Blog Wars: Part 3
Those LA Times guys are really getting on my nerves. I mean, there's two of them. And they don't even have a football team out there. Ridiculous.
In today's edition of our Blog Wars, Andrew Kamenetzky and I pick an X factor from each team in the series. Obviously my pick is better. See for yourself.
Andrew Kamenetzky, LA Times:
Picking a Laker "X Factor" for this series isn't the easiest task, since this team's enviable depth has created a scenario where everyone's two cents make a mark. You could offer a solid "X" argument for anyone in the rotation garnering at least 15 minutes of consistent PT. But a man's gotta make a choice, and with that, I'm selecting Sasha Vujacic.
He's not the most important guy on the roster, nor is he the most talented. But the sharp shooter's production affects the Lakers in a variety of ways. He's been the playoffs' most consistent Bench Mobber, which plays into a potentially big element against the Celts. The Lakers bench has been considerably better than Boston's during the postseason. As the purple and gold standout reserve, Sasha could be a big part of either burying Boston when their starters rest or simply allowing Kobe a rest without his own squad getting a dirt nap. On nights when he's clanged Spalding (like the 1-11 Game 5 against Utah), he's offset that lousy aim with relentless and effective defense. And while he may be a reserve, when it comes to the fourth quarter, Sasha's got starter's clout. Odds favor him on the court down the stretch, often saddled with a difficult assignment. Save perhaps Lamar Odom (who often joins the mob at the top of the second/fourth frames as Kobe catches a breather), no Laker may play as big a role with the first and second units as Vujacic.
There's also another wrinkle with Sasha pushing him over the top. We've seen him act the fool a few times during the playoffs. Getting a dumb tech jawing at Kyle Korver during Game 5's final (and tight) minute. Canning a wholly unnecessary three as the Lakers and Spurs were ready to shake hands upon the series' conclusion. Michael Finley looked like he was about to kick the crap out of him. And as much as I like Sasha, that shot was nothing short of "bush" (his own teammates weren't even thrilled) and a pop to the chops would have been justified. Both scenarios, however, underscore The Face's ability to annoy foes, which is why I'm genuinely curious to see which Celtic ends up hating him the most.
Bugging the hell out of opponents always been a Vujacician talent, but an ability to spark reactions doesn't mean much if you're getting used by the player in question. In the past, Sasha would irritate whomever he guarded on a possession or two, then get lit up on the rest. Not so much anymore. Throw in the fact that he's not one to back down and this could get interesting. And by "interesting," I mean, "entertaining." I can easily picture Sasha residing inside the skin of a few green soldiers. Eddie House is nothing if not easily excitable. Rajon Rondo might be down for an epic "skinny dude battle." Sam Cassell may cut to the chase and initiate the smack (if that happens, be happy, because it means Sam-I-Am is playing, which can only help the Lakers). But the best bet could very well be one Kevin Garnett, who's wound waaaaaaaayyyyyy too tightly to find Sasha anything less than nails on the chalkboard. If Vegas offers a prop bet for "first Laker elbowed" (and I have to imagine some casino must), the safe money is on Slovenia's Favorite Son.
Of course, this all goes out the window if Phil finally comes to his senses and begins running the offense through DJ Mbenga. That, my friends, will put the "X" in "X Factor." But until that day arrives, I'm sticking with Sasha.
Gary Dzen, Boston Globe
Rajon Rondo. The end.
As Rondo goes, so go the Celtics. Paul Pierce is going to score. Kevin Garnett is going to score. Ray Allen might score. Maybe. But Rondo is the engine that makes the Celtics go.
There are two reasons for this. The first is that Rondo by himself is an impact player. He has only one speed: frantic. Rondo will pressure Derek Fisher and make it difficult for the Lakers to get into their offense. He’s the only Celtics perimeter player who can even hope to disrupt the Lakers in the backcourt.
On offense, the 22-year-old Rondo is inconsistent. And this has nothing to do with his outside shooting woes, which have been blown way out of proportion. Rondo will hit the midrange shot. He won’t hit threes. It’s that simple. This is NOT a storyline.
But the way Rondo runs the offense IS a storyline for Boston. When Rondo is aggressive and takes it to the basket, the Celtics are much better off. When he’s tentative, watch out.
