This game symbolizes the entire Suns run of the last 4 years.  They have every opportunity to win but instead make 4 turnovers in the last 2 minutes to seal a loss that should never of been.  Whether it is the coaching of Mike D:

 'Hi, I like to go to Diaw twice in the last minute, first time he threw it out of bounds, the second time he made a nice post up basket... too bad we were trailing by 3 and still did not deny Ginobli the ball even though San Antonio gave us plenty of time to do so. I wonder if I will be better than Isiah in New York?'

The stellar play of the 2 time MVP in the last 4 minutes:

 ' I am the two time MVP, I turn the ball over 3 times in the final 2 minutes of a 1 point playoff elimination game. Maybe next year we can win 60 games, get eliminated by the Spurs and I can win another MVP.'

Or the disappearance of their most dominant player:

 'was I even on the floor in the final minutes?'

The only thing I can say is don't blame this guy:

 'I don't know why Pop kept having them foul me, Mike D is the greatest coach I have ever played for.'

 

I must of been on crack when I picked them to win this series.

 

Where do the Suns go from here? I think we have that answer. All of their money is tied up with two past their prime superstars. It would be nice if Shaq could have a great off season and come back ready to play, but at his age, I think we saw his last gasp. He might have something left if say the Suns are the 8 seed next year playing against the Lakers as a 1. But other than that, He has had a great career and can no longer maintain his physical health over the course of the season.

Mike D has had his chance, his team melted down twice in San Antonio and got rolled up at home. Ultimately the head coach is responsible for that. His style is played out here, it is time to move on. His style is entertaining and he should find employment, but he cannot stand across from Popovich when it counts, that should be clear at this point.

Steve Nash has had a great career, but physically he is slowing, 2 years ago he was considered by some to be the premier point guard in the league, now I don't think that a title contender would want him starting for them. He is that much of a defensive liability and his offensive prowess is declining.

Amare Stoudemire still has unlimited potential. He dominated this series at times, so much so that I still think the Suns should of won this series. But remember, Phoenix wanted to trade him for KG in the off season. He, along with Barbosa and Diaw are the core the Suns will need to build around in the future.

So the only question that remains in my mind is that do the Suns blow it up now? Or do they sign one more veteran for the 5 mill exception, reload and roll the dice?

I don't think they can blow it up right now. I don't think you can get value for Nash. I know you can't give Shaq away. Are you going to trade Amare? That would be just ridiculous, but it is the only way the Suns could truly shake things up.

Here's what I think will happen. Dantoni will be fired (maybe he ends up in Denver? that would be entertaining). And they will need to bring in a veteran coach to shake things up.

There is only one man I can think of that would of fit the bill, unfortunately he just relocated to Charlotte. Hell, I don't know what the Suns are going to do.....do you think Steve Kerr does?

I was never a Jason Kidd guy. I respected his toughness, passing ability and rebounding. I always had questions about his heart and his head. From the spousal abuse incident to the coach killing of Byron Scott, his character was in question. His jumper was always a question mark and his ability to perform in the clutch was never proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

After last nights brutal attempt to injure Janero Pargo, I am done with Kidd. I was ambivalent before, now it is solid. This is a bad guy. He grabbed Pargo by the neck while he was in the air and threw him head first towards the floor. If Pargo was not able to get his hands under him, we were about to witness the most despicable incident on the NBA court since the riot in Auburn Hills. Only Kermit Washington's infamous cheap shot of Rudy T ranks with this one in my opinion. I am just glad that this one did not have the same terrible consequences for Pargo.

I remember McHale's clothesline of Rambis back in the day, the two fouls did not compare. That play happened at full speed and was made to prevent a score. Kidd could of just held him down if he wanted to prevent a basket. Instead he threw Pargo head first toward the floor in anger and frustration. What a garbage dirty play!

