How Rivalries have changed Over The Years

Back in 19993 I was watching some NBA experts talking about Shaquille O'neal's emergence as an NBA superstar. Former great Bill Walton was reffering to how Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlin were oddly together, laughing and kidding with one another during a get together for one of Shaq's first official commercial shoots. He talked about NBA rivalries and how when Russel and Chamberlan were competing they were not friends, but strictly rivals on a competitive level. He mentioned his rivalry with Kareem, "Jabar and myself, we weren't friends at all. Magic Johnson changed all that." Magic did change all that. He and Larry Bird reminised about recent battles for the title to the press over the course of their career in a heart felt manner to a degree. . Magic and the Pistons' Isaha Thomas once even kissed at a game..atleast Isaha Thomas kissed him and Magic apparently had no problem with it. But where are competitive rivalries headed now and in recent years. There have been more brawls between players than before. When Lebron james talked to his father about getting swept in the finals by Tim Duncan and the Spurs, his dad replied that he shouldn't have bothered to shake hands with him after it was all over. Does one really have to hate his competetor to win? Are we headed back to a mentality and influence associated with the Chamberlan Russell rivalry, the befriending Magic era, or are things in this perspective perhaps getting more balanced? For instance, many players who you'd think wouldn't be close are friends. Lebron james and Dwayne Wayde for instance, both shooting gaurds who have faced each other in the playoffs, are quite close. In the 2006 playoffs Lebron was even giving Wade tips on how to play against the Pistons, James having just lost to them in the prior round. What do you think?

Sentementality can't change that....however!

Larry Bird, Robert Parish, ainge, mchale, Walton, were all big names not just in the basketball world but in the city of Boston itself. They did commercials for local establishments such as tasteful steak house. I can't recall the name. They gave Boston the joyous gift of pride, strength, a little love, and most importantly faith. Eventually Bird retired. Mchale, Parish and Reggie Lewis helped keep the Celtics as playoff contenders for a little longer until Mchale retired, Parish went to Charlotte, and Lewis died of an overdose. When Mchale retired, I remember announcer Bob Costas doing a brief documentary on his career. In it he mentioned,"The Celtics are in the midst of a sorry season. Sentimentality can't change that...". He went on to talk about Mchale retiring his jersey at halftime. I have a vague recollection, but my point is is that fans and the city of Boston kept their sentimentality toward the Celtics and their history, and focused on the big picture. Fifteen years later, they have a team record regular season and win the championship against a team with the league's MVP, Kobe Bryant. It just goes to show that though sentamentality every now and then may not change things on a tangible level, it nurtures and invigorates the soul, wether it be a person, city, or sports team, or all three. To any team or person out there that is going through a negative transition in their career, or even in their personal lives, I urge you to soften your soul and see the big picture every now and then.....Peace out.

Obama and his pride

Barack Obama has his pride. He denied over seventy million dolllars from public funding, insisting he can gather up more money privately. Thus, he has gained a celebrity status with his charisma and good looks. Is this race between Obama a debate over the issues such as healthcare, the economy overall, etc. or has it become a popularity contest based on celebrity appeal. What do you think readers. Feel free to comment. I haven't gotten any in quite a while and I'd love to hear from all of you.

Celtic's Contradicting Defense

Talk about a dribbling contradiction, the Boston Celtics were scrutinized for their poor defense just over a month ago when they were playing against Detroit in the conference finals. Now, some poeple are considering them to be the leagues toughest defense. What brought about the change? For one thing, they are contesting more shots and playing very tough one on one defense. Kevin Garnett and james Posey have the gift of great aggresive man to man defense, Garnett being the defensive player of the year. Rondo played great defense as well. He comes up with the steals and leads transition when Boston needs him to. It's amazing how just a few weeks ago, NBA insiders Charles barkley and Kenny Smith were saying Boston had no all around defense with the exceptio of Kevin Garnett! Even I, doogy was criticizing their defense. I thought early on it seemed kind of weak. I wouldn't say they have the BEST defense in the league. That would have to go to Detroit .

Don't Listen to me

O.K.< I'm an idiot. Jackson and Kobe tried to regroups. Kobe is still an asset. I'm wrong. however. The Lakers have poor defense compared to the Piston's defense and the Cav'e defense Boston recently played against. Boston has more talent on their team and has proved themselves as a defensive powerhouse in dramatic fashion. It's gonna be Boston in five or six games.

