Lebron James

Kevin Garnett had 22 points, starting out the game with 5 of 5 shooting. Garnett made poor old Shaq look poor and old every time a shot arced over the Big Aristotle's head. Does anyone else love the fact that the Celtics were supposed to be the aging team? If Paul Pierce is old at 31, what does that make Shaq at 38?

Continue reading "Celtics in 6"

No walks.

 Matsuzaka, the pitcher who up until now had presumably preffered to pitch from the stretch, put no runners on base. He pounded the strike zone. He gave up only one run in the 6th. He pitched like the Dice-man that was advertised in '07. If he can do that consistently, the Sox will have the pitching staff that folks expected coming into this season.

Continue reading "Dice-man rolls 7, C's just roll."

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

Steroids has officially gone postal.

The list of all-star players who have been revealed to be using steroids: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, now.......MANNY RAMIREZ.

Continue reading "Manny being Manny: The Latest twist ..."

Say Swine Flu keeps spreading. Say it gets worse, like "Outbreak" worse, and the majority of people in the US get it, including LeBron James. I still don't think I could beat him one-on-one. Even if it was first to score. Or if we played "PIG." Remember when Jordan had the flu in the '88 playoffs, and he dropped 47 against the Knicks, AT the Garden??? We spectators/bloggers/sports fans seriously over-estimate the flu. If LeBron had swine flu, not only would he stuff me like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

Continue reading "LeBron could beat me with Swine Flu"

I'm a Kobe fan. Huge Kobe fan. He's practically my generation's MJ. Nothing against MJ, I just never saw him play much. I went to the United Center once, when I was seven, and all I remember is Scottie Pippen's crew-cut and cotton candy. Also, I'm from D.C., so the fact that MJ ruined the entire development and chemistry of an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team, just so he could milk a little more limelight, doesn't really sit well.

Continue reading "Why Lakers fans should worry about ..."

Cleveland, on the other hand, played phenomenal defense at a high-paced level.

Lebron James was unstoppable on the offensive end and the defensive end scoring 29 and helping C

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: Easter Sunday Holiday"

This is not something I normally do, but it seems like everywhere I look and listen, there are faulty NBA power rankings. I have no choice but to improve upon what I've seen and heard. It's about that time for me to get my two cents in, but quickly I have to go over a couple rules:

Continue reading "NBA Power Rankings"

We're about 35 games into the NBA season right now -- nearly to the midway point -- and the New Jersey Nets and Milwaukee Bucks are holding on to the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. I doubt that's the way it will end, however, because the list of teams that are on the outside looking in is quite an interesting one: Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and Indiana Pacers (to name the true contenders).

Continue reading "Eastern Conference Playoff Race Will Get Dicey"

Let's take a look at some players that have elevated their games to the next level this season, and are surprising opposing players, coaches, and (especially) fans with their production.

Danny Granger-SF, Indiana Pacers

Continue reading "The NBA's most pleasant surprises"

First, check out this, it's super hilarious and well written.  Now, on to the good stuff... 

We're less than four hours away from the Blazers and Celtics tipping off in Boston (catch it on ESPN if you don't want to listen to Mike Rice gush over Channing Frye and you love Van Gundy/Jackson as much as I do), so I figured I'd provide a few nuggets of wisdom about what might be the keys to the game for both sides.  Now before you all collectively groan in disgust, let me reassure you that what follows may actually prove insightful, unlike most other "key to tonight's match-up" pieces that simply say score, defend and rebound better than your opponent.  There are a few things that I'm looking for as indicators of successful play by both sides which go much deeper than the usual mundane crap, so bear with me.

Continue reading "Celtics v. Blazers Preview Extravaganza"

(cue the Biggie...)  I'm going out of town for the long holiday weekend, so all of you out there (if there are any of you) are going to have to survive for a few days without my wonderful and insightful analysis about all things basketball for a few days.  (I'll pause for a moment to let you scream in anguish and control your sobbing...)  But fear not, I will be back with even more opinions and prognostications about the realm of professional sports on Tuesday, and by then I should have plenty to write about.

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Send Off Spectacular"

Rajon Rondo should bake a nice cake with the words "thank you for trading Chauncey Billups" written in icing on the top and send it to Detroit Pistons GM Joe Dumars.  It wouldn't hurt if all of the Celtics helped (even Scalabrine), but Rondo in particular should take the lead on this one.  Stop scratching your heads and looking confused and don't ask why, you should know very well by now that some rambling, tangential diatribe of an explanation is forthcoming...

Continue reading "Raving About Rondo Part Deux: A Pat ..."

You can't turn on a TV or pick up a newspaper in the greater Boston area these days without the same never-ending argument slapping you squarely in the face: Does Paul Pierce rank among the top 10 players in the NBA?

Continue reading "Truth Time"

Dear Antonio,

Greetings!  I thought i'd write you to congratulate you on your successful separation from the Denver Nuggets, and to offer some advice to you about how to spend your next thirty days of unemployment before resuming the endless grind that is the NBA season.  As a sportswriter and a liberal arts college graduate, I am an expert in not having a job, so you should read carefully and really consider what I have to say.  Normally, I wouldn't give away my secrets to jobless success for free, but for you, I'm willing to make an exception.

Continue reading "For Your Consideration: An Open Letter ..."

Did you miss me?  Sorry for the extended hiatus once again, but I was busy being cooped up in a metal box for days on end, plus I had to go ahead and lose all of my money to various undeserving casinos and their patrons, so I've had no time to reflect on the world of sports.  Many of you are probably expecting to read (or at least skim) some bitter, semi incoherent rambling post about Tom Brady's left knee and the dirty Chiefs and the especially classless fans of the NFL who actually had the gall to celebrate and commemorate a horrific injury to the league's best player, but I've gotta leave something for Simmons to do, so that will not be a part of my post today.  Instead, I'm going to hide from my problems inside the twisted world of the NBA, where my beloved Boston Celtics are still champions, and my mistresses, the Portland Trailblazers are looking better than ever and are brimming with talent and potential.

Continue reading "Little Wing?"

When you think Olympics, you think Michael Phelps. Phelps has been plastered all over the past ten issues of Sports Illustrated. He has TV commercials on seemingly every channel. The guy is everywhere.

Continue reading "Olympic Gymnastics"

The BoSox are sputtering slightly and seem unable to cope with the thrilling blend of youthful exuberance, talent and execution of the Tampa Bay Rays (even after 5 months it still seems weird), and I have a sinking suspicion that the only thing that the NFL season will bring is a continuous highlight reel rehashing the painful and humiliating achievement that was 18-1, which means that it’s time for the first NBA preview of the 2008-2009 season (cue the balloon drop, the sirens and the party music!). 

Continue reading "Return of the Rivalry"

Normally, I am not one to be easily swayed by conspiracy theories, but after delving into Eliot Asinof's Eight Men Out, I am convinced that anything is possible (in a much more troubling and somber manner than KG's interpretation of the phrase after winning the title) in the world of sports and the NBA could easily be fixing games and forcing action.  In case you didn't know,Asinof's book chronicles the fixing of the 1919 World Series, in which several of the Chicago White Sox' best players conspired with notorious gamblers and bettors to intentionally lose the World Series to the less talented Cincinnati Reds.

Continue reading "Bull-Plop!"

Today's tangent is inspired by Raymond (shockingly, with me on this one) and Matt Stauffer, who has posed a challenge to me by asserting that the Celtics will lose to either Detroit or the winner of the Western Conference for a few key reasons.  Following the game one victory for Boston, I thought I'd address a few of his concerns (convenient that I waited until a resounding Celtics victory to start talking smack, isn't it?).  Hey, hey, easy now, I'm not fixin' to start a war or anything, in fact I respect the feedback and the fact that somebody is actually reading my posts (anyone else? ...Beuller?).  I'm only out to address the argument and provide as complete a rebuttal as I can, so without further delay, let's get started.

Continue reading "Hungry Like the (Former) Wolf"

I could officially care less about the Celtics road record this postseason.  After seeing the way the Celtics have played at home against some tough competition, I don't think that anybody, not even the mighty Detroit Pistons can beat the Celtics in Boston this year.  The players are hungry and the city is too, and we can all smell a championship now. 

Continue reading "The Truth Hurts!!!"

Going into tonight's game 6 match up of Jeckel & Hyde the Boston Celtics vs. LeBron James & his handicap the Cleveland Cavaliers, I have some thoughts on how the Celtics might finally win a game on the road in this year's postseason.  The problems on the road have been numerous for the Celtics (and everyone else) this postseason, however I believe that the key to victory for the Celtics tonight will be their aggression on offense and communication on defense. 

Continue reading "B E Aggressive!!!"

Well, I suppose that I am getting what I wanted.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are in Boston for tonight's opening game of the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Celtics.  A month or two ago, I boldly stated that I wanted the Celtics to play Cleveland in the second round because they are so inconsistent and flawed (LeBron James aside) and I thought that the Celtics had a good chance of beating them.  Judging by the way LeBron performed against the Wizards and the way the Wizards performed against LeBron, perhaps I should have been pulling for the upset all along (I was, secretly.  Nobody in their right mind really wants to play LeBron James, right Gil?).

