If you forgot how great Michael Jordan is, just watch this video please. He’s at a basketball camp and a kid asks Jordan who would win in a one-on-one game between him and Kobe Bryant. Jordan responds, “in my prime, not even a contest.” It’s Jordan being Jordan.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqlBUj9bFC4&feature=related]

How amazing is that. I know he’s not up against NBA players but it’s obvious that he still has it. You know after that he was thinking…hmmm, maybe my Bobcats need a guard.

I just love how confident he is when he’s playing, there’s no doubt in his mind that he’s going to miss, even with his eyes closed. Earlier this season when Kobe was on a tear, I began to wonder…maybe he is good as Jordan. I’ll tell you this right now, Jordan at 45 years old is better than Kobe is now or will ever be.

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The free agent season has begun. Following an exciting post-season and draft, the NBA has found another way to keep us hooked. In the next couple of weeks there are to be some big names moved around and could possibly shape next year’s championship team. The Celtics made all the right moves during last year’s free agency and ended up taking the title. So, don’t be surprised if a number of teams take a page from their book. Here are some of the big names who could make a move.

Elton Brand

Although his intentions are to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, don’t be surprised to see Elton Brand move. He has yet to be on a successful team and I’m sure he’s more than eager to cement himself as a marquee player. He is unable to do so on the lowly Clippers who will again have no chance next year in the overly competitive West. If the the right offer lands on Brand’s lap, possibly from his old team in the Bulls, or with the Knicks, Pistons, or Rockets who all need a player like Brand, don’t expect him to stay in Los Angeles.

Baron Davis

After the Warriors 06-07 run that included maybe one of the biggest post-season upsets of the Dallas Mavericks, Baron Davis could not find the same chemistry this past season. Davis has had trouble in the past season with Golden State and it seems like he may be headed out of Golden State after opting out of his contract. Davis averaged 21.8 points a game last season and would be extremely valuable to either a East or West Playoff team. The Detroit Pistons have showed interest in Davis in a possible sign and trade which may include stars Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups. This may turn into the biggest trade of the off-season. Also showing interest are the aforementioned Los Angeles Clippers. If Baron Davis signs with the Clippers this may persuade Elton Brand to stay.

Corey Maggette

Elton Brand isn’t the only Clipper on the move. Corey Maggette has also opted out of his contract and will test the open market. Maggette is more likely than Brand to leave the team and could play an integral part in next seasons playoffs. There were rumors swirling last season of a trade of Maggette to the Suns, so don’t be surprised if that deal won’t resurrect itself. Another team showing interest looks to be the Utah Jazz who are one piece away from a championship team.

Wizards Aren’t Letting Agent Zero Turn Into Free Agent Zero

The Washington Wizards are planning to invest over 150 million dollars in both Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. This seems like to much for a team who keeps getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. I thought Washington would have to get rid of at least one of the two, but it looks as if the Wizards want to continue with Jamison and Arenas. Personally I would have let Arenas go because he did very little last year and we are still unsure about his knee. Jamison is turning himself into a fantastic player, averaging 20 and 10 last year and is bound to become better.

Here is a list of other notable names that could see themselves in different uniforms next season.

Sam Cassell- Boston Celtics- Unrestricted FA

Eddie House- Boston Celtics- Unrestricted FA

Emeka Okafor- Charlotte Bobcats- Restricted FA

Luol Deng- Chicago Bulls- Restricted FA

Ben Gordon- Chicago Bulls- Restricted FA

Delonte West- Cleveland Cavaliers- Restricted FA

Allen Iverson- Denver Nuggets- Early Termination Option

JR Smith- Denver Nuggets- Restricted FA

Steve Francis- Houston Rockets- Player Option

Jason Williams- Miami Heat- Unrestricted FA

Stephon Marbury- New York Knicks- Early Termination Option

Andre Iguodala- Philadelphia 76ers- Restricted FA

Michael Finley- San Antonio Spurs- Unrestricted FA

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With a 1.7% chance of winning the first selection, the Bulls won the first pick in one of the most talented drafts in a while. The discussion has been, should they take Derrick Rose who is the better player, or Michael Beasley who is the better fit? Rose is destined to be a star while Beasley has all the tools to become as dominant as say Amare Stoudemire. But, which college standout will they choose? Let’s see.

