Pardon My Bias

Written by AP:

I am sure most of you have all heard the stat that during the 2-3-2 game format era, only 10 times have the teams entered game 3 tied. Out of these 10 times, the winner of game 3 has won the series every single time. Does this mean that the winner of tonights game will be the next NBA champions? I very highly doubt it! This is not just any old match-up. This is the LA Lakers versus the Boston Celtics. I believe this will be a very flip-floppy series and no team has an advantage. Of course the winner of tonights game will have a leg up…but big whoop! The winner of tonight may even go on to win the whole series but it has nothing to do with this crazy stat. Both of these teams are armed and ready to go and either of them could come back at any moment.

Which ever team wins the game tonight will definitely have a clear advantage but do not be foolish…you can never count out the other team because they will hit you when you’re not looking!

Written by AP:

Everyone can complain as much as they want to about the bad referee calls from last night’s NBA Finals game but it is not a real excuse. The referees made crappy calls on both ends of the court. Both the Lakers and the Celtics had players in foul trouble, and each team had many bogus calls against them. Kobe Bryant was called for a couple of unwarranted fouls but Paul Pierce and Glen Davis had fouls called on them for pretty clean blocks. All four of the Celtics big men were in foul trouble, which created a huge handicap for them. Yes the referees did a terrible job calling the game last night but that is not a reason for everyone to blame them for the loss.

If Laker fans really want to use that as an excuse then I guess we can assume that they won game 1 because of the referees also. All I am saying is that referees can be an issue but they can only be blamed if they are calling one sided fouls. This is not one of those cases. Simply put…the Lakers lost and the Celtics won!

Just a quick tidbit that may be one of the craziest stats you have ever heard.

Phil Jackson coached teams are 47-0 in playoff series when they win Game 1…

Chew on that for Thursday night.

Here are our Pardon My Bias NBA Finals Predictions:

Who do you agree with?

Have the Lakers learned from 2008?

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics will be meeting for the 12th time in the  NBA Finals. This might be the most compelling finals matchups in years because the teams are so evenly matched that it seems almost impossible to make any predictions about what is going to happen.

I will refrain from giving you my opinion on the matchups as I seem to agree with Rahul P.’s assessment. So here are the intangibles that I believe will change the series in either team’s favor.

X-Factor

Lakers: Ron Artest.

Ron-Ron has emerged as the new Lamar Odom of the Lakers and his play on both ends will dictate how this series turns. While his defense on Paul Pierce is the key factor to his importance in the series, his shooting will matter a lot more than it has the last two series. His shooting in game 6 of the WCF was essential in providing the Lakers the spark they needed with Gasol being completely ineffective. While I understand Artest has to shoot open threes that are dictated from Kobe passing out of the double teams… I don’t understand why the Lakers don’t post Artest up more on the block to punish his defender and just put in little hooks and scoop layups. He was a monster at doing this in Sacramento (see Kings-Spurs 2006 1st round playoff series) as well as in Houston at times when he wasn’t shooting horrible shots from the perimeter. The Celtics are banking on the fact that Artest will not shoot well (which for him is like anything above 40 percent) for 4 games of this series. They won the 2008 Finals based on their effective trap defense on Kobe Bryant and their willingness to live with the other Laker players shooting jumpers and trying to score points. Artest is the ultimate wild card.

Celtics: Rasheed Wallace

Outside of Rondo, this guy holds all the cards for the Celts. If he is engaged (and I fully expect him to be after his effort in the Cleveland/Orlando series). His 3 point shooting and defense on the low block and ability to give Garnett/Perkins important rest minutes will definitely be essential to the Celtics when all the scoring matchups become washes.

Clutch Factor: Kobe vs. Pierce

This is a wash because both players are so huge in the 4th quarter. Kobe is unguardable and a pure assasin when the game is on the line but a lot of people don’t realize how good Paul Pierce has been in the 4th quarter as well. Say what you want about Pierce, the man gets it done with what I believe is the 2nd best step back jumper in the league (after Kobe).

