Tag: Utah Jazz

NBA Playoff Basketball At Its Finest

Why Playoff Basketball is the Best

If the recent antics and storylines aren’t enough to persuade you that playoff basketball is where it’s at, then I don’t know what will. From the rough play in the Celtics and Wizards series to the Big 4 doing damage in Golden State there’s no shortage of intriguing gameplay.

The marvelous Russell Westbrook show has come to an end and Paul Pierce has stepped off the court the last time as a player. The battle of MVP trophy aka the Rockets-Thunder series proved to be a showcase of “WOW”. Westbrook went to work, displaying why he’s a finalist in the race for the MVP trophy. But James Harden wasn’t going to allow an old teammate to send him home packing early. Instead, Harden sustained his claim to the MVP trophy.

It’s difficult to think of any team – not named Cleveland – that can thwart the Golden State Warriors. They successfully took away the chances of any other team in the west succeeding by obtaining Kevin Durant. They don’t need him. They’re just as dangerous without him. The Warriors knew his added star power on another team could result in a slightly challenging road to the Finals. So why not lure one of the top 5 players in the league with grandeur of hoisting a championship trophy?

The Celtics began the playoffs on a somber note. Isiah Thomas suffered a heart breaking loss. The Bulls came in and conquered briefly. Rajon Rondo became injured, Dwayne Wade’s age began to show, and Jimmy Butler’s greatness could not withstand the gritty Celtics.

The Wizards have the swagger of their starting point guard, John Wall. A team that plays with a chip on their shoulder. They’re a rough bunch of players. In a league plagued by “soft play”, they epitomize the style of ball played years ago. Their rugged play was too much for the Atlanta Hawks.

Round Two

Now we’re onto round two. The Cavaliers quickly handled the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs used their experience and their own MVP candidate, Kawai Leonard to fend off the pesky Grizzlies. And Utah is back to their old ways and winning in the playoffs. Here are a few intriguing storylines to look at during the second round of the NBA Playoffs:

  • The Varsity – JV Series. The Cleveland Cavaliers are up against the Toronto Raptors. Rematch of last year’s conference finals. This year the Raptors have a few new additions (Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker) along with many familiar faces. One would think that the outcome would be a competitive series. In place of a competitive series, we’ve been subjected to watch as LeBron James and the Cavaliers treat the Raptors like the JV team. If DeRozan can’t lend a supporting hand against the Cavaliers then it’s all up to Kyle Lowry. With all due respect, Lowry can’t do it on his own. Expect to see more of Cleveland pounding Toronto if DeRozan remains M.I.A.

 

  • Kelly & Kelly. Old school basketball was a game where the tough ruled. Imagine if the Bad Boys played today. They’d be in the penalty within 2 minutes. The game has been toned down. Softer – for lack of a better word. That’s why the Celtics and Wizards series is intriguing. Kelly Olynyk – the same man who took down Kevin Love – set a hard screen on Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Wizards. Next thing you know, a rattled Oubre is charging towards Olynyk and what ensues is an ejected Oubre and Washington team that fed off the energy of the altercation. If you missed the squabble, you can see it here: Kelly vs. Kelly. Don’t think that Oubre Jr. was only upset with the hard screen. The hard screen was the essentially the
    “straw that broke the donkey’s back”. A man can only take so much. Look for more physicality in this series as the Wizards look to tie things up.

 

  • Parker-less Spurs. The Spurs are good. They’ve been good for at least the past 18 years. This year they don’t have Big Fundamental in Tim Duncan. No worries. Kawai Leonard picked up the slack. After a challenging Memphis Grizzlies series, the Spurs were up against a run-n-gun team in the Houston Rockets. Things didn’t look good in game one for the Spurs. Game two was a different story. The Spurs played inspired basketball and were able to tie the series. Unfortunately, they lost their starting veteran guard Tony Parker. Question is, can the Spurs survive the loss of Parker or will they run out of steam before reaching the finish line?

 

  • Golden Boys. It’s tough trying stop the Golden State Warriors. Once you think you’ve got them solved, they hit you with another surprise. Utah squeaked by the Los Angeles Clippers but the talent the Warriors bring to the court outmatches the talent brought by the Clippers, especially when Blake Griffin went down. Utah simply has to hope for a bad shooting performance. An off day in Golden State could mean victory for Utah but that’s just one game. Draymond will continue with the trash talk and Golden State will continue to light the nets on fire.

Seeing the same team – game after game – will make tensions flare. The emotional carryover from game to game can either make or break a team. But I’ll stand on a limb – a pretty strong limb – and say that we’re in for a familiar final series. Cleveland and Golden State look primed to represent the Eastern and Western conferences. Unless there’s a storyline that we don’t know of yet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

6.0.A.T.?

Where were you when Kobe Bryant played his final NBA game? Even though the woeful Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs months ago and the Utah Jazz had no benefit to win, Kobe put on a performance. A performance that puts the cherry on top of Kobe’s iconic and historic career.kobelastgame

In 1996, Kobe Bryant, was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick overall. The Charlotte Hornets has no intentions of signing or drafting the teenager out of Lower Merion High School. He was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Back in 1996, I was old enough to remember watching the draft that night Kobe was drafted.

A 17-year-old (yes, 17-year-old!) kid from a Philly suburb was thrust in the NBA. His dominance in high school spurned his decision to jump college all together. Who would’ve thought Kobe Bean Bryant, the wide-eyed teenager would eventually become one of the greatest ball players ever?

I’ll always remember the Finals of 2004 between the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe was teamed up with legends, Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal. He was in his prime then, still donning the “#8“. This was the end of his first stint of championship appearances. I remember how fearful I was for the Pistons to go up against Kobe Bryant. He was “the man”, “the second coming of Jordan”, “The Best Player in the NBA”.  The Pistons were able to defeat the Lakers in 5 games in what was called “The Five Game Sweep”. But let’s not overshadow the Black Mamba’s great career with a recollection from 2004. kobefinals

It was great to the league honor Kobe Bryant the way they did. The near-season long Kobe farewell tour was more about him than the Lakers. The fans packed into NBA arenas not to watch the Lakers but to see Kobe. Fans, no matter who your favorite team or player is, watched as Kobe ended his career Wednesday night in front of his home crowd. The same crowd that watched him achieve greatness for the past 20 years. Despite his 50 attempted shots, he scored 60 points in a winning effort. Sixty!

His point total was the most for any player in his last career regular season game. The Lakers stormed back, thanks to Kobe, to beat the Utah Jazz, 101-96. It was great to see Kobe and Shaq embrace each other at the end of the game. Their animosity towards one another was a part of the reason why Shaq left LA to pick up a championship in Miami. From Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Devean George to Snoop Dogg, Jack Nicholas and Jay-Z, all were in attendance to see the Mamba’s last game.

Kobe leaves his mark on the game. One of the best in his era, one of the best Lakers player ever. A 5-time NBA champion, 18-time All-Star, 15-time All NBA Player, 12-time All Defensive Team, 1 regular season MVP and 2 Final MVPs. Kobe’s name is synonymous with success. It’s tough to see such a great player move on, but it was destined to happen eventually. kobeshaq

Kobe may be one of top five players to ever play the game. His skill and knowledge of the game trumped others. He stood out among the rest. He was the best player in the league at one time. Maybe one of the most feared players in the league as well.

Kobe put on a good show for 20-years. He had his ups and downs with the Lakers but managed to be up more than down. He leaves the game, third on the list of “most points scored.” He leaves the game a legend. The one who proceeded Jordan as the “great one”.

Thank you Kobe!