Rookie Courtney Lee will likely get his shot at the Black Mamba in the beginning, provided Lee is in the starting lineup. Otherwise, when Mickael Pietrus is in the game, he will no doubt be regarded as the ‘Kobe Stopper’. How well he can stop Kobe is debatable, but my guess is Pietrus will do a better job than Ruben Patterson ever did.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see Hedo Turkoglu or J.J. Redick get some cracks at Kobe here and there, but it probably won’t end well for them.

Can Andrew Bynum step up his game against Superman?

If Bynum can, it could very well be a short series. An aggressive and interested Bynum could spell foul trouble for Dwight, and we all know while backup center Marcin Gortat can be decent in spurts, the Magic don’t have a prayer in the series unless Dwight is playing darn near 40-42 minutes a game.

LA’s offensive game plan?

Drive the ball to the hoop as much as possible. Instead of settling for jumpshots, post Pau and Andrew. Make Rashard and Dwight work on the defensive end. Get them out of the game and the Laker’s chances drastically improve.

Dwight wants some payback (Image: readmoretalkless.wordpress)

Orlando’s offensive game plan?

Besides shooting the three unconsciously? Force feed Dwight, keep him involved. If he gets doubled, that all the better because Turk, Lewis, Alston, Pietrus, Lee, and maybe Redick will be open to knock down their shots. The Magic must be cognizant of the abilities of Pietrus and Lewis to create on their own. Settling down the offense and running some isolations or post up sets for these two could prove to be a more dynamic and wiser attact than just the perimeter shot.  But this is the Orlando Magic I’m talking about, so the three ball might be just fine.

Oh, I almost forgot: get outta the way of Hedo in the fourth.

Who has the best closer?

Might not be as simple of an answer as you think.

Especially if Turk gets his proper pizza fix before the game.

Wildcards

1. Lamar Odom

2. His sugar highs/ lows

3. Shannon Brown/ SashaVujacic/ Jordan Farmar

4. Jameer Nelson (Is a rusty Jameer Nelson better than a healthy Anthony Johnson?)

5. J.J. Redick, will he play, and if he does, can he find his stroke?

Post from: EveryJoe

Inquiring Minds Want To Know: The Finals

Clemson coach Oliver Purnell’s head must be aching right about now.  From what I’ve read, Oliver didn’t see this coming at all, so it’s definitely a stunning blow for the program.

92 three point makes will be a lot to replace at Clemson, but I’m sure which ever European team signs him will absolutely adore him.  Hopefully the team decides to pay him, and on time, because it’s not always a sure thing that foreign teams will pay on time, if at all (read Paul Shirley’s book, it happens frequently).

And if Oglesby seriously believes playing in Europe will improve his NBA chances down the road, he’s sadly mistaken.  The exposure and popularity of the NCAA vastly outshines the benefits of playing in most European leagues.  The reason I say ‘most’ is because there are certain premier foreign leagues in which many NBA caliber players litter the rosters, but let me tell you, Oglesby’s not headed to any premier team or league any time soon.  He might as well be suiting up for some Southland conference team– it’s going to be a far cry from major DI basketball. 

Bad decision all the way around if you ask me.

Terrence no longer a Clemson Tiger (Image:Newscom)

Post from: EveryJoe

Oglesby Leaves Clemson For Europe

Most of these NBA official’s 09 playoff performances make Ed Hochuli’s mistake ridden 08 season seem minute and even run of the mill.

And Ed made a ton of bad calls this past NFL season.  Just ask the San Diego Chargers.

So can the NBA refs settle on what is considered a flagrant foul and what is not?

There needs to be some consistency, right now it’s totally up in the air.  Might as well flip a coin.

And could the refs be a little less quick to call technical fouls?

Look at Joey Crawford wrong and he'll give you a technical (Image:Newscom)

It’s the playoffs, intensity has swelled and player’s are extra emotional, the refs should give them a bit more leeway.

Having called out the refs, though very nicely I might add, I’m pleasantly surprised at the level of physicality and talent displayed during most of the playoff series this postseason and I must say the officiating has for the most part been EQUALLY pathetic on both sides, never overtly favoring one team over another. Basically, each team is getting duped the same amount, or so it appears. And I think that’s a very fair statement, especially considering the Orlando Magic are now up 2-1 on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

David Stern is probably frantically making plans to change all that right now.

Well, it might not even matter what Stern does if Cavs players not named Lebron do not step up and make more shots.

Post from: EveryJoe

I Like Good Officiating And I Cannot Lie

Three Conference finals games, three barnburners.

