The OAO NBA Playoffs/Finals Thread

[Shanghai Kid 0]

Gary Payton is the most overrated player in the history of the NBA. Today, he was 3/10 from the field and couldn't take advantage of Cassell's absence. GP sure has a big mouth, but doesn't have the skills to back it up, at least not anymore. Sometimes I think the system in Seattle did a good job of protecting his weaknesses, making him seem like a better player than he really is.

 

On the other hand, Derek Fisher, who has been on fire as of late, gets TWO shots and makes one. Fisher is 26/40 from threes against the T'Wolves dating back to last year's playoffs. So, why isn't he getting more opportunities, especially after saving the Lakers' championship hopes?

 

Payton needs to sit his pouty ass on the bench.

Payton is old and misued in the Triangle, but back in his Seattle prime he was a beast.

 

 

Can you name somebody else in the last 10 years that had a season where they put up 24ppg, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds? It's truly one of the best statistical seasons I have seen in the modern era. He also took them to the finals once with Kemp.

[Damaramu 0]

Yeah but in LA Payton just isn't producing. Which I don't get. Derek Fisher produces so much better than Gary Payton does. Fisher made the game winning shot to bury the knife in the heart of The Spurs. Fisher made 3 consecutive 3 pointers in Game 1 to bury the Wolves in that game.........yet Mr. "I only score 10 points a game if that" gets the starting job..........I don't care if he has starpower......I'd take Derek Fisher over Gary Payton on my team.

 

And I think that out of the East Indiana will beat Detroit and I think they actually have the best chance against LA. I heard a stat somewhere that they won 91% of there regular season games against The West. And they did give LA a headache last time they met in the finals. And this is a better Indy team.

Beware West.....you can't roll over the East this year.(i'm trying to be optimistic)

[Ripper 0]

Gary Payton is the most overrated player in the history of the NBA. Today, he was 3/10 from the field and couldn't take advantage of Cassell's absence. GP sure has a big mouth, but doesn't have the skills to back it up, at least not anymore. Sometimes I think the system in Seattle did a good job of protecting his weaknesses, making him seem like a better player than he really is.

 

On the other hand, Derek Fisher, who has been on fire as of late, gets TWO shots and makes one. Fisher is 26/40 from threes against the T'Wolves dating back to last year's playoffs. So, why isn't he getting more opportunities, especially after saving the Lakers' championship hopes?

 

Payton needs to sit his pouty ass on the bench.

Payton is old and misued in the Triangle, but back in his Seattle prime he was a beast.

 

 

Can you name somebody else in the last 10 years that had a season where they put up 24ppg, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds? It's truly one of the best statistical seasons I have seen in the modern era. He also took them to the finals once with Kemp.

Tim Hardaway

...

 

 

Kevin Johnson.

 

 

GO SUNS~!!!!!

 

Both were far more impressive in their prime than Payton IMO honestly.

 

But no doubt, one of the best Guards to play in the last 20 years. But Fisher is the better fit for this team.

 

I do think that payton on another team can still give you 20 and 8 a night. But in the Triangle, he can't.

[Guest NCJ]

That was far from the Wolves best game. After playing only 43 seconds in game 2 I hope they can get Cassell ready for games 3 and 4 because they are going to need him before the end of this series. Minnesota causes matchup problems for LA, and if they can get Cassell back at around 75% they could still pull this out.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Now VitaminX. There's a real fan. He admitted that the Lakers got beat up and gave the T-Wolves there credit.

Orale.....nah......just a bandwagoner that believes the team can do no wrong.

 

Thank you. At least someone recognizes this instead of grouping all Laker fans into that one category. Although I don't think I would mark Orale as a bandwagoner, he knows his damn good share of trivia, but then again anyone can become a Laker fan 4 years ago and start going nuts memorizing shit so they can prove they're "true".

 

Payton has been fucking ASS all year. Especially watching the playoffs, practically nothing against Houston, the infamous "I CAN'T STOP TONY PARKER!!" comment against San Antonio (which I found hilarious for some reason), and now Payton seemed like he was energized in Game 1 to do something, and he was still kind of nonexistent in a game in which the T-Wolves were in the lead only like 2 or 3 times, and they were short leads too.