Prediction:

Neither team is intimidated by the other and the Lakers claim to be seeking major revenge from 2008. But in my opinion they should have won that series in 08. The Lakers do not take games seriously, I’m sorry but I’m gonna say the truth in my opinion, they blew a chance to get a split in the 1st two games of the series because they did not bring the same effort Boston did. Boston won that series on clearly superior defense but talent wise when you stack it up Lakers should had the edge. To allow Paul Pierce’s “injury” in game 1 to ignite the Celtics back into the game as well as blow a 24 point 2nd half lead in game 4 shows that a team was not focused. Have the Lakers grown since that time? Sure they have but to the point where they will sacrifice their bodies as much as KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, Perkins, etc. ? I don’t think so. I still think the Celtics play better team basketball. I don’t see players for the Lakers diving to the floor for every 50-50 ball that will be crucial in this series. The difference in the series sounds so simple: EFFORT. Whoever gives more  will win. Teams talk about sacrifice, the Celtics in my opinion personify it. I don’t seen Andrew Bynum stepping in to give a hard foul when Rondo drives to the rim. I don’t see players like Farmar or Vujacic or Pau willing to mix it up with Beantown. I only see Kobe, Fish, Ron-Ron and L.O. (maybe) doing that.  Still regardless, this series could go either way but I give a very slight edge to Boston.

Celtics in 7.

On May 23rd, just before midnight on the East Coast the Cleveland Cavaliers fired head coach Mike Brown in a decision that was all but done after the final buzzer in Game 6 in Boston. They also avoided having to pay Brown $4.5 million for next season.

It was clear and has been for some time that Brown was not a motivating coach and was not capable of stepping up and demanding more of LeBron James. The Cavs had basically peaked under Brown when they made it to the 2007 NBA Finals. Since then the Cavs have not gotten back to the finals and regressed to a team that despite many notable free agent signings could never evolve into a well balanced team. Too many times, they relied on LeBron James to pull through and create their offense. That may get it done in the regular season but in the playoffs, teams like the Celtics and the Magic are just too good. They pack it in inside and force teams to play out of their comfort zone. The biggest problem with the Cavs, which was clearly identified by Charles Barkley constantly throughout the year, was that they did not run enough and made LeBron have to go one on five. The offense was very unimaginative and in the end, that falls on the coach and his strategies. So now where do the Cavs go from here? Well they are basically in the worst situation possible and their next action is completely dictated by what LeBron decides.

Will this billboard still be up in Downtown Cleveland after July 1st?

You have to think that the Cavs had to see this coming. There’s no way an NBA franchise can operate without a worst case scenario. Yes you have to have faith in your best player resigning but you always need a contingency plan no matter what…otherwise you can pretty much set back your franchise another 5-10 years. The Cavs are really in a bad situation that was made worse with how their season ended. It almost felt as if LeBron was relieved that the Celtics series was over and that the weight of the world and Cleveland was off his shoulders. Now all that weight has shifted to the Cavs organization and owner Dan Gilbert as well as GM Danny Ferry. The team has to make decisions based on guessing what LeBron will do.

The dilemma is…Should we go out and hire a legitimate coach that commands a $5-$15 million/year salary (aka Jeff Van Gundy, Larry Brown, Phil Jackson etc) so that LeBron will hopefully be convinced that he has the coach he needs to help take the Cavs back to the Finals. The problem with this is, is that LeBron probably wants to know who the coach is going to be first before he makes his decision and the Cavs will have to live with the decision afterwards because LeBron might still leave regardless and the Cavs would be stuck with a highly paid coach that will have a team with no cap space and no ability to compete at all for a championship in the next five years. Do the Cavs want to take the chance? My guess is yes because LeBron is so important to the franchise that they would be willing to do anything short of sweeping his floor to keep him. However if the Cavs don’t want to make a decision on a coach until LBJ chooses his destination, then they risk losing him due to their desire to sit on their situation. What is going to happen? Nobody knows and anyone that acts like they know, is just an idiot because no one is inside LBJ’s head.

