Who Let The Dogs Out ………. ?

Who Let The Dogs Out ?

Well now that the fallout in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Lakers’ abrupt demise within the NBA Playoffs it appears that the repercussions and ramifications could be long lasting . We know that the team’s coach Phil Jackson will be stepping down and it’s presumed that a decision will be made by GM Mitch Kupchak in conjunction with the team’s principal owner Dr Jerry Buss as to who Jackson’s successor might be. Who could’ve foreseen the Lakers being swept in four rather lopsided games by the Dallas Mavericks in the conference semi finals of the playoffs ? The Mavericks now await the winners of the series between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals .

=================================================================================

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

===============================================================================

Slideshow for your perusal .

In light of what we’re now hearing it could well be that the remnants of this team will be torn asunder and be completely revamped . This much we do know, the only piece liable to remain untouched could well be Kobe Bryant . But inasmuch as that is a certainty I do believe that Bryant , himself , will go a long way having his own input as to the personnel decisions that will most definitely have to be made. A successor to Phil Jackson will probably come from amongst the ranks of the assistants on this coaching staff of which the leading candidates appear to Brian Shaw and Jim Cleamons . It remains highly improbable that the hierarchy would go outside their stable of assistants to hire a coach unless it’s a high profiled experienced coach amongst the professional ranks . I certainly don’t believe that they’re liable to look amongst the collegiate ranks for a successor to Jackson !

It became pretty much clear that during this series the Lakers were mentally and physically outmatched and from a defensive standpoint this team was simply not there as a willing participant or competitor . The Lakers bench was never present and rarely did we see the best from Lamar Odom , Ron Artest , Matt Barnes and sparingly did we actually get a glimpse as to the consistency of either Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol . The one consistent factor throughout the series for the Lakers was in fact the player of Kobe Bryant who was the leading scorer on the team throughout the conference semi finals .

I do believe that if anything the Lakers’ players came in with the mindset that as the two time defending champions all they had to do was to literally turn up and that the Dallas Mavericks would quiver in their wake. Complacency and naivete had set in and if anything Phil Jackson was simply out-coached by his opposing number Rick Carlisle . But consistently throughout the series the Lakers simply didn’t have an answer for Dirk Nowitzki , the very astute and intelligent play of Jason Terry , Tyson Chandler , J J. Barea and the unselfishness of wily veteran point guard Jason Kidd . These aren’t your Mavericks of old as they’ve become resolute and very much more defensively oriented with the combined play of Chandler and utility player Shawn Marion as they’ve provided the team with that much needed one ….. two punch from a defensive standpoint.

Now any thoughts that NBA Commissioner David Stern might have had for a proposed Finals’ matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the presumed favorites to make it out of the Eastern Conference the Miami Heat , will now have to be placed on the back burner. The Heat are now looking to fully vindicate themselves by closing out their series against their heated conference rivals the Boston Celtics . Now 3-1 up in that series and with the Celtics ailing on a number of fronts it’s hard to see how Doc Rivers’ — team will be able erase this deficit and actually come back and win this series outright. An aging roster of stars now seems to have met its Waterloo and this will most certainly have to be the last charge for Kevin Garnett , Ray Allen , Paul Pierce and Shaquille O’Neal .

As to the direction that may well be taken by the Lakers’ hierarchy as they look to rebuild I for one can’t really see them delving once again into the free agent market with the impending free agents that will come to the market . Granted , there may well be one or two desirable free agents but nowhere near the number that came to the market this past season . Mitch Kupchak will look to see where the deficiencies are on the roster and make the necessary moves to bolster a team that underachieved and that had performed well below the hierarchy’s as well as their fans’ expectations . This much we do know the this Lakers’ team of the 2010-11 season won’t in many respects resemble the one we’re liable to see for the 2011-12 season.

Game four of what’s now turning out to be an intriguing and suspenseful series brought a cumulative points total not often seen in an NBA playoff game . If I said you that the game between went into triple overtime and there’d be 256 points scored you would’ve probably thought that I was insane . But that’s what transpired on Monday night at the Fedex Forum in Memphis , Tennessee, as the Oklahoma City Thunder would defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 133-123 in a thrilling and exhilarating game . Russell Westbbrook and Kevin Durant would account for more than half of the Thunder’s output with the duo scoring a combined 75 points on their way to the team’s impressive win . Not to be outdone in all of this were Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol who each chipped in with 60 points between them for the Grizzlies.

