Published: April 23, 2009
With the playoffs well underway, I figured I’d drop a few thoughts on each series as things begin to heat up. I’ll try to do this as often as possible, but I can promise you nothing as the weather is getting warm (unless you live in Toronto like Ryan, eh?) and that makes sitting in front of a computer very, very hard to do.
Eastern Conference
//. Cleveland vs. Detroit | CLE 2-0
- This has been a rather boring series. The Pistons just look like they’re waiting for the season to be over with.
- Did you guys see the way two Detroit players just bounced off LeBron when they tried to tackle him? I don’t think if I was cloned 10 times that I’d be able to bring him down. He’d probably just flick me off his body like I was a fly.
//. Boston vs. Chicago | TIED 1-1
- Game 2 might have been the best game I’ve watched in awhile. And it made it even better for me considering two UConn guys were going at it. Every time Ben Gordan went up with a shot, I thought there was no way it would drop…then it’d go in.
- Anyone who wouldn’t take Ray Allen to take a last second three-pointer to send the game into overtime or for a win should seriously rethink some things. Those two shots late in the game were pure. And the last one over Joakim Noah still amazes me. He was right in his face and there still wasn’t much he could do.
- Derrick Rose is going to be fun to watch for a long time.
- There’s some buzz that Kevin Garnett is going to try to rehab his knee and try to come back. Look, I get it KG, you’re a warrior. You can’t stand to sit on the bench and watch your team struggle. But, PLEASE, stay there. I don’t want to watch you do more damage to your knee. Come back healthy next year and give it another run.
- The spin on Rajan Rondo’s passes is sick.
//. Orlando vs. Philadelphia | TIED 1-1
- Donyell Marshall lives.
- Wouldn’t it be great if Dwight Howard wore glasses to protect that scratched eye that looked like Clark Kent’s?
- Courtney Lee is making it awfully hard for J.J. Redick to remove his warmups.
- If/when Howard wakes up from whatever slumber he is in, this series is over.
//. Atlanta vs. Miami | TIED 1-1
- Talk about two different games. The Heat looked dead in Game One and Jermaine O’Neal was driving the hearse. And then Dwyane Wade happened.
- I’m still trying to figure out if Atlanta is ready to take that next step. You see the graphic before the game with their starting lineup and you’d think this is a team that belongs.
- It’s a shame a lot of people don’t know who Joe Johnson is.
Western Conference
//. Los Angeles vs. Utah | LAL 2-0
- Utah gave it their all to get back into Game 2, but still didn’t have enough. That about says it all for this series.
//. Denver vs. New Orleans | DEN 2-0
- It will be the biggest crime in the world if Chauncey Billups doesn’t finish in the top five in MVP voting this year. An absolute crime.
- New Orleans is getting exposed for what they really are – an average basketball team. We all love Chris Paul, but, David West really isn’t in the class that some of these other second options are in. Tyson Chandler is nice, but limited. Paul needs some help if he plans on getting through to the second round again.
//. San Antonio vs. Dallas | Tied 1-1
- Erick Dampier should have been fined by the Mavericks for just being, for lack of a better word, dumb. Why go to the press with that? It will be interesting if he actually puts Tony Parker down tonight.
- Newsflash: The Spurs aren’t the same team without Manu. Even if Timmay and Parker get their 30, that’s not going to be enough. Who else is chipping in to help them? Dallas has three guys that can drop 30 on any given night.
//. Portland vs. Houston | TIED 1-1
- Anyone else feel bad for Tracy McGrady? Because I sure do. He’s always been labeled the guy that can’t get out of the first round and now his team has been playing great basketball without him.
- Yao Ming makes Joel Pryzbilla look tiny and that’s hard to do.
- Sorry to see you go Deke. I think this loss really hurts the Rockets considering how thin they were in the frontcourt.
- Greg Oden has to figure out how to stop fouling. It’s getting out of hand.
2 Comments on "Fast Breaks – NBA Playoffs"
Jordan on Thu, 23rd Apr 2009 5:36 pm
Utah did not give it their “all.” They aren’t playing a lick of defense. Boozer looks scared (though he’s still getting 20 and 10) and outside of Deron, nobody is playing nearly as well as they could.
Why do you feel sorry for Tracy McGrady? He has never worked very hard at keeping himself healthy, so he’s really just bearing the fruits of his non labor. He is also known a known lazy ass who quits on his team when things aren’t going his way. Two days ago, he publicly picked the Lakers to win the whole thing, while the Rockets are still battling. Back in early March, without informing the Rockets, TMac chose to get surgery as soon as his name started appearing in trade rumors. He’s also getting paid $20 million this year and next to get rehab, during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. And isn’t it interesting that the team started to play infinitely better as soon as he was shut down for the season?
