Arun's BasketBlog

Game 7- LA's Championship to Lose

2010-06-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / June 15, 2010)

I really didn't feel there was a need for a Game 7 Preview after the Lakers easily beat the Celtics in Game 6. If the Lakers don't have a letdown then they should easily win tonight.

Using length, quickness, and ball movement, I predicted that LA would dominate this series as long as Bynum contributed. That has pretty much held true with Bynum logging 25+ minutes in 4 of the 5 first games and cancelling out Perkins in Game 6. Without Perkins, the Lakers can penetrate with ease and grab rebounds (52-39 in Game 6) on both ends of the court. This opens up uncontested perimeter shots or offensive put-backs.

There are a few things that may prevent LA from celebrating:

Consistently Inconsistent

Heading into Game 6 the Lakers were very focused since they were facing elimination. They dominated most of the game but espescially the first half. However, during the third quarter the Lakers struggled through a handful of offensive plays- walk the ball up, pass around the perimeter, stand around, & take a bad shot as the 24 runs out. Following Game 6 all they've heard about is how dominant they were, the Perkins injury, and how a Lakers victory would impact Kobe/Phil and Lakers vs Celtics.

The Lakers need to be motivated (and somewhat angry) to play their best basketball. I'm not sure if they're in the right frame of mind to put together another dominating effort.

Good Ron or Bad Ron?

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / June 15, 2010)

Ron Artest had 15 point and hit 3 three's in Game 1 and Game 6. Outside of those two games he hasn't shot over 50% or scored over 10 points. If Ron is hitting shots then the Celtics will pay for doubling Kobe and Pau. Which Ron will show up?

Better Bench Production from Boston

I think we can safely assume that the Celtics' reserves will play better than they did in Game 6. Look for Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace to score 15-20 especially since Wallace will probably start. Wallace can change the game because he stretches LA's defense. This will give Garnett, Allen, Pierce, and Rondo more room to operate without the fear of a double team. In Game 6 Wallace missed 6 three's and was 0-7.

Well-Rested Old Celtics

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Game 6 was less than 48 hours after Game 5 and a cross-country flight. This scenario favored the Lakers who are younger and had the home court advantage. Now the Celtics are well rested with two nights in LA and no cross-country flight. Plus, they really didn't put out a max effort in Game 6 with most of the starters playing few minutes in the second half. With more rest, the older Celtics will have better energy and more lift in their jump shots.

A Different Team Without Perk

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / June 15, 2010)

With Wallace and Davis playing more minutes the Celtics have more offense. They can also try to increase the tempo and use different looks to confuse the Lakers. In Game 6 Doc Rivers experimented with a two pg lineup (Rondo and Robinson) and then a two sg lineup (Tony Allen and Ray Allen). This could cause the Lakers problems since Boston has had two days work on a this new offensive strategy.

This is the End

The Lakers have everything going for them so long as they stay focused they should beat Boston. Whatever changes the Celtics make, they shouldn't bother the Lakers, who have the personnel to overcome any adjustments.

But this is now a one-game series with immense pressure primarily on the Lakers' side. Pierce could get hot, Allen could hit 10 three's, an injury to the Lakers, or something else could tip the scales in the Celtics' favor. Stranger things have happened & history is not on the Lakers' side- Don Nelson's shot, 9 straight Celtics championships over the Lakers, and a Game 7 home loss to Boston in the 1969 NBA Finals.

The Art of War and Game 6 Adjustments for the Lakers

2010-06-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Game 6 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics is tonight. Something has got to give. I heard that the Celtics have never lost a series after leading 3-2 and that Phil Jackson's 10 million-0 after winning game 1.

Since Game 3 Andrew Bynum has been ineffective (43 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 0 blocks) and the series has reverted back to the 2008 Finals with the Celtics controlling the paint. This is fine for the Celtics who continue to win as the Lakers try nothing new to change the outcome. Watching the Lakers pass the ball around the perimeter and then look to Kobe to bail them out is painful!

(Charles Krupa / Associated Press)

What's surprising is that Phil Jackson hasn't changed what the Lakers are doing. For all his wisdom and the worshipness bestowed upon him, no one has questioned that he's been outcoached by Doc Rivers. The Lakers need to break out of the triangle when necessary. Two successful examples are the two-man game between Fisher and Bryant in Game 3 and the high screen-roll with Kobe and Pau against Orlando in the 2009 Finals.

Maybe Phil is immune to the criticism because he finds ways to win and two days from now we'll all be praising him for the Lakers' comeback victory. For the Lakers to win, it would help if Phil remembered strategies from The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a military strategy book that Phil has surely read.

Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards... Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

- Sun Tzu

The words "toughness" and "physicality" (i'm pretty sure this isn't even a word!) have been incorrectly thrown around recently. Hey, i get it, it's fun to say "work harder" and "play tougher," but the Lakers should be playing smarter. Everyone wants Lamar and Pau to suddenly put on 20 pounds of muscle and start pushing people around like they're Dwight Howard. Instead, as Sun Tzu suggests, LA should attack Boston's physical style and use it against them.

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

- Sun Tzu

Enough with the Philosophy, get to the Tactics!

What's Boston's strength? Strength!

This all starts with Kendrick Perkins, whose numbers don't reveal the impact he has on the game. With Bynum injured Perkins eats up space, grabs rebounds, and pushes anyone out of rebound position. He's really good at planting his feet and pushing with two hands. At 6'10" he's roughly the same height as Lamar and a couple inches shorter than Pau and Bynum. At 278 he's the same weight as Bynum and has 30 pounds on Pau and 50 on Lamar. With this height-weight combination he can easily push his opponents out of the way.

Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Tony Allen play tough one-on-one defense against Kobe and Pau. Their strategy is to push-up against Pau or Kobe and prevent them from generating any momentum when they put the ball on the floor.

They first make the catch very difficult by staying close to Kobe or Pau and preventing them from receiving the ball where they want it. When they do get the ball, the Celtics move into Pau and Kobe giving them no room to dribble or go towards the hoop. Obviously if someone crowds you on defense you try to go around them. Kobe and Pau cannot get around their opponent because when they put the ball on the ground their defender is still engaged (hand or forearm) with them. Technically this is a foul but the ref's aren't calling it and there's no point in complaining about it at this point. With a defender engaged with them, Pau and Kobe cannot get by their defender or are going so slowly that help defenders can easily rotate.

Turning Boston's Strength into a Weakness

Using strength and leverage requires being in close proximity to your opponent. The Lakers- who are longer, quicker, and faster- need to move without the ball, pass more, and swing through hand-checks. If the Lakers do this then it will prevent defenders from locking on Pau/Kobe and Perkins from owning the paint. If Perkins has to help or move around then he's away from the hoop which makes it more difficult for him to box out.

If Bynum can't contribute Phil should try using Mbenga who should be able wrestle with Perkins. The two are similar in style so Mbenga should be able to keep Perkins off the boards and hold is ground under the hoop.

To clear space Pau and Kobe can swing through the hand-check allowing them to break contact and possibly pick up a foul on their defender. If they do this a few times the defense will have to give them more room.

Let's look at LA's offense which gives Perkins paint control and allows the Celtics to help on Pau and Kobe. At 42 seconds into the video we see why the Lakers offense struggles-

Let's look at what happens with 10 seconds left on the 24-

First, Pau and Lamar are both setting a screen for Kobe which is kind of pointless since they're all bunched up. The key problem the Lakers are having is on the weakside where Fisher and Luke Walton allow one defender (Rondo) to guard two people while the other defender (Pierce) can roam freely. As the play develops, Fisher & Walton don't move from their positions, Pierce slides into the key, and Kobe puts up a shot over three defenders. Instead, if Walton or Fisher cuts there will be a clean pass to whoever Rondo leaves.

Another example of stagnant offense is Tony Allen's block on Pau Gasol in the third quarter (1:22 of the video).

Notice that the play involves four Lakers standing around the perimeter and Pau sealing for the lob. When the pass is made into Pau, Tony Allen can leave his defender because he has been watching the play develop and doesn't have to worry about his man (Sasha) who is right in front of him. To prevent Tony Allen from helping, all Sasha has to do is make a hard jab in one direction for a split second. This could force Tony to turn his back on Pau and chase Sasha a little bit.

The point here isn't that Sasha made a mistake but rather that LA's offense doesn't move around which allows help defenders to negate LA's individual offensive stars- mainly Kobe and Pau. In this play Rondo or Davis could also have stopped Pau from scoring. And because four Lakers are on the perimeter the Celtics also have inside rebound position to easily collect the miss.

The Lakers further prove my point through some plays that worked in Game 5. Watch what happens (2:56 into the video) when the Lakers pass the ball around and move without the basketball-

The Celtics play pretty good defense in this possession until Ray Allen doesn't realize Kobe is cutting to the hoop-

This is more good offense by the Lakers than it is bad defesne by Ray Allen. Notice that when Kobe cuts, Ray is thinking about helping against Lamar driving or Andrew/Artest under the hoop. Because the Lakers moved the ball around Ray was unable to keep an eye on both his man and the other Lakers.

