2012 NBA Playoffs Preview: Conference Finals

Only four teams remain in the NBA Playoffs, and at the end of the series, only two will hoist the silver ball as the Conference champion and the right to challenge for the NBA championship. This is the NBA Conference Finals.

Not surprisingly, two Western Conference contenders will slug it out for a trip to the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs deserved to be there, and they rolled through two rounds in convincing fashion. Then again, the West will pit the something-to-prove Thunder with their youthful exuberance and growing confidence against the tried and tested Spurs unit whose links from titles past remain and whose young nucleus kept them competitive.  This makes for an exciting and dramatic West final. 

In the East, the demise of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round opened the door for the Miami Heat, or so they thought. Unless the Boston Celtics, whose door seem to have closed until today, still have the legs to roll against the new powerhouse in South Beach. While Miami cruised, Boston struggled at times, but championship pedigree ultimately prevailed. The East final will be a physical, downright ugly series, and a psychological warfare between an aging and a tongue-wagging superpower.

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

Regular Season: San Antonio won 2-1

The Spurs will come out well-rested, again. They have swept their way through the first two rounds, and are facing the Thunder that is also on a roll. Then again, since 2005, teams holding an 8-0 playoff record heading into the conference finals failed to even make the finals, and the Spurs have every reason to be concerned. But the Spurs are the Spurs, with championship experience and new-found consistency that is borne of a new coaching philosophy by Gregg Popovich. As for the Thunder, going even deeper will be their priority.

The Spurs will again roll the dice on championship-tested stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, while the Thunder will bank on Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden to lead the young corps. The x-factors for the series will be San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and Stephen Jackson, and Oklahoma City's Kendrick Perkins, Derek Fisher, Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka. Unlike the previous two rounds, it won't be a cakewalk for either team, as each game is expected to be competitive and hard-fought. Going six or seven may see how much both teams will grow out of this series.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (4) Boston Celtics

Regular Season: Boston won 3-1

Two days after Christmas, the Miami Heat added to the early season woes of the Boston Celtics with a statement 115-107 win. However, Miami may have underestimated Boston, as the Celtics turned the early-season struggle into a late-season surge, culminating in three victories in April against the Heat, part of a post-All-Star break rally that led to a division title for the green. Then again, just like last year, regular season play won't matter, as Miami have proven last year against Boston. The question is, can it be repeated?

Chris Bosh is expected to return from an abdominal strain sustained in the Indiana series, but is he ready enough? In that series, it was the Wade and LeBron show, as they led Miami's finishing kick with three straight wins to eliminate the Pacers. Meanwhile, Boston seemed a step slow at times against Philadelphia, and even hurt (see Paul Pierce's MCL and Avery Bradley's season-ending shoulder injury), but the 76ers' big-game inexperience ultimately cost them in Game 7. The Heat will have the home-court, the 'championship or bust' attitude, the rest and the fans at their side, while the Celtics will need guts, wisdom and heart to overcome the younger Heat. If this is the war to end all wars, this is it. They have split each playoff series the past two seasons, and the rubber matches expect more of the blood between two powerhouses. 

2012 NBA Playoffs Preview: Eastern Conference Semifinals

While we await the conference semifinal pairings out West, we look first at the Eastern Conference semifinal pairings to be played out over the next two weeks. Sorry Bulls fans, but better luck next year.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) Indiana Pacers

Regular Season: Miami won 3-1

The Indiana Pacers enter unfamiliar territory. A bulk of the roster have never won a playoff series, which means Indiana will play underdogs to a powerful Heat team that have one too many players with series victory experience. Miami's 'Tres Amigos' of James, Wade and Bosh, plus a slew of playoff-hardened veterans, will have their hands full against a Pacers team with something to prove. Only David West, George Hill, Lou Amundson and Leandro Barbosa have won a series before while playing for the Hornets, Spurs and Suns, respectively; the rest of Indiana's roster are in their first second-round series.

Indiana's hot April landed them in third place, and exploited Orlando's lack of 'Superman' in a five-game warmup. However, they now face a superpower in Miami, who easily disposed another star-studded yet mercurial team in the Knicks in five. The Heat dominated the Pacers all season, winning three of four. Now the East's team to beat, Miami needs to outgun and slow down the much-improved Pacers at every turn in hopes of returning to the Eastern Conference Finals.

