Score One for the Bad Guys...

Phil Jackson coached the game like it was the post season, Doc Rivers coached the game like it was the regular season. That is the first thing on my mind as I look at one of the best Christmas gifts sports has given us in decades as the Lakers defeated the Celtics 92-83 on Thursday. I choose to speak on the coaches because it was evident that Kobe Bryant was not going to be spending much time off the floor against the Celtics. That is one of the things that cost the Lakers a better chance to beat the Celtics last June.(Kobe leaving the game with double digit leads in games 4 and 5 in LA during last years finals) Kobe played a very efficient 43 minutes scoring 27 points, shockingly none from the free throw line. But for the first time since this Celtic machine was put together by Danny Ainge in the summer of 2007 the Lakers at least for one game showed that they were not going to allow themselves to be physically dominated as they had been in both the regular and postseason meetings last year. Hats off the the Lakers for playing a very good game, especially Pau Gasol down the stretch. Gasol was huge when the Celtics ran their double teams at Kobe. Not only did Kobe bring the defense to him but Gasol to his credit was not standing around waiting for the ball he was moving to the areas on the court that the Celtics defense left vacant, one of them confusing to me was the free throw line. You can bet the next time they play in Boston that will not be the case.

What continued to eat at me after the game was the offensive lapses and wasted possessions the Celtics had, especially in the second half. With Garnett and Pierce on the bench during one stretch and Ray Allen, who got off to a blazing start as the clear number one option on the court, the Celtics were not making it a priority to get Ray Ray the rock. Instead Ed House jumpers off of screen and roll and Tony Allen drives to the hoop with his head down were being settled for as the Celtics had plenty of opportunities to pull ahead further but could not execute. To the Lakers credit, once the Celtics did take a lead with Pierce and Garnett back on the floor along with Rondo, LA did not put their head down or panic, they simply kept battling which eventually lead to them pulling away in the final two minutes. Basketball is a funny game sometimes. Looking at the Celtics they had about four good stretches of basketball over the course of 48 minutes, the Lakers played far from a perfect game, but were able to hold off the Celtics when they needed too and were able built momentum at what seemed like the perfect moments.

On a day when the whole world was watching, a day when the Celtics had a streak of 19 straight on the line and a day where the Lakers felt that they had something to prove not just to the basketball world but to themselves we were given a terrific basketball game that made me at least be thankful for the league, the rivalry and the possibility the Green and Gold will meet again on the Finals stage this June.

An Extra Special Gift...

It started with 5:27 left on the clock in the 4th quarter tuesday night for the Cetlics with the starters on the bench and the likes of Gabe Pruitt and Brian Scalabrine finishing up the franchises record setting 19th consecutive victory, which coincidentally marks the best start to a season in NBA league history at 27-2. The sound that started coming fast and furious from the crowd was not about the record or the streak it was regarding the next opponent on the schedule for the Boston Celtics.
BEAT LA!!! BEAT LA!!! BEAT LA!!! Today’s Christmas day match-up has been on everyone’s mind for quite a while, especially the Lakers. For the Lakers this started the moment Game 6 ended last June.

While the Celtics will say they are approaching it as another game, another test and another opportunity to get better you know that down deep, somewhere, that tomorrow means that much more. They know the rivalry has returned. They know the torch has been officially handed to them from the past great teams and players to them. They know they hold Celtic Pride and Tradition in their hands on a daily basis, on and off the court. I am sure they are also anticipating the Lakers coming out with a great effort as the decisive Game 6 is still looming in their minds day and night, conscious or unconscious, win or lose, every day. What the Celtics did last June and have continued through 29 games this season is make the statement that proves that this is all about the TEAM and winning. It is not just talk, which they are very good at as well, this is about execution of the game plan, this is about intensity, this is about sacrifice in order to reach a goal.

The buzz around the basketball world is that this is a bigger game for the Lakers than the Celtics and to a point I agree. The Lakers sit at 23-5, but what differentiates them from the Celtics besides their record is the Lakers have been picking and choosing when they put their foot on the gas since the ten game mark into this season. Of the Lakers five losses four of them are against the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles is extremely talented but when what seemed like the entire basketball world anointed them the clear favorite to rise above Boston this season they forgot one very important element: Toughness. Some teams just have it. Other’s create and build upon it over time but some other teams never quite get there. Can the Lakers become a tougher team on both ends? I believe they can. But there is nothing that says they will just become that team overnight. Do you think by just the sight of the Celtics today that the Lakers will become tougher? If they have that ability now would be the time to use it because the Celtics are not walking into LA on Christmas Day treating this like a game that they can afford to lose.

The Celtics have the same focus each night which is what makes them so special: Improve as a unit and figure out a way to win the game. They have been successful closing out 88-85 victories in a hostile road environment as well as out dueling very motivated and scorching hot opponents in their own building. The Celtics prepare very well but what they also do is make great in game adjustments and decisions. Those things can not go overlooked when examining their 27-2 start.

Expect a great game today in Los Angeles, but more importantly expect the Green to remind the world who the Champs are.

One Month In...

Coach is glad he got the negative energy out regarding Marbury and Plax the other day, it was really weighing on me and apparently the Giants as well after their sub-par performance against the Eagles this past Sunday.

Time to take a look at the NBA after a five weeks of action.
Today we give props to the top 3 teams in the Association.

Clearly the Lakers and the Celtics start the conversation. Both are playing at a very high level, both look very hungry and as of right now both are side by side with no one else close at the top of the league.