Was Celtic's Advantage Temporary or a Permanent Fix?

Boston displayed great one on one defense against Kobe, using Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and James Posey quite effectively. They even displayed great defense aginst him as a unit. I still, don't think, however, Kobe was having his best of nights. In addition, he had not figured out how the Celtics were going to attack. Kobe now knows where the Celtics will try to stop him. He is a versatile player. He may end up dishing it off more often. He may end up scoring most of his points at the line. Bryant will make adjustments as well as Phil Jackson. I don't think the Celtics have completely shut him down. We must give him some credit as far as his savvy and ability to read defenders. Los Angeles was not shoooting the ball very well in the second half, when it really counted. Though many of their shots were contested, they had some descent opportunities. Derek Fisher is no match for Rondo, however. This guy is in the zone after playing against Chauncy Billups. This is still anyone's game. Homecourt is a factor. It's definitely going to a game six.

Pierce with Dramatic Comeback:Boston Comes Up Big on 'D", Wins 98-88

Boston's somewhat flaky defense has actually become an important asset thus far in these NBA finals, holding KObe Bryant to just 9-26 shooting. Their defense won them the game along with an emotional second half surge highlighting Paul Pierce's heroic return/ Paul Pierce shook off a sprained knee in dramatic fashionafter whisking to the locker room in a wheelchair, reminiscent of injured Willis Reed's return in game seven of the 1970 NBA finals. His return re-sparked the Celtics' drivewith 5:04 left in the third quarter. Though Garnet had thirteen rebounds, he was just three for thirteen in the second half. Pierce came back to make two three pointers in just a 22 second span. The dramatic return performance gave Boston a a 75-71 lead where they dominated from then on. Though Bryant(scored 24 points) inssited he had some good looks but was just out of rythum, instant replay shows many of his shots being contested by swarming Boston defenseseemingly coming from out of nowhere. Los Angeles choked offensively in the fourth quarter and there are going to be some close games ahead. Phil Jackson now has an idea of where Boston will attack defensively and is expected to make major adjustments. It's anybody's series right now.

Celtics Going to Finals; Beat Detroit

"My heart is beating faster," said Paul Pierce during the celebration. Peirce led the celtics with 27 points. Allen had 17 and Garnett had 16, helping Boston reach the NBA finals for the first time since 1987. Detroit blew a 1o point lead in the fourth quarter, losing in the confernce final for the third straight time. Rasheed Wallace went to and from his locker three times after the game simply saying"That's the end." Boston won its second road game of the post season. At one point, Billups had 21, matching the rest of the team. That says just how little Detroit was contributing as a team. Just when it seemed the Pistons were in control with a 70-60 lead in the fourth the Celtics scored nine points in less than two minutes to go on a 19-4 run. After Chauncy Billups completed a three point play and a Boston miss, Tayshaun Prince recovered a loose ball only to have James Posey snatch it from his hands. In the final two minutes, Detroit couldn't hit their three pointers. They couldn't even take advantage of missed free throws from Peirce and Garnett in the final forty seconds. It will be a revival of the oh so treasured Laker- Celtic rivalry, just as I, Doogy, had proclaimed!

Lakers Rally Back; Win Series 3-2

Kobe is one step closer to winninig it all for the first time without Shaq. He brings with him a new , young nucleus, a team that made Jerry West and the Laker fans very grateful last night. Kobe led the lakers in a third quarter rally to come back from a 17 point deficit with a series of impressive jump shots, including jordanesque fade aways reminiscent of Phil jackson's former dynasty days. Odome added 13 points and nine rebounds, topped off with a Paul Gasol three pointer at the end of the game serving as an exclamation point defying the Lakers dominance in this year's post season. Fans cheered as former Laker legend Jerry West prsented the trophy and gave special credit to Bryant, emphasizing the strong athletic role model he is to children and young people with his superior leadership skills. Kobe was very humble and refreshed as he soaked it all in. It may very well be a revival of the laker-celtic rivalry with Boston leading three games to two currently. Even the Pistons had a memorable rivalry with Los Angeles. Get ready to hear chants of Beat L.A. by one of those eastern teams and prepare to see some major "showtime" from Los Angeles. Either way, it looks like a fantastic series.

