The Spurs and Thunder eliminated both LA teams while the Eastern survivors engage in war.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Western Dominance and Eastern Struggles
Four games, four wins. It’s becoming a common refrain for the San
Antonio Spurs in this 2011-2012 season. It’s something that the Los Angeles
Clippers became all too familiar with after Coach Gregg Popovich’s crew swept
them out of the playoffs, 4-0. The combined efforts of Chris Paul and Blake
Griffin fell short time and time again in the face of the Spurs’ onslaught.
Even as Tim Duncan dominated inside like he did in the early 2000s, the trio of
Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green took care of the perimeter and
quickly sent the Clips home packing and wondering what the future holds for
head coach Vinny del Negro.
The more established team in L.A., the mighty Lakers, fared no better
than their co-tenants at the Staples Center. Aside from a Game One blowout,
each game against the Oklahoma City Thunder had been close, something that was
supposed to swing in the favor of playoff veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and
Metta World Peace. But the Thunder have been showing how they’ve grown up
quickly in this year’s playoffs, withstanding almost every Laker run, and
forcing the Lakers into bad shots and turnovers. Both Kevin Durant and Russell
Westbrook have been delivering big time for Coach Scott Brooks, and the
defensive combination of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins has punished both
Gasol and Andrew Bynum, forcing the seven-footers into uncomfortable shots. Games
2 and 4 in this series saw OKC step into passing lanes, force errors by L.A.,
and leave the 16-time champions wondering how they could let leads slip away
late. Coach Mike Brown’s late-game decisions to just let the Lakers play by not
mapping out any clear schemes is drawing criticism, and could be a reason for
Brown not returning once the playoffs end. If not for the Lakers’ 41-42 free
throw performance in Game 3 (Bryant himself going 18-18), this series would have
ended in a sweep too. Instead, the Thunder eliminated L.A. 4-1 and sending the
Lakers into an offseason of uncertainty.
When the Chicago Bulls were eliminated, it seemed as if everyone was
clearing the way for the Miami Heat to square off against the Boston Celtics in
the Eastern Conference Finals. Apparently nobody told the Indiana Pacers and
the Philadelphia 76ers of that plan as the two underdogs have been scratching
and clawing to keep their respective series interesting.
Miami was supposed to destroy Frank Vogel’s charges, but the Pacers have
given Erik Spoelstra’s crew everything they can handle. Some might point to the
loss of Chris Bosh to an abdominal strain as the cause for the Heat machine
stalling, but others can just look at the inconsistent play from Dwyane Wade as
the culprit. One game after a dismal 5 point, 5 turnover performance that was
highlighted by a clash with Spoelstra on the Heat bench, Wade delivered with 30
points, 22 in the second half, as the Heat tied the Eastern Conference
Semifinals at two games apiece. 3-time MVP James was no slouch either with 40
huge points and 18 rebounds to scatter Indiana’s early optimism. The Pacers
need something more akin to their Game Three blowout win, when David West, George
Hill, and Danny Granger showed that they have a “Big Three” of their own.
Coach Doug Collins is loving life in Philadelphia now. After taking out
the top-seeded Bulls, nobody expected the Sixers to put up much of a fight
versus the veteran-heavy Boston Celtics. But a team composed of Andre Iguodala,
Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Elton Brand, and rising star Evan Turner are
sending a message to the rest of the NBA: Philly is here, and we will not go
quietly. No clear-cut star shines brighter than the rest for this team, and
that’s just fine with Collins. It means anyone and everyone is expected to show
up and rise to the occasion when necessary. Boston has relied on Kevin Garnett,
Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo since 2008, and Coach Doc Rivers’ team
has been up and down in this match-up primarily because of the strong play by
the Sixers. Brandon Bass delivered for the Celtics in Game Five though to give
them a 3-2 edge over Philly. The question now is if there’s anything left in
the 76ers or can Boston close them out in two days.
Clearly, San Antonio has emerged as the team to beat in these playoffs.
Two series sweeps means the Spurs’ veterans can rest longer while the other
teams battle it out everywhere else. With their elimination by a younger,
deeper, meaner Thunder team, you might have seen the last of this incarnation
of the Lake Show. Focus now goes to the Western Conference Finals between the
Spurs and Thunder. Out East, it’s anybody’s guess right now which among the
four teams will tussle in the Eastern Conference Finals. Star power is nice,
but team chemistry, desire, and will could prove to significant enough to
torpedo the hopes of both powerhouses in Boston and Miami.
Two Game Sevens and the Return of KG the Kid
Now that the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs has officially ended,
let’s look at a few trends that emerged. Only two teams scored series sweeps,
both happened in the Western Conference: The San Antonio Spurs swept the Utah
Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder erased the defending champion Dallas
Mavericks. Only two series went seven games and they were the other two series
in the West: the Los Angeles Lakers eked out a 4-3 win over the Denver Nuggets
behind big games from Pau Gasol, Steve Blake, Andrew Bynum, and Kobe Bryant. Meanwhile
the Los Angeles Clippers survived a physical series with the Memphis Grizzlies
in their own Game Seven thanks to strong bench play that negated Blake Griffin
disappearing when he was needed most. Thus, the Western Conference Semifinals
will see the top-seeded Spurs battling the Clippers while the marquee match-up
will see the Thunder hosting the Lakers as both L.A. teams stay alive.
With the Clippers advancing, all eyes will be on the dream match-up at
the point guard spot between Tony Parker and Chris Paul. These two MVP
contenders will be battling it out so it will have to fall to their respective
benches to determine the winner. Even as Tim Duncan nears retirement, the new
power forward on the block (namely Griffin) is poised to take over for him. But
until Griffin stops flopping and just throwing up wild shots with no semblance
of a real post game, expect Duncan to use his veteran smarts to school the
youngster.
There is some recent history between the Lakers and the Thunder, and
it’s not the good kind. Metta World Peace’s elbow on James Harden might be the
most replayed thing we’ll see in this series, but there are other stories to
look at. Consider former Laker Derek Fisher trying to eliminate the team that
he won five championships with, or his close relationship with Kobe Bryant.
Both have described it as being “like brothers” but like any siblings, one
definitely wants to destroy the other. The tag teams of Gasol and Bynum versus
Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka are expected to bang and crash in the paint.
But most of all, the explosive offenses of the top two scorers this season
(Kevin Durant and Bryant) will be on full display. Call it the old school
versus the new school if you will, but all eyes will be on LA and OKC over the
next few games.
Over in the East, the number one seed Chicago Bulls, decimated by
injuries to 2011 MVP Derrick Rose and defensive anchor Joakim Noah, were barely
beaten by the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, but Philly finally got out of
the first round for the first time since 2002. The Boston Celtics also took out
the Atlanta Hawks despite the return of Al Horford to the Atlanta roster when
Kevin Garnett discovered the Fountain of Youth while playing center for Boston.
This sets up a match-up between the veteran Celtics and the no-name Sixers, a
classic rivalry that dates back to the 80s and even the 60s. Garnett’s stellar
play carried over to the second round when he had 29 points on top of another
Rondo triple-double to snatch a 92-91 squeaker in Game One. Don’t expect Andre
Iguodala, Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, and the rest of the Sixers to roll over
in this one because Coach Doug Collins seems to have convinced his team that
the sky’s the limit in these playoffs.
The Indiana Pacers were supposed to sweep the Dwight Howard-less Orlando
Magic but lost Game One. Still, they did enough to recover and won the series
4-1. The Miami Heat was also heavily favored to destroy the New York Knicks and
even after bizarre circumstances (injuries to Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis,
Amar’e Stoudemire’s brush with a glass case holding a fire extinguisher,) Miami
did advance past New York 4-1. When LeBron James received his third Most
Valuable Player award prior to the first game versus the Pacers, the pressure
only mounted on him and the rest of the Heat to secure the championship this
year. After a 95-86 win over Indiana in Game One of their Eastern Semifinals
match-up, even after Chris Bosh’s abdominal strain, it’s hard not seeing Miami
parading into the next round. David West and Roy Hibbert may have scored 17
points apiece here, but they’re going to need some help if they hope to derail
Miami after James and Dwyane Wade combined to outscore 42-38 in the second
half.
Only eight teams are left standing in these playoffs and the overall
number one seed (Chicago) has been sent packing with the defending champions in
Dallas. Miami now stands as the heavy favorite while San Antonio’s regular
season record and experience entrenches them as tops out West. Will these two
roll over the remaining teams and eventually clash in the 2012 NBA Finals?
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
NBA playoffs: Of departed champions and stitches from a glass case
Wrote this two days ago so apologies for the delay in posting here. :p
Link
Of Departed Champions and Stitches from a Glass Case
One week into the 2012 NBA Playoffs and we’ve already seen a changing of
the guard out West. The Oklahoma City Thunder complete the first sweep of this
postseason, unceremoniously dispatching last year’s champions, the Dallas
Mavericks in four straight games. Aside from the usual big game from Kevin
Durant, it was James Harden’s big game that ended the reign of the Mavs and
opened the door wide open for a new champion. The San Antonio Spurs will
probably be the next team to complete a sweep because the Utah Jazz have barely
done anything to merit any applause whether in Texas or at home in Salt Lake
City. Coach Gregg Popovich is living up to his selection as Coach of the Year
by not giving any of the Jazz players any breathing room while Tony Parker
leads the Spurs’ rampage.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers weren’t able to sweep the Denver
Nuggets, today’s win gave them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and a
probable second round match-up with the Thunder. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum
are still putting up big numbers, but it’s the surprise productivity from Steve
Blake and Jordan Hill that has pushed the Nuggets to the brink of elimination. The
Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies have lived up to their billing as
fourth and fifth seeds as every game between them has gone down the wire. The
Grizzlies seemed to have recovered from their 27-point collapse in Game One,
but the Clippers took a 2-1 series lead back in L.A. behind Chris Paul and a
late missed three-pointer from Rudy Gay. If there’s one match-up that looks
like it will go the distance in the first round, this is it.
Eastern Conference supremacy was all set for the Chicago Bulls this
year. After getting to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, they recruited
Rip Hamilton from Detroit and developed their bench even when Derrick Rose
missed time in the regular season due to various injuries. But when Rose went
down with a torn ACL in Game One of their series against the Philadelphia
76ers, things just caved in on Tom Thibodeau’s crew. Coach Doug Collins got his
own team to play serious defense while getting timely contributions from Evan
Turner, Jrue Holiday, and even Spencer Hawes. When Joakim Noah went down with a
serious ankle injury in Game Three, Philadelphia could smell the upset actually
going their way. The eight-seeded Sixers are now up 3-1 and look poised to
accomplish what only four other eight seeds have done in the past; eliminate a
number one seed in the first round.
Things haven’t been as difficult for the favored Miami Heat while things
couldn’t get more bizarre for the New York Knicks. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade
& co. had been routinely blowing out the Knicks in the first three games of
their series, and at the end of Game Two, Amar’e Stoudemire committed what can
only be described as a stupid act. Frustration overcoming him, Stoudemire
smacked his hand on the glass case housing a fire hydrant in Miami’s American
Airlines Arena resulting in heavy bleeding, lots of stitches, and worldwide
ridicule for not thinking about what’s best for his team. It didn’t help
matters that Carmelo Anthony has been hogging the ball and taking so many shots
while missing most of them too. Luckily for New York, things finally came
together in Game Four as they avoided a Heat sweep and ended the NBA record for
most consecutive playoff losses at thirteen games. Most are in agreement though
that it’s only a matter of time until the Heat eliminate the Knicks and
advance.
After stumbling in Game One of their showdown with the Orlando Magic,
the Indiana Pacers have shown what they were expected to do to a team without
All-Star Dwight Howard. Through a blowout and a couple of tight encounters,
Coach Frank Vogel looks all set to send the Magic packing and leaving Stan Van
Gundy wondering if he’ll still coach the team with or without D12 next season. The
Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics were supposed to be the East’s equivalent of
the tight Clippers-Grizzlies series, but Josh Smith’s injured leg kept him out
of the crucial Game Three which Boston won. By the time Smith returned for Game
Four (as did Al Horford after missing four months due to injury), Atlanta was
cooked. Boston led by as much as 37 points in seizing a 3-1 lead and are
looking to end it in five games.
Though Derrick Rose’s injury probably remains the biggest story of the
playoffs so far, add the elimination of the defending champions from Dallas, as
well as the Knicks’ struggles on and off the court as banner headlines. By the
time next week rolls around, we might already be starting the conference
semifinals for both the East and West.
Posted at 05/07/2012 5:45 PM | Updated as of 05/07/2012 5:50 PM
Every Moment is Big
For a unique season that was only 66
games and only started on Christmas Day, the Playoffs couldn’t have come any
sooner. After a prolonged work stoppage, the 2011-2012 Season began with the
Dallas Mavericks raising their Championship Banner and the target placed
squarely on their backs. Dirk Nowitzki carried the Mavs to the title, but
that’s all in the past now as the 2012 NBA Playoffs are here and the stakes are
at their highest.
