I never thought it would have been possible, to see half the Eastern All-Star team on a single team. But all basketball fans would have fantasized about this for their team no doubt. Even I wanted to see it. But now they are the team to beat and its looking grim for all other teams, in particular Orlando who are in the same division.
If two of them joined Chicago, the Bulls would have been immensely strong - but only one could have reach a max deal. In Miami, it looks like they are getting 3 Franchise Superstars at the beginning of their prime. I hope they don't get many players otherwise they are going to dominate too much and hog all the championships.
PS Check out all the hate for LeBron in Cleveland now... LOL
Garnett inbounding to Paul Pierce, with an NFL catch followed by a great pass to Rondo, who somehow catches the ball which is behind him while going full speed for the layup.
On paper, this team has what it takes to beat everyone. Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis. You have J.J. Reddick, Gortat, Pietrus off an incredibly deep bench. Most other teams are just 6 or 7 players deep. Boston is deeper than most and that probably negated the Magic's advantage there.
But the biggest failure was the Magic's desire and heart. Although there was plenty to be found in Howard and Nelson, the rest just didn't have it. In particular Lewis and Carter shot the ball terribly, didn't play hustle defense, and just weren't aggressive and show that desire to win at all cost. These two guys are singled out because they are slashers who can get to the foul line, they have talent and skills, and they have huge contracts.
I don't know if these guys can change their attitude, they haven't in the many years they've been in the league. Orlando needs to bring in someone with that desire to win. I wonder if we can make any moves this off-season with the huge free agents in the market. Perhaps a sign and trade to bring in Dwayne Wade?
Could it be that this year isn't Orlando's year? Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson had a superb game. Vince Carter missed a couple of crucial free throws, and hasn't been able to dominate the game like we need him to. But its Rashard Lewis' magic disappearance act that has put the Magic on the brink. Usually he's unguardable with Dwight inside and Shard outside, but Boston has been able to defend Superman one-on-one and that means the Magic shooters don't get the open looks they are used to.
Give Boston credit, they are playing championship ball and look ready to take on the Lakers. I wouldn't mind such a finals rematch, the Magic don't deserve to make the finals the way they have been playing and thats just too bad. We need the whole team to step up, but its on Howard to lead and really dominate more than his usual dominate self. He needs to play so well (40pt 30rb 10bs) that the Cs have no choice but to tripple team him, and then... the shooters will be free to work their Magic. Otherwise, see you in November.
LeBron's numbers; 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists and 9 turnovers, in what could be his last ever game in Cleveland. What is sad about this whole thing isn't just that Mike Brown was a terrible coach - even though thats why they lost, but rather because James quit on this team, and is all but gone this free agency.
Boston won the series 4-2 but it wasn't really that close. After the first 4 games, the series tied 2-2, but the Celtics had played better 3 games to 1. The last 2 games when James had quit, the Cavs really had no chance. The Cavs coach couldn't get their rotations right, their defense was poor, and the bench really sucked.
But give the Celtics credit, they are experienced and they really fight to the last breadth. Plus Rondo is playing the ball of his life. Looking forward to the next series when the Magic face off against the Celtics. Last year, the Magic won in 7 games including a game 7 away win in the Garden. But Garnett was out that year and so was Nelson. The Magic played better in the series and probably could have won in 6. This year, we'll see if Howard can still dominate inside with Garnett added in the line up, and see if Rondo's emergence is affected by Nelson's return. The Magic bench will be a deciding factor as well, with so many players capable of putting up numbers and holding their own with the starters resting.
Whats impressive about the Magic's 4 game sweep of the Hawks is not so much the sweep, but the fact that all 4 games were blow out wins by an average of 20 something points. The final game was much closer, with the Magic unable to blow them out completely, but "only" winning winning by 14 points decided with 2 minutes to play.
Bring on the winner of the Cavs Celtics series. I want Orlando to play the best, and then we can say we beat the best. I'm predicting the Celtics in 7, with the bottom line being the coaching. The Cavs have a lot of great talent as shown when they are playing great. But their wild inconsistency must be a result of bad coaching. Imagine how good LeBron would be if he played on a team with a good coach, heck even if the Cavs had a better coach, who could get more out of Mo Williams, Jamison, Shaq...
