Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Reactions: Everton 1 Manchester United 0
To begin the season with a loss is never a good thing to happen and probably not a common sight in the camp of Manchester United but it still happened anyway. Before I carry on, I would like to say I am a Manu fan and have been one for more than a decade already therefore my reactions are more tuned to Manchester United rather than Everton in a sense that I would write less about Everton.
Match Overview
In all honesty, Manchester United played a horrible game to say the least. The Red Devils never seem to hit top gear throughout the game but only manage to provide glimpses of what we might expect from them further in the season. From the get go, Everton seemed more eager with the match and soon took control of the game in the first half. De Gea had an outstanding game all round though he let in a single goal but the fact is if he was not between the post, the final score might have read Everton 5 Manchester United 0. United started the game slowly and seriously made little progress from the slow start they had and at half-time the score was 0-0. United went into the second half again with the same momentum and never really hit their stride. Everton showed signs of slowing down in the second half but whenever they were on the attack they looked really dangerous and threaten to score. Once again in the second half De Gea provided a series of stop before finally succumbing to a Marouane Fellaini header goal. And after that goal, Everton just parked the bus and defended for the rest of the game. Van Persie came onto the game around the 68th minute mark but unfortunately was not able to salvage the situation. Van Persie almost came close with an assist to Kagawa but unfortunately Kagawa did not convert. So the game ended at Everton 1 Manchester United 0.
Negatives (Manchester United)
1) 4-2-3-1 formation
United looked lost in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Its quite obvious to the observer's eye that some of the players did not exactly know what to do. Tom Cleverly looked completely lost in the first half, running around aimlessly and not contributing at all. Danny Welbeck looked so out of position that he might have thought it was a dream that he was in playing as left wing. The reason why this formation did not work for them is because with the current players (non injured) they simply are not able to play this formation. With Valencia, Carrick and Welbeck playing out of position it is no wonder why the entire team looked lost in the first half.
When all the entire squad is fit, the 4-2-3-1 formation would make sense but as of now I am pretty certain Alex Ferguson will not use this formation again until they have more players back from injury.
2) Paul Scholes and Tom Cleverly central midfield pairing
This was probably the biggest mistake Ferguson made in the entire game. First of all I would like to say that it is not that Tom Cleverly played too badly or Scholes played too badly but rather it is the pairing of these two players that will not work. First of all Tom Cleverly is not a midfield enforcer and coupled together with Scholes given his age and who is also not a midfield enforcer just made the entire central midfield as weak as piece of paper waiting to be squash! That is why when Anderson came on later on in the game, the central midfield finally took shape!
Secondly I do not understand what is Cleverly's role in the game. Tom Cleverly is a central attacking midfielder, and boy does that sound familar! It sounded familar because Kagawa is playing in that role! In the 4-2-3-1 formation the 2 midfielders just above the defenders have to be one of enforcer and the second midfielder a passer or facilitator and this is where Scholes's skills fill in. So if one of the midfielder has to be an enforcer type what in the world is Cleverly doing in the game? That was why Cleverly seemed so insignificant in the game because basically you have Kagawa playing the role of a central attacking midfielder in the "hole" role and therefore resulted in an overlap of abilities which was of detriment to the midfield and team yesterday.
3) Welbeck left wing position
Someone should just tell Fergie never to play Welbeck as left winger ever again. Nuff said.
4) Evra
This is probably the first time I have seen Evra looking so old and slow throughout the game. There were many occasions in the game whereby he was out run, out muscled and out tackled by Everton's right back and wing players. There even was an occasion in the second half whereby Evra was so outgunned and left in the dust by the Evertonian right wing that Vidic just cannot believe eyes and gave a "I cannot believe what is happening" laugh. I guess it is time to find a replacement for Evra already unfortunately...
5) Stagnant attack
Last season Manchester United had a problem in trying break down defence because quite simply they did not really had a striker to make progress with the ball. As a result they were often stuck just in front of the opponent team's defense. Fast forward a few months, this problem is still persisting. And it is even more inexcusable now since Van Persie is a striker whom Manchester United had been lacking last season to pass the ball to is finally here now, the fix is here! Alex Ferguson also noticed this and made this comment when asked about his opinion about the situation and I quote "We played around him too much, we didn't show enough penetration, . With Robin in your team you know you want to use his ability against centre-backs in situations he is very good at - but we didn't use him enough". Notice the words "played around him too much", "didn't show enough penetration" and "we didn't use him enough". That was basically what United did when RVP came on, it's even more frustrating now because last season they didn't had the personnel whom they can look to but now the personnel is here but they are not making use of him at all.
6) Nani
Nani had a poor game, he looked lost and indecisive with the ball at times. To put it in simple terms he left his boots in Manchester. His corners were poor yesterday and it was so frustrating that it came to a point whereby I posted this on my facebook wall "someone should stop nani from taking corners".
7) Valencia at right back position
I still cannot understand why Manchester United have not learnt their lesson from last season? That lesson is never to play Valencia at right back! Valencia at right back looked horrible. Valencia in this morning game looked as if someone just shackled one of his leg and he is only playing on one leg! To be quite frank he cannot be a right back. His positioning as a right back was horrible, and many times he was exposed repeatedly. He is basically playing a right winger role in a right back position and that is the problem as both roles are different!
Positives (Manchester United)
1) Shinji Kagawa
Kagawa was probably the only person in the starting XI that felt like playing soccer yesterday. The skills which Manu bought him for were on display and boy did he not disappoint. Speed, defense splitting passes, movement off the ball and vision where all displayed by Kagawa this morning. Those exquisite passes he made yesterday were something to drool at.
2) Robin Van Persie
Van Persie only played 22 minutes in this morning game but I thought he was the best United player this morning together with Kagawa. He look sharp and quick. This can only mean good news for Manchester United. His movement off the ball was pretty good as well but unfortunately he was not given the ball to do something about it.
3) David De Gea
I think the goal keeping race for Manchester United is officially over. And to be frank it should have ended last season. De Gea has proved to be a gifted natural shot stopper. Time and again he has shown us why he deserved the transfer tag that was put on him. He was the only reason why Everton did not score more than 1 goal yesterday and could have ended the game 5-0 in Everton's favor. Yes he still might have some weakness in his game but given his age and there are still lots of room to improve. Sorry Lindeggard! The first choice goal keeping job goes to De Gea.
4) United's frontline
This morning game, showed glimpses of magnificent attacking football played by United's frontline especially between Kagawa and Rooney. Robin Van Persie seem to be fitting well and I certainly expect Kagawa to link up with RVP as well as when he links up with Rooney. I guess as the season progress when these three players here gel together and got used to each other we will be to witness the most feared triangular attack in the EPL.
Conclusion
This morning game felt like Manchester United was treating it as an exhibition game. Alot of experimenting going on and there seem to be the lack of urgency and spark in their game. Fergie does not seem to be making a huge fuss about the loss, I myself isn't making a huge fuss out of it as well since its only the FIRST game of the season. But with that said, it's never a good thing to start the season with a defeat for obvious reasons. Everton played well throughout the game, and hopefully they can maintain this form throughout the season and hopefully this morning's performance was not a one off kind of thing.
Friday, 3 August 2012
Roger Federer vs Juan Martin Del Potro (Olympics Men's Tennis Semifinals 1)
Ah! Who would have seen this coming! A 4 hour and 26 minutes tennis match, ah truly who would have seen this coming! And once again the eventual winner was Roger Federer who in my opinion is the greatest tennis player of all time. Now lets break down the three sets that was played out and after that my thoughts on certain aspects of the match.
