Fifty Shades of Grey is a must-read for women everywhere. Apparently, the EL James novel is also making S&M and bondage gear a must-buy for some. The buzzed-about book has left unassuming New York women so feverish, they’ve been snapping up the tools and toys that the hunky Christian Grey favors. They’re even slipping into stores and asking for bondage material – the type of natural filament rope used in the trilogy – the New York Post reports. “Oh, we’ve been selling rope to women,” says Clifton Kahn, owner of Lexington Hardware on the Upper East Side. “I’d say tenfold more rope than usual.” “The women are definitely buying, and it’s still continuing.” Apparently tying someone up isn’t expensive. The store’s most popular item is soft-cotton “clothes line” rope, which retails at a bargain $5 for 50 feet. Tarzian Hardware in Park Slope, Brooklyn, has also seen the trend. “It’s usually men buying rope, but women, they’ve been coming in the last few months,” the manager told the newspaper. “I’ve actually read the book. So when the women began buying rope, it was kind of like, ‘Hmmm, that does seem unusual.’” While New Yorkers act out their S&M fantasies, casting the movie roles of Christian and Anastasia has become an online fantasy game of sorts this spring. Some stars, such as Ian Somerhalder , have expressed interest in the film themselves. Who can you see as the two leads? Vote in our polls below! Who should play Christian? Who should play Ana?
Post-Peeta, the actor has a horror/comedy film and ‘Red Dawn’ on the horizon. By Kara Warner Josh Hutcherson in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Those of you who’ve seen “The Hunger Games” will more than likely agree with our sentiment that there are a number of things to love about the weekend’s box-office dominator . The film’s success is first and foremost due to author Suzanne Collins’ brilliance, followed by director Gary Ross’ sleek and stylish take on the adaptation and, of course, the performances of the very talented cast. One of those standout performances is Josh Hutcherson’s portrayal of loyal and lovable boy with the bread Peeta Mellark. He’s so good in the film we just can’t wait to see what he does with the character’s arc in “Catching Fire.” Unfortunately, we have to wait about 20 months until that happens, so in the meantime, here’s a look at where and when you can see more of Hutcherson’s work on the big screen. First up is the R-rated teen horror/comedy film “Detention,” which hits select theaters April 13. In the uniquely twisted and slightly outrageous film, Hutcherson plays Clapton Davis, a student of Grizzly Lake High School just trying to make it through the school year when slasher-movie killer Cinderhella descends on the school and goes on a killing spree. “Detention” played at last year’s South by Southwest film festival and received many surprised-but-delighted reactions . It also stars Dane Cook, Shanley Caswell and Spencer Locke. After watching a different side of Hutcherson’s skills in “Detention,” look for the coming-of-age drama “Carmel,” in which Hutcherson plays an artistically gifted teenager who is abandoned by his drug-addicted mother and ends up in the small seaside town of Carmel, California, where he is introduced to the art-forgery community. Hayden Panettiere and Alfred Molina also star. According to the film’s Facebook page, the release date for the film will be sometime in June, to be timed with the DVD/Blu-ray releases of “Hunger Games” and “Journey 2.” In November, we’ll get to see more of Hutcherson’s action-movie skills in the remake of the 1984 film “Red Dawn,” the release of which has been long-delayed due to the studio’s financial troubles. The story revolves around a group of teenagers who resist the occupation/invasion of a foreign army in their town. Hutcherson stars alongside Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki and Isabel Lucas. After “Red Dawn” comes out, we very likely won’t see Hutcherson on the big screen again until next year, when “Catching Fire” is released November 22, 2013. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Josh Hutcherson Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ Cast Hits NYC The Hunger Games
‘We liked what we’re doing in this current time and space,’ producer William Orbit tells MTV News about working with the Queen of Pop. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna Photo: Courtesy of Interscope When Madonna hit the studio with longtime pal William Orbit to work on MDNA , in between brainstorming and recording sessions for the tracks, the twosome also shared many laughs. And in the lull of long recording sessions, they zeroed in on fun, instead of deconstructing the current musical landscape. When Orbit spoke to MTV News about making the album, he insisted that despite the flurry of pop music floating around these days, they didn’t give much thought to the music on Top 40 radio. Instead, they focused on their own music and the bubble of creativity they were living in. “We never played tracks by everybody else, all the current artists. It’s a dangerous road to go down,” he said. “It doesn’t work,” he explained, because those songs are good for their own reasons, so it’s futile to find out why they were good and how that can be replicated. “We liked what we’re doing in this current time and space,” he continued. “What we tended to do was watch old French films from the ’60s or listen to music that was so far away that it wasn’t, in any way, relevant.” However, there was one person who managed to squeeze into their bubble and give them a good laugh: “I did remember, one day, there was a moment when we were waiting for Pro Tools to reboot, or something like that, and we were just looking at links on YouTube,” he recalled. “And I was showing her Kreayshawn , and I’ve been working with her, and I really like her. And she’s obviously got this track out called ‘Hoes on My Di–‘ [with the line] ” ’cause I look like Madonna.’ And, I played it for Madonna … then she was saying afterwards ‘Hoes on my di–, ’cause I am Madonna.’ That was about the only time we looked at any serious contemporary pop music.” At the end of the day, with the dance parties and Kreayshawn sing-alongs long over, Orbit insists the team couldn’t be more pleased with the way MDNA turned out. He added, “It was a good adventure, and we pulled it off.”