1. CHICAGO BULLS- MICHAEL BEASLEY- Between the better player and the better fit, you have to go with the better fit if you’re the Bulls. The Bulls were lucky enough to get the first pick and they already have a playoff team if not for the mess of a season they had last year. They are short on big men and have been for a while. Beasley will complete this team making the Bulls a legit threat in the East.

2. MIAMI HEAT- DERRICK ROSE- Now there’s no way two teams are going to pass a player this talented up in a row. The Heat will gladly take Derrick Rose in the second pick which will, like the bulls, complete a playoff team. With Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marrion already on the team, one more all-star won’t hurt. If Wade can stay healthy, Rose will work well with him and possibly create a great one-two punch that teams will find hard to deal with. A great pick up for the Heat and I expect a rivalry to develop between the Heat and the Bulls with their picks. This debate of who should go first in the draft will live on throughout both Beasley and Rose’s careers.

3. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES- O.J. MAYO- With all the controversy surrounding O.J. Mayo he was destined to fall further down in the draft but it looks as if the Timberwolves have their man. Mayo is truly talented at 6’5 and has the figure to go inside and shoot the outside shot. The only worry about Mayo is his off-court problems that could hurt the way he plays on the court. Let’s just hope we get to see this kid play basketball without any distractions.

4. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS- JERRYD BAYLESS- To compliment the sensational play of Kevin Durant, expect the Sonics to choose Jerryd Bayless at point guard. Coming from Arizona he should turn out to be a solid NBA player and playing along side Durant won’t hurt a bit. Durant showed last year that he can put up over 20 points a game with no one around him, so expect his numbers to rise significantly along side Bayless.

5. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES- KEVIN LOVE- After trading Pau Gasol to the Lakers last season, the Grizzlies are down on athletic size. Kevin Love fills that void extremely well. He is capable of wearing down defenses and creating an atmosphere that Memphis will love (pun definitely intended). The sad thing though is that the rest of the Grizzlies are not good enough to make him any better. Give Love a couple of seasons before his talent begins to show, either that or another team.

6. NEW YORK KNICKS- BROOK LOPEZ- Oh, the New York Knicks. They have the highest payroll, one of the best coaches in Mike D’Antoni, and the sixth pick in the draft. How could they possibly mess up next season? I’m not sure how they’ll do it this season but a way to prevent it is drafting a big man in Brook Lopez who can actually do something with the basketball other than cry. He is a little undersized at center (7’0 245 lbs.) which could create a problem for the Knicks. But, they’ve needed a big man ever since Patrick Ewing left and maybe Lopez could develop into a player of half of Ewing’s talent and get this team back in the playoffs.

7. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS- RUSSELL WESTBROOK- The Clippers will hopefully have a 100% healthy Elton Brand next season which leaves them wondering, who else do we have? No body really, in order to compete in the West. Russel Westbrook can pass and score and has the tools that NBA teams want. There is a desire in the league now to have a point guard who can score and pass (Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Steve Nash just to name a few), and Westbrook is what the Clippers need in order to keep up with the competetive West. Either that or they can try and move to the Eastern Conference, where they would probably be a 4th or 5th seed in the playoffs.

8. MILWAUKEE BUCKS- JOE ALEXANDER- You haven’t heard much from the Milwaukee Bucks in the past decade and I don’t think you’ll hear more in the the next. Joe Alexander fills a void in the small forward position but even in the East the Bucks don’t have enough talent to make it. Alexander is a solid player who may find himself lost in this league on the Bucks. Only players with extraordinary talent like Ray Allen can make a name for themselves on the Bucks, and even Allen had to leave in order to be truly appreciated by the rest of the league.

9. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS- ERIC GORDON- I see a lot of upside in these Bobcats. Since forming in 2004 the Bobcats have slowly evolved into a fairly good team. They have significant talent in Emeka Okafor, Adam Morrison, and Jason Richardson. Not only that they are now being coached by one of the greatest coaches in recent years in Larry Brown. If the Bobcats can steal Eric Gordon at number nine, the Bobcats have even more to work with.

10. NEW JERSEY NETS- DANILO GALLINARI- After a disapointing season which included the departure of one of the franchise’s best players Jason Kidd, the Nets have some rebuilding to do. They have a banged up Richard Jefferson, who at times looks like one of the best players in the league, but cannot overcome the injury bug. Vince Carter should be one of the league’s elite, but fails to match the potential he showed in his Toronto Raptor years. Danilo Gallinari will be the first pick from overseas, coming from Italy, and will be expected to come off the bench for Jefferson, and soon replace Jefferson. He is one of the best players in Italy and could possibly translate to the NBA. In a couple of years this could be considered the steal of the draft. Personally though, I think the Nets will need to make a significant trade that will get rid of Jefferson and bring in one or two brand name players in order to fix this once dominant franchise.

Technorati Tags: 2008 NBA Draft, 2008 NBA Playoffs, 2008-09 NBA Season, 2009 NBA Season, Adam Morrison, Brook Lopez, Brook Lopez Stanford New York Knicks, Bucks Joe Alexander, Bulls Win Lottery Draft, Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte Bobcats Eric Gordon, Charlotte Bobcats NBA Draft 08, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bulls First Pick, Chicago Bulls First Pick Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls First Pick Michael Beasley, Chicago First Pick NBA Draft, Chris Paul, College Basketball, College Basketball NBA Draft 08, Danil Gallinari NBA Draft 08 Nets, Danilo Gallinari, Danilo Gallinari NBA Draft 08, Derrick Rose, Derrick Rose first Pick, Derrick Rose Miami Heat Second Pick, Dwane Wade, Dwayne Wade, Dwayne Wade Miami Heat First Pick, Eastern Conference, Elton Brand, Elton Brand Russell Westbrook, Emeka Okafor, Eric Gordon NBA Draft 08, Jason Kidd, Jason Kidd Trade, Jason Richardson, Jerryd Bayless, Jerryd Bayless Arizona, Jerryd Bayless NBA Draft 08, Jerryd Bayless Supersonics, Joe Alexander, Joe Alexander NBA Draft 08, Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant Draft 07, Kevin Durant Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Love, Larry Brown, Larry Brown Bobcats Coach, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Clippers 7th Pick NBA Draft 08, Los Angeles Clippers NBA Draft 08, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis Grizzlies 5th pick NBA Draft, Memphis Grizzlies Kevin Love, Memphis Grizzlies NBA Draft 08, Miami Heat, Miami Heat 2nd Pick Draft, Miami Heat Derrick Rose, Miami Heat NBA Draft 08, Miami Heat Pick Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, Michael Beasley First Pick, Michael Beasley Second Pick Miami Heat, Mike D'Antoni, Mike D'Antoni NBA Draft 08, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Bucks NBA Draft 08, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Draft 08, Minnesota Timberwolves O.J. Mayo, Minnesota Timberwolves third Pick, NBA, NBA Mock Draft, NBA Mock Draft 08, NBA Mock Draft Chicago Bulls First Pick, NBA Playoffs, New Jersey Nets, New Jersey Nets NBA Draft 08, New York Knicks, New York Knicks Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks NBA Draft 08, New York Knicks NBA Draft 08 Trade, O.J. Mayo, O.J. Mayo controversy, O.J. Mayo NBA Draft 08, O.J. Mayo USC, O.J. Mayo USC Controversy, OJ Mayo Off-court problems, Patrick Ewing, Pau Gasol, Pau Gasol Trade, Ray Allen, Richard Jefferson, Russell Westbrook, Russell Westbrook Clippers, Seattle Supersonics, Seattle Supersonics 4th Pick NBA Draft 08, Shawn Marrion, Steve Nash, Supersonics choose Jerryd Bayless, Toronto Raptors Vince Carter, Vince Carter, Westbrook Chris Paul Comparisons

Levels of Defeat in NBA

0-5 Point Loss- Respectable

5-15 Point Loss- Disappointing

15-25 Point Loss- Bad to Awful

25-35 Point Loss- Horrible, New York Knicks Territory

35+ Point Loss- Disgraceful, Team Should Disband and Begin New Careers

The Lakers lossed by 39 points last night in a deciding game in the NBA Finals which means Kobe should be announcing on TNT next season.

