Chris Bosh (photo. Christian Gordaneer)The postseason is as much about taking advantage of your strengths as it is hiding your weaknesses. And obviously, no team is perfect and everyone has flaws. With the Eastern Conference playoff field set, what are some of the big red flags that teams will have to deal with?
ATLANTA HAWKS — Inexperience. After establishing a losing culture for so long, the fact that Atlanta is finally back in the playoffs doesn’t mean they’re totally cured. (They’re still gonna finish under .500 this season.) Going into a series against weathered playoff vets like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Sam Cassell and James Posey, it’s glaring that only Mike Bibby and (injured) Speedy Claxton have any notable postseason experience on the Hawks’ side.
BOSTON CELTICS — Bench. A lot of Celtics fans will say their 6-through-12 guys are a lot better and more trustworthy now than they were in November, which is true, but that doesn’t mean their bench is great. You’re still looking at a squad where 6-foot-5 Leon Powe logs big minutes at power forward, where rookie Glen “Big Baby” Davis is asked to perform a lot, where trigger-happy gunner Eddie House has to sometimes play the point and isn’t even the most reliable two-guard in the world, where Tony Allen still plays like J.R. Smith Lite, and where Brian Scalabrine still gets significant playing time. Yes, Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown were great pickups, but there are still a lot of holes in Boston’s second unit.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS — LeBron’s supporting cast. Are they that much better following the Ben Wallace/three-team deal? On the occasions where LeBron’s been out or been slowed down by those back spasms, the Cavs look just as D-League as they did with Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes.
DETROIT PISTONS — Arrogance. Will the Pistons continue to harbor the “We can turn it on whenever we want” attitude that reared its head in the Cavs series last year? If they blow past Philly and Orlando/Toronto, I could see them falling back into that old trap, which Detroit can’t afford if they draw the Celtics or Cavs later on.
ORLANDO MAGIC — Shooting. “Live by the three, die by the three” has been Orlando’s motto all season. They take more threes than any team in the League aside from Golden State, and Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Keith Bogans are all hovering around the NBA’s Top 10 in threes attempted. If the Magic are hitting, that’s good. If not, they’re in trouble.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS — Size. The Sixers are short. And if 6-11 Sam Dalembert gets in foul trouble, the Sixers go from short to woefully undersized. Aside from Jason Smith, all their other guys who measure 6-10 and above simply aren’t good enough to play (Herbert Hill, Calvin Booth, Shavlik Randolph). In a conference where they have to deal with the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard, that’s not a good look.
TORONTO RAPTORS — Toughness. I could hit you with stats and records of how the Raptors don’t rebound, of how they lost games to Lottery teams down the stretch when they needed wins, of how their defense doesn’t get the job done. But it really just comes down to this: Is there anyone on the Raptors that you’re scared of in crunch-time? Is there anyone you see cussing the team out in the locker room after a lackluster half? Is there anyone who you’d go into a foxhole with? Well, there is one guy: Jorge Garbajosa. But he can’t even play right now because he tried to come back too early from a broken leg.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS — Teamwork. When Gilbert Arenas was out, the Caron Butler/Antawn Jamison duo got even more alpha-dog in their respective mentalities, which means there could be even less passing between them and Gilbert and possible chemistry roadblocks.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
jz_smoove says:
i’m going so far as to think the hawks could upset the celtics. outside of the playoff experience, its an even matchup between ray allen vs. JJ, pierce vs. josh smith, rondo/cassell vs. bibby, advantage KG vs. horford though. if you think i’m crazy, yes i am awaiting for my papers to be approved that i am clinically unstable. i dont see detroit losing in the east, they are too disciplined. but disciplined enough not to get to cocky? washington will upset. and T.O. will also upset but this is a biased opinion ofcourse.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Bron42 aka I had springs before slamball says:
joe johnson has playoff experience for the hawks too
April 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Celts Fan says:
JZ, the Hawks do scare me. They’re a very good, young, athletic team with a lot of skill there. Wouldn’t surprise me to have it go 6, but they’re not winning the series.
The Celtics bench was a HUGE concern, but now that we have Sam, he’ll play the bulk of the backup point guard minutes with Tony Allen and Eddie House changing places at the 2.
Leon Powe’s only 6′7″, but after watching him use that 6′7″ frame to hang with and D up Dwight Howard to close out a win a few months back, I’m not nearly as worried about him as I used to be. He’s just got a nose for the ball and gets his putbacks up before you have a chance to react.
Big Baby’s earned his PT. The kid busts his butt on the glass, has a halfway decent 15 foot jumper, and has some very nice moves (though he’ll always struggle to get his shot up over guys on the block) and did a hell of a job D’ing up Tim Duncan a month ago. I trust him in spurts (though he has a habit of disappearing sometimes.)
Scal’s only been getting PT lately because we wrapped everything up, so the big 3 haven’t been getting as many minutes and Doc didn’t want to gas the bench. He was FINALLY getting plenty of DNP-CD’s in March, so I think that’s how it should be in the playoffs.
