Bill Simmons is a traitor

[FierceLikePaulPierce]

Who cares?

It's a columnist's job to be controversial and get attention for his column and site/paper.

I think it's immature to get all riled about about what he thinks. If he really thinks that by what he's seen, let him say what he thinks. If he's trying to dance around jinxes and stuff, whatever he wrote is meaningless.

I don't like him much because of how formulaic he became, so I was hoping for something a bit juicier here.

If you're confident the Celtics will go all the way, it doesn't matter what some idiot with a blog thinks.

[LarBrd33]

He blames himself for the Patriots.  he's trying a reverse jinx.  If the Lakers beat the Celtics in the finals, Simmons would kill himself.

[winsomme]

In Bill Simmons' most recent podcast, he predicts a Lakers-Celtics Finals, with his "buddy House".  He goes on and on about how objective he is, etc., and how he's watched all the games.

His conclusion?  Lakers beat Celtics in six.  Kobe is the alpha dog that the Celtics don't have.  Celtics don't have anybody who can definitely score at the end of games, and Celtics can't win "tight games".  KG can't get it done in crunch time.  He's not "totally sold" that Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassell can hit big shots (despite Ray Allen doing so all year long).  Ray Allen is "not an all-star", is "not a great defender", and is "a spot-up shooter, and that's all he is" (he watches the games?  Really?).  The Celtics turnaround was only due to "one guy".  Lakers have a "charmed season" and the "perfect storm", and the Celtics can't "match firepower" with "Ko-bay" (Ko-bay?  Seriously?  Living in La-La land has really eroded Simmons).

The only decent point Simmons made is about the 2-3-2 format of the Finals.  If the road team wins one of the first two games, it makes it a lot harder to win the series.  That's why the Celtics are going to crush the Lakers in the first two games of the series.

(And, before anybody says Simmons is just trying to avoid a "jinx", why did he 1) pick the Lakers in the first, second, and third round?  Listen to the interview: Simmons is readily picking against the Celtics, and he's convinced of it.)

Hat tip to Perkisabeast and RealGM.

this is sort of the topic, but i was just talking with a friend of mine about how much we hate that the Finals changes to the 2-3-2 format.

it is so much more exciting to have the 2-2-1-1-1 format. it makes for much more interesting series IMO.

[Bahku]

In Bill Simmons' most recent podcast, he predicts a Lakers-Celtics Finals, with his "buddy House".  He goes on and on about how objective he is, etc., and how he's watched all the games.

His conclusion?  Lakers beat Celtics in six.  Kobe is the alpha dog that the Celtics don't have.  Celtics don't have anybody who can definitely score at the end of games, and Celtics can't win "tight games".  KG can't get it done in crunch time.  He's not "totally sold" that Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassell can hit big shots (despite Ray Allen doing so all year long).  Ray Allen is "not an all-star", is "not a great defender", and is "a spot-up shooter, and that's all he is" (he watches the games?  Really?).  The Celtics turnaround was only due to "one guy".  Lakers have a "charmed season" and the "perfect storm", and the Celtics can't "match firepower" with "Ko-bay" (Ko-bay?  Seriously?  Living in La-La land has really eroded Simmons).

The only decent point Simmons made is about the 2-3-2 format of the Finals.  If the road team wins one of the first two games, it makes it a lot harder to win the series.  That's why the Celtics are going to crush the Lakers in the first two games of the series.

(And, before anybody says Simmons is just trying to avoid a "jinx", why did he 1) pick the Lakers in the first, second, and third round?  Listen to the interview: Simmons is readily picking against the Celtics, and he's convinced of it.)

Hat tip to Perkisabeast and RealGM.

this is sort of the topic, but i was just talking with a friend of mine about how much we hate that the Finals changes to the 2-3-2 format.

it is so much more exciting to have the 2-2-1-1-1 format. it makes for much more interesting series IMO.

Once again, I'm totally on the same page with you, Winsomme ... can't stand the 2-3-2 series, and it's one of the worst things they ever did do the post-season. My brother and I were just bandying that about, and how less exciting and anticipatory it is. Bring back the 2-2-1-1-1, I say! TP for ya, W!

[Hollywood]

Simmons has not had his thinking straight on the celts since the KG trade-what has happened in Boston the last few years has put him in a crazy spot on how he should cover the boston teams.

He picked the Chicago Bulls to win the east this year-any other team with the celts talent that picked up KG he would have chosen, but he was so against Ainge's plan the last few years that his coverage of the celtics all year has been out of whack.