Lakers Go Up 3-1, Despite Conterversy

Kobe Bryant had 28 points and led the lakers to a two point victory last night, despite a non-call on what many considered to be a foul by Los Angeles in the final seconds against Brent Barry. Los Angeles led all the way. San Antonio got close and tied multiple times. The play was in the final seconds of the game. Brent Barry took a three and there was some contact. It appeared to be away from the ball. Either way, no type of foul was called. San Antonio came within two within the final seonds of the game and that was their chance to win. It was very controversial. For if Barry had taken the three foul shots and made them all, he could have won the game

Duncan and Spurs Stay Alive

Despite a sore ankle and ripped fingernail, Manu Ginobli told the rest of the NBA world he was still alive with a thirty point performance, while Tim Duncan outplayed Gasol and Otum with 22 points and 20 rebounds, putting the Spurs back into it with a crushing 103-84 victory. The Spurs led almost all the way despite a few unsuccesful attempt the lakers had at rallying back. Bruce Bowen forced Kobe to shoot jumpers. Kobe was held to a mere one assist in the entire game and no fouls shouts in the first half. Kobe did make three treys from way out in a short frame of time in the fourth, but it was too little too late. The momentum has definitely shifted. Duncan has proved that Gasol and Otumn cannot handle him when he is on his game. The Lakers lacked team chemistry. There was very little circulation on the offensive end and just plain poor defense down low. Duncan took advantage. Los Angeles is mostly a young team, besides Kobe and Derek Fisher, and since they led 2-0, I felt there was a neccessary sense of urgency they just didn't feel strongly enough. Everyone thinks the Spurs can some back. I think Phil jackson and the Lakers are going to readjust, make neccessary changes. I think Kobe will step up as well as pass the ball more while encouraging his teammates to do so and I think it will be Los Angeles in six.

Boston Silences Critics for Now; Takes game 3

The Boston Celtics have silenced critics to some degree by finally winning one on the road. Garnet had 22 to lead the Celts past Detroit, 94-80, to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Boston had lost their first six road games of this postseason, getting a bad wrap about their defense and overall recoursefulness as a team unit, especially from me. Well, they did play much better defense, which has improved quite dramatically over the past three games or so. They are contesting more shots, attacking the boards, and have also become somewhat stronger down low. I may have eaten my words when I said they didn't have what it took. I predict Boston wins in six games. Any takers?

Kobe and Lakers Rally Past Spurs

Kobe Bryant scored all but two of his 26 points after halftime to lead the Lakers in a fourth period rally past the Spurs 89-85. Bryant also finished with nine assists and five rebounds. The Spurs led most of the way. San Antonio jumped out to a 65-45 lead before San Antonio worked their comeback starting with a nine nothing run. In the fourth, two straight baskets by Bryant cut the lead to three with eight minutes remaining. After Bowen's three- pointer with 7:38 left, the Spurs went stone cold for nearly six in a half minutes. Los Angeles took advantage by scoring ten straight points to cut the defecit to four. Bryant gave L.A. the lead for the first time in the game with 2:42 left. He proved worthy of his MVP status by hitting a clutch jumper twenty four seconds later to make it 85-81. The Lakers used the same method Phil jackson used to defent talented centers like Ewing and Hakeem in his days in Chicago by waiting until late in the game to double team Duncan. This should be an interesting series. Both teams are hungry, smart , experienced , and talented!

Warmed-Up Boston Takes Game One

Well, what's better, ateam with fresh legs or a well rested team? In this case it's the team with fresh legs. Garnett had 26 points and nine rebounds. Pierce added 22 to lead the Celtics past the Pistons last night in game one of the eastern conference finals. It marked Boston's fifteenth straight home win. The Pistons, however, were at somewhat of a disatvantage with Chauncy Billups playing but not 100% back from his pulled hamstring. The lesser known, but talented Rondo fared well against him, with five steals and seven assists. Boston scored the first eight points of the game. They led by one at halftime and held Detroit to just seventeen points in the third quarter. Boston has lost all six raod games this post season.

