I have finally gotten over my disappointment in the Cavaliers lost to Orlando. It took a few days, but it is time for me to eat a little crow. Yes, I picked the Cavaliers to win it all this year. I can’t believe I did not see through the fog. Why did I believe the Cavaliers would finally win a championship? Well, they did win 66 games and they only lost two games at home?. I really got pulled in when they swept Detroit and Atlanta. On second thought, I had every conceivable right to believe in my prediction.
That is until Orlando came along and smacked them upside the head. I was so enamored with the King James locomotive that I ignored what the Magic was doing to get rid of a stubborn Philadelphia team and then go into Boston Garden and defeat the Celtics in a Game 7.
The Magic put on a devastating show with ball movement and stellar shooting. Their ability to make big shots from long range and feed Dwight Howard, the most dominant interior performer during these playoffs, has me wondering if this journey can continue against the deep Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers, unlike Cleveland, struggled at times in the early rounds and I surmise that is why they are still around. I for one believe adversity in the early rounds bring focus and desperation, which when you are as talented as the Lakers becomes a good thing.
The Rockets and the Nuggets were definitely capable of beating the Lakers, but injuries to Yao Ming and mental meltdowns by Denver allowed the Lakers to seize the opportunity like a shark.
Now we are here. This is what we have waited for, well halfway at least… But let me tell you something you might already know: This will be a great series and I am sure most of the fans who watched the Magic win the East might tend to agree that the right team will face the Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals.
The Lakers and the Magic are extremely versatile and can summon some good players off the bench, but five things must happen for either team to win this series.
KEYS FOR THE LAKERS
Keep Dwight Howard in foul trouble
The Lakers understand that Howard will challenge any foray to the basket. They have the master at that in Kobe Bryant. Watch Bryant, Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza go at the body of Howard early in games to force the officials to make a call.
Defend Howard in single coverage with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol
If the Lakers pull this off and Howard does not go for 30 and get every player in a Lakers jersey in foul trouble, L.A. will win this series in quick fashion. The Magic either need the Lakers to double to free up shooters or Howard has huge games to offset the lack of consistent three-point opportunities.
Have great offensive efficiency and wear down the Magic’s defense
The Lakers spread the ball around and so the Magic are hoping the Lakers force-feed Kobe so they can load up defensively. If the Lakers stay away from just relying on Kobe and use their great ball cuts and screens within the triangle offense, it will be difficult for Orlando to defend consistently.
Hope Kobe will seize the opportunity he missed last year
How many more times can Kobe get to the Finals and not get that elusive championship without Shaquille O’Neal? He will be focused and relentless and if the Magic fail to control him, especially in the fourth quarter, just forget about it.
Dominate the sidelines with Phil Jackson
Stan Van Gundy was huge with his coaching decisions during the Cavaliers series. Recognizing Ben Wallace was guarding Rashard Lewis was huge in Game 4 and basically won the series, but he better come with everything in this series against Jackson and that veteran coaching staff. Jackson is just as hungry as Kobe. This could be his 10th championship and it will if Van Gundy falls prey to his mental messages during this series.
KEYS FOR THE MAGIC
Force the Lakers to double-team Howard
This will be the big question all series long. Can Dwight Howard dominate consistently if the Lakers elect to stay at home on the Magic shooters? If the Lakers are forced to double they will be in serious trouble if the Magic shoot the ball like they did in the Cavalier series.
Keep Andrew Bynum on the bench
Rashard Lewis will be the key because Pau Gasol has no choice but to guard him. This will be the focal point early in most games running Gasol off screens and involving him in pick-and-pop plays. If he can’t guard Lewis, then he will be forced to defend Howard and keep Bynum on the bench, thus unleashing a possible double-team and freeing up the Magic three-point shooters.
Mickael Pietrus and Courtney Lee defend Kobe and still are offensively productive
This is what Van Gundy is praying for. He knows they will exert great effort on defense, but he also needs them to score consistently to have a chance to win this series. If both players can stay within 15 total points of Kobe combined, this series will become very interesting.
Jameer Nelson adds to a confident backcourt
This is a long shot, but we can’t ignore it. Nelson had tremendous success against the Lakers this season so although tired and not in game shape, he will be extremely confident and just him dressing and sitting on the bench could be a huge psychological boost for the Magic.
Maintain confidence they have had in the last few rounds
The Magic are soaring and have a swagger that is rightly deserved. Confidence can carry a team in games where they don’t play particularly well. The Magic are that team. They have beaten the defending champion and the team with the best record.
PREDICTION:
My prediction is Orlando in six. I have gone against them in every round. I will not do it again. I believe they are playing the best basketball of the two teams and if Dwight Howard continues to dominate and stay out of foul trouble, I don’t see the Lakers having enough to withstand his dominance in the paint.
As Gary Payton would say, the Cavaliers are flowing. They are in a world by themselves right now. Life is good and waking up in the morning is sunny even when it is raining. Athletes live for this feeling, they crave for it and the LeBron-led Cavs are living the dream at the moment. They have eight straight playoff wins by double figures, leading to first and second round sweeps – which have put the them in elite company among great teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Sixers of past seasons.
But the question remains… Can they continue to dominate and win their first NBA championship? I think they have all the major ingredients, but I will put my support, beliefs and emotions aside for the sake of my article… And probably bring out the emotions of Cavalier fans.
I can make the statement that no team has performed with the machine-like structure of the Cavaliers in putting away Detroit and Atlanta, but I can also say Detroit had a down year and was in total disarray coming into the postseason. I can add that the Atlanta Hawks were a banged up team, especially after Game 2 when Joe Johnson suffered a severe ankle sprain.
I then can check myself and say they dominated both teams and put them away quickly like a great team would under those circumstances, so you can’t fault them for who they play and the breaks they have gotten. Why? Because they earned it with the best record in the league and a 39-2 record at home.
You see, that’s what great sports fans do… They second guess and try to justify why an individual or team is so good.
What we should do is not try to find reasons to say a team is overrated, but research and figure out why a team has played so well.
So I will just come out and say it. And then tell you why I feel this way.