Later in the video (4:53) there's another good example of the Lakers moving the ball & breaking the Celtics' defense. This time it's without Kobe but again involves movement and someone getting into the middle. The key play is made by Luke Walton who slowly (not really looking to score) & patiently drives into the key. He waits for the defense to step up and has an easy pass to Sasha who smartly moved without the ball and went to an open spot-

Notice that Tony Allen is forced to guard Lamar & Sasha out in the perimeter. Tony picks up Lamar cutting through key (incorrectly- helps already in the key!) and leaves Sasha for a wide open three. This is a decidely different outcome from the previously play where Tony Allen was a help defender, made the right choice, and blocked Pau's shot.

Also if Sasha misses there are angles and mismatches for the Lakers to sneak in and get an offensive rebound-

In this case notice that Walton has inside position on Rondo and Davis is trying to box out Pau Gasol. Also, Lamar and Farmar could easily sneak into the key to collect a long rebound since Pierce is floating in between them.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately for the Lakers, most of the other highlights in those videos involve the Celtics moving the ball on offense and the Lakers standing around when they have the ball. LA's defense has been okay but they cannot continue to score below 100 if they want to win the series. The Celtics are slower, older, and need close-proximity contact to stay with the Lakers. For the Lakers to win, they must trust each other, move without the ball, create spacing, and turn the Celtics' strengths into weaknesses.

Game 5 Preview: LA's Tied Despite Failing Strategy

2010-06-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

Like a dog chasing its tail, the LA Lakers will continue their same strategy as they try to beat the Boston Celtics tonight in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

For four games now the Lakers have been in control (leading in 3 games, tied in one) of each game through three quarters. It feels like Boston gets off to a quick start (Allen, Garnett, and Pierce in Games 2-4), LA catches up & takes control through halftime, and then both teams struggle through a seesaw third quarter. But the fourth quarter has been owned by the Celtics who have outscored the Lakers in 3 of 4 games (+7 in Game 1, +9 in Game 2, -1 in Game 3, & +9 in Game 4).

LA's Strategic Failure

During the fourth quarter the Celtics move the ball and make aggressive plays in the paint. Meanwhile, the Lakers pass the ball around the perimeter, get it to Kobe with ~8 seconds left in the 24, stand around, & then watch Kobe take a contested shot. This hasn't worked through four games and yet the Lakers have the same strategy.

This is painful to watch because they keep doing the same thing over and over & it's unwatchable basketball! The Lakers continue to use the same offensive sets to try to get the ball into post players. This strategy fails in the fourth when Pau & Bynum are pushed out of their position. I wrote about this problem in my Game 4 preview and even included some solutions.

LA's coaches have done nothing (outside of the Game 3 Kobe-Fisher two-man game) to change how they attack Boston. They have complained that Pau isn't tough and lashed out at Lamar Odom. Some of this is warranted but it's misdirected because it doesn't make sense to tell skilled players to become brute-strength players. Why play Boston's style? They Celtics want to stand around, push, and grab- this isn't LA's game. LA's coaches should be smart enough to find ways to get the ball into the paint and keep the ball moving.

The Celtics really haven't put a good game together and yet they're only two games from winning another championship. The Lakers have really lost this series so far.

Slowing Big Baby

Sadly i have to mention Glen Davis. He's played well so give him credit, but only the Lakers could turn him into a Finals hero for the Celtics. Going back to Game 1 i noticed that he was having his way with LA. Odom plays poor defense on Davis because he gives space to Davis who will then gather and initiate contact on Lamar to clear to get an open shot near the hoop. Bynum and Gasol have too much length for Davis to get space after clearing room.

If Bynum isn't able to play the Lakers could try putting Artest on Davis, Pau on Perkins, and Lamar on Pierce. Artest won't give Davis any room to create momentum and then initiate contact.

Game 4 Preview & Game 3 Thoughts: Bad Kobe, Good Fisher, No Pierce/Allen, & More...

2010-06-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / June 8, 2010)

Wow, what a game! Yes, Game 3 of the NBA Finals was full of drama but it was also an awful game to watch. Kobe (10-29), Pierce (5-12), and Allen (0-13) are supposed to be great scorers/shooters that showcase the best of NBA. Hopefully, the game will be remembered for Derek Fisher's heroic play during the fourth quarter....Hopefully, Game 4 will be watchable

Bad Kobe and LA's Stagnant Offense

Kobe made good plays in the first-half while driving and creating open looks. In the second-half, when things broke down, he either took deep shots or had drives that resulted in highly contested shots. This was Bad Kobe when they needed Good Kobe.

To be fair, LA's offense deserves some of the blame for Kobe's poor shooting. Not only do they expect him to bail them out with the 24 running out, but they also stand around and allow their defender to help if Kobe attacks.

How LA's Offense Can Improve

Helping Kobe

You have to move or set a weak-side screen so that defenders have to keep an eye on their defender. If you're cutting or setting a screen, defenders will have to turn their back to Kobe which will give Kobe some more room to attack. Instead the Celtics have three guys straddling the paint ready to help if Kobe drives.

Inside in the 4th

Throughout the series the Lakers have had trouble getting the ball to Pau and Bynum in the fourth quarter. Some of this that Kobe taking over, but the primary problem involves the post position the Pau and Andrew get. They usually come across the key and try to hold their position in the low block. Because they've been pushed or because the pass doesn't come quickly, they usually get the ball too far away from the hoop. Two easy solutions:

1) Use a cross-screen from a guard/forward so that the defender has to go under/over a screen when Pau/Bynum are crossing the key. This will give help Pau/Bynum time to get open since they can present a passing angle while their defender is getting through a screen.

2) Clear-through screen from the passer. This is when the guard passes it into the post and then goes towards the baseline & around a screen that the post player sets. Normally when this happens, Pau/Bynum's defender will give room so that the passer's defender can slide under Pau. This is all the room that Pau needs to get closer to the hoop and make a good play.

Derek Fisher

Leadership and excellence come in many forms, one of which must be playing beyond your potential when it counts most. It's really sad to see so many other players with bigger contracts, egos, and Twitter feeds that produce so much less than Fisher, who always makes huge plays in important moments.

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce

Ray obviously had an off-night for whatever reason- guarding Kobe, Fishers's defense, tired from Game 2, or the long distance travel from LA to Boston. Whatever the case he only missed 13 shots, Kobe missed 6 more! Regardless of why this happened the Celtics need more production from Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Too often the ball wasn't moving around and the Celtics were watching Ray Allen instead of creating screens or passing angles for Ray. One solution is to run more Pierce-Allen or Allen-Garnett screens to exploit LA on a switch.

Good Lamar, or Just Better Lamar?

Lamar had a decent game (5-5 fgs, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist) but that's only in comparison to the two horrendous games he had. The media makes it seems like he had a huge game and dominated the closing minutes of the game. Most of his damage (8 points) was in the first-half and included a banked-in 3-pointer. Yes, Lamar had two big hoops but he was totally outplayed by Glen Davis in the fourth.

Bad Officiating?

A lot has been made of the number of fouls called, key players in foul trouble, instant replay, and alleged uneven officiating. More than anything the officials have been calling the game tightly throughout the first three games.

If they're calling it this closely, then you're going to get called for pushing, grabbing, and reaching-in. It's up to the players to adjust. On the Celtics side, how can you complain when you take two hands and push Gasol/Bynum from the low block all the way out to the free-throw line. Apparently, their idea of physical play involves getting away with pushing and grabbing.

Also, just because one team takes more foul shots (or has more total fouls) doesn't necessarily mean that the officiating is uneven. It could be that one team is just committing more fouls than the other.

Doc Rivers put on a great show at Wednesday's press conference. He complained about Fisher's defense, accused the NBA of caving in to Phil's comment ("unusual" fouls called on Kobe in Game 2), and then said that it wasn't the officials fault. I wish there was video of this but the NBA probably won't be producing video of someone complaining about the officiating. From ESPN-

When asked how Fisher was able to be so successful drawing fouls while being screened, Rivers replied:

"What? Besides flopping? He doesn't do a lot extra. He plays hard. He's been in the game long enough to understand. I thought he got away with a lot last night. I thought there was a lot of holding going on and a lot of flopping going on and he finally showed that last one."

"But as far as the off-the-ball action, single double action, you are not allowed to hold. You're not allowed to bump and you're not allowed to impede progress. I read that this morning, and I'm positive of it. So you know, when that happens, it has to be called."

Addressing his points-
-Yes, Fisher does flop sometimes, but i don't think Doc should be complaining about flopping or else Pierce, Rondo, and Glen Davis will be in big trouble
- Phil just said that there were "unusual" fouls called on Kobe which is not a direct and blatant complaint about officiating. Doc's just doing this so that the media creates a firestorm to point the finger at the NBA.
- When Doc says it's not the officials fault he doesn't want to get fined and sound like he's complaining even though he knows that's what he's doing.
- On Fisher impeding progress- yes, Fisher does sometimes grab/hold and this should be called. But Ray Allen also runs into Fisher when Fisher takes away a certain spot. This is a foul on Ray since Fisher has a right to be in Ray's desired path without being shoved out of the way.

I thought David Stern was going to hand out six-figure fines for complaining about the ref's, has Stern gotten soft? Doc's real goal is to get more people talking about the officiating so a fine may actual work against Stern and in Doc's favor.

Part of the problem is that players, coaches, media, fans, and pundits put the officials in a no-win situation. On the one-hand they say "let the players play" so that the play becomes more physical with fouls only being called when the officials have to. But when does physical play become a foul? Typically, only when someone falls down do the officials feel they must call something.