Hope I did not mix up a matchup, I just wanted to go on record before reading all of your opinions:

Western Conference

 

Lakers v Nuggets- This is the closest thing to a sure thing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers were 3-0 v Nuggets and match up with them very well. The Lakers depth will enable them to go on runs while the starters are on the bench, even if the starters play them straight up. Mellow getting xtra mellow the other night reminds me of Nicky V's famous 1-2-3 Cancun chant. Lamar is the perfect defender for Mellow, Kobe knows how to play against AI, Ira Newble will see some light to chase those two around. If Ariza and Bynum were healthy this would have been a sweep. Without them, I think the Lakers lose game 3.

 

Lakers win if: They play the way they are capable, they avoid major injuries.

  Nuggets win if: They go unconscious from the field and the Lakers fall apart.

 

  Prediction: Lakers in 5

 

  Houston V Jazz: This match up alone would guarantee compelling basketball in the first round. Just think we have 2 other great series in the first round alone. The overriding story will be whether or not Tmac can get out of the first round, which is really a shame because these are two great teams that play excellent defensive basketball. This should be a rough and tumble series that goes at least 6 games. NBA is worst pointed out to me that it is actually the Rockets that have home court. That made this series extremely hard to pick.

 

  Houston wins if:  Tmac fights back the demons to be a consistent in the final minutes. Rafer Alston raises his game to counter Deron Williams.

 

  Utah wins if: They can win one of the first 2 at Houston. Carlos Boozer scores consistently from the block. The shooters connect when Williams penetrates.

 

 Prediction: Utah in 7, yeah I am sticking with this one...homecourt to the Rockets is balanced by Rafer Alston Health issues.

  Hornets v Mavericks: I just finished watching the preview of this series in tonight's game. I think this game was huge for momentum going into the series and everything I thought about before it started played out before my eyes. This is the classic veteran vs rookie match up. The younger more talented team vs. the older more experienced team. Early on it looked like New Orleans was going to be able to step up and beat the Mavs on their home court. But the physicality of the Mavericks combined with the increased intensity of Jason Kidd overwhelmed the inexperienced Hornets. Tyson Chandler disappeared in the face of the fury of Brandon Bass the Bulk of Dampier. Clutch Veterans like Eddie Jones and Jason Terry made plays while Bonzi Wells and Peja played like the head cases we remember from playoffs past. This one hurts me because I am actually rooting for the Hornets. It will take more than CP3 and David West to beat the Mavs in a 7 game series, unfortunately they look to be the only ones who are going to show up. The only matchup where I see a decided advantage for the Hornets is at Coach. Maybe Byron can pull something to get Avery off kilter. Be sure to remember how much Kidd hates Scott, he will be especially motivated in this series.

 

  New Orleans will win if: CP3 can abuse Jason Kidd enough to break him mentally. David West plays great every game. Peja makes shots when they need them. Chandler does not disappear.

 

Mavericks will win if: They play physical bullying basketball. Dirk performs at the end of games. Jason Terry or Jerry Stackhouse heat up often enough to provide enough offense.

  Prediction: Mavs in 7

 

  Spurs v Suns: I have saved the best for last. This would have been an excellent conference finals, or if they would re-seed the east, this could have been your NBA finals this year. Both of these teams are major threats. The Spurs because well, they are the Spurs, you know who they are, I don't need to remind you. The Suns, well I stand corrected on this one. I thought the Shaq trade was a debacle, but when you view the Suns as an aging team that is taking a last stab at a championship (maybe another run next year but that is it), this was a bold move. And I have to admit the Suns are more of a threat to win the title this year than before the trade. The Suns are the worst possible match up for the Spurs. Having Shaq threatening the middle frees Stoudemire to dominate a game to his maximum potential. The Suns are now the more physical team. There was one more move made by the Suns that has had a nice impact on their team. That is the addition of Gordon Girecek. He is the classic example of a player who comes to the Suns and benefits from being around Steve Nash and playing in their system. He can't do much more than knock down open shots, but with the two big men in the middle and Nash running the point he is sure to get them. I know he is their 8th man, but before the Suns got him they only had 7 legitimate players and that was not enough. To beat the Suns, the Spurs are going to have to push the tempo. I think if they play their usual pace, they die on the boards. Parker is going to have to push the ball, Ginobli will have to play out of his mind and Duncan is going to have to play at his usual high level. But this time Duncan will not be able to rest on defense if D'antoni has any kind of clue about basketball. The Suns built this team to beat the Spurs, now we will see if their moves paid off.

