fredrickson@celica.DEC (02/18/86)
A mere three weeks after suffering through the Super Bowl, New Englanders were treated to as delightful a Sunday afternoon as the NBA schedule could possibly offer in February. Although we must take great care not to overrate the importance of regular-season games, the Celtics have undeniably reclaimed whatever psychological edge the Lakers held after last year's finals. The NBA's jinx on defending champions seems to have LA by the throat. Boston's 105-99 win in the Forum was accomplished without Kevin McHale. Were it not for a sensational performance by James Worthy, the game would have been a repeat of the Celts' blowout earlier in Boston (when they led by 23 in the fourth quarter before winning by 15). Worthy was LA's only second-half offense. Like McHale, Worthy is the ultimate matchup nightmare -- the guy the opposition can't figure out how to defend. These two teams are so far above the rest of the league that only major injuries will keep them from meeting in the finals for the third year in a row. By major, I mean the only way the Lakers won't reach the finals is without Jabbar (even then they might) and the only way for the Celts to fail to get there would be without Bird. Unless Houston, Denver (I don't care that they're 3-1 vs. LA), Philly or Milwaukee finds a way to improve itself dramatically between now and the playoffs, I believe Boston and LA could absorb the loss of any other single player. A few choice morsels from Dan Shaughnessy's game story in Monday's Boston Globe: Since Christmas, Boston is 20-2 and LA is 15-10. LA has not scored 100 points in either game against Boston; they have scored 100 or more in 46 of their other 50 games. They scored 12 fast-break points yesterday. Magic Johnson, who didn't have a single rebound in the earlier game in Boston, didn't have a field goal yesterday. Jabbar (two points in the fourth quarter) "again appeared very much intimidated by Mr. Bill Walton." Boston's bench outscored LA's bench in the two games, 62-53 -- an unheard-of feat a year ago. Jabbar: "It was an important game for us to have won. If we had, we would have proved we were on a par with them. Now there is no reason for anyone to perceive us as a favorite." Magic: "Right now Boston is a much better team." Having swept their two regular-season meetings, both rather convincingly, I believe Boston has established several things: 1. They positively out-maneuvered LA in the offseason, adding Bill Walton, Jerry Sichting and David Thirdkill while the Lakers added Maurice Lucas (Sam Vincent and A.C. Green are inconsequential right now). Lucas' absence on Sunday (6 minutes) was a mystery. Walton makes an immense difference in this rivalry, if for no other reason than forcing the aging Jabbar to contend with a fresh, all-star-caliber center for four quarters. 2. With the above moves, Boston appears to have eliminated their biggest weakness -- the bench. 3. As was pointed out numerous times by the CBS announcers, the old tried-and-true way to beat the Celts -- sagging down and giving the outside shot -- is history. Even with Danny Ainge in a miserable shooting slump (which, if it continues much longer, will bring Sichting into the starting lineup), the Celts possess a variety of long-range weapons: Bird, DJ, Scott Wedman, Sichting and even Rick Carlisle Sunday. If that shooting causes teams to come out play some honest defense, McHale, Parish and Walton will have a field day with man-to-man coverage inside. 4. They will have the home-court advantage, but with the 2-3-2 format it's questionable who really has the advantage. You absolutely HAVE to win those first two at home. As we saw last year, when the Celts could only split at home, it's almost impossible to expect a team to win two out of three on the other coast. It is, of course, too soon to project what will happen in May and June. When I look down LA's roster I still get frightened by the talent -- guys like Cooper, McGee, Scott, Kupchak, Lucas. It seems like two or three of them are always in the dog house or in a slump or something. Byron Scott was awful Sunday. I thought last year he was a future superstar, and now he's not even starting. Everyone agrees they need muscle, yet Riley always goes back to his greyhounds when the game's on the line. This is an unfair time to analyze the Lakers, though. They are in the midst of the midseason doldrums which plague everyone, especially teams that don't have pennant races to worry about. I have little doubt they will be in far better shape when it counts. Still, the midseason assessment yields this: If the finals were to begin tomorrow, Boston would win it in five, perhaps even four, games. Mark Fredrickson
plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson) (02/20/86)
>giving the outside shot -- is history. Even with Danny Ainge in a >miserable shooting slump (which, if it continues much longer, >will bring Sichting into the starting lineup), the Celts possess Danny's defense is far superior to Jerry's. I'd be real surprised to see Danny lose his starting job (unless he gets injured.) I do agree that the Celtics thus far look better against LA then they have for years. But the playoffs are a different season altogether. Thus far, the Celts (especially Larry and Wild Bill) really look hungry. Dancing Barry's Team, on the other hand, look bored. If that keeps up, it will be over very quickly. Worthy is obviously one helluva great offense ballplayer. He'll get his 30+ points. Magic, of course, is not a winner. He's a choker. But it really all boils down to the GREAT ONE. If Kareem really wants another ring, it will go seven games. And PLEASE DON'T DISMISS THE SIXERS. Boston has to beat them to advance. LA on the other hand is a shoe in again this year. -- Pete Williamson "By hook or by crook, we will !!" ... #2
wjm@teddy.UUCP (02/21/86)
In article <1423@panda.UUCP> plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson) writes: >Thus far, the Celts (especially Larry and Wild Bill) really look hungry. >Dancing Barry's Team, on the other hand, look bored. If that keeps up, >it will be over very quickly. Worthy is obviously one helluva great >offense ballplayer. He'll get his 30+ points. Magic, of course, is not >a winner. He's a choker. But it really all boils down to the GREAT ONE. >If Kareem really wants another ring, it will go seven games. Remember the Lakers before Magic (when they had Kareem), they were a good team that did not get to the finals. Since he joined the team the Lakers have missed 1 championship final (I may be wrong here but that is my memory). Worthy is a great player in the Laker system, but I do not think he has the same impact of Magic. >And PLEASE DON'T DISMISS THE SIXERS. Boston has to beat them to advance. >LA on the other hand is a shoe in again this year. And PLEASE DON'T DISMISS THE NUGGETS, last year the Lakers beat both the Nuggets and the Celtics 4-2 in their last two series. (The Celtics beat the Sixers 4-1 before losing to the Lakers.) Being in Boston it's hard to follow the Lakers and impossible to know what's going on with the rest of the Western teams. My impression is that Magic is hurting and the rest of the team is getting bored. Can anyone closer to LA give me a summary of what's been happening. bill masek
charlie@nbires.UUCP (Charles Carrington) (02/22/86)
In article <1423@panda.UUCP> plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson) writes: > >And PLEASE DON'T DISMISS THE SIXERS. Boston has to beat them to advance. >LA on the other hand is a shoe in again this year. >-- > Pete Williamson >"By hook or by crook, we will !!" ... #2 ARRGH! Have you forgotten about the Bucks? Have you forgotten about the entire Midwest Division? Have you forgotten that there are any other teams in the league besides the Holy Trinity? Look, I don't deny that the Lakers and Celtics are odds-on favorites to reach the finals, or that they are the best two teams in the league at this point. Regular readers of this newsgroup are reminded of this daily, to the point of nausea. But to suggest that either of them is a "shoe in" (sic) is unjustified. There are excellent teams in both conferences that are capable of pulling off the upset. Frankly, it seems to me that the Bucks, not the Sixers, will present the stoutest challenge to the Celtics. In the West, the Lakers will be pushed hard by the Rockets and the Nuggets. They will not yawn past either team. Here's to rooting for ANYBODY besides the Celtics and Lakers to make the finals. Any Rockets fans out there? Bucks fans? Anybody? Please speak up. We are drowning in green smugness here. PS. A great game at McNichols last night. Very exciting. Nuggets 102, Celtics 100. The Celtics are undeniably a very fine team. They were tired and injured and still took the Nuggets to the limit. It was the second year in a row that the Nuggets have beaten an injured Celtics team here. Larry Bird says he wants to try us out when they are healthy. Well, it would certainly be our pleasure to have them back. Sometime in May... -- Charles Carrington charlie@nbires.UUCP (303) 444-5710 NBI Inc, Boulder CO