Continue reading "Cross Your Fingers"

I'm upset that I didn't get to watch game 7 of the Celtics/Hawks Beatdown in Beantown on Sunday, but this gig doesn't exactly pay the bills, so alas I was working for the man instead of cheering loudly and laughing my ass off as the Hawks got served in brutal fashion in Boston.  The game speaks for itself (likely won't stop me from speaking for it), and it provided a thunderous and definitive answer to all the doubters and haters (Zaza Pachulia got a personal notice of defeat, the back court pick from KG that leveled the untalented center).

Continue reading "Dirrty South"

    The Celtics seven game series with the Hawks was a beneficial experience for the Celtics.  A team that had never played with each other in the playoffs was able to see what they were really made of.  The Hawks, granted they are an extremely young and inexperienced team, pushed the Celtics to their limit.  But the Celtics responded admirably by absolutely pounding the Hawks in a decisive game seven, ending any hope at all that their team would win.

Continue reading "Watch Out Cavaliers"

Sucks to the site server man, I've been getting blocked (like Scalabrine) by the website and unable to post for a few days.  I'm sorry, and it angers me more than it does you I'm sure.  Anyhow, here is my lovely post, it's not even stale yet! 

Continue reading "Rondo On a Roll, Plus Superstars Shining Bright"

If you don't know what the scoop is for today, I suggest you take a look at my first post from today (the one before this post about the Wizards/Cavs).  For anyone who says that San Antonio plays boring basketball, I refer you to this game.  The atmosphere is intense, and the level of play couldn't be higher.  It's overtime, Suns up by 3 butStoudemire has just fouled out.  San Antonio has the ball with 12.6 left on the clock, and after Phoenix blankets Manu Ginobili, he finds Tim Duncan who just drilled the game tying 3-pointer (his first of the season) with three seconds to go (Mike D'Antoni's  facial expression was priceless).  This season's NBA playoffs are already surpassing all expectations, as we are now headed to double overtime in just the second game (LeBron's throw-down in the first game was also unreal) of this year's playoffs.

Continue reading "Playoff Extravaganza Part Two: Suns v. Spurs"

Seeing as its the first day of the NBA Playoffs, I'm going to be doing a bit of live blogging and writing throughout the course of the day.  This way you'll be able to follow my flip-flopping analysis throughout the flow of the games.  As usual, however, I was not out of bed in time to catch the start of the first game, so although I know you're dying to hear my take on the first quarter of the Wizards-Cavs game, you'll just have to settle for the last three.  Without further ado, here goes.

Continue reading "Playoff Extravaganza Part One: Wizards ..."

Don't blame me for this, it's just that time of year.  Sadly, the Celtics are still in cruise control and I have to do something to fill the void between now and Saturday.  So, for lack of anything better to write about, I suppose I'll put my two bits in about the various award races going on in the NBA.  If I eventually tail off and stop writing mid-sentence, it's because I'm just as bored with the subject as you'll be (actually, if you stick with it longer than I do, I'll be impressed!).  And I suppose it is the popular question du-jour, so let's get down to it.

Continue reading "Award Tour"

Very rarely does an MVP race turn out the way last year’s American League race did.  A no-brainer.  It was obvious to see that Alex Rodriguez would win and by a large margin.  Usually there are two or three candidates and you can make a case for all of them.  This years MVP race in the National Basketball Association is no different then the AL race last season though, it’s just no one sees it.  There are seven or eight people who you could make a strong case for but picking the winner is easier then people think.  That’s only if you use my way of finding the true MVP.

Continue reading "Tight NBA MVP Race? Not In My Eyes"

Yesterday, I wrote about the Celtics easy schedule heading into their likely first round match up with the Atlanta Hawks.  Today, after watching Cleveland lose to Larry Hughes and Ben Gordon and the Chicago Bulls (the only reason they even get a nod is because of Noah's last second defense on King James, otherwise I'd feel fine about disavowing their existence), I'm just itching to unnecessarily criticize the Cavs and explain to my massive audience (there's at least four of you by now, right?) why I'm salivating at the mere thought of a second round playoff match-up with Cleveland.

Continue reading "I Swear I'm Not Crazy..."

It's been reported that Paul Pierce has been icing his knees lately and wouldn't mind a rest.  While this may seem troubling to Celtics fans, it's actually just a nice means for me to explain for the 365,872 time why it is soooooo nice to play in the Eastern Conference of the NBA.

Continue reading "God Bless the "Leastern" Conference"