How a team can play as poorly as the Lakers did last night is beyond me. The Celtics defense was impenetrable and their offense ran as smoothly and as efficiently as possible and the Los Angeles Kobes, excuse me, Lakers could do absolutely nothing about it. This was by far the most convincing win in NBA Finals history.

As I said in my last post(Pierce May Be Too Strong For A Laker Comeback) Pierce and the Celtics would be too much for the Lakers to handle. No where in that post did I predict a victory of this magnitude though. Every single Laker all the way to upper management should be thoroughly embarrassed. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, and the almighty Kobe Bryant sucked. Plain and simple.

It wasn’t the Lakers sucking that lost them this series, but more the Celtics playing their best basketball at the right time. Seeing them go 7 games with the 8th seeded Atlanta Hawks gave me reason to believe they would never make it out of the East. But they persevered and got better as the playoffs went along. I routed for the Lakers this entire playoffs and routed against the Celtics this entire playoffs. Still, I can say that the team that won the title was the best team every night on the floor in this series. The Lakers should be ashamed that they were beaten this badly. Coming into this series they were the better team by far and leaving the series they look as if they shouldn’t have been in the playoffs. Every Laker performance was pathetic.

This beating was highlighted by the great play of the Celtic’s big three. Throughout the year I tried to play down the significance of this three playing together. But now I realize that when they play together, anything is possible (foreshadowing, pay attention). Ray Allen tied an NBA Finals record with 7 three pointers last night. Kevin Garnett fueled the team and ended whatever small hope the Lakers had with his circus shot. A shot in which he stayed in the air for what seemed like an hour, gets fouled and banked the ball off the backboard right before he hits the ground. As soon as he made that shot I knew the Celtics had the championship. No one can come back from a demoralizing shot like that.

And what else can you say about Paul Pierce? He stepped up his defense throughout the entire playoffs and made the best offensive player in the world look like Chris Dudley. He showed the world that Pierce not Kobe is more deserving of Jordan comparisons (but, still don’t even bother comparing him to Jordan, no one will be as good as Michael).

Coming into this series I was all gung-ho on Kobe and the Lakers winning the championship. I was convinced that it was his time to prove that he could be mentioned along with Jordan. I now want to take a moment to publicly apologize to Michael Jordan…Dear Michael, you’re the best and no one, and I mean no one comes close to you. Now, having that said I despise Kobe for what he did in this Finals. He won my heart this season and then broke it in the Finals (Sad, huh?). And I never, ever, no matter what Kobe does for the rest of his career want to hear the words Kobe Bryant in the same sentence as the one Michael Jordan. Jordan would never let his team lose in an NBA Finals, the biggest stage in the world for basketball. Never would you see Michael Jordan on the bench in a deciding game in the NBA Finals with his team down by 40. Never. If anybody even thinks about bringing this argument up again of Kobe being as good as Jordan, all of his or her comments about the sport of basketball should be considered void from thereafter.

Finally I would like to say a little something about Kevin Garnett…I hate him. Throughout this season he has changed my view of him completely. What sealed it was his odd, moronic, disrespectful celebration when he was interviewed after the game. When asked about how he felt, he began weeping like a baby, then filled the air with expletives and began screaming, “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!” at the top of his lungs like a fool(see the foreshadowing from earlier, pretty clever). All I can say thank God for the delay that the ABC network used so that they could prevent his f-bombs from reaching air. Does he not realize that he is idolized by thousands of kids who are watching? Does he have no respect whatsoever? The best part about it was how after he filled the Garden with f-bombs he goes over and shakes Bill Russell’s hand. Russell is one of the most honorable men in basketball who you tried to mirror yourself after throughout the season and you behave like that? You’ll never be one tenth of what Russell was and still is and you don’t even deserve a ring. Honestly, who’s over 7 feet tall and shoots mid-range jumpers all day? Call me bitter but this guy is a disgrace. But, congratulations to Paul Pierce and the rest of the Celtics who actually deserve this. This was the best turn around in sports history and Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, and company should be proud. As Garnett would say, “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!” Idiot.

