On The Sidelines 04.30.08: Playoff Weekend #2 and Beyond, Riley, Brown, and More
Posted by Porfirio Diaz on 04.30.2008
A look at all the games during the second weekend of the NBA playoffs, now with 50% more subplot. Plus, Pat Riley steps down as coach of the Miami Heat while Larry Brown becomes the new coach for the Charlotte Bobcats. Read on why I think this is a great move by the Bobcats and a missed opportunity for the Heat.
Normally, I would talk about the games in great length, but fellow 411mania writer BL Anderson seems to be doing a pretty good job at doing that. If you want an in-depth, statistical look at all the games over the weekend, I suggest you go to his columns here and here. But if you want to read about the wacky subplot and storylines of all the weekend games, then pull up a chair and read on. Enjoy the experience. Or at least try to.
Inside The Lines
Western Conference Weekend #2
Lakers 102 Nuggets 84 (Lakers lead 3-0)
Well, we already know how great the Lakers have been playing, so this isn't really a surprise. What is a surprise is how well balanced the Lakers played in game three. Kobe Bryant only scored 22 points, but he got his teammates involved more than usual and also contributed with 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Pau Gasol wasn't brilliant, but he didn't need to be. The Lakers played some great team defense and held the high scoring Nuggets to 84 points.
As for the Nuggets, both Melo (15 points, 5-22 shooting) and Iverson (16 points, 5-16 shooting) had horrible shooting games. Actually, the whole team played lackluster basketball. It was like watching 5 separate guys playing on a court rather than playing on the same team. Iverson isn't the same player he once was, but HE still tries to be. Kenyon Martin is a waste of roster space. Melo looked like he wanted to enjoy a drink than play basketball. Not to mention reports of Melo saying that his team quit and gave up on the game. Yes, this is the same person who got a DUI right before the start of the playoffs and put the team in jeopardy in the first place. I still believe the Nuggets should have traded for Ron Artest when they had a chance. Not only would we be talking about which team could provide the best kind of dysfunctional amusement, (the Denver Nuggets with Artest or the Dallas Cowboys now with Pacman Jones), but Artest would have bought a defensive presence on the floor that the Nuggets desperately needed. Artest would also have provided a lethal "Triple A" combination of AI, Artest, and Anthony. Of course, if a combination of AI and Melo doesn't help much for the team, how helpful would a talented mental patient with an opt-out clause be? I'll tell you this; the addition of Artest would have made this series much more fun to watch. Firing George Karl is not the answer, though sadly it will happen, because players with guaranteed contracts > coaches. At least the Nugget's mascot is having fun.
Monday update: Denver played a much better game and kept it close to the end, but stupid defense and stupid mistakes caused the Nuggets to lose 107-101. The Nuggets have become the first 50-win team to be swept from the playoffs. Pathetic.
Houston 82 Jazz 86 (Jazz lead 3-1)
The Jazz have this series in the bag. They are just too physical for the Rockets to handle and play a better team game. I like the Jazz in the manner that they take the old school aspect of playing tough and blend it in with a new school of players. Deron Williams (17 points, 9 assists) might be the second best young point guard in the league (behind Chris Paul of course) and Mehmet Okur (14 points, 18 rebounds) continues to impress by becoming more of a complete player every game. He can score either from under the basket or behind the 3-point arc, is a great rebounder, and has a vast defensive mind. With the front-court tandem of Okur and Carlos Boozer (14 points, 14 rebounds), they managed to grab 32 of the 48 team's rebounds for the game. Now that's quite a duo.
As for the Rockets, I don't want to blame them too much, although I really want to. T-Mac continues to put forth a good effort, but will ultimately be labeled as the guy who still can't get out of the first round for another year. He just can't seem to be a finisher in playoff games. Normally, much of the blame would be put on him, but with the team sustaining key injuries at the worst time during the season, he'll mostly get a pass. I believe the Rockets will come out exceeding the toughness of the Jazz and win the next game, but will fall after that.
This has been quite an entertaining series. Sure, it doesn't have the star power of the Lakers-Nuggets or Suns-Spurs series, but it's managed to become entertaining in its own right.