A couple of examples:
‘Nuff said.
The second reason the Celtics need Rondo to be successful is because the alternatives are scary. Sam Cassell is way past his prime. He’s a liability on defense because he can’t stay with anybody, and he’s a liability on offense because he is a black hole. He doesn’t know the plays. And he shoots every time down.
Eddie House is the other PG option for the C’s, and he’s the much-preferred option in my opinion. He’s deadly from three, and although he’s undersized, he gets into the passing lanes and gives a solid effort on defense. But Rondo he is not.
Rondo is the X factor. Is that a lot of pressure to put on the scrawny shoulders of a 22-year-old? Sure. But so was handing him the keys to the Bentley that is the 66-win Celtics. Pressure’s on you, young fella.
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Lakers in 5!
If Rajon Rondo is your X factor, Lakers will sweep the Celtics in 4.
The Celtics have so many potential x-factors. I agree with you that Rondo is key. The kid has already grown a great deal this year and this is his time. I remember Tony Parker growing up before our very eyes in the playoffs. Hopefully Rondo will as well. Two other candidates for x-factor are Perk--here's hoping he can channel his inner Bill Russell like that game in Detroit and pull down rebounds left and right--and P.J. Brown. Perk has a tendency to get into foul trouble and the Celtics are going to need alot of bodies to clog the lane because you know Kobe is going to drive it and get fouled. Come to think of it, I think Kobe is the x-factor for the Lakers--is he going to score "only" 20-something points or drop 40?
I'm going to go smoke a bong...Celtics in 6, but if it's good stuff, Celtics in 5.....eeeeeeearrrrr...
YOU GUYS ARE LUCKY TO BE IN THE FINALS!!! IF YOU WERE IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE, YOU WOULD BE OUT ALREADY. LAKERS DON'T NEED KOBE TO SCORE ALOT OF POINTS. WE HAVE A MORE TALENTED BENCH THAN YOU GUYS AND YOU CAN TRY TO SAG ON DEFENSE BECAUSE EVERYONE IN THE LINEUPS CAN SHOOT FROM THE OUTSIDE!
THE GREEN WEENIES ARE GOING DOWN! YOU'RE LOSING 1 OF THE 2 FIRST GAMES AND THEN GOODBYE BOSTON! YOU'LL NEVER HAVE A CHANCE TO COME BACK BECAUSE THE SERIES WILL BE OVER!
LAKERS IN 5!
I feel like I watched a different season than everyone else. The Celtics are going to sweep this series unless the refs give the Lakers a game in LA. The Celtics blew the Lakers out in the regular season and will blow them out here... How did a glorified Travis Knight (Gasol) get so much better than KG? I didn't get the memo. Suddenly Andrew Kamenetzky and the Euroleagues are that much better than homegrown all-stars? Riiiiiiigggghhhhttt.
Andrew Kamenetzky and the Euroleagues couldn't even stop our second team (the good one with House/Powe, not the old one with Cassell/Brown). Vegas is going to make a killing on all of these sucker bets.
Hey Gunner, the Celtics RIPPED through the Western Conference this year. Look it up. And they were 4-0 against the Lakers and Spurs and went through the Texas Triangle unbeaten, including a hot Houston Rockets team that was making an all-time run. If the Celtics were in the West Conference they'd STILL make the playoffs and seed in the top 4, if not #1, though it'd be close.
And lucky? The Celtics won three series, two against excellent defensive teams. They beat a really good Detroit team that beat YOUR Lakers including two in Auburn Hills. And speaking of luck, if the officials call that foul on Barry maybe the Spurs go on to win that game and it could be a whole new series. And Gasol was a complete GIFT. Even the Grizzlies owner admits as much--this is from Yahoo! Sports:
"Did the Grizzlies get the best value possible for Pau Gasol?
“I don’t know if I got the most value,” he said.
Even so, you get the idea that, yes, the man most responsible for the Lakers’ championship run does know now.
Between February and now, that truth hasn’t changed. The answer’s still the same.
No way.
Not even close."
Bring it on!
The "X" factor? That's a false assumption in this case. It assumes that something will happen to affect the outcome that no one saw coming. Aside from hype and an overinflated sense of ego (led by Mr. Ego himself - Kobe Bryant), that alone (along with the enormous pressure Kobe will be under) would be enough to sink the Lakers. The Lakers are and always have been about flash and glitter...all shine, little substance. There's only one guy on the Lakers who could even play on the Celtics and we wouldn't want him just like we didn't want A-Rod from the Yankees. Because they are both self possessed egomanical cry babies.
These bozo Laker fans keep talking about "what if" scenarios and X factors...well that's just fine because the team records and skills speak for themselves. The Celtics don't need to fantasize about how certain bench players or wanna be primetimers will produce. Tell us more about your fraud "genius" coach with his quasi-zen hocus pocus....let us hear stories about how great you've been since Gausol (sounds like a intestinal diesease) joined the team...we're dying to hear about how Derek Fisher has handled such impressive point guard match ups...blah, blah, blah.
This is as simple a series to pick as there is. The Celtics DEMOLISHED the Lakers twice this year, and they ran roughshod through the "vaunted" Western Conference basically blowing out the Rockets, Mavericks, Lakers, and Spurs. The Lakers aside these are all teams the Celts have historically DOMINATED.
But I guess if I were a Lakers fan (yikes) I'd need the sort of a warm fuzzy binky to make me believe that one guy (and a bunch of bodies) will beat KG, Ray "He got Game" Allen and The Truth. Not going to happen, not this year.
Celtics in five and yes the prior poster is dead on VEGAS WILL CLEANUP ON THE MONEY PLACED ON THE LAKERS, and that's "The Truth".
The Kobe Ray Allen matchup is a great liability for the C's, the longer Allen is on the bench the better for the C's...
once again i hear big words from the jv side of the association. 2/3 of that bunch didn't have a winning record. you played those losers often during the regular season, padding your numbers. the varsity conference had more than half of it's squads with winning records. i'm sure most of the western conference could have put up 60 plus wins against your jv league (intermurals is a bit too harsh). come on over to the varisty side and see what would have happened to your numbers night in and night out not just a visit of twice a year, the entire season. so apples and oranges with your stats, your comparing numbers played against lemons. and as for the big 3, why don't you ask the real big 3 that have the rings (your 3 have ZERO) dunken, parker and ginobili oh yeah, we already beat them. We have three of our own. We'll see how you play against a three headed monster with the black mamba for a head. We have won at Utah (best home record) we've beaten everyone of our opponents on THEIR home floor, and closed out two series on the road. You've HAD to play two 7 games series and you beat a Flip Saunders or Flip Wilson coached team. Doesn't matter, neither in coaching in the NBA today. Enough said. X-Factor is the Bench Mob. "Be The Bamboo - Bend But Do Not Break" Laker Fans... Feeling You!!! Lakers in 5 Positive side Keltic fans - more time to watch your red sox and read about spygate. or that lineman korvac or something.
Gunner says - YOU GUYS ARE LUCKY TO BE IN THE FINALS!!! IF YOU WERE IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE, YOU WOULD BE OUT ALREADY.
Really? The Celtics had a 25-5 record against the West this season, including sweeping the so-called Texas Triangle, which NOBODY in the WEST could do. Extrapolating that record - if the Celtics played in the West, and played their same percentage as this year against the East....They would have won 74 games in the regular season - lol!!!
The X factor is, without a doubt Rondo, but if the Laker title hopes rest on a bench player? Forget about it. The Lakers' X factor is Odom; if he plays like he has throughout the playoffs (which is highly unlikely), then the Lakers have a legitimate chance. If he does his usually dog show and chokes (which is highly probable), the Celts take this series without a problem. The Lakers go as Odom goes, which means your ship is sinking fast
alright, for everyone making this ridiculous east/west argument, every NBA team plays about 55 of their games against common opponents, meaning there's about 25 games that are different...the fact they play in the eastern comference isn't as huge of a deal as everyone makes it out to be; besides, the fakers were a whopping 1 game over .500 before getting gasol, so apparently your squad wasn't all that impressive in the west before stealing Gasol from the Grizz...the Celts swept in Texas, carried an absurd 25-5 record against the West, and throttled the lakers twice...you should have still been playing the spurs when we were playing detroit, but thanks to some absurdly bad officiating they took it in 5...unless every call goes to the lakers they're gunna get run
I think Red meant 5 years!!!!!!!!!!!
let's stop with the history for a moment. history includes the 60's in which you were dominant, and the 80's in which we were dominant. let's exclude the beginning of the new century (welcome to the new century by the way it's been a long time for you keltics) we've been more dominant in this past decade already. let's even forget about the regular season because that's history as well. In the playoffs... that's the here and now. your keltics have looked less than in regular season form and the lakers have looked better than their regular season form. We've played 15 games in a much tougher conference to your 20 games in your bottom feeder league where you've had two "Win or Go Home" Series... Living in the here and now (which we all have to) everything is zen... You might take Game 1, but all the pressure is on your underacheiving three. they have home court, never won anything big, have to prove they aren't a bunch of losers they even had to leave the western conference to get a chance to play for something. they weren't good enough to do any damage on this side of the association. take your ball and GO HOME. Be The Bamboo, Bend But Do Not Break. Laker Fans... Feeling You!!! We'll take one in Bahhh ston. Lakers in 5. Boston has even shouted it, MVP MVP MVP
Enough with this West is stronger woo-hoo. All a part of the continued "hype" and hoopla from the national media and LA, LA land. Just out of curiousity I thought it'd be interesting to compare how the Celts did against the Lakers playoff competition and the Lakers with Boston's during the regular season. Well, if we look at the FACTS (and I wouldn't want to do that if I were a Laker fan) it's not a pretty picture.
The Lakers were a pathetic 2 - 5 vs Atlanta, Cleveland, Boston and Detroit. That's a .285 winning percentage, isn't it? Yes - it is.
How about the Celtics? Well, glad you asked. The Boston Celtics went 6 - 2 against the Lakers, Denver, Utah and San Antonio. Which is a far, far superior .750 winning percentage.
Yup if I were a Laker's fan I'd also keep farting out ridiculous hyperbole and pointless "facts".
If you absolutely need to get into name calling...just wait until Kobe and the Fakers hear from the Gaaden crowd tonight. It certainly won't be fit for public consumption. The fans will be RELENTLESS with their taunts. Don't know if even Kobe will be able to score enough to quiet them down. This will be an old fashion Garden Party BEAT DOWN...and there will be skewered Kobe for the after party celebration!!! Just days away now from the 17th banner - and Sooo many of those coming at the expense of the FAKERS.
Lakers are just too good. This will be an unfair matchup. The whole world knows that Boston is out of their league in this series, why can't you guys?
Lakers in 5, maybe 6.
I think Phil Jackson makes the difference in this one.....
He'll outcoach Doc!!!!! Lakers in 5.
yeah the whole world knew the patriots were better than the giants and yet, they didn't win the super bowl, did they? idiot (and im a pats fan)
more hopes and wishes (but no facts) from LA, LA Laker fans - that's a pretty thin veil of anxiety you've got there.
Regular Season Stats are great. But you guys played a full 20 games in the post season. Way to grab momentum. I think since this is all speculative, we just have to wait and see who gets the Gold Ball.
2 Things...
1. Rondo is going to DESTROY Derek Fisher in this series. Fisher is old and slow...Rondo is gonna be all over him and will be able to get by him at will.
2. You Laker fans are pathetic. I love how you guys think you know exactly how this series is gonna go. Bunch of dorks sitting in your parents basements posting your lame comments on Boston websites. Keep rooting for your scumbag MVP...maybe some of you should read Phil Jackson's book which describes what a piece of shit your hero is. Hahaha you Lakers fans are a joke don't be bitter over the fact that Boston dominates you in sports.
Celtic's only chance to be the lakers in the finals is to HIRE BILL BILISHICK so he can bring his CAMERA CREW to record LAKERS practices, if you're not cheating you're not trying. LAKERS in 6
so rondo is going to beat the lakers??? let see, iverson and denver wouldn't, williams and utah couldn't, parker and the spurs didn't. all three of those guards are better than rondo so this theory is pretty thin...
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