Samuel is the Hollywood power couple’s third child. By Jocelyn Vena Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have welcomed their first son into the world. Garner gave birth to the couple’s third child in Santa Monica, California, this week. “We are happy to announce on February 27, Jennifer gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Samuel Garner Affleck,” Ben shared on his Facebook page Wednesday, after reports surfaced that his two daughters Seraphina, 3, and Violet, 6, would now have a baby brother. Garner and Affleck announced the pregnancy in August 2011. At the time, insiders shared that it had always been in the couple’s plan to have three kids. “I would have thought [he wanted a boy]. At first … I really thought so,” Garner said in an interview with Jay Leno in January. “And then [Ben] kind of said, ‘Well, we have girls. We know how to do girls. My girls love me. I’m the big guy in the house.’ So now I’m not sure.” Meanwhile, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, Garner called the possibility of having a boy “cool and different,” adding, “It would be so weird to have a boy.” Garner spoke to Us Weekly in 2011 about how she manages to balance work and family. “You have to have a great nanny, and you have to have a supportive husband,” Garner said. “We figure it out day by day. It’s always messy, and it’s never as glamorous as people think it is, but we get through, and as long as the kids are happy, it’s all good.” As for fatherhood, in an interview back in 2008, Affleck said that he hoped he’s a good dad. “I hope so. I think we all like to see ourselves as good dads, but there’s also that fear, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be like my father,’ or, ‘I hope my kid doesn’t turn out like me.’ You know, I have those feelings too,” he told the U.K.’s Mirror. “So the key is optimism.” Share your well-wishes for the parents in the comments below!
Program executive produced by U2 guitarist airs on MTV March 2 at 8 p.m. By MTV News Staff U2 guitarist the Edge has addressed many social issues through music. He tackles a new epidemic — the growing number of homeless youth — in the MTV documentary “The Break,” for which he serves as executive producer. “The Break” premieres Friday, March 2, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Today, over 1.5 million youth in America have found themselves living in various states of homelessness stemming from all sorts of circumstances. “The Break” introduces viewers to three young people who refuse to give in to the despair and overwhelming weight that landing on the outskirts of society has placed upon them. The documentary delves deep into the journeys of these three young individuals as they take steps to rebuild their lives once they are provided with the tools and guidance necessary to emerge out of homelessness and rejoin society. First, viewers will meet Nancy, a 20-year-old woman who was involved in abusive relationships and has been homeless for two years. Nancy will need to regain her independence and change the behavior that has held her back throughout her life. Then viewers will be introduced to Rob, a talented drummer who came to New York with dreams of becoming a star. After a downward spiral, Rob will have to clean up his act in order to get a fresh start and rebuild his life. Lastly, Ava ran away from her conservative home after clashing with her family over her lesbian lifestyle. With the opportunity to receive training and experience, the academically gifted young woman will be inspired to pursue her dream of becoming a police detective. Providing the trio with support is Anne Mahlum, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Back on My Feet. The organization uses running as a vehicle to promote the self-sufficiency of the homeless population, providing them with support and resources to help them get closer to their goals. Back on My Feet helps Ava, Nancy and Rob finally have access to the opportunities to create functional, healthy lifestyles. In addition to producing the program, the Edge also wrote the original song “No Home Like Place” for the documentary. Related Artists U2
Cameron Douglas says he’s learned his lesson, but it came at a heavy price. The 33-year-old son of Haywire star Michael Douglas was sentenced to five years in prison last April, after he was caught dealing large amounts of crystal meth. Wednesday, Cameron was sentenced to an additional four-and-a-half years in prison and a $4,000 fine. The offense, again, was drug possession, behind bars . The sentence was more than twice what prosecutors had asked for. The judge, obviously very annoyed at the situation, told Cameron that he had “blown the biggest opportunity of his life,” according to The New York Post . Douglas said he was “saturated in my own shame and penitence” and begged for “the opportunity to build myself and gain the tools I need to shape my future.” “I feel so strongly, for the first time in my life, that I am truly ripe for positive reform and real achievement,” Cameron said in a Manhattan federal court filing. Cameron was previously arrested in 1999 and 2007 for drug possession, and perhaps for that reason, the judge was less than sympathetic this morning.
Janet Jackson is set to share her diet tips with her fans after signing up as the new spokesperson for the NutriSystem weight loss program. Janet opened up about her struggles with weight in her 2011 bestseller “True You” when she ballooned up to 180 lbs for a movie role, becoming the butt of fat jokes in the tabloids. In this new role, Ms. Jackson will be the iconic new face for the Nutrisystem brand, the focal point of the SUCCESS campaign and the co-founder of a new initiative to help combat hunger. Janet has reportedly lost 10 pounds in just over a month on the weight loss system and says: “I am so impressed by both the thought and the nutritional science behind the program. There are millions of women like me who want to be successful but don’t have the tools to do it on their own. I hope I can help inspire them.” Janet Jackson Stuns For “Blackglama” Photoshoot [PHOTOS] Janet Jackson Rocks Colorblock Trend At Cannes [PHOTOS]
At least she’s honest about it. On The Ellen DeGeneres Show Thursday, LeAnn Rimes spoke about the controversy she generated when she began her infamous affair with Eddie Cibrian. “It could’ve been handled a lot better,” she says of her conduct. “Maybe we both didn’t have the tools at the time to do it properly,” she says. “But I’ve learned a lot. Sometimes you just want to scream. But you don’t.” “We’ve learned to let it go and laugh at it at the end of the day.” They did get married in the end, so … there’s that. The two were, of course, married to other people when they began dating – Rimes to Dean Sheremet and Cibrian to Brandi Glanville . But the past is the past. LeAnn Rimes’ weight also came up on the broadcast, with the singer calling fans’ criticism of her slender frame disrespectful and likening it to bullying.
After 82 hard fought games it is time for the NBA’s ”second season.” This is what fans have been waiting for ever since LeBron James stunned the basketball world by announcing he would be taking his talents to South Beach. While the team he left behind (Cleveland Cavaliers) went on to win 42 fewer games without him (19-63 down from 61-21 with James a year ago), James only went on to finish second in the league in scoring and led the Heat to 58 wins, putting him in the discussion for his third straight MVP award. Ask James and he’ll tell you that means nothing. After being accused of quitting on the Cavs last season against Boston and going out in unsportsmanlike fashion to Orlando in 2009, King James wants everyone to witness him carry the Heat to the promised land and put all the doubters to rest. To do that he will have to do what he couldn’t do at the end of last season and 3 out of 4 times this season with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in tow: beat the Boston Celtics. Will he succeed? Check out my predictions on this and the rest of what promises to be one of the best NBA Playoffs ever. EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND 1 Chicago Bulls vs 8 Indiana Pacers When the Indiana Pacers fought to make the playoffs they were probably expecting to face the Miami Heat, who they beat earlier in the year. Instead they got a Bulls team clicking on all cylinders led by MVP front runner Derrick Rose . The Bulls won 62 games this season and locked up home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The Bulls only won 60 games five other times in franchise history (hint: all in the 1990′s) and each time they went on to win the NBA title. Read on to see if I think they will make it six, but they will get off to a good start. Prediction: The Bulls finally get out of the first round (not being a #8 seed helps that way) in a sweep 4-0. 4 Orlando Magic vs 5 Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks won the season series 3 games to 1, however I am not sold on an Atlanta team that lost by more than 30 points on their home floor three different times. Al Horford has made strides this ear but he is not a true center and will be overmatched by Orlando center Dwight Howard . Atlanta is a mystery to me. They play well enough to be a mid-level playoff team (more a testament to the weak Eastern Conference) but you never expect them to progress to title contender. They are getting no respect and it feels like they don’t really care. I can’t take a team seriously if the road team’s fans are louder than the home fans in your own gym. Joe Johnson is a quiet superstar and may need to change that perception (especially since he signed a huge contract to stay for five years when he could have went elsewhere) if the Hawks are going to go anywhere in the future. I just want to see him get mad and carry the Hawks for once. It won’t happen this year, however. Not even this round. Prediction: Orlando shows regular season matchup is a fluke taking out the Hawks 4-2. 