The power forward will turn 34 in May, and even teammates wonder how long he can continue doing the heavy lifting for a team that's also had its share of injuries. KG as in, this is KillinG him. "I don't have to watch him, I see him every day," said teammate Paul Pierce over All-Star weekend. "I'm aware it's definitely hell for him."
--Mark Heisler
Seems like old times, huh?
Celtics.
Lakers.
And our old friend Mr. Heisler weighing in. . .
Showing posts with label Mark Heisler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Heisler. Show all posts
2.18.2010
7.06.2009
The Celtics are Very Short
The Celtics are very short for such a physical, defense-oriented team, with Garnett their only rotation player over 6-9 in bare feet. Tough as he is, Kendrick Perkins, who's listed at 6-10, looks 6-8 1/2 , at most. (I saw him next to the Globe's Marc Spears, who's 6-6. Perkins looked an inch or so taller.) Glen Davis, listed at 6-9, looks about 6-7 1/2 . Leon Powe, listed at 6-8, looks 6-6 1/2. Then there's their bench, as in, what bench? Powe and Tony Allen might or might not break into the Lakers' nine-man rotation. Davis and Eddie House, no shot.
--Mark Heisler, LA Times
Can't wait to read what Mr. Heisler has to say now.
--Mark Heisler, LA Times
Can't wait to read what Mr. Heisler has to say now.
3.10.2009
Celtics Making Heisler Uncomfortable
We don't know who's best but we know who's toughest, or here's something to remember if that day comes that the Lakers face the Celtics this spring: The Celtics did it without Kevin Garnett, and with Glen (Big Baby) Davis, booted early in the second half, still combining for 30 points with Leon Powe, making 14 of 19 shots.
If the Lakers haven't figured it out from last spring, when they were favored, to this spring, when they'd be bigger favorites with Andrew Bynum: The Celtics are either better than anyone realizes, or no one rises to the occasion and raises their game the way they do. In either case, someone will have to beat them. They're not going away.
--Mark Heisler
You can almost see Mr. Heisler squirming at his desk. He clearly doesn't get it. He predicted a Laker win last June, and told everyone that the Celtics' stunk in December, notwithstanding their 27-2 record. But they keep winning big games.
Go figger.
All he really needs to do is talk to Jerry West about the 1968-69 Lakers. The Purple had more talent on paper than the Celtics. But somehow the Lakers didn't win when it counted.
Mindboggling, huh?
If the Lakers haven't figured it out from last spring, when they were favored, to this spring, when they'd be bigger favorites with Andrew Bynum: The Celtics are either better than anyone realizes, or no one rises to the occasion and raises their game the way they do. In either case, someone will have to beat them. They're not going away.
--Mark Heisler
You can almost see Mr. Heisler squirming at his desk. He clearly doesn't get it. He predicted a Laker win last June, and told everyone that the Celtics' stunk in December, notwithstanding their 27-2 record. But they keep winning big games.
Go figger.
All he really needs to do is talk to Jerry West about the 1968-69 Lakers. The Purple had more talent on paper than the Celtics. But somehow the Lakers didn't win when it counted.
Mindboggling, huh?
3.02.2009
Heisler Strikes Again
I'm not going to post a link to the latest offering from the Los Angeles Times Mark Heisler. It's not very good, and it's not good for the same reason his earlier pieces weren't very good.
He goes overboard.
He is really worried about Star Berry. According to Heisler, Cleveland is now quaking in their boots. The talent gap--real or imagined--between the Lakers and the Celtics is now closed.
Dude, it's March 2nd. Kobe goes down with an injury--it's over. Ditto for LeBron and the Cavs. Doc Rivers is being asked to juggle more balls than either the Lakers or Cavs, and there is no guarantee of Celtics' success.
Just chill.
He goes overboard.
He is really worried about Star Berry. According to Heisler, Cleveland is now quaking in their boots. The talent gap--real or imagined--between the Lakers and the Celtics is now closed.
Dude, it's March 2nd. Kobe goes down with an injury--it's over. Ditto for LeBron and the Cavs. Doc Rivers is being asked to juggle more balls than either the Lakers or Cavs, and there is no guarantee of Celtics' success.
Just chill.
2.25.2009
Heisler Wastes No Time Weighing In
On Sunday in Phoenix, Rajon Rondo blew past Steve Nash, who couldn't have caught him with a lasso, scoring 32 points with 10 assists in a 128-108 rout. Monday in Denver, Rondo shut down Chauncey Billups, outscoring him, 14-3, in a 114-76 laugher. "It got to the point last year, I was concerned if he wasn't on the floor because he runs the team so well. When he goes off the floor, it's a major loss for us," Doc Rivers says.
This just in: It won't be as major a loss soon. The day Marbury arrives, they'll have a former All-Star on their bench, who's guaranteed to be on his best behavior, hoping to get a new contract, knowing he'll be cut if he so much as rolls his eyes. To Lakers fans seeking catharsis after last year's Finals loss to Boston, nothing short of beating the Celtics this June will do. But getting Stephon Marbury will make Boston that much tougher.
Link to rest of Mark Heisler's article.
What Mr. Heisler fails to mention is that we just grew by several inches as well. For a guy obsessed with player height, this Laker columnist fails to mention that the second unit now has someone taller than 6-7 to guard Pau Gasol. Gasol is 16-28 against the Celtics this year, but a lot of his success has come against Big Baby, Leon Powe, and a sick KG.
