What's Wrong Wiith Orlando

[jacobdrj]

So, what is wrong with Orlando?

IMHO:
A) Mario just isn't as good as his Bro.
B) The goomba doesn't fit as well as Rafer Alston
C) Quit Carter doesn't fit as well as Hedo.
D) Dwight has no post game, and the goomba can't see over his defender to pass Superman more 'single bound' Alley-Oops, like Rafer.
E) Rashard Lewis misses his injections.
F) Bass and Gortat are not seeing enough burn.
G) Boston is better now with Rondo's emergence, than they were when they were pushed past Atlanta/Cleveland back in '08.

H) Rasheed ain't bored no more. Saw 'Superman' and smelled blood...

[Giuseppe]

They couldn't function till it was over. Now there is no risk. They can play.

[ChrisRichards]

basically...

[Ghazi]

2008 Boston > 2010 Boston IMO.

everyone points to the emergence of Rondo... but their bench was deeper back then, their defense better... KG/Pierce in their primes.

[jacobdrj]

2008 Boston > 2010 Boston IMO.

everyone points to the emergence of Rondo... but their bench was deeper back then, their defense better... KG/Pierce in their primes.

Their bench WAS deeper in 2008. No question about it. But Doc seemed to hold them back. Powe should have gotten a lot more burn.

I forgot one:

H) Rasheed ain't bored no more. Saw 'Superman' and smelled blood...

[oh crap]

2008 Boston > 2010 Boston IMO.

everyone points to the emergence of Rondo... but their bench was deeper back then, their defense better... KG/Pierce in their primes.

sup kumar?

[Giuseppe]

Boston has already rung. They've satiated that craving. That edge is absent. Now it has to be manufactured in different ways for different players, that's difficult and risky. Before they rang in '08 it came naturally to each player.

[jacobdrj]

Boston has already rung. They've satiated that craving. That edge is absent. Now it has to be manufactured in different ways for different players, that's difficult and risky. Before they rang in '08 it came naturally to each player.

They certainly had more raw hunger in '08, but they didn't have any killer instinct, at least none of them did other than PJ Brown and James Posey. The starters were pretty soft. Even Pierce had toughness issues until he just exploded in the Finals.

In a fairer world, the refs would have ejected KG a few times during the Cavs/Hawks series and they never would have even made the Finals...

But now that they have won (fair or not) they have a different kind of hunger: A champion needing to prove themselves to validate. I think KG/Pierce and most noticeably Ray Allen have shown great mental toughness this season, far more than they had in 2008.

[LnGrrrR]

Boston has already rung. They've satiated that craving. That edge is absent. Now it has to be manufactured in different ways for different players, that's difficult and risky. Before they rang in '08 it came naturally to each player.

I can agree with this to a point. Sometimes it takes a psychopathic urge to win, an urge to dominate. Kobe has that, i think. I'm not sure if PP, KG or Rayray have that.

I think Rondo does.

[mogrovejo]

They certainly had more raw hunger in '08, but they didn't have any killer instinct, at least none of them did other than PJ Brown and James Posey. The starters were pretty soft. Even Pierce had toughness issues until he just exploded in the Finals.

In a fairer world, the refs would have ejected KG a few times during the Cavs/Hawks series and they never would have even made the Finals...

But now that they have won (fair or not) they have a different kind of hunger: A champion needing to prove themselves to validate. I think KG/Pierce and most noticeably Ray Allen have shown great mental toughness this season, far more than they had in 2008.

Time to let it go. The Celtics were the best team in '08 by far. Atlanta was never close to win the series and neither were the Pistons, which were possibly the easiest opponent of them all.

Nothing wrong for Orlando. They're the best team in the league by far.

That kind of esoteric explanations that Culby particularly loves are overrated. Once it was about Jordan and Shaq, how they didn't have "it", how "Jordan misses that hunger Bird and Magic have" or "Shaq could dominate if he had that Jordan/Olajuwon will". Baloney. Talent with transpiration wins games.

[jacobdrj]

Time to let it go. The Celtics were the best team in '08 by far. Atlanta was never close to win the series and neither were the Pistons, which were possibly the easiest opponent of them all.

Nothing wrong for Orlando. They're the best team in the league by far.

That kind of esoteric explanations that Culby particularly loves are overrated. Once it was about Jordan and Shaq, how they didn't have "it", how "Jordan misses that hunger Bird and Magic have" or "Shaq could dominate if he had that Jordan/Olajuwon will". Baloney. Talent with transpiration wins games.

I don't quite follow your post.
As far as the 1st part, I did watch the 08 playoffs. Atlanta may not have been a better team, but they were more mentally tough. The LeBron's were a better team. Pistons, not so much. Not in '08. There is nothing to let go. I was comparing the 2 squads (Boston 08'/Boston'10). IMHO, while Boston '08, top to bottom was more deep, Boston '10 is a legit team mentally, even their starters, and their bench ain't too shabby.

Second part, sarcasm? There is clearly something about this squad that is inferior to last years' Magic team. You could see it in the '09 finals. The problem is VanGundy and Jameer.

IMHO, Sheed is the major factor that separates this Boston team from the Magic. And Rondo's emergence, to me, completely negates the 'Bigish 3's decline'.

3rd part, not following at all... Not sure its relevant.

[mogrovejo]

If Cleveland was a better team, they'd have won. Boston played subpar in that series, with Ray going through an incredible slump, and still won.

Boston '08 was perfectly "legit mentally". Whenever the things get tough, they were able to respond and come up big.

No sarcasm whatsoever. To me this Orlando squad is superior to last year's edition. And everybody would agree with this until the last 4 games. That's just a reactionary response to them being down 1-3 in a series they were supposed to dominate. But Orlando already struggled last season vs. Boston, needing 7 games to beat a depleted Boston team that was playing big minutes Scalabrine, Mikki Moore, the corpse of Marbury and was an average defensive team (unlike 2008 and 2010):

Side note: http://www.celticsblog.com/2010/5/24/1485547/the-difference-between-2009-and (in the end, it's still all about Garnett's ability to anchor a top defense around him)

Orlando just has big match-up problems with Boston, because Boston has been for years the best team in the league defending the post + have some other favourable defensive matchups. I've said this would be a series where both defenses > both offenses and with the exception of game 3 where Orlando defense didn't show up, that's happening. Nothing to do with mentality or lack of quality.

Sheed? Yeah, I mean, teams are close enough that pretty much every contributor is critical but I think Boston would struggle more without any of the starters than without Sheed.

The 3rd part was more in response to Culby and Ln.

[redzero]

I can agree with this to a point. Sometimes it takes a psychopathic urge to win, an urge to dominate. Kobe has that, i think. I'm not sure if PP, KG or Rayray have that.

I think Rondo does.

KG is the definition of a psychopath. Nobody can question his desire to win.

[Giuseppe]

KG is the definition of a psychopath. Nobody can question his desire to win.

How much is truth and how much is his hand getting held?