NBA: 10 Things To Look Forward To

Finally basketball fans, the NBA season has started! On the first day, the Lakers looked dominant, Celtics won at home, Lebron lost again, and Derrick Rose is starting at point for the Bulls. Here is my list of things to look forward to this 2008-09 season:

1. The Lakers have two 7-footers in their starting lineup, Lamar leading the second squad, the deepest bench in the league, and Kobe Bryant. If they can stay healthy, I predict a 64-win season and the title.

2. Beantown just hung another banner in their historic stadium. Are the Celtics still hungry? And how will they deal with the loss of their best perimeter defender (how are they going to slow down Kobe?)?

3. Baron Davis is back in his hometown and playing for another historically bad team. Will he and Camby miraculously lead the Clippers to the playoffs?

4. The 76ers solidified their lineup with the addition of a healthy Elton Brand. Will the 76ers live up to their hype and challenge Boston for the Eastern crown?

5. There's was a reason to be excited in Portland, but he has the durability (and face) of a 55 year old man. After being manhandled in the opener versus the Lakers and losing Oden to injury, can Portland live up to the hype?

6. The Chicago Bulls looked like a huge mess during the offseason but everything came together in their first game with Derrick Rose at the helm. Can this rookie finally lead the Bulls to their full potential?

7. New York Knicks are still recovering from Isiah Thomas's past decisions. With Marbury remaining relatively quiet and Mike D'antoni as the coach, I believe we'll be pleasantly surprised this season.

8. Seattle, the most depressing city in America, no longer has an NBA franchise of their own. How will Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder fare in the Western division. (I'm not going to be optimistic here, 16 wins.)

9. Let's face it, LeBron James does not like the Cleveland Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland. He likes Jay-Z, he likes New York and it is a contract year. How is this season going to play out in Ohio?

10. Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Love are expected to make huge contributions to their respective teams. Can these NBA neophytes really make a huge difference and who will make the biggest impact and win the ROY trophy? (I still say OJ Mayo)

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I Wish the Lakers Were Still in it.... So I Could Watch More of the Machine.

Lakers? Celtics? Some could care less. Some just want to see basketball. Some don't like watching blowouts. Some just hate it when superstars sulk on the bench and give up. Some also hate it when regular stars act like they're 2 years old and pretend to be injured so they can get their diapers chagned in the locker room. Some just want to see Sasha Vujacic because they are girls and they think he looks so adorable. And then some just think that the Machine is AWESOME.

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The Day After Yesterday

So, the NBA season is at long last at its conclusion - with the Boston Celtics crowned champions. As a lifelong Laker fan, the fact that the Lakers unexpectedly reached the Finals serves as no consolation to the agony of watching the Celtics (THE CELTICS!) take the trophy. But now, 24 hours later, I've been able to digest the season as a whole a bit better.

Us Laker fans started the season scared out of our minds that for the first time in eleven years, we would be without the one constant that kept us hoping and believing - from Kobe's rookie season and his audacious airballs against the Utah Jazz, to his improbable buzzer beaters against the Portland Trailblazers to clinch the #1 seed, from his off court troubles in Eagle, Colorado, to his 81 point game against the Rapters - Kobe Bryant's excellence between the lines was never, ever in doubt. And yet, the threat was very real. We were about to enter a period of extreme unknown, a period when Kobe Bryant would be wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey. To deny that every Laker fan had already resigned themselves to the fact that Kobe was going to be traded would be dishonest. Even if most of us said, "No, it'll never happen!", deep down inside we knew that the trade demands were very, very real.

So now, sitting here a year and change later, to be disappointed in losing the NBA Finals...it's a good place to be, all things considered. Now don't get me wrong, once I realized that we had a shot, I was all in and fully engaged in winning a championship, and anyone who was with me watching these playoffs knows full well how pained I was when we first blew game 4, and then failed to show up in game 6. But I also know that to be a Laker fan means to be constantly spoiled by greatness. The pieces are there, but like MJ's young Bulls who couldn't get past the Pistons, like the Shaq era Lakers under Del Harris, it takes a few years of adversity and growth to find the fire that we so sorely lacked in Game 6. It hasn't been that long since our last championship, we just made the finals, and with a few new pieces, a little improvement over the summer from our youngsters - we are looking at a new Laker dynasty. 

Fret not, Laker Nation. The Purple and Gold is back.

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Lakers: Stress Center

Being a Lakers fan is has not been good for my health during the finals. Every game I watch I am stressed, unable to relax because with our current team versus Boston, every lead we have is not safe, every lead they have is insurmountable, life is absolutely horrible. I have undoubtedly lost a good 5-6 years of life from game 3 and 5 victories alone. And nearly 12 years from our losses so I'm only going to live until I am 103 years old now.

No matter how long I live to, watching the Lakers game has been a stressful roller coaster. With Paul fatboy Pierce playing out of his mind and Ray Allen actually hitting jumper after jumper, I find it highly doubtful that we're going to break history and win the finals after being down 3-1. The Lakers cannot sustain a lead, the "bench mob" has been quiet, the Lakers still cannot control the boards and Boston's play is too inspired. I hate to admit but this series is virtually in the refrigerator, but until Boston actually wins a 4th game, I refuse to believe that the jell-o's jiggling.

Praying for a Lakers miracle.

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My Emotional Plea

Kobe Bryant, you said in the post game interview you had some very good shots that didn't go down for you. But c'mon Kobe, we all know you're the only person in the NBA who thinks those shots are easy, but you can easily get those shots any time you want. You looked like Kobe of old, forcing shots, not passing, not running the offense. Your teammates were completely out of sync, they need you to get them involved. And not just by piling up your own assist numbers, but by giving them the simple pass and giving them the confidence that you trust them.

Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Vladimir Radmonovich, please, defense does not end until you secure the rebound. Please, you forced plenty of poor shots and showed solid defense... until you let Boston grab 10 offensive rebounds including the exclamation put back jam by KG in the closing minutes.

Lakers, please calm down and show some poise. The entire game you guys looked confused, rushed, puzzled, and completely out of sync. The Boston crowd and team energy totally disoriented everyone on the court leading to poor passes, rushed shots, and a serious lack of focus (I'm talking to you space cadet).

Please! Please! PLEASE! Run your offense and focus on how you can improve. You guys were ALL one step behind Boston in game 1, it's obvious who actually did their homework. Regroup and steal one on Sunday. And Phil, please play Trevor Ariza.

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Chinatown's Finals Preview

So David already did his preview, but I disagree with several things he said, and also want to add my own input, so I'm going to do one too. :)

The Lakers and Celtics are, as many have pointed out, built very differently, and have very different reputations. The Lakers have a rep as offensive superstars who are soft and prone to being pushed around. The Celtics have a rep as defensive stalwarts who are beasts on the boards. While these trivial labels hold some truth, the fact is that the Lakers are better on defense than given credit for, and are not as soft as they seem (particularly Pau). The Celtics definitely fit their label well, as they are the best defensive team in the NBA, but they also possess a potent offense that can kill you in a variety of ways.

In light of that, let's delve deeper into what the Celtics and the Lakers will look to do in this first game.

Keys for the Lakers:

On Offense, the Lakers must stay true to the triangle. The Celtics defense is aggressive and quick on its rotations and close outs. They like to stack the strong side with help defenders, forcing teams that rely heavily on isolations (like the Cavs) into stagnant offensive sets. The only way to beat the Celtics is to have quick passing and ball reversals. Because of their aggressive close outs on the reversal, the Laker perimeter players will have the opportunity to pump fake and escape dribble for a midrange jumper, or take the ball to the rack. If the offense gets bogged down and Kobe begins to play 1 on 5 basketball, the Celtic defense will eat them alive. This Laker team is the best passing team in the NBA, and if they stick to their blueprint with a heavy dose of triangle offense, movement, and rotation, the Celtics will have a hard time covering them.

On Defense, the Lakers are severly underrated. They are long and quick, which causes plenty of problems for opposing teams. Key defensive matchups, if the Lakers matchup the way I believe they should, will be Odom on Perkins and Gasol on Garnett. As we saw in the Spurs series, Gasol can be an effective defender in the post - as long as he stays behind his man and gets his hands up to challenge the shot, his length can bother Garnett. If Gasol can keep Garnett from having a monster game, the Lakers can live without doubling KG. Garnett has never been a big time scorer, and one of the biggest knocks on him is that he is unselfish to a fault. By bringing a double team, it plays right into his strengths as a passer and facilitator - force KG to score 30+ points (which he has done only twice in this postseason) and become a volume shooter, and the Lakers have a good shot at winning. Perkins is a big banger who is aggressive on the offensive glass. Odom must put his effort into keeping Perk off the boards - if Perkins gets a double double, the Celtics will likely win the game. Ray Allen cannot be overlooked, and cannot be left alone. Any double teams that the Lakers throw at the Celtics should come off of Rondo, not Allen. Now, Rondo. Many Celtics fans are pointing at the matchup of Rondo vs. Fisher as a definite Celtic advantage. This is a huge error - the Lakers have matched up against 2 surefire future HOF (and one potential HOF-er) point guards in AI, Deron Williams, and Tony Parker. None of those three has been able to rescue their team. Fisher is a smart and strong defender, able to angle off drives and muscle his counterpart off their line. Rondo's offense is limited to floaters and runners in the lane, and a 15 foot baseline jump shot. The Lakers have enough shotblockers in Odom, Gasol, and Turiaf to deal with Rondo's unreliable floaters, but giving Rondo the 15 foot baseline jumper would be a mistake, but with double teams coming off of Rondo, it will be hard to limit the availability of that shot. 

Another option for the Lakers, which they used throughout the regular season, is to roll out their 1-2-2 full court trapping press at specific times. If you watched the Det-Bos series, in Game 4 down the stretch, the Pistons used a full court press effectively, trapping Rondo on the sidelines and forcing him to make risky lob passes out of the trap. With Rondo being their only effective ballhandling option, the Lakers could surprise the Celtics with their press and create a few turnovers/transition baskets with it, and in a series that looks to be as tight as this one, 6 points could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Keys for the Celtics:

on Offense, the Celtics must look to keep Rondo and Perkins involved. Garnett and Pierce will be good for 20-25 points every night, with Ray Allen adding anywhere from 0-30 points (depending on if he's feeling it or not). Rondo and Perkins will not have any plays called for them, and must take shots when they get them. The Celtics play a typical NBA offense, with lots of PNR and Isolation sets. The Celtics will want to control the tempo and keep the game in the 80s-low 90s, and not give the Lakers any chances to get off on the fast break. Rondo must not turn the ball over, and they need to force Kobe to expend his energy on the defensive end. If Kobe matches up with Allen, they should have Allen play a Rip Hamilton type game, and run him off multiple screens. If instead, he is matched with Rondo, Rondo must be aggressive going to the hole, looking to pick up cheap fouls on Bryant. However, the key driving force of the celtics offense must be Paul Pierce. Pierce can get his shot off through shot fakes and bumping his defender off to create space, and he has also improved his ballhandling off of pick and rolls allowing him to turn the corner or split weak hedges. What I would like to see is a small on small Pick and Pop between Pierce and Allen, with allen setting the pick on Pierce's man. What we would see there is likely a Kobe/Fisher switch, a Radman/Kobe switch, or a Radman/Fisher switch, because the man getting picked cannot leave Allen on the 3 point line unchecked. If Fisher gets matched with Pierce, he can easily go into the post, where he likes to operate, and get a layup or his favored turnaround fadeaway. To sum it up, the Big 3 must be on their game, the Celtics must limit turnovers, and Perkins must bang and go after offensive rebounds to give the Celtics extra possessions that they will likely need to match the Lakers potent offense.

on Defense, much like my preview of the Lakers offense, the Celtics must be wary of rotating and closing out too aggressively. The Celtics like to sag their help defense, stacking lots of people on the strong side of the floor. The Lakers will reverse the ball quickly from the post, as Gasol is a great passer, but the Celtics must be ready to control their aggression. The Lakers have great shooters in Vujacic, Radmanovic, and Farmar, and closing out on them will be key - but closing out too hard will open driving lanes or mid range jumpers. Expect to see the Celtics playing loose 1 on 1 defense with Kobe, hoping to entice him into taking long jumpers and turning the game into 1 on 5. The Celtics will outrebound the Lakers by a good margin, as the Lakers are not a good rebounding team and can be pushed off the boards. If the Celtics can limit the Lakers to one shot and out, they will have a good chance of keeping the Laker offense in check. If the score is in the 80s, the Celtics will be in good shape.

Final Thoughts: This series will boil down to the hungrier team. Will it be the Celtics, with Garnett, Pierce, and Allen looking for their first championships ever? Or will it be the Lakers, with Kobe proving that he has matured, Gasol getting his first taste of success, and the young bench coming of age? Does Doc Rivers have the ability as a coach to put his team in a position to win, or will Phil Jackson break his tie with Red Auerbach for most NBA titles? In the end, I believe the Lakers potent offense and solid defense will be too much for the Celtics powerful defense and stagnant offense to handle. When the Celtics go on their inevitable scoring drought, the Lakers will pull away. Plus, they have Kobe.

Lakers in 5 - winning Game 1, losing Game 2, then sweeping the games at Staples to close it out at home.

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Lakers vs Celtics: Keys to Win

TYPICALLY, there are specific game plans that can be devised to shut down any team in the NBA. So I had all intention of explaining what the game plan would be for each team in the finals. Unfortunately, I'm drawing a blank. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics both have so many weapons and so many different response tactics, you shut down one aspect and they'll fire back with a different weapon-- this is why these two teams are in the championship series. So though there aren't any sure fire ways to truly shut the other team down, as always, I will try (and most likely be right).

For BOSTON CELTICS to win:

Exploit and attack Derek Fisher. Yes, Derek Fisher has been reputed as a solid offensive and defensive presence, however, he has definitely lost a step or two. Deron Williams and Tony Parker ripped Derek Fisher apart on the offensive end using their quickness and an endless series of pick and rolls. Lakers have placed a lot of trust in Derek Fisher's able hands, but unfortunately, many times this trust is misplaced due to Fisher's age. And from a defensive point of view, force Fish to create on the offensive end. When Fisher sets his feet he is one of the best shooters in the game, but when he's forced to create on his own, he will undoubtedly take off-balance shots (that won't go in) and force layups into the opposing teams shot blockers.


Boston by far has the physical edge when being compared to the lanky frontline of the Lakers, but I don't find this to be too much of an advantage in the game of basketball. The Lakers will respond to Boston's strength so forcing the ball to the post will not win the series; don't force it down low.

Boston needs to exploit their three point shooters. James Posey, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce. They are big time three point shooters and if they can find their shot, the Lakers are in trouble. The Lakers have already had a lot of practice versus the pick and rolls by playing against Tony Parker, so it will ultimately come down to a three point contest against themselves.

Kevin Garnett always plays with heart, emotion and intensity, it's the only way he plays. But that's not going to win the basketball game. KG needs to take the scoring load on himself, plug the lane defensively, and forcible take games away from Los Angeles. Deferring to Pierce and his teammates will not win the series.


Keys for LOS ANGELES LAKERS to win:

Do not be intimidated by Boston's arena, the historic rivalry, their big three, or their record. The last two times these teams played, Boston destroyed Los Angeles not only on the scoreboard, but also in poise and energy. Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic, and Jordan Farmar need to play tough, physical, in-your-face defense and aggressive offensive for the Lakers to overcome Boston.

Kobe Bryant. With a defense as tough Boston, the only real answer is Kobe Bryant, a man no defense can stop. And if reports are correct regarding Boston's decision not to double-team Kobe, he should have a field day tearing up the defense. I also believe that the Kobe-Pau lob connection will be completely obliterated by Kevin Garnett, so I see Kobe looking for Lamar more often this series.

Lakers bench need to do what they've been doing all season. Entering the game and shooting the lights out, many times extending the lead. This will be extremely tough to do due to Boston's physicality in their starting lineup and their bench, but when did physicality affect three point shooting?

Double team Kevin Garnett, suffocate Paul Pierce individually, and force Ray Allen to be the man. If there was one star in the NBA who was never going to win a championship, it's Ray Allen. When you're slumping for two and a half series, you're not answering the call to be a champion. He did manage to find a few shots in Detroit but I can confidently state that he does not have the IT factor to lead Boston. Look to see him riding the bench for long periods of time.



Lakers in 6. I was going to say 5 but Luke Walton is going to screw up a game.

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A Step Closer to the Championship

(Boredom awaiting the Celtics-Pistons game spawns this post)


A standing ovation with a mere 5-point lead and nearly 2 minutes to play left in the 4th is perhaps jumping the gun. I'll admit, as a cynic, maybe my Lakers faith was stalled a bit. I'll admit I was scared of the Spurs. But the Spurs never came closer after that. And it was goodbye to the defending champs.

Deep down, I knew the Lakers would go on to win this one. They had to. Spurs feeling confident with a 17-point lead? Not in our home! The Lakers wanted the win, and they wanted it bad. Even Farmar stepped it up last night and turned on his game, scoring 8 points, including 3 consecutive baskets. And who else better than Sasha to seal an already-made deal with a 3-pointer at the buzzer? (I am told that my bias would not be in effect if he was on the opposing team, I would hate his guts. I am also told that he made a lot of Lakers gamblers very happy, increasing the point spread to over 5. But I know nothing about this, so I'll stop here. I'll consider it a preview of what's more to come from The Machine. I'm telling you, one of these days he's going to hit a game-winning 3 in the playoffs.) Congratulations to the Lakers for winning the Western Conference championship and moving on to the finals in perhaps one of the toughest conferences yet! Can you believe that just earlier this year, Mr. MVP himself was demanding a trade? Though we must be careful what we wish for, let's hope for a Lakers-Celtics rivalry resurrection to top off this fairytale story! If Kobe is the modern-day Magic, then who is Larry Bird? Is it even fair to make this analogy?

Before I get ahead of myself, Boston has to step on the fingers of Detriot as they struggle to hold on. But if the Celtics continue to follow in their pattern of playoff games this season, we might expect another game 6 loss and third 7-game series for Boston. Stay tuned.

On an end note, as a follow-up to my previous Sasha-inspired post, did you happen to catch that smack to babyface by Ginobili?

Sasha should've ripped Manu a new bald spot. Personally, I think he needs new methods (besides growing his hair long) in his intimidation efforts. I vote for tattoos.

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Reminiscing: Things I Miss About Basketball

The NBC theme song
This song was amazing. The melody set the stage for basketball, it pumped you up, it pumped up the commentators, and you were just ready to watch basketball.

Chicago Bulls Introduction
NBC loved to televise Chicago Bulls game, and before every game they would make sure they televised the Chicago Bulls introduction movie and song. I don't know what it is about the little movie with the bull, but I really liked watching it. I was really glad that they played the introduction movie for the Boston Celtics on ABC this year.

Player Introductions
ABC, TNT, ESPN, whichever, they don't like televising player introductions and I don't know why. It was always great on NBC when they introduced the position, college, and number of years in the league for each player. You were allowed to watch the players get introduced, which definitely added a personality aspect to the players. But nowadays, the networks show a little pop-up of the starting lineup and leave it as that, LAME. Let's bring in some character, yea? (Yeah I know, ABC did it in game 7 of the Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game; maybe they heard me)

Player rivalries/fights
This is probably for the best, but I miss player rivalries. Nothing like Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams, but more like Kobe Bryant vs. Reggie Miller. Charles Barkley retaliating against Shaq. Anyone vs. Mr. 7'6" Bradley. I know fights look bad for the league, but c'mon now, a little extra fight never hurt basketball, it probably helped it (outside that Detroit fiasco). Sometimes I would watched Indiana Pacer games just to see Reggie Miller get into shit with someone.

Shawn Kemp
Sucks that he did drugs, but this man was out of control. He was what Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson are today in the NFL. He was skilled, talented, and he made sure that you knew it. He would slam it down every chance he got, and afterwards you would get a slam dunk celebration. This man had no fear, he would always try to slam it your face, try to embarrass you, and you know what, hell yeah baby, give me some more!

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