Could this be the year KG and PP do the damn thing?

 

 

Notes from the TNT NBA Playoffs Conference Call

Wednesday, April 15, 2008

TNT tips off its “40 Games in 40 Nights” of NBA Playoff coverage on Sunday, April 20 with a first-round tripleheader (times TBD).

I got a chance to be a part of this call today with a lot of NBA beat writers across the country. I really appreciated Reggie and Charles’ honesty on some subjects. Can’t wait till Sunday.

Participants:

Charles Barkley - TNT NBA studio analyst

Reggie Miller - TNT NBA analyst

Jeff Behnke - Turner Sports executive producer

Miller on picking Boston in the Eastern Conference Playoffs: “It’s going to be such a blood bath out West where I see every series going at least six games. The least resistance is in the East. It’s going to come down to Boston and Detroit, the two best teams in the East. Charles and I are in unison that we love the passion that Kevin Garnett has brought to Boston, there is something special that Doc (Rivers) has resurrected in his team. I like the addition of Sam Cassell, he’s been great as of late. I like Boston in the East.”

Miller on why he thinks the L.A. Lakers will go the NBA Finals: “In the West, it depends on when (Andrew) Bynum comes back, but even if he doesn’t come back at full strength, I like what Phil Jackson and, my MVP pick this year Kobe Bryant, has done for the Lakers. With the addition of Pau Gasol and their front line, you’ve got the best player on the perimeter in Kobe Bryant, they are well coached, they have a very deep bench. I really like the Lakers. I still believe everything is going to go through San Antonio, but I see the Western Conference Finals going 7 games with the Lakers very narrowly edging out the Spurs to win.”

Barkley on how he sees the NBA Playoffs shaping up: “The East (Conference) is obviously Boston and Detroit, that’s going to be a monster series. They are the two best teams in the East by far. I’m not sure who is going to win it but I think it’s going to be a great series. I can’t even really pick a team in the West (Conference) right now because we don’t know what the match-ups are going to be. It’s up for grabs right now. I think realistically, in no particular order, Utah, the Lakers and San Antonio are the three best teams. San Antonio and Utah could play (each other) in the first round so that would eliminate one of my picks. At mid-season, I picked Utah (to win the West), I still feel pretty good about that pick. I’m not sure if the Lakers can win without (injured center Andrew) Bynum. I don’t think the Lakers want to play Denver in the first round of the playoffs. Any team that can score that much and have guys like Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, they can win any night. (If the Lakers and Nuggets play) it’s not going to be a sweep, it’s going to be a knock-down, drag-out (fight). If New Orleans is the number two seed (in the West) and they play Dallas (number seven seed), I would take Dallas. San Antonio and Phoenix would be a knock-down, drag-out series. But we don’t know who is going to play who. I’m looking forward to the West (seeding) finally being over.”

Barkley on the MVP race between the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and the Hornets’ Chris Paul: “I think Kobe Bryant is the MVP. Whoever has the best record between the Lakers and New Orleans will have the MVP. I got (upset) at a lot of reporters who said that Kobe should win because he’s never won before. This isn’t a lifetime achievement award. Based on the regular season, if the Lakers have the best record, (Bryant) deserves it. But to say that he deserves it because he’s never won it…that’s just stupid.”

Barkley on what has made the tight Western Conference race so interesting to watch: “We’ve never had so many trades, that’s the reason why we’ve never seen anything like this (race). The Dallas Mavericks go out and get a Hall of Famer in Jason Kidd. The Phoenix Suns go out and get the most dominant center in the last 20 years in Shaquille O’Neal. I don’t know what they are doing in Memphis, they gave up an All-Star (Pau Gasol) to go with Kobe Bryant, who’s the best player in the NBA. I can’t remember the last time we had this many great players traded this late in the season. That’s what made (the West) so interesting, it’s going to be fun to watch.”

Miller on an Eastern Conference teams chances to win the NBA Championship: “I would not be surprised if every first round series in the Western Conference did not go six or seven games. And I would not be surprised if a team from the Eastern Conference, once they get to the Finals, end up winning it because these teams in the West are going to be so emotionally drained. Their playoffs started right after the All-Star break when everyone was trying to jockey for position. They’ve been in playoff mode for almost two months now. Meanwhile, Boston and Detroit have been almost cruising the last three or four weeks, resting a lot of players. I would not be surprised if a team from the Eastern Conference ends up winning (the championship).”

Miller on if the NBA should change the current playoff format: “I think (the NBA) should go with the best 16 teams (regardless of Conference). Obviously, from a travel (standpoint), the logistics would be difficult. If you want to truly find out who is the best team in the NBA, if you had the 16 best teams, only four or five teams from the East are going to make it. You would have Golden State, maybe Portland in the playoffs. When Charles and I played in the 1990’s, the East was the best Conference when you had Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Detroit and Cleveland. We were much better than the West and no one was talking about re-seeding then.”

Barkley on re-formatting the NBA Playoff system: “The league is always going to be cyclical and you can’t change the rules just for that reason. Detroit and Boston don’t play the same number of games against good teams that the West (Conference teams) do. They get to play Miami, who stink. The Denver Nuggets are a good, solid team but teams (in the West) have to play them three or four times. They have to play the Golden State Warriors three or four times. They have to play the Portland Trail Blazers, who have a bright future, three or four times. The East stinks at the bottom. Even the teams who are in the (East) playoffs aren’t very good teams. The Atlanta Hawks are not a really good team. The Philadelphia 76ers are not a really good team. So the Celtics have to play those teams four or five times.”

Miller on the Cleveland Cavaliers stumbling into the playoffs: “If any series in the first round in the East (Conference) is going to be compelling it’s going to be the Cleveland/Washington (series). This will be the third time in a row that they’ve faced one another. I’m going to tell you from my playoff experience, it’s tough to beat a team three years in a row in the playoffs. We’ve all been hearing about the trash talking going back and forth between (Washington’s) DeShawn Stevenson, Gilbert Arenas and LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. I think there has been an adjustment from the big trade that Cleveland made (with Chicago in February) and trying to get everyone accustomed to a new system. I think they are really limping into the playoffs these last two or three weeks with LeBron having the sore back and (head coach) Mike Brown trying to solidify his playoff rotation. This is going to be a very interesting match-up for Mike Brown and the Cavaliers. I would not be surprised if Washington, with Gilbert Arenas coming back along with a healthy Caron Butler and (Antawn) Jamison, can beat Cleveland.”

Barkley on the Wizards talking trash to the Cavaliers: “I think the Washington Wizards have got to be the dumbest team in the history of civilization. I think for them to rile up LeBron (James), who is the second best player in the NBA, I think that’s just stupid. I thought (the Wizards) had a chance to win that series…I don’t think so anymore. I think Cleveland was just going through the motions once they knew they were going to be the number four seed and now I think they’re ready. I think that was just stupid for the Wizards to talk all that trash when they call LeBron ‘overrated’ in the middle of the season when they played. For them to think they are going to go into Cleveland (and win), they just riled up LeBron, the Cavaliers and all the fans.”

Miller on if the big trade the Cavaliers made with the Bulls in February helped them or hurt them: “I like Joe Smith on (the Cavaliers) and I like Delonte West if he is knocking down shots. (West) is a very capable defender. It depends on which Ben Wallace is going to show up…the Detroit Ben Wallace or the Chicago Ben Wallace. Is he going to be back 100% for the grind of the playoffs? Is it an improvement on last year’s team? Absolutely, if Lebron had these guys in the (2007) Finals they might have won a game or two. It all depends on if Wally Szczerbiak is knocking down shots, which he was brought there to do and he doesn’t have so far. If Delonte can knock down shots and play defense. If Big Ben (Wallace) can rebound and block shots, which he is paid very well to do, then it’s an upgrade. But they’ve been so inconsistent since the trade.”

Barkley on if the Cavaliers are poised to make a big playoff run: “I think (the trade with the Bulls was) an upgrade (to their roster). I think (the Cavaliers) are better suited for the playoffs when they play against the Celtics or Detroit, they’ve got bigger bodies. I think they are a lot better but the Celtics are (still) a lot better and you never know what the Pistons are going to do. (The Cavaliers) are better suited to make a run in the playoffs. Last year was just a fluke. This year if they get to the Finals, they are going to have to go through the Boston Celtics.”

Barkley on the Denver Nuggets: “(Denver has) two guys (Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony) that can light it up on any given night. They’ve got Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby and J.R. Smith. Denver is probably the most disappointing team in the league. They probably have more talent than anyone in the NBA. If they just tried to play defense, they could be scary.”

