With the NBA lockout proceeding with no end in sight, I once again found myself wanting to watch some old-school basketball action. So I did a quick search, and decided to watch Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trailblazers. Detroit came into the game with a 3-1 lead, needing only one more win to win their second straight NBA Title. Which is what they did, as Detroit pulled out another close game in a series full of them, winning by the score of 92-90. A couple of interesting notes about this game. One is that this was the first finals since 1979 to not feature either the Lakers or Celtics, and two, this was the last NBA game broadcast by CBS, and unless CBS can somehow outbid ESPN/ABC anytime soon, it looks like that will continue to be the case for a while. A few notes about this game:
- The hero of this game turned out to be Vinnie Johnson, nicknamed "The Microwave" because of his ability to get hot quickly. Well, that's what he did here. After doing next to nothing for the first three quarters, Johnson suddenly started to catch fire in the fourth, hitting jumper after jumper Early in the fourth quarter, Johnson scored all the points in a Pistons 9-0 run that gave Detroit a one point lead. When Portland rallied to lead 90-83 with just over two minutes left. Johnson went to work again, scoring 7 of the last nine points for the Pistons, including the game winning jumper with just .7 seconds left on the clock. Johnson scored all 16 of his points in the fourth quarter, which just shows what kind of player he was, a clutch shooter who could carry the Pistons on offense for long stretches.
- Of course, Johnson wouldn't have been in the position to carry his team down the stretch without the play of Isiah Thomas. While the rest of the Pistons struggled in the first half, Thomas took the team on his back and dragged the Pistons to a four point lead at halftime, thanks to 20 first-half points, with 15 coming in the first quarter. Thomas struggled a bit in the second half and spent much of the fourth quarter on the bench while Johnson and Joe Dumars took over the backcourt duties, but he came through when the Pistons needed him, draining an 18 footer to tie the game at 90 with less than a minute remaining, then forcing a turnover by Portland's Terry Porter on the other end. Overall, Thomas scored 29 points, and after the game, he would be named the Finals MVP.
- The Trailblazers played on the Pistons' level for much of the ballgame, but just couldn't come through when they needed a basket the most. It didn't help when their big gun, Clyde Drexler, fouled out, leaving Portland with a backcourt of Porter and Danny Young. For the game, Drexler scored 20 points, though there were long stretches where he would seem to disappear, especially in the first half. Portland's leading scorers in the game were Kevin Duckworth and Terry Porter with 21 points apiece. Duckworth was especially impressive in the first half (14 points) and for a man that weighed 275 pounds, Duckworth had great feet and mobilitiy in the low post. Eventually, the Pistons would collapse on Duckworth and force him to take a bad shot, but for a while there Detroit had no answers for him. As for Porter, his 21 points included 4 three pointers, although the 89% free-throw shooter missed a few key free throws down the stretch and was just awful in the last two minutes, turning the ball over twice.
- The Pistons of this era were known for there rough and aggressive style of play, and they showcased that style in this game. However, the Trailblazers didn't exactly back down, and any team with Buck Williams and Jerome Kersey in their lineup would have to be considered tough. In fact, in this game it was the Pistons that came out the worst for the wear. Johnson had to leave the game for a period after banging knees with Jerome Kersey, James Edwards suffered a cut over his eye after a hard foul, Bill Laimbeer suffered various scratches and bruises, and Isiah Thomas had to leave the game after a Scott-Stevens like check from Cliff Robinson on a pick opened up a cut on Thomas's forehead (a play that somehow the refs didn't call a foul on). There were 35 fouls over all, and there could have been at least 20 more. As for Laimbeer, well, I can see why he was one of the most hated players in the NBA around this time. The guy would complain after every call as if the refs just stole his car, even it was obvious that he committed the foul. At least he didn't flop around like a fish in this game, and his 17 rebounds were a game high.
- After watching crowd after crowd covered in white T-shirts or blue T-shirts or whatever and showing very little enthusiasm throughout the 2011 playoffs, it was refreshing to see a crowd that was actually into the game from beginning to end without relying on gimmicks. The Portland crowd in this game was much like a college crowd, cheering feverishly after every basket and trying to rile the Pistons when they had the ball. Alas, it was all for naught, but much like the Trailblazers themselves, the crowd left it all out there.
After this series, the NBA moved on to NBC, and a six-minute video package of the greatest moments of the NBA on CBS played ending with Marvin Gaye's rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. It was quite a video package, actually, featuring everything for Gar Heard's shot in the 1976 Finals to Kevin McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis. The Pistons' postgame celebration was also shown, and featured Mark Aguirre shouting "G** D***" four times in succession, and John Salley wrapping things by proclaiming it's Hammer Time. The next year, both clubs returned to their respective Conference Finals, only to fall to the Bulls and Lakers. The Trailblazers would make it back to the Finals in 1992, only to lose to Michael Jordan and the Bulls, while the Pistons wouldn't get back to the finals until 2004. In some ways, this was the end of the Detroit "Bad Boys" dynasty, as the team just wasn't the same the next year. But it was a nice run, as the Pistons became only the third team in NBA History to win back-to-back NBA Championships. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this post, or ideas for future posts, then share those thoughts with me either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks, Game 5, 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals
With the NBA season over and the lockout blocking any offseason activity, I find myself jonesing for some NBA Action, and watching old drafts on NBA TV just isn't enough. So today, I watched Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks. Even though Michael Jordan retired before the season, coach Phil Jackson's squad rallied around star Scottie Pippen and won 55 games during the regular season. Meanwhile in New York, the Knicks had the second best record in the Eastern Conference at 57-25, and were considered the favorites to come out of the East. The Knicks took the first two games of the series in New York, while the Bulls took the next two in Chicago. In game 5, the home team would hold serve, as the Knicks won 87-86 thanks to a controversial foul by Scottie Pippen with 2.1 seconds remaining. After the foul, Hubert Davis hit two free throws to give the Knicks the winning points. A few notes about this game:
- Even before the foul on Davis, the officiating for this game was less than stellar. The Knicks shot 25 free throws to the Bulls 11, and it wasn't like they were attacking the basket, as most of the time they would settle for jump shots. Patrick Ewing took two charges directly underneath the basket, a point which the Bulls argued since most of the time, a call like that would go against the defender. In fact, in today's NBA it would. B.J. Armstrong nearly got knocked out by a moving screen from Ewing, but the refs let them play. To be fair, there were a couple foul calls on Pippen that were questionable at best, so at least the refs were consistently poor. Then there was the play at the end. Was there contact by Pippen on Davis? A little, but it happened well after the shot was in the air and didn't look as if it affected the shot in any way. There was probably 5 or 6 similar plays by defenders on jump shots that didn't get called, but ref Hue Hollins saw enough in his mind to call the foul. Good thing for the Knicks too, as Davis missed an open three there with Pippen getting there late.
- If you like your NBA superstars to come through in the clutch, well, this game wasn't for you. On the one hand we have Ewing, who started out on fire in the first quarter, scoring 12 points and hitting his first four shots from the field. Then he went scoreless during the next two periods, mainly because he and the rest of the Knicks fell in love with the jump shot to mixed results. In the fourth, Ewing started to come around a little, but with 31.4 seconds left and the Knicks down one, Ewing went to the free-throw line and clanked two free throws. Overall, Ewing scored 20 points and pulled down 13 boards, but he also went 2-7 from the free throw line and would have been the goat if Davis hadn't bailed him out. On the other side, there was Pippen. For the first three quarters, Pippen was the best player on the court, leading the Bulls back after the Knicks started the game on a huge run, sinking three 3-pointers and playing great defense. Then the fourth quarter came around and Pippen wasn't on the court for the first five and a half minutes as coach Phil Jackson played a hunch and left his reserves in. The bench played well and kept the Bulls ahead, but when Pippen came back in, he didn't look like the same player and was a non-factor in the final minutes of the game. He made two free throws, committed a couple of fouls, and that was it.
- You know, I forgot how good B.J. Armstrong was. The Bulls point guard was on fire in this game, scoring 21 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. Whether he was wide open or heavily guarded, Armstrong was knocking shots down, and many times announcer Hubie Brown was wondering why the Bulls weren't getting the ball to Armstrong more. Honestly, I found myself wondering the same thing, especially with guys like Pete Myers and Bill Cartwright on the court. Speaking of Hubie, I kind of felt bad for his partner Ron Tholin, because Hubie loves to talk on and on and on. I mean, I like Hubie Brown as an announcer, but the guys does like to talk.
- The Knicks were a little shorthanded in the game, as starting point guard Derek Harper was suspended for an altercation earlier in the series and Doc Rivers was injured, leaving Greg Anthony and the little-known Corey Gaines as the only two point guards on the Knicks roster. After a rough game 4, Anthony played well in this game, dishing out eight assists while only turning the ball over once. Also, small forward Charles Smith had his moments, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the second quarter, although he didn't play particularly well in the fourth quarter.
- Earlier in the series, a controversy developed after the Bulls Toni Kukoc took the game ending shot in game 3, while Pippen decided it'd be best for him to sit on the bench after learning the play wasn't called for him. Well, after Davis made the free throw and the Bulls called timeout, the camera was focused on Pippen the entire time, while the announcers ignored the elephant in the room and Hubie talked about what the Bulls should do in the situation. In this case, the play was called for Pippen, so it was a good thing he decided to remain out there this time, but it was all for naught as Anthony Mason blocked the inbound pass.
After this game, the Bulls would come back to Chicago and win game six, but the Knicks prevailed in Game 7, and would eventually go all the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, Hubert Davis would become a sports hero in New York, if just for a moment or two, while Hue Hollins would become the least favorite referee in Chicago. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have a comment relating to this post, or an idea for a future post, then feel free to share by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
- Even before the foul on Davis, the officiating for this game was less than stellar. The Knicks shot 25 free throws to the Bulls 11, and it wasn't like they were attacking the basket, as most of the time they would settle for jump shots. Patrick Ewing took two charges directly underneath the basket, a point which the Bulls argued since most of the time, a call like that would go against the defender. In fact, in today's NBA it would. B.J. Armstrong nearly got knocked out by a moving screen from Ewing, but the refs let them play. To be fair, there were a couple foul calls on Pippen that were questionable at best, so at least the refs were consistently poor. Then there was the play at the end. Was there contact by Pippen on Davis? A little, but it happened well after the shot was in the air and didn't look as if it affected the shot in any way. There was probably 5 or 6 similar plays by defenders on jump shots that didn't get called, but ref Hue Hollins saw enough in his mind to call the foul. Good thing for the Knicks too, as Davis missed an open three there with Pippen getting there late.
- If you like your NBA superstars to come through in the clutch, well, this game wasn't for you. On the one hand we have Ewing, who started out on fire in the first quarter, scoring 12 points and hitting his first four shots from the field. Then he went scoreless during the next two periods, mainly because he and the rest of the Knicks fell in love with the jump shot to mixed results. In the fourth, Ewing started to come around a little, but with 31.4 seconds left and the Knicks down one, Ewing went to the free-throw line and clanked two free throws. Overall, Ewing scored 20 points and pulled down 13 boards, but he also went 2-7 from the free throw line and would have been the goat if Davis hadn't bailed him out. On the other side, there was Pippen. For the first three quarters, Pippen was the best player on the court, leading the Bulls back after the Knicks started the game on a huge run, sinking three 3-pointers and playing great defense. Then the fourth quarter came around and Pippen wasn't on the court for the first five and a half minutes as coach Phil Jackson played a hunch and left his reserves in. The bench played well and kept the Bulls ahead, but when Pippen came back in, he didn't look like the same player and was a non-factor in the final minutes of the game. He made two free throws, committed a couple of fouls, and that was it.
- You know, I forgot how good B.J. Armstrong was. The Bulls point guard was on fire in this game, scoring 21 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. Whether he was wide open or heavily guarded, Armstrong was knocking shots down, and many times announcer Hubie Brown was wondering why the Bulls weren't getting the ball to Armstrong more. Honestly, I found myself wondering the same thing, especially with guys like Pete Myers and Bill Cartwright on the court. Speaking of Hubie, I kind of felt bad for his partner Ron Tholin, because Hubie loves to talk on and on and on. I mean, I like Hubie Brown as an announcer, but the guys does like to talk.
- The Knicks were a little shorthanded in the game, as starting point guard Derek Harper was suspended for an altercation earlier in the series and Doc Rivers was injured, leaving Greg Anthony and the little-known Corey Gaines as the only two point guards on the Knicks roster. After a rough game 4, Anthony played well in this game, dishing out eight assists while only turning the ball over once. Also, small forward Charles Smith had his moments, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the second quarter, although he didn't play particularly well in the fourth quarter.
- Earlier in the series, a controversy developed after the Bulls Toni Kukoc took the game ending shot in game 3, while Pippen decided it'd be best for him to sit on the bench after learning the play wasn't called for him. Well, after Davis made the free throw and the Bulls called timeout, the camera was focused on Pippen the entire time, while the announcers ignored the elephant in the room and Hubie talked about what the Bulls should do in the situation. In this case, the play was called for Pippen, so it was a good thing he decided to remain out there this time, but it was all for naught as Anthony Mason blocked the inbound pass.
After this game, the Bulls would come back to Chicago and win game six, but the Knicks prevailed in Game 7, and would eventually go all the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, Hubert Davis would become a sports hero in New York, if just for a moment or two, while Hue Hollins would become the least favorite referee in Chicago. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have a comment relating to this post, or an idea for a future post, then feel free to share by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Your Canon Review 2010-11 NBA Preview in Review
With all the postseason awards given out, and the NBA playoffs in full swing, I figure now is as good a time as any to look back at the picks I made in the Canon Review NBA Preview done in October. After one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory, the NBA Playoffs have been one exciting thrill after another. With the Grizzlies' upset of the Spurs, the Heat coming into their own against the Celtics, and top-notch individual performances from Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Zach Randolph, the 2011 NBA Playoffs have so far been one of the most memorable in NBA history. Meanwhile, during the regular season, Blake Griffin became an overnight sensation, the Celtics and Magic made trades that ended up hurting them in the long run, Derrick Rose led the Bulls to their best record since the Michael Jordan era, and All-Stars like Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams were traded in mid-season. So, did I see any of this coming, or not? Well, let's find out by looking back at my preseason picks.
At the All-Star break, the Celtics looked like the beasts of the East. However, ever since GM Danny Ainge traded C Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder, the Celtics' play has dovetailed, especially PG Rajon Rondo. Now the Celtics are facing a 2-0 deficit to the Miami Heat in the playoffs. After adding C Amare Stoudemire in the offseason, the Knicks traded for another superstar in SF Carmelo Anthony. The end result was a first-round elimination to the Boston Celtics, but considering where the Knicks were the last few seasons, that's a step in the right direction. If the Knicks can get one more piece to team up with Carmelo and Amare, then New York could join the league's elite. 76ers coach Doug Collins came in and led his overachieving team to the playoffs this year. The Sixers have a promising young core of players led by PG Jrue Holliday and SF Andre Igoudala, although they could use another scorer. The Nets traded for PG Deron Williams just after the All-Star break, and should be a little better next season with a full season from Williams. How much better could depend on the development of C Brook Lopez. The Raptors have a lot of young players, which helps explain their 22-60 record. While the Raptors are young, it's hard to see a team led by C Andrea Bargnani and SG Demar DeRozen carrying a team into contention, at least not without a little help.
Central Division:
The Bulls were expected to be a good team this year, although very few people felt that the Bulls had a 60 win season in them this year, especially considering that C Joakim Noah and PF Carlos Boozer both missed large stretches of the season with injuries. Credit NBA Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau and MVP PG Derrick Rose for the Bulls meteoric rise. The Pacers had an up-and-down season and fired coach Jim O'Brien in midseason, but interim coach Frank Vogel led the Pacers to a 20-18 record during his stint, and the Pacers snuck into the playoffs. The Bucks were hoping to build on last season's success, but instead they saw the acquisitions of SF Corey Maggette and PF Drew Gooden blow up in their faces and young PG Brandon Jennings take a step backwards after a strong rookie year. The Pistons made more news by feuding with coach John Kuester than anything they did on the basketball court, and look to be in rebuild mode. The Cavs lost LeBron James and at one point lost 26 games in a row. On the plus side, the team played hard under coach Byron Scott, and Cleveland did not finish with the worst record in the league.
Southeast Division:
The Heat's big three of James, SG Dwyane Wade and PF Chris Bosh had a few bumps in the road, but at the end of the season, Miami won 58 games and are now poised to make a run at the NBA Championship. The Magic made some major trades in midseason to acquire PG Gilbert Arenas, SG Jason Richardson, and SF Hedo Turkoglu, and while the Magic won 52 games, they were upset by the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks, meanwhile, played rather poorly after the All-Star break, but were able to pull it together once the playoffs started and are now tied at 1 game apiece with the top seeded Bulls. The Bobcats played better once Paul Silas took over as coach, but it still wasn't enough to snatch a playoff spot, especially since PF Gerald Wallace was traded to Portland after the All-Star break. The Wizards have an intriguing young team led by PG John Wall, SG Jordan Crawford, and C Javale McGee, but the young Wizards probably have a ways to go before becoming a legitimate playoff contender.
Western Conference:
I must admit that I was surprised that the Spurs finished with the Western Conference's best record, as the team exceeded expectation by winning 61 games. Then again, I was also surprised that the Spurs fell to the eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs, making their regular season accomplishments moot. The Mavericks once again won over 55 games behind the play of PF Dirk Nowitzki, but, in a change from recent years, the Mavericks have also had postseason success, defeating the Trailblazers in the first round and winning the first two games against the Lakers in L.A. in the second round. PG Chris Paul carried the Hornets to a playoff spot this year, and played very well against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, serving notice to all the NBA that he is still amongst the elite players in the league. Memphis survived an injury to SF Rudy Gay, a fight between SGs O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen, and other problems to finish as the eighth seed in the deep Western Conference. Then they shocked the Spurs behind the play of PF Zach Randolph and C Marc Gasol, and are currently knotted up with Oklahoma City at one game apiece in their second round series. If the Rockets were in the Eastern Conference, they would have finished with the sixth best record. Instead, the Rockets are the best team out of the playoffs, despite the strong play of C Luis Scola and PG Kyle Lowry throughout the season.
Perhaps I was a bit high on Oklahoma City at the beginning of the year, but hey, they did win 55 games and are favored to go to the conference finals. With C Kendrick Perkins teaming with Serge Ibaka to form an intimidating front line to compliment All-Stars SF Kevin Durant and PG Russell Westbrook, the Thunder will be a force to reckoned with for years to come. The Nuggets traded their best player in SF Carmelo Anthony, but instead of folding, the Nuggets rallied, and coach George Karl led them to a fifth seed in the West. Yes, they did fall to Oklahoma City in the first round, but Denver proved that there is life after 'Melo. The Trailblazers surprised me this year, as they survived a lot of injuries and made the playoffs. A large reason for that is the play of PF LaMarcus Aldridge, who stepped up his game and became an All-Star caliber player. The Jazz were a team in transition this year, as long-time coach Jerry Sloan resigned, then the team traded All-Star point guard Deron Williams. As such, the Jazz finished the season 8-20, and must rebuild around C Al Jefferson, PF Paul Milsap, and PG Devin Harris. The Timberwolves had the Most Improved Player in the league in PF Kevin Love, who also led the league in rebounding. Yet they still finished with the worst record in the NBA, which should tell you all you need to know about Love's teammates.
It was a typical successful season for the Lakers out in the Pacific division. However, the Mavericks have the Lakers in a 2-0 hole in the playoffs, so if the Lakers want to win a third title in coach Phil Jackson's final season, then Kobe Bryant and co. must step it up. The Suns got a great season out of PG Steve Nash, but this year his supporting cast wasn't quite up to the task and the Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Warriors provided their fans with a lot of scoring, led by guards Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. However, if the Warriors want to be a playoff team next year, they've got to improve on defense. The Clippers have the NBA rookie of the year in PF Blake Griffin, and he and SG Eric Gordon give the Clips two great building blocks. Look for the Clippers to be the most improved team next year, if there is a season. Sacramento not only saw their team lose a lot of games, they also almost saw their Kings leave town. While the Kings will play in Sacramento next season, things probably won't be much better next year, as the owners are broke and the team is still too young to contend. But you could do worse than having a young core led by PG Tyreke Evans, PF/C DeMarcus Cousins, and SG Marcus Thornton.
Results:
At the beginning of the season, it was thought that Rose would be a very good player, but still a year away from becoming a superstar. However, Rose stepped up his game, became the best point guard in the league and at 22, became the NBA's youngest MVP. Howard set a new career high in scoring and led a questionable Magic roster to a 52 win season, which is why he finished second. James had a great season, but the fact is that Rose and Howard meant more to their team's success than LeBron. Kobe was his typically solid self, while Durant finished fifth in the MVP voting after leading the NBA in scoring and leading the Thunder to their best record since 1998.
Results:
Rookie of the Year
Results:
NBA Finals Prediction: Heat over Lakers in 6Well, it's kind of late to change things now, so I'll stick with the pick. The Heat have played as good a game as they have all season in their first two games with the Celtics, so I'm still pretty confident in that pick. As for the Lakers, to be honest, I can't see them coming back against the Mavericks after dropping the first two in L.A. But I'm sticking with the pick until the bitter end.
Overall, I don't think I did too badly this year. Out of 16 playoff teams, I only missed three (76ers, Grizzlies, Trailblazers) and I did get two of the three major awards right. Yes, I did underrate the Bulls and Spurs, but I think I did all right. Well, thanks for reading the Canon Review NBA Preview in Review. Remember, if you have an idea for a future review, or thoughts about this post, than share those ideas either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Eastern Conference (Conference Rank in parentheses)
Atlantic Division:
Predictions: Current Record:
1. Boston Celtics (3) 1. Boston Celtics (3)- 56-26
2. New York Knicks (7) 2. New York Knicks (6)- 42-40
3. New Jersey Nets (11) 3. Philadelphia 76ers (7)- 41-41
4. Philadelphia 76ers (12) 4. New Jersey Nets (12)-24-58
5. Toronto Raptors (15) 5. Toronto Raptors (14)- 22-60
At the All-Star break, the Celtics looked like the beasts of the East. However, ever since GM Danny Ainge traded C Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder, the Celtics' play has dovetailed, especially PG Rajon Rondo. Now the Celtics are facing a 2-0 deficit to the Miami Heat in the playoffs. After adding C Amare Stoudemire in the offseason, the Knicks traded for another superstar in SF Carmelo Anthony. The end result was a first-round elimination to the Boston Celtics, but considering where the Knicks were the last few seasons, that's a step in the right direction. If the Knicks can get one more piece to team up with Carmelo and Amare, then New York could join the league's elite. 76ers coach Doug Collins came in and led his overachieving team to the playoffs this year. The Sixers have a promising young core of players led by PG Jrue Holliday and SF Andre Igoudala, although they could use another scorer. The Nets traded for PG Deron Williams just after the All-Star break, and should be a little better next season with a full season from Williams. How much better could depend on the development of C Brook Lopez. The Raptors have a lot of young players, which helps explain their 22-60 record. While the Raptors are young, it's hard to see a team led by C Andrea Bargnani and SG Demar DeRozen carrying a team into contention, at least not without a little help.
Central Division:
1. Chicago Bulls (4) 1. Chicago Bulls (1)- 62-20
2. Milwaukee Bucks (6) 2. Indiana Pacers (8)- 37-45
3. Indiana Pacers (8) 3. Milwaukee Bucks (9)- 35-47
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (13) 4. Detroit Pistons (11)- 30-52
5. Detroit Pistons (14) 5. Cleveland Cavaliers (15)- 19-63
The Bulls were expected to be a good team this year, although very few people felt that the Bulls had a 60 win season in them this year, especially considering that C Joakim Noah and PF Carlos Boozer both missed large stretches of the season with injuries. Credit NBA Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau and MVP PG Derrick Rose for the Bulls meteoric rise. The Pacers had an up-and-down season and fired coach Jim O'Brien in midseason, but interim coach Frank Vogel led the Pacers to a 20-18 record during his stint, and the Pacers snuck into the playoffs. The Bucks were hoping to build on last season's success, but instead they saw the acquisitions of SF Corey Maggette and PF Drew Gooden blow up in their faces and young PG Brandon Jennings take a step backwards after a strong rookie year. The Pistons made more news by feuding with coach John Kuester than anything they did on the basketball court, and look to be in rebuild mode. The Cavs lost LeBron James and at one point lost 26 games in a row. On the plus side, the team played hard under coach Byron Scott, and Cleveland did not finish with the worst record in the league.
Southeast Division:
1. Miami Heat (1) 1. Miami Heat (2)- 58-24
2. Orlando Magic (2) 2. Orlando Magic (4)- 52-30
3. Atlanta Hawks (5) 3. Atlanta Hawks (5)- 44-38
4. Washington Wizards (9) 4. Charlotte Bobcats (10)- 34-48
5. Charlotte Bobcats (10) 5. Washington Wizards (13)- 23-59
The Heat's big three of James, SG Dwyane Wade and PF Chris Bosh had a few bumps in the road, but at the end of the season, Miami won 58 games and are now poised to make a run at the NBA Championship. The Magic made some major trades in midseason to acquire PG Gilbert Arenas, SG Jason Richardson, and SF Hedo Turkoglu, and while the Magic won 52 games, they were upset by the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks, meanwhile, played rather poorly after the All-Star break, but were able to pull it together once the playoffs started and are now tied at 1 game apiece with the top seeded Bulls. The Bobcats played better once Paul Silas took over as coach, but it still wasn't enough to snatch a playoff spot, especially since PF Gerald Wallace was traded to Portland after the All-Star break. The Wizards have an intriguing young team led by PG John Wall, SG Jordan Crawford, and C Javale McGee, but the young Wizards probably have a ways to go before becoming a legitimate playoff contender.
Western Conference:
Southwest Division:
1. Dallas Mavericks (3) 1. San Antonio Spurs (1)- 61-21
2. San Antonio Spurs (6) 2. Dallas Mavericks (3)- 57-25
3. Houston Rockets (7) 3. New Orleans Hornets (7)- 46-36
4. New Orleans Hornets (8) 4. Memphis Grizzlies (8)- 46-36
5. Memphis Grizzlies (12) 5. Houston Rockets (9)- 43-39
I must admit that I was surprised that the Spurs finished with the Western Conference's best record, as the team exceeded expectation by winning 61 games. Then again, I was also surprised that the Spurs fell to the eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs, making their regular season accomplishments moot. The Mavericks once again won over 55 games behind the play of PF Dirk Nowitzki, but, in a change from recent years, the Mavericks have also had postseason success, defeating the Trailblazers in the first round and winning the first two games against the Lakers in L.A. in the second round. PG Chris Paul carried the Hornets to a playoff spot this year, and played very well against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, serving notice to all the NBA that he is still amongst the elite players in the league. Memphis survived an injury to SF Rudy Gay, a fight between SGs O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen, and other problems to finish as the eighth seed in the deep Western Conference. Then they shocked the Spurs behind the play of PF Zach Randolph and C Marc Gasol, and are currently knotted up with Oklahoma City at one game apiece in their second round series. If the Rockets were in the Eastern Conference, they would have finished with the sixth best record. Instead, the Rockets are the best team out of the playoffs, despite the strong play of C Luis Scola and PG Kyle Lowry throughout the season.