Though, either Western Conference team could very easily be up 2-0 right now.  Both took turns making major bone headed plays at the end of a game.

Game 1

What was Kenyon Martin thinking fouling Kobe Bryant, basically giving the Lakers two points.  Kenyon, don’t reach!

Anthony Carter, pass fake or something!  No lobs! And apparently Carter also made another mistake shortly thereafter by not playing sufficient enough defense on Kobe (I was going to give him a pass on this, he’s giving up about 5 inches on Kobe).

Game 2

Lakers were careless with the ball and didn’t come up with enough of the loose balls either.  The refs screwed them a tad with that J.R. Smith violation no-call, but it happens.

Magic over Cavs in Game 1

The Magic actually kept their focus down the stretch and made some huge shots.  Shard Lew especially.

And before I forget

This guy finally made some shots and made up for less than spectacular bench performances from the other Nuggets.

Linas supplied the punch off the bench, scoring 16 in Game 2 (Image:Newscom)

Post from: EveryJoe

We Got Ourselves A Couple Of Good Series

Billups was at it, Dahntay Jones was at it—no surprise there. Nene and Kenyon Martin were throwing their chiseled bodies around like they were the Bad Boys. Martin, especially, is always going to get his worth when fouling,  not a lot of And 1’s via a Martin foul. Carter, Smith and Andersen off the bench played like the spark plugs that they are. Birdman is becoming a Denver legend, yes?

One performer really cemented himself in my eyes as a legitimate superstar. Carmelo Anthony.   He was playing defense, and playing it well. George Karl must be elated—Carmelo buying in on defense, that might just be too much.

No matter Denver’s opponent in the Western Conference Finals, I can say Denver will be my pick to come out on top. When watching them it looks as if the team is on a mission. They can thank Billups for that, he knows what this time of the year is all about. But also they should thank themselves. They could have just reverted back to their old selves—all flash, little substance, no hope. But just as Carmelo stated in his post game comments on the court, Chauncey is a leader.  He’s the difference.

And by way of a reputable, proven example, Carmelo is finally becoming a leader as well.  Plus, he ain’t half bad on the court either.

Melo doing his best Dr. J impersonation (Image:Newscom)

Joe Dumars is taking thank you cards now, Nuggets fans.

Post from: EveryJoe

Denver’s Got My Vote

Devastating news out of Houston tonight (Saturday, May 9th) as Yao Ming will be out for the remainder of the playoffs with a hairline fracture in his left foot.

This is obviously painful for not only Yao but Rocket nation as well. The fans and the players really thought Houston could compete with the Lakers and even possibly beat them. Now it looks like a rather bleak proposition, but I wouldn’t rule Houston out just yet.

Of course Houston is a better team with Yao playing 30+ minutes a game, that’s not the issue.

Transition Game?

Houston is a consistently half court team with a good, well rounded offense geared towards working it inside-out. Now that Yao is absent the offense is much more perimeter based other than the sprinkling of scoring Scola and Landry will have from time to time in the paint. The Rockets can exploit LA a little more in transition now and not feel too bad about it because Yao is, well, no longer there to slow it down. With Scola, Landry, and now forced into duty Brian Cook, the Rockets bigs can get up and down the court in a more fast break type of style if Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry get the freedom to push the ball at their discretion.  With Artest, Battier and Wafer on the wings, the Rockets do have some worthy scoring options. This could force the Lakers to make somewhat of a key decision in terms of who to play at the point guard spot. It’s apparent that Derek Fisher cannot stay with Brooks and that Jordan Farmar can, however, Derek Fisher has been the staple in the Lakers lineup and isn’t likely to sit the bench for too long. Farmar did prove in Game 3 that he is capable of producing but when push comes to shove I think Phil would rather see Fisher on the court more for if nothing else his leadership skills and intangibles. Thus, the Rockets could have an advantage by pushing the ball whenever possible.  Obviously Brooks will need to have a repeat of Game 1.  In Game 3 he missed a lot of open shots.

Lackluster Lakers?

This goes without saying, the Lakers are awfully athletic at every position as well, and it’s not like the Lakers do not know how to defend a fast break style of offense, but I have to wonder if it could take LA by surprise. Of course the Rockets will still have to make their fair share of baskets, which will be more difficult without Yao keeping the defense honest in the half court. All I know is that Adelman is probably going to open it up, go super small, and let loose guys like Brooks, Wafer, Scola, and Landry to try and be competent offensive sidekicks to Artest (this is an issue in its own right, Artest as the #1 option, oh boy). And I know the Rockets are mature and well coached enough to come out and play hard like they always do, making this a very winnable game seeing as the Lakers, for a lack of a better term, are soft—maybe not cutthroat enough to see this as a viable challenge—thus allowing Houston to steal a win.

