Doc Rivers Feeling The Hotlanta Heat
Pistons and Celtics Eastern Conference Final may not be the lock that many people felt at the start of the playoffs. I personally said that the Celtics would win in 4 and Pistons to take 76ers in 5. I don’t feel bad about it after all many had same conclusion. So what did everyone miss when looking at these series. Nothing really, sometimes in sports the underdog just step up and answer a challenge. The most famous upset in recent memory was the Denver Nuggets over the Seattle Sonics. That was back in the days of 5 game first round series.
If the Hawks knock out the Celtics in a seven game series it would be a more impressive thing. But the odds of that happening is very long indeed. You can bet that people in Cleveland will be cheering for Atlanta. The Celtics were suppose to be built for the playoffs. They had a great regular season that was even better compared to what even the most optimistic expert would have imagined. Doc Rivers was the runner-up for the NBA coach of the year. Now you have to wonder what good that will do him if the Celtics fall short of the Finals. If they lost to the Hawks you may even wonder how safe his job would be it this kind of environment. Avery Johnson was fired in Dallas with a over .700 winning percentage. Mike D’Antoni is said to be in trouble in Phoenix. The pressure to get it done in the playoffs from owner and general managers can be great. Raptor fans are saying if these guys can be fired, why is Sam Mitchell safe in Toronto. Expectations is the answer, no one saw the Raptors as a legit title contender this season. The thought was they may take a step forward towards that, but instead took a step back or sideways depending on your point of view. The answer of how good or bad a job Sam Mitchell did will be determined a little more clearly when we see what the Magic do against Detroit. That will say a lot about how good the Magic are going against the Pistons. If the Magic defeat the Pistons you may want to rethink how good or bad a job Sam Mitchell did. Should the Pistons easily toss the Magic aside that will say something too.
There is no question the Philadelphia 76ers opened many eyes wide with their effort against the Pistons. It also makes you wonder if the Pistons days as a contender are coming to a close. A young Dwight Howard who is riding high coming off his first ever series win over the Raptors will be a huge test for Detroit. The Pistons had no trouble last year sending the Magic packing. But this is clearly a very different group that stands in front of them this season. How many people had a Cavs vs. Magic Eastern Conference Final. I can tell you not this blogger. It would seem that the Cavs were the team that got it right at the trade deadline. The Suns getting Shaq sees them out, Dallas and Jason Kidd out as well. But Cavs added some pieces and took a big chance by the number of players coming and going. The trade in the regular season did not seem to have been a great move. But the way things are shaking out it may look pretty good as far as the playoffs are concerned. Washington made the huge mistake of motivating Lebron James by saying he was over rated. King James may be very hyped and much talked about but he always seems to rise to a challenge. Most of the season his team’s run to the Finals earned little respect. Boston got all the headlines and they were the favourite from the day Kevin Garnett put on that green and white Celtic jersey. But the Celtics are life and death to beat the Hawks. They let Joe Johnson eat them up in a 4th quarter. If Joe Johnson can do that, what will Lebron James do in a 4th quarter to this team. You have to wonder just how the Celtics will be able to defend Lebron. That is of course if they actually are going to at all. The Hawks and the Cavs is not something most would ever even paid much thought too. Well Josh Smith and the rest of the Hawks will not care how to deal with King James they will be just happy to be playing on his court. They will have to many questions on how happy they are to be there to be calling out Lebron or calling him over rated.
The playoffs do not always go according to script. That is what makes sports worth watching. The Giants defeated the un-defeated Patriots in the Super Bowl. The upset is the most exciting thing sports as to offer. The chance of seeing something that is not expected to happen. Sometimes we tend to try to look for answers to why things happen and do not take the time to enjoy them. Does it make any kind of basketball sense that the Hawks are pushing the Celtics to the limit. Not really but that is what makes it fun to watch. Does this mean the Hawks are now better than Toronto Raptors all of the sudden? I don’t think that’s true. It is a team that had no expectations and nothing to fear and they have embraced that. Will any of that carry over into next season. Some might but ultimately the Hawks are the same team they were heading into the playoffs. A team with lots of young talent that can bite you if they are underestimated. Not much will change moving forward except for the fact that they will have a lot more confidence in what they do.
In a playoff where the west was suppose to provide the excitement and drama, it has been the east that has had the most of that in round 1. Looking at round number two I expect the same trend to remain. But the fun of it all is that who knows if I am right. Maybe the Hornets will knock off the Champs. The Jazz could stun the Lakers. You just never know what lies around the next corner. That is why you keep watching. Unless the Raptors loss to the Magic has made it impossible to watch after watching your team fall. I understand that feeling I get it as well. But we are really missing something if we don’t keep watching.
Tags: Cavs, Magic, Lebron James, NBA PLAYOFFS, Doc Rivers, Avery Johnson, Mike D'Antoni, Celtics, Hawks, Pistons, 76ers, Eastern Conference, Western Conference, Joe Johnson
