARDEN? BankNorth Garden just doesn't have that same ring to it.
It's like taking away CANDLESTICK PARK and calling it Monster Park at Candlestick Point. Thank God that they decided to call it Candlestick Park once again.
2006-2007 Suns have much more talent with Shawn Marion than 2007-2008 team with Shaq. The Cactus train will be jumping off the railtrack come playoff time.
I too believe it could be a Piston-Celtics in the East, but i favor Celtics to win because of the defense. The Celtics is too hungry for a title and i am sure they would prevail in the East. However, i have much doubt if they will be the team to reckon, with respect to the NBA title since teams in the West have much more experienced playing in an NBA Championship Playoff games. It could be a Lakers-Celtics match-up.... It'll be the Lakers in 5.
Last edited by nwhatdheck on April 6th at 8:04 PM.
TEACHER54: Nice to see you have the utmost confidence in the Suns. If, in fact, they do win it all, I will be the first to congratulate Shaq, Steve, Amare, and company with a blog dedicated entirely to the Suns.
LAKERSFAN4LIFE: The Lakers not only have the talent but they have the size, the depth, and definitely the balance.
NWHATDHECK: I agree with you about the 2006-07 Suns. They were more exciting too watch but at the same time we can't overlook the fact that there wasn't as much parity in the West two-three years ago. But what they lost with Marion hasn't been completely gained by the addition of Shaq, but he does give them an inside presence, something which they've never had before.
If it's Lakers-Celtics, it will go six or seven games. Too much defense and firepower from both teams in that series.
EFOMTHEMC: Thanks for stopping by and reaffirming.
UC IRVINE graduate and proud to be an ANTEATER. My claim to fame is having played against the likes of Tayshaun and Tommie Prince, Jacque Vaughn, and Charles O'Bannon, plus getting dunked on by Schea Cotton in a CIF second round match in the nineties.
WIDELY KNOWN on FOX as one of the most biased LAKER HOMERS in blog history, highly criticized for hating on the PHOENIX SUNS fan base, and has been told on more than one occasion that LAMAR ODOM isn't worth the suit he's wearing.
Believe that "excellence is not an act but a habit."
Believe that the things you do and the things you don't do, they all send a message.
Believe that in order to know the world one must first know thyself.
And believe that it's the journey not the destination.
Finally, as the great Bruce Lee once said, "Man - he is constantly growing and when he is bound by a set pattern of ideas or way of doing things, that's when he stops growing."
This is the Way of the Dragon. Embrace it.
