I'll See Your Lebron and Raise You a Kobe

Kobe did his part, and after a virtuoso performance, the Los Angeles Lakers are back in the NBA Finals. 

Let's try and forget about his insane +31 plus-minus and just look at his line: 35 points on 12-20 from the field (2-4 from three), and 9-9 from the free-throw line.  10 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 turnover. Kobe Bryant was the Black Mamba last night. 

His performance was worthy of every athletic adjective under the sun; his performance was a tour de force, dominant, genius, a masterpiece, and everything else. It was a win his t eam had to get and Bryant made sure they did. He sprayed jumpers all over the floor and left a trail of highlights that could have filled ESPN's Top 10 all by himself. Aside from the list below, this is the best I could do on youtube. 

1. His up fake, blow by on Nene followed by a one-handed flush (5:23)

2. After missing a floater, retreats to the three-point line and drills it before the half (1:46)

3. Block at the apex of Carmelo's shot to end the first half (1:56)

4. And 1 off glass in the third quarter (3:09)

5. Stare down of JR Smith, and a backbreaking three-pointer (4:42)

His great performance was overshadowed a bit by a great team effort, the Lakers unleashed the full force of the triangle offense. But make no mistake, Kobe was the catalyst, the spark, the fire and the fuel in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. 

As fans, it really is a treat to watch to players will their teams to victory in such exciting fashion. It seems every time Lebron puts on a show, Bryant responds in kind. With Game 6 of the East Finals upon us, its your move Lebron. 

UPDATE: George Karl agrees.

Damn Bron!!

Its was ridiculous. One player, one play, and the best defensive team in the NBA completely powerless to stop him. The Defensive Player of the Year shoved aside, fouling out as part of a three point play. And while the whole 32 points in a row things gets all the airplay, lets not forget that the high pick and roll with Hedo handling the ball is the Magics bread and butter. And the plate was empty once Lebron started checking Turkey's finest. His mom had this in mind when she decided she was going to call him "the strong" in French. Unfortunately, her knowledge of French wasn't great. The cavs may lose the series, but Lebron took one last chance to let everyone know who the worlds best baller is. And in case you think its just me, here are some of the other people fawning over what he did last night.

From SI's Joe Posnanski :

LeBron's final numbers: 37 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists -- not just a Triple Double, but a Triple Dozen ... here is the list of players in the last 20 years who have managed 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in a playoff game:

1. LeBron James, May 28, 2009.
2. Nobody else.

John Krolik of Cavs the Blog:

That is absurd ... The TNT guys were absolutely in awe. When Kenny asked Charles Barkley, who's only one of the best scorers of all time and loved the ball from the free-throw line extended for face-up drives, if he'd ever been leaned on like that, Charles looked at Kenny like he'd just asked him where Ernie could score some PCP. They said 'eventually LeBron will get tired,' which to Magic fans must sound like someone telling Roy Schneider in Jaws 'Well, eventually we figure he'll get full.

Stan Van Gundy: "The game is basically all LeBron all the time''

Matt Moore at Hardwood Paroxysm:

On the one hand, LeBron James could literally bend time and space, dunk, then pull an elephant out of his armpit and ride it around the stadium all the while raining one armed hook three pointers from the stands, and I would not be surprised. That’s how incredibly awesome he is.

Kelly Dwyer at Yahoo!:

37 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, four turnovers, a steal, and a block. 17 points, four rebounds, four assists in the fourth quarter. Absolute and utter dominance. I don't know what else to say about the guy. I'm just happy that we're in the last week of May, and he's still playing. And we'll get to watch him again on Saturday night. Bliss.

My buddy Al(Kobe devote): Yep, cavs in 7! The puppets live!

All I have to say is damn son.

A Twist in the Tale for Lebron

Lebron James has had a completely unique athletic career. And the same uniqueness makes him completely uninteresting. He was anointed before he even stepped into the NBA. And since then success has always seemed inevitable. Every year it seems like both him as an individual, and his team as a whole has improved. Sure winning 45 games and losing in the 2nd round was a step down from 50 wins and getting to the Finals. But taking the NBA champs to 7 games (and out scoring them over the course of those 7 games) was an improvement on getting swept by the Spurs. His whole career he has just seemed to be slowly climbing up the mountain, and asides from minor blips, meeting expectations as he goes. There has been no beat down at the hand of the Bad Boys that Jordan took, no hard fought losses to THE enemy that Larry and Magic went through. No airballs against the Jazz or a lost decade in the Minnesota tundra.To this point Lebron and his teams have just done what they are supposed to.

I remember after the Cavs swept the Hawks, someone asked if the King was concerned about his team not facing adversity. He replied that it was fine if they could win the championship without facing any. And through the playoffs, it felt like that was how it would go. Even when the Magic won game 1 and 3, they felt like blips. At some point the Cavs would wake up. Well, now as the Cavs prepare for their first elimination game of the season, that is longer the case. The next three games are do or die. And even though the series has actually been pretty even, the chances of the winning 3 straight 50-50 games are about 12.5%. To put that in perspective, Larry Hughes was more likely to take a good shot on any given possession than Cleveland is to win this series. And finally, the Lebron James will have taken a punch to the mouth. We finally get to see him take his first step backwards.

And while losing the championship this year hurts the chances of us seeing Lebron go down as the greatest player ever, it does set up a better story. If he doesn't win this year, we get him heading into the last year of his contract, no ring on his hand. We get to see the 66 wins, two sweeps go out the window. The Lebron James story finally gets a note of Sisyphean thrown in. The journey to wherever James was going, Jordan or beyond, becomes less inevitable. The coronation finally becomes a fight he has to win.

And if he does win 3 straight games, goes to the NBA Finals and wins 4 more once he gets there? Well then this series just becomes a blip, one more highlight for the reel.

I Love/Hate the Denver Nuggets

I respect the Denver Nuggets on many fronts. I enjoy watching them play, their brand of basketball is exciting and explosive. I love that the player formerly known as Melo has emerged as a force on the defensive end, added an inside game to his already formidable offensive arsenal, and learned how to take charge at crunch time. I love that Chauncey Billups is leading his hometown team deep into the playoffs in a career that has come full circle. When someone says "true point guard" I think of him. On court leadership, runs the offense, always makes the correct plays, willing passer, yada yada yada. I love everything about Chris "The Birdman" Andersen. I guess when you've gone through what he's gone through, you aren't scared of going up against a 7-foot center to block his dunk. 

Then there's the Denver Thuggets. 

Danhtay Jones is the poster boy for the duplicity that is Denver. At times he is the physical defender that shackled Chris Paul and gives Kobe Bryant all he could handle. Recently however, he challenging Bruce Bowen's "dirtiest players to be considered good defenders" crown. His shove and trip on Kobe Bryant during the West Finals are simply dirty plays. Twice, he was beat and he resorted poor tactics. Just think of how vulnerable a player is when he is in the air, then imagine getting a two hand shove in the back. Then after he slips by him at the top of the key, he purposely sticks a foot out, and sends him sliding onto the floor. Other times he will sarcastically clap and laugh after a foul is called on him when defending Bryant. 

