It takes a man to admit when he’s wrong.

 

Well, I wasn’t really wrong.  I just chose the wrong side of the debate.

 

Many of the Fox faithful may remember a little ditty called He Said She Said in which BlueGrassLady and I debated the hottest topic in sports for your amusement.  We debated whether Pete Rose should be in the Hall, whether there should an NFL rookie salary cap, whether we would let our son play for Bobby Knight, whether the AL should get rid of the designated hitter rule, whether baseball’s All-Star Game should determine home field advantage in the World Series and whether we should dedicate so much of our life and love to professional sports.

 

She was a worthy adversary to be sure.  Prior to posting, we’d discuss potential debate topics and allow each other to choose a side.  It was a great exercise in writing and we received enthusiastic support from the blogosphere.

 

When Danny Ainge pulled off a coup by landing both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the 2007 off-season, Bluegrass and I debated whether that move guaranteed a Celtic title.  While I was still (a little) skeptical, Bluegrass chose the side of the C’s.  One has to figure that if you took the field against the Celtics pre-season, you’d have to like your chances.  Then they tipped off.

 

 

The Celtics tore through the regular season, losing only 16 games.  When the playoffs hit, they slowly picked up tempo, building up confidence, then absolutely destroyed the Lakers in a Finals that should not have made it to six games.

 

Looking back at my argument, I felt I had some valid points which the Celtics players, coaching staff and entire operations eventually put to rest to ensure their team hoisted the O’Brien Trophy by season's end.

 

Point Guard Play:  After watching Rajon Rondo throughout his college career at Kentucky, I never questioned his talent.  I just questioned whether he’d be able to lead a team to a title in his sophomore year in the league.  Not only was Rondo impressive, but he outplayed every point guard that tried to cover him, including Mike Bibby, Delonte West, Chauncey Billups and Derek Fisher, ALL of whom have more playoff experience and years in the league.  Rondo was consistently quicker than his defenders and made great decisions on BOTH sides of the ball.  He came through with timely steals throughout the playoffs and his assist/turnover ratio was as good as can be expected (over 3:1).  Heck, in Game Six, he even took Kobe Bryant off the dribble and drew a foul for a three point play.  Of course it doesn’t hurt to have three of the most potent offensive players of this generation to play alongside.  The addition of Sam Cassell was also key as Sam I Am came off the bench throughout the playoffs and provided offense, or at least shot attempts, to a sometimes sputtering Celtic offense.

 

Back Court Defense: While Rondo never had to face the likes of Deron Williams or Chris Paul, he still was effective against opposing point guards.  His quickness and instincts forced turnovers, Celtic fast breaks and key swings in momentum.  The rest of their backcourt also combined to take Kobe Bryant out of his element, holding him to 40% shooting for the Finals.

 

Cap Space:  Credit Danny Ainge.  The old Celtic earned his keep, and a GM of the Year award, by making key acquisitions in PJ Brown and Sam Cassell, veteran presences who provided quality minutes throughout the second season.  In fact, the entire Boston bench outplayed the Lakers.  The Celtics featured a near perfect blend of starters and subs.  There were few players that didn’t make memorable contributions.  Each player knew their role and accepted it for the common goal: an NBA Crown.

 

 

Age and Health:  While the Celtics got more dinged up as the playoffs progressed, their communal will and determination helped them rise above.  Doc played the Big Three a fair amount of minutes throughout the regular season.  But it’s not like Garnett (32), Allen (32) and Pierce (30) are THAT old.  They certainly didn’t play like it when it mattered.  In fact, despite their injuries (and questionably staged re-entries) the Celtics’ Big Three looked as energetic and spry as their twenty-two year old point guard.  In the end, they would not be denied.  No bumps, bruises or nagging injuries would stand in their way.

 

Coaching:  Okay…. here I owe a sincere apology.  Remember, Doc Rivers used to coach my Orlando Magic.  Before that, he was one of the finest and most articulate TNT announcers to work the mic.  When Doc underachieved with the Magic, Orlando fans were bitter.  But it was wrong to ever question his smarts, leadership or class.  Sure, he had a roster full of talent, but he should be credited for discovering exactly what it took to lead this team to greatness.  And he did it with flair.  When Ray Allen struggled early, he always backed his man.  Heck, most would argue he even out-coached Phil Jackson in the Finals.  Case in point, early in Game Six, with the outcome of the game still in question, Doc received a technical for arguing that Kobe Bryant tossed aside Eddie House while moving through a pick.  We’re talking about the ninth man off the bench against the biggest name in the league.  There was no way House was going to get that call.  In fact, it was a great move by Bryant to get around the pick.  But for Doc to receive a tech with his season on the line and have the back of his ninth man says something about the man’s character.  The Celtics have themselves a great coach and leader, and we can now add his name to a select few that have won a title.  One gets the feeling this will not be his last.

 

 

Competition:  The Celtics may have played down to their opponents on occasion, dropping three to both the Cavaliers and Hawks, but when it mattered most, they got the job done.  It is pure speculation to wonder whether they could have made it through the West unscathed, but considering how they dismantled the Lakers, as well as having dominated against the West all-season, it’s safe to assume the Celtics are without question the best team in the league.