With the 2nd game of the Orlando Atlanta series done, we move to Atlanta for game 3 where the Magic will be truly tested for the first time this playoffs. VC has definitely shown his importance with clutch plays especially in the 4th, and opening up the court with his all round skill. He was definitely an improvement over Turkoglu considering his play this season.
The Oklahoma Thunder are in the playoffs for the first time since their move from Seattle (Supersonics), and with Kevin Durant leading the way, they are hoping to gain some experience before becoming an elite team in the years to come. But its still Laker time. Ron Artest is playing Dennis Rodman like defense, keeping KD shooting under 30%. Bryant is also a great defender, plus they have two 7 footers. I don't see anyone out west beating them beside Dallas.
Magic vs Bobcats
Howard's first game into the playoffs and he was frustrated by the Bobcat's front line. He's not going to have a bad game every game, but it was great to see Jameer Nelson step up, scoring 36 pts 4 rebs 6 assists. Lewi, Pietrus and Reddick had solid games and it was enough for a win even with VC playing badly. I think the Magic will bounce back from this bad performance and play better as the playoffs go along, which is scary considering how deep they are. Its no secret I'm vouching for a Magic Lakers finals rematch with the Magic finally winning that championship.
This still has Orlando fans angry...
Celtics vs Heat
I don't really care who wins this series, winner goes on to play Cleveland who will eventually make it through to the conference finals anyway. I really like Paul Pierce, and I really like Dwayne Wade, so I'm just sitting back and enjoying an intense defensive series.
And just for fun... NBA's Record for most 3 pts by a team, staring the Orlando Magic...
1. Dwight Howard. Best player on my favourite team. He's also the best centre in the league, has a great attitude towards the game, is a Christian, and also likes Superman!
2. Dwayne Wade. In the years that Orlando didn't make the playoffs while Dwight was still young and up n coming, I followed Wade and Miami and their championship run. His skill and talent is great but his determination won him the ring.
3. Paul Pierce. I just love his playing style, since I also play Small Forward, The Truth is the player I want to play like. A complete player that can shoot, penetrate, pass and defend.
4. Tim Duncan. He almost became a Magic back when T-Mac and Grant Hill joined Orlando and what a team that would be. He played with David Robinson and clearly gets a lot of values from him. An unselfish player that dominates the game with fundamentals, and the only all world superstar that accepts lower pay so that his team can sign more and better players.
5. Vince Carter. This spot just goes to VC because he joined the Magic this year. He no longer commands the highlight reels with his dunks, but still a top swing man.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Garnett, Ron Artest, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy
A few weeks ago I made a presentation to my home group with the above title. I asked the question what does Jesus haveto do with basketball?
To cut it short, I suggested that Jesus is Lord over all areas of our lives; including our jobs, hobbies and interests. What that means is, God created all good things, He created them for His glory, and we are to enjoy them best when we "experience" them the right way.
I believe God ultimately created basketball, and that it was created to showcase our God given talents and skills. Its both a skill game and a tactics game. So a Christian basketball player is not an oxymoron in the same way a Christian prostitute, or Christian theif would be.
Another question I proposed was; what kind of player would Jesus be like if He played basketball? Aside from being able to shoot miracle shots, what I really mean is what kind of attitude and personality would he bring onto the court.
One person who really personifies the Christian Sportsman is David Robinson:
"I can run. I can jump. I can block shots. I can dunk. But I can't take pride in that. I'm successful because God gave me the ability."
"What I need to do is have a great positive attitude and a great work ethic. Those two things validate me. Yes, it's important that I have good numbers, and I'm well-respected as a player. But I think it's more important that I'm respected as a man."
Let me propose this idea. Basketball is best enjoyed when we play it for the glory of God, honouring other players as real human beings, and respecting the game as it is created by God Himself. And let this also apply to everything else we do too.
