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Random NBA Thoughts…

T Lamont — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:34:21 +0000

LeBron Still Unable to Solve Boston’s Defense

New year, new team, same result. Such is the story for the reigning MVP LeBron James when he takes on the Boston Celtics. Although LBJ remained able to put up the best statistical line of this past Sunday’s afternoon tilt with 22-7-7 (some may argue that Rondo’s 11-10-10 was better), he is continuing to struggle against the Celtics in a way that starkly opposes his effectiveness against the rest of the league.

In contrast to other teams that allow a defender to play squared-up with LeBron prior to bringing help, the Celtics defend James in a manner that will push him towards another Boston defender. Instead of aggressively making a move, this seems to play into James’ psyche. He hesitates instead, taking time off of the clock and not gaining an offensive advantage for the Heat. When Boston plays him perfectly, LBJ is forced into taking a bail-out jumper or some other type of tough field goal attempt.

When asked about it, Bron-Bron brought up the manner in which he used to struggle in contests with Detroit. And he admitted that, right now, the Celtics give him that same degree of difficulty. But just like in 2007 – when he needed Daniel “Boobie” Gibson to step up to help him eliminate the Pistons – LeBron’s going to need the consistency of Miami’s outside shooters (Mike Miller, Eddie House and James Jones) if he is planning on getting over the hump against Boston.

And we all know that the road to the NBA Finals will go through Boston.

Dwight Howard’s Surprising Domination of L.A.’s Interior

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol…you just got punk’d.

Against more of Los Angeles’ opponents, Bynum and Gasol are bullies on the interior. They dominate the boards, score at will, and clog up the lanes to deter opponents from attempting easy baskets. But on Sunday, they took turns getting manhandled by Dwight Howard (31 points – on 13-16 shooting – and 13 rebounds). Howard was so dominant that only one other Magic player scored in double figures (Jason Richardson, with 12). Granted, every Orlando player who saw some floor time scored at least 4 points, however, Howard was the sole consistent offense for the team.

In the Lakers' last three games (all losses), Bryant has shot 24-62 (38.7%) and averaged 18 points per game.

Boston (surprise!) has illustrated the perfect blueprint on how to defend the Magic. If a team has a player with the capability to, at the very least, control Howard one-on-one, then the other Magic players are rendered ineffective because they are primarily adept at catching and shooting. The Celtics have been able to stifle Orlando’s fluidity with this strategy, and it seems that the Lakers may have attempted to do the same. But the Lakers only scored 75 points, and no team is going to win many games with that point total.

But the bigger issue for L.A. has been focus and motivation. The Lakers have dropped games to some suspect teams of late (see Charlotte, Cleveland), and the All-Star break couldn’t be coming at a better time for Phil Jackson. I’m sensing that Lakers’ management is grappling with whether they should make a move before the trade deadline or not. It seems that the team has finally become impenetrable to Jackson’s motivational tactics (i.e. media criticisms and sharp, almost comical, soundbites), and some alternative method is going to be required for the champs to truly regain their focus.

Griffin is Great, But the Clippers Need E.G.

Although, Blake Griffin had a year to sit back and soak in the NBA before taking the court, no one expected him to take the league by storm like he has. B.G. is averaging monster numbers (22.7 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 3.5 apg), and the Clippers are reaping the benefits of having a bonafide force down on the blocks. Griffin’s game is definitely going to require more refinement, but he’s showing all of the signs of being a player who wants to continue to improve.

As for the Clips, they’ve struggled of late – mainly due to the absence of guard Eric Gordon. The former Indiana star is putting up over 24 a game, and is sorely missed late in games when a big shot or play is needed. In his absence, the Clippers have gone 3-9, including a recent 24-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. This was an unfortunate setback for an improving team. Prior to Gordon’s injury, Los Angeles has posted wins in 12 of its last 17 contests.

What Happened to the Bucks?

After such a surprising season that saw them come within a game of advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Bucks were viewed as a team with great promise. And considering they lost Andrew Bogut to that horrific arm injury late last season, there’s good reason to believe that a fully-healthy Milwaukee team would have upended Atlanta in the postseason.

But in 2010-11, the Bucks have welcomed some new faces – and it hasn’t been for the better. The names are recognizable – Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette, Earl Boykins, Keyon Dooling and Chris Douglas-Roberts – but this group lacks the cohesion among themselves that Scott Skiles was able to develop with last year’s roster.

However, in addition to the team’s dedication to synergy, it was the backcourt that primarily energized Milwaukee’s efforts. This season, second-year point guard Brandon Jennings has missed a significant amount of time after needing surgery on his foot. And perhaps the largest mystery has been the play of John Salmons. Salmons, always a skilled, versatile player, practically elevated the Bucks into a dangerous unit when he joined the team for its final 30 games. This season, his points per game average (19.9 to 13.2) and field goal percentage (46.7% to 38.4%) have suffered tremendous drops, and he’s barely resembled the triple-threat that he was last season.

