by Brett Edwards
The NBA isn't as bad as say, the NFL is in terms of being a copy-cat league. But teams and franchises definitely take notice of how the top franchises become successful. The many blockbuster trades this season were a great example of that, even though only the ones pulled off by the Celtics and Lakers propelled the respective franchises in the right direction.
With the Celtics winning the title, might this spark a defensive renaissance in the league? Go read Tom Ziller's post on the subject, I found it very intriguing. Especially the part where he points out that "defense is cheaper to buy than offense." With teams more salary cap conscious than ever, and the way the Celtics' team defense was able to dominate the Lakers' uber-efficient offense, it makes you wonder if more teams won't attempt to go that route this off-season.
one thing is for certain...the "defense" played by Gasol and "the Machine" is absolutely hilarious to watch...as was Kobe's choke job.
Posted by: Marcus | June 18, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Brett Edwards, from June 3rd, 2008:
PG: Derek Fisher (LA) vs Rajon Rondo (BOS): Rondo's quickness and playmaking ability are a big plus, but his unwillingness to shoot the ball when he's open has hurt the Celtics at times. Fisher's playoff heroics are well-documented, and the veteran definitely won't be rattled playing in his fourth NBA Finals. Advantage: Lakers
WRONG
SG: Kobe Bryant (LA) vs Ray Allen (BOS): This matchup might be closer than you think, at least in terms of how it may affect their respective teams. Kobe's going to get his, but If Ray Allen can find some consistency in this series and at least force Kobe to expend some energy on the defensive end of the floor, he could even this one out a bit. But if Allen isn't hitting his shots, Kobe will be able to cheat off of him and provide some help defense, which will obviously make things tougher for people like Paul Pierce. Advantage: Lakers
WRONG. Allen outplayed Kobe.
SF: Lamar Odom (LA) vs Paul Pierce (BOS): Kobe Bryant may be the league's Most Valuable, but Lamar Odom may be his team's most important in terms of his play determining whether or not the Lakers win. Odom needs to stay focused offensively, and average 12-15 rebounds per game for the series for the Lakers to be at their best. Paul Pierce is the offensive leader of the Celtics, and if he can play a couple of games in this series like he did in Game 7 versus the Cavs, the Lakers will be in trouble. Advantage: Celtics
Right. Lamar disappeared as usual.
PF: Vladimir Radmanovic (LA) vs Kevin Garnett (BOS): Lakers coach Phil Jackson has referred to Vlad-Rad as a "space cadet" in the past, and with good reason. Radmanovic's focus tends to come and go from game to game, although his threes have for the most part been falling this post-season. Kevin Garnett is the heart and soul of the Celtics' defense, and leads the team in yelling 12-letter expletives at no one in particular while he's playing. These two won't really be matched against one another in this series, which is a good thing for the Lakers. Advantage: Celtics
This one's a gimme.
C: Pau Gasol (LA) vs. Kendrick Perkins (BOS): Perkins' physical presence, especially on the boards, has really helped Boston's interior defense this post-season. He had a great series against Detroit (shooting 67% from the field) and there's really no one on the Lakers' front line that can match him physically. Gasol is the Lakers' number two option offensively, and he plays more of a finesse game than Perkins or really any of the Celtics' big men. If Gasol can manage to not get pushed around by Boston's bigs, the Lakers' offense will continue to run on all cylinders, which is something no team has been able to keep up with thus far. Advantage: Lakers
WRONG. Gasol got pushed around like a little bitch.
Posted by: Marcus | June 18, 2008 at 09:29 AM
You got me, Marcus. So where are your predictions, tough guy?
Posted by: Brett | June 18, 2008 at 09:45 AM
My prediction is that Sasha, Kobe, Pau, Lamar, and Vlad would make the softest, tastiest Smores ever that would go down nice and easy.
Posted by: Marcus | June 18, 2008 at 09:58 AM
Tom Ziller's article is bush....
The Spurs started the trend of defense...this shit isn't new..that's why they have 4 titles.
For a asshole who writes about basketball he is just a east-coast bitch of a writer.. and again the Spurs never get the just due they deserve....
aside from that enjoy your title beantown...you deserve it!!!!
Posted by: Israel Rico | June 18, 2008 at 10:07 AM
I can't stand that everyone is saying the Celtics won simply because of defense. They had a decent offensive team as well, especially when their Big 3 and Rondo were playing their A game! Why do you think they had the most wins in the regular season? But I definitely think they won simply by manhandling the softer Lakers.
Plus, I hate the way that all the East Coast bias writers gave the Lakers crap for getting Gasol for free from Memphis. But what about Garnett and Ray Allen? Boston basically gave crap to Minnesota for Garnett as well: Jefferson, Telfair, Gomes, Green, Ratliff and 2 picks. For an NBA MVP, I'd call that a "steal" as well, since Jefferson is the only above average player in that whole group.
Posted by: Brian | June 18, 2008 at 04:05 PM
the celtics straight up outplayed the lakers this series. it will be an active offseason for a lot of NBA teams to keep up with the arms race in the league right now. i wrote about some of these thoughts here: dishingdimes.blogspot.com
love the site guys! keep it up!
Posted by: Izzy | June 21, 2008 at 05:56 PM
why break from a system if he believe it's the best system for easy offense? He makes excellent in game adjustments and like Craig said, his teams almost never commit dumb mental errors during important playoff games and his teams are generally only beaten by teams with superior talent and mental fortitude (think pistons
Posted by: nike air max 90 | October 11, 2010 at 09:13 AM