If you're one of our loyal fans who regularly checks and reads Bring Back Novak, I'd first off like to thank you for your support. All two of you. And I guess I can't really count myself, so thanks for reading my articles, Billy. It means a lot. In any case, you've probably realized that we haven't been doing much posting. But I promise you, that's a thing of the past. And if you're thinking that I made this exact same promise about three weeks ago and spectacularly failed to come through on it, you're exactly right. Broken promises and shoddy articles, that's the stuff we're made of here at Bring Back Novak. But in any case, a lot of stuff's been going on in Red Nation (an apology to all our Cherokee readers, that link was in jest) and it's our job to give you our two cents on them. And, I guess it's our job to also let you know that two cents is way, way too much to pay to hear what we have to say.
Houston Rockets 101, Los Angeles Lakers 91
A redemptive (I don't think that's a word) victory of sorts for the good guys. After a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Kobe's, we (read: Aaron Brooks and our bench) were able to steal a game in Los Angeles. I'll admit that I was only able to watch the first half and the last 8 minutes of the fourth quarter thanks to Peyton Manning's heroics and my inability to change the channel, but I really, really liked what I saw. Especially the part when the Lakers fans started to boo them. Quality fans, Los Angeles, quality fans. Ariza looked a little skittish playing against his old team, but then again it might just have been that the weight of that ring was throwing off his shot. Damnit, not that ring. This ring. Brooks played like a man possessed, dropping 33 on 23 shots, Andersen saw Pau Gasol hurt and realized that one soft European had to step up his game, Carl Landry was as efficient as ever and Kyle Lowry was, for lack of a better phrase, an absolute bulldog. The hands down best moment of the game was Lowry, by far the smallest guy on the floor at 6'0, grabbing two offensive rebounds on the same possession late in the fourth. You're not quite there yet, Andrew. Oh, and this happened. So yeah, thanks for that Ron. You're a real swell guy.
Houston Rockets 105, Phoenix Suns 111
Just as a disclaimer, I know I'm supposed to be mad at the Suns, but I really can't help but fawn over Steve Nash. So if you notice me starting to ramble feel free to gloss over a few sentences. This was a hard, hard fought loss and I can't really blame the Rockets for not being able to beat a very talented, more experienced Suns team, who, by the way, seems to also be overachieving just a little. I had high expectations going into this game for the Nash vs. Brooks matchup, and the guys did not disappoint. Brooks had a career high 13 assists and while Nash's shot wasn't falling, he still was able to get 16 of his own. Which, well, was not a career high for him. Not even close. Watching Steve Nash play basketball is one of the few, pure, unadulterated joys man has left. Looking at his stats, impressive as they are, does not do the man justice. He's so smooth, so in control, so poised, he executes the pick-and-roll like no other and that pull-up jumper is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen. And believe me, I've seen some pretty things. Yes, that was necessary. And then of course there's Goran Dragic, once commonly known as "The Other White Guy Who Kind of Looks Like Nash from a Distance but is Nowhere Near as Good," but now more frequently referred to as "The Guy Who Goes in to Make Sure People Realize How Good Nash is by Comparison." A career night for Carl Landry, who I'm convinced is our best, or at least most consistent, scorer. 27 points on 18 shots for The Toothless One. But to briefly sum up the game, we came out hot, as usual, and were looking like we would take a double digit lead into halftime before the Suns utilized a 12-0 run to cut our lead to three at the break. Amare sort of had his way inside (I say sort of because until he realizes that to truly control the paint he has to do so on the defensive end of the floor as well as the offensive one he'll never really dominate the inside) and Jason Richardson had a couple of hot streaks, and the second half, especially the fourth quarter, was made up of us struggling to create quality shots against a surprisingly resilient Suns defense. All in all, a tough loss against a tough team, nothing to get too down about.
Houston Rockets 97, Minnesota Timberwolves 84
So, uh, looks like Ricky Rubio might have made the right decision after all. There really is nothing like playing the Timberwolves to get you back on track. Except, maybe, playing the Nets. Or the Warriors. Or the Grizzlies. Or the Clippers. Oh, those Clippers. Those poor, poor Clippers. In any case, this is why I wasn't too broken up about losing to the Suns. We had the Timberwolves next. But in all seriousness, this was actually a great win for the Rockets. I don't think there's anything harder in the NBA than the end of a back-to-back that makes you leave home for the second game, as both the Suns and then Lakers have just shown us. Ariza once again struggled to prove that he can handle using 23 possessions a game, a usage rate that puts him just under Steve Nash. Ariza is a great player and is filled to the brim with talent, but that doesn't mean he needs to be a high volume player. He can dominate a game without having to hang on to the ball, and we need to more actively find ways for him to do that. Still, a solid outing for Trevor, nothing that really deserves those last few sentences. Scola was the standout with 20 and 16. Landry came back down to Earth pretty hard, with a 5-0-0 line that looks like something Derek Fisher would boast. The game was a lot closer than the final score might indicate, with the 'Wolves hanging around for 3 and a half quarters before we finally put them away. Al Jefferson was 20-10 on 9 shots and is starting to round back into last season's form, but was held down for the last eight minutes of the game after a Carl Landry kick to the head, which, not coincidentally, coincided with us pulling away and the Timberwolves struggling to score. I take back that Derek Fisher joke, Carl, you might have just won the game for us. A much needed break in a tough game against an opponent desperate, and I truly mean desperate, for a win. 2010 and the long, flowing, Spanish hair it will bring can't come soon enough for the T-Wolves.