Eastern Conference
The Chicago Bulls were on their way to
slamming the Philadelphia 76ers and claiming a 1-0 lead in their Best-of-Seven
series when the worst news possible happened: Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL
that effectively ends both his playoff campaign and his participation in this
summer’s London Olympics. The good news is that this Bulls squad has already
been playing without Rose, Richard Hamilton, and even Luol Deng for different
parts of the regular season. The Sixers started the season hot and were even in
contention for the Atlantic Division crown until a late swoon barely got them
the eighth seed. Even without Rose in the lineup though, most expect the Bulls
to drill Doug Collins’ boys with ease.
The glamorous pick throughout the
season, the heavily favored
Miami Heat were strong
enough to grab the second seed despite Dwyane Wade missing chunks of the season
due to injury. LeBron James arguably had his most complete season ever and
might have just won his third Most Valuable Player award in the process. New
York already lost the sensation that was Jeremy Lin as the season wound down,
then Iman Shumpert injured his ACL in Game One of the Playoffs. After surviving
the firing of Mike D’Antoni and the promotion of Mike Woodson to head coach,
the Big Apple dreamed of playoff wins and upsets. Highly unlikely with James
firing on all cylinders, but the Knicks are still dreaming.
Frank Vogel coached the Indiana Pacers to a surprising 42 wins, earning
them the third seed and a first round encounter with the Dwight Howard-less
Orlando Magic. While thoughts of a Pacers sweep was talk of the town, Jason
Richardson, Jameer Nelson, and the rest of Stan Van Gundy’s crew instead pulled
off a Magic upset in Game One. This won’t be as easy as previously thought so
Danny Granger, David West, Paul George, and the other Pacers better wake up if
they want to advance.
Only separated by one win, the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks renew
acquaintances after their last battle four years ago. The Hawks won the first
game this time but Josh Smith’s stellar performance was overshadowed by Rajon
Rondo’s bumping of a referee in the dying minutes, something that will surely
lead to some kind of disciplinary action. Without Rondo and with Ray Allen
still nursing an ankle injury, this may be the last time we see this version of
the Celtics on the hardcourt.
Western Conference
The San Antonio Spurs took the
top seed in the West near the end of the regular season after periodically
resting ageing stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Even as Tony Parker inserted
himself into MVP discussions, the memory of 2011, when the Spurs became just
the third number one seed to be eliminated in the first round, lingers heavily
on their minds. They’ve got a tough assignment in the Utah Jazz powered by Al
Jefferson and Paul Millsap, but most don’t expect a repeat of last year’s
upset.
Kevin Durant won his third straight scoring title this year but he wants
much more. Tagging up with Russell Westbrook and James Harden to lead the
Oklahoma City Thunder, they’ve been the favorites in the West even before the
season began. This young and deep nucleus drew a tough out in the defending
champion Mavericks (as proved by their needing Durant to bail them out as time
expired) but the Thunder should dethrone Dirk Nowitzki’s veteran crew in the
end.
Even with Mike Brown now at the helm and despite Kobe Bryant missing
some time to heal an injured shin, the Los Angeles Lakers still earned the
third seed out West. Andrew Bynum finally became a force on both offense and
defense, something the rest of the NBA has been fearing for years. Though Metta
World Peace is still serving his seven-game suspension for elbowing James
Harden, the Lakers will likely stomp over Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari’s
Denver Nuggets for an eagerly anticipated match with the exciting Thunder.
After blowing a 27-point lead in Game One, the Memphis Grizzlies will be
hard-pressed to get their groove back against the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s
the kind of loss that can destroy a team’s morale and it will be up to Zach
Randolph, Rudy Gay, and Marc Gasol to make sure they get back on track.
Otherwise, Chris Paul will lead the Clips’ dissection of these Grizzlies.
With Derrick Rose going down, the path to the Finals just got a lot
easier in the East, particularly for the favored Miami Heat. Over in the West,
teams seem more bunched together as the veteran quintets make some last pushes
in the face of the hungry young guns. All eyes are on the NBA Playoffs once
again after the lockout, and that is the best news of all.
Posted at 04/30/2012 11:00 PM | Updated as of 04/30/2012 11:00 PM
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The NBA Playoffs: Every moment is big
Link Just a little something I whipped up after Game One in every series so far.