Tale of Two Teams, Two Very Different Philosophies

The opening minutes of tonight’s Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics game told the tale of two teams, two styles, two philosophies. The Raptors, who took to the parquet floor of Boston’s TD Garden with six international players, tore the leather off the cover of the official NBA Spalding basketball with 18 points in just under seven minutes of non-stop, offensive action. Toronto’s repertoire ranged from the workman-like inside moves of 6-10 (American) power-forward Chris Bosh to rainbow three-pointers by 6-10 (Turkish) swingman Hedo Turkoglu to a driving lay-up by 6-3 (Spanish) point guard Jose Calderon.

The Raptors shot the lights out early, hitting for better than 64-percent from the field. Not bad, you would think?

The problem? Let me count the ways and list the lay-ups and dunks from the first quarter play-by-play sheet:

9:45 - Ray Allen lay-up
9:16 - Rajon Rondo lay-up
8:48 – Paul Pierce lay-up
8:25 – Kendrick Perkins lay-up
7:51 – Kevin Garnett dunk
7:25 – Paul Pierce lay-up
6:25 – Kevin Garnett dunk
5:57 – Paul Pierce lay-up

It wasn’t until the 4:34 mark of the first quarter when Celtics forward Ray Allen settled for a jump shot off a Rondo pass when the Raptors let up a bucket other than a lay-up or dunk. That resulted in the Celtics shooting 12-for-13 over the opening stanza of the game, a torrid 92-percent from field goal range. After trading a few baskets and actually missing a shot or two, the quarter ended with another Rondo driving lay-up, a buzzer buzzer-beater to give the home team a 33-27 lead on 15-of-18 shooting (83-percent) with nine assists coming from the 15 field goals.

Not to be overlooked, the Raptors were raining down jump shots and scoring at a clip that would result in a full 18 points over the 90.8 points per game (ppg) that the Bostonians hold their visitors to on a nightly basis.

“We were having a feel good game at that point,” said Celtics Coach Doc Rivers. “You know, you score, you pat them on the back and they score.”

It was another Friday night fight for the Celtics on their home court, an unpleasant scenario for Rivers’ all-night video-tape sessions as his club held a entered the game with a dismal 1-3 mark within their friendly confines.

Of course, the Celtics took to the court without a single international player on their roster. The 2008 NBA champions fashion a large part of their game on the defensive end of the court, anchored by Kevin Garnett, one of the league’s best interior defenders. Danny Ainge, the popular team GM and executive director of basketball, together with Rivers, a proven veteran coach who stresses strong team defense with ball movement and unselfish play on the offensive end, orchestrated one of the NBA’s boldest series of off-season moves prior to their 2008 championship. They added to the player personnel file this past summer when free agent forward Rasheed Wallace and free agent guard Marquis Daniels were acquired to strengthen the team’s second unit and provide added interior defense alongside KG.

“Defense wins championships and offense sells tickets,” said Wallace in a recent Boston WEEI-Radio interview, echoing a statement he made frequently when he was on the Detroit Pistons’ NBA title team of 2004. Wallace’s quote, however, was really a paraphrase of famed Alabama college football coaching legend Paul “Bear” Bryant who was quoted as coining a similar, “offense wins games, but defense wins championships” line.

So the Toronto Raptors, hailing from a diverse and truly international metropolis, come to play games in the NBA with six international players, a Canadian coach in Jay Triano, an Italian Assistant General Manager/Player Personnel director in Maurizio Gherardini and the worldly viewpoint of team president Bryan Colangelo, who once orchestrated the high-octane offense of the Phoenix Suns and now wooing global talent to his new, cosmopolitan city.

The problem? Guarding.

“The Raptors can not guard anyone,” said one veteran NBA scout who has as much global experience as anyone in the game. “Bosh is not a very good defender. (Anrdea) Bargnani poses match-up problems but just can’t guard and Calderon can’t guard anyone.”

When it comes to tough, seven game series basketball in the playoffs, the Raptors must hit their shots. Otherwise, they will fall victim to teams like the Celtics who dialed up their defensive pressure in the third quarter to outscore Toronto 25-4 to put this particular game, played over the American Thanksgiving weekend, out of reach.

So, a look at the two teams and two very different philosophies tell the tale. The theory of tough defensive pressure and team defensive dominance seems to triumph over high-powered offensive might. A 25-4 run will prove the point every time.

Yet, high scoring, spread the defense and hit three-pointer style offense has doomed the Celtics on a number of occasions earlier this season. The Phoenix Suns’ 110-103 victory over the Celtics on November 3 provided a blue print of Boston’s vulnerabilities for the rest of the NBA. The question for Celtics’ opponents to ponder is simple. Can you consistently hit shots? Can you play 48-minutes of high-octane offense against a team that has superior defensive capabilities?

