Im Still Ballin
03-04-2022, 09:18 PM
After having watched all of the '86 finals, I decided to watch the year before. Watched all 6 games on YouTube.
This was the first time LA beat Boston; it was the 9th finals matchup between the two
Los Angeles had never beaten Boston up until this point; not in 8 previous attempts.
It was the first year of the infamous 2-3-2 format
1985 was the year they first introduced the 2-3-2 finals format. It was the topic of some controversy.
Everyone was expecting Bird vs. Magic; we got McHale vs. Kareem
Magic and Bird were the NBA's two premier superstars, spearheading a commercial explosion. Unfortunately, Larry Bird got in a bar fight during the ECF against Philly, injuring his shooting hand. The back-to-back, reigning league MVP wasn't able to play to the level you'd expect.
Magic played well, but his scoring was down on his averages; it was Kareem who took charge with his dominant half-court offense. It won the FMVP of course.
The real matchup in the end was between McHale and Kareem; the two best low-post scorers in the league. It was a treat to watch them dominate from the pivot, finishing over double and triple teams.
Kevin McHale made up for his poor offensive performance in the 1984 Finals
Dick Stockton: "Last year, McHale only had two good games out of seven last year against the Lakers."
Kevin McHale's 1984 finals performance was a disappointment on the offensive end. Although they won in 7, his back-to-the-basket arsenal was sorely missed. He lit LA up for 26.0 PPG and shot 59.8% FG -- 64.4% TS. Pretty much all of these points came in the half-court, either from post-ups or offensive rebound putbacks.
The Lakers' gameplan was to tire Kevin McHale out
They threw Kupchak, Rambis, Kareem, McAdoo, and Worthy at him. They really didn't have someone who could stop him, so they just made him work. They also threw doubles and triples to make him think and try to find the open man. The strategy paid off in the deciding game 6, as McHale fouled out with 5 minutes left in a close game. The contest was essentially over after this.
The Lakers used "gang-rebounding" tactics to secure the defensive rebounds
This finals matchup was a classic showdown between two contrasting styles. The Celtics used its intimidating frontcourt of Bird, McHale, and Parish to dominate inside and on the boards. The Lakers get out in transition and look for early offense, using its speed, passing, and athleticism to blowout opponents.
The key to LA playing its transition game was to secure defensive rebounds. Despite a weaker frontline, LA compensated by making a concerted team effort to "gang-rebound." This allowed them to run their fastbreak offense and blitz the Celtics. This was most evident in games 2, 3, and 5.
"If the Celtics have an MVP in this series, it has to be this man: Kevin McHale"
That was a quote from the commentator Dick Stockton during game 6 in Boston.
Here's the full quote:
Dick Stockton: "If the Celtics have an MVP in this series, it has to be this man: Kevin McHale -- doing it again today. Look at the consistent scoring: 31, 28, 24; he has scored 20 or more in four of the previous five (games.)"
Tom Heinsohn: "How he's doing it is beyond me. He's lost close to 15 pounds since Maxwell got hurt, and they shifted an awful lot of offensive burden on him after Maxwell got hurt."
Dick Stockton: "Everyone has had an impossible task to try to match up with him throughout all of the playoffs."
Tom Heinsohn: "He is such a unique player with those long arms; he plays a lot bigger than he is, and he's also got exceptional quickness, even for a man 6'10"."
https://i.ibb.co/DRLznSk/kevv.png
Kevin had a sensational series:
26.0 PPG // 10.7 RPG // 1.3 APG // 0.3 SPG // 1.8 BPG on 59.8% FG and 64.4% TS.
Larry Bird had a very quiet series
Because he injured his shooting hand, Larry wasn't able to really stamp his influence on this series. It really felt like he wasn't there for most of the 6 games. The 4th quarter of game 4 was the only real time I felt "MVP Bird" showed up.
Kevin McHale was the primary offensive option
It was mentioned at one point by the commentators that Kevin McHale was Boston's entire halfcourt offense. It definitely felt true; at times he was the only one who could routinely score. He was the biggest mismatch in the series and put LA's big rotation in foul trouble. He was double and triple teamed most possessions.
Really an impressive series from him. People need to go back and watch the games to see just how good he was. I know I like to talk him up but he was a generational talent.