My take: The Cavaliers are indeed the best team in the playoffs and will win their first title. Here’s why…
They have the best all-around player in the game in Lebron James. I wrote an article a few years ago talking about his inability to shoot the ball from the perimeter and that it would keep him from becoming quite possibly the greatest player ever. Well, he answered that argument because he has become a very good shooter with endless range, thus making him virtually un guardable anywhere on the court. Also, he has become the game’s best leader. Do you see how his teammates jump up and down with excitement every time he shows them something special. That tells me they genuinely adore him and that is huge in professional sports.
Danny Ferry has surrounded him with catch-and-shoot players. I wrote an open letter article to Ferry also a few years ago telling him to stop trying to put clones like Larry Hughes around LeBron and go get him some shooters. Well, he has so many good shooters now (like Mo Williams, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak) that Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson, two mainstays from the Finals run a few years ago, struggle to get prime time minutes.
They are extremely physical, which allows head coach Mike Brown to play two ways if he wants. He can go small and speed up the game or he can go big with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith or Ben Wallace. This allows Brown to be prepared for a small Celtic team or a big Orlando frontline in the conference finals, and then adjusting to the size of a Laker big frontline or the ultra-physical Denver Nuggets.
Versatility is the key and that is why the Cavaliers have proven all year that they are the team to beat. Boston Celtic fans might ask, if Kevin Garnett was still in the lineup would I be making this statement? I would say yes without hesitation. Why? I think the Celtics are out of gas and I felt this way before Garnett got injured.
The Lakers have beaten the Cavaliers twice this season and should have the mental edge, but I believe that is fool’s gold. If you remember, the Cavaliers beat San Antonio twice a few years ago and got swept in the Finals against them. The Cavaliers have the bodies to fight Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol and the Cavaliers I believe have a better advantage in the role-player department, especially off the bench.
In my opinion, the Denver Nuggets present the toughest challenge to the Cavaliers because they are the most physical team left in the playoffs and they can score. The challenge for them is… Can they emotionally stabilize themselves in a series against the Lakers? I say they will not and that will cost them a perfect opportunity to pull a major upset.
Let’s hail to the King. He has made us pause on how good it was back when Magic, Bird and Michael made us stand up and cheer, but we can’t anoint him yet because he has not accomplished the ultimate prize like those three did.
We are winding down the NBA season and one thing seems certain… The Cavaliers, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Spurs top the charts. There are some wild cards like Houston, Denver, New Orleans, Utah, Portland and Atlanta that might compete and throw a scare during the playoffs at one of the top seeds, but chances are it will not happen because these teams have a combined record of 100-115 on the road and in the playoffs that inability to get a victory will spell doom for them.
The Cavaliers are my team of choice going into the playoffs and it is not all about probable MVP LeBron James. It is about the Cavaliers support group. They have the best support group surrounding a superstar of any team in the league and that is why the Cleveland Cavaliers might indeed win their first NBA championship this season.
Every one of the five top teams has a nucleus of three All-Star caliber players. Cleveland has LeBron, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Mo Williams. Lakers: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Celtics: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Magic: Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili – but that will not be enough to win it all.
The Cavaliers are the better team after we recognize the nucleus of each team. They rise above the other four when it comes to three-point shooting and versatile big men that anchor their stingy defense. Looks like a championship team to me.
Boston won last year with versatility and the Cavaliers have that same blueprint this year. They have been dominant with a 34-1 home record and 59-13 overall.
Cleveland brings a plethora of big defenders plus great three-point shooting to balance the dominance of James. That will allow them to protect him against constant double-teams and also allow them to grab second and third opportunities on the glass. These ingredients combined with their great defense (91.2 ppg allowed) and taking care of the ball (only 13 turnovers a game) are huge if you want to move on to the Finals.
Yes, the Lakers can boast of having some big bodies and a low-post game the Cavaliers lack, but that is only if Andrew Bynum can return from injury, which does not look good at the moment.
The Cavaliers are loaded with Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Anderson Varejao and JJ Hickson and all can cause damage in a variety of ways, which gives head coach Mike Brown many options.
The Celtics can brag about Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and new addition Mikki Moore, but I give the Cavaliers the edge and mainly because of Garnett’s health.
I also believe the Cavaliers have the best collection of three-point shooters. Mo Williams, Delonte West, Sasha Pavlovic, Booby Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak are all money from beyond the arc.
The Lakers can get hot with Fisher, but Sasha Vujacic and the rest of the Laker bench have been inconsistent behind the arc.
The team that should really worry everyone is San Antonio because they will enter the playoffs well rested, but I believe they don’t have enough fire power off the bench to beat the Lakers, Celtics or Cleveland.
The Cavaliers also realize that the Celtics and Magic will face one another before meeting up with them so it would be huge if they could utilize that great home record (34-1) and put away their likely opponents (Chicago or Detroit) in the first round before they deal with probably a tough Atlanta team in the conference semifinals.
The Lakers are privately hoping the Dallas Mavericks garner the 8th spot over the Suns because that will allow them to avoid an emotional and physical confrontation with Shaquille O’Neal and then face Houston or Portland before probably facing San Antonio. Without a healthy Bynum, Pau Gasol will be exhausted having been pounded by Shaq, Yao Ming or Greg Oden before dealing with Tim Duncan.
The road is set and the Cavaliers have put themselves in a great confident position winning 11 in a row and having the best overall record with only one lost at home. That alone should establish them as the favorites.
There is no doubt in my mind who reins as the best team at the moment and now the question will be… Can King James win his first title and start the climb to greatest player ever?
The Boston Celtics are doing it the hard way, but the key is to just win and they are. The Celtics are becoming the poster boys for why you play hard for 82 games and grab home-court advantage. That said, the Celtics better get their road game together in this next series because they are facing a team in Detroit that is rested and knows how to win in any arena.
The Cavaliers did not have the firepower and tough-minded confident scorers Detroit has. So Celtics beware, this series will not proceed like the previous two.
I do like how things are evolving for Boston among the Big Three. I said earlier this season that Paul Pierce should be the go-to guy. Kevin Garnett’s value is across the board and Ray Allen’s value is knocking down threes or just being a serious threat, but Pierce is “The Truth.” The performance he had Sunday was the best of the postseason and he has to continue that effort against the Pistons.