Do you want to play the run, shoot and score, international style or the rock ‘em, sock ‘em, shake down street NBA championship style defense?

Across the Pond - Preview

Across the Pond:
My thoughts via a Dream Team Coach and my prayer is sent out to Chuck Daly as we “Tipped One” up in Boston

By Terry Lyons
http://www.terrylyons.com

BOSTON – There were a number of “NBA lifers” in the Boston Garden tonight. Celts PR man Jeff Twiss is the class act of the Celtics’ franchise and he certainly fits the bill as an NBA lifer. Orlando assistant coach Brendan Malone, who began his career at NYC’s legendary Power Memorial HS in 1968 and now has more than 20 years of NBA coaching experience after successful stints in HS and college, is another true NBA lifer.

Celtics Coach Doc Rivers, born October 13, 1961, is well on his way to the title and his trusty assistant, Clifford Ray, is a full-fledged, card-carrying NBA lifer while fellow coaches, Armond Hill and Tom Thibodeau, are soon to gain the lofty title. Not to be forgotten, classy Ed Lacerte, the head athletic trainer for the Celtics, is a lifetime member of a gutsy group of men who work miracles along the road, treat injuries, tape ankles and really earn the title of an NBA lifer.

So when the official NBA basketball was held high tonight and the ‘pivotal” Game Five of the Boston Celtics versus Orlando Magic series tipped off just a little while after the Celtics game night operations people pumped up the crowd with a Phil Collins oldie called, “In the Air Tonight,” my mind wandered a bit and a giant, golf-ball-sized lump came forth in my throat when I thought to myself, “I have never, ever attended an NBA game when Chuck Daly wasn’t in the very same building or somewhere watching it.”

Daly passed away this past weekend at the age of 78. He died of dreaded complications in a lightening fast descent after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer not too long back. As the NBA Playoffs began, I am sure the loyal, Basketball 24/7 audience noticed the small “CD” lapel pins being worn by all of the NBA league coaches and many of the broadcasters, league and team personnel. The NBA Coaches Association, headed up by their sharp legal guru, Michael Goldberg, distributed the pins to all of the “NBA lifers” to wear this playoff season in honor of Chuck Daly. And, I can proudly say, I was very honored to have my Chuck Daly/CD pin arrive in the mail a couple weeks ago.

Daly was able to enjoy the tribute for a few weeks before the dreaded disease caught up with him and took his life with his family at his side in the great State of Florida. My friend, Pistons head PR man, Matt Dobek, was a large part of the Pistons while also a member of Chuck’s immediate family. Matt spent most of March and April with Chuck as he suffered through some chemotherapy sessions which were human, earthling doctor’s orders trying to match-up against the BIG Dr. G in the sky. Guess who won?”

But, long before his death, Daly relished his place in the NBA. He was the dean of many an NBA coach who hailed from the Pittsburgh/Philly/Pennsylvania area code. Chuck was born about 90-miles from Pittsburgh, in St. Marys, PA. He landed his first job in basketball at a place where Ground Hog Punxsutawney Phil makes his debut and either sees his shadow or doesn’t come Feb 2. Yes, Chuck started at Punxsutawney (PA) High School in 1955 after growing up in Pennsylvania in the ‘first’ global depression.
He would go on to a career as an assistant coach at Duke University and later became head coach at Boston College and University of Pennsylvania before catching that “NBA coaching bug” and becoming an NBA life-long coach himself.

I first met Coach Daly when he had a short stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the early 1980s. A 9-32 mark got him a quick exit on the coaching highway but he landed a few miles down the road from Cleveland when he was named head coach of the Detroit Pistons in 1983-84. He coached the likes of Isiah Thomas and Kelly Tripucka to a 49-win season in his first year with the Pistons as the franchise began to build an NBA powerhouse that would eventually land ‘back-to-back” NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.

Of course, many of the worldwide readers of Basketball 24/7 know Chuck Daly as the coach of the 1992 USA Basketball Dream Team. He soared onto the global stage at the Barcelona Olympics after being chosen as the head coach of that legendary group because of his honesty, integrity and class. There was not a single moment in 1992 when a player even raised an eyebrow at a decision made by Daly and the rest of the Dream Team coaching staff (Coach K, PJ Carlesimo and Lenny Wilkens were at his side).

After many an NBA Playoff game, or after many a cold refreshments at a place called Gianopolis’ in the ‘burbs of north Detroit and after many a night with the traveling band, called the 1992 Dream Team, we all had the same feeling for Chuck. And, as the years passed by and he went on to coach in New Jersey and Orlando, our friendship drifted a bit but I would remain in touch through Chuck’s trusty PR man, Dobek. There were many times, after a few refreshments and another late night, we would call Chuck on the phone, and as Mr Dobek would say (at 3 am, none the less) – “Don’t worry, he’ll be up.”

