Carter Vs. Canada Highlights Round 1

It’s amazing how one measly game can turn a season around.By the Nets getting a crucial win over the Bulls in the season finale on Wednesday night, suddenly their season seems viable again. Combined with a late-season collapse by injury-riddled Washington, the win allowed Brooklyn’s soon-to-be franchise to enter the postseason as the no. 6 seed in the East despite posting a thoroughly unsatisfying 41–41 record.With that no. 6 seed comes a much more fortuitous playoff matchup. The Nets will face the Raptors, a team that won the Atlantic Division but is without one key player and slowly nursing another back to health. More important, Toronto isn’t nearly as imposing as the alternative — New Jersey would be looking at a best-of-seven with those same Bulls had they lost.This sets up what’s sure to be one of the most talked-about firstround series. Although neither team is even remotely thought of as a contender, the plot line is simply too juicy to ignore: Vince Carter against Toronto.You’ll recall that Carter got to New Jersey by whining his way out of Canada, and playing some of the most halfhearted basketball you’ll ever see in order to force a onesided trade with the Nets in December 2004. Ironically, that same deal allowed Alonzo Mourning to whine his way out of New Jersey. In addition, it cost unrelated benchwarmers Eric and Aaron Williams and two first-round picks — a pittance of a price to pay for an All-Star like Carter.That trade singlehandedly saved the post-Kenyon Martin Nets from serious doom and gloom. But our neighbors up north don’t have such happy memories about this affair. Carter is still roundly booed whenever he sets foot in Air Canada Centre and can expect an especially loud chorus to greet him in Saturday’s Game 1 (12:30 p.m., ESPN).Toronto’s Anthony Carter gets the first crack at stopping Carter and becoming Canadian Hero of the Week in the process. He’s one of three players Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo brought over from European clubs in the off-season to revamp the roster (the other two are injured Jorge Garbajosa and recuperating rookie Andrea Bargnani). Toronto’s strategy will be to force Carter to settle for jumpers; if that fails, expect a steady diet of double-teams that force New Jersey’s role players to make shots.The Raptors are led by All-Star forward Chris Bosh, a tricky matchup for the Nets because of his ability to face up from 18 feet and either hit a jumper or drive to the basket. Mikke Moore is likely to get first crack at the lean lefty — Jason Collins isn’t fleet of foot enough — but don’t be shocked if Lawrence Frank dusts off Clifford Robinson for some spot duty against the Raps’ key star.The other important matchup is at the point, where Jason Kidd faces a double dose of speed in T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. Ford is arguably the league’s fastest player, which is an issue since quick guys can give Kidd trouble defensively. Off the bench, Calderon has become shockingly effective in his second pro season, arguably even better than Ford, and has nearly as much zip in his step. Offensively, Kidd may try to post up both players to draw fouls, since he’s taller than Ford and stronger than Calderon.But if you’re looking for a key, I’ll go with Richard Jefferson. He’s been playing on a bad ankle all year and hasn’t been nearly as effective as we’re used to seeing — the most glaring example being his withering rebound rate (just 4.9 per 40 minutes, after grabbing 7.0 a year earlier). However, his past few games have been more encouraging. He had four 20-point games in April, so maybe he’s learning how to deal with the limitations.Should he perform like the Jefferson of old, then it’s the Nets’ series to take. Don’t bet on it. I think the Nets will give it a game effort, but ultimately will fall short — much to the Torontonians’ delight.Pick: Raptors in six.Here’s a look at the other firstround series:(1) PISTONS VS. (8) MAGIC: Orlando has some intriguing pieces, most notably man-child Dwight Howard, but a wobbly backcourt makes them easy pickings for the veteran Pistons. Worse yet for the Magic, ex-Piston Darko Milicic turned an ankle during the season finale and may not be available for the first couple of games — an injury that exposes a paper-thin Magic frontcourt.Pick: Pistons in five.(2) CAVALIERS VS. (7) WIZARDS: If basketball had a 12-run rule, we’d see it invoked during this series. The Wizards are playing with a skeleton crew after losing All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, which is how the Nets were able to pass them in the season’s final weeks. (Butler has said he’ll be back if the Wizards make the second round; he has a better chance of walking on the moon.)It’s a shame because the Cavs-Wizards series a year ago was the highlight of the first round, as Le-Bron James and Arenas traded game-winning daggers back and forth. There won’t be any theatrics this time — just four somber beatings before the Wizards shuffle off to the golf course.Pick: Cavs in four.