SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010
KLMNO
PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
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MICHAEL WILBON
LeBron, a basketball decision or a personal one?
GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES
“The playoffs come around, it’s time to pick it up another notch,” said Celtics forward Kevin Garnett.
Celtics have swagger back
to conference finals
by Michael Lee
boston — Kevin Garnett
couldn’t help the Boston Celtics defend their title last season with his game, as he was side- lined with a balky right knee. But through a seven-game victory over Chicago and a hard-fought series against Orlando that end- ed with the Magic advancing to the Eastern Conference finals, Garnett tried to assist his team- mates the only way he could — as a nattily dressed motivator on the bench, occasionally provid- ing expletive-laced words of sup- port, and as an instigator taunt- ing opponents with his vitriolic curse words. Having a foul-mouthed, 7-
foot-1 cheerleader on the side- line led to some entertaining moments, but Celtics Coach Doc Rivers rolled his eyes last week as he explained that the influ- ence of Garnett’s presence was extremely overblown. “Everybody was making a big deal about Kevin being on the bench,” Rivers said. “Nobody lis- tens to a guy — a player — that’s not dressed. They just don’t. I don’t care how good they are, be- cause you’re not out there with them. They may have listened, but it just didn’t have the same impact.” Following this season’s stir- ring six-game upset of the Cleve- land Cavaliers, the Celtics are in the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years and set for a postseason rematch with the Magic starting Sunday afternoon in Orlando. Garnett has given the Celtics a reminder of what it feels like to have him in uniform for a playoff run. He has provided leadership, such as boldly declaring that the Celtics couldn’t go back to Cleve-
A healthy Garnett leads Boston
land after a blowout win in Game 5. He has provided emo- tional fire, jokingly explaining that he was able to get Rasheed Wallace to finally show up in Game 2 because “I slapped his [rear].” Most important, Garnett has provided production, averaging 17.6 points and 8.3 rebounds, a marked improvement from the regular season, when he aver- aged 14.3 points and 7.3 re- bounds, his lowest production since his rookie season. Glen “Big Baby” Davis filled in
admirably for Garnett during last year’s playoffs, hitting a buzzer-beating jumper in Orlan- do and getting caught up in a mi- nor controversy after barreling over a young fan to celebrate. Davis provided statistical relief for Garnett, but the intangibles were lacking. It’s not a coinci- dence that the Celtics have yet to lose a playoff series with Garnett in the lineup. “KG is a champion,” Cavaliers Coach Mike Brown said. “His presence on both ends of the floor — as a player, as a leader and as a veteran — is big for those guys.” Garnett isn’t back at the physi-
cal level he was when he was named defensive player of the year two years ago, or even be- fore his right knee injury. But he is closer to being healthy again, which was a concern after hyper- extending his knee in late De- cember when Washington Wiz- ards forward Andray Blatche ruthlessly outplayed him in two games and called the 33-year-old future Hall of Famer “washed up.” He was far from finished in the second round against Cleve- land. Rivers wanted Garnett to take advantage of his favorable matchup against the shorter An- tawn Jamison. Garnett deliv- ered, providing the most diffi- cult matchup not named Rajon Rondo for the Cavaliers. And, in the series clincher, Garnett had 22 points on 11-of-19 shooting
with 12 rebounds and secured the victory when he came sprint- ing down the court and dunked. “Over the course of the season,
I’ve been fortunate to be healthy and I can honestly say, each month, I’ve gotten stronger,” Garnett said. “The playoffs come around, it’s time to pick it up an- other notch and that’s all I’ve been trying to do. Nothing more than that, less than that. It’s no secret, I take care of my body. I’m a workaholic when it comes to trying to better myself. Nothing’s changed, just trying to better myself.” Garnett will have his knee put to the test chasing around Orlan- do forward Rashard Lewis, who blew past him for a game-win- ning layup in the final seconds of a 96-94 Magic win in late Janu- ary, the last time Boston played in Orlando. But Garnett’s team- mates also realize that Orlando will have to contend with a healthier Garnett, who has made steady progress since having sur- gery last May. “The doctor said it would take
at least a year for him to heal,” Celtics swingman Paul Pierce said. “I think right now, you are starting to see a healthy Kevin, the way he is elevating, he’s look- ing like he’s closer to 100 per- cent. When you have surgery, it takes a lot out of you and it’s good to see him playing so well and consistent because we are going to need him. And there’s no way we can win a champi- onship without him.” After the Celtics dispatched
LeBron James and Cleveland, Garnett stood at the interview podium and smiled as he looked round. “There’s a lot of people in this room, boy,” Garnett said. “Man! Lot of people in this room. Haven’t seen this many people in this room since, uh, ’08. Hmmmm.” It’s also been that long since the Celtics have seen this version of Garnett in the playoffs. The one in uniform, anyway.
