Even though a cloud of suspicion regarding NBA officiating has been cast over the NBA Finals, Game 4 will take place tonight in Los Angeles. Just like in Game 3, tonight is a must win situation for the Lakers. If the Lakers lose tonight, they put themselves in a position to have to win 3 games in a row, two of which would be in Beantown. The feeling out portion of this series is over with. No more real surprises or gimmicks. It now comes down to good old fashioned execution. Up until this point, all that has taken place is both teams have won on their home floor. Tuesday night was the first game that the Lakers played with aggression, and at times it was not pretty, but they came out on top thanks to a stellar performance by Kobe Bryant. I believe that this series will go the distance. I heard J.A. Adande say something on the radio that I agreed with one hundred percent. He said that he felt that the Lakers best effort would beat the Celtics best effort, but that he didn’t feel the Celtics, with their defensive pressure, would allow the Lakers to have their best effort. This is where it gets fun. Now we have a series on our hands ladies and gentlemen. The bright lights and pressure of the NBA Finals will be much more intense starting tonight, which could lead to some classic games. I can sit here and break down every key component of this match-up, but I won’t. If you have watched the games, you already know what both teams need to do in order to be victorious. What I will be watching is which players perform under the pressure.
There is something about pressure in sports that is so compelling. Legends are made by those moments when an athlete rises above the pressure. These next few games will either make legends or leave certain players with the undesirable stigma of choking under pressure. There have been many great players whose careers have been altered by these moments. This series will alter the careers of a few great players. I include Kobe Bryant in this mix, along with Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. Kobe already has 3 rings and a legacy, but none of those rings came without Shaq. He now has his chance. Garnett, Pierce, and Ray Allen, depending on how they perform starting tonight can either cement their own legacies or fall under the category of great players who never rose above the pressure. There are going to be points in tonight’s game and the remaining games to follow where we may see a player rise above or cave under. We will know it when it happens. The body language, the look in the eyes, the desire, the ability to have no fear even in the face of failing will all be things to look for. I cannot wait for these moments. I cannot wait to see legends made, and at the same time legacies tarnished.
This Sunday morning marks the return of Sunday Smattering–the column that is my facade for not being able to narrow my ideas down to one post–so I call it a smattering and post everything. Pretty clever huh?
Without further adieu, Sunday Smattering ladies and gentlemen:
- Lakers vs. Celtics: After all the hype, drama and predictions, the two most storied franchises in NBA history will once again meet to decide the NBA title. The story lines here are endless. As much as I loathe both of these teams, I even have to admit that this final brings a certain nostalgic feel that is a rarity in the world of basketball. My prediction? Lakers in 6. Bolder prediction? Brian Scalabrine, in his only playing time of the series, gets so overwhelmed with nostalgia he clotheslines Kobe Bryant going to the bucket to reenact the Kurt Rambis and Kevin McHale incident.
- Taylor Wants Out: Does this really come as a surprise? Forget the fact that Jason Taylor is not a 3-4 defensive end, the preferred scheme of Bill Parcels. Forget the notion that Taylor is 34 years old. Forget all of the logical reasons why Jason Taylor and the Dolphins are about as good a match as Charles Barkley and Las Vegas. Did we really think that a guy that spent his offseason prancing around on national TV would mesh with the stone-faced, tough-as-nails, Bill Parcels? Not a chance.
- Rookie Phenoms Rule the Week: Between the debuts of Clayton Kershaw and Jay Bruce (I’m still pissed about the walk-off last night against my Braves) two heralded rookies showed their chops right from the outset. Both of these kids have bright futures, but let’s not forget they are rookies–struggles will come.
- Will the Braves Ever Win on the Road?: How is that the same team can be 7-20 on the road and 22-7 at home? Seriously folks, I am at a loss here. I understand that there will almost always be a discrepancy, but clearly this is a case of a Braves team that plays Jekyl and Hyde. If they don’t get it straightened out soon, they can forget about the NL East crown.
- Historic HRs: Last night, Manny Ramirez hit number 500 for his career and Griffey hit number 599. These two could not be more different. By all accounts, Griffey is a nice guy that plays the game the right way. Ramirez on the other hand is an immature prima Dona. Why he feels the need to constantly draw attention to himself through antics on and off the field is beyond me. He is one of the greatest right-handed hitters to ever play this game–let that do the talking Manny. I don’t care if that was his 500th HR last night, if he ever posed that long and walked up the baseline like that in a game I was managing, the next fastball would be placed square between his ribs. Can we put out a referendum to the league on this? Throwing at hitters is illegal, unless it is Manny Ramirez after an unnecessarily long pose following a HR (or single for that matter).
- Heard in the Cheap Seats Gets a Makeover: Alright, so I am not a Web designer, nor will I ever be–hence the awkward orange and green colors from our previous design. We’ve gone with a new look, albeit still not perfect. In addition, check out the About section, it now reflects our staff of two instead of our staff of one–a long overdue change.
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