First Set
First set was a sleeper, and I personally did not watch the first set entirely. But what the score suggest is plain for everyone to know and that was Federer came out of the blocks slow and Del Potro just took advantage of it. Federer looked tired and I guess the primary reason for it was because the Olympics men's tennis singles came so soon after Wimbledon (Federer won). Del Potro got out in the fourth round of Wimbledon but Federer went all the way to the finals and completed it. That itself would be a prime candidate explain the sluggishness in his play and of course father time is another reason for the apparent sluggishness in his play in back to back competitions.
Second Set
This set was really like a tug of war whereby both players did not look like giving up their service game, going pound for pound at each other. Del Potro seems to show some cracks in the set towards the end and his frustrations were pretty apparent. Went into a tie-breaker and again the cracks became obvious, and seizing the chance, Federer won the tie-breaker. Frankly speaking if the cracks did not come, Del Potro would have wrapped up the men's semi finals and moved onto the finals.
Third Set
The early stages third set looked pretty similar to the second set, both players going pound for pound. Several times in this set Del Porto looked like the one who would break first but once again Federer who brought his serving game to the match manage to hold out. But what can be certain is, Del Portro looks like the one on the back pedal as the set progress. Causes of his frustrations were because first of all his failure to seize chances in this set to break Federer, many errors (first serve drop in percentage, unforce etc) in this set by Del Portro and lastly to put in accurate terms Federer kicked up a notch in his play
Extended Third Set
I find this ruling in Olympic tennis very intriguing. I can't figure out the reason for this special ruling other than because they choose to make the man's singles a 3 set game. So to drag on a little more this extended third set rule came along.
Federer in all honesty controlled this extended third set and it was only towards the end probably like the 18th game of the extended set did he finally show visible signs of tiredness and fatigue. His service game was right up there and probably only drop in percentage came in the 17~18 or so game in the extended set. Federer would have won this game in the third hour if not for some sloppy finishing. He managed to break Del Portro (I can't remember which game it was in the extended set probably the 12th game) but he failed quite dramatically in his service game to close out the game. And as the set dragged on, it seems like this could go on forever. Federer did had control in the extended set, with Del Potro seemingly most of the time on the verge of defeat but as the game ensued it was Federer who finally showed visible signs of tiredness and fatigue. And it was Del Potro who came back and looked likely to be the winner of the game. But then the second break came and this time, Federer did close out his service game though not clinically but quite sloppily to be honest.
Thoughts on the game
1) Federer never hit top gear
Quite frankly the Federer that played yesterday was pale in comparison to the Federer we saw in the Wimbledon finals. He looked slow and sluggish at the start of the game and even towards the end Federer didn't look like hitting top gear. His forehand was surprisingly sloppy and lacked punch, his volley execution was also surprisingly sloppy and badly executed at times as well given how Federer himself had given Andy Murray a volleying clinic in the Wimbledon finals. So in short Roger Federer did not bring his best to the game
2) Del Potro's effort
Del Potro played wonderful tennis. And given he is only 23 years old and look to have put his injuries behind him, I would say Del Potro would win at least one more Major in his career. Del Potro needed to play near perfect tennis first of all to win the game and secondly to stay in the game and he almost did just that. In the extended set Del Potro showed to the world besides him having talent, he also has grit, determination and nerves of steel. The diving net shot in one of the game in the extended set is just one example of the grit and determination this young man has. Del Potro also displayed nerves of steel as well, there were a couple of times he fell 0-40 behind in the extended set but manage still manage to hold his service.
3) Del Potro's defensive game
Del Potro played some stellar defense yesterday to keep Federer out. Many a times where it seems like Del Potro's back was against the wall, he defended brilliantly. One has to watch this game to see how brilliantly Del Potro defended and it would be a pity not to see it. Not only did his defense kept Federer out but at times it turned into an offense and threatened Federer.
4) Roof
Ah... Federer's detractors has always found ways to criticize his game unfairly and lately it was the Wimbledon's court roof. What Federer shown in this game was he is equally capable of playing great tennis without the roof even when he did not have his best stuff with him. These detractors also conveniently forget most of Federer's majors that he won was without the "roof". The only time which I can remember where he won a major with a roof on was the very recent edition of Wimbledon.
The wind at Wimbledon yesterday was pretty strong and rough but Federer dealt with it quite admirably and well, so too with Del Potro. And certainly there were many times in yesterday's game that the wind was the culprit for some lost points for both players.
5) Great strategy by Federer
This year especially Federer has shown to plan and strategize his game quite deeply. I guess as father time catches up with an athlete of that stature, strategies are probably one of the things that can help Federer keep up with times. Federer shown in the Wimbledon finals against Andy Murray that his strategy was to tire Murray down to a point of frustration with a wide display of shots and placement of shots. This time against Del Potro, Federer's strategy was to keep his service game short and to execute it in clinical fashion. One cannot help but notice how efficient and clinical Federer's service games was yesterday. It was fast, efficient and assassin like. Logically speaking it's quite easy to see why Federer had this strategy, he knows that if he drags his service game he is more likely to lose. With Del Potro powerful forehand and backhand it is more likely Federer would be broken in his service games if he were to drag it out.
6) Federer's serve
Federer's serve in yesterday's game was one of the better ones which I have not seen in a long time from the man himself. And his serve was probably the only reason why it kept him in the game long enough for cracks to appear in Del Potro's game.
7) Federer edge in extended set
Federer seem to have the advantage in extended set and this advantage look more and more certain in Federer's favor. This is so because Federer himself been through something similar in the past. And that is the 2008 Wimbledon finals against Rafael Nadal. It is probably the greatest match in Wimbledon's history, lasting 4 hours and 48 minutes. But unfortunately in that game Federer lost. And 4 years on, this time was the Olympic semis finals in the same venue, Federer himself would have the mental edge in facing this type of matches and it clearly showed in the extended set. Though Del Potro lost, I believe he has gain something few tennis player had in their arsenal and its something Federer had gained 4 years ago in the match which he lost.
Conclusion
Federer has once against defied father time and showed he could still beat younger and more powerful opponents and its no wonder he is currently the world No. 1 tennis player. Del Potro played really well in this game and now it has put me into thinking how he would perform in the upcoming U.S Open.
Oh well, that's all from me once again! Signing off!
First Set
First set was a sleeper, and I personally did not watch the first set entirely. But what the score suggest is plain for everyone to know and that was Federer came out of the blocks slow and Del Potro just took advantage of it. Federer looked tired and I guess the primary reason for it was because the Olympics men's tennis singles came so soon after Wimbledon (Federer won). Del Potro got out in the fourth round of Wimbledon but Federer went all the way to the finals and completed it. That itself would be a prime candidate explain the sluggishness in his play and of course father time is another reason for the apparent sluggishness in his play in back to back competitions.
Second Set
This set was really like a tug of war whereby both players did not look like giving up their service game, going pound for pound at each other. Del Potro seems to show some cracks in the set towards the end and his frustrations were pretty apparent. Went into a tie-breaker and again the cracks became obvious, and seizing the chance, Federer won the tie-breaker. Frankly speaking if the cracks did not come, Del Potro would have wrapped up the men's semi finals and moved onto the finals.
