June 25, 2010
Since we have spent the last year or so wading through the murky waters of free agency, don’t you think it’s about time we started drawing some conclusions?
But before we come to any real conclusions, a little role play. Imagine yourself as Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant. In just your second week on the job you are faced with the prospect of having to trade away the best player in franchise history in a do or die sign and trade, or watch the two time and defending league MVP simply leave town as an unrestricted free agent. Of course, there is also the possibility of resigning him, but I think the chances of that are very small.
Glad I’m not that guy.
Conclusion #1: The only one that really matters.
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The Franchise | Tagged: Cleveland Cavaliers, Taj Gibson, Joe Johnson, Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Anderson Varejao, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Derrick Rose, Ray Allen, Michael Jordan, Mike Brown, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, David Lee, Doc Rivers, Joakim Noah, Vinny Del Negro, Luol Deng, Kirk Heinrich, Tom Thibodeau, Hubie Brown, King James | 
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Posted by The Franchise
June 18, 2010
Derek Fisher keeps his wife in check: "get under that rope!" (Image courtesy: Wally Skalij / L.A. Times)
I told you so. You don’t remember? From my season preview of the Los Angeles Lakers that Paints in the Point did before the beginning of the season:
This past season, the Lakers won its fifteenth NBA title, defeating the Orlando Magic in five games. Will the Lakers successfully defend their championship this season? Many experts seem to think so, and I’m inclined to agree. The Lakers have only gotten better, and will advance to the Finals, unless something terrible happens, like a meteor colliding with the Staples Center or something like that.
A meteor didn’t collide with the Staples Center this year (though it might have caused less damage than the riots that ensued in Los Angeles after the Lakers won — read on), and subsequently, the Lakers won another title, their sixteenth.
I reiterated my thoughts that the Lakers would win the NBA Finals in Paints in the Point’s “Season Preview” of the Final Standings, not only picking the Lakers to win, but the only Paints Dude to also to have their opponent correct, the Boston Celtics. (Sidebar: A future post will summarize the predictions we made at the beginning of the season, as well as declare one Paints Dude the best for this season.)
This is not to say that I enjoy the Lakers winning the title. I don’t. I hate the Lakers (as does any person who is remotely sane). Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | The Freelancer | Tagged: Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Finals, Derek Fisher, season preview, 2010 free agency, 2010 NBA Finals, riots, Los Angeles riots, rude fans, L.A. Riots, New York Yankees | Permalink
Posted by The Freelancer
June 4, 2010
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
That game got physical real fast. I didn’t expect Paul Pierce to be the initiator, but whatever works (or doesn’t, in this case). Boston looked to try to duplicate past successes against Los Angeles by being tougher, both physically and mentally. They proved neither in last night’s game, but by all rights still may in the approaching games. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | The Custodian | Tagged: 2010 NBA Finals, Boston Celtics, ignoring Chris Rock, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest | Permalink
Posted by The Custodian
May 17, 2010
I don’t know what has happened to the Celtics since the middle of April, but I like it. It isn’t a matter of rediscovering youth, they aren’t going to be able to get that back. Maybe they, and by they I mean Rasheed, have decided to buckle down, dig in, and make one last run before their primes expire. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | The Custodian | Tagged: Boston Celtics, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, Orlando Magic, Ray Allen | Permalink
Posted by The Custodian
May 12, 2010
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
First, a note to those who are ripping LeBron in northeast Ohio: shut up. Did he play poorly? Definitely. Did he lose a bit of aggression? It appears to be the case. But this doesn’t make sense. The last 7 years have been the best Cleveland basketball has ever seen and the worst thing that could happen is for LeBron to leave. So your response is? Booing and labeling him as the source of your losing when a lot of the responsibility lies on his teammates for not defending or making shots. Could he have played better? Absolutely, but this isn’t going to help your cause this year or in the ensuing offseason. He deserves to be criticized for his performance, it was bad. He hasn’t had too many of those in his career, although “3″ seems a bit under the truth. I expect him to come out guns blazing in game 6, otherwise the Cavs will be cast aside this season and possibly for the next several. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | The Custodian | Tagged: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA Playoffs, Rajon Rondo | Permalink
Posted by The Custodian
January 10, 2010
Going into this season, there were at least four and possibly five teams that were seen as head and Dwight Howard’s shoulders above the rest of the league. Those four/five teams were, in no particular order: the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, and possibly the San Antonio Spurs. These teams had the right combination of talent, coaching, and offseason moves to move them into the pantheon of championship contenders for at least this season. Well, something has changed, at least a little bit. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | The Custodian | Tagged: best teams, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Pete Carroll, San Antonio Spurs, Tyreke Evans, Vince Carter | Permalink
Posted by The Custodian
December 25, 2009
Editor’s Note: This was a live blog. As the afternoon progressed, this post was periodically updated with reactions from the quintuple-header (not a “pentuple-header” as incorrectly reported in Podcast #14)
12:00 PM: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” kicks off the action, accompanied by ridiculous clips of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade shaking (obviously empty) wrapped presents, replete with equally ridiculous Santa hats. I have a feeling that I will get sick of this song by the end of the first quarter. Hopefully I’ll be able to dig up a YouTube link in case you haven’t seen it yet.
12:02 PM: Fun stat: Dwyane Wade has played in five Christmas Day (and/or Taiwanese Constitution Day) games over the past seven seasons.
12:06 PM: Dwyane Wade warms up by doing pull ups on the rim of the basket. No big deal.
12:08 PM: Tip-off. The Knicks win the tip, sporting green jerseys that look awful.
12:15 PM: Now, those are three words you don’t hear that often in the same sentence: “Knicks,” “winning,” and “streak.” Apparently, they have a five-game home winning streak, dating back to November 29.
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Leave a Comment » | The Freelancer | Tagged: All I Want For Christmas Is You, Boston Celtics, Christmas, Cleveland Cavaliers, Derek Fisher, Dwyane Wade, Jamario Moon, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Live Blog, Los Angeles Lakers, Mariah Carey, Miami Heat, Mo Williams, NBA, NBA Christmas Special, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Shaq, Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskus | Permalink
Posted by The Freelancer