Houston Rockets @ Atlanta Hawks, Thursday (6:30 Central)
We've got the Hawks in Atlanta on Thursday in what's sure to be a great game. Josh Smith is reborn and re-topping my list of favorite non-Rockets, trailing only Steve Nash for the number one spot. Joe Johnson is Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford has been a revelation and Mike Bibby is, well, he's really damn old and showing signs of decline. The key Thursday is containing Horford, who's truly been a man amongst boys so far this season. Like our own Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes, Horford is slightly undersized, even if it is to a lesser extent, and still manages to dominate the paint, even if it is to a greater extent. Our bench output will need to be as strong as ever to counteract the combustible Jamar Crawford, because if he gets hot we'll need Landry, Lowry and Budinger to all produce, which is hardly unlikely. Andersen can help too. Defense will be essential tomorrow, as the Hawks are third in offensive efficiency in the NBA with a phenomenal 110.1 points per 100 possessions. To put that in perspective, we only score about 105 per 100. Ariza, Hayes and company will also need to have hands as active as ever, as the Hawks are the second stingiest team with possession in the NBA as they turn the ball over just a shade under 21 percent of the time. If you're wondering whether there's a correlation between the Hawks' turnover rate and their offensive efficiency, there is, and if we can create turnovers and easy opportunities in transition it'll go a long way to helping us return home with the win. In any case, it's going to be a fun one at Philips Arena, and hopefully we can leave the A-Town after handing the Hawks their first home loss of this young season. And, as always, go Rockets.
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Lakers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Lakers. Show all posts
11/18/2009
11/04/2009
Raise Your Hand If You Called 3-1...
I'm going to go ahead and guess that nobody has their hands up. That includes me. I want to be entirely frank and say that I did not see us winning 3 of 4 games to start the season. I didn't think we would make the playoffs, I thought we would struggle to score and I sure as hell didn't have us sitting at first in the Southwest Division, regardless of how many games have been played. Granted, it's only been four. There's plenty of time remaining for all three of the aforementioned problems to arise, but that's currently irrelevant. What matters right now is that the Rockets are 3-1, which, to be honest, we should have expected if only because none of us expected it. Yeah, low expectations, lots of doubters, an undermanned team comes out and proves everyone wrong. If that story sounds familiar, it's because it's the same damn story we have every year with these guys. I'm going to be the first to say that I need to learn to stop doubting this team, hope for the best and just roll with the wheels. Of the wagon. Of the Chuck-wagon. You saw what I did there, I don't even need to explain it. Aaron Brooks is averaging his 20 a game, which was to be expected, but he's also doing it within the offense and getting 8 assists a night, which I didn't believe him to be capable of doing. Ariza is scoring 20 points an outing after never averaging more than 9 a game. Because that's just how the NBA works? Because he's just tapping into his vast talent? Because basketball is more dependent on the situation than the player? Anyone? I didn't think so. Trying to make sense of what is going on is futile, just like trying to make sense of taking the Lakers to 7 games was futile, just like trying to make sense of winning 12 games in a row after losing our best player was futile.
Anyways, credit for all of this must once again go to Daryl Morey. You know your GM is good when late in the second round he picks a stringy white guy whose claim to fame is how good of a volleyball player he was and you find yourself buying into the pick. You know your GM is great when the pick actually pans out four games in to the year. Thank you, Daryl Morey, for being you. And, if you're wondering whether or not "stringy" is actually an adjective, I am too.
In other news, the Rockets play the Lakers tonight. Everyone's been making a big deal of how the Lakers have been struggling, but they're fans have been chalking it up to the absence of Pau. I'd like to point out to our friends in Hollywood that we're without Yao and Mcgrady. Oh, and the guy with the tight shorts starting at small forward for you? He's actually our second best player from last year. And you still have Vanessa Bryant. So I don't think missing out on Pau is really good enough of an excuse.
Also, just as a heads up, Budinger is out with an ankle injury and is listed as day-to-day. Ankle injuries are fickle, so here's hoping it's not to serious.
Back to talk about the game again, tonight is going to be a hell of a fight, so let's hope the good guys can keep the magic rolling. Speaking of Magic rolling, Orlando fans should probably get used to this image. There's going to be a lot of Vince Carter rolling around on the floor over the course of the next year. But to get back on topic, tonight also doubles as Ron Artest's homecoming and Ariza's first game against his old team, so let's hope their ex-guy who's now our guy destroys their guy who used to be our guy. And Kobe too. Not because he used to be on our team, but because Kobe sucks.
Pictured: The heart of the Lakers team. And Kobe.
Anyways, credit for all of this must once again go to Daryl Morey. You know your GM is good when late in the second round he picks a stringy white guy whose claim to fame is how good of a volleyball player he was and you find yourself buying into the pick. You know your GM is great when the pick actually pans out four games in to the year. Thank you, Daryl Morey, for being you. And, if you're wondering whether or not "stringy" is actually an adjective, I am too.
In other news, the Rockets play the Lakers tonight. Everyone's been making a big deal of how the Lakers have been struggling, but they're fans have been chalking it up to the absence of Pau. I'd like to point out to our friends in Hollywood that we're without Yao and Mcgrady. Oh, and the guy with the tight shorts starting at small forward for you? He's actually our second best player from last year. And you still have Vanessa Bryant. So I don't think missing out on Pau is really good enough of an excuse.
Also, just as a heads up, Budinger is out with an ankle injury and is listed as day-to-day. Ankle injuries are fickle, so here's hoping it's not to serious.
Back to talk about the game again, tonight is going to be a hell of a fight, so let's hope the good guys can keep the magic rolling. Speaking of Magic rolling, Orlando fans should probably get used to this image. There's going to be a lot of Vince Carter rolling around on the floor over the course of the next year. But to get back on topic, tonight also doubles as Ron Artest's homecoming and Ariza's first game against his old team, so let's hope their ex-guy who's now our guy destroys their guy who used to be our guy. And Kobe too. Not because he used to be on our team, but because Kobe sucks.
