NBA Preview: Beasts In The East (1st of 2 Parts)
Potent threat inside and outside
So who’s going to dominate in the coming NBA 2010 season?
If you’re an NBA aficionado, I’m sure you wish your favorite ballclub ends the season with the championship.
Unfortunately, there can only be one champion after 82 regular season games and16 playoffs victories counting the Finals.
NBA TV has been running some interesting previews on how various teams would fair come the 2010 season, which by the way kicks off this Oct. 28 (Manila time) featuring a blockbuster match up between the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics and the 2007 runner up Cleveland Cavaliers.
Reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, locks horns with cross-town rival Los Angeles Clippers to test how far the latter has gone in their off-season manpower stock-up.
Anyway, in my mind, I figure that the top three teams expected to dominate the East this season are in this order—Boston, Cleveland and Orlando.
“Old” Big Three Gets Help
I say Boston is a shoo-in to regain homecourt advantage all-over the power packed Eastern Conference after boosting its line up with the off-season blockbuster acquisition of one-time NBA champion
Boston's top acquisition
Rasheed Wallace, a strong low-post operator and a credible three-point threat as well.
The Celtics also injected a speedy forward Marquis Daniel to the line up to ensure fresh legs in time for the Playoffs considering that Boston’s Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are not getting any younger.
Of course, Eddie House is expected to figure prominently in Boston’s rotation to spell Allen and give the Cs a resident outside threat.
No Longer A “Doughnut” Team
For the Cavs, on the other hand, the arrival of long-time NBA superstar center Shaquille O’Neal has given them a legitimate strong big man to complement the slashing-dunking-and-three-point shooting Lebron James.
Finishing with the home court edge all over the league last season following their franchise-best 66-16 win-loss tally, the Cavs were tipped to win their first-ever NBA trophy last season.
But their lack of a legitimate low-post threat was completely exposed when Cleveland succumbed to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, 4-2 in their Eastern Conference Finals.
Two more 6’8” forwards in Jamario Moon, along with ex-Boston Leon Powe, bring more depth to the Cavs’ menacing bench.
Moon, who rose to fame as Toronto Raptor before being dealt to Miami last season, is a great open-court player—loves to run, can play defense and adds excitement as well to the Cavs because of his athleticism.
Powe, on the other hand, adds championship experience and physical presence for Cleveland, something Cleveland lacked during the 2009 Playoffs. He could easily be a help to O’Neal in banging bodies inside the paint.
With O’Neal in tow, James can get more help on offense. Throw in Mo Williams, who loves to shoot it from the outside and the Cavs now have a legitimate three-pronged scoring threat.
“Magical Ride” With Carter
Meantime, the Magic didn’t leave any stones unturned in ensuring that the 2010 season would be a “magical year” that would end with a Larry O’Brien trophy to hoist.
Though Orlando eventually lost an inside-outside scoring threat in Hedo Turkoglu to free agency, the Magic managed to get a superb replacement in the presence of veteran Vince Carter.
Carter, who during his younger days, is noted for his high-flying ways, has learned to improve on his outside shooting, a style that easily fits into the Magic because coach Stan Van Gundy’s system includes an offense that rely on three-point shooting.
Bench depth has improved as well for the Magic in the coming 2010 season with the entry of slasher-forward Matt Barnes, athletic power forward Brandon Bass, veteran center Adonal Foyle as well as playmaker Jason Williams, who is coming out of a one-year sabbatical.
These are the NBA’s Beasts In the East. Tomorrow, I’ll come up with my own picks for the Best in the West for 2010.
Photo Source: http://nimg.sulekha.com/Sports/original700/shaquille-o-neal-lebron-james-2009-10-3-12-41-36.jpg
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Shaq-Lebron Tandem Doesn't Guarantee NBA Title
Will the Shaq-Lebron tandem produce an NBA championship this 2009-2010 season?
On paper, Shaquille O’Neal’s journeyman route that ends at Cleveland recently can be threatening to a lot of teams from the East.
