The Poll

Have any of you wondered why I left the poll about which Finals matchup is more likely up even after voting closed? Well, I wanted to know if you guys were right in your predictions, so let's see:

LA vs Cleveland	8 (80%)
LA vs Orlando	6 (60%)
LA vs Boston	3 (30%)
Denver vs. Orlando	0 (0%)
Denver vs. Cleveland	1 (10%)
Dallas vs. Cleveland	2 (20%)

We know now that the correct one was LA vs. Boston, and according to this poll, only 3 of 20 votes were given to that matchup. It isn't surprising that 40% of you thought that a Kobe vs. Lebron Finals was coming, nor that 30% of you thought there would be a rematch of the 2009 Finals, but I was impressed by how few of you predicted that Denver vs. Orlando, Denver vs. Cleveland, and Dallas vs. Cleveland would end up happening (only 15%). Looking back, not many of us had the Celtics going this deep and getting to the Finals (I was one who did!), so only 15% voting for a 2008 rematch is explainable. For the final score, however, you guys did pretty poorly, but better luck next year!

Pass the Rock

I just made a new blog, at http://passtherock24.blogspot.com/, that is going to be a funny little parody-type blog. I'm just going to have some fake news that will try to put a smile on your when you read it. It'll be a little like The Onion, which has an NBA section (there is a link in the Basketball Partners section on the side). Hope y'all like it.

Welcome to the 2010 Finals!

I know I've been saying this a lot, but I am honestly up to my neck in things to do, and unfortunately you guys have had to live without my regular updates of all things NBA. Even so, I have decided to give you guys about 10 or 15 mins of my time and add a blog post, just for your pleasure. You can thank me in the Chat Box or comments!

First off, I think it's common knowledge now that the Celtics and Lakers are both in the Finals again. That makes three straight for L.A. and two in three years for the Celtics (and, as Doc Rivers would like to point out, every year with their full lineup). Here is a look at the results of the Conference Finals, using my famous scoreboard ;)

(My guesses are on the left, while the act results are on the right. I gave myself 2 points for every correct prediction (exact number of games, team) and 1 point if I got the correct team. The total score is out of 4.)

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

BOS vs. ORL: Celtics in 6 games. -Celtics in 6 games. -CORRECT! (2pts)

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

PHO vs. LAL: Lakers in 5 games.-Lakers in 6 games. -CORRECT! (1pt)

Total Score: 3/4

Both series were very entertaining, and even though Boston took a commanding 3-0 lead in their matchup, Orlando still fought back to win 2 straight, although they ended up losing and failing to reach the Finals for a second straight year. Boston's bigs were too much for Superman 2.0 to handle, which led to all of the Magic's errors being exposed, such as their over-reliance on the 3 point shot. When Dwight can't hook up his shooters with a good shot after being double teamed in the paint, there isn't much they can do against a team that plays as stellar defense as the Celtics. I give the C's props for keeping their head and not giving up when it seemed that Orlando was going to make a huge comeback in the series, which is what all veteran-laden teams have to do. 

The Lakers-Suns matchup was easily the most entertaining of this year's Playoffs. Kobe put on a show throughout the series, making shots and plays that even Michael Jordan couldn't make (and probably wouldn't take, either). It's not that Phoenix didn't expect this, of course. Before, during, and after the series, Phoenix coaches and players commented on how Kobe was the best player alive, how they couldn't stop him and only try to limit him, and Alvin Gentry even said that he was the best player of all time (that includes you, Mike)! Ron Artest had his moments, too, hitting a game-winning layup in Game 5 after a Kobe air-ball and scorching the Suns for 25 points on 10 for 16 shooting on the night.

Amar'e Stoudamire screwed himself over as well. By averaging 25 points in the series, he showed that he is a force in the paint to be acknowledged, but by averaging only 6 rebounds (and grabbing only 4 in the decisive Game 6) and playing worse defense than even his own standards (which are pretty low themselves), he is almost guaranteed to not get a max contract if he chooses to opt out of his current one this summer. His only double-double was during his monster Game 3 effort, when he scored 42 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Too bad for him that the Isaiah Thomas-led Knicks are gone, I'm sure they would've given him a max contract back in the day. 

Now, it's time for my last prediction of the Playoffs. Here is my guess about how the NBA Finals will play out:

2010 NBA FINALS:

BOS vs. LAL: Lakers in 7 games.

