Daily Rant: 4/20/2011

Things aren't exactly what people expected to be during the first two playoff games between the Knicks and the Celtics. The Knicks have played better defense when it mattered most in both games, despite having a coach that doesn't coach defense. The Celtics have shown that they are vulnerable in the front court against teams with talented forwards (anyone in Boston missing Kendrick Perkins yet?). Doc Rivers has proved once again that he is a very smart coach and that he knows how to squeeze every last drop out of his players. Home court advantage in this series doesn't mean having raucous fans, it means having half-witted officials giving away calls to the home team. Carmelo Anthony can score 30 or 40 points at will when he decides to, but only if he is the lone superstar on the court. Sophomore, Toney Douglas, is a very capable point guard, with the range of a shooting guard and the toughness of an 8 year veteran. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are still both clutch. Shaq is too old to be in uniform. Lawrence Frank is really small. Jared Jeffries should never touch the ball....ever, even if he is wide open and can place the ball in the basket uncontested. Boston isn't that good, they got lucky the Knicks can still find ways to lose. If a team with Carmelo Anthony and 4 bench players that David Stern is not even sure are in the NBA can take the so called "Big 3" of Boston to the final buzzer down 1 point, then the Celtics need to reevaluate their own talent. The Celtics won both games because of better coaching, because the Knicks can't sustain solid defense throughout an entire game and because there isn't enough talent around Anthony and Stoudemire. If the Knicks can get the same preferential treatment at home from the referees that the Celtics got in Boston and if Stoudemire and Billups can just be at least 50%, than maybe they can even the series here in NYC. If not, then Boston will take it in 5 games and then get manhandled by their next opponent.