Forces of Nature Collide.

As I suspected, there is no score lopsided enough to make watching the Nuggets and Hornets dull. Despite the 29 point margin of victory, I feel downright giddy after watching that game last night. Perhaps it's because I don't get that many chances to watch good Western Conference matchups during the regular season, but it was like (as they say in Superbad) hearing the Beatles for the first time.

There are perhaps no two guys who appear as in control of the entire dynamic of the game as Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups when they are on offense. Paul a force of nature. The movement never stops, and the paint seems to expand when he enters it. He moves in and out of defensive traps and collapses as if there is a force field around him. There was one time in the second quarter when he drove through the lane, all five Nuggets collapsed in on him, and he was able to fine Rasual Butler for a wide open three. It was incredible. There was no daylight for him to see Butler, and certainly no room for him to make the pass. But, he wasn't even labored. This a routine phenomenon. There is something special about every possession.

While Paul's control was incredible to watch, Billups was master of his domain at the other end. His team began the game cold (Carmelo missed his first 5 shots and didn't hit a field goal until there was 3:40 remaining in the second quarter), but picked up the slack until everyone else fell in line. 5-6 shooting in the first quarter for Billups, 4-4 from beyond the arc and 16 points. It was clear that this would be his night.

I've only seen Denver a few times since the big trade earlier in the season, but it is amazing how much better and more efficient they are with Billups at the helm. And, it's surprising how much more I enjoy watching them. The only guy whose style still reminds me of last year's team is JR Smith, who provides offense off the bench. I think he always has the green light when he is in there, and I think his ability to get up ahead of the defense is valuable. However, his style appears more reckless and cavalier, reminiscent of AI's Nuggets. The new Nuggets are controlled, calculated, and the pieces move as Billups dictates.

But, they still run, and New Orleans needs to do a better job getting back. They didn't struggle with it all game long, but there were lapses that really cost them. There were several times when Denver was able to collect missed Hornets' three point shots and still beat New Orleans down the court. The Hornets did play impressive half-court defense, particularly in the first half. However, when Chauncey can't miss from downtown, it doesn't really matter what you do. 52% on three pointers for the Nuggets, 2 percentage points higher than their field goal percentage (which was also impressive). Just ridiculous. New Orleans shouldn't be discouraged. You don't lose when you shoot 52% from beyond the arc.

Finally, I need to discuss the Birdman. I have heard that he has had a good season, but I didn't actually see it until last night. I've always thought of him more as a leaper with a cult following and less as a legitimate contributor. But, he made a huge impact on the game last night. He ignites the crowd, he brings energy to the floor, and he contests everything that comes to the middle. 4 blocks for the Birdman in 23 minutes. Also, I didn't know until last night that he was the first ever D-League call up in history. Thanks Marv Albert.


Anyways, watch this series. The game beforehand (Atlanta/Miami) only had a margin of victory that was 5 points wider, and somehow that was like watching paint dry and this was like sipping a fine beer. I guess it's more about the talent and less about the outcome.

Now, I must go and watch the Cs hang a 20 point victory on Chicago.

One More Night: Chris Paul and Tyson Chanler Run the Pick and Roll to Perfection

As I did last year, I will be rooting wildly for the Hornets to advance as far as they possibly can. With Tyson Chandler making a successful return in their final regular season game, they have once again become must-see tv. I am going to have my DVR on standby to make sure I do not miss a second of their first round matchup with Denver. I suggest all of you do the same. New Orleans may not get out of round 1, and we all want to see as much of this as possible:



warning: if you experience an erection lasting longer than four hours, please seek immediate medical attention

Hope Is Not Gone....

First, a positive note. As many readers know, our apartment was robbed in late June. When we received the police report, in the victim's section, my build was listed as "heavy". The NBA playoffs had just ended, and lots of late night pizza and beer had gotten the best of me. At the same time, I was finishing up my graduate program and was not exercising. Since then, I have made a real effort to get to the gym regularly and eat better......

Last week, I was driving on Tremont Street. It was the afternoon, so the road was jam packed and things were moving slowly. Then, a bicycle swung around my car, caught his handlebar on the front of the car and fell. Everything was fine, but a police report was written nonetheless. Once again I appear in the victims section, but this time my build is given as "medium". That, followers, is progress.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


I was surprised and excited to wake up this morning and see that Tyson Chandler was headed back to New Orleans after failing his physical in Oklahoma City. I'm still feeling a little confused. So, I think the best way to work this out is to work through my feelings before and after this news.