3 Boston Celtics vs 6 New York Knicks This will be the most interesting series in the first round of the East playoffs. These two teams haven’t met in the playoffs since 1990 where the Knicks upset the favored Celtics in a best of 5 series by winning the final three games. This current crop of Knickerbockers have the tools to repeat history. The loss of Kendrick Perkins will be glaring for Boston if Shaquille O’Neal is not productive coming off a calf injury. The Knicks have the best closer in the game in Carmelo Anthony and a confident Amare Stoudamire . Chauncey Billups’ championship experience will help the Knicks, but will they play any semblance of consistent defense? Paul Pierce , Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have been down this road before but never without Perkins. Rajon Rondo the best player on the team a year ago is reportedly playing hurt and is still sulking over Perkins’ departure. This will be the longest series of the first round only because the Knicks potent offense will win a few games by default, especially over a Celtics team that has the lowest scoring average in the entire league (90.2 ppg) since early March. Boston has been doubted before and they took all that talk of their demise all the way to the NBA Finals last year. They still play something called good defense and will win the series in seven only if Shaq is a factor and Rondo returns to form, otherwise the Knicks pull the upset. Prediction: Boston has yet to lose to the Knicks this season and have come too far to go home early. They will move on 4 games to 3. 2 Miami Heat vs 7 Philadelphia 76ers With all the hype, drama and media coverage that bordered on overkill (there are at least two national media outlets that have season-long sections dedicated to the daily exploits of The Miami Heat — ESPN’s “Heat Index” and USA Today’s “Heat Check”) The Maimi Heat’s season starts now. All eyes will be on the new Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to see if LeBron can back up the tough talk from the narcissistic pre-season coronation/pep rally in July that introduced the trio to the Miami faithful. They get off to a great start against Philly who are a nice story, but will not be able to match up to the firepower of the Heat. Prediction: Heat burn the Sixers 4 to 1 . EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 1 Chicago Bulls vs 4 Orlando Magic This series is a tough one to call. The Magic are playoff tested. The return of Hedo Turkoglu along with the experience of Jason Richardson (a Western Conference finalist last season in Phoenix), Gilbert Arenas , and Jameer Nelson will be a factor in this series. Chicago may be the #1 seed, but losing to Orlando would not be considered an upset in my opinion. Orlando will win this series, however I give Chicago an outside chance only if Derrick Rose gets Dwight Howard in foul trouble with his signature acrobatic drives to the cup thus leaving the middle open for Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer to go to work. Orlando has their own point to prove with Miami getting all the press and prestige in the “sunshine state” and their veteran leadership will trump youth this year, not for lack of effort from Mr. Rose. Prediction: Orlando stops the Bulls 4-2 2 Miami Heat vs 3 Boston Celtics When the NBA season tipped off in October with the first installment of Heat-Celtics everyone watching figured this would be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately the Chicago Bulls had something to say about where these two teams would end up so the showdown comes one round early. I hate to beat a dead horse, but the absence of Kendrick Perkins effectively brought Boston back to the pack in the East. Miami reportedly loved the deal as shown in the last regular season meeting where Miami did as they pleased in the paint en route to a 100-77 win. The series won’t be as lopsided as the depth of the Celtics bench will keep the games competitive. Again, the effectiveness of Shaq (or any big other than Kevin Garnett) will swing the series. Former Heat Jermaine O’Neal will have something to prove in this series against the team that let him walk and will have a decent series. Prediction: In another seven game marathon, the Miami Heat will upset the Celtics 4-3 and send Doc Rivers into retirement. Let the finger pointing (and rebuilding) begin in Beantown. EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS 2 Miami Heat vs 4 Orlando Magic Ironically this will the toughest test for the Heat. Dwight Howard will be the only thing standing in the way of a trip to the NBA Finals for LeBron James and the Heat. For the Heat to win this series they have to get contributions from a bench that has been invisible all season. The Heat should have Udonis Haslem back by this point giving them a much needed body to bang with Howard, but the three-headed monster of Erick Dampier, Joel Anthony, and Zydrunis Ilgauskas have to use their fouls to frustrate Howard. Technical fouls accumulated in the regular season are wiped clean in the post season so unless Howard has a major meltdown that gives him 7 techs, he isn’t missing any time. Unlike the Bulls series, getting Howard in foul trouble will not matter as the Magic have proven they can beat the Heat without Howard touching the ball on offense (as witnessed in the classic comeback from a 24-point deficit back in March). LeBron may have flashbacks to the 2009 Conference Finals with Turkoglu alongside Richardson, Arenas, and (wait for it) Ryan Anderson taking the place of Rashard Lewis behind the 3-point arc. The Magic live and die by the 3 pointer and if they are on it could extinguish the Heat. LeBron has personal incentive (proving Orlando general manager Otis Smith wrong) to make the Magic disappear, but his exploits along with Wade and Bosh may not be enough without consistent play from the Ringo Starr’s on the bench. Prediction: Orlando upsets ”The Heatles” denying LeBron a trip to the NBA Finals 4-2 in year one of “The Process”. WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND 1 San Antonio Spurs vs 8 Memphis Grizzlies This is the matchup the Grizzlies wanted for reasons only known by the team itself. It has been reported that Memphis tanked the last few games to assure