Hey Chowder fans, Ed B. here. Back on our old blog, Ultimate Boston, I did some daily NBA recaps. It was fun for a while, but it got tough trying to find stuff to write about. When the only game is Milwaukee vs. Utah, there's not going to be much that's interesting to talk about.
So I decided to go with a weekly, catch all NBA write-up format. This way, I can look at only the cream of the crop in games and news for the week without fishing for stories. Obviously, if there is major NBA/Celtics news during the week, I'll have it covered. For the most part, however, my NBA talk will be held to these recaps.
Celtics Report: What a game! I know this blog is about last week technically, and the game happened this week, but this game needs to be talked about right now. The NBA suffers sometimes from lack of excitement in regular season games, and this game seemed no different in the second quarter; the Knicks were leading by twelve at one point, and it appeared to be another sub-par game amongst rivals. However, the fourth quarter and subsequent overtime showcased some of the finest in NBA basketball since the finals; it was that good. Rajon Rondo had one of the best games of his career, as did Paul Pierce, who hit a truly insane three to send the game into the extra period. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony looked to be turning it on late in the fourth, but cooled down after Pierce's three; it was a dagger in that game. Lin showed that he still has a lot of work to do, as Rondo soundly thrashed him on both ends of the court. If that game doesn't change Ainge's mind about shopping the point guard, nothing will.
Lebron James and "The Pass"- Friday night, Lebron James had the ball with four seconds left to go in a great game vs. the Utah Jazz. James, having his best statistical season (and one of the best overall) drove to the hoop, stopped at the top of the key, dished the ball to PF Udonis Haslem, and the shot was missed. The second the shot clanked off the rim, Twitter blew up with "James choked again." Let's be honest here; it was a good pass, and the pass wasn't too far out of Haslem's comfort zone. It was a good basketball play. However, the problem is this: James is the best player on that team, and NEEDS to take that shot. Nine times out of ten, would Jordan pass it off in that situation? Kobe? Larry? No, because they realized that they were the best on their respective teams. Lebron is the alpha-dog on the Heat juggernaut, and he has to show that. Deferring to players other than Wade in that situation will never look good. If Lebron wants to be in the company of the Jordans, the Birds and the Kobes, he has to shoulder the responsibility of being the best; physical prowess and natural talent can only take you so far. Look at Wilt Chamberlain. Nobody (at least that I can see) is deriding James because they dislike him; they're doing it because they WANT to see the most naturally gifted player of this generation put it all together and take the reigns as the one of the greats. The bad effects of "The Decision" are gone. Pure NBA fans want James to finally figure out how great he can be.
Von Wafer Memorial Boneheaded Play of the Week - Who doesn't love a good Martell Webster play? How about that time he dunked when his team desperately needed a three? Well he didn't top last week's mistake, but this missed alley-oop was chuckle-worthy nonetheless. Expect to see this award be frequented by the likes of Javale McGee, the aforementioned Webster, and other players who seem to take a lot of bad beats on the court.
From the Vault - Each week, I'll be posting a video/clip of some classic NBA moments that I love to watch on YouTube and other video websites. This week, we get Hakeem Olajuwon vs. David Robinson from the 1995 Western Conference Finals. Just watch and enjoy.
RISING - Ersanity, Kobe's mask
STEADY - Linsanity, Rip's mask
Dead in the Water - Vinsanity, Lucious Harris' mask
Statline of the Week - Rajon Rondo: 18-20-17. That's insanity.
Follow Ed B. on Twitter for more NBA info @edbethinking
0 comments:
Post a Comment