Ron Ron must have a huge Game 4 for the Rockets to have a chance (Image:Newscom)

Insanity At Its Finest

You know, with the abundance of open shots Von Wafer missed in game 3, I’m willing to predict if he gets the same looks in Game 4 he will knock them down en route to a big game. He’s capable.

Depending on Von Wafer as an integral part of the scoring attack? Have I gone mad?

Oh yeah, almost forgot, there’s this thing called interior defense and Houston just got a whole lot worse  at it with this Yao guy no longer available.

I can see Gasol licking his chops right now. Odom too. Even softy Andrew Bynum is licking his chops, although I bet he doesn’t last long if the Rockets fast break.

Guess Houston is going to have to score well over 100 to pull out Game 4.

It’s going to be one helluva problem.

Post from: EveryJoe

Houston, We Have A Problem

Kendrick Perkins (Celtics)- Guy is just what you need in a center in today’s NBA where the guards and athletic forwards determine tempo and much of the offense. Perkins is wide and sets good picks, while also using his wide frame and mean streak to be a post presence on both ends of the court. He also has displayed from time to time the ability to get you 20 points in an evening.  Very good rebounder. Ever wonder why the Celtics interior defense is so stingy? It’s not all because of Garnett.

Chuck Hayes, undrafted but not unknown (Image:Newscom)

Chuck Hayes (Rockets)- Henry Abbott of TrueHoop had a nice quick blurb about Hayes today which got me to thinking about those players who do all the little things to help their team win. Chuck’s contributions usually don’t show up in the boxscore and sometimes are not really noticeable to the lackadaisical run of the norm basketball observers. He’s often in the right place at the right time and takes charges with the best of them. He’s quite the post defender as well, usually holding his own with guys two to four inches taller than him. Though he might have the ugliest free throw stroke in the history of organized (or unorganized) hoops but fortunately for the visually unimpaired Chuck doesn’t visit the line for weeks at a time.

Luke Walton (Lakers)- With the Lakers being such a deep team, Luke has fallen quite a bit in recent years in the playing time category. Phil Jackson still eeks out some minutes for him though as Luke will not hurt the team, that is for certain. What he provides is a decent shooting touch and an uncanny ability to see the floor, making the quick pass for an open teammate, sometimes even after slyly beating his man off the dribble. What holds Luke back is his less than eye opening athleticism, but with young erratic athletes galore on the Lakers sometimes all you need is a solid veteran presence that just knows how to blend in.

Anthony Carter (Nuggets)- Carter’s getting up there in age (gonna be 34 next month) but still can turn on the jets and blow by you from time to time if you relax. Not known or being a real consistent three point shooter (just 24% for his career) Carter doesn’t fling them up there all that much, instead he embodies the pass first point guard mentality that helps the Nuggets be successful. Carter has a knack for hitting tough around the basket layups in transition, but his ability to defend and choreograph the offense allows for George Karl to put Chauncey Billups at the two guard position certain stretches of the games, which is huge. Having a veteran point guard who knows his role so well is vital, because not every backup point guard can handle it, teams must cherish the guys who can.

Post from: EveryJoe

NBA’s Unsung Heroes Still Breathing

Kevin Martin (Kings)- For three straight seasons the 6′7, 185lb Western Carolina alum has averaged better than 20ppg. For most of the past two seasons K-Mart has been the man in Sac-Town, but he’s become somewhat of a secret because the Kings’ dreadfulness as of late. Kevin’s shooting form is so unorthodox it almost makes Shawn Marion’s stroke look worthy of duplication. But what makes Kevin so lethal is his quick first step, his ability to get to the line frequently, and his myriad of creative shots he makes from mid range. There’s really no stopping him when he’s got his three point shot going, he’s a career 39% from deep.  I expect him to make at least one All-Star team before he’s done.

John Salmons (Bulls)- Was known primarily as an average bench player until the 07/08 season, when he  started 81 games for the Kings. This season he has split teams, first with the Kings, then (now) with the Bulls, averaging a healthy 18.3 ppg. He is usually known for solid defensive play, and for the most part that has continued, but recently people have seen what he can bring to the table offensively. For the Bulls Salmons has become the 3^rd option and has flourished in that role. For a title contender Salmons would be the ideal first or second guy off the bench, just imagine how dangerous the Bulls would be if Luol Deng was healthy.  Update- Salmons scored 35 points in a triple OT Bulls win on Thursday night. Luol who?

