KG May Not Be Done

From Celticsblog: KG's surgery is being delayed because there is a small chance he may be able to play.


Even as a Celtics fan who is trying to hate the Cavs, it is hard not to absolutely love this commercial (especially with Delonte at the end). Even Varejao is good in it. I like it, ok. Don't judge me:

from Ball Don't Lie

Day 1: All Rise

Check out my playoff predictions here.


Before we begin the celebration, a reading from the book of Halberstam:

"It was clear at the end of the season that he would not be coming back. He and Snyder had a meeting. 'I think we should change coaches,' Snyder said. 'I think we should too,' Ramsay said. 'How do we do it?' Snyder asked. Ramsay sensed immediately that it was a question of the deferred money and that Snyder wanted him to quit in anger so that he could avoid paying it. 'Well, I think you should go ahead and announce that there's going to be a coaching change," he said.

So it was that Jack Ramsay left Buffalo, neither fired nor rehired. Stu Inman, looking for a coach, had seen the final game of the Washington playoff series, and asked Ramsay about coming to Portland. The first thing Ramsay thought of was not how far west Portland was, it was no longer near Japan; the first thing he thought of was that Bill Walton played there and Walton lived by speed."

--Breaks of the Game.


Here's to new beginnings everybody.







Today's Festivities:





Chicago at Boston, 12:30


Celticsblog: "Just in case the world hasn't met Rajon Rondo yet, they are about to get a steady dose of reminders that the kid is grown up. Its no longer about "potential" with Rondo. He is, hands down, one of the best point guards in the game. He can dominate a game without taking a shot outside of 3 feet but don't look now, he's also adding that 12 foot jumper that everyone said he needed. Rondo's already a star, it just may take these playoffs for everyone to notice."


Celtics Hub: "Can the Bulls stop the Celtics? I don’t see it. Derrick Rose cannot guard Rajon Rondo, and nobody on the Bulls can guard Paul Pierce–especially not with John Salmons nursing a gimpy groin. The Bulls starting shooting guard, Ben Gordon, is not tall enough at 6′3” to effectively check Ray Allen. Perk could average 12 points a game given the size advantage he’s going to have and his recent uptick in offensive activity; he averaged 11-9 in March, a career month, and he’s only slowed down a bit this month. He’s put up a KG-esque 16-9 against Chicago this year. I mean this sincerely: Perk can be a weapon in this series."



Blog a Bull: "So while we've seen in the past where Thomas and Noah are completely thrown off their games against Garnett, this series can provide a chance for them to finally give it to the Celtics. For Noah to crash the offensive glass instead of picking up fouls. For Thomas to force the Celtics to foul him instead of settling for a jumper while Tom Thibodeau grins.

Both have made strides this season, though it wasn't exactly a breakout campaign for either, and questions remain in terms of how they can handle themselves against the elite teams. But Noah's certainly gotten stronger (literally, even) after a bad offseason and start to the year, and Thomas keeps showing more and more reasons to even consider not trading him for Amare Stoudemire, which is more than can be said the season prior. Thomas in particular can really raise his status with a great playoff performance."


Roomofzen note: respect Perk or get your feelings hurt.





Detroit at Cleveland, 3:00


Cavs News: "The point is that even when the Pistons were a legitimate contender they never had much success guarding James—and this year’s Pistons are not nearly as good defensively (or offensively) as the 2006 and 2007 versions were, while the Cavs clearly have a much more talented and deeper roster than they did back then. The Pistons still have a fine midrange shooter (Richard Hamilton), a good wing defender (Tayshaun Prince) and their rotation of bigs—including Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell—can do some damage but overall the Pistons do not match up well with the Cavs, who won three of the four regular season meetings. Detroit’s lone victory against Cleveland came all the way back on November 19 and the since banished Allen Iverson played a prominent role, scoring 23 points on 8-16 shooting; that was during a stretch when Detroit won four out of five games–including victories over the Cavs and Lakers—by featuring Iverson and Rasheed Wallace in screen/roll actions that were very tough to defend: give Iverson space and he would jet to the hoop but give Wallace space and he would drain three pointers (3-6 from long range versus Cleveland in that game).