 

  The Spurs will win if: Ginobli's hamstring is a red herring and he dominates play, Raja Bell cannot guard him if he is healthy. Tony Parker draws fouls from Shaq early after blowing by Nash all night long. Udoka has a coming out party and becomes the x factor.

The Suns will win if: Shaq stays out of foul trouble, Girecek, Hill and Bell hit their open shots, Amare continues to play the way he has since Shaq arrived.

 

  Prediction: Suns in 6

 

 I guess I can do the Eastern Conference too....but that is far less interesting in this round.

 

 

Celtics v Hawks: Celtics in 4.

 

 

Pistons v Sixers: Pistons in 5.

 

 

Magic v Raptors: Magic in 5.

 

 

Cavs v Wizards: This is the only fun series in the east. Will Lebron continue to demonstrate that he is the most talented and dominating player in the league? Or will he give in to the hopelessness of the Cleveland cause and play through the series so he can go hang with Jay Z. I have watched a few Cleveland games since the trade. And they are worse than they were before. The only player of any real value to them was Joe Smith. Ben Wallace, done, a mistake. Wally? He was never good. He is terrible on D, beyond terrible. He can't create a shot, and he can't make shots in the clutch because no sane coach will have him on the floor during winning time. They were better off with Hughes and Gooden. The wizards are intriguing. Caron Butler, Agent 0, Antwan Jamison, Nick Young and Deshawn Stevensen give them the most frenetic and exciting line up this side of Golden State. With Haywood do some good work on the boards, this team is well constructed to knock off the Cavs. Lebron will have to be at his very best for the Cavs to win in this series.

  Cavs will win if: Lebron wants to prove he is the best player in the league and does so.

 

  Wizards will win if: They come with energy and play without fear. Their explosiveness can overwhelm King James and the mistake by the Lake.

 

  Prediction: Cavs in 6, yeah Lebron is that good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like the cavalry is not coming, or if they do arrive they may be too late.  It turns out the initial injury reports on Andrew Bynum (knee) and Trevor Ariza (foot) were incorrect. Both players have not progressed as originally expected. Bynum who was initially expected to be back before the end of the month is looking at treadmill work next week. Ariza's foot is still in a boot, the Lakers will be lucky to see him before the playoffs.

Why this matters: Yes the Lakers have looked good, but they have been working through the soft part of their schedule. Their only two tough games (Phoenix and Dallas) have required superhuman efforts from Bryant to squeak by (and that Phoenix win is less impressive each passing day). Portland and Dallas have exposed to the rest of the league that the Lakers are currently soft on the interior and the way to beat them is on the boards and in the paint.  Even Sacramento was beating them up physically for 3 quarters before another oustanding 4th quarter performance by Bryant saved what would of been a bad loss.

If Bynum can get back healthy, the Lakers have a shot blocker at the rim who discourages penetration, makes it hard for players to go over the top and creates matchup problems on the offensive end. A front line of Bynum, Gasol and Odom is tough to match up with, long and intimidating. A front line of Gasol, Odom and Radmonovich is not nearly as athletic, long or intimidating. The Lakers most effective lineup with their current roster appears to be a combination of 2 of these 3 at guard (Fisher, Farmar, Vujacic) with Kobe, Lamar and Gasol up front. This is the lineup that enables the Lakers to go on runs. However, if the other team goes big, feeds the post and crashes the boards the Lakers can end up beat up and in foul trouble.

