Out of the 16 NBA playoff teams, the Dallas Mavericks definitely have the worst coach. Avery Johnson let his guys blow game 1 in New Orleans, and I place all of the blame on him.
The Mavs maintained a comfortable 10-point lead for much of the first half, and to be honest, they weren't even playing that well. The Hornets were looking like the most overrated playoff team, and I was feeling good about my prediction for the series.
Then, Avery allowed Chris Paul to explode. Everyone in the world knows that Jason Kidd can't defend anymore, and yet there he was covering CP3 on about half of the Hornets' possessions. Josh Howard or Devean George should have been guarding CP3 on every possession -- no exceptions, not even on switches. Paul did his thing in the third quarter, and it was all over from there.
Offensively, the Mavs reflected zero preparation and preparedness. Jerry Stackhouse attempted six or seven heavily contested shots, and Kidd wasn't making an effort to get Jason Terry involved. When the Mavs made their run to the NBA Finals two years ago, Terry was clearly the No. 2 option behind Dirk Nowitzki. Now, he's lucky if he's the fourth option. Put two-and-two together Avery -- get Terry some more looks.
The camera shows Avery calling plays from the sideline, and when it flashes back to the action, none of the Mavs appear to be listening or carrying out Johnson's requests. That's not a good sign. The Mavs dumbed it all the way down to, "Let's just dump it in to Dirk every time and put all of the pressure on him" during the second half. Step in and shake things up, Avery!
Then there's Eddie Jordan and the Wizards. I swear his players don't even know he exists. There is no way the Cavs should have pulled out game 1 -- everyone but LeBron was awful or worse. Arenas spent the final four minutes of the game playing one-on-one (the preferred offensive strategy of every Wizard) and tossing up wild, contested runners in the lane.
Move the ball around! Set some screens, get some player movement, pick and roll, something. Jeez. They were really tough to watch down the stretch. Granted, Antawn Jamison probably should have capitalized on some of the clean looks he had in the final quarter; but most of those looks came in one pass-quick shot fashion. Brendan Haywood was a force in the first half, how about a pick and roll to get him another point-blank attempt at the rim?
Nope. I don't know if Haywood was even on the floor. Didn't seem like it. Arenas was playing 1-on-5; this is the playoffs, do something Eddie Jordan!
Well, what did I learn this weekend?
I should probably be having second thoughts about my predictions of victory for the Mavericks and Wizards. Thanks Avery. Thanks Eddie. You both suck.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Gotta Love the NBA Playoffs
C'mon, you have to be pumped about the NBA playoffs. It's been a highly entertaining and competitive regular season, and it'll only get better in the postseason.
I have to admit, I'm a little upset about some of the first round match-ups -- particularly Suns/Spurs and Mavericks/Hornets. The Suns and Spurs are two of the top four teams in the entire league (along with the Celtics and Lakers), so it sucks that one of them will leave us before the second round. Would have loved to see a Western final four of Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Jazz; but the match-ups clearly don't allow for that.
Mavs/Hornets bothers me because I don't like either team. The Mavs put me to sleep a large majority of the time, but I do like Dirk's fire of late. I still feel like the Hornets have been pulling the wool over everyone's eyes all season. CP3 ceaselessly came up with big plays during the regular season, but we all know the playoffs are a totally different story. The Mavs won't hesitate to force him to shoot from the perimeter. That's where CP3 struggled in international play a couple of years back; but of course, he's improved his touch since then.
I'll side with the Mavs on this one, because I have a tendency to support the underdog. Hey, who didn't love the Warriors last postseason? The Mavs have switched roles, dropping from then-No. 1 to No. 7 today, but perhaps that will work in their favor. The old no expectations = less pressure idea. There's no question that Paul will outplay Jason Kidd, but to what extent? Plus you have to like Dirk-Josh Howard-Jason Terry over David West-Peja Stojakovic-Morris Peterson. It shall be interesting, but I trust Dirk this time around. Mavs it is.
Wizards/Cavs should be the most competitive series. DeShawn Stevenson is talkin' shit about LeBron and the Cavs, and I like that. It's probably not great for the Wizards that LeBron is going to be pumped, but it's a pleasure for us as fans. The games will be tight and the intensity of the LeBron/DeShawn match-up should be entertaining. Of course LeBron will be the most effective player in the series, but don't underestimate Stevenson -- he's a scrappy defender. If he can get into LeBron's head (like he did in a regular season game earlier this year) for a couple of the series' games, the Wizards can steal victories.