What about the rebound that Odom knocked out of bounds with less than a minute left? Oh yeah, Rondo fouled Lamar by grabbing only arm when trying to steal the ball. The foul was clear in the replay but for some reason the official didn't make the call and the Celtics unfairly received possession. But if the official calls that foul then Celtics fan complains that it was ticky-tack. So either which way the official is blamed by one side.

Celtics Win Game 2: Allen Sizzles While Kobe Misses

2010-06-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / June 6, 2010)

There are a lot of reasons why the Boston Celtics won Game 2 over the LA Lakers. Those reasons included Ray Allen's remarkable shooting, Rondo's plays in the fourth quarter, bad officiating, and Kobe in foul trouble. Many of the changes I mentioned in my Game 2 Finals preview came true but not to the extent I imagined.

Two important changes had a major impact on Game 2:

1) Keep Ray Allen on the floor. Obviously, Ray had a ridiculous first half, but he was also a factor in the second half even though he only scored five points. He drew so much attention from LA that he created mismatches and scoring opportunities for others. At 1:29 of the video, Derek Fisher and Ron Artest both guard Allen leaving Paul Pierce for a wide open jump shot:

2) Defending Kobe Bryant. The Celtics did a much better job defending Kobe and they were also the beneficiary of the three offensive fouls called on Kobe. The two offensive fouls Kobe received in the second half were terrible calls. However, they did a do a better job of holding their ground when Kobe penetrated and making him take difficult shots. Ray Allen stayed out of foul trouble and did a good job of just making Kobe work hard for every shot he took. Even Tony Allen had some good aggressive minutes guarding Kobe.

How the game was decided

The score is tied 85-85 with 6:15 left in the fourth. Andrew Bynum has 21 points, Kobe has 13, and Pau Gasol has 24 points. How many touches did Bynum and Gasol get for the next ~5 minutes in crunch time? If you answered two, you guessed correctly.

"The more things change, the more things stay the same"....."They are who we thought they were"...(insert your cliche here)

For most of Kobe's career there has been a debate about his unwillingness to share the ball and play team basketball. During the last few years, his ability to hit good and bad shots has given him the upper hand in this discussion. Even in Game 1 he was consistently patient and distributed the ball throughout the game.

With the score tied at 85, Kobe makes two plays by himself on the Lakers next two possessions to give the Lakers a 90-87 lead. The Celtics would score the next 11 points while the Lakers would commit turnovers and watch Kobe miss three shots. The shots Kobe missed included a deep three-pointer and two drives into the key attacking multiple help defenders.

Instead of working through Bynum and Gasol, which had worked for seven quarters, Kobe was impatient and tried to take the game over all by himself. This is the conundrum that Kobe presents. Everyone knows he's the mamba, closer, finisher, etc. But through three quarters Pau and Bynum controlled the game. We've seen the shots Kobe's made in the past, so we don't think twice when he takes over the game even at the expense of good team offense. Why not get the ball to Pau/Bynum or run screen-roll to get the Celtics' defense to rotate? Instead, the other Lakers stood and watched as Kobe tried to take down the Celtics all by himself. It didn't work this time, what will the Lakers do next time?

Lakers-Celtics Game 2 Preview

2010-06-06T03:33:00.000-07:00

The Lakers will look to continue their success and go up 2-0 in the NBA Finals. Meanwhile Game 2 is Boston's last chance to steal a game in LA and take homecourt advantage. After a 13 point loss, they have multiple things to improve upon if they want to go back to Boston tied at 1-1. Look for the Celtics to make some changes to try to get back into the series.

Changes for the Celtics

Keep Ray Allen on the floor

Why?

They need Ray on offense because he creates problems for LA when he comes off of screens. Since Rondo is unable to penetrate, Ray creates shots for himself and teammates on curl screens into the key. Paul Pierce also creates but mostly from the high post.

What happened?

Ray was in foul trouble because he picked up fouls guarding Kobe. If Kobe's going to have a big game then that's fine; but Ray can't also get into foul trouble.

Lisa Blumenfeld / Getty Images

Solution?

Ray needs to play less aggressively on Kobe since the help defense is coming. Doc Rivers must also find ways to trap Kobe so that he's not attacking Ray so much.

Defending Kobe

What happened?

In Game 1 Kobe had 30 points and was able to score or create at will. Too often he came around screens and was wide open. In the third quarter the Celtics did a better job of trapping Kobe. This forced Kobe into a couple of turnovers and unsuccessful drives into the Celtics' help defense.

Solutions

1) Make Kobe dribble further out in the perimeter where his options are more limited. Perkins needs to come out on Kobe until a guard rotates back. Or he can double Kobe. Sometimes Kobe will try to drive and score over big men helping in the key. If you're the Celtics, you'll take your chances with this rather than having Kobe make easy passes that lead to open shots. Also, when the Lakers watch Kobe drive into multiple defenders they lose rhythm and have a tendency to make mistakes.

2) If you're going to double Kobe you might as well try putting Rondo on Kobe. Rondo will do a decent job of harassing Kobe around the perimeter and also rotating if he loses Kobe on screens. The Lakers will probably counter by putting Kobe in the post. This works in the Celtics' favor since they can get the ball out of Kobe's hands by sending the double team.

Attacking LA

The Celtics could run more screen-rolls that involve Pierce and Garnett or Allen and Garnett. Either of these options will create a mismatch that the Celtics can exploit. In Game 1, the Celtics ran mostly post plays. This works in the Lakers' favor since they have the length of Gasol and Bynum to make things difficult for anyone in the post. The Celtics can counter this by forcing Bynum and Gasol away from the hoop where they have to run around and find a guy to defend.

Mix it up!

Nate Robinson poses problems since he can hit the outside shot. On screen-rolls he has multiple options that will break down LA's defense: shoot the three-pointer, drive into the paint, or pass to an open teammate. The Lakers will be in trouble if Bynum or Gasol has to come out and cover Nate on a high screen.

Changes for the Lakers

Defending curl screens
The Lakers did a poor job of defending Ray Allen when he comes around curl screens from the baseline.

Solution
The Lakers can counter this by preventing Ray from getting the ball. Ray is curling on one side of the floor and the pass is coming from the top of the key or three-point line. If the guard defending the passer knows which side Ray is on, he can step to that side at an angle to prevent an easy pass to Ray. Yes, the defender gives up the lane but the Celtics might not be able to exploit this. This video (at 1:25) shows what happened in the third quarter-

Derek Fisher could step to his right at an angle if he knows that Ray is curling off a screen on that side of the floor. This would open the lane to Nate Robinson but the help defense (Shannon Brown and Gasol) may prevent Robinson from scoring or creating a shot. Brown could leave Rondo out on the perimeter to guard Robinson.

The same exact situation occurs at 1:39. This time Rondo is entering the pass so Brown has two options that involve leaving Rondo open. He can cut the pass off if he knows where Allen is or he can drop towards the free-throw line to double Ray Allen.

Pau isn't getting good post position
Pau allows defenders to push him too far from the high or low post. In the low post this is a problem because his post game is best at 8-10 feet from the hoop. At 10+ feet from the hoop he has to dribble towards the hoop (which invites help defenders) or is limited to face-up jumpers. His deadly right and left jump hooks are not an option that far from the hoop. At 1:58 in the video you can see one instance of this:

Solution

When posting Pau allows defenders to easily push him in his back and away from the hoop. To counter, Pau needs to find ways to prevent defenders from having an angle to simply push him. The easiest solutions is to face his defender for longer periods of time until the ball gets to him.

Lakers Control the Paint and Beat Boston in Game 1

2010-06-04T02:19:00.000-07:00

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

The formerly soft LA Lakers convincingly beat the Boston Celtics 102-89 in Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals. In my Finals Preview, I predicted several reasons why LA would dominate this series. These predictions held, and the Lakers had a relatively easy win. There were moments when it seemed like the Celtics would get back into the game but they never did.

Things the Lakers did well

Pau Gasol & Andrew Bynum dominated Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins even though Bynum only played a few minutes in the second half (not sure if he even played in the fourth quarter). Gasol (23 points and 14 rebounds) outplayed Garnett and Perkins who together put up 24 and 7 rebounds. Bynum's numbers (10 points and 6 rebounds) may not look significant but he created openings for his teammates since the Celtics have to keep someone on him when he's near the hoop. He was also able to tap rebounds & loose balls to himself or teammates. Gasol and Bynum were largely responsible for the Lakers 16-0 advantage in second chance points.

LA's backcourt switched so that Kobe Bryant guarded Rajon Rondo. Early in the game Rondo created several scoring opportunities when Kobe left him near the hoop to help with post defense. For the rest of the game, Kobe did a good job of staying in front of Rondo and not leaving Rondo to help.

On offense, Kobe pretty much did whatever he wanted on his way to 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. He didn't have a great shooting night (10-22) but he was able to score and create shots for others. Kobe got into trouble a few times when he tried to shoot over two/three Celtics or pass after the defense was all over him.

Although Lamar Odom was mired in foul trouble during most of the game, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown came off the bench to give the Lakers some good minutes. Both guards were able to penetrate and collapse the Celtics' interior defense. Brown got to the rim at will. As a big guard, he creates some of the same matchup problems that Kobe does.

Ron Artest played extremely well on both ends of the court. This was despite getting into foul trouble late in the first quarter which prevented him from playing much of the second quarter. Sure Pierce ended up with 24 but Ron made him work for every point. He also played great defense when he rotated onto a center or power forward. Ron played well on offense hitting from all over the floor including three three-pointers.

