You can't crack under the pressure if you want to beat the Lakers. You need to execute for 48 full minutes. Kobe Bryant has been doing this, under this type of spotlight, for almost 15 years. If you allow him to, and sometimes even if you don't, he will steal your dreams away from you in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets had a clear blueprint for what they needed to do to beat this team and, for the most part, they did it. They seemed able to score at will in the paint (although they didn't go in there enough late in the game), they were more physical, Carmelo Anthony got them off to a fast start, and Chauncey Billups was hitting big shots. But, in the end, the pressure got to them, and they cracked. The Lakers will frustrate you, as they did to Kenyon Martin, who committed a costly foul on Kobe Bryant down the stretch. The Lakers will make you pay for any momentary lapse in effort or focus, as was the case when Trevor Ariza picked off Anthony Carters weak-ass attempt to inbound the ball to Chauncey Billups with under a minute left. The guy had flat out looked horrible against Carmelo in the first quarter, but, in crunch time, his confidence and focus were unwavering. That is the mark of a championship team.
The Orlando Magic grew up right before our eyes in the second round. They began as a team that could not hold a lead (game 1), got psyched out and let their frustration get the better of them (game 2), and who could not put away games in which they had the lead in the fourth quarter (games 4 and 5). However, by the time game 6 rolled around, they had been forged into a contender. Their lessons learned against the Celtics will no doubt help them in round 3. Hopefully, we can see Denver go through that same process. It should be easier, seeing as how they have a veteran who knows what it takes at the point guard spot.
After the game, George Karl said "The next 48 hours are going to be difficult". Denver needs to stay positive and focused on what it needs to change in game 2. They controlled this game most of the way, so their gameplan and their intensity do not need much tweaking. They need to watch a lot of film, and see where exactly this thing went wrong. They can still win this series, but it's all about what they are able to take away from game 1. If they let the frustration of this loss get to them, then they are as good as dead. Once Kobe smells blood in the water, you're done for.
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.
Trades of this magnitude so rarely happen these days. Superstars in this era usually change teams through free agency or are unloaded for rebuilding (see KG to Celtics for the Al Jefferson prize pack). In fact, the only recent trade I can think of that got my fires burning like this one was the Clinton Portis-Champ Bailey deal. There was no more fitting time than the eve of election day for this to happen, because there is nothing more American than the Blockbuster trade.
The Nuggets now have Chauncey Billups locked up through 2011, with a team option for 2012. I love this move for them. They have seemed like a team desperate for some kind of identity for several years now. After Allen Iverson was brought on board, the question everyone was asking was "Can AI and Melo share the ball." The answer to that question was yes, but it proved to be inconsequential. What we should have been asking was whether or not AI and Melo sharing the ball was a recipe for success.
With Andre Miller out and AI in, the Nuggets offense lacked method and rhythm. Looking more like members of the And 1 tour than a professional basketball team, their inefficiency on offense was jaw-dropping. Furthermore, they were giving up well over 100 points per night despite having a All-NBA defensive player in the middle (the now departed Marcus Camby). There seemed to be no master plan in place, and without Marcus Camby this team seemed destined to disappear into irrelevant oblivion in 08-09. Things will be different now.
Billups will provide veteran leadership, championship experience and moxie, and the offensive stability that has been so lacking. He's got some great weapons in Melo, JR Smith, Kenyon, Martin, and Nene. I expect them to be utilized more effectively than we have ever seen. How could Carmelo Anthony, now in his sixth season, ever be expected to flourish as nothing more than one of the revolving planets in Denver's Answercentric offense? Don't get me wrong, I love AI. He is the essence of spectator sports. He is supremely talented and exciting, and he gives every ounce of what he has every night regardless of the score or his team's current standing. But, he takes a lot of shots. He also turns the ball over a lot, and his overall level of play has also declined. Billups will protect the ball more and shoot less. This will lead to more efficient, methodical, and effective possessions for Denver. Chauncey is also an improvement on the defensive end, where he defends on the ball extremely well.
Although the circumstances have been different, Detroit has also been stuck in a rut. They have been clinging to a song that has grown tired and stale. After failing to make it out of the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight year, Joe Dumars made it clear that nobody's job was safe. Chauncey Billups is the logical choice for the chopping block. The length of his contract handcuffs the pistons, who see their point guard of the future in Rodney Stuckey. It still remains to be seen how AI will fit into Detroit's offensive system, which has traditionally been a more grinding half-court scheme. But, nobody can deny that this team needs a change. They need a shot of life. They also need to score more points. They have brought in the ultimate competitor, and a guy who has the third highest scoring average of all time.
Regardless of how things play out in Detroit this season, this was the right move. This trade is not about what Allen Iverson can do in 08-09. This move is really about Allen Iverson's expiring contract. Now, don't confuse that with Theo Ratliff's expiring contract. There is a real talented superstar to go along with it, and I expect AI to have a great season in Detroit. But, what fueled this move for Joe Dumars was the cap space that it will open up this summer. Iverson and Rasheed Wallace's contracts alone will wipe 34 million dollars off of Detroit's books, allowing them to rebuild without ever needing to sink too low. I'm sure it was hard for Joe Dumars to pull the trigger on this one, and I'm sure Detroit fans are sad to part with the floor general that has guided them through so many great years. However, this is the nature of pro sports in the 21st century, and I think Dumars has set his team up very well for the future.