Tonight’s game resumes the series in Oklahoma City in a pivotal game five where the victor take’s the reins and more likely than not will the upper hand in this series . To my mind for both coaches Scott Brooks and Lionel Hollins after this explosive and unbelievable offensive output where defense was simply left at the door I seriously doubt that the two teams will be able to reproduce another epic of this magnitude ! If anything tonight’s game should be somewhat less stressful for the discerning NBA tv viewer in terms of the suspense we could expect. Thrills and spills asides this series has indeed taken on a life of its own wherein the two teams seem to be evenly matched . Albeit that as the number eight seed in the Western Conference , few might have expected the Grizzlies to have made it this far in the playoffs . Should Randolph and his teammates prevail against the Thunder , then a much anticipated conference final’s match-up against the Dallas Mavericks awaits them.

==================================================================================================

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

==================================================================================================

Picture gallery for your perusal .

As the postseason unfolds were you at all surprised by the Los Angeles Lakers’ exit from the NBA Playoffs ? And which series to your mind of those played so far has been the most exciting to watch in your opinion ? Simply offer a comment as to your thoughts on the topics raised within this piece and anything else you feel to be pertinent with regard to the NBA postseason .

Alan aka tophatal ………………..

http://tophatal.wordpress.com

Picture and slide show details below .

————————————————————————————————————-

(1) EL SEGUNDO, CA – MAY 11: Phil Jackson, coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, speaks during his last official Lakers news conference at the team’s training facility on May 11, 2011 in El Segundo, California. The Lakers were swept out of their best of seven series with the Dallas Mavericks four games to none. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images …..

(2) Phil Jackson, coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, hugs a Kevin Ding reporter for the Orange County Register as he leaves his last official Lakers news conference at the team’s training facility on May 11, 2011 in El Segundo, California. The Lakers were swept out of their best of seven series with the Dallas Mavericks four games to none. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images ……

(3) Lamar Odom (7) of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks during a news conference at the Lakers training facility on May 11, 2011 in El Segundo, California. The Lakers were swept out of their best of seven series with the Dallas Mavericks four games to none. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images ……..

(4) Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks with members of the convened press at the team’s facility at the Toyota Center in El Segundo, California. Getty Images / Kevirk Djansezian ……

(5) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, right, reacts to a dunk by teammate James Harden, left, in the second quarter of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies in Oklahoma City, Wednessday, May 11, 2011. AP Photo/Alonzo Adams …..

(6) Oklahoma City Thunder guard Daequan Cook, left, shoots in front of Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo, right, and forward Zach Randolph, center, in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May 11, 2011. Oklahoma City won 99-72 . AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki …….

(7) Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins shoots as Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen watches in the second quarter of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May 11, 2011. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki ………

(8) Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph, left, shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka in the first quarter of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May 11, 2011. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki ……

(9) Oklahoma City Thunder forwards Kevin Durant, front, and Serge Ibaka, right, cheer in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May 11, 2011. Oklahoma City won 99-72. AP Photo/Alonzo Adams ……..

————————————————————————————————————————–

NBA News

NBA Playoffs 2011

NBA Stats (Playoffs)

NBA Schedule 11th May 2011

—————————————————————————————————————-

If at all interested do take time to participate in the above mentioned poll .

Advertisements

It Never Rains In Southern California …………

 

 

 

It Never Rains In Southern California  …………. 

 

 

 

 

 

Well  after  last  night’s  euphoric   victory by the  Los Angeles  Lakers over their   fiercest  rivals   for  NBA supremacy  in the Boston Celtics. There’ll   now  be  many  amongst  telling us  that  the  Lakers  are  now  indeed  the  best  team  in the NBA. Record wise  and   statistically  that’d  prove  to be  the  case.    But the argument  does   continue  even  amongst  the  most   discerning  of  fans  of  not  just  the  NBA  but  amongst   both  teams’ legions   of  fans. 

 

 

 

Bryant and Garnett acknowledge each other by shaking hands prior to the game played last night at the TD Banknorth Center played in Boston , Mass,. ...............

