Play Time is Over

It looks like the Heat followed through on "the keys to beating the Celtics" to extend their season and swing a game 7 back to Miami.

For those of you that don't remember what those "keys" where, let me reiterate them.
Well actually, let me just reiterate the last and most important one:

(I even left in my grammatical error of "mostly importantly" to leave the true essence of how imperative this last point is).

What happens when LeBron decides to shoot the ball?
In case you're living on another planet:

Well, if you want to be technical about that last point, LeBron didn't really shoot all that much in the 4th. But of course that's because he had 30 in the first half and 41 through three quarters. By the time he got to 45 in the 4th quarter, this game had been long over. If you must know, he finished 19-26 for 45 points, to go along with 15 rebounds and 5 assists.

I have never heard an arena as loud as it was before game 6 last night in Boston. And I have never seen a building get it's breath sucked out of it and have it's collective morale broken by an individual they way LeBron did it to Boston last night (and I grew up a Knicks fan during the Jordan era).

Surprise, surprise.

LeBron, this is what you need to do for your team to win.
It doesn't have to be always 45 points. But it does have to be 25-30 shots, early and often and throughout the duration of the game. I know you are an all-around out of this world multifaceted player.  But right now, this year, this run - this is what makes your team the best it can be.

Do you understand the importance of what you need to do?
No really, LeBron do you understand?:

First, let me just say, this really wasn't a question so much as it was a point of inception.
Having watched a pattern develop over the year of him not looking to shoot in crucial moments and and get enraged by the lack of proper support from his coaches and teammates to literally force him to shoot the ball - I kind of felt it necessary to take matters into my own hands and try to drive home the importance of him ALWAYS looking to shoot.

You have to know that Doc Rivers will throw everything including the kitchen sink at LeBron in game 7 tomorrow night in Miami. And my response is:  it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how many defenders come at you LeBron. It is "essential" that you shoot - because once you pass the ball, the defense has achieved it's primary goal.  You have to dictate. You have to dominate. And it's really that simple. It's not a matter of make or miss. It's a matter of taking and establishing. Of taking what's yours and establishing to everyone in the building, especially those having the misfortune of suiting up against you, that make no mistake about it - this is your game.
Trust me, everyone else will follow suit.

And what was really the most elegant part of last night's game, was how he did what he did. LeBron didn't  force the issue going to the basket (he only had maybe 3-4 layups). He didn't relegate himself to taking three point shots (he was 2-4 from three). No. Instead he relied and trusted in his vast repetoire of skills. In particular, he confided in his mid-range game and newly mastered post game. How many Dirk one-legged fade aways did you see him make? How many baseline fade-aways did you see him make - over two defenders?

And to drive this point home - that's the point of looking to continually shoot the ball. You won't make every shot. But if you keep taking shots - your aggression and confidence mounts as your rhythm manifests itself.

But how about the fact after having the best game of his NBA career, and after my "question" LeBron's response was how important his teammates are? About how much confidence and trust he has in his teammates. Does it get any better than that?

Listen, for  everyone out there that questions this guy's character, his ego, and his unselfishness - you need to get a grip on reality. Seriously. In fact, I would say LeBron's biggest fault over the years has been his tendency to be too unselfish on the court. His tendency to make the right play, even when it's not in the bet interest of the team.

LeBron, you play the game the right way. And you don't have to be a doctor in biomedical science to realize that. But, if I may speak on the behalf of everyone in your corner and rooting for you to achieve the ultimate goal, rooting for you to be your absolute greatest......
BE SELFISH.
Put this team on your shoulders, take the onus, take the shots...... and see what happens.
That is the right way to play.
Win, lose, or draw - everyone will concur with that.

You might ask, how long is this sustainable for?
I would say, 5 more wins.

