Celtics Win NBA & Boomers Cruise

2008 NBA Champs....Boston Celtics



Well a little heckling from the cheap seats was just the medicine I needed to remove myself from the porcelain bus I have been driving for the last few days.

Now that my health is better lets get on with the day's play.

Congratulations to the Boston Celtics and their 17th NBA Championship.

The Celtics today killed the Los Angles Lakers 131-92 in Game 6. Nothing more needs to be said about this game than, a clinic was conducted today.

But, while I watched this series I always come back to what a coach once said to me. "All players are role players, you must just perform your role within the team."

During this NBA Championship series all the Celtics players lived up to their role. Whether is was Rajon Rondo delivering the timely assist or steal, or Leon Powe bringing energy in Game 2, the Celts team did their job.

Sure Paul Pierce was the MVP of the Finals but he was allowed to excel because all the team did their job.

On the other hand everyone is all over Kobe Bryant now because he did not deliver. He had a poor playoff performance by his standards but so did all of the Lakers roster.

The likes of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol would have expected more of themselves, which would have allowed Kobe more room to operate and excel.

At the end of the day though the Celtics were by far the better team in this series.

Already I'm looking forward to the same two teams reaching the NBA Finals next year. Can we say we have an NBA 80's revival on our hands.

NBA Articles:
Daily Dime
Celtics camp to Champs
Lakers questioned
Chad Ford's latest draft info.
Who is suiting up for Team USA this summer?
Good article from ESPN Mag - grass roots hoops.
Cuban-Nellie dispute still going.
Sonics in court - DJ Leon Smith will be very happy.

Now to the Boomers World Challenge and those tough Iranians.

The Australian Boomers continued giving the Iran National Team a fair dinkum touch up in Game 2, 97-53.

It was never a contest. The Boomers jumped on them early with their trapping defense causing the visitors to turn the ball over on what seemed every offensive possessions.

It began to resemble an u/10's junior club game so I'm not going to waste my time on critiquing this one.

The only note worthy thing to come out of this one was Joe Ingles performance. I believe his performance tonight was not a positive one. Some costly turnovers and loose play may have cost him his spot on the Olympic team tonight.

Having played for Brian Goorjian I know how loose plays grind on him.

For those that may have missed it, Darnell Mee and Damien Ryan have been released from the Boomers squad.

NBL Articles:
Sav returns to his original nest.
Jason Crowe wins NZNBL MVP.
Bullets buyer a true mystery.
No room to be a Pig if you're a King.
Casey Frank wins NZ award.
More Kings players on the market.
Aaron Bruce and family talking NBA chances up.
Jawai looking forward to NBA. more on him video footage
Rickert re-signs with Breakers and as reported here days ago Adam Tanner signs.
Draper gets NBA try out with Raptors.
Goorj starting to plant seed, just in case all goes wrong.

For All You Celtic Fans

Game 1 To The Celtics

Paul Pierce was the "Truth" during the third quarter!

Although I have predicted that the Los Angles Lakers will win the Final, I have to give credit to the Boston Celtics. They were the better team tonight.

There is no doubting Paul Pierce's red hot third quarter swung momentum back in the C's favour but I have to say it was the intangibles by the supporting cast that was the difference in the game.

Rajon Rondo keep the Celtics in the game in the first half by knocking down three jumpers as the shot clock was winding down. The Lakers were going to leave him open and he made them pay.

In the second half both Sam Cassell and PJ Brown made plays that helped. Both these veterans were acquired during the season for just this reason.

Cassell knocked down some jumpers and added a spark when Pierce when down injured, while Brown was rock solid on defense, especially in the pick and roll situation as well as on the boards.

I am a little bias towards James Posey but once again he had his say in the game's final result. His consistent defensive pressure on Kobe Bryant did not allow the leading scorer during the playoffs any easy looks. Plus Posey knocked down a three late in the fourth to extent the lead out of the reach of the Lakers.

