The 2010 NBA Playoffs have been ruined, and it's all thanks to these guys.
Up until a week ago, the playoffs were looking really, really good.
Sure, we’d had three out of four conference semifinals end in sweeps, but there was plenty of excitement. The Magic were rounding into form as a juggernaut, reducing the 53-win Hawks to rubble in the process. The Lakers were also shifting into high gear, polishing off a talented Jazz team. The Celtics did the unthinkable and made a heavily favored Cleveland team completely give up in the last two games. And we certainly can’t forget the Suns, who swept out the Spurs, and as I wrote, possibly ushered in a new era in the NBA.
And now, just one week later, the whole thing has been shot to pieces.
Monumental wins by the Suns and Magic meant that we might see a paradigm shift in the NBA. Maybe a team built on transition offense and threes could actually win a championship. And if they did, that would mean more entertaining basketball for everyone. Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships, or at least so goes the saying. But what if offense could sell tickets and win championships? Wouldn’t that be better for everyone involved? We’d see more casual fans watching basketball, who would then buy tickets, which would encourage teams to move toward high octane offenses, which would attract more fans, and so on.
Essentially, basketball would be fun again. How could you not root for that?
That’s what we would have seen with a Phoenix-Orlando series, and given the impressive way each of them played in the second round, my hopes were high for that pairing in the NBA Finals. Except after five games in the conference finals, those two teams have combined to go 0-5. And just like that, the dream is dead.
And we have the Lakers and Celtics to blame.
Now, I know there are plenty of people out there who are excited that the Lakers-Celtics rivalry is back. I’ll be happy to admit that there is an exciting history behind that rivalry. But if these two teams meet up again in the finals, it will be the twelfth time they’ve done so. That’s 12 times in only 64 tries, or roughly one in five. That would also make a combined 52 Finals appearances between the two teams, good for 40% of all appearances by any team.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to move on, and I’d be surprised if the other 28 teams in the NBA didn’t agree with me.
As great as it is for ratings when established, traditional, big-market teams make the Finals, it’s not quite as great for building the brand. Watching Lakers-Celtics XII isn’t going to do much to encourage more casual fans in Milwaukee, or in Charlotte. In fact, what it tends to do is build up resentment. I don’t believe there’s any active fixing going on to encourage the “best” matchup. I think the Lakers and Celtics are doing just fine on their own merit. But Tim Donaghy is still fresh enough in most people’s minds to make them shake their heads when they see this pairing again.
Worse than that, these two teams are getting here with boring, traditional team structures. The Celtics are a defensive powerhouse, built on shutting teams down and keeping the offense from clicking. The Lakers win games by putting big tall guys in the middle and letting them clean up.
I don’t mean to insult these teams or their fans, or imply that they’re undeserving. They’re absolutely the two best teams right now. All I’m trying to say is that we’re being denied something so much more exciting.
How great would a Suns-Magic final have been? We would have seen dozens of alley-oops, transition dunks, pull up threes, behind the back passes… everything. It would have been like watching seven All-Star Games in a row.
Instead, we’re going to be treated to seven games with scores in the high 80s and announcers telling us about a defensive renaissance. Hooray.
Personally, I don’t want a defensive renaissance. The Renaissance happened in the 1500s, and as far as I’m concerned, it can stay back there. I want run and gun. I want excitement. I want to be entertained. And Phoenix and Orlando would have done it for me.
Instead, I get same old, same old.
So thanks a lot, Lakers and Celtics. You’ve ruined this year’s playoffs. I hope you’re happy.
Your the only person in the world that thinks this. This is going to bring more casual fans because it’s a legendary rivalry.
Wow. I searched “celtics lakers 2010″ in Google and came across this blog. I have to say, nobody agrees with you. You have defending champions possibly facing the Celtics, a chance for redemption for the Lakers from 2008, and of course the legendary rivalry that spans decades. This is the NBA. A Lakers/Cavs final would have been scrumptious (Kobe vs. LeBron), but hey, the best teams will always go to the end. That is the beauty of the best of 7 series. Alley oops, transition dunks? Have you seen Rondo feeding Tony Allen against the Magic? Have you seen Kobe and Gasol work their magic? Kobe + Pierce + Gasol + Odom + Garnett + Rondo + Tony Allen + Ray Allen + Clutch Fisher + Artest + Bynum. There’s your “All Star” game. BTW, I don’t know where you’re from, but I think you are the casual fan. Nice blog btw.
Dude have you even watched the celtics play these last few rounds? I mean I know their m.o. is defense and if all you go buy for your information is sportscenter, you’d think theyre the pistons or spurs, but actually watch the games and you’ll see something exactly the opposite. If anything they play more like a college team in terms of screens/passes/cuts then any NBA team I’ve seen in a while. And the Lakers are the Lakers.
Phoenix and Orlando would attract less people than Boston and LA. Everybody knows that. And anyways, Boston is really to blame if you have a problem with strong defenses keeping the score low. In the end though, I would rather see two teams that belong in the finals than Phoenix and Orlando.
So the Lakers scoring 252 points in two games isn’t a high octane offense?
I’d be surprised if the Laker’s scored 252 points all series against boston. :p
i dunno bout u lot but i like seeing great defensive games and fights why do i wanan see 7 all star games in a row thts wht all star weekend is for if youre bored of the nba watch and1 dude i think pheonix will win today but lakers wil lwin the series i can’t wait until the the cletics again are the underdog as they have been in the last two rounds (though this round isn’t over and some even said the heat could upset)
but yeah like i said prior if you don’t like watching shots being contested and like watcihng alley opp dunk and 3s then go and watch and1 basketball the nba won’t miss you as a fan anyway i like watching great defense being played and stops and shot blocks and the ball being moved and selfness and fight that is what ive seen for mthe celtics all they have done is grow from round to round
I agree with Sunny. The last time Boston and L.A. met in the Finals the NBA scored the highest television ratings in years. The ratings were up an average of 60% over the Spurs/Cavaliers series the previous year. The casual fan wants to see this rivalry. If the rest of the NBA doesn’t like it they’ll have to start doing what championship teams should do – win.
Well, maybe the conference losers should play each other like they do in soccer. Let´s see how many people watch those games. Also you are wrong about the scoring, it will be in the mid 90s. You will see amazing basketball played by two teams that just want it more than the other 28. Where is the fire in the Magic?
Cant you guys hear the satire in this article? This article was hilarious and a good read and i enjoyed. You guys are taking this article to seriously…he is just being sarcastic(if not than it still hilarious). GO LAKERS!!!!
This article has sarcasm written all over it…
There’s not much sense in what you’re saying. Orlando and Phoenix? Everyone knows what those rating would look like.
I would agree that watching a Boston game isn’t very exciting. But the Lakers, goodness, that’s a whole different story. You get to watch maybe the greatest basketball player of all time and the best finisher in Kobe. You can see 2 of the most talented big men post players in the NBA since Hakeem in Gasol and Odom. You can see personality, a Dennis Rodman type character that is a top defender in Artest. What’s there that’s not entertaining? They got everything. Talent, flash, glamor, grit, guts, character, attitude and they’re clutch in the clutch. In other words, “It’s showtime,” and they’ll show you every time.
What are you talking about the Lakers and Celtics are going to bring in so many fans and excitement to the playoffs, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about and should probably pick a new genre to write about because you are clueless.
The 2 teams who aren’t playing with playoff caliber are the ones ruining the 2010 playoffs.
Yeah, what Mitch said!
Are you insane?
I am a Lakers fan, yet I am still gonna say this: YOU ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR MIND!!!!
the Boston/Orlando series is very high octane exciting. While shutting down the boring, highly over-rated, no heart having Magic, Boston has put on a clinic on how to score in a energized fashion!! They are demolishing a team of quitters with no heart. The series would be good if they played with any kind of heart and didn’t just give up!! The game and series is not over until the final buzzer in te fourth quarter. Boston knows this and plays that way, so the win!! Orlando does not, so they lose!!
As for my Lakers, THE SOON TO BE BACK TO BACK CHAMPS, the same can be said about them!!! They play 4 quarters of offensive and defensive basketball!! They know the game is not over until the final buzzer and they play that way. So they win championships too!!!
Any team in any sport that wins a championship does it with DEFENSE!!! If you can’t keep the other team from scoring, then you can not win!!! Every champion know this, why don’t you? Obvious answer- you have never been a champion at any sport!!! Don’t run your mouth about things that you obviously know nothing about, it just shows your ignorance.
Is this guy serious? Uhh….Im a bucks fan and Id rather see Lakers-Celtics than Suns-Magic. I can guarantee lakers-celtics would produce much higher ratings than suns-magic..lol, to the guy who wrote this thing man get over your own subjective opinion.
That article was so sad. The argument is so weak im surprised it got published, a finals of alley oops and behind the back passes? If the teams cant execute those passes and oops how is that something youd want to watch? Missed dunks and turnovers for 7 games? Since when is the all star game even fun to watch for someone older than 6? Rondo is as flashy as anyone on phoenix and orlando and is a better player than all their guards right now, and kobe is the best player on the planet why shouldnt he be in the finals. Go watch and and1 mix tape with your teenage friends, those sellout much faster than nba finals tickets. Do you know anything about basketball at all? Defense and steals lead to break away dunks, oops, and pullup threes by rondo allen kobe etc. I still cant believe this was published.
