duncan228
02-10-2009, 02:39 PM
SI.com Roundtable (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/02/10/writers.roundtable/index.html)
2. In a four-day span, the Lakers won at Boston in overtime, the Spurs edged the Celtics in Boston and the Lakers handed Cleveland its first home loss. What did you glean from these showdowns between top contenders?
Ian Thomsen: That the Spurs are still relevant and the Lakers are the team to beat. It's not so much that the Lakers beat Boston and Cleveland in midseason, as those results will be irrelevant four months from now in the NBA Finals; it's how they won. The Lakers showed the stubborn tenacity and fight that defined the Celtics last year. One week after losing Andrew Bynum, they proved their commitment to winning the championship. The Celtics and Cavaliers are a step below L.A. by that standard, which isn't to say they can't make it up over the months ahead.
Jack McCallum: It told me the most about the Spurs. We already knew that the Celtics are very good but not a super team. We already knew that the Lakers are eminently capable of beating anyone, as they showed last year when they made the Finals despite not having Bynum for the last half of the season. We already knew or we should've known -- that the Cavaliers were not going to go through the season undefeated at home. But, as usual, we've forgotten about the Spurs, and they demonstrated that they are still an elite team even with lesser lights such as Roger Mason and Matt Bonner in the starting lineup.
Chris Mannix: It's tough to take too much away from regular-season games in February, but two things stood out. First, Bonner is going to be a tremendous weapon come playoff time. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Bonner isn't the typical Spurs "center," but he can flat-out shoot. The pride of New Hampshire torched the Celtics for 23 points Sunday and he's connecting on 49 percent of his three point attempts this season. If Bonner can avoid becoming a defensive liability, his marksmanship will change the dynamic of games.
Second, the Lakers seem intent on proving that they can beat physical teams even without Bynum. They bullied the bullies in Boston, and against Cleveland, Lamar Odom stood tall against the Cavs' towering front line. I still have my doubts that L.A. can maintain that kind of physicality in the playoffs, but last week was a good sign.
Steve Aschburner: First, it told me that Phil Jackson sure does know how to travel. He had his crew locked in for its six-game trip, which began with Bynum as the X factor for this year's Finals and ended, well, not so much. After the big guy went down in Memphis, the Lakers were a cinch to go one of two ways: unravel over the déjà -vu disappointment or run on pure adrenaline, Jackson's guile and Kobe Bryant's iron will. Odom even got swept up in the excitement, reacquainting himself with big moments.
My views on the others didn't change much: San Antonio can still rise to the occasion, the Cavaliers aren't perfect and Boston is a bit shy of what it was, at its best, last season. Oh, and one last thing: David Stern and his schedule-maker sure know how to pounce once the Super Bowl passes.
2. In a four-day span, the Lakers won at Boston in overtime, the Spurs edged the Celtics in Boston and the Lakers handed Cleveland its first home loss. What did you glean from these showdowns between top contenders?
Ian Thomsen: That the Spurs are still relevant and the Lakers are the team to beat. It's not so much that the Lakers beat Boston and Cleveland in midseason, as those results will be irrelevant four months from now in the NBA Finals; it's how they won. The Lakers showed the stubborn tenacity and fight that defined the Celtics last year. One week after losing Andrew Bynum, they proved their commitment to winning the championship. The Celtics and Cavaliers are a step below L.A. by that standard, which isn't to say they can't make it up over the months ahead.
Jack McCallum: It told me the most about the Spurs. We already knew that the Celtics are very good but not a super team. We already knew that the Lakers are eminently capable of beating anyone, as they showed last year when they made the Finals despite not having Bynum for the last half of the season. We already knew or we should've known -- that the Cavaliers were not going to go through the season undefeated at home. But, as usual, we've forgotten about the Spurs, and they demonstrated that they are still an elite team even with lesser lights such as Roger Mason and Matt Bonner in the starting lineup.
Chris Mannix: It's tough to take too much away from regular-season games in February, but two things stood out. First, Bonner is going to be a tremendous weapon come playoff time. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Bonner isn't the typical Spurs "center," but he can flat-out shoot. The pride of New Hampshire torched the Celtics for 23 points Sunday and he's connecting on 49 percent of his three point attempts this season. If Bonner can avoid becoming a defensive liability, his marksmanship will change the dynamic of games.
Second, the Lakers seem intent on proving that they can beat physical teams even without Bynum. They bullied the bullies in Boston, and against Cleveland, Lamar Odom stood tall against the Cavs' towering front line. I still have my doubts that L.A. can maintain that kind of physicality in the playoffs, but last week was a good sign.
Steve Aschburner: First, it told me that Phil Jackson sure does know how to travel. He had his crew locked in for its six-game trip, which began with Bynum as the X factor for this year's Finals and ended, well, not so much. After the big guy went down in Memphis, the Lakers were a cinch to go one of two ways: unravel over the déjà -vu disappointment or run on pure adrenaline, Jackson's guile and Kobe Bryant's iron will. Odom even got swept up in the excitement, reacquainting himself with big moments.
My views on the others didn't change much: San Antonio can still rise to the occasion, the Cavaliers aren't perfect and Boston is a bit shy of what it was, at its best, last season. Oh, and one last thing: David Stern and his schedule-maker sure know how to pounce once the Super Bowl passes.