Gasol Deserves Newest Label

After coming from behind to for their 83-79 win in last night's Game 7, the Los Angeles Lakers secured title #16. Kobe Bryant now has another ring, his fifth, and second consecutive Finals MVP. Now that Kobe has one more ring than former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, life is gratifying. With the off-court feuding between the two during the Lakers three-peat of 2000-2002, Kobe's thirst for a ring without the Diesel was almost blinding. Even in basketball, where only 5 guys are the court at once, you need a supplement.

Shaq and Kobe share three NBA titles...
and the All-Star Game MVP from '09.

Jordan had Pippen. Magic had Kareem and Worthy. The whole Shaq and Kobe show. Dwayne Wade then had Shaq. Tim Duncan had Manu and Tony Parker. You need that "other" guy.

And who's that other guy for the Lakers? Ron Artest? Sure, he had an excellent Game 7, but at times Artest looked beyond lost in the triangle offense. Andrew Bynum? The whole injury issue has severely limited his role the past two postseasons. Derek Fisher? Fisher isn't really a point guard (as I have previously pointed out), but there's hardly a grittier player in the NBA. That leaves Pau Gasol.

My apologies, Pau. I honestly thought KG would have enough in his tank to overrun you. Reality check here (for me and others). No Pau, no back-to-back titles. Plain and simple.

After the Lakers acquired Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies on February 1, 2008 (a trade in which the Grizzlies franchise is still spinning), Gasol aided in the Lakers getting to the 2008 NBA Finals against the hated Boston Celtics. The Lakers loss in that series was painful. Gasol didn't play so well and there was a tag placed on Pau: soft. He showed very little physicality in the series.

Gasol has averaged 18+ points and 10+
rebounds in each of the last two NBA
Finals series.

As much as people want to look at this back-to-back title run as being Kobe's, you must affix Gasol's name to those as well. Not to do so would be a travesty and a misjustice.

In the last two title runs, Bryant has led the Lakers in scoring and assists. That will get you an MVP (or two), but who was the Lakers #2 man in those stats? Both times it was Gasol. Go beyond that. Gasol led the Lakers in rebounding and blocks. He can score. He can board. He can play defense. Gasol is a double-double machine and a valuable cog in the Lakers machine. What I found interesting, sometimes even offensive, is that when Gasol wasn't going for 18 and 12, the "experts" were quick to point to Gasol and say he didn't show up to play. That is another undeserved tag.

Gasol's contributions are still going widely unnoticed. It's all about Kobe, and that's wrong. There may even be a few that leave the "soft" tag on Gasol. That's also wrong, but that one can be removed. But there's another tag that Gasol now bears that can never be removed: two-time champ.

And that's a tag Gasol has quietly, and honestly, earned.

NBA Finals Positional Analysis

Here we are on the morning of the beginning of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. For your enjoyment (or amusement), here's my take on the position matchups.

Point Guard: Rajon Rondo v. Derek Fisher
It's easy to say that Boston holds an overwhelming advantage in Rondo. Don't be that quick, although he does. Keep this in mind. When Boston won the title in '08, Rondo was basically a hall monitor. He pretty much observed the action and didn't initiate any. He has that role now. Fisher isn't a true point guard as he doesn't handle the ball the majority of the time. We all know the Lakers offense runs through Kobe, but do not discount Fisher's role on the team. And he knows his role. Plus, Rondo is a bit banged up.
Advantage: Celtics

Shooting Guard: Ray Allen v. Kobe Bryant
This is a tad closer than people may think. On any given night, Allen still possesses the ability to drop 30 on you. The difference here is that Bryant will be the guy in his face and Kobe takes pride in his defense. As I stated in the point guard section, the Lakers let their offense run through Kobe and he handles the ball more than Fisher. Allen will have to be alert when on defense and with all of Bryant's activity on the offensive end, that could tire Allen. I don't think Allen will drop 30 on the Lakers, but don't be surprised if he squeezes out a couple of games in the high 20's just to let the basketball world know he still has game.
Advantage: Lakers