Spurs 86 Suns 105 (Spurs lead 3-1)
Now, this is the series that I thought would be the most entertaining to watch, especially after that epic first game. But since that point, the Spurs have managed to take the fun out of it by playing their usual fundamental style of basketball in blowing out the Suns. I don't think their style is "boring" as some people would say. I think their style isn't appreciated as much when compared to exciting teams such as the Lakers, Suns, Mavs, and Celtics. But what do they care, they still win games and championships. Plus, I love Ginobili. Dude can flat out ball. I don't care if he flops bigger than Paris Hilton's latest movie; he's still one of my favorite players. It helps that the Suns suck in every aspect of the game.
Well, at least the Suns fought back in Game 4. They refused to give up and put forth their best effort of the series, resulting in a win and a trip back to San Antonio. It's like the Suns play their best when it's do or die time, so we will know for sure if it becomes true or not by the next game. Suns aren't going away, but now Spurs are pissed and will want to finish by the next game, because if they don't, momentum will shift back to Phoenix. If there is a team that can climb out of a 3-0 hole, it's the Suns. Shaq has been in this situation before when the Miami Heat were down 2 games to none in the Finals against the Mavs. All the pressure is now on the Spurs to finish off the Suns, and even though they dealt with pressure before, it has never been to this extent. I predict the Suns will win the next two games and force a game 7. Bookmark it.
Of course, Spurs could win the next game and force me to never go against them again. Tough beating Spurs.
Hornets 97 Mavericks 84 (Hornets lead 3-1)
Man, all that playoff experience sure seems to be helping the Mavs, huh?
For the Hornets, it's another notch in getting closer to the next round. For the Mavs, it's another series of disappointment which is starting to become the norm in Dallas. Seriously, is there another team in the NBA that's had a worse run of luck than the Mavs? But first, I want to talk about the Hornets, who won a game in Dallas for the first time since 1998. Chris Paul has what I call an average game for him (16 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds), but thanks to contributions from Peja Stojakovic, David West, and the bench duo of Julian Wright and Jannero Pargo, the Hornets are now one game away from advancing to the semi-finals for the first time since 2001, when they were in the Eastern Conference as the Charlotte Hornets. The game was close at halftime but the Hornets broke the Mavs spirits in the 3rd quarter, and went on to victory.
The Mavs are not only having a hard time on the court but also off the court. Josh Howard recently admitted to using marijuana during the offseason (link), to Michael Irvin of all people. I don't know why he felt the need to bring this up now or why he needed to use marijuana in the first place (maybe he read Mark Cuban's blog). But man, what great timing for him and his team. Not like they needed the extra attention. I love how he stated it was "his personal choice and personal opinion", like he is above the law. I guess it's ok to burn the hippie lettuce when you're on a professional team and it's during the offseason. Ricky Williams finally has a buddy to put in his Fave 5. I'll give "J-Ho" this (which I think is a stupid nickname, hell it's not even a real nickname. Sounds more like a nickname for Jennifer Lopez if anything. CP3, now that's a nickname, but that's for another time), at least he told the truth that didn't involve in any financial gain for him. But still, admitting to marijuana usage when the team needs you the most? Come on Howard, bitches know better.
There was another thing that also came out of this game.
That foul looks similar to Haywood's foul to LeBron James in game 2 of their series. Both could have been career threatening injuries, but this one was clearly more dangerous. In fact, it would have been even worse for Pargo if he didn't have the fast reflexes needed to put his hands up. But I thought if Haywood didn't get suspended for almost taking out the NBA's golden ticket, then surely Kidd will avoid suspension as well. Still, is Kidd so deteriorated at this point of his career that he has to resort to this? Emotions run pretty high during the playoffs, and maybe Jason Kidd bottled all that emotion into a little burst of rage. Just ask his wife, she should know.
Tuesday update: No words, just this.