Truthfully, I never thought that I'd be this disappointed about a Western Conference playoff game. I wanted to watch this Hornets team play for as long as possible. I'm not sure why I have adopted them as my second team this post-season. I had to pick a West team to root for, and somehow they took over that role right from the start. Maybe it's because I wanted to root against the Mavs (I really think I'm going to hate them forever for that trade) and Spurs so badly. But, I think it has a lot more to do with the exciting style of basketball that New Orleans plays. Their style is so unpredictable and fun to watch, and yet you can see that Chris Paul is totally in control of the offense throughout the entire game. Unfortunately, their shooting was cold last night, and you need to have everything working if you want to beat the defending champs in an elimination game. I want to highlight the great effort from Jannero Pargo, who scored 16 in the fourth quarter to bring the Hornets within striking distance. In the end, it was not enough. But, I really enjoyed watching this New Orleans run. I am excited to see what pieces they add this offseason and I can't wait to watch them next year. Once I have a little more disposable income, I might even nab one of these yellow jerseys, because I think they are awesome.
I'll be blunt, the Spurs advancing is bad for the NBA. The Hornets wow-factor, combined with the fact that they are new on the playoff scene and they are from New Orleans, would have made for a much more exciting Western Conference finals matchup. The Spurs are like the Patriots. Yes, you respect how incredibly consistent they have been for so long. But, unless they're you're favorite team, you always want to see them lose. It's like this with any of the great dynasties.
Luckily, I don't think we will have to watch San Antonio in the finals again this year. I really like the way the Lakers match up with the Spurs. Pau Gasol will pay his biggest dividends in this series, as he has historically played Tim Duncan very well. Furthermore, as Sir Charles Barkley pointed out last night on TNT, Gasol and Lamar Odom will ensure that Tony Parker will not be able to attack the basket in this series like he did against New Orleans. There's nobody on that San Antonio team, not even Bruce Bowen, that can stop Kobe Bryant, and I believe that Bryant can stifle Manu on the defensive end. I think that these will be high scoring games, and that favors Los Angeles.
On this day last year, I wore a horseshow around my neck to work. Later on that evening, I stood in a tub with a jug of wine, and Bedell and I spent an hour performing witchcraft rituals that we had found to bring good luck. We chanted while facing all directions, we poured and drank the sacrament of Franzia, we crushed garlic cloves, and we rubbed the wine on pictures of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. There were pictures of Greg Oden and Kevin Durant on either side of the living room. Then we sat and watched in horror as the Celtics wound up with the fifth pick in the draft.
I immediately phoned for a large pizza (Greek style, extra cheese), drove to pick it up, and ate the entire thing in the car on the ten minute drive home. At that time, I never even considered the possibility that the Celtics wouldn't be figuring prominently in today's lottery. And, I certainly never could have imagined in my wildest dreams that the lottery would be taking place before game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which would be taking place in Boston. So, I recommend taking the time to watch the lottery tonight (7:30). Word is that Jay-Z will be representing the Nets, so that should be exciting, and it will give us a preliminary idea of how the draft will play out. Plus, you'll have the chance to make comments like "Jesus, nothing ever works out for us! We can't catch a break!" and then start laughing. It's ok, you've earned it.
As far as the actual game tonight, I am very interested to see how each team responds to the circumstances of their past week. Many of the analysts that I have heard today (national analysts) are predicting that the Pistons will take the game tonight, because they are rested and the Celtics will have an emotional hangover from the game on Sunday. Certainly, I can see the reasoning for this prediction, particularly after the sloppy game 1 that the Cs played against the Cavs following an emotional game 7 evisceration of the Hawks. However, I don't believe that rest is always good for a team that's on a hot streak. The Pistons were playing great against Orlando, particularly in the final two games. In particular, they were getting more out of their bench guys than they had gotten all year. From a momentum standpoint, I think the best thing would have been for them to keep playing. There is no doubt that the rest was valuable for Chauncey Billups. But, as far as momentum is concerned, I think the Pistons' rest could work against them tonight. It will be interesting to see.
I am making my final public plea before this series begins to see Tony Allen. These games are going to be close, and we're going to need someone other than Rondo defending whoever is playing the point for Detroit. Billups, Stuckey, and Hunter all provide tough matchups for Rondo. Tony Allen has been a defensive stopper for this Celtics team all season long, and Doc is going to need to get him involved. He can't sit him on the bench for three and a half quarters, and then throw him out there for the last six minutes. He needs to use him in the regular rotation for the entire series.
It will also be interesting to see how Doc handles the point guard rotation. Eddie House was implemented far too late in the last series, and gave the Cs a great lift in games 6 and 7. I hate to think of Cassell being played over House on the offensive end in this series. However, as Casten wrote in his comment yesterday, Cassell might be the Celtics' best option defensively. He is a bigger point guard, and Chauncey won't be able to bully him down on the block like he does to Rondo. Sam plays that same game, and he will be more effective at defending it. Remember, all of these Pistons' point guards are slower than Daniel Gibson, who made Cassell look foolish in the last series.
As I said, there are emotional wildcards for both teams as we head into this game. How will the Pistons play after taking a week off? How will the Celtics respond after being taken the distance by LeBron and the Cavs? Regardless of how tonight turns out, I expect this series to be fucking awesome. Just like all of the regular season meetings between these teams, all three of which had a playoff vibe to them, I expect the series to be an all-out slugfest. All the games will be close, and tensions are going to run at an all-time high. I can't wait.
I can't figure out Craig Sager. Is he the man? Does he wear absurd looking suits because he's such a bad-ass? Is he a loser? Do the players like him? When they make fun of him, do they do it because they really don't like him or do they do it because they like him and they think he's funny? I have no idea.
Here's the best one. KG making fun of Sager after waxing the Knicks:
Baron Davis can't help laughing at Sager's outfit at halftime:
