NBA Playoffs: Do the Bulls have a chance?
Alvin Sandique
Staff Writer
The stage is set for 16 teams to battle it out for basketball’s Holy Grail, The Larry O Brien Trophy.
The NBA playoffs are finally here after a long 82 games and one hell of a regular season. This postseason just like any other postseason has storylines aplenty but this one might just be a little bit different.
Lets start with the best team in all of the 2009 2010 regular season, The Cleveland Cavaliers. This basketball team is loaded. The Cavs dating to their acquisition of Shaquille O Neal have the depth at the frontcourt with Big Z, Varejao, Antawn Jamison and the emergence of JJ Hickson to keep opposing bigs at bay. Cleveland has shooters Mo Williams, Delonte West and others to keep defenders honest, and of course, the alpha and omega of the Cavs’ success, LeBron James.
James who is on course to win his second straight MVP award and is on a mission to finally quench the city’s thirst for their first NBA championship has some gaudy numbers. His averages this season lie around 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. James’ production numbers have been so impressive this season that he puts assembly lines in Detroit to shame.
Their first round opponent, the Chicago Bulls in my opinion is the scariest team in the east. I hope no one forgot about the havoc the wreaked last year against Boston. Many believe the Bulls do not have a shot in hell against Cleveland but the awesome thing about this is that Vinny Del Negro is blind to that notion. He has very good reasons to believe that Chicago has a great chance against mighty Cleveland.
Joakim Noah has been playing out of his mind this season as he spearheads an athletic frontcourt in Chicago. The young guns in rookies Taj Gibson and James Johnson have been steady and solid for most of the year. Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich provide a serviceable scoring punch.
Then there is Derrick Rose. The springy floor general from the South side is ready to put himself on legit superstar status and lead this bulls team to levels not seen since the Jordan era. A stellar playoff performance from Rose will most definitely allow those things to happen.
This is a Bulls team that matches up fairly well vs Cleveland. The two teams split the season series 2 games apiece. Look for the Bulls to make this series more competitive than what most expect.
And if Chicago were to pull the upset, look for them to do much more past the first round.
The scariest team out west is the San Antonio Spurs. Sure this is not your Spurs team from years past but an experienced team in the playoffs is always a dangerous one. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, (who has been incredible lately) are all healthy and ready to go. Gregg Popovich has this team peaking at the right time with wins over LA, Boston, Orlando and Denver in recent weeks.
And though Duncan won’t display it, don’t you think he will be compelled to cement his claim as the player of the decade with a fifth ring over Kobe and Shaq?
The Orlando magic is looking to get back to the game’s biggest stage and erase the memories of the Lakers celebrating on the hardwood of Amway Arena last June.
The Magic have a team loaded on both ends of the floor. Michael Pietrus and Matt Barnes hold down the periemeter on D. Rashard Lewis and JJ look to make it rain from deep. They have a steady point in Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter to make timely plays. Dwight Howard, the league’s best big man, league leader in both blocked shots and rebounds patrolling the paint.
Orlando is more than capable of being the last team standing two months from now.
The team that comes into the postseason on their last breath is the Boston Celtics. This has been a topsy turvy season for the boys in Beantown. This season has been nothing but a never ending search for their 2008 mojo that got them the franchise’s 17th championship and the first for Ray, KG, and Paul Pierce. The big three will do all they can to get number 18 for the game’s most storied franchise.
For this to occur, Rajon Rondo will need to bring his brilliant play to higher levels. The guy was considered a liability in their ’08 title run has now become the team’s best and consistent player. He will need to put up more than his averages of 13 points, nine assists, and two steals a game for Boston to make a deep run.
As long as that happens, and Boston as a team plays solid and the big three somehow go back to 2008 form, then another championship in Boston is surely not out of the question.
Last but not least, there are the Los Angeles Lakers.
The defending champions are almost certainly limping into the playoffs. Going 16 – 12 after the all star break is not the ideal way to garner momentum going into the playoffs. However these are the defending champs, and if anyone can turn on their championship level of play in a flash, it is these Lakers.
Kobe is going to do what Kobe does in the playoffs. Enough said.
They got the league’s best and lengthiest frontcourt with the inside scoring punch of Pau, Lamar, and Bynum. Ron Artest will be harassing the opponent’s best scorer every possession he’s on the floor. A bench that, come playoff time, will be ready to go despite their inconsistent play throughout the season.
And lets not forget the man the Lakers have manning the sidelines is the only coach in NBA history that can put a championship ring on every one of his fingers in Phil Jackson.
Anything less than a 17th championship and a victory parade in downtown LA will be unacceptable for the defending NBA champions.
To sum it all up, I think the playoffs are set up for a Kobe, D-Rose showdown in a rematch of the 1991 NBA finals with the Lakers and the Cinderella of this year’s playoffs, the Chicago Bulls….with the Lakers repeating as champions in five.