Pictured: The heart of the Lakers team. And Kobe.I'd make a prediction for tonight's game, but I've pretty much given up on making predictions with this team. We've reached a point where I'm actually considering taking the most logical prediction and just going the entirely opposite way with it when it comes to the Rockets, because they clearly just don't understand the concept of not having enough talent. They don't get that you can't win games with grit, hard work and heart, that teams are never more than the sum of their parts. They don't understand that they're not supposed to be a playoff team, that second round picks who've built careers as role players don't just transform into 18-a-game guys. And, quite honestly, I'm glad they don't. Let's hear it for ignorance, let's hear it for overcoming odds and let's hear it for the Red Nation. And, as always, go Rockets.
6/03/2009
A Finals Preview For The Ages
It's been a while since we've posted something worth your while on here, and since there were some, you know, minor developments in the NBA recently (The Finals were set and start Thursday) we feel obligated to give you an idea of what to expect in this series, what each team has to do to win, a few side plots with links to keep you updated and any worthless opinions we might have. And by we, I mean I.
So I guess I'll start with what each team needs to do in order to win this series and in turn an NBA Championship, along with the eternal pride it will bring their city. And in the case of the Lakers, prevent Kobe Bryant from kidnapping Sasha Vujacic and holding him hostage until people start acting like they like him. Then I'll talk about each team's strengths and weaknesses what the other team needs to do to counteract/exploit them. Then I'll give you some links and other stories to keep an eye on. And finally, I'll give you my prediction. In other words, this is going to be one hell of a post. If you don't have time to spare, I'd stop reading.
Los Angeles Lakers
-Lamar Odom has to step up. Not just for the Lakers to win, but because I've actually started to like Lamar. What got me was the special ran at halftime of Game 5 of the Nuggets-Lakers series that focused on his obsession with candy. If you're wondering, for lunch yesterday I had a pack of Sour Skittles, a pack of Shockers, a bag of normal Skittles, a Three Musketeers bar, two Jolly Ranchers and a A&W Root Beer. So yes, I can identify with Lamar.
-Get the ball to Pau Gasol. I'm not sure what the exact stats are and I'm too lazy to look them up, but Gasol shot somewhere around 60 percent during the Conference Finals. That means 3 out every 5 times he shoots, he scores. And of course there's the chance he might get fouled. Or pass the ball to a teammate for an easy bucket, which he also does exceptionally well. In other words, when he has the ball, good things happen.
-The role players need to continue to step up. The Lakers aren't going to have the same players come up big every night, they're bench just isn't good enough. Instead, if they can have different guys each having nights when they contribute to a win, that can be just as helpful. For example, in Game 5 against the Nuggets, Shannon Brown was what tilted the game in the Lakers' favor. He came into the game in the second half and provided energy and some timely baskets, including this dunk over Chris Andersen that broke my heart. Now, Shannon Brown isn't going to do this every game for the Lakers, but if Brown, Ariza, Walton and Bynum can each have one strong game, that might be all the Lakers need.
-Derek Fisher needs to. Hold on. I can't believe I'm actually about to say this. Derek Fisher needs to play well. Normally, I would assume that Fisher is going to play terribly for the Lakers and be done with it. But after he showed us some signs of life in Games 5 and 6 of the Nuggets series, I feel the need to include that he might actually be productive for the Lakers and not the other team in the Finals.
-The Lakers need to continue to defend with intensity. As hard as it is to admit, the Lakers have been the best team in the NBA when they play hard for a full 48 minutes. If they can manage to play their hardest every single game of the Finals, there's a very, very good chance that they'll be raising the Larry O'Brien Trophy. So, to keep it simple, the world's best chance to stop Kobe Bryant from winning another NBA Championship is boredom. I know, I know. 2012 can't come soon enough.
Orlando Magic
-Hedo Turkoglu has to play better than he ever has before. He needs to be at his slashing, driving, dishing, shooting best if the Magic want to win this series. If he is able to control the game for the Magic and do something resembling counteracting Kobe Bryant, the Magic will beat the Lakers. And if you're wondering, my Hedo Turkoglu jersey shirt did arrive. I'll be wearing it for all 4-7 games of the Finals.
-Dwight Howard needs to continue to get the ball. In Games 4 and 6 of the Magic-Cavaliers series, Dwight Howard carried the Magic to victory. In Game 4 he scored 10 points in overtime and in Game 6 he scored 40 in the game. If Dwight continues to be a dominant scorer in the paint as well as the great defender that he usually is, the Magic have a great shot at winning the title.
-Related to the previous post, the Magic need to get the ball to Howard. He can't score if he doesn't have the ball, and they need to make sure they get him touches frequently and early in the shot clock. That hasn't been a problem recently for them, and it hopefully won't be in the Finals.
-Don't foul. That means you, Dwight. But it also applies to the rest of the Magic. They need to stay out of foul trouble and keep the Lakers out of the penalty. They have one of the best defense in the NBA, but that's useless when every foul puts your opponent on the line for two free throws. They still need to be aggressive on defense, just not stupidly-aggressive.
-Run the pick and roll to death. This goes with Hedo Turkoglu playing well. Phil Jackson teams can't guard the pick and roll. It's a well known fact. If Hedo attacks off of every screen he gets and is able to get into the lane and create havoc, the Magic are one of the best teams in the NBA. If he's also dishing out to their shooters and they are making their threes, they're the best. It's that simple.
Now I'll run through what each team does well, and how the other team can stop that. It goes without saying, stopping the other team from doing what they do best means you have a great shot at winning the title.
Los Angeles Lakers
Strength: Kobe Bryant. Real expert analysis, I know.
What the Magic have to do: Mickael Pietrus needs to play the best defense he's ever played. He did a fantastic job on Lebron (It's funny because Lebron still averaged 39, 8 and 8 against them, but it's true) and needs to continue to do so on Kobe. Nothing fancy, just make life difficult for him. Maybe borrow Shane's book. Maybe trip him. No that was a joke. But more importantly, Dwight needs to cut off Kobe's access to the basket. If Kobe isn't driving, he's not the same player. And Kobe isn't driving if Dwight is swatting everything he's putting up at Jack Nicholson.
Strength: The Lakers boast one of the most efficient, versatile offenses in the NBA.