leem@washpost.com
[2] Orlando Magic vs. [4] Boston Celtics
[EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS]
Why the Magic can win: Orlando is the NBA’s hottest team, having gone 43 days without losing a game. It has won 14 in a row and run roughshod through the postseason, winning all eight of its games against Charlotte and Atlanta. Not only have the defending Eastern Conference champions been the best offensive team (scoring 116 points per 100 possessions), they also have been the best defensive team (holding opponents to just 94.6 points per 100 possessions). The Magic is coming off the most dominant four-game sweep in NBA history, as it eviscerated the Hawks by an average of 25.3 points per game. Orlando has been incredibly balanced, with five different players averaging in double figures in the playoffs. And, in the previous round against Atlanta, it finally got contributions from Dwight Howard and Vince Carter. Howard made an NBA-record 84.4 percent (27 of 32) of his shots and Carter averaged 18.3 points, including 22 in the close-out game. The Magic went 3-1 against Boston this season.
Why the Celtics can win: After upsetting top-seeded
Cleveland in six games, Kevin Garnett said, “One thing we don’t lack, and that’s confidence.” The champions once-removed have reason to be confident, now that they are 6-0 in playoff series with Garnett in the lineup. After laboring through the regular season, Garnett and the Celtics have found themselves in the postseason. Garnett appears to finally be healthy and he delivered against the Cavaliers. Having taken out Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, Boston has proved that it can handle one-man teams by playing as a team. Howard poses fits for most NBA teams, but he has always struggled against Kendrick Perkins, who has the strength to hold his ground and make it difficult, as he showed in the previous round against Shaquille O’Neal.
Difference maker: Jameer Nelson, Magic, right. Rajon Rondo has been the Celtics’ best player this postseason, but he hasn’t had to work much defensively against Carlos Arroyo and Mo Williams. Nelson, a former all-star, can put pressure on Rondo and the Celtics’ defense with his ability to score and create for his teammates. He is leading the Magic in scoring (20.5 points) and assists (5.3) this postseason.
Bottom line: Magic in six.
— Michael Lee
SERIES SCHEDULE
Sunday: Boston at Orlando, 3:30 Tuesday: Boston at Orlando, 8:30 Saturday: Orlando at Boston, 8:30 May 24: Orlando at Boston, 8:30
*May 26: Boston at Orlando, 8:30 *May 28: Orlando at Boston, 8:30 *May 30: Boston at Orlando, 8:30
* — if necessary
exact. Six-plus weeks of leaks and sources, of wooing and recruiting, of LeBron James being sighted at a haberdashery in Midtown Manhattan or a restaurant in Chicago’s West Loop or at a private party on Miami’s South Beach. Anywhere he shows his face it’s sure to be “BREAKING NEWS.” The Cleveland Cavaliers’ stunning elimination from the NBA playoffs on Thursday night means the most curious guessing game in the history of modern sports in America is on, officially. Even though LeBron’s presence hardly means a trip to the NBA Finals, he still guarantees immediate and long-term contention, not to mention nightly sellouts, a run on jerseys and media coverage that will tilt the entire town toward the pro basketball team. And with that as the backdrop, the serious contestants are, in alphabetical order: the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks.
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Oh, I nearly forgot the
Cleveland Cavaliers, although this particular discussion is built on the premise that LeBron cannot stay in Cleveland after this defeat, especially not after rumored locker room disharmony between LeBron and a teammate. It doesn’t seem he can stay in Cleveland, short of management rebuilding the entire team. The trade for Shaquille O’Neal appeared smart at the time, but Shaq seemed to have aged three years between last season with the Suns and this season in Cleveland. He might help some team and somebody will certainly sign him, but he’s mostly incompatible with LeBron. Even if Cleveland was able to
package young J.J. Hickson and Delonte West, bringing in one all-star and another front-line player in one summer is very, very unlikely, so we move to the other options. The big issue is whether
LeBron is going to make a basketball decision or one geared toward marketing, exposure and his personal life. After talking to several veteran NBA players and several club executives over the past 48 hours, it was somewhat surprising to hear that few people believe LeBron will make primarily a basketball decision. Nobody I talked to believes LeBron was humiliated by the loss to Boston. None of the players I talked to believes LeBron is motivated by winning in the same obsessive way Magic, Bird and Jordan were, or Kobe is. They believe that LeBron thinks he has years to win, and isn’t particularly pressed at the moment to do so. A former league executive, a former coach and a current general manager all told me LeBron is one of the most spoiled and coddled players of this generation and as a result isn’t particularly accountable, as evidenced by his refusal to shake hands with the Orlando players after they whipped him in last year’s Eastern Conference finals. It’s a particularly disappointing thing to hear repeatedly because, if true, it suggests LeBron has this AAU mentality that values individual accomplishment over winning. I could live with hearing this about, say, O.J. Mayo, but LeBron James? If LeBron is realistic about
having a serious chance to win a championship next season, he’ll go to Chicago, plain and simple. It’s no secret LeBron is quite impressed with all-star Derrick Rose and rebounding fiend Joakim Noah, and he has every right to be. The Bulls are the only one of the aforementioned teams that has a fairly complete roster right now. Rose, Noah and Luol Deng are better than their counterparts in the Cavaliers lineup. Kirk Hinrich and all-rookie selection Taj Gibson are splendid reserves. And if the Bulls trade Deng and/or Hinrich, they’ll free up even more salary cap room for the likes of, say, all-star Joe Johnson. The Bulls would skip right past every team in the Eastern Conference except the Celtics and Magic and would look both Eastern Conference finalists eye to eye. There would be no more excuses about LeBron’s supporting cast. The Knicks don’t have
anywhere near the roster of the Bulls; in fact, the Knicks have no roster. Their best player, David Lee, is a free agent and the
o we’re stuck with this conversation for 45 days, all the way until July 1 to be
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES
Playing for co-owner Jay-Z’s Nets could be just one reason for LeBron James, right, to leave Mo Williams, center, and Cleveland.