Chuck would answer on the first or second ring and we would all pass the phone around in the car while traveling long after the final buzzer of an NBA Finals game that would end after midnight and often take us to late nightspots around the NBA globe. Each and every time, Chuck would have a few wonderful words of wisdom for us, as he would ask, “Hey, is Matt doing okay? Be sure to take care of him, eh.”

That, in a nutshell, was Chuck Daly.

Chuck was always the father, always the teacher, always the spiffy dresser, always humble but, somehow, confident at the same time. I loved Chuck Daly and loved everything he stood for and still stands for. He will live on forever.

When he passed, I wrote a note to Matt and to Terry Foster at the Detroit News. It read:

Chuck Daly was a colleague, friend, father figure and full-fledged NBA confidant to an entire generation of "NBA Lifers." There will be a lot written and a lot said about his unbelievable career and his life-long dedication and his many, many contributions to the game. I will state the obvious point that I believe would be most important to Chuck, and that is this: "Chuck Daly was a damn good coach."

TL game notes and quick observations on the “pivotal” Game 5 at Boston tonight: It was another amazing night of sports in Boston, the greatest sports town in the USA. The Boston Bruins played a BIG GAME down in Carolina in a tough road ‘must win’ situation and outlasted the Hurricanes 4-2 to force the wonderful Game 7 of a Stanley Cup playoff series. … Closer to The Hub, at the Gah-den, the Celtics trailed for damn-near the entire game and that included being on the short end of an 85-81 score at the 3:00 minute mark in the final stanza. But some heads up play and gutsy hustle by soon-to-be All-NBA star guard Rajon Rondo (six points, nine rebounds and five assists) led the Celtics to an 86-85 lead at the 30-second mark after a series of missed Boston shots but clutch offensive rebounds. When Ray Allen drained two free throws to make it 90-87 with only 6.2 seconds remaining, the Celtics faithful stood in total awe of a team that is somehow ‘willing” its way through the NBA Playoffs.

PS: The Celtics smartly fouled Magic center Dwight Howard at the 5.9 second mark to put the 60+-percent FT shooter on the line rather than risk a potential game-tying three-pointer by Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis. Howard drained his first FT, but clanked the second and it bounded to “Glen “Big Baby” Davis who strolled to the other end at the 4.6 second mark to hit two more clutch Fts and to make the score 92-88 and ice the game for the hometown favorite Celtics. Game over at 10:36 (EDT) and the great fsans of Boston headed out to Causeway Street to celebrate another great night of playoffs.

We’ll have a Game 7 for the Bruins to look forward to this Thursday at the Gah-Den, while the Celtics head to Orlando to try to close out their Conference semi-final series against the magic on the road. The C’s lead their series 3-games-to-2 and will now need to buckle-down to get that tough, tough fourth win in order to gain the right to travel to Cleveland to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals.

It’s well documented that Celtics main-framer, Kevin Garnett, is sidelined for what seems to be the duration of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, but many a fan is forgetting that Orlando’s best player, point guard Jameer Nelson, has been out for the season after he tore a right labrum and underwent surgery on February 19th of this year. Nelson will be out 4-6 months with the serious injury.

Terry Lyons, Contributor
A former communications and media executive at the NBA, Terry has behind-the-scenes knowledge that few others could boast. His vast experience, contacts list and knowledge of the game make him a star asset to 24/7's writing team.

For more information on Terry Lyons, see:
Terry Lyons: http://www.terrylyons.com
Terry Lyons’ Blog: http://terrylyons.blogspot.com

A Must Win for Basketball 24/7

Across the Pond: Heartbreak Hill: When is a “Must Win” Really a Must Win?

By Terry Lyons http://www.terrylyons.com

BOSTON – April 20, 2009 - - Boston, Massachusetts is a sports town and today, it is Patriots’ Day when we celebrate one of the greatest days on the annual sports calendar. Patriots’ Day is a holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that commemorates the important milestones of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in the Revolutionary War. We’ll leave the war stories to the historians but quickly make note that most Bostonians wake-up on their holiday with full knowledge that it is “RaceDay.” Yes, Patriots’ Day is the day the Boston Athletic Association stages the greatest of the American road races, the Boston Marathon.

For the past seven months, I have been fortunate enough to live in Newton Centre, Massachusetts which is a 9-iron away from Boston College in the hilly suburbs of The Hub. Newton is the location of the Boston Marathon's famed and devastating Heartbreak Hill. The hills come between the 20 and 21 mile mark of the marathon, a place where runners commonly hit that Pink Floyd of a term, “The Wall.” The phrase ‘hitting the wall” in running is best explained by the medical condition of depleting stores of muscle glycogen. The hills of Newton are not much to measure in terms of elevation over sea level. That said, the hill is flat-out - a freaking killer - for runners.