I think Danhtay is a good defender, I was thoroughly impressed with how he handled CP3's quickness and elusiveness. I think his flagrants on Kobe are more frustration than malicious play. It get that it must be hard to defend Kobe. Aside from him being a good scorer who can get a shot off from any angle at any moment, you are dealing with favorible calls from the officials and some arrogance on Bryant's part. Its just part of the game, you are a professional, you can't just shove someone or trip them in the NBA. 

JR Smith is an enigma...wrapped in a riddle... shrouded in mystery. Not many will argue that based on pure talent, JR is in the upper NBA echelon, up there with Kobe, Wade, and Carmelo. He has Gilbert Arenas range, Jason Williams vision, and pretty good hops. Its his head that gets in the way of things. The technical he got in Game 3 for taunting Vujacic. What is he thinking? On any given night he can erupt for 25+ points or 5 points. JR is an emotional player and there is nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn't hurt your team. With JR its flip a coin. 

Kenyon Martin is just a thug. His fiasco with Mark Cuban. There's also his foul on Dirk, and his technicals on Gasol. He's just a thug, in the playground we'd call him a bitch. Nevermind that he's had three technicals rescinded in the playoffs thus far. K-Mart plays hard and is a good basketball player, I just wish he wouldn't try to intimidate people by pushing, shoving, screaming and looking "tough". Then again, a lot of intimidation is done through the very things I just condemned for, I guess its a fine line, and to me K-Mart is on the wrong side of that line. 

Its very similar to how I feel about the Boston Celtics. A physical, tough-nosed team that gets under everyones skin. Maybe they have learned too much from that game tape George Karl says his team watches on the 2007-2008 Boston team. 

The Elevator Ernie Johnson T-shirt

If you were watching the pre-game show on TNT before Game 3 of the Magic-Cavs series, you may have noticed an old clip of "Elevator Ernie Johnson" throwing down some bigtime dunks on a kiddie hoop. Anyways, long story short, Ernie goes on to shout out Homage Clothing, a company started by Ryan Vesler, who went to my high school and was in my brother's grade. Homage specializes in vintage style clothing, and you can find the Ernie Johnson t-shirt here.

Welcome to Contention Orlando

I'll admit that not until their Game 3 victory did I think the Orlando Magic could actually win an NBA title. I know its almost insulting (almost? OK, it is insulting) to acknowledge they have a legitimate opportunity to win the NBA title this far into the postseason. 

They could very well be up 3-0, and ready to SWEEP the formally undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers at home in Game 4. They also won the season series against the Lakers. 

As a former skeptic I can only offer these reasons, as well as my new found realizations. 

Dwight Howard is not dominant in the way we usually define dominance. He can't heat up like Kobe and Lebron, rail off a 12-0 run with a flurry threes, fadeaways and and-one's. You can't give him the ball and have him create a shot for himself or his teammates. You can't give him the ball when the shot clock is running down. You just can't go to Dwight in the closing minutes of a game, when you are behind by two or three. He can't be trusted to make his free throws. Even with his out of character 14-19 performance in Game 3, he is still just 62% in the playoffs. 

Here is what you can do. Give him the ball once he has established deep position in the post. After that, get out of the way because you can't block a dunk. Well, only Lebron James can block a dunk. More often than not, if Dwight establishes position, a defender is done. Dwight is a great leaper, and he's going to score. 

Howard is dominant in a way nobody else in the NBA is, he has the ability to control the glass. We all know about the defensive rebounds and the blocked shots, but what really sets him apart is his ability to get those offensive boards. I don't have the statistic, but I bet a Dwight Howard offensive rebound is followed up by a Dwight Howard dunk 90% of the time. Most of the time defenders are caught out of position, caught running the other way, or just not in a position to do anything about it. I can't imagine how demoralizing it must be to play defense for an entire position, get the miss only to out muscled to a board and give up an easy deuce. 

As for the clutch factor, the Magic don't need to depend on Dwight. The have Hedo Turkoglu, the Michael Jordan of Turkey. The pizza eating assassin. Rashard Lewis isn't too bad either, but Hedo can handle the ball and create his own shot on the perimeter better than any Magic player. 

My second knock on the Magic was the whole "live and die by the three." Thus far, the Magic are livin' large. Everyone knows how powerful the three point shot is. You are simultaneously never out of a game, and have the ability to bury a team if your shot is falling. Until proven otherwise, the Magic can shoot the three. In the playoffs, Rashard Lewis and JJ Redick are shooting it at 40%, and Hedo isn't far behind at 38%. Even Courtney Lee is shooting 40% from beyond the arc this series. 

As far as defending Lebron, Mickael Pietrus is doing about as good as you can do. Kobe or Melo have that to look forward to should the Magic advance to the Finals. 

So is there room for one more on the Magic bandwagon?

A List of the Cavaliers' Problems

I'm glad the Cavaliers at least showed up and made Game 3 a contested match in Orlando, but they've got some serious issues they need to resolve if they want to have any chance at winning this series. Here's a shortlist of some of the problems I'm seeing:

1) Lebron James 1-on-5 offense: The supporting cast has been very weak, and Lebron is having to carry way too much of the offensive load. This offense is starting to look like the 06-07 squad; they're not moving the ball nearly enough. Mo's going to have to break out of his shooting slump for the Cavs to win, and the Cavs need a better night out of Big Z, Andy, or Joe Smith.

2) Lebron James on Rafer Alston: I think it was Reggie Miller who said Lebron is going to have to take on the challenge of shutting down Rashard Lewis, and I think I agree. This wasn't as much of an issue tonight, but in the long run Lebron may have to take on a bigger threat on the defensive end.

3) Give Darnell Jackson a chance against Dwight: Big Z is burning the Cavs inside due to his slow reaction time, and the Magic are exploiting it for gain. This has been a problem all year and serves to neutralize the potential gain one might expect due to Z's height advantage (especially when Big Z is having an off-shooting night). On the books, the Cavs have a developed inside presence with Andy, Z, and Ben Wallace, but this has its weaknesses - Ben Wallace can't get the same lift off the ground as during his younger days (he's also recovering from injury right now), Big Z is slow-footed and easily loses his balance or is easily blocked/stripped of the ball on offense, and Andy isn't as physically strong as, say, a Lamar Odom, Perk, Big Baby, or Nene. This is why I say give Darnell Jackson a chance; he's just a rook, but he has proven during the season that he can give some muscle to the Cavs' inside game. 6'9", 253 lbs, pure steel. Or maybe even more minutes from Ben Wallace (health/injuries permitting) on Dwight might do the trick (Ben's only averaging 11.5 mpg in the playoffs, as compared to 23.5 mpg during the season, but as mentioned earlier, this is probably due to his injuries).