There is no doubting the Celtics "Big Three" (Garnett, Pierce and Allen) had their own individual moments but it was the "supporting cast" that was the difference in this game.

The Lakers need to get the same type of productivity out of their guys. Luke Walton, Ronny Turiaf, Vladimir Radmanovic and Sasha Vujacic have to give the Lakers productive minutes if they are to turn this series around.

I expect more of the same from the Celtics come Game 2 but I'm looking for Kobe to be aggressive early so they do not head back to LA 0-2.

Boxscore

Game 2 will be on Monday Australian time.

Other articles from the NBA

Pierce inspires Celtics to win.
Daily Dime
Kobe was not himself..can the C's keep him in check for the rest of the series?
Sonics court battle, especially posted for DJ Leon Smith

NBL News: Wrublewski wants the Pigs gooone.
Jawai moves onto Seattle for tryout.
Nathan Herbert is living the dream.
More on Jawai and his Seattle hopes.

Nathan Jawai - Interview before his Warriors workout...check it out!

Web Addresses

Shaq has no official website, but Danny Ferry says its official, "Shaq's BIG!"

Well it's a bit of a slow day as far as action goes so I thought I would surf the net and dig up some players websites. I have no bias so players from all over the world can be found here. Enjoy! (please note, there are women's sites here too and let me know if there are others you wish to have added to the list.)

David Andersen Dusty Rychart Vince Carter Matt Harpring

Grant Hill AC Green Tracey McGrady Carlos Arroyo

Janeth Arcain Fabricio Oberto Magic Paula Goncalves

Jamaal Magloire Tariq Abdul-Wahad Boris Diaw

Linda Frohlich Adonal Foyle Joseph Blair Charlie Mandt

Arriel McDonald Kobe Bryant Dirk Nowitzki Tony Parker

Hedo Turkoglu Ricky Davis Chris Paul Steve Nash

LaMarcus Aldridge Carmelo Anthony Ron Artest Shane Battier

Raja Bell Kevin Garnett Chris Bosh Bruce Bowen

Tyson Chandler Jose Calderon Luol Deng Dan Dickau

Jordan Farmar TJ Ford Manu Ginobili Ben Gordon

Rip Hamilton Dwight Howard Josh Howard Allen Iverson

LeBron James Antawn Jamison Andrei Kirilenko Mark Madsen

Mike Miller Lamar Odom Emeka Okafor Paul Pierce

Tayshaun Prince Vladimir Radmanovic JJ Redick Jason Richardson

Brandon Roy Jerry Stackhouse Amare Stoudemire

Dwayne Wade Antoine Walker Yao Ming Lauren Jackson

NBL News:

New Wildcats coach to continue to preach defense.

Are the Kings back?

NZ Breakers sign development players.

What is Jawai up to in the States?

NZNBL news.

Razorbacks new CEO.

The Lakers and Celtics - past to present

ABA Weekly Wrap

Have your say on who wins. Turn left, point and vote!

It's that time of the week again where I post all the ABA boxscores for you to peruse. Enjoy!

Queensland: Cannot believe Cameron Tragardh had 6 assists on his way to fifty points. Cam, you may have had sixty had you not passed or fumbled six times.

Waratah: My Sydney sources are telling me the Comets are the "Real Deal" down there!

Big V: Former Tiger Luke McMillan still gets the job down. Has a lazy 27pts and 17rebs on the weekend.

Western Australia: Geraldton's Michael Lay has a triple double (17pts, 12rebs, 10ass) against Wanneroo. While Cockburn is still On Fire.

South Australia: Joel Goodenough did not live up to his name as his Southern Tigers got spanked by the Norwood Flames.

SEABL: Greg Vanderjagt is looking for a NBL contract and his play for the Southern Districts Spartans reflected this. Check out his stats!

Other News Around Here:
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian will have a sports psychologist on hand at camp for players that need help due to the events that have transpired over the past week.