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Paul Pierce looked absolutely unstoppable Sunday night in his team’s loss to the Lakers, so much so that he may have already sealed the fate of Los Angeles. If it wasn’t for his team’s poor 1st quarter performance along with the outrageous amount of foul calls by Dick Bavetta and his crew, Pierce and the Celtics would be celebrating their first championship in 22 years. And without a doubt, Paul Pierce would be the MVP of the NBA Finals.

After the Celtics’ 24 point comeback on Thursday, I began wondering who would be MVP of the Finals for the Celtics. There really was no clear cut winner due to the Celtics’ fantastic all-around team play. Garnett had played alright, Ray Allen has played very well(especially compared to the series against the Pistons), and Paul Pierce has had a solid showing like usual. There were also a couple of long shots in James Posey and Leon Powe if they had another break out game, but overall no real no-doubt choice. But after watching Pierce dominate the Lakers single handedly, Pierce will be that no-doubt choice if the Celtics can prevent a Laker comeback.

It looked as if Pierce was driving against children in Game 5. In a stretch in the 2nd quarter, Pierce scored 11 straight points. Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, and even the almighty Kobe Bryant at times could not handle the strength of Paul Pierce driving to the basket. It just looked way too easy for the Celtic guard. Even after he broke down the Laker backcourt, not even the stronger Lamar Odom or Pau Gasol could step up and stop Pierce. It seemed as if every drive by Pierce took on 4 Lakers, and he easily finished every time.

All the hype coming into the series was Kobe taking the torch and becoming Jordan. Kobe hasn’t lived up to the hype, and the only one plaKying Jordanesque is Paul Pierce. Throughout this series, you haven’t seen Kobe drive, dominate the key, and get to the free throw line anything like Pierce.

If Pierce has a game half as dominating as game 5 and the Celtics decide to play before they’re down by double digits, Kobe and the Lakers simply don’t stand a chance. Pierce will be in Celtic lure along with Larry Bird and even Bill Russel for bringing the Celtics back to glory. But hey, I’ve been talking about Kobe all playoffs and I’ll never doubt what Kobe is capable of, so Pierce needs to take care of business tonight because it’s not over ’till the ring’s on the finger.

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Never has Jordan disappointed any of his fans in a Finals game like Kobe did last night. With five minutes to go in the fourth quarter after the Lakers squandered a 24 point lead, the game was tied. The Lakers were shooting just awful, and the game was just begging to be taken over by Kobe. He did not takeover. The Lakers ended up losing in what will go down as the biggest collapse in NBA history.

Everyone calls Kobe Bryant the best “closer” in the game. That superlative deemed untrue last night when Kobe failed to take his team under his wing in the biggest game of his life. Throughout the entire game Kobe was no where to be seen, but players such as Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol were stepping up enough to give the Lakers a 24 point lead. At halftime the Lakers had an 18 point lead and looked to have the game easily in hand. The scariest part was that Kobe hadn’t gotten going yet. He never did either.

Kobe just straight up didn’t play up to his potential. In no way should a player of his status allow his team to give up such a substantial lead in a game of this magnitude. It’s shocking really how he never took over this game. I’ve always seen parrallels in both Jordan and Kobe. The way the shoot, the way they drive, and their desire to take over a game late when their team needs them the most. But after last night’s performance I have to say he is no where near Jordan’s level. This just makes me think that there will never be another player like Jordan, and it’s really disheartening.