Third Set
The early stages third set looked pretty similar to the second set, both players going pound for pound. Several times in this set Del Porto looked like the one who would break first but once again Federer who brought his serving game to the match manage to hold out. But what can be certain is, Del Portro looks like the one on the back pedal as the set progress. Causes of his frustrations were because first of all his failure to seize chances in this set to break Federer, many errors (first serve drop in percentage, unforce etc) in this set by Del Portro and lastly to put in accurate terms Federer kicked up a notch in his play
Extended Third Set
I find this ruling in Olympic tennis very intriguing. I can't figure out the reason for this special ruling other than because they choose to make the man's singles a 3 set game. So to drag on a little more this extended third set rule came along.
Federer in all honesty controlled this extended third set and it was only towards the end probably like the 18th game of the extended set did he finally show visible signs of tiredness and fatigue. His service game was right up there and probably only drop in percentage came in the 17~18 or so game in the extended set. Federer would have won this game in the third hour if not for some sloppy finishing. He managed to break Del Portro (I can't remember which game it was in the extended set probably the 12th game) but he failed quite dramatically in his service game to close out the game. And as the set dragged on, it seems like this could go on forever. Federer did had control in the extended set, with Del Potro seemingly most of the time on the verge of defeat but as the game ensued it was Federer who finally showed visible signs of tiredness and fatigue. And it was Del Potro who came back and looked likely to be the winner of the game. But then the second break came and this time, Federer did close out his service game though not clinically but quite sloppily to be honest.
Thoughts on the game
1) Federer never hit top gear
Quite frankly the Federer that played yesterday was pale in comparison to the Federer we saw in the Wimbledon finals. He looked slow and sluggish at the start of the game and even towards the end Federer didn't look like hitting top gear. His forehand was surprisingly sloppy and lacked punch, his volley execution was also surprisingly sloppy and badly executed at times as well given how Federer himself had given Andy Murray a volleying clinic in the Wimbledon finals. So in short Roger Federer did not bring his best to the game
2) Del Potro's effort
Del Potro played wonderful tennis. And given he is only 23 years old and look to have put his injuries behind him, I would say Del Potro would win at least one more Major in his career. Del Potro needed to play near perfect tennis first of all to win the game and secondly to stay in the game and he almost did just that. In the extended set Del Potro showed to the world besides him having talent, he also has grit, determination and nerves of steel. The diving net shot in one of the game in the extended set is just one example of the grit and determination this young man has. Del Potro also displayed nerves of steel as well, there were a couple of times he fell 0-40 behind in the extended set but manage still manage to hold his service.
3) Del Potro's defensive game
Del Potro played some stellar defense yesterday to keep Federer out. Many a times where it seems like Del Potro's back was against the wall, he defended brilliantly. One has to watch this game to see how brilliantly Del Potro defended and it would be a pity not to see it. Not only did his defense kept Federer out but at times it turned into an offense and threatened Federer.
4) Roof
Ah... Federer's detractors has always found ways to criticize his game unfairly and lately it was the Wimbledon's court roof. What Federer shown in this game was he is equally capable of playing great tennis without the roof even when he did not have his best stuff with him. These detractors also conveniently forget most of Federer's majors that he won was without the "roof". The only time which I can remember where he won a major with a roof on was the very recent edition of Wimbledon.
The wind at Wimbledon yesterday was pretty strong and rough but Federer dealt with it quite admirably and well, so too with Del Potro. And certainly there were many times in yesterday's game that the wind was the culprit for some lost points for both players.
5) Great strategy by Federer
This year especially Federer has shown to plan and strategize his game quite deeply. I guess as father time catches up with an athlete of that stature, strategies are probably one of the things that can help Federer keep up with times. Federer shown in the Wimbledon finals against Andy Murray that his strategy was to tire Murray down to a point of frustration with a wide display of shots and placement of shots. This time against Del Potro, Federer's strategy was to keep his service game short and to execute it in clinical fashion. One cannot help but notice how efficient and clinical Federer's service games was yesterday. It was fast, efficient and assassin like. Logically speaking it's quite easy to see why Federer had this strategy, he knows that if he drags his service game he is more likely to lose. With Del Potro powerful forehand and backhand it is more likely Federer would be broken in his service games if he were to drag it out.
6) Federer's serve
Federer's serve in yesterday's game was one of the better ones which I have not seen in a long time from the man himself. And his serve was probably the only reason why it kept him in the game long enough for cracks to appear in Del Potro's game.
7) Federer edge in extended set
Federer seem to have the advantage in extended set and this advantage look more and more certain in Federer's favor. This is so because Federer himself been through something similar in the past. And that is the 2008 Wimbledon finals against Rafael Nadal. It is probably the greatest match in Wimbledon's history, lasting 4 hours and 48 minutes. But unfortunately in that game Federer lost. And 4 years on, this time was the Olympic semis finals in the same venue, Federer himself would have the mental edge in facing this type of matches and it clearly showed in the extended set. Though Del Potro lost, I believe he has gain something few tennis player had in their arsenal and its something Federer had gained 4 years ago in the match which he lost.
Conclusion
Federer has once against defied father time and showed he could still beat younger and more powerful opponents and its no wonder he is currently the world No. 1 tennis player. Del Potro played really well in this game and now it has put me into thinking how he would perform in the upcoming U.S Open.
Oh well, that's all from me once again! Signing off!
Thursday, 12 July 2012
How Steve Nash would benefit the Lakers. And how Steve Nash would pull the Lakers down
Now that it is official and a done deal, lets talk about what Steven Nash would bring to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Benefits
1) Pick and Roll
Finally and I mean finally the Lakers are going to run some quality pick and rolls. The last time that has ever happened was let me think ... Nah, forget it. It has never happened before. Steve Nash probably one of the best and most experienced point guards in the league, and also one who does one of the best pick and rolls on the court and probably in his sleep as well will contribute big time offense for the Lakers. Gasol finally has a guard, who is one of the best PG in the NBA who can create quality pick and rolls with him and would be able to maximize and draw out Gasol's potential completely. And to be honest during Gasol's time in LA, his potential was never fully maximize firstly due to the triangle offense under Phil Jackson and now under Mike Brown who probably has the least creative offense in town. But with Nash on court, everything will change, it would be finally be the Gasol who plays for the Spanish national team on court and not the Gasol we have been seeing so far.
Beside Gasol who would benefit with the acquisition of Nash is Andrew Bynum. Bynum probably the most skilled big man on court in the NBA now would finally have a true PG to feed him the ball down low to destroy the opponent. Bynum now will not need to create his own offense himself most of the time now but rather Nash would feed him the ball for the easy basket. And with Bynum not needing to create alot of his offense on his own, this would allow him to conserve his stamina and would last and be productive in the game longer and would in turn benefit the Lakers a ton.
2) Spreading the floor
The problem with the Laker offense last season was it was too concentrated, one dimensional. With Steve Nash all of that is about to change. With his ability to spread the floor at will anybody in the Laker team can score and of course this would mean it is harder for the opponent to defend the Lakers. One should go look at Steve Nash videos while he was at the Phoenix Suns and see how he spread the floor that create so much panic in the opponent's team defense.
3) Perimeter Shooting
With Steve Nash on the Laker's roster now, the Lakers perimeter shooting capabilities went up a notch. It used to be the Lakers would depend on Kobe Bryant for the downtown shot most of the time, Meta World Peace, Matt Barnes and Steve Blakes would chip in the rest. But to be honest of all the names I have mentioned over there, probably only Bryant has decent perimeter shooting percentage and to a certain extend Steve Blake as well. The thing is the Lakers never had decent perimeter shooting percentage let alone player ever but with Nash on court all that is going to change. Perimeter shooting will definitely be part of the Laker's offense now. With the acquisition of Steve Nash, it also has lowered the need to get a three point sniper from the market.