What the Magic have to do: Defend hard, move their feet and contest everything. Rashard Lewis needs to battle Pau Gasol down low. No excuses about him not being a post player, he has to find a way to stop the Lakers from running the offense through Pau, which is when they are deadliest. Dwight Howard needs to stay out of foul trouble. Pietrus needs to stay in front of Kobe. Someone needs to stop letting Trevor Ariza cut to the basket for easy layups after passing it to Pau. Most importantly, the Magic need to get back on defense. The Lakers are unstoppable when they are running, and easy baskets also fuel their defense. It's messed up, but it's how they work. Cutting off their fast break points is essential for the Magic.
Weakness: Defending the pick and roll. For some reason, the Lakers, and Phil Jackson teams as a whole, struggle to guard the pick and roll.
What the Magic have to do: Run the pick and roll. A lot. A hell of a lot. So much that we get tired of seeing it. Hedo can handle the ball and is actually an excellent passer, so if they give him room to operate, he will either create for himself or for others. Dwight Howard moving towards the basket is scary for any team to defend, and his quickness will allow him to get easy baskets off passes from his teammates.
Weakness: Point guard play. There's nothing more to say here, we all know the Lakers point guards suck.
What the Magic have to do: Rafer Alston, Rafer "Why The Hell Did He Shoot That"/"How The Hell Did He Miss That" Alston, is a key to the Magic's victory. If you thought it was scary that his team was in the Finals, think about this. His team is depending on him so that they can win an NBA Championship. As much as I like to rag on Rafer Alston, I like to make fun of Derek Fisher even more. And Rafer is capable of giving Derek Fisher fits. I'm fully confident that Alston and Anthony Johnson can substantially outplay Derek Farma-Brown, and if they do, the Magic are in good shape. On the other hand, my sister and I could outplay Fisher, Farmar and Brown, so that's not saying too much.
Orlando Magic
Strength: They shoot the ball. Extremely well.
What the Lakers have to do: Stay home on the shooters. They need to ignore the instinct to help on Hedo, and let him try to beat them. Because of they collapse when he drives, Rashard, Rafer and Pietrus will be more than happy to fire up threes all day long. The same goes for Dwight. The Lakers can't double team him. Even if he's making Andrew Bynum look like, well, Andrew Bynum.
Strength: One of the most versatile, tricky offenses in the league belongs to the Magic. Their offense revolves around a 6-11 freak of nature and two 6-10 guys shooting threes, with one of them also happening to dribble the ball.
What the Lakers have to do: Use their own versatility. They have Lamar Odom, who's more than capable of shutting down Rashard Lewis. They also have Trevor Ariza, who'll do a much better job on Turkoglu than Delonte West and Wally Whatever-the-hell-his-last-name-is (Szczerbiak). The Lakers need to stop the Magic shooters from getting open looks and, in Ariza's case, stay in front of Turkoglu and generally make things difficult for him.
Weakness: Their offense revolves around three point shooting and Dwight Howard.
What the Lakers have to do: Make Dwight Howard beat them. They need to guard him with one man and not let him kick out to the shooters for open looks. Dwight's offensive arsenal is still limited, and I don't think he's ready to carry a team offensively and defensively for four games out of seven just yet.
Weakness: Rashard Lewis tends to disappear. Even though he's one of the most talented players in the NBA, he sometimes plays passively, choosing to let the game come to him. The only problem is that it often never comes.
What the Lakers have to do: Guard him aggressively. The Lakers need to find a way to take him out of the game. If that means not playing Bynum a single second so that Pau can play center, allowing Odom to guard Lewis, then so be it. Whatever it takes to make Rashard feel more like a spot up shooter and less like the lethal, offensive-killer he is.
Stories and Links
Just to get you into the spirit of things, I've compiled a list of side plots for you to take a look at while killing time before Thursday night's Game 1.
-Lamar Odom likes candy. A lot. A whole hell of a lot. I use the phrase "a whole hell of a lot" a whole hell of a lot. Not much of a story, but here it is anyways. If my opinion is worth anything to you, I saw it during halftime of Game 5 and loved it, but I've already said that in this post.
-Jameer Nelson might be returning for the NBA Finals. This isn't really a subplot, but it's not assured yet so I'm sticking it in here for now. There's so much to discuss here, like what would happen to their rotations should he return, how much he'd be able to help and if they should actually bring him back at all. But for now, I'll leave you with this and this and let you decide for yourself. If he does return, the dynamics of this entire series change, as he averaged 27.5 points in the two games in which the Magic beat the Lakers in during the regular season. But we'll have more on that if he actually does return or as soon as we get a definite answer either way.
-Both of these franchises have been completely changed by Shaquille O'Neal. He left one to suffer through it's own incompetence for 13 years and carried the other to three championships. Here's someone else talking about it.
-The Orlando Magic used to have Trevor Ariza. Not only is he now on the Lakers, he's also an important part of the their team and is arguably their best role player since Lamar Odom seems to pick and choose which games he's going to show up in.
-President Obama is picking the Lakers. I'm a pretty big fan of the man, but doesn't he have a few slightly more pressing issues to be worrying about. You know, maybe like this one? Just saying.
-Dwight Howard says that as long as the fans want him, he's going to stay in Orlando. Someone should probably tell him that he also has four years left on his contract, so leaving isn't really an option for him.
-The Magic have a good center, the Lakers don't. At the moment, at least. Bynum needs to step up if the Lakers want to win.
-A fun little true and false about the NBA Finals. Just because you can never get too much hype.
-Kobe's old. Dwight isn't. That's enough for a story. It's actually a good read if you've got a few minutes to kill.
-The Cavaliers are sad that they lost. Also, Lebron had something growing in his mouth. Yes, he averaged 39, 8 and 8 with something unnatural inside of his mouth. I'm moving on before I start to regret rooting against a Kobe-Lebron Finals.