Barkley on the Lakers chances of winning without injured center Andrew Bynum: “I don’t think (the Lakers) can win the (NBA) title without (Andrew) Bynum. I thought when they got (Pau Gasol from Memphis) they were far and away the number one team. Kobe (Bryant) has to do so much (without Bynum) on any given night. I just don’t know if they can win (the championship) without Bynum.”

Miller on how the Lakers can win with Andrew Bynum in a limited role: “Can the Lakers win without (Andrew) Bynum? No. If he does come back, (Lakers head coach) Phil Jackson is going to put him in the role that he was in before he was injured and averaging a double-double. All he has to do is rebound and block shots, the scoring will (fall on) Kobe (Bryant), Pau (Gasol) and Lamar (Odom). If (Bynum) comes back and plays 12 minutes a game, average six to eight rebounds and three blocked shots, (the Lakers) will win it hands-down.”

Barkley on winning a road series in the West: “I don’t think any team in the bottom four can win. I think the teams up top are so good. I think (Phoenix) could win a series but the West (Conference) is so top-heavy, they are so good. Can Phoenix beat San Antonio? Yes, but can they win the next two rounds on the road? I don’t think any team in that’s not in the top four can win.”

Miller on the Phoenix Suns: “When Phoenix made the trade for Shaquille O’Neal, they were leading the West (Conference). They got off to a rough start but have rebounded and have started to play well with Shaq. The advantages that Shaq brings to this team, if you’ve seen the play of Amare (Stoudemire) the last two or three weeks, where he has been going ‘bozonkers’ scoring. They’ve been able to move him to the four-spot where a lot of fours can match-up with Amare. I think the biggest plus has been the (increased) free throw shooting of the Suns. That’s the factor that Shaq brings to your team, he’s going to get you into the bonus early. If you are asking the Phoenix Suns to win three straight series starting out as the underdog on the road, that is a tall order. Especially with Shaq at 35- or 36-years-old, you’re asking him to do a lot. This is a team that’s been there before. Are they going to be judged on not getting to the Finals and adding Shaq or getting to the Finals with Shaq? That remains to be seen.”

Barkley on the Phoenix Suns expectations: “The only goal for the Suns is to win a championship. If they make it to the Finals and don’t win, it’s not a good season. Everybody is talking about how well Amare Stoudemire is scoring, that’s not the reason why the Suns aren’t going to win, he doesn’t rebound the ball. Shaq is averaging more rebounds at this point in his career than Amare Stoudemire. To me, that is not a good thing. I look at Amare’s rebounding stats and that’s my biggest problem with him.”

Barkley on the status of the Chicago Bulls: “Ya’ll are in trouble. You’ve got a bunch of good players, you don’t have any great players. Last year you had a chance to get Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol , but you told us Luol Deng is untradeable and I was like, ‘he is?’ You had a chance to get Kevin Garnett and a chance to get Pau Gasol and you’d probably be in the Finals, you would have enough pieces to get to the Finals. Whoever didn’t make that trade is just stupid. (Deng) is a good player, but he’s never going to be Pau (Gasol) and is never, never going to be Kevin Garnett. Now, you’re stuck up a creek without a paddle.”

Barkley on players turning down large contracts to go to free agency: “When these guys turn down $10 or $12 million dollars, I’m like, are you kidding me? That’s highway robbery if you get that much of money. They are just good players, they aren’t great players. If you offer a good player $10 million a year, he should get to his pen (to sign the contract) as fast as he can.”

Miller on the Philadelphia 76ers having a favorable match-up against Detroit in the first round: “I’m going to give a lot of credit to my good friend Billy King for assembling the team, I thought he really got thrown under the bus three or four months ago. That’s going to be a scary match up for Detroit, Philly has gone into to Detroit this year and beaten them. Sammy Dalembert matches up well with the front line of the Detroit Pistons. I’m not saying they are going to beat Detroit, but think it’s a favorable match-up for Philadelphia to go against Detroit in the first round. I applaud what Mo Cheeks has done, as well as AI (Iguodala).”

Barkley on Philadelphia 76ers forward Andre Iguodala: “(Andre Iguodala) is turning into a terrific young player. I wish he had signed his extension before the season began because I don’t think he’s going to get a ton more money as a free agent, but I think he’s a good player, not a great player yet. he’s very talented, but needs to keep improving on his jump shot. I think he’s a terrific young player with a bright future.”