Isn’t 252 divided by two in the area of 126? Are you expecting 201 to 205 finishes with this Orlando-Phoenix nonsense? This will be a finals experience for the ages, one that will captivate the “casual fan” and invigorate the die hard anywhere in the basketball cosmos. It will be a saga of integrity, drive, gritty and nasty tug of war, and finally justice, a justice served to Lakers and the righteous. Lakers in six, tallying sports all-time greatest rivalry at 17-16 cookies. With next years purple and gold three-peat (Jackson and the Lakers do like to win in threes, you know), the Lakers will be on the bring of cementing the lengthiest resume of cookies in the league.
This is probably the worst article I have ever read, the past 5 minutes on this website reading your idiotic theory has been a complete waste of my time.
Oh and PS…I live in Charlotte I can’t wait to see Lakers and Celtics!!
how could you think that the Celts and Lakers ruined it. We all new Boston was getting better again, and that the Lake show wants a repeat. The Orlando- Phoenix series is just too weird. Magic and Suns? You got to be kidding!!!
You are an idiot for wasting time and writing this. These are the NBA’s most two storied franchises. The Lakers-Celtics Rivalry is one that creates buzz no matter the circumstance. In addition to being two of the biggest markets in the NBA these teams have potential hall of fame players on their teams. NBA films and docs will chronicle the “new” rivalry of Kobe and co. vs. the “Big 3″ and newly improved Rajon Rondo.
So please do not waste your time and everyone else’ by posting this nonsense
GO CELTICS! BEAT LA BEAT LA BEAT LA
then it just proves it – defense really does win championships. i don’t think you have to worry about losing the high octane offense (that’s what you have the regular season for) but during the playoffs, those that really really want the championship are the ones that hunker down and fight in the trenches, and that means stopping the other team from getting in the groove of their offense.
alley oops and behind the back passes can’t be done in the finals because the competitive fire in both the best teams there won’t allow it.
at this ultimate stage, teams play to win not to entertain anymore.
This article by this clown is just him egging us on. celtics and lakers are the reason the NBA even exist. give me celtics lakers or give me death. go lakers tonite i will be rooting for you tonite !!
GO 17 TIME DYNASTY BOSTON CELTICS THE EPIC TEAM OF ALL DECADES !!!!
Seriously dude, you’re only saying this cause you don’t like any of these teams. To bad for you, that everyone else does. SO SHUT UP!! THE LAKERS ARE THE EPIC TEAM OF ALL DECADES!!
Dude, check out your millions of comments from people who think you’re crazy! Congratulations! However, I will say this: while I was hoping that the Suns/Lakers series would be epic, I am totally looking forward to watching the Celtics play whomever, because (a) Kevin Garnett, (b) Ray Allen, and apparently (c) Rondo Rajon or whichever way that name goes. Also (d) Paul Pierce, and for good measure (e) a little shot now and again of Danny Ainge, possibly, because I’m like that. It’ll be cool. Honestly, once the Jazz were out of it (WOE), I felt I could enjoy whomever was left–except the Lakers, because who can stand them. Yeah, I know. There are Lakers fans. This is America, go ahead–you can be Lakers fans.
LOL I’m as shocked as everyone else by this guys logic! When the Celtic’s and Laker’s end up in the final there is an electricity in the air that no other two NBA teams can ignite. That’s with the players and the fans. I can’t wait til tipoff!
GO CELTIC’S!!! Red is cheering in that big basketball arena in the sky!
To the author of this blog, dude, what are you smoking?
Haven’t watched a complete NBA game in nearly a decade. What passes for NBA basketball these days is mostly a farce. I really don’t enjoy watching 10 guys trot up and down the floor, throwing elbows at an opponent’s throat to gain inside position, or knocking anyone who tries to drive to the basket into the third row. You can blame Pat Riley for the thuggery that masquerades as defense in the NBA today. Basketball was meant to be a game of finesse, not football in shorts. Celtics-Lakers rivalry aside, I would much prefer to see two wide-open offenses flying up and down the floor, playing the game as it was meant to be played. Might actually watch a game in the Finals, if that were the case. Celtics-Lakers? Hell, I’d rather watch Arena football.
Lakers-Celtics is good for the league in the short run. Suns-Magic is a long-run proposition, based on the idea fans everywhere prefer to cheer for a team with as much of a chance to win as lose. This is why many bad teams with little hope for the future hemorraged cash lately. The price of favoring certain markets is instability. At least the NBA isn’t the NHL.
The only people on the planet who want this are Laker fan, Celtic fan, and corporate fat cats. …and of course, the teams playing. Boring. Simply boring.
Great article, Sam. It’s time for a new storyline in the NBA. It’s old and overdone. While I can’t say I’ll go as far as not watching, my interest level will be shot. This is the last match-up I wanted to see. Oh well. There’s always next year, right?