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The Roanoke Times: Press Box

with our sports staff

Western depth doesn't mean it has the best team

Posted Apr24, 2008 at 10:25 AM

I made the statement today that the NBA Western Conference is down this year. After being roundly ridiculed and mocked of by my co-workers, I tried to make more point more clearly. So let me explain. No, let me sum up — that’s all the space I have. The Western team which makes the Finals will not be as formidable as the Spurs were last year. The West is deep, but it’s not as tough at the top. Not saying the Celtics or the Pistons will win the title, but don’t hand the trophy to the Lakers, etc., just yet. — Jeff Gilbert

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Quick thoughts

  • Celtics a pleasure to watch -

    The story of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen sacrificing for the good of the team has been talked about and written about throughout this season. When Danny Ainge put this Boston Celtics team together, I didn't believe it would end with an NBA championship. Too many egos, too much of a chance of injury and too many unknowns among the role players. A team coming together like this proves again that money doesn't have to be the ultimate pursuit of a millionaire athlete. You need defense to win a championship, but more than that you need players sold out to the team. -- Jeff Gilbert

  • Jay Bruce on a roll for Reds -

    In his first six games, Jay Bruce has been like a reincarnation of the Big Red Machine all by himself. All of the numbers are impressive, starting with 21 years old. He was batting .591 entering Monday night’s game. He’s hit two important home runs, driven in six and stolen two bases. He’s big and strong, he’s left-handed and maybe he’s the next big thing in baseball. He certainly has been the big thing this past week. — Jeff Gilbert

  • Franklin County alum pitching for national title -

    Another pitcher from Timesland will be pitching on a national stage Saturday. Casey Hodges, a senior from Franklin County High School, will start for Mount Olive College of North Carolina in the NCAA Division II national championship game against the winner of Friday's game between Ouachita Baptist and Sonoma State. And Hodges will be pitching on TV as well. The game will be telecast on CBS College Sports and MASN. Hodges is 9-1 this season with a 2.67 ERA. He has three complete games and 81 strikeouts in 81 innings. Mount Olive is 55-6. -- Jeff Gilbert

  • Interesting words from Phil Jackson -

    As I drove to work Wednesday morning, I heard Phil Jackson speaking on the radio about Kobe Bryant's NBA MVP award. He said nobody ever deserved and MVP award more or ever worked harder to get one. Jackson is Bryant's coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and once wrote some not very complimentary things about Kobe in a book. But far more strange is that Jackson was Michael Jordan's coach while Michael was winning MVPs and leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. Michael gets credit for playing harder than anyone else and wanting to win more than anyone else. Then Jackson rates Kobe as Michael's equal in working hard and in being deserving of praise. Not sure I would agree, but then who knows Michael and Kobe better than Phil? -- Jeff Gilbert

  • Larry Brown a good hire for Bobcats -

    Larry Brown is back in North Carolina, this time to coach the Charlotte Bobcats. Will the NBA experience of Brown and his new boss, Michael Jordan, do anything for the Bobcats next season? Most likely it will. It is good to see Brown coming back to the league and doing what he loves to do and does better than most. We know he probably won't stay beyond his four-year contract (he'll be 71 when it expires) or he might not even last that long. But he will leave the team in better shape than it is now. What will really matter for the franchise is who they replace him with. Brown will raise the level of their play, but not many will be capable of following him and at least maintaining what he's grown. -- Jeff Gilbert

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The Press Box blog will post entries on a variety of sports at both the high school and collegiate levels in Southwest Virginia. Contributions come from staff writers of The Roanoke Times sports section.

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