LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers lone star, is already a sports icon at the age of 23. His talent is otherworldly, but his team is not, which begs the question: does LeBron opt out of the final year of his contract and go elsewhere in 2010? This will be asked and analyzed to death over the coming years, and for good reason. He, during his five scintillating years in the league, has been one of the best players in the game and has nearly single-handedly led his team to a NBA title. Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, he has averaged 27 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds in his career, but without the right supporting cast does James feel the need to leave, move on, in the prime of his career.
Dan Patrick, who works for Sports Illustrated, brought up these questions on his radio show, sparking even more debate of LeBron’s future in Cleveland. LeBron could very well stick with his home state team in 2010, ending this debate once and for all, but still there are many ways that he could get out of Ohio. He has a friend in rapper Jay-Z, who happens to be part owner of the New Jersey, or soon-to-be Brooklyn, Nets. It so happens that Jay-Z might be interested in whisking LeBron away into Brooklyn, a borough that happens to be atop his list of favorite places.
There could be a huge road block that LeBron would have to consider before leaving, if he chose to explore his options, a problem the Patrick brought up on his show. With teams like the Nets supposedly clearing cap space with major trades (they traded Richard Jefferson, one of their main components from last season, to Milwaukee, while main star Vince Carter could find himself out via trade soon), what kind of team would LeBron go to? If the Nets, and others like the Knicks, (who can get rid of many high paid players by free agency or trade in the coming years to clear space for a contract that LeBron would command) continue to get rid of their high profile players, would their teams turn out to be duplicates of James’s current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers? If the Nets do trade Carter, as many expect, and the Knicks unload their plethora of obscene contracts, we could have a war on our hands if LeBron makes himself available.
By trading Richard Jefferson the Nets unload the remaining three years and $42 million dollars left on his contract, therefore dwindling their payroll going into the 2010 season to $43 million dollars (down from their 2008, $51 million dollar payroll prior to the trade). This gives them an upper hand on the Knicks already, because New Jersey has already started the process in the Lebron sweepstakes (their 2010 payroll would continue to drop if they traded Carter and the remaining 4 years and $66 million left on his deal).
The Knicks as well would have a drastically smaller payroll if they got rid of numerous contracts. Their current payroll ranks second in the NBA at $89 million dollars, but if they got rid of previously named players like Marbury (who is in the last year of his deal), Randolph, and Curry, they would have a much smaller payroll than the $53 million they would have going into the 2010 season. They have the reasons to go after LeBron, and if they lessen their payroll, as advised, they will have a chance to land him.
I would like to see LeBron, if he does opt out two years from now, go to the New York Knicks. He could, as he has done with the Cavaliers, resurrect a franchise in turmoil. The Knicks have started the rebuilding stage by hiring Mike D’Antoni as their head coach, a coach with an impressive resume, and a coach that runs a run ‘n gun style of offense that could be to LeBron’s liking. The Knicks have a great advantage over the New Jersey Nets by being able to clear more cap space to tempt James with a max contract. Since they have recognized that their team is horrible, and in the rebuilding stage, why not trade players like Eddy Curry (around $9 million per season), Stephon Marbury (an astounding $19 million per season) and Zach Randolph (13 million per season) while they are still pleasing to other teams’. Not only do these certain players have documented issues, none of them seem to be the types that would be part of a champion caliber team nor players that would fit D’Antoni’s style. The team has already shopped each of these players at least once (which is surprising in Randolph’s case because this last season was his first with the Knicks). If these players are traded, and depending on what the Knicks get in return, what kind of team would James be coming to? Could a team with the likes of David Lee, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Danilo Gallinari, help LeBron win a title? My safe bet is no.
