Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hoops Heavy....

Sorry for the lapse...back in full....With 2 mini-previews for the conference finals....First? The west...
  • Who?- Denver vs. LA Lakers (LA Homecourt)
  • Why Denver can win: Chauncey Billups is known for stepping up huge in the playoffs, and despite his age/slight decline he is the main instigator for this team's turnaround, couple that with the depleted LA point guard situation and yikes.... Who guards Carmelo Anthony? Melo is the X-factor for me...he needs to average in the high 20's in this series for them to have a chance...maybe even 30...I'm guessing Trevor Ariza and maybe Lamar Odom get the majority of the looks on him..... NeNe is an impossible matchup for Pau Gasol...can Bynum give them minutes? Do they even turn further down their bench? And speaking of benches... Denver's 6-8 of JR Smith, Chris Anderson, and Anthony Carter have been suddenly fantastic...I don't trust Carter in the slightest...but the other 2 need to play big
  • Why LA WILL win: Kobe Bean Bryant....really nothing to say...Dahntay Jones and JR Smith get the call....Jones is a heady defender with some athleticism but is giving up at least 2 inches...Smith is a no-defense scorer...no chance.... Chauncey isn't a speedy guard... this is big...yes, he's an elite-level player..but he's not the pure matchup problem that Aaron Brooks or Tony Parker would be... Pau Gasol has been big-time against Denver this year....he's the offensive key (well, Lamar Odom always is an enigma, but you know) and can pretty much do as he pleases on the block when he plays with aggression.... and the biggest thing... Phil Jackson vs. George Karl.... Let's just say this is a significant advantage for LA b/c Phil has 9 rings...and George Karl is...well, George Karl....
  • Prediction: LA in 5

To the East....

  • Who? Orlando vs. Cleveland (Cleveland homecourt)
  • Why Orlando could win: This is going to be a stretch... Dwight Howard is an athletic mismatch for any team...but it's especially true with Cleveland....Big Z is a 7'3, lumbering jump shooter who is defensively adequate, but not against someone like Howard and the Ben Wallace/Joe Smith combo isn't scaring anyone.... The 3-ball....it's the great equalizer... but that said, it's more of a College threat than an NBA one...they'll need to do more... Who guards Rashard Lewis? Okay...Lebron will lock down (to a point I mean) Turkoglu or Lewis...My guess is Turkoglu...but who guards the other one? Anderson Varejao is a good defender, but he's more of a post guy... Rashard can (and in the Boston series absolutely did) get to the rim when they put a power forward on him....
  • Why Cleveland WILL win: The depth of Cleveland stems from the fact that they can trot out playoff-tested vets AND youthful exuberance at the same time off their bench...whereas Orlando's bench consists of a bunch of a guys who haven't been there and the immortal Anthony Johnson... The backcourt of Cleveland isn't normally where their significant advantage lies...but it is in this series... Rafer Alston is a liability as a starting PG in this league and Mo Williams should take advantage....add in Delonte West's steady hand and lock-down D and I like their odds... Mike Brown won't lose the coaching battle... I'm down on Mike Brown as an elite coach...after all, he basically trots out "The Lebrons" on a nightly basis...but for him to NOT be at a huge disadvantage is a huge ADvantage for this team... and finally... The King resides in Cleveland...the best player in the world... and Orlando isn't exactly brimming with perimeter defense (Courtney or Mikael Pietrus are their best options and both will be giving up 3 inches to Lebron)... I'm thinking he trots out a series average of 32-11-8 or somewhere in that range....
  • Prediction: Cleveland in 4, yes 4

Well that's that.....In other news....

  • The Draft Lottery is tonight...no dog in the fight this time (haha a Vick pun for the release) but I'm interested...there are some teams with good #1 odds that really don't need Power Forwards but Blake Griffin is the guy...interesting....
  • Speaking of Vick...get ready for the 3-ring jail release circus from ESPN....don't say I didn't warn you...
  • Kentucky Basketball is back....John Wall commits and certifies to me that they should be the preseason #1....it's a freshman-driven sport and they have by far the best class...add in Patrick Patterson and even the possible return of Jodie Meeks? scary....That being said...they have 16 scholarship players....seems high right? Umm...they're only allowed 13...good luck with that Cal...

That'll do it....Tune in at 9 for the Nuggets/Lakers Game 1...

No comments: