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NBA Loud - by Travis

I’d like to post about the previously finished NBA Draft. A lot of trades were completed/proposed making this years draft exciting and noteworthy. In this first post I will be going through the top five picks and thereafter with updates and all you need to know up to the minute stats and transactions.

Let’s get this post draft analysis going with the first overall pick for the Chicago Bulls DERRICK ROSE. Rose out of Memphis has a solid NBA body and can take the punishment as a player in the paint. He will mold himself into whatever type of player his team needs him to be as evident by the video below. He is one of the most ready-type players to enter the league. A truly solid addition to any team, kind of makes me think of the miss of Jay Williams. In which whom the Bulls took as the savior type PG years ago before he had his motorcycle accident stifling his promising career. With this pick Chicago puts themselves back into contention for a playoff spot in the East.

This video shows how Rose can affect the game as he will become a solid NBA-PG.

# 2

Undoubtedly the Miami Heat selected MICHAEL BEASLEY out of Kansas State. This PF needs no introduction to basketball fans as his huge wingspan makes up for any negativity about his height at the four spot. One of the perfect teams for Beasley to go to, I think his character issues would only become apparent if he were to have to battle with a solid proven veteran for his starting spot. He will be going in battling Udonis Haslem who has seen his stock drop as he needs to create more of his own offence. The heat I am sure are not finished in tweaking their team for the 08/09 season. Marion though will alleviate any concerns of the rookie being overmatched down-low as he is almost like an extra PF out there sometimes with his rebounding efforts and hustle in trying to make the right plays.

# 3

Minnesota at the third spot went with OJ MAYO, who I have seen and been hearing about for a good number of years. Mayo will be a solid two as at 6’4” 200lbs he is limited in selected positions, but this guy is just a born scorer and if he ends up in Grizz-town, look for him to team up with Rudy Gay as Mike Miller was moved with Memphis making the choice to let him go after he admittedly carried the Grizzlies last season at times. In return Minnesota looks to get #5 Kevin Love. I am in love with this deal as the T-Wolves send Antoine Walker also to MEM. Minnesota gets the scoring they desperately need and character guys, to build around. I know what fans may be thinking and no this isn’t the second coming of Wally World, Mike Miller is a gamer playing all three spots from 1-3 for the Grizz and did whatever was asked, as he became a versatile and proven scorer, unlike streaky Szczerbiak.

# 4

Russell Westbrook a surprise at number four as the top three had virtually been decided weeks beforehand. Westbrook though an unexpected pick is an explosive guard that will do well in this league especially when Seattle gets all the parts and can continuously run up and down with Durant and Green. The Sonics clearly want a guard that can break down the D and get up and down the court at breakneck speeds. They have found that guy with Westbrook. People want to compare him to NBA champion Rajon Rondo and maybe Monta Ellis, he is long and skinny and extremely athletic, time will tell if he can make the right passes for a long career with Durant by his side.

# 5

Care of NBADraft.net

Memphis picks Kevin Love at the number five spot and in turn will be sending him to Minnesota in the deal outlined in the third pick paragraph. Love is solid, not an athlete like the Grizz love at the four spot, but the T-Wolves just need ballers in which Kevin is for sure. Down-low he will be helped by Al Jefferson for sure on defense. Also he will have a great passer in Mike Miller to get the ball to him in good spots. I like Kevin Love on a solid team a rebuilding team he may flourish or sink as he’ll need to create his own offence and may struggle with the speed of the NBA at first.

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NBA Finals Preview

June 6th 2008 00:42

The greatest two weeks of the year has arrived as the NBA Finals are just about to begin. I guess I've made it obvious that basketball is my favourite sport; to me, nothing comes close to the excitement provided by the National Basketball Association. The past few Finals have not been the greatest in my opinion. Having the Spurs win last year and the Heat win the year before were probably two of my biggest nightmares. But an LA-Boston match-up? That's probably my dream come true. I would have rather seen Detroit beat Boston, but the rivalry between Boston and LA is unrivaled. It's probably the best match-up the NBA could ask for...