Celtic fans should be patient with Ray Allen. He is in a tough position because he has gone from No. 1 option his whole career to the third. That in itself is extremely difficult, especially when you are a shooter and not getting consistent touches.
I do applaud the fact that Doc Rivers has realized Eddie House should be playing in the rotation over Sam Cassell. Energy is what House brings and he gives them a potent three-point threat without dominating the ball. Cassell will be needed in this series before it’s over, but House deserves to play right now.
I must admit that I am now a member of the LeBron James Fan Club. He almost pulled off another miraculous moment Sunday, just like he did in Game 5 last year against Detroit. He virtually showed us why he will become probably the best player this game has seen, but he will need some help and I think Cleveland is just two athletic shooters away from winning the Eastern Conference next year. James just knows how to seize the moment and that is rarified air reserved for Michael Jordan… or maybe Kobe Bryant this year if the Lakers win it all.
The Lakers did something that most teams look back on and say, “That was the turning point to winning a championship.” They beat the Utah Jazz in an elimination game on their floor, which only a few teams did all year. They also did it wire to wire, which was even more impressive.
The Big Poodle (Pau Gasol) is one the most fundamentally sound big men I have ever seen and I guess all it took was him not having to be the star to show us. The Lakers road to the NBA Finals will be extremely difficult no matter who they face. They have no answer for Tim Duncan and they have no answer for Chris Paul.
The Pistons put us to sleep at times and we question their motivation, but one thing remains true… They might be the smartest team left in the field and Chauncey Billups is back healthy and ready to go in the Conference Finals.
The burden again falls on Rasheed Wallace. Wallace can guard Garnett without help, so if Pierce gets hot the double team will be directed at him all series long.
OK, so I would hope that all the Chicago fans that blasted me a few years ago when I wrote about the Bulls making a mistake by signing Ben Wallace would please apologize. Everything has virtually come true about that article. Wallace did not fit in and Ben Gordon and Luol Deng overpriced themselves and passed up good deals because they were looking at the Wallace contract. Now the Bulls are back to rebuilding and Wallace moves on to a contender. Guess what? Now you will see Wallace play like the Wallace of old with a legitimate center in Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a great player in LeBron James.
Joe Smith will help also in the interior. He is smart and steady and will be a good influence in the locker room. But the real find is Wally Szczerbiak. LeBron now has a consistent shooter that is not afraid to take the big shot and will be extremely physical, which automatically makes the Cavaliers the most physical team in the league.
Does that translate into another trip to the Finals? I don’t think so and mainly because they still don’t match up defensively with Boston and Detroit. Larry Hughes, whom I also wrote about as a desperate signing by the Cavaliers a few years ago, was their best perimeter defender and now they will be hard pressed to guard a Paul Pierce and Ray Allen combo and a Chauncey Billups-Rip Hamilton duo as well.
The Bulls have now backpedaled to where they were when Michael Jordan retired. Patience should have been preached, but the Bulls seem to be back to square one after giving up on Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler a few years ago.
OTHER TRADES
The Sonics are moving out of Seattle and creating a new identity around Kevin Durant. I really like the way PJ Carlesimo helped out his former employer by shipping Kurt Thomas to the Spurs. Thomas will provide the Spurs with everything Robert Horry used to in terms of defense and a solid threat offensively.
The Hornets are fighting all naysayers who do not believe they can continue to hold up against teams in the Western Conference and if Bonzi Wells plays up to potential, their last trade could turn out to be a steal.
The season has started and the hope for every city is the playoffs and a possible championship. Well if your city is not San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Chicago or Boston stop dreaming about a it. But it does not mean your team can’t have a very good year. The problem we rarely see predictions when it comes to selecting who will become the surprise teams in a particular year. They always seem to go with the obvious. Well, I will go out on the limb and pick some teams projected high that will struggle and I will select a few teams that will surprise.
WILL STRUGGLE
Miami Heat
The Heat are in trouble and some prognosticators who are picking them to do well should think twice. They tried to get young, but the youngsters they have will not play a major role and they are depending on two stars that struggle to avoid injuries. Shaq has a lot left, but he needs help and Dwayne Wade is not providing any by being on the sideline constantly. Once you get past those two, the Heat now have to count on Ricky Davis to carry the load. The Heat offensively might be one of worst teams in the league and when it’s all said and done, I predict that they will come up short come playoff time.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers must have forgotten that they had to exhaust every ounce of energy last year to go along with some good fortune in the first round against a depleted Washington Wizard team that if healthy would have quite possibly beaten them in the first round. The Cavaliers had the worst offseason of any team in the league and they will pay a serious price for it. The Cavs not only could not get Anderson Varejao signed, but they also failed again to make a trade for Mike Bibby or pick up a free agent like Grant Hill to take some pressure off LeBron James. They will struggle big-time to get a high level seed this season, especially if Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Larry Hughes are inconsistent.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Kobe saga will destroy whatever thought they had of making the playoffs and be competitive. The Lakers depend on Kobe in every facet of the game and the fact that he wants to move on will weigh heavily more on his teammates than anything else. The addition of Derek Fisher’s leadership will help, but this young and inexperienced team already had a tough road before this saga began. Lamar Odom and his continued struggles with injuries and the lack of a creative point guard will force Kobe to jack up 30 shots a night, which means a record close to .500. That might not be enough to make the playoffs in the difficult Western Conference.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have two of my favorite players in the league in Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony and I am on board as saying that Carmelo will accumulate better stats than LeBron and Dwyane Wade when it’s all over. The problem I have with the Nuggets is they don’t mesh well and they are susceptible to low-scoring nights when those two are off. They have some very good talent in Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Nenê, but for a reason they seem clumsy and in the way of Iverson and Anthony instead of flowing well. I can imagine them losing rhythm at times this year and getting into 4 to 6 game losing streaks thus putting a good playoff seed and a division title in jeopardy.