 

If you weren’t moved by watching Kevin Garnett in tears as the confetti fell in the Garden, then you're not a fan of the game and simply don’t have a heart.  Anything is possible.

 

So congratulations to Celtics fans everywhere.  I'm glad to stand corrected. 

 

Lady Bluegrass knows her hoops.  Heck, she’s from Kentucky.  It’s her birthright.

Let this be a lesson to us all.   Before you get into a debate with a woman, rest assured you’ll end up on the losing side of the argument.

• Third degree sunburn
•  Dane Cook’s comedy
• Liver and Onions 
• “Die Hard With A Vengeance”
• Our current economic state
• Getting a speeding ticket 
• The Seattle Mariners
• The last two Quentin Tarantino movies
• The prospect of Roger Clemens having sexual relations with a 15-year old country music star

 

But that’s about all I could think of.  This Lakers supporting cast is THAT bad.

 

Going into this series, many boasted that the Lakers bench would have a clear advantage over Boston’s.  Au contraire.  In Games One and Two, the Lakers bench has been outplayed, out shot, out-hustled, outclassed and outmanned.  Their only somewhat useful players are Ronny Turiaf because of the energy he provides and Sasha Vujacic when he can hit a jump shot.  Luke Walton has been absolutely awful, dare I say hooooorrrrrible.  Luke, Bill is NOT your father.  The apple fell VERY far from that tree.  And the only thing about Jordan Farmar that belongs in this NBA Finals is his first name. 

 

The Lakers were outscored by 14 in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game Two, partially because Vladimir Radmanovic failed to cover Paul Pierce, but primarily because the Lakers bench simply cannot function as an independent unit.

 

Here’s a summary of the first two minutes of the second quarter….

 

• 11:42 Luke Walton bad pass (P J Brown steals)
• 11:30 Trevor Ariza defensive rebound
• 11:29 Trevor Ariza lost ball (Sam Cassell steals)
• 11:27 Trevor Ariza personal foul
• 11:21 Sasha Vujacic misses 22-foot jumper
• 10:36 Luke Walton bad pass (James Posey steals)
• 10:30 Ronny Turiaf shooting foul
• 10:21 Sasha Vujacic traveling
• 10:07 Luke Walton shooting foul
• 9:55 Jordan Farmar misses layup

If you’re not counting at home, that’s four turnovers, three fouls, two missed shots and one rebound in less than two minutes.  Even our economy’s not that unproductive.  That may very well have been the worst five players on the floor at the same time in ANY Finals EVER.  My jump shot got worse just watching them.

With PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Leon Powe, James Posey and even House and Davis, the Celtics bench is giving Doc Rivers exactly what he needs.  The Lakers bench is giving Phil Jackson indigestion.

Look, bench play is not the only reason the Lakers are taking it on the chin in this series.  Boston wants it more and they’re playing like it.  Kevin Garnett’s desire is contagious, Paul Pierce cannot be stopped and Ray Allen is coming back to form.  The only thing L.A.’s bench is contributing is to a larger Lakers deficit.

The supporting cast on Phil Jackson’s championship teams have always made key contributions, but Phil doesn’t have any confidence in this bunch, with good reason.  While Cassell, Powe and Brown can, and have, give the Celtics double digits and quality minutes, on any given night, the Lakers bench don’t have that.  Rick FOX could outplay these guys. 

With the Lakers starting cast all having a sub-par series to date, the Lakers are struggling to find any spark whatsoever.  It’s definitely not coming from the pine.  This does not bode well for the Lakers and their fans.

Yes, the series now shifts back to Los Angeles for three straight games and the tide can potentially turn to L.A.’s favor.  But if the Lakers continue to get no production out of their supporting cast, this series may not make it back to Beantown.

 

 

There's nothing more satisfying to a NBA fan than watching a professional franchise truly click in the post-season. Particularly when we can see within them the desire to be the best, to earn that ring and to know they've become a part of basketball history. Out the window go the criticisms of the spoiled, millionaire athlete and what we end up witnessing is true, basketball excellence.

On the flipside, there's nothing less satisfactory than watching a team just roll over. Example, the Denver Nuggets. What happened to these guys? At the beginning of the season, they looked like an unstoppable force. Camby was dominant and well on his way to comeback player of the year. 'Melo looked like a top ten player in the league. At mid-season, they added on two key players in Patterson and Evans. And Coach Karl looked primed to take his team deep into the playoffs.

Then came the Los Angeles Clippers.

I don't think the mismatches going into this series were as glaring as they actually proved to be. Sure, the Clips had Sam I am and were very possibly a team on a mission. They may have had an advantage in the half-court set with Brand and Kaman, but you can't tell me that with the Nuggets size down low, they couldn't have figured out an answer for the Clippers's front court presence. Sure, Brand is gonna get his, but couldn't Denver have done anything on the opposite end to keep them honest?

In their last two games, the Nuggets got pummeled by a combined 33 points, certainly not looking like a team with anything to prove, other than a rush to get to the off-season and enter the "How quickly can we get rid of K-Mart" sweepstakes.

Congratulations are certainly due to the Clips who have won their first playoff series since moving to Los Angeles, but to teams like Denver, spare us the lack of desire, and save that playoff spot for a team that would have at least put forth an effort.