The Cavs are on the brink of remaining a contender or going deep into obscurity. It is a place no owner/GM ever wants to be but they have no one to blame but themselves, LBJ included. An NBA title would have made this situation a lot easier to suffer through for the fans of Cleveland. July 1st will be a major day in NBA History.

Written By Rahooligan:

Wow, this is going to be another EPIC series. Both teams have played well in the playoffs and are ready to add more to their team legacies. Kobe and friends all remember the 39 point crushing defeat two years ago and would do anything for revenge. Boston, on the other hand, believes that this could have been a three-peat if there were no injuries. Both teams are playing with a chip on their shoulder and this series is going to be a true dogfight. Here is my Analysis as to who will win:

Individual Matchups:

PG: Clear advantage to Rondo. He’s just much quicker and has the ability to take control of the game.

SG: Kobe Bryant. No questions asked. He has played out of his mind in this year’s playoffs.

SF: This matchup is interesting . Ron Artest was brought to LA to defend players like Paul Pierce. In an overall perspective though, Paul Pierce wins this matchup.

PF: This is Finesse vs. Power. Pau Gasol has become one of the best PF’s in the game, but this is real chance to shed the “soft” label. Garnett seems to be healthy and has his intensity back for the playoffs. This is a matchup I am very excited to see.

C: Perkins is an amazing low block defender. He played extremely well against Dwight and the same is expected against Bynum. Also, How will Bynum’s injury affect his play?

Bench: Celtics have the better bench. The only constant for the Lakers is Lamar Odom. The Celtics have ‘Sheed, Big Baby and Tony Allen, who have exceled in the playoffs.

Coach: Phil Jackson and his 10 rings

Let the games Begin!!

Written By Rahooligan:

Written By AP:

Both the Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic have now won games. Is there anything to be fearful of? I really doubt it. The Orlando Magic are still down 1 -3 and the chances of them coming back from a 0-3 deficit is not likely. It has never been done in history and the Boston Celtics are too good of a team for this to happen to. If the Celtics do not close it out tonight then it will definitely happen in game 6.

The Phoenix Suns on the other hand have put me in complete awe. I expected it to go to game 5 but the way that they have played in the past 2 games has been amazing. In game 3, Amar’e decided to show up and then in last night’s game, the Sun’s bench tore it up. Channing Frye finally started making shots. He had gone 1 for 20 in the first 3 games but came out swinging last night, hitting 4 3-pointers. Dudley has been providing life off the bench throughout the playoffs but Goran Dragic’s driving layup on Derek Fisher was just wow. That was such a beautiful drive and Robin Lopez’s reaction was even better.

It seems as if the Lakers just have not figured out a way to play against the zone and unless they figure it out very soon, they may be in some trouble. I still believe the Lakers will make it through this series but man are they cutting it close. This series may even go to 7 games and if the Phoenix Suns are able to pull it off, well then I will be very happy. Either way, the Suns have proven that they are here to play and in my opinion, the Lakers better watch out!

http://www.talkhoops.net/2010-articles/may/lakers-suns-game-4-recap-bench-bench-bench-bench-dragic-bench-bench.html

Written By AP:

ESPN’s Chris Broussard has reported that the Chicago Bulls have reached out to Laker coach, and former Bulls’ coach, Phil Jackson. The Bulls have a  coaching vacancy after firing Vinny Del Negro after their disappointing playoff loss. There have been many rumors of Chicago being in the running to get Lebron James this off-season, to team him up with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. It has also been discussed that the Cleveland Cavaliers should offer Phil Jackson 12-15 million to come coach Lebron in Cleveland. I guess the Bulls figured why not just get both of them to Chicago. This will allow Phil to return to Chicago and once again coach the best player in the game. Lebron may even be a better fit for the triangle offense, mainly due to the fact that he is a great passer already. If the Bulls are able to pull this off, Lebron will no longer have any excuses. He will have one of the best coaches in the game and a legit 2nd man in Derrick Rose. The chances of Phil leaving the Lakers is not high but imagine if the Bulls are able to pull this off…wow!

sportszoneatv.wordpress.com/2008/06/

Written By Rahooligan:

Phil Jackson will not go to Chicago unless there is already a plan that is laid out. The last time I checked, it is illegal to talk to NBA coaches without the team’s permission. I highly doubt that the Lakers would have allowed the Bulls to speak with Jackson to “rekindle the fire.” Right now all that Phil cares about is winning his 11th championship and nothing else.  If rumors are to be believed, the Lakers are only going to offer 5 million a year, which is a complete ripoff for next season. The Bulls will probably offer 10 million dollars or more to retain Phil’s services. I don’t see this happening unless the Lakers blow this series (highly unlikely). BUT if this does happen, Phil’s career could finally end where it originally began. It would be a storybook ending if he wins a championship with the Bulls and Lebron James. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how the Zen Master responds.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Written By Vivek:

Recap:

Games 1 and 2 displayed the Lakers at their best – great spacing, unselfishness, and harassing defense and rebounding.  The Lakers’ offense played the triangle to perfection as they employed tons of movement, particularly Lamar Odom, while Kobe and Pau were able to operate in the block one-on-one most of the time.

However, the Suns offered a different strategy in Game 3. Instead of continuing to struggle with man-to-man defense that lead to Lamar Odom torching Amar’e Stoudemire to the tune of 36 pts and 30 rebounds in the first two games, the Suns decided to employ a 2-3 zone in game 3. After Kobe put up a vintage Kobe performance in the first quarter, the Suns went to the zone in order to clog the lane, throw multiple defenders at Kobe and Pau on any given possession, and force the Lakers supporting cast to beat them with 3-point shooting.

This strategy worked remarkably well as the Lakers shot 9 for 32 from the 3-point line and only attempted 20 free throws as a team. With Robin Lopez generally manning the middle for the Suns, they were able to force the Lakers into long jumpers and long rebounds that fueled their potent fast-break attack and especially Amar’e Stoudemire.

Amar’e displayed a masterful game as he tied a career playoff high with 42 points to go along with 11 rebounds. While his outside jumper was effective, most of the damage Amar’e did was due to his heightened aggressiveness going towards the basket. He used quick moves on Pau Gasol in order to drive by and get himself easy finishes including a pretty baseline reverse-layup. When smaller defenders such as Ron Artest were defending him, Amar’e made sure to use his height in order to get himself easy finishes at the rim. Yet what was the true pleasant surprise was Amar’e's activity on the boards. The Lakers torched Phoenix in games 1 and 2 as Gasol, Odom, and Bynum feasted on offensive boards; however, Amar’e really stepped up on the glass in game 3 as he boxed out better, showed more energy, and showed a greater desire to pull in the boards.

If Amar’e continues to play like this for the rest of the series, the Suns will be able to give the Lakers a tough time and possibly extend the series further, but if he regresses to his games 1 and 2 tendencies of showing little effort and aggressiveness, the Lakers will find a way to end this series in 5.

Commentary:

Some key stats from game 3:

3-point shooting: Lakers (9-32), Suns (5-20)

FT shooting: Lakers (16-20), Amar’e (14-18)

Turnovers: Lakers 17, Suns 7

The stats really show the impact of the Suns zone defense. The Lakers uncharacteristically took 32 3-point shots while nearly getting out-shot at the FT line by Amar’e. Regardless of how effectively the Suns played the zone, this Lakers team is too talented to bail out the Suns defense by taking contested jumpers. Whether it’s Pau or Odom, the Lakers need to attack the center of the zone more in order to force the Suns to collapse and allow for space for the others to cut and get easy shots. 3-point shooting was not a strength for the Lakers this year, and jacking up 32 shots from behind the line only plays into the Suns hands. The Suns are not only able to get by with quick defensive possessions, but the ensuing long rebounds enable them to get out in the open and play the up-tempo style that they thrive off of. The 3-point shots also prevent the Lakers from attacking the hoop and drawing fouls. They collectively took only 20 FTs the entire game! Not going to cut it if the Lakers want to win game 4.

