|
- Posts:
- 359
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #158
- Joined:
- Nov 20, 2012
|
While the East plays out the next month and a bit to determine if Boston or Detroit represents the East in the NBA Finals, the West will be determining the results of one of the tightest Conference races in league history. Chris Jones Jersey . Eight 50-win teams will showdown in seven separate series to determine a representative in the Finals, and no two people can agree on who that team is going to be. With such a tight race there can be no true upsets and all eyes will be focused squarely on each and every game to try and discover some hint as to which team has the advantage in each series. Before things tipoff tomorrow, here is how it sits at the outset. LA Lakers (1) versus Denver (8) Only seven wins differentiate the seasons of each of these two clubs (unlike the 29 that separate Boston from Atlanta). Seven wins. An ankle sprain here and a few rolls of the ball there and these two teams could have been reversed without much to-do. That said, however, this still probably represents the most lopsided matchup in the Wests first round. As good as Denver is - and having a three-headed monster of Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby is really good - they just arent quite as good as the Lakers. While both the Nuggets and the Lakers can score in bunches (2nd and 4th in points per game, respectively), the Lakers ability to play defense will ultimately dictate the series outcome. While a three-on-three matchup of Iverson, Anthony and Camby probably trumps the Lakers trio of Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, the fact that the Lakers still have the best player of the bunch, as well as a much more reliable supporting cast, negates Denvers only one real advantage. Combine that with the fact that the Lakers rank fifth in field goal percentage defense (to Denvers thirteenth) and this series shouldnt be too much of a headache for the gold and purple. KEY MATCHUP - Lamar Odom versus Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony is one of the most potent scorers in the NBA. If he decides he wants two points there isnt a whole lot an opposition can do to stop him. He can spot-up, post-up, pull-up, drive, dunk, finish soft, finish hard, basically he can do anything that results in his team scoring two points. Odom does not possess this ability. He was touted as a go-to guy early in his career but has struggled living up to that role. Instead, hes carved out a niche in LA as their do-it-all forward. He scores about 14 points a game, hell grab about 11 boards, dish out about 4 dimes, grab a steal, get a block, shoot at about 53% efficiency and hell be good for about 38 minutes per game. For all that Carmelo is a potent scorer, his inability to match several other key stats offered by Odom is a downside. The Nuggets already have a 30-ppg capable player in Iverson, and he is even better and getting points at will than Anthony, and so it would serve the Nuggets better if Anthony lost five of his points per game if it could somehow translate into three more boards or an extra block. Of course, the game doesnt work that way and really the fact that he and Iverson represent such redundancy on the Nuggets roster is hardly Anthonys fault, but for this team to even think of beating the Lakers in a seven-game series, they need Anthony to be less like Iverson and more like Odom. LAKERS IN SIX NEW ORLEANS (2) versus DALLAS (7) While there are storylines all over the place within this series, from Dirk Nowitzkis need for redemption to the inexperience of the Hornets, the storyline that isnt really getting enough recognition is between two men who will never see the floor together, and that is Jason Kidd versus Byron Scott. For those who dont recall, after two consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, Jason Kidd was instrumental in having Byron Scott removed as head coach of the New Jersey Nets in 2004. Since then, Scott has gone on to coach another top-tier point guard to MVP candidacy in Chris Paul. Hell be as motivated as a coach can be to remove a team from Playoff contention, and after Don Nelson played that same role last year in Golden States first-round upset of Dallas, the Mavs have to be sharp to avoid another quick exit and season of roster (and coaching?) turnover. Both teams offer up potency in the their starting five, and so it could come down to depth and bench play to decide this series. While ultimately Nowitzki and David West are going to need to hit clutch shots, so will guys like Jerry Stackhouse and Bonzi Wells. Both teams have a lot to prove here, and it should be a fascinating series to watch. KEY MATCHUP - Chris Paul versus Jason Kidd In this series, Paul is going to be acting as Scotts on-court surrogate. He will be the man most directly responsible for not only leading his team to victory over a vastly more experienced Maverick team, but hell also be tasked with showing the world that Jason Kidd cant keep up with the newer, faster model. Meanwhile, Kidd has to prove not only that the Mavericks invested wisely in him, despite the outrageous price they had to pay to get him, but that hes a crafty enough veteran to outduel his Hornet counterpart without the advantage of speed or shooting that is possessed by Paul. Of course, there are also other players involved in this series, and the onus will fall on these two players to keep their respective supporting casts playing at the highest efficiency. Whereas Kidd can survive a less-than-stellar series if Nowitzki or Josh Howard gets into assassin mode, the Hornets are sunk without a MVP performance from their MVP candidate. Oh, and the fortunate winner of this series gets to play either the Suns or the Spurs in round two. Have fun. HORNETS IN SEVEN San Antonio (3) versus Phoenix (6) How lucky are the fans of NBA basketball that they get to see this intense rivalry renewed on the first day of the Playoffs? This season is just the gift that keeps on giving. The great thing about this rivalry is that its a throwback. Not in the classic Celtics/Lakers way, and not in that its borne out of an overambitious TV producers will; these two teams hate each other. Or, at the very least, the Suns absolutely loathe the Spurs. I dont know if the Spurs are capable of the kind of emotional extremes it would take to quell