Things the Celtics did well

Paul Pierce had a huge game (24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists) even though Ron Artest played tough defense against him. Half of his points came from the free-throw line but he did miss all four of his three-point shots. His ability to get to the line could benefit the Celtics later in the series by getting LA's big men in foul trouble and creating open looks for his teammates.

Despite meager (12 points and 7 rebounds) numbers, Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis had productive contributions. They were both able to dictate how they wanted to play instead of being pushed around by Gasol and Bynum. Davis also did a great job when defending Gasol. He was able to push Gasol out to the three point line instead of allowing him to get the ball at the high post. And when Gasol went into the low post, Davis had already pushed him from his comfort zone.

NBA Finals Preview: Lakers Are Tough Enough

2010-06-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

For the 12th time in NBA history, the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics meet for the NBA title. Over the years, the two franchises have been noted for their differences. Most recently, the bigger and more physical Celtics beat LA in the 2008 Finals. Styles will again play a big part in the 2010 Finals with the Lakers ultimately winning in 5 or 6 games.

Despite major changes over the last two years, most people continue to claim that the Celtics are the more physical of the two teams. If you compare starters (Rondo-Fisher, Kobe-Allen, Pierce-Artest, Gasol-Garnett, and Bynum-Perkins) it's either even or the Lakers have the edge. A size advantage, deeper bench, the addition of Ron Artest, and the dominance of Kobe will propel LA to their 16th championship.

Frontcourt Matchup- Edge Lakers

That was 2008. This is 2010 and the Lakers are a different team. In 2008, LA started Radmonovic, Odom, and Gasol. That's a quick and agile frontline that will score a lot of points. It won't work against slow and physical. The Lakers' current frontline is more physical than the same Pierce-Garnett-Perkins combo that the Celtics will go with.

You might make the argument that Garnett and Perkins are more physical than Gasol and Bynum but I don't think this is relevant or even accurate. During the regular season, Gasol and Bynum (66 points and 38 rebounds) put up better numbers than Garnett and Perkins (44 points and 41 rebounds) as the teams split two games. The more physical Celtics that people talk about was Garnett and Perkins against Odom and Gasol.

If Bynum is unable to be productive (10 points, 8 rebounds, and 20 minutes) the Lakers will have serious problems and could lose the series. He can score against the Celtics and forces Perkins to play him instead of Gasol. Bynum's length will also cause problems for the Celtics who lack quick and aggressive help defenders who bother him.

Bench Matchup- Edge Lakers

LA gets a big advantage when they go to the bench. The major difference since 2008 will be the fact that the Celtics no longer have James Posey. Instead, they'll have to go with Tony Allen for some minutes at shooting guard and small forward. He's not exactly a noted defender while Posey is a tough defender who made Kobe work harder & caused problems for multiple Lakers. Without Posey, the Celtics don't have anyone that can give Kobe any problems.

Nate Robinson could give the Celtics a significant boost, but we don't know if he's going to get significant minutes or if he's going to be productive. He didn't do anything in the playoffs until Rondo got injured in Game 6 against Orlando.

Since the Lakers usually rotate Gasol, Odom, & Bynum at power forward & center, Rasheed Wallace & Glen Davis should not cause significant problems unless Bynum is injured or gets into foul trouble. Even if they do, Powell & Mbenga should be able to give the Lakers a few good minutes.

True Warrior vs The Truth: Slight Edge to Boston

Ron Artest and Paul Pierce don't like each other. They have history going back to when Artest pulled down Pierce's shorts while playing for the Pacers-

In February they got into it before the game started-

During the regular season, Pierce averaged only 13 points and 4.5 rebounds on 40% shooting. Those numbers might improve although Artest is also playing better now. Artest, who has struggled at times during the playoffs, will finally be in his element against a slow and physical team.

Backcourt Matchup- Edge Lakers

Yes, Rondo is much better than he was in 2008 but the Lakers can live with him scoring as long as he doesn't get into the paint and create scoring chances for others. LA should switch Kobe onto Rondo and have Fisher chase Allen around the perimeter. Kobe should go under every screen and force Rondo to beat them with jump shots. Ray Allen will have some good shooting games. As long as he doesn't get a consistent 20+ points the Lakers will be fine.

The Celtics have no one to contain Kobe. He can get whatever shot he wants over Ray Allen or Tony Allen. They don't have the luxury of throwing James Posey at Kobe and Marquis Daniels is out indefinitely. Pierce will also get torched by Kobe.

Coaching- Even

Doc Rivers had the coaching advantage against Orlando and Cleveland, where the Celtics won three out of the first four games on the road. His coaching advantage ends as he takes on Phil Jackson who has plenty of tricks of his own. Look for both coaches to make adjustments and play games both on and off the court.

Intangibles- Even

The Celtics have found ways to win in the playoffs after a rocky regular season. They pushed the right buttons and upset the #1 and #2 teams in the Eastern Conference Finals. This might be a problem for the Lakers who are certainly capable of playing some sloppy and bad basketball. However, this won't happen because the Lakers are still reeling from losing to the Celtics in 2008. An angry and vengeful Kobe will make sure that the Lakers are ready to beat the Celtics and repeat as NBA champions.

Lakers-Suns Game 5 Preview & Breaking the 2-3 Zone

2010-05-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

After losing another game to the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers should be very concerned. The loss by only nine points in Game 4 hides the fact that the Lakers, if it weren't for Kobe Bryant hitting ridiculous (& bad) shots, should have lost by 20+ points.The Lakers are not doing a good job guarding the pick-and-roll and have been unable to adjust to the Suns' 2-3 zone.

106 points for the Lakers is good, but they cannot expect to win if they give up 115. To make matters worse, Nash & Stoudemire didn't have huge games. Instead, the Suns' bench did the majority of the damage in the second and fourth quarters.

When defending against the Suns, you need long/athletic shootings guard and small forwards to rotate to shooters, fill gaps, and pick-up big men on screen-rolls. The Lakers only have three players (Odom, Bryant, and Brown) who fit this build.

The Lakers’ zone offense also leaves them in a bad spot because they usually have a guard in the corner (Fisher) who has to catch up to a guard that’s defensing near or above the free-throw line. This has lead to some bad switches and open perimeter shots for the Suns as the Lakers scramble to match-up on defense.

LA can try a few different things to mix things up against the Suns. I'm not sure if any of these options will shut the Suns down but they're decent options since what they're currently doing isn't working:

1. Switch Kobe and Fisher so that Kobe guards Nash & Fisher guards Jason Richardson. This could slow down the Nash-Stoudemire pick-and-roll. The Suns could then try to post Richardson against Fisher. This is okay because it gets the Suns out of pick-and-roll situations, prevents Richardson from launching 3's, and might not work because Fisher is a crafty defender.

2. Put Ron Artest on Nash or Stoudemire. Artest might be able to do a decent job on Stoudemire either in the post or if he has to switch onto Stoudemire when he's guarding Nash. Right now, Artest isn’t too involved in the defense since he’s just chasing Hill and Richardson around the perimeter.

3. A really radical option would be to play some sort of zone (3-2?). This seems like a good idea since the high screen-roll is pointless against two guards who will just switch. The problem with the zone is that it often yields open shots & a variety of opportunities for teams like the Suns with good wing players (Richardson, Barbosa, Hill, & Dudley). But trying this out for a few plays, LA could slow the Suns down for a few moments and would also allow Gasol & Bynum to stay near the paint where they can protect the hoop. The Suns' offense is designed to expose their advantage over Bynum & Gasol who have trouble guarding Stoudemire when he's dribbling at them.

Bynum

Yes, everyone knows that Bynum is injured. His injury should be a major concern for the Lakers for both the remainder of this series and if they advance to face Orlando or Boston. His knee is preventing him from extending and making quick moves on offense. Bynum could be causing problems if he could rotate on defense and also move quickly through the Suns' zone defense. They could try using Powell and Benga who could cause some problems.

Breaking the 2-3 Zone

Despite the Suns' 2-3 zone, the Lakers have still been productive in both road games (109 and 106 points). So, again, the zone is a problem but they need to make more improvements on defense. Here’s an excellent breakdown of what the Lakers are doing wrong:

A few takeaways from the video:

- The key to breaking the zone is the decision made by the player who gets it in the high post. He will have two or three defenders converging on him (see video at 0:30) so he can either drive or pass to someone cutting. Since the Lakers are still getting used to attacking the zone, the high-post player has been reluctant or uncomfortable with making the right move.

- At 1:49 Ron Artest panics as defenders converge on him. He then takes a shot while driving into three defenders. If Ron passes to the right,Lamar Odom is wide open and Grant Hill will be forced to chase Lamar or leave Gasol open under the hoop.

- At 2:22 Lamar cuts too far to the low-block and the makes another mistake when he meets the pass to high and far from the high-post. If he stays in the paint and comes to the high-post he has an open shot or he can drive right to the hoop. Instead of moving into the high-post he moved into positions used in the triangle offense.

- At 4:42 Kobe gets the ball at the high-post as two defenders converge on him. For the Lakers to beat the zone Lamar must cut more aggressively into the weak-side opening. At this point, Kobe could have made an easy pass to Lamar. But Lamar didn’t cut quickly and the pass is more difficult because Dragic gets in the way. If the pass gets through, Lamar has a bunch options since a 3-2 advantage has been created. He can shoot, drive, or pass to Shannon Brown who will be open in the corner. Again, the main problem is that the Lakers are not comfortable with attacking the 2-3 zone. Lamar is too slow or reluctant to cut and Kobe’s not sure he can make the pass even though it looks like there’s enough room.

