NBA Conference Finals is arriving. The Eastern Conference already settles their business and it set for Chicago vs. Miami. However, on the Western Conference, things are spicing up. Oklahoma City and Memphis will have to play a Game 7 to determine who will move on to face the Dallas for the Conference Finals. So who’s going to win?
Let’s start with the Eastern Conference. Honestly, I think Miami is going to own Chicago. The matchups look more in favor for Miami and after all, Miami does have three mega super stars: Wade, LeBron, and Bosh. And I’m sure LeBron and Bosh are dying to get closer to their first championship ring.
The fun is on the West side though. Oklahoma City and Memphis will play Game 7. Down to the final stretch, it is hard to say who will move on. Of course my prediction from previous post was that OKC will carry it on because they have Durant and I feel they are the more talented team. However, when we take a deeper look at the Grizzlies, they went from under dogs’ seed 8 to upset the top team and now battling it out to get into the Conference Finals. The Grizzlies overall have more momentum, but can Zach Randolph really do it all? It was an extremely exciting game just a few nights ago when the teams went into triple overtime just to determine the winner. I must say, this is the most exciting series in playoffs this season so far. Most of the match ups so far either has been blow outs or one sided wins. This one on the other hand is actually a challenge for both team, home and visiting because when it comes down to game 7, the pressure is on both sides. Of course there is more pressure for the home team OKC, but it seems the whole world is rooting for the under dogs this time around. Who will get the clear to go next round? We will have to see today on ABC.
After reading this Something Will Be Missing From This Years Final blog post, I didn’t realize that this year really will be missing Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan from the finals. It is going to be the first time missing these three since 1998. Lets reminiscence for a moment from all the memories they bring us for the last century and more.
Wow, how time flies. I still remember the 1997 season when it was Kobe’s second season and he won the dunk contest that year, which was the same year that I started following on basketball and getting really into it. Till today, it already has been 14 years since I been a fan.
The 1998 season was dominated by the Spurs, led by Duncan and Robinson. This was the year when the Michael Jordan era finally ended after winning 3 champions in a row. And Jordan never came back to win a championship after this year, he played a couple more seasons and soon retired.
1999 came and it was finally the Los Angeles Lakers turn to win their Championship. The dynamic dual Kobe and Shaq dominated the entire league and was unstoppable. They were on top of the world for the next three seasons, therefore having a three-peat of championships. Their biggest rivalry during these three seasons was both the Spurs and the Kings. The Eastern Conference was at their weakest and was no competition at all.
2003 came, and the Lakers failed to go to the Finals this year. However, the Spurs bounced back from previous seasons of getting defeated by LA, and routed them to get to the Finals. Duncan here wins his second championship ring.
2004 was a dramatic year for the Lakers. They acquired veterans Payton and Malone and made another championship run, with their help; Lakers did get back into the finals. However this is the same year that Kobe got hit with the sexual assault case where during playoffs, he will always have to fly from Colorado to wherever the game is after all his court hearings. It was exhausting for him and the team. The team also had drama, the whole thing regarding Shaq and Kobe not getting along, which player is being a showboat, which player is running the team, whose team is it, other players hitting on teammates wife, etc. Drama was happening all year long in the locker-room for the team that year. And finally when they got to the finals to face Detroit, the entire team just couldn’t hang on; they only won 1 game in that series. More events happened that season even after the finals, their coach Phil Jackson decided to resign after that year, Shaq parted from Kobe, he left to go Miami, and Peyton & Malone retired. Kobe was left all alone on the Lakers. To add more drama, this is a mini clip of one of the playoff games when it was LA vs. Spurs.
2005, Kobe all alone, first time in his career did he miss the playoffs. This year, the strongest in the West went back to the San Antonio Spurs. They faced Detroit from the East and Duncan earned his 3rd ring.
2006, Lakers led by Kobe re-entered the playoffs this season; however they didn’t make it pass first round. Shaq on the other hand, after joining with Miami has teamed up with Dwayne Wade and went on a trip to the Finals and won it all this year. They faced the rising stardom team Dallas.
Its year 2007, neither Shaq nor Kobe made it to the finals. If it’s neither of them, then of course it is Duncan who has gone again. This time around, his team was battling out LeBron James Cavaliers. The Spurs pulled out the victory, leading Duncan to another championship.
2008, Lakers team is done with their re-build mode. This time around, Kobe is not alone anymore; he has Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum by his side. With their help, the Lakers finally in three years got back into the NBA finals. But sadly, very sadly, they got defeated by the Boston Celtics.