Staff Writer
The stage is set for 16 teams to battle it out for basketball’s Holy Grail, The Larry O Brien Trophy.
The NBA playoffs are finally here after a long 82 games and one hell of a regular season. This postseason just like any other postseason has storylines aplenty but this one might just be a little bit different.
Lets start with the best team in all of the 2009 2010 regular season, The Cleveland Cavaliers. This basketball team is loaded. The Cavs dating to their acquisition of Shaquille O Neal have the depth at the frontcourt with Big Z, Varejao, Antawn Jamison and the emergence of JJ Hickson to keep opposing bigs at bay. Cleveland has shooters Mo Williams, Delonte West and others to keep defenders honest, and of course, the alpha and omega of the Cavs’ success, LeBron James.
James who is on course to win his second straight MVP award and is on a mission to finally quench the city’s thirst for their first NBA championship has some gaudy numbers. His averages this season lie around 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. James’ production numbers have been so impressive this season that he puts assembly lines in Detroit to shame.
Their first round opponent, the Chicago Bulls in my opinion is the scariest team in the east. I hope no one forgot about the havoc the wreaked last year against Boston. Many believe the Bulls do not have a shot in hell against Cleveland but the awesome thing about this is that Vinny Del Negro is blind to that notion. He has very good reasons to believe that Chicago has a great chance against mighty Cleveland.
Joakim Noah has been playing out of his mind this season as he spearheads an athletic frontcourt in Chicago. The young guns in rookies Taj Gibson and James Johnson have been steady and solid for most of the year. Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich provide a serviceable scoring punch.
Then there is Derrick Rose. The springy floor general from the South side is ready to put himself on legit superstar status and lead this bulls team to levels not seen since the Jordan era. A stellar playoff performance from Rose will most definitely allow those things to happen.
This is a Bulls team that matches up fairly well vs Cleveland. The two teams split the season series 2 games apiece. Look for the Bulls to make this series more competitive than what most expect.
And if Chicago were to pull the upset, look for them to do much more past the first round.
The scariest team out west is the San Antonio Spurs. Sure this is not your Spurs team from years past but an experienced team in the playoffs is always a dangerous one. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, (who has been incredible lately) are all healthy and ready to go. Gregg Popovich has this team peaking at the right time with wins over LA, Boston, Orlando and Denver in recent weeks.
And though Duncan won’t display it, don’t you think he will be compelled to cement his claim as the player of the decade with a fifth ring over Kobe and Shaq?
The Orlando magic is looking to get back to the game’s biggest stage and erase the memories of the Lakers celebrating on the hardwood of Amway Arena last June.
The Magic have a team loaded on both ends of the floor. Michael Pietrus and Matt Barnes hold down the periemeter on D. Rashard Lewis and JJ look to make it rain from deep. They have a steady point in Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter to make timely plays. Dwight Howard, the league’s best big man, league leader in both blocked shots and rebounds patrolling the paint.
Orlando is more than capable of being the last team standing two months from now.
The team that comes into the postseason on their last breath is the Boston Celtics. This has been a topsy turvy season for the boys in Beantown. This season has been nothing but a never ending search for their 2008 mojo that got them the franchise’s 17th championship and the first for Ray, KG, and Paul Pierce. The big three will do all they can to get number 18 for the game’s most storied franchise.
For this to occur, Rajon Rondo will need to bring his brilliant play to higher levels. The guy was considered a liability in their ’08 title run has now become the team’s best and consistent player. He will need to put up more than his averages of 13 points, nine assists, and two steals a game for Boston to make a deep run.
As long as that happens, and Boston as a team plays solid and the big three somehow go back to 2008 form, then another championship in Boston is surely not out of the question.
Last but not least, there are the Los Angeles Lakers.
The defending champions are almost certainly limping into the playoffs. Going 16 – 12 after the all star break is not the ideal way to garner momentum going into the playoffs. However these are the defending champs, and if anyone can turn on their championship level of play in a flash, it is these Lakers.
Kobe is going to do what Kobe does in the playoffs. Enough said.
They got the league’s best and lengthiest frontcourt with the inside scoring punch of Pau, Lamar, and Bynum. Ron Artest will be harassing the opponent’s best scorer every possession he’s on the floor. A bench that, come playoff time, will be ready to go despite their inconsistent play throughout the season.
And lets not forget the man the Lakers have manning the sidelines is the only coach in NBA history that can put a championship ring on every one of his fingers in Phil Jackson.
Anything less than a 17th championship and a victory parade in downtown LA will be unacceptable for the defending NBA champions.
To sum it all up, I think the playoffs are set up for a Kobe, D-Rose showdown in a rematch of the 1991 NBA finals with the Lakers and the Cinderella of this year’s playoffs, the Chicago Bulls….with the Lakers repeating as champions in five.
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