Barkley on his equal opportunity criticism of players: “I don’t have an obligation to tell the players they are good when they are bad. I don’t say ‘they stink’, I might stay their teams stink. I don’t ever criticize a guy personally. I don’t worry about what the players think. I speak for the fans, they’re watching the games, they know who stinks and which teams stink. I will sit down and go back and forth with any player, and say lets talk about what I said about him and there is a reason why I said it. I don’t think you can have a double standard, a lot of guys in the media will kill a guy they don’t like, but protect ones they do. You’re job is to represent fans and be honest and be fair; I know I do that. I don’t have a hidden agenda against any player.”

Miller on what New York fans are thinking as the season comes to a close: “Thank God for Donnie Walsh. Hallelujah”

Barkley on why New York fans should be interested in the NBA Playoffs: “Thank God it’s over. Don’t tell me that New York has great fans if they can’t appreciate the West (seeds) one through eight. (If they don’t), they don’t really appreciate basketball. I love all these guys that act like they’re experts, I’ve got no idea who’s going to win. There are three leading teams in the East, the Celtics, Pistons and any team with LeBron James has a chance. That boy is a man. If the Dallas Mavericks made it to the conference finals, I would not be shocked. If the Suns make it to the Finals, I would not be shocked. If they lost in the first round I would not be shocked. That’s the beauty of the West Conference.”

Barkley on needing a player who can make a play to win a game: “You need to have a guy on your team that says, ‘we’re not going to lose tonight.’ Everyone in the world knows that the ball was going to Reggie with the game on the line, the ball was going to me with the game on the line, and to Kevin (Garnett) and everyone knows it’s going to go to Carmelo (Anthony) or AI (Allen Iverson) and you say to yourself, ‘I’ve got to score, I’ve got to get a shot that I might miss or I’ve got to set up a guy for a wide open jumper.’ Those to me are the three intangibles. It happens to every great player sometime in the game. It was no different from Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan. At some point, you’ve got to say I’ve got to make a play for us to win.”

Miller on the Denver Nuggets needing to play defense in order to win: “We all know that the pace of the game comes to a deafening crawl and it becomes a half court game. If you break down the match-ups you’ve got to have rebounding, you’ve got to control your turnovers, but you also have to execute your offense in the half court situation. I look at the Nuggets, are they are going to be able to execute their offense against the Lakers? But more importantly, are they going to be able to stop the triangle of Phil Jackson? Defensively, when teams win championships that is the catalyst. Can the Denver Nuggets stop the Lakers from executing? That means all five players, Carmelo (Anthony), AI (Allen Iverson), I know (Marcus) Camby’s going to bring it, he’s going to block shots, and I know (Kenyon) Martin’s going to bring it. But are these others guys going to commit on the defensive end?”

Barkley on why he doesn’t believe the New Orleans Hornets can go all the way: “The problem with New Orleans is that they are so young, they’re got a bright future, but they don’t have playoff experience. Byron (Scott) has done a great job, I thought Chris Paul had the MVP until they faded the last couple of games, but they’ve had a magnificent season. I just don’t think they have enough experience. I think they are going to be around for the next five or so years as legitimate contenders, and I think this was a great way for them to get their feet wet, but I think they are too young and inexperienced.”

Miller on the New Orleans Hornets: “If you were constructing a team, with your wants and needs, you would want a great floor general, you have that in Chris Paul; you would want outside shooting to spread the floor, you have that in Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic; you would need somewhat of an inside presence, you have that with (David) West; you need a defensive presence inside, you have with Tyson Chandler, and you need for that team to be well coached, you have that in Byron Scott. If you were going to put a team together with your wants and needs, the New Orleans Hornets have everything that you would want. Now, are they going to be able to parlay that in playoff wins? I’m excited to see when the lights are on the brightest, when it gets hot in the kitchen, how is Chris Paul going to react? Teams adjust, make changes and there are bigger guys they are going to be guarding. Every game takes on a whole new life in the playoffs . Every team makes adjustments and changes in the age of video tape and scouting, so every game is going to be totally different. Are they going to be able to adapt on the fly? The only way you get that is through experience. Experience does matters come playoff time.”

Sphere: Related Content

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 1:39 am and is filed under Blogroll, Charles Barkley, Michael Tillery, NBA, NBA On TNT, NBA playoffs, Reggie Miller. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.