NBA All Star 2010 Thoughts....

Hey folks! First post for this year. Wasn't able to write something here last January 'coz I had to fix my pc. I'm not gonna get into detail on how I fixed it but the only thing I can say is, everything is working perfectly fine and I have my ultra-fast broadband connection again. That means, I'm back in business and updates will be coming more often -- I hope. I sure have a lot of catching up to do. On that note, time for the update(s)....

All Star Friday

I have rather mixed feelings with this year's NBA All Star Weekend festivities. It's nice that the Rookies dominated the Sophomores in All Star Friday. Glad to see Tyreke Evans getting all the love along with Dejuan Blair as they are co-winners of the Rookies-Sophomores game MVP honor. Evans somehow PWN3D Brandon Jennings in the event although Jennings was impressive in his own right.

All Star Saturday

The second day was very interesting to say the least. Dirk Nowitzki and Co. reppin' Texas winning the Shooting Stars event. I'm sure TNT broadcaster and former NBA player Kenny "The Jet" Smith loved every minute of it. And yes, he can still shoot. Kudos to you Jet. Oh, Kevin Durant defended his title in the H.OR.S.E. game by the way.

Steve Nash made sure he'd win the Skills challenge and that's exactly what he did. D-Rose got schooled (literally) by the Nasty one. Guess, he really wanted that hardware so bad. He may be almost past his prime but his handles are still dope, in my opinion. Nash truly deserves it.

And who'da thought The Truth would win the 3-point Shootout? I guess many underestimated his shooting prowess. The haters were silenced as he became the 3-point shooting king for that event -- giving Chauncey Billups a run for his money. Now the Celtics have another clutch shooter they can rely on (not just Sugar Ray, Sheed and Eddy House), P-Double's got 'em covered, that's for sure.

The Dunk contest this year was a sleeper, literally. A lot of people were disappointed in the main event for that day and I'm obviously one of them. Sure, DeMar DeRozan woke us up with one of his dunks but after that everybody went back to sleep. Congrats to Nate Robinson for winning his 3rd and historical Slam Dunk title nonetheless. No more dunk contests for him next year. Bottomline is, it's like each competitor, including Nate was scared to do something new and different. At least one of them tried. Hope this snooze fest never happens again. Dwight Howard and LeBron James better start thinking about joining the Dunk contest (you too, D-Wade). I wanna see these guys bring the fire back in this event and make people jump from their seats next year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

All Star Sunday

Ah yes. The All Star game was still exciting as ever. Both the East and West teams had fun and brought their A-game to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. I have to admit, that I was happy that Kobe Bryant didn't play. For once, it wasn't about Kobe this year. The MVP trophy was up for grabs yet again. Melo, Bron, CB4 were all eyes on the prize but it was Dwyane Wade who won the MVP hardware. The East beat the West 141-139. It sure got close in the 4th quarter especially with only a few ticks left in the game. One of the best I've seen so far. It's rare that a lot of people in attendance were jeering the East All-Stars especially in the trophy presentation -- something that is totally unexpected.

For me, it was a decent All Star event. I pretty much enjoyed watching the events but I can't say the same thing for the Slam Dunk contest. I look forward to next year's All Star and hope it would be even better.

Lastly, y'all gotta love D-Will's breakaway dunk in the All-Star game. Simply dope!

Championship or Bust for C's

The Celtics would certainly want to forget about their terrible loss in L.A. that should've clinched their 17th NBA title in 22 years. Now, the series shifts back in Boston and stage is set whether the C's will try to capitalize and win it all or let the Lake show take over and spoil their party yet again.

Everything is at stake for both teams. For the Lakers, a win would equalize the series and extend for a Game 7. The Celtics on the other hand, will try to silence their critics and make sure the Larry O' Brien trophy comes home to Boston. Game 6 will be an all important game and neither Boston or L.A. are taking things lightly.

Just ask Kevin Garnett. "Played like garbage" as he would describe his performance in Game 5. Kendrick Perkins could only watch his team from the sidelines as he couldn't do anything to help KG and the rest of the Celtics. Pau Gasol took advantage of it in every way. Sending KG in foul trouble early in 1st quarter of Game 5 gave a huge boost for the Lakers.

It will be a game time decision however for Perk if he's gonna play in Game 6. Ray Allen is ready to play for their huge game in Boston. Allen left the Staples Center right after the game due to a health issue with one of his children. They need his shooting touch to add some firepower to the Celtics offense. Coach Doc Rivers is confident Ray Ray will be playing in Game 6.

At least, that's good news for Paul Pierce. He intends to do whatever it takes to get that ring he so wanted. An NBA Finals MVP candidate, he still managed to score 38 points in a losing effort to Lakers. Pierce should motivate his team mates to be more aggressive not just on the offensive but also defensively.

Rebounding is also another concern coach Rivers. Having Leon Powe to start for Perkins didn't do any good for the Celtics. Veteran forward PJ Brown got extended minutes for his rebounding duties despite being in foul trouble like Garnett. They really need another reserve forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis to step up to the plate in case Perk is not in the rotation. Davis has yet to make an appearance in the championship series.

Still playing with a sprained ankle, Rajon Rondo needs to step up as well despite racking up 16 points in Game 5. They need his quickness to penetrate the Laker defense to create some shots for his team mates.

The Celtics must prevent Kobe Bryant from going one-on-one and get aggressive in the paint. They didn't double or triple team him everytime he drove to the basket. Going back to their usual 2-3 or 3-2 zone should be a good adjustment on the Celtics defense. It should take away the ball movement and the set up of passing lanes in Lakers' triangle offense.

Good ball movement will give the Celtics easy opportunities to score and make runs. The Big 3 must keep themselves out of foul trouble and get their scoring rhythm flowing. Creating second chance opportunities should keep the Celtics offense going. The supporting cast must make an impact that's why they have James Posey and Eddie House to rack up 3-pointers in the clutch.

This is the chance for Garnett, Pierce and Allen to finally earn their championship all season long. Being back in Boston could very well be an advantage for them. They shouldn't let the opportunity slip away again especially on their home floor. expectations will be high and the pressure is definitely on the Celtics. The Lakers will have to steal a win at the parquet in front of a hostile Boston crowd and perhaps upset the opposition.

For 48 minutes, these two teams will endure a physical battle come tip-off in Game 6. A game that could very well be a classic. Emotions will be high, the crowd will be rowdy and loud. Both teams are hungry to win. In the end, when the smoke is cleared, there can only be one.