by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
Never one to shy away from giving his opinion, especially when it comes to matters concerning his team’s most formidable foes, Phil Jackson is at it once again.
During an ESPN Radio interview yesterday, the Lakers‘ head coach was asked what he thought of the Miami Heat‘s title chances this season. Jackson believes the Heat have great potential, but right now, he would put his money on the team he’s battled twice in the last three NBA Finals: the Boston Celtics.
The comments came when the show’s host implied that for the first time in a long while, the NBA’s best duo is on a team other than the one Phil Jackson is currently coaching (ie. Miami).
According to Jackson, however, all of that talent doesn’t guarantee shiny hardware in June:
“I personally don’t think they can get by Boston,” Jackson said. “I think Boston is too good a team. I think a team is still going to win. But there’s a chance that [the Heat] … can maybe round themselves into a team by that time and [win].
“Boston is older and they have to go through the rest of the schedule without having some kind of breakdown of players. [Ray] Allen and [Kendrick] Perkins, etc., they are just really a good team. But there’s nothing like the great athletic skill and dynamism that [James and Wade] have and [Chris] Bosh is a terrific player in his own right. There’s no doubt about their individual skills.”
Phil Jackson goes on to heap praise on the sheer brilliance of both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but the message is unmistakable: his greatest concern remains Boston.
At the moment, it’s tough to say that Phil Jackson is wrong.