The 2-3 zone can be broken when two things happen:

1) The ball is entered into the high-post

2) The ball then gets swung to someone cutting through the other high-post on the weak-side. This player will then have a 3-2 advantage where he can shoot, pass, or drive.

Game 5 Prediction

My earlier prediction of the Lakers winning in six could still happen. But as I anticipated in that post, the injury to Bynum is really hurting LA. In Game 5, look for the Lakers to play better defense and do a better job of executing on offense. I don’t anticipate that the Suns’ bench will be as productive as they were in Game 4. The Lakers will also make a few adjustments, shoot better, and take advantage of playing at home.

Did the Orlando Magic Take Control of the East Conf. Finals by Winning Game 4?

2010-05-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The Orlando Magic avoided elimination with an exciting 96-92 OT win over the Boston Celtics.in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. After three forgettable games, the Magic won by controlling the tempo & forcing the Celtics to defend more than just Dwight Howard posting up.

What changed?

The obvious adjustment the Magic made was running the pick-and-roll instead of posting Howard on the low block. The Magic predominantly ran double screen-roll with a small (like Rashard Lewis) and Howard screening for Nelson above the 3-point line. From this pick-and-roll Nelson penetrated and either found teammates on the perimeter or found Howard under the hoop with a mismatch.

Why was this so important?

By forcing the Celtics to switch or trap the screen-roll, the Magic give Nelson the opportunity to pass to a cutting Howard (trap) or drive/shoot on a bigger defender like (Perkins, Davis, or Garnett). On the drive Nelson also has the option of passing to an open shooter (Lewis, Barnes or Redick), finishing mid-range jumper or lay-up, or throwing a lob to Howard.

This tactic exposes the Celtics age, slowness, and lack of athleticism. By making the Celtics work harder on defense, the Magic also prevent the Celtics from getting fastbreak points and using all of their energy on offense. This also plays to the Magic's strength of moving the ball, attacking the rim, and shooting 3-pointers. In Game 4 Howard and Nelson were the only two Magic players to have breakthrough games but this could change very easily at home in Game 5.

What the analysts, pundits, and experts missed

This was not about heart, effort, pride, or intensity. Orlando had the same strategy for three games and it only briefly worked in Game 2. If you continue with a failed strategy of course you’re going to keep losing! I was surprised that it took them three games to figure this out. What’s more surprising and impressive is that in one only one game they were able to quickly adjust and win in Game 4. Normally, a major strategy change takes longer to effectively implement.

Who’s got control of the series now?

I actually think that Orlando has control of the series now that they’ve figured what works against the Celtics, have some confidence, and have a favorable schedule. While my earlier prediction of the Magic winning in six was obviously wrong, they do have a pretty good chance at winning in 7.

Even though they won Game 4, the Magic didn’t play well outside of Nelson, Redick, & Howard. They didn’t get any contributions from Pietrus, Carter, Williams, and Gortat/Bass. Luckily Lewis finally had a decent game, but he can do much better than 13 points on 4-10 shooting.

Before Game 4 and excluding the two missed free throws in Game 2, Vince Carter was the Magic’s best option (18 pts/game) in the first three games. Unfortunately, those missed free throws and disappearing in Game 4 will be what Carter will be known for if he doesn’t find away to deliver for the Magic. No more fading jumpers and scowling at the officials when they don’t call a foul. Go in and try to dunk every attempt. The Celtics don’t have shot blockers for dribble penetration and they don’t want to leave 3-point shooters or Howard open.

Through the rest of the series, there will only be one day off in between games. The longer the series goes, the more the schedule favors the Magic. If the series goes to Game 7 then the two teams will have to play five games in nine days with two of the last three games played in Orlando.

Lakers-Suns 2010 West Finals Preview- Lakers in 5 or 6

2010-05-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

(Getty Images)

After a lifetime (alright, it's only been a week) the Lakers & Suns return to the court tonight in the Western Conference Finals. LA won the season series 3-1 but, apparently, you can throw that stat out the window because the Suns are a new team now that Amare isn't being shopped around. I don't buy this, or any other, arguments that have Phoenix winning or taking the Lakers past 6 games.

The Lakers are still bigger than the Suns and have the personnel to win at the Suns' own game of increasing the tempo. During the regular season, the Lakers scored 100+ in all four games and even held the Suns under 100 twice. Much has been made of the Suns' bench, but the Lakers' bench is just as good- they just don't get as many minutes since Phil plays his starters more. Since the tempo will increase, look for the Lakers to use, and get more out of, their bench.

Phil is concerned about the Suns as indicated by his comments questioning Steve Nash's dribbling. When asked if the Lakers were having trouble simulating Steve Nash, he accused Nash of a carrying violation- “Yeah, because you can’t carry the ball like he does in practice.... can’t pick that ball up and run with it.”

(tried to embed this video directly from NBA.com, but the embed curiously pointed to another a video soon after embedding.....conspiracy theorists, add this to your list)

This is a compliment to Nash & the Suns because it shows he's concerned with them. Jackson needled Durant before the OKC series but had nothing to say about Deron Williams- who also clearly carry's the ball- when the Lakers played the Jazz.

(watch Nash carry not once, but twice)

Phil's correctly pointing out that Nash does carry the ball on most pick-and-rolls. When he goes around the screen, carrying the ball gives Nash two options- 1) if defender #2 steps up, bounce-pass between defenders and hit the screener 2) if defender #2 sags, attack and get into the defense or take a wide open jump shot. The carry (along with a moving screen) creates a 2-1 opportunity where Nash's defender is completely wiped out. This dribbling violation gives Nash more momentum to penetrate or creates more time/space to expose the defense.

That everyone is talking about this means that Phil's getting what he wants- the fans, officials, & media will all watch Nash a little more carefully. Besides, Phil's an expert on the carrying violation after watching MJ for so many years. But this may backfire on Phil if the referees watch Kobe coming over a screen. What happened to David Stern, who threatened to fine coaches/players for commenting about the officiating?

LA's main weakness is injuries to Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. The Lakers need the length of Bynum to cause matchup problems against the Suns- 10 points & 8 rebounds should do the trick. Unfortunately, Bynum's knee (torn cartilage!) is giving him problems & Kobe hasn't played in a week. If both players are injured then LA will have trouble rotating on defense and keeping up with Phoenix.

Eastern Conf. Finals Preview & Defending LeBron (because no one cares about Orlando/Boston)

2010-05-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Yes the Eastern Conference finals is about to start, but let’s talk about LeBron since the Cavs' loss is more fun (and higher in importance according to the media) to talk about than anything on the court.

And while I’m at it, I’ll pile on LeBron like everyone else. After all, he must be a quitter since he had only 27 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists on an “off-night” in Game 6. Sure he made a bunch of mistakes (9 turnovers!) & shot poorly, but when Rondo posted similar numbers, the discussion was if Rondo was the best point guard in the league. Has any other small-forward ever compiled these stats & received so much criticism?

What happened to LeBron?

The Cavs lost because LeBron’s elbow prevented him from hitting outside shots. In Game 6, he hit two 3’s early in the 4^th quarter but once again shot below 40% (8/21) for the entire game. As I stated in my last post, the Cavs can’t win if LeBron shoots this poorly.

There are no other rational explanations for why he played so poorly. Unfortunately, his refusal to acknowledge the impact of his elbow injury leaves the door open to plenty of wild & irrational explanations for his poor performance.

Did Cleveland's management & Coach Mike Brown make all the right moves?

Yes and no. With a healthy LeBron the Cavs could (can?) win a title with the talent they have, although it’s not an overwhelming roster that can step up when one major player is injured. And maybe GM Danny Ferry did everything possible; but at the end of the day they have less talent than the remaining teams in the playoffs.

Their roster is loaded with players that play well with LeBron, but have trouble attacking top defenses on their own. Mo Williams (Cavs #2 scorer?) was very inconsistent against the Celtics- good numbers in Game 1 & 6 (21 pts on 50% shooting) but awful in Games 2-5 (9.5 pts on 32% shooting). Against the Celtics, #3-scorer Antawn Jamison averaged 12 points on 42% shooting. His offensive efficiency was much better in the regular season (15.8 pts on 48% fgs) and in the first round (19.4 pts on 51% fgs) against the Bulls. And as good as the Williams & Jamison are, they don’t match the combos that the remaining playoff teams have- Kobe/Gasol, Nash/Stoudemire, Howard/Lewis/Carter, & Rondo/Pierce/Garnett/Allen.

Against the Celtics, the Cavs played unusual line-ups and combinations that didn’t look comfortable on the floor together. J.J. Hickson started for much of the season (77 games) & then averaged only 9 minutes against the Celtics. And the Cavs never really had a solid rotation involving Ilgauskas, O’Neal, Varejao, & Jamison. They kept trying to find the right defense but the Celtics (especially Garnett) exploited O’Neal, Ilgauskas, & Jamison either in the pick-and-roll or post.