4) Better Transition Offense
With Nash, the Lakers would have better transition offense. Transition offense is something that is severely lacking in the Lakers and with Nash coming on board, transition offense would be something to look out for for the Lakers. By the way I am not saying the Lakers would do massive loads of transition offense all of a sudden like the Oklahoma Thunders but at least there would be an increase in the amount of transition offense for the Lakers.
5) A offensive commander not named Kobe Bryant
For the past few years the only guy who has been commanding the offense is Kobe Bryant. But now with Steve Nash at the helm, the Lakers have a guy who has been commanding mesmerizing offense for his entire career and it would be intriguing and definitely a huge plus point for the Lakers offense. With Nash commanding the Lakers offense like how he did in Phoenix, the Lakers set offense would probably be right there on top with the San Antonio Spurs and the rest like the Miami Heat.
6) Teams like the San Antonio Spurs will not be so much of a problem now
The Spurs has always been a tough team for the Lakers to handle. One of the reason for that is because the offense was so stagnant, the Lakers found it difficult to break down the Spurs defense after awhile. But with Nash on court now, it will be more of an even match up now for the Lakers.
Drawbacks
1) Age
Its inevitable that such a factor would be mentioned. At 38 years old, Steve Nash should be commended for playing at such a high level given his age. It is also inevitable at his age, he would tire easily and would probably not be able to play 48 minutes night in and out. So with Nash out for a rest or so, how the Lakers is going to play is one question but will Nash be able to last till the post season is an even bigger problem.
2) Injury
Steve Nash has a nagging back problem that has been hounding him for a long time. And that is only 1 big so called "injury" and it would certainly hamper him and his performance throughout the strenuous regular season let alone the post season . So what happens when more injuries creeps in, Nash contribution would certainly be limited tremendously. And when Nash is down, would the Lakers offense become stagnant again as we have seen so many times before? That is a question the Lakers have to answer.
Non Factors
1) Steve Nash defensive capabilities
Lots have been said about Nash's defensive capabilities and many have mention that Nash has close to 0 defensive capabilities. The problem with that kind of statements is, if Nash plays close to 0 defense it is actually a lack of respect shown to Nash because certainly Nash does not play as good of a defense but to say he plays 0 defense it is a huge overstatement. Secondly the Lakers never had a point guard who played good defense trust me on that and I mean NEVER had. So even if Nash plays "close to 0" defense its not like its something new for the Lakers to handle. The PGs who have ever played for the Lakers aren't really good defensively as well, just look at Derick Fisher for an example and how many world championships they won with Fisher's defense? FIVE people! FIVE!
And this last point which I am about to make would probably settle this issue once and for all and that is in this day and age defensive duties at the PG position isn't so much of a factor really. How many people in this league is able to guard Russell Westbrook one on one during the game? That would be close to 0 if not 0. How many people in this league is able to guard Rajon Rondo one on one during the game? That would also be close to 0 if not 0. And does being not able to guard those two PGs mattered to the Miami Heat who happened to beat those two teams in the playoffs? NO certainly it didn't matter to them because first of all they EXPECTED RONDO to go blow past whoever who is guarding him, they EXPECTED Westbrook to blow past whoever is guarding them and with that all they did was to make adjustments to the team defense to make up for the lack of defensive capabilities to stop those type players. In short they know how to DEFEND as a team. By the way I have only mentioned two point guards, what about Deron William? What about Chris Paul? What about Derrick Rose? What about Tony Parker? (By the way no one has ever made a huge fuss in regards to Tony Parker "close to 0" defensive capabilities) So with all of these points I have mentioned, please don't get me started about "Nash's 0 defensive capabilities"!
And so in my opinion, I have relegated Nash's defensive liability to a non factor.
Conclusion
Bottom line is this, Steve Nash would definitely improve the Laker team tremendously. And with Nash, it would certainly put them almost on par with OKC and would probably be the Miami Heat's biggest nightmare! All the Lakers have to do is to keep Nash healthy till post-season and let Nash's basketball do the talking.
That's all from me! Signing off!
Benefits
1) Pick and Roll
Finally and I mean finally the Lakers are going to run some quality pick and rolls. The last time that has ever happened was let me think ... Nah, forget it. It has never happened before. Steve Nash probably one of the best and most experienced point guards in the league, and also one who does one of the best pick and rolls on the court and probably in his sleep as well will contribute big time offense for the Lakers. Gasol finally has a guard, who is one of the best PG in the NBA who can create quality pick and rolls with him and would be able to maximize and draw out Gasol's potential completely. And to be honest during Gasol's time in LA, his potential was never fully maximize firstly due to the triangle offense under Phil Jackson and now under Mike Brown who probably has the least creative offense in town. But with Nash on court, everything will change, it would be finally be the Gasol who plays for the Spanish national team on court and not the Gasol we have been seeing so far.
Beside Gasol who would benefit with the acquisition of Nash is Andrew Bynum. Bynum probably the most skilled big man on court in the NBA now would finally have a true PG to feed him the ball down low to destroy the opponent. Bynum now will not need to create his own offense himself most of the time now but rather Nash would feed him the ball for the easy basket. And with Bynum not needing to create alot of his offense on his own, this would allow him to conserve his stamina and would last and be productive in the game longer and would in turn benefit the Lakers a ton.
2) Spreading the floor
The problem with the Laker offense last season was it was too concentrated, one dimensional. With Steve Nash all of that is about to change. With his ability to spread the floor at will anybody in the Laker team can score and of course this would mean it is harder for the opponent to defend the Lakers. One should go look at Steve Nash videos while he was at the Phoenix Suns and see how he spread the floor that create so much panic in the opponent's team defense.
3) Perimeter Shooting
With Steve Nash on the Laker's roster now, the Lakers perimeter shooting capabilities went up a notch. It used to be the Lakers would depend on Kobe Bryant for the downtown shot most of the time, Meta World Peace, Matt Barnes and Steve Blakes would chip in the rest. But to be honest of all the names I have mentioned over there, probably only Bryant has decent perimeter shooting percentage and to a certain extend Steve Blake as well. The thing is the Lakers never had decent perimeter shooting percentage let alone player ever but with Nash on court all that is going to change. Perimeter shooting will definitely be part of the Laker's offense now. With the acquisition of Steve Nash, it also has lowered the need to get a three point sniper from the market.
4) Better Transition Offense
With Nash, the Lakers would have better transition offense. Transition offense is something that is severely lacking in the Lakers and with Nash coming on board, transition offense would be something to look out for for the Lakers. By the way I am not saying the Lakers would do massive loads of transition offense all of a sudden like the Oklahoma Thunders but at least there would be an increase in the amount of transition offense for the Lakers.
5) A offensive commander not named Kobe Bryant
For the past few years the only guy who has been commanding the offense is Kobe Bryant. But now with Steve Nash at the helm, the Lakers have a guy who has been commanding mesmerizing offense for his entire career and it would be intriguing and definitely a huge plus point for the Lakers offense. With Nash commanding the Lakers offense like how he did in Phoenix, the Lakers set offense would probably be right there on top with the San Antonio Spurs and the rest like the Miami Heat.
