Cavaliers-Bulls:
In predicting this series I have the advantage of having been camping this weekend, which (as camping is wont to do) limited my access to Cable TV and the internet. I was therefore unable to post on this series before it started. This was compounded by the fact that, by the time I got around to writing this, the second game of the series ended. Therefore, I definitively know that the Cavs are up 2 games to none and can use this information to predict what will happen next. But, though I'm no frequentist, I didn't need this wealth of information and can throw it away in making my prediction. I need only to study LeBron's face to know the Cavs will win in 4.
This particular Cleveland team is stronger than the one we saw last year. The addition of Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison make a team many had favored to win it all last year, even more favored. Add to this a rested LeBron, the stinging hunger of a team that lost when they were expected to win (ask the Lakers, if you can rouse them from their current nap), and an expiring contract that may mean this is everybody's (well, everybody except LeBron's) last chance and you get a team that is so motivated to win that they will be tempted to strangle the CityCorps kids who hold the American Flag just to get the game started. These Cavs are not happy. And their lack of happiness makes me think they will eat everyone in their path from Orlando and LA to, should the fools make the mistake of taking them on, the national guard.
In the other corner you have a team that doesn't really belong in the playoffs. Sure, they gave us last year's greatest series. But without John Salmons and Ben Gordon and their 33 ppg its a miracle these kids made the playoffs at all. A "miracle" that was only made possible by a season ending injury to Chris Bosh (we wish Bosh the best and hope his features aren't too altered by his stitches for reasons that will eventually become apparent). Sure Rose and Noah are talented. But they're only slightly more talented than the top two players on any NBA team -- every team does, after all, have a couple of insanely good players. Slightly better than the minimal standard, mixed with Del Negro's sub-par coaching, is not enough to go head to head against the league's best. Expect The Cavs to crush like that machine that crushes cars. And expect to see the Real LBJ move on and up, trying in vain to satisfy his unquenchable thirst for opponents' heads. Expect to check back in with Chicago in July when they woo Bosh and Boozer.
Interesting Stories:
This is likely to be one of the least interesting series this year; nevertheless, it will likely have its moments. If the Cavs are able to actually win a championship I expect a non-trivial amount of ink will be spilled on Shaq (with the tacit assumption that he agrees to retire). Assuming the Cavs actually get past the Magic, his should be one of the more interesting stories this team has to offer. But before he can be crowned 6th best player of all time (if they fail, he'll be stuck at 7th), he's got an early challenge in Joakim Noah. Seeing how he does against Chicago's favorite ugly center (sorry, we're Garnett fans) may be a good indicator of what he'll bring to the Cavs this post-season. Similarly, going head to head against Shaq will be a good way to test the young Noah's mettle on both ends of the court. So far the consensus seems to be that Shaq is back, but let's see if the pattern holds over the rest of the quickest of all playoff series.
Prediction:
Cavs in 4
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Update:
ReplyDeleteFor the reasons outlined at the beginning of the post, I haven't really been following all things 1-8 in the east. This means I've missed some juicy gossip nuggets. I'll try to keep you all informed of them in the very near future, as there likely won't be too much more time Chicago has in the playoffs. Apparently Noah likes to get himself and his team motivated by dissing the city his opponents are from. This can be a fun and possibly even effective gimmick and it has a pretty long history of use. Unfortunately this won't work for the Bulls for two reasons. Firstly, the unfortunate genetics that so disfigure Noah's face (I told you not to mention KG) seem to also affect his mind. Noah was asked if the booing he received in game 2 bothered him, and he responded, "What? That Cleveland sucks!" Clever as this was, he should have just made a farting noise and moved on. Secondly, the Real LBJ (as he is affectionately known around here) happens to be from the area and possesses not a tiny bit of hometown pride, and you know what a wiser man that Jokim once said about tugging on superman's cape... don't do it if you like your head.
Nah, I'd like it if number two were true, but the truth is Noah is less than an ant to LeBron. He's got his gaze turned firmly towards Oscar Robertson right now and can't be bothered by the latest from the NBA's leading pony tail expert. But, you know, it can't help.
Another delightful Jazz (Carmelo is now pressured to win back all uses of the word) of gossip involved Noah literally taunting The King to shoot the ball from the outside, as if this were a mere pickup game and LeBron's feelings were malleable enough that he could be dared into taking the shots. Despite all odds, his nefarious plan worked to perfection. Unfortunately, LeBron scored 40 points, including a nice, smooth, and long shot literally in and around Noah's face. God I love this game.
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