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers

Regular Season: Philadelphia won 2-1

Classic battles between Boston and Philadelphia have been well-documented in NBA history. From 'Havlicek stole the ball' to Bird vs. Dr. J, this rivalry had it all, and it reached its highest  points during the 1960s and 1980s. In 2012, a new chapter in the rivalry begins anew.

The Celtics are expected to be here, but the 76ers? They were lucky to have beaten a wounded Bulls crew without reigning MVP Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in six games, and now drew an aging crew from Boston whose time is ticking fast. Philadelphia dominated Boston in two of three regular season games, but their late-season slump helped the Celtics steal the division title from them. Still, by winning the first round series over Chicago, they appeared to have redeemed themselves from that slump. But they need to prove that their win was not a fluke by overcoming the playoff-hardened Celtics, which is easier said than done. Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner will have their hands full against Boston's Big Four of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, which makes Boston a tough assignment in the playoffs against younger, faster competition. 

2012 NBA Playoffs Preview: First Round

After 66 regular season games, it comes down to 16 teams, and it takes 16 games to win the NBA championship. Welcome to the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Let's look at the eight first round series that will be played over the next two weeks.

Eastern Conference

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers

Regular Season: Chicago won 2-1

The Bulls made it to the playoffs atop the NBA standings even as Derrick Rose limped throughout the year with a bad ankle. The Sixers started strong, then saw their Atlantic Division title hopes fade late, and had to settle with the eighth seed in the end. The Sixers did beat the Bulls at home early in the season, but the Bulls cranked it up and then stole the series with a pair of gut-wrenchers at home and away. Did the Sixers pick the wrong opponent, or did the Bulls feel poised about facing an opponent with a history of wild mood swings?

Regardless, this series will be rough and tumble similar to what the Pacers did last year to those Bulls. Derrick Rose won't be 100% healthy, but the bench, which had lifted the Bulls all season long, will be up to the task. Philly's Andre Iguodala is an all-star, but doesn't have the closer's mentality that Rose possessed. The frontcourt of Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes, Nik Vucevic, Lavoy Allen and Thaddeus Young is an inexperienced and hurting group, which may not match up well with the Bulls' imposing frontline of Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Omer Asik and Taj Gibson. The lack of a closer affected the Sixers down the stretch, and unless they can prove that they can win a close game, it may end up as a short series.

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

Regular Season: Boston won 2-1

This is it for the Celtics. The final go-around for the trio of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. And how appropriate to begin the final run is to face an opponent which pushed them to the limit the first time around in their 2008 championship season. The Atlanta Hawks began their return to prominence with that seven-game first round series with the eventual champions, and they never stopped since, though their history of second-round misery remains a mystery in Atlanta.

The Celtics won the season series 2-1 at the right time, facing the Hawks just as they are getting hot in March and April. Then again, the Hawks are a different team from 2008, though some holdovers remain like Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and the injured All-Star Al Horford. The Hawks under Larry Drew like to pour it on offensively, unlike in Mike Woodson's defense-first approach. The Celtics also changed a lot from 2008, but there's still the Big Three and Rajon Rondo, the lead dogs from that team, and coach Doc Rivers. The hopes for both teams will now rely on their lead stars and their otherwise inconsistent supporting crew, as they look to party like it's 2008 all over again.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks

Regular Season: Miami won 3-0

The most physical and 'push to the limit' rivalry in NBA history returns to the big stage after a 12-year absence, but the guys involved are no longer named Mourning, Hardaway, Brown, Ewing , Houston and Johnson. Instead names like LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh, Melo, Amar'e and Linsanity are dominating both cities' headlines. The Knicks and the Heat hate each other, and this year's playoff confrontation mirrors that of their brawling 90s ways.