******

Let me just share with you some anecdotes from the game:

I stood next to Steven A. Smith for practically the duration of the game. I get the feeling we were both rooting for LeBron - although he was a little more reserved about it.
Case in point - after LeBron flew in for that one handed dunk off a rebound in the first half last night, Stephen A. kind of subtly jerked his head to the side in silent approval.
My response was a little more overt: "Holy S*#@!"

You will probably read this a lot today - and perhaps for some time to come.
I have never seen that look of focus, determination, and out right refusal to lose on LeBron's face before. I like it. And if it comforted me, I can only imagine what it did for his teammates. The fact that he wasn't demonstrative was more telling of his confidence. He didn't seem to talk during the game, but you could see the emotion bubbling over in his eyes. And he simply pointed to his teammates to direct them. He simply demanded the ball on every possession.

Coming in and out of the locker room and the half he looked at the floor - completely in his own zone. And this persisted in the second half - although he spoke to his teammates a little more. The only time he broke out of his trance? After the game walking back to the locker room - when some idiotic heckler spilled beer on his head. What did LeBron do? He turned around and smiled.

After the game, I saw LeBron as a humble young man - who spoke of his teammates first and the task at hand rather than try to embellish what he had just done.

"How many points did you have?" Some woman asked him.
"I don't know" LeBron said.
"45 points! 15 rebounds! And 5 assists!" some overly eager little kid blurted out.

Yeah kid, we know.
You'll learn as you get older and more mature that greatness doesn't have to announce itself.
It is inferred by mere presence and performance.

What can get better than this?
Well, I can think of a certain match-up with an aspiring 23 year old next week.
But first, how about a pre-requiste dominating game 7 performance by LeBron tomorrow night?

Here We('re) Go(ne) Again?

What started out as a joke, is on the verge turning into a disaster.
(Seems as if we've been down this road with LeBron before, haven't we?)

So without further delay, here are,
The Keys for the Heat beating the Celtics (and saving their season):

** Of course, this assumes that someone in Miami cares about extending their season. It also assumes that someone there has the acumen to make strategy adjustments on the fly. 

** If Miami's season comes to a crashing halt tomorrow, the Heat should make sure to offer any and everything to get Phil Jackson to take over in South Beach.

** But the crazy thing is......isn't this the perfect opportunity for LeBron and Miami to exorcise their personal and collective demons???

Rolling Thunder

Who cares about experience?
Sometimes the naivete of youth can be much more valuable.

For instance:

What does it matter that your opponent won 20 games in a row (tied for third longest winning streak in NBA history)? If you didn't know any better, you might assume they could just as easily lose 3 in a row, perhaps even 4. Forget streaks, maybe it's enough to live in the moment and realize it's what you do in the your last game that counts.

And what does it matter if as the point guard of your team you commit three straight turnovers in the 4th quarter, that enables your opponent to trim a 8 point lead to 2? Apparently it means nothing if you're Russell Westbrook, who almost immediately after those turnovers was still able to knock down a huge mid-range jumper with a minute and a half to go to push the lead back up to 4.

What does it mean after scoring 18 points in the 4th quarter of the previous game, you only have 5 points in the first half of a pivotal game 5 on the road? Absolutely nothing if you are Kevin Durant, you must surely know you can drop 22 points in the second half, on the road, when your team needs you the most.

And finally, who cares if you have the three time NBA leading scoring on your team, that has been unstoppable in the clutch this post-season? Or that you have an all-NBA point guard as his side-kick. Not a darn thing if you're 6th man of the year James Harden. You don't know any better than to look them off while you keep your eyes on the shot clock and nail a three pointer with under 30 seconds to go that essentially seals the deal for your team.

Ah yes, you got to love youth.
Irreverent when it comes to history and legacy.
Not thoughtful enough to realize how big the moment is, but fine tuned to seize it.

Back to the Drawing Board

Celtics keys to beating the Heat:

Uh oh......

Anything You Can Do......

You have to admit, it's been a pretty impressive stretch for LeBron James and Dywane Wade their past week of basketball.

