by The Boss on May 21, 2009
in Rumors
The World Famous LayupDrill Rumor Mill
5/21/09
Remember the old saying, “Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear?” The Clippers may own up to that very famous quote. Two days after telling everyone that Blake Griffin was their pick at number one, the trade rumors started to circle around. The Clippers don’t have much going for them, but what they do have is a loaded front court, and while adding a young player like Griffin is tempting, adding his salary potential without unloading at least two current players is a gamble.
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Monday Morning Point Guard
4/20/09
Watching the weekend’s playoff games, there was one that told a more telling story than the other seven series openers. When the Boston Celtics to the court for warm ups against the Chicago Bulls Saturday, something was missing. I sat in front of my TV, purely watching the body language of the two teams as they went through their pregame routine. Chicago seemed loose, but unlike the Atlanta Hawks from 2008, they were calm. Chicago can credit their cool demeanor to rookie floor general Derrick Rose, who never seemed to let the moment get the best of him. On the other side, it looked like the Celtics wanted to believe that everything was going to be ok, and in an inspiring moment, we saw Kevin Garnett on the sidelines talking to teammates, before the tip off, getting his crew fired up. As the game went on, though, that something that was missing became much clearer.
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The World Famous LayupDrill Rumor Mill
4/16/09
Fans of the defending champion Boston Celtics may have to be talked off the ledge this morning, after news broke from practice about forward Kevin Garnett’s health. ESPN broke the story today, in which head coach Doc Rivers confirmed “there’s no way” KG could play right now.
Garnett, who missed much of the second half of the season for Boston, was hopeful that due to the time resting his injured knee, he would be able to compete in the 2009 NBA Playoffs at or close to 100 percent. However, the injury is looking to be lingering, and some have hinted that surgery may be the only viable option to make certain KG is able to play with the same intensity on both ends of the court that we have seen him have for over a decade.
More on this story as it develops.
The 2009 NBA Playoff matches are now set, and the preparation for the start of the second season has begun. LayupDrill.com takes a look at each of eight first round series, offering a brief breakdown and prediction for each. I will breakdown the Eastern Conference first round matches today, and the West on Friday.
East:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8. Detroit Pistons
Season Series: Cavs 3-1 over Pistons
Why Cleveland Will Win: They are simply better. This team has waited nearly a year for the march to 16 wins to begin again, and not many feel the veteran Pistons will be able to slow down Lebron and company.
One Burning Question: Will the Cavs sweep Detroit? With a 39-2 record at home, many feel Cleveland will look to win every home game they play in the post season in a dominant fashion. The key to see how far this years team has gone is if they will smell blood in the water when they head back to Detroit, and close out the Pistons in 4.
Prediction: Cavs in 5.
4. Atlanta Hawks vs. 5. Miami Heat
Season Series: Hawks 3-1 over Heat
Why Atlanta Will Win: Depth and experience. The Hawks remember how it felt to walk off the court last season in Boston, after pushing the best team in the league to 7 hard fought games. Those lessons learned have coach Mike Woodson’s team ready for this year. While the Heat have overachieved according to most people’s standards, Dwyane Wade will soon realize that while he is the best player on the court in this series, the best team will be on the other side of the floor.
One Burning Question: Can D-Wade get help? We all expect Wade to go for 30 points a game plus in this series, but who can step up and be that second scorer that can make a big shot when needed in the crunch? Are the young rookies Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers ready for the big lights of the playoffs?
Prediction: Hawks in 7
3. Orlando Magic vs. 6. Philadelphia 76ers
Season Series: Magic 3-0 over Sixers
Why Orlando Will Win: The Magic did not end the regular season on a type of roll you would like to see from a title contender. Philly, meanwhile, lingered around the 6 seed for much of the second half of the season. While both teams look much different than when they hooked up in the start of the year, there is one common denominator, Dwight Howard. The Magic simply have too much firepower on the perimeter, in which the double teams of Howard will cause shooters like Rashard Lewis, Courtney Lee, and J.J. Reddick to torch the Sixers.
One Burning Question: Will the Magic win on the road? Orlando’s 27-14 road mark during the regular season was impressive, and was identical to both the Celtics and Cavs records away from home. The playoffs, though, are different. Ask Boston last year. Orlando should head into Philly up 2-0, and like Cleveland, will we see a Magic team poised to close out the Sixers, or will this series go the distance?
Prediction: Magic in 6
2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Chicago Bulls
Season Series: Celtics 2-1 over Bulls
Why Boston Will Win: Never underestimate the heart of a champion. The Celtics enter the playoffs much different than the team favored by most last year. With Kevin Garnett hobbled for much of the past 2 months, Boston’s defense has slipped considerably. Nagging injuries from other role players such as Tony Allen and Leon Powe have also made Doc Rivers rotation very thin, but Boston did manage to go 62-20, and lock up the 2 seed.
One Burning Question: How effective will KG be? The Chicago Bulls are probably the worst possible match up for Boston, as their bench is deep, and their players length create match up problems all over the floor. The Derrick Rose vs. Rajon Rondo point guard battle could be great, as Rondo takes the role of the veteran against the rookie making his playoff debut.
Prediction: Celtics in 7
by The Boss on April 13, 2009
in Rumors
The World Famous LayupDrill Rumor Mill
4/13/09
After this weekend’s games, the playoff picture seems a little clearer. The East top four seeds will be Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and Atlanta. The elusive 5 seed was locked for Miami, after MVP candidate Dwyane Wade scored 55 points in a Heat victory over New York. The bottom 3 seeds in the East are Philly, Chicago, and Detroit, though the Pistons and Bulls go head to head tonight in a game that could determine who will face Lebron James in the first round.
Injuries will play just as big a role in this years postseason as the play on the court it seems. As the Celtics lick their wounds from a 31 point blowout at the hands of Cleveland Sunday, Celtics coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Globe the possibility of having Kevin Garnett back on the floor for the last two regular season games is still up in the air.
All news was not good for Cleveland yesterday, as forward Ben Wallace suffered a mild knee injury in the Cavs win. As Cleveland headed to play the Pacers, Wallace stayed back with medical staff to have a MRI and X-rays done. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports that while it seems the injury looks minor, Cleveland wants to make certain there is no damage, and Wallace will be ready to go for the first round.
by Brandon Ribak on March 31, 2009
in Blog
Photo-NBA
After missing 13 straight games due to a posterior muscle strain in his right knee, Kevin Garnett returned to the court with the sounds of roars and cheers from his “dedicated” fans.
Garnett played the next four games in a row, but was limited in minutes during each game playing no more than 18 minutes.
Just when fans thought KG was finally moving forward from his knee injury, he missed the next two games against the Atlanta Hawks and the Oklahoma City Thunders.
KG was listed as a game-time decision for Friday’s game (just like every game since his return from injury) as all signs pointed to him being active on the floor. [click to continue…]
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