Fortunately for the Cavs, the Pistons inexplicably abandoned the idea of using Iverson effectively, tried to turn him into a sixth man and later asked him to stay away from the team for the rest of the season. With Iverson out of the picture, young guards Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum have to shoulder heavy responsibilities, though Prince or Hamilton can also assume some playmaking duties."



Need4Sheed: "I have my own bright spots here and there like the surprising and refreshing play of Will Bynum, the heart and determination of Antonio McDyess, Rip Hamilton’s return to the starting lineup, the defense of Arron Afflalo and iron man Tayshaun Prince, but all those things just don’t add up to what it takes to beat (and I hate saying this) a powerhouse like the Cavs.

The Cavs are 66-15 and have won 18 of their last 20, and like I mentioned before have lost just one at home. The series starts with the first two games in Cleveland. LeBron has dominated Detroit in the playoffs and to this day he’s responsible for my worst memory of the Palace (remember that fateful game 5). Add in the Cavs defense, the calls they get and it’s a recipe for disaster."


Roomofzen note: Pistons will lose game 1 by double digits and then steal game 2. That's their style.







Dallas at San Antonio, 8:00


Mavs Moneyball: "The Mavs are peaking in only one way: Their offense has evolved into such a deadly weapon that it is overcoming troublesome weaknesses on defense. As you look at the last ten games of the season, it is clear that Rick Carlisle has achieved what Mavs fans desperately needed after the last three playoff series: An offense that is not only potent but varied in its attack and difficult to stop even with the preparation you see in a seven game series.The Mavs are not peaking at all on defense. They are better than they were during the entire season, but they are just as inconsistent and far from dominant or even very good. This has been hidden by the devastating effectiveness of the Mavs offense, but make no mistake: The defensive flaws are still there."



Pounding the Rock: "But the facts remain that the Mavs, those stupid, ugly, dirty, foul-mouthed, devil-worshiping, gun-running, heroin-trafficking, Ozone-ruining, wife-beating, animal-abusing, child-pornography viewing, non-recycling, Grisham-reading, drunk-driving, seal-clubbing, Holocaust-denying, binge-eating, Taliban-supporting, ESPN-viewing, GOP-voting, puppy-murdering, Christian rock-listening, reality television-loving, Jagermeister drinking* Mavs are relatively healthy while my Spurs are without the services of one Emanuel David Ginóbili, our talisman, fourth quarter savior and resident force of nature.

While Ginóbili has spent most of this season in a jacket, delighting crowds with his comic timing and romantic flair, he’s generally been more valuable in the past as a postseason assassin. In losing him the Spurs are missing their only penetrator besides Parker, their peskiest defensive playmaker, their most clutch free throw shooter and just a guy who manages to make the momentum turning play more often than not. We at PtR would contemplate sacrificing a carnal evening with Mila Kunis for a healthy Manu Ginóbili (in the end we’d still probably opt for the former, but at least we’d have contemplated it)."



Roomofzen note: Any team that sent Devin Harris and two first-round picks away for Jason Kidd in the twilight of his career does deserve to get out of the first round. I believe this with every fiber of my being.








Houston at Portland, 10:30

Blazers Edge: "The problem for the Blazers is the Rockets have more experience, more defense, and more potential for physically punishing play. If this series is only going to be ground and pound it looks good for Houston. Portland cannot and should not abandon the high percentage offense, interior bulwark defense, and strong rebounding style that got them this far. But the Blazers need to throw in some tempo-changing wrinkles of the variety we saw late in the regular season. They cannot simply walk the ball up, try to match their offense against a set Houston defense, allow Houston to do the same at the other end, and expect to sustain an advantage. Here's the mantra from the Blazers' end of things for this series:
'The slower we go, the faster we lose.'"



The Dream Shake: "Yao Ming struggles with one brand of center: a small, agile post player with a low center of gravity and quick feet. Luckily, Portland suits up two giant slow people in Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla. While Oden and the Pryz may be solid low-post defenders and great shot-blockers, they play the kind of old-school, post-on-post defense that Yao thrives against. No post player in the NBA has a better post move arsenal than the Ming Dynasty, and his will be on full display for the duration of the series.