In this Finals, we have the top MVP candidate from each conference going head-to-head. Bryant wins his first MVP award and in the same season, makes his first Finals appearance of the post-Shaq era. Kevin Garnett helps turn around a dismal Boston franchise, and in one season, brings them from the bottom of the league to make his first NBA Finals appearance. Without the historic rivalry between these two franchises, there is already a pretty good storyline to back this series. But when you take into consideration that fact that these two teams have met in the Finals 10 times, it just magnifies the significance of this series by that much. The Celtics and Lakers are the top two most storied franchises in NBA history. Boston has taken 8 of the 10 series between the two teams and have more championships, but the Lakers are the more successful franchise in terms of wins.

The Lakers come into this series losing only three games throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. They swept Denver, beat Utah in six and defeated the Spurs in five. That's a pretty impressive line; beating three 50-win teams and only losing three games in the process is a feat in itself. The Celtics on the other hand struggled with the Hawks and took all seven games to decide that series. LeBron and the Cavs also took the Celts to seven, but the Celtics bounced back in Detroit to take that series in six games. Personally, I think the Celtics had a bit of an easier road to the finals, but somehow, they managed to lose 8 games in the process. That's quite a bit when you consider the fact that they only lost 16 games during the regular season. I think the Celtics have lost a step in the playoffs; maybe their starters are getting tired?

The Celtics were no doubt the best team in the league during the regular season, but after watching the Lakers towards the end of the season and throughout the playoffs, many (including myself) are now saying that the Lakers are the better team. Kobe will have his way with anyone the Celtics throw at him. I'd assume that Allen will take the primary duty of guarding Bryant, and I also expect to see Posey getting some extended minutes to help out in that respect. You can affect how he plays, but you can't stop Kobe Bryant. I can also see Gasol having his way with Perkins on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Pau's challenge will not be guarding Perkins, it will be providing the help defense on Garnett and Pierce. KG should be able to handle Odom on the defensive end, as he is one of few PFs who can guard the post as well as the rest of the floor. His speed and reach will allow him to keep up with Odom, something that many other big men have trouble doing. Odom will still get his rebounds as he has been doing these past few weeks, but I expect his scoring to be very limited in this series unless he decides to polish off his long-range shot and bring it out of the closet.

Paul Pierce will mop the floor with Radmonovic on both ends of the court. I don't expect to see much of Radmon during the series though. Look for Vujacic to take his place and either switch to the SG spot with Kobe or try to hold off Pierce on his own. Rondo and Fisher will be an interesting match-up. Fisher has had to go up against Williams and Tony Parker in these playoffs, so I think he is ready to take on Rondo... it's a bit of an easier challenge, but at the same time, Rondo is still a young, quick PG and Fisher will have to be at the top of his game to keep up.

I'm going to give the Lakers the advantage when it comes to the bench. Vujacic, Walton, Turiaf and Farmar should be able to hold their own while on the court. I don't see Sam Cassell doing much during this series. I'll give Leon Powe and Posey a bit of credit though; if they are used in the right capacity, I think they can do some damage on the floor. With that said, I think the Lakers have the upperhand going in this series. When you have Kobe Bryant leading a young squad that has shown no signs of slowing down, it's hard to bet against them. I think the Lakers are going to win it in six. I think they can take game one in Boston; we'll see how it goes from there.

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Posted By: Travis - Category: The Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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Playoff Officiating

May 29th 2008 20:54

After watching game 4 of the LA-San Antonio series, I thought it was time for me to address the issue of officiating in the playoffs, or just officiating in general. I'll start off by saying that Brent Barry was indeed fouled on that last second play by the Spurs. I'm a huge Lakers fan and even I felt a bit cheated after that play. I'm all for my team winning, but I don't want to hear any nonsense about how we only won because a foul was (or in this case, was not) called. With that said, the foul on Barry was not a shooting foul, so he would not have iced the game with his three free throws. Don't remember if LA was over the foul limit though, so it might have been two shots.

Another interesting referee-related issue regarding the Lakers-Spurs game 4. One of the refs in this game was veteran official, Joe Crawford. For those of you who don't remember, Crawford was suspended last season by the NBA after he and Tim Duncan got into a little argument. Nothing physical, but Crawford must have done something completely uncalled for for him to get suspended. The league is always quick to side with the refs so I found that one rather comical. But anyways, the issue being discussed prior to the game was whether or not Crawford should have been allowed to officiate the Spurs series. Even if there is no resentment or hate towards Duncan, there can always be that small hint of subjectiveness if a call is close. I don't know who botched that last call in game 4, but it would make my day if I found out it was Crawford.

There were also a few controversial calls in game five of the Detroit-Boston series. I believe a flagrant 1 was called against the Celtics in what I believe was a good playoff foul. We all know that the intent of the foul was to prevent the basket and there was no act of recklessness involved in the foul. It was a clean foul... there was nothing malicious about it. This is the playoffs and with the series tied at 2 apiece, you've got to expect that players are going to play hard to win the game. Later in the game, a similar foul was made and no flagrant was called. Inconsistent? Probably; but that was the right call to make in my opinion.

Overall, officiating in the playoffs have not been all that great. I'm not going to bother going into details. Instead, I'll offer some suggestions. When officials have really bad games, they should be punished. A suspension or something would suffice. Just to let them know that game-changing mistakes will not be tolerated. Currently, these guys fear nothing; they need something to keep them on their toes. Officials are supposed to be invisible; they should not impact the outcome of a game. They're supposed to make the calls and enforce the rules to the best of their abilities. Sometimes the refs let their egos get in the way and refuse to admit their mistakes when consulting with fellow officials to determine the call. With that said, these guys are pros and are doing their job better than any of us could do it. I criticize and offer up and opinion, but the bottom line is, they are human and humans make mistakes. We have the benefit of replay and slow motion when watching the game on tv. Refs don't have that when they're making the call on the court. But hopefully, the officiating improves in time for the Finals; we don't want to see a repeat of the '06 series featuring Miami and Dallas.

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Posted By: Travis - Category: The Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs

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Preview: Pistons vs. Celtics

May 19th 2008 00:50

This is the match-up everyone has been talking about since the midway point of the NBA regular season. Could the Celtics beat Detroit in a seven game series? Is Detroit the one team that Boston should be afraid of? Well, all of these questions will be answered as the two teams look to square off in a few days. My opinion on this matter has changed since the season ended, and since I am now enlightened, I will tell you why the Pistons will beat the Celtics in the Conference Finals.

Let me start off by saying this. The Pistons match-up better against the Celtics from a defensive standpoint than any other team in the league. If I were to guess off the top of my head, I would say that the Spurs are close behind in terms of best match-ups. So already, the Pistons have the defensive advantage in this 7-game affair. Rasheed Wallace is a great defender and although he won't shut down Garnett completely (who can?), he should be able to do a good enough job to give Detroit an edge. Rasheed is no stranger to the mid-range game, so I think he should be able to effectively guard Garnett out there in addition to holding him off down low. We're all aware of Teyshaun Prince's spectacular defense. Although Garnett won't be shut down, I think there is a possibility that Paul Pierce will be rendered obsolete in this series. Prince is coming off a great defensive effort in the Orlando series and I look for that to continue through to this round. Neither Rip Hamilton nor Ray Allen play great D so look for those two to put up some good numbers throughout the series. Their teammates will be looking for them to score the big points since they themselves are tied up in tough defensive match-ups.

I think the PG battle might be the deciding factor in this series. Chauncey is just so much more polished an experienced than Rajon Rondo. That alone puts Rondo at a disadvantage, and to be honest, I think he will get ripped by Billups. These are two of the best defensive guards in the league and although I know Rondo can keep up with Billups, I just think he'll get outsmarted and posted up down low. Chauncey has the size to overpower Rondo with relative ease, and I don't know if Rondo knows how to guard a PG that likes to post up every once in a while. Rondo will have to use everything he's got on defense is he hopes to stop Billups. On the other hand, I think Billups can and will contain Rondo rather easily. He's been here before, and when it's a seasoned veteran versus a very young PG, I have no problem admitting that experience and knowledge plays a big part in the outcome. I expect to see more of Cassell in this series so Rondo can get the rest he needs to go 100% for the minutes in which he is playing. I like Stuckey off the bench for Detroit, and I think he'll capitalize on opportunities if he is put on the court with a tired Rondo or an older, slower Sam Cassell.