 

 

Bryant  and Garnett  shake  hands   prior  to  the  game  played  last  night  at the TD Banknorth Center in Boston , Mass. ………..

 

 

 

 

But  as  the  title  of  this  piece  reads  and   it  can  be  attributed  to the  neo-soul  r&b  group Tony, Toni , Tone !  One of the  premiere  r&b groups  of the  late 80’s  and  early  90s, fronted  by  Raphael Saadiq.  An  accomplished   musician and  producer  in  his  own  right.

 

 

 

The game  itself  though  not overly suspenseful  did   pit   two  teams  who  as  of  late have been  playing  some  excellent  basketball. And  if  nothing  else  the   hierarchy  of the NBA  has  to  be  pleased with the way   the  season  seems  to  be  turning  out  thus  far.   We’ve seen  the  consistency  of  one   of  its  brightest  stars  in LeBron James  of  the  Cleveland  Cavaliers. Who’s  now  leading  them  to  great  heights   this season.  He’s  ably  abetted  by the  likes  of   Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams  and  others.   

 

 

 

Celtics' Kevin Garnett looks to make a move against the Lakers' Pau Gasol ............

 

 

Kevin Garnett  of  the  Celtics  looks  to  make  a  move   against the  Lakers’ Pau  Gasol.

 

 

 

 

 

But  it  is the  Lakers  and  Celtics    whom  the  league appears  to live and  die  by  when  it  comes  to  equating   its   success.  Especially   on the   business  side   of the  equation.  Anyone  who’d  think otherwise  clearly  hasn’t  seen  the  sort   product that the  two   teams  move   in  terms  of  merchandising,  not  only  domestically  but  also  internationally.  And  for  a  sport  that  now  generates  in  excess of  $8.5bn  annually  in  revenues.  One can  only   think  that this   brings a  smile  to  the  face  of  Commissioner  David  Stern  when  both  teams are  successful  and  sit  atop  of  the game.

 

 

 

The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse Are Alive And Well Playing In The NBA ……..

 Say  what you will about  defending a championship as there’s often the belief  that once  having  won one  it’s extremely difficult to come back to try and defend and retain the said  championship.  But it’d appear that’s what the Boston Celtics  are setting out to do this year.  So much so that the start and  stats  that they’ve  proceeded to put up are  even more staggering than last seasons.  They’re now on pace to exceed last season’s tally of 66 wins.  Infact that they’re  now on pace for 74 wins that’d best  the  Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 tally at the  height of when Michael  Jordan reigned supreme.

 

Paul Pierece grabs his left knee in pain having injured it  during the  game played  against  the Utah Jazz. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Paul Matthews ………..

 

That being said this team with their triumvirate of stars in the guise of  Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce now seem to have added an even greater swagger to their  role as champions. The team’s  play is one of confidence night in and night out since  this season has started. And  the fact that they now sit atop of their division with a commanding 10 game lead over their nearest  rival  the New Jersey  Nets within the Atlantic Division. It’d suggest that the team hasn’t  missed a beat since its defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers in last season’s NBA Finals. At 23-2 the  team as alluded to before is playing with a great  deal of confidence and it has to be said  has come  with the improvement in the play of sophomore point guard Rajon Rondo.  As of late the player has been on  a tear that has  impressed  not only his coach  Glenn Doc’ Rivers  but also  his more studious and experienced  teammates as well.

 

Rondo of the Celtics and Williams of the Jazz contest a loose ball .........

Rajon Rondo of  the Celtics  and  Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz contest a loose  ball during the  game  played  on Monday night.  picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Paul Matthews ……………….. 

Rondo commands the floor  with a great deal of presence and no longer would it appear that the leadership role on the floor has  to go through Garnett or Pierce with everyone else  having to defer to them both in terms of the team’s offense. Rondo now has the confidence in his own ability and  that of  his  teammates around  him that he makes the right decisions  when it  comes to the distribution of  the ball and  the aspects of  the  team’s offensive strategies. Rivers,himself  has expressed his pleasure  in the player’s seemingly progress and maturity  shown not  just  on the basketball court  but  also off it as well. So much so that the feeling  is that the player can become the lynch pin of the team’s success  for years to come and that the franchise  can also profit  from it all. Say nothing of which in repeating as champions they  would become to  the toast of the New England area.