Maybe he should call in Dog the Bounty Hunter as well.

Rice in Singapore. Who would have thought the Singapore Slingers could sign a guy of this calibre, but once again coach Gordie McLeod and Bob Turner have found a good one in Darius Rice.

I remember seeing this guy fill it up at the University of Miami and he has continued to do so in the D-League.

If he comes to this league with the right attitude I see him as a potential leading scorer in the league.

BA and NBL release statement regarding James Henderson and his involvement with Firepower.

Boomers will match up against the USA team before the Olympics. I just hope Iran and the Kiwis get them ready for Kobe and company.

Aleks Maric is in good shape to give the NBA a shake.

The Cairns Tiapans have made comment about their strength as a club in the NBL.

Q & A with Corey "Homicide" Williams.

"One day I would love to play for the Crocs. I have had the chance to train with and against John Rillie these past two seasons. The way he works hard at training and the extra work he puts in is something that I have tried to instill in my own game." www.crocodiles.com.au

These are the words from budding basketballer Damon Heuir who is trying to get a place on the u/19 national team.

Thanks for the kind words Damon but there will be no relief for you on Wednesday night.

NBA News:
Top 10 Lakers/Celtics post season moments.

Paul Pierce gets it done against the Lakers.

Bill Simmons with another classic.

How did the "Big Dogs" look at the pre draft camp?

Sunday Conversation with Kobe Bryant

Lakers vs Celtics and Hot Rods

Can Kobe/KG match Bird/Magic?

Not since the 80's have the Los Angles Lakers and the Boston Celtics matched up against each other for a shot at a championship. (So out of respect to the game, throw away your DVD players and tape the series on VHS, please.)


David Stern and his NBA people could not have asked for a better Finals match up at the start of the season. Fans and media will be digging into the archives until this series tips off.


Remember it was the Bird/Magic era that really kicked off the globalization of basketball while Michael Jordan carried it to another level. So what better way to re-ignite the same level of enthusiasm for the sport than with a Kobe Bryant led Lakers taking on "The Big Three".


David Stern must go to sleep with a smile on his face right now.


So after playing 82 games we actually have the two best teams remaining so who is going to win this thing?


The Lakers will once again rely on Bryant to led from the front with his killer mentality but it seems to me that Kobe is growing in confidence with his teammates abilities. He no longer seems to have trust issues.


There is no doubting that Kobe will take over the game when necessary, but Spanish international Pau Gasol and versatile forward Lamar Odom quite often have heavy involvement early.


You focus on these three too much and leave Derek Fisher or Vladimir Radmanovic open, a few open threes later you are chasing your tail early. This starting five unit is playing very well together right now.


Enter the Laker bench. These guys have been holding their own every night. On one night it is Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf then the next it is Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic.


Right now I feel the Lakers squad is playing like they believe they are going to win any game, anywhere. They came back and won two games against the defending champ San Antonio Spurs from double figure deficits. Quite impressive and quite a good confidence builder leading into the Finals.


As I've mentioned before in blogs, Phil Jackson has them feeling good while Kobe's play gives them the confidence and attitude on the court.


It will not be all one way traffic in the series so lets look at the C's and their strengths.


The "Big Three" all seem to back on the same page together. There was a minute there where Ray Allen was struggling but he is back on track.


All three need to be playing well together if the Celtics want to give themselves the best chance of winning.


The most important guy for the Celtics this series is going to be James Posey. (He came up with a key steal on Tayshaun Prince and the Pistons in Game 6) Quite often forgotten about, Posey will be asked to defend Bryant often and well. This is something Posey is used to as his role with the Miami Heat championship team was the same. This guy is fast becoming a clutch three point shooter as well so look for him to play key minutes down the stretch of games.


Rajan Rondo will need to keep the crafty veteran Fisher honest at the offensive end otherwise it will allow Fisher to roam and double on defense. (Look for Sam "I Am" Cassell to play more if Rondo becomes ineffective.) Rondo really began to pick his play up in the last few games in the Pistons series so the Celtics will be looking for this to carry over.


Kendrick Perkins needs to stay out of foul trouble in this series. Sure the C's have depth (PJ Brown and Leon Powe) but Perkins is going to have to be the guy to match up on Gasol for the majority of the minutes.


If Perkins can keep Gasol honest at both ends this will leave Garnett with a lot more freedom to operate down low. Garnett and Perkins seem to have a good understanding if KG gets doubled.


Allen must remain "on fire" to keep Kobe busy on the defensive end. Ray Ray was lights out in the last game so the Lakers know they need to contain his perimeter firepower otherwise he can split a game wide open in a hurry.


I feel this series will have many twists and turns but the Lakers have been the one team that has consistently won on the road in the playoffs. I see this continuing throughout this series and should see them hoist the trophy after SIX games.


As part of our NBL contract all players have to do promotional work for the club and sponsors. There is no doubting some are better than others and today I was lucky enough to be involved in the 7th Annual Bluwater Ute, Car and Bike Show.


By no means am I a petrol head but I did get a buzz out of being asked to drive a Hot Rod in the show.


Thanks to David (owner of the vehicle) for having the confidence in me behind the wheel. A day my kids and I will remember for quite a while.

Other News:

Fellow blogger Glockers chips in his two cents worth about the NBL dilemmas. I cannot agree more with him about how the league changed the rules to allow Tim Johnston to become the owner of the Kings.

Is there a conflict of interest within basketball's review committee? (interesting read, draw your own conclusions)

Mee getting the Boomers some love in the US.

Harris to measure up for Guinness Book of Records.

NBL needs to find a star.

Jamaica basketball receives millions in sponsorship!

Kings and their rough ride.

Bites and Pieces - Lakers In Final

MVP, MVP, MVP!

The Los Angles Lakers are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2002 when they last won it all.

They defeated the defending champs, San Antonio Spurs 4-1. I would have never have thought this series would have ended so quickly.

After watching the series (thanks ESPN) the one area the Lakers matched the Spurs in that no other team seems to be able to do is mentality.

Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson must take the credit for this. Firstly, Phil must have all the guys believing that they can get the job done, then Kobe delivers the killer blows on court.

You can see the positive reaction in his teammates body language when Kobe gets on a roll and just takes over the game. All of a sudden these guys start making plays and then the Spurs have to worry about more than Kobe.

Vladamir Radmanovic is probably the best case of this. Sometimes this guy can look completely lost out there but when he creeps to the baseline for a spot up three and drains it, it becomes active all over the court. Rebounding and defense become part of his package.

Throughout the past decade this has been the Spurs doing this to opposition teams. Certainly not a one man wrecking team like the Lakers, but their brilliant team play just ate away at oppositions over the course of a series.

It will be interesting to see what the Spurs will do to their roster to improve during this upcoming summer. They are no longer "Top Dog" but I have them retooling to have another run at the title. (They usually win in odd years.)

Congrats to the Lakers on advancing and I cannot wait for the Finals, whether it is the Pistons or the Celtics from the East.

Doug Collins seems destined to coach the Chicago Bulls for a second stint. During his first time round his roster had names such as Jordan and Pippen on it.

With a young team and the #1 draft pick the Bulls will improve immediately under Collins.

His record will show that he can get improvement straight away from his teams but where he is questioned is how long can he maintain a groups focus? Already there are non believers out there as far as this hiring goes.

I look forward to seeing what Collins can do second time round in the Windy City.

NBA's Daily Dime

Melbourne Tigers owner Seamus McPeake has added his two cents worth into the drama of the Kings and Bullets.

Former Bullet Mike Hill may be forced into early retirement. All former Bullets players are scrambling to find jobs with new teams. The trouble some of the players face is the number of available spots left around the league and their own player points value.

Greg Vanderjagt will probably have to try and secure a deal overseas as he is rated a 7. There are a few spots remaining for the big man, but most teams only have a points value of 4 left.

The league has painted itself into a corner on this one. If they allow these players to sign at reduced points, teams that have completed their rosters will be all over league CEO Chuck Harmison like a cheap suit.

Wollongong Hawks have sharpened their claws and are ready to pounce on the one time favourite son, Glen Saville.

Somehow I think they will welcome "Sav" back with open arms.

Steve Carfino and his two cents worth.

Anthony Stewart is thinking like Warren Buffet right now. Get in while the price is low. Good luck to Stewie and your Little Red Head mate!

Does Tim Johnston equal Christopher Skase? Tim Morrisey answers the question.

Paul Roos (Sydney Swans coach) knows how the Kings players are felling.

The U/19 Emus squad was announced this week. Townsville junior Damon Heuir gets his chance in early June to be one of the final twelve to make the team.

I can only hope he continues to learn from one of the best every Wednesday night when we scrimmage.

All the best Damon but remember to carry a hand!

I usually do not stray from the sport of basketball on here, but I do make exceptions.

Townsville tennis product JP Smith has just finished his freshman year at the University of Tennessee. Qualifying for the NCAA tournament Smith went onto to the championship game before losing to the #1 seed Somdev Devvarman of Virginia.

Smith will return to Townsville in the next few days and I cannot wait to bump into JP and see if he has picked up the art of trash talking. The soften spoken Smith is a hard man to get a word out of during a gym session.

This is quite an accomplishment and I'm sure Smith will look forward to going one better next year.

Lakers/Spurs Game 5 Highlights

Weekly ABA Wrap - Gruber Gets Call Up

Manu just followed his nose to the hoop against the Lakers in Game 3.

We have our first ABA product getting the call up to the NBL. The West Sydney Razorbacks have signed Frankston Blues import Dave Gruber for next season. The Northern Iowa product has been tearing the SEABL up with averages of 27 points to go with 15 boards.

Last weekend also saw Michael Cedar drop nearly 100 points in two games. The Townsville Heat went 3-0 on their southern Queensland road trip. Cedar took it easy on the Ipswich Force, only tallying 16 pts but exploded for 53 against my home town Toowoomba Mountaineers and then 41 on the Northside Wizards the next afternoon.

Mike it will not be that easy when we match up this week!

Queensland: Mackay's Colin Oriard goes for 22pts and 27rebs.

Waratah: Imagine the conversation that Bruce Bolden and Butch Hayes had after their game. These young players aren't like they were back in the '70's when we used to ball as teenagers then go and get our hair faded.

Big V: Damon Lowery has zero free throws. Finally someone notices he is the greatest flopper this country has ever seen.

Western Australia: Geordie Cullen drops 41 to remind NBL coaches he is still around.

South Australia: No stats from the Woodville/Norwood clash. Rumour has it Paul Rees was a little hungry.

SEABL: Greg Vanderjagt was not the answer for the struggling Southern Districts Spartans.

Other News:
Rick Rickert (what was his parents thinking!) is hoping to pass a Kirk Penney lead physical so he can rejoin the New Zealand Breakers this season. Rickert was struck down with a back injury (apparently he tried to piggy back Tony Ronaldson) which cut his season short.

Q & A with Nathan Jawai from the USA.

Luke Cooper has signed with Kilsyth in the SEABL. My sources tell me he is playing very well in some scrimmages in Melbourne. Look for him to be a Dragons development player.

Q & A with Rob Beverage. Got to love the Red Nut.

Kings still looking for help. Bring back The Snake, The Moose and The Man Mountain. Imagine the promo nights you could have!

Wollongong Hawks assistant coach Matt Flinn is not happy, Jan.

NBA News:
San Antonio Spurs get on the board against the Los Angles Lakers but still trail 2-1.

Billups to play through injury.

Noah caught with weed, Josh Howard nowhere to be seen.

Kobe and the Jackass Boys!