NBA Finals Review, Raptors Update & League Headlines

It’s good to be back with the latest entry to The Raptor Core blog. It’s been a week now since the last entry, following Game 4 of the Finals and the epic comeback by the Celtics. Some things have come up since then that stopped me from reviewing Game 5 as well as delaying the total series overview even though it ended this past Tuesday. I apologize for that and actually noticed my hits have been way up in the last few days due to one of the pictures from my blog (from Celtics.com, I believe) being the first thing on Google’s images search page when you type the team’s name in there. Hopefully people will continue to read the blog if they stopped by. Anyway, time to deliver the goods. I have to offer a disclaimer – this will probably be a very long entry since there’s so much to talk about and it’s been so long since my last one.

NBA Finals Review

VS

1) Boston Celtics vs 1) Los Angeles Lakers

I previewed this series on June 3 and a few of the assumptions I made turned out to be very wrong while others were right on. The major one was that this would be a very competitive series. I don’t think fans were totally let down as far as excitement goes because Game 4 was pretty good and the others were close for the most part, Game 6 notwithstanding. I’ll go through the major storylines in the series:

1. Game 1: Paul Pierce’s Knee

People were on this story like white on rice. If you were from Boston, it was an inspirational comeback from the captain to lead his team to victory. If you were from Los Angeles, it was simply a show put on by The Truth to help rally his team because they weren’t exactly lighting it up to that point in the game. I’ve talked about this at length in previous entries and the fact Pierce is one of the last guys you’d ever see faking an injury so it’s ridiculous he was even accused of such a thing.

2. Point Guard: The Lakers Get Rondo’d

I predicted that the match-up between Derek Fisher and Rajon Rondo would be a tie but in my opinion, Rondo outplayed Fisher when all things are considered. I know he didn’t have a good offensive series overall but he was the sparkplug in the critical Game 6 and really put pressure on the Lakers’ offence, forcing them into a ton of turnovers. His playmaking never really faltered but Fisher didn’t nail shots like he needed to. He didn’t quit, either, but he had a forgettable series.

3. Shooting Guard: Ray Allen Makes An Impact

I don’t really care if people accuse me of being biased because I’m not a sports reporter that has to be impartial and objective – I’m giving my opinion on things, not bringing the raw news. I think from Game 1 to 6, Ray Allen was more consistent and made the biggest impact of the series. Paul Pierce probably had more memorable performances and Kevin Garnett was great in the first and last games but Ray was always there with his shooting in this series, while Kobe Bryant had about two and a half games where we saw what we’ve come to expect from him. He was held down by the defence and Ray played hard on both ends, which is admirable considering he was guarding the best player on the planet and still managed to set a Finals record with 22 three-pointers over the six games.

4. Small Forward: The Truth Reigns Supreme

This one isn’t surprising in the head-to-head match-up, but more so in the way the Celtics’ captain completely dominated the Lakers. Kobe Bryant was the only player capable of guarding him and when anyone else was on him, he drove right past them to the rim. Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic, Trevor Ariza and anyone else L.A. threw at him looked helpless. It was one of the better individual Finals performances I’ve seen from a swingman since I’ve been following the NBA closely. Game 3 was his only forgettable game and that wasn’t even because of anything the Lakers were doing – he just missed open shots.

5. Power Forward: KG Sets The Tone

Kevin Garnett was disappointing offensively in the middle of the series. He did have breakout performances in the first and last games and decent ones in between but it was his defense and rebounding that set the tone for the wins. The first two in Boston were ugly and that’s the way the Celtics win. KG was fierce in every game but I’d say the only one that was really hard to watch was Game 5 because of his mental errors of committing reaching fouls, etc. Lamar Odom had some fast starts in Games 2 and 4, but it was too little, too late for the Lakers and he never really got into it. You know you’re not having a good series when your coach describes you as ‘confused’.

6. Center: Pau-er Puff

Kendrick Perkins wasn’t as good against L.A. as he was in the Detroit series. I thought he did a good job of being physical early in the series and it really hurt the Celtics in a variety of ways when he had to miss Game 5. I’m pretty sure the Celtics would’ve ended it that night if not for all the foul trouble they had to deal with and the fact KG wasn’t on the floor for much of the important stretches of the game. Pau had a superb Game 5 in L.A. but he wasn’t physical enough to stand up to Boston’s front line every night. P.J. Brown really frustrated him. It’s unfair to expect Pau to play out of his comfort zone so Andrew Bynum should help with that a lot next season if he comes back healthy from that knee injury.