Don't get me wrong, the series could go either way, just like Rondo's jump shot. Fortunately for the Celtics, however, my boy Rondo's J is steadily improving (it's nice to have Ray Allen as a teammate when you want to learn how to shoot well). The Celtics seem to only get better as the Playoffs progress, so Rondo's shot as a symbol actually makes a lot of sense. Still, even after Game 1's poor showing of defense in the paint and rebouding, the series can go either way. Many Laker fans like to point out that Phil Jackson's teams are a perfect 47-0 in series when they win Game 1, but the Celtics are veterans who have been here and done that. Stats don't mean anything to a team that was supposed to be out by the end of the Second Round according to their "stats." Effort, determination, and teamwork don't have stats in the boxscore, and those are all word that fit the Celtics' description perfectly.

I think that Kobe Bryant's will to win is just too much for the Celtics to handle, however. Did you see him drop that last three with about 3 seconds to play in Game 1? Not only did that give everyone in the arena free tacos (they would get them is the Lakers scored over 100 points, which they did after that shot), but that also gives Kobe at least 30 points in 11 of his last 12 games. He says he doesn't care about the Lakers' historic rivalry with the Celtics, but he obviously does deep down. It was this team that murdered his own back in 2008, when the Lakers were embarrassed in Game 6 of the Finals by losing by almost 40 points, and then having their bus pelted with rocks by Boston fans.  If he cared about the Phoenix series' past (which he did), he obviously cares about this one. Besides, beating the Celtics could arguably make him the best Laker of all time.

Don't get me wrong, the series could go either way, just like Rondo's jump shot. Fortunately for the Celtics, however, my boy Rondo's J is steadily improving (it's nice to have Ray Allen as a teammate when you want to learn how to shoot well). The Celtics seem to only get better as the Playoffs progress, so Rondo's shot as a symbol actually makes a lot of sense. Still, even after Game 1's poor showing of defense in the paint and rebouding, the series can go either way. Many Laker fans like to point out that Phil Jackson's teams are a perfect 47-0 in series when they win Game 1, but the Celtics are veterans who have been here and done that. Stats don't mean anything to a team that was supposed to be out by the end of the Second Round according to their "stats." Effort, determination, and teamwork don't have stats in the boxscore, and those are all word that fit the Celtics' description perfectly.

Also, on a side note, I made a quick little wallpaper for the Lakers. It says that they won the Finals, but obviously, the Finals aren't over and can go either way. It isn't that great, but I'm still a beginner when it comes to making wallpapers in Photoshop and it is an improvement on my past productions. Still, for those of you who support the Lakers, here it is. Click on it to enlarge and feel free to use it as a wallpaper, profile picture, etc., and remember where you got it!

Conference Finals Predictions

Hey everyone, I've been extremely busy lately so I am only just managing to post this. As some of you know, I was planning a update with some historical facts and comparisons of the Boston Celtics, but unfortunately I could not find enough time to complete it. For now, here are my predictions for the Conf. Finals. I have no proof of this, but you will have to take my word on it. I made these predictions before both series started, and so far I seem to be on the right track.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

BOS vs. ORL: Celtics in 6 games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

PHO vs. LAL: Lakers in 5 games.

(Note: Most of these ideas/predictions were written before the series started, so ignore the fact that some things might be wrong.)

In the East, I feel like the Celtics' experienced squad will continue to dominate at home, but they will also be able to steal games on the road (already done: they stole the first 2 games @Orlando, and their next 2 games are @Boston). The C's can also through tons of players at Dwight Howard in the paint, thus being able to foul almost at will, get Superman 2.0 fouled out easier, and mainly frustrate him on offense with the many bodies or on defense when he has to adjust to situations given to him.

While the Magic have other players to take the weight of Howard's shoulders, they tend to rely on giving him the ball, then if he can't do what he wants in the paint, he kicks it out to an open 3 point shooter. Unfortunately for them however, the Magic are playing one of the best (if not THE best) defenses in the League, and as shown in Games 1 and 2, those shooters are going to have a hard time. Open threes will rarely be seen, if ever.

