biba
10-21-2007, 06:18 AM
Wallace's mouth running strong
Sunday, October 21, 2007Branson WrightPlain Dealer Reporter
The Cavaliers advanced to last year's NBA Finals after defeating the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was the Cavaliers who trapped Pistons guard Chauncey Billups and forced him into 3.8 turnovers a game. It was LeBron James who put on one of the great individual postseason performances when he shredded the Pistons' defense with 48 points in Game 5 and it was Boobie Gibson who scored 31 points off the bench to help give the Cavs the clinching victory.
But despite all of that, Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace remains convinced the best team did not win the East.
"What happened last year was an inner thing," said Wallace, who missed 13 of 17 3-pointers in that series. "We know what went wrong and we'll correct it. Speaking for myself, I looked at [last year's conference finals] as just another game, another steppingstone and just another series. My eyes were on a bigger prize at the time. My eyes were on San Antonio."
While Wallace's eyes were on the Spurs, the Cavaliers focused on the task at hand. In Game 5, Wallace waved off coach Flip Saunders' calls. Wallace huddled the team and called his own plays. The confusion and James' focus resulted in James scoring two uncontested layups in the final seconds of regulation in a game the Cavs won in overtime.
The sting of that loss remains with Wallace but his confidence has not wavered.
"Everyone knows we're still a perennial powerhouse," Wallace said. "We're going back to those Finals, I'm not worried about that."
But before the Pistons can think about The Finals, they could possibly play the Cavs in another tough playoff series. Wallace disagreed.
"Not at all," Wallace said. "It's more personal this year. From the way guys are on the team and the veterans that we have, [this season] is a little more personal. We didn't reach [the finals] last year but I know we'll reach it this year."
The Pistons may also have to worry about the Boston Celtics. The Celtics added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to team with Paul Pierce. The Celtics have become one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Wallace put the brake on those thoughts.
"They need to worry about making the playoffs first," Wallace said. "This is no knock on those three guys they have but they don't have a point guard, center or bench. They gave it away in the trade. I'll be [expletive] if you can build a playoff winning team during the off-season, it can't be done. It's going to take some time."
Wallace gave examples of the Spurs and Pistons as championship teams that were not built overnight. He said championship teams need time to jell. But there is no denying the worth and all-star ability of Garnett, Allen and Pierce.
"In crunch time, one of those three is going to get the rock," Wallace said. "If you need that outside shot you're going to give it to Jesus' [Allen, who starred as Jesus Shuttlesworth in the movie He Got Game']. If you need someone to go to the line and get that and one, you'll give it to Paul. And this is the first time they've had a post player since Kevin McHale. But they're not going to be able to play all 48 minutes . . . there's a whole lot of ifs and a whole lot of questions with them."
Iverson motivated, ready to go
By Chris Dempsey The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/21/2007 01:43:16 AM MDT
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_7236925
The Nuggets' Allen Iverson proved he could coexist with Carmelo Anthony. Now he wants to prove the duo is good enough for a championship. (AP / Patrick Ferron)As a young player in Philadelphia, Allen Iverson sulked over a bad performance one night and was pulled to the side by veteran Harvey Grant.
"That was one of the worst games I've ever played in my life," Iverson said.
Grant was unfazed.
"Young fella," Grant said, "don't worry about it, because you're going to have plenty more."
Iverson has never forgotten that advice. And as he closes in on his 12th NBA season, he's had to refer to it all over again to erase the memory of his last time on the court.
That was in the NBA playoffs last season against San Antonio, and Iverson admits it was the worst series he has played as a pro. As he enters this season, it is a motivating factor for him to play well and get back to the playoffs, but he insists he has not let it linger.
"It's big because it's never happened to me before," Iverson said. "I never had a series where I played that bad. It just makes you look forward to the next one. I was fortunate enough to get back into the playoffs after having not been there a couple years.
"And then to get there and to not play the way I'm capable of playing, it was frustrating. Especially the games that I've had against San Antonio. I pretty much, throughout my career, do pretty much whatever I want to do against those guys."
Not this time. Iverson averaged 22.8 points in the series, more than seven below his career average of 30. He shot 36 percent from the field, his lowest shooting percentage of the seven times he has appeared in the playoffs.
And then he had the summer to sit and think about it.
Did it hurt? Yes. But he said it was eased by the fact that the Spurs won the NBA title.
"I think it would have bothered me a lot more if San Antonio didn't win it," Iverson said. "But by them winning it, it eased the pain a little bit more. You want the team that knocks you out to go on and be successful. At least you can say the best team put you out."
Teammates have Iverson's back.
It was the guard's first half-season with the team, and most of the Nuggets were taken out of their game by the Spurs. Still, Nuggets center Marcus Camby said, he knows how Iverson feels.
"You always want to come back and redeem yourself, especially when you feel you could have played a lot better than how you performed," Camby said. "A lot of guys, including myself, we try to use it as motivation as we work hard over the summer working on our game, try to make sure that come this season, next time around we're going to have a better performance. We definitely try to use it as motivation."
Iverson's playoff performance is only part of his motivation equation. Last year, it was to show he and Carmelo Anthony could coexist. Now it is to prove the duo can win a championship.
"We proved to people that we could play together," Iverson said. "Now, they are going to say it's not going to be an exclamation point on it until we win a championship. I don't feel bad about that. That's what we want to do anyway. But it does feel good to have people say, 'Hey, they can play together.'
"Now we just have to win a championship. But they are going to say something else. After the championship, they're going to say, 'Well, they need to win another one.' So, it's always going to be critics, there's always going to be someone to say it can't be done, but we'll prove them wrong."