WILL SURPRISE
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have some of the best young talent in the league and head coach Mike Woodson has enough to finally make a run for one the bottom seeds in the Eastern Conference. Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Hortford, Josh Childress and Acie Law should become one of the best young lineups in the league for years to come. Now throw in do-it -all Joe Johnson and this Hawks team should in my opinion flirt with .500 this year and move to the next level beginning next season.
Josh Smith should become an All-Star this year if he continues to stay focused.
New York Knicks
The Knicks and Isiah Thomas are at a crossroad, but they have the bodies and talent to finally get over the hump and make the playoffs. The Knicks have the best collection of talent 1 through 12 in the league. Regardless of the Knicks perception as an organization, they should be fighting for a playoff spot in March if they understand that the strength of their team will go through Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph. Perimeter players like Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson should find more clear cut opportunities if they exert patience and defend well. This could be Isiah Thomas’ last opportunity to coach the Knicks unless they win close to 50 games and make a serious run for a postseason spot.
New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets have some quality offensive players and will make every contest interesting because of it. Peja Stojakovic will be the ring leader assisted by Chris Paul. But David West and Tyson Chandler will be the difference with their inside presence. The Hornets have had tough luck staying healthy and head coach Byron Scott is crossing his fingers. The Hornets are the gypsies of professional sports and it also remains to be seen if they get the fan support this year in New Orleans like they did in Oklahoma City last year. I consider them a definite threat to make a bottom seed in the West if they can make the transition.
Portland Trail Blazers
Yes, Greg Oden is out for the year, but the Blazers will win their share of games because they present problems with their length and athleticism. LaMarcus Aldridge and Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy will have a very good season. The key for the Blazers will be team defense and head coach Nate McMillan will make sure it works. The problem for the rest of the league is that they will fall short of the playoffs and have a chance to draft OJ Mayo of USC and pair him with Oden next year. Wow!
The San Antonio Spurs have won their fourth title in nine years. I can’t say that is a dynasty, but they are definitely a true team and organization in every sense of the word.
The Game 4 sweep went as expected. Although the Cavaliers made a nice run in the fourth quarter, it was obvious based on their inept shooting that it was just a matter of time before the Cavaliers came back to earth. This was the ugliest Finals I have ever seen. We experienced no great plays to talk about, no unbelievable performances from individual players, no physical confrontations that you should see when a title is on the line, no complaining about the officiating and jockeying from game to game. Just plain boring. The only fans in the country that thought this series lived up to Finals were probably Spur fans.
The shooting in this series was the worse I have ever seen in any series, not just the Finals. Tony Parker won the MVP, but his performance was not the star quality that we expect on the biggest stage. I marvel at how consistent and smart the Spurs play year after year. But if you just focus on their leader, Tim Duncan, I think you learn to realize why they are so consistent. He has given the Spurs a foundation that has sprouted players like Parker and Manu Ginobili and there is no reason to think it will not continue.
During this playoff run, the Spurs were like a runner going up hill starting with Denver and Phoenix and then they just cruised down hill against Utah and Cleveland. I thought that should be the other way around. But when Dallas got upset and Detroit underachieved against Cleveland, the clean easy road was laid out for them and they took advantage just like great teams do.
I do applaud the Cavaliers and what they accomplished this year as a team. I don’t care what conference you are in, you have to have total team effort to get to the Finals and they did. The Cavaliers will learn from this loss and hopefully continue to grow because they have perhaps the best basketball specimen that has ever played the game, but the challenge for LeBron James and the Cavaliers is to get better both individually and as a team.
COACHES
Gregg Popovich simply outcoached his pupil Mike Brown in every facet of the game. I don’t think one time in this series did the Spurs have to make an adjustment to what Mike Brown did with his strategy. Popovich has the respect of his players to the point they should call him surrogate dad. I have never heard or seen a dispute among Popovich and his players since he has been coach and that in itself is unbelievable. Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan and Popovich are the three best coaches in the league and any player should want to play for them.
Mike Brown did not fight enough for his team, in my estimation. He praised his former employer too much in this series. He respected Duncan, Ginobili and Parker too much as well. The reason I make that characterization is because I never saw him complain and ride the officials from game to game, especially about how they were manhandling LeBron, or anything the Spurs did whether it was wrong or not. I would have complained big time about the foul attempt by Bowen on LeBron in Game 3. He looked intimidated and it was obvious to anyone that Brown’s friendship with the Spurs brass hindered him. I still applaud him for what he accomplished this season and he definitely has the ability to bring them back. I am pretty sure he hopes the opponent is not the Spurs.
PLAYERS
Tony Parker proved that he is fast becoming one the most unstoppable point guards ever at getting to the basket. He has a toughness that equals Isiah Thomas and that right there is the best company he could ever be in. He took over this series from the start and had his imprint on it until the sweep was complete. He also has become Duncan’s equal in terms of leadership and that should make David Robinson proud of Duncan in that the transfer of leadership that he started when TD was drafted has continued.
Tim Duncan is a model for any young basketball player wanting to emulate an NBA player. He is the consummate pro, although he has a minor flaw of complaining too much with officials. But it does not even amount to a visible dent in Duncan’s armor. His footwork and ability to create any shot off the post is so far ahead of most players that it is not even comparable. Add his unselfishness and you have a coach’s dream. I rate Duncan and Karl Malone as the greatest power forwards ever and Duncan gets the edge because of four championships to Malone’s zero.
Bruce Bowen is the most important player on the Spurs regardless of the Big Three. He guarded Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Deron Williams and LeBron James during the playoffs and still found time to concentrate and knock down open jump shots consistently. Bowen gets a lot of attention for his defensive tactics, but he is one the classiest players in the league and is well respected off and on the court. The Spurs would have been beaten if they did not have Bruce Bowen before they got to Cleveland.
LeBron James is without a doubt the future of the NBA, but only if he continues to work at the feverish pace his predecessors did. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and now Kobe Bryant had and have a tremendous desire to be the best. James can be them and more with continued hard work. I have never seen a player with his size and speed ever in an NBA uniform. He can become virtually unguardable, but as I have said during these playoffs, James has to work on his mid-range game. He has serious mechanical issues that can be corrected, but only if he is committed to getting it done. The memory of shooting 10 for 30 in Game 4 and not making a mid-range shot until after 60 attempts in the series is reason enough for James to seek help and change his bad habits. When he learns to shoot the ball, watch out NBA!
Zydrunas Ilgauskas looked very old in this series. His ability to jump is gone and foot problems over the years obviously are the culprit, but Z did not have enough fight for me – especially when he guarded Duncan. He had one good game with 18 rebounds, but his shooting went south and that’s something the Cavaliers needed in this series.
Larry Hughes was hurt most of the series, but he struggled this year even before the injury. I wrote when they signed Hughes that it was a mistake because Hughes needs the ball and that will not happen with LeBron. They will try and shop Hughes this offseason, but foot problems and contract will not allow Cleveland to get rid of him.
FUTURE
Look for the San Antonio Spurs to go after Grant Hill and a backup point guard to bring more versatility to their team. They are the oldest team in the league and it will surely start to show next year. Robert Horry wants to come back and I surmise they will allow him to, but only out of respect because Horry was not a factor during this championship run other than starting the confrontation against the Suns that led to Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw being suspended. The Spurs realize it will be extremely hard next year with Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, Utah, Golden State and Denver around, but they are the champs and everyone wants what they have consistently gotten over the last nine years.
Cleveland should have one mandate and one only. Go find shooters. Heck, I honestly thought about flying to Cleveland and hanging around the locker room after the first three games. James will become a magnet for shooters now that he has shown an ability to carry a team to the Finals. The Cavaliers have all the other ingredients except that ability to make open shots. I think Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic will continue to grow, but the Cavaliers should not invest all their stock in those players just yet. I look for Cleveland to win 50-plus games and make another run next year and James hopefully will have at least improved that mid-range jumper, thus becoming the most unguardable player in the league.
The San Antonio Spurs gift-wrapped a game last night to the Cleveland Cavaliers and they could not even accept it. I equate that to playing my young nephew Jacob a game of one-on-one, when I do everything possible to let him score even lifting him towards the basket. I thought I was in the twilight zone last night. Game 3 took basketball back to when the basketball had no air and there was a peach basket. The Cavaliers are starting to look like the worst Finals team in history. The Pistons will be remembered more for losing to the Cavaliers than the Cavaliers will for being plain bad in this series.
There were 101 missed shots in this game including free throws (57-147 combined shooting from the field for both teams). I am sure all these basketball geniuses will say we saw great defense. Give me a break! I saw more wide-open bricks than contested shots. If the Spurs had played Phoenix, Utah, Golden State or even Memphis last night they would have lost by 10-plus points.
The Spurs’ Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Emanuel Ginobili was 13-41 and the Cavaliers still could not take advantage.
The Cavaliers are one of the worst shooting teams I have ever seen make it to the Finals. That does tell you a little about how mentally tough they are and that’s a good thing, I guess. The Cavaliers had a chance to blow this game wide open when Duncan picked up his third foul, but turnovers, defensive breakdowns and inept shooting cost them an eight-point lead late in the second quarter and that was the turning point in the game.
They could never seem to hit the big basket that would have propelled them to victory in the final minutes and now the broom has just entered the building.
COACHES
Gregg Popovich again found a way to secure a victory. He realized the Big Three was struggling and gave solid minutes to Brent Barry. He produced with three shots from beyond the arc. I have not seen much stress on his face the entire series. He did not panic late in the game when LeBron got Cleveland within 2 by calling a time-out. And because of it Tony Parker hit a huge three-point shot. His biggest challenge now will be keeping his team focused and not allowing Cleveland to stretch this series to a fifth game.
Mike Brown coached his best game last night. He did not get the production from Daniel Gibson that he was expecting, but I applaud him for making the change. He probably should have taken Drew Gooden out of the game with five fouls because that would have been him with the ball late instead of Anderson Varejao. I know he tried to call a time-out on that last possession, but the official should have been alerted to look at the bench before the possession. He must now convince his team to take one game at a time and not look at the big picture of being down 0-3.
PLAYERS
Tony Parker did not have his usual dominant game, but still was a huge factor with key baskets when the Spurs needed them. That last three he hit to put the Spurs up by 5 was the final nail to him being MVP in the series if the Spurs win the championship.
Manu Ginobili proved to me again last night why I can never put him in any star category. He has far too many games where he just disappears. To Cleveland’s credit they have kept him on the perimeter, but he basically took the night off.
Tim Duncan was effective early, but foul trouble knocked him off stride and could not regain any kind of rhythm offensively. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and company did their best defensive job on Duncan and still could not get a win.
Brent Barry was huge. He hit a big three before the half to stop a big Cleveland run and he knocked down a few more to keep them at arms length in the second half.
Bruce Bowen was the hero of the game for the Spurs. His scoring outburst in the first half kept the Spurs close and his rebounding and defense were the difference in the Spurs’ Game 3 win. Although hated by 29 teams, Bowen would be welcome anywhere in the league. His shooting during the playoffs behind the arc has been incredible.
LeBron James made a cardinal sin at the end of Game 3 and this is why at 22 he has a long way to go if he wants to be compared to Michael Jordan. MJ or any other great offensive player would have never given up their dribble and passed the ball to Varejao, a player that has no clue what he is going to do with the ball in that situation. He had a mid-range shot to tie the game. Bowen was playing loose defense, but James’ confidence level is at rock bottom when it comes to taking that mid-range shot. Why? Because he has not made a single mid-range shot in the entire series (0-18) and worst yet James has made only two jump shots in the series out of 60 field-goal attempts and both of those shots were three-point shots late in Game 1. So bottom line, pretty much every basket James has scored has been a layup. He will have to soften that defense like he did in Game 5 of the Pistons series if the Cavaliers have any chance of extending this series. And right now, I think we can surmise he is due big time.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas finally joined the party and played very well. 12 points and 18 rebounds were very impressive, but you like to see him get to the free throw more than once. The Cavaliers will need this same effort again in Game 4, especially on the defensive end.
Drew Gooden has to stay out of foul trouble. The Cavaliers need him on the floor in crunch time, because he might be their most confident player shooting the ball other than Gibson. 12 points and 13 rebounds were huge, but silly fouls in the third quarter cost him a chance to be a hero.