tonti@ptsfc.UUCP (Guy Tonti) (02/24/86)
> Being in Boston it's hard to follow the Lakers and impossible to know what's > going on with the rest of the Western teams. My impression is that Magic is > hurting and the rest of the team is getting bored. Can anyone closer to LA > give me a summary of what's been happening. > > bill masek Various ramblings include the following: Bill, you're feelings are pretty close to the situation. Magic is not really 100%, and is not playing "happy." What I mean is that the whole team does not seem to being having fun like in previous years. In part, I feel it is attributed to the Lakers losing Big Mac. His calm attitude and off-the-bench quick points really gave the Lakers a boost, usually at the end of both the 1st and 3rd quarters, and if needed down the stretch. He was the link that lessened the sagging on Kareem, kept the guards in a little closer freeing up Byron Scott, and he could occasionally hit the boards on offense (something Worthy seems to disdain). Also, Mack filled the role of the "older leader." Kareem also seemed distant from the rest of team (the father-type), while Mac seemed to be the more accessible type for the younger players. Maybe Lucas will take up some of this slack eventually, but he hasn't yet. From a psychological viewpoint, Lucas is a fairly hyper-type of player, and the Lakers need calming (Magic does not like to be shown up). Anyway, they'll probably gel around playoff time, and get semi-lucky again with other team misfortunes (the only time the have not played a team with an injured star/player in the West finals in the last few years was when they lost to the Moses Rockets, when admittedly they were hurt). Also, playing in the patsy Pacific Division, they finish the season against comparitively weaker teams, which can do nothing but build up the old momentum. signed An admitted Phoenix Suns fan (I'm seeing a doctor for my condition)
akers@oliven.UUCP (Rob Akers) (02/28/86)
> > Being in Boston it's hard to follow the Lakers and impossible to know what's > > going on with the rest of the Western teams. My impression is that Magic is > > hurting and the rest of the team is getting bored. Can anyone closer to LA > > give me a summary of what's been happening. > > > > bill masek > > Various ramblings include the following: > > Bill, you're feelings are pretty close to the situation. Magic is not > really 100%, and is not playing "happy." What I mean is that the whole > team does not seem to being having fun like in previous years. > > In part, I feel it is attributed to the Lakers losing Big Mac. > His calm attitude and off-the-bench quick points really gave the Lakers > a boost, usually at the end of both the 1st and 3rd quarters, and if > needed down the stretch. He was the link that lessened the sagging on > Kareem, kept the guards in a little closer freeing up Byron Scott, and > he could occasionally hit the boards on offense (something Worthy seems > to disdain). > > signed > An admitted Phoenix Suns fan > (I'm seeing a doctor for my condition) Are you talking about Bob "take 10 outside shots in the last three minutes of the championship series and miss them all" Mc Adoo? You can't be serious! I saw him do this so many times that I began to wonder if he was being paid by the Celtics. The Lakers may be having problems lately, but getting rid of Mc Adoo was the best move they have made in a long time. signed An admitted L.A. Lakers fan
afb@pucc-i (Michael Lewis) (03/03/86)
In article <520@oliven.UUCP>, akers@oliven.UUCP (Rob Akers) writes: > > Are you talking about Bob "take 10 outside shots in the last three minutes > of the championship series and miss them all" Mc Adoo? You can't be > serious! I saw him do this so many times that I began to wonder if he > was being paid by the Celtics. The Lakers may be having problems lately, > but getting rid of Mc Adoo was the best move they have made in a long time. > > > signed > An admitted L.A. Lakers fan I agree! McAdoo rarely failed to disappoint me in a playoff situation. Maurice Lucas is much more of what the Lakers needed...The Enforcer! Someone else to crash the boards like Rambis is what was needed...and that's what they got. The reason Walton is turning out to be more important to the Celts is his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game. He really is a new man. It warms my heart to see him thus...even if he is a damn Celtic! Oh if Bird were not a Celtic! signed an admitted Celtic hater (going back to Russell, Heinsohn, etc.)