The Playoffs Need Stephen Jackson

In case you forgot, he makes love to pressure. Last weekend, Jackson nailed a tough – and I mean, very tough – game-winning fadeaway jumper to propel the Bobcats past the Hawks. Any win is a good one for the ‘Cats. If you Google the phrase “playing to their level of competition,” you’re almost certain to have some resulting links that reference the Bobcats. In their last six games, they’ve beaten Boston, L.A. (Lakers) and Atlanta, while they’ve suffered losses at the hands of New Jersey and Indiana.

Stephen Jackson's passion for the game would make the playoffs more intriguing.

But regardless of Charlotte’s inability to avoid their annual flirtation with the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, one thing is clear – Stephen Jackson’s ferocity and edginess would make the postseason much more interesting.

For that reason alone, I’m personally pulling the Michael Jordan to continue to practice with his team. Maybe his competitive spirit can rub off, and empower Paul Silas’ group to do enough to capture that #8 spot – and give us all a shot of Captain Jack in the playoffs.

Will Memphis Ever Get Over the Hump?

Just when it appears that the Grizzlies are on their way, their momentum gets broken.

After going 8-2 in their last 10 games, Memphis finds themselves at 31-26. Now that record is only good enough for fourth place in the Southwest Division, but Lionel Hollins’ team is currently tied with the disjointed Utah Jazz for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. And they actually have the potential to increase their standing, as they only reside one loss behind New Orleans and Denver, and two losses behind Portland.

So, while things were looking up, they came to a screeching halt last night when it was announced that Rudy Gay (19.8 ppg, 1.69 spg) will miss at least 4 weeks with a left shoulder injury. They get this news right after having O.J.Mayo return to the lineup following a 10-game suspension for the consumption of a supposed nutritional drink he purchased at a gas station (at least Rashard Lewis can understand, right?). With Zach Randolph anchoring their interior scoring, Memphis should be able to find a way to overcome the loss of Gay. Tony Allen played well in Mayo’s absence, and can be counted on to play hard and fill in the gaps.

Even if the Grizz advance to this year’s postseason, the likelihood of them moving past the first round is slim to none. However, if the nucleus of this team can stay together for another year, they have the extremely legit potential of turning the corner (as did the Atlanta Hawks in 2008-2009).

Milwaukee Bucks Pull Off Game 5 Shocker in Atlanta

T Lamont — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:28:11 +0000

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Not long ago, Brandon Jennings said that if the Milwaukee Bucks made the playoffs, he should be the NBA Rookie of the Year.

After tonight’s win, he has definitely converted some additional non-believers.

Jennings hit four clutch free throws in the final half-minute to seal the Bucks’ 91-87 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Phillips Arena. The Game 5 win puts the underdog Bucks only one game away from reaching the second round of the postseason.

The rookie point guard – who scored 55 points in a game earlier in the season – provided Milwaukee with a 25-point effort. He was brilliant all night, and kept the Bucks within shouting distance in the third quarter. The Hawks had stretched out to a 13-point lead during the third, but the Bucks kept battling behind Jennings and speedy backup Luke Ridnour – who contributed 15 off the bench.

John Salmons did his thing down the stretch of the Bucks' 91-87 win.

Shooting guard John Salmons took over in the fourth quarter. Although he had a rough 6-17 shooting night, Salmons finished the game with 19. But perhaps his biggest contribution was holding All-Star Joe Johnson to 13 points.

The Hawks got big production from Al Horford (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Marvin Williams (22 points, 8-10 FG). But Atlanta have to be disheartened by the fact that they let a 13-point third quarter lead slip evaporate against a team with limited offensive firepower. Suddenly, the Hawks face a desperate situation in Game 6 which we be held in Milwaukee on Friday. With all of their talent, size and athleticism, it’s still the same old story with Atlanta – a lack of consistency for 48 minutes.

Too much credit cannot be given to Scott Skiles and his Milwaukee team. They have battled through injuries that he dislodged core members of their team (Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut), and have exceeded all of the wildest hopes of their fan base. The Bucks were projected to finish this season in a position to compete for the lottery, and tonight they stand on the brink of advancing to the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2000-01.

There are no such things as moral victories – but regardless of whether or not Milwaukee gets past Atlanta, they will look back on this season as a success.

The Hawks, on the other hand, have all the pressure on them based on their improvement from previous seasons. Losing to the Bucks could be just the right motivation to see some changes made – and to push Joe Johnson out the door.