Blast from The Past

The New Orleans Hornets right now remind me of the Charlotte Hornets in 1993. They had rookie Alonzo Mourning in his prime, Larry Johnson, and Mugsy Bogues. They, much like New Orleans now, had a young, energetic nucleus. Two years later Mourning was traded and Johnson was severely injured . Had Johnson had never gotten hurt and the threesome would have stuck togetherthey would have atleast went to the conference finalsor maybe furhter during the span Jordan was out of the league. They also had great supporting players. Guard Kendal Gill had a jordanistic game and J.R. Reid had finesse in the paint and was a promising defensive player. When I was in junior high, there were a lot of Hornets fans.

Spurs Sail by Hornets;New Orleans Still Looking Promising

Ginobli had 26 points, including four crucial free throws in the final minute to seal the win for the Spurs,91-82. Parker added 17, including a key jumper in the closing minute. Duncan had 16 points and 14 boards. Despite an aging San Antonio ball club, Horry insist experience and team smarts give them an edge. "People always talk about you being old becuase you don't dunk anymore or slash as fast as you used to slash, but we're one of the smartest teams in the league and we have a very good coaching staff. "We didn't make stupid mistakes tonight," says Horry. Hornets coach Byron Scott was proud his team of young rising stars led by Chris Paul took the defending champs to a game seven after not even making the playoffs last season. Scott insisted, "You have to go through some things before you can really understandhow good it's going to feel when you get to that next level."

Lakers Take 3-2 Lead

Despite not attempting a single shot, Kobe Bryant still manged to score 26 points and led the Lakers to a 111-104 victory over the Jazz. Los Angeles can advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004 with a win this coming Friday. Bryant's back spasms kept his shot selection limited, though he shot well at 6 for 10 from the floor and 13 for 17 from the line. The Jazz kept the game close until late in the fourth quarter, with all five starters scoring in double figures. Deron Williams led with 27 points and 10 assists. The Jazz got within one with 2:18 left, but after a Lamar Otom dunk, followed by Utah trey, Gasol went on to score the next four points and put the game away. Bryant did not practive between games four and five, concerned about his back.

Does Boston Have What it Takes To Make it in The Playoffs?

Boston seems to be following the same sour melody to postseason play as many teams who dominated in the regular season have sung to. With the exception of Kevin Garnett, where is their all around defense? Two major flaws in game four; taking unreasonable shots and and little inside activity are part of what has plagued them-especially on the road. They have little all around defense, no major movement in the paint, and when their big three isn't shooting well, they have litt,le if any recources to go to. Though it's very moving the Celtics or good again, they may not have what Russell had or Bird, Parish, and Mchale had. Those guys had awesome defense, perimeter shooting, and an inside game. I don't think they have what it takes to win it all this year. How about it readers?

Lebron Leads Cavs, Evens Sesries

Swarmng defense high lighted by and expolisive Jame with 1:45 to go sparked the Cavs' victory. Though the game was close throughout. Boston's game was plagued by unreasonable shout selection and failure to get inside late into the game. Cleveland fans were going crazy.

Doc Rivers: "No Heroe Shots"

In game five, Doc Rivers was expaining to his Celtics, "No Heroe Shots." I thinkg that could be wrong with the NBA these days. The power isn't handed down to just two or three guys. It seems as if everyone wants to be the hero, and even the heroes try to be the hero to much. Does anyone disagree or agre with me. Holla back!

Booze Leads Jazz to Victory; Fisher Gets Booed

Carlos Boozer raked in 27 points and tied a career playoff high 20 rebounds to lead the Jazz passed the Lakers 104-99, giving the Lakers their first postseason loss. A more controversial issue taking place during the game was the surprising amount of boos Derek Fisher(former Utah Jazz member) got from the Utah crowd. Last year, Boozer made a dramatic flight croos country to play for the Jazz in a an overtime victory over Golden State. He moved to Utah so his baby daughter, who was dying of cancer could receive special treatment on her eye. In this game, he had flown from New York, becuase his daughter needed treatment their. If you ask me, this is an examp[le of just how cold and uncompassionate people are becoming in this day and age. What do you think readers?

Kobe Takes MVP Honors

Kobe Bryant, who led the Lakers to the best record in the west, won MVP honors Tuesday. Kobe said he couldn't have doner it without his teammates and says a championship would be a fairy tale end for the season. Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, anb King James received the remaining votes.

