NBA Playoffs: Post Game 1 Thoughts
April 20, 2009 by dwil
Well folks, my Internet was down for some time Sunday and this morning (Time-Warner of Austin is just awful!) and will be again Tuesday (my doing, though). But since it’s up for now let me take advantage of that fact and quickly recap about the playoffs relative to my predictions.
-I said Boston in five, right? Well, they can win in five if they sweep the Bulls – and I do not feel they can or will. In my assessment of this series I wrote that the Cees had to stop one player, Derrick Rose. At the time I felt that Boston could band together to stop one player as they did to Kobe Bryant in the Finals last season.
But no. Rose blew up Rajon Rondo and Doc Rivers never employed the “picket fence” defense the Celtics used to stop Kobe. Boston will win Game 2 ut what will happen when they get to Chi-town? Boy the Cees miss KG, especially on the defensive end of the floor (well, both ends because the Bulls have no one who can stop Garnett). And Ray-Ray needs to get his head on straight…. 1-12?!
-Did I say Cleveland would sweep the Pistons? I did – and they will. Detroit is in need of an overhaul and the Cavs will hasten the process. Joe Dumars has a tough task ahead.
And LB is a beast.
-In the end, Dallas was more resilient than San Antonio in Game 1. Or maybe Dallas was just that much younger than the Spurs. I think it was actually the latter. Tim Duncan needs a rest and though Tony Parker is young, because of all the Spurs’ deep playoff runs over the years Parker is aging in dog years. Bruce Bowen is showing his age to the point where he might be released before next season begins.
After watching San Antonio slow in the second half I now can see that the Spurs will not win this series. I know, you’re saying it’s only one game but when you lose at home like the Spurs did the writing is on the wall. Dallas will defeat San Antonio.
-Damn Houston looked good, huh? And guess what – maybe this is a scoop, maybe not, but Tracy McGrady is done in Houston. Now that Yao Ming is the Rockets featured offensive weapon, they look like a different team. They understand who to go to and how to play around him. And Yao is responding in kind and showing that he is a dominant offensive force. And because the Rockets can “d” up entire teams, Portland is in deep poop.
-The Lakers coasted in the second half and won by 13. AB looked about of shape and LA won by 13. Kobe was average – for Kobe – and the Lakers won by 13. LO was not forced to assert himself on either end of the floor and LA won by 13. Sasha “The Machine” was not forced to come off the bench and provide a spark to the team and the Lakers won by 13. Deron Williams obviously learned from the Chris Paul School of Flop and fell down every time and LA defender breathed on him and LA won by 13.
Jerry Sloan was right when he said, when it comes to playing LA, the outlook was bleak for his team.
-Shaq is no dummy. Stan Van is the master of panic. Orlando must win Game 2 to win this series. And even then, the players will have to bail out their coach. If Philly can keep its cool they will upset the not-so Magic. Stan Van, how do ou let your teams blow and 18-point 4th Q lead? Oh, pull the starters too early and fail to pound the ball to D-How late in the game. Okay Stan Van – gotcha.
-I wrote, Atlanta in six. After Game 1 it looks like the ATL in a sweep. This was not a case of “we didn’t put forth the effort.” This was a case of Miami not having enough talent to beat the Hawks. And if Joe Johnson steps up his game – Cleveland watch out.
-I‘ve said it before and I will continue to say it – Chris Paul is a punk. Paul personally instigated the chippy play Sunday night with his antics. Paul not only flopped continuously but had the nerve to get an attitude with both the referring crew and the Nuggets players. And how Carmelo Anthony was called for a foul when Tyson Chandler veered sharply and ran Melo over, I’ll never know; to say the officiating in the Denver New Orleans game was spotty is being kind.
In this series the scenario is this: if Paul is feted and treated like an untouchable, the Hornets will upset Denver. If the refs officiate the game as it happens and not as Paul or head coach Byron Scott say it’s happening, Denver wins.
But I must say, I sure did enjoy the Denver players busting Paul’s chops, talking smack to him, having Scot be Forced to hide him on defense, and Chauncey Billups making Paul look like the media creation he is. Oh, and did I mention that Paul – and Deron Wiliams – palm the ball more blatantly than any other player – other than Williams – in the Lig.? And do not dare give me the, “Oh but ‘so-and-so’ palms the ball, too (probably Kobe haters or AI watchers – dude does carry it, though).” Paul and Williams somehow manage to split double teams off the pick-and-roll in one dribble. They will dribble once or twice just before making their cut, but when they make that final sharp cut left or right – usually right – to split the defenders off the screener, they hold the ball and do not dribble until they are through the double. Watch it for yourselves next time.