4) Odd Playoff Lineups: The previous point brings me to something I've noticed in the playoffs; the Cavs have been playing very different lineups in the playoffs compared to what they played during the season. This, I think, has been contributing to the Lebron James 1-on-5 offense we've been seeing. Players like Wally (11.8 mpg in 9 playoff games, 20.6 mpg season), Daniel Gibson (10.5 mpg playoffs, 23.9 mpg season), and Darnell Jackson (5.0 mpg in only 5 playoff games, 8.4 mpg season) have been noticeably absent in comparison to their regular season minutes. And Sasha Pavlovic received an abnormal spike in his minutes in Game 2 (this turned out to be not much of a problem, since Sasha had a good game, but it still forces the team to adjust/change its offense during a period when you should just be acting on foundations built throughout the season). I don't see the point in changing the offense right now in the playoffs, when things have been working fine all season with a much broader lineup. The Cavs need to be playing all their players and encouraging everyone to step into the offense like they did during the season. The once "deep" bench of the Cavs now seems rather shallow by comparison, and the result is that Lebron James now has to average 42.0 ppg for the series.

5) Too Many Outside shots from Lebron: I heard the announcers saying Lebron was something like 1-10 on outside jump shots at some point during the game -this goes hand in hand with the Lebron 1-on-5 offense point mentioned earlier; when the Cavs just give Bron the ball on offense and expect him to create on every single play, he'll inevitably end up taking a lot of jumpshots.

As an aside, I have a feeling the Lakers may also be suffering the effects of 4) Odd Playoff Lineups, especially with regard to Bynum's minutes. On the other side of things, I think the Nuggets are a good example of a team that isn't interfering with their season lineups and are excelling as a result.

King James, thou art the Savior of Cleveland

This is being blogged to oblivion right now, and it's being played approximately every 30 seconds on ESPN, but I'll give my take on King James' game-winner in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.


"Just to have the wherewithal, to have that type of confidence in yourself, to know that there's one second on the clock, and you're ending this thing right now, and if it doesn't end right now, I have big enough shoulders to take care of whatever the outcome is, but to be able to take that on, and have that type of confidence and take that shot, not many people can do it."
-Mike Brown, post-game on Lebron James

I was in a sports bar last night in Columbus watching the game, and when Hedo hit that 2pt. runner to (basically) clinch a Magic victory with 1 second left, the mood was low, to say the least. Hedo ran over to the Magic bench, celebrating, and all kinds of thoughts were running through Cavaliers fans' heads: this is it, this is the end of the season. Everything the Cavs had worked for all season long was spiraling down the drain amidst a few momentary lapses in intensity. For the much-maligned city of Cleveland, the hope of the Cavaliers, the inevitability of a Kobe-Lebron Finals, might end up as just another in a long series of swift kicks to the groin. After the Game 1 loss, Cavaliers' players were quoted as saying that there was no need to panic, though Game 2 was still a must-win; well, if the Cavs lost Game 2, it would be time to panic.

Such was the stage for the game-winner that sent the place into a frenzy. Here I was, sitting there thinking everything was over. I couldn't believe it. We had all been looking at the playoffs as just an obligation en route to the Finals against the Lakers. And here we were down 2 with 1 second left in Game 2, about to go down 0-2 to the Magic, which would likely mean that we would lose the series. The situation was made all the worse by the general disdain for the Magic I had built up over the course of the playoffs. In the first round, I was stunned by their inability to put away the 76ers (in the final game of the season, the Cavaliers benched Lebron, Mo, Z, and others, and, still, the Cavs bench just about beat the 76ers starters in OT, in what was an important game for the 76ers in terms of their seeding in the playoffs). In the second round, the Magic-Celtics matchup just looked like an irrelevant 7-game squabble between two lesser opponents who would be handled by the Cavs in the upcoming round.

Perhaps, we were getting a little overconfident. The Cavaliers blew out the Celtics at the end of the season, and without KG they didn't seem like much of an opponent. But, the Magic had given us quite a bit of trouble. Were it not for a 3 seconds call on Dwight near the end of the game, the Magic might've won at the ever-elusive Q, and the Magic were the only team to blow out the Cavs earlier this year when they did it at Orlando. The Magic are an explosive offensive team, the type destined to give a defensive stalwart some trouble.

Lebron James' game-winner completely saved the hopes of the season, and may go down as one of the legendary shots in the history of the NBA. I'm hesitant to give it too much importance too soon, however, because the Cavaliers must go out and win the series to make it count. The Magic now have home-court advantage, and if the Cavaliers can't steal a game in Orlando, Lebron James' shot will quickly lose its luster.

I will say, though, that between Lebron's game-winner, Mo's full-court shot in Game 1, and all sorts of other buzzer-beaters that have been going down for the Cavaliers in the playoffs, things are starting to seem like they may be ordained for the Cavs. May the Chosen One carry the city of Cleveland towards its destiny.

Can I Get a Witness?

A few early thoughts on the East and West Finals

• The Lakers are in real trouble. They scraped one out in Game 1 while playing from behind the whole game. The executed poorly down the stretch in Game 2 and blew it. They are a great road team, but all the momentum is in Denver's favor.
• Where was Andrew Bynum in the second half of Game 2? They jumped out early thanks in large part to his defense, but he was on the bench when the Nuggets staged their comeback. 
• Kobe v. Carmelo is really really good. They've dueled to a virtual standstill, in two games: Kobe- 72 pts, 11 rebs, 7 assists. Melo- 73 pts,15 rebs, 8 assists
• It's like Melo is the boss Kobe must face before he reaches the final boss of the game. Lebron James.
• Kenyon Martin is having the series of his life. He's minimized Lamar Odom's impact on the offensive end and played great on offense himself.
• Please for the love of all that is great, bench Derek Fisher. Don't play him down the stretch. 
• (Stolen from Chuck) This next game will be serve as a huge measure for Lebron. After that shocker of a loss, where he passed up a game winner after playing en fuego for most of it, people are questioning Lebron again. He has to lead his team to a convincing victory tonight. 
• Dwight Howard is the new king of the alley-oop, move over Tyson Chandler. 
• This was pretty neat. 
• Do the Magic have a real shot at upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers? I was a bit taken a back by how poorly the Cavs played late and under duress. I was convinced if Lebron had the type of game he had in Game 1 (49-6-8) the Cavs would win. They didn't and now I have no idea. 
• Is it just me or are the refs missing more calls than usual? I'm not one to complain, and I believe that the calls balance themselves out over the course of the game. But this year, there have been just plain missed calls or bad calls. 
  