The Cavaliers have struggled mightily trying to find LeBron a sidekick during his tenure with the team. It started when Michael Redd, the current star for the Milwaukee Bucks, decided to stay with the team rather than sign a free-agent deal with the Cavaliers years ago. Cleveland has tried to plug in players like Larry Hughes and Wally Szczerbiak into Redd’s would-be position, but neither has brought the team much success. So what do the Cavaliers try to do to persuade LeBron to stay in town? Throw a bunch of money at a bona fide all-star, and make the Cavaliers a true title contender. If the team wants LeBron, the cornerstone of their franchise, to stay with the team, this is what, as an organization, they have to do.
I won’t underestimate how determined the Cavaliers will be to lock up Lebron long term prior to 2010, but if talks fail and James decides to opt out, many teams, like the Nets and Knicks, will duel for one of the best players in the game.
In the early 1840’s William Overton saw great potential for a piece of land that was called “the clearing,” halfway between Oregon City and Fort Vancouver, but he lacked the funds that were required to file a land claim. He struck a bargain with a partner by the name of Asa Lovejoy, of Boston, Mass.: for 25 cents he would share the 640 acres he had claimed. Overton later sold his part of the claim to Francis W. Pettigrove of Portland Maine. Now both Pettigrove and Lovejoy wanted to name the new city after their respective hometowns, which was to be decided with a coin toss. Pettigrove won in a best two out of three contest. So therefore the city was to be named Portland, forever linking the two cities.
To go along with the naming of Portland, Oregon, there is a more recent link between the two cities. Kevin Pritchard, the Portland Trail Blazers General Manager since the start of the 2007 season, has been very aggressive during his tenure as the leader of the team. His aggressiveness started even as a interim manager of the team in 2005, when he took over of a bad team after the firing of Maurice Cheeks. He spent the remainder of the season as manager evaluating talent, and in that off-season advised then-GM John Nash to select Chris Paul with the 3rd overall selection in that particular upcoming draft, but was overruled by Nash and his partners, as the team eventually traded the pick to the Utah Jazz (which they used to take Deron Williams). In the 2006 off-season, Nash was fired (probably after the team saw Paul win rookie of the year), allowing Pritchard to move on up the ladder. The team not only promoted him to the Assistant GM position, but gave him full control to orchestrate their 2006 draft, a draft in which he was very busy. He traded the teams’ fourth overall selection, Tyrus Thomas, along with Victor Khryapa to the Bulls for the 2nd overall pick, LaMarcus Aldridge, who is now a prominent part of the current team. Pritchard wasn’t done though, as he then traded the 7th overall pick (they traded Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff to Boston for the pick prior to the draft) which they used on Randy Foye to the Timberwolves for Brandon Roy (who won rookie of the year that upcoming season). Both Aldridge and Roy are currently center-pieces for the teams future, and have already gained a lot of notoriety around the league for their outstanding play in their two years in the NBA. In 2007 Steve Patterson was fired, allowing the Blazers to give the reigns to the GM position to Pritchard. He didn’t stop his aggressive play, as he not only picked Greg Oden with the top pick in the 2007 draft, but made two more significant deals. He traded Zach Randolph, who had overstayed his welcome with the team, to the Knicks and acquired James Jones, and the 24th pick in the draft, Rudy Fernandez (who is now going to be another big part of the teams’ future) for cash in a separate deal with the Suns. Every one of these moves have been very good decisions by Pritchard thanks to his aggressiveness and determination to make this team better.
Now the Blazers are the youngest team in the league, and even though their players are immensely talented, that could be a bad thing if the team wants to go deep in the playoffs as soon as next season. The good thing about the lack of experience is that from here on the players will only gain experience with every game they play, especially incoming players like Oden, Jerryd Bayless and Fernandez.
The sports are different, but MLB’s General Managers have the same task: improve the team the way you see fit, and build towards the future. This is where the Portland-Boston connection comes in with Red Sox GM, Theo Epstein. He, like Pritchard, is very aggressive when it comes to making the team better. In the 2003 off-season Boston made a huge run at one of the games best players, Alex Rodriguez. Major League Baseball wouldn’t allow the trade to be completed, but it was his aggressive mindset allowed the trade to be a possibility. His determination to get the players he saw fit continued in 2006 off-season when he spent an obscene amount of money 52 million dollars just to talk to Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, whom they eventually signed for 50+ more million dollars. This is how Pritchard and Epstein are connected. They have the ability to look at every possibility to make their respective teams better whether it be by trade or free agency.
What allows Epstein to be aggressive is the amount of money at is disposal. The Blazers payroll for this past season was $57.6 million dollars compared to $133 million dollars for the Red Sox. The payrolls are drastically different, but so are the yearly salaries for the players in the two sports. Though the roster size is in baseball’s favor, 40-15, the teams go about making moves in similar ways, because of the amount of money each team has available. In spite of the difference in salaries and roster size, both the Blazers and Red Sox have the same opportunities to trade for high paid players, and be aggressive in their own ways, primarily because of the difference between yearly player salaries between sports.
One thing that helps Epstein is that he has a farm system, something Pritchard and the NBA do not. Though having a farm system for the Red Sox is a luxury, it is also tough to maintain.It has produced players such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Masterson, Clay Buccholz, Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon, all of whom have played critical roles towards the teams’ success. A farm system for Epstein is the equivilant to draft picks for Pritchard. Some successful players in the minor leagues are trading chips for big name players in baseball, just like some draft picks are trading chips for big name players in basketball. Though Pritchard doesn’t have the advantage of having a minor league team, nonetheless four like Boston, he, and his team, still find a way to make bold trades, like the one recently to acquire Jerryd Bayless.
Pritchard’s agressiveness is shown in the trading of draft picks (they traded all five in this years’ draft) to get the right players for his team while Epstein’s aggressiveness is shown by paying high dollar for players that fit. Though the way they go by being aggressive is different, their primary goal is making their teams better not only for the present, but for the future as well.
The connection between the two cities started with Pettigrove and Lovejoy, but because of the aggressive style of Kevin Pritchard and Theo Epstein in modern time, the link continues.
Derrick Rose was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls, allowing him to play in his hometown, Michael Beasley, after much discussion about if he would be selected number two, was by the Miami Heat and O.J. Mayo fleshed out the top three picks with his selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves, as was expected.
The one thing that has surprised me about the draft so far is that the Sonics took Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick. Two problems with this pick: you don’t take a defensive oriented guard before players like Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon and D.J. Augustin, who are more offensive guards, and second: he isn’t really a point guard, he is a tweener, a player at 6′3″, that is a shooting guard in a point guards body. In the NBA he could be a lock down defender on point guards, but his offensive intangibles don’t reflect that of a point guard, therefore making him a undersized shooting guard. Sure was a explosive player in college but was probably the third best player on his UCLA squad (behind Love and Collison). I thought the Sonics would go for a power forward, probably at that position in the draft, Kevin Love, despite their past poor selections of big men.
The Blazers made a play at one of the guards that the Sonics past up, Jerryd Bayless, who fell down to the number 11 pick to the Indiana Pacers. They traded Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and the 13th pick, Brandon Rush, for the former Arizona guard. This is a steal in my opinion because one of the positions they needed help at was point guard, considering what they had to give up. This pick allows Brandon Roy to move over to shooting guard, if they decide to use Bayless right away. This acquisition also gives the Blazers a lot of depth at the position as they now have Bayless, Steve Blake, Brandon Roy and even Rudy Fernandez (a shooting guard who can play some point) that they can use. I am amazed, considering that Bayless was seen as a top 6 pick, that the Blazers could give up so little to get such a hot commodity and a talented player. This trade was made after the Blazers took Brandon Rush with the 13th pick, a player that I thought could help them. The reasoning behind trading Rush was that Portland already has Martell Webster, Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw at the shooting guard/small forward position. I think Rush will be a very good NBA player, but Bayless filled a need.
After the Draft ended the Tmimberwolves and Grizzlies made a trade of their own, sending the third overall pick, O.J. Mayo, to the Grizzlies for the 5th overall pick, Kevin Love. The Timberwolves also sent Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner and Antoine Walker to the Grizzlies for Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Coliins to complete the deal. Minnesota needed a big man to go along with Al Jefferson on the front-line and got him in Love. That wasn’t the only prize in the deal for the Wolves as they obtained Miller, who is still young, at 28, and is a very good scorer. By making this trade the Grizzlies intend to play Mayo as a shooting guard, because of his size, at 6′4″, and because the team already has two young point guards in Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry. Memphis didn’t get much in return besides Mayo, but if he turns out to be as good a player as everyone expects, that’s all they will need.
Brook Lopez went tenth overall to the New Jersey Nets, while twin brother Robin Lopez was taken by the Phoenix Suns with the 15th selection. Although Brook has the better offensive game at this point, many in the NBA think that Robin will be the better player. Robin is more of a defensive specialist which could be the reason why, I guess it goes with the saying “defense wins championships.”
This draft has had it all: A surprise pick in Russell Westbrook, a surprise slip in Bayless, more aggressive moves by Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard, and a few more trades thrown in.
Complete Blazers and former Oregon Duck selections-
13th overall selection-Brandon Rush–Traded to Pacers for the rights to Jerryd Bayless
27th overall selection-Darrell Arthur– slipped considerably to this position, but has a lot of talent; traded to the Houston Rockets along with 33rd selection for Nicolas Batum (selected 25th).
33th overall selection-Joey Dorsey– has incredible altheticism, and a great defensive player; traded to Rockets as part of the deal bringing Nicolas Batum to the Blazers.
38th overall selection-Omer Asik– 6′11″ center from Turkey, don’t no much about him but he will spend time overseas after signing 5-year deal with hometown team (may never come over to the NBA).
55th overall selection-Mike Taylor–guard out of Iowa State, traded to Clippers for a conditional second round pick in 2009, as they are, now with the acquisition of Bayless, set at the point guard position
Oregon Duck selections-Malik Hairston–selected 48th overall by the Phoenix Suns. He was then traded to the Spurs along with cash and a future second round pick for Goran Dragic. Hairston could be a solid player for the Spurs, if he makes the team.
Maarty Luenen–selected 54th overall by the Houston Rockets. He could have a tough time making the team with the bundle of forwards that Houston has.
According to NBA front-office sources, The New Jersey Nets Nets have agreed to trade G/F Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. This trade will help both teams considerably, especially the Bucks who needed another piece to help Michael Redd. Jefferson was a very prominent part of the Nets organization during his 7 seasons there but his name has been in trade rumors the past few seasons. New Jersey felt they needed to go into another direction, and nabbed a young forward with a ton of potential in Jianlian. Also by doing this trade the Nets unloaded Jefferson’s enormous contract, as he was due over 12 million this season. Jefferson averaged 22 points last year, but the team was going nowhere fast. New Jersey continues to rebuild their franchise, starting the transformation with the trading of point guard Jason Kidd during this past season. Bobby Simmons will help the Nets, but I think they did this deal knowing that Yi would be involved.
The trade will seem to pay drastic dividends on Milwaukee’s side as they now have given Michael Redd, their top scorer, a much needed sidekick. This trade will give Charlie Villanueva more playing time, if they don’t decide to trade him as well. Another reason that this trade is beneficial for the Bucks is that Jefferson is still only 28 with a lot of good seasons left. The Trade for Jefferson means that the Bucks aren’t leaning towards taking Joe Alexander with the 8th pick in the draft as many people expected.
I can’t imagine that this trade is just 2-1. There has to be some draft picks involved or maybe even a third team, but I guess since it is draft day it gave the Nets and Bucks a reason to pull off this trade. Despite reports that there are no picks involved, don’t be alarmed if they add something to it.
Jermaine O’Neal’s tenure with the Indiana Pacers is over as he was traded to the Toronto Raptors for T.J. Ford, the rights to the 17th overall pick, and center Rasho Nesterovic. This is the first big splash of what will be a very exciting and trade-filled NBA Draft. O’Neal has been slowed with injuries the past four seasons, and is currently sporting a left knee bone bruise, which must not have been enough to stop the trade from being completed. He played in just 42 games last season, and averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds, right around his career average of 14 and 7. The upside with O’Neal is that when he has been healthy he has been a dominating power forward in the NBA, and is still young, at 29 with 6 All-Star selections. The trade can’t be fully completed until all players involved pass physicals, which could be a problem for O’Neal.
T.J. Ford has battle with injuries throughout his short career, but his have been a lot more serious than anything O’Neal has encountered. Ford, a 25-year old point guard out of the University of Texas, has suffered spinal cord injuries, most notably when he had to sit out the 2004-05 season after landing awkwardly on his neck in just his 8th pro game with Milwaukee. He has made a name for himself when he has played, using tremendous speed and quickness to garner a lot of notoriety around the league. He is obviously highly coveted to be traded nearly straight up for a veteran like O’Neal. He averaged 12 points and 6 assists last season, but like O’Neal, he struggled to stay on the court this past season, playing in 51 of 82 regular season game. Though he seems fragile at just 6 feet, 165 pounds, he is a savvy point guard with great self control, and a pretty good ability to score.
I like the deal for Indiana, because they needed something, but I don’t quite understand the move from a Toronto point of view. O’Neal doesn’t seem to be the right guy for their type of play, and they have a few capable players with his makeup already, most notably Chris Bosh. Both players are listed at power forward for a reason, because, simply put, they don’t have the right amount of size to play the center position. If Toronto does figure out a way to play both Bosh and O’Neal in harmony, I guess they could make a move past the first round in the Eastern Conference playoffs (where their season ended last year against Orlando), but I still wouldn’t understand their mindset by making the deal.
If the Pacers nab a good player with the 11th pick, and with their newly acquired 17th pick, they could be set for a long time.
As I chronicled in a previous post, I assumed Michael Beasley, with his incredible offensive upside, would go during the top two selections, ultimately battling with Derrick Rose for the top spot. Well I was wrong, as it seems that Rose has wrapped up the top position, while Miami is looking elsewhere than Beasley. Not only do they not want Beasley they would rather trade the pick altogether to move down in the draft to take a point guard. Many teams, such as Memphis, holder of the fifth pick, are quite interested in taking over the #2 spot. The problem with that particular scenario is that Miami’s asking price is way too high for the Grizzlies taste, as Memphis does not want to give up guard Mike Conley in any trade.
Portland, once again has been busy making noise as they have made it known that they would like to move up, most likely into the 3-6 range, where they could grab a point guard, specifically either Jerryd Bayless or O.J. Mayo. They have the great advantage of having a major influx of young players as well as 3 second round picks. Seemingly enough, if they put the right pieces together, to get into the top 5 position.There have also been talks between the Nets, who own the rights to the 10th pick, in a trade that would bring the that pick as well as shooting guard Richard Jefferson to Portland. This is where the second round picks and the privilege to trade Jarrett Jack or Steve Blake and Joel Pryzbilla come in, picks and players that could be included in this proposed deal. This particular trade might not go through as it is just speculation at this point but to have this type of leeway to make these kind of inquiries is a great thing to possess. With the way Kevin Pritchard and the Blazers have been invlovled in the trade market on draft night in previous years you can’t count them out of making a big splash to bolster an already remarkably talented team.
The Blazers and GM Kevin Pritchard are once again very aggressive when it comes to the NBA Draft, this time acquiring the 27th pick from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for cash considerations. This extra pick in the first round, to go with the 13th overall selection, will bolster an already dangerous up and coming, young, talented team. The question is who do they take with these two picks. The Blazers have talked about trading the 13th to move up in the draft (because they have an abundance of young talent that could entice some teams), possibly far enough up to take the coveted versatile Joe Alexander, a player that Pritchard is enamored with. Alexander is a player that could help fill one of the Blazers few needs, as they don’t have a consistent shooting guard/small forward at their disposal with the roster that they currently have.
By obtaining the other first round pick the Blazers now have a chance to get a small forward or maybe another center. There has already been talk about them taking Memphis guard Chris Douglas Roberts with the 27th if he falls that far, or if not, taking another big man to bolster an already strong front-line (they have a healthy Oden, Lamarcus Aldridge and Joel Pryzbilla at the power forward/center position), possibly Ante Tomic, a overseas standout.
With the news of Rudy Fernandez joining their squad, a point guard that would be a consensus top-5 pick if he was in this draft, the Blazers don’t really need anything other than a shooter. They, now with Fernandez, have 3 solid point guards, the others being Jarrett Jack and Steve Blake. Portland has some leverage to either trade one of either Jack or Blake, or stand pat and have incredible depth at that position. The big problem I see is that they have so much young talent, they almost have too much. Their starting five will look something like this: Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez, Lamarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, and one of either Travis Outlaw or Martell Webster. A very good one, one that will surely contend this year. With this setup though, what kind of minutes will players like either Outlaw or Webster get, as well as players like Jack, Blake, Pryzbilla, not to mention their two current first rounders. This is why I can see the Blazers trading one of their now bench-bound point guards just because they are stacked at that, and nearly every other position.
With how aggressive the Blazers have been in past years, I can’t see them not making a move. Great depth like they currently have is a asset that every team in the NBA would love to have. They have two point guards that most likely won’t start that could start, or have a big impact, on nearly every other franchise, as well as a very dependable center in Pryzbilla that will now also be sent to the bench. If they take a center with either the 13th or 27th pick I could see Pryzbilla being moved, because the Blazers need someone who can backup Oden effectively.
Even though their is a lot of excitement surrounding Oden and Fernandez, and rightfully so, they will still be first year players, and for a young team like Portland it will be vital to have sound backups. Of the two backup guards I would, if I was Pritchard, find a simple deal to trade Jack because he isn’t proven, nor has he been very consistent in his current tenure with the team. Blake is the player that has been solid for the Blazers during his two stints with the team. He is very smart and could be a very good sixth man. He plays well beyond his years and is still young, 28, and could provide a good sounding block for Fernandez.
I don’t know what the team will decide to do with their two first round picks as well a few players on their roster, but I do know that the Blazers will send out a squad that will be reckoned with in the Western Conference.
Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, for their respective Memphis and Kansas State squads, made names for themselves with their tremendous play, and in some instances, utter domination.
Rose, a native of Chicago, is projected by many to go number one overall, therefore falling into the lap of his hometown team. Although the Bulls don’t necessarily need a point guard, with Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon already on the team with the capability of playing the position, Rose would be too difficult to pass up. He has a remarkable knack for making plays not only for himself but for his teammates. There is a great explosion about him. His overall ability makes me want to compare him to the current Piston Chauncey Billups, not only because of his leadership, but because of the stocky build. Rose possesses the strength, as Billups does, to body a defender, and is a player, because of his physique, that could play in the post; a way not only to score, which he already can do in so many other ways, but a way to draw defenders and make plays for others. These such qualities as strength, floor vision, body control and explosiveness, not to mention his scoring ability, makes him such a hot commodity, makes him a player gifted enough to be worthy of a number one pick.
Michael Beasley, though talented, has a few warning signs linked to his game. He, like Rose, has a great ability to score, but unlike Rose, he is very one dimensional. Sure he tore up college in his just one year at Kansas State, but he doesn’t play the defense the way a guy his size (there is a discrepancy towards his height, but I’ll mark him at 6′7”, barefoot) should. I have marveled at his talent on the offensive end, including forcing me to write a few articles on this blog. I thought, because of his tremendous dominance of every opponent that stepped in his way, and his leadership to lead an overall mediocre to the NCAA Tournament, that he was robbed, at gunpoint, of the Player of the Year honors. Don’t think I don’t like his chances in the pros because of his defensive, because I think he will mend the few chinks in his armor and be the focal point of a franchise and a MVP type player for years to come. If he doesn’t go #1 overall (it seems that Rose is the prohibitive favorite, according to everything I’ve heard) he will be a lock at the number 2 spot and fall into the lap of the Miami Heat. One problem with that scenario: the Heat are already overflowed at the small forward/power forward position especially with Shawn Marion occupying the role that Beasley would play. It’s seems, according to the Chad Ford/Bill Simmons debate, that the Heat might trade the pick. This seems inexplicable, even though Rose fits their needs better. If I were the Heat I would much rather keep Beasley and trade a majority of the mediocre players that they have on their roster (yes that means you Ricky Davis, Mark Blount and Udonis Haslem) and try and get another pick in the draft. They need a point guard and there might be three big names available in the 7-12 pick range if they want to trade down (players such as Jerryd Bayless, D.J. Augustin and Mario Chalmers). I can see why they have had second thoughts about keeping Beasley with the second pick. They would rather pick for necessity rather than take the best overall player on the board. I understand the predicament that the franchise finds themselves in because I wouldn’t want to rely on Jason Williams, their aging current point guard, for any longer than I’d have to (it’s been too long already), but I don’t think I couldn’t live after knowing I passed up on his kind of offensive talent.
With the potential that these probable top two picks possess, lets hope that they showcase the talent that they are capable of when they hit the court in Chicago and Miami, respectively.
A year ago the Celtics had no hope. They were a team stuck in the bottom cellar of the Eastern Conference, with their lone star Paul Pierce looking for answers. He found them and they came in the form of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The new-look Çeltics, were, just like that, seen as a title contender, and as the final score of Game 6 would indicate, the hype surrounding this team all year long was right. Boston demolished the Lakers, to put it lightly, to win their franchise’s 17th title, 131-92 (yes that’s right, 131-92), proving to everyone that they are the best team in the league.
Paul Pierce and others played their usual stifling defense on Kobe Bryant, holding him down once again, as he mustered only 22 points on 7-22 shooting. Both teams, on an overall standpoint struggled for points in the opening quarter, but the Celtics nabbed a 24-20 lead after one. The one player that was red hot during the first frame was none other that Kobe Bryant, who scored 11 points on 4-5 shooting, including 3 threes. He was so confident about his teams’ chances he taunted the Celtics fans in the front row by the announcers booth, by making a bold, and oh so wrong prediction: “Not tonight.” The game got out of hand as soon as that comment came out of his mouth, as the Celtics began to take control not only of the game, but of Bryant himself.
Although the score was somewhat close during the first part of the second period, the Celtics seemed destined to pull away and embarrass the Lakers. They did so, using a 26-6 run to end the quarter, to take a beyond commanding 24-point lead at the break. It had been a reoccurring theme in these NBA Finals for a team to grab a big lead and not know how to play with it, but the theme didn’t continue during this contest.
The Celtics defense was otherworldly, making the Lakers take any open shot because that was all they were going to get. They took 27 threes and though they made 10 that was their hope of getting back into the game, which obviously didn’t work in the slightest. The Lakers shot 42% for the game and scored only 35 points at halftime, which ultimately doomed their chances of competing. The shooting wasn’t the biggest problem for Los Angeles, as they committed 19 turnovers. That is a large number, but it looks even bigger when 18 of those turnovers are by way of a Celtics steal. Rajon Rondo was the key in that department, harassing anyone who was near him to collect 6 steals, leading to many breakaway chances for Boston. Three other players had three steals of their own, Garnett, Allen, and James Posey, contributing to not only a anemic Lakers offense but a way for the Celtics to pull away quite easily.
Allen, Garnett, and Finals MVP Paul Pierce did what they do best, lead their team. For all of these stars this was their first taste of the NBA Finals let alone a title. Ray Allen, who scored 26 points while making 7 threes, an NBA Finals record, was heroic in many ways. Prior to game time he was tending to his ailing son, and during part of the game he was in the locker room tending to an injured eye. The team held their own in his absence, as it was during this time in the first half in which the Celtics put the game away. Kevin Garnett, like Allen, was stuck with a below average team (his Timberwolves to Allen’s Sonics) before he found his way into beantown. Everyone on this championship team deserved a ring, but I am especially happy for Garnett, who was repeatedly knocked out of the first round during his tenure in Minnesota. He rebounded from a Game 5 that he referred to as “garbage” (he scored only 13 points and collected 5 fouls in the loss) to score 26 points, grab 14 rebounds, dish 4 assists, and steal 3 steals. These guys, Allen and Garnett, never experienced the abysmal Celtics of old (in old I mean last season). Paul Pierce did. He was the solo performer on a repeatedly horrible team, but stuck with it (he has spent his whole career in Boston, amounting 10 years) hoping that this magical year would come. Though he didn’t shoot particualrly well in this contest, he was the unselfish player that he has been all season long, dishing 10 assists, 9 of which were in the decisive first half, to go with his hard earned 17 points.
Maybe it should be the Big Four, as Rajon Rondo had the game of his short career. He had been on a short leash with the fans all season long because of his poor shooting and inexperienced mistakes, but like his teammates, he grew with every minute of every game. His shot wasn’t dropping in this game as shot 8-20 from the field (he did end up with 21 points though), but he was very aggressive from the outset, not only on the offensive end but on defense as well. His scoring is a bonus when he does all of the intangibles like he did in this game, as he not only created turnovers by his previously mentioned six steals, but he snatched 7 rebounds, contributed 8 assists and committed only one turnover. His pestering style of play disgruntled the Lakers considerably, the style of play that helps reborn franchises win championships, which the Celtics did to end a exciting NBA season.
The Lakers obtained another thought-to-be insurmountable lead, and this time Kobe Bryant was leading the charge. The Lakers star scored 15 points in the opening period, helping his team jump out to a 17-point, 39-22, lead heading into the second. Once again the Lakers couldn’t hold the Celtics from coming back as they cut the lead 55-52 going into half. It was Paul Pierce’s 21 first half points that helped Boston out of a huge hole once again. The Lakers were shaking their heads heading into the locker room, pondering deja vu.
During the previous games in this series, the Celtics gained the upper hand in the third quarter, outscoring them by a wide margin. This was not the case in this game however as the Lakers stormed back with a efficient third period, stretching their shortened lead to nine by taking advantage of a few costly turnovers and poor offensive possessions by Boston. Though Los Angeles looked in control with the lead, they weren’t. The Celtics climbed back into the game. Yes because of very sound offense but also because of some very poor defense by L.A.. Los Angeles’s starters weren’t helping themselves on the defensive end as they repeatedly had trouble on the pick-and-roll. The Celtics took advantage as much as they could of the stand-still defense but came up short in the end.
Hoisting the trophy will have to wait until Tuesday as the Celtics head back home as they try to capture the franchise’s first title in 21 years. Paul Pierce ended up with 38 points, but made a horrible turnover in the closing minute that ended his performance on a sour note. Kevin Garnett scored 13 points and 14 rebounds, but didn’t put the numbers needed after a hot first quarter start. Ray Allen chipped in 16 points, but shot only 4-13 from the field.
Speaking of poor shooting, Bryant had another abysmal performance from the field, posting just 8-21 for his 25 points. This time he got enough from the rest of his starters and his bench to help the Lakers take game 5. Lamar Odom scored 20 points to go with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Pau Gasol, though soft on defense, was solid on the offensive end, scoring 19 points, as well as 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Jordan Farmar saved another below average outing by the Lakers bench, chipping in 11 much needed points.
