5/17/10

Hello Monday

For 3 series I have not picked the Boston Celtics. Each time doing it thinking they would regress back to the team that I saw in the regular season. It seems safe to say.... that is not going to happen. While everyone has been hyping the Magic to the moon, I have said not so fast. The Magic lost their first playoff game to those Boston Celtics, they got behind early and never could climb back in the game. In reality, this is the best team the Magic have faced the entire playoffs and it showed yesterday. Dwight Howard was held down for the majority of the game and Magic's not so secret weapon of the 3 point shot was firing blanks at times.

The Celtics have shown the pride and experience of a former champion that they are. Rajon Rondo has taken it to a whole other level. Rondo is without question the best point guard left in the playoffs. Yes even better than Canada's own Steve Nash. Rondo has just been off the charts and it has been amazing to watch. It is funny to think that there were people that thought the Celtics overpaid for Rondo. No one is saying that now.

Speaking of Steve Nash thought, he faces the challenge of beating the L.A Lakers. Not the easiest task in the world. Nash is likely the only match-up advantage that the Suns have advantage in this series. Everywhere else it favours the Lakers especially in the low post. Amare Stoudemire is in for a battle with Gasol and Bynum in the post. Not to mention the rest that Kobe Bryant has got, it could prove to be to much for the Suns.

If the Suns can not pull off a miracle, we are in for a finals re-match with Lakers vs Magic or Celtics. Much like the Magic, the Suns will be depending on the 3 point shot to fall. The Suns have been given praise for finally finding some defense in these playoffs. However, the Lakers and their Triangle Offense is a much different animal. My heart says Suns and my head says Lakers. Normally the head is right and the heart is wrong.

Heart is not something you put in a sentence with Vince Carter. I find it kind of funny how Vince is being hyped up. Here is the Vince Carter reality for folks. Vinsanity is much like Hulkamania. What is meant by that is for brief minutes of time you get excited and see flashes of the guy that amazed you. But then the reality comes back and you realize that Vinsanity as Hulkamania lives in your mind more than it does in actual reality.

I am actually very conflicted should the Magic be successful. On the one hand, Stan Van Gundy was robbed out of a championship by Pat Riley. I like Stan Van Gundy and think he is likely my favourite coach in the league at the moment. However to see Vince Carter rewarded for a career in which he never truly made the most of his talent turns my stomach. It makes me think of guys like Barkley, Ewing and others that never won a ring. They busted their butts for their entire careers and seem far more deserving of a ring than V.C.

For the Raptors get out those lucky charms cause you will need them. The odds of the Raptors getting a top pick in the Draft Lottery on Tuesday are very long indeed. That being said it does not exactly disappoint me. I am not as sold on John Wall and Evan Turner as the rest of the world seem to be. The New Jersey Nets are the team with the best odds to take home the top pick and end up with likely the consensus number 1 pick in John Wall.

I could be wrong on Wall, but I just am not convinced he has a winning attitude and despite his talent think this will be an issue on the next level. Not that he got to experience losing that much with Wildcats. If the Nets bomb out in free agency he will learn about losing in a hurry. Turner will be a good to great NBA player but not a difference maker for a franchise. The guy I like at the top of the draft board is DeMarcus Cousins. He has some of the same question marks in terms of character as Wall. But there is just something I like about this kid. If he can figure out how to stay out of foul trouble he can be a very good one in this draft. The reality is thought, Blake Griffin is next year's rookie of the year unless someone in this draft class surprises me. I am not a Blake Griffin fan either, but he is better than anyone in this class, and that includes Wall.

Just because Evans, Curry and Jennings were a success does not guarantee that Wall will be. I don't expect anyone to agree with me on Wall. But not many agreed with me when I said that Kevin Durant should have been the first pick over Oden. In the end the draft is about being right more than you are wrong and so far so good for me.

I will likely set up something to get together for the Draft Lottery depending on my schedule. So look for details tomorrow. Have a better Monday than Garfield and see you tomorrow.

6 comments:

  1. You're so full of it. You say you're not a VC-hater, but I came on here betting you would be bashing VC for no reason, and once again, I was right.

    Vince played great yesterday. You'd know that if you watched the game. He was the only Magic who showed any heart.