-Jeff Van Gundy wants his brother's team to win. So do I, but that's besides the point. How he's going to juggle cheering on big brother while maintaining his objectivity is going to be interesting to watch over the course of the next 1-2 weeks.
-An actual Magic blog. And one for the Lakers.
-And one for the Thunder. Just because.
-Lebron averaged 39 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists a game against the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. Here's why Kobe's Western Conference Finals performance was even better. If you aren't reading any of these articles, at least read this one. It's well researched, passionate and convincing. In other words, it's everything this blog isn't.
-This is why you don't make a bunch of puppet commercials when the puppets might not actually make the Finals. "Sorry, I'm allergic to losers."
-Five keys for the Lakers to win the championship. Five more for the Magic.
-Just in case you missed anything along the way, this should bring you up to speed. If you're pressed for time and haven't been able to catch everything that happened during the playoffs, which probably should apply to most normal people, this video is the easiest way to get caught up and ready for the Finals.
-A Bill Simmons Mailbag to preview the NBA Finals. Excellent work as always. Good writing, good article, good for another 10-15 minutes.
NBA Finals Prediction
And now it's time for the good stuff. Well, I like to think it's the good stuff, but I'm not sure how many other people share my sentiments. My for-the-most-part-useless opinion about who's going to win, why and how it's going to happen. In the spirit of taking up more words and being as circuitous as possible, I'll tell you why each team will win before picking one.
Why the Magic will win: They have the ability to get hot from the outside on any given night, which lets them erase big leads and open up large cushions of their own. If they get going, they are nearly impossible to stop, as they have so many shooters that you really can't cover all of them. They have the most dominant post player in the series on both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor, but mainly on defense, which is key against the Lakers. If any team has the ability to slow down the Lakers' vaunted offense, it's this Magic squad. They have a young, growing superstar who looks like he has finally come into his own and is looking to prove himself on the biggest stage of them all against one of the league's most storied franchises, so in other words, you can bet that he'll be motivated and ready to go. They have the advantage at the point guard position, which shouldn't even have to be said at this point because, for God's sake, the Lakers are trotting out Derek Fisher to start games at the one. They have at least one player who the Lakers have no real answer for in Rashard Lewis, but that's mainly because when he's aggressive nobody in the NBA has an answer for him. They have a 6-9 forward who can shoot the ball, dribble, pass and score in the lane who also happens to be money in the clutch, as I've shown you before with various links. In case I haven't, here are a few examples of his best work. If Dwight Howard continues to control the paint on both ends of the floor, the Magic shooters keep shooting the way they have and Hedo can facilitate, score and distribute throughout the series, the Magic have an excellent chance to bring an NBA Championship to Disney World. On a semi-related note, actually, it's not related at all, but why is Disney World two words but Disneyland is one? It makes no sense to me.
Why the Lakers will win: They have the best offense in the NBA and the perfect players to run it. They have the best player in the NBA, or at least in the series, in Mr. Kobe Bean Bryant. Yes, his middle name is Bean. He was named after steak and a kind of plant seed. And he's the best player on the planet, or at least one of the two best. Like I said, 2012 can't come soon enough. They have finally started to play defense consistently and are actually damn good at it. Oh, and by the way, they're doing this all without the man who's supposed to be their starting center playing at anything close to full health. They have the deepest, most talented roster in the league, and anything short of a championship is underachieving for them. If they just live up to their potential, they should win the title.
As much as I hate to say this, I'm picking the Lakers to win it. They have the better team, home court advantage, and it finally looks like the drive as well. They also have the best NBA player not named Lebron, and this player also happens to be a psychopath who probably won't sleep until he wins an NBA Championship without this guy so he can get that much closer to this guy and so that this guy can finally pass up this guy. And so that he won't have to tell the first guy how his ass tastes. Whew.
But in all seriousness, the Lakers have too many options for the Magic to handle, and the Magic just have too many variables that could go wrong at any given time in a game/series. All it takes is one (three pointers not falling, Dwight having an off night, Rashard not being aggressive) and the Magic are in trouble for a game. Have it happen a few times, and they're in trouble for the series as a whole. Not that I think it's going to happen a few times. The Magic are a great team, and they're going to give the Lakers a hell of a fight. I'm picking the Lakers in 7 hard fought, highly contested games.
And with that, let me tell you this. The team that goes up 3-2 in this series is winning it. Because the Magic are winning Game 6. So if they split the first two and go up 3-2 by winning two out of three at home, they'll close it out in Game 6. If the Lakers go up 3-2, they'll lose Game 6 and win Game 7. So do I think the Magic can win two out of four games in Los Angeles? Yes. Do I think they will? No. But, after all, they are the best road team in basketball. And they did win a game and were one second away from winning another in the most hostile road arena in the NBA. And they also closed out a series on one of the best home courts in the league against the defending champions. So, here I am, trying to talk myself into picking the Magic, even though it's just plain stupid. But I'm not trapping myself here. I'm not choosing and underdog just for the hell of it on the off chance that if they win I can shove it in someone's face.
Then again, the Lakers do struggle, and let me emphasize that, struggle, to defend the pick and roll. And that is what the Magic do best. The Lakers also don't really have an answer for Dwight, as Pau isn't strong enough and Bynum isn't anything enough. And the Magic just knocked off the supposed best team in the league. And didn't the Magic go 2-0 against the Lakers during the regular season? But no, I'm not getting dragged into this. There's no way in hell I'm going to be dumb enough to pick the Magic when I can just as easily choose the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant, mind you, and be done with it. So I'll stick with my original prediction of the Lakers in 7.
Of course I'll never admit that to you in person. I'll probably say something like "Magic in 6, 'Glu for Finals MVP." In fact, that exactly what I'll say. You know, just to keep up my air of defiance or aura of stupidity or whatever you choose to call it. But not here. Here I have to be accurate and intelligent with what I say. This isn't a place for my half-assed opinions. Wait, that's exactly what this place is for. Screw it. Magic in 6. 'Glu for Finals MVP.
