And this isn't at all clouded by the fact that over half of the last 20 titles have been won by Phil Jackson and his "we don't need no steenkin point guards" offense? Over that same period I see guys like Stockton, Kidd, Parker and Rondo with multiple appearances in the finals. Payton, Iverson, and Magic didn't do too bad either. Chris Paul and Deron Williams haven't done well because they've had pretty crummy talent around them for the most part, not because point guards aren't important. Kobe, Lebron, and Wade weren't winning much with role players around them either. But the Lakers are going to win because Bynum and Gasol are huge and the Hornets are not. The Mavs and Thunder match up along their front line much better.
The rule changes favor perimeter players, but an elite point guard is still less valuable than the other positions mentioned. Yeah, except we've also seen Boston (led by Paul Pierce, a small forward), Houston (Hakeem Olajuwon), San Antonio (mostly Duncan, with two elite combo guards in Ginobili and Parker), Miami (Wade was a SG/SF that season), and Detroit (balanced) win it all, none of which had elite point guards. Horrible examples. Stockton wasn't even the best player on his team (that would be Malone, a power forward), Kidd's teams were completely destroyed both times, Rondo wasn't even close to the best player the year they won (Pierce was, and Allen and Garnett were better) nor an elite PG, and Parker was neither an elite PG, or even much of a true point guard to begin with. Iverson is a shooting guard, dude. Eric Snow played point for the Sixers when they made the Finals. Literally, out of everyone you named, Jason Kidd and Gary Payton were the only elite point guards in the last 20 years who led their respective teams to the Finals (three times), in one of the weakest eras of basketball ever, before being squashed by their opponents. If that doesn't show the lack of success of teams in the postseason led by elite PGs, I don't know what does.
Kobe doesn't inspire the killer instinct in his teammates? What? Really? Did you see what happened after he dunked? The Lakers lit up. Did you hear/read what Barnes said after the game or anything Fisher has said about Kobe the last 10 years? Yeah, they lost some games they should have won, but they are a pressure team. Their post All-Star run was become Kobe channeled what I loving refer to as "The Hate of Jordan" and his team followed. In terms of players in the league with "killer instinct", Kobe is the closest to Jordan. Then there is Derrick Rose, bless that man. And can we please as sports fans and the media stop using the concept of "blueprint to beat said team"? It doesn't make any sense, especially in the playoffs. ESPECIALLY not against Phil "I got rings for each finger bitches" Jackson. There is a blueprint for any and every team, score more points before the time runs out. I hate to say it, but it's true. PGs aren't going to carry teams by scoring no matter how talented they are. They can carry teams by distributing, but the players he's passing to have to be at a certain level. The Hornets do not have those guys and hence will not win, and no one was ever that worried about them winning. That's why everyone correctly said it was over when West got injured. The Hornets didn't shut down Pau Gasol, Pau shut down Pau Gasol, if he played at 50% of what he did regular season this would have been a blow out.
On that note I haven't found any of the recent NBA playoffs before this year as hyped up and as exciting as this one has been thus far, and that's as a Lakers fan. On the flip side there hasn't been a March Madness as boring as this past one in quite some time, so this might be a bad year to make a comparison. However, the NBA Playoffs are way better than March Madness(unless maybe you're in college and following your team). I think people just like March Madness because teams they perceive as huge underdogs(when they might not be) play well against giants on neutral courts and actually have a chance to win. Who doesn't love rooting for underdogs? Also, sloppy basketball comes off as exciting basketball to a lot of people. For me, the NBA is a much better game featuring the world's best talent and it's not even close.
To quote myself from a couple of days ago, when the series was tied 2-2; The Lakers are an elite team, and the Hornets are merely an above average one that can give their all and steal a couple in a series, but no more than that. And I write that as someone rooting against the Lakers in each of their play-off series.
Yep, good call on the Lakers. What do the Magic do from here? Keep Dwight and blow up the rest of the team?
Not excited about the Bulls playing Atlanta. Good shit with the Lakers. Ron Ron sealed the game when he flexed his muscles after pushing CP3 down right in front of the refs and getting that layup.
If the Magic are smart, they will trade Howard and start over. No way he is staying in Orlando, so they better try to get something out of it before they get LeBron'd right in the Bosh!
I was making a broader point. With the proviso that none of us really know shit about what does or does not motivate or inspire a professional team and/or what the concept of chemistry really means on an NBA team (unless you have been a pro athlete in the modern era) here's what I know about Kobe and Magic having followed the Lakers for decades, read the LA Times coverage of the team on a daily basis, and consumed most of the books written about the team: 1. For most of Kobe's career, he not only failed to inspire his teammates, he shut himself off from them, barely communicated with them, and attempted to "motivate" them via intimidation and negativity. He was exceedingly self-centered believing that if he succeeded, the team would succeed. The Lakers did win with this version of Kobe, they also lost, alot, after Shaq left. I am not criticizing Kobe, this was his personality, it was who he was as a young man. 2. Magic, by contrast, imposed his will to win upon the Lakers from early in his career. He was as tough as they come in practice, but, in contrast to Kobe, engaged with his teammates and inspired them in a variety of ways. Again, that was, and is, Magic's approach to life. By all accounts, Kobe has became a more effective teammate and leader in recent years. However, from what I have read and heard, and based on my knowledge of human nature, Kobe is not now, and never will be, the same type of team leader that Magic was. I think this concept is reflected in Kobe's play of late when viewed in light of game 7 of the NBA finals last year. Kobe was awful in that game. His teammates won if for them. He mused afterward that he had learned to trust his teammates. Yet even in last night's game, when Bynum was almost an automatic score, we still saw flashes of Kobe going into "hero" mode. Again, I am not being critical. In an early post I defended Fisher arguing that his intangibles outweighed his 34 y/o legs. I think the same is true for Kobe. The Lakers can live with Kobe going into "hero" mode because while it may cost them an occasional game, it is still true that more often than not it inures to the team's benefit.
Excellent break down and explanation, I see what you're saying and agree. It's been documented that Jordan was not all buddy buddy with the team all the time and some of them kinda feared him. Magic on the other hand, you're dead on. It's amazing seeing Bynum play. Now I'd love to see him go against Dwight for 7 games. Too bad they might be traded for one another. This Memphis, Spurs game is damn good, I hope y'all are watching. I hate to have my Bulls go against a team with an injured player. It'll suck to have anyone be able to say shit like "Oh well if Kirk was healthy." So I hope Kirk gets healthy(ish), but at least he won't be 100% and get to that 7th gear he hits when he plays the Bulls. I'm looking forward to the series, but it is not a good match-up. Also watching Boston vs Miami will be one of the hardest series to watch. I hate Boston as a team, but I hate LeBron and Bosh so much.
I get to spend the Boston-Heat game in the car today, listening to it on XM. FUCK. Predictions: Boston 4, Miami 3 Lakers 4, Mavs 2 Bulls 4, Hawks 1 OKC 4, Memphis 2
Randolph and Gasol combined for 54 & 23. I'm beginning to think that Memphis got the superior brother. As for Z-Bo, I'm glad to see him in a system that works for him, even better than when he was in Portland. I don't know what they tried to do with him in NY, but he was clearly a square peg in a round hole. Personally, now that NY is out, I'm pulling for the Grizzlies to win it all. It's highly unlikely, but it'd be fun as hell to see that go down.
Well. This Celtics Heat series is getting awfully physical, awfully fast. I was sorta uncomfortable even as a Celtics fan w/ some of the Celtics fouls. A lot of bad blood, this could get interesting.
I gotta say, I'm not surprised to see the Hawks take Game 1. Remove your panties from their bunches, please. This is the most wide-open I've seen the playoffs. Memphis knocks off the favored Spurs, then fucks the Thunder. Hawks beat the Bulls. Celtics-Heat, while the favored, home-team won, looks like war... I don't see many "gimme" matchups here. NBA fans, the playoffs are relevant again. Enjoy!!!
Following on from this Mav's take Game 1. Do they really have a chance of taking the series? (unfortunately don't get many games here in NZ) I'd love nothing more than to see the Lakers go down.
Probably not, unless the Lakers help them out. The Lakers should win, but if they are going to cough up leads, they are in trouble. My Celtics are in trouble, too.
"Someone grab Dragic, do you know who this kid is? He is from CHICAGO!" All over the city, any time someone starts acting silly or stupid, they are asked "WHAT ARE YOU DOING DRAGIC?!?" Man, during the last game on TNT in the Indiana series it was interesting as hell to switch back and forth between our Neil Funk, Stacey King and playoff special guest Scott Pippen to Steve Kerr/Reggie Miller and whoever the fuck else was on. And by interesting, being a homer, listening to the former was better because of the nicely veiled homerism on the part of Stacey King. Scottie Pippen really didn't give a fuck, he wanted the Bulls to knock the fuck out of the Pacers after it started getting chippy. 6 rings, I wouldn't give a fuck either. I really can't comment on the Hawks game objectively yet. But the playoffs are fucking exciting. If anyone hasn't read the Bill Simmons massive double post on what we have so far, you should, its fucking entertaining and ties in The Wire. Anything that ties in The Wire and sports is awesome. What he says about Westbrook and Durant something I can't wait to watch and see.