In the West, this shouldn't even be a contest. I wrote the following after their sweep of the Spurs: "I personally apologize for underestimating the Phoenix Suns so much. I thought they would fight till they lost in the First Round, and then thought they'd do the same in Round Two. I was very wrong. They proved that they could play with the big boys when they swept (yes, swept) the once-mighty Spurs in four bloody games (Steve Nash's eye is proof of the physicality of the games). Good luck with the Lakers, fellas." I stand by my apology, but I seemed to forget the fact that the Lakers are a huge mismatch for this team. Let me elaborate.

L.A. has three 7-footers on their roster, and all 3 play big minutes for the team. Lamar Odom is a huge X-Factor coming off the bench for the defending champs, while Pau Gasol, though deemed soft, is actually quite capable of getting dirty in the paint when needed. We've seen flashes of brilliance from Andrew Bynum, but he hasn't been as aggressive on offense as the Lakers want (of course, he has been playing injured). The Lakers' length and height is way too much alone for the Suns to handle, and then you throw some other players like Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar off the bench (they have been superb so far in the series), and, (cough), some guy named Bryant, and the Suns are either going to be swept or out in 5. I wasn't too sure of a sweep or not, but a series is never over till its over, and Phoenix will surely keep clawing back. Or will they?

All-NBA Teams, MVP Ballot, 2nd Round Results (UPDATED)

Hey guys, I've been real busy the past week and haven't had a chance to post anything between Playoff games and life stuff. I've watched at least a quarter or two of every game, but I haven't missed a single quarter of any Lakers, Boston, or Cleveland games; they're too exciting. I was disappointed by the fact that there was 3 sweeps in the Conference Semis, and it also bothered me that Atlanta put up no fight against the 8-0 Magic. No offense to Orlando, but they haven't been too fun to watch lately (unless you're a fan or really enjoy blowouts).

This post is going to be really long, by the way, because I have a lot of my thoughts that I want to share. First off is the All-NBA Teams. Here are the official teams, and you can find mine below.

2009-10 BasketBlogger All-NBA Teams

FIRST TEAM Position Player, Team (1st Team Votes) Points Forward LeBron James, Cleveland (-) - Forward Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City (-) - Center Dwight Howard, Orlando (-) - Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers (-) - Guard Dwyane Wade, Miami (-) - SECOND TEAM Forward Carmelo Anthony, Denver (-) - Forward Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (-) - Center Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix (-) - Guard Steve Nash, Phoenix (-) - Guard Rajon Rondo, Boston (-) - THIRD TEAM Forward Josh Smith, Atlanta -- - Forward Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers -- - Center Tim Duncan, San Antonio -- - Guard Joe Johnson, Atlanta -- - Guard Deron Williams, Utah -- -

No problems with the First Team, but on the Second Team, how did they manage to leave off my boy Rajon Rondo??? This kid has led a team stacked with veterans (and three future Hall of Famers) into the Playoffs (which was expected) almost single-handedly. He's also putting up ridiculous numbers in the postseason that not only spell ALL-STAR, but possibly even SUPERSTAR. Remember that he's only 24, too. 

Tim Duncan made that 3rd Team on the official list, but he was listed as a forward. I changed it to center on mine because Timmy was listed as that on the All-Defensive Teams, and I also think that he was more worthy for the spot than Andrew Bogut, who didn't even make the All-Star Team. That shift gave me room to add another player who didn't make the All-Star Team (which he deserved to make), Josh Smith. 

Moving on, here is the official MVP results, while my own MVP ballot can be seen below (I kept it at 10 players):

2010 BasketBlogger NBA Most Valuable Player Voting

Player, Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total LeBron James, Cle - - - - - - Kevin Durant, OKC - - - - - - Dwight Howard, Orl - - - - - - Kobe Bryant, LAL - - - - - - Carmelo Anthony, Den - - - - - - Dirk Nowitzki, Dal - - - - - - Steve Nash, Pho - - - - - - Dwyane Wade, Mia - - - - - - Deron Williams, Utah - - - - - - Rajon Rondo, Bos - - - - - -

Finally, below are the results of the Second Round (aka the Conference Semi-Finals), and I scored myself with the procedure I used at the end of the First Round. My guesses are on the left, while the act results are on the right. I gave myself 2 points for every correct prediction (exact number of games, team) and 1 point if I got the correct team. The total score is out of 8.