7. Coaching: Doc Schools The Zen Master

Who would’ve thought this would happen? If there was one match-up I figured had NO chance of being in the Celtics’ favour, it was the one on the sidelines. Phil Jackson has nine NBA Championship rings while Doc Rivers has never even coached in the Finals. However, it was Doc that made all the right adjustments night in and night out and he was very proactive in his moves, while Phil wasn’t even reactive to what he was doing, in a few cases. He failed to realize a smaller Laker lineup had some decent success at the end of Game 2 when they almost came back to win it with their shooters on the floor around Kobe Bryant. He also made terrible errors like giving Chris Mihm playing time when he hadn’t seen the floor in months. What was he thinking? Was he thinking at all? I’ve maintained that I think Sam Mitchell is a better coach than Doc Rivers but Phil got schooled for the past two weeks. It was fun to watch.

8. Bench: Celtics Prove Their Worth

Coming into this series, everyone was talking about the Lakers’ quality depth off the bench. They had Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton. That’s a solid ten guys deep but the thing experts didn’t take into account was the fact all of those guys are young and had no previous experience on a stage as big as the NBA Finals. On the other side of the court, the Celtics had youngsters and journeymen like Leon Powe, Eddie House and Tony Allen but then there were seasoned veterans like Sam Cassell, P.J. Brown and James Posey. Two of those guys already had a combined three NBA titles so they knew what it took, while three of the Lakers’ five bench players never made an impact on the series in any way. Ariza had about eight minutes of energy in Game 4 before the epic collapse, Vujacic was the hero of Game 3 behind Kobe and Farmar brought good ball pressure, but what about the others? Brown was a great post defender, Cassell had a solid Game 1, House hit huge shots in the big games and Posey was the X-factor with his defense, energy and big-shot skills.

9. Defence: Celtics Smother Lakeshow

This wasn’t even debatable. I thought about it a lot and the fact the Celtics probably felt more comfortable about playing the Lakers from a physical standpoint. They play more of a finesse game based on ball movement and shooting, while the Celtics played a bruising style built around knocking the hell out of guys and making them earn everything. The C’s held down Kobe Bryant for more than half of the series and it’s a testament to how good they really are that they were able to hold down the rest of the Lakers’ guys as well for the most part. They played a physical series in the Eastern Conference Final against Detroit and it must’ve been like going from a war to a baby shower for them once they started playing L.A. and realized no one was willing to scrap with them down in the trenches. That’s where this series was lost for the Lakers. They say defense wins championships and the Lakers couldn’t stop anyone in these six games. They weren’t ready for a team that was this talented on both ends of the court.

In closing, the only way I can describe this series is similar to the 2004 Finals where the Lakers were beaten by the Pistons in five games: it was a six-game sweep. There was never a point in the series where I felt like the Lakers had a chance to win it or put pressure on Boston. If they hadn’t given up that huge 24-point lead in Game 4, then a 2-2 tie might’ve made me a bit nervous with Game 5 in L.A. but they just didn’t have the intestinal fortitude and mental toughness to get the job done. The Celtics wanted it more, they deserved it more, they worked for it more and I’m proud to see those guys get their rings. Kevin Garnett’s post-game interview with ESPN’s Michelle Tafoya was one of the most inspirational things I’ve ever seen and I was happy to see ‘The Kid’ finally get what he’d worked so hard for since his days in Minnesota. Paul Pierce never let the team down when they needed him and he outplayed Kobe Bryant on the grand stage. Ray Allen was consistent and brought it every single night after struggling through the Cleveland series with his shot. Everything fell into place for the Celtics this year and it was a great thing to behold because of all the underlying storylines. I’ve said it in the past and I’ll say it again: for every year the Toronto Raptors don’t win the NBA Championship, I hope Kevin Garnett and the Celtics do. Would I have liked to have seen a more competitive series? Sure, but it’s not about entertainment from their standpoint. One team wanted it more and did everything they could to annihilate the other – it’s the beautiful part of sports: willpower. Hopefully the 2008-2009 season will be as amazing as this one was. Oh, I forgot to mention my prediction of the Celtics in six was right on. So what did we learn from this series? Kobe Bryant will never be Michael Jordan and no one can stop destiny.