First, my anger over the original trade has been growing since I originally read it, and I need to get it out:






This trade crushed me, and frankly I still don't understand it. Tyson Chandler is 7 foot 1, is extremely explosive, and is one of the best post defenders in the NBA. Could the Hornets really be in such dire economic circumstances that it is worth moving a guy like that simply to avoid paying the luxury tax? Because, in the long term, this all seems ass-backwards to me.

Like most of the country, I was completely captivated by the Hornets in the playoffs last season. I had taken every advantage to see them whenever they played on national tv, but the opportunity to watch them every game in the post-season was fantastic. Chris Paul's offensive wizardry, Chandler's explosive finishes of Paul's feeds, and David West's offensive consistency all made this team incredibly exciting to watch. I won't pretend to have been excited about Peja Stojakovic, but he was there.....



........I can't even think of something funny to write here.


Anyways, this team was must-see tv in the playoffs. I can specifically remember leaving Fenway Park early so that I'd be to Gillian's in time to order a Jalapeno cheeseburger, and be ready to eat in time for the tipoff of game 1 against the Spurs. You could feel the energy in the arena whenever they played at home.

Now, this has been a down year because of injuries to major frontcourt players. However, this team is currently twelve games above .500, they are in fifth place in the West, and they just laid an asswhooping on Orlando last night. If Chandler is able to get healthy (which seems likely, since he's missed time with a sprained ankle), then we could all be in store for another electric playoff run. That's how you bring fans in. You need to build their trust over time.

Now, I'm all for clearing cap space when your team sucks. But, doing it when you have a contender is inexcusable. Even if Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox were able to come in and contribute, they'd be off the books after this season. Who the fuck is going to come see them then? This is just horrible on so many levels, and it seems incredibly shortsighted. These are tough economic times for everyone, but you have to field a winner to get something back.


There, that feels better. I've been waiting to get that out.


So, now we know that the trade is off. I was happy for a second, thinking that some higher power had stepped in on behalf of all NBA fans. But then, I transitioned to dismay. Chandler has not played in over a month because of his ankle, and if this physical revealed serious damage, then this would mean that the dream is dead and we would all be doomed to see Chris Paul's rare abilities underutilized in the playoffs. However, the latest report states that the trade was rejected because of concerns about Chandler's left big toe, which was operated on in April of 2007. In the report, the Thunder team doctor (who was the one operating on Chandler's toe) told Chandler "I have no doubt you can play on it. I'm just saying it could take a turn for the worse if you come down on somebody's foot or hyperextend it or something."

Well, that sounds like a go to me. So, for the time being, we're all just waiting on Chandler's ankle to heal and looking forward to another epic Hornets playoff run. Thank you, basketball gods.






Now, the Kings were a team that actually did need to shed salary. On the surface, the Bulls don't really seem like a team that could take on more. John Salmons is having a great year, but that backcourt is already incredibly expensive (they have to move Kirk Hinrich). Brad Miller is a great fit for Chicago. He will give a huge defensive boost, and will also allow the offense to function much more smoothly.

Finally, as we look as Chicago's cap situation, we see that Miller and Larry Hughes (26 million combined) will give the Bulls quite a bit of cap room heading into the most anticipated summer of free agency in history.


To be honest, I couldn't care less about this Chicago trade. I'm going to spend today holding my breath hoping that Cleveland doesn't pull anything off. I've heard some scary names thrown out in the last 24 hours......





The Tony Allen injury was a tough pill to swallow. Most of the reports indicate that he should be back in time for the post-season, but I feel like his basketball IQ (already lacking) is going to drop substantially in the mean time. Between now and then, the Celtics are pretty thin on the perimeter. I hear rumors about Raja Bell yesterday, but there's no way the Cs have the resources for that. Celticsblog seems optimistic about the team's chances of bringing in Marbury and Joe Smith after the deadline. That would be phenomenal. However, I don't like the sense of panic that I'm feeling from the fanbase right now. I think we will be able to bring in some help. However, if nothing happens, this is still a very good team. The reason there aren't any resources available to move is because WE ALREADY HAVE PAUL PIERCE, KEVIN GARNETT, AND RAY ALLEN!

Look, the Celtics did not play good basketball in the playoffs last season until the Pistons series. If the current team does that, they will not repeat. However, this team can beat anybody when they're on. I do think help will arrive, and I expect TA to be back and filling the defensive void that James Posey left. However, if these things don't happen, then this is just going to require a leap of faith on our part. What fan wouldn't kill for this team? Regardless of what happens, I feel good about this roster heading into the playoffs.

