There would come a series or a game that would make or break their character, their desire, their hunger and their will to win. Unfortunately for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, that ultimate test was the NBA Finals! And it they groped for form. No! Wait, they tried to grope for form, which they never did, for what they did was to blame each other for their demise. Some attribute it to not having Andrew Bynum, a legitimate post-presence and shot-blocker. Some blame softies Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. They were both outplayed and out-hustled by the Boston bigs.

And some judge Bryant as no-Michael Jordan, and will never be. A leader who failed to raise the bar, and lead his team to win. He bogged down, he faded. When the Lakers needed him the most, he was not there to show. And he constantly yelled at his teammates, a kind of motivation that may not apply to a young and inexperienced team. He should have scored more when he had to, break down the defense as he should, and provide the energy and inspiration so that his teammates will follow suit. When needed, Jordan would put up 45 or even 63 points to flame that desire in his teammates. Kobe never had any 40-point game. Hell, he did not even reach 35. He failed to show the way when it mattered most.

The real champions have no excuses. Jordan had none. He blamed no one but himself when they lost to Orlando in 1995. But he came back stronger than ever. He used all summer to train and rejuvenate his game. We never heard that Toni Kukoc or Scottie Pippen did not show up. He led and inspired. That’s why since he went to the NBA Finals, he gave it his all. He treated it like there was no tomorrow. He had no dominant or All-Star big man to rely on. He relied on himself and his teammates no matter what their games are. And when he lost some games, he had himself to blame. I’ll never forget how he willed himself to win that crucial Game Five against Utah in 1997. It did not matter to him that he was ill and was hampered by a stomach virus. He rose up to the occasion! He scored 38, including that clutch three.

Kobe should do that. He should instill within him that flame and drive to win, and should show up when it matters, when every chip is falling down, and when his teammates cowardly ducked behind him. He should take that responsibility to wipe that fear and cowardice. He should lead by example. He should start now! Start as early as now to train again and make his game better, and study why he faded against Boston.

 

Anyway, going back to my premise, Boston had that defining moment in the first two rounds. They were in trouble against Atlanta and Cleveland. They lost all their road games, and had to rely on their home floor to win. They had shaky moments, but Paul Pierce did a great job in inspiring and leading his team. Sure he had Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to help him. But both still struggled at times, especially Allen. But Pierce did was to feed off from its hunger, and fought back. They hurdled all obstacles and silenced the nay-sayers. A lot had doubts, but they never doubted themselves.

And when the chips were falling, their leader, Pierce was there to pick up the pieces. Pierce was there to score 36 a game after they lost at home against Detroit. Pierce was there and emotionally triumphed in using that hunger to make his teammates hustle. Pierce was there to elevate the Celtics game. And everyone thereafter followed him. Allen regained his deadly touch, Eddie House and James Posey were diving for loose balls, Kendrick Perkins and PJ Brown were rebounding. Leon Powe started driving to the basket uncontested. Yes, Pierce started it all! When that ultimate test challenged Boston most especially in the first two rounds and loosing the home-court advantage against Detroit, Pierce was there.

They never had it easy in the play-offs except the Finals. They were challenged all throughout the lesser talented Eastern Conference. And when the time came when they had to engage the best of the ever-competitive West, they were battle-tested. They were ready! And that is why, they deserve to be crowned as NBA Champions! (photos courtesy of yahoo nba)

But the real question lies on their health. How long can they really hold on? Most teams before who lost just a single player of a mighty triumvirate found it hard to bounce back. Magic Johnson and the Lakers had a hard time defeating the Celtics in the championship in 1979. Johnson had to be truly magical to accomplish that feat. And the rookie point guard proved to be the worthy center for that night, taking the place of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Houston’s own version of Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon never won the title in the 1990’s. They were never truly complete, as one of the three got injured at significant points in those runs.

As Pierce and Allen are known to be perennial sideline residents, how long, once again, can Garnett hold the fort if one or both of his fellow co-superstars go down with an injury? It is even Garnett who got injured this time around. After-all, Boston’s supporting casts are not that dependable at all as of now. Not unlike the 90’s Bulls, where Luc Longley, Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman, Randy Brown and even Jud Buechler held the fort in Scottie Pippen’s absence in 1998 NBA Title Run. Yes, they were led by Michael Jordan, but they were able to pull the Bulls to a 62-win season, the second-best for that year. Jordan could not have done it on his own.

KG is no Jordan. And he is not getting any younger. In his last season with the Timberwolves, “The Kid” went down with an injury as well. Rondo, Scott Pollard, Eddie House and Kendrick Perkins all have to dish out sterling performances. And they should all hope that injury prone stars Allen and Pierce will not be sidelined this season. (photo courtesy of yahoonba.com)

Ainge has been criticized in the past few years for spending too much money on players not really worth it. He has been trading for non-competent players. But now, all that changed in one summer. There is definitely going on in the Celtic camp and they would want that trophy back in Boston this season.

After acquiring superstars Ray Allen from Seattle and Kevin Garnett from Minnesota, and key role ballers Eddie House and Scott Pollard, the Celtics have made another significant move for their championship bid. They just signed in a great defensive player with Championship experience in James Posey.

With Posey, they have legitimized that championship bid. Posey, who won an NBA title with Miami in 2006, is a key component in their defense. Plus, he can shoot that open three as well to further complement the talents of Paul Pierce, Allen and Garnett.

This is going to be an interesting season as the shift of power is slowly going to the East after the West has dominated for some time. I can’t wait to see Boston play. Ainge has brought in a lot of experience, and has guaranteed boost of ticket sales as well. (photo courtesy of yahoonba.com)

That injury that sidelined him for four games solidifies his bid for a third straight MVP plum, a feat that he would share with Legends Larry Bird and Wilt Chamberlain. His Phoenix Suns lost three of four games since Nash was sidelined. And they barely won the first one against Portland. It was an overtime win, and a narrow one.

With Nash back in the line-up against the Los Angeles Clippers, he wasted no time in orchestrating plays and restoring order in the Suns offense. Phoenix thrives on their run-and-gun style, and they would love to score in the first eight seconds of the shot clock. An interesting stat was offered in the final eight minute mark of this game. Suns scored 43 points when they make a shot within eight seconds of the clock, and produced only 18 after the next eight. And the maestro of those plays is Steve Nash, the reigning two-time NBA MVP.

Nash scored seven points and had six assists in the first six minutes of the game. This led to a double-digit lead by the end of the first canto, and the Suns would not relinquish that lead till the end of the game. Nash scored a total of 13 points and dished out 12 assists in just 28 minutes for a 115-90 Suns victory.

Tonight, the Suns will face the Boston Celtics, and I expect another rout. That’s how important Nash is to the Suns. Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire are not the same without him. Their fluidity is lost without him. I saw them having fun against the Clippers. Rarely used forward Pat Burke even had a career-high 10 rebounds.

There’s a lot of talk going on on Dirk Nowitzki being this year’s MVP. But I still believe Nash is more valuable to Phoenix than Dirk is to Dallas. (Sorry Dirk!) He deserves to win the award more than the past two seasons. (pic courtesy of yahoonba)