LAKERS: Bynum Cleared For All Activity
July 28, 2008
Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who is working his way back from knee surgery, worked out for Lakers team doctors earlier this week, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
BOTTOM LINE: Bynum has been cleared for all activities, and the Lakers are going to be downright scary when he and Pau Gasol are on the court together. Who knows? Maybe Bynum would have been the difference in the finals. He should be a solid fantasy asset next season, as long as he can prove that he is healthy.
LAKERS: No Extension for Bynum
June 20, 2008
Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is looking for a contract extension, but the Lakers are not willing to give him one due to his injury concerns.
BOTTOM LINE: The Lakers want to wait until training camp to see how the big man has recovered from his injury that kept him out of the latter part of the regular season and playoffs. I’d imagine something will eventually get done, but we will have to wait and see.
CELTICS: Garnett Leads to Promise Land
June 18, 2008
Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and had 14 rebounds as the Celtics embarrassed Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in game six of the NBA finals to win the championship.
BOTTOM LINE: The Lakers just didn’t come to play in game six. Gasol and Odom disappeared again, and their inconsistent play is the reason that the Lakers were eliminated.
It’s Not All About Kobe
June 16, 2008
Kendrick Perkins had overmatched Gasol physically for the whole series thus far, but thankfully for Gasol, Perkins was out of the lineup. He was able to get position, and create plays for his teammates.
Odom needs to keep on driving the lane. When he takes too many jumpers, he is not successful. His game thrives on movement into the paint to he can either take the shot, or pass the ball off to a teammate.
The bottom line is this. These guys need to be atop their game if they want to win the whole thing, because if they’e not, the Lakers will be eliminated in game six.
–MICHAEL GANCI
Underestimating Greatness
June 5, 2008
Bryant has been everything the Lakers could have dreamed for over his tenure, but many critics don’t think he can hold up against the “big three.” I don’t understand these naysayers. Kevin Garnett has been true to form this post season, and Paul Pierce has beens treaky. He scored 41 and 27 in two separate games, but he scored 11 once, and has been up and down for most of the post season. Ray Allen has not held up his end at all. In 12 different games this post season, Allen has failed to eclipse 15 points. Kobe, on the other hand, does it every single night.
When going down to the wire, who do you trust in the big spot? Is it Paul Pierce who has a history of not being a consistent playoff player? No. Is it Ray Allen whose best days are definitely behind him? Not a chance. The guy who shines when it counts is Kobe Bryant, and with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom at his side, he is going to lead the Lakers to yet another NBA Championship.
–MICHAEL GANCI
2008 NBA Finals
June 2, 2008
By: Michael Ganci
Update! Writer
It all comes down to this. The East and the West are both set, and the NBA Finals will begin on Thursday in Boston. The Celtics made quick work of the banged up Pistons thanks to some great play from their big three. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to two big comebacks that were vital to their overcoming of the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Two teams remain, and only one will survive. This is the 10th time in the history of basketball that the Lakers and Celtics have tangled in the finals, and the most memorable matchups were when guys like Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson ruled the courts. I’m here to break down each team by positions to see what team has the edge.
Comment: This is not even a fair matchup. The trade from Memphis has launched the Lakers to the level they have been playing at. It must have been nice to acquire an all-star forward for pretty much nothing. Any time you can rid yourself of a guy like Kwame Brown, you are happy with the situation, but the Lakers capitalized by getting Gasol in the deal is well. I don’t know what Memphis management was thinking, but the Lakers wouldn’t have beaten the Spurs without him. 17.7 points and 9 rebounds per game in the post season clearly makes Pau Gasol the best center in this matchup.
Advantage: Lakers
Comment: Garnett has been excellent in the playoffs, averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game on a team that also features Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. He also plays solid defense and is the best-rounded player in this series. The Lakers would love more scoring from Odom, who is averaging about 14.7, but his 10 rebounds per game are more than satisfactory. Odom is good, but Garnett is one of the best players in the game.
Advantage: Celtics
Comment: This was the easiest call besides the center position. Pierce had a huge series against the Pistons, including a game in which he scored 27 and went berserk in the fourth quarter. His 19 points per game have proved vital in Boston’s playoff run, and he is definitely superior to Radmanovic, who averages 8.3 points per game. This is no contest, and I look for this matchup to be huge, and Pierce needs to silent his critics that say he cannot perform in the clutch.
Advantage: Celtics
Comment: Kobe is the reigning MVP and the Lakers wouldn’t be where they are today without him. 31 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists has been the consistent line for the superstar thus far in the post season. Allen has been a bit of a disappointment for the Celtics in the playoffs, and has put up an average of 14 points per game. Much like Lamar Odom for the Lakers, the Celtics expect more out of the aging Allen, and if he becomes the Allen of old, the Lakers may be in trouble.
Advantage: Lakers
Comment: This is kind of a funny comparison, but they have pretty much been the same player for their teams thus far in the post season. Fisher is one of the most underappreciated players in the game, but Rondo knows plenty about that because he plays in the shadow of the big three. Both players put up 10 points per game. The one key difference is that Rondo averaged 6 assists per game and Fisher only is averaging two. If one of these guys bursts out of their bubble, their respective teams will be heading in the right direction.
Advantage: Tie
Comment: This was a tougher decision than one would expect. Rivers coached in Orlando and didn’t impress me with his tactics, and the simple difference here is the fact that his team is more equipped. Jackson, on the other hand, has always been successful no matter where he has been. I can’t go against Jackson’s experience in this situation, and he always seems confident and never seems to over manage the situation.
Advantage: Lakers
Comment: The Celtics managed to finally win a road game against the Pistons, but I think their inability to play well on the road is going to be huge in this series. Also, it has seemed like the whole season it has been Kobe versus the world and Kobe has always been the person standing tall. The Lakers are a heavy favorite in my mind, and we are going to get to see the war that started in the eighties with all of the legends possibly end with Kobe standing tall. Only time will tell.
Prediction: Lakers in Six Games.
2008 Western Conference Finals
May 20, 2008
Well, the conference finals are both official. A playoff that started off with 16 teams is now down to four. Only one will be left standing when all is said and done, and there will be a lot of emotions that fly before we find out who the best truly is. First, the Detroit Pistons will go to battle with the “Big Three” in Boston. In the West, Phil Jackson’s Lakers are going to do battle with Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs. In this preview, I am going to look at each match up in a position versus position manner. The end result will be my prediction.
Comment: Duncan has proven that he may be the most fundamental player in all of basketball by being the most boring superstar ever to grace the NBA. That is not an insult, but he doesn’t seem to glow when he excels, if that makes any sense. Gasol has been very good in the playoffs, averaging 20 points to go along with nine rebounds per game. Another impressive result from him has been his 4.5 assists. This has been the biggest pickup for the Lakers, and he has filled the void and then some that was left when Andrew Bynum was floored with an injury. Duncan is just the classy veteran who gets it done. He is averaging 19 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game. He just knows how to be the well-rounded player that everyone in San Antonio has watched him be for so long. This is close, but I like Duncan in the clutch. He is a winner, and people would be foolish to bet against him.
Advantage: Spurs
Comment: Odom is by far the more valuable of these two players. Thomas is known for his defensive expertise, and is not counted on by the Spurs for much scoring. Thomas has scores only 4.2 points per game compared to Odom’s 15.6. While Thomas will probably rebound more, Odom’s versatility makes him more valuable for the Lakers. I look for Odom to control this battle, but I don’t think it will be enough to propel the Lakers into the next round..
Advantage: Lakers
Comment:While many of you may be screaming at me because Radmanovic scores more, think about the big picture. Bowen has been known as one of the masterminds of defense in this league for years. As the phrase says, defense wins championships. In that respect, Bowen is your ideal player.
Advantage: Even
Comment: Well, you can’t say that the advantage does not lie with the best player in the NBA, but these two guys give him a pretty good run, and I believe having Manu Ginobili as the sixth man will be the difference in this series. Ginobili averaged 20 points per game and Finley averages seven, but Kobe is outdueling them with 33 of his own per game. Possibly the best thing about Kobe is his ability to take attention away from his teammates. That opens up the floor for the other guys to create plays. Containing Kobe will be the biggest obstacle for the Spurs.
Advantage: Lakers
Comment: Parker may be the MVP of the post season thus far. He has dazed and dazzled opponents thus far with his ability to score and create plays for his teammates. Fisher has 11 points per game, but Parker has been sensational. The numbers explain it all. 23.7 points and six assists per game have catapulted his team into this round. He has been the best point guard and maybe even the best player in the playoffs, and many of the people who underestimated him are not looking smart because of it.
Advantage: Spurs
Comment: I know Phil Jackson is very accomplished with the Bulls teams and the Lakers teams that he has coached, but I think it all goes back to fundamentals. I feel like Jackson’s teams were more loaded with stars, and Popovich’s teams were taught the fundamentals by their head coach. There is not a more fundamental coach in sports, and his teams prove that fact true. It’s evidenced by their play, and will continue to be into the next round.
Advantage: Spurs
Comment: The x-factor in this series is going to be Manu Ginobili. I don’t think the Lakers have the equivalent sixth man. If Andrew Bynum was healthy and playing, I may think differently. But, the fact is that Bynum is unavailable, and this is going to be a solid series, but I think the Spurs will win it, and then advance to the NBA finals. This will be one for the ages.
Prediction: Spurs in Seven Games.
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