Northwest Division:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 1. Ok. City Thunder (4)- 55-27
2. Utah Jazz (4) 2. Denver Nuggets (5)- 50-32
3. Denver Nuggets (5) 3. Portland Trailblazers (6)- 48-34
4. Portland Trailblazers (10) 4. Utah Jazz (11)- 39-43
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (15) 5. Minnesota T'wolves (15)- 17-65
Perhaps I was a bit high on Oklahoma City at the beginning of the year, but hey, they did win 55 games and are favored to go to the conference finals. With C Kendrick Perkins teaming with Serge Ibaka to form an intimidating front line to compliment All-Stars SF Kevin Durant and PG Russell Westbrook, the Thunder will be a force to reckoned with for years to come. The Nuggets traded their best player in SF Carmelo Anthony, but instead of folding, the Nuggets rallied, and coach George Karl led them to a fifth seed in the West. Yes, they did fall to Oklahoma City in the first round, but Denver proved that there is life after 'Melo. The Trailblazers surprised me this year, as they survived a lot of injuries and made the playoffs. A large reason for that is the play of PF LaMarcus Aldridge, who stepped up his game and became an All-Star caliber player. The Jazz were a team in transition this year, as long-time coach Jerry Sloan resigned, then the team traded All-Star point guard Deron Williams. As such, the Jazz finished the season 8-20, and must rebuild around C Al Jefferson, PF Paul Milsap, and PG Devin Harris. The Timberwolves had the Most Improved Player in the league in PF Kevin Love, who also led the league in rebounding. Yet they still finished with the worst record in the NBA, which should tell you all you need to know about Love's teammates.
Pacific Division:
1. Los Angeles Lakers (2) 1. Los Angeles Lakers (2)- 57-25
2. Phoenix Suns (9) 2. Phoenix Suns (10)- 40-42
3. Los Angeles Clippers (11) 3. G'State Warriors (12)- 36-46
4. Sacramento Kings (13) 4. L.A. Clippers (13)- 32-50
5. Golden State Warriors (14) 5. Sacramento Kings (14)- 24-58
It was a typical successful season for the Lakers out in the Pacific division. However, the Mavericks have the Lakers in a 2-0 hole in the playoffs, so if the Lakers want to win a third title in coach Phil Jackson's final season, then Kobe Bryant and co. must step it up. The Suns got a great season out of PG Steve Nash, but this year his supporting cast wasn't quite up to the task and the Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Warriors provided their fans with a lot of scoring, led by guards Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. However, if the Warriors want to be a playoff team next year, they've got to improve on defense. The Clippers have the NBA rookie of the year in PF Blake Griffin, and he and SG Eric Gordon give the Clips two great building blocks. Look for the Clippers to be the most improved team next year, if there is a season. Sacramento not only saw their team lose a lot of games, they also almost saw their Kings leave town. While the Kings will play in Sacramento next season, things probably won't be much better next year, as the owners are broke and the team is still too young to contend. But you could do worse than having a young core led by PG Tyreke Evans, PF/C DeMarcus Cousins, and SG Marcus Thornton.
MVP:
Preseason Picks:
1. Kevin Durant, F, Thunder (27.7 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game)
2. LeBron James, F, Heat (26.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.0 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game)
3. Kobe Bryant, G, Lakers (25.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.7 apg)
Dark Horse: Dwight Howard, C, Magic (22.9 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 2.4 blocks per game)
Results:
1. Derrick Rose, G, Bulls (25.0 ppg, 7.7 apg)
2. Howard
3. James
4. Bryant
At the beginning of the season, it was thought that Rose would be a very good player, but still a year away from becoming a superstar. However, Rose stepped up his game, became the best point guard in the league and at 22, became the NBA's youngest MVP. Howard set a new career high in scoring and led a questionable Magic roster to a 52 win season, which is why he finished second. James had a great season, but the fact is that Rose and Howard meant more to their team's success than LeBron. Kobe was his typically solid self, while Durant finished fifth in the MVP voting after leading the NBA in scoring and leading the Thunder to their best record since 1998.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Preseason Picks:
1. Howard, C, Magic
2. James, F, Heat
3. Joakim Noah, C, Bulls (48 games played, 10.4 rpg)
Dark Horse: John Wall, G, Wizards (1.8 spg)
Results:
1. Howard
2. Kevin Garnett, F, Boston Celtics (8.9 rpg, 1.3 spg, 0.8 bpg)
3. Tyson Chandler, C, Dallas Mavericks (9.4 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
4. Tony Allen, G, Memphis Grizzlies (1.8 spg)
I picked Howard at the beginning of the season largely because he had won the previous two awards and is still in the prime of his career. While I was right, I'm not going to take too much credit for it since most people that follow the NBA also made that pick. Garnett was once again the backbone to the Celtics' strong defense, while Chandler gave the Mavericks a much-needed quality low post defender and has helped that team immensely on the defensive end. Allen may not be the most consistent player on offense, but he also could-be the best on-ball defensive guard in the NBA today, as he showed in the Spurs series. James finished ninth in the balloting, although he didn't stand out on the defensive end as he did two years ago with the Cavs. Noah missed 34 games due to injury, but when he was in there, he was a menace to opposing offenses all across the league. As for Wall, well, I thought his quick hands would lead to more steals, but oh well. I think he might develop into an elite defender in the future, but I was a little quick on the gun this year.
Rookie of the Year
Preseason Picks:
1. Blake Griffin, F, Clippers (22.5 ppg, 12.1 rpg)
2. John Wall, G, Wizards (16.4 ppg, 8.3 apg)
3. DeMarcus Cousins, F/C, Kings (14.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg)
Dark Horse: Tiago Splitter, C, Spurs (4.6 ppg. 3.4 rpg)
Results:
1. Griffin
2. Wall
3. Cousins
4. Landry Fields, G/F, New York Knicks (9.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
Griffin's had a lock on the Rookie of the Year Award ever since the second week of the season, so it was no surprise that he was a unanimous selection for the award. As for the others, Wall and Cousins had up-and-down seasons, but both showed flashes of brilliance. As long as Cousins keeps his head on straight, both should become stars in the league. Fields was a revelation for the Knicks, and should be a solid role player for the Knicks for years to come. As for Splitter, well I was wrong, as G Gary Neal proved to be the best rookie on the Spurs this year.
NBA Finals Prediction: Heat over Lakers in 6
Overall, I don't think I did too badly this year. Out of 16 playoff teams, I only missed three (76ers, Grizzlies, Trailblazers) and I did get two of the three major awards right. Yes, I did underrate the Bulls and Spurs, but I think I did all right. Well, thanks for reading the Canon Review NBA Preview in Review. Remember, if you have an idea for a future review, or thoughts about this post, than share those ideas either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets, Game 4, 1997 Western Conference Finals, May 25, 1997
For the 250th post at The Canon Review, I decided to do a post much like the first post, in which I watch and review a classic basketball game. Actually, that was the original purpose of this blog, but about a week later I figured I'd get bored with the concept and made it more of a variety blog. Anyway, this game is a classic battle between the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets in game 4 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals, and what a battle it was. The game featured five future Hall of Famers, with Karl Malone and John Stockton on the Jazz, and Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Drexler on the Rockets. Naturally, in this 95-92 game won by the Rockets, it would not come down to any of these great players, but a role player, as the Rockets' Eddie Johnson sunk a three pointer at the buzzer to give the game to the Rockets. A few notes about this game:
- The first thing I noticed about this game is how ugly the Rockets' uniforms are. During this time, the Rockets were wearing these white pinstriped uniforms with a giant cartoon like logo on the chest and the text done in red and blue. They looked like pajamas, to be honest. The Jazz didn't exactly have the greatest uniforms during this era either, but they looked much sharper than the Rockets' gear, at least. Here's a picture so you can decide for yourself.
- The Rockets seemed to have a rather simple offensive plan. Bring the ball up, throw it in deep to Olajuwon or Barkley in the post, and have them either take a shot if they're single covered or pass back out if the double team came. Not very imaginative, but when you have players like Olajuwon and Barkley, you don't have to overthink to score points. While Barkley and Karl Malone battled for most of the game, Olajuwon had guys like Greg Ostertag and Greg Foster playing him, giving the Rockets a huge advantage, and despite early foul trouble, Hakeem was easily the best player on the Rockets, scoring 27 points, grabbing 10 boards and blocking 4 shots. However, the reason the Jazz hung around and kept this game so close is that the Rockets could not make them pay for double teaming their two star post players. The Jazz would never have the man guarding Drexler double down because that's just asking for trouble, so the Rockets would pass it out to guys like Matt Maloney, Sedale Threatt, and Mario Elie and hope their shots would fall. Well, Maloney and Elie were a combined 3-11 from downtown, and Drexler was 1-4 from three point range himself, as the Rockets missed too many open shots. They did get the big one at the end from Johnson, though.
- The best matchup in this game was the Malone-Barkley duo at the power forward position. At the start, it looked as if Malone would dominate, as he could do whatever he wanted to against Barkley early on. But Malone got into some foul trouble in the first quarter and once he came back in, he didn't seem like the same player he was at the beginning of the game. Malone may have finished with 22 points, but he only went 10-28 shooting from the field and shot a mere two free throws. Barkley may not have been the greatest defender to play the game, but he did a nice job on Malone throughout the game, with a little help from Olajuwon when needed. On the offensive end, Barkley made his presence felt by scoring 20 points and shooting 11-12 from the free throw line. As the game became more and more physical, it was Barkley that held the advantage despite being the smaller man, as he seemed to be the aggressor in this matchup.
- Speaking of matchups, John Stockon of the Jazz was matched up against Matt Maloney for much of the game, and Stockton just owned him. Maloney was particularly flustered by the pick and roll, and he got no help from the interior defenders who couldn't leave Malone to chase after Stockton. On a night where Malone struggled, Stockton picked up the slack with 22 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. However, one thing I did notice was that reverse PG Sedale Threatt seemed to have more success against Stockton in the limited time they were matched up together, which makes me wonder why they didn't give Threatt more playing time. Since Stockton basically owned Maloney throughout the enitre game and series, would it really hurt to give Threatt more of a chance and see if he can do any better. Or maybe the Rockets could have switched Mario Elie on Stockton and have Maloney guard Jeff Hornacek. Just a thought.
- The officiating during this game was not exactly the best in the history of the game. Foul calls were way too inconsistent, as sometimes ticky-tac fouls would be called while full on assaults would go unchecked. Barkley was throwing people all over the place and somehow only got three fouls. Malone got called for two fouls early on that either were questionable or on someone else, and he had to sit down and wasn't the same player afterwards, so the refs definitely had an impact on this game. Both coaches drew technical fouls, and Utah's Jerry Sloan came very close to drawing a second after Foster was smacked hard without a call. Also, this game wasn't the best played game either, as there were a bunch of missed layups. Shandon Anderson of the Jazz missed four in a row during the second quarter, and the two teams didn't exactly remind anyone of the Showtime Lakers.
- Before his game winning shot, Eddie Johnson was 1-4 from the field. But in game three, Johnson came off the bench and scored 31 points, so you've got to think that the Jazz should have considered him a possible option for the winning shot. But on the final inbounds play with 6.2 seconds to go, the Jazz collapsed on Hakeem, not a bad idea, then doubled Drexler in the corner hoping to trap him and force a tough shot. But Drexler kept his cool, passed it to Maloney, who found a wide-open Johnson behind the three-point line, and Johnson promptly nailed the shot. On the possession prior to Johnson's heroics, the Jazz had two shots to take the lead, as Stockton missed an open 18-footer, then Byron Russell missed a contested three from the corner. Interestingly enough, Johnson may not have been in the game had Mario Elie not fouled out with three minutes left, as Johnson wasn't lighting up the scoreboard that night. But when pressed into action, the veteran with the smooth shot came through.
