So the Bulls and the Celtics series has FINALLY ended with the good guys coming out on top!!! With Boston winning and the Hawks pulling out the “W” over Miami, the door has opened to the glorious second round of the playoffs. As I love to do, I am going to force feed you all my theories on how these series will play out and then when I am horribly wrong, I will blame it all on you!!!
Orlando vs. Boston
If Kevin Garnett were able bodied (don’t they have cortisone in Boston?) I wouldn’t even waste my massively valuable time writing up this synopsis but since he isn’t, here I GO!!! After a long series with Chicago we learned a few things about the “new” Celts, #1 Paul Pierce isn’t as good as he thinks. Sure he made some big shots but he also effed up a lot, i.e) fouling Noah on a bonehead play that probably cost them the game if not another over time. #2 Boston can get REALLY thin, REALLY fast up front (I am really trying to get a Big Baby joke in here but I am tired) and #3 Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen are part of an elaborate rouse by Ashton Kutcher to Punk the whole world into thinking these 2 DUDS could actually make and NBA squad. As for Orlando, I think they are way too big for the Celts but not too deep for them. If they can get O Town in foul trouble, I think they will be able to pressure their back up players into a big enough hole that they can’t recover but that is a LOOONG stretch….Magic in 6
Atlanta vs. Cleveland
If you skipped the first match up to get to this one you may want to go back to the first sentence and read slowly. My time is valuable and the Cavaliers time is too. I mean how is LeBron going to celebrate being MVP at 24 years old when he has to play these damn playoff games. Cavs = good, Hawks = not good enough. Cavs in 4
Lakers vs. Rockets
I think this is a match up I am anticipating more than most people. One of 2 of the worlds best players (depending on who you like better) vs. one of the worlds best defenders and piss off artists. And if you don’t know who I am talking about, its Yao Ming and Sasha Vujacic…..No seriously, earlier in the year Kobe vs. Artest was AWESOME and gave me my favourite clip of the year which I posted on the site here. I think people are MAJORLY looking past the Big Man and his band of merry men and just thinking LeBron/Kobe finals. Houston is here for a reason, they have a deep team filled with role players that just come to play basketball. Sure they don’t have T-Mac but T-Mac doesn’t have knees or a back so he would only slow them down. What I think this series will come down to is how well Ming can play Gasol and how bad Artest can piss off Kobe. If Ming gets in foul trouble consistently, Houston loses. If Artest can piss Kobe off enough to make him shoot 50 times and forget his teammates, I think LA loses. But…LA in 6
Denver vs. Dallas
I have previously stated my disdain for the Mavericks and their style of play and nothing afforded me more happiness then seeing them get beat on Sunday while I was nursing a WICKED hangover (THANK YOU PACQUIAO). I think Denver is WAY too deep, too dirty and too well rounded to even get sucked into the Diggler’s one man band act. Billups is better than Kidd (at this point in their career), anyone is better than JJ Barea, JR Smith is Jason Terry with attitude, Melo and Dirk are fairly even, Martin is a real thug as opposed to Josh Howard and Nene is a REAL beast as opposed to Ericka Dampier (shout out to the Big Shaqtus). I can see the Mavs lulling the Nuggets to sleep for a game or two so I will say….Denver in 6
Let me know what you guys think in the comments section….PROVE ME WRONG CELTICS!!!
OK, I have NO evidence to back that up but Jackson must REALLY like Rondo. For those that don’t know, Jackson is the NBA’s fun police. Anything goes wrong, Jackson slaps your ass with the proper suspension, for example, Dwight Howard’s “people’s elbow” on Sammy Dalembert which Jackson thought warranted a 1 game suspension. (So did I, for the record).
As I mentioned/showed before, Rondo Bruce Lee’d Brad Miller on a pivotal play in OT on Tuesday and wasn’t penalized by Stu Jackson like D12 was for his mishap. Then last night during the best basketball game I have watched EVER, Rondo and Kirk “the Hobbit” Hinrich got in a wee skirmish in the first quarter. During a rebounding scenario, Hinrich and Rondo were out near the 3 point line when they got “tangled” up, so Rondo deciding he didn’t like the manwich he was making with Kirk decided to toss him into the scorers table. Rajon was assessed a flagrant foul and it was said the league was going to look at the play again. Last night, Stu Jackson reviewed the tape and proclaimed there would not be any additional penalties assessed to either Hinrich or Rondo.
I know the foul on Miller was tic-tac and this foul wasn’t necessarily ALL Rajon’s fault. But I can only imagine the penalty a guy like Artest or even ‘Sheed would receive if they pulled this move off, especially, two days after they went after a dudes head! I am posting the video below so you guys can let me know what you think. Does Stu have a man crush on Rajon or is he just the victim of wrong place wrong time all the time???
P.S I like how Hinrich responds after he bounces off the scorers table. I didn’t expect him to be so GANGSTA, he gets some street cred from me for that move and subsequently I lose TONS of street cred for admitting that in a public forum.
Written on March 16th, 2009 by goatdieselone shout
Although his stay here is most likely going to be short, last night Shawn “Matrix” Marion definitely put his stamp on the Raps organization and also on Danny Grangers forehead!!!! (Yes! Those are the Raps not the Celtics! They were wearing their St. Patty’s duds last night)
Written on February 24th, 2009 by goatdiesel2 shouts
Whats the saying? ”The rich keep getting richer”? Maybe not in the real world these days with the massive recession but when it comes to the NBA world, that isn’t the case. Fresh off their championship last year, the Celtics are one of the best teams in the league and seem to be every other persons pick to repeat as champions again. I guess being 46-12 on the year isn’t enough for the champs to feel comfortable. So what did they do? They secured themselves some pretty good bench players, one officially and one will be probably be announced pretty soon. The first player is of course Mikki Moore who was waived by the rebuilding Sacramento King in a salary dumps, the other you ask? None other than Stephon Marbury! He sat down with the Knicks brass today and it looks like they have FINALLY come up with a plan that will let him walk away for good and do what he pleases. Seeing as Steph has cooled on his love affair with Europe, he will probably look to sign with a major contender and win that elusive ring. It looks like we have a perfect fit? We all know the Celtics LOVE taking on aging players to fill out their bench right before their playoff run, last year it was PJ Brown and ET Sam Cassell, this year Steph and Moore.
To me, Mikki Moore makes sense because he fits in with the teams intensity and I just think Kevin Garnett is gonna have a lot of fun messing with him like he does with Glen “Big Baby” Davis. If Steph signs though, I am not sure how its going to work out. I guess it all depends on which Starbury shows up? Sure him and KG go way back to their high top fade days back in Minny but I seem to remember that didn’t end well either? It may only be for a few weeks while they make a run at the title but it only takes one player to make or break a team. The Celts DO need a serviceable back up PG but they don’t need a guy who wants to be bigger than the team.
Where else could Steph go? Well I know Miami wants a PG and MAYBE the Spurs and Magic but I doubt they would want to mess with what they have going so far. A lot of lottery teams would probably take a crack at him but does he want to go that route AGAIN? I feel bad for Steph, I do. He used to be my favourite PG when I was a young buck playing the position myself, he was flashy, arrogant and quick as hell and it’s sad to seem him now. Head tatted up, sitting in street clothes and getting disrespected by his OWN teammates. Whatever happens I hope it works out well for Steph because to be honest, I think he’s pretty close to losing it mentally.
Then again, Marbury may not sign and this could be all for not but let’s say he DOES sign, how do YOU think it will work out? Let me hear it.
Written on February 6th, 2009 by goatdiesel3 shouts
Thank GoatDiesel It’s the Weekend! Too many sports, not enough time? Let GoatDiesel solve your problems! Every Friday, I will let you know whats worth watching this coming weekend. So your girlfriend doesn’t make you watch Grey’s Anatomy for the third time because there’s nothing on!!!
Saturday Night:MMA -UFC Fight Night – Free on SpikeTV at 9pm ET! The fight card MIGHT not be anything close to last weekends GSP vs. BJ Penn but it’s free, there’s ring girls and Cain Velasquez is going to be a beast in this sport and this might be the last time you see him for free.
NHL – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7pm ET on CBC - Two of the NHL’s most storied franchises, one for winning the most championships and one for well…Not winning one in about 42 years but who’s counting? Plus you may get another free fight night when Mikhail Grabovski and Andrei Kostitsyn go at it for the Belorussian Featherweight title.
Sunday:NBA - San Antonio Spurs vs Boston Celtics,1pm ABC - Could this be the passing of the guard? Or the old dog showing the puppy who’s boss? San Antone used to be shoo-in’s for making the finals and always had a shot at winning it but lately, all we hear is the Celtics and Lakers are going to win. So let’s see how this plays out…
NBA – LA Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 3:30pm ABC – East vs. West, Kobe vs. LeBron, potential finals match up, what else could you ask for? If you think this is going to be a regular Sunday game you are sorely mistaken. Nobody hates losing more than Kobe and nobody hates everyone talking about LeBron more than Kobe. Nobody hates losing more than LeBron and nobody hates being compared to Kobe more than LeBron, so let’s see who comes out on top.
Well that’s what GoatDiesel will be viewing this weekend, what are you all watching??? Let me know in the comment section…
Written on February 3rd, 2009 by goatdiesel2 shouts
Every year, every team goes through injuries, big and small. This year, it seems like most of them are big, as in big players getting hurt on big teams. 3 more have just gone down in the last week, Jameer Nelson, Andrew Bynum and Chris Paul, with the most serious being Jameer Nelson last night. As of right now the reports are saying either 8-10 weeks or the season and however you slice it, the Magic appeared to be pigeonholed at the PG spot. Their only real serviceable back up is Anthony Johnson (Beetlejuice) and no offence to his pretty face but he ain’t gonna cut it. What can the Magic do? First, they have to decide if they want to shut down Nelson for the year and opt for surgery right away or they can try and rehab him until the playoffs start and see where he is at that point. No matter what the Magic decide to do with Nelson, I think they need to make a trade and with the deadline up in a few weeks, I think that is going to be the option they choose. The first person who comes to mind is Jamaal Tinsley. The Pacers are DYING to get rid of him and after he knocks the rust off (and about 15lbs) no one would be better than him to feed the BEAST AKA Dwight Howard, the rock down low. The only other guy I could see going to the Magic would be Earl Watson. Not happy with his roll in Oklahoma, Watson has been begging for a trade since about November and the Thunder could always use some veteran leadership, a draft pick or at least some money? Well realistically they could use ANYTHING, so this deal may go down too.
Jameer’s injury not only plays a factor with the Magic but it also plays a part with All Star Weekend. Jameer is a reserve on the All Star team and also a participant in the PG Skills Challenge. In my earlier post about the All Star reserves, I sort of, kind of, called out Jameer stating that their may be some other suitable PG’s in the league that deserved his spot. The first guy who comes to mind is Rajon Rondo. Rondo is the PG on the best team in the East and has also had some monster games this year, including 2 HUGE triple doubles. Another guy that could fill in for Nelson on the East squad is Mo Williams and no one would be happier the LeBron James. Williams seems to be the PG the Cavs have been looking for, now second in the East with him at the helm, things couldn’t be going much better for the Cavs and LeBron will tell you its all because of Mighty Mo. Either guy could take over for Nelson in the skills challenge as well but I would like to see either, the other guy who doesn’t get chosen or Jose Calderon. With Calderon’s injury earlier in the year, he kind of negates himself from the running in the All Star game debate but the world needs to know about the Spaniard’s swagger. He is quick, one of the most accurate passers in the NBA and he’s fun to watch. Regardless of what happens during All Star weekend, one thing is for sure, the Orlando Magic need help and they need it NOW. Dwight Howard is a beast but he can’t do it all by himself and as much as I like a good laugh, I don’t think J.J Redick and Beetlejuice are the answer.
Good luck Jameer, I hope you heal up soon. To the NBA, CHOOSE CALDERON FOR THE SKILLS CHALLENGE! Think of it as a global marketing tool!
Written on February 2nd, 2009 by goatdieselno shouts
I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t smile a bit when I first read that Chris Bosh told the Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo that he wasn’t going to re-sign with the team in 2010. If you have been to this site before you know just how unimpressed I am with Bosh’s leadership, shot selection and attitude. This is a GREAT example of all of that, wrapped into one giant ball and thrown in the faces of the Raptors fans and organization. Regardless if Chris felt this way before our slide into the basement of the Eastern Conference, he definitely should have kept this to himself or between him and Colangelo. Bosh has essentially done what I have wanted forever, make all the Raptors fans to take off their rose coloured glasses and start judging Bosh like every other player, instead of giving him a free pass because “his teammates” aren’t up to par or whatever other crazy excuses I hear game in game out.
Seriously, name ONE player you would take from the Cavs besides LeBron? Ok, I know Bosh and LeBron are on different levels but what I am getting at is, you don’t necessarily need the best players on your team to win, you need a good leader and good team chemistry and we have neither. The Cavs has bought into the team philosophy of (more…)
Written on January 17th, 2009 by goatdiesel2 shouts
First off, before I go on this rant that will likely only be stopped by either my fingers or keyboard breaking, let me explain myself. I am a super loyal Toronto Raptors fan and when I say loyal, I mean, when Mike James was our best option I was still making bets for the Eastern Conference finals. This past year, as I mentioned in a past post, I finally realized my dream of buying Raptors season tickets. What is about to transpire is a result of sitting through more home loses than wins, while watching a team that was “built to go deep in the playoffs”. That accompanied with listening to a “franchise” player repeatedly complain about the people who pay his salary, the fans.
First off, HOW DARE YOU!!! Last year I let you get away with it because we were winning and I admit, the fans in the ACC could have definitely been louder on occasion but not this year! This season was supposed to be different. You got your help down low so you don’t bitch about being tired. For crying out loud they turned their #1 pick from one of the best SFs in the league (Andrea) into a centre, just so you would have help. And still you have the audacity to call out the fans for booing when you were only down 3? Did you fall asleep for the first 3 quarters of that game? You WERE up by 17, we weren’t booing you because you were down 3 it was because you were blowing your 4th double digit lead of the season, AT HOME!!! (more…)