Sure Kobe is the scapegoat for this loss. And people can cry and moan that the team around him didn’t help, but whenever Kobe has a great game, no body talks about his teammates then. It’s just Kobe this and Kobe that, so he gets it both ways. But who really has kind of flown under the radar for this loss is Phil Jackson. Now I’ve heard Jeff Van Gundy announcing the game and forever praising how Phil Jackson takes time outs at the perfect time to stop momentum. When ever Van Gundy would say this I always agreed and was shocked at how correct he is. But yesterday, Jackson just wasn’t the coach he used to be. How do you allow the Celtics to come back into the game like that? He took timeouts at the right time but it seemed as if nothing was being done in the timeout to change the forecast of the game and I think Jackson should receive as much or even more blame then Kobe for this loss. Laker fans, Kobe Bryant fans, and NBA fans deserve better and now we might not get to see an epic game 7 that everyone was praying for.

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Kobe says he can take over a game whenever he wants. So why would he wait until his team is down 24 points in the fourth quarter. Kobe and the Lakers nearly mounted the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history but came up short tonight and for the second game in a row, Kobe is to blame.

Throughout this entire game the Celtics had the heart, determination, and sure fire offense that compiles a championship team. An unlikely hero in Leon Powe who put up an astonishing 21 points in just under 15 minutes. Powe looked unstoppable as he dunked his Celtics to what looked like a blowout early in the fourth quarter. I have to say, Powe looks like a huge X-Factor coming off the bench for these Celtics who already have the best threesome in basketball in Garnett, Pierce, and Allen. If Powe could just stay out of foul trouble(he had 4 tonight in his 15 minutes) he is going to be a huge help in this 08 Finals for the Celtics.

Powe was just one of the players for the Celtics who came off the bench to solidify a Celtic win. Both P.J. Brown and James Posey put in quality minutes for the Celtics who are now up 2-0 on the Lakers. Coming into the finals, the Lakers bench was considered its most crucial facet. The Lakers’ bench was outscored by the Celtics’ bench 35-23. The Celtics’ bench also played extremely smart. No one coming off the bench for them turned the ball over and shot 68.7% from the field. Not only has getting to the line affected Kobe and the Lakers’ starting lineup but the trend has gotten to the bench as well. No one had a free throw from the Lakers bench while the Celtics bench piled up 15 free throw attempts, more than the entire Lakers team with 10.

If you’re a Lakers fan you can blame the bench for not putting up numbers or poor defense from Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, but the blame in games like these will always rest on Kobe’s shoulders. It’s a little unfair but it’s true. Kobe waited too long and took too many outside shots early in the game and allowed the Celtics to run away with the game. He got into foul trouble early, leaving him on the bench where he becomes absolutely useless. He turned into the Kobe of the past couple years in the 3rd and 4th quarter, forcing shots and trying to make the superstar play. Whenever there was a scoring run by the Lakers, it was fueled by excellent passing and smart decisions by Kobe. But he quickly got away from that when the Celtics countered with a run of their own causing the Lakers to fall in too deep of a hole.

If Kobe completed the fourth quarter comeback, in which the Lakers were down 24 and brought in down to two, I probably would be singing Kobe’s praises and I would have forgotten all the mistakes he and the Lakers made. But they didn’t come back.

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It’s the series the NBA has been waiting for. Lakers, Celtics. What more could you want? This series though won’t even be competitive, because it will belong to the best player since Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and there’s nothing Garnett can do but scream, yell, and hit his head on the hoop like he always does.

This series is a match made in basketball heaven. You’ve got the best player in the game playing on a team with a bunch of average to above average players in Kobe and the Lakers. You’ve got the most talented threesome in recent years in Pierce, Allen, and Garnett in the Celtics. So, the series should be great, right? I’m afraid not. The Celtics don’t stand a chance against Kobe. Although Pierce’s defense has improved considerably, he will be no match for Bryant.

Watching Kobe in the series between the Lakers and Spurs showed me just how talented he really is. Throughout the series Kobe stayed out of the paint and continually put up jumpers. He barely got to the free throw line and still was able to average 29.2 points a game in the series. He only averaged 2.2 free throws a game throughout the series and was still able to control the game. He shot 53% and took over when ever he wanted.

