What’s going on everyone. This post will be about previewing the NBA Finals which start on Thursday. However, as usual, business needs to be taken care of.
Music to listen to: 14 Years by Guns and Roses
When I saw Terminator Salvation last night, one of the scenes featured the G&R song You Could Be Mine which was also in Terminator: Judgment Day. That song is ok, but 14 Years is still my favorite song from that band.
-Speaking of Terminator, finally saw it last night. It was OK. Christian Bale does a decent job as John Connor and I understood the plot. Yes, Arnold does make a cameo appearance but in the form of the original Terminator, which was good. However, the plot can basically be said in one sentence, “Let’s blow stuff up so that we can prevent bad stuff from happening in the future.”
Let me put it this way. I’m intrigued to see Wolverine again. I REALLY want to see Star Trek again. I have no interest in seeing Terminator again. I think that says it all.
-Some non-NBA Finals related subjects that I would like to touch on since this is a sports-related post.
1) I have no problems at all with what Vince Young said earlier this week about wanting to compete for his job back as the starter of the Tennessee Titans. He further stated that if he isn’t going to start for Tennessee, it may be time for him to play somewhere else. Young has made mistakes in the past and still has to improve as a quarterback and by no means is this a sympathy plea for him. He’s a professional football player. However, I would rather have a quarterback on my roster who wants to compete rather then quit mentally or physically. As coach Jeff Fisher said, you want every player on your roster to want to be a starter.
2) I’m more disappointed that Lebron James didn’t talk to the media after game six of the Cleveland series against Orlando than him congratulating the Magic after the game. I do think that the move made him look like a bad sport and him saying the next day that he didn’t congratulate the Magic because he’s a “winner.” Showing respect to your opponent after they beat you fairly on the court doesn’t make you a “loser.” The bad part about it is that if you’re the leader of the team, you can’t leave your teammates during a time of trouble. You have to stick together through the tough times, answer all the questions and be accountable. Every elite athlete has done it and Lebron shouldn’t be an exception.
OK, on to the Finals. I’m going to break down each position and then give my prediction. Lets get started.
Point Guard: Skip is in the Finals! Skip to my Lou aka Rafer Alston is a basketball playground legend back in New York City. I’ve followed him from the And 1 mix tapes to Fresno State to his stints in the NBA with Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Toronto, Houston and now Orlando. I’ll be cheering for him. As far as on the court, he has been a stabilizing force for the Magic after Jameer Nelson went down. Derek Fisher has been a game player for years but has declined this year. He hasn’t been hitting the open three-pointers as much as in the past.
Advantage: Orlando
Shooting Guard: We’ll get to the Magic first in this one. Courtney Lee, the pride of Western Kentucky, had an excellent start to the playoffs before he hurt his nose. He has a good shooting touch and plays solid defense which will definitely be needed. As far as the Lakers, its all about Kobe. I like the progression he has been making throughout the playoffs, especially in game six against the Nuggets. He knew that game was the closeout and he finished with a solid 35 points. This series will determine a huge part of his legacy. Win the series and he’s a top-eight player all-time and only second to Michael Jordan in all-time shooting guards. Lose the series and the questions still loom.
Advantage: Los Angeles
Small Forward: Trevor Ariza is a nice player who is a good three-point shooter and a solid defender. He’s going to have his hands full with the Michael Jordan of Turkey aka Hedo Turkoglu. Hedo has had an interesting development to his career. He was the fourth banana back in Sacramento behind Webber, Bibby and Peja and was expected to be a third-wheel behind Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis in Orlando but now he’s an indispensible part of a title contender. He will have the ball in his hands the most and be a main distributor. He’s also a clutch shooter towards the end of the game.
Advantage: Orlando
Power Forward: Rashard Lewis was a force in the Cleveland series, especially on three-pointers. If he’s on offensively, the Magic are on point. Pau Gasol is a nice player as well and has had a productive playoff season. However, I want to see some more from him, especially on the road. His numbers always look good but if you watch him during a game, he disappears at times. The big advantage Gasol will have is in rebounding and maybe on defense with his shotblocking ability. However, Lewis is on the perimeter a lot of the time which will push Gasol away from the paint, therefore making his advantages negligible.
Advantage: Push
Center: Dwight Howard has emerged as the best center currently in the NBA and can cement the start of a legendary career with an NBA title. Sometimes his offensive game stalls and his free throw shooting leaves something to be desired at times but he’s a tremendous force overall. The positive for the Lakers is that they have some bodies to throw at Howard, especially Andrew Bynum. The Lakers’ center is working himself back into the rotation after a regular-season knee injury and has shown improvement. The key for both of these guys is to stay out of foul trouble. Whoever does this better will give their team a major advantage in the series.
Advantage: Orlando
Bench: For Orlando, Pietrus is going to have to have a big series for it to compete. Anthony Johnson (College of Charleston represent) has been solid for the Magic as well. For Los Angeles, you have Odom Brown and Farmar being major contributors.
Advantage: Los Angeles
Prediction: Orlando has been playing better in the playoffs but Los Angeles is the better team. In the end, I’m going to take the team with the most motivation and the best player.