I don't know all that much about running since I am not a Marathon Man. I do know that it is serious business because I live on the block off Commonwealth Avenue where the American Red Cross pitches its tent. The runners’ faces tell the story. The pain is etched on those frozen faces as the marathoners often take two hands to their knees in agony at the midway point of Heartbreak Hill.

Crosstown from Newton, the Boston Red Sox play a matinee game on Patriots’ Day and it starts at 11:05am to get a head start on a day of frolicking and spring fever in the Commonwealth of Mass. On this particular Patriots’ Day, at 7:30pm, the Boston Celtics played host to the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 of their first round series in the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs. Interestingly, the second game of the best-of-seven game series, featuring the defending NBA champion Celtics, has been tabbed as a “Must Win” game since the Celtics fell victim to the upstart Bullies 105-103, in overtime of the series opener.

Now, in all of my years in the NBA, the term “Must Win” was frequently over-utilized. At playoff time, fans and the media people tend to over-dramatize the outcome of one particular game and they often over react to the single-game outcome and the shift in momentum that a single victory provides in a series. I always thought that it had to be an “elimination” game in order for the term “Must Win” to even be considered.

However, today, on this 20th day of April in the year 2009, I am promoting the use of the term “Must Win” in Boston.

I am not using the word for NBA basketball or for Boston Red Sox baseball. I am using it for a man named Richard Whitehead of Nottingham, GBR. Whitehead is a double amputee who ran today’s Boston Marathon along with all of the other elite 26,000+ marathoners. He flexed his way through the devastating 26 miles and 385-yeards (that’s 42.195 kilometers for you metric types). Nottingham’s finest was born July 19, 1976 which made Whitehead 32 years of age as United States Senator and former USA Presidential candidate John Kerry fired the shotgun start to the day’s activities at 9:22am (EDT). His work as a motivational speaker and beacon of inspiration and hope is well documented and can be researched until your heart is content.

I am here to say, that the game of basketball and all of its grandeur could not compete today with the heart and soul of one Richard Whitehead of Nottingham. Whitehead was born without lower legs or knees but he has managed to find the inner strength to smash marathon records for amputees, running the Rome Marathon earlier this spring in 2:56 and thus, crushing the record by eight-plus minutes.

Today, Whitehead accomplished the true “Must Win” when he finished the Boston Marathon in 3:02 to the delight of those he cruised past on the road to Heartbreak Hill like my favorite athlete of all-time, Secretariat, the Triple Crown winner and all-out legend of the 1973 Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York,

In similar fashion, the Boston Celtics broke from the gates tonight to a quality first quarter start. The team, looking a little old last Saturday, was full of energy in front of their hometown holiday crowd on their historic, home parquet floor. On this Saturday past just mentioned, the club found itself reeling from the loss of the injured Kevin Garnett and stinging from the news of a sudden, but thankfully not life-threatening, heart attack suffered by team General Manager Danny Ainge. Worse than that, NBA All-Star Ray Allen shot a pitiful 1-for-12 and laid an 0-for-6 performance from 3-point land to help bury his teammates in the devastation. Only a missed free throw by Paul Pierce, which could’ve won the game for the Celtics, deflected the hounds from devouring the Ray Allen opening playoff series carcass.

Now, as I write, both Ainge and Garnett were in the building when the C’s ran out to a 35-29 first quarter lead. However, the Chicago Bulls stormed back with their youthful second step and 21-for-24 shooting from the free throw line to take a 61-58 lead at the half. The cocky but delightful Joakim Noah is the son of famed French tennis star Yannick Noah and grandson of a famed footballer from the Cameroon. Joakim’s mom, the former Cecilia Rodhe, was Miss Sweden in 1978. Noah, without KG to contend with, has been ruling the paint for the Bulls.

But, when Kedrick Perkins placed the Celtics ahead, 97-95, at the 7:11 mark of the fourth quarter, he had grabbed his sixth offensive rebound and put the home team in charge just as Boston's Ray Allen drained his first big 3-pointer of the night, much to Noah's dismay.

Chicago’s Ben Gordon, born in London to parents of Jamaican heritage, followed up in a duel against Allen, his University of Connecticut cohort. Gordon hit a pair of big three’s himself to tally his 36th point of the game before Rajon Rondo scored on the length of the court run to make it a one point game, 109-108, with 1:54 remaining on the Boston Garden clock. The Celtics’ young, All-Star guard launched an ill-advised three-pointer at the 1:01 mark and hit nothing but net to give the Celtics a 112-111 lead as the clock ticked under the minute mark.