Foil in the Oven: We are all Witnesses

Before we begin, I want to apologize for this Foil in the Oven coming so late and for its brevity. There were some electrical problems to deal with today.

There have been so many great aspects of this Celtics season, but perhaps none have been more satisfying and exciting than the play of Paul Pierce. Seeing him play with such joy and with the relief of not having the burden of the entire franchise on his shoulders has been uplifting for fans that have seen him give everything he has to the Celtics for his entire career. And, the results on the court speak for themselves. Pierce turned in the most complete season of his career, evidenced most by the fact that he has been receiving national attention for his defense. Furthermore, I couldn't be happier to see the national media finally acknowledging what a great player the Truth is. It was extremely frustrating to see him completely ignored during the 2005-2006 season, in which Pierce averaged a career best 26.8 points per game. The Celtics only played on national tv one time during that season (a memorable game in which Kobe outscored Pierce 40-39, but the Celtics won 112-111). There wasn't much more that Pierce could have done on the floor, and yet the Celtics weren't winning and he was rarely discussed in the media outside of New England. Memories like these make what happened yesterday even more memorable.

The performance that Pierce gave yesterday will always be remembered with the all-time great Celtics playoff performances. I can't remember a happier moment as a Celtics fan. The work is far from complete for this team. The competition is only going to get tougher, and I think we can all agree that it will be a disappointment if we're not watching the Celtics playing in the NBA finals. However, regardless of how things go from here, I don't think anything could happen that could possibly taint the memory of yesterday's game.

Throughout this series, the level of animosity that I felt towards LeBron James has been sky-high. I've screamed horrible things at him (at my tv) and I really believed all series long that I would never be able to appreciate watching him again. However, winning cures everything, and as soon as the game ended I began to appreciate what a great player LeBron is and what a great performance he put on yesterday. He didn't get much help, and yet he managed to keep his team in it against a Celtics team that controlled the momentum from start to finish (with the exception of the opening few minutes of the second half). The guy is only 23, and I am blown away by what he has done. He's been under a microscope since he entered the league. He's endured unthinkable scrutiny from critics and abuse from fans. He's been the entire focus of opposing defenses. And yet, he continues to exceed our expectations at every turn. I am excited to see the heights that his career will reach. I am even more excited that he is back at home today.




As much as we'd all like to sit in a bathtub of melted butter and eat steamers while we bask in the glory of this victory, business resumes tomorrow. The Celtics have played the Pistons well all year, particularly in the third meeting, but the playoffs are a different beast. It will be interesting to see how the rest will affect the Pistons' performance in game 1, particularly how healthy Chauncey Billups will be. Even if he's not 100 percent, Billups is a very tough matchup for Rajon Rondo. After matching up with LeBron for seven games, Tayshaun Prince might seem like a breath of fresh air to Paul Pierce. But, Prince is a great defender and he has always been a very tough matchup for Pierce. When he's in the right mindset, Rasheed Wallace can be the best player on the floor. The Pistons bench stepped up in the Magic series. This is going to be a hard fought series. But, I'm confident. I'm confident because it's going to be a hard fought series between two teams that play the same style, and I think that the Celtics play that style better. Ray Allen has been most valuable to this team on defense in its games against Detroit because he can run with Rip Hamilton. His shooting woes won't affect his ability to neutralize Hamilton and I expect him to have a big impact on this series, even if it doesn't show up on the stat sheet.

We at Roomofzen have been calling to see Eddie House for a while now, and he clearly gave the team a boost yesterday. The other player that we've been calling for is Tony Allen. I'd like to see Tony utilized on defense in this series. Although he did commit a foul on Chauncey that cost the Celtics the game at the end of the first meeting between these two teams, he is a good defender and he is a great option if Billups starts to heat up.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We'll have more on the Western Conference tomorrow. But, you can't tell me that you wouldn't be much more excited to watch the Hornets and Lakers than the Spurs and the Lakers.