Brandon Roy is one of the best young talents in The Association, but Houston has two shutdown defenders in Shane Battier and Ron Artest that serve as the perfect remedy for Roy. Remember, in the first meeting, Roy was guarded by an ailing Tracy McGrady, and was able to have a good game. This time around, he’s going to struggle with not one, but two premier perimeter defenders known collectively as "White Pills" rotating on and off of him."


Roomofzen note: I really think the matchups favor Houston in this one, which is why I picked the Rockets to win this series. The game that Dream Shake mentions, in which T-Mac attempted (in his own special way) to defend Brandon Roy was THE ONLY game in which the Blazers defeated the Rockets this season. And, they needed Roy to hit an improbably buzzer-beater to pull it off. I know everyone is high as can be on Portlant right now, but I just don't see it. Houston will advance.

Foil in The Oven Returns: Playoff Predictions

"I don't need your fucking sympathy, man. I need my fucking johnson"

--The Dude

I woke up this morning being 26 years old for the first time. That, in itself, is a lot to deal with. By the time we hit ten o'clock, I was trying to somehow make sense of the announcement that not only was Kevin Garnett not playing in round 1 of the playoffs, but he was most likely out for the entire postseason. I had resigned myself to the fact that he just needed rest. I didn't see this coming. Then, around 3:00, the news comes that John Madden is retiring from broadcoasting. I, personally, would have appreciated a little notice before his last game. By 5 o'clock tonight, Danny Ainge had suffered a heart attack. The guy is in great shape. And, he's only 50. I'm now more than halfway there. Needless to say, this was a very complicated day. A lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of what have yous. Fortunately, we've been adhering to a pretty strict drug regiment here to keep our minds, you know, limber.


I can't speak fully to the KG injury right now. All I can really say is that I have never been anywhere near this deflated by an sports injury. If there are any Patriots fans out there (so pretty much 3/4 of our readers), please leave some comments about how this stacks up against the Brady injury.

The one thing I was finally able to arrive at that gave me the strength to push on with my day and pump out these predictions was this:

at least this didn't happen last year.

Really, can you imagine how devastating this would have been last year? It's not much, but for now it's all I've got.

So, let's not wait any longer. Here are the picks (the West picks are without comment because I certainly don't watch enough of the West to say anything meaningful).




ROUND 1

EAST

Cleveland vs. Detroit:

The Pistons gave up on this season the minute they sent Chauncey Billups to Denver. They were, of course, open to the possibility of catching lightning in a bottle with AI, but more than anything this move was about Joe Dumars conceding that his group was no longer good enough to make it out of the East. As things currently stand, with a record below .500 and AI literally paying no dividends on the court (I hope this ungraceful exit is not the last we see of him), the question now becomes not who will win this series, but what type of series it will be.

The Pistons have played the Cavs tough this season. Rasheed Wallace has gone on the record as saying that he expects his team to re-gain their swagger once the post-season begins. I do believe in Detroit’s veteran leadership. I believe in the power of their home crowd and in their ability on defense to make LeBron James have to beat them all on his own. However, I also believe I’ve seen him do that before. Since then, he’s gotten better and Detroit has gotten worse.

The pick: Cleveland in 6.





Boston vs. Chicago:

This Bulls team is not the matchup I wanted for round 1. They really improved themselves at the trade deadline, and they've had the look over the past month of a team that could shake up the post-season. All that being said, they have no shot here. If they were a legitimate threat, they would have beaten Toronto last night (the news about KG wasn't out yet, they had something real to play for) at home. The absence of Luol Deng means big production for Paul Pierce. Kendrick Perkins will swallow Joakim Noah. Derrick Rose had a great season, but Rajon Rondo has blossomed into one of the league's premiere point guards. The Celtics have the advantage in every matchup.

The pick: Boston in 6






Orlando vs. Philadelphia:

There is no way Philly takes this series. They have no answer for Dwight Howard and don't have anybody that can shoot, which should translate to a lot of easy buckets in transition off of missed shots for the Magic. The Sixers are also horrendous in the half court, and Orlando’s ball movement should lead to a lot of good looks both on the interior and from long range.

I wanted to actually analyze the matchup here, but all I really needed to do was point out that the Celtics beat Philly on Tuesday night without KG or Ray Allen, and that it took overtime for the Sixers to knock off Cleveland’s athletic training staff last night.