Mike Brown is a solid coach with a healthy LeBron. However, two issues became evident against the Celtics:

An inability to adjust. With LeBron not playing well, the Cavs failed to make substantial changes. You have to skip Game 3 from any analysis because that was with a healthy LeBron. Through five games they made very few changes to move the ball faster and get other players more involved. They ran many of the same sets even though the results did not support doing so (two blowout losses in Cleveland). They made some changes in Game 6 (Shaq on Garnett) but the changes came too late. The Cavs just didn’t have enough time to integrate major changes in their offense so they still (incorrectly) relied on LeBron to create shots for everyone else.
Personnel integration. The Ilgauskas-Jamison deal added talent to the Cavs but Coach Brown was unable to find an affective 8/9 man rotation against the Celtics. Ilgauskas played in Game 1(5 mins), Game 5 (14 mins) and Game 6 (14mins) but sat on the bench during Games 2-4. J.J. Hickson played 10+ mins in the first three games but then only played a few mins in the last three (~5mins in games 4/5 and then 10 seconds in Game 6). Players need consistent minutes to play well together. Playing only a few minutes together, or skipping games completely, hurts on-court chemistry.

It’s not clear who (if anybody) should be blamed for these two problems. Some of the blame could be given to both Mike Brown & Danny Ferry. Mike Brown used the players that Danny Ferry gave him, but maybe Brown should have done a better job managing minutes and making adjustments. Then again, Danny Ferry could have acquired players that fit together better. Or maybe if LeBron’s healthy then this discussion doesn’t even happen.

Should LeBron stay?

From a basketball perspective, no. He could go to a number of other NBA teams that have more talent, are younger, and have better cap situations. But I have a feeling he’ll stay in Cleveland because he’s loyal to Ohio.

Orlando-Boston Preview

Orlando wins in 5 or 6. No one matches up well with the Magic who hit 3’s, attack, and rotate the ball very well. The Magic are also really hot right now having swept the Hawks & Bobcats.

In 2009, the Magic defeated the Celtics in the Eastern Semifinals after a resounding 101-82 Game 7 win in Boston. Since then, the Celtics’ big three have gotten a year older, while Orlando, with Nelson (now healthy), Howard, & Lewis, have added an NBA Finals appearance & Vince Carter to their resume. Mickael Pietrus & Matt Barnes have played very well at small forward in place of Hedo Turkoglu.

The Celtics will have trouble containing Nelson, Carter, Barnes, Lewis, & Pietrus on the perimeter and when they drive to the hoop after the ball is rotated. This is where Orlando can exploit its speed and a slow-rotating Celtics defense.

Kevin Garnett will once again be a major problem for the Magic. Garnett is too big for Lewis so the Magic may have to put Gortat or Howard on him. The Magic may also have problems with Rondo, depending on how they decide to guard him.

For the second consecutive season, too much speed & 3-point shooting will overwhelm the Celtics.

Cavs Need a Healthy LeBron to Beat the Celtics

2010-05-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

My last post explained why LeBron's injured elbow is so critical to the Cavs success. When his elbow was better in game 3, he & the Cavs dominated. But his poor shooting during the other four games largely explains why the Cavs are facing elimination in Game 6 against the Celtics.

Game 6 Preview

The Cavs can only win if LeBron is healthy. And the odds of that are low when you look at what's transpired so far. LeBron has played poorly with the exception of Game 3. Through five games he's averaging 26.8 pts on 46% shooting. The 46% shooting is low for James (50% during reg. season) but still respectable. But if you take out Game 3 (14-22 fgs & 38 pts) his numbers drop considerably to 19.2 pts on 40% shooting (29/71). So really he's struggled in four of five games.

Both Cavs' wins have come off of at least two days of rest (Game 1 on 3 days rest and Game 3 off 2 days rest). So it appears that LeBron needs more than the one day of rest between Game 5 and 6.

It's one thing to play with an injury but it's an entirely different challenge when that injury is to your shooting arm. Also, the elbow is critical to LeBron's jump-shot. If you look at his shooting motion (above), his elbow is bent outward instead of being straight. Since his elbow isn't straight, his shot requires that his elbow control the force and direction of his release. An injured elbow explains why he's been unable to shoot confidently from the perimeter.

It's okay for LeBron to play with an injury. If he just acknowledges the injury then his teammates & coaching staff can adjust accordingly. Instead the Cavs haven't changed and they continue to look sluggish and unable to attack the Celtics sagging defense. Either his injury has to get better or the Cavs must change their offense if they want to challenge the Celtics.

What the Celtics have done right so far-

Control game tempo. They don't want to run with Cavs who are younger and feed off of fastbreaks and attacking the hoop.
Garnett dominating in the post. Jamison is a small 6'9" trying to challenge a lengthy Garnett at 6'11". Garnett gets whatever shot he wants against Jamison, he's just that much bigger. This isn't Jamison's fault, the Cavs have to adjust their defense. Varejao is probably their best bet against Garnett. Try starting Varejao & moving Parker to the bench.
Keep LeBron out of the paint. It's not the Celtics' fault that LeBron is reluctant to take outside shots. If he stays out on the perimeter then the Celtics can cover or double everyone else.
Rondo causing havoc. He's putting up huge numbers and taking what the Cavs are giving him (more on this later). What's most impressive is his decision making & that he hasn't forced the issue even though he's wide open on every screen.

What the Cavs have done right-

Make Rondo beat them. Rondo has put up huge numbers but the Cavs will take their chances with Rondo trying to score instead of Pierce, Garnett, & Allen all scoring 18+. The strategy of letting Rondo score while containing everyone else would work if the Cavs were playing better on offense.
Containing Pierce (13.6 pts on 35% shooting through 5 games). With Rondo dribbling so much, Pierce hasn't had the ball much and has been a non-factor against the Cavs. Certainly, LeBron's defense has also made things difficult for Paul.

NBA Conf. Semifinals Heating Up- Cavs look to Regroup & Lakers Look to Close

2010-05-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

Predictions & Previews for Games 3 & 4 of the NBA Conference Semifinals-

Cavs-Celtics

Tied at 1-1, Cleveland is in a tough spot with two upcoming games in Boston. The Cavs would be favorites but LeBron's elbow has slowed him down in the last two games. He put up good numbers in Game 1 but he's been reluctant to shoot from the outside in both games.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

LeBron must be more aggressive from the perimeter if Cleveland wants to take control of the series. His ability to break down defenses requires that opponents challenge his outside shot. Right now the Celtics are backing off LeBron since he's reluctant to shoot. This allows the Celtics' defense to counter his penetration without giving up good looks to everyone else. The other Cavs (Z, Moon, West, & Anthony Parker) are much more effective when they're attacking a scrambling & slow-rotating Celtics defense.

If LeBron's elbow is better (after what seems like a week off) then Cleveland will win both games. If not, look for a split in Boston and the series to move back to Clevland tied at 2-2

Orlando-Atlanta

This series is all but over with both teams heading in opposing directions after Game 2. Mentally, the Hawks imploded during the third & fourth quarters of Game 2. Josh Smith lost his composure & Joe Johnson dribbles to much slowing down the rest of the offense. Al Horford, the Hawks' third or fourth option on offense, was their best option in Game 2 (24 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 9-13 fgs, and only 1 turnover). And he had to score most of his points against Dwight Howard, the Defensive Player of the Year. Teams that advance in the playoffs don't have this many chemistry & mental issues. Look for the teams to split in Atlanta & Orlando to finish the series in Game 5.

Los Spurs-Los Suns

With any Suns' playoff series you have to wonder if their up-tempo style will work. So far it has as the Suns are heading to San Antonio with a 2-0 lead. I thought the Spurs would win in 5 or 6 but that's looking less likely as they've been unable to dictate tempo and keep the score under 100. For the Suns to win they need to score 105+ points in San Antonio, which i don't think they'll be able to. Look for the momentum to swing back in the Spurs' favor with two home wins this weekend.

Lakers-Jazz

This series is all but over as the Jazz haven't grown any taller since the series started. They've played valiantly but they just don't have a chance against the length of Bynum, Gasol, & Odom. The Lakers will probably fall asleep during Game 3 or 4 so that they have to finish the Jazz in Game 5. I'm still impressed with what the Jazz have accomplished especially when they're achievements are compared against Denver & Atlanta's- two teams achieving so much less with much more talent- inability to put up a good fight. Give a lot of credit to Jerry Sloan, Williams, Boozer, Millsap, and Jazz management.

Bad Idea: Los Suns to Mix Playoffs & Politics Tonight

2010-05-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona Republic

Tonight in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Phoenix Suns will wear alternative jerseys that say "Los Suns" to voice their displeasure over the Arizona's tough new immigration law. Suns' managing partner Steve Sarver explained-

"The frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law. However intended, the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question, and Arizona's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them."

"Hopefully, it's all going to get worked out and the federal government will step in and there'll be a national solution. I realize that immigration is a problem and we have issues that need to be dealt with. I just don't think this bill accomplishes that," said the team executive. "I don't think it's the right way to handle the immigration problem."

Regardless of your political viewpoint, this is not a good move for the NBA and the Suns, who are trying to win an important playoff series. Yes, the Suns' Steve Nash said that the team voted for the alternative jerseys but they're representing the organization & the NBA so we don't if everyone involved would agree to this. Do you think all Suns' employees & NBA players support this protest? I doubt it.

The bigger question involves if an employer can mandate that employees support their political messages. I'm not a legal expert, but somehow i don't think employers have this power. As an NBA player you cannot question the officiating but you're expected to support a political viewpoint that you might disagree with, how can this happen?

