Check out Vancouver Basketball’s Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden’s exclusive interview with Toronto Raptors Vice President & Assistant General Manager Maurizio Gherardini.
Maurizio gives his thoughts on the Raptors summer moves, Hedo Turkoglu and the future of the Raptors.
By Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden
BC calls out CB
Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo hinted last Monday on Toronto sports radio The Fan 590, that his former all-star Chris Bosh may have checked out for Toronto a lot longer than before he signed in Miami as a free-agent this summer. Colangelo suggested that Bosh came back from last year’s NBA all-star weekend a changed man, and that Bosh may have been listening to the many voices that surrounded the soon to be free-agent in Dallas that weekend. Colangelo went on to say this.
“I’ve talked so much about those voices that could have been speaking to him at all-star (weekend). I think it’s pretty obvious now what some of those voices were.
“Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy and I think everyone saw that. It’s just no one wanted to acknowledge it.”
Colangelo is pulling no punches with the Bosh situation, and he shouldn’t. After achieving a franchise record 29 wins entering the all-star break, Toronto only managed a mere 11 wins in the second half of the year. Colangelo points out that much of the second half collapse had to do with an ankle injury Bosh sustained on February 17th which Bosh missed six games. However, the Raps number one player was cleared by the Raptors medical staff, but Bosh insisted that he miss the full six games. Makes one wonder how long this Miami Thrice idea has been in fruition? Or at least how long Bosh had been dreaming of leaving Toronto. Colangelo is straight shooter and the signs were there from Bosh throughout the season. Bosh was on way out from the day he arrived back from the all-star game and it was just a matter of playing out the season before he jumped ship.
If you think about it Bosh has just kept the long-standing Toronto Raptors all-star tradition alive by checking out in your free-agent year in search of greener pastures. Didn’t work for Vince Carter (came close once) or Tracey McGrady, however, either of them joined a juggernaut of a team like the one being assembled in South Beach. Bosh will get his ring and will be a major contributor, but don’t expect a congratulatory phone call from Bryan Colangelo when he eventually does.
The key to CP3
New Orleans Hornets all-star point guard and one of the most beloved persons in the city of New Orleans, Chris Paul, wants out of the city that has embraced him so firmly. Don’t believe Hornets GM Dell Demps, who claims that he’s confident that Paul wants to remain with the Hornets. The truth is this. Demps, the Hornets new GM, now has to fan down a potential fire with his franchise player. Paul wants to win and the Hornets aren’t a winning team. The new ownership and GM did very little to re-tool their line up this off-season and have shown Paul that they aren’t committed to winning, something Paul wants more than anything else. Well, maybe winning and the potential to play in the world’s greatest city while forming a gruesome three-some of their own. Paul wants to hit the bright lights of New York City to join forces with Amar’e Staudemire and current Denver Nugget and good friend, Carmelo Anthony. The first piece is in place with the off-season signing of Amar’e, and now the courtship of Paul begins for the Knicks. The Hornets sent out a memo league wide this week warning teams of tampering with Paul, which only proves that their biggest chip may or may not be available, but if he is (hint hint) that they’ll be the ones who’ll be doing the contacting. Holding their cards close to their chest? You could say that. Personally, I think it just shows who’s actually going to run this thing, and that’s Paul. However, the Hornets don’t want this to turn into a LeBron type of situation. The Hornets need Paul and Paul needs the Hornets if they want to get this done to accommodate both sides. The wheels you can bet are now in motion between New Orleans and New York. The Knicks have Amar’e locked in, next it’s Paul, and then next summer, it’s Anthony. Miami Thrice beware.
Shoot Around (raining buckets!)
- The Raptors off-season acquisitions of Linas Kleiza, Leandro Barbosa and David Andersen are proving one thing. That this team is bound for another lottery pick and that they’ll be lucky to win 35 games this season.
- A fan at a Cleveland Indians game last night got booed out of Progressive Field for wearing a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey. The fan had to be escorted out of the stadium by security, though, It didn’t help that said fan was taunting and whooping on the crowd. It makes me wonder what’s going to happen when LeBron’s Heat make their first appearance in Ohio this year. Could there be a riot? Makes me cringe to think about, but man do I ever want to be in attendance that night.
- For a guy that eats Vaseline on a you tube video, Stephon Marbury isn’t as dumb as you’d think. Marbury has resigned for two more years to play with Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association. Marbury played 15 games last season for Shanxi, earning an apparent $100, 000 for half a season’s work. Pretty far off what he made in his NBA days, but here’s where Marbury is set to earn some real money. As part of the current deal, the ownership of Shanxi Zhongyu will create a company to produce and sell apparel and shoes from the point guard’s “Starbury” brand. The company will also open three Starbury shops. China is quite the market to tap into for the 33 year-old former all-star and his brand. Steph may have made some mistakes in his life, but this can’t miss. Just tell the Shanxi ownership group to keep him away from the web cams.
By Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden
If you had the first overall selection to build an NBA franchise around and could take any player in the league right now just who would you take?
LeBron James? Can’t go wrong there, right?
Kobe Bryant? A lot of bling on those fingers.
Dwyane Wade? Ya, he could work too, however, my pick would go to the youngest player to have ever led the NBA in scoring and who’s on the verge of becoming one of the NBA’s best ever scoring sensations. His name is Kevin Durant.
I can feel the heat on my back right now (no pun intended), about how King James, Black Mamba and Flash would all be better picks then the 21 year-old lanky kid from DC, but let me present my argument why KD, when it’s all said and done, may be considered better then all three of these NBA megastars.
Durant scored 30.1 points-per-game last season making him, as mentioned, the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring, which is astonishing when you consider it. At one point in the season last year Durant scored 25 points or more for 29 games straight. The kid is a flat-out scoring machine, but it doesn’t stop there. Last year KD set a career high in rebounds (7.6) and has raised his assists totals gradually through his first three seasons in the NBA. Plus, his defence is beginning to come around. Now just think about this. At 21 he’s not even close to hitting his prime. Now that’s scary.
Heading into the FIBA World Championships next month in Turkey, Durant is considered to be the star of the young USA squad that’s headed to the games. Even with all the accolades the always humble Durant doesn’t even consider himself to be a lock to make the team. Seriously! You think James, Bryant or Wade ever considered that they weren’t headed to Beijing in ’08? Not likely. This is the biggest key to why I feel Durant’s legacy could transcend the aforementioned big three. He’s that good, and the crazy thing is, he doesn’t even know it yet.
Yes, Durant has a long way to go before he’ll have the chips that Kobe has, but as of this moment he’s just one ring behind Wade and tied with James. When it’s all said and done will Durant end up with more hardware than James, Bryant and Wade? Only the future can determine that and the future is bright for Kevin Durant, superstar.
By Clint Lomax
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This will be an ongoing series of articles, laying the ground work for a long lasing hate fest for Lebron James. Lebron now joins the ranks of Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods, Albert Belle, Chris Brown, Michael Vick, Floyd Landis, Lance Armstrong, Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudamire, Mel Gipson, Terrell Owens, Bill Romanoski, Floyd Mayweather, Josh Koscheck, Ron Artest, Michael Richards, Isiah Thomas, Bob Knight, Al Davis, scott Boras, Shawn Merriman, Rasheed Wallace, Roger Clemons, Robert downey Jr., Jerry Jones, Plaxico Burress, Latrell Sprewell, Michael Jordan, need I go on???!!! Can’t believe I came up that many off the top of my head! LOL.
I thought at first you would need to have a laundry list of evil deeds including: felonies, domestic violence, steroid use, firearms violations, assault and battery, theft, and other jail-able offenses. After the now infamous airing of “The Decision”, I guess I was wrong. He went from being the “Savior of Cleveland Sports” to a traitor, Benedict Arnold, a coward, a liar, and the worst man in Cleveland history surpassing when Art Modell moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. Wait (sound of a long record skip)… Lebron is worse than the man that took a WHOLE FRANCHISE AWAY FROM CLEVELAND???? Last I looked, The Cavs were still a franchise. I will leave it here, because this is part 1 in about 1,000! This isn’t going to die anytime soon!
Let’s dissect this a little bit. Born in Akron to a single mother (which is a story in itself with the new man suing the James over paternity fraud), who worked to give everything Lebron wanted and couldn’t afford. Was it a mistake? Spoiling your child is not a crime, but it can be detrimental to that child in the future. The man has been called a legend even before he finished the 8th grade. Scouted by the NBA since he hit high school, some scouts said that he could have gone to the NBA after his junior year of high school! At this point, Lebron hasn’t reached 18 years old yet. It was evident from an early age that he was always trying to please other people. Before “The Decision”, there were your typical haters that just hate to hate. My opinion of when his “Global” quest to be a billionaire athlete is when things really took a negative turn. The firing of Aaron Goodwin in favor of starting a marketing company named LRMR Marketing. The members included: Lebron, Randy Mims, Maverick Carter, and Richard Paul. When Goodwin was let go, Lebron was the fourth highest paid athlete. Biggest thing to note here is that he was 22 when he made this decision.
Attention Miami Heat. Lakers don’t scare
By Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden
At six o’clock tonight the basketball world will all grind to a halt as the games highest profile player will make his decision on to where he’s headed to play next season. Where ever LeBron James decides to go the foundation of the NBA has already shifted with the Miami Heat loading up, signing two of the top free agents in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to play in South Beach. The foundation of the L could shift even further if James was to sign with Miami, being the third piece of an incredible, possibly unstoppable threesome of Wade, Bosh and James. However, one team that may have a say in just how unstoppable Miami could be resides on the other coast of the NBA and that’s the reigning back-to-back champions the Los Angeles Lakers. Throughout this whole fiasco (and let’s face it, it’s a fiasco), the Lakers have spent their time waiting in the shadows, saying nothing, doing nothing, just waiting and watching. Even if LeBron was to sign in Miami, the Lakers still have to be considered the best team in the NBA. Yes, the Heat big three will trump the big three in Boston, but the Lakers got the big four and beyond. Kobe, Pau, Artest and Odom combined with one of the best benches in the league are still the biggest force in the L. As much as Wade, Bosh and James would get all the headlines, the reality is Miami won’t have the depth (or cap space), to compete with the Lakers. If LeBron goes to Miami, I think it’s a guarantee that the Heat will be in the finals next season, however, don’t count on them beating LA.
By Clint Lomax
By Clint Lomax A.K.A. Mjlover23
Three years ago, Lebron James was 22 years old. Somewhere in that time, he came through with a Herculean type performance in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs Detroit in double OT! He went from “mesmerizing” and “overpowering” to “wet behind the ears” and “not ready to be coroneted” after his team was swept by San Antonio in the 2007 finals. Immediately after that loss, ESPN almost immediately began the “Summer of 2010” campaign. With increased ratings, ad revenue, and web traffic in mind, this campaign was nearly a daily pounding of speculation on what he was going to do with free agency.
Fast forward to today.
The hour long special dubbed “The Decision” will air on ESPN at 9pm est/6pm pst. How much of this was ESPN begging to get the exclusive announcement, Lebron’s personal hands on ego, and/or the master plan of Maverick Carter. Carter is the CEO of LRMR Innovative Marketing & Branding. I will be writing a full article on Mr. Carter later today or sometime this weekend. Mr. Carter is a subject that may make you feel good, bad, or indifferent about the rise to his current position. Anyway, Lebron ultimately owns this situation as it unfolds today. However, I’m reminiscing about a previous PR snafu that happened about 3 years ago. If you forgot about that I’ll give you a hint…”Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive.”
Speaking of career altering missteps, this may be one of the biggest in Lebron’s career. No other free agent has ever garnered attention of this magnitude. I’ve read that this is more like the press conference on which university he was going to choose…that he never had. The suspense is the only genuine thing about this whole process. Even with all the rumors and speculation going on, the one thing that we know for sure is that we don’t know what he is going to do. Let’s run down the potentials from about a week ago to today:
-NJ Nets – With a new billionaire majority owner and the mega superstar Jay-Z, the Nets have all facets of the Global Entertainment angle sewed up. The Nets had decent cap space, but with the big pockets that organization has now they could make any move they wanted to make it work. Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Derrick Favors, and Lebron sounds like a formidable lineup but not a championship lineup.
- NY Knicks – The Knicks had enough cap space for two max players. With their pickup of Amare, Lebron James would have meant the end of their playoff drought at the very least. Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Toney Douglas, Gallinari, Tracy McGrady, Al Harrington, and Eddie House still leave you needing to maneuver a little bit. Who am I fooling???? NY would have to maneuver a lot to make this team into a contender! I think the media scrutiny would rip into Lebron too much to bring a title to NY. Can anyone name the last big time FA that “WILLINGLY” went to NY and flourished? Don’t worry…I’ll wait!
- Chicago Bulls – They were the front runners from the very start! They had the cap room, the young talent, and a new defensive coach. The problem is that the Bulls would still need a legit both ends post player. The signing of Boozer is not the championship piece needed, plus the Lebron/Boozer combo was tried before and didn’t show signs of working long term. The beginning of the end was when rumors of Wade backing out of Chicago as an option surfaced. No Wade, no Lebron.
- Clev Cavs – Cleveland is the obvious, but not so obvious choice here. Hometown guy, economy booster, feel good story, etc. The media is so in love with the hometown hero playing his whole career in his home state. I challenge anyone to name 10 players in the last ten years that spent their whole career with the same team! Now everybody is asking a 25 year old to stay on a team that is in the state where they haven’t had a championship in 46 years…..IN ANY SPORT! Everybody’s view of what he should do is what they want him to do, instead of what he should do. Which is put himself in the best situation to win multiple titles. We know Danny Ferry added: Mo Will, Shaq, and Jamison. I have never wanted to anoint Ferry as one of the top GMs. Partly because he played at Duke (when I hated Duke), but mostly because he is a bargain shopper on a team that should have top talent. I’m sure would of loved to have Ben Gordon, Brandon Bass, and/or Trevor Ariza instead of Mo Will and Anthony Parker. They already have shooters off the bench; they needed more playoff experienced players which Mo and Parker are not. Cleveland still has the inside track on getting him back, but where do they go after they get him? Shaq is being shopped, and I know Ferry isn’t going to go out and get a Rondo type PG that Cleveland needs.
- Miami Heat – The Heat were in the driver’s seat as soon as Wade chose not to go to Chicago. With Bosh having the same agent as Wade, you already knew how that was going to shake out. The issue that people keep thinking is the truth when it is not is that there are not enough balls on the court for all three of them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Lebron is and always will be a “PASS FIRST” guy! Probably to his detriment right now, because he is title-less because of it. Once you trade Beasley out to get Lebron in, that’s when the fun will begin! There will be a truckload of 2nd tier specialty players begging to play with the New Big Three! Not only that, but you never know when Pat Riley is going to bogard the coaching duties like he did when Shaq came to town. Championship coaches give you the best chance to win year in and year out. The only reason he would go to Miami is because of the pressure to stay in Cleveland. The loss in potential salary means less to players like Lebron than you think. Especially when you have super duper endorsement deals.
In my opinion, the wait and suspense is a little bit much. However, if I was 25 years old in his position I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing. At 25, I thought I knew everything when I really didn’t know anything. Put yourself in his shoes. Factor in being 25 years old (if you are older than that, this won’t work if your 25 or younger) and the following:
- You’re the most physically imposing player at your position in NBA history
- You have your most trusted friends and relatives in your inner circle, and they are solid (for the most part).
- You are stinking rich.
- You are guaranteed a future nine figure contract with opt out power in the last 2 years of your contract.
- You have your own clothing and shoe line (that need to be redesigned like a buddy of mine pointed out to me on FB).
- You pay for next to nothing that doesn’t involve high end cars, jets, and houses.
- You are VIP almost anywhere in the world, and I don’t mean strictly nightclubs.
- You are 6’8” 270 lbs, and have a body that looks like it was chiseled out of marble.
What would you do….if you were 25 years old?
By Clint Lomax
Many people are called “Giants” for the great things that they do. Manute Bol was not only one of those people at 7’7”, he was more like a super hero! His humanitarian efforts in his home of Sudan are not nearly as publized as they should have been. I’d say in some ways understated! In his ten year NBA career, he donated the MAJORITY of his $5.8 million salary to his home land ($3.8 million est. which is about 65%). Unheard of in this age of mega millionaires that for the most part help a lot of people, but not nearly to the extent of Manute’s magnitude.
Manute was born in 1962 in Sudan, son of a Dinka tribal chief. His height was attributed to his dad being 6’8”, and his mom being 6’10”! One of the famous stories of his youth was killing a lion with a spear while tending to cattle. He was discovered while playing in Sudan for a few teams, and was convinced to come to the U.S. in hopes of a professional basketball career. After running into trouble at his first attempt at playing collegiately, but landed at Division II University of Bridgeport. Once established at Bridgeport…the legend of Manute Bol began!
Drafted by the Washington Bullets in the second round of the 1985 NBA draft, he led the league in blocked shots with 397. Not only did he set the rookie record for blocks in a season, but set a career high 5 blocks per game. He still holds the record for second and seventh most most blocks in NBA history! He was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1988, and that is when his 3 point barrage started! While leading the lead in blocks with 345, he shot a career high 91 3 pointers! The more miraculous achievement is that he made 20 of them! The feat is not memorable for a guy that height shooting 3s. It was the sight of his signature “catapult” delivery, and then the unbelievable feat of his attempts going in!
His more famous teammates in Charles Barkley and Chris Mullin had nothing but the utmost respect for the gentle giant. Bol and Barkley constantly played pranks on each other while Bol was in Philly. “It was an honor and a pleasure to play with Manute. He was a wonderful guy,” said Barkley. “Man, I remember every moment with him,” Mullin said. “Every moment was an event with Manute.” “He’d been through so much in the course of his lifetime. He had seen so much. He taught me a lot about life, just listening to him and his stories and what he’d been through.”
Life after the NBA found him signing a one day contract in the Central Hockey League, eventhough he couldn’t skate. He also signed on to fight William “The Refrigerator” Perry on the Celebrity Boxing show. All in the name of fundraising for his war-torn country of Sudan. Misfortune followed him in 2004 when his neck was broken in a car accident. Plagued by liver disease for several years, he finally lost is battle to the illness on June 19th of this year.
His contributions not only to the game of basketball and his teammates, but to his country is immeasurable. We should all strive to be as selfless as Manute Bol. The world would be a better place.
R.I.P. Manute Bol
October 16, 1962 – June 19, 2010
By Clint Lomax
Ronald William Artest Jr. was born November 13, 1979 in Queens, New York. He is the oldest of six children born into the world by Ron and Sarah Artest. Artest Sr. was a Navy veteran, former Gold Gloves boxer, and a Jack of all Trades. At 6’2” 250lbs with a hair trigger temper, you can see where his sometimes “unpredictable” emotions derive from. As most of us already know, Ron was brought up in the Queensbridge Houses complex. The Artest family lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with 10 people (two parents, six kids, and two cousins). From all accounts after his parents split, Artest’s anger management issues started around 8 years old. Luckily for him (and maybe the neighborhood) that is around the time he picked up basketball as a release.
Early on in his basketball adolescence, Ron would look for a challenge on the court. Has he grew older, he found himself spending almost endless amounts of time at the hoop court. Mostly for his new found love of the game, but almost equally to take his mind off his family situation. Artest, while playing AAU ball, had a fire that burned so hot at times that he even got into it with his teammates on occasion. Rumor has it that before one AAU game, Artest got into an argument with fellow teammate Elton Brand. Before you know it, that argument turned into a massive scuffle, right in front of then coach of St. Johns University Fran Fraschilla. What may have destroyed any other athlete, led Artest to even more accolades. Nicknamed the “True Warrior”, Artest was a McDonald’s All-American selection. He also led LaSalle Academy to a 27-0 record and was named NYC’s Co-Player of the Year along side Maurice Brown of Henninger. Brown won the award the previous year too, and of course none of us on the west coast has ever heard of that cat (funny how the chips fall sometimes).
His freshman year at St Johns, Artest was teamed up with the likes of: Zendon Hamilton, Lavor Postell, and Highly touted Felipe Lopez (dubbed as ONE of the next Michael Jordans, LOL)! This team underachieved until Artest brought his “Take No Prisoners” style of play. Not only were his opponents scared of him, but so were his teammates! That year Artest was named Big East All Rookie and All Tournament teams. He also helped St Johns make the NCAA Tourney for the first time since 1993. With the contributions of Bootsy Thornton, Postell, and Erick Barkley, the Red Storm advanced to NCAA Regional Finals for the first time in 8 years (that would have been back when Chris Mullin played). At season’s end, Ron averaged 15 ppg 6 rpg 4 apg taking home awards like: 1st Team all Big East, and a finalist for the Wooden Award as the top Division 1 player in the nation.
The Chicago Bulls snatched up Artest with the 16th pick of the first round. Artest’s hard hat mentality earned him a spot on the All Rookie 2nd team averaging 12.5 ppg 4 rpg. However, with liquidation of Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Rodman, and Michael Jordan’s retirement, The Bulls manage one 20+ win season under Coach Tim Floyd. Floyd had little patience for Artest’s youth mistakes on the court which led to him being pulled from games often. With the additions of Ron Mercer, Brad Miller, and Jamal Crawford, Artest was expendable and was traded to the Pacers mid way through the season. The Pacers acquired for NBA sharpshooter Chuck “The Rifleman” Person as an assistant coach, who locked in with Artest almost immediately. Artest already had the defense and the hustle, Person help Artest find his offensive side. In the 03-04 season, Artest (with the help of Person) was a reserve on the East All Star team, and was named Defensive Player of the Year!
After the infamous “Malace at the Palace” event. Artest was suspended for the remainder of the season, along with suspensions for Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson. 73 games lost and $7 million in forfeited salary was the result of the suspension. What was worse is that he had the “Rodman” touch of death put on him. Through some GM trade talks, Artest was traded to Sacramento for Peja Stojakovic. Under the coaching of Rick Adelman, Artest found his place quickly and added much needed defense to the Kings. Unfortunately, after a first round exit (in which he was suspended for game 2 for a flagrant elbow to Ginobili’s temple), Artest was the victim of another team partial dismantling. With Bonzi Wells and Adelman’s contracts being up, the Kings opted to trade and not renew their contracts, respectively. Artest had even offered his whole salary in support of keeping both of them with the Kings with no luck.
Artest was again traded to Houston for a few players and a draft pick. Yao and McGrady ruled the roost in Houston, but with McGrady injured on a regular basis Artest filled in the gaps that Houston needed. With McGrady out for the playoffs, Artest helped Yao, Scola, Brooks, and the Rockets defeat the Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. Artest was ejected in games 2 and 3 for what some people call “questionable” technical fouls. Coincidentally enough, Houston lost both of those games. After that the Rockets couldn’t put together consecutive games to move on to the next round, and lost to the lakers in game 7 at the Staples Center by 19.
Artest signed with the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent for 5 years/$33 million. He took the number 37 as a tribute to Michael Jackson’s 37 weeks at #1 for his album Thriller. The signing paid dividends right off the bat! While trying to learn the Triangle Offense and struggling to find his offense in it, Artest played smothering defense game in and game out. This was highlighted in the playoffs where he had to guard: Kevin “Durantula” Durant, C.J. Miles, Jason Richardson, and Paul Pierce. Not only that, he had a hand in a number of Laker playoff victories including: The whole series vs OKC and guarding Durant especially game 5 vs OKC (Durant 5-14), The last second rebound and layup vs Phx in game 5, and his rough and tumble play vs Paul Pierce in the NBA Finals. Game 7 at the Staples Center was more or less a showcase of how dangerous he is on both ends of the court. Artest (with Gasol) literally kept the Lakers in the game with his scoring, rebounding, and defense. His 20 points including the clutch 3 pointer after Ray Allen cut it to 3 was monumental for the Lakers in keeping the game at 2 possessions for Boston.