Donyell Marshall, will you please give the Cavaliers something? It is not fair that so much pressure is being placed on the rookie Gibson and you are not giving them anything. Marshall looks old and slow when he is not taking and making shots, but all of sudden gets younger with energy when he makes a couple. Marshall could be the difference in Game 4 if he does not base his performance on making a three-point shot.
GAME 4
The Spurs smell blood and will play the first quarter like they are down 0-3. We saw the same look in Game 5 of the Utah series and they took them apart. Popovich will let them know that lady luck will not continue to shine on them if they get lackadaisical in Game 4. The series can change quickly if Cleveland somehow gets back in rhythm. Duncan will be the focal point again, but Popovich knows very well Ginobili can’t have another meltdown as he sometimes does.
The Cavaliers simply have to make some outside shots to open up driving lanes for LeBron. It’s amazing he has been able to score what he has without making a jumper, but he has not been the only one. The Cavaliers were 7 for 28 from mid-range in Game 3 and did worse from behind the three-point arc: 3 for 19. If the Cavaliers are making shots, they are due to win a game. They have given the Spurs all they can handle in the paint and being at home should allow this trend to continue. They were a plus-8 on offensive rebounds and if they can somehow get the rebound and then actually put it in the basket, they might have a chance to send this series to a Game 5.
(Did Bowen foul James? Yes and he did it twice, but I applaud James for not complaining about it following the game. That’s why we want to see him succeed. His maturity level is that of a 10-year veteran).
The nation was split between watching the Spurs-Cavaliers Game 2 and the last episode of The Sopranos. Well, quite honestly both were boring but at least the Spurs victory had a better ending. I am trying to give the Cavaliers the benefit of the doubt after the first two games because they did lose the first two of the Conference Finals against Detroit and came back.
The Spurs are treating the Cavaliers like a JV team and the Cavaliers are showing too much respect for a team that is laughing its way to victory. I hope when the Cavaliers sit down and watch film of Game 2 that they get really mad at the sight of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker laughing up a storm on the bench in the third quarter when they were embarrassing the Cavaliers by 25.
When things are not going well, you grasp for anything that will get you even more motivated than what you are. The Cavaliers need a boost of adrenaline and it’s up to them to find a way to generate more effective energy at home.
Cleveland showed some pride in the fourth quarter with an exciting comeback. LeBron James had a chance to make it a 6-point ball game with three minutes left, but missed a driving layup. Had the Cavaliers not missed 10 free throws, the game would have been closer with that run they made.
Hopefully players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Donyell Marshall, Eric Snow and Damon Jones can add what Daniel Gibson is providing when the series shifts to Cleveland.
COACHING
Gregg Popovich admitted his substitution patterns were not the best in Game 2. But heck, when it seemed like every shot was going in and every hustle play was going the Spurs way he is allowed that mistake. Although up 2-0 in the series and his team looking dominant, Popovich has to worried about the contribution of shooting the ball from everyone not named Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili. Those role players shot 10 for 30 and he knows that the Spurs will need someone to make shots. Despite that glitch, the Spurs are riding a wave of confidence that should make them feel at home even when they toss it up in Cleveland for Game 3. They say Popovich wants everything perfect. Well, except for the fourth quarter letdowns the Spurs have followed his game plan perfectly.
Mike Brown faced a dilemma when LeBron picked up his second foul early in the first quarter. He decided to take him out and things went haywire shortly after the Cavaliers got to within three points early in the second quarter. He should have left him in and taken the chance, because without him they have nothing to count on in terms of offensive execution and production. I am still baffled why he refuses to attack Parker with a double team as soon as he crosses half court. Yes, he will split it at times and make it look foolish. But to now back off and allow him to float around and give him wide open jumphots and wide open passing lanes is suicidal. Parker will then get it to the players the Spurs need to have the ball and that’s Duncan and Ginobili. Brown needs to force someone other than Parker to make plays. This will usually turn into jump shots and the Spurs role players are not making those right now. Also, he needs to start Gibson and sit Hughes down. He is not better than Damon Jones, Ira Newble or any other Cavalier that has two healthy feet. What is he there for, Brown? He can’t shoot and Parker is destroying him. Stop being so stubborn and sit him down for the rest of the series or until he can be healthy enough to give the team something.
PLAYERS
Duncan was one rebound and one assist away from a triple double and didn’t look like he broke a sweat the whole game. He is not facing any kind of physicality at all in this series. I would like to hear who Duncan thinks made him work the hardest in this series. He will probably say his wife has with the honey do’s at home.
Tony Parker can flat out score. He is not a pure point guard in the Steve Nash sense, but he puts more pressure on the defense than anyone I have seen in a long time. He made about three shots last night that were unbelievable. That shot he made in the fourth quarter when the Cavaliers made that run was classic. I said this before and I will say it again… This guy is tough as they come and he will take your heart and laugh at you. The only guard for his size that was tougher was Isiah Thomas and he in my estimation has moved up into that class. The Cavaliers decided to back off of him to cut down on his layups and he still got seven layups while scoring 30 points.
Manu Ginobili was huge all night long. The five baskets he scored didn’t hurt the Cavaliers as much as the 11 free throws he knocked down and the four-point play to silence the Cavalier run to end the game. The Cavaliers have defended Ginobili well in both games by keeping him out of the paint. He had only one basket in the paint, but they are falling for his head fakes and sending him to the line for free points.
Robert Horry played his best game in three months. He has a knack for stepping forward when needed and he did last night with his hustle plays for rebounds (9) and blocks (5). I thought he was difference for the Spurs every time Duncan went to the bench defensively.
LeBron James came out aggressive offensively, but picked up a quick second foul that cost him. When he is aggressive, like he was especially in the second half, the Cavaliers become the team we expected to at least battle the Spurs. James energy almost got the Cavaliers back in the game, but 10 missed free-throws with 4 by James (including an air ball) stopped that miracle from happening. I am still looking for apologies from all those Cavalier fans that attacked me because I said James would never get to Kobe’s and Michael Jordan’s level until he developed a mid-range game. Just so you know, he missed every shot he took in Game 2 outside the paint. He made nine layups and went 0 for 6 from outside the paint. James total in both games from mid-range is 0-11. He will get better with proper training and work, but right now the Spurs are daring him to shoot and his confidence is extremely low. I look for James to be ultra-aggressive in these next two games in Cleveland.