My take on the this is that the Lakers are actually a scary team, but the Celtics have an answer for everything they present. John Hollinger of espn put it best:

Wake up, folks -- this is one of the best teams of all time, and you might be surprised how easily they roll through the playoffs. I realize this is raining on the parade a bit since everybody is so jacked up about the competition in store this postseason, but I have to warn you there's a chance the Celtics are just going to flat-out destroy everybody.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=playoffpredictions-080418&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

[goCeltics]

think all the attention got to his head, the worst was he took a shot at bill russell.

[winsomme]

In Bill Simmons' most recent podcast, he predicts a Lakers-Celtics Finals, with his "buddy House".  He goes on and on about how objective he is, etc., and how he's watched all the games.

His conclusion?  Lakers beat Celtics in six.  Kobe is the alpha dog that the Celtics don't have.  Celtics don't have anybody who can definitely score at the end of games, and Celtics can't win "tight games".  KG can't get it done in crunch time.  He's not "totally sold" that Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassell can hit big shots (despite Ray Allen doing so all year long).  Ray Allen is "not an all-star", is "not a great defender", and is "a spot-up shooter, and that's all he is" (he watches the games?  Really?).  The Celtics turnaround was only due to "one guy".  Lakers have a "charmed season" and the "perfect storm", and the Celtics can't "match firepower" with "Ko-bay" (Ko-bay?  Seriously?  Living in La-La land has really eroded Simmons).

The only decent point Simmons made is about the 2-3-2 format of the Finals.  If the road team wins one of the first two games, it makes it a lot harder to win the series.  That's why the Celtics are going to crush the Lakers in the first two games of the series.

(And, before anybody says Simmons is just trying to avoid a "jinx", why did he 1) pick the Lakers in the first, second, and third round?  Listen to the interview: Simmons is readily picking against the Celtics, and he's convinced of it.)

Hat tip to Perkisabeast and RealGM.

this is sort of the topic, but i was just talking with a friend of mine about how much we hate that the Finals changes to the 2-3-2 format.

it is so much more exciting to have the 2-2-1-1-1 format. it makes for much more interesting series IMO.

Once again, I'm totally on the same page with you, Winsomme ... can't stand the 2-3-2 series, and it's one of the worst things they ever did do the post-season. My brother and I were just bandying that about, and how less exciting and anticipatory it is. Bring back the 2-2-1-1-1, I say! TP for ya, W!

i'm sure their argument is travel concerns, but doesn't it seem like we would have more game 6's and game 7's....

i say take the extra travel day and go all the way with 2-2-1-1-1.
right back atcha with a TP.

[liam]

I think he's trying not to jinx the Celtics like he Jinxed the Pats.

[footey]

Simmons is a good writer, but not a very bright basketball analyst. He overthinks everything.  I hope we get to play the Lakers in the finals. We match up very well with them.  I would be shocked if the series went more than 5 games.

[footey]

The Bulls lost the first game of their first championship series against the Lakers at home, and went on to win the next four easily, including the last 3 in LA.  Like that Bulls team, this Celtic team could care less about playing on the road.

[butterbeanlove]

Simmons has been astonishingly quiet about this season when it comes to the Celtics, which makes me question his motivations all along. He has always talked about reverse jinxes. I would have expected a dozen Celtics columns up to this point, but it's like he's whistling past the season hoping nobody notices.

[BudweiserCeltic]

All his picks have lost today so far. Washington lost, Suns lost, and Dallas is about to lose.  Let's see if Houston keeps it going.  I hope this doesn't carry over to tomorrow.

[RebusRankin]

Bill is clearly taking one for the team to avoid the jinx. Forget what it would do to him, from reading his columns I don't think he wants to do that to his dad.

[BASSTHUMPER]

it is so much more exciting to have the 2-2-1-1-1 format. it makes for much more interesting series IMO.

gas prices are out of control right now and how many miles per gallon can a 747 give ya..?..my hoopty is takin away from my 40oz and bass strings money...

[Robb]

gas prices are out of control right now and how many miles per gallon can a 747 give ya..?..my hoopty is takin away from my 40oz and bass strings money...

TP.

I'm sure if anyone on this blog gushed over the seemingly invincible Patriots in such a ridiculous fashion only to have them lose the only game of the season that mattered, it would temper them a little when a team they cared about more--and who is also all-around better than the previous team--came up in much the same situation.

Ultimately, Simmons is just another Boston Sports fan (that's his appeal, remember?) who is scared of jinxes, bad luck, and karma, and cares entirely too much about his teams.  Like the rest of us who follow the Pats, Celts and Sox, he's still marked by some of the most painful sports losses, and doesn't want to get overconfident.  My best guess.

Non-issue.