I can't stand San Antonio anyways, but doesn't it make it worse every time you hear Skip Bayless refer to them as "my Spurs."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm going to talk about the WNBA today, and I don't care what you have to say about it. Candace Parker exceeded all expectations in her LA Sparks debut last night. With 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, Parker just narrowly missed a triple double. If you never took the time to see Parker play, you really should. She was completely dominant in college, and she is legitimately very exciting to watch. She is most likely going to be one of the WNBA's top players this season. She is a complete player, she can dunk, and she is attractive and charismatic. If the WNBA is ever going to take off, she will be the player that does it. Like Tiger Woods with golf and Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin with the NHL, Parker may be the kind of player that attracts fans who would be otherwise completely uninterested. I know from those commercials (which are horrible, but that's for another day) that the WNBA is on ESPN2 on Tuesday nights and ABC on Saturdays. If the Sparks are playing, and I'm watching tv already, I'll probably flip over from time to time. I might not be the only one, and that's how these things start.

Foil in the Oven: The Big Easy

I'm going to be really bummed out when this Hornets/Spurs series is over. Even once the Hornets had a commanding lead last night, I couldn't stop watching. Before we get into the game, I just want to know whose idea it was to make this split face ad with Tony Parker and Peja Stojakovic? This is hideous. Dwight Howard and Chauncey, not so bad. KG and Ben Wallace, not so bad. KG and LeBron, pretty good. Shaq and Kobe, awesome. Even Zohan and Baron Davis is better than this. Take a look and tell me that you don't agree:



Now.....if we can move on......

The fact that the Hornets took this game over in the second half is no surprise. This was typical of their wins over Dallas, and of their other two wins over San Antonio. Today's Daily Dime tells us that during this series, in the third quarter of games in New Orleans (all of which they've won), the Hornets have outscored the Spurs 93-46. The Spurs led at halftime, and found themselves on the wrong end of a 22-point finish.

I know you probably expect me to lead with Chris Paul because I talk about him all the time, but the biggest story of this game was David West. 38 points, 14 boards, and 5 blocks. He kept the Hornets in this game during the first half, and he helped them seal it up at the end. I said in a Foil in the Oven last week that David West had really impressed me during this postseason. I knew his stats were good, but throughout the regular season I always viewed him as more of a product of Chris Paul. He has been spectacular throughout the entire playoffs. Last night, he was the best player on the floor in the most important game that his team has played all year. If the Hornets had lost last night, there was no way they could take this series. Now, I like their chances.

Chris Paul and Tim Duncan both struggled mightily in the first half. The guys on TNT at the half (and I think it was Magic that said it specifically) made it clear that whichever team saw their superstar step up in the second half would win the game. As you probably know from the outcome, Chris Paul answered the bell. Paul only had one basket in the first half, but he totally controlled play in the second half. The key moment came at the 8 minute mark of the third quarter, when Paul hit a 3-pointer (a shot he doesn't normally take) to put the Hornets up 55-51. From there on out, we had vintage Chris Paul, as you can see from this Alleyoop to Tyson Chandler, which was named the TNT Dunk of the Night Brought to You by Indiana Jones. The Spurs fell back to their old ways on defense on this play. They collapsed on Paul, and allowed Chandler access to the rim. As you can see, all Chandler has to do is jump.

I also just want to state for the record, and so as not to upset any Hornets fans, that what I said yesterday about Chandler was not meant to insult his game. He is a very good defender, a strong rebounder, and an outstanding finisher. He was also all of these things in Chicago before he played with Chris Paul. I just don't think he's a scorer, which is why you have to keep him off the rim.

The one thing about this game that made me uncomfortable was the whole Joey Crawford thing during the first half. I just don't want to hear anymore about feuds between referees and players or teams anymore. I'm paranoid ever since the Donaghy thing. I can live with (and have throughout these playoffs) poor refereeing. But, anything like last night that might indicate some bias on the surface makes me uneasy. I am glad that the NBA was able to rebound so well from the Donaghy scandal. I don't think last night was a problem. But, I don't understand why Crawford had to be put at that game. Can't they put him somewhere else? Honestly, can't we anticipate a little bit to make sure that people aren't questioning whether or not the referees on the floor are being objective? Is this too much to ask?


I don't care what people say about bandwagon fans that come out during playoff time. I'm happy for these New Orleans fans. They've obviously been through a lot, and I think that this team is going to give them something to cheer about for a long time. I think it's also great to see what happened to the fans in Atlanta. Look, the more teams that are able to be successful, and the more fanbases that get a sniff of the playoff atmosphere, the more fun and exciting the NBA is going to be. I think basketball is going to be popular in New Orleans for a long time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Much like the Hornets last night, the Celtics find themselves with their backs to the wall tonight. While the series can't actually be won or lost in this game 5, I have no confidence that the Cs can win this series if they do not win tonight. I have a feeling that they will win, and that they will win pretty comfortably. However, it's hard to be too confident after having been let down so many times over the past couple of weeks.

