Phil Jackson: "I personally don't think the Heat can get by Boston"

[Roy H.]

If the Los Angeles Lakers made it to the NBA Finals, coach Phil Jackson wouldn't necessarily expect to see the Miami Heat there with them.

He told Max Kellerman on 710 ESPN that he respected the individual talents of Heat superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but he didn't think Miami could overtake the Boston Celtics in the playoffs.

"I personally don't think they can get by Boston," Jackson said. "I think Boston is too good a team. I think a team is still going to win.

"But there's a chance that [the Heat] ... can maybe round themselves into a team by that time and [win].

"Boston is older and they have to go through the rest of the schedule without having some kind of breakdown of players. [Ray] Allen and [Kendrick] Perkins, etc., they are just really a good team.

"But there's nothing like the great athletic skill and dynamism that [James and Wade] have and [Chris] Bosh is a terrific player in his own right. There's no doubt about their individual skills."

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6038354

[Mike-Dub]

First smart thing I've ever hear Phil Jackson say  .

[jackson_34]

Arrggghhh!

 I would say Jackson has just made our road to the finals much harder by saying this, however when you have;

- a PF who just wants to chill and thinks hustle should be outlawed since he has to provide for his family;

-a guard who would prefer to complain about a call rather than getting back on defence despite so many critics listing this as one of the Heat's big flaws;

- a forward who tweets "karma is a B****" and then subsequently rolls an ankle and sees his team go on a four game losing streak.

You don't need to worry at all!   

[Edgar]

well, theres a first time to anything

wonder if he thinks the lakers can get by San Antonio
without home court advtg.

[Change]

This man is a genius.

[barefacedmonk]

He does not want to see us in the finals again...sounds more concerned than complimentary

[Mike-Dub]

He does not want to see us in the finals again...sounds more concerned than complimentary

I got that sense too.

[incoherent]

He's trying to mind boink us.

[Celtics18]

I finally agree with Phil Jackson on something.

[Witch-King]

"I personally don't think the Heat can get by Boston..."

- Phil Jackson on the Miami Heat's chances in this year's NBA playoffs

That's good enough for me. Now, if only there was a chance that Coach Jackson would ever say something like that about the Lakers' chances against the Boston Celtics...lols.

Long shot, I know (for him to say that about the Celtics, not us winning) however, anything is (still) possible. I mean, the Los Angeles Lakers did  just drop a 'home' game to Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers the other day so it's not like the Lakers are absolutely unbeatable this season.

Luckily for Coaches Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich their teams haven't had too many injury problems as of yet...

[greg683x]

Arrggghhh!

 I would say Jackson has just made our road to the finals much harder by saying this

because before he said this the Heat werent gonna try and beat us?  but now theyre *really* gonna try?

Im not as overly confident as Phil seems to be.  I think we are the better team and our size is overwhelming, but in the new big 3 era, we've historically have had a hard time with younger athletic fast break teams.  The Heat team we played twice already this season hadnt found their identity as a fastbreak team yet.....they have now.  When we play them next, if both teams are healthy I think we'll get a better measurement of where they stand against us.

[Mazingerz]

Aargh. . I don't him to jinx us.

[mgent]

Thanks Phil.

[snively]

KG's had a pretty rough game.

[Megatron]

Arrggghhh!

 I would say Jackson has just made our road to the finals much harder by saying this

because before he said this the Heat werent gonna try and beat us?  but now theyre *really* gonna try?

Im not as overly confident as Phil seems to be.  I think we are the better team and our size is overwhelming, but in the new big 3 era, we've historically have had a hard time with younger athletic fast break teams.  The Heat team we played twice already this season hadnt found their identity as a fastbreak team yet.....they have now.  When we play them next, if both teams are healthy I think we'll get a better measurement of where they stand against us.

The Heat have lost 4 in a row to inferior teams. They have no identity. When the game is on the line they revert back to iso-ball.