Hornets put Spurs in a Hole, Lead 2-0

Chris Paul's showtime style, glamorous dribble followed by a floating shot off the glass served as an exclamation point to the defending champs as New Orleans won 102-84, and put the Spurs in 0-2 deficit for the first time since 2001, when they were swept by Los Angeles. Chris Paul had thirty points and Pete Stovojak added 25 points including five three pointers. The Spurs went through similar lapses as the Suns did when San Antonio won their first two games aginst them in the previous round. They included third quarter meltdowns among other things. TNT analyst Kenny Smith, like myself, think it will be Los Angeles and New Orleans in the Western Conference Finals. What do you think readers?

Boston wins Game Seven

Yes, Boston beat the eighth seeded Hawks.99-65, to win the series and to mark their first game seven win since 1988, a game coincidentally against the Hawks back whe Bird Parish and Mchale were the big three. They made phenominal adjustments on the defensive end, puttin pressure in the paint. Celtic legend Bill Russell will tell you that's how it's done. Body language was apparent throughout the contest with Williams hitting Rando with a hard flagrant in the third and Garnett foulling hard when the Hawks were taking the ball out. The Celtics simply did not allow the Hawks in the paint and forced them to shoot jumpers, which the Hawks had no success with. They held the Hawks to just four free throw attempts in the first half. Boston is learning early in the playoff what kind of approach is neccessary for teams they can't match in various aspect of the game-Atlanta's athleticism being one of them. They may have to go to this same defensive approach when they face the explosive Lebron and the Cavs on Thursday. The thing is though, Cleveland can hit some of the jumpers the Hawks would miss. Readers what do you think? Do the Celtics have the defense to withstand Lebron and the Cavs?

Why Boston and Atlanta are having Game Seven

Many people in the basketball world are flustered as to why the number one seed Celtics, who went 66-16 in the regular season, are playing a game seven against the eighth seeded Hawks. It has to do with two major factors.
1.) Experience as a team unit:
Boston's Kevin Garnett, Ray Allan, and Paul Pierce have only been together for one season. This is their first post season together. Certain aspects of team chemestry and knowing who can do what when is still in somewhat of an experimental phase as far as the post season goes.
2.) Atlanta's overall Athleticism
Atlanta is a much more athletic team. Their superior overall vertical leap gets them more offensive boards-a neccesity in winning big games. Every time Joe Johnson gets doubled and has to give the ball up, he has a teammate whose quick with the ball ready to take his opponent off the dribble while the celtics are defending in rotation.
If anyone can add to these factors or even disagrees or has a different perspective on things, by all means, make yourself heard, before game seven!

I was wrong, CelticsHawks go up a game 7

Alright everyone, I was wrong about the celtics and the Hawks. Boston doesn't seem to have a strong enough of an advantage over them.However, the home team has the advantage in this series. Thank God Boston has the homecourt. Who knows what their fate will be. I remember when the 1993 Suns won fifty nine games in the regular season with the best record in the league. The Lakers took them to a game five(at that time first round series had best of five set up).Hey, this is what makes sports exciting. Once again, feel free to comment........I get lonely here for cryin' out loud. I feel like I'm talking to myself!

Would you have fired Avery Johnson?

Mavericks coach Avery Johnson has been fired. He led the Mavericks to the third highest regular season winning percentage over his coaching span of all time. The post season is a different story, however. His Maverics wer below .500 in the post season. The Mavs wer not the favorite in their series against the Hornets, but they had Jason Terry and Dirk. Dallas ownership is giving Johnson the bulk of the blame. Many would give him the bulk of the blame for leading the heat 2-0 in the 2006 finals, and losing the next four games. He was a superb coach, in my opinion, and I think The Dallas Mavericks organization is doing this out of mere frustration that they were contenders year after year and never won a ring. If I were in charge , i wouldn't have fired him. Would you have fired Avery Johnson. Feel free to post a comment!

Boston wins in homecourt dominated series

Boston beat Atlanta 110-85 in a series where the team playing at home has one every game so far. Based on that, does a game seven seem likely. I don't think so. Garnett had 20 points in the blowout. Based on the way they played today and Atlanta's weakneses, I see Boston winning in Atlanta in game six. Atlanta is a very enthusiastic team when they can run and gun. With exception of their best player in Joe Johnson, the rest of the team has to run and gun in order to get going. Many anticipated Boston to sweep this series, but Atlanta has stepped up their game. This has been good for the Celtics in this series I think they'll win and go much further. Atlanta is teaching them that they can take no team lightly by seeing Atlanta coming back to win two in a row after the Celtics' won the first two games of the series. What do you think readers?

