Opinionated sports blog by Brandon Theo Dorsey
Monday, June 3, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
First Round Recap: Lakers vs Spurs
The Winner: San Antonio Spurs 4-0
Grade: A
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| Duncan bored with the Lakers effort |
It only took four games for the Spurs to put the Lakers’
pitiful season into its rightful place— the dustpan. Their sweep means more
rest for their big three and they will certainly need it in their next series.
Speaking of their next series I don’t like the way the Spurs
will match up with the Nuggets or Warriors. Both teams are very hot and love to run the floor. The Spurs have looked very
impressive with their scoring coming from so many places, but I just don’t
trust the Spurs at this stage in their careers.
Nevertheless the Spurs handled the Kobe-less Lakers with
ease as they dominated the Lakers outscoring them 416-341 over the series. That
is a 75-point difference. If there
is one thing we can take from the series it is that the Spurs definitely do not
take games off. Unlike other teams in the West (Clippers)…must be an LA thing.
The Losers: Los Angeles Lakers (I couldn't wait to write this one)
Grade: F
 |
| Why won't people just give Howard a break |
The NBA TNT Crew used the literary element I like to call
foreshadowing when they featured the last time the Los Angeles Lakers were swept
in the first round. That was in 1967 to the Warriors, so if there is a bright
spot in the season it has to be the fact that it took over 45 years for it to
happen again, right?
Another bright note is the fact that it was not as ugly as two years Mavericks swept them brutally in the second round during the Mavs 2011 title run.
But finally we can get to the negatives. There are just so
many…but the main problem I saw with this series was Dwight Howard’s inability
to dominate the game. Not only could he not dominate the game, he couldn’t even
dominate a quarter. I am not one of the Howard bashers, but in this series he
did not make his presence felt enough against defenders like Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter.
The surrounding cast didn’t help much either. The Lakers
could not find a bucket beyond the arc the whole series. The fact that they
were starting the D-League MVP shows just how hurt they were at the guard spot.
The Lakers as a whole did worse than I expected them to do.
That is saying something especially since I expected them to get swept anyways.
It just seemed like after game one, they knew they didn’t stand a chance, and
it definitely showed.
To the Lakers and Lakers Nation, have fun watching the rest
of the playoffs. I’m sure the Bucks have space left on the couch.
First Round Recap: Heat vs. Bucks
The Winners: Miami Heat 4-0Heat Grade: A-
The big three swiftly made use of the broom in Milwaukee solidifying their first sweep since they joined forces in South Beach. The most impressive takeaway from this series win was the fact that they won in every way possible.
 |
| James satisfied with the sweep |
Game 1: The Reserves
Miami got a huge contribution from their reserves. The Heat bench scored 43 points including 20 from Ray Allen. This propelled them to outscore the Bucks by 16 in the second half. Wondering how much the Bucks bench contributed? 25.Game 2: Defense
Miami held the Bucks to 86 while keeping both Brandon
Jennings (7) and Monta Ellis (8) under ten points. They also received major
support from Birdman with 10 points and 6 boards in 12 minutes.
Miami's perimeter defense stifled the Bucks forcing them to shoot 4-18 from deep. Along with that it didn't hurt that the Bucks beat themselves up at the free throw line (58.8%) while the Heat uncharacteristically converted time after time at the line (84.6%)
Game 3: From Behind
Milwaukee led the heat by 9 at the end of the first and by 2
at the half. Then the Heat woke up, went on a 23-7 run, and dominated the
second half. Also Allen's return to Milwaukee was historic as he set the record for career playoff three-points field
goals en route to 23 points.
Game 4: Without Wade
With Wade sidelined the Heat completed the sweep. Lebron James' dynamic play (30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) and Ray Allen's sharp shooting (4-7 3pt, 16 points) made up for absence of Wade.
Miami has again proven why they are the championship favorites. They will get about a week of rest and will be well rested to deal with the Bulls/Nets...but most likely the Bulls.
Bucks Grade: D+
Giacomo Casanova once said, “Strength without
self-confidence is useless.” Who would have though that self-confidence without
talent would be equivalently useless.
Brandon Jennings prediction: Bucks in six
What actually happened:
The Bucks put up a strong fight but it was obvious that
Miami was just the better all around team. The Bucks had the confidence,
hustle, and will, but they failed to find any offense outside of Jennings and
Ellis.
Milwaukee failed to get consistent production (on offense) and failed to reach 92 in all four of their games. This leaves major questions
surrounding the team. Mainly, who will be brought back, and who needs to be let
go. The trade for J.J. Redick did not translate well in the playoffs and he will be an unrestricted free agent this off-season, but that is besides the main point.
The Bucks are just not good enough
They still gave a concerted effort for a playoff team
with a losing record. With only 2 wins in the playoffs since 1990, hopefully the
young team can learn from this and come back stronger next year.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Students Answer: Men's Pirates or Lady Pirates?
Lindsey Williams takes to the student center at Hampton University to ask students the all important question:
Which team do you enjoy watching more, Men's basketball or Women's basketball?
Shot, edited, and produced by Brandon Theo Dorsey
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