I got the Celtics and Suns. Who you guys got? By the way, Kobe is not, and never will be, MVP material. 8)
Oooooh, my man Bryant, you've hit a raw edge. Now you know that you and I are buds and we rarely break on anything but jeez dawg, could you get any wrong on this? I couldn't disagree any more with you on anything. Don't think i ever have. Well, i can let the Boston one slide as they don't have much competition in the East barring Detroit, and even they are getting stale in the playoffs. I can understand that the argument that the Celtics would rep the East in the finals given their depth in two crucial Finals' prerequisites: good bench and defenders. KG has given them a new dimension in terms of defense and as they've proved over the past few games - albeit against mediocre teams like New York, Minnesota, Miami and Atlanta - their bench can come on and do things. So that's understandable. But the Suns? Dude, pass the blunt. Firstly, i still question whether Shaq has fully gotten suited to the often-maligned but highly successful run-and-gun style that got the Suns to two Western Conference Finals. And to be truthful, he hasn't. The Suns have slowed down the tempo a lot into the half-court offense. Sure, Shaq has given them a little defensive edge but that's about it. The Suns made a big mistake in trading two of their best defenders in Kurt Thomas and Shawn Marion. They might have a low post stopper now but Shaq is old, slow and gets into foul trouble easily. And Amare Stoudemire couldn't guard a hibernated ox in a phone booth if his oxygen supply depended on it. San Antonio might be aging but they can still put it down against the best. So i say they'd be beat in 6or 7 against San Antonio. If they happen to advance and meet the Hornets, they're toast. And Kobe is not playoff material? Now i know hating Kobe is as fashionable as the new Jordan kicks but c'mon? To say that the man isn't "material" is ludicrous. I would've understood had you said you thought Kobe was good but Paul deserved it because that is highly debatable but to just dismiss Kobe's credentials smacks of some major haterade. He's had statistically better seasons where he hasn't won - honestly, how did Nash win it in 2005-2006 over Kobe or even Lebron - but he's led his team to the top spot this year, having forfeited the scoring title. And you can't really say much about the Gasol trade or Andrew Bynum because Gasol only came towards the second half of the season and Bynum has been out for so long and so he's had to carry the team on his back. However, much credit has to be given to Derek Fisher who has come in and being the inspirational leader on and off the court because these young cats needed it badly. But c'mon, the Lakers clinched top spot in a conference that had nine teams scoring 100+ points per game, a team with a 22 game winning streak, the current NBA champions and a suprise package who kept them at bay for much of the season. So regardless of your personal feelings for him, his kids were right to hold up those signs at the Staples that said "Daddy for MVP". Now let me get ready for you to vent at me, Bry. :lol: 8)
Ahhh, Cris, my main man, glad u could join the topic! If anybody knows basketball better than i do, it "might" be you LOL. Okay, you made some really convincing arguments. Now it's time for me to retort. You are absolutely right about the Celtics. The 2 things that they do have that are vital to playoff success are defense, and good bench play. But the thing that i absolutely love about Boston is the fact that they can get to the free throw line. Rondo can pretty much blow by everybody (even though Billups strength will give him some problems) and Pierce has always been relentless while driving to the basket. I don't see any team in the east who can even give them a series besides Washington and Detroit, but i think ultimately, they're just too darn good, and they'll advance out of the east. I definitely agree with you that Amare Stoudemire couldn't guard his man even if both of them were in a phone booth lol, but Cris, have you been watching the Suns play lately? This Suns team is waay scarier than the previous Suns team with Marion. The reason is because they can win any which way now, instead of relying solely on fast break points. They DOMINATED the Spurs 3 straight times now. Shaq may be old, but he's neutralized Duncan in all 3 games that they've played this season. It looks like it's going to be Phoenix vs. San Antonio in the first round, and i can GUARANTEE you that the Suns will beat the Spurs in 6. Mark it down, it will happen! The only team that i see beating the Suns in the west is the Lakers, Jazz, and possibly Hornets. The Lakers because they have a pretty deep team, and an unstoppable offensive player in the Kobester, and New Orleans or Utah because well, Steve Nash has proven that he can't defend quick point guards. But one thing i do know is that San Antonio is finished, and they just don't have the firepower this season to pull it off. Ginobili is hurt, Barry is hurt, Horry is hurt, Thomas has been a bust, Tony Parkers backup is Jacque Vaughn, and Oberto is pretty much ineffective. Oh, one last thing. As far as the MVP race is concerned, okay, i have to admit that i went a little too far in saying that Kobe should never get the award. He is a great player. One of the greatest players to ever play (will still never be better than Michael though), but the reason the Lakers are atop the West is because of Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, and improved bench play. Turiaf, Vujacic, Farmar, Walton, and some of those other cats are all playing really well right now. Yes, Kobe is a big part of their success, but he's had much better seasons than the one he's having right now. I think the award should ALWAYS go to the best player on the best team, and that my friend, should be KG in Boston. Kobe and Chris Paul should both be the runner ups. 8)
Lakers and Celtics meet in the Finals. Kobe = MVP for leading his team to the top spot in the most competitive Western Conference race in NBA history.
hype's nba picks... my nonscientific predictions/hopes: East : First Round Boston over Atlanta (5 games) Cleveland over Washhington (5 games) Detroit over Philadelphia (sweep) Orlando over Toronto (5 games) West: First Round Los Angeles over Denver (7 games) Houston over Utah (5 games) Dallas over New Orleans (6 games) San Antonio over Phoenix (6 games) SECOND ROUND East: Boston over Cleveland (6 games) Detroit over Orlando (6 games) West: Los Angeles over Houston (6 games) San Antonio over Dallas (7 games) THIRD ROUND East Detroit over Boston (7 games) West San Antonio over Los Angeles (7 games) FINALS Detroit over San Antonio, in 7 games.
Cris.... rayer: rayer: You are the man. I thought the Suns dominance over the Spurs in the regular season actually meant something. Boy was i wrong! :lol: Those Spurs are just crazy. One minute they look completely done, and the next minute they're about to sweep a really good Suns team. That's unbelievable.
The Lakers will play the Celtics in the finals.... Boston wins... Next year if the Lakers remain relatively healthy with Bynum back in the lineup and if he does not regress (doubt it, he works with Kareem often) they will win it all. Then they'll repeat....
Remember i told you ....... See, one thing you need to know about the Spurs is this - they're tailor made for the playoffs. They have all the prerequisites for lasting long in the postseason such as experienced players, defense and most importantly, clutch players. No matter where they are seeded, never count them out. Surely, this season has been about Kobe, Paul, Lebron, KG and many others but the Spurs can beat any team regardless of who they got. Why? Because they play as a team. They have no "stars" in the sense that they don't need one man to be hot in order to win games which is why they're incredibly difficult to beat. Now don't get me wrong, the Suns are a good team too, in fact a superb team, but they don't yet have that killer instinct the Spurs have. They easily could have run away with Game 1 but they didn't and that changed the dynamics. They had no chance in Game 2 and i still am surprised they actually bothered to show up for Game 3. Perhaps they'd take Game 4 for consolation but i think realistically, their season is over. The Suns (and Mavs( aren't playoff ready yet. They simply don't have those kind of players who step up when you need them to.
Cris, please give me some insight into how in the WORLD the "Hawks" are taking the "Celtics" to 7 friggin games! did i miss something? :lol:
Yeah i feel you. I can't fucking believe it myself. Forcing a Game 7 against shitty teams really does no favors. You see, teams like the Lakers, Spurs and Hornets get the advantage because they get some rest and those with mild injuries get some resting time. Meanwhile, teams like Boston and Detroit duke it out when it is not necessary thus they burn out in crucial points, like they did last year and they year before when Miami won the finals. Although all credit is due to Atlanta. They've played like we didn't expect them to. We all were saying they'll get blown away like a candle in the wind but they've proved us all wrong. Perhaps they can become a resistant force next year, and luckily for them, they're in the Leastern Conference. My dream finals matchup would be the ultimate Lakers/Celtics. It'd be Magic vs Bird all over again. I tell you , that'd get a lof of people watching.
Hey guys wazzup????...I've been so busy it's insane, that's why I disappeared for so long... Man...I've been away from the board for a while now and of course, what happens??? you guys unleash some crazy predicitions: Bryant thought the Suns were almost unbeatable, Cris wants to see Lakers-Celtics (BTW, it's not gonna happen) as though we were so nostalgic of the past!!! C'mon guys , wake up and live in the present...The Spurs are still the class of the league, even though my Hornets pummeled them tonight, that series is just getting started! I see the Spurs win the West, against a tired Lakers team after Utah will have gien them all they can handle! And in the East...well, well, the East is like the NFC in football...it's weak and it's a mess...Detroit will win in all! Of course, the X-factor is the Chris Paul led "Nawlins" Hornets...if they beat the Spurs, then we might have a Lakers-Pistons finals!
Jrem, long time no see my man! you've been MIA for a while, but i guess...business comes first! lol. by the way, i see your predictions are still as poor as ever....just about as poor as mine sometimes lol. Detroit has a chance, but if the Celtics can find their rhythm on the road, they're gonna win the whole darn thing, because they're darn near impossible to beat at home. and even though i hate the Lakers, they just look too deep right now. they're clicking on all cylinders, and they'll definitely give the Spurs a good run for their money (if they even get past the Hornets). Chris Paul is a beast!
If the Spurs lose tonight............. SERIES IS OVER They have never won a Championship back to back it won't start this year. Furthermore the Spurs have never come back to win a series down 0-2
I'm a big Mavs fan and sports fan in general, but now I'm recovering from another disappointing season.
Hornets defeated Spurs 102 - 84 just a short time ago on TNT. But the series is not over yet. They still have to take it back to San Antonio.
Even though the Spurs can beat any team when they're clicking, 0-2 is very troubling even for the most upbeat San Antonio fan. And remember, the Spurs never repeat so perhaps the cliche continues. I still am positive we'll see a Finals reunion. Boy, that's be the shit.
