The Pistons Cannot Win Without The Real Mr. Big Shot!

Watching the Celts beat the Pistons last night, I was surprised to see Billups not play like Billups. Now, I know he just came off of that bad injury, but in an interview with the crew at TNT, he said he was 100%. I know it's now good to rush an injury, but he wasn't 100%. Going into this series, I thought the Pistons could win. Now, I can't be so sure. Here my ruling: if Mr. Big Shot is not playing like he did in the second round, the Pistons have no chance of winning.

Let's look at the stats from the first game in Boston. Nine points and two steals (he also missed two free throws!), that doesn't sound like the Billups from the first two games against Orlando. In that series he averaged 23.5 points, shot 18-19 from the line and dished out 5.5 assists per game. I don't want to harp on the free throws, but he has to be effective in every element of his game. I think Rodney Stuckey could start and produce number close (if not better) to those.

Billups may not be 100%, but the Pistons have to find a way to look beyond that. I would like to see even more of Hunter and maybe Flip shouldn't be scared away by the other young guards sitting on his bench. Saunders (Pistons head coach, if you didn't know) has to send a message to Billups that if you're not ready to play like you did in the last games you played in Detroit, you might as well not play at all. What the Pistons lose is some experience, but I think the level of play from the guys that are on the bench should make up for what they would lose.

Boston needs to find more ways to work Billups on defense. Rip Hamilton-esque screens would test him each game, giving the Celtics coaching staff a good basis to work on.

I like Boston to take game two, but then we will see a different Pistons team once they head back to the Palace. Billups doesn't have to be 100% at home, but if Pistons fans don't want to see a sad look on Joe Dumars' face, he better be.

Spurs finish off the Hornets!

In a surprisingly close game, the Spurs beat the Hornets 91-82 to win the series 4-3. The Spurs played great throughout almost the entire game. Near the end of the game, the Hornets were fueled by a hot streak from Pargo. The problem was Chris Paul didn't have any heroics in the bag. He is a good offensive player, but doesn't have enough individual game to propel them past the Spurs.

Again, I recorded the points in the last two minutes of quarters. The Spurs had a six point advantage of the Hornets. They won the all important third quarter, by only two. They played like an experienced team does in a game seven: poised and the old guys were able to hit jump shots.

It's late, so I will probably have more on this game tomorrow.

Celtics Finish The Cavs!

The Celtics beat the Cavs 97-92 to advance to the Eastern conference finals. We saw two special players really ball today: Paul Pierce and LeBron James. The reason the Celts are better is they have a tremendous supporting cast. Despite Allen's poor performance, Rondo has been great, Brown was ballin and House provided a spark. All you see from the Cavs is some nice play from Delonte West.

Boston took 14 games just to get to these conference finals. You have to think some of the gas will be out of the tank once they face the Pistons. I am not going to make any predictions yet, but Detroit is a lot fresher. Detroit's starting point guard says he is 100% now as well.

Bron Bron put it all on the line and it wasn't enough. 45 points, almost half of the Cleveland's 92. That says it all. The only other player that had double figures was Delonte West. Danny Ferry has to put a strong supporting cast around him. If he doesn't do it soon, he could hit the high road in 2010.


Again I recorded some of my own stats. Points in the last two minutes of quarters. These stats are taken from quarters two through four. Boston had a 5-2 advantage over the Cavs. Compared to game six, these number were a lot closer. I don't think there was one quarter in game six that had a one point difference in the last two minutes. Want to see a quarter to quarter breakdown of these stats? Check out http://nbatipoff.googlepages.com for a document you can download.

Cavs Force Game Seven!

LeBron James willed the Cavs to win over the Celtics. The series is now tied 3-3 and game seven will be played in Boston on Sunday. It seemed just like another typical game in the second round- the home team had the upper hand. They started the second half on fire and I thought they might run away with the game. Then, after a 13-0 Celts run it appeared that Boston could steal this game.

I took down some of the stats that I think are very important. I recorded points scored in the last two minutes of each quarter. Here's a rundown: the Cavs had a 15 point advantage over the Celts. The only quarter in which the Celtics had more points was the fourth. Also, period two and three were a no show in the last two minutes. You can't get it done this way.

Looking forward, I think Boston is able to win a trip to the Eastern conference finals. The Cavs have LeBron, but not the same supporting cast on the road. I don't know what has caused this league wide roadaphobia, but it's not stopping any time soon. I would call this an NBA pandemic.

If you want to see a quarter to quarter breakdown of the stats I took, checkout nbatipoff.googlepages.com. I will be using this site to host this and other files that have my recorded stats.

Check out my guest post on The Sports Dollar!

I wrote a nice guest post about sports blogging on a site called The Sports Dollar. It is written by a friend of mine named Kellex and he is a great writer (he also writes le basketbawl).

Here's a sneak peak at my post titled: Don't Recap, Rethink: A Sports Blog Primer:
Blogging is thought to be hard and tedious by the average person. Trust me, it's not astrophysics. You don't have to know everything about SEO, web design or how to work complex programs. The quintessential aspect is time.
Check out the rest of my guest post.

Check out my post and learn how I and other sports bloggers make money. This is a relatively new site and it is getting better and better. Great blogger that has never heard of Digg or Ballhype? Head over to his site and you will learn how to use everything to your advantage.

Tonight in the NBA there is a terrific double header on ESPN. Starting at 8 PM Eastern the Cavs will play the Celtics. I like the Celtics, but I give the Cavs a 50-50 chance. They can win because the Celtics are not the Celtics on the road (so far) and LeBron can will them to victory. Then at 10:30 PM Eastern, the Lakers take their 3-2 lead to Utah. I like Utah to win this one. It will be close, but Utah won't go down easy. Kobe is not 100%, but he's okay. If Jerry Sloan can get his players to post him up early, he might show some fatigue and pain.

Knicks pull the trigger on D'Antoni!

The Knicks will hire Mike D'Antoni as head coach. His contact will go four years and he will payed-too much for a rebuilding team. Everyone knows that Mike can coach and be successful, but a great coach has to have great players. It's almost as bad as the Larry Brown debacle. I think six mill a year is too high if you are in rebuilding mode.

Quick question: does Walsh think this team can become a title contender in four years? It's possible, but the worlds dumbest GM's would have to be involved. A lot of people think the Grizz GM would be a good candidate (Pau deal not good in this example). Maybe the Knicks can put all that money they like to spend into getting a team to hire a terrible GM. Then trade them for everything they've got.

This is not a quick fix. New York needs to slow down and realize the players they have on the floor are human. A coaching change won't change the lack of leadership in the lock room and not much on the floor. Donnie Walsh (Knicks president) didn't seem to be in a position to wheel and deal. Bringing a high caliber coach like Mike makes me think he might have a couple deals on his mind.

Pistons beat Magic!

The Pistons beat the Magic 90-89 to take a 3-1 series lead. I think that the Magic went too quick on the last play of the game. Hedo held the ball for a few seconds and didn't leave the Magic enough time to extend the game. I would have liked to see a quick shot, maybe a lob to Howard. He could have dunked it quickly and left time for the Magic to D them up.

Defensive rebounding needs to be consistent for 48 minutes if you're Orlando. They let the Pistons get second opportunities that led to Pistons points. Orlando was already told by coach Van Gundy, but obviously that wasn't enough. Dwight Howard needs to take a leadership role and tell his guys to box out on defense.

Detroit will win this series, but I think it will take two more games. Orlando has a real chance to win the whole series, they have the drive. Piston fans need to get really fired up if Detroit wants a chance to close them out. This game will be close and Detroit will have a shot at winning.

I have a new E-Mail!

For all of you that have sent me an email, I now have a new address (NBAtipoff@gmail.com). If you still want to send me a message on my old AOL account you can. That one still works as well.

Thanks and send me some feedback about the site!

Vandeweghe promoted to Nets GM!

The New Jersey Nets promoted Kiki Vandeweghe to the general manager position. I think he is one of the best GM's available. He was already working for the Nets, so he should be familiar with the situation and already have some ideas in his head. His last experience running the show was with Denver and he made some great moves.

Looking at the Nets roster, they are young and have some potential. My idea would be trade VC and get younger. Allow this squad to rebuild. They need it. I mean, I'm not saying they couldn't be a playoff team in two to three years, but they need to make moves to be a contender. Carter is a player who most likely wants to lead a team to a title. He won't be able to win a title in NJ in his prime. There is not another Pau Gasol-like deal brewing.

Lakers beat Jazz!

The LA Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 109-98 to take a 1-0 series lead. Utah was ready to get blown out in the first half, but played a nice second half. The reason this game got away from them was Kobe getting to the line. He made 21 free throws, something that gets his shot going and provides almost automatic offense. Utah let them run in the first half, they need a half court game.

Kobe only made seven shots and had 30 points. That's a recipe for disaster. You wouldn't really mind the 30 if he had to put up 20 shots. Foul trouble was an issue and if they stop hacking Kobe, Boozer won't foul out.

I like Utah to start game two hot, but finish down 2-0. LA doesn't want to look venerable at Staples, it's already tough enough to win in Utah. The game will be a bit closer, Kobe needs to be contained. If they force him to take tons of shots (hopefully tough jumpers), they put themselves in position to steal the game late.

Basketball Goals

Pistons beat up on the Magic!

The Pistons beat the Magic 91-72 to take a 1-0 series lead. This game was close for two and a half quarters. Then, with about five minutes to go in the third, Detroit played some "DETROIT BASKETBALL!" Orlando could've have stayed in the game if they made free throws and were actually aware of the out of bounds line. They have to take care of the ball and capitalize on free points from the line. Some three point shots wouldn't hurt either.

I loved how Detroit played Howard. He wasn't able to get into a good rhythm; the Pistons kept putting different guys on him. Wallace and Maxiell will be the two that normally guard Howard. Orlando will make offensive adjustments and I'm sure there are a few things they can change defensively.

Howard seems to have a bad hand. This is a huge concern because he is the reason the Magic are even in the playoffs. His hands didn't look good from the free throw line either. His stroke is ugly (okay, not Shaq ugly, but not too great). Orlando really needs a shooting coach for Howard, if not the whole team. They shot just 50% compared to the Pistons 88.9%. Orlando shot 10-20 from the line, 10 points that could've cut into the Pistons lead. This would have kept them in the game and not just make it a blowout.

I like the Pistons to take game two. Howard may not be 100% and I think that will play a factor in how aggressive he is. If they don't have to pay a lot of attention to him, they can stop the three point shot. Orlando shot badly in the first game, but don't expect them to stay cold. The Magic will be a totally different team once they head back to Orlando; until then Detroit's got the upper hand.

Hawks beat Celts again!

The Hawks beat the Celtics 103-100 to tie the series 3-3 and force a game seven. I really didn't think they had it in them, but they most certainly do. They played big in the money quarter and Boston couldn't buy a basket for a large part of the fourth. Johnson was mostly contained on offense, but used his experience to benefit his squad.

Mike Woodson is now pondering about how his team can get a win in Boston. It seems impossible, but they've got to come out and stun the crowd. Force the tempo and don't get intimidated by the Boston intensity. Atlanta has proved themselves to be more than just a band of kids with just two guys with playoff experience; they play really hard. Woodson deserves credit for getting them out of the shell shock they appeared to be in after the first two games.

I hate to doubt the underdog, but I don't think they can win in Boston. There would be a riot in Boston and I don't think KG will play half-heartedly. Johnson has to continue to pass the ball effectively and get his teammates in a good rhythm. Boston has got to be disappointed in themselves. They couldn't get one win on the road this series. That's insulting if you're KG, Doc, or Scalabrine (a player who's been in street clothes this series) doesn't matter who it is. To win a title, road wins are required. I look to see more poise when they play on the road in the second round.

Larry Brown announced as new Bobcats coach!

MJ put his stamp on the Bobcats by bringing hall of fame coach Larry Brown in to run the show. I think this move is a good one, but they still aren't a contender (for a title at least). Despite Larry Brown's incredible coaching skills, they are a young expansion squad that can't win a title for at least a couple years. Jordan seems to be ready to make big things happen, but will he sacrifice developing young talent to make this team good now? We saw a little bit of that at last year's draft with the Jason Richardson trade.

I'd like him to keep most of the young talent and let them grow. Maybe you trade a player or two, but don't really shake things up. Keep this year's draft pick and try to get a nice low post scorer. Charlotte won 32 games this year and if the East stays terrible they can make it. Brown could give them a 5+ game improvement and that's with the squad they have now. That would tie them with the Hawks for the eighth spot in the East. You add a nice draft pick and a few veterans and maybe you'll see another 10 games added to Brown's five. That would result in a 47 win season, putting them two games over the Cavs for the fourth seed in the East. How much do you think they can improve?

MAGIC FINISH RAPTORS IN FIVE GAMES!

The Magic beat the Raptors 102-92 and will now move onto the second round. Toronto had a chance to make it a game, but the Magic got their first double digit lead with about three minutes to go. Orlando shot some three's and got a few stops to seal the deal. Dwight Howard had another 20-20 game (20 points and 20 boards). He has been a beast in this series, but to win in round two, he'll need to mutate into Godzilla. They will next face the Pistons or the Sixers. Each team has some powerful front court players (who will likely defend Howard) in Dalembert (Sixers) and Wallace (Pistons).

I don't know how far the Magic can go. They are a great team with lots of talent and potential, but they rely heavily on three point shots. In the next round they are going to face teams that guard the three point line like hawks; who will score the ball then? I know Howard is their post threat, but he's not great at putting up lots of points. Hedo is the only other post threat, also not his forte. They can beat the Sixers, but I think a Pistons series would be a seven game toss up. It's too early to look at the second round--the Pistons and Sixers have at least two more game to play!

Looking back at the Raptors season, Calderon made some real progress. He is now known across the league as a solid point guard, a master of the fundamentals. I think they need to make a move to improve the front court. Bosh is nice, Bargnani is not really a post guy and Rasho is decent but not good enough. Someone who can score with his back to the basket could make the Raptors a top team in the East. Summer is not welcomed in Canada!

PISTONS BEAT SIXERS!

The Pistons beat the Sixers 93-84 to tie the series 2-2. They responded in the second half and took the lead throughout the fourth. The question was would they respond and after trailing by 10 at halftime, they came out ready to take over. This series will go back to Detroit for game five.

The Sixers have to be disappointed about giving up their halftime advantage. Winning in Detroit is possible, but it will be tough. Just like the Spurs, they have to force the tempo. They averaged 92.5 points in their two victories; tonight they couldn't even touch 90. They need to make it a game where Detroit has to put 100 on the board to beat them. Take the ball out of the basket and continue to run like mad. Fast break opportunities don't occur only off a steal or turnover.

Detroit, you now have to put the clamp down in game five. You have to realize you are not unbeatable. Come out and act like there was no time between game four and game five. The only thing that changed is where you're playing and the color of your jersey. Once this happens, this series will be back in your hands.
Photo by: Tom Mihalek/AP

SUNS BEAT THE SPURS!

The Suns beat the Spurs 105-86, but still trail the series 3-1. They put forth some defensive effort and they blew them out. They started out hot on offense and it had a clear effect on how they played defense. Mike D'Antoni got thrown out of the game late, maybe this will help the Suns more. There was some call he didn't like and he was on fire. They know they've got to bring the heat in game five, a little heat from their coach wouldn't hurt.

The Spurs just have to not get into a hole early. If they can contain the Suns early, they'll be able to stay in the game. Maybe a reminder that they're a grind the game out team wouldn't hurt. Force the tempo and make the Suns play long and hard on the defensive end. Scoring under 100 points is not bad if you're San Antonio, it's welcomed.

Phoenix should win game five. It will be much closer, but they will extend the series at least one more game.

CAVS BEAT WIZARDS!

The Cavs beat the Wizards 100-97 to take a 3-1 series lead. Delonte West hit a clutch three late to ice the game. The only reason any of this was possible is LJ's unselfishness. He was doubled and needed to hit someone for an open shot. West was open and he delivered. This should enable them to take this series in five games.

The Wiz have to try not to anger LeBron to win game five. All they do is give him that steam and all it does is hurt them. Eddie Jordan needs to make a point to his team: just play. Don't worry about all of these public comments and what not, just trash talk with your game. They have the talent to do that, it's what they did in game three.

LJ has to attempt to keep the same full head of steam to close this team out and start getting ready for round two. Also, the supporting cast has to show up again. Gibson and West hit some big three's late and they will need that again.
Photo by: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

HAWKS BEAT CELTICS!

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Boston Celtics 102-93, but trail in the series 2-1. This game wasn't really close in the fourth, the Hawks lead by double digits for most of it. Something to look at in game four will be Paul Pierce and Al Horford. Horford had some words for him after he gambled on a steal unsuccessfully. You know they're going to come out with heat in the next game, but Pierce may be overcooked. He has got to keep his head in the game and not do anything stupid.

If you're the Hawks, you can take a deep breathe. The hometown crowd stuck behind you and you didn't disappoint. They have to play even better if they want to win game four. Doc Rivers will give the Celts a mouthful and they are apt to respond. If the Hawks are able to work the inside out game the same way they did in this game they should be fine.

Boston will come out in game four with a winning mentality. Doc wants them to blow them out so they can just worry about taking care of business back in Boston.

LAKERS BEAT NUGGETS!

The LA Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 102-84 to take a 3-0 series lead. I have now come to the conclusion that the Nuggets are too soft to win (I knew that winning this series was out of the question). They didn't even play a decent defensive possession until the third quarter. They needed to play Celtic defense the entire game. They also didn't care about how bad they were playing. Miss a shot, no big deal, we're here to lose anyway. They really need some people who are hungry to win. Melo and AI are eating very well in this series.

Kobe really didn't have to score much to help them win. 19 points isn't much when you're talking Kobe. He was able to fill up the stat sheet with boards and dimes instead of scoring. This is key to keeping KB24 full of energy. If they want to go deep in the playoffs, they'll need much more than 19 points from him.

The Pistons have two guys that would be a perfect fit for Denver. Lindsey Hunter and Jason Maxiell, two guys who have tons of passion. They play terrific defense and they are a tremendous spark off the bench. If only the Nuggets actually had something to entice Joe Dumars (Pistons top dog).

MAGIC BEAT THE RAPTORS!

The Magic beat the Raptors 106-94 to take a 3-1 series lead. This was really a game of runs, and the Magic were due for one late. Bosh put it all on the line today, but it wasn't enough. He had a career game, Toronto needed some contributions from other players. Only two Raptors players were in double digits. Howard had eight blocks from the first two games, none in game three (only Raptors win) and six in this one. The key seems to be Howard's swats. More use of a reverse layup could curtail Howard's numbers.

The series will now shift back to Orlando, they have a chance to take out the Raptors. Toronto can win if Howard has one or two blocks, otherwise I like the Magic. Toronto doesn't want to go down terribly easily, hopefully they can live up to that.

PHILLY WINS AGAIN!

Detroit is still asleep in Michigan tied with the Sixers 1-1. NO! Wake up from that daze Detroit, you just lost game three badly. They really didn't put their heads into the game. Way too many turnovers, and an overabundance of jump shots (a little giving up) are the perfect formula for an upset. I don't know how many science courses the Sixers squad has taken as a whole, but this is defying the laws of science (true words of a basketballogist).

I have lost my respect for the Pistons. I gave them the obvious edge, hey it's very apparent that they have the skill set to sweep them. No, they just want to wait until they hit Boston to really play. If they don't win game four decisively, this series is still up in the air. Before the playoffs started, Billy King (former Sixers GM) predicted the Sixers would win this series in seven game. First, I thought, "do you know anything about basketball?" Now, I no longer question his audacity, this team is very serious. Can they beat them, I'm now undecided. King put this team together, he knew what he was doing.

What's the cause of this Piston inconsistency? The big reason is Flip Saunders. I know he's got an influence on their psyche, and I don't know if it's a good one. If they don't go very far in the playoffs this year, Joe Dumars should consider a change. The other obvious aspect is the Pistons don't respect this young spry team. They think every game should just be given to them because they are the Pistons and the Sixers are that team that used to have Allen Iverson. Philly hasn't given them anything, they play each game with great intensity.

Come on Pistons, put your head in the game!
Photo by: H. Rumph Jr./AP

HORNETS BEAT THE MAVS!

Somewhere Mark Cuban is scowling. His team is now down 2-0, itching to get back to Dallas. The Hornets had complete control, final score 127-103. Chris Paul isn't the MVP of this season (Kobe), but he is going to have it in his back pocket for years to come. The great thing is double teams didn't throw off his game. If they doubled him, he got to a shooter (Peja for three, West mid-range jumper) and they always played very relaxed. He's got complete control over his game, the shot clock hitting five really doesn't faze him. Face it, I'm riding the Chris Paul bandwagon right now.

The commentators who called the game brought up Chris Paul's playoff experience. They referred to what early skeptics thought would hurt Paul and the Hornets in this series: experience. Doesn't that sound like our current Democratic race? I remember when Hillary criticized Obama for not have the necessary experience. I'm no political jockey, but Obama has continued to prove himself and the skeptics backed off a little. With these two wins, Paul shined and made a mockery of his skeptics, too.

Dallas just has to be consistent on both ends. They might get a steal on defense, but fumble it on the fast break and vice versa. They need to win game three, or I don't think they can come back. Breathe easy Mark, Dallas is only about an hour and a half away.

SIXERS STUN THE PISTONS!

So far the biggest upset I have ever seen, the Sixers beat the Pistons 90-86. All I can say is, "are you kidding me?" This was such a great victory if you're Philly, a crushing defeat for the Pistons. the reason they won is the Pistons were unable to score late in the game. Mo Cheeks has got to be really happy with his squad. The one thing that concerns me is how much confidence they gain from this win. My fear is that will think they're all that and get blown out in game two. You know the Pistons are going to be quite intimidated by the first loss, look for the tenacity they should have brought in game one to resurface in game two.

Reggie Evans was the key for the Sixers. He got some lose balls and was able to score a little here and there.

Billups is a big factor in the loss. He missed three free throws in crunch time. This is no excuse for the loss, but Billups must get back to his usual consistency from the free throw line.

The NBA, where UPSETS happen!
Photo by: D. Lippitt/Einstein

LAKERS BEAT NUGGETS!

The Lakers beat the Nuggets 128-114 to take a 1-0 series lead. Denver played a nice first half, but broke down in the second. LA made a run late in the third quarter that enabled them to relax a little. Denver fired back and cut the lead to nine; a couple of LA three's later they were ahead by about 15. The key was they made runs without Kobe. Foul trouble plagued him and he sat out. Odom was great all around and Pau supplied great offense and nice D.

AI was stressed and got thrown out of the game late. I hope the Nuggets got the message. They need to try on both ends for 48 minutes (47 and a half won't even do). Continually switching what kind of defense they play would rattle the Lakers offense and enable them to run on their end. Also, don't just play for one half. They can't turn it on and off, but they only turned it on when they got down late in the third.

LA will take game two, home court makes it easy for them. TNT has got the day's next two games.
Photo By: Noah Graham

MAGIC BEAT THE RAPTORS!

The Magic beat the Raptors at home 114-100. The Magic were very hot in the first quarter, 43 points. They had a simple game plan: drive and kick for open three point shots. They got a little cooler as the game progressed and at one point in the second half, the lead was just five. Orlando responded to the run with a 10-0 of their own. I like how the Magic played, but they need a plan B when the three's aren't falling. They will make the necessary defensive adjustments and the Magic need to counter with some nice offensive tactics. Howard could get some more touches, fill the stat sheet even more.

Toronto needs to start game two a lot stronger. If they are down by even 10 after the first, that would make a come back a lot easier. The inside out game was not great for Toronto. If they can eliminate their love affair with jumpers, they will see vast improvement. Also, if they want to play zone, they've got to get out to the shooters, or just throw that out of the defensive handbook. This will be a closer series when these changes occur.

HORNETS BEAT MAVS!

The Hornets beat the Mavericks 104-92 to take a 1-0 series lead. CP3 and the bumping Hornets crowd carried them in this game. The Mavs tried to stage late game comeback, but it was much too late. I like the Hornets; they will win at least one at home, that's a given. Dallas will fight back and win a close one in game two.

Jazz and Rockets playing right now. Stay tuned for more playoff coverage.
Photo By: Layne Murdoch

SPURS WIN IN DOUBLE OVERTIME!

The Spurs beat the Suns in double overtime 117-115. This is the best first round game I have ever seen. Duncan forced a second overtime, Finely did it in the fourth and Manu hits the game winner. You have to give kudos to each team for giving the fans a show. I thought the Suns would end up winning, but you have to defend. Shaq sat out because the Spurs didn't call a timeout. Just another ingenious thought from Gregg Popovich. The Duncan three worked only because you wouldn't expect it all. It was his first three of the year; most likely not mentioned in the scouting report. He caught the ball in tremendous rhythm and used his streaky shot to tie it up.

Nash was clutch as usual. He came out with an offensive agenda of his own in OT and hit a three to tie it late. Coaching is a variable when considering what team is better than another and no hit to Mike D'Antoni, but Gregg proved himself tonight. I predict this series will only get better, you still have to keep in mind this was the first game.

The third game of the day will be the Hornets hosting the Mavs. Tune back into ESPN for the game. It may not be a classic like this one, but it sure should be entertaining.
Photo by: Joe Murphy

CAVS BEAT THE WIZ!

The Cleveland Cavs beat the Wizards in game one at home. It came down to the finish; LeBron and crew proved they can win at home. This was a very emotional game, thanks to the public comments made be Stevenson, Arenas and LJ. Haywood played a very solid game. He was most effective in the first quarter, but you take it where you can get it. He was the third leading scorer for the Wiz, he's still got some developing to do. Lots of dicey calls were made near the end of the game, they could've gone either way. There were a couple of jump balls late, they all went to the Cavs. That's what it came to: getting the tip and taking care of business at the free throw line.

I like the Wizards to win game two, this is a series that will sway back and forth. Wizards medical staff need to re-evaluate Agent Zero and let him play the kind of minutes he played last season. This will really benefit them in the long run, especially if they want to go far in the playoffs.

Delonte West made some inroads today. He played very well late and that will help the Cavs as a team and West's confidence. Look for another close game two of this series on Monday at 7:00 PM Eastern on TNT.
Photo by: Jesse D. Garrabrant

IT'S PLAYOFF TIME!

Another regular season of NBA basketball is over, now the real season begins. I am going to preview each match up, but first I'll start with the Eastern conference first.

In the East, only about half of the series will be somewhat close. The Celtics (1st seed) will take on the Hawks (8th seed). This shouldn't be much of a challenge for the Celts. They have already gone through this season with ease and they have the home court advantage. Sorry Hawks fans; like I said about the Sixers, this is more of a playoff experiment for the Hawks. One win would be an incredible feat. I wish the Hawks luck, but don't expect any one of these games to be an ESPN classic.

The Cavs (4th seed) will once again face the Wizards (5th seed). This match up has more fire than it has every year. If you didn't know, Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson called LeBron overrated. This is going to anger a superstar and you don't do that to someone like LJ. Stevenson does get hot at times, but his consistency is not near as high as LeBron's. I want to see Bron Bron switch onto Stevenson and do something like Kobe would do. Take on someone and play them really tough. Force him to take bad shots, run down the shot clock and force some turnovers. LeBron will get his message across soon enough. This series should go six or seven games, the Cavs will come out on top. Not really because they are the better team, but because LeBron will want to prove that they are the better team.

Orlando (3rd seed) will face the Raptors (6th seed). Two big men standout: Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh. Five or six games sounds right for this, the Magic will win. They each have microscopic amounts of playoff experience, but the Magic have a much better squad. They are deep and the Raptors haven't been as good this season. Home court is big in this series; that's where the Raptors will win some games. I want to see Howard be a monster on each end and send the message that the Magic are going to be great for years to come.

Lastly, the Pistons (2nd seed) will take on the Sixers (7th seed). They are serious as a team, but sadly this should be done in five or six games. They don't have a chance beating them in Detroit, but they can make some noise at home. I like this Sixer teams and this will be a true showcase for them.

We got through the semi-minor league, now it's time for the Western boys.

LA (1st seed) will host the Nuggets (8th seed). High scoring match up, the Nuggets have been hot of late. They should be able to get one game in Denver, two if they're lucky. LA is going to be willed by the play of Kobe Bryant. Bynum probably won't be back, but the Lakers can get through this series without him.

The Jazz (4th seed) hope to send the Rockets (5th seed) home packing. I love this series. The reason the Jazz will be victorious is first they are a deeper team and second they've got home court. It seems like they can't lose there and I don't care how good any team is, Utah's crowd is rockin. Six or seven games and the Jazz probably win it in a close fight.

San Antonio (3rd seed) will face the Suns (6th seed). This is one the most dramatic rivalries in either conference. I have to pick the Spurs, regretfully. I like the new look Suns, but the Spurs will move on because of Manu's movement to top scorer on the team. Seven game series for sure, might go down as one of the best first round series ever.

The Hornets (2nd seed) compete against the Mavs (7th seed). Six game series, Mavs win. I really like the Hornets, but experience will prove better in this series. JKidd will finally really show up. This should be a nice coming out party for Paul as well.

Today was the last day of a terrific Sports Journalism Summit I attended at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. Poynter (http://www.poynter.org) is a place rich with work from many great writers. I met some professional writers and learned a lot. Roy Peter Clark ran the Summit and did a magnificent job. He is a great all around writer and anyone looking to learn should check him out (here are some of his writing tools).

I also met Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated. Check
out some of his work. He is a very intelligent writer who has written many riveting stories and I can't wait to read more.

Dave Scheiber (senior feature writer of the St. Petersburg Times) is the co-author of Bob Delaney's fascinating book Covert and he talked about what went into the making of this amazing story. I got a copy of the book and I suggest you check it out as well (here's the official website). Once I have read the entire story, I will review it here on Basketball Notes by Alex.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Poynter and can't wait to attend the Sports Journalism Summit again next year.

Keep it tuned to Basketball Notes by Alex for all of your playoff coverage. I will predict who will win each series and in how many games very soon.