Anyway Paul must have stellar games for the Hornets to win and Denver has enough defenders to slow CPIII’s progress. This is still going to be a tough series, don’t let Game 1 fool you.
1. I thought Boston would win as well. They can still win. While its obvious they miss KG defensively, they also miss his ability to space the floor and keep folks honest offensively. He creates open shoots and operating room for everyone.
2. Atlanta looks good — but I’m waiting to see if they go for the jugular or if they allow Miami to win a game. We’ll see how focused they are based on how long this series goes.
3. I don’t think it matters what Chris Paul does in this series. I wouldn’t call him a punk as much as a theatrical personality. He plays physically and instigates contact…he also plays the refs and tries to intimidate the opposition. That doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to step outside. With that said, New Orleans simply can’t score in this series. David West can’t play over the top of Martin or Nene or Anderson — much less against all of them at the same time. They have to move him to different spots on the floor — perhaps more catch and shoot stuff to get a rhythm.
4. I still ike Portland — though the Steve Blake factor is killing me. The kids looked a bit overwhelmed in Game 1. I think they just need to get their bearings. Houston is prone to lose games they’re supposed to win — and we KNOW this team cannot stand prosperity.
BTW — I would love to see Cleveland and Atlanta. Without KG, that may be the only comp left in the East.
The troubling thing for Boston is that if this is how they play at home, how are they going to look in Chicago?
Boston is going to need more of an effort from Ray Ray and the reserves if they don’t want an early exit.
Atlanta looked like they could play with any team in the playoffs.
It’s over for the Pistons. Joe D better start looking at who they are going to draft, and who they need to get from this free agent class.
The Lakers cruise a little too much for my taste. The rest of the players, besides Kobe need to get that killer instinct.
Yep, Tracy McGrady is definitely gone. His team gets to the second round this year, but he didn’t even lead them there.
I still think that San Antonio and Dallas are going to go at least six. Who wins, that’s a toss up.
I saw an interview where CP3 said one of his heroes was Isiah Thomas. Too bad he’s taken all the wrong lessons from Zeke’s playing days. Instead of trying to get into opponents heads by annoying them, maybe he should be more vocal in leading his team, instead of trying to turn them into the modern day bad boys. And yes, I noticed that he and Williams carry almost every time they make their moves off a pick and roll. Chauncey is showing the young guy that sometimes it’s better to just shut up and play. Nuggets are taking this one.
kos –
I have to disagree with you on CP3 and Zeke. I think that’s exactly what Isiah did as a player. He was a phenomenal talent and he was tough and he was irritating and he cried to the refs…and so what? Most great players cry to the refs because they’re getting hammered all the damn time anyway. Kareem did it. Magic did it. Kobe does it.
We know that Isiah wasn’t afraid to go outside — so if you didn’t like what he was doing on the court — he wasn’t going to run from a little scrap.
Don’t you wish you were on the court for that game against Utah when he ate John Stockton ALIVE and all Karl Malone could do was shelve his brain for his brawn? Didn’t matter, did it?
I agree that the carrying thing is just a little damned annoying…it minimizes some of the natural exuberance of a “great move.” Mr. Big Shot is doin’ his thang.
“Portland is in deep poop”
My sentiments exactly!
can’t see Phile winning this over 7. guards and shooters will come and go, but Dwight will get his every game. Dalembert needs to lift some weights… or morph with Reggie Evans
Oh but Jamal Crawford palms the ball, too!
T3 -
Laker hater or just remember that I’m a Laker fan? First thing I noticed is all the players that you picked who whined were Lakers! Yeah, Zeke whined, but Paul just takes it to ridiculous levels. I remember the little things that Zeke would do to needle opposing guards. It just seems that Paul makes it the focus of his game. Another difference, I don’t see Paul willing to mix it up with anybody straight up. Remember what he did against Julius Hodge in college? Zeke would at least do something, then wait for his boys to rush in! Paul’s teammates aren’t going to rush to his defense like that! I think that folks have let Paul get away with it for so long, maybe it’s him having the baby face and all, that it’s become part of his game.
And YES, I remember when Karl Malone ended Zeke’s career. He was never the same after that blow. One of the most memorable events in the NBA during the ’90′s.
I tend to agree with Dwill on CP3. He flops a little bit much for my tastes which I don’t think is necessary for him because he seems like a physically strong player. In any event, it’s not going to matter much what he does in this series because they don’t have the dogs to run with Denver
Although I wasn’t convinced that the Bulls were going to give the C’s much competition-at the same time I didn’t think the C’s were going to get out of the second round. After game one it should be abundantly clear that KG was the straw that stirred this team. Paul Pierce is a stellar talent but he is kind of a whiner. Ray Allen is a spot up shooter who appears to need 3 rounds of playoff basketball to get into his groove. No, KG was the leader of this team and without him they don’t have the heart to make it past the 2nd round. They may still beat the Bulls but that proposition is becoming iffy.
Orlando was suspect coming into this series and the fact they struggled and lost against the Sixers(!) simply means that the Cavs have it even easier on the way to the Finals.
Lakers lucked out getting Shannon Brown in the Radmonovich trade. He is a big guard who can play some D, hit some jumpers and is pretty athletic. See ya Farmar-it’s been real. With Fisher going out early with foul trouble he looked pretty good. Boozer who has seemed to be a bit of a dog lately actuall played pretty good but the Lakers just cruised to a victory. It seemed like they were always13 points ahead no matter what Utah did.
Welcome to the playoffs Portland. I should give props to Roy though because he seemed to be the only one willing to play to the bitter end scoring on any and everybody the Rockets threw at him. I’m sure he was furiously texting his teammates at the conclusion of the Sixers/Magic bout: “See!?! See!!?” Also,
Mutumbo has looked to be “40 something” years old for the past 20 years. That guy doesn’t age. Good black don’t crack!
Atlanta v. Miami met expectations
about the CP3 discussion, it is not just isiah, but many of the great ones. MJ used to cry all day to the officials, and would manipulate the hell out of them. does anyone remember the finals with seattle when he berated an official in a way that would have gotten Rasheed wallace suspended for life! Jordan palmed, complained, manipulated, and everything. And he got away with it. he stroked all of the officials before the game too.
D-Wil and I have discussed this many times off-line, and while we agree on his analysis, I just think the CP3 is not the main guy deserving of the blame, but the officials. Paul is a competitor who will try to win by any means necessary. The flopping and falling after every shot can be annoying as hell, but if the refs let him flop a few times with no call, then that shit will begin to stop. It is that simple. Flopping is the worst thing going on right now to the game of the NBA. It ain’t new, but the art-form has been refined.
I must admit that I am also more tolerant of the little guys gaming the system then the big guys (see Vlade). Having said that, i called reggie miller a “little punk” (and worse) more than a few times as he flopped away during those battles against the Knicks. BTW, I’m still waiting for that foul call as he threw Greg Anthony to the ground before hitting that second 3-pointer to tie game #1.
Oh yeah, as far as palming goes in the NBA, it’s the new walking. Everyone does it, and everyone gets away with it. They let players in the early 90′s get away with it regularly, and didn’t start calling it often until Iverson came along. Now, they enforce it more, but still nowhere near as much as they should.
I’m still a DWill fan.
maybe i dreamed this, but wasn’t the nba going to institute fines for flopping this season? i seem to remember flopping being a big discussion in last year’s playoffs and the leagues response was that they would look into fining habitual floppers. was anyone ever fined? did they just say that and then realized that there budding stars are the worst offenders and then just pretended to never address the issue in the first place?
Dang brotha Dwil whats up with all the hate on CP3……..LOL!!!
Anyway I understand where you are coming from but I still have to give the kid props. He is a hell of a player.
In saying that he is no more different then lil guys like zeke or Stockton who would punch you in the nuts and then pretend like they were innocent lil boys when someone called them out.
Zeke and stockton were some of the biggest punks on the court.
As far as carrying man D-wade is my by but he is a carrying machine. Carrying is just a modern part of the game. Its in all levels, college, NBA, Fiba and Euroleague.
Hell I watch Euroleague games and dudes carry their @sses off and they call it over there even less then in the NBA. They might crack down on traveling, but carrying is allowed like it ain’t sh&^ over there.
Shoot don’t even let me get started on dudes like Rubio and arroyo who carry their @sses off overseas.
I remember talking to some older kats around my dads age (in their late 50s) and I asked them about carries and traveling in the NBA and when did this all started. Many of them stated that the league had been laxing rules since the late 70s. It wasn’t as obvious as it is today………but they certainly let traveling and walking occur. They’re reasoning was that the league wanted to make the game more fluid and flashy for the times.
Oh and like Modi said……….Reggie Miller flopped his @ss off in his career. Not to mention his little kick his legs out when shooting a jumper. Flopping has been going on in the league for years. Shoot I still say Dennis Rodman is the greatest flopper of all time. With Lambeer and Vlade tyed for 2nd.
Oh and Modi I know you ain’t calling MJ out for Palming or crying to the ref.
With Ewing and his hop skip hop shoot from the free throw line….LOL!!!!
It trips me out how some players get calls for their signature moves.
Remember Chuck Person doing the hop before he shot the ball. LOL!!!
Hakeem with his travel or double pivot foot.
Also I am glad that Webber said that the magic never look for Howard and are unable to pass the ball.
I have been saying this for the last 2 years.
And the fact that Barkley must have been reading my mind when I said that Vangundy needs to give Howard the ball late in the forth QTR.
I had this same discussion with MODI earlier this year.
Also I think that the portland trailblazers are the perfect matchup for yao. Remember this is the first playoff series in which he doesn’t have to play defense.
Now lets think about this………2005 he played the mavs in playoffs, 2004 he played the lakers and 2007 he played the jazz.
In 2004 he couldn’t hold shaq, 2005 the mavs went small and he couldn’t guard dirk and got his sh&^ blocked by Diop. In 2007 Kirilenko and Okur treated Yao like a wh*&^^. Plus he couldn’t guard Okur outside. So they put him on Boozer who treated Yao like a scond rate team in the ACC.
While Tracy was getting the heat for these playoff loses Yao received no blame. Especially when he had Boozer looking like a future hall of famer.
Remember in 2005 if Yao just gave the Rockets something in that playoffs they would have beat the Mavs. Realize dirk was being guarded by Tracy the whole series. Not only that but T-mac was putting up like 30 ppg and holding dirk to like 21 ppg. But on the other end Yao was getting guarded by Damp, Diop and Dirk. When the mavs would make a run in the 4th Avry would have Dirk guard Yao for long stretches.
Plus Mcgrady was the offensive facilitator because Alston was getting stripped and D up by Harris and the other young Mavs. So tracy had to bring the ball up the court. By the end of the 4th QTR he would be fatigued. The same thing happened in 2007 against the jazz.
All I know is that Yao has gotten a free pass from the media. I know that they don’t want to upset the 1 billion potential customers in his homeland but this is insane. Especially when you take into account that Yao lost in the first round even before Tracy got there.
Anyway in saying that the Rockets are a dumb organization. All of this could have been solved if they just have kept that pick instead of trading it for Battier.
They would have been out of the first round with Rudy Guy, T-mac and Yao.
Because of Yao and T-mac being the most injury prone and bad conditioned stars ever to lay foot in the NBA. They always needed another superstar/all-star to play next to them.
And no matter if the Rockets beat portland or not. This still will be the case.
A Few Thoughts:
It looks like Cleveland should have a cake walk to the finals in the East. I don’t think they could beat a healthy Boston team. It might have gone to 7 games but I think the Celtics would have beaten them. As for Detroit I know Joe Dumars was looking for cap space when he traded for AI and his expiring contract but man I just don’t see it when it comes to Rodney Stuckey. Why not just keep Chauncey and try to sign a big this off season when Rasheed comes off the books. Stuckey has potential but he isn’t doesn’t seem like an elite type guard. Maybe Joe thinks he’ll be another Brandon Roy but I don’t see it in him. Roy seems hungry and driven while Stuckey looks like he is cruising.
I heard somebody say years ago that a great big man usually dominates from the rip. This guy was saying that great big men usually have an immediate impact but does anyone think Yao is a dominant big man? He is a damn good ball player but when you think of dominating big men you think of Shaq and Dwight Howard. He lacks presence. I’m feeling you Origin on McGrady but and his lack of support but that cat never seemed hungry to me. He just seems like he is content to cruise and get his 20 and 6.
Speaking of the Rockets and their series with Portland, why doesn’t Nate McMillan just turn Greg Oden loose and let him play. They are treating this cat like he is fine china. He can’t develop if he doesn’t play.
I hear you Mactown. I was never saying that T-Ma didn’t deserve blame. Which he deserves plenty. I was just stating how the 1st overall pick a 7’6″ big man was getting a free pass year after year.
Yet it was him who was coming up short in the playoffs and not giving Mcgrady help.
Yao is a very good big man but isn’t dominate. I just think its his personality and I am not refering to him being from China. The word is that he never wanted to play basketball, he was a product of 2 of the tallest if not the tallest couple in China. They were basketball players from the national team. And that Yao was always monitored and once he got older the government basically came to his folks asking for Yao.
A similiar person is Dampier (not saying he is Yao, he couldn’t hold his jock). Dampier was always tall and was talked into playing basketball. He never actually wanted to. Actually his brother was suppose to be the one that went to the pros.
But who knows maybe I am over analyzing these kats. They just seem like the usual gentle giants to me.
Even though Dampier talks all that noise about knocking parker down. We all know that dude won’t hurt a fly.