Shooting Forward: Paul Pierce v. Ron Artest
First and foremost, will Artest display a new hairdo? Haven't seen one yet, but we all know Artest can be open to experimenting with his coif. That out of the way, this is the most interesting matchup, and maybe most crucial, in the series. Artest has sacrificed his offense for the greater good of the team, a trait we haven't observed from Ron in the past. It has provided him a chance to clamp down even more on the defensive end of the floor. Pierce is his next target and you better believe that Pierce will have a tough go of it. In '08, there was no Ron Artest on the Lakers roster. There is in '10 and if Artest plays defense like we've seen in the past, the Lakers could walk away with a title. That's "if".
Advantage: Celtics

Power Forward: Kevin Garnett v. Pau Gasol
I think Lakers coach Phil Jackson made a mistake in calling attention to Garnett and his physical play against Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals. Not that KG needed to wake up, but this will only serve to motivate him more. But Garnett must be weary of not becoming too intense as he is prone to do. Garnett's physical play will need to be more prevalent on the defensive end as Gasol is no pushover. He's a double-double machine and he has skill to boot. Gasol was viewed as "soft" in the '08 Finals and I expect Garnett to take the ball at him at every conceivable chance he gets. Look for Gasol to try to overturn that "soft" tag this time around, but I'm not sure he can.
Advantage: Celtics

Center: Kendrick Perkins v. Andrew Bynum
Both are hobbled. Bynum by a knee and Perkins with technicals. Both mean so much to the interior defense, but Bynum has more offensive game than Perkins. Can Bynum's drained knee hold up to the physicality he'll get from Perkins? Will Perkins get slapped with that seventh playoff "T"? I'm thinking Perkins get #7 before the end of Game 1 which the C's cannot afford.
Advantage: Lakers

Bench
It's no secret that Los Angeles doesn't get near the support from its bench as Boston does. Only Lamar Odom presents any threat to the Celtics. The issue with Boston's bench is health. Rasheed Wallace's back, Tony Allen's ankle and Glenn Davis' concussion have all had time to heal, and that presents even more problems for Los Angeles. The Lakers desperately need Jordan Farmar and Sheldon Brown to heavily contribute for the Lakers to win, and I don't see that happening. And don't forget that pesky Nate Robinson either.
Advantage: Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers v. Phil Jackson
I like Doc Rivers. So do his players. They'd jump trough fiery hoops for this guy. I'm not sure if the Lakers would do that for Phil Jackson, but Phil has a ring for every digit on both of his hands. That's worth something, isn't it?
Advantage: Lakers

That makes 4 in favor of Boston and 3 in favor of Los Angeles. No, I'm not going to consider homecourt advantage because Boston plays better on the road. The C's can win at home when they need to...usually. I know I'm in the minority here, but I feel the Celtics will win this series. The 2-3-2 format presents a different animal and another obstacle for the Lakers. Sure, Phil and Kobe have lived it before (Phil has a lot!), but as I said above, the Pierce-Artest matchup is the key. If Artest can't shut down Pierce, then Boston grabs another. If the C's garner a split at the Staples Center, it will only give them more confidence that they can pull off another win in LA when they return for Game 6 and cap off the series with their 18th title. ESPN's Tim Legler agrees with me. Is that good or bad?

Just don't let my brother know I picked his Celtics. I'd never hear the end of it.

The Zen Master is at it Again

Yes, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is creating his usual high quality verbal barrage. According to the L.A. Times Lakers' blog, Jackson opines (as he always does) about the physical play and proclaimed Boston's Kevin Garnett as a target.

"He was smacking Howard's arm and finally was called for an offensive foul. That's not our kind of team. We don't go out there to smack people around."

Wait, Phil. Don't you have a guy on your roster that does that? Every heard of Ron Artest? Ask Kobe and what happened in last year's playoffs. I'm sure he'll refresh your memory.

And why is Phil going after KG? Sure, he talks a mean game. He can play mean, too. Some would say Jackson's looking to gain an edge over Garnett. I think the target here could actually care less...and that has dwindled since Phil first "called out" Kevin Durant, then Steve Nash. Too much, too soon actually. When Jackson was perceived as whining about the free throw situation with Durant, Phil should have bagged his verbal sparring Jedi mind trick. It had an effect on the kid, but on the vets like Nash and KG.