The Pick: Orlando in 5







Hawks vs. Heat:

These should be great games to watch, regardless of the score is when you flip to them. It’s hard not to get excited about a team as athletic as the Hawks facing off against Dwayne Wade. I really want to take Miami here. I think that D-Wade has been just as spectacular as LeBron this season. I’m also excited to see how Michael Beasley performs in his first playoff series. If he is able to elevate his level of play, he could give his team the edge. Miami has really impressed me over the second half of the season. However, while most of the national media has been ignoring the Hawks, they have been playing incredibly consistent basketball. It’s hard not to give Atlanta the edge when you weigh the matchups. The Wade/Johnson matchup will be great to see, and I will be interested to see how much Miami gets out of Jermaine O'Neal. This is hands down the toughest one to pick, so I’m going with my gut:

Even though it doesn’t make sense: Heat in 6.







ROUND 1
WEST (ABRIDGED):

Lakers over Jazz in 4:

Nuggets over Hornets in 7: Note: I don't want to miss one minute of this series.

Houston over Portland in 6:- I know people are saying "nobody wants to catch Portland right now", but I think Ron Artest provides Houston with the mentality they need to advance to round 2.

San Antonio over Dallas in 6:







ROUND 2: EAST

Cleveland over Miami:

Regardless of whether they see Atlanta or Miami, I wouldn't be surprised to see Cleveland coast in round 2. Detroit is a tougher matchup.

The pick: Cavs in 5.





Boston over Orlando:

I'm not sold on Orlando, and there is nothing they can do against Philadelphia that will convince me otherwise. I can't help but wonder if the people who wrote them in as championship contenders last month have been paying any attention at all to what has been happening this month. They were certainly impressive in March (12-2), but they have come crashing back down to Earth in April (4-5 this month, including losses to Toronto, New York, New jersey, and an 18 point loss to the Bucks).

On March 25th, the Magic defeated Boston by 2, and moved the Celtics down to third place in the East. This was the last game in which Kevin Garnett was able to play (and his role was very limited). Leon Powe, Tony Allen, and Brian Scalabrine were all out as well. How could Orlando not have held on to that 2 seed? It's inexplicable. They are not contenders.

Kendrick Perkins will be the key to Boston's success in this series, as he is the NBA's premier Dwight Howard stopper. Throw in the fact that there are serious questions about the health of Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis, Boston is tough at home, and that there isn't anybody on the Magic capable of defending Paul Pierce, and this all adds up to a victory for the Cs.

The pick: Celtics in 7







WEST ROUND 2 (Abridged)


Lakers over Rockets in 5:

Spurs over Nuggets in 6:








Eastern Conference Finals:

Cavaliers over Celtics: There are many out there who say that the Cavs win this series even if it involves a healthy KG. I'm not one of those people. I think the Cavs are flawed, and I've felt all season long like the Celtics were the superior team. The two games the Cavs took from Boston this year were, in my opinion, two of the most uncharacteristically bad performances the Celtics turned in all season. Easter Sunday's performance was the worst (Pierce 4-17, totally flat performance, shooting 35% as a team). The statistics in these performances indicate that the Celtics would have lost to most NBA teams on these days. When they play at a level more aligned with their season averages, they have beaten Cleveland twice, including once with Kevin Garnett out.


So, just to clarify, if the Celtics were coming into this series with Kevin Garnett healthy, they would win. They simply have too much front line depth (KG, Perk, Big Baby, Leon, Mikki Moore) for Cleveland to handle.

But, we're dealing with reality here, and the reality is that I can't pick the Celtics to win this series. On paper, the Cavs seem harmless. Mo Williams? really? That's the other big gun? Delonte West? Don't try that shit with me. I'm well aware of what he can and can't do. When you look at the roster, and then you see how much LeBron is able to raise the level at which all of these guys play, you can't help but cast your MVP vote for anybody else. And, believe me, I'd like to.

The pick: Cleveland in 6





Western Conference Finals (abridged):

Lakers over Spurs in 5.








NBA Finals:

Lakers over Cavs in 5.

This is the Lakers' year, and nothing LeBron James does can change that. The Cavs will be totally outmatched in this series. There is no way they can compete with a front line of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom. Number 24 is pretty good too. Even though he hasn't averaged so few points per game since 2004, I've never been more in awe of him.