Ric Bucher needs to stop.
The Byook just wrote a column (sorry if you're not an insider...though you're not missing much) that continues to overuse of the term "alpha-dog" into meaninglessness while also misusing the term altogether. His argument here is that Kevin Durant is not an "alpha-dog (a now meaningless term)" because he allows other players on his team to do things and that his doing this is actually beneficial to his team. If "alpha-dog" had a meaning at this point, it would be exactly what Kevin Durant is. He saves his "pack" when things are going bad and he allows them to flourish otherwise because he is completely lacking in insecurity. At least that should be the idea. This column manages to backhandedly compliment an up-and-coming (potential) future hall of fame player who is coming into his own in a way that lacks fear AND insecurity (an extremely difficult thing to do) as well as sneak in a few unwarranted cap tips to Kobe Bryant and throw in a few general inaccuracies as well. Bravo.
Metta World Peace was closer to the truth than you think. The Lakers were outmatched in speed but not in size or skill. They were dominated in the very first game when the young Thunder came out and hit every shot with their home crowd behind them but otherwise, the series could have gone either way. The difference here was that Kobe Bryant, while always being severely overrated in crunch time, was especially bad against the Thunder. Kobe single-handedly lost two out of the four games with an assist, of course, from the clutch play of Durant (in plainly obvious contrast to Bryant's). All the while he gives no credit to Durant, publicly criticizes his best players, and curses to the media while receiving praise from all angles.
Let's not let Kobe's idiotic comments to the media cloud our vision as basketball fans (for the record, he does play for your fucking approval). Let's recognize how impressive what Kevin Durant and the rest of the young Thunder did in crunch time against a veteran team in important games that were very much in doubt.
So what's left? Four teams with strengths and weaknesses all their own. I will give you one of each.
The Boston Celtics
Strength: Toughness
The Boston Celtics, at this point, are almost nothing but tough. Game 7 against the 76ers was won by Rajon Rondo hitting a couple of outside shots (which he sucks at) simply because he had to. They can't score more than 85 points so they'll make you score 75. It's the only saving grace they have against the Miami Heat this year. If healthy, Boston matches up fairly well with Miami...which brings us to the weakness.
Weakness: Age
It can be argued that being old is what made them tough. However, the other fringe benefits of age (continuity, execution, shooting prowess) elude them while the downfalls of extensive mileage (sloth, poor health, lack of general youthful exuberance) now embody this team. The Boston Celtics really are a poor offensive team and their struggles against the forgettable 76ers were real. Boston couldn't stay in front of Philadelphia's quick guards and couldn't really shake them on offense either. Both of those things are alarming going into a series against a Miami Heat team that includes two of the most impressive physical specimens of this generation.
The Miami Heat
Strength: James/Wade
It's as simple as that. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are the two most physically dominant players left in the playoffs and have the intelligence and experience to make incredible plays at back-breaking times. While they still don't play especially well together, having two players who can "do it all" as they can is still a load for a defense (and perhaps more notably, an offense) to handle as long that advantage is not willingly squandered by the pair of them. Each of those two players have, in the past, been enough to drag their own teams past others who don't reach a certain hurdle of competence so you'd better leave some extra space between yourself and that bar if you expect to beat both of them.
Weakness: Everyone Else
I've already at least tried to beat the issue of this team's lack of toughness and their distasteful self awareness to death so let's concentrate on the "supporting" cast. Every one of them, including coach Erik Spoelstra, take every cue from LeBron and Wade who are both capable of falling into funks. Both LeBron and Wade have always gotten by on athleticism, good vibes, intelligence and a general "feel" about how sports work. They don't, however, and an incredible depth of skills or "moves," if you will, to fall back on. They hit shots because they're on fire, not because they're good shooters. So, if the tide turns, they can go extremely cold because of the lack of confidence in the simple form of shooting or running a play, because they almost never have had to use either of those things in their lives. This, in turn, makes everyone else terrified to shoot. Troubling news if you're facing someone who thinks they're good enough to win it all.
The Oklahoma City Thunder
Strength: Speed
For their age, they are also a little more poised and a little more skilled than they really should be, but their advantage over EVERY other team (yes, including the Heat) is their speed. They are comfortable playing faster than really anything I've ever seen which makes their ceiling the highest of any team left.
Weakness: Post Scoring
Again, their obvious weakness is their inexperience, but it doesn't seem to affect them as much as it would most teams so that's not what I'm focusing on. The Thunder are very pleased that Serge Ibaka now takes a ten-footer and makes it occasionally which should show you how lacking they are in offensive skill in the post. Their other starting big man is Kendrick Perkins who has zero touch and can't make free throws. This means that, in crunch time or when they are trying to ice a lead, they have to keep running and taking jump shots. This is certainly not the most effective way of operating but goddamn is it fun to watch.
The San Antonio Spurs
Strength and Weakness: One Speed
To shake things up, the Spurs' strength and weakness is the same thing.
The Spurs, to me, because of their fantastic coaching, intelligence and lack of a real dominant physical presence, have always been a "hurdle" team. This means that they set the bar at a nine out of ten. If no team can take it's game to a ten, the Spurs get the trophy. The Spurs play at one speed which means they are steady in the clutch, don't panic when they get down, and it also means that they theoretically couldn't keep up with either the Heat or the Thunder if they decided to put it all together out of the blue. But with the Thunder's best players being younger than yours truly (24) and the Heat being without a healthy Bosh, the Spurs become the favorites.
We'll see in the next month if anyone can clear that hurdle.
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