Knicks would have to renounce his rights to sign LeBron and a second A-list free agent. And even if LeBron does persuade someone such as Chris Bosh to go with him to New York to save the Knicks, who else would they play with? Who’s the point guard, where are the shooters and rebounders? It would take the Knicks at least two more years — and LeBron would be 10 years into his career by then — to surround him with a championship-caliber team. The Clippers, believe it or not, would be a much better basketball choice, since they’ve got a viable center in Chris Kaman, a veteran point guard in Baron Davis and two young talents in guard Eric Gordon and rookie Blake Griffin. But is LeBron ready to accept second-class citizen status in Southern California? How long until he’d be able to pull the Clippers even with the Lakers? And even if he did that, it would still be a lot more difficult to reach the Finals in the West than in the East. Los Angeles gives LeBron the sizzle he’s looking for, but the difficulty of the conference and the near-monopoly held by the Lakers are drawbacks, not to mention the Clippers’ historic ineptitude. Miami does have the charisma and unquestioned know-how of Pat Riley and a sure-fire alpha male in Dwyane Wade, and there’s been all this talk about them discussing playing together. But the guess here is it’s just talk, that neither is willing to take a supporting and therefore subordinate role to the other. Things like “who takes the last shot?” really do matter on most NBA teams and especially to the biggest stars. It’s really, really difficult to see Wade and LeBron sharing to that degree. And that leaves us with the
New Jersey Nets, the team I think will ultimately wind up with LeBron. Don’t let the 70 losses this past season divert your attention from what will matter to LeBron. The Nets will wind up being the sexy destination. They’ve got 7-footer Brook Lopez, a pair of guards with NBA Finals experience in Devin Harris and Courtney Lee, perhaps the overall No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft and a 7-foot reserve swing in Yi Jianlian. That roster is hands-down better than what the Knicks have, and the Heat, too.
That’s the meat. But LeBron ultimately will fall for the sizzle, for the new arena in Brooklyn, for his pal Jay-Z sitting courtside and mostly for the irresistible charms of owner Mikhail Prokhorov, the new billionaire owner. Prokhorov is going to seduce LeBron to New Jersey/Brooklyn; just watch. The parties, the girls, the trips on his yacht (once he locates it), the lure of good times piled upon good times. LeBron, who was never truly recruited by colleges because he went straight from high school to the NBA, certainly appears susceptible. And if he’s looking for somebody to show him the love, Prokhorov seems to be the guy. He can start by convincing LeBron that none of what just happened against the Celtics was really his fault, and that he, the owner, can surround LeBron with everything he needs, including New York City. Actually, New Jersey has
something appealing that New York and Chicago don’t: a lack of tradition. If the pressure to save his hometown Cavaliers was part of what overwhelmed LeBron, the pressure to save the Knicks will suffocate him. Likewise, the drawback in Chicago is an obvious one: the ghost of Michael Jordan. If LeBron wins a championship in Chicago, he’ll be five behind Jordan. Chicago will never be his town. Jordan is Chicago’s Babe Ruth, and it’s hard to see LeBron, no matter how attractive the Bulls’ roster is to him, going into Jordan’s back yard to take on the man whose reputation as the greatest pressure player the last 40 years would serve as a constant reminder, at least in the beginning, of what LeBron has been so far unable to accomplish. It’ll only take a month and a half to sort through the pros and cons, the complexities of a decision that could push the NBA in one direction or another for the next decade. As the Cleveland Cavaliers inexplicably let the final two minutes run out on their season Thursday night in Boston and perhaps on their future, LeBron James looked almost relieved that it was all over. Whatever it was that seemed to
overwhelm him, there will be nothing relaxing or lazy about the end of spring and the beginning of summer for LeBron James.
wilbonm@washpost.com
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