NBA Playoffs Round 1 Thoughts
Now that Round 1 of the Playoffs is over, it’s time to reflect. There was quite a lot going on this year, and we ended up with a much better-than-expected Round 1 in my opinion. While it was largely due to probably the best Round 1 Playoff Series in history (Celtics-Bulls), there were some other scenarios that developed which should be discussed:
1) It was the end of an era…
Sorry Spurs fans. It’s over. It just is. Duncan is old and while he’s far from being done with basketball, it’s obvious that he’s now on borrowed time. He’s still a great player, but he’s not the Timmy you are all used to and need to win a championship. These next two summers in Texas will be decision-time as far as the future of the team goes. Manu’s constant injuries pretty much cancel out the great ability he has, while Parker is someone you can build around in a Point Guard-driven NBA these days. Lots to think about.
2) It was the beginning of an era…
OK, really — This wouldn’t have been such a good Playoffs’ Round 1 if it wasn’t for the Bulls-Celtics Series, and the Bulls’ arrival to the scene. Most importantly, Derrick Rose is here. You will remember this series for a long time, and when one day Rose is on the LeBron level, chasing a title, we’ll say “Remember the series with the Bulls in ‘09? He’s been there, and he wants it even more.” As good as this series was, I think people fail to realize how important it was for future great series! I can’t wait! I loved this Bulls team. A rookie coach combined with young players gave the defending champions the ride of their life. And I loved every second of it. A KG-less C’s team matched up perfectly with an arriving Bulls team. I like the Bulls for next season. Let’s see if they sign Gordon to a deal this summer and how things work out once Deng comes back. There’s excitement in Chi-town again!
3) It was the question of an era…
Can the Lakers hold a lead? Do they really want to win a championship? We thought that last season was over. There were a few convenient excuses for the Lakers’ performance last year. Kobe was injured; Gasol was new; Bynum and Ariza weren’t around; Odom was shaky. Despite all of these issues, the Lakers almost won the championship. So it was hard to disagree that when the 2008/2009 season started, they were the favorites. Fast-forward 82 games to the Playoffs. The situation is completely different… right?! Kobe’s injury is all but forgotten. Gasol has played the most minutes on the team this season. Bynum and Ariza are back, playing key roles in the Playoffs. Odom is the player everyone wanted him to be. The one thing that hasn’t changed? The Lakers. They seemingly fixed all of these issues, but in reality nothing has changed. They drop big leads. They don’t seem to have the passion to go all out for 48 minutes, play defense, make the key hustle plays, and have the passion of a champion. The Utah series wasn’t easy to watch, and the Houston one will be even harder. I truly hope the Zen Master has a few words of encouragement for his team.
4) It was the disappointment of an era…
There’s no excuse. What the New Orleans Hornets did to their fans is just inexcusable and low. To lose at home in a Playoff game is one thing. But to get blown out by almost a double margin is just embarrassing. Forget the fact that I felt like an idiot picking the Hornets in that series. Forget the fact that Tyson Chandler seemed more confused on the court than a soccer player watching an NFL game. Hell, even forget the fact that this team quit on Byron Scott a long time ago. What you can’t forgive nor forget is the fact that they quit on their fans. They just decided “F THIS! AND F YOU PEOPLE!” That’s inexcusable. No NBA team — I repeat, NO NBA TEAM!!! — would quit on its fans the way New Orleans quit at home in their blowout loss. I was disgusted! Denver deserves to play in the next round. The Hornets don’t deserve to be in the NBA.
Other Notable Events:
– Orlando entertains me. This is a team with no shot whatsoever, but with all the right ingredients of an entertaining team. They have a porn star look-a-like for a coach, who will say anything anywhere at any given time. How haven’t we gotten a reality show out of SVG is beyond me. The sad part is the Magic might make the finals out East because I don’t know how much gas the C’s have left in the tank.
– Portland. Very disappointing. It’s a proven fact that you can beat Houston if you play a certain way. The Blazers, much like everyone in the NBA, knows this. However, they chose not to do it and instead continue using the same strategy that never worked. They are so much better than this!