The Heat have had the Knicks' number for much of recent history, and though Anthony and Stoudemire have attempted to turn it around, the Knicks had bad chemistry, underachieving players and even ugly offensive schemes. That of course was early on, until Mike Woodson arrived and the Knicks were starting to play the right way. Even as Jeremy Lin went down hurt the Knicks' lead supporters Baron Davis, Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Steve Novak were able to pick up the slack. If the Knicks' good play continues into the playoffs, then the Heat will be in a world of trouble. Unless of course, if you're LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh, whose All-Star form speaks to itself, and the Heat's formidable defense being its asset. However, they need LeBron to be at his best closing out games, which didn't work out in last year's playoffs. The Heat need their supporting crew of Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, James Jones and Shane Battier more than ever if they were to overcome the Knicks, otherwise the ghosts of Allan Houston's 1999 upset axe will continue to haunt Miami.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic

Regular Season: Orlando won 3-1

Orlando won three of four in the regular season, but all four of them involved Dwight Howard. Now with Howard on the shelf following season-ending back surgery, how much does Orlando have left? As for the Indiana Pacers, they will try to prove that they are not a one-hit wonder in the playoffs. Last year, they gave Chicago all they could handle before folding in five, and then they continued that impressive performance this year, as they finished with their best showing in eight years.

With Howard out, the Magic decided to play from outside, after leading the league in three-pointers. However, the lack of inside power will be huge for Orlando, as the Pacers boast a three-headed rebounding monster of Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough, who are willing to mix it up in the paint. Glen Davis is undersized while Daniel Orton and Earl Clark are unproven, so the Magic will need to rely on outside gunners Ryan Anderson, Jason and Quentin Richardson, J.J. Redick, and Hedo Turkoglu (provided he returns from a facial injury) to carry the scoring. The Pacers have two-way offensive guns in Paul George (inside) and Danny Granger (outside), and with George Hill giving a boost as the starting point guard, the Pacers ran roughshod late to finish third in the East. It will be a hard and trying series for the Magic as they try to win without Howard.

Western Conference

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz

Regular Season: San Antonio won 3-1

The Spurs have once again defied time and age to take over the first seed in the West. The Utah Jazz returned to the playoffs after only a year out, but they were a different team than they were two years ago. This is a mismatch, right?

The Spurs still have Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, but they also have players whom they are grooming for the future in Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, DeJuan Blair, James Anderson and Danny Green. The addition of Boris Diaw did work wonders, as he worked splendidly with his French national teammate Parker. The Spurs have extensive playoff resumes throughout their roster. Meanwhile the Jazz were flirting with both the lottery and the playoffs during the season before Al Jefferson rescued them in the final week. Jefferson, like some of his Jazz teammates, have little or no experience at all in playoff ball; Jefferson's last playoff minutes were as a Boston rookie. C.J. Miles, Paul Millsap and Raja Bell all have extensive playoff resumes, which will help the Jazz grow as the games go on. Still, the lack of playoff exposure won't help the Jazz in their playoff run, which may last just four or five games depending on performance.

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
Regular Season: L.A. Clippers won 2-1

Chris Paul's addition boosted the otherwise mediocre Clippers, and enjoyed their best season since their 70s Buffalo heyday. The Grizzlies followed up last year's impressive playoff run by finishing with their best record yet as a team, and will start at home for the first time in their playoff history. 

The Grizzlies play a basic and deliberate brand of ball, while the Clippers play razzle-dazzle, thanks to Paul's on-court wizardry. Either way it worked for both, but in the playoffs, only one style will prevail. Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen will serve as foils for Paul, Mo Williams and Randy Foye, while the inside war will pit Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler against Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay. The absence of Chauncey Billups will be felt for the Clippers, as he is their ultimate clutch performer per se. Both teams will undoubtedly push themselves to the limits, as this series have the makings of a six or seven-game masterpiece.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks

Regular Season: Oklahoma City won 3-1

Last year, the Mavericks rode the broad shoulders of Dirk Nowitzki to a five-game win over the upstart Thunder, en route to the NBA championship. This year is a different story, however, as the Mavs limp to the playoffs while the Thunder gained valuable experience to clinch the second seed. Will the underdog role suit the defending champions well, or will the Thunder write a different script this time?

The absence of Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea was noticeably felt for the Mavericks, and neither Brandan Wright nor Roddy Beaubois was able to fit the bill. Nowitzki was hurt for much of the year, while Jason Kidd had extended trips to the disabled list. Lamar Odom didn't work out and Vince Carter wasn't Vinsanity from '05. The Mavericks are an eyesore from top to bottom, and any hope of repeating may vanish too soon with this kind of roster. The Thunder had little problems whatsoever, though they weren't able to seal the top seed in the West later in the season. They have youth at their side (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden), experienced warriors with rings (Derek Fisher, Kendrick Perkins) and good role players (Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefolosha, Daequan Cook).  The Thunder's growth will be put to the test against the slumping champions, as they look to erase the memories of last season.

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets

Regular Season: L.A. Lakers won 3-1

The Lakers put to rest notions of their demise by once again finishing atop the Pacific Division. Kobe Bryant had injury problems for a few games, but still wound up second to Kevin Durant for the scoring lead. Speaking of scoring, the Nuggets led the league in scoring, despite the lack of an All-Star scorer. George Karl knows how to push the right buttons, and the Nuggets, for the ninth straight year, are in the playoffs.

Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are the Lakers' big three, though Gasol slumped during the season while Bynum blossomed to All-Star status before a reported feud with coach Mike Brown diminished his image a bit. The addition of Ramon Sessions gave the Lakers a younger, faster point guard, and he blossomed under the tutelage of Bryant. Though Metta World Peace's suspension will affect the Lakers, Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks are more than willing to fill the void. The Nuggets lost Nene to the Wizards in a mid-season trade, leaving the door open for Kenneth Faried to blossom. However, the Nuggets frontline will be inexperienced, with Kosta Koufos, JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov having logged little or no playoff minutes. Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, Al Harrington, Arron Afflalo and Andre Miller will again lead the Nuggets' offense, but the lack of capable closers may spell doom for the starless Nuggets. Five or six games may be enough to decide the series. 

The Heart of It All in Hoops

I got to watch the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary 'Guru of Go', the story of Paul Westhead and his run-and-gun system, which has been partially successful in a majority of his coaching stops. In the middle of the film, the emphasis was placed on the Loyola Marymount Tigers and star forward Hank Gathers, whose untimely death in the middle of a 1990 WCC tournament game sent shockwaves in the hoops world and galvanized the LMU community.

Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis both died of heart-
related problems while still active players.

On March 4, 1990, during LMU's home game against the University of Portland Pilots, Gathers scored on an alley-oop pass off Terrell Lowery midway through the first half. A few seconds later, Gathers collapsed, and despite pleading not to lie down, he eventually followed the trainer's advice. Unfortunately, Gathers died on the way to the hospital of a heart attack at the age of 23. The entire WCC tournament was later cancelled and LMU earned an NCAA Tournament berth, eventually reaching the Elite 8.

Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox were both sidelined
indefinitely for heart issues.

Three years later, during an NBA playoff game between the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Hornets at the Boston Garden, star forward Reggie Lewis collapsed while running on the court. It was later determined that he had a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which later caused his death on July 27, 1993 while on a practice session. Nearly two decades later, the Celtics learned from the Lewis debacle when forward Jeff Green was not cleared to play for the 2011-12 season because of an aortic aneurysm, and underwent surgery as a result. And just yesterday, forward Chris Wilcox was sent indefinitely to the inactive list for a potential heart defect. 

Both Eddy Curry and Cuttino Mobley experienced
heart-related ailments during their playing careers.

Also learning from the Lewis and Gathers experience, guard Cuttino Mobley, then of the New York Knicks, announced his retirement in 2008 after a physical revealed a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, thus not clearing him for physical contact. Three years earlier, then-Chicago Bulls forward Eddy Curry was also diagnosed of a similar heart ailment that caused him to miss the Bulls' 2005 playoff run. After refusing a DNA test as suggested by some doctors, then-Bulls GM John Paxson sent Curry to the New York Knicks, which unfortunately didn't work out on Curry's part. After a near three-year sabbatical from hoops, Curry returned to action with the Miami Heat in 2012, having shed over 100 lbs during that span. 

Indeed, basketball involves some running, banging and hustling. Then again, physical fitness is a must for every player aspiring to be the best, especially when the heart is involved in all the action. 

Seeing Green

A week from today will be St. Patrick's Day, and in every place full of Irish people, whether full or half-blooded, green is everywhere. From leprechauns to dyed bodies of water, March 17 is where people enjoy seeing green. And professional sports is no exception.

The NBA introduced the St. Patrick's Day uniform program during the 2005-06 season, and ran throughout the second to third week of March. The initial participants were the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, cities with high Irish populations. The Toronto Raptors became the fourth participant in 2008, but three years later, they decided to replace their green uniforms with a camouflaged green version in honor of Veterans Day. 

