From Florida Today:
Not even a devastating loss, one in which the Magic squandered a 15-point lead and missed a golden opportunity to beat Detroit without All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups could shake the confidence of the 6-foot Nelson.
“You know what, we’re going to make some adjustments, and we’re going to go there and win this (next) game,” Nelson boldly predicted. “I’m not being arrogant or cocky or anything like that, but (Saturday) we let it slip out of our hands, let Game 2 slip out of our hands, and we’re going to win this (next) game in Detroit.
“You go there and beat them, what else can you do? You have to go there aggressive and with a lot of intensity. We’re going to come with a lot of focus and aggressiveness and win this game.”
I gave Rashard Lewis a pass for his comments, but as Rasheed Wallace knows, you can only play the “guarantee card” before people stop taking you seriously.
It’s been said a lot in our comments, particularly about Sheed and Billups, but I don’t mind when athletes make these claims. That’s part of their job. They are expected to talk to the media, and they are also expected to compete. Put it together, and you get statements like, “We’re gonna win! I guarantee it!” If they didn’t talk like that, they wouldn’t have their jobs.
These claims are fine. I would much rather see some fire from players like the old days, but this will have to do.
exactly.. and still i doubt if teh statement can fire up magic players..
Fire like the old days? Teams in the old days didn’t even play defense. At all.
I dont remember any guaransheeds until after Sheed had amounted to a force in the playoffs.
http://basketballnonsense.blogspot.com/2008/05/detroit-will-probably-have-easiest.html
detroit has the easiest series in this second round
If the team were worried, this would be the part where Rasheed says something like, “Orlando? Our buttholes don’t pucker at the thought.”
Close it at home, let the Cavs and Cs keep up the hard fouls while we get some rest.
Nelson has a large mouth for being such a small Point Guard. Unfortuantely for Orlando, I believe the statements made by the Magic over the course of the series are going to bite them in the ass come game 5; where they’ll be planning their fishing trips early once the final buzzer rings. Poor insecure Jameer.
such a comment can only be a good thing for the pistons given the likelyhood of complacency in game 5
When Jameer and Rashard can flash one ring at me, just one, they can yap all they like, otherwise I’ll just throw my shoe at these dogs barkin’ in the yard!
OT: My wife found this.
I can’t tell if it’s a joke, but even if half of it is true, then the Celtics are in worse shape than I thought…
Rob: I saw that earlier today — it fooled me until I read this:
“The Celtics will be transported to the arena on a Duck Boat. The tour guide will tell them that Lake Erie is the Charles River. They’ll be told Cleveland’s historic Key Tower is actually the Custom House Tower. Jacobs Field? That’s Fenway Park.”
Yeah, I read that, and said aloud, “this is a joke!” But then read this after the Duck boat reference:
“Start with the uniforms. After Saturday night’s blowout, the Celtics petitioned commissioner David Stern to wear white jerseys at every game. Stern, who desperately wants the Celtics to play the Lakers in the NBA Finals, quickly agreed. So the Celtics will don white jersey tops when they dress for tonight’s game. The Cavaliers are required to wear red or blue.”
This part is totally plausible.
If the Celtics actually show up in their white jerseys tonight, I’m betting my life savings on the Pistons winning the ECF.
After further examination of the article, a preponderance of what I know about Shaughnessy, and consultation with Mike Payne, I think Shaughnessy has GOT to be joking.
It’s such a mix of the plausible and the ridiculous. But, if someone were to tell me before the playoffs that the Cs would not be able to win a road game - that in fact they would get blown out in several - then I would have the same reaction. Plausible, but ridiculous.
Bringing Leonardo DiCaprio to Cleveland? He’s kidding.
The all-defensive team is out at espn.com. Tayshaun got 2nd team, but that was the only ounce of respect that we were given. Billups should have been on there and TP should have been on the 1st team. We barely got any respect, yet again, in all of the nba awards. Thank God the games arent decided by popular vote.
Chauncey isn’t a good defender.