Surprised? – Game 2′s Produce Expected Results

T Lamont — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:10:04 +0000

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On Tuesday night in the NBA Playoffs, there were a host of Game 2′s that yielded fairly predictable results. Let’s take a closer look at each one:

Bucks 86, Hawks 96

Unfortunately, it was - and will continue to be - the same old story for Milwaukee. They simply do not have the horses to contend with Atlanta. Atlanta’s three-headed monster of Josh Smith, Al Horford and Joe Johnson combined for 68 points and shot over 60% from the floor. Smith even added 9 assists on the night.

After a remarkable Game 1 performance, Brandon Jennings got shut down. He shot 3-15, finishing with only 9 points and 2 assists. The Bucks, being hindered by their lack of size, need their guards to play flawless ball. On this night, Jennings struggled mightily.

Smith messed around and almost got a triple-double against the Bucks.

There’s absolutely no reason that the Hawks shouldn’t pull off the sweep in this series. If they don’t, it speaks volumes as to whether this team will maintain a consistent approach to their opponents.

Heat 77, Celtics 106

With KG suspended for Game 2, the Celtics looked much better than usual. That’s no surprise, however, because Garnett slows the game down. He is required to get his obligatory touches in the post, even though his offensive effectiveness is a shadow of what it used to be. But his absence means that Boston’s most offensively talented players – Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo – get the dictate the flow of the game. And while Pierce had a relatively pedestrian performance with 13 points, it was Allen who came on like gangbusters. The sharpshooter nailed 7 treys, finishing the contest with 25 points on just 13 shots. Rondo was the ultimate floor general, dishing out 12 assists.

And what about KG’s substitute? Glen “Big Baby” Davis played a whale of a game with 23 points and 8 boards.

A couple of days after Dwayne Wade firmly stated that the pressure was squarely placed on the Celtics, I have to ask:

Who’s feeling the pressure now?

Blazers 90, Suns 119

You just knew that the Suns were going to pick up the pieces after being stunned at home in Game 1. Phoenix was back to their normal selves , shooting 52% for the game, moving the ball (26 assists compared to 12 for Portland) and limiting their turnovers (6). When Grant Hill plays as efficiently as he did (10-11 FG), they are a hard bunch to stop. Throw in Jason Richardson proving that he’s more than just a dunker, and this team can look very special.

Durant and Westbrook need to find their chemistry against the Lakers.

That being said, the Blazers are giving the Suns their moneys worth. Winning just one of the next two games in Portland will guarantee that the Blazers will come back home for Game 6.

The Suns are going to win this series, it’s just a matter of how much energy they want to expend in the process.

Thunder 92, Lakers 95

The Thunder will get an introduction to postseason basketball. That’s what we all thought, and we were exactly right.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, it won’t be any more than that. The Lakers can score when they want to. They can keep the Thunder from scoring when they want to. Kobe Bryant woke up a bit to score 39 points, and Pau Gasol’s line (25 points, 12 rebounds) shows the dominance that the Lakers possess on the interior.

Kevin Durant did his thing with 32 points, but his eight turnovers proved to be very costly. He and Russell Westbrook have to find a chemistry to be able to pull out a game in this series. Westbrook has been good in this series, but he needs to be better. He is the key to any success that the Thunder will have against Los Angeles.

NBA Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

T Lamont — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:12:14 +0000

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Aside from the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers – who are equipped with a fully-rested man-child named LeBron James (the soon-to-be MVP of this season) – is there any team that is a lock to advance to the second round in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

Let’s dig into these matchups and see how the opening round will play out:

#4 Boston Celtics vs. #5 Miami Heat

Boston Advantages: Boston is old, but they have tons of playoff basketball experience. K.G., Ray-Ray, the Truth, and ’Sheed are perennial participants in the NBA’s postseason – and they just happen to be the best players on the Celtic roster (with exception to PG Rajon Rondo). Their bench play is sporadic, but definitely has the potential to be far more effective than that of Miami.

Miami Advantages: D-Wade. That’s about all you can say about the Heat these days. Miami will only go as far as he can carry them. Michael Beasley should be a mismatch in favor of the Heat, but he’s still refusing to dominate games like he’s totally capable of. Jermaine O’Neal has been playing above average ball, and the Heat have been 11-4 with him in the lineup since the beginning of March.

Bottom Line: While the Green Machine has clearly demonstrated sign of aging this regular season, I can’t pick them to go home in the first round. They’ll find a way to get things done and move on to a more daunting opponent. Sorry D-Wade. Maybe he should have Gabrielle Union sit near the Celtics bench or something.

Scott Skiles and Brandon Jennings have their work cut out for them in their first-round series.