Orlando must have smelled something fishy in Cleveland, Ohio weeks after the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA title conquest, so that the Magic engineered their own stunning deal that brought in former high-flyer Vince Carter to Florida.
But let me dissect for the moment Shaq’s new partnership with the so-called NBA “king” Lebron James.
After leading the Cavs to a franchise-best 66-16 win-loss record, a pair of series sweeps in the first two rounds against Detroit and Atlanta, Lebron and Co.’s supposed trip to the NBA Finals was cut short when “Superman” Dwight Howard and the Magic knocked them out of the “dream land”, turning what could have been a phenomenal season into a nightmarish end.
So, enter Shaq.
The 37-year-old center is a surefire attraction for the Cavs, whose front office is determined to flush in the toilet their forgettable 2008-2009 NBA campaign as soon as the “Diesel” officially joins the team’s practice.
And the Cavs’ immediate aim? Grab the NBA trophy away from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
And that would surely be an interesting Finals plot should Shaq be able to help Lebron and the Cavs square up with Kobe and the Lakers 11 and a half months from now in the Last Dance.
However, before Cleveland even entertain thoughts of facing LA in a Finals match up, they should first set their sight on eliminating Orlando, Boston, Atlanta and even Chicago from the expected tight Eastern Conference power struggle.
Question is, “Can Shaq and his 37-year-old legs keep in step with the Cavs’ running game for 82 regular season games, and probably another four rounds in the Playoffs and the Finals?”
And can Cleveland provide enough backup big men to give breather for Shaq and preserve him in time for the Playoffs where Orlando and Boston are surely waiting?
Lebron, Delonte West and Mo Williams could surely sustain the Cavs’ running game, but watching Shaq run back for a nine-month grind would definitely take its toll on O’Neals’ body and legs.
I think if the Cavs want to last the distance in the 2009-2010 season, Cleveland needs to add up more bench support like a good back up center, a reliable power forward and some quality minutes from some players in the free agency market.
Shaq is no spring chicken. He sure can contribute as evident in his 17 points and eight rebounds average in 74 games with the Phoenix Suns last season.
But Father Time is Shaq’s biggest enemy from now on. And if Cleveland’s front office management will simply be contented with the Shaq-Lebron partnership, the probability of another frustrating season is not far for the Cavs.
Should that happen, Ben Wallace and Sahsa Pavlovic would have the last laugh.
That would be more painful than the 2009 season Playoffs meltdown.
Adversity Brought The Best Out Of The Lakers This Year
The Los Angeles Lakers finally nailed their 15th NBA championship following their masterful 99-86 victory against the Orlando Magic to clinch the Finals series, 4-1 before a silent Amway Arena crowd just today.
For Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, there is definitely no "I" in the team.
And there are so many lessons we can derive from the Lakers chase for the championship.
Beaten up badly by Boston (39 points in Game 6) last season in the Finals, Los Angeles, led by this year’s Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, believed that had to be the turning point of their 2009 campaign as they vowed to win it all this year.
And the Lakers didn’t disappoint.
Several players were criticized for their performance in last year’s Finals.
Pau Gasol was labeled as “too soft” for a frontline man of LA. Lamar Odom, the subject of numerous trade talks in the past, has had his own struggles offensively and defensively, while Derek Fisher was said to be “aging fast that his three-point shooting wouldn’t drop anymore”.
But the seven-foot Gasol worked hard after that Finals debacle in 2008, upping his inside game, rebounding and defense several notches, more. Odom, meantime, learned to come out strong off the bench throughout this season to provide the energy LA needed.
Fisher, on the other hand, reserved his best game of the season with his heroic effort in Game 4, nailing a game-tying triple to send the game into overtime. Before hitting the go-ahead three-point shot in the extra five-minute session to cement his place among the NBA clutch shooters, while pushing LA to a 3-1 series lead.
And of course, Kobe Bryant has the biggest smile among these Laker players.
Long dismissed to be just a good player following the disintegration of his partnership with All-Star center Shaquille O’Neal at the end of the 2004 Finals defeat against Detroit, Bryant worked his way back to the top.
He sure, had his down moments during the post-O’Neal era of the Lakers.
