Can Heat Sustain Their Run?
The Miami Heat now looks more like a team on a mission.
Lebron James, Dwyane Wade & Chris Bosh, the NBA’s newest and talk-of-the-town Big Three were just too much to handle for the Boston Celtics as they tore apart the Green-and-White in the final three minutes of Game 5 to win the game (97-87) and the series (4-1).
With the Celtics now put behind them, the Heat’s lone road block before reaching the NBA Finals is their final opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is yet to be decided.
As of the moment, the Chicago Bulls are just a win away from clinching the other Eastern Conference Finals slot as they head to tomorrow’s Game 6, with a 3-2 series lead against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls have Most Valuable Player for the season Derrick Rose in tow. His 33 points in Game 5 that included a dazzling display of inside and outside shots that powered Chicago to that momentum-shifting Game 5 victory.
Should the Bulls win tomorrow, the East’s Finals would feature two of the NBA’s young squads battling it out for the NBA Finals slot.
The East Finals though would be an interesting match up. And I’m sure Miami’s Big Three would have their hands full battling Chicago’s young and tall frontline as well.
Center Joakim Noah, forwards Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Taj Gibson are all big-time contributors for the Bulls in the Playoffs. And the presence of first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has gained valuable coaching experience from Doc Rivers, when they were still with the Celtics.
But for the Heat to get past the Bulls, they would need more than just the explosive performances of their Big Three. They also need to get consistent contributions from players like James Jones, Joel Anthony, Mike Bibby and even Mike Miller to ensure Miami’s return trip to the NBA Finals.
Otherwise, if one of the Big Three gets accidentally injured (which I hope not), then the Heat’s championship aspirations will seriously be in jeopardy.
Heat-Mavs Can Be On NBA Finals Collision Course
Although the NBA Finals is still a month away, I think the Dallas Mavericks are solid picks to return to the championship round since their first and last stint in 2006.
The Mavs are playing their best playoff basketball thus far after sweeping the two-time reigning champions Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0. Dallas has flaunted its shooters during their semifinals series versus the Lakers.
Aside from the expected long-tom sniping of German Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have the rejuvenated Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic releasing those long bombs throughout the four-game Western Conference semis series against the Lakers.
I think the off-season acquisition of veteran center Tyson Chandler provided size and defensive presence for Dallas since this has been the position the Mavs appear weak for the past several years.
Meantime, the Oklahoma City Thunder evened their own Western Conference semifinals series versus the giant-slaying Memphis Grizzlies, 2-2 following their thrilling 133-123 triple-overtime decision.
I think regardless of whether the Thunder or the Grizzlies turn out to be the Mavs’ West Finals opponent, Dallas still has enough firepower to make it all the way back to the NBA Finals.
Over at the East, the Miami Heat are just a win away from reaching the conference finals following their 98-90 overtime triumph against the Boston Celtics in Game 4 in Boston’s home court. The Heat lead the series, 3-1.
Should the Heat reach the East’s conference finals, they will have to face either Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls or the fast-rising Atlanta Hawks led by high-flyers Josh Smith and Joe Johnson.
But either way, the Heat have the inside track plus the experience considering the presence of their own upgraded version of the Big Three — Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The Heat trio are at their prime, are competitive and definitely hungry and want to prove that they don’t just have great individual talent. But that they are capable of bringing the championship for Miami right in their first season together.
Of course, Rose, along with center Joakim Noah and the recovering Carlos Boozer can always be a threat to Miami’s chase for the championship. But the speed, the vast playoff experience as well as the momentum Miami has right now can be enough fuel for the Heat to reach the NBA Finals.
So with the rate things are going, a Mavs-Heat NBA Finals may not necessarily be a far-fetched idea.
Lakers Going For Three
Have only written two blogs in more than a month, so I thought of starting again–this time with the NBA.
In less than a month, the world’s biggest basketball spectacle will be kicking off with a lot of players donning new uniforms after the numerous trade movements during the off season.