    If you want to talk someone who shows no heart in the playoffs, you need look no further than Chris Bosh, who is someone you ironically defend at every chance you get.

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  2. I would be so happy to see Steve Nash and the Suns advance, but they've got a real challenge ahead. On the other side, please Magic, beat the Celtics...

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  3. Yes Vince has a 3rd option is fantastic. But fact is he is not a Batman and barely passes as a Robin. What Bosh has to do with Vince in this situation is beyond me.

    As for Nash and the Suns. I agree the chances they advance are slim and to win against Boston or Orlando would be another set of troubles and problems. But for Canada I will cheer on our greatest baller and ignore the fact my brain is telling me I am crazy.

    Even people still like Hogan and I don't understand that. But to each their own. I am not here to tell anyone what to think. But in one of my interviews with JYD he expresses that Vince is not what he use to be. Clearly he isn't and if I don't want to throw a parade if he wins a ring that is my right as much as it yours to cheer V.C.

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  4. I bring Bosh up because you always defend him despite the fact that he's a miserable failure as both a team player, and a winner.

    He's great as a first option, not only a third option. He's won three playoff series as a first option - two WITHOUT home court advantage. I guess you forgot the Raptors-Nets series in 2007? He averaged 25 PPG on better than 49% eFG. Or the 2006 Nets-Pacers series in which he averaged over 32 PPG, or the Raptors-Knicks series in 2001.

    Of course Vince is not what he used to be. He's 33 years old. Kobe is not what he used to be, and he's only 31.

    My problem isn't the you criticize Vince, it's that you give no facts or stats to back up your claims. If someone knew nothing about Vince other than what they read on your blogs, they'd think he's just a flashy player who puts up terrible numbers. He's put up very good to great numbers every season of his career. He's one of the greatest scorers of the last decade, one of the greatest rebounding SGs of the last decade (#1 in the league in 06-07 for example), and puts up excellent assist numbers. Next season he will reach 20,000 points. He's avergaed 22.9 PPG over 12 seasons, which is incredible. He was named the #3 shooting guard of the last decade by someone for more objective than you:

    http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/The-10-best-shooting-guards-of-the-last-decade?urn=nba,192484

    You say he doesn't pass as a Robin, but give no facts or figures to back that up, only wishy-washy subjective nonsense. If what you say is true, make an argument with facts.

    If you don't want to cheer V.C., why do you even bring him up to begin with? Why even mention his name? I could name hundreds of guys less deserving who have won championships (Antoine Walker and Darko Milicic for example). Someone who averaged over 20 PPG for 10 consecutive seasons certainly deserves a ring. To suggest not is silly.

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  5. Some how for 3 years I have managed to build an audience and keep people reading here. I offer opinions based on my knowledge of basketball. I have never been nor will ever be a believer in stats in terms of not just Vince but anyone.

    Stats are wonderful when it comes to playing fantasy basketball. If I write on that I will be sure to mention Vince's stats.

    I sure as heck don't answer to people that don't even attach a name to their comments (actual I am right now go figure) . You make it seem like so many people love Vince. This is a Toronto Raptors based blog and as such the core audience is a lot of those people that boo your guy at the ACC. What purpose does it serve me to defend the virtue of a guy that is for the most part disliked by this fanbase?

    The answer is not a lot and that would be if I wanted to. Which clearly I do not. I have met Vince and interviewed him. I just think based on my experiences that he thinks he is something better than the average person or player. What the shame is about Vince Carter and his entire career is he honestly could have and should have been so much more.

    If he is happy with what he is and you are happy with it as a fan of his that is your right. It is also my right to disagree with you and have a counter opinion. All I have ever offered is my take on Vince Carter. That doesn't require stats or proof. If I am calling him the worst shooting guard in the league or a no talent hack that would. But my questions about Carter are not about measurables they are about the person he is and the player he is in terms of effort and intensity. They don't make stats for that.

    As to your last point in why mention Vince? Because as it was outlined in what was written it is a terrible choice for most Raptor fans to make between Carter and the Celtics. Both are not exactly winning a popularity contest with the Raptors fanbase.

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  6. I apologize there was a name in the first comment...my bad...Sorry Chris

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