So there you have it. 3,500 words to keep you company for the next day and a half before the real action starts. Plus 10-15 more articles to read if you're really getting bored. You're welcome. Happy Finals.
So I guess I'll start with what each team needs to do in order to win this series and in turn an NBA Championship, along with the eternal pride it will bring their city. And in the case of the Lakers, prevent Kobe Bryant from kidnapping Sasha Vujacic and holding him hostage until people start acting like they like him. Then I'll talk about each team's strengths and weaknesses what the other team needs to do to counteract/exploit them. Then I'll give you some links and other stories to keep an eye on. And finally, I'll give you my prediction. In other words, this is going to be one hell of a post. If you don't have time to spare, I'd stop reading.
Los Angeles Lakers
-Lamar Odom has to step up. Not just for the Lakers to win, but because I've actually started to like Lamar. What got me was the special ran at halftime of Game 5 of the Nuggets-Lakers series that focused on his obsession with candy. If you're wondering, for lunch yesterday I had a pack of Sour Skittles, a pack of Shockers, a bag of normal Skittles, a Three Musketeers bar, two Jolly Ranchers and a A&W Root Beer. So yes, I can identify with Lamar.
-Get the ball to Pau Gasol. I'm not sure what the exact stats are and I'm too lazy to look them up, but Gasol shot somewhere around 60 percent during the Conference Finals. That means 3 out every 5 times he shoots, he scores. And of course there's the chance he might get fouled. Or pass the ball to a teammate for an easy bucket, which he also does exceptionally well. In other words, when he has the ball, good things happen.
-The role players need to continue to step up. The Lakers aren't going to have the same players come up big every night, they're bench just isn't good enough. Instead, if they can have different guys each having nights when they contribute to a win, that can be just as helpful. For example, in Game 5 against the Nuggets, Shannon Brown was what tilted the game in the Lakers' favor. He came into the game in the second half and provided energy and some timely baskets, including this dunk over Chris Andersen that broke my heart. Now, Shannon Brown isn't going to do this every game for the Lakers, but if Brown, Ariza, Walton and Bynum can each have one strong game, that might be all the Lakers need.
-Derek Fisher needs to. Hold on. I can't believe I'm actually about to say this. Derek Fisher needs to play well. Normally, I would assume that Fisher is going to play terribly for the Lakers and be done with it. But after he showed us some signs of life in Games 5 and 6 of the Nuggets series, I feel the need to include that he might actually be productive for the Lakers and not the other team in the Finals.
-The Lakers need to continue to defend with intensity. As hard as it is to admit, the Lakers have been the best team in the NBA when they play hard for a full 48 minutes. If they can manage to play their hardest every single game of the Finals, there's a very, very good chance that they'll be raising the Larry O'Brien Trophy. So, to keep it simple, the world's best chance to stop Kobe Bryant from winning another NBA Championship is boredom. I know, I know. 2012 can't come soon enough.
Orlando Magic
-Hedo Turkoglu has to play better than he ever has before. He needs to be at his slashing, driving, dishing, shooting best if the Magic want to win this series. If he is able to control the game for the Magic and do something resembling counteracting Kobe Bryant, the Magic will beat the Lakers. And if you're wondering, my Hedo Turkoglu jersey shirt did arrive. I'll be wearing it for all 4-7 games of the Finals.
-Dwight Howard needs to continue to get the ball. In Games 4 and 6 of the Magic-Cavaliers series, Dwight Howard carried the Magic to victory. In Game 4 he scored 10 points in overtime and in Game 6 he scored 40 in the game. If Dwight continues to be a dominant scorer in the paint as well as the great defender that he usually is, the Magic have a great shot at winning the title.
-Related to the previous post, the Magic need to get the ball to Howard. He can't score if he doesn't have the ball, and they need to make sure they get him touches frequently and early in the shot clock. That hasn't been a problem recently for them, and it hopefully won't be in the Finals.
-Don't foul. That means you, Dwight. But it also applies to the rest of the Magic. They need to stay out of foul trouble and keep the Lakers out of the penalty. They have one of the best defense in the NBA, but that's useless when every foul puts your opponent on the line for two free throws. They still need to be aggressive on defense, just not stupidly-aggressive.
-Run the pick and roll to death. This goes with Hedo Turkoglu playing well. Phil Jackson teams can't guard the pick and roll. It's a well known fact. If Hedo attacks off of every screen he gets and is able to get into the lane and create havoc, the Magic are one of the best teams in the NBA. If he's also dishing out to their shooters and they are making their threes, they're the best. It's that simple.
Now I'll run through what each team does well, and how the other team can stop that. It goes without saying, stopping the other team from doing what they do best means you have a great shot at winning the title.
Los Angeles Lakers
Strength: Kobe Bryant. Real expert analysis, I know.
What the Magic have to do: Mickael Pietrus needs to play the best defense he's ever played. He did a fantastic job on Lebron (It's funny because Lebron still averaged 39, 8 and 8 against them, but it's true) and needs to continue to do so on Kobe. Nothing fancy, just make life difficult for him. Maybe borrow Shane's book. Maybe trip him. No that was a joke. But more importantly, Dwight needs to cut off Kobe's access to the basket. If Kobe isn't driving, he's not the same player. And Kobe isn't driving if Dwight is swatting everything he's putting up at Jack Nicholson.
Strength: The Lakers boast one of the most efficient, versatile offenses in the NBA.
What the Magic have to do: Defend hard, move their feet and contest everything. Rashard Lewis needs to battle Pau Gasol down low. No excuses about him not being a post player, he has to find a way to stop the Lakers from running the offense through Pau, which is when they are deadliest. Dwight Howard needs to stay out of foul trouble. Pietrus needs to stay in front of Kobe. Someone needs to stop letting Trevor Ariza cut to the basket for easy layups after passing it to Pau. Most importantly, the Magic need to get back on defense. The Lakers are unstoppable when they are running, and easy baskets also fuel their defense. It's messed up, but it's how they work. Cutting off their fast break points is essential for the Magic.