After this game, the Rockets had evened the series at two games apiece. However, the Jazz won the next two games (with Stockton clinching game 6 with a late three pointer) and advanced to the Finals. As it turned out, this was the Rockets' best shot at reaching the Finals again with Olajuwon, as they had an injury-plagued season the next year, then lost in the first round in the playoffs to the Utah Jazz in Clyde Drexler's final season. The Jazz, meanwhile, lost to the Bulls in six games in the 1997 season, then repeated the same feat the next year. Well, thanks for reading, and if you any ideas for future posts, or thoughts about this post, than either leave a comment on the blog or send them to me at e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
- The first thing I noticed about this game is how ugly the Rockets' uniforms are. During this time, the Rockets were wearing these white pinstriped uniforms with a giant cartoon like logo on the chest and the text done in red and blue. They looked like pajamas, to be honest. The Jazz didn't exactly have the greatest uniforms during this era either, but they looked much sharper than the Rockets' gear, at least. Here's a picture so you can decide for yourself.
 |
| Photo courtesy of sportslogos.net |
- The Rockets seemed to have a rather simple offensive plan. Bring the ball up, throw it in deep to Olajuwon or Barkley in the post, and have them either take a shot if they're single covered or pass back out if the double team came. Not very imaginative, but when you have players like Olajuwon and Barkley, you don't have to overthink to score points. While Barkley and Karl Malone battled for most of the game, Olajuwon had guys like Greg Ostertag and Greg Foster playing him, giving the Rockets a huge advantage, and despite early foul trouble, Hakeem was easily the best player on the Rockets, scoring 27 points, grabbing 10 boards and blocking 4 shots. However, the reason the Jazz hung around and kept this game so close is that the Rockets could not make them pay for double teaming their two star post players. The Jazz would never have the man guarding Drexler double down because that's just asking for trouble, so the Rockets would pass it out to guys like Matt Maloney, Sedale Threatt, and Mario Elie and hope their shots would fall. Well, Maloney and Elie were a combined 3-11 from downtown, and Drexler was 1-4 from three point range himself, as the Rockets missed too many open shots. They did get the big one at the end from Johnson, though.
- The best matchup in this game was the Malone-Barkley duo at the power forward position. At the start, it looked as if Malone would dominate, as he could do whatever he wanted to against Barkley early on. But Malone got into some foul trouble in the first quarter and once he came back in, he didn't seem like the same player he was at the beginning of the game. Malone may have finished with 22 points, but he only went 10-28 shooting from the field and shot a mere two free throws. Barkley may not have been the greatest defender to play the game, but he did a nice job on Malone throughout the game, with a little help from Olajuwon when needed. On the offensive end, Barkley made his presence felt by scoring 20 points and shooting 11-12 from the free throw line. As the game became more and more physical, it was Barkley that held the advantage despite being the smaller man, as he seemed to be the aggressor in this matchup.
- Speaking of matchups, John Stockon of the Jazz was matched up against Matt Maloney for much of the game, and Stockton just owned him. Maloney was particularly flustered by the pick and roll, and he got no help from the interior defenders who couldn't leave Malone to chase after Stockton. On a night where Malone struggled, Stockton picked up the slack with 22 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. However, one thing I did notice was that reverse PG Sedale Threatt seemed to have more success against Stockton in the limited time they were matched up together, which makes me wonder why they didn't give Threatt more playing time. Since Stockton basically owned Maloney throughout the enitre game and series, would it really hurt to give Threatt more of a chance and see if he can do any better. Or maybe the Rockets could have switched Mario Elie on Stockton and have Maloney guard Jeff Hornacek. Just a thought.
- The officiating during this game was not exactly the best in the history of the game. Foul calls were way too inconsistent, as sometimes ticky-tac fouls would be called while full on assaults would go unchecked. Barkley was throwing people all over the place and somehow only got three fouls. Malone got called for two fouls early on that either were questionable or on someone else, and he had to sit down and wasn't the same player afterwards, so the refs definitely had an impact on this game. Both coaches drew technical fouls, and Utah's Jerry Sloan came very close to drawing a second after Foster was smacked hard without a call. Also, this game wasn't the best played game either, as there were a bunch of missed layups. Shandon Anderson of the Jazz missed four in a row during the second quarter, and the two teams didn't exactly remind anyone of the Showtime Lakers.
- Before his game winning shot, Eddie Johnson was 1-4 from the field. But in game three, Johnson came off the bench and scored 31 points, so you've got to think that the Jazz should have considered him a possible option for the winning shot. But on the final inbounds play with 6.2 seconds to go, the Jazz collapsed on Hakeem, not a bad idea, then doubled Drexler in the corner hoping to trap him and force a tough shot. But Drexler kept his cool, passed it to Maloney, who found a wide-open Johnson behind the three-point line, and Johnson promptly nailed the shot. On the possession prior to Johnson's heroics, the Jazz had two shots to take the lead, as Stockton missed an open 18-footer, then Byron Russell missed a contested three from the corner. Interestingly enough, Johnson may not have been in the game had Mario Elie not fouled out with three minutes left, as Johnson wasn't lighting up the scoreboard that night. But when pressed into action, the veteran with the smooth shot came through.
After this game, the Rockets had evened the series at two games apiece. However, the Jazz won the next two games (with Stockton clinching game 6 with a late three pointer) and advanced to the Finals. As it turned out, this was the Rockets' best shot at reaching the Finals again with Olajuwon, as they had an injury-plagued season the next year, then lost in the first round in the playoffs to the Utah Jazz in Clyde Drexler's final season. The Jazz, meanwhile, lost to the Bulls in six games in the 1997 season, then repeated the same feat the next year. Well, thanks for reading, and if you any ideas for future posts, or thoughts about this post, than either leave a comment on the blog or send them to me at e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Your Canon Review 2010-11 NBA Preview Midseason Review
With the NBA on its annual All-Star break, I figured it would be a good time to look back at the predictions I made back in October and see just how well I've done in predicting the 2010-11 NBA season up to this point. My guess is, not that well, but I guess we'll see. If you want, you can see my predictions at this page right here.
Eastern Conference (Conference Rank in parentheses)
Atlantic Division:
Predictions: Current Record:
1. Boston Celtics (3) 1. Boston Celtics (1)- 40-14
2. New York Knicks (7) 2. New York Knicks (6)- 28-26
3. New Jersey Nets (11) 3. Philadelphia 76ers (7)- 27-29
4. Philadelphia 76ers (12) 4. New Jersey Nets (12)- 17-40
5. Toronto Raptors (15) 5. Toronto Raptors (14)- 15-41
The Celtics may be a bit long in the tooth, but the NBA's best defensive team is chugging right along with the East's best record and four All-Stars (SF Paul Pierce, PG Rajon Rondo, SG Ray Allen, and PF Kevin Garnett). The addition of PF Amare Stoudemire has brought the Knicks back to respectability and should lead to their first playoff birth in seven years. How far the Knicks go may depend on whether they acquire SF Carmelo Anthony before the trade deadline and whether Amare's knees hold up, but even with Carmelo, it's hard to see the Knicks advancing past the second round. The 76ers have been somewhat of a surprise this year, as they've played really well as of late. With an excellent core of young players led by PG Jrue Holliday, the 76ers seem to have a bright future, although they're still likely a year away from seriously contending in the East. The Nets have seemingly concentrated all their efforts in trying to get Carmelo Anthony. As a result, this has been a lost season for the Nets. The Raptors should have a lot of room under the salary cap, so that's something.
Central Division:
1. Chicago Bulls (4) 1. Chicago Bulls (3)- 38-16
2. Milwaukee Bucks (6) 2. Indiana Pacers (8)- 24-30
3. Indiana Pacers (8) 3. Milwaukee Bucks (10)- 21-34
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (13) 4. Detroit Pistons (11)- 21-36
5. Detroit Pistons (14) 5. Cleveland Cavaliers (15)- 10-46
I expected the Bulls to be pretty good this year, but they've been better than I expected and are look to be legitimate NBA Title contenders. With PG Derrick Rose making the leap to superstardom, the Bulls have a 38-16 record despite missing PF Carlos Boozer and C Joaqium Noah for long periods due to injury. With Noah coming back after the All-Star Break, the Bulls will finally be able to field their whole team, a scary thought for their opponents. The Pacers seem to have found new life under interim coach Frank Vogel. Whether that lasts remains to be seen, but the Pacers really need C Roy Hibbert to become more consistent. The Bucks have taken a big step backwards and are the most disappointing team in the NBA, even with the strong defensive play of C Andrew Bogut. A lack of scoring (the Bucks are the lowest scoring and worst shooting team in the NBA) has been the main problem, and unless PG Brandon Jennings can develop into more of an offensive threat in the second half, the Bucks will struggle to make the postseason. The Pistons have an outside shot at the playoffs, as long as rookie PF Greg Monroe continues to develop. But the Pistons are also looking to trade SF Tayshaun Prince and SG Richard Hamilton, so chances are they're playing for next year. When LeBron James left Cleveland during the offseason, most experts expected the Cavaliers to struggle, and in that regards the Cavaliers haven't disappointed, embarking on a 26 game losing streak at one point this season. The good news is, there's nowhere to go but up for the Cavs.
Southeast Division:
1. Miami Heat (1) 1. Miami Heat (2)- 41-15
2. Orlando Magic (2) 2. Orlando Magic (4)- 36-21
3. Atlanta Hawks (5) 3. Atlanta Hawks (5)- 34-21
4. Washington Wizards (9) 4. Charlotte Bobcats (9)- 24-32
5. Charlotte Bobcats (10) 5. Washington Wizards (13)- 15-39
At the beginning of the season, some were saying that the Miami Heat would challenge the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls 72-10 record. Well, that was a bit of an overstatement. Nevertheless, the Heat are still top contenders to the NBA title, even if they're not head and shoulders above the league. The Magic made two huge trades during the season to acquire SF Hedo Turkoglu, SG Jason Ricahrdson, and PG Gilbert Arenas. While the trades have made Orlando a more dangerous team on offense, they also left the frontline thin, as C Dwight Howard is putting in a lot of minutes. Orlando still can make a title run, provided that Howard isn't completely worn out come playoff time. The Hawks are equally capable of thrilling and frustrating their fans. Even though they have a new coach in Larry Drew, the Hawks have basically the same strengths and weaknesses as last year's team, and it's hard to see them getting past the second round of the playoffs. The Bobcats have a winning record since Paul Silas took over as coach and have a good chance to make the playoffs for the second straight year. They have no chance of getting out of the first round though, despite the best efforts of PF Gerald Wallace. I thought the Wizards would do better than they have this season, as the Wizards seem to have a lot of trouble winning road games. The Wizards are going to go as far as PG John Wall will take them, and despite his talent, he's had some growing pains this season, making the Wizards a very inconsistent team.
Western Conference:
Southwest Division:
1. Dallas Mavericks (3) 1. San Antonio Spurs (1)- 46-10
2. San Antonio Spurs (6) 2. Dallas Mavericks (2)- 40-16
3. Houston Rockets (7) 3. New Orleans Hornets (6)- 33-25
4. New Orleans Hornets (8) 4. Memphis Grizzlies (8)- 31-26
5. Memphis Grizzlies (12) 5. Houston Rockets (12)- 26-31
At the beginning of the season, I thought that the Spurs were a bit over the hill and that while they would have a good season, it wouldn't be a great season. Well here we are at the All-Star Break and San Antonio has the best record in the league, and SG Manu Ginobili has never been better. Even though PF Tim Duncan has lost a step, the Spurs are very much in the Championship hunt. The Mavericks have received a big boost from the newly acquired C Tyson Chandler, and PF Dirk Nowitzki is his usual excellent self. The Mavs' have the pieces to make a title run, especially now that PG Roderique Beaubois is back from injury. PG Chris Paul and PF David West have powered the Hornets to a good start, and as long as they stay healthy, the Hornets should return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. The Grizzlies are getting the job done despite SG O.J. Mayo taking a step back. However, with SF Rudy Gay out for a month due to an injured shoulder, odds are that the Grizzlies will not be able to hold on to their current position of 8th in the Western Conference. The Rockets are a good team that would probably coast to a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, but despite the play of SG Kevin Martin and PF Luis Scola, the Rockets look like a team that will be on the golf course instead of in the playoffs come April.
Northwest Division:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 1. Ok. City Thunder (4)- 35-19
2. Utah Jazz (4) 2. Portland Trailblazers (5)- 32-24
3. Denver Nuggets (5) 3. Denver Nuggets (7)- 32-25
4. Portland Trailblazers (10) 4. Utah Jazz (8)- 31-26
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (15) 5. Minnesota T'wolves (15)- 13-43
I predicted the Oklahoma City Thunder to finish with the Western Conference's best record during my NBA Preview, and I think I was a bit hasty and proclaiming them an elite team. That being said, the Thunder are still a very good team who could make some noise in the playoffs, but might need another piece or more time before becoming a legitimate NBA contender. Portland's had a lot of injury troubles this year, as C Marcus Camby and SG Brandon Roy have both missed large chunks of the season. However, the 'Blazers are still winning as PF LaMarcus Aldridge is having his best season yet and SG Wes Matthews is actually proving to be worth the big money contract he signed during the offseason. It's hard to predict the future for the Nuggets until the Carmelo Anthony situation is resolved, as there's no telling what the Nuggets roster will look like come Thursday (the day of the NBA trade deadline). The resignation of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan sent shockwaves throughout the NBA universe, and the Jazz haven't played well since Tyrone Corbin took over. The Jazz have enough talent to make the playoffs, but whether PG Deron Williams and company can pull it together remains to be seen. The Minnesota Timberwolves should thank God every day that they have PF Kevin Love, as without him this team would be dreadful. Well, more dreadful than they already are. At least they're not the Cavs.
