Miami Heat: Road to the Finals 2011

Dallas Mavericks: Road to the Finals 2011

Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat - 2011 NBA Finals

(left: Dirk Nowitzki and Lebron James)

 

If you had told me that the Dallas Mavericks would make it to the NBA Finals this year, I would have said what I always say, "They are consistent contenders, they just can't seem to get it done."  If you had told me that the Miami Heat would make it to the Finals, I wouldn't have been all that surprised. Two of the top 10 players in the league playing in their prime, coming out of a relatively weak conference and having maybe the best 3rd scoring option available, it would be tough to bet against them.  But bet against them "they" did, and the "Heat Haters" have one last chance to get the last laugh before Lebron's clothing line "I told you so" is released.  There is no proof he will actually print those shirts, but I'm sure he will have some printed for close family and friends, I know I would.

The Dallas Mavericks had their difficulties facing the Portland Trailblazers in the 1st round, but would ultimately win the series against the oft injured team. The amazing performance of Brandon Roy turned out to be the story of that series and the only highlight for the losing team, but would give hope to the city going into next year.  Lakers would be swept by the Mavericks in the semi-finals to the surprise of the entire sports world.  And with Phil Jackson officially retiring, it made the Lakers playoff exit all the more difficult to swallow for fans of the purple and gold.  Then the Oklahoma City Thunder could not close out games and lost to the Mavs in 5.  Blame it on the youth if you want, but closing out games when leading was the biggest road block for the team.  And with that, Dallas now seems able to get it done.

Chicago and Boston were the 2 teams that naysayers believed the Heat could never beat in the playoffs.  And although both teams looked great at times, they never looked dominant.  The hype was immeasurable, but the games themselves left much to be desired.

So now the Mavericks face the Heat for the Larry O'brien Trophy, NBA's holy grail. 
Will Dirk and Kidd finally get their chance to hoist the trophy and retire with a giant sigh of relief? 
Or will the young and hungry Heat deny the veterans of a championship?
We will have to wait and see.

Stars: (Mavs) Nowitzki and Kidd - (Heat) James, Wade and Bosh

Without going into a list of stats, Dirk Nowitzki is playing at an unbelievably high level.  There were moments during the West Finals versus OKC where Nowitzki simply took over the game.  His jump shot is flawless and he is not afraid to draw fouls around or far from the basket.  Chris Bosh will be facing up against Dirk and although Bosh is a great scorer in his own right, he will not be able stay on Dirk without drawing fouls.  Dirk's defense is not top tier either, but I don't expect them to cancel each other out and Dirk will dominate that match up.  Some would hesitate to consider Kidd a star at this stage in his career but it is clear he still is.  Kidd will have a field day going up against Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers, both players being streaky shooters but weak on the defensive end.  James and Wade will have their share of fun going up against the likes of Peja, Brewer and Marion among others who are in no way on the same level as the Heat duo.
EDGE:Heat

Tough guys: (Mavs) Tyson Chandler - (Heat) Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony

This is a series that will be decided by defense, mainly because if the Mavericks can't defend the Heat trio, they will simply be outscored.  The Heat have been commended on their defense during these playoffs, keeping most opponents scoring under 100.  Tyson Chandler will in no way play at anything less than 100%, which might actually work against him.  I love his passion for the game, but early fouls or untimely technical fouls could put the Mavericks in a tough situation. When it comes to Joel Anthony, he knows his role, defend and rebound, both things he does extremely well.  He is not expected to score, which I'm sure takes a load off of him mentally and allows him to keep such a calm demeanor, helping to avoid confrontations and self inflicted distractions.  However, if Chandler can avoid foul trouble, he should have no problem bullying around Anthony under the rim.  Udonis Haslem will have to be at his best all series to have an impact, and even though he showed signs of his old self during the Chicago Bulls series, I still don't think it will be enough to counter Chandler's dominance over Anthony.
EDGE:Mavericks

Team Effort

This I believe, more than Dirk Nowitzki's unbelievable talent, will make all the difference.  The Heat will no doubt stick to a tight 8 man rotation leaving the Heat trio very little time on the bench to rest, and even though they are young, fatigue will become an issue.  The Dallas Mavericks showed everyone during the Lakers series that if the starters are having a lack luster performance, the bench can give them a huge push.  There will be fresh bodies constantly on the floor against Miami, and the majority of the Mavericks bench simply don't come to the arena to watch the game, they play and they play hard.  Peja, Terry, Marion, Barea and Stevenson, although not expected to lead in scoring, can do more in my eyes than, Eddie House, Juwan Howard and Jumaine Jones.  Miami's true X-Factor is without a doubt Mike Miller.  If Bosh, Wade, James, Haslem and Miller can have great games all series long, they will be champions.  However, I think the extended minutes they will be forced to play will result in poor performances as the series goes on.
EDGE:Mavericks

PREDICTION: Mavericks win series 4-3

The final decision in my choosing Dallas is the fact that the Heat have no backup plan.  If Wade, Bosh and James have a bad game, they will lose, plain and simple.  The story of the year has been that if 1 of the big 3 have an off day, the other 2 will pick up the slack, but to quote Chris Bosh "The margin for error is very small".  The biggest difference is that the Mavericks proved, against both the Lakers and the Thunder, that if Dirk, Kidd and the starting line up have a bad night, the bench is ready to take over the game, something I don't see the Heat bench being able to do.

Chicago Roots: Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade

DALLAS vs OKLAHOMA: The Thunder Bench Take Over in Game 2

HEAT vs BULLS: Game 2 Ultimate Highlights

Series Recap: Thunder vs Grizzlies

Western Conference Finals: Mavericks vs Thunder

(left: Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant)

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a huge 4 game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, but I'm sure we all know that by now.  The Oklahoma City Thunder came off their own big victory in game 7 against the surprise team of the 2011 playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies, who knocked out the West's 1st place team, the Spurs.

Although this match up between the Mavericks and Thunder in the Western Conference Finals seems to be a simple case of young versus old, players starting their careers against players on their way out, it is much more than that.

At this point we can all accept that the new generation of players entering the NBA can perform at a much higher level than they were a few years ago, as proven by James, Wade and the youngest MVP ever Derrick Rose.  So the argument of young versus old is not all that counts, but still has to be taken into consideration.  It's now all about match ups, and below are the match ups I think that will make all the difference in this series.

1.  Stars:  Durant and Westbrook (OKC) Nowitzki and Kidd (DAL)

Although the Heat and Chicago series has the media in a frenzy, the match up of Kidd and Westbrook will be way more exciting to me than Bibby and Rose out East.  Jason Kidd has proven at 38 years of age he still has the ability score, pass and rebound with the best of the best.  His experience is rivaled only by a few active point guards in the league and even though Russell Westbrook is likely the future of scoring point guards, able to hit 3s as well as finish strong at the rim, Kidd's calm demeanor will trump the jitters Westbrook is sure to experience throughout this series. When Westbrook is not dribbling away the shot clock or looking for  his own shot, he has few options beyond Durant and Harden, whereas Kidd's list of available shooters is longer than most.

Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant, in my opinion, will likely cancel each other out.  They are both the 1st scoring options for their respective teams and are sure to get up plenty of shots.  The difference will lie in which team's bench can come through when their star struggles.  Something the Mavericks have proven they can do, as shown in the Game 4 win against the Lakers where the Dallas bench out scored their starters.

EDGE: Dallas

2.  Tough Guys: Perkins, Ibaka, Sefalosha and Collison (OKC) Tyson Chanlder and Brendan Haywood (DAL)

I see this as no competition.  I in no way mean to undermine the toughness of the Dallas front line, and I am well aware the Mavericks are playing great defense as a whole, but when it comes to Oklahoma, I simply see Dallas at a disadvantage.  Dallas is averaging  29 defensive and 9 offensive rebounds whereas the Thunder are averaging 33 and 12. Oklahoma is also a shade better getting 6 steals and 8 blocks compared to the Mavericks 5 and 4.  Dallas admittedly handles the ball better  with 12 turnovers and 21 assists over Oklahoma's 14 turnovers and 17 assists.  But I still stand firm in my belief that the 4 OKC tough guys mentioned above will be able to control the rebounding game, protect the paint better and benefit from more second chance points via tip ins and put back slam dunks.

EDGE: Oklahoma City Thunder

3.  Team Effort

Relying on one or two star players during the regular season might be enough to win against below .500 teams, but this is the playoffs, that simply won't cut it.  This is where Dallas can run away with the series.  The playoffs is not so much about the stars as it is about the entire team.  There is a reason why names like Kerr,  Armstrong, Cartwright, Grant, Paxson and a number of other former Chicago Bulls champions can come to mind so easily, they were aware they were not the focus of the team but played as if they were.  When your starting 5 has an off night, it's up to the bench to step up to the challenge and keep the game within reach and even add to the lead or shut down the opponent defensively.  The Mavericks' have about 4 players averaging double digits while the Thunder only have 3 and the point drop off between the remaining players is huge.  Without Durant and Westbrook on the court the burden is on James Harden to score, which is not ideal.  2 time "6th Man" Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic, J.J. Barea, Chandler and Marion will be too much for the Thunder bench to handle and will leave them struggling for answers throughout the series.

EDGE: Dallas

PREDICTION:Dallas

Even with the Thunder's tough guys bullying the Dallas offense, Nowitzki, Kidd and the superbly talented bench will prove to much for Oklahoma.  Whether Dallas is able to sweep them like they did the Lakers remains to be seen, but even with this prediction in favor of the Mavericks, don't expect the young Thunder to lay down and die.  

Eastern Conference Finals: Bulls vs Heat

(left: Dwayne Wade and Derrick Rose)

This Sunday's Eastern Conference Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls vs the Miami Heat might not come with the same anticipation as the Heat vs Celtics match up did in Round 2, but it is definitely more meaningful as the winner of this series goes on to the NBA Finals.

Most people will agree that this 2011 playoffs has been the most unpredictable in years, so for those that think the only certainty is the Miami Heat's dominance, they need only look back a few weeks to perhaps humble their opinions.

The Atlanta Hawks knocked out the heavily favored Orlando Magic in 6 games after being swept by them the year before by embarrassing margins .  8th place Memphis Grizzlies also knocked out the 1st place San Antonio Spurs in 6 games leaving everyone, except Charles Barkley who predicted the Grizzlies win, stunned.  The Boston Celtics won only 1 game against the Heat losing in 5 games in Round 2, coming nowhere near the high expectations for that series.  And probably the biggest surprise is the 4 game sweep of last years champions the Lakers by the Dallas Mavericks leaving the sports world in shock.  As of today, the Grizzlies and Thunder are set to play the only deciding Game 7 of these playoffs so far this Sunday, another scenario most were not able to predict.

I thought the best way to preview and logically predict the outcome was with 3 simple facts that will ultimately decide the winner.  Stars players Rose, Wade and James.  Tough guys Noah, Boozer and Bosh.  Last but not least, supporting cast.

1.  Stars:  Rose (CHI), Dwayne Wade and Lebron James (MIA)

Current MVP Derrick Rose, former Champion and Finals MVP Dwayne Wade and 2-time MVP Lebron James pretty much says it all.  During the playoffs the Heat duo have combined for an average of 52 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.  Rose, who is the main scorer for the Bulls is averaging 28 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists per game, not bad by any means.  The only thing that will add to the Bulls woes is free throws.  All 3 players mentioned drive to basket like few other in the league and are often rewarded foul shots which not only make for easy points but get their opponents in the penalty bonus, which results in foul shots for any type of foul during play.  Wade and Lebron combined for 187 foul shot attempts making 145 of them during these playoffs. Rose currently sits at 102 foul shot attempts making 85 of them in what have been mostly close games for the Bulls.

EDGE: Heat

2.  Tough Guys: Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer (CHI) Chris Bosh (MIA)

Many would question my description of Bosh as a tough guy, but the point I'm trying to make is that these 3 players need to be tough to help their team.  Boozer and Noah who will often be matched up near or around Bosh have combined for an average of 20 points and 19 rebounds.  Bosh right now is putting up 16 points and 9 rebounds a game, which much like Rose, when put up against 2 opposing players floating around him, is not bad.  But Bosh will have a very hard time out rebounding an aggressive Noah while guarding an efficient shooter in Boozer.  True Ilgauskus and Anthony will have minutes, but neither can match up well against those 2.

EDGE: Bulls

3.  Team Effort

Here is the rundown.  The Bulls won all 3 meetings with the Heat during the regular season.  True, both teams are playing differently than they were then, but we can and always should learn from history.  In those 3 games the Bulls out rebounded, had more assists, hit more 3 pointers and hit more free throws than the Heat.  The only category the Bulls fell short were in foul shot attempts, and looking at the numbers I mentioned earlier, the reason is obvious.  Bulls starters average 75 points while the bench chips in with 21 of their own during these playoffs.  As for the Heat, the Big 3 score 68 points on average with 28 coming from the bench. Funny thing is, it equals to the exact same amount for both teams, 96 points.

EDGE: Tie

PREDICTION: Bulls

Even though stars Wade and James combined will out play Rose, tough guys Boozer and Noah will out play Bosh.  And as far as team effort goes, the team averages of 96 should not sit as the sole deciding factor, even though it does say a lot.  Watching the games on the other hand has shown that the Bulls supporting cast can and has come through in close situations, albeit against teams like the Pacers and Hawks.  Whereas the Heat took care of a team of a higher caliber in the Celtics.  All that considered, by Game 6 or 7 the Heat duo of Wade and James will be exhausted at the amount of minutes and reliance on them to score, which I think will make the ultimate difference.

Series Recap: Bulls vs Hawks

Series Recap: Heat vs Celtics

End of an era? Too early to tell...

Above is a video which recaps the Los Angeles Lakers series loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Western Conference Semi Finals.  The Mavericks managed to sweep the Lakers 4-0, leaving everyone except Charles Barkley, shocked and stunned with confusion.  Of course Mavericks players will say that they were confident they could beat anyone they faced in the playoffs, and in sports, that is an essential state of mind needed to compete wholeheartedly.

Dallas came off a very competitive first round against the Portland Trailblazers, showing signs of what would later become the nail in the coffin for the Lakers.  The Lakers also had their hands full on their way out of the 1st round facing the New Orleans Hornets, eventually winning in 6 games, just as Dallas did over Portland.

So, how did Dallas manage to sweep the back to back champions?

Some people will go into a long winded answers with the "unraveling thread" theory as how the Lakers made the mistakes that helped the Mavericks win.  That is simply untrue.  Simply put, the 2010-11 Dallas roster, especially their bench, was way better than the Lakers, leaving them unable to compete.  Sure they had Kobe Bryant scoring, but with Dirk Nowitzki able to compensate on the Dallas end, it came down to role players performing well, which ultimately made the difference.

Yes, Gasol never got into his rhythm, we saw Bynum show moments of promise and in Game 3 the Lakers starters played well, but got no help from their reserves.  On the other end, Tyson Chandler played like an animal, Dirk was hitting fade away jump shots like lay ups, Shawn Marion never relaxed on the offensive end getting countless second chance points and veteran Jason Kidd played some of his best basketball considering he is 38 and still playing with no signs of slowing down.

Now if that wasn't enough for the Lakers to deal with, in all 4 games combined, the Dallas reserves out scored the Lakers 197 to 89.  To top it all off, role players Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic combined for 15 of the teams 20 3-pointers, tieing and NBA playoff record in the deciding Game 4.

With the Phil Jackson possibly coaching his last game in his Hall of Fame career, the inability of the team to live up to high expectations and poor performances by the team as whole, it clearly left the Lakers bitter and frustrated. resulting in 3 flagrant fouls in the 3 final games.  J.J. Barea was victim of 2 of those calls, sadly due to his amazing performance backing up Jason Kidd, and received a shot to the face by Ron Artest in Game 2 and an elbow while in mid-air by Andrew Bynum which caused him to crash hard onto the court in Game 4.  Lamar Odom chipped in with his own dirty hit and was also tossed in Game 4 for an unprovoked body check on Dirk Nowitzki, not as dangerous as those made on Barea, but classless and punishable none the less.

All that said, viewers are set for a new champion in the NBA.  Whether the Lakers can bounce back next year is not my concern.  I am only interested in the future, and right now, in the Western Conference, only Dallas, Oklahoma and Memphis really matter in 2011.

Is it the end of an era for the Lakers or just a bad playoff performance?

Either way, we will all have to wait for next season to find out.

Odom and Bynum Ejected vs Dallas: Game 4

Derrick Rose 44 points MVP Performance

Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks | Eastern Semi-Finals

 

(left: Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague)

A lot can change in a year.

In 2009-10 the Bulls season record was 41-41.  That left them with the 8th playoff spot in the East and they were knocked out by the 1st place Cleveland Cavaliers.  In the same year, the Hawks were 53-29, and with the 3rd playoff spot in the East, they knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks only to be swept by the Orlando Magic in the 2nd round.

This 2010-11 season, the Bulls finished 62-20, best record in the NBA.  They are 1st in the Eastern Conference playoff standings and eliminated the Pacers in 5 games.  The Hawks ended this season with a 44-38 record, landed 5th in the playoffs and got revenge in 6 games versus the Orlando Magic in an upset.

In the 2010 off season the Bulls acquired 2 time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer and a signed former Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau as head coach while leaving the majority of their 2009 roster intact.  The Hawks, aside from gaining a new head coach of their own in Larry Drew, they too remained unchanged.

So with both teams advancing to the 2 round, and making an improvement in the playoffs, there are 2 things that set them apart and leaves one team at an advantage. Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose is MVP and Tom Thibodeau is coach of the year.  A tough thing for the Hawks to deal with mentally along with the fact that both honors were not hype driven but well deserved.

Derrick Rose has been playing the best basketball of his short career.  Coming off a Gold Medal in international play with Team USA, Rose has been in full gear way before the season even started.  Playing at a speed I personally have never seen before, with the ability to drive to the basket as well as hit long range jumpers, there was little doubt early on that the MVP trophy was in  his near future.  While scoring an average of 28 points per game in these playoffs while still handing out around 7 assists, he topped it off by scoring a career-high 44 points versus the Hawks, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.   Comparisons have been made to Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, all of which I can say are justified.  In only his 3rd year, there is no reason why he can't be brought up in conversation with the greats if this type of play continues.  Coach Tom Thibodeau help win 21 more games for the Bulls this year with focus on defense.  Something that he applied to the now dominant Boston Celtics during his time there as an assistant coach.  Along with an excellent supporting cast of bench players, any team facing the Bulls should approach with caution.

Now I don't mean to discredit the Hawks.  They have, on paper, what can be argued as one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference.  With their top 5 players combining for an average of 74 points per game, 2 great forwards in Al Horford and Josh Smith with guards Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford playing great, there should be no reason why this can't be a great series.  But there is a reason.  The Hawks, as they did in Rose's 44 point performance last night, disappeared and play with next to no effort, or so it seems.  Perhaps they are satisfied with their revenge on the Orlando Magic, but to doubt an athletes desire to win would be foolish.  Perhaps they are trying their best and are simply out matched.  Either way, if they continue to play like this against a team like the Bulls, their season will be over sooner than later.

Canadian Basketball: Tristan Thompson

Canadian Basketball: Kevin Pangos

Canadian Basketball: Myck Kabongo

Canadian Basketball: Khem Birch

Charlie Murphy Basketball Tips

Mavericks vs Lakers | Western Conference Semi-Finals

(left: Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol)

As of today, the Los Angeles Lakers are down 2-0 in a best of 7 series versus the Dallas Mavericks.  Both losses, which took place in L.A., had the favored Lakers falling short by a 2 point buzzer beater in the first game and lost the second game by a commanding 12 points.  Kobe Bryant had a chance to hit the winning shot in Game 1, but he missed.  There would be no game winning shot attempt in Game 2, as the Mavericks total team effort left the Staples Center's crowd booing their home team in the final seconds.

For the past several years the Lakers have been the favorite to win it all, and with good reason. In the last 6 years they have had 3 consecutive championships and a back to back title run leaving few doubting them coming into this season.  Picking the Lakers to win is always the safe bet, but it seems that the era of the Lakers dominating the playoffs could be over.

The Dallas Mavericks, in my opinion, have the better team.  The Mavericks have way more scoring options than the Lakers do, not to mention the Dallas bench rarely puts the team at risk with players afraid to shoot the ball while passing up open looks at the basket. Something the Lakers have yet to learn when Gasol and Kobe are on the bench.

The top  3 performers for Dallas in Game 1 were Dirk Nowitzki with 28 points and 14 rebounds, Jason Terry with 15 points and Tyson Chandler with 11 points and 9 rebounds.  The top 3 performers for the Lakers in that game were Kobe Bryant with 36 points, Odom and Gasol with 15 points each and a total of 23 rebounds.  Those were the only Lakers who scored in double digits compared to the Mavericks' 5 players scoring 10 or more points.

Game 2 had the Lakers starters playing great compared to Game 1.  Kobe had 23 points, Bynum had 18 and 13 rebounds, Gasol had 13 and 10 rebounds, Artest had 11 points with 4 points from Derrick Fisher. A total of 69 points. So why did they lose Game 2?  The Lakers bench scored a total of 12 points.  The Mavericks starters combined for 63 points but their bench helped out with 30 points of their own.

So what does this all mean?  Well its quite simple, actually.

The Dallas Mavericks are, right now, a much better team compared to the Lakers who are, historically, a better team.  Now it's common sense to never count out the reigning champ, but it was only a matter of time before the Lakers started to lose their footing.  The roster has been pretty much the same for the last few years and teams were bound to figure them out.  You can't quite lay the blame on age as both teams are filled with veterans.  Injuries are not playing a major factor either, although when it suits them, Kobe's list of injuries are either fan fodder or excuses.  All that aside, it may simply be the changing of the guard.  

The Chicago Bulls have 6 championships under the leadership of Michael Jordan.  The Lakers so far have 5 championships in the Kobe Bryant era.  Not bad at all.  So why is it so hard to believe that their winning days are coming to an end?  Kobe possibly retiring in 2 years and coach Phil Jackson, also the coach during the Bulls' Jordan era, is said to retire at the end of this playoff run, likely leaving the Lakers in disarray.  

True the Mavericks don't sell as many jerseys as the Lakers do, but 11 consecutive 50 plus winning seasons, a veteran star in Nowitzki who scores an average of 23 points per game while shooting just under 50%, another proven veteran in Jason Kidd, a tough and active big man in Tyson Chandler and the 2009 6th Man of the Year Jason Terry, not to mention a bench that can produce, have the Mavericks wondering why they are not favored to win, despite Kobe and Gasol's many past accomplishments.

In all honesty, I had picked the Lakers to win this series, not out of any loyalty to the team, but more based on the fact that they have been able to rise to the occasion over the years and always seem capable of pulling out a win, even in the most desperate situations.  Now it seems everyone might need to take a step back and look at the big picture.  There is nothing wrong with judging teams based on past accomplishments, but I think it's time we take on the famous expression used to snap dreamers back to reality, "Stop living in the past, the future is now".

Top 10 Dunks of the First Round

First Playoff Moments

Who Are The Memphis Grizzlies?

Memphis Grizzlies 

(Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph)

The question "Who are the Memphis Grizzlies?" is not only aimed at the casual fan, but the long time and loyal fan who may have not had a chance or avoided watching Memphis games during the regular season.  To be fair, the Memphis Grizzlies got next to no national air time, so even hardcore basketball fans could barely get a look at the team's performance beyond the nightly stat lines or a paid NBA service for viewing every game online.

Be that as it may, the (8) Memphis Grizzlies, originally the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995, won their first playoff series this year by knocking out the (1) San Antonio Spurs in 6 games.  The Spurs, who had the 2nd best record of the regular season and were expected to make it to the Western Conference Finals, could not seem to get their heads wrapped around the style of play coming from the Memphis Grizzlies.  Not to say that interior passing and scoring is a new thing, but the Grizzlies 2 stars, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, where no doubt underestimated by everyone participating and watching that series, and the Spurs paid the ultimate price, an early exit from the playoffs.

Zach Randolph has been in the NBA for 9 years, playing for Portland, New York and the Clippers before finally landing in Memphis.  Throughout his career, Randolph has constantly averaged just under 20 points and 10 rebounds.  But an on and off court reputation likely cast a huge shadow over his talent, leaving team management and media wanting to keep their distance, which they did.  Not being on teams with winning environments no doubt could have played a role in our oversight of his talents, but it is just that oversight which left the sports world scratching their heads as they knocked out one of the 4 teams predicted to win the title in 2011.

If Zach Randolph's talent was overlooked, then I have to say that Marc Gasol's talents were down right ignored.  Part of the reason Marc Gasol, Lakers Pau Gasol's younger brother, went unnoticed for 2 years, is probably because of how he entered the league.  Pau Gasol was the leader of the Memphis Grizzlies for 7 seasons before being traded to the Lakers, with the promise that his younger brother, Marc, would replace him on the roster.  Taking your big brothers left-overs and being seen as a consolation prize to the league no doubt left a chip on his shoulders.  Especially when considering that the Lakers went on to win back to back championships and the Grizzlies continued to struggle.  In 3 seasons with the Grizzlies, Marc Gasol put up an average of 12 points and pulled down just under 8 rebounds.  Perhaps not All-Star numbers, but solid none the less.

Blue collar addition Shane Battier has helped in creating a defensive front line tougher than most in the western conference playoffs, leaving opponents offenses scared to go inside, and on defense, essentially creating a wall in front of the basket.  This leaves opponents with 2 choices.  Force long range jump shots or get bumps and bruises from attempting lay ups.  The Grizzlies to the world, "Take your pick".

The Grizzlies went from a 24-58 season record in 2008-09, to 42-40 in 2009-10 and finally 46-36 this year showing indisputable evidence of improvement.  I suppose it's fitting that the Grizzlies are facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team once struggling before and after leaving Seattle (Sonics), to scaring the Lakers in a Round 1, 4-2 series loss, to becoming considered as one of this year title contenders.

So I guess the Grizzlies will no longer have the luxury of surprising their opponents with their talent. The veil has been lifted, and now, much like the Oklahoma City Thunder, everybody sees them coming.

So, "Who are the Memphis Grizzlies?"

Well we know who they are.  An underrated team with players who have consistently played well while the team got better every year.  Opponents just ignored them.  Now if only those same teams could figure out how to beat them.