  

Blake Griffin is Scared

Coach's Challenge in the NBA

The best thing about how the NFL has implemented instant replay (other than the mandatory review of plays in the last two minutes play) is allowing the head coach to challenge a play on the field. So why not allow NBA coaches to have a similar system?

I know it could complicate things to no end and the refs have a hard enough jobs as it is. But think of all the good things it can bring about. It could help clean things up tremendously and maybe take some heat off the always maligned referees. Often times the play is bang-bang, the offense or infraction of the rule takes place within a split second and because of the nature of the game, the whistle has to be blown immediately. Sometimes the referee may not have the greatest angle on the play. For whatever the reason, calls get missed. 

Here's what I propose. Like in the NFL, coaches can challenge a call on the court. A charge (where flops are all to common), a foul (especially on jump shots where contact may have been "sold" by the offensive player), and other situations where a ref may have missed something. They have to do it quickly, as you don't want to slow the game down too much, but there is a small delay after a whistle is blown anyhow, so maybe that in between time can suffice. 

I think the NBA should add another wrinkle to the coach's challenge. A coach can have an official review a play. Think of how many times that would've helped this year in the playoffs. Off the top of my head here are a few: the Kobe elbow to Ron Artest's "throat" would've been challenged by Rick Adelman (it probably would've failed). The Chauncey Billups stepping out of bounds before nailing a three in Game 1 of the West Finals. Howard's elbow on Sam Dalembert. That technical on Kobe in Game 6 (that would've been rescinded on the spot and not given Houston an extra point). 

I know a lot the flagrant calls get reviewed right away, and even others, but those are made on the refs discretion. Maybe, this is crazy, but I think giving coaches the option makes the game more interesting and maybe even fairer. Even if its only a few calls in the playoffs, don't you think that would help the game? Just a thought. 

Spike Lee: Losing Cred Faster than Ice Cube

After the whole "Kobe: Doin' Work" debacle I thought Spike Lee had lost all of his street cred. But the he goes out and kisses Kobe's ass after the game yesterday. Here are my thoughts on the issue:

1. You obviously ripped off "Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait" for the idea, then made a movie 24 times worse
2. You just made what is supposed to be an objective documentary, then let the focus off the documentary do ALL the commentary
3. You are more excited than Jack Nicholson after said focus of the documentary wins a game.

I have to say, you are an embarrassment to all Knicks fans, and I hate you more than the refs from yesterdays game.

2009 Playoff Party Crash: The West

1) Los Angeles Lakers v. 2) Denver Nuggets 

GetYouAStanceLo: Lakers in 7

I was talking to a friend who compared the Lakers' weak showing against the Rockets to USC's yearly dominance in football, only to lose to a weak opponent during a moment of overconfidence and end up in the Rose Bowl, though everyone knows they may still be the most stacked team in college football.  The thing with USC though, is that they always show up when it matters.  Similarly, I expect the Lakers to have gotten themselves together for this series, and I was even tempted to pick them in 6, but the Nuggets have just looked too strong lately.  Should be a great series though.

MVP: Kobe Doin' Work

The Real Alex G: Lakers in 7

Truthfully, this is a toss up. The Nuggets are a well oiled machine at this point, and they've gathered enough speed to potentially run over the favorite Lakers. I believe the Lakers are the best team in the NBA when they are rolling on ALL cylinders, offense and especially defense. They have been as inconsistent as can be these playoffs, blowing huge leads in the first round and trading blowouts in the second. Maybe this is the type of series that puts them all in the mindset needed to be champions. Or maybe the Nuggets are just too hot. I don't think the Nuggets physicality scares the Lakers, but it could cause some problems. 

I also don't think the Rockets "exposed" the Lakers as much as people are indicating. Everyone knew they we're prone to mental collapses and have trouble with quick scoring guards. I think the stakes are high enough, to where that doesn't happen nearly as often. That, and Chauncey isn't so quick that Derek Fisher can't guard him, or look to score as often as Aaron Brooks did. This is how I see it shaking down. The Lakers have to win the first two at home, any crack there could spell doom. Carmelo Anthony will probably run wild, Trevor Ariza will do his best, he should probably read this. Kobe will need a few quarters to adjust to how Dhantay Jones and George Karl will play him, but I think short of Lebron no one will do a better job than Houston. If Andrew Bynum can play like he did in Game 7, then Denver has a problem. 

The battle of the benches can change the entire series. If the Nuggets can hang close with the Laker starters, then Denver should feel very confident about their chances when the bench takes over. They have an ultra talented bench, its explosive (JR Smith) and can play defense (Birdman). The Laker bench isgood, but has not showed up the way the Denver bench has. All in all, a hard fought series, but the Lakers mean business now. 

MVP: Kobe Bryant

Chuck the Noteboom: Nuggets in 6

Honestly, I don't really have a clue about this series. A lot will depend on Andrew Bynum, which means the series is a coin flip. Assuming Bynum plays well in half the games, I think the Nugs can get 3 good games from JR Smith/Birdman to offset the production of Bynum. When Bynum is not playing well, Nene will give Pau trouble, and Kenyon can put the shackles on Lamar (more mentally than anything else). Chauncey will give all the Laker point guards trouble, and I don't think Ariza will like chasing Carmelo trough a series of screens. Also the Nugs have the  "no one believes in us" motivation, even though about half of us believe in them. This series reminds of the Houston series, as the Nugs seem unified, they are a hard-working team, and they have more talent than the Rockets. So Nugs it is.

MVP: Carmelo Anthony

2009 Playoff Party Crash: The East

1) Cleveland Cavaliers v. 3) Orlando Magic

GetYouAStanceLo: Cavaliers in 5

I'm really not sure what to expect with this one. Don't get me wrong - I expect the Cavs to win the series, but I'm just not sure in how many games.  Since the Magic gave the Cavs some trouble during the season, I figure they might take a game, but I expect the Cavs' focus and defensive intensity to tip the scales in their favor.  I'd love to see another sweep though.
MVP: King James

The Real Alex G: Cavaliers in 6

I don't think the Orlando Magic really stand a chance against the juggernaut that is the Cleveland Cavaliers. I do think they posses enough talent and match up problems that they can maybe steal a game or two. If Lebron James decides to test his afterbunners then I think its a quick 4-5 game series. It will probably come down to a few key matchups. One, who guards Lebron? Answer? It doesn't matter, so that's settled. Lebron could probably drop 30-12-11 in mach two against the Magic. Second who guards Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis? It probably falls on Andy Verejao to slow one of them down. He is probably undersized and will be overpowered by Superman, but he's also too slow to stay with Lewis. Quite the quandray for the Cavs. Right? Wrong, this is one is easily solved by placing the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up on Rashard, or Dwight (I would love to see that). The backcourt match ups favor the Cavs. All is not lost, the Magic have to be feeling a little confident after knocking off the Celtics. Lebron is kind of like Paul Pierce and Mo Williams is kind of like Ray Allen. Kind of, except better. 