– Speaking of Houston, my favorite shot of the Playoffs was that of Tracy McGrady on the Rockets’ bench. Yes, Tracy. The Rockets are FINALLY out of the first round, and it probably has a lot to do with the fact that you are on the bench. You should get traded to the Hornets.
– D-Wade. You tried. The Hawks have a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 7 as I’m typing this. The bottom line is that no matter how great a player you have (and Wade was a great player this season), with absolutely no supporting cast, you’re not going anywhere. I felt bad for #3. He played his heart out, and got nowhere because his supporting cast was so poor. We can’t be mad at them. Can we?
Round 2 awaits!
Tags: 2009 NBA Playoffs, Andrew Bynum, Ben Gordon, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garrnett, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers, Manu Ginobili, Miami Heat, NBA Playoffs, New Orleans Hornets, Pau Gasol, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Trevor Ariza
Basketball | Eddie | 
May 3, 2009 11:14 am
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By Jacob Spades, May 4, 2009 @ 11:29 pm
I agree with the Bulls-Celtics being the most entertaining series of the opening round but I’ve got the Blazers-Rockets as a solid number 2.
Can you expand some more on the Hawks/Heat series? None of the games were even close and each team took a game from the opposing team’s court. What does that say about the teams and the players?
Regardless of what it means, the Hawks have been steadily increasing their wins each season and it seems they get a little further each season. When they changed coaches, they won some 18 or so games and have managed to build upon that. Recall last year they reached the playoffs for the first time in a long time and were bounced out of the first round (in 7 games, mind you) by the eventual NBA Champion Celtics. This year, they’ve managed to advance to the second round for the first time since the ‘98-’99 season. If I remember correctly, I think you called me crazy for including them in this year’s playoffs at the beginning of the season b/c of their roster shakeups.
By Jacob Spades, May 4, 2009 @ 11:38 pm
Oh, and stats from tonight’s Lakers-Rockets game:
• The Lakers’ 2-of-18 shooting from 3-point range was their fifth worst since 1996. Ironically, they had won the previous four games.
• Kobe Bryant tied Shaquille O’Neal for most 30-point games in a playoff loss among active players.
• The Lakers are now 2-7 in playoff games in which Bryant takes more than 30 shots.
By Eddie, May 9, 2009 @ 10:36 pm
I purposely waited a few days to respond. The Hawks had an easy opponent in Round 1, although they played solid for the most part. The truth of the matter is that Wade’s supporting cast was among the worst ever. It’s a shame because he played hard, but a rookie coach, a rookie point guard, a rookie big in Beasley, and an unpredictable Jermaine O’Neal can’t get you far in the Playoffs. (This is also why the games were so one-way, it all depended on how Wade played, or how much the Hawks were giving into it.) The Hawks are now suffering from the injury bug but they are also playing a solid team and you see what the result is. I will say this – they did much better throughout the regular season than I expected. They have a great coach in Woodson and some nice players around Joe Johnson. I overrated some of the other teams out East which was my mistake when I had this conversation with you. But you have to understand that to win an NBA Championship you need to have three very good players. (This has been the case since Jordan left.) Atlanta has Joe Johnson as their top guy and a bunch of third- and fourth-best players in Smith, Horford, and Bibby. This will not get them further than the second round, even out East.
If you followed the NBA closely this year you would have known that Game 1 of the Houston-Lakers series was an easy bet for Houston. L.A. NEVER (and I mean, NEVER!) plays well after a long break. They also seem too cocky since the Playoffs started and they needed this loss to mobilize again. The stupidest thing Houston did was rile up Kobe by going everywhere in the media and saying Battier and Artest can guard him (which is the truth with the Kobe we’ve had this year). The problem was this made him bring old Kobe out, so whether he takes 30 or 20 shots won’t make a difference, he won’t let Houston win. Without Yao, they’re doomed anyway. Ultimately the Lakers are the better team, they just didn’t play like it in Game 1 and rightfully lost. Houston is a very good team that knows how to play defense, so the Lakers’ game was inexcusable. They deserved to lose Game 1. They’ll take the series in 5 games.