2009 and 2010, back to back year, Kobe took his team to the finals and won it both times. In his career, he now has 5 championship rings.
Now to the present, 2011 season, sadly Kobe did not make pass round 2 in the playoffs, therefore he will not be heading to the finals. But just looking back the past 13 years, I guess we can all say that the Spurs and Lakers have been consistently competitive. They make it to the finals almost yearly and even if they fail, they somehow bounce back within seasons. So for the past 13 seasons, it seems like we have been seeing the same faces over and over and might need a change, but however, these athletes work hard to reach the level they are at now.
The talks been going around saying, it is an official end to both these dynasties, both Duncan and Kobe. I highly disagree because understanding how Kobe is as an athlete; he will not give up and let his career go that easily. In this article Defiants Kobe Doesn't See Overhaul In Plans, having to end season early after being routed by Dallas, Kobe believes they will bounce back to the Finals next year. Let’s go Kobe! Show the world, you don’t just talk, use your action to prove it. We will be awaiting for the 2012 season and see what you have for us.
After Round 1, several teams have advanced. But of course if someone is advancing, it means someone fell off the ladder as well.
My predictions for Round 1 were on and off. For the East I was right about which teams to advance aside from Orlando, they got wiped out. Therefore I was 3 for 4. However, I was a little off on how many games it will take each team to advance.
For the West, my prediction was only 50 50. I was only right about half the teams, I only got LA and OKC. This time I will only predict who will win the series and not how many games it will take. So hard to predict how many games it will take a team to finish up a series. Let’s see how on my predictions will be for Round 2!
Eastern Conference
Chicago [1] vs Atlanta [5]: Chicago did great in Round 1; however I think that the momentum from Round 1 will carry over for the Hawks after beating out the Magic’s. Atlanta been in playoffs yearly and it seems to be that this year all their chemistry is there as a team. Although Chicago does have runner up candidate Derrick Rose, I don’t think his team will last long in the playoffs. I still think Atlanta will have an edge over Chicago, so we will see Atlanta in the Eastern Conference Semis.
Miami [2] vs Boston [3]: One of the better match ups in playoffs so far. Because both teams are so talented, it is forecasted that whichever team win this series for sure will advance to the Finals because I believe that both Miami and Boston is definitely able and capable of taking out Chicago or Atlanta. With Miami’s big 3, and Boston’s solid playoff appearance, I think Boston have a little edge. Their edge will be chemistry, experience along with a bit better defense. It will take an amount of games, but I think Boston will pull it out at the end.
Western Conference
Memphis [8] vs Oklahoma City [4]: After a HUGE upset in Round 1, Memphis advanced to the second round. They are definitely the biggest underdogs in the playoffs right now. It was definitely unexpected, uncalled for that the Grizzlies actually made it to the second round and took out the regular season #1 the Spurs. But its Round 2 now, I don’t think Grizzlies will pass Round 2. With Durant and Westbrook leading OKC, OKC have a easy road to the Western Conference Semis.
Lakers [2] vs Dallas [3]: This is the first time that these consistent playoff teams have to match up against each other. Although Dallas is good, Lakers are better. Without bias, I definitely think Lakers will beat out the Mavericks and advance to the Semis. It might take more games than expected, however, Lakers somehow will always pull something out their pockets when it counts most.
So it is that time of the year again, where the top teams compete for the one thing that they had their mind on the entire season: the champion. Playoffs are finally here and the Finals will be in June. Here is a preview of the teams that will be featured in this year’s post season.
I like the beginning of this clip showing players quotations and how they express themselves. However, I don’t really like the song because I feel it doesn’t bring enough intensity and excitement about the NBA.
Anyhow, here are my Round 1 predictions and why.
Eastern Conference:
Chicago [1] vs. Indiana [8] (Bulls won season series 3-1): I think Chicago will definitely beat the Pacers maybe even a sweep in Round 1. The Bulls has a better team overall and have good momentum coming into playoffs. Derrick Rose will lead the team pass the 8th seed. Pacers are good enough just to make the playoffs but aren’t any better to even get out of Round 1. Therefore I say Bulls in 5 or less.