Hard to believe (or is it?) that after scoring just 5 points in game three against Indiana and everyone subsequently concluding he was too old, Wade has averaged 30 points, 4.5 assists, & 6 rebounds the last four games.

In most situations, those numbers might have been enough for anyone to deduce that Wade is the best player in the world. Fortunately for Miami, those numbers aren't enough to even consider him the best player on his team.

Hard to believe (or is it?) that after getting punked two games in a row by Danny Granger, LeBron James has erupted - averaging 32.5 points, 6.8 assists, & 11.8 rebounds the last four games.

It seems as if the only people these guys are in competition with......are themselves.

It's getting to the point where they try to emulate each other during the games.
Sort of like a game of horse......

LeBron: "How about a lefty lay-up?"

Wade: "No Problem."

Wade: "That a little too simple though."

"How about an in-and-out cross over into a contested fade-away jumper......off of one leg"

LeBron: "Ooh, that's a good one." "Let me warm-up with some post moves and drives, and then try it out." "Do I get extra points for shooting it over KG?"

My Goodness.

Judging By the numbers, I think LeBron won this latest round.

You can tell by his late game reaction, but really, the moves by both of these guys are enough to make anyone say "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

A picture is Worth a Thousand Words

So Miami lost a game and are now tied 1-1 in their second round series with Indiana, no big deal right?
Well, maybe more so than you think.

For now, let's leave out the possibility of Chris Bosh missing the remainder of the series. Yes, that is certainly a concern. However, personally I am more concerned with the reaction and body language of LeBron James to a play that occurred during the second half of last night's game (and I'm not talking about the final play call with 8 seconds left, but more on that in a bit).

Did you happen to see Danny Granger come down on top of LeBron with his elbow to his head, which resultantly knocked LeBron's headband off?

Well, as you might expect the two proceeded to then have a (no pun intended) heated exchange. This is understandable, if not expected in playoff basketball. Besides, how would you react if someone was extra physical with you and perhaps took a cheap shot in the process.

More importantly, how did LeBron react?
See for yourself:

Who do you think is the aggressor here?

Who you think does and doesn't want any part of this?

Let me play my own version of "create a caption" right here:

Granger (the bully who just knocked down a schoolboy's books): "Yeah, I just elbowed you in your head...... what are you gonna do about it?"

LeBron (the shocked schoolboy): "My gosh Danny, why did you do that?" "No need to get so physical, I-I-I-I don't want any trouble, I-I-I-I just came here to play ball."

Danny: "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Four words:

1) ARE 

2) YOU 

3) KIDDING 

4) ME?!?

LeBron, let me introduce to yourself. 

You're LeBron James, baddest baller on the planet. NBA MVP 3 of the last 4 years.

Career averages: 28 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists

Playoff averages: 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists

All-star appearances: 8

Now let me introduce you to Danny Granger.

Career Averages: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists

Playoff averages: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

All-star appearances: 1

No offense to Danny Granger, but who the %@#$ is this guy?!?

How dare he get into you face like that?!?

Who the %@%$ does he think he is %@#$ing with?!?

Excuse me. Let me gather myself.

LeBron, you can't let this type of stuff slide - seriously. Dudes will start talking back, disrespecting you and your fam (the Heat), and just acting all sorts of stupid. What's worse is that they may start to gain confidence and even start to believe they are on your level. I get the whole cool thing. I get the whole, "I don't even take this dude serious" thing. But that's regular season drama. Now it's the playoffs. This is the time where you have to put these little guys in their proper place and exert your will. Not just for yourself, but to set an example for your team. 

Do you dig what I mean???

I wonder, what can I say or show you to convey my sentiments?

Hmmmmm.

How about this:

I don't have to introduce the guy on the left, do I?

LeBron, I'm not trying to compare you to Jordan. That's not fair and no one should.

But learn from this. 