Whenever Kobe plays you just know he is going to take over. It’s just a matter of when and against the Celtics in the Finals, it will be every game. Kobe is to close to a title to try and take it away from him. Sure, people say the same about Garnett but Kobe’s fire and desire to win the game just seems so much more natural to me. When the time comes for him to step up, he isn’t yelling or hitting his chest. He looks calm, composed and eerily similar to Michael Jordan. Garnett on the other hand fades away and allows others to take over the game, which is fine and he played well enough to get the Celtics to the Finals, but the Celtics need him to take over in late game situations like that if Pierce isn’t shooting well. In the final game of the western conference finals, Kobe had 39 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds. Garnett in the final game of the eastern conference finals only put up, 16 points, 7 rebounds, and had no assists. That isn’t enough out of someone who was being claimed as the MVP during the season.

The best example of Kobe’s Jordanesque appearance and was in game 7 when he was isolated at half court against Ginobili. Right before Ginobili stepped up to him he calmly let the ball bounce in front of him while he adjusted the sleeve on his arm. Manu began badgering Kobe a couple feet from the half court line trying to rob Kobe. Kobe simply turned his back shielded him off took some time off the clock and then turned around and got space. With the shot clock running out he began to approach the basket, he sped up, hesitated to make Duncan, who was behind Ginobili commit and he took the space and laid the ball up for two points and ultimately the game. When I saw that entire sequence I just laughed and said this is Kobe’s year.

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Celtics got lucky, that simple. Throughout the playoffs they have done nothing but prove that they are not the team every one hyped them up to be. Yesterday they barely escaped with a 97-92 win against LeBron and the Cavs. Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and the Celtics have played 14 games already this postseason and have yet to prove that they’re a championship team. Oh yeah, they are 0-6 on the road in the Playoffs!!!

Yesterday’s game proved that the Celtics have no chance against their next opponent, the Pistons. The Cavs have absolutely no offense and no body on their team that can score other than LeBron James. James was the entire team yesterday putting up 45 points and nearly bringing his team back from a 15 point hole. The Celtics big 3 have yet to all perform consistantly with one of them stepping up on different nights. Yesterday, Paul Pierce saved his Celtics with a 41 point game and a bunch of hustle plays that ignited the crowd. After a jump ball, Pierce jumped on a loose ball and called time out just in time in a game changing play.

Garnett and Allen have yet to shine this postseason like they did in the regular season. Garnett is only pumped up and pounding his chest when his team has a 10 point lead or more and has only hit one big fourth quarter shot, which came in game 6. Garnett needs to show the heart and fire he shows when his team is down and desperate for points instead of when the team is comfortably in the lead. As soon as the Celtics are down or the lead gets tight, Garnett dissapears and quiets down. As for Ray Allen, he did nothing the entire series against the Cavs. Yesterday he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat, and he continually fails to create opportunities for himself. Allen’s pathetic four point game and 13 point game yesterday will not be enough when the Celtics face the Pistons.

Paul Pierce is the only true competitor on the Celtics when push comes to shove, and the Pistons are chock-filled of big time players. Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince have all proved that they are able to step up and make great game saving plays. If it wasn’t for Pierce’s amazing performance yesterday, the Celtics would be on vacation today with the lowly Cavs playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Yesterday’s game was brutal to watch until the 4th quarter where it was basically Pierce vs. LeBron, which actually made the game one of the most exciting of the playoffs.

The Pistons will outplay them on the offensive side, defensive side, and most importanly they will be outcoached. Doc Rivers is not a good coach and people need to realize it. He had the easiest job this season by coaching a bunch of veterans. As for the Pistons, Flip Saunders knows what it takes to win and keeps his team disciplined. There is no way a team who won 66 games should go to a game seven against an eighth seeded Atlanta Hawks and a fourth seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, and the coach has to be blamed.

