Wolves got better? Do Tell

I was on the road for the draft, and was unable to tune in for the first time in years. Probably for the best, my heart still stinging from the Finals.

But some significant sh*t went down, right? Bulls and Miami are now all in for the free agent race. The stupid strategy of the two miserable NY franchises may totally back fire . I want LeBron to stay in Cleveland, but the Cavs almost need to rebuild their entire squad to bring in some real running mates for the King. I can't see LeBron wanting sit around during a rebuilding process. Assuming that his plan is to win multiple championships, I suspect he will go to either Chicago or Miami. I also suspect at least one other big name is going to follow suit. Dwyane Wade and Riley are also going to pull in at least one other big name for Miami. Craziness.

Speaking of craziness, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard. Having disliked Pritchard from his Jayhawk days, I have begrudgingly appreciated his rather nice run in charge in Portland. Apparently the fan favorite Pritchard was quick to take public credit for ideas and moves that we not his own. Portland also cleared up some off the log jam on the bench by trading Martell Webster to Minnesota. Good move for both teams. Portland needs to settle into 8-9 man rotation. Time to get serious. Nic Batum, baby.

For Minny, Webster is just coming into his prime. He has developed into a tenacious defender and solid rebounder. Most importantly, he is a relentless worker, both in terms of his game and in terms of his conditioning. Drafted out of high school and playing on a team with a load of wing talent, he has never gotten then consistent green light to exploit his offensive game.

As for my free agency predictions, here goes nothing:

Chicago signs LeBron James
New Jersey signs Carlos Boozer
Miami signs Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade
NY signs Joe Johnson and Amare

They tried to do their best (but they could not)

Ten years later, losing a double digit lead in LA to lose Game 7 to the Lakers sucks just as much.

Thanks to KG, Ray, and Pauly. It was always more than the big three, but it would not have been anything without the power trio. Thanks Sheed for battling strong til the end. Thanks Rondo, Perk, Baby, Tony and surprise guest Nate Rob for the youthful energy and amazing play.

Great run. Dismal end. No rebounding, no rings.

F Kobster til eternity.

The Need for Sheed

I think we should all pitch in and buy Mike a ticket to the Denver airport to watch the game. The absence of Kendrick Perkins is huge, especially after the rebounding disparity we saw in Game 6. Sheed is going to have to come through with all the fire he has (short of 2 techs). If Bynum is limited, that changes things too. Let's hope the C's come through with a better game than game 6 and hit some frickin' shots. Overtime! Overtime!

3 going on 18

Another outstanding team effort by Boston in Game 5. Big guns KG, Pauly P, Rondo and Ray all scored the ball while shooting a good percentage. Everybody play great D and hit the boards. The Celtics made huge plays when they needed to, punctuated by the KG to Pierce to Rondo in bounds play and Rondo's put back offensive rebound over Lamar and the Kobster.

Among the many things that I liked about the Lakers play, the fact that the Kobster was yelling at his teammates was my highlight. That and the fact that during the Kobster's amazing run of 23 consecutive Laker points, the Celtic lead increased from 1 point to 13 points.

I would love to celebrate 18 tonight. But even if somehow L.A. wins Game 6, Boston is winning the series. That has been known since KG slapped the floor half-way through Game 4.

5 Alive

Two very good games so far in Boston. Both Boston and L.A. are playing super defense. The effort and execution have been outstanding. Some of the blocks have been absolutely spectacular, on both sides. Best Finals in a while.

I was not particularly surprised that the Celtics dropped Game 3, in that they have been so up and down at home all season. Ray obviously could not hit the side of the barn. But Paul, Rondo, Baby and Tony Allen also missed several gimmes. Throw in the missed free throws and rushed 3s, and you have the 2010 recipe for a Celtics’ loss. But even in the Game 3 loss, Boston started establishing themselves on the boards and in the paint. KG was awesome. Rasheed and Baby are playing wonderfully together. The length and range of Wallace and the heft and deft of Davis presents problems for L.A., especially with an increasingly hobbled Bynum.

Watching Derek Fisher close out Game 3 was awful. What a clutch son of a gun/scrub ass sucker. But I know Laker fans were feeling ill after Glenn Davis and Nate Robinson controlled the 4th quarter of Game 4. Along with Tony Allen, Baby and Nate gave Boston a powerful burst of youth, energy and athleticism that L.A. could not counter. Through out the Playoffs, these guys have found a rhythm that undeniable. They can lock down their opponents and they attack the rim. Especially when big bad Andrew Bynum is on the sidelines.

Game 5 is gonna be damn fun. Hard to say who has the upper hand. So far, both teams have won the game they needed. Now both teams need to win. Of course, Bynum’s health will be a huge factor. Boston has gained the advantage on the boards after getting pounded early in the series. The team that rebounds wins this series. Another huge factor will be shooting percentage. Boston has missed a TON of good looks on jump shots the last two games--an unfortunate trend at home games all season. One of these next two games, Paul is going to catch fire and drop 30. Lord knows Ray Allen could hit a few more. If Boston wins Game 5, they are winning it all, even if it means winning in 7. Boston plays better on the road. And unlike Game 1& 2, Paul usually goes nuts in his hometown. Plus, you all saw KG pound the floor.