From a basketball perspective this has its own problems- what if you're a player, owner, or other employee that doesn't support this move or simply doesn't want to express political views at work? Do you really want to go against the majority & stir-up discontent in the locker room? How would this impact team chemistry? Yes, the political issue is much more important than a bball game but it can have a negative impact on the game.

Enough About Politics, Get to the BBall

Where are all the Lamar Odom haters? Or are they just around when things go wrong and they need to blame somebody? In Game 2 against the Jazz, Lamar had 11 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, & 3 blocks in only 28 minutes.

Laker fans, don't worry Sasha Vujacic will soon return to bolster the bench. His 2.8 points & 30% 3-point shooting will definitely be an upgrade form Ron Ron launching 3's (1-7 in game 2 & 0-3 in game 1).

Doomsday in Lakerdom? It's not over yet

2010-04-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Derek Fisher, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / April 22, 2010)

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-04/53438471.jpg

Yes, the LA Lakers are struggling against the Oklahoma Thunder, but their first round playoff series isn't over yet. They should be able to get by the Thunder in 6 or 7 if they can just make a few adjustments and make some open shots!

My prediction that an attacking Thunder would exploit the slow-lengthy Lakers came to fruition in games 3 and 4. To change the momentum & regain control of the series, the Lakers need to do a few a few things in game 5:

Perimeter players have to hit open shots! OKC is sagging on Bynum & Gasol, who have been effective when they've gotten touches. Fisher, Odom, Bryant, Farmar, & Artest must make a few three's to open up the lane for driving and give post players more room. The Lakers were 10-31 and 4-22 from the 3-point line in games 3 and 4, respectively. Only Fisher shot well in both games (4-5 in game 3 and 3-6 in game 4). By allowing perimeter defenders to double-down OKC takes advantage of its speed and athleticism and overcomes its inability to guard Bryant, Gasol, & Bynum on a 1-1 basis.
Slowdown the OKC attack by limiting easy outlet passes. In games 3 & 4, the Thunder held a 47-9 advantage over the Lakers in fastbreak points. Laker bigs need to prevent easy (don't foul, just put your hands up) outlets to Westbrook who starts their break. Hitting outside shots will also slow the Thunder attack.
Stop overplaying perimeter players. Too many Lakers are reaching and getting beat by Westbrook, Durant, & Harden. See if the young Thunder can hit contested jump shots as the shot clock winds down. Once they penetrate & get into the lane, too many bad things happen. The longer the shot clock lasts, the better the Lakers' chances.
Kobe needs to be shoot more than 45%. Through the first four games, he's shot 38% which won't get it done. At this point, it's not important to try to figure out exactly why he only took 10 shots in game 4. If the Lakers want to win and avoid a colossal upset, then he has to be more aggressive and make more shots.

Lakers-Thunder Preview: 3 Reasons Why LA Will Struggle

2010-04-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

(http://my.lakers.com/blogs/)

The LA Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The Lakers will struggle against OKC because of injuries, perimeter defense and an inability to guard Kevin Durant.

Injuries: The Lakers will look sluggish as they integrate Andrew Bynum and Kobe Bryant back into the rotation. The triangle operates instinctively so that players exploit their strengths through picks and cuts. As the season ended, the offense was run through Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, two players that don’t naturally dominate the ball. It’s not fun watching them try to stay aggressive while working Bynum and Bryant (two guys who need the ball) back into the offense.
Over-Aggressive Perimeter Defense: Fisher, Bryant, and Artest are too aggressive when picking-up perimeter opponents.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
They begin defending opponents 2-3 feet beyond the 3-point line when they’re not even attacking. This plays right into the hands of athletic guards like Westbrook, Sefolosha, and Harden who love to penetrate. I know they have this “funneling” philosophy but it’s actually an especially bad tactic against the Thunder. Once they get past that first defender they’re basically pushing a 5-on-4 fast-break starting from the 3-point line. As good as Gasol and Bynum are, their weakness is in tracking smaller players heading straight towards them. Nor are they well suited to rotate out to big-men who hit outside shots (Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic). And Artest will be unable to help off of Durant. A better tactic would be to drop back and let them try to tangle with a formidable frontline (two seven-footers and Artest) using traditional offensive sets.

Phil Jackson’s not confident his team can slow down Kevin Durant. Phil Jackson was fined $35k this week for comments insinuating that Durant gets unwarranted “superstar” treatment from the officials.Why would he need to probe Durant and get into his head? Phil's complaints are a sign of weakness- he's unsure if Artest and the Lakers' defense can handle Durant. Phil usually reserves his jabs for later rounds and more threatening opponents (guys like LeBron, Dwight Howard, Carmelo, and Ginobili) with playoff experience. Yes, Durant can score but this is OKC’s first playoff appearance and their team is full of young inexperienced players. When you have to complain in the media then you have a problem that can’t be dealt with on the court.

Prediction: Lakers in 6. The Lakers will struggle but it’s more about them working through their injuries. Too much size, experience, depth and talent will overpower the Thunder.

ESPN’s Guru of Go- A Must Watch for BBall Fans

2010-04-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

(Paul Westhead, Bo Kimble, Hank Gathers , & Jeff Fryer at the 1989 NCAA tournament)

While it has been 20 years since LMU's Hank Gathers passed away, that moment, and a wonderful story involving Paul Westhead and Bo Kimble, are thoughtfully retold in Guru of Go, the latest episode of ESPN’S 30 for 30. I knew some parts of the tragedy but the documentary uncovered aspects of the story that I forgot, or never new, about.

I enjoyed this documentary immensely because it tells the story of how three individuals persevered from rejection to form one of basketball's most beloved teams. And then despite the mid-season loss of Gathers, Westhead & Kimble somehow lead LMU to the Elite Eight. This documentary is a must watch for every basketball junkie.

Paul Westhead won an NBA Championship with the LA Lakers in 1980 and a WNBA Championship in 2007 with the Phoenix Mercury. He is best known for his fast-paced offense -“pouring gasoline on fire”- that is most evident in his LMU teams of the late 1980’s. Westhead's LMU teams were lead by Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble, who each averaged 30+ points in 1990. While his system is still controversial, and not entirely successful, no one can deny the success he has had with the Lakers, LMU, & Phoenix Mercury.

After winning the 1980 NBA Championship as a rookie head coach, Westhead was fired from the Lakers in 1981. In the documentary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Westhead speculate that Magic Johnson didn’t like Westhead’s offense. And at the press conference firing Westhead, Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss all but confirms this. What’s surprising is that they claim that his offensive system was too slow.

After an unsuccessful stint with the Chicago Bulls, Westhead returned to Southern California as the coach of the Loyola Marymount Tigers in 1985. Coaching a small basketball program in the WCC conference was surely a step down from the NBA but his luck changed when he was able to convince two Philly kids (Gathers & Kimble) to transfer from USC.

(Bo Kimble & Hank Gathers)

It’s not quite clear why they transferred but their scholarships were revoked (academically ineligible according to USC) following their freshman year and the arrival of new coach George Raveling. Interestingly, Raveling would go on to become one of USC’s most highly regarded basketball coaches.

Gathers & Kimble were perfect for Westhead’s offense which would try to outscore & wear opponents down with a relentless running attack. Their strategy involved taking shots early in the shot clock (within 10 seconds?). The point guard would drive down the middle of the court with the shooting guard and small forward filling the right & left sides of the court. If they couldn’t get a shot with this initial push they would hit the power forward or center trailing down the middle. This system, which provided plenty of open space, allowed Gathers to use his superior quickness and shooting to easily score on bigger opponents. Gathers, an undersized power forward at 6' 7", excelled in this system becoming the second player to lead the NCAA in scoring (32.7 ppg) and rebounding (13.7 rpg) in the same season.

Lead by Kimble & Gathers, LMU was building momentum for the NCAA tournament when Gathers collapsed in a WCC tournament game against Portland on March 4th, 1990. This segment of the documentary is especially difficult to watch. Twenty years later it’s still hard to comprehend how a world class athlete can just collapse on the court. To make the situation even more tragic, Gathers’ family is attending the game and you see Hanks’s mom & aunt on the court pleading with doctors to help him.

After Gathers’ initial collapse, he gets up and refuses to lay down despite trainer Chip Shaefer’s (now with the Lakers) recommendations. Eventually he lays down, or collapses, and you can see his chest expanding & contracting as he struggles to breath. Gathers passes away soon after at a local hospital. Officially, Hank Gathers died from cardiomyopathy and an autopsy showed that he was not taking his medications.

The LMU team, the university, and legions of basketball fans are left wondering how to grieve, and process what has happened. After Gathers’ funeral, the story takes another turn as the LMU players decide to continue their season by participating in the NCAA tournament.

Somehow basketball itself is used as a way to grieve and pay tribute to Gathers. Bo Kimble honors Hank by shooting his first free throw of every game left-handed. Kimble leads LMU (through defending champion Michigan) to the Elite Eight where they succumb to the eventual champion UNLV.

Westhead resigns when the season is over. Like any other responsible authority figure, I’m sure he wonders if he could have somehow saved Hank. The Gathers family sues LMU eventually settling for $1.2 million. In the documentary, Hank’s brother regrets the lawsuit and places blame on our litigious culture. Westhead kept coaching, eventually winning a WNBA Championship in 2007.

Paul Westhead coaches the women's basketball team at the University of Oregon. On February 19th, 2000, LMU retired the jersey numbers of both Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble.