Lakers in seven
Music to listen to: 14 Years by Guns and Roses
When I saw Terminator Salvation last night, one of the scenes featured the G&R song You Could Be Mine which was also in Terminator: Judgment Day. That song is ok, but 14 Years is still my favorite song from that band.
-Speaking of Terminator, finally saw it last night. It was OK. Christian Bale does a decent job as John Connor and I understood the plot. Yes, Arnold does make a cameo appearance but in the form of the original Terminator, which was good. However, the plot can basically be said in one sentence, “Let’s blow stuff up so that we can prevent bad stuff from happening in the future.”
Let me put it this way. I’m intrigued to see Wolverine again. I REALLY want to see Star Trek again. I have no interest in seeing Terminator again. I think that says it all.
-Some non-NBA Finals related subjects that I would like to touch on since this is a sports-related post.
1) I have no problems at all with what Vince Young said earlier this week about wanting to compete for his job back as the starter of the Tennessee Titans. He further stated that if he isn’t going to start for Tennessee, it may be time for him to play somewhere else. Young has made mistakes in the past and still has to improve as a quarterback and by no means is this a sympathy plea for him. He’s a professional football player. However, I would rather have a quarterback on my roster who wants to compete rather then quit mentally or physically. As coach Jeff Fisher said, you want every player on your roster to want to be a starter.
2) I’m more disappointed that Lebron James didn’t talk to the media after game six of the Cleveland series against Orlando than him congratulating the Magic after the game. I do think that the move made him look like a bad sport and him saying the next day that he didn’t congratulate the Magic because he’s a “winner.” Showing respect to your opponent after they beat you fairly on the court doesn’t make you a “loser.” The bad part about it is that if you’re the leader of the team, you can’t leave your teammates during a time of trouble. You have to stick together through the tough times, answer all the questions and be accountable. Every elite athlete has done it and Lebron shouldn’t be an exception.
OK, on to the Finals. I’m going to break down each position and then give my prediction. Lets get started.
Point Guard: Skip is in the Finals! Skip to my Lou aka Rafer Alston is a basketball playground legend back in New York City. I’ve followed him from the And 1 mix tapes to Fresno State to his stints in the NBA with Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Toronto, Houston and now Orlando. I’ll be cheering for him. As far as on the court, he has been a stabilizing force for the Magic after Jameer Nelson went down. Derek Fisher has been a game player for years but has declined this year. He hasn’t been hitting the open three-pointers as much as in the past.
Advantage: Orlando
Shooting Guard: We’ll get to the Magic first in this one. Courtney Lee, the pride of Western Kentucky, had an excellent start to the playoffs before he hurt his nose. He has a good shooting touch and plays solid defense which will definitely be needed. As far as the Lakers, its all about Kobe. I like the progression he has been making throughout the playoffs, especially in game six against the Nuggets. He knew that game was the closeout and he finished with a solid 35 points. This series will determine a huge part of his legacy. Win the series and he’s a top-eight player all-time and only second to Michael Jordan in all-time shooting guards. Lose the series and the questions still loom.
Advantage: Los Angeles
Small Forward: Trevor Ariza is a nice player who is a good three-point shooter and a solid defender. He’s going to have his hands full with the Michael Jordan of Turkey aka Hedo Turkoglu. Hedo has had an interesting development to his career. He was the fourth banana back in Sacramento behind Webber, Bibby and Peja and was expected to be a third-wheel behind Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis in Orlando but now he’s an indispensible part of a title contender. He will have the ball in his hands the most and be a main distributor. He’s also a clutch shooter towards the end of the game.
Advantage: Orlando
Power Forward: Rashard Lewis was a force in the Cleveland series, especially on three-pointers. If he’s on offensively, the Magic are on point. Pau Gasol is a nice player as well and has had a productive playoff season. However, I want to see some more from him, especially on the road. His numbers always look good but if you watch him during a game, he disappears at times. The big advantage Gasol will have is in rebounding and maybe on defense with his shotblocking ability. However, Lewis is on the perimeter a lot of the time which will push Gasol away from the paint, therefore making his advantages negligible.
Advantage: Push
Center: Dwight Howard has emerged as the best center currently in the NBA and can cement the start of a legendary career with an NBA title. Sometimes his offensive game stalls and his free throw shooting leaves something to be desired at times but he’s a tremendous force overall. The positive for the Lakers is that they have some bodies to throw at Howard, especially Andrew Bynum. The Lakers’ center is working himself back into the rotation after a regular-season knee injury and has shown improvement. The key for both of these guys is to stay out of foul trouble. Whoever does this better will give their team a major advantage in the series.
Advantage: Orlando
Bench: For Orlando, Pietrus is going to have to have a big series for it to compete. Anthony Johnson (College of Charleston represent) has been solid for the Magic as well. For Los Angeles, you have Odom Brown and Farmar being major contributors.
Advantage: Los Angeles
Prediction: Orlando has been playing better in the playoffs but Los Angeles is the better team. In the end, I’m going to take the team with the most motivation and the best player.
Lakers in seven
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