Pacific Division:
1. Los Angeles Lakers (2) 1. Los Angeles Lakers (3)- 38-19
2. Phoenix Suns (9) 2. Phoenix Suns (10)- 27-27
3. Los Angeles Clippers (11) 3. G'State Warriors (11)- 26-29
4. Sacramento Kings (13) 4. L.A. Clippers (13)- 21-35
5. Golden State Warriors (14) 5. Sacramento Kings (14)- 13-40
The Lakers got off to a hot start, but recent struggles have caused some panic for the defending champs. As long as SG Kobe Bryant, C Pau Gasol, and PF Lamar Odom are healthy, the Lakers still have to be among the favorites for the NBA title, not matter how poorly SF Ron Artest is playing. The Suns seem to be playing better as of late, and as long as PG Steve Nash is healthy, the Suns should contend for a playoff berth. The Warriors have an outside shot at making the playoffs this year, but they're going to need PF David Lee to step up his game to go with the stellar play of Gs Monta Ellis and Stephon Curry if they want to make the postseason. The Clippers have the most exciting rookie in years in PF Blake Griffin and a budding star in SG Eric Gordon, which makes for a solid foundation to build upon. They won't make any noise this year, but they should be a factor in the postseason picture next year. Then again, it is the Clippers so who knows what will happen. The Kings have an awfully young team, and as such have made a lot of mistakes that a young team tends to make.
MVP:
Preseason Picks:
1. Kevin Durant, F, Thunder (28.9 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game)
2. LeBron James, F, Heat (26.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.3 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game)
3. Kobe Bryant, G, Lakers (25.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.8 apg)
Dark Horse: Dwight Howard, C, Magic (22.8 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 2.1 blocks per game)
Midseason Picks:
1. James
2. Derrick Rose, G, Chicago Bulls (24.9 ppg, 8.2 apg)
3. Howard
4. Chris Paul, G, New Orleans Hornets (16.2 ppg, 9.6 apg, 2.5 spg)
The game's biggest star, James has brought his talents to South Beach and is every bit the player he was in Cleveland. Durant leads the NBA in scoring and has a chance to win the MVP, but there are other candidates with better cases than him. One of which is Derrick Rose, who has stepped up his game this season and has the Bulls off to a great start despite injuries to his two best teammates, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. Kobe Bryant has been his usual stellar self, although the Lakers recent struggles have taken him out of the MVP picture for now. Howard is the game's best big man, and without his considerable talents the Magic would struggle to make the playoffs. Even though he leads the league in steals, Chris Paul doesn't have the best numbers, but he is the heart and soul of the New Orleans Hornets, and without his play the Hornets would be amongst the Timberwolves and Kings at the bottom of the standings.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Preseason Picks:
1. Howard, C, Magic
2. James, F, Heat
3. Joakim Noah, C, Bulls (24 games played, 11.7 rpg)
Dark Horse: John Wall, G, Wizards (1.7 spg)
Midseason Picks:
1. Howard
2. Rajon Rondo, G, Celtics (2.4 spg)
3. Andrew Bogut, C, Bucks, (2.8 bpg, 11.5 rpg)
4. James
Howard has won the past two Defensive POY Awards, and I see no reason why he shouldn't win his third straight award. As for the other contenders, Rondo has become one of the best, if not the best, on-ball defenders in the NBA, while Bougt is the NBA's leading shot blocker and James continues to reek havoc on the defensive end for the Heat. Noah has missed too many games due to injury to be considered for the award, while I was a little too high about John Wall's defense at this point in his career. To his credit, he would rank in the top 10 in steals per game if he played enough games to qualify.
Rookie of the Year
Preseason Picks:
1. Blake Griffin, F, Clippers (22.8 ppg, 12.6 rpg)
2. John Wall, G, Wizards (15.0 ppg, 8.9 apg)
3. DeMarcus Cousins, F/C, Kings (14.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
Dark Horse: Tiago Splitter, C, Spurs (4.1 ppg. 2.7 rpg)
Midseason Picks:
1. Griffin
2. Wall
3. Landry Fields, F, Knicks (10.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
4. Greg Monroe, F/C, Pistons (7.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
Blake Griffin has been so impressive and is so far ahead of the field that he could take the rest of the season off and win this award in a landslide. The only issue left to settle is who's second. Wall is 7th in the NBA in assists per game, but turns the ball over a bit too much for the Wizards' liking. Fields has been a surprise as the second round pick has started every game for the Knicks and played well. Monroe started slow, but has really come on as of late. Cousins has good numbers and has shown signs of brilliance, but he has also displayed some of the attitude problems that many experts feared he would show, and is awfully inconsistent. Splitter has no shot at this award as he doesn't play nearly enough minutes to make an impact for the Spurs.
NBA Finals Prediction: Heat over Lakers in 6
As of late, I've made a trend out of changing my picks in the middle of the season, only to have those same picks come true at the end and making me look like a fool for changing my mind. So, even though I'm not really sold on either team's chances (although I do still think that the Heat will win, it's the Lakers getting out of the West that seems unlikely to me), I'm going to stick with my original selection. However, the Celtics, Bulls, Spurs, Mavericks, and maybe even the Magic have good enough teams to win it all this year. But at the end of the day, I still expect LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to carry the Heat to the title.
Well, thanks for reading the Canon Review NBA Preview Midseason Review. Remember, if you have an idea for a future review, or thoughts about this post, than share those ideas either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Your Canon Review 2010-11 NBA Preview
Tonight marks the beginning of a new NBA season. After a wild offseason which saw LeBron James turn on an entire state to join the Miami Heat, and All-Stars such as Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, and Carlos Boozer change teams, the proverbial deck has been shuffled quite a bit this season. New powers like the Heat and Bulls will emerge, old powers like the Cavaliers will fade off into mediocrity, and with the threat of a labor stoppage looming over next year, who knows what the future will hold for the NBA. I do know one thing, this NBA season promises to be one of the most exciting season in recent memory. So, without further adieu, here are my predictions for the upcoming season.
Eastern Conference (Conference Rank in parentheses)
Atlantic Division:
1. Boston Celtics (3)
2. New York Knicks (7)
3. New Jersey Nets (11)
4. Philadelphia 76ers (12)
5. Toronto Raptors (15)
The Celtics are among the favorites to win the title this year, and with the additions of C Shaquille O'Neal, C/F Jermaine O'Neal and G Delonte West to an already deep bench, the Celtics may have the deepest team in the game. The Knicks may not have had the offseason they wanted, but with new additions like PF Amare Stoudemire and PG Raymond Felton playing under coach Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks will be more exciting to watch this year at the very least. Look for the Knicks to play a lot of high scoring games and ultimately win enough of them to make the playoffs. The Nets will be better than last year under new coach Avery Johnson, and C Brook Lopez and PG Devin Harris are two potential All-Stars. But their supporting cast, while better than last year's bunch, isn't quite good enough to make them a playoff team. The 76ers have SF Andre Igoudala leading a bunch of players who are either too young (PG Jrue Holliday, C Maurice Speights) or over the hill (PF Elton Brand). Plus, I was not impressed with the Sixers' decision to hire retread Doug Collins as head coach, and second overall pick Evan Turner has thus far looked far short of the star the 76ers hoped he would be this year. Toronto lost PF Chris Bosh in the offseason, and the only thing the Raptors will contend for this year is the first overall pick in next year's draft.
Central Division:
1. Chicago Bulls (4)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
3. Indiana Pacers (8)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (13)
5. Detroit Pistons (14)
The Bulls will have to start the season with new acquisition PF Carlos Boozer, but with PG Derrick Rose and C Joakim Noah, Chicago should be able to hold the fort until Boozer is ready to return. With defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeou as the new coach, expect the Bulls to be one of the toughest teams to score upon. I'm not impressed with Milwaukee's offseason acquisitions of PF Drew Gooden and SF Corey Maggette, as neither player seems to fit coach Scott Skiles's defensive style of play. But with PG Brandon Jennings continuing to improve and C Andrew Bogut back, many teams will have good reason to 'fear the deer' this year. The Pacers finally acquired a legit point guard in Darren Collison, and scoring machine SF Danny Granger is healthy once again this season. The young Pacers should improve enough to snatch the final spot in the playoffs, although a lot of that is also due to the other teams being quite uninspiring. The Cavaliers move forward without superstar LeBron James, and it would be silly to expect PG Mo Williams and PF J.J. Hickson to pick up the slack LeBron left behind. Sorry Cleveland, but the Cavs will once again drop to mediocrity. The Pistons still have some remnants of their 2003-04 title team in SF Tayshaun Prince, C Ben Wallace, and SG Richard Hamilton. However, this is a team that desperately needs to rebuild, and if GM Joe Dumars can get a good offer for Prince or Hamilton (or better yet, PF Charlie Villanueva and SG Ben Gordon), then I would suggest he takes the offer, because the Pistons are going nowhere fast this season.
Southeast Division:
1. Miami Heat (1)
2. Orlando Magic (2)
3. Atlanta Hawks (5)
4. Washington Wizards (9)
5. Charlotte Bobcats (10)
The Heat begin the season as the team with the biggest targets on their backs, as SF LeBron James and PF Chris Bosh have joined SG Dwyane Wade to give Miami a powerful trio. Yes, there are questions about the Heat's ability to defend the post, but the new Big Three should carry Miami to a number one seed anyhow. The Magic's big time center, Dwight Howard, seems to have rededicated himself in the offseason, and his supporting cast is still solid enough to make the Magic one of the best teams in the NBA. The Hawks may have made a mistake by signing Joe Johnson to a $124 million dollar contract. But the move did allow the Hawks to bring back the entire core of a 53 win team in 2009-10. Also, the Hawks have added rookie guard Jordan Crawford to the mix, and if he and second-year PG Jeff Teague develop the way the Hawks expect them to, then the Hawks could have one of the best backcourts in the game. The Wizards are quite guard heavy, with rookie PG John Wall and newly acquired G Kirk Hinrich joining up with the returning Gilbert Arenas. If C Javale McGee and/or PF Andray Blatche can provide a consistent low-post threat, then the Wizards may surprise some people. The Bobcats are lead by SF Gerald Wallace and SG Steven Jackson, but they don't seem to have enough pieces around them to return to the playoffs this season.
Western Conference:
Southwest Division:
1. Dallas Mavericks (3)
2. San Antonio Spurs (6)
3. Houston Rockets (7)
4. New Orleans Hornets (8)
5. Memphis Grizzlies (12)
The Mavericks will once again win 50 games behind PF Dirk Nowitzki and a solid supporting cast, and once again the Mavs will disappoint in the playoffs. The Spurs may be a little past their prime, but PF Tim Duncan and company aren't quite done yet, and if PF/C DeJuan Blair and C Tiago Splitter can provide Duncan quality frontcourt help, then the Spurs may be a contender for the title once again. I'll be honest, I have no idea what to make of the Rockets. Yes, they have quality players in PG Aaron Brooks and SG Kevin Martin, and C Yao Ming is back once again. But this team doesn't really have a superstar, just a lot of solid players. That should be enough to make the postseason, but anything after that is icing on the cake. The Hornets' entire season depends of PG Chris Paul being happy and healthy. If he's neither, the Hornets could sink fast, and despite the best efforts of PF David West and SG Marcus Thornton, the Hornets look to be a borderline playoff team this year. The Grizzlies surprised last year, but is it really wise to count on PF Zach Randolph to repeat his stellar performance last year, when his career history strongly suggests against it? The Grizzlies have other solid players in SF Rudy Gay and SG O.J. Mayo, but this team will go as far as Randolph can take them, which in the deep Western Conference, isn't that far. If only Memphis were in the East, then they would be a playoff team for sure.
Northwest Division:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
2. Utah Jazz (4)
3. Denver Nuggets (5)
4. Portland Trailblazers (10)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (15)
The Thunder possess perhaps the best player in the game in SF Kevin Durant, a top-notch PG in Russell Westbrook, and a solid supporting cast around them. Look for Durant and company to make the jump this year and the Thunder to join the NBA elite. The Jazz lost Boozer, but gained C Al Jefferson, a similar player who is a few years younger. With Jefferson joining star PG Deron Williams, the Jazz are a star swingman away from becoming an elite team. Perhaps rookie SF Gordon Hayward can become that player. Some people are down on the Nuggets, but with SF Carmelo Anthony still in tow (for now) and playing for a new contract, the Nuggets should be a tough team yet again. The Trailblazers' front office is a mess, they have quite a few unhappy players on the roster, and their season depends on injury-prone players such as SG Brandon Roy and Cs Marcus Camby and Greg Oden staying healthy. The Blazers could win anywhere from 35 to 55 games, but I'm predicting it will be closer to the former. I don't think the Timberwolves know what they're doing, but with PF Kevin Love and SF Michael Beasley, the Wolves may have some potential if Beasley has his head on straight.
Pacific Division:
1. Los Angeles Lakers (2)
2. Phoenix Suns (9)
3. Los Angeles Clippers (11)
4. Sacramento Kings (13)
5. Golden State Warriors (14)
The back-to-back defending champs, the Lakers are just as strong as ever. However, look for the Lakers to conserve their energy during their regular season and concede the top seed to the Thunder. The Suns still have PG Steve Nash, but they are a little thin up front after losing Stoudemire. Despite the Suns' 19 small forwards, the Suns don't have the size to compete this year. The Clippers will get a huge boost from the debut of 2009 number one pick PF Blake Griffin, and with a backcourt of PG Baron Davis and SG Eric Gordon, the Clippers may make a run at the postseason. However, they still are the Clippers, so we'll see. The Kings have last year's rookie of the year, SG Tyreke Evans, and first rounder PF DeMarcus Cousins could give the Kings back to back winners of the award. But the Kings are a year away from being a playoff contender. The Warriors added PF David Lee to a core that already includes SG Monta Ellis and PG Stephen Curry. They'll score a lot, but the Warriors will have a hard time stopping teams. At least they will be exciting to watch.