Boston's outside shooting was off
This might've been the biggest issue with Boston's halfcourt game. Outside of game 1, they couldn't consistently hit perimeter shots. This made it hard for Parish and Bird to get good looks inside. It also led to a lot of long rebounds, which are a terrible thing against the best transition offense ever.
The Lakers transition and early offense game was crucial
LA was able to control the pace of the game, especially in games 2, 3, and 5. I was surprised at how fast they played; even on inbounds, they pushed it up the floor. Early, semi-transition offense was extremely important for the Lakers. It allowed them to score in rapid bursts, leading to dramatic double digit leads. Boston's poor outside shooting helped this.
Kevin McHale dominated the offensive rebounds
Tom Heinsohn: "Kevin McHale with those long arms; how many times do I have to say it? Right up and in."
Kevin led both teams with 21 offensive rebounds over 6 games. It didn't matter if they boxed him out because his arms were so long he could go right over them. He also had an extremely quick jump and second jump, so if he got the offensive rebound, it almost always was an automatic putback.
Long arms + quick jump/2nd jump + keeps ball high = great offensive rebounder.
Robert Parish had trouble defending Kareem
Parish couldn't stop the skyhook for the life of him. Not much to say here. Kareem was just too big and too skilled. I wonder if maybe they should've tried McHale, as he did okay for a few possessions.
Kevin McHale was doubled and tripled as soon as he touched the ball; it didn't matter
Dick Stockton: "McHale doubled, he turns around... *makes basket* ...he plays like he's 7'2"."
All series long Kevin was doubled and tripled, but it didn't stop him from dominating inside. His combination of quickness, skill, and size was too much, regardless of who was guarding him. Boston's guards got open perimeter shots but couldn't hit them enough.
Larry Bird was really good at back cutting and pinning the man inside/post sealing for easy shots at the rim
Larry was great at getting those easy buckets. He was someone you always had to pay attention to, even off the ball. Larry was a post-up/pin-down shooter/back cut guy. Could also hit flat-footed shots facing up, using his passing to keep the defense honest.
Larry Bird was also great at help defense
Like in the '86 finals, Larry was great at timing the double teams.
Larry Bird was a traffic cone on the perimeter
The man couldn't stop dribble penetration if his life depended on it.
Larry Bird was solid defending the post
He was strong and had decent size, making him a solid post defender.
This was the first time LA beat Boston; it was the 9th finals matchup between the two
Los Angeles had never beaten Boston up until this point; not in 8 previous attempts.
It was the first year of the infamous 2-3-2 format
1985 was the year they first introduced the 2-3-2 finals format. It was the topic of some controversy.
Everyone was expecting Bird vs. Magic; we got McHale vs. Kareem
Magic and Bird were the NBA's two premier superstars, spearheading a commercial explosion. Unfortunately, Larry Bird got in a bar fight during the ECF against Philly, injuring his shooting hand. The back-to-back, reigning league MVP wasn't able to play to the level you'd expect.
Magic played well, but his scoring was down on his averages; it was Kareem who took charge with his dominant half-court offense. It won the FMVP of course.
The real matchup in the end was between McHale and Kareem; the two best low-post scorers in the league. It was a treat to watch them dominate from the pivot, finishing over double and triple teams.
Kevin McHale made up for his poor offensive performance in the 1984 Finals
Dick Stockton: "Last year, McHale only had two good games out of seven last year against the Lakers."
Kevin McHale's 1984 finals performance was a disappointment on the offensive end. Although they won in 7, his back-to-the-basket arsenal was sorely missed. He lit LA up for 26.0 PPG and shot 59.8% FG -- 64.4% TS. Pretty much all of these points came in the half-court, either from post-ups or offensive rebound putbacks.
The Lakers' gameplan was to tire Kevin McHale out
They threw Kupchak, Rambis, Kareem, McAdoo, and Worthy at him. They really didn't have someone who could stop him, so they just made him work. They also threw doubles and triples to make him think and try to find the open man. The strategy paid off in the deciding game 6, as McHale fouled out with 5 minutes left in a close game. The contest was essentially over after this.
The Lakers used "gang-rebounding" tactics to secure the defensive rebounds
This finals matchup was a classic showdown between two contrasting styles. The Celtics used its intimidating frontcourt of Bird, McHale, and Parish to dominate inside and on the boards. The Lakers get out in transition and look for early offense, using its speed, passing, and athleticism to blowout opponents.