themselves of the 8th seed and avoid facing the Lakers. Spurs forward Tim Duncan responded simply ”we see what’s happening”. Uh oh, bulletin board material. This series won’t go more than five. The Grizz are still without their star Rudy Gay, lost for the year with a shoulder injury, and while super sub Tony Allen has been playing out of his mind the last few weeks and Memphis boasts the fourth best record in the Western Conference since the All-Star break, the Spurs have their own Big 3 in the aforementioned Duncan, Tony Parker , and Manu Ginobli . Even though Ginobli hyperextended his elbow in the regular season finale, they won’t need him in this round. Prediction: Spurs move on 4-1 4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5 Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets traded away the face of their franchise and didn’t miss a beat en route to a 50-win season. If that doesn’t put coach George Karl in the discussion for Coach of the Year I don’t know what does. The Nuggets have no standout superstar yet share the ball effectively in a way not seen since the Detroit Pistons of the 2000′s. The Thunder have two superstars in the NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook . OKC also has Kendrick Perkins. It is hard to believe one man can swing the balance of power from one conference to the next, but it goes to show how important a serviceable big man is to a championship contender. Perkins brings the toughness that can offset Nene and any antics by Kenyon Martin. The players that came over in the trade from the Knicks will be fun to watch, but the Thunder’s defense will prove to be too daunting. Prediction: Thunder bury the Nuggets 4-2 3 Dallas Mavericks vs 6 Portland Trailblazers This will be as exciting as the Knicks-Celtics series. The Dallas Mavericks have been a Jekyll and Hyde team known to excel in the regular season only to flame out in the playoffs. Their inability to get out of the first round the last few years is the reason why former Mavs coach Avery Johnson is currently wasting away in New Jersey. Since blowing a chance to go up 3-0 on the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, the Mavericks have not gotten past the second round, losing in the first round twice. Not having Caron Butler hurts but Shawn Marion and Jason Terry lead a formidable bench which will be needed to help Dirk Nowitzki . Portland has a snubbed all-star in LaMarcus Aldridge an emerging star in Wesley Matthews , the high energy of Gerald Wallace , and their star player Brandon Roy currently coming off the bench (?!). They have not moved past the first round since 2000, but they will give Dallas all they can handle. Prediction: Dallas hears the whispers of another collapse and because of it they will respond to the perceived disrespect by advancing in a tough series 4-3. 2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 7 New Orleans Hornets Andrew Bynum only has a bone bruise in his hyperextended right knee. That means he will not miss significant time, if any at all in the playoffs. That is bad news for the rest of the Western Conference. The Lakers may not even need Bynum in this series as the Hornets will be without star forward David West. That leaves Emeka Okafor on an island against the size of the Lakers. Chris Paul will do his best but the Hornets are undersized and overmatched against the two-time defending champs. Prediction: Lakers win 4-1. WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 1 San Antonio Spurs vs 4 Oklahoma City Thunder The experience of the Spurs and the multiple big men (Antonio McDyess, Dejuan Blair, Duncan) they can throw at Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka combined with the neutrilization of Kevin Durant’s offense by Manu Ginobli will make the difference here. This series may go the distance as Durant and Westbrook try to set up a rematch with the Lakers in the Conference Finals, but the Spurs will prevail. Prediction: Spurs win 4-3 2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 3 Dallas Mavericks The Mavericks got the first round monkey off their back, but reality will set in. The Mavericks will not have an answer for Pau Gasol , LaMar Odom and Bynum and there is a guy by the name of Kobe Bryant who will command a double team at some point. While Dallas has come a long way defensively they rely on their offense to dictate the pace of the game. Prediction: Lakers advance 4-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS 1 San Antonio Spurs vs 2 Los Angeles Lakers Unlike the Eastern Conference, the West holds to form with the two best teams meeting for the chance to play in the Finals. San Antonio, like Boston, defied age and logic during the regular season being the last team to lose 10 games in a year where they were supposed to be in the middle of the pack. These teams are evenly matched, their regular season was a wash. Both teams have game changing superstars and a deep bench. It comes down to Kobe and Phil. Kobe has the nastiest killer instinct since Jordan and I can’t see him losing this series. Losing the #1 seed to the Spurs is just another challenge for the Black Mamba which is a bad omen for San Antonio. Prediction: Lakers go back to the NBA Finals after a hard fought 7 game slug fest 4-3. NBA FINALS Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Lakers Probably not the team from Florida Commissioner David Stern had in mind to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but in a rematch of the 2009 Finals the experience of the Lakers