6) Teams like the San Antonio Spurs will not be so much of a problem now
The Spurs has always been a tough team for the Lakers to handle. One of the reason for that is because the offense was so stagnant, the Lakers found it difficult to break down the Spurs defense after awhile. But with Nash on court now, it will be more of an even match up now for the Lakers.
Drawbacks
1) Age
Its inevitable that such a factor would be mentioned. At 38 years old, Steve Nash should be commended for playing at such a high level given his age. It is also inevitable at his age, he would tire easily and would probably not be able to play 48 minutes night in and out. So with Nash out for a rest or so, how the Lakers is going to play is one question but will Nash be able to last till the post season is an even bigger problem.
2) Injury
Steve Nash has a nagging back problem that has been hounding him for a long time. And that is only 1 big so called "injury" and it would certainly hamper him and his performance throughout the strenuous regular season let alone the post season . So what happens when more injuries creeps in, Nash contribution would certainly be limited tremendously. And when Nash is down, would the Lakers offense become stagnant again as we have seen so many times before? That is a question the Lakers have to answer.
Non Factors
1) Steve Nash defensive capabilities
Lots have been said about Nash's defensive capabilities and many have mention that Nash has close to 0 defensive capabilities. The problem with that kind of statements is, if Nash plays close to 0 defense it is actually a lack of respect shown to Nash because certainly Nash does not play as good of a defense but to say he plays 0 defense it is a huge overstatement. Secondly the Lakers never had a point guard who played good defense trust me on that and I mean NEVER had. So even if Nash plays "close to 0" defense its not like its something new for the Lakers to handle. The PGs who have ever played for the Lakers aren't really good defensively as well, just look at Derick Fisher for an example and how many world championships they won with Fisher's defense? FIVE people! FIVE!
And this last point which I am about to make would probably settle this issue once and for all and that is in this day and age defensive duties at the PG position isn't so much of a factor really. How many people in this league is able to guard Russell Westbrook one on one during the game? That would be close to 0 if not 0. How many people in this league is able to guard Rajon Rondo one on one during the game? That would also be close to 0 if not 0. And does being not able to guard those two PGs mattered to the Miami Heat who happened to beat those two teams in the playoffs? NO certainly it didn't matter to them because first of all they EXPECTED RONDO to go blow past whoever who is guarding him, they EXPECTED Westbrook to blow past whoever is guarding them and with that all they did was to make adjustments to the team defense to make up for the lack of defensive capabilities to stop those type players. In short they know how to DEFEND as a team. By the way I have only mentioned two point guards, what about Deron William? What about Chris Paul? What about Derrick Rose? What about Tony Parker? (By the way no one has ever made a huge fuss in regards to Tony Parker "close to 0" defensive capabilities) So with all of these points I have mentioned, please don't get me started about "Nash's 0 defensive capabilities"!
And so in my opinion, I have relegated Nash's defensive liability to a non factor.
Conclusion
Bottom line is this, Steve Nash would definitely improve the Laker team tremendously. And with Nash, it would certainly put them almost on par with OKC and would probably be the Miami Heat's biggest nightmare! All the Lakers have to do is to keep Nash healthy till post-season and let Nash's basketball do the talking.
That's all from me! Signing off!
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Game 5 Eastern Conference Finals (Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat)
Well before the series began many have already wrote off Boston's chances of taking the series. But as we all know over the years when the Celtics have their back against the wall, that's when they begin fight back. Watch out Miami, when the "old folks" get their engines started there is no way you can stop that. And by the way Boston already have their engine started and well warmed up ever since Game 2. After the ridiculous wash out in Game 1, oh boy the Celtics are fired up for one last final battle. Alright with that, let's begin the preview.
Who has the advantage tomorrow? Boston Celtics. This is a known fact now after what we have seen from Games 1 to 4, that Rajon Rondo have developed so much that the Miami Heat cannot stop him. They tried putting Lebron, Dwayne Wade, Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers etc on him and they all failed in the end. Rondo knows that he can take apart the Heat's defense anytime he wants. And this point itself should satisfy the premise that Boston has the advantage for Game 5. Second reason why the Celtics have the advantage tomorrow, Ray Allen. I have said this a couple of times now already that Ray Allen is due for an all-star performance in this series. He has shown signs since Game 1 that he is slowly getting his rhythm, arc and confidence back. And guess what in Game 4, he has shot his best so far in this series. I am not only referring to the points he scored but basically everything, his shooting arc is back and he looked confident. This Ray Allen now is no more the Ray Allen of games 1 and 2 but the Ray Allen we are seeing now is almost the same one we have been seeing all those years. Thirdly, Boston's bench. Boston's bench have been doing superbly well in this series and credit coach Doc Rivers for finding matchups to suit his bench and uses his bench to the most optimal level. Boston's depleted bench actually made the Heat's bench looked weak and empty! We can go on and on why Boston has the advantage but we will just leave it here and move on.
Let me say one thing, in the preview to the beginning of this series I've said that both Lebron James and Dwayne Wade have to elevate their games in order for the Miami Heat to win the series and this is because Chris Bosh is injured. So far Lebron has been doing great and there is no question about that. In fact! Barring his failure to close out games and his horrendous misses from the foul line, Lebron has actually been carrying the Heat all alone on his shoulders and like what Stephen A Smith said "Cleveland part 2". Let's not kid ourselves and let's be honest here, Dwayne Wade has been non-existent in this series and I am serious. Don't let the box score fool you into thinking Wade is having a decent series because the matter of fact is he has not! And Game 4 just further strengthen this point! In the fourth quarter he has only taken 3 shots! How absurd does that sounds! To compound things further during overtime, its the time where the game will be won or lost, he only took 2 shots and that is INCLUSIVE of the clutch 3-pointer which he missed! That means in essence if the clutch play had not been design for him, in overtime he would only have shot one time! And I repeat here ONE TIME. This is not the D-Wade we all know who is suppose to be Batman, who will take over in the fourth and seal the deal! And you guys must be wondering what about the first, second and third quarter? He shot so badly the entire night during Game 4 that he went 7-22 in shooting, that is just barely hitting the 30 percent mark! And to cap Game 4 off, he had 4 turnovers. I have written time and time and again in my previous posts for this series, Dwayne Wade has been performing badly and with each passing game it seem to get more worse. It's time to show up man! And get the job done Dwayne Wade!
The Miami Heat is making me feel irritated with what they are doing. You ask why? I tell you why, experimenting lineups in the Eastern Conference Finals? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is not the first time both teams have played against each other and for them to have the audacity to FREQUENTLY EXPERIMENT LINEUPS in the Eastern Conference Finals just shows me one thing, Eric Spolestra you are not prepared! You and your coaching staff are not prepared! There is nothing wrong to experiment with lineups, but that should be DONE in the regular season! And even if they want to do it in the Eastern Conference Finals there is no problem with that but to frequently do it just shows one thing to the whole world! You guys are not prepared! I don't care if they have the "Dynamic Duo" or "Batman and Robin" or "Two of the best players in the NBA", the fact is you guys still have to come prepared! The injury to Chris Bosh might have played a role in all these experimenting of lineups, but I am not going to give them a pass for that because don't tell me they have not thought about this scenario before! Come on man! Trust in your gameplay! Stick to your gameplay Heat! Why have so little trust in the gameplays that you have been using and perfecting it all season long!
Well don't get me wrong, I am not saying the Heat don't have a chance of winning tomorrow. What I am saying is that, they have to step up! Currently only Lebron James has been carrying the burden on his shoulders! It's time for the rest to step up!
The factor of Chris Bosh. If you ask me, I will take my chances and play Chris Bosh tomorrow. I will not start him but probably get him into the game tomorrow late in the third quarter to the end. Tomorrow's game is extremely crucial to the Miami Heat because if they lose tomorrow, Boston will wrap it all up in Game 6 back at home. So if I have to gamble on Chris Bosh, tomorrow's game would be the time. The Heat have ran out of options basically, they have nothing left. What I have seen in Game 4 for the first time is that the Miami Heat slowed down and became sluggish. So now its the time to get Bosh back to inject new life into the sluggish Heat and start the engine once again.
Conclusion
The Boston Celtic's engines has finally come alive and guess what it is not at the optimal level yet! I will repeat this again, for the Miami Heat to win tomorrow, both Lebron James and Dwayne Wade has to go onto the next level. Period. Is it a little too late now for the Heat? It might be, but I don't think so. There is still a chance for the Heat, but time is running out Miami! Because when the time comes where the Celtic's engines run at full power, the one who will get bulldoze aside is you Miami!
The End.
Who has the advantage tomorrow? Boston Celtics. This is a known fact now after what we have seen from Games 1 to 4, that Rajon Rondo have developed so much that the Miami Heat cannot stop him. They tried putting Lebron, Dwayne Wade, Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers etc on him and they all failed in the end. Rondo knows that he can take apart the Heat's defense anytime he wants. And this point itself should satisfy the premise that Boston has the advantage for Game 5. Second reason why the Celtics have the advantage tomorrow, Ray Allen. I have said this a couple of times now already that Ray Allen is due for an all-star performance in this series. He has shown signs since Game 1 that he is slowly getting his rhythm, arc and confidence back. And guess what in Game 4, he has shot his best so far in this series. I am not only referring to the points he scored but basically everything, his shooting arc is back and he looked confident. This Ray Allen now is no more the Ray Allen of games 1 and 2 but the Ray Allen we are seeing now is almost the same one we have been seeing all those years. Thirdly, Boston's bench. Boston's bench have been doing superbly well in this series and credit coach Doc Rivers for finding matchups to suit his bench and uses his bench to the most optimal level. Boston's depleted bench actually made the Heat's bench looked weak and empty! We can go on and on why Boston has the advantage but we will just leave it here and move on.
Let me say one thing, in the preview to the beginning of this series I've said that both Lebron James and Dwayne Wade have to elevate their games in order for the Miami Heat to win the series and this is because Chris Bosh is injured. So far Lebron has been doing great and there is no question about that. In fact! Barring his failure to close out games and his horrendous misses from the foul line, Lebron has actually been carrying the Heat all alone on his shoulders and like what Stephen A Smith said "Cleveland part 2". Let's not kid ourselves and let's be honest here, Dwayne Wade has been non-existent in this series and I am serious. Don't let the box score fool you into thinking Wade is having a decent series because the matter of fact is he has not! And Game 4 just further strengthen this point! In the fourth quarter he has only taken 3 shots! How absurd does that sounds! To compound things further during overtime, its the time where the game will be won or lost, he only took 2 shots and that is INCLUSIVE of the clutch 3-pointer which he missed! That means in essence if the clutch play had not been design for him, in overtime he would only have shot one time! And I repeat here ONE TIME. This is not the D-Wade we all know who is suppose to be Batman, who will take over in the fourth and seal the deal! And you guys must be wondering what about the first, second and third quarter? He shot so badly the entire night during Game 4 that he went 7-22 in shooting, that is just barely hitting the 30 percent mark! And to cap Game 4 off, he had 4 turnovers. I have written time and time and again in my previous posts for this series, Dwayne Wade has been performing badly and with each passing game it seem to get more worse. It's time to show up man! And get the job done Dwayne Wade!
The Miami Heat is making me feel irritated with what they are doing. You ask why? I tell you why, experimenting lineups in the Eastern Conference Finals? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is not the first time both teams have played against each other and for them to have the audacity to FREQUENTLY EXPERIMENT LINEUPS in the Eastern Conference Finals just shows me one thing, Eric Spolestra you are not prepared! You and your coaching staff are not prepared! There is nothing wrong to experiment with lineups, but that should be DONE in the regular season! And even if they want to do it in the Eastern Conference Finals there is no problem with that but to frequently do it just shows one thing to the whole world! You guys are not prepared! I don't care if they have the "Dynamic Duo" or "Batman and Robin" or "Two of the best players in the NBA", the fact is you guys still have to come prepared! The injury to Chris Bosh might have played a role in all these experimenting of lineups, but I am not going to give them a pass for that because don't tell me they have not thought about this scenario before! Come on man! Trust in your gameplay! Stick to your gameplay Heat! Why have so little trust in the gameplays that you have been using and perfecting it all season long!
Well don't get me wrong, I am not saying the Heat don't have a chance of winning tomorrow. What I am saying is that, they have to step up! Currently only Lebron James has been carrying the burden on his shoulders! It's time for the rest to step up!
The factor of Chris Bosh. If you ask me, I will take my chances and play Chris Bosh tomorrow. I will not start him but probably get him into the game tomorrow late in the third quarter to the end. Tomorrow's game is extremely crucial to the Miami Heat because if they lose tomorrow, Boston will wrap it all up in Game 6 back at home. So if I have to gamble on Chris Bosh, tomorrow's game would be the time. The Heat have ran out of options basically, they have nothing left. What I have seen in Game 4 for the first time is that the Miami Heat slowed down and became sluggish. So now its the time to get Bosh back to inject new life into the sluggish Heat and start the engine once again.
Conclusion
The Boston Celtic's engines has finally come alive and guess what it is not at the optimal level yet! I will repeat this again, for the Miami Heat to win tomorrow, both Lebron James and Dwayne Wade has to go onto the next level. Period. Is it a little too late now for the Heat? It might be, but I don't think so. There is still a chance for the Heat, but time is running out Miami! Because when the time comes where the Celtic's engines run at full power, the one who will get bulldoze aside is you Miami!
The End.
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Reactions to Game 4 Western Conference Finals (San Antonio Spurs 103 Oklahoma City Thunders 109)
What a game! It's time to change the script! The old guards are passing out! WOW! How fast was that! I am pretty certain some of those guys who wrote those articles that I read earlier saying that OKC will turn the tide, are the same people who said the Spurs will take the series. To start off, I am going to say one thing and that is I am not buying any of sort of suggestions/ideas that the Thunders will win the series. I will stick to my guns and still pick the Spurs to win the series.
How the game was played out?
Well the game was pretty back and forth, back and forth pretty much the whole game even when Serge Ibaka had a perfect shooting night. It was only when Kevin Durant took over in the middle of the fourth quarter that actually a clear winner emerge and that is OKC.
How did OKC win?
1) Serge Ibaka. He had an outstanding game tonight. He went 11-11 in shooting, went 4-4 in the foul line together with 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. A great all around game for him tonight. He was continually a presence in both the defensive and the offensive end where he shot a perfect night. Just fantastic really.
2) Kevin Durant. Finally and I mean finally! Kevin Durant finally reminded why he is the NBA scoring champion! Reminded us that he is a scoring machine probably even better than Michael Jordan in that department. Well I am alittle tired of writing the stats down, you can go take a look at it yourself, and by the way he scored 36 points. For me it is not so much about number of points he scored but the aggression and the intensity he showed in the middle of the fourth quarter to take over the game was what I was looking for. For a moment in the game I thought he wasn't going to show up at all as in the first 2 quarters of the game he only shot the ball 4 times. But he proved me wrong, he started to assert himself in the third and then in the fourth Durant took over the game completely. Welcome back Durant!
Worst performers for OKC
Both Russel Westbrook and James Harden. They both performed very poorly today which comes as a surprise. Well their stat sheet are forgettable. 2-10 shooting and 4-14 shooting respectively, need me to carry on anymore? But at least they compensate this poor performance with 12 assists combined. But still it is not excuse for the poor performances from the both of them.
How did the Spurs lost?
Well everyone played alright tonight, hitting big shots from downtown was what that kept them in the game. But the reason why they actually lost the game was because they failed to convert and also because Durant took over. That's all basically, nothing much to comment about.
Tim Duncan played his best game of the series so far, coming in with 26 points in 9-17 shooting, 8 rebounds ,1 block and 2 assist. Well everyone for the Spurs contributed today but times when it was crucial for them to convert they just failed. Daniel Green continued his poor shooting going 1-6 from downtown, maybe it's better for coach Popovich to switch their play and allow someone else to shoot.
Conclusion
The thing for me was this, not just in this Game 4 but in Game 3 as well I felt that the plays which the Spurs executed are not as sharp and good as in Game 1 and 2. Game 3 and 4 performances have been a pale shadow to Game 1 and 2. Game 4 performance was definitely better than Game 3. Today's game just highlight the fact that no one in the Spurs team can guard Kevin Durant when he decides to play and be aggressive. Durant can almost score at will against the Spurs and no one can stop him at all. Home court advantage really played out to its fullest in these past 2 games for OKC.
Why I am still rooting for the Spurs to take the series is this, because the Spurs are a whole different team when they are at their home court and that would mean OKC would most likely be losing. And from what I have sees in this past 2 games is that I feel that the Spurs have the chance to snatch one at Oklahoma. The Spurs have not been playing up to standard, they know it and I am pretty certain coach Popovich will do something about it.
Things for Spurs to look out for in Game 5 is that they have to convert that's all basically.
Things for OKC to look out for in Game 5 is this: Use Kevin Durant.
That's all for me. Good night!
How the game was played out?
Well the game was pretty back and forth, back and forth pretty much the whole game even when Serge Ibaka had a perfect shooting night. It was only when Kevin Durant took over in the middle of the fourth quarter that actually a clear winner emerge and that is OKC.
How did OKC win?
1) Serge Ibaka. He had an outstanding game tonight. He went 11-11 in shooting, went 4-4 in the foul line together with 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. A great all around game for him tonight. He was continually a presence in both the defensive and the offensive end where he shot a perfect night. Just fantastic really.
2) Kevin Durant. Finally and I mean finally! Kevin Durant finally reminded why he is the NBA scoring champion! Reminded us that he is a scoring machine probably even better than Michael Jordan in that department. Well I am alittle tired of writing the stats down, you can go take a look at it yourself, and by the way he scored 36 points. For me it is not so much about number of points he scored but the aggression and the intensity he showed in the middle of the fourth quarter to take over the game was what I was looking for. For a moment in the game I thought he wasn't going to show up at all as in the first 2 quarters of the game he only shot the ball 4 times. But he proved me wrong, he started to assert himself in the third and then in the fourth Durant took over the game completely. Welcome back Durant!
Worst performers for OKC
Both Russel Westbrook and James Harden. They both performed very poorly today which comes as a surprise. Well their stat sheet are forgettable. 2-10 shooting and 4-14 shooting respectively, need me to carry on anymore? But at least they compensate this poor performance with 12 assists combined. But still it is not excuse for the poor performances from the both of them.
How did the Spurs lost?
Well everyone played alright tonight, hitting big shots from downtown was what that kept them in the game. But the reason why they actually lost the game was because they failed to convert and also because Durant took over. That's all basically, nothing much to comment about.
Tim Duncan played his best game of the series so far, coming in with 26 points in 9-17 shooting, 8 rebounds ,1 block and 2 assist. Well everyone for the Spurs contributed today but times when it was crucial for them to convert they just failed. Daniel Green continued his poor shooting going 1-6 from downtown, maybe it's better for coach Popovich to switch their play and allow someone else to shoot.
Conclusion
The thing for me was this, not just in this Game 4 but in Game 3 as well I felt that the plays which the Spurs executed are not as sharp and good as in Game 1 and 2. Game 3 and 4 performances have been a pale shadow to Game 1 and 2. Game 4 performance was definitely better than Game 3. Today's game just highlight the fact that no one in the Spurs team can guard Kevin Durant when he decides to play and be aggressive. Durant can almost score at will against the Spurs and no one can stop him at all. Home court advantage really played out to its fullest in these past 2 games for OKC.
Why I am still rooting for the Spurs to take the series is this, because the Spurs are a whole different team when they are at their home court and that would mean OKC would most likely be losing. And from what I have sees in this past 2 games is that I feel that the Spurs have the chance to snatch one at Oklahoma. The Spurs have not been playing up to standard, they know it and I am pretty certain coach Popovich will do something about it.
Things for Spurs to look out for in Game 5 is that they have to convert that's all basically.
Things for OKC to look out for in Game 5 is this: Use Kevin Durant.
That's all for me. Good night!
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Game 4 Western Conference Finals (San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunders)
I know every time I mentioned the article will be short but it turned out to be quite a long article in the end but trust me this time it will be a really really really short one.
Alright let's get down to business.
Who has the advantage tomorrow? Isn't it obvious after Game 3? It has to be OKC, first of all they are playing at the home court, boasting of the loudest fans in the NBA. Secondly, they have no other choice, they got to win.
Besides all the other points I raised up before in regards to what OKC have to do to win, I want to add one more point. And that point is not to give the Spurs too much respect in a sense, to not be awed at their (the Spurs) basketball during the game but trust in their own game play and play.
Does Spurs have a chance of winning tomorrow's game? Yes sure they do as long as they show up unlike in Game 3 where they didn't turn up at all. They are the best basketball team in the NBA right now afterall.
Finally... I have this to say before we let things unravel tomorrow, tomorrow's game is extremely crucial to OKC. This is because if OKC were to lose tomorrow, San Antonio would be the overwhelming favorites to take Game 5 which would be played at their homecourt and that would mean they would win the series. So to put it in simple terms, it is a do or die game for the Oklahoma City Thunders.
That's all for me! Told you it will be really short this time =) See ya!
Alright let's get down to business.
Who has the advantage tomorrow? Isn't it obvious after Game 3? It has to be OKC, first of all they are playing at the home court, boasting of the loudest fans in the NBA. Secondly, they have no other choice, they got to win.
Besides all the other points I raised up before in regards to what OKC have to do to win, I want to add one more point. And that point is not to give the Spurs too much respect in a sense, to not be awed at their (the Spurs) basketball during the game but trust in their own game play and play.
Does Spurs have a chance of winning tomorrow's game? Yes sure they do as long as they show up unlike in Game 3 where they didn't turn up at all. They are the best basketball team in the NBA right now afterall.
Finally... I have this to say before we let things unravel tomorrow, tomorrow's game is extremely crucial to OKC. This is because if OKC were to lose tomorrow, San Antonio would be the overwhelming favorites to take Game 5 which would be played at their homecourt and that would mean they would win the series. So to put it in simple terms, it is a do or die game for the Oklahoma City Thunders.