Weakness: Defending the pick and roll. For some reason, the Lakers, and Phil Jackson teams as a whole, struggle to guard the pick and roll.
What the Magic have to do: Run the pick and roll. A lot. A hell of a lot. So much that we get tired of seeing it. Hedo can handle the ball and is actually an excellent passer, so if they give him room to operate, he will either create for himself or for others. Dwight Howard moving towards the basket is scary for any team to defend, and his quickness will allow him to get easy baskets off passes from his teammates.
Weakness: Point guard play. There's nothing more to say here, we all know the Lakers point guards suck.
What the Magic have to do: Rafer Alston, Rafer "Why The Hell Did He Shoot That"/"How The Hell Did He Miss That" Alston, is a key to the Magic's victory. If you thought it was scary that his team was in the Finals, think about this. His team is depending on him so that they can win an NBA Championship. As much as I like to rag on Rafer Alston, I like to make fun of Derek Fisher even more. And Rafer is capable of giving Derek Fisher fits. I'm fully confident that Alston and Anthony Johnson can substantially outplay Derek Farma-Brown, and if they do, the Magic are in good shape. On the other hand, my sister and I could outplay Fisher, Farmar and Brown, so that's not saying too much.
Orlando Magic
Strength: They shoot the ball. Extremely well.
What the Lakers have to do: Stay home on the shooters. They need to ignore the instinct to help on Hedo, and let him try to beat them. Because of they collapse when he drives, Rashard, Rafer and Pietrus will be more than happy to fire up threes all day long. The same goes for Dwight. The Lakers can't double team him. Even if he's making Andrew Bynum look like, well, Andrew Bynum.
Strength: One of the most versatile, tricky offenses in the league belongs to the Magic. Their offense revolves around a 6-11 freak of nature and two 6-10 guys shooting threes, with one of them also happening to dribble the ball.
What the Lakers have to do: Use their own versatility. They have Lamar Odom, who's more than capable of shutting down Rashard Lewis. They also have Trevor Ariza, who'll do a much better job on Turkoglu than Delonte West and Wally Whatever-the-hell-his-last-name-is (Szczerbiak). The Lakers need to stop the Magic shooters from getting open looks and, in Ariza's case, stay in front of Turkoglu and generally make things difficult for him.
Weakness: Their offense revolves around three point shooting and Dwight Howard.
What the Lakers have to do: Make Dwight Howard beat them. They need to guard him with one man and not let him kick out to the shooters for open looks. Dwight's offensive arsenal is still limited, and I don't think he's ready to carry a team offensively and defensively for four games out of seven just yet.
Weakness: Rashard Lewis tends to disappear. Even though he's one of the most talented players in the NBA, he sometimes plays passively, choosing to let the game come to him. The only problem is that it often never comes.
What the Lakers have to do: Guard him aggressively. The Lakers need to find a way to take him out of the game. If that means not playing Bynum a single second so that Pau can play center, allowing Odom to guard Lewis, then so be it. Whatever it takes to make Rashard feel more like a spot up shooter and less like the lethal, offensive-killer he is.
Stories and Links
Just to get you into the spirit of things, I've compiled a list of side plots for you to take a look at while killing time before Thursday night's Game 1.
-Lamar Odom likes candy. A lot. A whole hell of a lot. I use the phrase "a whole hell of a lot" a whole hell of a lot. Not much of a story, but here it is anyways. If my opinion is worth anything to you, I saw it during halftime of Game 5 and loved it, but I've already said that in this post.
-Jameer Nelson might be returning for the NBA Finals. This isn't really a subplot, but it's not assured yet so I'm sticking it in here for now. There's so much to discuss here, like what would happen to their rotations should he return, how much he'd be able to help and if they should actually bring him back at all. But for now, I'll leave you with this and this and let you decide for yourself. If he does return, the dynamics of this entire series change, as he averaged 27.5 points in the two games in which the Magic beat the Lakers in during the regular season. But we'll have more on that if he actually does return or as soon as we get a definite answer either way.
-Both of these franchises have been completely changed by Shaquille O'Neal. He left one to suffer through it's own incompetence for 13 years and carried the other to three championships. Here's someone else talking about it.
-The Orlando Magic used to have Trevor Ariza. Not only is he now on the Lakers, he's also an important part of the their team and is arguably their best role player since Lamar Odom seems to pick and choose which games he's going to show up in.
-President Obama is picking the Lakers. I'm a pretty big fan of the man, but doesn't he have a few slightly more pressing issues to be worrying about. You know, maybe like this one? Just saying.
-Dwight Howard says that as long as the fans want him, he's going to stay in Orlando. Someone should probably tell him that he also has four years left on his contract, so leaving isn't really an option for him.
-The Magic have a good center, the Lakers don't. At the moment, at least. Bynum needs to step up if the Lakers want to win.
-A fun little true and false about the NBA Finals. Just because you can never get too much hype.
-Kobe's old. Dwight isn't. That's enough for a story. It's actually a good read if you've got a few minutes to kill.
-The Cavaliers are sad that they lost. Also, Lebron had something growing in his mouth. Yes, he averaged 39, 8 and 8 with something unnatural inside of his mouth. I'm moving on before I start to regret rooting against a Kobe-Lebron Finals.
-Jeff Van Gundy wants his brother's team to win. So do I, but that's besides the point. How he's going to juggle cheering on big brother while maintaining his objectivity is going to be interesting to watch over the course of the next 1-2 weeks.
-An actual Magic blog. And one for the Lakers.
-And one for the Thunder. Just because.
-Lebron averaged 39 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists a game against the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. Here's why Kobe's Western Conference Finals performance was even better. If you aren't reading any of these articles, at least read this one. It's well researched, passionate and convincing. In other words, it's everything this blog isn't.