If a dude tries to punk you or, more importantly, someone on your team, you get right up in their mug and let them know that ish ain't going down around here. And then after you get up in their mug, you convince them how serious you are by letting your ice grill linger on:

By the way, that was game 7 of the 1992 conference semi-finals. You might recall that the upstart Knickerbockers from New York pushed the defending champion Bulls to 7 games - mostly by being physical and beating the crap out of Scottie Pippen. 

Then in game 7, the encounter above happened.

Oh yeah, then Mike dropped 42.

Then the Bulls beat the Knicks in game 7.

Then the Bulls beat the Knicks in '93.

Then the Bulls beat the Knicks in '96.

Homie, your body language has all sorts of repercussions towards the outcome of a game and even your career. You've been down this path before. Enough is enough. There are just certain things you can't accept.......

Speaking of which, 

For goodness sake, can someone tell me what planet coach Spoelstra is on?

Down three with 8 seconds to go in last night's game, you think he would be drawing up a play on the final possession of the game for either Wade or LeBron - you know, the two best players on earth (or at least the eastern conference). So what did he do? Utilize Wade as a passer and LeBron as a screener...... to get Mario Chalmers a three point shot??? 

Wait a minute. What?

Mind you, this was about a week after the Heat lost game 4 against the Knicks.

You remember, the game in which LeBron had 6 points in the last minute of the game to bring Miami within two points with ten seconds to go...... only to have coach Spoelstra forgo LeBron's torrid play and, in his infinite wisdom, put the ball in Wade's hands for the final shot. How could you not give LeBron the ball in that situation?

Enough is enough.

There was a great article in ESPN the magazine earlier in the year about how meticulous coach Spoelstra is with regards to game preparation. He studies films, stats, as well as player and team tendencies. Apparently the dude doesn't get much sleep. Having been in the Miami Heat locker room myself and seeing their chalk board, I can attest to the fact that this guy has around 10 different plays and team mantras written on the board. That's 10 different plays for both sides of the ball. 

There is no questioning his diligence and intellect. But, how much brains do you need to realize you have the best player in the world on your team and sometimes it's as simple as getting him the ball in a position where he has the best chance to be successful?

Coach Spoelstra, let me introduce you to LeBron James.

LeBron, one of the members of your team, is NBA MVP 3 of the last 4 years......see above for the rest.

If you have the best player in the world on your team, you use him to obliterate opponents. That's your strength. You don't use him as a decoy. You don't take the ball out of his hands. 

You may say that LeBron has certain flaws, that makes Spoelstra not want to give him the ball at the end of games. My goodness, he just might have to actually coach and find a way to correct those flaws. Is such a thing possible?

Beyond scouting and film, part of being a great coach is knowing how to manage your personnel (which varies and can fluctuate on a yearly basis). It's knowing how to get the best out of each specific player - no matter how regal or how provincial they are. It's knowing how manage egos. It's knowing how to instill confidence and discipline at the same time. While ultimately it's up to LeBron to rise to the occasion and demand the ball in those situations, don't you think it would be nice if Spoelstra helped him out - just a little - with all of that. If LeBron has certain flaws, shouldn't Spoelstra - in the best interest of his team -  try to help LeBron overcome those flaws by at the very least putting the ball in LeBron's hands to instill confidence and aggression?

How about if coach Spoelstra said this during the final timeout:

"LeBron, we're gonna get you the ball and you are going to take the last shot. I don't care if they double you and someone else is open. We are going to live and die with you taking - and making - the last shot for us."

And one last thing.

For all that's said about X's and O's, it means nothing if you can't make series adjustments, let alone in-game adjustments. With Bosh down for the series, is it really thinking that far outside of the box to give Eddie Curry a shot in the lineup? You might contest that he doesn't play defense or rebound. But he is big and takes up space. I would rather him guard Hibert than Anthony. And, even without playing the last two years he is still more of an offensive threat that Anthony and Turiaff, combined. What's the worst that could happen? You lose home court advantage? Oh wait......

Coach Spoelstra, it's time for you to step up to the plate.

Coaches are supposed to help their team and their players be the best they can be. And that holds true no matter of much of super stars they are.

You Have to Have Faith

The "Truth" will set you free.

Well here it is: Paul Pierce is no Tim Tebow. 

He's been doing this for years.

Question: After losing game 1 of their first round series against Atlanta and coming into game 2 without Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, how any of us thought the Celtics were sure to fall into a 0-2 hole and finally fall into playoff oblivion shortly after? 

Another question: Now with home court against the Hawks and Derrick Rose out of the playoffs due to injury, how many of us think the Celtics can make a run to the conference Finals???

Talk about resurrection.

Is it me or has Boston done this sort of thing once or twice before?

More on pierce.

After being held to 12 points on 5-19 shooting (2-3 from the line) and 4 rebounds in a game 1 loss, Pierce came back with 36 points on 12-26 shooting (11-13 from the line) and 14 rebounds in game 2. And with Boston trailing heading into the 4th quarter last night, Pierce came through and dropped 13 points in the final period. 

Beyond Pierce.
Something has to be said about how this team just gets things done regardless of the circumstance. We all keep trying to write them off, saying they're "too old," "too injured," or "don't have enough depth." But no matter who is or isn't in the lineup, how old or novice their personnel on the floor is, collectively they find a way to win.

How much of this has to do with swag?  Look and that Tebow pose - on the opposing team's floor! It's in some way reminiscent of "the wink" Paul Pierce gave to a national audience after going up 2-0 on Orlando in the Eastern conference Finals a couple of years ago and saying they were going to sweep the Magic (they didn't, but they still made it to the Finals). What breeds such confidence? More importantly, does it enable them not to panic and simple turn on a switch to perform when needed?

Surely they have a core group that enables them to withstand fluctuations on the periphery. And this group has been together long enough to the point where they can substitute various parts into their system and still operate smoothly. 

How much of it has to do with the coaching? I would say a lot.

How about after losing Shaq and Jermaine O'Neal this year, Doc Rivers moved Garnett to the 5? Why not? The league is playing smaller and faster now anyway right?

Or how about, with Ray Allen down towards the end of the regular season, he starts Avery Bradley (listed at 6'2", 180 ibs) at the 2? Why not? You still surround him with Rondo at the 1 and Pierce at the 3.

Or how about with Rondo (league leader in assists) out last night, he starts Bradley at the 1? Why not? How does he respond? 14 points. 

Why not.

It seems you can do just about anything to this group and they'll still find a way to remain relevant. It certainly will be interesting to see how the rest of this series goes for Boston. 

And then the next one. 
And then the next one after that.

Any chance some of this can rub off on Melo and the Knicks?

 *************

Speaking of Avery Bradley. You may remember this play from a month ago:

It was enough to get him a couple of votes for defensive player of the year.

No seriously, see for yourself here.

Many of you may wonder where this guy came from.

He is a 22 year old second year player out of Texas. Although he was selected 19th in the draft, he only played in 31 regular season games last year, averaging 5 minutes per game. He didn't play at all in last year's playoffs.

This year, Avery played in 64/66 of Boston's regular season games and has been starting over the last month or so - mostly at the 2 position, but last night at the 1.


What changed in a year? 

I actually had a chance to talk with Avery after their win against the Heat last week. Did you know that during the Lockout, Avery was playing in Israel? Considering that is where I worked out for several professional teams, I jumped at the chance to ask him about his experiences playing there, the differences in style of play, and more importantly how playing there helped him prepare for this season.

Take a listen:

You got to love this kid's enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and appreciation for his experiences in other cultures. Certainly these are very important attributes to have for personal development, both on and off the court. And they certainly are paying dividends for both himself and the Celtics this year.