MVP: Lebron James

Chuck the Noteboom: Cavaliers in 5

One team has Lebron James. The other has Dwight Howard. Lebron James is better than Dwight Howard. Big Z has the length and size to give Howard some trouble. Ben Wallace and Andy Varejao can also takes turns on Howard. Andy, Big Ben and Joe Smith all have the size and mobility to take on Rashard Lewis. Lebron and Wally can also take turns on him. Lebron James can lock up Hedo. On the other end Z can shoot over Rashard, or drag Howard out of the paint with his range. Delonte West and Mo Williams will force JJ Redick to play more on the ball defense, rather than running through a bunch of screens (Pietrus and Lee should be playing anyways). While the Magic do have a nice crunch time lineup of Lee, Pietrus, Hedo, Rashard and Howard, the Cavs have fucking Lebron James in thier crunch time lineup. Advantage Cavs.

MVP: Lebron James

2009 Playoff Party Crash Conference Finals Edition

Well, our dreams of a Kobe v. Lebron Finals are still alive. 

That said, things are going to be a lot tougher, especially for the Lakers who will do battle with a bizzaro version of themselves. Dynamite on offense, great at defense (when they want to play it), with one notable exception. Toughness. The Nuggets are widely regarded as a tough, physical team and the Lakers have yet to shed their "soft" label. 

Everyone is still wondering if the Cavaliers will win every playoff game by double digits, or when they will lose a game. The Magic are fresh of a Game 7 victory over the defending champs at Boston so that has to count for something right? 

Here's how we've matched up with the big dogs of basketball on the Internet. Not too shabby I'd say.

2009 Playoff Party Crash Complete Scoreboard
	Round 1	Conference Semis
	Total	ATL-CLE	ORL-BOS	HOU-LAL	DAL-DEN	Totals
HoopTrop
The Real Alex G	41	7	5	5	5	63
Chuck The Noteboom	31	7	5	5	7	55
GetYouAStanceLo	25	5	0	5	5	40
J-Jigga Man	29	5	0	5	5	44
TrueHoop Stat Geeks
David Berri (Wages of Wins)	41	7	7	5	5	65
John Hollinger (ESPN.com Guru)	43	5	5	5	5	63
Stephen Ilardi (KU Stat Consultant)	31	7	5	5	7	55
Jeff Ma (Citizen Sports Network)	45	5	0	5	7	62
Neil Paine (Basketball-Reference.com)	32	5	5	5	7	54
Kevin Pelton (Basketball Prospectus)	37	5	5	5	5	57
Sandy Weil (sportsmetricians.com)	29	5	5	5	5	49

 

Our battle for supremacy marches on. Here are our predictions for the upcoming Conference Finals:

Western Conference Finals

1. Los Angeles Lakers v. 2. Denver Nuggets

GetYouAStanceLo: Lakers in 7

The Real Alex G: Lakers in 7

Chuck the Noteboom: Nuggets in 6

J-Jigga Man: Nuggets in 7

Eastern Conference Finals

1. Cleveland Cavaliers v. 3. Orlando Magic

GetYouAStanceLo: Cavaliers in 5

The Real Alex G: Cavaliers in 6 

Chuck the Noteboom: Cavaliers in 5

J-Jigga Man: Cavaliers in 6

Explanations are ABOVE. 

The Mid-Range Game has Disappeared (and that's a Good Thing)

Recently there has been a lot of complaints about the disappearance of the mid-range game in the NBA. Almost any young player that comes into the NBA is lampooned for their lack of an in between game. Players like Rip Hamilton and Kobe Bryant are celebrated for being practitioners of a lost art. But the real reason the midrange game has disappeared is because it is the least efficient part of any teams offensive arsenal.

Back in the day there was no three point line, so the further you got from the basket the worse shot you were taking. Additionally, players were not as athletic, so guards were not finishing amongst the trees in the paint. Nowadays, the three is one of the best shots to take, and with the rules banning handchecking, getting to the rim is the best way to score.

The best shooter on 2 point jumpers this year was Jason Terry, at 49.2%. Doesn't look like a terrible shooting percentage at first. But when you consider threes are worth an extra point, and getting to the rim also produces fouls, and free throws, that 49.2% mark doesn't look as good. The worse true shooting percentage this year belonged to the Clippers, and they had a 52% mark. The worst shooting team in the league was better than the best two point jump shooter. If Terry shooting at 49.2% is your offense, you have an offensive efficiency of about 98.4. Again that would be bottom of the league.

In fact here is a chart of effective field goal percentage for different parts of the court. The only shots that are worse than a mid range jumper is a super long 3, or a shot from behind the backboard.

(image courtesy of www.countthebasket.com)

Now there still is a place in basketball for the midrange jumper, and it is important to have players who can make the shot. Defenses are increasingly complex now, and they try to take away your strengths. Now that threes and shots at the rim are the best shots for an offense to take, the defense tries to takes those looks away. Most teams try to create a "wall" on the strong side, cutting off the paint. Then they try to close hard on any 3 point shooters. Defenses can't cut of everything, so that usually leave open jump shots inside the arc. So against a good defense you need players who can make that shot. But you shouldn't be taking the shot as your first option. Try to get inside, if you can't get a shot from there, look for shooter spotting up behind the line. The midrange shot is an outlet when all else fails.

So next time you hear a player get criticized from driving to much, and being a poor shooter, remember, he is good at getting the shot he wants. Having a good range shooters makes the worst part of your offense better, but nothing more than that.

How Can You not Root for the Rockets?

I am truly torn about Sunday's Game 7 between the LA Lakers and the Houston Rockets. On the one hand I am bound by honor and my unconditional love of the Lakers to see them through to the Western Conference Finals. On the other hand, it is so very difficult to wish a Game 7 loss upon the Rockets. Here's why. 

How awesome would it be to stick it to David Stern who is looking for a huge payday from a Lakers-Cavs Finals. Kobe vs. Lebron, the Black Mamba versus the Chosen One, Nature versus Nurture. The battle for individual supremacy, in a country that worships great individuals rather than great teams, this would be a ratings bonanza. But the Rockets can crash the party and once and for all show that a cohesive team can trump great individual talents if those talents just show up and expects to win. 

A famous coach once said, "hard work will always beat talent if talent doesn't work hard." This describes the Rockets perfectly. Little Aaron Brooks, mercurial Ron Artest, cerebral Shane Battier and a slew of undersized big men who just work their tails off. They have been without their best perimeter scorer in the playoffs and recently suffered the loss of Yao Ming (possibly t he best offensive center).The Lakers have all the talent in the world. They have the NBA's best guard, two extremely versatile forwards, and a defensive anchor at the five. And twice they have been beaten by double digits, losing wire to wire in a dominating fashion. Their Game 6 loss coming behind a 40-point win. 

