Sunday, February 1, 2009
Lakers @ Celtics
Introduction
Note: All stats are retroactive to late December 2008.
In a bout between the two of the most dominant teams in the NBA, the Lakers will head to the East Coast to take on KG and the C’s next Thursday in the T.D. Bank North Garden on TNT. This will be a primetime rematch of last year’s NBA Finals and a another chapter added to the renewed rivalry of the NBA’s two most historic and heralded franchises.
Showcasing the NBA’s brightest stars, the Lakers and Celtics will put forth multiple NBA All-Stars, MVPs, and Olympic Gold Medalists to provide for some unique matchups. The quest for an 18th championship is underway in Boston, while Kobe and Phil Jackson look to replicate the past success of the Lakers of the Kobe and Shaq era. Both teams have been at the top of their conferences for majority of the past two seasons. The Lakers took the first matchup on Christmas Day.
Key Matchups
Garnett vs. Gasol
Kevin Garnett
6’11’’, 220 08-09 Season: PPG. 16, RPG 9.6, BPG 1.3
2k9 Ratings: 97 overall, Inside Scoring A, Post Defense A,
Basketball I.Q. A+
Garnett is the best defensive player in the league. His leadership, awareness (99 Def. Awareness), and ability to hold others accountable while leading by example are what separate him from anyone in the world. This guy gives it his all on every night unlike anything I’ve ever seen before (99 Hustle). His intensity and energy are a constant. The Celtics are undefeated since November 14th. He and Coach Tom Thibodeau are the reason behind the #1 ranked defenses in the NBA the past two seasons. Gasol’s length will aggravate Kg’s offensive skill set but KG’s relentlessness to drive straight into Gasol’s chest will get him to the free throw line ( 96 Close Range Scoring). He can also shoot the 18 foot jumper at the top of the key as good as anyone in the Association.
Pau Gasol
7’, 250 08-09 Season: PPG 18, 9.3, BPG .09
2k9 Ratings: 91 overall, Inside Scoring A-, Post Defense A, Basketball I.Q. A-
Gasol filled a void for the Lakers when their young big man Andrew Bynum went down to injury. Gasol is an excellent and legitimate triple threat post player. He can face opposing defenders up who lack his speed and drive on them; he can pass out of the post, or use some of his great footwork and drop a jump hook (94 Shot in Traffic). The triangle offense flourishes with him on the block with his offensive awareness (90). His ability to bring the opposing bigs out of the lane with the range he has on his shot (78 Medium Range Shot) can provide avenues for Kobe to drive the lane. Garnett’s toughness on the boards poses a problem for Gasol at times who has been somewhat reluctant to mix it up in the paint. Look for Gasol to be ready with Bynum behind his back.
Bryant vs. Pierce
Kobe Bryant
6’6’’, 205 08-09 Season: 24.0 PPG, 4.2 APG,
29% 3-point FGs
NBA 2k9 Ratings: 99 Overall, B+ Inside Scoring, B Outside Scoring, A Perimeter Defense, A+ Basketball I.Q.
The Black Mamba has the best basketball skills of any individual in the world. His size, speed, strength and control can break down even the best defense in the NBA (99 Close Range Scoring, 96 Ball Handles, 94 Quickness). The key for Kobe is touching the purple paint. When the Lakers struggled in the NBA Finals, Kobe was swarmed to and he either A) gave up on the play or passed the ball before creating, or B) he decided to take a contested jump shot outside of 18 feet. He will not be matched up one on one with Pierce as he will see multiple defenses thrown at him. Ray Allen most likely will start the game to cover him and Pierce and Tony Allen will switch and defend him as well.
If the 4th quarter assassin Kobe shows up to start the game, the Lakers will win. He must get in the paint and create (99 Offensive Awareness) for his team against a team defense that will protect the hoop. Also, with a role reversal of the past few years, Kobe can now expend substantial amounts of energy on defense since he doesn’t have to score at will for his team to win. Kobe can be an All NBA defensive player when he has to. Look for Ray Allen to be a bit shaken with Kobe in his grill in the first half.
Paul Pierce
6’7”, 235 08-09 Season: 18.8 PPG, 6 RPG, 3.8 APG
NBA 2k9 Ratings: 92 Overall, A- Outside Scoring, B- Inside Scoring, A Basketball I.Q.
A determined and hungry Paul Pierce is bad news for the NBA. The Truth (85 Ball Handles, 89 Shot Off-Dribble) is a matchup problem for Odom and Radmonovic because his skill set allow him to drive past taller and bigger defenders. The ideal matchup for the Lakers is to put Kobe on him. Pierce’s constant determination to get to the free throw line can break a defense down.
Pierce is averaging 7.8 free throw attempts on just 13 shot attempts per game. Once in the lane, Pierce becomes a facilitator for his offense, much like Kobe is. He can finish with contact as good as anyone in the league (Shot in Traffic 82, 85 Close Range Scoring). Pierce is an underrated dribbler and passer (97 Offensive Awareness) and he will dish to his teammates when his shot is off. He can score inside or out. Also, we cannot underestimate the leadership and toughness Pierce is bringing to the defensive side of the ball since the arrival of KG. Paul is closing out on shooters, crowding them on the perimeter and forcing them into the teeth of his Celtics defense.
The Lakers Offense
L.A. is scoring 108.5 points per game – highest in the NBA as of December 13, 2008. Phil Jackson has the benefit of having three very skilled and intelligent basketball players in Kobe (A+ I.Q.), Gasol (A- I.Q.) and Fisher (B I.Q.) to be his main components in the triangle. Having basketball smarts, the triangle can be ran through Kobe, Gasol, or even Odom, who is an excellent passer for a big man. The deadly shooting of Vujicic (89 3-point shooting) and Radmonovic (86 3-point shooting) provide for great spacing for the triangle to operate as they tend to spot up in corners and wings on the perimeter.
The triangle between three players on the strong side of the court can be used to create give and goes from an entry pass to the post with a guard or forward flashing to the hoop. It can also provide a strong two-man game on the weak side allowing for pick and roll’s between Kobe and Gasol. This two man game will force the Celtics to defend Kobe and Gasol man to man for the threat of the shooters in the corners – if you help off these shooters, they get clean looks at 3’s. Look for Kobe to utilize the on-ball screen from Gasol on the top of the key and on the wings. Kobe likes to do a give and go and if a defender falls underneath Gasol on the screen, he gets a hand-off right back on a fade for a quick jumper. Gasol also likes to roll hard to the hoop while the defense is on its heels from Kobe’s attack. Like I said before, if Kobe attacks the paint, he is automatic from the free throw line extended (99 Close Range Scoring, 87 Mid Range Scoring) and is most effective.
The Celtics do a great job playing help defense and rotating to open shooters. They almost never give up uncontested shots. Look for L.A. to attempt to get out on the fast breaks to open up some easy scoring opportunities. Gasol and Bynum should be able to beat Perkins down the floor easily.
Lakers Bench
The 6’10’’ Lamar Odom (82 Overall) leads a Lakers bench that is arguably the deepest in the NBA. With Odom, Farmar, Vujacic, and Ariza, the Lakers can still score points and play up-tempo basketball. This is where they will have an advantage over the Celtics.
The Celtics Offense
Ray Allen (88 Overall) has been lighting it up from three this year (92 3-Point Shooting) and leads the team in scoring at 18.9 PPG. In a tight game, Ray Allen is a 90% foul shooter and is targeted for the big shot by his teammates. With Kobe on him, he will be mediocre. With Vujacic on him, he will dominate.
Third year guard Rajon Rondo (86 overall) is the catalyst to the
Celtics offense. He delivers the ball (88 Pass) to the Big 3 at the most opportune moments to give them the best shots available. On the flip side, the Celtics have been dominant this year, but they haven’t outscored opponents like the Cavaliers have done partly because of the inconsistent play of Rondo and point guard. While some argue he is an All-Star this year, the Celtics commit many unforced turnovers due to lack of discipline. I attribute part of this to Rondo who has been given permission to call 80% of the plays on the court. I also attribute the turnovers to Head Coach Doc Rivers who hasn’t established a set offensive strategy with a group of three hall-of-famers. To be fair, Rondo is a matchup problem (93 Speed, 95 Quickness) for either Fisher or Farmer; both whom couldn’t contain him even by playing off him in the half court set. The Celtics will win if Rondo plays well. The C’s are scoring 100.9 PPG.
The Celtics Defense
The Celtics do a great job of protecting the paint and the rim. Holding opponents to 41.3% field goal percentage a game is tops in the league. Garnett (95 Post Defense) and Perkins (B+ Post Defense, B+ Rebounding, 90 Shot-Block Skill) provide toughness on the boards. Look for the Celtics to hedge hard on pick and roll situations; meaning the Celtics help defender comes out and attacks the ball handler forcing him around an extra defender. Leon Powe and Kevin Garnett are ideal for defending the pick and rolls against Kobe and Gasol as both are capable of moving their feet to recover and protect the hoop if Gasol rolls, or if Kobe attacks. I expect Allen to start the game on Kobe followed by Pierce and Tony Allen (A- Perimeter Defense). Pierce held Kobe in check from attacking the rim in last year’s Finals with his new found grittiness on the defensive end. The loss of James Posey has yet to surface but I expect the Celtics to feel his absence against the Lakers offense if the Truth fails to lock up Kobe (he may fail miserably).
My Prediction
The Lakers and Kobe have been rollin’. Ariza has been the defensive help that Kobe has needed his whole career. He’s been manning up the opposing shooting guards and small forwards providing Kobe with more energy to control the offensive tempo.
Bynum has also been playing like a man and the Celtics have no answer for him at this point in the season. Powe can battle him, Big Baby can push him a bit, but Bynum’s length and footwork will bother a slower Big Baby (and also a slower Kendrick Perkins).
The emergence of Eddie House’s aerial assault playing with Rondo has provided a huge break for the starters. House shifts to the deadly shooting guard on the court with Rondo and he has hit seven 3-point field goals in the three of his last four games.
On the down side, the C’s could be without their new 6th man Scalabrine. Yes, I said Brian Scalabrine. Big Red has been an integral part for the C’s over the last nine games defending players from Dwight Howard to Dirk Nowitzki. More importantly, like House, Big Scal has been able to munch up minutes to keep the Big 3 fresh.
I honestly think the Celtics will win because their chemistry is back; but I picked them to win on Christmas and they lost so I am taking the Lakers.
109-105 Lakers
I don’t want to jinx my Celtics ; )
Enjoy the Game.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The reason I was #58 throughout my football playing days and the "58" to my username, DT was taken from this earth during the prime of his career.
He paved the way for speed rushers like Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, and Javon Kearse. Essentially he showed how valuable a player of that caliber at that position could be in the NFL.
However, Thomas also had the versatility to step back and play OLB. He wasn't a run-stuffer and never bragged about his ability to stop the run, but no one cares how many QB sacks Ray Lewis has either.
The point being, he was one of the best to ever play the position and he has finally been honored as such.
More importantly, it was sad to see him leave the game and lose his life through tragic circumstances. His legacy will forever be remembered now. Amen to that.
Sounds like another road trip to Canton this July.
Friday, January 30, 2009
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Mountain West Conference has begun a movement to have their conference added to the list of automatic BCS qualifiers for the FBS bowl season in college football.
Utah, BYU, and TCU all finished in the top 25 at the conclusion of this past season. All teams are from the Mountain West Conference. Utah was the only undefeated team in FBS but was denied a chance to play for the national championship, losing out to one-loss teams Florida, and Oklahoma.
There is much speculation regarding what the response from BCS officials (school presidents) will be regarding the request.
Many feel that the BCS big-whigs will say "well we already have a contract...try again next go-round".
However, such a statement might further validate the arguments of Utah's attorney general in stating that the BCS violates Anti-Trust laws by not giving all schools in FBS a fair chance at a national championship.
There is also a congressional bill from early last year that proposes a restriction on BCS games, preventing the BCS from using the words "national championship" on any of their games unless a playoff is instated.
How do you think the BCS will respond to the requests of the MWC?
For further notes on a BCS/Playoff Hybrid concept, visit my previous blog: http://www.operationsports.com/jmik58/blog/1515-bcs-bowl-playoff-hybrid/
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
- Fallout 3 Operation: Anchorage DLC
- Joystiq gets a redesign
- Rumor: PSP 2 Coming Soon, Touch Screen Enabled?
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Monday, January 26, 2009
I'm sure many of you have read this story or heard about it on the news. A girls high school basketball game in Dallas, Texas, ended with a 100-0 final. The two schools involved (the way I understand) are relgiously affiliated schools and are relatively small in enrollment.
So you have a case of one team getting excited over trying to reach the century mark while another struggles to find the offensive side of the court at all.
Pretty nasty game, but the score easily could have been 200-0....so we just let it be and move on correct?
No, sir.
The coach of the winning team has been fired by school officials for the lopsided victory over a team that hasn't won in game in like 4 years.
The coach is defending himself saying that his girls played with "honor and integrity".
There is no mercy rule in girls basketball in the state of Texas for a stoppage of the game or a constantly running clock.
So who is at fault? Or is anyone to blame? Is this just a lesson in something that is out of everyone's control?
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Saturday, January 24, 2009
Here's one of my latest features.
The BCS Quandary and How Video Games Can Help
There is a level of preferential treatment that certain universities may be receiving because they bring a ton of revenue to the athletic programs via television. The Bowl Conference Championship Series exemplifies the emphasis on revenue and financial bottom lines.
The BCS system may be perceived to be in existence to guarantee many major conferences and regional sports networks (RSNs) television and media exposure in the multiple bowl games held at the end of the NCAA Division I football season.
The raw power of RSNs and sponsors drive mainstream sports in the U.S., and it is no different with the BCS Series. However, there is a spillover effect here: Institutions are competing to find success in any way they can to land a bowl game. This can challenge the integrity of the game, whether it is due to malpractice in recruiting or giving preferential treatment to football programs over other sports programs within an institution. In the case of the latter, this challenges Title IX sanctions in place to restrict such abuses of funding.
The NCAA is talking in the same language as the movie Jerry Maguire: Show me the money!
Legal Aspect
As stated above, with so much money on the line, I would not put it past some universities to give preferential treatment to their football programs.
Another issue is that the BCS conferences allegedly receive preferential treatment in the form of millions of dollars in bowl bids and earnings over non-BCS conferences. This cycle is essentially creating a second class of conferences that do not benefit from the multimillion-dollar media and sponsorship deals done with the BCS -- not to mention a lack of prime-time exposure to showcase their schools to potential prospects.
The Associated Press has reported that the University of Utah is looking into the Sherman Antitrust Act to see if a lawsuit can be filed against the BCS. In case you have been living under a rock, The University of Utah went undefeated this season and did not receive a bid to play in the National Championship. This is the second time that has happened to Utah since 2003.
To succeed in a lawsuit, the university would have to prove a conspiracy exists that creates a monopoly amongst the already established BCS conferences.
The Sherman Act of 1890 states, "Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $10,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $350,000."
The Act also states that no contracts shall be in "combination in form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce between any such territory and another –- and any such state and another."
If so, it is declared illegal.
Is the BCS a monopoly of sorts? Is the BCS conducting contracts across territories and states while excluding others? It sure looks that way from my perspective. The smaller conferences are missing out on the big television contracts that are being negotiated.
When Utah’s Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff, was asked by the Associated Press on the matter, he was quoted as saying, "It's not about bragging rights. It's a multimillion dollar -- hundreds of millions -- business where the BCS schools get richer and non-BCS get poorer."
If you look at the facts, it seems like Utah might have a valid argument.
Time for NCAA Football 10 to step up and deliver what fans really want.
As a governing body, the NCAA must be at the top of its game at all times to preserve the integrity, history and prestige of collegiate athletics while moving ahead. So, how about giving some fans a vehicle to mobilize potential ideas into productive solutions?
As an NCAA Football 09 player, a Dynasty mode with a unique ability to govern the NCAA’s conferences and BCS could be quite engaging. We are already provided with a function in preseason to tinker with scheduling and the rearranging of conferences -- just imagine tinkering with the BCS.
We all have creative minds and ideas here within our Operation Sports community. Why not give players an option to be the NCAA governance itself? This would allow for huge amounts of creativity for both online and offline dynasty users. Each dynasty could take on a whole new personality and mold to the preferences of the players.
Adding components such as RSN deals would make your dynasty even more competitive and realistic. For example, landing a conference television deal or receiving a bowl bid would result in more recruiting revenue for the university and an increase in prospect interest -- and really, that is just one way more flexibility and customization would add value to a Dynasty mode in NCAA Football 10.
These little options that you could tinker with while setting up your dynasty could go a long way in the replay-value department. Adding and subtracting conferences of your choice to the BCS, adjusting the values of the BCS formula components, and even manipulating the bowl games to simulate a more playoff-based system would develop an unprecedented level of customization in a sports game.
It does not look like the BCS is going away any time soon. But, as a sports gamer, it would be awfully interesting to see what could be done as the virtual NCAA governing body.
Friday, January 23, 2009
http://www.operationsports.com/forum...n-manning.html
A recent SI article (followed up by a good discussion on the forums) states that Kurt Warner is a better QB than Peyton Manning.
Before going any further, my Iowa roots would bias me towards Kurt on a personal level, while I also have believed that Peyton is the best QB I've seen play. So if I was to render a decision on who was better, it would be a torn decision.
But my aim isn't to make a decision; instead I think it's important for people to realize this is a debate with an answer.
There are situations where you can't definitively say that one guy is better than another because they are relatively close in skill and in statistics.
First, I dare someone to even define what a QB is.
QB's don't even take all of the snaps from center anymore, and when they do they are asked to do a variety of things based on the offense they are running.
A focus on statistics doesn't demonstrate a better QB. There are 21 other players on the field at the same time, plays are designed and developed by varying degrees of minds, etc. Factors upon factors make this another debate that doesn't have a clear answer.
Are there things Kurt is better at? Yep. And Peyton? You bet.
It's all relative anyways. Unless Peyton and Kurt go around playing for the same team in equal proportions, then there's no way to know.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Michael Irvin will be hosting a show that will take in washed-up football stories..er, i mean people...with the winner claiming a spot on the Dallas Cowboys training camp roster for 2009.
My first thought is of the small college player who works his tail off and loses out to a shmo from a Spike "reality" show.
Also, the competition is for WR and DB's only.
The Cowboys love sideshows and flamboyant receivers and d-backs. Jerry Jones knows how to run a business in this era of shock-and-awe television. However, he definitely has lost his touch and doesn't know how to build a championship caliber team in this era of football.
I've always been annoyed at the arrogance that surrounds the Cowboys organization. They haven't accomplished anything significant for several years to flaunt.
If I was going to like anything about the concept at all, it definitely wouldn't be the choice of receivers and defensive backs exclusively. How is it a legitimate show giving equal opportunity to all? Of course I'm biased because I believe the most important players on the field are offensive and defensive linemen.
Hmm..maybe that's why the Cowboy's have struggled? Too much attention to skill players and not enough to the big ugglies.
Only in America can a cocaine addict from a has-been organization pull off something so rediculous. And only when the Dallas Cowboys are involved.
Thank you for reminding me why I love college football and that the NFL is little more than WWE with pads on.
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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Hope you all enjoyed the holidays. I will be writing a bit less for the upcoming months in case any of you follow any of my articles (which I appreciate). I have a huge course load to finish up school.
Anyways, I am an avid NBA and hoops fan and so I will continue to write some NBA match-up articles and see what kind of response I get. The Celtics Lakers match-up was fun to do and I have another one on the way.
On a side note, espn.com has launched a new network of blogging called True Hoops Network where basketball blogs across the web are posted. It looks pretty fun. There is always good stuff on True Hoops.
I'm thinking we can get some Operation Sports Content on there and perhaps my NBA Matchups on there too. Check it out here http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/...p-Network.html
All the Best,
Steve B.
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