The Suns need to play Robin Lopez more. I’ll be honest, I thought he was a terrible selection when the Suns drafted him last year, but he really provides energy, defense and a toughness that the Suns have lacked for years. Plus he proved to be able to score as he made a few jumpers, jump hooks, and free throws. Lopez mans the middle really well for the Suns and allows them to counter the Lakers’ height. Unfortunately, Channing Frye has been a no-show for this series (0-7 from the field last night), so it’s imperative that the Suns get Lopez on the court as much as possible in order to stand any chance.

Both benches played very poorly yesterday. The Lakers’ bench only managed 18 points on 7-24 shooting while the Suns’ bench had 15 points on 3-21 shooting (0-11 from 3). Both teams’ benches have to play better, especially for the Suns- 0-11 shooting from 3 will not cut it for a second unit that prides itself on hustle, penetration and easy 3 pointers. Whatever the problem is, Alvin Gentry really needs to focus on the second unit playing better collective basketball. Even the Lakers need to get more out of their bench given how thin they are if Andrew Bynum is held out for the rest of the series. While Odom did miss some easy shots by his standards, Odom, Jordan Farmar, and Shannon Brown must be more active on both ends of the floor in order to give the starting 5 more time to rest.

And lastly, tip your hats to Amar’e for finally backing up his talk. Note to Amar’e Stoudemire: you make your own luck. The passive and lethargic Amar’e struggled mightily in games 1 and 2, but when aggressive and focused as in game 3, he makes this Suns team go and allows for all his teammates to have easier shots. Since the Lakers have done a great job limiting Steve Nash’s ability to score by shading their big men towards him, it places much more emphasis on Amar’e bringing the “nastiness” that makes him one of the game’s best.

I fully expect the Suns to continue to use the zone, although they will most likely switch back and forth between zone and man to keep the Lakers a little off-balanced. Expect the Lakers bigs to attack the center of the zone hard in order to open cutting lanes for the others. The Lakers may also throw more double teams at Amar’e and force the other Suns to pick up their games in order to beat them, which places a big burden on all the Suns’ shooters to start hitting the open jumpers. Aside from Jason Richardson, no Sun has shot consistently well this series, and that makes extremely tough to compete with a Lakers team that outclasses the Suns in terms of sheer talent.

Glad this series got extended, and hopefully we get another close matchup in game 4. The Magic sure as hell aren’t putting up much of a fight…

Written By Anand:

This was definitely a great game for the Phoenix Suns. Nash was dishing the ball, Jason Richardson was hitting the three, Robin Lopez had a break out offensive game and Amar’e Stoudemire had the game of his life. I agree that their defense stepped it up and this had a lot to do with their switch to a zone scheme, but the fact that Bynum’s size was not their also played somewhat of a factor. The real question is whether the Suns can keep this defensive intensity up through out the next few games. If they cannot, well then there is no point of them even trying to challenge the Lakers in this series.

The main thing that I want to discuss is Amar’e Stoudemire’s incredible game. He was getting extremely criticized after his first two games, not only for his defense but also for his rebounding and lack of offensive play. Some were even pointing out that this may hurt him when it came to the off-season, as if his bad play was dropping his monetary value. Now what I am wondering is whether Stoudemire’s break out performance has anything to do with the fact that his value was dropping. I am not too crazy about Amar’e and his game and have never really seen that drive and passion in him. This is what leads me to believe that this amazing performance was only a way for Amar’e to keep his value up for this upcoming off-season. Personally I believe it would be idiotic for him to stay with Phoenix…Nash and Hill are old! He needs to go to a team with younger talent; a team that could give him the chance to win for the next 5-6 years. I think he realizes this and he wants to make the big bucks. The only way he will make the big money is if he shows a team his worth right now, in these playoffs. This is the sole reason why I believe he decided to step it up and play well. He did not get 42 and 11 because he thinks the Suns have a chance; he did it to make sure he gets paid this summer!