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I absolutely agree with everything this man has wrote....ARTICLE OF THE YEAR!!!
• The Spurs will beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
The defending champs are still the best team in the Eastern Conference, and I'm not buying the talk that they'll lack hunger to win a second le. On the contrary, the understanding and chemistry among their three stars should be stronger than last year, as should the confidence of point guard Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins (his damaged shoulder willing).
The reason I'm not picking the Celtics to repeat is that they are neither so big nor nasty this season. An intimidating component of last year's team was the size and hostility of their defense in the paint. During the playoffs, anyone driving into the lane had to deal with two or more of the following: Kevin Garnett, Perkins, P.J. Brown and James Posey. The latter two are no longer with Boston.
I'm guessing the Celtics will eventually acquire a veteran or two to replace Brown or Posey. But will the newcomer(s) be as effective? As it stands now, this is a smaller and younger team around the stars. The Horry-esque three-point shotmaking of Posey has not been replaced ... yet.
Can the Celtics win another le? Absolutely. But they'll be playing to a different style. Will they glide through the season as easily as they did a year ago? Maybe. How many teams are able to avoid bad luck with injuries or other crises for two years in a row?
The Spurs have big questions of their own, starting with Manu Ginobili's recovery from summer ankle surgery. But we all know the Spurs' patient approach to the regular season, which means they'll be exceedingly safe in working Ginobili back into the lineup. Once he's there, the Spurs become the only team with a championship threesome to equal the Celtics'. (I still think a healthy Ginobili could have led the Spurs into the Finals last year. He is not so much their third option as their third gear, raising their level of play while defining the key stretches of big games.) While everyone (including me) harps on about the Spurs' age, their three are younger than Boston's, and they should also be able to match the urgency of the Celtics' mission. Both teams will be in a hurry to win another le before their biological clocks expire.
It won't carry the historical drama of a Lakers-Celtics rematch, but if both teams are healthy, then this will be a dream Finals for basketball fans featuring three Hall of Fame players per team. I'm envisioning a Game 7 win for San Antonio, which is to say that these teams are too close to call. It's a coin flip to be influenced by injuries and other events over the next seven months that are beyond prediction. But right now, with (perhaps too much) faith in Ginobili's rehab, I view the Spurs as the team to beat this year.
• The Lakers will lose in the conference finals.
They were a surprise finalist last season despite their youth and center Andrew Bynum's absence, and only the latter issue has been addressed. Bynum will guard the rim, strengthen their paint defense and enable Pau Gasol to play a less physical style as a shooting power forward.
But the Lakers remain a young team off the bench, even if Lamar Odom becomes a Sixth Man Award candidate. I kept waiting for them to acquire hard-edged men like Posey and Brown this summer because champions (including the Lakers teams of Shaq and Magic) rely on those kinds of players to lead the second unit. Of course, I may be wrong on this. Imagine if the Lakers stick with this roster and prove able to run all opponents off the floor with energy and depth. Then the Lakers will be in position to keep their formula going for a number of years, in which case they'll be glad they didn't trade off their youth for a couple of old men.
The other issue for the Lakers is that they still don't have a No. 2 star to pair with Kobe Bryant. Apart from the 1993-94 Rockets (who were led solely by Hakeem Olajuwon) and the 2003-04 Pistons (who won without a main star), every NBA champion since the Magic/Bird era has had two or three dominant leaders who were each capable of making plays on his own. The Lakers still haven't developed that second player alongside Bryant; the Spurs and Celtics have three each.
• The Hornets will lose in the second round again.
Apply the argument of the previous paragraph to New Orleans as well. History says that Chris Paul as its lone dominant star won't be enough in the playoffs.
• The Rockets are the wild card.
This is one team that could win it. (I predicted that they would finish with the West's second-best record behind the Lakers.) Their stars are unreliable -- Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady in terms of health, and Ron Artest for other well-known causes -- but if they could pull together for one full year, then this team will have the star power (all at their peak ages), defense, depth and coaching to compete with anyone.
• The Jazz aren't quite there.
They lack intimidating size up front around Carlos Boozer, and that will keep them behind the Spurs, Lakers and possibly the Rockets in the playoffs.
• A number of teams, starting with the Mavericks, are hard to pin down.
Dallas signed a coach in Rick Carlisle who has a record of squeezing regular-season wins out of his teams. They could bounce back around Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and a resurgent Josh Howard while creating hope for a deep playoff run.
The Suns have a lot of talent, but at their advanced ages can they be weaned off Mike D'Antoni's successful system to play a new style? If so, it would be an inspirational story. But I don't know anyone in the league who believes it will lead to a championship.
The Cavaliers are my No. 2 team in the East because they should start the year without the issues that hurt them early last season, when Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic were holding out. The team that almost knocked off Boston in the second round has progressed by adding Mo Williams, a deep shooter at point guard. Another improvement by trade may be forthcoming too.
The Pistons should be right back in the mix. Coach Michael Curry will provide energy and focus, and they'll be one of the top three in the East with hope of reaching the Finals.
