NBA- Eastern Conference Finals

What Has Happened

The Boston Celtics are peaking at the right time.  Understatement?  Absolutely.  I watch a lot of NBA games and this Celtics team has not clicked like this since the 2008 NBA Finals.  Rajon Rondo is all of a sudden making a case for himself as the best PG in the game.  Remember in 2008 when everyone was questioning whether or not the Celtics could win the title?  Remember why?  Much of the talk was about the inconsistent play of Rondo and his lack of a jump shot.  Watching him play at Kentucky, I never imagined that he would be anything more than a solid defender and back up PG.  Now he is on the brink of leading his team to the NBA Finals.  Thoughts from the first two games:

-Someone should ask Paul Pierce if there is any difference between being defended by Lebron James and Vince Carter.  Vince is showing his true colors in this series.  Wincing in pain when he bumps his wrist and then missing clutch free throws.  Letting Pierce work him over for bucket after bucket.  Air Canada is showing once again that he is more show than substance.  Pierce vs. Vince is the ultimate substance vs. style match up.  Vince is the guy dunking while everyone is warming up for the pick up game.  Pierce is the guy taking step back jumpers at the elbow.  Give me the guy working on his "ugly" game; he wins ballgames.

-Ray Allen is one of the most underrated basketball players to ever play the game.  He is not an underrated shooter because that is what everyone always talks about when they mention Ray (rightfully so).  However, what people usually fail to mention is how efficient he is getting to the rim and that he plays solid defense every night.  It is rare to see a player who can get in done on the offensive and defensive end of the court the way Ray does.  The guy will be 35 this summer and remains one of the most well conditioned players in the league.

-Kendrick Perkins is a solid low post defender.  His offensive game is limited and he doesn't elevate well, but he really does match up well with a physical presence like Dwight Howard.  The combination of Perkins, Glen Davis, and Rasheed Wallace has really frustrated Howard through the first two games of the series.  Not having to double team Howard has made Pietrus, Barnes, and Nelson ineffective from the perimeter.

-The Celtics came out in Game 1 with full momentum from the series with the Cavs.  The Magic looked overwhelmed from the tip.  Ray Allen and Paul Pierce carried the scoring for the Celtics in Game 1.  Allen did very little in Game 2 and Pierce did most of his scoring in the 1st half.  That is what makes this team so tough, they still found a way to win Game 2. 

-JJ Redick's story is very different than Rondo's, but they are similar in the way they have both really stepped up their games since arriving in the NBA.  Redick was Orlando's second best player in Game 2 with Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter struggling. 

-Lets not overlook that both wins were IN ORLANDO.  Boston hasn't been great at home this year, but it really says something about how well this team is playing to win the first two on the road.

-I didn't mention Rashard Lewis ($110 Million Dollar Man) yet because I'm still not sure he realizes that the Conference Finals have started. 

Whats Up Next

Game 3 in Boston on Saturday.  7:30 PM (CT) on ESPN. 


Around the Corner

Who implodes first: Rasheed Wallace or Ron Artest?  Basketball fans everywhere are getting excited about the possibility of the Celtics and Lakers meeting in the finals, but I think that fans of "watching grown men quickly lose their tempers for no good reason" everywhere are even more excited about the possibility of Rasheed being matched up with Ron Ron for a possession or two.

Fun Fact

Brian Scalabrine has been drawing a paycheck in the National Basketball Association for 8 years.  That means that over the last 7 years hundreds of players have declared for the draft early only to later find out that they are not worth more than Brian Scalabrine to any team in the NBA.  I feel like someone should start a treatment center immediately for those who have been affected by this phenomenon.