Sorry, but there’s not much to feel sorry about there.
No, it won’t be the biggest crime in the world if Chauncey doesn’t finish top 5 in the MVP voting. Sorry. He’s got way more to work with then Chris Paul (as you’ve noted). Paul’s stats are no doubt inflated by poor score keeping (check 20 SEcond Timeout for more on that), nevertheless, he’s having a historic season. Billups also plays in a tough, but less tough division than Paul. Billups is not more important than DPY winner Dwight Howard, nor has he done more for his team than Dywane Wade. He is not better than Kobe or Lebron whose teams both won 65 plus games. Besides, Billups, despite what the media will tell you, isn’t the sole reason for the Nuggets rise. Nene was second in the league in field goal percentage and averaged over a steal and a block per game. Martin has been relatively healthy all season and Chris Anderson barely finished behind Dwight Howard in blocks per game despite playing 15 minutes less. So, Mr. Big Shot has been big, but he ain’t MVP big. Well, at least not top 5 MVP big.
JJ Redick is making it hard for JJ Redick to get off the bench.
The problem with Dallas is none of those three guys can ever score 20-25 points together in the same game.
New Orleans’ starters are elite. It’s their bench that is worse than gawddamn awful. And they should have used the Posey money on a PF/Center. Dumb signing.
Michael Tiedemann on Fri, 24th Apr 2009 11:41 am
- I felt like Utah, in the first two games (namely Game Two) were in fact playing their hearts out, but still couldn’t get over that hump. Sure, their defense is lacking. And Jerry Sloan, I’m sure, is snapping because of it. And then they go out and hold the Lakers in the 80s in Game Three.
And yea, this is all without Okur, too. So, they aren’t exactly the same team.
- I feel bad for McGrady for a few reasons. Sure, he makes millions of dollars. But that’s not my point. I feel bad for him as a competitor. He’s constantly hurt and now has to undergo microfracture surgery. One thing that will always stand out in my mind was in the 2007 Playoffs after the Rockets lost in Game Seven. McGrady got to the podium and began to cry. He has a lot of pressure on his shoulders and, yes, he makes 20 million a year, but it’s hard to not feel bad for someone when they want it that much. Now his team is playing great basketball without him. That has to be a terrible feeling.
Yes, I realize that he chose surgery in March, but neither you nor I were in the room or know the relationship he has with the front office. So, I’ll reserve judgement on his decision to opt for surgery.
With your last statement, that is why I feel bad for him…because all the guy wants to do is win and now his team looks better without him. That has to hurt someone’s psyche.
- As far as the “biggest crime” comment. Obviously it won’t be the biggest crime in the world, but it would be a shame if he didn’t get the recognition he deserves. The Nuggets were barely a playoff team without him and now he’s gotten them to a 2 seed in the West. And do you ever feel as though his teammates are playing better because of him? Lots of people have differing views on what the MVP award should be.
You have the top four: LeBron, Kobe, Wade and Dwight in no particular order. And even at that, some people might not even think he deserves to be in the top five.
I think Billups, for this season, is more valuable to his team than Paul is. I don’t really buy the division stuff because everyone plays each other at some point in the season. If this was football, I’d be more inclined to agree with you. I just feel as though Billups has been the biggest reason why the Nuggets are in line to be the team that challenges the Lakers in the West.
- With Redick, I agree that he’s making it tough on himself too. I’m not really a fan of his, but he’ll find a team that can use him (the Knicks come to mind). Just with the way Lee’s been playing, it’s going to be hard for Redick to get off the bench. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him dealt in the offseason.
- Yeah, Dallas isn’t consistent at all, but they still have a lot more offensive options than the Spurs. As evidence last night.
- I respect anyone’s opinions and always will, but I really don’t think the Hornets’ starters are elite. West is a marginal power forward (undersized as well) that wouldn’t be anything without Paul (although that sort of plays in the hands of your Paul MVP argument haha). Tyson hasn’t been the same this year and who knows if he gets back to where he was. Peja is old and Butler shouldn’t be a starter.
I did read your tidbit on Paul not getting the foul calls and I agree there. Nice observation.
I agree/disagree with the Posey signing. Everywhere he goes he wins rings! Ha. But yeah, I thought they should have just let JuJu play his minutes considering he played well last year in the playoffs. A big man would definitely help.
At any rate, thanks for chiming in (no sarcasm). I’m always up for debate.