After being the target of much ridicule and anger, the Big Three of the Miami Heat, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, have quieted critics and disappointed those hoping for their demise by making the NBA Finals Championship. The Big Three open the series vs the Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki in Miami on Tuesday May 31, 2011. So who wins this game?
The Los Angeles Lakers hopes for a 3-Peat Championship Run was swept away by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd Round of the Western Division Playoffs. It was bad, really bad for the two-time defending NBA Champs. They seemed to have just not even shown up. It is as though they did not even care whether they won the game or not. Over the past week, the Lakers players aired their laundry with the media, talked to trash to each other, and pointed fingers at each other as being the cause of their losses, It never seemed as though Phil Jackson really put the effort to control the team and get them focused on the series at hand. They needed someone to lead and motivate them, and in my opinion, such a responsibility lies with the head coach. Is Phil Jackson to Blame for the LA Lakers being swept?
It seems as though it is a guarantee the LA Lakers will get rid of at least one if not two out of Bynum, Gasol, and Odom. If you were in charge, who would you make sure is a Laker next year?
After an early ending to their 2011 Playoff Run, the LA Lakers can begin making plans for next season. One thing that seemed obvious to me in their series against the Dallas Mavericks is that the Lakers may have more than one big, but they are not tough. In fact, I would say they seem to play soft.Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is coming to the end of his contract. He doesn't become a free agent until 2012, but the Lakers could trade or make a deal with the Magic to go ahead and bring him over before the 2011-12 season starts. In my opinion, if the Lakers are able to get Howard and keep one big out of their three, then they would almost be guaranteed a championship. It would make no sense if the Lakers did not at least make a run at Howard. They can either attempt to work out a trade and bring him in before the season or they can wait and attempt to acquire him through free agency. Do you think the Lakers should go after Howard? If so, do you think they should trade for him or just wait for him to become a free agent?
Dirk Nowitzki is in his 12th NBA season, and has never won an NBA Finals Title. He turns 33 this month and is headed into the final years of his career. He has been a Hall of Fame caliber player, but has not had the team capable of winning the Title. This year seems no different. There is no other reliable player to make a shot other than Nowitzki in key situations of the game. He completely carries the Dallas Mavericks.Currently, his Mavericks are down 2-1 to the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. They have two more games at home before returning to Miami to close out the series. If Nowitzki doesn't win a Title this year, will he ever have a chance again?
With only one second left in the game, Chauncey Billups hits a three pointer to give the LA Clippers the win over the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Check out the video and then rate it!
The Los Angeles Lakers were embarrassed in the 2nd Round of the Playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. They were swept for the first time in the playoffs since the 1970's. And it looked bad.Kobe Bryant is old and no longer a true number one on a team. Pau Gasol just does not come across as tough when inside the paint. Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum don't even look like they want to be there. Bynum's dirty and unnecessarily violent foul in the game seemed as an intentional way to get to leave the game. They just didn't look like the Lakers that won a championship only one year ago. It also seems as though Phil Jackson is gone for sure. He seems to be set on leaving. With 11, Jackson has won more championships than any other Coach from any professional sport in history. He literally has nothing left to prove.So, Should the Lakers start over or try to win at least one more championship with the current team?Related Polls: 1. Should the LA Lakers hire Brian Shaw to replace Phil Jackson? 2. How hard should the LA Lakers go after Dwight Howard? 3. Andrew Bynum vs Pau Gasol vs Lamar Odom, Who Should the LA Lakers Keep? 4. What do the LA Lakers need to do next? 5. Is Phil Jackson to blame for the LA Lakers being swept?
After being swept by the Dallas Mavericks in Round 2 of the Western Division Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be in disarray. They had two players ejected from the game - Andrew Bynum & Lamar Odom, and it seems as though Bynum will most likely be suspended next season for throwing an elbow into J.J. Barea and knocking him onto the ground. Phil Jackson made it clear this would be his final season with the Lakers. This will leave the Lakers without a head coach. In his press conference, Jackson said "It feels good that we ended the season, to be honest with you." ESPN's J.A. Adonde writes "That's a stunning quote from a man who always chased championships. It indicates this team wasn't a joy to coach (bolstered by Jackson sounding more sentimental about moving away from his coaching staff than his players) and shows why this group couldn't successfully defend its back-to-back championships." That is hard to believe a head coach would actually be happy the season is over. Jackson must have truly been fed up with his current roster. The Lakers have 3 Bigs in Bynum, Odom, and Pau Gasol. However, they play soft. I think the Lakers should part ways with at least one of them. In my opinion, they are not tough enough, which is something the Mavericks exposed during the series. The Lakers need a dominant force that OWNS the paint. Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic becomes a Free Agent in 2012, and if they Lakers attempted they may be able to trade one or two of their Bigs to the Magic and acquire him before the 2011 season begins. If they choose not to directly trade for Howard, I think they really need to sign him out of free agency. He is the perfect missing piece to the 2010-11 Lakers. With a presence like him in the paint, the Lakers would have easily won their 3rd championship in a row.These are all things I think the Lakers need to do before next season, however, do you feel as though one is more important than the other. Which of these options would be the first move you made?
Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat won Dunk of the Night on ESPN on January 17, 2012. On January 18, Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers won. Watch the two videos and vote for who you think had a sicker dunk!
The 2011 NBA Eastern Division Finals on Sunday, May 15, 2011 has Miami Heat going to Chicago Bulls for game one. Who do you think will win the Series and in how many games?
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