He’ll have a tougher time of it against seven-foot, hyperactive Mikki Moore. “Just shooting over him” won’t be an option like it was with Powe and Davis.
This just in: It won't be as major a loss soon. The day Marbury arrives, they'll have a former All-Star on their bench, who's guaranteed to be on his best behavior, hoping to get a new contract, knowing he'll be cut if he so much as rolls his eyes. To Lakers fans seeking catharsis after last year's Finals loss to Boston, nothing short of beating the Celtics this June will do. But getting Stephon Marbury will make Boston that much tougher.
Link to rest of Mark Heisler's article.
What Mr. Heisler fails to mention is that we just grew by several inches as well. For a guy obsessed with player height, this Laker columnist fails to mention that the second unit now has someone taller than 6-7 to guard Pau Gasol. Gasol is 16-28 against the Celtics this year, but a lot of his success has come against Big Baby, Leon Powe, and a sick KG.
He’ll have a tougher time of it against seven-foot, hyperactive Mikki Moore. “Just shooting over him” won’t be an option like it was with Powe and Davis.
Happy Now, Mr. Heisler?
If anyone forgot, as almost everyone did, the Lakers' size, depth and athleticism are far superior to the Celtics'. If the Lakers played as hard as the Celtics, and defended as well, they really would win 70.
Celtics players dismissed the impact of Bynum's return, as if he were a 7-foot equipment manager who had wandered on the court. The alternative would have been to say, "His mere size changes everything. Even if we can still beat them, we're going to get cricks in our necks looking up at them." The Celtics are very short for such a physical, defense-oriented team, with Garnett their only rotation player over 6-9 in bare feet.
Tough as he is, Kendrick Perkins, who's listed at 6-10, looks 6-8 1/2 , at most. (I saw him next to the Globe's Marc Spears, who's 6-6. Perkins looked an inch or so taller.) Glen Davis, listed at 6-9, looks about 6-7 1/2 . Leon Powe, listed at 6-8, looks 6-6 1/2. Then there's their bench, as in, what bench? Powe and Tony Allen might or might not break into the Lakers' nine-man rotation. Davis and Eddie House, no shot.
--Mark Heisler
I'm not sure Derek Fisher, the Lakers' starting point guard, would beat out Eddie House for third-string point guard on the Celtics.
12.21.2008
A Times Beat Writer Weighs In
Now that everyone understands how little the Lakers' 21-5 record has to do with greatness, let's see what life is like for the other half, with the Celtics on their 76-win pace with their 17-game winning streak.
Oh, that bad?
The Celtics look so lean and hungry, nothing short of a repeat means anything, not the title they won last spring, or this season's amazing 25-2 start, which might even eclipse last season's amazing 29-3 start.
When they beat Utah, 100-91, last week for their 15th win in a row, the Boston Globe headline was a dire: "Better watch out."
Nor was Coach Doc Rivers impressed, regarding the win as slightly better than a loss.
"It's a good sign in a lot of ways because to me, we have not played to a stretch where as a coach you would say, 'We've hit our stride,' " Rivers said.
"We clearly have not done that."
Thank heaven. Otherwise, they'd be 27-0 and Kendrick Perkins and Eddie House would be All-Star candidates along with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and, of course, Rajon Rondo, now hailed by Celtics fans as the latest in the line from Bob Cousy to Jo Jo White to Dennis Johnson.
--MARK HEISLER, LA Times
Personally, I do think Rajon Rondo has a little bit of DJ in him, but certainly Mr. Heisler was being disingenuous. With all the problems Lakers guards have defending point guards, even Rondo doubters must admit that Rajon has a pretty good chance of making himself look like Cousy and Tiny on Thursday, especially considering the last time he played the purple was game 6 of the NBA Finals, when #9 made a lasting impression on the whole world.
By the way, Mr. Heisler omitted Tiny. Jo Jo was pretty good. Tiny was great.
Oh, that bad?
The Celtics look so lean and hungry, nothing short of a repeat means anything, not the title they won last spring, or this season's amazing 25-2 start, which might even eclipse last season's amazing 29-3 start.
When they beat Utah, 100-91, last week for their 15th win in a row, the Boston Globe headline was a dire: "Better watch out."
Nor was Coach Doc Rivers impressed, regarding the win as slightly better than a loss.
"It's a good sign in a lot of ways because to me, we have not played to a stretch where as a coach you would say, 'We've hit our stride,' " Rivers said.
"We clearly have not done that."
Thank heaven. Otherwise, they'd be 27-0 and Kendrick Perkins and Eddie House would be All-Star candidates along with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and, of course, Rajon Rondo, now hailed by Celtics fans as the latest in the line from Bob Cousy to Jo Jo White to Dennis Johnson.
--MARK HEISLER, LA Times
Personally, I do think Rajon Rondo has a little bit of DJ in him, but certainly Mr. Heisler was being disingenuous. With all the problems Lakers guards have defending point guards, even Rondo doubters must admit that Rajon has a pretty good chance of making himself look like Cousy and Tiny on Thursday, especially considering the last time he played the purple was game 6 of the NBA Finals, when #9 made a lasting impression on the whole world.
By the way, Mr. Heisler omitted Tiny. Jo Jo was pretty good. Tiny was great.
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