Miami [2] vs. Sixers [7] (Miami won season series 3-0): As much as I do not like Miami, I’m pretty sure they will defeat the Sixers to move onto Round 2. Although the Sixers have been playing extremely well coming off the All-Star break, its playoffs time, with their lack of experience and not being as talented as the Heat, they won’t move on to Round 2. Miami with their big 3: Wade, LeBron and Bosh, will for sure defeat the Sixers. I say Miami probably in 6 or less. However, I do hope Sixers can win, maybe miracles happen. But this is only because I personally do not like the Heats …
Boston [3] vs. New York [6] (Boston won season series 4-0): I hate the Celtics, I can’t emphasize that enough. However, this will be a great matchup to watch since New York did the blockbuster trade right before NBA trade deadline where they added superstar Carmelo Anthony and Billups along side with Stoudemire. But with bias put aside, I honestly think Boston will pull out the victory and move onto Round 2 because Boston overall is a great playoff team and the chemistry of the new Knicks might not be enough to defeat the Celtics. Although Stoudemire did say he plays better during playoffs, I think Celtics play at their best during Playoffs. Celtics are able to win even if it has to be taken to 7 games. Therefore, I say Boston probably in 6.
Orlando [4] vs. Atlanta [5] (Orlando won season series 3-1): The 4-5 matchups are always the most exciting to watch due to both teams ranking so closely. Atlanta has been a playoff team for the past couple seasons and their young talent are starting to bond and mature together as team. However, I still don’t think they got what it takes to get pass Dwight Howard and the rest of Orlando. But it will be a long series since both team have the talent there, I say Orlando in 6.
Western Conference:
San Antonio [1] vs. Memphis [8] (Season series tied 2-2): With Manu Ginobli skipping out Round 1 with an hyper extended injury, I still think the Spurs have more than enough weapons to beat out Memphis. Memphis was very fortunate this year to even make playoffs. Their team isn’t bad, however just not at the top, especially with their star Rudy Gay out for the season. Their only weapons are Randolph, Conley and Marc Gasol. But due to their inconsistency, they aren’t ready to head to Round 2 and unable to. I say Spurs in 5 or less.
LA Lakers [2] vs. New Orleans [7] (Lakers won season series 4-0): LA! My favorite team. Obviously I will be rooting for the Lakers. However, without any bias, it is quite obvious that the Lakers will definitely beat the Hornets easily. Lakers have superstar Kobe Bryant along with two statues aside him, Gasol and Bynum. The Hornets have talented PG Chris Paul, however, it is obvious that just alone Paul will get nowhere near defeating the defending champs. Hornets for the past couple seasons has been doing well enough just to get into the post season, however, they are far from what it takes to win a championship. And in this matchup, it is not a question whether they will win or not. Lakers in no more than 5.
Dallas [3] vs. Portland [6] (Season series tied 2-2): This will be a great matchup to watch! Although Portland is ranked lower than Dallas, I don’t think they are the underdogs though. Portland is filled with so much young talent, and the team already had a few season for everyone to bond together and get injuries out the way. I believe underdog Portland will be able to take on the Mavericks. Mavericks like every year is one of the top teams in the West, however, they don’t really go far before getting knocked out the playoffs. Even though Dirk Nowitzski is great along side with Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion, I think Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge can get pass them. Portland is a little inexperience when it comes to playoffs, but the talent is definitely there. I will be rooting for and believing that the underdogs Portland can take this series and win in 7.
Oklahoma City [4] vs. Denver [5] (Thunder won series 3-1): Denver finishing up in the #5 spot is surprise even after superstar Carmelo Anthony and PG Billups have left the team. However, the team seems to be playing more smooth and in sync without those 2. Although they do seem like a threat to OKC right now, I still believe with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will take down the Nuggets. Even Denver is playing extremely well with the new players, OKC not bad either with the addition of big man Perkins. From a bias point of view, I would like Denver to win because I feel OKC can be a threat to LA later on the playoffs, but realistically I say OKC in 6.
Lets the Playoffs begin! By the way, what are YOUR predictions?
Do any of you play fantasy basketball on YAHOO! or ESPN? Well what fantasy basketball is pretty much you draft your own NBA team compiled of many NBA players and total the statistics. Statistics includes many categories, such as points, field goal percentage, field goals made, field goals attempts, free throw percentage, rebounds, blocks, steals, assists, turnovers, etc.
So every week for about 22 weeks or so, you manage your own team by adding and dropping players to accumulate the most stats to match up against your weekly opponents. Most leagues draft their teams before the season starts, and fantasy playoff times is always before the actual NBA playoffs.
This year in YAHOO! Fantasy Basketball, I am in two different leagues. So I have two teams to manage. Around this time of year is the typically Fantasy Basketball Playoff week! Both my teams managed to make the playoffs. Each league typically has about 12 teams and normally top 6 goes into the playoff bracket.
Here’s a picture of how the match up looks like with the stat categories. My team is ‘Kobe Land is Great !’
click to enlarge the picture.