produces the same result. It was Kobe Bryant’s mission statement to send coach Phil Jackson off with his fourth three-peat while simultaneously earning his sixth ring tying him with Michael Jordan. Again, the challenge is what drives Bryant and his will to win elevates the rest of the team to victory. Prediction: Lakers complete the three-peat 4-2, possibly pushing Dwight Howard closer to Tinseltown after next season. **Bonus** AWARDS SEASON : MVP: Derrick Rose (Runner-up: LeBron James) Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau, Chicago (Runner-up: Gregg Poppovich, Spurs) Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin (Runner-up: John Wall) Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (Runner-up: no one worth mentioning) Sixth Man of the Year: LaMar Odom (Runner-up: Jamal Crawford) 5 Reasons The Miami Heat Will NOT Win The NBA Title This Season
After 82 hard fought games it is time for the NBA’s ”second season.” This is what fans have been waiting for ever since LeBron James stunned the basketball world by announcing he would be taking his talents to South Beach. While the team he left behind (Cleveland Cavaliers) went on to win 42 fewer games without him (19-63 down from 61-21 with James a year ago), James only went on to finish second in the league in scoring and led the Heat to 58 wins, putting him in the discussion for his third straight MVP award. Ask James and he’ll tell you that means nothing. After being accused of quitting on the Cavs last season against Boston and going out in unsportsmanlike fashion to Orlando in 2009, King James wants everyone to witness him carry the Heat to the promised land and put all the doubters to rest. To do that he will have to do what he couldn’t do at the end of last season and 3 out of 4 times this season with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in tow: beat the Boston Celtics. Will he succeed? Check out my predictions on this and the rest of what promises to be one of the best NBA Playoffs ever. EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND 1 Chicago Bulls vs 8 Indiana Pacers When the Indiana Pacers fought to make the playoffs they were probably expecting to face the Miami Heat, who they beat earlier in the year. Instead they got a Bulls team clicking on all cylinders led by MVP front runner Derrick Rose . The Bulls won 62 games this season and locked up home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The Bulls only won 60 games five other times in franchise history (hint: all in the 1990′s) and each time they went on to win the NBA title. Read on to see if I think they will make it six, but they will get off to a good start. Prediction: The Bulls finally get out of the first round (not being a #8 seed helps that way) in a sweep 4-0. 4 Orlando Magic vs 5 Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks won the season series 3 games to 1, however I am not sold on an Atlanta team that lost by more than 30 points on their home floor three different times. Al Horford has made strides this ear but he is not a true center and will be overmatched by Orlando center Dwight Howard . Atlanta is a mystery to me. They play well enough to be a mid-level playoff team (more a testament to the weak Eastern Conference) but you never expect them to progress to title contender. They are getting no respect and it feels like they don’t really care. I can’t take a team seriously if the road team’s fans are louder than the home fans in your own gym. Joe Johnson is a quiet superstar and may need to change that perception (especially since he signed a huge contract to stay for five years when he could have went elsewhere) if the Hawks are going to go anywhere in the future. I just want to see him get mad and carry the Hawks for once. It won’t happen this year, however. Not even this round. Prediction: Orlando shows regular season matchup is a fluke taking out the Hawks 4-2. 3 Boston Celtics vs 6 New York Knicks This will be the most interesting series in the first round of the East playoffs. These two teams haven’t met in the playoffs since 1990 where the Knicks upset the favored Celtics in a best of 5 series by winning the final three games. This current crop of Knickerbockers have the tools to repeat history. The loss of Kendrick Perkins will be glaring for Boston if Shaquille O’Neal is not productive coming off a calf injury. The Knicks have the best closer in the game in Carmelo Anthony and a confident Amare Stoudamire . Chauncey Billups’ championship experience will help the Knicks, but will they play any semblance of consistent defense? Paul Pierce , Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have been down this road before but never without Perkins. Rajon Rondo the best player on the team a year ago is reportedly playing hurt and is still sulking over Perkins’ departure. This will be the longest series of the first round only because the Knicks potent offense will win a few games by default, especially over a Celtics team that has the lowest scoring average in the entire league (90.2 ppg) since early March. Boston has been doubted before and they took all that talk of their demise all the way to the NBA Finals last year. They still play something called good defense and will win the series in seven only if Shaq is a factor and Rondo returns to form, otherwise the Knicks pull the upset. Prediction: Boston has yet to lose to the Knicks this season and have come too far to go home early. They will move on 4 games to 3. 