While Detroit may have the defensive edge, I don't think there is any doubt that the Celtics have the advantage on the offensive end. My opinion is that Detroit's defense is more of an asset than the Celtics' offense, which is why I chose Detroit to take the series. I'm gonna stay true to the home-court advantage phenomenon that's been taking over and say that the series will go to seven games. Obviously, Detroit will have to win game seven in Boston, so the home team will have to lose at least one game in this series if my prediction is to come true.

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Posted By: Travis - Category: The Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons

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Paul Pierce: A Gangster?

May 1st 2008 15:03

Does this look like the face of a gangster to you?

I'm sure we've all heard about the ridiculous fine received by the Celtics' Paul Pierce the other day. Pierce flashed what some call a gang sign towards Atlanta's Al Horford in game five of the Celts-Hawks series. He was fined $25,000 and the team says they are going to appeal after the season is over. Of course Pierce denies that it was a gang sign and as much as well all love to hate on athletes that make millions, I'm on his side for this one.

Why am I on his side you ask? Because he's Paul Pierce. He's one of the last superstars in the league that I would associate with a gang. He looks like your average Joe, just 8 inches taller and more athletic. A lot of players have their little signs they throw up before games, during games or after games. Some of it I find quite abnormal, like when Darius Miles used to do the horns or whatever it was... never liked it. So, Pierce got knocked $25,000 for throwing up that sign where you have the thumb and index forming an "O" and the other three fingers are extended as you would when you are holding up three fingers. Wish I could find a photo of Pierce doing this, but I couldn't. Not to fear though, I found something even better...

First Pierce, now Calderon?

Seems as if Calderon has joined Pierce's gang. Calderon might even be the leader since he's holding up two hands instead of one!

No, Calderon is not in a gang... at least none that I am aware of. Pierce was not flashing gang signs at Al Horford. He might have been trying to make a statement by flashing "his" sign (similar to giving a hard stare in my opinion), but it had nothing to do with any gang. The NBA overreacted and I'm glad the Celtics' organization didn't fall for it. They are fighting it, which is the right thing to do. It's not about the $25,000, because that's meaningless to Pierce, but it's the principle of the matter. That's my take on the situation, feel free to agree.

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Posted By: Travis - Category: Player News, Boston Celtics

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The Boston Celtics Pwn the Detroit Pistons.

January 6th 2008 12:53

Paul Pierce shows off his Celtic pride. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

It must feel like New Years Eve every game for the Boston Celtics. They have fun, celebrate, and, er, hopefully don’t kiss each other, but if they did, there is nothing wrong with that either. Today, Boston faced their Eastern Conference archrivals, the Detroit Pistons and beat them, 92-85.

This win was an important one for the C’s and if their after game celebration was any indication, they’ll take the memory of this victory into the postseason if the two combatants ever meet again. Detroit had an 11 game win streak going into this game but it was snapped by Boston, who have now won nine in a row themselves. Incredibly the Celtics have a 29-3 record.

In one of the most anticipated regular season match-ups in a long time, it was Glen ‘Big Baby Shaq’ Davis who proved to be the big contributor for the night for Boston, leading the team with 20 points, including the key layup with 8.5 seconds left in the game to extend his teams lead by five.

“It feels real good to contribute in a big game like this," Davis said. "But we can't get too excited. This isn't the last time we're going to see this team.” (Lage, AP, 2008)

Well, according to Chauncey Billups, the way that Boston carried on after the win seemed like they had just won the Super Bowl. It was a rather extravagant celebration, but it may have meant that Boston now have the psychological edge of Detroit. Than again, we may be reading too much into a game that was played in early January.

Whichever side of the fence you sit on, it was a massive one because both teams had a combined .844 winning percentage going into the contest. This was a heavyweight battle royale on par with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Today’s game was notable as well because for the first time this season none of the Big 3 was the leading scorer. Davis had that honour.

Davis’ performance bodes well for the Celtics because it illustrates how infectious the work ethic that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen bring to every game is rubbing off on their teammates. The scalp of Detroit is proof positive of this fact.

“This was a huge win because we won on the road in a playoff atmosphere against a team that had won 11 straight,” said Paul Pierce. (Lage, AP, 2008)

Boston looked good. The rest of the league should consider wearing adult diapers.

The video subject for today is Baron Davis and his top 10 plays from 2007.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Boston Celtics

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The Minnesota Timberwolves Originally Didn't Want Kevin Garnett.

December 20th 2007 10:02

The Boston Celtics may have dropped their first game of the season at home, but they still own the best record in the NBA, and it is due to the presence in the team of a certain player by the name of Kevin Garnett. Yes, KG has reinvigorated a proud franchise and even if the Big Ticket never gets his title, he’ll still be considered as one of the

KG is the G.O.A.T. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

greats.

Garnett has been so good for so long that it is hard to remember that the man once had to prove himself. Yes, all rookies do have to earn their plaudits, even the elite of the elite. However, KG was a high school phenom jumping straight to the NBA at a time when this occurrence was a rarity. There were many question marks regarding Da Kid.

Current coach of the Detroit Pistons, Flip Saunders, who funnily enough is the puppet master of the team that defeated the C’s today, was the man calling the shots on the bench when KG broke into the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Before today’s contest, Saunders was reminiscing about that crazy time in 1995 when the T-Wolves owned the fifth pick, and wanted to sabotage the lottery teams ahead of them by hyping up the high schooler by the name of Kevin Garnett. In consultation with head office personnel, Flip was waxing lyrical at how much they wanted KG, whilst secretly hoping that the franchises with the higher picks would snare him so they could get either Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Jerry Stackhouse, or even, Joe Smith! Eek.

"So we went and we watched him work out," Saunders said, "and about five minutes in, I turned to (vice president Kevin) McHale and said, 'We better hope he's still there at No. 5.' "(Jahnke, Free Press, 2007)

To be fair, ‘Sheed, ‘Tone and Stack aren’t total busts, but Joe Smith! This anecdote just illustrates how inexact the science of drafting rookies is.

The success of Garnett as a high school player, jumping to the pros was the start of a flood that saw players such as Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and LeBron James bypass college and straight to NBA glory. Those days are behind us now with the new NBA laws in place, but it is funny to remember how much reservation there was at the time at how Garnett would fare in the pros. Experts and pundits were in almost universal agreement that KG would suffer, and that a boy didn’t belong in a man’s game.

How things have changed. Let’s leave the final word for Saunders though who was a sage when coming to assessing the talents of the Big Ticket.

"He's going to go down as one of the greatest power forwards of all time," Saunders said. "I said it eight years ago when he was 24, he would go down as the most versatile player to ever play the game.

"No one is as versatile as him when you look at a guy who can score, rebound, can defend all five positions, is a great passer, his unselfishness and his passion to play. He's a special player. Fortunately for me, I was lucky to coach him for nine years." (Jahnke, Free Press, 2007)

Here are today’s top 10 plays for everyone to enjoy.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Boston Celtics

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Five Players to Watch in the New NBA Season.

November 8th 2007 10:01

With the second week of the new season underway, now would

Josh Smith can soar like a hawk! (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

seem an appropriate time to forecast who is going to have a breakout year. The beginning of the new NBA campaign sees the same familiar names pop out, but there are a handful of players that seem to come out of nowhere and have career years, or enter into wider public consciousness.

For instance, last season saw the emergence of Luol Deng, and Al Jefferson, develop to potential All-Star calibre players. Even Gilbert Arenas could have been deemed to have a breakout year due to the higher public consciousness that was afforded to Hibachi.

Any readers familiar with this site would know that we here at NBALOUD like to do things in groups of fives. So, without further ado, we present the five players that fans should look out for, and give out much more love to than they are receiving, thus far.

Josh Smith – Atlanta Hawks

Yes, we are all familiar with both the mad athleticism and hops that this young fella possesses. However, do you also know that Smith has become a more mature player? No? Well, let us inform you dear, reader, as to why.

Joe Johnson might be the number one option in Hot-lanta, but as the alpha Hawk succumbed to injury last season, Joshua took the reigns of the team and more than lived up to expectations.

As the go-to-guy, Smith began to play more intelligent basketball by not settling for long-range jumpers and instead attacked the basket with vigour. Using his obvious physical talents, Josh was able to capitalise on his advantage, and as a consequence became a more dangerous player. His passing game has also come around nicely as well.

Now, that, Johnson is back, Smith has to refine his game once again but if he continues to develop in the way that he did last season, watch out. An All-Star game berth isn’t too far of a stretch.

Andre Iguodala – Philadelphia 76ers

As Allen Iverson bid adieu to Philly, many people were wondering where on earth is the next Sixers top gun? Look no further than, Andre Iguodala.

For so long, ‘Dre flew under the radar in Philly, but once AI left for the Rockies, Ig, took the team leadership by the scruff of the neck and bestowed himself the label of ‘Caesar’ for the Sixers.

Obviously, playing for a horrendous team helps with Andre’s numbers. However, what is often forgotten is that he is a great defender, explosive offensive threat, and a decent passer to boot. Some consistency is needed for Iguodala to make further strides, but watch out for him to make some All-Star noise in the years to come.

Gerald Wallace – Charlotte Bobcats

What on earth does Gerald Wallace have to do to get some attention? Yes, he plays for a small market team. Yes, he balls for a team that has had a dire history. But, what the hell? Wallace should be an All-Star!

G-Money is a righteous scorer that is a deadly one-on-one player with a mad jumper! What’s more, before, Jason Richardson came to town, Wallace was the only option amongst a group of collegiate All-Stars!

Once again vote for this guy to go to New Orleans this year!

LaMarcus Aldridge – Portland Trail Blazers

Well, LaMarcus Aldridge has arguably got his fair share of attention already on the account

Ronny Turiaf is a bundle of energy for the Lakers. (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

that he does his work for the Blazers. With, Brandon Roy and Greg Oden on the squad though, LaMarcus would be hard pressed to get some ink. But as the theme of this post would suggest: why shouldn’t Aldridge get his due?

The Portland big man is a straight up playah! Yes, he is a good player, but what we’re saying here is that, LaMarcus is a playah! With silky offensive skills and a hardnosed approach on the defensive end, Aldridge and Oden would figure to become the potential new twin towers for a decade or so to come.

Ronny Turiaf – Los Angeles Lakers

Perhaps the most impressive revelation for the Lake Show has been the play of Ronny Turiaf. NBALOUD was mightily impressed with the energy and enthusiasm from the man and has become a big fan.

A sparkplug that can score, play defence, and has a nose for the boards, Ronny has become an invaluable component for the Los Angeles team.

Yes, it may still be, Kobe Bryant’s team, but the Lakers aren’t nearly as bad as people portray them to be. The real question really should be: Is Kobe as good as everyone says?

Today's video shows off Josh Smith in all his glory.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats

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Kevin Garnett Destroys the Wizards. LeBron James gets his Groove Back, Just Like Stella.

November 3rd 2007 09:20

Will the real LeBron James please stand up? Oh, there you are. After

King James is all heart. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

a less than stellar opening game, when Bron-Bron only scored 10 points in their loss to Dallas, King James re-aligned the planets with an out of this world performance against the New York Knicks. James scored 45 points as the Cavs held off the Knicks, 110-106.

New York actually played a really good game, with Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph having big time performances for the Knickerbockers. Unfortunately, the guy on the other team wearing number 23 conjured up images of another player from the past that wore the same digits on his back.

"He was as good as that other No. 23 I played against," Isiah Thomas said. "He was exceptional. He wasn't going to let his team lose." (Withers, AP, 2007)

LeBron may have been king, but his fellow Cav, Daniel Gibson was no pauper, as the young one continued his NBA development by hitting four 3-point baskets to also nail the Knicks – not in the good way either for New York.

You know what though? New York was LeBron’s town today.

King James recovered from a horrendous opening game performance, sadly, the same could not be said about Shaquille O’Neal. The daddy again was showing his age in the Miami Heat’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, 87-85.

The vastly underrated and underappreciated, Danny Granger for the Pacers was superb for Indiana scoring 25 points, and grabbing nine boards. Dan the man was also an efficient, 10-for-13 from the field.

Granger, got help from his fellow teammates though, with Ike Diogu hitting 16 and Mike Dunleavy adding another 15.

However, it was another worrisome performance from Shaq that is the big news story from this contest. In only 28 minutes of play after fouling out, Diesel only had eight points, seven rebounds and six turnovers. Yikes!

People that have doubted Shaq in the past got their just desserts, but his early season performances have been anything but stellar. Yes, he does have a history of not being a fast starter, but there is something disconcerting about his play so far.

Now, let’s move onto some real shocking results, with both the Los Angles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, recording impressive victories over their more celebrated opponents.

Beginning with the Lake Show, who came into Phoenix and absolutely destroyed the Suns, 119-98. This game wasn’t even close. L.A. pretty much dominated from the outset, even without Kobe Bryant being the man!

The Lakers played beautiful team basketball. Yes, you aren’t hearing things. Los Angeles actually played well as a unit, with all parts humming together in perfect harmony. They moved the ball with efficiency and purpose, defended well, whilst hitting the necessary baskets to break the spirits of the Suns.

Phoenix on the other hand looked terrible. Amare Stoudemire was a non-factor, whilst the ever reliable Steve Nash and Shawn Marion were the only two Suns players that offered any resistance. The Lakers dominated with the Bean only hitting 16! One last thing: I’m a poet and I don’t even know it!

Kevin Garnett blocking Gilbert Arenas' shot.

Gilbert Arenas gets pwned by Kevin Garnett! (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Sorry, no more bad jokes here. Oh, but have you heard about the chicken that crossed the road? It ended up on my table for dinner tonight. Sorry, sorry, I can hear the groans from all you readers out there.

Let’s get back to the sole purpose of this space and it isn’t to do with comedy. The other big upset was the Sixers beating the Chicago Bulls, 96-85.

Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller were fantastic for Philly as they overran the Bulls at the end, outscoring their opponents 14-5 to finish the game victorious. It was another disappointing performance by the Baby Bulls who once again find themselves starting the season off slowly.

Performance of the Day.

Now, onto the big game that had everybody in the NBA sitting up straight and taking notice – the Boston Celtics versus the Washington Wizards. ‘Who won?’ Do you even need to ask? Well, obviously you have, and in answer to your question, it was the Celtics who stomped the Wizards, 103-83.

Of course the performance of the day belonged to Kevin Garnett who had a monster game. Absolutely, monster of a performance. KG’s game was so big that it would make the tallest building in the world look like Wee Man from Jackass.

The Big Ticket had a, er, big performance scoring 22 points, snatching 20 rebounds, dishing off five dimes, blocking three shots, and adding three steals, in a dazzling debut in front of his new home crowd. You can bet your sweet ass that the Boston faithful loved every second of this game.

Boston’s other two members of the ‘Big 3 2K7’ also had nice games, Paul Pierce hitting 28 points and ‘Jesus Shuttlesworth’ adding another 17.

However, it was KG who was the messiah and all the Celtic fans as his disciples.

Today’s video is a commercial for NBA Live 08 featuring, Gilbert Arenas and Kevin Durant. Check it!

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Boston Celtics, Lebron James

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Kevin Garnett has the Celtics Rocking with a Triple-Double Performance.

October 28th 2007 11:25

The funky, new Celtics battled it out against the James gang in the final pre-season game and it was a peach. Well, it was pretty sweet if you are a Boston fan because the signs are looking extraordinarily good for the men in green. Kevin Garnett and the Celtics ran away with the game 114-89, with the Big Ticket making a massive statement to the all in the east that there is a new sheriff in town.

Garnett had his first triple-double in a Boston uniform with a sublime, 21 point, 13 rebound and 10 assist performance. Even scarier for opposing teams in the NBA was the play of the other two superstars, with Ray Allen dropping 20 and Paul Pierce adding 12. Well, 12 might not sound like much but The Truth has led the Celts in scoring during this pre-season stretch so

KG dunks the ball with feeling. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

he can take a night off.

There was a bit of feeling in this game as both teams played with more intensity than one would expect from a preseason game. Kevin Garnett, who is always primed for a game by the way, stated that there was a bit more pep to the performance because they wanted to send a sign to the defending Eastern Conference champs: “Obviously you're a little jacked up because it’s the Eastern Conference champions…” (AP, 2007) Thanks, KG for validating my statement!

LeBron James wasn’t a total silent partner in all the happenings in this game with a solid 17 point performance and a couple of highlight reel plays that brought the crowd to its feet. Still, you can’t help but feel a tad sorry for James who isn’t with his full compliment of cronies with Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao missing due to a contractual dispute with the Cavs. Two players that Cleveland can’t afford to miss in an already thin line-up.

Cleveland has not only been missing two key players, but has had an indifferent preseason campaign, going 1-5. “The season starts Wednesday. We have to get it together or get blown out,” said LeBron James (AP, 2007)

On the other hand, Boston has been playing great basketball with the new Big 3 gelling very nicely. Celtics fans who have had nothing but frustration for over 20 years must be rubbing their hands with glee, especially when KG has a triple-double, and a few super plays of his own to keep the crowd going.

Bring on the season we say!

Here is a video that would really set the pulses racing of all Celtic fans: The top 10 KG plays from last season.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Boston Celtics

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Kevin Garnett Faces his Old Team for the First Time.

October 11th 2007 11:05

It was inevitable that Kevin Garnett would face his former team the Minnesota Timberwolves, but who thought it would have happened so quickly? Granted, it was only a preseason hit out, it was still a big deal though.

In case anyone was wondering the Celtics won, 92-81.

Everyone who saw Kevin Garnett play today would have had to make a double-take to adjust to the sight of the Big Ticket wearing Celtic green. Afterall, the man did spend 12 years in Minnesota and was so identifiable with the T-Wolves that many people would still be pinching themselves to make sure they weren’t dreaming.

Today’s game was in London at the O2 Arena in front of a capacity crowd, every aspect of an NBA game was there – mascots, cheerleaders and a high flying dunking crew. Oh, and

Celtic green looks good on KG. (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

don’t forget the celebrities at courtside, such as, F1 driver, Lewis Hamilton, Didier Drogba and even Bill Russell.

The focus was on KG but it was, Ray Allen who shone the brightest out of the ‘Big 3’ with 28 points. Garnett on the other hand was quieter with nine points, six rebounds, two assists and three blocks. It wasn’t a usual KG big ticket performance, but rather a matinee showing with some highlights here and there.

Paul Pierce the other superstar for the Celts was also muted in his play with eight points, but everybody loved Kevin on this day.

Naturally, the interest for everyone was how did it feel for KG to face his old team? Kevin answered this enquiry in the manner that you’d expect anyone to when faced with this question: “The past is the past…This is a new chapter in my life.” (Lehourites, AP, 2007)

It wasn’t just a trip for fans seeing Kevin wearing a Boston uniform, but also his former teammates as well. Ricky Davis, a personal favourite of NBALOUD, confessed that it was strange seeing KG represent in the opposition colours and that he almost passed him the ball a couple of times too.

Boston look good is the sentiment we’ll finish with today.

The other big preseason interest story is that of, Yi Jianlian, the Milwaukee Bucks rookie who had a shocker in his first NBA outing.

A couple of days ago when playing the Bulls, Yi only had three points and fouled out of the game in 16 minutes. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to work out that this was not a great debut. It wasn’t even a mediocre debut – it was something worse!

Today’s game against the Utah Jazz was a vast improvement with the rookie from China scoring 12 points and committing only four fouls.

The young fella still has a lot of learning to do.

A lot of the preseason games as one would ascertain are currently in Europe. Today’s video shows Pau Gasol and Mike Miller in Spain. Pretty cool.