Even with Elton Brand, Philadelphia remains too young and lacking in shooters to overcome the East's top three this season. Neither the 76ers nor the improved Raptors will be able to compete with Boston, Cleveland or Detroit defensively.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...s/?eref=sircrc
Last edited by xtremesteven33; 10-22-2008 at 04:20 PM.
I absolutely agree with everything this man has wrote....ARTICLE OF THE YEAR!!!
So much win in this paragraph.The Spurs have big questions of their own, starting with Manu Ginobili's recovery from summer ankle surgery. But we all know the Spurs' patient approach to the regular season, which means they'll be exceedingly safe in working Ginobili back into the lineup. Once he's there, the Spurs become the only team with a championship threesome to equal the Celtics'. (I still think a healthy Ginobili could have led the Spurs into the Finals last year. He is not so much their third option as their third gear, raising their level of play while defining the key stretches of big games.) While everyone (including me) harps on about the Spurs' age, their three are younger than Boston's, and they should also be able to match the urgency of the Celtics' mission. Both teams will be in a hurry to win another le before their biological clocks expire.
yea pretty good article.
...I just can't believe this is true!...
Its nice to read something like this from S.I.
The Celtics or Pistons will return to the Finals. No other team has the chemistry, although Orlando, Cleveland (only because of LeBron), and Phila are right there in terms of talent.
To me, that leaves the Spurs and Lakers again for the WCF. and if both teams are injury free, we see another implosion by the Fakers.
I think the writer is selling the Hornets short. They're pretty dang scrappy and they have a lot of chemistry now (as well as the aforementioned James Posey). But who knows.
Every year I predict the Rockets to have a great year and something seems to go wrong. On paper they always look nasty. The end result usually falls short of expectations.
Horrible article. Didn't even mention the Blazers. You gotta be effing kidding me!
I think the Hornets are a good young team who went as far as they will go last year. You only have 2 players who can create thier own shots in Chris Paul and David West. Chandler and Peja live off of what Paul feeds them. Pargo is gone and he was the 3rd best offensive player on the team.(Peja doesnt create his own shot)
Posey is a great addition but WAY overrated by fans. The Boston Big 3 can all create thier own shot. Posey leeched off of it.
The article is pretty good. Celtics lost two tough guys in Posey and PJ Brown.
Spurs will be tough as usual.
Hornets are good, but they have the same problem as last year, their bench is pretty much useless aside from their 6th man.
Lakers have Bynum and Ariza back, Bynum for points, Bynum + Ariza for some serious added defense. Ariza's overall defense and steals have been nothing short of awesome during the pre-season.
Mavs don't look as bad as I thought they'd be so far in the pre-season.
Sixers look to be very good this year, I think they or the Cavs will come out of the East this year. Cavs depth is not very good.
The Rockets, with the addition of Artest, only need TMAC or Yao at any one given time during the regular season to be in the running. They'll need both in the Playoffs.
Texas teams/Hornets are going to have to deal with some division losses from a resurgent Grizzlies team.
best article in years
Its odd seeing a preseason article giving the Spurs some love, I'm still not sure its real.
But this season should be really interesting.
The Spurs trying to keep on schedule in odd numbered years
The Celtics driving to repeat
The Lakers looking to redeem themselves
The Blazers simply playing together
The Hornets looking to push through
The Rockets trying to keep healthy a dangerous team
The Cavs working in Mo and trying to keep LeBron happy
The Pistons/Suns/Mavs transitioning
Its gonna be one of a season!
I think people are undermining the Cavs in the East. I'd put them ahead of the Celtics, Lebron James with finally some offensive help from Peterson is a tough matchup for any team.
finally some real in the media...
are you sure this isn't an article from The Onion?
With everyone picking against us, I guess someone had to step up and give us the nod.
This is something that i said last year.
Spurs vs Celtics would be Epic. It would be the new Rivalry of the NBA. Garnett vs Duncan would be like Wilt vs Bill all over again. It would be like Lakers vs Celtics of the 80's not 08.
Not to sound too crazy but man what i would give to see the Spurs vs Celtics in the NBA Finals next year......
We're officially jinxed
Since when Ray Allen and TP are HOF ?featuring three Hall of Fame players per team
What history? CP3 has a very young careerHistory says that Chris Paul as its lone dominant star won't be enough in the playoffs
WTF
I believe they won their last 2 series VS Houston• The Jazz aren't quite there.
They lack intimidating size up front around Carlos Boozer, and that will keep them behind the Spurs, Lakers and possibly the Rockets in the playoffs
Last edited by lefty; 10-22-2008 at 05:15 PM.
Nah, we were on the cover before we swept the Cavs.We're officially jinxed
Parker's too young to be any kind of a lock, but Allen will almost certainly get in.Since when Ray Allen and TP are HOF ?
History of the game. Championship teams has needed at least 2 dominant scorers to win. This is true since the Bird/Magic era.
He is not so much their third option as their third gear
BINGO!
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