Daniel Gibson is the second best player on the Cavaliers and even if Larry Hughes was healthy I would still make that statement. Gibson has performed in these playoffs better than any young rookie I have seen in a long time. He exudes tremendous confidence and swagger and Mike Brown needs to give him all those minutes he is giving Hughes. He has been their best offensive threat in the first two games. He is 13 for 21 in the series and improving every minute he is on the floor.
Larry Hughes needs to just shut it down. He could not shoot before the injury and now he is taking shots away from players like Gibson, Marshall and Damon Jones who are much better shooters. He was 0 for 5 in Game 2 and I didn’t think any shot he took was going in. No one wants to see a player injured, but it’s a part of the game and Hughes right now is not helping the Cavaliers on one foot.
Anderson Varejao is probably one the hardest workers around, but also one of the most false hustle guys I have also seen in the same instance. Let me explain he will push and prod and defend like the dickens and then when you beat him, he bails out every time instead of holding his ground at least 50 percent of the time. He allowed Duncan a dunk late in the game without being able to foul because he was trying to flop. The Cavaliers need more fight from him on Duncan instead of the flopping.
Damon Jones forced Mike Brown to look for him more in Game 3 with the huge threes he knocked down in the fourth quarter.
GAME 3
It should be exciting because the energy and confidence from the Cavaliers should match what the Spurs bring every night. This is the game the Cavaliers can win and if the do they will have a chance to send it back to San Antonio. I have no clue what changes Mike Brown will make, but he better get the ball out of Parkers hands and forces someone else to make plays. I would not be surprised to see him go extremely small with Damon Jones, Daniel Gibson, Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic on the floor with LeBron. This will force Duncan to have to guard the perimeter because of Marshall’s three-point shooting.
The Spurs will try and silence the fans early with methodical possessions. They will milk the clock and get Duncan established early instead of Parker. They also will employ a zone at times if LeBron and company are getting to the rim. They just have not needed to use it much in the first two games. Michael Finley, Brent Barry or Horry will have to make shots to help the Spurs get Game 3 on the road.
Game 1 did not turn out the way the Cavaliers expected. Not because they lost the game, but because of the way they lost the game. I was watching the game Thursday night saying to myself, “What did the Cavaliers do with all of those extra days to study film and work on taking away the strengths of the Spurs?”
I was flabbergasted to see how Tony Parker just waltzed into the lane with not one hard foul. The Cavaliers defense looked like it would on a regular-season game in the first quarter. They played a basic defense by just doubling down on Tim Duncan and rotating out. The Spurs had to be surprised that not one wrinkle was employed to at least thwart their offense and force them to go to a second and third option.
Now this is only the first game, so I will not be extremely hard on the Cavaliers. This series is far from over, but the effort exerted in the first quarter by the Cavaliers was atrocious on the defensive end. The experience and the talent of Parker and Duncan were too much to overcome in Game 1. This can’t continue or this series will be over real fast. I will give a summary of each game in the series focusing on coaching, individual key players and what to expect in the next game.
COACHING
Gregg Popovich had to be smiling inside when to start the game the Cavaliers came out in a traditional double-down defense on Duncan. He basically ran the two-man game all night and kept his shooters spaced. And although the Spurs did not shoot the ball well outside the paint (12-28), they made up for it with by getting 34 attempts in the paint and making 22 shots. He also won the battle with his defensive scheme on LeBron James. I said it in my last article… If the Cavaliers run their offense through James at the top of the circle, he will struggle. The Spurs might be the best ever when all five players can see and load up on who they want to stop on defensive end of the court. They ran two and three players at James all night, but they are able to do it because Bruce Bowen is pressuring James to turn away from the defense and that split second sends a second and third defender to force James to pass to a three-point shooter and not a post player because Duncan is stationed in the paint. Popovich is fast becoming the next Phil Jackson in terms of the mental domination he exerts over opposing coaches.
Mike Brown has to be willing to take chances and last night he stayed basic and paid a price with the Game 1 loss. The Spurs were ripe to be beaten last night, but Brown’s lack of creativity on defense allowed the Spurs to gain confidence and get rhythm with 22 layups. Duncan mentioned after the game how surprised and thankful he was to get such easy opportunities early in the contest. Going into this series, even Brown said Tony Parker would be a major issue – especially with the injury to Larry Hughes – and yet he did nothing creative to at least to make him think.
I assume you might ask, “What you can do against the best player in the league at scoring in the paint off the dribble?” Well, let me think. Mike Brown, have you seen anything lately that you could try that might force Parker to give up the ball and force Finley, Ginobili and Horry to feed Duncan. Double-team him, take the ball out of his hands, do the same thing to him that you have seen done to LeBron James throughout the entire playoffs. Mike, you have no one on your roster that can guard him. Who cares if Bruce Bowen and company get wide-open three-point shots? That group shot a combined 12 for 35 that you might be worried about if you force Parker to give up the ball and thus not get into the lane for 9 layups. Parker meanwhile shot 3 for 9 outside the paint, in case you are worried about his outside game. Brown needs to realize he must take chances on his defensive philosophy because basic is what the Spurs are – and the Cavaliers will lose that game every time. Also, Brown has to give Daniel Gibson more minutes over Hughes because he is on fire. Who cares about his defensive liabilities with the bigger Spur guards? What about plus-minus? Gibson matched Ginobili’s 16 points in the same 28 minutes while Hughes had 2 points in 23 minutes.
PLAYERS
Tim Duncan is so boring and good that it is beyond description. I had Duncan No. 2 behind Karl Malone for best power forward ever, but he has moved past him with his dominance in this year’s playoffs. He took 17 shots and 13 were in the paint. Parker made life extremely easy for him offensively, but defensively he is the main reason LeBron struggled. LeBron can take Bowen off the dribble, but he couldn’t elevate in time to overcome Duncan’s defense.