Eastern Conference Weekend #2
Orlando 106 Toronto 94 (Magic 3-1)
I get the feeling that this series isn't getting any attention at all, what with the series being buried to NBA TV status, and the fact that none of the major websites have any features of them at all at this point. Does anyone outside of Toronto and Orlando care about this series at all? Denver sucking up the place and getting blown out every game is getting more national attention than this series is. Jameer Nelson is quietly having a great series, including this game which he scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, including 10 straight at one point. He also contained Jose Calderon to only 2 points on 1-7 shooting. Not bad for a guy who was said to have suffered back spasms on Friday. Let's also not forget Dwight Howard's team playoff record 8 blocked shots, along with 16 rebounds. Also congratulations to Hedo winning this year's most improved player award. I always liked him when he was with the Kings and am glad that he is having great success with the Magic.
If the Magic advance to the next round (which I think will happen) and if the Sixers somehow manage to beat the Pistons, I feel that the Magic would have the best chance of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1996. I wouldn't mind watching a potentially awesome Boston-Orlando matchup in the Eastern finals. Of course, I can't count out the Sixers that easily if they can beat the Pistons.
Monday update: Howard (21 points, 21 rebounds) and the Magic power their way to the next round, defeating the Raptors 102-92. Now they can sit and wait the winner of the Pistons-Sixers series.
Celtics 93 Hawks 102 (Celtics lead 2-1)
I love being right, as I picked the Hawks to win one game and this was it. Yes, I probably got most of my playoff picks wrong, but I least I got this one right. Is there anyone in the NBA that's more underrated than Josh Smith? Just look at his stats: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and a block. That's a nice balanced statline. Horford is also going to become a great player for the Hawks…that is if he stays there by the time his rookie contract ends. This Hawks team has a similar build of success that's duplicated with the Sixers. Both are young and athletic teams that are going against the experienced but slow teams.
Boston shouldn't have to worry too much. The Celtics are the best team in the East but they are not perfect. They got beaten by the better team that night and it might turn out to be a fluke win. If the Celtics just play like they did in games 1 and 2, then will beat out the Hawks for the rest of the series.
Monday update: Wow! Ok, so maybe it wasn't a fluke win after all. This is just a small reminder that anything can happen in the playoffs, as the Hawks beat the Celtics 97-92. Once again, Josh Smith killed it: 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 blocks. Who would have thought this would be one of more entertaining series of the playoffs? This series is now tied at 2 apiece, which means my "Celtics in 5" pick is now officially wrong. Boo.
Cavaliers 100 Wizards 97(Cavaliers lead 3-1)
LeBron is the kind of person that can not only take over a game by himself, but also trust his teammates enough to win the game for him. Case in point, LeBron (34 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists) passes up a shot over a wave of Wizard defenders, and passes the ball to Delonte West (21 points, 5 assists) before hitting a tie-breaking three with seconds remaining. LeBron doesn't deserve all the credit. In fact, his team destroyed the Wizards in the rebounding department 51-31 and 18-6 on the offensive glass.
So the Wizards talk smack at LeBron and LeBron responds by taking his team to a 3-1 series lead. So lesson learned, right Wizards?
Not so. Haywood decided to talk some more smack against LeBron before the game, this time basically calling him a crybaby. This was after LeBron was quoted saying that the Wizards are trying to hurt him and that it's not working. Weak! I have never seen a player (much less a team) talk so much undeserved trash to one player or team before. The funny thing about the whole thing is that this is more entertaining than the Wizards' are during games. Too bad it's only going to go on for one more game. LeBron gets the last laugh and the Cavs will finish off the Wizards by the next game.
Pistons 93 Sixers 84 (Series tied 2-2)
This has been another surprising series, and an enjoyable one at that. The Sixers actually had a chance to go up 3-1 but the Pistons erased a 10 point halftime deficit and outscored the Sixers 34-16 in the third quarter to tie the series up at 2 apiece.
It was about time someone remained the Pistons that it's the playoffs which means that it's time to turn off the cruise control button. But they played well enough to win, which will not be good enough if they end up winning this series and play against the Magic in the next round. I was rooting for the Sixers to once again upset the Pistons but all the things they did right in the first half were negated. The Pistons started the second half with an 11-0 run, kept grabbing offensive rebounds and clamped down the Sixers offense. Meanwhile, the Sixers turned the ball over 13 times in the second half (compared to 6 turnovers in the first half), which became their undoing. The series goes back to Detroit and I can't wait for that game to start.