Lastly, from my experience following Artest from the St Johns Red Storm days (they were actually not the Red Storm back then, think they were the Redmen back then) to the present day Artest, and everything in between. Including all the Love and Hate, not too mention the blame from all Lakers fans when they lost (which is absolutely ridiculous). When every loss was on your shoulders, and you held it together because you wanted to be the ultimate team player (even though I predicted midway through the season he was going to crack Kobe’s jaw in practice)…. RON ARTEST! I SALUTE YOU! You are an NBA Champion, and you deserve all the accolades that go with it!
By Clint Lomax
By now most of you have heard all of the stats, hype, history, legacy talk, etc. Since I picked Boston in 7, Kendrick Perkins has went down with a season ending knee injury. By all accounts, when you pick your winners you always pick on the assumption they will be healthy. With Perkins out, my pick gets a lot weaker. The main reason for that is with Perkins you knew what you were going to get out of him in every game. Toughness, strong interior defense, and if he scored it was definitely a bonus. This only increases the chance of the Lakers repeating. Along with this ridiculously massive stat:
Lakers Celtics History
- Phil Jackson series record is 47-0 when winning game 1s!
- The home team is 3-0 in Game 7 of Finals in 2-3-2 format.
- The home team has won 13 of the 16 game 7s!
On the flipside, here are some Celtic Finals stats that could bring hope:
Boston Celtics
- 7-0 in gm 7 of Finals
- 4-0 vs Lakers in Game 7 of Finals
- 11-0 in Finals when Leading 3-2
- 7-0 Series Record with KG in the Lineup
Here are some key hopes for Boston fans who are feeling less confident than they were 4 days ago.
PACE OF THE GAME
The Cs must push the pace when they force a stop. The Celtics are really good at getting back, and that is helped by a lack of a truly aggressive Laker PG. Fisher is aggressive, but not like Rondo routinely is. Unlike Phoenix, it is hard fastbreak when your taking the ball through the basket. Rondo is the key. It wouldn’t hurt for him to pull off a triple double right about now. If not that, he must hit at least half of his jumpers. The Lakers would be smart to foul him every time he entered the paint area. We all know Kobe is going to come out firing in the 1st and 3rd qtrs. The question is can Paul Pierce bounce back to play his best game ever, and can Ray Allen find those same spots he found in game 2.
Free Throws
The Cs must get more free throws than LA. The king of drawing contact is Paul Pierce. Everybody gets upset when Fisher “flails” his arms and legs violently when an opponent is near him. Well…Pierce does the same thing, just with a bigger body. Ray Allen must get to the line! Even though that is wishful thinking, he is a career 89% FT shooter and he will rarely miss. Matter a fact, I would push Artest off the 3 point line, and foul him when he entered the key. He is just under 55% from the line in the playoffs. Lamar Odom is next at 60%.
Rebounding
This is an uphill battle for the Cs! Even if Bynum doesn’t play much, LA still has Gasol, Odom, and the now “motivated to grab rebounds in traffic” Kobe Bryant. Garnett, Wallace, and Glen Davis are formidable but I think old legs and a lack of height will plague them again this game. Gasol is relentless on the offensive boards because he knows if Boston gets a rebound, he can beat his man back to the other end. Boston will need everybody to crash on the defensive end, including Ray Allen!
Bench Production
What a difference Home Court makes! The Cs bench had outscored the LA bench in all 5 games before game 6. Shannon Brown who didn’t even see the floor in game 5 because of his “just filling up space” performance in game 4, breaks out his rocket boosters in game 6 on the Staples hardwood. Farmar dunking on KG, and giving him the stare afterwards! Didn’t see any of that in the previous 5 games, but…that is what Home Court can give you. Glen/Wallace (depending on who starts), Nate “The Great”, and Tony Allen must play the games of their young lives. In what will be the loudest, most anxiety filled atmosphere they have ever played in. OH BOY!