The Lakers sit at 17-2, they have the strongest 2nd unit in the league, Andrew Bynum is back in the lineup playing strong and Kobe is playing great team ball. Right now as long as the Lakers stay healthy they will run away record wise in the west and secure homecourt through the Western Conference finals. When you look at the Lakers schedule you are at the point where you are searching for back to backs on the road to see where they could possibly stumble. There are actually two back to back's later this month the week leading up to LA hosting Boston on Christmas day. On December 19th the Lakers are in Miami and the next night they are in Orlando, could Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and the Magic take down the Lake show at home? The Lakers then go to Memphis (I know many of you marked your calendars for the battle of the Gasol brothers!) on December 22nd and then hit New Orleans for a battle with the Hornets on the 23rd. You have to figure Coach Byron Scott and the entire team will be looking at that match-up as a measuring stick type of game. Mark your basketball calendar for that contest, and of course for Christmas day.

The Celtics now sit at 20-2, yes, the champs are quietly 20-2 and they have really started to get it going. There are a few things that are becoming quite clear about the Celtics after their first 22 games: 1) Ray Allen after one season under his belt in Boston is going to be far better this year than he was last season, in his first four games of December Ray Ray is 18-35 from behind the three point line and he is shooting a blazing 57% all told from the floor. 2) Rajon Rondo has gone from potential weak link to start last season, to steady playoff performer en route to a championship, to potential all-star this season. His 16 point, 13 rebound 17 assist performance last week against the Pacers was an incredible thing to watch (Especially with Tommy Heinsohn back in the booth following the passing of his wife Helen, that game was a timely gift for Tommy) 3) Tony Allen and Leon Powe are more than capable to add scoring punch off of the bench. Both players have played very well thus far. Leon on the post and the boards, and Tony slashing to the hoop and playing within himself. With James Posey leaving town many asked what would happen to the Celtics bench? While they are not on the level of the Lakers second unit, Powe, T Allen, Eddie House, Big Baby Davis and yes, Brian Scalabrine, have developed some great continuity with that unit. With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett as hungry as ever along with the above mentioned the Celtics have a chance to top last season's win total of 66.

The Cleveland Caviliers are clearly in the number three spot at this point behind the Lakers and Celtics. The Cavs are big, physical, and very focused as they have ignored all of the LeBron to New York hype. The Cavs definitely look like a different team from last season as both Delonte West and Mo Williams have been working well together to take a bit of the pressure off of King James. But rather than talk about the individuals on the Caviliers it is the team as ONE UNIT that deserves the praise especially on the defensive end. The Cavs are holding their opponents to 90 ppg on a very stingy 41% from the floor. They rebound collectively with four players averaging 6.5 rpg or higher (James, Ben Wallace, Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas) and have become very efficient offensively scoring 103.5 ppg and shooting 48% as a team from the floor. Cleveland is no longer a one man gang. With 3/4 of a season to go they need to keep distancing themselves from Orlando, Detroit and the rest of the pack to ensure homecourt through the first two rounds of the playoffs. It is early but another Celtics Cavs playoff masterpiece appears to be in the cards 6 months from now.

The good, the bad and the ugly, and oh yeah the plain old stupid!…The Thanksgiving Hangover Edition

The Coach loves Thanksgiving. But this year the long weekend and week that followed went way to fast. Besides family and friends, partying and some rest it is the first time you can truly measure the teams in the Association after a month of play. But before I get to that and all the good that I want to share we need to cover the bad, the ugly and the stupid, you decide which clown fits which description.

I have questions that I know will never be answered in a satisfactory manner, but here they are:
1) What the hell was Plax doing in LQ with a gun in his sweatpants?
2) Why should Stephon Marbury see any of his money?


I follow both New York football teams, as I enjoy seeing them succeed. Hell, last year I went to Lambeau and probably witnessed the best game Plaxico Burress ever played as a pro, which was also one of the best big game performances a receiver has ever had, I like the guy, but what went wrong with him? What did not register after winning the Super Bowl last season? The Giants are the definition of TEAM and PROFESSIONAL, how or better yet why did Plax fall through the cracks here for lack of a better expression? He put the team in a terrible position and put his career and life at risk. Maybe some of these guys need "LIFE" advisors not just agents. Common sense should not be undervalued, not in today's world where everything on and off the field you do as an athlete is under a microscope. Can the Giants repeat as Super Bowl Champions without Plax? Yes. Will it be a lot harder without him? Yes. Has he played his last game in Giant Blue? Unfortunately I think the answer is...YES.

At this point when I hear Stephon Marbury's name it goes past infuriating me. Maybe I'll think of a new word for the new year to describe how I feel about this guy. I am sorry you grew up in the hood Steph and did not have many of the things many of us did when we were kids. I am sorry Steph that you have had to spread your wealth out to your large family over the years. But let's be real here for a minute Steph, you are making over $200,000 per game night!!! That is for practice, games and handling yourself like a professional. Games are not optional!!! Not being a professional at your age should not be an option. The fact that Marbury has refused to play and then refused the buyout Donnie Walsh offered last week is beyond comical. Marbury needs to go away, he is exactly what New York and pro sports DOES NOT need. Those who still support him here in New York (besides his family) should have themselves checked out immediately. Describing him as a team cancer is putting it nicely, try THE PLAGUE!!! Stephon Marbury should be giving his game check to New York City public schools and youth organizations at least then he would not be stealing money from the Knicks. The guy can make cheap sneakers that you could not pay me to wear (when coach takes it baseline he takes it hard to the tin) and the Starbury's to be honest are three steps below Robert Parish's Avia's from 1989.

Sure they helped out kids in communities without the income to buy $100 Nike's but the Starbury craze is over, Steve and Barry's went chapter 11, done. Steph, you have one last chance to do something positive before you disappear to Italy to play or maybe just go back to Coney Island to chill and work with the Lincoln players at practice. I wonder what wisdom he'd try to share with them...But for the last time STEPHON MARBURY PLEASE GO AWAY!