But LA coach Phil Jackson gave a “capsulized” description of the Lakers 2009 edition.
“This (Laker) team is a learned team. They have learned from last year’s Finals (against the Celtics),” said Jackson, who is now the winningest coach with 10 NBA titles, surpassing Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach’s achievement.
And here’s O’Neal’s twitter message to Kobe.
“When you’re together, you can withstand adversity. Congratualtions Kobe, u deserve it. You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.
The Laker land ain’t a Kobe show anymore because Bryant spells Los Angeles as TEAM.
Admiring Stan Van Gundy's NBA Finals Approach
Unintimidated though Orlando is facing a platoon of veterans in the Lakers, not to mention his one-on-one coaching duel with multi-titled NBA coach Phil Jackson
I admire Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy’s approach to the NBA Finals.
As I watch him answer questions fielded in by the NBA press in the aftermath of the Magic’s stinging 91-99 overtime defeat that gave Los Angeles a commanding 3-1 series lead, Van Gundy said he doesn’t believe at all in championship experience coming to play for the Lakers.
As a former sports writer, sports slants (on articles) like an experienced team going up against a young, inexperienced one sells (which is what’s happening now in the ongoing NBA Finals) sells.
But Van Gundy was quick to point out that basketball is a game of five players. The game boils down to execution. It boils down to making the right plays and having the proper frame of mind.
Which is why, even though Orlando is the clear underdog talent-wise when matched up against Los Angeles, the Magic play like they’ve been to the Finals every year.
The intensity, the youthful zest, the impeccable shooting in the face of a tough Lakers defense (just take a look against at their Game 3 performance of 63 percent shooting)—all these were extracted by Van Gundy because his basic approach in the Finals is, we can match up against LA.
The biggest difference in the Magic’s Game 4 loss was their inability to hit their free throws (22-of-37 overall), their poor defense during regulation and eventually in the extra five-minute session—all of which cost them the game, and perhaps, the NBA title (should LA win Game 5).
Now, down 1-3, Van Gundy and his rather confused Magic are staring at a deficit that no team in so many years, have ever been able to overcome.
Though history is completely against the Magic at this point, I’m sure Van Gundy will do everything he can to prepare his players mentally and emotionally as they battle it out against the Lakers in Game 5 on Sunday (Monday morning in Manila).
Whatever happens to this Finals series, Van Gundy and his Magic are sure to benefit in the long run because of the battle scars they’ve gained.
And so Boston and Cleveland, better watch out because Orlando will be a dominant squad, a “beast in the East” in the years to come.
Lakers Better Close It In Orlando, Florida Or Else…
Two down at home, two more on the road and the LA Lakers’ journey for their first NBA title in the post-Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant tandem will soon be complete.
Though Pau Gasol is not as strong and as quick as O’Neal in the middle, the seven-foot Spanish center-forward has proven his effectiveness in playing a great support role to Kobe on offense.
After scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in LA’s 100-75 Game 1 rout over Orlando, Gasol finished with 20 points and eight rebounds in Game 2, which saw the Lakers escape with a 101-96 overtime win.
Kobe had a “quiet” 29 points after exploding for 40 in the Finals opener.
But Kobe downplayed LA’s 2-0 series lead, saying they haven’t achieved anything yet.
Going into Games 3-5 which will all be played at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida, the Lakers need to beat the Magic two of three games there to wrap up their 15th NBA title in 30 championship appearances.
But the visit to the Amway Arena won’t be easy. Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers knew how difficult it is to play there, having lost three straight games there that cost them the Eastern Conference title.
But history is on the side of LA.
Since the NBA adopted the 2-3-2 format in 1985, 11 of 12 teams winning the first two games went on to win the championship.
The only team that failed to win the NBA title after starting off 2-0, was Dallas, which lost the next four games to Miami. The Heat clinched the championship and the series, 4-2.
The Lakers, though just can’t rely on history. They have to continually play with consistency on defense and offense to wrap up the title.
Or the Magic, known for their resilience and ability to bounce back could turn things around, and who knows, Orlando could find itself back in the series.