MVP:
1. Kevin Durant, F, Thunder
2. LeBron James, F, Heat
3. Kobe Bryant, G, Lakers
Dark Horse: Dwight Howard, C, Magic
Durant led the league in scoring last year, and just finished carrying Team USA on his back at the FIBA World Championships. With the Thunder poised to make a huge leap this year, look for Durant to carry the team to the best record in the West and his first of many MVP awards to come. James is the back-to-back winner of the MVP award, but with James joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh this year, LeBron will lose some votes to his teammates. Bryant still may be the best player in the league even at 32. Look for Braynt to have his usual excellent season. Howard has stepped up his training in the offseason and has put in work with Hall of Fame C Hakeem Olajuwon. If Howard can adapt some of Olajuwon's lessons into his own game, he may become the best player in the NBA.
Defensive Player of the Year:
1. Howard, C, Magic
2. James, F, Heat
3. Joakim Noah, C, Bulls
Dark Horse: John Wall, G, Wizards
Howard is the back-to-back winner of the award already, and should continue to reek havoc all over the court once again this year. James is a quality defender and may look to make more of a contribution on the defensive end now that he has teammates that can take care of business on the offensive side of the ball. Noah is a high energy player who plays every opponent tough and will block his share of shots. As for Wall, he might be the quickest player in the NBA right now, and his quick hands will result in a lot of steals and frustrating nights for his opponents.
Rookie of the Year
1. Blake Griffin, F, Clippers
2. John Wall, G, Wizards
3. DeMarcus Cousins, F/C, Kings
Dark Horse: Tiago Splitter, C, Spurs
Griffin, the 2009 first pick in the draft, missed the entire season last year due to a knee injury. So far, it looks like Griffin hasn't lost a step after the injury, and Griffin may put up a 20 and 10 season in his rookie year. Wall was this year's number one pick, and should improve the Wizards immediately. If Wall doesn't turn the ball over too much and is consistent with his shot, he could be an All-Star as soon as this season. Cousins slipped to the number 5 slot due to attitude concerns, but there's no doubting his talent. As long as he's in the right frame of mind, Cousins will be a force in this league from day one. There was a time where Splitter was considered one of the top prospects in basketball and now that he's making his debut, the Spurs' new big man will have a chance to show why.
NBA Finals Prediction: Heat over Lakers in 6
There are three legit contenders to the title in the East: The Celtics, Heat, and Magic. The Celtics made it all the way to game 7 of the Finals last year, and have all the pieces to not only return, but win the finals this time. I do have concerns about the team's age and PG Rajon Rondo's poor shooting. The Magic will probably win 55-60 games this year and nobody on the Heat can slow down Dwight Howard. But I'm not really convinced that SG Vince Carter is the right player to take the Magic over the top, and PF Rashad Lewis slowed down some last year. The Heat may have lost to the Celtics tonight, and they are a bit thin behind the big three. But LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are three of the top ten players in the game, and for at least this year, the Heat's investment in them will pay off. In the West, the Lakers are the clear favorites, and despite challenges from the Thunder, Jazz, and Spurs, look for Los Angeles to ultimately return to the Finals, only to fall short to the Miami Heat in the end.
Well, thanks for reading. If you have any thoughts or predictions about the upcoming NBA season, or you have some issues with my predictions, then feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have an idea for a future review, then share those ideas either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Eastern Conference (Conference Rank in parentheses)
Atlantic Division:
1. Boston Celtics (3)
2. New York Knicks (7)
3. New Jersey Nets (11)
4. Philadelphia 76ers (12)
5. Toronto Raptors (15)
The Celtics are among the favorites to win the title this year, and with the additions of C Shaquille O'Neal, C/F Jermaine O'Neal and G Delonte West to an already deep bench, the Celtics may have the deepest team in the game. The Knicks may not have had the offseason they wanted, but with new additions like PF Amare Stoudemire and PG Raymond Felton playing under coach Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks will be more exciting to watch this year at the very least. Look for the Knicks to play a lot of high scoring games and ultimately win enough of them to make the playoffs. The Nets will be better than last year under new coach Avery Johnson, and C Brook Lopez and PG Devin Harris are two potential All-Stars. But their supporting cast, while better than last year's bunch, isn't quite good enough to make them a playoff team. The 76ers have SF Andre Igoudala leading a bunch of players who are either too young (PG Jrue Holliday, C Maurice Speights) or over the hill (PF Elton Brand). Plus, I was not impressed with the Sixers' decision to hire retread Doug Collins as head coach, and second overall pick Evan Turner has thus far looked far short of the star the 76ers hoped he would be this year. Toronto lost PF Chris Bosh in the offseason, and the only thing the Raptors will contend for this year is the first overall pick in next year's draft.
Central Division:
1. Chicago Bulls (4)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
3. Indiana Pacers (8)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (13)
5. Detroit Pistons (14)
The Bulls will have to start the season with new acquisition PF Carlos Boozer, but with PG Derrick Rose and C Joakim Noah, Chicago should be able to hold the fort until Boozer is ready to return. With defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeou as the new coach, expect the Bulls to be one of the toughest teams to score upon. I'm not impressed with Milwaukee's offseason acquisitions of PF Drew Gooden and SF Corey Maggette, as neither player seems to fit coach Scott Skiles's defensive style of play. But with PG Brandon Jennings continuing to improve and C Andrew Bogut back, many teams will have good reason to 'fear the deer' this year. The Pacers finally acquired a legit point guard in Darren Collison, and scoring machine SF Danny Granger is healthy once again this season. The young Pacers should improve enough to snatch the final spot in the playoffs, although a lot of that is also due to the other teams being quite uninspiring. The Cavaliers move forward without superstar LeBron James, and it would be silly to expect PG Mo Williams and PF J.J. Hickson to pick up the slack LeBron left behind. Sorry Cleveland, but the Cavs will once again drop to mediocrity. The Pistons still have some remnants of their 2003-04 title team in SF Tayshaun Prince, C Ben Wallace, and SG Richard Hamilton. However, this is a team that desperately needs to rebuild, and if GM Joe Dumars can get a good offer for Prince or Hamilton (or better yet, PF Charlie Villanueva and SG Ben Gordon), then I would suggest he takes the offer, because the Pistons are going nowhere fast this season.
Southeast Division:
1. Miami Heat (1)
2. Orlando Magic (2)
3. Atlanta Hawks (5)
4. Washington Wizards (9)
5. Charlotte Bobcats (10)
The Heat begin the season as the team with the biggest targets on their backs, as SF LeBron James and PF Chris Bosh have joined SG Dwyane Wade to give Miami a powerful trio. Yes, there are questions about the Heat's ability to defend the post, but the new Big Three should carry Miami to a number one seed anyhow. The Magic's big time center, Dwight Howard, seems to have rededicated himself in the offseason, and his supporting cast is still solid enough to make the Magic one of the best teams in the NBA. The Hawks may have made a mistake by signing Joe Johnson to a $124 million dollar contract. But the move did allow the Hawks to bring back the entire core of a 53 win team in 2009-10. Also, the Hawks have added rookie guard Jordan Crawford to the mix, and if he and second-year PG Jeff Teague develop the way the Hawks expect them to, then the Hawks could have one of the best backcourts in the game. The Wizards are quite guard heavy, with rookie PG John Wall and newly acquired G Kirk Hinrich joining up with the returning Gilbert Arenas. If C Javale McGee and/or PF Andray Blatche can provide a consistent low-post threat, then the Wizards may surprise some people. The Bobcats are lead by SF Gerald Wallace and SG Steven Jackson, but they don't seem to have enough pieces around them to return to the playoffs this season.
Western Conference:
Southwest Division:
1. Dallas Mavericks (3)
2. San Antonio Spurs (6)
3. Houston Rockets (7)
4. New Orleans Hornets (8)
5. Memphis Grizzlies (12)
The Mavericks will once again win 50 games behind PF Dirk Nowitzki and a solid supporting cast, and once again the Mavs will disappoint in the playoffs. The Spurs may be a little past their prime, but PF Tim Duncan and company aren't quite done yet, and if PF/C DeJuan Blair and C Tiago Splitter can provide Duncan quality frontcourt help, then the Spurs may be a contender for the title once again. I'll be honest, I have no idea what to make of the Rockets. Yes, they have quality players in PG Aaron Brooks and SG Kevin Martin, and C Yao Ming is back once again. But this team doesn't really have a superstar, just a lot of solid players. That should be enough to make the postseason, but anything after that is icing on the cake. The Hornets' entire season depends of PG Chris Paul being happy and healthy. If he's neither, the Hornets could sink fast, and despite the best efforts of PF David West and SG Marcus Thornton, the Hornets look to be a borderline playoff team this year. The Grizzlies surprised last year, but is it really wise to count on PF Zach Randolph to repeat his stellar performance last year, when his career history strongly suggests against it? The Grizzlies have other solid players in SF Rudy Gay and SG O.J. Mayo, but this team will go as far as Randolph can take them, which in the deep Western Conference, isn't that far. If only Memphis were in the East, then they would be a playoff team for sure.
Northwest Division:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
2. Utah Jazz (4)
3. Denver Nuggets (5)
4. Portland Trailblazers (10)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (15)
The Thunder possess perhaps the best player in the game in SF Kevin Durant, a top-notch PG in Russell Westbrook, and a solid supporting cast around them. Look for Durant and company to make the jump this year and the Thunder to join the NBA elite. The Jazz lost Boozer, but gained C Al Jefferson, a similar player who is a few years younger. With Jefferson joining star PG Deron Williams, the Jazz are a star swingman away from becoming an elite team. Perhaps rookie SF Gordon Hayward can become that player. Some people are down on the Nuggets, but with SF Carmelo Anthony still in tow (for now) and playing for a new contract, the Nuggets should be a tough team yet again. The Trailblazers' front office is a mess, they have quite a few unhappy players on the roster, and their season depends on injury-prone players such as SG Brandon Roy and Cs Marcus Camby and Greg Oden staying healthy. The Blazers could win anywhere from 35 to 55 games, but I'm predicting it will be closer to the former. I don't think the Timberwolves know what they're doing, but with PF Kevin Love and SF Michael Beasley, the Wolves may have some potential if Beasley has his head on straight.
Pacific Division:
1. Los Angeles Lakers (2)
2. Phoenix Suns (9)
3. Los Angeles Clippers (11)
4. Sacramento Kings (13)
5. Golden State Warriors (14)
The back-to-back defending champs, the Lakers are just as strong as ever. However, look for the Lakers to conserve their energy during their regular season and concede the top seed to the Thunder. The Suns still have PG Steve Nash, but they are a little thin up front after losing Stoudemire. Despite the Suns' 19 small forwards, the Suns don't have the size to compete this year. The Clippers will get a huge boost from the debut of 2009 number one pick PF Blake Griffin, and with a backcourt of PG Baron Davis and SG Eric Gordon, the Clippers may make a run at the postseason. However, they still are the Clippers, so we'll see. The Kings have last year's rookie of the year, SG Tyreke Evans, and first rounder PF DeMarcus Cousins could give the Kings back to back winners of the award. But the Kings are a year away from being a playoff contender. The Warriors added PF David Lee to a core that already includes SG Monta Ellis and PG Stephen Curry. They'll score a lot, but the Warriors will have a hard time stopping teams. At least they will be exciting to watch.
MVP:
1. Kevin Durant, F, Thunder
2. LeBron James, F, Heat
3. Kobe Bryant, G, Lakers
Dark Horse: Dwight Howard, C, Magic
Durant led the league in scoring last year, and just finished carrying Team USA on his back at the FIBA World Championships. With the Thunder poised to make a huge leap this year, look for Durant to carry the team to the best record in the West and his first of many MVP awards to come. James is the back-to-back winner of the MVP award, but with James joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh this year, LeBron will lose some votes to his teammates. Bryant still may be the best player in the league even at 32. Look for Braynt to have his usual excellent season. Howard has stepped up his training in the offseason and has put in work with Hall of Fame C Hakeem Olajuwon. If Howard can adapt some of Olajuwon's lessons into his own game, he may become the best player in the NBA.
Defensive Player of the Year:
1. Howard, C, Magic
2. James, F, Heat
3. Joakim Noah, C, Bulls
Dark Horse: John Wall, G, Wizards
Howard is the back-to-back winner of the award already, and should continue to reek havoc all over the court once again this year. James is a quality defender and may look to make more of a contribution on the defensive end now that he has teammates that can take care of business on the offensive side of the ball. Noah is a high energy player who plays every opponent tough and will block his share of shots. As for Wall, he might be the quickest player in the NBA right now, and his quick hands will result in a lot of steals and frustrating nights for his opponents.
Rookie of the Year
1. Blake Griffin, F, Clippers
2. John Wall, G, Wizards
3. DeMarcus Cousins, F/C, Kings
Dark Horse: Tiago Splitter, C, Spurs
Griffin, the 2009 first pick in the draft, missed the entire season last year due to a knee injury. So far, it looks like Griffin hasn't lost a step after the injury, and Griffin may put up a 20 and 10 season in his rookie year. Wall was this year's number one pick, and should improve the Wizards immediately. If Wall doesn't turn the ball over too much and is consistent with his shot, he could be an All-Star as soon as this season. Cousins slipped to the number 5 slot due to attitude concerns, but there's no doubting his talent. As long as he's in the right frame of mind, Cousins will be a force in this league from day one. There was a time where Splitter was considered one of the top prospects in basketball and now that he's making his debut, the Spurs' new big man will have a chance to show why.