Foul or Block- You Make the Call

2010-03-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Spurs' guard Manu Ginobili blocked a shot by Celtics' forward Kevin Garnett during the Spurs beatdown of the Celtics 94-73 this past Sunday. Some people are now calling it the best block of the year. I'm not sure about that or even if it was a block. What do you think- was this a block or should there have been a foul called on Ginobili or George Hill?

The play is certainly quite dramatic as you see a Hall of Famer get taken down by a guard. But if you look more closely there is contact that makes it difficult to decide if it was good defense or if the officials made a mistake.

At 0:32 seconds it appears that there was a substantial, & significant, amount of contact-

What do you think- was this a foul or a good play?

Personally, i think the officials missed three fouls. The first foul is Hill pushing KG in the lower back with his left hand. If you miss that foul then what about Hill's right hand/forearm on KG's right forearm? Lastly, if you look at the picture, Ginobili's left hand is clearly on KG's right wrist. If your claim is that Ginobili's hand ended up on KG's hand after the block, that's just not possible. Ginobili is going in the opposite direction of KG, so his momentum would carry him (and his arm) in the opposite direction on, or above, the ball if he initially blocked the ball.

Since the play happens so quickly it's somewhat understandable that the officials missed Ginobili's foul. But the officials have no excuse for missing Hill's fouls. Ginobili is an excellent defender but he shouldn't get credit for this block.

Firing Dunleavy Won't Help Clippers

2010-03-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, the last seven years have been fun for the LA Clippers. But owner Donald Sterling needed a scapegoat for this season's failure so he conveniently fired GM Mike Dunleavy this Tuesday.

The way he was fired was in typical Clipper fashion: they posted to the Clippers website during the Clippers/Orlando game on Tuesday before telling the players, coaches, or even Mike Dunleavy.

The problem with firing Dunleavy (and how they did it) is that most of the current roster was recruited by Dunleavy so they inherently have bought into his plan to some extent. Coaches, players, and everyone sees how the Clippers treat people and it certainly leaves a bad impression of the organization.

If you're Larry Brown, Jerry West, LeBron James, or Dwayne Wade do you want to come to a organization that treats everyone poorly? There is probably a high correlation between how you treat your employees and organizational success. Unfortunately, Donald Sterling has no concept of this.

In their press release, the Clips state they want to "win now." Unfortunately, "now" is subject to interpretation as it could mean next season or five years from now. The Camby and Thornton trades will definitely not help the Clippers win this season, so we really have no idea when the Clippers intend to win, the real reason Dunleavy was fired, and if fans should be optimistic about the future. The only that is certain is that Donald Sterling will continue to manage in a confusing (and probably) unsuccessful manner.

Some selected quotes:

Dunleavy-

"I come back to my locker around 7 p.m. and there's a million messages on my phone," Dunleavy said.

"This guy comes up to me and said, 'What's going on? They just said on TV that the Clippers severed ties with you?'

"I had no idea what they were talking about. I'm like, 'Wow. I haven't even talked to the Clippers.'"

"I left a message saying (to Donald Sterling), 'I have no idea what caused this. I'm disappointed I don't get to finish the job, but I want to thank you for the opportunity you've given me,'" Dunleavy said. "I had a great time in L.A."

Baron Davis-

"At this point, nothing surprises me," point guard Baron Davis said. "We're moving in a different direction. We've been on the road, so there's not much that we know. You all found out before we did."

Chris Kaman-

"I wonder who made that decision?'' said All-Star center Chris Kaman. "We don't know why or anything. I think whoever made the decision to get rid of all that money (long-term contracts) did a good job of it. They left a lot of cap space for next year, and now can go after a big-time player.''

Clips Trade Employee for 3 Tacos- Another Memorable Moment in Clippers' History

2010-03-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, March 2nd, the LA Clippers posted a press release on their website announcing that they had traded Steven Esparza (one of their employees) for three tacos. The joke continues in the caption below the picture of Drew Gooden dunking-"Drew Gooden dunks all over Steven Esparza's head." Check it out-

Clearly this was a joke by someone who has a problem with Steven and, thus, the Clippers are not entirely responsible for this happening. However, this is a reflection of the professional atmosphere that exists within the organization. There was obviously a breakdown in either website security or public relations. If this is happening on the media relations side of the team, then there is a good chance that similar problems exist throughout the organization.

While organizational problems at the Clippers are nothing new, this incident serves as another reason for free agents to look elsewhere this summer. You're 25 and deciding where to spend the best years of your career: are you going to sign with the Clippers who have a tradition of failure, injuries, poor management, and now employees who issue false press releases? Probably not.

You can't blame GM Mike Dunleavy for these problems. He's done a respectable job building talent while he's been in charge. I doubt it was his decision to trade Thornton and Camby away for expiring contracts.

Instead, the main obstacle to these changes, owner Donald Sterling, sits at the top of the organization. As long as the Clips bring him some $$$, and an excuse to justify those annoying ads in the LA Times, then the Donald will not commit to winning. For over 25 years, the Donald has done things his way, why would he change now? Same old Clips.

Kidd Shouldn't have been Rewarded for Charging into Hawks' Coach

2010-02-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

(AP photo by Gregory Smith)

An excellent game between the Atlanta Hawks & Dallas Mavericks was marred by an awful play by Jason Kidd last night. With less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Hawks were up 97-95 when Kidd dribbled into Hawks' Coach Mike Woodson. The collision forced an official to call a technical foul on Woodson. Following a brief argument, the Mav's made the technical and eventually won the game in overtime.

Here's what happened-

Yes, Woodson should not have been on the court and as you can see he was trying to get off of it. If his presence on the court impacts the play on the court, then he should certainly be given a technical.

If you watch the video you see that Kidd goes out of his way to run into Woodson. This is not a basketball move since you try to avoid the sideline in case you step, or dribble, out of bounds. That Woodson interfered with the game is not even an issue if you read Kidd's comments where he admits with pride that he dribbled into Woodson.

Unfortunately, coaches, announcers, and internet pundits are now complementing Kidd on making a smart move because it resulted in a point. But what if Woodson avoided the contact and Kidd then stepped out of bounds and lost possession?

And where do you draw the line? What if a fan/coach/player was out of bounds and a player pretended to lose the ball simply to run into them in order to draw a technical foul. Sure, the odds of this are very low, but nevertheless, the official would have to call a technical based on the precedent established last night. Or better yet, a team could have players/coaches stand near the court to entice players to try to run into them.

These questions shouldn't even be considered since they have nothing to do with basketball! The NBA must stop rewarding players for running into people. It's bad basketball and pushes the game a step closer to WWF as players continue to believe that non-basketball actions can influence the outcome.

Sadly, there will be more coverage of Kidd's decision to dribble into Woodson than on Kidd's great effort last night (19 points, 17 assists, and 16 rebounds) .

Camby Traded to Portland- The Donald Strikes Again!

2010-02-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Donald, it's good to have you back! The thought of you building a winning franchise was nice but we all new it was too good to be true.

A day after their head coach signaled that the Clippers wouldn't make the playoffs, the team traded Marcus Camby (#2 in rebounds & #7 in blocks in the NBA) for guard Steve Blake & forward Travis Outlaw.

It would have been one thing if the Clippers got back significant talent or draft picks. Instead both Outlaw & Blake will probably leave this summer if they don't get moved before Thursday's trade deadline. Also, both players do not fill a gaping hole on the Clipper roster.

Blake is a decent backup PG- but do they envision him taking minutes away from Telfair or recently-signed Bobby Brown? Outlaw is recovering from another major injury- is he going to take minutes away from Thornton, Butler, or Gordon?

This move only makes sense from a cap perspective since it clears an extra $1.3M off of their salary cap (Camby makes $7.65M & Outlaw/Blake make $8.9M) this summer. In addition, the Clips save $2M in incentives owed to Camby. So let's be clear, this move was about saving $2M this year and shaving $1.3M off of their cap.

With this move, & Coach Hughes' comments about the team not making the playoffs, their season is effectively over. It's never a good move to tell competitive athletes that they're not going to make the playoffs. Furthermore, you're sending the wrong signal to Gordon & Blake, who will be deciding in a few years if they want to continue with the Clippers. And where does this leave Kaman & Davis, who are in the prime of their careers and are now facing 20 pointless games. How do you think the team felt on Monday when Camby left the team dinner after his agent called to tell him that he had been traded? These indirect financial consequences are probably worth more than the $1.3M the Clippers will shave off of their salary cap.

A culture of failure, coupled with the Camby trade, won't entice free agents to sign with the Clippers this summer.

No Skills at NBA Skills Challenge

2010-02-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

After watching Deron Williams at the All-Star Skills Challenge, i have to learn how to carry the ball around defenders. Apparently this is an NBA Live skill that has crossed over from the video game world to the basketball court. Check it out-

Coach Mike Fratello actually points out the carrying-over; but dribbling-expert Reggie Miller refutes his claim by noting that the two referees would blow the whistle on such violations.

A little carrying might be okay, but he's completely carrying the ball around those cones. This is terrible.

My Top 10 Dunkers: Relief from Last Night's Dunk Contest

2010-02-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

So last night's dunk contest didn't go too well. The fans declared that Nate Robinson beat Demar DeRozan when really there were no winners. Sadly, the best dunker on the court- Dominique Wilkins- was sitting at the judges' table.

To quench your dunking thirst, here are my Top 10 Dunkers with clips to justify: