Dirrty South

I'm upset that I didn't get to watch game 7 of the Celtics/Hawks Beatdown in Beantown on Sunday, but this gig doesn't exactly pay the bills, so alas I was working for the man instead of cheering loudly and laughing my ass off as the Hawks got served in brutal fashion in Boston.  The game speaks for itself (likely won't stop me from speaking for it), and it provided a thunderous and definitive answer to all the doubters and haters (Zaza Pachulia got a personal notice of defeat, the back court pick from KG that leveled the untalented center).

Credit the Hawks, they put up a good fight, but it's hard to fool the referees into giving you calls when the crowd is against you and the Celtics are giving their best effort on defense.  That's not to say that the Hawks only won some games because the refs bailed them out (it didn't hurt, though), but they just didn't have a deep enough roster or enough experience to execute on the road and challenge the Celtics in Boston.  Give it a year or two, let them add a few pieces (though given Atlanta's record of passing on guys like Chris Paul andchoosing guys like Shelden Williams, I'd be skeptical), and the Hawks could easily be a contender in the perpetually watered down Eastern Conference.

Next, the Celtics face the always dangerous Cleveland Cavaliers, who are the defending Eastern Conference champions for one reason and one reason only:LeBron James.  As the Washington Wizards can attest, on some nights there is no stopping No. 23 in the Playoffs.  I'm sure that Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau are already scheming and trying to game plan a method to at least slow LeBron, but that is a tall order.

While nobody's asked for my opinion or advice, I'm going to give it anyways: Watch the tape of the 2007 Finals and see the ways that San Antonio contained James.  I've got more coming in the next few days on Cleveland, but if you're hungry already for some nuggets of wisdom on beating the Cavs, check my blog archive, there's plenty in there about the Cavs since I'm so psychic and picked this series a month ago.  Until then, I'm damn tired and ready to get my cinco de mayo on.  I'm thinking of doing a longer piece at work tomorrow, I'll have time and some sweet wireless access down at the boathouse.  

Toodles until then, folks.