The Hangover 2, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon and Thor headline as the blockbuster movies for the summer of 2011. But the ultimate summer blockbuster hit began this past Saturday and the NBA Playoffs will captivate the masses from now until mid-June. Like many great movies, their endings will not be shocking. The Hangover 2 will have a wild ending, the Autobots will be victorious (Optimus Prime better not die again or Michael Bay will hear from my lawyers), Thor will get his hammer back and all will be well. The NBA is no different, as the Los Angeles Lakers will come out of the Western Conference to meet the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat, despite being surrounded by question marks.
“Not at all,” said Celtics’ forward Jeff Green when asked about being concerned about losing momentum heading into the playoffs. “The playoffs are a different level. It’s not the regular season. Every possession counts. We just have to continue to move forward. We can’t look back to what we did in the past. We have to put that behind us and continue to get better together. [We have to] take these practices we are about to have and just push each other to the point where we are going to be a tough team to go against.”
Since the trade of center Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder in February, the Celtics’ defense has not been the same, and their opponents have displayed no fear of Boston’s interior (Boston is 15-12 after the trade). With questions about centers Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal’s health and Nenad Krstic’s durability in the paint, the Celtics’ defense, which is their bread and butter, has shown some growing pains. Nevertheless, this is big boy ball now and no team in the NBA can turn it on like the Celtics (except the Lakers) and get back to championship form.
“Our take is the same as any other season,” said Celtics’ guard Ray Allen. “We are taking the same intensity and focus into these playoffs as we always do. We don’t have the same team and it is going to be great experience for our new additions to play at the playoff level. You can’t expect anything going into the playoffs. You just have to go in full force and make it happen. It’s not something to be comfortable about, you have to go in with an attitude and play your best.”
The Heat had their share of difficulties all season. They went on long winning streaks, combined with some scary losing streaks and had large margins of leads against playoff caliber teams. Chemistry had been the Heat’s issue, but they appear to have gotten that situation in order. However when it is playoff time, it is often mind over matter.
“It’s at an all time high right now,” said Heat’s guard/forward LeBron James. “Everyone is comfortable and we know it’s our game and that’s how we’re playing. It was just about preparation. I know a lot about it and I know a lot about winning ball games. He’s come out on top and I’m trying to get there. We just follow each other’s lead every night.
“I think it’s more mental right now,” he continued. “It’s mind over matter at this point. Everyone is banged up, everyone is tired. If we could we’d eliminate these last games and just get to post season but we can’t and we understand that. So we have to work on our habits in practice and shoot around and [have] film sessions on these regular season games because we can’t waste opportunities to get better.”
Heat guard Mario Chamber must be ready to hit critical shots, similar to the Chicago Bull’s Steve Kerrs and John Paxsons of the ‘90s. They were relied upon to make to big shots while Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were expected to score the winning baskets.
The Lakers will most likely win their third consecutive NBA title, while the hot Bulls will not face serious opposition until the next round before they are bumped. However, all great blockbuster hits have a surprise or two during the course of the flick. For the NBA, the Denver Nuggets will quiet the Thunder in six games, becoming the NBA’s first shocker in their smash hit.
Let us think outside the box for a moment and not get caught up in the hype. Yes, the Thunder is loaded with talent, led by the two-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant (who averaged 27.7 points this season), guard Russell Westbrook who is outstanding and Perkins, with his physical presence in the middle. However, the Nuggets are too deep and have a major chip on their shoulders, expecting to fail after superstar forward Carmelo Anthony was shipped to the New York Knicks.
For starters, Nuggets’ head coach George Karl has his team of one accord. They have bought into his defensive mind set and he allows his athletic team be themselves.
Nuggets’ guard Ty Lawson is becoming one of the best facilitators in the league as his fellow Tar Heel – guard Raymond Felton – follows suit. Thunder’s guard Thabo Sefolosa is a tough defender, but Nuggets’ guard J.R. Smith will consistently challenge him, along with forward Wilson Chandler. Nuggets’ power forward Kenyon Martin will be too much for the Thunder’s power forward Serge Ibaka and center Nene will give Perkins a different look and make situations difficult for the new Thunder center.
Perkins is more comfortable with banging in the paint after defending the likes of Magic’s center Dwight Howard and Bulls center Joakim Noah, who are more effective when playing with their backs to the baskets. However, Nene can play in the paint, but can shoot from the perimeter and create for himself unlike Perkins’ former Eastern Conference foes. To make a long story short, the Nuggets have the best bench in the NBA and their benchwarmers could be starters for any team in the league.
“They have starters that are intact, and then you have guys that will come off the bench, and they can do just as well as the starters,” said Golden State Warriors’ head coach Keith Smart, according to FOX Sports.
The first-round for the NBA Playoffs will be electric as new, exciting young stars will take the front. But it’s the veterans that will prevail at the end of this movie.