The battle of Storrs, CT continued as Ben Gordon and Ray Allen each countered with clutch shots, the elder of the UCONN faithful hitting a huge 3-pointer at the 20.1 second mark to put Boston ahead 115-113 only to watch Gordon tie the game at 115-all with a mid-range jumper with 12.3 ticks left on what our UK friend, Steve Nashie, calls the clickity-clock. But on the day when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts paid tribute to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Ray Allen won the Battle of Storrs when he drained a long jumper with two seconds left to tie the first round series at 1-1 as the Celtics won the game, 118-115.

It was a “Big Win” for the Celtics, not a “Must Win.” As I noted earlier, a courageous man from Great Britain, not Storrs, accomplished the “Must Win” much earlier in the day. The “Must Win” of the day occurred when Richard Whitehead crossed the finish line at the 114th running of the Boston Marathon.


Terry Lyons, Contributor
A former communications and media executive at the NBA, Terry has behind-the-scenes knowledge that few others could boast. His vast experience, contacts list and knowledge of the game make him a star asset to 24/7's writing team.

For more information on Richard Whitehead of Nottingham, please visit: http://sprintuk.blogspot.com/2009/03/richard-whitehead-sets-new-standard-in.html


For more information on Terry Lyons, please visit:
Terry Lyons: http://www.terrylyons.com

Terry Lyons’ Blog: http://terrylyons.blogspot.com

Sneak Preview - Across the Pond - Memories from NCAA Final Four

Across the Pond:
72,000 Crazy Car-Makers Rock Ford Field in Detroit for NCAA Final Four
By Terry Lyons http://www.terrylyons.com

DETROIT – April 7, 2009 – The temperature rose and the sun shined brightly on this springtime Saturday afternoon when college co-eds flocked to the bars and restaurants around Ford Field in downtown Detroit. The vibe in the “Motor City” was just right.

In the days of yesteryear, when the Detroit Pistons were winning NBA titles with the likes of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and Mark Aguirre on the roster, we used to stay in the northern suburbs of Detroit. The Pistons championship hopes were built in the Pontiac Silverdome in the late 1980s but the championships were realized in the great Palace of Auburn Hills, a good 45-minute car ride north of Detroit’s Metro Airport, way past Telegraph Road.

We stayed at garden apartment villages, places called “The Somerset Inn,” the “Troy Hilton” and a “Guest Quarters.” We were thrilled to watch them build the Troy Marriott and often went to have lunch at the construction site while we cheered-on the workers to hurry the project along with hopes of Marriott points, Marriott Club sandwiches and an eventual jewel of a “Shula’s Steakhouse,” built in time for the Pistons’ most recent championship.

The reason we didn’t stay in downtown Detroit, you ask? It was a disaster.

Downtown Detroit was a complete hellhole. Its best city blocks housed vacant, old burned out building or downtrodden buildings with squatter’s rights. The Midwest economy was booming in the ‘burbs and in places like Chicago and Minneapolis but, in Detroit, the economy was as dismal as I’d ever seen within the United States of America. Unemployment was soaring. The crime factor? Forget it.

One time, we ventured downtown with some friends who had fought in the Viet Nam war and we visited a place called, the “Old Miami,” located in the Cass corridor. We drank some beers – PBRs - if I remember correctly – and played the jukebox with songs like “Ohio” by CSNY and “Unknown Soldier” by The Doors. The bar owner, Danny, told us stories and welcomed us to the bar because we knew one of the most honored patrons, Shelby Strother. If you were friends of Shelby, you were welcome at the “Old Miami.” However, a few years later, 1994, in fact, I told former NBA star Derrick Coleman – a tough, Detroit native – of our adventure to the Cass corridor and the Old Miami. His reaction: “YOU WENT WHERE?”

OLD MIAMI: 3930 Cass, Detroit, Michigan; Tel. +1313.831.3830
The Old Miami is a must see neighborhood dive bar for anyone visiting Detroit. It was established in 1975 as a place for Vietnam Veterans and still sports some very cool military memorabilia on its walls. Amenities that not many neighborhood bars have include a fireplace (Detroit gets down right frigid in the winter), couches, and a backyard. That's right a backyard, complete with porch and a stage where you can catch up and coming live music, mostly from Detroit's punk set; now what more could you want in a dive bar? We'll tell you; nothing.

So, with the NCAA tournament just concluded and the University of North Carolina winning in such an impressive fashion, why – on earth – would I be writing about downtown Detroit and the Viet Nam era bar, called the Old Miami?

Well, it’s to make this point: Detroit is on the way back!

The downtown area sports a brand new (American) football stadium, alongside Comerica Park, the home of Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers. There are three or four relatively new hotel complexes and a host of new restaurants, bookstores and lunch places. The GM/Renaissance Center office complex and its surrounding area is as nice as it gets and the Marriott at Renaissance Center hotel housed the main media hotel and thousands of out-of-town visitors at Detroit. Only the NCAA’s vaunted coaches, all who registered with the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches), had a bad stay – with a 45+ minute ride north to Windsor, Canada, across the great divide. The NCAA coaches – many who think, “They’re the show,” became the “Bridge and Tunnel” crowd of the NCAAs.