The Knicks' green uniforms were also used during Christmas Day games. They received much publicity during the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend, where 5'9'' Nate Robinson, playing the role of Kryptonite (or 'Krypto-Nate'), wore the Knicks green jerseys and neon green sneakers to beat Dwight Howard (dressed in his Superman cape) in the Slam Dunk Contest. 

The NHL's New Jersey Devils have been honoring the holiday by rocking their retro 1980s uniforms during St. Patrick's Week. The uniform prominently features green on the logo and the pants, in contrast to the current black and red scheme they use today. Their retro uniforms were used regularly from 1982-92, before trading green for black. Currently the Minnesota Wild are the only team with a green sweater; they use them as alternates, while the Vancouver Canucks use green as trim color to their uniforms. 

Major League Baseball also had some instances of teams sporting green caps and jerseys during St. Patrick's week, even if it's still Spring Training. The Chicago White Sox took it a step further by wearing green caps and white pinstriped jerseys with green trim on September 17, as part of their 'Halfway to St. Patty's' promotion. The most prominent example came from the Boston Red Sox, who wore green caps and uniforms in April 2007 to pay tribute to the late Celtics president Red Auerbach, and in June 2008, when the Celtics won the NBA championship. 

Unfortunately, the NFL has no such practice, considering that they are in an offseason during spring and summer. But at least the Green Bay Packers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets wear green. 

Now, is anyone ready to rock green next week?  I'm sure you are.

Pierce's 1000th

Nearly every Top 10 statistical category in Boston Celtics history includes their current captain and 14-year greenie Paul Pierce. This season, Pierce has surpassed not only Larry Bird, but also 22,000 career points, and is closing in on 1,000 career games, a milestone that only Robert Parish and John Havlicek had accomplished solely in the green and white. Today's game against the Portland Trail Blazers will be something to remember for Boston's No. 34, as he steps into the hardwood for the 1,000th time, only the third Celtic to do so.

John Havlicek led the franchise in points and games played, and he played two more years than Pierce and Robert Parish, his closest pursuers. Nearly every Celtic Top 10 category has Hondo's name on it, and that deserved a ticket into the Hall of Fame. And he's a pioneer too, revolutionizing the 'Sixth Man' concept of coming off the bench to provide instant offense. Add to that the now-famous steal he made back in the 1965 playoffs.

Robert Parish played more seasons and games than Havlicek overall, but he had an additional seven seasons in which he didn't don the classic green and white jersey, doing so for four seasons in Golden State, two in Charlotte, and one in Chicago. Of course, it was in Boston where he had tremendous success, with 14 seasons, three titles and nine All-Star appearances, while teaming up with frontcourt mates Kevin McHale and Larry Bird for 12 seasons. Indeed, 1,611 total games played remains a yardstick for longevity in the NBA, and only Parish can attest to that.

Today will mark a significant milestone in Paul Pierce's career, and TD Garden will pay witness to another 'truthful' moment in Celtics history. 

NBA Midseason Report (Part 1)

We've reached the All-Star Break aka the midpoint of the NBA season. Some teams have so far exceeded expectations, others didn't. We look at all 30 teams at a glance on how the first half of the season has been.

Atlanta Hawks

Al Horford went down with a shoulder injury that ended his season, yet the Hawks have adapted to his absence, with a 20-14 record at the break. Joe Johnson remains an All-Star player, while Josh Smith stepped up his game. Then again, are they ready to take it to the next level?

Boston Celtics

Aging team whose days were numbered. A fragile bench, injuries and creaky legs led to an uninspiring 15-17 record at the break. No longer championship contenders at this point, so expect Danny Ainge to pull the plug at season's end.

Charlotte Bobcats

Sixteen straight losses led to a mediocre 4-28 mark. Nothing to say. Michael Jordan is not a good executive.  The Bobcats are too young and too immature, and no effort has been made to add All-Star talent to keep Bobcats fans happy. 

Chicago Bulls

Not even Derrick Rose's extended absences have prevented the Bulls from surging to a 27-8 mark at the break. Luol Deng finally broke out, while Richard Hamilton fulfilled the Bulls' needs of an shooter. Defense remains a Bulls hallmark of success, and should continue so until the season's end.

Cleveland Cavaliers

After a frustrating rookie debut, Kyrie Irving started to make his mark in Cleveland. The Cavs are 13-18 at the break, on the cusp of the top eight. Irving and Tristan Thompson are the future of the franchise in transition, as they look to move on from LeBron.