-This is why you don't make a bunch of puppet commercials when the puppets might not actually make the Finals. "Sorry, I'm allergic to losers."
-Five keys for the Lakers to win the championship. Five more for the Magic.
-Just in case you missed anything along the way, this should bring you up to speed. If you're pressed for time and haven't been able to catch everything that happened during the playoffs, which probably should apply to most normal people, this video is the easiest way to get caught up and ready for the Finals.
-A Bill Simmons Mailbag to preview the NBA Finals. Excellent work as always. Good writing, good article, good for another 10-15 minutes.
NBA Finals Prediction
And now it's time for the good stuff. Well, I like to think it's the good stuff, but I'm not sure how many other people share my sentiments. My for-the-most-part-useless opinion about who's going to win, why and how it's going to happen. In the spirit of taking up more words and being as circuitous as possible, I'll tell you why each team will win before picking one.
Why the Magic will win: They have the ability to get hot from the outside on any given night, which lets them erase big leads and open up large cushions of their own. If they get going, they are nearly impossible to stop, as they have so many shooters that you really can't cover all of them. They have the most dominant post player in the series on both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor, but mainly on defense, which is key against the Lakers. If any team has the ability to slow down the Lakers' vaunted offense, it's this Magic squad. They have a young, growing superstar who looks like he has finally come into his own and is looking to prove himself on the biggest stage of them all against one of the league's most storied franchises, so in other words, you can bet that he'll be motivated and ready to go. They have the advantage at the point guard position, which shouldn't even have to be said at this point because, for God's sake, the Lakers are trotting out Derek Fisher to start games at the one. They have at least one player who the Lakers have no real answer for in Rashard Lewis, but that's mainly because when he's aggressive nobody in the NBA has an answer for him. They have a 6-9 forward who can shoot the ball, dribble, pass and score in the lane who also happens to be money in the clutch, as I've shown you before with various links. In case I haven't, here are a few examples of his best work. If Dwight Howard continues to control the paint on both ends of the floor, the Magic shooters keep shooting the way they have and Hedo can facilitate, score and distribute throughout the series, the Magic have an excellent chance to bring an NBA Championship to Disney World. On a semi-related note, actually, it's not related at all, but why is Disney World two words but Disneyland is one? It makes no sense to me.
Why the Lakers will win: They have the best offense in the NBA and the perfect players to run it. They have the best player in the NBA, or at least in the series, in Mr. Kobe Bean Bryant. Yes, his middle name is Bean. He was named after steak and a kind of plant seed. And he's the best player on the planet, or at least one of the two best. Like I said, 2012 can't come soon enough. They have finally started to play defense consistently and are actually damn good at it. Oh, and by the way, they're doing this all without the man who's supposed to be their starting center playing at anything close to full health. They have the deepest, most talented roster in the league, and anything short of a championship is underachieving for them. If they just live up to their potential, they should win the title.
As much as I hate to say this, I'm picking the Lakers to win it. They have the better team, home court advantage, and it finally looks like the drive as well. They also have the best NBA player not named Lebron, and this player also happens to be a psychopath who probably won't sleep until he wins an NBA Championship without this guy so he can get that much closer to this guy and so that this guy can finally pass up this guy. And so that he won't have to tell the first guy how his ass tastes. Whew.
But in all seriousness, the Lakers have too many options for the Magic to handle, and the Magic just have too many variables that could go wrong at any given time in a game/series. All it takes is one (three pointers not falling, Dwight having an off night, Rashard not being aggressive) and the Magic are in trouble for a game. Have it happen a few times, and they're in trouble for the series as a whole. Not that I think it's going to happen a few times. The Magic are a great team, and they're going to give the Lakers a hell of a fight. I'm picking the Lakers in 7 hard fought, highly contested games.
And with that, let me tell you this. The team that goes up 3-2 in this series is winning it. Because the Magic are winning Game 6. So if they split the first two and go up 3-2 by winning two out of three at home, they'll close it out in Game 6. If the Lakers go up 3-2, they'll lose Game 6 and win Game 7. So do I think the Magic can win two out of four games in Los Angeles? Yes. Do I think they will? No. But, after all, they are the best road team in basketball. And they did win a game and were one second away from winning another in the most hostile road arena in the NBA. And they also closed out a series on one of the best home courts in the league against the defending champions. So, here I am, trying to talk myself into picking the Magic, even though it's just plain stupid. But I'm not trapping myself here. I'm not choosing and underdog just for the hell of it on the off chance that if they win I can shove it in someone's face.
Then again, the Lakers do struggle, and let me emphasize that, struggle, to defend the pick and roll. And that is what the Magic do best. The Lakers also don't really have an answer for Dwight, as Pau isn't strong enough and Bynum isn't anything enough. And the Magic just knocked off the supposed best team in the league. And didn't the Magic go 2-0 against the Lakers during the regular season? But no, I'm not getting dragged into this. There's no way in hell I'm going to be dumb enough to pick the Magic when I can just as easily choose the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant, mind you, and be done with it. So I'll stick with my original prediction of the Lakers in 7.
Of course I'll never admit that to you in person. I'll probably say something like "Magic in 6, 'Glu for Finals MVP." In fact, that exactly what I'll say. You know, just to keep up my air of defiance or aura of stupidity or whatever you choose to call it. But not here. Here I have to be accurate and intelligent with what I say. This isn't a place for my half-assed opinions. Wait, that's exactly what this place is for. Screw it. Magic in 6. 'Glu for Finals MVP.
So there you have it. 3,500 words to keep you company for the next day and a half before the real action starts. Plus 10-15 more articles to read if you're really getting bored. You're welcome. Happy Finals.
Finals Preview
In case you've been wondering, and you probably haven't, we're doing a finals preview. And it's long as hell. I'll have it up sometime [hopefully early] tomorrow. Read it, comment on it, print it out and use it as toilet paper, it's honestly up to you. Just know it'll be available for you if, by some bizarre, twisted turn of fate, you need it.
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