Upon check-in for your media accreditation and the issuing of venue and party credentials, you were graced with a nice letter from Detroit area school children who wrote of their love for their hometown and the hope that a new “Detroit” would bring. The Basketball Hall of Fame and the NCAA combined to refurbish and improve a downtown YMCA basketball court and dedicated it as “Tyler’s Court” in honor of Tyler Ugolyn, a victim of the World Trade Center terror attacks in 2001. NCAA coach Bo Ryan of Wisconsin, conducted a basketball clinic for local youngsters.

The mental boost to the city was immeasurable, but the vast economic impact was plentiful.

"It is estimated that the projected economic impact of the Final Four on the city of Detroit and the local economy during the four days of the NCAA tournament has been between $30 and $50 million," said Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. "That is definitely a much needed shot in the arm and certainly comes at the right time."

Cockrel said there were only minor incidents to report.
"In fact, at the Big Dance and Hoop City, there were no incidents," he added.

"Detroit's a great city, it's rebuilding and we had a lot of fun here," said visitor Mark Balley to the local media.

"Wherever we've gone we've been treated well," said North Carolina fan Emmett Hunt. "It seems like Detroit is a very friendly city ... and I want to come back."

The feeling was mutual from a group assembled at the Detroit Athletic Club to announce the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009. I was fortunate enough to gain a serious working gig, assisting the H of Fame with their media set-up and future planning for the (VERY) special induction ceremony to take place this coming September 10-12, 2009 in Springfield, Mass. The class, which includes NCAA women’s basketball coaching great Vivian Stringer of Rutgers, Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton, the NBA’s all-time leader is assists and steals, along with “The Admiral,” David Robinson, one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time and a two-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. Then, of course, the Class of 2009 headliner is the one and only Michael Jeffrey Jordan. (MJ needs no statistical reminders).

So, what was the bottom line?

The city of Detroit is on the way back. The US of A is on the way back. You could feel the vibe all the way from Telegraph Road and 8-mile Road. From Jay Wright, the great Villanova Coach who reminds some of us of a certain new POTUS, named Barack Obama to Tom Izzo – the understated but true-genius coach of the Michigan State Spartans to Roy Williams, the good old boy from Carolina who led an impressive UNC Tar Heel team to a much deserved national championship. They all had one shining moment in Detroit and the eyes of the basketball world caught a great glimpse and will return to be sure they pump some more energy into Motown.

See:
http://www.sept11thmemorial.com/last_name.asp?Letter=U

Terry Lyons, Contributor
A former communications and media executive at the NBA, Terry has behind-the-scenes knowledge that few others could boast. His vast experience, contacts list and knowledge of the game make him a star asset to 24/7's writing team.

For more information on Terry Lyons, see:
Terry Lyons: http://www.terrylyons.com

Celtics Blog - Live .... Post (7)

Check out Basketball 24/7 this week for a series of photos by T Peter Lyons and a story about Detroit. Sneak preview to come on The Blog at Terry Lyons . com - tomorrow.... Tune it...

Back to the Celtics- There's 1:21 left. C's in control 106-99

TL's column for Basketball 24/7 on Mike D'Antoni

I am happy to report that the Basketball 24/7 site in the UK is growing by leaps and bounds with some 250K page views in the past month.

Here is the latest Across the Pond piece, a column I do for the site twice a month:

ACROSS THE POND V

NEW YORK - I first met Mike D'Antoni when he was the starting point guard of Tracer Milan. It was the very first McDonald's Open, an event organized by the NBA and FIBA to begin the process of uniting the world of basketball. D'Antoni's Milan team had the rich history as one of Europe's most storied club teams. Together with Bob McAdoo, the legendary NBA scoring machine who had retired from the NBA but signed-on to finish his career in Europe, D'Antoni formed a savvy, veteran core which dominated club play in Italy and in Europe.

D'Antoni struck me as an honest, hard-working point guard with a real keen sense of the game and a very strong competitive drive. He had played his college ball at Marshall (West Virginia, USA), toiled a few years in the NBA with the Kansas City Kings, the predecessor to the current Sacramento Kings franchise. He would go on to a terrific 12-year career with Milano before retiring as a player and becoming one of Italy's best head coaches.

My impression of D'Antoni remained strong and positive as I watched him from afar over the years. But, it was a couple of decades later when I really got to know the 'real' Mike D'Antoni as he returned to the USA where he accepted a front office job as Director of Player Personnel with the Denver Nuggets (1997-98). Of course, he would later become the head coach of the 1998-99 Nuggets as they limped to a dismal finish to a subpar season and management cleaned house.

