2008 NBA Playoffs

[dubjay]

Is anybody else following the NBA playoffs? Seems much more interesting this year compared to some of the previous years.

How about them Lakers?

Can't believe the Spurs actually conceded a game to the Suns. I thought it was going to be a sweep for sure. How's that Shaq deal working out for you?

And the Hawks? Wow... Go Hawks!

[JoeTruth]

Of course. You will find, there's lots of NBA (Lakers) fans here.

The Lakers are playing superbly right now and I hope they're just starting to peak. I've had mixed feelings towards Kobe over the years but in fairness, in the last 2 years, he was grown and matured tremendously. Finally, he's playing team basketball and that's what wins championship. If there's a knock on the Lakers, it's their defense (or lack there of). Time will tell!

Nuggets imploded and proved yet once again that there is no "I in "team". Iverson (Mr. we're talkin' 'bout practice here, X20) and recently arrested Anthony are thugs with super natural athletic abilities. Too bad Iverson will never win a championship. As far as I'm concerned, that's his own doing.

Spurs will beat the Suns easily and the Suns will be shuffling to recover from a horrible trade. Shaq is done!

Re: Boston and Hawks. I would love to see the Hawks upset the Celtics but that's a shot in the dark and not very likely.


Good ol' Allen 'talkin 'bout practice...

[Pho'dUp]

There a lot of good series this year. But all I want is a Lakers vs. Celtics final. And I want Boston to take the toughest road possible to get there.

But jeez, this spread out schedule is killing me. The playoffs should end somewhere around mid - July at this rate.

[ryandood]

The playoffs have been awsome thus far! The game last night between Atlanta and Boston was an amazing finish and I was rooting for the Hawks all the way! I think it's just awsome to see them even tied up at all. I also doubt Atlanta will beat Boston but it sure is nice to see some nice games.

Lakers sweep!! Utah will be tough so we'll see how we do. The unfortunate thing is that the west is so crazy good this year I have my doubts about Lakers going all the way.

When is the LA/Utah series going to start?

[dubjay]

Originally Posted by ryandood

When is the LA/Utah series going to start?

If Utah wins tonight, LA/Utah will start at Staples on Sunday. If Houston wins, then I guess it gets delayed a few days for every game the series continues for.

[northshore]

Great game last night but the number of turn overs for the Lakers was unacceptable and some sloppy playing. It won't work against higher seeded teams.

[mntbiker12]

Actually, I think Kobe matured a long, long time ago. Let's not forget that while Shaq was busy collecting Finals MVPs, Kobe was quietly going about shutting down the opponents' best player, setting up the Big Fella, and killing teams with big shots (and free throws) when you really needed to have them.

Frankly, he never gets as much credit for those three rings as he should (for a big 7 foot reason), and of course, the focus has been on all his antics since those glory seasons.

Plus, would you ever give up the rock to Smush Parker?!?! WTF!?!? Back then, I was like, SHOOT, KOBE, SHOOT!

Now, that he's got four real basketball players around him, he can trust them to make shots when teams double and triple him. It's not like he suddenly matured - all we're seeing is that much like Fisher, Shaw, Horry, Harper and Fox a few years back, these new guys can knock down a shot or two, so of course he's going to give up the rock!

Oh yeah, when we need the Killer, he'll do what he did the last 6 minutes of last nights game...take over like only the best player on the planet can! Go Lakeshow!

P.S. I miss Chick!

[Bert]

I really like Garnett and Allen, but I would love to see Boston lose the series. The Lakers are playing pretty good basketball, but they are going to need to clean it up a bit to get past Utah, Hornets, and or Spurs.

Go Spurs!

bert

[JoeTruth]

Originally Posted by mntbiker12

P.S. I miss Chick!

Ain't that the truth. Chick and his amazing one liners...

He was (and always will be) the best!

Great quotes...
"The game's in the refrigerator. The door's closed, the light's out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the Jell-O's jiggling."

"Mustards off the hot dog"

""slaaaaaaaaaaam dunk!"

“He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar”

[Pho'dUp]

Originally Posted by Bert

I really like Garnett and Allen, but I would love to see Boston lose the series. The Lakers are playing pretty good basketball, but they are going to need to clean it up a bit to get past Utah, Hornets, and or Spurs.

Go Spurs!

bert

Good points Bert. The Lakers gave up way too many lay ups and easy buckets last night.

The Spurs are getting older and I respect their team. But they're just mind numbingly boring to watch. Especially without Ginobili at 100%.

[dubjay]

[JoeTruth]

^ Like anyone is shocked Phoenix got spanked by Duncan and company. We all knew they'd lose;especially against The Spurs.
Hopefully the Lakers will fine-tune their defense against the Utah/Houston series. They won't get away with sloppy defense once they play the Spurs.
Is anyone else concerned about NO? Paul and company could be pulling off some upsets. If not this year, then soon enough. Lots of potential there.

[dubjay]

NO does look pretty good. It's going to be a knock down/drag out type series between them and the Spurs. Hopefully a tough series takes it's toll on them and helps soften them up for the Lakers.

That is assuming that the Lakers take care of their own business.

I'm hoping the Hawks can steal one in Boston tonight. First, it's 18-1 and now possibly the Celtics.

[Bert]

NO is a threat and they will be tough to beat, but I think the Spurs have the players to put NO away. I will however say that if the Spurs do pull off the series win it will be in 6 or 7 games.

On another note, I really do not think Phoenix or Dallas made bad trades. Both trades are obviously weak comparing to the trade The Lakers made, but Phoenix and Dallas had to make bold moves to give themselves a chance to improve and stay competitive within the Western Conference. Regardless of how it turns out this year, I am interested in seeing what Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio do this off season to try and prepare for another highly competitive Western Conference next year.

bert

[jeffj]

It's great that NO and SA wwill have to beat the crap out of each other to get to the Lakers or Jazz (that's right, I said it ). NO has got some swagger and attitude the SA will have to deal with (even though they haven't yet done squat in a playoff). I usually feel that an inexperienced playoff team has to experience losing in the playoffs before they will win in the playoffs and NO is in that position. The playoff experience of SA may be the difference, but the counter to that is that NO has homecourt advantage. Still, you have to knockout a champion to win and last time I checked, SA are the reigning champs. This should be a barn burner.

The Hawks have been awesome at home the past couple games, but will have trouble in Boston. Still, it would be fun to see that series go to seven games. The Hawks discovered something about themselves the other night when they didn't bow down to to K. Goonett & Co. It changed the game and the series. I still think Boston will win, but they will have to earn it as they have to come back to Atl. for one more game before it's all over.

Just in from SI: D'antoni will not be back to coach PHX next year (looks like it's his decision ??? )..... Whaaahaahaahaahaahaahaahaahaahaahaaaa

I agree that Kobe has long had the tools, but I don't think he's had the maturity to lead a championship campaign until now. He now realizes that 'scores-the-most-points' does not equate to 'most valuable' or 'league championship'. He has learned to trust his teammates in situations when he would not have done so in earlier years and he has learned when and how to try to take over a game and close it out. The Lakers may not win it all, but they are poised (barring too many changes due to the ravages of ree agency, resurgent stupidity or injuries) to have a good run to close out the Kobe era in style.

You can't be a one man show at this level and win titles. Every Batman has had his Robin for as long as I can remember in the NBA. The 60's Celtics had several 'Robins' for Russell. The Knicks had Reed, Frazier, Monroe, Bradley, a young punk named Phil Jackson and Dave DeBusschere (sp?), Kareem had Oscar Robertson and Lucious Allen in 71'. Jerry West could not get it done without a great big man in spite of having Elgin Baylor. Chamberlain was the key to that success in '72. And on and on it has gone.

Some of you may not remember, but even Michael Jordan went through a similar phase early in his NBA career. He did everything but take out the trash and couldn't get it done until the arrival of his Robin (Pippen). Even then it took a few years to get it going.

The one thing that is consistent is that every team has it's issues.

The Lakers swept a 50 win Nuggets team, but the third quarter of game 4 was pretty ugly to sit through. It's not a salaaaaaaaaam dunk for anyone and even Kobe went for a bunny hop in the pea patch Monday night. Whatever team wins this year will have earned it.

I miss Chick too. The only celeb/public figure whose death brought tears to my eyes.

NBA fans, tighten your lapbelts, it's gettin' ready to get rough. Enjoy the ride!

Originally Posted by Bert

NO is a threat and they will be tough to beat, but I think the Spurs have the players to put NO away. I will however say that if the Spurs do pull off the series win it will be in 6 or 7 games.

On another note, I really do not think Phoenix or Dallas made bad trades. Both trades are obviously weak comparing to the trade The Lakers made, but Phoenix and Dallas had to make bold moves to give themselves a chance to improve and stay competitive within the Western Conference. Regardless of how it turns out this year, I am interested in seeing what Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio do this off season to try and prepare for another highly competitive Western Conference next year.

bert

The Mavs and Suns gave up key players that were important to their team to get what they got. The Suns also got a player that forced them to make significant adjustments to their long successful style of play late in the season. Those trades were truly trades. They had to give something significant to get something significant.

The Lakers got a guy that fit so well in so many ways and in a place where they really needed it (he's truly a #4). It's not Gasol as a separate entity that makes that trade so excellent. It's how Gasol's game makes the whole team function better that makes it such a brilliant trade, not to mention that they were able to use Kwame Brown (a tiny-handed poison pill) and a decent bench player (Crittendon) but someone who was not that important to the Lakers, to get him. Double score.

[jeffj]

How 'bout them Celtics... er I mean HAWKS!

Game 6, Final: ATL 103 - BOS 100

Atlanta's chances in Boston are not great, BUT they are down essentially to a one game playoff to see who advances to Round 2.

I, for one, LOVE it!

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by jeffj

How 'bout them Celtics... er I mean HAWKS!

Game 6, Final: ATL 103 - BOS 100

Atlanta's chances in Boston are not great, BUT they are down essentially to a one game playoff to see who advances to Round 2.

I, for one, LOVE it!

If they lose at chowda'land it will be a close 2nd to the Lakers winning the championship.

[carbonman]

The playoffs are great! They end around the 2nd week of June. I hope the Lakers can do it and win it all. I think that they have just as good a chance to win the championship as any other team still in the playoffs. I really like the big trades of Shaq and Kidd.......both gone fishing with Kenny .

[backcountryeti]

The shaq trade will pay off next season. Keep in mind he went to the suns in Feb. Give him the off season to fit in, next year they will be tough. He still has some game in him.