Playoffs Twists and Surprises
Bleacher Talk
April 29, 2007
Playoffs Twists and Surprises
The NBA season’s first round of playoffs has produced a combination of twists, surprises and expected’s, and has done a great job of making the playoffs a must-watch affair. While many tune in late in the playoffs to see who will eventually clash in the finals, missing this year’s first round could mean a lot of “sayang’s” when they find out what has taken place so far, and we aren’t even halfway through the different series yet.
The biggest story out of the first round has to be the way the Golden State Warriors have played against the Dallas Mavericks. When I found out that the Warriors had taken Game 1, was I surprised? Not at all, knowing that if there was a coach who knew how to beat the Mavs, he would have to be Don Nelson. After all, didn’t Nellie once handle Dirk Nowitzki and company before (and this includes Dallas Coach Avery Johnson)?
While many predict that the Warriors won’t eventually win the series, they are proving that top-seeded Dallas isn’t invincible. You can bet that the scouting teams of those who could end up facing the Mavs are getting sleepless nights breaking down Game 1. The big question is if can Nellie’s “small ball” approach can pull off the biggest upset of the playoffs. Don’t laugh now. As they say, “lingin ang bola.”
For fans of the defending champions Miami Heat, it sure looks like we’re not going to see back-to-back titles this year after another humiliating loss to Chicago yesterday has put them into a deep, deep 0-3 hole. The Bulls have been very impressive in methodically outplaying the Heat, and credit goes to Coach Scott Skiles for developing the team to what it has become today. The irony of it all is that the Bulls are showing what youth, athleticism and discipline can do against a team deep in experience (and age).
While I like to cheer for the old vets like Shaq, Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, Antoine Walker and Jason Williams, I must admit that it has been a joy to watch Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich step up and deliver in a much more productive way than their veteran opponents. They’ve proven that the Bulls may finally have developed the formula needed to make it all the way to the finals even if Detroit could be in their way in the next round. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bulls also run their way through the Pistons, albeit in a much tougher series. This reminds me of the 90’s when the Pistons won back-to-back titles while the Bulls always played second-fiddle in the East with a guy named Michael Jordan on board. We all know what happened when the Bulls (and Jordan) matured to become the team of the 90s, winning six championships. While the current Bulls may not be as potent as Jordan’s Bulls of the past, they have a legit shot at a championship within the next two years (or less).
Another surprise that may be considered as an unexpected is Denver’s Game 1 win over San Antonio. The Spurs were heavy favorites going into the series, but what many fail to notice is that if Denver can get Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson to play well together, and the rest of the team can fill in their respective roles, Denver can be just as strong as the big powers in the West. Believe it or not!
Like the Golden State-Dallas series, the favored Spurs will most likely come out on top, but not after getting a taste of how good Denver is going to become next year, assuming the team remains intact with a few additions here and there. It looks like the Spurs’ core group of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili will win this battle against the Anthony-AI-Nene trio, but should a few more crucial role players be added to the Nuggets, expect them to come back strong next season.
All the other match-ups also have their respective stories and highlights that keep us fans posted. I’m no big fan of Kobe, but it’s now turning out to be the Kobe vs Phoenix show. I’m not too sure if Phil Jackson designed it this way, but I do remember that it takes a team of 12 to win a basketball game. Phoenix is showing the Lakers how this concept works under the leadership of Steve Nash.
Over in New Jersey, Jason Kidd continues to prove why he is one of basketball’s best elite point guards at the age of 34 as he leads his fellow veterans up against the youth of Toronto. A side show is Vinsanity who’s always out to put one over his former team. Lebron James is always expected to lead the Cavs to as far as they can get in the playoffs, and it sure looks like access to the second round won’t be a problem where they could end up facing the either Nets or Toronto, two very beatable teams for the Cavs. Will this mean a first ever trip to the Eastern Conference championship for James?
My apologies to Detroit fans, but their 3-0 romp over Orlando isn’t getting much space in the sports pages because they’re doing what’s expected of them. Nothing new, nothing unique to talk about. Just simple blue-collar basketball of getting the job done. No more, no less. And that’s Detroit for you. No frills or fancy stuff. T-Mac and Yao are coming up with the fancy stuff in the West up against a tough Utah squad. This series is going to make or break Houston’s high-profile superstars. The Rockets have spent so much in both players, that if they lose in the first round, I’m not too sure if either one is staying behind next season.
The NBA playoffs have just begun and we’ve already had some interesting twists and surprises. We’ll just have to stay tuned as we follow our teams on the way to the finals.