Ariza is another matter, he is a defensive stopper that can spell Kobe from the task of matching up against the other teams best scorer. He is the man the Lakers need to guard T-mac, Ginobli and Kidd. He can also be effective against point guards like Paul, Parker and Nash by staying in front of them and using his long arms to disrupt passes and challenge jump shots. A line up of Gasol, Odom and Ariza in the front court with Kobe and either Fisher or Farmar is good for defense, disruption and fast breaks. Given the style Ariza plays (kinetic, quick, aggressive) being back right before the playoffs will most likely render him a non-factor. He will need time to get his wind back (he is still in a boot). He will need to adjust to Gasol and learn to trust the foot again. If he was back a month before the playoffs he could do these things. As it stands now, even if he is on the roster, he can hardly be counted on as a contributer in the playoffs.

Yes we Laker fans are excited by Gasol. But we were even more excited of the prospect of what the Lakers could be with their team healthy. Yes the Lakers can still contend in the playoffs with neither of those two players back. But I think this coming week will show us why we need those guys. The Lakers go on the road to face NO, Hou, Dal and Utah. With their current team I would be happy with 2-2 on that trip and am nervous it will be worse than that. With a healthy Bynum and Ariza I would be confidant of 3-1 or better.

The Lakers should win the Pacific Divisision with Phoenix circling the drain and GS too far back to catch them.  But even with home court, a matchup with NO or Dal could have them out in the first round.  We Laker fans need to cross our fingers that we get a semi effective Bynum back in time for that series.

The Celtics either fit the last piece into their championship puzzle today or they are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Sam Cassell has become a Celtic today. He is definately an upgrade over Eddie House. His shot and play making ability are definately an improvement. But a huge part of the Celtics success has been their chemistry and commitment to defense. Does Sam impact either of these areas? Of course he does, and I would say not in a good way on either. 

Did the Celtics need someone to take the clutch shot at the end? Nope, they already have too many options, and the first tough loss in the playoffs could fracture this bunch, sideways comments in the locker room about who should of done what etc.. I say that Cassell actually adds to the chances of that fracture taking place.  Sam is a fan favorite, he is fun to watch play, he is a great quote and he is not shy about speaking his mind.

The Celtics wanted a player to spell Rondo without the signficant dropoff that they get with House. Sam is a shoot first PG, can he be a distributer, sure, but will he stay one? Ask Elton Brand if Sam got him the ball in the 4th quarter. You think Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are going to be cool with Sam jacking up a shot in a close game? We know Garnett is happy to let someone else take the final shot, and yes he does like Sam, that is why Sam is there. You know as soon as Garnett went to the Celtics and Brands injury went down that Sam was hitting KG on the cell saying 'cmon man, get me over there you know it would be great' etc. And KG is such a nice guy, he made it happen.

What does this say about Sam? That Maggete comment was golden, something along the lines of 'Sam has put in a lot of time in the league and he has the pull to make that happen, he is really excited to go to a contender'. Translated that means 'Sam pissed and moaned over here and got his way, we won't miss him'.

What is Cassel going to mean to Rondo? Let me tell you something, the key player for the Celtics outside of the big three has been Rondo. He D's up hard, plays unselfishly, and is developing a knack for doing the right thing in the clutch. Let's imagine this scenario: it is the 4th quarter, Rondo makes a bad turnover or takes an ill advised shot. Tell me that Cassell wont be talking in the locker room about how he should of been in there. And when he is in there, how is his defensive effort going to affect the other players on the floor?

I am not a Sam hater, I know I sound like one here, but it is not the case. He has balls, he plays hard, he has a great personality. I cannot wait to see him sitting in the studio with Chuck and Kenny (but is Kenny looking forward to that?, that is another Blog entirely). I just think that this is a risky move. That can have more consequences than anyone thinks.