So, what's Phil and Co. do now? Offer $50 for each charge taken by his players. We're all familiar with this. Some may refer to it as "flopping". You know, the tactic that Duke's interior defenders are always berated for using. A big man hits the floor in hopes of his opponent being called for a charge. Laker fans, if you absolutely abhor the use of this by Duke, or even just hate Duke, you must be seething by this revelation. But unlike Coach K, Phil can offer a financial reward., a crisp $50 bill. Don't think it's not a big deal either. Most of us think that $50 is nothing for these guys, but in this "exercise", it is. You're taking someone else's money.

And Lakers fans, you should be disappointed because your coach has just stooped. He's taking the game out of the hands of the players and putting it into the hands of the officials. We all now that cannot be an outcome we all want to see. Even if the Lakers win the series, do you honestly think proper credit will be acknowledged knwing what we know? No.

The game today is physical and the knock on the Laker team that lost in the '08 Finals was that they were soft. And they were. Let the guys play and let their play determine the outcome, not your mouth and/or incentives.

All this from a Duke fan.

Lakers Defense Has Bryant Unhappy

It's a series now. Just when everyone had the Phoenix Suns left for dead, the Suns bounce back in a resounding fashion to take two games at home.

"They have a great bench." -
Bryant on Phoenix reserves.

And Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was none to happy with his team's showing despite another excellent game in which he contributed 38 points, 10 assists and 7 boards. But it's all about the team with Bryant.

After the game, Bryant was thoroughly questioned about his team's performance both offensively and defensively. Bryant was obviously agitated at the outcome and some of those at the presser wanted to aim the finger toward the Lakers offense. To Kobe, there was no doubt. It was LA's defense failed them in Game 4.

"Our attention needs to be on the defensive end -- period," Bryant said. "That's second-chance opportunities. Their bench came in and gave them a big boost in getting balls back and getting them extra possessions. We've got to cut that stuff out."

Bryant was also asked if he needed help offensively and Bryant stayed the course as far as the Lakers lack of defense, and he's right. You have to have a defensive stop every once in a while. The saying goes that defense wins you championships and Kobe does own a ring...or four, so he knows what it takes. He even cited that his team gave too much attention to the Suns' zone and not enough to their own defense.

Frye finally broke out of a slump
in Game 4 to add 14 points and
6 rebounds.

Add that the Lakers had no such answer for the Phoenix bench that amassed an insane 54 points, and you have a Suns victory. Don't forget that Phoenix also won the rebounding battle, 51-36. The Lakers bench only managed 20 points and 15 of those were from Lamar Odom. Yes, the Lakers bench isn't the deepest and the Suns go 10 deep in their rotation. All 10 Phoenix players were in double figures in minutes played and Suns head coach Alvin Gentry has a tremendous feel for his club. Only three of the Suns starters played 30 minutes or more.

Lakers head coach Phil Jackson looked in a different direction.

"We thought we could come in here and get a game, and unfortunately you know we weren't up to the task. But we outscored them from the field I think both games, shot better than they did, did a lot of things very good and it still wasn't enough to win the game. They beat us at the foul line both nights, and that's the difference in the margin of the game."

Kobe says defense and Phil says free throws. Who's right?

Actually, both. The defensive stops were not many, and the Lakers were once again frozen by the Suns zone defense negating any movement to the hoop. Phoenix is showing a willingness to drive the lane and the Lakers are showing some tentativeness in such. All Phil has to do is invent a Laker way of penetrating the zone. He is the best coach in NBA history, right?

Piece of advice. Don't rely on the 3 so much. The Lakers took 33 three-point shots in Games 1 and 2 combined. Result: two wins. In Games 3 and 4, a total of 60 three-pointers. Result: two losses. See a pattern here?

If you're a Suns fan, think about this. Phil Jackson is 46-0 lifetime when his team holds a 2-0 lead.

After Games 1 and 2, Lakers fans were chanting "We want Boston!"

I think they may want to take care of the Phoenix Suns in this series first.