Riley to retire as coach

Pat Riley will be retiring as head coach of the heat. Riley, who led the heat to their first ever championship, yet experienced their worst season ever this year, will remain President of the team. Pat Riley, was always fascinating. He was very strategic in the clutch with all the champoionship teams he coached(five with Lakers, one with miami, took KNicks to the finals,) as well as All-Star teams he's coached. I'll miss him and so will the rest of the basketball world.

On Frenchman to Another: Suns survive, but down 3-1

While one Frenchman in Tony Parker helped put the suns on the brink of elimination, another Frenchman in Boris Diaw, helped keep the Suns' playoff hopes alive. Diaw fell just two assists shy of a triple double to blow the suns past the Spurs, 105-86. Raja bell had 27 points, keeping the Suns, slim playoffs hope possible. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. Phoenix will be without an injured Grant Hill. Shaq can only get older. Phoenix has not benifited from one of the most controversial trades of all time.

Clevelan runs away with 3-1 lead in series:testy moment between Stevenson and Lebron

Cleveland sneaked by Washington in agame highlighted by explosive jams from lebron and the rest of the Cavs. Delante West's tie breaking thrre pointer with 5.4 seconds left clinched the winfor Cleveland, giving them a hefty 3-1 lead in the series. Stevenson tried to strip James at one point with what was believed to be a closed fist. After tumbling onto the courtJames kept his balance and Walked toward Stevenson. Words were exchanged, but teammates later stepped in. "If we was on the park, something definitely would have escalated." said James. "But you know, I guess thats what they want to do. They want to hurt Lebron James this series. It aint working." .................Go lebron! You tell em'!
This situation reminds me of a time in 1993 when Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan got into it. Miller punched Jordan and Jordan retalliated by raking him across the face!

Mavs take 3-1 Lead in Series

David West scored 10 points during an early second half rally, surgin the Hornets past the Mavs to take a 3-1 lead in the series. They ended up winning 97-84, beating a team that ended the game with star jason Kidd, who was ejected for a flagrant foul on Pargo. The Mavs' David WEst finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.

Playoffs: Insight into first round Matchups and beyond

As I said before, the sun's don't have go-to guys who can shoot the three and score big in the clutch when it counts like some of the great dynasty teams that came back from 2-0 deficits had, such as the lakers of the eighties and the rockets of the nineties. The Bulls even came back after a two nothing deficit against the Knicks in 1993. How did they do it. Well, they had a strategic Wizard in Phil Jackson and knew how to answer New York's on the spot defense with an instant triangle offense that could run and gun and pick and role, plus they had a guy by the name of Michael Jordan in his prime, who could carry a team. O'neal at one point could carry the team on his shoulders, but as he has slowed down it's been harder to feed him the ball,. He could have practiced Yoga like Kareem(but didn't). Aside from that, his current condition leaves him in no position to carry a team on his back like superman anymore.

Lets talk about the rockets in this day and age. Tracy Mcgrady and Yoa Ming have had some success, but they are without Yao right now and how could they possibly beat the Jazz without him when they lost to the Jazz in the playoffs last year with him, when most everyone was healthy. T-Mac can't be held responsible for all the free throws the rockets have missed and all the rebounds they have failed to get. Success and failure is in essence, a team effort.

Let's shift our attention to the east. I like Boston a lot. Their game reminds me of the NInety's Bulls or the eighties Lakers, and of course Bird, parish, and Mchale. These guys can secure their wins by keeping their leads. They have youth in, the "O". They have veterans like Sam Cassell who have won championships. They have the go-to guy superstar in Kevin Garnett. They also have instant offense from the perimeter in Ray Allen. Yes, Detroit has experience. T. Prince and Chancy Billups are mesmerizing. They will most likely meet in the eastern conference finals. Boston , I for sure expect to be there. Detroit is aging though, and what gives them points is starting to become predictable. Lebron and the Cavs have an expolsive team that could very easily knock them off as they did last year. Orlando is likely to light up some eyes this season, but their team is still developing. I look for them to be a very formidable opponent in the next two seasons.