As you can see, it is pretty much an average of your entire team and the compilation of each player’s night to night statistics for the week.
Here’s a picture of what the roster look like.
click to enlarge the picture.
It has each player and their individual stats for the week and it is easy to compare to your opponents side by side.
This year I’m not that satisfy with my team because it isn’t as good as I want it to be. I used the wrong draft strategy by drafting 3 rookies and ending up dropping 2 of them. This is my 4th year playing fantasy basketball, and for the past 3 years, my draft pick was pretty high. This year I got booted all the way to the end. Therefore I wasn’t able to draft my favorite player Kobe Bryant. There’s no correlation here, but maybe mentally I believe that if I have Kobe on my team, I have a higher chance of winning and overall I would just like my team more since my favorite player is on it.
Another factor that effects fantasy teams a lot is injuries. The likelihood of athletes getting injured is very high. So in fantasy, when a player gets injured, we either drop them or pick up a free agent or we wait for them to get back in the lineup which can take from week to months. For example, about two weeks ago, Rudy Gay injured his shoulder, a week later the doctors concluded he will have to undergo a season ending injury. Therefore there is no point in keeping him on the roster cause he won’t be playing for the rest of the year.
For week 1 in playoffs, my team hit a major bad luck streak. Four of my starters got injured L Players like Rudy Gay, Luis Scola, Aaron Affalo, and Deron Williams. I was pretty sad because I don’t know how I will make it past round 1, but luckily the free agents I picked up performed on par, therefore I’m not onto round 2. However, these backups don’t look like they will consistently perform well, so I probably will not make it to the champions.
Also in YAHOO! Fantasy sports on our own player profile; we get a Trophy displayed next to our name if we finish top 3. Sadly, I only have 2 trophies; both are second places from 2007 and 2009. This year I might be able to fight for the bronze, but we will see what happens. But I will definitely come up with new strategy next year and try to win it all. One of these days, I will finish on the top spot …
On March 16, 2010, the Golden State Warriors held NBAs first ever Bollywood Night! The Warriors are the first sports team ever to hold a culture event like this. I was lucky to join in on the festivities since I attended that game as well. This game was also broadcasted on national television on ESPN as well as broadcasted live in India! Meaning all the fans in India was able to witness this great event and game happening as well! Too bad Warriors lost though …
The game was at Oracle Arena vs. Dallas Mavericks. Everyone that attended the game got free t-shirts too. On the front of the shirt, it says 'Got Curry?' and on the back is a big logo saying 'Bollywood Night'.
During the game, in between time outs and halftime, there were many cultural performances. The Warriors Girls even dressed up and performed cultural dances. And during post game, they had American Idol finalist Anoop Desai to perform two songs lives as well. Fans were able to sit in the lower level and watch the post game show if they wanted to stay. Not only did they have American Idol star to sing, the Warriors also had a Q&A session with Stephen Curry post game along side with Warriors Vice Chairman Vivek Ranadivé, the first Indian-born member of an NBA ownership group.
Here is a link to the Highlights from the night : NBA Videos
I think Warriors did really well by having a first ever Bollywood Night. Throughout the season there are always many Heritage nights and events, but no one has came up with this idea yet. And there are a lot of Indians that love sports as well. Even the LA Lakers hasn't had an event like this before. And as an attendee, I must say this event was very successful. Normally during post game, everyone leaves already and no one wants to stay behind due to it being late, and not wanting to be stuck in traffic. Surprisingly, lower box sections 116-119 was actually filled completely. A friend of mine that works for the Warriors said that normally for post game events, they only open up one section, but for this event they opened up 4 and surprisingly fans stayed behind for the Q&A as well as the music performance.
Maybe the San Francisco Giants should have a Bollywood Night as well, since they are big on having Heritage Nights as well. The Giants last year had it first Thai Night. It would only be fair to have a Heritage Night for all heritages in every sport.
Have you seen the new Sprite Commercial for Asia yet? Well last week was when the commercial was filmed in LA. Really cool collaboration going on; we have Jay Chou and Kobe Bryant working together. Let’s take a look at the commercial:
So for those who do not know who Jay Chou is, he is a very popular singer, music composer, and actor from Taiwan. But for those who have watched movie "The Green Hornet” will probably remember him as Kato. He was the personal mechanic and martial arts expert in the movie.