The key to LA playing its transition game was to secure defensive rebounds. Despite a weaker frontline, LA compensated by making a concerted team effort to "gang-rebound." This allowed them to run their fastbreak offense and blitz the Celtics. This was most evident in games 2, 3, and 5.
"If the Celtics have an MVP in this series, it has to be this man: Kevin McHale"
That was a quote from the commentator Dick Stockton during game 6 in Boston.
Here's the full quote:
Dick Stockton: "If the Celtics have an MVP in this series, it has to be this man: Kevin McHale -- doing it again today. Look at the consistent scoring: 31, 28, 24; he has scored 20 or more in four of the previous five (games.)"
Tom Heinsohn: "How he's doing it is beyond me. He's lost close to 15 pounds since Maxwell got hurt, and they shifted an awful lot of offensive burden on him after Maxwell got hurt."
Dick Stockton: "Everyone has had an impossible task to try to match up with him throughout all of the playoffs."
Tom Heinsohn: "He is such a unique player with those long arms; he plays a lot bigger than he is, and he's also got exceptional quickness, even for a man 6'10"."
https://i.ibb.co/DRLznSk/kevv.png
Kevin had a sensational series:
26.0 PPG // 10.7 RPG // 1.3 APG // 0.3 SPG // 1.8 BPG on 59.8% FG and 64.4% TS.
Larry Bird had a very quiet series
Because he injured his shooting hand, Larry wasn't able to really stamp his influence on this series. It really felt like he wasn't there for most of the 6 games. The 4th quarter of game 4 was the only real time I felt "MVP Bird" showed up.
Kevin McHale was the primary offensive option
It was mentioned at one point by the commentators that Kevin McHale was Boston's entire halfcourt offense. It definitely felt true; at times he was the only one who could routinely score. He was the biggest mismatch in the series and put LA's big rotation in foul trouble. He was double and triple teamed most possessions.
Really an impressive series from him. People need to go back and watch the games to see just how good he was. I know I like to talk him up but he was a generational talent.
Boston's outside shooting was off
This might've been the biggest issue with Boston's halfcourt game. Outside of game 1, they couldn't consistently hit perimeter shots. This made it hard for Parish and Bird to get good looks inside. It also led to a lot of long rebounds, which are a terrible thing against the best transition offense ever.
The Lakers transition and early offense game was crucial
LA was able to control the pace of the game, especially in games 2, 3, and 5. I was surprised at how fast they played; even on inbounds, they pushed it up the floor. Early, semi-transition offense was extremely important for the Lakers. It allowed them to score in rapid bursts, leading to dramatic double digit leads. Boston's poor outside shooting helped this.
Kevin McHale dominated the offensive rebounds
Tom Heinsohn: "Kevin McHale with those long arms; how many times do I have to say it? Right up and in."
Kevin led both teams with 21 offensive rebounds over 6 games. It didn't matter if they boxed him out because his arms were so long he could go right over them. He also had an extremely quick jump and second jump, so if he got the offensive rebound, it almost always was an automatic putback.
Long arms + quick jump/2nd jump + keeps ball high = great offensive rebounder.
Robert Parish had trouble defending Kareem
Parish couldn't stop the skyhook for the life of him. Not much to say here. Kareem was just too big and too skilled. I wonder if maybe they should've tried McHale, as he did okay for a few possessions.
Kevin McHale was doubled and tripled as soon as he touched the ball; it didn't matter
Dick Stockton: "McHale doubled, he turns around... *makes basket* ...he plays like he's 7'2"."
All series long Kevin was doubled and tripled, but it didn't stop him from dominating inside. His combination of quickness, skill, and size was too much, regardless of who was guarding him. Boston's guards got open perimeter shots but couldn't hit them enough.
Larry Bird was really good at back cutting and pinning the man inside/post sealing for easy shots at the rim
Larry was great at getting those easy buckets. He was someone you always had to pay attention to, even off the ball. Larry was a post-up/pin-down shooter/back cut guy. Could also hit flat-footed shots facing up, using his passing to keep the defense honest.
Larry Bird was also great at help defense
Like in the '86 finals, Larry was great at timing the double teams.
Larry Bird was a traffic cone on the perimeter
The man couldn't stop dribble penetration if his life depended on it.
Larry Bird was solid defending the post
He was strong and had decent size, making him a solid post defender.