Foil in the Oven: Working For It

When you get to the playoffs, winning is the only thing that matters. And, despite their poor play on the offensive end, the Celtics have something very valuable that they can take away from last night's victory: this was the first playoff win that did not come easily for them. The most disheartening thing about the series with the Hawks was not that it went seven games, not that the Celtics let Joe Johnson run all over them, or that they were unable to win on the road. The most disheartening thing about that series was that the Celtics showed us no evidence that they have what it takes to pull out close games. When everything's clicking for them and baskets are coming easy, they can blow out anybody. But, when things got a little tougher, they seemed like they didn't know what to do. Those games in Atlanta were all there for us to take, and we didn't. Not once.

Now, you can certainly argue that if LeBron James had made a couple of those layups last night and a couple of possessions had gone differently during the games in Atlanta that the results might have been different all across the board. But, again, this is the playoffs. At this point, we are only concerned with results. Great teams know how to win in close games. This Celtics team, and all of us (their fans), have gotten so used to 20 point blowouts that it seems like none of us know what to think when we see some adversity. Well, it's very possible that the Celtics might not win another game by more than 11 or 12 points for the rest of the postseason. We might not see any more games in which the outcome is already in hand during the third quarter. That's not what playoff basketball is about. Playoff basketball is about close games that go down to the wire. The teams that survive are the teams that are able to pull out close wins even when they aren't at their best. I didn't think that this team could do that before. Last night they showed us that they can. The significance of this cannot be understated.


All of that said, they need to play better in game 2. For starters, the pace of that game was WAY too slow. Doc Rivers talked about this when they interviewed him during the second half, and yet they were never able to speed things up. I am the same guy who said last week that they needed to slow the pace against Atlanta, but things are a little different now that we're dealing with Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Wally Szczerbiak. These guys can't run.

Second, I don't know what was going on at the offensive end last night, but it was ugly. Have you ever seen this team look more out of sync than they did in the second and third quarters? The turnover total was absurd. It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyways) that they need to take better care of the ball and shoot better on the offensive end.


Third, they did a great job on LeBron. Paul Pierce and James Posey were in his face all night, and he got very few clean runs at the basket. This needs to happen all series long. LeBron is going to come harder in game 2, you can bet your life on that, and the Celtics need to be ready.

I will state for the record (and my girlfriend can attest to this) that when Sam Cassell came in to the game in the third quarter I said out loud "You know what, this might actually be good. It's not like the offense is clicking. He can't come in and disrupt our rhythm because we don't have any. Maybe he can just hit some shots and help keep us in this." And, he did. He even hit some three pointers, which I wasn't expecting. Last night showed me, once again, that Cassell could prove valuable to us, particularly in games when our starting 5 aren't in sync on offense. Stay tuned for game 3 in Cleveland, when I will most likely flip-flop on him again and call for him to be benched for the rest of the series.


As my last note on this game, I just want to say that the referees have sucked throughout this entire postseason and last night was no exception. The flagrant foul that they called on Sam Cassell was totally absurd. To watch Rajon Rondo get hammered to the deck from behind TWO GAMES IN A ROW (4 and 5) and not have a foul called in the last series, and then to see a flagrant foul called when Cassell hits LeBron on the shoulder, is incredibly frustrating. Things did improve, and I was pleasantly surprised to the officials calling fouls AND traveling on LeBron. Hopefully this will continue.



The Hornets have made a believer out of me. I can't stop watching this team. The performances that they put on in games 1 and 2 were incredible. David West and Tyson Chandler are both better than I thought. All season long, I've heard people say "yeah, Chris Paul is sick, but remember that he has David West." I've kind of shrugged and said "yeah....but, you know man...." Well, fuck that. David West if legit. This team is for real. Watching Chris Paul run that team gives me an excitement that I've only gotten watching MJ and Kobe. He dominates all facets of the game. He makes his teammates shine. He steps up in every key moment. When you see those fans in New Orleans, who almost lost this team to Oklahoma City, totally pumped for playoff basketball and rocking that arena in their yellow playoff shirts, I don't know how you can think that this guy was not the MVP. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing this team, tune in tomorrow night to see them attempt to take one in San Antonio. I think it's safe to say that I'm riding the Hornets bandwagon in the West. And, I'm pretty sure that David Stern is driving.