Its more than being inconsistent. Its this arrogant attitude that makes them think they are superior. A feeling of entitlement. Maybe this is too big of a dig on the Lakers. But every Laker fan is out there asking the same questions. How do you go from Game 5 to Game 6 in 48 hours? Would the Cavs have lost Game 4 or Game 6? Do we deserve to win the championship?

This is a classic David versus Goliath, the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. Who cheered for Goliath or Darth Vader anyway? 

This would be a huge win for the stat geek contingency of the NBA and its fans. Its no secret that Daryl Morey is the pioneer who brought a "Moneyball" approach to running a franchise. The backbone of that approach is a new type of statistical analysis. They are essentially playing a "star"-less lineup, starting a rotation filled with players who they deem undervalued. Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks, Shane Battier, and Chuck Hayes. Their preparation is heavy in statistical analysis on their opponents tendencies and their probabilities of success in certain situations. They play harder and smarter against a more talented team. A series win over the Lakers would be a huge step forward for new age basketball statistics. 

This brief transcript from Game 6 is good example of how loose and free the Rockets are playing. They know its them against the world. Slowly but surely though, they are generating a groundswell of support. 

Dorris Burke: Aaron, how do you go now into Game 7, people gave you no chance after that Game 5 blowout?

Aaron Brooks: We still got no chance, but we gon' keep playing though.

I'll take the Lakers in 7, but I hope that the Rockets put the fear of God in them before they go.

Go Big and/or Go Home?

That is my humble advice to the teams I want to win tonight's Game 6s, Orlando and LA. Get the ball into the post.

The Lakers need to get Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum involved early. Its as simple as that. Houston will be at home and playing for their season, they are going to come out like bats out of hell. The Lakers need to remember that fired up or not, they are severly undermanned up front. A couple fouls on their best post defender (Chuck Hayes) and the game becomes a lot tougher for Houston to win. Gasol is always working hard, even if he isn't getting the ball he'll battle for tip-ins and rebounds. If Bynum's on the low block, Houston doesn't have anyone to contest Pau's jumper when he faces up. 

Andrew Bynum started to show a lot more patience in Game 5, maybe it was the confidence from getting the starting nod, or the fact he knew he'd be out there for 20+ minutes. Or maybe it was the confidence his teammates showed him early on (Pau's alley-oop, Kobe's feed on a pick and roll). Whatever it was it worked. Get the bigs involved early and often and you can go home (without a Game 7 on the schedule). 

For Orlando, it gets a little bit stickier. The jury is still out on whether or not Dwight Howard needs more shots. All I'm suggestion is that he gets more touches. The inside-outside game the Magic favor works great when the threes go down, but those threes are a lot easier to hit when you get some breathing room. That means you go inside, and wait for someone to double Supreman. Kendrick Perkins has done a fantastic job on Howard thus far, but don't get it twisted he has not stopped him. Get the big man involved early, make the Celtics collapse on him, then get the ball out and let em fly from three point range. Activity is another important thing for Dwight. Often with bigs, if they get involved in the offense, their defense picks up. The Magic are going to need an out effort on defense as well. A high energy game out of Howard is going to be key. If they can't get that, then they will probably go home. 

Dirk Nowitzki Ain't Soft

As a Warriors fan blessed to have witnessed the great Warriors-Mavericks series of the 2006-2007 Playoffs, I can recall why people nowadays are quick to call Dirk Nowitzki soft. The 2006-2007 year was his MVP season, and he had a dismal first-round series against the 8th-seeded Warriors, during which many accused him of being unable to take over the game when his team was struggling, like a Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant might take over the game. Throughout the series, Dirk just looked out of sync, and the Warriors took the Mavericks to the house in six games.

But, let's be honest here - the "8th-seeded" Warriors were, in fact, a much more talented and capable team than this seed would suggest. Everything was gel-ing at the right time for the W's, and they went on to give the Utah Jazz a tough time in the second round. Above all, Dirk just seemed uncomfortable in the games, as the Warriors' free-wheeling style of play tends to put a lot of opponents out of their element, forcing them to play a style of game they're uncomfortable with. But, let's let the stats speak for themselves. Here are Dirk's career playoff stats (courtesy NBA.com), and I've highlighted the 06-07 year in bold and his career playoff averages in red:

Year	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
00-01	DAL	10	10	39.9	0.423	0.283	0.883	1.4	6.7	8.1	1.4	1.1	0.8	1.40	3.70	23.4
01-02	DAL	8	8	44.6	0.445	0.571	0.878	2.1	11.0	13.1	2.3	2.0	0.8	2.75	3.40	28.4
02-03	DAL	17	17	42.5	0.479	0.443	0.912	0.9	10.6	11.5	2.2	1.2	0.9	2.35	3.10	25.3
03-04	DAL	5	5	42.4	0.450	0.467	0.857	2.6	9.2	11.8	1.4	1.4	2.6	1.20	3.20	26.6
04-05	DAL	13	13	42.4	0.402	0.333	0.829	1.9	8.2	10.1	3.3	1.4	1.6	2.54	3.20	23.7
05-06	DAL	23	23	42.7	0.468	0.343	0.895	2.0	9.6	11.7	2.9	1.1	0.6	2.13	2.80	27.0
06-07	DAL	6	6	39.8	0.383	0.211	0.840	4.2	7.2	11.3	2.3	1.8	1.3	2.33	3.30	19.7
07-08	DAL	5	5	42.2	0.473	0.333	0.808	2.0	10.0	12.0	4.0	0.2	1.4	2.00	2.60	26.8
08-09	DAL	9	9	38.8	0.516	0.250	0.914	1.0	9.1	10.1	2.7	1.0	0.8	2.00	1.80	26.2
Career	--	96	96	41.9	0.453	0.367	0.877	1.8	9.2	11.0	2.5	1.2	1.0	2.15	3.00	25.4

06-07 was certainly an aberrant year, but notice the ridiculous career playoff averages of 25.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.0 bpg on .453 fg%, .367 3p%, and .877 ft%. All I have to say is there once was a time when I also questioned Dirk's toughness, but considering the type of series he's having against the Nuggets (and looking at these career numbers), I think it's about time no one question his ability or toughness again (this includes the halftime TNT crew).

For comparison purposes, see below ESPN's favorite Nugget Chauncey Billups' playoff averages, and notice his stats particularly in the 03-04 playoffs, when he was named NBA Finals MVP.