(4) HEAT VS. (5) BULLS: A lot of people are waiting for the Heat to drink their magic playoff elixir and take on all comers en route to a successful defense of their Eastern Conference title. Color me skeptical. Not only are their role players seriously banged up (Udonis Haslem, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, and James Posey all are nursing ailments), but star guard Dwyane Wade has played poorly since returning from a shoulder injury. The shoulder still is at risk for re-injury, and in the meantime he’s complaining of tendinitis in his knees. Then there’s Shaquille O’Neal, who is only a year older than he was last spring but looks to be aging in dog years.But the biggest reason not to like Miami is the matchup. You think the Bulls were upset about losing to the Nets? You should see the Heat’s reaction. Miami matches up very well against Cleveland, but horribly against the Bulls.The Heat’s defensive approach is to clog the middle and force the opponent to shoot jumpers. This works great against most teams, but all the Bulls want to do is shoot jumpers anyway, so it just plays right into their hands. That’s why Chicago beat them by 42 on opening day in Miami, with a fully healthy Heat team suited up. They won’t win any games by 42 this time around, but they will win 4–2.Pick: Bulls in six.WESTERN CONFERENCE(1) MAVERICKS VS. (8) WARRIORS: Golden State virtually defines the term “happy to be here” — the Warriors were positively giddy after ending a 13-year postseason drought by qualifying for the playoffs with a win on Wednesday. (Incidentally, once Golden State’s Jason Richardson and Adonal Foyle take the court in Sunday’s Game 1, it will make the Knicks’ Jamal Crawford the NBA player with the most career games who hasn’t appeared in the playoffs.)Golden State takes some momentum too, in having won 16 of 21 and, believe it or not, having swept the season series from Dallas. And Warriors’ coach Don Nelson is certainly familiar with the opponent — he was Dallas’s coach before parting ways with owner Mark Cuban two years ago. That said, the Mavericks are all business this year, and they’re not about to let some ragtag run-andgun outfit derail their championship dreams.Pick: Mavericks in six.(2) SUNS VS. (7) LAKERS: This was the best first-round series a year ago, with Los Angeles nearly stunning Phoenix until Tim Thomas, of all people, hit an elimination-saving 3-pointer in Game 6. Don’t bet on a repeat. The Lakers floundered down the stretch, as their defense was ripped to shreds thanks to a lack of warm bodies in the frontcourt and shaky point guard play.L.A.’s best shot is to hope that Kobe Bryant catches fire and pours in 50 a game, but he’ll have his hands full against Suns defensive flopper, er, stopper Raja Bell. Besides, L.A. still has to figure out how to stop Phoenix, and few teams have an answer for Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion. A club as defensively porous as Los Angeles doesn’t figure to be one of them.Pick: Suns in five.(3) SPURS VS. (6) NUGGETS: Denver closed the season on a hot streak, as Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson seemed to finally get the hang of playing with each other. Too bad it has to end so soon.San Antonio is up to its usual tricks at this time of year, playing with clinical efficiency at both ends while calmly crushing all comers. The Nuggets had no answer for the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili when these two clubs met in the first round two years ago, and it’s not clear why they would have a better retort now.Pick: Spurs in six.(4) ROCKETS VS. (5) JAZZ:Perhaps the best first-round pairing out West comes here, where two of the league’s most physical teams will scrum for a right to face Dallas in Round 2. Houston has the upper hand in talent with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, but that’s only if they’re on the court — both have had injury woes this season.If they ‘re healthy, look for those two to dominate offensively while Jeff Van Gundy’s rocksolid defense shuts down the Jazz at the other end. But if TMac’s balky back gives way, then the Jerry Sloan’s armada of interior scorers — led by All-Stars Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur — will overwhelm the Rocket remnants.Pick: Rockets in six.jhollinger@nysun.com

Carter Vs. Canada Highlights Round 1

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