June 7, 2008 – Dr. Browntorious
If there is one lesson that could be pressed upon us as soon as this Sunday, it’s that it may not be wise to taunt, prod, and ridicule a competitor as fierce and potent as Kobe Bryant. The “Black Mamba” is probably the fiercest competitor the NBA has seen since the retirement of the great one, Michael Jordan. Competing the way he does at this level, Kobe Bryant clearly has a great deal of pride bordering on arrogance, and likely does not like the criticism he has felt for the last two days in the mainstream media and blogosphere. Celtic fans worldwide have been absolutely cut throat with their criticism of Bryant’s NBA Finals Game 1 shooting performance, and his purported lack of defense. Fans of the Green Machine have been saying Ray Allen is the new “Kobe Stopper”, and that the Celtics team defense is enough to contain Bryant.
I would have to say there is no defense that exists on this planet that can stop a player of Jordan or Bryant’s offensive magnitude and greatness. But maybe the bigger question that needs to be answered is: Does the Celtic defense really need to stop Bryant? It’s a long debated philosophy among Coaches, where usually they sit on one side of the fence or the other. Can a team be successful by playing straight up defense on the opposing teams star player, and simply work their tails off to lock down everyone else? It’s not likely that Kobe will score 80ppg over the duration of a series, so should your focus really be on the easier task of making sure his supporting cast score very little and at a very low efficiency? Some would say yes.
On the other hand, a lot of coaches believe that the best strategy is to double team the oppositions star player in order to limit his scoring as much as possible, knowing full well that some of the role players could be nearly wide open and still not score. This philosophy generally is utilized by both types of coaches in the final minutes of close games. Why? Because it is widely acknowledged that an opposing coach is going to lean heavily on his star offensive player in the closing minutes of a close game. Why do you think Steve Kerr was so wide open for his game winning or game changing shots in the final seconds of NBA Finals games while playing for the Chicago Bulls? Michael Jordan was undoubtedly “double, triple, or quadruple” teamed!
I’m sure we will all be watching closely on Sunday to see which type of Coach Doc Rivers is. Rivers must know Kobe Bryant is going to come out in Game 2 in attack mode. So which way are Doc and Celtics defensive coach Tom Thibodeau going to play it? Double team Kobe? Or let him get his points?
The Hoop Doctors Game 2 Preview Questions:
- The Celtics had the 2nd best home record in the league during the regular season. With only one loss at home in these playoffs, can the Lakers beat the Celtics at the Garden? If they want to win this thing, they better hope so.
- Will Kobe Bryant start attacking offensively in the first halves of games, or will he continue to wait until the last minute to get himself involved as much as he does his teammates? In the case of Game 1 it is crucial for Kobe to be sure not to wait until it’s too late.
- Can anyone on the Lakers stop or even slow down Kevin Garnett? He had his way with every big man the Lakers through at him in Game 1. Will Phil Jackson devise a strategy to contain him?
- Paul Pierce was “The Truth” in Game 1. Will the ultra-competitive Kobe Bryant take on the personal challenge to make sure he slows Pierce’s offensive game, showing clearly he is the best all around player on the floor?
- Will Pau Gasol listen to Phil Jackson and toughen up for Game 2, or will he continue to buckle under the aggressive muscle game of Perkins and Garnett?
- Can the Lakers perimeter shooters, get their shooting touch back in time to steal Game 2 in Boston? Vujacic, Radmanovic, Fisher, and Farmar ya’ hear?
- If Perkins doesn’t play or is limited due to his injury from Game 1, will the young Leon Powe and the veteran PJ Brown be able to step up their games and fill the void on the Celtics front line?
- Can the Lakers quiet the Celtics fans early in Game 2, or will the Celtics blow the roof off the place? The biggest key to Game 2 could be the momentum built for one team or the other to start the game.
As in any Celtics game this season, I expect a physical battle. If the Celtics can keep the game slow and played in the half court, this type of grind will be in their favor. On the other hand if the Lakers can play good defense and get out on the break for easy transition buckets and not have to figure out the complex riddle of the Celtics half court defense, this game could go to the Lakers.
Either way, get ready for some more drama. Whenever the Celtics-Lakers play in the NBA Finals, I have come to expect nothing less!
Game time: Sunday, June 8th – 9 pm EST.