**
Time-out: Happy birthday to my nephew Enzo Navarro and to MNC’s gorgeous Sonnette Reroma! >> Congrats to the Sacred Heart School Jesuit football club for winning the Under-10 age group of the Sansrival Football Festival Dumaguete. >> You can reach me at bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
April 29, 2007
Playoffs Twists and Surprises
The NBA season’s first round of playoffs has produced a combination of twists, surprises and expected’s, and has done a great job of making the playoffs a must-watch affair. While many tune in late in the playoffs to see who will eventually clash in the finals, missing this year’s first round could mean a lot of “sayang’s” when they find out what has taken place so far, and we aren’t even halfway through the different series yet.
The biggest story out of the first round has to be the way the Golden State Warriors have played against the Dallas Mavericks. When I found out that the Warriors had taken Game 1, was I surprised? Not at all, knowing that if there was a coach who knew how to beat the Mavs, he would have to be Don Nelson. After all, didn’t Nellie once handle Dirk Nowitzki and company before (and this includes Dallas Coach Avery Johnson)?
While many predict that the Warriors won’t eventually win the series, they are proving that top-seeded Dallas isn’t invincible. You can bet that the scouting teams of those who could end up facing the Mavs are getting sleepless nights breaking down Game 1. The big question is if can Nellie’s “small ball” approach can pull off the biggest upset of the playoffs. Don’t laugh now. As they say, “lingin ang bola.”
For fans of the defending champions Miami Heat, it sure looks like we’re not going to see back-to-back titles this year after another humiliating loss to Chicago yesterday has put them into a deep, deep 0-3 hole. The Bulls have been very impressive in methodically outplaying the Heat, and credit goes to Coach Scott Skiles for developing the team to what it has become today. The irony of it all is that the Bulls are showing what youth, athleticism and discipline can do against a team deep in experience (and age).
While I like to cheer for the old vets like Shaq, Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, Antoine Walker and Jason Williams, I must admit that it has been a joy to watch Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich step up and deliver in a much more productive way than their veteran opponents. They’ve proven that the Bulls may finally have developed the formula needed to make it all the way to the finals even if Detroit could be in their way in the next round. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bulls also run their way through the Pistons, albeit in a much tougher series. This reminds me of the 90’s when the Pistons won back-to-back titles while the Bulls always played second-fiddle in the East with a guy named Michael Jordan on board. We all know what happened when the Bulls (and Jordan) matured to become the team of the 90s, winning six championships. While the current Bulls may not be as potent as Jordan’s Bulls of the past, they have a legit shot at a championship within the next two years (or less).
Another surprise that may be considered as an unexpected is Denver’s Game 1 win over San Antonio. The Spurs were heavy favorites going into the series, but what many fail to notice is that if Denver can get Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson to play well together, and the rest of the team can fill in their respective roles, Denver can be just as strong as the big powers in the West. Believe it or not!
Like the Golden State-Dallas series, the favored Spurs will most likely come out on top, but not after getting a taste of how good Denver is going to become next year, assuming the team remains intact with a few additions here and there. It looks like the Spurs’ core group of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili will win this battle against the Anthony-AI-Nene trio, but should a few more crucial role players be added to the Nuggets, expect them to come back strong next season.
All the other match-ups also have their respective stories and highlights that keep us fans posted. I’m no big fan of Kobe, but it’s now turning out to be the Kobe vs Phoenix show. I’m not too sure if Phil Jackson designed it this way, but I do remember that it takes a team of 12 to win a basketball game. Phoenix is showing the Lakers how this concept works under the leadership of Steve Nash.
Over in New Jersey, Jason Kidd continues to prove why he is one of basketball’s best elite point guards at the age of 34 as he leads his fellow veterans up against the youth of Toronto. A side show is Vinsanity who’s always out to put one over his former team. Lebron James is always expected to lead the Cavs to as far as they can get in the playoffs, and it sure looks like access to the second round won’t be a problem where they could end up facing the either Nets or Toronto, two very beatable teams for the Cavs. Will this mean a first ever trip to the Eastern Conference championship for James?
My apologies to Detroit fans, but their 3-0 romp over Orlando isn’t getting much space in the sports pages because they’re doing what’s expected of them. Nothing new, nothing unique to talk about. Just simple blue-collar basketball of getting the job done. No more, no less. And that’s Detroit for you. No frills or fancy stuff. T-Mac and Yao are coming up with the fancy stuff in the West up against a tough Utah squad. This series is going to make or break Houston’s high-profile superstars. The Rockets have spent so much in both players, that if they lose in the first round, I’m not too sure if either one is staying behind next season.
The NBA playoffs have just begun and we’ve already had some interesting twists and surprises. We’ll just have to stay tuned as we follow our teams on the way to the finals.
**
Time-out: Happy birthday to my nephew Enzo Navarro and to MNC’s gorgeous Sonnette Reroma! >> Congrats to the Sacred Heart School Jesuit football club for winning the Under-10 age group of the Sansrival Football Festival Dumaguete. >> You can reach me at bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
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