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Round 2: The Four Questions.
(Editor's Note: For all you prigs who complained about our decision to have SportsNerd cover the NBA playoffs instead of local Sounders volley ball or whatever, I say: Boston v Chicago.
And thank you Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo for making the lay-up the new three-pointer. Take it to the baskets. Anyway, here's SportsNerd.)
After the most exciting seven-game first round series ever (Boston-Chicago) and the most lifeless seven game first round series ever (Atlanta-Miami) round two is here! Which can only mean it's time to answer the most pressing question for each series
1) Are the Cavs going Fo' Fo' Fo' to the finals?
This is why the one seed matters. Cleveland's draw in the eastern conference has thus far been the self destructing, geriatric pistions (who the Cavs swept) and now an immature Atlanta team that needed seven games to beat D-Wade and the worst supporting cast in the playoffs. The Cavs are shit hot with LeBron getting the MVP after basically being Jordan without a gambling problem for 82 games this year. They pounded the Hawks on Tuesday and if you think this is going five games you're delusional.
The real obstacle for the King and Co will be the conference finals against Boston or Orlando. Both of those teams however, are banged up. Playing a tough series against each other can't help. Whoever comes out of round two will be too battered to win but can they win just one game against the mighty Cavs? If it's Orlando I say no. Barely escaping after losing big leads might work against the lowly Sixers and banged up Celts but it's not going to cut it against the best closer in the game. (I admit that I undervalue Orlando because of Coach Stan Van Gundy's porn-stasche.)
But how about the proud, World Champion Celts? Seeing Ray Allen in the Bulls series was a revelation. Ray Ray scored 51 points in the game 6 triple overtime classic and became a manifestation of the clutch three. I completely buy the argument that he is a better shooting guard than Reggie Miller and if Reggie could win one against Jordan, I think the Celts could win a single game and are basically the only thing standing in the way of a Cleveland sweep to the finals.
2) Do the Celtics have enough in the tank to beat Orlando?
I actually found their opening game loss heartening. Of course they were going to lose the Game 1 after playing seventeen hours and fifty seven emotionally draining minutes against the Bulls. But there was no way the game should have been that close after the Magic went up 28 points.
When you are crushing a tired old person they should stay crushed, but Orlando couldn't keep it together. They took dumb shots with a ton of time left on the shot clock and then had to abandon Howard in the fourth quarter because he can't hit a free throw. Their crunch time shooters, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, are injured and not getting the same lift to their shots. Plus as game seven in the Celtics-Bulls series proved, experience counts the longer a series goes, If Boston can squeak out the next game don't count them out just yet.
3) Is Yao Ming for real?
Since his entry to the league in 2002, Yao has been stigmatized as good player who wilts in the fourth quarter, one who could never come through in a tight playoff game. But given his trouncing of the Blazers in the first round and the surprising victory in game one against the Lakers, I'm beginning to think Yao isn't the one to blame for Houston's history of post season trauma.
His role in the Rockets' WTF upset of LA in LA opened my eyes. Yao is the perfect clutch center because he has a variety of post moves, a reliable 16 ft jump shot and, unlike Dwight Howard or Shaq, he shoots 94% from the charity stripe in the post season. It dawned on me that Houston's past failures weren't because Yao screwed up but because the Rockets exclusively fed Tracy McGrady, ignoring their should be un-ignorable 7-6 center. It was T-Mac needing reps which held them back!
(Still don't think he'll beat Kobe but he's the reason it's a series)
4) Did Chris “The Birdman” Anderson abandon his mother for drugs and friends that hurt women?
Yes. Man, the Nuggets have more shitheads per captia than any NBA team right now: Anderson, J.R. Smith, Carmelo “DUI” Anthony...I keep expecting them to sign Mel Gibson.
And thank you Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo for making the lay-up the new three-pointer. Take it to the baskets. Anyway, here's SportsNerd.)
After the most exciting seven-game first round series ever (Boston-Chicago) and the most lifeless seven game first round series ever (Atlanta-Miami) round two is here! Which can only mean it's time to answer the most pressing question for each series
1) Are the Cavs going Fo' Fo' Fo' to the finals?
This is why the one seed matters. Cleveland's draw in the eastern conference has thus far been the self destructing, geriatric pistions (who the Cavs swept) and now an immature Atlanta team that needed seven games to beat D-Wade and the worst supporting cast in the playoffs. The Cavs are shit hot with LeBron getting the MVP after basically being Jordan without a gambling problem for 82 games this year. They pounded the Hawks on Tuesday and if you think this is going five games you're delusional.
The real obstacle for the King and Co will be the conference finals against Boston or Orlando. Both of those teams however, are banged up. Playing a tough series against each other can't help. Whoever comes out of round two will be too battered to win but can they win just one game against the mighty Cavs? If it's Orlando I say no. Barely escaping after losing big leads might work against the lowly Sixers and banged up Celts but it's not going to cut it against the best closer in the game. (I admit that I undervalue Orlando because of Coach Stan Van Gundy's porn-stasche.)
But how about the proud, World Champion Celts? Seeing Ray Allen in the Bulls series was a revelation. Ray Ray scored 51 points in the game 6 triple overtime classic and became a manifestation of the clutch three. I completely buy the argument that he is a better shooting guard than Reggie Miller and if Reggie could win one against Jordan, I think the Celts could win a single game and are basically the only thing standing in the way of a Cleveland sweep to the finals.
2) Do the Celtics have enough in the tank to beat Orlando?
I actually found their opening game loss heartening. Of course they were going to lose the Game 1 after playing seventeen hours and fifty seven emotionally draining minutes against the Bulls. But there was no way the game should have been that close after the Magic went up 28 points.
When you are crushing a tired old person they should stay crushed, but Orlando couldn't keep it together. They took dumb shots with a ton of time left on the shot clock and then had to abandon Howard in the fourth quarter because he can't hit a free throw. Their crunch time shooters, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, are injured and not getting the same lift to their shots. Plus as game seven in the Celtics-Bulls series proved, experience counts the longer a series goes, If Boston can squeak out the next game don't count them out just yet.
3) Is Yao Ming for real?
Since his entry to the league in 2002, Yao has been stigmatized as good player who wilts in the fourth quarter, one who could never come through in a tight playoff game. But given his trouncing of the Blazers in the first round and the surprising victory in game one against the Lakers, I'm beginning to think Yao isn't the one to blame for Houston's history of post season trauma.
His role in the Rockets' WTF upset of LA in LA opened my eyes. Yao is the perfect clutch center because he has a variety of post moves, a reliable 16 ft jump shot and, unlike Dwight Howard or Shaq, he shoots 94% from the charity stripe in the post season. It dawned on me that Houston's past failures weren't because Yao screwed up but because the Rockets exclusively fed Tracy McGrady, ignoring their should be un-ignorable 7-6 center. It was T-Mac needing reps which held them back!
(Still don't think he'll beat Kobe but he's the reason it's a series)
4) Did Chris “The Birdman” Anderson abandon his mother for drugs and friends that hurt women?
Yes. Man, the Nuggets have more shitheads per captia than any NBA team right now: Anderson, J.R. Smith, Carmelo “DUI” Anthony...I keep expecting them to sign Mel Gibson.
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