That's all for me! Told you it will be really short this time =) See ya!
Reactions to Game 3 Eastern Conference Finals (Miami Heats 91 Boston Celtics 101)
Before I begin, I want to say that I have little to say for this game to be honest. The game started probably evenly and then slowly as the game progress on, the Celtics took control. The Heats managed a small run early in the fourth quarter but eventually the Celtics still prevailed. The Celtics showed up tonight and did all that was required of them to win the game basically.
Things which the Celtics did right
1) Using Kevin Garnett to post up in the paint and dominate. I have mentioned before that the Celtics have to make use of this match up and really punish the Heats down low and finally they did it and boy the results were great. Kevin Garnett played his best game of the series so far coming in 10-16 in shooting with 1 block and 11 rebounds. The Heats literally had no reply as to what to do with Garnett down in the paint basically, they sorely missed Chris Bosh in this game. It's a good thing to wonder why Celtics did not use Garnett's advantage down low until ONLY this game. Now at least there is a case to be made to get Bosh back as soon as possible for the Heats.
2) Paul Pierce played a great defensive game against Lebron James tonight. Keeping discipline and not fouling out is probably the most crucial thing he did. He scored 23 points and was consistently attacking the basket.
3) Marquis Daniels. The Boston Celtics have this habit whereby its bench players would step up in the post season and play a marquee game, and tonight was no different. Daniels had a great game coming off the bench, and contributing quality plays both defensively and offensively for the Celtics. Do not let his stat sheet fool you, he was big for the Celtics tonight.
4) Keyon Dooling. Man! Dooling was great tonight! Defensively he was superb all round! When he came on from the bench, he brought defensive aggression and tenacity to the floor and forcing the Heats into multiple turnovers. He guarded Lebron James fantastically this game. He put up quality offensive numbers as well going 4-6 in shooting and 1-2 from downtown.
5) Rajon Rondo. Need I say anything more? As long as he is on a roll, the Celtics have a great shot in claiming victory. Scoring 21 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 steal. Good solid quality game from him. Oh and by the way if possible go take a look at one of the drives he took where he completely fooled Udonis Haslem and went for an easy layup. Brilliant individual effort!
Miami Heats
Alright so much about the Celtics, what about the Heats you must be thinking? Well to put it quite simply, remember when Lebron was in Cleveland and he was the only one who was carrying the team on his back? Well ya that was what happened tonight for the Miami Heats. He put up 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Quite a solid game from him actually but unfortunately against the Celtics, you need more than just one person's production to give you a victory. And seriously can someone from the Heats consult the Oklahoma City Thunders how to shoot free throws? The Heats made only 10-20 free throws! How atrocious was that! James only came in 1-5 from the foul line, a guy with that kind of talent should not be shooting 1-5 from the free throw line period!
Remember in yesterday's post I wrote about how it was anybody's guess how Dwayne Wade would perform today? Well he didn't show up for today's game. Once again don't let the box score fool you guys into thinking he had a good game because he didn't. He was again close to non-existent and actually I thought he would show up late into game like in the third or fourth quarter like in Game 2 but unfortunately he did not this time around. He was not aggressive in attacking the paint this game and as a result he did not even visit the foul line even once. He made 0 attempts in three pointers and had 3 turnovers. Its game which D-Wade should seriously forget. But the thing is it is like a trend now I feel, he has not been playing consistently this playoffs in general. And he should start performing soon as the Heats would need him to carry them past the Celtics.
Conclusion
Good team effort by the Boston Celtics today, hitting all the right notes and claiming victory. They did have a minor slip up early in the fourth quarter and that was the only reason why it became alittle feisty towards the end but they manage to hang on and won the game by 10 points. The Heats needs Dwayne Wade to start hitting the road soon if not I believe this series might have a surprise winner.
Alright guys, that's all for me. See ya!
P.S By the way can someone teach the Miami Heats how to shoot free throws? (ESPECIALLY LEBRON JAMES -.-)
Things which the Celtics did right
1) Using Kevin Garnett to post up in the paint and dominate. I have mentioned before that the Celtics have to make use of this match up and really punish the Heats down low and finally they did it and boy the results were great. Kevin Garnett played his best game of the series so far coming in 10-16 in shooting with 1 block and 11 rebounds. The Heats literally had no reply as to what to do with Garnett down in the paint basically, they sorely missed Chris Bosh in this game. It's a good thing to wonder why Celtics did not use Garnett's advantage down low until ONLY this game. Now at least there is a case to be made to get Bosh back as soon as possible for the Heats.
2) Paul Pierce played a great defensive game against Lebron James tonight. Keeping discipline and not fouling out is probably the most crucial thing he did. He scored 23 points and was consistently attacking the basket.
3) Marquis Daniels. The Boston Celtics have this habit whereby its bench players would step up in the post season and play a marquee game, and tonight was no different. Daniels had a great game coming off the bench, and contributing quality plays both defensively and offensively for the Celtics. Do not let his stat sheet fool you, he was big for the Celtics tonight.
4) Keyon Dooling. Man! Dooling was great tonight! Defensively he was superb all round! When he came on from the bench, he brought defensive aggression and tenacity to the floor and forcing the Heats into multiple turnovers. He guarded Lebron James fantastically this game. He put up quality offensive numbers as well going 4-6 in shooting and 1-2 from downtown.
5) Rajon Rondo. Need I say anything more? As long as he is on a roll, the Celtics have a great shot in claiming victory. Scoring 21 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 steal. Good solid quality game from him. Oh and by the way if possible go take a look at one of the drives he took where he completely fooled Udonis Haslem and went for an easy layup. Brilliant individual effort!
Miami Heats
Alright so much about the Celtics, what about the Heats you must be thinking? Well to put it quite simply, remember when Lebron was in Cleveland and he was the only one who was carrying the team on his back? Well ya that was what happened tonight for the Miami Heats. He put up 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Quite a solid game from him actually but unfortunately against the Celtics, you need more than just one person's production to give you a victory. And seriously can someone from the Heats consult the Oklahoma City Thunders how to shoot free throws? The Heats made only 10-20 free throws! How atrocious was that! James only came in 1-5 from the foul line, a guy with that kind of talent should not be shooting 1-5 from the free throw line period!
Remember in yesterday's post I wrote about how it was anybody's guess how Dwayne Wade would perform today? Well he didn't show up for today's game. Once again don't let the box score fool you guys into thinking he had a good game because he didn't. He was again close to non-existent and actually I thought he would show up late into game like in the third or fourth quarter like in Game 2 but unfortunately he did not this time around. He was not aggressive in attacking the paint this game and as a result he did not even visit the foul line even once. He made 0 attempts in three pointers and had 3 turnovers. Its game which D-Wade should seriously forget. But the thing is it is like a trend now I feel, he has not been playing consistently this playoffs in general. And he should start performing soon as the Heats would need him to carry them past the Celtics.
Conclusion
Good team effort by the Boston Celtics today, hitting all the right notes and claiming victory. They did have a minor slip up early in the fourth quarter and that was the only reason why it became alittle feisty towards the end but they manage to hang on and won the game by 10 points. The Heats needs Dwayne Wade to start hitting the road soon if not I believe this series might have a surprise winner.
Alright guys, that's all for me. See ya!
P.S By the way can someone teach the Miami Heats how to shoot free throws? (ESPECIALLY LEBRON JAMES -.-)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)