This year's Eastern Conference Finals is a series between and old and new era. While Boston's Big Three is on their last leg, the Miami Heat's Big Three are looking to be the kings of this decade. Boston's Big Three has seen it all even before they were teammates and have all been around since I was between the ages of three and six. With this all being said, here is what to watch for in this year's match-up.
On Boston's Side:
Boston is going to have to rely on Kevin Garnett to continue his consistent play for this series. Also, with no one really to guard Dwayne Wade, there will be a lot trouble making sure he doesn't score, especially after he was on a tear in the last couple of games in the semi-finals. Rajon Rondo also has to be the the best player on the team in order for the Celtics to win. He is going to have to have the type of nights that he had in game seven where he took over the fourth quarter. If Rondo can show that confidence, the entire team will go on his back and it will give the Celtics Big Three a chance to drink from the fountain of youth with a chance to reach the NBA Finals for the third time in five years.
On Miami's Side
If LeBron James and Dwayne Wade can do what they did in the last games of the semi-finals against the Pacers, the Heat will be in the finals for sure. If they can't get their role players such as Mike Miller and Shane Battier involved, it will be a tough series because once you take LeBron and Wade out of the paint, they are the most vulnerable team in the playoffs. With that being said, Udonis Haslem needs to be very physical and must be on his defensive game in this series as long as Chris Bosh is out. With him out, the Heat will have their hands full against Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett. However if LeBron James and Dwayne Wade attack the paint, the Boston Big Three era will come to an end.
Match-Ups
Mario Chalmers vs. Rajon Rondo
Advantage: Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo is a walking triple double and will give Mario Chalmers and the rest of the Miami Heat a huge headache.
Ray Allen vs Dwayne Wade
Adavantage: Dwayne Wade
The only way that The Celtics are going to stop Dwayne Wade is if they put a good defender with long arms like Mickael Pietrus. If the year was 2001 or 2002, then we'd be talking about what great of a match-up this will be and how close it is going to be. But with old legs vs. younger and quicker legs, this match-up is easily Wade's.
Paul Pierce vs LeBron James
Advantage: LeBron James
As great as a defender as Paul Pierce is, he's going up against the best player in the world who is also having an outstanding postseason. LeBron James will win this battle, enough said.
Udonis Haslem vs. Brandon Bass
Advantage: Udonis Haslem
As good a player as Brandon Bass is, Udonis Haslem is the type of guy that can defend on the ball as well as without the ball. Haslem has scored double-digits in his past two games and even if his play isn't always shown in the box score, he can shut down a lot of people and give guys like Bass some trouble. With his physical play, Udonis Haslem wins this match-up.
Ronny Turiaf vs Kevin Garnett
Advantage: Kevin Garnett
This is an easy one. Even though Garnett is playing center which is not his natural position, most people on the Heat without Bosh will be a bad match-up against Garnett. Garnett has been the most consistent player on the Celtics in this entire postseason and is playing as if he was back in his Timberwolves days, averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds per game. Also, this guy is probably one of the most physical players and most determined players in the NBA today and he is on a mission to try and win one more championship and will not let a guy like Turiaf get in his way.
Prediction for the Series:
The Miami Heat will win this series in six close games because of the quickness of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. When those two guys are going off, there's very little a player can do to stop them. Also, if Mike Miller, Norris Cole, Shane Battier, and Udonis Haslem play well, the Heat will be very tough to beat. This means it'll be the Miami Heat representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
No Surprise Ricky Rubio Has Been This Good
Before Ricky Rubio touched an NBA basketball court, there were speculations from all of the basketball experts saying that Rubio didn't have a shot or the game would be too fast for him in the NBA, even after they saw the amazing passes that he had over in Europe to his teammates. However, since his first sniff of NBA action, Rubio has yet to disappoint and it should not even be a surprise.
1. The Pace is quicker in North America
In the Euroleague, the game is a lot more of a half-court game. The players are not as fast and teams are not as focussed on getting on the fast break. Also, with most defenses being zones overseas, it is difficult to have a game that can compete with Rubio's passing. Since Rubio has been in the NBA, because of his passing, he has been able to keep up with the NBA on the break. The NBA has some of the quickest basketball players in the world and the NBA is the only league where Rubio's passing would succeed. It's almost like putting Steve Nash or Jason Kidd in FC Barcelona and telling them to play like the NBA. It would be impossible because the styles are just that different. With guys like Kevin Love, Derrick Williams, and Michael Beasley who can all run, it makes it that much easier for Ricky Rubio to make a ton of highlights. Because the game is quicker, it makes it easier for Rubio to put up shots. When people thought he couldn't shoot in a faster paced game, he's proved his critics wrong, scoring 10.8 points per game as a starter which is not bad for a rookie point guard who is also averaging 8.7 assists per game; an amazing stat for a rookie point guard.
2. He has done it with against NBA players before
People tend to forget that Ricky Rubio had played against the best NBA players before his first NBA season. His first game against NBA talent was in the 2008 Summer Olympics when he faced the Redeem team twice. In the two games that he faced them, he averaged 7 points per game and 3.5 assists as a seventeen year old while facing guys like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and Dwight Howard. Then in 2010, as a 19 year old, he faced the 2010 FIBA USA team that had Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. In that game, he only had 6 points and 3 assists. Then that same year, he faced a Kobe-less Laker team in a preseason game and got a win against the Lakers. In that game, Rubio would be held scoreless, but he got 3 assists. Despite the low numbers, the fact that he was able to score 7 points as a 17 year old against NBA superstars and play against NBA type teams three times is a great way to get a guy like that prepared for a full NBA season. It also helps when on the 2008 and 2010 teams, he was able to play with many NBA players such as Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Jose Caulderon, Rudy Fernandez, Carlos Jimenez, Jorge Garbajosa, and Juan Carlos Navarro. With playing with and against talent like that, there is no surprise at all that Ricky Rubio is turning out to be the player a lot of people have wanted him to be.
3. He's Been a Professional Ever Since He Was a Teenager
Ricky Rubio has been a pro for a while. You can say that he is a veteran professional basketball player. Rubio has been playing professional basketball since he was 16 when he made his Euroleague for FC Barcelona on October 24, 2006. With having that much experience in being a pro, it makes the transition into the NBA easier for Rubio than rookie players who are coming out of college. Rubio knows what it's like to travel on the road, he knows how to live like an adult in the life as a professional. He also knows how to deal with the professional basketball media in some way and he's helped his Barcelona team win a championship. With that in mind, he had a lot of leverage over his rookie counterparts, since they were only in college the year before. That means that college players going to the NBA have to get used to playing against the best players in the world, whereas Rubio has been doing it for six years. This all gives him a huge head start as he has shown in the first chapter of his NBA career.
Ricky Rubio is not a player that should surprise the basketball fan. He is a veteran professional basketball player that is playing in the style that fits for him. With him averaging veteran point guard numbers now, there's a good chance he could one day become one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game.
1. The Pace is quicker in North America
In the Euroleague, the game is a lot more of a half-court game. The players are not as fast and teams are not as focussed on getting on the fast break. Also, with most defenses being zones overseas, it is difficult to have a game that can compete with Rubio's passing. Since Rubio has been in the NBA, because of his passing, he has been able to keep up with the NBA on the break. The NBA has some of the quickest basketball players in the world and the NBA is the only league where Rubio's passing would succeed. It's almost like putting Steve Nash or Jason Kidd in FC Barcelona and telling them to play like the NBA. It would be impossible because the styles are just that different. With guys like Kevin Love, Derrick Williams, and Michael Beasley who can all run, it makes it that much easier for Ricky Rubio to make a ton of highlights. Because the game is quicker, it makes it easier for Rubio to put up shots. When people thought he couldn't shoot in a faster paced game, he's proved his critics wrong, scoring 10.8 points per game as a starter which is not bad for a rookie point guard who is also averaging 8.7 assists per game; an amazing stat for a rookie point guard.2. He has done it with against NBA players before
People tend to forget that Ricky Rubio had played against the best NBA players before his first NBA season. His first game against NBA talent was in the 2008 Summer Olympics when he faced the Redeem team twice. In the two games that he faced them, he averaged 7 points per game and 3.5 assists as a seventeen year old while facing guys like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and Dwight Howard. Then in 2010, as a 19 year old, he faced the 2010 FIBA USA team that had Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. In that game, he only had 6 points and 3 assists. Then that same year, he faced a Kobe-less Laker team in a preseason game and got a win against the Lakers. In that game, Rubio would be held scoreless, but he got 3 assists. Despite the low numbers, the fact that he was able to score 7 points as a 17 year old against NBA superstars and play against NBA type teams three times is a great way to get a guy like that prepared for a full NBA season. It also helps when on the 2008 and 2010 teams, he was able to play with many NBA players such as Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Jose Caulderon, Rudy Fernandez, Carlos Jimenez, Jorge Garbajosa, and Juan Carlos Navarro. With playing with and against talent like that, there is no surprise at all that Ricky Rubio is turning out to be the player a lot of people have wanted him to be.3. He's Been a Professional Ever Since He Was a Teenager
Ricky Rubio has been a pro for a while. You can say that he is a veteran professional basketball player. Rubio has been playing professional basketball since he was 16 when he made his Euroleague for FC Barcelona on October 24, 2006. With having that much experience in being a pro, it makes the transition into the NBA easier for Rubio than rookie players who are coming out of college. Rubio knows what it's like to travel on the road, he knows how to live like an adult in the life as a professional. He also knows how to deal with the professional basketball media in some way and he's helped his Barcelona team win a championship. With that in mind, he had a lot of leverage over his rookie counterparts, since they were only in college the year before. That means that college players going to the NBA have to get used to playing against the best players in the world, whereas Rubio has been doing it for six years. This all gives him a huge head start as he has shown in the first chapter of his NBA career.Ricky Rubio is not a player that should surprise the basketball fan. He is a veteran professional basketball player that is playing in the style that fits for him. With him averaging veteran point guard numbers now, there's a good chance he could one day become one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game.
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