They Are Who We Thought They Were

The Celtics outlasted the Cavs earlier this afternoon. Getting three stars together helps during the regular season, but it doesn't guarantee playoff success. It takes time to gain the subconscious trust needed to keep advancing. That is why the Celtics have struggled this post-season, going just 8-6 and failing to win a road game thus far.

The Cavs were the third best team in the East thanks to greatness of LeBron James and some solid surrounding role players. Their run to the Finals last season still seems amazing. I didn't think Orlando was an elite team yet. They rely too much on threes. They should take a page out of the champion Lakers and Spurs and use the three as a supplemental weapon. They might be an upper echelon team next season. I picked Detroit to win it all and they're looking good to at least make it to the final round. But the Celtics have home court advantage.

In the West, I thought last year's conference finals appearance for the Utah Jazz was an aberration. They were fortunately enough to play Tracy McGrady, who must think there's a glass ceiling right above the first round, and the 8th seeded Warriors. I think they are a conference semis team right now and it showed this year. But they have young players and don't have to change much to improve.

The Utah fans need a change though. Derek Fisher was courageous for the Jazz last season, flying back and forth between comforting his daughter who was undergoing surgery to remove eye cancer, and the Jazz playoff games. After the season, Utah let Fisher out of his contract so he could play for the Lakers because his daughter could get better care in Los Angeles. The move cost Fisher millions. The Jazz fans knew all of this. When Fisher returned to Utah as a Laker, he was loudly booed. Jazz fans also threw things at the Lakers bench in Game 6. Utah is filled with moronically heartless people. Maybe that's why they're all Republicans. I don't think it has anything to do with Mormonism, I think it’s a Utah thing.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe would be proud of Utahans as he's also quite heartless. He may have orchestrated the recent assassination plot against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, five weeks before the run-off election.

The Spurs will have to change things after this year. I picked them to make the Finals, but their old bench and lack of three-point assassins worried me. I must admit that the Lakers and the Hornets have totally surprised me.