Of course, every basketball aficionado have high expectations from the Miami Heat with their ultra-souped up line up following the integration of Lebron James (formerly from the Cleveland Cavaliers) and Chris Bosh (from the Toronto Raptors). The duo will be joining Dwyane Wade–who were all teammates in the gold medal winning USA squad known as the Redeem Team.
While the trio will be providing excitement for 82-regular season games, what I’m really anticipating is how they will share the single round ball throughout the season and deep into the playoffs where they are expected to reach the Finals.
Three superstars in one team is exciting to watch. But how they can figure working together is the more important issue.
For the moment, I still believe the two-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have the solid lock for a third straight league title.
The watering down of title contenders in the West is one reason. Another is the Lakers’ solid core will be back this coming season, while the Los Angeles front office have added some vital players to further boost the team’s stock.
Looking at the West, I think the only pretty solid contenders would be the Denver Nuggets, the squad that the Lakers thrashed in the 2009 Western Conference Finals, 4-2. Barring any last-minute changes, Carmelo Anthony will simply play through this season and just think again if he’ll finally decide to wear a different jersey come the 2012 season.
The other contender, which may give a solid resistance against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The first round playoffs last season gives us a glimpse of what the Thunder, led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook can do on the court.
Durant and Westbrook’s confidence are sky-high, considering they helped guided the USA squad to the first World Basketball Championships since 1994. Durant was the Americans’ main man on offense, while Westbrook helped quarterback the team, which ended 16 years of world basketball frustrations after beating host Turkey in the gold medal round.
Meanwhile, Carlos Boozer, who had been Utah’s reliable power forward for years, already departed the Jazz and joined the East with the rebuilding Chicago Bulls. In his place is ex-Minnesota forward Al Jefferson, who may have to adjust into the Jazz system and play alongside rising point guard Deron Williams.
San Antonio, which had been a perennial contender at the turn of the new century, may not be that hot come the 2011 season, though the old, veteran core of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker can probably spring up some surprises.
The Phoenix Suns, meantime, will be moving on this season without long-time power forward Amare Stoudemire, who departed to join another rebuilding squad, the New York Knicks.
Dallas, Houston, Memphis and Golden State might spring some surprises during the season, but without a solid grasp of defense, they will most likely fall at the wayside come the playoffs.
More on the East in my next blog.
Photo Sources: http://mediaoutrage.com
http://lakers.topbuzz.com
Lebron James Frenzy
Ever since Lebron James latest announcement that he is joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form the NBA’s newest “big three”, the sports world has not stopped talking about the self-pronounced basketball “king”.
Well, there’s obviously a whole lot of things to talk about, especially with Lebron joining forces with Wade and Bosh, two of his superstar teammates during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Team USA, dubbed the “Redeem Team”, regained the Olympic gold by nipping Pau Gasol and Spain in the finals.
I’m surprised with the move of Lebron. I thought Cleveland still has the inside track for James since Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert already began surrounding his former star with talent in a bid to form a championship squad.
But a loud thud out of the NBA Finals following the Cavaliers’ Game 6 defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics and their old “big three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, proved to be the sign of change for Lebron James.
Now, with the Heat, Lebron has a huge, huge opportunity to build a basketball legacy along with Wade and Bosh. Wade has one NBA championship to boot, courtesy of the 2006 season where he got plenty of help from Shaquille O’Neal that year.
Well, NBA 2011 is still three months away but here are some interesting sports headlines once the new Lebron-D-Wade-Chris Bosh triumvirate begins to play:
* Which NBA team can beat the Heat?
* How big with the Heat’s winning margin be in the season?
* What will be the scoring averages of Lebron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh?
* Will Lebron be conscious about his scoring average?
* How will the Cavs fans react once the Heat visit the Quicken Loans Arena during the first post-Lebron James era?
* Who’ll take the last shot come crunch time?
* AND, will the Miami trio’s combined efforts be enough to prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from going for the three-peat?
Photo Source: http://kingjamesgospel.com/files/2010/02/lebron-wade.jpg