Tuesday update: Finally the real Pistons showed up. About time, as they rout the Sixers 98-81. Come on Sixers, you can do it!
Pat Riley out of Miami, Larry Brown in with Charlotte On April 28, 2008, Riley announced that he would step down as coach of the Miami Heat, after finishing the NBA season with the poorest record at 15-67. Former Heat assistant Erik Spoelstra was handpicked by Riley to become his successor and was announced as his replacement to become the NBA's youngest head coach at 37 years of age. Though Riley has stepped down as coach, he will still remain with the team as team president.
Meanwhile, a week after the Charlotte Bobcats fire coach Sam Vincent after just one season, the team agreed to terms with Larry Brown to become the newest head coach. The 67-year-old Brown replaces Vincent, who struggled with the team and players last year and recorded a 32-50 season. This will be Brown's ninth NBA coaching job.
So the Heat was on the verge of being a championship contending team, and Riley decided he wanted to be the one to lead them. So he pushes Stan Van Gundy out the door and takes reign over the team. Then the Heat wins the title and everyone is happy. Now the team is in shambles and Riley decides he wants no part of it and retires. Is anyone really surprised about this? Just look at his previous employment. He left the Knicks when they started to suck, he left the Lakers when they started to become old, and now he's stepping down as the Heat's coach during the team's lowest moment. When the future looks bleak, Riley bails. Don't get me wrong, he's a great coach who earned those five rings. He's just a little weasel. Amazes me how he's not getting blasted for this. As for their new coach, they couldn't get a big name to fill in? Who is Erik Spoelstra and what has he done to become coach? At least he doesn't come into a situation where the team is horrible. He will get to coach a healthy Wade, Marion if he comes back, and whoever the Heat get with their high first round pick. Then watch Riley change his mind and start the cycle all over again.
As for the Bobcats, hiring Larry Brown is a great move for them. He will get to coach a team that's talented but has been underachieving. Sure, it's a short term hire since we all know Larry Brown loves to hop, skip, and jump from city to city every few years. Hell, he might already be working on his next job before starting this one! But the team needs to win now and Brown will help them do that. The East isn't that tough so the Bobcats have a really good chance of making the playoffs next season. I just hope the Bobcats have a plan after Brown leaves in 2 years.
I figured the Heat would be the ones going after Brown but I guess they wanted someone for the long haul. I still say they should have gone after him. The point of being in any sports team is to win now, and that's what Brown would have done. Look at the Boston Celtics for example. The All Star trio of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen might have a shelf life for 2-3 years tops and might be a disaster after that. But they're winning right now and that's what matters. A more relevant example could be the coaching situation down in Orlando last year. If Billy Donovan stayed in Orlando and coached the Magic, the possibility of taking the Magic to the playoffs would be 50-50. Instead as luck would have it, Donovan stepped down (10 seconds after signing that contract) and the Magic hired Stan Van Gundy. With his experience and coaching talent, Gundy now has the Magic in the second round of the playoffs and a great opportunity to lead them to the NBA Finals. Once again, great hire for the Bobcats and lost opportunity for the Heat.
Out of Bounds
- Watched the giant extravaganza known as the NFL Draft over the weekend. What was great about it was that it didn't take 14 hours just going through the first 5 picks. Watched the 49ers make some solid picks, although a wide receiver would have been nice. I give them a solid B-.
- Disappointed in the Sharks being down 2-0 against the Dallas Stars. I guess Sharkfan shouldn't really be this surprised. Over the years the Sharks tend to disappoint come playoff time, and this year might not be any different. Hope they come back from Dallas with the series tied up.
- Two great games coming out this week. For those with Nintendo Wii, Mario Kart is one of those two. But the one that everybody has been waiting for finally comes out. Of course, I'm talking about Grand Thief Auto IV. I don't have a PS3 or an X-Box 360, so I won't be able to experience the greatness of the game with you guys. But who needs a violent, carjacking game when you can go-kart with Nintendo characters? Right?
Final Seconds
Nothing else to add, so just enjoy the day and enjoy the rest of the playoffs.