Mark Burhle

Jesus hit 8 threes and the world stood still. After four, actually, three perfect games, Burhle still sucks! Wow - Ray Allen is terrible the last two games. Loving the finals and sending summer wishes to all.

Even up, advantage C's

Lakers got 13 blocks, 20 plus points from Bynum, Gasol and the Kobster, and had the lead with under four minutes to go. Nice set up for a fantastic finish by the green squad.


What a night for Ray. And what scrappy play to win in L.A.


Sheed has his best game yet.


And Pauly P was huge on D.

Back to Boston.

Youch!

Well, that sucked. I thought the sequence in the 3rd where Gasol blocked three straight shots sealed the game. #24 was phenomenal. Ron Ron bombed home 3 from downtown.

The Celtics defense did little to stop Laker penetration, resulting in a free for all on the boards for the Laker bigs. Pretty ugly stuff. KG was bad, Rondo's ball pressure was weak and Ray Allen was saddled with foul problems from the jump.

The good news is that I doubt Boston plays worse, and I sure hope Ron Ron is not going 3-5 from deep every game. Win 1 of 2 in L.A. and return home.

Mile High, Awaiting Banner 18

Another layover in Denver, and the Celtics are rollling on a quest for 18.

When I was last here, I was hoping/worrying about Sheed's ability to step up to the Playoff challenge. But just like Eminem once cited the Hip Hop community for forgetting about Dre, I cite myself for forgetting about Ubuntu.

Boston wins because they are a team. The Celtics have not had the same lead scorer in consecutive games in the Playoffs. Four different bench players have scored 12 plus points. Ya, we need Sheed. But Boston depends on NO one, two, Big Three or Big Four. Ubuntu baby!

I think Boston is gonna run L.A. just like they ran the King and the Clown Prince Howard. The Lakers are certainly the most formidable offensive team the Celtics have seen so far because of the Kobster-Gasol combo. Gasol is the most accomplished scoring big man in the game, and the Kobster is streaking at an all time high. That said, both Cleveland (102.1) and Orlando (102.8) put up more points per game over the regular season than the Lake Show (101.7), and Boston KILLED their offensive flow. The Celtics play a brand of team defense that is a deadly as it is beautiful. Lakers better hope they can win games decided in the high 80's and low 90's, because the days of 110 and gone with the setting Suns.

Now consider that the Lakers' defense has little or no hope is slowing down Boston. Though L.A. was vastly improved on the defensive end, they are not in the class of either the Cavs or the Magic. They got carved up by both the Suns and greatly depleted Jazz. Though Boston does not sacrifice defensive balance to score like the Suns and Jazz, the Celtic's offense in the playoffs has been outstanding. The half-court execution has been methodical and efficient. In the open court, Rondo, Ray and Tony Allen have been flying down the court and attacking the rim. . . and that has been with LeBron and DHoward erasing at least a fast break basket a game. L.A. cannot guard the rim like that in the open court. The result will be multiple easy Boston baskets.

This will be a series of great match-ups: KG vs Gasol, Pauly P vs Ron Ron, Rondo and Ray vs the Kobster and Fisher, Perk vs Bynum, Davis and Sheed vs. Lamar, Tony Allen vs. Shannon Brown and Big Ears. But match-ups are more Hollywood than hardwood when it comes to the Celtics' formula. Team play will rule the day. Always been that way. Ubuntu.

Couple closing thoughts on the Celtics-Orlando series:

• Vince needs to hang it up. His acrobatic avoidance of contact during most of the series was shameful. I have never been a big Vince hater. He is a great performer and a weak competitor. Join the Globetrotters, VC.
• Until Nate-dog exploded for 13 in the Orlando clincher, he was running neck and neck with Ray Allen's mother for the mascot spot vacated by Eddie House's son Jaelen. The cameras seem to love the unexpected, energetic but cute cheer leader, and both Nate and Mrs. Allen fit the bill in the first three rounds. Another on court outburst in the Finals, and Nate's nobody's mascot.
  
• I was of course happy to see Dukie Redick put back in his place by reality, but he had some good moments for Orlando filling in for Vince. Guess I should have included this in the Vince bullet, huh?
• In a 'could we possibly be this stupid' moment to remember, the announcer duo of Jeff Van Gundy and Marc Jackson distinguished themselves in a Game 6 talking about Bill Russell. Van Gundy brings up that Bill Russell won 5 MVP's, while being selected three times First team All-NBA. Van Gundy and Jackson explode with dismay about how stupid the selection process was for not putting the MVP. on the First Team. Dumb Breen says (accurately) "Well, that is because of Wilt." Van Gundy and Jackson jump on Breen like it was his decision, and precious minutes of live basketball go on without mention. What is so stupid for me is that the explanation of Russell's 5 MVPs vs 3 First Team All NBA selections is very simple: When Russ played, the players voted for MVP, not the media. All NBA Teams have always been selected by sports journalists. Such ignorance from high profile announcers is weak.