Year	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
00-01	MIN	3	0	8.7	0.167	0.000	1.000	0.3	1.3	1.7	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.33	1.70	1.0
01-02	MIN	3	3	44.7	0.451	0.400	0.700	0.3	4.7	5.0	5.7	1.0	0.3	3.00	4.70	22.0
02-03	DET	14	14	34.6	0.374	0.310	0.933	0.3	3.1	3.4	4.7	0.6	0.1	2.43	2.70	18.0
03-04	DET	23	23	38.3	0.385	0.346	0.890	0.6	2.4	3.0	5.9	1.4	0.1	2.61	2.50	16.4
04-05	DET	25	25	39.4	0.428	0.349	0.893	0.9	3.4	4.3	6.5	1.0	0.2	1.96	2.80	18.7
05-06	DET	18	18	39.2	0.406	0.340	0.905	0.4	3.0	3.4	6.5	1.2	0.1	2.39	2.40	17.9
06-07	DET	16	16	40.6	0.435	0.389	0.832	0.4	2.9	3.3	5.7	1.2	0.1	2.88	2.40	18.6
07-08	DET	15	15	32.0	0.401	0.375	0.832	0.4	2.5	2.9	5.5	0.8	0.1	1.33	2.10	16.1
08-09	DEN	9	9	37.2	0.472	0.545	0.953	0.2	3.2	3.4	6.8	1.3	0.2	1.67	2.30	21.4
Career	--	126	123	37.1	0.411	0.368	0.883	0.5	2.9	3.4	5.8	1.1	0.1	2.20	2.50	17.6

Billups' 03-04 playoff stats don't look too different from Dirk's 06-07 playoff stats against the Warriors, and Billups went on to win the Finals MVP and become everyone's poster-boy for high-IQ point guard play. So there ya go - it's about time we all stop giving Dirk a hard time and just appreciate his baller play.

If Dirk could work on an aspect of his game, it'd have to be his defensive play, but his insane ability on offense pretty much makes up for any deficiencies. Of all the players in the league, Dirk Nowitzki probably takes the most ridiculously tough shots (fading jumpers, etc.) while making them at a high percentage - rivaled only in this skill by Kobe Bryant. He spreads the floor with the ability to shoot the 3 and is routinely at the top of the league in free-throw percentage. He's one of those players whom opponents often simply describe as "impossible to guard," given his versatile offensive regimen and the fact that he's a 7-footer.

And if after all this, you still think Dirk's soft, just check his mean mug:

On Yesterdays Game 5s

After yesterdays loss, its gonna be real tough for Ron Jeremy to shed the "Master of Panic" label ain't it. Big fourth quarter collapses against an inferior team multiple times. But this is also Dwight Howard's fault. As great of a player as he is, he is not a give me the ball and get out of the way offensive player. When your superstar isn't that your team is handicapped in the clutch.

Starbury, great job last night. While that might sound like an Knicks intern who spent last night in the back of his SUV, it was great to see Steph lighting it up last night. I know that as a Knicks fan I am supposed to hate Marbury, but I always enjoyed the tragicomedy that was his time with the Knicks. And he gave us the sweetest pair of $15 bball shoes (later available for $8.99 on sale). When the Celtics signed him, I had high hopes. But those hopes quickly disappeared. I still had hopes that he would be instrumental to one playoff win. Yesterday, Steph put on his Starbury cape, and dropped a dozen fourth quarter points on the Magic's dumb head. Well played sir.

Can we stop the Jameer is as valuable to the Magic as KG is to the Celtics talk. I know Jameer had a nice half a season, but if my math is correct KG-Big Baby>Jameer-Rafer. Even though Big Baby is growing in stature with every game. If KG and Jameer are both back, I say Celtics in 5.

Ron Artest really stalls the ball on offense a bunch. And this especially hurts since the Lakers load up the ball side of their defense so much. The quickest way to take advantage of this would be to swing the ball quickly (I see the Lakes getting busted by a few of those crazy cross court passes that Bron makes if they get to the finals). Dribbling the ball in place just plays into the Lakers plans. Not that it really matters. Houston's party ended when Yao went down. You can win a game on hustle and grit, but a series ain't happening. Unless you are the Celtics of course.

Kobe has gotten to the point where defenses don't seem to affect him anymore. He doesn't really like to drive much, so he does what the defense wants him to: take contested jumpshots. But when he is on, it doesn't matter that Shane Battier has his hand in Kobe's face, Kobe can make the shot anyway. It will be interesting to see if more athletic players, a la Lebron, JR Smith, Melo can actually alter a few of those jumpers by meeting them at the release point, and force the Bean to use more energy by making him a reluctant driver. This would also force him to deal with the big men that really form the backbone of most team's defenses.

Finally, can this blood and guts Celtics team take a couple of games off of the Cavs? I can't see them winning more than one, but I also thought the Magic would take them out in 6. If they take the Cavs to 6 or 7, the stage is set for a nice battle next year, when KG comes back.

Thoughts on Jeff Van Gundy's Thoughts

Its a bit late for this, but after listening to Jeff Van Gundy on Bill Simmons podcast today, I felt I had to say it. The refs have absolutely screwed Ron Artest in the Lakers series. Two ejections for what should probably amount to one technical foul. Total. And while it may make the NBA seem disciplined and responsible to idiots, to people who actually watch the games it shows nothing but the mediocrity of the refs. And this stuff is terrible for the NBA on many levels.

First of all, because its Ron Artest, it feeds the publics image as a thug league. Despite the fact that Ron Artest has been a model citizen on the most part this year, a casual fan is going see that he was ejected from 2 out of 4 games on the biggest stage. All you gained from the NBA Cares ads with Ron Artest just went out the window. Most of these people didn't see that Artest just went and told Kobe off, or Pau Gasol is such a poon that he went flailing to the ground when he bumped into Artest's chest. The NBA has already won over the guys who saw that. But now all of the people the NBA is trying to attract are now less likely to tune in.

Even if you aren't like me and saw, it cheapens the game for you. In Game 4, the marquee player on the winning team was throw out on a play that should have led to nothing more than 2 free throws. This has been a problem throughout the playoffs too. Rafer Alston getting suspended for hitting Eddie House? You kidding me? If KG was on the floor he would have hit Eddie three times as hard. The NBA pays Stu Jackson a ton of money. They should trust his judgement enough to let him make subjective assesments of different situations instead of going with the dogmatic rules they have regarding suspension and flagrants now.

My other thoughts from hearing Van Gundy, who is my favorite analysis guy in the media, was how he lampooned the Lakers frontcourt, and blamed thier softness for holding Kobe back. He also said that Kobe was #2 in terms of personalities he would like to coach. Player sure, but personality? Lebron was first by the way. His reasoning is that he would rather have a crazy hardworker who sets the tone, and teach him how to communicate than teach a nice guy how to play hard. I think Kobe would have dropped to #3 if KG was fresh in his mind, but props to the Bean.

Mean-Muggin' in the NBA

Mean muggin' is defined as adopting the grimiest face possible, some mix of a scowl, frown, and facial expression of intense pain, right after you've made a great basketball play, or perhaps as a measure of intimidation against your opponent. Last night, Glen "Big Baby" Davis executed a game-winner and then proceeded to adopt what may go down as the greatest mean mug in NBA history (see picture below), en route to trampling over some hapless 12-year old kid decked out in Magic gear whose life was probably flashing before his eyes. Here's to some of best active mean-muggers in the NBA...