Salmons blew by Pierce and the Celtics a lot in Game 6 (Image:Newscom)

Luis Scola (Rockets)- In just two years in the league Luis has become a sturdy side kick next to Yao Ming. All the talk is directed towards T-Mac, or Ron Artest, Yao, even Shane Battier, and surprisingly enough newly inserted starting point guard Aaron Brooks too, but Scola is often times overlooked. Even Carl Landry gets more pub than Scola. 17.6ppg and 7.2reb/gm so far in the Portland series for Scola. His playoff ppg are up by almost five from his regular season totals.

Ramon Sessions (Bucks)- He’s only been in the league for two seasons, but has come a long way since being drafted #26 in the 2^nd round in 07. He only saw time in 17 games as a rookie, but was the Bucks starting point guard in season two, averaging a respectable 12.4 points and 5.7 assists in 79 games. Sessions just turned 23, I have to believe he’s a keeper in Milwaukee.

Randy Foye (Timberwolves)- Might have averaged the quietest 16 ppg in the league. I remember him as a killa thrilla at Villanova and he has translated his skill set to the big show in season three. He beats defenders by the dribble drive and also from beyond the arc and he’s got a perfect point guard build at 6′4, 210lbs. The Wolves are assembling some nice pieces around Al Jefferson, and Foye is definitely one of them to watch grow.

Post from: EveryJoe

NBA’s most overlooked

Only a handful of Detroit players acted like they gave two cents. One of them who did not was Rasheed Wallace. His 6.5 ppg and 11-30 fg do not tell the whole story though, he often did not even debate foul calls, something he has always been known for doing. Tayshaun Prince, visibly slowed by a bad back, was even less inspiring, averaging a stunning 3.8 ppg and 3.5 reb/gm. Tayshaun did not shoot a single free throw the entire series. I’m still wondering why he played 32.2 min/gm. I’d reckon Aaron Afflalo and Walter Herrmann could have at least doubled Prince’s averages in the same amount of minutes.  Not that it would have made a lick of difference, but really, as a Piston fan, it was tough to see Prince play his last 4 games as a Piston so limited (if Dumars is smart, both Sheed and Prince will be in different cities next season).

This graphic tells most of what went wrong for Detroit this series and, well, the whole season actually.

At least Iverson took care of the ball (Image:Ball Don't Lie)

Cavs could be in for a scare in round 2, they are clearly not in playoff mode. They would have been given tougher games by Washington and Indiana. Detroit was not engaged and seemed insulted to even be in the 8^th spot. Somehow the organization didn’t get the “tank for a better draft pick” memo.  As Charles Barkley said on TNT, Detroit had “one foot in Cancun” even before the series began.

And Antonio McDyess chose to come back to Detroit for that?

Can you imagine Denver having the Birdman and McDyess coming off the bench? Dwight could sure use a real power forward to play with. And Boston needs him right about now, Brian Scalabrine just played 10 minutes in a tight Game 5!

What a shame Antonio, what a shame.

Though, I must say, my mood is slowly but surely changing for the better. Allen Iverson never winning a NBA championship is reason enough for a nice, loud CHEERS!

Good luck on that AI, you really showed your true colors over the past 5 months.

Post from: EveryJoe

Cavs-Pistons Recap

1. Will the Pistons play at least one game where they act like they care?

2. Is Tyrus Thomas becoming a player right before our eyes or is he becoming a player right before our eyes?

3. Is New Orleans-Denver that much of a mismatch?

4. Is it just me or did Andre Iguodala make one helluva difficult shot in game 1 with Hedo all up in his grill?

Iggy gettin jiggy wit it (Image:Newscom)

5. Wait, did Orlando just leave 53 year old Donyell Marshall all alone again?

6. Does it bother you to see Kevin Garnett continually say potty mouth type things on the sideline after each big Celtic play…?

7. Or make goofy faces?

8.  Or that the cameraman seems to always focus in on him, like, expecting him to say something more family friendly the next time?

9. Did Tony Parker just decide to take over the Mavs series because I was too busy watching him make layups to tell?

10. Is it just me or does Jeff Van Gundy become more tolerable and dare I say more lovable as time goes on?

Post from: EveryJoe

NBA Playoff Observations Thus Far