NBA Finals Prediction: Heat over Lakers in 6
There are three legit contenders to the title in the East: The Celtics, Heat, and Magic. The Celtics made it all the way to game 7 of the Finals last year, and have all the pieces to not only return, but win the finals this time. I do have concerns about the team's age and PG Rajon Rondo's poor shooting. The Magic will probably win 55-60 games this year and nobody on the Heat can slow down Dwight Howard. But I'm not really convinced that SG Vince Carter is the right player to take the Magic over the top, and PF Rashad Lewis slowed down some last year. The Heat may have lost to the Celtics tonight, and they are a bit thin behind the big three. But LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are three of the top ten players in the game, and for at least this year, the Heat's investment in them will pay off. In the West, the Lakers are the clear favorites, and despite challenges from the Thunder, Jazz, and Spurs, look for Los Angeles to ultimately return to the Finals, only to fall short to the Miami Heat in the end.
Well, thanks for reading. If you have any thoughts or predictions about the upcoming NBA season, or you have some issues with my predictions, then feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have an idea for a future review, then share those ideas either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Canon Book Review: Tip-Off: How the 1984 NBA Draft Changed Basketball Forever
Recently, I finished reading the book Tip-Off: How the 1984 NBA Draft Changed Basketball Forever by Filip Bondy. This book is surprisingly about the 1984 NBA Draft and how the players selected changed the sport of basketball forever. The 1984 Draft featured arguably four of the top 25 players in NBA history; Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. The first three players were picked in the top 5 of the draft, while Stockton, a little-known point guard from Gonzaga, was picked by the Utah Jazz with the 16th pick. Bondy, an NBA beat writer for many tears, tales the tale of the 1984 Draft focusing on six players, the four greats along with Sam Bowie and Sam Perkins, and how they ended up with the teams they did. A few thoughts about this book:
- One thing that I found interesting was just close that teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers were to drafting Michael Jordan, only the best basketball player of all time. For example, the Mavs owned the Cleveland Cavaliers' first round pick that year, and the Cavs finished exactly one game ahead of the Bulls. If one game had been different, than the Mavericks would have the third pick in the draft, which is the pick the Bulls used to select Jordan. The same goes for the 76ers, which had the San Diego Clippers' first round pick. The Clippers finished one game ahead of the Rockets that year. If the Clippers lost one or two more games, Philadelphia would be guaranteed one of the first two picks of the draft due to the Clippers having the worst record in the Western Conference. As for the Rockets, the Bulls considered an offer which would send the third pick in the draft to Houston for Ralph Sampson, who at the time was considered a can't miss prospect at center. If the trade had gone down, the Rockets would have Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon on the same team, and who knows how many titles the team would have won. Wisely, the Bulls decided to keep the pick.
- So Houston selected Olajuwon with the first pick, which was a no-brainier because not only was he a can't miss big-man prospect, but also because Hakeem played his college ball at the University of Houston. The Rockets, behind last year's number one pick Sampson and Olajuwon, instantly became a dangerous team, making the playoffs in Olajuwon's rookie year and the NBA Finals in his second year. Of course, Sampson was brought down due to injuries and other players on that team lost much of their careers to drug use, but Hakeem remained in Houston, and was the main man on two NBA Championship teams. Some pundits may say that Houston made a mistake in taking Hakeem over Jordan, but I don't see how it's a mistake to pick one of the four of five best centers in history, even if you do pass on Jordan. As the book illustrated, the Rockets brass at the time was tickled pink that they landed the big man, and Olajuwon proved to be everything a 1st overall pick is supposed to be and more.
- The big mistake, and probably the most famous missed draft pick in NBA History, was perpetrated by the Portland Trailblazers, a team that needed a center at the time, and felt that Bowie was the man that would push them over the top. Before we get into all of that, keep in mind that the Blazers were a playoff team that year, and had the second pick because of an ill-fated trade with the Indiana Pacers three years prior, for which Indiana got one season out of journeyman center Tom Owens. Nobody brings this up, and really the only person in this book to bring it up was Stu Inman, Portland's general manager at the time. Basically, the Pacers traded the chance to draft the greatest player of all-time for one year out of an average center. With hindsight being 20/20 in all, that has got to rank among the worst trades in NBA history.
- Of course, the Blazers didn't make the right call either, as they selected Sam Bowie. The prevailing wisdom at the time said that you always pick a very good big man over a great guard. Well, that wisdom changed not too long afterwards. Bowie actually seems like a good guy, and in the book he takes his particular place in history in stride, not seeming bitter or anything like that. Sam Bowie's problem was not his play, it was that his body just couldn't handle the strain of being a top-level NBA player. Of course, the Blazers probably should have realized this after Bowie missed two seasons of college ball with a serious shin injury. Or maybe the fact that they needed a seven-hour medical exam to clear Bowie medically before the draft should have been a red flag. But Portland needed a center, and was set at the shooting guard position with Jim Paxson and future Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler, so Bowie was their man. In his first year, Bowie played well enough to make the All-Rookie team, but things quickly fell apart from there, as Bowie reinjured his left shin and fractured his right shin twice over the course of three years. In a four year stretch from the 1985-86 season until 1988-89, Bowie played a grand total of 63 games. The Blazers gave up and traded Bowie to the Nets, where he stayed relatively healthy for a few years and played decently, but not at the same level of Jordan or Olajuwon.
- Throughout the book, people defend Inman's decision to draft Bowie over Jordan by saying that nobody was quite sure of Jordan's potential. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I'm just not buying it. For one, both Dallas and Philadelphia offered major trades to get the third pick, Dallas offering Mark Agguire, who was only the second leading scorer in the NBA the previous season, and Philadelphia owner Harold Katz offering the legendary Julius Erving, perhaps one of the three most famous basketball players on the planet at the time and still a great player, straight up for the third pick in the draft. Adding the Sampson for Jordan rumor (although in the book, the Rockets claim that it never was a serious trade offer), and it was pretty clear that a lot of NBA executives knew that Michael Jordan was a special ball player. Hell, watch the video of Michael Jordan being drafted by the Bulls, and listen to the announcers gush over his potential.
The book also touches on Charles Barkley, who was selected by the 76ers with the fifth pick. Barkley was a larger-than-life character who was considered a bit of a question mark due to his height (listed at 6'6" but closer to 6'4", short for a post player) and weight (somewhere around 300 pounds). Barkley showed up at the 1984 Olympic team tryouts, along with Jordan, Perkins, Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Jon Koncak, and every other major college player at the time excluding Olajuwon (not a U.S. citizen at this time) and Bowie (who turned down his invitation to focus on the draft). From all the accounts given in the book, Barkley was, other than Jordan, the best player at the camp, which raised his draft status immensely. According to the book, Barkley's goal wasn't to make the team, but dominate the first two weeks when NBA scouts were watching in order to improve his draft stock, and coast from there. That makes a lot of sense considering that the coach was Indiana University's Bobby Knight, who was not easy on any player, to be sure. Knight wanted Barkley to come in at 215 pounds, which was a ridiculous request to make, all things considered, and Knight was a hard-ass on everyone, even Jordan. To be honest, Knight comes across as a cranky man who was never satisfied, and picked players he could control (such as Vanderbilt's Jeff Turner and Indiana's Steve Alford), over more talented players like Barkley and Stockton, who also made quite an impression during the camp. The 76ers' thought process is also dissected in this book, as the team really didn't want Barkley, but due to the needs of the roster and his immense talent, could not pass on him.
- Sam Perkins and John Stockton are also profiled in this book. Perkins and Stockton came from opposite spectrums of college basketball, as Perkins was an All-America center at North Carolina, winning national championship and spending most of his college career in the limelight, while Stockton was a point guard at little known Gonzaga, playing in relative obscurity. Oddly enough, they both seem to share a lot of qualities, as both men were humble and praised for their loyalty. Perkins was a starter for many seasons who was considered too laid-back to lead a team, but he definitely contributed and worked as hard as any other player, while Stockton became the all-time assists leader through a mixture of talent, durability, and basketball smarts.
Overall, this book is a fine read, but it doesn't really go into how the draft changed the NBA until the very end of the book, where a few pages are devoted to it. Even then, I'm not sure if it was the draft that changed the game or Michael Jordan that changed it. Either way, it is an interesting look back at the events and the people that shaped up what would become maybe the most important draft in NBA History. Because of the Rockets and other teams "tanking" games to gain draft position, the NBA Draft Lottery was put into place the next season. Because of Jordan's success, the idea of drafting a big man over a guard every time was no longer in vogue, and largely due to Jordan's success, the game has evolved from a battle of the big men into a game where players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade can dominate the game just as much, if not more, than centers such as Dwight Howard. Today, a Sam Bowie type player would never be selected over a Michael Jordan type, no matter if the team selecting needed a center and was set at guard. Now, 26 years later, Jordan, Barkley, et. al have all retired, but their impact on the game is still being felt today.
If you are a fan of the NBA, than this book will prove to be very interesting to you. My only complaint is that the book kind of skimmed through the actual draft itself, focusing more on the actions of the teams and players before the draft. It also didn't go into a whole lot of depth on other stars selected such as Otis Thorpe and Kevin Willis. But these are minor complaints, so overall I'll give the book a 7.9 out of 10. Thanks for reading, and remember if you have any ideas for future reviews, than send them to me at KtheC2001@gmail.com and I'll see if I can fulfill your request.
- One thing that I found interesting was just close that teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers were to drafting Michael Jordan, only the best basketball player of all time. For example, the Mavs owned the Cleveland Cavaliers' first round pick that year, and the Cavs finished exactly one game ahead of the Bulls. If one game had been different, than the Mavericks would have the third pick in the draft, which is the pick the Bulls used to select Jordan. The same goes for the 76ers, which had the San Diego Clippers' first round pick. The Clippers finished one game ahead of the Rockets that year. If the Clippers lost one or two more games, Philadelphia would be guaranteed one of the first two picks of the draft due to the Clippers having the worst record in the Western Conference. As for the Rockets, the Bulls considered an offer which would send the third pick in the draft to Houston for Ralph Sampson, who at the time was considered a can't miss prospect at center. If the trade had gone down, the Rockets would have Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon on the same team, and who knows how many titles the team would have won. Wisely, the Bulls decided to keep the pick.
- So Houston selected Olajuwon with the first pick, which was a no-brainier because not only was he a can't miss big-man prospect, but also because Hakeem played his college ball at the University of Houston. The Rockets, behind last year's number one pick Sampson and Olajuwon, instantly became a dangerous team, making the playoffs in Olajuwon's rookie year and the NBA Finals in his second year. Of course, Sampson was brought down due to injuries and other players on that team lost much of their careers to drug use, but Hakeem remained in Houston, and was the main man on two NBA Championship teams. Some pundits may say that Houston made a mistake in taking Hakeem over Jordan, but I don't see how it's a mistake to pick one of the four of five best centers in history, even if you do pass on Jordan. As the book illustrated, the Rockets brass at the time was tickled pink that they landed the big man, and Olajuwon proved to be everything a 1st overall pick is supposed to be and more.
- The big mistake, and probably the most famous missed draft pick in NBA History, was perpetrated by the Portland Trailblazers, a team that needed a center at the time, and felt that Bowie was the man that would push them over the top. Before we get into all of that, keep in mind that the Blazers were a playoff team that year, and had the second pick because of an ill-fated trade with the Indiana Pacers three years prior, for which Indiana got one season out of journeyman center Tom Owens. Nobody brings this up, and really the only person in this book to bring it up was Stu Inman, Portland's general manager at the time. Basically, the Pacers traded the chance to draft the greatest player of all-time for one year out of an average center. With hindsight being 20/20 in all, that has got to rank among the worst trades in NBA history.
- Of course, the Blazers didn't make the right call either, as they selected Sam Bowie. The prevailing wisdom at the time said that you always pick a very good big man over a great guard. Well, that wisdom changed not too long afterwards. Bowie actually seems like a good guy, and in the book he takes his particular place in history in stride, not seeming bitter or anything like that. Sam Bowie's problem was not his play, it was that his body just couldn't handle the strain of being a top-level NBA player. Of course, the Blazers probably should have realized this after Bowie missed two seasons of college ball with a serious shin injury. Or maybe the fact that they needed a seven-hour medical exam to clear Bowie medically before the draft should have been a red flag. But Portland needed a center, and was set at the shooting guard position with Jim Paxson and future Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler, so Bowie was their man. In his first year, Bowie played well enough to make the All-Rookie team, but things quickly fell apart from there, as Bowie reinjured his left shin and fractured his right shin twice over the course of three years. In a four year stretch from the 1985-86 season until 1988-89, Bowie played a grand total of 63 games. The Blazers gave up and traded Bowie to the Nets, where he stayed relatively healthy for a few years and played decently, but not at the same level of Jordan or Olajuwon.
- Throughout the book, people defend Inman's decision to draft Bowie over Jordan by saying that nobody was quite sure of Jordan's potential. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I'm just not buying it. For one, both Dallas and Philadelphia offered major trades to get the third pick, Dallas offering Mark Agguire, who was only the second leading scorer in the NBA the previous season, and Philadelphia owner Harold Katz offering the legendary Julius Erving, perhaps one of the three most famous basketball players on the planet at the time and still a great player, straight up for the third pick in the draft. Adding the Sampson for Jordan rumor (although in the book, the Rockets claim that it never was a serious trade offer), and it was pretty clear that a lot of NBA executives knew that Michael Jordan was a special ball player. Hell, watch the video of Michael Jordan being drafted by the Bulls, and listen to the announcers gush over his potential.
The book also touches on Charles Barkley, who was selected by the 76ers with the fifth pick. Barkley was a larger-than-life character who was considered a bit of a question mark due to his height (listed at 6'6" but closer to 6'4", short for a post player) and weight (somewhere around 300 pounds). Barkley showed up at the 1984 Olympic team tryouts, along with Jordan, Perkins, Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Jon Koncak, and every other major college player at the time excluding Olajuwon (not a U.S. citizen at this time) and Bowie (who turned down his invitation to focus on the draft). From all the accounts given in the book, Barkley was, other than Jordan, the best player at the camp, which raised his draft status immensely. According to the book, Barkley's goal wasn't to make the team, but dominate the first two weeks when NBA scouts were watching in order to improve his draft stock, and coast from there. That makes a lot of sense considering that the coach was Indiana University's Bobby Knight, who was not easy on any player, to be sure. Knight wanted Barkley to come in at 215 pounds, which was a ridiculous request to make, all things considered, and Knight was a hard-ass on everyone, even Jordan. To be honest, Knight comes across as a cranky man who was never satisfied, and picked players he could control (such as Vanderbilt's Jeff Turner and Indiana's Steve Alford), over more talented players like Barkley and Stockton, who also made quite an impression during the camp. The 76ers' thought process is also dissected in this book, as the team really didn't want Barkley, but due to the needs of the roster and his immense talent, could not pass on him.
- Sam Perkins and John Stockton are also profiled in this book. Perkins and Stockton came from opposite spectrums of college basketball, as Perkins was an All-America center at North Carolina, winning national championship and spending most of his college career in the limelight, while Stockton was a point guard at little known Gonzaga, playing in relative obscurity. Oddly enough, they both seem to share a lot of qualities, as both men were humble and praised for their loyalty. Perkins was a starter for many seasons who was considered too laid-back to lead a team, but he definitely contributed and worked as hard as any other player, while Stockton became the all-time assists leader through a mixture of talent, durability, and basketball smarts.
Overall, this book is a fine read, but it doesn't really go into how the draft changed the NBA until the very end of the book, where a few pages are devoted to it. Even then, I'm not sure if it was the draft that changed the game or Michael Jordan that changed it. Either way, it is an interesting look back at the events and the people that shaped up what would become maybe the most important draft in NBA History. Because of the Rockets and other teams "tanking" games to gain draft position, the NBA Draft Lottery was put into place the next season. Because of Jordan's success, the idea of drafting a big man over a guard every time was no longer in vogue, and largely due to Jordan's success, the game has evolved from a battle of the big men into a game where players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade can dominate the game just as much, if not more, than centers such as Dwight Howard. Today, a Sam Bowie type player would never be selected over a Michael Jordan type, no matter if the team selecting needed a center and was set at guard. Now, 26 years later, Jordan, Barkley, et. al have all retired, but their impact on the game is still being felt today.
If you are a fan of the NBA, than this book will prove to be very interesting to you. My only complaint is that the book kind of skimmed through the actual draft itself, focusing more on the actions of the teams and players before the draft. It also didn't go into a whole lot of depth on other stars selected such as Otis Thorpe and Kevin Willis. But these are minor complaints, so overall I'll give the book a 7.9 out of 10. Thanks for reading, and remember if you have any ideas for future reviews, than send them to me at KtheC2001@gmail.com and I'll see if I can fulfill your request.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Game 4, 1993 Eastern Conference Semifinals
It is our 100th post at The Canon Review. To celebrate this milestone, I will do a post much like the first one, where I watch and review a classic NBA game. Because this is the 100th post, I decided to review a game which featured the 100th leading scorer in NBA History, Larry Nance. The game I have chosen is probably one Nance wouldn't mind forgetting, as this game featured the Bulls closing out a four-game sweep of the Nance's Cavaliers on a last-second shot by Michael Jordan. Interestingly enough, this would prove to be the last playoff game that Larry Nance ever played in, as the 6'10" former Slam Dunk Champion was injured and missed the 1994 playoffs, then retired after that season. Anyway, the Bulls won this game 103-101 on Jordan's last second shot, even though Cleveland outplayed the Bulls and led for the majority of the game. The game ended the series, and marked the third time in five seasons that the Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Chicago Bulls. A few notes from this game:
- At the beginning of the game, the announcers speculated that if Cleveland were to lose, than this could be the last game for coach Lenny Wilkens. Sure enough, the Cavs lost, and Wilkens was fired the next week. Wilkens wasn't out of a job long, as he accepted the head coaching position with the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, the Cavs replaced Wilkens with former Hawks' coach Mike Fratello, who the next year led the Cavs back to the playoffs, only for Cleveland to be swept in the first round by none other than the Chicago Bulls. Which just goes to show, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Or something like that.
- The Cavaliers of this era were, and still are criticized for being too soft and passive. Well, they came out in this game trying to disprove that, as point guard Mark Price elbowed B.J. Armstrong, and center Brad Daugherty hit Michael Jordan hard on one shot attempt, drawing a flagrant foul because it was obvious that Daugherty just wanted to make contact instead of going after the ball. Nevertheless, the message was sent and the Cavaliers were quite aggressive, particularly in the first half. However, as the game wore on, the Cavs, with the exception of Nance and Gerald Wilkens, went back to their old, passive ways, as the Bulls would become the aggressor as the game went on.
- The announcers kept giving Daugherty a hard time for his performance during the first three games of the series, and for good reason, as his points and rebounds averages were down from his regular season totals. In this game, Daugherty played 3/4ths of a good game, as he scored 25 points and grabbed 13 boards. However, he didn't score at all in the fourth quarter, and kept committing dumb fouls and eventually fouled out of the game with less than two minutes to go. Daugherty was actually a heck of a player in his heyday, an athletic 7-footer who was known as the best passing center in the league and constantly put up 20 and 10 each night. His main problems were a lack of shot-blocking skills (although he had three in this game, Daugherty averaged 0.7 shot blocks a game for his career, rather low for a center) and that he couldn't put his team on his back during tight moments. He just never could be the superstar Cleveland needed, but he still was a fine basketball player.
- Mark Price was also a heck of a player, heck, he was named to the All-NBA first team, ahead of Joe Dumars, John Stockton, Gary Payton, Tim Hardaway, and every other guard not named Jordan. You wouldn't have guessed that from this game, as B.J. Armstrong was too quick for Price, and Price just could never shake the Bulls point guard. Because of this, Price only played 25 minutes, and backup Terrell Brandon got much of the crunch time minutes at point guard for the Cavs. Brandon played well, but he made a huge turnover that cost the Cavs the lead late in the fourth quarter. Even though he struggled early, Price was their best player all season long, and for Wilkens to keep him on the bench for that long of a time, in the most important game of the season, was a rather curious move. Put it this way, I wouldn't have stuck with Brandon (who, btw, wasn't a bad player himself, although at this point he lacked experience) for as long as Wilkens did.
- Jordan and Scottie Pippen actually struggled in the first, combining to shoot 7-20 during that half. The announcers kept bringing up the fact that Jordan had a bad wrist, which played a part in his struggles. However, by the second half, it seemed as if Jordan forgot about the pain and went to work, finishing with 31 points, 23 of which came in the second half.
- Other than Daugherty, the Cavs' best player in the game was Gerald Wilkins, a swingman who was signed to help stop Michael Jordan. We'll get to that in a moment, but for the game, Wilkins scored 22 points, had 6 assists, and generally made life difficult for both Jordan and Pippen on the defensive end.
- However, Wilkins, anointed the "Jordan stopper" by the media, drew the fateful assignment at the end of the game. With the score tied, Jordan received the ball at the right elbow with seven seconds left. Curiously, Cleveland decided not to double team Jordan on this play, even though everyone watching knew he would be the one shooting. Wilkins actually defended Jordan well on the play, knocking the ball loose and keeping Jordan from driving in. At the last second, Jordan took a difficult turnaround jumper of Wilkins and an on coming John "Hot Rod" Williams, and like many times before and after, Jordan swished the bucket, giving the Bulls the series.
Overall, this was an entertaining game, not only in the sense of the game itself, but also because it would represent the end of an era for Cleveland, as Wilkens was fired, and Daugherty, Nance, and Price, the core of the great Cavaliers teams of the late 80s and early 90s, would soon be broken up as well (Price would be traded after the 1994-95 season, while both Nance and Daugherty would end up retiring after the 1993-94 season, Nance due to age, and Daugherty due to injury). The Cavaliers of that time were a very good team, that could beat nearly anyone across the court from them, just not the Chicago Bulls. As for the Bulls, they would go on to beat the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns to win their third straight NBA Title. Then Jordan retired and came back and we won't get into all of that right now.
Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas for future posts, than send them to me either by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com or by some other means. Sorry for the lack of activity in the last week or so, but I promise that that is going to change, so keep your eyes peeled for constant updates to Canon GA's number one blog, the Canon Review.
- At the beginning of the game, the announcers speculated that if Cleveland were to lose, than this could be the last game for coach Lenny Wilkens. Sure enough, the Cavs lost, and Wilkens was fired the next week. Wilkens wasn't out of a job long, as he accepted the head coaching position with the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, the Cavs replaced Wilkens with former Hawks' coach Mike Fratello, who the next year led the Cavs back to the playoffs, only for Cleveland to be swept in the first round by none other than the Chicago Bulls. Which just goes to show, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Or something like that.
- The Cavaliers of this era were, and still are criticized for being too soft and passive. Well, they came out in this game trying to disprove that, as point guard Mark Price elbowed B.J. Armstrong, and center Brad Daugherty hit Michael Jordan hard on one shot attempt, drawing a flagrant foul because it was obvious that Daugherty just wanted to make contact instead of going after the ball. Nevertheless, the message was sent and the Cavaliers were quite aggressive, particularly in the first half. However, as the game wore on, the Cavs, with the exception of Nance and Gerald Wilkens, went back to their old, passive ways, as the Bulls would become the aggressor as the game went on.
- The announcers kept giving Daugherty a hard time for his performance during the first three games of the series, and for good reason, as his points and rebounds averages were down from his regular season totals. In this game, Daugherty played 3/4ths of a good game, as he scored 25 points and grabbed 13 boards. However, he didn't score at all in the fourth quarter, and kept committing dumb fouls and eventually fouled out of the game with less than two minutes to go. Daugherty was actually a heck of a player in his heyday, an athletic 7-footer who was known as the best passing center in the league and constantly put up 20 and 10 each night. His main problems were a lack of shot-blocking skills (although he had three in this game, Daugherty averaged 0.7 shot blocks a game for his career, rather low for a center) and that he couldn't put his team on his back during tight moments. He just never could be the superstar Cleveland needed, but he still was a fine basketball player.
- Mark Price was also a heck of a player, heck, he was named to the All-NBA first team, ahead of Joe Dumars, John Stockton, Gary Payton, Tim Hardaway, and every other guard not named Jordan. You wouldn't have guessed that from this game, as B.J. Armstrong was too quick for Price, and Price just could never shake the Bulls point guard. Because of this, Price only played 25 minutes, and backup Terrell Brandon got much of the crunch time minutes at point guard for the Cavs. Brandon played well, but he made a huge turnover that cost the Cavs the lead late in the fourth quarter. Even though he struggled early, Price was their best player all season long, and for Wilkens to keep him on the bench for that long of a time, in the most important game of the season, was a rather curious move. Put it this way, I wouldn't have stuck with Brandon (who, btw, wasn't a bad player himself, although at this point he lacked experience) for as long as Wilkens did.
- Jordan and Scottie Pippen actually struggled in the first, combining to shoot 7-20 during that half. The announcers kept bringing up the fact that Jordan had a bad wrist, which played a part in his struggles. However, by the second half, it seemed as if Jordan forgot about the pain and went to work, finishing with 31 points, 23 of which came in the second half.
- Other than Daugherty, the Cavs' best player in the game was Gerald Wilkins, a swingman who was signed to help stop Michael Jordan. We'll get to that in a moment, but for the game, Wilkins scored 22 points, had 6 assists, and generally made life difficult for both Jordan and Pippen on the defensive end.
- However, Wilkins, anointed the "Jordan stopper" by the media, drew the fateful assignment at the end of the game. With the score tied, Jordan received the ball at the right elbow with seven seconds left. Curiously, Cleveland decided not to double team Jordan on this play, even though everyone watching knew he would be the one shooting. Wilkins actually defended Jordan well on the play, knocking the ball loose and keeping Jordan from driving in. At the last second, Jordan took a difficult turnaround jumper of Wilkins and an on coming John "Hot Rod" Williams, and like many times before and after, Jordan swished the bucket, giving the Bulls the series.
Overall, this was an entertaining game, not only in the sense of the game itself, but also because it would represent the end of an era for Cleveland, as Wilkens was fired, and Daugherty, Nance, and Price, the core of the great Cavaliers teams of the late 80s and early 90s, would soon be broken up as well (Price would be traded after the 1994-95 season, while both Nance and Daugherty would end up retiring after the 1993-94 season, Nance due to age, and Daugherty due to injury). The Cavaliers of that time were a very good team, that could beat nearly anyone across the court from them, just not the Chicago Bulls. As for the Bulls, they would go on to beat the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns to win their third straight NBA Title. Then Jordan retired and came back and we won't get into all of that right now.
Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas for future posts, than send them to me either by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com or by some other means. Sorry for the lack of activity in the last week or so, but I promise that that is going to change, so keep your eyes peeled for constant updates to Canon GA's number one blog, the Canon Review.
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