Tony Parker is right now the best penetrating point guard I have ever seen for his height and weight. It’s one thing to get in the paint, but this guy can finish and not just on players his size but against taller players as well. I know his stature sometimes fool you, but he is fearless and will cut your heart out. That’s what he did Thursday night especially in the first quarter. Parker finished the game shooting 12 for 23, but when you look deeper you see the beauty of Parker. He shot 9 of 14 in the paint and 3 of 9 outside the paint. Parker can brag about his improved jump shot all he wants to, but the bottom line is he knows he must get layups to be successful and he almost wills himself to get to the rim. The Cavaliers have to finally start treating Parker like the Spurs treat LeBron because if they don’t, he will dominate the entire series.
Manu Ginobili was controlled for the most part, but he did hit two huge three-point shots that kept the Cavaliers at arms length at key moments of Game 1. The Cavaliers, we would assume, will try and negate Parker and Duncan in Game 2 thus allowing Ginobili to prosper. He really helped the Spurs attacking the defensive glass and grabbing 8 rebounds.
LeBron James must stop this process of getting everyone else involved in the game early and then deciding to jump in. He must be aggressive and score from the start because he will not get a ton of opportunities. He passed up at least five chances to attack early because he was deferring to teammates. I wrote an article about LeBron a few weeks ago and the King James worshippers attacked me with a vengeance. I wonder, “Are those same people starting to see what I was talking about?” LeBron should face facts in this series and that is he will not get many layups and I ask why? Because the Spurs do not think he will make a consistent jump shot to force them to extend their defense. Yes, he got hot one game against Detroit and it paid dividends. But in order to convince defenses to change, you have to be consistent and confident with that mid-range jumper. What’s a mid-range shot? It’s every shot outside the paint but inside the three-point line. James was 0 for 6 at that range. He made two layups and two three-point shots. That is exactly what Lebron can’t do in this series or the Cavaliers have no chance to win. He did do his usual good job on the glass, but that Spur defense forced 6 turnovers with only 4 assists.
Daniel Gibson is the real deal. You don’t perform on the stage he has in the last few weeks and regress. He has the confidence of a 10-year veteran right now and Mike Brown is the only one playing defense on him by still limiting his minutes. Gibson matched Ginobili’s numbers (16 points) in the same amount of minutes. He shot 7 for 9 and a number of them were created off the dribble.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas shot 1 for 8 and I will go on board and say 7 of those shots normally go in. Z just has to play more concentrated aggressive defense to allow Brown to keep him on the floor. He is the only big player other than Drew Gooden that can occupy Duncan defensively, so he will not focus solely on James. I said he must score 15 to 20 for the Cavaliers to have a chance in this series.
Sasha Pavlovic was active on both ends. I thought he did a very good job. He shot well and defended Ginobli, keeping him on the perimeter and only allowing the one layup in the half-court offense. I think he will play a huge role in the series as we move to Game 2.
GAME 2 STRATEGY
Look for the Spurs to try and get Michael Finley involved more offensively. Finley is their wildcard when one of the Big Three isre not having the usual good offensive game. He was 0 for 7 after making the first shot of the game. The Spurs also know the Cavaliers will do a better job of taking away layups and so they will have to shoot better from the perimeter- The Spurs were 12 for 28 outside the paint in Game 1 and that has to give the Cavaliers hope for Game 2.
Look for the Cavaliers to change their defense on Parker and maybe blitz and double team him every time the Spurs try and run a two-man game, especially with Duncan. The Cavaliers also have to work harder to free LeBron. Look for LeBron to play off the ball early in Game 2 to allow him to catch and go before the Spurs can load up their defense. The Cavaliers will also be extremely physical with whoever drives the lane in Game 2, thus elevating the tension of the series.
I have finally gotten over my disappointment in the Cavaliers lost to Orlando. It took a few days, but it is time for me to eat a little crow. Yes, I picked the Cavaliers to win it all this year. I can’t believe I did not see through the fog. Why did I believe the Cavaliers would finally win a championship? Well, they did win 66 games and they only lost two games at home?. I really got pulled in when they swept Detroit and Atlanta. On second thought, I had every conceivable right to believe in my prediction.
As Gary Payton would say, the Cavaliers are flowing. They are in a world by themselves right now. Life is good and waking up in the morning is sunny even when it is raining. Athletes live for this feeling, they crave for it and the LeBron-led Cavs are living the dream at the moment. They have eight straight playoff wins by double figures, leading to first and second round sweeps 
The Boston Celtics are doing it the hard way, but the key is to just win and they are. The Celtics are becoming the poster boys for why you play hard for 82 games and grab home-court advantage. That said, the Celtics better get their road game together in this next series because they are facing a team in Detroit that is rested and knows how to win in any arena.
OK, so I would hope that all the Chicago fans that blasted me a few years ago when I wrote about the Bulls making a 
The season has started and the hope for every city is the playoffs and a possible championship. Well if your city is not San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Chicago or Boston stop dreaming about a it. But it does not mean your team can’t have a very good year. The problem we rarely see predictions when it comes to selecting who will become the surprise teams in a particular year. They always seem to go with the obvious. Well, I will go out on the limb and pick some teams projected high that will struggle and I will select a few teams that will surprise.
The San Antonio Spurs have won their fourth title in nine years. I can’t say that is a dynasty, but they are definitely a true team and organization in every sense of the word.
The San Antonio Spurs gift-wrapped a game last night to the Cleveland Cavaliers and they could not even accept it. I equate that to playing my young nephew Jacob a game of one-on-one, when I do everything possible to let him score even lifting him towards the basket. I thought I was in the twilight zone last night. Game 3 took basketball back to when the basketball had no air and there was a peach basket. The Cavaliers are starting to look like the worst Finals team in history. The Pistons will be remembered more for losing to the Cavaliers than the Cavaliers will for being plain bad in this series.
The nation was split between watching the Spurs-Cavaliers Game 2 and the last episode of 
Game 1 did not turn out the way the Cavaliers expected. Not because they lost the game, but because of the way they lost the game. I was watching the game Thursday night saying to myself, “What did the Cavaliers do with all of those extra days to study film and work on taking away the strengths of the Spurs?”