 

When I saw this game run away, I was looking at the stats and wondering what the fuck happened, and trust me Malone needs to fucking get his act together if he wants the Larry O'Brien. Payton needs to get benched in favor of Fisher (my Laker teams in ESPN ALWAYS have Fisher as the starter, the guy is the motherfuckin' MAN!), and if he doesn't like it, too bad. Not to mention Shaq needs to get the ball, I don't really agree with Shaq and Garnett cancelling each other out, they play two whole games and I think both teams are using a totally different strategy to guard them, and I think it's possible the Lakers D (and no this isn't my fandom talking) might have a better plan formulated against KG than the Wolves have for Shaq. But the Lakers, and this was a major problem against the Spurs as well, need to defend the perimeter a hell of a lot better and let the big man play defense in the paint. That's why Spree and Wally are fucking them up right now. And Ripper is right, the benches are the key to this game, so...damn. Fisher/George(whoever the starter is)/Medvedenko (plays good defense, ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE OFFENSE) vs the T-Wolves bench? Things don't look good.

 

The one thing the Lakers have to count on is that one, they're playing in LA and two, this series is being played every other day and the T-Wolves are going to get way tired way faster than the Lakers because of it, so if the series does go long, they have to finish off the Timberwolves quick because whoever is coming out of the East (and trust me Detroit/Indy is going to be a long tough series with a very uncertain winner) is going to pounce on them, so they need to get on their game and get rest. This Laker team is too old to be going every other day for the next few weeks straight.

[Ripper 0]

I don't know. I just don't see the Lakers being able to hold Garnett to single digit points in this series.

 

Lets put it this way, I think the overall production between Garnett, Sprewell and Cassell(when he plays) will pretty much be the same as what Shaq/Kobe will be able to put up. Thats when it comes down to the benches.

 

If George and Fisher are hot, then it could be leaning their way. If Hoiberg, Wally are hot and Kandi gets it going and Madsen gets all "AGGRESIVE WHITE GUY~!" out there then the Timberwolves will have it leaning their way.

 

It will be a interesting series to say the least.

[Ripper 0]

In other NBA news, Teams such as the Rockets and Suns have been in talks to get them some T-Mac next season.

 

The Magic were asking for Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudimire from Phoenix, which worries me because the Suns management is retarded when it comes to trades.

 

Houston might be looking to push Steve Francis.

 

Could be interesting.

[alfdogg 0]

We've been having this discussion at SNKT, as well.

 

T-Mac said Suns, Rockets, Lakers, or Spurs.

 

As far as the Suns go, I've heard that the Suns would like to do Marion for McGrady straight up, but the Magic want Joe Johnson too.

 

Yao Ming aside, the Rockets would probably trade anyone for McGrady, but Francis and/or Mobley would have to be part of the deal.

 

Around the Horn has said the Spurs would have to give up Ginobili (who is a FA this summer...restricted I *think*) as part of any deal.

 

As for the Lakers, T-Mac for Kobe seems the only possible scenario.

 

I'll go get the article for you.

[alfdogg 0]

LINK~!11!!one

[Guest OraleHolmes]

Do you guys think the Lakers will blow out the T'Wolves in Game 3? Or do you think we'll see a highly contested game?

 

Edit: There is a rumor that once Payton is discarded from the Lakers following the playoffs, McGrady might accept the Lakers' 5-6 million dollar mid level exception for one year for the sole purpose of winning an NBA championship.

 

Can you imagine the following starting lineup?

 

Shaq, Malone, George, Kobe, McGrady!!!???

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I think the T'Wolves will blow them out, actually, and get cocky, thus allowing a huge momentum shift in game 4, where the Lakers will proceed to rip off three straight.

[Damaramu 0]

Nah the Lakers will win a closely contested Game 3. The T-Wolves will take Game 4.

Then they'll switch back and forth until Game 7.

[alfdogg 0]

Well, as Ripper said, Malone could be suspended for last night. It wouldn't surprise me, as guys have been suspended for less than that this season. Even if he does, I could *still* see the Lakers winning game 3, but it won't be a blowout.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Nah the Lakers will win a closely contested Game 3. The T-Wolves will take Game 4.

Then they'll switch back and forth until Game 7.

That's what I see happening with the Pacers/Pistons series. Then a roughed up Pacers team will go into a fresh and hot LA to inevitably choke.

[alfdogg 0]

Can you imagine the following starting lineup?

 

Shaq, Malone, George, Kobe, McGrady!!!???

Yes, and I could also imagine an on-court fist fight about five games into the season.

[Guest OraleHolmes]

On the radio today, the host mentioned that McGrady would still make over twenty million with all his endorsement deals, even if he were to take the Lakers' mid-level exception (around six million dollars). T-MAC is a close confidant of O'Neal's, who is adamant about bringing McGrady in next season, albeit for just one year.

 

With McGrady on board, who is also a friend of Bryant's, the Lakers might not be as disheveled as much as we've been led to believe next year...

[Guest OraleHolmes]

Personally, I think the Pistons would pose a much greater problem for the Lakers than the Pacers do.

 

The Wallace boys will give Shaq a lot of difficulty in the paint; also, Rip and Chauncey, two QUICK, Tony Parker-like guards will give the Lakers fits off pick n rolls, another Lakers weakness...

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Well let's stay with Minnesota for now... series IS tied.

[alfdogg 0]

Rip and Chauncey are quick, but they're hardly Tony Parker-like.

 

And the Pacers have O'Neal and Foster as well as Scot Pollard, who hasn't gotten off the bench much so he'll be fresh. Bender will probably double off on him sometimes too.

[Ripper 0]

Well let's stay with Minnesota for now... series IS tied.

from the mouth of a lakers fan.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Re: the pick n roll... how come no one and I mean NO ONE ever calls Shaq out for being the weakness on D? Gary Payton comes the closest, but never says Shaq's name... just "WE need to step out".

[alfdogg 0]

I'm glad they don't call him out, I could live without another 45 minutes of SportsCenter being dedicated to them.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Well let's stay with Minnesota for now... series IS tied.

from the mouth of a lakers fan.

You see? I'm honest...

 

I still think the Lakers are going to win in five, but I thought the Spurs were going to sweep after Game 2.

[Damaramu 0]

Well let's stay with Minnesota for now... series IS tied.

from the mouth of a lakers fan.

You see? I'm honest...

 

I still think the Lakers are going to win in five, but I thought the Spurs were going to sweep after Game 2.

I think everybody did. Nobody expected The Lakers to pull there collective heads out of their asses.

But after that Game 5.....if Fisher hadn't gotten the shot off......I think that SA would've won in Game 7. That little shot there just killed there morale.

[Guest Vitamin X]

We all know the Fish Swish killed the Spurs. I still thought it would have come down to Lakers in 7 had LA not won Game 5.

 

I'm thinking Lakers in 5 or 6, but this series looks like it's going to be tough to call. I don't care what anyone says, the Lakers feel like and are playing like the underdogs in this series, even in Game 1.

 

As for next season, if the Lakers happen to capture #10 this season, you can kiss Payton and Malone goodbye to retirement land. Then they'll have to work on getting T-Mac, it'd be great to have this lineup...

 

Shaq, Kobe, T-Mac, Fisher and George... While Shaq is aging, I can see the rest of the team as a good nucleus to keep on winning. The question would be if the three big heads can co-exist and that they'll retain their good bench players and get rid of their bad ones (I'm looking at you Medvendenko). That's the ideal situation, and part of the reason I want the Lakers so badly to win this year, since I don't want to be stuck with Malone and Payton for another year.

[Guest slacklet]

DENIED

[Guest OctoberBlood]

TAYSHUAN MF' PRINCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alfdogg 0]

PUMP FAKE, Goddammit.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

Well, Indy/Det, that was kind of an ugly game for the first half, but man Detroit's defense came ALIVE in the 2nd half (particularly in the 4th). Stops, blocked shots, blocked shots, and a few more blocked shots. NINETEEN BLOCKED SHOTS by Detroit. Tayshaun with an INCREDIBLE hustle play to SAVE THE GAME, I mean look at how far ahead Reggie was, Tayshaun BOUNDED across the court and dived ten rows into the crowd!

 

I'd been waiting all series for that Defense and finally it showed up! Bring it back to the Palace!!!

[Fökai 0]

Prince's block from literally out of NOWHERE sent the roomful of fans into hysterics.

 

Great fourth quarter all around.