Prediction & Outcome: Celtics in 6

Raptors News

“Raptors Release Garbajosa”

Link: http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/garbopresser_061808.html

It’s official after a few weeks of speculation and probably months of whispers: Jorge Garbajosa’s run as a Toronto Raptor is over. The Raptors and Garbajosa’s camp were able to come to a buyout agreement for the final year of the three-year contract, which was worth approximately $4.35 million. Garbo will probably end up signing a deal with a team in Spain and you’ll see him play for the national team in the Olympics as well, since that’s one of the sticking points that made this whole thing happen. It’s a sad day for the Raptors organization because he brought intelligence, toughness and all-around skill to the team. Hopefully they can find someone out there with the same skills as him. I think a lot of people agree that in the 2007 playoffs, his presence would probably have allowed the Raptors to beat the New Jersey Nets but things happen for a reason and now both parties just have to move on.

“Raptors Extend Qualifying Offers To Calderon & Delfino”

Link: http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2008/06/21/5944656-sun.html

The Toronto Raptors extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Jose Calderon and Carlos Delfino on Friday. This allows Bryan Colangelo to retain his right to match any offers tendered to those two players by other teams. The qualifying offer for Delfino is rumoured to be around $2.74 million for the 2008-2009 season, while the number for Calderon isn’t known. Either way, I’m sure Jose will get a larger offer from another team, which the Raptors have said they will match without question. I’m not exactly sure why the Raps extended an offer to Delfino except for the fact it could be as insurance if they need to fill a roster spot, no one else is available and Delfino hasn’t been signed to a large deal by another team. By buying out Garbajosa’s contract, Toronto is about $1-2 million lower from the luxury tax threshold, which gives them a bit more financial flexibility. July 1 will be very interesting for many reasons when the free agency period begins.

“Raptors Face Tough Choices”

Link: http://www.thestar.com/Sports/NBA/article/446426

The NBA Draft is approaching this coming Thursday and the Raptors have experienced what a lot of NBA teams probably are right now: no-shows. JaVale McGee of Nevada didn’t show up on Wednesday for a workout in Toronto because of passport issues and “other” things. Nicholas Batum of France had some type of physical ailment relating to his heart that stopped him from working out in front of the team in Toronto. They’ve already seen him a few different times up close but one more couldn’t have hurt the team. Beat writers for the Raptors seem to think if the team does indeed keep the 17^th pick in the draft, it could come down to one of the following players: Robin Lopez of Stanford, Brandon Rush of Kansas, Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis, Roy Hibbert of Georgetown, Donte Greene of Syracuse or Nicholas Batum. All of those guys are around where the Raptors will be drafting if they keep the pick but there are also deals on the table that could move them up, down or out of the draft altogether. With T.J. Ford as a bargaining chip and all the expiring contracts, Toronto could be a major player in the trade market in the coming days.

“Roy Hibbert An Option”

Link: http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2008/06/20/5932786-sun.html

That isn’t much of an article – more so a tidbit on Georgetown’s 7’2, 270-pound behemoth, Roy Hibbert. I don’t think the Raptors have decided yet on whether or not they want to go big or small in the draft and address the other need with a trade but from the guys in their area on the draft board, I’d pick the big and trade for the swingman that can score. It’s better to have a proven swingman because quality big men are hard to find anyway – might as well develop one through the draft. Hibbert’s stock has fallen considerably from last season but he’ll still probably go in the first round. I wouldn’t mind if Toronto picked him but I think he’s too slow to play in this system. His shooting ability will be appealing to Colangelo but he’s not well-rounded enough.

“Diaw In Toronto?”

Link: http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NBA&id=947&line=98838&spln=1

This rumour isn’t exactly ‘new’ but I thought I’d touch on it quickly. Why in the world would the Raptors use their most tradable asset in T.J. Ford for Boris Diaw, a guy who hasn’t had more than one good season in the NBA when Amare Stoudemire’s knee was injured? Could he really play small forward on this team and make them considerably better? I don’t think he’s tough enough to help them and that’s where they need the help. They need more physicality and defense from the swingman position and he can’t create his shot as well as some other guys. T.J. Ford and the 17^th pick in the draft for Diaw? Sorry, I’ll pass. I don’t think the Suns would do business with Colangelo unless they were fleecing him, anyway. If the Clippers offered Corey Maggette in a sign-and-trade for T.J. and #17, I might have to strongly consider that deal. Finding a big man to back up Andrea Bargnani would be hard at that point, though, since the team would only be left with expiring contracts to work with.