2 Miami Heat vs 7 Philadelphia 76ers With all the hype, drama and media coverage that bordered on overkill (there are at least two national media outlets that have season-long sections dedicated to the daily exploits of The Miami Heat — ESPN’s “Heat Index” and USA Today’s “Heat Check”) The Maimi Heat’s season starts now. All eyes will be on the new Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to see if LeBron can back up the tough talk from the narcissistic pre-season coronation/pep rally in July that introduced the trio to the Miami faithful. They get off to a great start against Philly who are a nice story, but will not be able to match up to the firepower of the Heat. Prediction: Heat burn the Sixers 4 to 1 . EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 1 Chicago Bulls vs 4 Orlando Magic This series is a tough one to call. The Magic are playoff tested. The return of Hedo Turkoglu along with the experience of Jason Richardson (a Western Conference finalist last season in Phoenix), Gilbert Arenas , and Jameer Nelson will be a factor in this series. Chicago may be the #1 seed, but losing to Orlando would not be considered an upset in my opinion. Orlando will win this series, however I give Chicago an outside chance only if Derrick Rose gets Dwight Howard in foul trouble with his signature acrobatic drives to the cup thus leaving the middle open for Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer to go to work. Orlando has their own point to prove with Miami getting all the press and prestige in the “sunshine state” and their veteran leadership will trump youth this year, not for lack of effort from Mr. Rose. Prediction: Orlando stops the Bulls 4-2 2 Miami Heat vs 3 Boston Celtics When the NBA season tipped off in October with the first installment of Heat-Celtics everyone watching figured this would be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately the Chicago Bulls had something to say about where these two teams would end up so the showdown comes one round early. I hate to beat a dead horse, but the absence of Kendrick Perkins effectively brought Boston back to the pack in the East. Miami reportedly loved the deal as shown in the last regular season meeting where Miami did as they pleased in the paint en route to a 100-77 win. The series won’t be as lopsided as the depth of the Celtics bench will keep the games competitive. Again, the effectiveness of Shaq (or any big other than Kevin Garnett) will swing the series. Former Heat Jermaine O’Neal will have something to prove in this series against the team that let him walk and will have a decent series. Prediction: In another seven game marathon, the Miami Heat will upset the Celtics 4-3 and send Doc Rivers into retirement. Let the finger pointing (and rebuilding) begin in Beantown. EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS 2 Miami Heat vs 4 Orlando Magic Ironically this will the toughest test for the Heat. Dwight Howard will be the only thing standing in the way of a trip to the NBA Finals for LeBron James and the Heat. For the Heat to win this series they have to get contributions from a bench that has been invisible all season. The Heat should have Udonis Haslem back by this point giving them a much needed body to bang with Howard, but the three-headed monster of Erick Dampier, Joel Anthony, and Zydrunis Ilgauskas have to use their fouls to frustrate Howard. Technical fouls accumulated in the regular season are wiped clean in the post season so unless Howard has a major meltdown that gives him 7 techs, he isn’t missing any time. Unlike the Bulls series, getting Howard in foul trouble will not matter as the Magic have proven they can beat the Heat without Howard touching the ball on offense (as witnessed in the classic comeback from a 24-point deficit back in March). LeBron may have flashbacks to the 2009 Conference Finals with Turkoglu alongside Richardson, Arenas, and (wait for it) Ryan Anderson taking the place of Rashard Lewis behind the 3-point arc. The Magic live and die by the 3 pointer and if they are on it could extinguish the Heat. LeBron has personal incentive (proving Orlando general manager Otis Smith wrong) to make the Magic disappear, but his exploits along with Wade and Bosh may not be enough without consistent play from the Ringo Starr’s on the bench. Prediction: Orlando upsets ”The Heatles” denying LeBron a trip to the NBA Finals 4-2 in year one of “The Process”. WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND 1 San Antonio Spurs vs 8 Memphis Grizzlies This is the matchup the Grizzlies wanted for reasons only known by the team itself. It has been reported that Memphis tanked the last few games to assure themselves of the 8th seed and avoid facing the Lakers. Spurs forward Tim Duncan responded simply ”we see what’s happening”. Uh oh, bulletin board material. This series won’t go more than five. The Grizz are still without their star Rudy Gay, lost for the year with a shoulder injury, and while super sub Tony Allen has been playing out of his mind the last few weeks and Memphis boasts the fourth best record in the Western Conference since the All-Star break, the Spurs have their own Big 3 in the aforementioned Duncan, Tony Parker , and Manu Ginobli . Even though Ginobli hyperextended his elbow in the regular season finale, they won’t need him in this round. Prediction: Spurs move on 4-1 4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5 Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets traded away the face of their franchise and didn’t miss a beat en route to a 50-win season. If that doesn’t put coach George Karl in the discussion for Coach of the Year I don’t know what does. The Nuggets have no standout superstar yet share the ball effectively in a way not seen since the Detroit Pistons of the 2000′s. The Thunder have two superstars in the NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook . OKC also has Kendrick Perkins. It is hard to believe one man can swing the balance of power from one conference to the next, but it goes to show how important a serviceable big man is to a championship contender. Perkins brings the toughness that can offset Nene and any antics by Kenyon Martin. The players that came over in the trade from the Knicks will be fun to watch, but the Thunder’s defense will prove to be too daunting. Prediction: Thunder bury the Nuggets 4-2 3 Dallas Mavericks vs 6 Portland Trailblazers This will be as exciting as the Knicks-Celtics series. The Dallas Mavericks have been a Jekyll and Hyde team known to excel in the regular season only to flame out in the playoffs. Their inability to get out of the first round the last few years is the reason why former Mavs coach Avery Johnson is currently wasting away in New Jersey. Since blowing a chance to go up 3-0 on the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, the Mavericks have not gotten past the second round, losing in the first round twice. Not having Caron Butler hurts but Shawn Marion and Jason Terry lead a formidable bench which will be needed to help Dirk Nowitzki . Portland has a snubbed all-star in LaMarcus Aldridge an emerging star in Wesley Matthews , the high energy of Gerald Wallace , and their star player Brandon Roy currently coming off the bench (?!). They have not moved past the first round since 2000, but they will give Dallas all they can handle. Prediction: Dallas hears the whispers of another collapse and because of it they will respond to the perceived disrespect by advancing in a tough series 4-3. 2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 7 New Orleans Hornets Andrew Bynum only has a bone bruise in his hyperextended right knee. That means he will not miss significant time, if any at all in the playoffs. That is bad news for the rest of the Western Conference. The Lakers may not even need Bynum in this series as the Hornets will be without star forward David West. That leaves Emeka Okafor on an island against the size of the Lakers. Chris Paul will do his best but the Hornets are undersized and overmatched against the two-time defending champs. Prediction: Lakers win 4-1. WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 1 San Antonio Spurs vs 4 Oklahoma City Thunder The experience of the Spurs and the multiple big men (Antonio McDyess, Dejuan Blair, Duncan) they can throw at Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka combined with the neutrilization of Kevin Durant’s offense by Manu Ginobli will make the difference here. This series may go the distance as Durant and Westbrook try to set up a rematch with the Lakers in the Conference Finals, but the Spurs will prevail. Prediction: Spurs win 4-3 2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 3 Dallas Mavericks The Mavericks got the first round monkey off their back, but reality will set in. The Mavericks will not have an answer for Pau Gasol , LaMar Odom and Bynum and there is a guy by the name of Kobe Bryant who will command a double team at some point. While Dallas has come a long way defensively they rely on their offense to dictate the pace of the game. Prediction: Lakers advance 4-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS 1 San Antonio Spurs vs 2 Los Angeles Lakers Unlike the Eastern Conference, the West holds to form with the two best teams meeting for the chance to play in the Finals. San Antonio, like Boston, defied age and logic during the regular season being the last team to lose 10 games in a year where they were supposed to be in the middle of the pack. These teams are evenly matched, their regular season was a wash. Both teams have game changing superstars and a deep bench. It comes down to Kobe and Phil. Kobe has the nastiest killer instinct since Jordan and I can’t see him losing this series. Losing the #1 seed to the Spurs is just another challenge for the Black Mamba which is a bad omen for San Antonio. Prediction: Lakers go back to the NBA Finals after a hard fought 7 game slug fest 4-3. NBA FINALS Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Lakers Probably not the team from Florida Commissioner David Stern had in mind to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but in a rematch of the 2009 Finals the experience of the Lakers produces the same result. It was Kobe Bryant’s mission statement to send coach Phil Jackson off with his fourth three-peat while simultaneously earning his sixth ring tying him with Michael Jordan. Again, the challenge is what drives Bryant and his will to win elevates the rest of the team to victory. Prediction: Lakers complete the three-peat 4-2, possibly pushing Dwight Howard closer to Tinseltown after next season. **Bonus** AWARDS SEASON : MVP: Derrick Rose (Runner-up: LeBron James) Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau, Chicago (Runner-up: Gregg Poppovich, Spurs) Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin (Runner-up: John Wall) Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (Runner-up: no one worth mentioning) Sixth Man of the Year: LaMar Odom (Runner-up: Jamal Crawford) 5 Reasons The Miami Heat Will NOT Win The NBA Title This Season