Suns in the midst of tasting defeat yet again

They make one of the most controversial trades in Nba history, trading the matrix,"Shawn Marion" for an aging Shaq way past his prime. They Beat the spurs both times with Shaq in the regular season. Shaq prematurely goes through the motions of putting on a championship ring for a packed America West arena to see. Suddenly, the Suns go down 2-0 against the spurs, trailing behind them yet again for the third straight post season. Was it all worth it? Many would say, their team is still adjusting to the new chemistry with Shaq. Does that explain them blowing a perfectly solid third quarter lead with Amare Stoudemare and Steve Nash hitting less than thirty percent of their shots in the period? Nash tries to stay positive claiming,"We had beaten them two straight time, now they've beaten us twice, it just happens to be in the playoffs." Mike D'antoni, decides to pass on watching a tape of the game and settles for watching an episode from the television series "medium." Both films display death, which is in the works most likely since, no team has ever come back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Tim Duncan and the Spurs in the post season, except the 2004 lakers. The only other team I think could have done it would have been the Houston Rockets during their dynasty with the Hakeem. Not only would they have had a Hakeem Olejouwan in his prime to challenge Duncan, but Cassel, Horry(big shot rob,), kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, Clyde Drexler) These guys could play in the clutch like Martha Stewart could cheat on her taxes. Those guys had their team chemistry in synch when it came crunch time. The suns have an efficient, yet still shaky set up right now and have not molded together in time for playoff success. Shaq has performed Cinderella stories in the past(Miami in the 2006 finals.) He was a key part of their comeback then. But can his synergy be enough to help the suns at all. I think it's too little to late for this postseason. What do you think?

Lakers Dominate Game One:Bynaum out, but Gasol Saves Day

With the help of an offensive surge led by Paul Gasol and seventeen fourth quarter points by Kobe Bryant, the Lakers came out strong in their 128-114 win over the nuggets Sunday. Coach Phil Jacksonsaid that he doesn't expect center Andrew Bynum to play anytime soonthough the controversial move of plating Paul Gasol, turned out to be a refreshing one. Gasol, whos some feared would interrupt the team's chemistry, had an exceptional all around game with 36 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assist. "I just think his skill set at his size is unmatched in this league," brag's teammate Kobe Bryant. Game two is scheduled for tonight at 9:30 eastern time.

Kobe's Reputation Still Marred.

He scores over eighty points in a single game. He wins an all-star MVP award in a rare, impartial Las Vegas All Star game a season later. Now, he's seen on you tube jumping over moving cars and playing more of a 'team-player' role in championship contending Los Angeles. Despite all this, many people are still remembering one nineteen year old girl's accusation against Kobe Bryant for rape. Though he was aquitted, private details got out in the open, details that portrayed his character as brutally forceful, as well as highlighting his infidelity. Will people ever see Kobe in the same light as they once did before the 2004 incident. What do you think. I'm all ears.

Most Anticipated Matchup of NBA Playoffs

The third seed spurs and the sixth seed suns has to be the most exciting matchup in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Suns, over the past two years, no matter how good their team was overall, no mater how well 2006 MVP, Steve Nash played, could never stop Tim Duncan and the Spurs. After sacrificing one of their prime time players in Shawn Marion for an aging, yet still effective Shaq, the Suns finally have the defense in their game that was once a much needed element. O'neal, being the one adding that element has helped the Suns beat the Spurs in their last two regular season outings, once in a near blowout on San Antonio's home floor. The Suns have such an all around front court and backcourt now, that they just might have what it takes to knock of the defending champion Spurs in the first round.

Revival of Laker-Celtics Rivalry in the works?

NBA playoff time is near, and for the first time in nearly twenty years, both the the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have won over fifty games and are in position to be serious championship contenders. Instead of Bird and Magic, it's Kevin Garnett and Koby Bryant leading the way for the two powerhouse teams. The Lakers are having one of their best regular seasons since there recent dynasty days with Kobe and Shaq, while, the Celtics are celebrating their re-enstatement into basketball greatness with a Kevin Garnett in his prime, working a miracolus record season along side Ray allen and Rashard lewis. Together, they combine for for over half of the Celtics points, marking a chapter in the legendary team's history as the Celtic's new "big three" of the era. Is a reawakening of the rivalry in store? Atleast for this post season possibly?
Eeyes in the basketball worlsd are starting to see gold vs. green yet again.