This weekend, an asshole stole my bike. My beloved Marin Larkspur, my baby, was taken from me. With what must've been a pair of giant hedge cutters, the thief snapped my lock in the dead of night. And just like that, it was gone. The bike cost five hundred big ones, and while that is indeed a pretty penny, my attachment to it went beyond that. I had spent hours on it's tiny seat, logging countless miles on those wheels.
The rest of the day was spent sulking. I sent angry text messages and began looking for a fight (watch out--pissed off 5' 7'' white guy on the war path!). If only I could track the guy down, then I would go Liam Neeson all over him. My buddy Jason gave me a call to help get me out of my angry, action-movie reenacting tailspin. He knows how much I love basketball (obvi), so to get my mind off my loss, we talked about game one between the Magic and Celtics.
I was in a coffee shop, and a gentlemen (of African American descent, not that it matters or anything) overheard us talking ball. When I mentioned that I didn't trust Rashard Lewis to hit from outside consistently in big games and that I felt he was like a "Rich Man's Channing Frye" the guy cracked up. "So true!" he said, in between fits of laughter. That made me feel a lot better. See, ESPN? Hire me! I have cross-demographic appeal!
My life is exactly like this.Alas, I digress.
One of my favorite quotes is by Lao Tzu. It goes: He who does not trust enough, will not be trusted. (Okay that's a complete lie. I just typed "trust quotes" into Google. I'm coping with the loss of my bike; give me some slack.)
There's an inherent basketball reality in that super cheesy quote, though. Namely, trust is incredibly important for any team to be successful in the post season. I've been saying for the longest time that the Magic will come out of the East, and who knows, that may still be the case (news flash: they're good at basketball). But after Game 1, if the Celtics took the entire series, I wouldn't be at all surprised. The Magic have all the factors that analysts love to throw around when talking about contenders. Chemistry. Talent. Confidence. And while they do indeed to have all of that, I really don't see the trust.
I'm not talking about a trust in each other, per se. The Magic have rolled together all season long. They spend time together in the gym, on the road, and on the court. They trust each other, no doubt. What I mean is a trust to show up in the moment. For instance, in a big game, who would expect to show up and give it their all? Rashard Lewis or Kevin Garnett? Vince Carter or Ray Allen? Matt Barnes or Paul Pierce? Jameer Nelson or Rajon Rondo? In all four cases, I pick the Celtics. Those Celtics have so much experience in tough situations; they're hardened playoff warriors. The only edge I would give to the Magic is for Dwight Howard. But even that could very well be a toss up, as he's been known to disappear when it matters the most.
I don't mean clutch-ness, either. Games are rarely won on the final shot. The end of the first quarter, middle of the second, parts of the third, they all count. The Celtics have the ability to bring that attitude to every play of every minute. Their team defense is like the defensive phalanx in 300. It's freaking impenetrable. Their offense is crisp and precise. Those guys know what's at stake, and because of that, we can trust them to show up every play.
Meanwhile, those Magic players have been notorious for shrinking in these same moments. Lewis' overpaid threes come and go with disturbing regularity (much like Frye, but at the incredible bargain of only 8 times the price). Carter has a special account with the post office for mailing things in. Nelson, while playing great basketball, is still young. And Matt Barnes? Well, he's just an ass.
Awww, look how tough we are.I know this is the kind of terrible, ad hoc, revisionist analysis that grinds my gears so much, but technically I never weighed in on this series. I hate to make my pick now (like anyone cares), but I will anyway: Celtics in six. The Celtics have the trust, that level of fear. The Magic do not. And people may call me crazy, but you have to remember the people who would disagree are the same people who thought the Cavaliers were Championship contenders (check the "Experts' Picks" section, bottom right). Uh huh.
As for me? I myself have been forced to deal with trust issues this weekend. I hope the tool that stole my bike gets what's coming to him.
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