Don't forget that "Agent Zero" is back for Washington. Gilbert is taking less wild shots, too -- a big plus. Of course the issues with the Wizards are always their non-existent defense (with the exception of Stevenson) and the fact that Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are all one-on-one offensive players. There's really no such thing as "continuity" when it comes to the Wizards' offense. But sometimes talent is all that's necessary for victory. The Wizards' roster boasts far superior talent than the Cavs'. It's a coin toss, but I'm taking the Wizards.
First Round Winner Predictions:
West: Lakers, Suns, Mavs, Jazz
East: Celtics, Pistons, Wizards, Magic
Time to leave and take advantage of the spring weather. Enjoy tomorrow's first round games.
I have to admit, I'm a little upset about some of the first round match-ups -- particularly Suns/Spurs and Mavericks/Hornets. The Suns and Spurs are two of the top four teams in the entire league (along with the Celtics and Lakers), so it sucks that one of them will leave us before the second round. Would have loved to see a Western final four of Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Jazz; but the match-ups clearly don't allow for that.
Mavs/Hornets bothers me because I don't like either team. The Mavs put me to sleep a large majority of the time, but I do like Dirk's fire of late. I still feel like the Hornets have been pulling the wool over everyone's eyes all season. CP3 ceaselessly came up with big plays during the regular season, but we all know the playoffs are a totally different story. The Mavs won't hesitate to force him to shoot from the perimeter. That's where CP3 struggled in international play a couple of years back; but of course, he's improved his touch since then.
I'll side with the Mavs on this one, because I have a tendency to support the underdog. Hey, who didn't love the Warriors last postseason? The Mavs have switched roles, dropping from then-No. 1 to No. 7 today, but perhaps that will work in their favor. The old no expectations = less pressure idea. There's no question that Paul will outplay Jason Kidd, but to what extent? Plus you have to like Dirk-Josh Howard-Jason Terry over David West-Peja Stojakovic-Morris Peterson. It shall be interesting, but I trust Dirk this time around. Mavs it is.
Wizards/Cavs should be the most competitive series. DeShawn Stevenson is talkin' shit about LeBron and the Cavs, and I like that. It's probably not great for the Wizards that LeBron is going to be pumped, but it's a pleasure for us as fans. The games will be tight and the intensity of the LeBron/DeShawn match-up should be entertaining. Of course LeBron will be the most effective player in the series, but don't underestimate Stevenson -- he's a scrappy defender. If he can get into LeBron's head (like he did in a regular season game earlier this year) for a couple of the series' games, the Wizards can steal victories.
Don't forget that "Agent Zero" is back for Washington. Gilbert is taking less wild shots, too -- a big plus. Of course the issues with the Wizards are always their non-existent defense (with the exception of Stevenson) and the fact that Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are all one-on-one offensive players. There's really no such thing as "continuity" when it comes to the Wizards' offense. But sometimes talent is all that's necessary for victory. The Wizards' roster boasts far superior talent than the Cavs'. It's a coin toss, but I'm taking the Wizards.
First Round Winner Predictions:
West: Lakers, Suns, Mavs, Jazz
East: Celtics, Pistons, Wizards, Magic
Time to leave and take advantage of the spring weather. Enjoy tomorrow's first round games.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The NBA's Top 10 Players (Updated)
Earlier this season -- on Feb. 15 to be exact -- I made a top 10 list. For those of you who are (understandably) too lazy to follow the link to it, I'll refresh your memory: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Yao Ming, and Amare Stoudemire -- in that order.
Well, Yao and D-Wade are out for the season, so we can say goodbye to them. Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand and Jermaine O'Neal have all returned from injury since last time, but none of them have earned a spot on this new list. So who gets to join the rest of the big guns? You'll have to read on and see.
#1-Kobe Bryant, SG-Los Angeles Lakers
Nothing has happened in the past month and a half that would change Kobe's position on this list. In fact, throw in a recent 53-point game (with nine threes) and the Lakers' success even without both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, and everything is looking up for Mr. Bryant.
He's the most well-rounded offensive player in the NBA, a phenomenal defensive player, his team is winning out west, and he already has three rings to his name. He's the man right now, no doubt.
#2-LeBron James, SF-Cleveland Cavs
Same deal here with "King James." He's doing everything he can to keep his mediocre Cleveland teammates in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, and for this list's purposes he remains a step behind Kobe. Like Kobe, Bron Bron is virtually unstoppable offensively; but, he doesn't defend nearly as well as Kobe, and his outside shooting is clearly less consistent.
Of course he's still extremely young, but it's tough to occupy that No. 1 spot without a championship ring on your finger. Gotta prove it to me. I don't doubt LeBron, but being in the inferior Eastern Conference, he may have to show me a title before he can truly approach Kobe.
#3-Kevin Garnett, PF-Boston Celtics
Here's where the changes begin. This guy is such an incredible player. I've had the pleasure of watching him on a game-to-game basis for the first time this season, and I've been immeasurably impressed.
KG is everything you can ask for in a franchise player -- he has size, length, a soft touch, post moves, scores in the mid-range, blocks shots, gets in passing lanes, passes well, is unselfish, and makes his free throws. He is a great teammate -- Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have to be loving this. I'll be honest with you, every time I see Garnett it seems like he can score any time he wants. He can pivot both right and left, shoot upright, hit fadeaways, step-ups, leaners -- he's just a machine.
And yet, he always keeps his teammates involved. KG knows when it comes down to it, teams are going to double him in big spots. Those teammates -- Pierce, Allen, Eddie House and James Posey -- are going to have to knock down clutch shots. Those shooters are all playing with confidence, thanks to Garnett.
#4-Chris Paul, PG-New Orleans Hornets
All right, I'm sold. It's hard to give "CP3" his due because I want Kobe to win MVP, and I've been sticking up for Nash all season -- but the kid is just relentless. He refuses to let his teammates down, making plays in key spots over, and over, and over.
Unfortunately for my feelings, CP3 is probably deserving of the MVP award. Even though Kobe is the best player in the world, and his team has played well this season, Paul is doing more with less. Yes, Gasol came over late, and Bynum has been out for a large portion of the year, but the Lakers are an exceptionally deep team.
The same cannot be said of the Hornets. Tyson Chandler has to play an obscene amount of minutes because the other options are Hilton Armstrong and Melvin Ely. Morris Peterson is still the starting shooting guard, and he's been pretty close to terrible from start-to-finish.
Yet there are the Hornets, always hovering at or around that No. 1 spot in the West. CP3 is killin it. David West is an excellent No. 2 option, but Paul deserves the vast majority of the credit. Some kudos to Byron Scott, though. Wish you were still with my Nets. What a travesty.
#5-Steve Nash, PG-Phoenix Suns
It's official, after an impressively long run at the top of the list, Mr. Nash is now the second-best point guard in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, it's still extremely close with CP3.
The reason for the slight demotion? The separation between Nash and Amare Stoudemire is shrinking. It's almost to the point where Amare is the best player on the Suns -- he's that good right now. Nash is still the man, controlling the tempo and creating all of the easy opportunities for his teammates, but he's not quite as dominant as the four players ahead of him on this list. Yea, David West is a great player -- but he's light years behind CP3. Amare, on the other hand, is right there behind Nash.
Plus, CP3 is an amazing defender. We all know Nash is always the worst defender on this list. If defense is one of the key tiebreakers between Kobe and LeBron, that has to hold true here with Paul and Nash.
#6-Tim Duncan, PF-San Antonio Spurs
Like Nash, I see the separation between Duncan and his top teammates shrinking. In the past month and a half, there have been plenty of nights where Manu Ginobili looked like the best player on the Spurs. Of course, in the long run Duncan is still their guy -- that's why he's No. 6 and Ginobili isn't on the list.
Yes, Timmy has the rings that LeBron, KG, CP3 and Nash don't, but simply put -- he's just not better than those guys right now. I could see merit to an argument placing Duncan over Nash, but that's it. There's just no way he's better than Kobe, LeBron, KG or CP3. Duncan is older, less explosive and less dominant on a nightly basis.
But he's still the "Big Fundamental," and the Spurs are right up at the top of the conference again. As long as the Spurs keep winning, it'll be impossible to keep Timmy off this list. He's just sinking down a bit with age.
#7-Amare Stoudemire, PF-Phoenix Suns
He's such a beast. He puts up 30 and 10 more than anyone -- it seems like he does it almost every game. Amare's No. 6 in the league in scoring right now, and that's only because the NBA chooses to keep Wade active in the rankings. But for the purposes of this list, Amare's the No. 5 scorer in the NBA.
Amare plays above the rim, he dunks on everyone, he's efficient at the foul line, a great mid-range shooter, good shotblocker, and his athleticism is absolutely off the charts. He's certainly closing in on Duncan.
#8-Dirk Nowitzki, PF-Dallas Mavericks
As much as I keep wanting to force him off this list, Dirk keeps holding on for dear life. He's still probably the most unique basketball player in the universe, and with the exception of Josh Howard's week of dominance, the Mavericks have been relying on Dirk more than ever. His immense value was clearly shown during the Mavs's skid in his injury absence.
He's probably the second-worst defender in the top 10, but there's little he can't do offensively. Dirk's straight deadly inside of the three-point line. He has great footwork, a high release and seems comfortable from any angle.
#9-Allen Iverson, SG-Denver Nuggets
Welcome aboard, AI. "The Answer" has been hovering just outside of my top 10 for quite awhile. He'd probably still be on the outside looking in if Yao and D-Wade were healthy, but hey, they aren't. Iverson, on the other hand, is always durable and consistently plays through pain.
Iverson remains one of the premier players at crunch time. He's expressionless in the fourth quarter, and he plays it like any other quarter. AI has no fear -- or at the very least, he never appears nervous. He's a Hall of Fame scorer and his Nuggets are outplaying Baron Davis' Warriors right now, that's why AI is getting the nod. Carmelo Anthony isn't quite as reliable in clutch situations, so Iverson is the top Nugget.
#10-Baron Davis, PG-Golden State Warriors
I always talk about "The Baron" in my posts so I'll keep this one relatively short. It's astonishing that B Diddy has the Warriors in contention again with absolutely no inside presence. But, if they do eventually miss out on the playoffs, this spot may have to go to Dwight Howard or Deron Williams. We'll see.
Well, Yao and D-Wade are out for the season, so we can say goodbye to them. Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand and Jermaine O'Neal have all returned from injury since last time, but none of them have earned a spot on this new list. So who gets to join the rest of the big guns? You'll have to read on and see.
#1-Kobe Bryant, SG-Los Angeles Lakers
Nothing has happened in the past month and a half that would change Kobe's position on this list. In fact, throw in a recent 53-point game (with nine threes) and the Lakers' success even without both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, and everything is looking up for Mr. Bryant.
He's the most well-rounded offensive player in the NBA, a phenomenal defensive player, his team is winning out west, and he already has three rings to his name. He's the man right now, no doubt.
#2-LeBron James, SF-Cleveland Cavs
Same deal here with "King James." He's doing everything he can to keep his mediocre Cleveland teammates in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, and for this list's purposes he remains a step behind Kobe. Like Kobe, Bron Bron is virtually unstoppable offensively; but, he doesn't defend nearly as well as Kobe, and his outside shooting is clearly less consistent.
Of course he's still extremely young, but it's tough to occupy that No. 1 spot without a championship ring on your finger. Gotta prove it to me. I don't doubt LeBron, but being in the inferior Eastern Conference, he may have to show me a title before he can truly approach Kobe.
#3-Kevin Garnett, PF-Boston Celtics
Here's where the changes begin. This guy is such an incredible player. I've had the pleasure of watching him on a game-to-game basis for the first time this season, and I've been immeasurably impressed.
KG is everything you can ask for in a franchise player -- he has size, length, a soft touch, post moves, scores in the mid-range, blocks shots, gets in passing lanes, passes well, is unselfish, and makes his free throws. He is a great teammate -- Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have to be loving this. I'll be honest with you, every time I see Garnett it seems like he can score any time he wants. He can pivot both right and left, shoot upright, hit fadeaways, step-ups, leaners -- he's just a machine.
And yet, he always keeps his teammates involved. KG knows when it comes down to it, teams are going to double him in big spots. Those teammates -- Pierce, Allen, Eddie House and James Posey -- are going to have to knock down clutch shots. Those shooters are all playing with confidence, thanks to Garnett.
#4-Chris Paul, PG-New Orleans Hornets
All right, I'm sold. It's hard to give "CP3" his due because I want Kobe to win MVP, and I've been sticking up for Nash all season -- but the kid is just relentless. He refuses to let his teammates down, making plays in key spots over, and over, and over.
Unfortunately for my feelings, CP3 is probably deserving of the MVP award. Even though Kobe is the best player in the world, and his team has played well this season, Paul is doing more with less. Yes, Gasol came over late, and Bynum has been out for a large portion of the year, but the Lakers are an exceptionally deep team.
The same cannot be said of the Hornets. Tyson Chandler has to play an obscene amount of minutes because the other options are Hilton Armstrong and Melvin Ely. Morris Peterson is still the starting shooting guard, and he's been pretty close to terrible from start-to-finish.
Yet there are the Hornets, always hovering at or around that No. 1 spot in the West. CP3 is killin it. David West is an excellent No. 2 option, but Paul deserves the vast majority of the credit. Some kudos to Byron Scott, though. Wish you were still with my Nets. What a travesty.
#5-Steve Nash, PG-Phoenix Suns
It's official, after an impressively long run at the top of the list, Mr. Nash is now the second-best point guard in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, it's still extremely close with CP3.
The reason for the slight demotion? The separation between Nash and Amare Stoudemire is shrinking. It's almost to the point where Amare is the best player on the Suns -- he's that good right now. Nash is still the man, controlling the tempo and creating all of the easy opportunities for his teammates, but he's not quite as dominant as the four players ahead of him on this list. Yea, David West is a great player -- but he's light years behind CP3. Amare, on the other hand, is right there behind Nash.
Plus, CP3 is an amazing defender. We all know Nash is always the worst defender on this list. If defense is one of the key tiebreakers between Kobe and LeBron, that has to hold true here with Paul and Nash.
#6-Tim Duncan, PF-San Antonio Spurs
Like Nash, I see the separation between Duncan and his top teammates shrinking. In the past month and a half, there have been plenty of nights where Manu Ginobili looked like the best player on the Spurs. Of course, in the long run Duncan is still their guy -- that's why he's No. 6 and Ginobili isn't on the list.
Yes, Timmy has the rings that LeBron, KG, CP3 and Nash don't, but simply put -- he's just not better than those guys right now. I could see merit to an argument placing Duncan over Nash, but that's it. There's just no way he's better than Kobe, LeBron, KG or CP3. Duncan is older, less explosive and less dominant on a nightly basis.
But he's still the "Big Fundamental," and the Spurs are right up at the top of the conference again. As long as the Spurs keep winning, it'll be impossible to keep Timmy off this list. He's just sinking down a bit with age.
#7-Amare Stoudemire, PF-Phoenix Suns
He's such a beast. He puts up 30 and 10 more than anyone -- it seems like he does it almost every game. Amare's No. 6 in the league in scoring right now, and that's only because the NBA chooses to keep Wade active in the rankings. But for the purposes of this list, Amare's the No. 5 scorer in the NBA.
Amare plays above the rim, he dunks on everyone, he's efficient at the foul line, a great mid-range shooter, good shotblocker, and his athleticism is absolutely off the charts. He's certainly closing in on Duncan.
#8-Dirk Nowitzki, PF-Dallas Mavericks
As much as I keep wanting to force him off this list, Dirk keeps holding on for dear life. He's still probably the most unique basketball player in the universe, and with the exception of Josh Howard's week of dominance, the Mavericks have been relying on Dirk more than ever. His immense value was clearly shown during the Mavs's skid in his injury absence.
He's probably the second-worst defender in the top 10, but there's little he can't do offensively. Dirk's straight deadly inside of the three-point line. He has great footwork, a high release and seems comfortable from any angle.
#9-Allen Iverson, SG-Denver Nuggets
Welcome aboard, AI. "The Answer" has been hovering just outside of my top 10 for quite awhile. He'd probably still be on the outside looking in if Yao and D-Wade were healthy, but hey, they aren't. Iverson, on the other hand, is always durable and consistently plays through pain.
Iverson remains one of the premier players at crunch time. He's expressionless in the fourth quarter, and he plays it like any other quarter. AI has no fear -- or at the very least, he never appears nervous. He's a Hall of Fame scorer and his Nuggets are outplaying Baron Davis' Warriors right now, that's why AI is getting the nod. Carmelo Anthony isn't quite as reliable in clutch situations, so Iverson is the top Nugget.
#10-Baron Davis, PG-Golden State Warriors
I always talk about "The Baron" in my posts so I'll keep this one relatively short. It's astonishing that B Diddy has the Warriors in contention again with absolutely no inside presence. But, if they do eventually miss out on the playoffs, this spot may have to go to Dwight Howard or Deron Williams. We'll see.
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