Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted June 4, 2004 So can we expect that this might possibly end up being the most highly rated finals ever as well? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobobrazil1984 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 ^ dunno about that, but I'd say there's definetly more interest in this finals than the previous two New Jersey finals (who gives a crap about the NEts anyways? ugh) Between the Lakers malone and payton the possible final year of the dynasty, kobe in the news, and detroit's hyped up (and well deserved) suffocating defense, two major market cities, I'd have to say this will be pretty successful, and NBA should be pleased, this is probably the best they could have hoped for. Especially if Detroit can sneak one of the first, say 3 games, and make it into a real series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
godthedog 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 team defense doesn't generally translate into ratings, it's all about the star power. i think the espn game might have been more due to the pacers & their flagship player. if the announcers were doing the hard underdog sell for detroit it would probably be a different story, but literally every talking head i've seen has said it's a foregone conclusion that LA will destroy them & the most they can hope for is to "make it a series" or "take it to six or seven games." ratings will start low, and could get higher depending on how many games detroit wins. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spicy McHaggis 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 Actually considering he was playing on one foot, I'd say Webber had a pretty good game 7 this year, except for the missed layup, but again, that can be attributed to the fact that he can't get ANY elevation with his injury. I'm sorry... he was WIDE OPEN on that layup, he didn't need any lift to make that shot. He also missed the final shot of the game. He also called a TIMEOUT when they didn't want to use it, as it was their last one (this is according to Rick Adelman himself). Clearly, this guy has a mental block on clutch ability. He may have keyed the team last year, but their biggest shot at the title was led by Bibby who, ironically enough, won in the NCAA title game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ripper 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 Actually considering he was playing on one foot, I'd say Webber had a pretty good game 7 this year, except for the missed layup, but again, that can be attributed to the fact that he can't get ANY elevation with his injury. I'm sorry... he was WIDE OPEN on that layup, he didn't need any lift to make that shot. He also missed the final shot of the game. He also called a TIMEOUT when they didn't want to use it, as it was their last one (this is according to Rick Adelman himself). Clearly, this guy has a mental block on clutch ability. He may have keyed the team last year, but their biggest shot at the title was led by Bibby who, ironically enough, won in the NCAA title game. Webber has more game winners than shaq, and consistantly, his scoring average raises as the game goes(in other words, he starts off slow and averages most of his points in the 3rd and 4th quarters). Â When Bibby was hot, he got him the ball that year. People were bitching "Why isn't webber shooting in the 4th" When mike bibby is 6-6 and get wide open off the screen and roll. Thats called PLAYING GOOD BASKETBALL. Not "Well, I am the leader, so even though I have this wide open guy that is hot, I am going to take the shot." Jordan gave up the last second shot to Kerr, and Paxton before that, and we KNOW that guy wasn't afraid to take a game winner. Â Webber has had some bad performances in the playoffs, true. But the guy plays big in big games. When his team needs to win, he comes through. Â Â Â Â *walks out* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted June 4, 2004 I didn't say Pat Ewing didn't want the ball...he just didn't do much when he got it. Remember the missed finger roll against the Pacers? Â The Kings lost Game 7 of the 2002 WCF partly because Webber didn't step up. Peja and Christie ended up taking (and badly missing) important shots that Webber should have been taking were he a clutch player. And if Webber was really clutch, he wouldn't have waited until Divac fouled out to guard Shaq. He should've guarded him in the beginning, or at least during clutch situations. Â I still remember Christie's miss. The Lakers saw him get the ball and were like, "Go ahead, shoot." Christie sits there, begging for someone else to be open, thinks about it for about about a minute, and barely catches rim. Funny as all hell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spicy McHaggis 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 How many championships has Webber won? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brett Favre 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 I didn't say Pat Ewing didn't want the ball...he just didn't do much when he got it. Remember the missed finger roll against the Pacers? The Kings lost Game 7 of the 2002 WCF partly because Webber didn't step up. Peja and Christie ended up taking (and badly missing) important shots that Webber should have been taking were he a clutch player. And if Webber was really clutch, he wouldn't have waited until Divac fouled out to guard Shaq. He should've guarded him in the beginning, or at least during clutch situations.  I still remember Christie's miss. The Lakers saw him get the ball and were like, "Go ahead, shoot." Christie sits there, begging for someone else to be open, thinks about it for about about a minute, and barely catches rim. Funny as all hell. I still only remember that series as Mike Bibby vs. the Lakers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 Imagine this lineup in the 4th quarter:Â PF -- Karl Malone SF -- Chris Webber C -- Pat Ewing SG -- Doug Christie PG -- Jamaal Tinsley No Vince Carter? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iggymcfly 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2004 No, that one year when the Raptors were kind of good, (when Carter showed up late for the game because of his graduation,) he did hit a lot of game winners. He just didn't know that he wouldn't be back to the playoffs anytime soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dangerous A 0 Report post Posted June 5, 2004 So can we expect that this might possibly end up being the most highly rated finals ever as well? Don't let the smooth taste fool you in that article, VX. Â Key word is cable ratings. While they are good numbers none the less, they are a different animal in the ratings game as opposed to national network (NBC,CBS,ABC,etc) ratings. Those numbers are great, but can't shake a stick at the national ratings that the Lakers-Kings and Spurs-Lakers numbers did the last 2 years on NBC and ABC. Â Btw, you can all look at the beginning of this thread and see that I picked the Lakers vs Pistons in the finals, LA winning in 6, which seems to be just about every expert's pick right now. Â Face it, the media and all of you take your cue's from ME!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted June 5, 2004 Did Jermaine O'Neal fake his injury to make your prediction come true? Â Also, Flyboy told me at SNKT a couple days ago about a time when Vince Carter had himself taken out of a tight game, late in the fourth quarter...because he was having trouble with his braces. Â Also, in a meeting with Larry Bird, Al Harrington said he'd like to be moved if his role isn't increased. I can't say I'd miss him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dangerous A 0 Report post Posted June 5, 2004 On CBSSportsline.com in the NBA section, Rick Carlisle is quoted as saying there will be changes with the team either via the draft, free agency, trades, or some combo of all of them. The Al Harrington thing was addressed in the article as well. Â Â Alfdogg, I was just bragging about how my predictions of how the playoffs are going to shape up are coming true. The Pistons are very fortunate J. O'Neal and Tinsley were injured in or throughout the series. It just goes to show you that you also need a little luck with winning the title because you don't know if and when the injury bug will crop up. I know it hurt my Kings in this year's campaign. (Webber not being 100% and Bobby Jackson) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted June 5, 2004 Yeah, I know. I was joking. Â I read one article where it said the Bulls would give the Pacers the #3 pick in the draft for Harrington, if the Pacers also took one of the Bulls "Bad contracts", i.e. Eddie Robinson or Jerome Williams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Crazy Dan Report post Posted June 6, 2004 2004 - Too many injuries, Webber is not 100%. The Kings lose their best bench player. And poor play down the stretch costs them a higher seed and home court. They lose in Game 7. Once again the window is inching closer and closer to being shut. I don't get this comment; the average age of the Kings is 28.8, which is only fourth-oldest out of the six teams in any serious discussion for championship contention (SAC, SAS, LAL, MIN + IND, DET), and the youngest of the likely Western Conference contenders in the immediate future; why do the Kings only get a three-year window? Are Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell somehow getting younger? Is Shaquille O'Neal? Why aren't their "windows" closing?  ... So I am hopping that his knee finally heals, because even though Webber is not a good 4th quarter player...  Webber is a good fourth-quarter player... or, at least as good as the Kings have, when he's healthy (or even a reasonable fascimile of healthy). I shall clarify. This season, the Kings up until Webber got back, were in the running for the best record in the West. When he got back, the last games that the Kings played this season consisted of more losses, than wins. And this was due to Webber being thrown into the mix. Until Webber got back, Peja was the focal point, and the Kings won. When Webber came back, Peja got less touches, and the Kings started losing. This was just a poor coaching job by Adelman. Webber had to play to get in shape, unfortunately this time occured in the home stretch of the season. It is very hard for a team to make these types of adjustment, without hurting the make up of the team. Also, the Kings got hurt by the injury to Jackson. Jackson is the quickest player off the bench, and with him gone, the Kings lost a important piece to their puzzle. So the Kings played poorly down the stretch, and dropped to the fourth seed. The Kings play better at home, and if Webber had been healthier during the stretch, they would have had at least two home court advantages in the playoffs, as I feel the Kings would have won the West if Webber had been with the team all year. Or at least if Webber had not been thrown in the fray when he was not read. And with Game 7 at Arco, the Kings have a better chance to make it to the WCF this season.  As for the window closing, I meant the window for this current batch of players. I do believe Vlade is getting close to retiring, and he is a vital part of the Kings. Anytime you have a great passing big man, he is going to be valuable. I love Miller, but the Kings are going to miss Vlade. And you never know if Webber might be traded. So the Kings are at a crossroads of what to do with this team. The Maloofs, as much as they love the Kings, still want to see a winner. And maybe with this current lineup, the Kings might not have enough to go all the way. So it might be a busy off season. It really depends on Petrie and what he can do. He is the man who built this Kings team, so he knows how to get the players who fit the system.  