I think this is a very cool collaboration because it brings different cultures together. I've always listened to Jay Chou's music and watch his films, but I didn’t know he was into basketball though. I never really read or heard anything about him even being interested in basketball. The two didn’t just collaborate for a commercial; Kobe is also featured in Jay Chou’s new single. In the making of the music video, it is quite hilarious to see the mini petite Jay Chou compared to the huge Kobe Bryant. Jay Chou kept getting swatted left and right every time he tries to put a shot. However, the skateboarding to dunk scene was a little silly though. This is the parts of the new single and all the scenes from shooting the commercial:
As for Kobe, he is very popular is Asia. He has a lot of fans there. Kobe was in Asia during the Olympics in 2008 at Beijing. He spent his 30th birthday there. And many fans were there to cheer for him during exhibition games and such. Here’s Kobe cutting his cake that year =)
In 2009 during the NBA off season, he toured all over Asia. He held basketball camps and was just playing basketball with the locals at local playgrounds. He was also giving away free Kobe shoes to a lot of people. He even went to the Hong Kong Disneyland during his stay.
Although it is cool to see a special commercial like this, there is still something weird about it. Sprite used to have a contract with Kobe back in the days. It wasn’t until about 2003 where Kobe was stuck with a court case regarding sexual assault in Colorado. Shortly after that happened, Sprite decided to use a different athlete to promote their product. They went with LeBron James at the time, shortly after he came into the league. Now after years since the court case, Kobe’s public image is restored already. So the Coca Cola company probably finally got over the old news and decided to use Kobe to promote their product Sprite again and this time along with Jay Chou, since this is pretty much being broadcast all over Asia. And the company knows that Asia loves their local artist Jay Chou and the fans in Asia love to watch Kobe. Therefore, piecing them together would be a great way to advertise and market. See what winning more championships can do, it brings up the popularity of an athlete even more, and a good way for companies to use them as a marketing tool.
NBA trade deadline have just passed last Thursday. One of the major transactions was Denver’s Carmelo Anthony. For the past few months, rumors have been going around talking about which team he will end up with. Denver has offered to extend his contract multiple times but it was obvious Carmelo doesn’t want to stay with Denver anymore. There were talks about him going to New York, New Jersey, and even to the Lakers. Well the wait is finally over; Carmelo is now officially with the New York Knicks. Here is an article regarding the blockbuster trade happening. Knicks finally land Anthony.
Even though Chauncey Billups was part of this trade, often times, people forget about him. All the attention went to Carmelo. But lets not forget that Billups is known as Mr. Big Shot. He makes shot when it counts the most. And also, back in 2004, he was part of the championship team in Detroit.
So Anthony has been with the Nuggets for 7 and half years now. They haven’t won a championship within these years. They got close in 2009 by making it to the Western Conference Finals; however they fell short to the Lakers. Their team made playoffs yearly, but they just didn’t have enough to go all the way.
The Knicks starting lineup went from:
- Landry Fields
- Raymond Felton
- Timofey Mozgov
- Danilo Gallinari
- Amare Stoudemire
To the new improved:
- Chauncey Billups
- Landry Fields
- Amare Stoudemire
- Carmelo Anthony
- Shawne Williams
The trade worked perfect for the Knicks. Their roster is stacked with talent now and will enable them to become legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference now. With Billups, Anthony, and Stoudemire paired together, they will become threats. However, even with the improved team, they still have to worry because of other elite teams such as Miami, Orlando, Chicago, and Celtics, all within their conference.
With the new team put together, the game today against Miami was a good test to see how these teams compare and matchup. New York ends up edging Miami in the final minute with good defense. Here is a quick recap of the game: NY 91 - MIA 86. We could tell that the chemistry with the new team still isn’t quite there yet, however with time, they should be fine. Billups and Anthony been playing together for a few seasons together in Denver already, they will just have to incorporate all the other guys on the team. The Miami Heats has been a threat since summer when free agency went wild and landed LeBron James and Chris Bosh onto the same team as Dwayne Wade. The Heats been in the talks all year and competing teams been making trades and upgrades to roster just to match them up. The Heats are projected to win the Finals this year. But it looks like they will have some good competition before reaching there. The new Knicks will be one of the contending teams; we shall see how far they can go with all the heavy competition in the Eastern Conference.
As for the Nuggets, losing their star Carmelo and Chauncey Billups, they will just have to be in the re-build mode. But even if they somehow got Carmelo to stay with them, it wouldn’t do them any good. Both Carmelo and Denver’s coach George Karl aren’t happy with each other. And when there is dispute between coaches and players, the team will not win. So Denver is better off parting with Carmelo. They will just have to make new investments and hopefully the players already on the team can step it up and take the team into playoffs once again.