CLE vs. BOS: Celtics in 7 games.  -Celtics in 6 games.   -CORRECT! (1pt)

ORL vs. ATL: Magic in 6 games.   -Magic in 4 games.   -CORRECT! (1pt)

LAL vs. UTA: Lakers in 6 games.  -Lakers in 4 games.  -CORRECT! (1pt)

PHX vs. SAS: Spurs in 7 games.    -Suns in 4 games.     -WRONG! (0pt)

Completely Correct Predictions: 0/4

Completely Wrong Predictions: 1/4

Eastern Conference Score: 2/4

Western Conference Score: 1/4

Total Score: 3/8

I didn't guess anything completely far-fetched, but I didn't hit anything right on the head. I was expecting Joe Johnson to step up for the Hawks after a poor showing against Milwaukee, but he sadly didn't and it led to a second consecutive year of being swept in the Second Round after barely surviving the First (they went to seven games vs. Miami last year). 

The Lakers showed what they are still capable of after also having a hard time with their First Round opponent. Unlike the Hawks, however, they stepped up in the Second Round and great performances by Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Derrick Fisher, and Pau Gasol helped the Lakers prove that they really want another ring this year. Even though the bracket says 4-0, the Jazz fought hard every game and could have came up with at least one win if my boy Wesley Mathews' last second tip in Game 3 was just an inch closer to the rim.

I personally apologize for underestimating the Phoenix Suns so much. I thought they would fight till they lost in the First Round, and then thought they'd do the same in Round Two. I was very wrong. They proved that they could play with the big boys when they swept (yes, swept) the once-mighty Spurs in four bloody games (Steve Nash's eye is proof of the physicality of the games). Good luck with the Lakers, fellas. 

UPDATE: Boston moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals, eliminating Lebron and the Cavaliers. Bron had a slightly off shooting night (8-21 FG), but otherwise he had a superb game, almost getting quadruple-double. He notched 27 pts, 19 rbs, 10 asts, and (!) 9 turnovers. Okay, he could've done without the last part, but the real pain in the *** is the fact that the 61-21 Cavs were eliminated before even reaching the Conf. Finals, which was supposed to be a default. They seemed to lose all hope during the fourth quarter, and with 2 mins left and down by less than 10 points, they didn't even intentionally foul the C's. Is this a sign of the future of the Cavs? Even worse for them, does this prove to Lebron  that he can't win with this team and has to move on? We'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, read this article by John Schuhmann at NBA.com discussing the fact that many of us are forgetting: Boston was the team that was better in the matchup, and they were the ones who actually won the series.

Second Round Predictions

Ugh, late again. The Second Round already started, but again I couldn't find time to post my predictions for it. Well, here you go:

CLE vs. BOS: Celtics in 7 games.

ORL vs. ATL: Magic in 6 games.

LAL vs. UTA: Lakers in 6 games.

PHX vs. SAS: Spurs in 7 games.

I have a feeling that Mo Williams is gonna choke again for the Cavs, even after his impressive 3rd quarter showing in Game 1, and Cleveland won't get a chance to use Shaq for his sole purpose this season: kill Dwight Howard in the paint. Boston seems like they have reverted to their 2008 form, only this time it's Rondo who is leading the team. 

Orlando seems pretty unstoppable at the moment as well. They demolished Charlotte, the league's top defensive team, in a completely one-sided sweep, and Atlanta doesn't seem like much of a challenge now. The Hawks had a lot of trouble with the rookie-led Milwaukee Bucks, who were also missing their top player. Of course, this Atlanta team is still a threat with all of the talent they have, and I'm betting Mike Woodson won't rest till the team moves on to the Conference Finals (highly unlikely, in my opinion).

Lakers vs. Utah should be entertaining at times, but the better team (L.A.) will end up pulling away with the victory. I also can't see the Jazz giving the Lakers much of an inside challenge, aside from Carlos Boozer, now that Andrei Kirilenko will sit for a few games. I wasn't sure whether or not to have L.A. winning in 5 games or 6, but Deron Williams will surely lead his team to more than only one victory in the series.

I think that all the extra rest between games and reduced travel has made the postseason a lot easier for the Spurs than the regular season. Just like Boston, San Antonio has seemed to revert to their championship form, only with some new pieces here and there. Both George Hill and Tony Parker will be critical in this series in determining which team moves on, for they will have the task of stopping Steve Nash. I think that the Spurs, who seem to always be victorious against the Suns, will use their experience, rest, and Big Three of Manu Ginobili, Parker, and Tim Duncan to outlast this tough Suns squad in a very exciting series.