We became better acquainted in October of 1999 when Mike signed on as a scout for San Antonio before the Spurs participated in the 1999 McDonald's Championship in Milan. Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich recognized that D'Antoni could provide some much-needed insight as the Spurs represented the NBA in the international tournament that had evolved into somewhat of a world championship for club teams. Pop was also knee-deep in his international player pursuit as the Spurs had signed a young Argentine guard named Manu Ginobili who was starting his second of a two-year stint with Reggio Calabria of the Italian Lega-A and would go on to play two more years in Italy with Kinder Bologna.

As we rode the Spurs' team bus or talked basketball at the hotel, D'Antoni's wealth of knowledge and his simple style and laid back personality kept everyone interested in his viewpoint and at ease in the conversation.

A few years later, in May 2003, I remember walking with Mike alongside the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona during the EuroLeague Final Four. The fans embraced him, as they were there to see one of Mike's former teams - Benetton Treviso - compete in the tournament. They gladly paid homage to their compatriot.

I remember adding it all together. From where I sat, Mike's resume looked like this: Competitive player, strong basketball intelligence quotient (IQ), able to relate to everyone he interacts with on a one-to-one, simple basis and that included fans, players, front-office people, basketball operations staff, coaches and league administrators.

"This guy is one hell of a coach," I remember saying to my colleagues at the NBA.

Now, the saga gets a little better. As everyone knows, D'Antoni was named an assistant coach to Mike Kryzyzewski for the USA Senior Men's National team that will play at this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. D'Antoni is part of the coaching group that was named by USA Basketball Managing Director Jerry Colangelo.

Of course, during the various trials, mini-camps, international friendlies, preparation for and participation in the 2006 World Championship, the preparation for and participation in the 2007 FIBA Americas championship, I was fortunate enough to really get to know D'Antoni.

It's funny, as I don't think he's changed all that much except for the fact he remains open to learning something new every single day. He likes a challenge and meets it head-on. He is amongst the most competitive people I have ever met.

It struck me that D'Antoni, along with fellow West Virginians Rod Thorn and Jerry West are three of the more competitive individuals I can recall from my 25+ years at the NBA. A guy by the name of Michael Jordan might have edged that West Virginia threesome out if I had to rank an all-time leader in the most competitive drive category, though.

And, all of this background brings us to the news that D'Antoni was named head coach of the New York Knicks.

He joins forces with the Knickerbockers at a crucial time in franchise history. The club is in need of a total remake and management signed former Indiana Pacers President Donnie Walsh to draw up the plans. Walsh's first move as the new head of the Knicks' basketball operation was courting and signing D'Antoni to a multi-year coaching contract.

D'Antoni scored high grades when he was introduced to the New York media. His approach to basketball - and to everything he does - is no nonsense. He will install a new system and work with the strengths of the current Knicks roster. He can coach any style and he stresses defense much more than fans, media or television analysts will credit him for.

When the Knicks introduced D'Antoni at a packed press conference at a theatre adjacent to Madison Square Garden, I remember thinking to myself, "The Knicks just got one hell of a coach."

Predicting the Future ...

(This blog entry is adapted from a column penned for UK-based web site Basketball 24/7):

What in the name of Jimmy the Greek was I thinking when I agreed to do a special column for Basketball 24/7 to predict who will advance of the 2008 NBA Playoffs?

Predicting the winners of seven of the eight series in the first round this season would require a quorum of Nostradamus, Carnac the Magnificent, Kreskin, Merlin and Charles Barkley all assembled at a town meeting with a few cases of Coors Light and, even then, they might shoot air-balls on two-thirds of their picks. It is just that tough.

Never has it been so close. Never has there been so much at stake.

In past years, an upset in the First Round (see GS Warriors over Dallas last season) was a ticket to certain death in the NBA conference semifinals. In past years, an early round series upset winner was delivered straight to the slaughterhouse to see a powerhouse, such as the Boston Celtics or LA Lakers of the 80s, the Detroit Pistons of 1990, the dynasty Chicago Bulls of the entire 1990s or the San Antonio Spurs of the 1999-to-2007 were lurking in the rafters, awaiting the moment to drop a banner and stage a ring ceremony.

This season, one break in the first round might be the E-ticket ride all the way to an NBA championship.

That is what makes the 2008 NBA Playoffs high drama, high intensity, high stakes and a whole load of fun to watch but simply hellish to predict. So, let me now walk the plank to certain ridicule and embarrassment when each of my predictions comes unraveled in the week to come.

The Easy One: We can all agree that the Boston Celtics should dispatch the Atlanta Hawks with the ease of a Ken Rosewall backhand.

Now, the mid-sized match-ups: The Detroit Pistons should dispatch the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers deserve plenty of praise for their second-half rallying cry under coach Maurice Cheeks’ new-fangled running style. However, the Pistons have defense, depth, scoring and Rasheed Wallace to fend off anything that the 76ers toss their way.