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or [email protected]
Sunday, October 21, 2007Branson WrightPlain Dealer Reporter
The Cavaliers advanced to last year's NBA Finals after defeating the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was the Cavaliers who trapped Pistons guard Chauncey Billups and forced him into 3.8 turnovers a game. It was LeBron James who put on one of the great individual postseason performances when he shredded the Pistons' defense with 48 points in Game 5 and it was Boobie Gibson who scored 31 points off the bench to help give the Cavs the clinching victory.
But despite all of that, Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace remains convinced the best team did not win the East.
"What happened last year was an inner thing," said Wallace, who missed 13 of 17 3-pointers in that series. "We know what went wrong and we'll correct it. Speaking for myself, I looked at [last year's conference finals] as just another game, another steppingstone and just another series. My eyes were on a bigger prize at the time. My eyes were on San Antonio."
While Wallace's eyes were on the Spurs, the Cavaliers focused on the task at hand. In Game 5, Wallace waved off coach Flip Saunders' calls. Wallace huddled the team and called his own plays. The confusion and James' focus resulted in James scoring two uncontested layups in the final seconds of regulation in a game the Cavs won in overtime.
The sting of that loss remains with Wallace but his confidence has not wavered.
"Everyone knows we're still a perennial powerhouse," Wallace said. "We're going back to those Finals, I'm not worried about that."
But before the Pistons can think about The Finals, they could possibly play the Cavs in another tough playoff series. Wallace disagreed.
"Not at all," Wallace said. "It's more personal this year. From the way guys are on the team and the veterans that we have, [this season] is a little more personal. We didn't reach [the finals] last year but I know we'll reach it this year."
The Pistons may also have to worry about the Boston Celtics. The Celtics added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to team with Paul Pierce. The Celtics have become one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Wallace put the brake on those thoughts.
"They need to worry about making the playoffs first," Wallace said. "This is no knock on those three guys they have but they don't have a point guard, center or bench. They gave it away in the trade. I'll be [expletive] if you can build a playoff winning team during the off-season, it can't be done. It's going to take some time."
Wallace gave examples of the Spurs and Pistons as championship teams that were not built overnight. He said championship teams need time to jell. But there is no denying the worth and all-star ability of Garnett, Allen and Pierce.
"In crunch time, one of those three is going to get the rock," Wallace said. "If you need that outside shot you're going to give it to Jesus' [Allen, who starred as Jesus Shuttlesworth in the movie He Got Game']. If you need someone to go to the line and get that and one, you'll give it to Paul. And this is the first time they've had a post player since Kevin McHale. But they're not going to be able to play all 48 minutes . . . there's a whole lot of ifs and a whole lot of questions with them."
Iverson motivated, ready to go
By Chris Dempsey The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/21/2007 01:43:16 AM MDT
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_7236925
The Nuggets' Allen Iverson proved he could coexist with Carmelo Anthony. Now he wants to prove the duo is good enough for a championship. (AP / Patrick Ferron)As a young player in Philadelphia, Allen Iverson sulked over a bad performance one night and was pulled to the side by veteran Harvey Grant.
"That was one of the worst games I've ever played in my life," Iverson said.
Grant was unfazed.
"Young fella," Grant said, "don't worry about it, because you're going to have plenty more."
Iverson has never forgotten that advice. And as he closes in on his 12th NBA season, he's had to refer to it all over again to erase the memory of his last time on the court.
That was in the NBA playoffs last season against San Antonio, and Iverson admits it was the worst series he has played as a pro. As he enters this season, it is a motivating factor for him to play well and get back to the playoffs, but he insists he has not let it linger.
"It's big because it's never happened to me before," Iverson said. "I never had a series where I played that bad. It just makes you look forward to the next one. I was fortunate enough to get back into the playoffs after having not been there a couple years.
"And then to get there and to not play the way I'm capable of playing, it was frustrating. Especially the games that I've had against San Antonio. I pretty much, throughout my career, do pretty much whatever I want to do against those guys."
Not this time. Iverson averaged 22.8 points in the series, more than seven below his career average of 30. He shot 36 percent from the field, his lowest shooting percentage of the seven times he has appeared in the playoffs.
And then he had the summer to sit and think about it.
Did it hurt? Yes. But he said it was eased by the fact that the Spurs won the NBA title.
"I think it would have bothered me a lot more if San Antonio didn't win it," Iverson said. "But by them winning it, it eased the pain a little bit more. You want the team that knocks you out to go on and be successful. At least you can say the best team put you out."
Teammates have Iverson's back.
It was the guard's first half-season with the team, and most of the Nuggets were taken out of their game by the Spurs. Still, Nuggets center Marcus Camby said, he knows how Iverson feels.
"You always want to come back and redeem yourself, especially when you feel you could have played a lot better than how you performed," Camby said. "A lot of guys, including myself, we try to use it as motivation as we work hard over the summer working on our game, try to make sure that come this season, next time around we're going to have a better performance. We definitely try to use it as motivation."
Iverson's playoff performance is only part of his motivation equation. Last year, it was to show he and Carmelo Anthony could coexist. Now it is to prove the duo can win a championship.
"We proved to people that we could play together," Iverson said. "Now, they are going to say it's not going to be an exclamation point on it until we win a championship. I don't feel bad about that. That's what we want to do anyway. But it does feel good to have people say, 'Hey, they can play together.'
"Now we just have to win a championship. But they are going to say something else. After the championship, they're going to say, 'Well, they need to win another one.' So, it's always going to be critics, there's always going to be someone to say it can't be done, but we'll prove them wrong."
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or [email protected]