“Team USA Roster Shaking Down”

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Team-USA-Who-s-in-who-s-out-;_ylt=Asw13bQlUrAk4JuP76tJOt68vLYF?urn=nba,89351

The roster for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is shaking down and the official list of 12 players will be released on Monday but the following guys appear to have been confirmed: Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Dwyane Wade, Michael Redd, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams. That sure looks heavy with point guards and players in the backcourt so hopefully Chris Bosh makes the team. The following players have expressed the fact they do not wish to take part in the Olympics this year: Amare Stoudemire, Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups. That leaves guys like Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Joe Johnson, Tyson Chandler, CB4, Mike Miller, Antawn Jamison, Shawn Marion, Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen and Gilbert Arenas to choose from to fill out those final four hypothetical spots. If it was me, I’d pick up Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard. However, I don’t see CB4 getting picked since he had limited involvement in the qualifying tournament last summer with his plantar fasciitis and spotty playing time.

NBA Headlines

“Prince On The Market”

Link: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/SPORTS03/80619065/1051

Tayshaun Prince has been labeled as a dispensable piece by Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons. He may not be dispensable in the sense that they’d get rid of him for nothing, because I believe he might have the highest value of anyone on that team. Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace are both aging, Antonio McDyess isn’t someone I’d be jumping to get, which leaves Prince and Richard Hamilton. Prince is apparently on the blocks as one of a handful of swingmen teams are shopping around. The others are rumoured to be Richard Jefferson, Josh Howard and Gerald Wallace. As a Raptors fan, I’d jump at the opportunity to have any of those guys. I can’t see any way it could happen, though. None of them have the need for a starting-calibre point guard.

“Rose Will Work Out For Heat”

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-080620-derrick-rose-chicago-bulls-nba-draft,0,5416848.story?track=rss

Derrick Rose initially said he’d only work out for the Chicago Bulls individually, since they hold the #1 pick in the draft. However, he’s re-thought that and will be going to Miami for a workout with the Heat. I guess he just wants to cover all his bases but I really can’t see both of those teams passing on Rose. Could they really want an O.J. Mayo or Jerryd Bayless that badly?

“Miami, Marion Resume Contract Talks”

Link: http://www.miamiherald.com/594/story/578109.html

Looks like Shawn Marion would like to stay in Miami after all. I can’t blame him for looking for a long-term extension there. The team has Dwyane Wade as the franchise player and the #2 pick in the draft. They’ve got some pieces to work with and I think some financial flexibility coming up as well with Shaquille O’Neal off the team. They had so many injuries last season, the team was filled with minimum contract guys called up from the D-League, etc. Marion might as well stay where he’s at.

“Deron, Boozer Expected To Make U.S. Team”

Link: http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_9648724

Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are expected to make Team USA for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing this August. Deron is a great point guard to have there and Boozer is decent too. Hopefully he doesn’t choke like he did against the L.A. Lakers in the playoffs a month ago. That was sad to watch. Boozer is simply gutless in clutch situations.

“Iverson Decides Not To Opt Out”

Link: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_9649955?source=rss

I have no clue why Allen Iverson would want to stay with the Denver Nuggets. I realize he likes it there, probably enjoys playing for George Karl and sharing the spotlight with Carmelo Anthony but he should be looking to win a Championship now. He won’t do that in Denver because that team can’t play a lick of team defense despite having Marcus Camby in the middle. That’s a sad commentary on their team. He should’ve opted out and tested the waters elsewhere because he probably has enough money to live on forever from previous deals and endorsements. I want to see him win a ring before he retires and at the age of 33, he’s not getting any younger so it’s time to be proactive about it.