BOTTOM LINE
Even though the odds are against the Cs, never say never. PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS AND IT BUTS PIPES!!!! There is always a chance that one or more people on the Lakers will have a “John Starks 2-18 in game 7 of the 94’ finals”. We all knew that Starks was streaky, but not that streaky. All the Lakers favorite “Love to Hate” players are candidates. Artest, Odom, Sasha and Farmar are the favorite whipping boys for Lakers fans. Even though if it wasn’t for them in key games and specific situations (i.e. Game 5 vs Phx), they may not even be where they are right now! I see why they are where they are, and it’s not all because of Kobe and Gasol. Which actually makes them more dangerous tonight, because they can and have contributed when the Lakers have truly needed it.
Boston in 7…..Tentatively.
Game Seven Keys to Victory
By Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden
What could be better than a game seven NBA Final? Well, I can think of a few things, but in terms of basketball, it doesn’t get any better. The latest edition of the Boston – LA rivalry has been nothing short of amazing with a game seven finale that could go to either the resilient Celtics or to the reigning champion Lakers. LA proved last night that they’re the champs and that they wouldn’t go out without a fight, jumping on the throats of the Celtics from the opening tip. Boston will need to regroup for Thursday night’s final as the Staples Center will be rocking. Can the Celtics take the Lakers on their home floor in a one game showdown? Are the champs just too much for Boston?
Here are my keys to winning game seven for both LA and Boston.
Lakers Keys
Kobe Must Be Kobe
He’s been doing it all series long and can’t stop now. It’s a must he sets the tone early for himself and his teammates. Count on this happening.
Supporting Cast
Not the bench (I’ll get to them next), but the co-stars, Gasol, Artest & Odom. Gasol has to be relevant on the glass on both ends of the floor. This is the biggest game of Pau’s NBA career, even bigger than last year. He must step up.
Artest had a brilliant game six, hitting shots and doing his job on the defensive side. Ron must do this again for the Lakers to win.
Odom get’s this consideration over Andrew Bynum because Bynum is not 100%, not even close to 100% for that matter. Odom will play big minutes and must do what he does best. Chip in for 8-10 points and nab 8-10 rebounds. That’s Odom’s game, and when played efficiently, it usually results in a Lakers win.
The Bench
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This key get’s a mention for both teams. The benches were the key for LA’s win last night and for Boston’s win in game four. Odom (though he may start in game seven), Sasha Vujacic, Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar all need to contribute in some sort of way, be it hitting open shots, grabbing boards, diving for loose balls or jumping out of the arena like Brown did last night. All the intangibles need to be executed by these glue players. It’s the small things that win ball games.
Celtics Keys
Pierce Must be the Truth
More than Allen and more than Garnett even more then Rondo, Paul Pierce is the main factor to a Celtics victory. Like Bryant, Pierce get’s his teammates going and when he’s going so are they. Paul must be aggressive right from the tip for Boston to win.
Make Them Pay Ray
Ray Allen must make shots. It’s that simple. Ray will get his looks, that’s for certain. Whether he buries them is not that certain. Allen is shooting less than 40% from the field and less than 30% from the land beyond in the series. It’s doubtful that Allen will repeat his game two heroics nor does anyone expect another dismal shooting performance like we saw from Ray in game three, however, he needs to be effective from outside early in the game. If Allen makes less than 40% of his shots for the game, the Celtics lose. It’s that simple.
Bench
Just like for the Lakers, the Celtics bench could very well be the key to another Celtics championship. Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson may seem on paper as the most unlikely three players you would need to step for you on the most important game of the season, but they very well could be. Davis is an enigma. Undersized, out of shape, no hops, not super long arms, but somehow he’s effective in the trenches, scoring, rebounding and even blocking shots. Big Baby may possibly start this game with Perkins looking to be sidelined for game seven. Whatever the case may be with Davis, he must perform.
Wallace just has to do the small things to be effective for the Celtics. Sheed can’t take dumb fouls or useless techs. Plus, he must hit shots. That’s his job, seeing as he sits on the perimeter most of the game. Hit those shots Sheed!
Robinson just needs to bring a small dose of energy when he gets on the floor. When little Nate has the energy going it flows through his team. When he makes shots, then it really gets him going. Robinson has to be the spark plug for the Celtics bench. It’s now or never Nate.