up as strong a feeling as hate, but the Suns have hate to spare, so maybe some will bleed over into the Spurs locker room before Game 1. These two teams are the only remaining powerhouses from the last few years out West. The Kings and Timberwolves are a shadow of their former selves. The Mavericks are a first-round exit away from being rebuilt - or at least significantly retooled. That leaves just the Tim Duncan Spurs and the Steve Nash Suns to represent the old guard as the Hornets, Jazz and Rockets climb the ladder of power. This is a series of experience, will and talent. It will probably be the most bitterly contested series in the first round, and it would take something pretty special to top it as the Playoffs wear on. The Spurs want their first back-to-back title. The Suns want their first title, period. I still cant believe this is a first-round matchup. KEY MATCHUP - Tim Duncan versus Shaquille ONeal While not a purely positional matchup, ONeal was brought in, at great expense, strictly to guard Tim Duncan in this very scenario. Traditionally he has played some of his best basketball against Duncan and the Spurs and the Suns are counting on that to get them past San Antonio, a Playoff rival that extends far beyond the Steve Nash-era. In the last twelve years, the Spurs have eliminated the Suns from the Playoffs five times - including three times in the past five years. That means since 1996, the Spurs have been responsible for 60% of Phoenixs Playoff exits (and when one considers that Phoenix missed the Playoffs only twice in that span, thats an obscene number). The motivation for bringing Shaq in from Miami becomes clearer and clearer as this rivalry is dissected. If it were any other player than the four-time Champion ONeal responsible for altering this situation, then it would be fair to assume it would be too much pressure to put onto one man. However, Shaq is known to thrive in the face of pressure, and if he can take Duncan out of his element (hes beaten him three out of five tries since 1999) and upset the key of the Spurs attack, then the Suns have a legit shot at upsetting the Champs. However, if Shaq proves to be too far removed from his prime to control a player as good as Duncan, then Phoenix will be back at the drawing board sooner rather than later. SPURS IN SIX Utah (4) versus Houston (5) Houston just cant seem to catch a break. Theyre having a gem of a year, quieting all of their critics that say they cant win without Yao by going on an historic 22-game winning streak and then, in the dying days of the season, they lose Rafer Alston for no less than two games to start the Playoffs. This might not be such a catastrophic incident were the first two games not in Houston as a result of their superior record over Utah. The Rockets cannot afford to drop one of their first two games at home without their starting point guard because it would give home-court advantage in the series to the Jazz, who have the leagues best home record (37-4) and have looked positively unbeatable all season at the EnergySolutions Arena. As great as the Rockets supporting cast is, and as solid a talent as Tracy McGrady has been his whole career, without Alston it will be very hard for Houston to keep their heads above water in this series. KEY MATCHUP - Tracy McGrady versus The Jazz This is the only way that the Rockets can survive these first two games at home. If McGrady can put the team on his back, like he has with so many teams in so many games, and come away with two wins going into Utah, then this team has a shot at the series. If McGrady can score enough, and his teammates can slow the Utah attack enough, then the Rockets might just manage to squeeze some life out of this series and, hopefully, get Alston back in time for Game 3 or 4. Lets face it, everyone knows that McGrady isnt getting this team out of the first round on his own. If they were going up against a lesser team than Utah then they might have a shot, but McGrady has no experience winning a Playoff series and against a team that went to the Western Conference Finals last season, its hard to imagine him mustering up the wherewithal to make it happen this year. If he can, it will catapult him back into the conversation with players like LeBron and Kobe - maybe - but if he cant hell stay where he is with guys like Nowitzki, Carter and Jermaine; amazing talent. but. JAZZ IN FIVE Doug Free Jersey . Raonic and American Sam Querrey had their second-round match postponed by darkness. Watch the conclusion of the match on Friday, with coverage on TSN starting at 7am et/4am pt. Jason Witten Blue Jersey . Samardzija struck out a career high-tying 11 in seven innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros 7-1 on Monday night. http://www.nflcowboysfansstore.com/nike-morris-claiborne-Cowboys-jersey/ . -- The Phoenix Coyotes say forward Brett MacLean is improving after being taken to hospital for a cardiac emergency last week. DeMarcus Ware Black Jersey . LOUIS -- The Cardinals closed in on the NLs second wild-card berth while the Washington Nationals failed to make progress toward the NL East title. DeMarco Murray Black Jersey .SPORT: SHOOTINGMens 50m Rifle ProneCory Niefer (Saskatoon, Sask.)What You Should Know: Niefer is making his second appearance of London 2012. He finished 46th in the 10-metre air pistol event on Monday in his Olympic Games debut. The 35-year-old was a coach for Canada at Beijing 2008. Two-time bronze medallist Sergei Martynov enters the competition as the gold-medal favourite.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Upon further review, Tim Tebow has one fewer interception, and the Buffalo Bills lost a franchise record. In a scoring change announced by the Bills on Wednesday, the third of Tebows four interceptions in a 40-14 loss last weekend is now being ruled a lost fumble. It happened midway through the fourth quarter when Tebow had the ball knocked loose by linebacker Chris Kelsay. Linnebacker Spencer Johnson caught the ball in midair and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. DeMarcus Ware Elite Jersey. . It came on Denvers first play from scrimmage after Bills safety Jairus Byrd scored on a 37-yard interception return. As a result, the Bills have returned four interceptions for TDs this season, which now ties a team record. Kelsay picked up a sack to give him three in the game. ' ' '
|