But, if the Kings stay healthy, then they are always going to be a favorite to win it all. Webber needs to rehab his knee so that it is strong. And he needs to watch tape and see that he misses a lot of those damn jumpers he takes. So Webber needs to be willing to either post up or drive it to the hole more. He has a nice jumper and if it is a wide open look, take it. But too often Webber jump shoots it with out considering any other options. And speaking of his love of jump shooting, Webber needs to also practice his free throws, he can make open jumpers from futher out, but he moves in and "clank". Also, with Webber healthy, he can move around and create more opportunities for him and his teammates. The Kings also need to play harder defense as well, well Christie does, but the Kings could improve in that area as well. And everyone needs to be healthy and stay healthy all season. Along with Webber and Jackson, Brad Miller was also banged up as well. So the Kings were too injured, and without Arco to will them a series win over the T-wolves, they just did not have enough.  One last thing on Webber, sure he might not want to take the last shot. But, he often will create the shot for his teammate. in the Game 5 of 2002 WCF, Webber helped create the shot for Bibby. An assist is just as good as a shot. And I am sure Webber loves passing to his open teammates. Not all great players take the last shot. Webber is not a perfect player, but he fits the Kings style great. And when he is healthy, he is one of the better PF in the league. Many times he is the reason the Kings are in a position to win. I just hope he can stay healthy, otherwise, the Kings might have overpaid to keep him. By this I mean that your star should not be made of glass. Webber has been injured throughout his career, and as we found out, when Webber is out for any length of time, it hurts the Kings. But I am positive he will return to his All-Star form. And I agree, Webber is a good 4th quarter player, but there are times he does disappear during the 4th. But Webber should not be given all the blame for the Kings not being able to get to the Finals. Webber was the player who helped turn one of the worse franchises in the NBA, into one of the best. Upon his arrival, the Kings have made the playoffs every year he has been on the team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted June 6, 2004 ... And I agree, Webber is a good 4th quarter player, but there are times he does disappear during the 4th... I won't argue with you about that, although, more often than not these days, he's likelier to force things with no success than he is to be timid. There's no question that Webber has shied away from stepping up in the past but, for the most part, that's in the past. Like I said, ever since the 2002 WCF, he hasn't really been afraid of stepping up very often, even if he sometimes fails to deliver. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted June 7, 2004 I'm ready for the motherfuckin' game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted June 7, 2004 Same here man...I have a really good feeling about this series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobobrazil1984 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2004 I don't care what all the "blowout" experts think... I'm looking forward to this finals moreso than I have in years!!! BRING IT ON! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damaramu 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2004 This Finals has got a great story. They're building it up great. Â I have to admit though.......The Lakers may be "America's Team". They said it's a team you either love or love to hate. No middle ground. Well I hate the Lakers but I do love to hate them. I watch just to see them get beat. But I watch them anytime they're on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted June 7, 2004 Wy is Bernie Mac in the pregame? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2004 I want Detroit to shock the world and shut down the Lakers in four straight. That would be a markout moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2004 Wy is Bernie Mac in the pregame? I don't know. I wanna know why Bernie Mac is doing commercials for the Illinois Lottery. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted June 7, 2004 I don't understand why they try to use history in sports sometimes. The history that teams have with each other is irrelevant in modern sports because teams change. The NBA Finals from 15 years ago has jack shit to do with the Finals this year other than the fact that they have the same names as they did 15 years ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bruiser Chong 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2004 Why the hell would you applause after Taps is played? It's not like it's some celebration diddy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted June 7, 2004 What's the story behnd Rip's mask? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted June 7, 2004 Why the hell would you applause after Taps is played? It's not like it's some celebration diddy. It's Hollywood where they have ZILCH respect whatsoever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bruiser Chong 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2004 What's the story behnd Rip's mask? He broke his nose twice during the regular season, so they wanted him to wear it, since they can't afford to lose him at this point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted June 7, 2004 I wish they gave Rip the Undertaker Clay Mask. Â That shit ruled it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damaramu 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2004 I can't tell if LA is playing Detroit's game or not. They'll start to go offensively then Detroit will go back to smothering them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