Out West, everyone in the State of Nevada is picking the LA Lakers to discard the Denver Nuggets. I agree but must place a giant speed bump at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. The Nuggets’ high-octane offense is just what George Karl will order to play ‘giddy-up’ with the Lakers. Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin must construct a wall of interior defense to counter the fact that Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will be beaten on the perimeter. The LA Lakers are sure to prevail, although the series might go six or seven.

Now, the impossible: The remaining five series, quite simply, can go either way.

Looking at the Eastern Conference once more, I will give the tip of the hat to the Orlando Magic to upstage the Toronto Raptors and I believe the Utah Jazz will perform the honors of staging the annual T-Mac first-round good-bye party.

The Washington Wizards are calling Lebron James and his Eastern Conference reigning champion Cavaliers every name in the book and have provided the Cavs with enough locker room bulletin board material to last a lifetime. But, I think the Wiz – behind solid play from Antawn Jamison and Brandon Haywood can unseat Lebron and his band. Game 1 will be in the books by the time you read this missive, and that game might be the key to winning the series. Should Washington prevail, the Boston Celtics will face a team that placed three Ls in the Celtics right hand column this season, so beware of the Beltway.

Back in the wide-open, wild-west, the conclusion of this column of dreams or nightmares leaves me to navigate the toughest part of the NBA Playoff first-round bracket – the San Antonio versus Phoenix series and Dallas versus New Orleans portion of the show. I am leaning towards the Phoenix Suns putting an end to the Spurs pseudo-dynasty with an amazing six game upset of the defending NBA champions. The Suns acquired Big Shaq to clog-up the middle and contain Tim Duncan to force the likes of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to beat the Suns. I believe the Suns can out-score San Antonio, steal a game in Texas and ride off with the series. Parker is the only answer. If he plays at MVP level, the Suns can set.

Dallas is the trendy pick by media types far and wide, thus far, but my instincts tell me that the team with the better front-court will win a tough series. Chris Paul versus Jason Kidd is the match-up of the year at the point guard spot. However, Tyson Chandler, David West and Peja will be the difference-makers as New Orleans shows the _allas Mavericks the exit ramp.

***

So - playing it out:
New Orleans vs. the Jazz in the Western Conference Finals.
Boston vs. Detroit in the East.

Boston over Utah in six to win.

Across the Pond ...

My "Across the Pond" column made its debut on Basketball 24/7 this morning. Please check it out by clicking on the headline above.

Here's the lead:

Across the Pond
A column by Terry Lyons

For an American, creating a list of the greatest sporting events is an interesting exercise.

The Super Bowl grabs the most attention and dominates the television ratings each and every year. The Kentucky Derby is touted as the best two minutes in sports. Some people prefer the annual World Series or the NBA Finals, and NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and the NHL’s Stanley Cup finals fall a little further down the list.

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day brings every sports fan in the USA a sense of renewal and marks the passage of winter to spring. The New York Marathon is a human endurance test that weaves its way through the five boroughs of rowdy city dwellers, each relishing the carnival atmosphere. The Boston Marathon is run on Patriot’s Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and it is so important to Bostonians that they mark the day as a holiday.

Hidden gems include the Masters golf tournament and the Breeders’ Cup horse races, the latter an event that is better defined to Americans as seven “world series games” all in one day. One event, college football’s Rose Bowl, is tabbed, “The Grandaddy of ‘em all.”

There’s one event that captures America for an entire month.

No, I’m not referring to your World Cup footy.

I am writing about the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, an event that is known to most as “March Madness” or simply, “The Big Dance.”

There is no better time of the year.

A Website Grows in London ...

There's a brand new basketball website with servers in the heart of Britain and a loyal following of you British basketball fans awaiting in all parts of the land.

The new site is the work and dream of James Harris-Hogarth.

Here's the skinny, straight from the mission page:

Basketball 24/7 has been set up by James Harris-Hogarth, former editor of UKTVSlam and a new media consultant for Channel 4, and Greg Tanner, founder of streetball.co.uk and a producer for Sky News and ITN.

The site has attracted a number of high profile contributors with Ian Whittel (The Times, The Sun, ESPN) and Simon Rushworth (The Express, The Star) providing weekly features and interviews from the world of international and domestic basketball.

Mark Woods (The Guardian, talkSPORT, Chicago Tribune) hosts a regular podcast for the website - available online and through iTunes.

The site's mission is to connect with the established basketball audience - serving up NBA, Euroleague, NCAA, FIBA & BBL content - whilst also introducing a younger audience to the game with features on schools, clubs and outdoor basketball.

TerryLyons.com, the blog @ terylyons.com and an original column to be posted two or three times a month will become a part of the Basketball 24/7 site in the week to come. Stay tuned.