Tony Allen is JR Smith lite though, you’re right about that. It’s feast or famine with that guy, though you can always count on his tough D.
Don’t sleep on James Posey either.
I think you guys are gonna be surprised at how good our bench actually is now that Sam’s coming off of it. We had the guys to fill in a backup line, we just needed that guy to be the #1 scorer off the bench. With Sam filling that role, the other guys can just be the glue guy types they do well at being. It’s not a bench on par with Detroit’s, but it’s good enough you can win a ring with it.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
DaPro says:
@ jzsmoove
Upset by the Hawks??? The Atlanta Hawks???? GTFOH
The Celts are way too focused to lose to ATL. Plus the atmosphere in Boston will be so crazy that ATL might get swept.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Crabhands says:
The red flag with the Wizards is injuries.
Too many games missed in the last month due to nagging injuries.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Jz_smoove lay off the wacky tobaccee!!!
April 15th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
ben says:
couldn’t agree more with the Garbojosa comment. Glad to someone else took notice. Guy was a warrior
April 15th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
todd says:
The upset for the C’s would be by the winner of the Cavs-Wizards series, especially if it’s the Wizards.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
word says:
i agree with all but what you said about the celtics, they will be fine. they are my pick for the east conf. champs b/c i don’t think Lebron can re do what he did last season. i can’t picture them being upset, they are too serious about this and will kill it with hard D and hopefully great shooting.
the Raptors will loose first round, and I blame Bosh. He is not the leader he should be, he looks too shook and shy to say anything, he doesn’t push his team at all, he needs to train with KG and develop an attitude like his in terms of motivating a team and being a leader.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
word says:
i just have one more thing to say about stupid ass drunk drivers (my friend was killed by one hence why I am pissed about Melo’s 4 am missioning in Denver on Sunday nights), as a coach would you cancel practice right before playoffs so Melo can do a 2 minute press conference? George Karl is a joke, out of all the teams in the playoffs, Denver needs every damn second of practice they can get and I think them not having it yesterday b/c woe is me poor Carmelo is in trouble is reflective of the coaches incompetence, he lets his players run him. So fucking what he brought that shit on himself and if I was coach that fool would be staying after scrimmage to run a good 30 laps. That team is such a joke to me, I can’t even support them after this season. the wack level their playing and mind set is at is majorly flawed, thats why I respect the Celts, they are solid mentally and physically.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
K Dizzle says:
You blame Chris Bosh? That’s like the Suns blaming Amare…
You might not be from the T-Dot, but just so it’s clear, Bosh is the team leader, he is the dude that snaps in the locker room when the team is flat and he even took the fans to task for being dead quiet for a playoff team, then backed it up on the floor. The blame’s gonna lie somewhere else
April 15th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
doc says:
How you know Bosh be snapping on people.If he do they must laugh at him because Mike james used to jack now TJ do the same shit.They should change their name to the Toronto Noballs.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
kobeef says:
wiz are very, very dangerous
if i was doc rivers i’d keep an eye on the wiz cause they could take you down
April 15th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
K Dizzle says:
My mistake. I thought TJ been playin pretty good since he been startin, but obviously you know something I don’t know. Don’t be mad cuz the sixers got screwed last night. It happens to the Raptors 3 times a year
Kobeef
they need to focus on the ATL cuz atlanta got no pressure and lookin ahead is what got dallas killed last season but i feel you on the wiz. If Gil is at 75%, that team is gonna be a problem
April 15th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Bobby B says:
As a Raptors fan, I’ll be thrilled if they can win 1 game vs the Magic. They’ve been playing terrible for the last 20+ games, and I doubt they’ll be able to turn it around in the playoffs.
When they lose the series, the blame can be placed on Sam Mitchell. I have no idea how he won Coach of the Year. Darrick Martin would probably be a better coach.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
kobeef says:
@k-dizzle
Hotlanta i not getting respect vs Boston but they should.
Rondo vs Bibby = Bibby..if he has a good night he could destroy Rondo
JJ vs Ray = draw - if anything I give it to JJ who is a more complete player and 2 inches taller.
Pierce vs JSmoove = going to be interesting - P2 has experience but Josh is much bigger and more athletic
Marvin vs KG = no contest- KG = but this is a key matchup
Horford vs Perkins - Horford all the way
It is tighter than most think
April 15th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
nick says:
raps will give the magic a run for their money. no one on that team can guard bosh, check bosh’s stats against the magic this yr. avg 33pts/gm. i believe he has career games against them and van gundy even said they have no one that can match up with bosh.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Tim says:
I dont think the Pistons will have that much arrogance because their bench is pretty much half rookies…and I predict Stuckey will have some sick finishes…
I just hope he doenst have a nickname like Boobie that they uncover…
April 15th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
hotdog says:
Hawks vs. Celtics
I’ve been a fan of the hawks for a while, I think JJ is one of the best big guards in the league. Seeing them in the playoffs is enough for this campaign to be considered a success. Getting a game or two would even be better but Im quite sure that they wont win more than two games. Having Sam I AM coming off the bench solidifies the so called shakey banch that the Celtics have because of two main things: House can catch and shoot all he wants and we dont have to see Tony Allen bring up the ball which is always quite an adventure.
