In N.B.A., One Star Isn’t Enough for Rise

LeBron James spent a lot of time on television last week, nodding at softball questions, responding with platitudes and offering scant insight into his career plans. There was much more to be learned from the one N.B.A.-themed show that did not involve James: the finals.

Kevin Garnett, left, was traded to Boston in 2007, and the Celtics and Paul Pierce, right, are playing for their second title in three years.

James, the Cleveland Cavaliers star with big free-agent dreams, is resting at home while the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics wrestle for the championship. The series underscores exactly what the Cavaliers are missing and what James is seeking this summer: help. Worthy, high-priced, reliable help.

The Lakers are playing in their third straight finals because in 2008 they plucked Pau Gasol from the wayward Memphis Grizzlies. The Celtics are competing for their second title in three years because in 2007 they snatched two suffering stars from rebuilding franchises — Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Ray Allen from the Seattle SuperSonics.

Gasol, one of the most skilled big men in the league, has perfectly complemented Kobe Bryant, the Lakers’ superstar guard. Garnett and Allen have provided the critical support to Paul Pierce, who spent nine often agonizing years trying to lead the Celtics as a solo act.

Before the trades, the Lakers and the Celtics were going nowhere, doomed to first-round flameouts and anxious off-seasons.

Bryant, a Hall of Fame talent, could not do it alone. Neither could Pierce, a perennial All-Star.

“I think you do have to have two players that have extraordinary abilities at this stage of the season — I really do,” said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, who engineered the deal for Gasol. He added, “And Boston’s got three.”

This is a nearly unbendable axiom for championship-aspiring teams, and an instructive blueprint for what might happen in 25 days, when the Summer of LeBron (and Dwyane and Amar’e and Chris) begins in earnest.

James has spent seven mostly successful years with the Cavaliers, making the Eastern Conference semifinals five times, the conference finals twice and the finals once. Cleveland had the best record in the league over the last two seasons, winning 127 games, while James won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards.






This piece of news was about the Celtics and their difficulty to rise

Integrantes:

Erick Ulloa R.

Aprendí a leer con un nuevo método

Lo más fácil fue: Copiar y pegar la noticia

Lo más dificil fue: Subrayar los verbos y sustantivos

Sugerencia: Puede cambiar de tema de trabajo a temas de musica

Carlos Vidal Andrade

aprendi a trabajar en grupo en el blog

lo mas fasil fue: tradusir en español

lo mas difisil: es trabajar

sugerencia: cambiar los grupos

freddy alexis hidalgo

aprendi que trabajar con el erick es bueno ya que alluda arto en ingles

lo mas facil fue copiar y pegar el texto

lo mas dificil es leer el texto

sugerencia para la profesora que no sea tan extricta al pedir los trabajos