“Lakers Look At Changes Next Season”

Link: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-lakers21-2008jun21,0,435645.story?track=rss

The Lakers are expecting big things from the team next year when Bynum makes his return to the lineup. The thing about that is I question the chemistry on the team. I realize Bynum is a big body but he wasn’t really known for being the most active defender. Can the Lakers really expect a guy coming off a knee injury to be their savior? The article mentions the possibility of playing Lamar Odom at the small forward spot, with Gasol at the four and Bynum at the five. Another possibility, according to GM Mitch Kupchak, is putting Odom at the shooting guard spot, Kobe at the small forward and keeping the other two frontcourt spots the same. I’m not sure how that could work or how effective it’d be. I think chemistry will be an issue and the Lakers would be better suited to trading Odom for a defensive presence somewhere on the floor or a younger point guard to take Derek Fisher’s spot. Farmar can be a starter in the NBA, though, with another season of experience. The one thing I can pretty much say shouldn’t happen is putting Odom on the bench. I realize the Lakers are a franchise that won’t really care about financial repercussions but that’s a waste of resources to be playing a bench player over $14.5 million next year.

“Denver/Memphis Discussing Draft Night Swap?”

Link: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jun/19/i-appears-unlikely-opt-out-contract/

According to the article, the Nuggets and Grizzlies are talking about a trade that would send Kyle Lowry and the #28 pick in the draft to Denver for Linas Kleiza and the #20 pick. I like this deal for the Nuggets because they get a young point guard to play with Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. It works for the Grizzlies too because Kleiza is a good shooter and they get to move up eight spots in the draft order. They need some more talent around Rudy Gay to become winners and may have to pedal some of it to acquire seasoned veterans.

“Could Richard Jefferson Become A Laker?”

Link: http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2008/06/the_rj_conundrum_reprise.html

According to the article, they see Lamar Odom as being the odd man out in L.A. However, I don’t see how a trade for Richard Jefferson would help the Lakers. I realize he can create his own shot and slash but they need more defense and that’s what Odom should be used to acquire. The deal would really work well for the Nets, though. I think they need more of a low post scorer to help develop their team post-Kidd but Odom’s versatility wouldn’t hurt either. A lineup featuring Devin Harris, Vince Carter and Lamar Odom is actually pretty decent to start out with. I like Sean Williams in the frontcourt as well.

“Warriors Willing To Match Max Deals To Ellis Or Biedrins”

Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors/ci_9645419?nclick_check=1

I’m not sure if GM Chris Mullin means he’s willing to give out one maximum offer but two? I thought Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson already make a huge amount combined? Al Harrington doesn’t have a small price tag, either. I think Mullin could very well have to match something close to a maximum offer tendered to Monta Ellis but Biedrins is probably the safer pick to be back with the Warriors. Rumour has it the Grizzlies would love to get Ellis to join their run-and-gun system under new coach Marc Iavaroni but he’s just as valuable to what the Warriors are doing.

“Turiaf, Vujacic Hope To Remain In L.A.”

Link: http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_9642941

Ronny Turiaf made a little under $800,000 this past season, while Sasha Vujacic made roughly $1.8 million. Both are restricted free agents as of July 1 and I think the Lakers should look into bringing both of them back. Vujacic is a knock-down shooter and showed a lot of heart in the Finals, even though his shot was only lethal in Game 3. Turiaf had a forgettable Final, although he did some good things against Tim Duncan and the Spurs in the West Final. He could be brought back for his energy in the frontcourt off the bench.

“Juan Carlos Navarro Returns To Europe”

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Juan-Carlos-Navarro-dumps-the-NBA;_ylt=At8KcFhkpD8MmMW_g2p88UK8vLYF?urn=nba,88987

Navarro actually had a pretty good year in the NBA but apparently, FC Barcelona offered him a contract worth $25 million over five years. That’s more than he could make in the U.S. so he’s going back home to Europe with Jorge Garbajosa. It looks like there’s an exodus of Spanish players from the NBA now. Who’s left? There’s Jose Calderon, Sergio Rodriguez in Portland and maybe Marc Gasol with Memphis if he ever comes to the NBA?

I’m going to end this entry here. Like I said, I had a lot of things to talk about in the news and obviously had to review the Finals. Now that it’s over, the 2007-2008 season has officially reached its end. We can look forward to the draft on Thursday night and free agency begins the following Tuesday. It’s an exciting time and 2008-2009 starts in a mere five days from now. I can’t wait. Until next time..

-Mark R.

[The Raptor Core]