Cavs vs Wiz
They keep on pissing Lebron off. They are in big trouble. With two of their main players not 100 percent and an angry king it would be an interesting series but LBJ will find a way to pull this one out.
Pistons vs Sixers
As said sixers dont have the size upfront to match up with experienced pistons. Were going to hear a lot of “He can’t guard me!” from Sheed all series long.
Magic vs Raps
I think this series has the best chance of an upset. (Seeding wise because they match up equally) When Bosh came out with his “I need to trust my teammates more” thing I think he meant “We need to play the spanish dude more and sit TJ because he a jacker”. Wasnt the Raps better when Calderon was on the helm? They have a clear advantage on the backcourt, if the can find a way to exploit this, meaning if they play Calderon more they would have legit chance. Just keep challenging those threes and they are going to be fine. Howard and Bosh cancel each other out. Hedo and Rashard stepping up would prevent a minor upset.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:49 am
bill says:
why is everyone saying lebron’s supporting cast. THAT IS ALWAYS an issue. A constant. The biggest concern is Lebron’s health.
I love the Wizards but the stage is set for a story.
- lebron sore back
- lebron accepting challenge from Deshawn
- Lebron stepping up to the challenge
April 16th, 2008 at 3:07 am
karan says:
fuck lebron
the real story will be hibachi reminding the world that he’s a top 5 talent, butler and jamison showing why they’re the most underrated nasty talents in the L, deshawn shutting down lebron, who will choke, and jay-z sitting alongside soulja boi and teaching him how to rap.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:43 am
hotdog says:
lebron will destroy deshawn coz he sucks!
April 16th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Celts Fan says:
hell ya hotdog, you’re exactly right on Cassell.
Kobeef, Bibby may have an advantage over Rondo, but I guarantee you that it’s a lot closer than you think. There’s no way that Bibby “destroys” Rondo. He’s too good defensively to get beaten that badly. Most likely, Bibby ends up averaging something like 15 and 6 and Rondo ends up getting his 10, 7, and 5.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:23 am
jaceofspades says:
lebron is going to embarass deshawn all series long.. but i still think the wiz are going to take that series. cavs could barely handle the wiz the last couple years in the playoffs. and the cavs haven’t been playin good basketball since the trade.
i think the sixers have a legitmate chance to upset the pistons despite their height issues. rasheed wallace will be the determining factor in this series. but sixers got heart. especially comin from their young players.
hawks are NOT getting swept. their athleticism alone always gives them a chance to upset better teams. they’ll probably win a game. two if they’re lucky.
i cant see the raptors doing well against the magic. dwight howard is probably gonna average 18 rebounds this series. and each game could have each team over the 100 point marks.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:25 am
bookkwormmaster says:
I am a huge Hawks supporter but I honestly can’t see them winning a game against the Cetics. For one thing, the playoffs are more half-court oriented and the Hawks struggle in the half-court because they are more of a running team with their athleticism. Not to mention no one on their roster besides JJ and Bibby can shoot the ball consistently enough to pose much of a threat to the Celts and overall they are not a great defensive team either. They have good individual defenders but as a team the defensive intensity isn’t there. Go back and look at all the games the Hawks led and in 95% of those games they let the other team not only get back into the game but get win it also. Marvin Williams has the potential to be a great player with his size and athleticism but he is too much of a stand-still jump shooter. At 6′8″ he is not that great of a rebounder, although he has his moments, and he is one of the Haks better free-throw shooters but he don’t get to the line because he DOESN”T DRIVE (JJ suffered from this problem early on in the season but he really changed it up after they nabbed the 7th spot (temporarily). Also Josh Smith is a beast but he CAN’T SHOOT. He tends to hover around just inside the 3-point line alot and teams give it to him because he can’t shoot. However, he is a hand full down low and if Mike Woodson can convince him to stay down there and post up that really could be a major difference whether or not they can at least win 1 game. Al Horford and Josh Childress are workhorses: not particularly great at one specific thing but are good at pretty much everything. Finally, the Hawks don’t have ANY centers. Zaza Pachulia is by far the softest, bitchiest center in the WHOLE LEAGUE. He does so many unnecessary things to try and get away with stuff instead of trying to be a solid, fundamental player. He is garbage (as evidenced by losing his starting spot to Al Horford in the PRESEASON!). As a longtime Hawks fan and homer I am glad they were given that final spot (they really didn’t earn because other teams were just that much sorrier than they were this year that’s real talk) but unless they address the above issues they won’t win a game and they surely won’t be back in the playoffs next year.