You earned this one, Glen. Live it up.

The O.G. of mean-muggin'; he must have trained Big Baby in the Art of the Mean Mug.

Joe Johnson has developed the mean mug alongside other aspects of the game.

Cap'n Jack even mean mugs on Christmas.

Josh Smith displaying the poster pose mean mug.

Dirk Nowitzki displaying the German tradition of mean-muggin'.

Perk is afflicted with a congenital condition known as the permanent mean mug.

The Celtics are Developing Their Youth

First of all, I want to say this dad is a joke. Hell, if he were a Celtics fan he would be bragging to his buddies at work about the whole incident. And the whole "acted like an animal thing"? Young dude just made the biggest shot of his career, saved his team from going down 3-1 in a playoff series. He best be acting excited about that.

But what I really wanted to talk about was how the Celtics have been great at developing their young role players over the past two seasons. Even though they gave up a bulk of their better young players in the Ray Allen and KG trades, the players they have left are excellent. Rajon Rondo has already gotten a ton of cred from us. If the guy learns how to shoot, he will be right up there with Rose, Paul and Deron. If he doesn't, he might still be up there. But remember people thought that Sam Cassel was better than him at one point last year. Kendrick Perkins has become a great player in his own right. He is like KG's Frankenstein monster, changing from a stiff to a fearsome beast. How many centers would you rather have than him? Dwight, Yao, Nene, Z, Pau and Duncan for sure. Probably Shaq, Biedrins and Bogut and Brook Lopez. After that it gets real tough. Three years ago, if you told me Perkins would be the enforcer on the defending NBA champions, a guy you would single cover the best center in basketball with, I would have smacked you upside the head. Kwame Brown seemed better than him back then. In the playoffs he has been one of the best post defenders in basketball. And he even has some semblence of an offensive game, with some post moves and a acceptable jumper when he is open.

Similarly, before his injury against the Bulls, Leon Powe has developed into an excellant player. He has a great nose for the ball, and became an excellent bench scorer over the last two years. His rookie year he was a below average in terms of PER, but was sixth among power forwards last year. This year he fell off the pace a little, but was still well above average, and actually became a decent passer, after having the worst assist ratio in the league last year. While his defense wasn't great, he has developed a knack for taking charges.

And then there is the man of the hour, Glen "Big Shot" Davis. He spent last night guarding Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, two of the more difficult covers in the league. On top of that, he is averaging a solid 16.5 ppg in the playoffs. For a guy who was supposed to be a third string power forward, he has been more than solid. The fact that he has worked on his jumper all season has proved very valuable. Even KG had an ugly jumper, even in his MVP year, now he has now become one of the best shooters from 18 feet in basketball. Big Baby has worked on his shot, and now provides a reasonable semblance of KG as a jump shooting big. He doesn't have the low post game, rebounding, passing and defense that Garnett had, but he can play the same role in their sets. The fact that a 2nd rounder is contributing 37+ minutes per game for a (kind of) championship contender is a testament to the development work that the Celtics coaches are doing.

And then there is Tony Allen. He still sucks. Guess you can't help everyone. But if I were Bill Walker, I would be trying to take advantage of every second I get with this team.

MVPs Battle it Out at the Movies

If their battles on the hardwood were not enough, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are taking it to the screens. 

First up is ESPN/Spike Lee's unique view of a game in the life of Kobe Bryant in the aptly titled Kobe Doin' Work. The documentary will air on ESPN on May 16, 2009. You can watch all the goodies including interviews and multiple trailers on its main page here. 

I personally hope its more than just an ode to how great Kobe is. I'm hoping for real insight into how grew from selfish ballhog to a nurturing teammate, helpful leader and intelligent player. Its Spike Lee and its a new type of sports documentary, it should be interesting. 

Then we have a film documenting Lebron James' rise to stardom focusing on his high school playing days. The documentary is called More than a Team. It first debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008, and got great reviews, its due for a theatrical release this October. Here's the current trailer. 

I have yet to see it, but it looks awesome. It's like a modern day Hoop Dreams with one exception. The kid whose team they followed turned out to be bona fide superstar. Ball Don't Lie also has an interview with the film's director. 

Also, the posters are pretty dope:

Eddie House vs. The Stat Geeks

Recently, there has been a lot of talk among basketballs statistical minds about whether a player can get hot or not. Most of the studies show that a player cannot get a hot hand.

Well Eddie House says study this:

Min-----FG---- 3P----PTS

Game 3--

21

6-7

3-4

15

Game 2--

28

11-14

4-4

31

I Like My Basketball Chippy

Can we all please settle down? I love it when games get chippy. Not dirty, just chippy. 

Have you ever been out playing pick-up basketball, and then all of a sudden you take exception to a hard foul, a scratch, or a bump on the head (or vice versa). You mutter something under your breath, more exceptions are taken. You may even confront each other and get broken up quickly. Your adrenal gland fills, and pumps out adrenaline throughout your body. All of a sudden the atmosphere gets a little bit thicker, tension rises. Everyone senses it, and is suddenly forced to follow suit. 

The game just became a little more interesting, a little chippy. Everything changes. Your focus increases dramatically and you get a little braver with your skills. You play hounding defense. In the post, you back your man down with a little extra muscle, on the perimeter your crossover looks a little faster, and you swear your range has expanded a few feet out past the three-point line. Every made basket is followed by encouragement and a hard slap on the way back. Your team is now...well a team. They want to win, badly now. 

I imagine this is what its like to some degree for professional athletes, when chippy play develops. The bonds of your team are galvanized and everyone plays for each other against a common enemy. I feel like this process is what made the Celtics so nasty in last year's playoffs, and I hope that same process is what happened to the Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. When Derek Fisher screened Scola to the ground (dirtiness of the play is debatable) he sent a message to the Rockets and more importantly to his teammates. It wasn't as much, don't mess with my teammates as it was, I got your back Lamar. I got your back Luke. 

So, after a Game 2 that included a retroactive flagrant 1, two ejections and three technical fouls, all eyes are going to be on LA-Houston Round 3. The underdog Rockets surprised the favorites in Round 1, and drew first blood (but not literally, that was Shane Battier). 

Round 2 saw the Lakers fight back, or rather push back. The Rockets physical play did not intimidate the Lakers as they showed that if your willing to give it, you had better be willing to receive it. 

I for one, hope Game 3 and the rest of the series continues to have such zeal and intensity. 

New NBA commercial - Dirk Nowitzki Where Amazing Air Balls Happen

I just saw this on youtube and had to post it. I'm sorry Dirk, but you just clowned by blazers21ntnp at youtube. This is a hilarious idea though; someone should make one for Josh Smith's failed between-the-legs dunk.