Watching the game yesterday made me realize that the Celtics don’t have a chance. The Cavs only had two scorers in double digits yesterday, LeBron James 45 and Delonte West with 15, and the Celtics barely escaped. The Pistons are a much more complete team and are capable of going into Boston and winning road games, something that the Celtics have yet to do. The Celtics have not won an away game and they still think they have a chance? I don’t think so. I am so confident that the Pistons will win this series that I might come out right now and predict a 4-0 Pistons’ sweep. But I’ll wait, for now I’ll go the safe route and predict 4-2 Pistons with the Celtics again failing to win on the road.

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But that’s not what I’m writing about today. I was in Tune Street yesterday – our great local music & electronics store – and overhead a New York Knick’s fan share his agony.

What got me was this: “Here am I at home, paying $170 for NBA League Pass just to stick with my beloved Knicks, and I’m yelling at the TV: ‘Fire Isiah!’ I’m like screaming at the television set as if I paid the big bucks at the Garden. And of course I know the dude can’t hear me but I can’t help myself.”

Knick coach Isiah Thomas – Photo Suzy Allman/New York Times

I felt for the guy and in return for my not mentioning his name, he agreed to talk more. If you love B-ball and you understand the joy and pain of rooting, you may appreciate this. He’s an older guy and started by telling me some of his history:

“I grew up in the Bronx before the games were on TV and listened to every Knicks game on the radio. Sweetwater Clifton, Richie Guerin, Kenny Sears … and in those days if you were going to high school in the city you had a G.O. discount card which got you into the Garden for 50 cents, up in the top most section of the balcony.

“In those days the NBA played doubleheaders, so if you loved basketball there was no better place than the old Garden. You get a Nedicks hot dog and an Orange Julius and head in for hours of great b-ball.

“The team that killed us was the Celtics – they manhandled the Knicks with Russell and Cousy and Frank Ramsay and they had this goon of a guy Jim Loscutof who literally would throw the Knicks around. Of course they played the best team basketball around too, but we hated them.

Bob Cousy vs. The Knicks – Photo: William C. Greene

“So you can imagine what it feels like now all these years later to watch the Celtics steal Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and out together a gem of a team while Isiah crashes and burns the Knicks.

Kevin Garnett – Celtic Saviour

“We’re talking absolute agony. I gotta pray the Pistons take them out or whoever wins the West – Phoenix or San Antonio or even the Lakers!”

That, folks, is what rooting is all about. This guy is already hoping the Knicks blow every game left so they have a shot at Derrick Rose.

Even the New York City sportswriters are dripping with anger at what has happened to one of the most storied franchises in pro basketball. Frank Isola, the beat writer at the New York Daily News wrote about why he hates this version of the New York Knicks:

• The team I grew up rooting for has become a running joke.
• Few in the organization care about the team’s history.
• Patrick Ewing doesn’t work for them.
• They have had seven straight losing seasons.
• James Dolan once said that “the worst year yet” was 1999; yes the year they reached the NBA Finals.
• Isiah Thomas thinks he’s doing a great job.
• Stephon Marbury thinks he’s done nothing wrong.
• They don’t play defense.
• They ripped out the Marty Glickman radio booth for the sake of the almighty dollar.
• Few of the players have earned the fat contracts they’ve received.
• They are 19-48 in an Eastern Conference that except for three teams – Boston, Detroit and Cleveland – has to be the worst ever. How can the Knicks not even be in playoff contention in mid-March?
• Yes, I must confess, I hate the Knicks. These Knicks.

Mark Berman of the New York Post reported on the Knicks’ embarrassing lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves this way:
“The Knicks fell behind 42-24 after one quarter, with the Wolves converting 17 of 23 shots for a 73.9 percentage in setting their franchise high for most points in the opening stanza.
The Knicks might as well have taken the charter plane home then with their 50th loss in the bag.
Yes, it’s now 19-50. Mindboggling.
Ten fastbreak points to zero for the Knicks in the first 12 minutes.
‘The first quarter was a nightmare,’ Isiah Thomas said afterward.
No. The season – and the last four years – have been a nightmare. Thirteen games to go. And counting.”

Now add the fact that the Celtics are playing great basketball with a terrific chance to win the NBA title and you get a better idea why just about every New York Knicks’ fan from New York City to Los Angeles are having a hard time sleeping.

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