#3 Atlanta Hawks vs. #6 Milwaukee Bucks

Atlanta Advantages: The Hawks have a rare commodity of size and athleticism. Josh Smith and Al Horford defend the basket well, yet they both have cat-like reflexes. With the exception of the point guard spot, they are big at every position. And with the Bucks missing Andrew Bogut, their advantage in the paint increases exponentially. Jamal Crawford is, perhaps, the best bench player in the league (a top candidate for Sixth Man of the Year) and the top closer on Atlanta’s roster. You know that you have some special talent on your team when perennial All-Star Joe Johnson is your second option in crunch time.

Milwaukee Advantages: They don’t have many. Brandon Jennings has the speed and quickness advantage over veteran point man Mike Bibby. Scott Skiles will have to insist that Jennings pushes the ball, penetrates into the paint and stop jacking up quick threes. Forward Ersan Ilyasova is aggressive offensively, and 15-20 points per game is not out of the question for him. If he’s able to provide that each game, it’ll keep the Bucks close to the Hawks. Skiles can out-coach Mike Woodson and he seems to get more out of this Milwaukee bunch than he should.

Bottom Line: It was going to be hard enough for the Bucks to outlast the Hawks in a seven-game tilt. But with Bogut out of the mix, Milwaukee simply does not have the requisite toughness to hang with ATL. It’s really a shame, because the way that the Bucks were playing, this could have been the best series of the opening round.

#2 Orlando Magic vs. #7 Charlotte Bobcats

Orlando Advantages: Dwight Howard, who’ll likely become a repeat winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award, anchors a solid, but non-spectacular defense. Orlando has guys that can really fill it up from the perimeter – Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick, Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, Jason Williams and Matt Barnes all represent threats from beyond the three-point arc. Consequently, there’s a lot of space inside with which Howard is left to operate.

Charlotte Advantages: Charlotte’s biggest advantage is having two guys in their organization who you never can count out – head coach Larry Brown and guard/forward Stephen Jackson. They both execute their craft with skill and emotion, which can be a volatile combination…either for themselves or their opponents. The Bobcats have players that will attack the basket (Gerald Wallace and Tyrus Thomas come to mind), and they’ll have to try and curtail Howard’s dominance by getting some early whistles blown against him.

Bottom Line: If a team struggles to score consistently during the regular season, do you think it would get any better in the playoffs? And besides, almost all of the key Magic players have been postseason-tested. Stan Van Gundy’s group has superior offensive execution and talent. While defense may win championships, a horrid offense won’t even get you there.

Gerald Wallace and Charlotte need to attack the paint with aggression.

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #8 Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Advantages: Their lead for the best record in the NBA was locked up so soon that they have been able to rest LeBron James for the last 2 weeks. So, now, if you’re Chicago, you have to face a 25-year-old who averaged 29.7, 7.3 and 8.6 and hasn’t played since April 6? Having Antawn Jamison and Maurice Williams play during James’ hiatus gave them some much needed confidence and momentum that will have them prepared to contribute when the playoffs begin. The Cavs should be able to pound the Bulls into submission with its abundance of bigs: Shaquille O’Neal (that’s right – he’s barely an afterthought these days), Zydrunas Ilgauskas, J.J. Hickson, and Andersen Varajeo. And who knows? There may even be a Leon Powe siting…

Chicago Advantages: All-Star Derrick Rose has been great as the pressure of making the playoffs has mounted. Over his last four contests, he’s putting up 28.5 points and 7.5 assists while shooting 57% from the field. His hot hand will have to lead the Bulls if they want to be competitive at all. Joakim Noah has unseated Andersen Varajeo (only for the moment) as the best Carrot-Top player in the league. His activity at both ends of the floor saves possessions and/or creates new opportunities for Chicago. His relentless energy will have to make up for Chicago’s tendency to have scoring droughts.

Bottom Line: LeBron James is playing against a team that has absolutely no answer for him. The Bulls won’t be playing in a seven-game series this year. That’s the bottom line.

More NBA Playoff Analysis – Western Conference Preview

Andrew Bogut Injured on Dunk Attempt

T Lamont — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 20:42:48 +0000

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The Milwaukee Bucks have had a winning formula in the season’s second half. They’ve been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the All-Star break, and have a foundation that can keep them competitive for years.

But this year’s run – and possibilities of a first-round upset – may have come to an end on Saturday night. On a fast break dunk attempt, Andrew Bogut suffered one of the most gruesome-looking injuries I have ever seen. I’ve only seen one injury comparable, and that was a few years back when Shaun Livingston decapitated his knee.

I recall the Livingston injury – and the Bogut injury has the same “do I want to look or don’t I?” feeling. So beware…this video may not be suited for some.

This makes two big losses for the Bucks this year – including sharpshooter Michael Redd. And Milwaukee has certainly learned how to excel without him. Then comes this.

And in case is wasn’t obvious, Bogut is out for the remainder of the season. Let’s hope that he’s good to go next year.